Sorry for being a little late on publishing y'all! I hope you enjoy the update! Please excuse any grammar/spelling mistakes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Chapter 18

Instead of being killed by Byakuya, Renji decided to take a chances in the World of the Living. He knew there was one person that he could count on. "Yo, Ichigo!" Renji yelled as he climbed through Ichigo's window and landed on his bed. "Wake up you blasted, strawberry! I need your help!"

"Go away, Renji!" Ichigo grumbled half asleep. Renji tried to kick Ichigo, but he only to wind up tangled up by Ichigo's legs. The next thing Renji knew, he crash landed on the floor with a loud thud.

"Be quite, Renji! You're going to wake up the whole freaking house!" A sleepy Ichigo growled as his pillow hit Renji in the head.

Not being deterred from his mission, Renji stood by Ichigo's bed and shoved the him until the orange haired substitute was fully awake.

"Ask Rukia for help and let me sleep! Damn pineapple!" Ichigo growled with a scowl on his face. Ichigo was exhausted from fighting an abnormal amount of hollows most of the day to really care what Renji was saying. All he wanted to do was see the inside of his eye lids for at least 5 more hours.

"That's why I've been trying to wake you up, idiot! Rukia has been kidnapped!" Okay, so Renji knew he lied a little bit. Yes, she was kidnapped, but he knew that she wasn't in any danger. He doubted Yoruichi or the Head Captain would want a war of the nobles on their hands.

Ichigo jumped out of bed and started to search for his clothes as soon as he heard the words Rukia and kidnapped in the same sentence. "Next time, lead with that information, dumbass."

A sigh of relief escaped Renji's lips. He always knew that he could count on Ichigo if Rukia was in danger.

It took less than 5 minutes for Ichigo to be ready. He emerged from the bathroom fully dressed with a darker version of his signature scowl. His amber eyes started straight at Renji startling his friend at Ichigo's seriousness. "I only have two questions for you. How long has it been since she was kidnapped, and where do we start looking for her?" He asked the red headed lieutenant.

A bashful Renji refused to look Ichigo in the eyes as he recounted everything that happened last night. He saw Ichigo clinch his fist a few types at Rukia dancing with so many of their friends, but Renji chose to ignore this. Ichigo was a tad overprotective at times when it came to Rukia. "So let me get this straight, Kyoraku stole Rukia all by himself? Why would he want Rukia?" Ichigo asked suspiciously.

Ichigo noticed Renji's eyes. They asked the question many people in the Soul Society are asking themselves now. Who wouldn't want Rukia Kuchiki, Lieutenant of Squad 13 and heir to Kuchiki Clan?

Renji shrugged - his version of plead the fifth. He refused to bring in Yoruichi's involvement at the moment because he wasn't sure if it was her or Kyoraku's idea to steal their best friend. Instead of address Ichigo's last question, Renji chose to ignore it. "I promise Head Captain Kyoraku stole her!" Renji nervously ran his hands through his long hair "If I don't get her back Byakuya will have me removed from duty and skinned alive with every petal of Senbonzakura. "

"That's going to hurt." Ichigo said with a wince. He knew Byakuya was a hard-ass, but he didn't realize he'd skin one of Rukia's best friends. Granted, said friend did let her get kidnapped by the new head captain and possible accomplices.

"Yeah, tell me about it! So are you ready to go find our favorite midget?" Renji asked with a smirk. Then tension in the room suddenly evaporated. The thrill of the hunt would be on soon.

"I know the first place to start." Ichigo replied with a grin. The competition for who could to find Rukia first commenced as the Soul Reapers bailed out of Ichigo's window.

Kisuke waited expectantly for the arrival of the two bright headed soul reapers. Of course, poor Renji had no clue that he was being played like a fiddle. Rukia had been missing for two days in Soul Society time.

The blonde ex-captain hid his growing smile under his fan as he read Yoruichi's latest letter. Yoruichi was having fun torturing her former pupil. Kisuke thought about the numerous excuses that Byakuya was making for Rukia's disappearance. Byakuya was keeping disappearance under wraps even though he had a rough idea where Rukia was stashed. Unfortunately Byakuya also knew that should he attempt to rescue Rukia, Yoruichi would relocate his beloved sister where he'd have no chance in hell at finding her. The Flash Goddess was still faster than the powerful Captain Kuchiki at some things.

Let's not forget the torture that Yoruichi was handing out to the matchmaker. She would leave Byakuya's horrible excuses for the ancient matchmaker to find; although, the ancient demon wasn't going to let them get away with this flimsy excuses for more than 3 days. Heaven forbid, that if the matchmaker called Rukia out for acting non-Kuchiki and trying to runaway from her duty. The world would then be covered in beautiful, yet deadly pink petals. So the pink death, Yoruichi had Kyoraku preparing an excellent excuse for Rukia being absent from her dating sessions. Most of his notes stated that Rukia was on a top secret mission in the World of the Living that only select few soul reapers were chosen to be read in as part of a small expedition team.

Suddenly, loud crashed echoed throughout the first of the shop breaking Kisuke out of his assessment of their situation. Shortly afterwards, a bright orange and red head appeared before the shop owner.

"Where is Rukia, Kisuke?" Ichigo growled as he wrapped his hands around Kisuke's kimono. His amber eyes darkening at the thought of something happening to Rukia.

"Relax, Ichigo. She's with a friend – a very personal friend." Kisuke heartily replied with a wink. "Rukia will be tried like the soul reaper princess that she is!"

"The only 'personal friend' you have is Yoruichi, Kisuke." Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "Why does Yoruichi have Rukia?" Ichigo asked Kisuke. Ichigo glanced at Renji for support, but he noticed a faint gleam of terror in Renji's eyes. Apparently, the damn pineapple knew more than he was letting on.

The blonde man hid a smile behind his fan once he detangled himself from Ichigo's hold. "Of course it's Yoruichi! How else was Rukia supposed to meet her surprise date Yuushiro?" Kisuke replied innocently. Renji paled at his statement while Ichigo was trying to control his anger at Rukia being forcibly kidnapped to go on a date by the Flash Goddess and the new Head Captain.

"Wait… This was a set up for a date!" Renji exclaimed rather loudly in dismay.

"Who the hell is Yuushiro?" A confusion and frustrated Ichigo asked as he looked over to his normally tanned friend. "Renji what's a matter with you?" Renji did nothing but stutter at Ichigo's question. Unfortunately, the tattoo soul reaper figured out his unwilling part in this date all along.

"Yuushiro Shihoin to be exact." Kisuke inserted his dramatic pause, which worked perfectly. Ichigo was clenching his hands at his side trying to keep his anger at bay. "He's much like his sister. A male replica of the gorgeous Yoruichi. He even has many of her numerous talents." Kisuke said with a large smile and a wicked gleam in his eye.

A growl erupted from Ichigo's throat. His was loosing control all because he was jealous and worried over Rukia - his white moon that dried the rain. "This has to stop now. So tell me Kisuke, where the hell can I find him? Rukia didn't willingly go on this date so this Yuushiro Shihoin is fixing to meet his worst nightmare." A tinge of yellow bled into Ichigo's amber eyes. "Hell, did Byakuya let her get kidnapped on purpose!"

Kisuke and Renji watched intrigued; yet, the two men were utterly stunned at this development. Was this Ichigo or his hollow who was so focused on saving Rukia? But saving from what? Potential danger or worse, a suitor?

Before Ichigo got out of hand, Kisuke tried to defuse the situation. "I'll be happy to send you two to the Shihoin residence. Just try not to kill the leader of the Shihoin clan, Ichigo. I doubt he wanted the date with Rukia. Much of this is all Yoruichi's doing. Those two are just causalities in Yoruichi's plans."

"Great way to throw her under the bus, Kisuke!" Renji whispered as Kisuke prepared the senkaimon. Ichigo ignored the two. His sole focus was to get Rukia back. Then he and Byakuya were going to have a nice long talk on how to treat his little sister.

Thank you for reading and reviewing my lovely readers!

Since this is a short chapter, and y'all may want to strangle me for the semi-cliff hanger, I will hopefully post the next chapter by/on Monday.