Chapter 5: The silver foxes ring
Rukia looked down at her new robes with a grin still on her face. The pure white simple looked great on and her Zanpakuto seemed to be a far more lethal looking weapon now to boot however as she looked down at the ribbon and noticed for the first time the writing....
"Don't ever do that again you idiotic fool" Screamed Karin as Rukia blocked the punch she threw towards her. Rukia dropped Sode no Shirayuki quickly at Karin's assault continued.
"You think its funny that you nearly died?" Karin screamed as she tried to kick Rukia in the head. "You think I ever be able to look Ichigo in the eyes if I had caused you to die you dam bitch!"
Rukia took action. Grabbing Karin's leg as she once again aimed a kick towards Rukia's head, she quickly swept Karin off her feet and spun her into a upside down lock.
"You think I be able to look Ichigo in the eye if I let two of the most precious people to him die when I could saved them?" Rukia said sternly.. "You think that my warrior honour will let me put a innocent before myself? I'm a Shinigami of the Gotei 13, danger and combat are day to day matters for me and you are innocent children who should not be in the danger of a battlefield. So don't lecture me on looking people in there eyes Karin-chan and do not strike me in anger ever again when I'm carrying my fully released Zanpakuto, it was a downright stupid thing to do, I could have hurt you by accident for crying out loud!"
That shut Karin up, and it was finally Yuzu who broke the awkward silence that followed.
"Thank you Rukia-sama" Yuzu said very politely with a little bow, Rukia felt her check go red in embarrassment.
"Just Rukia please Yuzu." Rukia quickly replied to the far politer and calmer of the twins. "I can just see your brother's reaction to me being referred to as Rukia-sama and it include him doing a good impression of mine... so please, just Rukia from now on ok?"
Yuzu simply nodded.
"Can you let me down now" Karin said before sarcastically adding. "I mean the whole blood rushing to my head thing fun and everything, but it makes it pretty hard to think straight."
Rukia put the girl right and recovered her Zanpakuto before resealing it again. While Ichigo never seemed to have issues keeping his fully released, it wasn't the same for Rukia. She felt like she could sleep a millions years and her body ached in places she didn't know it could ache just from holding it in Banki for a few minutes.
Karin and Yuzu just both stared as she did so. Rukia smirked and explained.
"A Zanpakuto has three forms. A unreleased form." She said as she taped Sode no Shirayuki. " A Shikai and a Banki. Unless your name is Kurosaki Ichigo , keeping your Zanpakuto in any state but unreleased is rather draining."
"I seen Ichigo's cleaver, that his Banki I'm guessing?" Karin asked much to Rukia's surprise. She had seen Ichigo Zanpakuto? "Because it seems about as big as yours."
"No that his Shikai Karin." Rukia explained. "His Banki this pure black Zanpakuto with some chain on it's handle, when did you see his Zanpakuto?"
Rukia stared at Karin intently in the eyes.
"Just before you all disappeared for the second time Rukia." She explained with a clear honesty in her eyes. "And when you all came back, Ichigo seemed so busy and preoccupied..."
Rukia sighed. Typical of Karin to try and avoid being a burden by asking questions.
"Rukia why did you both disappear for?" Yuzu asked ever so politely.
"It seems I have a lot of explaining to do doesn't it?" Rukia spoke with a resigned air.
After finding a suitable cave to spend the night in, Rukia started to explain the basics of Shinigami and Hollows. Including all the fine in betweens. She also told them a little of Ichigo's and Rukia's friends and allies, as well as there adventures together, for obvious awkwardness avoiding reasons, Rukia avoid mentioning Ichigo's Zanpakuto by name. All things considered, they took all the information pretty well. Still there were awkward questions.
"Rukia..." Yuzu asked somewhat nervously when Rukia finished explaining. "You say Ichigo a Vizard and got Hollow powers..".
"But he's a good man." Rukia said firmly, seeing where Yuzu's thoughts where going.
"but..." Yuzu continued. "Is brother ok inside?"
Rukia considered the little girl words before replying.
"He's strong Yuzu. One of the strongest people I ever had the pleasure of calling friend, he also a stubborn fool who refuses to stop fighting even if all hope seems lost. So have faith in your brother's strength of will and understand that if something seriously bad did happen to him, I would drag him back to humanity and make him very sorry for causing so much trouble!" Rukia said with a hopefully reassuring grin.
Yuzu chuckled before saying seriously.
"I'm glad brother met you Rukia."
"And we fully expect to become aunties before we hit our twenty too" Karin spurted out after Yuzu, causing Rukia rapid and almost terminal embarrassment.
"Its not like that at all!" Rukia shrieked. "Ichigo and me have a complicated and close friendship, but we don't have anything romantic going of at all!"
"Yer yer yer. " Karin said with a dismissive wave. "Sleeping in his room, being saved from execution by him, showing consistent loyalty to him and lets be honest here, nagging him like your his wife when necessary."
Rukia felt very warm and was fairly certain her cheeks were bright red.
"Seriously its not like that!" Rukia tried to explains to the twins. "I got responsibilities and complications that make a relationship with Ichigo all but impossible. Plus we are Nakama , comrades in arms, and I'm absolutely sure that Ichigo would do exactly the same things for Chad that he's done for me and you don't think you think your brother gay do you?"
Karin smirked.
"Someone rather defensive about this ain't they?" Karin said some what evilly. "I do wonder if this is some crazy teenage denial thing Rukia? With you two pretending that you have no feelings towards each other publicly, but both secretly wanting to kiss each other senseless?"
Rukia just stared at Karin a few moments.
"You just have no idea about romance yet" Rukia said with a superior tone. "Its not your fault you can't tell the difference between love and friendship yet Karin-chan.... your only a child after all"
And with that she patted her on the head. "Mawawawa" Rukia silently thought "That shut her up."
Somewhere deep within Karakura Town Ichigo was currently chained to a wall in his old classroom and in a lot of pain.
"Oh what is it Ichigo-kun?" Gin said sadistically as he shot his Zanpakuto once more into Ichigo's side and made Ichigo yell out in pain once more. "I thought you be happy to suffer for your friends? Surely your screams aren't a sign that you regret your sacrifice?"
"Shut up Gin you dam twisted bastard!" Ichigo yelled. "Don't try to twist the effects of your torture into some intention on my part!
"Well aren't we a touchy one?" Gin said with his smirking face. "Course touchiness in an area is typically a sign of a guilty conciseness... but hey who am I to point out your failings?"
Ichigo screamed words at Gin that he never say in front of his sisters... lots of them.
"You know, you were pretty easy to subdue back there Ichigo-kun" The traitorous grinning ex captain said as he turned his back on Ichigo and played with 'that' ring.
The strange ring Gin was wearing was the main reason Ichigo was currently chained to the wall and being shot at repeatedly. It didn't seem much to look at, but the simple white mask design hid its real power and danger to Ichigo.
"I mean who think having a inner Hollow would make you vulnerable to this cute little ringy?" Gin said as he turned and shook his ringed finger towards Ichigo. As to prove a point Ichigo felt his version black out briefly once again. "But with it I can commander any Hollow, even the one inside of you Ichigo-kun!"
Once again Ichigo was glad his sisters weren't about to hear him speak.