A/N- OK, just to let you know, this may be the last chapter for a little while, as next week I go to Italy (yay!). I'll probably be busy with packing and coursework this weekend, so it could be a coule of weeks before I update. Anyway, it's a Renji-filled chapter this time, with none of my usual scene-shifting! (Toshiro will be back next time, I promise!)

So anyway, enjoy! Disclaimer- Bleach is not mine, or else Renji would take his shirt off more often!

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Chapter 3

An explosion erupted in the Seireitei, and the shockwaves rippled up Renji's legs as he approached the site, almost knocking him off-balance. A huge plume of dust mushroomed up from a spot not too far ahead. Sliding his zanpakuto from its sheath, he braced himself for battle.

A sickening laugh rattled through the air and into the red-head's ears. A recognizable scream followed, which left Renji gasping in shock. His eyes narrowed and his expression hardened as he yelled, "Rangiku!" and sprinted faster towards the scene. He pushed his body to the limits as he raced to get there in time.

"Renji!" the voluptuous woman called, catching sight of his approach. She was lying sprawled across the ground, her back arched against a hard wall. Blood dripped from cuts all across her body, and she coughed up dust and sand every few moments. Her zanpakuto, Haineko, lay in the dirt half a metre from her hand.

"It's him!" she cried out, pointing to a figure masked by the rising dust. "The man who framed the Captain! It's him, Renji!"

Renji swung his head round and peered into the plume of dust. A shadowy, billowing figure stood there, taller than himself- about 6'4" he guessed, a zanpakuto-like sword hanging from his right hand. A cloak swung and flapped around his shoulders as he turned to face him. Slowly, like the rising of the sun, the dust began to clear, and gradually, bit by bit, his entire figure was revealed.

His most striking feature was his eyes, and what caught Renji's attention most was their colour. They were a piercing ice-blue, darker around the edges and swimming with cerulean, but emblazoned with streaks and spires of crystal towards the centre. They were outlined in pure black, and it was impossible to tell if the colour came from his skin, his lashes, or from make-up applied. His face was narrow and bony, his skin an ivory-white framed with silken-smooth ebony locks. He wore a black kimono, reminiscent of those worn by the Soul Reapers, and the ashen cloak tied around his neck continued to flutter and billow in the stirring breeze.

"Ah, Lieutenant Abarai, just the man I was looking for…" his voice was sleek and glossy, the words flowing from his lips like water into a sink. And like water, it would be very easy to drown in them.

Renji growled and tensed in his fighting stance. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his blade, and he focused his attention entirely upon the enemy before him.

"I'm not gonna kill you," he stated, taking great effort to keep his voice level. "Because if I did, we'd have no proof to keep Captain Hitsugaya alive. But I warn you, as soon as he's free… I will kill you myself!"

The familiar half-roar of his anger crept into the end of his threat, and his vow sounded as savage as the wolves who raise their blood-soaked muzzles to the moon and howl.

"They never change," the man muttered to himself with a smirk. He raised his voice to address the warrior. "In that case, Renji Abarai, know this… it is Katsumi Kaneko who owns you!"

With that, he sprang at Renji, swinging his sword in a wide arc to slice his opponent.

Hmph, amateur, Renji thought, his eyes following the curve of the blade through the air. His moves are predictable, easy to read.

In response, he swung his own sword round, positioning it in front of his chest to block the attack. The two blades struck, sliding together with a shrieking wail. As Renji threw off the attack and prepared his own offensive, he unleashed his shikai with a cry of "Roar, Zabimaru!"

His zanpakuto extended and segmented, whipping through the air in an unstoppable frenzy, directing its attack straight at his opponent. With a grunt, the intruder thrust his own sword in the way to block, but was driven backwards by Zabimaru's overwhelming force. As Renji returned his zanpakuto back in preparation for his next strike, the dark-haired man could not stifle a small smirk.

"You know, it's funny," he said, standing straight and directing his gaze at Renji. The tattooed man sharpened his glare in response.

"What's funny?" his growl was like the rumble of rock over rock as they are forced to grind together.

"My name, Katsumi, means self-control. Which is ironic, really, because those who I slice with my blade lose all of theirs…"

Renji roared and swung his zanpakuto at the man again, yelling, "So that's what you did to Captain Hitsugaya! I should have known he'd never commit treason like that himself!"

The intruder sniggered and blocked the blow with his sword. "Of course. And don't think I don't know all about you, Renji Abarai. You and all the other Soul Reapers in the Seireitei… I know all your weaknesses and strengths. I know who has a shikai, and who has achieved bankai. I even know all your names… Didn't you think it was strange that I said you were exactly the man I wanted to see? It's because you are perfect for completing my goals. You are a Lieutenant, so you are neither as powerful nor knowledgeable as a Captain, yet you have a bankai, which makes you strong. You are also popular, so no-one would ever suspect you of theft, murder or treason. All I have to do is fight you, so my zanpakuto can learn about yours, and then you are mine."

"So you know all about me, huh? Don't you know how much of a stalker you sound?"

His enemy grinned as Renji swung his zanpakuto around again for another blow. Blocking it once more with his sword, he replied, "I may sound like a stalker to you, but it means that I know everything about you, Renji Abarai. You and Zabimaru."

As Renji swung his blade round for another consecutive attack, his eyes widened. "Me and Zabimaru…?"

The man smiled.

"Yes." He once more blocked the strike with his sword. "And that makes three…"

Renji gasped as he finally realised what was happening. This man knew of the three-attack limit of Zabimaru before the segments had to reconnect again. How could he have been so stupid as to forget about that? He'd been so caught up in the guy's monologue that he'd forgotten to cover his weaknesses! Now he had no time at all to defend himself!

As the segments of Zabimaru drew back together, Renji braced himself for an attack. He was anticipating a flash-step. No-one could exploit his three-attack limit from that distance- by the time they reached him Zabimaru would have returned to a blade and he would be able to use it to defend himself. The only way to reach him fast enough was to use a flash-step, but as he looked on, the man simply disappeared.

"Huh…?!" Renji gasped as the final few segments of his zanpakuto clicked together. That wasn't a flash-step. No way. He's done something else… something I've never seen before. Captain Hitsugaya must have been caught out by this same thing. There's no way he would have been defeated otherwise.

Hearing a sound behind him, he spun around just in time to raise his sword and defend against his opponent's attack. The man had appeared right behind him! He must have teleported, or something similar.

With a grunt Renji pushed back his opponent. He had no choice. If his opponent could teleport like that, then he didn't have long before he'd try to do that again… and next time he might not be able to block it. He had to use his bankai.

Summoning up all his energy, he tensed his body and held up his sword. At once a gush of wind and spiritual pressure swirled around him in a massive vortex, cutting off his opponent's oncoming attack.

"Bankai!" he called, and as the vortex dissipated, his newly-formed fur cloak swished around his shoulders. "Hihio Zabimaru!"

He expected his enemy to be shocked, even a little afraid. His chest heaved as he caught his breath, and his eyes blazed with a fiery passion. But, to his surprise, his opponent laughed with glee.

Renji growled, narrowing his gaze and tensing his shoulders. "What's so funny?"

His enemy heaved with laughter, and then, as his splutters died down, wiped his eyes and replied, "You're ready!"

"Huh? Ready?" Renji didn't like the sound of this…

"Do you remember what I said? About my zanpakuto?"

"Uh? You said…" Renji cast his mind back. "You said it needed to learn about my Zabimaru."

"That's right. You see, once I've taken control of someone, I can use their zanpakuto. But I'm limited to the use of only the releases which I have fought in battle. My zanpakuto has to learn your shikai and bankai in battle before it can use them. And now you have unleashed your bankai. Everything is ready…"

Renji gasped as the man vanished again. He span around once more, but this time not fast enough. He felt a blade pierce his chest, and as he fell back into darkness, only had time for a last few words.

"You said… zanpakuto… Does that… make you… a Soul Reaper…?"

For once, the man's face contorted with disgust. "I'm no Soul Reaper. Not anymore."

Renji opened his mouth to speak again, but coughed up blood. His eyelids began to fall over his eyes like the curtains closing at the end of a play. Would this be the end of his play?

"I'm sorry… Captain…"