I know it has been a long time and I'm sorry I have let you all down. Life took a turn, both in good and bad ways and time for writing was null. Please take notice that I'm not returning full time. I'll write when I have time and when I'm in the mood to do so. I will end the story, no matter how much time it takes, but please understand that I may not be here every week, nor every month. Thank you all for your support and for your understanding.


Chapter 050 - Redemption! The Pride of the Shiba Clan


Flashback

"Hurray! Hurray! A baby brother, Kaien! A baby brother! Isn't that great?" The young girl shouted happily as she learned the news from her father. Kaien, her older brother, wasn't as energetic as her in his celebrations, but he put on a wide grin nonetheless.

"C'mon, Kūkaku! You'll end up ripping my arm off!" Kaien warned her, but that only earned him a punch straight to the nose. "OUCH!"

"If I want to celebrate, I'll celebrate! And no one tells me how to do it! Understood?" Kūkaku, as authoritative as ever, quickly made her older brother nod frenetically in agreement.

"Hahaha! You're as hyper as ever, Kūkaku." Their father, a tall man with long, spiky dark hair remarked. "You should start acting more like a girl, you know? Like…"

"If I don't want to act like a girl, then I won't! Understood?" Kūkaku shouted after once again delivering a punch, this time to her own father who ended up nodding frenetically like his son had done before. If the exchange would seem strange to anyone else watching, it seemed to be something pretty casual in the house of the Shiba Clan.

"TAICHŌ!" The twins Shiroganehiko and Koganehiko appeared out of nowhere calling for their Captain. The two 3rd Seats were just wearing the custom Shihakushō that all Shinigami used. "WE'VE BEEN CALLED!"

"I'm going. Kaien, Kūkaku…go see your mother and Ganju. Unohana has allowed us to see them already, so go there and give them a kiss for me." The head of the Shiba Clan turned around, his Captain haori flowing behind him with the symbol of the 10th Division on the back. "I won't take long…"

(…)

"Shinpachi Shiba is dead!"

"He sacrificed himself to stop the menace!"

"The Captain of the 10th Division has fallen!"

(…)

"What a dark day this is…" Shunsui Kyōraku stated. Like all other Captains present at the ceremony, he was wearing a black haori out of respect for the deceased person. "Dying from a broken heart…could things become any sadder than this?"

"If only Central 46 had made the right thing and just blame the true responsible!" The frustrated Ukitake said. "There was no point in blaming Shinpachi and strip the house of the Shiba of their rank of Noble House."

"You know that there was no way to blame him, Ukitake-taichō. He destroyed all evidence. What Commander-in-Chief Shihōin did is illegal and only happened because I agreed that my subordinate needed to be punished for his actions." An elderly man who had purple hair, with a white streak going through the center, and a long purple beard remembered the younger Shinigami. He was Bansui Amatsuki, the Kidō Corps Commander and Grand Kidō Chief. "The fact that he has been placed in the Maggot's Nest must remain hidden or there will be repercussions towards Shihōin."

"I know that, but…it's not fair!" Ukitake raised his voice a bit, causing some people to stare at him. Kyōraku grabbed his shoulder and shook his head. "He sacrificed himself for all of us and yet he's the one who's blamed? That's a bunch of bull…"

"Ukitake-taichō." Unohana prevented him from continuing as she would not tolerate foul language, especially during a funeral. "Someone had to be responsible for what happened and in his heart Shinpachi felt he was responsible. I'm sure he wouldn't mind to have his name sullied if it meant the menace was dealt with. Although…" Unohana stared to the gravestone that had just been placed next to Shinpachi Shiba's. In front of it, Kūkaku was on her knees crying loudly, while her brother Kaien stood behind her with a hand on her left shoulder and carrying the sleeping Ganju in the other. He stared to the graves of his parents with tears silently rolling down his face. "I'm sure he never expected things to get so out of hand…"

(…)

"I was counting on both of you to help me handle the 10th Division while I have this situation in my hands, but I'll have to agree that this is for the best. I'll accept your resignations." Isshin, the new Captain of the 10th Division, sighed after he spoke to the two men in front of him. The now former 3rd Seats of the 10th Division bowed in gratitude to the new Captain. "I never expected such an attitude from the Shiba clansmen. I always saw them as men of pride, not people who would get ashamed of something like this and turn their backs on the clan. In the end, it's for the best if you take the children with you into the Rukongai."

"Indeed. At least there with us they will be safe." Shiroganehiko nodded in agreement with the words of Isshin.

"It's the least we can do. They are our best friend's children after all…" Koganehiko added, unaware that they were being watched by said children.

(…)

"Come on, Ganju! Come on!" Kūkaku encouraged her baby brother to walk in her direction. She had been playing with him the entire afternoon, in front of their house, in the middle of a prairie in West Rukongai. Slowly, step by step, Ganju reached his sister who celebrated loudly with him, causing him to laugh happily. He then tried to reach for one of the spheres that his sister had placed on the ground, before they started to play, but she stopped him from reaching it in time. "No! Bad Ganju! Bad! This is not for you to play."

"What is this? I know who you are…" A Shinigami appeared out of nowhere shouting at the girl. "You are one of the children of that Shiba dog! You dirty mutts…I lost my little brother in that incident!"

"Hey! What are you doing?" Kūkaku placed herself in a defensive stance between Ganju and the Shinigami, while the latter walked in her direction. "B-Back off! BACK OFF!"

(…)

"What's her condition?" Kaien asked to the twins. Ganju was sleeping peacefully in his arms, completely unscathed.

"Her left leg is broken. She also has six broken ribs and a concussion, all from the beating that Shinigami gave her." Shiroganehiko went through the many injuries Kūkaku had suffered. "And that's the good news…"

"I don't know what combination of explosives she used to kill that Shinigami. Whatever she did was something very powerful, not because of the explosion itself, but because of the explosive's fragments." Koganehiko continued from what his brother had said already. "His upper body, including his face, was covered in shards. That's what killed him. What I assume that happened was…that was her only chance of survival. So, to make sure the explosive worked and to make sure the explosion didn't reach Ganju…she probably closed the distance and detonated it at a close range."

"You mean she was hit by her own explosion?" The shocked Kaien questioned, while he stared to the curtains that surrounded the bed she was resting on. "You said her other injuries were good news. What was the result of the explosion?"

"Her right arm…" Shiroganehiko let out a long sigh and covered his face with one hand. "From below the elbow it was covered in shards of the explosive, just like what happened to that guy. We had no choice but to…take it off."

"I hate them…" Kūkaku had been listening to her brother's conversation with the twins from the other side of the curtains. Her face was covered in tears while she repeated the words in her mind. "I hate…Shinigami!"

End of Flashback

"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!" High in the sky, Kūkaku generated a massive orb of yellow energy between her hands and fired it in the form of a wide beam of destruction. The effect of the spell was devastating as her target, the Gillian that was trapping Sajin Komamura with its Negación ability, was completely destroyed. Gravity pulled her down to the ground, where she landed safely on her own two feet.

"You are…" Komamura mumbled as he recognized the woman at his right. She didn't stare at him though, choosing to look the opposite side.

"N-Neechan…" Ganju whispered, as he felt his sister's eyes falling on him. His breathing was hard due to the broken ribs.

Flashback

"I can't stand this any longer! I'm going to help them!" Ganju shouted, before picking up his meat cleaver.

"Stop right there, Ganju!" Kūkaku demanded, as her younger brother was about to cross the front door of their house. "Do you dare to disobey me? I told you already, it's not an affair of ours! It's a Shinigami affair!"

"Obey you? Why should I?" Ganju spoke without turning to face her.

"What did you…?!" Kūkaku inadvertently broke the pipe on her hand and rushed in Ganju's direction. Blind with rage, she turned him around and grabbed him by his throat. "Say that again! Say it, I dare you! Disrespectful little punk, after everything I did for you…"

"What? Are you going to throw the fact you lost your arm for me to my face? To make me feel guilty? Then, it really is true…You're not the neechan I admire anymore." Ganju actually said what he wanted while looking her in the eyes, which shocked her even more. "The neechan I know would never let such a meaningless thing like 'hate for Shinigami' stop her from saving her loved ones! That didn't stop Kaien, it didn't stop father and for sure it won't stop me!" Ganju then grabbed his sister by her wrists and forced her to release him. "The neechan I know would never abandon her pride of being a Shiba. The way you are now…you're nothing more than a heartless, selfish bitch!"

"SHUT UP!" Kūkaku quickly slapped Ganju across the face, nearly knocking him down. Tears were starting to form in her eyes. "I'll never…never forgive you!"

"I don't need your forgiveness. I just want you to leave hate aside and…to make me proud of you once again." Ganju finished what he had to say, before he barged out of their house, leaving Kūkaku frozen in her place.

End of Flashback

"Was it worth it?" Kūkaku asked to her fallen brother, while she evaluated her soon to be opponent with her eyes. "The beating you just took…was it worth it?"

"Sure as hell it was!" Ganju answered with a grin quickly forming on his face. The fire on Kūkaku's eyes showed him that she was back to her old self.

"Kūkaku Shiba!" The woman introduced herself while pointing her right thumb to her own chest. Her expression was as serious as ever, while she glared towards Tōsen. "You're ass is mine, bitch!"

"Kūkaku Shiba…" Tōsen repeated the name, before he completely ignored Fujimaru. An opponent of Kūkaku's caliber would need his full attention.

"I'm sorry Kūkaku-san, but I won't let you face him alone." Komamura started to speak, but Kūkaku raised a hand to cut him off.

"If you remember correctly, you owe me one, Komamura. This battle is mine alone, I need it." She then finally stared to the Captain. "If he defeats me, then you take over. Until then, step back."

"Alright." He reluctanctly agreed, before he started to think on a way to prevent a possible escape on Tōsen's part.

"Let's go!" Both Kūkaku and Tōsen shouted, before they rushed against one another. As the distance between them closed, Tōsen positioned his sword to the right side of his body while holding its handle with both hands. Kūkaku had her left fist raised, ready to punch her opponent in the face. As they were about to enter in reaching distance, Kūkaku lowered her upper body and punched the ground instead, causing the many rocks that composed it to be raised into the air. "What is this?!"

"You're faster than me. Do you really think I'll let you reach me with your sword?" Kūkaku asked, just before the biggest chunk of rock, nearly as big as her, came down between both of them. The fireworks expert punched the large rock, causing it to break into many smaller ones that were sent flying towards Tōsen, successfully hitting him. "Rocks don't have Reiryoku, they're just Reishi. That's the specialty of Quincy, not Shinigami. Being unable to see and to sense them properly, your weakness is the surroundings, isn't it?"

"Damn you…" Tōsen prepared to counter, but was hit by a punch in the face, much to his shock. "How did she hit me? I was unable to sense her!"

"My prosthetic limb doesn't release any Reiatsu for you to sense, Tōsen!" Kūkaku grinned, while the metal wire string that connected her artificial arm and the fist she had just fired towards her opponent retracted to join both pieces together once again. With Tōsen stunned, Kaien's sister charged towards him and aimed a rising, soccer-like kick to his jaw, but the blind man dodged by an inch before performing a back handspring to gain distance. However, as Tōsen's feet finished touching the ground, Kūkaku was already above him, bringing down her left, flame-enveloped fist. "DIE BASTARD! Kakaku Shahō Version 1: Yakuzaki!"

The flaming fist nailed Tōsen's back with great impact, slamming him face first to the ground and causing the pavement to crack, much like what happened following Kūkaku's very first punch. As soon as Kūkaku backed away from Tōsen though, a pillar of flames erupted from where he was, enveloping him completely.

"She…She's strong…" Fujimaru mumbled, while he watched from the floor, his hand rubbing his sore belly. Komamura watched the scene carefully, while Kūkaku grinned proudly. That smile faded away however, as a figure emerged from the burning inferno. "N-No way…"

"Powerful, very powerful indeed…" Tōsen praised his opponent. His body wasn't harmed in any way, something that shocked every other person in the battlefield. "You're very skilled for someone who isn't a Shinigami, Kūkaku Shiba."

"I'm sure I hit him. He couldn't have dodged my attack…" Kūkaku bit her lower lip in thought. "Even if he can resist one of my full-power punches, his body can't be durable enough to resist Yakuzaki's flames. However, there's not a single burn mark… He must have healed himself, but the only way to do it that fast is regeneration. No Shinigami can regenerate though, that's a Hollow power! Don't tell me…"

"Kūkaku Shiba! Look out!" Komamura shouted, as Tōsen capitalized on Kūkaku being distracted to reach her. Even so, Kūkaku was cunning and had a counter move ready. She quickly drew a circle on the ground with her right foot, causing a stream of sand to rise and hit Tōsen as he was about to slash her with Suzumushi.

"What skill! She performed that Seppa spell with her foot!" Fujimaru thought, genuinely impressed by Kūkaku's move. Slowed by the sand, Tōsen let himself be kicked by Kūkaku in his right wrist, causing his arm to be spread to the side, leaving his torso exposed.

"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!" The fireworks expert generated a perfectly round orb of yellow spiritual energy in her hand and drove it into Tōsen's chest, firing it away as a massive concentrated energy beam, in hopes of wiping him away of existence. Following the explosion the smoke cleared, revealing that Tōsen was sent flying a considerable distance away from Kūkaku. However, as he slowly got back to his feet, the Soul Society residents saw that Tōsen once again got out of his predicament unscathed. "It can't be! I'm sure I got a full hit!"

"You're starting to push me a little bit too far. I shall end this quickly…Shiba!" As soon as the former Captain said this, Kūkaku's eyes widened as much as they could. He was pointing his right fist to the closest person to him, Ganju. Only now did she notice that the explosion caused him to land close to her brother. "Hadō # 54…"

"Sh-Shit…" The defenseless Ganju mumbled as he saw the orb of purple spiritual energy forming in front of Tōsen's fist.

"Haien!" Tōsen fired the blast of energy in Ganju's direction. Komamura drew his sword and prepared to use Shunpo to intercept the blast, but Kūkaku was already on the move. With her left fist covered in flames, she punched the Haien blast away, sending it crashing against the Seireimon.

This was Tōsen's intention from the beginning, as by the time Kūkaku punched the energy blast, he was already behind her. He brandished his sword, with Kūkaku only having time to turn around and block it with her artificial limb. After a moment of resistance, Suzumushi cut through the prosthetic arm, just above the wrist. As Tōsen prepared to swing his Zanpakutō once more, Kūkaku drew her own sword from the back of the stub of her right arm, just above the elbow, and used it to block the enemy attack.

"You dirty bastard! For someone who speaks so highly of justice, you resorted to quite a dirty trick, didn't you? Where have your honor and pride gone, Tōsen?" Kūkaku shouted, as she pushed Suzumushi away with her own sword, before slashing herself. Tōsen blocked it, but with more effort than he expected.

"Honor? Pride? Those feelings would only taint my justice. I don't have any use for them. But since you speak of pride…" Tōsen spun around and slashed with Suzumushi, but Kūkaku ducked down and got back up in time to block the second slash. The impact was strong enough to raise some sparks. "No regular sword can clash with a Zanpakutō, which leads me to ask… For someone who speaks so bitterly of Shinigami, you resorted to quite a Shinigami trick, didn't you?"

"Shinigami? You're wrong, Tōsen… All Shinigami have a Zanpakutō, but that doesn't mean that every Zanpakutō possessor is a Shinigami." Feeling insulted by Tōsen's remark, a new fire suddenly rose inside Kūkaku. She pushed her opponent's sword away and punched him hard in the gut, before following up with a hard, rising palm strike to the jaw that lifted Tōsen of his feet. A glow suddenly appeared inside of what remained of her artificial limb. "Shinigami? Hollow? Just a soul that dwells Soul Society? I don't care what I am! I doesn't matter if I love or hate what I am! The only thing that matters is who I am and that is something I know well… I am Kūkaku Shiba, the baddest bitch alive!"

"Hehe! That's my neechan!" Ganju thought with a proud smile on his face.

"Take this! Kakaku Reihō!" As Tōsen's body descended from above, Kūkaku fired a massive beam of yellow and red spiritual energy from what remained of her artificial arm, nailing the falling opponent directly. Out of all energy attacks used by Kūkaku this one caused the biggest explosion, along with a shower of sparks that resembled the fireworks employed by the Shiba family. "This should do…"


At that time, in Hueco Mundo…

"Impressive. Comparing it with my data, this last attack should have been nearly as powerful as a level 80 Hadō." Szayelaporro analyzed the fight between Tōsen and Kūkaku, as he watched it from one of his monitors. He chuckled, while he fixed his glasses. "Still… That won't be enough to defeat Kaname Tōsen. Not anymore…"

"Indeed. Very few Shinigami will be able to defeat Tōsen, as he is now." Someone else spoke from behind the Octava Espada. Szayelaporro quickly turned around to confirm who had sneaked inside his lab.

"Ai-Aizen-sama!" Sweat quickly rolled down the side of Szayelaporro's face, as Aizen came out of the shadows. "How…How long have you been there?"

"I just arrived. We have a new Primera Espada. One that may be more powerful than the previous one…" Aizen trailed off, as he saw Szayelaporro unconsciously bit his lower lip. With a slight smile forming on his face, Aizen continued. "Where's Gin? I have been looking for him. I'm sure you know of his whereabouts."

"He went outside to pick…something…we found out in the monitors. He said it would please you greatly, Aizen-sama." Szayelaporro informed his master.

"Very well. I'll return to the throne room now. Contact Tōsen and tell him to come back, his mission is finished." Aizen ordered, before he left the laboratory. Szayelaporro quickly went back to the monitors and started pressing some buttons.

"It's a good thing I sent my Rokureichū with Tōsen." Szayelaporro smirked and clicked on a final button.


Back in Soul Society…

"It…It can't be!" The shocked Kūkaku mumbled, as the smoke resulting from the last explosion started to clear. Tōsen was standing, staring up to the blue sky with his blind eyes, with his body untouched. "How is it possible?! What have you become, Tōsen?!"

"Me? I am just an instrument of justice and I shall serve it to you right…"

"Now? Now's not the time, Tōsen-san." A voice sounded inside Tōsen's head. Using the spirit bugs that he planted inside the former Captain's body, Szayelaporro was able to communicate with him. "Aizen-sama has returned to Las Noches. He has ordered you to return and report your findings."

"Very well. Prepare Hooleer, I may need him." Tōsen spoke to apparently no one, confusing his enemies. Suddenly, a Garganta opened up in the sky, dropping a black, viscous substance. As the viscous goo hit the floor, the substance started to spread into an army of Gillian. "Time's up."

"What do you mean?!" Fujimaru asked, as he stood on one knee with a pained look on his face.

"Son of a bitch! You're running away?!" Kūkaku shouted to Tōsen, who already had his back turned to her. "Damn you! What the hell did you come here for anyway?!"

"Let's just say I didn't come here to chit-chat. You're in luck though, my mission is complete." Tōsen spoke with clear disdain. The Garganta opened a little more, revealing a huge, purple eye and the heads of a few more Gillian. One of the Gillian opened its mouth and fired a yellow energy beam in Tōsen's direction, enveloping him. "I shall not waste any more time in this place."

"BANKAI!" Komamura suddenly roared, causing his Zanpakutō to glow. A hundred meters tall giant, clad in armour, erupted from the ground behind him, wielding a sword proportional to his size. He looked like a samurai and mimicked Komamura's movements. "Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō!" As the Captain of the 7th Division swung his sword, the giant swung his as well and cleaved the heads of nearly half the Gillians. Komamura then look upwards and prepared to swing his sword once again. "I won't let you escape, Tōsen!"

"Useless." Tōsen calmly said, as he saw the giant's blade moving towards the sky, in an attempt to slash the creatures inside the Garganta and therefore stop the Negación. Once more the Garganta expanded in size, just before the purple eye glowed yellow and a loud screech was heard. Strong winds that transported an awful stench came out of the Garganta and were strong enough to stop the advance of the giant's sword. As Komamura struggled to move the giant sword forward, Tōsen concluded his ascension to the Garganta. "Farewell, Komamura. I don't intend to meet you ever again."

"TŌSEN!" Komamura roared once more, as he saw the Garganta close. Furious to have seen his former best friend escape from Soul Society a second time, Komamura unleashed his rage on the remaining Gillian by decapitating them with the giant's sword one by one. As the final one disintegrated, Komamura ended his Bankai and returned his Zanpakutō to its sealed state. "Damn it…"

"I'm sorry, Komamura. I tried my best to finish him, but he seems…immortal." Kūkaku seemed upset as she stared up to the sky. Eventually, Komamura took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself.

"I know. Your effort would have worked with anyone else but him. I'm not sure I would be able to finish him off myself, so…" Komamura trailed off, as he stared to all his comrades. Fujimaru had somehow managed to reach Ganju and was able to change his position so that he could breathe more confortably. On the other side of the battlefield, Iba and Hisagi helped each other in the difficult task that was lifting Kira, as both had back injuries. "Don't worry about him fleeing. The most important thing is that no one died and no one seems to be seriously injured either. We'll take them all to Unohana-taichō and they will all recover quickly."

"You can leave Ganju to me. Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko have enough skill to…" Kūkaku started to sneak her and Ganju's way out of going to Seireitei, but Komamura cut her off by putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I know you're not particularly fond of Shinigami, but I'm not telling you to come to Seireitei as a Shinigami. I'm telling you to come as Sajin Komamura." Komamura told her, causing her eyes to widen and her expression to soften. A smile slowly started to form in her face, before she nodded.

"Sure, we'll go." She answered him, while they walked towards the gate. Near it, Jidanbō had just woken up. "How are you feeling, Jidanbō?"

"I've been better, but I guess I've been worse as well." The gentle giant answered, without even trying to get up. "Thank you, Kūkaku. You guys really saved my hide."

"No need to thank me! What are friends for?" She asked him, while she gently caressed a spot of his enormous arm. "I wonder what that attack was all about though...One thing we found out for sure. Aizen is ordering Hollow attacks here in Seireitei. What is that demon plotting?"

"See what I told you? All...All works out if you put a lil' bit of courage in it!" Ganju weakily told Fujimaru, who nodded with a smile. Kūkaku reached them with a serious look on her face. "Neechan…"

"Listen carefully, as I will only say this once…" Kūkaku started, before she bowed her head, shocking both Fujimaru and Ganju. "Forgive me, Ganju. I'm sorry for what I said to you and I want to thank you for opening my eyes."

"Neechan's…sorry?" Ganju mumbled, as this was probably the first time he heard her asking for forgiveness.

"And you, Fujimaru…forgive me for my words, as well. You can be friends with whoever you wish to, as long as you don't become a Shinigami. As long as you remain who you are…Fujimaru Kudō." Kūkaku's words made Fujimaru's eyes widen, before they warmed his heart. His characteristic smile filled his face and soon, a similar one appeared on Kūkaku's. "Now, one final thing… If you ever mention I said that I'm sorry, I'll kill you both on the spot!"

"PLEASE NOOOOO!" Fujimaru and Ganju shouted at the same time and quickly darted in the Seireimon's direction, like if all injuries were already healed. Kūkaku followed them a bit slower, chuckling at the same time.

"And I proudly am Shiba… Kūkaku Shiba." She said to herself, with a smile that hadn't been on her face for over one hundred years.


Moments later, in Las Noches...

"Aizen-sama." Tōsen greeted his master, as he bowed in front of his throne.

"Welcome back, Kaname." Aizen nodded to his follower. "You seem to have come back unharmed. It seems you are adjusting well to your new powers."

"Yes. I was forced to use it three times, but it worked so well that they were unable to notice it." Tōsen informed Aizen, even though he already knew of this as he watched the battle while he was on Szayelaporro's lab. "As for the mission itself...there have been no changes to Seireitei's defenses. Even though I found resistance, it wasn't organized. It seemed like the ones I found were the ones closest to the gate."

"I see... they intend to show their troops that we're not enough of a threat for them to fortify their defenses, in an attempt to boost their confidence levels. They want every Shinigami to think they can defeat us." Aizen chuckled, as he knew the army he was assembling was going to be able to more than scare Soul Society's Shinigami. Before they could discuss it any further, the doors of the throne opened all of a sudden. Gin Ichimaru entered in the room with his usual scary smile.

"Aizen-taichō." Gin greeted his superior with a nod, before continuing. "I've brought you some guests."

"Guests? Show them in." Aizen for once showed some confusion. Szayelaporro didn't give any details on what they found, but now it seemed that the 'things' were actually 'someones'. A fully-grown man and a young girl crossed the doors of the throne room, causing Aizen's eyes to widen slightly and an evil smirk to form on his face. He had crimson hair and wore a Captain's haori. She wore the regular Shihakushō and used her blond hair in a ponytail. "Welcome to Las Noches."

"Wait a minute... Sōsuke Aizen? Is that you?" The confused man asked, as he never expected to see Aizen as the ruler of a fortress in the middle of the world of the Hollows.

"Asking questions already? Don't you have something else to say first?" Gin asked to the redhead Shinigami, as he moved behind him. From there, Gin could see the symbol of the 5th Division on his back.

"Oh, yes! Thank you very much for saving us! We've been lost in that damned desert for days!" The man answered, completely oblivious to the path Aizen followed in life. The girl was feeling unconfortable, as if she was wondering if being there was better than being in the desert. She also looked to the grey-haired man behind her from time to time, as she was pretty sure of who he was.

"You don't need to thank me. In fact, it was Gin who saved you." Aizen motioned to the grey-haired man as he spoke, causing the blond girl's eyes to widen. She had been right the entire time, the man behind her was Gin Ichimaru. "However, we can't say we saved you as an act of good will, you see. We saved you because we thought you would understand. Understand...why I became an enemy of Soul Society and why I'm here in Hueco Mundo now."

"An enemy of Soul Society?" The man's eyes widened and he quickly went for his Zanpakutō. "Aizen! What the hell do you want from us?!"

"Your sister Konoka is dead, Suzunami-taichō." Aizen sudden revealed, causing Seigen Suzunami to suddenly freeze. Matsuri Kudō's eyes widened and she stared to her adoptive father, as if asking if they could trust what Aizen was telling them. "Or to be more precise, she was already dead. By the time you two disappeared along with Arturo, she had already drawn her last breath..."

"No!" Seigen shouted and started to walk in the direction of Aizen's throne. "I don't believe it!"

"Allow me to show you proof then. Garganta Vista!" Aizen touched the air in front of him with a finger, creating a Garganta portal that started a visual broadcast similar to a television screen. The portal showed what once seemed to be a mansion. It had been abandoned for a long time and everything seemed to be broken and rotten.

"What is this?!" Seigen mumbled. He had recognized the place as soon as he saw it and so did Matsuri.

"That's...the Suzunami mansion." She said, even though she couldn't believe what happened to her and her family's house.

"I think this makes things clear." Aizen waved his arm, causing the portal to disperse.

"No! This isn't true! You're trying to manipulate us!" Matsuri accused Aizen of his bad intentions. Seigen laid a hand on his daughter's shoulder, in an attempt to calm her down.

"I will only believe it when I see it with my own eyes." Seigen said to his former Vice-Captain. Flashes of a conversation with Shinji Hirako about Aizen's real self passed through his mind.

"I see. In that case you should go to Soul Society. I won't stop you." Aizen's words sounded friendly, but neither of his guests were able to trust him. He decided that if he couldn't put them on his side, he would make them despise Soul Society more than they despised him. "But there are two things I want you to remember. The Soul Society allowed Konoka to use the Shisuikyō, knowing full well the danger involved. What's more, the Shisuikyō still exists in Soul Society, even now. Who, then, is your enemy?"

"My enemy?!" Seigen lowered his head, as he reflected on Aizen's words. Even Matsuri seemed a little troubled about that last revelation. The seeds of doubt had been planted.

"You must be tired. Please Kaname, escort them to what will be their new rooms." Aizen instructed the blind man. Only now did Seigen and Matsuri notice him and they were startled to see him. They started to wonder what could've happened for all these seated officers to have turned their backs on Soul Society.

"You're going to use them, aren't you?" Gin asked to his master, who nodded with an evil smirk on his face. "Did you stop to think that if they are here...he could be as well?"

"Of course I did, Gin. If they appeared here in Hueco Mundo after all these years, he must have appeared as well." Aizen agreed.


Moments later, in Seigen's room...

"Do you really think Konoka-sama is gone?" The scared Matsuri asked to her father.

"I don't trust a thing about Aizen. I don't trust what he said. And for all that matters, I don't even know if we can really believe that is Aizen. We're in Hueco Mundo, this is not their place. It doesn't make sense." Seigen held his chin thoughtfully. "But that's it, I'm sure this is Hueco Mundo, the land where Hollows dwell. And it's a fact that Aizen and his men saved us as we were lying helpless in Hueco Mundo."

"So does that make what he said true?" Matsuri questioned. It made sense for them to have saved them from the Hollows since they were Shinigami, even if renegade ones. So Matsuri was starting to believe that at least those three were really the ones they knew from the past. And so, what Aizen said may have been true as well.

"We won't know until we go to Soul Society to see for ourselves." A darker look suddenly appeared on Seigen's face though. "But like Aizen, I don't trust the Soul Society either! The Gotei 13 lost to Arturo and they forced a defenseless woman into the battlefield to deal with him for them. That much I saw! If that weakness resulted in Konoka's death, I won't allow them to continue to exist! Not the Shisuikyō, and not the Soul Society that made her use it, either!"

"Seigen-sama..." Matsuri stared down, with tears forming in her eyes. She was seeing her father being consumed by anger, but she couldn't do anything to stop it. In fact, she agreed with some of the things he was saying. "Is this a nightmare? Can this really be happening? If Konoka-sama really is gone, I don't know what I will do! What do I do?"

"Matsuri, I need to tell you something. It's about your brother and Konoka." Seigen said, seemingly calmer and looking very serious.

"Fujimaru..." Her mind stopped as soon as Seigen referenced her brother. She wondered where he was and what he was doing. "What do I do? Where are you, big brother?"


Arrancar Encyclopedia

"Happy birthday… to Gin-chan! Happy birthday…to Gin-chan! Happy birthday to… Gin…chan! Happy birthday to…" Gin remained seated in the corner of the studio where the 'Arrancar Encyclopedia' show was filmed, chanting the birthday song to himself, until he was interrupted by a door sliding until it was open.

"So this is where you are, Gin." Aizen spoke in his usual calm tone. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Szayelaporro told me you had gone out."

"Ah yes…I'm sorry, Aizen-taichō. I went to pick something for you and I came here as soon as I arrived. I should've reported to you, I know…" Gin said, before letting out a heavy sigh. He seemed really depressed. "I guess I was hoping that someone would come here to find me…"

"You were hoping for that?" Aizen asked, even though he didn't sound interested at all.

"Yeah… Ah forget it! What's up, Aizen-taichō? What did you want from me?" Gin asked while he stood, his smile slowly returning to his face.

"Well, in fact I came looking for you to give you something." Aizen started to inform him. Gin's eyes nearly opened, as a thought crossed his mind. What if what Aizen had for him was…a birthday gift? He was still in time, as the clock still hadn't reached midnight.

"You have something…for me?" Gin asked carefully and Aizen answered by nodding. Gin's smile was never so happy. He started to imagine all the things Aizen could have brought him. A new uniform? A coupon for a free dinner? Permission to use Aizen's jacuzzi? An unicorn? All this and much more crossed Gin's mind. "What is it? Taichō! Taichō! Aizen-taichō! What do you have for Gin-chan?"

"Well, you sure seem excited." Aizen noticed and smiled warmly, causing Gin to become even more impatient. "What I have for you is…"

"What you for me is?" Gin tried to get a faster answer, but seeing the reproving look in Aizen's face, he quickly backed away. "Sorry, taichō…"

"What I have for you is…" Aizen smiled once again, as he finally revealed what it was. "…the privilege of once again taking care of Las Noches, as I will have to leave once again. It seems our scouts found trails of a Vasto Lorde in sector 12 and…"

"Nothing…" Gin desperately thought, before tears started to roll down his face. He wasn't even listening to Aizen anymore. "Nothing for Gin-chan. He didn't remember my birthday at all…"


End of the Return to Soul Society Arc


Author's note - A few details about Kukaku's techniques in this chapter:

- Kakaku Shahō Version 1: Yakuzaki (花鶴射法一倍・焼く咲, meaning "Flower Crane Archery Onefold Style: Burning Bloom") - A battle oriented version of Kagizaki, Kukaku surrounds her fist in burning spiritual power and punches the floor, raising a pillar of flames that will cause a massive explosion. It's what she used in the anime to break Ganju and Ichigo's fight in her house the first she met the latter, and resulted in her house being completely destroyed.

- Kakaku Reihō (花鶴霊砲, meaning "Flower Crane Spirit Cannon") - After detaching her artificial hand from the rest of the prosthetic limb, she uses the arm as a cannon, firing a blast of concentrated red and yellow spiritual energy that is nearly as powerful as a level 80 Hado spell.

- Hisenkō (火穿孔, meaning "Fire Punch") - A punch with a fist enveloped in fiery spiritual power. Kukaku used it to punch Tosen's Haien away. Yamamoto used something similar during his fight against Wonderweiss in the anime.