Chapter 7:

They made their way to Orihime's apartment and she immediately healed him. Together, they filled her in on what had been happening up to this point. She volunteered to help find Yuzu as well, but there were many more concerns they had to deal with.

"We don't know how many of them there are," said Uryu. "We just found another one in the alley. The one that stabbed Ichigo. He was young. We have to find the man who was in Ichigo's house. He probably has Yuzu."

"Kisuke thinks he might take Yuzu to the Soul Society since most of them came from there in the first place. At least the ones who showed up at my place."

"Is he just basing that off the fact that two of the three were not human?" asked Uryu. "I'm not sure how he knows that."

"It is Kisuke," said Orihime. "He knows lots of things. We always come to him for information and he hasn't let us down yet."

"Yeah, you're right." Uryu looked at the floor in thought. "Well, if they got their hands on a Soul Candy which could only be found in the Soul Society, I guess that proves they've been there at least once. That man, too. But what about the human? How did he end up getting there?"

"One thing at a time," Ichigo told him."

"I know your sister's the prime concern here, but these are things we should know. If we have a better understanding of how they operate and what their abilities are, they'll be easier to fight and we'll have an idea of what they're capable of. Not to mention we'll have a better understanding of what they may be planning. Why they took her."

"The human must be able to get there somehow. The man with the doll might be able to take him to and from, or even the Soul Candy, Kenji."

Orihime finished healing Ichigo and looked up. "Where is he anyway? You said he helped you find one of the guys. Where is he now?"

Ichigo and Uryu looked at each other.

"Crap!" Ichigo slapped his forehead. "We left him behind. He was just standing there by the river."

"I told you not to run off!"

"You didn't have to chase me."

"It was a good thing I did."

"Whatever!" Ichigo didn't want to argue right now. "Do you think he's still back there?"

"I doubt it," Uryu said with a sigh. "The guy said that he was only hanging out with those people because he didn't realize he could do things on his own. Now that he's aware of that, he doesn't want anything to do with them. I bet he wandered off."

"Where would he go?" Orihime asked.

"The guy's after information. Said he wants to gather as much data as he can. But that doesn't really narrow it down." Ichigo stood up. "Populated areas are a good place to start. Let's go."

Orihime stood up, too. "You're going after him? Is it because he might know where to find those people who took Yuzu?"

"No, he said he hasn't a clue about that."

"But we can't let him wander around," Uryu added. "The guy's clearly dangerous. His solution to any sort of confrontation is to slice it with his knives. He's also ignorant of human customs and regulations. That's a bad combination."

"The guy nearly chopped a dog in half because it barked at him," said Ichigo. "I was there to stop him, but what if it happens again while I'm not around? What if he wanders into traffic and someone honks their horn at him? Is he going to slice and dice a car?"

"He might, which is why we have to find him."

They spread out to search for him. They each took a different path and agreed to meet up in one hour. If any of them found him, they were to try to lure him away from people and get him to follow them to the meeting place.

The hour passed and no one could find him. They tried looking as a group to any place they had not been yet and then return to the populated areas they had already searched.

"Is that him?" Orihime asked.

"No, that's not him."

"Hm… You said brown hair and eyes, right? About Kisuke's height?"

"Yeah, that's right. The Gigai was supposed to be his so it would be his height."

"Is that him?"

"No, it's not."

Ichigo didn't realize how many people lived in Karakura Town until he had to look at all the different faces to locate the one they were looking for. What if they didn't find him? What kind of trouble was Kenji getting himself into? They had to stop him before he attacked anyone.

"There." Uryu pointed at a man crouching behind a bush to watch a line of ants march to their anthill.

"Who?" Orihime looked straight ahead. "That guy?"

"Yeah, didn't you think he was acting weird by doing that? We said to keep an eye out for anyone acting strange."

"He's acting strange?" Orihime looked at the man watching ants. "I didn't notice."

Uryu's shoulders slumped. Apparently, he and Orihime differed on what they considered weird.

"Kenji." Ichigo stepped behind him.

He looked up. "You have not located your sister, I assume. She is not with you, so that is a safe assumption."

"What are you doing here?"

"Our agreement was that I help you locate members of my former companions. I have done that. Once you located the man with the doll, my obligation was fulfilled and I was free to do as I wished. You chased after the man, so I left. It seemed I was no longer needed."

"So you've been wandering around town this entire time by yourself?"

"I had much data to collect. I would not achieve that goal if I remained in one place."

Ichigo groaned. "You can't go wandering off like that. You don't know how things work here."

"Which is way my collecting of data is so vital. I seek to learn as much as I can so that I may function properly. Information is essential to my survival."

Ichigo looked at Kenji's back. "You didn't use those blades on anything, did you? Or anyone?"

"They have not left my back since our last encounter."

"Good."

Orihime stepped forward. "You should really come with us. The streets get dangerous at night and you're all alone." She was trying to convince him to come by exploiting his fear, but the others weren't sure if Kenji could feel fear. So far, he seemed very robot-like.

Kenji noticed the new addition to the group and eyed her up and down. "A human." He looked away before speaking again. "I am fairing fine on my own. I do not think coming with you is essential."

"But at night…"

"If I am threatened, I will attack to defend myself. Your concern is unneeded."

"It's because of that kind of answer that we are so concerned," said Ichigo. "You can't just kill people like that."

"Actually, I can and you are aware of how easy it is. I assume you are saying that based on morals and not capabilities." Kenji glanced at him again. "Why should I not kill someone who threatens me? It would ensure my safety."

"Because the people you end up attacking might not have been a serious threat to you. It might have been a misunderstanding. There are other ways of dealing with it. You can attack, but not kill."

"But by killing, they will not get up again. It is a permanent solution."

"Which might not be a good thing if the person turned out to be innocent," Ichigo argued. "Like I said, it might be a misunderstanding. What you consider to be a threat, might not be a threat at all. To you, anyone telling you not to do something could be considered a threat. Someone shoving you by accident while going down the street. Even a dog on a leash. Those things are not threats by normal standards but you might deem them to be. You could end up killing someone who wasn't a threat at all is my point."

"That is not my concern," said Kenji flatly. "I care about my own life. Why should I concern myself with a life that is not my own? If I kill an innocent person because I mistook them as a threat does not concern me."

"It will if people find out you did that and come after you thinking you're a threat."

"They would be correct. I am a threat to them. That is accurate." Kenji looked at the anthill. "But if they should choose to attack me, I shall have no choice but to defend myself. Even if their actions are justified, I still do not wish to die."

"But you can avoid all that by not attacking anyone at all. If you don't attack, then no one attacks," Ichigo told him. "See how that works?"

Kenji took a moment to considered this. "Your logic is sound. If no one makes the first move, then the situation will not escalate."

"Good." Ichigo extended a hand towards him. "Then come with us where we can ensure no one threatens you."

Kenji looked at his hand. "What is this?" he asked, gesturing to the hand with his eyes.

"I'm offering you to take my hand."

"Why?"

"So I can pull you to your feet."

Kenji looked at the hand and then at Ichigo. "It is unneeded. I can stand on my own."

"It's called a helpful gesture."

Kenji looked at the hand again. "A helpful gesture, you say? What is the purpose?"

Ichigo frowned. Kenji really didn't understand the most basic of things. Then again, he was only two days old. He might have spoken using big words like an adult human, but he failed to grasp many things including concepts and emotions.

He was about to answer Kenji's question when someone called his name.

Ichigo straightened up and saw Rukia and Renji hurrying over to the group.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ichigo was happy to see them but he was confused as well. Then again, they did show up unannounced a lot so he shouldn't have been that surprised to see them.

"Kisuke sent us a message and we got here as quickly as we could," said Rukia. "We heard about your sister. I'm so sorry. We'll help you get her back."

"But that's not all we heard," said Renji. "We didn't just come here for her. The main reason we came here was to retrieve a rouge Soul Candy that ended up here in the World of the Living."

Ichigo felt something brush against him. Kenji stood up and was looking at Rukia and Renji.

"This him?" Renji asked.

Kenji murmured, "Soul Reapers. Two."

"Thanks for rounding him up," said Renji. "We'll take it from here."

"Threat."

The blades shot out of Kenji's back and began to attack Renji. He barely got the sword out in time to block.

"Damn!" Renji adjusted his stance to slash back. "I wasn't expecting that."

Another blade came out of Kenji's back and slashed at Renji's legs.

"Well, it was either going to be the easy way or the fun way. I'm glad it's the fun way. Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji used his flexible blade to strike back.

Four blades blocked the Zanpakuto while a fifth slashed at Renji's arms. Rukia blocked the blade and a sixth one appeared from Kenji's spine. The sickle danced in the air to distract her while a seventh went for her legs. She barely made it out of the way in time. The four blades pushed Renji's aside and all seven attacked at once. They raised their sword to block, but they couldn't dodge all the blades. One grazed Renji's leg and another hacked halfway through Rukia's left arm.

"Stop! Wait!" Ichigo threw himself between Kenji and the Soul Reapers. "Hang on a second!"

Knowing there was still a threat in the area, Kenji did not stop just because Ichigo was in his way. He chose to go through Ichigo to get to the people behind him.

One blade cut into Ichigo's right arm and another went through Ichigo's shoulder and the third one cut into Ichigo's side.

Why did he think Kenji would stop just because he was in the way? Kenji said more than once that the only life he cared about was his own. Ichigo was just an obstacle he had to cut through to get at his prize.

Despite the tremendous pain, Ichigo remained standing and grabbed the tentacles operating the blades. They felt like thick rubber bands. He could feel them stretching against his palms. Grabbing them wasn't enough to stop them. They continued to stretch toward the injured Soul Reapers.

The blades hit a wall of light and were knocked back.

Kenji looked at Orihime who had put up that barrier.

Ichigo didn't wait for Kenji to speak. He grabbed Kenji by the front of his shirt and held him. Kenji looked away from Orihime to stare at him calmly. He still wasn't showing any emotion. Even in the heat of battle.

"Kenji, stop. You don't have to attack."

"They are threats."

"Let me handle this. I can get them to stop without attacking." The blood loss from the deep wounds was making him dizzy. He had to get Kenji to listen. If he didn't succeed, he would risk passing out and waking to find out his friends had been killed. "Please."

Kenji didn't take his eyes off Ichigo the entire time.

Ichigo felt the blades return to their wielder and opened his palm to let them sink back into Kenji's spine.

"Alright." Kenji stepped back. He was curious to see another way of handling the situation.

Ichigo fell backwards into a pool of his own blood. His human body had lost so much already. He turned and saw Renji and Rukia holding their wounds, surrounded by pools of their own blood. Kenji had nearly severed Rukia's entire arm. Renji's hakama hung in tatters, his legs covered in blood. Both had been cut multiple times.

Kenji was more dangerous than they thought. Not only could he control multiple blades that could twist in any direction he chose, he knew exactly where to aim them. He knew to go for the arms and legs in order to cripple his enemies so they could not fight back or get away.

He had nearly killed Renji and Rukia and didn't think twice about it. He was even willing to go through Ichigo who wasn't threatening him in order to finish them off.

Orihime spread her healing light over all three of them and started to mend their wounds as quickly as she could.

"Guys," Ichigo said, still feeling woozy. "You ok?"

"We will be."

Ichigo started to feel the strength return to him and sat up to look at them. "Guys, don't attack Kenji again."

"Who?" asked Renji.

"The Soul Candy thing. We named him Kenji since he doesn't have a name of his own."

"You named it?"

Ichigo ignored the aggravation in Renji's voice. "Don't attack him again."

"He attacked us."

"Because he thought you were threats. He's harmless if you don't do anything to him."

"We're supposed to comply to that thing? Cater to him? Are you nuts?"

"Listen to me," Ichigo said firmly. "You can see how strong this guy is. He also doesn't understand a lot of things. He's still learning. His first instinct is to kill anything that might be considered a threat."

"Ichigo," said Rukia. Her arm was slowly reattaching to her flesh. Soon, she would be completely healed. "Kenji thinks we're a threat because to him we are."

"Because of the swords."

"No," she told him. "Because we told him that he was coming with us and he knows what that means. We're taking him back to the Soul Society to be destroyed like the others."

"That's why we came here so quickly," said Renji. "You see how dangerous he is. We can't have him wandering around loose. Especially around humans. We have to take him back with us."

Ichigo glanced over his shoulder at Kenji who was watching them with the same calm expression. He knew Kenji heard every word of their conversation. The only reason he wasn't attacking was because Ichigo told him not to while he tried a different tactic.

This meant Kenji could be reasoned with. He wasn't attacking because Ichigo told him not to. This gave him hope.

"Kenji doesn't have to be dangerous. You see how he's not attacking now? It's because I told him not to."

"But he also tried to cut through you in order to get to us," Rukia pointed out.

"That might be true, but hear me out."

"This should be good," Renji grumbled and folded his arms.

"If you take Kenji to be destroyed…" Ichigo realized something. "I'll lose my chance of seeing Yuzu again."

This was enough to make them look at him in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Kenji knows those people who kidnapped Yuzu. He helped us track one of them down, but we lost him. If Kenji is with us, we can find them again."

"We can search for these people, too, you know."

"But we have a bargaining chip." Ichigo hadn't thought of it until now. "We can trade him. Kenji for Yuzu. If we get rid of him now, what's stopping them from hurting Yuzu? As long as we have him, Yuzu has a chance. He can help us in a number of ways, don't you see?"

Rukia and Renji exchanged looks.

"Please." Ichigo was getting desperate. He tried to keep a level head, but he was still worried about his sister. Every second that ticked by was a second closer to her demise, as far as he was concerned. He had to find her, and he was willing to do anything. Anything to see her again.

If that meant keeping someone as dangerous as Kenji around, then so be it.

"Please. This could be her only chance." Ichigo bowed his head, realizing what he just said. It made the situation even more real. It made him feel sick. Without Kenji, he might lose Yuzu forever. "Please. I have to find her."

Her arm now healed, Rukia used it to push herself up and return her sword to its sheath.

"He'll be heavily monitored," she told him. "But we won't kill him. Not until everything is settled."

Ichigo was so relieved. "Thanks, Rukia."

"He's still coming back with us, but we won't kill him."

"That's fine," said Ichigo. "According to Kisuke, he said the people who took Yuzu will probably go to the Soul Society. You can bring us with you. That way, we'll all be together. Kenji will be there, you guys will be there…"

"Yup," said Renji with a grin. "We're all going to help you get your sister back. No worries there. So you can stop groveling now."

Ichigo stood up. "I'm not groveling!"

"Coulda fooled me-" Renji was punched by Rukia, ending his statement before he could get to the name-calling. When he looked down, she gave her head a slow shake, a look of warning in her eyes.

She knew Ichigo was desperate to find his sister. Teasing him now was the wrong thing to do. She would have done it herself if she hadn't noticed to look in his eyes.

Ichigo was in turmoil right now. He was trying to suppress it as best he could, but she knew.

Finished healing them, Orihime's hairpins returned to normal and she looked from one person to the next. "What now? Are we all going to the Soul Society?"

"Looks like it. There's not a moment to waste."

"We should let Kisuke know so he can keep an eye on things here just in case Yuzu turns up."

"Good thinking, Orihime. He should know what's going on."

Ichigo looked down at his human form. "I have to leave my body with him anyway. Let's make it quick."

He started to walk in the direction of the shop when he noticed Kenji was still standing behind him. He nearly walked into him. He looked at Kenji without a word.

"Impressive," said Kenji. "I did not think you would succeed."

Ichigo frowned. "Gee, thanks."

"I did not think these Soul Reapers would be so compliant."

"They're my friends. I figured I could get through to them a lot better than I could if some random Soul Reaper showed up."

Kenji looked behind Ichigo, studying them. "Friends are more compliant than others? Is it because they are so gullible?"

"What? No."

"Then why would friends do things others would not?"

"It's called trust," Ichigo told him. "Friends trust each other. They want to help each other."

Kenji looked from the Soul Reapers back to Ichigo. "I see."

"Yeah?" Ichigo prompted, suspecting that Kenji wanted to say more.

"I have no friends," he said simply and stepped aside.

Ichigo sighed. "Whatever."

The group went to Kisuke's shop and told him the plan. He thought it made sense and wished them luck. He also agreed to keep Ichigo's body safe until he returned.

Ichigo left his body on the floor and took the slip of paper from his shirt pocket and tucked it into his kimono. Whatever Kisuke needed him to gather, if it was to help Yuzu, he would get it.

He returned to the others and told Kisuke to keep an eye on things while they were gone. If Yuzu turned up, he was to contact them immediately.

"I got it under control," Kisuke told them, but he was really talking to Ichigo. "Take care of yourselves."

"Let's get going."

Renji opened the Senkaimon while the others stood behind him. Ichigo and Uryu stood beside Kenji, knowing he was still untrusting of the Soul Reapers. He knew them so he should have been less hostile towards them. Orihime followed behind them. If Yuzu or anyone else needed medical attention, she would be there to help.

"Alright," Rukia said as they entered. "Let's do this."

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