This is completely new content that I never put onto tumblr, so enjoy!

Maybe her guess wasn't that far off, Orihime considered as they descended a long staircase that led below the little house above them. Maybe Kaito wasn't precisely the son of an exiled lord, but 'friends in high places' covered a lot of territory, and she had a growing suspicion that there was more than one exiled lord counted amongst Urahara's friends.

She kept her silence as they reached a landing and were gestured into a large, nearly empty room by the man who had led the way. The room reminded her of historical dramas on TV, where a lord would hold court; all that was missing were the rows of underlings for them to walk between to approach—

"Kukaku's a woman?!" Orihime exclaimed with the rest of her classmates, once she registered who was sitting where she expected the lord to be. She clamped a hand over her mouth immediately, eyes wide and praying to the thousand little kami that she — they! — hadn't offended the woman they were here to meet.

"And why aren't you surprised at this?" Kurosaki asked, sending a suspicious look Kaito's way.

She let her hand drop back to her side and considered Kaito; the obvious answer was that he had been here before, supported by the way he led them through the grassland without a map. The way he immediately turned to Kukaku instead of answering, body tense and nervous, lent weight to the idea as well.

(He had only recently arrived in Karakura. Only recently escaped Soul Society.)

(How long had he stayed with Kukaku beforehand? How much was he spitting on her efforts to keep him safe?)

"Tch. Who the hell do you think kept him safe until Yoruichi and Urahara could get him to the Living World?" Kukaku asked them, confirming Orihime's thoughts. The woman frowned at Kaito, eyes narrowed and gaze thoughtful. "I didn't expect to see you here again, kid, much less willingly."

"I'm not about to allow them to go into Soul Society blind," Kaito declared in response.

Orihime looked up at Ishida, wondering if he had caught the same implication that she had. The skin was tight around the corner of his eyes and his hands were clenched, knuckles white; Ishida must have come to the same conclusion, then.

Kaito had only told them that to be a hybrid was looked upon 'poorly' by the people in charge of Seireitei, and Orihime had understood that to mean 'dangerous'. But it looked like she had underestimated how dangerous.

(Did he care so little for his own health or well-being?)

(Did they mean so much to him, after so little time?)

Kukaku sighed and leaned back a bit, saying, "Well, guess I didn't really expect much else from his son. Urahara always was stubbornly loyal once he found people to give his loyalty to."

('Stubbornly loyal'?)

(Whatever had they done, to earn such loyalty so quickly?)

She chewed on that thought while crossing the small distance, settling at Ishida's free side. As far as she knew, they really hadn't done anything special for him—

No, wait.

That was wrong, wasn't it. They had done something he likely considered special.

Orihime leaned into Ishida a bit, sickened by her realization. The evidence was all there, given what they knew of Kaito's past; they had treated him as a friend, invited him along and brought him into their group, despite his attempts at remaining aloof.

(She wanted to deny the evidence with everything she had.)

Doing that, including him so naturally… how much of his loyalty to them was because they had treated him with common kindness?

(Almost like Ishida. Lonely, wary Ishida, who wanted their friendship with all his soul but was constantly worried about screwing it up.)

Ishida shot her a worried look, not relaxing in the slightest at her head-shake. 'Later,' she mouthed at him, hoping it would deter him for a while. Now was not the time or place to get into a discussion of her realization.

(She wished never was the time or place, but this was something they others needed to know, if they didn't already have suspicions. Loyalty like that… they could abuse it so horribly without even realizing.)

(She needed to speak with Kurosaki and Chad about Ishida, too. How had she not realized before now?)

"So." Kukaku's voice drew Orihime's attention. The woman took a draw of her lit pipe and exhaled the earthen-scented smoke, giving each of them a look in turn. "You're all here to invade Seireitei and save a friend."

"That's correct," Yoruichi agreed.

Kukaku smirked, wisps of smoke escaping her lips and curling about her face. "Well, who am I to say no to trouble. I accept."

"Just like that?" Kurosaki exclaimed incredulously. "You don't even know us!"

But she knew Urahara, and they had Urahara's son leading the way, Orihime thought; Kukaku's roar of laughter all the confirmation she needed.

(Maybe the stubborn loyalty wasn't just on Urahara's part.)

"If Urahara's involved," Kukaku said, pointing at Kaito with her pipe, "how could I possibly say no? You've got his son sitting right there, pretty as you please; if that's not tacit agreement with this scheme, I have no idea what would be."

Orihime grimaced and rested a hand on Ishida's leg, catching his attention once more. At his questioning look, she tipped her head towards Kukaku, hoping that Ishida caught her meaning.

(If Kaito's presence alone was enough for Kukaku to know how his father felt, then how would other Shinigami react?)

Ishida's lips pinched together, gaze shifting between Orihime and Kukaku for a moment, before he turned to Kaito and leaned in, murmuring something that Orihime couldn't really hear. Whatever it was, Kaito shook his head in response, and Ishida sat upright once more. His hand moved to rest atop hers, fingers tightening just slightly before he released his grip.

(He didn't look pleased with the answer Kaito had given him.)

"You're right though, I don't know you," Kukaku spoke when it was clear no one was going to respond to her previous words. "I trust Yoruichi, and Urahara, but you kids… I'm not so sure about you." Her gaze moved between them, lingering on Ishida and Kurosaki from what Orihime could tell. Perhaps because of how they had positioned themselves in relation to Kaito? "I'm assigning a man to assist. That's all right with you, isn't it?"

Yoruichi nodded and spoke before anyone else could, "Of course. I expected as much."

"I'll have to introduce you later," Kukaku said, flicking her pipe to dislodge the ashes. "He's out with his crew right now, but he should be back in a few hours. In the mean time.. Koganehiko! Come show our guests to the dining room so they can have some food while they wait!"

Orihime twisted to look at the door as it slid open, the guard from before leaning in and saying, "Of course, ma'am!"

Given such a clear dismissal, Orihime rose to her feet with Ishida and started to move towards the door.

"Not you, boy. Sit a while with me and chat. You'll get lunch when we're through."

Kukaku's words had Orihime spinning on her heel, eyes wide and body tensed. That was not a request, and there was a dangerous edge to it that made Orihime afraid. It was the height of rudeness to try to stay when a noble had dismissed them, but she really didn't want to leave Kaito alone!

And given the way the other three had stopped and turned back, neither did they.

Kaito's posture was resigned, shoulders slumped and head tilted down. Even his reiatsu was quieter, pulled in tight to his body instead of ranging about like he usually let it.

(He expected to be scolded. He expected to be punished.)

But still he turned back to them, shaking his head and giving them a narrow-eyed look. Reluctant but unwilling to challenge both Kaito and a noble, especially when the others were starting to back down, Orihime slowly backed out of the room.

It was one of the hardest things she'd done in her life.

(If Kukaku hurt him…)

(Noble or not, nothing would save her.)