SailorStar9: Figured it was about time I restarted this fic. (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: Yoruichi, Goddess of Flash, Dances!

The bandaged and imprisoned Renji was lying on the bed in his prison cell. "Zabimaru." he looked at his manifested Zanpakutō.

"You're still on your back?" Saru chided.

"Freaking pathetic, man." Hebi mocked.

"First time in ages that you come out." Renji sighed. "And that's what you say? Ain't you got something more comforting to say?"

"I have already recovered." Saru replied. "I can fight anytime. Now it is your turn."

"Quit lying around hand heal up already." Hebi snapped. "Let me fight that Zangetsu bastard."

"The next time, I..." Saru assured.

"I..." Hebi added.

"Win!" both Zanpakutō chorused.

"Idiot." Renji look away. "What, were you napping or something? He ain't my enemy anymore."

"I see." Saru noted. "Then, who is your enemy? Whom will you fight now?" receiving no answer, the Zanpakutō vanished.

Back at the Senzaikyū...

"No choice then." Byakuya noted. "Before you become intoxicated by your own power, I shall show you a decisive power gap that you could not overcome in a millennium of struggle."

"It's not use, Ichigo!" Rukia shouted. "Run!"

"Scatter..." Byakuya was ready to release his blade. "You!" he glared, finding his Zanpakutō sealed by a strip of cloth.

"Long time no see, Byakuya-boy." Yoruichi taunted.

"Shihōin Yoruichi." Byakuya recognized the former Onmitsukidō commander.

"Who is that?" Hanataro asked. "I don't know her."

"No," Rukia corrected. "I've heard that name before. If I remember..."

"Former Supreme Commander of the Onmitsukidō, as well as Corps Commander of the 2nd Squad therefore, the Corrections Corps, Shihōin Yoruichi. I have not seen that face in a long time. You have hidden your whereabouts for over a century. I considered you long dead.

"Yoruichi-san." Ichigo addressed the woman. "You came to help me, didn't you? Thanks. But sorry, I need you to move outta the way. I have to take this guy down."

"Take him down?" Yoruichi echoed. "You? Take him down? Fool." she rebuked, flash-stepping in front of Ichigo and stabbed him in his barely healed wound with a quick-working anesthetic.

"Medicine?" Ukitake recognized as Yoruichi let the unconscious teen fall over her shoulder. "Piercing Point or Collapsing Point, you pounded some kind of powerful anesthetic directly into his internal organs. What are you going to do with him, Yoruichi?"

"Whatever, you are going to try, it is useless." Byakuya declared. "You cannot escape from here."

"Oh?" Yoruichi mocked. "You've learned to talk big, haven't you, Byakuya-boy? Was there even one time you could beat me in tag?"

"In that case, shall we see..." Byakuya frowned and the two adversaries began their Shunpo cat-and-mouse tag. "Did you think you could escape me with such sluggish Shunpo?" he inquired, catching up with Yoruichi at the last minute and slashed the woman with Senbonzakura.

"Did you think you could capture me with such sluggish Shunpo?" Yoruichi mocked back, dodging the attack and landing on Byakuya's arm. "Three days." she leapt onto the Senzaikyū's roof. "Within three days, I will make this boy stronger than you. Selfish as it may be, until then, we will take leave from the fight. Follow us if you wish. Shunshin Yoruichi is still far from being caught by the likes of you. Ukitake." she called out. "That girl has returned." with that, she vanished.

"She got away." Ukitake peered at the rapidly vanishing Yoruichi. "Where are you going, Byakuya?" he asked when the 6th Division Captain walked off. "You came to arrest the ryoka, didn't you?"

"I have lost interest." Byakuya replied. "Do with them what you will."

"He's just as spoiled as ever." Ukitake sighed.

"Rukia!" Hanataro hurried over when Rukia finally fainted from the release of the intense reiatsu.

With Byakuya gone, the strings of tension holding her up must have snapped. Ukitake realized. "Sentarou, Kiyone!" he shouted to his two 3rd Seats. "Get out here!"

"You called for us, Captain?" the two 3rd Seats were instantly in front of him.

"So you did follow me." Ukitake remarked. "How long were you there?"

"Since you sighed and stopped Captain Kuchiki, Captain." Sentarou replied.

"So, basically, from the beginning." Ukitake realized. "Didn't I tell you not to come since it was dangerous?"

"Forgive me, sir." Sentarou saluted. "I have such respect for you that I couldn't keep from secretly following."

"That's not fair, Kotsubaki!" Kiyone retorted. "Captain, I did so, as well. I am the one who respects you more."

"Ok, fine." Ukitake cut in before the pair's argument could escalate. "Anyway, Kiyone, contact 4th Squad. We have one possible fatal injury. Have them send an advance rescue unit urgently. Sentarou, you put Kuchiki back into her cell. 'Why are you helping us?'" he finished the question Hanataro wanted to ask. "Of course I will help. Since we don't know who killed Aizen, there is a high possibility that you, outsiders have information about the killer. We cannot kill you without investigating. And more importantly, even if your methods are wrong, you tried to rescue my subordinate from her cell. How could I ever let such people die?"

Somewhere else...

"Yes, sir." in Shinigami garb, Orihime reported to Umesada Toshimori. "There was no one in this direction."

"That so?" Umesada noted. "You guys go to East 2nd Avenue. Those ryoka are cunning." he directed his team elsewhere. "Don't let them get away. By the way, you two..." he peered closer. "Both look unfamiliar to me. Are you new?"

Before Orihime could answer, Umesada was called away by his team.

With Umesada's group gone, both Ishida and Orihime walked off, not noticing that they were being trailed by 12th Division Captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri.

"I suppose this is the price for keeping my distance from combat for a hundred years." Yoruichi noted, panting for breath after putting Ichigo back on the blanket when they returned to the cave they were once in. "I didn't imagine I'd lose my breath from just one or two hundred continuous Shunpo. I sure have become weak. "You're awake, Ichigo." she spotted the awakening teenager after night fell.

"Where is this?" Ichigo stirred. "Why?" he glared at the Flash Goddess. "Why did you bring only me back? I'm the one who was most likely to survive if left there. Now Ganju and Hanataro... and Rukia will all be killed."

"Don't be so full of yourself." Yoruichi was unfazed. "Not one person could survive against Byakuya." with a flick of her wrist, she sent Ichigo landing on his back. "Don't make a fuss. Are you trying to open your wound that just finally closed? Carrying one person was my maximum in order to escape Byakuya for certain."

"Then, why not leave me and take Rukia?" Ichigo asked.

"Certainly, there was no one there at that moment who had a possibility of defeating Byakuya." Yoruichi admitted. "But you alone, hold that possibility. I brought you back because that is what I felt. Not to mention, Ukitake was there. He is Rukia's immediate commanding officer and a duty-bound man. I know he wouldn't recklessly kill anyone who'd come to save Rukia, even if they are enemies. He, out of all people, should also recognize Tula's reiatsu. So Ichigo, do not worry. Stay here and get stronger. As you are now, you cannot defeat Byakuya. But I will train you so you can defeat him. And once more, save everyone with your own hand."

"How is the pain from your wound?" Yoruichi asked, bringing Ichigo to the underground cavern.

"A lot better than before." Ichigo replied.

"We have no time to wait for your full recovery." Yoruichi stated. "You may feel pain, but you'll have to do it anyway."

"But I almost feel like I've been here before." Ichigo looked around at the desert-like landscape.

"You're the first stranger to be let in here." Yoruichi declared. "Amazing, isn't it?"

"Whatever." Ichigo shrugged, bringing out his Zanpakutō. "No time, right? Let's get started already."

"Then, let me ask you." Yoruichi posted a question. "Have you realized that Zanpakutō is a full-time released form type Zanpakutō?"

"Full-time released..." Ichigo looked closely at his blade. "Sounds like Zaraki Kenpachi. I thought it was weird because the shape was so different from everyone else's. And it doesn't change shape even when I call its name."

"So you didn't realize." Yoruichi sighed. "Then, you don't know Zangetsu has another stage that can be released? Not only Zangetsu, all Zanpakutō actually have two possible stages of release. We call the first stage 'Shikai', and the second release 'Bankai'. The ability to achieve these two releases is one of the required conditions for becoming a captain. The Gotei 13 Squad Captains, except for one, have all achieved this Bankai. In the long history of Soul Society, Zaraki Kenpachi is the only one who has attained the rank of Captain without achieving Bankai or even knowing his Zanpakutō's name. That shows how big a factor his combat ability and attachment to fighting was for the Gotei 13. Having fought him, you should know better than anyone. The difference in combat ability between Shikai and Bankai of the same Zanpakutō, while differs on an individual's nature and degree of training, can generally be thought as being five to ten times greater. Because of that, it requires over ten years of training, even for talented people. But there is a way; it is fraught with peril, but through a completely different method. I'm going to make you achieve Bankai in three days." she held out three fingers.

Omake: Kon-sama's Ultimate Shinigami Illustrated Guide

Kon: 11th Squad, 5th Officer, Ayasegawa Yumichika! Narcissist!

SailorStar9: In the next chapter, Orihime and Uryū continue towards Rukia's location, but are accosted by Aramaki Makizō, a Shinigami of the Eleventh Division. Some Twelfth Division members arrive to help, but Mayuri, who has made them into human bombs, detonates them. Orihime uses her powers to protect Uryū and herself from the explosions, and Mayuri expresses his wish to experiment on Orihime. Uryū begins to fight Mayuri, but is quickly disabled by the paralyzing abilities of Mayuri's Zanpakutō when his lieutenant, Kurotsuchi Nemu, uses her body to hold down Uryū. Mayuri then reveals that he has experimented on many other Quincy, including Uryū's grandfather, Ishida Sōken, and was responsible for his death. Now that's done, read and review.