And I'm back.
So I should explain the part in the last chapter involving Shuhei and Bennett. When I watched Bleach and Shuhei first appeared in the anime, he seemed very similar to Ichigo and Kaien Shiba in appearance and personality to me. Does anyone else think the same? I believe that if people didn't know any better, it's possible they might think Shuhei is related in some way to both of them. And it's been shown that he lived in the Rukon District as a child. A theory I have recently come up with is that he is closely related to them from unknowingly being a Shiba Clan member. All three of them certainly seem alike, in my mind at least. So because Bennett, Randy, and Ichigo are triplets and look like each other, it would be reasonable that Shuhei would also look like Bennett.
Just my thoughts on that. Anyways, enjoy the chapter
Hollow speaking or thinking
Zanpakuto Spirit speaking or thinking
Normal speaking or thinking
The aged Soul Reaper sat at his desk looking at the three individuals and sole animal standing in front of him through extremely squinted eyes. Based on what he could sense from them, the three youngsters were quite strong if the seemingly endless spirit energy flowing from them was any indication. 'Their reserves may be even higher than mine, it could be a result of who they inherited their powers from, though I wonder who the Soul Reaper is that would be strong enough to pass on this level of energy to them. But the look in their eyes... their eyes show a mental fortitude that I have only seen in veteran Soul Reapers or some of the more experienced captains, I would wager these young men have quite the story they want to tell me, one that has shaped their very beings.'
Meanwhile, the three boys eyed Yamamoto warily as they felt the strength that radiated from him. This man had been the sole head of the 13 Court Guard Squads for over a thousand years, one did not get that position and keep it for that long by being a weakling or foolish. If things went wrong, they very much doubted they could fight him on even grounds or even defeat him. The centuries of experience he most likely had gave the strongest Soul Reaper to ever exist a lethal and deadly advantage over all of them. They could not fight him in just their Shikai or it wouldn't be a contest, they figured. And none of them had even achieved Bankai yet. Right now, they were more vulnerable in this office than anywhere else in the Soul Society. Treading carefully was a priority above everything else, though convincing the Head Captain to fight against Aizen and his subordinates was a very, very close second.
"Randy, this is a precarious situation we are in. Be careful with how all of you speak with this man, it could very well decide your fates." cautioned Jugo in his wielder's head.
His fellow spirit was in the same boat as him. "Jugo's right, this man fought against the Quincy King and nearly killed him as well. That is a feat that speaks for itself. Do not be an idiot and do something you will regret, you'll be killed if you do."
'Got it.' the blond stoically responded to his Zanpakuto spirits, steeling his nerves and mentally preparing himself for the tension that was sure to come. "Do you have a way to keep any unwanted listeners from eavesdropping on our conversation? Just a precaution so nobody who shouldn't hear us talking can do so to begin with."
The Head Captain nodded and used a silencing Kido on the room. "It is done, please begin with what you have to discuss with me."
"Forgive us for what we have done, Head Captain Yamamoto, but when we learned that the one who saved us and our family, Rukia Kuchiki, was to be executed for her actions, we could not sit by and let someone who became our friend die for what she did. I apologize for if we have disrespected you and your way of life, but we feel that for her to die for doing a good deed is unjust and wrong, regardless if she did break any laws, so we came to the Soul Society to save her from being executed. Before that though, we wanted to speak with you and explain some things as well." explained Randy.
"I see. Tell me, what are your names? And will you show me your faces as well?" asked Yamamoto. While he was unwavering in upholding the laws and traditions of the Soul Society, he could definitely understand why they felt the way they did and it told him a lot about the character of the three boys. Truthfully, he had seen reports concerning the World of the Living and how its societies functioned in the present day. The justice systems of its nations, though not perfect, strived to create fair and just punishments for criminals that broke the law, and while there could be prejudice in penal codes and from officials involved with the systems against certain individuals, people did not judge others for who their parents were, their heritage, or how high up in society they were most of the time.
Compared with the Soul Society's justice system along with the disdain from the nobles of the Seireitei for the inhabitants of the Rukon District, it was clear that the Soul Society was archaic in its ways. Not to mention the number of corrupt nobles that plagued the Soul Society. Hell, Yamamoto could not even begin to count the exact number of individuals like that, and in addition, the one clan he had looked into years ago was primarily led by some horribly corrupt officials, especially that one bastard who held most of the power. He wholeheartedly believed that the actions of the nobles in the Seireitei reflected on the image of the 13 Court Guard Squads as a whole. Just thinking about how corrupt they looked gave him a headache.
"My name is Randi Kurosaki, the one to my left is my twin brother Ichigo and the one to my right is my other twin brother Benetto." the blond said while motioning to both of his siblings." They each took off their face coverings and the old man's eyes opened further to fully take in and understand what he was seeing.
"Remarkable, your facial appearances are hauntingly similar to that of the late Squad 13 Lieutenant Kaien Shiba."
Bennett rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, and there's a currently-serving lieutenant that actually looks like us as well, Shuhei Hisagi, though I'll have to find out why later. But we have been told that a couple of times now, and there is a reason for that. Do you remember a man named Isshin Shiba?"
"I do, he was the captain of Squad 10 and the Shiba Clan Head before he disappeared in the World of the Living over twenty years ago." the Head Captain confirmed.
"He's our father, our mother, Masaki Kurosaki, was a Quincy that was infected by a manufactured Vasto Lorde class Hollow. He actually saved her by sacrificing his powers to keep her alive and the Hollow's spirit energy from poisoning her." continued the mohawked teen.
The captain of Squad 1 mulled over the influx of information. "Isshin was a carefree individual when he was part of the 13 Court Guard Squads, but he was also not one to let another die if there was anything he could do about it. Your mother must have made quite the impression on him if he went that far to save her." he said, stroking his long beard thoughtfully.
The ginger of the group sighed as he began to explain further. "There's more. The Hollow that infected her passed onto us and split into three fragments, one fragment each becoming part of our Zanpakutos. In short, the three of us are naturally-born Soul Reaper, Quincy, and Hollow hybrids in human bodies, whether we wanted to be born like this or not. You can probably now see part of the reason why we are a little hesitant with telling you about this, we are worried how the Central 46 and the 13 Court Guard Squads will react to that information. But if there is anything we have learned, it is that Hollows and Soul Reapers are like humans. As not all humans are good and not all are bad, not all Hollows are bad and not all Soul Reapers are good. I believe you might understand our thought process."
"Hmm... I understand your reasoning for both of your statements and you are correct about both of them. I know very well how despicable a lot of the nobles in the Seireitei can be, they are very narrow-minded and prejudiced against what they see as beneath them. I do not hold your hybrid status against you three as no one can control who they are born to or the circumstances of their birth."
Randy continued, "There are things you need to know since it concerns your organization. You have a group of traitors in the midst of it, Sosuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tosen. Aizen experimented on a group of Soul Reapers using Hollowfication in an attempt to create Hollow-Soul Reaper hybrids, framing our mentors, Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin, and Tessai Tsukabishi, for the act. Our teachers saved them by using a device to balance their newly-introduced Hollow sides and Soul Reaper powers and keep them from becoming Hollows completely, with the afflicted Soul Reapers becoming similar to us, Vizards."
Yamamoto's eyes opened even further to express his surprise. "I suspected there was something not right with how the evidence of that incident looked. It was too perfect, too clean of a case. Urahara had an explanation for what he was doing, he even said who he knew was behind the incident, but the Central 46 did not care to listen." He sighed in resignation. "Another horrible mistake our government has made, and one that ruined the lives of several good Soul Reapers as well."
Ichigo visibly grimaced at the Head Captain's reference to his soulmate's exile. "Yeah, we're well aware of it. According to Kisuke and the background information he gave us, Aizen's Shikai's real power is the ability to completely hypnotize all of your senses once you have witnessed its release. Since we have never met the bastard, we're lucky that we are not under its spell. Unfortunately, that is not where it ends. Aizen was also behind the entire incident with our father and mother, he created that artificial Hollow fully intending to have a complete Vizard like us be born as his 'experiment'. He has gathered an army of Arrancars in Hueco Mundo and plans to use them to kill the Soul King."
"How did you learn about this? This information could not have been that simple to gain access to." the old man asked.
A worried look came across Randy and Bennett's faces, looks that Yamamoto did not miss at all. "There is a group of female Arrancars that... defected from Aizen's forces and came to us for help. None of them ever trusted him and they were very much afraid of being thrown away like trash because of him treating the five of them like they were nothing more than tools or pawns. Benetto and I have met two of them, both of them now former Arrancars, in our Inner Worlds, probably because of our Hollow sides. They trust us and we trust them. And we're worried the Central 46 will want them to be executed just because of who they used to be and their former association with Aizen." said Randy.
'So these boys, two of them at least, have soulmates. The two females meeting them in their Inner World fits the description of what Soul Reapers that have them experience. I sympathize for the situation they have themselves in, it cannot be easy for them to have to worry about people they care about more than anyone else to potentially be in the line of fire.' the Head Captain contemplated in his mind, giving his condolences to the unfortunate pair. "They're your soulmates, I would wager. It brings us back to the point you made about good Hollows and bad Soul Reapers, and as I said before, I know of nobles who are some very loathsome people and I judge people for their actions, not for what they are or their past associations. That being said, I can see that you trust these people a lot, they must be good people and mean a lot to you, especially the two you mentioned."
The tallest teenager and the blond smiled genuinely. "They mean everything to us. They are the best things to ever happen to us ever since our mother died." quietly said Bennett.
Yamamoto inquired, "May I ask what you mean by former Arrancars?"
"The device that Kisuke used to stabilize the victims of Aizen's experiment actually helped in that regard. Our soulmates needed to confront their past, find out why they lost their hearts and became Hollows, find a reason to regain them, and recover them from their despair. They were able to accomplish this with the device aiding them. Once they had done the task, other Arrancar who were good like them would be able to do the same without needing the assistance of the device. After everything was said and done, the two women became like us, complete Vizards, meaning they now have a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto and kept their Hollow powers," the raven-haired teen finished his explanation. "So now that we have explained everything, we would like to request the help of the 13 Court Guard Squads to stop Aizen for good."
"Your request is granted. Now, I believe it is important that no one else besides the people you trust without a shadow of a doubt know about this conversation. Only one other person under my command knows about our talk, Captain Kuchiki, since he was the one to relay your original request of wanting to talk with me. As for what to do after this, I suggest you continue what you set out to accomplish as if our discussion never happened in the first place, though please try to keep the damage to a minimum."
"We understand, Yamamoto. Thank you for hearing us out and being understanding of our situation. We'll be leaving to continue our 'mission'." thanked Ichigo, saying "mission" carefully as he was not sure what else to call what the Ryoka were doing. The boys covered up their faces again and walked out the door, sneaking out of the barracks as quietly as when they came in.
Yamamoto went back to his paperwork, but as he continued working on it, he could not help but think about the three boys. 'Those young men, they have good heads on their shoulders, not many that young do. Not only that, they have given me much to think about regarding the Soul Society and Seireitei. I have a feeling they will do great things in the future.'
Once the boys and Yoruichi had gotten to a secluded area away from the barracks, they slumped against a pair of nearby trees, showing just how relieved they were at how the meeting went. 'That may have been the most intense moment in our lives to date.' thought the three teens.
Yoruichi commented, "That... actually went better than I thought it would. From what I could gather, I think Yamamoto's becoming fed up with the actions and antics of a majority of the nobles as well as the Central 46. Hearing your story may have given him a fresh perspective on how the Soul Society is as a whole."
"Well he did allow us to continue to save Rukia, but was that conservation ever terrifying to have. God damn, he's freakishly strong, I could practically feel the power coming off of Yamamoto. I may have not met many Soul Reapers in general, but that guy basically blew everyone else out of the water." Bennett shuddered slightly, really not wanting to be on the receiving end of the man's power.
"That's the Head Captain for you, he kept that position for over a thousand years and for good reason." said the golden-eyed cat.
Ichigo sighed. "What's our next step, Yoruichi?
She turned to Bennett and asked him, "Before we went into the office, you said you were able to get Rukia's location out of a lieutenant that you fought. Where is she being held right now?"
"The large white tower right in the middle of the Seireitei."
"Okay, we'll start making our way there. Maybe we can meet up with the others if we can find them."
Renji walked through the Squad 13 Barracks while ignoring some of the lower-ranked grunts greeting him respectfully. While he made his way to a specific part of the compound, he thought about the events he and the other lieutenants had discussed during a meeting between them.
It was reported by a messenger that Lieutenant Hisagi got thrashed by an assailant that was described as tall, sporting a black mohawk with some dye in it, and having his lower face, arms, and torso covered in bandages. As soon as Renji heard the description, he had gritted his teeth in anger since he knew immediately who the person that battled Shuhei was. He didn't like the fact that the three humans that kicked his ass in the World of the Living had come to the Soul Society and was very certain what their objective was. When he turned to leave the room, the messenger gave a tidbit of information that startled him. The kid wielded a Dual Zanpakuto, and the surprise soon turned to worry and slight fear. Without another word, he exited the room, leaving the remaining lieutenants in shock at the news.
How did a human have a Dual Zanpakuto? The only two Soul Reapers to ever possess a Zanpakuto like that were Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku and both of them were no slouches in battle. And this human now had one as well, and there was the possibility that the other two also each had one. It was worrying to the redhead because when he fought all of them, they each had a single blade. 'He must have achieved Shikai,' seethed Renji. 'That's the only explanation. Did the other two also achieve it as well?'
He approached the door to the Squad 13 Captain's office and knocked on it. A voice gave him permission to enter and he opened the door and walked in. "Hello, Lieutenant Abarai. By the expression on your face, you seem to be troubled by something. Is it related to visiting me and Shunsui?" politely asked Captain Ukitake, an older man with long white hair and a docile aura around him, who was sitting in a chair at his desk and doing paperwork, which signified it was one of his better days. His close friend and fellow disciple, Captain Kyoraku, a bearded and ponytailed man of similar age in a floral kimono, sat in a chair across from him while holding a saucer of sake in his hand.
"Yes it is, Captain Ukitake. I need your advice, potentially your help as well. It's... well, it's about Rukia Kuchiki." Renji lamented in a sad tone at the end. Hearing Rukia's name brought an expression to Ukitake's face that was a mix between deep sadness and frustration.
He put down his writing instrument and said, "I see. To be perfectly honest with you, I do not like anything about how this all happened. It pains me to see someone as promising as Rukia to be condemned to death for a good deed that is not seen as one because of these blasted laws. This is all a mess that has ruined more than enough lives, the three human youths' included. Those young men may very well be dead and all because of an unfortunate Hollow attack and the events that followed after."
Kyoraku simply stared at his sake, seemingly in deep thought. He looked up and lazily stated, "What's more is your friend shouldn't be slated for execution for just simply failing to report in, and that's what puzzles me. I know that she never gave those humans her powers, I can certainly tell because when I passed her and some of the officers guarding her, I could sense spirit energy regenerating from the miniscule reserves she still had inside of her. An offense as simple as what she's been detained for should not call for execution. And I've also received word from a Central 46 messenger that she is to be executed by the Sokyoku. That instrument should not be used on an unseated officer like Miss Kuchiki." The part about the Sokyoku was news to Renji, and it was disheartening to hear his old friend would be executed using a method like that.
"They're not dead."
"Pardon me, Renji? What do you mean?" asked the white-haired Soul Reaper, surprised at the pineapple-haired lieutenant's comment.
"Those humans, I know for a fact they're not dead. The Ryoka that broke into the Seireitei, there was a description given by Lieutenant Hisagi about one of them and I recognized the traits that were described. The Ryoka's attributes match those of one of the three humans that we encountered in Karakura Town. All of those boys are alive and part of the Ryoka." The two captains nearly fell out of their chairs when they heard his explanation.
"My god, and you're sure of this?" Renji nodded to Ukitake's question.
His flamboyant friend chuckled, "I gotta say, Jushiro, those are some tough kids. To survive against Byakuya is no small feat. It's impressive."
"I believe they're here to save Rukia from being executed. Something interesting I heard from the report at the lieutenants' meeting is one of those three humans had a Dual Zanpakuto. It's possible all three have a Zanpakuto like that."
This time, the captains did fall out of their chairs. "My sake!" cried one of them in particular. "Why?!"
"Shunsui, forget about the sake for a damn minute," chided Ukitake as both of them reseated themselves. "We're no longer the only Dual wielders. That is very surprising. I'm also a bit shocked at the fact that these boys are here to save Rukia. It's amazing that a human teenager has the power and ability to defeat a highly capable lieutenant of the 13 Court Guard Squads." He then remembered the whole point about having the conversation. "However, we're getting off track here. Lieutenant Abarai, you said you needed our advice about this situation, possibly our assistance in addition. What exactly is it for that you're asking for our advice?"
"I talked to Rukia sometime before the Ryoka invaded and I realized interacting with the humans changed her, it made her feel happy, more than she had ever before. But I blamed them for causing her to be slated for execution, I still do a little. But now, knowing that they came all this way just to save her, I'm... conflicted. Why would three humans who barely knew her for a few months risk everything to save her? And why would Rukia be upset at me for bringing her back to where she belonged and her duty is? I want to understand it all, but I also want to understand the three boys better."
Kyoraku sighed. "Unfortunately, those are not easy questions to answer. I think your friend feels that she doesn't belong in the Seireitei among the Soul Reapers and nobles. When she stayed in the World of the Living, those boys probably made her feel wanted and appreciated by someone who did not care that she was different from them. After that, becoming close friends with them made that connection between them even stronger. But you have to understand something, Renji. Humans don't live as long as spirits do, they create bonds, relationships, and connections between each other and those things make them stronger and better people. And while there are some outliers and exceptions, many of them don't judge each other for their differences. Those three young men are special, even among humans. To create such strong feelings in another who they barely knew shows how unique they are. I know I would certainly like to meet them and see who they are as people, and I have a feeling it was not just Rukia who changed. She may have wormed her way into their hearts as well as they did hers."
Renji said nothing for a couple of moments, then a sigh escaped his lips and showed acceptance of Kyoraku's answer to his question. "I now know what I must do, I thank the both of you for giving me the advice I needed. May I ask you two something else? Will you look into everything involving Rukia's execution? Laws, loopholes, evidence suggesting why she shouldn't be executed, anything you think might help her." The older men happily agreed to his request. "Thank you. I'll take my leave, there's something I really must take care of and it cannot wait any longer and must be done immediately." With that final statement, the lieutenant walked out of the office with a determined look in his eyes.
The two captains looked at each other. "I know that look Renji had in his eyes, he's going to fight those three boys." said an exasperated Ukitake. The easygoing chronic drinker nodded his head in agreement and took a sip of the sake that he had refilled after falling out of his chair. "Though he probably will not like to believe otherwise, I do think it will give him insight into them and their personalities."
Kyoraku set down his saucer and got up from his chair. "Well I'm curious to learn more about why Miss Kuchiki is being treated like a hardened criminal and put to death like one as well. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I don't like it. I'm going to the Kuchiki Archives to find something that will point us in the right direction." He walked to the door and said, "You coming with me, Jushiro?"
"As always, Shunsui."
After exchanging blows for a quite a bit of time, Tatsuki could safely say the woman that she was fighting against was skilled, very skilled and fighting above her own level. Though Captain Soifon was not as skilled as Yoruichi, she had been personally trained by her and also possessed a level of experience above what Tatsuki had, which translated into Soifon having a clear advantage over the younger fighter.
However, Tatsuki wasn't just trained in Hakuda but karate as well. She used her skills from both styles to keep the Stealth Force Commander on her toes, getting quite a good number of well-placed hits on Soifon, something she was proud of. The combined elements from the two fighting styles served as a frustration to her opponent because she had not learned any martial arts other than Hakuda, believing she did not need them and that she was a master in hand-to-hand combat by solely using that style, and the effective combining of styles used by Tatsuki was something she had never considered doing due to her beliefs.
The tomboy landed a strong kick to Soifon's side and followed it up with a punch to her arm, but Soifon powered through the blows and hit her opposition with a knee to the gut, knocking the wind out of Tatsuki. The fight was turning in the small captain's favor and when Tatsuki realized it, she knew that she would lose the battle, yet she kept fighting. Her determination to continue and prove the training with Ichigo's soulmate wasn't in vain pushed her forward, and she wouldn't stop fighting until she had proven she was tough enough to stand with her friends on her own two feet. 'I will do this! I am not going to give up here!' she yelled in her mind, but she was tired and nearly out of energy.
Soifon had finally seen enough and ended the fight by kicking Tatsuki in the jaw, sending her crashing to the ground. "You did well regardless of being a human. As much as I want to allow you to continue fighting, you won't last any longer if you do and I really don't want you to end up killing yourself. You've proven yourself to be a great fighter, take pride in knowing that. But right now, I want to know the name of my opponent." she complimented the teenager.
"Tatsuki Arisawa." Tatsuki groaned out as she sat up.
"You are a very strong girl, Tatsuki. I'm Captain Soifon of Squad 2." The petite Soul Reaper paused as she saw Tatsuki bring a hand to her mouth and cough up some blood. That wasn't good. 'I may have damaged some of her internal organs. After she gave such a good showing, she at the very least deserves to be treated by Squad 4.' "Unfortunately, I will have to detain you, but I can do so by keeping you in the Squad 4 medical area while you are under treatment for your injuries. You've earned it." She then turned to her men. "I'll be bringing Miss Arisawa to Squad 4 to be treated for her injuries, I want no arguments from any of you about it. She is not to be harmed in any way under your watch while she is there. If I find out she was, none of you will like the consequences, though do keep her under surveillance while she's at Squad 4."
"Yes, Captain Soifon." affirmed the men. She hoisted Tatsuki over her shoulder and Flash Stepped to the Squad 4 Headquarters. When she got there, she ran into a couple of medics who immediately directed her to the infirmary, where she deposited her fellow martial artist.
After doing so, Soifon left the compound and immediately set off to investigate more about the group of Ryoka. 'I definitely recognized some of the moves Tatsuki made during our bout, they were certainly part of the Hakuda fighting style, though they were different. She assimilated a human martial art into her Hakuda teachings and created a hybrid style. But how did she learn the Soul Reaper's hand-to-hand combat system in the first place?' pondered the assassin.
Ganju ran through the streets of the Seireitei with a group of Soul Reapers trailing behind him closely, their weapons out and threatening to cut him up painfully. He finally was able to duck into an alley and lose his pursuers, though when he saw the hatch in the cobblestone, he took the opportunity to open it and go down the ladder leading down into the underground canals.
After his cousin had fought the lieutenant they encountered and took off with Yoruichi, the Shiba man continued to move through the Seireitei but did not have much luck avoiding the patrolling Soul Reapers. He got caught once and that was what led him to being chased by them, lamenting how terrible he was at being stealthy the whole time.
As he reached the ground, he noticed where he was. "What is this place? It looks like a drainage system." He began trudging along a walkway that ran beside the water in the canals. After a good ten minutes, he realized how long and far he had traveled. "Damn. This place is vast and very expansive. If I'm not careful, I may get turned around and lost in here." he cursed.
Then he heard a set of familiar voices and saw a few individuals coming in his direction. It sounded like... "Is that...?" He listened closely and a deeper voice than the rest that he recognized stood out to him, telling him exactly who was in the group coming his way. "That has to be Sado, and it sounds like Orihime and Uryu are with him as well. Why are they down here and who's that other person with them?"
"So, Hanataro, these canals. Is it possible that we can use them to get to where Rukia is being held now?" asked Chad.
"Rukia is being held in the Tower of Repentance, the large white tower that overlooks Sokyoku Hill, which is where she is supposed to be executed. Unfortunately, these canals do not lead all the way to that area. There is an opening that goes to a spot outside of it, but it would still be a long way to get to the actual tower." said the now-identified Hanataro.
"Well—"
"Sado, Orihime, Uryu, that you guys?" Ganju called out to the group who perked up when they recognized his voice.
"Ganju?! Why are you down here?!" exclaimed a shocked Uryu as the group's appearances became completely visible to the man.
"I came down here to escape some of the Soul Reapers that were chasing after me. How about you?"
"The same for us."
Then the Shiba clansman noticed the new addition to their group. "Who's he?" he said, pointing to Hanataro.
Orihime cheerfully replied, "This is Hanataro Yamada, he helped us hide in here from the people that came after us. He wants to help save Rukia."
Ganju raised an eyebrow, asking a silent question to the archer, who nodded in response. He sighed in resignation. "Alright, so what's the plan?"
Calmness in the Seireitei was rare since large numbers of Soul Reapers usually rushed around doing their daily duties. It was not one of those days, unfortunately. What would have been a relatively normal day, aside from the Ryoka invading the Seireitei and causing a panic the previous day, was turned completely on its head by a gruesome murder.
During the middle of the morning, the Lieutenant of Squad 5, Momo Hinamori, had walked into the office of her captain, who happened to be the traitor Aizen, and noticed his absence from the room. She found a note from him explaining he was taking care of some business and would not be back for quite a while, then left the room to meet with a few of her fellow lieutenants to have a late morning meal with them. On the way to meet with them, she discovered a blood trail leading to a body with a sword through the chest that she discovered to be Aizen's lying in the street, the body happening to be the victim of multiple stabs in the chest and stomach, one of them seemingly in the general area surrounding the heart. Her two friends, Nanao Ise and Isane Kotetsu, had actually decided to meet Momo at her barracks and stumbled onto the blood thirty seconds after she did, following it and finding their friend wailing over the body of the deceased captain.
Isane, a tall, silver-haired woman and the Lieutenant of Squad 4, immediately sent word to her own Squad to take care of the body. Once the coroners had come and started their task, Nanao took Momo back to her barracks to allow her some rest from the ordeal and give her a shoulder to cry on, the brown-haired female crying herself to sleep from how devastated she was. The Lieutenant of Squad 8 left Momo's quarters without a word and very worried how Aizen's murder would affect her mindset since she practically worshipped the man.
Currently, Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku were on a break from investigating Rukia's situation for Renji and taking a look at the scene of the crime, confused as to how a captain like Aizen could be killed so easily. Multiple stab wounds in the chest with a sword through the body part as well, Aizen's own Zanpakuto in fact, and the hilt in the back could only mean the man was ambushed from behind. "This is starting to get very fishy, Jushiro. First, we have an unseated officer of the 13 Court Guard Squads put on death row for a 'crime' that does not constitute a punishment as harsh as execution by the Sokyoku. Next, a group of human invaders breaks into the Seireitei who may possibly be trying to set the accused Soul Reaper free. And finally, a captain was murdered by an unknown assassin in cold blood and nobody saw a thing. Aizen was a moderately powerful captain and was killed from behind, not seeing his murderer at all. The killer would have had to be skilled in stealth, meaning Aizen wouldn't have seen them coming. That's suspicious by itself, but for this person to take Kyoka Suigetsu from the man is impossible. They would have to steal it right from his hands without him ever noticing it gone. Someone is playing a game with us, manipulating us, and pulling the strings from behind the scenes. And I do not like that feeling at all, old friend." said Kyoraku.
The Captain of Squad 13 wore an unreadable expression on his face. "Neither do I, but who is doing all this and what could they possibly want or hope to gain from this?"
The quartet of invading Soul Reapers rushed through the streets with urgency, all three males using their combination of Sonido, Flash Step, and Hirenkyaku efficiently enough to make their way without any Soul Reapers catching on to their presence. Without any interruptions, they made their way to a set of stairs, now noticing their goal on the raised earth that the stairs lead to. "Looks like we're close." said Randy, his brothers nodding in response to his proclamation.
Unfortunately, they each sensed someone hiding near the stairs and a scowl appeared on their faces upon recognizing their spirit energy. "Alright, you bastard. You can either continue to hide like a little rat, or you can show yourself and stop trying to be a snoop. It's your choice... Renji Abarai." shouted Ichigo at the hidden lieutenant.
Slowly, a familiar redhead appeared in front of them from behind a nearby building. Renji did not look happy to see that he had been caught spying on the boys. "This is all you three's faults. Rukia has been a good friend of mine since we were kids in the Rukon District. Now she is on the verge of being executed and I can't do anything to save her from that fate! If you three hadn't caused her powers to become dormant from unlocking your own, this would have never happened at all!" he roared at the four Ryoka.
"You should be blaming your society's flawed justice system and its laws, not us. If you cannot see that, then I truly feel sorry for how blind you are. Randy, we're going ahead. You think you can handle him?" asked Bennett, not wanting to deal with the hardheaded Soul Reaper.
"Not a problem. I've been itching to get into a fight and kick someone's ass, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Go, I got this." The two Substitutes used their new travel technique to quickly get behind Renji, who released his Zanpakuto into its Shikai and launched the segmented blade at them.
What he was not counting on was the blade completely missing them because their speed was far superior to his own. As a result, they blurred out of existence and were nowhere to be seen until he noticed them making their way up the stairs.
"What the—" he started to say before being interrupted.
"GETSUGA TENSHO!"
Renji was hit by a crescent of energy and blasted into the ground from the sheer force, some blood appearing from the attack on his body. When he got up from the crater he created with his body, he noticed straight away the two blades in his opponent's hands. 'I knew it... he has it as well. But how did the other two completely blow right by me? Are they just that fast?' he seethed.
Randy pointed his longsword straight at Renji. "Prepare yourself, Renji Abarai. I'm your opponent... and you will not enjoy the beating I am about to give you."
And done. As always, please read and review. And no flaming please.
Got this chapter out a little faster than normal, though that's a good thing. So far, I think typing more words every day is working so far. So I'll try to do so as much as I can.
Crash, out.