Note: How many think I should change the rating to "M" on this story?

Question: How DOES Ichigo's sword stick to his back? I wrote it the way I saw it, but I could be wrong… just a heads up.

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"Who were those guys?" Tsukune asked. Currently, they were all picking up the remains of their newspaper stand. The newspapers that weren't badly damaged were being tucked away into a box.

"Those guys are the Public Safety Commission." Gin's eyes took on a serious look as he continued, "In order to protect the peace at the Academy, a militant group was established in order to control evil by force."

"They're the Academy guardians, the Public Safety Commission. They were organized by students and are often called the Academy Police." Gin sighed as he finished. Just talking about those guys wore him out.

"Those guys were the police?! This is the first time I've seen those guys!" A jittery Tsukune asked. But in truth, he was speaking what was on everyone's minds.

"Yea that's right. That's because those guys barely ever actually do anything." Gin replied cooly. "They've become corrupt. Today they're just a Yakuza gang, making their force do the talking while they collect money and tributes. When they said we needed their permission, they were really asking us to pay them off."

"What… I can't believe they're getting away with something so messed up at the Academy!" Moka proclaimed, apprehension evident in her voice.

Gin looked at Moka for a moment before replying, "Nothin' we can do now, we've just gotta give in. We've gotta burn all the newspapers to show them that we're not going to stand up against them, that's the only way to appeal to them."

This surprised and shocked everyone in the group. To give in so easily… what was Gin thinking? Was he that scared of the police? "What! Burn them? But there's a bunch we already handed out!" Kurumu yelled out as she looked at the box in front of her.

"I don't care, just burn them all!" Came Gin's uncharacteristically strict voice, "Nothing's gonna come from picking a fight with these guys. It's best if you don't get involved in old fights!" After those few words, Gin left the group to their thoughts. He knew they were going to be angry at him, but that's the way things needed to be done.

---

"What a loser! Gin-sempai isn't even thinking like a man!" Kurumu said as she got up from her seat. They were all sitting in one of the outdoor lunch areas, which consisted of two small round tables surrounded by four chairs.

"And why is he the one who leaves first again?" She said, feeling fed up with Gin's wimpy behavior. 'He's just too afraid of those guys'

Kurumu's eyes wandered towards the box in the middle of the table. Suddenly feeling resolute, she grabbed the box as she stated, "If it comes to this, I'll just pass out the newspapers by myself! We don't have to burn them like sempai says!"

"Kurumu-chan…" Moka began, trying to placate the enraged Succubus, "But wait Kurumu-chan, Gin-sempai probably has his own good reasons for this…"

"Hmpf! No way! That guy's head is just overloaded with perverted thoughts." Kurumu simply replied.

Moka looked to Ichigo, as if seeking help. Ichigo caught on to this and simply sighed before speaking, "Kurumu is right. We shouldn't just give up."

Moka's mouth hung wide open as she listened to Ichigo's statement. That really wasn't that kind of help she had been looking for. But Kurumu didn't mind at all, she was glad that her destined one agreed with her. In fact, she was so glad that the old habit of burying Ichigo's face in her chest suddenly resurfaced. In short, Ichigo was now suffocating.

"Thank you so much Ichigo for agreeing with me!" Then she let go of him and took him by the arm, saying, "Let's go Ichigo! Let's do our best to hand out the remaining newspapers!"

Before Ichigo could reply, and gain back his breathe, he was dragged by the arm to who knows where. The others could only look on as Ichigo was forcefully dragged away.

---

"I think we need a plan." Ichigo said after having walked with Kurumu in silence for a good distance.

"No." Kurumu simply said as she stopped, holding the box of newspapers close to her chest. "All we really need to do is just fight these guys Ichigo. If they're corrupt like Gin says they are, the only way to fight against these guys is to well… fight."

Ichigo sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He stared at Kurumu's back as he contemplated on what to say. But his thoughts were cut short when something shot out from one of the trees and stuck to the newspaper box. Kurumu gave a small cry of distress when the box was pulled away from her and up into the dead trees.

"Don't make me laugh, you really are too stupid!" Ichigo and Kurumu looked up. Their eyes widened when they recognized this girl. It was the same 'Black Suit' as the other day!

"It appears you have no interest in being a good student and obeying us." She gave a small scoff before smiling at them, "As I thought, I should crush you all once and for all right here!"

She used a sort of sticky strand, the same one used from earlier to lower herself down from the tree branch. Behind her was an outdoor furnace that seemed oddly misplaced. But then again, many things at the Academy were outta whack. And both Ichigo and Kurumu knew what she was going to do with those newspapers.

"Stop!" Ichigo demanded as he took a step forward. "Why are you doing this? We haven't done anything!" Ichigo's tone held anger, and rightfully so. They hadn't done anything other than report the news, why were they trying to shut them down?

"It's too late to say that now… or perhaps you don't know?" The girl said, piquing Kurumu and Ichigo's interest. "We've been looking at the newspaper since last year and long before as a group threatening the Public Safety Commission."

The girl looked at them and noted the surprised looks on their faces. She simply smiled before continuing, "The newspaper club last year were a bunch of fools who had delusions they could change the Academy themselves. They used their published articles to criticize us. We drove their club to the brink of folding."

Gin's previous words came to Ichigo's mind. 'It's best if you don't get involved in old fights.' Ichigo clicked his tongue in annoyance, why hadn't Gin told them something important as this earlier? They could've prepared for this sort of situation!

Suddenly, the girl's tone became more rigid and harsh as she continued speaking, "This Academy is a hodgepodge of monsters and it only remains safe because it is under the control of the Public Safety Commission! The newspaper club which doesn't even understand that and yet opposes us deserves to be destroyed!"

Ichigo noticed that since she began talking, she had gotten considerably closer to the furnace. He had to stop her now or else their newspapers would be gone for good. Timing it correctly just as she lifted the box, he Shunpo'd and managed to snatch the box away. When he returned next to Kurumu, he heard her give a happy squeal as she hugged his arm. Ichigo smiled as he looked at the surprised girl, who only moments ago had been ready to burn the papers.

"Bastard…" She cursed as her body began to tremble. She began lifting up her shirt, causing a small blush to creep onto Ichigo's cheeks. But the embarrassment gave way to disgust when eight spider-like legs protruded from her abdomen and hoisted her up in the hair. She gave them a murderous glare. "You still dare to defy the Public Safety Commission! I'll make you PAY!"

She lunged at Ichigo, who was telling himself that he really needed to bring Zangetsu more often. He dodged to the left as she lunged past him, her legs stopping her from impacting against the tree. She 'stood' on the tree, her body vertical as she looked around with the four large eyes that now encompassed the front half of her head.

She spotted Ichigo, who was standing still, his feet firmly planted against the ground. His back was straight, almost as if taunting her to come attack him. The spider-woman answered to this veiled challenge by crossing her mandibles together and producing a sticky substance in between.

Ichigo noticed what she was doing and readied himself. He remembered she had shot something from her mouth at Kurumu earlier. He prepared himself to dodge as the spider-woman seemed to finish what she was doing. He had been right. The woman tilted her head up before spraying a fine web towards Ichigo.

Ichigo simply responded to the attack by using Shunpo once more to escape the attack, frustrating the woman. "Quit running away you insect!" She taunted as she scanned the area. "Your club is doomed, so it'd be best if you surrender this instant!"

--WHAM—

Ichigo had gotten a hold of a large tree branch and proceeded to hit the woman with it. She was knocked clean off her tree and sent flying. Her body bounced a bit before she landed unceremoniously on the ground, her legs sprawled every which way, unconscious.

"Seriously, this is way too easy." Ichigo whispered to himself. Sure he would've liked Zangetsu with him, but hadn't really needed his Zanpaktou. Aside from Kenpachi, no one really posed a challenge for him. And now he wondered why he was getting so battle frenzied these days. He had wanted nothing more than the war to be over, and now that it was, he was wishing for a challenge.

His thoughts were broken when Kurumu came up from behind him and wrapped him in hug. Ichigo gave a noise that was between a squeak and a grunt as he felt two soft things press hard against his back.

"That was amazing Ichigo! You didn't even try did you!" She praised him, unaware of what her words and actions were doing to the poor boy's mind.

But their actions were being monitored. As the lone figure took one last glance, he melted into the shadows.

---

"You said… Keito was defeated?"

The man nodded. Kuyou could feel his anger stir within his chest. "That damn newspaper club!" His words were laced with venom as he spoke, "Do they truly intend to fight with us? They couldn't possibly have forgotten what happened to them last year!"

He brought a hand in front of him, and looked at it while contemplating. "Then so be it, if they are that foolish then we will put an end to them right here and now!" His hand formed into a fist as his next words were spoken with intent. "I'll destroy them with my own hands!"

"You can't just destroy a club for no reason." A voice from the shadows spoke. Kuyou turned around and looked at the figure that just stepped into the light. His eyes widened slightly as recognition registered on his face.

"You are…"

"Heh… but if it's me, I can make them disappear from this Academy completely. Regardless, I'm a little be disabled right now. But in return, how about I teach you the newspaper's club weakpoint?"

Kuyou's eyebrow raised as a malicious smile crossed the figure's face. "The newspaper's club one weak point is the one member's 'true form.'"

"And what might that be Ishigami-san?" Kuyou asked, his interest piqued.

Her smile grew even wider and savored the next words she said, because they would undoubtedly ruin the newspaper club for good! "Aono Tsukune… there is a possibility that he is human!"

---

"A human? In my school? Don't be foolish, there's no way a human could've made it into the Academy. You expect me to believe he's human?" Kuyou asked disbelievingly. How could a human have slipped into such a secret place like Youkai Academy?

"But if he is human… what will you do? Wouldn't that give you an excuse to wipe out the newspaper club for good?" Ishigami retorted, a knowing glint in her eye.

Kuyou regarded the woman in front of him. True, if this Tsukune person was human, he could easily obliterate the newspaper club. But…

"I would shut down the newspaper club permanently. But it seems you don't have any proof." He replied plainly.

At that statement, Ishigami smiled. She slipped one hand into her pocket and pulled out a tape. She offered it to Kuyou, who took it with a look of interest in his eyes. "This video… will convince you otherwise."

---

"You friggin' stupid idiots!" An angry Gin yelled at the newspaper club. His annoyance was exaggerated by the giant tick mark on his forehead. "You're saying that not only did you start something with the Black Suits, but you went and beat one of them up?"

"I didn't do anything…" Mizore spoke gently as she too got berated, despite not even being in the fight. "From what I hear… it was Ichigo that beat them up."

Ichigo gulped as he felt all eyes staring at him. Though not all of them were hostile looks, he was still nervous nonetheless. "Well… they were going to burn the newspapers."

"That's no excuse for being an idiot!" Gin yelled as he stomped right up to Ichigo's face. "Next time they come over, I want you to apologize and turn yourself in!"

"What!" Ichigo was now pressing his forehead against Gin, sparks flying between their eyes as the tension rose between them. They growled at each other like dogs trying to claim the Alpha Male title in a pack. But their little 'argument' was broken up when the door swung open, revealing a stern-looking Kuyou.

"You fools, it is much too late for that now." Kuyou said as he moved out of the way and let the other members of the Police swarm the small classroom. "You have raised your hand against us. You are prepared to accept the appropriate judgment are you not?"

"Wait!" Gin beckoned as he stepped in front of Kuyou, "It was just a quarrel wasn't it? Even if she was a member of the student police, you can't shut down our club for that!"

"A quarrel?" Kuyou spoke dangerously, "Silence."

His gaze shifted over to Ichigo as he spoke in a commanding tone, "Kurosaki Ichigo, your crime is assaulting Keito, an Academy Police Officer and inflicting wounds upon her. Come with us!"

"What! Keito was the one who started!" Tsukune interjected, not wanting anyone to get into trouble. Suddenly, his body froze as a dreadful feeling washed over him when Kuyou turned his gaze towards him.

"Fool. You are coming too Aono Tsukune." Kuyou hissed as Tsukune became surrounded by Police members.

"Wait!" Mizore yelled. For once, her voice came out loud and strong as she tried to protect the man she loved. "Why is Tsukune getting involved? He hasn't done anything!"

Kuyou's eyes narrowed in amusement as he looked at the group. He saw the differing looks on their faces and took it all in, enjoying their desperation. "Heh… what simpletons you all are. Don't you know anything about this boy's secret?"

This got everyone's attention as their eyes' shifted to Tsukune, whose body was frozen stiff. Fear and anxiety were evident on his facial expression and in the way he stood stiffly, almost as if he were encased in a block of eyes. His eyes were wide and sweat began to trickle down the side of his head. Kuyou noticed all of this and enjoyed it immensely.

"This boy named Aono Tsukune is suspected of being a human." With those final words, Tsukune fell to the ground, helpless.

'How… how could they have found out?' Were both Tsukune and Mizore's one and only morbid thought.

Meanwhile, the others including Gin, Kurumu, Moka, and Yukari all stared at him. Each had different expressions, Tsukune noticed this. But what frightened him the most was how their sympathetic looks had turned stony and seemed to show disappointment. He hung his head, defeated.

"Wha…" Moka's voice was low and quiet. Her face was filled with utter disgust for the boy who she once considered a friend… a friend who had lied about what he was. "How could you?"

As Kuoyuo took in the moment with great pleasure, Tsukune picked up his head and looked at the pink-haired vampire, eyes filled with shame. The floor filled his vision once again, his body suddenly feeling ragged and tired. But he had no time to rest as he was hauled up to his feet by a gloating Kuyou.

"So what is it? Hm?" He asked with amusement evident in his voice. "Are you a spy from the human side? In any case, you know what the rule is for humans who invade the Academy correct?"

"You're not going to do anything to him."

Kuyou let go of Tsukune and looked over at who had spoken. Of course, it was that boy Ichigo. It seemed he was the only one foolish enough to challenge him even at a moment like this. He would have to show him his place then.

Kuyou then unleashed a wave of supernatural energy from his body and hurled it at Ichigo. He smirked when he saw Ichigo visibly recoil from the weight of his power. But as he continued battering Ichigo with his supernatural power, an interesting thing happened that deeply shocked and confused him.

Ichigo laughed.

"That all you got?" Ichigo said as he held his up high, an uncharacteristically vicious grin appearing on his face. In response, Kuyou increased the amount of energy he was pressing against Ichigo. This was a futile attempt as it was all swept away by Ichigo's own spiritual power in a flurry of white energy. If Kuyou's energy had been a flood… then Ichigo's was an ocean.

Everyone in the room braced themselves as the very air around them visibly distorted. What looked like cracks in the air appeared around them, obscuring their vision slightly. Many members of the Police Academy began falling to the ground, clutching their head as pain swept through their bodies. Many found it hard to breathe as energy continued to pour out of Ichigo, who showed not even the slightest signs of fatigue.

Ichigo looked at everyone who had fallen. He was surprised when he felt satisfaction from having overwhelmed them so easily… all except Kuyou, who simply stared at him. He stood rigid with defiance as an angry scowl marred his visage.

"You dare to challenge me… in my own school?" Kuyou spoke in a low tone. Ichigo stopped releasing energy for a moment as he heard out Kuyou's words.

"You dare to challenge ME?" Kuyou repeated again as his body was suddenly surrounded in an orange light. He began to tremble as the light increased in intensity. Ichigo stared at his opponent, but began to notice that the room was gradually getting warmer. On alert, Ichigo decided to stop whatever Kuyou was doing before he could carry it out. He used Shunpo to move behind Kuyou. Ichigo raised his fist, intent on knocking him out with just one hit.

Before his fist could hit its target, Ichigo was blown away by a raging flame that erupted from Kuyou's body. Ichigo's scorched body flew through several walls before he skidded to a stop in the main hallway of the school building. He picked himself up and put out the flames that had remained on his school uniform. With a curse muttered beneath his breath, Ichigo quickly hurried back to the classroom, intent on handing Kuyou's own ass back to him.

---

But when he arrived, all the Police Committee was gone. Only the newspaper club members remained. "What happened to Tsukune?" Ichigo asked as he looked around and noticed someone else was missing. "Where's Mizore?"

"Those traitors are gone." Gin spoke up and a sense of uneasiness filled Ichigo. That's right… monsters did not take kindly to humans.

"And you didn't try to stop them?" Ichigo questioned, but only got a stony glare from Gin.

"Why would we? Tsukune was human. He tricked us!" Gin muttered, his voice thin and dry.

Ichigo gritted his teeth as he clicked his tongue in annoyance. He walked past Gin, who looked at him curiously from the corner of his eye. "What are you doing?"

His question was answered when Ichigo pulled out Zangetsu from its confinement and swung it behind his back. Immediately the bandage wrapped itself around the black and white Zanpaktou and clung to Ichigo's back.

"You're not thinking about rescuing them?" Ichigo paused when he realized that voice did not belong to Gin, but was in fact Moka's. It held a certain… tone of disbelief. Almost as if she was asking him why he was even thinking of rescuing them. Ichigo's scowl took on a thoughtful look as he turned his head to stare at Moka.

"I am." Ichigo replied truthfully, not taking his eyes off of Moka's own.

"Why?" She asked in a distraught tone. "Tsukune was human… and Mizore knew it. They lied to us." Her eyes pleaded at Ichigo, beckoning him to stop his rescue. "Why?"

Ichigo's scowl softened before he turned his back towards Moka, beginning to head out the door. His hand reached for the door knob and pulled it open. He took one last look behind his back and replied, "Because believe it or not… I'm human also." And with that, he left the stunned group.

Especially one Kurono Kurumu.