Author's Note - This is set in the future, and slightly AU after Chapter 591 of canon. There are two OCs, but they are minor parts for this story. Kaien Kurosaki, son of Ichigo and Rukia, and Kirio Hirako, daughter of Shinji and Hiyori. My intention is for this story to take place a century or so after canon, and fill in the gap as it goes along. I have not entirely decided what the larger arc of this story will be yet, but i have a vague idea. Questions, comments, and requests are welcome! They really help me along.
Chapter 01 - Shinji's Suspicion
The Captains stood in two rows, some staring resolutely at the opposite wall, some talking quietly to their neighbors. The Captain Commander had not yet arrived, but he had called an emergency meeting for all Captains.
"Hey, Ichigo. Do you know what this is about?" Ikkaku looked over at the orange haired hero. Ichigo shrugged.
"No idea." He looked around the room at the other captains. None seemed to have any more knowledge about the situation than he did. "Its gotta be important, though."
"I apologize for my tardiness. I was meeting Tier Harribel to get more details on the situation. We can continue the meeting now." Shunsui Kyoraku flash stepped to his place at the head of the room, looking as if he had not gotten much sleep. "It was brought to my attention that there is something in Hueco Mundo that is eating hollows. So much so that the Arrancar are becoming concerned. Souls in the living world are building up, and causing a dangerous imbalance between the worlds."
"Captain Commander Kyoraku, do you mean to say that we do not have enough hollows? That they are something we need to protect, when it has been our duty to wipe them out for two thousand years? It was one thing to suggest they were natural and even potentially beneficial, but necessary? I think not." Captain Byakuya Kuchiki turned to face his commanding officer.
"I'm skeptical myself." Ikkaku crossed his arms over his chest, raising a hairless brow at the head captain.
"I have data that suggests that the captain commander is precisely correct in his assertion. I would even go so far as to say that Hollows do as much good for the balance of the world as Shinigami do." Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi interrupted. "This is a serious threat to the balance of the world. I would like to study the effects myself."
"Thank you for your support, Captain Kurotsuchi, however I need the Twelfth Division here in reserve. The Second, Fifth, Eighth, and Eleventh Divisions will take the lead on this mission. Captains, you may take as many of your men as you believe would be helpful, on the condition that you leave at least one seated officer to stand as acting captain in your absence." Kyoraku said. "In addition, Your neighboring divisions will lend a helping hand to your representative to ensure that your divisions are not left without the wisdom and strength of a full captain."
"You are sending the Stealth Force and our two strongest fighting forces? Exactly what do we think is eating these Hollows?" Captain Juushirou Ukitake asked his old friend.
"We have no idea. But there have been confirmed disappearances of Menos class Hollows all the way up to the Adjuchas level, and it is entirely possible that even some Vasto Lorde could fall prey to it. Do not take this mission lightly." Shunsui looked at his four selected captains. "Captain Feng. Who are you going to take with you, and who will you be leaving in charge?"
"Lieutenant Omaeda will join me. Lady Shihoin will act as captain in my absence." The short woman answered without looking up.
"Very well. Captain Hirako?"
"I'm leaving my lieutenant in charge as well. Hiyori will be joining me. The more Visored on this trip the better." Shinji flicked his hair aside to cast a meaningful look at Ichigo.
"Ichigo?" Shunsui had learned years ago not to try calling Ichigo 'Captain Kurosaki'.
"Chad's in charge. I'm bringing Lieutenant Yadomaru and Fourth Seat Jaegerjaques." Ichigo nodded silently at his friend in the fifth. The more Hollow blood on the team, the easier getting in and out of Hueco Mundo alive would be.
"And Kenpachi?"
"I'm taking Third Seat and acting Lieutenant Ayasegawa and Fourth Seat Arisawa. Fifth Seat Aramaki will be in charge, however..." Ikkaku sighed. "The division won't follow many people below captain level, and Yumichika is coming with me. I would like to ask Lieutenant Kotetsu of the Fourth to act in my place. My division respects her."
"That is not my call to make. Captain Kurosaki?" Shunsui turned to the head of the Fourth. Isshin shrugged.
"It's fine by me, but I won't order her to deal with them. She has my permission to take on those duties, and if she chooses to do so, I will move some of her responsibilities around." Isshin grinned. He knew his Lieutenant wouldn't hesitate for a moment to accept the request, and he knew by the time Ikkaku returned, she would either regret the decision, or have become an even more impressive woman.
"Alright, that is settled then. Now, for the specifics of you mission. Objective One. Locate and identify the nature of the entity that is eliminating the hollows. Objective Two. Neutralize the entity. Objective Three. Return the entity to the Twelfth Division alive if possible. The reports say that he creature is located well beyond the border of the Forest of Menos. Any questions?" Shunsui looked around.
"You chose me because I can open a Garganta. You chose Ikkaku because he is a powerful warrior. You chose Shinji because he is a Visored. Captain Feng is a very capable and powerful warrior in her own right, but her specific skill set is in stealth, and it does not seem to fit in with the image of brute force you have put together. Why is the Second Division included on this mission?" Ichigo locked eyes with his commander. Shunsui sighed.
"Captain Feng will be joining the party to Hueco Mundo because she is not friends with you all. The rest of you will tend to look to each others safety before the completion of the mission. I am sending the Second Division as a last resort, if there is no chance of victory without losses." Captain Kyoraku would not meet his best friend's eyes at the end of the row. "You are dismissed! Set your divisions in order and be prepared to set out before noon! You will meet in the Delta Division head quarters."
"Yes, Captain Commander!" The four chosen captains all saluted before turning to depart. As one would expect of the Captain of the Second Division, Sui Feng was already long gone.
"Hey, Shinji. Got any thoughts on this mission?" Ichigo fell into step beside the blonde man. A few moments later, Renji and Ikkaku had joined the pair.
"The mission itself? Hard to say. I do think that there is something we are not being told. Shunsui being that up front about why the Second is accompanying us? That can only be so we didn't ask any other questions. There is something nastier than getting stabbed in the back by a fellow captain that he doesn't want us to know about." Shinji looked around with narrowed eyes. "I want to have a word with Urahara before we head out blind. He might be willing to spill something."
"You really think there is some kind of conspiracy? It seemed like he was being pretty straiught forward about a pretty ambiguous situation to me. He wanted a back up plan, and he is right. We'd save each other before killing the enemy. It's his job to prioritize things like that, now." Ikkaku caught sight of a flash of silver hair. "I'll meet you guys later." He was gone in the direction of the Fourth.
"I think it is suspicious too." Renji sighed. "Ichigo, you need to go talk to your family as well, but I'd avoid mentioning the second division if you can avoid it. It'll just worry them."
"Yeah. Take care of everyone while I'm gone. Don't let the place fall apart." Ichigo took a moment to place a hand on the redhead's shoulder before flash stepping to the Thirteenth. Most of the division members didn't even look up as he passed. He was there as much as he was at his own division.
"Ichigo! What was the emergency meeting about? Captain Ukitake said you would tell me!" Rukia was by his side in an instant, looking up at him with concern.
"It's a special mission to Hueco Mundo. They are sending me and a few others to check something out. It might be nothing, but they don't want to fool around, just in case it is serious. I'll be gone for a few days, probably. I don't know exactly how long. They aren't sending the Fourth, so it isn't expected to be that dangerous." Ichigo gave her a confident smile before bending down and kissing her lightly. "I'll be back before you know it."
"Have you told Kaien yet?" Rukia leaned against his shoulder as they walked.
"Not yet. He's practicing Cero with Grimmjow. I thought I would come see you first." Ichigo stopped at her door. "Rukia..." He paused for a moment, then scooped her up in a tight hug. "I love you. Be safe, while I'm gone, alright?"
"Ichigo... I love you too, idiot. I'll be fine, you're the one who needs to be reminded to be careful!" The black haired girl glared at him.
"Yeah. I'll be careful. I've gotta go see my sisters and then get back to my division." He sat her down at her door and turned, but stopped before taking a step. "You remember that phone Urahara gave us?"
"Mhm. What of it?"
"Keep it on you while I'm gone, alright? And don't let anyone know about it. I'd like to keep it a secret, but if I need to get word back to you or Soul Society in a hurry, that would be the best way." Ichigo looked over his shoulder to see the woman nod.
"I will. Get going." She pushed his back gently, then immediately dashed into her room, digging through the bottom of her closet for the small device. Ichigo hadn't mentioned the device since Aizen's last escape and subsequent death. That could only mean one thing. He wasn't sure who they could trust.
At the Tenth Division, Karin was begging her captain to allow her to go with her brother, but neither the white haired nor the orange haired captain were having any of it.
"I am strong enough to be a captain! I have the same hollow powers that you do! Please, let me come too! I can help!" Karin shouted.
"No. Shunsui knows what he is doing. If there is a problem with Hueco Mundo, we can't let every ally capable of opening a Garganta go off at the same time." Ichigo looked at her and then at her captain, who he had come to see as a little brother, despite the enormous age gap in the opposite direction. "Toushiro, could you close the door? There is something I want to tell you both."
Captain Hitsugaya raised both eyebrows, but flicked the door shut, even going so far as to raise a sheet of ice in front of the wall and windows. Karin stopped glaring and began looking between the two with new concern.
"What's going on?"
"Shinji has a bad feeling, and I agree. I don't know exactly what is going on yet, but it is more than meets the eye. Keep an eye and and ear out here. Look after each other, and everyone else. Don't draw attention, but don't let anything that strikes you as out of place go by without a second glance." Ichigo glanced at the wall of ice. "If you need to get word to me, Rukia knows how. I haven't told her any of this. She just knows to keep one card up her sleeve, just in case."
"This is serious, isn't it? War, serious?" The white haired man asked quietly. Karin sat down on the desk and covered her mouth. It had been nearly a century since the last war ended. She hadn't even been a shinigami yet.
"I don't know, but I can't confidently say no. Be careful who you trust. It might be nothing, but Shinji was the first person to see through Aizen. I have a lot of faith in his judgement. If he thinks something doesn't add up, I am inclined to agree." Ichigo swallowed. "If... If this is something more nefarious than idle paranoia, I would expect the next move to come soon after we leave. The next move would tell a lot about what is going on."
"Don't worry. We'll take care of everything." Toushiro straightened his Haori and melted the ice around them. "Who else are you going to tell?"
"I'm going to tell Chad, since I am leaving him in charge, Uryu, to make sure the Delta Division is not in any danger, and my dad, since Yuzu and Orihime are in his division." Ichigo grinned. "Karin. When I get back, you need to start practicing with Grimmjow. If you are up to Captain level as a shinigami, then your Hollow skills need to match."
"I agree. Although, you already displaced Matsumoto, next you will be taking my place." The white haired captain smirked. "Teaching you so well may not have been in my best interests."
"Ha, funny. You know I don't want to be captain, and you could have left Matsumoto as Lieutenant instead of switching our seats. No one would have cared." Karin glared at her captain.
"Oh, she is quite happy with the change. Less paperwork, still high enough rank to accompany me on missions, less meetings, and she can use the situation to get pity points and free drinks. She couldn't be happier." Toushiro rolled his eyes and turned back to the taller captain. "l hope you are wrong."
"Me too." Ichigo waved his goodbye to the pair and was gone with a crackle of static. His next stop was the Fourth Division, where he found his father, Ikkaku, and Lieutenant Kotetsu standing together. "Hey."
"Hey Ichigo. Want me to go get Yuzu and Orihime?" Isane smiled as he approached. She had been declared his 'fourth sister' by his father soon after he took up his new position. At their rate of adoptions, the Shiba Clan would rival the Kuchiki Clan in no time.
"Yeah, tell them to wait for me out front. I need a word with goat chin first." Ichigo glanced at Ikkaku, who immediately excused himself to follow the silver haired woman. "Dad, what did you think of the meeting?"
"I'm a little annoyed that they are sending the Second Division as a back up in case someone needs to kill you all off, but I think you can take her." Isshin leaned back against the door frame. "Why do you ask?"
"Shinji has a bad feeling about this." Ichigo glanced up at his father. "The sort of bad feeling he had when Aizen was plotting."
"Aizen's dead, Ichigo." Isshin stiffened, remembering that particular event. "Urahara killed him. There was no doubt."
"There is always room for doubt with Aizen." Ichigo shrugged. "It may be nothing, or it may be something all together different. I just want you to be careful who you trust, keep your eyes peeled, and take care of everyone while I'm gone."
"So, carry on as normal then?"
"Pretty much. Family first. Karin can get word to me if you need to contact me, but it is a last resort and one time only. Don't use it unless you have to." Ichigo sighed. It was a system they had worked out years ago when Aizen had escaped. Establish a chain instead of a network, so if a link was broken, you would know where it broke. Unfortunately, it meant there was no safety net.
"Right. You should get out front and see the girls now." Isshin gestured to the front of the division. "Don't tell them about this yet. I'll fill them in if I need to later on."
"I know." Ichigo decided to walk the few meters to the door and stepped out into the morning air. Immediately, he was enveloped in two pairs of arms. Yuzu and Orihime were clutching on to him so tightly he could hardly breath.
"Ichigo! When will you be back? Why aren't they sending us with you?" Yuzu, who now looked older than both he and Orihime, pouted up at him. She had not left the world of the living till her late twenties.
"I don't know when I will be back, but it is just a recon mission. Besides, if it is dangerous enough to hurt me, I don't want either of you anywhere near it. If things get bad, I will open a Garganta and be back here in no time." He returned the hugs and then stepped back from the two healers. "Don't worry."
"You know we will." Orihime smiled. "Be careful, though?"
"Yeah. You too. Uryu will be mad at both of us if you are worrying yourself to death about me right now. Stress is bad for the baby." Ichigo grinned and turned to the tall Lieutenant who was standing off to the side, still whispering quietly with Ikkaku. "Hey, Isane. You'll do fine. The Eleventh loves you, and you did a great job as head of the Fourth before my dad came back."
"Th-thank you... Alright. I'll do it." She smiled and blushed. "I am not sure Captain Unohana wanted me to follow this closely in her footsteps..."
"You aren't the Kenpachi. You aren't a killer. But you are a warrior, and you are a leader. My men won't hesitate to follow you. Plus, you're combat skills have been really improving. I'm taking everyone in the division who could beat you in a fair fight, and you have Kidou as well." Ikkaku squeezed her hand, then looked over to Ichigo. "I'll see you at noon."
"Yeah. I'll be there. I've got to go set things in order with the Eighth. See you guys when I get back!"
The Eighth Division, as usual, was a rather relaxed place. Except for one small training yard.
"Wrong! Do it again! You have to condense the energy more or all you'll do is give them a sunburn!" The snarling instructions of the former Sexta Espada echoed down the halls. There was a cracking noise, then a sigh. "Better, but still shit."
"It's so much harder than Cero! How can you do it so fast?" Kaien looked up at his teacher. Grimmjow rolled his eyes and raised an arm. In an instant, a flash of red had streaked out and struck the target, easily disintegrating the arm.
"With a Cero, you pull your energy in from the furthest reaches of your soul, bind it together, then release it. With a Bala, you only pull a very small area together, and you pull much faster. It is weaker because it doesn't have as much energy, and it isn't bound as tightly. You aren't binding yours at all. You are just releasing an unfinished Cero." Grimmjow looked up at the door. "Hey, Ichigo. Finally showed up to rescue me from this?"
"You're gonna wish I had left you. We have a mission in Hueco Mundo. You and Lisa are coming with me. I'm leaving Chad in charge. Go get ready." Ichigo gestured over his shoulder but looked pointedly at his son. The blue haired man nodded and left the training field without question. "Hey, Kaien. How's your training going?"
"Terrible. Kirio was able to manage Bala in a day, but I just can't seem to get it! I mastered Cero way faster than her!" Kaien growled and demonstrated by evaporating the top half of the target with a Cero. "What am I doing wrong?"
"Well, what did you have trouble with when you were learning Cero?"
"I... I kept trying to do it like Kidou. Grimmjow told me to forget Kidou. This was nothing like Kidou, it's Cero." Kaien's face twisted in concetration. "Maybe that is the problem... I keep thinking of it like Cero, but it is different too. It's Bala."
"There you go. You'll have it in no time." Ichigo smiled warmly. "I'm going to be gone for a few days. Hopefully it won't take much more than that, but we don't have many details. Chad is in charge while I'm gone. If I hear you start skipping classes, your extra training stops immediately. Komamura will tell me if he sees you missing."
"Yes, Dad." Kaien grumbled. It was worth sitting through the evenings at the Academy in exchange for the training in the morning and at night. His father knew that without the incentive of training, the boy would be tempted to slack off on his studies as well.
"Good. Chad is going to be busy picking up three seats worth of work, so don't harass him all the time. Stick around the Fourth or Thirteenth. I've gotta get going. I'll see you when I get back. I love you, Kaien."
"I love you too, Dad." The dark haired boy waved to his father, then flash stepped over the wall and onto the roof, racing off toward the Fifth to practice with his best friend.
Ichigo's last stop was in his office, where his Lieutenant was sitting with her feet propped up on her desk, a stack of completed paperwork by her side and a very inappropriate magazine in her hands.
"Lisa, go call Chad in from training. We have a mission. You're coming with me, he's acting Captain while we're gone." Ichigo snatched the magazine from her hands and held it out of reach. "You can have it back when we are in Hueco Mundo."
"Fine." Lisa Yadomaru was gone and back in a heartbeat, the giant mexican man looking as if he had been kidnapped. "Got him."
"Ichigo?" Chad raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry. I told her to go and get you, but I expected her to do it like a normal person. That was my mistake. I've been assigned to a mission in Hueco Mundo. I'm bringing Grimmjow and Lisa with me, but I need you to stay here and act as Captain while I'm gone." Ichigo explained. The door opened, and Grimmjow entered the room. "Good, I'll only have to go over this once."
"What's going on?" Grimmjow locked eyes with his captain.
"There is something not entirely right about this mission. Shinji has a bad feeling, and I do too. Chad, I want you to keep your eyes and ears open for anything suspicious once we leave. This next part is not something that I want my family to know about, understood?"
"Yeah." All three nodded.
"They are sending the Second Division Captain with us so that if things go sideways, she can sacrifices us for the success of the mission. The thing is, Shunsui didn't even try to hide that, so Shinji thinks there must be something worse that he doesn't want us asking." Ichigo shook his head. "Be careful who you trust. Family first. Chad, if you find out something important and absolutely have to get in contact with me, talk to my dad. He'll get the message to me."
"Alright. If you learn anything, you will get word to us?" Chad asked.
"Yeah. But I am afraid whatever is going to happen will be in Soul Society."
"Ah, I thought you'd still be here." A fourth voice drew their attention to the doorway. Shinji held up his hands for peace. "Sorry for sneaking in. I spoke to Urahara. He agrees with my unease, but he didn't have anything concrete to add. He does know that a Garganta was opened in the Central 46 chambers with an Arrancar riatsu signature. It is also impossible to open one there without authorization, so it was almost certainly prearranged, however he can not verify if it was Harribel or not."
"So the Central 46 is involved... That doesn't really set my mind at ease." Grimmjow growled. It had taken them decades to remove him from probation and allow him to take the seat he had earned. He remained the only Arrancar among the Gotei 13.
"I think that is all the information we are going to get right now. Urahara will keep investigating. Uryu is going to check his networks as well, make sure the rebel Quincy aren't involved." Shinji shrugged. "It's almost noon. We should get going."
"Alright. Lets do it, then." Ichigo straightened his shoulders, and led his subordinates to the Delta Division.