CHAPTER FIVE

JUSHIRO
He was quite surprised when Sakura and Toshiro burst into his office looking distressed first thing in the morning. "Head Captain Ukitake," Toshiro greeted him respectfully.

"We need to talk, Jushiro," Sakura added. Jushiro didn't mind that Sakura never used his title while speaking to him. He considered her a close friend, and he encouraged the girl to use his first name.

"What can I do for the two of you?" Jushiro asked politely.

"There appears to be an uprising," Toshiro explained. "Soul Reapers in hollow masks attacked Uryu Ishida and someone I'm about to get to."

"Arrancars?"

"No. They were something different."

"Is Uryu alright?"

"His father took him to the hospital. He's recovering, but he needed surgery," Sakura replied.

"And the other person who was attacked?"

"She's fine. She used her Bankai to protect herself and Uryu," Toshiro began.

"It was a Soul Reaper?"

"It was Squad Ten's former Third Seat, Kyori Hattori, Jushiro."

Jushiro stared at him for a moment. "Kiki is alive?" He finally asked.

"She appears to be, although something isn't right... Kyori has amnesia. She cannot recall anything before waking up in Kisuke's shop three months ago. Even more alarmingly, she can use her Soul Reaper powers while in a Gigai. She does not seem to be able to leave the Gigai at all, but she apparently has no need to."

"That is troubling. Kiki's death was traumatic for many members of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Is it possible she somehow survived?"

"I don't think so. Rangiku witnessed her death. She was barely able to tell me what happened before she broke down into hysterics. They were very close."

"I remember. Kiki was a lovely girl, and a gifted Soul Reaper. What happened to her was a tragedy."

"What did happen?" Sakura asked.

"A team of some of our best warriors were under attack from an especially powerful hollow. It was Rangiku, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Shuhei, Izuru, Momo, Nanao, and Kyori. They called for assistance from the Captains when they realized they could not defeat the hollow, but we got there too late," Toshiro replied. "The hollow tried to attack again, and Kyori, Ikkaku, and Yumichika decided to defend the others, who were all Lieutenants. It was their duty as the lower-ranking Soul Reapers present to ensure the Lieutenants could focus on doing their job and destroying the hollow. Being from Squad Eleven, Ikkaku and Yumichika were their usual impulsive selves, and they teamed up to assault the hollow physically. Kyori tried to use Kido to balance them out. She used a tremendous amount of her spiritual energy to protect the others, and when the hollow attacked again, she threw herself in front of it. According to Rangiku, Kyori's body and her Zanpakuto both shattered from the impact. Her spiritual pressure was gone in an instant. There was nothing left of her but shards of energy. The Captains arrived moments later, and together, we were able to finally defeat the hollow."

"I know Izuru tried to use Kido to help Kiki," Jushiro said. "He was heartbroken... He couldn't put the pieces of her soul back together, but he eventually gathered the shards. Captain Unohana tried to help but ultimately said there was nothing to heal. It was a remarkably thorough destruction, and all we could do was let her soul go and hope it eventually reformed enough to reincarnate. The shards were stored in a jar and buried on sacred ground."

"Was Aizen one of the responding Captains?" Sakura asked.

"He was not. In addition to Captain Unohana, Shunsui and I responded, along with Toshiro, Byakuya, and Soi Fon, who brought much of the Stealth Force with her."

"So we can't just assume his Zanpakuto created an illusion to fool everyone into believing Kyori was dead."

"It seems unlikely, although I suppose it's not impossible. The bigger question is why would someone want us to believe Kiki was dead?"

"Well, that brings us to the next issue, Jushiro," Sakura replied with a sigh. "There's a Seer in the world of the living who is giving us our only real hints about what's going on. Her name is Stevie, and she drew these." She showed him some of the art.

Jushiro frowned. "That's Byakuya standing over a critically injured Kiki," he realized. "Is this girl implying he had something to do with what happened to her?"

"Stevie's not sure. All she knows is she saw this image as plain as day. She's drawn a lot of pictures of Byakuya. Some definitely make him look bad." Sakura shook her head. "I just don't believe he is capable of this, Jushiro... And in her most recent vision, the people in masks killed him... We can't let that happen."

"Of course not," Jushiro agreed. "I will have a talk with Byakuya to get his side of the story, but if he is involved, I may have no choice but to charge him with treason, Sakura."

She nodded. "I know. You are the fairest man I know, Jushiro. I trust you to make the right decision."

"Toshiro, where is Kiki?"

"She is staying with Uryu currently," Toshiro replied.

"She should be here so we can figure out what is going on."

"For now, I think she's safer with Ichigo and his friends," Sakura said. "I'd prefer to bring her here once we know more about what she's involved in."

"Alright. Toshiro, please share the news with Rangiku, but do not tell anyone else. The time is not right for this to come out."

"May I tell Shuhei?" Sakura asked. "He's my Lieutenant. I trust him completely, and he watched her die. He may have answers we need."

"Very well, Shuhei may know, but no one else. I fear whoever did this may still be here, hiding amongst us."

With that agreement in place, they all left the office. Jushiro headed straight to Byakuya. Whatever his involvement was, it needed to come out sooner rather than later.

BYAKUYA
He knew something was wrong when Jushiro approached. His visits were as dependable as the sunset, and this did not fit into their usual schedule.

"Has something happened, Head Captain?" Byakuya asked.

"Byakuya... May I come in?" Jushiro asked.

"Of course." He allowed Jushiro to enter his home. "Allow me to prepare some tea."

"That would be lovely."

Byakuya figured that meant it couldn't be overly urgent. Then again, Jushiro was notoriously polite, and refusing tea would be rude. He prepared the tea and brought it to Jushiro.

"Have a seat, Byakuya," Jushiro said as he accepted the tea.

"May I inquire what this visit is about?" Byakuya asked.

"It seems the world of the living has a Seer who is quite connected to our universe."

Byakuya silently waited for more information as Jushiro sipped his tea. "She drew you standing over Kiki Hattori's bloody body," Jushiro finally continued.

"Kyori's entire soul shattered," Byakuya replied in confusion. "What this girl drew is not possible."

"It seems that Kiki is not as dead as we believed."

Byakuya was so stunned he nearly dropped his tea, but a Kuchiki would never do that, and his reflexes kicked in just before a mess could be made. "Kyori is alive? How is that possible?"

"We are just as curious about that as you are, my friend. I'm afraid we don't have that answer yet."

"Where is she?" He asked.

"In Karakura Town, where it seems you left her."

"When?"

"Three months ago."

Byakuya had wanted to protest the accusation, but he couldn't. Three months ago, Aizen had been gifted with powerful telepathy thanks to an evil man from another realm, and despite sitting in his prison cell, he'd actively been inside of Byakuya's mind. It was at least possible that he'd done things he couldn't remember doing.

"Kyori had been missing for seven years. Where was she?" He asked.

"That remains a mystery," Jushiro replied. "Her first memory is of waking up in Urahara Shop and running away. It seems there is an uprising against the Noble Clans of the Soul Society, and Kiki is mixed up in that mess... It also seems you may be involved in some manner."

Byakuya sighed. "I assume you have come to arrest me for treason. Take me to my cell."

"Byakuya, I do not believe you did this."

"You cannot prove otherwise. Arrest me, Jushiro. It is your duty as the Head Captain."

"Byakuya-"

"If I have committed a crime, I must face my sentence with honor, no matter what it may be."

Jushiro looked genuinely sad as he nodded. "If you come with me willingly, I will give you the respect of not shackling you for the journey," he said.

Byakuya said nothing, but followed Jushiro in silence until they reached the prison. As he locked the cell, Jushiro paused. "I can bring Rukia by later," he said.

"No," Byakuya replied sharply. "Rukia has duties to attend to. She does not need to concern herself with this."

Once, when their roles had been reversed, Byakuya had left Rukia to fend for herself in prison as she awaited her execution. He did not wish to remind her of the time she'd spent alone facing the inevitable end of her life. It was bad enough he hadn't protected her from that. He would not force her to relive it. Had Ichigo and their friends not interfered, she would have died, and it was partially Byakuya's fault.

Jushiro left him in his cell. Byakuya took a deep breath and tried to maintain a calm exterior. Whatever came next, there was very little he could do about it. Justice must be served. Resigned to his fate, Byakuya was left to reflect on how his life could have possibly fallen apart so thoroughly.

KYORI
Sleeping was becoming increasingly impossible. She was having flashbacks that she couldn't make sense of, but she could no longer deny Toshiro was familiar to her. She felt a deep sense of respect for him that she couldn't explain, and part of her desperately wanted to cling to him, but she couldn't remember why. On top of that, she was worried about Uryu. He was getting stronger every hour, but she kept flashing back on the attack that had put him in the hospital to begin with. Now, she saw something else.

Toshiro was fighting against an enormous hollow. His Bankai was impressive and powerful, and the sense of it soothed something inside of Kyori.

"Kiki, get down!" A beautiful woman with long red hair shouted. "Now Growl, Haineko!"

The sense of familiarity was overwhelming as she heard her voice. Kyori was positive she should know her.

"Rangiku!" Toshiro shouted. He moved in front of her and deflected an attack from a new hollow as Rangiku battled one that had previously appeared.

Kyori drew her Zanpakuto and released her Shikai. The shield deflected the next attack, and Kyori was able to defeat the hollow closest to her. She ran to Rangiku's side.

Rangiku smiled and said, "See? Isn't this fun? You're doing great, Kiki!"

Three other Soul Reapers stood nearby. One was the man in the scarf, Byakuya. The second was Renji. Kyori didn't recognize the third, but something about him sent a chill through her body as she watched him battle.

"Kiki, behind you!" Renji shouted.

Something tried to attack Kyori from behind. Renji released his Shikai and protected her, wrapping his body around her.

"Thanks, Red," Kyori said with a grin.

Time shifted. She stood with another unidentified Soul Reaper. He wrapped his arms around her. His embrace was so familiar and safe. Kyori melted into it, feeling calm as he kissed the top of her head.

"Izuru, quit making moves on my girlfriend," the unidentified Soul Reaper from the previous vision joked.

"I can't help it if Kiki likes me better, Masashi," Izuru replied with a laugh. He gently released Kyori.

Masashi pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Kyori felt safe in the past, but her present mind was terrified. Who was this man, and why did he scare her so much?

"Kyori... Are you alright?" Uryu asked softly, snapping her out of the flashback.

"I remembered something," she replied nervously. "I don't totally understand it... But Toshiro and Renji were there. So was Byakuya, and someone named Izuru... I think Izuru and I were close. He was holding me, and I felt really safe... But there was one other guy... Masashi."

"I know Izuru. He's the Lieutenant of Squad Three. I've never heard of a Soul Reaper named Masashi, though," Uryu said.

"I have," Renji said from the door, causing Kyori to jump in surprise. "I came by to check on you both... And, honestly, because I needed to get away from my Squad for a little while. Byakuya's been arrested for treason."

"They arrested him?" Uryu asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Jushiro just told me. It was done quietly, and most of Squad Six doesn't know yet. I need to get my head on straight before I have that conversation."

"How's Rukia?"

"About as good as you'd expect, but you know her... She won't show it. She's just like her brother when it comes to protecting the honor of the Kuchiki name."

"Renji... How do you know Masashi?" Kyori asked.

"He was part of the Stealth Force. In fact, he was one of Soi Fon's best. Unlike most of Squad Two, he was a pretty friendly guy once you got past the intensity. He was a warrior through and through, but he was also a lot of fun at parties. And I should probably mention that he was your boyfriend."

"Boyfriend..." Kyori repeated.

"He kind of snapped after what happened to you. Soi Fon finally got fed up and put him on leave, and no one ever saw him again."

"What do you mean he snapped?" Uryu asked.

"He started behaving erratically. He kept ending up in places he wasn't supposed to be, and he was taking unsanctioned trips to the world of the living. He refused to tell anyone what he was up to. I guess the grief was too much for him." He hesitated. "I didn't like the way he acted around you, Kiki. He was kind of obsessed with you. In fact, I tried to convince you to leave him more than once. There was just something off about your relationship."

"Did he hurt her?" Uryu demanded sharply.

"If he ever put his hands on her, Kiki would have beaten the hell out of him before any of us had a chance. It was more like he got really possessive of her. He hated it when any of the men hung out with her alone. I don't know the details, but he and Shuhei got into an all-out brawl one night and I'm pretty sure it was over Shuhei's friendship with Kiki. From the looks of Masashi the next day, Shuhei won."

Shuhei, her mind taunted her. She saw his face then, with 69 tattooed onto his cheek. I teased him about his horrible taste in tattoos, so he teased me about my taste in men.

"Kiki? You okay?" Renji asked.

"Fantastic, Red," she replied automatically.

He smirked. "You haven't changed. Even with amnesia, your sarcasm is as strong as ever."

"I think I'm remembering things... But when I saw Masashi, he scared me... Like I should know something about him that I didn't know back then."

"Do you think he has something to do with what happened to you?" Uryu asked.

"I don't know... Maybe? It's so confusing..." She hesitated. "Do you think I could see Shuhei?"

"He's usually pretty busy, but if I ask Sakura, I'm sure she can spare him for a little while," Renji replied.

"Don't you need Captain Tosen's permission?" She wasn't sure where the question came from.

Renji tensed, his expression turning cold. "Kaname Tosen was a traitor to the Soul Society. He was working with Sosuke Aizen. Shuhei and Captain Komamura finally put him down."

Shuhei adored his Captain... That must have broken him, Kyori thought. She couldn't connect to the memories, but the knowledge was there.

"Sakura took over as the Captain of Squad Nine," Uryu explained. "She's very close to Shuhei."

"It's obvious your memories are coming back," Renji said. "I'll get Shuhei and we'll see if that helps you figure anything out. Give me a few hours. I need to update my Squad about Byakuya's situation first."

"Thanks, Red," Kyori replied.

"Sure thing," Renji replied. "When are you getting out of this place, Uryu?"

"Hopefully tomorrow," Uryu replied. "I'm not a fan of hospitals, especially ones run by my father."

"I'll update Rukia. She was really upset to hear you were hurt."

"Thanks. See you soon." Renji left without another word.

"What do you know about Izuru, Uryu?" Kyori asked.

"He's a good guy... He's very honorable and duty-bound. He excels at Kido," Uryu replied. "Why do you ask?"

"It felt like he was very protective of me... Almost like a big brother. I think we were close."

"Well, he's close to Renji, Rangiku, and Shuhei, so I suppose that makes sense."

"I'm really confused, Uryu. It's like the information I need is just out of my reach."

"I know this must be hard for you, Kyori, but we'll figure it out together."

She tried to relax, but she couldn't shake the feeling that danger was lurking just out of sight.

SEINA
The clouds loomed ominously in the sky. Seina shivered as a chill moved through the air. She looked around to try and figure out what was coming. That was when she saw someone she knew approaching.

"Go home, Seina," he said firmly. "Trouble is coming."

"Arato-san, what's going on?" Seina asked. She didn't usually bother with honorifics, but she observed them with Arato. He'd told her she could use his first name instead of his family name as they'd gotten to know each other, but she still felt she owed him the respect of using -san when addressing him.

Arato Yamamoto was almost as old as his big brother, the ancient and currently imprisoned former Head Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. He was very powerful, although he was not quite on the same level as his brother. He'd left the Soul Society centuries ago, and when he found his way to the Stranger and his friends, he'd quickly helped them rise to power. Arato was harsh to most people, but he had a soft spot for Seina and always treated her kindly.

"Seina-Chan, listen to me for once," he said gently. "Go home."

"It's freaking me out how worried you are. Just tell me what's going on," she replied.

"We are out of time. Hide your form!"

His tone told her how serious the situation was, so she quickly shifted into a bird and perched in a nearby tree. Moments later, a man appeared. His spiritual pressure nearly smothered Seina. She struggled to keep herself steady as he stood beside Arato.

Arato bowed respectfully to the man, something he did not typically do because he was older than pretty much everyone. "Sir... What brings you here?" He asked.

"Have you found the girl?" The other man asked.

"Kyori remains under the protection of the Quincy," Arato replied.

"Then you must eliminate him. She belongs with us."

"Yes, Sir. I understand."

"She never should have escaped to begin with. Do you understand what that may do to our plans? If anyone figures out the details of the experiments we did on her, they will hunt us down and ruin our plans before we are ready to complete them."

"I know, Sir. I promise, we will find the girl and bring her back."

"Good. Now... Byakuya Kuchiki has been arrested for treason. We must get someone into the prison immediately to handle that situation."

"I'll inform the others right away."

"Good. Do not disappoint me, Arato Yamamoto. You know what happens to those who do."

In an instant, he vanished. Arato took a moment to compose himself before saying, "Seina-chan... Forget everything you just heard."

"Arato-san, please tell me what's going on. That guy was seriously powerful. Who was he?" Seina asked.

"It's better you do not know that information, Seina-chan."

"I'm not a baby, and I'm involved in all this, right? Please stop keeping secrets from me."

"You are safer remaining in the dark on certain things. He is very powerful, and he does not know about you. I think we should keep it that way."

Seina wanted to protest further, but she decided not to. Arato was one of the few people in the Stranger's group that she genuinely trusted. If he wasn't telling her the information, there was probably a very good reason.

A hollow appeared then. It tried to go straight for Seina. "Stay behind me," Arato said firmly. He pulled out his Zanpakuto. As the hollow howled in anger, Arato slashed it in half with the sword.

More hollows began popping up. "What's going on?" Seina asked.

"This is why he must cloak himself in this world. They sensed his power. They are settling for ours now that he has vanished. Seina-chan, get to safety. I will cover you."

"I won't leave you," she replied stubbornly.

"I can destroy them, Seina-chan, but you must get to safety first. If you are caught in my Bankai's path, you will die as well."

As they were completely surrounded, Seina knew she had no choice. Arato began clearing a small path for her to run through the army of hollows. She fled up a steep hill as fast as she could. She was barely clear when she heard him shout, "Bankai!"

A tidal wave ripped through the immediate area. Thankfully, they were right by the water, so this wouldn't seem that crazy to anyone who witnessed it.

The force of Arato's spiritual pressure knocked Seina to the ground. The momentum sent her rolling down the hill, and she couldn't think clearly enough to shapeshift into something that might not roll so easily.

Just as she was certain she was going to fall right off the nearest cliff and die, someone grabbed her arm. She felt herself being pulled into strong arms until her head was pressed against a very muscular chest.

"You okay, Rainbow Head?" A familiar voice asked.

"Yasutora..." Seina realized. She clung to him for dear life as she tried to calm herself down. "That's the second time you've saved my butt in two days!"

"Mmm..." Chad replied.

"Thanks," she said softly as she tried to pull free from his arms.

"You're hurt," he observed. He carried her to safer ground before gently setting her down on a rock. Chad knelt beside her, examined her injuries, and immediately began patching them up. He tore off part of his shirt like it was no big deal and wrapped her left ankle in it. "That should keep it stable for now. I'll take you to a doctor."

"I'm fine, really," she replied nervously. It wasn't like she had health insurance. The Stranger's friends usually took care of her when she was injured.

"It's okay. My friend's father runs a clinic." Refusing to take no for an answer, Chad proceeded to carry Seina to whatever destination he had in mind.

"Chad! What can I do for you?" A man asked cheerfully. Upon spotting Seina, he started fussing over her. "Oh my, what happened to this pretty young lady? Bring her over here. Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll fix you right up!"

"Who are you, exactly?" Seina asked.

"Isshin Kurosaki. I'm going to take good care of you. You'll feel better in no time!"

Shit, Seina thought. Shit, shit, shit, he brought me to Ichigo's dad! I am so screwed if I blow my cover.

"What's your name?" Isshin asked.

"Call me Rainbow Head," she replied cheerfully.

Isshin looked at Chad, who nodded. Isshin shrugged and said, "Alright then! Don't worry, Rainbow Head. The cuts are minor. I'll take care of them before I take a closer look at your ankle." He set to work. It stung a bit as he cleaned up the cuts, so Seina looked at Chad to distract herself.

Seina winced as Isshin stitched up the worst of the cuts. It was on her shoulder, and it hurt more than she wanted to admit. She automatically squeezed Chad's hand without realizing it. He allowed her to squeeze it and even gently stroked the top of her hand with his free one as she held onto him.

"Alright, that's all done!" Isshin declared. "Now, let's check that ankle."

He moved it to the right, and Seina cried out in pain. "Can you wiggle your toes for me?" He asked. Seina did. "Great! Do you feel this?" He tickled her foot. "Koochie-koochie-coo!"

If Seina could have flipped him off with her middle toe, she would have. Instead, she settled for kicking his hand away as hard as she could. It hurt, but she decided it was worth the pain.

Isshin laughed. "Very good! It's not broken. I'd say it's just a very bad sprain."

"Great. Time for me to go then," Seina replied.

"I need to put your foot in a special boot to give you better support. Try to stay off it for a few days, okay?" He started putting the boot on her foot.

"Sure, sure... Do you have any soda? I need caffeine."

"Of course! I'll be right back." Isshin left the room.

Chad and Seina sat in comfortable silence for a few moments until Ichigo walked in. Talk about hanging out with the enemy, Seina thought.

"Hey, Chad," Ichigo said casually. "What are you doing here?"

Chad motioned toward Seina. Ichigo studied her for a moment as if she confused him. "Cool hair," he finally said. "They let you wear it like that in school?"

"I'm home schooled," Seina replied.

"Ah, that makes sense... Anyway, I'm Ichigo."

"Seina... Or Rainbow Head." She smirked at Chad. He smiled back slightly.

"How do you know Chad?"

"He keeps showing up when I'm in trouble. I almost fell off a cliff today, but he caught me just in time."

"A cliff? How'd you manage that?"

"There was a freak tidal wave. I ran up to get away from it, but I guess I tripped," she lied smoothly. She couldn't exactly tell Ichigo that Arato's spiritual pressure had knocked her down.

Suddenly, a hollow roared outside. Ichigo and Chad exchanged a glance. "Seina, stay here," Ichigo said. "I need to borrow Chad for a minute."

Chad quickly followed Ichigo outside. Seina cautiously put weight on the booted foot before following them, making sure neither boy saw her.

An enormous and very angry hollow stood in front of the clinic. It had grabbed onto a young girl who was screaming as she hung in the air.

"Yuzu!" Ichigo shouted.

Another young girl lay on the ground nearby. Her head was bleeding. "Ichigo! Ichigo, help! Karin and Stevie are hurt!" Yuzu shouted.

Seina looked around for the second person Yuzu had mentioned. A girl with purple hair was unconscious a few feet away from the younger girl.

"Chad, help Karin and Stevie," Ichigo said. He immediately left his body, not bothering to put a soul candy in before he attacked the hollow. His body lay lifeless on the ground.

As soon as his Zanpakuto sliced through it, the hollow mended itself. Nothing Ichigo tried was working.

It's one of the modified hollows, Seina realized. She watched it carefully, searching it for a weakness.

"I'm fine, Chad," the younger girl insisted. "Go help Stevie and my sister."

"You're bleeding," Chad pointed out.

"It's nothing. I've gotten worse injuries playing soccer."

"Ichigo!" Yuzu screamed as the hollow tried to run off with her.

"Let go of my sister, you bastard!" Ichigo shouted as he attacked it again and blocked its escape.

The hollow roared in response. Yuzu was sobbing in terror and pain as it began to squeeze its fist tighter around her. Karin struggled to escape from Chad's grasp to help, but he held on tightly, shielding her with his body as he dragged her closer to Stevie.

Seina knew the hollow wasn't going to give up easily. She spotted a gaping hole in its forehead in addition to the hole in its chest. That's the weakness, she realized.

She knew she should walk away and let the hollow kill all of them or make Yuzu a snack, but as the girl screamed, Seina couldn't ignore her pleas for help.

They'll never know, she thought. Just help the kid.

"Hey, Ugly!" Seina shouted.

The hollow turned toward her looking rather offended. "Seina, don't!" Ichigo warned her.

Seina tried to throw a rock at the hole, but it missed. The hollow rounded on her, tossing Yuzu to the ground and focusing its attack on Seina instead. Ichigo barely caught Yuzu before she hit the ground.

"I need this like a hole in the head!" Seina told the hollow in annoyance as it raised her into the air.

"Seina!" Chad cried in alarm.

Karin seemed to catch on as Yuzu sobbed in Ichigo's arms. "Chad, let me go. I've got this," Karin said. "Ichigo, attack when you see the opening."

"Karin, what are you-?" Ichigo began.

Karin kicked a soccer ball straight through the hole in the hollow's head. As it went through the hole, the hollow roared in rage as the hole began to glow bright red.

Ichigo shouted, "Bankai!" With everything he had, he attacked the hollow. Seconds later, the hollow exploded.

"Shit!" Seina cried as she began to plummet toward the ground.

Chad caught her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and absorbing the impact against the ground with his back. He didn't let her go as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Seina, are you okay?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "Thanks for the assist." She looked at Chad gratefully. "That makes three times you've helped save me in two days. This is becoming a habit, Yasutora." She kissed his cheek. Chad smiled slightly before releasing her.

"So you can see hollows," Ichigo said.

"That one was kind of hard to miss," Seina replied.

"How'd you know how to stop it?"

"I took a guess. Most of them have a hole in their chest. This one had a second one."

Ichigo nodded. "You're not a Soul Reaper," he stated, "but you can see us."

"I don't do black kimonos. I like color," Seina replied lightly.

"So how do you know about all of this?"

"I don't know much... I've just seen a lot of crazy stuff go down in this town and I picked up a few tricks."

He seemed to accept that. "Come on. Let's get you inside. My dad needs to patch up my sisters and Stevie." He paused. "Chad, can you carry Stevie inside?"

Chad nodded and picked the unconscious girl up without a word. "I have to get home. My daddy will worry if I'm not there soon," Seina said.

"You shouldn't be alone," Ichigo protested.

"I can handle myself."

"Let me call you a cab. You probably shouldn't walk on that ankle too much."

She nodded, realizing it was better she agree to that than end up with one of them trying to walk her home. "Is your sister okay?" She asked.

"Yuzu's fine now," he replied as he gently stroked Yuzu's hair to soothe her. "She's barely even injured. Karin's the fighter of the two of them. That's probably why the hollow attacked her so badly." He hesitated. "Thanks for distracting it. That was brave of you. I'm not sure we would have gotten Yuzu away from it without your help."

"No problem," Seina replied, although deep down, she was terrified. If the Stranger figured out what she'd done, he'd be furious.

It was stupid to risk blowing your cover to save her, she scolded herself. Still, looking at Yuzu, she knew she'd done the right thing... The only thing. Yuzu was just a kid. She wasn't a Soul Reaper. She wasn't one of their enemies. Seina wouldn't have been able to live with herself if she hadn't helped the girl. Now she just hoped she'd be able to live with the consequences if the Stranger found out.