Flashback

"Have you seen Ichigo, Renji?" Rukia looked up at Renji, who leaned against the doorway casually and sighed.
"Weeell, I thought Kenpachi was hittin' on him so I ... kinda, got into argue with him and since I couldn't tell him the true reason I reproached him for beein' way too trustin'. Bastard hit the roof."

Rukia sighed.
"Renji. How long do you think nii-sama is planning to keep it up? Ichigo may be oblivious but it won't be long before someone snaps him up right under nii-sama's perfect nose."

"Have someone on your mind particulary?"

Rukia looked down.
"Hmm. I've seen the way Hisagi-san was looking at Ichigo. And you've said yourself that Kenpachi-taichou is interested. And maybe my captain," Rukia's expression darkened. Poor captain. "And ..."

"Alright, enough already. I understand."

"I don't know about Isane." Rukia was continuing as if she hasn't heard anything Renji said. "It might be easier to count the people with clean intentions..."

"Rukia, enough!" yelled Renji, making Rukia look up at him abruptly.
"Renji looks upset." she thought.

"Sorry."

Renji nodded, acknowledging her apology. Then he looked away from her.
"...When will ya be back?"

"I haven't even set out yet." Rukia said with amusemnt.

Renji scratched his head with embarassment.
"I know, it's just... I don't think I'm gonna do any good without ya around with this, ... ya know." he waved his hand.

Rukia smiled.
"I'll be back as soon as it's possible. You won't even notice I'm gone."

End of flashback

Rukia closed her eyes. That was her last talk before she went with recognition squad. Everything have seemed so far away now. Her friends, her brother, Ichigo, Renji...

"I wonder what they're doing now..." Rukia sighed. And stumbled, when someone's hands pushed her forward.

"Get going, clutz!"

Rukia gritted her teeth. If she only wouldn't be tied up... She send a glare at the guard who pushed her. Another guard laughed, seeing this.
"You ought to watch her. She's tough." he said low but not low enough for other two Rukia's guards not to hear. Ears of the first guard reddened. He lifted up his weapon to inflict hit on Rukia. She was done, anyway. Reikou's orders were clear.

Rukia clenched her eyes, getting ready on incomming hit but then she heard hollow noise and opened her eyes back. The guard was lying flat on a ground and standing above him was...
"Ichigo..." Rukia's eyes softened at the sight of friend.

The other three guards with loud yells dashed towards Ichigo, but they were no match for him.

"Rukia!" Ichigo smiled at her with that self-confident grin of his, once everything was over.

"Hang on, I'll free you." Ichigo concentrated on strange constraints that were bounding Rukia's hands. He needed to think of a way to free Rukia without hurting her further. The strange ropes, however, proved to be very durable.

"Use your Zanpaktou." Rukia advised, putting out her bound hands to Ichigo.

"You sure?"

Rukia nodded, then looked away and closed her eyes when Ichigo readied Zangetsu.

"Just watch where you're aiming."

Ichigo raised up Zangetsu... and almost dropped it when Rukia suddenly yelled:
"Ichigo!"

"What? " Ichigo blinked, trying to regain his composure.

"I'm... No, sorry. Doesn't matter."

Ichigo sweatdropped.
"Geez..."

The blade came down on constraints, cutting right through them.

"Thanks." Rukia said while massaging her wrists, feeling rush of her blood and reiatsu. "But Ichigo..."

"Oi! What was that for?" Ichigo protested when Rukia unexpectedly smacked him on the back of his head.

"Idiot! What were you thinking, coming here alone?"

Ichigo hung his head, his bangs falling all over his eyes.
"It's all too familiar."

Rukia smiled.
"Yes... Yes, it is."

Ichigo looked seriously at her. Rukia felt her face.
"I'm all rough. Am I bleeding again?"

"Ichigo!"
Randome, joined by Yoruichi and Grimmjow flashstepped to them, surprising Rukia.
"I'm sorry. I said I'd have an eye on everything and yet Rukia almost... " Randome said to Ichigo.

"Who's she?" Rukia tried to interrupt.

"Where is Reikou?" Ichigo asked Randome, completely ignoring Rukia's question and pissing her off in process.

"There's no need to panic. I'm right here."
Reikou was standing few feets from them with two large swords in his hands.

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed. She was angry that they weren't able to sense Reikou's arrival, again.

Grimmjow smirked when he noticed that one of Reikou's hands was still not exactly fit and obviously was giving him much pain.

"That swords..." Ichigo noticed. "He is holding the Zanpaktous that he has stolen from you, right?"

Randome nodded.
"Yes. Ichi and Ni. Honestly... I'm disgust by them. They should know better than to listen to him."

Ichigo sweatdropped.
"Ichi and Ni... you say?"

"I see you wasted your time for freeing her." Reikou looked first at Ichigo, then shortly at Rukia, pointedly ignoring the others.

"You never intended to give us Rukia back!"

"Of course, not." Reikou laughed cruelly. "Byakuya Kuchiki values 4 things in his life: his position, his clan, sister ... and you." Reikou studied Ichigo. "When I told you I want to first weaken him I meant that I want to take away everything he cares about. That's why I send assassins to deal with you. And that's why Rukia Kuchiki MUST die."

"Not so fast. Don't forget we still have this." Yoruichi pulled out the object, that she and Grimmjow have stolen from Mayuri. It looked like bigger version of the instrument that Shiro was playing when Ichigo, Yoruichi and Grimmjow saw him for the first time.

"Ah, yes. I don't need it anymore." Reikou shrugged.

Yoruichi was silent for a moment.
"Then... you wouldn't care if I destroy it?" she smiled.

For the first time Reikou's face showed hesitantation. However, he recovered quickly.

Next minutes seemed a blur for Rukia. Enemies, lots of them appearing almost out of nowhere, engagementing Ichigo and the others in combat. Someone's weapon hanging over her head (again!). And then strong arms around her.

Ichigo has seen the situation that Rukia was in and was about to help her but then Byakuya suddenly appeared by Rukia's side. Byakuya grabbed Rukia by the waist and then used flash step again to dodge attack. Once he was sure they're far enough from danger he put her down.

"Nii-sama!" Rukia looked down and noticed the blood that was staining whiteness of Byakuya's glove.

Ichigo instantly assessed the situation and reacted, standing in front of Byakuya and Rukia, shielding them. He looked around, searching for Randome, Grimmjow and Yoruichi in the mass of people surrounding him. To Ichigo's surprise it was Renji who joined him.
"Guys, are ya alright?" Renji looked back at Rukia and Byakuya, then at Ichigo and then at enemies, whose numerous still was terrible.

"Good, you're here. I'm taking those on the left side and you those on the right." Ichigo forced a grin at Renji, doging an enemy's attack.

"Whaaat?"

Yet, their worries were unnecessary.

Suddenly in front of Ichigo and Renji, 10th division captain Hitsugaya Toushirou with his lieutenant Rangiku, two vice captains: Hisagi Shuuhei and Kira Izuru and two memebers of 11th division: Ikkaku with Yumichika appeared.

"Guys!" Ichigo smiled.

Reikou easily noticed increased amount of the enemy Shinigami.
"So that's your strenght, Kurosaki Ichigo! They'll be crushed when you'll die."

"That's not going to happen." Ikkaku, Yumichika and Toushirou standed on Reikou's way.

With cavalery's arriving it didn't took long to defeat almost all of the enemies.

Yumichika and Ikkaku pointed their Zanapktous at Reikous's throat threatingly, keeping him in check, despite the fact that left side of Reikou was frozen by Hitsugaya attack.

Randome lifted her hands up not even trying to oppose Rangiku, who took short girl for an enemy.

"Hey, wait! She's a friend!" Ichigo stepped in front of Randome.

Renji turned to Ichigo and exchanged looks with Rangiku.
"Is she on Shinigami's side?" he asked.

"No, I'm on his side and his side alone." Randome pointed with her head at Ichigo, looking provocatively at Renji.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Ichigo asked red-haired, trying to change the subject.
Yoruichi flash stepped near Ichigo, also driven by curious.

"Ya wouldn't think that we'd let ya go alone, now would ya?" Renji grinned in reply. "Theoretically only me and captain were supposed to help ya but ..."

"But Renji babbled everything out." Rangiku finished happily.

"Oh. It would explain all that death glares that Byakuya was sending Renji's way." thought Ichigo.

"You're now part of Gotei 13," Toushiro stepped forward. "You shouldn't forget that. I can't believe I just said it." he sighed.

"That's the spirit, captain!" Rangiku gave Toushiro powerful pat on the back.

"We knew something is up when you gave that show back then." Yumichika explained.

Ikkaku only nodded, torn between his "glare war" with Grimmjow and watching Reikou.

"We followed your reiatsu." Hisagi said, stepping closer to Ichigo but looking past him. He lowered his voice. "Ukitake-taichou is sorry but his condition has not allowed him to come here as well."

Worry flared in Ichigo's eyes.
"How bad is it?"

Hisagi now looked at him, scrutinizingly. "Bad."

Ichigo sweeped his hand over his face. "Fuck." he fought the urge to smash something.

First things first. Ichigo looked around in search of blond fukutaichou.
"Kira! Both Rukia and Byakuya are seriously hurt. Could you..."

"I'm on it."

Ichigo smiled gratefully.
"Thanks."

Kira went past Hisagi and Ichigo. He noticed Hisagi's eyes were on Ichigo, trailing over his profile as if searching for something or maybe trying to memorize boy's features. As he neared Byakuya and Rukia, he noticed also that Byakuya looked displeased for some reason.

Ichigo turned serious. "And now..." he turned slowly and stepped forward towards Reikou but suddenly Byakuya blocked him with his arm across his chest.
"Fell back, Ichigo. I'll punish anyone who besmirches the Kuchiki family's honor." he said, not looking in Ichigo's eyes.

Reikou rolled his eyes. Grimmjow snarled, obviously doubting Byakuya. Rukia frowned, noticing lack of Ichigo's last name in the sentence.

"You..."

"HAHAHAHA!" Reikou's loud but squeaky laugh interrupted Byakuya's saying. "Great Byakuya-sama! Who do you think you are? It's still not enough for you that you took my place in the Academy and my true love!" Reikou choked on his words."But game is not over yet. I'll destroy your life one way or another. I'll take everything you ever cared about." he said with cruel smile. He wasn't holding any weapon but his gaze was as sharp as Zanpaktous, that he took from Randome. "Starting ... with him." Reikou looked at Ichigo (too closely for Byakuya's liking), then back at his mortal enemy. Byakuya faced him with his usual dignity.
"Such a waste." Reikou smiled with an irony at Byakuya. "I hope you bid him farewell. Then again, I hope you didn't."

Suddenly the ground trembled...

"I won't let him get away." Byakuya gently lifted Rukia and looked into Ichigo's eyes. Ichigo was silent for a moment.

During distraction in the form of unexpected Menos Grandes' attack (that were attracted by deaths of Reikou's helpers) Yumichika and Ikkaku were forced to release their holds on Reikou and therefore he managed to escape, breaking the ice that he was trapped in.

"Nii-sama..."
Ichigo and Byakuya's eyes shifted to Rukia.

"Rukia, be a good girl and let Kira heal you. Bruises does not fit you." Ichigo said grinning but his eyes were warm. Rukia looked over at Byakuya with begging in her eyes. She slightly shook her head, hoping that her brother won't interpret wrongly this scene (and what exactly Ichigo was thinking, saying something like this?). She noticed, however, that something was amiss. She could almost feel strong connection between Byakuya and Ichigo, that wasn't there before. Could they really...?

Ichigo noticed her look and turned back to Byakuya. He smiled and patted Byakuya on his shoulder.
"Let us take care of Reikou." he said and next, turned to Yoruichi, not waiting on Byakuya's respose.
"Yoruichi. You better stay here as well."

"Ichigo..."

"Don't worry," Ichigo smiled "I'll be fine. Renji, Grimmjow let's go."

"Don't order me around, asshole."

"Wait." Randome's voice sounded. "I'm going, too."

Ichigo stopped and looked at her.

"We haven't found Shiro yet. Reikou knows where he is." Randome was highly motivated.

Ichigo nodded.
"Let's go."

"How do ya plan to find him?" Renji asked, moving hastily.

"I have some place in my mind. If Shiro was saying true we should be close."

End of chapter 6

Aa-ah, it's almost end (I'm happy, though).
Concerning my style of writing (or rather lack of it) I don't have much to say, except that this is my first story. The more so, I'm glad that some people somewhat liked it or even made an effort to write reviews. It's a great support!