Touched
Disclaimer: Creator Tite Kubo owns the manga and anime Bleach and its characters. No offense or infringement is intended.
A/N: Oops! Tardy again, sorry guys. I took a working vacay to Las Vegas (woohoo!) and set this on the backburner for a bit. I'll try and keep future updates more timely. Excellent reviews for the previous chapter- thanks so much! Special shout out to EveryEye who caught the change in Tatsuki's syntax after touching Keigo (good job!). Lots of speculation after the reveal of Tatsuki's 'condition'- I appreciate your questions and hope they will be answered as more is revealed through the story (sorry, no spoilers). So please enjoy this next chapter!
Chapter 6: Wrinkle
"I'm saying that from here on out I'll be the one to handle Tatsuki's energy needs."
Ichigo could feel the weight of everyone's eyes on him, especially Tatsuki's. He looked over at her startled gaze and could practically hear her voice in his head, 'What the hell are you thinking?' He fought his childhood reflex to flinch under that look and held her gaze until the huddle of her eyebrows smoothed and the corners of her frown softened and lifted.
'Please, Tats, just let me do this for you.'
It had been too much. The fear and helplessness he'd seen in her after she'd drained Keigo's spirit energy had nearly undone him- it was the same look she'd had last night while she was falling. Last night. Last night he'd saved her life, and now that he finally had a firmer grip on his feelings for her, knew that he needed to do this, too. He wanted to do this, wanted her to know that she was important enough to him that he would do whatever it took to keep her alive. She needn't know fear ever again.
As he made this mental promise to her he attempted to squash certain ulterior motives lingering at the edges of his mind. It had nothing to do with having an excuse to spend more time with her, or that fulfilling such an obligation practically required him to touch her; while certainly polite enough, it was no secret that Tatsuki was quite particular about her personal space. She would hardly be able to duck and dodge from him under such circumstances. It was as if this odd development had been fated for them.
That is until Hanataro cleared his throat loudly, "Um, Ichigo, I'm afraid it's not that simple. Unfortunately there are other factors to consider…"
He should have known- wasn't there always a wrinkle? He didn't try to hide the frustration in his voice, "And what factors would those be, Hanataro? You said yourself the best option would be a human with high levels of reiatsu. The way I see it, Tatsuki needs to get energy from someone with a lot to spare; not to brag or anything, but I can generate more spirit energy than anyone in this room. So what's the problem?"
The young medic seemed for once to be at a loss for words, "Well… the problem comes more from how much energy Arisawa should be exposed to…" Met with an instant scowl he tried again, "Since she has to absorb it through touch, the energy must be stable, constant. It has to be compatible- like a blood transfusion in your world. Spirit energy is usually regenerated spontaneously but I imagine it could be dangerous for the donor. From what I can tell so far the other humans in your group, like Inoue and Ishida, have high yet stable levels of reiatsu. I'm guessing that Yasutora's will be the same. But, well… Ichigo, yours is more…"
The substitute Shinigami crossed his arms firmly, "Mine is what? Erratic? That's only when I'm fighting! I have control over my energy."
"Actually, you don't," Uryu interjected. When met with Ichigo's harsh glare he offered an explanation. "Ichigo, you probably don't realize it but your spirit energy fluctuates constantly, especially with your emotions. As a Shinigami you have gained an exorbitant amount and you wield it masterfully in battle; however, the fact remains that with such high levels you have yet to gain full control of your spirit energy when not fighting."
The Quincy's words were difficult for Ichigo to hear, especially when he added his next point, "Ichigo, if what Hanataro is saying about Arisawa is true, then she may not be able to handle such high and fluctuating levels of reiatsu. He's saying that you could harm her."
Ichigo shook his head adamantly, "I would never do that! I would never hurt her!" When he looked over at Tatsuki he could sense her trepidation. He implored, "Tatsuki, I can control it. It won't be a problem."
Hanataro meekly added, "Ichigo, that's not all…" When he turned to the medic with a 'what now?' look, the man replied, "In the physical world you may be human, but in the Spirit World you're a Shinigami. And like it or not, there are rules about encountering new threats like this. I'm afraid that until we know more, you would be forbidden from coming into contact with Arisa-"
"New threats?" Ichigo yelled incredulously, "She's not a threat, she's my friend! And I'm the one that got her into this mess! And you're gonna tell me that I can't help her? That I can't even try? Because I'm a Soul Reaper? This is bullshit!"
Orihime tried to offer some comfort, "Ichigo, it's okay- we'll make sure Tatsuki is alright."
"That's not the point, Orihime," he muttered sullenly.
"Then what is?" asked Uryu flatly. This startled Ichigo, who narrowed guarded eyes at the Quincy. "Arisawa's needs will be met and her safety will be ensured. What other considerations must we weigh at this juncture?"
Ichigo bit off his automatic response because he realized just in time that it would have made him sound childish. Even Sado chimed in to offer encouraging words, "We know you want to help her, Ichigo, but Tatsuki is our friend, too. Trust us to take care of her- it's the least we can do."
"I love how everyone is talking about me like I'm not even here," Tatsuki muttered. "Don't I get a say in any of this? 'Cause I've got a brilliant idea- why don't I just go home?"
"But Tats-chan, you can't!" Orihime said. "Aizen and his Arrancar will be able to find you if you go back! We brought you here for a reason."
"I know, 'Hime, but I can't stay like this! I'm some kind of energy-sucking freak! I'd rather take my chances in the human world. Now that I know I'm a target I can be better prepared; I'll just stay at Crazy Urahara's place until I can come up with something better."
But Hanataro was shaking his head, "I'm afraid that's not a viable option either, Arisawa-san, at least not yet. You can't just go back through the portal- with your spirit energy draining the way it is, we don't know what the Senkaimon will do to you. In trying to move you between worlds… it could kill you. We need to speak with Urahara and run more tests before we even think of sending you back through."
At this news Tatsuki flopped backwards onto the table, covering her face with her hands, "Ugh! This is a fucking nightmare!"
"I know this is frustrating for you, Arisawa. However, I believe that though it will be challenging, your condition will be manageable. With regular infusions of spirit energy from Inoue, Ishida and Yasutora we can maintain your soul until a solution can be found."
"Don't worry, Tatsuki! We'll be right here whenever you need us!" Orihime chirped.
"And I'll be sitting on my ass, twiddling my thumbs," Ichigo muttered, leaning against Mizuiro's chair.
His friend looked up at him from his seat, seemingly having recovered a little, "Well don't look at me. I've got a very important job…" When Ichigo raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him, Mizuiro nodded his head towards their still-unconscious friend. "Gotta fill in Keigo when he wakes up and make sure he keeps his hands to himself; that's gonna be a full-time job."
Ichigo chuckled despite himself, mood instantly lifted, even if only a little. He glanced over at Tatsuki, still sprawled lazily on the table only now she'd propped her hands beneath her head. She was staring vacantly up at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought.
He wondered just how dark those thoughts must be- for a girl spirited into a strange world under frightening circumstances, whose only special ability had consisted of being able to sense and see horrifying monsters against which she had no defense. And now, when she was finally supposed to be safe she was wounded again- her soul was slipping away with each passing breath. It would have driven a weaker person insane. And he couldn't help her.
Wrong. He couldn't touch her. But he could keep watch over her, could keep her safe. He could protect her. After everything that happened, it was the least he could do. Setting aside his more personal motives, the young Soul Reaper once again silently vowed, 'I swear no harm will come to you, Tatsuki. Just hang in there- I'll find a way to fix this.'
A couple of hours later…
Orihime was trying very hard to stifle a yawn, but it was tugging at the edge of her chin. She didn't want her chin to move because then her jaw would open, her lips would part and she'd be unable to suppress that distinctive yawn-noise she always made. She didn't want to yawn in front of Tatsuki- not when she was holding her best friend's hand…
Not when she was giving her her reiatsu; Tatsuki would get the wrong idea. 'Maybe I could hum… Tats-chan would be bothered by me humming, but she'd be more bothered by me yawning, wouldn't she?' Before she'd properly reasoned through it, though, Orihime started humming the theme song from her favorite game show.
Tatsuki raised an eyebrow at her across the kitchen table, "You bored already?"
Startled, Orihime quickly realized what she'd done. "No! I was just thinking about how that song would sound much better if they played it on steel drums! I like the sound of steel drums- they always remind me of pineapples and mangoes and sun tan lotion."
She watched Tatsuki scrunch her eyes in confusion, "That's an unusual association, 'Hime." However, instead of commenting further, her gaze simply drifted over to a corner somewhere and she went quiet again.
Orihime noticed that Tatsuki hadn't said much since they'd discovered her 'condition'. The young tomboy was usually cool and relaxed but this seemed different to Orihime. 'It bothers her to be like this, even though we don't yet know what it is. She seems sad.'
"Tatsuki, can I ask you a question?"
This seemed to snap the girl out of her fog. However, before she could speak, Hanataro made his way back into the kitchen towards the girls, "Well, ladies… how's it going so far?" the medic inquired.
Orihime smiled politely, "Doing fine, Yamada-san." She glanced over to Tatsuki who shrugged noncommittally.
"Yeah, all good here," Tatsuki replied blandly.
"How long has it been?" Hanataro asked.
"Lemme check…" Tatsuki replied, peering at the face of the oversized digital wristwatch lent to her by Sado. "Looks like 7 minutes, 37 seconds."
"Excellent! And do you feel a change in your energy level, Arisawa?"
"Now that I have a better idea of what I'm looking for, yeah- I feel a difference," Tatsuki said.
Hanataro prodded, "Do you feel the infusion at the skin or just an increased level of energy?"
Tatsuki bit the corner of her lower lip, "Both, I guess. I would almost swear I can feel it moving through my veins. And I can feel my strength increasing."
"Good! Hold on to that feeling- you'll need to keep a diary of all of your transfers as we discussed. In addition to the lengths and times, you'll need to make note of any differences between your transfers that you might notice, no matter how subtle."
"Right, I gotcha. Just be warned that I doodle- don't be surprised to find weird drawings in the margins," she mentioned, fingering the small notebook Hanataro had given her.
"Not a problem! Well, ladies, I have to step out again and check on Asano-san- now that he's awake I want to check him at regular intervals until he's regained more of his strength; I'll be back in another ten minutes. Keep recording Arisawa's levels at every three minute mark. Any questions before I leave?"
Tatsuki nodded, "Yeah, actually. Orihime's been trying not to yawn- is that a bad sign?" At the mention of it Orihime paled guiltily, 'How did she know?'
The medic postulated, "It might be her reaction to a decrease in her spirit energy, which at this point still wouldn't be a very great deal. We'll just have to see- I doubt that it's anything serious." He looked to Orihime, "How do you feel?"
She quickly replied, "Fine! I don't know why I'm yawning, but I feel fine. That's weird."
He simply chuckled, "With you guys it doesn't surprise me. I'll be back soon, girls."
She watched him walk out the door, and then settled her gaze on Tatsuki who seemed to have drifted off in thought again while staring at the far wall. She still looked sad, or perhaps it was more thoughtful. In any case, her voice breaking the silence startled Orihime, "So are you gonna ask me that question you wanted to?"
'Oh, I forgot about that…' She'd thought about asking what the transfer felt like- if perhaps it hurt- but now that seemed like a stupid question and she didn't like burdening her friends with stupid questions. So she asked about something else that was on her mind, "Tats-chan, is everything okay with you and Ichigo?"
Tatsuki answered only after a thoughtful appraisal of her friend, "Yeah, we're alright." When her response didn't give the intended reassurance, she clarified, "Ichigo and I go way back. I think he actually thought that I'd stay in the dark about all of you- all of this- forever; now that I'm along for the ride I don't think he knows how to handle it yet. He's just dragging his feet on the catch-up."
Orihime had her doubts, "I don't know. You don't think there might be more to it than that?" Even Orihime had noticed the amount of attention paid to the tomboy by their resident substitute Soul Reaper.
Tatsuki shrugged a shoulder, "Who knows? We're not little kids anymore- things are different now that we're older, and now that he's gone all super-saiyan on us." Checking the watch, she ran the Reiatsu detector again and dutifully recorded the results.
"Are you two fighting?" the redhead asked in a cautious whisper.
Her friend blinked in surprise, "What? Why in the world would you think we were fighting? No, 'Hime, he's getting on my nerves a little, that's all."
"But you two were so scary when you showed up at the Shoten last night! Yelling at each other, and then you were screaming. I thought… I've just never seen you two quite like that before…" she admitted.
Tatsuki gave a guilty smile, "Oh, 'Hime, that's just… how we are. We just don't usually get into it like that in front of other people. And at the time I'll admit I was pretty scared and frustrated- he'd finally gotten around to apologizing for keeping me in the dark about everything… kinda…" then she chuckled, "Actually, I don't think he actually said he was sorry! Hm, well whatever. Point is we'd just aired out a lot of our, um, issues… and yeah, well…"
Orihime watched as her friend suddenly grew quiet, her cheeks pinking up as if she was recalling something sensitive and private. It was a rare sight from the typically stoic girl, but the redhead knew not to press it. Instead she asked, "What about today?"
Tatsuki came around, rolling her eyes, "Nothing special, just butting heads again. Since he's become a Shinigami, I'm finding that Ichigo has taken his sense of duty and responsibility to new fanatical levels. Everywhere I look, he's there! Like I'm gonna fall apart at any moment. He's acting like I can't take care of myself- it's getting pretty annoying."
"I don't think you should hold that against him- this has been a pretty scary adventure so far. He can't help but want to protect people- that's just how he is."
Tatsuki nodded in agreement, "That may be true but he better settle down soon or else I'll do it for him," she smirked slyly balling her free fist. But then just as suddenly she frowned, "Wait, I can't even hit him! This reiatsu thing really sucks…" Orihime couldn't help but giggle as her friend slouched, pouting, "He better enjoy this temporary reprieve."
Orihime looked down at their still-joined hands and smiled to herself. She could tell that Tatsuki was feeling better and was glad to be able to help her friend this way. She also knew that Tatsuki was probably wrong about Ichigo- he probably did mind that their mutual best friend couldn't hit him; in Orihime's experience he'd never really minded the girl's blows that much.
To Orihime it was fairly evident that Ichigo had some pretty substantial feelings towards Tatsuki, and she wondered in what direction they truly leaned- were they more platonic as for a childhood friend or were they of a more intimate nature? Was Tatsuki downplaying those feelings or was she really that naïve about their existence?
After a couple of minutes of careful thought, the young girl decided that such details were ultimately unimportant so long as their friend was safe. Still, there was no harm in keeping an eye open. It seemed as though they'd just have to wait and see…
Later that evening…
When Rukia and Lt. Abarai returned to the inn they did so with some very important guests. Upon word of their arrival everyone had amassed in the inn's common area- the largest and most well-furnished room available. While most of the group took seats or stood at the periphery of the room, Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo found themselves seated on one of a pair of small facing sofas in the room's center. Hanataro stood to their right as though he were their ambassador, while Rukia and the Lieutenant each flanked the opposite sofa like posted guards.
Without being directly told, Tatsuki could surmise the importance of their visitors just from their carriage. Two strikingly beautiful women, they couldn't have presented as more opposite in their appearances. The first woman was porcelain-pale and wore a long white robe over her Shinigami garb, undoubtedly indicating her high stature or rank. Her extraordinarily long black hair was worn in a large braid down her front as opposed to down her back. She had an ethereally calm face and kind maternal eyes. The other woman was dressed far less formally in a fitted, brightly colored cropped jacket, yet commanded just as much unspoken respect. Also stunning in her own right, she had smooth dark skin, a long high purple ponytail and piercing golden-yellow eyes.
The two women silently took seats on the sofa opposite the teens. The room felt shabby and cheap and Tatsuki felt woefully underdressed in their presence. She watched as the women ducked their heads together and whispered amongst themselves before addressing the rest of the party. After several minutes the woman in white softly spoke,
"Greetings Ryoka travelers. I am Unohana Retsu, Captain of the 4th Division of the Gotei 13. I come to you on behalf of the Shinigami Council in response to the request for asylum by Urahara Kisuke on behalf of the human minors Asano Keigo, Kojima Mizuiro and Arisawa Tatsuki." She made eye contact with each of them as she said their names and Tatsuki felt instantly eased by the woman's serene demeanor and gentle smile.
Captain Unohana continued, "According to reports these three young humans were recently discovered to have spirit awareness and enhanced spirit energy due to a proximity to human substitute Shinigami Kurosake Ichigo, similar to the cases of Inoue Orihime and Yasutora Sado. It is also understood that last night you three were attacked by several Arrancar sent from Hueco Mundo with the intent of abduction. Is this correct?"
Both Keigo and Mizuiro looked nervously at Tatsuki, who realized she had just been appointed their spokesperson. The young girl nodded formally, "Yes, ma'am." Her eyes drifted over to the dark woman who had yet to utter a word to them, yet watched them all with a scrutinizing curiosity. Tatsuki looked back to the woman in white addressing them.
"After this thwarted abduction in the human world former Captain Urahara contends that the dark forces of Hueco Mundo hold special interest in you three; he believes the safest place for you would be in Soul Society under the protection of the Gotei 13. A special session was convened at this request with former Captain Shihoin Yoruichi acting as your representative and advocate," at this the woman gestured to the dark woman seated next to her, who gave the slightest hint of a conniving smirk.
Tatsuki's eyes widened. Keigo was a bit slow on the uptake but Mizuiro balked in disbelief, "Y-Yoruichi? You're Yoruichi?~!"
Keigo stared blankly at his friend, "What, you mean the cat?" Then he looked over at the purple-haired woman who returned a feline grin, "But she's… I mean, he was… and you're… Holy crap!" his eyes trailed up and down her human form as he sputtered.
Tatsuki fought the urge to reach around Mizuiro to hit him, instead seething a barely audible "Keigo. Shut. Up." through clenched teeth. Somewhere off to the side she swore she heard Ichigo smack himself in the head.
Yoruichi simply rolled her eyes while Unohana smiled jovially. "As your advocate, she has made a strong case for bringing you all under the protection of the Gotei 13. And of course there are certain debts for Kurosaki-san's service that the Council takes into consideration. The Council has therefore extended the service of protection and shelter to Asano Keigo and Kojima Mizuiro, who may enter Seireitei and shall be made welcome among our soldiers and officers."
Noting the absence of her name, Tatsuki's heart dropped. Deep down she realized she'd known- Hanataro had practically spelled it out during his research gathering. Still, knowing that she'd traveled so far only have the last and largest door slammed in her face was disheartening.
As predicted, Captain Unohana finally confirmed her assertions, "As to the matter of the third human seeking asylum, Arisawa Tatsuki, it is with regret that the Council must conditionally deny her request at this time. Due to recent and unforeseen developments it seems Miss Arisawa has acquired a unique condition that unfortunately poses potential harm to all members of the Gotei 13. The Council has deemed the danger of her presence within the walls of Seireitei to be too great given the information presented at this time."
Tatsuki couldn't quite meet the women's eyes as she listened to the news, so she sat as still as she could manage, eyes forwards towards nothing as she balled her fists in her lap. She had no idea what any of the others were doing.
Captain Unohana wasn't finished. "Miss Arisawa, you must understand that the decision of the Council denies your admittance into Seireitei, but it also limits your interactions with its members and officers. I'm sorry but this means you are forbidden from having physical contact with any Shinigami as well; all Shinigami are forbidden from touching you or giving you spirit energy. Do you understand?"
Tatsuki swallowed hard before looking up at Unohana. When she finally did, a kind and sympathetic smile was waiting for her, and she found she couldn't really be mad at this woman even though she wanted to be. She fleetingly wondered if perhaps that was the woman's Shinigami power. "I… yes, ma'am, I understand." She glanced over to Yoruichi, whose lips were pursed in a tight frown. Only then did Tatsuki realize that her golden gaze was directed at someone else.
Ichigo, who had been on what Tatsuki knew to be his best behavior through the meeting (she guessed he'd been leaning stiffly against the wall making faces but the fact that he hadn't uttered a peep amazed her), must have finally hit his breaking point. She heard his muttered declaration of "This is bullshit…" all too clearly. She watched Unohana sigh as Yoruichi shot the teen a death glare.
She really should have seen it coming, right?
Captain Unohana was about to speak, but Yoruichi interjected, "What did you think was going to happen, Ichigo? Arisawa absorbs spirit energy- you knew the Council wasn't just going to ignore that fact. At least we got Asano and Kojima in. We have to take what we can get."
Ichigo pushed himself off the wall, "But this is stupid! Tatsuki's not going to attack the Soul Reapers! We've already figured out how to replace her spirit energy- she doesn't need Seireitei's energy, just its walls and protection! It's the whole reason we're here in the first place!"
Captain Unohana maintained her serene composure, "Your aggressive defense of your friend is admirable, Kurosaki-san, however it is moot. The decision has already been made, I am simply the messenger. The full scope of Arisawa's condition is not yet known; the Council would be foolish to openly invite such a danger into the Gotei 13 at this time. You should know that Yoruichi-san has requested a review: this will keep the matter open and allow for time to learn more about Arisawa's condition and to find an alternate solution. All is not lost."
Tatsuki looked over her shoulder to watch Ichigo cross his arms in frustration, "I still don't see how the Council can knowingly turn its back on her when they know Aizen wants her. You'd think they'd be more interested in thwarting that maniac."
Yoruichi answered, "They aren't denying that all three of them need protection. Rukia and Renji volunteered to return here to Shiba Inn and the Council is letting us keep them, for now..." The dark woman shot him a knowing look, "They're allowing you to remain as well, Ichigo, since they knew you'd also want to stay."
Ichigo looked as though he would explode, "ALLOW ME? I don't take orders from the Council! I may be a Soul Reaper but I'm not part of their little organization! The hell with that!"
Unohana patiently explained, "Kurosaki-san, we've grown to look upon you as an 'independent contractor' of sorts. However, the Council was very clear on this point- while you are undoubtedly human, in this world you are a Shinigami, wearing the uniform and wielding a Zanpakuto. This places you under the jurisdiction of the Gotei 13 and its governing Council. To go against them would make you a defector like Aizen and his followers. Would you really wish to forfeit the support of the entire Gotei 13 over such a small matter?"
Tatsuki watched him clench his jaw and knew he was mentally weighing the odds. She interjected, "Ichigo, I don't want to go! Not if I have to walk around the place with a scarlet letter on my chest like some leper. I'll stay here. I'm still safer here with all of you than I am anywhere else."
She noticed that as he listened to her his eyes softened and some of the tension ebbed from his body. She offered him a crooked half-smile and he answered with a slight nod.
Unohana added, "Remember that Asano-san and Kojima-san have still been granted asylum. You two may accompany me back to Seireitei this evening if you are ready. Any of the rest of your party may also accompany us, save for Arisawa-san, as you have all been previously granted access."
Orihime and Chad nodded in acknowledgement as Ishida spoke on their behalf, "Thank you, Unohana-taicho. The three of us will remain with Arisawa as we will be the ones providing her with supplemental energy. We appreciate your invitation and thank both you and the Council for offering protection for our other comrades." He bowed low and Unohana smiled graciously in response.
Tatsuki noticed that Keigo and Mizuiro were elbowing each other and muttering amongst themselves. She was about to shush them when Mizuiro spoke up, "Um, Captain Unohana? Keigo and I have been thinking about it and… well… we want to stay here with Tatsuki, too. We wouldn't feel right leaving her behind."
Tatsuki blinked in shock, then frowned at them, "Are you two nuts? You better go with the lady before she changes her mind!"
However Keigo shook his head, "I'm not gonna offer you a hand any time soon, but we sure as hell aren't just gonna run off to this Seireitei place without you. Once they figure out how to fix your spirit energy then we'll all go together. But in the meantime, no one's breakin' up these Musketeers."
Tatsuki looked back to Mizuiro who nodded, then over to Orihime, Chad and Uryu who all gave acknowledging signs. Her friends were going to stick by her.
Captain Unohana smiled at the display of camaraderie, "We can respect such a position. Yoruichi-san's review request will provide for added time to reveal more of young Arisawa-san's condition. Medical Officer Yamada has already made admirable progress thus far, however it is protocol to turn such investigations over to our Research Division, Squad 12. An alternate location must be established, since Captain Kurotsuchi will undoubtedly wish to conduct further tests-"
"No!" Ichigo and Uryu shouted in unison, shocking the three. Noting the tight clench of the quieter man's jaw, Tatsuki figured this was the angriest she'd ever actually seen the bespeckled teen and that fact alone worried her.
Hanataro finally spoke up, "But guys, he's the Captain of the 12th Division- research of such matters is his specialty."
Ichigo crossed his arms defiantly, "I don't give a damn what his specialty is. He's a monster and I don't trust him. He's not coming anywhere near Tatsuki if we have anything to say about it!"
Captain Unohana seemed unfazed, "Well, perhaps other arrangements can be made… There are certainly many other highly qualified officers within that division…" When this seemed to appease them she continued, "In any case, the Council will reconvene in a week's time for the review, where a formal decision for Arisawa will be made- she is allowed to have advocates represent her but she will not be allowed to be present for obvious reasons."
"Don't worry, Arisawa," Yoruichi said, "By that time we'll have all the information we need to get you asylum. And Ichigo will attend as well- the Council needs to be reminded of their debt to him." Ichigo nodded confidently in response.
Unohana rose from her seat, "If there are no more questions I will take my leave of you. Good luck, Ryoka travelers, and especially to you, Arisawa-san- may you find the answers that you seek." After deep bows in her direction she was gone. Yoruichi stayed behind to talk to Hanataro.
"Well, I think that went as well as could be expected," Keigo uttered, "though I still had a question for Yoruichi-san…" Hearing her name, the dark woman turned her attention to the boy even as Mizuiro groaned. "What? I just wanted to know where all of her fur went?"
A/N: Next chapter- Tatsuki and Ichigo both get some of the answers they've been looking for. Please review and I'll see you all at the next chapter! ^_^