He Knows, You Know
Even though neither of them were the nost talkative type, the day went easier for Ichigo with Chad by his side.
His three classmates did not return. Despite what he said about her strentgh, Ichigo could only hope if he brought Orihime back that Tatsuki would forgive him.
After school, he and Chad cautiously made their way to Urahara's. Ichigo again noticed the strange whispers on the wind as they got nearer. The two were able to communicate without any words about their presence. They suspected it to be related to the unknown Kido Captain they'd met earlier.
The shop keeper was waiting for them outside.
"Kurosaki-san, Sado-san, glad you both came. Take this package to this address," Urahara said handing over a wrapped box.
"Is-" Ichigo started to ask, but a glance from Urahara silenced him. The teen immediately caught on what shop keeper meant, without him have saying it. He should not say anymore now.
The two teens took package and put a distance between them and the shop.
"Where are we heading Ichigo?" Chad asked.
"Hirako's place," Ichigo replied flatly.
There was a hesitation in Chad that Ichigo noticed before they could proceed, "Chad?"
"Hmm, she was probably just messing with us, but when Orihime and I previously met his friend, Sarugaki-san, she did threaten us. Do you trust this Hirako?" the taller teen asked.
Ichigo paused, contemplating the question. "I don't know. He and his comrades are called the Vizards, Shinigami that use Hollow Masks. They've never told me exactly what they're after, but it seems like they have a grudge with both Aizen and the Soul Society. Hirako saved both Rukia and me from Grimmjow. It's because of them I can control the Hollow inside me-"
"Hollow inside you?" Chad asked with shock.
In reaction to the surprise in Chad's voice, it suddenly hit Ichigo just how much he'd been neglecting the people he thought important to him. "It, it appeared in the Soul Society and started interfering with my battles," he said turning away, his voice trembling, "I, I'm sorry I didn't trust you enough to tell you then, Chad. I…"
Chad put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "You're trusting me now, Ichigo. That's enough, We can only move forward. If Urahara can't help, we'll see if Hirako can."
"Yeah, you're right," Ichigo replied, though not sounding as sure of himself as usual, "Let's go."
Chad followed. He could tell he'd just opened a wound in Ichigo and he would need watch carefully to keep his friend from worsening it.
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It was nearing sunset as the two reached the Vizards' warehouse.
"This is the place," Ichigo said. Suddenly, a small blonde girl leapt out of the shadows at them. They both dodged easily. It was not a serious attack by the Vizard Sarugaki Hiyori, but it left a large crater in the pavement.
"Yo baldy, the other baldy said you'd show up," the child-looking Vizard said with her usual rude tone. She then glared at Chad for a few moments, then snorted indignantly. "Hmmph, guess you can go in too, dumb tiger."
"Uh thanks," Chad responded.
"What was that about?" Ichigo asked as they entered.
"I was a lot weaker when we met before," Chad answered, "Ah..."
Chad stopped talking as they reached the inside. The Vizards were perched on the various levels of the ruined building as they had when Ichigo had first met the group.
"So you're crawling back after getting your ass beat by that one-armed Arrancar, eh Ichigo?" asked the blond leader of the group, Hirako Shinji. "Whatta you want now?"
Ichigo stepped forward. He softly exhaled, swallowing his pride to ask this ragtag group for help.
"Inoue has been taken by Aizen and the Arrancars. Captain Commander Yamamoto has said she went willingly with them and forbidden us from saving her," the Substitute Shinigami began, "Right now, Urahara Kisuke's shop is occupied by a Shinigami Captain and he can't help us get to Hueco Mundo. I think he was directing us to speak to you help her."
"Orihime-chan..." Shinji said with genuine concern, not even going into his usual "my first love" schtick. Then he turned bitter, "Course Yamamato would do that."
"Stupid old man," grumbled Hiyori.
Ushōda Hachigen, the huge pink-haired and mustached Kido expert also looked visibly upset.
"Huh, that Orihime girl, she was probably already killed," the thin, muscular white-haired man, Muguruma Kensei chimed in.
Ichigo shot a look of such anger towards him, the nearby Kuna Mashiro actually hid behind Kensei. The orange-haired teen then tried to compose himself, and managed to say with some control, "We know she's alive."
"Ooh, fine eyes there," Kensei said, sounding more respecful, "Guess I take that back."
"What Berry-tan get so mad about?" Mashiro said peeking from behind her friend.
Yadomaru Lisa sighed and adjusted her glasses, not looking up from her magazine, "It should be obvious to even someone like you, Mashiro."
The green-haired girl responded with a raspberry and eyelid pull.
"This Captain has Kisuke sneaking around? Who are they?" asked the elegant -looking blonde male Vizard known as Rose.
Ichigo and Chad looked briefly at each other. "He didn't give his name," the teen Shinigami replied, "He just said he was Captain of the Kido Corps. He was masked and there was nothing to identify him."
"Nothing?" asked Aikawa Love, another Vizard who also had on eye-covering sunglasses and kept his wild hair styled into a star-shaped points.
"Well, only his eyes were uncovered," Ichigo recalled, still feeling them upon him hours later, "They were a grey-blue."
"What about his spiritual energy?' asked Rose again.
"That was..." Ichigo shivered, not sure how to describe what he felt.
"Complex," Chad helped, sensing Ichigo's unease. "Not something you can really describe. Actually, he was entirely like that."
With a glance and nod, Ichigo thanked Chad for the backup.
The interest of several Vizards seemed have perked up now and they looked towards Hachigen.
The Kido expert rubbed his chin in thought, "Hmm, what's that box you've got there, Ichigo?" he asked after a few moments.
"Huh, Urahara-san said to bring it here," the teen replied.
"May I see it?" the mustached man asked. Ichigo handed it over.
Hachigen examined the box to find it contained the chocolate-coated caramels the Kido Captain previously discussed. The Kido expert eyed them suspiciously.
"Ooh, candy,"Mashiro popped up next to Hachigen. "Hacchin, may I have one, pweeease?"
"Hachi don't spoil her!" Kensei barked.
"Oh ho ho ho, here Mashiro," he happily gave her three. She ran off to devour them.
"Hachi!" Kensei again bellowed, chasing Mashiro.
Hachigen again examined the candies. "Well, this does suggest something unexpected."
"This guy is sending us sweets, eh Hachi?" inquired Shinji, "Who are we up against here?"
"It is indeed, complex," Hachigen continued, with a nod towards Chad, "I admit, I don't know the name of this man either."
"Geez, that the routine in the Kido Corps?" said Love, "You guys were hardcore."
"It was am older practice from before I was recruited. Back then, the Kido Corps were very much an arm of the Central Forty-Six." Hachigen explained "When needed, they would even subvert the works of the Gotei Thirteen, if they conflicted with the Forty-Six. That man took advantage of that and played both sides."
Even the usually impatient Ichigo listened closely.
"They let him get away with that?" asked a confused Rose.
"He protected himself expertly. Not with just physical power, but also politically," Hachigen explained, "He reshaped the Corps using their influence. They served as an essential connection. Without his conspiring, the Central Forty-Six couldn't function and govern. Then, suddenly, when the Corps became to do what they as they wished, he stepped down."
"He walked away?" asked Lisa, actually looking up from her magazine.
"That's the tricky part. He installed Tessai, who made even further reforms, He reduced the anonymity requirements." Hachigen continued, "But I think that man never truly went away. The Kido Corps still held onto much of its power even supposedly without that man leading them."
Ichigo puzzled a bit to remember who Tessai was.
"Urarhara's assistant," Chad reminded him.
"Seriously, that buff guy, " Ichigo recalled the odd massive man at his mentor's store.
"So what's it mean that he's back, Hachi?" Shinji questioned.
"That's what so hard to say," Hachigen mused, "I imagine he did not directly request to send these?"
"Eh, well, no, not directly, he said he use to get them in the World of the Living," relayed Ichigo.
"Hmm, and Urahara sent you here with them," the Kido expert concluded.
"Are we exposed here Hachi?" Shinji asked with some urgency. "Is this guy gunning for us?"
"I think, if he wanted us, Shinji, he already knows where we are," said Hachigen.
"Grr, that bastard is just mocking us," growled Hiyori. She kicked a nearby concrete chunk into a wall, which resulted in her coughing from the cloud of dust it stirred up.
"Dammit," she managed between coughs.
"Nice work Hiyori," Shinji reacted to her outburst, "Just tear the rest of this place down."
Hachigen sighed, "Really, there's no point getting mad. This whole time, both the Gotei Thirteen and the Arrancar, they're pawns between Aizen and Urahara. But there always other actors watching to take over after one side falls."
There was a silence as everyone absorbed what Hachigen said, which Love broke with a single declaration of "Heavy."
"Putting aside whatever this Kido guy's deal is, you've wasted your time coming here Ichigo," Shinji redirected, "Even if we knew how to get to Hueco Mundo, there's no way we can let you go."
"What!? Then what the hell was all this for?" Ichigo cried out.
"You don't know what you're up against, kid, " Love commented.
"Huh?" Ichigo replied growing more upset and frazzled.
"You think you can just march into the Hollows' world?" added Rose, "It's not just the Hollows and Arrancars there, although they're already more than enough for you."
"Over the last thousand years, you can count the Shinigami that have come back from Hueco Mundo on one hand," Shinji confirmed, "No way we're letting you walk into that."
Shinji paused, and added with absolute sincerity, "I'm sorry about Orihime. I hope she'll be alright."
The Vizards withdrew into the backrooms of their base, indicating they wanted no more of this discussion.
Chad remained silent, unsure what he could say to ease his friend's suffering.
Ichigo managed to remain standing, but only just. He shut his eyes and clenched his fists. He recalled again Orihime's smile as he'd seen it before. Now the image in the his mind flickered the more he tried to focus on it. A harsh feeling of acceptance he kept wanting to deny crept over him.
"Chad, let's go..." he managed over the lump in his throat, fighting resignation of their search. The next word though would be the end of it, but it would destroy him.
"Ichigo," came an unexpected voice pulling him off the ledge, "Take the next volume with you on your way."
The Vizard Lisa stood before him. The light coming in through the warehouse windows obscured her eyes behind the lenses of her glasses. She shoved a magazine into his hands.
"Now go, please leave," she said and turned to join the other Vizards.
Ichigo saw she had given him her usual reading material, a magazine of manga and photos that he'd normally be too embarrassed to be seen with in the company of others. What caught his eye was a small set of pages folded to stand out from the others. He wouldn't get his hopes up just yet though.
"C'mon Chad," he said, exiting the building, wanting to be away from that place as much as he wanted to check those pages.
"Right," the larger teen replied, also holding back on hoping they'd found means to continue their mission to rescue Orihime.
Unnoticed by either of them, Hiyori eyed them suspiciously as they left.