What's up ladies and gentlemen, here is the second chapter. I'd like to give my thanks to Haddrell, fuzzibunniez and ThroughTheGalaxies for their reviews of the last chapter. Thanks guys!


Chapter Two

Declaration of Danger

Jushiro Ukitake, the Captain of the 13th Division was standing outside beneath the beating sunlight, his hand clasped to his forehead. He was sweating and his brow was darkened as he furrowed it thoughtfully, his grey eyes scanning the area around him. His division were going about their daily business and he had very little to worry about. Ever since he had finally been able to appoint Rukia as his lieutenant, a heavy load had been lifted from his shoulders. His third seats, Kiyone and Sentaro, who had both previously been riling for the vacant lieutenant position, took to Rukia's promotion well. It was lucky, he thought, but then again he knew they would. Everyone liked Rukia.

That was not the biggest weight on the man's mind however and he returned to his quarters that stretched out across his koi carp lake, the sunlight sparkling and glittering on the water's surface. He was responsible for betraying the trust of Ichigo Kurosaki. Everyone told him he was not, including the boy himself, who seemed to have brushed it all off, but still...The Substitute Shinigami license was an item he swore never to use against the boy again. Ichigo had proven himself to them all. If ordered, he would happily destroy it, severing the communication link between them. No, communication seemed to imply Kurosaki had some say in it. It would abolish the spy.

The moment Ukitake entered through the curtain to his quarters he was approached by a messenger, the man appearing speedily through the air to land heavily, bowing on one knee to the captain. He had a strange pack on his back and a conical hat that concealed his eyes. Ukitake raised a black eyebrow before coughing, his eyes watering as he spluttered.

"You have something to say?" Jushiro wondered, brushing some of his sickly white hair from his face as he poured himself a cool drink. The man nodded abruptly.

"Sir! I am just here to report that the 13th Division has been picked to do the monthly Dangai inspections, Sir!" The messenger kept his head hung low and Ukitake sipped his drink, cupping his unsteady hands around the mug. The sunlight was flickering in through the single, circular window on the wooden wall and he grinned a little.

"Good, thank you. I'll send Kiyone and Sentaro, those two have been dying to get out and do something ever since their responsibilities were cut down to size," Ukitake chuckled meekly to himself, setting the drink down as he followed the messenger out of his room. The sun assaulted him as soon as he stepped foot outside, so instead he half draped the curtain door over his face as he called out to his subordinates. The two of them, arguing amongst each other as usual, perked up at the sound of his beck and call.

"Captain Ukitake!" Sentaro cried, roaring into action and sliding down the wooden walkway towards his superior's quarters. Attempting to get to his feet, he found himself unable to stop however and stumbled, tripping head first into the pond with a splash. Kiyone threw herself down in front of the captain, Ukitake grimacing as Sentaro climbed out of the water, grappling with the wooden decking. "Y-you tripped me!"

"Please, you're just too clumsy! Maybe next time you'll let me lead!" Kiyone barked with her eyes tight shut, Ukitake attempting to come between them. Eventually he gave up and leaned over the railing to stare down at the fish swimming like gems in the daylight beneath him. The bickering stopped quickly and they looked up at the captain, the man letting a newfound breeze take his haori and his hair and whip it about.

"Ah...that is refreshing, after all this blasted heat," Ukitake smiled to himself before turning to the other two. "I need you two to take a team of squad members into the Dangai and do the routine inspection. You know, make sure the Koryu is flowing and such...if the report went through the barracks first then some of our men may already be in there," Ukitake explained, "is that okay? Be careful." With a look of concern on his face, he ushered the two of them off and they opened a Senkaimon, the ethereal gates of light pushing apart from one another, Hell Butterflies escorting the two, bickering again, Shinigami into the void. Sighing to himself, Ukitake ran a hand through the strands of his hair.

"You're going to worry yourself to death keeping this up," came a familiar voice from behind him. Ukitake craned his neck to see Kyoraku Shunsui, his lifelong friend and closest ally standing on the wooden walkway over the tranquil lake, a fish bobbing its head out of the water before disappearing again. The man waltzed over to his friend, his flamboyantly pink and flowered haori billowing like a cloak in the wind. To keep his straw hat perched on his head, Shunsui held it down with his fingers, a lock of brown hair unfurling in front of his rugged face.

"I'm fine, really," Ukitake replied as the two of them stood side by side, staring out over the lake.

"So what's troubling you?" Kyoraku remarked, as if ignoring his friend's response. Ukitake looked abashed for a moment before shaking his head and allowing a thin smile to crease his face.

"Nothing gets past you Kyoraku," the white haired captain said, apparently flattering Shunsui. "Is it strange of me to feel like this after the betrayal and the hurt I have inflicted on one of our strongest allies?" Shunsui remained silent. "For the first time in just over two years we are experiencing a time of unprecedented peace. Hollow sightings are at an all time low and the most dangerous threat the Soul Society has ever seen is powerlessly locked eight floors below ground level. Yet, this sadness won't lift from my chest," Ukitake whispered, a flicker of sadness gleaming his eyes.

"What happened to Ichigo-kun wasn't your fault," Kyoraku reminded him. "After Ginjou's assault on the Seireitei and disappearance, the Central 46 were always going to put a stranglehold on the next Substitute Shinigami," Shunsui said.

"Then there should not have been another. I knew what I was getting him into when I handed him that badge after he had done us a service, out of the goodness of his own soul. Even worse, I left him to fall into Ginjou's hands when he saved us from the brink of oblivion," Ukitake muttered, linking his fingers together over the side of the woodwork.

"Without his help we would never have rooted out Ginjou. Just think, had he found someone weaker than Ichigo-kun, he would have taken their powers and used it to continue killing Shinigami. We were in the wrong yes, but it was not your doing. You know that most of us were against the surveillance of the boy, especially young Miss Kuchiki," Kyoraku chortled to himself, "I can still picture Byakuya's face when she disobeyed your order." The two of them had a hearty chuckle at that.

"I know you're right. I should just enjoy this prosperity while it lasts," Ukitake smiled warmly before Kyoraku invited him over to his barracks for some sake. At the same time, Kiyone and Sentaro stepped into the Dangai. All about them, the churning, throbbing purple walls moved violently about. Their captain had been right, there were already some Shinigami hard at work. They split up and Kiyone ventured over to one of the men inspecting the reishi particles in the air.

"Anything unusual?" She asked, her soft brown hair a darker black in the dim light of the cavernous, oozing tunnel.

"Nothing, the Kototsu is gradually returning but Aizen really did a number on it," the Shinigami explained, examining the air. "We could be without the cleaner for some time yet. Unless of course the Research and Development department can get off their lazy asses and do something," the man scoffed. Kiyone nodded sternly before she heard Sentaro calling her over loudly.

"Oi! Get your scrawny butt over here! Something's going on with the Koryu current!" Sentaro yelled and Kiyone darted over, instructing the others to follow her as she went. They watched the thriving, sludge like walls shift and move like normal. Kiyone was about to open her mouth when she stopped, her eyes bulging in surprise as the walls began to slow down, rapidly. Then, without warning, the flowing rows ceased altogether. "What the hell is going on?" Sentaro yelped.

"This shouldn't be happening, the Koryu can only be stopped using Kaikyo Kotei!" A Shinigami called out from the back of the group. Then, they all heard it. Behind them, they could hear someone approaching them from deep within the tunnel's depths. Kiyone went for her zanpakuto, the weapon hanging loosely on her hip. Then at last they saw the source of the footsteps. Through the darkness appeared a figure garbed completely in pearly white clothes. From the distance they appeared almost angelic until they got closer and the Shinigami realised the face bore an opaque black mask. A sudden and strange terror struck Kiyone and she felt her hand go stiff and her fingers tense.

"Do you know why the Koryu has stopped?" Sentaro snapped, taking a dangerous step forwards. The ghostly figure tilted his head. He was wearing a full body gown that went down to his knees and from there he bore white suit trousers with thin white shoes. A blue strap ran across his chest from shoulder down to waist. The figure seemed to be observing the group of quaking Shinigami, Sentaro drawing his sword, growling nastily. "Bastard!"

"Sentaro, you idiot!" Kiyone cried as the third seat dashed at the figure. The cloaked man seemed to lean towards his shoulder, muttering something in a muffled voice.

"None of these are the Special War Potentials...," he mumbled before Sentaro was upon him, whipping his sword up to the man's neck. The other Shinigami had appeared around him now as well, ready to take him into custody. "Submit," the figure whispered, "or die."

Sentaro snapped at him, edging his sword ever closer to the man's throat.

"Was that a threat? You want to say that to the captains?" Sentaro snarled menacingly, clasping his other hand on the rattling hilt of his katana. However, whether this new arrival was unfazed or not was impossible to tell for he kept his mask on. His faceless visage was unnerving and Kiyone took a meek step backwards, shaking a little. Though she had a sword in her grip, she gawped at him, as though he were a holy reaper, his skeletal white clothes in stark contrast to the dank, darkness of the Dangai Precipice World.

"I will be communing with your captains at a later date. For now though, consider my offer," the man raised a hand and the Shinigami all flinched, Sentaro's eyes twitched as he bit his tongue, lifting his sword by his side. "You have four seconds to do so." However, his request was answered as Sentaro ran at him, bringing his sword down in a speedy flash. The white garbed man merely stood there as Sentaro had his side blasted away in a splatter of blood. Kiyone watched in quivering horror as the third seat hit the floor, his body splintered and broken. She turned warily, her neck creaking, back to the man in white, his hand merely up by the side of his head as if he were wielding a gun, though she had not seen him draw any kind of a weapon.

"Third seat Kotsubaki!" Cried one of the Shinigami, the others flailing about as they caught sight of the lifeless body on the floor, fading away into the blackness. Screaming, they all rushed at the man, drawing their swords in a storm of clattering metal. Kiyone found herself sobbing, her shoulders hunches over Sentaro's body.

"You idiot...you idiot...!" She cried, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Suddenly there was a colossal spark of blue light and the bodies of her comrades rained down around her in a sea of blood, the white cloaked man studying her from where he stood, the Shinigami hitting the floor in a concession of sickly thuds. Through the bloodied mist, the figure began to advance on the young Shinigami, Kiyone clambering to her feet, clutching her sword in her hands. The man lifted his hand to her face and she stood, entranced.

"Your body will serve as a message to these villainous Shinigami," the man hissed behind his mask, Kiyone's knees buckling. "Prepare for the end," he said and the last thing Kiyone saw before the blast of icy blue light was a pentacle attached to a silver, brittle chain.


Ichigo bounded from a rooftop, his shihakusho blustering in the wind. The blistering weather had kept up after all and he took it all in, the gale brushing his face and rustling his hair. Never had it been like this during his time as a Substitute Shinigami. Ever since he had bested Ginjou there had been nothing going on. However, he was unnerved. The man he had met at the graveyard preyed on his mind and he sighed, landing heavily on a nearby telephone pole. His words reverberated about in the boy's mind.

"I suppose you're too young to know what war is...but you will do,"

Ichigo cursed. Was that a threat? Staring out across the peaceful town, the boy closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, sensing the spiritual pressures about him. Blue flickers of fire lit up in the caverns of his mind. There was everyone; Orihime was with Tatsuki, Chad and Uryu were in their respective houses. Everyone who had even the tiniest bit of reiatsu he could tell exactly where they were. Certainly nothing was out of the ordinary in Karakura Town today. Yet there was a chill running down Ichigo's spine. Somewhere, something was amiss.

In the end he gave up and floated back down to the ground, landing neatly on the road below. He just couldn't shake the mysterious man's words from his mind. Then, he saw the spirit, wandering lonely, looking about him. Ichigo called out to him.

"Yo!" The boy said, the spirit looking up at him. It was a middle aged man, bespectacled and with a crop of light brown hair. From its chest, a chain protruded, barely worn. This one had only just died. Maybe even a few minutes ago. The thought depressed Ichigo. It was odd, but he spent so much time around the dead he figured he would have gotten used to the idea by now, especially seeing as he knew where they went afterwards. No, maybe that was the reason he was feeling bad. Quickly he shook himself down, immediately wondering why he thought such thoughts. "What happened to you?" Ichigo asked, resting his colossal zanpakuto on his shoulder.

The spirit seemed shaken up, his eyes bulging and snaking about their surroundings.

"I...I was...I was just sitting in the park...when...when someone must have stabbed me, that's all I remember feeling was the cold plunge and splitting pain for about three seconds...no, maybe it was two? All I remember is I saw the attacker and-," Ichigo grabbed the spirit by the arms and stared into his face.

"Do you remember the guy? Where is he?" Ichigo exclaimed but the spirit had stiffened. Ichigo clicked his fingers. "Hello?" The spirit raised his finger suddenly and shrieked.

"He-he's right there, behind you!" The ghost wailed, Ichigo looking over his shoulder.

"What th-?" He began, only to be smacked into a wall by an immense weapon, a claymore in fact, shimmering in the sunlight. Ichigo staggered out of the rubble, the dust and debris seeping out around him as he clutched his head, blood staining the fringe of his hair. As the smoke cleared, he saw his attacker and his eyes widened in horror as Ginjou Kugo stood in front of him, a malicious smile on his face, his black locks curling and hanging down over his eyes.