I do not own Bleach. Sorry for the late update, our lives got crazy and we have started a job so can't promise that our updates will be faster.

Chapter 36 She Shouldn't Fight

Aizen felt a grin split his face as he looked at the place the girl had vanished from. She must have some power that allows her to become invisible. Now that he had her in his sights, there was no way he would lose her again. His head turned to the side as he felt a garganta open. She had left Hueco Mundo it would seem. It would be her last time to leave Hueco Mundo without being his. He turned and walked back towards Los Noches. Not only had he found the hollow, but there was also the human girl with the interesting powers. He would just send Ulquiorra to get them both.

. . .

Ichigo gave a growl as once again his mask dissolved and Hiyori forced him back again. He tumbled across the desert landscape. He was trying to sit up as Hiyori started insulting him again. Without turning he mumbled a few choice words under his breath quiet enough so that Hinata wouldn't hear him.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

He raised his head to see Inoue standing on the staircase down into this forsaken training ground. With a smirk towards Hiyori, he stood up and walked over to her. He felt the impact of her sandal, but just kept walking.

When he reached Inoue he led her over to a safe spot to talk. They sat down and Inoue told him about all the different things that had been happening outside while he had been training. She looked worried, so he made sure to reassure her. Standing, he started heading back to where Hiyori was standing glaring at him for leaving partway through training. He rubbed the back of his head where Hiyori's sandal had hit him just a few minutes ago.

"Kurosaki-kun, where is Hinata?"

Ichigo looked back with a confused look on his face to see that Inoue was on her feet looking around. "What?"

She looked up from her search to meet his eyes. "Hinata. I haven't seen her in several days and I thought she was with you. I thought I felt her spiritual pressure here earlier?"

"She's here. . ." His voice trailed off as he reached out to find her spiritual pressure and look around the room. He had never been good at sensing spiritual pressure, but as he kept scanning, all he could see and sense was Inoue and the Vizards. A deep frown creased his face. "That's weird. . ." he said as he did another once over of the training grounds before his eyes settled on Inoue again. "Well, she was here; she must have gone outside for a bit." Hinata was always vanishing; she would come back when it was time.

Inoue nodded her head thoughtfully. "Okay, see you later Kurosaki-kun. Fight hard!" She raised her arm and flexed.

Ichigo gave a smile. "Yeah." He turned and went back to training.

. . .

At the next short break that Hiyori let Ichigo have, he looked up to see that Inoue was back. She was sitting with Hachi. As he watched, a glow of healing Kido vanished. Sending a glare towards Hiyori, he walked away. He felt a smirk cross his face as he dodged her sandal, only to growl and frown as a second sandal found its mark on the back of his head. He sent another glare back as he kept walking towards Inoue and Hachi.

"Hey, Inoue!"

She glanced up and immediately stood up and gave a small bow as she began babbling. It was hard to make out, but he thought it had something to do with her heart not being ready before her voice once again became the loud booming voice that he knew. "Good evening Kurosaki-kin!"

"Yeah, it's good to see you too. What are you doing here this time?"

"Oh, well, the girl in the red jumpsuit came out of the sky while I was talking to Rukia and grabbed me saying Hachi wanted to meet me, and then it was like Whoosh! and I was here!"

Ichigo sent a glare towards Hiyori; so that was where she had gone. He had been facing off Mashiro for a while and that had been a nightmare. He had been sure he was going to die. A thought occurred to him just then. "Inoue, did you see Hinata after you left?"

Inoue shook her head sadly. "No, I haven't, but I'm sure she'll show up soon."

"Yeah . . ." Ichigo ran a hand through his hair as he frowned, thinking. Hinata had a habit of disappearing, and he wasn't usually concerned about it, but he had a weird feeling about her sudden absence this time.

"Anyways, I think it's time for me to be going now . . ."

Ichigo looked up, startled out of his thoughts. "Oh, yeah. Get home safe, Inoue."

"I will!" she said with a salute. Ichigo frowned as he watched her attempt to casually walk back the way she'd come; Inoue always acted as if she was fine, but he knew she was upset by something.

"Ichigo!" Hiyori hollered. "Get your butt back over here and get your mask back on!"

With a sigh, Ichigo obediently turned and prepared himself for the next onslaught as he pulled his mask over his face for the millionth time.

. . .

Hinata stepped out of the garganta, her heart racing. The sun was just beginning to set as she made her way to Uncle Kisuke's shop. Her encounter in Hueco Mundo had startled her. Why was the bad man waiting outside of her sand castle? Shaking her head, she smiled; at least she had gotten away quickly and made it safely back. As she walked, she searched for everyone's spirit pressures. Ichigo and Chad were still training; Orihime seemed to be upset, but she was safe with Rukia; Uryu was still at the hospital training.

"Uncle Kisuke!" she sang as she walked into the shop. There was a muffled shout before he poked his head out of a side room.

"Hinata!" He threw his arms open ready for a hug, but his smile was replaced with a confused expression as he looked her over. She was carrying a small chest in her hands and wearing a strange jacket. "Where . . . did you get that, Hinata?"

Hinata smiled brightly and held her treasured chest out proudly. "I went home to get some things!"

"What?!" he yelled.

"What's going on?" Jinta called from the other room.

"I went home," Hinata repeated, still smiling. "I needed more clothes, so I went to get them and I found this coat! I saw the scary man while I was there too, but I got away."

Uncle Kisuke stared at her in horror. "That . . . Hinata, you . . . no!"

Hinata tilted her head to the side. "What's wrong, Uncle Kisuke? Nothing happened."

"Don't you ever," Uncle Kisuke said with a very angry tone, "ever do that again. Do you hear me?"

Hinata frowned but agreed with a nod of her head. Quietly she asked, "Can I leave some of my clothes here? I was going to take the rest home and show them to daddy."

It was a long moment before Uncle Kisuke nodded. As she was walking towards the back room, he called after her. "Hinata, stay away from Hueco Mundo from now on. Actually, just don't take any part in this fight."

Hinata spun around, the chest falling from her hands with a heavy thud. "What?! Uncle Kisuke, that's not fair! I want to fight!"

Uncle Kisuke shook his head. His hat created a shadow that masked his expression. "You will not be fighting. Ichigo and Isshin will both agree with me. You're going to sit this one out this time."

"No!" Hinata cried, a pleading look in her eyes, but Uncle Kisuke just turned and walked back to the back room.

. . .

Ichigo glowered at Shinji before walking into Kisuke's shop. The vizard refused to set foot in the shop, and the only reason he had come along was because Hiyori had thrown a fit over letting Ichigo leave training. After Inoue had left, Ichigo had insisted that he find Hinata, yelling until they reluctantly told him that they could sense her at Kisuke's. Ever since Inoue had visited, he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that there was something very wrong with Hinata's absence.

Ichigo looked around the dimly lit shop as he made his way towards the training area when a flash of orange blurred out of the corner of his eye. With a strangled shout, he caught Hinata before she could topple him. "You can't just jump out at people like that!" Ichigo cried, pulling back from her vice like hug.

"I . . . know . . ." Hinata sniffled, letting her arms drop.

"What's wrong," Ichigo growled, instantly suspicious.

"Uncle Kisuke told me I couldn't fight the scary man with you."

Ichigo froze, his anger melting away. Before he could comfort her, however, Kisuke came out of the back room shaking his head.

"Hinata went to Hueco Mundo and ran into Aizen, Ichigo."

Ichigo felt his jaw drop as he looked between the shop keeper and Hinata. "What? When? Where?"

"Aizen is after her. You know of her . . . unique abilities. She can't fight."

"I can too!" Hinata cried.

"Hold on! Hinata, what happened?"

Hinata glanced at Kisuke before taking a deep breath and saying, "I went home to get a few things, and now Uncle Kisuke is saying I'm not allowed to fight with you."

"She went to Hueco Mundo," Kisuke repeated, emphasizing the name of the world of Hollows.

Ichigo stared at both of them blankly for a moment. "Hueco Mundo . . ."

"You know she's a hollow, Ichigo. Hinata is from Hueco Mundo. She ran into Aizen. Aizen is seeking out powerful hollows. He wants Hinata. She's not fighting." Kisuke's jaw was clenched by the time he finished saying this.

Ichigo stared at Hinata who stared back at him with wide eyes. Deep down he had always known that she wasn't just any ordinary spirit. While training with the Vizards, the first time he had pulled on his mask, he had sensed that Hinata was more hollow than she was soul reaper, but he had denied it. Even when she had also pulled a mask over her face, he had denied what he had always known. Every time she had said she was going home, he had never questioned or asked where that was. Even so, hearing it said now didn't surprise him.

"Ichigo, I was fine! I got away before anything happened." Hinata was pleading.

"Kisuke," Ichigo said slowly. "How long have you known?"

Kisuke hesitated. "From the moment I first met her I knew she was a hollow."

Ichigo grabbed Hinata's hand. "I'm taking you home."

"Huh?" Hinata pulled against his hand, reaching for a chest on the floor a short distance away. "I don't want to go home yet! I want to train!"

Ichigo spun on her, pulling her close. "I'm taking you home."

She strained on his hand some more, but he tugged her out of the shop. Shinji raised an eyebrow but said nothing as Ichigo dragged Hinata down the street.

"Let me go!"

"No," Ichigo growled, marching purposefully down the street.

"Ichigo!" Hinata cried, stumbling behind him.

He slowed just a little, but kept a firm hold on her wrist. "Kisuke is right. You're not fighting Aizen with us."

"Why?!"

He stopped and faced her. They were standing beside the river now, most of the way home. "I don't care that you're a hollow. Nobody else would believe that you are a hollow anyways. Aizen is not a person to mess with and he wants you, Hinata. If you fight, he'll take you."

"No he won't! The scary man won't get me!"

"Hinata! We can't lose you."

She stared at him, speechless.

"I can't lose you," Ichigo whispered. "When mom died . . . Hinata, our family needs you. Dad, Karin, Yuzu . . . you're one of us. If you fight . . ." He swallowed and shook his head. "You're not fighting this time, Hinata."

He started walking again, pulling her along. He could hear her sobbing softly behind him. He felt terrible telling her no, but he was not going to give Aizen what he wanted.

. . .

Isshin sat beside Hinata's bed and watched her sleep. She cried herself to sleep too often for his liking. Ichigo had brought her home, stormed through the house and walked out without a word. Kisuke had called ahead and told him what had happened. They were right, of course: Hinata should not be allowed to fight this time. Shaking his head sadly, he kissed her forehead and left the room. He would do what he could to keep her out of the fight, but the choice was hers to make. What had him confused though was the coat she had shown up in. It looked just like the coat that Masaki had worn the day she had died.