Bleach is not mine...

Enjoy

…

The pristine blue sky was dotted here and there with little fluffy clouds that came and went at different speeds. It seemed like a nice, warm day with lots of animal activity and hundreds of birds flying around, enjoying the almost clear sky.

An odd sound emitted from a spot where reality seemed to be altered just slightly, a line formed in the middle of the air, and split open, like a mouth. Darkness filling it.

Six figures stepped through, as if using it like a door, leaving the black of that other place. Grimjow looked around, feeling for specific reiatsu.

"Let's go," he said, then turned to the woman behind him, Namiko, his voice stern and irritated, "remember what he said."

"I won't forget," she informed stiffly, "we should go now."

He gave her an angry look, she would not be telling him what and where, he was in charge.

…

Hana felt it first, a heavy wave of strange reiatsu, it was so intense that she lost concentration and as Kurosaki's blade came at her, she was barely able to collect herself in time to move out of the way.

He looked like he was about to yell at her for freezing up while they were sparing, and to tell her how close he was to taking her head off, but he too froze. It must have reached him.

They exchanged looks and headed over to the rest, silently agreeing that practice was over for now. Hana sheathed her zanpakuto and stopped just short of Hisagi. Everyone else jumped in one leap to the opening of the cavern and were gone within an instant.

"Is it arrancar?" she asked him.

He gave her a quick nod, "you're to stay away from them. Understood?"

"Yes," she said, she more then understood. The only arrancar she'd encountered was the one known as Grimjow, it seemed like years ago, now, but it had really only been a few short months. He had sent her into such a terror that she had been immobilized. The memory of that thing ripping her from her body, an experience that she didn't soon want to repeat.

They quickly followed the absent group out into the city, Hana watched from the ground, trying not to draw attention to herself and keeping a tight lid on her reiatsu.

She watched as the groups of shinigami and the arrancar drew closer to each other. Each one weighing the worth of their opponents. Picking which one would fight with whom.

Among the five arrancar was the only one she'd recognize, the one named Grimjow. He stood back from the group and watched, an air of cockiness in the way he stood. Hip out to the side slightly, arms folded, a devious grin on his handsome face.

She watched as Kurosaki and him made eye contact and the two moved away from the group, likely so that they could fight without the other's interrupting. Abarai, Hisagi and Kuchiki watched the remaining four. From out of almost nowhere Hitsugaya appeared, happily making it an even fight. Each of the others moved away, giving everyone room for their fights. Hitsugaya and his opponent stayed directly overhead, the others leaving in different directions to have their own fights.

"You know," came a voice from behind Hana, "you've become rather good at hiding your reiatsu."

Hana turned to see her Captain joining her as she watched the fights from the streets. She hadn't expected him to have difficulty finding her, but she relented that it could be the product of all her practicing.

"I'm glad you stayed away from the fighting this time, though," he confessed, "I know that you have improved greatly, but fighting an arrancar takes a lot of experience, experience you have yet to gain."

"I understand," she said quietly.

"Maybe next time you'll be able to help," he offered, "but at the moment, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Me either," she gave a small laugh, "I like life."

"I'm glad you feel that way," he smiled at her.

Both of them turned their eyes up to watch the fight as it occurred overhead.

…

Hisagi stopped, he'd moved far enough away from Hitsugaya to be able to move around freely as he faced off against this arrancar. His opponent was medium height, heavy build in the shoulders but thin in the mid-section. He seemed eager to fight, his eyes hungrily taking in Hisagi's details.

Hisagi rested his hand on the handle of his zanpakuto, causing his elbow to protrude behind him. His eyes quick, taking in all the details as he slowly moved his sword out of it's sheath. His calm demeanor seemed to upset the arrancar some.

"Are you not afraid, shinigami?" he asked Hisagi, "this could be your last fight. Isn't there anything you'd like to do before you die?"

"I am Shuuhei Hisagi, as a shinigami I face the possibility that every time I step into a fight I may die," he informed the arrancar, "therefore I am always prepared for that possibility."

"Then I shall bring you to your death quickly," the arrancar said, his voice full of confidence, "as a courtesy."

"You should wait to say such things until the battle has been decided," Hisagi informed him, his zanpakuto ready.

The arrancar gave a short snort of a laugh and moved quickly using his sonido to get close enough to the shinigami. Hisagi saw his steps and was able to move back a few steps avoiding the bare-handed strike that could've taken out his midsection.

He cut at the arrancar, moving quickly away when the blade barely cut his arm.

Although his eyes showed his wicked grin, it couldn't be seen behind the upper jaw of the remnants of his mask. Crossing his face with simply the top row of teeth and a jagged mis-angled piece of bone. That hid the middle portion of his face.

…

Hana was able to keep track of everyone through their reiatsu, but the further they moved away, the harder it was to detect them. Finally she had to resort to the reiraku, spirit ribbons, to keep them in range. But as she looked at the red and white ribbons flowing in front or her, she noticed something odd. Instead of only six red ribbons in the hundreds of white, she counted seven.

As she touched each one, she was given a glimpse of that person. Kurosaki, Kuchiki, Hisagi, Abarai, Hitsugaya, her Captain next to her. She touched an unnamed ribbon and her eyes grew wide. She turned her head a little shocked, looking directly at the shopkeeper.

Urahara hid himself behind his mask, obscuring any expression she might be able to read. But she imagined, if he had not had something to hide behind, he'd have looked very guilty. That reiraku was his, a red ribbon, one belonging to a shinigami. It was beginning to make sense to her, why he seemed so excited to meet her, he knew about her.

She returned her view to the ribbons in front of her, touching another, she confirmed it belonged to Urahara's assistant, the man who reminded her vaguely of the devil in an apron.

Her eyes returned to the fight in the sky just overhead. Captain Hitsugaya was preoccupied with the battle. And Hana wanted to be sure that she watched as much as she could. Having reached the level of captain so fast is certainly impressive and he could teach her many things. She knew that keeping her eyes on him could help her better understand how he worked.

…

"I can't believe I got stuck with an idiot like you," said the extremely short, extremely thin, childish-looking arrancar, "you'll be no match for my speed."

Abarai grit his teeth, he wouldn't let the little shrimp's taunts reach him. As easily as he was tempered, in a fight was the worst time for him to react to such crap. "I am your opponent," he informed, "Sixth Squad Lieutenant, Renji Abarai."

"It's not really my style to waste time telling you my name," the tone was obvious annoyance, "names are so trivial."

"Very well," Abarai said as he retrieved his zanpakuto, "then I shall have to live with the disgrace of having taken the life of one, who's name I do not know."

"You're too smug!" barked the little arrancar, "I'll have to beat some respect into you."

Abarai almost laughed, such a shrimpy little arrancar, going to 'beat some respect into him?' What an amusing thought.

"I am known only as Rynallo," the arrancar informed as matter-of-factly as he could, "at least you will die knowing who took your life, I'll waste no more time."

Renji hid his smile and readied himself for any attack.

…

Grimjow wasted no time talking, he wanted a piece of Kurosaki, in fact he wanted Kurosaki in pieces. He attacked with one bare hand, barely allowing the shinigami to draw upon his vizord mask.

Kurosaki was able to dodge just in time to miss having the hand lodged in his shoulder, he moved quickly, realizing any pause would cost him.

"Come on, Ichigo," Grimjow growled, "are you afraid?"

"Like I'd be afraid of you!"

…

Hitsugaya struck first, the arrancar was at least twice his height and slender, his arms were thin and his white mask covered his face half-way at an angle, covering most of his mouth, a jaw, an eye and the bottom half of his nose.

Hitsugaya had decided not to use bankai just yet, he wanted to make his strength last as long as it could. He was using his zanpakuto, Hyorinmaru in its shikai form. The ice dragon spewed its freezing liquid onto the arrancar, but it didn't seem to have quite the effect he'd been hoping.

The arrancar easily shook off the ice that had encompassed his arm, Hitsugaya was sure at that point that waiting out for the arrancar's resureccion would be difficult. He would need to aim his strategy for a quick aggressive fight, take the arrancar by surprise and finish him before he can react.

…

Hana could track everyone, their reiraku were plain as day to her, she tried to ignore the fact that the shopkeeper and his assistant had shinigami ribbons as well. They were distracting, but at the moment, they were unimportant.

She could feel the rise and fall of her friend's reiatsu as they encountered their opponents. She could even feel the arrancar, bold and unhidden. Although, something was amiss. She could feel something else out there, tugging at the edge of the fights. Someone else.

"Captain?" she looked up to him, "there's another one out there."

Ukitake tilted his head down as he felt for the arrancar, then he nodded, "if they aren't going to engage in battle, then we shall leave them in peace for now."

Hana nodded, but the feeling kept pulling at the edge of her mind. She could track their movement, or rather lack there of. She wondered if they were watching and tracking as well.

She noticed that her captain seemed to be a little preoccupied now as well. Something seemed to be bothering him.

She was right, he tracked the sixth arrancar, and they were making no movements. Just watching, which was never a good sign. Also, Hana was the first one to notice it. Her abilities seemed to be growing at an alarming rate. But more impending was the purpose of the hidden arrancar.

He kept track of it along with the rest of the fighting shinigami. He knew that Hana would be as well. And he would probably have to return with her to Soul Society soon to see if they couldn't understand her progress. Possibly Kurotsuchi might be able to find something, although, he almost feared taking her to him.

…

Namiko watched closely, Hana had noticed her reiatsu, but she would wait. She needed for the high level shinigami, that was near her, to be distracted, she needed to lure Hana away. If she was not alone for this confrontation, then things would go a rye too quickly and Namiko would loose the only opportunity she has.

The reports had been accurate, her reiatsu was teaming with energy. She was good at hiding it though, and Namiko had to concentrate on it to keep track of her. If she got distracted and Hana moved, she'd have a hard time finding her again.

Grimjow and the others were keeping the other shinigami busy, but there weren't enough arrancar to draw all of them away from Hana. A few of the shinigami would need to be seriously injured so that they would split up and go help their fallen comrades.

So she would wait, as she had for this day for the last several months. Patience would prove to be a virtue and she would have her opportunity soon enough.