The masked secret (Bleach fanfiction)

chapter 21

The air around Arata, Ichigo and Rukia was cold and violent. The sun was an orange and yellow color, and the horizon was a lively shadow swallowing the hills below. Masa flashstepped after Dai, according to Ichigo's orders.

"So Rukia, you wanna tell me what's happening?"

"Shhh." She replied, not taking her eyes off of the next few buildings.

"Hey, that's an order..."

"Shhhh." She said again, this time louder. Ichigo set his glare but continued to jump from building to building.

After a few minutes Rukia made an abrupt halt that nearly caused Ichigo to fly off the roof.

Again, he set his glare on Rukia.

"So now will you tell me?" Ichigo asked impatiently.
Rukia sucked in a breath and turned to him, ignoring Arata completely.

"I wanted to see what Dai was going to do. It seemed like he wanted nothing to do with her, but he followed her after she stormed off. but now both of their spiritual pressures just... dissapeared."

Ichigo shook his head. He hadn't noticed anything until Rukia mentioned it. But she was right.

"Okay. What now?" He had no idea.
Rukia looked at Arata for the first time.

"Ideas, Matsubara." Matsubara broke his uncomfortable stare and looked at Rukia.

"Nope. I'm still trying to figure this one out." He pointed the the carrot top, who gaped and scowled at him.

"I am too." He replied honestly.
Then he added;
"Rukia, you wanna full us in? Couldn't you have told me my dad was a captain!?" She sighed, and closed her eyes. Her black hair flopped in front of one of her eyes. She impatiently brushed it back, turning to the two waiting captains.

"Look Ichigo, it wasn't my secret to tell. The soul society has been wondering where he'd gone for a while now. And what would you have done if you knew? It wouldn't have changed anything."
He didn't want to admit she was right, so instead he stubbornly turned his head the other way.

"But we can't get sidetracked." She finished, just as her head whipped around.

Masa landed on the roof, and Ichigo hadn't felt an ounce of spiritual pressure until he saw Masa.

Wierd.

"Carrot-top!" She said breathlessly.
"Masa? What?"
She was about 20 feet away, leaning on her knees in exaustion.

"I was following them- Rangiku and Dai. Then they just, well, ah, dissapeared." She scratched her head nervously, but barely took a pause to breathe.

"Right after that I felt another spiritual pressure, so I grabbed 'er for yah. She seems too powerful to be human."

Rukia's mouth quirked a small smile, and Matsubara nodded, thinking:

That must be the strange spiritual pressure that I felt.

But again, Ichigo hadn't felt a thing.

Masa vanished for a second, and when she returned, she was about 5 feet in front of them. She held in her left hand a wrist, attached to an arm, attached to....

Orehime.

She had her eyes closed in fear, squeeling something unintelligible. She opened one eye, saw Ichigo, and jumped up. She yanked her arm from Masa.

"Ichigo!" She cried, hurtling herself into him, he stumbled back, letting her hug. She let go and looked at Rukia, and smiled.

"Oh, Rukia!" She delighted, hugging Rukia as well.