Ichigo barely had time to blink before a veritable sea of pink rushed towards him, hungry to drown him in its depths.

Not wasting a second, he stormed towards the oncoming tide, moving faster than he'd ever done before, Kyoka Zangetsu tearing at the tendrils that burst away from the main body of pink and attempting to ensnare him, the force of each swipe ripping them apart before they even had a chance.

"Fool." Byakuya's voice intoned, his hand level with his eyes and clenched down in a fist. "You are already dead." The sea stilled spiraling down into a dome that ensnared the Orange Haired boy, hiding him from view.

"Perfect." Ichigo whispered, blurring into nothingness as he whispered through the quickly closing gap in Senbonzakura's judgement, the hole snapping shut as he faded out of view, and flashed into existence behind the Captain in a manner not dissimilar to what he had done with Urahara when he'd first obtained his Shikai, a black a red crest of power circling his blade. "Getsuga-"

Byakuya spun around at the attacks beginning, eyes widening as he took in Ichigo's presence right at his feet, hands directing Senbonzakura to take out the immediate threat, but it was too late for him.

"-Tensho."

The soft steps echoed throughout the chamber as Aizen and his Lieutenant strolled through the empty chamber, Hinamori Momo's still warm blood staining their footprints into the polished tile. Pausing quickly, but not at all clumsily, Aizen stared up at the diminutive figure of Toshiro Hitsugaya, smiling sadly at the expression of shock etched onto his features.

"Ah, Toshiro. We weren't expecting you so soon." Aizen offered an apologetic grin as Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of the Tenth Division and youngest soul to ever be named as such. "If we knew you were going to be early, we would have cleaned up a little."

"Aizen... You aren't dead. How?" The white haired Captain spoke, disbelief dripping from his voice. Oh yes, Aizen did so enjoy that confusion he instilled in his enemies. But there would be more than enough time for that later, for now he had a schedule to keep, and unfortunately for him, the young Captain was in the way.

"Now, now Toshiro. Is questioning me really the best use of your time right now? I don't think she'll last long without medical attention, but I'm not a medic, so what would I know." He smiled softly with a dismissive shrug.

"Who are you talking about?" Hitsugaya demanded, eyes turning hard much like the ice that flowed through the boy's Zanpaku-to. "Answer me Aizen!"

Gesturing over his shoulder and into the small antechamber beyond the Central 46's main hall, he didn't even flinch as the young Captain sped past him in a flash of Shunpo, his smile only growing crueler as the boy let out an agonizing howl of pain and anguish moments later.

"Uh oh Cap'n, seems he found her." Gin chuckled as a blast of Presence came rushing through the room as Hitsugaya came stalking out into the main hall, Hyorinmaru held across his body.

"To be fair Gin, we weren't exactly trying to hide young Hinamori from him." Aizen replied calmly as the young Captain's Presence continued to sky rocket, patches of ice actually becoming visible around him.

"Aizen, I'm going to kill you now."

"Oh, are you now? By all means, you are welcome to try." He invited as Toshiro called out Bankai, ice completely cocooning the young boy, forming the silhouette of a dragon around him, wings and all before vanishing in a blur of shunpo, his sword impaling the brown haired Captain straight through the chest. "Daigurren Hyorinmaru, the most powerful Ice Type Zanpaku-to to manifest itself in the history of the Soul Society." Aizen choked out though a mouthful of blood. "I always do enjoy the snow, especially out of season."

"Yes." Toshiro nodded. "You've said as much before Aizen, enjoy the ice while you can. This is where you die, Traitor."

"No, it really isn't."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened as the man who had been impaled on his sword faded into nothingness, his eyes transfixed on the event even after it had finished. "After all." Aizen's voice spoke from behind him, bloodied Zanpaku-to in hand. "There is a reason my machinations have stayed secret for so long."

And the young Captain could do nothing but fall as his body finally registered the countless slices that had faded through it, blood flowing from his wounds like a fountain as he slapped against the unforgiving concrete.

"Pretty brutal Captain." Gin spoke after a minute of silence, as they continued their way up and out of the chambers of the 46. "One might think you didn't like the kid."

"I liked him well enough Gin, Toshiro was always an interesting person. A fantastic conversationalist for his age." He affirmed, wiping the boy's blood off of Kyoka Suigetsu and onto the sleeve of 0his Captain's Haori. "But one cannot afford to show mercy to their enemies, no matter how much they like them."

"Like I said Cap'n, brutal." the silver haired man chuckled before swinging his gaze onto the stairs. "Well, well. Aren't we popular today Cap'n?"

Eyes soft and welcoming, a sad smile on his face Aizen nodded. "How may I help you, Captain Unohana, Isane?"

Emerging from the shadows stepped the Captain of the 4th Division and the greatest medic the Soul Society had known, Retsu Unohana laid her eyes on her compatriots, sadness and disapproval clear in her eyes. "To think, of all people, you would be the one to betray us so absolutely. What have you done, Sosuke?"

Aizen just smiled, offering no reply.

After a beat of silence, Unohana sighed, drawing her Zanpaku-to from her hip. "So be it."

Ichigo bit back a cry of pain as a wave of miniature blades scored themselves across his back, replying to the Kuchiki's assault with a sweeping Getsuga Tensho, disappearing into a blur of bandages as he whispered onto the ruined remains of the Sokyoku execution block, Zangetsu biting into the white stone as he fell to a knee to catch his breath. Noticing that the Captain had evaded his Getsuga, he added a shunpo into his Sasapo as he vanished and reappeared in front of Byakuya, before whispering out and behind him again, the Shunpo he had added into his initial whisper pushing the afterimage forward for a bit as if it were still him, a torrent of petals sweeping through it as Ichigo's blade bit through the man's unprotected back, the Captain flashing away in a burst of Shunpo, reappearing 10 paces away.

"Impressive, Ichigo Kurosaki." The Captain conceded with a nod. "It seems I underestimated your capability to a large degree and your Bankai even more so. It is no less deadly than my own, no matter how small."

Smirking, Ichigo offered a quirk of his head. "Thanks. I think."

"But I must end this quickly, the more time I spend dealing with you, the more time the criminal has to escape."

"The criminal?" Ichigo growled, grip on Zangetsu tightening. "She's your sister! And you can so easily dismiss and dehumanize her?"

"She has been found guilty, tarnished the name of Kuchiki. It is as simple as that." Byakuya replied calmly. "And for you, a mere human, to question our laws and our way of doing things is nothing more than blinding arrogance."

"Arrogance?" Ichigo repeated.

"Yes, arrogance. You and your little invasion force are nothing more than a joke, Kurosaki, and your death shall be the punchline. Shūkei." (Final Scene)

The restless sea of pink that was Senbonzakura stilled for an instant, before flashing with an eerie white glow, collapsing and coalescing onto the bloodied Captain, two wings shaping themselves onto his back, joined together by a narrow half circle. A lance flashing into life over his right hand. "Hakuteiken." (White Imperial Sword)

"Impressive, I have to say Zangetsu doesn't have anything nearly that flashy, I'm almost jealous Kuchiki." Ichigo chuckled, red and black Presence erupting around him before wrapping around his sword, the invisible hum of his swords deceptive nature filling his veins in a shared elation. "Almost."

"Round two." Yorouichi chuckled from opposite her old student, cracking her knuckles in glee. "You ready for this, my Little Bee?"

The Captain of the Second Division let out a snarl as her Shikai shimmered into life on her right hand, golden point glinting dangerously in the mid morning light. "You will die today Shihoin. Are you ready for that?"

Letting out a chuckle, the Flash Goddess shifted into stance, hand beckoning the younger woman. "Bring it, Soi Fon."

The young woman who had replaced her as the Captain of the most demanding and laboured Squad within the 13 Court Guards streaked fowards in a blur of black, white and gold, Suzemubachi launching forward in precise calculated strikes, all inter spaced with kicks and jabs of her non-bladed limbs, not a motion wasted and not a strike pulled, pride rushed through Yorouichi's heart at the skill her student had taken on since her abandonment of the 13, only to quickly shelve it as she was forced to hastily block a jab from Suzemubachi, barely stopping what would have been a lethal hit, but still letting her protoge draw blood and mark her skin with her crest.

"What's wrong Lady Shihoin?" Soi Fon mocked, spitting out the honourific with obvious disgust. "Have you gotten slow in your old age? Or maybe you've just forgotten who and what you should be?"

"My, what big words you have."

Snarling at the glib response, her Captain's Haori disintegrated around her shoulders and the small of her back, white energy snaking down her arms and erupting off of her back. "Then maybe I should reeducate you with my newest technique!"

"I must say I'm surprised that you managed to find a hint of suspicion within my death." Aizen began conversationally, drawing his own sword and leveling at Unohana, almost like a rapier. "What gave me away?"

Parrying the sudden lunge as Aizen and his sword streaked through the air, Retsu returned with a basic horizontal slash but feinting into an upwards slash, tracing a thin red line across the man's face. "It was the circumstances surrounding your supposed death actually, it was far to quiet and clean for the assassination of a Captain class Shinigami, especially one of your prowess Sosuke."

Wiping away the blood, the traitorous man leveled his fingers towards her, a white flash of lightening streaked towards her, only missing narrowly as she stepped to the side. "But that could not have been enough, after all you had a dead body, one identical to me."

"Yes, and every time I examined it I couldn't find any discrepancies, it was too clean and yet, it wasn't." She bit out in frustration as she was forced to contort in a way that made her seem almost inhuman. "Then finally, during the chaos that the rescue of Rukia Kuchiki, I felt my suspicion triple, all of it almost being to convenient." Steel rang out as she talked, both combatants not giving an inch. "I'm sure you can understand my surprise to find the apparent body of Sosuke Aizen dissolving into nothing more than ash. Obviously your control over the constructs form wore out, unfortunate timing I wouldn't you say?"

It started out silent, the shaking of his shoulders portraying assumed anger, but she knew better, she had lived to long to not recognise it, and as his arrogant chuckles erupted into full blown laughter, she had to ask. "Something you would like to share with the class Sosuke?"

He shook his head, his, laughter dying somewhat as he wrestled it down to nothing, his eyes taking her in pityingly. "I am impressed, do not misunderstand that Captain Unohana, truly you are the finest mind among the current Captains of the 13 Court Guards." Flipping his Kyoka Suigetsu into a reverse grip, held level with his eyes he smirked. "But even in the end, the smartest of the 13 is still less than me."

"Your arrogance knows no bounds child, allow me to reign it in." the words came out glacial, almost offended, as she muttered 'Shimasu' her sword glowing green and dissolving into a fine mist which swirled around her and solidified to resemble a snake, although it bared feathers in place of the expected leathery scales, four magnificent wings unfurled behind the two. "You will not win this day Sosuke, no matter what delusions you may entertain to the contrary."

Laughing again, he uttered the three words that would seal her defeat and that had, over more than a century, guaranteed his victory. "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

And in the span of a second, he was gone, Isane was collapsing in a mass of blood and bone, Minazuki erupted in a scream of pain and presence, folding back into the sword it had once been and she felt herself begin to fall, her left arm strangely missing.

"I meant to tear your body in half." Aizen's voice cut through the slowly encroaching darkness that was beginning to ensnare her absolutely. "But it seems I underestimated your Zanpakuto's resilience. For that, I will not kill you, Unohana. For finding enough doubt in my World, I will give you a fighting chance. Farewell Captain, next time I see you, I will not show such mercy."

And then the pitch claimed her.

Aizen gazed down at the bloodied and broken body of Retsu Unohana, Captain of the Fourth Division and the Premier talent in Medical Kido in the last half a century of the Seireitei. What many failed to credit was that, even alone, the Woman could match both Captain's Ukitake and Kyoraku in a pitched battle and against just one of them alone could force the men into Shikai with very little effort.

Against a fighter like that, in a fair battle, Aizen knew he could have never stood against her toe to toe for long and, as she released her sword's initial release, it was either he take her by suprise then, or risk that incredible mind of hers figuring out just what was wrong with the picture in front of her, enough time to realise exactly why her strikes weren't drawing blood in the correct ways or just why a strike that should sever bone barely scratched it.

It was the danger about fighting against a truly experienced medic, of which he was not one, so, deciding to do the smart thing, he triggered the trick and cut her down in her shock.

offering a final nod of respect, he spun to his Lieutenant, nudging little Kotetsu Isane's corpse with an almost childlike amusement he let out a small cough. "Having fun Gin?"

The silver haired man turned his unearing gaze and eternal smile towards him. "Neh, we going then?"

Nodding in reply, a spiral of bandages erupted into life around the two. Moments later no trace of their presence remained except for 2 dead Lieutenants and two near dead Captains of the 13 Court Guards.

The black and red lance of a Getsuga tensho scattered a stream of Senbonzakura's blades to the winds as Ichigo came charging through the lingering energy as his black blade swiped out at an already in motion Byakuya only to fade into nothingness as Kyoka Zangetsu traced a deep trench trough the Captain's back, a deep crimson smear already soaking into the ground as an arm of pink came surging in on the elusive Substitute Shinigami only to fall through air once more.

"What's wrong Kuchiki? You're so slow today, it's like you aren't even moving at all." A gaggle of Ichigo's mocked, circling the bloodied man in a blur of black and orange. Sasapo and Shunpo enhanced speed actually leaving behind solid, tangible reflections in his wake for seconds at a time.

Not that he had escaped without his own fair share of wounds, Byakuya being a Shinigami of comparable skill and decades, maybe even centuries, of experience at his back and in his confidence Ichigo had lost mobility in his left arm due to a mistimed reappearance, getting caught up in a surge of angry petal like blades. But, compared to the numerous gouges and tracks the Rukia's Substitute had left on his opponent's body, he felt as if he was still, at least, breaking even against the man.

"Come on Byakuya. My banter doesn't work if you refuse to respond, at least try and make your ass kicking a little more interesting." He piped at the Captain's continued stoicism.

"Why?"

Blinking, Ichigo just quirked a brow, gesturing for the man to continue.

"Why do you struggle so hard for a woman you barely know?" Byakuya almost spat out in broken haste. "How can she possibly have garnered such loyalty from you in such a short amount of time?"

Staring hard at the man, almost feeling sorry for his absolute confusion, the teen shouldered Kyoka Suigetsu, reaching an upturned palm towards the Captain. "Answer for an answer Kuchiki. Rukia is your sister, you've obviously known her far longer than I have. So with that in mind, let me ask you something Byakuya Kuchiki." At this point the boy was almost spitting, bitter disgust and anger tinting his voice. "How the hell can shenot have your loyalty?"

The stoic Captain merely looked at him, Senbonzakura's form buzzing behind with like leaves on the wind. "She has broken the law, been deemed a criminal by the highest authority in the land. You would have me ignore that?"

"I would have you be a goddamn brother and argue her side." Ichigo snarled back, several mirror images spluttering into a quick existence as his presence burst out in time with his anger. "I would question how her giving me her power so that I wouldn't die, so that I could save my sister's lives, can possibly be labelled a criminal action. I would have you stand by her side as the blade came swinging instead of being the one swinging the blade!"

"You look at things so simply, as if we are governed by the same laws as those who are still among the living, the same laws that you yourself live by. But we are Shinigami, I am a Kuchiki. We are not the same Kurosaki, no matter how much this concept seems to confuse you, and by insisting otherwise is an insult to the 13 Court Guards, an insult to the Soul Society and, most egregiously, an insult to me." The wings of Hakuteiten flaring in timber with the barely contained anger in the black haired man's voice. "Now tell me, tell me why you would risk death for a woman you've not known 3 months!"

"It's simple." Ichigo replied, anger raging in his eyes. "Because she's my friend."

And with a burst of pressure and a howl of rage from Ichigo, the two juggernauts moved, blades hungry for each other's blood.

And there's the Chapter two rewrite finished. we're getting there, Oh boy are we getting there.

Drastic changes compared to my previous version, for one I've just killed off both Hinamori and Isane off screen, one because Isane is boring and two because I don't think I could truly portray Momo's crapsacchrine state of mind with the vicious reality that I'm aiming for here.

Also, will Unohana and Hitsugaya survive? Maybe, probably in fact. But their current on the bench status means massive changes for the immediate future as well as the distant one at that.

Where am I going with this? Who knows, stay tuned for chapter 3. Jordan Out.