Hey everyone, glad to be back to give you all the next chapter to our story. Little bit of a personal update, just got done with the midterms for this semester, and for the most part I did ok. Could have been better, but it wasn't catastrophic. It's just gonna be a bit more difficult to get that A at the end. But, that just means I gotta try harder.
Anyway, besides that, not much else going on besides getting ready for the holiday season. Yay… Way too many people in the family to get gifts for Christmas, lol.
No reviews this time, so it's straight into 'Spade's Banter'. First off, totally wrong answer my friend. The correct answer to my question is: Purple, because aliens don't wear hats. Lmao. Thanks for the near 8 on the rating, so I guess the last chapter wasn't a total bust. Glad you liked the shopping bit, it was needed for pair development. Nice to see you liked the little fight Tim had with our favorite former Captains, and I've got another good one for ya this time as well. As far as Kit's alcohol tolerance, I'm basing it off of her spiritual pressure, mixed with her lack of a physical body; just something I added for my own taste to be honest. Well, not everyone is gonna appear in every chapter. Trust me, you and her are not the only ones, lol. It's tough trying to get that courage to make the next 'move', so to say. So, questions…
1 and 2: I can't really answer these two cause I've never played. All I can offer is to use your imagination and your knowledge of how they all act as a base. Sorry.
3: It was never placed in the story obviously, but Tim has heard some of today's music; and so far he's a bit neutral towards it. Except that screaming, death metal stuff. Honesty, how in the hell do those people even have a voice anymore after just 'one' song?
4: Not sure that you have, but Tim prefers regular country music.
5: Well, here's the thing, every fiction that I've read that mentions where Nel was from in her previous life states she's from Germany, or somewhere in that vicinity, and even her name has a touch of German to it. So, honesty, I think she would feel a bit more at home hearing it in my opinion.
6 and 7: Well, we all know that a katana's blade is well known for its sharpness and its ability to hold an edge after severe use, due to the method of forging used to make them. I can only imagine that those qualities would be amplified by a great amount because of the soul reaper's strength. But to go as far as saying that Tim's sealed blade could cut through ten anvils, or three buses is going a bit far. My guess, maybe five anvils and two buses straight.
8: Yes, he can.
(Side note: I've noticed you tend to add at least one of each to every review; a stupid question that threatens a person's sanity, and an irrelevant one that just makes you shake your head. 1 and 2 are the stupid questions while 8 was the irrelevant. I'm not saying to stop, and I'm not hating on you for them. If anything, I get a good laugh out of em. Just thought I'd put that out there, lol.)
Alright, now that the banter is over, lets head into our next chapter. As stated last time, this is the point where the story really picks up into the main plot.
(I DO NOT OWN BLEACH; ITS CHARACTORS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, OR STORY! THAT HONOR BELONGS SOLELY TO TITE KUBO AND HIS TEAM! ONLY THE OC, AND RANDOM NAMES NOT MENTIONED IN THE BOOKS OR ANIME ARE MY OWN!)
Chapter 35
(Kidnapped)
Underground Training Area, The Next Morning
"Hinotama Surasuto!" Timothy yelled out as he threw an air punch towards his opponent.
A medium-sized fireball flew out from his balled fist and sailed straight towards its target. The man in front of him gave a brief smirk before swinging his own zanpakutō up and across in from of himself.
"Scream, Benihime." He returned in a calm voice.
His zanpakutō quickly emitted its signature 'scream' as a wave flew out towards the incoming attack; colliding with it only ten feet away from him and sending numerous smaller embers in random directions from the impact area.
Having witnessed the effects of this attack before, the shop owner knew exactly what would happen if one of the smaller flames touched him. Seeing a few of them flying at him, he quickly vanished in shunpo.
Timothy instantly snapped around, throwing his fist out and launching another fireball, as Urahara appeared right behind him. But the man simply held his zanpakutō up in a defensive gesture.
"Cry, Benihime." He called, instantly creating a red, hexagonal barrier between them.
The fireball hit the shield and exploded, the trace amount of dust that was created clearing a second later to reveal the man's smirk had grown.
"Kirisaki, Benihime." He added, causing Timothy to go wide-eyed.
Dozens of red projectiles started flying out from the surface of the shop owner's shield at the Lieutenant. Fortunately, he was able to succeed in transporting a few yards to the side using one of his flames.
Unfortunately, someone was already there waiting for him.
Before the young Lieutenant even knew what had happened, he found himself sent straight into the rocky ground by a heavy kick to his lower back. He gave a throaty, painful yell as his body dug a few inches into the ground.
"Cero." A familiar voice spoke from a short distance away.
The as-familiar, low rumbling sound from the spoken attack resounded throughout the area as the violet-colored beam of energy flew at Timothy's previous attacker. But Kisuke was quick in action and was instantly in-between the cero and its intended target.
"Cry, Benihime." He said, recreating his red shield just as the cero was about to hit.
A buzzing sound filled Timothy's ears before he felt himself lifted from the ground; hearing it once more before finding himself now standing on his feet with an arm under his shoulder and holding him up.
The Lieutenant looked up to the owner of the arms and smiled. "Thanks, Nel."
The former Espada gave him a serious look and nodded; releasing him from her hold as he regained his footing to stand next to her. As he looked her over, he mentally cringed at the sight of her current state.
She had multiple cuts and bruises on her arms and legs, along with a few on her face that slowly oozed the blood that was running down her cheek. A small trail of blood was also running out of her mouth and dripping off her chin.
Timothy closed his eyes with a painful sigh. "Yoruichi really gave it to you, huh?" he inquired.
Nel turned to look at the mentioned woman and narrowed her gaze. "I have to admit, I knew she was good at fighting with her hands, but I honestly had no idea that she was 'this' good. I've only managed three hits on her so far. And truthfully, I can say the same to you; Kisuke isn't going easy on you either, is he?" he returned, now looking back at him.
If her and Timothy were competing for who could acquire the most amount of injuries during their training, Nel was very clearly the loser at the moment. Her 'unofficial boyfriend' clearly had at least twice as many cuts, scrapes, and bruises than she did. And not only that, he was just as clearly more exhausted than she was.
The man gave her a deadpanned expression. "What gave it away?" he mumbled in sarcasm.
Nel offered him a hint of a smile, before dropping it and returning to their opponents. "We need to find a way to separate them without separating ourselves, and then focus on attacking 'one' of them at the same time." She advised.
Timothy turned to the shop owner, who was smirking at them. "It goes back to that saying, 'easier said than done'. Kisuke seems to always be a step ahead, while Yoruichi is just too damn fast to keep up with. Even 'if' we manage to split them up, either Kisuke will just stall us until Yoruichi comes back, or Yoruichi will run us around in circles and give Kisuke all the time he needs to come up with the perfect plan…if he hasn't already."
The Lieutenant then turned to her with a raised brow. "Tell me something…does your Cero Doble only work on ones fired from an opponent, or can it work on 'all' ceros?"
Nel side-glanced him with a raised brow, slightly confused with his question. But the confusion lasted for only a brief moment when Timothy's intention popped into her head, causing her to grin slightly.
"No, I can use it with 'all' ceros. What do you have planned?" she inquired.
Over with Kisuke and Yoruichi, the shop owner stood patiently fanning himself, while his golden-eyed friend stood with her hands on her hips and tapping her foot 'impatiently'. Finally, the woman gave a heavy sigh.
"Well, are you two gonna continue, or would you like 'us' to move this along?" she taunted irritably.
The Lieutenant and Arrancar looked at her with annoyance. "You could have attacked us at any time, Yoruichi. So stop whining." The man taunted back.
Yoruichi rose a brow at him. "Oh? So you're saying you didn't appreciate the little break Kisuke and I decided to give you? Okay then, I'll be sure to remember that when you fall on the ground from exhaustion." She bit back with a toothy grin.
Nel then turned to Timothy with a fallen face. "Do you 'have' to upset her, Tim?" she whined.
A shrug of the man's shoulders was her only response before the two of them vanished, reappearing right in front of the two former Captains; Nel with her fist held back at Kisuke, and Timothy in a mid, waist-high swing towards Yoruichi.
Kisuke responded with using his zanpakutō to block the attack, while Yoruichi simply vanished in shunpo to reappear at Timothy's left flank with a kick. But just before her kick made contact, Timothy darted the opposite direction and swung out at Kisuke.
As the shop owner turned his body to block 'that' attack, Nel just as quickly turned her own and pointed her now open palm at her; charging her violet-colored cero rapidly.
"Cero." She called, launching the attack at Yoruichi as she started to recover from her previous own.
But, once again, the 'Goddess of Flash' proved to be even faster, yet again flashing away, and 'closer' to her target. As the woman reared back for a good punch to the Arrancar's chest, the teal-haired woman buzzed away.
Yoruichi's fist hit the ground and made a small indent in rocky surface, where she swiftly turned her head to a different voice.
"Hadō #31, Shakkahō!" Timothy yelled to her right, sending the red, flame-like energy ball at her.
"Bakudō #81, Dankū." Kisuke chanted immediately afterward.
A large, almost completely transparent barrier appeared right next to her, taking the hit of Timothy's kidō.
"Hadō #63, Raikō…" the shop owner started, but Nel buzzing into place in front of him with an outstretched hand stopped him.
"Cero."
The Arrancar's attack flew from her hand at the shop owner, making him flash away. When he reappeared and looked to where the Arrancar was before, he saw that she was gone; the only warning he got to the next attack was the buzzing sound of sonído.
"Cero." She called again, sending yet another one of her violet-colored attacks at him.
But, as before, the man simply flashed out of the way; but this time, he was behind her and ready to swing.
'Scream, Benihime." He said, then swung.
His zanpakutō 'screamed' as it shot its red energy wave at the woman's back. She was unable to react in time, and the wave hit her right across the flat of her upper-back; her grunting in mild pain as she was sent into the side of a nearby boulder.
"Nel!" Timothy yelled out from a short distance away.
"Watch your opponent, Tim!" Yoruichi yelled in return.
Like Nel, the Lieutenant couldn't respond in time and received a harsh punch to his shoulder. And also like Nel, the attack sent him off his feet to slide across the ground several yards until a quick roll allowed him to land on his feet.
Timothy hissed in pain as he lifted his head to the golden-eyed woman, the hiss evolving into a loud whimper as he flexed his shoulder. He could feel something inside grinding and trying to lock up, telling him that the woman's punch had likely fractured his shoulder socket.
Yoruichi stood up straight and pointed at him with a firm glare of disappointment. "Consider that punishment for taking your eyes off me, Tim. Do it again, and I'll be sure to completely dislocate it. Got it?" she warned.
The Lieutenant growled at her before sparing a quick glance back to where Nel had landed. 'Come on Nel…how much more time do you damn well need?'
Inside a small crater on the side of the boulder, Nel lightly groaned in pain as she pulled herself out from the indent. Opening her eyes, she saw Kisuke standing in front of her with a calm look on his face.
"Well miss Nel, are you done for the day?" he taunted.
Baring her teeth, she stood up straight and snapped her open palm up. "Cero!" she yelled out.
Kisuke sighed with a dropped head. "You just don't learn." He mumbled to himself before vanishing, along with Nel.
The woman reappeared a short distance away, with Nel appearing a couple seconds afterwards and clutching her upper-chest tightly, seemingly in a great deal of pain and obviously very short on breath.
The shop owner sighed again and rested a hand on his hat, tilting it down a bit. "I have to give you credit miss Nel, you are a very capable fighter. However, you have clearly reached your limit, and I would advise that we stop this fight for now." He offered in a kind tone.
Nel gritted her teeth a bit tighter. "You're right…" she started, then flinched heavily in pain before giving the man a wicked grin. "…I have." She finished, then turned towards Timothy who was struggling to hold of Yoruichi's relentless kicks and punches. "Now Tim!" she yelled.
Kisuke's eyes widened a bit when the woman turned back to him and leaned back with her head raised to the sky. His eyes became saucers when the woman then lurched her whole upper body forward, her mouth wide open and a very powerful cero charged inside.
But it was not her actions that made him worry, rather, it was what he finally noticed was right behind her; something that he had somehow completely forgot about.
One of Timothy's flames.
The bare instant before the woman released her charged attack, she was gone. The man's head instantly shot over to Timothy and Yoruichi's fight just in time to see the Arrancar reappear between the Lieutenant and his best friend.
Even though he wanted to yell out to his friend in warning, he knew it was already much too late; they had 'both' been played. All the former Squad 12 Captain could do was watch as the teal-haired woman released her powerful attack at pointblank range at the golden-eyed former Captain.
"Bakudō #86, Tawami!" a deep voice yelled.
To everyone's shock, a large, transparent, hexagonal barrier suddenly appeared at a forty-five-degree angle; Nel's Cero Doble simply 'bouncing' off the surface of the barrier and going in the opposite direction.
The attack hit a faraway boulder, effectively evaporating it and everything nearby. All eyes turned to see Tessai standing a short distance away from Kisuke, holding his intertwined hands up from casting his kidō.
Kisuke stood straight and turned to face the large man fully. "Tessai? Is there…something wrong?" he inquired.
The former kidō commander quickly lowered his hands and briskly walked the rest of the way to the man. "Forgive me for interrupting boss, but all of you 'need' to come upstairs immediately! We have an emergency at the moment!" he informed in a very rapid voice.
The shop owner's eyes widened as he began to fret. Not only was the normally calm and collected 'co-shop owner' using a very worrying tone in his voice, but he also had a very morbid expression on his face.
In all the years that the two of them had known each other, there had only been two other times where the large, and very calm man had openly shown this amount of worry. One had been when kidō accident had nearly killed his former Lieutenant, and the other was during Aizen's actions over a hundred years ago that led to their banishment.
Yoruichi instantly flashed up next to Kisuke, along with Nel and Timothy. "What happened, Tessai?" she questioned in a firm voice.
The man turned to her and she flinched when he returned the stare she was giving him. "Forgive me lady Yoruichi, but this is something that you 'must' see for yourselves! You simply would not believe me if I told you!" He stated, then flashed away.
Yoruichi instantly turned to Kisuke with wide eyes at the man's words, Kisuke looking back as well. "We will continue this later, for now, let's look into this." He instructed, then vanished as well; followed quickly by the rest.
Reappearing upstairs almost simultaneously, everyone was now standing in front of the small, dial-style tv set in the back corner of the dining room. The appliance was tuned to the news channel, and they could all see that they had caught the back end of an important news report.
"Although the situation surrounding the incident are mere speculations at this point, initial observations made from nearby bystanders indicate that cause of this young woman's death was due to a late-night mugging. While police are denying any inquiries at this time, we have been able to confirm the woman's identity as fifteen-year-old Orihime Inoue; a high-school student attending Karakura High." The female reporter informed in her professional tone.
Everyone's eyes shot wide at the mention of the teen girl's name, with Nel and Yoruichi's hands quickly shooting to their mouths with loud gasps. Kitsune had already materialized and was on her knees in tears.
"No…the poor girl…" she spoke in a whisper.
Kisuke was quick to recover, and instantly turned to his large friend. "Tessai, call Shinji and tell him to send Ichigo here immediately." He instructed, getting a nod before turning to the golden-eyed woman. "Yoruichi, I'm sure Uryū and Chad are aware of this by now, so go ahead and call them as well." The woman nodded and quickly went to the shop's phone. "Tim, call Captain Hitsugaya and ask him to have everyone report here too."
Timothy nodded firmly. "That might take a while, so I think it might help if Tessai gives me a hand once he's done with his call." He stated as he pulled his soul pager out.
Kisuke nodded, then finally turned to Nel. "Miss Nel, you'll be coming with me."
The woman lowered her hand as tears fell down her face. "Where…where are we going?" she asked in a broken voice.
"To the morgue. Judging by what we just saw, Orihime's body is most likely already there and waiting to be identified by family. Seeing as how her aunt, her only living family, is currently in another country, we'll go down there and identify her. At the same time, we'll inspect her body to ensure that it 'is' Orihime's body, and to discover what really happened. Afterwards, we will go to the park where it happened and take a look for ourselves." He clarified.
Nel nodded and wiped her tears away as Tessai turned to him. "Boss, Ichigo is on his way. I will inform Ikkaku and Yumichika now."
Kisuke again nodded and turned to leave. "Please come with me, miss Nel. Yoruichi, please have everyone wait here until we return, or I call otherwise."
"Got it." She returned with the phone to her ear.
Karakura General Hospital, 20 Minutes Later
Getting out of the small, slightly worn van that Urahara used for the very rare deliveries his shop made, the former Captain and Arrancar made their way to the main entrance of the hospital. The shop owner was almost surprised when he saw Ryūken Ishida, the hospital's director, just inside the sliding doors waiting for them.
As the pair stepped inside the front lobby, the white-haired Quincy turned to face the shop owner with a firm look on his face; giving the man only a very slight nod in acknowledgment of his presence.
"Urahara." He half-greeted.
Kisuke nodded back. "Nice to see you again, Ryūken; although I would have greatly preferred it be under better circumstances."
"Indeed. I know why you are here, so please come with me. There are still a number of officers in the east wing where the morgue is located, so we will have to take a less noticeable route." Ryūken informed, then turned to begin walking.
The trio walked up to the front desk and onwards to a single door with a keyless electronic lock on the wall next to it. Holding up his hospital ID to the pad, the light flashed green with an audible beep and click before he pulled the door open and allowed the pair inside.
Letting the door shut behind him, Ryūken walked past the pair with them falling in behind him. "This is an emergency walkway for any nurses or doctors to move from one wing of the hospital to another without having to worry about hallway traffic. We will be able to enter the morgue through here without attracting too much attention."
"Have you or any of your staff made any attempts at an autopsy yet?" Kisuke inquired.
Ryūken shook his head slowly. "No, I knew you would want to inspect the girl's body before that happened, so I managed to postpone it a few hours. By the time we arrive, you will have twenty minutes before the autopsy is to begin. I can tell you that initial observations tell us that the girl was stabbed with a bladed weapon in her chest. Other than that, I cannot tell you."
They finally came to a stop in front of a door, where Ryūken once again used his card to unlock and open the door. As the trio entered the new section of the hospital, while there were a couple staff members and a single officer nearby, it was relatively empty.
Ryūken led them up to the door where the officer was stationed, where he presented his ID. "This woman and her father have come to identify the body, I will be personally escorting them." He informed.
The officer nodded and stepped to the side, holding the door open for them as they walked inside the large room with numerous freezer boxes lining the walls. Waiting for the officer to close the door, Ryūken then walked to one of the freezers on the right side.
Giving the latch a quick yank, the door opened and allowed him to pull the long table out; a mid-sized body lying on top that was covered with a white sheet. Allowing the former Captain and strange woman with him to brace themselves, he pulled the upper-left portion of the sheet back to reveal none other than Orihime Inoue's pale face.
Nel's head instantly dropped in sadness while Kisuke simply closed his eyes. "The mortician will be here shortly, so I advise you make this quick, Urahara. But keep this in mind, the only reason I am doing this is because she was a close friend to my son. This changes nothing between us." He warned, then walked over and sat down at the mortician's desk on the far wall.
Taking a quick breath, Kisuke opened his eyes and closely inspected the young girl's body. As the elder Quincy stated, initial inspection showed that Orihime had indeed been stabbed in the area where her heart was; and seeing that the two of them were spirits, they could see the severed chain of fate on the body's chest near the wound.
Reaching out with his senses, Kisuke was quickly able to confirm that the body lying in front of him was indeed Orihime Inoue's. He then reached inside his coat and pulled out his phone; flipping it open and dialing a number before placing it to his ear.
After a brief moment, he heard someone pick the other end up. "Yes boss?"
Kisuke took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It's her, Tessai. Has everyone arrived yet?"
"Everyone except for Uryū and Chad, but lady Yoruichi has informed me that they will be here shortly." The large man answered.
"Call them back and have them go directly to the park, have them begin searching for miss Inoue's soul. Have Tim and the others begin searching the area nearby as well. We need to find her before a hollow does. Once she is found, bring her back to the shop immediately." He instructed.
"Will do, boss." Tessai returned, then hung up.
Kisuke closed and pocketed his phone before returning to Orihime's body. Now that he had calmed down a little, he began performing a much closer inspection of her body, while Nel stood by at the side and holding the deceased teen's hand.
"Why did this have to happen to her, Kisuke? Someone so kind and caring like Orihime doesn't deserve this. What did she do to deserve this?" she questioned through her tears.
Kisuke stopped on the opposite side and briefly held up the severed chain on the body's chest before laying it back down. Reaching down and grabbing the teen's wrist, he narrowed his eyes and gave a slight hum.
This did not go unnoticed by the elder Quincy, who stood up and walked back over to the pair. "I assume that you have discovered something." He stated in a firm tone.
The shop owner set the girl's wrist back down on the table and pulled his fan out; fanning himself while in deep thought. After a few seconds, he finally turned to the man with a calculating gaze.
"I do not believe that miss Inoue was in fact 'killed' in the manner we have been led to believe." He stated.
Nel lifted her head to him in confusion. "What do you mean, Kisuke? Was she killed some other way?" she inquired.
The shop owner didn't answer her, and instead pulled out a small vial and a syringe. Sticking the needle inside the teen's arm, he withdrew a small amount of blood before emptying it inside the vial; capping it and returning it inside his coat while tossing the needle into the small red safety container.
"I believe that may be the case here, miss Nel. Although, I can't say anything for certain right now. Ryūken, is it at all possible that you can hold onto miss Inoue's body for a few more days?" he asked the Quincy.
The man narrowed his eyes at the shop owner. "I cannot stop the autopsy, if that is what you are asking."
Kisuke shook his head. "No, I am simply asking if you can ensure her body stays here in your hospital for a short while until I can figure something out." He corrected.
Ryūken turned his gaze to the deceased teen. "I cannot make you any promises, but I will see what I can do. To my knowledge, the police have not yet been able to contact the girl's aunt yet; but it won't be long until they do. Once she comes and claims the body, there is nothing more that I can do. So I advise that whatever you have planned be done before then. Now, your time is up. The mortician will be here any minute, and the less people that see you, the better."
Nel turned to him and gave him a bow. "Thank you, mister Ishida."
The man turned to her and again narrowed his eyes. "You are playing a very dangerous game, keeping that thing with you, Urahara. It would be best if we never see each other again, Arrancar. Because the next time, I will not be so accommodating." He hissed at the woman, causing her to flinch.
"H…How did…" she started.
Ryūken pushed his glasses up his nose with a sneer. "As much as I don't like it, I am a Quincy. If you think that, even for a moment, Urahara's fake body can conceal your true identity from me, you are sorely mistaken. As I had said, the only reason you are even here is because of my son's friendship with the woman, but that will not save you the next time we meet. Now leave."
The man's words ate at her soul, but she slowly nodded and began walking towards the door, followed closely by Kisuke. They swiftly left the room and turned towards the side exit.
As they were walking across the parking lot, Kisuke turned his eyes to her. "Don't worry about Ryūken, miss Nel. He has had a few…unfortunate encounters with hollows in the past, so it is completely understandable why he would be openly hostile." He comforted.
Nel shook her head at him. "No, it's fine, Kisuke. I know about Quincys and their hatred towards hollows. I understand fully why he acted the way he did." She assured.
Kisuke nodded as they came up to the van. "Next, we'll go to the park where her body was found and see if we can find anything out of place. Something with her body has me a bit puzzled, and I'm hoping that we can find something that will explain it."
The woman got into the vehicle and fastened her seatbelt. "What was it that you noticed, Kisuke?"
The shop owner started the van and began driving off. "I can't say for certain at the moment, miss Nel; but I honestly hope my suspicion is wrong."
Karakura Park, 1 Hour Later
The shop owner and Arrancar now found themselves scanning the immediate area of the center of the park. They had become even more disheartened when they arrived at the sight of the incident to see a chalk outline of where the young teen's body was found.
Although most off the law officers and news reporters had already left by the time they arrived, they were still a few personnel walking around and gathering clues as to what might have happened; meaning that the pair had to tread carefully as to not look suspicious.
But now that the last few emergency personnel where finally leaving, it allowed Kisuke and Nel to get a firsthand look at the sight. While Kisuke knelt down next to the chalk outline, Nel was walking around close by and scanning the ground for anything that might have been missed.
Although it was very faint, the shop owner could still detect the residual spirit energy of Orihime; proving that she had indeed been there when she was 'killed'. And that was what had the man puzzled, because it wasn't only her spirit energy that he was detecting.
Whoever it was that had killed the teen, obviously possessed a fair amount of spirit energy themselves. A random hollow attack was quickly ruled out, as someone would have easily detected it, and Orihime could have easily defended herself until help arrived; if she couldn't outright defeat it herself.
And it wasn't just one extra spiritual signature he was picking up, it was three. Two of them obviously belonged to actual beings, but the last one seemed different. And it ate at the man because the last one was somehow very familiar.
"Have you found anything, miss Nel?" he inquired aloud as he traced the chalk outline with his fingers.
The woman continued searching closely as she answered. "No, nothing. If whoever did this left something behind, it is very likely that the human police found it and now have it." She informed.
Kisuke then stood up straight and looked at the ground a short distance away. 'Whatever that spiritual signature is, it would seem that it's originating from there.' He deducted.
The man walked over to the observed spot and came to a stop, searching the area around him. The spiritual signature that didn't seem to belong to anyone seemed to be at its strongest where he stood, even though it was barely readable.
"Miss Nel…could you come over here for a moment?" he called out.
The Arrancar was standing next to him only a few seconds later, giving him a puzzled look. "Yes?"
Kisuke continued to stare at the ground intently. "Tell me…do you feel anything standing here? Something very faint?" he questioned.
The woman turned to where he was looking and closed her eyes, feeling out with her senses and humming in thought. After a few moments, she reopened her eyes and turned back to him.
"Actually…I do. It's very faint, so much so that I can barely even feel it." She answered.
Kisuke turned his firm eyes to her. "And does it feel familiar to you?" he furthered.
Nel returned to the ground, humming in thought again. "It…does. Kisuke…I don't want to make any assumptions, but…it somehow feels like…"
The shop owner narrowed his stare at her. "…Like a Garganta was opened here?" he filled in.
Her head shot to him before she hesitantly nodded. "Yes. The more I feel it, and the more I think about it, the more I believe that to be the case. You…You don't…think…"
Urahara nodded firmly. "We're done here, miss Nel." He stated, then pulled his phone out and dialed the shop with Tessai immediacy answering. "Tessai, have everyone come back to the shop. I believe I may have figured out what happened."
"Understood, boss." The large man replied.
"Call Uryū and Chad first and have them meet Nel and myself in the north parking lot; I'll give them a ride back." He added.
"Of course, right away."
Kisuke then hung up the phone and turned back to Nel. "Let's go, miss Nel." He said, then turned to leave.
Nel gave the spot a last glance before doing the same to the chalk outline of the teen's body. 'Please…don't let I think happened be true.' She pleaded to herself before moving to follow Kisuke to the car.
Urahara Shop, 10 Minutes Later
Everyone, minus of course Kisuke, Nel, Uryū, and Chad, sat quietly at the dining room table; a ghostly silence filling the room. Timothy sat in his normal spot with his head leaned back against the wall and looking up to the ceiling.
Kitsune was materialized, and to make room for everyone else, was sitting in her partner's lap with her own head down in despair. Her furry knuckles where white as she gripped the fur of her legs tightly in anger.
Rukia was sitting next to Ichigo and gently rubbing his shoulder in comfort as the orange-haired substitute trembled; also with his head down. If one looked close enough, that person could swear the young man was crying.
"Why…" he said in a very low, and broken voice.
He balled his fists tightly where his nails threatened to break the skin of his palms. Understanding how her young pupil felt, Yoruichi turned her head to him with a knowing face.
"Ichigo…we don't have all of the details yet…so please, calm down until Kisuke gets back with the info he has." She said in a soothing voice.
It didn't work as the teen instantly raised his fist and slammed it on the table. "Damn it! Why her?! She didn't do anything wrong, so why did it have to be her?!" he yelled aloud.
Timothy let out a loud sigh without moving. "Ichigo, for once, Yoruichi is right; all we have is what the news told us. And we all know that the news has a tendency to exaggerate on just about everything." He pressed.
Ichigo's head quickly snapped to him. "But you heard what hat-and-clogs said! It was 'her' body at the hospital! What other proof do you need?!" he bellowed.
"Ichigo please…just stop." Kitsune pleaded, getting his attention where she raised her teary eyes to him. "We all loved her…please don't make this any worse." She furthered.
The teen clenched his teeth. "Oh yeah? Then what am I supposed to do!?" he questioned, making her turn away with being unable to answer.
Everyone's minus Ichigo's, heads turned when they heard the front door slide open; where Kisuke, Nel, Uryū and Chad walked in. The four of them walked up to the table and sat down where Kisuke turned to Yoruichi.
"I need you to go to the soul society, specifically to Squad 12. See if they had detected anything out of the ordinary in the past twelve hours, such as a Garganta being opened." He instructed.
Everyone's eyes went wide. "Wait a minute…you think Aizen is behind this?!" she asked in shock.
"I believe it's a possibility. I'll fill you in when you get back, but this needs to be done immediately." He stated.
Yoruichi nodded, and instantly flashed away. "Enough hat-and-clogs! What the hell is going on?!" Ichigo demanded.
The shop owner turned to him with a calm face. "Ichigo, I need you to calm down a little bit so that I can explain everything. Can you do that?" he asked calmly.
Rukia turned to him as well and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "He's right Ichigo, we 'all' need to be calm and let him tell us what he found out."
Ichigo gave a low growl before closing his eyes and nodding. "Fine." He acknowledged.
Giving the teen a moment to calm down a bit further, Kisuke turned to face everyone. "First of all, I need to inform you all that I don't believe that miss Inoue was 'killed'." He started, earning everyone's full attention. "With that in mind, I cannot deny that her physical body is indeed dead. However, I believe that we can change that."
Uryū rose a brow at him. "And just how do you plan to do that, Kisuke?" he asked, pushing his glasses up his nose. "You just told us that Orihime's body is essentially 'dead', so how can you fix that?"
"Was her chain of fate still connected?" Renji inquired.
Kisuke shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid not, her soul is effectively severed from her body. But, I don't think that the death of her physical body is the cause of her chain of fate being broken."
Timothy tilted his head with furrowed brows. "Hold on…I thought the only way for the chain of fate to be broken was 'to' die…right?" he asked in confusion.
The shop owner again shook his head. "Not necessarily. There are other ways for a person's chain of fate to be severed, but that would require the soul being removed from the body beforehand. And that is what I believe may have happened."
"What does it matter?! If her chain is broken, then she's gone!" Ichigo hissed out loud.
This got Kisuke's attention. "Is that so? Then how do you explain yourself, Ichigo? Don't you remember? Your chain of fate is already broken." He pointed out.
Everyone instantly turned to the teen, who was now confused. "Yeah, because you cut it, hat-and-clogs! You did that for my soul reaper training!" he defended.
"And yet, here you are; alive and well, for the most part. Let me explain: the chain of fate is simply the connection between the soul and its physical body. If by some circumstance the soul is removed from the body, as long as the chain of fate is still connected, the soul can return to the body; just like miss Inoue's did after the incident with her brother's hollowfied soul. However, if the chain 'is' severed while the soul is outside the body, that soul cannot return to it. As an example, when Tessai had cut your chain of fate when we started your training, Ichigo, you were, at that point, essentially 'dead'. Your body may have still been alive, but it did not have a soul that could return to it. Still with me?" he asked, getting rounds around the table.
"So, with that in mind, how are you able to return to your body without your chain of fate?" he questioned. He waited for a split second before answering. "The answer is simple. Your own spirit energy became the link between your soul and your body. Spirit energy is produced by the soul, and stored inside it. For soul reapers and hollows, the soul can store an enormous amount of spirit energy. However, for humans, the soul can only safely house a small amount of it. Understand so far?" Another round of nods.
"For most humans, this is not an issue as their souls don't produce hardly any spirit energy in the first place. But for those that do, such as in this case Ichigo, Chad and Orihime, the excess spirit energy that their souls can't safely contain is pressed out and stored within the actual body. And because of this, Chad and Orihime are able to use their abilities without having to leave their physical bodies." He informed.
Uryū rose a brow at the man. "Wait a minute, if that's the case, then why can't Ichigo use his soul reapers powers while inside his body?"
Kisuke rose a finger up. "Excellent question, Uryū. And the answer is just as simple; while Ichigo is, for the most part, a full soul reaper, his physical body is unable to produce those powers, because it is a 'human' body. Now, if he were inside a gigai, then he would be able to use some of the basic abilities of a soul reaper. Case in point, miss Rukia being able to perform kidō while inside her gigai."
The Quincy nodded, where Chad leaned forward. "But how does this help us with Orihime?" he asked in his low voice.
The shop owner lowered his finger and turned to him. "As I said, when Ichigo's chain of fate was severed, his physical body was still living at that time. As such, his spirit energy that was still housed inside the body became the link to his soul. However, if I had outright killed him while he was inside his body, then the link would not exist. When a human is killed, their soul is removed from the body, as you all know. However, when that happens, the soul, by instinct, immediately gathers 'all' of the spirit energy, if any, contained within the body. It does this to help ensure its survival until a soul reaper can perform a konsō. The spirit energy also helps to lengthen the amount of time that the encroachment takes to completely dissolve the remainder of the soul's chain of fate. As long as nothing happens to miss Inoue's soul, it would likely take several weeks, if not months for her to become a hollow because of her stored spirit energy."
The man pulled his fan out and took a deep breath before continuing. "However, because Ichigo's soul was removed from the body with the chain of fate still connected, trace amounts of his spirit energy was left inside. When his chain was cut, his soul automatically found a new connection; a.k.a., his spirit energy. Now…we come back to miss Inoue. While I was inspecting her body in the morgue, I found that there was still a considerable amount of her spirit energy contained within it. At the same time, I discovered that her chain of fate had a very faint trace of another spiritual signature. This leads me to believe that miss Inoue's soul was pulled from her body, and 'then' her chain of fate was cut."
Ichigo then slammed his fist down on the table. "It 'still' doesn't matter, hat-and-clogs! What good is it if her body is dead?!"
Kisuke rolled his eyes to Uryū. "That is where Uryū's father comes in."
The black-haired teen rose both brows in surprise. "My father?! What does he have to do with this?!" he demanded.
"I spoke with your father at the hospital, and he has agreed to try and keep miss Inoue's body preserved as long as he can. If we can find miss Inoue's soul, I believe that she can use her healing powers on 'her own' body, and restore it to full working condition. Since there is still traces of her spirit energy housed within her body, I believe that she can use that energy as a connection to 'return' to it."
Everyone's eyes shot wide again. "Wait, are you saying that we can still save her?!" Renji demanded.
Kisuke gave him a firm nod. "Yes, I believe we can; 'if' we can find her soul. And that is where the real problem lies."
Kitsune tilted her head in worry. "What do you mean, Kisuke?"
The shop owner lowered his head a bit, where Nel sighed heavily. "Kisuke and I think that a Garganta was opened where her body was found. We both detected very faint spiritual pressures that indicate one was opened. Considering how faint it was, I would have to guess that it was opened around the time that her death was believed to have happened."
Ichigo balled his fists even tighter. "Wait…so you're saying…"
Urahara nodded firmly. "I believe it is safe to say that Aizen has abducted miss Inoue." He said gravely.
Las Noches Palace, Present
Orihime was sitting down on the foot of her bed, her face soaked with tears and light sniffles involuntarily escaping her throat as she recalled the event that occurred only hours ago.
Flashback, Karakura Park, Midnight
As Orihime looked into the black abyss of the Garganta, she saw two men walking towards her from inside. One she recognized as the blue-haired Espada that Ichigo and Timothy had told her about, and the other she knew by face and name.
"Please do not resist, Orihime Inoue." The blindfolded man spoke calmly.
The teen swallowed the lump in her throat. "Y…Your…C…Captain Tōsen…right?" she asked.
The former Captain gave her a slight nod. "Yes, I am. Lord Aizen has demanded your presence, and as long as you do not resist us, we will not harm you." He stated.
The man then reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small rag. As he worked with it, Orihime could now tell that it was some sort of glove without the fingers, and a flaming skull-like design on the back.
Tōsen stepped up to her and held his gloved hand up to her chest. "I apologize if this feels discomforting." He said, then pressed his hand to her chest.
A familiar, yet still very strange feeling flooded Orihime's body as she was forced to take a step back. When she regained her balance, her eyes went wide at seeing her physical body drop down to the ground in a lifeless heap.
"W…Why…Why did you do that?" she asked.
Without answering, the green-eyed Espada to her left drew his zanpakutō a swiftly slashed right through the chain that ran from her chest to her body. The instant the chain separated itself, she was filled with a sudden empty feeling; like something deep inside her was suddenly removed.
"You will feel a little weak, but I assure you that it will pass in a short while. Now please, come with me." The former Captain instructed, then turned to the Quatro Espada. "Ulquiorra, you know what to do." He added, then began walking towards the still open garganta.
"Yes, Commander Tōsen." The green-eyed Espada answered, his zanpakutō still in his hand.
With no effort at all, the man picked up Orihime's body, and instantly ran his blade through its chest; Orihime gasping and holding her hands to her mouth in horror. Tears began falling down her cheeks as she tried to comprehend what she just saw.
"W…Why would you do that?!" she half-demanded.
Removing his blade and dropping the teen's body to the ground, he turned to glare at her. "You will have no further need of this useless vessel you call a body. Lord Aizen has summoned you, and it is highly unlikely that you will ever return. Now, do as you are told, woman; or I will force you by less than preferred means." He said in his cold voice.
In a surprise bout of anger, Orihime clenched her teeth and glared daggers at the Espada. "You…You monster!" she hissed in a low voice.
His expression didn't change. "You are correct, I am a monster. Now move."
Orihime balled her fists at her side before turning on her heel and following Tōsen into the garganta. Grimmjow gave her a toothy grin as she walked by him.
"Heh, seems like you just might have a backbone afterall, girl." He taunted.
The teen stopped and turned her head to him. "You hurt Ichigo. I won't forgive you." She stated.
The blue-haired Espada chuckled. "Fine by me, the kid was pathetic. You'd probably put up more of a fight than he did."
Orihime quickly turned her head away from him and continued to follow Tōsen with Grimmjow walking in behind her and Ulquiorra taking up the rear. The teen turned just in time to get a last look at her lifeless body lying in the middle of the park before the portal snapped shut.
Las Noches Throne Room, 10 Minutes Later
Aizen, along with Gin and the Espada, minus the Quatro and Sexta, sat quietly in their seats around the large, rectangular table of the meeting room. Aizen currently had one leg draped over the over while leaning back in his chair and sipping on his tea.
A very faint sound of snoring could be heard as Stark, the Primera laid forward with his upper body on top of the table, lightly sleeping. The woman next to him, Harribel, sat with her arms crossed under her breasts; her left eye slightly twitching as she stared at the sleeping Primera.
'That man…he can be quite annoying sometimes…' she mentally fumed.
The elderly Espada sitting across from Stark growled lowly in annoyance. "Just how much longer is this going to take? I have far more important things to do than to sit here and wait while those three take their time just to go get some stupid human girl." He snarled.
"Tsk…ain't that the truth." Nnoitra added in agreeance.
Harribel turned to face the old Espada with a glare. "It would be wise of you not to lose patience, Baraggan; especially in Lord Aizen's presence." She warned.
The Segunda rolled his eyes to her with furrowed brows. "And you would do well to mind how you speak to me, Harribel." He returned.
Aizen slowly opened his eyes to stare between the two Espada. "I understand how this may bore some of you; however, I ask that you do refrain from your childish arguments. Please be patient for just a while longer." He spoke in his calm and calculated tone of voice.
Baraggan turned his head away from the man with a huff, while Harribel bowed her head. "My apologies, Lord Aizen." She offered.
The former Captain gave a sly grin. "It is alright, Harribel. In fact, I believe our friends have returned." He informed.
True to his remark, everyone's heads turned to the end of the table where a garganta slowly opened; revealing four figures. Yammy scoffed heavily before turning back front.
"Bout damn time." He moaned.
Tōsen exited first where he returned to his spot just behind Aizen and to his left. Orihime followed behind him, coming to a stop in front of the table; while the Quatro and Sexta Espadas came from behind her and flanked her on either side.
Grimmjow took a knee, while Ulquiorra gave his typical bow to the powerful man. "We have returned, Lord Aizen. As instructed, we have brought the girl back with us." He informed.
Aizen's grin grew a bit as he set his tea cup down; interlacing his fingers with his elbows resting on the arms of his chair. "So I see, thank you, Ulquiorra. Did you accomplish the other task I had set out for you?"
The Quatro raised himself and nodded. "Yes, the woman's body has been disposed of. She no longer has any physical ties to the world of the living."
The former Captain smiled. "Thank you, you and Grimmjow may return to your seats."
The two Espada stood straight and walked to their appropriate seats, sitting down and turning to their leader. Aizen turned his eyes to the still sleeping Primera, and chuckled lightly.
"Harribel, would you mind waking Stark? I believe we are ready to begin this meeting now." He 'asked'.
The woman nodded before giving the sleeping man a 'gentle' punch in his side. The man snorted before quickly raising his body up in surprise. He then started rubbing his side while staring down the woman next to him.
"Did you have to be so rough, Harribel?" he whined.
The Tres Espada simply shrugged a shoulder in response, where Stark moaned as he rubbed the sleep from his face.
"Sorry about that, Lord Aizen." He said.
The man chuckled again. "It is alright, Stark. Now, before we begin, I would like to offer my welcome to you, Orihime Inoue." The man said, turning his gaze to the teen woman across from him.
Orihime tucked her head in in fear as her hands trembled. "W…What did you want…from me?" she asked in a quiet voice.
Aizen's smile only grew with the question. "Of course, my apologies. I suppose I should explain the reason for you being here, my dear. But that will come at a later time; for now, I would like to ask my Espada to stand and introduce themselves. Stark, would you care to begin for us?" he asked, now looking at the man.
Stark scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, sure." He answered before standing and looking at the teen. "Coyote Stark, Primera Espada." He greeted, then sat down.
All heads turned to Baraggan, who was seething to himself. "Baraggan Louisenbairn…Segunda Espada." He hissed without standing or even glancing at the woman.
Harribel sighed before standing and giving the teen a calm, yet firm look. "Tier Harribel, Tres Espada." She greeted.
The female Espada remained standing for a moment as she looked the teen over. She could see that even though the young woman was keeping her composure for the most part, she still noticed that she was also trembling.
Being, now, the only female Espada, Harribel could almost understand how the poor girl was feeling; being taken to a strange and hostile place all alone with no one to help her. She actually found herself starting to pity the young girl.
Harribel finally sat down, where Ulquiorra stood. Keeping his head straight, he rolled he eyes to her with a cold stare. "Ulquiorra Cifer, Quatro Espada." He said, then sat back down.
One-by-one, each of the Espada briefly stood, giving her their names, before sitting back down. While a few of them seemed slightly polite, the rest of them had been really cold to her; a couple of them giving her sickening stares before sitting down.
When Yammy, the last to introduce himself, had finally sat down, Aizen unfurled his fingers and allowed his arms to rest down on the chair's rests. Giving Orihime a stare for a moment, he then turned over his left shoulder.
"Kaname, would you be so kind and escort Orihime to her room. And please be sure that no one besides myself, or anyone with my permission enters." He instructed.
Tōsen bowed to the man. "Yes, Lord Aizen." He responded, then rose. He then turned to the teen and held out a hand towards the door. "If you will please follow me, miss Inoue."
Orihime flinched a bit, but nodded slowly before beginning her slow walk around the table to her left side; the side opposing the two Espada that had helped take her away. Nnoitra grinned madly as she passed behind him.
"Be careful that the 'monsters under the bed' don't getcha, little girl." He mocked, earning a snicker from Grimmjow and Yammy.
Harribel turned to the tall Espada with a death glare. "Keep quiet, Nnoitra." She ordered.
Stark turned his head to the left as Orihime passed by him. "Hey…" he called out, making her stop and glance at him. "Just ignore him. Just do what your told and you won't have any problems, alright?" he asked in a calming tone.
Orihime nodded, then continued walking away with Tōsen coming up behind her. Aizen waited until the two left the room and heard the sound of the doors closing behind then before turning to face his Espada.
"Now, with introductions taken care of, I believe we can now begin our meeting."
Flashback End
A knock on her door brought her back from her thoughts, where she lifted her head to see the door open and Ulquiorra walk in with a tray of food. The emotionless Espada set the tray down on a nearby dresser before turning to her.
"You are required to be in a fit shape, by Lord Aizen's orders, woman. So, come now and eat. I will return in an hour; if you have not eaten enough to please me, I will have to resort to more drastic measures to ensure that you do." He informed, then just as briefly left the room.
Orihime dropped her head in defeat, more tears escaping her eyes as she stood up to do as instructed.
Urahara Shop, Present
Timothy slowly ran both hands down his face as he tried his hardest not to lose his temper. Kitsune could literally feel the anger radiating from her partner and was rubbing his leg to try and calm him down.
"So, what the hell do we do?" the Squad 7 Lieutenant asked through his teeth.
Ichigo snapped his head to him, his own temper already flaring. "What the hell do you mean?! We go get her, of course!" he answered, Chad nodding in agreeance.
Timothy dropped his hands and glared back. "Well duh, you idiot, of course we're going to get her back. But what I'm 'actually' asking is 'how' we're going to do it!" he shot back.
Nel slowly reached next to her and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Tim…please calm down."
The man closed his eyes tightly and took a slow, and very deep breath, letting it out with a low growl. Taking the time for a second breath, this time he made no sound as he calmed down in exhale.
"Sorry." He said in a low voice.
The Arrancar nodded with a weak smile, where Renji turned to Kisuke. "So how 'are' we going to get her? It's not like we can just walk up to the front door and knock."
Uryū glanced at the redhead. "I think we should be asking ourselves how we're going to even 'get' there. The only way that I know of is the use of a garganta, and only hollows have that ability."
Rukia looked to the shop owner with a hopeful gaze. "Can you open one, Kisuke?" she questioned.
Kisuke sighed heavily while fanning himself. "I can, but it's going to take quite a bit of time; at least a week."
Ichigo furrowed his brows at the man. "What the hell, hat-and-clogs?! It only took you a single day to open a senkaimon! How the hell is a garganta any different?!" he demanded.
Toshiro had finally lost his patience and turned to glare at the teen. "Ichigo, calm down, now! We are 'all' upset about what's happened, but we are not going to get anywhere if we all lose our temper!"
Kitsune raised her right hand and rested it on the teen's shoulder. "Ichigo, he's right. Both you and Tim need to keep calm." She said in a soothing voice.
The teen growled before crossing his arms. "Fine!"
The spirit turned to the shop owner and nodded for him to continue, where he sighed again. "A garganta is vastly different from a senkaimon, Ichigo. As we all know, the soul society and the world of the living are two independent worlds. These two worlds are linked together by the dangai, the precipice world, which is a world in itself as well. The senkaimon allows travelers to enter or exit the dangai from either side. In short, the dangai is like a bridge from one side of a river, to the other." The teen nodded in understanding.
"Now, when it comes to Hueco Mundo, another world, there is 'no' world, no bridge between it and the soul society or the living world. Hueco Mundo is an isolated world with no connections. Now, unlike the senkaimon, which is a doorway between worlds, the garganta is a portal that allows a traveler to leave a world. It opens up to the empty, dimensional space 'between' all worlds, including soul society and living world. Opening a garganta is actually not that difficult; the difficult part is finding the correct path through the empty space and creating opening to the world you wish to go to."
Kisuke closed his fan and pointed it up. "That is the reason it will take me so long to open one. It takes extensive knowledge and proficiency with the garganta to be able to create that opening in the foreign world. Without it, the travelers would be trapped between worlds for all eternity with no way to escape. Hollows are born with the instinct on how to use them, thus why even lower level hollows can enter the world of the living, or even the soul society."
Timothy rose a brow at that. "Wait, if any hollow can use the garganta like it's instinct…" he started, then looked at Nel. "…can't Nel open one for us?" he inquired.
All heads turned to the teal-haired woman, who then rubbed her shoulder. "I…I can, but are you sure that's a good idea? Remember, Aizen and everyone else knows the signature of my garganta, and they would quickly respond to us using it." She warned.
Uryū narrowed his stare. "Can you open the exit outside of Las Noches, but still somewhere close by? That way we can move away from the area before they can respond?"
Nel nodded at him. "Yes, as long as it's somewhere I've been before, or somewhere I know about, I can pretty much open it to anywhere I want to. "
Kisuke returned to fanning himself with a raised brow. "How many are you able to take in a single trip, miss Nel?"
The woman hummed in thought for a moment. "If it was a large garganta created by Las Noches, any number of people. But for a small one like I can make…six, maybe seven. The more people on the same path, the harder it is for me to concentrate on the path for everyone. But again, I still think it's a bad idea."
Ichigo balled his fists tighter. "I'm willing to take that chance. A week is too long to leave Orihime with that bastard, Aizen."
Timothy nodded at him. "I agree. Considering mine and Nel's history with him, I'm honestly terrified to death to think of what he would do to her. My opinion, we use Nel's garganta and go get her now." He stated firmly.
Kisuke gave Nel a calm look. "I have to agree with them, miss Nel. A week might be too long to wait." He advised.
Nel's face dropped, but she nodded. "Alright, then I'll open one for you. But you do know that means I have to go with you, right?"
Timothy glanced at her skeptically. "Unarmed? And what happens if we run into trouble, which we all know is bound to happen?" he questioned.
The woman sighed heavily. "I will just have to do what I can without Gamuza." She stated.
Toshiro took a deep breath and turned to Kisuke. "I need to report this to the Head Captain before we do anything. Hopefully, he'll allow some of us to go with Ichigo."
Timothy rose a brow in question. "You make it sound like I can't go." he stated.
The Captain glared at him. "No, you 'can't' go, at least not until we have permission. You are still a member of 'my' team, and your orders are to stay here and help defend Karakura Town."
The Lieutenant kept his stare at the Captain. "And you honestly think you'll be able to stop me if I choose to go anyway?" he challenged.
Hitsugaya's brows furrowed angerly. "You have already tested my patience enough as it is by having me keep Nel a secret, Lieutenant Durn. I strongly advise you not test it even further by going against my orders." He cautioned. The short man then stood up and glared down at him. "I'm going to deliver my report, so stay here and wait until I return. That 'is' an order." He hissed, then looked at Ikkaku. "And you make sure he obeys that order." He added, then turned and left the shop.
The 3rd seat gave Timothy a regretful look. "Sorry Tim, I like ya, but orders are orders." He said hesitantly.
Timothy gently waved him off. "It's alright, Ikkaku. I understand. I just hope he doesn't take too long, and that the Head Captain will allow at least some of us to go save her."
Renji sighed and turned to Nel. "Well, while we're waiting, why don't you tell us everything you know about this Las Noches place. That way we might have an easier time finding Orihime." He said calmly.
Nel sighed back and nodded. "I honestly have no idea where Aizen would keep her, but I'll try to tell you everything I can about where everything is." She offered.
Kisuke nodded and stood up. "That would be best, miss Nel." He stated, and listened intently as the woman began her explanations.
Orihime's Apartment, 10 Minutes Later
Toshiro stood silently in front of the large communication screen, his head dropped low as he mentally prepared himself to give the news to his superior. It wasn't that he feared the man, but he did fear what the man's answer might be to his request to go save the girl.
Taking a last, deep breath, he turned and activated the console; the screen lighting up in a fuzzy haze. The static lasted for only a moment before clearing and allowing the Captain to see the 3rd Seat of Squad 12, Akon.
"Ah, morning Captain Hitsugaya. A bit early for your report, isn't it?" the man greeted.
Toshiro took another breath before answering. "I need to speak with the Head Captain; it's an extremely important matter." He informed.
Akon shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry Captain, but the Head Captain is in a Captain's meeting at the moment."
"Then connect me to the meeting hall." Hitsugaya snapped.
The officer rose a brow in surprise. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Captain. You know as well as I that Captain's meetings can't be disturbed. And besides, with standard communications put on hold at the moment, there is no way to contact the meeting hall."
Toshiro growled in annoyance. "I'm aware of that, Akon. I'll take full responsibility for the interruption, so please find a way for me to speak with the Head Captain, immediately." He pressed.
Akon sighed, then nodded. "Alright. Please standby and I'll see what I can do." He said, then the screed went to static again.
The white-haired Captain dropped his head again and shook it. "I seriously doubt this is going to go well." He mumbled to himself.
Squad 1 Meeting Hall
"So a few more days of rest, and the four Squad 11 members should be able to return to their division." Captain Unohana reported.
Yamamoto nodded firmly before moving on to Sajin, who was reporting for his own squad, as well as Squad 5. After Aizen's betrayal, Squads 3, 5, and 9 were assigned to specific Captains for them to keep tabs on and report any issues during meetings. Since Tetsuzaemon normally came by Squad 7 on a daily basis, Sajin decided to assume responsibility for Squad 5.
"Captain Komamura, what have you to report in regards to Squad 5?" the Head Captain asked.
Sajin gave the man a nod before starting. "As before, the squad is suffering from extreme lack of officers and personnel. I have dispatched members from my own squad to assist Lieutenant Iba, but I'm afraid that it may not do much good. In addition, the matter of…"
The furry Captain was interrupted when the beeping soul of a soul pager filled the room. All eyes turned to the origin of the sound, Captain Kurotsuchi; where the Head Captain gave a low moan of annoyance.
"Captain Kurotsuchi, I hope that whoever that is better have a very good reason to interrupt a Captain's meeting." He warned in his powerful voice.
The scientist rolled his eyes. "Tsk…I couldn't agree more." He said, then pulled the pager out and flipped it open. "What is it Akon, you useless fool?!" he hissed.
"Forgive me Captain, but I have Captain Hitsugaya on the video communicator, and he insists that he must speak with the Head Captain immediately." His 3rd seat replied.
Kurotsuchi gritted his teeth in anger. "That's it?! You mean to tell me that you interrupted a Captain's meeting because that little brat of a Captain can't wait for a simple report?!" he almost yelled.
Shunsui turned to face the scientist with a raised hand. "Now now, Captain Kurotsuchi…the kid knows not to interrupt a Captain's meeting, so whatever it is, it 'has' to be important…right?" he placated.
Unohana leaned forward and nodded. "I agree. I believe we should hear out Captain Hitsugaya." She added.
Kurotsuchi glared at the woman. "Tsk, oh really? And just what could be so important for him to jump in on a meeting?" he returned.
Yamamoto hummed in thought. "We shall see…put him through." He ordered.
The Squad 12 Captain again rolled his eyes. "His funeral." He mocked. "Put him through!" he sneered into the mic.
"Yes Captain, one moment." Akon answered.
"Step forward Captain Kurotsuchi, so that we may all here what Captain Hitsugaya has to report." Yamamoto instructed.
Mayuri stepped out from his spot and came to a stop in the center of the room, putting the call on speaker for everyone. The Captains waited for a few seconds, until Akon's voice came back.
"You're connected, Captain Hitsugaya." Akon stated.
"Thank you, Akon." Toshiro replied.
Yamamoto hummed lowly at the man's voice. "Well then, tell us what is so important that you felt the need to interrupt a Captain's meeting, Captain Hitsugaya."
A moment of silence followed as the Captain took a calming breath. "I apologize for interrupting, Head Captain, but we had learned this morning that the human, Orihime Inoue, was killed late last night." He started.
Most everyone's eyes went wide at the news, where Unohana took a step forward. "Do you know for certain that it was in fact miss Inoue?" she asked.
Toshiro took another breath. "Yes, Kisuke Urahara had gone to the hospital himself and confirmed that it was her." He affirmed in a sad voice.
Shunsui tipped his hat down with a fallen face. "Well…this was surely unexpected."
Jūshirō shook his head slowly. "Indeed, the poor girl."
Yamamoto closed his eyes and hummed in a bit of sadness. "This is indeed quite unfortunate…" he admitted, then reopened his eyes to the phone. "…however, as sad as this may be, this still does not warrant the need to interrupt a Captain's meeting, Captain Hitsugaya. This news surely could have waited." He pointed.
"Yes sir, but that is not the main reason as to why I am calling. After Kisuke Urahara did an initial inspection of Inoue's body, and the area of where she was found, he has come to the conclusion that she was not killed in the way we thought to believe. He believes that Inoue's soul was removed from her body, and then her chain of fate cut." Toshiro stated firmly.
Sajin rose a brow. "Captain Hitsugaya, are you saying that her soul was forcibly removed 'before' she was killed?" he asked in clarification.
"Yes. And not only that, but Urahara detected trace amounts of spiritual pressure in the area where she was killed. He believes that a garganta was opened in her vicinity."
Kurotsuchi scoffed with a roll of the eyes. "Impossible! My Department of Research and Development would have detected such an occurrence, and I can assure you that nothing has shown up on our scanners!" he defended.
Shunsui had to smirk at the man. "This coming from the man who had two subordinates working for Aizen and interfering limiter release requests." He mocked.
The scientist quickly turned around faced the stoic Captain. "How dare you! Do you think I don't have my own division under control?!" he challenged.
"You do not bear the right to deny such a claim, Captain." Byakuya Kuchiki, the Squad 6 Captain returned, causing Mayuri to snap to him. "As it has been pointed out before, two members from your own communication department were found to be collaborators with Sōsuke Aizen. It would be foolish to think that there cannot be more." He added.
Mayuri gritted his yellow teeth tightly. "Now see here…"
"Enough!" Yamamoto bellowed, silencing everyone and gaining their attention. "Continue, Captain Hitsugaya."
Kurotsuchi scoffed heavily while Shunsui grinned at the man being put back into place. "Thank you, Head Captain. With all the information we have so far, we believe that Orihime Inoue may have been abducted by Aizen, and taken to Hueco Mundo."
Yamamoto rose a brow. "Is Kisuke Urahara sure about this?" he questioned.
"We cannot say for certain, Head Captain; but as I said, all the facts we have so far point to that conclusion. As we have all witnessed firsthand, Orihime Inoue possesses great healing powers. We can't allow Aizen to have access to those powers, that is why I am asking for permission to send my team to Hueco Mundo to recover her. Kisuke Urahara has informed me that he can open a garganta to allow us to enter Hueco Mundo, but it will take him some time." He said almost pleadingly.
The Head Captain closed his eyes again and hummed loudly as Sajin looked at him. "I would have to agree with Captain Hitsugaya, Head Captain. Aizen is powerful enough with only his Espada and Arrancar. If he is allowed to make use of the girl's powers, I doubt we would stand a chance."
Byakuya gave a slight nod. "I would have to agree as well. However, I do not believe we can risk the safety of Karakura Town, as well as the lives of a Captain and several high-seated officers." He added.
Shunsui smiled at the noble. "Well now, I wouldn't exactly count the kid and those he has with him out, Captain Kuchiki. He may be young, but Captain Hitsugaya ain't no pushover. I think he can handle it."
The Squad 6 Captain turned his eyes to him. "I didn't say he was incapable; I was merely pointing out that they would be heavily outnumbered, and if they were discovered, it is very unlikely they would succeed, Captain Kyōraku."
"At any rate, we cannot leave miss Inoue in the hands of Sōsuke Aizen. I strongly suggest we allow Captain Hitsugaya to attempt to rescue her, Head Captain." Unohana pressed.
Kenpachi then gave an evil grin. "Let me go, I can handle it all on my own. It might even prove to be fun for me."
Byakuya scoffed quietly. "I doubt that you would be capable of such a task. While you do possess a few traits, causing endless destruction being one of them, rescuing a person is certainly not among them." He mocked.
That only made Zaraki's grin grow even more. "Oh yeah? Why don't we step outside and I'll show you just how capable I am?" the bloodthirsty Captain taunted.
"Such a meaningless gesture. I doubt you would last long enough to be worthy of me drawing my blade." Byakuya returned.
Jūshirō gave a timid laugh before stepping forward and holding his hands up. "Now, let's not get too worked up, friends. I believe the pressing matter is whether or not we should risk a rescue mission for Orihime." He tried to calm.
Kenpachi scoffed and turned away. "Whatever."
Yamamoto then slammed his cane down and again silenced the room. "I will not tolerate all this bickering. Captain Hitsugaya, I am going to allow this rescue attempt; however, Captain Kuchiki does have a point. We cannot allow Karakura Town to remain undefended. Therefor, you are to pick three members of your team to attempt the rescue of Orihime Inoue. They will have two days from the time they arrive before they must return. Under no circumstances can we allow the girl's powers to remain in Sōsuke Aizen's hands. Instruct your team that if they cannot successfully rescue Orihime Inoue, then they must eliminate her." He ordered.
Again, eyes went wide. "Now hold on, old man Yama…surely you can't mean to kill her!" Shunsui questioned.
"Yes. After everything miss Inoue did for us, all the lives she saved when Aizen left us, that would be very unfair to the poor girl." Jūshirō added.
The man nodded firmly. "I do. If your team is unable to bring the girl back, then they must kill her. I would rather see her killed than be left in the cruel hands of Sōsuke Aizen. You have your orders, Captain Hitsugaya. Pick your men and have them leave the moment Kisuke Urahara has opened his garganta. And ensure they understand their orders."
Silence filled the room for a moment, then the sound of Toshiro sighing through the phone came through. "Yes sir, I understand. I will inform you the moment the team leaves. And what about Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends? I'm sure we can all agree that they will be wanting to go as well." He inquired.
Yamamoto had to close his eyes and think deeply on the question for a moment. "Ichigo Kurosaki must not be permitted to accompany the team. He is too great of an asset for the war against Aizen. He will have to sit back and put faith in the team that they will succeed. The same goes for his friends. Only those that you choose will be permitted to go."
Toshiro sighed again. "Yes, Head Captain." He answered, then hung up.
Mayuri closed and pocketed the phone with a scoffed. "Tsk…insolent brat." He mocked.
Sajin turned from the scientist to Yamamoto. "I fear what plans that Aizen may have for miss Inoue."
"According to Kisuke Urahara's calculations, the Hōgyoku should not fully awaken until winter. That is ample time for Sōsuke Aizen to incorporate the young woman into his plans; whatever they may be. We should prepare ourselves for that possibility, should Captain Hitsugaya's chosen team fail to retrieve, or remove her." Byakuya advised.
Jūshirō leaned forward to look at his superior. "Couldn't we have allowed Captain Hitsugaya to take his entire team and have them replaced with other members, Head Captain? Sending only three men into Hueco Mundo is not a very good idea." He warned.
Yamamoto closed his eyes. "We cannot risk sacrificing more officers to replace them, and we simply do not possess the number for an all-out war on Sōsuke Aizen's ground. By sending a small team, they would be able to infiltrate Hueco Mundo without being detected, and possibly complete their mission."
Unohana nodded in agreeance. "All we can do is place our faith in them and hope that the team will be successful in rescuing miss Orihime."
Sui-Fēng rolled her eyes. "It would have been better to let me send a team. My men would have easily found and eliminated the girl right under that bastard's nose." She mumbled.
Yamamoto hit his cane on the floor, silencing the room. "I have made my decision, and it is final. We will discuss nothing further outside of this room on the matter. We cannot be certain who we can trust within our ranks at the moment with this knowledge. Captain Sui-Fēng, you are to double your efforts in locating any other collaborators who are loyal to Aizen. Captain Kuchiki, I am assigning your squad to assist her. Leave no stone unturned and find the rest of these traitors. The rest of you are to increase the training of your squads in preparation for the coming war. You are dismissed."
The many Captains began leaving the room, save for Jūshirō and Shunsui, who remained behind and walked up to stand in front of Yamamoto. Glancing over his shoulder, Shunsui waited until the last of his peers left the room and the large doors closed behind them.
Once the doors were shut, he turned to his superior. "Well…what was it you wanted to discuss, old man Yama?" he opened.
The man stared at him for a moment. "And what makes you think I had something to discuss?" he questioned.
Shunsui gave the man a knowing smirk. "Come on, old man Yama…you think we wouldn't notice the look you gave us like you had something special in mind for us?" he pressed, earning a nod from Jūshirō.
The Head Captain hummed in slight annoyance. "You two are far too observant for your own good. I want you two to go to the Central 46 library and start searching for what Sōsuke Aizen may have been doing in there. Of all the places he could have chosen to hide, he had chosen to go there; something I find highly suspicious. See if you can uncover what he may be up to. Take only those you know for certain than can be trusted without a shadow of a doubt." He instructed.
"If I may ask master, why are you sending members of Captain Hitsugaya's team to Hueco Mundo? Although Captain Sui-Fēng's men would more than likely kill the poor girl than rescue her, would they not be more efficient in this type of mission?" Jūshirō inquired.
Yamamoto sighed heavily. "They may be more proficient in terms of stealth, but they do not know our enemy like Captain Hitsugaya, and his team do. They have not fought against an Espada like Captain Hitsugaya has. His chosen team knows how the enemy is likely to act, and would be better at countering them. Now go, and be sure to inform me directly of anything that you find."
The two long-time friends nodded and walked away.
Urahara Shop, Present
Toshiro sighed has he pulled the front door to the shop open, drawing everyone's attention to him as he walked in and closed the door. Thankfully, although Ichigo and Tim still seemed to be quite upset, they were at least a bit calmer than earlier.
Coming to a stop and sitting down at the table, he turned to Urahara. "It would seem that we will need to make use of your garganta, Kisuke. The Head Captain has instructed me to choose only three people from my team to go to Hueco Mundo. Seeing as how that only three can go, secrecy is paramount for this mission, and Nel's garganta would only serve to act against that." He informed.
The shop owner nodded as Nel turned to him. "In that case, I can at least help you with understanding the garganta a little better. That way you might be able to have it finished sooner, Kisuke." She offered.
Kisuke grinned at her. "That would be a big help, miss Nel."
Toshiro then turned to the others. "As for the selected team, the Head Captain instructed that myself, along with Ichigo and his friends must stay here."
This infuriated the orange-haired teen, causing him to slam a fist down. "What the hell?! You mean the old man is keeping me from saving my friend?!" he yelled.
The Captain sighed heavily. "I understand how you feel, Ichigo; and believe me that I was going to allow you to go. But the Head Captain views you as an important asset for the war, and he doesn't want to risk you getting killed or captured by Aizen. If it were up to me, we would 'all' be going." He reassured.
Timothy rose a brow at him. "So…who's going then?" he inquired.
Hitsugaya gave him a firm glare. "Well, I know it would be pointless to tell you to stay, knowing that you would disobey me and go anyway. So you will be one of the people going." He stated in hesitance. "As for the other two, Renji will be going because he possesses a Bankai; and any additional power we can give the team, we will. The last person will either be Rukia, or Rangiku. I will let you two decide who goes." He said, now looking at the two women.
Rangiku simply waved him off. "It's fine, I'll stay here, Captain. Rukia is closer to Orihime than I am, so she should go. And her and Renji work great as a team, so that would also help." She offered.
Rukia smiled at her friend and nodded. "Thank you, Rangiku." She said, getting a smile back.
Toshiro nodded. "Fine then, it will be Tim, Renji, and Rukia. As for you…" he stopped to look at Nel. "…you are not a member of my team, and the Head Captain never said you couldn't go, seeing as how he doesn't know about you. So, if you want, I will allow you to go with them." He offered.
Nel's eyes widened. "Captain…are you sure? I thought you didn't trust me."
The man narrowed his gaze. "And I 'still' don't fully trust you. But…the team needs all the help they can get; and your extensive knowledge of Las Noches would be a very big help. You wanted to earn my trust Nel? Well, here is your chance to finally prove who's side you're on." He said in a commanding tone.
The woman nodded. "I understand. I swear to you that I will do whatever I can to make sure we bring her back." She promised.
Kisuke snapped his fan shut and stood up. "Well, now that we have that taken care of, we should get to work on setting up the garganta, miss Nel." He stated.
She nodded again and stood up to follow him out of the room, where Toshiro looked at the chosen team. "The three of you, I want you to get as much training in as possible. If Yoruichi comes back in time, have her work with you. The rest of us will assume watch over Karakura town until they return. Ichigo, you should probably go back to the training Kisuke was having you do before this. Uryū and Chad, if you two wish to help us with protecting Karakura Town when you can, it would be greatly appreciated."
Uryū and Chad nodded. "We'll try to do what we can." The Quincy offered.
Ichigo scoffed heavily. "This is still bullshit! Orihime is my friend, and I'm being told I can't go! Damn that old man!" he seethed lowly.
Timothy gave him a pitying look. "Hey man, to be honest, if I could let you go in my stead, I would. But I 'can' give you this much; I swear to you that we 'will' bring Orihime back. I've failed one person before, and I swore to myself that I would die before that happened again." He stated firmly, causing Kitsune to lower her head a bit in sadness.
"Tim…can I speak with you for a moment?" she asked.
The Lieutenant nodded before moving his hands and allowing her to lift herself from his lap. As he stood to full height, he paused to look down at the distraught teen.
"We'll get her back, Ichigo. I promise." He offered once more, then continued to follow Kitsune to his room.
As he entered his room, he saw Kitsune standing near the window and peering outside at the sky with her arms crossed. Closing the door behind him, he walked over to stand next to her; seeing her with a fallen face.
"You're not ready for this, Tim." she said in a quiet voice, then looked at him. "If you go like you are now, I seriously doubt you'll come back." She added.
Timothy rose a brow at her. "You think I don't know that? Grimmjow pretty much kicked my ass into next week a couple days ago, and I haven't had much of a chance for training while running around the damn city. But what am I supposed to do? I can't just leave Orihime at the hands of that cruel bastard." He defended.
Kitsune narrowed her glare. "No, you can't. She is young, and she definitely doesn't deserve to be used for that monster's experiments. But it still doesn't change the fact that you are not ready for this."
She turned to fully face him as she dropped her arms to her sides. "That is why 'Johnny' is going to 'make' you ready." She stated in a firm voice.
Ok, so I'm sure a lot, if not all of you, had guessed that Orihime was the person at the end of the last chapter, and this confirms it. So yes, there will be a Hueco Mundo arc in this story, but it is not going to be anything like the manga or anime, a total revamp if you will and one hell of a plot twist at the end. (Don't bother asking Spade's, cause I ain't telling, lol)
Moving on to the last part of this chapter, about Kit speaking with Tim, yes, 'Johnny's' true name and abilities will be revealed very soon. I know a lot of you have been dying, or have already died by this point, to know what those will be. Well, please be patient just a little while longer. It's coming, I promise.
That's all I got for now, so I hope you all enjoyed the reading and look forward to seeing you next chapter. Later friends.
