Chapter 4
Despite all her efforts she still couldn't unravel it. What the Yari clan was truly after? If they have wanted to get in sealed terrain, why attack Ichigo?
Yoruichi met Yari Reikou once. He was still boy back then, aspiring to join Shino Academy. He failed all tests, but stubbornly still tried, time after time. He never succeed. In the end he used his ambitions to restore his clan's old greatness. Loved by few, hated by all of the others, he never got married. But could he really be behind all of this? - Yoruichi in her cat form sighed. They needed reliable informations. Badly.
She stopped.
"What the hell, Yoruichi? Don't tell me, we're lost!"
"Be patient. We're close to the village, that I told you about."
"But that's what you said last time!"
Cat-Yoruichi jumped deftly on nearby rock and from there on Ichigo's shoulder.
Ichigo looked at her reluctantly, cocking his head to side.
"Oi! Get off! I won't carry you, you're heavy. Go bother Grimmjow. Kitten probably gets along better with another kitten." Ichigo smirked.
Grimmjow snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Ha ha, very funny, Ichigo." he growled.
"You're carring around that massive sword of yours and you think I'm heavy?" Yoruichi inquired.
"That's different."
"Ichigo," Yoruichi started, switching to that mentorial tone of her. "Now, that we're close to reach our destination, we must be double careful. People living here don't like Shinigami. If... Ichigo!"
Ichigo almost jumped up when Yoruichi yelled into his ear.
"What?"
"You weren't paying attention. As usual you have no respect for personages."
"I would have some respect if you ... could stop playing with Zangetsu's strap now, please?" Ichigo said through gritted teeth, looking ready to throw off Yoruichi. "It not gives you much authority. Anyway, what do you suggest? Should I camouflage myself?"
"Yeah, try to melt into a crowd." amused Yoruichi adviced, smacking for one more time fabric strap attached to Zangetsu's hilt.
Ichigo left eye twitched. Yoruichi laughed.
"Just stick with us and everything will be fine."
"And don't touch anything. Unless we allow you to." Grimmjow smirked.
Ichigo made a face and send glare at Yoruichi, as if it was all her fault.
"Hm?" Yoruichi suddenly jumped down on ground and cocked her ears.
"Yoruchi-san?"
"I heard something. Listen, again!"
Ichigo exchanged looks with Yoruichi.
"Is that a music?"
"What are you talking about? I don't hear a shit." Grimmjow grumbled.
Ichigo and Yoruichi were silent for moment.
"The village..."
"Yeah, yeah. The village that you told us about. Well, let's go. Maybe there, will be something to kill." Grimmjow rushed forward. "It's fucking boring here."
Ichigo sighed. Yoruichi looked at him.
"I've been wondering. Everyone know that Arrancars aren't or rather weren't very fond of risking their necks for someone. I wonder how you were able to convince him to help us." she said in intimate tone.
Ichigo blushed, against himself.
"What are you talking about?" He sighed impatiently and quickly went after Grimmjow, not noticing smile on Yoruichi's snout.
Following the sound Ichigo, Yoruichi and Grimmjow found themselves on small clearing. They stopped abruptly when they've noticed a lone kid playing on some strange instrument. Ichigo stepped forward.
"Hey, what..."
Suddenly he felt lots of, but minor reiatsu approaching them.
"Shiro, get away from them!" he heard yell and in front of the kid old but broad"shouldered man apppeared. The man was soon joined by some others.
"Who are you?" leader of the crowd asked Kurosaki. "Shinigami?"
"Look, we don't want ... Hey!"
Ichigo had to dodge when man brandished at him with his weapon.
"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" Ichigo was forced to jump away again and smash opponent's weapon. He hit another enemy in the neck with the hilt of his Zanpaktou, making him loose conscious and gracefully swirled around, whacking yet one more adversary.
He looked back at Grimmjow and Yoruichi. The first one was swinging his tail with anger while the other was watching him, but other than that doing nothing. No, wait. It was the other way around.
Ichigo looked back at his 4th opponent, who was currently busy trying to cut off his (Ichigo's) head.
"Gah! Enough!"
Ichigo's spiritual pressure washed over surroundings. Its magnitude forced everyone, except for Yoruichi and Grimmjow, to their knees.
"You gotten weaker, or I imagine things?" Grimmjow smirked, joining Ichigo and standing tall and menacingly near him.
"Shut up."
"We don't want any troubles here." Yoruichi stepped forward, near now scared and confused people. "We just need some informations."
"And we don't want anything in common with Shinigami," leader of the crowd declared "They weren't interested in us or helpful ever since they sealed their own mistakes so why the sudden change now? Liars, they promised us protection! We were fools to believe them."
Yoruichi sighed.
"Ichigo, wait with Grimmjow for me on the brink of the forest."
"If you think I'll leave you here with them..."
"You're in the way. Go now. I'll be fine."
Ichigo sighed and slowly moved back. "Let's go, Grimmjow."
"Stop ordering me around, you damn moron."
Yoruichi looked at still anxious people. Her golden eyes narrowed.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, lieutenant of the 13th Division is expected to appear in person before Supreme Commander."
Hearing this announcement Kyoraku looked at his white-haired "partner-in-crime". What now? Ichigo was still absent. If Yama-jii-san learns about all of this, he will smack them with that big cane of his. Kyoraku gulped. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
"Sasakibe Choujirou!" his outburst surprised Jyuushiro.
"Yama-jii-san's lieutenant?"
"Yes, him. We could convince him to keep the old man busy. That would gave us the time we need."
"Until Ichigo doesn't return." Ukitake nodded and smiled. " Let's try."
"How long it's supposed to take her?"
"Stop pacing. It's pissing me off."
Not paying attention to Grimmjow's complains, Ichigo walked his treaded path again.
Grimmjow growled, reached and forcefully pulled Ichigo down, close to his body, settling him on his lap. Ichigo blushed when he felt something hard poking at him through the Arrancar's pants. Grimmjow's hand has found its way into Ichigo's kosode. Grimmjow moved his hips as much as he could while sitting, rubbing himself against Ichigo's firm ass.
Coming at last to his senses, Ichigo stood up abruptly.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"It's always turning me on when I see you crushing pests." Grimmjow smirked but his voice was low and filled with lust "You're too good to belong to that Byakuya"asshole. I could break you and hear you begging me to stop while I..."
"Shut up! You gotten worse, or what? What do you want?"
"I don't mind you being distrustful, it makes you even more appealing, but for fuck's sake Ichigo, don't be a moron. I waited long enough. Don't get me confused with those pathetic friends of yours. What I want?" Grimmjow looked straight into Ichigo's eyes. "You."
"You want...?" Ichigo tensed and send him a glare. "Make up your mind, Grimmjow. First you want to fight, then you saying something like this."
Grimmjow smirked. Ichigo, again have had that aura of self-confidence, unreachableness, maybe even arrogance around him. Winning over someone like this, makes victory even more sweetier. Grimmjow let his gaze wander over Ichigo's body, just as many time before. Yes... sweetier.
Grimmjow got up and stretched.
"Nnnh! Let's fight. Or let's fuck. I don't care as long as your attention is on me."
Ichigo stubbornly looked away. "Screw you."
At this moment, something swatted Grimmjow's leg and the Arrancar looked down. The brat that they seen earlier?
"Um, mister...?"
Grimmjow, not especially gently, lifted kid by collar to his eye-level.
"What are you doing here, brat? We're fucking busy."
"I was chasing after Monster when I run into you and I fell over and ..."
Ichigo sweatdropped.
"You can put him down now, Grimmjow."
Grimmjow simply opened his hand and kid fall onto the ground like ripe pear.
"Are you all right.. Shiro, right?" Ichigo recollected kid's name and helped him get up. "A monster, huh?" he asked, afraid that kid's about to cry. "What it looks like? It's not Menos Grande, right?"
"Well, Monster is big, blue, very old and has tail."
Grimmjow growled at Ichigo, when orange-haired warrior smiled and pointed at him.
"That's him, all right!"
"No, no." Shiro denied. "Monster is much more angry."
Ichigo sighed. The kid was making up.
"Monster lives in caves, far from here to the west. I visit him often."
"You are venturing that far?" Ichigo was silent for moment. "Hey, have you seen somwhere here short, dark"haired girl in clothes like mine, maybe?"
The kid shook his head.
"Nee-chan wears similar clothing and she's short and blonde."
"Where is your nee-chan?"
"I shouldn't tell you. Daddy will be angry."
"You're sad, now." Shiro noticed Ichigo's expression "Nee-chan is always sad, too. Kid looked up at Ichigo with tears in his eyes."
"I'm not sad!" Ichigo smiled widely as to prove it "Please don't make a scene. I'll do what you want."
At this words, smile lit up little one's face.
"Will you play with me and Monster?"
"What the hell... Why does it always have to be me?" Ichigo sulked.
"We could avoid it but you had to be stubborn and follow some stupid sound." Grimmjow patted Ichigo's stomach with palm of his hand, intentionally forgeting that he was the one that rushed forward, back then.
The brat they've met sticked out his tongue at him, while hiding behind Ichigo's leg and Grimmjow growled. What the hell it wanted from him?
"Sorry. In Seireitei you won't hear music too often." Ichigo said, insolently taking Grimmjow's empty seat.
"Your point?"
Hollows weren't able to appreciate beauty entirely, much less something as fleeting as music.
"ICHIGO!" the kid yelled straight into Ichigo's ear, estimating that Ichigo was ignoring him for too long.
Vein popped up on Ichigo's forehead. What's this thing with yelling straight into his ear anyway? He was hearing quite well! "Why, you little..."
"Step away from the child." someone said suddenly and from darkness a lone silhouette advanced.
End of chapter 4
Everyone! Thanks for reviews! Yoroshiku!
Also sorry about all the mistakes, spelling mistake and so on "."'. I promise to work on my English. Sometime in the future :)