"Have you heard? Captain Aizen has betrayed us and fled to Hueco Mundo." Soul reapers were speaking in hushed voices so as to not be overheard by head captain Yamamoto as he passes through the Seireitei.
"We must find out what he wants in Hueco Mundo immediately! Chojiro!" Bellowed the infuriated old man.
"Yes sir". A man with white hair came to Yamamoto's side.
"Get me Bakiro this instant!" His anger grew with each passing second. As Chojiro ran off looking for this mystery Shinigami, the head captain summoned a hell butterfly and called all available captains to an emergency meeting.
"We must find out what Aizen wants in Hueco Mundo and that is why I have summoned you here, to inform you that we are taking the necessary steps in tracking Aizen down and that I will be sending someone in to discover all they can". The squad captains were looking at each other, wondering which one of them the head captain would be sending to what seemed like certain doom.
"I will go". Said a woman with the symbol for squad 2 emblazoned on her kimono. It was Soifon, captain of squad 2.
"Are you crazy?" The captain of squad 7 reared up. "If anyone is going, it'll be me. I must bring Kaname back."
"With all due respect, Komamura, you lack the skills for such a task, I am the most stealthy and therefore I alone will handle this task." The two captains glared at each other.
"Actually I would very much like to be the one that handles this issue, while I am there I can obtain some new test subjects." Uttered Mayuri Kurotsuchi the captain of squad 12.
Suddenly the doors to the captains meeting hall creaked open and a tall man with brown hair and tainted blue eyes walked in. The captains looked on as the Shingami briskly walks up to the head captain. "How dare you enter this place, we are having a meeting!" Soifon attempted to scold this 'uninvited' visitor.
Mayuri looks on with a smile and thinks to himself "Well it looks like the old man has already made his decision. No matter, I could still get something out of this".
"All of you should stop bickering, I am not sending any of you into Hueco Mundo, you are all captains and so you must remain here to tend to your own squads". Said Yamamoto calmly.
"But then who are you sending?" The two bickering captains said in synch with each other.
The head captain gets up and starts walking towards the centre of the room. The two men meet in the middle. "I believe you're all familiar with my 5th seat, Bakiro Tensho."
The captains looked on in shock at the decision that head captain had made.
"I feel that Bakiro is the best choice, he was one of the youngest to ever achieve Bankai and he has been nominated for captaincy before. However, he rejected it as he would only serve under me and not be someone to be served under. He has a strong loyalty to the Soul Society. That, coupled with his extremely high spiritual pressure are the reasons I have selected him for this mission."
"I respect your decision sir, but please you must send me over someone so inexperienced." Soifon pleaded with the old man.
"You doubt my abilities Soifon?" Bakiro spoke with a harsh, but calm voice as he locked eyes with the outspoken captain of squad 2. "If the head captain chose me for this task, then that clearly means that I am the best one for the job. Are you seriously going to go against what the captain has said?"
Soifon gritted her teeth has her hand wrapped firmly around the hilt of her Zanpakuto.
"Enough! My decision is final! Bakiro is going. I hereby end this meeting!" The captains left and so did Bakiro.
"Ugh, that guy annoys me so much. Why? Why did the head captain choose him?" Soifon punched the wall out of anger. "I'll shut that arrogant mouth of his."
"What is it you wanted to see me about Captain Kurotsuchi?" Bakiro asked as he walks into the department of research facility.
"Ah, Bakiro. I wish to ask a favour of you. Seeing as how you used to be one of my men here at squad 12. Mayuri looked intently at Bakiro.
"What is it you need?" Bakiro was very loyal to his former captain, even 5 years after he moved from squad 12 to squad 1.
"I wish for you to try and bring me back a possible test subject along with anything else you find that is….interesting." Mayuri was eager to hear what Bakiro's answer would be.
"Very well, I will get what you ask…if you give me all the information on Aizen's Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu." Bakiro looked emotionlessly at his former captain as he waited for a reply.
"So, you want information from me, I guess nothing's free in this world is it? No matter, I will give you what you want, seeing as how it's you asking and not one of the other soul reapers, let alone a captain." Mayuri seemed willing to give out the information, but deep down, he knew that he really didn't want to.
"Are you sure this will be enough bait Hanataro?" Two men were talking to each other, it was Bakiro and Hanataro, the 7th seat of squad 4.
"I'm positive Bakiro sir, th-that is definitely enough to draw a Menos to you." Hanataro was a very nervous and excitable soul reaper as many liked to point out.
"If you're sure, then I have no time to waste, I must get to Hueco Mundo immediately." With that, Bakiro ran off to find a safe place to use the bait.
The hour was drawing near, soul reapers were stationed so that no other hollows would enter this part of the soul society, and the bait had been used. All of a sudden the sky tore open and from that hole a Menos appeared.
In an instant the brave 5th seat of squad 1 drew his Zanpakuto and leapt at the enemy, slicing it straight through the head, but Bakiro couldn't stop to check if it was dead, he had a mission.
And so, Bakiro's long struggle in the desolate home of the hollows was about to begin….