Tairei9: Hello readers. I do not own Bleach and I give full credit to the creators.

Ichigo: Yo, Tairei9.

Tairei9: What are you doing here?

Ichigo: Where is Kumiko?

Tairei9: She will… Oh you will find out.

Chapter fourteen.

Byakuya looked out the window of the fourth division health center, embracing the silence. It had been a whole week since Aizen's betrayal. He had been constantly visited by Renji and the little child.

"What was her name," He thought, "Ah Kumiko. That was her name."

The child still mystified him with her power. He would have to do some digging; he could swear that this child was noble in some way.

------

"Are you done, Kumiko-chan?" Unohana said, bending over to the child who was walking out of the room with an empty tray. She handed it to Unohana, who put it on the rolling cart.

"Yep." Kumiko looked up into Unohana's gentle blue eyes and Unohana took the girls hand. They walked down to the doors to where Ichigo was waiting.

"By Unohana-san," Kumiko said, looking up at Unohana smiling. Unohana smiled and said, "Good bye Kumiko-chan."

"Oh, could you give this to Kuchiki Taichou-san?" Kumiko said holding out a small envelope. Unohana took it and she watched Kumiko climb onto Ichigo's back. They disappeared and Unohana smiled. She walked back into the health center and made her way up to the top floor. She smiled warmly and greeted the people passing her by. She gentle knocked on the open door.

"Hello, Kuchiki Taichou," Unohana said, Byakuya glancing at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

It was a stiff answer. But a stiff answer is better than no answer.

"Kumiko-chan asked me to give you this," Unohana said, handing him the envelope. He took it warily and she bad him a farewell. He looked at it and opened it. He unfolded the neatly folded paper. And read:

Dear Kuchiki Taichou-san,

I hope your back side is better. Actually somebody told me it was your but although that wouldn't be nice to say. I would do this in person, but we have to leave tomorrow. Karin-chan will want to play soccer with me when I get back. Good bye, I am not sure when I will see you again.

Sincerely,

Kumiko.

Byakuya stared at the letter his face impassive. He stared at it for like eternity. Okay more like a few minutes. He finally muttered something.

"What in the world is soccer?"

------ Next day.

"Here." Ukitake said, handing Ichigo something.

"Eh, what is this?"

"It is a shinigami substitute badge. It will allow you to go in shinigami form any time. Although it is nothing much considering all you've done for us…"

"That's alright. I did this on my own motivation. I will accept this thankfully though," Ichigo said holding up the badge. Ukitake looked surprised but then smiled. Ichigo then turned towards the group, where Orihime was giving Rukia a dress. Yoruichi was sitting in cat form, waiting. Chad and Ishida watched Orihime force the dress into Rukia's arms.

But someone was missing.

"Hey, guys. Where is Kumiko?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh, Ichigo, she is right…" Yoruichi said in her masculine cat voice. Her eyes suddenly went wide, hair and tail standing on end, and her jaw dropped. Very much like chapter five.

"HEY! KUMIKO!! KUMIKO COME BACK HERE!! COME BACK HERE NOW!!" Yoruichi screeched as Kumiko ran after a unique looking bird. It was gold, black, and blue. It looked like a swan with a bigger tail. The group of Captains and Vice captains along with Ichigo's group watched the black cat chase after Kumiko. They all laughed, except Byakuya who just held a shadow of a smile on his face and Ichigo who just shook his head smiling.

"Hey Kumiko, everyone is here. The portal is going to open soon!! Then you can go racing everyone through the tunnel!!" Ichigo called, waving his hand to get her attention. Kumiko heard and flash stepped to his side surprised.

"Why is everyone laughing?" Kumiko asked, looking up and Ichigo with wide innocent eyes.

"It's nothing Kumiko-san," Ishida said, getting down on one knee. The child may be shinigami, but… she was just different. He couldn't hold a grudge against her.

The portal began to glow and they went and walked through. Before they disappeared from view however, Kumiko looked back and waved at everybody.

"Bye Rukia nee-chan!! Ukitake Taichou-san, Abarai-san, Komamura Taichou-san, Yamamoto Taichou-san, Unohana Taichou-san, and Kuchiki Taichou-san- aha you're out of the hospital. Well bye!"

She then disappeared, Rukia smiling to herself.

"Goodbye, Kumiko."

-------

"AHA!! I thought he said this was a formal passage!!!" Ichigo said, running for their lives once again from the huge sweeper. "Yoruichi-san what the heck!?"

"Only shinigami can control hell butterflies. Just shut it and run!"

"Run, run, run!!!" Kumiko said, jumping up and down with ease. She went a head seeing the end of the tunnel. They ran out expecting to hit ground.

But they didn't.

"AHHH!" The group fell screaming onto a flying carpet like thing. Kumiko dived right as Urahara turned to face them.

"Kisuke-san!!"

"Kumiko-san!" She fell into his arms, making him fall on his back.

Home at last.

------

"Damn child," Kurotsuchi growled furiously. He was looking at many sheets of papers that were once in a folder. Most of them had complicated looking charts. So were carefully documented sheets. "I could have sworn the child died with the shinigami I sent."

"Really that's interesting."

Kurotsuchi spun around trying to keep a calm face.

"Ah, Shunsui. Is there something you need? Or have you finally decided to donate something to research?"

"No, but it seems you have done research on nobles," Shunsui said, adjusting his hat, "Naughty, naughty. That's forbidden."

"There is no proof that she is," Kurotsuchi said, glaring.

"Ah? Who said anything about a she? It could have been a he for all I knew. I just heard you were doing something naughty with somebody noble," Shunsui said, smiling in his carefree nature. Kurotsuchi grinded his teeth and said, "This has nothing to do with you. You have no right to be here. Go away and don't look at me like that. So shoo, I have done nothing wrong!" Nemu, who stood in a corner, looked uncomfortable for a few moments but it disappeared before Kurotsuchi saw her look.

"Really, so you are aware that experimenting on nobles is illegal?"

"Yes, I am. Any way you still can't pin anything on me. The law used to be unless you have the persons consent, you were not allowed to experiment on nobles. So hah!!"

"Alright, alright I'm going. But just to let you know out of all the things Yama-jii taught me, he showed me the difference between normal shinigami and nobles. And I am quite good at telling the difference. Also, if the person was underage, you would have had to get the parents consent to perform the experiment. Good luck on that one."

Shunsui shut the door on the furious captain and walked away. He was walking across a walkway when he came to a shadowy part.

"Ah, Ukitake! Byakuya! What a coincidence!" Shunsui said, loudly cheerful like.

"So, how is it going?" Ukitake asked, seriously.

"He cracked a little bit. He admitted to the girl being experimented on and gave a very strong hinted that he had done experiments on nobles."

"But not a full confession."

"No."

"Then we need to get him under Shinri Tate," Byakuya said.

"No, not him. Shinri Tate may make a person tell the absolute truth, but it doesn't make them tell the truth a certain way. He could be cryptic and still get away with it." Shunsui said, sighing.

"Then who do we get? We have absolutely no idea who preformed the experiment with him," Ukitake said, sighing on how this had become complicated.

"I have a feeling I know another person. But I need to dig a little," Shunsui said, adjusting his hat.

"Do that then," Byakuya said walking away.

"Tell me when you find something."

-----

"Hey, Urahara-san!!" Ichigo called, opening the door.

"Ah, Kurosaki-san," Urahara said waving his fan. Ichigo looked around and frowned.

"Where is Kumiko?" Ichigo said.

"She was over at Inoue-san's house. Yoruichi took her over there for some strange weird reason," Urahara said. There was a heavy silence.

"So," Urahara said, sighing deeply, "How much do you know?"

"Everything," Ichigo said shortly.

"How much are you ready to get involved?"

"I'm already in it all the way just by knowing."

"Ahhh… Well let us just keep it low key until the unfortunate events come to occur," Urahara said, closing his fan.

"Basically until our luck runs out."

"Yep… Now Kumiko will come to visit every now and then."

"Basically when she can't be here."

"Bingo! And when she can't…"

"One of the guys can keep an eye on her."

"Do they know?"

"As far as I know, nope."

"Best to keep it like that then."

"Right."

Tairei9: Hey readers, that is the end!!

Kon: Yeah tune in next time to see a mysterious new foe!! Review for Tairei9-chan!!