At first, Rin couldn't understand what this man was saying to him. Give up on protecting everyone?

Ichigo, the person whi had brought him to this Urahara had uncrossed his arms at the question. The older man mearely smiled at the two of them as he shifted the balance of his cane.

"I'm asking a simple question, Ichigo. Now, let your friend answer." the shop keeper stated.

Rin stepped back a step, his fingers itching to draw on the sealed sword on his back as he thought. "I don't think I could." he answered finally. "Despite everything they're still my friends and Yukio is still my brother."

"Hmm. Are you sure about your final answer?" Urahara questioned. "It would be much easier to just let them go."

Rin shook his dark head, blue eyes gleaming with unshed emotions. "I'm not gonna give up on them. Not now, not ever."

Ichigo let out a breath, almost a quite sigh of relief. The downward tilt of Urahara's hat however altered whatever plans Ichigo had been considering next.

"That's most unfortunate considering that your allies, those friends and family members you so feel so passionately about have been ordered executed for the safety of all." Urahara stated, flipping open his fan as he used it to hide the lower half of his face.

There was a span of half a breath before Rin jumped forward to grab the front of Urahara's green gi.

"What the hell do you mean by that, old man?" he growled, baring the hints of fangs as Urahara smiled in the face of what could be his very own death.

"Soul Society. Ichigo must have told you what we were. Well, he's a substitute and you, my dear boy, are something special that we've been observing since we found you. We are death gods, patrons of guiding the dead onto their next journey and when someone or something interferes in the balance of things it's our job to put it back where it belongs. Now, you can go ahead and release that blue fire of yours, destroy the entire world even, however it still won't convince the Soul Society to do what you want... unless..."

Rin growled as Urahara left off. Ichigo had already wrapped a hand around his wrist and the dark haired teen could feel the power coiled in the elder's muscles. Slowly, Rin let go of the shop keeper.

"Unless what?" he demanded.

"Unless you consent to making yourself a ward of the Soul Society. It would of course mean you'd be hnder constant supervision and training with Ichigo here."