Ugh, hiatuses (hiati?) suck. Sorry I haven't posted, but I should be good for a while now. This is a new story that I just had the urge to write, and I'll be either finishing or discontinuing the others. Also, credit goes to SquaredCircles for helping out with one of the OC's. Go check out his fanfic!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
As the two brown haired figures, one with short hair and the other with shoulder length locks that strecth a little longer on the ends and in the back, drop down from the Senkaimon onto the tiled roads of the Seireitei, they both stretch out their backs.
"Well, sis, it's good to be back!" the larger of the two, a male, says, bending backwards.
"Yeah, that's true. I kinda missed this place," the girl half her brother's size says. They look about witht heir deep, green eyes, taking in the surroundings.
"Things seem a bit... different," the brother says, a look of semi-suspicion on his masculine face.
"It seems as though they put up a seki seki barrier," the sister affirms, a sort of amusemnt dwelling upon her softer features.
"Well, Majo, I guess we should pay little Yuu a visit, huh?" the male says, shrugging off the fact that security seems to have grown tighter since the two were there last.
"That sounds like a good idea. I can tell he's grown a lot, his spiritual pressure is so intense, even though I can tell he's trying to hide it. It's amazing, Hatsuyo," Majo remarks.
"I just hope his swordsmanship has grown as much as his apparent kido abilities," Hatsuyo replies.
"Hey, you two! Who the hell are you?!" a rude barks from behind the two. They turn to look at the obviously drunken man stumbling towards them, squinting at them so as to get a better look at their faces. "I've never seen you two before. Which Squad are you with?"
"Squad 1," Hatsuyo replies matter-of-factly.
"Really? I thought those Squad 1 guys were all about being clean and proper. You're shikakusho's so torn up even I wouldn't wear it!" the drunk exclaims with a laugh, pointing at Hatsuyo's tattered white robe.
"Forgive me, for we have just returned from a long journey and have yet to change our uniforms. And to be fair, it's only my jacket that's torn," Hatsuyo replies.
"Alright... and what about you? I've never seen you're uniform before," the man turns his suspicious squint to Majo, who looks a little startled.
"O-oh, I'm Kido Corp," she says quickly.
"Really? I thought those guys wore those weird face things."
"Well, my uniform is special, but I'm still a little surprised you don't recognize it," Majo says, looking down at her purple robes, trimmed with golden thread.
"Well, I've never seen it before, so you're gonna have to come with me little missy," the drunk says, reaching for the 5 foot girl.
"Trust me, you don't want to do that," Hatsuyo steps in, his 6'6" frame blocking the way.
"Outta my way, or I'll to take you in too!" the man orders. He reaches aroung Hatsuyo and almost grabs Majo.
"Seki." One word. There is no incantation, not even a bakudo number, and yet the man is sent through the wall behind him, all the way at the end of the road, and through the next three behind it. The two watch him soar, and Hatsuyo sighs.
"I warned him. C'mon, Majo, let's go see Yuu. I hope he remembers us."
"He'd better, or I'll start to think his memory's going bad."
...
"Are there any other matters that require discussion?" Genryuusai Yamamoto asks, his deep voice filling the Captains' meeting hall.
"Actually, Head Captain, I was wondering why you called me here," Ichigo Kurosaki replies, feeling awkward as he stands across from Juushiro Ukitake.
"That is the next topic. Captain Sui Feng, you will be going with Ichigo Kurosaki to the World of the Living. He is to take you to Urahara Shop, where you will reside for the next three days. Your mission will be to determine whether or not Kisuke Urahara, Tessai Tsukabishi and Yoruichi Shihoin are trustworthy enough to be allowed into the Seireitei once more. Subistitute Soul Reaper Kurosaki is to help you in any way required of him," Yamamoto states.
"But surely after the battle with the Aizen they've cleared their names," Ichigo argues. "It's obvious they're loyal, especially when they helped us against Kageroza!"
"It is not open for debate. Central 46 has allowed their return only under the condition that they undergo an assessment without their knowledge. I trust, Captain Sui Feng, that you will be discreet and unbiased. You claim that your mission is to track down a rogue Vasto Lorde that has escaped from Hueco Mundo and requires special attention to find and eliminate. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Head Captain," Sui Feng replies immediately, though she knows that it won't be easy having to lie to her idol and past crush.
"Good. You are dismissed!" With a crack of his cane against the floor, the meeting is adjourned. Sui Feng and Ichigo are the first to leave, flash stepping to follow their orders. Before any of the others make it to the door, however, they are pushed open by an energetic woman who bolts through them and straight down the middle of the meeting hall.
"Yuu! I missed you so much!" she exclaims, stopping before Yamamoto with excitement and joy written clearly on her face.
"Majo, are you sure that's him? Our Yuu was just a kid when we left, and this guy's old as hell," Hatsuyo says, following his sister.
"Yep, this is him, alright! I'd recognize that spiritual pressure anywhere! And besides, we have been in a separate dimension. The rules of time were bound to be different. I'd say at least 100,000 have passed in this world," Majo speculates.
"Will someone please explain what the devil is going on here?" Mayuri Kurotsutchi asks.
"Old man Yama, do you know these people?" Shunsui Kyoraku inquires, his hand resting readily on his zanpakuto's hilt.
"Head Captain and Kido Commander Kumiawase?" Yamamoto, eyes wide with shock, quickly recovers and covers it up with rage. "Capture these two immediately! They are traitors and must be stopped at all costs!"
"Sounds boring, but what the hell. Hey, dumbass, I hope you're good with that sword of yours!" Kenpachi Zaraki claims his opponent. He runs to strike at Hatsuyo but his sword is deflected and he is sent flying back out of the meeting hall. Hatsuyo is left standing on one leg, the other straight out in an after-kick stance. He is gripping his zanpakuto by the navy blue hilt in his right hand, closest to the ground.
"Oh c'mon, Yuu! We just wanted to talk to you before all this fighting started," Majo whines disappointedly.
"Hado number 4: Byakurai," the baritone of Byakuya Kuchiki's voice anounces his attack as huge strands of white lightning dash from his finger to Majo, who seems to have her guard down. However, she barely has to respond and doesn't even turn around.
"Danku." The attack seems weak as it runs into the barrier and is dispersed peacefully. A return attack is fired, and the word "Sho" is barely heard as Byakuya, in a manner similar to Kenpachi, finds himself outside in an instant.
Of course, he lands in a bit more graceful manner than his colleague, who crashed into a pillar outside. When their attackers (or more accurately, counterattackers) flash step at an almost invisible speed, the two captains give chase with the rest.
In a larger courtyard, the invaders are surrounded. "Back off, this one's mine!" Kenpachi roars. He ignores Toshiro's protests (Captain Kenpachi, not this again!) as he once again strikes at Hatsuyo, who merely catches the blade within the gap between his first and middle finger on one of the broken chips in the blade.
"Wow, this thing sucks. You really don't take very good care of your zanpakuto, do you?" Hatsuyo says casually before flicking the blade away. It comes back at him with a considerable higher force, causing him to actually block it with his own sword.
"That was just a test swing, to see how fast you are. Trust me, this'll be more than enough to rip you to shreds!" the Squad 11 captain claims excitedly with a huge grin across his face. He starts swinging harder and harder, faster and faster and yet Hatsuyo just calmly deflects each attack.
"Is this all you've got? I thought that kid over there called you Kenpachi. Don't you think you're a little weak to carry that title?" the man taunts, going so far as to fake a yawn. "This is getting boring." With that, he sweeps his blade down Kenpachi's chest, blood spurting from the open wound. Hatsuyo flash steps backwards to avoid the spray as the fearsome captain nearly collapses, catching himself by thrusting his sword into the ground.
"I guess I'll have to go all out, huh?" Kenpachi's voice is a little more gravely than usual, but no less bloodthirsty. He rips his eyepatch off as he stands up, his spiritual pressure skyrocketing and making even the messengers within the area slowdown.
By now, the alarm is sounding all throughout the Seireitei, and the lieutenants have joined up with their captains. "Yay, Kenny!" Yachiru Kusajishi says, laughing at her adoptive father obviously having fun.
"Lieutenant, shouldn't we help him?" Rukia Kuchiki asks, sounding concerned.
"Nah, he'll be ok. No one can beat Kenny, not even Kenny!" Yachiru cheers, referencing Kenpachi's fight with his own Raigai.
Meanwhile, the female intruder is making it known that she is no less capable than her brother. As Kido is traded back and forth, Hado for attack, Bakudo in return, Majo fends off any who attempt an attack. The barriers she instantly set up are nearly impenetrable, and she even defends them from anything particularly harmful with Danku and Seki.
Eventually, Byakuya realizes that things are going nowhere. "Scatter," he says, turning his sword to the side, "Senbonzakura." The flower petal-esque blades swirl towards their target who promptly responds with kido. However, every attack is absorbed by the swarm of pink that continues to grow closer still.
"Ye Lord! Mask of flesh and blood, flutter of wings, ya who bears the name of man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unlease but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hado number 33: Sokatsui!" After Majo's full incantation, a huge blast of blue flame swallows the sakura petals, overtaking them and causing them to fall to the ground, each one broken beyond immediate repair. Shock is evident on everyone's face; this person is truly a master of the Demon Arts.
"All lieutenants, retreat at once! You are of no use here and will only get in the way!" the head captain's voice is heard saying. He appears in the midst of onlookers, whose number halves almost immediately as he orders. "Traitors Hatsuyo Kumiawase and Majo Kumiawase! Why have you come here?" he demands to know.
"That's an easy one. We've just come back to see how our little projects are doing. And, by the looks of it, they aren't doing good. Then again, we haven't seen the Kido Corp yet, so they may be salvagable. But unless this guy's the weakest you got, I'm going to raize the entire 13 Court Guard Squads and start anew," Hatusyo warns. As he stopped to answer Yamamoto, Kenpachi takes a swing at him.
"Pay attention to the fight at hand!" He yells, almost managing to cut Hatsuyo who sustains only a nick to the jacket.
"Wow, that was a close one. You almost landed a hit on me," Hatsuyo commends. Kenpachi doesn't revel in it, though; he merely attacks again, swinging for everything he's worth. He takes blow after blow, not caring about the gashes appearing along his body or the amount of blood he's losing. He's simply having too much fun to do care.
Eventually, though, Hatsuyo decides that he should end things. "Maul your enemies, Rakurai!" he commands, releasing his Shikai. The blade of his zanpakuto grows by 50%, the end curving upwards and a jack knife hook points back towards the now seraded edge. He catches one of Kenpachi's swings in the hook, throws his sword arm to the side and punches him the the elbow of his sword arm, full force. The blow causes Kenpachi's arm to slacken for a bit and, while he never drops his sword, that's all Hatsuyo needs to bring his sword back and rip a part of Kenpachi's side out, partially gutting him.
"Kenny!" Yachiru, who had ignored the head captain's orders to leave, runs to Kenpachi's side as the captain falls to the ground completely. Retsu Unohana, cautiously and yet dangerously eyeing Hatsuyo, starts tending to Kenpachi's wounds immediately; if she didn't there would be no chance of saving him.
"Majo, let's leave. We've taken one down, that's enough for now. And Yuu," Hatsuyo says to Yamamoto, "we'll be back every day. And every day, I'll defeat one of your captains until there are none left. Then, we'll move on to the Kido Corp, and we'll deal with thim in whatever way Majo wants to. If we see any Stealth Force members, we'll kill them immediately, for Kansoku's sake." And with that, the two leave, flash stepping so fast that only two people could keep pace with them.
And currently, both are in a very mentally excited state.
...
"Sui Feng, it's great to see you!"
"Put some clothes on!"
"Don't be such a prude! Besides, nobody else is complaining."
"That's because Kisuke's a pervert and Sui Feng's doesn't want to upset you," Ichigo points out to Yoruichi. If you hadn't guessed by now, Ichigo showed up with Sui Feng and Yoruichi, who had been a cat just moments before, jumped out of her perch in Kisuke's lap and, transforming mid air, wrapped her arms around Sui Feng and hug her tight, just to mess with the two newcomers.
As the two argue the validity of clothing, Sui Feng is shown her room by Kisuke. "Those two are going at it again," Kisuke states the obvious.
"Lady Yoruichi does tend to lack... decency in his company," Sui Feng says, comfortable with speaking something besides praise about Yoruichi with Urahara. Plus, she has to convince Urahara that she's trustworthy in order to complete her mission and have Central 46 grant Yoruichi immunity for the false charges pressed against her.
"At least Ichigo didn't acuse you of being a lesbian like everyone else does," Urahara points out.
Sui Feng hesitates slightly at that, the sting of those comments only slightly annoying her. Still, that's more than what most other insults can do, and she doesn't like it. She may idolize Yoruichi, but she's definitely into men. She just hasn't found one who's single that interests her.
"Well, here you are. If you need to contact the Sou Society, there's a phone over there," Kisuke says, pointing to a large device with a an old payphone attached to it.
"That can contact the Soul Society?" Sui Feng questions, a little doubtful.
"Of course! I started working on the Transdimensional Communicator once Aizen defected. I figured we'd eventualy get dragged into the fight and that we may even be forgiven of our past sins. I guess it'd be a bit too much to return, however; once Central 46 makes a decision, they don't do well with changing it." Urahara's hat shields the slight tinge of anger in his eyes. He really would like to go back someday, and he know's that Yoruichi would too.
"Thank you, Urahara. I'm going to meet with the Stealth Force member posted here in Karakura. Tell Lady Yoruichi I'll be back within an hour in human time." Sui Feng flash steps to "rendezvous." In all actuality, she's just finding an excuse to plant cameras around the store on her way out.
She doesn't want to spy like this on either Urahara or Yoruichi, but she has to. Otherwise, neither will be allowed back into the Soul Society, and that's if Central 46 doesn't renew the warrant for their arrest and execution. This way, everyone will be happy. Tessai may even be reinstated as Kido Commander. After all, the Kido Corp hasn't had a real leader since the three have been banned.
She just hopes that three days will go by quickly.