Ichigo's POV

"I need to know what's happened, I need to know who they were and I need to know now," Shiro demanded as he broke through Shunsui's doors, I stood not too far behind. I could see Shiro's entire body shaking with anger, but it was covered with an authoritative mask.

"Sir," not Shunsui, but his lieutenant, Nanao spoke, "We've been attacked by a rogue Shinigami, the one in question is currently being held prisoner in the room next door, there are no fatalities as of this minute and all who were injured have been taken to Captain Unohana."

I felt arms embrace me from behind which stunned my hearing for a few moments. I turned and caught view of light red hair flowing down from a broken bun. It was Orihime, and she was crying.

"I'm so glad you're okay," She sobbed into my back. "I heard that you lost your arm and leg, and I was searching to come find you, but then I heard that he took you away."

When she said that, I nearly lost it. I tore Inoue's arms off my body and spun around so she could see my glare up close. When I spoke, it was with venom, "What do you mean, he took me away?"

She gasped, her mouth falling open and her eyes widened. Inoue let out several stuttered words, none of them making any sense until I could suddenly hear the conversation behind me again.

"It would not be wise-"

Shiro cut him off. "I appreciate your concern, Shunsui, but Ichigo and I will be a part of this investigation even if it was us two who had been targeted."

I turned back just in time to see Shunsui nod. I left Orihime and followed Shiro, taking his hand as we entered the next room. Listening behind me I smiled as I heard Shunsui say, "Showing no fear in the midst of a war, one that had been intended to get them killed. I knew they'd make great leaders."

Then the girl in the new room added, "It wasn't intended to get you two killed. I was, shall we say, distracted when the last bomb was shot."

I closed the door while Shiro pulled two chairs out of the corner. He took one and I took the other, and the three of us sat in the center of the concrete room.

The girl was long and skinny; she wore normal Shinigami clothing equipped with a black hood that covered her face just past her nose. Her lips were smiling, it was faint, but it was there.

"Let's skip the small talk, who-"

"Am I? Listen carefully Ichigo, who do I sound like?"

"I don't know-"

"You're still cute."

My eyes widened and at the same time my mouth fell open. She couldn't be... from the alley?

"Can you believe it?" the first female exclaimed.

"Of course! I wouldn't expect anything less. Though I didn't expect him to be that cute," came a second voice. (This was her.)

"Don't start falling in love with a taken man, besides we have a job to do. Tonight we meet back here, okay?" the third voice commanded.

"Yeah, whatever," the second voice replied.

"That was you in the alley? Were you talking about... me?"

She smiled. "Very good Kurosaki, I salute you."

Shiro looked almost completely confused, but now wasn't the time and I was glad he silently understood that.

"What were you going to do?"

Completely ignoring my question, she laughed out, "We've been here for a long time!"

"Answer my question!"

"We know everyone's tendancies... And yet, we can't seem to read the two of you."

"Explain yerself." Shiro growled with a dark glare. The answer clicked in my mind and I finally understood what this all meant.

This girl was comrade with Hana, and their group was shocked when Shiro and I defeated her. So they planned to attack me and Shiro next chance they got. I had sensed another presence during our fight with Mayuri, but I didn't see anyone and I brushed it off as a fluke of my abilities. But in reality it must have been one of the three girls I heard in that alley, which is how they knew we'd be celebrating that night.

Damn it; are we in over our heads? Is this really going to be too much to handle this time? I don't even know how many of the enemy are already inside of the Seireitei..?

"Keep thinking Ichigo, take your time, we've got the entire day!"

"That's a lie, isn't it?"

"Huh?" She finally looked up at me, blue eyes glowing faintly behind a mask of shadows cast by her hood.

I avoided returning her gaze and instead ran back to the door. I shoved it open and called to closest person I could see. "She's a distraction! Something's coming!"

Hearing her gasp was all the confirmation I needed. Everyone outside the room that had heard me nodded and took off instantly to warn the other Shinigami, no further words necessary.

I was then graced with the unfamiliar feeling of arms, one around my legs and the other around my upper back, and I was lifted from the ground. My eyes didn't have to look father than my own shoulder to see the pale hand a black fingernails tha belonged to my capturer, Shiro.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm not lettin' ya get hurt again."

That was all the conversation we had. My tongue failed to produce any sounds as my mind failed to come up with words. I was the protector; I was the one who carried people in my arms, not the other way around. So you could imagine my shock as someone else picked me up and took me away from danger, the shock that I was being protected and moving through the air without actually moving a finger.

"Never again... Not while I'm still here... I'll protect you, Ichigo..." He mumbled those words so quietly and carefully, it was almost as if he didn't say them at all. It felt so good, just to be here, with him...

Shiro jumped through the air as fast as he could, and just as we got to the third building away, the one we were previously in caught fire and exploded. Shiro turned around and I watched from my place in his arms as a massive ball of flames crawled through the air and wildly cracked away the silence.

This I wasn't dazed by, but we remained there for a good few minutes watching the fire.

Then I whispered, "You can put me down now."

Shiro complied with slight hesitance, his entire body never separating more than three inches away from mine. God I love him and I couldn't have loved him more.

"Shirosaki and Kurosaki Sou-taichou," I heard a girl shout.

Shiro and I turned away from the flames and faced the Fifth Division Captain. Her long black hair had been pulled behind her head but a thick strand had managed to get left behind. She stared at us with concern filled purple eyes that gave off the same feeling as Rukia's.

"Are you both alright? Injured, hurt-?"

I shook my head to silence her, then said, "Thanks for the concern, but we both made it out alright."

"That's good... Oh, sorry, I don't believe we've met formally. My name is Kisara."

"Nice ta meet you," Shiro said blankly.

Kisara didn't seem to notice that he had talked. She just stared off into space slightly to my left. Kisara might've been looking at the damage, but I didn't ask so I'll never know.

"Kisara," I called. Her eyes snapped back onto me. "Can you tell Soi Fon I'd like to meet with her in my office within the next five minutes?"

"Yes, sir!" And she was gone.

"What's that all about?"

"Soi Fon is the leader of the stealth squad. I'll need her to lead a group of Shinigami to search to Seireitei for any more hidden bombs and disable them."

Shiro smirked and nodded, obviously with approval for my new plan.

It was time to show them just how great of a leader Shiro and I can be.