Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or Bleach.
Warning spoiler: InuYasha manga issue 518 information used.
Chapter 18 Hide
"Quick Sesshomaru we have to leave". He watches as Yoruichi moves the futon to reveal a trapdoor. She quickly opens the door. "Let's go you first". She follows Sesshomaru. "I'll wait until you get down the ladder before closing the door. Yoruichi sees Koganehiko enter, she quickly closes the trapdoor so Koganehiko can ready the room. She leaps down from the ladder landing her feet. She lights a torch from the wall using Hado #4.
"Where are we, Yoruichi?"
"The catacombs under the Rukongai. They are a maze of caves that spread for miles and miles under the Soul Society. The catacombs are considered off limits because it is very hard to detect someone's spiritual pressure; if you get lost it is almost impossible to find you. Lucky for us I know this section like the back of my hand", she says with smug smile. "Let's go, the deeper in we go the harder it will be for them to sense us."
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Meanwhile above ground Kukaku deals with three members of the 6th Division who have come to search her home for Sesshomaru. She and Shiroganehiko stand at the door blocking the young Shinigami from entering.
"Look I've already told you, you won't find any strangers here so leave, NOW", Kukaku demands.
"We have orders to search these premises. You need to let us do our jobs or you will face serious consequences," snaps a young officer.
Kukaku clenches her fist, "You little snot noise punk, I should..." Just then Vice Capt. Shuhei Hisagi appears and saves the young officer from a beating.
"Vice Capt. this woman is obstructing us," announces one of the division members.
"That's enough, don't you know who this is? This is Kukaku Shiba of the Shiba clan. She stepped to help us fight Aizen when you three were still in the academy. You will treat her with respect," commands Shuhei. The three division members apologize and bow in submission.
"Yes sir" they respond in unison.
Shuhei turns to Kukaku and says, "I do apologize for the intrusion but we must search everyone's home, there are no exceptions".
"Fine, fine but if your men break anything or leave my house in a mess, there will be hell to pay." She steps aside allowing Shuhei and his men to enter.
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Still underground Sesshomaru follows Yoruichi through the dark maze of caves. She says she loves me even after all this time; she still wants to send me home why? She doesn't even have the same responsibilities as she used to she is free.
After what seem like an eternity in the dark Yoruichi stops. "Be very quiet or you'll wake our friends", whispers Yoruichi as she points upward at a colonial of at least a 1000 bats. She takes Sesshomaru by the hand a leads him through a narrow path. A few moments later they were clear of the bats. "They're like have a very live alarm system, most people don't dare to come this far after seeing our winged friends.
They enter small passageway. At the end there is an old wooden door. Yoruichi opens the door and lights the four torches along the walls. "Welcome Sesshomaru, to the Secret World of the Cave Conquerors", she says as she giggles like a little girl. The room has a small table with four chairs, couple of sleeping mats, a few wooden swords and other training equipment. "This was our old hideout when Kukaku, Kisuke, Tessai, and I were kids. That was before they made it difficult for us to travel to the Rukongai. We can hide out here for a couple of hours until the search in the area is over", says Yoruichi as she sits down. Sesshomaru follows her lead and sits across from her at the table.
"So Sesshomaru what have you been up to these last 100 years?" It is a simple question with no malice intent but it triggers a bad vibe between them.
"I just lived each day as it came."
"There's gotta be more than that, you lost an arm which regenerated. That's a story worth sharing."
"I already told the story." If you'd been there for me you would've know all the details. "So what do you do Yoruichi, without your men to fight every morning?"
"Oh so you've heard. Now I sleep late", she replies with a smile.
Sesshomaru is not amused. "Why did you give up everything for them?"
She sits back in her chair, crosses her arms, holds her head down, and sighs. "I didn't have a choice. I couldn't just let them die or rot in prison. You understand don't you", she pleads as she looks into his cold gold eyes.
"I understand that you made a choice just like you made a choice when I asked you to come with me," he replies with a hint of disdain in his tone.
"It wasn't the same, their situation was life and death. I thought I would at least be able to see you again." She places her hand on top of his. "Please try to understand," she adds. He pulls his hand away. "Don't tell me you're angry all over again?"
"I don't care what you did after..." He turns to the side and faces the wall.
"I don't want to argue with you Sesshomaru." He does not respond. She crosses her arms, throws back her head, and lets out a huge sigh.
They give into their pain and frustration; neither wants to back down so they let the silence overtake them. They do not even look at each other. Every once in a while one of them would move getting the other attention for a second but then they would quickly hide behind their invisible wall.