Not a Mob: Psycho

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...)

With Yoruichi returning early the next morning, having located Kukaku's residence overnight, Ohta and the rest eventually found themselves in a forest clearing, staring at what looked like a Japanese-style storage shed with a massive chimney. More notably, a pair of statues resembling giant arms flanked both sides of the house, holding up a red banner bearing the Kanji for 'Shiba Kukaku.'
"Who the hell decorates their house like this?" asked Ichigo. "Talk about poor taste..."
"I think it looks kind of cool," supplanted Orihime. "Very manly."
"Don't let Kukaku hear you say that," said Yoruichi, snorting as she added, "Kukaku is one of the most hedonistic, temperamental, and violent women you'll ever have the displeasure of meeting. Say or do something to annoy her, and, man or woman, you're guaranteed to take a beating."
Directing her gaze to Ohta, though her words were directed at the entire group, Yoruichi added, "If you're smart, you'll leave the talking to me and heed any instructions she might give you without a fuss. Do that, and we'll be within the Seireitei before you know it..."
"We get it. Can we just go already?" asked Ichigo, taking the initiative to lead the way. Before he could get more than six steps, however, Yoruichi
appeared atop his head, pushing down with her paws to make him crash face-first into the ground as she said, "You're really starting to get on my nerves, boy...!"
As he wasn't really injured by Yoruichi's attack, Ichigo bounced back to his feet, exclaiming, "What the heck was that for!? And how the hell can a cat be so strong...!?"
Snorting disdainfully, Yoruichi ignored Ichigo's questions and made her way toward the strange structure, prompting two nearly identical men to appear, emerging from behind muscular arm statues. Both had Mongolian features, stood around 218cm tall, and had bulky frames. They also wore matching outfits, albeit with different color palettes, consisting of red hats with white tassels protruding from the top, baby-blue sailor bandannas, gown-like robes that made them look like martial arts, pants, and sandals.
"Welcome, Master Yoruichi...!" exclaimed the men, practically prostrating themselves before the black cat.
"I have returned, Koganehiko, Shiroganehiko," replied Yoruichi. "And these four behind me are the guests I mentioned previously. Inform your Master of our arrival."
"At once," replied both men, rising in concert with one another before pushing open the doors to the shed-like house. Instead of opening to a small room, however, the entrance led down a long, steep flight of stairs, descending more than forty meters to what Ohta and the others would discover to be a large, Japanese-style manor complex.
"Wow, this place is incredible~!" exclaimed Orihime, eyes wide as she marveled at the sight.
Caressing his split chin, the muscular man that had led the group into the depths of the manor, gave a curt nod as he remarked, "Your servant has impeccable tastes, Master Yoruichi."
"Now, now, I already told you they were my companions," replied Yoruichi, albeit with an amused glimmer in her eye.
"Ah, my apologies," said the man, bowing his head slightly before raising it to say, "I will now announce your presence."
Tapping the frame of the sliding bamboo door at his back, the burly man bellowed, "Lady Kukaku, Master Yoruichi and four others have arrived...!"
"Let them in," came a lazy-sounding voice from the inside, notably husky but distinctly feminine.
"As you will," replied the man, sliding open the door to reveal a youthful, remarkably busty woman of average height. She had dark green eyes and wore bandages over long messy hair that reached the small of her back, a white skirt with a long slit down the right side, and a provocative red robe that seemed to be designed to emphasize her ample bosom intentionally. However, as eye-catching as her tits were, her most prominent features were her missing right arm and the fully functional prosthetic she wore in its place, resembling a mechanical doll's arm.
"Which one of you is Yamada Ohta," asked Kukaku, her eyes meeting with the person in question as she took a drag from a long, Japanse-style pipe that appeared to be packed with a mixture of opium and other 'medicinal' herbs based on the smell.
"Your curiosity can wait for later," said Yoruichi. "Have you completed the preparations...?"
"We just talked earlier this morning," replied Kukaku, taking another long drag from her pipe before adding, "You can launch in ten hours, assuming these brats can form the cannonball properly."
Hearing Kukaku's words, Ichigo questioned, "Cannonball? Wait...don't tell me that massive chimney was a cannon this entire time...!?"
"Don't make me muzzle you, boy!" shouted Yoruichi, subsequently hissing to get Ichigo to shut up.
Exhaling a throaty chuckle, Kukaku adopted a toothy grin and said, "Make it fifteen."
"Make it eight," interjected Ohta, his brows furrowing as invisible pressure began to release from his body.
"Twenty," countered Kukaku, undaunted by the slight rumble starting to affect the room.
"Ten," said Yoruichi, a serious look on her feline face as she stared intently into Kukaku's eyes.
Clicking her tongue, Kukaku replied, "Fine. Since this is a favor for Kisuke, I'll stop joking around. But, before we get started, there's someone I want to introduce you to."
Rising to her feet, Kukaku made her way over to a sliding door at the side of the room, calling out, "You ready?"
"Yes, Sis..." replied the voice of a man, husky like Kukaku's but markedly less feminine.
As Kukaku opened the door, a muscular man with chin-length black hair bowed his head low, exclaiming, "It is a pleasure to meet you! My name is Shiba Ganju...!"
Nodding her head, Kukaku said, "Good job." before shifting her gaze to Yoruichi and the rest of the group, stating, "I trust you, Yoruichi, but these brats are another matter entirely. I'm afraid they'll fuck things up, so I'm sending my baby brother to supervise. Make sure he gets back to me, you hear...?"
Exhaling a light chuckle, Yoruichi replied, "Very well, Kukaku. However, I have enough on my plate babysitting this lot. If he's incapable of caring for himself, I suggest he stays behind."
"Eh, don't worry," assured Kukaku. "This big oaf might have stones for brains, but he has good survival instincts. As long as you don't go rushing willy-nilly into a group of Captains, he'll be fine."
"Very well," replied Yoruichi, directing her gaze to Ganju as she said, "Your sister isn't quick to compliment others. As such, I have high expectations for you, Shiba Ganju."
"Yes, I will do my best!" exclaimed Ganju, bowing his head until it nearly touched the floor.
"You better," said Kukaku, shifting her gaze to Ohta and the rest, focusing on the former as she said, "Anyways, grab your things and follow me. I'll show you what we'll be using to smash your way into the Seireitei. What you do from there is up to you."
As Kukaku was staring at him, Ohta narrowed his eyes and replied, "Lead the way." in a curt, resolute tone. The inordinately buxom woman grinned almost menacingly in response, but instead of saying or doing anything to provoke him, she responded with an equally curt, "Good answer." before leading the group deeper underground, through a well-lit corridor and to a room covered in red warning labels.
"Open the door, Ganju," ordered Kukaku, prompting her much larger but younger brother to respond, "Yes, Ma'am...!" before quickly doing as she instructed.
Pushing open the doors, Ganju revealed a massive, darkened room whose dimensions were at least forty meters cubed. The far side of the room had what looked like an enormous cylindrical monolith but was actually a giant fireworks launcher based on Kukaku shouting, "Feast your eyes, kiddies. This big beauty is the Kakaku Taiho(Flower Crane Cannon), the greatest masterpiece of myself, Shiba Kukaku, Soul Society's foremost fireworks expert...!"
"Fireworks...?" parroted Ichigo, a look of disbelief on his face.
"That's right," replied Kukaku, grinning as she directed her gaze to the roof above and shouted, "Koganehiko, Shiroganehiko, raise it now!" in a booming voice that pierced the ceiling and reached the surface above ground.
In response to Kukaku's shout, the chamber began to tremble, shaking violently as the floor rose like a colossal elevator. At the same time, the ceiling above parted like the roof of a stadium, permitting the enormous launcher to pass through until the floor eventually became level with the ground outside.
While everyone else was recovering from the shock of being transported to the surface, Kukaku raised her left hand, materializing what looked like a crystal boy with a red crane insignia inside, saying, "Think fast, kid!" as she tossed it to Ohta.
Catching the sphere effortlessly with his left hand, Ohta asked, "And this is...?" in a flat tone.
"It's called a Reishukaku," replied Kukaku. "It's what will enable you to break through the barrier surrounding the Seireitei. Now, go ahead and channel your spirit energy into it."
Holding the sphere at chest level, Ohta earned a moderately impressed look from Kukaku as the interior immediately glowed a vibrant shade of bluish-white, followed by a transparent, bubble-like barrier materializing around him.
"Wow, Yoruichi wasn't exaggerating when she said you were a monster," remarked Kukaku. "Unless they're Kido experts, even most Captains don't possess that level of spiritual control."
"Hey, let me try," said Ichigo, knocking on the thin but incredibly durable barrier surrounding Ohta.
"Go for it," replied Ohta, retracting his spirit energy from the Reishukaku and tossing it to Ichigo.
"Hnnnnnnngh...!"
With an expression that looked like he was about to shit himself, Ichigo used both hands to squeeze the Reishukaku, failing to get it to so much as emit a faint glow despite groaning loudly.
"What are you doing...?" asked Ohta, his expression morphing into a half-lidded deadpan.
Ceasing his exertions, Ichigo frowned and retorted, "You tell me. How do you even insert your spirit energy into something...?"
"..."
Shifting his gaze to Yoruichi, Ohta asked, 'What the actual fuck...?' with his eyes alone.
"Don't look at me," said Yoruichi, excusing, "Kisuke is the one who trained him. I was responsible for these two," while looking to Orihime and Chad.
"Oh, oh, can I try?" asked Orihime. Ichigo seemed reluctant to part with it at first, but he eventually tossed it over, emulating Ohta's "Go for it..." in a neutral tone.
Holding the sphere fairly casually, as if she were cradling it in her hands, Orihime issued a cutesy "Haaawum...!" as the interior of the Reishukaku lit up. When a transparent bubble formed a few seconds later, Ichigo's right brow twitched. It hadn't even been three weeks since Orihime gained her power, but her control drastically exceeded his own.
"I did it~!" chimed Orihime, initially looking at Ichigo with a smile before promptly shifting her gaze to Ohta when she noticed how aggravated the former looked.
"Ehehehe~"
Raising his brows, Ohta asked, "What, do you want me to praise you...?" before exhaling a faint, scoffing chuckle when Orihime's eyes glistened in expectation.
"Fine, good job," said Ohta, looking away from Orihime's beaming smile to address Kukaku, asking, "So, all we need to do is channel our spirit energy into this, and we can break the barrier around the Seireitei?"
Thumbing to the launcher behind her, Kukaku responded, "If it were that simple, someone like you could simply crash through on foot. You'll need the veil of protective energy condensed by my Kakaku Taiho to crack the barrier without being destroyed on contact."
Though he was tempted to fly off and confirm things for himself, Ohta responded with &nbsp;a flat "Understood." before crossing his arms and asking, "What should we do in the meantime?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Kukaku replied, "Well, you and the orange tart can do whatever you like. These three will need to head underground to practice forming the cannonball. Everyone riding within the Reishukaku needs to channel their spirit energy into it or it will become unstable and explode, scattering you in every direction."
Directing her gaze at Ichigo, Kukaku added, "You, especially, need to get your shit together. What kind of Shinigami, Substitute or otherwise, can't control their spirit energy?"
Furrowing his brows, Ichigo looked like he wanted to defend himself but ultimately just flexed the muscles of his jaw. Fortunately for him, Yoruichi chimed in to say, "The issue is that he possesses 'too much' spirit energy. Attempting to control it is like trying to do calligraphy with a tremendous weight attached to the tail of your brush. Given a few hours, I'm certain he'll be able to utilize the Reishukaku effectively."
Surprised that Yoruichi had taken his side, a gratified smile developed across Ichigo's face. Unfortunately, before he could feel truly thankful, Yoruichi added, "If he can't, well, we'll have no choice but to leave him behind and let him catch up later..."
(Awwww, man. Even a freakin' cat is doubting me...") groaned Ichigo, albeit within his mind. At the same time, his usually black eyes emitted a faint, silverly-blue glow as he glowered at the Reishukaku, determined to master its usage before the deadline...
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(A/N: Ichigo was a bit of a comic relief character near the start of Bleach xD...)

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...
...
..
.
(A/N: Instead of saying 'mou,' Orihime should be saying 'moo'...)

Chapter 38: The Virtue of Patience