Chapter Twenty Four – Against All Odds
"Is that right? Ichigo tried to kill Momo?" Aizen asked, after hearing about what had happened at his 'murder' from Gin.
"Mhmm… That's the official statement given by Captain Hitsugaya. He claimed Ichigo was going to kill poor Momo with that assassination technique he created; Nekketsu," Gin nodded.
"Nice… It seems Zangetsu's influence is too strong for Ichigo to handle. You know what must be done, Gin," Aizen smiled as he walked over the his desk and reached for something behind it.
"I sure do, Captain Aizen. I'm sure Ichigo will be very grateful to have his Zanpakutō back too," Gin smiled as Aizen handed him Ichigo's Zanpakutō that Kyōka Suigetsu had stolen for her Master. It had been with Aizen the entire time.
"If my calculations are correct, we should be able to leave the Soul Society within the next few days. If everything keeps going the way it should, then it's very likely that the day after tomorrow will be the end of our time here," Aizen muttered as he went back over to the monitors and looked at the one which was displaying an image of Ichigo, locked up in the Squad Ten Barracks.
"Are you sure that thing is working properly? Ichigo hasn't moved in hours," Gin pointed out.
"No, it's working just fine. I have a feeling Ichigo is currently trying to get some answers out of Zangetsu," Aizen smiled as he watched the monitor closely, waiting to see what happened next.
"Oh, look who it is! Come by for a visit, have we?"Zangetsu sneered from within his cage inside Ichigo's Inner World.
"Shut up, will you? It's your fault I'm in this mess!" Ichigo snapped, glaring at Zangetsu through the barred window of the Zanpakutō Spirit's cage.
"Is it though? I wasn't the one who was going to kill poor, helpless, defenceless little Momo with Nekketsu, was I? I'm still pissed about that, you know…" Zangetsu growled.
Back when Ichigo was sent to the World of the Living shortly after becoming Squad Five Lieutenant and was confronted by Grimmjow, Zangetsu had used the power of Grimmjow's Hollow blood to consume and destroy the Old Man… At least, that's what Zangetsu had believed.
Ever since he had been sealed away within the cage Kisuke had created with his Sealing Kidō, Zangetsu had felt the presence of the Old Man slowly returning, like his power was being stripped out of Zangetsu whilst inside the cage, and while he wasn't able to manifest a physical body, Zangetsu knew he had been able to exert some modicum of influence over Ichigo and his powers.
Nekketsu was the result of the Old Man's power, slowly returning and being able to influence Ichigo's abilities and growth. That's why no-one in the Stealth Force, not even the ever-determined and hard-working Soifon was able to use Nekketsu; none of them had the power of a Quincy within them, unlike Ichigo, although he had no knowledge of his Quincy bloodline.
"Yeah, well…" Ichigo muttered.
Ichigo realised Zangetsu was right. It wasn't Zangetsu's decision to respond to Momo's outburst by attempting to use Nekketsu. It was his, and his alone. It was at this realisation that he came to the conclusion that he was becoming more and more like Zangetsu, and it wasn't through his Zanpakutō Spirit's meddling.
Being the Captain of Squad Two for so long, Ichigo had picked up habits that had been hard to break, one of them being taking up a counter-attacking stance in an attempt to kill any hostile being without mercy. While Ichigo felt no guilt about attempting to use Nekketsu on Momo, it wasn't a premeditated decision.
"I have to admit, you did surprise me with your reaction to Momo attacking you. I never thought a bitch like you could react like that to someone you call a friend," Zangetsu grinned, sneering as he spoke the word 'friend'.
"Fuck you. I've only come here because I wanna get out of this damn cell. I didn't kill Captain Aizen, and I intend to prove it!" Ichigo snapped.
"Oho? So, now that the shoe is on the other foot, you don't like it? A typical weakling response…" Zangetsu muttered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo scowled.
"What do you think it means, genius?! I've been sealed away in this fucking cage for years, and you didn't give a fuck! But now you're the one in the cage, you don't like it, and want out; well too bad!" Zangetsu roared.
"Oh, wah-wah!" Ichigo retorted sarcastically. "You know, all your talk of being the more powerful of us, you sure spend a lot of your time pissing and moaning like a spoiled little bitch! If this is how you act, then I have absolutely nothing to fear from a Zanpakutō Spirit like you!"
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME, MOTHERFUCKER?!" Zangetsu exploded, slamming his hands on the bars of his cage. "I AM MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU COULD EVER HOPE TO BE WITHOUT ME! I FOLLOW THREE SIMPLE TENETS THAT MAKE ME UNBEATABLE! IMPROVISE! ADAPT! OVERCOME! IT'S BECAUSE OF THESE THREE THINGS, I SHALL ONE DAY DESTROY YOU AND TAKE YOUR BODY FOR MYSELF!"
"Yet here you are, locked in a cage. I might be in the same predicament as you, but at least I can break out of my cage. You cannot," Ichigo pointed at Zangetsu's cage, smirking at his Zanpakutō Spirit.
"AARGH MAKE NO MISTAKE, ICHIGO! I WILL BREAK OUT OF THIS CAGE ONE DAY, AND YOU'LL BE BROKEN AND BLOODIED AT MY FEET WHEN THAT DAY COMES!" Zangetsu raged, as Ichigo turned and walked away.
Ichigo had gotten the answer he was seeking. It wasn't the one he wanted, but he now knew with absolute certainty that Zangetsu had not influenced Ichigo's body to try and kill Momo. Ichigo had done that all on his own…
"What?! Ichigo killed Aizen?!" Isshin shouted when Unohana had delivered the news.
Isshin's reaction was a mixture of shock, and a small amount of weariness. He knew Unohana wouldn't make such a thing up, and it had been corroborated by almost all the Lieutenants, and Captain Hitsugaya, but Isshin also knew Aizen was a slippery little trickster; there was no way he'd be killed so easily.
"Yes, but that's not all. It seems that Captain Aizen's Lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, attacked Ichigo out of grief and were it not for the intervention of Captain Hitsugaya, Ichigo would have killed her with an assassination technique he created during his tenure as Commander of the Stealth Force. I'm worried, Isshin. This is not like Ichigo at all…" Unohana responded, looking at Isshin with a troubled look on her face.
"We can't catch a break, can we? First we find that Kisuke and Bansui are attacking the Soul Society, and now I've already lost three of my kids, two of which no-one knows where they went…" Isshin sighed, holding his head in his hands.
After Squad Twelve had been decimated by Jugram, Isshin and the kids all regrouped at Squad Four, even Mizuiro and Mahana, after Yachiru had mentioned she was hiding some of Ichigo's friends in her room at the Squad Eleven Barracks to Captain Unohana. Meanwhile, Uryū had managed to find Tatsuki and had brought her to Squad Four by following Isshin's Spiritual Pressure signature. There, the group had found out Orihime had abandoned Tatsuki and went off with Halibel, who had promised to reunite her with Ichigo.
To make matters worse, Uryū had told Isshin that he had lost Ryō and Michiru near Squad Twelve, shortly before it was destroyed. While he had no idea what had happened to them, he was suspicious as to how a Heilig Pfeil had been the weapon of choice to destroy the Department of Research and Development, especially one with such immense power – there was no way Ryō or Michiru were strong enough to deliver such a devastating attack.
"What do you propose we do, Isshin? Now that Ichigo has been imprisoned, and the Head Captain has given the other Captains the authority to eliminate any Ryoka on sight, that means you and the children cannot freely roam the Seireitei," Unohana stated.
"True… And since Kisuke has brought Shinji and the others with him, things are becoming a warzone that I had never anticipated. Is there any way we can forge some… Alliances?" Isshin asked, looking at Unohana with a raised eyebrow.
"Hmm… Perhaps… I know that Captain Kyōraku holds no ill will towards you, and Captain Zaraki would most likely join anyone so long as there's a common enemy to fight… But…" Unohana responded.
"What is it?" Isshin asked.
"You've been gone a long time Isshin, and things are a lot different now than when you were Squad Ten Captain. Captain Komamura holds immense respect for the Head Captain, so there's no way he'd ally himself with you while you're considered an enemy of the Soul Society. Captain Kuchiki is a lot like his grandfather, and being the Head of the Kuchiki Clan, there is no chance of him siding with you, especially since he and Ichigo have clashed several times in the past. Captain Ichimaru might be persuaded, especially since Rangiku was badly injured by the Arrancar, but you can count out Captains Soifon, Tōsen, and Kurotsuchi," Unohana explained.
"Goddamn it… So, let's say Shunsui and Zaraki join, we'd still be outmatched two to one in terms of Captain Class Soul Reapers… No, that won't do. We need to rally against a common enemy and create a ceasefire between us and the Soul Society so we have time to at least try and explain to the Head Captain what our intentions were…" Isshin replied.
That, however, was far easier said than done. What Isshin was suggesting with trying to get other Captains to join him was tantamount to treason, and he couldn't let others be put to death because of him and his desires to see his son again.
"I suppose I could appeal to the Head Captain and ask that we focus solely on Kisuke and his Hollow/Soul Reaper Hybrid experiments for the time being. Perhaps if he sees you're not here to threaten the Soul Society, he might grant you and the children clemency," Unohana suggested.
"That's actually a good idea. At the next Captain's meeting, bring that up with the Old Man. He might just be willing to accept such a proposal," Isshin nodded. "Now, I've gotta go…"
"Where to?" Unohana asked, although she already knew the answer.
"To see my boy… It's been too long, and he deserves some answers," Isshin said as he left Unohana's office.
"Well, well… Aren't you a sorry sight, Captain?" Gin smirked as he walked into the holding cell Ichigo was occupying in Squad Ten.
"What do you want, Gin?" Ichigo sighed as he opened his eyes.
"Oh, I just wanted to come and check to see how my ol' pal Ichigo is doing. I have something for you," Gin commented, his smile not leaving his face as he pulled his hand out from behind his back and handed Ichigo his Zanpakutō.
"Where did you get this?!" Ichigo snapped.
"Why, out of the body of Captain Aizen, obviously. Is that not where you left it?" Gin asked.
"Don't push your luck, Gin… I might be in this cell, but that doesn't mean I won't kick your ass…" Ichigo growled as he snatched his Zanpakutō from Gin's outstretched arm.
"You wound me with such hostility, Captain!" Gin cried, feigning being stabbed in the heart before becoming serious. "Listen, I know you were framed, and what's more, I know who did it…"
"What?! Tell me!" Ichigo snapped, grabbing the bars of his cell with both hands.
"Hmm… I don't know… I could get in big trouble if I tell you. I mean, you could go and kill them in the same manner that you nearly killed poor Momo…" Gin pondered, tapping his chin in thought.
"Dammit, Gin! This isn't a game! I was set up, and I'm going to find the real killer and clear my name!" Ichigo shouted, slamming the bars of his cell in anger.
"Oh, my… Well, I could still get into a lot of trouble, but… I wonder, how was it someone was able to steal your Zanpakutō from your barracks without you noticing? It would have to be someone who's well versed in stealth, and can hide their Spiritual Pressure perfectly. Hmm… I find it interesting that Kisuke Urahara returns and all of the sudden, your Zanpakutō went missing. I wonder if Yoruichi Shihōin had anything to do with it…?" Gin thought aloud to himself as he walked off, waving to Ichigo as he left.
"Yoruichi is here? If that's true, then… God damn it…" Ichigo growled as he figured out who Gin was talking about.
After Orihime had left Tatsuki behind and joined Halibel, she had said nothing, and the more time she spent with the Tercera Espada, the more uneasy she began to feel. Part of her was starting to regret abandoning Tatsuki and joining the group of female Arrancar, but she knew Halibel wasn't lying about reuniting her with Ichigo.
"Hey, you've been awfully quiet since joining us! What are you planning?!" Apacci snapped, slapping Orihime in the back of her head.
"Ouch!" Orihime cried as she tripped over and hit the ground.
"Apacci, that was incredibly unnecessary. You could have just asked the poor girl, instead of assaulting her…" Sung-Sun sighed as she helped Orihime up off the ground.
"Shut up, Sung-Sun!" Apacci shouted.
"That's enough, ladies," Halibel snapped, stopping in her tracks.
"Yes, Master Halibel…" Apacci muttered.
"Are you ok?" Sung-Sun asked Orihime.
"Mhmm… Th-Thank you…" Orihime responded quietly.
"Just ignore Apacci. She's more like a caveman when it comes to talking to others," Sung-Sun rolled her eyes.
"What was that?!" Apacci yelled.
"See what I mean?" Sung-Sun raised her eyebrows as Apacci just proved her point.
"Not only that, but she's low-key jealous of your boobs! She's got none while yours are as big as Master Halibel's!" Mila Rose laughed, as Apacci growled at her.
"Typical that you'd make a comment on the size of her tits, and compare them to Master Halibel's!" Apacci snapped.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Mila Rose shouted.
"What do you think it means?" Apacci grinned smugly.
"Don't push your luck, bitch. I'll stomp you like you did to that Soul Reaper girl she was with," Mila Rose snapped, referring to how Apacci had stomped on Tatsuki repeatedly.
"I won't tell you again; that's enough," Halibel whispered, her voice dripping with venom.
"S-Sorry, Master Halibel…" Apacci and Mila Rose stuttered, bowing to the Espada before them.
"You… Come with me. I wish to speak with you," Halibel commanded as she looked at Orihime.
Orihime said nothing as she walked ahead of the Arrancars, following Halibel closely. When Halibel was happy they were far enough away, she blind sided Orihime with a bold statement.
"Whatever love you hold for Ichigo Kurosaki, it will not save him," Halibel stated, looking directly in front of her as she spoke.
"W-what? I… I don't..." Orihime stammered.
"Please… Do not attempt to lie. Humans are pathetic creatures, who lie, cheat, and steal, but not even Humans deny their truest feelings. You don't strike me as the sort of person who would betray her friends if she didn't believe the love she held for the one in question would help," Halibel explained, her voice sounding emotionless.
"What do you mean it won't save him?" Orihime asked, looking at the Tercera Espada.
"As you know, we Arrancar are here to find Ichigo Kurosaki at the request of our master. Our master has plans for Ichigo, and nothing will stop us from completing our task, and the same can be said for our master's plans," Halibel replied, turning her head slightly to look at Orihime.
The look Halibel gave Orihime made the young girl tremble slightly, which wasn't Halibel's intention. Stopping in her tracks, Halibel simply looked at Orihime, sizing her up. Orihime was nothing more than a scared, lovesick little girl, who travelled to a different realm, all in the hopes of seeing the one she loved. The very notion of such madness wasn't lost on Halibel, as she knew people in love would do crazy things for the one who had their heart. Halibel knew matters of the heart were lost on her, considering she didn't have one herself, but she did have feelings, and that was enough for her to understand what Orihime was doing.
"Is everything alright, Master Halibel?" Sung-Sun asked, as she walked up to her Master, who has spent the last few minutes standing in silence, looking at the floor.
"Yes, everything is fine..." Halibel stated, not even missing a beat, as she realised she had been motionless for a while, and began to walk again.
Meanwhile, back in Hueco Mundo, Grimmjow was the only Espada left that was looking for Cirucci. Naturally, he was pissed when he found out both Halibel and Ulquiorra were going to the Soul Society to do Aizen's bidding. In truth, Grimmjow didn't give two shits about 'Aizen's bidding', he just wanted to kill Soul Reapers. Despite that, he had been given direct orders by Tōsen to remain in Las Noches, and even he knew not to disobey Aizen's Director General.
Grimmjow growled slightly when he heard a faint tapping on his door. He knew who it was, but it still annoyed him every time he heard the tapping.
"What do you want?" Grimmjow snapped, turning his head to the door, which opened slowly.
"Umm… Excuse me, Master Grimmjow? Can I speak to you?" Golondrina's tiny voice spoke as she popped her head into the room.
"Ugh, for fuck sake… You don't have to walk around here on your tip-toes. I don't care what you do, and that fuckstick Nnoitra isn't gonna harm you. So, what do you want? I'm busy here!" Grimmjow snapped, waving the book he had been reading in the air before slamming it down on the table.
"I was looking for Master Pantera. She said she said she was going to help me with something," Golondrina stated as she fully stepped into the room.
"Grrr… PANTERA! GET YOU ASS OUT HERE, NOW!" Grimmjow roared, which startled Golondrina.
After a few moments of silence, Grimmjow growled again, before slamming his hand on the table and standing up, knocking his chair over in the process. Without another word, Grimmjow stormed out of the room, gesturing Golondrina to follow him.
"Master Nel has changed you," Golondrina mumbled, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"What?" Grimmjow growled, turning to glare at the little Zanpakutō Spirit.
"Eep! I-I-I just meant... Well, I don't think you'd ever help anyone, if the outcome didn't benefit you. I saw that when you would go see Master Cirucci for advice about Master Nel," Golondrina stammered, feeling Grimmjow's sharp glare, which softened slightly as she spoke.
"Tch, shut up. The only reason I'm helping find Cirucci is because it'll give me a reason to beat the shit out of that prick, Nnoitra," Grimmjow scoffed.
Both Grimmjow and Golondrina knew he was talking crap. The truth of the matter was that he did care about Cirucci, as a friend, and he knew it was because of his feelings for Nel. He knew Nel would never stand by and let an asshole like Nnoitra traipse about, hurting her friends, and that was more than enough of a reason for helping the other Espadas find Cirucci now.
"Is… Is Master Pantera alright? I can feel her Spiritual Pressure fluctuating wildly..." Golondrina stated as they arrived outside the room Pantera was in.
Grimmjow could feel it too. Pantera's Spiritual Pressure was all over the place, like she was agitated or something. Grimmjow simply shrugged as he opened the door.
"Hmph, she's probably just training really– WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" Grimmjow roared as he saw what Pantera was doing.
Grimmjow was half right about Pantera. Her Spiritual Pressure was fluctuating, and it was partially due to her being agitated. Grimmjow had assumed she was training and getting mad that she wasn't seeing any results, but in reality, she was…
"Masturbating. Fucking hell, don't you know how to knock?" Pantera asked, looking up at Grimmjow.
"WELL, WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING THAT?! AND THIS IS MY PALACE! I CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I LIKE!" Grimmjow yelled.
"Because I'm horny? It's not just you who gets sexually frustrated; Zanpakutō Spirits do too," Pantera stated, squirming slightly as she moved her hand.
"Do you… Do you wanna take your hand out of your pussy so we can talk properly?" Grimmjow deadpanned, realising Pantera still had two finger inside herself.
"Aww, what's wrong? You scared of my pussy?" Pantera asked, grinning wickedly as she removed her fingers and proceeded to spread her pussy open, so Grimmjow and Golondrina could see everything.
"Go fuck yourself! The brat here was looking for you," Grimmjow snapped, jerking a thumb over at Cirucci's Zanpakutō Spirit.
"What do you think I'm trying to do here, you moron?! I'm not fingering my hole to find buried treasure! Ooh, c'mere, Golondrina… Mama still needs to cum..." Pantera sighed, as she started to gently massage her clit.
"Umm… That… That's ok. I couldn't possibly..." Golondrina mumbled, sounding very flustered.
"Well, at least watch me. I love it when cute girls watch..." Pantera moaned as she started to finger herself again, but this time with three fingers.
"I'm out. You two do whatever the fuck you want. I have better things to do with my time than watch some fucking peep show," Grimmjow snorted, as he turned and walked out of the room, flipping Pantera off for good measure.
Golondrina stayed behind, but only because Grimmjow unnerved her more than watching Pantera masturbate did. As Grimmjow walked down the hall back to his room, he could hear Pantera's loud moaning turn into screams as she finally managed to cum.
"Kisuke! How are the… 'Modification' coming along?" Bansui asked, as Kisuke stood up.
"I believe they're complete, Master..." Kisuke muttered, as he looked down at the ten bodies on the ground. All of them were deathly still, and their faces were covered with masks.
"Excellent. It seems the first trial was a failure, but now… Now, I believe they're ready. Get up," Bansui commanded, smacking the tip of his cane into the ground.
Immediately, ten sets of eyes opened as the Visored all stood up, standing in a line looking over the horizon at the Siereitei.
"Is this the only course of action, Master Bansui?" Kisuke asked, looking particularly uncomfortable.
"You know it is. That child, Sōsuke Aizen, must pay for what he did to you, and our army will make sure that happens," Bansui stated, glaring at Kisuke; his old hands clenched tightly over the handle of his cane. "Now go… Go, my experiments! Destroy the Siereitei, and kill Sōsuke Aizen!"
Upon the command being issued all ten Visored, who had all undergone harsh augmentation from the Hōgyoku leapt off the cliff they were standing on, and soared through the air towards the Soul Reaper stronghold, before all vanishing in a blur with Flash Step. War was now underway in the Soul Society.
Back over at Squad Four, Captain Unohana had been true to her word. Isshin and the others had been allowed to freely move about within the Squad Four Barracks, and no-one had reported their presence to the other Captains.
In an attempt to keep up the ruse, Unohana had given everyone a Shihakushō and tasked them with helping out around the Squad. Since no-one outside Unohana and Shūhei knew their identities, and since most Soul Reapers didn't care about the members of Squad Four, Ichigo's friends were easily able to blend in with the rest of the Soul Reapers.
It took some getting used to for the rest of Squad Four, and having someone like Chad walking around Squad Four definitely raised a few eyebrows of other Soul Reapers, especially those from Squad Eleven who had been admitted due to being hurt by Zaraki during training. Despite the raised eyebrows, Chad's general disposition to being quiet and caring was enough to convince everyone that he was more of a lover than a fighter.
While Isshin's charges were helping with the day-to-day running of the Medical Corps, Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Kotetsu had begun another important task, assigned to them by the Head Captain; the autopsy of the late Sōsuke Aizen.
Unohana's initial summary of cause of death had been accurate; destruction of the heart, and removal of the body's soul chain by a Soul Reaper's Zanpakutō. All other injuries Aizen's body had sustained had been typical of someone being attacked by a Zanpakutō, and by a Hollow. There was one thing that struck Unohana as odd, but for now, she simply filed it away in the back of her mind, in case the piece of information was indeed relevant; she wasn't sure if it was something to make note of, or if she was simply allowing Isshin's paranoia creep into her own mind.
After the initial autopsy, several Captains came to Squad Four to pay their respects to their fallen comrade, with two of those Captains being Kaname Tōsen and Sajin Komamura. Unohana had felt their Spiritual Pressure approaching Squad Four from a long way off, and immediately told Isshin and the kids to hide in a storage cupboard on the other side of the Barracks.
Unohana knew that if anyone would be able to realise Isshin was here, it would be Kaname and Sajin. While Kaname's eyes could not actually see, he could sense Spiritual Pressure signatures better than most Captains, and he would have immediately recognised any unfamiliar Spiritual Pressures. Sajin was an anthropomorphic wolf-man, and as such, had incredible senses, such as smell. Being a Captain, Sajin would be already be familiar with all members of Squad Four, and since there were still a few more months before the Soul Reaper Academy would have a graduating class, there would be no way Unohana could explain why Sajin could smell new recruits in her Barracks.
"Captain Unohana… Sajin and I have come to pay our respects to Captain Aizen," Kaname stated as the two Captains entered the Barracks, and were greeted by Unohana.
"Of course. If you'd like to follow me, I'll take you both to where the Captain's body is being kept," Unohana nodded, turning to escort the two Captains to where they wanted to go.
Unohana took them down a corridor and to a room at the far end of the corridor, a room that couldn't be further from where Isshin and the children were hiding without going off the Squad's Barracks.
"We've arrived. I will grant you five minutes alone, as I need to prep the body for burial," Unohana stated as she opened the door.
"Of course, thank you, Captain Unohana," Komamura nodded as he crouched down low so he could enter the room with Kaname.
Once inside the room, Captain Komamura removed his helmet, out of respect for Captain Aizen. The two men stood over the body for two minutes, in complete silence with their heads bowed, before they both stood up straight again Kaname began to speak.
"Captain Aizen's death couldn't have come at a worse possible time..." Kaname sighed.
"Agreed, losing him will weigh heavy on the hearts of all Soul Reapers. He was a good, honest man, and an exceptional Captain. All my subordinates held him in high regard..." Sajin muttered.
"Can I ask you something, Sajin?" Kaname asked, taking his large friend by surprise.
"Of course, Kaname. What is it?" Sajin asked, looking down at his closest friend.
"Don't you think this is too suspicious?" Kaname mused, getting a shocked grunt out of Sajin.
"What are you saying Kaname? You can't possibly..." Sajin gasped, not wanting to believe what his friend was suggesting.
"Yes… The timing seems too perfect, and it was made abundantly clear that Kisuke Urahara held a grudge against Captain Aizen for apprehending him during his experiments on the late Captain Hirako and the others..." Kaname explained.
"Could any man hold a grudge for so long, and plan revenge that would span more than a century to achieve?" Sajin responded.
"I believe Kisuke Urahara's hatred for Aizen was so great that he would definitely create some long winded, elaborate plan to kill him. Ichigo Kurosaki was the blade, but I believe Kisuke Urahara was the one holding the blade," Kaname stated.
Sajin couldn't argue with Kaname's assessment of the situation. It was common knowledge amongst the Captains, and all veteran Soul Reapers, that Kisuke Urahara was guilty of trying to turn Soul Reapers into Hollows, and now with the news of these 'Arrancar' being Hollows that were turned into Soul Reapers, it stood to reason that Urahara planned on turning Ichigo into a Soul Reaper with Hollow Powers with one goal; to kill Sōsuke Aizen.
"If that is true, then Kisuke Urahara is truly a depraved individual… And with his decision to invade the Soul Society with his experiments… The death of Captain Aizen at the hands of Ichigo does seem to be a premeditated action. I think we should report this to the Head Captain, Kaname," Sajin commented, getting a nod from the blind man.
Without another word, Captains Tōsen and Komamura left the room, thanked Captain Unohana for allowing them to pay their respected to a fallen comrade, and left the Squad Four Barracks. Unohana had managed to overhear the majority of their conversation, and couldn't help but agree with them. The evidence against Kisuke Urahara was overwhelming, and that caused problems for Isshin and his account of things.
After Aizen's death, the Head Captain called another meeting, to discuss next steps, and it was now or never for Unohana to try and push for leniency for Isshin and the children for invading the Soul Society.
"This meeting is hereby called to order!" Yamamoto shouted, those seven words becoming synonymous with the Head Captain these days. "Captain Unohana, what can you report about the death of Sōsuke Aizen?"
"I'm afraid the evidence is cut and dry, Head Captain... Sōsuke Aizen was killed by the destruction of his heart and removal of his Soul Chain, which could only have been done by a Zanpakutō. Some of the wounds he sustained are also what one would expect to see on a body attacked by a Hollow," Unohana stated, which got the other nine Captains talking.
"Silence!" Yamamoto boomed, slamming his staff against the floor.
"How do we proceed from here, Head Captain?" Komamura asked, looking to his aged mentor with concern flashing in his eyes.
"Ichigo Kurosaki has already been apprehended for his part in the death of Captain Aizen. He will face judgement before the Central Forty-Six who will deem what punishment he shall receive. As for Kisuke Urahara and his experiments, along with his mentor, Bansui Amatsuki, they are to be all wiped out without hesitation. Any Captain who fails to eliminate this threat will be tried as a conspirator, and executed as a traitor!" Yamamoto declared, which sent the room into an uproar.
"That's a little harsh, isn't it?" Shunsui asked.
"A little? It's downright absurd!" Soifon yelled.
"Hmph, of course you'd take issue with this, what with your affiliation to both Kisuke Urahara, and Yoruichi Shihōin," Byakuya scoffed.
"What'd you say?!" Soifon growled.
"Heh, looks like this thing's about to get interesting," Zaraki grinned darkly, understanding that he could fight without restraint.
"Order! You are all supposed to be Captains, and yet you constantly bicker like children! Show some dignity towards those coats you all wear!" Yamamoto shouted, the heat rising slightly in the room.
"Say, Old Man Yama… Don't have me court marshalled for this, but don't you think it'd be wise to… I don't know, shore up our forces?" Shunsui asked.
"Excuse me?" Yamamoto looked over at Shunsui, examining him closely.
"All I'm saying is, at the moment, we've suffered heavy losses at the hands of Kisuke and his Arrancar and the others, and now we've effectively lost two Captains, with Aizen being killed, and Ichigo being the main culprit… I think we should entertain the possibility of… Looking outside our ranks in order to gather a stronger fighting force to be able to properly combat Kisuke and Bansui," Shunsui explained.
"You're suggesting we team up with Isshin Shiba and the other Ryoka? Don't be absurd," Byakuya stated, clearly showing his displeasure.
"Kuchiki is right; Isshin Shiba is a criminal, and he must be put to death!" Soifon snapped.
"I'm not saying Isshin is innocent, he did abandon his post as Captain all those years ago, but… Has anyone received reports of Isshin's group harming or killing any of your Squad Members?" Shunsui asked, looking at his fellow Captains.
"Shūhei did say he and a few of my Officers were saved by some Ryoka after he was attacked by Kensei Muguruma. Were it not for their intervention, several of my men would have died; Shūhei among them," Kaname explained.
"Captain Kyōraku is right. Third Seat Iemura did claim that a bunch of Soul Reapers had been admitted to Squad Four for treatment by these Ryoka who are allied to Isshin, but they managed to evade capture," Unohana stated, backing up both Shunsui and Kaname's claims with the truth, but also lying about their escape.
"This is absurd! How do we know Isshin Shiba isn't helping Urahara? We all know how smart the man is, not as smart as me of course, but you monkeys couldn't fathom one of his plans even if it kicked you in the chin," Kurotsuchi hissed.
Captain Kurotsuchi's comments only served to anger several other Captains, which subsequently caused another argument. Yamamoto's patience was starting to wear thin, so he addressed the situation and silenced the arguing.
"YOU WILL ALL BE SILENT! Captain Kyōraku makes a fair point and since these are desperate times, I am giving the order to grant Isshin Shiba and his allies clemency! A temporary ceasefire will be issued so we may cull this horde of abominations Kisuke Urahara has brought to the Soul Society. But let me be clear; Isshin Shiba has not been exonerated for his actions! After this invasion has been thwarted, he will be taken into custody, and he will face punishment for what he has done! Dismissed!" Yamamoto roared, ordering all Captains to leave the Meeting Hall, or face his wrath.
"Insect! I demand an explanation!" Barragan roared as he stormed into Szayelaporro's Lab, carrying a large object that was covered with a dark cloak.
"Oh, to what do I owe this pleasure, Barragan?" Szayelaporro preened, grinning widely at the self-proclaimed 'King of Hueco Mundo'.
"Do not address me as you would the other worms! What is this… Abomination I find under my skies? It is an offence to all Hollows!" Barragan growled, throwing the object to the ground with a dull thud.
His curiosity peaked, Szayelaporro walked over to the cloaked object and crouched down next to it. Slowly, he lifted the cloak back and saw the most unusual sight.
"Oh, my… This is marvellous! I must begin studying it immediately! I imagine Lord Aizen wouldn't take issue with this?" Szayelaporro asked, looking up at the old Arrancar.
"The Boss isn't here at the moment, so I am in charge! I demand you find out what this thing is immediately!" Barragan snapped.
Szayelaporro said nothing, which was just as well, as Barragan had already left the Lab. With Barragan's permission, Szayelaporro wasted no time in getting the object prepared for a through examination.
"Captain, may I speak to you for a moment?" Shunsui knocked on the open door of Unohana's office.
"Captain Kyōraku? Is something wrong?" Unohana smiled at Shunsui, and beckoned him to sit down.
"Oh, I wouldn't say things are necessarily wrong..." Shunsui smiled as he entered the room and closed the door. "I just wanted to come by and check to see if you've already told him."
"Nothing gets past you, does it Captain?" Unohana smiled, as she put down her pen and stretched her arms forward. "No, I haven't told him yet. I believe it would be best if someone else were to. I think we both know what the Head Captain would do if he were to find out I've been aiding a group of Ryoka."
"Mhmm, and given your history with the leader of this group of Ryoka, even the most junior of Unseated Officers would be able to figure out what's been going on. I think it best if I were to approach him; at least that way it won't look too suspicious," Shunsui stated, nodding his head as he spoke.
"I would be inclined to agree with you, Captain, but..." Unohana trailed off, looking at the papers on her desk.
"Hmm? Is something wrong?" Shunsui asked, looking at Unohana with intrigue.
"I'm just a little concerned… When I first ran into him, Isshin tried to tell me it was Captain Aizen's fault that he never came back from the World of the Living," Unohana sighed, sounding a little frustrated.
"Aizen? I don't follow?" Shunsui responded, half-laughing at the ludicrous accusation.
"Neither do I, but Isshin claimed it was Captain Aizen who turned Shinji Hirako and the others into Hollowfied Soul Reapers, not Kisuke Urahara," Unohana explained.
"Really? Well, Kisuke did say it was Aizen at his trial, but we all knew how outlandish the claims were. Aizen was only a Lieutenant back then, and that fact notwithstanding, the very notion of turning Soul Reapers into Hollows was unheard of. What with Kisuke's relationship with Bansui Amatsuki, and being the Founder and Head of the Department of Research and Development, it stands to reason that he would have been the only one who could have conceived such an idea to begin with," Shunsui muttered, trying to make sense of what Unohana had told him.
"Yes, and when you take into account that Ichigo had a run in with both Kisuke and an Arrancar back in the World of the Living, and has had problems with his Zanpakutō Spirit, which looks an awful lot like a Hollow, it only further reinforces the fact that it was indeed Kisuke, and always has been him," Unohana replied.
"Yeah, but we know Isshin well. Prior to him vanishing, he'd been a Captain for as long as you, me, and Jūshirō had. Something tells me Isshin wouldn't make such accusations without being able to prove it," Shunsui stated, tapping his chin in thought.
"You're correct, and yet…" Unohana sighed, looking noticeably perplexed.
"What is it?" Shunsui asked.
"When I performed the autopsy on Captain Aizen's body, I found some… Discrepancies..." Unohana muttered.
"Discrepancies? What do you mean?" Shunsui asked.
Unohana was about to explain to Shunsui what she had found, but was interrupted when another explosion rocked the Siereitei. Without another word, the two Captains immediately got up and went to investigate.
Over at the Squad One Barracks, the Head Captain had heard the explosions and when he looked out over the Seireitei, he saw plumes of black smoke rising from several buildings. He knew what had happened.
"Head Captain! We're under attack from several fronts! We're receiving reports of multiple casualties from different Squads!" Lieutenant Sasakibe cried as he rushed into Yamamoto's Office.
"So, you've decided to play your hand, Kisuke Urahara? Lieutenant Sasakibe! Give the order for all Captains to move to the front lines and engage the enemy! Leave none of them alive!" Yamamoto commanded, turning to his Lieutenant, who nodded and immediately left to relay the Head Captain's orders.
"I seems the battle has started. What are your orders, Lord Aizen?" Ulquiorra asked, looking over to the 'dead' Soul Reaper.
"Link up with Halibel and her Fracción, then target Squad Four. They are the most vital to the Soul Reapers, as they are the Medical Corps. Leave no survivors." Aizen explained as he looked on at the damage in the Seireitei from his hideout.
Ulquiorra simply bowed to Aizen before he vanished with Sonído, ready to do his Lord's bidding.
On the other side of the Seireitei, near Squad Ten, Halibel and her Fracción were closing in on Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure. While they hadn't experienced it for themselves, they could feel an incredibly dark and heavy resonance that felt a lot like an Arrancar's Spiritual Pressure, so all they did was simply follow it.
Halibel felt it before her Fracción, and certainly before Orihime could even begin to perceive it, and she turned around to see Ulquiorra had arrived, ready to assist her.
"What took you?" Halibel asked bluntly.
"Our Lord had me attend to another important mission. We have new orders; we are to attack Squad Four; the Medical Corps," Ulquiorra responded emptily before his pale green eyes fell on Orihime. "What is this?"
"A Human who was friends with Ichigo Kurosaki. If he does not wish to comply, she can be used as a bargaining chip," Halibel stated, not even looking at Orihime as she spoke.
"You would bring Human trash along with you whilst on a mission? I never took you for a fool, Tercera..." Ulquiorra stated, staring at Halibel.
"Do not misunderstand, Quarto, I care not if she lives or dies, but it will likely make Ichigo Kurosaki cooperate with us without resistance," Halibel responded.
The exchange between the two Espadas frightened Orihime, who began to shake, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Slowly turning around, Orihime found the hand belonged to Sung-Sun, who simply shook her head.
"Do not despair… As long as you follow Master Halibel and do as she says, you won't be harmed..." Sung-Sun stated, but her words did little to reassure Orihime, who let out a shaky whimper.
"I hope it knows how to fight, because we're about to go into a warzone," Ulquiorra stated before he took the lead and made his way over to Squad Four to carry out Aizen's orders.
"Hey! Just who the hell does he think he is?!" Apacci shouted. "How dare he talk to Master Halibel like he's the superior Espada!"
"E-Espada?" Orihime stammered, still terrified by Ulquiorra.
"Yes, the Espada are the ten strongest Arrancar in Hueco Mundo. Master Halibel is known as the Tercera Espada; the third strongest. Master Ulquiorra is the Quarto Espada, the fourth strongest. Usually, if a lesser Arrancar addresses an Espada with disrespect, they usually don't live long to talk about it. However, we are on mission, and Master Halibel has better things to do than start a fight because of how blunt Master Ulquiorra can be," Sung-Sun explained, before she grabbed Orihime's hand tightly. "Now hold on; this is going to feel very strange."
Before Orihime could say anything, she felt the floor being ripped out from underneath her as she started to see the world rush by her, and her ears filled with a loud buzzing sound. In mere seconds, she found herself somewhere else, and couldn't comprehend what had happened.
"Wow, you handled that well…" Apacci scoffed.
"Well, she hasn't started throwing up, so I'd say she did," Mila Rose commented, nodding in approval.
"Focus, ladies. We're not here to chit-chat," Halibel snapped, forcing her Fracción to pay attention to their surroundings.
"What are your orders, Master?" Sung-Sun asked.
"Ulquiorra?" Halibel looked over at the pale Arrancar, who simply nodded.
"Kill them all," Ulquiorra stated coldly as he raised a hand and pointed a long finger at the building in front of him. A small pale green orb of Spirit Energy began to form at the tip of his finger.
"No, don't!" Orihime cried, hoping her words would stop Ulquiorra. Unfortunately, they had no effect.
"Cero," Ulquiorra muttered as he released the orb of Spirit Energy.
The Cero Ulquiorra unleashed was cataclysmic in Orihime's eyes. The discharged Spirit Energy was far greater than what Halibel had used as a display of power to convince Orihime she'd be better off with her than on her own. If Halibel is meant to be stronger than Ulquiorra, does that mean she was simply holding back? Orihime wasn't sure, but the mere thought of such a thing terrified her to her very core.
The Cero raced towards the Squad Four Barracks and detonated when it made impact with the building. The sheer force of the explosion shook the earth, and caused a thick black cloud to form, which started to rise up into the sky, creating a mushroom cloud that could be seen from all over the Seireitei.
"Yeah! We got 'em!" Apacci cheered, watching as the thick cloud of smoke began to block out the sun.
"Did you, though? My, I am impressed," a voice responded from behind the smokescreen.
"What?! How?!" Mila Rose shouted in disbelief.
"If you think an Arrancar can stop us, you're sorely mistaken..." Another voice spoke, a voice that was familiar to Halibel, her Fracción, and Orihime.
"You… HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!" Apacci screamed as the smoke dissipated, and standing before the five Arrancar, and Orihime were two figures.
"It would seem the Arrancar aren't familiar with Kidō. Would you like to explain to them how they failed, Captain Unohana?" Isshin turned, looking at his ally next to him.
"It's called 'Dankū'. A Barrier Spell that deflects all Spirit Energy based attacks up to a certain power level. While I cannot deny that your attack was powerful, it was no match for us," Unohana explained, with an impassive look on her face.
"I see… Then perhaps we shouldn't hold back?" Halibel mused, looking at Ulquiorra, who nodded in agreement.
"The Director General never forbade us from using that, so I believe we are justified, in this instance," Ulquiorra stated, as he removed his Zanpakutō from its scabbard and held it out in front of him.
Isshin and Unohana readied themselves for whatever Ulquiorra and Halibel were planning, but became perplexed when they watched Halibel hold out her left hand, as Ulquiorra cut it open with his Zanpakutō, before doing the same to his right hand. As their blood covered their hands dripped onto the ground, both Espadas raised their bloodied hands and held their open palms at the two Captains.
Immediately, black lightning began to crackle around the Arrancars' hands. As Spirit Energy started to gather, the black lightning in Halibel's hand began to turn dark yellow, whilst Ulquiorra's turned dark green. Both Isshin and Unohana knew what they were watching was bad.
"Grand Rey Cero," Halibel and Ulquiorra spoke in unison.
"I don't think Dankū is going to stop this, Retsu..." Isshin muttered as he watched the two Arrancar fired their Ceros at Squad Four again.
If Orihime thought Ulquiorra's Cero was cataclysmic, then the combined power of both Halibel and Ulquiorra firing off an even more powerful Cero was on a magnitude that far exceeded that. This attack's power was unprecedented. The sheer destructive force of two Grand Rey Ceros was nigh incomprehensible.
The two Ceros ripped through the air, literally ripping the atmosphere apart as they flew directly at Isshin and Unohana. Orihime watched at the projectiles collided with the two Captains, and detonated; a bright white light flooded Orihime's vision as an explosion that was far more destructive rocked the area around her.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself overlooking the Seireitei from atop a giant cliff in the centre of the Soul Reaper's stronghold. As she took stock of her surroundings, she laid eyes upon Squad Four, or what had replaced it.
The entire Squad Four Barracks had been eviscerated. The only reason Orihime was even able to recognise that it was Squad Four was because of the massive crater that was there. The damage Squad Four had suffered was incredible. In fact, there was no 'Squad Four' left. All of it had been wiped away and all that was left was a scar on the earth that was about half a kilometre long.
"Well, that sure was close. I can't believe we managed to make it out of there alive," Apacci laughed, as Orihime understood what had happened to her.
At the very last second, as the Espadas Ceros detonated, they had all been whisked away from the blast by using Sonído. Again, it was Sung-Sun who saved Orihime from annihilation, by taking her along with the other Arrancar.
"You should have left the moment we cut our hands. Why would you do something so foolish? You could have died!" Halibel snapped, looking down at her Fracción with a dark glare.
"W-We just wanted to see you kill those bastards!" Apacci protested.
"You could have done that from here. You brats could have put the plan in jeopardy with your stubbornness," Ulquiorra sighed, making his irritation and displeasure known.
"We're sorry, Master Halibel, Master Ulquiorra. We won't make the same mistake again," Sung-Sun apologised, bowing to the two Espadas.
"Argh, fuck! I think I got hit by some debris from the blast!" Mila Rose growled, as she pulled a sharp object from her gut, which tore out a portion of her innards, causing her to scream.
What Mila Rose pulled from her gut wasn't a piece of debris, it was a small throwing knife, one with a razor sharp set of teeth inlaid on both sides, designed to cause massive damage to the target if they tried to remove it.
"You fool! What have you done?!" Halibel shouted, as blood began to pour from Mila Rose's stomach.
"How…? How did that get there?!" Apacci yelled, her voice filled with panic and disbelief.
"Hmm, it appears I wasn't seeing things..." Ulquiorra commented, as he watched Halibel's Fracción bleed out on the ground.
"No, that female Captain definitely threw a knife, but Mila Rose wasn't the target..." Halibel muttered as she turned to look at Orihime, her eyes burning with anger. "You were."
"Wha-what? Why me?!" Orihime stammered, both confused at why she was the target, and frightened by Halibel's gaze.
"That doesn't matter… If we don't get her some help, she's going to die," Ulquiorra stated as he assessed the damage Unohana's throwing knife had done to Mila Rose.
"W-Wait! I… I can fix her!" Orihime cried, realising that her life was now inexplicably linked to Mila Rose's; if she died, then Orihime would die at the hands of Halibel.
"You're a medic?" Sung-Sun asked, her long sleeved robe covering her mouth, which was trembling in worry for her fellow Fracción's life.
"N-No… But my abilities can heal her… I'll show you," Orihime mumbled as she knelt down over Mila Rose, who was rapidly bleeding out and going pale. "Sōten Kisshun; I Reject!"
Upon Orihime speaking, two small flashes of light flew out of her hair clips and bathed Mila Rose in a warm, golden light. In seconds, the wound in Mila Rose's gut started to heal, and everyone watched in awe, even Halibel couldn't help but stare in fascination as Mila Rose's innards began to return inside her body, and the wound shrunk until it no longer existed.
Ulquiorra, having no emotional attachment to Halibel's Fracción, found Orihime's powers interesting. He knew it wasn't simple healing through Spirit Energy, but something more. He deduced it was some kind of temporal and spatial regression, that completely rejected whatever Orihime wanted it to. He then realised Orihime's value spiked massively, and instead of being 'Human Trash', she was now a very powerful asset; one that Lord Aizen could fully benefit from.
Ulquiorra decided then and there that he had a new mission; protect Orihime at all costs.
While the Arrancar were celebrating their victory over destroying Squad Four, the duo of Isshin and Captain Unohana had returned to Squad Eight's Barracks, where they found all of Unohana's Squad Four running about, trying to tend to the wounded from the Visored's surprise attack on the Seireitei.
"Captain, I'm going to go investigate this alone. I need you to initiate Protocol Omega," Shunsui commanded as they both left Unohana's office after the first explosion.
"Captain Kyōraku, are you sure such a thing is required?" Unohana asked.
"Yes, I believe so. Kisuke knows Squad Four is the Medical Corps, and that destroying it will mean we can't heal our wounded. I want you to gather up everything you need and move to Squad Eight. Nanao will be there, ready to assist. In the meantime, I'll go and assess the situation. I imagine the Head Captain will want all Captains on the front lines for this one," Shunsui responded, becoming unusually serious, which Unohana took as a sign to do what he requested of her.
Unohana left Shunsui to investigate the explosion, and immediately wet to help her Squad discreetly move their field hospital and personnel to the Squad Eight Barracks. As she was directing the move, Isshin entered the building, and saw everyone frantically rushing about.
"Captain, what's going on?!" Isshin called out as he rushed over to Unohana, with the kids immediately going to assist the members of Squad Four.
"Captain Kyōraku has given the order to move to Squad Eight. We can't risk Kisuke or his experiments destroying Squad Four and eliminating our medical capabilities. Please, help where you can," Unohana stated, giving Isshin orders as if he were a member of her Squad.
"At once, Captain!" Isshin responded, and immediately went to help Isane move some medical equipment.
Squad Four had quickly moved everything they would need to Squad Eight, and it was just Isshin and Unohana in the main building, when they sensed two strong Spiritual Pressure signatures from outside. Isshin immediately recognised one of them.
"Halibel… She's here, but this other one, I don't recognise it. It's strong, but not as strong as hers," Isshin muttered.
"Then we should probably go and greet our guests. It would be rude not to," Unohana responded, giving Isshin a small smile.
Both Isshin and Unohana looked outside to see Halibel and Ulquiorra standing before the barracks, but that wasn't the most shocking thing. For Isshin, seeing Orihime with the Arrancar was the thing that shocked him.
"Orihime?!" Isshin whispered. "I don't believe it..."
"Focus, Isshin. We need to protect Squad Four, give it the illusion that people are still here," Unohana reminded Isshin.
Isshin turned his attention to Ulquiorra, who was pointing a finger at the building, as green Spirit Energy began to form at the tip.
"Shit! That thing is going to level this place!" Isshin shouted as he rushed outside with Unohana.
"Cero," Ulquiorra muttered as he released the orb of Spirit Energy.
The green projectile flew towards Isshin and Unohana rapidly, but the two Captain Class Soul Reapers remained calm and composed.
"Isshin, you know what to do!" Unohana stated as she raised her right arm, prompting Isshin to do the same.
"Bakudō Number Eighty-One; Dankū!"
Both Isshin and Unohana managed to cast Dankū in the nick of time, as the two barriers rose up, Ulquiorra's Cero smashed into them, detonating on impact. Both barriers began to crack under the immense force of the explosion, but remained intact. As the smoke began to dissipate, Isshin and Unohana allowed their barriers to fall, and they heard the sound of someone talking.
"Yeah! We got 'em!" Apacci cheered, watching as the thick cloud of smoke began to block out the sun.
"Did you, though? My, I am impressed," Unohana responded from behind the smokescreen.
"What?! How?!" Mila Rose shouted in disbelief.
"If you think an Arrancar can stop us, you're sorely mistaken..." Isshin stated.
"You… HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!" Apacci screamed as the smoke dissipated, and standing before the five Arrancar, and Orihime were none other than Isshin and Unohana.
"It would seem the Arrancar aren't familiar with Kidō. Would you like to explain to them how they failed, Captain Unohana?" Isshin turned, looking at his ally next to him.
"It's called 'Dankū'. A Barrier Spell that deflects all Spirit Energy based attacks up to a certain power level. While I cannot deny that your attack was powerful, it was no match for us," Unohana explained, with an impassive look on her face.
"I see… Then perhaps we shouldn't hold back?" Halibel mused, looking at Ulquiorra, who nodded in agreement.
"The Director General never forbade us from using that, so I believe we are justified, in this instance," Ulquiorra stated, as he removed his Zanpakutō from its scabbard and held it out in front of him.
Isshin and Unohana readied themselves for whatever Ulquiorra and Halibel were planning, but became perplexed when they watched Halibel hold out her left hand, as Ulquiorra cut it open with his Zanpakutō, before doing the same to his right hand. As their blood covered their hands dripped onto the ground, both Espadas raised their bloodied hands and held their open palms at the two Captains.
Immediately, black lightning began to crackle around the Arrancars' hands. As Spirit Energy started to gather, the black lightning in Halibel's hand began to turn dark yellow, whilst Ulquiorra's turned dark green. Both Isshin and Unohana knew what they were watching was bad.
"Grand Rey Cero," Halibel and Ulquiorra spoke in unison.
"I don't think Dankū is going to stop this, Retsu..." Isshin muttered as he watched the two Arrancar fired their Ceros at Squad Four again.
Both Soul Reapers knew Dankū wasn't going to be able to do anything to stop this attack. Instead, they decided to throw a dummy and escape before the attack would hit Squad Four. The Grand Rey Ceros were so powerful, they could see them literally ripping through space. With mere seconds to spare, Unohana flicked her left arm, and a throwing knife dropped from her sleeve, which she aimed directly at Orihime before she and Isshin used Flash Step to escape the impending destruction.
What Unohana didn't see was that at the last second, Mila Rose moved in front of Orihime, and took the knife strike without even realising it.
Now that Unohana and Isshin had arrived safely at Squad Eight, with the Arrancar assuming they had been killed, Unohana turned to Isshin with a smile.
"I believe I should get to work. There seems to be a lot for me to do. You should go and help the other Squads. The Head Captain has called a temporary ceasefire with you and your group, so you'll be welcomed like an ally," Unohana explained as she turned and walked off.
"Retsu, wait… That knife you threw..." Isshin began, causing Unohana to stop in her tracks. "You were aiming for her, weren't you?"
"I was," Unohana stated without hesitation. "Always target the weakest of the group first, and it was painstakingly obvious she was the weakest link."
"Retsu..." Isshin muttered.
"She's a traitor, Isshin. I cannot simply ignore that just because she came here with you, or because she's Ichigo's friend. I am a Captain of one of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and it is my duty to eliminate any outside threats, and traitors," Unohana replied, turning to Isshin and revealing a dark look on her face.
"What about me then? Am I not a traitor?" Isshin snapped, getting annoyed with how casually she spoke about eliminating Orihime.
"You… You're different, Isshin. It has nothing to do with the fact I still love you, but instead that you were tricked. Kisuke Urahara played you and you got trapped in the World of the Living. I know you would have come back if you tried. In my eyes, you were never a traitor, you were just a man with a heart of gold who had that exploited," Unohana muttered, looking down at the floor. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have wounded to look after. Go do as I asked, and assist your fellow Captains."
Isshin, while rocked by what Unohana had just told him, did as she asked, and he went to find Shunsui, as he would know what to do.
Ichigo was still in his cell under the Squad Ten Barracks when he first felt the rumbling from the explosions that Kisuke's Visored had created when they launched their attack. He also felt the earthquake that Ulquiorra and Halibel's Grand Rey Cero had caused, and decided he could no longer stay in his cell.
Thankfully, he still had his Zanpakutō that Gin had smuggled in for him, and used it to easily cut through the bars of his cell. Using the skills he had picked up during his tenure as Captain of Squad Two, Ichigo managed to escape the Squad Ten Barracks without being detected.
Now he was finally free, Ichigo set out to find the person who had killed Captain Aizen, and framed him for it in the process. After what Gin had told him, he had a likely candidate in mind for who was responsible, and now it was a simple matter of making them pay.
That, however, was easier said than done, and considering Yoruichi was once the Supreme Commander of the Stealth Force, and Kisuke had been her Third Seat, and the Captain of Squad Twelve, Ichigo knew the matter was anything but simple.
As Ichigo ran across the rooftops of the Seireitei, he felt an unknown Spiritual Pressure getting closer. What confused him was the Spiritual Pressure felt like it was above him. Ichigo stopped in his tracks, which proved to be a smart decision, as a few seconds later, a large object came crashing down some five feet away from him. If hadn't stopped running, he would have been caught underneath it.
Ichigo stared cautiously as the dust and debris began to settle, and to his surprise, he found himself staring a small green haired girl in a white and orange jumpsuit. That, however, wasn't the bizarre part. The bizarre part was the fact she was wearing a Hollow mask that looked like a hornet.
The small girl just stood there, breathing long, raspy breaths, before she vanished with Flash Step and appeared behind Ichigo, high enough in the air to kick him in the head.
"Mashiro Kick!" The small Visored wailed, delivering a powerful blow towards Ichigo's head.
Ichigo, however, had telegraphed the attempt, and managed to lean back to avoid the kick, but the miss was marginal. Ichigo could feel the air sting the tip of his nose as the kick barely missed his face.
After hearing the Visored's attack, Ichigo deduced he was dealing with Mashiro Kuna, the former Lieutenant of Squad Nine. He knew she wasn't a pushover, and now that she had both Hollow and Soul Reaper powers, Ichigo knew she was very dangerous.
That didn't stop Ichigo from fighting back though. As he leaned back to dodge Mashiro's kick, he grabbed her other foot and swung her through the air, smashing her small body into the roof they were standing on.
The roof shattered and the impact caused Mashiro to fall through the roof and down into the building below, smashing a bevy of ceramic pots that were used to store foodstuffs that had a long shelf-life.
Ichigo jumped down into the storeroom, and as soon as he did, found himself being tackled through the wall, and out into the street. Mashiro had managed to pull a fake-out, and used her incredible speed and the element of surprise to attack the Squad Thirteen Captain.
As the two sprawled out onto the street, Ichigo managed to use his momentum and roll through, pushing Mashiro off and away with his feet, before standing up to block a strong punch, which would have definitely damaged his internal organs if he hadn't defended himself.
A quick assessment told Ichigo that we was going to have to rely on his Hakuda skills in order to defeat Mashiro, as he couldn't see a Zanpakutō anywhere on her person, and since her jumpsuit was skintight, there was no way she was concealing it under her clothes, and due to her exceptional speed, he knew using his own Zanpakutō would be counterproductive.
The two combatants traded blows in rapid succession, and each missed punch or kick that was delivered into a wall or the ground smashed the area to pieces. During the fight, Ichigo was constantly thankful of his time in Squad Two for making him a Master of Hakuda. If he hadn't been Captain of Squad Two, he would definitely be on the back foot for the entire fight, and that could easily result in his death, as Mashiro wasn't pulling her punches; she was definitely trying to kill Ichigo.
As the fight continued, Ichigo managed to grab Mashiro's fist as she tried to deliver another punch and swung her over his shoulder, in an attempt to drive her into the ground. Unfortunately, Mashiro had anticipated this, and as she went over Ichigo's shoulder, she pushed her feet off of Ichigo's back and launched herself into the air.
"Mashiro Drop Kick!" Mashiro growled, as she stuck one leg out and descended towards Ichigo with blinding speed.
Ichigo dodged with Flash Step, which made a loud buzzing sound, which caught Mashiro off guard. Even in her Hollowfied state, Mashiro knew Ichigo hadn't performed a normal Flash Step. Ichigo now had the upper hand, and with Mashiro's back to him, he had the perfect opportunity to strike.
"Hadō Number Sixty-Three; Raikōhō!" Ichigo shouted as he unleashed the Kidō spell from point blank range.
The spell slammed into Mashiro's back, burning through her jumpsuit and badly scorching her skin. What surprised Ichigo about the spell wasn't the damage it had caused, but the appearance of it. Normally, Raikōhō should be a bright yellow colour. Ichigo's wasn't; his Raikōhō was black and crimson.
That didn't bother Ichigo, as the Kidō spell had done an incredible amount of damage to Mashiro, and she was now wailing in pain, struggling to get up. Then, Ichigo could hear a faint hissing as steam began to rise from Mashiro's back.
To his surprise, Mashiro's back was slowly healing itself. The burned flesh was rapidly scabbing over, before a fresh layer of her skin started forming almost instantly afterward. After a few seconds, the wound on Mashiro's back was completely healed, and she turned around and screamed at Ichigo.
Something inside Mashiro had snapped. Ichigo could figure that much, but what he didn't expect was for Mashiro to become enhanced. Her speed almost doubled, her strength had tripled, and now Ichigo was in deep trouble. His foe was too fast, and her attacks were wearing him down; it wouldn't be long before Mashiro would be able to break through Ichigo's defense and fatally injure him. Ichigo knew something had to be done.
"What are you waiting for?! Rip her fucking mask off!" Zangetsu roared, his voice echoing inside Ichigo's head.
"What the f–? How are you able to talk! You should be locked in that damn cage!" Ichigo snapped, taken by surprise at hearing the voice of his Zanpakutō Spirit.
"I told you that prison wouldn't be able to hold me forever! But that's not important. You need to shut up and do as I say, otherwise we're going to die!"Zangetsu growled.
"How is ripping her mask off going to help?" Ichigo asked as he ducked down to avoid a roundhouse kick from Mashiro.
"Why is everything you say so fucking stupid?! That mask is powering the little bitch! You rip the fucker off, and she can't fight!" Zangetsu spat, clearly angry at Ichigo's lack of knowledge on Hollowfied Soul Reapers.
Ichigo ignored Zangetsu and continued to duck and weave as Mashiro's onslaught continued. While he was reluctant to take Zangetsu's advice, Ichigo did do as his Zanpakutō Spirit suggested, and tried going for Mashiro's mask and try to rip it off her face.
Unfortunately for Ichigo, Mashiro was too fast and he couldn't catch her in order to pull the mask off of her. So, he decided it was time to go on the offensive and wear her down. As Mashiro leapt at him in a wild frenzy Ichigo sidestepped the Visored, grabbed the collar and the hole in her jumpsuit, and flung her face first into a nearby wall. Mashiro's body made a sickening cracking sound as her skull and spine broke in several places before she dropped to the floor with a dull thud.
Ichigo knew that wasn't the end of things, but he didn't expect Mashiro's instant regeneration to be so quick, despite the name of the ability her Hollow powers gave her. Within seconds, Mashiro was already standing up, and cracking her spine back into place, which had been horribly disfigured from the impact with the wall.
Ichigo knew he had only seconds to get ready for the final attack. He immediately pulled his Zanpakutō off his back and took a fighting stance.
"Disrupt; Zangetsu!" Ichigo shouted as black and red Spirit Energy exploded all around him.
Mashiro felt the intense Spiritual Pressure Ichigo was giving off, and turned around, becoming weary of her opponent. This cautious approach by Mashiro was just what Ichigo needed.
"Bankai!" Ichigo roared, causing the black and red Spirit Energy to surround him like a tornado. The magnitude of his Spiritual Pressure increased dramatically, allowing everyone in the Seireitei to feel it, and how powerful it was.
As the cyclone of Spirit Energy subsided, Ichigo's Bankai form was revealed, his Captain's Coat had gone, but was replaced by a long black coat, with Squad Thirteen's number emblazoned on the back of it. The long black blade of Tensa Zangetsu glimmered in the sunlight as he flipped the sword and stabbed the tip of it into the ground.
Ichigo's intention for using Bankai wasn't to use sheer force to overpower Mashiro; he was using it to enhance his speed to an even greater level than hers. To Mashiro, Ichigo hadn't even moved when she started seeing multiple copies of the Squad Thirteen Captain start to appear, but that was because Ichigo was moving so fast that Mashiro couldn't perceive his movements, so it looked like he was simply standing still.
Before Mashiro could even react, she felt a hard force slam into the back of her head, sending her falling forward, but then felt another hard force slam into her face, sending her small body up into the air. As she reached the apex of her ascension, she was pounded from all angles by a rapid succession of strikes, causing her to scream and wail in anger and frustration.
Mashiro was able to look up into the sky as she finally managed to catch a glimpse of Ichigo, who was standing above her, with his arm held out in front of him.
"Hadō Number Sixty-Three; Raikōhō!" Ichigo yelled, as he fired another blast of black and red lightning at Mashiro, and sending her back down to earth, smashing into the floor, and sending tiny pieces of shrapnel everywhere.
Ichigo slowly fell back to the ground and landed on his feet as he looked down into the crater and saw Mashiro's body, badly burned and damaged, and unmoving. Ichigo saw that the majority of her mask had been blown off, and the visible part of her face was burned and bloodied from the Raikōhō she took, and decided that she was finished.
As Ichigo walked away and went to retrieve Tensa Zangetsu from the ground where he had stabbed it, Ichigo heard a faint grumbling sound coming from behind him. Turning around, Ichigo saw a heavily injured Mashiro, barely able to stand under her own power, as she staggered towards him, her mask slowly starting to reform.
Ichigo had had enough. He had tried to end the fight without going overboard, but he could see now that he had no other option. As Mashiro lurched towards him, Ichigo took up an unarmed combat stance, ready to end the fight once and for all.
As Mashiro's instant regeneration started to heal her wounds, and her body was able to move properly, Ichigo took a defensive stance and raised his right hand. Mashiro's movements became more normal, and quicker as a result and she started snarling as she ran at Ichigo, like a rabid animal.
Mashiro got two feet from Ichigo before she died. As soon as she moved within that two foot radius, she was slashed across the chest with such incredible force that she collapsed, screaming in agony. The screaming lasted all but a few seconds before it ceased, as blood leaked out of the eyes of Mashiro's mask.
Ichigo had eliminated Mashiro in the same manner as he had tried to kill Momo. Nekketsu. The strike was clean and precise, slashing directly across the heart, ripping Mashiro's chest open whilst simultaneously burning the wound and clotting the blood. The pain was so intense that it caused her heart to explode, killing her instantly. Ichigo knew this, and turned away from the body and carried on to collect his Zanpakutō.
"What are you doing, you idiot?! Rip her mask off!" Zangetsu shouted, sounding desperate for Ichigo to do as he said.
"Why? She's already dead," Ichigo responded, not sounding the least bit concerned about Mashiro.
"You really are an idiot, huh? You really think that will stop her?! You threw her face first into a fucking wall, shattered her spine and smashed her skull to pieces, and she still got up! Rip her mask off and kill her properly!" Zangetsu screamed.
"Alright, alright… Fuck sake… I don't know why it's such a big deal to you, but if it'll shut you the fuck up, I'll rip her goddamn mask off," Ichigo growled as he turned around and walked back over to Mashiro's body.
The Visored wasn't moving, but considering he had seen what the instant regeneration could do, he assumed it wouldn't be too long before it repaired the damage he had done, and Mashiro would recover, ready to go again.
Ichigo knelt down and grabbed hold of Mashiro's mask, his hand smearing the blood from her eyes as he placed his hand right over the top of it. Ichigo tugged on the mask, and with a great deal of effort, he managed to tear the mask off Mashiro's face.
What happened next completely caught Ichigo off guard, and set him on a path from which he would never be able to come back from.
As he tore the mask off Mashiro's face, her body was engulfed with a huge vortex of green Spirit Energy, which slowly turned black and dark green, before becoming black and crimson. As the raging torrent of Spirit Energy increased, Ichigo's body began to absorb the Spirit Energy, which caused a massive explosion, covering a large area in black fire and immolating Mashiro's body into naught but ash.
Eventually, the flaming Spirit Energy subsided, all of it being absorbed into Ichigo's body, and caused him to fall to the floor himself. Ichigo simply lay there, face down on the round for a few seconds, before he rolled over and opened his eyes and looked at the sky.
To Ichigo, the world around him remained unchanged, but to anyone who would see Ichigo's eyes would tell another story.
Ichigo's eyes had now turned completely gold; just like Zangetsu's.
A/N; Yo, what up? It's ya boy, back again after another long hiatus! Ok, but seriously, this time it had nothing to do with me and who I am as a person… Not entirely. My laptop decided to fuck itself and break on me, which meant I lost a hell of a lot of progress. I'd managed to carve out this plus the next two chapters, which I had intended on uploading all at once as a gift to you all for being away for so long, but since I can't recover the files (No, I didn't upload them to a Cloud Server, or an External HDD. Yes, I know that was a rookie mistake, but we all learn from our mistakes), I had to start all over.
That in and of itself was a pain, as I couldn't remember if what I had written was stuff I already published, and since I like to avoid any continuity errors (which there probably are still some in this Fanfic, I do like to reduce the amount of them as a whole).
You're probably asking 'If your laptop is broken, how have you been able to write this Chapter, Uncle Pastasaurus?' Well, my dear friends and readers, I managed to find and dust off my old PC that I had back in 2012. Yes, it's old. No, I don't have money for a new one, but I don't need a new one, as it does all the things I need it to; open Word Documents and connect to the Internet so I can upload this story for you.
Man, I can't believe it's been so long since I last updated this story, and its been almost 4 years since I started it… Wow, 2020, huh? Look, I just wanna say real quick that if you've been waiting for me to upload, thank you. I still get e-mail notifications when someone favourites and follows this story, and considering it's been ages since I last updated it (1 Year, 6 Days to be precise), the fact people still read this thing… Well, it means a lot to me. Thank you, truly.
Alright, now we've established I'm an asshole who procrastinates like a motherfucker, I will try and make sure y'all aren't waiting another year and six days for the next chapter. I'd say maybe a fortnight (2 weeks, for those of you who don't know what a fortnight is (and I don't mean that shitty game that became popular since I've been away)), a month at the absolute maximum.
Finally, thank you for those who have sent messages and reviews of support and asking for this story's continuation. It means a lot and it always makes me smile to see you guys enjoying my work.
One more thing, just in case I haven't covered this in previous chapters, I use song titles to name my chapters. Starting from Chapter Nineteen, all chapters have been named after songs of various artists I listen to, so being the piece of shit that I am, I shall list them for you;
Chapter Nineteen; Complications by Scar The Martyr
Chapter Twenty; Necessary Evil by Motionless In White (feat. Jonathan Davis of KoRn)
Chapter Twenty One; Built To Fall by Trivium
Chapter Twenty Two; World At War by Zardonic
Chapter Twenty Three; Nekketsu by Rise Of The Northstar (This is a band who were inspired by Anime and Manga and their music reflects that (Their name is taken from the classic Fist Of The Northstar))
Chapter Twenty Four; Against All Odds by Zardonic
Alright, I'm finished for now. I wonder how many people actually read these things? Oh well, I'm sure of of you do.
Peace out, homies!