Soul Societies


Having just been banned from the spa for a whole year, Suì-Fēng drags out the nanaseki with the barely recognizable face, passing an academy student with a strange looking "hat" and most of her forehead visible, before stopping in an alley and drops him. "Start talking." The taichō then orders. "How long were you in there waiting for me?" She asks, but only to mislead him since she already noted the stepladder and cleaning supplies.

After she finished "defending" herself.

"Huh, waiting for...?" Hanatarō asks, before he remembers what just happened, and starts prostrating. "No, i would never dream of-I mean, it's not that you aren't... but I'm only a-"

It takes a few seconds for it to dawn on her just how she phrased her question. "Not like that, you just-as-useless-as-ōmaeda little worm!" She shouts while blushing. It's only because of how Yoruichi-sama told her about how she challenged Unohana on a whim and ended up forcing her brother Yūshirō to take her place while she used up all her sick days that Suì-Fēng held back on him. "Why was a man dusting off the women's lockers?"

"It's expected of me as a-" He starts telling her calmly.

"Ha~dō~no~kyu~ju:" She says, to warn him how thin the proverbial ice he's standing on is.

"As a medic, as a medic!" He explains further, which she raises a brow at. "For any shinigami in the Yonban-tai, even being distracted for one second by their patient's looks is one hundred seconds too long."

Suì-Fēng continues staring before she misleads him again. "You were the shinigami spotted with Kuchiki Rukia at the Senzaikyū, correct?"

To which he replied that it was by both Kuchiki-Taichō and Ukitake-Taichō, only to force his eyes shut as she suddenly grabbed him again, and opened them to find that they were now on what must be a roof above the alley.

And not for a good reason.


At the Ichiban-tai.

Yamamoto, Ukitake, and Unohana have finished deliberating, and are switching to a more vital topic when the latter glances away for a moment. "Is something wrong, Unohana-san?" Ukitake asks.

"Nothing important." She tells him... although he wasn't convinced due to how Genryūsai-sensei had also looked in the same direction.

"You were saying, Jūshirō, that you've turned up something regarding Aizen's intentions." The Sōtaichō states aloud.

Ukitake informs him that there are Gotei-issue sandal prints at the Daireishokairō. "But, all we've done so far is take measurements to see whether if they're only Aizen's, and not also from Ichimaru and Tōsen."

The Sōtaichō nods before Sasakibe walks in and informs him of something distressing. "What's happened?" Unohana asks him, but all he does is instruct the Fukutaichō to notify Capt. Pendleton immediately just as all four of them see a red light the distance.

Half an hour later, Pendelton is escorted back to the detention area. "What's the verdict... dad?" Kiyone asks sarcastically before seeing a frightened expression on his face. "Dad?" She asks next without realizing it.

"Buford, is it that bad?" Isane asks after that; then she, Kiyone, and Sentarō all gasp as he explains that Soul Societies C and I each sent two squads, including Naaji's, into Hueco Mundo.

"You're about to tell us four whole squads were forced to retreat?" Sentarō guesses.

"They had too... out of six hundred troops, only 30 Nephilim and 22 Shabh Alfaris, not including Naaji, made it back." Pendleton replies slowly, as if he didn't believe his own words. "Those survivors coherent enough reported being routed by only two Vasto Lorde... both of whom wielded... Zanpakutō."

Kiyone starts chuckling nervously. "T-t-that's a good one, Buford-san, but we all know those are just a myth." She tells him, only to gulp after Sentarō looks at the floor.

"Your father's not lying, Kiyone." Isane informed her. "Arrancar do indeed exist. Taichō fought several... long before getting her scar."


Back above the alley.

"What was that about?" Hanatarō asks Suì-Fēng, only to notice a small wound on her upper arm.

"How did you get out of your cell..." She asks a shinigami with green hair(1). "...Kurōza Yushima?!"

"...Did i escape from somewhere?" He asks before smiling the same way as his Taichō. "Oh, you must me confused with me."

Despite the injury, she takes hold of her Zanpakutō's hilt before replying. "I'm not in any mood for games, so spill it."

"If you insist. You're undoubtedly familiar with dummy hollows..." The person replies before sliding his lab coat to show that he has no skin below his neck. "...if we of the S.R.D.I. can replicate them, who's to say the same can't be done for shinigami?"

After a faint wave of nausea, Suì-Fēng wonders if Aizen ordered the real Kurōza to kill and replace her so her double can attack other shinigami.

"That... doesn't sound like a bad idea; but no." The Dummy replies just before kurotsuchi-Taichō arrives.

"I was wondering where you scampered off to, Kurōza 2.0."

"What's going on now?" Hanatarō wonders just loud enough for the newly-arrived Taichō to hear.

"If you must know... it's due to your taichō's nagging." He says, paying no attention to the shorter nanaseki's scowl. "I arranged for S.R.D.I. to produce these "Dummy Shinigami" so none of our projects are ruined by exhaustion since a Dummy doesn't require expensive stimulants. This one got too close to an electrical discharge, which negatively affected it's brain, and left it's post before we could stop it."

"I see." Suì-Fēng says while standing down. "Yamada-nanaseki; we're leaving so he can-" She tells him while walking off, only for Kurotsuchi-fukutaichō to appear infront of her.

"Not so fast... that's a 7 millimeter deep gash you have, if I'm not mistaken." The juniban-tai taichō exclaims, then glances to the Dummy. "Kurōza 2.0, what do you see in your immediate vicinity?"

"I am currently facing four hollows, kurotsuchi-sama." It replies.

"Yamada, run!"

"I-i can't use shunpo like you can, but alright."

"What? Even ōmaeda's able to... dammit!" Suì-Fēng says as she shoves Hanatarō towards the stairwell housing and casts a Kyōmon on it. "Call it off, kurotsuchi." She then demands flatly, but the Taichō other simply grins.

"Meaning your defensive subroutines were also affected." He realizes.

"Call it off!" She repeats, only to be ignored.

"Nemu." He says instead, and his Fukutaichō nods.

"Understood, mayuri-sama." She says, then turns towards the other Taichō. "My apologies in advance, Suì-Fēng-Taichō." She tells her, then rushes at her and backhands her injury.

He then claps at how much effort it took Suì-Fēng to minimize her reaction. "It's to be expected of the Keigun Sōshireikan to maintain her composure, even from such a weak attack. You mentioned that you think this is connected to Aizen." He says before waving a hand absentmindedly. "Well, you might as well have your informant... aka, my nanaseki... released. After hearing about what Aizen said during his departure from the Sōtaichō, I've already deduced what his goal is... but since it's not something even he will accomplish, i won't bore you with the details." He continues. "Instead, i will let Kurōza 2.0 demonstrate the combat prowess of a Dummy Shinigami to Yamamoto before he wastes any more of my time trying to stop him." He finished.

Suì-Fēng narrows her eyes as he sits down. Knowing she can't unseal her shikai, she only watches as the Dummy does. "Kyōkai o zukai(2), Sumitsukigasa." It says, and she shuts her eyes as she's stabbed, only to notice that it's getting less painful by the second.

"Akeiro Hisagomaru!" She hears next as she sees Hanatarō dislodging his Zanpakutō from her arm and swings it as hard as he can, sending a red light towards the copy.

She and both Kurotsuchis watch as the Dummy spins the real Kurōza's Zanpakutō, somehow causing the attack to vanish. "How very interesting, underling." kurotsuchi-taichō says after clapping again. "I never would have guess that any seki, never mind a nanaseki, could be capable of bankai."

But he stops as Kurōza 2.0 corrects him. "If that was a bankai, kurotsuchi-sama... then he'd still be holding it."

Hanatarō nods as the two Taichōs and the fukutaichō/daughter look around. "Kurōza 2.0-sama's right. That was only the special ability of my shikai, Hisagomaru, which is called Akeiro Hisagomaru." He tells them, and all four of them flinch (even Nemu, despite not appearing to move), when they see that Hisagomaru is now a puny scalpel. "Yonban-tai picks those shinigami whose Zanpakutō are useless against hollows."

"Ah, so you're able to extract any damage inflicted upon yourself or an ally, then use it as a catalyst for a long-range attack." kurotsuchi-taichō realizes, and memorizes that as a potential modification of his Zanpakutō, just as Unohana arrives.

"Do you care to explain what you've been up to, kurotsuchi-san?" She asked, then informed both taichōs about the failed preemptive strike, but he only glanced to his fukutaichō/daughter before both shunpo'd back to their compound.

Suì-Fēng then approached her. "Yes, what is it?"

"Unohana, recent events have given me reason to suggest that Yamada-nanaseki participate against the traitors once all three Soul Societies are back to full combat readiness."


The next morning, in the Ichiban-tai's assembly hall, Ichigo and his friends are standing next to Renji and his sanseki as Yamamoto announces that discovery of a potential connection between the three traitors and the Arrancar takes priority over Kotsubaki's outburst against Capt. Pendleton. "In the event that we defeat whatever Aizen Sōsuke is plotting, I will instead have the defendant, Kotsubaki Sentarō remain a sanseki for the next five hundred years and relinquish his Zanpakutō, Furue no kigentsume, for one hundred years." He declares, then calls Kira forward.

"Kira Izuru, your case, along with that of Kyuban-tai fukutaichō, Hisagi Shūhei, will be tried by the replacement of the Chūō Shijūroku. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, Sōtaichō... but, if i may ask one thing."

"...This court will permit it, if relevant to the situation." Yamamoto replied after noticing Hitsugaya's expression.

"Thank you; what about Hinamori-kun?" He asks. "Be-because what... what was done to her clearly means she is under even less suspicion than Hisagi-san, doesn't it?"

Yamamoto pauses to think before shaking his head. "Despite the logic of that, Kira Izuru, it is something only the Chūō Shijūroku can decide."

Afterwards, as Ichigo and his group are headed to the Nanaban-tai, Kira is in his office when Togakushi walks in. "Fukutaichō; there's a letter for you; but there's no name on it."

"Eh, alright. Thank you." He says, and sees that it's a set of coordinates.

Once he reached the site, he found three people waiting for him. One was a fellow Fukutaichō and president of the SMA, the second was Capt. Pendleton, and the other was someone he recognizes from a wall of photos in the hallway outside the fukutaichō's assembly room. "Iba-san, why did you want me here for... and why'd you bring your mother?" He asked, the answer being a nod from Pendleton to the elder before she drew her Zanpakutō.

"Wakikaeru, Naraku no Yōnagawa(3)."


Shinigami Zukan.

As Hanatarō is speaking to kurotsuchi-taichō, Suì-Fēng turns towards Kurōza 2.0. "By the way, how is it that you survived Yamada's attack?"

"It's because i wasn't hit by it, you see." It tells her before pointing to the Zanpakutō it has. "Sumitsukigasa's special ability is to send any opponent or their attacks to the dangai through a portal." He says as the scene changes to show two people wearing armor, one was a large pale man with a u shaped marking on his face holding a plate of something out of reach while using his other hand to prevent a woman with twintails, a hachimaki, and an eyepatch from moving any closer.

"Gimme that karasumi, fathead; it's my turn to eat 'em infront of hideki tojo!"

"Zat bing too bad, littul yappy gurl... whud?" The taller one is saying when a portal appears next to him and gets charred by Hanatarō's attack.

The shorter person shrugs after a few seconds and picks up the food up before walking off-camera.

"Any more questions?" Kurōza 2.0 asks, only to notice an insect-shaped mark appear on him.

"Not really." Suì-Fēng replied flatly before jabbing him with her shikai again.


Chapter seven.

1 I combined the three characters of the Reigai filler.

2 Illustrate the boundaries. A made up incantation, since the Sumitsukigasa from the episode didn't have one.

3 Boil over, River of the abyss. Another place-holder for a Zanpakutō that is slightly more canon that Sumitsukigasa.