Welcome back, readers. Once again, sorry for the, ever growing, delays in posting new chapters. This holiday season, while fun for the most part, was one hell of a whopping headache. 12 people staying four almost a whole week, and 20 people over for Christmas dinner, so yeah, it was one hell of a madhouse here.

But, holidays are over, and now it's time for me to head in to the next semester of school. Taking Bio 101 and a couple history courses this time, so fun fun. Other than that, nothing big going on, so hopefully I can get back to writing again.

No reviews, and no Spades. But, that's fine, holidays are always stressful and busy at some point. So, let's get on to the next chapter. And by the way, this chapter breaks the 600k word milestone, so hooray for that!

(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 40

(Hidden Shadows)

Las Noches Tunnels, With Renji's Group, 30 Minutes Later

Renji led the way, his partially charged Shakkahō in the palm of his hand lighting the darkness of the tunnels ahead of them while Rukia, Uryū, and Chad followed closely behind; all of them keeping their eyes and ears wide open.

They had already passed two passageways that split off to the left, the last one only about a hundred meters behind them, where Uryū logged it on the small notepad he had with him. By his count, it seemed to him that they were roughly a kilometer apart, with the first being the same distance from where they split off from Timothy's group.

"If this keeps up, we should find another passage to the right about another three-quarters of a kilometer ahead." He informed.

Rukia glanced at him and nodded. "Got any ideas about the layout yet?" she wondered.

The teen pocketed the notepad and shook his head. "Not yet, but if I had to guess, I'd say that this passage we're in right now must run around the perimeter of Las Noches. Those passages earlier must run deeper into the center of the whole system."

Renji turned over his shoulder to him. "Yeah, I was starting to think the same thing. Question is: do we want to start looking into one of these side paths before we start heading back in a couple hours?" he inquired.

Uryū cupped his chin in his hand in thought. "It might not be a bad idea, but I think it would be best if we started with the first passage and figured that one out. Let's press on for a bit longer, then we can go back and start working deeper in." the teen advised.

Rukia nodded and turned back. "Agreed. Nel did say that it's like a maze down here."

"I'm worried though. Can we really be sure Aizen doesn't know about these tunnels?" Chad asked in his monotone voice.

Renji shook his head slightly. "Who knows. For all we know, it's possible he may even be watching us right now. Let's just hope that's not the case."

"Frankly, I'm far more worried about whether or not that bastard has done anything to Orihime. For his sake, that had better not be the case." Uryū growled out, with everyone nodding in agreeance.

"All we can hope for, is that Orihime is alright." Chad offered with another round of nods.

The group continued on in silence for a while longer, until Rukia spoke up. "So, Uryū…" she opened, getting the teen's full attention before looking over her shoulder to him. "…what do you think about Nel?" she inquired.

The teen rose a brow. "What do you mean?"

Rukia furrowed her brows a bit in annoyance. "I'm not dumb Uryū, ever since you first met her, you've been eyeing her with contempt." She accused.

He followed her expression with a glare. "What are you getting at?" he challenged.

The woman sighed heavily and turned back front. "I'm saying, that it seems you hate her for some reason. I can understand that you would see her as an enemy at first, knowing what she is, but now she's here, risking her life to help us save Orihime, and yet you still seem to despise her. It looks to me that you're judging her too harshly."

Uryū pressed his glasses up his face while turning away from her. "That should be quite obvious, Rukia; that woman is a hollow, regardless of the fact that she's 'helping' us to rescue Orihime. My question is; how do 'you' not view her as an enemy? One or two good deeds doesn't make up years of devouring human souls."

Rukia sighed again with a dropped head. "Does this have anything to do with your grandfather?" she questioned, now gaining the attention of Chad and Renji.

The teen narrowed his glare into a dangerous one. "It would be wise to leave my grandfather out of this, Kuchiki. In case you've forgotten, it was you soul reapers' duty to protect him, as he was under 'your' watch. It may have been hollows that actually killed him, but it was the soul reapers that 'allowed' it to happen. The only reason I am even here helping you, is to save Orihime, nothing more. As far as that woman goes, like you, she is my enemy. The only reason I don't outright attack her, is because Ichigo has vouched for her, and as much as I hate to admit it, I trust him."

Renji chose now to jump in, looking passed his shoulder to the teen. "If I remember correctly Uryū, Captain Kurotsuchi was the one responsible for what happened to your grandfather, and you've already paid him back for it. You can't exactly blame everyone as a whole for something someone else did without telling, or even without permission. And you certainly can't blame others for doing something that is part of their instincts." He defended.

"My fight with that crazy scientist of yours is 'far' from over, Renji. Our dispute will be settled once I've actually killed him. And as far as the hollows go, even if they didn't kill my grandfather, they would still be considered enemies to be destroyed. I'll grant you that Nel isn't like the other hollows, but she is still a hollow, one that is extremely dangerous. And not only that, but she used to work with Aizen, who is responsible for Orihime's capture." Uryū corrected.

Chad turned his head a bit to his friend. "He does have a point, Uryū. It's not exactly fair to her for you to judge her solely off of what she did in the past to survive. And she has helped us quite a bit in keeping Karakura Town safe from the Arrancar."

"I already told you, a few good deeds doesn't fix years of pain and suffering caused to innocent souls. And I've already said I wouldn't attack her, as long as she doesn't do anything I don't approve of. So let's drop the subject and get back to the matter at hand." He demanded.

Rukia shook her head with a depressive sigh. "Alright, then let me ask you this; what do you think about Tim?"

The teen rose a brow. "You mean your new Lieutenant?" he asked, earning a nod. "Frankly, I don't. He's just another soul reaper. Although…" he started, then cupped his chin in his hand. "…there's something odd about him." He admitted.

Rukia rose a brow back. "Odd?"

Uryū turned his head to her with a serious expression. "It's difficult to explain, but there's something off with his spiritual pressure. When I detect him, it feels like I'm picking up two signatures at once."

"It could be because of his situation with Kit. You do know the story behind her, right?" Renji offered.

The teen's face dropped a bit at remembering what Ichigo had told him before about the short Lieutenant. He, Chad, Orihime, and Ichigo were on the roof of the school building during their lunch break when Ichigo had told them a short version of the man's misfortune.

"Ichigo told me a bit about it, yes. And I'm fully aware of her ability to materialize at will. But she is still a zanpakutō spirit, and should not be detectable unless she is materialized. But somehow, when I focus on Tim's spiritual pressure, it's like it's two individual signatures mixed together into one." He clarified.

Renji rose a brow now. "You sure? We see him every day, standing feet from him, and we don't pick up anything."

This put a smug grin on Uryū's face. "Well, don't take this the wrong way Renji, but need I remind you that Quincys are far more adept than soul reapers when it comes to detecting, and reading spiritual pressures?" he boasted.

Rukia rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Whatever, Uryū. So what are you saying…that you can somehow pick up Kit's spiritual pressure when she's not materialized?"

The grin dropped and he shook his head. "I don't think that's entirely the case, Rukia. If it were, then I should be able to detect your zanpakutō spirit as well, but I can't. Not only that, but I remember hearing that Tim has a second zanpakutō spirit in his inner world; if that's true, then why can't I sense that one? I think there may be more into this than we think, and it may be a wise idea to have Kisuke look into it when we get back." He advised.

Rukia nodded in agreeance. "Yeah, we'll have to look into that."

The four of them resumed walking the dark corridor in silence for a while, but it wasn't long before Uryū got a sudden feeling in the back of his head.

Keeping his head straight, Uryū turned his eyes to the side in a narrowed stare. 'So…it looks like Tim wasn't losing it afterall. There 'is' someone else down here.' He observed internally.

The teen took a couple quick steps and walked next to Rukia's ear. "We're being followed." He alerted in a serious, but quiet voice.

Rukia turned her eyes to the teen. "You sure?" she asked, getting a nod.

"He's keeping himself just outside of the light, but he's there."

The woman nodded and turned back straight. "Think we should go after him?"

Uryū thought it over for a second, but decided against it. "No. Like we discussed before, this person is probably more knowledgeable about these tunnels than we think. It's probably best to leave him be for now, and wait until we get a chance to catch him without letting him escape. It seems he's keeping his distance for now, so I believe he's just observing at the moment."

Rukia nodded again. "Alright. We'll keep going for another ten minutes or so, then we'll turn around and head back. I'll let the others know." she said, then stepped away.

The Quincy nodded once more before dropping back a bit to return to his previous position, keeping his full attention focused on his group's hidden stalker. Trying as hard as he could, he was unable to catch a single glimpse of the entity through the darkness.

Fortunately for them, at least from what he could tell, the being was not aware that they knew about it; if the lack of change in the being's skulking demeaner was anything to go by that is.

But one thing he could say about the person, whoever, or whatever, it was, he was not stupid and was obviously not one of your run-of-the-mill hollows. If it were, it would have attacked by now, rather than keep its distance.

'Question is: is he the only one that's down here…or are there more?' the Quincy pondered to himself.

His group continued their exploring, now much more alert, through the pitch-dark passage as the unknown being kept a close watch in the darkness.

Squad 12 Department of Research and Development, Research Department, Present

A loud, thumping sound resonated through the large room, that was filled nearly to the brim with considerably-sized computers and monitors, as Captain Kurotsuchi slammed a fist down atop his personal desk.

"What do you mean you won't allow that, you imbecilic woman?!" the scientist seethed.

Standing before him with crossed arms, flanked on either side by two members of the Stealth Force, was the Captain of Squad 2, and the commander of the Stealth Force, Suí-Fēng. And while the Squad 12 Captain had a face of pure fury, the redness hidden only by his traditional face paint, the short female Captain of Squad 2 had one of pleased smugness.

Oh yes, this was one of the very few, and very rare times where the short, petite, and very serious woman was genuinely happy. But then again, it always brought her vast amounts of joy whenever she got the chance to put the crazed scientist back in his place again.

This was one of those times. After discovering that the Captain of Squad 12 wanted to 'temporarily' reopen his Communications Department for some 'experiment testing', she was quick to shut him down; not only to uphold the orders she was given, but to greatly piss the man off as well.

"It's just as I said, Captain Kurotsuchi; your Communications Department has been shut down until 'I' am satisfied that you don't have any more traitors working for you. And while it is shut down, not even you are allowed in the building. Cry as much as you want, but until I give the order, that department will 'stay' shut down, regardless of what 'important' tasks, or experiments, or whatever, that you have." She mocked with glee.

The scientist gritted his teeth to the point of almost shattering. "Now see here, you insolent excuse for a Captain! How dare you tell 'me' what I can and cannot do within 'my own' squad! The only reason you yourself have not been dissected and stuffed into labeled jars is because, while I am quite loath to admit it, your pitiful excuse for assassins have been somewhat beneficial to me in the past for acquiring new research specimens! Though, how long that remains the case is yet to be seen! I can think of an endless amount of ways to end your useless life!" he threatened, taking two steps towards her.

The grin on the short Captain's face grew at seeing the man's anger rise only higher by the minute. While she tolerated the other Captains, and only respected a few, Captain Kurotsuchi was another matter entirely.

In fact, if the Captain, and commander of one of, if not the deadliest, squads in the 13 Court Guard Squads had her way, the maniacal scientist would still be rotting away in the maggot's nest; one of the prison areas that Squad 2 was responsible for maintaining and where the Squad 12 Captain had once been a 'guest' at.

It was only thanks to the previous Captain of Squad 12, and the founder of the Department of Research and Development, that the painted man was where he was now. Just more icing to the proverbial cake of reasons why she absolutely despised a particular candy shop owner.

After the former Captain had disappeared during his trial before Central 46, for supposedly performing hollow experiments on his fellow Captains and Lieutenants, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, as the appointed 'Deputy Department Head' at the time, assumed the role as the Research Department's new head; and, in effect, the role as the new Captain of Squad 12.

That was what she hated the most about the man. He didn't have to prove himself, be recommended by the other Captains, hell, or even have to fight for it; the rank was essentially 'given' to the man!

"I welcome you to try it, Kurotsuchi. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to finally have an excuse to end the pathetic existence you call your life. And trust me, there would be no remorse for doing so; I would very likely sleep like a child after doing so." Suí-Fēng returned.

Mayuri rolled his eyes before turning his head from her. "Tsk. As if an incompetent weakling such as yourself is capable of such a daunting task. Frankly, I'm amazed such a noisy brat such as you was able to find her way to my department without the use of her little guard dogs. And you call yourself an assassin?" he taunted.

Suí-Fēng's grin fell into a look a fury the crazed scientist had only seconds ago. She was a very proud Captain, and the one thing she prided herself above all else was her skills in stealth and assassination.

But, once again, the Squad 12 Captain was trampling upon, and mocking those abilities. If there was one thing she was not, it was noisy. And by God, she had absolutely no need, whatsoever, for a guide to show her how to get 'anywhere' within the soul society!

The woman growled very lowly, so low that the scientist almost didn't catch it. But catch it he did, and he only turned back to her with the smug grin that 'she' had that same amount of time ago; their roles completely reversed.

"Oh? Struck a nerve, did we? Afterall, we all know that if it weren't for that loathsome Shihōin woman, you'd be nothing more than another peasant girl; a hopeless brat with her eyes wide in admiration of her goddess. Oh wait…you still are. Even before we were aware of Aizen's true intentions, when you were still filled with hatred for her, you still fell to your knees for her." He sneered further, making her grit her teeth as the two squad members next to her prepared to draw their weapons.

Suí-Fēng gave the man the upmost, hateful glare she had ever given. "How dare you speak of Lady Yoruichi like that! I'll rip your tongue out and shove it down your throat, you despicable bastard!" she hissed. She wanted, so badly, to end the man's life right there and then, but chose instead to signal for her men to stand down, where they did and resumed their previous stances. "But unfortunately, as much as it poisons my blood to say it, you do have your uses…as limited as they are. My restrictions still stand; not one single member of your squad is permitted anywhere near the communications building, for any reason."

The woman turned and began walking out of the room, followed by her two squad members while Mayuri growled deeply in resentment for the woman. As she was about to leave the room, she stopped and glared over her shoulder at him.

"I'm watching you, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Every move you make, every breath you take, do so while knowing that I will know about it. So please, do try something. That way I can finally put an end to you." She said in an evil tone, then finally left the room.

Mayuri growled louder before snatching a monitor off a nearby desk and throwing it against the wall near the door the woman exited from.

"Damn that vile woman! Who the hell does she think she is, telling me what I can and cannot do in my own squad?! The nerve of that disrespectful brat!" He growled dangerously before turning around to his main computer and began entering commands into it. "Nemu! Come over here!" he yelled out.

Not even a second later, his Lieutenant and 'daughter' entered the room from a side office with her hands clasped low in front of her. Her face was completely void of any expression as she came to a stop next to the fuming scientist.

"Yes, master Mayuri?" she answered.

The Captain turned his glaring eyes to her in anger. "Don't just stand there, make yourself useful! Go fetch me the experiment labeled XM-2254 and have it prepared for immediate use!" he demanded.

The emotionless woman bowed once before replying. "Do you wish for the substance to be prepared in its standard liquid form, or converted into the gaseous form you have been testing, master?" she inquired.

Mayuri's hands froze over the large keyboard as he thought over her question. As much as it irked him that she was still in the room and not doing what he told her, he couldn't help but admit to himself that she posed a very good question.

He lifted his head in deep thought for a moment before a wicked grin formed on his face. "I think further experimentation is required for that form, and this would indeed prove to be the perfect chance to finally conduct the much-needed tests. Yes…" His grin grew eviler as he turned to her. His current expression would have sent even some Captains shivering in fear about what he was thinking about, but the stoic woman didn't so much as even flinch. "…I believe it's time to finally finish our tests for this particular experiment. Have it converted, and be quick about it!"

Nemu bowed once more before turning and leaving to complete her task while Mayuri returned to his console while cackling. "So, she wants to test me? Very well, I'll show her just how foolish it is to make light of my superior intellect." He mocked as he continued his laughter.

Squad 2 Headquarters, 15 Minutes Later

"That bastard!" Suí-Fēng yelled as she kicked her Captain's desk onto its side, scattering numerous files and forms across the office floor. "I'll kill that disrespectful man for speaking of Lady Yoruichi in that manner!" she fumed as she stood where her desk once was with her hands balled tightly into fists.

A knocking sound from the entryway, signaling a visitor, only served to infuriate her more, where she growled loudly. "I swear to you, this had better be important, Marechiyo, or I'll show you the true meaning of pain!" she threatened.

Her squad's Lieutenant, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, was a fairly large man…and quite lazy. It was commonplace for his reports to be late, if they even got done at all; his large body frame proved to work against him when it came to stealth force missions, and his loud voice didn't help either.

The man may have had a few uses for her, one of them being a target to release her pent-up anger on, and another was to use him as a 'sacrificial lamb' so she could put a situation more into her favor.

But those uses were far in between and the cons definitely outweighed the pros in his case. In truth, the only reason he was a Lieutenant in the first place was due to his noble status and his numerous connections. And it was because of those connections that she couldn't get rid of him.

With the way her day was currently going, it was looking more and more like one of his uses were about to be called upon.

"Something wrong, my little bee?" a feminine voice, to Suí-Fēng's shock, answered back.

The small assassin quickly turned around with wide eyes to see none other than Yoruichi standing in the entranceway and leaning against the wall with crossed arms, an amused grin on her face as she eyed her former pupil.

"L…Lady Yoruichi!" Suí-Fēng responded was a faint blush.

Here before her was her former master, Captain, and family charge. She had always admired the golden-eyed woman, even from a young age before she too, like the rest of her family, was assigned as a caretaker and loyal guard for the Shihōin noble.

The former Captain's grin grew into a warm smile. "Hello Suí-Fēng. Sounds like something, or someone has got you riled up. Wanna talk about it?" she offered.

The shock and embarrassment, from her former protégé seeing her in such a state of unrest, wore off and her former fury returned with a vengeance.

"Damn that Kurotsuchi! How dare he mocks my skills and soils your name! If he wasn't a Captain, I'd kill him on the spot!" she hissed while turning her head away from the woman.

Yoruichi rose an interested brow. "Oh? So, what's our favorite, insane scientist done now? Up to his usual tricks again?" she teased.

Suí-Fēng growled lowly. "What that man's always up to. He thinks that just because his experiments are 'so important' that he can do whatever he wants, whenever wants. And now he wants his men to have access to the Communications Department just so he can collect 'data'. The bastard doesn't even care that it was 'his' members that turned traitor on us!"

The former Captain pushed herself off the wall and walked further into the room. "Well, it is Mayuri afterall. He never has been one to show compassion or care for others, unless they prove to be interesting enough to experiment on." She commented before looking around the office and giving a brief whistle. "Wow, you really did a number on this place, Suí-Fēng. What, you miss me that badly that you're trying to match the looks of my former office?" she teased further.

The assassin turned away in embarrassment. "I…I lost my temper…Lady Yoruichi." She admitted.

Yoruichi stopped next to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it. Even I have to let off some steam once in a while. And to be honest, I don't think your Lieutenant is quite ready to handle your current level of anger just yet. You're likely to kill him."

An evil grin found its way to the short woman's face as she thought that possibility over. "I think I may just have to go find him now." She stated in a low, demonic voice.

The taller woman laughed loudly and carelessly. "Well, as annoying as I'm sure he is, Suí-Fēng, I think we can both agree that he's more useful alive than dead. Besides, if you kill him now, who will you have to 'vent' on the next time you're angry?"

The grin instantly fell as Suí-Fēng realized that the golden-eyed woman had a point. "Damn it."

This only made Yoruichi laugh harder, now clutching her sides a bit before she finally calmed down enough to speak again. "Well, as fun as this is, Suí-Fēng, there was another reason why I decided to stop by."

Suí-Fēng's face immediately turned serious. "What did you need, Lady Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi's face grew stern as well. "Well, for starters, I was wondering if you found anything else out about Aizen's sleeper agents in Squad 12." She said in a serious tone.

The assassin shook her head in a feeling of failure. "Nothing else of yet, Lady Yoruichi. Though, a few of my men have heard a few rumors that there may be one or two traitors inside Squad 7."

The Shihōin rose a skeptical brow. "In Captain Komamura's squad? I very highly doubt that. His men respect him way too much to ever consider turning on him. If you wanna know what I think, I think that those rumors are just that, rumors. Where exactly did your men hear these rumors from?" she inquired.

Suí-Fēng narrowed her eyes. "Believe it or not, from around Squad 13. If it was just one of my men that had told me, I would have called him out on it, but five in total besides him have said the same thing, so I cannot exactly dismiss the matter. I have told them to keep silent about it."

Yoruichi nodded in approval. "That's good. We don't need these rumors getting out of hand. Have you considered speaking with the men and women who have been saying these things about Squad 7?"

The short woman nodded. "I have, and when asked, they all pointed to Squad 12. The thing is, is when I left to speak with them, no one remembers them, or recalls anyone matching their descriptions."

"Sounds like a few more of Aizen's little underlings are trying to cause trouble by leading others to distrust their allies. And it's not like you can come out and say with certainty that an entire squad is innocent. And by the time you 'can' prove the entire squad is innocent, the rumors would have likely gotten far worse. So, what do you plan to do, little bee?"

Suí-Fēng sighed heavily with a growl as she sat down on her desk cushion. "Besides pull my men from their duties to try and follow every member of the 13 Court Guard Squads, there's not much I can do. And with Squad 12 tying up a quarter of my squad alone, I'm not sure. Tell me…what would you do, Lady Yoruichi?"

The woman crossed her arms loosely and hummed in thought. "That's a good question, Suí-Fēng. If it were me, I'd focus on trying to keep the peace while helping others understand that these rumors bear no plausible truth at the moment. Hopefully you'll be able to find out just who it is that's spreading these accusations. For now, though, keep your chin up. And don't worry so much about Captain Kurotsuchi. He may be an…odd fellow, and his methods may be quite uncanny, but there's no doubt about it when it comes to who's side he's on. Just stay away from him and avoid getting into a conflict with him."

Her face then grew deathly serious. "I'm not dismissing your abilities, Suí-Fēng, but trust me when I say that Captain Kurotsuchi is not the kind of man you want to be on the bad side of. In all honesty, besides the Head Captain of course, I think Kisuke may be the only one who can handle him."

Suí-Fēng scoffed at the implication. "I'll heed your word, Lady Yoruichi, but I seriously doubt that excuse of a man can compare to my abilities." She boasted.

"Then you would be a fool, Suí-Fēng. Don't forget, it was Kisuke who taught him much of everything he knows, and you, above anyone else, should remember how dangerous Kisuke can be when he sets his mind to it. Do not underestimate him." She warned, then her face turned back to a kind smile. "Well, I guess I better get going. Stay outta trouble, my little bee." She said, then vanish in shunpo.

The assassin sighed heavily and shook her head. "Why couldn't it be as simple as either you're guilty or innocent, Lady Yoruichi?"

"Captain! Hey Captain!" a deep, a very annoying voice rang out in the near distance.

Suí-Fēng gritted her teeth in anger at hearing her Lieutenant's voice and took a deep, calming breath. 'Don't kill him, he's more useful alive. Don't kill him, he's more useful alive.' She chanted in her head just as the large Lieutenant walked into her office.

The man froze at the sight of her destroyed office. "Woah! What the hell happened here, Captain?! Did something happen to make you lose your cool again?!" he asked in shock.

The woman flinched. 'Screw it! He's dead!' she concluded, then lifted her gaze to him, making him instantly back away in terror.

"Uh…Captain?" he asked in fear.

Before he even realized what had happened, the woman was already on her feet and sending him through the air with a double-fisted punch to his gut, sending him right back out of her office and into the small training area that only the seated officers used.

He landed with a loud thump before rolling along the ground until stopped by colliding with a tree with his feet in the air above his head. He groaned in pain before looking back towards his Captain's office to see her standing only a few yards away and drawing her Suzumebachi.

"I'll give you five seconds to make it as far as you can, Marechiyo. You better hope it's far enough. Now, sting all enemies to death."

Las Noches Tunnels, With Timothy's Group, 2 Hours Later

To say that Nel's patience was tested at the moment would have a great understatement. Three long, gruesome, painful hours of near-endless bickering between Timothy and Ichigo, and she could swear that Kitsune was having a part in it too, and she was damn near about to blow her top with them.

She was currently in the lead while the two men, or children as she thought of them, walked side-by-side as they bashed heads together. The former Espada was rubbing her temples furiously and at such regular intervals that she starting to worry she might rub holes into her skull.

'One day…they can't make it 'one day' without trying to kill each other. Even though we're here to save Orihime, it's like they think it more important to argue over stupid things.' She mentally whined.

"I said I wouldn't kill the brat, but not the orange-haired infant. Can I kill 'him', or are you gonna have a fit about him too?" Gamuza growled.

Nel lowered her hand a bit to turn her head to the two 'still' arguing men with a fallen expression.

"Dude, don't give me that shit! 'Romeo and Juliet' is by far the most famous play Shakespeare ever wrote!" Ichigo asserted with bared teeth.

Timothy growled with a roll of the eyes before glaring back at the teen. "I'm not denying that it's the most famous play, you idiot; all I said that it was not the most 'quoted' play! 'Hamlet' is! "To be, or not to be, that is the question." 'That,' is the most used quote of Shakespeare's work! Just what the fuck are they teaching you fools in school these days?!" he defended.

Ichigo scoffed heavily as he turned away from him. "Like hell. It's a popular quote, sure; but not 'that' popular."

"Bullshit! One in every, like, five movies or books has that quote! And how many has "Oh Romeo, Romeo, where art thou, Romeo?" More like one in every hundred or so? Really, the only time you ever hear or see that quote is in cheesy romance stuff!" Timothy insisted.

Nel sighed heavily with a shake of the head. "No…we need him. Once we've rescued Orihime, 'maybe' I might let you punish him a little, as long as you don't kill him." She half-promised.

Gamuza snorted at the offer. "Well, I guess it's better than nothing. But you might want to make them shut up before I really lose my temper and kill them both anyway."

"…Noted."

The woman turned back to the men and sighed. "Please…can you two 'please' stop bickering? Gamuza is getting really annoyed right now." She warned, causing Timothy to flinch a bit.

Ichigo rose a brow. "Gamuza?" he inquired.

Timothy gave him a fearful look. "She's Nel's hollow spirit of sorts. Trust me, you don't wanna meet her. Last time I met her, she very nearly killed me." He said with a shiver while the hollow spirit cackled inside Nel's mind.

The teen's face fell a bit before looking at Nel to see her nod in affirmation. "Crap. Sorry."

Nel sighed once more. "It's fine, Ichigo. Just please stop arguing and let's focus on saving Orihime." She pleaded.

Ichigo nodded back with his own sigh of defeat. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry again."

Timothy pulled out the phone Chad loaned him, turning it on and checking the time. "We've been walking for almost three and a half hours now, so we should turn around and head back to regroup." He advised.

The others nodded, where they turned around and started back towards the entrance. Or at least they would have, had Nel not spotted a dark figure trailing behind them in the darkness. In truth, she almost didn't see it; the figure coming to a clumsy stop just within viewing distance being the only thing that allowed Nel to notice.

The Arrancar's eyes widened to saucers for a split second before narrowing dangerously. "Who are you?" she called out, getting Ichigo and Timothy's attentions to her before they, too, looked out into the darkness.

A very faint, almost inaudible, voice sounded out before the figure turned and took off into the darkness.

"Stop him!" Timothy yelled out as he bolted off after the figure, followed immediately by his friends.

The group ran through the narrow passageway for nearly ten minutes, and they quickly realized that whoever, or whatever, this being was, he was fast. Even Nel, being naturally quick on her feet and steadily pulling away from the two men, was having a hard time keeping up with the figure.

"Stop, now!" she demanded.

But the figure continued its retreat into the darkness. The group continued their pursuit for another five minutes, until the figure darted into one of the side tunnels that led deeper into the Las Noches underground.

Nel came to a stop right at the entrance, panting slightly, and held an arm out to stop the two men from continuing.

Ichigo turned to her in fury. "What the hell, Nel?! Why the hell are we stopping?!" he demanded.

Timothy, breathing a bit heavier than Nel, rest a hand on the teen's shoulder. "No, she's right, Ichigo." He stated, gaining the substitute's attention.

"Oh, come on!" he complained.

The Lieutenant shook his head. "No. Nel's a fast runner, Ichigo, and even she was having a hard time catching him. If we follow that guy deeper in, we'll more than likely only cause ourselves to get lost instead. At least now we know for certain that we're not alone down here. We need to get back and tell the others as soon as possible." He asserted, earning a nod in agreeance from Nel.

"We should keep our eyes focused behind us as well from now on. My senses are sharper, and I doubt he'll appear in front of us, so I'll take up the rear for now" She informed.

The men nodded, but Kitsune chose to speak up. "Oh, I'm sure she'd like to take 'it' up the rear."She jested with a snicker, making Timothy instantly blush before slapping a hand hard to the side of his head.

"Shut the fuck up, you damn fox!" he hissed.

Nel tilted her head at his action. "Tim? You ok?" she asked in a bit of worry.

He swallowed hard and started to sweat. "Uh…yeah…just Kit being…Kit…" he dodged.

Her face dropped. "In the evil way…or the perverted way?" she asked in a knowing manner.

The Lieutenant was sweating more now. "Uh…let's just say both and leave it at that." He deflected.

The woman gave a low, throaty growl in annoyance. "I don't think I want to know. Anyway, we should get moving. "

"And what about him?" Ichigo asked, gesturing to the side tunnel with his thumb. "For all we know, that bastard could be working for Aizen and might decide to tell him we're down here.' He pointed out.

Timothy gave him a knowing look as the group started walking. "That's true, but look at it this way, Ichigo: if we chase after him, even 'if' we manage to catch him, we'll be so lost in there that we'll likely die down here. It's close to impossible to survive this as it is trying to save Orihime with only seven of us; so what do you think our chances would be if we were reduced to four?"

Nel nodded in agreeance. "And personally, I would rather not die down here, Ichigo." She added.

The teen growled lowly, but finally gave in. "Tsk, fine. I just hope letting the bastard go doesn't come back to bite us in the ass. So, does this change our plans at all?"

Timothy shook his head. "No, we'll keep looking around like we have been; we just need to be much more alert now."

Nel and Ichigo both nodded as they continued down the corridor, the dark figure no longer following.

3 Hours Later

Renji, Rukia, and Chad rested semi-comfortably against the wall of the main room between the two tunnels leading further into the tunnel system. The two soul reapers sat with their zanpakutōs resting against their shoulders, while Chad had his hands resting in his lap, his head drooped a bit in mild slumber.

The group had returned roughly ten minutes prior and decided to catch a bit of rest until Timothy and his group returned, keeping one of them up and focused to watch their backs. Uryū had volunteered to take the first watch.

He was now standing firm in the entranceway to the tunnel that they had just returned from; his eyes narrowed, ears open, and his Quincy senses reaching out for any sign of their dark stalker as he stood guard.

But no matter how hard he reached out with his senses, as acute as they were, he couldn't detect even a slight trace of the stalker. And it worried him greatly. Ever since they turned around to head back to the meeting point, the figure just…vanished, and hadn't been detected since.

The entire room was deathly silent, with not even a mouse, bug, or any form of critter to make even the slightest of noise. It was very disconcerting to them all to say the least, and it was giving Rukia occasional shivers up the spine as she expected 'something' to happen, that never came.

Renji opened his eyes to a slit and glance at the black-haired teen. "Anything?" he asked in a whisper.

Uryū didn't answer at first, endlessly watching down the dark corridor; finally shaking his head slowly in the negative. "No, I'm not getting anything from him. Although, I am picking faint traces of that Arrancar woman's spiritual pressure not too far away. They should be back shortly."

The Lieutenant nodded. "That's good. Well, whoever that was, you think he gave up and decided to let us be?" he inquired.

The teen rolled his eyes to the man. "I doubt it. And I have a feeling that he may not be working for Aizen."

Renji rose a brow. "What makes you think that?"

Uryū turned back to the tunnel. "It's been three hours since we last saw him. If he had been working for Aizen, the entirety of Las Noches would have been down here with us by now. And besides…" He paused to narrow his eyes further. "…something didn't feel right about him. The way his spiritual pressure felt, it was calm and dedicated, like that of a predator."

"You think he was hunting us?" Rukia spoke up, turning to him.

"I can't say for sure. These walls are greatly interfering with my detection abilities, and he was obviously suppressing his spiritual pressure. I was only just barely able to pick him up earlier." The teen cautioned.

A light snore from Chad drew everyone's attention, causing them all to sweat drop. "At least someone's content at the moment." Renji commented lowly.

Rukia gave him a glare. "Leave him be, Renji. Afterall, who knows when we'll get another chance to rest for a bit. It's not like he's used to being up for long hours like we are."

The man looked at his friend in offense. "I didn't say anything against him, Rukia. Calm down." He defended.

Uryū then turned to the other tunnel. "They're here." He informed.

Chad gave a low snort awake as the last three all turned to the tunnel. Timothy, Ichigo, and Nel walked into the room a few seconds later, all of them breathing sighs of relief at seeing their friends in good shape.

"Hey guys. Glad to see you all are alright. Any problems?" Timothy greeted.

Renji, Rukia, and Chad all stood up to greet them as Uryū narrowed his eyes. "Yes and no." he answered.

Timothy rose a brow. "What do you mean?"

Renji stopped next to him and gave him a firm stare. "It seems that we've got company down here. Uryū picked up someone following us a few hours ago, before we turned to come back." He informed.

Nel gave him a focused look. "So, you too?" she asked.

Uryū's face dropped. "You found someone as well?"

Timothy's group nodded. "Yeah, we even chased after him, but he took off into one of those side tunnels and Nel decided against going after him, not wanting to get lost." Ichigo responded.

The black-haired teen nodded in agreeance. "Did you manage to see who or what it was?" he asked.

Nel shook her head. "No. But whoever he was, he was fast. I could barely keep up with him. We didn't even know he was there until we turned around to head back and he stumbled when we did, giving him away. What about you?"

Uryū shook his head. "We didn't actually see him, he was just close enough for me to pick him up with my senses. But the moment we turned around, he was gone."

Ichigo tilted his head and crossed his arms. "You think they're working for Aizen?" he wondered.

"I can't confirm it, but I don't think so. I think they may be Adjuchas or Vasto Lorde who just happened to make their home here. The one that followed us gave off a predatory vibe, like he was hunting us." Uryū answered.

Timothy sighed heavily and shook his head. "Well, that's just great. So, what do we do from here now that we know there's at least two of them? Do we keep splitting up and lose the extra time, or do we take the risk and keep doing what we're doing?" he fretted.

The entire group thought in silence for a few moments. If they stopped splitting and stuck together, they would easily lose an entire day's worth of scouting, but they wouldn't have to worry about getting picked off as easily.

But on the other hand, if they continued with their original plan and split up again, the two, or possibly more, unknown entities could wipe out one of the teams, then focus on the other. Either way, their chances of success just dropped.

Finally, Renji sighed and lifted his head to the group. "I think it's best to keep splitting up, at least for now. We still don't know for sure who these two are, or what their intentions are. For all we know, they may be just trying to defend their home, or themselves."

Rukia nodded. "I agree. At least until we know for certain what they want. For now, we should exchange what we know so far about our respective tunnels." She advised.

Timothy nodded back. "Besides a side tunnel heading towards the center of Las Noches every few kilometers or so, it's just an endless pathway."

Uryū pulled out his notepad and showed it to him. "It's the same on our end as well. I'm guessing that the main path runs along the outer walls of Las Noches, and those side tunnels lead to certain sections of the fortress. If that is the case, we need to start working further in. Do you have anything you could use to make a map with?"

The Lieutenant nodded. "Yeah, I've got a pencil and a few pieces of paper I can use."

The teen nodded before putting his notepad away. "Good. I'd advise also writing down how many steps you took down a certain pathway before making a turn. That way, if you somehow lose your light, you can still find your way around in the dark."

"Sounds good. Not sure when you guys got back, but we're gonna take a quick thirty-minute break. Ever since we got here, I don't think any of us has gotten any sleep; and to be honest, I'm starting to feel it." Timothy admitted, getting nods from Ichigo and Nel.

"Alright. We already took a short break, so we'll head off for now. We'll meet back up here in another six hours. Agreed?" Renji offered.

Everyone nodded in affirmation. "Sounds like a plan. If you run into one of our 'friends' in those side tunnels, don't even think of going after him. If they are just trying to defend their home, let's not give em a reason to 'really' try and kill us." Timothy warned.

Uryū gave him a firm look. "And if they attack?"

Timothy turned to him. "Have Rukia use Kakushitsuijaku to try and contact us, then retreat back here. We'll do the same. If possible, draw them out so we can deal with them accordingly."

Rukia rose a skeptical brow. "Can you even use Kakushitsuijaku, Tim?"

He looked down at her in annoyance. "Please…I can use Tawami if I wanted to."

Renji's eyes widened a bit. "You can use eighties level kidō?" he asked in shock, earning a nod.

"Tricky, but yes. At least bakudō doesn't hurt if it backfires. Anyway, just use kidō to contact us if you get into trouble, and we'll come running." Timothy answered.

"Got it. See ya guys in six hours. Just to be safe, we'll be taking the first side tunnel along our path, just so you'll have a basic idea of where we'll be." Renji stated.

Timothy nodded with a grin. "Don't get lost now, pineapple." He mocked, causing Ichigo and Rukia to snicker and Nel to sigh in defeat.

"The hell you just call me?!" the redhead demanded with a fist held up.

Even though she was still snickering, Rukia stepped up and pulled the fuming Lieutenant away. "Come on, Renji. Save it for the Espada." She said, dragging the man behind her.

Renji snarled as he struggled to stay on his feet. "This ain't over, asshole! We'll settle this when we get back home!" he threatened.

Timothy gave a toothy grin. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say, pineapple." He teased further.

Nel chose then to walk up and deliver a sharp slap to the back of the Lieutenant's head, nearly knocking him down to the ground. Timothy placed a hand over the impact site and gave her a hurt expression.

"What the hell was that for, Nel?!" he whined.

His response came in the form of a furious glare, the intent to kill etched into her eyes and it made him immediately shut his mouth.

"I had to listen to you and Ichigo argue endlessly for hours earlier, and I have no intention of listening to more between you and Renji. Now, be quiet." She demanded.

Timothy held both hands up in surrender. "Ok ok, sorry. Just having a bit of fun, Nel." He defended.

The woman sighed with a fallen expression. "I know, but please try not to start any more fighting. It's stressing enough as it is just 'being' here, and we really don't need any more. Ok?" she pleaded.

The man rested a hand on her shoulder with a smile. "Alright, I'll stop pestering Ichigo and Renji. You two go catch some rest, I'll keep watch."

"Ain't gonna fight you on that one." Ichigo commented, walking away to sit down against the wall and close his eyes.

Nel turned back to Timothy with a worried face. "You sure? I can take watch if you want, Tim."

He shook his head. "No, I'll be alright for now. You go on. I guess I owe ya for annoying you for three straight hours." He teased.

She smiled and shook her head. "You owe me more than just a few minutes of rest, Tim. And I expect you and Ichigo to pay me back once we get home." She fought back.

"Can't wait."

Deeper In The Tunnels, Present

A dark figure inched through darkness, running a hand along the smooth walls as a guide towards its destination. This entity didn't need light to find its way, it had several years of wandering and tunnel layout imprinted into its mind; the hand was just to ensure it didn't miss the turn it was looking for.

And it didn't. The hand came to a break in the wall, where the figure made the turn and stopped. It had arrived at where it needed to go.

"About time, it took you way too long to get here, lazy fool." A second figure mocked lowly.

The first figure lifted its head, just barely able to glimpse at its partner with years of darkness adjusting its eyes to the environment. The second figure was leaning against the wall, its arms crossed, and what appeared to be a furious look on its face.

"Sorry, they spotted me, and I had to make sure they didn't follow." The first one admitted.

The second figure gritted its teeth in seething anger. "They 'spotted' you?! I can understand if they somehow got lucky and sensed you, but 'spotted' you?! Just what the fuck were you doing, riding on their backs?! How in the hell could you be so careless, you useless moron?!" it seethed.

The first turned its head away in shame. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Its partner slammed a fist against the wall. "Sorry?! You're damn right you're sorry! Now they know we're here! Did you at least manage to get them lost?"

"No. The Arrancar stopped them from pursuing. They're smarter than we thought." The first admitted.

The second growled and hit the wall again. "Useless! How can you possibly stand there and call yourself an Arrancar?!"

The first turned and growled back. "That's not fair! You've made your own share of mistakes, just like I have! They saw me, ok?! Can we just forget about it and figure out what to do from here?!"

Its partner growled even louder as it walked up to the first, putting its face up to the other's with their noses just barely touching. "You watch how you talk to me, you welp! Don't forget, it was because of me that we survived Aizen! That we managed to find a new life down here! Don't talk to me like we're equals!"

"We 'are' equals! Just because it was your actions that saved us, it doesn't mean you own me! What happened, happened! Let's just forget it and think of what to do next!" the first shot back.

The second gritted its teeth tightly with a snarl, then scoffed and waved the other off. "Whatever! Did they get a look at you, or did they just happen to notice you?"

The first shook its head. "I don't think they did. Or at least the way the woman was talking didn't suggest it. Speaking of the woman, she's much faster than I remember. She almost caught up to me."

Its partner scoffed again. "What did you expect, you idiot. It's been years since we last saw her, so of course she gotten better. Just keep a larger distance from them next time. You learn anything about the two men with her?"

The first sweat dropped. "Besides the fact they can't agree on anything?" it moaned.

The second rose a brow. "Huh?"

"Nevermind. Turns out the blonde one is a Lieutenant, and the orange-haired one is what they called a 'substitute' soul reaper. What's a substitute soul reaper?"

The partner shrugged a shoulder. "What makes you think I know? A Lieutenant, though, is easy. Even you shouldn't have a problem with him."

The first nodded. "And what about yours?"

The second growled. "Now they are a problem. Or at least the black-haired one is. His spiritual pressure ain't that impressive, but I could swear that it felt like he was reaching out to try and find me. Without a doubt, his senses are very well in tune."

"Did he detect you?" the first asked in worry.

"He didn't act like he did, but then again, he doesn't strike me as someone who's stupid. If he did detect me, he's keeping it to himself."

The first one scoffed. "And here you were giving me so much grief about being spotted when it's possible you might have been too."

The second flinched and turned away. "Shut up! Just keep on your toes from now on. We need to find the perfect opening to take one of them out."

The first nodded and turned to leave, but stopped and looked over its shoulder. "There's something that's been bugging me for a while."

The second looked at its partner with a raise brow. "Oh, do tell." It moaned.

"Even if we manage to take most of them out, just how are we going to fight the Arrancar? She was definitely no pushover when we were in Las Noches, and like you said, she's gotten better over the years. Do you really think we can take her?" it fretted.

Its partner growled loudly. "If we do lose against her, it would be because of you being a pathetic weakling! She may be strong, but she's not invincible. All we have to do is be smarter than she is. We know these tunnels, she doesn't. We'll just hit her over and over until she finally falls. Now quit whining and go keep an eye on them!" it demanded.

"…I hope you're right." The first said, then walked off.

Central 46, Restricted Archives, 2 Hours Later

Dozens upon dozens of names, dates, book titles, literary notes, and much more flew by on the small screen as Lieutenant Ise browsed through the digital archives in the underground library beneath the halls of Central 46.

Every now and then, she would stop to glance through a particular item, but then close it shortly afterwards upon seeing that it had nothing interesting in her research and resuming her browsing. This had been what she'd done almost endlessly for the past week.

Thankfully, she wasn't alone. Just behind her, sitting at one of the few tables, was her Captain, Shunsui, and his friend, and fellow Captain, Jūshirō; each of them with a book in hand and sifting through their contents.

But they were not the only ones, for on the other side of the large, open, cylindrical expanse of the library, and a few floors up, were Jūshirō's two 3rd seats, Kiyone and Sentarō, who were sending any information they found over to Nanao's display.

After a week of the five of them searching, they were loath to admit that they had not found a single clue as to what Aizen could have been after. What made it even worse was, they had to admit, was that Aizen was clever and covered his tracks too well.

The first thing they did, and the most obvious, was check the register's history, to see what the traitorous Captain had looked at. But that idea quickly fell apart when they saw that everything had been erased, even the key logs that recorded every single time a key was pressed.

That left them with only one option: to search for areas or items that still had residual traces of the man's spiritual pressure. The problem with that though, was that they had to search each, and every single piece there. And after a whole week of searching, they had barely covered a quarter of the library.

Nanao took a deep, depressing breath, letting it our loudly as she closed yet another file. Her Captain heard her, where he raised his gaze from his book and gave her a calming look.

"Still nothing, Nanao?" he inquired in a low voice.

She huffed in annoyance and shook her head. "No, Captain. Nothing. How about you and Captain Ukitake?"

The man closed his book and set it on the table before crossing his arms into his sleeves. "Nope. Not a thing. You doing alright over there, old buddy?" he asked to the man across from him, who was lightly coughing into his fist.

Jūshirō coughed a few more times before sighing weakly. "I'm afraid not, Shunsui. This is proving to be far more difficult than I had thought it would be." He admitted.

Shunsui nodded with a low hum. "Yeah, old Aizen is a lot smarter than we gave him credit for, that's for sure." He added. Jūshirō started coughing again, but a bit rougher this time, causing the stoic Captain's face to fall a bit. "Don't you think you should take a break for a bit, Jūshirō? None of us have gotten that much sleep, and that cough is sounding mighty rough." He fretted.

The Squad 13 Captain finished his bout and waved him off with a kind smile. "No, I'm fine, Shunsui. Really. I'll rest a bit later." He assured.

Nanao stopped what she was doing and glanced over her shoulder to him. "Forgive me, Captain Ukitake, but I think my Captain is right. You should go rest for a bit. We'll be fine without you for a little while." She asserted.

He smiled at her warmly. "Please, I assure you, I'm fi…" He was interrupted by another round of mild coughing.

Shunsui sighed heavily and stood up to stand next to him and grab gently by the upper arm. "No, I think you should call it for now, old buddy. The library's not gonna go anywhere, so it's not gonna hurt to get some much-needed rest. Come on, I'll have my sweet, little Nanao walk you back to your squad. I'm sure if you ask nicely, she may even give you a little massage." He teased.

Nanao glared at her Captain in annoyance. "Please Captain, this is not the time or place for your jokes. But he is right, Captain Ukitake; I'd be more than happy to assist you back to your barracks." She finished, now smiling at the white-haired man.

Jūshirō sighed in defeat, and with a nod, allowed Shunsui to pull him up to his feet. The man wobbled a bit in lightheadedness when he rose to full height, resting a hand to his forehead.

"I guess you're right. Perhaps a little rest won't hurt. Thank you, Shunsui." He admitted.

Nanao was about to step forward to help Jūshirō back to his room, but stopped when Kiyone called out from above. She turned around and up to see the short woman waving at her.

"I think we might have found something. We're sending it down." She yelled out.

The Lieutenant nodded and looked back at her screen just as a file opened up on its own. She looked it over for a minute before raising a brow in wonder.

"Captain, you might want to look at this." She stated.

The two Captains, with Jūshirō being supported by Shunsui, walked over and peered down at the screen. "What have we got here, Nanao?" her Captain asked.

"I'm not sure. From a quick glance, it appears to be research notes of some kind, having to do with matter conversion." She observed carefully.

The two men looked more closely, trying to make sense about what they were reading. With no success.

"I can't make heads or tails about any of this. What about you, Jūshirō?" Shunsui asked.

His friend shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid I'm as lost as you are, Shunsui. But whatever this is, it has a small amount of Aizen's spiritual pressure attached; enough to suggest that he may have viewed this multiple times."

Shunsui glanced at his Lieutenant. "Is this one of Mayuri's files?" he inquired.

"I'll check." Nanao answered, scrolling through the file to look at the information tab. Taking a quick glance, she rose a brow in confusion. "Former Captain of Squad 12, Kisuke Urahara, wrote these. According to the date, these are from about two years before he disappeared."

Shunsui stood back straight and rubbed his chin with a hum in thought. "Why would Aizen be interested in old Kisuke's work? I'm guessing it doesn't say when he looked at it?"

Nanao shook her head. "No, Captain."

Jūshirō gave his friend a worried look. "If Aizen had accessed this file numerous times, it is obviously something he was very interested in. Are there any other files of Kisuke's that Aizen had accessed?" he asked the woman.

"Let me look, Captain." She responded, then started pressing numerous keys in rapid succession. The two Captains watched her actions intently for a few minutes, until she stopped and opened a second file. "Here, this one also has Aizen's spiritual pressure on it, and like the first, has been opened more than once."

The two men leaned forward for a closer look and briefly read over its contents. "Looks like more research notes, this one about something to do with soul composition." Shunsui observed.

"Soul composition? Do you mean as in what a soul is made of?" Jūshirō asked.

Shunsui shrugged a shoulder. "Could be. But it looks like it's not referring to just plain souls, but to those of soul reapers and their zanpakutō as well. There's even some information here about hollows too."

Nanao rested her chin in her hand with crossed arms. "Research notes into converting matter, and on what the different forms of souls are made of? It seems that Aizen may be looking into a way to alter the make-up of souls. Is it even possible to convert a soul artificially?" she wondered aloud.

Her Captain scratched the side of his face. "I doubt it. I mean the soul can 'evolve' from a human to that of a soul reaper, or into a hollow, but that is essentially a natural occurrence, and not something that is done by outside sources."

Jūshirō turned to him. "What about what happened to Shinji and the others? They were turned into hollows, weren't they?" he pointed.

"Not entirely. If anything, it seemed like whatever Aizen did only merged the souls of hollows onto theirs, creating hybrids of sorts. I don't think he completely changed their souls altogether. But then again, that's only going on what we know from the official reports from Central 46." Shunsui returned.

"I think we should report this to the Head Captain, sir." Nanao advised.

Shunsui nodded. "I agree. What do you say, old buddy; you strong enough to pay old man Yama a visit?" he asked with a grin.

Jūshirō's face fell instantly. "Shunsui…it's the middle of the night. I don't think our master would be very happy about waking him up this late for something like this. Don't you think this could wait?" he fretted, knowing how his friend would likely answer.

The Squad 8 Captain chuckled. "Where's the fun in that, Jūshirō? Besides, while the old man did say to report anything we find to him, he 'didn't' say we had to wait, right?"

His friend sighed heavily in despair. "I do not feel that anything good will come out of this."

Squad 1 Headquarters

The Captains of Squads 8 and 13 strode through the quiet and empty halls of the building towards the Head Captain's large, open office. Unlike the other squads, where the Captains slept within their own barracks, the Head Captain's quarters were actually adjoined to his office.

Before the two Captains knew it, they were standing before the overly large double doors with the iconic kanji for 'one' painted in black in the center. Jūshirō was still very hesitant to disturb the aged Head Captain, but Shunsui was finding annoying the man entertaining…as he normally did.

The Squad 8 Captain raised his hand to knock on the door loudly, but a voice from behind froze them both. "And what is so important that the two of you thought it prudent to disturb me at this hour?" the gruff, and very annoyed voice demanded.

The tone in the Head Captain's voice actually caused the two men to sweat a bit. The powerful Captain behind them was obviously quite upset about their 'visit'. The two turned around to face him, Shunsui with a hand held up in a weak greeting, and Jūshirō rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oh…well, it's a nice night out tonight, so…we thought you might enjoy a visit, old man Yama." Shunsui played out.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes with a low growl, his temper rising. "If you two have nothing better to do than to make a mockery of me, then perhaps your time would be better spent on patrol." He threatened.

Jūshirō quickly held his hands up in surrender. "Now now master, l-let's not be hasty please. We apologize, but we actually do have a reason to disturb you so late this evening." He assured.

The Head Captain growled louder. "Well then, spit it out! I've not all night to entertain you two with your antics! What is it?!" he half yelled.

Shunsui gently waved him off with a flap of the hand. "Oh come on now, old man Yama; There's no need to be so upset."

Jūshirō quickly turned to his friend in fear. "S-Shunsui! Now's not the time to fool around!" he asserted.

Yamamoto opened his eyes a bit and stared firmly into the Squad 8 Captain's eyes. "Jūshirō's words are wise, Shunsui. I advise you heed them and cease this nonsense, now!" he warned.

The kimono clad Captain sighed in defeat. "No fun. Alright…" He paused to stand straight with a serious face. "We managed to dig up a few things that Aizen was clearly interested in. I say clearly, because the files were accessed a number of times. Not only that, but what we've found so far have all been written by our old friend, Kisuke." He informed.

Yamamoto stared at the two for a moment before humming in thought. "I see. And do you known what it was that he was looking into?"

Jūshirō then spoke up. "Yes master. It seems Aizen was looking into converting matter, and the composition that makes up a soul, both living and not."

The Head Captain opened his eyes once more. "Are you sure of this?" he asked, where both younger men nodded. He hummed once more, then stepped between them. "Come with me." He instructed, entering his office.

The two friends glanced at each other for a moment in wonder, then followed the old man inside, closing the doors behind them. They both turned to see Yamamoto staring intently at them with open eyes.

"What we are about to discuss will not leave this room. Is that understood?" he demanded seriously.

They both nodded. "Of course, master. We promise not to speak of it." Jūshirō assured.

Yamamoto kept his stare for a moment longer, but finally closed his eyes with a deep sigh. "I'm aware you know more than you are willing to admit about our new Lieutenant, Timothy Durn." He started.

Shunsui chuckled a bit with a small grin. "Besides what you've told us old man, we don't know anything else."

The old man moaned in annoyance. "Do not take me for a fool, Captain Kyōraku. I know you have spoken with Captain Komamura about his Lieutenant, and that he has more than likely told you a few things about him. I may be old, but my eyes and ears are far more potent than you may think."

Jūshirō gave an embarrassed laugh while Shunsui tilted his hat down over his face with a sigh. "Well Jūshirō, I guess the cat's out of the bag, huh?"

Yamamoto sighed heavily; he was indeed getting far too old for their games. "That is not important at the moment. You are aware of the Lieutenant's origins, but not that of his zanpakutō."

Shunsui raised his head a bit as Jūshirō raised a brow. "What do you mean, Head Captain? Is Lieutenant Durn's zanpakutō not a standard one?" he inquired.

"No…it is not. Again, I must urge you to ensure that you do not speak of this to anyone, regardless of whom they are." Yamamoto pressed.

Both men nodded firmly, both highly interested as to what could cause the Head Captain to want them to remain so tight lipped. The old man closed his eyes and sighed again.

"You are aware that Lieutenant Durn's zanpakutō possesses very interesting abilities, but it is not those abilities that make it so unique. In truth, it cannot be accurately said that it is a true zanpakutō at all. What makes his weapon so unique…is that it does not possess a 'true' zanpakutō spirit."

Both men's eyes widen in surprise. "I'm sorry, but what exactly do you mean, old man Yama?"

"Are you saying it's not a zanpakutō at all? We all saw the Lieutenant release it himself." Jūshirō added.

"I'm saying that the spirit that resides within the Lieutenant's blade is not a spirit of natural origin. In truth, the spirit is the soul of the Lieutenant's deceased wife." The old man said.

Now their eyes were wide in shock. "You can't be serious, Head Captain! That's not possible!" Shunsui asserted strongly.

"Indeed! A zanpakutō's spirit is born within the soul reaper upon receiving their zanpakutō! For a human soul to become a zanpakutō spirit…it's simply not possible, master!" Jūshirō furthered.

"It is the truth…and Captain Kurotsuchi confirmed it. The zanpakutō spirit known as Moeru Kitsune, is in actuality the former wife of the Lieutenant, Susan Durn. She was the unfortunate victim of Sōsuke Aizen's cruel experimentations with the Hōgyoku. He took her deceased soul and somehow converted it into that of a zanpakutō spirit. And if what you two told me you found in the archives is true, then it only cements this fact."

Both men lowered their heads in sadness. "The poor woman. I can only imagine how the Lieutenant feels about this." Jūshirō commented.

Shunsui nodded. "I guess it goes to show that there really isn't a limit to what Aizen will do." He raised his head back to his master. "So…I'm guessing that Aizen must have used the information in those files to do this, right?"

Yamamomo nodded. "It would be safe to assume that is the case, Shunsui. And seeing as how they are not part of the hollow evolutionary chain, it would also be safe to assume that is how Aizen had created the Arrancar."

The Squad 8 Captain sighed heavily. "Let me ask this, old man Yama; we all know it's not possible to use the abilities of another's zanpakutō, so if it's true that the Lieutenant's zanpakutō is actually his wife, how is he able to use her abilities?"

"That I cannot answer. Originally, when the Lieutenant first came to be here, the spirit was not attached to his soul, nor to any other's soul; she was a zanpakutō, without a master."

Jūshirō raised a brow in confusion. "Master, if that's true, then that would only enforce Shunsui's observation. Lieutenant Durn shouldn't be able to use her abilities."

Yamamoto nodded. "I agree, but as I said, I cannot give you any answers in that regard. However, it would seem that, during his stay in the world of the living, and with the help of Kisuke Urahara, Lieutenant Durn has managed to bind her soul to his, effectively making her his true zanpakutō. I tell you all this because it may assist you in finding out more of what Aizen is up to. While these experiments are unfathomable, they cannot be his true goal. If anything, they could only be a means to an end. We cannot overlook anything, that is why, as acting authority of Central 46, I am authorizing you access into the forbidden archives."

Their eyes nearly fell from their sockets. "H-Head Captain! You can't be serious! Not even you are allowed within those archives without written permission from Central 46!" Jūshirō said in shock.

"That is why you must look within them. Sōsuke Aizen had ample time to gain access to those archives without anyone noticing. It is safe to assume that he may have found something there that he should not have. I want you two, and only you two, to look through them. Find out if Sōsuke Aizen had accessed anything within. You are to speak to no one about what you find. You only disclose that information to myself. Is that understood?" he questioned with a dark stare.

Both men swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Head Captain."

"Good. Now, if you have nothing further, leave. I wish to retire for the night." The old man demanded.

The two friends gave a quick bow, then left the office.


Oh boy, looks like Kurotsuchi's pissed now, pissed enough that he's resorting to using one of his little 'toys', lol. Wonder what he's up to…

Little bit of plot development in the middle there, with some humor added in as well. Oh Kit…what would this story be without you? Lol.

Finally, a bit of 'back-development' to show the origins of Aizen's experiment on Kit and Tim, plus a little clarification, or my version of it for this story, behind the creation of the Arrancar. Hope you all liked that little twist I made, he he.

One last note before I head out, didn't receive any suggestions for OCs that I asked about last time, but a couple of good ones came to me since then, so I'll put them to use. I think you'll like them.

That's all for now, fellas. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll try my hardest not to make you wait long for the next one. Hope everyone had a good holiday season, and everyone got what they wanted for Christmas…I know I didn't. I knew I shoulda asked for the 'blue' Porsche instead of the 'yellow'…

Sigh…laters.