Hello all, it is I! This chapter is where things really get set into motion, so let's get to it! It's a bit short, I apologize, but this is all I could come up with given recent circumstances. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Morning Yoruichi. How'd you sleep?"

"I don't recall sleeping that much, Kisuke."

"Good morning, boss, Miss Shihoin. Would you like some breakfast?"

This is how each coversation that Sui Feng has listened to has gone. Random little chit chat, nothing that could signify that anything devious was afoot. Things seem to be looking good for her old friends, but it's still too early to tell yet. After all, it's only her 3rd day here.

However, there is one thing that's been bothering her. Or, rather, a slight annoyance.

"Where's that damned substitute? Isn't he supposed to provide assistance? What an amateur, he can't even handle surveillance! Why the hell didn't the head captain assign me someone more competent?"

Normally, it wouldn't bother her this much because normally, she could just scare her lieutenant, Marechiyo Omaeda, or anyone else under her command, into doing whatever she told them to do.

Ichigo, however, is a different story. She knows that she would have to face him herself if she truly wanted to kill him, and even then she wouldn't be able to win in an all out fight. She knew it, and he did too; he isn't afraid of her because he doesn't need to be. His battle instincts were good enough to tell him if he was about to be attacked, and even if she was fast enough to get a hit in, Suzumebachi requires two in order to kill.

Not that she really wants to kill him. Yes, she's angry and yes, she's ready and willing to give him a beating, but she doesn't think his actions are punishable by death. "If he doesn't come back tomorrow, I'll just mention it in my report to the head captain. He can deal with him, since he technically isn't in my Squad."

To be honest, though, the constant sex talk between Urahara and Yoruichi is starting to get to her. "No! I am a professional. I've had to watch plenty of worse things during surveillance. If I can watch the inner workings of an old, fat man's sex dungeon, I can handle a few innuendos."

The thought of that mission sends a small shiver down her spine, causing her to focus on her current one. Or, at least, she tries to, as she sense an enormous spiritual pressure, full of malice and hunger, suddenly appear. "A hollow! That spiritual pressure has to be that of an arrancar!"

"Think we should do something about that?" Yoruichi asks Kisuke.

"Nah, I'm sure Ichigo can handle it. It's small fry," comes Kisuke's response. And, as if on cue, the pressure disappears almost as quickly as it appeared, Ichigo's own seeming to have simply swallowed it up.

Even Sui Feng has to admit, that was a bit impressive. It seems that Ichigo not only is strong, but he's also fast and precise. Still, he has no discipline.

As she sits in the shadows, however, Sui Feng is unaware of what's going on in the Soul Society.

...

The alarm sounds once more, centered in the Squad 9 barracks. Kensei Muguruma fires his red signal kido, but he doesn't wait for help to arrive to enter bankai.

"Tekken Tachikaze!" he announces, the purple cloth enveloping his arms as his zanpakuto turns into his bankai's knuckle blades. He immediately goes for a punch to the intruders face.

"Wow there, someone's eager to start," Hatsuyo says, dodging the punch. However, the wind the comes off of the attack still hits him, sending him backwards. "Well, that's new," he says, getting up off the ground, about 50 feet away.

Kensei doesn't give him any time to recover and is on him as soon as he's up, sending another punch. Hatsuyo blacks this one with his zanpakuto, the force of the blow causing the ground to give way beneath him.

"Fast and powerful. Exactly what I want in an opponent." Hatsuyo grins as he pushes Kensei's fist to the side and ducking under his other one, dodging the wind attack. He swipes with his blade, just barely missing his target as Kensei flash steps back.

"Dammit!" Kensei says to himself. He had been hoping to take the intruder out in one or two blows, but he knows that isn't possible unless he uses his last surprise. He kicks off again, changing his knuckle blades into spiked gauntlets that catch Hatsuyo's blade.

However, before he can attempt to disarm his opponent, Hatsuyo releases his shikai, giving him the advantage of having a large weapon that cannot be easily taken from him. He swings down with his zanpakuto, and Kensei sidesteps to launch a left hook at Hatsuyo, who ducks under the fist again. Then, in almost the blink of an eye, he brings his sword back up again throught Kensei at a speed that shouldn't be capable of such a large sword.

However, Kensei's reaction time is just barely fast enough for him to put his hollow mask on and escape the blow, immediately turning once more to offensive with his boosted abilities.

"Hollowfication, huh?" Hatsuyo remarks, keeping up with Kensei with notable effort. "I wouldn't think that Central 46 would allow such an eye sore as a vizard into the 13 Court Guard Squads. Not that I care, a soldier's a soldier."

Surprisingly, Kensei doesn't take any offense to the comment. He's used to insults about his hollow powers, and Hatsuyo technically hadn't insulted him. He just attacks again, swinging faster and harder than ever before.

After dodging an uppercut, Hatsuyo brings his sword down quickly, catching one of the spikes on Kensei's fist. Afraid of losing part of his bankai, the Sqaud 9 Captain tranform his weapons into brass knuckles, shortening them enough to avoid any damage. He follows up with a swift punch that Hatsuyo doesn't expect, and it lands in his gut, knocking the wind out of him. Kensei follows up the attack with a volley of punches, the last one sending Hatsuyo flying in the thick wall of the barracks.

"Damn, those are some good punches," Hatsuyo says, stumbling down from the impression his body has made in the stone. He coughs, spits out some blood, wipes it off his chin and takes off at high speed, his zanpakuto pointed forward.

Kensei prepares for the attack, ready to counter as Hatsuyo approaches rapidly. At the last second, however, the intruder allows his sword to lag behind him, pointing it straight backwards. The slight delay in the attack throws Kensei off, the fatigue of using his mask setting in, and the large hook of Hatsuyo's blade nears Kensei's mid-section, seconds away from almost ripping the vizard in half.

At the last second, however, a sword stabs into the ground, catching the hook and a second, shorter one is swung at its wielder. Hatsuyo ducks under the blade, but is stuck in the leg by a third, golden one. He feels his leg go numb, then limp and he stumbles to the ground. He quickly rolls away and uses a makeshift flash step to escape.

"Majo!" he yells and his sister appears, holding up what looks to be a curtain of light veiling a dark background. Hatsuyo stumbles through the portal and it closes behind him, the two of them vanishing.

"Whew, that was close," Shunsui says, pulling his longer sword from the ground and sheathing both. Kurotsuchi reseals his zanpakuto and places it in its sheath between his legs.

Kensei, however, falls to the ground face first, his bankai disappearing, leaving Tachikaze on the ground next to him. Blood seeps out from under his stomach, and he coughs up a great deal of it, too.

"Captain Muguruma!" Toshiro yells. He turns the man onto his back and uses Hyorinmaru to freeze the wound, temporarily stopping the bleeding.

"How did this happen? I'm sure that I stopped his sword before it hit him," Shunsui says, confused.

"It seems," Kurotsuchi says, "that the intruder can lengthen the spike of the hook in his zanpakuto. Interesting," he states, pulling a vial from his robes.

"What is that stuff?"Toshiro asks, wary of the mad scientist.

"It's medicine, a new mix of mine. I've been looking to try it on someone, but my request for soul experimentation was denied. Now, step aside, boy. I will administer the drug," Kurotsuchi says, stepping towards Kensei's limp figure.

"I'd rather have Captain Unohana treat him," Toshiro says, standing between the two captains.

"I said: step aside!" Kurotsuchi says angrily. He grabs the hilt of his zanpakuto, but Shunsui grabs his wrist.

"Now now, let's not fight in such desparate times. Captain Hitsugaya, I understand your concern, but there may not be enough time to get Captain Muguruma to Captain Unohana, and I don't think that ice will last for long," Shunsui says. Toshiro hesitantly steps aside, allowing Kurotsuchi to administer his drug.

The ice over the stab wound shatters, revealing purple tendrils writhing under Kensei's skin. They seem to stitch the wound shut, but then it disappears completely, no sign of damage remaining at all.

However, there is one thing that seems to be wrong. Kensei's shikakusho is turning white, though it does retain a light gray color. He remains passed out, and his spiritual pressure is almost nonexsistent.

"You bastard, what have you done!?" Toshiro yells accusingly at Kurotsuchi.

"Calm down," the creepy captain says, "the drug uses the user's spirit energy to repair the body. His wounds were serious enough to drain almost all of his spirit energy. It seems I need to revise the mixture," he adds as a side note.

"Captain Muguruma's wound does seem to be healed. Toshiro, please wait here until Squad 4 gets here. I'll report to old man Yama," Shunsui says.

...

"I see," Yamamoto says after listening to Shunsui's report of the situation. "You made the right decision in allowing Captain Korutsuchi to administer his medicine. However, it would seem as though another one of our captains has fallen; we need a better strategy."

"Captain Korutsuchi managed to use his paralysis on the intruder's leg, so I would imagine that he'll be the next target. We could wait there and ambush him," Shunsui suggests.

"Very well. Have Captains Hitsugaya and Ukitake hide in the Department of Research and Technology. I will place you in charge of the attack. Make sure that there are no more surprises," Yamamoto orders.

"Yes sir," Shunsui says, flash stepping away to give the orders.

"Please use caution," Yamamoto says quietly after he leaves.

...

"Arrancars have been appearing more and more lately," Uryu Ishida says, dispersing his bow. He just finished off the last of the latest arrancar's minions, Ichigo having taken the leader down.

"Yeah, I wonder what's going on," Ichigo says, wiping his brow.

"Maybe they've started to overpopulate Hueco Mundo. After Aizen and the Espada were defeated, I assume there was a struggle for power," Uryu speculates.

"Either way, I wish they'd leave Karakura Twon alone," Ichigo growls.

"They're probably being drawn here by your spiritual pressure," Uryu says.

"So, waht, are you saying this is my fault all of a sudden!?" Ichigo says, exasperated.

"I didn't say that."

"No, but you implied it!"

"Yeah, well maybe if you learned how to hide your spiritual pressure a little better, they wouldn't come here as often!" Uryu replies, gicing in to his aggravation.

Ichigo pauses at that. That actually was his fault. He hadn't put a whole lot of effort into hiding his spiritual pressure since the first time he had tried using kido under Urahara's supervision. That had been the only time he had tried concentrating his spirit energy since he had gotten his powers back, and it hadn't ended well. So, he just decided that he hadn't needed kido thus far, so he could probably do without.

However, if what Uryu said was true, then maybe he should try again, if only to be able to conceal his spiritual pressure. But who? He could ask Urahara, but he hadn't been able to teach him even the most basic kido, so maybe he should look elsewhere.

Yoruichi? He would, since she still masks her own spiritual pressure from time to time, but he'd rather not go through another... training session with her if he didn't have to.

Isshin? "Oh HELL no!"

Then that left one person currently in the World of the Living that would be suited for the job. After all, who better to teach him how to be stealthy than the Head of the Stealth Force?