Satsuki groaned as she opened her eyes and sat up. She was some sort of tunnel, and it was a dark tunnel... Then the memories of what happened before came back to her, and she remembered she was in the Seireitei's sewer system.

"Oh my god," she scorned herself. "I lost to Abarai!" she said loud enough for the others to here.

"You're awake, Satsuki," Zakuro smiled.

"I still can't believe I lost to Abarai," Satsuki ranted. "And I just had three little scratches!"

"He was a lieutenant," Chojuro's hands rested on either side of his neck. "Even I couldn't have beat him."

"Also, according to Hanataro, those wounds Renji gave you were pretty deep," Momo added.

"If I couldn't even last a minute against Abarai, I need to get stronger," Satsuki declared. "There's going to be more lieutenants and captains at the execution."

"It's fine, I beat the snot out of Renji anyway," Ichigo reassured her.

Satsuki hadn't even noticed Ichigo come up behind her. Zakuro and Momo then got into an argument about why Zakuro had been smiling in her sleep. Momo had guessed Zakuro had dreamed about Abarai. Zakuro looked away, and Satsuki spoke. "Why would anyone dream about Abarai?" she took Yasei no Kaminari, sealed and in its sheath, and tied it back to her belt.

"Since when does it matter if Zak has a crush on someone?" Ichigo asked.

"I never said I had a crush on Renji," Zakuro huffed.

"And I never said you did," Satsuki answered. "All I said was why anyone would dream about Abarai. He's very unlikeable."

"Why do you keep calling Renji by his last name?" Momo wondered.

"Same reason I called Ichigo by his last name," Satsuki answered. She thought back to when Rukia had first given them her powers. Satsuki had despised the three. She, as any other Soul Reaper would have, had thought of them as lowly humans and always referred to Ichigo as "Kurosaki". At least until she felt like she could trust them.

"I take it that you're feeling better?" Zakuro changed the subject.

"Yeah, how about you girls?" Ichigo answered.

"I'm great," Momo answered.

"Yeah, we were really just waiting for you to get better." Zakuro said.

"Then let's go," Ichigo said

Momo shot Zakuro a smirk. "I still say you're crushing on Renji."

"And I'm telling you I'm not," Zakuro said. "Drop it.

Ganju woke up, and they engaged in a conversation, but Satsuki turned to her brother.

"We're going to have a lot of company," Chojuro muttered.

"And what do you plan to do if it's one of our family members?" Satsuki questioned.

Chojuro exhaled heavily. "I don't know."

"But what if it's Haibuko?" Satsuki pressed on. "Or Susanoo?"

"I say fight," Chojuro answered. Satsuki smiled.

Hanataro had woken up by now, and the Ryoka followed him through the sewers. He lifted the same tile and they found themselves at Ichigo and Abarai's battle site.

"It's been a while since we heard from the others," Ganju spoke. "Do you think they're okay?"

"Uryu, Azumi, and Orihime may have crashed together," Satsuki said. "and they're smart enough not to take on an enemy stronger than themselves. ((Minutes after she says that Uryu takes on Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Co Lieutenenant Haibuko Uzaki)).

"And Chad's great at avoiding conflict all together," Momo noted. "But if he's confronted, I can't imagine him losing. He's too strong and determined." she smiled. ((Just as she says that, Chad is defeated by Captain Shunsui Kyoraku.))

"Then there's always Yoruichi," Chojuro's voice trailed off. He seemed to be thinking a great deal about Yoruichi.

The staircase they were obliged to take was a very big staircase, and by time they reached the top, they were already panting and sweating.

"Security's lacking," Ichigo noted the empty area, though Satsuki sensed different. "Let's go."

"There's a whole lot of Spiritual Pressure coming," Satsuki predicted quietly.

And she was right. First it started to feel as if gravity were pushing against them. Then there was the sound of bells chiming. One might find it strange, butSatsuki knew what gravity vs. Soul Reaper plus chiming bells equaled.

"How long are you going to keep looking up there?" came a gruff voice that Satsuki knew too well.

The Soul Reaper was a captain, and one of the more familiar ones. His haori was tattered and there was a long scar running down the left side of his face. A black eyepatch concealed his right eye, and his hair was jet black.

"Captain Kenpachi Zaraki."

Captain Zaraki looked at Ichigo. "Are you Ichigo Kurosaki. Come on, I'm sure Ikkaku must have told you about me." he added, seeing Ichigo's confused expression.

"Captain," Satsuki mumbled, and Zaraki looked at her. "Well, well, well, well," he said smoothly. "If it isn't Satsuki Uzaki, fresh from the World of the Living."

"He's your captain?" Momo looked astonished.

"I'm Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad Eleven, and I'm here to fight you to the death," Zaraki said.

"That's a lot of drool!" came a high, young voice. Satsuki recognized the little pink haired lieutenant of the Eleventh Division, Yachiru Kusajishi. "YOu must have scared him pretty bad Kenny." she added.

"Who are you?" Zakuro questioned.

Yachiru gazed intently at her. "I'm Yachiru Kusajishi, Lieutenant of Squad Eleven!"

"That little runt is a lieutenant?" Momo gasped. "She looks younger than Yuzu and Karin!"

"Sadly, yes," Satsuki confirmed. "That is the lieutenant."

"Zakuro, Momo, Satsuki, Chojuro," Ichigo said calmly. "I want you guys to go with Ganju and Hanataro and rescue Rukia. I'm counting on you."

"Ichigo," Zakuro started. "I can't just leave you here-"

"Go," Ichigo repeated.

"She's right you know." Satsuki said.

"I said go, I'll be fine," Ichigo repeated, narrowing his eyes.

Satsuki and Zakuro sighed and defeat. "Be careful bro," Zakuro warned.

The six Ryoka turned toward the tower and broke into a run. Satsuki looked back to see Ichigo draw his Zanpakuto. Half an hour later, Hanataro gained consciousness and said that Ichigo shouldn't have challenged Zaraki (same went through Satsuki's head), but Zakuro reminded him that even though Ichigo acts like an idiot, he was trusting them to finish a mission. So they continued to finish it.

They were almost to the Repentance Cell when Zakuro slowed down. She told them she had to catch her breath, but Satsuki wasn't so sure she believed her, but she didn't say it out loud.

Getting up the tower was honestly a bit confusing. It ended with Ganju using Hanataro as a grappling hook. But that wasn't the hard part.

Two Soul Reapers stood guard, but Ganju used brute strength and Hanataro used a tranquilizer liquid to knock them out. After knocking the guards out, they were faced with a vault style door, but Hanataro had stolen a key to open it, saying that after seeing what the others did, he would give all he had too.

The door finally opened, and Rukia stood plain in sight. She was barefoot, wearing a white robe and a red collar.

"Satsuki? Zakuro? Momo?" She gasped.

"Hey Rukia," Satsuki said.