Pairing: This chapter contains Kira x Hinamori, Kyouraku/Ukitake, and Ichimaru x Matsumoto
Rating: M
Warnings: There is also slight OOC, minor language, blood, slight sexuality, and violence.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.

He's been gone for a long time now, it shouldn't take this long to destroy a hollow, Hinamori looked at the door as he looked at the door, waiting for Kira and Ukitake to return so they could conclude the night. Something's wrong, I can't even feel his reiatsu. I can't be. Is Kira-kun…? No, he can't be…

A hand then rested on her shoulder as she took a deep breath, her eyes looking back to see Hisagi right beside her. She stopped thinking of the worst as he looked into his eyes, her whole being starting to relax. She knew that he was thinking the same thoughts. He could hardly feel Kira as well.

"It's alright," he answered, as he stroked her back. "Ukitake-taichou wouldn't let anything happen to Kira. He probably went farther than we can sense," he smiled as he moved closer to her. "He'll be back soon."

She stood still as she looked into his eyes. "Hisagi-san…"

Hisagi looked at the doorway. "This is not the day to think about pain. Kira is going through a struggle to surpass a man that he had always thought to be a god. He won't fall there…"

The doors flew open as Sentaro and Kiyone ran in, eyes wide with shock and bodies dripping with blood. Everyone's attention fell upon them as they looked at what they were holding in their arms. In Sentaro's arms was the bloody, unconscious body of Kira Izuru. His blue eyes were open, large pupils staring at the ceiling, his blond hair plastered to his face with blood.

"Kira!" Renji cried out as he left Kuchiki's side, helping Sentaro lower him to the floor. "What the hell happened to him?"

Sentaro looked into the lieutenant's eyes. "He was attacked by the hollow. I'm not sure if he's going to make it… he has multiple broken ribs and deep wounds, and he's losing too much blood…"

Hinamori's eyes grew wide as she looked at Kira, remembering the day when she saw what she thought was Aizen pinned to the wall. The paleness of Kira's skin tortured her to no end as she looked into his eyes. It all tore her heart apart until there was nothing left. She started to walk forward her whole body shaking.

"Kira-kun," she whispered as she moved closer to him. "Kira-kun!" she started to run to the area where Renji was placing him on the ground, a hand pulling her back from her destination. With burning eyes, she looked back to see Hisagi stopping her, Hitsugaya at his side concern in his eyes.

"Get a hold of yourself, Hinamori," Hisagi answered sternly. "This isn't the time for this…"

"Let go of me," she breathed, tugging at her arm, only feel his grip tighten. "Hisagi-san! Let me go!"

Hisagi pulled her until she was in his arms, her head resting up against his chest, her face buried in his warmth. She could feel his heart racing up against her body. He was horrified at the sight that was before him, not wanting to see that it was his best friend that was in the ruins of the night, dying right before him.

"Please, Hinamori," Hisagi begged. "Don't make this anymore difficult than it has to be. Try to calm down."

"What did this?" Renji asked as he looked at Kiyone, the 3rd Seated officer returning his glance warily.

"The same hollow that Ukitake-taichou is fighting right now," Kiyone answered.

Renji's eyes widened in shock as he realized what was about to happen to the captain, he knew how the fight against the hollow was going to turn out. "How was he when you left him? Was he wounded?"

Kiyone looked into Renji's eyes deeper. "I don't know. We left before he started fighting…"

"How strong is this hollow?" Kyouraku asked walking forward; everyone looked upon him and saw the look of fear that was in his eyes as he was concerned about his friend's safety. He was met with silence. "How strong was it?"

"If it could do this to Kira-fukutaichou in one hit who was personally trained by Ukitake-taichou, who knows what it could do to him," Kiyone continued, watching Kyouraku's eyes widen in fear.

The 8th Division captain then started to walk toward the door, all of the other captains and lieutenants freezing as he kept going forward. His eyes were clouded with anger and sorrow, his hand was shaking up against the hilt of Katen Kyoukotsu as he walked the same direction that Ukitake had, sensing his fading reiatsu.

"Kyouraku-taichou!" Nanao yelled as she ran to his side.

The other captains and lieutenants ran out the door, Renji staying at Kira's side for a moment longer as Hinamori waited at the door for him. His body was shaking as he looked at his friend dying upon ground, his hand moving to close his blue eyes, his stomach churning as he fought the urge to vomit at how could he had become.

"You two stay with Kira," Renji ordered as he walked toward the 5th Division lieutenant. "Let's go, Hinamori."

"Okay," Hinamori answered as she ran after Renji.

Matsumoto started to run, Hisagi's body moving in front of the door. His eyes burned through her so intensely that she thought he would melt her to the floor. Yet they were cold, freezing everything in her body as a chill ran violently through the air. She tried to walk around him, his hands grasping her shoulders tightly.

"What have you done?" he asked shaking her forcefully one time. "What have you done, you idiot?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Matsumoto answered venomously. "Stop being so suspicious, Hisagi-fukutaichou. It's unbecoming."

One of his hands grasped his sword, the sound of metal grinding against the sheath sending chills down her spine. "If I find out that you are behind this, I will not hesitate in killing you. I don't give a damn about your reasons, I don't care about Ichimaru," his eyes looked at Kira. "If Kira dies, for even a second, I will make sure that you will suffer the same fate."

"Are those fighting words, Hisagi?" she asked.

"Only if you did anything reckless," he stated as he turned around, placing his sword back in his sheath. "Now we have to go clean up this mess, and I want you in my sight at all times."

Matsumoto walked by him whispering something in his ear. "Don't jump to a conclusion. That's how you got hurt the first time."

Hisagi then ran out of the door looking over at Matsumoto. "I will cut you down if you won't behave with the way the society is. You're not the only one who got hurt that day…"

"Neither are you," Matsumoto snapped back. "Don't be so suspicious because your captain never showed a sign of wanting to destroy the Soul Society."

"And don't think that I'm not going to suspect you because you're a grieving lover," Hisagi answered moving closer, grasping her hand. "I don't want to believe it Rangiku-san, but I don't want to believe that we are invaded. I hate bloodshed as much as anyone else does, and fighting should only be used when necessary, but you have made this necessary. I will destroy whoever did this to Kira…"

"Shuuhei?" she breathed as they continued running, feeling a splash of water on her face. "You're…"

"Let's just keep going," he ordered running faster. "I don't want to see what will happen if we're too late…"

0o0o0o0o0o0

Kyouraku looked up at the hollow as he arrived to the scene, looking at the bloodstained ground. He could smell the pain that was going through his body as he looked at the hollow blood dripping from his body, his eyes wide as he felt blood fall down onto his face.

"Kyouraku-taichou!" Nanao yelled as she looked up at the hollow. "God almighty…"

As the other captains and lieutenants arrived, their eyes fell onto what Nanao and Kyouraku were looking up at, all of them freezing as they saw a sight that no one would ever forget. Dripping from the claws of the hollow was blood, Ukitake's blood.

"Ukitake-taichou!" Hinamori gasped.

"How did this happen?" Renji asked. "Ukitake is one of the strongest captains in the Seiretei. If he could fall, then all of us are going to die as well," he closed his eyes. "Damn it!"

Matsumoto and Hisagi arrived on the scene, his eyes wide as he looked at the mangled captain that was in the hollow's claws, his body freezing as he took a step closer. Matsumoto stood still as she looked at the hollow shaking her head, unable to move as she caught a glance of Ukitake's dead eyes.

"No way…" Hisagi breathed as he walked forward. "Ukitake-taichou… is dead?"

Kyouraku's body shook as he looked up at his friend's body within the animal's claws. "Ukitake!" he ran closer to the hollow. "Ukitake!" he drew his zanpakutou as he reached right in front of the murderer. "The Flower God's cries, disheveled in the wind of flowers, disheveled in the Heaven's winds, the Heavenly Demon laughs, Katen Kyoukotsu."

Right at the ending of the release, the hollow hurled Ukitake body at him, forcing him to the ground. His body shook as he felt his friend on him, getting colder by the minute. The swords dropped as he held onto him for a moment, holding him close to his own body. Yet for one moment, hope filled his body as he held Ukitake, even after all of the abuse, breath was still escaping his lips.

"He's still breathing," Kyouraku stated, his voice shaking. "It's faint, but he's still breathing…"

Renji looked at Ukitake's body closer, his eyes wide as the churning in his stomach continued. "What the hell is that thing? It looks like a hollow, but it attacks worse than any hollow I've ever seen in my life."

The hollow stepped closer, the sound of it's thunderous steps alarming every lieutenant as they all ran to protect their respective captain, Hinamori moving to guard Kuchiki with Renji and Hisagi moving to protect Hitsugaya with Matsumoto.

"Still a game to you?" Hisagi asked as he looked into her eyes. "Are you having fun yet, or will you not stop until every single one of us are dead?" he drew his zanpakutou. "Tell me, Rangiku-san…"

"How sick would I have to be to think this a game?" she asked. "Two shinigami are mortally wounded. This is far from a game…"

"It's always a game to the ones who are trying to destroy everyone…" Hisagi answered, his eyes still watering as he thought about Kira. "How many more lives do you want to claim?"

The hollow stepped closer to Kuchiki, Renji's eyes lighting in fear as he saw the claws move closer to him. He grasped Zabimaru tighter as he looked up at the hollow, feeling Ukitake and Kira's blood hitting his face, his body freezing as he tried to move. Yet as his life flashed before his eyes he knew that he wasn't going to make it through this. The claw hit him, moving him out of the way; trace amounts of blood falling from his body.

"Abarai-kun!" Hinamori screamed as she watched Renji fall to the ground, she ran in front of Kuchiki as the hollow prepared for a second attack. "I'll protect you, Kuchiki-taichou," she too was thrown to the ground as the claw hit her, screaming in pain as she fell.

Kyouraku looked at the two fallen lieutenants as he placed Ukitake to the ground, slowly getting to his feet. He wasn't going to allow this to go one for much longer. Everything around them was dying; no one was going to be safe if they just stood there. He was going to be the one who saved them, because he was too weak to save the one who mattered the most to him. He couldn't stop him.

"Kyouraku-taichou?" Nanao asked as he stood up walking toward the hollow. "Kyouraku-taichou, what are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"

"He'll kill you!" Renji yelled from the ground. "Kyouraku-taichou!"

Kyouraku looked up at the hollow. "Hado 90, Kurohitsugi."

As the hollow screamed from within the darkness, Kyouraku's eyes began to water. Ukitake had promised him that he wasn't going to get hurt throughout this whole plan, he lied. As the hollow howled, he fell to his knees, his whole body shaking, more tears flowed down his cheeks as he looked at the blood that was on his hands.

"Ukitake…" he shook his head. "Ukitake!"

Everyone was silent as they watched him continue to look at the blood that was on his hands, his body shaking more violently as whimpers passed his lips. The lieutenants looked away, not wanting to see a captain crying out in pain. Yet their eyes shot open as he gave into his pain, vomiting onto the ground as his body continued to shake.

"Kyouraku-taichou!" Nanao screamed out for her captain, about to run to his side.

"Stop right there Ise-fukutaichou," Yamamoto stated as he walked closer, the lieutenant's body freezing.

"Soutaichou?" she asked.

"This is something that Kyouraku-taichou has to deal with by himself," he looked into her eyes watching her start to shake. "There is nothing that you can say that can make him feel better. Right now words of pity are not what he needs."

Kyouraku took hold of Ukitake's body, holding it closely to his own body, feeling him continue to breathe softly. He was so delicate. One false touch could shatter the captain into pieces. He took a deep breath as he felt his weak pulse, remembering the days when he could hold him and feel his life. Slowly he was leaving him back then, but now it was at a faster pace. He was already gone.

"I'm sorry, Ukitake," he held onto him tighter as he looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry that I was too weak to stop this. I shouldn't have let you go on your own," his voice turned into a desperate sob. "Who did this?!"

Hisagi turned away from the captain, looking at Matsumoto. "Have you had your fill?" he looked how she glanced away. "Don't want to look at your own aspiration? This is what you wanted. Ichimaru won't be replaced. How can you live with yourself?" she was silence. "You can't, can you?"

Renji coughed once as he struggled to his feet. "Damn it…"

"Abarai, Hinamori, are you alright?" Hisagi ran to their side as he looked at the blood on them. "Oh God, you're hurt…" he looked at Hinamori. "You guys took a worse beating then I thought."

"I'm alright," Hinamori breathed, clutching her arm, she fell instantly after her legs gave out. "I think I am…"

"Let me help you," he helped her off of the ground. "How about you, Abarai? Are you alright?"

Renji nodded. "I'm fine," he clutched his side where the claws had made deep contact. "I just need to walk it off…"

All three of them froze as a finger moved to them, Kyouraku's eyes burning at them. "It was you!" they all shook their heads as they watched the grieving captain continue to point at them. "You were behind this, weren't you?"

Hisagi shook his head, walking closer. "What are you talking about, taichou?" he walked closer to Kyouraku. "Don't make this personal. This is a serious matter. You are in pain, you can't make rational decisions."

Hinamori gasped as Hisagi was pushed to the ground by Nanao, the 9th Division lieutenant taking a deep breath as he looked into the eyes of the man who had pointed the finger at him, his eyes then falling on Matsumoto. He shook in her grip, fearing what was about to happen.

"No one will lay a hand on my captain," Nanao hissed as se grabbed on tighter to the lieutenant. "Not even you, Hisagi-fukutaichou."

"Hisagi-san!" Hinamori screamed as she tried to move closer to him, only to be held back herself, her eyes looking back to meet her captor. "Isane-san?"

"I'm sorry, Hinamori-fukutaichou, but I have to ask that you don't act rashly," Isane stated as she held her back. "This whole mess will be straightened out soon…"

Iba then walked up to Renji. "Same goes for you, Abarai. Do I have to add force? Or will you go willingly?"

Renji closed his eyes. "I'll go willingly," he looked over at Kyouraku who was looking at the three of them with so much hate. Renji closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, feeling Iba grab his wrists.

Hisagi's eyes fell on Yamamoto. "Please, soutaichou, stop this madness!"

Yamamoto looked at the lieutenants earnestly. "This is not madness. It's justice," Hisagi froze at that comment as he knew what was to happen to them next. "Take these three to prison. I will deal with them later."

Hisagi looked at Matsumoto as he was pulled away by Nanao. "Rangiku-san," he took a deep breath. "I know you're scared. I know that you miss him. I know that you love him, but you have to let him go. Ichimaru will be replaced, but that doesn't mean that he is going to disappear forever," he closed his eyes tightly. "Rangiku-san!"

Matsumoto closed her eyes as she thought about his words, feeling Yamamoto's eyes on her. She didn't do anything as Kurotsuchi Nemu came and grabbed her; she did nothing as she was carried away. A tear fell down her cheek at Hisagi's words, but still she felt like she was losing him every step of the way.

"I'm sorry about this, Matsumoto-fukutaichou," Nemu whispered flatly.

"It's alright," Matsumoto breathed.

Yamamoto then looked at the other captains. "There is one more person I would like to know about. Komamura Sajin, why did you recommend that Kira go on this mission? Did you know that Ukitake was going to go to? Did you call on Tousen to help you with this?"

Komamura shook his head, but then bowed his head. "I had nothing to do with this, Genryuusai-dono… I would never hurt another captain."

"I don't want to hear excuses," Yamamoto stated. "Take him away… and then take Ukitake-taichou to the 4th Division. We don't want to lose him."

The other captains seized Komamura, ignoring his cries of protest. "Kyouraku!" he cried out. "Stop this madness! Stop this, Kyouraku! Stop thinking about the pain you in and think logically! Kyouraku!"

The 8th Division captain took a deep breath as Kuchiki walked toward him. "Byakuya…?"

"You have some nerve doing that to a lieutenant that had no alibi," Kuchiki breathed. "I know what justice really is. I breathe justice. That was not justice. That was the largest display of madness I have ever seen."

"When I hear Abarai's story, I will let him go," Kyouraku breathed. "Until then, he is a suspect…"

As Kuchiki walked away, Kyouraku looked down at his friend as he lay dying in Ukitake's arms. His trembling fingers moved to push some white hair out of the blood that was covering his body. Tears started to fall again as he looked at him, remembering their promise. Pain rolled through his body as he knew that this wasn't what they had wanted.

"I thought you were going to come back," he breathed holding him closer. "You told me that you would come back no matter what happened. You said it was just a hollow," he closed his eyes, his voice breaking. "It was a hollow that needed a level ninety kidou spell to destroy it. You should have run away," he moved closer to him. "Why are you doing this to me? Does it give you some degree of pleasure?" he moved so close to him that he could feel him breathing upon his lips. "It gives me none. No pleasure could match what you give me when you're alive and well."

He kissed him gently on the lips. The cold nature of Ukitake's sending chills down his spine. "I always wanted to do that to you. I always wanted to hold you tighter. I always wanted to kiss your lips, but you never let me," he closed his eyes. "But I wanted so much so I could hold you for a little while longer," he lifted him off of the ground. "I will live up to my promise; I won't let you fade away…"

He walked toward the 4th Division leaving only a trail of blood and tears in his wake.

Thank you to Kuronoko Tsubame for helping me correct some mistakes, you were an AMAZING help.

I hope that you're all still enjoying this even though it's started to take a new course. On with the Witch Hunt!