Uryu opened his eyes and blinked, staring at the wood above his head. He blinked again and slowly sat up, groaning as he did so.
A head dropped over the side of the wood, completely covered in bandages.
"Oh! You're finally up!"
Uryu's eye twitched and he screamed.
"Who...Who are you!?Are you some kind of robber!?"
"No!" The male jumped down, prying open the bandages around his eyes and mouth. "Plus, what can I possibly rob from a wounded guy in a jail? It's me! It's me!"
"Ga-Ganju-kun!? I'm glad you're still alive! You didn't seem strong, so I thought you'd already be..." Uryu trailed off.
"...I'll pretend you didn't say that." Ganju growled, crossing his arms.
"In any case, why were our injuries treated? We are the attackers...We're their enemies! The officials of the Soul Society should have no reason to help us."
"The situation changed."
"SADO-KUN!?" The male in question smiled, leaning against his thighs.
"I understood after I overheard the guards talking about it. One of the Captains was assassinated. They don't know who did it. So the Ryoka are the primary source of information."
"I see...So that's why we got arrested. For interrogation." Uryu muttered.
"That's right." Ganju lifted his wrist and displayed his handcuffs. "But if my reitsu wasn't sealed off by these handcuffs, I could easily break a hole in the wall with stone blast."
Uryu gazed at his own cuffs with a sad expression before toughing up.
"Anyway! Even though we survived, we're locked up and cuffed up! This is the worst possible scenario! But one thing is for sure...If the enemy doesn't want to kill us, the others are probably still alive!"
"If all three of us are captured, then Inoue, who isn't good at fighting, probably got captured." Chad clasped his hands. "So that just leaves Yoruichi and Ichigo. I'm waiting for Ichigo. He will definably come get us out of here. Until then the only thing we can do is heal up and prepare for the next battle! Let's wait for Ichigo!"
"Yeah~! I was really surprised too! I never thought I would get picked by Kusajishi-fukutaicho!I, Aramaki Makizou, am truly grateful!"
"It couldn't be helped." Yachiru kicked her feet against the floor as the Tenth Seat babbled. "That girl is a Ryoka, so her reitsu is like Ichi's. I followed it to see and found Ara...Ara...maki..Uh...Um..."
"Ah! I'm sorry! It's Maki-maki! Maki-maki!" He gestured to himself. "I've been serving the Fukutaicho for ten years!"
"Maki-maki..." Yachiru stared at him. "Haha! That's such a strange name!"
"You're the one who gave me that nickname!" Maki-maki yelled.
"So?" Inoue, who was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room glanced over to Ikkaku, who was seated on a couch with his hands behind his head, beside Yumichika, who was nibbling his thumbnail and muttered under his breath. "What happened, Inoue-san? Is that brat, Ichigo, still alive?"
"Ah...Actually...I..I don't know." She muttered.
"Don't ask stupid questions, Ikkaku." The bald male turned his gaze to the person in the corner. "He's definitely alive. I can feel it. That guy is alive. And he's getting stronger. Interesting!"
Kenpachi grinned, shifting in his seat so that the green haired woman behind him sent a death glare to the back of his head.
"I'll help you, Ojou-san. Because if I go with you, I'll meet up with Ichigo again."
"Hold still, you big idiot!" Mizuki slammed her fist into Kenpachi's forehead. "These bells are harder to get on than they look and it doesn't help when you move!"
Kenpachi grumbled under his breath about stupid hormonal women and how he shouldn't have let her into his Division.
"I heard that. Don't make me shove a stick up where the sun don't shine!"
"How does she get away with talking to Taicho like that?" Ikkaku muttered. Mizuki glanced over at him and leaned on Zaraki's shoulder after she had put the last bell in his hair.
"Because I'm a woman." She grinned, and dropped down as Kenpachi stood. Yachiru was on his shoulder in a moment, and Mizuki and Yachiru hauled the bimbo up onto his other shoulder with little effort.
It took three tries for Inoue to stay on, and by the end of it Mizuki had little patience with Ikkaku, who was laughing at her.
"Where are we going?" Inoue asked.
"Back to our Division." Mizuki snorted, both shoulders of her kosode falling off her shoulders, displaying the bandages around her breasts. "We can't stay here."
"Eh?"
"This is a store room, baka."
"Oh."
"Oi. Ken-chan." Mizuki stuck her head into his room, meeting the gaze of her captain evenly. He grunted. "Can I come sleep in here? I'm lonely."
"Sure." Zaraki growled, his eyes flickering over to the small pink bundle at his side. Yachiru yawned, rolling over and splaying herself with loud snores across her father-figure's arm. Mizuki chuckled, dropping onto his other arm.
Kenpachi muttered something, and then shifted his arm to wrap it around her. Mizuki grinned.
"Thanks..."
He looked down at her with a question in his eyes, refraining from speaking so the loudly snoring girl-child on his other side didn't wake up.
"For doing this. I'm so used to sleeping with my brother...and after he left..." Mizuki shook her head, and rolled over, pressing her side against Zaraki's. He grunted, shutting his eyes.
Snores soon erupted from both their mouths, and Yachiru's eyes opened with a cheeky grin. She lifted herself up, watching the two for several minutes before she padded out of the room to pee.
Mizuki followed after her Taicho and the Third and Fifth seats, sprinting down the road. She skidded around the corner after the burly man, watching as two low ranking Shinigami began shouting about sweeping the street.
Ikkaku ran in place beside them.
"Stay low when you're slacking off. Idiots." He ran forward and his spot was taken by Yumichika.
"If you even leave one speck of dirt behind, I'll kill you."
"Tch." Mizuki ran past and they watched her go with hearts for eyes. It was a very well known fact that one Mizuki Hayashi was a very single, very good looking woman in the Eleventh Division. And Yachiru was only way to young to be hitting on...Mizuki was the next choice. But it was also known that she wasn't interested.
"And now?" Kenpachi paused. "Which way do we go now, woman?"
"Um...It's probably..." Yachiru shoved her face into Inoue's.
"This way~!"
"Ouch! What was that for, Yachiru!? You're mean!"
"Right!? Ken-chan, thinks we should go this way too, right?!"
"It's best if we leave it to Orihime-chan to decide." Ikkaku commented as he ran up. "Fukutaicho has a helplessly bad sense of direction."
"Shut up, marble head." Yachiru spat on his head.
"Hey. Chill, chill." Yumichika placed a hand on Ikkaku's shoulder as he began boiling over. "You weren't exactly playing nice to begin with."
"Nuisance. I'll decided myself." Kenpachi grumbled, moving forward again.
"Yeah~! Go Ken-chan!" The fukutaicho cheered.
"You know," Mizuki sprinted until she was even with her taicho. "Logically, since the Ryoka were all fighting, they'd be in the detention cells under the Fourth Division."
Zaraki veered towards the building in the distance.
"You just chose our direction." Ikkaku seethed.
"Nonsense." Mizuki snickered, smirking. "I just gave a suggestion. We could have gone another way."
"I hate you."
"You love me, Marble-head." Mizuki laughed, dodging a punch he sent flying at her.
"Ah! Look! A butterfly!" Uryu stared a the pretty insect as it fluttered in through the window bars. "So cute...Is it spring in Soul Society?"
"Mumbling to a butterfly...You're hopeless." Ganju snorted. "If you want to, you can chase it around too, Uryu. I won't tell anyone about this."
"Don't try to trick me! I won't chase a butterfly! Also, don't call me by my first name. I don't think we're close enough yet."
"What!? I don't think we're close either!" Ganju yelled.
Chad tuned out his cellmates and turned his head to the roof.
"Shhhh." He demanded.
"Huh?"
"What's up?" Ganju stared. "Did you here a ruckus somewhere? Now that you mention it..."
"Iyaaaaa!"
"Why are you-"
"Iyyaaaaaaa!"
"He's gone mad!"
"Ah. It stopped." Uryu blinked.
The roof suddenly exploded, raining stone down on their heads.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!"
"You...You're..." Ganju stuttered, staring at their rescuers, who had dropped down with them. "ZA-ZA-ZA-ZA-ZA-ZA-ZA-ZA-ZARAKI KENPACHI! CAPTAIN OF THE ELEVENTH DIVISION!"
"You know, that explosion was bigger than I thought it would be. I'll have to try that again." The green haired woman, balancing on a rather large piece of debris hummed, staring at the hole in the roof.
"And...You're that self-absorbed guy with the sissy hairstyle!"
"...Excuse me? Do I know you?" Yumichika asked, lifting an eyebrow and fingering his sword. "I'm sorry, but I tend to forget people who are ugly."
"What are you talking about?! Everyone says I look cool with these bandages! Plus, with all of these bandages, it's normal to not be able to recognize me, stupid!" The bandaged male screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Yumichika.
"Chika-chan, you really are an ass sometimes." Mizuki snorted. Ganju made a choking noise, pointing a finger in her direction.
"You...You...You're..."
"Come on, Bandaged Face. Spit it out. We don't have all day you know."
"You're...Mizuki Hayashi! Fourth Seat of the Eleventh Division! You're one of the most violent women in the Soul Society."
"Yes, I am. Thank you." Mizuki gave a haughty bow and a cocky smirk as Inoue pulled herself up on Zaraki's shoulder.
"Ishida-kun! Sado-kun! Ganju-kun! You're all safe! I'm so glad!" She laughed.
"In-Inoue-san!?" Uryu gasped, staring with wide eyes.
"Hai! Kenpachi-san decided to help me find you!" She grinned.
"Chad!" Mizuki strode over to the tall male in the corner. "Good to see you again. Put these on. We're busting you out." She shoved a bundle of black into his arms.
"Ah...Um...Trying to find one's way around here really needs a lot of luck." Uryu pushed up his glasses and peered around the dead end the large group had come to.
"Hai! It's normal to run into dead ends every ten or twenty meters!" Inoue grinned at him.
"See!?" Ikkaku snapped, glaring at the back of Yachiru's head. "I told you this would happen! This is why I hate letting Fukutaicho lead!"
Mizuki frowned, eyes narrowing as she and Yumichika both stepped forward.
"Taicho..." He muttered.
"Yah." Zaraki smirked, and then directed his attention to the presences around them. "You are shameless to sneak around like that, boys. Get the hell out here! Cowardly hiding reitsu and stalking others isn't something a taicho should do."
"...You speak with authority. Do you know what a foolish act you are doing?" The pair of taicho and their fukutaicho appeared.
"Where are you taking the Ryoka to?" The dark-skinned captain asked. "Zaraki, have you lost your pride and righteousness when you lost that fight?"
"K-komamura-taicho...Tousen-taicho...Iba-fukutaicho...Hisagi-fukutaicho..." Maki-maki stuttered, knees shaking. "No...no way! Four taicho level people...at once!"
"Stop panicking, Aramaki!" Yumichika snapped, smacking the Tenth Seat over the head. "Based on the number of people, we have the upper hand."
"Th-that's not the problem! If we stay here-"
"Stop whimpering. Who said that you were going to fight?" Kenpachi chuckled. "Four versus one...That's not even enough to test my sword with!"
"Four versus one, you say?" The four Shinigami leapt down.
"In other words, you want to fight us alone." Komamura growled. "I know about your strength. However, you think too highly of yourself, Zaraki Kenpachi."
"Blah. Blah. Blah. You're too noisy. Just come on and fight me already!" Kenpachi grinned, heaving out his sword. " It's best if all four of you come together; if you four surround me and attack at once, maybe one of your will actually wound me."
"Ah...Zaraki-taicho...What should we do?" Aramaki asked.
"Shut up! Go away."
"That was bad, Moustache guy." Yachiru scolded. "When Ken-chan is excited, you shouldn't disturb him."
She was quiet a moment. "Ken-chan~! We'll go on and search for Ichi! Catch up with us soon, Ken-chan~!"
"Yah. Be right there." He nodded, back still turned.
"Okay! Let's go~! Big Booby! Big Bear! Wrestler Guy! Pencil Guy! Moustache Guy. Zuki-chan!" Yachiru grabbed Inoue's arm and began pulling.
"Hai, Yachiru-fukutaicho." Mizuki nodded, planting her foot in Ishida's behind to get him moving. "Let's go. Move it!"
The group had been running for a while, with Yachiru in the front, exhibiting her childish energy.
"Yachiru! Wait up, Yachiru!" Inoue yelled at the pink-haired child. "Is...Is it really okay? Leaving behind Zaraki-san like that?!"
"Of course~! No matter who the opponent is, Ken-chan won't ever lose!" The girl grinned.
"Yachiru..."
"Hey, what do you think about her behaviour, Madarame of the Third Seat...? Huh?"
"You really are stupid if you didn't notice Ikkaku and Chika-chan staying behind." Mizuki lifted an eyebrow.
"Hayashi of the Fourth Seat..!" Aramaki's eye twitched.
"But I'll answer your question. Inoue calls Yachiru-fukutaicho by her first name because she lets her. The brat doesn't mind. Heck, I call her by her first name." Mizuki shrugged, a smug look on her face. "Must be because we're girls. Ain't that right, Yachiru-fukutaicho!?"
"Hai~!" The girl nodded, waving as she ran sideways.
Mizuki's gold eyes turned to the slight explosion behind them, a grin etching across her face.
"Poor Kenpachi-taicho. He's going to be so bored."
"Eh!?" Inoue looked surprised. "Those were both taicho! How is he going to be bored?!"
"Tch. You don't know anything about the Gotei, do you? Do your research next time. Our Division is the most offensive Division there is. No competition. As such, our taicho is the most blood-thirsty person in the Gotei. He's also one of the strongest. That," Mizuki gestured to the dust that was settling. "Isn't going to be nearly close enough to a morning warm-up for him. Ikkaku and Chika-chan will have taken care of Iba-san and Shuuhei, so Kenpachi-taicho is just fighting Komamura-taicho and Tousen-taicho."
"How can you tell all that?" Uryu frowned.
"Reitsu, I can sense them. Ikkaku and Yumichika also wouldn't take on two taicho while their own taicho was there. They know what's fair and what's not." Mizuki frowned, a dark look passing over her face. "Kuchiki-taicho and Renji are also about to fight."
The group was quiet for several minutes as they continued running.
"Renji was defeated. Sad." Mizuki muttered. "He went from the Eighth Seat in our Division to Sixth Division Fukutaicho...and he still gets defeated."
Reitsu erupted from Sokyoku Hill.
"Wha...What is that?" Inoue's grey eyes went wide.
"Ah...The execution started?" Yachiru blinked.
"EH?! Then if we don't hurry...!" Uryu sped up a little.
"Then...I'll go on ahead, okay?"
"EEH? Why?!" Inoue stared at the pink haired fukutaicho.
"I don't really care about the execution, but Ichi may be there. I have to go help Ichi."
"T-thank you..." Mizuki rolled her eyes. It was obvious that the ginger bimbo had a thing for this Ichigo.
"Weird! Why is Big Booby saying thanks~?! I'm supposed to help Ichi...because Ichi is Ken-Chan's friend!"
The Ryoka stopped dead, and Mizuki nearly ran into Chad.
"I'm off then~! I'll take care of all the strong guys!" Yachiru glanced over her shoulder as she continued running. "Zuki-chan, you take care of the small fry, okay~!?"
"Hai, Yachiru-fukutaicho." Mizuki nodded, shutting her eyes as Yachiru took off in a cloud of dust.
"So...So fast..." Uryu wiped his glasses clean.
"More like super fast..." Ganju nodded.
"Thank you...Yachiru." Inoue clasped her hands to her large chest.
"Do you think this means 'let's all stand here singing campfire songs'?!" Mizuki yelled, striding forward. "Move it! Let's go! You wanna save Kuchiki-san? Get yer asses moving now!"
"GAH!" The four snapped to attention, saluting quickly before taking off. "Yes, ma'am!"
"Don't call me ma'am. Do I look like a ma'am?!" Mizuki glared, sprinting with them.
"No." Chad replied, pale beneath his dark skin.
"Thank you."
Mizuki paused when they hit an intersection, eyes lifting towards the Hill.
"We must have missed the rescue." She muttered, braid snapping as she turned her head. "And the Sui-Taicho is fighting with Shunsui-taicho, and Ukitake-taicho. Ichigo is fighting Kuchiki-taicho. Taicho stopped fighting because Komamura-taicho ran off. Ugh, we have got to avoid those. These idiots are weak as hell."
"We can hear you." Ganju snarled.
"Oh, can you? I'm so terribly sorry." Mizuki rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "It's true though. You haven't done any training to get stronger...and Uryu's Triple-O'd."
"Triple-O'd?" Chad tilted his head, confusion in the set of his mouth.
"Out of Order." Mizuki waved her hand, and then started forward again.
"What is that supposed to mean?" The male in question grumbled.
"Which Taicho did you fight?" She replied.
"The crazy one...Kurotsuchi, I believe?"
"Ah. Then your Triple-O symptoms must be from that glove you're wearing. It's got something to do with your powers, and you used them too much," She made an exploding movement with her hands. "They went kaboom. Vamoose. They're gone."
"Oh, Uryu!" Inoue gasped, hands flying to her mouth.
"The good thing is, you and Inoue can hide behind her shield while Chad and I, or just me, take care of any one who gets in our way." She snickered.
"HEY!"
"And Ganju."
"Hmph."
"What is that enormous reitsu? The closer we get to the top the greater the reitsu becomes!"
"Is that really Ichigo's reitsu?"
"I'm just as confused as you are."
"We're here." Mizuki paused at the top of the Sokyoku Steps.
"The top..." Sado nodded.
"Are they on the other side of this white forest?" Ganju asked, motioning to the large grove of white trees before them.
"I don't see anybody though." Uryu pushed his glasses up.
"I think...I know...No matter how strong the reitsu becomes, it's scent will stay the same. That is definably Kurosaki-kun." Inoue stepped forward and Mizuki tensed, staring from the corner of her eye.
"Kurosaki, you say." She hummed, and then shuffled over to Sado. "Her crush is bordering on obsessive stalking."
"...Weird. Kuchiki's reitsu disappeared." Sado spoke, and Uryu glanced up at him surprised.
"That girl ran away already."
"Kusajishi Yachiru!"
"If Kuchiki got away, then why is Ichigo fighting?" Sado glanced at Yachiru, who was sitting on one of the brakes.
"It's not that simple." Uryu shuffled. "These people will definitely try to blame Kuchiki-san after this. In order to really help Kuchiki-san, all the other treats must be eliminated. Ideas such as 'Execute Kuchiki-san' must be expunged before this can truly come to an end. That is why Kurosaki is fighting! And most likely putting his life on the line for it."
"You...You're all crazy, aren't you?" Aramaki's voice quivered and Mizuki glanced around Sado to see him.
"I forgot you were still there."
"Who is Kuchiki Rukia to you people?! Isn't she just a friend? Is it really necessary to go this far...just for a friend?"
"Of course it is!" Uryu snapped. "Because she's-"
"She's not just a friend." Inoue interrupted. "To Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san is a very important person. Because Kuchiki-san is the person who changed his world."
A blinding light swept through the trees, followed by a large wind which blew up dust.
"What was that?! What happened?!" Ganju began panicking.
"Maybe we should move away from here, Inoue-san? Even if we stay here, we can't really do anything."
"Thank you, Ishida-kun." Inoue hugged herself, fixing her eyes on the light through the trees. "But, I'm sorry, I want to stay here."
"Ugh. It's so mushy and cuddly and shit. Somebody say something not freaking-" Mizuki snarled. "Is anybody paying attention?!"
"Zuki-chan," Yachiru glanced over. Mizuki paused, looking up at her fukutaicho. "Good job~!"
"Eh, no problem, Yachiru-fukutaicho." Mizuki shrugged, a satisfied smile spreading across her face as she slid to sit at the base of a her tree.