Not a Mob: Psycho

Arriving shortly after Chad, Orihime, wearing a bright pink blouse, beige loafers, and grey sweatpants that hugged her voluminous ass, opened her eyes wide and practically shouted, "Oh, wow! Hey, Ohta-kun. Mr. Yoruichi said you'd be coming with us, but I didn't know if you would actually show up."
Raising his hand, Ohta replied, "Long time no see, princess. Get hit by any cars recently...?"
"Moooouuuu..."
Puffing out her cheeks, Orihime briefly appeared offended before quickly getting over it, adopting a marginally more serious expression as she said, "Tatsuki really misses you, you know..."
Shaking his head, Ohta quietly asserted, "That life is behind me now...but when you see her next, you can tell her I said hi and congratulate her for taking First Place in the national tournament..."
Adopting a smile, Orihime responded with a curt, "I'll be sure to tell her." before shifting her attention to Yoruichi on his shoulder, gaining a far more luminous smile as she waved her hand and said, "Hello, Mr. Yoruichi! Your fur is looking especially soft this morning!"
"Well, I wanted to look my best before my homecoming," mused Yoruichi, leaping from Ohta's shoulder as she could sense the final two members of their party approaching.
Though they didn't exactly appear alongside one another, Ichigo and Uryu showed up around the same time, the latter following behind the former. When they noticed Ohta, both bishonen frowned deeply, but it was Ichigo who said, "It's you..." in an ostensibly threatening tone.
"It's me..." parrotted Ohta, intending to say more, but Orihime literally inserted herself in front of him, exclaiming, "Good morning, Ichigo-kun, Ishida-kun~!"
As if he had only just noticed her, Ichigo stared at Orihime with his mouth agape, asking, "Inoue? What are you doing here...?"
"Mou...I told you it was okay to call me Orihime," pouted Orhime, promptly perking up as she added, "As for why I'm here, isn't it obvious? I'm going to help rescue Rukia...!"
Adopting a serious expression, Ichigo firmly asserted, "We're not going on a picnic, Ino&ndash;Orihime. You could die."
"I know that..." replied Orihime, maintaining her smile but lowering her eyes and appearing saddened as she muttered, "But Rukia is my friend. I can't just sit back and watch bad things happen to her. I might not be the strongest member of our party, but I'm sure I can be helpful..."
Before Ichigo could try and persuade Orihime to stay behind, Yoruichi chimed in to say, "With the exception of Ohta, the little missy here is the only one that can heal you if you sustain severe injuries in a fight. Unless you want to be the one to die, I suggest you shelve the chivalry and thank her for agreeing to come along."
Shifting his gaze to Yoruichi, Ichigo looked like he wanted to argue but froze when he saw who had spoken.
"Did that cat...just talk?" asked Ichigo.
Picking Yoruichi up from the ground, Orihime happily revealed, "His name is Mr. Yoruichi! Isn't he just the cutest~!?"
Though she didn't appreciate being picked up and manhandled by the bubbly ginger, Yoruichi tolerated Orihime's antics, stating, "We don't have time for this right now. The window to avoid detection while entering the Soul Society is incredibly tight. We should get going."
"First things first..." chimed in Uryu, pushing up his glasses as he stared at Ohta.
Expecting the arrogant Quincy to talk shit, Ohta was marginally surprised when Uryu abruptly lowered his head, appearing sincere as he stated, "I owe you an apology, Yamada Ohta. You were correct when you said my grudge against Soul Society had nothing to do with you and the people of this town. I hope that by participating in the salvation of the one you hold dear, you might forgive my lapse in judgment..."
"..."
Taken aback by Uryu's formality, Ohta didn't immediately respond. As a result, Ichigo had the opportunity to say, "I also wanted to apologize..." scratching his head as he added, "And to thank you. I heard about how you rescued Karin and treated a serious injury. I'm not sure what I would have done if she died, so thanks...I mean it..."
Sparing Ohta the need to respond to either of the two, Kisuke abruptly clapped his hands, saying, "Well, now that we're all here, shall we get a move on? As my adorable feline colleague pointed out, we don't exactly have the time to stand around chatting."
Prompted by Kisuke's words, Orihime threw her right hand into the air and enthusiastically exclaimed, "Let's go!". She was truthfully feeling the most nervous out of everyone present, but that didn't stop her from taking the initiative to march into Urahara's shop, prompting everyone else to follow shortly after...
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"Oh, wow! I never knew there was such a ginormous space underneath the town! Incredible...!" exclaimed Orhime, seeing the underground study chamber for the first time.
As the reactions of Ohta and Ichigo had been lackluster during their first visit to the chamber, the muscular Tessai teared up a bit in response to Orihime's enthusiasm. Kisuke had developed the prototype, but he was the one who built and repaired the underground space whenever Ohta destroyed it. Having someone recognize his work was touching...
"Now, now, no wandering off," said Kisuke. "You'll have plenty of time to explore once you return. For now..."
Snapping his fingers, Kisuke caused a large rectangular gate, seemingly comprised of sheets of paper, to materialize out of thin air.
"That is the gate that leads to Soul Society," explained Urahara. "It's called the Senkaimon(Tunnel World Gate). Listen closely because I'm going to explain things once. But, first things first..."
Using his cane, bearing the symbol of a skull exuding blue flames on its tip, Urahara abruptly stabbed Ichigo through his chest, the tip of the cane phasing through his body as his Soul was summarily ejected.
"Hey, what's the big idea!?" exclaimed Ichigo. "You could at least warn me before you expel my Soul! And you guys, stay away from my body. It's not a toy...!"
With Ichigo directing his words to them, Chad, Orihime, and Uryu ceased examing his presently lifeless corpse.
"Alright, listen up," said Urahara. "This Senkaimon is different from normal. These papers are inscribed with a spirit particle conversion formula, so it 'should' convert any physical matter that passes through into spirit matter. The caveat is that this type of formula violates the fundamental principles of the world, so passing through is bound to incur a reaction of some sort. As a result, you'll only have about four minutes to reach the other side. If you fail, well, your bodies and souls will either be obliterated or displaced somewhere, maybe even 'some time' else..."
Adopting one of his characteristically creepy smiles, Urahara asked, "So, how about it? This is your last chance to back out. The moment you step through this gate, the only option you'll have is to move forward. Hesitate, even for a moment, and death might be the best end you can hope for..."
"Just open the gate," said Ohta, abruptly vanishing before reappearing in front of the Senkaimon with crossed arms and a resolute look on his face as he firmly asserted, "Even if everyone else chooses to remain behind, I'm going..."
"He's fast..." muttered Ichigo, his body trembling ever so slightly as he appended, "Just like the guy who took Rukia..."
While everyone else was equally taken aback by Ohta's speed, Yoruichi jumped onto his shoulder, looking back at the befuddled group as she asked, "Well, what are the rest of you fools waiting for? Either line up or stand back...!"
Prompted by Yoruichi's shout, everyone moved over and stood before the Senkaimon, prepared to enter the moment it opened. Orihime happened to line up on Ohta's right, causing him to raise his brows slightly, but now was neither the time nor place to ask why she didn't stand next to Ichigo. If he had to guess, Tatsuki had asked her to look after him. Either that, or she expected him to carry her if she fell behind...
"Well, looks like everyone's ready," said Kisuke, standing on the right side of the Senkaimon while Tessai mirrored his position on the left. Once they began channeling their spirit energy into the gate, the interior released a blinding, bluish-white light while Kisuke shouted, "Jump in the moment it finishes opening! And remember, you only get one chance at this! Make it count...!"
Nearly as soon as Kisuke finished shouting, the blinding light emitting from the gate stabilized, revealing a dark corridor lined by purple, flesh-like walls. It was a fairly gruesome sight, but everyone leaped in without any obvious hesitation, Ohta leading the pack considerably by activating Shunpo the moment the corridor came into view.
Though she anticipated Ohta's actions, Yoruichi sighed and whispered into his ear, "Stay with the rest of the group. We'll be using the Kōtotsu, the cleaner that prevents foreign objects and entities from clogging up the Dangai, to reverse the flow of time. If you pass through too quickly, everyone else will have appeared a week before you..."
"How the hell does that work...?" asked Ohta, failing to comprehend how he could reach the gate at the end of the tunnel first yet somehow arrive later than everyone else...
"Why are you asking me?" retorted Yoruichi. "Kisuke is the only one who understands how this works. Once we're done rescuing Rukia, feel free to ask him."
"Hard pass..." replied Ohta, holding his ground and waiting for everyone else to catch up, barely keeping ahead of the fleshy purple corridor that was collapsing behind them...
"Jeez, Ohta-kun, you can't run ahead like that...!" whined Orihime, clearly struggling more than the rest of the group.
Floating backward at the same pace the group was moving forward, Ohta asked, "Is this really the fastest you guys can go? Do I need to carry your asses...?"
"Damn show off..." growled Ichigo, feeling equal parts annoyed by Ohta's behavior and frustrated at himself. He had trained his ass off to catch up to the duo that had captured Rukia, but Ohta's speed made it clear he still had a long way to go.
While the 'men' were too proud to accept Ohta's help, Orihime surprised him a bit by shouting, "Please carry me...!" as she abruptly leaped at him. She had a phenomenal physique, but she wasn't very athletic. Her shoes, laceless loafers, also weren't very suited to running, so she didn't hesitate to accept Ohta's offer, forcing him to catch her.
("Her tits are massive...") noted Ohta, his expression remaining unchanged as Orihime clung to his body, pressing her voluminous, incredibly soft tits against him. Ohta nearly grabbed her ass to support her, but he managed to resist the near-instinctual urge, instead grabbing her waist as he asked, "Do I look like a Segway to you...?"
Noticing that Ohta's body was very rigid, almost like it was being held in a fixed position, Orihime ceased clinging to him, tentatively standing on his toes as he continued supporting her waist.
"I didn't before, but I'm starting to..." replied Orihime, her usually bubbly smile somewhat awkward as she had never had a boy her age hold onto her waist before. Ohta had hit the nail on the head when he assumed she had promised Tatsuki she would look after him, but now Orihime got the distinct impression she would be the one being taken care of...
Causing Orihime's smile to cramp even further, Ichigo shouted, "Can you two stop flirting without a care in the world!? We're kind of in the middle of something...!"
As if in response to Ichigo's words, the collapsing wall of flesh behind them began to exude a pale glow, quickly intensifying to resemble the light of a runaway locomotive. Shortly after that, a massive, train-like 'creature' burst through the collapsing wall of flesh, chasing after them like it was trying to run them over.
"What is that thing!?" screamed Ichigo, picking up his pace alongside Chad and Uryu while Yoruichi explained what a Kōtotsu was and how it was 'bad luck' on their part that they happened to encounter it on their way through the Dangai. This was false, of course, but only Ohta knew this. Everyone else, sans the comparably comfortable Orihime, ran as if their lives depended on it...
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(A/N: Instead of saying 'mou,' Orihime should be saying 'moo'...)

Instead of depositing them at ground level, the exit of the Senkaimon spat out Ohta and the rest in the air, nearly twenty meters above what looked like an ancient, Edo-period city.
"We're falling...!" screamed Ichigo, alerting everyone present to what they already knew. Fortunately, while Ohta was tempted to let them crash into the ground, Orihime had other ideas, abruptly turning around and trusting him to hold onto her as she brought the tips of her index and middle fingers to the flower-like hairclips near her temples, shouting, "Hinagiku, Lily, Baigon! Santen Kesshun, I reject...!"
Pointing her fingers at the ground, three fairy-like figures emerged from Orihime's hairpieces, forming a triangular-shaped barrier of light about a meter above the ground. When Ichigo, Chad, and Uryu crashed into it, the barrier pulsed, seemingly negating the momentum of their fall, while Ohta lowered himself, Orihime, and Yoruichi to the ground.
"Phew...I'm glad I made it in time..." said Orihime, wiping her brow before looking back at Ohta with an awkward smile, expressing, "You can let me go now, Ohta-kun."
"Sure," replied Ohta, releasing his hold on Orihime's waist and allowing her to step away from him. As she did, Yoruichi whispered into his ear, asking, "Did you enjoy holding onto the waist of one of your classmates~?"
Ignoring Yoruichi's teasing, Ohta took a moment to get his bearings, his eyes scanning the antiquated-looking, seemingly abandoned buildings in their immediate vicinity. Further away, there was a section of terrain fully paved in white stone, the boundary representing the divide between the inner and outer districts of Soul Society, the dwelling of native souls and Shinigami, Seireitei, and the comparably impoverished-looking Rukongai.
"Looks like we came out in a good location..." muttered Yoruichi, leaping from Ohta's shoulder and shouting, "Alright, you lot, listen up! If you want to survive this little foray into the Soul Society, you'll follow my orders to the letter...!"
"Huh, who put you in charge?" questioned Ichigo, earning cross-shaped scratches across his face from Yoruichi.
"Ah, my face...!" screamed the orange-haired 'hero,' writhing about on the ground while Yoruichi stared at the rest of the group, asking, "Anyone else want to question my authority?"
Seeing everyone remain silent, Yoruichi added, "Good. Now, let's get out of here before we end up surrounded. I'll fill everyone in on the plan once we reach a safe location."
"Hey, wait a minute," said Ichigo, rising to a seated position and gesturing toward the Seireitei as he asked, "Isn't that the direction they're keeping Rukia? I say we charge in, beat up the guards, and get her out before they even have the chance to react."
"You truly are a fool," stated Yoruichi, explaining, "First of all, if you tried entering the Seireitei without a travel permit, you'd trigger the Seireiheki to fall from the sky, closing off the land route. If you're unlucky, you could even be crushed beneath it."
"Then what are we supposed to do?" asked Ichigo. "The longer we take to break in and rescue Rukia, the harder it will be to reach her...!"
Though he also felt Ichigo was an idiot, Ohta would be lying if he said he didn't find the orange-haired youth's initiative compelling. The problem was that the Seireitei comprised an area of more than two million square kilometers, and he had no idea where Rukia was being detained.
"For now, we get away from this location and find a place to stay for the night. There, we can discuss our plan, both for entering the Seireitei and rescuing Kuchiki Rukia," said Yoruichi, turning to lead the way.
Clicking his tongue, Ichigo crossed his arms and looked to Ohta, asking, "Are you okay with this?"
Hearing Ichigo's question, Yoruichi's eye twitched as she turned back to stare at Ohta. He knew what was at stake, but there was always a chance he would choose to do his own thing. It was definitely in his nature...
Furrowing his brows, Ohta replied, "We listen to the cat. Yoruichi is a native of the Soul Society and is skilled at gathering information. Rushing into things will only get us killed..."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Yoruichi adopted the feline equivalent of a smile as she said, "Ohta is correct. He is also more powerful than the rest of you combined, so if you can't trust me, you 'should' trust him."
Snorting off to the side, Uryu pushed up his glasses and muttered, "That's debatable..." in a faint, mildly offended tone. He lost handily to Ohta in the past, but he had gotten far more powerful since then. If they were to fight now, Uryu was certain he could avoid a similar outcome...
Surprising Ohta, yet again, Orihime chimed in, expressing, "We should listen to Ohta-kun and Mr. Yoruichi. We didn't come here looking to pick a fight. We came to rescue Rukia."
While Ichigo looked annoyed, Chad and eventually Uryu nodded their heads in affirmation. As such, the group ended up following Yoruichi to occupy one of the many abandoned buildings within the Rukon district, which, after the initial scare of the group's arrival, slowly became packed with people...
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"I need you to listen closely to what I'm about to say," said Yoruichi, sitting beneath a rough 'map' of the Seireitei while the rest of the group sat in a loose circle around her.
"As Orihime pointed out previously, we did not come here looking to pick a fight with the Soul Society. Our objectives are the salvation of Ms. Kuchiki and ensuring you're able to return to your everyday lives without suffering adverse consequences. Thus, while contact with members of the Gotei is unavoidable, you should do what you can to avoid maiming or taking your opponents' lives. They are not likely to afford you the same courtesy, but if you go on a murderous rampage, this incident will not conclude with Ms. Kuchiki's rescue..."
Understanding that Yoruichi's words were principally intended for him, a
frown marred Ohta's face. He understood the logic behind her words, but the notion of sparing those trying to kill him...to say it was a sentiment he didn't agree with would be an understatement. However, as he knew the original purpose of this setup was to expose Aizen and his collaborators, he would try not to kill everyone that stood in his way. Not for the sake of Kisuke's plan but to ensure Rukia didn't become an outcast by association with him...
"What's the actual plan?" asked Ichigo, both looking and feeling restless. He hadn't come to Soul Society, leaving behind his family and loved ones, just to sit around and wait.
"The four of you will remain here while I look for a woman named Shiba Kukaku," replied Yoruichi. "As we speak, Shinigami from all Thirteen Court Guardian Squads are doubtlessly being deployed to guard the perimeter of the Seireitei. Kukaku possesses a method that will allow us to slip past them, placing us near the center of the Seireitei in a single go. From there, &nbsp;we should be able to locate Ms. Kuchiki in the Senzaikyū, the Repentance Hall."
Raising his hand, Uryu said, "Question. Once we rescue Kuchiki-san, how will we escape? Furthermore, what's to stop them from pursuing us to the human world once we do?"
"Those are some excellent questions," replied Yoruichi, secretly feeling very annoyed. She was confident she could convince Ohta, but if Ichigo learned they would wait until the day of Rukia's execution to rescue her, he'd charge in like a reckless bull.
Catching Yoruichi by surprise, Ohta chimed in to state, "That's where I come in. The Seireiheki that Yoruichi mentioned before should prevent even Captain-level Shinigami from forming footholds and flying through the air. So long as we can recover Rukia, I can ferry everyone to safety, no problem..."
"That doesn't explain how we'll prevent the Soul Society from pursuing us to the human world," noted Uryu, beginning to key in on the fact that Ohta and Yoruichi were keeping secrets.
"You should have thought of that before you decided to come," asserted Ohta, adding, "It's still not too late for you to back out. Once I've rescued Rukia, I'll come and collect both you and your discarded balls."
Furrowing his brows, Uryu looked like he had 'a lot' to say but understood there was no sense in fighting amongst themselves. He had also come to Soul Society for 'personal' reasons, not just to rescue Rukia, so he wasn't going to back out now.
"Whatever," interjected Ichigo, directing his gaze to Yoruichi as he said, "Just hurry up and find that Kukaku woman. The longer we wait, the more time our enemies will have to prepare. If they start sending Shingami out to search for us, the people living around us will be in danger."
"I plan to do exactly that," retorted Yoruichi. "In the meantime, the four of you should remain here. The Rukongai is like a maze, so if you wander off, you could get lost and never find your way back. Besides, we didn't come here to take in the sights. Unless you are forced to withdraw, sit tight and wait here. You aren't children anymore..."
Finished with her words, Yoruichi walked between the ground, making her way outside. Since everything around them was formed from Reishi(Soul Particles), she couldn't phase through things like normal. As a result, she had no choice but to navigate her surroundings like an actual cat, seeking out the village elder or mayor responsible for the area they were located. Kukaku didn't know the meaning of the words 'low profile,' so if she was in the area, someone was bound to know her exact location...
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Staring up at the two moons dominating the night sky of Soul Society, one red and one blue, various thoughts crossed Ohta's mind. He had been told that the Soul Society was a single plane, seemingly stretching out forever. However, with two moons in the sky and countless stars present, he felt a dismissable urge to know more about the world he had been reincarnated into...
Interrupting Ohta's silent reflection, Orihime approached him from behind, calling out, "Ohta-kun...?" in a faint tone.
"Last I checked..." replied Ohta, continuing to stare at the sky with a half-lidded expression.
Surprising him once again, Orihime came over and sat next to Ohta, albeit with a respectable distance between them. She then crossed her arms on her knees, resting her chin on them as she asked, "Do you...do you mind if I ask why you gave up your previous life and body...?"
Understanding why Orihime might ask such a question, as she was also an orphan, Ohta considered his response before answering, "Because I possess a power that doesn't belong in the human world...a power that, if exposed, would incite greed and jeopardize the lives of myself and those involved with me..."
Lowering her gaze and adopting a sad look, Orihime asked, "Is that why you never got close to anyone...?"
"Something like that..." replied Ohta. The truth was more complicated, but Orihime's conjecture wasn't wrong. He hated losing those he had deemed important, so after losing 'everything' in his previous life, he was reluctant to invest in relationships that didn't benefit him in some form...
"You seem very lonely..." muttered Orihime, causing Ohta to shift his gaze to the buxom beauty, finding her staring back at him with a look he could best describe as empathy but more than likely denoted pity...
Furrowing his brows slightly, Ohta softly retorted, "You 'would' recognize it, wouldn't you?"
Smiling weakly, Orihime broke eye contact with Ohta and replied, "You're right. Even though I have wonderful friends like Tatsuki-chan, I always feel alone at the end of the day. Sometimes, especially around holidays, I even cry myself to sleep..."
"..."
Though he was tempted to ask what she expected him to do about it, Ohta remained silent, permitting Orihime to ask, "There's something I've been meaning to ask you...that day when you escorted me home, did you do something? Ever since then, my health and luck have improved, and I no longer get chills at night..."
"That'll happen when you stop getting hit by cars..." replied Ohta, eliciting a pouty expression from the orange-haired girl.
Regaining her smile almost immediately, Orihime joined Ohta in staring up at the stars as she quietly expressed, "Well, regardless of whether or not you did anything, I wanted to thank you. The food you made that day was delicious. If there's anything I can do to repay you, just let me know..."
Adopting a faint smile, Ohta replied, "Just keep being a caring person and a good friend to Tatsuki. As for your loneliness problem, you could always confess to Ichigo..."
Surprising Ohta more than ever, Orihime covered her mouth to suppress a soft, sonorous giggle before turning to meet his gaze with narrowed eyes as she stated, "Maybe I will, someday...for now, I'm thinking of following a different path..."
Rising to her feet, Orihime brushed herself off before retreating into the rundown shack they were occupying. Ohta followed her departure with his eyes, briefly stealing a glance at her ass, but soon returned his gaze skyward, thinking, ("First Ichigo's tomboy sister and now Orihime...being handsome really is a curse...") while smiling faintly...
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(A/N: Ichigo needs to be careful. Ohta is slowly sucking up all his fate and luck...)

Contrasting Karin's expectations, Ohta didn't force her to train 24/7 or deprive her of sleep. The only real change to their schedule was that he had her wake up at 5:30 AM, joining him for a 3km run and training with free weights until breakfast. At 8 AM, her 'real' training began, alternating between failure drills and repeating a single exercise for upwards of four hours without any meaningful breaks or rest.
Fortunately for Karin, Ohta afforded her free time from noon to 3 PM. He advised her to use that time to rest. Instead, she used it to loiter about his room, curling up atop Rukia's beanbag to read manga, asking for help with her Summer classwork, relaxing in the bath, or surprising him with random questions.
"Can you do the splits?" asked Karin, sitting with her feet together on the floor.
"Not without hurting myself..." replied Ohta, his gaze focused on the book he was reading, a variation of the Dirk Pitt novels from his previous world. There were many things in this world that were similar but subtly different from his past, including a trading card game called Pokomon, a growing search engine called Goggle, and a middle-grade book series called Harry Mason.
In an obvious attempt to get his attention, Karin asserted, "I can. Here, check this out..." before doing a split and leaning forward to lean on her elbows. It was a decent display of flexibility, but if he looked beyond the intent, Ohta would have been able to see Karin's increasingly perky butt, bound in navy-blue bike shorts.
"Not bad..." replied Ohta, briefly casting his gaze to Karin before returning to his book. His 'dismissiveness' earned him a frown, but the raven-haired Kurosaki didn't say anything as she held her position, periodically looking his way while her eyes meandered about his room.
Seemingly finding her courage, Karin asked the question Ohta had been anticipating even before her week-long training camp, specifically, "Hey, Ohta...do you have a girlfriend?"
"You should know the answer to that, even without me telling you," said Ohta, turning the page in his book. Karin had seen the inside of Rukia's apartment when she was moving stuff from the second to the first floor, and she had sneakily searched through his dresser drawers when he was unwinding in the bath. Ohta hadn't said anything, as Karin's behavior was fairly common for her age, but he quickly noticed some of Rukia's clothes and one of his spirit-thread t-shirts were missing since then.
"Well, where is she?" asked Karin, either pretending she had no idea what Ohta was hinting at or completely unaware she had been found out.
"The Soul Society abducted her," replied Ohta, turning another page as he casually revealed, "I'll be leaving to rescue her tomorrow, along with your brother and several of his friends..."
Not expecting such a revelation, Karin stared at Ohtat with wide eyes and her mouth slightly agape. Before she could exclaim or ask any follow-up questions, however, Ohta calmly lied through his teeth, assuring, "Relax, boku. It's not as serious as it sounds. Your brother will be back before the end of Summer, maybe a lot sooner."
"..."
Though she had developed that habit of believing just about everything Ohta told her, Karin furrowed her brows, clearly mulling over her thoughts for several minutes before muttering, "You mentioned that Ichi-nii will be back...what about you?"
"I'll most likely remain in the Soul Society," replied Ohta, shifting his gaze to meet the hurt-looking Kurosaki's as he teased, "But don't worry. I'll still come to visit Karakura every so often. Your daydreams might not bear the fruit you're hoping for, but I can at least check in to see how your training is progressing."
"..."
Feeling saddened by Ohta's words, Karin lowered her gaze to the space under his bed, staring at nothing in particular. She knew her chances were slim due to the difference in their age, but most of the female clothes she found in Ohta's dresser were a comfortable fit. When she originally found them, she even suspected that Ohta had bought them specifically for her to wear, but the existence of romance novels and other girly things in his apartment told a different story.
Not sure what else to say, Karin's eyes wandered for a few minutes before she eventually asked, "How tall is your girlfriend...?"
"I'm not entirely sure," responded Ohta. "Somewhere around 140-145cm? She's a short stack and a half."
Rising to his feet, Ohta used telepathy to unlock the drawer containing his sketchpads and notebooks, pulling one out and tossing it to Karin as she rose to a seated position.
"Is this a sketchbook?" asked Karin. However, even before Ohta replied, she understood why he had tossed it to her, opening it to discover the first page depicted a raven-haired girl with delicate features but sharp, emotive eyes.
"Did you draw this...?" asked Karin, her expression a mixture of shock and awe. From her viewpoint, the casually created sketch looked like a photo that had been superimposed onto the page.
"Her name is Rukia," revealed Ohta, sitting on his bed as he added, "She's the one who gave your brother his powers, forced to relinquish them after sustaining a serious injury while trying to protect you and your family. You should thank her when you meet."
Though Ohta's remark inspired several questions in her mind, Karin didn't ask them. Instead, she continued to gaze at Rukia's headshot, wondering if she could get Ohta to create one of her.
Seeing through the diminutive Kurosaki's thoughts, Ohta asked, "Let me guess, you want me to draw you?" with a teasing smile.
"Can you...?" asked Karin, looking at Ohta with a glimmer of hope in her ebony eyes. She felt like an idiot for having a crush on a boy who already had a girlfriend, but if she could have a memento of their time together, it would lessen the blow, at least a little.
"Sure," replied Ohta, getting up to grab a second sketchbook and a set of graphite pencils. Contrasting Karin's expectations, however, he didn't ask her to pose or model for him. Instead, he sat down at his desk, drawing a near-perfect rendition of her present appearance from memory.
Observing Ohta's progress from over his shoulder, Karin was awed again by his skill. She 'knew' he was good after seeing the sketch of Rukia, but she didn't realize how effortless the process was for him. It was actually a little unnerving, her ears burning at the prospect that Ohta could draw her in whatever pose or position he pleased...
"Done," said Ohta, holding up the sketchbook so Karin could get a better look or hold it directly. In it, Karin had a slightly annoyed look on her face, but she only had herself to blame for that, as, even when she smiled, her brows were almost always furrowed.
Staring at the image, Karin felt like she was staring into a static, black-and-white mirror. Its expression annoyed her a bit, but instead of voicing her thoughts aloud, Karin couldn't help smiling as she said, "You're really good..." Unfortunately, as was often the case when people learned that someone they knew was good at art, this was immediately followed by, "Can you draw another one? This time in an action pose...?"
Exhaling a scoffing chuckle, Ohta remarked, "You're lucky I'm in a good mood..." before setting the sketchbook down, flipping to a new page, and creating a sketch that could pass as the cover of an action comic...
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"Someone's early. Are you that eager to enter the Soul Society?" asked Yoruichi, waiting in the parking lot of Urahara's store in her feline form. Ichigo, Orihime, and Chad had yet to be apprised of the fact she was a bodacious beauty in disguise, and she planned to keep it that way until she found a good time to fuck with them.
"You're lucky I've waited this long," remarked Ohta, looking around as he asked, "Where are the others?"
"I just said you're early," replied Yoruichi, rolling her eyes as she added, "They're a bunch of high-school brats. Did you think they would show up an hour ahead of the scheduled meeting time...?"
Without waiting for Ohta's response, Yoruichi met his gaze, appending, "Actually, it's good that you showed up early. That Quincy boy from the Menos incident will be accompanying us on our trip. If you could avoid planting his head in the ground until 'after' we've rescued your beloved Rukia, that'd be great..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta responded with a dismissive, "Whatever..." He assumed Uryu was just another unwitting pawn drafted into Kisuke's schemes, but that didn't concern him. Once this shit with Aizen was over, he planned to cut all ties with the creepy uncle, the only exception being Yoruichi. However, unless she went out of her way to visit him in the Soul Society, or wherever else he ended up, he would have nothing to do with her...
Though she couldn't read Ohta's mind, Yoruichi suddenly felt annoyed, prompting her to ask, "You're not thinking anything rude, are you...?" in a flat, accusatory tone.
"Is that going to stop you from seeking my attention?" countered Ohta, patting his chest as he added, "C'mere."
"..."
Suppressing the urge to scratch or bite him, Yoruichi briefly hesitated before pouncing over and leaping into Ohta's embrace, perching atop his left forearm and allowing him to pet her. It frustrated her to no end when he treated her like a pet, but she endured it, having convinced herself it was only a matter of time before she got even with him...
"Oh? You two look like you're having fun," remarked Kisuke, emerging from his store in his usual outfit, sporting his characteristically creepy smile.
Furrowing his brows, Ohta asked, "Are the preparations for our departure complete? There aren't any 'surprises' waiting for us, are there...?"
"If you knew, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, would it?" teased Kisuke, unruffled by Ohta's glower as he added, "But yes, the preparations have been completed. All we're waiting for now is for the remaining players to arrive. Look, here comes one now..."
Pointing into the distance with his cane, Kisuke prompted both Ohta and Yoruichi to look back, the latter perching atop the former's shoulder for a better view. There, seemingly materializing from the shadows, was a tall, brown-skinned man with messy brown hair, rugged features, and a broad, muscular body. He looked to be in his late twenties, but the truth was that he was barely three weeks older than Ohta.
Spotting Ohta, the inordinately tall youth, Sado Yasutora, colloquially known as 'Chad,' briefly paused before raising his right hand and offering a curt, "Yo...it's been a while..."
"And you're even bigger than the last time I saw you," remarked Ohta.
"Mmm...I've been working out..." replied Chad, balling his raised hand into a fist and flexing, his bicep looking like it might tear the fabric of his pink Hawaiian shirt.
"So it would appear..." replied Ohta. However, as he could barely sense any 'real' power within Chad's body, he felt compelled to ask, "Are you sure you want to come along? You're definitely powerful for a human, but the place we're headed is filled with literal 'Gods of Death.'"
Without any hesitation, Chad responded with a curt nod, calmly asserting, "Rukia helped me out once. I want to return the favor..."
"Then you better not die..." mused Ohta, deciding to no longer press the matter. Chad was similar to him in how they both 'repaid' their debts. The key difference was that Chad primarily repaid debts of kindness and let those who wronged him go in peace. Ohta was the opposite in the latter regard, as he could hold a grudge for years and 'always' got his revenge, even if it killed him...
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(A/N: Chad is such a Chad o_o...)

Chapter 37: A Farewell to Mortality