SailorStar9: This is the start of the new arc of this fic. Just to let you guys know, I'll be skipping the Living World episodes since the main focus is Soul Society. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts? Read and review.

Pairings: Ishida/Hasu, minor pairing Hitsugaya/Karin

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.

Prologue: Shocking Revelations for the Gotei 13! The Truth Buried in History

In Soul Society...

"We have not been able to find the former 5th Squad Captain, Aizen Sousuke, the former 3rd Squad Captain, Ichimaru Gin and former 9th Squad Captain, Tōsen Kaname." Yamamoto began the Captain meeting. "Luckily, according to the information about this development, Aizen must make preparations before he can go to Hongoku. It is thought that on top of a great deal of time needed for preparations, once completed, they will need time for maturation. It has been decided that there should be no need to worry until next year. However, this does not change the fact that these three men area threat to both Soul Society and the Real World. As such, you have been changed into Search Squads, and will be mobilized as such. Until further information comes in, you're dismissed."

"So we really have been changed into Search Squads, because..." Ukitake mused as he and Kyoraku looked over Seireitei from the Squad 8 barracks roof.

"What?" Kyoraku chided. "Search Squads has a nice ring to it, but it won't work. That guy has a heavy load. No matter what, he's become rusty. More importantly, I heard that it was arranged so that Abarai was sent to that ryoka boy's town."

"Yeah." Ukitake confirmed. "I've heard he's been busy. What?" he blinked, seeing his oldest friend's musing expression.

"Oh, what?" Kyoraku echoed. "I've heard some bad rumors over that last incident."

"Reishi?" Ukitake frowned as trails of ice-white Reishi particles floated past him and Kyoraku. "Tula-sama, huh?"

"It's indeed too long since we've felt her Reishi." Kyoraku noted.

The next day, in Squad 13...

"Starting now, all communications with the Real World will be suspended for the next few hours." Ukitake gave the order. "This includes closing the gate. This is a specific order from Tula-sama."

"Understood." Sentarou answered. "Close the gate!" he gave the order to the gate guards.

Just as the Senkai Gate was closing, Suì-Fēng slipped through the closing gates, upon Yoruichi's orders.

Sometime afterwards, in Squad 12...

"So, you're here, after all." Hitsugaya entered the observation room.

"Hey, the kid prodigy came?" Kyoraku grinned. "Want one?" he raised his sake bottle.

"I'll pass." Hitsugaya retorted. "Excuse me. What are you doing?"

"Just a little survey." Hasu beamed. "Suì-Fēng is currently sending us some data from the Real World."

"Was the Senkai Gate closed for this?" Hitsugaya inquired.

"Well, yeah, on our hime's orders." Kyoraku chuckled. "It's easier to gather data on alien elements if we stop soul movement."

"Alien elements?" Hitsugaya echoed.

"Right." Ukitake nodded. "We are trying to find out what they really are."

"There couldn't be a connection between this and the Aizen incident, could it?" Hitsugaya realized.

"I don't know." Ukitake admitted. "Everything will be known after this."

"It's arrived!" Rin reported. "We have the sample. It arrived safely."

"What is this?" Hiyosu peered closer. "It's not found in our database. Fine, analyze it again."

"What do you think?" Ukitake posted the question.

"Yeah, it's strange." Hitsugaya agreed.

"At any rate, it seems that we need to study it some more." Kyoraku noted.

In the Daireishokairō...

With Ukitake and Hitsugaya's help, Hasu was looking through the archives.

Sometime later...

"Captain Hitsugaya of the 10th Squad, accompanied by Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku." Matsumoto announced the Squad's arrival to the impromptu meeting.

"Captain Zaraki of the 11th Squad, accompanied by Lieutenant Kasajishi Yachiru." Yachiru added.

"We're coming in." the two Lieutenants declared.

"I wonder what you were doing at this important time." Mayuri snapped. "If you were part of the normal guard, I would feed you to my pets for your competence."

"Captain Ukitake, what is it you wanted to tell us?" Matsumoto asked.

"I'm the one who has something to tell you." Mayuri cut in.

"In an attempt to stop this from spreading, the Captain-Commander requested that I take over for this meeting." Tula explained. "Would Captain Kurotsuchi of the 12th Squad explain the situation?"

"That's not a 'situation' or anything like that." Mayuri retorted. "This is my databank. Someone snuck into the databank and stole from it."

"Stole from it?" Yachiru echoed. "What?"

"Bount." Mayuri replied. "I wonder if saying this surprises you. On top of this, he set up a trap. If I tried to remove from that data, then that data would be destroyed. Do you understand what this means? As the Captain of the 12th Squad, as well as the person in charge of data, this is the most contemptuous affront. If there is someone you might think to be the culprit, tell me his name. He needs to be caught immediately."

"That's enough, Kurotsuchi." Tula warned, adding steel to her voice. "All of us share a responsibility in capturing the culprit."

"Have you forgotten that among those responsible Captains, there have already been some traitors?" Mayuri reminded.

"This is something that could endanger all of Soul Society." Ukitake cut in before the tension could escalate. "We should avoid acting rushy."

"Oh well." Kurotsuchi backed down. "But if there is another instance of someone trying to anger me, I'll have an idea who it might be. Be prepared."

Some time later...

"What is that?" Hitsugaya blinked as Nemu pulled out the relevant data.

"Something I borrowed." Mayuri replied. "There is not such thing as data that I may not access here in the Department of Technology. I undid the lock, though it took some time. Now then, let me explain. Nemu."

"I'm putting it on monitor." Nemu responded.

"These are the Bount that are causing a commotion in the real world." Mayuri stated as Nemu pulled out the photos. "They are a clan that appear human and eat souls in order to lengthen their lives. And these are the Quincy that everyone is already familiar with." he added. "At one point the past, these two clans, the Bount and the Quincy, had a battle. It seems that the one who recorded this was doing it as a distant spectator." he noted, Nemu playing a video clip of the fight between the two clans. "Look at this. The Bount were clearly targeting the Quincy."

"And what of the rest of it?" Hasu asked once the video fizzled out.

"There aren't any." Mayuri answered. "It is old, after all."

"It's to be continued, huh?" Kyoraku mused. "I'm interested in what happened next."

"I don't know if the Bount there got the Quincy or not," Mayuri admitted. But if you look at the big picture... Nemu." he looked at his Lieutenant. "Continue."

"It seems that after this fight, they continue to absorb humans' souls." Nemu took over. "Originally, the Bount supposedly had a law that said that they were never to absorb anything but a deceased human soul. However, for a short period after this incident, they continued to absorb living souls. The data concerning the amount of damage does..."

"Don't say unnecessary things." Mayuri cut her off.

"What happened after that?" Ukitake asked.

"I don't know." Mayuri replied. "But, whenever they do something big, they break their clan's law and attack living humans. On top of this, for some reason, they need the special human Quincy clan. Just how much of what is occurring in the real world matches up to this old record? That is something I do not know. Only this is certain; the Bount will start to seriously attack humans from here on, living humans."

Omake: Kon-sama's Ultimate Shinigami Illustrated Guide

Renji: Ichigo, what type of ability did Kariya have?

Ichigo: Who knows? I couldn't figure it out at all.

Renji: What? You fought against him and still couldn't figure it out? Are you stupid?

Ichigo: Shut up! Don't spout nonsense when you didn't even watch us. Why didn't you come with me in the first place? I called you, didn't I?

Renji: I don't know. (Pulls out his Denreishinki) My Denreishinki didn't... (Flip the phone open) The battery's dead.

Everyone else, minus Sado and Noba, facefault.

SailorStar9: In the next chapter, Soul Society takes a stand against the Bounts when Captain Hitsugaya orders Matsumoto, Hisagi, Kira and Yumichika to enter the human world, noting that they cannot rely on Ichigo and Renji. Later, realizing that Mayuri's data was incomplete, Tula informs has Byakuya give her and the Captain-Commander any records the Kuchiki clan has of the Bounts. Now that's done, read and review.