Confrontations

(With Yoruichi)

The black haired feline made her way from rooftop to rooftop, keeping a watchful eye and sense on her young charges. Ichigo swiftly dealt with two seated officers of the 11th, filling the exiled noble with a sense of pride at his skill. Sado caused an explosive ruckus before practically disappearing from the eyes of the Shinigami. Orihime made her laugh at her sudden reactions to the attempted sneak attack that left her opponent an unconscious heap. Tatsuki seemed a little overconfident with her desire to meet her little bee, but if she beats the crap out of that Omaeda guy that was the current lieutenant, she should get a meeting with Soi-Fon. Ganju... was attracting attention like fat and weak buffalo to a pride of hungry lions, seeing as how he was being chased by almost half of Squad 11.

'I understand your enthusiasm little Fireball,' Yoruichi thought to herself as she continued to watch them, 'but you don't become a black ops head by being careless.' She then saw Ichigo catch up to Ganju... and promptly crushed the nameless Soul Reapers in a second. 'I just hope Kukaku won't be too harsh on that idiot. Ichigo is setting a rather high bar.' She sweat dropped. It was then she noticed something interesting. Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Kenpachi Zaraki were both heading toward the same place. 'Now what are you two doing?' She questioned before following them.

(With Ichigo)

"Ganju." Ichigo started, feeling a slight headache, looking down on his cousin from the pile of Shinigami he sat on. "I left you alone for... maybe five minutes. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?" He roared, gesturing to the group that was previously chasing the Shiba man, all of whom were beaten and unconscious.

"Well," Ganju scratched the back of his head nervously, "I was running but these guys just showed up out of-"

"WHY THE HELL WERE YOU JUST RUNNING AROUND!? Don't you even know what stealth means!?" As the two Shibas argued over logical sense and manliness, they were unaware of the small, weak looking combat medic that accidentally stumbled upon their location... until said Shinigami tripped and screamed. This caught their attention as they went over to the poor kid.

"What a pathetic looking Soul Reaper." Ganju said, looking down on the guy with his chin length brunette hair, small frame, and a medical bag on his body.

"Almost makes you feel sorry." Ichigo remarked before helping the guy up. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Uh, Hanataro Yamada." He said, unused to such kindness from strangers. "I'm a member of... Squad... 4." He then screamed at the realization that he was in front of enemies, and one of them fought a captain on even ground. He was about to turn and run before Ichigo grabbed him by the shoulder.

"You mind giving us directions to where Rukia's being held?" Ichigo asked the trembling medic in his kind older brother tone, which immediately helped Hanataro calm down enough to make rational decisions again.

"Sure. Aren't you Ichigo Kurosaki?" Ichigo nodded in response, getting Hanataro to brighten up. "Rukia told me so much about you! Come on, I'll show you the way!" He cheered out, running off knowing that the two could catch up to him. He was always assigned janitorial duties by other Soul Reapers, but he never minded it. During the two weeks of Rukia's detainment in the Squad 6's barracks, he meet the petite beauty and talked with her. She told him about the man known as Ichigo and he developed an idolized image of him as a hero, and hopefully as a friend. He was eager to make a good first impression by helping him out. The cousins shrugged at each other, having no other leads but to follow. Ichigo decided to keep with them until someone else showed up that could escort the two. They seemed, less than capable of their own protection.

(Squad 4 Hospital)

Yoruichi watched, finding amusement in Kurotsuchi's anger at the silent 3rd seat of the 11th squad. She understood now why Urahara teased him as much as he did, it was hilarious.

"You expect me to believe, that even though you fought him, you have absolutely nothing important to tell me!" The psychotic clown growled, feeling his intelligence insulted that he would believe such a lie, or his ego for being denied anything useful on a possible research specimen.

"Nothing to tell you." Ikkaku simply said. "I know not his end goals or anything about him or his allies. He defeated me with superior speed, strength, and skill. Nothing you'd understand."

"Insolent little-!" Kurotsuchi growled, raising his hand to punish Ikkaku for his insults. Yoruichi nearly jumped in, until the mad scientist's wrist was caught in the crushing grip of Zaraki.

"I don't believe you're entitled to punish members of other squads, Mayuri." He calmly threatened, making the Squad 12 captain reevaluate his options.

"Fine." He conceded, pulling his hand free from the berserker. "You finish his interrogation. I have other matters to attend to." With the psycho out of the room Yoruichi relaxed and continued her observations.

"So you managed to fight Ichigo and you end up beaten and bloodied." Zaraki stated before adopting an excited smirk. "Is he strong?"

"Very." Ikkaku responded. "He almost reminded me of when we first met captain. When I warned him about you, he merely said to meet him at the 1st division barracks. He keeps it down, but he craves a challenge all the same." He turned to the scarred man. "I don't know if you can beat him."

"Fine with me." Zaraki said, keeping that blood lust and thrill. "It's been too long since my blood boiled like this." He turned and left his 3rd in command to his recovery. His pink haired lieutenant soon joined him.

"So where to now Kenny?" Yachiru asked, feeling the scarred man's excitement affecting her as well. "Are we going to find Ichigo?"

"Ichigo will come to us." He said, already running to Squad 1's barracks. "And then, I have a grand fight!" He yelled before laughing manically.

(Lieutenants meeting)

Renji and most of his fellow lieutenants listened as the latest report was delivered. Almost all of Squad 11 was out of commission with several other seated officers being taken out with relative ease.

'Looks like there's actually some validity to Captain Ichimaru's actions.' Thought Renji. 'This is embarrassing for the Gotei 13. Just how much stronger are you Ichigo?'

"-continued sightings of one of the Ryoka heading for the 2nd division barracks." The man delivering the report announced.

"Hmmph, they think they can challenge me?" A large, balding, heavy set man with a purple collar snorted. "How embarrassing for me, the great Marechiyo Omaeda!" He boasted unashamedly, causing everyone else to groan. "What?"

"Finishing out the report, sightings of Ichigo confirms that he's making his way to the Repentance Cell, with one other and Squad 4 member, Hanataro Yamada, acting as their guide. Best case scenario-" He continued with his report while Renji had heard what he wanted and made his way to intercept Ichigo.

(With Ichigo)

They followed Hanataro through the sewer system that lead to the closest they could get to the Repentance Cell. Ichigo looked up to the enormous white tower, the prison holding his friend, and the execution she would go to if he couldn't stop this conspiracy plot. He then felt the familiar presence from earlier that month, one of the men that took Rukia away.

"It's been a while, Renji Abarai." Ichigo said, casually, unconcerned with the lieutenant who was walking towards him and his group.

"Yes it has, Ichigo Kurosaki." The tattooed man said, following his captain's advice of not underestimating the Ryoka this time. "Now let me tell you now, this won't end like last time." He growled, glaring at the man that humiliated him. A look Ichigo returned.

"Yeah, it won't." He agreed before walking off toward where Ikkaku said that the 1st Division was located. "Escort Ganju to Rukia, let him have his talk with her and he'll turn himself in. I have a meeting with the Head Captain and I'm late enough as it is." Hanataro and Ganju could only look on in surprise. A lieutenant class Soul Reaper, and Ichigo was acting as if he was no threat. Renji's own surprise quickly shifted to more anger.

"Are you running away!?" He yelled at the hybrid. "Do you think I'm weaker than you!? Let me tell you now Ichigo, captains and lieutenants-"

"Captains and lieutenants are required to have their Reiatsu limited when they go to the world of the Living." Ichigo stated at the same time, silencing Renji again. "In Soul Society, that restriction doesn't exist and they are five times stronger than otherwise. I know Renji." He turned to look Renji dead in the eyes. "But I'm not going to bother fighting someone with such a weak resolve." He prepared to continue on his way.

"Don't you dare-!" Renji began before a beam of pale light shot just an inch from his neck. Renji stood in shock, feeling his skin burn and blister from the heat of a nameless Byakurai that demonstrated a clear message. 'I've gotten much stronger, and I'm resolved in my actions.' A point made with the amount of destruction that single beam caused.

"I could feel the conflict in your soul from the day we met." Ichigo told him, lowering his smoking hand. "You never wanted to do anything to harm Rukia. I don't know your past together, but until you end that conflict you will never be able to beat me." He said, before continuing on his way. Renji dropped to his knees, beaten yet again, and treated like a pathetic rookie for the first time in a while. He was deaf and blind to the world, unaware of Hanataro applying first aid to his burns, as Ichigo's words echoed into his memories of the past two weeks. He realized, he wanted to help Rukia, believing that beating Ichigo could influence that in any way. He wanted to defeat his captain, the man that took her away and made them drift apart. But most of all, he wanted to redeem himself for being a terrible friend. He did nothing to stop them from losing their connection, didn't even object in the slightest to her arrest, and blamed someone else when he was mad with himself. He made his plans and did as Ichigo told him, finding a place to rest for the remainder of the night before meeting with Rukia.

"Ichigo!" He yelled, before the hybrid disappeared from sight. "Please! Save Rukia!" Ichigo said nothing before vanishing in a burst of speed.

(With Tatsuki, around the same time)

'Finally!' The martial artist thought to herself, reaching the headquarters of the 2nd squad of the Shinigami. 'Now Yoruichi always described her as petite with black hair, and since she's the current captain, she should be wearing a haori with a 2 on it.' "Or maybe I can force her out of hiding by beating the crap out of the idiots that have been following me!" She yelled out and letting the ninjas of the Onmitsukido, the covert police of Soul Society, know she knew they were following her. Little by little, they began to reveal themselves, with Marechiyo standing tall and proud.

"You must be incredibly foolish to come here alone little girl!" Omaeda yelled out. He remembered the report from earlier, wartime measures were being taken. The forces of the Seireitei could no longer allow these human brats to keep showing them up. He had to prove the effectiveness of his squad and make his captain proud. "I, lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda, will show you your-!" He tried to say before Tatsuki slammed her knee into his face, resulting in a loud crunch that came from a broken nose. She then kicked him in the stomach, using that momentum to flip over him and threw him into the hard tile stones of the roof of the building they were on. She then locked his arms in place and swiftly dislocated them, finishing with a swift punch to his temple and knocking him out.

"Time!" She yelled out to no one in particular.

"Uh... 2.5 seconds." Someone muttered out, surprised by the ferocity and efficiency she displayed.

"Damn, too slow!" Tatsuki cursed. "But whatever, you lot think this'll piss off your captain enough to come out?" She asked, standing on top of the unconscious heap that was a lieutenant.

"If anything you did me a favor." She turned and came face to face with the petite black haired captain of Squad 2. "I'm Soi-Fon, captain of Squad 2. Surrender peacefully Ryoka." She commanded in a no nonsense way. Tatsuki met that with a determined grin.

"Oh, I know who you are already." Tatsuki said, jumping off of the oaf. "Name's Tatsuki Arisawa, and I'm here for one thing." She immediately bowed before the captain while clasping her hands. "Please spar with me!" For the first time in a long while, Soi-Fon was caught of guard and stared at the human in shock.

"Huh?" She so eloquently asked, trying to make some sense of the situation before her.

"Out of all the Ryoka, only two are permitted to fight captains." Tatsuki explained. "I'm not one of them, but I really want to fight you! It's been forever since I had a chance to really test my skills. If you let me spar with you, I'll surrender immediately after." Soi-Fon wracked her brain, trying to figure this out. She's used to surprise attacks at night, poisons in her food and drinks, all out ambushes, everything except for a sincere, up front, sparring match request from an enemy. This was a new one for her.

"Well, uhh..." She said, some logical part of her mind still trying to catch up. "You did assault and embarrass my lieutenant in front of the entire squad."

"Oh please, that guy is seriously your lieutenant?" Tatsuki chuckled, getting up out of her bow. "That bloated, flashy, idiot is the honest to God lieutenant of the 2nd division? Did he buy his way up the ladder, because no one's standards are that low."

"As much as I'd like to agree with you, he actually did earn his station." Now it was Tatsuki's turn to be completely shocked. "Yeah, his method is to act like a boastful, egotistical idiot that only got his position through money to drop his opponent's guard." There was a pause between the two martial artists, Soi-Fon's expression went back to normal while Tatsuki was still bug eyed. "It is a legitimate strategy, but not one I approve of. It gets really annoying."

"I'm sorry captain~." Omaeda managed to groan out, having finally come to.

"Shut up idiot!" Only to be silenced again by the girls kicking him like a soccer ball shot out of a cannon. They shared a glance before giggling.

"I like you, Arisawa." Soi-Fon told her. "You've earned that sparring match." She said before dropping to the ground and removing her haori, revealing her sleeveless and backless uniform. "But when I've had enough, I will end it." She said with a smirk.

"Fine with me!" Tatsuki called out with a grin, dropping down to join her. "I'll even tell you a secret I bet you're dying to know."

(With Ichigo)

He made his way towards the old man, risking a slight headache with a single pesquisa pulse to get a general direction and location. He found his target and charged toward who he expected was Yamamoto with determination, refusing anymore detours, settling for only necessary delays instead. He expected Zaraki to be waiting for him, which could help his discussion with the Commander to go much smoother if he was in no real condition to fight. That was the current plan anyway. Go to the 1st division barracks, fight Zaraki, talk to Yamamoto, and expose Aizen somehow. It was supposed to be simple. But there was always a chance for a plan to hit a roadblock. He felt that roadblock and knew that this couldn't be avoided, so he dropped down and came face to face with his opponent.

"Hello Ichigo Kurosaki." Said the man. "I'm the captain of squad 5, Sosuke Aizen."