The Turn-Around
True to his word, Byakuya left Ichigo and Rukia alone for the remaining five days that was agreed upon to avoid their suspicion; but in return, Byakuya turned up the heat with the amount of plans he was formulating. But what he didn't know: Ichigo and Rukia had friends in high places...
Ichigo returned from school in not the best of moods, and this meant Rukia was not in the best moods either because of Ichigo. He flunked his shoes in the front hallway of his house, making a quick side-step to avoid his father's tackle and sat down at the dinner table, with Rukia doing the same.
"When are you going to get it through your thick skull, idiot?" Growled Rukia.
"You know me better than that." Ichigo growled. Rukia's eyes lowered.
"I never did it, okay?" Rukia shouted, making Yuzu, who was serving dinner at the time, feel a little scared. At that point, Karin ran to Ichigo and Rukia.
"What's wrong you two?" Karin asked urgently. Ichigo, ignoring Karin's sudden outburst, calmed down and gave Karin a photo. The photo was of Rukia french-kissing Renji, who was unknown to Karin.
"Rukia's been seeing another guy." Ichigo said with a low hate-filled voice towards Rukia. But before Rukia could return the statement, Karin butted in.
"No she's not." Karin said. Both Ichigo and Rukia looked to her. Karin placed the photo on the table for all to see (Even Yuzu). "Look..." She ran her fingers along the picture where Rukia's hand met Renji's head. "If you look closely, Rukia's hands kinda dented. And if you'll notice, their skin shades don't marry up..." Ichigo and Rukia looked closely at the photo.
"It's been Photoshopped?" Ichigo said in astonishment.
"It's been what?" Asked Rukia in confusion, not having heard of any kind of photo manipulating devices.
"The photo's been edited." Karin filled in. "Where did you find this, Ichigo?"
"In Rukia's locker..." Ichigo replied.
"And I've never even seen this picture before." Rukia said with a 'hmph'.
"Then someone must've planted it there." Karin concluded. This thought didn't cross Ichigo or Rukia's minds. They looked to each other in humility.
"I'm sorry..." They said at the same time, and gave each other a loving hug, that even Yuzu had to 'aww' in delight. Karin smiled and gave a sigh in relief.
"Looks like he wasn't lying..." Karin said to herself. And so the hatchet was buried between the two, and they resumed their relationship as happily as ever...for now...
A few days later, Rukia was the one feeling anger towards Ichigo, as she returned to Ichigo's home with rage spelled across her face.
"You've really done it now..." Rukia growled in malice, throwing herself on the dinner table.
"How many times do I have to tell you, I never did it!" Ichigo hollered with a raised voice. Almost instantly, Karin jumped to the scene again.
"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Karin said with a sense of urgency. Rukia pulled from her schoolbag, a number of different drawings, that were clearly her's, but messed up by graffiti, writing on each drawing saying: "Rukia's art sucks", "I've seen better drawings than a three year old" or phrases along them lines. She showed Karin the pictures, while she flicked through them all.
"I never thought you had it in you, Ichigo!" Rukia said with crossed arms. "Burning them obviously wasn't good enough for you, huh?"
"Rukia, for the name of-" Ichigo was about to rant, but was again ceased by Karin.
"Can you pass me one of your schoolbooks, Ichigo?" Asked Karin, still looking at the drawings. Ichigo didn't say anything, but only passed Karin his literature notebook. Karin looked between the two and finally showed Rukia. "That's not Ichigo's handwriting." Rukia looked to her destroyed drawings; the handwriting was messy and had a serious amount of spelling errors, then to Ichigo's notebook; the hand-writing was messy, but nowhere near as messy as the drawing's handwriting. Her attention was then focussed on two common words between the two handwritings: "The"; both were completely different. At that moment, Rukia's eyes ran with tears and she immediately ran to Ichigo and hugged him closely, burying her head into his chest.
"I'm so sorry, Ichigo..." Rukia weeped. Ichigo calmed down at Rukia's crying and hugged her back.
"Don't worry about it..." Ichigo soothed. Karin smiled in pride at this, knowing she must be doing Toshiro proud.
That night, Ichigo and Rukia sat on their respective beds facing one another, baffled by the strange predicaments they were now facing.
"Ichigo, this can't go on any longer." Rukia said. "These unexplained events that cause us to fall out with one another, is getting way out of hand."
"Yeah..." Ichigo replied. "It's been at least half a dozen times it's happened now..."
"We have to get to the bottom of it." Rukia said.
"How?" Asked Ichigo. "We don't even know who's behind it all, more to the point, we have no leads."
"I may have an idea..." Rukia replied. "But I will need to go to the Soul Society for a couple of days." Ichigo reacted to this with a grunt of shock.
"B-But you can't go now!" Ichigo said. "Remember? The thing we were planning for a while now?" At this point, Rukia's eyes widened, and then relaxed once more.
"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot about that..." Rukia said in embarassment. "Alright, I'll go afterwards, sound good?"
"Yeah." Ichigo said happily.
The next day loomed. In the middle of Karakura Town, a Senkaimon opened, and Toshiro Hitsugaya emerged. He swiftly began running towards a certain spot.
"I know things may seem calm with Kurosaki's sister on the watch, but it won't hurt to build up our allies." Toshiro thought to himself. He quickly ran and eventually found his destination. He knocked on Kisuke Urahara's shop door to be granted permission in.
"It's open." Called a boy from within. Toshiro opened the door to see Kisuke's workers: Jinta and Ururu working in the shop. As soon as Jinta seen Toshiro and his Captain's coat, he pointed to the back end of the shop.
"Boss's out back." Jinta spoke. Toshiro nodded before proceeding to the back end of the shop, and in the presence of the enigmatic figure of Kisuke Urahara. He sat by his table, fanning himself while enjoying tea. He raised a smile on the sight of Toshiro.
"Ahhh, if it ain't the young Captain!" Kisuke spoke with glee. "Come in, come in." He waved his fan towards the nearest cushion for him to sit down on. Toshiro complied sitting down and relaxing his worn feet. "What do I owe this pleasure?" Toshiro cleared his throat.
"No doubt you may have heard the events between Kurosaki and Kuchiki?" Asked Toshiro. Kisuke paused, thinking to himself.
"Ohhh, you mean this?" He asked, presenting a photo from his sleeve and showed it to Toshiro. It was the kissing photo of Ichigo and Rukia, and Toshiro gaped at it, having seen it up-close. "Yoruichi confiscated it from Captain Soifon. Looks like Ichigo and Rukia have a stalker!" Kisuke laughed at the fact. Toshiro growled.
"That was not what I was meaning." Toshiro snapped. Kisuke looked up.
"What do you mean then?" He asked.
"Ichigo and Rukia are being targetted by Byakuya." Toshiro began. "He aims to split them apart." Kisuke didn't react.
"Well, it sounds like him, to be honest." Kisuke said, without shock.
"What's worse is, he's began a whole club of Soul Reapers who are looking for the same thing." Toshiro explained.
"Let me guess, Renji's among them?" Asked Kisuke with anticipation.
"Yes?" Toshiro replied.
"Ohhh! I knew it!" Kisuke cheered with a big smile. "Renji's so turned on by Rukia, he wouldn't miss a chance to split them two up!"
"This is serious!" Barked Toshiro, calming Kisuke down.
"Ehh, sorry." Kisuke apoligized.
"Now, we need your help to stop Byakuya." Toshiro said. Kisuke sighed.
"Wish I could, but what can a lowly shopkeeper like me do?" Kisuke said, flapping his fan on himself.
"What do you suggest we do?" Toshiro asked. "We need all the help we can get, and your advice is help to us." Kisuke pondered for a moment.
"You could let Ichigo know of Captain Kuchiki's actions." Kisuke suggested.
"We can't, it would cause Ichigo to act against him. That we don't need."
"That's true, I'll give him that much. Hmm...you could tell the Head-Captain. He could order the club to be dismembered."
"We've got no evidence of Byakuya's actions. In terms of paper-work and funding, Byakuya's club doesn't exist and their members are very secretive. They even take Byakuya's private Senkaimon to stop their records from being shown of them going to the World of the Living." Kisuke paused at this.
"They're crafty...Alright, I now have two possible options left."
"Which are...?" At this, Kisuke looked to Toshiro, under his striped hat with a serious look.
"Let Captain Kuchiki split them up..." Toshiro gaped.
"Are you insane? That's what he wants!"
"Think about it, young Captain. If Captain Kuchiki were to recieve intel of the two falling out and forever being apart, his actions will forever cease. It would indeed cost Ichigo his love for Rukia, but at least it will stop Captain Kuchiki from doing anything drastic against him." Toshiro grimaced at this suggestion.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that." Toshiro said. "It is my duty to stop Byakuya's actions, without endangering their relationship. I cannot sit idly and watch as innocent lives are affected by one man's blindness." Kisuke smiled to this.
"Excellent, young Captain." Kisuke said. "If you agreed to that suggestion, then you would never be fitting to become a Captain." Toshiro sighed to this. "However, my last idea can prove effective." Toshiro edged forwards.
"I'm listening..."
"I'm correct in thinking Captain Kuchiki can't tell between friend from foe, yes?"
"All except Captains and myself, yes."
"Good. Then you can send a spy to Captain Kuchiki's meetings and act on intel recieved by said mole. It will mean that if Captain Kuchiki had any good ideas to break the two up, you can take the necessary actions to avoid the plan from coming to fruition." Toshiro paused in thought of this idea.
A day later, the Movement had another meeting on another failed attempt (Thanks to Karin).
"I was sure that plan would work!" Renji growled.
"This is getting really tedious." Mayuri sighed. "It's evident these two will never split apart, even if you were to saw them in two!"
"That can be arranged." Kenpachi said, with satisfaction, but was quietened down by Byakuya's cold stare.
"Our plans need to have a bigger impact on the two, one that will forever affect their love-" Byakuya speeched, but was cut off with a knock on the door. Byakuya reacted immediately by speeding to the door, Zanpakuto at the ready and opened it. It was none other than Hanataro Yamada, 7th Seat of Squad 4.
"Hello." He said tenderly. Both Mayuri and Kenpachi gave a 'hmph'.
"Squad 4 member." They sighed in unison.
"What do you want?" Asked Byakuya.
"I've been hearing about your plans to separate Ichigo and Rukia, so I thought I'd join!" Hanataro explained to Byakuya. "I even know the two and can infiltrate without worrying them!" Byakuya narrowed his eyes in thought.
"Welcome our newest member: Hanataro Yamada." Byakuya spoke.
"Thank you very much, Captain Kuchiki!" He cheered, coming in and sitting at the end of the table, where Momo Hinamori once sat. Unknown to the entire club, Hanataro was wired with a speaker, that was recording all that the club were saying, and on the listening end of the speaker was Toshiro and Rangiku, listening to all the club were saying.
"Captain Kuchiki has really gotta get himself a hobby." Rangiku mocked while listening to Byakuya's continued speech.
"At least now we have a better foothold against them." Toshiro replied.