Chapter 13 finished... Took a little longer since I was busy with school and all. Anyway enjoy and review!
Chapter 13: Punishment and disobedience
Yugo woke up groaning as the sunlight shining through the window hit his face. He tried to get up but failed. He waited a moment to gather enough strength and tried again. He barely succeeded in sitting up straight. He carefully tried to moved his right arm, which was wrapped in bandage, just as most of his body. He managed to lift his arm a bit but it still hurt a lot.
"I wouldn't move around too much if I were you pal. You could die you know."
Yugo lifted his head and looked around. His vision was still a little blurry but he could see Ururu and Jinta sitting at the door.
"Jinta-kun don't lie... Tessai didn't say that." Ururu said softly before turning to Yugo. "You can move but don't force yourself. It could reopen your wounds."
...which could lead to his death." Jinta added grinning. He pulled at one of Ururu's pigtails. "Anyway, you go get the others, I'll make sure this idiot stays alive."
Ururu left without saying a word. As soon as she had left the room, Jinta stood and walked towards Yugo with a menacing grin on his face. "Maybe it would be better if you died right now." He smiled evilly. "Your captain isn't too happy about that stunt you pulled last night. I wouldn't want to be you right now."
"Whatever you say." Yugo mumbled annoyed. He didn't believe a word that came out of the mouth of that little brat. Why would his captain be mad about his fight with the arrancar? It wasn't as if he started it. It could've happened to anyone. At the same time the door opened and Soi Fong, Yoruichi and Ichigo entered the room. Jinta left, giving Yugo a last teasing grin before he left the room.
"So Yugo-kun, how's life treating you this morning?" Yoruichi asked smiling.
"Could be better but I don't complain..." Yugo replied while trying to smile. He noticed that his captain didn't look too cheerful. "Maybe that brat wasn't lying..."
"Well you were lucky that we sensed your reiatsu in time." Yoruichi said while taking a seat. "But one thing I don't understand Yugo-kun. At first we could clearly sense you and the two arrancar but then you suddenly disappeared. It was only after a while that we picked up your signal again. Could you explain why?"
"Well I don't know the details but... those arrancar could create some kind of barrier that blocks off all spirit energy and traps their opponents inside." Yugo replied thinking. "I guess because I killed one of them the barrier weakened and you could sense our energy again."
"Could be." Ichigo nodded. "When I closed in on them I ran into some kind of invisible wall. I easily broke through it though."
"How annoying." Yoruichi sighed. "Anything else you can tell us about them Yugo-kun?"
"Not that I can think of..." Yugo pondered. "Oh wait, I think they mentioned something about an elder brother or something."
"So there's still one arrancar out there." Yoruichi moaned. "And after the defeat of his friends it's not likely that he's going to come out anytime soon."
"Well look at the bright side. Two down , one to go." Ichigo smiled. "And to think that Yugo actually killed one himself. Guess your not as bad as I thought."
"I agree, you did pretty good Yugo-kun." Yoruichi smiled. For some reason, Soi Fong made an annoyed grunt.
"Yoruichi-san, Ichigo, do you mind if have a word with Yugo alone?" Soi said in a cold voice.
"Not at all." Yoruichi replied grinning. "Come on, Ichigo, let's leave those two alone." Yoruichi grabbed Ichigo by the arm and pulled him out of the room before he could respond. Soi Fong sat down and looked at Yugo with a cold glare.
"Ehm, is something wrong taichou?" Yugo carefully asked.
"Ichigo told me all about the fight." Soi Fong started, not taking of her eyes from Yugo. "He said that when he found you, you had your shikai activated. Now that was quite a surprise for me Yugo, since I don't recall that you ever told me about that."
"Actually I never told you taichou." Yugo replied nervously.
"I see. Care to tell me why?" Soi Fong asked calmly, though Yugo could see in her eyes that she wasn't too pleased.
"Well, I don't really know much about it to be honest. I was going to tell you eventually, when I mastered it completely." Yugo stammered.
"And you think something like that would impress me?" Soi said in a mocking voice.
"No, not at all, I just thought..."
"I don't care what you thought Yugo." Soi Fong interrupted him harshly. "As a captain it's my duty to help my subordinates with their training and that includes achieving shikai. More importantly, I want to know at what exact level my troops are! If I don't know their strength, I don't know what I can expect from them. Knowing what my troops are capable of is as important as knowing the what the enemy is capable of."
"I'm sorry taichou..." Yugo apologized while lowering his head.
"Save your apologies Yugo." Soi replied angry. "I'm not done yet. What the hell were you doing on the other side of the city all by yourself? Didn't I tell you not to go out alone?"
"I know that taichou but... I just wanted to take a little walk..." Yugo lied. He didn't want her to know the real reason for his trip.
"He wanted to take a little walk..." Soi said in disbelief. "That little walk almost cost you your live! What he hell were you thinking?"
"I...I don't know what to say..." Yugo mumbled sadly.
"Well I do. I'm sending you back to Soul Society right away." Soi Fong said coldly. "You'll wait there and when I've returned I'll think of a suitable punishment for your behaviour. I'll go tell Tessai to prepare a gate to Soul Society immediately."
She left the room without giving Yugo another look. Yugo angrily punched his pillow. "This isn't fair! I killed an arrancar and she's mad because I didn't tell her about my shikai? She never bothered to ask anyone in the squad if they already had achieved it anyway! And now I'm being sent home and punished..."
"Well, she can go to hell..." Yugo mumbled while getting up. He limped to the window and opened it. "Even if it kills me...I won't go back before I had the chance to see her just once..."
Yugo jumped through the window and hurried as fast as his wounded body allowed away from the shop.
Soi Fong sat alone in her room,waiting impatiently for Tessai to finish the gate to Soul Society. She angrily punched the pillow on her bed, irritated that it took so long to pen the gate. Suddenly someone knocked on the door. Before Soi could answer the door swung open and Yoruichi entered the room.
"Yoruichi-san! W-what are you doing here?" Soi replied while jumping off the bed.
"Nothing much. Just here to have a little chat with my pupil." Yoruichi said casually. She paced past Soi Fong and sat down on the bed.
"Take a seat Soi." Yoruichi smiled while patting on the space next to her. Soi returned a shy smile and sat down next to her master on the bed, a faint blush colouring her cheeks.
"I can't believe this is for real... I'm alone in a room with Yoruichi-san, sitting on a bed! Alright keep it together now Soi..."
"There's something I want to discuss with you Soi." Yoruichi said in a serious tone.
"Off course Yoruichi-san..." Soi replied breathless. She was close to fainting now.
"Why are you so harsh for that Yugo guy?"
Soi Fong's excitement melted away. Her shy expression changed to a cold stare. "What do you mean, why? He disobeyed my orders and lied to me. Isn't that reason enough?"
"Well, first of all, he didn't lie to you. He just forgot to mention it." Yoruichi corrected her. "And sure, he neglected your orders but I think he deserves a little credit for taking out that arrancar. So what if he wanted to go out for a night on his own? I did that all the time when I was just a rookie."
"Times change." Soi mumbled. "I expect from my subordinates that they follow the rules."
"Are you sure that's the only reason?" Yoruichi asked.
"Off course. What other reason could there be?"
"I don't know. It's just... when Ichigo arrived with Yugo on his back all beaten up, you seemed rather...worried." Yoruichi said slyly. Soi 's face turned red.
"W-worried? Well yes but it was just... I already explained that there's nothing between us and..."
"I believe you Soi." Yoruichi grinned while patting on her head. "It's just that I never seen you so worried about someone before. What's so special about him?"
"Special?" Soi Fong lowered her head and sighed. "You're right, I guess he is kind of special. He's the first recruit in years that actually has some real potential."
"Oh really?" Yoruichi laughed. "In what way?"
"Well before we came to Karakura Town he took the dodging test that you invented." Soi said hesitantly.
"Really? How did he do?" Yoruichi asked.
"He did...pretty okay..." Soi mumbled, seemingly annoyed.
"Okay? What was his time then?" Yoruichi insisted.
"One minute 47 seconds..." Soi replied reluctantly.
"That's longer than you on you first try!" Yoruichi gasped surprised.
"Well I wasn't feeling well that day and I already had tested a lot of others recruits..." Soi mumbled embarrassed.
"That boy has got quite some talent then." Yoruichi pondered. "He may even take your place Soi."
"I doubt it." Soi replied annoyed. "But I admit he has some potential. That's why I want him to obey the rules and not to get himself into trouble."
"And sending him back to Soul Society is the best way to do that?" Yoruichi shook her head sighing. "I understand you want to protect him but he has to learn to act on his own too. If you keep holding his hand he won't get much stronger you know."
"I know that." Soi sighed. "But he's still too inexperienced. He barely managed to escape last night."
"Maybe you're right but-" Before Yoruichi could finish her sentence Tessai suddenly entered the room.
Yoruichi-dono, Soi Fong-dono, I'm afraid I have some bad news."
Did you fail to create a gate to Soul Society?" Soi asked.
"No, the gate's finished but just when I was about to get you, Ururu and Jinta came running in, saying that Yugo-kun had disappeared." Tessai said solemnly while bowing.
"That little..." Soi grinded her teeth.
"I'm sure there's a logic explanation for this." Yoruichi tried to calm her down.
"Well he can explain all he wants after I beat him to a pulp!" Soi raged. She dashed out of the shop and tried to pick up Yugo's reiatsu.
"That cunning bastard is probably hiding his energy...Unfortunately for him I have an idea where he might be headed..."
Soi Fong shunpoed as fast as she could in the direction where Yugo had fought the arrancars. Soon she reached the spot that was scarred by the battle that had occurred the previous night.
"Hmm, yesterday he was headed this way when he was stopped by the arrancar. So wherever he was going, it must be around here somewhere..."
"Hmm I knew you'd turn up eventually you murderer! criminals always return to the scene of the crime!"
Soi looked around in confusion as she tried to locate the mysterious voice. Suddenly she noticed a lone figure floating in the sky above her. "Who the hell are you?"
"Navarro Zafir, avenger and brother of the two arrancar you so brutally murdered!" the arrancar roared. "Prepare to be annihilated!"
Thx for reading all and watch out for the next chapter: Sweet memories