Preparing for War

"You will not go," declared Yamamoto, his form projected on a large monitor within Toshiro's room, a peculiar-looking device resembling a portal surrounded by fleshy vines.

"What the hell did you just say!?" screamed Ichigo. "Those bastards kidnapped my sister! We have to rescue her...!"

Showing no change in expression, Yamamoto stated, "Your sister is but one girl weighed against the fates of billions. Should you go and lose your life, everything, including the lives of your family and friends, will be lost. As such, you will stand by and await further orders while the members of the Advance Attack Squad, including former Captain Sui Feng and Kuchiki Rukia, return to Soul Society in preparation for the final battle."

Hearing her name mentioned among the group being forced to return, Soifon furrowed her brows and stated, "Forgive me, Captain Commander, but I cannot abide that order. My loyalties lie with the Shihouin Clan and my current Lord, Yamada Ohta..."

"Mmmm...I figured you, or someone else, might say that..." responded Yamamoto, tapping his cane against the wooden floor he was standing on. As he did so, a Senkaimon opened directly behind the group gathered in Toshiro's room, the forms of Byakuya, Kenpachi, and Yoruichi appearing from within, each donned in Captain's attire.

Raising her hand and waving as if the tensions within the room weren't palpable enough to be cut with a dull knife, Yoruichi mused, "Hey there, kitten. Long time no see, Ohta. Have the two of you been having fun while I was away~?"

"Yoruichi-sama..." muttered Soifon, elated to see her Mistress but more than a little confused.

Instead of Yoruichi, the next to speak was Byakuya, stating, "Come along, Rukia," before half-turning, his gaze briefly overlapping with Ohta's as the latter supplied a faint, nearly imperceptible nod. He knew both Rukia and Orihime would want to travel with him when he invariably invaded Hueco Mundo, but if he wanted to go 'all out,' he couldn't have allies nearby.

Unfortunately for Ohta, Rukia didn't follow her brother silently, placing her hand on his back as she whispered, "Wait for me..." in a faint but firm tone, her expression making it clear she wouldn't be happy if he ran off without her.

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With everyone, even the stationed members of Onmitsukidō returning to Soul Society, the only people left in the Inuneko Hotel were Ohta, Ichigo, and Orihime. The latter was concerned for Ichigo, but she stayed beside Ohta, believing he had a plan.

"Go home to your family, rest, and recuperate," said Ohta, causing Ichigo to raise his head. The orange-haired youth had fallen to his knees with a look of despair, but when he heard Ohta's words, life returned to his eyes as he bounded to his feet, screaming, "Ohta! Orihime! Please, you have to help me save my sister! Help me save Karin...!"

"Calm down, strawberry," said Ohta, his expression and tone neutral as he added, "We're obviously going to help, but charging into Hueco Mundo as you are is suicide. Go, talk to your dad, and get your affairs in order. Once Rukia returns, I'll message you to meet us at Urahara's Shop. He'll have a way to get us to Hueco Mundo. Guaranteed."

Though the thought of leaving Karin in the 'care' of the enemy for even a minute longer than necessary filled Ichigo with anxiety, he forced himself to calm down, replying, "I understand..." while balling his hands into fists. He was prepared to invade Hueco Mundo on his own if necessary, but he knew his chances of rescuing Karin increased immensely with Ohta's help. Thus, after a brief exchange of glances with Orihime, Ichigo turned away and returned home to have a much-needed discussion with his apparent Shinigami of a father...

Observing Ichigo's departure in silence, Ohta waited until the youth had disappeared completely before remarking, "That kid is going to need all the therapy when he grows up..."

"Ohta-kun..." muttered Orihime, throwing herself into his arms and holding onto him with her trembling body when he turned to face her. She was an exceptionally empathic woman, so witnessing others enduring pain and suffering caused her to experience a similar but lesser degree of anguish.

"You're such a crybaby..." remarked Ohta, his words not very considerate but his expression and tone reflecting at least a hint of compassion as he held the buxom beauty and gently pat her back...

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Staring at the sleeping face of Orihime, tears building in the corners of her eyes as she lay naked next to him, a faint sigh emanated from Ohta's nose as he returned his attention to his cell phone. Yoruichi and Rukia had been texting him about the timeline of the upcoming battle and their respective preparations. He wasn't particularly enthused to learn that Renji would be accompanying them to Hueco Mundo, but he didn't veto the suggestion as it would make his life marginally easier if the crimson-haired Shinigami were to die during the excursion...

Sensing a fluctuation in the barrier surrounding the hotel, Ohta rose to a seated position, spreading his senses throughout the structure to find two auras, one familiar, one not, presumably waiting for him in the lobby. Ohta was somewhat reluctant to leave Orihime alone in their bed while she was having a nightmare, but that didn't stop him from swapping into his spirit form and phasing through his bed, falling through the floor and continuing his descent until he reached ground level.

Emerging in the lobby, Ohta's voice echoed through the otherwise silent antechamber as he remarked, "You guys aren't very considerate, making me leave behind a crying woman to converse with your sorry asses in the dead of night..."

"Sorry about that," replied the man whose aura Ohta hadn't recognized, turning out to be none other than the father of Ichigo and Karin, Kurosaki Isshin. Contrasting his usual Hawaiin t-shirts, shorts, and doctor's coat, however, he was sporting the standard Shihakusho of a Shinigami, albeit with the addition of a white shoulder pauldron affixed with the remains of a Captain's haori.

Standing next to Isshin, wearing his usual dark-green samue, black haori, striped fisherman hat, and wooden clogs, Kisuke got straight to the point, asking, "Do you intend to wait, or are you planning to enter Hueco Mundo on your own...?"

"Things would be much easier if I went alone..." admitted Ohta, shifting his gaze to Isshin as he added, "Lucky for you, I don't think Rukia or the others would be too pleased with me if I ran off without them and failed to return with your brat..."

Understanding that Ohta was referring to going all out without regard for Karin's life, Isshin furrowed his brows as he remarked, "You know, that girl thinks the world of you..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta casually retorted, "And I think the world of the world. Trust me. I intend to do what I can to save your daughter, but if Aizen tries to leverage her life against mine and Ichigo's, you know damn well the 'correct' choice to make, even if it sucks ass..."

"I understand that..." replied Isshin, furrowing his brows even deeper as he said, "But I want to hear you say it. Promise me you will do everything in your power to return my daughter safely. And do it using her name..."

Though he returned a frown, Ohta didn't deliberate for too long before answering, "I'll bring Karin back...you have my word..." in a resolute tone. He might not give two shits about Karin, but he could spare at least one. She was 'technically' his protege, so he wouldn't just stand by and watch her die if there was something he could do to prevent it...

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Isshin's expression relaxed considerably, a faint smile developing across his face as he said, "Then I can rest easy. Had you replied differently, I might have started believing it was a mistake to entrust Karin to your care."

"That's an interesting way of phrasing things..." remarked Ohta, adopting a half-lidded deadpan.

Waving his hand from side to side in front of his face, Isshin said, "Don't let it bother you too much. Karin might be young now, but she's maturing rapidly. Most of the girls you're involved with are hundreds of years your senior, so try not to dismiss my daughter's feelings outright. A three-and-a-half-year age gap means very little when you have lifespans measured in centuries."

Shaking his head, Ohta maintained a deadpan expression as he remarked, "I don't know if I should consider you very 'understanding' or a complete fucking moron. You know damn well I'm not a good person..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Isshin replied, "Few people truly are. Even more so when they have a duty to protect something 'greater' than themselves. So long as you can protect my daughter and help her pursue the path she has decided for herself, you don't 'need' to be a good or righteous person. Just being someone that she can depend on is more than enough..."

Shaking his head a second time, Ohta made a shooing gesture with his right hand, saying, "You can go now..." in a flat tone. The duo half-turned as if they were prepared to leave right then and there, but before doing so, Kisuke appended, "The Garganta has already been prepared. Come to the underground study chamber when you're ready to depart..."

Seemingly having completed their objective, Kisuke and Isshin Shunpo'd away, their execution nearly as instantaneous as Yoruichi's. In their wake, Ohta tarried in the empty lobby for almost two minutes before shaking his head, muttering, "These old bastards make me want to bash my head into a wall..."

Though he was tempted to ask why Isshin didn't volunteer himself to go and rescue his daughter, Ohta knew it probably had something to do with Kisuke's 'plan.' Thus, while he had absolutely no 'intentions' toward Karin, he was half-tempted to take in the sporty brat just to keep her away from her inept father and the creepy candy store uncle. If he refused, it wasn't difficult to imagine her going to Kisuke for lessons or work, becoming yet another pawn for him to manipulate...

"Someone seriously needs to kill that man..." muttered Ohta, turning away from the entrance to take the elevator back to his penthouse. Fortunately for Kisuke, Ohta wasn't oblivious to the man's 'usefulness.' Thus, until the threats of Aizen and Yhwach were dealt with, he would permit the man to keep breathing...

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With Orihime choosing to stay home from school, she and Ohta spent much of the day lounging about the penthouse, silently cuddling on the sofa as they watched movies on satellite TV. Orihime felt like they should be doing more, but as she could only provide support, she didn't speak a word about going to Hueco Mundo. Fortunately, just as the Sun started to creep over the horizon, a Senkaimon opened a few meters behind them, causing Ohta to remark, "I need to find a way to prevent that..." in a faint tone.

Emerging from within the Senkaimon, wearing beige cloaks and carrying large backpacks, Rukia and Renji briefly looked around, the former being the one to ask, "Where are Ichigo and the rest? Are we planning to meet them at Urahara's...?"

"Ideally, no," replied Ohta, adopting a smile as he added, "Unfortunately, Chad is a bro, and Uryu is a busybody, so I imagine they're waiting for us to arrive. I also just texted the angsty Strawberry, so we should be good to head over."

Nodding in affirmation, Rukia removed the pack from her back, saying, "Before that, take these. Hueco Mundo is a vast desert filled with Reishi that can be harmful to humans and spirits, so my brother prepared some equipment for us."

Pulling out a pair of cloaks like the ones she and Renji were wearing, Rukia had Ohta and Orihime try them on. They were surprisingly comfortable, so while Ohta didn't need a cloak to protect himself, he accepted it without a fuss. Then, as they could easily imagine Ichigo racing over to Urahara's at breakneck speeds, the group promptly departed without further delay...

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(A/N: I suppose for Isshin, who was 200+ years older than his wife, things like an age gap don't matter all that much (x _ x)...)