Author's Note: Yo. Chapter 9 here.

I am almost finished updating all of my stories. Slower than I'm used to, but meh. I only update once a week, on a Wednesday. The schedule will be posted on my profile on the 27th of April.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Rukia" - Regular Speech

'Ichigo' - Thoughts

*Kaien-dono* - Zanpakutō speech/thoughts

"Bankai!" - Spiritual Technique

Chapter 9: Baboons, Flames and White Towers

Later

Lieutenant's Meeting Hall, Squad 1 Barracks, Seireitei

Abarai Renji adjusted the armband that had the kanji for the sixth Squad of the Goteijūsantai, his mark of rank. This was only the second time he had ever worn it, the first being during his promotion.

"Yo! Abarai!" a loud voice called to him.

Renji turned to see Tetsuzaemon Iba, the Lieutenant of Squad 7, jogging up to him. Iba wore sunglasses and had his hair cut into a flattop style. His zanpakutō, in the Fūingata of a tantō, was shoved into a haramaki he wore around his waist.

"What's up?" Renji called out, "What's with the alert?"

"Dunno. Think it has something to do with the Ryoka?" Iba asked, "Never thought anyone would or could break through the barrier."

"Yeah." the redhead agreed. He and Iba got on fairly well, having both transferred out of Squad 11, albeit for different reasons. Renji had personal reasons and Iba just wanted to be promoted, which wouldn't have happened in Squad 11.

"Abarai-san, Tetsuzaemon-san." the Lieutenant from Squad 4, Kotetsu Isane, greeted them as she entered with Kira Izuru and Hinamori Momo, the Lieutenants of Squads 3 and 5 respectively, behind her.

Sashaying in behind them was Matsumoto Rangiku, the Lieutenant of Squad 10. The strawberry blonde was famous (one might say infamous) for the size of her breasts and took the time to alter her shihakushō so that fact was obvious to everyone.

At her side, in somewhat of a daze, was Hisagi Shūhei, the Lieutenant of Squad Nine. It was well known that the man had a crush on Matsumoto, which she shamelessly took advantage of on occasion.

Stomping in last was Marechiyo Ōmaeda, Kusajishi Yachiru, Kurotsuchi Nemu, Nanao Ise and Sasikabe Chōjirō, the Lieutenants of Squad 2, Squad 11, Squad 12, Squad 8 and Squad 1 respectively.

"Sasikabe-san, what's the big hubbub about?" Iba asked the older Soul Reaper.

"As you all know, Ryoka have broken into the Seireitei." Chōjirō said to the room, "As they broke through the shield, they were split apart and scattered around the Court of Pure Souls. One is literally blasting walls apart in order to get where he wishes to go, defeating Hoshi Sōichirō of Squad 5 on his way. Two have defeated Ikkanzaka Jirōbō and vanished, while two different Ryoka have defeated Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika of Squad 11 and are currently engaged against the majority of Squad 11's Unseated Soul Reapers."

"Jirōbō?" Matsumoto asked sharply, "Isn't he known as Kamaitachi no Jirōbō (Jirōbō the Wind Scythe)?"

"Sōichirō-san is a strong member of Squad 5." Hinamori said in disbelief.

"Pinball and his pal got beaten?!" Yachiru squeals, "Ken-chan's gonna want to find them!"

"So, hold on here!" Ōmaeda said, stuttering slightly, "Y'mean to say that these Ryoka were able to beat a Seventh Seat, two Fifth Seats, a Fourth Seat and a Third Seat?!"

The room was silent for a moment. Ignoring the number of Unseated Soul Reapers defeated, being able to defeat any number of higher-ranked Soul Reapers wasn't common for Ryoka.

"Who the heck are these people?" Kira muttered.

"There was one further report, of three Tenth Seats being defeated…by a female Soul Reaper wearing a black mask." Sasikabe stated, "Abarai-kun, I believe you are aware of her?"

Renji gnashed his teeth. "Yeah…Rukia called her Kokken Asa. She intervened when I was about to kill the kid who stole Rukia's powers. She seems to be skilled in Kidō, as she used a Hadō in the fifties, Kongōbaku, to stop me. She's also proficient in Shunpo as she used some weird technique to avoid Kuchiki-taichō's Senka. Think he called it Utsusemi."

"That's an Onmitsukidō Shunpo technique!" Ōmaeda exclaimed, "Only Soi Fon-taichō knows how to perform it in the squad!"

"Yamamoto-sōtaichō has decreed that we Lieutenants are permitted to use Shikai in our pursuit of the Ryoka." Sasikabe stated, "You are all to capture them…not kill them. Understood?"

"Hai!" the rest responded.

Renji turned and left the room as quickly as possible. There was only one person who could be leading that masked Soul Reaper here…the human boy who had stolen Rukia's powers. The orange-haired brat should have thanked his lucky stars that Kokken had forced his and Kuchiki-taichō to spare his life once before.

The only reason Renji could think of that might explain why the brat was here now was to get to Rukia somehow. Why, he had no idea. He already had her powers.

'Rukia was moved to the Senzaikyū a few hours ago, so that's ultimately where he'll have to go.' Renji thought as he clasped his zanpakutō tightly, 'Given how he is still appalling with his Reiryoku, tracking him won't be hard. I'll Shunpo around and head him off at the pass.'

The redhead blurred and vanished in a Shunpo.

Later

Captain Commander Yamamoto's Office, 1st Squad Barracks

Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryūsai, Captain-Commander of the Goteijūsantai, was an old, old man. Two millennia had passed and he was still the leader of the Thirteen Court guard Squads.

Now he had to execute a foolish girl who had given her powers to a human.

"It doesn't make any sense." he mused aloud.

"What doesn't, Genryūsai-sensei?" Ukitake Jūshirō asked. The white-haired, perpetually ill Captain of Squad 13 was standing in front of Yamamoto's desk.

"These orders from the Central 46." Yamamoto replied irritably, "The Sōkyoku is supposed to be reserved solely for Captain-class Soul Reapers who have committed grave sins, not for a fool of a girl who got in over her head."

"Why has the Central 46 interfered in Rukia's case, sensei?" Ukitake asked, "She's a Soul Reaper, so surely any punishment should fall under your jurisdiction."

"She's also a member of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Clans of the Seireitei." Yamamoto grumbled, "Adopted or not, that gives the ruling body the leverage it needs to take control of this case from me."

"But the Reiryoku Transference Rite isn't a capital offence!" Ukitake protested, "At worst, it's a life sentence in the Maggot's Nest! In Rukia's case, it should be imprisonment for a few months because she's an Unseated Soul Reaper."

"True…if her actual power level is that of a mere unseated Soul Reaper." Yamamoto said, arcing a bushy eyebrow at his old student, "I know full well that Kuchiki Byakuya made you leave her as a low-ranking Soul Reaper on purpose. Don't deny it, young 'un!"

"As always, you're right on the money." the white-haired man sighed, "Yes. I admit that Rukia is considerably more powerful than I ranked her."

"How much?" Yamamoto enquired.

"Fifth…maybe Fourth Seat." Ukitake admitted, "I really cannot understand how so much of her power was taken by the human boy."

Yamamoto grunted in agreement. He had read Shiba Kaien's reports on the Kuchiki girl's skill with Reiryoku Control from forty years ago and concluded that she didn't intend to give more than a small amount to the boy, which would fade away inside of a week.

What had actually happened was she was almost completely disempowered; a fraction of her powers remaining with her while the human boy had received the rest. Even now, her reserves were little better than an entry-level student at the Shinōreijutsuin.

"You should not have given in to Kuchiki-taichō's request." the old sōtaichō grumbled, "It was a gross underutilisation of her abilities as a Soul Reapers, as well as cruel."

"Beg pardon?" Ukitake asked in astonishment.

Yamamoto snorted. "Are you blind, Jūshirō? The girl obviously cares for Kuchiki-taichō, for whatever reason, and wants to please him. Achieving a Seated Position in your Squad would have been the perfect way to do so in her mind. Instead, you go along with Kuchiki-taichō's plot to 'keep her safe' as an Unseated Soul Reaper, crushing her self-confidence and laying a foundation for this Kami-forsaken incident. She gave up her powers to the human boy and willingly went along with Kuchiki-taichō and Abarai because she wishes to be punished for what happened with Shiba Kaien. The guilt and self-hatred roiling within her has been destroying her from the inside out ever since that night forty years ago."

His student sagged slightly. "I…had thought that she was getting over it. That she was moving past it."

"From what I hear, a month with this human boy did more for her than the past forty years here have done for her." Yamamoto sighed, "This entire incident feels wrong. I cannot say what, but it does. I suspect that one or more of the Ryoka will be able to shed light on the situation, which is why I ordered them brought in alive. I doubt that Zaraki-taichō will bother with it, but the rest should."

Ukitake nodded reluctantly. Zaraki Kenpachi was a battle maniac who relished fighting above all else. Even Yamamoto was only barely given cursory respect from the eye patch-wearing Soul Reaper.

"Why not order one of us to bring the Ryoka to heel?" Ukitake asked, "Not Tōsen, Soi Fon, Mayuri, Kenpachi or Byakuya perhaps, but the rest of us could be trusted to bring them in relatively swiftly and unharmed."

"The Captains cannot be seen to mobilise unnecessarily." Yamamoto lectured Ukitake, "I am permitting you all to go armed with your zanpakutō; that is as far as I can go. If you happen to come across them, so be it, but I will not go any farther. To make a Captain go after a small group of Ryoka would send a message that we are afraid of them, which is preposterous."

"I understand, Genryūsai-sensei." Ukitake said with a small bow, "I should return to my Barracks to brief my Squad on the situation."

"You should also choose a replacement for Shiba Kaien." the Captain-Commander scolded his student, "Two Third Seats do not equal one Lieutenant."

"Hai, but neither Sentarō nor Kiyone are ready for the position." Ukitake smiled ruefully, "And none in the last four decades has shown the knack for the position that Kaien showed."

Yamamoto nodded in dismissal, and then turned his attention to the view from the open window over the vastness of the Seireitei as Ukitake left. His finely attuned senses, both physical and spiritual, detected the signs of combat within the Seireitei still. An enormous well of spiritual power was unleashing waves of Reiryoku as the owner fought.

There were others, some stronger than others, but what interested Yamamoto most was the two barely detectable Reiryoku signatures that were racing around. One was familiar…Shihōin Yoruichi, Soi Fon's predecessor.

'So then, who is this other signature?' he pondered. It was impossible, no matter what Kurotsuchi, Yoruichi or Urahara claimed, to completely hide someone's Reiryoku, other than in a building made entirely of sekkiseki. Someone with sufficiently sharp senses and enough training, such as himself, could detect them, and every person's Reiryoku was different, like a fingerprint.

He did not recognise this other faint source, so it was unlikely to be Urahara or any of Yoruichi's other fellow exiles. An apprentice, perhaps? It wasn't likely. The number of exiles or other people who had willingly left the Soul Society were very small, less than thirty.

Yamamoto felt a headache brewing as another possible source of this unknown Reiryoku came up.

'She surely didn't use the Transference Rite on a spiritually aware human!' he thought incredulously. He had known the Shihōin Princess for quite some time. She was promiscuous, preferred women over men, loud, cocky and rash, but to do that? No, she wasn't stupid.

Yamamoto dismissed the matter from his mind. It didn't matter. In the end, justice would be done, answers would be unravelled and the guilty would be punished, whether it be at the hands of the Sōkyoku or by his own blade.

At the back of his mind, the spirit of his zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka, roared in agreement with him.

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Later

Exit of the Underground Waterways

Kirika leapt out of the entrance to the sewers and into the Seireitei proper once again, sword ready to be used against any who attacked her. Fortunately, there were no assailants lying in wait for her, so Gin hadn't been sending into a trap.

Yet.

Being reunited with her tormentor-slash-saviour was both bittersweet and a catalyst for her rage being rekindled. Kirika still remembered the majority of her three years of being Aizen's experimental test subject. Every incision, every feeling of pain. The degradation, the humiliation, the hopelessness…it was engraved upon her Soul. She couldn't forget it, even although she wished she could.

Ichimaru, regardless of his reasons, had stood back and allowed this to happen. Kirika would have her vengeance upon Aizen, upon Tōsen and upon Ichimaru. For the memory of her friends and all those who had suffered at their hands.

The masked Soul Reaper glanced at the sky and saw that it was about mid afternoon. She could likely get to the Senzaikyū before nightfall if she took a Mantle of Flight.

Kaien's memories even included this area of the Seireitei, although they were comparatively sparse, as the Senzaikyū was made entirely of solid sekkiseki and was designed to contain the Reiryoku of anyone within its walls, thus being chilling to any Soul Reaper.

The Senzaikyū was the massive white tower that was in the very centre of the Seireitei. It stood in the middle of a vast moat, with only a single bridge allowing access to it. Used exclusively for those Soul Reapers who await execution, it has never been breached since its construction two-millennia ago.

'There's a first time for everything.' Kirika smirked to herself as she located the storehouse of the Shihōin Clan. The arcane symbol of the Clan was embossed above the door.

She climbed atop the rook and located a wooden ventilation window, which a quick cut of Nejibana took care of. Entering the warehouse, Kirika stood on the rafters and had to pinch herself. The entire building was full to the brim with tool. A skeleton like device that granted flight when Reiryoku was inserted. Blocks that were used as keystones for a barrier. So many tools that Kirika couldn't count them all.

She had known, intellectually, that the Shihōin Clan had been charged by the Spirit King to guard the Hōgu (Treasured Tools), Bugu (Armaments) and Tenshiheisō (Imperial Soldier Garments) said to have been bestowed upon them by the gods, but she had never imagined that there were so many of the first two.

"What are you doing here, Kirika-chan?" Yoruichi's male voice asked as the werecat flashed into appearance in front of her.

"Sensei!" Kirika started slightly, "Thank Kami I found you! I only just managed to get away from Ichimaru Gin!"

"What?!" the feline yellow eyes narrowed as Yoruichi's tail started writhing in agitation.

Kirika told as close to the truth as she dared; only omitting the meeting in the sewers.

"It is odd that Ichimaru lost you." the werecat said with a frown, "He isn't up to Onmitsukidō standards of Shunpo, but he is certainly faster than the average Captain. You were lucky to get away."

"I was." Kirika agreed, "What have you been up to, sensei?"

"Keeping an eye on our young hooligans." Yoruichi grumbled, "Ichigo has no tact whatsoever. Thankfully, Chad met up with him not long ago, and then Orihime and Ishida found them. Looks like the others, if not Ichigo, are following your directives."

"Aniki always marches to his own drummer." Kirika sighed, "Ishida, Orihime and Chad ought to be able to rein in Aniki if he gets too out of control."

"What about Ganju?" Yoruichi asked.

"Chad'll hit him over the head if he gets too out of line." Kirika said with a shrug, "Either him or, more likely, Aniki."

Yoruichi nodded sagely at that.

"So, to repeat my earlier question Kirika-chan, why are you in my family's storehouse of Hōgu?" she asked pointedly.

"I saw this place and thought I'd requisition a Mantle of Flight so I could get into the Senzaikyū and break Rukia out." Kirika shrugged.

"You mean steal." Yoruichi said flatly.

"Considering you were likely here to do much the same regarding items here, you don't exactly have the moral high-ground here, sensei." the masked girl stated tersely.

"This is my Clan's storehouse." the werecat pointed out.

"When you were exiled, you were also cast out of your Clan by the Central 46." Kirika retorted.

Yoruichi's hackles went up at that before she forced them down.

"Considering Aizen manipulated that situation, I don't think it really counts." Yoruichi said dryly. She looked at Kirika more closely. "What's wrong, Kirika-chan? You aren't usually this combative with me."

"Seeing Ichimaru again…it's brought a lot of bad memories to the fore." Kirika replied softly, her voice cracking with emotion, "All the pain and suffering I endured…the loss of my friends…when he stood in front of me, it all came rushing back."

Yoruichi returned to her human form and gently removed Kirika's mask before pulling the redhead into a hug, stroking her back as tears finally broke free from the oldest Kurosaki girl's control and streaked down her cheeks.

"Considering you've come face to face with one of your tormentors, not to mention the one who was actually tasked to kill you, for the first time in years, it's no surprise that you're overwhelmed by your emotions." the purple-haired woman said softly, "Let it out, Kirika-chan."

For the next few minutes, Kirika was wracked by sobs and uttered curses upon the existence of the three Captains that had broken her and remade her, who had ripped her innocence from her and had even made her into something she doesn't even know what to describe.

She was a Soul who possessed half the fluidity of a Living Soul, thus having limited ability to grow similarly to a human like Ichigo. Kirika had had so many new modifications performed on her that she didn't especially think of herself as being either a Soul or a Living Soul…she didn't know what she was anymore.

"Feel better?" Yoruichi asked her once the sobbing and cursing subsided.

"Y-Yes…sorry…" Kirika sniffed, "We have more important things to be doing, yet…"

"Unlike the rest of the group we brought with us, you have deeper emotional scarring and trauma." the former leader of the Onmitsukidō stated, "Even Ichigo, Orihime and Uryū, who saw loved ones die in front of them, can't come close. The fact that you've not broken down like this the moment you stepped back into the Soul Society is a testament to your strength of character. Keep focussed, keep calm, keep in control and you'll be fine. Understood?"

"H-Hai…sensei." Kirika said shyly.

"Good girl." Yoruichi smiled, "Now, that plan you have is good. A Shihōin Mantle of Flight is one of the best things you could have for flying…but you can only use it for yourself. No passengers."

"Crap." Kirika said bluntly, "What about that Kokkaku Hikōyoku (Skeletal Flight Wing)?"

She pointed to a skeletal-looking rod that extruded a wing, granting flight.

"Nope. You need to insert Reiryoku into it in order to use it, and Kuchiki hasn't much in the way of Reiryoku right now." the purple-haired woman replied.

"Is there anything here that can carry two people at the same time?" Kirika asked irritably as she replaced her helmet, deciding that now was not the right time to bring up the Konsei Gigai (Soul Restriction False Body) that Rukia was stuck in.

"Hmmm…try that big bottle over there." Yoruichi pointed at a two-foot-high jade bottle over by the back of the room, "That should hold a Kinto'un (Somersault Cloud)."

"Like from Journey to the West?" Kirika asked as she headed towards it.

"More limited." Yoruichi admitted, "You have to state where you want to go, who will be riding it there and who will be riding back on it."

"So…basically like a taxi." Kirika summed it up.

"Yeah…with the fee being the primary riders' Reiryoku." the werecat said as she returned to cat form, "You go and rescue Kuchiki…I'll go and keep an eye on the kids."

"You do know that Aniki and the rest are half a year older than I am?" Kirika asked with a curious tilt to her helmeted head.

"You are far more mature than they are." Yoruichi replied with a flick of her tail, "Physical maturity aside, you have all of them, except perhaps Chad, beaten in that regard."

"Thanks, sensei." Kirika replied, "Now how do I use this thing?"

"Oh. Right." the cat said sheepishly and returned to human form. She taught the Kidō sequence to Kirika before returning to her cat form and vanishing in a Shunpo.

"Time to fly." Kirika said with a grin beneath her mask. She wished that Tessai-sensei had taught her to air walk, as that would made all of this so much easier, but she had to play with the cards she was dealt.

"Tobase!" she commanded as she pressed her hand to the jade jar, "Take me to my destination, and then await my call!"

The jar shivered, rocked, then fell to pieces as Kirika was engulfed in golden light.

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A Short Time Later

Third floor of the Senzaikyū

Kuchiki Rukia leaned against the wall lethargically and gazed unseeing out of the window, at the sight of the Seireitei sprawling out before her. It really was a beautiful sight.

'It'll be one of the last things I see, so that is a silver lining.' she thought melancholily.

She had surrendered to the inevitable; that is, that she would die on the execution stand of the Sōkyoku. Renji had told her the sentence that had been decided by the Central 46 when he had transferred her here from the Squad 6 barracks jail cell.

Her hand idly reached up and touched the red collar around her neck. It both bound her Soul to her Gigai and restrained her Reiryoku, although there was so little of the latter that she was mildly surprised that they had bothered with it. When her mind turned to that problem, she wondered, idly, exactly what had caused her Reiryoku to keep getting smaller and smaller?

The petite ravenette wished she could talk to Sode no Shirayuki about this, but the third function of the collar blocked her from the spirit of her zanpakutō. She couldn't enter Jinzen or even feel her blade's spirit at all.

Not that she had been able to do so after she had transferred her powers to Ichigo anyway, but a friendly face would be appreciated right now.

"Ichigo…" she sighed as the last sight she had of the orange-haired boy came to mind…him lying on the ground, bleeding from the Senka her brother had performed on him, and Kokken Asa leaning over him, staunching his bleeding and assuring her that Ichigo would live.

The boy evoked strong emotions in her, emotions that she had suppressed as a Soul Reaper, ever since the death of Shiba Kaien. Frustration, irritation, compassion, comradeship, protectiveness, sadness, surprise, friendship…and more.

The idea was utterly ridiculous, of course. She was ten times his age and, to him, dead. She was a Soul while he was a Human. Two different species, practically. And yet…why had her dreams, when she did manage to sleep, involved him coming to save her?

Besides…she knew that her body was…unappealing…when compared to, say, Orihime, who obviously favoured him with her affections.

'Though the fool can't tell that, even when it's so obvious she might as well carry a banner declaring her affections to all and sundry.' she thought with a small chuckle.

Yet…she couldn't deny that Kurosaki Ichigo was highly attractive, both physically and attitude wise. His gruff exterior hid the genuine care and compassion that he held within him that only his sisters, and perhaps Arisawa Tatsuki, knew of.

The physical similarity he had to Shiba Kaien had been what had piqued her interest in him in the first place, but the differences had attracted her as much as the similarities. His hair was shorted, but with it more spiky. He was blunter than Kaien had been and he wore his heart on his sleeve, but that just meant that you always knew where you stood with him, no deceptions or hidden faces…unless it was to do with his mother.

'Ha….I say that it's preposterous, but here I am, thinking about nothing but Ichigo.' Rukia thought with a snort of derision, 'What a pathetic woman I am.'

A golden flash in the sky drew her from her introspection. Rukia peered out of the window. The sight she beheld made her jaw drop.

Kokken Asa was approaching, riding upon a golden cloud. The ravenette recalled her brother once speaking of the Kinto'un, a flying device held in trust by the Shihōin Clan, said to be the fastest method of transport short of a Shunpo.

'But…why? Why is she here?' Rukia thought numbly as the masked Soul Reaper leapt from the cloud and vanished from her sight, 'Why is Kokken Asa here?!'

Within her, a traitorous seed of hope started to take root. She had buried it in her certain knowledge of her own death and a forced acceptance of it. Yet, deep down, she knew why Kokken Asa was here.

Standing, she slowly headed down from the stairs, her bare feet making no sound on the cold stone floor as she headed for the only door in or out of the Senzaikyū. From outside, the sound of combat could be heard, a lot of grunting and yells of pain from the members of the Detention Corps on guard.

Once the voices died down, the door was opened by Kokken Asa, who regarded her with an amused set to her body.

"Kuchiki-san, I believe these quarters are not to your liking." the masked woman said with a short bow, "Kurosaki-san was concerned about that and has come here to move you to more appropriate quarters. If you'll follow me?"

"Why….why is Ichigo here?" Rukia whispered, "Why are you here? I don't…"

"If you seriously need to wonder why Kurosaki-san would come after you, you really don't know him as well as you might think." Kokken said dryly, "As I know you are more intelligent than that, I would advise for you to not act so obtuse. Now get out of this damned sekkiseki trap and let's get gone."

"R-right." Rukia responded to the authority in Kokken's voice before she realised it, trotting over to within arms reach of the other Soul Reaper, allowing Kokken to grab her and drag her out of the tower.

"Let's go." Kokken said and started pulling her across the bridge.

"Hold it!" Rukia yelped, "Just what is going on here?!"

"I'm taking you to Kurosaki-san." the other woman replied, in a voice that sounded mildly chastising.

"Did it ever occur to you that I might not want to be rescued?" the ravenette challenged her.

"Oh yes." Kokken replied absently, "But in this case, you can't exactly stop me, can you?"

The nerve of this woman.

"…I'm not going to say 'thank you,' you know." Rukia said hoarsely, "Not to you and not to Ichigo."

"What about Chad, Orihime and Ishida?" Kokken asked, "Or even Shiba Ganju?"

"Ganju?!" Rukia gaped, "Why…?!"

"Ask him when we meet up with Ichigo's group." the masked Soul reaper replied before halting, "Ah…this…might be troublesome."

Rukia peeked around Kokken and went white. Two Lieutenants stood at the other end of the bridge, zanpakutō drawn. One had spiky black hair, several tattoos on his face and had no sleeves on his shihakushō, while the other was a petite girl with her hair tied into a chignon at the back of her head.

"Lieutenant Hinamori and Lieutenant Hisagi!" Rukia whispered.

"Hold it there, Ryoka." the male spoke first, "Lay down your blade and we will not be forced to harm you."

Kokken just looked at them for a moment. "The Lieutenants of the Ninth and Fifth Squads…a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am afraid that as I have a guest with me, I cannot accede to your request. We will have to reschedule this meeting to a later date."

"You cannot escape us." Hinamori said severely, "Please surrender! We have orders to bring you in alive!"

"Alive, eh?" Kokken sounded amused, "Well, as nice as that may be, I have not intention of surrendering to the Goteijūsantai, let alone you two in particular."

Kokken then moved quickly, scooping up Rukia and tossing her over her shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"What are you planning?!" Rukia shrieked, "Put me down!"

"Until next time, little peach-chan, tattoo-san." Kokken mock saluted them with one hand before leaping off the bridge with a shout.

"Come at once, Kinto'un!"

A golden streak flew down from the sky, pursuing Kokken and Rukia. The two Lieutenants race to look over the edge with wide eyes before jerking back as the golden streak shot past them again, this time carrying the two fugitives.

"Hadō #58: Tenran! (Way of Destruction Number Fifty-Eight: Orchid Sky!)" Hinamori shouted, sending a blast of wind after them.

"Bakudō #62: Hyapporankan! (Way of Binding Number Sixty-Two: Hundred Steps Fence!)" Hisagi called out, sending a wave of a hundred purple poles at the likely escape route.

"Bakudō #81: Dankū." Kokken cast absently, a clear barrier snapping into place behind the Kinto'un, blocking the wind Kidō and stopping it in its tracks.

"Eishōhaki?!" Rukia gaped. However, Kokken wasn't done yet, as she raised one hand, palm exposed, at the Lieutenants.

"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"

A large ball of red light formed and erupted from her palm and streaked towards the two lieutenants, striking the ground in front of them, peppering them with pummelled bits of stone, and engulfing them in a cloud of dust, obscuring them just long enough for the Kinto'un to speed away out of the range of their Kidō.

"Hinamori-san, are you OK?" Hisagi coughed out.

"Yes…but they got away." Hinamori replied, "Who IS that woman in the mask? She used a Bakudō in the eighties, Eishōhaki! Even I can't do that and I'm one of the better Lieutenants when it comes to using Bakudō."

"True…only Captain-class and above have mastered Kidō to the extent that she seems to." the tattooed man frowned, "Actually…can you recall what her Reiatsu felt like?"

Momo thought for a moment before the answer made a tiny frown appear on her face. "No…not so much as a flicker. It must be either her mask or her cloak that is concealing her Reiryoku and Reiatsu. Not even Soi Fon-taichō can use Kidō while concealing her spiritual powers."

"We'd better go and report to Yamamoto-sōtaicho." Hisagi sighed, "The prisoner has escaped."

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Next Chapter: Ryoka versus Baboon

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