*This chapter's events occur at the same time as when Yokubo is harassing Rukia*

  
   A large Hollow screeched as it began to dissipate into the air. Several more Hollows began to crowd around a single opponent. The opponent had spiky black hair tipped with small bells. Reiatsu surged from the mysterious opponent and he let out a maniacal laugh.

   "Hell yeah! I haven't felt this alive since my fight with Ichigo," the man said. Byakuya stood not to far from the group of Hollows. The man turned on Byakuya and shouted," Yo, Byakuya! Did you find Rukia and Ichigo?"

   "I found them. They were a little... Carried away," Byakuya replied," Focus on your fight, Zaraki." Zaraki laughed and sliced another Hollow from head to foot.

   "You must have been mortified to find your sister getting it on with that block head," Zaraki smiled darkly," Sounds like you were a bit worried about her..." Byakuya struggled to contain his boiling anger.

   "She wasn't 'getting it on', and I'm not worried about a weakling like her," Byakuya said blankly. Zaraki finished off the last Hollow and sheathed his Zanpakuto. There was no scratches or cuts on his body, and he was practically unscathed. Zaraki snorted and sat down.

   "That wasn't even a good warm up," Zaraki said," I hope that stupid pig shows up sometime soon, cause I don't wanna be out her until day break."

"Well, I need to find the other Vasto Lorde. Ichigo and Rukia are injured, so I want to give them some time to rejuvenate," Byakuya said, scanning the horizon. There was no sign of the two Vasto Lorde. Zaraki flinched as one of the bells in his hair jingled softly. In one swift motion, Zaraki unsheathed and swung his Zanpakuto in a wide arch behind me.

   "Trying to suppress your reiatsu, eh?" Zaraki said, whipping around to face his opponent. A large boar Hollow stood behind him wielding a black double-bladed axe. He had disheveled black hair running down from his head to his shoulder blades. Tusks protruded from his lower jaw.

   "You got skills," the Vasto Lorde said," Name's Okui. What's yours?" Zaraki slung his Zanpakuto over his shoulder and glared at Okui.

   "My name is Zaraki," he replied. Zaraki eyed the Hollow with disgust.

   "What's your problem?" Okui asked.

   "Is your friend stronger than you?" Zaraki asked with a frown. Okui pondered the question for a few moments.

   "My friend...?" Okui said with confusion," Oh, ya mean Yokubo? Nah, he ain't near as strong as me." Okui ran his hand through his hair and smiled. He picked up his axe and swung at Zaraki, trying to catch him off guard. Zaraki blocked the axe and retreated a few feet. Zaraki laughed loudly and pointed his Zanpakuto at Okui.

   "Why are you laughing?" Okui asked as he crossed blades with Zaraki. As they fought for dominance, sparks shot from their blades each time they clashed.

   "This is going to be fun! I love this!" Zaraki screamed. Okui was started by Zaraki's sudden shouting, and blood spurted from his arm. Zaraki wiped the blood from his Zanpakuto. "You are weak," he said softly. Okui charged at him with incredible speed and raised his axe over his head.

   "I'm stronger than you," Okui shouted gruffly. He swung the axe down as he could at Zaraki's head. Zaraki grinned and swung his Zanpakuto upwards. When the weapons collided, the force of Zaraki's swing flung the dark axe backwards. Okui had trouble stopping his axe from flying out of his hand. "Damn, Shinigami," Okui snorted.

   "You done, yet?" Zaraki asked. Okui regained his posture and dove at Zaraki's chest. "You really are pitiful," Zaraki chided. He swung his Zanpakuto, but Okui was not there. A blade sliced through Zaraki's waist and his Zanpakuto clattered to the ground. His body fell to the ground in two peices, and blood pooled around him.

   "You must not have noticed," Okui said," But my Jaakunabuki is one of raw power." Zaraki reached for his Zanpakuto which was a few inches away from his outstretched hand. "You little wretch," Okui snarled and slammed his hoof on the Shinigami's fingers.

   "I'm not dead yet," Zaraki menaced. Byakuya, who had been standing on the sidelines, stood up and silenced Zaraki.

   "Shut up, you lost," Byakuya said coldly. He held Senbonzakura in front of him, and dropped the Zanpakuto. "Senbonzakura, Kageyoshi," Byakuya said, and blades rose from the ground.

   "What is this," Okui asked nervously. The blades scattered into cherry blossoms and flowed through the air, slowly closing in on the boar Hollow. The petals sliced the Hollow when they came in contact with his skin. Okui screamed as the petals closed in on him and lacerated him.

   "Zaraki," Byakuya said, kneeling beside Zaraki's severed body," You are weak. Get your act together." Zaraki let out a lazy half grimace as his strength ebbed away. Okui's body dissolved into nothing, and even his axe dissapeared. Footsteps echoed in the empty lot.

   "Byakuya-taicho!" Orihime ran up to the Captains. The scant light of the stars was the only thing that illuminated the scene. Orihime clasped a hand over her mouth when she saw Zaraki's body. She choked up and tears came to her eyes. "Oh... Oh my... What-"

   "Shut up, girl," Byakuya interrupted," Heal him." A group of Hollow poured onto the streets, and a few circled above in the air. "I can hold them off until you heal that thing," Byakuya stated as he charged towards the Hollow.

   "That bastard," Zaraki whispered. Orihime placed her hand on Zaraki's body and began to heal him with Santen Kesshun. "When I'm healed, I'm gonna beat his a-"

   "Stop moving or it will take longer to heal you," Orihime said sternly. She concentrated on knitting his flesh back together, and sweat began to pour down her face. Zaraki fell unconscious, and Orihime silently prayed that she would be able to heal his wound.

   Byakuya wondered where the other Vasto Lorde was, and he grasped out with his spiritual awareness. His heart dropped when he located the reiatsu. Senbonzakura sliced through a Hollow's head, and it screeched in pain before fading away. The reiatsu was at the Kurosaki residence. For once in his life, Byakuya would have to trust Ichigo to take care of his sister.

   "Don't fail me, Ichigo," Byakuya gritted his teeth and hacked at the Hollow. Byakuya did not trust Ichigo with his sister's life, but he had no choice at the moment. Ichigo's spiritual pressure suddenly flared, becoming dark and sinister. "Or I will exterminate you."

Rukia gazed at Ichigo's sleeping face. His mouth was slightly open, and she could feel his sweet breaths against her skin. A strange sensation crept over her, and she wanted to kiss him so badly. She had been feeling like this for a while now, but she had ignored it. Rukia felt as if she did not do it now, that he might not be there tommorrow, since he was constantly on the battlefield. Rukia felt her Zanpakuto reach out to her. She quickly answered Sode no Shirayuki's call and began to conversate.

"Sode no Shirayuki, I need some advice."

"What about?" Sode no Shirayuki answered.

"I feel very... attracted to Ichigo. And I feel a strange... temptation, I guess you could call it," Rukia said. Her face turned a vibrant shade of red.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Rukia. I feel it too."

"I don't know what to do..."

"Do what feels right. That is all I can say."

Rukia shifted in Ichigo's arms, and accidentally woke him. He stared at her with a groggy smile.

"Oh, you're awake, Rukia," Ichigo said, still sluggish with sleep. He brushed his hand across her cheek gently, and he tucked her hair behind her ear. Rukia felt the same sensation again when he touched her, and she shivered. "Are you cold? Should I warm you up," Ichigo said with a smirk. He wrapped his steady fingers around her chin and pulled her lips to his. Rukia gripped his jaw in her hands and kissed him back even harder.

Rukia thought about what Sode no Shirayuki had said, about doing what felt right. She decided that what she was doing felt right. It felt very right, in her opinion. Rukia kissed his neck, and her hands slid down to his waist in a frenzied motion. Her fingertips slipped under the waistband of his shorts

Rukia kissed the bottom of Ichigo's neck slowly, savoring the salty taste of his skin. A hand slipped under her jaw, and Ichigo kissed Rukia's lips firmly. She sighed his name against his mouth and began to slide his shorts down his legs. Nervousness welled up in Ichigo's chest. When the shorts were halfway down his thigh, Ichigo grabbed her hands and pulled them away from his body. He quickly pulled away from the kiss, and he stared at her stunned. A blush crept across Rukia's face.

"Rukia, I'm sorry," Ichigo said in a hardened tone," I can't be with you in that way. You have to learn to control yourself, even though it's hard." Rukia buried her face into Ichigo's chest, and he embraced her warmly. Tears sparkled in her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," Rukia's voice cracked with emotion, " Are you mad at me?" Ichigo patted her head softly, and he tried to comfort her.

"I'm not mad, Rukia. I just want to protect you," Ichigo whispered. A long moment of sweet silence passed before any of them spoke again.

"How did we get here," Rukia asked. She clutched at Ichigo's warm chest.

"I don't know. We've known each other so long, but I had never thought that we would end up like this," Ichigo answered with a soft laugh.

"So, you had never thought of us being together as a possibility?" Rukia asked, trying not to sound disapointed. She had thought about Ichigo way too much before they were together, but she guessed that Ichigo had never thought that way of her.

"No. I've always yearned for you, but I had never thought of us as a possibility," Ichigo said," Because I didn't know that you had feelings for me." Rukia smiled at the comment, and she felt as if she was going to implode.

"This feels right. Just being with Ichigo," Rukia said to Sode no Shirayuki.

"Then that is the best thing for you to do. Just be with him."

Rukia snuggled closer to Ichigo, and he blushed. Ichigo cursed himself, once again, for being hopelessly awkward.

"You're still as awkward as ever, Strawberry," Rukia jested.

"And you're as annoying as ever, Midget," Ichigo replied, poking her forehead.

"Spiky-head."

"Shinigami," Ichigo knew she hated when he called her that.

"Idiot."

"You win. Now go to sleep."