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ra7matigorti2, , Taiski, Guest, Yukihime,annia9semi, Hekka, andyantopia, zcEskA12352, Leex, 1287, zitag, NieveDrop thank you for the reviews!
Otherwise, i intended to make this chapter longer and finish with it "The unexpeced" part of the story, but considering that i didn't finish it yet and i probably won't have time for write until the next week , i decided to post this one. I can't promise anything, but it's possible for the rest to come at the end of the week-end or so...
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Let me out
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"You let your guard down, King and because of what? Of a woman?! You're so pitiful!"
"I have no guard down, so you'd better leave because as beat the crap out of you before I can still do it now."
Again that horrible laugh scratched Ichigo's mind.
"I'm sorry to tell you this but I don't believe you, King! You're lying! And do you know how I that? It's because I live inside you and I know your every secret! So I know, King! You reached your limit! Your're full of anger and despair and at the same time you are powerless! She got you to this state! So tell me Ichigo, did it worth?"
"You shut the fuck up!"
"Oh, don't tell me it didn't worth? Come on! If I were you, I would go and crush their lovey-dovey engagement party! I would rip her clothes of and have her right there, in front of her fiancé!"
"Just leave!"
"Why? Don't the two of us have great time together?... Oh, relax! I couldn't care less about the woman! I don't care about such easy things! I want fight, I want blood, I want to see how the world is tearing apart beneath my feet… and above I WANT TO KILL YOU!"
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Byakuya arrived late in night at the Hamachi residence. The servants led him to the Council's room and the moment he entered, he caught a glimpse of Ukitake, Yoruichi, Kukaku Shiba and a couple of others head nobles. The atmosphere was heavy, each and one of them overwhelmed by fear and worry.
"You're finally here, Byakuya." Ukitake stated.
He didn't say anything. But he took his place next to Yoruichi, who at her turn was too worried and concentrated on the meeting to even tease him with the classic 'Byakuya-bo'.
"We must be aware that even though we have two captains present at the gathering, we cannot be at peace knowing that the targets are we, the one present at this gathering. Gotei 13 cannot do more than we can. Therefore I call for cooperation." One of the noble said. ""
"What do you mean by cooperation?" another one asked.
"It means that we should stop hiding behind our fingers and admit once for all that all clans present here had prisoners in the Last Level." Ukitake intervened.
"That comes within." The noble commented.
"I was referring to the unofficial prisoners, which on my opinion are far dangerous than-"
"Were are not here to reveal the secrets of are clans! We must not forget then all of us are more or less rivals and after all this prisoners issue is solved, the information we gave will be used against each other!" another one impolitely interrupted Ukitake.
"I call for cooperation!" the first one shouted and after that a rustle specific to Byakuya's Elders meeting, began. He didn't listen to any of them, nor intervened in their argue. He was ready to close himself in his inner world, but then he saw Yoruichi and Kukaku Shiba, taking advantage of the agitation. They turned to each other talking in whisper.
"He was here! Ganju himself has been tracking him down to Rukongai! I'm sure he was looking that quincy woman!"
"You mean Kurosaki Masaki?" Yoruichi asked.
Kukaku nodded and as he heard that name, Byakuya turned all his attention to the Shiba woman.
"And had he found Masaki?" Yoruichi asked.
Kukaku opened her mouth, ready to answer, but then she saw Byakuya's grey eyes looking in her direction and she swallowed her words.
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Meanwhile in the darkest corner of the human world and at the same time the safest for the evil to grow wild, Oza was counting the seconds, the minutes, the hours. He was waiting for the right moment to make his appearance. Until then, he had nothing else but to wait.
"Oza-sama…" a trembling voice of a deformed prisoner was heard from the dark. "Oza-sama, our… I mean your… he's…"
But before the poor creature finish his sentence, a tall and massive man made his appearance, stepping in the fade light. His clothes were ripped like the rest of the prisoner's, but he looked as strong as Oza, his face looking even more human than his.
"Shiba!" Oza intoned with what was supposed to be a pleased smile. "You finally arrived. I was starting to worry about you."
"Worry?" the man replied with a harsh laugh. "It seems to me or are you underestimating me?"
"I don't know am i?" Oza asked maliciously, causing a weary expression on the "Shiba" man's face. "Tell me, have you found what were you looking for in Soul Society?"
"I found her and if that useless nephew of mine wouldn't have been following me, I would have even killer her."
Oza eyes widened madly.
"You have been fallowed?!" he snapped.
"Don't worry, he lost the track of me" the man answered calmly. "There's nothing to worry about in Soul Society. I believe that the interesting parts are here… which makes me think, that it's time to pay a visit to my old son…"
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"Why are you fighting me, King? Am I your true enemy? Am I the one who truly hurt you? Or is it Rukia?"
"Don't you dare to speak her name!"
"Why? Is she so priceless? Is she so pure? Isn't she as low as I am? Stop defending the worthless! You're making me sick with your naivety!
"There must be a misunderstanding! Otherwise that night would have been worthless!"
"Stupid! It is worthless! She just wanted a bit of fun before her wedding! You fool!"
"It can't be… after all she told, after she gave herself to me…"
"Oh, King, if I would have had a heart I would have pitied you."
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"Do you want to call them right now?"
Orihime startled from her intense string of thoughts and turned her fiancé who was driving the car with one hand, resting his head on the other. He had a tired expression which was explainable, considering that he had been driving for the last 10 hours, ever since they left Tokyo.
"No, it's too late." She finally answered.
"Is it? What time is it? I lost notion of time since I'm this driver seat."
"It's past midnight…"
After she said that she turned her gaze to the window, thinking of how strange was the feeling of returning in Karakura. The truth was that she wouldn't have even return if it weren't for the marriage papers who needed to be submitted in her hometown. It's been only six months since she's been away, but Tokyo already felt like home. When she left, she felt like the world had ended, even thought the sun kept rising. The light was no longer warm and the food had no longer taste, but then…
She turned and looked at her fiancé.
…Then Ishida came back to her life.
She smiled.
"Ishida-kun…"
He turned to her.
"I love you."
He smiled and left his arm, letting her rest on his chest, while he was driving.
"Me too. I love you, Inoue."
That feeling. That warmth filling her body. It was the happiness of knowing that her love is being returned. With Ishida she could finally be part of that happiness.
"Ishida-kun, do you think it's strange that I miss them?"
"Not at all. You lived with them for six years." He answered.
She smiled.
"Good. Because I can't wait to show to Karin and Yuzu the dress you made for me."
She closed her eyes for a moment, but then she suddenly raised her head and faced him with a serious and determined glare.
"Ishida-kun let's invite them to the wedding!"
His eyes widened.
"The Kurosakis?!"
She nodded.
"Even Ichigo?"
"Yes! And Kuchiki-san, too! They're our friends, after all!"
He blinked confused.
"You want to invite at your wedding the girl for which your ex-boyfriend dumped you?"
Orihime put on a pouted, puppy face.
"You're mean saying things this way. Kuchiki-san is more than that for me. Because of her I could finally met my one and true love…"
His eyes widened again, but then a warm smile appeared on his face. He held his fiancée tighter.
"Alright, Inoue. Let's invite them to our wedding."
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"Fighting me it's useless, King, because in this moment I'm the only one able to express your true feelings! Your hate! Your despair! Your pain! You're feeding me with them! I'm the only one able to swallow them!
Ichigo fell on his knees. He wanted to be strong. He wanted to be made of stone and let all this madness pass beside him. He wished, but the pain was getting bigger and bigger.
"I'm the only one able to make the pain go away, ICHIGO!"
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As he presumed no one exchanged any valuable information regarding the prisoners. Each and one of the noble was there to test the waters. There was still long way until they will accept to reveal their family's secrets and tell the story of each prisoner. They called the meeting over and decided to continue tomorrow.
Byakuya got up from his seat, but his eyes were looking for Kukaku Shiba.
"Rather than eavesdropping, I'd be more careful to what is happening in my own house." A voice said from behind.
He turned and saw Yoruichi facing him with a grave expression.
"Remember that your uncle, Oza is their leader."
"I don't need you to remember me that, Yoruichi Shihoin." He said coldly.
"Then perhaps I should give you an advice: keep an eye on Haruna and her father. One of the Kazuki blades is missing from Seireitei and Oza has it."
His eyes widened with a mad glare. He knew that Yoruichi had no reason of lying.
"But wait." She added. "Don't do anything reckless. If Haruna had given him the blade, she's also the key to the prisoners, so for the moment, just keep her close to you and watch her every step. I'll take my leave now, Byakuya, but remember my words."
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"Just look at you Ichigo, you're so pitiful! I could kill with a single blow, but there's only one thing that stops me. I want to defeat you in a fair fight!"
"Then disappear already!"
"And leave in this state? Who do you think I am? We are not stranger, Ichigo … and someone has to put an end to your torment, so take my hand!"
"BE GONE!"
"You're lying! You don't want me to do that, because you know that you need my help. This is not the first time you're asking for it. Remember who killed Ulquiorra and remember why. You wanted to protect her and you knew you didn't have the power to do that."
"I didn't call for you back then!"
"But you did. In your subconscious, Ichigo and now you are doing it again. It's because you want to protect something. Back than it was that girl, today is yourself! ADMIT IT ICHIGO! YOU NEED ME!"
Ichigo took his hand in his palm and started to yell as if he was mad.
"That's right, King! Take my hand and let's end this nightmare!"
"That's right…"
"Come…"
"LET ME OUT!"
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Orihime suddenly raised her head from Ishida's shoulder with a scared expression.
"Arrancar!" Ishida hissed and pressed the acceleration heading to the place where an enormous amount of reiatsu exploded.
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From his dark corner, Oza also turned his gaze and faced Shiba with wide eyes.
"What is this?" he hissed.
In response the massive man shunpo-ed ouside the Prisonner's hide place and Oza immediately followed him.
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Isshin got up from his bed, all sweaty and tensed, as if he just woke up from a nightmare. He put a night gown on him exited the house running.
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Yoruichi stepped back to the human world and sensed a hollow's reiatsu practically hitting her over the face with its power. Losing no second, she shunpo-ed in its direction.
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See you next time!