Reincarnated Into the World of Bleach

by onetim3

Kishin. Chigetsu Kishin. He was an assassin, student, grandson, one could call him many things but there was none more accurate than what he was right now. Dead...or so he thought. A loud roar echoed in the streets as a creature with a giant hole in its chest approached. He watched in disbelief as several Shinigami intercepted it. "I-It can't be. A Hollow? Did I...reincarnate?"

35. The New Captains

AN: Hey everyone, hope you all are doing well. As the title suggests I'm sure you all have figured out what part of today's chapter is about. There are 3 vacant Captain positions so let's see if Kishin gets one of those...

As always, thanks for your continued support!

Vocabulary Terms:

*Baka (Bakamono) = Fool/Idiot
*Onii-sama = Big Brother
*Obasan = Aunt
*Chappy = Most popular soul candy with a cutesy personality and depicted as a bunny.
*Ryoka = Traveling Evil(s)/ outsiders not associated with the Seireitei
*Senzaikyu = Palace of Penitence/Repentance Palace
*Sekkiseki = Spirit reducing stone, a special mineral with properties that allows it to repel all reiryoku.
*Shakonmaku = Soul-Warding Membrane. A large spherical barrier surrounding the Seireitei that vaporizes any reishi that tries to pass through the barrier.
*Sokyoku = Twinned Punishment. A giant halberd currently sealed on the Sokyoku Hill and used to execute nefarious criminals of the Soul Society.
*Seijotokyorin = Tranquil Forest of Residential Towers. The living quarters of the Central 46 members that is completely forbidden to all except the members of the Central 46.
*Daireishokairo = Great Spirit Book Gallery. A repository of all the knowledge and history of the Soul Society with restricted access to very few. Even many Captains are unaware of its inner workings.
*Negacion (Negation): A pillar of yellow light that Menos use to envelope their comrades to save them. Within the light is a completely isolated space that cannot be interacted with from the outside.
*Auswahlen (Holy Selection): Forcibly steals the power of a Quincy and returns it to the Quincy King.

Reading the story:

-Scene change: "888"

-Rated M Scene: "XXX"

-Hello, how are you? (Someone in their own thoughts)
-Hello how are you? (Zanpakuto Spirit speaking in a Shinigami's mind)

-"Hello, how are you doing?"(Hollow Ichigo taking over Ichigo's body and speaking)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach.

---

Chapter 35

The light of the sun bore down on the streets of the Seireitei generating a hot and humid heat that somewhat irritated the already frustrated Shinigami that were working and moving from one place to another dealing with the aftermath of Aizen's rebellion. Kishin was also slightly annoyed as he sat at his office desk staring at the stacks and stacks of paperwork that had filled up on his wooden mahogany table. He let out a sigh and pulled another sheet of paper off from the top and started to look it over whilst deep in thought about the current state of affairs.

Things were left in disarray after Aizen's plot since the command of Central 46 was entirely gone. Obviously because Aizen had killed them. And since Aizen, Gin, and Tosen were originally Captain's of the Gotei 13 they had left a void in the chain of command having defected and leaving those posts empty. At the very least there still happened to be Lieutenants for division 3 and 9 that kept things moving along, however the 5th division as a whole was in shambles. While Hinamori did regain her consciousness after being treated by Unohana for a month, her condition still wasn't very stable. The plus side was that she no longer attempted to kill herself, but due to Aizen's extensive brainwashing over her mind she was still in a state of recovery and was in no shape to resume her duties as a Lieutenant. With no one in command of the 5th division all of their work was left suspended in midair collecting and piling high with things unchecked. Well, at least that was the case before certain decisions were made to fix this problem.

Kishin sighed and put the document he signed over to the completed pile before picking up a document from the unfinished 5th division pile and started to look it over.

"Tch. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if the true reason Gin joined Aizen was to simply get away from this annoying paperwork. Honestly, what a drag."

After checking that the contents of the document met his criteria he signed it and placed it on the completed pile.

Tap.

The sound of his pen hitting the table echoed in his still and quiet room as he leaned back and stretched, temporarily lying down on the ground to stare up at the ceiling above.

"It's been about a month since Aizen's rebellion. With Central 46 dead the Captain Commander has the next highest authority over the ruling of Soul Society. According to Captain Ukitake, the Captain's meeting that was held after Aizen's defection discussed what the next plan of actions were going to be. It seems that R&D along with an intelligence report by Urahara confirmed that it would take about 4 months before the Hogyoku fully awakens for Aizen to utilize its power to have any substantial effect. That means there's only 3 months left to figure out what Aizen is planning to do and to then come up with a strategy to defeat him."

He fished inside his pocket for a bit before flipping open his denreishinki and stared at the screen that currently monitored Rukia's status. "Maybe I should have sent Kiyone or Sentaro instead of you…" He mumbled as he watched the dot on the screen beginning to move on the miniature map displayed and thought about Rukia's assignment in the World of the Living.

Flash Back 3 Weeks Ago

Fwish!

Whoosh!

"Oi, move it!"

"Hurry up, this building isn't going to fix itself!"

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

"Asano, did you get the okay to start?"

The streets of Seireitei were filled with people running around from one end to the other as each division did their best to keep up with the overload of work that had been handed to them. With Central 46 gone and 3 Captains gone the chain of command was temporarily in disarray. While defensively Soul Society continued to operate as normal thanks to the command of Yamamoto, the inner framework of business, communication, and other things of that like were in a state of chaos. Especially so for the 3rd, 5th, and 9th division.

Kishin watched indifferently at everyone's flustered state whilst he made his way to the 10th division grounds. He had promised Toshiro to help him train and so he was trying to keep his word, but when he got to said division he frowned, noticing the gloomy atmosphere in the air.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped with everything that happened. Toshiro's mood is probably affecting the morale of the division."

He walked up to Toshiro's quarters and knocked on the door announcing his arrival before letting himself in, however he paused and took a moment to take in the sight before him. There on a low wooden desk were piles and piles of paper. Kishin inwardly shuddered feeling an agonizing headache just looking at the sheets of white. Just peeking above the seemingly endless stacks were a few strands of spiky white hair obviously belonging to Toshiro.

Kishin then glanced to his left where he took in the sight of Rangiku lying down on a couch with a dead look in her eyes as there were also stacks of paper by her side.

"Guess...I came at a bad time?" He curiously commented.

Rangiku immediately woke up from her burden minded state and immediately clung onto his arm staring at him with pleading eyes as if she were a child who saw her savior that would protect her from being abused by her father. "Kishiiiin! You're here! Please please save me!"

Kishin just scratched the side of his cheek having no idea what Rangiku was getting at. "Save you from what?"

She immediately pointed an accusing finger at the pieces of white hair sticking up from behind a stack of documents and said, "From the Captain! This is punishment and torture I tell you! There's so much work to be done! Ugh! I just want to go out for a little bit and have a drink or two but the Captain keeps forcing me to stay inside to look over these grueling documents! Ahhh, I'm going to go crazy!"

Before Kishin could respond, Toshiro poked his head out and glared daggers at Rangiku. "Oi! Matsumoto! Get back to work!"

Rangiku immediately produced fake tears while batting her eyelashes at Kishin. "See? How mean. Can't you convince him to let me go out for a bit? Or better yet, keep him company. Just for a day or two!"

Kishin smirked, clearly amused and shook his head at Rangiku's exasperation before turning his attention to Toshiro. "What's brought all of this on? There's no way the 10th division would have this much work to do unless you've been neglecting your duties all year long."

Toshiro sighed and picked up another document looking it over. "You're right. The 10th division doesn't normally have this much work, but at the latest Captain's meeting I volunteered to take half of the 5th division's work. With Hinamori unconscious and no Captain to oversee things as well as the scrutiny and investigation going on of its members someone has to pick up the work."

"Oh? So that's how it is."

"Yeah, by the way, what brings you over here? Aren't you also busy?"

Kishin just shrugged. "I'll finish the 13th division's work later. I came because I promised you I'd help with your training but…"

Toshiro again, sighed and placed his hand atop a stack of paper. "Sorry Kishin. I know that I was the one who asked, but I can't let up or all of this stuff will really become a problem later on."

"Ah, don't worry about it. Seems you've got your hands full. You mentioned only taking half the work. Then who's taking the other half of the 5th division's work?"

Toshiro gave Kishin an awkward look before clearing his throat and hesitantly saying, "Ahem...Captain Ukitake volunteered to help."

…

For a good long minute the room remained completely quiet. It was then the sound of Rangiku falling to the floor echoed with a defeated thud as she started to complain about no longer being able to get Kishin to distract Toshiro for her to go out and play now that she knew that the 13th division was going to take on the other workload of the 5th division.

Again Toshiro coughed to clear his throat and said, "Aha...from the look on your face it seems that Ukitake hasn't told you yet...guess it seems we'll both be busy for awhile."

Kishin simply stared at the stack of paperwork on Toshiro's desk before lamenting that his desk was probably filled just as high right at this moment. With a loud sigh he turned around and opened the door.

"Why am I a Lieutenant again…" He silently grumbled and began his trek back to the 13th division leaving behind a defeated Rangiku and an annoyed Toshiro as the Captain started to yell at his Lieutenant to start getting back to work.

The moment Kishin made it back to the division he was immediately greeted by Jushiro.

"Shin-chan! You're back!"

Kishin noted the nervous and hesitant look in the Captain's eyes and immediately knew why as he had just finished speaking to Toshiro. "It's fine Captain. I already heard from Toshiro."

Jushiro's facial expression immediately turned guilty as he attempted to do his best to apologize. "I'm...ah, I'm sorry. Shin-chan. It's just, no one else volunteered to take on the work and I didn't want Shiro-chan to do the work of two full divisions so I couldn't help myself and stepped in. It wasn't until I already volunteered that I realized how much of a burden I'll be putting on you."

Kishin just waved his hand in the air dismissing Jushiro's worries. "It's fine Captain. I'd rather you not put too much strain on your health. Just leave it to me. Besides, Toshiro is my friend so I should help where I can."

Jushiro let out a sigh of relief noting that Kishin wasn't angry with him. He then turned a bit more serious as he said, "Shin-chan. At this morning's Captain's meeting we received word of disturbance in the World of the Living. Namely Karakura Town. Apparently Human Souls are being lost. Lieutenant Abarai was asked to investigate the matter, but as it is a place under the 13th division's supervision I also want you to send someone as well."

Kishin furrowed his brow and thought about a memory from his past.

Souls being lost? Could it be...the Bounts?

"Then, what if I-" He cut himself off as he recalled that his workload had just doubled.

Jushiro awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck knowing that Kishin was about to nominate himself to check out the issue, but realized that he couldn't now. "Sorry Shin-chan. I know you want to personally investigate and I would definitely support your decision in normal times but...the 13th division needs you right now. The Head Captain tasked me with searching the Central 46 Compound including the Seijotokyorin and the Daireishokairo to try and find what Aizen's true goal is. In my absence only you can properly run the 13th division. Sorry to dump such a huge responsibility on your shoulders."

Kishin sighed and looked up at the sky. "Haaah. No, it's fine." He then turned around and began walking towards his office. "I'll send someone I trust to investigate Captain. Don't worry about the division."

Jushiro nodded in appreciation as he watched Kishin walk off. "Thanks...Kishin."

Kishin frowned as he started thinking to himself about what Jushiro just said to him about disturbances happening in Karakura Town. No doubt he thought that it was caused by the Bounts. The problem he was facing now was who to send.

Should I send Sentaro? No, maybe Kiyone? Tch. But thinking about it...I'm not actually confident in their fighting capabilities nor am I confident in their ability to handle the situation.

Just as he was deep in thought he felt someone tackle him to the ground.

"Ufff!"

Thud.

He groaned whilst lying on the grassy training field just outside his office quarters.

A smile found its way to his lips as he heard the familiar cheery sound of Rukia's voice. "Hahaha! Your senses have grown a bit dull Kishin! Or maybe I've just gotten that much better."

A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes as he continued to lie on the ground holding the left side of his arm with a painful look on his face.

"Ugh...senpai...why'd you do that? Don't you know that I was injured too when I fought Aizen? Sure you can't see the wound but I still have internal damage."

Rukia immediately felt guilt wash over her as she quickly dashed over to his side. "K-Kishin? Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't know! I haven't been around the 13th division recently because of Nii-sama and you seemed fine when I saw you last time so I didn't think you were still hurt and I-"

Kishin grinned at her frantic rambling and immediately cut her off by pulling her down to the ground.

"AH!" She yelped as he pinned her beneath his much larger frame. "You...tricked me didn't you…"

Muah!

He pecked her lips and stared down at her cool violet eyes that shone like the gracefulness of the moon at night. "I was clearly fine when we met at Kukaku's. You fell too easily for that one senpai."

"Hmpf. You're taking advantage of me caring about your well-being. That's cheating." She attempted to keep a straight and unamused face, but she couldn't help her semi-flustered expression from the closeness of their bodies as the two of them hadn't been this intimately close in a long while. She unconsciously felt how warm and heavy he was causing her heart to beat faster and faster.

"Hahaha!" He let out a light hearted laugh and slowly snaked his left hand down grasping her slender waist to prevent her from moving as he continued, "You're the one who attacked me first, senpai."

"B-Baka! I was only playing a prank on you. Who knew that you'd let down your guard so much."

"Who says I let down my guard? ...Rukia." He whispered by her ear before taking a lick around the nape of her neck.

Rukia's entire body immediately shuddered in pleasure. The things that Kishin could make her feel and want...and with only a touch here and a word there. Her body was heating up. She instantly recalled the days when she spent her probation period living in his quarters and thought back to the nights when they joined their bodies together in a heated passion. She gritted her teeth and shut her eyes feeling the growing ache between her thighs.

This idiot...he can make me want him so easily it's unfair...it's been so long since we last…NO! Get yourself together Rukia! We're still outside for god's sake...

Kishin smirked as he noticed how she was trying so hard not to react to his ministrations. Her hips were quivering in his hand knowing that she wanted stimulation, but was fighting to keep herself under control. He was about to snake his hand beneath her hakama when he heard her meek and quiet voice. "D-Don't...please. Not here."

It was then he realized that they were still out in the open and that while she didn't reject his advances, she also wasn't feeling comfortable being so exposed in public view. He immediately bit his lip in guilt and quickly picked her up in his arms.

"I'm sorry Rukia. I got carried away." He said softly as he walked them into his office.

She let out a sigh of relief when they were both indoors and was about to berate him as they could have been seen, however when she glanced at his desk and noted the non-ending stacks of paperwork she elected to forego her scolding remark.

Seems like...he's already being punished.

Seeing the endless documents on his desk caused Kishin to sigh and gently put Rukia down. His mind wandered back to the issue in Karakura Town.

Should I have senpai go? But...Renji is being assigned there. What if they get closer? I still don't trust that guy...And Ichigo is there too...what if she and Ichigo get closer?

"Kishin?" Rukia questioned a bit concernedly as she noted how quiet and solemn he became.

He glanced down at her and felt a strong desire to keep her warm and safe where he could always see her, but his reason fought against his emotions as he knew that he'd probably suffocate her if he ever acted on wanting to possess her. He hated that he still felt this insecure when it came to her. He wanted to keep her safe, yet he didn't want her to hate him. He was scared of scaring her with how much he needed her. She was his warmth...ever since he had gotten a taste of this warmth he was afraid to go back to the darkness. To be alone again.

"Kishin?" She said again while tilting her head to the side.

He glanced down and saw the Zanpakuto by her waist and was mentally reminded that she was also a Shinigami as well as a member of the Gotei 13. With a sigh of defeat he laced his fingers with hers.

Senpai would hate it if I coddle her huh...and I guess I did help her train...

He gritted his teeth and reluctantly asked, "How...would you like to go on a mission?"

Rukia's eyes immediately beamed at the mention of being sent on a task. With how reluctant Kishin seemed to ask her about it she knew that the mission posed somewhat of a risk, but as a member of the Gotei 13 and a person of the Kuchiki Clan she wanted to prove her worth in any way that she could. Especially since Byakuya had finally confessed that he truly saw and cared for her as family. She wanted to prove that she was worthy of the Clan name to the other members of the household since there was still some dissent of her adoption into the Clan.

"I'll do it."

Kishin slightly frowned at her non-hesitance. "I didn't even tell you what it was about yet."

"That's okay. I'll still do it."

"But-"

"Nope! You asked first so my answer is yes. No take backs. Besides, you trust me don't you?"

Kishin mentally groaned and hated when she asked questions like these. Of course he trusted her, but that didn't lessen any of his concerns, worries, fears, insecurities, and whatnot. And besides, he couldn't exactly say that he didn't trust her. He was sure that she'd feel betrayed and hurt if he told her that. He was about to dismiss his offer, but when he saw the cute and determined look in her eyes he decided to swallow down his misgivings. He lightly squeezed her hand before letting go and taking a seat by his desk.

"Alright...since you seem so eager to leave me then you can go…" He grumbled out almost childishly.

Rukia shook her head amusedly and walked over to his side. "Hey, don't be like that. It's just a mission right? You make it sound like I'm leaving you for good."

"Tch. We haven't had any time alone together until just now, but you're so eager to take the mission and go. Can't we just have a day with just you and me?"

Rukia smiled and grabbed a piece of paper from off the top of a tall stack on his desk looking over the contents. "I want that too, but all of this work...I think it's best you don't procrastinate. How about this. I promise to spend some time with you regardless of what Nii-sama says when I get back from the mission and when you're done with all of this work. Okay?"

He grumbled a bit but nodded his head in the end having no other choice. "Alright. Fine."

She grinned in triumph and set the piece of paper down in front of him. "So what's the mission? You still haven't told me."

Kishin just looked down at the piece of paper Rukia set in front of him and began reading it over whilst replying, "Your task will be to oversee Karakura Town to investigate a matter regarding spiritual abnormality. There seems to be some disturbances as of late and Human souls are being lost. Renji was already sent, but Captain Ukitake wants someone from our division to go as well since Karakura Town is our jurisdiction. I'd send Kiyone or Sentaro but...I'm not sure they would be able to handle the situation. Plus you happen to know the Town better than anyone else and you're also on…" He paused and grumbled, "friendly terms with Ichigo."

Rukia raised her eyebrow at him and questioned, "You don't sound happy that Ichigo and I are friends."

"I'm not."

"Eh? Why?"

"B-Because...what if he likes you?"

Rukia gave him another questioning glance. "Isn't that why we're friends? You can't really be friends with someone if you don't like them."

"Not...like that. But what if he likes you romantically? It seems like you're spending way more time with him than you are with me…you even lived in his house for a whole THREE MONTHS!"

Rukia just lightly chuckled at his jealous behavior. "Kishin, that was ONLY three months. But you and I? We've spent years together. And…" Her cheeks slightly blushed as she whispered, "I'll always want you…"

He immediately perked up at her words and was just about to pounce her on top of his desk when she mischievously grinned and avoided his hand, dashing over to the personally crafted Senkaimon in his room.

"Hey!" He remarked unhappily.

She merely smirked and pointed to the gate. "Not so fast. You still have work to do. And now I have work to do too. I promise I'll spend time with you when I get back, but with how hectic things are in Soul Society right now we should both do our parts and help get things back in working order."

Kishin just sighed and walked over to his Senkaimon, activating it. "Fine. You're too diligent sometimes senpai."

"Heh. And you're too rebellious sometimes Kishin."

"Be safe." He said whilst staring at her warmly.

"I will." She replied whilst tightly hugging him once. She took in one long whiff of his intoxicating scent before dashing into the Senkaimon.

End of Flashback

As Kishin snapped out of his thoughts from the memory of a few weeks ago he thought back to the messages and updates he received on the situation in Karakura Town from Rukia and Yushiro. Rukia sent him updates every now and then whilst Yushiro came to visit him every so often to inform him of what knowledge he gained from Yoruichi. The two siblings had kept in frequent contact ever since the incident with Aizen.

"So I guess I was right. It really was the Bounts. According to Yushiro and Rukia the leader of the Bounts is named Kariya Jin. They have powers that are used through something called a Doll. Apparently the situation is being handled. Most of the Bounts have been suppressed, but their goal is unclear. I can't remember what it was either. Hopefully the incident ends prematurely. Soul Society can't really afford to divide so much of its attention to deal with something like this whilst trying to reorganize and restructure the order and chain of command here amongst the Gotei 13."

He wanted to go to Karakura Town himself to deal with the matter as soon as he got confirmation from Rukia and Yushiro that it was indeed the Bounts stirring up trouble in Karakura Town. With his current level of power he was confident enough that given a week or so, that he would completely exterminate the Bounts, but with the chaos in the Seireitei his presence was still needed here. Especially since Ukitake spent most of his time either in the Rain Dried Hall to rest from his sickness or in the Daireshokairo searching for clues as to what Aizen's true plan is.

With that in mind Kishin was the only one who could effectively run the 13th division with the Captain absent. That was why he was left with no choice but to leave things to Rukia. Though he was reluctant to do so it remained that she had greatly improved as a Shinigami and he was confident in her abilities. He didn't help her train for nothing after all. And while he didn't like it, Renji had also been assigned to assist in the suppression of the Bounts in Karakura Town.

"With both Renji and Rukia along with Ichigo present in the World of the Living their combined power should be more than a match against the insurgents."

Just as he was about to put away his denreishinki he paused and widened his eyes in realization of what map he was looking at. "E-EH?! What the...why is Rukia in Soul Society?!"

Knock. Knock.

"Hm?" Kishin's attention momentarily switched as he turned his head towards the door to see who had come to visit him. Unsurprisingly it was Yushiro. He waved his hand in the air motioning for his friend to come in and put away his denreishinki figuring that he'd look into the matter later. Whatever the case was, he had already confirmed that Rukia's soul was undamaged so instead he greeted his friend. "Yo, what's up? Another message from Yoruichi? How are things going with the Bounts?"

Yushiro cocked his head to the side as he noted the stacks of paperwork on Kishin's desk and yet Kishin was currently lying down on the floor resting like he didn't have any work to do. "Aren't you procrastinating a bit too much?" Yushiro simply answered back.

Kishin smirked and pointed to the pile of paperwork labeled as completed which was just as tall as the stack of unfinished paperwork. "I've finished half of the work already. I think I deserve a short break. So? Why are you here?"

Yushiro took a seat by Kishin with a curious look in his eyes as he questioned, "You didn't hear?"

Kishin raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Hear what?"

"Well, don't you know that the Gotei 13 currently have 3 vacant Captain positions?"

"And?"

"Oh...guess you weren't told yet."

"Oi, Yushiro. How long are you going to beat around the bush?"

"Ahaha, I learnt it from you."

"What? Me? I don't do that ALL the time."

"Hmpf. See, but when you do do it it's annoying right? It's a taste of your own medicine."

"Alright alright, no need to be so salty about it. So what's with starting the conversation about the vacant Captain positions?"

"Eh? Well don't you know that the Gotei 13 are looking for capable individuals to fill those positions?"

Kishin furrowed his brow and slowly sat up. "Yeah. Go on?"

Yushiro then pointed to Kishin and said, "Well, I heard that you've been nominated to take up the Captain's exam."

Kishin was a bit taken aback by this. "Me? Seriously? And who exactly nominated me? And who did you hear this from?"

Yushiro merely grinned with a bit of pride. "Don't underestimate my information network. Anyways I heard that at a recent Captain's meeting the positions were discussed and each Captain gave their opinions on the matter. It was Captain Ukitake who nominated you and I heard that Toshiro supported the decision. In fact, I heard that several Captains approved of your appointment including Captain Komamura, Captain Unohana, and Captain Kyoraku. I'm pretty sure you'll be told to visit the 1st division sometime soon to be tested."

Kishin just blinked a few times before letting out a very relaxed, "Huh…"

Yushiro scratched the side of his cheek in confusion. "What's with that reaction? You don't seem very excited."

Kishin just shrugged and stared at the paperwork on his desk wondering if his workload would get even worse, however a sparkle then flashed in the depths of his eyes as he thought about reducing his workload by having his own Lieutenant do the work. Without realizing it a mischievous dark smile found its way to his face causing Yushiro to slowly shirk away wondering what kind of evil plot Kishin had just thought of.

"Ahem!" Yushiro coughed to bring Kishin back to reality. "Anyways, I hear that you weren't the only nominee."

That bit of information caused Kishin's ears to perk up a bit with intrigue. "Really? Well, there are 3 vacant spots. Who are the other nominees?"

"Kinji is actually one of them. I heard that it was Toshiro who recommended him."

Kishin was a bit startled and said aloud, "Kinji huh? There's no doubt about his capabilities, but he's the Commander of the Kido Corps. Wouldn't that mean that the Kido Corps would officially be integrated into the Gotei 13 just like the Onmitsukido were in division 2?"

Yushiro nodded. "That's right. That'll most likely happen, but even if that's the case it's not like it's a huge problem. It just means that the Kido Corps will probably have a more active role now with the ongoings of Soul Society. Before they were pretty secretive and isolated."

Kishin nodded in agreement. "True...then...is there a third nominee?"

"Yeah. That's right. It's someone from the Onmitsukido's Expedition Unit. I hear he's pretty skillful, though I don't have a personal connection with him. His name is Amagai Shusuke."

"Ehhh? Someone from the Expedition Unit huh?" Kishin had a pondering look as he recalled a person by that name during his time as the Punishment Force Commander in the Onmitsukido. "Hmmm...I suppose there was someone by that name, but I don't think I ever personally met them either. If I recall, the Expedition Unit was away on a long term mission scouting out and exterminating Hollows far past the 80th district of Rukongai in the Wild Lands."

Their conversation was then interrupted as a Hell Butterfly slowly fluttered into the room and circled in the air in front of Kishin. Yushiro blinked a couple times before commenting, "Speak of the devil. I bet that's the message from the Captain Commander about your Captaincy exam."

Kishin let the butterfly land on his finger and took a moment to absorb the contents of the message before watching it fly off into the distance. "Yeah. You're right. Seems they want to fill the vacant positions right away."

Yushiro nodded in understanding. "With everything that's happening the faster the chain of command in each division is covered, the smoother things will run in the Seireitei."

Kishin rubbed the back of his neck in annoyance. "Preparing to deal with Aizen, then the insurgence of the Bounts happening right in between, what a pain. Yushiro, has there been any update with the Bounts?"

Yushiro thought for a bit before nodding his head. "Actually there has. Apparently the Bounts were created by someone named Ran'Tao. She was a Shinigami who had been exiled several centuries ago precisely because of the incident with the Bounts. Her current whereabouts were a mystery until a few days ago when she was seen in Soul Society. Since she was previously exiled from Soul Society her appearing here again is a capital offense and we were ordered to arrest her just this morning. Bis sis told me not to treat her too horribly."

Kishin blinked at the unexpected development and questioned, "Then...where is she?"

"Oh, well as the Commander of the Punishment Force I found and took her into custody. She's currently being jailed in the Nest of Maggots. Don't worry though, I made sure to give her appropriate accommodations."

"Ehhh? So you captured her huh? Did she reveal anything about the Bounts?"

"I haven't had the time to interrogate her about that yet. We only just captured her this morning. Since she's in the Nest of Maggots she won't be going anywhere so we have time for that. Rather, I was more interested in you becoming a Captain candidate. I thought I'd come here to congratulate you first! Besides, I haven't heard from big sis ever since she sent me the message regarding Ran'Tao's treatment, but since the last time we talked it seemed like things were going well. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Instead you should focus on the Captaincy exam."

Kishin slightly frowned and thought back to his denreishinki showing Rukia's tracker somewhere in the Soul Society. "I see. Well...that's good then if the incident ends without being blown out of proportion."

Yushiro nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Uhh...by the way shouldn't you get going?"

Kishin glanced at his unfinished paperwork and immediately stood up strapping his Zanpakuto to his waist.

Can't be helped. I'll trust that Rukia can handle whatever's going on for right now. I'll check on her after meeting with the Head Captain.

He faced Yushiro one more time and commented, "I suppose you have a point. Probably shouldn't keep the Captain Commander waiting too long, and anything to get out of doing the rest of this paperwork." He took a step outside and waved his hand to Yushiro. "Wish me luck."

Yushiro just stared as Kishin disappeared in a quick blur. An amused smile found its way to his lips. "Wish you luck? As if you need it."

FWISH!

The wind breezed past Kishin's face as he dashed through the Seireitei with incredible speed. His hair fluttered behind him as he slowly descended down to the ground in front of the 1st division barracks. As he landed without a sound, compliments of his training during his time in the Onmitsukido, he took a moment to take in his surroundings. Even though the rest of the Seireitei was quite busy with people shuffling about with various tasks to keep order after everything that happened, it seemed rather peaceful in the Head Captain's barracks. The entrance had a large wooden double gate with the doors left currently open. The floor was tiled with square stones that reflected the color of the clear blue sky. A large building with several towers connected through walkway bridges made up the main headquarters of the 1st division. Many other smaller buildings were aligned around the main quarters designated as the living residences of the other division members.

Kishin took his time to truly observe everything as he had only been here one other time and that was quite long ago. He made his way towards the large courtyard building around the corner of the main barracks as he was instructed in the message that was sent to him. It wasn't long when he took note of a well groomed grassy area in front of an elongated building with decorative wooden furnishings. A large and ancient looking oak tree stood tall and still in the center of the yard casting a cool shadow on the ground beneath. As Kishin walked past it he couldn't help but think how nice it'd be to lie down beneath the tree for a quick nap in the currently hot weather outside.

Finally he stood in front of a large sliding panel door and was just about to announce his arrival when he heard the voice of Yamamoto from inside. "Chigetsu Kishin. Lieutenant of the 13th division. Enter."

Kishin took a deep breath. Even though he didn't have much care for authority he figured it was probably best not to piss off the ancient Captain Commander with witty remarks so he respectfully replied, "Please excuse me then."

The moment he opened the door he took note of everyone who was already in the room. Seated near the back wall were Yamamoto, Unohana, and Byakuya. Apparently they were the three Captains who were performing the evaluation for the Captain's exam. Seated opposite of them were Kinji and a person whom Kishin hadn't seen before. Their appearance seemed to be of a middle aged male. Likely they were a Shinigami who had lived for several hundred years already. He was rather unkempt with a faint chin stubble and messy dark blue chin-length hair. They still wore the standard shihakusho, but what caught Kishin's eye were the two swords strapped to their waist. One seemed like a standard Zanpakuto whilst the other had a more peculiar hilt. Kishin also didn't miss the fact that there was a piece of white paper protruding from the middle of this individual's shihakusho. He immediately guessed that this person was Amagai Shusuke, the other candidate taking the Captain's exam alongside him and Kinji.

Ehhh...so this is what he looks like huh? Kinda underwhelming actually. Not exactly what I pictured him to look like.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as Unohana said, "Lieutenant Chigetsu, please take a seat."

"Hm? Ah, alright. Then don't mind me." He nonchalantly replied, taking a seat to the left of Kinji.

Yamamoto took a good long moment to silently observe the three candidates before speaking. "Chigetsu Kishin. Amagai Shusuke. Tsunayashiro Kinji. The three of you are here today due to several factors. One of which happens to be the recognition of your individual skills and capabilities that have gained the acknowledgement of not only your peers, but those of high ranking officials as well. Another of which was the forth bringing of your names as potential candidates in partaking in the Captain's proficiency exam. As you know there are currently three vacant positions. We cannot allow this situation to persist. Especially with the events concerning Aizen Sosuke and the insurgence of the Bounts. While the events surrounding that of the Bounts are being managed and suppressed, it remains that it has caused minor disturbances and setbacks in our preparations to plan our counter against Aizen Sosuke. The ones that will be overseeing your exam are the 4th division's Captain Unohana, the 6th division's Captain Kuchiki, and myself. Are there any questions?"

…

There was a silent pause in the air as no one spoke or raised any concerns, however Byakuya did take a moment to glance over at Kishin with mixed feelings in his eyes. Kishin merely stared back and slightly lifted his hand to his side to subtly and amiably wave in the stoic Captain's direction. Byakuya felt completely awkward having no idea what to think anymore. He at first didn't care much about Kishin. Then when Rukia started becoming closer to the Lieutenant he started to pay more attention to him. Then when Rukia was imprisoned and on death row he resented Kishin. Then when he learnt of Kishin's betrayal to Soul Society he resolved to kill Kishin. After that he learnt that Kishin and Rukia were dating and it made him frustrated and angry down to the core of his very soul. The problem was, he soon learnt that Aizen was the one behind everything and that Kishin had been subtly dropping hints about this to him and in the end, it was Kishin who saved Rukia, not him. For that he was truly grateful and appreciative, but that made it difficult to face the Lieutenant. He was having a tough time coming to terms with everything. He was just starting to accept and acknowledge Kishin's position as a Lieutenant of the 13th division when suddenly in the latest Captain's meeting, Kishin was nominated to become a Captain. That would put Kishin on a similar level to himself. He struggled to accept this fact and so that was why he volunteered to be one of the examiners. In order to see for himself exactly just how worthy Kishin was as a person. To see if it was truly alright for him to allow Rukia to continue to see the rebellious Lieutenant.

With no one having anything to say Yamamoto immediately began the exam. None of the candidates had taken the exam together. Instead only one of them was called into a separate room at a time to be questioned by the three Captains. It lasted about an hour per candidate. When it was Kishin's turn he answered a series of questions asked by all three Captains. They were mostly generic at best, though he did find that Byakuya had asked borderline questions that almost seemed to have nothing to do with being a Captain such as what he thought about division members living together under the same roof, the effectiveness of having couples in the same division, whether or not he would give up his life to save someone romantically close to him, and other strange questions of the like. Thankfully Unohana stepped in to keep the exam going as she coughed and lightly interjected, "Ahem. Well I believe that we have gained enough insight with our inquiry on the type of character that Lieutenant Chigetsu is. How about we move on to the practical skills test?"

Yamamoto nodded in agreement. "Mn. Then let us begin."

Just as Byakuya was about to stand up and volunteer as the one to assess Kishin's skills he was interrupted and momentarily shocked at Yamomoto standing up first. Unohana was also somewhat startled as she hadn't expected Yamamoto to personally proctor the test. While it wouldn't be the first time she witnessed the Head Captain being an active participant she felt that he was going to simply watch and observe from the side whilst Byakuya took to the stage. It was then his old wise voice entered everyone's ears. "I heard from Captain Unohana that you fought against Aizen Sosuke and emerged with little injuries. Furthermore Jushiro and Captain Hitsugaya have always spoken quite highly of you, therefore I would like to personally assess your skills for myself."

Kishin felt his heart skip a single beat in caution before it returned to calm. He took a moment to carefully consider the Head Captain before closing his eyes and nodded without hesitation. "If Captain Ukitake and Captain Hitsugaya have spoken so highly of me then I will do my best not to shame their words."

Yamamoto raised his eyebrow greatly intrigued at Kishin's nonchalant answer.

Oh? Perhaps this youngling is as extraordinary as Jushiro and Captain Hitsugaya have made him out to be. He doesn't seem to be perturbed by the fact that I will personally engage him in combat. Unless he is truly just a youngster that is merely overconfident. Heh, then let us find out.

Fwish!

In a mere instant the old Captain disappeared from his spot and stood in the open training field nearby. His Haori was left in the room and the top of his shihakusho was already undressed hanging loosely around the Head Captain's waist. Kishin could see the countless battle scars that marred Yamamoto's hardened muscular body. There was no semblance of the ancient Captain being frail or weak at all. No. Rather the old Captain exuded a pressure of pure power and unfathomable strength.

"What's wrong? I've already stepped into the field. Come, Lieutenant Chigetsu. Show me the reason why Jushiro has spoken so highly of you."

Kishin was inwardly amused and also mentally sighed.

Haaah...Captain Ukitake...heh. Since you talked so highly about me to the Head Captain then I can't disappoint you.

Without missing a beat he too appeared on the training field standing opposite of Yamamoto. His Zanpakuto already drawn in front of him. "Then if you'll forgive me Head Captain, you are an opponent in which I won't be able to hold back on."

Yamamoto grinned complacently. "Oh? Indeed. To hold back against me would mean you are too foolish to be granted the title of Captain."

WHOOSH!

The giant wooden cane in Yamamoto's hands instantly disintegrated revealing a purple sheathed katana inside. Without wasting anytime the old Captain drew out his Zanpakuto and said, "Come."

Kishin smirked and didn't say a word.

BOOM!

With a quick powerful dash of his legs he immediately arrived before the Captain and slashed straight down with his sword. Yamamoto furrowed his brow and instantly brought up his sword to counter.

CLANG!

The loud ringing of the clash between their metal weapons echoed in the field and right into Unohana and Byakuya's ears. The two of them watched on the side with widened eyes at the shocking battle taking place. As Yamamoto had blocked Kishin's first attack he twisted his blade and struck right for Kishin's shoulder, but Kishin nonchalantly took a step closer and slashed up against the old Captain's sword.

"Hm?!" Yamamoto silently exclaimed momentarily impressed at Kishin's bold move. Instead of dodging to the side or dashing back to avoid his powerful swing Kishin instead had opted to match the speed and strength behind Yamamoto's attack and close the distance to prepare a counter strike.

Oh? This brat thinks he can match the power behind my speed and strength? Very well, let us see if he is capable!

BAM!

To Yamamoto's surprise his sword swing was effectively neutralized by Kishin's upward block. That wasn't all. Because Kishin stepped forward instead of backwards he was now within cutting range of Yamamoto's chest in which should he manage to get in a strike, he'd be able to dish out some major damage. Just as Kishin slid his blade along the cool sharp edge beneath Yamamoto's Zanpakuto to aim for the Head Captain's chest, Yamamoto grinned and quickly pulled back his blade to create enough leverage and space for him to then shift down the hilt making his sword stand up completely vertical.

"EH?!" Kishin somewhat shockingly exclaimed.

Since I slid my blade along his Zanpakuto I prevented him from pushing down his sword to stop me from slashing at his chest, but he was fast enough to pull back his blade to give himself the extra space he needed to then defend with a vertical block. Furthermore to apply enough force and strength in the position that he was in against me? I don't think Aizen would have stood a chance against the Captain Commander in a straight up sword fight.

He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and dashed back to create some distance between him and the old Captain successfully avoiding the hand that Yamamoto used in an attempt to grab him. Kishin then narrowed his eyes in focus and immediately turned around blocking a sword strike to his back as the Head Captain had Shunpo'd right behind him.

"Oh? You are fast enough to read my Shunpo? Impressive."

Kishin smirked and calmly replied, "What an honor to be praised by the Captain Commander."

Ting! Cling! Clang!

They quickly exchanged several dozen more strikes before Yamamoto pointed and said, "Bakudo #61: Rikujokoro."

Kishin brought his left hand in front of his chest and nonchalantly countered, "Bakudo #80: Sodai Seki."

PEW!

The six yellow binding rods were instantly repelled by a large circular blue shield around Kishin's body. Kishin then then chanted out his own spell as he calmly said, "Bakudo #75: Gochutekkan."

Yamamoto, with an indifferent facial expression instantly dashed out of the way before the five giant iron pillars could fall from the sky to pin him down. "Hoh? It seems your Kido is as impressive as your Hoho."

"Merely a parlor trick. Nothing worthy to be of praise." Kishin relaxedly replied as he dashed out once more slashing down at the Captain Commander's head.

Their fight lasted for another few minutes before they were once again, back in the room from before in the same position as if nothing had just happened. Yamamoto had his Haori and giant wooden cane again seated in the middle of Unohana and Byakuya whilst Kishin sat opposite of them in silence. After witnessing his spar with Yamamoto and with a few more questions of inquiry and demonstration of his knowledge and skill in the four Shinigami combat forms the three Captains had concluded that his skill in Zanjutsu, Hoho, Hakuda, and Kido were more than satisfactory. In fact it was to the point that Yamamoto believed only Unohana and himself were superior in Zanjutsu. As for Hakuda, the old Captain believed that of all the Captains he ever tested and witnessed only himself and the previous 2nd division Captain, Shihoin Yoruichi was his match. The same was for his skill in Hoho, but what truly made the old Captain astonished was actually Kishin's accomplishments in Kido. He demonstrated a level of knowledge in the art no worse than that of the current Kido Corps Commander, Kinji.

Yamamoto believed that perhaps even his own skill and understanding of Kido fell just slightly short of Kishin's in this regard. Needless to say, if the Captain Commander himself was this astonished then Unohana and Byakuya were left a bit baffled and speechless. Byakuya more so than Unohana as he came to the realization that Kishin was actually much more skilled and powerful than he had pictured in his mind. The more he acknowledged Kishin's strength the more difficult he found it to find reasons to keep Rukia away from him. He truly felt conflicted inside.

While it wasn't a necessary requirement for a candidate to demonstrate skill and knowledge in all four Shinigami combat forms, the fact that Kishin did and was not just proficient in but even excelled in all four was somewhat pleasantly shocking to the three of them.

Afterwards Kishin revealed the ability of his Shikai and also proved that he had indeed learnt to wield his Bankai. Another feat that left Byakuya a bit speechless as he recalled how he dismissed the possibility of Kishin having mastered the technique when they fought. Soon after Kishin sat in silence outside the courtyard as he awaited the deliberation of the three Captains in their discussion of his results. As he was just beginning to daydream out of boredom he was snapped back to reality at the sound of the sliding panel door opening.

Yamamoto slammed his cane on the ground and said, "Chigetsu Kishin. After observing your skills and deliberating your personal character we have determined that you are hereby promoted to Captain of the 3rd division!"

Kishin blinked a few times letting the news of his promotion sink in before he quickly bowed respectfully in front of the three examiners in gratitude. "Thank you for the opportunity, Captains."

Yamamoto grunted and continued, "Mn. You may join the other newly appointed Captains in obtaining a personally fitted Captains Haori. Chojiro will show the three of you the way. There will be a Captain's meeting held in the evening to announce the three new appointees. Do not be late, Captain Chigetsu."

Kishin nodded in response and watched as the three Captains silently left without another word, though Byakuya did give him a strange look as if he was having trouble accepting the situation. Kishin found it rather amusing. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Kinji's voice behind him.

"Kishin! So are you Captain of squad 3 or 5?"

Kishin turned around and curiously raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Since you asked about 3 or 5 then that means you must have been appointed the new Captain of squad 9 huh? And you didn't even doubt that I passed."

Kinji just shrugged his shoulders. "You? Fail? If that was the case then I never would have had a chance in passing. So? Is it 3 or 5?"

Kishin shook his head in amusement and answered, "It's division 3."

"Eh? 3 huh? I actually thought that the Captain Commander was going to appoint you as Aizen's replacement but I guess not huh?"

Kishin gave an uninterested look. "I'm pretty sure I know why the Captain Commander appointed that new guy Amagai as the new 5th division Captain."

"Oh? Then care to share?"

"The 5th division is still under investigation and kept under strict surveillance. Amagai was still a member of the Onmitsukido and the head of the Expedition Unit until just today. That means his thinking is still closely tied to that of a member of the Onmitsukido."

The look in Kinji's eyes brightened as he finally understood where Kishin's line of thought was going. "Ah, so that's how it is. The Head Captain wants Amagai to secretly continue the investigation of the 5th division and root out all possible traitors."

It was then the sound of a meek and gruff voice belonging to Amagai joined in the discussion. "Y-Yeah, seems you both figured it out. Haha...I was informed of that hidden mission after passing the examination. Oh, and it's a pleasure to meet you both! I'm Amagai Shusuke by the way."

Kishin and Kinji gave a cursory glance at the new 5th division Captain before nodding their heads in acknowledgement.

"I'm Tsunayashiro Kinji. The new Captain of the 9th division."

"Chigetsu Kishin. 3rd division Captain." He kept his response short and concise.

Amagai awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck feeling somewhat embarrassed as he stared at the two much younger Shinigami Captains in front of him. "Ahaha...well, it seems that you both already know each other quite well. I apologize if I was intruding in on your conversation just now. I was a bit shocked to hear everything that happened with Aizen Sosuke and the Soul Society. Hopefully I don't make a fool of myself later this evening when the rest of the Captains gather."

Before anyone could respond they were interrupted by the respectful voice of Sasakibe Chojiro. "Ahem. My apologies for disturbing you three Captains. If you would please follow me I will show you where you may pick out the design of your Captain's Haori."

"Oh, will it be done that quickly?" Kishin curiously asked.

Chojiro simply nodded his head. "Yes. There are still several hours before the Captain's meeting in the evening and therefore, after choosing the design of your Haori it will be immediately stitched together. Ahem. Granted that there aren't that many different options to choose from…"

Amagai lightly chuckled and with an amiable voice, said, "Well then, shall we go? Ah, but I don't mean to be the one giving the orders or commands or anything like that. I meant shall we go in a suggestive uhh-friendly advice kind of way. Ahh, now I feel weird saying it. Hahaha, am I being too forward with my words? Oh, no maybe I-"

Kishin simply ignored Amagai's rambling and waved his hand in the air. "You ramble a lot."

Amagai was momentarily stunned at Kishin's scolding remark to which Kinji quickly waved his hand to apologize for his friend's harsh words. "Ahem. D-Don't take his words to heart. Kishi-I mean Captain Chigetsu has a very unique personality. Haha..." With that he left walking along with Kishin following behind Chojiro.

Before long the three of them picked, designed, and obtained their new Captain's Haori just in time before the evening meeting. Currently Kishin, Kinji, and Shusuke stood just outside the door to the Captain's assembly hall in the 1st division barracks as they awaited for Yamamoto to call them in. Shusuke's new Captain's Haori was simple, long sleeved, and quite standard.

Kinji on the other hand forewent his purple Haori and now donned the Captain's Haori with the symbol of the 9th division on the back. The inside of his long sleeved Haori was colored a deep purple. Beneath it he kept his standard black shihakusho and wore a matching purple obi sash tied around his waist. His cane was held in his right hand and he still donned the black prayer beads around his neck, but he now also sported a black colored ring with a purple insignia of the Kido Corps on his right ring finger. His long white hair was left free flowing down his back as it reached down to his waist area.

Kishin's attire had some slight changes as well. The obvious one being the Captains Haori with the 3rd division symbol on the back. It was long sleeved, but he had the sleeves rolled up three-quarters of the way up his arm resting just before his elbow joint. The inside of his Haori was colored crimson red like that of blood instead of the typical spring green that used to denote the division. His black shihakusho was now sleeveless beneath his Haori and a crimson red obi sash was tied around his waist with his Zanpakuto strapped to his left.

Just as Kishin let out a yawn from aimlessly waiting, the sound of Yamamoto's voice echoed from within the closed doors. "Enter."

Creeeeaaaak.

The sound of the large wooden double doors that led inside the Captain's assembly hall slowly opened revealing a warmly golden lit room with well wooden tile furnishings. Yamamoto stood at the head of the room whilst the other Captains stood on either side in a neatly formed line. When looking into the room from the perspective of the entrance, the right side nearest to Yamamoto stood Soi Fon. Then moving down that line was Unohana, Byakuya, Kyoraku, Toshiro, and then Mayuri.

On the opposite side of Yamamoto stood Komamura, Kenpachi, and Jushiro. Most of the Captains looked on with intrigue at Kishin and the others as the three of them made their way inside. Yamamoto then continued his address. "After careful deliberation with two other Captains and myself as witness we found no issues in the capabilities of the three newly appointed Captains. Henceforth replacing Ichimaru Gin as the new Captain of the 3rd division shall be Chigetsu Kishin. Replacing Aizen Sosuke as the new Captain of the 5th division shall be Amagai Shusuke. And finally replacing Tosen Kaname as the new Captain of the 9th division will be the current Commander of the Kido Corps, Tsunayashiro Kinji."

Kishin, Kinji, and Shusuke were left standing awkwardly in the middle of the room with everyone's eyes on them after Yamamoto finished his introductions. Now it was time for them to give their own introductions. Kinji felt a bit nervous having so many Captains stare at him so he shifted uncomfortably a bit in place. Shusuke felt the same, however Kishin didn't really care and said nonchalantly, "I guess I'm a Captain now soooo...thanks?"

Toshiro immediately slapped his palm to his face having already guessed that Kishin would be completely informal in his greeting. But even if he knew and expected that he felt that his friend was being a bit...too nonchalant about the whole matter. Meanwhile Soi Fon clenched her fist in disbelief at Kishin's attitude holding back her scolding remark as she noted that his personality hadn't changed even from the time when he served under her in the 2nd division. Byakuya merely kept his eyes shut, not even taking one glance at Kishin as he was still sorting out his feelings on the matter. Jushiro nervously rubbed the back of his neck and took a peek at Yamamoto hoping that the old Captain wasn't offended by Kishin's greeting. Kyoraku was mildly amused, Mayuri simply tuned the whole thing out not caring, Unohana slightly smiled also mildly amused, Komamura was left a bit speechless, and Kenpachi grinned with excitement having an itch to fight as he just recalled that it was Kishin who fought and survived against Aizen.

After Kishin's greeting breaking the ice Kinji and Shusuke felt a lot better and gave their own greetings.

Bam.

Yamamoto tapped his cane on the wooden floor and grunted before saying, "Now that you've introduced yourselves, come and take your place amongst our ranks. We will begin a strategy meeting regarding Aizen Sosuke with all 13 Captains present."

With the orders given Kishin took his place standing closest to Yamamoto's side and opposite of Soi Fon as the 3rd division Captain. Next to him stood Amagai as the 5th division Captain standing opposite of Unohana, and Kinji stood further down in between Komamura and Kenpachi and opposite of Kyoraku as the 9th division Captain. The two rows of Captains now stood equal with 6 of them on either side of the Head Captain.

Once everyone was in line Yamamoto nodded in satisfaction and started, "There are only approximately 3 months left before the Hogyoku fully awakens in which Aizen Sosuke can misuse its power. Captain Ukitake, explain what you have discovered."

Jushiro nodded before his expression turned solemn and said, "For the past month I've been searching for traces of Aizen's reiatsu in the Central 46 Compound including the Seijotokyorin and the Daireishokairo. Just a few days ago I finally came across what I believe to be Aizen's true goal. He was looking up information about the Oken and the conditions needed to create it."

Everyone in the room instantly furrowed their brows deep in thought as Mayuri was the first to chime in. "The Oken you say? I see...so he plans to head to the Royal Palace to kill the Soul King. And what are the conditions to create such an object?"

Jushiro frowned as he recalled the information he read. "It requires the sacrifice of 100,000 souls with a concentrated spirit zone of at least half a spirit-mile in radius."

Toshiro's expression became serious as he asked, "And where would Aizen find such a concentrated spirit zone?"

Jushiro hesitated for a moment before answering, "Karakura Town…"

…

For a good long while no one spoke a word as they all took a minute to let the information sink in. Kishin was currently running through various different simulations in his head on exactly what to do about the issue. The fact that Aizen had always been several steps ahead of him irked him, but that was when he was playing on a battlefield that Aizen had already set up for over a hundred years. Now that Aizen was gone and no longer pulling the strings within the heart of the Seireitei he felt that he might have a little more impact in the events to come. He had no idea how events played out in the future, but now that he was deeply involved in everything he figured that it didn't quite matter since things probably wouldn't play out exactly as it did in the manga or anime. Well, not that he would know for certain since he never got that far.

Yamamoto's voice brought everyone's attention back to focus as he said in his wise old voice, "We must not let Aizen Sosuke succeed in his endeavor. With the little time left granted to us we must all hone our skills to prepare for the coming battle 3 months from now. Aizen Sosuke's target is Karakura Town. I have already asked for Urahara Kisuke's assistance in making preparations to transport Karakura Town to a remote location here in the Soul Society by creating a Tenkai Kecchu."

Mayuri flinched at the mention of Urahara's name and chimed in with irritation, "Hmpf! To think that we would need the help of that unruly despicable man. How annoying."

Everyone just gave Mayuri a strange look, but they otherwise ignored his comment. Yamamoto then continued, "Once it is ready it will swap the location of anything within 1 spirit-mile inside with another location. The plan is to have Captain Kurotsuchi along with the rest of the Research and Development Department create a fake Karakura Town to replace the real one. Until the time when it is finished we will need to be on alert for any movements made by Aizen Sosuke. Do any of you have anything more to add?"

For a long minute no one said anything so Yamamoto was about to end the meeting, however it was then when Kishin chimed in, "Is this the best plan?"

Everyone turned their attention to him with raised eyebrows.

"Oh? Do you have something else in mind, Captain Chigetsu?" Yamamoto inquired.

Kishin merely nodded and nonchalantly continued, "If the plan is to strengthen our own combat powers and wait to confront Aizen in 3 months in the fakely constructed Karakura Town then I think we should carefully reconsider our strategy."

Kyoraku slightly lifted up his straw hat as he gave a curious look at Kishin. "Oh? Did you already think of a counter strategy, Captain Chigetsu?"

"Yeah. Firstly, why did Aizen need the Hogyoku and what is he doing in Hueco Mundo right now?"

Mayuri stepped forward and answered, "Obviously he is waiting to use its power to strengthen the Menos under his command. At least that is the consensus that I and the annoyingly buzzing fly that is Urahara Kisuke have come to conclude."

Kishin nodded in agreement. "That sounds about right, but if that's the case then exactly how powerful will his subordinates be? If we confront him and his army in the World of the Living, whether or not it is in the fake Karakura Town, the release of all our spiritual energies would leave a lasting damaging effect on the World. Wouldn't it be better to confront Aizen in Hueco Mundo where we can unleash the full might of our abilities without reservations?"

A flash of realization shone in everyone's eyes as they took a moment to consider Kishin's words. Yamamoto grunted and asked, "Then exactly what are you suggesting?"

Kishin took a moment to glance at the rest of the Captains before replying, "Back when I had just joined the 13th division as its official Lieutenant I was granted permission by Central 46 to be stationed in Karakura Town for 2 months."

"What of it?" Soi Fon curiously asked.

Kishin frowned and continued, "Perhaps you all recall a time when I had overstayed my welcome in the World of the Living."

Mayuri nodded. "Yeah. Akon that fool had sent you the wrong Hell Butterfly leading you into the Dangai where you had been chased by the Kototsu. Seriously, to think that I have him in charge as the Vice President of the R&D Department. To make such an amateur mistake."

Kishin smirked and shook his head. "While it's not wrong that Akon sent the wrong Hell Butterfly the events that led to that predicament was orchestrated by Aizen."

"WHA-?!" Everyone exclaimed in shock at the revelation Kishin was now just revealing to them.

"Captain Chigetsu, can you please elaborate for us?" Kyoraku curiously asked.

"I was planning to. After I entered the Dangai I was chased by the Kototsu, however a portal appeared before me leading into Hueco Mundo. There I encountered some powerful Hollows known as Arrancars."

"UH?!" Once more everyone exclaimed in shock.

Mayuri's eyes widened with pure joy and excitement as he mumbled, "Arrancar...Arrancar Arrancar! Hahahaha! So you encountered an Arrancar?! How dare you not bring one back for me to experiment on."

Kishin ignored Mayuri's comment and continued, "The Arrancar I encountered were powerful. Their power measured no less than that of a Captain. It's also possible that there are some who wield even greater power than a Captain." The image of Ulquiorra appeared in his mind as he said that.

Jushiro furrowed his brow and rubbed the bottom of his chin deep in thought. "Then...what is it you are suggesting?"

"The Arrancar I encountered called itself an Espada symbolized by the number 8 on its body. Now I'm not exactly sure what this signifies, but if I were to guess then I would assume that those who are labeled as an Espada represent the most powerful forces of Aizen's army. Now imagine what kind of power an Espada would gain under the enhancement of the Hogyoku? Even if we transport Karakura Town in the Soul Society, a battle with the Espada in the World of the Living will only result in a greater number of deaths to the nearby civilians in the surrounding cities."

"Why did you not come forward with this information sooner? Why did you lie about your absence when you were on trial with Central 46?" Soi Fon cautiously asked.

"Wasn't it obvious? Surely it isn't a secret anymore. I had already become aware of Aizen's true character a long while back including the power of his Kyoka Suigetsu. He easily staged the incident of the Vanishing Souls 110 years ago and rid the Soul Society of 6 Captains, 4 Lieutenants, and the previous Commander of the Kido Corps. He easily tricked Akon into sending me a wrong Hell Butterfly and stranded me in Hueco Mundo. He killed Central 46 without anyone noticing and pulled the strings behind the recent execution that took place. Does it make sense now why I hadn't come forward with saying anything at the time?"

Soi Fon and everyone else remained silent as they couldn't argue with that logic. In the end it remained a fact that they had all been fooled and played with by Aizen for over 100 years whilst Kishin was insightful enough to see through Aizen's true character. They had no right to question his actions during those times.

Yamamoto grunted bringing everyone's attention back to focus and steered the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Captain Chigetsu. In light of the events behind Aizen Sosuke, all parties involuntarily, directly or indirectly negatively affected and involved have already been pardoned. I suggest everyone move forward. What is your suggestion now that you have shared with us the truth of the events during your overstay in Karakura Town?"

Kishin glanced at the Captain Commander and said, "What if we charge into Hueco Mundo before Aizen arrives in Karakura Town?"

Everyone was taken aback at his answer as they thought about the plausibility of his suggestion. Soi Fon furrowed her brow and commented, "Hueco Mundo is vast. Exactly how far and long would we have to search before we find him and his army?"

Kishin waved his hand in the air dismissing her comment. "A fair point, however we know that Aizen has taken over Hueco Mundo. That means he's defeated the God King of Hueco Mundo, the ancient Vasto Lorde Barragan. I'm willing to bet that he has taken up residence in the castle of that ancient Vasto Lorde. In fact I'm sure of it as that appeared to be the place where the Espada had taken up residence granted by the information I gained from my brief encounter with them."

Mayuri widened his eyes with a bit of excitement as he thought about exploring such a place. "Las Noches, if I recall, is the name of the residence of that ancient Vasto Lorde. Hehehehe, Hahahaha! Excellent! How excellent! I've never been there before hahaha! I wonder exactly what sort of hidden treasures I would find in such a place!"

Everyone ignored Mayuri and continued to think about Kishin's idea.

"What about Soul Society? It can't be left unguarded. And what if Aizen learns of our entering Hueco Mundo and decides to head straight for Karakura Town? We'd be trapped in the land of Hollows whilst he freely continues with his plan." Komamura voiced his misgivings.

Kishin then replied, "That is why we would need to divide our forces. I suggest that Captain Ukitake and the Head Captain remain here in Soul Society to oversee things and to also keep watch over Karakura Town when it is transferred here. Then I suggest stationing several Lieutenants in the World of the Living to oversee the fake Karakura Town in case Aizen does appear there. They can relay that information here to the Soul Society allowing for the Head Captain and Captain Ukitake to respond accordingly. Don't forget that Urahara Kisuke and Shihoin Yoruichi also reside in the World of the Living. As for the rest of us Captains, I propose that we all enter Hueco Mundo and fight Aizen in Las Noches."

Aside from that, the Visoreds are also in the World of the Living, but probably shouldn't reveal that to the Head Captain and the others just yet.

Toshiro thought about it for a long moment before asking, "Isn't that a bit too risky? We don't have a way to quickly move in and out of Hueco Mundo. The moment we enter Hueco Mundo I'm sure Aizen will have taken notice of us. He may just head straight to Karakura Town right after which would leave us stranded."

Kishin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's a possibility. That is why I suggest that Captain Kurotsuchi and Urahara Kisuke work together to see if they can discover how to open a Garganta just like the Hollows do. If we can gain access to this technique then traveling between Hueco Mundo and other realms will be easy."

Mayuri immediately interjected with an insulted tone of voice, "I refuse! Impossible! You are asking me to work with that man side by side as if I need his help to figure out something like the Garganta?! Ha! As if I would need assistance for something like that!"

"Oh? Is that so Captain Kurotsuchi? Then...perhaps you already have an idea of how it works?"

Mayuri's face immediately turned a shade of red as he pointed an accusing finger at Kishin. "Silence! Whether I do or not I wouldn't need to tell you about it! Hmpf! Don't forget that you used to be one of my underlings. You should show me some more respect and act with humility in front of me."

Kishin just smirked and continued sarcastically, "Alright, but that doesn't answer my question. Are you confident you can figure out how a Garganta works on your own?"

A bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side of Mayuri's face as he crossed his arms and looked away. "Hmpf. You plebeian. You insult my intelligence. I can figure it out in no time if I truly wanted to...ahem. However it remains that much of my time is currently being taken up by creating the fake Karakura Town. Dividing my attention on two major projects is ineffective and inefficient."

Bam!

Yamamoto slammed his cane on the ground bringing everyone's attention back upfront. "Enough. Captain Chigetsu, while your plan has some merit it remains that it is not feasible without the flexibility of travel between realms, therefore until further notice we shall shelve this discussion and continue on with our current plan. Having said that there is another issue that must be dealt with."

Ukitake frowned and involuntarily said, "The Bounts…"

"Correct." Yamamoto replied. "With the turmoil left in the wake of the betrayal of three of our Captains, the insurgence of the Bounts have caused us a minor headache. If we are to truly focus all of our power and concentration on stopping Aizen Sosuke then we must put a swift end to the Bounts once and for all. Just yesterday I received word that the Bounts have managed to sneak their way into the Soul Society and are currently hiding somewhere in the outskirts of Rukongai."

Kishin's ears perked up at that bit of information and immediately thought of Rukia.

The Bounts made it into the Soul Society? That would explain Rukia's unannounced return I saw on my denreishinki. Tch. Yushiro failed to mention this bit of information.

He was snapped back to focus as Yamamoto continued, "They managed to escape from a confrontation against the members of the 2nd and 7th division in the outskirts of Rukongai. Furthermore, we have received intelligence that a defected former member of the 11th division, Ichinose Maki has sided with the insurgents. I want all Captains to remain on alert. Captain Soi Fon, have your troops keep guard over the four gated entrances into the Seireitei."

"Yes." Soi Fon immediately responded.

Yamamoto then turned to Kishin and ordered, "Captain Chigetsu, you are to search the Northern Rukon district for the Bounts. Captain Tsunayashiro, you are to search the Western Rukon district, Captain Hitsugaya, you are to search the Eastern Rukon district, and Captain Kuchiki, you are in charge of the Southern Rukon district. Should you encounter any of the Bounts you are to execute them on sight."

"Yes." Kishin and the other Captains responded.

Yamamoto grunted in approval and tapped his cane on the ground. "Then let us end the meeting here."

Kishin immediately started for the door, however he was momentarily stopped by several Captains walking over to him. Jushiro was the first to congratulate him on his promotion to Captaincy as he smiled and amiably said, "Shin-chan! Ah, I mean I suppose it would be Captain Chigetsu now right? Hahaha, congratulations! I knew you could do it!"

"Captain Ukitake, it was only possible since you recommended me."

"No no, not at all. After everything that has happened and with your individual skill level there was no one more suitable than you to take up the role as a Captain. Truth be told I'm a little sad that you won't be my Lieutenant anymore, but I'm happy that you've been given a rank worthy of your true capabilities."

Kishin semi-embarrassedly rubbed the back of his neck. Of every Captain in the Gotei 13 he still respected Ukitake the most and it was because he still saw Ukitake as a father-like figure to him. "I-uh...Captain...it was an honor serving under you…"

Ukitake blinked a few times at Kishin's embarrassed tone and let out a light chuckle. "Hahaha, not at all, Captain Chigetsu. The honor was in fact mine."

Kishin nodded before he thought of the stack of paperwork that was still left on his desk and he once more, awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Uhhh, by the way Captain Ukitake, regarding the paperwork. There's still half of it left I'm afraid. Sorry I couldn't get through all of it."

Jushiro again just laughed. "Hahaha, don't worry about that. It was inevitable. You're doing my work on top of the Lieutenant's work and I even dumped more work on you by volunteering to have our division take on some of the 5th division's work. I would actually be worried if you managed to get it all done. Ahhh...it's just slightly regrettable that the 13th division will be without a Lieutenant again."

Kishin curiously raised his eyebrow and attempted to give a suggestion. "Captain, then, as the previous Lieutenant might I give a recommendation?"

Jushiro grinned as he already knew who Kishin was going to nominate. "Ah, well I was thinking about Rukia as well."

Kishin smiled and nodded. "Was it that obvious?"

"Hahaha, well with how close you two are it wasn't hard to guess. And with your help she has improved a lot. She even made it to 5th seat officer. Her skills are definitely not lacking. The only thing she lacks is sufficient merit and experience to move up her rank, but with everything that has happened and with her diligent personality I think she would make a fine Lieutenant. Mn. Especially since you give your seal of approval. I'll have to talk to her when she gets back."

It was then that Kyoraku interjected into the conversation. "Yaaah, Shin-chan. Congrats congrats. I always had a feeling that you had it in you, but honestly I'm still a little shocked at how strong you've gotten. First Hitsugaya-kun becoming a Captain, and now you and Tsunayashiro-kun becoming Captains at the same time? You've got a good group of friends."

Before Kishin could respond, the sound of Byakuya's voice echoed behind him. "Chigetsu Kishin…"

Kishin turned to face the stoic Captain and noted the contorted facial expression he was making. Byakuya remained silent for several long moments before he finally managed to struggle out, "I...shall allow you to see Rukia, however do not overstep your boundaries. Even if you are a Captain now. And even if you two are d...d...dating…" His voice sounded more like a murderous growl towards the end as he didn't spare another glance at Kishin before leaving the room.

Kishin just cocked his head to the side mildly amused at Byakuya's attitude.

Well, I think it's a bit too late to be talking to me about boundaries...but not that he needs to know what goes on between Rukia and I.

Bam.

The sound of Yamamoto slamming his cane on the ground could be heard as he stared at everyone who was still lingering in the room. "Enough dawdling. There are pressing concerns that need to be addressed. You all can mingle when the matter with the Bounts is over with."

Kyoraku and Ukitake gave apologetic looks whilst Kishin just shrugged his shoulders and walked out. The first place he stopped to visit was the 3rd division barracks. He stood just outside the entrance taking in the nostalgic view as he had once been a member under the division back when he first enrolled as an official member of the Gotei 13. There was a row of bronze colored columns that held up an overhang of the roof leading into the entrance of the barracks with the insignia of the 3rd division above it denoted by the symbol of a diamond with three black horizontal lines inside. The moment he stepped foot inside the grounds he was greeted by the two hundred approximate members that made up the division. Their loud somewhat in sync voices echoed throughout the barracks as they all respectfully said, "We greet Captain Chigetsu!"

Kishin simply stood in place and smirked in amusement at everyone before him. "What, so you all already knew it was me? Well there goes the surprise."

It was then several division members stepped forward and amiably commented, "We received word of a new Captain being appointed to the 3rd division earlier today!"

"Yeah! We were all wondering who it was going to be, but we were shocked when we found out two hours ago that it was going to be you Kishi-AH! I-I mean Captain Chigetsu. Sorry. Old habit. I still have to get it out of my system that you're the Captain now and not the 3rd seat officer like you were in the past."

"Yeah yeah, that's right! Jeez it's been a long time since you've been back here Captain! We were nervous at first wondering if the new Captain was going to be competent, but with you around then there's no need to worry!"

"Yeah, you can say that again!"

Kishin just shook his head in amusement at everyone's enthusiastic banter and was about to say something when the sound of Kira's voice joined in. "C-Captain! You're here! Ah, please accept my apologies for being late!"

Kishin turned his head behind him and took note of Kira's somewhat nervous look. "Yo, Kira. It's been awhile. No need to be so anxious."

Kira immediately straightened up his posture and nodded. "Yes Captain! Uhh...right, congratulations Captain. For uhh...for your promotion to...Captain..." Kira's voice trailed a bit towards the end as he noticed the crimson red color of the inside of Kishin's Haori.

Taking note of Kira's odd behavior Kishin asked, "Something wrong?"

"Ah...uh...no."

Kishin followed the trail of Kira's eye and instantly knew what had caught the Lieutenant's attention. "Oh, so you noticed. Right, I know the color used to be spring green, but while I'm Captain the division's color will henceforth be changed to crimson red."

"Y-Yeah…" Kira awkwardly replied. He didn't really mind, but he thought it was an odd detail that Kishin paid attention to.

Kishin smirked and took another glance at all the division members before saying, "While I'd like to stick around and catch up with everyone, I'm sure you've all been informed already about our current task correct?"

Kira's expression immediately became serious as he nodded. "Yes Captain. We are ready to join in the search for the Bounts. Just give the order."

Kishin nodded in approval at Kira's quick organization. "Great. Kira, I want you to take a group of 5 members from the division and head North to begin the search. 3rd officer Togakushi Riku, 5th officer Gori Takatsuna, and 6th officer Katakura Asuka, each of you will also lead a group of 5 members from the division and head North. Fan out your formation to increase the distance searched. Understood?"

"Yes!" Everyone quickly saluted and obeyed Kishin's orders. Without a second to waste they all scattered towards Northern Rukongai to begin the search for the Bounts.

"Err...what about us Captain?" An unseated officer named Seko Shinta asked as he stood with the rest of the un-mobilized 3rd division.

Kishin just gave them all a glance before giving out his command. "You all stay here and keep things running in the division grounds. Since there currently isn't a 4th officer in the division then the next in charge is the 7th seated officer." After hearing everyone's verbal confirmation that they understood his command he finally turned around and left the barracks.

With a quick flip of his denreishinki he quickly pinpointed Rukia's current location.

Fancy that. She's somewhere in Northern Rukongai. Senpai should have more information about the Bounts than I do so this whole thing will blow over faster if I just ask her for her input…

An amused smile found its way to his lips as he thought about what her reaction would be when she saw him, however just as he was about to head out he paused and noticed the influx of chaotic reiatsu coming from the 2nd division. As he was now the Captain of the 3rd division the distance between his barracks and the 2nd division's barracks weren't too far apart.

"This reiatsu...a battle? Seems there's some sort of trouble in the 2nd division. And now of all times? Odd."

He momentarily halted his decision to head in Rukia's direction and instead dashed towards the 2nd division grounds, but as he got near the location of where he felt the chaos he frowned as a thought occurred to him.

The Nest of Maggots? It can't be a coincidence. Yushiro said that he captured Ran'Tao this morning and she's connected to the Bounts. Is someone trying to break her free?

The instant he arrived by the site of conflict he found Yushiro standing above a pile of dead corpses. A glum expression was evident on his friend's face telling him that Yushiro wasn't happy with the outcome. It was then that Yushiro took note of his presence. "Eh? Kishin? What are you doing here?"

"I was about to head out and search for the Bounts when I felt a disturbance of a fight in the 2nd division. The 2nd division is home to the Onmitsukido. I find it hard to believe that people were able to infiltrate this deeply inside the barracks undetected, but judging by the look of their clothes they seemed to be skilled assassins."

Yushiro nodded with a solemn face. "Yeah...when they found that they were outmatched they killed themselves. I couldn't get any information from them."

Kishin frowned and stared down at the dead bodies. "Odd...did you chase them here or did you find them here?"

Yushiro also frowned and replied, "I found them here. They attempted to break into the Nest of Maggots. Kishin...you don't think…"

Kishin nodded and stared at the cave entrance leading down into the Nest. "Yeah. I think you're thinking the same thing. It can't be a coincidence that assassins were sent here the same day that you captured Ran'Tao. It seems someone wants her dead. And these assassins...I don't know much about the Bounts but it doesn't seem likely that they were the ones who hired them."

Yushiro nodded in agreement. "I was thinking the same. While we don't know what the Bount's objectives are, it remains a fact that they wouldn't have the influence to hire assassins as skilled as these who were able to bypass the perimeter security of the Onmitsukido."

"True, but don't forget that security is a bit lacking since the 2nd division forces are slightly scattered across the four gates of the Seireitei. Still, to make it this far and to head straight to the Maggots Nest. It appears this Ran'Tao person you captured has more to them than meets the eye."

"Then...what're you going to do? Don't you have to search Northern Rukongai for the insurgents?"

"I already sent some of my division members out. I was about to partake as well but…" He glanced at the injured bodyguards that normally protected the Nest of Maggots and then down at the dead assassins before continuing, "It seems this Ran'Tao person is more interesting than I thought. For someone to hire assassins to kill her the moment she resurfaced means that she knows something someone doesn't want others finding out about. I think I'll go and have a chat with her."

"Eh? Y-You will? Err...then I'll come with."

Kishin shook his head. "You need to clean up the bodies first. Then fortify the protection around the Nest of Maggots. Since someone wants Ran'Tao dead then all the more reason for you to try and keep her alive. Unexpectedly she's someone important."

Yushiro sighed and nodded a bit unhappily. "Fine. I'm left to do the grunt work again…"

Kishin just lightly patted his friends back. "Thanks." Without missing a beat he immediately entered the Nest with a curious look in his eyes.

"Ran'Tao huh? Exactly what secrets are you hiding? I thought she was just someone who created the Bounts but...it seems there is something more interesting going on."

---

MISC.

Well...what is up with the attempted assassination on Ran'Tao's life? Who wants her dead? And Rukia's back in Soul Society somewhere in Northern Rukongai. How will the matter with the Bounts come to an end? How will Rukia react to seeing Kishin's new Captain's Haori? Until next chapter where some answers will shed some more light on the World Kishin has found himself inside.

*Oken (Royal Key): The method in which one can open the path to the Royal Palace where the Soul King resides. The conditions needed to create one is an enriched spiritual zone of at least half a spirit-mile in radius (1 spirit-mile across) and the sacrifice of 100,000 souls.
*Wild Lands: Unexplored and undeveloped lands beyond the perimeter of the 80th districts of Rukongai.
*Tekai Kecchu (World Shifting Binding Posts): A variation of the Senkaimon on a much larger scale where four giant pillars are erected at four different corners replacing the space inside with the space of a different area.
*Garganta (Throat/Black Cavity): Void between worlds that is mainly used by Hollows to travel between the World of the Living, Hueco Mundo, and Soul Society.

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KIDO (Demon Way):
-Bakudo #61: Rikujokoro (Six Rods of Light)
-Bakudo #75: Gochutekkan (Five Iron Pillar Penetration)
-Bakudo #80: Sodai Seki (Grand Repulsion)

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CAPTAINS/LIEUTENANTS/3rd/4th/5th/6th OFFICER (Last, First)
1. Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni/Sasakibe Chojiro
2. Soi Fon/Omaeda Marechiyo/Shihoin Yushiro
3. Chigetsu Kishin/Kira Izuru/Togakushi Riku/?/Gori Takatsuna/Katakura Asuka
4. Unohana Retsu/Kotetsu Isane
5. Amagai Shusuke/?
6. Kuchiki Byakuya/Abarai Renji
7. Komamura Sajin/Iba Tetsuzaemon
8. Kyoraku Shunsui/Ise Nanao
9. Tsunayashiro Kinji (Kido Commander)/Hisagi Shuhei
10. Hitsugaya Toshiro/Matsumoto Rangiku
11. Zaraki Kenpachi/Kusajishi Yachiru
12. Kurotsuchi Mayuri/Kurotsuchi Nemu
13. Ukitake Jushiro/?