Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ It'll Never Work ❯ Pieces of the Puzzle ( Chapter 3 )

A stabbing pain in her side brought Yoruichi into action and out of shock. Jumping back, she produced a small blade from the arm of her shirt. Whoever, whatever, it was, looked exactly like her. It was as if she were looking in a mirror with it's own thought process.

“Who are you?” She asked, yellow eyes locked on her opponent. She wouldn't be caught off guard a second time.

“I'm the one who is going to bring and end to the great God of Flash.” A wicked grin followed the sure statement. “With the meddling shopkeeper gone, Seireitei will no longer have the strong foothold in this world. No longer have the allies that they so value, whether they realize it or not. If you had not brought the substitute Shinigami there, they would never have figured out Aizen-sama's plot and it would have been too late. He is not pleased with the two of you.”

Her heart clenched at the suggestion that Urahara had met his demise. However, her rational mind kept her calm. He would be a lot harder to take out of the picture than that. “Well, that's too bad, isn't it? You won't find me very easy to knock off.” She gave the look alike a grin of her own. “They don't call me the God of Flash for nothing.” She pointed out, using her unique skill to come up behind the woman and slash her over the back.

When the opponent turned to face her, she was no longer looking at her own visage, but that of Urahara's. She pushed herself out of the shock faster than the first time, taking a step back.

“Ah, your lover is the weak spot, how cliché.” The Urahara-look-alike rolled his eyes. Yoruichi jumped back into the hallway in time to miss being stabbed a second time. A side step down the hallway, followed by a flash into the main room and outside. Most people would be behind her by a second or two, but the assassin was there right away. She had to shunpo again rapidly to avoid a blade through the heart. A jump off the wall of the shop had her on the neighbor's roof. With a quick jump, she retaliated with her own attack, feeling the satisfying give of cloth and flesh as her blade hit it's target. The cry of pain that followed certainly sounded like Urahara, but she knew better.

This wasn't Urahara and she couldn't afford to think otherwise. Her life was at risk and probably Urahara's as well. Another shunpo and she attacked from the opposite side. This time, the assassin was ready for her. He turned and blocked the strike with a kick to her wrist. The blade went skittering off the roof and out of sight. With a curse, she jumped back while searching for another blade.

There wasn't any need, however. The assassin Urahara stopped in mid step and glanced around. Quite suddenly, he jumped off the roof and disappeared. Yoruichi just stood on the roof, surprised. What could be more important than killing her? The assassin certainly made a point of showing and telling her how important her demise was.

With a hiss of pain, she looked down. She brought her hand up to the wound and found blood on it when she drew it away. Shaking her head gently, beginning to feel dizzy, she jumped off the roof and walked back inside the shop where she promptly collapsed.

 

“Yoruichi...wake up. Milk! I have milk!” She heard Urahara bribe. She opened her eyes to see him let out a long sigh. “You're awake...thank goodness. I thought maybe they'd hit something important.”

“What happened?”

“You passed out. I can't believe how weak you are! One little flesh wound, only five stitches and you pass out from blood loss?!”

“Forgive me, I was jumping around and fighting for my life!” She said sarcastically, the bite in her voice clear.

“My my, aren't you feisty for a mortally wounded person.” He grinned. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel fine.”

“Good...I was worried about you.” He stood from his spot beside her, brought her a glass of water.

“Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes.

Sitting at her head, he scootched forward and raised her a bit. With her leaning back against his chest, he gave her the water. One arm rested around her stomach as he looked down at her. His free hand brushed back her hair. “I was.” He reiterated. “I came home, expecting to find you taking a bath, or lounging in my bed and I find you on the floor, in a pool of your own blood.” His voice was unusually low. It was...comforting that way.

“Really? You were worried? Honestly?”

“Yoruichi.” His fingers gently brushed against her chin, urging her to look up at him. “I was worried. I've never been more so in my life. You've been in fights before, we both have. We've both been gravely wounded since knowing each other but when I walked in the shop today...” He paused for a moment. “Something has changed. I didn't immediately think; wow, that's bad but nothing that won't heal, nothing that she hasn't had before. My first thought was; she's dead. I missed it. I couldn't protect her. Can you imagine that? Me, feeling the need to protect a former and very capable captain of the thirteen court guard squads.” He gave a short laugh and brushed his fingers down the side of her face. “It wasn't until you opened up to me that I realized just how in love with you I was. It was always there, like a lake behind a dam that's broken.”

Yellow eyes blinked up at him, speechless. “I'm sorry, little tease. I'm sure you weren't looking for something like this. A fling here and there, a night or two of stress relief when you need it. Time to forget. I just felt the need to tell you once, I'll shut up after this, I promise.”

Yoruichi continued to look up at him, head rested in the crook of his arm. Setting aside the glass of water, she hooked her hand around his neck and brought him down to her, kissing him lightly. “If you never say something that flowery, beautiful and completely mushy to me again, I'll tease you till you explode.” She threatened.

With a grin and wicked twinkle in his eye, he kissed her long and hard, pulling her fully onto his lap and holding her there, tight in his arms.

 

Sadly, the comfort wouldn't last the night for Yoruichi. Urahara's loud snoring woke up abruptly, making her jerk in his arms. He had leaned back against the wall and fallen asleep like that, with her in his lap. She could hear the soft sound or rain pattering against the roof and window. Carefully disengaging herself from his embrace, she slipped on one of the shirts he had laying around, the green garment falling almost to her knees. Stepping onto the back porch, she watched the grey night fall from the sky.

Usually not one for rain, she braved it tonight, stepping out into the heavy downfall. She was almost immediately drenched from head to two. She could feel her hair plastering against her skin and the now wet shirt as it fell down her back. Whatever worry or pain hadn't been soothed away by the rare moment of romance brought out of Urahara fell away from her now. Closing her eyes, she simply stood.

“Gods. That. Is. Hot.” She heard Urahara's lust filled voice practically oozed from off the porch.

She snapped open her eyes to glare at him.

“What? It is. I can't help it. Blame the male testosterone, but it is a beautiful picture. You standing there in the rain with -my- shirt plastered to your body like that. My Tease, you are slipping for that leaves little to tease the imagination with at all.” He informed her, matter of factly.

“You were supposed to be sleeping. I didn't have the intention of teasing you at all.”

“Well then take it off.”

“No.”

“Tease.”

“Don't make me say it.” She growled, half playfully.

Stepping off the porch, he walked through the rain to meet her, standing at arms length. Then, very slowly, he began to raise his arm, fingers splayed wide as they went for her breast. Before he could reach it, she slapped his hand away and rolled her eyes, turning her back to him. “Pervert.” She finally finished. Not a moment later she felt his hands on her bottom and a wickedly exaggerated laugh in her ear. With an indignant gasp, she turned to face him, slapping his stubbled cheek.

He blinked and looked at her in shocked surprise. Wether it was feigned or not, she couldn't tell. For a moment, she thought she'd gone to far in their play. Then, just when she was about to apologize, he grinned and encased her in his arms around the middle, picking her up against him. “See...I told you nothing would change.” He winked.

She rolled her eyes and brushed his wet hair from his eyes. It was so rare that the world got to see them from under his hat and hair. “Good. I was afraid you might loose your touch.” She teased, hoping to get a rise out of him again.

“I don't need a touch with women anymore. I've got what I want so all I have to do is keep impressing you. I was never really able to do that from the start, so it should be easy.”

“You can impress me by taking me inside so that I can dry off and go to sleep.”

“Sleep? Sleep is over rated.” He grinned, though he did take her back inside.

 

When they told Katsumi the news, she seemed less than pleased. Hitsugya-Taichou was with her as well, which perhaps should have been an indication that something was amiss. She was, of course, pleased to find out that an ally of Soul Society was not to be blamed, but that in itself was cause for more worry.

“We believe the assassin has somehow gotten through the Senkai gate into Seireitei. A group of men from the 11th squad, no less, are missing. It's possible they went out drinking and have yet to report in, but they have been missing for sometime now. Of course, as time goes on it becomes less and less likely that they're sleeping off alcohol.”

“The normal establishment they frequent has not seen them since the night before last, either. It seems odd that they would suddenly change their night spot.” Toushiro added.

Yoruichi glanced at Urahara from across the table. “I wasn't able to find out very much from the assassin herself...himself. I don't really know which. Whoever it was, they were very, very good. Aizen sent them, another attempt to divide the Thirteen Court Guard Squads it would seem.”

Urahara nodded in agreement. “I'll see what I can do today about finding a way to possibly track this assassin down. At least figure out what it is. They say knowing is half the battle, yes?”

“Half the battle is death, and that's what we're going to get if we don't stop this before it gets really messy. If we can't find this assassin, how are we supposed to keep them out of places it shouldn't be? How do you track an enemy you can't see?” Onishi asked gently.

“I don't think they're using some sort of invisibility or image deception such as Aizen's zanpaku-to. They are just very good at Shunpo. Very good.” She reiterated. For a woman as skilled in that art as she was to say such a thing, she hoped, meant that it wouldn't be taken lightly.

The young captain nodded curtly, blue eyes ever serious. “We will keep that in mind. Just knowing that will do a great deal in our efforts to curtail this assassin. Thank you both for your time. If you find anything else out, please, let us know as soon as possible.”

Urahara and Yoruichi escorted the two captains to the door. Leaving Tessai to mind the shop, they headed into the more private back rooms to talk.

“On the one hand I'm relieved they don't think its me any longer, but part of me wishes it was. Then, at least, they would know what they were dealing with.” She admitted as she slipped down onto a cushion, crossing her legs in front of her.

Urahara laid down beside her and rested his head in her lap. Looking down at him in surprise, she silently decided she would allow such a thing, unable to resist the boyish grin that looked up at her, the sparkling eyes from beneath the shadow of the hat.

“Between us and all those smart captains in Seireitei, it won't take long to figure this out and return things to normal. You'll see. All we can do is aid now, however. It's mostly up to them.”

“Perhaps we should go help them?”

Urahara shook his head gently. “No, you perhaps. Not me. I belong here now. I'll help however I can but I don't plan on making any trips. It might be a good idea to send the brilliant and beautiful god of flash if things really get down to the wire.”

“Well, let's just see what happens. I still have a bit more healing up to do and you have a lot of research that needs to be done.” She pointed out, looking down at him with a stern look that she hoped would persuade him to get to work.

“You look so sexy when you try and do that.” He said in his infuriating way. “Dear, dear Yoruichi. You amaze me with your beauty and grace in everyth-”

She cut him off with a finger on his lips. “You're being sweet now, not a pervert. Though, if you get much more sappy it might turn back around to perversion.” She mused with a small smile. She continued to contemplate where that line might be until she felt his teeth nibbling at the pad of her finger.

“All I have to say is that if it weren't for this insane assassin, we might never have realized that there was more to our perversions and teasings than we thought. We might have gone on forever playing cat and mouse.” He pointed out happily.

“Who said those games were going to stop?” She asked with a wicked grin.

“Tease.”

Flipping his hat off his head, she continued her wicked grin, yellow eyes gleaming with mischief. “Pervert.”