SailorStar9: This is Chapter 18 of this fic and the final chapter of this arc. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.
Pesche: So, as I said, this would be in the exam...
Nel: (Whispers over) Ichigo, can I borrow a pencil?
Ichigo: (Hands pencil) Here.
Escher: (Flies over and grabs pencil) No! Nel-sama shouldn't borrow pencils from a guy who belongs to the Visored group.
Everyone else: (Unison thought bubble) But Pesche-sensei is an Arrancar!
Chapter 18: Reunion, Ichigo and Rukia
Ichigo's unconscious body was wrapped in several bandages, as he laid on a mat on the floor with Zangetsu on one side and Yoruichi watching over him on the other. Ichigo then awoke and Yoruichi greeted him. Ichigo realized that it was the cat who saved him and was the reason he was not yet dead.
All of a sudden, Ichigo sat up but immediately doubled over in pain, his abdominal injury opening again and bloodied his bandages.
Yoruichi reprimanded him, but Ichigo exclaimed that Sado was in danger.
Yoruichi quickly pushed him back down onto the mat and informed him that Sado, Hasu, Hotaru, Orihime, and Uryū were all fine. Yoruichi then commented how lucky Ichigo was to be alive and even luckier that a certain object had absorbed much of the blows, before pushing the partly-broken Hollow mask towards him.
Ichigo was shocked to see it as Hanatarō had previously thrown it into the sewer waters and he had thought it long gone.
Yoruichi eyed Ichigo carefully as he picked up the mask to examine it, before telling him that she would hold onto it for the time being
Ichigo protested immediately, saying that it had saved him on numerous occasions and he wanted it as a good luck charm.
However, the cat gave off enough blue aura and a stern glare and Ichigo immediately handed it back without further question.
"It doesn't hurt to be on the safe side." Yoruichi advised.
Ichigo then changed the subject to Yoruichi's talent; she had apparently carried him all the way to the cave.
Yoruichi replied by telling Ichigo that in her original form, such a task was easy, before realizing that she had never shown any of Ichigo's group, save for Hotaru, her true form and decided to transform.
After the smoke cleared away, Ichigo was shocked to see that the cat with the masculine voice is actually a woman - one with no clothes...
"I see you're completely shocked." a clearly amused Yoruichi smirked. "Can't be helped. You most likely convinced yourself that I was a man due to the way I speak. No matter how many times I reveal my true nature like that, it's always an amusing experience. Everyone just shows a stupefied expression of shock. Cats can't talk." she cut Ichigo off. "That's common sense. Alright, that's enough shock for now." she sat herself down. "And I'll tell you how I brought you here. First of all, this object is..."
"Clothes! Put on some freaking clothes!" Ichigo exclaimed, staring at Yoruichi's naked form as his entire face went red.
"Ah, forgive me, forgive me." Yoruichi chuckled as she dressed. "I haven't worn clothes in ages, so it just... but you..." she grinned as Ichigo stubbornly turned away. "You're much more innocent than you look. Was it the first time seeing a woman's body?"
"Shut up!" Ichigo snapped.
"Are you sure..." Yoruichi taunted. "This firm, young female skin? If you don't see now, you may never see it again."
"None of your business!" Ichigo retorted.
"See?" Yoruichi lifted her dress.
"Wha..." Ichigo buried his face in his hands.
"Are you alright?" Yoruichi wondered.
"Shut up!" Ichigo hollered. "Why don't you put on some underwear?"
"Clothes are so confining." Yoruichi sighed, fully clothed and she went on to explain that she carried Ichigo to the cave using a one-of-a-kind, hand-held device that allowed the user to fly.
All of a sudden, they sensed the enormous pressure of Byakuya's Spirit Pressure coming from the Shrine of Penitence and Ichigo realized the danger Ganju and Hanatarō were in as they attempt to rescue Rukia.
He then used Yoruichi's device to burst out of the boarded-up entrance of the cave and fly to the Shrine of Penitence to save his friends.
Yoruichi tried to call him back, exclaiming that his injuries were still too severe to fight, but failed nevertheless.
At the White Tower...
"Feeling a faint motion of Spirit Power toward Cell Four deep," Byakuya remarked. "I wondered what kind of powerful warrior was hiding his Spirit Power to slip inside, but it was just a gnat."
"Rukia, you mustn't go!" Hanatarō warned.
"Let me go, Hanatarō." Rukia insisted. "I must stop that Shiba clansman. He will be k..." however, being inside the Tower for so long, drained much of her Spirit Pressure and she promptly fell to her knees from the stress.
"Disappear." Byakuya voiced, before Ganju could even attack. "My sword does not exist to crush insects like you." his blade having slashed Ganju, but the Shiba still stood defiantly. "I see." he noted, having overheard from Rukia that Ganju was from the Shiba clan, "So you are of the Shiba clan. Then I apologize for going easy on you. I shall not let you leave here alive."
"You mustn't, nii-sama!" Rukia cried.
Raising his sword, Byakuya murmured, "Scatter, Senbonzakura!" at that command, his sword glowed pink before seemingly dissolving to the hilt.
"RUN!" Rukia screamed as the small glowing pink 'flower petals' swirled in the air and before she could do anything to stop the attack, Ganju's entire body was sliced by the tiny, petal-like blades.
A shocked Ganju fell to the ground, unmoving.
Hanatarō looked on in complete shock.
Byakuya finally took notice of the 4th Squad Shinigami but Rukia gained enough strength to stand in front of Hanatarō, "Please stop, nii-sama!" she begged.
Byakuya, however, raises his bladeless hilt, readying to attack.
At the very last moment, a strong hand stops Byakuya from going any further.
"Dear, oh dear." Captain Ukitake Jūshirō of the 13th Squad sighed. "So dangerous. Why don't you stop about there, Captain Kuchiki?"
"Captain Ukitake." Rukia gaped.
"Howdy, Kuchiki." Ukitake beamed. "You've lost a little weight."
"What do you think you are doing, Ukitake?" Byakuya turned.
"Hey, hey, that's my line." Ukitake reprimanded. "Releasing one's Zanpakutō in a place like this is Class 1 forbidden act. Maybe it is for the sake of repelling Ryoka, but what are you thinking?"
"By special wartime order," Byakuya informed. "The release of Zanpakutō has been permitted."
"Special wartime order?" Ukitake was surprised. "The Ryoka intrusion has become that serious? Don't tell me the one who killed Aizen was... what is this Spirit Power?" his question was cut off by an approaching large force. "It's clearly above Captain level."
"The feeling of this Spirit Power..." Rukia trailed, perfectly able to identify its source. "It can't be..." as Ichigo quickly arrived at the scene, confirming her thoughts.
He landed on the bridge, walked past a stupefied Rukia, and asked Hanatarō if he was okay.
After Hanatarō assured that he was fine, Ichigo moved on to Rukia, telling her that he had come to save her and put Hasu back on her throne.
Rukia began to break down in tears, telling him that he should have stayed in the Living World and that in Soul Society, he had become severely injured.
Turning away and looking at Ganju and then Byakuya; Ichigo told Rukia that she could yell at him all she wanted later, after he had defeated Byakuya.
Rukia tried to stop Ichigo but he swiftly cut her off, telling that he would not back down for anything and that he would save her even if she wanted to face the death penalty.
Suddenly, all the humor dried up and the two became serious.
Rukia remarked that Ichigo had not changed at all and still refused to listen to anything she had to say.
Ichigo replied that was because she only spoke to worry about him. She should worry about herself more, especially in their current situation. After stating that he would not die, he moved forward to face Byakuya.
"Byakuya..." Ukitake trailed. "Who is that?"
"No relation." Byakuya shrugged. "At least, not to the man who just flashed through your mind, my senior. He is nothing at all, just a Ryoka. I will erase him. Then it will be over. And this minor conflict will end."
"You're taking it awfully easy, ain't you?" Ichigo remarked. "Not attacking even while I was talking to Rukia for so long."
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Byakuya snorted. "Are you telling me to exploit an opening for the likes of you? Do not speak out of your league, boy." with the pleasantries over, the fight started as Byakuya tried to make the same move he made on Ichigo in the Living World.
Having gotten stronger since then, Ichigo easily deflected the attack, "How about it, Kuchiki?" he taunted. "Surprised? I've got your movements read."
"Do not get full of yourself because of one lucky strike." Byakuya remained nonplussed. "Foolish one."
Ichigo took this as a challenge and attacked.
Rukia watched the battle unfold. She herself was shocked at how much had Ichigo improved but was still worried, knowing that Byakuya had only shown a tiny fraction of his abilities so far.
"I see." Byakuya noted. "It is apparent you have improved more than I thought. No choice then. Before you get intoxicated by your own power, I shall show you a a decisive power gap that you could not overcome in a millennium of struggle." and raised his sword again in preparation for Senbonzakura.
Rukia yelled at Ichigo to run but Ichigo was completely clueless to what Byakuya was doing.
"Scatter..." Byakuya chanted.
But once again, the attack was stopped at the last moment as Byakuya's sword was bound by a long bandage before it could scatter into thousands of pieces.
The bandage being held by none other than Yoruichi, "Long time no see, Little Byakuya." she greeted.
SailorStar9: In the start of the next arc, Renji recovers in his cell, the spirit of his Zanpakutō, Zabimaru, says that he wishes to face Ichigo Kurosaki's Zanpakutō, Zangetsu, again, but Renji tells him that Ichigo is no longer his enemy. Elsewhere, Yoruichi manages to evade Byakuya and escape with Ichigo. After Ichigo regains consciousness, she begins to instruct him in the use of his Bankai, the final stage of his Zanpakutō that would vastly increase his power. Uryū and Orihime are attempting to travel to Rukia's cell by using Shinigami clothes, but they are closely watched by 12th Division Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri. Now that's done, read and review.
