SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 8 out, this is Chapter 9. of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.

Chapter 9: Byakuya and Renji, the 6th Squad Returns

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Renji grinned, entering with a Shunpo.

"Renji." Rukia blinked.

"They're all not Shinigami, are they?" Sado realized.

"Could they be everyone's Zanpakutō?" Inoue wondered.

"What's going on?" even Ishida was puzzled. "I thought the Zanpakutō were rebelling."

"I kicked both Captain and Lieutenant Kurotsuchi back into their lab to undo the Zanpakutō's brainwashing." Guardian Frost supplied.

"So, there you do." Haineko winked.

"I apologize for all the trouble we've caused you." Tobiume bowed. "Now, it's time to work hard and pay you back. Snap!"

"Growl!" Haineko activated her powers.

"Howl!" Zabimaru took the cue and attacked the gathered Menos.

"Grow!" Hōzukimaru followed suit.

"Split and Deviate!" even Ruri'iro Kujaku released his power.

Tobiume fired off a fireball at one of the Menos, Haineko's dust cloud taking out a second one.

"Hold up!" Ikkaku snapped after Hōzukimaru bulldozed through a Menos. "What's the big idea, trying to outdo your master?"

"What's your problem?" Hōzukimaru shrugged. "Right now, the whole master shtick doesn't mean shit."

"Goodness me." Yumichika sighed. "You just don't understand how ugly it looks when you rush about."

"And you don't understand how it's even uglier when you act jealous." Ruri'iro Kujaku fired back.

"Here they come!" Ishida warned.

"First Dance: Tsukishiro!" Sode no Shirayuki's attack took out the first attacking Menos.

"Cero!" Karin turned when an approaching Menos was about to fire its attack when Suì-Fēng jumped in and took it out with a single stab.

"Goodness," the 2nd Squad Captain rebuked. "We can't let a bunch of over-excited Zanpakutō steal the whole show. Shunko!" she fired up her 'Shunko' attack.

"Suì-Fēng-senpai, wait!" Karin called out when Suì-Fēng shot towards the expanding sphere of Reiatsu.

"Move!" Suì-Fēng stopped before her attack hit Karin who had moved between her and the Reiatsu orb.

"Ichi-nii is still in there!" Karin protested.

"That's enough." Hitsugaya cut in. "This isn't the time for that. We need to exterminate all of these Hollows first."

"Very well." Suì-Fēng relented.

"If you want to know what's happening to Kurosaki Ichigo in there, you should search for his Reiatsu." Hitsugaya advised the group on the ground. "Karin, go back your sister up." he turned to his female counterpart and vanished in a Shunpo. But there are so many enemies. He mused, he and Suì-Fēng taking out a Menos each. Even if we fight with our Zanpakutō, it doesn't change the fact that we're in a bad situation.

Captain Kurotsuchi is still deprogramming the other Zanpakutō. Suì-Fēng thought. But we can't afford to just wait for them.

"Just to make this clear, we have to kill all of these by ourselves." Hitsugaya reminded. "Is that acceptable?"

"Of course." Suì-Fēng fired back.

"Howl!" Zabimaru took out yet another Menos.

"Saru, that's him." Hebi cast a disgruntled look at the Reiatsu sphere.

"Yeah, he sure tricked us good." Saru agreed.

"That's enough." Ikkaku rebuked, seeing Hōzukimaru spit out saliva. "We're in the middle of a battle."

"Then again, I understand how Hōzukimaru feels." Ruri'iro Kujaku concurred.

"He pretended he didn't trust his own Shinigami." Haineko scoffed.

"He may have his reasons, but the ends don't justify the means." Tobiume argued.

"At any rate, I don't like this." Haineko whined.

"It can't be helped." Matsumoto chided. "I don't think the Zanpakutō are the only ones who feel that way, either."

"We may be the Gotei 13, but we don't plan on letting our 'mission' dictate how we act." Yumichika agreed.

"I don't give a damn how any of you feel, but I've got a right to my own opinion." Ikkaku stated.

"Are you okay, Captain?" Renji joked, having taken out two Menos surrounding Byakuya and Senbonzakura. "Don't tell me that little injury got you tapped out. We've locked and frozen the area surrounding Karakura Town upon Tula-sama's direct orders. So I'm gonna go all out now."

"What do you mean by that?" Saru teased. "I won't save your ass if your foolhardiness gets you into a mess."

"No one likes to get their ass saved by the Empress of Giant Butts, right Renji?" Hebi mocked.

"Why must you act as stupid as our master?" Saru glared.

"I have just one thing want to say to you, Captain." Renji informed. "I'm sure that there are some who have a lot they want to say to you, but I... Captain..."

"Renji, let's go." Byakuya instructed and Shunpo-ed off.

"That's what happens when you try to act cool." Saru joked.

"Fail." Hebi teased.

"Hasu-nee, I don't like this..." Karin winced, seeing the Garganta crack open wider, spilling more Menos out.

"Neither do I." Guardian Frost agreed. "Unless..."

"You sound like you have a plan." Karin smiled.

"Captain Kuchiki, Senbonzakura." Guardian Frost greeted the two fighters as she and Karin neared the Garganta. "I apologize for having the two of you undertake such a detestable job in this entire incident. And also, welcome back to the Gotei 13."

"We thank you, Tula-sama." Byakuya responded. "It would seem we have the same idea." he turned to the expanding Garganta.

"So it would seem." Guardian Frost agreed. "Can I trouble the two of you to take care of one end of the Garganta?"

"It can't be." even Hinamori was shocked.

"They're calling for more reinforcements." Matsumoto realized.

"But there'll never be an end to them if we don't try something." Suì-Fēng noted.

"I'm going." Hōzukimaru stepped forward. "That rip. Things will work out if we can just clog up that rip."

"Are you insane?" Ikkaku gawked. "How the hell are you going to clog up that huge tear?"

"We have to stop them." Tobiume voiced as more Menos poured in from the Garganta.

"But how?" even Haineko was at a loss.

Both Hitsugaya's and Suì-Fēng's attention was caught when they spotted a pink stream of Reiatsu firing at one end of the Garganta and an entwined beam of ice-white and fiery red Reiatsu on the other end. Their eyes turned to see Byakuya and Senbonzakura pouring out their Reiatsu on their end, as they worked in tandem with Guardian Frost and Karin.

"Captain Kuchiki!" Renji gasped.

"They're..." Hōzukimaru breathed.

"What Reiatsu." even Ruri'iro Kujaku was stunned.

"Even though they're exhausted, they're still..." Kira was shocked.

"Are they trying to close the tear with their Reiatsu?" Suì-Fēng guessed.

"That's nuts." Hitsugaya hissed.

"Is that even possible?" Renji wondered.

"It might be possible if you had a huge enough amount of Reiatsu." Hitsugaya replied. "Can't really underestimate the tenacity of our Commander-in-Chief, can we?"

Decision made, all the Shinigami and Zanpakutō present poured out their Reiatsu.

In Bankai form, Hitsugaya sent an ice dragon towards several Menos, freezing them.

Suì-Fēng and Suzumebachi took out two more Menos simultaneously.

Renji's Hihiō Marimba crashed through, biting several more Menos.

Elsewhere, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō bifurcated several Menos, which dissipated.

Still not letting off, the Reiatsu around Ikkaku, Hōzukimaru, Yumichika, and Ruri'iro Kujaku began to heighten, exploding into white Reiatsu.

Likewise, the Reiatsu around Matsumoto, Haineko, Hinamori, and Tobiume intensified as a Menos was forced back into the tear.

As if in response, the Reiatsu around Ōmaeda, Gegetsuburi, Kira, and Wabisuke exploded as well, making another Menos retreat into the tear.

As the Reiatsu around Renji, Zabimaru, Suì-Fēng, and Suzumebachi erupted, several more Menos retreated into the tear.

As the Reiatsu around Komamura, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, Hitsugaya and Hyōrinmaru shot up, the expanded Reiatsu from everyone else powered-up Byakuya's, Senbonzakura's, Guardian Frost's and Karin's combined efforts, effectively sealing up the Garganta.

"Did we do it?" Suì-Fēng was stunned.

"Yeah." Hitsugaya nodded.

"After all that..." Hōzukimaru snorted.

"They still needed our help after all." Ruri'iro Kujaku remarked.

"Can I leave the others to all of you?" Guardian Frost requested, with the exhausted Karin beside her.

"Right!" the Shinigami chorused and Shunpo-ed off.

Omake: Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book

In the Squad 4 barracks...

Kazeshini: (Beside Hisagi's hospital bed) Hey, wake up. Everyone's already gone off to fight.

Hisagi: (Stirring) Kazeshini?

Kazeshini: I finally snapped out of it. Sorry I beat you down so hard. I'll be a good little Zanpakutō now, you can use me as much as you like.

Hisagi: (Tearing) Kazeshini, I'm sorry I said I hated you.

Both Hisagi and Kazeshini hug.

Kazeshini: Did you actually buy that bullshit? (Stabs Hisagi in the back with his scythe) Man, I'm awesome. You're so gullible.

SailorStar9: In the next and last chapter, of this arc, with Muramasa dead, the Zanpakutō return to their sword forms.

Now that's done, read and review.