Pre-chapter A/N: 2 weeks since my last update! Um...that's not too bad is it?? I have no other excuse besides 'school is ridiculous and I have lots of homework' =/. I try writing during breaks between classes but it just doesn't work that well. Either way, I apologize and will try updating sooner!
Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach...I wouldn't need to go to college to get a degree in Biology T.T. Tite Kubo, the creator of Bleach, probably majored in 'Anime-ology' and passed with flying colors.
Lets RECAP! : Um lets see....Hatomi is currently about to reveal her Bankai to help Ichigo and Rukia from being eaten by a huge bird...and Byakuya? He's just being 'high n' mighty' by glaring at them with much hatred! Now on to numberrrrrrr NINE!
Chapter 9_
"Bankai…" this was spoken by an unfamiliar voice, which was no surprise to Ichigo, since the majority of the shinigami in this Soul Society were no acquaintances of his. Yet, the word itself placed him on high alert. Yoruichi-san had just finished training him for the same stage release, and now one of these bastards were going to use their own ultimate technique on him, at the same time a huge firebird is raging towards him too! If this didn't kill him, he didn't know what could.
"Kohaku Asami!" was the completed command. Ichigo was expecting pain, indescribable pain that would scorch his soul and kill him along with Rukia, yet nothing of the sort happened. 'What the hell…' Bright lights were everywhere, as if the fiery inferno from the Sokyoku wasn't sufficient enough to blind everyone already, and Ichigo could make out the mixing of blue and orange in front of him. Soon his amber eyes adjusted to the intensity of the brightness and he could see two things: first was the sight of two huge birds clawing and attacking each other with their enormous wings and talons, second was the presence of a woman in the center of the semi-translucent blue bird, controlling it. 'Insane woman,' this was his first thought, yet he couldn't help but feel awed by the beauty of the scene. Why she was trying to help him, Ichigo wasn't sure, but the teen felt a sense of worry mingle with adrenaline as it became apparent that her creature was being overpowered by the larger and more powerful phoenix. Never one to let people fight his battles for him, Ichigo raced towards the climax of the battle to aid her, determined to save Rukia like he'd promised. The heat intensified as he drew nearer, and a wayward thought on how she could endure such force crossed his mind.
"Ichigo! Bakamono! Don't go in there!" he could hear Rukia yell from her floating position. What did she expect him to do? Stand there and let some stranger fight for him? Nonsense.
Just when he was about to reach the two creatures though, the woman suddenly drew back quickly and her bird almost collided with him as it retreated.
"Hey watch it!" Ichigo yelled at her, which made she turned back around to respond. He caught the blueness of her hair, but couldn't make out the weird color of her eyes because of the aura that surrounded her. She was pretty though, he realized.
"Back up you idiot!" was her urgent order. At her command, Ichigo took several steps backward to see what would happen. Before his eyes, he saw her bankai dispel when the ethereal animal shrunk to form a regular katana again. When this process was completed, her body lunged forward to fall over in exhaustion, but he was already there to catch her. As he gathered her shorter fame next to his larger one, together they watched the Sokyoku fly towards them in extreme frustration.
"I hope I brought him enough time…" his female companion whispered, but of course Ichigo didn't know who 'him' was or what on earth she was talking about.
"Who-"
"Finally!" her outburst cut off his question. Instead of elaborating, she pointed to the incoming creature. Ichigo became even more confused when ropes from below started to surround the bird, halting its movement. Following the line down to the ground, he saw two captains standing behind a shield connected to the ropes.
"What are they doing?" he wondered out loud.
"They are going to destroy it." She sounded very excited about the prospect of the Sokyoku's destruction, a little too excited, he concluded when he saw a wicked smile donned on her face. Like she promised, it was quite a show as the power transmitting through the ropes from the two captains was great enough that it destroyed the Kikou almost instantly upon contact. The creature seemingly burst apart.
"Anou, who are you?" Ichigo asked offhandedly while they admired the display of leftover colors swirling in the sky.
"Mizuro Hatomi, but now is hardly the time to play meet and greet Ichigo. Your task isn't finished yet." How she knew his name or 'his task', Ichigo would never find out; but something about her, maybe the fact that she'd sort of saved his life, told him she was an ally. Foregoing his interrogation on her identity, Ichigo looked down at the shinigamis gathered below and saw several glares reserved for him, his new friend, and the two captains.
"Kuso. We're surrounded." This intelligent observation earned him a painful knock on the forehead by said new friend. "Itai!! What the hell was that for woman?!"
"Of course we are surrounded! How did you expect this would all end? That you could just carry Rukia off into the sunset and live happily ever after?? Baka!" Well if she put it that way…of course his statement would sound stupid! To stop from making a bigger fool of himself, Ichigo picked her up and moved them backwards to stand atop the execution stand.
"Hatomi! Are you okay?" Rukia called up at them.
"Hai. A bit exhausted though."
"You know each other???" his orange eyes darted back and forth between the two female shinigamis.
"No, I just got bored and decided to switch sides so I can use bankai for fun…Of course we know each other! Why else would I help you?" This was spoken in the same impatient and reprimanding tone by Hatomi. Ichigo could've sworn her eyes were itching to roll. Was she always so jibe-prone? He wondered.
As his eyes scanned around, the teen rationally decided that he should first destroy this execution stand in case things don't end in their favor. That way, at least they won't get eaten by a big bird again.
"What are you doing?!" the two chorused together when he started to swing his blade with the wrapping. 'Women, seriously, must they question everything guys do? We know what we're doing!' Of course Ichigo was too smart to say this out loud; even when she's floating so precariously in the air like that, Rukia is still dangerous in her own mysterious way.
"It's my turn to have some fun and break some things!" Leave it to a guy to make a game out of a serious situation! When his blade finally stabbed into the lintel, Hatomi realized he was not joking about destroying their foot stand. She also found out that his reiastu alone was enough to pierce through the sacred stone and break it apart. For several moments she wobbled unsteadily atop the beam while bits and pieces of the Sokyoku stand broke off and plummeted to the ground below. The dust cleared, and standing there in such a heroic pose was Ichigo with a hanging Rukia at his side while Hatomi looked like a useless sidekick. 'Of course…the guy always gets credit for saving the day.' She thought depressingly.
"So Mr. I-Saved-Rukia, what do you plan on doing now in front of all these nice people." She used her hand to present their stunned audience to the fearless boy.
"Yes Ichigo, enlighten us with your master plan." The hanging Rukia looked up at him with a worried expression. Oddly, Hatomi realized, they looked very well together in that position; with her dangling like a weightless doll on his hip while he exuded self-confidence on his ability to save them all. Perhaps this was a 'star-crossed lovers' story and they just didn't know it. Her rebellious mind brought up the fact that a more ill-fated pair would be her and Kuchiki Byakuya. 'I must be insane for even thinking about such a ridiculous notion. Me and him? Yeah right…' even as she thought this, her emerald eyes were seeking out his figure below, and they found him staring intently at Kurosaki Ichigo. He'd been surprised to see her alive and kicking, she knew that much was for sure, but his reaction had ended there. She was no longer worth his time it seemed. And damn it, why did that anger her?
"-run." Hatomi caught the end of Ichigo's reply to Rukia's question. Perhaps she missed out on the elaborate explanation of his plan, because the one word she caught didn't seem like such a good option.
"How do you expect to run when Nii-sama is watching us like a hawk?!" Okay, so that really is his ingenious escape route. The kid is denser than she thought.
"Correct Rukia. Your brother is watching him like an obsessive hawk." Hatomi pointed at Ichigo for emphasis. "We no longer matter, at least not until Byakuya is done skinning Ichigo alive, cutting off every muscle on his body with millions of pretty pink blades, and scattering the remains to different corners of the world." This statement was followed by a sweet smile which made the boy, who might be skinned and…decapitated, blanch.
"Rukia…how did you come to know her again?" he whispered conspiratorially.
"Long story…" came the weary reply. Though Rukia had to admit that her Kido Corps Commander friend had a point; Nii-sama's cold and focused eyes were reserved only for the orange haired human.
"How about this, I'll take Ruki-" some yells of pain interrupted Hatomi's suggestion. Further away from the main scene, her subordinates were dropping like flies, even Kidanji, all because a tall red-haired man was forcing his way through.
"HEY FAKE EYEBROWS! What on earth are you doing?! That's my people!" she screamed down at him. Renji stopped his assault and looked around at the robed men.
"Is this what you meant when you said we might be on the same side?!" he yelled back.
"Uh…yeah?" She had no clue what he was talking about, but if it meant more allies, then sure.
"AND MY EYESBROWS AREN'T FAKE!" Renji couldn't help but add, though there wasn't any anger in his voice. Despite their sticky predicament, Hatomi let out a tiny laugh, glad that there were still decent people in the world.
"Hey Renji! You want to finally do something useful?!" Ichigo joined their long distant conversation. Renji gave a reproaching look, but was curious nevertheless about his possible task. "Can you hold onto this for me while I take care of things here?" He was of course referring to Rukia as 'this', which did not go well with said item. Before any word could leave her mouth though, Rukia felt herself being lifted above his sun-kissed head. 'No! No! No!'
"Ichigo you idiot! What do you think you're doing?!" Hatomi could hear the desperation in the man-handled female's voice. Normally, her feminist side would kick in to defend those of her kind, but it was much too amusing to see what the boy intended to do with his makeshift throwing projectile. This might be the last funny thing she sees before they face the army of angry death gods below. So when Rukia went flying downwards at the speed of light into the arms of Abarai fukutaicho, while screaming manically, Hatomi had to cover her mouth from giving in to endless laughter, which of course would ruin the thick tension. Mirth quickly left though, when a tugging feeling on her shirt-back signified that Ichigo was going to give her the same treatment.
"This one too Renji!!!" the orange-head called out to his friend, who was yelling at him for the deadly throw a few seconds back.
"Wait a minute, damn it put me down, put me down you bastard!!!" Unlike the compliant Rukia, Hatomi was kicking and thrashing around wildly. She came here to fight, not run away!
"Stop moving will you?!" It took quite some effort, but Ichigo finally got her positioned over his body so that he could transfer her to Renji. Too bad for him, she had other plans. Right before he could shoot her off, Ichigo received a painful kick to the back of his head. But it was too late, for he'd already released his grip on her.
"AHhhhHH!!" Hatomi soared back first downwards at breakneck speed, but something was wrong she could tell, because in her peripheral vision the outline of Renji holding Rukia could be seen. 'But that would mean he threw me in the wrong direction!!!!' she concluded frantically. Only two possible outcomes could happen now. One, if she was lucky, she'd land in the arms of Shunsui or Juushiro-sensei and not die. Or two, if karma decides to take a go at her life again, she'd land in the arms of hard solid earth and the last thing she would hear is the lovely sound of her bones breaking. Judging from the look of horror on the stupid human boy's face, Hatomi guessed that her resting place would be the ground of Sokyoku Hill.
'I, the great Mizuro Hatomi, the 8th Commander of the Kido Corps, 15th Head of the one person Mizuro Clan, and would be 10th Head of the Yamamoto Clan, will die today in glory because a human ryoka threw me straight into-' Something soft? Hands, she concluded, surprised. Strong masculine hands, if the size and grip of the appendages on her hips were anything to go by. 'Hands…with…oh Kami, are those white gloves??' The female was not sure which of the two outcomes she predicted earlier did this fall under. Yes, it was luck that death did not find her, but karma was still evil by sending her right into Kuchiki Byakuya's deadly grip.
"Mizuro Hatomi." His sharp breath made her shiver while his touch seeped warmness into her body, but she refused to let it affect her composure. On instinct, she tried freeing from his grasp, but it only tightened reflexively. Trapped in the awkward position, both fugitively and literally, Hatomi did the only thing that would relieve some frustration.
"If you do not die by the end of the day, I'll kill you myself kid!" She yelled while shaking her fist at the standing figure on the tall stand. Ichigo could be seen going pale at her threat. 'It's her fault for kicking me and changing my aim!' This opinion was kept to himself though.
"Byakuya, let me go." She tried ordering since their proximity was starting to bother her. Since when was it normal for the head of the Kuchiki clan to hold a woman so possessively by the hips? Never, is the answer, unless said woman was the female counterpart to that title, and Hatomi was definitelynot Mrs. Kuchiki.
"If let free, you will continue wrecking havoc, but I think you have done enough damage already. So why would I do something foolish like that?" Each word was accompanied by tiny caresses of his expelling breaths on her neck and she hated how that, along with his low tenor, was wrecking havoc on her. It was time for some quick thinking so he would leave her alone. The sound of physical contacts occurring in the distance gave her the perfect alibi.
"Maybe because Kurosaki Ichigo is over there fighting a bunch of lieutenants while you are here doing nothing." She knew this would get him moving, and her logic did not fail. Surprisingly though, when Byakuya moved to flash step away, Hatomi caught his arm quickly.
"Can't you just let them go?" Her crystal green eyes seemed to be pleading with him. Outwardly his handsome face did not show any reaction to the question, but his granite eyes were glazed with uncertainty. For a second, she thought there was hope, but it was quickly diminished when Byakuya pushed her hand away.
"No; my duty is to punish miscreants, like you, who break the laws of Soul Society. Though, I do not think you had learned the lesson the first time." His implied threat of teaching her the lesson a second time was not lost to Hatomi. 'No thank you very much, arrogant jerk.'
"Fine, go and fight him then. You will lose. Obviously he has unparalleled capabilities and potentials; most of it is probably untapped. Perhaps you will be the lucky one to tap into them." He sneered at her certainty, but as soon as his arm was released, Byakuya was half way across the open space in a matter of seconds. She heard the clashing of their blades, and moments later saw the sudden ruptures of their reiastus in the distance. 'I hope you beat some sense into him Ichigo.'
"Just because Kuchiki let you go, don't think it's going to be that easy for you to escape Mizuro." A cold voice said from behind her. Hatomi turned to see a familiar short woman in a captain haori glaring at her.
"Who said I wanted to escape? Plus, if I did, I doubt you would prove an obstacle Soifon. My shunpo had always bested yours." She answered lightly and the Niibantai Taicho rewarded her with an attempted kick to the head for the haughty comment. 'Oh kami, good thing I never skipped out on taijutsu training when I was younger.' Hatomi thought as she ducked the deadly kick.
"Soifon! That's the Kido Corps Commander that you are attacking." Ukitake warned the female captain.
"Commander or not, a traitor is a traitor. That goes the same for you Ukitake." Soifon replied frostily. The white haired man was a bit taken back by the animosity in her tone.
"Then there is not helping it. We'll just have to fight you; don't we Juushiro-sensei?" Hatomi threw a glance at her former mentor and reached for her blade.
"Matte Hatomi, you're in no condition to fight, go while you still can." He advised.
"No one is getting away." An imposing voice contradicted. Everyone fixed their attention to the oldest shinigami, who up until now has remained silent.
"Ojii-sama…" Hatomi whispered. She knew that sooner or later she would have to face his wrath. Surprisingly though, there was no fear residing within her. 'I did the right thing, I have no regret.'
"Soifon Taicho, I trust that you will be able to handle the Kido Commander. You are granted permission to do anything necessary to deal with her. As for you two," he addressed his former top students, "I will put you disgraceful children in your places."
"Oh hoho, he's serious. Well, have fun Hatomi-chan! We'll catch up later. Let's go Ukitake." When both Kyoraku's lieutenant and the Sotaicho flash stepped away to chase after the fleeing captains, Hatomi was left alone with the two female captains of Gotei 13. The odds were of course against her, but somehow Hatomi knew that Unohana taicho would not be participating in this fight. Considering her profession, the healer rarely engaged in battles that would prove counterproductive to the cause of minimizing injuries. Still, that left the ill-tempered Onmitsukido madam to take care of.
"You shouldn't furrow your brows so much, it might get stuck there." This comment made the Ops' commander seethe in barely controlled anger.
"Soifon, you're still as irritable as before. I guess becoming a captain and taking over the Onmitsukido did not help your personality much." Hatomi continued amusedly.
"You act like the Kido Corps is so high and mighty. The only reason why you got that position is because the former commander was also a traitor of Soul Society. It seems that the Kido Corps has some loyalty issues." Oh so that's how she wanted to play.
"If my memory doesn't fail me, Niibantai Taicho-san, I clearly remember a young girl who had a bad case of hero-worship for her own Onmitsukido Commander, the same woman who deflected from Soul Society at the same time my predecessor did. Did she say goodbye to you like my shisou did to me? Or were you abandoned without a single word?" The low blow left a bad taste in her mouth, but Hatomi needed to break the woman's resolve.
"Kisama…" the captain grounded out. People always fought worst when their composure is compromised, and currently Hatomi needed all the advantages she can get. Then the fighting began as Soifon striked at her with many physical attacks. Some made contacts, but most were dodged by Hatomi's fast movements. One well aimed kick to the stomach though sent her flying a few meters away and succeeded in opening a wound that had not healed from Byakuya's cut. Admittedly, Soifon had evolved into a skilled warrior who no longer fought the way she used to, which made it hard to predict her movements. The captain then took advantage of Hatomi's pained condition to dash at her again to begin the next series of kicks and hand slices. Before she could reach though, Hatomi was up and ready to fight. The captain's subsequent incoming kick was aimed at her head, and she would've raised her left arm to block it had someone else not beat her to the move. A tanned color hand was gripping Soifon's extended foot in front of her face.
"Yoruichi!" both exclaimed at the same time when they saw the owner of said hand.
"Long time no see girls." With a careless flick of the hand, the newcomer released Soifon's leg, which caused her to leap a couple of steps back. Hatomi took this moment to regard the woman who she hadn't seen for a long time. Purple hair (though much longer than before), golden cat eyes, tall slim figure, and dark exotic looks. Yes, this was indeed Shihouin Yoruichi.
"I thought it might be you when Orihime-chan said they came here with a cat, Yoruichi-san. I'm glad I was not wrong." She gave a happy smile which Yoruichi returned.
"Ah, I thought I'd come along with them and visit a couple of friends here. Wasn't expecting this much commotion though." This was a white lie of course, because they all knew rescuing a prisoner was not fun and games.
"I'm surprised a traitor like you even has friends left here, seeing how you can not be trusted." Soifon joined the reunion with malice.
"Not happy to see your senpai, Soifon? The years have made you bitter I see."
"Bitter? Hardly, I'm just more realistic. It was actually beneficial for me that you left."
"Souka. So little Soifon has grown up. I don't suppose you want to prove that over these years, you've become stronger than me? The look in your eyes say you are itching to land a hit on me." There were a lot of things Hatomi wanted to ask the older woman, but it was obvious that she would be busy dealing with her own past.
"I don't have to prove it; I already know it's true." Soifon jeered snidely.
"Alright then, follow me and we'll see how true that really is." Using the speed that she is famous for, Yoruichi left Sokyoku hill in all but one step. Soifon would've followed immediately had she not remember the Sotaicho's instructions to handle Mizuro Hatomi. Lucky for her, there was still one person left to hand the task over to.
"Unohana taicho, you-"
"Hai, I understand. I will see to Mizuro-san." Soifon was a bit skeptical at the Yonbantai taicho's choice of words, since the connotation could go either way, but her anxiety to fight Yoruichi overrode that skepticism. With a curt nod, she too flash stepped away. Hatomi watched her leave before facing the last captain.
"Unohana taicho, you do not want to fight, and neither do I. But I have to follow my own instinct, and right now it's saying to bypass you and go help Kurosaki Ichigo." She admitted.
"Iie. Your instinct does not want you to help the ryoka. Your main goal is to help Kuchiki Rukia, is it not?" reasoned Unohana in a calm voice.
"Hai. But to me, the two bares no difference since he also wants to save her."
"That is understandable. But in light of the situation, there is a matter that I must see to, which I think might help with your cause as well as clear up some confusion. Will you come with me?" the healer offered. A part of Hatomi wanted to decline because the battle between Byakuya and Ichigo was starting to emit very dangerous energies, but rationality reasoned that Unohana would not offer something that would not be beneficial to both sides. In the end, reason won over curiosity.
"I'll come, mainly because even if I said no, you would've found a way to bring me along, willingly or not." The older woman only responded to this statement with a soft smile. Together they gathered up the injured people and left the Sokyoku Hill, where Kuchiki Byakuya and Kurosaki Ichigo were starting to create massive destruction on.
'Ichigo, I'm counting on you. And damn it Byakuya, don't you die either.'
-------- -- -- ---------- --- ------------- ---
Cold and sinister: these were the perfect words to describe the atmosphere within the residential area for the members of Central 46. Cold because a sheet of ice was covering a large amount of area, courtesy of the Juubantai Taicho's bankai, and sinister because two men were looking down at Hitsugaya Toshiro's injured body with warped fascination and shrewd smirks. When the three women entered the spacious room, this was the scene that greeted them.
Hatomi had never met Aizen Sousuke until today, but her first impression of him told her enough about his character. Behind his bespectacled eyes and ordinary looks was an ominous aura that did not sit well with her while Ichimaru Gin with his foxy grin and closed eyes still elicit an uncomfortable shiver throughout her body. Tension rose as the mastermind behind the current wrong doings in Soul Society revealed to them his true intentions and manipulations.
"What do you expect to gain from betraying Soul Society, Aizen Sousuke?" Unohana taicho asked scornfully after his confessions.
"How can I betray something that I never had loyalties to in the first place? Since the beginning of my existence as a shinigami, I always knew that I was destined for more. Shinigamis will forever be limited by the laws and regulation of this world; I was determined to break that limit to become something greater. When I stumbled upon the idea of hollowfication, it merely confirmed my resolve." the brown haired man admitted easily.
"Hollowfication…!" It was a word she knew well, despite her inability to grasp the theory. Kisuke-san, Yoruichi-san, Tessai-sama, and Hachi-senpai all deserted their homes because of that cursed word. "Then the incident over 100 years ago, where numerous captains and vice-captains were accused of obtaining hollow powers, and Urahara Kisuke was condemned for experimenting 'Hollowfication' on them, that was never the truth. It was you. You framed all of them!" The simmering fire that has been burning from within her suddenly ignited and was fueled by her growing anger. 'I lost a huge part of my life because this sadistic man wanted to become a god!' she realized.
"Bingo." Aizen did nothing to hide his satisfaction with the outcome of things. "The end of this charade is coming soon and the most wonderful part is that you are here as well Hatomi-san." The three women were surprised by his off-topic statement, especially the owner of said name.
"How do you know of me?" she asked him cautiously.
"I don't just know of you, in actuality I know much about you. Mizuro Hatomi, Kido Corps Commander for the past 70 years, also the only granddaughter of the Sotaicho himself. But that is not all, is it? Your zanpakuto, Asami, is also the strongest Kido-base zanpakuto in existence. Its affinity to reiastus and its ability to manipulate almost all types of spells is even more powerful than my own blade. You have always been a big part of my plan, Commander." He admitted with a villainous grin.
"That is impossible! I have never met you in my whole life." Obviously they were not on the same page for 'acceptable interactions'; since he'd been stalking her and she'd been unaware of his presence.
"That is the point, Hatomi-san. The reason why you've been isolated from the rest of Seireitei, more specifically from me, is precisely because of your ability to sense even the slightest disruption in the spiritual air. You would've eventually discovered the hypnosis I've placed on everyone. I can't have that now, can I?" Aizen responded easily as if the answer was apparent to everyone but her.
"Then why have you 'allowed' me to come in contact with so many people these past few weeks, if my absence is as important as you say."
"Because you are the final key, and I mean this literally, to completing this entire scheme. I needed you become involved with Kuchiki Rukia's execution so that you will be present during the finale. Having the Central 46 order you around these pass few weeks did just that. Ah here, I'm sure this should ring the proverbial bell." From his sleeves he pulled out a familiar black box, the exact one that she'd seen a century ago, and her eyes widen reflexively at the sight. 'It can't be…how did he find that!?'
"Judging from your reaction, I'm sure you know exactly what this is."
"I don't know what you are talking about." Curse her betraying eyes for giving away the secret! Maybe she could bluff her way out…
"Oh? I can see some truth in that, perhaps because you do not know its true purpose. Let me explain it to you then. Urahara Kisuke created a technique to combine and bury matter into the soul because he wanted to hide the Hougyoku before he left Soul Society. The soul he chose was Kuchiki Rukia. But, every genius scientist knows that to create something, you must have a way to reverse its effects. The item locked in here is the reversal piece. With it, I can then remove the Hougyoku from Kuchiki Ruki,a since the execution to destroy her soul has failed. My investigations have pinpointed that you were the person he chose to seal this box. Your unique reiryoku is the only thing that will open this box. Of course you already knew this detail, since it was your life force that locked it in the first place. Am I wrong, Hatomi-san?"
All his analyses were correct, and she hated him for knowing so much about her life. 'Ever heard of privacy Mr. Sousuke?'
Undeniably, a hundred years ago, she'd been instructed by her hurried master to become bound to that box…
Flashback
The blaring sounds of the emergency alarm woke the young girl up immediately. Never in all her years as a shinigami has such a loud alarm rung. From inside the confines of her room, Hatomi could see the running footsteps of her fellow corps members, she even caught a few passing sentences.
"Tsukabishi-sama and Fukukidosho…gone since last night…"
"Punished by the Central 46 Chambers…escaped!"
'Shishou??' Despite the chaotic situation, the girl knew those combinations of words did not mean something good. Anxiety to figure out what happened filled her as she rushed towards the door, only to be pulled back before making it pass the threshold. A black clothe figure was the culprit who'd halted her departure.
"Hatomi, don't worry, it is me." Hearing his voice gave her relief.
"Tessai-sama! Why are you dressed like this? Just now I heard the others say that you escaped from-"
"There's not enough time to explain everything. I need you to help me with one last thing Hatomi." The word 'last' implied an unnecessary sense of finality that she did not understand.
"Hai, of course. What is it?" He rarely asked favors from her, so the pupil agreed without any skepticism.
"I need you to transfer almost all your reiastu into this box," an obsidian colored box appeared from under his cloak. "This will lock it, and only you will hold the key. Never open it, unless either I or Urahara-dono asks you to, understand?"
"Hai, demo why my reiastu?" she asked, while following his instructions nevertheless and began embedding spiritual pressure into the container.
"This box is made from the purest Sekkiseki stone, and has greater reiastu repellent properties than even the Sekkiseki wall around Seireitei. You, Hatomi, were born with the most compatible energy to the stone."
The young girl never found out how her master knew she was the bearer of the special aptitude, or why the box is so important. After she finished her task, he'd left with a sincere goodbye and the simple phrase 'things are not what they seem.'
End Flashback
'I think I finally understand sensei's parting words now. He was referring to Aizen Sousuke zanpakuto's ability.' If that is the case, then it was now her duty to keep the box locked. But how?
"Hatomi-san, perhaps you should leave this area, he will be coming for you any moment now." The female captain advised after considering the situation at hand.
"Escape from two captains? I don't think that is possible Unohana-san." Hatomi replied while watching Aizen and Ichimaru closely. The two were still standing on the platform in front of a single chamber.
"Iie, Isane and I will buy you time."
"This was the third time someone has offered to fend off the enemy so that I can run away. Is this the new trend or something? It's not like I can't fight!" she grumbled.
"Please go Mizuro-san, before it's too late." Isane urged. Since it was childish to stay and argue over something so trivial, the Kido Commander buried her pride and ran towards the exit. As her steps carried her closer and closer to the door, Hatomi felt the surrounding air hum. Small static currents raced down her hand while her vision showed hazy spots. 'What's going on?' she demanded subconsciously.
"Are you sure you are running the correct way?" an amused voice asked from behind her. Shocked, she spun around and came face to face with the shirt front of Aizen Sousuke. Glancing down, the blue haired woman realized that she was standing on the same platform he'd been situated on this whole time. 'No…impossible…when-'
"To answer your unspoken question, you've been under the hypnosis ever since I brought out the box. Or more specifically, what you thought was a box." Again he presented the black object to her. Before her very emerald eyes, said object disappeared and he held a green katana instead. Hatomi did not want to admit defeat, but it was hard not to especially when one of his hand was gripping her waist tightly, allowing her no chance of running from his grasp. The comparison between how Byakuya held her and how this man currently is crossed her mind. 'Karma, I would trade anything to face the irritating man with a stick-up-his-behind instead of this poster boy for evil.' She pleaded, but like always, karma was out to get her.
"I understand that you and Kuchiki-san are good friends. How about we pay her a little visit? Ichimaru, take us there please." The formerly silent silver-hair man gave her a wide smile before doing some hand signs. Soon Hatomi saw her body glow in an eerie yellow color and the sensation of being pulled from within.
"Spatial Teleportation." She voiced her awareness of the spell.
"Ah, the very one. Ironic isn't it? Tsukabishi Tessai was punished for using this same technique. You see Hatomi-san, without a group of people there to monitor your every move, we shinigami have the power to do anything. That is true supremacy and freedom. I shall thank you in advance for helping me achieve such stature." And then they were gone.
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Not since his younger years has Byakuya felt dissatisfaction with his shunpo. At this moment, his mastery of flash stepping still was not carrying him to his destination fast enough. The Sokyoku Hill has never seemed so further away than now. As the captain traveled back to the scene where he'd fallen in his final battle with Kurosaki Ichigo, Byakuya could barely contain his ire. For someone who considered himself above others in intelligence and class, it angered the clan lord that someone had outsmarted everyone, including him. Along with massacring the 46 Chambers, framing Urahara Kisuke all those years ago, assaulting Hitsugaya Toshiro, and deceiving all of Soul Society, Aizen even the atrocity to target a member of the Kuchiki clan; that by itself was unforgiveable.
Byakuya could see the once proud Sokyoku Hill in the distance, but its former glory was tainted by the presence of three traitors. He also sensed the ryoka boy's and Renji's dimming spiritual pressures. When a black box made from dark energy surfaced from the ground, Byakuya immediately recognized the Kido Spell.
"Hadou no Kyuujuu: Black Coffin…" he recited from memory. It was a powerful offensive attack, one that was impossible to avoid and even more difficult to dispel. 'Who had performed the spell though?' he wondered. Possibly, Hatomi might have casted it, since the message from Kotetsu Isane stated that she was captured by Aizen and teleported back to the execution grounds. Lord knows she was skilled enough to harness its true destructive force. 'Or it could also be the Aizen.' his pessimistic mind supplied. The only way to find out would be to get there, but his injuries and fatigue were hindering this goal.
Multiple painful-slow-and-time-crunching flash steps later, Byakuya finally arrived, only to find that he needed to make a quick decision. To the left, Tousen was holding the limp body of a lifeless blue haired woman in one hand, and positioning his sword in the other so that one precise stab would pierce right into her heart. To the right, Aizen was holding a terrified looking Rukia by her collar so that Ichimaru could 'shoot her to death'. Two women, but only one chance to save one person.
Byakuya could not comprehend why the choice proved so difficult to make. Was he losing his mind for even considering saving the green-eyed puzzling woman? 'If you save her, she would only berate you later for not saving Rukia. That was her sole mission since the beginning, wasn't it?' Bought over by the rational reasoning, Byakuya mustered his remaining energy and dove to save Rukia. Had he acted sooner, perhaps he could have avoided being on the receiving end of the Sanbantai Taicho's elongated zanpakuto. But his moment of indecisiveness proved deadly as the searing pain of being punctured so close to his heart became unbearable. The tension that has been the main factor in supporting the captain's injured body up until now finally snapped, bringing him to his knees. Another sound of sword slicing flesh drew Byakuya's fogging attention. Not far away, he saw Tousen toss the bloody body of Hatomi to the side carelessly. Surprisingly, there was still enough energy within him to feel anger, but feeling was all he could do.
The next sequence of events became a blur to the Rokubantai taicho. More and more shinigamis arrived from their respective battles in hopes of capturing Aizen and his two adjutants, yet all attempts failed when Menos Grandes used Negación to save them. Byakuya's mind remained unclear even while receiving the top medical treatment from Unohana Taicho. 'If she is aiding me, then who is treating Mizuro Hatomi?' He voiced this same thought to the healer.
"Hatomi-san is being given special treatment by the Sotaicho himself. It is better that way, for his life force matches hers much better than mine will." The older captain explained. Her phrasing, particularly the part about compatible life forces, confused him, so he asked for further explanations.
"I forgot, Kuchiki Taicho, that you were not present when Aizen Sousuke took her life energy forcefully. Apart from the stab received by Tousen-taicho, Hatomi-san is in critical condition because her soul is dying from lack of an energy source. Yamamoto-Sotaicho is currently inserting his own life forces into her to save her life. The transfer will be less risky given their familial bond." Byakuya's previously tired eyes widen in astoundment.
"Familial…bond…?" he asked dazely.
"Hai. Mizuro Hatomi-san is the only granddaughter of Yamamoto Genryusai-sama." The information continued to stun him, but he lacked the ability to do anything beside shift his head to find her in the midst of activity. She was laid on the floor with several people surrounding her, one being the commander of Gotei 13. How had he missed the ghostly color of her skin when he previously saw her? The normally cream colored complextion of her face was replaced with a sickly white, while her blue hair turned dull and mattered. And even though he'd lost track of how many times they had interactions with one another, Byakuya could not state that he knew anything about that woman.
'Kido Corps Commander and the granddaughter of Yamamoto Genryusai…just what else are you hiding from me Mizuro Hatomi?'
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A/N: My preemptive attempt to answer all your brewing questions:
1. Just incase you missed the tiny hints; Hatomi seems to be the first one to show signs of being effected by Byakuya. Thusly, I made it so that she is the first victim of the lovebug. In her defense, I'm using the cliché 'she's a woman so she is more sensitive to her feelings'. Gotta start somewhere right? Byakuya will catch on soon enough, he's just stubborn! And then there's also Hisana…so…yeah. Makes sense right?
2. If any one was bored by the repetition of plotlines and fed up with my crappy writing, please forgive me and don't give up hope on this story. The next chapter starts a whole new story! My enthusiasm to write will come back and things will become humorous and entertaining again =).
3. No, that is not all Hatomi's bankai can do. The blue bird that i described was Asami's final form. It actually didn't do any special attack while fighting the Sokyoku, it was mainly used as a large shield. More revealing of it's abilities will come later. FYI ,it's not a phoenix, the real name is Suzaku, a mythical creature in Japanese mythology.
4. A hint about the next Arc? Lets see....there will be much more focus on Hatomi and Byakuya's growing relationship. Which means we have to get over the proverbial 'Hisana' blockade that Byakuya has. Um...more new characters will be coming in to create twists in the plots. A girl here, a guy there...new enemies, old allies....humor...jealousy...lust (forgot this was a rated M story didn't ya!?). In essence, this will replace the Bounto Arc, because I personally thought that was a pointless story =). You better be ready for all the things im throwing at you!
That is all for this week folks. PLEASE keep showing your support through reviews, favorites, alerts, PMs, ANYTHING =). And as long as you don't give up on my story, i won't either!
xxxRainxDropsxxx
P.S AND NOW, A LITTLE SNEEK PEAK. Something to keep you guys curious about while waiting for my next update.
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"You will be here for the course of your assignment." Byakuya told her casually.
"Here...?" She looked around the room skeptically.
"Hai. Is there a problem?" asked the clan leader in a slightly offended voice. Hatomi quickly moved to smooth his ruffled feathers.
"Iie iie, there's no problem. But...just exactly why am I sharing it with you?"
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