Okay, before you turn away please read this! This is not the same as the last chapter; I have gone over it and revised it in many places, as well as completely redone the stand-off with the Sereitei History teacher. I have added some detail and fixed the PoV switches that I caught, but if you find anything that I missed let me know somehow, please!

I have been asked why Ichigo is being called Kaien, so I am going to adress this: Ichigo is a sort of celebrity in Sereitei, he is well known at the least. He was and is the savior of the Winter War. Him running around with the hair color, the knowledge and the contacts all the same as the original Ichigo would very quickly make people come to the realization that he is the real Ichigo, and then he couldn't get anything done. Ever.

Chapter Four

Ichigo winced as he settled down onto his mattress, the contact aggravating his overuse muscles. He felt horrible, like his whole body was just one big bruise. Every little movement sent a spear of pain across his body. Yoruichi said that it was to be expected and that he would feel better after a good night's sleep, but for some reason he doubted that. He would likely be just as sore in the morning as he was right now.

Oh, get over it boss. A little pain won't kill ya, and what doesn't kill ya only makes you stronger. It'll do us all a little good to have you learn how to fight with bruised muscles.

Shut up, Tatakai; let's see you fight when every movement hurts like hell. Besides, it your fault we are in this mess. It is all a side effect from that power rush I got when I let myself get hit by that freak lightning bolt, and you were the one who told me to do that!

Yes, he was, but if you didn't let yourself get hit by the 'freak lightning bolt' as you call it, you would never have gotten enough power to wake me, would you? Yoruichi is right, by the way; the only thing you will feel tomorrow morning is going to be the type of soreness you get from a day's hard workout. All it will be is cramps and a dull ache. But just so you know your reiatsu will be easier to access now, and it will flow faster than normal. Be careful when you use it. Our current location isn't very welcoming to those with our power. One small slip up can kill every student in this school.

But no pressure, boss. 'Night!

Tatakai cackled as his voice faded from Ichigo's mind. He shook his head and sighed as he relaxed onto the downy mattress. For a long moment he just stared up at the ceiling of his room, his eyes tracing the multitude of cracks lining the wooden surface until he found one fracture larger than the others and focused on it. He allowed his eyes to run along its length, taking in every single one of the multitude of cracks emanating from it. By the time he had counted one hundred and three separate fractures his eyes were heavy with exhaustion and he was fighting to stay awake. Moments later his eyes closed and he slipped into the open arms of sleep.

_The Next Day_

Ichigo opened his eyes to find sunlight streaming in from a strategically placed window on the roof of his room, straight into his eyes, He growled in discomfort and turned over, burying his head in his pillow in an attempt to sleep a little longer.

"You know, you are going to be late if you do that. The teachers aren't very fond of late arrivers."

"Screw the teachers. I am sore and I am tired. It isn't like they can do anything to me anyways, the worst that they have in their arsenal is detention. Nothing I haven't already been through. Besides, when I died I had just gotten out of school, and before that I had left school to go to more school. Hell, I have been in school all of my life! I don't need any more schooling."

The sound of footsteps broke through the silence, and he felt a slight dip in the bed as someone settled into the little sliver of space at the edge of the mattress. "Well, I know for a fact that the other schools didn't involve swordplay and magical chants Ichigo. You don't even have any real homework here because you have used and lived over three-fourths of the curriculum. All you have to do is remember the call phrases for kidou moves and your own past. That isn't too much to ask is it?"

He grumbled something into his pillow, and even though it was muffled his visitor could tell that it wasn't something nice. Ichigo started slightly as a small, warm hand settled on his shoulder blade. "If you get up you get to spar me later today. Is that a fair trade?"

Ichigo turned over and stared up into the glowing violet-blue eyes of Rukia Kuchiki. He scowled up at her, but they both knew he wasn't really upset. Reluctant acceptance spread silently across his features and he sat up, allowing the blankets to fall from their position. A large part of his muscled torso was bared to the cold morning air and he shuddered, forgetting for a moment his visitor. Rukia turned her head to the side, pointedly and forcibly ignoring the fact that Ichigo was bare-chested in the bed in front of her.

"I guess… But Rukia, how did you get into my room? It is in the center of the grounds." Rukia grinned from her position on the side of the bed. "There is a reason that you are on the top floor Ichigo, and that you are one of the few students without a roommate. Any shinigami can drop in whenever we want, and no one will ever know. Oh, and Ichigo? Have you ever through of just dropping out of the window to get to the ground, instead of having to shove through the crowded halls? It works wonders, and gives you at least fifteen more minutes of sleep in the process."

"I will have to remember that, thanks. Rukia?"

"Hmm?"

"Could you please go sit on the windowsill so I can change? And face the sun for Kami's sake." Rukia smirked at him as she pranced over to the far side of the room and settled down upon the sill.

"Still a prude I see."

"Hey, that is Yoruichi's line!" Their laughter filled the room as the rose.

It took Ichigo five minutes to get dressed, as he was still not used to the shihakusho that he now wore on an everyday basis. It wasn't the shihakusho that the shinigami normally wore, the one that he was used to; this one had many more layers than that one. It was also a lot uglier. He hated it, partially because it was blue and it clashed with his hair but mostly because it restricted his movement.

"You can turn around now." Rukia spun around on the window pane until she was facing him, one leg crossed over the other as she looked him over with raised eyebrows. Her lips twitched and quirked upwards, amusement making her eyes glitter and her face brighten. Ichigo, seeing her expression, scowled in return. "What?"

"You look like an overgrown Muppet!" She giggled as he scowled down at his robes, his lip curling in disgust.

"I hate this thing! It is ugly and it makes me look ridiculous! Are you sure I can't wear a regular shihakusho?" His fingers played with the collar, tweaking it until the fabric was all rumpled and creased.

"I am sure. I hated them too, you know; although, mine looked better on me than yours does. Probably because the ruby color goes nicely with my hair…but was still really restrictive."

"I know! I can't fight in this!" She came up behind him and fixed his rumpled collar, flattening and smoothing it with soft touches. He shuddered slightly as the back of her hand skimmed the skin of his neck.

"We have to go. I need to get to Yoruichi's room and you need to get to History and Customs class. I will see you later, alright?"

"Yeah..." He watched forlornly as his best friend leapt out of the window and disappeared. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. It was going to be a long day…

_First Period: History and Customs of Sereitei_

It had been a month and a half since the academy started, a month and a half out of their six month school year, and a month and a half out of their three month advanced course. They had already gone through all of the history of Sereitei, and were now entering the current times. Of course they just had to have the new textbook, the one published by Kisuke only a week before the term started. That meant that the first few chapters of the book focused on one Rukia Kuchiki and her arrest, as well as her rescue from certain death by the Ryoka. Normally this wouldn't bother him, but his instructor seemed to be adding his own opinions to the lecture and it was starting to tick him off.

"The invaders managed to gain entrance into Sereitei through the aid of an exiled noble clan. They moved through the city, fighting everyone they came into contact with and slaying them mercilessly. It wasn't until they were confronted by the Captains and Vice-Captains themselves that they began to realize that those they faced were nothing more than the beginning. The first encounter was made between Renji Abarai and the strongest of the ryoka. Abarai was stronger and more experienced than his opponent, but was defeated through trickery and underhanded tactics. He was injured and left to die on the steps to Senzaikyu. There he was found by Squad four healers and brought to their headquarters for treatment."

As the instructor droned on about the underhanded tactics of the invaders and their stolen power Ichigo began to simmer with repressed rage. He had no right to say these things, and if he had his way the instructor wouldn't be saying them for much longer. From the bemused looks on quite a few of the other students' faces, many of them nobles, he wasn't the only one running with two different storylines. When the lecture began to insult his friends more than was usual, and when the first insult was thrown upon Rukia, he lost it.

"You have no right." The sentence was soft and strong, ringing clearly across the lecture hall and into his educator's ears. The teacher, Shihito Aru, sneered at him.

"What was that, Kaien? Do you have something to add?"

"No, I have nothing to add to this biased, opinionated story of yours. Let me ask you something… He shunpo'ed to the front of the hall, appearing to stand nose to nose with the scowling teacher.

"Would you be saying any of this if Ichigo Kurosaki was standing in this room? What about if Rukia Kuchiki was here, maybe if any of the others were? Would you say it in front of Ishida Uryuu, who could skewer you with an arrow because he is the last Quincy alive? How about to Orihime Inoue, who could completely erase you from existence, or heal you of anything imaginable; she could even heal you of your very sanity. Would you say that when Yasutora Sado was standing right in front of you, a man with hollow-like powers, the living hollow as he is called, who can crush you with a simple twitch of his pinky? I don't think that you would, would you?" Ichigo, infuriated and ranting turned to face the gaping students. "Everything this man has said to you is a lie. Every little piece of recent history involving the Winter War and the events leading up to it are complete and utter obscenities. Allow me to tell you what happened, what really happened, during that time.

"It all began in Japan, in a city named Karakura. A young man with the ability to see the world of the shinigami, all of the Hollows and souls and the shinigami themselves, was being hunted by a hollow attracted by his abnormally high-level reishi. The man had just seen his first shinigami when she saved him from certain death via hollow ingestion, though he didn't know it at the time. It was later that very same day that he saw her for the second time, and that the first seeds of fate were woven. The shinigami was tracking a hollow when she wandered into his room and startled the boy, causing him to attack her.

He knocked her over and they began arguing, only for the hollow to arrive in the middle of the debate. She bound him with kidou as the hollow attacked his family and left to battle it. The man broke out of the spell and rushed outside to help her, not being able to bear the thought of his family being injured. He found the hollow attempting to consume his sisters and, panicked, he jumped into the fight. His sisters ended up being fine, but his involvement forced the shinigami to protect all three of them. His determination to fight proved her task impossible, and she took a direct attack to prevent the hollow from killing him.

Severely injured and unable to fight the shinigami woman did the only thing she could to ensure their survival. She offered the man power, the power to protect his family, and he accepted it. She thrust her zanpakuto through his heart, shoving his spirit from his body and pouring her power into his. He became a shinigami-daikou, a substitute shinigami.

He destroyed the hollow, and the shinigami left, powerless. She returned the next day in a gigai and masquerading as a human in an attempt to wait out the time until her powers returned. She and the daikou banded together and she began to teach him what it meant to be a shinigami, and how to use his new powers. It worked well for a while, until she was captured and dragged back to Sereitei to pay for her 'crime'; a crime the daikou never knew she committed.

Not able to bear having his friend executed on his account and humiliated by his defeat at the hands of her brother the daikou turned to the only person he could to help him, one Kisuke Urahara. Kisuke trained the boy and made him a true shinigami, even though it technically killed him in the process. He gained his zanpakuto and one other attribute, an inner hollow. You see Urahara's way to become a shinigami had risks because it meant breaking ones soul chain, and if the person didn't turn shinigami they would go hollow. The daikou just barely managed to escape the pit and win the battle, but he was already partially turned.

He was taught how to fight with his new form and, when Kisuke deemed him ready, he and his friends departed for Soul Society to retrieve their shinigami friend. They fought their way through the city of Sereitei, accompanied by a talking cat that they knew only as Yoruichi and Ganju Shiba. The daikou defeated Jibando, the gate keeper. They made their way to the Hougyoku before they were stopped. The substitute had managed to defeat Renji Abarai, the current sixth division's fukutaicho, and Kenpachi Zaraki. He was finally stopped by Byakuya Kuchiki, and he would have been killed if Shihouin Yoruichi and Ukitake taicho of the thirteenth division hadn't stepped in. By that time he and his two companions had freed their friend, but she refused to allow them to kill themselves over her and convinced them to retreat between her pleas and her brother's power.

The daikou went into seclusion with Yoruichi and trained once more, striving for three days straight to achieve his Bankai. In the end he did, attaining it just in time to prevent his friend's execution and save her life. He gave her to her childhood friend, his enemy turned ally, Renji Abarai to take care of and told them to flee. They did. He held off the three fukutaicho's who attempted to pursue him while his companions and a few other taicho's took on the remaining captians, all but one: Byakuya Kuchiki. As soon as he knocked out his opponents he was challenged to a duel by the captain, on which he accepted. In the end he won, though it very nearly swung the other way.

During the whole fiasco a single captain had been found supposedly murdered, and the blame had been pinned on the invaders, the ryoka. This was disproven when the captain, Aizen Sousuke, was found to be more than just alive: he was the one behind all of the events. He murdered the Central 46 and used his shikai to create illusions of them, making everyone who had ever set eyes on it fall under his spell, if you will. He was after the Hougyoku, a powerful object created my Kisuke Urahara during his first time as the captain of the Twelfth squad. It was hidden by him inside of a girl, the very girl that was about to be executed, Rukia Kuchiki. Aizen removed the Hougyoku from her and retreated into the Hollow world along with two other traitors, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tousen. Thus began the Winter War. What happened, what truly happened, during the Winter War is not my place to explain. It has not and will not be released to the general public as ordered by the Soutaicho Yamamoto and Central 46, and as such most of you in here will never know the true events that made up the war. The only people who know the true occurrences are those that survived it, and those that are ranked third seat and above." Ichigo turned to face the teacher who was now standing dumbstruck behind him. The man's face was pale and drawn, his eyes dull as he stared uncomprehendingly at the furious young man in front of him. Slowly he came back to his senses and his face flushed dark red as he glowered at the wooden floor of the podium. Ichigo smirked and spun on his heel, marching out of the room with military precision, leaving a group of awed students and on infuriated professor behind him.

_Second Period: Taijutsu_

Luckily for Ichigo his Taijutsu class was his next period and it gave him a chance to blow off any remaining steam. The class, which was already terrified of him because of previous experiences, stayed well away as he pulverized bag after bag, foam man after foam man. I got to the point where he was simply punching the wooden wall, over and over and over again, making his skin raw and his knuckles bloody.

Eventually the novelty of destroying inanimate objects wore off, leaving Ichigo longing for a real duel with a ream shinigami. Never in his life had Ichigo ever believed that he would want to see Kenpachi and yet here he was longing for it. Soon he found himself scanning the room, searching desperately for anything more physically taxing than Taijutsu moves that he had already long since learned.

The room was fairly large, and there was a track making up the second story of the room. He cast a glance at the class working behind him, evaluating his chances of getting away undetected. They were having a tournament of some sort so Ichigo quickly shunpo'ed away, deciding that it was very unlikely that he would be missed. It was empty, much to his surprise and delight. That meant he didn't have to hold back as he normally did, that he could let loose and there would be no one there for him to injure. So he let go, channeling all his energy and left-over anger into his legs and sprinting for all he was worth. One lap, two, three, four… he kept tally in the back of his mind, doing his best to keep track. He lost all recollection as soon as he hit seventy-four, preferring to focus on the pounding of his feet against the rubber-covered cement and the dull tha-thump of his heart in his ears.

A sharp whistle from below caught his attention, jerking him to a halt. He cocked his head, listening attentively to the words of the instructor below him.

"All of you who are not in the sixth year advanced Zanjutsu class head to the showers. You have ten minutes until your next class." He could almost see the 'coach' wave his hand in dismissal. He cocked his head to the side, sudden intuition hitting him.

Huh… didn't know I was in Sixth Year Advanced… Guess that means I am going on that trip next month?

Boss, I know you are ticked and bored and frankly I couldn't care less, but shouldn't you be getting down there? I like my swordplay and you have been standing here for fifteen minutes. You are late.

_Third Period: Zanjutsu_

Ichigo stood in the back of the room, watching disinterestedly as the other students paired off and began sparring around him. It wasn't like he needed this class, it was just for show. He knew all of this already.

"Excuse me? You are the guy from yesterday, right? The one with the huge Zanpakuto?" He turned to find a girl who looked about his age, maybe a little younger, with dark brown hair that reached down to her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep, murky blue; the color you get out in the middle of the ocean. A single glance at her uniform told him that she was a sixth year. It was the girl from yesterday, Shizuka maybe?

"You're Shizuka Ongaku, right? The girl who picked up Zangetsu and got burned for it?" She twitched, obviously still sore about that little fact.

"Yes, I am. I am sorry about that, by the way. You have a very handsome Zanpakuto. Speaking of, where is it?"

"Right here." He fingered the hilt of the broadsword on his hip, playing with the silk wrapping.

"But, I thought it was a cleaver? What happened?" Ichigo smirked at her.

"I managed to talk Zangetsu into being sealed, and here we are. If I left him open I would end up knocking the school out. He exerts too much reiatsu." Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, her eyes flicking between him and the large sword at his side.

"Oh… well, would you mind sparring with me? I noticed you sit out every day, and I have beaten everyone else so…" Her voice was a high-pitched squeak, as if she was nervous or scared of him.

"What are you so worked up about? Your voice is so high it is squeaking. Calm down, I won't kill you or anything." Shizuka nodded, albeit reluctantly. When she next spoke her voice was back to normal, if a little wary.

"So, will you spar with me?" Ichigo looked her over, his eyes lingering on her Zanpakuto in particular. His lips turned up in a smirk and he nodded his acceptance.

"Let's do it. Just one thing before we begin." She eyed him with raised eyebrows.

"What?"

"Unleash your shikai. You are going to need it."

"But the instructors-"

"Never said that we are not allowed to, everyone just assumed it. Unleash your shikai or I refuse to spar with you."

"Are you going to release yours?" He laughed; a short, harsh sound and shook his head.

"No. You are not ready for that, no student and most teachers in this building couldn't last five minutes against me in full shikai mode." She gave a terse nod and her eyes went misty.

"You reiatsu went really high when you summoned your Zanpakuto yesterday. It nearly knocked me out, and it would have if it hadn't suddenly disappeared. I believe you." She fingered the hilt of her sealed zanpakuto nervously. She glanced down at it and back to the broadsword bared in front of Ichigo, crossed diagonally across his chest. She gripped the hilt and pulled, drawing it fluidly out of its sheath. "Well, here goes nothing! Flames Rain from the Sky and Burn, Takitsukeru!" The katana in her hands melted away and was replaced by a silver daito. White flames were etched into the edged of the blade, surprisingly apparent against the silver background. The air around it shimmered with a heat that Ichigo could feel from his position five feet away. The guard was golden and it glowed, small flames licking the edges of the metal and rising up and inch into the air. A complicated pattern was etched into the solid gold guard, a very captivating pattern that looked almost Celtic…(1)

Ichigo had to admit that the blade was beautiful and very, very impressive. When she called forth her zanpakuto her already impressive reiatsu (compared to normal shinigami, that is) skyrocketed, rising quite a few notches on the scale. It was nothing to impressive of course, but was definitely enough to surprise him. She sprinted forwards, her blade held diagonally across her body and tilted forwards. She leapt into the air about five feet away and flew towards Ichigo, slashing at his side when she came close enough. He raised his blade in retaliation and deflected the blow idly, yawning just to annoy her.

She came at him again and again, using different angles and tactics every time. Ichigo just kept deflecting them, giving her pointers every once and a while. If he was a normal shinigami he most likely would have been cut down by now because she was a skilled swordsman, better than many of the seated shinigami that he knew.

It took her forty-five minutes to tire and halt in her attack, forty-five minutes of non-stop offense. Ichigo leaned back against the nearest wall and gave her a minute to catch her breath before jumping onto the offensive, forcing her to defend herself. His attacks were calculated as not to hurt her, but she seemed to be struggling all the same. She was offensive, not defensive, and she didn't know how to fight unless she was attacking. That was something that was going to change.

"Raise your sword, your guard is to low!" Clash! "Put more force behind it, you are never going to block something when your arm is so weak!" Clash! "You won't be able to block everything, if something looks too strong for you to stop dodge it! Dodge any blow you can!" Clash! Clash! Clash!

They kept fighting until the bell rung, signaling the exchange of classes. It was only then that the two noticed the crowd that had gathered around them and the attentive, observational looks on their faces. Ichigo smirked at them and walked off, Zangetsu dangling over his shoulder. Shizuka walked over to a small group of people at the edge of the throng and disappeared.

_Fourth Period (Last): Kidou and Shunpo_

Ichigo walked into the kidou hall just as the bell rang and slipped into his usual seat in the back, watching the front of the hall with avid interest. He watched as Yoruichi stepped out of her office on the far side of the stand in the front and walked over to the center of the stage. She began to talk, but he ignored her preferring instead to search for the petite shinigami woman that he knew would be there. Then, at the end of her speech, two words caught his attention.

"Rukia Kuchiki!" Rukia stepped out of the office and strode out onto the stage, stopping in front of Yoruichi and shaking her hand. When the formalities were all over and done with she turned towards the students, all of whom were whispering excitedly to each other.

"Well, I must say I am thrilled to be here. It is a welcome change from the paperwork that I normally do all day! Well, do any of you know why I am here?"

"To teach us Kidou! You are one of the best in Gotei Thirteen!" The call was anonymous, but clear. Rukia nodded.

"That is correct. Yoruichi here," She gestured behind her to where Yoruichi was leaning against the wall. "-asked me to come, because what you are covering right now is my specialty; kidou use in battle. Now, I am a firm believer that the best way to learn is by experience. So, who wants to try?"

Multiple hands were raised and Rukia asked them to come to the front and form a line before the stage. They did so, and Rukia called them up one by one. The first lasted a remarkable minute and a half before succumbing to her soukatsui, and being eliminated. The second lasted only seconds, and the third… well, as soon as Yoruichi said go he was down, not having dodged her first spell fast enough. The others followed the same way, each falling methodically to one spell or another. The most entertaining part of the whole demonstration was that Rukia seemed to be having fun with it.

When the last of the contestants had fallen she called out one more time, "Does anyone wish to challenge me?" Ichigo knew this was his queue, despite the fact that she completely ignored his presence.

"I do." Those two words echoed through the silence and every single head turned in his direction. The students looked at him with wide eyes, their gazes saying what their mouths did not: You Are Mad.

"Come forward." And come forward he did. Ichigo rose from his seat and took a step forward, using shunpo to jump the small distance between him and the front of the classroom.

"What is your name?"

"Kaien." She didn't even flinch when he spoke his cover, which made him believe that maybe she was the one to provide it.

"Very well Kaien. On the count of three we will begin. If you last more than five minutes we shall draw our blades, sealed of course, and we will duel with both kidou and zanjutsu until first blood. Do you understand?"

"I do." Rukia turned her head to where Yoruichi rested, and spoke: "If you will?"

Yoruichi nodded, and began the countdown. "Three… Two... One. Begin!"

"Hadou 11: Tsuzuri Raiden!" Rukia made the first move, sending a small bolt of electricity flying through air towards Ichigo. He dodged to the left, throwing himself out of the way and casting his own in the process.

"Way of Destruction Number 4: Byakurai!" A bolt of white flew from his fingertips, cutting through the air towards his best friend. She spun to the side, dodging the bolt but getting a perfect three inch by three inch circular hole through her shihakusho for her troubles. Ichigo hit the ground and rolled, inadvertently avoiding yet another spell that she had cast while he was distracted. He leapt to his feet and skidded across the stage, a spell already forming on his lips.

"Way of Destruction Number 31: Shakkahou!" They spoke in unison, casting the spell at the exact same time. It was only the second that he had cast, but it was her fourth. He might be able to utilize kidou but she was faster and more efficient and he doubted that would ever change. The two bolts collided, the black and the violet meeting in midair. Separate flares broke off from the main ones, creating a dancing web of electricity along the stage. The two attacks battled for dominance, pushing and flickering as they clashed. Ichigo locked eyes with Rukia and a silent understanding passed between them.

They reached for their swords as one, drawing them and allowing the kidou that was once between them to fizzle out. They flew towards each other, their blades drawn and pointed towards each other. They met with the ringing roar or metal on metal, their blades trapped in an X between them. Reiatsu flared between them, leaking out of nonexistent flaws in their control and wrapping around the two in a blanket of power. They pulled away and clashed once more, their blades meeting in the space before them. Rukia spun in a circle, her blade drawn and extended. As Ichigo jumped she pushed off of the ground, leaping into the air and slashing at him. He barely managed to block the blow. As they descended back to the ground their reishi solidified around them, slowly lowering them to the ground.

The met again, and what should have been a fight became a dance. Blades clashed, bodies spun; one second they were nose to nose, separated only by the width of the metal that was the blades of their swords and then next they were feet away from each other.

Yoruichi stayed in place against the wall, not wanting to get caught up in their playtime. She knew that the two deserved it more than anyone else. They had been too busy lately to so much as say hello, much less to duel and train. She could see the effect it was having on them, the calming side effects that came with the duel and the camaraderie that was slowly returning.

The two leapt forwards in one final move and as their blades clashed, creating a shower of sparks, the grate of blade upon metal blade nearly deafened the students, as unused to the sounds of battle as they were. Rukia twisted, somehow maneuvering her sword so that the tip rested upon his throat. A light cut materialized into view, the pink of the living flesh easily visible against his pale skin. A single bead of crimson dripped off of it and ran along the curve of his neck. Her eyes, unbidden as they were, followed it as it fell.

Rukia grinned at him, her eyes sparkling with adrenaline and satisfaction. Ichigo chuckled and nodded his head down, the movement making Rukia glance in the same direction. Shock registered on her face as she realized what had happened. The tip of Ichigo's broadsword was buried in the cloth of her shihakusho, the cold metal pressed lightly against the skin on chest. A small bead of blood made its way down her chest, itching uncomfortably before it was absorbed by the cloth.

"Tie!" The word shattered the silence that reigned over the room and the awed academy students. Ichigo and Rukia backed away from each other, carefully removing their swords and sheathing them at their hips. They bowed to each other, their gazes never once wavering, and straightened. Rukia stepped forwards and whispered in his ear, "Meet me in the Gardens at five. It has been to long since we just talked." Then she spun on her heel and left the room, leaving Ichigo to stare at her back.

Well, hopefully I didn't botch this one up. Sorry for the sudden influx, if the deleting of the last chapter did do anything, or for any confusion you might have had because of this. I just reaaly didn't like the way the last version sounded. If you catch anything please let me know!

(1): A picture of the guard's pattern is going the be posted via link on my profile, look at it. It intrigued me.