A week had passed since Ichigo started his training with Urahara-san, Yoruichi, Renji and his three friends; Ishida, Inoue and Chad. Urahara had invented something for the war. The 3rd Division Captain said that they were going to departure on tomorrow dawn.
Ichigo was lying on his bed. There were many thing playing inside his mind. All the problems and memories danced all over places in his head. He was going to fight with Aizen, the strongest Shinigami he ever deal with, again. He couldn't imagine how he will end up at the end of the war between Shinigami and the traitors. Maybe he will die…or if he lucky to be alive, he may got very serious wounds. He really couldn't image.
Then he got up and did his homework. He finished his homework about few hours after that and it was already 6 pm. He tidied up his books and showered before went for dinner with his family downstairs.
It was a silence dinner. Everybody had nothing to talk about and it was really weird for the Kurosaki's family. Their dad always the noisy one but this time he just shut up.
"Okay, this atmosphere really freaks me out." Ichigo said after few minutes in the dinning room. He put his bowl and chopsticks down then looked at his family members. "Can we be noisy as usual? This just weird…too weird" he continued.
"How can we be as usual, when we know you will be operating in three more weeks? Why you don't want to make it as soon as possible, son?" Isshin finally said something. He was too concern about his only son's health.
"I got work to do. I'm sorry. It won't grow bigger in few weeks, because it is still small. Don't worry, okay. I'll be fine in three more weeks." Ichigo replied. "So can we just be normal? I hate this feeling. It just won't fit us." Ichigo plus.
"Well…okay. So what work you will do in these three more weeks, Ichi-nii?" Karin gave a question to him.
"Something. I'll be away to help a society." Ichigo replied; not giving the place where he will go.
"You sure you will be okay Onii-chan?" this time Yuzu gave him a question.
"Yeah. Don't worry, okay? I'll be fine. Plus, I'm not going there alone. I'll go with some friends." Ichigo replied with his smile on his face. A thing that he rarely do. SMILE.
Then the atmosphere turned to normal. They got noisy again. After had their dinner, Ichigo helped his sister to wash the dishes, helped Karin with her math works and finally watched TV together.
Ichigo's attitude tonight kind of different and they can see it. Ichigo did this because he can't grantee that he will come back safe or he will come back. Ichigo afraid that he will go to leave his family just like that.
Yuzu was already asleep when the the clock strucked twelve. Ichigo went to the kitchen and took some water and ate his medicines.
In his room, all he thought was about the war. It will be dangerous, deadly, bloody war. Aizen and his fellow traitors must be very strong to attack them now. He didn't know if they could win this time. They already lost the last time. Soul Society must be ready to fight Aizen.
The training with Urahara-san, Renji, Yoruichi-san and his friends went great. Ichigo already knew how to hide his reiatsu, to control it from being over flows and do some kidou. Now he didn't fight like before. These all had being taught by Urahara-san. Thinking about these stuff ade him sleepy.
On the next day, Ichigo already went out even thought it still very early. He left a note for his family. He will be going to Soul Society together with Renji, Urahara-san, Yoruichi and his friends who wished to help Soul Society once again.
Renji, Ishida, Inoue and Chad already wait for Ichigo in Urahara's shop.
"Hey" Ichigo greeted them.
"Hey, Kurosaki-kun" Inoue replied.
"Nah…Everyone is here already?" asked Urahara in his new captain suit. "Lets go" Urahara said before went down to the place where they trained last week.
There, Yoruichi already wait for them with the gate to Soul Society. Ichigo let out sighed after entered the training place. It got a lot of memories. He trained to be stronger to save her.
"So…Everyone is ready? Let's go to Soul Society, then. We have to hurry because I have to report myself to the 3rd division office. Let's go!" Urahara said to them.
Then all of them entered the gate; Urahara went first and follow by Ichigo, Ishida, Inoue, Chad and Renji, and lastly Yoruichi. All the way to Soul Society, Ichigo just kept shut. He didn't know what will he said to Rukia about his feeling towards her. He knew that he couldn't just be like old times. His feeling was not the same as now. He just let out more sighs.
Renji and others realised that something was wrong with the orange haired shinigami but they just ignored about it. They knew that Ichigo wasn't in mood to talk. Everyone of them was thinking what had made Ichigo reacted like that.
After half an hour, they all reached Soul Society. It was a very bright and beautiful day. All things were like the last time they went there.
"I have to go now. I need to report myself to the 3rd division office. JA-NE!" Urahara said before walked away to the office.
"Oh… and I need to go back to my office, so see you guys" Renji said before ran to his office.
"So it means only the five of us are left," Inoue said to the group. "Where are we going now?" she asked.
"We're going to the 1st division captain's office. I need to talk to Yamamoto-taichou that the four of you already arrived to help Soul Society with the upcoming war." Yoruichi said and all of them walked to the 1st division office.
Rukia drew her zanpaktou to the 10th fuku-taichou, Matsumoto Rangiku. The sounds of zanpaktou slashing which other could be heard from all the corner of the training ground. The training went as yesterday. They practiced from dawn until late evening. They also practiced their kidou. They kept changing partners with other fuku-taichous.
"Okay, It's time for lunch now!" the 1st fuku-taichou said to all the fuku-taichous.
The lunch time is about two hours. After two hours, they will train again, this time sparing and kidou session.
"Neh, Rukia-chan, you want to lunch with us?" Hinamori Momo asked Rukia. She and Matsumoto always lunch together.
"Thanks a lot, but maybe not this time. I have to go somewhere." Rukia replied with a smile.
"Where are you going? Since you came back here, you never go out with us." Matsumoto replied.
"Somewhere. I'm really sorry. Ja-ne!" Rukia replied before walked out from the training ground and her destination was the river bank, the place that she loved.
The meeting with the 1st taichou went normal. Yamamoto-san had already gave them a place to stay until the war begins. They will be stay at the 6th and the 4th quarters; Chad and Ichigo at 6th and Ishida with Inoue at 4th.
After the meeting, nobody saw Ichigo. He had been somewhere without anyone notice about it. Ichigo was going to the river bank somewhere near to the 13th office. He always like that. Every times he got problem, he will go to the river bank where his mom died.
When he reached there, he saw someone sitting on the river bank. That someone was girl. He walked to that girl.
Rukia can felt that someone was nearing her every second, so she turned back and saw…
He felt that the girl must had noticed him. Then the girl turned back to look at him and he saw was…
"Rukia!" Ichigo shocked.
"Ichigo!" Rukia said and also in shocked. She didn't know that he will be in Soul Society today because the plan was that they come here in three more days.
They both get into silence, thinking about what will them going to say to each others.
"Rukia… can I sit her?" Ichigo finally broke the silence. He couldn't think about other things to say.
"Yeah." Rukia replied. Then Ichigo sat there; near her. She felt that she was safe and warm besides him. The feelings that she had never feel before with others.
"Ichigo, wasn't you suppose to come here about three more days?" Rukia asked him.
"Huh? It seems that you don't want me here. So I'll be back tomorrow if you don't want to be here." He teased Rukia.
"N…No. It just nii-sama says you going to be here in three more days. Don't get…"
"Yeah. We supposed to be here in three more days but I want to be here earlier. So I ask Urahara-san, and he agreed." Ichigo said before Rukia could finish her sentence.
"Why you want to be here earlier? It must be a reason, right?" Rukia asked.
"Er…" That's all Ichigo could said. A blush appeared on his face. Thank God she was looking somewhere else. "Nothing. Just want to train here." That was lucky.
"I see." Not the reason that she expected.
"Okay. Stop about why I'm here so early and about training, and the war. How about we talk about other things?" Ichigo said. He had enough of this training and war. The real reason he wanted to be in Soul Society was not to train but to see Rukia.
"Sure. Erm…Where are going to stay when you are here?" Rukia asked him.
"I and Chad will be in the 6th quarters while Ishida and Orihime will be in 4th quarters" Ichigo replied. "Hey, you should know this. Ishida and Inoue, they are finally official!" he said and made movements with his fingers.
"What? That's nice for them. Since when?" Rukia asked him.
And the chat continued until one hour and forty- five minutes later as she needed to go back to the training ground. Before she went to the training ground, Ichigo asked her to be careful and gave Rukia a kiss on her cheek. That's wasn't suppose to be on the draft... Both blushed madly but they liked it.
That night, they held a meeting. They discussed among themselves about the strategy for the war. As the result, Ichigo, Yamamoto-san, and Hitsugaya Toushiro will fight Aizen. Byakuya, Soi Fong, Ukitake, and Urahara will be deal with Ichimaru, Zaraki, Komamura, and Kirostuchi will fight Tousen and the rest will help them to kill Aizen's followers. Except for the 4th Squad, they will be ready for emergency; to heal the wounded Shinigamis.
After that meeting, Ichigo went to the 6th quarters and got some sleep after a really tired day. He slept like dead because to tire but it wasn't a really nice dream. He got a really bad nightmare. It's the same nightmare. Aizen was in Soul Society and he killed Rukia. He woke on a start. Sweat all over his body. Chad who slept on a bed next to him, woke up after hearing his little scream. Few minutes later, they both got back to bed.
The next morning, they all woke up early. After some briefings by the 1st taichou, they all went for training. Ichigo was specially trained by Ukitake Jyuushiro and Kuchiki Byakuya. His others friends were trained by Yoruichi in the place where Ichigo first time got his Bankai. Every time there was a break, Ichigo always be at the river bank with Rukia.
They both just sat there and talked about the past memories. Sometimes, Ichigo made Rukia blushed madly. Then they both continue the training until sunsets. Also at night, they had a meeting with the 1st division taichou.