Ichigo and his group manage to find Kurotsuchi before Rukia. He doesn't know what's holding her up, but it can't be good. He hopes it's not another incident like at Hell's Castle where she was too wounded to join the fight. Shit, she's still wounded, so there's a good chance it's hindering her fighting capabilities. Why wouldn't she let me heal her?
Kurotsuchi and Nemu are outside the ruined Twelfth Division labs. Jidanbo is still encased beside the labs, looking dead and alive at once. Kurotcushi moves his gaze away from Jidabo, and looks particularly irritated at the state of his building. That's understandable. However, he naturally takes it out on Nemu, his quiet and obedient lieutenant. Ichigo hates how he talks to her.
"I see you're still alive," Ichigo states, interrupting the captain's rant.
Kurotsuchi whips around to see Ichigo's masked self and his small entourage. He scoffs at the sight, and waves a hand of dismissal at them.
"I see you're here, too. I thought I sensed your messy signature," he comments.
What a foul man. "I've been looking for you," Ichigo proclaims dryly, hating that he has to say anything to this jackass.
"Yes, I assume it has something to do with Akon," Kurotsuchi snorts.
Ichigo doesn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean?"
The Shinigami captain hears the confusion in Hell's Prince's voice. He fully turns to him, confusion on his own face, but only for a second. Understanding passes over Kurotsuchi's expression.
"I see. Akon never got a hold of you then?"
"What are you talking about? I was coming to the Seireitei anyway, and I got here in time to see your labs get ripped apart. My clansmen and I took who we could, but it wasn't safe enough to find more. We at the very least got Akon out," Ichigo explains.
"Ah! Interesting. Well, Akon decided without my authorization to call you for help."
Ichigo is going to pretend Kurotsuchi is not mad at Akon for thinking of everyone's lives. Akon acted on his own, and was trying to get Ichigo to come help them with Hell behind him. Good for Akon.
"Pretend for five seconds you're not a control freak. Can we get Akon and the survivors to one of your hidden labs?" Ichigo asks.
Kurotsuchi growls at the name calling, but he doesn't argue against it. "I wouldn't have to. My private labs here are perfectly intact. Hypothetically, of course."
Wow, this guy makes Ichigo want to scream in frustration. Why is Kurotsuchi like this? Is it so hard to let go a little bit of selfishness in a time of war? Ichigo wouldn't think so, but here is this jackass proving him wrong.
"What do you want, Kurotsuchi?" Ichigo finally manages to ask.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Playing dumb is beneath you," Ichigo replies sharply.
A sinister grin grows across Kurotsuchi's face. It makes the Kurosaki siblings and the clansman shudder. The Shinigami captain turns to Nemu and sends her a mute command. She nods in reply and uses shunpo to the inside of the labs.
"You see, Kurosaki, I wish to have a blood sample from you," Kurotsuchi states.
Ironically, Ichigo's blood runs cold. What the hell? A blood sample from him? There's no way he wants to give Kurotsuchi a piece of himself. Who knows what this psychopath is going to do with it?
"What do you say, Kurosaki?" Kurotsuchi prompts.
Ichigo goes to open his mouth, ready to play the politician, but Omor interrupts. The clansman steps in front of Ichigo with a hand on his sword. The Shinigami captain frowns at the possibilities this could mean.
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FanfictionIchigo finally has everything he's ever wanted. Rukia is his wife, his sisters are safe, his mother is back in his life. Everything is going so well for him. Until, of course, it isn't. Rumor has it that Hueco Mundo is under attack. Ichigo and his n...
