Disclaimer: The Bleach, it is not mine
My FanFic Fact: This chapter is dedicated to Todd, a true lover of manga, anime and gothikana. It's not much but its all I could do. May you rest in peace my friend.
OC number 3 and 4 introduced in this chapter.
Bonus Omake: Reunion of the Twelfth
Chapter 4: Protector of eight thousand
A small girl wandered aimlessly in this strange land. She looked quite out of place there. She had short, light pink hair and wore old tradition Japanese clothes befitting a samurai. This land reminded Yachiru alot of the area she had been born in. It was filled with blood, dust and maimed dead bodies. Unlike the bodies of the dead of her past, these were dressed differently. They wore green outfits and helmets. Also the sounds were different. Yes, there were screams of agony and terror. But there seemed to be two different languages being yelled which she didn't understand. And instead of swords singing through the air and cutting flesh, constant, harsher noises continued to carry through the air as small pieces of metal ripped into the people. Also there were alot of explosions. Yachiru was accustomed to violence, and considering she could not be touched or seen, she walked through the battlefield effortlessly. Until she ran into them.
"My God! Look at me! I haven't got a head!" A spirit gasped staring at his body, which had it's head blown off by artillery.
"What you complainin' about Harvey? That's the best you've ever looked," Replied another spirit with a teasing grin.
"Wait!" Harvey exclaimed ignoring his comrade, "Where's my dog tags?"
His friend inspected the body too. "Probably fell off with no head or most of the neck to keep them on."
"This is terrible! They won't know it's me!"
"Don't worry mate," the other man put a reassuring hand on Harvey's shoulder, "They won't miss you."
Harvey turned on the other man, "This isn't funny Dent! We're dead!"
But Dent didn't reply since he was distracted by the pulling sensation on his ghostly pants. He looked down to see a cute little girl. "Aww, an angel," Dent said leaning down to her level. As soon as he was at the right height he was met with a knock to the head from the back of Yachiru's Zanpukto. Dent disappeared as a hell-butterfly swept away with his soul to Soul Society. Harvey screamed, thinking the child was a soul eater, he began to run in the opposite direction only to be met by a speedy Yachiru and butt to the head, performing the second soul burial.
With that done Yachiru proceeded. She had been walking awhile laughing at some of the weird faces the dead made in death, but as with someone her age she began to grow bored and began to get rather impatient. Eventually she heard sounds that perked her up.
The cries of hollows. She had been hoping for some to appear. After seeing those newly dead souls earlier she had expected that some souls who had been here longer without a Soul Reaper to perform the ritual would eventually turn hollow. And she had been right. As the sadistic little girl that she was, Yachiru flash-stepped over dead bodies with a smile to the reach the top of a hill.
From there, Yachiru could see everything. And what she saw made her young eyes widen.
Below were massive amounts of hollow. And not just one type either. They all seemed to be preying on the vast amount of wandering souls at first sight. However that wasn't so.
The souls were running away from the hollows true enough. But the reason the hollows were running was not because they were after the fleeing souls. There was something behind them, something they were running from.
Yachiru had to strain her eyes to see what it was. But soon she was able to make out the silhouette of someone against the flames, smoke and dust. A tall figure stood atop mounds of bodies. Was this one of the Ronin?
That was Yachiru's mission, her first on her own. To find and bring back the Ronin known as Mine.
Yachiru flash-stepped towards Mine. On the way Yachiru cut down the hollows that she passed and performed the soul burial on some of the souls.
She slowed as she approached the towering person, who gave off a distinct aura of death.
She wasn't as tall as Ken-chan but still pretty impressive. Taller than fish-lady anyway. She had curves but they were sharper than most and were muscular without being butch. She wore the same army fatigue as the fallen soldiers. She seemed grimy and covered in blood. But what caught Yachiru's attention were her eyes. Her face had sharp features, framed by a mane of blood clotted hair, with blood red irises surrounding her pitch black, all consuming pupils. Yachiru found herself being drawn in by those demonic eyes.
When she blinked again the woman was kneeling before her. Yachiru felt a wave of fear wash over her briefly. But she shrugged it off, she was the eleventh squad's vice-captain. She had no room for fear.
Yachiru put a heart warming smile on her face and asked, "Are you Mine-chan?"
The woman sized the little girl up silently, then stood up. She began to head towards the area where the other hollow had fled to. "Why is a shinigami child out here alone I wonder?"
Yachiru turned to stare at the woman's back before she ran after her. "Wait! I have a message for Mine-chan!"
Yachiru jumped onto the woman's back. "It is from Old man-san. He wants you to come help fight."
The woman kept walking despite the hitch-hiker clinging to her shoulders.
"Fight?"
"Yes!" Yachiru grinned. "It makes Ken-chan really happy that there are such strong opponents to fight."
"Strong you say?"
"Mmhm."
Mine stopped and thought about this. "All the Ronin are being called to help. Soul Society couldn't defeat them on their own," Yachiru added noticing the intrigue grow in Mine's eyes.
At that moment a hollow attacked. But Yachiru didn't react fast enough. This hollow was as large as a menos but didn't look like one at all. A tentacle wiped out too fast and headed straight for her. But instead Mine took the blow. She then proceeded to dismember the beast piece by piece till it disappeared into dust.
"What was that?" Yachiru asked.
"Hollow," Mine replied simply.
"But it was so different?"
Mine stared at the child who had such an innocently confused face.
"When a species is threatened," she explained, "It will either die out and become extinct, or, it will evolve into something much stronger."
Yachiru starred at the spot the hollow had been. That would explain the Vizard and the Espada. But they were artificially made.
"What's your name child?"
"Yachiru," she replied confidently.
Mine seemed a bit surprised at that. "That's an uncommon name. Who named you?"
"Ken-chan did," the reply was full of pride and joy.
Mine turned her head towards the grey sky. "That's an interesting name", she replied with a small smile appearing on her lips.
"Will Mine-chan help?" Yachiru asked growing a little impatient with this woman's short and cryptic words.
"Yes," Mine replied glancing at the pink creature on her shoulder before staring back at the battlefield. "I have waited along time for this day."
RRRRR
"Captain Hitsugaya, you must really go and rest," a fretful Isane insisted. The youngest of the Gotei had resolutely been by his vice captains side since he had returned from his meeting with the Commander. Prior to that he had only left to have his own wounds treated. Matsumoto lay ashen and pale before him with a sheen of sweat present on her brow. She had had a sizeable portion of her right abdomen ripped from her. Both Unohana and Orhime had been hard at work rebuilding her one side. Unfortunately even once the chunk of body had been replaced, Matsumoto's spiritual energy still had not yet normalised. Because of this she was in a coma and suffering from serious fever attacks. Captain Unohana had told him it was due to her whole being going into shock from the injury and it was trying to regain its essence. He had asked how long it would last but apparently it depended on the injured party's will. So unlike the last time when Momo was injured, when he had not been able to muster courage to stay by her side, he had stayed with his Vice-Captain and had even spoken to her. Granted he had only spoken a few words, and it had been more of a threat than anything motivational and caring.
If you don't wake up soon, I'll be able to find all the sake in the office.
It had always been a common threat he'd used to get her to work, him confiscating her numerous sake bottles from their strategically hidden places.
But after that one comment she had at least stabilised. So Hitsugaya stayed, just in case he had to threaten her again into getting well.
He also stayed by his Vice-Captain's side because he also found it more bearable. It was bearable compared with the fact that he was useless and injured. Bearable to look at one injured person and not at the halls filled with injured people. It was bearable compared to Momo. She had also been injured but unlike Matsumoto, she was awake and recuperating quickly. He had checked on her on the way to the meeting. She had been the same as when Aizen had just turned sides. She seemed defeated and kept saying Matsumoto was injured because of her.
Hitsugaya gently touched Matsumoto's limp cool hand. That was why he wanted her to wake up so badly. Unlike Momo, she would force a smile, be sarcastic and make a joke. She would tell everyone off for being defeated, scold Momo for being negative and end up irritating her Captain into a productive and determined mood. That is what a Vice-Captain was meant for. To get the best results from their captain. It was the same in every Squad.
The second squad's Captain and vice captain were always fighting, but in the weirdest way, that lead to the best outcome. The fourth seemed to have mutual respect and an almost family-like sort of bond to their partnership which ensure the one understood the other perfectly. The sixth captain and vice captain were complete opposites which meant they balanced each other perfectly. Within the seventh they seemed to have a keen intuition for the other while the eighth acted like an old married couple, with the father daughter coupling making up the eleventh squad pairing. The sinister twelfth squad even seemed efficient with its slave and master pairing.
Without such a pairing the running of the division became a burden. Which was evident in the current situation where both captains and vice-captains were injured and chaos was rife within Soul Society because of it.
Hitsugaya wondered what exactly these Ronin were. The elder members of the Gotei seemed to hold them in high regard. But that wasn't too surprising considering the Ronin were once part of the King's Royal guard.
He gave a deep sigh. For the first time in the years of his captaincy Hitsugaya Toshiro truly looked his age. He looked like a lost and lonely child, waiting for someone to find him.
IIIII
"It's so wet and cold!" Kiyone complained.
"Well you should have stayed in Soul Society and let me come alone," Sentaro replied in an irritated note.
"I am just as capable as you are! Besides if it's for the Captain Commander I will give one hundred percent! I will make the Thirteenth squad and Captain Ukitake proud!"
"Oh yeah! I will make him the most proud!"
The two third seat officers of the afore mentioned squad flash-stepped across London, racing the other towards their destination. They eventually found themselves in-front of a large mansion on the other side of town. Sentaro went for the second floor balcony before he was pulled to a stop.
"We can't just walk in, that will be rude. Never mind dangerous!"
"What are you on about?" Sentaro glared at Kiyone's hand which still grasped his robes and kept him from proceeding.
"That's a Ronin in there. If we go in there unannounced we're likely to get attacked, and then killed."
Sentaro simmered down realising that was most likely true. He followed Kiyone to the front door. Kiyone grasped a large gold knocker in the form of a rather realistic looking lions head. When it connected with the door a rumble went out as if thunder were echoing around them. The heavy doors swung open of their own accord.
Kiyone and Sentaro blinked wide-eyedly at the now open doorway. Kiyone bumped Sentaro and he fell through the entrance first. Terrified he tried stopping himself mid-fall.
"What you do that for?"
"You were acting like a scared baby," Kiyone insisted walking in, but not a step further than from where Sentaro had fallen. The two shinigami shuffled forward nervously. They entered a room floored with white marble, with alabaster walls, all finished off with gold trimming. There were white, tall doors leading off from the magnificent welcoming hall. Glass tables took up parts of the wall where doors did not exist. On top of the tables stood huge vases filled with pure white lily's. Hanging from the ceiling was a huge crystal chandelier. It almost looked ice-like in all its pure form. At the very end of the entrance hall was a magnificent staircase.
"Well hello there. May I help you?"
Kiyone's and Sentaro's eyes trailed all the way to the top of the staircase. There stood before them a tall, slender woman. She wore black strap heels with a matching black mini-dress. By the look of the tailoring of the outfit it was quite expensive. But as their eyes eventually took in the head of the owner of said body and outfit, they were rendered quite tongue tied. She had long bright red hair that fell in silky strands down her back. Her emerald green eyes gazed upon them in a friendly and warm manner and her red lip were turned up into an amused smile.
Kiyone quickly recovered and knelt before the staircase.
"Please pardon our intrusion, Kameko-sama . We are here on behalf of the Captain Commander of the Gotei." Sentaro joined Kiyone at the bottom of the stairs.
"Oh? And what services of mine does he require?"
"The Gotei require your skills as a shinigami, and as a Ronin."
"For what purpose?"
Kiyone and Sentaro glanced at each other, then in unison, and with sheer determination in their voice they answered, "To defeat Aizen Souske!"
The lady's upturned lips lifted further.
"Souske, you say? Why I haven't seen him in ages. It will be nice to catch up before he gets himself killed. I am supposing you have invited the other Ronin?"
The two shinigami spared a glance at each other before Senataro replied, "Yes, Kameko-sama."
"Well in that case, we better make haste. If Mine is invited, Souske will be dead before I am able to get a word in. And if Mika is coming she will have drunk all the sake. Quite an unruly bunch, but never a bore." She continued to comment as she descended down the stairs towards them.
"Well let us be off, dallying about in this English weather can't be doing you two any good." And with that she sashayed through the open doors of the mansion. It took awhile before the thirteenth squad's third seats realised they were being left behind by the woman they had come to escort. With dumbfounded expressions they rushed after her.
NNNNN
In a slip stream dimension, a man sat on a marble chair-like-throne gazing out at three different worlds. The one world showed a towering Japanese castle surrounded by exotic plants and depicted all four seasons at once. The next world seemed to portray a historical version of Japan, a white circular enclosure surrounded by villages of lower class people. The last view was of a modern day Japan depicting a city full of businesses, homes and roads which were bustling with blissfully ignorant living people.
"All the preparations have been made," a man came from the surrounding shadows towards the seated one.
"Aizen-sama? Ya have been awfully quiet since we arrived in the Vaste Lorde Realm."
The seated man gave a chuckle. "As always you are very perceptive, Gin."
Aizen turned to take in the ex shinigami captain's appearance. Gin appeared to shine against the darkness with his white hair and robes. Despite the fact that he still wore the sadistic smile constantly plastered across his face and his squinted eyes, Aizen couldn't help but notice the inner turmoil Gin was preventing him from viewing. No matter how much Gin had grown he was still just a boy to the ex Fifth squad captain.
"How is Tosen?" Aizen queried pretending he hadn't noticed his subordinate's emotions.
"Still repentin' for beatin' ol' fur-face."
"How troublesome,"Aizen remarked although his face revealed amusement at the information.
"Well let us inform our colleagues that it is almost time to pay our old comrades a last visit," Aizen instructed.
Gin bowed and made to leave. But not fast enough, before Aizen remarked, "After all Gin, I know how much you wish to see if Rangiku is recuperating."
Gin stiffened and turned his head to view his corrupt and heartless master.
"But don't worry, we have been together long. I will bestow upon you the right to kill her yourself. After all this time you can finally rid yourself of those burdening feelings for her."
Gin paused before facing Aizen. His smile and emotionless face were still as it always was. He bowed again. "Thank you for your kindness Aizen-sama."
He turned and left Aizen to resume his peaceful viewing.
RRRRR
Omake: Reunion of the Twelfth
The recuperating ward for the Hueco Mundo Infiltrators was currently being visited by Urahara Kisuke and his helper. This was due to Kenpachi's discovery of the fact that, his precious Yachiru had been sent on her first solo mission without his consent and subsequently blowing up the spirit shield monitor as well as cracking his spirit shield due to his distress.
"My, my Kenpachi-san, your spirit energy is as scary as ever," Urahara commented good naturedly. Urahara unlike the others who were present in the room seemed oblivious to the continuos anger and danger being given off by the large, ominous man before him.
"Hiyori-san, would you please pass me the spiritualator?"
A short girl, with blond hair in pigtails and a fang protruding from her stoic mouth, glared at Urahara with crossed arms. "Am I even supposed to know what that is? And how the hell did I get tricked into helping you anyway?!"
"Aw, I thought it would be nice to worked together again. Just like in the good ol' days. After all its the first time in a hundred and ten years that Mayuri-san has seen us face to face."
"I really never planned to see such faces ever again," Mayuri commented from his spirit shield like bubble.
"Oh yeah!" Hiyori retaliated, taking offence. At this point Akon enters with a spiritualator. "It's not like I want to see your face either asshole! In fact I'm starting to miss that face paint of yours, it may be freaky but at least it spares my eyes from witnessing your disgusting face!"
"Maybe it would be an idea then for you to wear face paint too," Akon commented to Hiyori as he handed the gismo over to Urahara.
"What! Akon you cocky bastard! Your face has grown even uglier over the years!"
"At least I've grown," he retorted, standing up straight, highlighting the height difference.
"Oh yeah! Well that won't stop me from kicking your butt!" She proceeded to jump into the air and attempted to throw a volley kicks at his head all of which Akon expertly dodge by moving just his head out of the way before impact.
Meanwhile Urahara was getting teary eyed at the scene, "This is a wonderful family reunion."
Mayuri just glared at him. "You truly are an unpleasant man."
To everyone else in the room, the twelfth squad looked insane.
Sorry for the long wait. As you can see Toshiro finally got a bit more screen-time/ page time. I think the next chapter will be the last introductory chapter of the OC's before the real action begins. As you saw, Aizen's plotting something yet again. The omake isn't that funny but I couldn't resist doing something with a bit more 'Bleach-ness' to it. Hope you like it. Please Review.
