Sakura had actually seen the birth of a child a number of times simply out of curiosity. The process was bloody. Half of the time the women didn't make it out alive. Sometimes the baby is lost in the process. But every time there was pain. Excruciating pain only women could know.

She had been stabbed, sliced, poisoned, and experienced almost every type of injury imaginable thanks to her life style, but she has never experienced child birth.

She had seen yet another child seeing the light of day, but it lacked any woman or blood. The child in question was actually given life by a man.

The Hogyoku's power was not yet complete, but if someone with spirit energy two times stronger than a captain's were to activate it, for a short time its full power would be released. Sosuke Aizen would use this feature to make his arrancars. It was different for Sakura as she was a human before converting, but the process of accessing the little orb's power was still the same.

Wonderweiss Margela. That was the new arrancar's name. He was thin like a child, with light blonde hair and magenta eyes. The remains of his hollow mask was in the form of a three-point tiara on the top of his head.

But his mind was lesser than a child's. Sakura could see the emptiness in his eyes as he kneeled on the cold tile floor. When asked for his name, he said it slowly and that was it. Anything else he could only say a few syllables like a baby would. The best description for him would be an incredible airhead as he was devoid of rationality, speech, memory retention, and intelligence.

It was almost cute to see him try to do more complex wordplay. Sakura was by his side holding up a box of cookies she happened to bring with her. "Want one?" The whole box was snatched and Sakura stared in amusement at the boy as he devoured a baker dozen cookies.

Most of the Espada were present for Wonderweiss' "birth". Aizen turned to Ulquiorra. "Do you remember the order I gave you approximately one month ago?"

"Yes."

"It is time to carry it out. I will even give you a choice and bring whoever you want."

"Thank you sir."

"Ugh. Damn lap dog. He just does whatever Aizen commands." Nnoitra muttered. Sakura chuckled. "What?"

"Oh nothing." Sakura quietly giggled. There were notable differences, but Sakura found it humorous her otouto didn't see the similarities between him and the Espada he just criticized. She was pretty sure if she pointed them out, he'll just get flustered and deny it to his grave.

The room they were in seemed to make Aizen's soft voice commanding as it directed Sakura's attention. "Sakura, Grimmjow, do you wish to join Ulquiorra's mission?"

The crippled panther said nothing, but affirmed his leader's words with a grunt and soft nod.

Sakura was more vocal than her blue-haired peer. "I would love to!" She giggled a bit when Nnoitra made his displeasure show with a groan. Why does she always get to have fun?!

"I'm pleased you are so enthusiastic about the mission," the former captain of the 5th division started with a small smirk. "But a word of warning: Karakura Town is too important to destroy. Take care to keep your power in check."

The current decimo Espada fumed at Aizen's words. In his lexicon, "keeping yourself in check" was the same as purposefully weakening yourself, and that was something he hated. Why should Sakura have to enforce a restriction onto herself?! It isn't her fault weaklings might bite off more than they could chew.

A soft patting on his scarred arm told Nnoitra Sakura did not want his anger. He resigned with a huff.

While Sakura understood Nnoitra's indignation on her behalf, she also understood why Aizen asked that of her. She does run rampant most of time, but how could she not when she's having fun?

"I understand, Lord Aizen." Sakura politely nodded.

With that the meeting was adjourned. Sakura, Grimmjow, Yammy, Ulquiorra, Luppi, and the freshly inducted Wonderweiss agreed when to leave so that they can fulfill the cuatro's mission of capture and retrieve.

There was a time Sakura came back home hoping to find Arata training in the front yard, but to her disappointment, he wasn't there to greet her. She waited and waited, but with each passing hour she became more and more antsy until she decided to go look for him in the nearby village. That was when she found him near the daimyo's palace sucking face with his daughter.

In the end, it turned into an amusing story both of them would never forget, but it started out with worry on Sakura's part, as rare as it is. She had thought the fourteen year old she was raising went and actually got himself in trouble with a gang or got mixed up in something he wasn't prepared for. Words couldn't express how glad she was that she was incorrect in her assumptions, but she highly doubted Arata would feel the same once this mission is completed.

He was gonna go through his own special Hell.

In the World of the Living...

A month had gone and passed them in the blink of an eye. Ichigo had gone from a teen afraid of his own powers to a man slowly embracing the warrior inside him. The length of time he can hold his mask bumped up from nine seconds to fifteen seconds. It was no where near the time length the Visoreds can hold, but the power it bestowed was just as potent. His growing comfort wearing the white mask was also improving alongside his mastery, which showed in the growing number of red markings on the mask's surface.

All in all, Ichigo was blossoming.

Another sign of good fortune was Arata's improving skill at using Shingetsuha. He grew more comfortable with the power and thought if he mastered this ability even further, his other energy attacks would also improve and no longer hurt him from usage.

All in all, Arata thought he was blossoming; which he was, but Hitokiri thought differently.

After much consideration, Arata's zanpakuto decided it was best not to tell her owner the problem blazing in his inner world. The trees didn't seem to cause any problems with Arata's powers and most likely telling her owner would come to the same conclusion. He would leave it be at the very least, but distract him for a time at the very most.

Both were not good outcomes so Hitokiri didn't breathe a word about it. She could only hope she could persuade Arata towards a better path and stop the flames before they became a problem.

But in the month that has passed, as Ichigo rose in power, so did Arata's fondness for the boy. He saw how determined he was with each training session and how passionate he was about improving. It made Arata proud to witness. And out of all the Visoreds, it was Arata Ichigo found himself talking more casually with. The conversations didn't even necessarily pertain to training or the imminent clash with Aizen; most of the time it was light-hearted banter between sessions.

With every second the orangette gained on his mask, another tree was lit up. With each second achieved, the more Arata debated with himself whether to tell Ichigo about himself or his original world, only to shoot himself down every time. It was crushing to see, but even more to feel as Hitokiri and Arata were one and the same. The pain he felt was hers as well.

But Ichigo rarely caught on. Arata's mask of indifference was too strong.

"AGHHH!"

What wasn't too strong was Ichigo defense as he tumbled down a rocky hill like a drunken shugoki. 'That was probably the farthest Hiyori has ever kicked him.' thought the executioner. For such a small girl, Hiyori can really pack a punch when she's in the mood.

"Why don't you put up a fight, ya stupid idiot?!" the small visored shouted when her sparring partner destroyed a tall rock formation with his body. "You have any idea how many times I could've killed you already?!"

Her loud-mouthed rant only made the boy all the more pissed, but before he could act on it. Kensei called everyone for chow time. "Get your butts over here on the double! The last one in line does the dishes!"

In addition to training and inadvertently forming a close relationship with Ichigo, Arata also found the Visoreds endearing in their own way. Each of them held something special; he shares Lisa and Love's passion for manga - which he spoils a lot to Arata's annoyance; he learned of Shinji and Rose's love of music; he appreciates Hachi's incredible patience and Mashiro's energetic nature; even Hiyori is tolerable at time.

Ichigo was unfortunately last in line, so he got dish duty. "So, how's Ichigo's training going?" Shinji asked. Most of the Visored stayed out of Ichigo's training, leaving Hiyori and Arata as his main sparring partners.

"Weren't ya watching? It isn't going anywhere! The idiot is still only up to fifteen seconds. That dumbass is a joke, real dog meat!" Hiyori critiqued.

"It's going fine overall." Arata said, adopting a more level-headed response. "He adds one second every so often, but his power and reaction speed are strong and will only get stronger as time progresses."

"You give the brat too much credit." Hiyori said.

"I simply gave an assessment of my thoughts on the matter. I am looking at his progress overall while you only concentrate on his mask time."

"Not like you were any better before, Hiyori." Shinji pointed out. He remembered how hard it was for young soul reaper to fully adapt to her mask. He didn't remember quite clearly, but he was pretty sure Ichigo was slightly ahead of her in the same time frame.

The blonde man's remark was not left without consequence as a sandal as fast as a bullet slammed into his face.

"Maybe he just doesn't have what it takes." Lisa started. "Maybe he should just give up."

"Just shut the hell up you little pervert!" growled Ichigo, annoyed at all the fault-finding he was getting. "You're not even involved in my training, so I would appreciate it if you kept your mouth shut!"

"I'm already involved, moron." the former lieutenant retorted. "I lent you my dirty magazine to get your mind off training the other day remember?"

Ichigo completely denied every receiving any pornographic content. He looked about ready to pop a blood vessel, he was so mad. Arata could only stare dumbly at the situation as Love and Lisa confessed how often they visit the magazine for relief, which only accentuated Ichigo's frustration into an embarrassed mess.

"The fact you're so open about this makes you a pervert, you know that right?" Arata questioned.

"But I'm just curious!"

"That too enhances your perversion."

The hitokiri took a breather away from the group. His sigh seemed leveled, but at its core was shaky. He's been spending too much time in head. That was not a good thing; an indecisive warrior was a dead one if he did not get his head on straight.

Just then, the air seemed tense and uneven.

His pesquisa picked up enemy signatures.

Elsewhere...

Luck seemed to be on their side when the garganta opened up above the reinforcements from the squads. Sakura counted four: one captain and three lieutenant-class soul reapers. Their appearances varied, but the child among them was clearly the strongest. Toshiro Hitsugaya - captain of squad ten and the youngest captain the squads has ever had.

The white-haired lad held much potential, but he still needed growing to reach it. Perhaps she can hasten the process.

Yammy liked their arrival point just as much as Sakura. He smirked when he saw the soul reapers beneath him. "It looks like we picked a good spot to show up! There are some guys with pretty high spiritual pressure. Wanna start there?"

"They're the troops sent in from the Soul Society, Yammy." Sakura stated. "And I think we should. I mean, it's not like they're just gonna let us go without a fight, yeah?"

"Observant as you are beautiful." Luppi complimented. "They're the same ones the former six told us about."

Sakura looked to Grimmjow. She knew the current sexta was goading him for a reaction, but to Luppi's disappointment, there was very little. Pantera's owner merely stared hard to the side.

That wasn't to say it didn't poke his pride. Grimmjow hid his disdain for Luppi when he said, "The guys I'm lookin' to kill aren't here." He then shot off from the group in search of Ichigo and Arata.

Sakura debated whether she should follow, but choose to stay and see what these soul reapers can do. She'll just join him later.

The dark-skinned espada grunted. "The guy I wanna kill ain't down there either."

"Who do you mean?" Luppi asked. "The guy the chopped your arm off, the guy who took your eye out, or the one that kicked your butt?"

"All of them!" He turned to the child of the group. "Hey! Don't just stand there, rookie! Let's get them!"

"Ah..." Wonderweiss didn't catch Yammy's commands as he stared off into the distance.

"You don't know how to talk to children, do you?" Sakura stated.

"Like you can do any better."

Yammy couldn't see, but Sakura smiled at the challenge. She gently crouched beside the boy and presented a cookie to the boy. "Ah!" He scarfed it down in seconds.

"Wonderweiss," Sakura gently patted his back while she spoke softly to the boy. It wasn't commanding like Aizen; it was inviting, like a mother calling to her child. He looked to her because of her gentle voice. "My dear, I want your head up today. You don't wanna die, do you?"

Wonderweiss, with his limited cognitive skills, knew what dying was and nodded dumbly. "Okay! Go out there, and I'll treat you to another box of cookies when we get back. How does that sound?"

He nodded even more fiercely.

"Alright, let's go!" Sakura encouraged with an energetic air around her. Wonderweiss joined in her enthusiasm.

"Unbelievable..." Yammy could only groan.

The garganta closed behind them as they exited. Luppi was faced with the two from squad eleven, Yammy clashed swords with the captain, and Sakura and Wonderweiss faced the young captain's lieutenant.

Rangiku stared hard at the two. She wasn't sure if she could take on the arrancar kid, but the woman was a different story. She struck a lot of flags with the busty woman of squad ten; most notably was her similarity to Arata.

"Who are you?" Rangiku questioned.

Wonderweiss looked to the sky again in a crouch. They all floated in the air, but Sakura and Rangiku stood opposed to each other. "My name is Sakura. May I have your name?"

"Lieutenant of squad ten, Rangiku Matsumoto." she announced proudly.

Sakura appraised the woman, first her accentuated assets and then her spiritual pressure. It wasn't as high as her previous opponents, but it was still something. Sakura smiled regardless. "Tell me Rangiku..." In a blink, she was beside the strawberry blonde. Rangiku didn't register her movement until Sakura gently brushed her arm with a firm hand. "Are you as strong as you are beautiful?"

"What-?!"

The squad ten lieutenant was promptly kicked in her side and crashed through a number of trees in the park they were in.

"Rangiku!" Toshiro screamed.

With Ichigo and Arata...

The boy sensed the disturbance a little later after Arata. The Visoreds did so as well, and were forced to restrain Ichigo when he and Arata tried to leave.

"LET GO OF ME!"

"You're not ready yet!" Kensei responded as he grasped Ichigo's left arm.

Love held the other arm behind his back. "This is exactly why your friends from the Soul Society are stationed here." he then reminded the boy.

While true, Ichigo refused to stay on the side lines while his friends risked their lives. "Well this just happens to be what I've been training for, dammit!" Ichigo retorted.

WIth only fifteen seconds under his belt, Arata and the others weren't so sure. He was more likely to crumble in battle than he was to win.

But that didn't mean there was a 0% chance of victory. From what his pesquisa can pick up, Yammy, Grimmjow, and Sakura were out there. While Sakura and Grimmjow had their suspensions about Ichigo's latent powers, Ichigo's mask can provide the element of surprise to get the better of them. At least until it runs out.

"Just let him go." Arata said.

"Are you nuts?! We're not gonna let the kid die after all the effort we put into training him!" Kensei replied.

"I'll be there as well, so it's not like he'll be fighting alone."

"I'm in agreement." Shinji gripped his fellow visored's shoulder. "Just let the boys have their fight."

The Visored weren't an official organization, so they didn't really have a hierarchy of leadership; but whenever some decisions needed to be made, the group always turned to Shinji.

The two holding Ichigo relinquished their hold. Arata and Ichigo headed up the stairs to the battle. They jumped across building and through the air.

"This doesn't make sense. Why are the arrancars attacking now? It isn't winter; the Hogyoku should still be dormant." Arata stated out loud.

"I don't know either, but I ain't waiting to find out."

The two stopped in mid-air when they saw one of the invading arrancars. It just so happened to be one of them Ichigo and Arata wanted to see the most.

Their eyes studied Grimmjow. He had the scar Ichigo left on him, but equally took note of the flapping of his left sleeve as the air pushed it about. It was the same arm Arata had fried with his Gran Rey Cero, but shockingly it was not scarred. It was not even there to begin with. Was the arm so badly damaged they had to amputate it, or was it some other reason?

Regardless of why, Grimmjow's power had not declined in the time they hadn't seen him. He was just as strong, if not stronger than he was before.

'He'll need to try even harder, but he still has a sword at his disposal along with his fighting abilities.' Arata reasoned.

"I've been looking for you two." Grimmjow stated.

The cloth coverings on Ichigo's blade unfurled. "And I've been waiting for you. Its taken me some time, but now I'm ready to show you what I learned since the last time we met!"

The bluette didn't seem convinced as he jeered at the declaration.

"Bankai!" Black and red reishi circled the teen as he transformed. The act and form itself were a familiar sight to the hitokiri to the point the power burst did not faze him anymore.

"Hey Arata..."

"Hm?" the man turned to Ichigo at the use of his name.

"Let me fight him by myself." the teen simply stated.

Mutual understanding was reached when Arata nodded. Out of all Grimmjow's opponents, Ichigo was hit the hardest from his fight. It was not just his body that was tossed around, his pride also took a beating. He appraised Grimmjow one last time before flashstepping away from the two.

People, weak or strong, were filled with surprises. Arata mentally prepared himself for any unforeseen outcomes because of that fact. This match could go either way depending on how long it lasted. The power boost from the mask would be provide an element of surprise, but for how long Arata did not know. What was certain was that it'll put Ichigo on par with Grimmjow for those fifteen seconds.

Ichigo could pull a victory, but Arata remained vigilant should the need arise for him to intervene.

"Your bankai couldn't stop me last time and you think you can take me on without that freak's help? I don't know whether I should applaud your bravery or take insult at it." Grimmjow growled. "I can take both of you on myself - right here, right now!"

"Did you forget it was my bankai attack that left that scar on your chest?" Ichigo shot back while Arata remained silent. "Grimmjow, I got a question for you: What happened to that arm of yours? Was Arata's attack that devasting for you? If that's the case, I don't think you should be yappin' about taking on both of us at the same time."

Again, the arrancar's pride was poked, but he scoffed at Ichigo's remark. "That pathetic excuse of a cero was trash. The only reason it's gone is because I don't need two arms to kill you runts." he threatened.

"Is that so?" Tensa Zangetsu was gripped even harder. "Then I don't need to hold back!"

"You'll just die faster if you do!" Grimmjow's reiatsu flared as his battle spirit was ignited.

Ichigo's own body glowed in opposition as he brought his hand up to his face. Arata's laser focus was heighten even more. The fight was about to begin. 'Remember: you only have fifteen seconds. Make those seconds count.'

Meanwhile...

Rangiku was by no means weak. For years she has held Squad Ten's position of lieutenant, and other than her captain, no one in her squad outmatched her. She was proficient in swordsmanship, kido, shunpo, and a bit of hakuda should the need arise.

So how could one kick nearly do her in?

Then again, it wasn't just a simple kick. A simple kick wouldn't send her flying through tree trunks like a cannonball. She was so dazed, she almost didn't register another kick aimed at her front. Her sword was unsheathed and she blocked it.

Her sandal-covered feet dug grooves in the ground when she was pushed back. A static boom at her front alerted that Sakura closed the distance between them once again. "Gah!" Her throat was caught in her grip before she was flung back up into the air.

"As brutal as ever I see." The male soul reapers present turned to Luppi's loud ramblings. "I wonder how much longer Sakura will play with her."

Toshiro, embroiled as he was against Yammy, couldn't help but glance over his lieutenant. His eyes widened at the black number five tattooed on the the arrancar's neck.

Rangiku stopped herself mid-air and snapped back in Sakura's direction. "Growl: Haineko!" Her zanpakuto evaporated into ash. She blasted it all at Sakura. The hitokiri in response brought an arm over her eyes for protection before she lowered it to find she was surrounded in some sort of ash bubble. It did not escape her notice that the little powdery residue was scratching against her hierro. Had she been any weaker, it would have made an open wound or two.

"Bakudo #4: Hainawa!"

A reishi rope wrapped itself around Sakura's body. "Oh?" Sakura was intrigued by the technique and flex her body against it. The reishi rope stretched; no doubt it'll break in no time if Sakura desired it, but she wanted to know what else the lieutenant was gonna do.

She did not have to wait long before another kido spell was recited. "Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hado #33: Sokatsui!" Blue flames discharged from Rangiku's palm. In blasted through the ash bubble, hitting Sakura in the face.

By the end of that sequence of attack, Rangiku was panting. It took a lot of concentration to keep her ash bubble volatile enough to keep Sakura caged in and make sure stayed still to use Sokatsui. She wasn't blind; she saw the number five and took the upmost caution before engaging.

But it wasn't enough. Sakura had already sonidoed in front of her and punched her head, splitting the skin on her forehead. They stared at each other then. Sakura held the same pleased expression as she did before the fight, though Rangiku couldn't have known that. But Rangiku's expression was that of disbelief; Sakura's mask and the skin around it were fine; a scratch here and there, but it was hardly noticeable. Same was said about her body; Haineko barely did any damage to her.

"That was kido, correct? I read about them in the documents Aizen passed out, but seeing them in action is much different than simply reading them." Sakura said. Rangiku waved her bladeless sword and a torrent of ash came at Sakura, but she evaded it. "Wanna see my energy attacks?"

Rangiku panicked. She used shunpo, but Sakura predicted her next location. She raised her palm against Rangiku and red beam of light came barreling towards her. She recognized its bright glow, but her body was too slow to move in time.

The busty lieutenant thought she was gonna take the hit, but when she heard the beam crash into something other than her body, she saw her young captain with his bankai out, his ice wings shielding himself and Rangiku from the cero.

"Captain, are you-?"

"I'm okay lieutenant. But perhaps we should take this threat on together." Toshiro told her.

"HEY! What about me?!" Yammy protested as he saw he had no one to fight. He could join up with Luppi, but the brat annoyed him and he was already manhandling those other two soul reapers in resurreccion.

What sounded like fireworks flying raced in Yammy's direction. He was too focused on Toshiro leaving to see the crimson energy coming at her back.

"THE HELL?!" he roared when he was hit.

"My, my, aren't you a familiar face."

The dark skinned Espada turned at the sound of that familiar laid back tone. Urahara smiled. Yammy returned with a wide savage grin of his own. "Just the bastard I wanted to fight!" Wonderweiss also saw Urahara and readied himself to pounce.

"You were looking for me? I'm quite flattered." Kisuke brandished Benihime against Yammy just as he took a glance at Sakura. He had heard Chad, Rukia, and Ichigo speak of her, but it was only now did he actually see her in person.

Sakura and Kisuke's eyes met for a brief second. The hitokiri recognized him from Ulquiorra's memories and waved at him before turning back to Rangiku and Toshiro.

Recognition flashed through the humble shopkeeper as well, but it did nothing but add more questions.

Why did she look so much like Arata?

Sakura's sword gleamed in the sunlight as she unsheathed it. Considering this was a captain she was up against, it's only reasonable she should use more lethal means of attack. She shot forward faster than Toshiro expected. Rangiku moved to give her captain more space to fight.

Sakura's passion filled her blade and clashed with the collected nature of Toshiro's sword. In quick succession, their attacks bounced off every blow. Even when Sakura was pushing back the child prodigy, Toshiro kept up with her flurry of blows.

Her sword swings began to slow a bit as Sakura placed more power into them. Toshiro was floored by the development and pushed off from her. He waved his sword and swing at the air, generating a dragon of towards Sakura. Delighted, she laughed chose to face it head on.

The dragon came at an unforgiving speed, accompanied by an unrelenting force as its head butted with Sakura's sword. It pushed her back, but as her muscles pulsed in excitement and her blood filled with joyful adrenaline, her body did not yield. She laughed maniacally as she experienced the taste of a captain's energy. It was absolutely tremendous!

Toshiro Hitsugaya was strong, brimming with potential, but surely the other captains were even more experienced and powerful. She can see it now as the dragon's icy roar erupted in her face her, in her released state against all ten captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

If she can live to see the day, she can die happy.

"What power!" She turned her sword and slashed the ice manifestation across its face. It gave her enough time to deliver one final downward chop and sliced the dragon's head clean in half.

"What strength..." The young captain can only draw upon Kenpachi Zaraki as a comparison. Sakura did not use any tricks or energy attacks - she just used her physical strength.

Sakurs sondioed to his side and he used on of his wings to block. The swing did more than cut through the wing, however. as his arm bled through and caked the covering sleeve. In response, he jumped back and swung his sword in an arc. An overflowing amount of ice formed in a crescent. "Hyoryu Senbi!"

The ice nicked her her, but her hierro protected her. She summersaulted over over Toshiro, slicing at him from above before landing at his other side. She swung again, slicing down his other arm creating a large gash.

"Bakudo #61: Rikujokoro!"

Just then, before she could lurch her sword again, Rangiku ensnared her with another binding spell, this time taking the form of six wide beams of light slamming into her midsection. Despite not being hit in the arms, she could not move them, not even her legs. She was frozen in place.

"FINISH HER OFF!"

"Sennen Hyoro!" Toshiro separated himself from Sakura just as many ice pillars formed around her. He then turned his sword counter-clockwise, causing all the pillars to close in on Sakura before crushing her with their weight.

Toshiro and Rangiku were relieved. If they didn't have Gentei Kaijo released, they would've been goners.

But Sakura wasn't finished. The ice prison that held her imploded as Sakura released some of her spiritual pressure. The instant weight was felt on every combatant in the area, forcing them to stop their fights just to give Sakura their attention.

"Are you trying to kill us?!" Luppi wheezed. "Let off your spiritual pressure already!"

"Oops!" The strain on their bodies was lifted. Everyone took greedy breathes to refill their lung after that harrowing experience. Even Yammy was pushed by Sakura's impressive power. "That attack was so amazing I just couldn't help myself." Sakura laughed, as if she made some sort of funny mistake.

"Impossible... You're still alive?" Captain Hitsugaya muttered.

The otherworlder chuckled at the young man's incredulity. "I'm still breathing, aren't I?" She chuckled some more as she felt nostalgic looking at Toshiro. "You know, my dear Arata was just as talented when he was young. Acclimated to my lessons and training quite nicely."

Rangiku couldn't believe her words. Neither did Toshiro or any of the other soul reapers that opened their ears to their conversation. It could just be the ramblings of a mad woman. She must have been one of the attackers in the last invasion and met Arata during the struggle.

Yet she referred to Arata's younger years as if she was there. It all made too much sense; Arata's hollow side, his ruthless fighting style, all of it connected him to this arrancar. There was still the case of who Arata was; how he was a man with no past, how he suddenly acquired soul reaper powers, and his origins.

Was he an undercover agent for Aizen? It could explain his origins and eerie powers easily enough. Had he been leaking information to him? What if he was some experiment of Aizen?

"Oops! Looks like I let my mouth run faster than my legs. I guess that happens when you're having a good... time." Just then she looked away from the group, in the direction of Grimmjow. She took another look at her pesquisa, and smiled in glee. "I need to go now. It was nice fighting you Captain Hitsugaya!"

Toshiro had thought she was gonna head over some other fight and was going to try and intercept her, but Sakura had other plans. After that beautiful attack, there was no way she could leave without giving one last reminder of their battle.

She appeared in front of the boy, taking him by surprise. "What-?!" But he did not let out another word as Sakura cleaved her sword down his body from his right shoulder to his left side. His clothes were torn as did his skin and muscles.

"CAPTAIN!" Rangiku attempted to strike Sakura with Haineko, but Sakura dodged and left in the same direction Grimmjow went.

Earlier, elsewhere...

One hand swipe down and Grimmjow's whole view of Ichigo changed. What he once thought to be an overconfident soul reaper turned out to be the same as Sakura's disciple. The mere sight of his mask was enough to stun him. "What the hell was that?!"

But forasmuch as Ichigo wanted to indulge in battle banter, he had little time to spare.

Use your blade and killer instincts to fight Arata had said. And he did just that. He acted; no words, no comebacks, just his body and mind moving as one.

Ichigo shot forth. It was so fast Grimmjow was forced to unsheathe his sword. And his strength was unlike before. His lone sword arm buckled underneath Ichigo's might. He was stunned enough for Ichigo to take advantage of that window. "Getsuga Tensho!" The blast of energy was too close to escape and Grimmjow took the full force of the attack.

When the two separated, the damage was clear to see. Grimmjow's body was bloodied, far more than last they met.

Arms crossed, Arata was silent as the fight began. He was correct in that surprise had corrupted Grimmjow's fighting abilities, but that could change if Ichigo did not keep up his offense.

But Arata was pleased most of all. More than he wanted to admit. He could practically feel Ichigo was letting loose, determined on making Grimmjow hurt. It was a sadistic satisfaction he only felt when he was the one inflicting the pain. It was a pleasant feeling, however, to just watch his student fight.

Was this how Sakura felt in regards to him?

There was no satisfaction on Grimmjow's end however. He wanted to voice his confusion and anger, but Ichigo was too intent on defeating him to care. The teen threw another Getsuga Tensho, but it was slower than the last one. It served it purpose though as Ichigo flashed behind Grimmjow to hit him so hard it sent him flying downward to the Karakura's streets.

Ichigo chased the plummeting body and thought the hit knocked the arrancar out. He was incorrect in that assumption as bluette fired a nameless cero at him. Ichigo sliced down, stopping mid-air for a moment as he battled the ray of crimson. It did not take long for him to disperse the cero and continued his way back to Grimmjow.

But his body was no longer falling. That was because he sonidoed behind the him to engage. The two roared as their blades met with the intent to turn the other into mince meat.

Grimmjow fought to the best of his abilities, but Arata and Ichigo could see how losing his other arm has affected his battle effectiveness. He placed more power in his swings, swinging in larger arcs which allowed Ichigo to easily defend against him. "It's over Grimmjow."

"HUH?!"

Ichigo blasted pass his opponent's defense and swung down. The swing was a heavy one. Ichigo roared as metal met flesh and carved Grimmjow down his torso.

Blood flew out of the large tear. Grimmjow staggered and struggled to keep to his feet.

But Ichigo wanted him down. Still pumped full of adrenaline and remembering the arrancar's former transgressions, Ichigo let out another mighty roar as he punch Grimmjow on the his left, mask-less cheek.

And he fell like a bag of rocks.

Eleven seconds. That entire fight lasted eleven seconds. Had it been a few weeks ago, Ichigo would have never pulled a victory in that time frame.

'Victory huh?' But yet... he did not feel fulfilled. Grimmjow's defeat did not leave him as pleased as he thought he'd be. Why? Why wasn't he smiling at his victory? He won! He paid Grimmjow back for his crimes against him and then some.

So why did he want the arrancar to stand back up?

His mask crumbled away just as Grimmjow's defeated frame crashed on the roof of an apartment complex. His sword was god knows where. He needed to find it, he thought. He desperately needed to find it to teach that orange-haired runt why he shouldn't mess with-!

And then, his sword appeared. It was stabbed into the roof beside his head. His hazy eyes cleared, and his humiliation was amplified.

"Woah! He really did a number on you, didn't he?!" Sakura blurted as she laid down next to Grimmjow. The juxtaposition of her clean and unbloodied form and his beaten form was noted in both their minds. It was why Grimmjow growled in anger at her.

"Fuck off..."

"Are you sure? You might die If I leave now-"

"JUST FUCK OFF!"

Silence. Total silence. If Grimmjow hadn't sensed her, he might have assumed Sakura had actually left him. But no, she still laid beside him, unbothered by his outburst.

She then turned on her side and propped her head on one hand. "You know," she softly started as she hovered her other hand over his chest wound, but held off the healing for now. "I'm quite glad you defeated me when I first arrived."

Grimmjow swiveled his head at the statement. Was she some masochist or something? What sane person would be glad they lost a fight?

"Are you finally off your rocker or something?"

"Not quite, but I'll tell you when I do." Sakura laughed. "I'm glad because that defeat inspired me. It showed me the heights I can reach and beyond. That's why I try so hard everyday to become stronger. I was inspired by your strength, Grimmjow."

'What?' Grimmjow was dumb-founded. In all the time the quinto was here, she always displayed an eagerness for the new, to move forward even if she didn't know what was ahead of her.

Hearing her say that... initial pissed him off. So having this otherworlder overpower and disrespect him was his fault to begin with? He knew he should've killed her in the beginning, Aizen's orders be damned.

But underneath all that frustration, beamed something bright in him. It confused him as he was still laying on his back bleeding to death from a wound inflicted by a soul reaper he thought was weak. There was still that feeling of failure, but Sakura's confession made that feeling lessen.

"The hell's your point?"

"Well, you could either bleed to death because you let this defeat define you, or you could let it inspire you and make you into something greater." she stated.

He listen to those words and thought about it. Just as his breathing started to slow, his mind returned to a leveled state. He opened his eyes and they fluttered up at Ichigo, who had noticed Sakura'a arrival some time ago and readied himself for her assault. Though his vision was blurred, he could tell the soul reaper was more scared of Sakura than him. His body was rigid and there was a small shivering in his arms.

Who did this runt think he was?! To think he would give Sakura more apprehension than him made Grimmjow want to strangle the life out of him. His mind was made up then. He'll swallow his pride again and aim to gut Ichigo the next time they battled. He vowed to show him more fear and dread than Sakura could ever produce. "Heal me." he grunted.

A satisfied grin spread itself across Sakura's face. She continued to lay on her side as she used one hand to heal Grimmjow's torn front. It was less effective than using both hands, but it did eliminate the threat of death.

Once that was done, she stood up and looked at Ichigo. "You gonna fight him?" Grimmjow asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Was there any doubt I wouldn't?"

The cripple scoffed. Sakura leaped into the air near Ichigo. Grimmjow witnessed the teen put some distance between them/ He sighed. "We ain't done yet runt, so you better survive."

With Arata and Ichigo...

The hitokiri's hand clutched his sword when he saw Sakura and tightened his grip when she jumped. She faced Ichigo, who had placed some distance between himself and her. There was a sense of dread that befell the male hitokiri when he realized Sakura wanted to fight Ichigo. She wanted to see how far he came since last they met, just like she did against Arata when they reunited.

If that was the case, then Sakura was gonna fight harder than she did the last time she and Ichigo battled.

There was a pulling inside his soul that told him to step in, to not let the teen fight this alone. He forced himself to stay back. Sakura gave no indication that she wanted to fight him just yet and, though it was after some debate, he will respect that. Then there was Ichigo; despite shaking a bit more, he looked ready to fight her. He trusted his skills to help him survive.

He held himself in place with less confidence with the match up, but Arata took solace in the fact that Sakura - most likely - won't kill the boy. If he can land a few good hits in, maybe make her bleed, then he'll be out of the woods.

"You overpowered Grimmjow. He was close to death if I didn't heal him." Arata's sister laughed. "I always knew there was a killer in you. You've made me so proud."

A killer? Ichigo hadn't thought of that - or rather he did not want to think of it. He wanted to defeat Grimmjow so badly, he didn't realize how ruthless he fought. It almost frightened him how effective he was.

The two warriors stared at each other, just waiting for the other to advance. Ichigo knew she wanted to see his progression, but did that also mean she was gonna whip out the big guns? He barely handled her before; even with the addition of his hollow mask, he wasn't so convinced he could defeat her like he did Grimmjow.

"Tell me something: why are you siding with Aizen?"

"Oh?"

Ichigo's scowl intensify. "Arata's your brother, isn't he? How could you just decide to fight against him - to potentially kill him? I thought you loved him!" The reality of the situation angered Ichigo. He would be devastated if he was forced to hurt his sisters. That was the last thing in the universe he wanted to do.

He didn't know what to expect of Sakura's answer, but a light-hearted chuckle was not one of them. "Of course I love my otouto! I want nothing more for my brothers than to prosper to the point they could eclipse me."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Apologizes. I tend to babble when I'm having fun. Oh! I did it again." A cute giggle escaped her mouth. "But how can you grow if you do not have a challenge?" she then asked. "Everything I've done for my otoutos - all the training, blood, sweat and tears - are all for them. If I am to be an obstacle they must overcome, I'm more than happy to obstruct until the end of time!"

"Even if it could end their lives?" spat Ichigo.

"Better it be someone who loves them than someone who despises them. They'll grow from the experience. Just as you will, too, if you survive our little battle." Unlike last time where Sakura used her bare hands to fight, she actually pulled out her sword, drawing it out slowly and letting the sound of metal sliding extend.

Ichigo immediately widened his stance. 'So she'll be getting serious. She'll be attacking any minute now, so I gotta-'

"Come on now." Sakura beckoned. "Show me what you used to put Grimmjow out of commission. I will then attack as soon as you're finished."

"Eh?" When the substitute saw that she was serious, he brought his hand up to his face. She was giving him the first move, similar to what Kenpachi did when they first met. Might as well take advantage of it.

His mask was brought out refreshed. Ichigo's off-colored eyes peered at the quinto... only to widen in shock when she kicked him in the face.

Arata froze. His normally neutral expression turned into that of a gaping fish out of water. The need to intervene increased... but he continued to watch. Ichigo just needed to make her bleed. Then she'll stop, praise him, and let him continue with his life.

'Just one blood wound, Ichigo - just one.'

He thought his bankai was fast, but she moved so swiftly he barely caught how she actually struck him. The blunt force trauma was so great, it smashed his mask apart almost immediately after summoning.

Ichigo was knocked far to the side, but stayed in the air. Flabbergasted eyes gawked at Sakura, his face exposed also showing his dropped jaw.

"Oh, I'm sorry my dear. I thought the mask was more durable than that. Okay, okay, how about no headshots? I wanna see that mask in action."

Ichigo's stomach dropped. Was she always this fast? He already knew she was highly durable and powerful with great reaction speed, but she's never advanced on him. Not with this much passion.

He had to go in full offense. His mask duration didn't allow for a more carful defensive approach. He had to overwhelm her. Put her on the defense and not allow her to create any distance or any opportunity to attack.

Mind decided, he shot at Sakura. He manifested his mask quickly before they battled. He attacked her ferociously and left little room between them. But Sakura was no slouch when it came to sword fighting. She defended against Ichigo's quick attacks with a sturdy guard.

The woman was impressed by the boy. He moved up a lot if he was able to dish out such ruthless attacks. He was even able to push her back, even if they had not moved much from their starting point.

With one hand, she swiped in the direction of one of Ichigo's attacks. Their swords bounced, but Ichigo recovered first. He swung left. Sakura's unoccupied arm was raised to block. Zangetsu clashed against the raised limb, but Sakura chuckled when she saw red and black spiritual energy gather on the blade.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The cero-like attack blasted Sakura. A smoke cloud hid both her and Ichigo from Arata's mindful gaze, but he didn't need to wait for it to fade as Sakura waved it away.

And she did so by slashing Ichigo's front.

Within the smoke, Sakura turned her sword in a reverse grip and carved a bloody diagonal line across her opponent's torso. The waved she produced mitigated the smoke cloud faster.

Ichigo grunted in pain. He looked to Sakura, but to his shock, his Getsuga did not do much other than char her upper body a bit. It was leagues below the damage Grimmjow received.

"Don't drop you guard until your opponent is defeated."

The advice was a forewarning to Sakura's downward chop. Ichigo raised his sword to block, but his mask faded and took the power boost with it.

The force of Sakura's attack was more severe as a result. It rocketed Ichigo down closer to Karakura's streets, but he stopped himself to prevent crashing. His arm shook from the sheer power she used. He was panting tiredly as Sakura floated down to his level.

"Again." she beckoned.

Ichigo glided his hand over his wound. That same hand tightened. This fight was harder than he thought. Not once did he think his next fight with Sakura was gonna be a walk in the park, but he hadn't expected all his efforts to look so pitiful against her. Just how much did she train since last they met?!

But his Getsuga Tensho did something. It was more than he did last they battled. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

His mask was summoned once more. Ichigo opened up with an unannounced Getsuga Tensho. Sakura sliced through it, but it allowed Ichigo to shunpo behind her. "Getsuga Tensho!" And for good measure, he also sliced her back. He did not produce blood however.

Another puff of smoke appeared, but Ichigo was ready for another surprise. And for the most part he was, only he did not expect increased aggression.

Sakura came at him like she was looking to kill. Both her hands were on her sword as opposed to one. Ichigo felt his arms turn to jelly as his offense was turned on its head. He was utterly floored, and it put him on the defensive.

"Ugh!" Even if she wasn't slicing his flesh, his arms felt like falling off from how much his sword and hers connected. Shockwaves pulsed from each hit and disturbed the air around them. It all came to a stop when Sakura elbowed his fingers holding his sword. Ichigo was almost convinced she had broken them. He staggered back and created enough room for Sakura to deliver a powerful back kick.

The hit sent him flying back at a nauseating speed. Sakura followed him, even going so far as to sonido in front of his sailing body. Ichigo turned and was kicked once more into the air. The impact made between Ichigo's chest and Sakura's shins made for a rib-breaking attack that shattered a few of the teen's ribs and tore a big hole in his bankai jacket.

Sakura appeared again, but Ichigo wasn't gonna fall for the same trick twice. "GETSUGA TENSHO!" It came in a large arc at Sakura. Her opponent expected her to dodge, but she stayed in place as the Getsuga came at her.

Since her coming to this world, Sakura had experimented and learned much about about hollow and arrancar abilities. The Gran Rey Cero was one of the most devasting moves the Espada were privileged with. She was tempted to use it, just to see how the boy would react, but realized it would a bit too excessive for Ichigo at his current level.

Rather, she used another move, one of her own making. She slid her sword across her palm and aimed it at the incoming attack.

"Gran Rey Bala!"

A giant red orb manifest before it quickly shot off from her palm and into the black Getsuga. The battle of opposing spirit energy stayed each attack.

But like Moses and the Red Sea, the Black Getsuga parted.

Ichigo was no stranger to balas thanks to Arata. The only thing he didn't know was their name, which Arata shared as well. He knew it was faster than a regular cero and faster than Arata's Shingetsuhas. They were also weaker, trading speed over power.

But this Gran Rey Bala did have power. Equivalent to a fully powered Getsuga Tensho.

Ichigo was quick to dodge like he had against Arata's balas, but he felt his wounds starting to catch up to him. His shoulder attempted to move, but the bala found him regardless.

An explosion of energy detonated. His jacket was nearly obliterated save for the left sleeve and side. The skin on his right arm and most of his chest was burned from the sheer power of the bala. It took his breathe away and nearly his life. His mask left him as he tilted back, his eyes fluttering from exhaustion.

But he forced them back open. He still had fight in him! He refused to back down, refused to let Sakura have the last laugh like she did back then!

But Sakura sonidoed behind him. Ichigo almost didn't catch her before she axe kicked his left shoulder. A loud pop sounded off and Ichigo plummeted to the ground.

He crashed into the streets. The little crater made nested Ichigo's wounded form as Sakura floated down beside it.

Arata had moved to the roof of a nearby house in the same manner, but he body was shaking. That sense of dread increased as the fight progressed, and he knew in his heart that Ichigo wasn't going to make Sakura bleed. Hell, she in a way humiliated him; the only blood on her body was caused by her.

She's going too far. She'll kill him!

'No. Sakura won't kill him. She wants him to prosper - she wants him alive.'

Arata, you have to do something - NOW!

Hitokiri's screams were doing nothing to alleviate him. If anything it made things worse as evidence by two more tree lighting on fire.

"Ichigo," Sakura softly called, like a mother trying to coax her child awake. "Ichigo, wake up."

The boy did not stir though. Arata - in what he considered a moment of panic - thought the boy was no longer with them. His heart skipped a beat at the thought.

But Sakura always seemed to know what he was thinking. "Don't worry brother, he's okay. A little knocked out with many grievous injuries, but he'll survive after some rest."

Arata was silent, which Sakura found odd. He always made some comment or another to her words. When she turned in to him, she saw his axe was out and ready. When had he released his sword?

"Nee-chan, I have something to show you."

"Oh?" She had a feeling she was in for a treat. "My dear otouto, don't hold back. Show me."

The siblings then froze. Sakura mostly as her hands and feet were actually frozen in ice. She looked behind her to see a familiar soul reaper reappear.

"Rukia..." Arata muttered.

The petite soul reaper said nothing as she concentrated solely on Sakura. Seeing her unconscious friend drove her to action, but this whole scenario was getting to her, especially after what she just heard.

"Tsugi no mai..." She punctured the ground and created and ice circle around her. She punctured the ground four more times and assumed a stance, her sword pointed at Sakura. "Hakuren." Particles of ice flew up from the punctures and gathered at the tip of Rukia's sword. This lengthy attack came to a close when a large avalanche of cold air blasted towards Sakura, and flash froze her entire body.

Rukia moved quick, flashstepping to Ichigo's side before hauling him out of the crater. "I'm going to take Ichigo to safety. Take care of your sister while I do so." Arata could practically hear the hostility in her voice. She turned her head to him with a look that could bring lesser men down. Arata was not one of them, but he felt the intent nevertheless. "You better have a good explanation after all of this is done Arata." Rukia then warned. Her pace changed to speed walking as Ichigo's slack form rested on her back. Arata was impressed at the surprising strength in her little body.

"Oh! Chilly." Sakura then commented. Arata saw she was breaking out of the ice and quite easily so.

"You could have broken out sooner. Why wait?"

"The girl put so much effort into that attack, it would've been disrespectful to just break out immediately."

The female hitokiri snapped her feet free of the ice. That was when her younger male counterpart struck. Arata flashstepped to in front of her. Sakura raised her arms to block and found Arata was stronger than he was before.

The power behind his strikes was more powerful than Ichigo's, which was why it was easier for Arata to push Sakura around. But that did not make the battle any less arduous.

Sakura flew upwards and Arata followed closely behind. The moment she started to slow, Arata sliced at her again with both hand on his axe aimed at neck. His opponent skirted under the attack, but Arata used the the momentum of his last attack to segued into his next. With his right hand on the handle, he spun and summoned a bala in his left. The bala hit Sakura first and stunned her long enough for the axe to hit her bicep.

She was nudged to the side, but she was not going to fall. Larger and longer weapons required more recovery after attacks. In Arata's few seconds of recovery, Sakura closed in and sliced Arata's stomach, and spilled blood. The man grunted. 'Why does everyone target my stomach?' he pondered to stave off the pain.

Sakura's sword turned in its grip and she jabbed his stomach. Her vacant hand joined the fray and she jabbed Arata in quick succession before delivering a breathe-taking haymaker using her sword hand.

The Hitokiri skidded back and not gracefully. His body rolled and tumbled for a few seconds before rolling back up. Spit trailed down his mouth and some out of his mouth hole. He panted as he regarded his sister. He knew she would be stronger this time around, but to actual face it was different than to watch it.

Sakura took a step forward. Arata reared his axe back. His nee-chan took another step forward and shot like a bullet in his direction.

The muscles in Arata's arms bulged. "Shingestuha!" Arata released the spinning disk of death in a upward vertical cut. It spun towards Sakura like a runaway wheel, slamming into the quinto and stopping her in her tracks. She had raised her forearms to block and felt a different reaction upon her hierro than Ichigo's attack.

Arata's Shingetsuha presented more physical consequences to Sakura as she struggled against the spiritual chainsaw more than Ichigo's Getsuga. It pushed her several meters back, all the while the disc glowed brighter and brighter.

Sakura's instincts told her dodge, but Arata intercepted her. Training with his Shingetsuhas also improved his reiatsu control, as noted by Hachi. In contrast to Ichigo, who had little control over his passive reiatsu output, Arata could regulate his spiritual energy more finely. It showed in his growing proficiency in kido.

He forewent using an incantation - which was a class of kido incantation called Eishonaki - and drew symbols in the air. Arata's body glowed red which then imbued Sakura in the same energy. 'Bakudo #9: Geki.'

This kind of kido incantation class was more expedient than actually taking the time to recite the spell. It meant less power in the spell in favor of speed. In Arata's case, however, he didn't need the power. He just needed the extra time.

Sakura's body froze. The spell was too weak to hold her, but kept her in place long enough for the Shingetsuha to finally explode. Even though the violent eruption of spirit energy was poultry to Ichigo's, what made Sakura erupt in excited amusement was the blood red lines carved into her arms.

"MY dear otouto! LOOK! You made me bleed - again!" What was once one line became two as Sakura separated her arms. Her bracers had broken away to reveal bare flesh, only, trails of blood dripped down and stained what was once beautiful skin.

'Her hierro is strong. Too strong for Ichigo to pierce, but not me.' It'll be like last time, when he gave her that gnarly chest scar.

Sakura and Arata duked it out, blades crashing against each other. Thunder struck every time metal collided, but very few actually heard it. Sakura's laugh of joy was prevalent through most of the fight.

But Sakura was superior. Arata felt his hard flesh break and bleed more than a few time while Sakura remained for the most part clean save for a few scratches.

Her sword came sailing towards his neck, but he saved himself by grabbing it. His palm was cut, but Arata minded it not. He punched Sakura away with the top of his axe and front kicked her face for added measure. He then flashstepped behind her some meters away. "Shingetsuha!"

Sakura met his attack with an unnamed cero. When they met the two antagonistic forces warred in place, but Sakura had to block as the saw blade eventually sliced through her cero. As she defended, Arata flashed behind her and aggressively tackled her to make her stay in place. When the Shingetsuha neared completion, Arata kicked Sakura and used her back to backflip away when the explosion engulfed her.

The elder of the two wasted no time clashing with Arata again. "You're angry." she suddenly declared. "Your attacks tell me everything. I can practically feel your anger and aggression in every swing."

The assurance in her statement stunned him, but he frowned back in response. "Nonsense." Arata denied. Hitokiri whimpered in sadness in her cabin. "Every warrior who enters the battlefield is prepared for failure - even death. Ichigo is no exception. Besides," He kicked her off him and unleashed a myriad of two-handed heavy swings. "Anger for lesser men, and I am no mere man. I am a hitokiri."

Another swing to her neck later and Sakura caught the blade in her hand. "I see..." Her voice was quieter; though compared to her usual volume, it was still not considered in-door voice. It perplexed Arata greatly. He had never heard her use that tone of voice at him before. She chuckled, but it had none of the mirth from earlier. "The road ahead will be hard, Arata. More than you know."

The cryptic words left him at a pause. Of course he knew the conflict with Aizen was going be hard. Arata understood Sakura better than most - better than Nnoitra, despite how far he has come - but the words that left her mouth left him without a reply.

Arata's eye caught her leg move and covered his abdomen from her kick. His feet kicked up dirt from the reishi ground beneath them. He groaned from hit, but looked up to see her running at him. He joined her fervor in no time.

But then she somersaulted over him and landed at his south. He turned, expecting offense. The appearance of the cuatro Espada was not what he expected.

Sakura stood beside him and sheathed her sword. "You completed the mission?" she asked simply.

"Naturally." Ulquiorra answered.

"But must we leave so soon?" Sakura playfully pouted.

"We are leaving now."

"Dang..." But she shrugged. Sakura then appeared behind Arata. The female hitokiri surprised him when she jumped on his back and hugged him, her head nestled beside his. "You fought amazingly Arata! I didn't think you would have an energy attack of your own. And your kido skills were top notch! Chef's kiss I say! Chef's kiss!"

Now this was the Sakura he was accustomed to: jovial, praising, and weird. Feeling her hug brought Arata back to their time in the cabin where he and her lived. "What of Ichigo?" He was curious of her thoughts on the boy's progress.

"Oh, he was amazing." she gushed. "Not on my level unfortunately, but he did great despite the odds. He stills needs to further master that mask of his if he wants any chance against more Espada." Her head did not move, but her eyes did look at Ulquiorra, who was just watching the interaction with interest. Most likely he was gonna report all she said to Aizen.

His thoughts exactly. Fifteen seconds weren't enough, but he was pleased with Sakura's evaluation. It actually satisfied Arata more at her praise for Ichigo and he had no idea why.

His sister nudged her head closer to his. In a hushed volume, she said, "Everyone is born with a heart, Arata. Even the criminals we put down have one underneath all their sins. Remember that, okay?" She pressed her mask-covered lips on Arata's head in resemblance to a kiss. She then left his body and went to get Grimmjow.

Again, her words left him confused. Ignoring the literal meaning, he did not get why she said that.

Of course he had a heart. It was strong, like a fortress. Nothing can hurt him and he refused to let anything slip inside that could.

"For the last time, I don't need your support!" Grimmjow protested as Sakura held his arm. She sonidoed beside Ulquiorra once more, who ignored the former Espada.

"Save your strength. You'll need it when you face Ichigo again." Sakura told him. The arrancar in her hold scoffed at her.

A tear in the sky opened and bright light shielded the three arrancars. A negacion, an ability used to rescue fellow hollows. The three began to elevate towards the hole in the sky. "Wait..." Arata realized something crucial. "What mission? What did he do?"

Sakura was waving goodbye, but lowered her hand at the question. "You'll see soon enough."

'What? If they weren't here to just fight us, then what else? Thief maybe?' Arata hypothesized.

The arrancars before him were almost to the hole when Sakura added, "I almost forgot! I might have let it slip to the other soul reapers that we're related!" Only their legs could be seen before the hole closed up. "Sorry about that!"

And just like that, another problem was added to the list. As much as he cares for his nee-chan, she could be such a blabbermouth at the worst times. "Huh... I really do need a good explanation for later."

1.) Omake: Honored Warriors Illustrated Picture Book

Kisuke had the materials to make next years calendar, but he wanted some outside perspective from some prospective females customers.

Which led him to ask the women of the Visoreds on their thoughts on Arata's pictures.

Hiyori was disturbed and wanted no part in looking at near scandalous shots of the man, but she was more disturbed by how serious Lisa and Mashiro were in constructing their thoughts and actual criticism on the pictures.

Ichigo had seen a glimpse of the photos and gaped at the man for his decision. "Why?" he questioned Arata.

The man of the hour took all the jokes and pokes in stride. Shinji was still busting a gut when he saw Arata in trunks and a full face snorkeling mask. The mask was darkly tinted to hide his face. "I want to buy a car."

"Oh." The answer decently surprised Ichigo. "Did you take the written test and get your permit?"

Arata paused. "I need a permit?"

"Yes." Ichigo deadpanned. "You need it so you can learn how to drive. That's how you get your license."

"I need a license to be allowed to drive?"

"YES! That's the law. What? Did you think you'd just buy a car and expect to drive just like that?" the boy asked. "Do you even know how to drive at least?"

"I have seen various movies and action films. I am sure I can copy them."

The thought of Arata racing through Karakura's streets like some street racer made Ichigo's heart stop for a moment.

2. Omake: Honored Warriors Illustrated Picture Book

Kido wasn't the only thing Arata improved in over the month. As per their deal, he had also been seeing Unohana to continue his kaido training. In tandem with Hachi's teachings and Tessai's, Arata's own skills with kido had a bright future ahead of them.

He also honored his part of their deal by attending her ikebana club.

'This is... more mundane than I thought.' He sighed as he arranged purple flowers according to Unohana's instructions.

Renji also attended as he was invited. By Rangiku or Isane, Arata couldn't say. The redhead peered beside him and almost laughed at the sight of the 6'7 and a half muscled tattooed killer struggle to arrange purple flowers in a certain angle without damaging them.

Unohana also giggled in amusement, but mostly because she was pleased Arata was trying his best.

"Almost done." He was the second to last to complete their vase, the last being Renji. The near finished product was amateurish, but it looked elegant in its own regard.

"Wow Arata, that looks good." Rangiku praised. "Better than what Renji cobbled together that's for sure."

Said man ignored his fellow lieutenant and whistled in approval at Arata's work. "Who knew you had a knack for this?" he chuckled. He gently elbowed Arata's arm in good faith, but inadvertently jolted his hand which was next to the vase. Arata's hand bumped the side and his vase fell, the water spilling and his work ruined.

Renji winced. He looked up to see Arata sending a heated glare his way.

The women, however, chuckled at the little mishap.