A/N: So last chapter I promised to fix it up, to fix the mistakes and to edit it. Well I did and chapter 2 lengthened quite a bit. There are some changes (obviously) some things that were taken out and others that were added. You might want to go back and read it…tell me if there's any more mistakes. If you don't want to do that then I suppose you can just go ahead and continue on. There might have been something important added, I don't know.


Kazune turned and faced the door once again. Her heart hammered in her chest, trying to break free of the ribcage surrounding it and take flight. A nauseating feeling had taken over and she felt as though she were going to either faint or throw up.

Moving as slowly as possible she lifted her hand and placed it against the cool surface of the metallic door. Her palm rested against it but she did not push the large door open. Not yet. She was not ready to face what lie beyond but she did not have an option. Squeezing her eyes shut and sucking in a deep breath Kazune collected herself and then pushed the door open as she exhaled the deep breath she had taken.

When the door was open and she began walking towards what she'd prefer to be bolting from as fast as she could, Kazune was careful to keep her back straight, her posture rigid, chin up, and shoulders back. Her walk was slow and deliberate, her steps slow but long. There was only one way she was willing to present herself now. Despite the collar around her neck that kept her from using all of her reiryoku, despite her weak Kido skills and the lack of her zanpakuto Kazune was unwilling to show weakness, to have chinks in her armor. She had put on a mask that wasn't going to break, it wasn't going to slip and her true emotions weren't going to show.

As she advanced towards the three Shinigami Gin's laughter reverberated throughout the room before he spoke. "My my how you've changed Little One."

Orange eyes narrowed. "My my," She coolly mocked. "Still Aizen's lackey I see. Have you forgotten Matsumoto? I'm sure she misses you dearly." It was a low blow, or at least she hoped that bringing Rangiku into the conversation was a low blow for Gin.

Now's your chance. The hollow rushed, getting excited.

"Not now." She ground out, fists clenching at her sides. That was the only part of her expression and her body language that revealed a single thing.

"Who might you be speaking to Kazune?" The ring leader, Sosuke Aizen, asked with a smug smile on his face.

Gin looked no different; he was exactly as she remembered him to be. That smile was still on his face and his eyes were still closed. The same could not be said about Tosen, there were a few differences in his appearance. But the man she was walking towards, she could hardly recognize him. If she hadn't heard his voice she wouldn't have believed that it was Aizen she was approaching. He looked so different then from how she remembered. The glasses he had never really needed were gone, his hair was styled differently and the aura about him was completely different. He was hardly recognizable and no longer looked like the nice guy, the soft spoken teacher that so many shinigami and students loved. His time of playing the nice guy seemed to be over and he now seemed to be playing the leader. The sheepskin disguising the ferocious wolf had been shed and all that was left was a cunning and ambitious creature that would get what it wanted one way or another.

"Oh just my Hollow. You know, the one you're responsible for." Her tone didn't hide her emotions either. It was bitter and sarcastic, distaste ringing out loud and clear.

Aizen let out a small chuckle and shook his head, "Still bitter about that I see." It came as no surprise. Unlike most of the Vizards Kazune had not been a Captain or even Lieutenant. She had been a seated officer however that wasn't the reason behind her bitterness.

At those words she lost it. The mask she was so determined to keep on cracked and her anger flared. "I have every right to still be upset!" Her voice rose, her last word echoing around the otherwise empty room. Orange eyes flashed and her Hollow hissed for her to do something, to attack the man before her. Sosuke had done things that she was never going to get over. Being a Vizard, that wasn't too bad after you got used to it, it helped that they weren't alone. Being driven from the Soul Society, that was less bearable because she had friends there, people she cared for and missed. But there was one thing that she would never be able to forgive him for.

"Yes I suppose you do. However you know that you were never a part of my plan, just like Yuna wasn't." Aizen paused as her controlled reiatsu spiked angrily at the mention of Yuna. So that's what she was still sore about. He smiled again and continued speaking, confident that Kazune wouldn't raise a finger against him. It wouldn't matter to him if she did, she would merely have to face the consequences of her actions and Aizen was sure that Kazune didn't not want to find out what those consequences were. "But in the end it all worked out did it not?"

Her reiatsu spiked but she reined it in with what appeared to be no effort at all. Her clenched fists were shaking at her sides and her eyes were filled with hatred and anger. She did not verbally answer, figuring it was wiser to hold her tongue then to use it to lash out as she had at Gin. Already he had pushed her buttons, opened old wounds that she thought had healed. He seemed to be doing it without trying, as though it came to him secondhand.

"I assume you have … tamed… your Hollow. Am I correct?" If she hadn't tamed it then Kazune would not be standing here before him.

Tamed my ass! It growled inside her head.

Both knew there had been no taming of Kazune's Hollow.

Her not was curt, her answer clipped, controlled and could have passed as that of Ulquiorra. "Yes." That's all she was going to give him.

It pissed her off that he sat up there all high and mighty even before her. It made her mad that he would dare look down at her as though she was just another one of his subjects. Though she supposed that she meant nothing more to him than one of his subordinates.

"It seems I have upset you." Aizen said rising from his white throne. It was just like everything else she had seen so far. The only things with color, as far as Kazune had seen, were the people and their hair. Even the two shinigami beside him matched the theme of black and white. "Forgive me."

His apology was not sincere and even if it had been she could not have accepted it, it would have meant nothing to her. Petty, generic words would not be enough to make Kazune consider forgiving Sosuke.

She was raging but the only thing she had done was raise her voice, and even then she had not been shouting compared to the volumes she could reach. It seemed as though Kazune had learned great control over the past hundred years. The control she had now was something he had been unable to teach her in the Soul Society.

As he descended from his throne he asked in a slightly sneering manner, "Is there something you're missing?"

Her orange eyes did not leave his brown ones even as he began lowering himself to her level. Even when he reached the floor she was standing on he would still look down on her. "My zanpakuto. Where is it?" Kazune knew he had it, why else would he be asking her if she was 'missing something'?

"Don't fret. I've got it right here." He said holding up something. The neon orange hilt matched the ribbon around her waist that kept her sheath at her side. It had been placed in a black sheath similar to the empty one she had used as a weapon earlier that day and Sosuke's fingers were wrapped around its middle. He wasn't holding it out to her and he wasn't offering it either. He was simply showing her that Naitomeashinga was in his possession. "And I will return it to you under one condition."

"What?" She ground out, not daring to agree to a damn thing until she knew that it was his one condition was.

"Show me Bankai." Aizen was confident that Kazune had achieved Bankai since the last time he had seen her.

However her strong, fearless demeanor flaked off to reveal what was under it. Shame was revealed as she averted her eyes ducked her head. Brown hair a few shades darker than caramel was used as a veil to cover her face. "I cannot. I'm sorry to disappoint you. I'm sure you thought one hundred years and she'll have it down." Her voice had started out meek and quiet and got quieter and quieter as she spoke. After the last word she paused and shook her head then muttered in a voice she made cracked, "But I don't."

Liar! Her thoughts screamed. The act was painful. Around Sosuke the last thing she wanted to appear was weak but that's exactly how she was forcing herself to act.

While she half expected him to call her out on her lie she also expected for him to use that calm but disappointed voice, the one that was always a million times worse than screaming and yelling could ever be.

Neither came.

His tone was neutral, nonchalant as though he didn't care one way or another. "I see." He paused a beat to conceal the surprise he felt. Surrounded by Captains and Lieutenants for the past century and they hadn't helped her achieve Bankai yet? A frown pulled down the corners of his mouth as he puzzled over why she hadn't yet achieved Bankai. "At least you've tamed your Hollow." At least she had succeeded in doing that.

Kazune thrust out her hand, palm facing the ceiling, empty and ready. Sharply she made a single demand. "Naitomeashinga." That's all she wanted.

A smile returned to Sosuke's face before he brushed past her saying, "I think I'll keep it until later. Now come, we have a few things to accomplish."


Grimmjow was the last one to enter the meeting room. Stark was asleep, using his folded arms as a pillow. Ulquiorra was sitting, back straight and no expression on his face per usual. Halibel kept to herself, quietly waiting with a bored expression. Szayel seemed to be lost in thought while waiting for Aizen to show up. Yammy wouldn't shut up and was arguing with Aaroniero and Zommari was silent as always, patiently waiting as a few others were.

"Late as always." Nnoitra sneered as Grimmjow pulled out the only empty chair, which just had to be across from Ulquiorra who didn't even look bored, and threw himself into it. Unlike Ulquiorra his posture was slouched and like everyone else he did not want to be here. He had better things to do, like that nap he hadn't yet had the chance to take thanks to the damn girl and Gin's 'request'.

"Shut the fuck up." He instantly growled. "Aizen's not here yet is he?" He might be later than the rest of the Espada but by no means was he late, not when Aizen hadn't yet taken his seat at the head of the table, the other two shinigami on either side.

Before Nnoitra could answer, could spit something back, or try to goad him into a fight after the meeting the doors of the room opened and in walked three Shinigami and the reason he had been late according to Nnoitra.

The girl looked different now then she had not ten minutes ago. Unfortunately he couldn't quite place why she seemed different. She was wearing the clothes he had forced her into; her hair was the same, as were her eyes. Appearance wise she was no different yet there was something not the same about her as before. It was starting to bother him whatever it was.

Grimmjow wasn't the only one to notice the difference. Ulquiorra was able to spot and identify the difference in the girl immediately. She stood tall; the air about her had changed. Her head was held high and like Aizen-sama she looked down on them as her orange eyes slowly and lazily swept across the room and the people in it.

Across the table from his Grimmjow and a few others bristled, most likely due to the air about the girl standing next to Aizen-sama, who took as seat and began the meeting as though she were not there. Both of the Shinigami sat, one on both his left and right side. There was no room for the girl at the table but she didn't seem bothered by it. She simply stood at the head of the table next to Aizen-same without a single word.

She waited patiently for the meeting to be concluded. She didn't seem as though she would be the patient type if their previous meetings were anything to go by.

Kazune stood there, ignoring Sosuke after she realized that she couldn't care less about the battle plans, misconducts of whoever and whatever else it was he was rattling on about. Her name wasn't being mentioned and so therefore she had no real reason to listen. He did not mention the Vizards or anything that might be linked to them, like intruders or unwelcomed surprises. So instead, to pass the time she slowly studied the people around the table. They were all Hollow-Shinigami beings, meaning they were all Arrancars. The blue haired guy was there as was the black haired male. The two girls weren't there, in fact there was only one female at the table, and that's who she started with. The collar of the woman's shirt covered her nose and reminded her a bit of a gasmask.

Her zanpakuto was at Aizen's side, leaning against the table. It wasn't strapped down or being held. It wasn't lying across anybody's lap and it wasn't even being watched. Naitomeashinga was unprotected, unguarded and hers for the taking if she weren't so busy studying the ten Arrancar that were seated around the table.

Steal it already! The Hollow demanded for what felt like the millionth time in only a matter of minutes. 'Take the damn sword already!' Was what it had first demanded when her zanpakuto had first caught her eye not long after she realized that she did not need to pay rapt attention to what Sosuke was saying.

Are you ignorant enough to dare think that he's not expecting me to do something like that?! Kazune mentally growled at her Hollow. She dare not speak to it aloud again in front of Sosuke, she had already made that mistake once and was unwilling to make it again. So she settled on doing what the rest of the Vizards did when speaking to their Hollows.

Sosuke Aizen was not a stupid man. He was foolish or stupid enough to have not taken many precautions against her attacking him or trying to get her zanpakuto back. There was no way he hadn't prepared for an attack from either her Hollow or herself.

He's just yappin' about no one cares what. They're all just about asleep and he's not paying us a lick of attention. Take your zanpakuto and slaughter them all! There was a beat of silence, where Kazune was about to respond to the Hollow but it beat her to speaking and continued. Just leave Grimmjow for me. I want you to use my power when you kill him. No Shinigami shirt or tricks.

You're fucking crazy! Kazune shouted unable to believe that her Hollow had said that. Yet she should not have been surprised. Her Hollow liked fighting; it liked violence and a good challenge.

Inside her head the Hollow cackled wildly. Yes. And I'm a part of you. What does that say about yourself Shinigami? It sneered the last bit at her.

The Arrancar around the table were all just about asleep and seemingly unaware of the threat standing next to their leader. Despite that she knew that once a commotion was caused, after one or two of them had been purified her time was up, she would no longer stand a chance. Kazune valued her life enough to not give into her Hollow's desires. She did not wish to die here in this world of black and white.

As if I need a reminder. Kazune grumbled, not responding to the second half of what the Hollow had said to her.

Seeing that he had lost the Espada's attention Aizen wrapped up the meeting. "However, before I allow you to be dismissed there is one more thing that needs to be addressed." He said.

No one dared to let out a groan as they paused, seconds from getting up and leaving the room. No one voiced their opinions on having to stay in the meeting longer than they needed to. Most of the Espada however did perk up; their full attention was given to Aizen now that the end was in sight. After this one last thing they could go.

Kazune had stayed by his side for the duration of the meeting, something that admittedly surprised Aizen. She was well composed with an expressionless face and blank body language. Of course that was the surface, the shell around the egg. Aizen know how to read Kazune well and she had long since gotten impatient and wanted to be anywhere but standing by his side. But both of those things were to be expected, he wasn't exactly on her good side. Before the Espada, as she had before him, she stood tall and proud. Confidence radiated off of her and she had not yet embarrassed herself by trying to retrieve her zanpakuto, which he had deliberately put within both her sight and reach.

"Are you goin' to keep us waiting all day or what?" Grimmjow destroyed the silence that had fallen over the meeting room and its occupants.

At his impatient outburst Gin sniggered and Tosen glared at the Espada.

"Patience." Aizen calmly said unfazed by the Sexta Espada's impatient and rude outburst. He was surprised that a few others hadn't said something as well.

Once the blue haired Espada's unintelligible mutterings were done with he glared at the girl at Aizen's side and snapped, "I thought this was an Espada meeting. The fuck she doin' here?" He pointed at the girl, ignoring the sharp look from Ulquiorra and the glare from Tosen. The girl was not an Espada, she was not an Arrancar, she had very plainly told him that he was a Vizard, whatever the hell that was. She had no place in this meeting, no right to be looking down on them like Aizen did.

Kazune opened her mouth to shoot a snappy retort back at the man, only for Sosuke to let out a laugh, cutting off her reply before it could fly off the tip of her tongue. Glaring she steeled for crossing her arms, discretely giving the blue haired man the finger and backing down with a smirk.

When Grimmjow saw her smug smirk he nearly leapt across the table at the girl. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was Aizen, who was giving him this 'lift a finger and you'll regret it' look.

"This here is my beloved daughter Kazune." At the word beloved there were two simultaneous snorts. Aizen paused and looked around the table, gauging his Espada's reactions.

Grimmjow could not believe his ears. Aizen's fucking daughter! Aizen had knocked up some woman and produced the bitch standing next to him?!

Shit!

That changed everything! He was so screwed if she tattled on him. Tosen was already looking for a reason to get rid of him and with his time spent with the girl there was probably about a million reasons for Tosen to get his way. The bitch had better not hide behind Aizen or expect him to protect her or anything like that. A growled curse slipped from Grimmjow's mouth.

"Is there a problem Grimmjow?" Aizen asked. With that question everyone's attention turned towards him. Nnoitra was sneering at him and everyone else just wanted to see what he'd say or do.

Quickly he composed himself, already planning on ways to keep the stupid bitch quiet. The last thing he needed to worry about was getting in trouble with Aizen. "You never mentioned you had a daughter Aizen-sama." Grimmjow managed to keep his voice even.

"It was irreverent. Plus I wasn't aware that you were interested." Aizen smoothly replied despite Grimmow's sarcastic, sneering tone. When it became apparent that he wasn't going to reply, that no one else was going to say anything he continued. "And I want you to treat her as you would myself."

He was sure Kazune was going to make it difficult for the Espada to do so but if he didn't say anything she wouldn't last long. Hueco Mundo was a world where it was the survival of the fittest and without her zanpakuto and a reiatsu limiter Kazune was far from fit, far from her top strength.

Grimmjow cursed yet again. She had Aizen's protection as well. Damn, that meant that the Shinigami were probably going to be keeping a close eye on here. There probably wasn't going to be many good chances to make sure she didn't snitch, to keep her quiet.

"I'm afraid I cannot let Kazune wander around by herself and I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to keep the best watch over her." Aizen paused and then asked, "Are there any volunteers or will I have to pick one of you to watch her?" Cold brown eyes swept across the table. Quite a few of the Espada were unfit to watch Kazune.

"Sosuke." When she spoke her voice was shaky but still controlled, her tone ice cold.

"Yes Kazune?" He asked, already knowing where this was going.

No honorifics. No formalities. No last name. And most importantly no respect. The Espada were shocked, some more so than others, some more obvious than others. More than anything else Grimmjow was jealous of the way she had addressed Aizen. Aizen made no move to correct or reprimand her, neither did Tosen or Gin, as they would have had he had the balls to address Aizen using his first name.

"I do not need one of your precious Espada to babysit me." When she said the words precious Espada they were sneered with distaste, as though she couldn't stand having the words put together in her mouth, as if they left a behind a bad taste. "And what the hell is this?" She asked uncrossing her arms and hooking her index finger around the black thing around her neck.

"Merely a precaution." Aizen folded his hands together on top of the table. He was still waiting for volunteers even though it would be best if he were to choose who her guardian might be.

"For what?" she spat venomously. Her reiatsu spiked and the cool control she had kept for nearly an hour began to melt away. The mask began chipping and it was beginning to slip. But she did not notice until the words,

Steady Kazune. Don't lose it, not here at least. It wasn't her pride that was talking but instead her Hollow.

"Would you prefer to choose your guardian?" Aizen asked as though he were asking a child a question, not a grown woman who was a few hundred years old.

Kazune instantly noticed how he had avoided her question about the collar the prevented fast reiryoku restoration and the usage of the few high level Kidos she could execute flawlessly. It also limited her sensory range. Had she had her usual range she would have felt Sosuke's reiatsu upon waking, she wouldn't have raced the blue haired Arrancar to her doom but instead had ran to opposite direction. If she had been able to sense properly she'd have donned the mask of her Hollow and gotten the hell out of the room, out of wherever it was she was. She would have not let curiosity get the best of here.

A bit late now. The Hollow sneered bitterly, having heard her last thought.

"Are these my only options?" As strong as they all were she did not like the looks of them nor the feel of most of their reiatsus. They seemed to be just as psychotic, if not more so, than the blue haired man named Grimmjow. And all she had witnessed them do so far was sit and listen to Sosuke talk on and on.

At her question several of them shifted their attention from Aizen to her. They were not pleased with her question, maybe even very offended by it.

He did not answer her question. It was obvious that she did not like the choices before her, that she was not going to cooperate with him, so he only had one option. "I see that there are no volunteers." Just as well, he had made his decision. "Halibel, from now on Kazune is your charge. Make sure she eats properly and that she does not fight anyone." Brown eyes pointedly shot a look at Grimmjow before fixing the rest of the Espada with the same look.

The blonde haired woman nodded once saying, "I understand."

Aizen smiled as Kazune did the exact opposite. She scowled at both the blonde and Sosuke.

"Good. Return in an hour. You are dismissed my dear Espada." And that was that. The meeting was over and they were free to go.

The sound of scraping chairs, relieved mutterings, shuffling of feet and the rustling of clothes filled the room. In the sudden flurry of rushed movements and moving bodies Kazune saw her opportunity. She grabbed her zanpakuto and Shunpo'ed towards the door. She wanted nothing more to do with Sosuke Aizen. Having seen him again was enough for her.

Unfortunately before she made it out of the door her body froze and refused to move any farther. No amount of effort or mentally yelling at herself or her Hollow cursing made her right foot continue its path to land in front of her left foot. The only thing that could move where her eyes and from what she could see there was a red film that covered her like a second skin. One glance at it and she knew exactly what had happened, why she couldn't move.


A/N: Thanks folk for reading this. :) i hope you've enjoyed the first few chapters.

Please tell me if anyone is OOC (I will fix that right away). Tell me how you think they might have reacted/what they might have said instead.

Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how I can improve because I'm trying with this fic to improve my writing. So your suggestions will not be taken lightly and I'll try my hardest to listen to them and apply them to the fic and my writing.

Or just leave a review, like the people who have already done so. Thanks guys/girls for your reviews, faves and views.