Tairei9: Hey yah readers. I don't own bleach, I give full credit to the creators, and who stole my hot chocolate!

Ichigo: … Oh that was yours?

Tairei9: 'Gives evil glare.' Ugh! Never mind, I'll just get another one! Read and Review. And don't forget to put that in the dishwasher!!

Chapter twenty two.

"My, my. I didn't think I would cross you both so soon. What a coincidence? Well what ever. Show yourself Niida," the green haired woman said, smirking victoriously. The fan transformed into the sword connected to the fan and she got into stance. Kumiko drew her sword and touched her pendant with the other hand.

"Tsukamu, naiyami!!" The whip appeared in a flash of white and she was in defensive position. Rukia tried to think up a plan. She could use kido to help Kumiko and escape. She doubt Kumiko would really listen.

"Here I go," The woman Yoshi said, jumping up high into the air. Rukia's head shot up as the woman came down to hit Rukia. The whip snapped and hit the woman's side. She winced but the wound healed instantly. She ignored Kumiko and went straight and attack Rukia. Rukia jumped away by the wall and Yoshi stopped and smiled crazy like.

"You don't even have a zanpakutou. I heard about what Mabashi did. I heard he took good care of you." Yoshi laughed softly. Rukia remember the man that used his doll to possess her.

"Shut up!" Kumiko went to strike but when Yoshi turned around and said," Don't move or I kill your friend, cutie. Don't worry, I'll fight you soon." She laughed again said, "My, your face is so cute! It's getting me excited."

"Kumiko! Please get away from here!!" Rukia shouted grabbing the Kantana stuck in the wall.

"Oh, you're going to fight?" Yoshi said, turning back to Rukia. Kumiko sighed. She normally hated intervening if it was another person's fight. Especially when it is a fight to protect their pride. She could tell this would be one of those fights. She would only intervene if it got really bad. She summoned Naiyami back and flash stepped to a roof top.

"What are you doing!!?"

"Shush, Naiyami. I have a plan." Kumiko whispered softly.

"Does this involve you getting beat up?"

"To a certain degree."

"'Sigh' I have a feeling you won't listen to me even if I tell you an alternate plan."

"Bingo!"

Kumiko watch Rukia fight desperately against the woman. But even after injuring the woman several times, she simply healed herself with spirit particles. This was becoming troublesome. Kumiko closed her eyes and increased her reiatsu making it flow faster and Kumiko glowed a violent white.

Rukia ran down the streets blasting Yoshi with Kido, only to have it reflected by the fan. Yoshi charge at her, striking in every direction possible, only to have hit Rukia's shoulder once. Yoshi sent the closed fan and the chain connected to it wrapped around Rukia's wrist. Yoshi pulled on the chain, making it tight, Rukia tried to keep her self from stumbling forward.

"My, you had quite a bit of energy left," Yoshi said, smirking, "What should we do with her?"

"I say we go in," the fan spoke in a feminine voice.

"-and give the perfect final blow!!"

"Fine by me!!" Yoshi yelled pulling hard on the chain and running the sword on it towards Rukia. Rukia suddenly jumped up over her, stopping the blade. Yoshi went to strike her with the blade once again but was a little too late.

"Binding art 1# Sai!" Suddenly like a force pulling at something, Yoshi's wrists snapped together behind her back. The chain loosened on Rukia's wrist and she was able to jump to the roof top. She held her arm out sending another destructive kido at her. Only to be surprised moments later. Armor had appeared on Yoshi and she broke the restraint. Rukia fled, clutching her bleeding arm. The armor on Yoshi disappeared and she jerked the chain up grabbing the fan. She saw a trail of drops of blood on the ground and laughed.

"Your bad at giving up aren't you?" she said, smirking, "Well, it's best to have fun for as long as possible. She laughed again and disappeared.

-------

Rukia leaned against the post in the abandoned house after tending her arm. She was panting from running so far. Suddenly she heard a noise and looked to her left.

"Rinrin!" Rukia said, surprised.

"Rukia over here! Over here!" Rinrin whispered, quickly.

"Here I picked this up for you," Rinrin said, handing her the kantana. Rukia took it and Rinrin suddenly said, "Ah what happened to your arm! Since your specialty is kido you should be able to tend to that better! Why didn't you let Kumiko help you!?"

"I did not want to see her get hurt. Me getting hurt is a small sacrifice compared to her dying."

"But you should be able to tend to yourself better!"

"Yes well…"

"Rukia please don't tell me you used up all of your spirit power…"

"Shh!" Rukia stood up and walked over to a basket. She opened it and saw a little girl holding a baby. The girl looked frightened.

"You were left behind," Rukia said softly. The girl looked like she was going to cry.

"Rukia!!" Rinrin said alarmed.

"She's here? Here take the kids and go!!" Rukia said, taking the girl out.

"But then you'll-!"

"I'll be fine just hurry up and get the kids somewhere safe!" Rukia said firmly. Suddenly the door shook and they froze waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly, the blade of Yoshi's sword shot through the wall behind them. It slicked the wall, going towards them. Rukia was able to stop it. But Yoshi's hand burst through the wall, grabbing the little girls head. The girl screamed. Before Rukia could do anything however, Yoshi kicked through the wall and Rukia's chest. Rukia screamed as she went flying through the door and onto the ground outside.

Kumiko, in her eleven year old form, flash stepped down in front of Rukia.

"Are you alright?" Kumiko asked bending down.

"Who-who are you?" Rukia asked, never seeing this girl before. The girl giggled making Rukia's eyes widen. She had heard that laugh before.

"Now, now. Rukia-nee-chan. You know me."

"Kumiko!! How-?" Rukia said, really wide eyed.

"Quit talking already!!"

Kumiko looked around and saw Yoshi slashing down at her. Kumiko just pointed her finger at her and silvery vines shot out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Yoshi tight.

"What the-?"

"This is Naiyami's third stage. I unfortunately can not use it unless I'm in this form," Kumiko said, getting up, "Naiyami in this ultimate form can follow me anywhere. It is like a plant growing underground. It can be used as both defense and offence. I normally have Naiyami drag them underground so I don't see what she does. But I will just have to dealt with it." Kumiko continued to point at Yoshi, who was struggling. Rukia looked over to see the girl with the baby unconscious on the ground.

"Owari," Kumiko whispered. (Owari means to end or finish)

Suddenly diamond thorns came out onto the vines, making Yoshi scream. Suddenly there was a light blue light and Kumiko looked horrified. The vines retreated, leaving Kumiko baffled.

"Impossible," Kumiko thought, "Naiyami has never been force to retreat ever!! What the heck did she do?!"

Suddenly Yoshi launched out at Kumiko and stabbed her with both fan and sword. Kumiko gasped shaking. Her shikai returned immediately. But before Kumiko could even fall, Yoshi kicked her away. Kumiko couldn't even scream. Her chest was in too much pain. Kumiko glowed white, shrunk, and was a little child again.

"You're in the way," Yoshi stated. Rinrin was horrified. Yoshi then turned her attention to Rukia and grabbed her by the Kimono. She continuously struck Rukia.

"Hey stop it!!" Rinrin said, storming up to Yoshi, pissed off.

"You're annoying!!" Yoshi kicked Rinrin aside roughly. Rinrin laid there on the ground unable to move.

"Ichigo…" she thought, weakly. She then noticed a figure in the dusty dirt clouds. The figure was walking towards them quickly. The figure drew its sword, continuing forward.

Yoshi kicked Rukia up into the air causing to scream. Yoshi launched herself into the air, looking absolutely out of her mind.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

Suddenly Yoshi was stuck down and someone caught Rukia before she hit the ground.

"Rukia!!" Ichigo shouted but then saw someone holding her.

"Byakuya! Inoue take care of those kids. I'll see to Rinrin!!"

"Hai!"

"Kuchiki!!"

"Kuchiki-san!!" Byakuya stood up as the group approached them.

"Kuchiki-Taichou!" Kyone said, surprised.

"Hurry up and help them over there," Byakuya said.

"Hai!"

Rukia opened her eyes to be staring into a familiar face.

"Nii-sama," she whispered softly. There was a laugh and Byakuya looked to the source of it. Yoshi stood there triumphantly.

Holding Kumiko.

"Well, since I can't beat the weak shinigami, I'll just have to settle for the interference," Yoshi said, smirking, "See yah!" She disappeared in a flash.

"WAIT! YOU-!" Ichigo shouted seizing Zangetsu. Suddenly the ground began to shake and they looked up at the Tower of Penitence and the buildings fall around it.

------

"You little brat!!"

Kumiko was slammed into the wall, creating a dent in it. She tried to get up only to have Yoshi's foot jammed into her chest. Kumiko tried to scream for help but her voice didn't seem to want to work. Tears rolled down her cheeks and Yoshi struck her shoulder with the fan, causing that to bleed as well. Kumiko struggled to remain conscious, which was becoming harder and harder to do.

"This is what you get," Yoshi said kicking Kumiko as she finished, "FOR INTERFERING!!" Kumiko was lying on the ground a good distance from her.

"Hurry up and call me out!! Kumiko!!"

But once again, Kumiko could not speak.

It was true that Naiyami could be used to heal wounds even if she was unconscious. But if she was, it would need to be triggered and connected to another healing source.

Kumiko had deep wounds in her stomach area, shoulder, and chest. She had bruises all over her. Except her face, this only had scratches on her cheek. Yoshi then walked up to her saying, "I will leave you like this. I'm bored playing with you." Yoshi then disappeared, leaving Kumiko alone. Tears kept falling.

Byakuya followed the dimming reiatsu, flash stepping quickly.

He would have normally stayed back to make sure they tended to Rukia well, but the child was still out there. The only problem was even though it was dim; her reiatsu seemed to be all over the place. Damn.

Suddenly something caught his attention out of the corner of his eyes. It was a glowing figure.

"That is…!" It was the glowing figure that Kumiko had been following when he found her. The figure seemed to be beckoning him to follow him. He was wary. Should he follow it? He wasn't sure. Last time it seemed to be leading Kumiko and it hadn't hurt them. So maybe…

Kumiko coughed weakly looking around; she saw a bright glowing figure.

"Hey it is that glowing lady from before!" Kumiko thought, weakly. The figure then disappeared, revealing Byakuya, who had followed it. He immediately saw her and carefully picked her up. Kumiko then lost consciousness, unable to stay awake any longer.

-------

Byakuya watched the relief squad tend to the child's injuries. They were back at the Kuchiki house. One of the healers walked over to him and held out a vial.

"Here is the sample you requested," the man said. Byakuya nodded and tucked the vial safely away. He then left and walked down the walk way. He came across the room where Ichigo and Orihime were sitting with cloud and Rinrin. Ichigo saw Byakuya and immediately got up saying, "How's Kumiko?"

Byakuya stopped but didn't answer right away.

"Hey, didn't you hear me? How's Kumiko?" Ichigo asked.

"Though her life isn't in danger, her wounds are deep. I am letting her rest here until she recovers," Byakuya said, indifferent.

"Thank god," Orihime said, both of them relieved.

--------

Byakuya watched the child sleep. He went to leave and noticed the black part of the kimono on the chair. He noticed something in the pocket.

Now he wasn't one to invade privacy, but the thing was half stick out of the pocket and he though the more he knew about the child the better. He went over and pulled it out. He stared at the little box, shocked.

"This is-!!"

Tairei9: That's it for now people!

Ichigo: Yeah, tune in next time to see what happens. Hot cocoa?

Tairei9: Sure. :)

Kon: Ah… the lovers of all chocolate. Ichigo and Tairei9.

Ichigo: Shut up!!