Meanwhile, outside, Yoruichi ran on the roof of a building. She moved quickly and nimbly, following Ichigo's reiatsu that she sensed earlier.
'It's faint, but he is there.' She narrowed her eyes and jumped from one roof to another.
Her original plan was to get Ichigo first before getting to Shirou, but she got sidetracked because the latter actually defeated the 11th Division's Captain. And now, here she was.
'To think he's strong enough to defeat him, he has really improved. Or is it just Zaraki being Zaraki, underestimating Shirou?'
It was something to be questioned. But either way, he won.
And Yoruichi had a bad feeling about everything since his battle ended.
As if something ominous would occur soon.
And that bad premonition came to be.
"Is that..." Her eyes narrowed, spotting something in the distance.
Blood trail. And a familiar face she hadn't seen for years.
"AIZEN!"
The scream of someone rang, and Yoruichi froze in shock. That familiar name belonged to a certain man she knew, a former Shinigami. And it was confirmed with a bloody body, pierced by a Western sword through his chest.
'Shit.'
Her eyes widened. Aizen was a smart man, someone that had his hands in everything. He knew so many things, enough to be able to predict his enemy's moves.
Yoruichi herself knew just how terrifyingly smart the man could be, having been clashing against the man before.
'This doesn't bode well. We should get the hell out of here as soon as possible. This might be one of his schemes.'
There was no time to waste anymore.
Forget about saving Kuchiki Rukia, their group might as well be branded as traitors and murderers for killing a Captain, no matter how fake the scene was.
They had to escape.
Yoruichi knew how much the people in Seireitei would trust the dead Captain, not her, nor anyone that came from outside.
Even her, someone who once held the highest position of authority in the Second Division, would be doubted, no matter her reputation.
So she returned to her original form and appeared in front of Ichigo, ignoring Renji's dumbstruck face as she stood in front of him.
"Yoruichi-san?!" Ichigo exclaimed in surprise.
"The situation has changed, Ichigo. For now, we will hide and wait for the best time to save Rukia." She explained the situation to him shortly.
The orange-haired boy looked conflicted. His expression changed from worry to anger, to fear and then to resignation, his face became paler. "But—"
"There's no other way, Ichigo." She cut him off. "If we can save Kuchiki Rukia before everything is too late, it would be great. But now, you have to hide. We will meet the rest of the group and plan for an escape. I can't leave all of you in danger like this."
"Ugh..."
"Hey, lady. Who are you?" Renji asked, his voice sounding suspicious. He didn't trust her yet.
His red-haired spiky head shook and he stared at her warily.
"What's with the sudden appearance? What happened? Why is he in danger? Are you telling us to leave now after everything we did to come here?"
"Oh? And who are you, red pineapple? Ichigo's new boyfriend? Or is it a girlfriend? How many people has Ichigo got his hands on?" Yoruichi teased.
Renji's cheeks flushed bright red, his eyebrows raised and his mouth opened wide, his expression showing complete confusion and embarrassment at her words.
"WHAT?! No, that's not what I mean!"
"Relax, it was just a joke." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, a smile playing on her lips. "And we really have no time. Are you betraying Gotei 13 to save Rukia?"
"Yes." He nodded, answering swiftly without any hesitation. "I am here to save her from execution. That's the only thing I can do."
"That's right! I also want to save Rukia. So we are going together to get her!" Ichigo shouted.
"I have told you, didn't I? Now is the worst time." She shook her head. "The situation is no longer favorable to us. The Captain of 5th Division was killed by a Western Sword. Do you know what that meant?"
Renji's eyes widened. A Captain was murdered? Right after he left the meeting between Lieutenants?
"Someone is framing us, and that's not a joke. It would be a matter of time before we are being hunted by everyone from Soul Society, and with our low numbers and strength, there's no way we will survive."
"What?! Then how about-"
"No more discussion." Yoruichi interrupted. Her expression turned serious, her tone sharp. "We're retreating now. There is still time to rescue Kuchiki Rukia. She will not die today."
"Tch."
"Let's go."
And with that, Yoruichi disappeared from their sight and appeared behind Ganju, carrying him on her shoulder.
"W-w-w-wait, I am a man. You should have treated me nicer! Or at least, do it with more dignity! This is humiliating!"
"Then you can run on your own."
"Forget about it. Please hold me, Yoruichi sis!"
Everyone followed Yoruichi, leaving the stairs. As she ran, her mind raced with thoughts and scenarios. She knew that the death of Aizen Sousuke meant trouble.
Not for them, but for everyone. The man's death was a bad sign.
She had no time to lose.
***
Meanwhile, Shirou, Orihime and Chad sat in the cave. The girl was chatting with the two boys, telling stories about her daily life.
Until four people barged in. Yoruichi, who returned back into her cat form, was in front of the group.
Shirou watched them, noticing the additional person with them. It was Renji, the red-haired Shinigami. The boy stood there awkwardly, his head lowered, looking around the cave.
Without warning, he traced Kanshou and moved. His body shot forward and the sword swung, aimed for the man's neck. It stopped before it sliced the flesh.
"State your purpose here, Shinigami." Shirou said coldly, eyes narrowing.
The tension between them was palpable, thick and suffocating.
"Oi, Shirou. Calm down." Ichigo tried to pacify him.
"Why is he here?"
"Shirou, I'll explain later. But that man defected." Yoruichi's tone was stern. She stared at him with intense eyes. Her voice sounded like she was giving a command rather than asking for an explanation.
Shirou hesitated for a moment, then sighed. He lowered his sword and dismissed it, but his eyes never left the red-haired man's figure.
"I'll believe in your decision." He sat on the ground, crossing his arms. He looked at Renji once more before looking at Ichigo. "What now, Yoruichi-san?"
"Now we have to hide and plan an escape."
Hearing that, Shirou couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. Escape? Now, of all times? But they came here to rescue someone.
"A Captain was killed." Yoruichi glanced at Shirou, then looked away. She was clearly hiding something. "We will be framed for it. That's why we are going to hide."
"A Captain was killed?" Shirou repeated, unable to hide the surprise from his voice.
Someone of that level was killed? Wasn't he fighting someone like that just a while ago? Just who would be strong enough to kill someone on the same level as Zaraki Kenpachi?
'Unless the man was killed by surprise... But even then...'
It seemed impossible, considering how strong Zaraki was.
"Yes," Yoruichi nodded solemnly, "Worse, the one used to kill that man seemed to be a pair of western swords. And just so you know, such swords don't exist in Soul Society. Zanpakuto are mostly in Katana form. And only two people are known to have a pair of swords instead of just one."
Which meant the culprit came from outside Soul Society.
Who could be more suspicious than them, who came here and were known to have strange swords.
Shirou's nameless Noble Phantasm that he projected while fighting Captain Kuchiki Byakuya in World of Living fit the description.
Understanding Yoruichi's decision to hide and regroup, Shirou nodded in understanding.
"We can't just escape." Ichigo frowned, not accepting it, "Not without Rukia. I promised to bring her back."
"I understand. But now is not the time to save her, Ichigo." Yoruichi's eyes narrowed, her gaze intense.
"Shut it." Ichigo snapped back. He was furious, his anger rising quickly, "I don't care what you say, Yoruichi-san! But I... I will not let Rukia die."
Shirou could see how angry his twin was. His eyes were blazing, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, his teeth gritted tightly together.
Ichigo looked at Shirou and spoke to him.
"Shirou, please. Let's just go to save Rukia, okay? She's in danger. I will save her no matter what happens!"
Meeting his twin brother's gaze, Shirou wanted to say 'let's go' or 'let's save her right now' without missing a beat.
However, he didn't.
Holding himself down from his former ideal was hard. It was like a sword cutting through him, tearing his body apart. It hurt him, a pain worse than anything else. But he knew better now than before, so he bit his lip and answered.
"No. I'm sorry Ichigo." His reply was soft but firm. "We will stay for now."
Not because he didn't want to save Rukia.
Of course he wanted to. Even when they only know each other for a short time, she already proved that she could take care of Ichigo. She could help Ichigo in the path of self-destruction, a trait the twins shared.
But Shirou knew, if they went there without a plan or even an idea of the situation, the rescue mission would end up being a disaster. Something told him that this time, the fight wouldn't go like before.
It wasn't just about strength but wits and scheme.
Nothing was more terrifying than a battle against someone who knew how to use his head.
"You..." Ichigo was shocked by Shirou's answer. He couldn't believe it, "You of all people, said no to a rescue mission? Shirou!"
Ichigo's tone was accusing and angry. He stared at Shirou as if the other boy betrayed everything he ever believed in.
"Because it's too risky." Shirou sighed. "And you have to know when to advance and when to retreat, Ichigo. I know how you feel. I really do. But sometimes, you need to back down for a while. Especially if the opponent is strong and has the advantage."
"Then what? We leave Rukia here?" Ichigo asked incredulously. He was still angry at Shirou. His expression showed his anger and frustration clearly, his body language tense. He glared daggers at him.
"Ichigo." Orihime stepped closer, putting her hand on his shoulder gently, "Please calm down. Shirou-kun never said that we shouldn't save Rukia-chan."