Not a Mob: Psycho

With Ohta making no effort to conceal himself, the number of assailing Shinigami, primarily from Squads 6, 7, and 8, steadily increased as they tried to surround him. Unfortunately, while Ohta had some interest in the Captain of Squad 6, Rukia's brother, Kuchiki Byakuya, his current location was probably the 'worst' place he could have ended up.
Based on the information provided by Yoruichi, the Captains of Squads 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 13 were the least likely to have any direct connection with Aizen's schemes. Furthermore, the Captain of Squad 8, Kyōraku no Jirō Sakuranosuke Shunsui, was in the category of people Yoruichi urged him 'not' to fuck with. The man was the person most likely to succeed the current Captain-Commander, denoting him as especially powerful among the Gotei 13. More importantly, he was one of the three Captains virtually guaranteed to take their side when it came time to rescue Rukia.
If Ohta were to kill any members of the Gotei, specifically Captains, the 'safest' options were Ichimaru Gin of Squad 3, Tosen Kaname of Squad 6, Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11, and Kurotsuchi Mayuri of Squad 12. Only the first two were considered candidates to be Aizen's collaborators, but the latter two were dangerous elements that might imperil his life even if they managed to succeed in Rukia's rescue. Zaraki was described as a monster who perpetually thirsted for battle, and Mayuri was a crazed scientist who reveled in dissection and human/spirit experimentation.&nbsp;
Curiously enough, at least according to Yoruichi, Ohta could be made the next Kenpachi if he killed the current one. Said title could only be passed from one person to another in combat to the death, so whoever killed the acting Kenpachi became the next. This made Zaraki a 'safe' option, but, as the acting Kenpachi, it also meant he was the 'strongest' Captain in terms of pure fighting prowess. Yoruichi also told him it would upset the Captain of Squad 4 if he actually slew the man, so he should only do so if left with no other choice.
"Let's just hope I don't run into Yoruichi's 'kitten' as my first opponent..." muttered Ohta, referring to the Captain of Squad 2, Su&igrave;-Fēng, aka Soifon. She was said to be the weakest of the current Captains, but her stealth capabilities and speed shouldn't be underestimated. Her Zanpakuto could also kill any target it struck in the same place twice, so even if she lacked raw power and Reiryoku, Soifon was among the most deadly of the Gotei. She was also, according to the cat herself, batshit crazy and more than a little obsessive over the exiled Shihouin heiress...
As Ohta was wondering who his first 'true' opponent would be, a figure plunged from the sky, landing a few tens of meters away from him along the corridor-like path he was walking. Ohta had been doing his best to maintain a relaxed, ostensibly apathetic expression, but he couldn't help smiling the moment he saw the figure.
Standing approximately 188cm tall, possessing distinctive crimson hair done up in a spiky ponytail and tattoos covering much of his face and body, the person who arrived before Ohta was none other than one of Rukia's captors, the recently-appointed Lieutenant of Squad 6, Abarai Renji.
Rising to his full height, Renji stared at Ohta with his sanpaku-like eyes, an intense look on his face as he asked, "Are you Yamada Ohta, the rumored 'lover' of the criminal, Kuchiki Rukia...?"
"Depending on 'your' answers, I'm the guy that's about to give you PTSD," replied Ohta. "Now, tell me, did you come here to stop me from reclaiming what's mine?"
Frowning even more so than he already was, Renji drew his sword and practically growled, "Rukia does not belong to you..."
"That was her decision to make, and she already made it," said Ohta, also drawing his Zanpakuto. Depending on the Spirit Class of his opponent, his 'base' psychic powers had limited effectiveness. One of the requirements for promotion to Lieutenant was a Reiryoku grade of Class 6 or higher, so he would need to touch Renji to effectuate his telekinesis against him.
"That's a lie, and you know it!" roared Renji, scowling as he accused, "You took advantage of her vulnerability and tricked her with your human wiles. Now, you've come here to give her false hope! Can you imagine how much it will torment her to learn of your death or imprisonment...!?"
"Guess I'll just have to survive," replied Ohta, smiling as he vanished from Renji's view.
Opening his eyes to their limits, Renji internally exclaimed ("He's fast...!") while leaping backward.
"Boo..." muttered Ohta, appearing behind the stunned Lieutenant as he slipped the tip of his Zanpakuto between Renji's ribs, just under his liver. At the same time, he placed his hand on Renji's left shoulder, placing a psychic imprint on him before vanishing as the crimson-haired Shinigami spun to try and bifurcate him at the waist.
"Shit..." grunted Renji, feeling his strength beginning to leave his body. Such wounds weren't especially effective against individuals with high Reiryoku density, but he would need to continuously channel his spirit energy to the area to prevent it from bleeding excessively.
Observing Renji from a distance, Ohta remained silent for several seconds before remarking, "You're weaker than I expected. Even without releasing your Zanpakuto, you should be stronger than this."
Understanding the reason for Renji's apparent weakness, Ohta narrowed his eyes and questioned, "Are you looking down on me?"
"Not anymore..." replied Renji, holding his Zanpakuto in front of him with his right hand, tracing his left across the flat of his blade as he shouted, "How, Zabimaru...!"
In response to Renji's shout, his Zanpakuto transitioned from a typical katana with a rectangular tsuba and a crimson handle to a six-segmented blade, each section getting wider from the hilt. Each segment had a pick-like protrusion at the front and back, giving it the appearance of a saw or the toothy maw of a beast.
"Neat," remarked Ohta, finding the design of Renji's Zanpakut impractical but fairly cool-looking. At the very least, it was a perfect fit for his rugged, tattooed, borderline-delinquent appearance.
"Take this!" shouted Renji, swinging his Zanpakuto despite a considerable between him and Ohta. As he did so, the six-segmented blade split apart, held together by a tendon-like material that allowed it to stretch and slice through the wall lining the street, sweeping at Ohta more than seventeen meters away.
Though he could have easily evaded the attack, Ohta intercepted the tip section of Renji's with his own, holding his Zanpakuto in a relaxed reverse grip as he stopped the fang-like blade in its tracks.
Seeing Ohta stand completely still, causing the remaining section of his Zanpakuto to tense and buckle as they tried to push him back, Renji asked, "What the hell is this? Even if you're somehow stronger than me, the momentum of my attack should have pushed you back..."
"It might have," responded Ohta, adopting a teasing smile as he added, "If I had allowed it to."
Deflecting the tip of Renji's Zanpakuto downward, Ohta backstepped to create a bit of distance between himself and his opponent. There was no need for this, but caution was better than overconfidence. He didn't know Renji's full capabilities, so he decided to play it safe, even though he was fairly certain he had already won.
Clenching his teeth and frowning, Renji tried to retract his Zanpakuto but ended up pulling himself forward abruptly as the end Ohta had embedded into the ground remained fixed like an anchor.
"What the hell...!?" exclaimed Renji, fixing his posture at the last moment to avoid being catapulted over the end of his now-immovable Zanpakuto. That wasn't an exaggeration either, as the moment the segments came together, Ohta promptly fixed them in place, turning the jagged-toothed blade into an edgier version of the fabled Excalibur. And, unfortunately for Renji, he wasn't worthy enough to draw it.
Exerting himself to the point his face turned purple, Renji tried and failed to extract his Zanpakuto while Ohta observed him with a faint smile from a few meters away. As Renji's blade impacted his own, Ohta channeled a shit ton of psychic energy into the fanged tip. When the other segments came into contact with it, the psychic energy spread through them like a virus, effectively granting him control over the crimson-haired Shinigami's prized weapon as he simply lacked the strength to counteract it.
"You about finished...?" asked Ohta, having stood idly by for nearly a full minute.
Raising his withering gaze to meet Ohta's, beads of sweat condensed beneath the visor covering Renji's brow, cascading down his nose and the sides of his face due to his strenuous exertions.
"What did you do?" asked Renji, shifting his gaze to the Ohta's Zanpakuto as he inquired, "Is this the ability of that little toy? What a cheap ability..."
"Not everyone needs to compensate for their inadequacies with size, flair, and facial tattoos," retorted Ohta, sheathing his Zanpakuto into the hilt at his hip as he asked, "Now, are you going to surrender obediently, or do I need to beat some sense into you...?"
Realizing that Ohta was suing for a scrap, Renji ceased trying to extract his Zanpakuto from the ground, veins bulging at his temples as he replied, "Bring it on, Ryoku(Traveling Evil)..."
Getting into a boxing pose, Ohta made a come-hither gesture with his left hand, smiling viciously as he said, "Come, let's see if you're even worthy of my time..."
Launching himself toward Ohta with a loud "Raaaaaaaaaaaaaagh...!" Renji intended to beat the former to within an inch of his life. Unfortunately for him, he abruptly froze halfway through his leap, his body trembling as he struggled to even breathe.
"I'm waiting..." said Ohta, his smile gradually easing into a deadpan at the realization Renji might genuinely be unable to free himself. Yoruichi could have broken free within milliseconds. Comparing Renji to her wasn't fair to either of them, but Ohta expected someone at the level of a Lieutenant to have more...gumption.
Easing out of his combat posture, Ohta asked, "Seriously, man? You really 'are' compensating with that appearance of yours..."
Unable to speak, all Renji could do was glare at Ohta as he slowly started to black out. Shinigami, strictly speaking, didn't need to breathe, but they could still be asphyxiated if the blood flowing to their brain was throttled or cut off.
After several tense moments, Ohta surprised Renji by firmly stating, "I'm going to save Rukia." before spontaneously releasing the crimson-haired man from his psychic hold. Then, while Renji gasped for air after plopping to the ground, Ohta added, "Rukia told me you were a colleague from the Rukon District. Out of consideration for her, I will spare you this one time. The next time our paths cross, expect no mercy..."
Punctuating his words, Ohta punted Renji's face, caving in the crimson-haired Shinigami's nose and sending him flipping backward through the air for several tens of meters. He wanted to send a message to the Gotei that a singular Lieutenant was no match for him, but more than that, he simply didn't like the 'indignant fury' in Renji's expression when he looked at him...
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Shortly after Ohta's defeat of Renji, word quickly spread through the Gotei 13. Most lower-ranking Shinigami were horrified to learn that a Ryoka had fought and defeated a Lieutenant. Other Lieutenants, Captains, and those who knew Renji personally, however, didn't take the news too seriously. It was no great secret that Renji had feelings for Rukia, so they assumed he either held back or let his sentimentality cloud his judgment.
Among those who believed Renji hadn't been bested in terms of pure skill with an inordinately handsome, almost beautiful man with slate-grey eyes and long black hair kept in place by an intricate headpiece, forming three thick strands of pointy bangs over his face. If Ohta saw him, he would be unnerved by how similar the man, Kuchiki Byakuya, was to his girlfriend, as despite being unrelated, the man looked like an older, male version of Rukia.
Upon hearing the news of Renji's defeat, Byakuya muttered, "So, this is the path you have chosen, Renji..." in his deep, characteristically apathetic monotone. He was the 'most' aware of Renji's feelings for Rukia, but while both Shinigami had risen from the Rukon District, Byakuya didn't consider the redhead worthy of his adopted sister. As for Ohta...the usually taciturn Byakuya had 'many' things he wanted to say to the formerly human youth before invariably killing him...
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(A/N: If Ohta had wanted, he could have totally been like, "Stop hitting yourself..." Renji's fortunate that, deep down, Ohta is a very 'considerate' person xD...)

In the wake of his triumph over Renji, Ohta noticed a distinct decrease in the number of Shinigami actively searching for him. Those that remained were all Seated members, denoting their status as one of the twenty most powerful or 'influential' Shinigami in their Squad.
"This is boring..." muttered Ohta, sitting atop the roof of a predominately white, Japanese-style house as he stared up at the Senzaikyū(Palace of Penitence) imprisoning Rukia.
Though he still had some expectations for the Captains, the Shinigami of Soul Society were considerably weaker than Ohta expected. His training with Yoruichi had shaped his notion of what 'power' was, so he felt like a fully-trained adult being pitted against kindergarteners...
Feeling an electrical sensation across his body, Ohta tensed, his eyes widening as he felt something 'prick' his psychic barrier, accompanied by a metallic ringing sound.
Rising to his feet, Ohta used Shunpo to create some distance between himself and whatever attacked him, inverting the direction he was facing to find a lithe and petite woman with grey eyes and short black hair tied into two, much longer braids that extended to her ass cheeks, wrapped in white cloth and ending in golden rings. More significantly, over the usual uniform of a Shinigami, she wore a sleeveless white haori with an orange interior, fastened at her waist by a bright yellow cloth.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me..." groaned Ohta, recognizing his would-be assassin as none other than Yoruichi's 'kitten,' the Captain of Squad 2, Soifon.
Staring between her wakizashi-style Zanpakuto and Ohta, Soifon coldly asserted, "You have a barrier protecting your body..."
While Soifon was 'distracting' Ohta, a much larger man, exceeding 2m, appeared behind him in the traditional Shihakusho but with an oversized purple collar and several pieces of ornate jewelry adorning his body. He was faster than his size would suggest, but Ohta was much, much faster,
appearing behind the stout, balding man as he said, "Nice try, Bunta(Pig)." before kicking him with meteoric force toward the ground.
At the exact moment Ohta sent the man flying, Soifon materialized like a phantom next to him, her wakizashi leaving behind a visible arc of light as she attempted to slice off his right hand.
As she had empowered her blow with concentrated spirit energy, Soifon's eyes widened when the light enveloping her Zanpakuto 'shattered' as she struck Ohta's wrist. More disturbingly, she felt pain in her hand, like all the force from her blow had rebounded back into her.
"Look, can we not do this?" asked Ohta, shaking his right hand to try and alleviate the pins and needles he was experiencing. Soifon's blow lacked the force needed to overwhelm his empowered psychic barrier, but he felt a strong vibration spread through his arm when her blade made contact, a sensation similar to what one might experience when hitting a metal plate with a sledgehammer.
Furrowing her brows, Soifon abruptly pulled off her Captain's haori, letting it be carried away by the wind as she said, "You face Su&igrave;-Fēng, Captain of the Second Squad and Commander of the Onmitsukidō. Surrender now or suffer the consequences of your indiscretion."
Instead of responding to Soifon, Ohta eyed her new outfit with a mixture of intrigue and confusion. It was similar to the standard Shihakusho, but there were no sleeves or back, and the outer thighs were left completely exposed. She also wore black sleeves resembling arm warmers, running from the middle of her bicep and extending to her hand, but the most notable feature of her outfit was the visible black strings of her panties, visible due to her exposed outer thighs.
With the intention of annoying the serious-looking woman and satisfying his curiosity, Ohta asked, "Are you wearing a thong...?" with raised brows.
Raising her Zanpakuto at an angle before her perennially pissed-off face, Soifon shouted, "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi...!"
Responding to its Master's command, Soifon's Zanpakuto transformed from a fairly ordinary-looking wakizashi to a form-fitting gauntlet with an appearance reminiscent of a killer bee. Reinforcing this sentiment, a long, golden, stinger-like needle covered her middle finger, a fearsome weapon known to kill with two precise strikes.
"Hey, I'm not the one who made you put them on, much less take off your clothes..." remarked Ohta, drastically fortifying the barrier around his body until the tri-colored, kaleidoscopic aura enveloping him became visible to the naked eye, causing his spiky hair to begin fluttering.
Narrowing her eyes, Soifon moved nearly as fast as Yoruichi, momentarily vanishing from Ohta's perception before appearing a few meters behind him. In the very brief interval between, he felt an impact against his right shoulder. Fortunately, while the blow caused him to stagger a bit, Soifon's blow failed to penetrate his barrier.
Frowning deeply, Soifon's voice, clearly crafted to sound like Yoruichi's, carried an especially vitriolic hiss as she stated, "You're starting to annoy me..."
"Says the woman whose Zanpakuto is themed off a buzzing insect..." countered Ohta, mind racing to consider how best to deal with Soifon's speed. It had only been a few hours since the 'raid' began, so he didn't want to reveal all his cards. Yoruichi had also requested that he not be 'too rough' with her former kitten, albeit while also suggesting he try to awaken Soifon's 'femininity.'
Fortunately for Ohta, Soifon was too proud to resort to her Bankai against a foe she believed 'beneath' her. She also hated the form her Bankai took, so she would only utilize it willfully if the situation became dire.
Intent on finding a weakness in Ohta's defenses, Soifon executed a nearly flawless Shunpo. This time, however, Ohta also used Shunpo, effectively trading places with her as she turned to stare at him with a hint of shock in her piercing grey eyes.
Though he initially believed she was simply shocked by his speed, it was Ohta's turn to be surprised when Soifon confidently asserted, "That's La&ndash;that traitor Yoruichi's technique..."
Recovering nigh-instantaneously, Ohta adopted a smile and replied, "She says hi, by the way."
"..."
Holding up her right hand, displaying the stinger-like tip of her Zanpakuto, Soifon abruptly revealed, "My Zanpakuto, Suzumebachi, has the ability to extinguish any target it has struck in the same place twice. Your defense is admittedly impressive, but it's only a matter of time before I discover a vulnerability and pierce them. Surrender and tell me everything you know of Shihouin Yoruichi, and I swear upon my honor as Captain of the Second Squad, you will not be harmed..."
("Wow, this woman is down bad...") thought Ohta, externally responding, "I can't surrender, but I don't mind chatting for a bit. Your former Mistress asked me not to hurt you, so if we could go our separate ways once we're done, that'd be great."
Instead of responding to Ohta's proposal, Soifon looked to where he had sent her Lieutenant crashing earlier. Seeing that he was half-embedded in the ground, Soifon returned her fierce gaze to Ohta, frowning as she said, "We should change locations..." in a faint tone.
"Lead the way, t-back," replied Ohta, causing Soifon's brow to twitch in a manner remarkably similar to Yoruichi. Even the way she styled her hair was similar to her former Mistress, bangs framing her face and two tufts flaring outward like furry ears. It was almost pitiable...
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After recovering her Captain's haori and reverting her Zanpakuto to its base state, Soifon led Ohta to an abandoned building a few kilometers away from their battle site, taking it upon herself to explain, "This is a safe house the Onmitsukidō use to recuperate and conduct surveillance in the western district. The walls are soundproofed, and there are fragments of Sekkiseki infused within, so our Reiyroku won't leak outside..."
"Then consider yourself lucky I'm not an enemy," remarked Ohta, earning a disgusted frown for his trouble. Immediately afterward, however, Soifon approached him, making no effort to disguise the fact she was sniffing his body.
"I knew it..." growled Soifon, barring her teeth as she accused, "You have La&ndash;Shihouin Yoruichi's scent on you..."
Since it had been at least a century since Soifon served under Yoruichi, Ohta couldn't help raising his brows as he asked, "You can recognize her scent after all this time...?"
As there was no way she could reveal she had several of Yoruichi's used and discarded clothes sealed away to preserve their scent, Soifon didn't answer Ohta's query, reacting by narrowing her eyes and asking, "What is your relationship with Shihouin Yoruichi...?"
Recognizing the challenging glimmer in Soifon's eyes, Ohta decided to tell the truth, admitting, "She was my first woman and the person who turned me into a Shinigami..."
Looking like she had sustained a serious injury, Soifon clutched her chest and uttered a pained "K-Kuh...". She could smell the scent of sex on Ohta's body, but having her suspicions confirmed gave her cold chills and made her want to slam her forehead against the nearest wall...
Leaving Ohta completely speechless, Soifon approached the nearby wall, put her hands on it, and promptly banged her forehead against it several times, causing tiny particulates of dust and stone to fall from the ceiling. When she was done, she turned around, blood trickling from her forehead and parting at the bridge of her nose.
"What makes you special?" questioned Soifon, her eyes making it clear she expected a serious answer.
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta revealed, "I was born with an outrageous amount of mental energy and can grasp most techniques after witnessing them just a few times. I'm also only fifteen, but according to your former Mistress, I should be able to defend myself against most acting Captains at least. That's why I'm here, alone, and she's babysitting the others who came with us."
"Yoruichi-sama is here..." muttered Soifon, temporarily losing focus and nearly collapsing due to a sudden influx of emotions and her self-inflicted head trauma. She honestly would have preferred that, an offended glower marring her face when Ohta prevented her collapse by grabbing her right arm and supporting her with his other hand on her waist.
Pushing against Ohta, Soifon intended to force him away but propelled herself backward. His immovability annoyed her even more, but she did her best to suppress her fury, asking, "Does that mean you are a consort of the Shihouin Clan...?"
Without waiting for Ohta's response, Soifon's expression became outright murderous as she affirmed, "No...if that were true, you wouldn't be here to rescue that Kuchiki woman..."
"A century has passed since you last met your Mistress," countered Ohta. "The idea to rescue Rukia was hers, predating our relationship. But you're not wrong. I'm 'not' a consort of the Shihouin Clan. How could I be when your Mistress is currently in exile...?"
Interpreting Ohta's words to indicate he 'would' become a consort, Soifon exhaled a sigh of relief. She still felt an almost overwhelming urge to stab him over, and over, and over again, but while she outwardly expressed her 'hatred' for Yoruichi, she was still a faithful servant of the Shihouin Clan...
Recalling something Yoruichi had told him when they were discussing Soifon, Ohta said, "Oh, yeah. Other than referring to her as your former Mistress, Yoruichi also asked me to say this..."
With Soifon staring at him with slightly raised brows, Ohta regained his cheeky smile and added, "She told me to tell you I hate Urahara with a passion and that if you were being particularly difficult, I should refer to you as Little Fēng."
For the second time since the start of their conversation, Soifon looked like she had taken critical damage. Ohta had anticipated this to an extent. What he didn't expect was for Soifon to growl, "You bastard..." with tears building in the corners of her eyes. More surprisingly, she began to pull at the fabric around her waist, seemingly intending to strip...
("That fucking cat...")
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(A/N: Ohta tried to sidestep but stepped directly on the landmine xD...)

"I'm doing it...!" shouted Ichigo, finally forming a stable cannonball after nearly twenty hours of concerted effort.
While Orihime clapped supportively beside him, Ohta remarked, "Wow. And it only took twice as long as we originally intended to stay. It's a new record..."
"Can it," retorted Ichigo, going from happy to annoyed with the ease of flipping a light switch. As he did, visible cracks began appearing on the surface of his spherical barrier, followed by an abrupt implosion that left the orange-haired youth floored, twitching as smoke rose from his body...
"I'm sure that's some kind of record as well..." muttered Ohta, turning to Orihime to say, "Go and make sure he isn't dead."
"Okay~!" replied Orihime, bouncing to her feet and happily running over to carry out Ohta's instruction. During lunch, they had discussed opening up a 'Paranormal Detective Agency' to investigate abnormal occurrences and find lost items. More accurately, Orihime had pitched the idea while Ohta focused on eating, tentatively agreeing to let her become his investigative assistant in a vain attempt to end the conversation early...
"The two of you seem to be getting along rather swimmingly..." remarked Uryu, seated a few meters away.
Completely ignoring the bespectacled Quincy, Ohta watched with mild interest as Orihime's healing barrier caused the slight charring on Ichigo's clothes and body to disappear slowly. The treatment of his injuries wasn't too unusual, but he found it strange she could heal Ichigo's clothes, even if they were made from spirit particles...
"Thanks, Orihime..." said Ichigo, rising to a seated position with furrowed brows and an awkward smile.
"Oh, it's no problem, Ichigo," replied Orihime, clapping her hands together as she exclaimed, "I'm happy to have been of help~!"
Before Ichigo could respond, Ohta called out, instructing, "Oi, Strawberry. Hurry up and produce another shield. If you can hold it, we can blow this popsicle stand."
"Don't tell me what to do!" barked Ichigo. However, after holding Ohta's serious gaze for several seconds, he picked up the Reishukaku and spent a minute or two to produce another barrier. It took a while to start up, but Ohta could see it was more stable than the previous one.
"Looks like you aren't completely hopeless..." remarked Ohta, rising to his feet and declaring, "We're launching at noon. Take a bath, get something to eat, and try to get a few hours of rest. Once we enter the Seireitei, we don't know when we'll have another opportunity to do so."
"And who put you in charge...?" asked Uryu, startling slightly when a deep, masculine voice answered, "I did," prompting everyone to look toward the room's entrance, finding that Yoruichi had appeared, seemingly out of thin air.
"Ohta is the most powerful among you, by far," stated Yoruichi. "He also has the most experience, so you should defer to his judgment when I'm not around. You're free to use your own, but if he's going out of his way to tell you to do something, you can assume it's the correct thing to do."
As Ohta hadn't exactly told them to jump through hoops or smash their faces against a wall, Uryu couldn't refute Yoruichi's words. As for Chad, well, he didn't care who was in charge. He had come to Soul Society to repay a debt, so he would keep moving forward until Rukia was saved or his body could no longer continue.
With no one offering any arguments, not even Ichigo, the group left the training chamber to get some R&amp;R before their departure. Orihime asked Ohta if she could accompany him, but as he was planning to take a bath, he advised her to go and do the same. Fortunately, while Kukaku was a very 'free-spirited' woman, she had enough sense to separate the male and female baths...
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"Alright, I hope you shitstains are ready...! The final countdown begins now!" shouted Kukaku, standing outside the massive fireworks launcher while everyone else huddled within the chamber.
"Listen closely," said Yoruich, sitting atop the Reishukaku everyone had their hands on. "Once we get inside the Seireitei, it's crucial that we stick together. If we 'do' get split up, do your best to avoid direct contact with the enemy. And if you encounter any Captains, just run. Our objective is to rescue Rukia, not to pick a fight with the Soul Society."
Directing her gaze to Ohta, Yoruichi added, "I'll be depending on you to keep everyone together if something goes wrong."
Furrowing his brows, Ohta asserted, "I can ensure you stay together, but I'm splitting from the rest of the group. If we stay together, it will make it easier for the enemy to surround us."
"You can't do that, Ohta-kun!" exclaimed Orihime. However, before she could say anything more, Yoruichi replied, "Very well. I won't stop you. Just remember what we discussed, and don't go on a mindless rampage. The moment you kill a Captain or Lieutenant, this situation becomes a lot harder to salvage..."
"Mr. Yoruichi...!" exclaimed Orihime, unable to believe what she was hearing. In response, the soot-colored cat stared up at her, narrowing her eyes as she asserted, "Ohta-kun's power is far more destructive than you can imagine at your current level, young lady. When surrounded by allies, he cannot exercise his full might, so letting him serve as a distraction will greatly enhance our chances of success."
Shifting her gaze to Ichigo, Yoruichi added, "That means it will be up to us to rescue Rukia. Don't rush off on your own, and if you get separated from the group, seek shelter or hide underground."
"Understood..." responded Ichigo, his expression serious and resolute as he directed his stare at Ohta. He knew the latter was the most 'desperate' to save Rukia, so he believed Ohta was putting his trust in him by serving as a distraction.
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Ohta stared at the Reishukaku and suggested, "We should probably start channeling our spirit energy before Kukaku sets this thing off..."
"Ohta-kun..." muttered Orihime, feeling somewhat useless and saddened by the reality he planned to fight alone. Unfortunately, she knew everyone else would require her power more, so even though she wanted to go with him, she ultimately hung her head and didn't ask...
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"We're breaking through!" screamed Yoruichi. "Channel as much of your spirit energy into the Reishukaku as possible! If we can't break the barrier, every single one of us will die...!"
Prompted by Yoruichi's words, everyone except Ohta began pumping their spirit energy into the Reishukaku. His priority was linking them together to ensure they wouldn't be separated. Thus, when the Reishukaku exploded moments after piercing the barrier, they remained tethered by an invisible cord while he waved his hand, saying, "Don't die." as he was launched out of the resulting energy vortex.
"Ohta-kun...!" shouted Orihime, extending her hand in his direction like she wanted to chase after him. Due to the invisible cord, however, she couldn't break free from the rest of the group. Chad had also grabbed her arm as an additional precaution, so Orihime had no choice but to remain behind while Ohta hurled toward the ground like a meteor.
Turning away from the energy vortex, Ohta controlled his descent as he thought ("That girl's a clinger...") with a deadpan expression. At the same time, he spread his senses through the area, having mastered picking up spiritual signatures as far as ten kilometers away. His psychic sense was much stronger, but that required leaving an 'imprint' like the ones he left in the bodies of everyone back in the Reishukaku.
Sensing no significant threats, Ohta clicked his tongue in mild frustration, impacting the street below without slowing. The energy of the Reishukaku veiled his body in a protective membrane of golden light, so he barely felt a thing despite his crash generating a large explosion and forming a crater more than five meters across.
Rising from the smoke cloud, Ohta dusted himself off and looked around the area, his ears picking up the distinctive sound of a Japanese 'clapper' alarm echoing throughout the entirety of the Seireitei. Shortly thereafter, the pitter-patter of footsteps drew Ohta's gaze to a group of Shinigami he had sensed long before their arrival.
"You there...!" shouted one of the Shinigami, a somewhat plain-looking man with short black hair and a square face, pointing his Zanpakuto at Ohta as he commanded, "Drop your weapon and get on your knees...!"
"Hard pass," replied Ohta, extending his left hand toward the crowd of thirteen people before slowly lowering it. As he did so, the predominately male group felt like a hydraulic press was pushing down on them from above, forcing them to their knees and cracking the ground beneath them as they tried to resist.
"You're lucky I'm not your 'enemy,'" stated Ohta, supplanting his psychic energy with Reiatsu(Spirit Pressure). According to Yoruichi, his reserves were around the level of a 3rd or 4th Seat, but his overwhelming mental energy made his Reiatsu like an exacto knife. Instead of applying broad pressure over an area, he could focus his Reiatsu to target his opponents' minds directly, incapacitating those with weaker wills in an instant.
Knocking everyone but the Shinigami who had spoken unconscious, Ohta pulled the man toward him with Telekinesis, emulating a certain Sith Lord as he coldly inquired, "What is your class, and what Squad do you belong to...?"
"Spirit...Spirit Class 4," replied the man, clawing in futility at his throat as he croaked, "Squad...Seven...!"
("Hmmm...that should be the Squad commanded by the Demi-human wolfman...") thought Ohta, recalling the information he had compiled on the more important members of the Gotei. Squad 7's Captain, Komamura Sajin, was in the category of individuals 'not' considered to be a member of Aizen's group, so Ohta allowed the purple-faced Shinigami to plummet to the ground, instructing, "Send word to your Captain and the rest of the Gotei. Yamada Ohta has come to reclaim what's his..."
Turning away from the man, Ohta began a slow and casual stroll through the antiquated-looking district. He was playing the part of a distraction, but if he got too serious and started rampaging, it would draw a little too much attention...
("Do not hesitate...") said a voice within Ohta's mind, causing him to stop in place.
("What you seek is within your reach. You need only to extend your hand and grasp it...") added the voice, unmistakably belonging to the shadowy jackal representing Ohta's Zanpakuto.
Drawing the combat knife strapped to his hip, Ohta stared at the near-pitch-black blade, asking, "You realize that if I do that, I endanger the lives of those brats and make things more complicated for myself further down the line, right?"
("It is better to fight for the preservation of your ideals than at the behest of others.") replied the jackal. ("Find the one named Aizen Sosuke and kill him. Then track down the one called Yhwach and extinguish his flame as well. This is the path you desire...")
"What I desire is up in that tower..." muttered Ohta, directing his gaze to the tallest structure in all of Seireitei. Yoruichi had informed him that was the location Rukia was being kept, not to encourage him to go there, but to provide him some peace of mind knowing he 'could.'
("You barely even know her...") remarked the jackal. ("You also know well her 'guilt.' She feels she has forced you into a relationship and fears she has become a shackle on your heart and actions. That's why she permits you to lie with the dark one...")
"It doesn't matter..." replied Ohta, furrowing his brows as he said, "Unless she can hold my gaze and tell me she doesn't love me, I will never let her go..."
("Yet here you are while she remains locked away in a tower...") countered the jackal.
"..."
("Forget it...") said the jackal. ("If this is the path you are determined to walk, I will continue to observe and pray for you to have good fortune in battle. Without my power, you'll need it...")
"We'll see..." replied Ohta, returning the knife to its sheathe before closing his eyes to better focus on his senses. Yoruichi had advised them to avoid clashing with Captains, if at all possible, but he was determined to fight at least one of them to 'prove' he could. The only question was, which would show up first...?
...
..
.
(A/N: Any opinions on who Ohta should cross paths with? Is it time for Renji to get his teeth in? Maybe a fateful encounter with his brother-in-law? Or, perhaps, and angry kitten? Decisions, decisions...)

Chapter 43: First Challenge or Waste of Time?