Summary

Kagewaki gets a suprise in the form of an unwelcome visitor...

A/N: Time for another update! This one will be a fairly small shot and running in another persons' perspective. I think it will definitely spark some curiosity. I also have an extremely important author's note at the end of this chapter. Hopefully it will explain a lot. Anyways, do enjoy!

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Ever since the ritual that had been performed to release the seal, Hitomi Kagewaki had felt guilty about endangering the one person he literally owed his soul to. In light of recent events, and with the Kuchiki siblings away and the rest of Soul Society in the middle of their war, the former shogun had taken to watching over Kagome as she continued to recover. The former time traveler still hadn't awakened yet, despite her now perfect health, and her friends were eager for the bright girl to rejoin them.

'This way, at least I feel as though I'm doing something aside from waiting,' Kagewaki thought, roaming the secluded hallways of the recovery wing Kagome had been moved to. It was far enough from the rest of the ward to allow for privacy, but still close enough for emergencies. His watch was nearly over, and he was simply waiting for Miroku to come by and take over his shift. With all the chaos going on, it had been easy enough for them to slip back and forth to watch out for their comatose friend. After all, he wasn't going to trust much of anyone else.

Moving back in the direction of Kagome's room, he decided that he would stop in there again and speak with the comatose priestess before he left for the day. It didn't take him long to get there, but once he turned the corner of the hall that she was down, he froze in shock, then in horror as he recognized the man reaching out to open the girl's door.

'How... How is it possible! He should have gone straight to hell with Naraku!' He had to do something! In retrospect, he should have thought a little more clearly over his next actions.

"Hold it right there!" Kagewaki snarled, pulling his katana from his side and holding it up in defense. "Visitors are strictly prohibited unless approved by Captain Unohana!" The man dropped his hand and glanced over at him, a dark smirk gracing his face.

"My, my. I never expected to see you again, Kagewaki. And certainly not in the Sereitei. Are they allowing the commonfolk to leak in now?"

"The same could be said for you as well, Onigumo!" the former shogun snapped, taking several steps forward, "What are you doing here! I heard you betrayed this world under the name of Sosuke Aizen!"

White eyes surrounded by purple sclera took on an amused glint as Aizen faced him fully. "I have attained a power beyond that which I took hold of when I lived. And this time, it is all my own." Kagewaki skidded to a stop and stared at the glow eminating from the former shinigami's chest.

"That thing... It's not the jewel..."

"No. I could not replicate the Shikon's powers in this world. Even then, such a thing would require great sacrifice on my part," Aizen murmured, an annoyed look dancing across his face briefly before he gave Kagewaki that smirk again. "Now, I do believe I have some unfinished business with Kagome. I suggest you turn around and walk away before you end up dead again, my lord." The last two words were said with a condescending tone so mocking that the former shogun growled something unintellegible under his breath and dove for the brunette across from him with his sword outstretched.

Aizen sighed inwardly and dodged the attack easily, unleashing a wave of his spiritual energy at the other man. The reishi collided with Kagewaki painfully, sending him crashing into the end of the corridor unconscious and bleeding from several gashes. The former shinigami shook his head and reached out again to the door he'd been looking for.

'Always such a fool. Even now, you still cannot hope to defeat me.' The brunette ignored the slowly growing puddle of blood surrounding his feet and stepped inside, sliding the door shut quietly. In a few steps, he was at the side of the only other occupant in the room, hungrily devouring the picturesque moment.

Kagome continued to lay sleeping, her hands delicately crossed over her stomach and her long hair braided to stay out of her face. Even now, the longing, hearwrenching pang hit him after so long.

"Sleeping as you are, I can almost mistaken you for Kikyo... However, if I remember correctly, you disliked being compared to your predeccesor." It was strange, he thought, seeing her up close like this made her seem almost fragile to him. He still thought her beautiful, though, and it irked a tiny part of him that had sided with Naraku. "When I finish creating the Oukin, I will return for you. Then, you will help me create a new world. Kikyo or not, you will find yourself at my mercy, little priestess." With the idea in mind, Aizen reached out and gently trailed a finger down the curve of Kagome's cheek and left, arching a brow at Kagewaki when he took a shuddering breath as he passed by.

He needed to meet back up with Gin and head into the heart of Karakura Town to begin his final preparations. Then, he would take the Soul King down and establish himself as the new ruler. It would be flawless and foolproof. After all, Ichigo Kurosaki didn't stand a chance.

'One thing at a time,' Aizen thought, a sly smile making its' way onto his features as he stared up at the sky.

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A/N: End of this little blurb. I hope you guys enjoy! Please feel free to leave a review!

On another note, this is going to be my last update for a little while. Mom will have to have the surgery before the end of the year. The growth in her spine is pressing down on the nerves so badly that if she doesn't get this done as soon as possible, which will be Christmas Eve/Day, she could end up paralyzed from the waist down. She also has a fracture in her spine. If she falls again before they can stabalize it, she'll also end up paralyzed. To make matters worse, the procedure she was going under to help with the pain backfired because they were using contaminated medicine and the resulting fungal infection was killing people. She has that fungal infection. So now we have a malpractice issue going on. But, thankfully, she is now getting help from one of the absolutely best hospitals in the state. I'm going to be super busy helping her, so I won't really have any time to continue writing until things settle around here.

I'm really sorry about anyone that has been waiting for me to get a move on and leaving you all hanging, but momma takes priority for me right now. Thank you guys so much for your support and all your positive words in our time of difficulty. I'll try to get back as soon as I can.

See you guys soon!