Have to say thank you once again to those who have reviewed and I now also nearly have 100 followers for this story which is amazing for me as I thought I would never get anywhere near it in all honesty.
The characters might seem OOC a lot in my story but I write them the way I want them to be while trying stick as close as I can to the anime/manga.
This chapter begins from where Chapter 4 left off. Hope you all enjoy!
Following Szayel's lead they began to pour their Reiatsu towards the cube and a Garganta slowly opened. When it fully opened Ichigo and Starrk quickly stepped through and made their way through heading towards the exit not knowing what was waiting for them.
As they stepped out into the sun of Soul Society the scene that greeted them was rather interesting. The strongest Shinigami stood before them. The captains of the Gotei 13 had gathered.
Looking over the Shinigami that stood across from them Ichigo was intrigued in how this would all play out. Their side had two espada and three captains while theirs had numerous captain class and two people that seemed to be of captain level. What seemed to be the lieutenants stood further back behind the captains but Ichigo knew only two of them had any decent power to give them a slight challenge.
"Welcome to Seireitei, my dear Primera, and Segunda." Aizen's voice broke Ichigo from his thoughts as both he and Starrk returned the greeting with a nod of the head. Aizen stood to the side of where Ichigo and Starrk had emerged with Tōsen and Gin standing close behind him.
Looking past Aizen he then saw three people that looked like Shinigami. Two seemed to be around lieutenant level in strength while the other female who lay face down seemed to have somewhere around a low level captain's Reiatsu from what he could sense. 'There's something else inside her, it seems to feel like a hollow of some sort. She could prove interesting in the future.' Ichigo thought to himself as once again he turned his attention to the Shinigami stood across from him.
Looking over the Shinigami he quickly began to use his Pesquisa ability to try and gauge their power. He instantly recognised the Reiatsu of what must have been the captain commander who stood ahead of the other captains. Ichigo felt that his Reiatsu was surprisingly calm for the situation they were in. 'Perhaps he feels confident in the abilities of his Taicho's.' However on further inspection Ichigo could feel his reiatsu fluctuate slightly due to his anger at the situation but he was expertly keeping it under control.
Quickly examining the Reiatsu levels of the other captains he made note of the captains that seemed to have more than the others. A white-haired man and another wearing a pink kimono seemed to have the most but they had expert control which probably meant they were two of the most experienced and strongest captains.
Another one that stood out was that of man wearing an eye-patch however Ichigo knew it was no ordinary eye-patch. He could feel his Reiatsu seemingly flow into it to stop it from going wild and Ichigo knew that even though he had an awesome amount of Reiatsu hidden away he had very little control over it and was probably just full of brute force.
As he turned to the last person of note; his eyes made found their way to her face and immediately he felt something flicker in the back of his mind for quick second as if he recognised her. A mixture of emotion flew through him ranging from anger then to sadness and then to what seemed like happiness. Shaking his head slightly to get rid of any thoughts he got back to examining her Reiatsu. He could feel she was very powerful but was keeping a lot of her power under control and Ichigo couldn't feel any hint of anger or malice towards anyone in the immediate vicinity which he felt was rather odd due them being invaders.
He couldn't help but think about the female captain that had brought about whatever it was inside his head. However looking at her now nothing was going through his head at all and Ichigo quickly dismissed the feelings that had passed through him. He could feel Starrk's eyes on him which probably meant that his Reiatsu had fluctuated slightly when the emotions passed through him and he suddenly felt glad that he had the hood up on his jacket which covered most of his face from view.
Yamamoto couldn't help but feel uncertain at what was about to happen. As soon as the two men stepped through from the Garganta he knew that they were facing a tough battle to kill Aizen and get whatever object he held before Negación came. He knew that they were at a strong captain level and that was only the reiatsu he could sense and he knew they were masking a lot of their power. He also knew he would probably have to step in and take part in the battle himself to either kill Aizen or one of those Arrancar.
"Who are these hollows, Aizen?" Urahara asked as feeling of dread crept upon him at hearing what the answer would be.
"They are two of my most powerful followers. They are at the pinnacle of evolution in Hollows and are what is known as Arrancar. They are hollows that have gained powers similar to that of a Shinigami. Do you still feel confident Urahara Kisuke?" Aizen responded with his usual confident smile as nearly everyone's eyes barring the more powerful captains widened at the statement.
"Have you gone mad Aizen siding with the creatures you once swore to destroy?" Ukitake called out as his anger started to rise.
"I am merely doing what is necessary. Besides, Arrancar are not mindless Hollows which are intent on devouring souls but no longer feel the need to mindlessly feed on human souls." Aizen answered.
"And how did you get Arrancar to follow you Aizen? As far as I am aware Hollows of any class are not fans of Shinigami never mind willingly following them." Urahara then asked.
"I merely gave them something they wanted and in return requested their allegiance to my cause. I'm sure you know that there is one natural way for Hollows to become Arrancar and that is by tearing off their mask. However I'm sure you know the power of the Hōgyoku Urahara."
"Impossible! You have just gotten the Hōgyoku and it hasn't even awakened fully to create perfect Arrancar." Urahara responded.
"I'll ask you once again Urahara; what do you think I have been doing for the past one hundred years since you have been gone. You are blinded by your own arrogance; you have underestimated me once again." Aizen said as he felt the Reiatsu of Urahara rise slightly in anger.
"What is this Hōgyoku and how come we have never heard of it?" Ukitake spoke once more.
"We no longer have the time to stand around and talk. I shall explain the Hōgyoku to all of you after today has finished. The Negación will be here soon so we must end it before then." Urahara responded which seemed to anger some of the captains however they were silenced before they could even begin speaking by the rising Reiatsu of the captain commander.
"Tell me child do you really think the Gotei 13 will be defeated by merely five children." Yamamoto bellowed out towards Aizen while Ichigo and Starrk didn't react to being called children. They knew he was underestimating Aizen and themselves.
"You are mistaken Yamamoto-sōtaichō. I shall not crush the Gotei 13 today; I have already gotten what I have planned for and now merely wait for our exit to arrive. Unlike you I shall not underestimate my enemies. It shall take more than the five of us to get the outcome I desire." Aizen replied not shaken by the outburst from Yamamoto.
"You shall be crushed before you will escape Aizen Sōsuke, Ichimaru Gin, and Tōsen Kaname. All fukutaichō's head to your respective divisions and get them ready in case of more threats to Seireitei." With this order the lieutenants immediately disappeared from the hill using Shunpo and headed to their own division headquarters.
The wooden staff he had been leaning on started to peel away revealing his Zanpakutō hidden beneath. A huge level of reiatsu began to smother everyone as Yamamoto's reiatsu rose significantly as he begun to unsheathe it.
"Reduce All Creation to Ash, Ryūjin Jakka!" Yamamoto called out as he unleashed the devastating Shikai of Ryūjin Jakka and his blade was smothered in fire. The captains behind him began to feel the pressure as their breathing became laboured. With a flick of his Zanpakutō Yamamoto sent a devastating line of fire straight towards Aizen intending on ending the fight before it could begin.
The captain's eyes widened in surprise as for the first time since they had arrived one of the Arrancar moved and he moved faster than they could imagine as he disappeared then reappeared in front of the flames Ryūjin Jakka diverted them away from Aizen just by using his Zanpakutō. Even Aizen himself seemed to be slightly surprised by how easy Ichigo deflected the flames.
"You are obviously the strongest Shinigami here. Therefore I shall be your opponent." Ichigo called out and without reply he disappeared from the Sōkyoku Hill and was followed closely by Yamamoto.
"My… my… he's crazy that one." Gin said with his usual grin and wave of the hand which seemed to bring the remaining captains out of their shock and everyone began to disappear to another part of the Sōkyoku Hill to begin their respective battles leaving Aizen standing across from Urahara, Yoruichi and Soifon.
"You still believe you can survive long enough for Negación to save you Aizen." Yoruichi called out as she took her place next to Urahara.
"Ah Shihōin Yoruichi how nice to see you in Soul Society again after all these years but my plan has worked out perfectly." Aizen replied.
"And what do you mean by that?" Soifon asked as she stood beside Yoruichi.
"There is only one member of the Gotei 13 that I admit can defeat me in one on one combat and that is Yamamoto-sōtaichō. However he has overestimated his fellow Shinigami and thought that you could defeat me while he is kept busy. I can assure you that you are no match for me." Aizen responded as his hand fell to his Zanpakutō.
"So you send the Arrancar to his death just so you do not have to face the sōtaichō. You are coward Aizen." Urahara said as he tightened his grip around his own Zanpakutō.
"Oh if you think I sent him to his death then you are mistaken. I can assure you that he will not die; he is far too powerful to be killed that easily." Aizen replied.
"Enough talk Aizen; shall we begin?" Yoruichi asked as she got into her fighting stance which was closely followed by Soifon.
"If that is what you wish." Aizen responded as he drew his Zanpakutō.
-OO-
Tōsen stood waiting patiently for his opponents to arrive and he wasn't surprised to find out who it was that had come to fight him. Komamura Sajin and Kuchiki Byakuya appeared opposite him in a flash of Shunpo and they both immediately drew their Zanpakutō which was followed closely by Tōsen.
"Explain to me Tōsen; why did you become a Shinigami? Was it not for your deceased friend or your sense of justice? Where is your justice now?!" Komamura called out enraged at his once upon a time friend.
"I told you before, Komamura. The only paths I see with these eyes are the ones not dyed of blood. Those are the paths of justice so whichever path I choose is the path of justice." Tōsen replied with his usual stern look.
"You have a wayward sense of justice, Tōsen Kaname. Killing the members of Central 46 and siding with hollows; how is that justice?" Byakuya said. Byakuya's torso was covered in bandages from his fight with Tatsuki and his left arm and shoulder were also heavily bandaged.
"I follow the path I choose Kuchiki Byakuya which the same cannot be said for you. You were so willing to side with those who had chosen to execute your own sister before you were defeated by a mere Ryoka." Tōsen replied.
"Do not speak of my sister, Tōsen. If not for you and Aizen then she would have not been in that position in the first place. Your sense of justice shall be your downfall." Byakuya then said.
"Are you sure you are in a position to fight me. You received some rather serious wounds not too long ago at the hands of that Ryoka. I hope they do not hold you back." Tōsen calmly responded.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura." Byakuya called out as he unleashed his Shikai.
"Roar, Tenken!" Komamura then called out as he too activated his Shikai which didn't seem to change his Zanpakutō at all but Tōsen knew the power of it.
Tōsen quickly disappeared from where he stood as the petals of Senbonzakura consumed the area where he once stood and he reappeared behind Byakuya only to find his swing blocked by the Zanpakutō of Komamura and he jumped away before he could be countered.
Bringing his blade up to block the phantom blade produced by the swing of Komamura; Tōsen once again found himself forced to use Shunpo to avoid the deadly blossoms of Byakuya and charged towards Komamura who easily blocked his strike once again.
Tōsen dodged to the side as the huge fist of Komamura flew past his head quickly followed by another phantom fist from his Shikai. "Bakudō # 81. Dankū!" Tōsen called out which caused a translucent barrier to form in the shape of a large wall which blocked the blossoms of Byakuya just in time.
Tōsen charged towards Byakuya once more aiming for one of his previous wounds in hope of opening it up but found his path blocked by Komamura who brought his Zanpakutō down towards Tōsen who managed to block before he sent a kick aimed towards Komamura who easily blocked before Tōsen jumped back.
"Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō." Tōsen called out as he jumped into the air. As he swung his Zanpakutō in a semi-circle in front of him a trail appeared behind it which formed into hundreds of blades that headed straight towards Komamura. However the blossoms of Senbonzakura swarmed in front of him forming a protective barrier and blocking most of the swords heading for Komamura while the rest hit the ground.
"You really think you are a match for two taichō's on your own." Byakuya said as Tōsen dropped down to the ground.
"It matters not that I defeat you but to merely survive before Negación arrives. I can easily survive the attacks you two throw at me." Tōsen replied causing a growl from Komamura.
"Bakudō # 4. Hainawa." Tōsen called out as a crackling yellow rope appeared around his arms and he aimed it towards Byakuya who was unable to get out of the way and was immobilized by the energy rope.
Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō." Tōsen said causing six beams of light to form around Byakuya which used the energy that had been formed from Hainawa to lock him in place for an even longer amount of time before he could get free as he reformed the blade of Senbonzakura to try and force his way out.
Tōsen then found himself under pressure as the giant form of Komamura appeared behind him and he quickly used Shunpo to get away. However Tōsen wasn't quick enough and he felt a trickle of blood drip down his back form the cut in his shoulder.
Tōsen once again brought his Zanpakutō up to block the blade of Komamura who had enormous power behind his strikes with the help of the phantom body parts he formed using his Shikai. Finding himself being pushed back Tōsen quickly dodged to the side removing Suzumushi from the deadlock with Tenken which caused Komamura to lose balance for a quick second which was more than enough for Tōsen to capitalise on.
As Komamura felt the blade of Tōsen sink into shoulder he let out a small growl and swung a large fist in Tōsen's direction causing him to duck and he brought Tenken down to try and catch Tōsen out but he quickly Shunpoed away before he could be caught out.
"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hadō #33. Sōkatsui." A light blue energy beam shot past Tōsen who found himself in pain as his arm got caught before he could escape the blast. Tuning around he saw Byakuya stood with his arm held out as he finished firing Sōkatsui after escaping the binding spells.
Numerous burn marks littered the arm of Tōsen as blood still marred his white haori from the cut to his shoulder. Komamura also had a cut to his own shoulder which had produced more blood than Tōsen's whereas Byakuya's wounds from his battle with Tatsuki had begun to open up as his once white bandages were now blood red.
However before they could begin their battle once again they all turned to see two large pillars of Reiatsu shoot into the sky of Soul Society as the captain commander and Ichigo released even more of their power.
"Yamamoto-sōtaichō is not taking his opponent lightly which means neither should we." Komamura called out.
"I agree; it's time we ended this." Byakuya agreed with his fellow captain.
"Two incredible powers yet neither have even begun to touch upon their maximum." Tōsen then said turning his attention back to his own fight.
-OO-
Ichimaru Gin stood opposite the three captains that had come to be his opponents with his usual grin covering his face. Stood opposite him was Hitsugaya Toshiro, Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Zaraki Kenpachi.
"Tch, you two should step aside. I can easily take this bastard myself." Kenpachi called out as he held his Zanpakutō across his shoulder.
"Since when did I take orders from a brute like you?" Mayuri replied as his hand rested on the hilt of his own Zanpakutō.
"You got a problem Kurotsuchi? I said I will fight him so that's the end of it. You two will only get in the way and I don't do three against one fights unless I'm the one." Kenpachi argued back.
"Enough you two; you heard what Yamamoto-sōtaichō said so stop arguing amongst yourselves." Toshiro said growing angry at his two fellow captains as he drew his Zanpakutō.
Gin suddenly brought out his Zanpakutō which was in the form of a wakizashi and brought it up just in time to block the jagged blade of Kenpachi who had begun the fight. "Geez Zaraki, do you have to put so much power behind your swings?" Gin called out as he pushed back against Kenpachi.
"You ain't seen nothing yet Ichimaru!" Kenpachi replied as brought his blade down to strike Gin but found himself being blocked once again. Bringing his Zanpakutō down again and again Kenpachi began to push Gin back due to the power of his strikes but the usual grin of Gin never left his face.
Quickly using Shunpo Gin dodged the next strike of Kenpachi and swung his own blade towards Kenpachi's ribcage who received a slight cut due to not being fast enough to dodge. "Not bad Ichimaru; at least you can cut me." Kenpachi called out as his own grin grew even wider.
"You sure are something else Zaraki growing so excited over fighting lil old me." Gin replied, as his own grin widened. Kenpachi charged once more as Gin barely brought his Zanpakutō in time to block or risk losing his head and they exchanged blow after blow.
As their blades clashed against one another once more and they become stuck in a deadlock Gin's grin widened once again which didn't go unnoticed by Kenpachi. "Shoot to kill, Shinsō." Gin said as he managed to turn his blade to face Kenpachi as it was suddenly covered in a bright light.
Kenpachi's shoulder erupted with blood as the Shinsō extended and shot straight threw his shoulder surprising Kenpachi in the progress who then jumped back. "Tch, that actually hurt." Kenpachi called out as the blade of Gin shrunk back to its original size.
However Kenpachi's grin only grew wider as he charged towards Gin once more who readied himself in anticipation. As their blades collided Gin extended Shinsō once again however it merely grazed the arm of Kenpachi who dodged in anticipation and Gin quickly jumped back as the blade of Toshiro came down on where he once stood and he skidded back.
"Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens, Hyōrinmaru!" Toshiro called out from beside Kenpachi as his Zanpakutō extended slightly and gained a crescent shaped blade attached to its hilt by a long metal chain.
Slicing his blade in the direction of Gin a large dragon made of ice shot towards Gin who barely dodged as the ground where the dragon touched froze from the impact.
"What the hell! Who said I was finished?" Kenpachi shouted at Toshiro.
"We can't play around Zaraki-taichō. We only have a certain amount of time before Negación arrives and are you going to explain to the sōtaichō why we didn't defeat our opponent because you refused our help." Toshiro replied with a stern look on his face.
"I just want this over with; I would much rather be in my lab experimenting than teaming up with the likes of you." Mayuri began as he appeared beside Kenpachi, "Rip, Ashisogi Jizō" he then continued as he released his Shikai causing his Zanpakutō to transform into a deformed golden trident with the middle blade being longer than the outer two.
"My oh my I might just have to get serious after all." Gin laughed which caused looks of anger to flash upon the faces of the three captains.
Swinging Hyōrinmaru towards Gin once again another Ice dragon shot towards him however he found himself quickly forced to block as Shinsō shot through the dragon and collided with the blade of Toshiro sending him skidding back. Tilting his hand Gin swung the extended Shinsō towards Mayuri with expert precision causing the captain to Shunpo away or risk being cut in two.
Gin quickly retracted Shinsō and blocked the jagged blade of Kenpachi that was aimed for his neck and was then forced to duck as the Zanpakutō of Mayuri swung above him also causing Kenpachi to jump back or risk being cut himself.
"Watch where you swing that thing, Kurotsuchi!" Kenpachi shouted as Mayuri and Toshiro appeared next to him.
"You might actually cause me some problems if you learned how to fight together instead of killing each other ya know." Gin said regaining the attention of the arguing captains.
"Don't think too highly of yourself Ichimaru. You don't stand a chance against the three of us even if our teamwork isn't the best." Toshiro responded.
"Well you better get a move on if you want to kill me already. Time is running out ya know." Gin replied waving his hand in a nonchalant manner. Gin was quickly forced back into a serious manner as he barely dodged the blade of Kenpachi as he jumped back and brought Shinsō up to block against Ashisogi Jizō before it pierced his chest.
However he couldn't react fast enough to block or dodge a third Zanpakutō as Hyōrinmaru cut into his arm before he could use Shunpo to get away. Reappearing across from the three captains Gin's left arm hung limply at his side as blood dripped to floor while he gripped Shinsō tightly in his right hand.
"Not bad you three; looks like I might have to get serious after all." Gin said before he suddenly disappeared surprising the three captains at how fast he moved and he was barely blocked by Toshiro who had just brought his Zanpakutō up in time to guard his chest.
Disappearing once again in a flash of Shunpo this time it was Kenpachi's time to block as his grin widened at feeling the power behind Gin's strike before Kenpachi found himself force to jump away as he barely dodged the extended blade of Shinsō which unfortunately for Kenpachi followed him back and cut into the top of his shoulder drawing blood.
Gin quickly brought Shinsō around as Mayuri swung at him from behind but was unable to make before Gin disappeared once again before the ice dragon of Toshiro could land a hit. The three captains were surprised that Gin had suddenly increased his speed and strength considering his left arm was now largely useless.
"What's wrong with ya's? Don't tell me you are surprised by a slight increase in speed." Gin said, once again causing angry looks to grow on the three captains faces.
"Shut it Ichimaru! You've barely done anything to us while you have a useless arm." Kenpachi shouted back.
"You say that is if I'm the one that's meant to be killing you three. Hope you haven't forgotten about good ol' Negación." Grin replied, grinning once again. Before the three captains could respond to the taunt the four Shinigami were rocked by a sudden burst of Reiatsu as two pillars off in the distance rose into the sky.
"Looks like the sōtaichō is starting to take things seriously. It mustn't be too long before Negación comes if he's planning on killing his opponent now." Toshiro said as he recovered from the shock of the reiatsu.
"I just hope I can fight whoever it is he's fighting before he kills him." Kenpachi said, grinning at the prospect of fighting someone that strong.
"You two are idiots. If the sōtaichō is releasing this much Reiatsu and his opponent is still matching him then he's obviously fighting someone powerful and it's going to be easier said then done to kill him." Mayuri then added his insight.
"My my… he truly is scary matching the sōtaichō like that." Gin spoke seemingly to himself as his usual grin faded for a split second before reappearing.
-OO-
Starrk stood opposite the two captains that had appeared before him and he couldn't help but feel he had drawn the short end of the stick so to speak, apart from Ichigo of course who was fighting the most powerful Shinigami in existence but that was his choice Starrk thought.
"I am Ukitake Jūshirō, taichō of the 13th division." Ukitake greeted Starrk with his usual smile.
"I am taichō of the 8th division, Kyōraku Shunsui." Kyōraku also introduced himself.
"Coyote Starrk" Starrk replied with a rather tired expression on his face.
"I guess we got a powerful one huh Jūshirō." Kyōraku said with a small smile as he tilted his straw hat towards Starrk.
"I guess so, although it seems rather unfair that there are two of us and only one of him." Ukitake responded.
"I think you are forgetting your fellow taichō other there. No doubt she will try something once she is done." Starrk said turning his head to face Unohana.
She was currently kneeling close to the unconscious Tatsuki with a green glow emanating from her fingers as she began to heal the wounds that littered her body. Rukia was now unconscious from the level of reiatsu that had been released on the Sōkyoku hill from the captain commander. Renji also lay next to her still badly injured from his encounter with Aizen as blood covered most of his body.
"She is merely healing her fellow shinigami. Surely you aren't thinking she will try something behind your back." Kyōraku said with a slight exaggeration.
"You three are the most powerful taichō's besides the sōtaichō that much is obvious. Therefore I will not lower my guard against any of you." Starrk replied.
"That's rather good of you Arrancar to be able to come to the conclusion that we are the most powerful captains behind Genryūsai-dono. However he is years ahead of any of us so I wouldn't be surprised if you're worried about the death of a fellow hollow." Ukitake responded noticing Starrk had turned his attention towards the direction Yamamoto had disappeared to.
"You are mistaken taichō if you think I am worried about his death." Starrk replied with a slight smile causing the eyebrows of the two captains to rise.
"Oh, you really think he's capable of going against Yama-jii? You have a surprising amount of faith in in a fellow hollow to think he can match Yama-jii's power." Kyōraku responded.
"I have full confidence in his abilities why do you think it was he who challenged the sōtaichō and not any of the rest of us." Starrk replied.
"Yet to take on the most powerful Shinigami in existence is a big step up to fighting fellow hollows in Hueco Mundo." Ukitake said this time.
"I'll say again, why do you think it was he who challenged the sōtaichō and not the rest of us. He's on another level compared to all of us here including Aizen himself although I don't even think Aizen realises that." Starrk responded causing surprised looks to flash across the faces of the two captains.
"You're saying he is as strong as Yama-jii?" Kyōraku asked in a rather surprised tone.
"If he releases his true power I would fear for the entirety of Seireitei if I was you." Starrk replied in a calm manner as he felt the other battles around them begin.
"We have full confidence in Yamamoto-sōtaichō, Arrancar; I wouldn't overestimate your friend if I was you. I am Unohana Retsu, taichō of the 4th division." Unohana introduced herself as she appeared next to her fellow captains, her Zanpakutō hung from her shoulder.
"Ah nice of you to join us Retsu, how are they doing?" Ukitake asked concerned over the nearby Shinigami and Ryoka's health.
"They are doing fine Jūshirō but they will require more healing after this situation has been dealt with." Unohana replied before turning her attention back towards Starrk.
"I am Coyote Starrk and I am not overestimating my friend I can assure you that." Starrk replied, introducing himself.
"I see you think highly of your fellow Arrancar. We were always taught to believe that hollows were mindless beasts." Unohana said.
"That is something you will always believe no matter what, Shinigami. However becoming Arrancar opens us up to experience feelings similar to that of a Shinigami and we no longer feel the non-stop hunger to devour souls." Starrk responded as he turned to face the direction of where Ichigo fought
"I see… then perhaps we are more alike than first thought although I still don't see why you have so much faith in your friend." Unohana replied.
"When we become Arrancar, as you can see, we receive Zanpakutō which seals our power and true form. If we were to release our swords our true power is released similar to that of a Shinigami Bankai." Starrk said causing shocked looks once again from the captains.
"And how do you know of Bankai?" Ukitake asked.
"Bankai is common knowledge among the higher tier of Hollow although we don't know what any of the Bankai's do or who exactly has them we know that they are powerful abilities used by only powerful Shinigami's. Although coming here I can easily see that only those of taichō level Reiryoku have the ability to use Bankai." Starrk answered.
"I see but that still doesn't explain why your friend is so powerful." Unohana responded relived that they only knew what a Bankai was and not individual ones which at least gave them a slight advantage she thought.
"I can feel that he holds back a tremendous amount of power similar to how your sōtaichō also does but with him there is also something else held back. I don't think even he knows that he is doing but if he was to somehow able to release it all at once then your sōtaichō would be in trouble." Starrk answered once again.
"And what is this thing he holds back?" Kyōraku spoke up for the first time in a while.
"I also don't know but it seems its will to brake through grows stronger when he fights." Starrk said as he recalled his sparring with Ichigo.
"You seem to be willing to tell us a lot about yourselves Starrk." Unohana then said.
"I am merely here to keep Aizen from being killed which simply means keeping the strongest taichō's busy no matter how I do it although you all don't seem to be in any rush to fight me." Starrk answered
"So you are to keep us busy and your friend keeps Yamamoto-sōtaichō busy while you wait for Negación to come." Unohana continued.
"That is correct but why don't you simply just attack me from the off and then go after Aizen." Starrk responded.
"Perhaps you can count yourself lucky that you have been confronted by the only Shinigami in Seireitei that do not wish to fight you at this point. We also know that fighting Aizen when he has us under his Shikai is rather pointless at this point." Unohana responded which got a nod of the head form Ukitake and Kyōraku merely tipped his hat.
"Perhaps, but what is the ability of Aizen that makes three of the most powerful taichō's afraid to fight him?" Starrk asked, glad that he might not have to fight since he was unable to enter his Resurrección due to leaving Lilynette behind in Las Noches.
"Do not get us wrong Starrk, we are not afraid to fight Aizen it's just his Shikai is very powerful. It is the ability of complete hypnosis. He could easily make it so we fight each other rather than fight him and the sōtaichō is probably the only person that could break through the illusions with brute Reiatsu if it's possible." Ukitake answered, his usual smile disappearing from his face.
"A truly fearsome ability." Starrk replied with a sigh as he thought of what Aizen could do with a Shikai like that.
"Indeed it is, after all he tricked the Gotei 13 for years without being found out until recently." Kyōraku said, glad that he didn't have to fight yet.
"So what makes you think you can stop Aizen once he makes his escape." Starrk continued the rather peaceful conversation despite the battles raging on nearby.
"We have known about Aizen's plan for a few days now however it was too late to stop it due to the invasion of the Ryoka. Although we can't stop Aizen now we will ultimately find a way to stop him, the Gotei 13 has always stopped any threats that come its way." Ukitake responded with a stern look on his face.
"I see, so that is why Aizen called us here. You found out his plan before he meant it to happen which force him to call upon us." Starrk responded with a curious look upon his face.
"Urahara Kisuke made us aware of Aizen's plan but it was still too late to stop it but Urahara decided to make one last attempt before he escaped to Hueco Mundo. If there is one person that can outthink Aizen then it is Urahara." Unohana responded.
"What made you follow Aizen in the first place Starrk?" Ukitake asked before Starrk could respond to Unohana.
"In truth it is not Aizen I am loyal to although to everyone else it might seem like that. I have lived a lonely existence in Hueco Mundo but now have a trusted friend who has eased my loneliness. If I have to serve under Aizen to stay by his side then so be it; if he fights for Aizen then I will join him in doing so." Starrk replied surprising the Shinigami stood across from him.
"So you are not loyal to Aizen but to someone else; why would you risk telling us something like that?" Kyōraku replied.
"It makes no difference if you know, I doubt you will go running to Aizen and tell him all about me." Starrk replied noticing that the fights were still continuing around them.
"You are correct Starrk although it seems strange to pledge your allegiance to someone just because they became your friend." Ukitake then responded.
"Hollows of all kind have something in common other than a hollow hole. If they find a significant reason such as granting them more power or saving their life then they will pledge their allegiance to others willingly and he has given me reason enough to serve with him rather than under Aizen even if he himself doesn't know that I will follow him." Starrk replied as he felt the reiatsu of Ichigo and the captain commander fluctuate slightly indicating they were in fighting one another.
"This friend of yours must be rather special for you to follow him like that. Where is your friend now?" Unohana asked, rather curious about who Starrk was talking about.
"Fighting your sōtaichō." Stark answered gaining surprised looks once more form the three captains.
Before any of the three captains could respond, the crushing Reiatsu of Yamamoto and Ichigo pressed down upon them as they immediately turned their attention towards the two huge pillars of reiatsu that rose into the sky.
"It seems Yama-jii is having a more difficult time than first thought." Kyōraku said more to himself than anyone else.
"Starrk was right after all, he does seem to be giving Yamamoto-dono a strong challenge." Ukitake then said amazed at how much Reiatsu the Arrancar was outputting.
Unohana didn't say anything but inside she was intrigued; the Reiatsu of the hollow felt somehow familiar to her deep down but she quickly dismissed any thought of possibly knowing a hollow however she was interrupted from her thoughts by the voice of Starrk nearby.
"You better not go and get yourself killed Ichigo." Starrk said quietly to himself as a small smile crept upon his face.
"What did you just say, Starrk?" Unohana suddenly called out gaining the attention of Starrk and her two fellow captains who hadn't heard what Starrk had said.
"What do you mean?" Starrk replied with a rather curious expression.
"Why did you say that name?" Unohana then asked as her hand tightened around the handle of her Zanpakutō causing Ukitake and Kyōraku to look at her in shock at how angry she was suddenly getting.
"What's wrong Retsu?" Ukitake asked as he tried to make sense of what was going on and hopefully calm Unohana down. However she merely ignored him as she waited for Starrk's response as he stood with narrowed eyes staring towards Unohana.
"What does it matter? Why is that name so important to you that it would suddenly cause you to become angry." Replied Starrk as his own hand reached towards his Zanpakutō in anticipation of Unohana making a move.
Kyōraku and Ukitake were both thinking the same thing and that was about the one name that could cause Unohana Retsu to act like that. The one name that could make her angry; apart from the anger wasn't aimed at Starrk entirely but was also aimed at herself. However they both knew that it should be impossible for that person to still exist never mind be here in Seireitei and as they remembered the name a hint guilt ran through them at what had happened all those years ago.
"What is the name of that Arrancar?" Unohana asked with a serene look on her face surprising Starrk at how she had suddenly changed.
"That name must mean a lot to you to cause you to react like that." Starrk replied growing even more curious at what Ichigo meant to her and the other captains due to the troubled expressions on their faces.
"You have no idea, Starrk." Unohana replied with a calm voice seemingly having relaxed from a moment ago as she stood with her eyes closed.
"His name is Kurosaki Ichigo." Starrk eventually confirmed their suspicions. The three captains eyes widened at hearing confirmation of the name as a mixture of emotions became evident on their faces for a split second at hearing Ichigo was indeed here in Seireitei. Starrk was surprised as Unohana suddenly disappeared from the hill seemingly heading in the direction of the battle between Yamamoto and Ichigo.
I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter especially the part with Starrk and Kyōraku and Ukitake since I originally planned on having them fight each other but without Starrk going into Resurrección I was unsure of what the outcome would be so changed it appropriately. I'm also not sure of how good the fight scenes were and maybe they made Tosen and Gin seem more powerful than they actually are which was not my intention.
I'm sure all of you are disappointed that Starrk didn't end up fighting but without Lilynette I decided that I would use the opportunity to find out more about Starrk and bring in a bit more about Ichigo's background. Don't worry since I have more fights planned for Ichigo and Starrk in future chapters and I also hope that it seemed reasonable enough for Starrk to not fight with Kyōraku and Ukitake at this point.
Ichigo's fight against Yama will be next chapter and also Aizen against Urahara which I'm not sure how I'm going to write as of yet and also find out why Unohana, Ukitake and Kyōraku felt the way they did towards the end of the chapter.
I'm also not sure when my next update will be due to being very busy at the moment.