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Disclaimer: If I owned any of these things the stories wouldn't turn out like that right?

Chapter 12

From within the hot circle of fire, Sakura could only helplessly watch as her friends, fought, it hurt her physically to see them fighting there especially when she could do nothing. Unconsciously she tightened her fist, her face buried in the folds of Aizens jacket. It angered her that she was stuck with this role. It angered her that he laid his hand of her person, especially when she wanted nothing more than to punch her fist right through his torso; though she wasn't fond o the snapping of his organs against her fist when that happened. With the violent urges of her hollow mixed with her own anxiety, Sakura found herself stunned by the inaction.

Seemingly kind hands wrapped around the one balled into a tight fist. Gently they pried them loose; with his other hand he lifted her chin, giving her only seconds to clear her expression. "What's the matter Sakura?" Gold/black eyes looked into dead looking brown. "I really, want to play." She told him, looking back to the battles, a pout on her lips faking boredom "At this rate there won't be anything left for me." With a flare she flashed him a slightly predatory look. A slow smile appeared on his face. "I see."

Looking away from her he gently stroked her hair. "You will have your chance soon." With nothing more to say he merely looked serenely out of the ring of fire, as if he were only admiring the scenery. Only once had she seen that expression, of perfect contentedness during a battle, and that was Orochimaru. Even now his name sent shivers crawling up her spine. She could only thank god that he was dead, even if that death was caused by Sasuke soaking up the bastard snakes essence. She watched as her comrades fared badly, it seemed that the espada were stronger than they had originally anticipated. Then again, it might have been the result of their training. Again Sakura could only blame it on the lack of experience, had this been a fight with shinobi, these espada would have been permanently taken out, as was the way of the many assassins that the nin produced. Yes, if this had been a nin society, the threat would have been eliminated long before this would have had the chance to develop. She could only blame it on their society's blatant naiveté to possible people who would upset their balance.

She watched as many fell, the medic inside of her yearned to heal them she could not accept even one life being lost, not on her watch; another part of her yearned to destroy those who dare touch her companions. The urge to go into action was strong if she wanted to she could have countered the wall of fire with an equally deadly water jutsu of her own; barely she compressed it, and leaned into Aizen. Ichigo was almost here, he had to be, he and Naruto always had some of the most uncanny ways of coming in the nick of time. She wondered if it was some sort of inner radar that was at work there, either that or fate. She wouldn't ponder it now; that was something to figure out in a lab, now she had to focus on the battle. Just a few moments ago, the Vizards had shown up to act as reinforcements for the badly battered shinigami.

Watching the scene was like déjà vu to her previous life. Here she watched the Soul Society fight against more of their kind. Just like Konoha against the Akatsuki, on both sides she had people she had come to care for. It made her think that she was getting soft. Then again, hadn't she always been classified as a sentimental fool? It had been one of her greatest flaws of a ninja. She came to care for people, often from two sides of one major argument, and in the end, she had always paid for it. Every time she got hurt. Even then, she wouldn't change anything she had ever done for the world.

She was that type of person after all. That thought almost summoned a smile to her face. Breathing in she calmed herself and reined in her inner's, the swords to her side humming gently as if to help her calm her mind for battle. She had always thought that she was first and foremost a ninja, but that was wrong, she was no longer just that. Here she was a shinigami, a guardian, and she would die for her cause with equal loyalty and rage that she had for her previous home. To her it had never been an issue of dying, the simple shut down of the body was not what she had feared or the fear of the unknown. She never feared that, it was the sadness that she would leave all she held dear.

She understood now though, she was fine with dying for her cause, if it was only to spare those she loved. That thought alone pushed her into the control room of her mind. Her body, her emotions, and her powers were in her control. Like the epiphany that hit her, the wall of fire disintegrated. The real battle was about to begin, using the momentary confusion, and the attention that Aizen spent on the scene around him as a distraction. Using her fingers she forced the chakra strings out of her fingertips and fell away.

It felt like an eternity, as she watched Aizen look at her with slightly widened eyes, she felt a smirk form on her lips. She knew though that this was happening in only a matter of seconds. Pointing a finger to his she sent off a powerful cero sending her hurtling to the ground, the Hougyoku attached to the strong chakra strings on the other hand. It took him just a millisecond to comprehend, her betrayal. A moment was all he had when the small stone was forcibly ripped out of his body. That was all she needed, in that precious few moments she pulled out her sword, to block the incoming blow of Gins sword. She smiled, and the substitution she had pulled poofed into a shocked Tousen, his side bloodily mutilated by the other Vizards - Gins sword.

Sakura smiled serenely as the façade fell. Her eyes no longer the sinister black and gold that had hid her for so long, but her normal green. In one hand the Hougyoku sat shining brilliantly in the sun as she tossed it good naturedly up and down. The world simply froze; all attention was on her. She, however, knew better she kept her gaze locked with Aizen's. The once angelic smile turned into a sour frown, had she blinked she would have missed it. How like Aizen to make it look as if he had planned for her to betray him like this. Cocky bastard. Then again, it was that bull shitting ability that got him a choice seat in the Espada palace.

They stood in a deadlock, neither said a word. Neither batted an eyelash, both waiting for the other to move. He who speaks first, losses the battle, so without a word, their battle commenced; and the world seemed to be in play again. Gin and Tousen rushed her. She knew they would, Aizen had always thought he was the best. Like everyone who had the Messiah complex. He had thought that she wasn't worth the effort to chase after himself. She would make him regret that. Putting two hands together she summoned a scroll. Biting her finger to draw blood, in a swirl of paper she applied it, with it she summoned two familiars, but they didn't know that. All they saw was the giant fox; it stood proud in all its glory, its malevolent chakra rolling off it in waves momentarily stunning the people nearby. The fox paused for just a moment, before charging off to war, it was neither the size of the giant toad
Naruto could bring forth or Katsuya, no that would take up too much of the chakra she needed.

This fox, specialized in fire tactics was the size of a war stallion, but it served as the perfect distraction. The second fox no bigger than the size of a kitten, she had entrusted the Hougyoku, up obtaining it, the Hougyoku's presence disappeared, and the small fox poofed out of sight. That seal she had given to Orehime worked two ways, Sakura could summon her here, or she could send something to Orehime. Sakura was lucky, lucky that no one knew the full extent of her powers. Now, all she had to do was stall for time. Turning her attention back to the battle, she pulled out her dual swords; in her hands they hummed their eagerness for battle. The fox from under her, shifted, its giant jaws opening fire gathering in its colossal mouth. In a flare of fire she was on the move. Easily she slipped into fighting mode, and just seconds later she was clashing swords with Gin.

"Got allota nerve don't ya? Fer' betrayin Aizen." Without, justifying his comment with an answer, the pinkette merely smiled and fell into the familiar pattern of battle. With a ring of the swords they parted, and met with a clear ring of the swords he wore that fox smile on his face, she a determine smirk, that could rival his own. With every blow they exchanged, she increased her chakra; she was aiming to shatter his sword. Realizing this he switched to kido attacks, well two could play that game.

Despite the bulk of the swords, she flicked the hand signs, and she ran parallel of Gin. Under her breath she whispered, the beginning to their chakra exchange, "Shuriken, Kage Bushin No Jutsu." From a hidden holster she ripped out a shuriken and threw it - instantly it burst into a barrage of weapons that would have made Tenten jealous - it was a low level attack but her intent was not to kill Gin. If possible she wanted to keep him alive. He was precious to Rangiku, and for that Sakura would do her best to avoid killing him. It meant only one thing, she had to beat the living shit out of him, at least enough for him to take a long time to heal, it meant that she would probably have to break every bone in his body, several times. It would probably be better for them all if he was out of commission for quite some time.

Smiling a sharky smile that could have given Kisame a run for his money she shifted into position once again. Since coming there she never had the chance to truly show off her more sadistic side. Now that she had the tools to do so, she could. Now, there was no holding back. Everything to gain, everything to lose, it was one of those do or die moments, and the adrenaline sent her into action.

Turning the sharps of her swords the other way, she commenced attacking; this time she sent the necessary amount of chakra to her hands to crush mountains. It would take more than just a small dosage of chakra to take Gin down. Originally she wouldn't have calculated, only to harm, no she would have aimed to kill and down the enemy, however, the circumstances kept her from doing so. Gin, was the world to Rangiku, and Sakura would do everything to keep the world of one of her friends from crashing so easily. After all, Sakura knew what it was like to have only one to be the epicenter of her revolving world.

Rushing the former shinigami, Sakura pulled her swords out last second to clash with his, all to easily his sword snapped like a twig, even then she got out of the way of its end, and commenced to slash him to prevent his super regeneration from happening all too quickly. She knew though, that it wasn't enough to take him down. Taking both ends of her swords she slammed them together, and obediently to her rough command they melded into their shikai form. Leaving no room for Gin to maneuver the young medic-nin and shinigami commenced to slice and final blow. Smartly she aimed for his legs and arms, effectively sending his sword out of his grasp, and him spiraling down to the concrete ground.

She was however not without mercy. Gently she caught him, and laid him down, as he sweated, she knew that although he had super generative skills he couldn't fight off the poison that her sword gave off that fast. He would live, but she was sure that it would be a while before he could properly walk again, let alone get up. Laying him on the ground, she brought two fingers up to her face, and bound him, he grunted under the pain. Taking those same two fingers she drove them into the side of his neck in an almost Hyuuga like precision, and he slumped unconscious. She wasn't sure whether this would keep him out for long, but it would have to do, she didn't have the chakra to spare. Carrying him, she went into the protective healing circle, where the other shinigami backed away from her, unsure of her true allegiance.

She looked at Rangiku who lay unconscious, and laid Gin beside her. It was only right that she be the one to keep watch over him. Putting a gloved hand to her friends head, Sakura put in some of her chakra to hurry up the revival process. Then without a word said the young warrior turned away, ready to face the fires of battle once again, leaping, the young woman found herself face to face with another who left a mental scar in the Soul Society. The man who sent shivers down her spine. Though he didn't possess the sharingan, his gaze was almost if not equally petrifying. Even so, she looked back steadily to him, even as he gave her the angelic smile that often spelled doom for the receiver.

For a moment the urge to run far away washed over her, yet she stood her ground. She knew that like Itachi, he was powerful. She also knew that in a straight out battle she wouldn't win, she knew that there was more to his monstrous power. At best, all she could do was stall him; even then, it would keep him from going on a greater rampage. Calmly she brought the tip of her sword up, and he opened his arms wide as if to invite her into a hug.

"Sakura, you truly are superb, come to my side and we can rule the world from the kings palace." Never had Sakura been shaken by the concept of power, nor would she allow herself to. Taking one hand from her sword she touched her forehead, and brought her hand down, summoning the mask, that he had made her accept. With his hand he had changed every fiber of her being, and with every fiber of her being, she would use it as a tool against him. He would regret the day he had forced this terrible power onto her, she would force him to see that her loyalty was unshakable. "Raise your sword Aizen," she told him, her voice distorting to the hollow within her. "Our battle begins now." At best she would last a moment, but you learned a thing or two in the line of battle.

One, while fighting for your life, amuse your opponent to keep living for just a little longer. Two, never stay still. Through the slits of her mask the young woman watched the predatory man before her, and not a moment later she found herself flinging herself to the side, his hand through the spot she had just been standing. Even then she hadn't dodged properly, her side stung. Surprisingly enough it only lasted a moment, her blood had been covered by a white substance. She watched Aizen; she knew in order to beat him she had to be faster. With a gloved hand she ripped away the white fabric of her coat, until only her ANBU gear was left.

Without another distraction left, she attacked. She should have known though, that even her best, wouldn't be enough. She slashed at the former captain's torso, to miss, and find that he was beside her. Using one hand had gripped her wrist, and effectively broke it. Unwillingly she cried out. She could feel him slowly shattering her bones. Closing her eyes she sent chakra to the area, to cool it down and assist in her super regeneration.

"You should have followed me Sakura; we would have been great together." She found herself laughing. It hadn't been the first time she had been told such a thing. Hadn't Kabuto said the same thing, when he tried to lure her to his side? That, however, had been the wrong thing to say immediately his other hand came up to choke her. Almost immediately the mask she had summoned not so long ago shattered. A hand held his own trying to prying his fingers off, but she couldn't summon the concentration to send chakra to her fingers that lack of air had her adrenaline pumping, for once in this world; Sakura began to worry if she was going to really die.

As it was, she was already in the afterlife. What would become of her if she were to be destroyed like this? Become the particles that made up the soul society? Then what? Panic began to color her mind, but the rationality of the well trained nin kept her from full blown hysteria. Using what little strength left, she hazily gathered what little chakra she seemed to have left into her legs. Without a moment to spare she kicked out wildly, loosening Aizen's grip for a moment. That second, was all she needed to wrap her legs around his arm and dislocate the elbow.

To the loud crack in his elbow the young nin bent backwards using the force of her torso to further damage his arm all in the same instant. This, finally made him release her, as he let go she let herself freefall, one her gloved hands tenderly touched her throat as she coughed part of the way down. Green orbs never took their eyes away from the monster she had taken labors to free herself from. She knew that even with an injury like that he wouldn't be overly hurt. Amused maybe, but that was the extent for what he felt when she broke his arm, it was evident when he looked at his misshapen arm with a smile. The mild interest there slightly smoldering in his eyes as he watched it reform, nary a wince of pain emanated from him, nor a look of shock.

She knew that, she would be in for rough housing. Against an opponent like him she was no match, and that only made that more frustrated at herself for being so inept, reduced to only being a distraction until the real help could arrive. Unfortunately that was all she could do, the furthest she could accomplish, and she knew that only she held the element of surprise against this monster. Only she was strong enough to withstand the pain she knew he would mercilessly if not childishly inflict on her. If that was the only role she could play, no matter how she disliked it, very well, she would play the game, even if she would end up losing her life yet again. This world was made up of sacrifices, and if she were to become one to curry the favor to her side, then she would willingly put herself on the line.

Using the axis of her body she swung herself around to land like a cat on a roof. She looked up to the man who stood in the sky like the god that he thought himself to be, her sword pointed downwards. Though she said she would play with him, she knew that she had to be stronger in order to keep up. Without the motion of putting on the mask, the white menace began to form by just her call as she looked steadily up at Aizen who held her gaze.

Gathering her chakra, she began to force it out of her body, more specifically into her sword. Although she had never used her bankai, nor if she knew the full capabilities of it, which was the equivalent to playing with fire Sakura didn't think at this point she had a choice but to pull out her trump cards. The air around her began to stir in a circular motion; the rapid picking up winds began to whip at her hair and clothes.

As if her swords had suddenly come alive, she felt their simultaneous pulse come in synch with her own. For a moment the young pinkette closed her eyes breaking contact with the dead brown she had been so determined to hold. Her body began to heat up, and she was beginning to feel her breaking point. Even then she pushed her chakra into her sword she opened her eyes as it began to shine red, the color her transformation had turned her chakra. Red, just like Itachi's was.

Almost out of character she found herself smiling lovingly at the color, amidst the battle field where even the smallest weaknesses could lead to death. For a moment the world flashed red, and Sakura found herself more empowered than ever. It had seemed that her bankai had worked.

(A/N it would be cruel of me to leave you all hanging here wouldn't it? Well, lucky for you I feel bad for neglecting my stories. So, write on I will!)

To any bystander, her bankai looked beautiful. No longer was she dressed in her white ANBU uniform, but a short red battle kimono, with black nin boots that rode up to mid thigh. Around her waist was a black obi, the bow tied at her side. Her bubblegum tresses pulled back into a formal bun, laden with braids that intertwined. Her mask which once resembled a rabid skull; now was in the elegant shapes of an ANBU fox mask, its only hollow indicators were the three red stripes on either side of the face and the black and gold eyes that shone through.

She was no longer but a mere shinigami, but a goddess of war. So spoke the blood red and jagged blade she held in her hand, its only variation of color was the black hilt and the uncharacteristic silver tassel that hung from its other end. She knew for a fact that never in shinigami history had this ever occurred, the fully change of the haori and blade, not only that but the drastic change in her mask as a hollow. Then again, never had there been a documented report of her situation.

It may have been because she had been pulled from another world. Or that maybe she already had a great influx of chakra to begin with, none of this however mattered. Black and gold, met with amused brown. It was only for a moment that they stood at a standstill, until Sakura jumped to the attack. Faster then she would have ever thought possible and without that much effort the young woman's blade met loudly with Aizens, pushing him back a few yards in the process.

The angelic grin became evil, his amusement hitting its peak. She would have been deluding herself if she thought that she could win, she knew that he, being the chameleon he was would be able to adapt to her attacks pretty quickly, and she, being un-experienced with her new found abilities would be most likely to lose, she wasn't deluding herself to the fact that she wouldn't be able to last more than a few minutes with Aizen. Time however was what she needed.

She had to wait until Ichigo go there; he was their only glimmering hope that the Soul Society would be able to apprehend Aizen. True, she had sent off the Hougyoku, but who was to say that Aizen couldn't very well create a new one? She knew that Aizen wouldn't have been stupid enough to use the Hougyoku without full knowing what the dangerous jewel was made of. He was smarter than that.

Like a flash of lightening the two met, their swords clanging loudly in the air as sparks flew, creating a sound akin to thunder. Each blow more powerful than the last the world around them seemed to melt away, then again, she felt that if she were to think a moment of something else she would lose, and the price might be even greater than the loss of her life. Around the hilt of her swords, the young warrior began to elaborate her attacks, straight blows could only keep the opponent amused for so long, and she knew that he would play her game for as long as she showed him something new.

Much like Sasuke infused his chidori into his sword, she did the same, combining both the most powerful attacks that both of her best friends had introduced. With the sound of a thousand birds the young nin charged the enemy, their swords hitting yet again, this time her sword began to rapidly chip through his. Eyes slightly widened the overlord jumped back; looking at his sword with the mild interest he seemed to hold for everything.

"Interesting." Was his only uttered word before he held his sword straight out to her. She knew when she was being pulled into a genjutsu. Gathering her chakra then releasing the quickly performed the jutsu for a 'kai' she refused to be pulled up in his pace. Quickly doing the hand signs she slashed her sword sending small balls of rasengan and chidori. If he was going to use tricks, she might as well, see how far she could do it. Knowing Aizen, that technique had never been used on him, and being an illusionist specialist, she might be able to pull a fast one over him.

Creating a reasonable distance between them, Sakura looked at her enemy and with a flick of the finger, she caste her genjutsu spell. It probably wouldn't hold him for long, but this was only the prelude to a trap. Though she hated to do so, she began to push her into the genjutsu of her memories; much like the Tsukiyomi that Itachi could caste. Though it wasn't her memory, she brought him through his darkest memories. She shivered as she watched the man's past, yet he merely smiled, looking around as if it were a fond recollection of the past.

Never missing a beat the Sakura jumped up and used the force of gravity to send her crashing down onto Aizen, her red sword out before her, as her sword barely nicked his skin, and his sword nicked her, she felt a memory of hers jump into him, as a memory of his jumped into her. His memory brought her to the night he had cut down his team mates, and then an image of him smiling among their fallen bodies. She felt herself almost cringe at the betrayal, while she had seen the very scene many times; she had never felt this cold and blatant disregard for human life.

Then again, what should she have expected? He was a full blown psychopath that had the time and resources to fully bloom. It wasn't uncommon that among the ranks of the strong you found people like him, so detached from the world, so unfeeling of the others, so cold. All of it, his pain, his memories cause her to freeze for only a second. Taking that second she found herself brutally impaled by the dark lord, in that instant her mask slowly broke away with her bodies initial shock, she found herself looking up into his brown eyes. Why? She wondered, why did his eyes seem so familiar?

Coughing she felt the warm blood leak from her mouth. That's right. She thought. They reminded her of Itachi, the very exact moment that they had faced off, in almost similar circumstances. Of course it was only the color that reminded her of Itachi, everything else was Orochimaru's. Even so, to this little tidbit of the love that she cherished so deeply in her heart, her heart began to ache. This, however, wouldn't be her end she refused to die in such a sappy manner, and Itachi had taught her how to live much better than that.

A single gloved hand came up to caress Aizen's face, and unsurprisingly he let her. Black and gold, concentrated on brown. "Hey Aizen." She said softly, he didn't reply, "do you want to take a glimpse into my world?" Without warning she dragged him into the fortitude of her mind, the only thing she could remember of the physical world, was Aizen holding her, blood freely flowing down his sword down to his hands, soon she was pulling him into her mind, and her world, the inner sanctum, the world Itachi had taught her how to fortify, and battle in. Though it would never be as strong as Itachi's it would hold Aizen for a while longer.

They materialized, in her world, she was whole, and so was he, but more importantly. Itachi was there. While it probably wasn't wise of her to allow Aizen so close to her heart, she knew that here was her last standing forte, and here was the best way she could defeat Aizen. Beside her, the guardian of her soul, in the shape of the man she loved the most stood beside her. As they say, no one really leaves you, they live within you. Her black and red copy of her beloved stood in the Tsukiyomi world that was her stronghold. The only two in color remained to be her, and Aizen.

Among the world within her, this was her inner sanctum, the boundless red and black, and the matching clouds that floated above them; then again, it was the last of Itachi that she had, among the few things that he gave her. She could slowly feel his memory in her mind slip, and Sakura knew that soon she would lose him, and he would simply melt into her memories, though she never showed it, she was terrified of losing him, the very thought that had sustained her through the Soul Society.

Brown eyes raked her barren world, the place within her heart, the savage place she had hid within her, the only place she could fully control, and let herself go. Pointing toward Aizen, she sent her Itachi-look alike on the attack. Like the real Itachi, he possessed and essence of the sharingan, although it wasn't as strong as the real things, no, Sakura couldn't imagine the capabilities that her Itachi's sharingan held, especially after she had gone through great lengths to heal his eyes. Like the real Itachi, his reflexes were excellent.

In every aspect that she could remember the look alike was her long lost love, but what hurt the most was that he wasn't, and he was merely a figment of her imagination. With a flick of the finger the S-class nin that remained in her mind froze Aizen in his tracks. Calmly with the grace that Itachi had always held the red and black copy stalked up to the threat in her mind. With the small wakizashi blade he always kept, Itachi stabbed the knife through Aizens shoulder. For once the great overlord shouted out, as slowly, Itachi pulled the sword downwards through Aizen, not to fast that the shock would make him pass out, but not too slow that the skin wouldn't cut.

Within her mind Sakura could feel herself waver, she knew that her body wouldn't allow her to stay within the sanctity too long. Not, when her body was quickly running out of blood. Bringing her hand to her torso, she sent chakra to that part of her body. Though it wouldn't completely stop the bleeding it would slow it down, it wasn't long now, when Itachi would disappear. Originally he had been created to weaken the enemy, and it would be her decision to finish him off.

When the sword was halfway through the lord of Hueco Mundo, her imaged of her beloved disappeared, and a maze appeared around them, unlike the black and red world, they were in color they were after all made of her memories. Fondly she touch a wall, it held the memory of her first day as a genin, she had been so bright eyed, and innocent to the world, hadn't she? Moving away from the stream of nostalgia, she looked to the almost calmly looking Aizen, if it hadn't been for the sweat that ran down his temples, she would have had no idea that he was struggling, for he held the same smile, his eyes never varying in emotion.

If it weren't for the blood that rushed out of his torso, she would have never guess that he was hurt, not with the extremely interested look he held for her inner world. "You've seemed to have hidden a lot of things from me Sakura. Tell me, was that whole cat act only and act?" Grasping, the sword that Itachi left, Sakura pulled the sword down a little more. Though it wouldn't really hurt him physically, it could damage him mentally. Though it would never break that unwavering confidence, she knew that she was damaging the very essence of his black soul. That was the purpose of this world. Their bodies signified their very souls, and she was determined to rip him up so badly that he couldn't function properly, it was the least she could do before losing her life.

Without hesitation she ripped the sword through the overlords body, she was satisfied to see blood run down the corner of his mouth. Using the knife again, she shoved the knife through his heart, she knew it wouldn't kill him, he was a tough son-of-a-bitch to kill after all. He wouldn't go down that easy, he was like Orochimaru. Granted, better looking and more sinister, but the thing they shared in common was to rule, and destroy anything that obstructed their path, like Orochimaru he just kept coming back, stronger and more grotesque minded then he was before. Sakura really had to wonder how the hell he ended up that way in the first place. The way she saw him now, she wouldn't have been surprised if he killed his family merely to gain status, and it was that very thing about him that made her blood boil.

'If you betray your mission you are scum, but if you betray your friends you are lower than scum.' Those were the words that Kakashi had lived by since the day Obito had died, words that she as a part of team seven had lived by, a phrase that even now she lived by. A phrase she would probably die trying to uphold. Steadily she pulled down the knife, and she like Itachi made it seem like an eternity, slowly, and surely it ripped through his torso, even as her world shook. The sanctity was about to fall, and they would be pulled into the real world once again.

To her surprise Aizen let out a single laugh, and that jarred them out of her world, she no longer had the concentration or stamina to keep up such a complex jutsu. Once again, she found herself impaled on his sword, and this time it was her who coughed up the blood. It wasn't long until her bankai faded and she lost grip with her sword. She had lost too much blood, and if she lost anymore without some proper healing she may as well be dead. "Thank you Sakura, that was amusing." By then his image had become hazy, but she knew that he was probably smiling. Taking the other hand he wrapped it around her exposed throat, and held her up, as if she were a sheathe herself he pulled his sword out with painful deliberation, she would die first before she gave him the satisfaction of her screams. Why is it she wondered that she always got stuck with the sadistic people? She sure as hell wasn't a masochist.

When the sword was out he increased pressure on her throat she found herself choking on her own blood. She knew that he would try to draw this out as long as possible, and there was not a damn thing she could do about it. "Would you care to tell me where you put the Hougyoku?" His words were met with silence. The pressure increased again, she knew that soon, she would die, and yet she found that even with all of the mental preparation she was terrified of dying again. It was to that, a single tear escaped caught between her long pink lashes. "I see, then you're of no use to me, I'm afraid you're going to have to die then."

She expected him to increase the pressure on her neck to the point where he would snap her spinal cord. She felt nothing, one moment she could hardly breathe, the next she was carried gently by strong and familiar hands. Tired eyes tried to force themselves open but they wouldn't, but she could recognize his chakra, smiling she told the man who held her, "You're late." Seconds later she could feel herself be set down as gently as possible on hard concrete where she knew the medic team was.

"Sorry, sorry kiddo got lost on the road to life had to as a wily cat for directions." Mustering the strength to open her eyes she did and looked happily up at the older man, "Liar," the world began to darken. She was vaguely aware of his presence leaving her, and she felt a longing to be with something she had been so familiar with, she wanted to get up and chase her sensei. Yet, she couldn't. The world was darkening, her chakra levels were sunk, her body in no better condition, yet for some reason she knew she'd live. With the last piece of light she could see, at last their hero arrived on the scene. Ichigo had arrived.

Hey everyone! It's been a while! Sorry for the extremely late update, and as some have asked, yes Kakashi will show up! Well you got the gist. Hopefully between filling out scholarship apps trying to pass my senior year, and etc I'll be able to squeeze in more chapters ^.^ Once again, sorry for the wait, and please review!