Well...can't think of anything to say...but moving right along!

Chapter 4: The Wolf and the Mouse

"So then, Captain Takeda has been located?" Yamamoto asked with his lids lazily open.

Soifon nodded, "Yes Head Captain. I'm requesting on his behalf that he remain on an inactive status for the time being."

"On what grounds, Captain Soifon?"

"He's still suffering from amnesia brought on by whatever occurred in the midst of the Gillian attack. Yoruichi Shihöin is keeping an eye on him and working to help restore his memories, sir."

Yamamoto was deeply displeased with such news. A captain unable to operate properly was of little use to the Court Guard Squads and it was dangerous to leave them in the world of the living; but, given the report Captain Soifon had delivered and the causalities suffered because of her reckless choice, it would be a risk to bring the captain back by force as well. It was fortunate that he still had the restraining seal to lock away a large portion of his spiritual power, but Kenshin still was a man that possessed a strong spiritual pressure that could attract unwanted attention if not properly kept under check.

"So be it Captain Soifon. Word will be sent to Vice-Captain Hinamori. In the meantime, you are to be confined to your quarters for your reckless decision! It is just fortunate that the captain did not turn his shikai on you and your men."

She bowed deeply and kept her gaze down to the floor, "yes sir…my deepest apologies." A grunt from the captain-general signaled her to leave from his office. He had a good reason to be furious with her over her choice as it was close to the same reason that Yoruichi-sama had been furious with her.

Why did she feel such anger at the thought of leaving Kenshin with Yoruichi-sama? Part of it, she reasoned, was because Kenshin always bore a mark of Yoruichi-sama on him. Having the Shihöin family crest tattooed to his body was like him wearing a collar with a tag stating him the property of Yoruichi Shihöin.

She stopped in her tracks and stared up at the sky. Who was she angry at and jealous for? Was she angry at her mentor for having chosen Kenshin over her and for taking something of hers? Or was she angry at Kenshin for having something she longed for?

Who was she really mad at? Maybe…both? Did she even have a right to be mad at either in the first place? She had screwed up before with Kenshin so she couldn't properly lay claim on him in any way. She had treated him kindly and out of her fear of weakening him she did a one-eighty and became cold toward him. After that she turned her back on him completely and lost his trust for what seemed like ages. Even now, though, it seemed he didn't trust her fully. It would be no surprise if he placed Yoruichi-sama well ahead of her.

As for Yoruichi-sama…there was nothing that needed to be said about all that had occurred between the two. The number of missed opportunities was beyond Soifon's memory and she knew she didn't deserve to think of her mentor in such ways.

So…did she even have a right to be upset?

/\/\/\/\

Tatsuki couldn't recall when Kenshin had come inside. He had chosen to stay outside to meditate after the fiasco with that woman and those masked men. When she woke up the next morning to start getting ready for school she found him sitting against the end of her bed with his head slumped over and his nodaichi's scabbard tightly clenched in his right hand, as if ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

He stirred as she slipped out of her bed and she really hoped she wouldn't wake him. When she came back into her room from showering to grab her book bag she took a moment to look at Kenshin who was still sitting on the floor. Had he actually slept like that? Gently she nudged him and immediately got him to open an eye lid and stare at her. "Hey, why don't you lay on my bed?"

"I'm fine…"

"Look, I'm off to class anyways so go ahead. It doesn't bother me." She offered a smile before moving to grab her bag and waved to him. He waited for the girl to leave before glancing over his shoulder up at the bed. With a reluctant sigh he used his zanpakutö to get to his feet, propped it at the end of the bed, and then collapsed onto the mattress face first. He hadn't come back inside the house until just two hours ago so he was feeling a bit of exhaustion.

The feel of the bed was a bit nicer then sitting on the cold wooden floor with a metal bed post to lean back against, but then again it wasn't like he had never slept in poor conditions before.

He was just beginning to drift away when a presence caught his attention and with a sigh of annoyance he moved to slip his jika tabi on and throw his haori on. Grabbing his zanpakutö he stormed out of the house, hoping the girl's mother wasn't home less it looked suspicious for doors to be opening and closing themselves.

Darting off quickly he moved from rooftop to rooftop, scabbard in his left hand rather then his sash. Sure enough he saw Tatsuki walking toward school and noted the presence was looming around her, but where was it? It was then that he noticed Tatsuki walking with two other individuals. One was an orange haired male while the other a short, black-haired female. The presence he felt was mostly coming from the guy, but he felt something coming from the girl as well.

"Well this might be interesting…" He stopped on a rooftop and watched in silence as the trio continued walking. Slipping his zanpakutö into his red sash he made sure to fully suppress his spiritual pressure before starting to follow again, making sure to maintain a rather fair distance. Why did this feel so natural to him?

Unbeknownst to the shinigami he was being followed as well.

/\/\/\/\

Kenshin sat in silence in a tree while watching the human teenagers running laps. Such frail things they were, barely getting winded by a mile run. It really couldn't be something to judge them by given the truth of them being frail compared to spiritual beings; but then again, humans lived such short lives that compared to someone like him it was barely a few years of his time. He had already lived longer then any human and possible a couple of their lifetimes, but compared to others he was fairly young.

Others…who was he trying to compare himself to? He could distinctly make out four individuals in his mind's eye but couldn't place faces to them necessarily. One was by far the eldest, as it was an aged man with a long white beard and a bald head. The next was a man with long white hair who he was remembering as being a frail man and rather friendly. His hair wasn't white cause of age but another reason entirely. There was also a woman with raven-black hair that was wrapped in a thick braid. She was suspiciously friendly but truly meant well in all her actions. He also remembered having visited her often for some reason.

The last individual he was thinking of for some reason stuck out the most. In fact he also had a lot of things to remember that all were starting to stick out in Kenshin's mind. He wore a straw hat and had a pink kimono that he always wore over his shoulders. He was a drinker and a lazy bastard; but, he was wise and a skilled fighter. He carried a daishö in a teal sash. He also could remember this guy seeming to be able to smile at most anything and never could recall this man loosing his cool. What was his name and why did he stick out the most of these four faces that had sprung to his mind?

He continued to linger in the tree into the lunch hour. Beneath him a bunch of female students were eating together and amongst them he noticed Tatsuki…

…as well as that girl from this morning. From where he was sitting he wasn't able to get a look at her face which was slowly starting to irritate him. Suddenly he felt a pair of arms slink around his neck and a cheek nuzzle his own. He glanced down at the hands to notice the tan skin and immediately could guess who it was. Speaking in a whisper and without turning his attention he asked, "how long?"

Her warm breath brushed over his ear and the sound of her voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, "since you left this morning…"

He had remembered her name and her being his mentor, but for some reason he was starting to remember how he loathed this woman's ability to grab at his attention and break his focus. It didn't help her slender fingers were lightly scratching at his chest and her cheek continued to rub against his own scruffy one. That's right…this woman seemed to get a kick from messing with him any time she got the chance to.

It was then that she whispered to him again, "focused on the short one with the dark hair?"

"Yeah…"

"Her name is Rukia Kuchiki…you met her when she was at the academy, except then she was just Rukia. You were observing the students back then." He glanced slightly to the side to see Yoruichi's expression and was a bit surprised that it was soft and gentle. In truth he really shouldn't be surprised by this; it wasn't like she kept him around just to screw with him mentally. She really did care for him as her pupil and friend, and always was quick to cheer him up when he was in a down mood; even if that meant using some of her questionable methods.

Rukia Kuchiki huh? That sounded a bit familiar but it wasn't until the girl had happened to tilt her head back in what looked like an loud sigh from the conversation that he then saw her face. It clicked far faster then any of the individuals beforehand and as it did he began to remember everything that had ever happened involving her. He recalled the day they met and how he had helped teach her to hold a sword. He remembered feeling sympathy for this girl who seemed alone at the academy and that the two had unique ways of greeting each other.

In fact…this girl had a big influence in his life and he was starting to remember something he let her do that he didn't let others do; and, he knew it had something to do with this haori and what it stood for.

A bell chimed and with it the girls began to get up to start heading back to class. Kenshin was starting to move when he felt Yoruichi draw him back against her, holding him still with his head on her chest. "Lady Yoruichi-"

"You can wait until after school gets out. Alright? She has classes to finish for the day, but after that I'll come with you to talk to her. She's been very worried about you, you know."

He sighed softly and nodded, "I figured as much…"

"So do you remember her fully?"

"Yeah."

"Remember yourself fully?"

He wanted to say yes, but in truth he didn't. He still didn't understand why he had the haori he did and his memories of Rukia only confused him more. His memories were fuzzy as to what the academy she was at meant and why he was there in the first place.

/\/\/\/\

The day went by a bit faster thanks to teasing from Yoruichi as well as conversations that she had with him to help try and jog his memory as well as solidify the memories he had recovered. Once the day was over she continued to restrain him while the students dispersed from the campus. Finally with the last of them gone she glanced at Kenshin and smirked. "Now we can go."

"Finally!" He stated with heavy frustration.

"Although…" Yoruichi grinned slyly at her friend before flicking his nose, "think you can beat me back?"

"Back where?"

"To that girl's house you've been staying at. Rukia is living close by so it'll be on the same route."

"I highly doubt you're asking me just out of a simple challenge…what's the catch?"

She feigned hurt at such a notion and pouted at him, but the cold stare from her pupil led her to give up on the attempt and with a smirk she traced a finger down from Kenshin's collar bone to his abs. "Well let's just say you can repay me if you lose by helping me make a day go by quicker."

He narrowed his eyes and sighed with annoyance. "Fine…" With that he was off, leaving a confused Yoruichi behind. Wait…he hadn't stated what he would get should he win. Guess he remembered that he still couldn't beat her flash step, but maybe she could humor them both and have some fun with him. It was a bet after all so he would get something should he win.

He was so much like a certain little bee she knew…

/\/\/\/\

"Come on Rukia, you've been gloomy since you found out from Shunsui. You gotta cheer up." Ichigo tried his best to lift Rukia's spirits but his words fell on deaf ears. It had really begun to get his own mood down, but he wasn't mad at her for it. She had all right to be upset about Kenshin's status. She always boasted about being Kenshin's best friend ever but it was really her way of stating she cared for him as a friend. The two almost had a sibling-like relationship with how they talked with one another even in front of captains.

He remembered the first time he saw Rukia address the captain by his given name and was surprised when the captain didn't even seem to give a damn; however, when Ichigo tried it he got a fist to the face and woke up later with a black eye. He still addressed Kenshin by his given name, but he made sure to try and avoid the abuse that came of it; a vain attempt often enough against such a fast individual.

They had returned home and Rukia barely said much of anything to Yuzu and Karin other then a friendly greeting before walking upstairs. Ichigo sighed softly as he watched her and got a glare from Karin. "What?"

"So what did you do?"

"What? How the hell do you figure I did anything?"

"Well I can only imagine it has something to do with you. I mean I'd get depressed if I was around a guy that always has a scowl on."

"Oh buzz off Karin! Yeash!"

"Ichi-nii, dad said he won't be done until late tonight."

Ichigo waved a dismissive hand at the notion, "you say that like I should be upset or mad. That's a blessing; but, noted." With that he went upstairs to his room to start on homework and to also see how Rukia was doing. He turned to walk into his room and bumped right into her. "Rukia, what the hell?"

He then heard the wind faintly blowing through the window and looked up to see it open as well as two figures sitting on his bed. One was an all-too-familiar woman whose golden eyes glimmered with her cat-like grin. Next to her, however, was a man that seemed her complete opposite. His blue-gray eyes seemed dull beneath his dark, matted hair and he had no real expression over his face.

"No way…" Ichigo whispered as Rukia slowly walked toward the man with a hand out stretched. The man glanced up to her and remained motionless, arms draped lazily over his knees and hands hanging limp.

"Yo…" He raised a hand to wave at Rukia. Just as it seemed Rukia was about to lay a hand over the man's cheek to confirm he really was there, she instead slugged him clear across the jaw and sent him crashing past Yoruichi onto the floor before tumbling into the wall. Ichigo felt a rather heavy bead of sweat run down his forehead and couldn't believe that had just happened. Being quick to close his door he pointed at the window to which Yoruichi chuckled and shut it.

"Yo? Yo? You've been missing for a week and all you can say is yo? You freaken idiot! I've been worried sick over you and you just say 'yo'?"

Kenshin looked up at Rukia from his awkward position against the wall before falling forward, his face planted against the ground while he twitched slightly. He slowly rose to his feet and dusted himself off before starting to walk back. He made an attempt to reply but ended up stopping cold in his tracks with a look of sheer pain on his face.

Ichigo winced and even rubbed his own crotch sympathetically for the universal man-pain felt at seeing another guy get kicked in the groin. Even Yoruichi found that to be a painful move and winced some. Kenshin coughed while trying to form words but the pain brought him to his knees before he went face-first into the wood floor.

"Errmm…Rukia, he did just come off a missing in action status…giving the Soul Society reason to place him on a KIA may not be the best option…" Yoruichi stated while watching Kenshin cringe on the floor.

It took a few minutes and a few more body shots before Rukia finally calmed down and helped Kenshin sit back down on the bed. She hopped up on the bed next to him with her legs drawn under her and her hands in her lap. She wanted to cry but she didn't know if she should in front of Ichigo and Yoruichi. It wasn't like they hadn't seen her cry before; hell, Ichigo has seen her cry more then anyone she can think of and he usually was the reason for it, but still…

Kenshin glanced to the side at her and with just the slightest of a smile past his mangled locks of hair she finally broke down and cried, burying her face against his shoulder while letting him embrace her. "You are such an idiot! What were you thinking fighting all those adjuchas by yourself you lug head?"

Her close friend shrugged absent mindedly. "I was fighting adjuchas?"

Rukia drew back and looked at him puzzled before glancing over to Yoruichi who shrugged, "he probably hasn't recovered that part of his memory yet."

"So does he remember me as well then?" Ichigo asked.

He got a glance from the captain who tossed his hair back to clear his view and then received a grunt. "Yeah, you're that damn trouble-making idiot that gave me enough headaches in screwing up your job of protecting Mouse. Freaken carrot top…"

"Oh screw off!"

That brought a smile to Rukia's face who returned to her sitting position next to Kenshin. Ichigo couldn't help but smile despite having just been insulted by the relatively cold captain. Rukia and Kenshin really were like brother and sister, just without the formalities that existed with Rukia and Byakuya.

"So what all have you remembered Kenshin?"

"Well…a lot but I'm still clueless on most things regarding who I am."

"In short, he's not ready to return to active duty." Yoruichi stated. "Until he can fully remember his position as a shinigami he won't be of much use to even himself."

Rukia smiled and punched Kenshin lightly in the ribs. "I'm just grateful he's alive and back where he belongs."

Hopefully you all are enjoying reading (I can't really tell...*cough*I3reviews*cough*) :D

Anyways

Next time! Chapter 5: Falling like the Rain