It had been three hours, and Soichiro still hadn't returned from his investigation. Shuuhei was beginning to worry and fear the worst. He shouldn't have sent out his lieutenant to do something this dangerous.
"Nnngh...why'd I ever let you go, Soichiro? Why...?"
He picked up his Zanpakuto and stuck it into his belt.
Right before he opened the door to is office, he heard a voice right behind him.
"Soichiro Yagami is in South Rukongai. He was taken over by his Hollow while fighting a group of violent criminals. He is unconscious, and he is currently battling his inner Hollow. Save him for my sake."
Shuuhei spun around.
"Who are you?"
"I am Soichiro's Zanpakuto, Seigi no Kaze. He is my only real friend. I am appearing to you because you are close to his heart."
"He is close to my heart as well. I will do what I can for him."
Shuuhei effortlessly flash-stepped to Soichiro's Reiatsu, which emanated pain. He was horrified at what he saw. More than a dozen corpses were scattered around Soichiro's unconscious form, sliced in a dozen different ways. Soichiro was lying face-down in the blood oozing from the corpses.
Shuuhei lifted Soichiro's body from under his arms and laid him on his back. He felt Soichiro's heart. It was beating, strong and clear. There were no wounds other than a bruise across his back, but his glasses lay cracked on the ground, their lenses spattered with red. He hefted Soichiro's lifeless body over his shoulder, and flash-stepped to an empty field near Rukongai. He felt Soichiro's heart again. It stopped for a second, and Shuuhei caught his breath. It resumed beating, as strong as before. He shook Soichiro by the shoulders.
"Wake up. Get up!"
Soichiro heard Shuuhei's voice echoing in his ears.
He opened his deep, brown eyes.
"Shuuhei...captain. I'm sorry. I...let my Hollow take over..."
"No. Don't apologize. It was outside your control. All I care about is that you're all right."
"I don't feel so good."
Despite that, Soichiro sat up.
"I know what you mean, Soichiro."
Shuuhei sighed.
"What happened back there? I seem to remember a bunch of gangsters..."
"You...killed them. The gangsters."
Soichiro's eyes widened.
"Killed them? What do you mean? How..."
"Well...you were laying face-down in their blood. It was... a massacre."
"...no. No..."
Soichiro looked at his kimono. It was covered in sticky, drying blood. He recoiled in horror.
"No. No way. I can't believe it."
"It's the truth, Soichiro. You have to bear it. Just remember that I'll stand by you. You're my lieutenant. You're my responsibility. I'll testify for you if you're taken to court."
"After all of this, and you're still standing behind me. I don't know how to thank you."
Shuuhei smiled.
"All the reward I need is the fact that you're fine. I could never ask for a better, more loyal lieutenant."
"I...thanks." Soichiro said quietly.
"Let's go get you cleaned up before anybody asks about what happened."
Soichiro and Shuuhei took off for Seireitei together.
Meanwhile, in Squad 4's sickbay...
"And he just...sliced them to pieces! It was terrifying. I just wanted to get away from that horrible place. And...his Hollow was talking! It was...so arrogant. It scared me witless! When he fainted, I just made a run for it."
The young Shinigami telling this story was Hanataro Yamada, the sixth seat of Squad 4. He had messy black hair, wide blue eyes, and an apologetic manner. He was telling this story to Isane as she bandaged up his injuries.
"Mmm-hm. I think I'll talk to Soichiro about this."
"Yagami-San? Isn't he the Squad 9 Lieutenant?"
"That's him, all right."
"But isn't that dangerous? Talking to someone with an inner Hollow?"
"Not for me it isn't. I know him and he'd never even think about hurting me."
"Thanks, Isane-san! You're so brave!"
"It's nothing, Hanataro. Just doing my job."
Soichiro had just finished showering and dressing, and was now drying off his sopping wet hair, when he heard someone knock on his room's door.
"Just a minute!" Soichiro yelled. He tied up his obi, and went to open the door. He found Isane on the other side of the door. She seemed somehow...nervous.
"Soichiro...There's something we need to talk about. Inside."
"Ahh...come in. I'm really sorry about the mess. I just moved in today."
Isane gave him a pointed look that said "Shut up."
"I heard from my squad's sixth seat that you killed about a dozen people in South Rukongai while under the influence of a Hollow. Is that true?"
Soichiro felt fear shoot through his body. "Well? Is it?"
"Y-yes, it is."
"Well. The penalty for committing such a crime is immediate expulsion from Soul Society. And if you reject, death."
Soichiro hung his head.
"I'm sorry. I let you down, didn't I?"
Isane's icy facade cracked.
"Hey. Hey, Soichiro. You don't need to be sad. You'll be able to see your family. Your wife, your kids..."
"My son is dead, and he's become a Vasto Lorde now. I'm a Shinigami. They can't see me or hear me. Even if they could, Sachiko's probably found someone else to love by now. If my family's grief isn't relieved by my visit, I have no purpose in going to the human realm. I would rather be executed. I can no longer provide a function to either one of these societies. If I can't help people, I might as well be dead."
Isane stared at Soichiro's gentle, deep brown eyes as he said this. They were filled with sorrow and disappointment.
"No. You can get a gigai...a replacement body. That's what Shinigami who get expelled from Seireitei do. They get gigais, and live perfectly normal lives. It's only been a month or so. You can go back."
"...all right. Show me the door." He looked at Isane with tears in his eyes, and a sad smile playing on his lips.
"I wish it didn't have to end this way, Soichiro. But that's the way things work here. I'll try to visit you when I'm on assignment in the human world."
Soichiro sighed.
They went to the edge of Seireitei. Isane opened a portal. She handed him a pendant with a white poppy medallion. He smiled and hugged her. A big, warm, hug. The kind a father gives his daughter before he steps onto an aircraft carrier headed for hostile territory, never to come back.