I do not own Bleach.
Sakura stood beside Ikkaku, Yumichika, and the rest of the Espada and Vizords as the war meeting began. She was included along with the other two because they weren't Fukutaichous but they possessed a Bankai. She had been surprised to see Yumichika, she hadn't thought the guy had one.
Shunsui looked around the room with satisfaction. Everyone was present that he wanted present. Even two from the Kurosaki family and a few members from Urahara's Shouten were present. "Aizen must be stopped once and for all. We know his fortress and we have recently gotten a taste of what his new Espadas can do."
He held up a remote that Urahara had given him. A holographic image of Los Noches appeared. "Aizen has rebuilt it, but we will tear it down. Once it is down, Love will be in charge of keeping it. All of the Fukutaichous will also be at your disposal." He got a nod from the man before he continued.
He clicked again and a diagram of Los Noches appeared. "It seems Aizen has done a bit of remodeling inside. But it is still pretty basic. There will be 10 ares to get through before we reach the main palace." A red line wove around the complex before stopping in the center. "Inside is were we will most likely encounter the Espada and their Fraccion. And since they lost 4 of their ranks when Starrk joined us, there might be some new Espada we don't know of."
He looked around the room as everyone processed what they were about to do. They would be ready. He looked over to Nanao, she had insisted on being at this meeting. "I leave Seireitei in your hands, Nanao-chan."
Nanao gave her husband a nod. She wished she could go with him, but Inoue-Taichou had forbidden her. She had just gone through giving birth to a child.
Shunsui turned back to the shinigami assembled. "Let's move out!"
Sakura looked at Los Noches with disgust. She did not want to go back to that place, but she had to. Sora was somewhere in there.
She stuck close to Ichigo, he was planning on taking her into Los Noches. Lisa was not happy with him. But was planning to join him once the gate was secured.
"Ready?" Ichigo looked down at the girl beside him. He hoped he was making the right choice in taking her with them into the fortress. But he knew how personal this was to her.
Sakura looked up at her Taichou with a determined face. "Of course."
"Good." Ichigo smiled as he drew both his zanpakutou. "Then let's get this started." He crossed his swords in front of him as he let his reiatsu skyrocket. "Split the Heavens asunder, Zangetsu!" He swung his sword out in front, sending a wave of blue and black reiatsu towards the gate. The gate cracked as a door fell over. "It's more fragile than last time."
"Naw, you got stronger strawberry." Grimmjow laughed as he leaned on the man's shoulder. "Too bad we are on the same side. I would love to fight you."
"Grimm-nii, not now." Sakura shook her head as she drew her zanpakutou. "Let's go!"
The three joined the rest of their forces as hollows began defending the gate. Love saluted them as the Taichous and several others continued on into the fortress.
The group was stopped when they reached a large circular room. In the doorway stood a single figure with bright blue hair. "Looks like Aizen-sama was right. You all are stupid." Antonio smirked as he looked over all the shinigami. "Carivore Antonio, Diez Espada, at your service." Antonio bowed mockingly to them all.
"So you're the new one." Zaraki's Kenpachi laughed at the little guy. "You should probably lose the one. It will make this more enjoyable." He slowly drew his sword as he looked around at the group. "This one's mine."
"Wow. Already got yourself into trouble there brother?" Another Arrancar with bright pink hair walked up beside the blue haired Espada. "Good thing Aizen-sama told me to babysit you." The woman laughed as she patted her brother's head. She looked at the shinigami. "Hey Sakura-chan! Told you we would see each other soon."
"Antoinette, I don't need your help." Antonio frowned at his sister. She was a pain to deal with.
Antoinette shrugged in response. "The faster we get rid of these shinigami the faster we can eat. Besides, the pets are hungry." She smirked widely as the sound of snapping started to grow louder. "Carivore Antoinette, Quinto Espada." The walls became covered in spiders and the floor became covered in scorpions.
"Disgusting." Suddenly a wave of bright pink petals filled the room and began cutting down the creepy crawlers. Kuchiki Byakuya kept a passive face as both Espada glared at him.
Shunsui knew they didn't have time for a drawn out fight. "Kuchiki-Taichou, Zaraki-Taichou, we will leave them to you."
"Understood." Byakuya brought his bladeless hilt up and pointed it at the Espada. They both jumped away from the door as petals shot at them. they decided to move towards the two shinigami and attack.
The rest of the group moved on through the doorway. They were stopped again when the doorway was frozen over. "This is thick." Hitsugaya Toshiro knocked on the ice to test it's strength.
"No problem." Sakura smiled as she drew her zanpakutou.
"So your back, human." Everyone looked behind them at the door they had come through. A small girl with white hair stood there looking at them. She brought her hand up. "This is as far as you go, shinigami." A white cero shot off of her hand and flew at the group.
"Reign Upon the Frozen Heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Hitsugaya called out his shikai, destroying the cero in the process. "The temperature is dropping. Kyoraku-san, melt the wall."
"Right." Sakura walked up to the door and stabbed it, her blade easily sliding through. "Sattou!" A burst of fire radiated from her blade in a wide circle, melting the wall. But it was beginning to freeze again.
"An ice user. How pointless." The little girl shot off two cero, far apart to ensure one hit.
"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" A wave of ice destroyed one cero as Hitsugaya took out the other. Rukia glared at the little girl. "Two ice users, hollow."
"Hollow? No, I'm an Espada. Noveno Espada, Gardivan Primrose." The little girl sent a wave of white light towards the top of the frozen wall. The light traveled quickly to the ground.
"Get to the other side!" Hitsugaya called out to the group behind him and Kuchiki.
Sakura watched as everyone got through the hole before it closed over. Everyone but Hitsugaya-Taichou and Kuchiki-Fukutaichou.
Shunsui grimly turned his back to the frozen wall. "We will leave them to finish this fight. Let's go!" He continued their journey to the center of Los Noches. They were already down 4 people.
They reached a large open area with many wires above them and ledges. But no one was there. It was silent. So they moved on.
They reached the next open space and stopped. Plants grew everywhere. They weren't sure what was deadly and what wasn't. But it was probably safest to assume it was all deadly. The laughing also put them on edge.
Suddenly the plants were moving towards them. Roots trying to catch their feet and leaves, petals and vines getting in their way as they moved. Coming to an open doorway and stopping. Something wasn't right.
"Well someone has to check it out." Muguruma Kensei walked towards the doorway cautiously. When he stepped over the thresh hold to the hall...nothing happened. "Well that was anti-climactic. It's clear-"
The wind was knocked out of him as a branch hit his stomach and knocked him back somewhere into the garden.
"Oh dear." Rose commented as they all hoped Kensei would be alright. "So just avoid the branches just past the doorway?" He inched a bit closer to the door. He did not like this room.
"Yeah." Starrk had been near here before. But there was something else he felt like he was forgetting. "And I think there are also-" he ducked as the blonde Taichou of 3rd squad flew over his head and into the garden. "...vines near the door."
The group had not been expecting Rose to get thrown. This room had a lot of traps. "I hate plants." Grimmjow spoke as he walked up to the door. He sliced through the branches that tried to knock him back. "Let's go already."
The next doorway showed off a large dark cave. A small opening of light showing at the other side. It seemed almost too easy.
"Come step into the darkness." A deep sinister voice called out to them. It echoed around the room, making it sound vast and endless.
"Well ain't that a bottle of sunshine and cheer." Hirako Shinji drawled out sarcastically. "I hate the dark." He stepped into the room despite his statement. Surprised a bit when all the light suddenly vanished. He took a step back and found himself back outside in light. "Well now that is interesting. The room blocks out light. Not bad." He had to compliment the hollow a bit, it was a cool trick.
The group looked amongst them before they all faced the room. They would try to stay together. And so together they ran into the dark room, hoping they would make it to the other side.
The deep voice returned, laughing at them. "Did you know that when the human body can't see, they over correct and aim to the right ever so slightly. Well, right handed people do. So you could walk around for hours thinking you are going straight, but in fact be going in a large circle." More laughter filled the room.
"Shut up!" Ichigo growled out with annoyance. He was at the back, so he turned and brought up his sword. "Getsuga Tenshou!" The attack lit up the room till it dissipated. "Looks like we can light things-"
The group stopped as Ichigo was cut off. Hirako sighed as he figured the Espada was picking on the man. He brought his hand up and created a condensed ball of reiatsu in it. It didn't provide as much light as Ichigo had, but the kid was still a powerhouse when it came to reiatsu. "I'll go find him. You lot keep going." He pointed to where the wall fell away, the doorway.
The group left the two Taichous behind as they stepped out into the brightly lit hallway. The next room they entered was covered in sand. But there was nothing there. Just a few scorpion skins here and there. "This must be the Quinto Espada's gate." Shunsui guessed as they passed through the room.
The next gate they came across was overrun by a large thriving Jungle. It even sounded like there were animals in it. "This is my kind of place." Yorichi grinned as she jumped up onto a vine to look around more. "The path leads to the door by the look of it." She stood up to try and get a better look, but something knocked her off her feet and into the jungle.
"Yorichi!" Urahara was a bit worried, that was his fiancee after all. "I'm going to help her out. Who knows what else is in there. Nemu?" He left with his Fukutaichou close behind him.
Shunsui wasn't too worried about the Shihoin Princess, she could take care of herself. What he was worried about was the scientist getting lost with his science. As was usually the reason why he was more often in the human world than his own squad in Seireitei. He sometimes wondered if the man himself remembered that he had a squad to run. "Let's go." They quickly wove their way around the jungle and through the doorway.
They continued on till they came to a large circular room. A single man sat at it's center, meditating. "Welcome, shinigami." The man looked up as the shinigami eyed him wearily. "Please feel free to move on." He gestured to the hallway to the left of him. "I have already chosen who I shall kill out of you."
"Is that so?" Shunsui eyed the man curiously. Something was very strange about all of this. Almost like Aizen was leading them along.
"Oh yes. The dog and the wasp shall make great additions to my collection." The man smirked as the group looked to the two he had spoken of. "I am Florelle Oliver, Tres Espada."
Sui Feng glared at the man as she took a step towards him. "If you think you can beat me, I would love to see you try." She drew her zanapkutou and laid her hand on it. "Sting your enemies to death, Suzumibachi."
"We will deal with the Espada. You all continue on to Aizen." Komamura stepped up beside his fellow Taichou as he drew his sword. "We will not be long."
With that said, the group moved on. They came upon another empty room. This one covered in bright colors. It was a bit disorientating. But since there was no one to stop them, they moved on from it.
"All that's left is the Primera Gate." Starrk wondered who Aizen would have promoted to take his place. It was already a surprise who had moved up in ranks. He stopped when he recognized the man standing at his former post. " Spatsin Belgone."
Belgone smirked as he caught sight of the former Primera. "Coyote Starrk. Never thought you would show your face here again. Not after joining them." He sneered at the black hoari on Starrk's back. "To think the greatest of us would join our enemy. Disgusting."
"Better than dying as one of Aizen's pawns." Starrk placed a hand on Lilynette's head. "Let's take care of him."
"Yeah!" Lilynette called out as their power skyrocketed.
"Kick about, Los Lobos." Starrk eyed the Espada as his resurrection settled over him. "Grimmjow, I believe it's time we put these younglings in their places."
Grimmjow laughed in agreement with the Primera-Taichou. He pulled his sword out and clawed at it. "Grind, Panthera!" He grinned madly as he took his true form. "You guys go on, we got him."
"You two be safe." Sakura moved past the two with the last two members of their attack group, her father and Jushiro. "And kick his ass!" She didn't need to hear their response, because they would.
They reached a large set of double doors a ways down the hall from the Primera gate. "This must be it." Shunsui looked around the room. Aizen wouldn't have left it unguarded.
"Looks like we have to deal with these ones sis." A voice spoke from above them. There were beams connecting the outer wall to the inner wall.
"Looks that way brother. One of them has good fashion sense at least." A female voice spoke from the somewhere else above them. "But I must say, I like the white hair."
"Of course you would. That's the only reason why you like Primrose." The male spoke as he jumped down to the ground. He stood tall and pushed his red hair out of his face. "Hello again, woman."
"You!" Sakura growled at the Espada. She drew her zanpakutou and glared at him. "You are mine, Tolston Henri."
Henri chuckled as the girl glared at him. He drew the sword at his back slowly. "As you wish. The Taichous are all yours Henrietta."
"Oh goody." A female landed on the floor between the two men and the door to Aizen. "Pleased to meet you, Tres Espada at your service." She bowed low, letting her bright red hair fall over her face. She straightened and pushed her hair away from the feathers on her mask. "Now die beautifully." She spun and launched feathers from her dress towards the shinigami.
Aizen watched with a smile as his Espada engaged the shinigami. All unaware of the devices in the room collecting reiatsu. And all unaware of how useless their little fights were.
The cries of an infant drew his attention away from the screens. He looked over at the small child. It's skin was fair and it already had a head full of black curly hair. It didn't cry often, only when it lost it's pacifier.
He placed the pacifier back into the baby's mouth. "There you go." He looked past the infant to a condensed ball of reiatsu that the child was creating. "Soon it will all be over. You singularities are a gift. One that is wasted on everyone else. And soon your sister will join you. And if not...well, there is more than one use for your kind."
Another one! Man I am just knocking these things out. I apologize if the battle distributing part is a bit choppy. It was either do it like this, or have lots of short sections. And I don't like doing short sections. It makes the chapter feel shorter to me.
Next chapter will be long. Because next up the battles begin!
Please leave me a comment. I like comments, they make me happy. And a happy author = motivation. And motivation = faster chapter updates. So comment please!
And another side note, yes Urahara is Taichou of 12th squad. It will be explained later why he was in the human world instead of soul society later on. So hold onto those questions for a few more chapters. Or ask them now and wait for them to be answered in the coming chapters.