Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.


Chapter 38: Baby, Hold Your Hand

In one of the five districts, Wahrwelt, the Royal Realm, Soul Society

Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of Squad 12 only mused to himself as he stabbed Captain Kenpachi Zaraki with his Shikai: Ashisogi Jizo. Having just stumbled upon a mysterious being, the two captains were curious about what it's powers were. This was one of the Schutzstaffel: Pernida Parngjkas, also known as Sternritter C – The Compulsory. Kenpachi, who constantly ignored Mayuri's encyclopedic nouns, rushed off to try and fight Pernida, yet he underestimated the Quincy's mysterious ability to infiltrate organic lifeforms. Kenpachi had been forced to tear his arm off while Mayuri only stood and watched. Unbeknownst to Kenpachi, Mayuri had been using Kenpachi as a tool to figure out Pernida's abilities. This was evident when he had stabbed the Captain of Squad 11, while using an ability to stop Pernida's infiltration of his body. Kenpachi's entire body remained silent, and he was unable to move an inch.

"There is no need to feel so ungrateful. I stabbed you for your own sake. There was no other way to stop the disruption inside your body" Mayuri insisted to him. However, he suddenly became surprised when Kenpachi's only eye began moving to stare at him. This was something the scientist had not been expecting. "My, my, how interesting. It seems that you can still move your eyeballs despite being paralyzed. You really are a monster, Kenpachi Zaraki" he remarked smugly and then proceeded to walk past the paralyzed captain. "Other than helping me uncovering the enemy's ability, you have made me realize that Ashisogi Jizo needs an improvement. I can't believe that I actually feel grateful towards you" he said while easily dismissing his fellow captain.

But for the Squad 11 members: Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, it was an insult to see that their captain had been tricked and played as a guinea pig by the scientist. They had been standing behind and watched the scene unfold.

"That son of a bitch! He purposely goaded Captain Zaraki into driving in headfirst…." Ikkaku muttered angrily by what he was seeing. However, he also understood what Mayuri's intentions were. "But it appears this Quincy's power have piqued his interest…...which explains why he would want to fight this all by himself. He probably assumed our captain was just a third wheel" the baldheaded man noted while watching the scene.

Hanataro Yamada from Squad 4 chuckled nervously by what he had been seeing and hearing so far. "Captain Kurotsuchi really is selfish. Together, he and Zaraki may have stood a chance in beating this guy" the young medic remarked, finding Mayuri's actions to be insufficient and not helping.

Yumichika merely chuckled in return by hearing this. "You don't say?" he said before glancing over at Nemu Kurotsuchi, Lieutenant of Squad 12. "Some things never change with your captain, do they?" the flamboyant man asked the calm woman, who was focused on watching her master enter the fight.

"Yes. That is how I wish it to be" Nemu replied in her emotionless tone as usual.

Yumichika could not help but to cook an eyebrow by hearing this. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked her while Ikkaku and Hanataro also started to become curious about her words.

"Nothing really" Nemu then replied, her eyes never leaving the sight of her captain.

Mayuri and Pernida now stood face to face, with the Captain of Squad 12 fixing a smug grin as usual. Pernida merely stood and glanced at him without making a move. "Well then. Thanks to Zaraki's noble sacrifice, I managed find out the truth in your ability. As it turns out, it is very valuable information. You know what I speak of, right?" the scientist asked, yet Pernida remained silent and continued to stand still. Nevertheless, Mayuri went on. "You're choosing to remain mute on the matter, but I will continue anyway. What I am trying to say is that I have discovered your ability's weakness" he then said while trying to taunt Pernida.

The mysterious Quincy responded by gazing into Mayuri, only for the scientist to throw some form of liquid around himself. The moment this liquid was thrown, it exposed something that had been invisible to Pernida's opponents. It was his nerves and they were rendered useless due to Mayuri's liquid. Pernida could also feel pain in the nerves, as the liquid somewhat stung them. It felt painful for the Quincy to bear.

The scientist continued to smile smugly. "There! It's your nerves! I have finally exposed your attacks. I hope my liquid is not too excruciating for you to handle, eh?" the scientist said while he could hear screams of pain coming from Pernida. Apparently, Mayuri took pleasure in seeing his opponent feeling such emotion. "I know that Quincies have an ability to use their blood veins and nerves to their advantage, something you call "Blut Vene" unless I am mistaking. But in your case, you have the ability to infiltrate any object with yours, which is indeed remarkable for someone so reclusive as you. I have so many drugs that I would like to test on you, so let us see if you are willing to continue fighting" Mayuri revealed while sounding very confident about himself. In fact, it only made him more encouraged to speak to Pernida. "Doesn't it feel great when you see someone sacrifice for a greater cause? Well, I do. Noble victories are after all, built upon a foundation of noble sacrifices. It makes my heart melt with the uttermost joy" he then said with a voice that seemed very fake, despite his change of tune to a more admirable tone.

The Shinigamis watching this scene from behind were utterly dumbfounded by what they were hearing from him, with the notable exception being Nemu.

"Is he even for real?" Yumichika asked while raising an eyebrow while hearing this.

Ikkaku only grumbled lowly. "That bag of turd! He's got balls saying stuff about sacrifice when he usually tends to ignore his fellow captains or even honor for that matter" the baldheaded man said while he was crossing his arms in disbelief.

"Well, Captain Kurotsuchi's intelligence makes up for his lack of friendly emotions, I guess" Hanataro remarked nervously. The young medic also took a glance at Kenpachi, who was still immobile from the effect. "If only we could get Captain Zaraki somewhere safer. I might've been able to check out his current condition" the timid man noted by what he was seeing.

"Now as we speak, you really ought to pay your respects to an honorable sacrifice such as this by donating your body to me for me for research purposes. That would the proper thing for you to do right now" Mayuri said while starting his usual talk whenever he wanted something to study on.

Pernida remained still for a minute, before a voice could be heard from the hooded Quincy. As Mayuri listened carefully, it sounded like a taunting laughter. Apaprently, Pernida did not take the scientist's words seriously and continued laughing. As he was laughing, his hooded coat began to ripping itself apart.

"My, my, it seems my suggestion don't agree with you. Well, it's not your fault you are so short-sighted and fail to see the romanticism endeavors" Mayuri remarked but his eyes widened as he could see Pernida's hooded coat rip apart, thus exposing his identity to him and the other Shinigamis standing behind him. "What in the world? This can't be…." The scientist remarked by what his eyes were seeing.

Standing before Mayuri and the Shinigamis was a giant right hand with an eye on the palm. This eye had two bright irises, which could be seen only as small white dots while Pernida wore his hooded coat. The giant fingers were being chained together, except for the thumb which was broken. The giant hand continued staring at his opponent, who was growing quite fascinated with what he saw. But Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hanataro were shocked.

"What the hell…WHAT IS THAT THING!?" Ikkaku asked angrily and stressed at the same time.

"That Quincy was a…hand!?" Yumichika wondered by what he was seeing.

Mayuri mused to himself. "Ah, I see. This is unexpected. Unless I'm not mistaken, you are known as Lord Suruhame…...or perhaps by a more well-known title: the Soul King's Left Hand" he revealed smugly, much to the utter surprise of the Shinigamis behind him.

The chain's on Suruhame's fingers began breaking apart and its nerves were now fully released. The hand fell back onto the ground, only for its nerves to begin fastening itself on the ground. As Suruhame did that, his size grew taller and soon, he became an imposing right arm with the hand on the top. It sent shivers to Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hanataro.

"So…...tall…." Hanataro remarked by what he was seeing.

"This abomination is the Soul King's Left Hand!? Was the Soul King even that fucking huge!?" Ikkaku asked while feeling very uncomfortable with this.

Mayuri was listening to them while reading some sort of radar. "I have never seen the Soul King in person, so I'm just as curious as you are. However, this one's Spiritual Pressure is roughly the same as what I picked up from Ukitake when he underwent that ritual of his" the scientist explained while seeing what was written on the radar. "Considering that the Right Arm is the one which Ukitake made a contract with, it's only natural that the Left Arm would be free to move as it pleased. Not very surprising I must say" Mayuri added to his explanation while glancing at the hand.

Hanataro listened closely and a realization came into his mind. "I see" the young medic noted while Ikkaku and Yumichika listened to what he just said. "It all makes sense now. The Soul King has two hands. Lord Mimihagi, it's Right Hand and Lord Susuhame, it's Left Hand. I wonder if there are more of those things" he remarked while feeling scared of what he was seeing.

"Whatever the answer is, I really hope those are the only ones. I'm beginning to realize that the legend about the Soul King keeps getting weirder than ever" Yumichika remarked in return.

Mayuri felt the need to explain more about his opponent to the Shinigamis behind him. "Notice the grotesque single eye that is attached to the arm. It is just as Kisuke Urahara had described previously. But then again, I think referring to it as a single eye would be a matter of opinion" Mayuri explained, only to notice something come out of the fingers. It was Susuhame's nerves and they descended down towards the scientist like a rain.

"Shit! It's headed towards us!" Ikkaku exclaimed in shock.

"We better fall back before we're taken control by that thing!" Yumichika said while Hanataro followed him.

But Mayuri remained still and simply pulled up a ball that eventually turned into an umbrella. It was the face of a living person that was on this umbrella. Whatever it was, it protected Mayuri from the nerves.

"The only thing I'm not clear on, is why the Soul King's Left Hand would ally itself with Yhwach. However, that is only superfluous in the light mind of my newfound euphoria right now" the scientist remarked while feeling very laidback about facing the hand and threw away the umbrella before pulling out a new one, which was to protect him from the next round of nerves.

Surprisingly, Susuhame began uttering out words, and it somehow intrigued Mayuri even more. "Euphoria…" it spoke up lowly.

"I guess this thing is capable of understanding our language. This is also unexpected. Exactly which organs is it using to generate sound? My curiosity is insatiable" the scientist wondered, starting to feel very interested about the giant hand.

"CAPTAIN KUROTSUCHI! QUIT STANDING THERE AND GET YOUR ASS MOVING! WE HAVE TO RETREAT!" Ikkaku shouted out to the captain, yet he could still see Mayuri refusing to move. He continued watching the giant hand with a gleeful smile on his face. "SON OF A BITCH! WHAT'S THERE TO BE HAPPY ABOUT IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, ANYWAY!?" he then exclaimed in disbelief.

"What's there to be happy about, you ask?" Mayuri finally responded to Ikkaku. "I have discovered a unique organism that has never been studied! And yet somehow, it continues to exceed my expectations! If this is not happiness, then I do not know what else can bring it!" the Captain of Squad 12 added, having never been so excited for finding something to study on his own before. As he was standing, the hand suddenly began unleashing his nerves from behind. It even made the scientist more excited. "Yes! Keep it coming! Don't hold back, Lord Susuhame!" he encouraged the tall hand.

But suddenly something happened with the two irises on the grotesque eye and the hand suddenly began speaking. "Lord Susuhame…..not…..name Pernida…Pernida Parnkgjas" the hand said, referring to itself by his Quincy-name. The voice even appeared to be more male-orientated than before.

However, Mayuri did not seem to understand it completely and simply made a hearing gesture towards the giant hand. "Hmmm? What did you just say? Stop mumbling and speak up, will you?" the scientist requested of him.

"Lord Susuhame….name…wrong….name Pernida…..Pernida Parnkgjas" the thing responded once again, this time, referring to itself by his Quincy-name. It was apparent that he wanted to be called that, but for what reason?

Mayuri stared at it with a slightly surprised expression. "Now that is a mouthful. Since I'm the one who made this discovery, not you, all naming rights rightfully belong to me" the scientist explained. The Shinigamis behind him only glanced at the captain dumbfounded, not believing he was talking so casually like this to a giant hand. But then again, they knew Mayuri could act nutty sometimes like all scientists. "But since the subject itself is making this request, I'll make an exception and break protocol just this once and accept it" he concluded while suddenly pointing a finger at Pernida with a smug and cheeky grin. "That said, the spelling will be for me to decide" he then added, trying to control the situation.

Pernida continued to glance down at the white-robed Shinigami, this time moving his irises and fingers. "Don't understand….what you say….." Pernida spoke up, which caught the attention of the Shinigamis once again.

Ikkaku simply shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay. We don't understand what that pedo clown says either" the baldheaded man spoke up, even going as far as to insult the Captain of Squad 12. Because of Mayuri being too distracted by Pernida, he forgot this insult.

"I understand it" Nemu suddenly spoke up her mind. Even so, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hanataro only chose to ignore her words.

"Things I don't…...understand…usually…...bad words…" Pernida said, this time even moving his fingers while explaining. "You…...enemies…...enemies saying…bad words…..bad words about Quincies!" the giant hand said, this time his voice hinting to a level of dissatisfaction. "UNFORGIBAVLE!" Pernida suddenly yelled, the giant hand clenching while unleashing new sets of nerves. But this time, they landed on the ground, which intrigued Mayuri.

But as soon as the nerves began spreading on the ground, they formed a piece of it into a giant hand. It was headed straight towards Mayuri, who was once again fascinated by what he witnessed before him. The Shinigamis behind him on the other hand, were terrified of what they were seeing, with the notable exception being Nemu of course.

"Well now. To think that even inorganic substances can be penetrated. Most unexpected. A fascinating view indeed" the scientist remarked while smiling gleefully.

Before the hand could even smash Mayuri, the captain avoided it by jumping in the air. He used his Jabarakaina and launched it to the top of one of the nearby towers in the icy cityscape. While he was being pulled up, Pernida's nerves began spreading itself up to where Mayuri was and it caught the captain by surprise. Before he even knew it, the tower's wall was formed into a hand, just like the one he had faced right now. Without delay, Mayuri deactivated his Jabarakaine and fell in the air to avoid being smacked by the hand.

"Damn! I suppose that inorganic substances also include the exteriors of buildings as well" the captain noted while seeing the hand moving towards him. But as Mayuri was in the air, he could hear something happening behind him. The scientist was surprised as Pernida's nerves were forming another hand from the tower behind the captain. It was made quickly and before Mayuri could even react by using Shunpo to vanish, the two hands suddenly smacked together with Mayuri in between them.

The Shinigamis watching the fight on the sidelines were in for a surprise as an explosion suddenly occurred between the giant hands. It was quite explosive and it managed to destroy the two hands. However, the Shinigamis were wondering if Mayuri had made it out of the explosion alive.

"What just happened!?" Hanataro exclaimed while covering his eyes for the bits of stone that were falling down to him and his comrades.

"Captain Kurotsuchi just got blown up!" Ikkaku remarked, not really knowing a better answer to this unexpected event.

However, from the smoke that emerged from the explosion, a familiar voice of dissatisfaction could be heard and it surprised the Shinigamis. Out from the smoked emerged Mayuri, the Captain of Squad 12 still wearing his white haori, as well as a unique hairstyle. His blue hair had been styled into three loops, and his ears were covered by three large golden tubes that wrapped around the sides of his head. He glanced over at the Shinigamis. "Spare me your blabbering, simpleton. Whenever my armor gets attacked, it triggers an explosion" he told them while he was concentrated in landing on the ground beneath him. "I can't be bothered by explaining this to you, so check your dictionaries at your own whim" he added with his usual stubborn voice while glancing at the ground, which began crawling with Pernida's nerves.

"Do not descend, Captain Kurotsuchi! If you land there his nerves will…" Yumichika was interrupted when he and his comrades could spot something underneath Mayuri's white shoes.

The scientist pushed a button behind his soles. When he did that, his shoes began floating in the air with Reishi. It astounded the Shinigamis as the captain was currently floating above the ground, which prevented the nerves from reaching up to him.

The moment Pernida could see what it was, his giant eye snapped in realization. It was apparent that the giant hand knew what Mayuri were doing right know and the captain could see this and smirk with satisfaction in his eyes.

"Do you recognize this? Of course, you do. It is this walking in the air you Quincies utilizes. The Hirenkiyaku" Mayuri told the giant hand while beginning to move a little above the ground. "Hirenkiyaku was originally the name Souken Ishida and Ryuken Ishida called it by. Perhaps the other Quincies had another name for it, but that means little to me. Even if you used your nerves to cover the entire surface area of the ground's surface, it will be inconsequential if I don't actually land on it" the scientist went on explaining, feeling so confident over his own creations and gadgets. He even began pointing his arm at Pernida and it surprised his opponent. Something had begun holding itself around Pernida's pinkie. Apparently, it was Mayuri who had just thrown it at his opponent. "Absolutely irrelevant if you ask me!" Mayuri added while holding up a detonator in his hand.

The Shinigamis behind were curious to this, especially Hanataro. "What is that thing hanging around his pinkie?" Hanataro wondered as he could see some kind of a snake with a human-like face attached to his head. "It looks like a snake" the timid medic remarked by what he was seeing.

"It's not a snake" Ikkaku said, thus surprising the young boy. "That's one of Captain Kurotsuchi's many "handmade" bombs. If I remember correctly, this guy used to be an ordinary Shinigami in Squad 12. Apparently, he must've been one of Kurotsuchi's test subjects" the baldheaded man noted grimly by what he could see.

Yumichika felt disgust as he heard this, while Hanataro began sweating nervously. Yumichika began facing Nemu once again. "Ugh…..is there any sense of dignity left him? You do know that he's wasting the lives of a fellow squad member, right?" he then asked Nemu, who didn't seem obliged to answer. This forced Yumichika to shrug his shouders in return. "Giving us the silent treatment as usual" the flamboyant man noted while stroking his hair.

"How can he go to such lengths in order to reach his goals?" Hanataro asked while feeling stunned and shocked at Mayuri's ruthless behavior. "Well, Captain Unohana was right about Kurotsuchi lacking common sense as a captain" the young medic then noted in his thoughts.

Mayuri glanced up at Pernida while pushing the button on his detonator. "Now then. I'll be collecting my sample now. This won't hurt a bit" he said smugly.

That thing around Pernida's pinkie functioned as a bomb, and it was loud enough to injure Pernida. The pinkie fell off from the giant hand and Pernida screamed in pain and agony as he felt pain from losing it. The pinkie landed right before Mayuri, and the scientist smiled smugly as he could see the sample he was intending to collect. The captain even threw a substance on it.

"This is the substance used for preservation. I'll just let it soak. When the battle ends, I'll make a proper tank to preserve it in. But until then, this will contain its freshness" the scientist noted as he watched the substance have effect on the overgrown pinkie. But as Mayuri stood and observed, he was in for a shocking surprise. Before the scientist even knew it, an eye suddenly opened on the pinkie and unleashed Pernida's nerves from there to Mayuri's right hand. "What the hell!?" the scientist cursed.

It was apparent that Pernida had the ability to unleash more nerves from his fingers, even if they were not attached to the hand. The fact that Pernida could even open an eye on the pinkie really surprised Mayuri. As the nerves began taking hold on his arm, Mayuri suddenly tore off his arm in an explosion before reconstructing it completely. As a scientist, Mayuri was talented in reconstructing parts of his own body and his arms were no different.

"I have rearranged the configuration of my nerves, blood vessels and muscles" the Captain of Squad 12 said while glancing angrily at the giant hand. "Did you actually believe manipulating my body would be such a simple task, Pernida?" he then asked him, for the first time addressing the hand as Pernida. He could see both the pinkie and the hand itself watch at him with cunning eyes. It became obvious to Mayuri that this would be a challenge to him. Even now, he could feel his reconstructed right arm not feeling so good. "Ugh, what a shoddy job. It's been a long time since I performed a one-arm operation on myself. But there is no accounting for rust, I guess. This looks unsightly" he muttered to himself, feeling that his operation had not been so successful as he had hoped it would be.

"Unsightly" Mayuri refocused his attention on Pernida as the giant hand just spoke up. "It sounds like you are no longer as confident as you were before" the hand said, this time having a more intelligent manner of speaking, something which slightly astounded Mayuri.

Nevertheless, the captain remained overconfident towards his opponent. "Oh? Is that how you interpret this?" the scientist asked smugly. "I always find my way out in a battle. And I will so with you" he then added, yet Pernida remained unfazed.

"How about I shake your confidence some more?" Pernida asked the scientist.

Mayuri's attention was brought upon the small pinkie, which suddenly began growing out more fingers, eventually forming itself into a giant hand. The captain, with his quick reflexes, threw some explosive at the attacking hand, this sending it flying. Having just witnessed this only gave Mayuri a form of answer.

"So, the pinkie I tore off became an entirely separate left hand?" Mayuri asked smugly. "This means chopping you up into many pieces is out of the question" he then concluded.

But Pernida was now holding his middle finger, having just pulled it off on his own. Blood ran from the spot where the middle finger had previously stood and Pernida got some blood on his eye. But something happened with the finger he was holding. It began growing into a large left hand and eventually a large left arm.

"I hope you are ready for another surprise" Pernida said and dropped the growing hand on the ground.

Mayuri stood and watched as the two fingers that had been tore off from the hand, had only ended up becoming separate hands, and eventually arms. As he could see the three arms rising up, something hit in his head. It made him think about back when he was young, and was reading a book he had gotten from his mentor, Bansui Amatsuki.

"I see now. I recall reading about this in my youth. It was a book given to me personally by Bansui-sensei" Mayuri noted in his head while recalling the time he read this book in a library. The book he had gotten from Bansui, was actually something which was deemed too dangerous and threatening for Shinigamis to read and learn. But thanks to Bansui, books such as this were kept safe, especially when in the hands of someone as cunning as Mayuri Kurotsuchi. "From what I gather: Mimihagi, the Right Hand, governs stagnation, while Susuhame, the Left Hand, governs evolution. They are both opposite entities. But just because it is written in a book, does not make it an actual fact. I'm the type of individual who can't fully commit to something until I've verified it with my own hands" he then added to his thoughts while thinking about whether what he read was true or not. "But for me to be given the opportunity to actually follow up on both of those…with some actual data from firsthand experience. My, my, what a marvelous fight this has turned out to be" he then remarked, starting to find some satisfaction in having this kind of fight with Pernida.


In another district in the icy cityscape

Two Shinigamis of the 13 Court Guard Squads: Captain Sui-Feng of Squad 2 and Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi from Squad 9 had been moving away from the group after narrowly surviving an ambush from the Quincies. They had been walking down the stairs and found solitude in an alley, a bit further from the others. Both Shinigamis felt that the end of them were near, and they sat while thinking about what their fate would be.

However, the appearance of a white-hooded individual had only stunned Shuhei and Sui-Feng, but after realizing that it's Spiritual Pressure belonged to a Shinigami, they both couldn't believe their eyes. That person turned out to be the Vizard: Mashiro Kuna from Squad 9. It astounded the mortally injured Shinigamis, given that they saw the young girl dressed in an outfit that resembled those of the Sternritters. But there was more to that revelation.

To Shuhei's own astonishment, he saw his own captain standing beside Mashiro, wearing similar clothes in white, as well as a hooded cape. But even though they wore Quincy-like outfits, Kensei and Mashiro still held onto their Zanpakutous. Despite that, their personalities had changed, especially with Kensei.

"What did you just say?" Sui-Feng asked while she began coughing out some chunks of blood from her bleeding mouth. The young woman struggled to compose herself, considering the fact she had a mortal injury on her stomach. She could barely even move. "The Soul King…..Yhwach….nothing makes sense" she told them

Kensei's eyes narrowed at the two mortally injured Shinigamis. "Of course, you wouldn't understand. Neither you nor that idiot lieutenant of mine understand the truth about the Soul King and the Soul Society" the grey-haired man expressed his disappointment while crossing his arms.

Shuhei felt blood boil inside of him by hearing such level of disrespect being spoken to him. But he had to carefully compose himself. "Well, there's a good reason for that!" Shuhei spoke up, his eyes glancing up at his captain with seriousness. "How is it that you can be standing there dressed like a Sternritter!?" he spoke up, careful not to speak so loud, given that he also was injured.

The Captain of Squad 9 only forced a smirk as he heard this. "Sternritter? Are you suggesting that me and Mashiro have become Sternritters?" he questioned the black-haired man before chuckling to himself. "Idiot. We're neither that nor lapdogs of the 13 Court Guard Squads. We're serving a higher purpose" he added while noticing someone appear behind him.

Shuhei and Sui-Feng were stunned as they could see Mashiro standing behind Kensei while being accompanied by two other individuals dressed in white-hooded coats and Quincy-outfits. But accompanying them were what appeared to be monks, dressed in white-hooded robes. These monks also wore the Quincy Cross as some sort of necklaces. But what astounded Shuhei and Sui-Feng even more was the fact that these monks were not actually Quincies…..but Souls…former denizens of the Soul Society. Shuhei could even notice the Spiritual Pressure coming from the indivudals standing beside Mashiro.

"No…it can't be!" Shuhei spoke up as one of the individuals removed the hood, thus revealing who it was. The face it belonged to was very familiar to Shuhei. "What the hell….Kira?" he spoke up lowly as the one who was standing before him was none other than Izuru Kira, Lieutenant of Squad 3.

"If Kira's standing there, then that means you are…" Sui-Feng turned her attention on the other individuals who removed his hood, thus revealing himself as Captain Rojuro "Rose" Otoribashi. He simply stood there while wearing his usual mild-mannered expression, despite what he was seeing. "Otoribashi…so you're also betraying us!?" the young woman asked, her disgust becoming more apparent.

Rose couldn't help but to chuckle as he heard what was being said. "Are you suggesting that we are betraying you? It would seem to me that you and Hisagi have been misinformed" he spoke up with an amused tone in his voice. "We haven't betrayed the Court Guard, we have reformed it to serve our rightful superior and leader: the Soul King" he told them as they listened closely.

Izuru glanced at Shuhei, who was so far astounded to even ask more questions. The blonde-haired man only glanced at him with his serious expression, which was different from Izuru's usually gloomy persona. "Otoribashi is right. We're done taking orders from an illegitimate council such as Central 46. You know very well, what I'm speaking of, Hisagi" he told his fellow lieutenant who listened closely. "Why were we and Momo tried for what those bastards Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen had done!? We had no involvement and were completely innocent. Yet despite all this, we were still tried as guilty by association!" he then pointed out angrily.

Hearing this made Shuhei think about what had happened a long time ago, back after Aizen's defeat. Because his captain along with Gin had helped him betray the Soul Society and its people, Central 46 demanded that Shuhei along with Izuru and Momo to stand in trial for the actions of their captains. For some reason, they had been accused of being aware of Aizen and his allies' machinations long before his plans were revealed. It was some kind of trial, and Shuhei, Izuru and Momo were the accused.

During their testimonies, the three lieutenants had kept insisting their innocence and denied having any prior knowledge to Aizen's plans. However, the various judges and noblemen who sat in the assembly were not convinced by their testimonies. Not wishing to waste lives of Shinigamis by the death penalty, Head-Captain Yamamoto intervened on the lieutenants' behalf, something he had never done before. He convinced Central 46 to spare the lieutenants from receiving the death penalty, while insisting that their services were still required for the Court Guard. To turn the tide in his favor, Yamamoto had then pledged to hold the three lieutenants under arrest in 10 months. This had surprisingly managed to save the lieutenants from being punished, yet they were still under house arrest.

Nevertheless, each of these lieutenants emerged out of the trial with different opinions on the Court Guard. While Momo had managed to get her spirits lifted thanks to Shinji's efforts, as well as her friendship with the Kudo-twins, both Shuhei and Izuru had felt themselves being treated unfairly by standing in this trial. To them, it felt as if they had been victims of false allegations, as Central 46 had given them no proof that either of them were involved in Aizen's scheming. It had also given them a new opinion of the laws of the Soul Society. It even made Shuhei think about the words, his former captain Kaname Tousen had told him during their fight, about the unjust system of the Soul Society. Perhaps there was some truth in his words, even though his quest for vengeance was misguided.

"Don't you dare forget about that episode!" Shuhei's thoughts snapped back into reality as Izuru glanced down at him angrily. "Admit that you want to end the injustices of the Soul Society" the blonde-haired man added to his statement.

"All of you have gone insane!" Sui-Feng still had enough strength to speak up, even though her injury was critical. "Under what theory do you think that I will forsake order and justice!?" she added to her question, her voice filled with anger and disgust.

"I have heard enough of this foolishness!" the two injured Shinigamis snapped as an elderly voice could be near their direction. The Shinigamis dressed in white also noticed and turned to their left side to see a white-hooded individual slowly walk towards the group with his arms folded like that of a monk. Judging from the Spiritual Pressure, he was indeed a Shinigami, yet his voice was very unfamiliar to Sui-Feng and Shuhei. The individual glanced towards Sui-Feng, who remained cautious about him. "Now as for your sense of order and direction. How can you believe in such while you still hold the outlaw Yoruichi Shihoin in high regard? Have you forgotten about your potential, Shaoling Feng?" he then asked the young woman.

Sui-Feng's grey eyes widened in shock and outrage at the same time. "How do you know my birthname!? Answer me!" she demanded loudly, only to cough up another round of blood.

"Hmmm, what a pity. It is a shame that you do not live up to your great-grandmother's legacy, little Shaoling. As a noble, I am disappointed" the hooded man said once again, only enraging the young woman.

"Bastard…." Sui-Feng spoke up with venom in her voice. Surprisingly, she even reached for her Zanpakutou and was about to slash the stranger, despite her weakened condition. "Don't you ever speak about my family as if you know what it stands for!" she yelled, only to stop as she could see the tip of a Zanpakutou being pointed against her.

Shuhei was also stunned to see this. "A Zanpakutou….is he also a Shinigami? But who is he?" the punkish man wondered as he looked up to see the shape of the Zanpakutou. It was formed like a katana, but the blade itself was white as the snow itself. Even the sword's hilt was white.

Kensei and Rose only stood and watched the commotion with their usual expressions while Mashiro and Izuru joined their respective leaders in observing what the stranger was doing.

"Gaze, Kazeshiragiku" the mysterious person suddenly uttered out the release command of his Zanpakutou and something happened to the blade. It began disintegrating into many smaller blades in white. It was astounding as the blades resembled the Japanese white flower itself called Shiraguki. But that was not all. The atmosphere around everyone began feeling so white and black and it affected both mortally injured Shinigamis. In their minds, it felt like their death was imminent and that they now were embracing the afterlife. In fact, they no longer had strength to open their eyes and now fell down into unconsciousness. The hooded stranger took notice of that. "Neither of you have died because of my release of Kazeshiragiku. Therefore, you should be able to hear everything I say. Close your eyes and hear what I have to say" the individual told them both while glancing at the two Shinigamis lying unconscious on the ground.

Rose could not help but to shiver as he felt the effect of this Shikai. "Goodness, I never thought I would get to feel this power again" the blonde-haired man remarked to his fellow Vizard, who seemed perfectly calm, despite the Shikai being released.

"Get used to it" Kensei said while crossing his arms. The grey-haired man even took a stern glance at his lieutenant, who was lying on the ground with such injuries. "Tch, I can't believe he's still a step slow. Tousen's teachings has made him too weak and simpleminded" he then noted lowly to Mashiro, who stood beside him.

"But he can still prove of use to the cause, captain" she told him, only for Kensei to chuckle lowly by hearing this.

"We're no longer captains or lieutenants now, Mashiro" the grey-haired man pointed it out to her, as she listened closely. They could still feel the entire area being black and white. "In this new order, we are brothers and sisters, bound by our common desire to fight injustices. Therefore, we now treat each other with respect and dignity. So call me whatever you like from now on" the grey-haired man insisted to the young girl, who was somewhat stunned to see this new side of Kensei.

Nevertheless, the lime green-haired girl saluted to him in return. "Whatever you say, Kensei. It will take time for me to get used to it tough" she replied to him before glancing over to Rose. "And I'm still gonna call you Rose" Mashino told him.

"Fair enough. I always prefer that name, anyway" Rose said before glancing over to Izuru with a cunning smile of his own. "You heard them, Izuru. Our relationship is no longer that between a captain and a lieutenant. Rather, it's that between two comrades fighting for a just cause" he then told him.

Izuru simply nodded his head in return, never so much as smile at what he heard. "I agree with your words, Otoribashi. In fact, I have gained a new reason to live now" the blonde-haired man added.

"We all have been given a new reason to live" the voice came from the stranger, as he began regaining his blade by collecting the smaller blades and the atmosphere. Somehow, it was quite similar to Byakuya's Zanpakutou: Senbonzakura. "Lord Yhwach will forever do what should've been done many eons ago. The Soul Society need a true king to rule and command it's people. No longer will be succumb to the corruption and lies we were told by that fool Yamamato" he spoke up with an elderly voice. He then motioned towards the white-robed people while pointing at the two Shinigamis lying on the ground. "Bring them to the chambers. It is there where they will be purified of all evil and witchcraft inside of them. They must know the truth" he told the robed men, who willingly obeyed without hesitation.

As soon as Sui-Feng and Shuhei were carried away by these strange monks, the hooded stranger began facing the Shinigamis in white. He would now like a few words with them. But they were interrupted as they could sense Spiritual Pressure near their location. The hooded man faced the stairs and motioned for his comrades to move go on without him. Kensei, Rose, Mashiro and Izuru were astounded by seeing this.

"You four, make sure that they arrive at the Gate of the Sun safely. I will deal with whoever it is that is pursuing us" he told them and they obeyed without hesitation.

The white-hooded Shinigami stood all by himself as he could feel the presence of three Shinigamis appearing on the top of the stairway. He glanced up and could see Rukia Kuchiki, Renji Abarai and Byakuya Kuchiki standing there. Apparently, they had been following the trail of blood that Sui-Feng and Shuhei had left behind, only to see this white-hooded stranger standing there all by himself. It surprised the three Shinigamis that someone were not far from their location.

"I followed the blood trails…only to see this" Renji noted warily while gripping his Zanpakutou firmly. "What the hell is this…another Sternritter?" he then asked while his eyes narrowed.

Rukia was also focused on the individual standing all by himself. "Perhaps. But where's Captain Sui-Feng and Hisagi?" the black-haired woman asked lowly, only to see Byakuya vanish from his spot by using Shunpo. It surprised Rukia and Renji. "Brother! What are you…" she stopped speaking as she also used Shunpo to appear at the end of the stairway, thus standing on the same level as this stranger was.

Renji followed suit. "Captain Kuchiki, why did you…" the red-haired man was interrupted when Byakuya spoke up.

"Rukia, Renji. Take a closer look at this Quincy. Do you notice something stranger about him?" the Captain of Squad 6 told them lowly and the two lieutenants did as he said. So far, the hooded man had not moved an inch, continuing to glance at them with this gaze of his. "If you look closely, you will notice that he is no Sternritter, or not even a Quincy for that matter" the black-haired man then pointed out to them.

The two lieutenants gasped as they heard what he was saying. But it didn't take long before they began to realize what they were now up against. It made them both snap in slight fear.

"You're right…that man…he's no Quincy!" Renji remarked while glancing at the stranger.

"That Spiritual Pressure of his.…..it belongs to a…Shinigami!" Rukia uttered out in shock. Even now, she struggled to hold onto her Zanpakutou. "Who are you!? And why are you dressed like a Quincy!? Have you forsaken the Court Guard for the Wandenreich!?" she then demanded angrily, while struggling to restrain herself from attacking him.

Rukia's eyes snapped as she could see Byakuya block her with his left arm. This indicated that he did not want her to strain herself with such outbursts. It surprised Rukia at first, but she eventually understood what her brother was trying to do. She lowered her Zanpakutou and let Byakuya do the confronting. Renji only stood beside his captain, waiting for him to make his move at him.

"Judging from your enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure, you are not just any ordinary Shinigami. It is in my assumption that you are or were a captain of the Court Guard. Who are you? And why would you forsake your honor to Yhwach?" Byakuya began speaking up while demanding some answers from this stranger.

After standing still for only 4 seconds, the hooded stranger began chuckling to himself, which surprised Byakuya, given that it sounded very familiar to him. Meanwhile, Rukia and Renji felt frustrated by this man's lack of respect and dignity.

"You ask who I am? I had expected better from you, boy" the stranger suddenly spoke up, which only made Byakuya even more surprised. "It appears that I have had too many expectations from you.

"That sanctimonious bastard….." Renji muttered lowly. "He's got some nerve talking to the captain with such level of disrespect" he then added in his thoughts.

Despite him feeling so surprised, Byakuya remained calm. However, he could notice the stranger suddenly pulling out his Zanpakutou slowly. Seeing this, the captain did the same thing with his. His eyes narrowed warily as he could see the stranger suddenly brandish his blade. The stranger then proceeded to point it towards Byakuya, who immediately snapped in realization. The way this man held his Zanpakutou, as well as his stance, it reminded him about someone.

"I believe you are familiar with my stance. Then you probably also know of this blade as well" he then noted with a smug voice.

Rukia could see how slightly uncomfortable her brother was displaying, and she rushed to his side. "Brother! Are you alright? Who is this man?" she asked him before turning her serious eyes on the white-hooded man, who was still pointing his Zanpakutou at the Shinigami trio, or Byakuya to be more specific. "Whoever you are, you'll pay for defecting to the enemy's side!" the young woman then snapped at him.

"I see. This must be your dearest sister-in-law. How poetic. And to think you would honor that miserable street rat Hisana's wishes by adopting her into the family" the stranger spoke up with venom and disgust in his elderly voice. "You even have the nerve to let that worm wear the Kuchiki scarf as well. You disappoint me, Byakuya" he then added to his opinions.

Rukia felt anger boil inside her when she heard this stranger insult both her and her elder sister Hisana. She gripped the hilt of her Zanpakutou firmly. "If I hear you say one more word about my sister, I'll personally come over there and kick your…" as Rukia continued with her warning, she snapped as the stranger vanished from his spot. But it didn't take long before she noticed where he placed himself. He was right beside her. The young woman snapped as she could not believe what was happening to her right now. "WHAT!? WHEN DID YOU…" Rukia paused as she could see her enemy swinging his sword, intending to actually slash her for real.

"Be gone from my sight, vermin!" the stranger bellowed while preparing his attack on Rukia.

"RUKIA!" Renji called out in despair and was about to unleash Zabimaru, only for him to notice his captain making his move.

Right before the enemy's blade could slash Rukia, Byakuya emerged, thus clashing blades with this stranger. It was fortunate that she was showed in the nick of time. The Captain of Squad 6 was not intending on backing down from this challenge, yet he could feel so many thoughts swirl inside his head.

"I knew your true scales would be revealed. Your marriage to that prostitute has corrupted your mind, boy. Whenever I see you now, you only begin to resemble your own father" the stranger then spoke up with his dispassionate voice, only for Byakuya to overpower him and push him some feet away. "I was a fool to let the likes of Yamamoto and Unohana teach about the ways of a captain. It's a mistake that I continue to regret" he added to his statement.

"Shut up!" Byakuya snapped at him angrily and pointed his blade at his opponent. "Who are you!? And how do you know of my family and clan!?" he then demanded an answer out of him.

The hooded stranger suddenly turned around and began removing his hood, which only surprised the three Shinigamis. But for Byakuya, it was shocking. Even though the stranger never turned around to show them his face, they could see his long, grey hair reaching his back. Byakuya remained stunned and he did nothing but see this stranger's back. The stranger even began taking some steps away from the Shinigami trio before putting his white hood again. He then turned around to glance at them, although his gaze was mostly focused on Byakuya.

"Do what you must, Byakuya. But know this. A new Soul Society is on the horizon and I intend on seeing it grow. Under the guidance of our beloved Soul King, we will overcome our fears and struggles. Until we meet again, enjoy the last moments you have" he told them before vanishing from the scene right before their eyes. Even though Byakuya had enough talent to pursue him, the young man never bothered. He was too shocked to even follow him.

"Brother, are you alright?" Rukia asked him lowly.

The black-haired man glanced at her before letting out a deep sigh. "I will be fine. I am shaken, but still fine" the captain responded to her before noticing the trial of blood that led to the alley.

Renji had followed it and he saw nothing but a circle of blood being what was left. It also signaled the end of the blood trail. "Damn it! The blood trail ends here. But it's obvious that white-hooded Shinigami may have played a role in the disappearance of Sui-Feng and Hisagi. If they had been killed then we would've been able to collect their corpses" the Leutenant of Squad 6 noted as he watched the scene.

"What kind of Shinigami would forsake his own people for the Quincies?" Rukia wondered in disbelief.

Byakuya had his eyes closed for a brief moment while thinking about what he had just been told by this Shinigami. It made him grit his teeth slightly, yet he tried not to give into his anger. Was this something his father had warned him about? Byakuya couldn't help but to think about the day he asked guidance from his diseased parents, and only Sojun was willing to appear before hm.

Rukia and Renji were still studying the blood trails, until they could see Byakuya began walking towards the stairway. The captain stopped and decided to tell them about their next move.

"We best regroup with Kyoraku and the others. I will tell him that we failed to find Su-Feng and Hisagi. But with regards to what just transpired before us now" Byakuya said while looking over his shoulder to face the two lieutenants. "It is best if we keep this between us. I would prefer that none of you ever mention it to me again" he said, before walking up the stairs slowly.

Rukia and Renji followed him suit, although there was so many questions that swirled inside their head. They really wanted to ask Byakuya, but by hearing the tone of his voice, they didn't think it was a good idea. Could it be that Byakuya was trying to remained determined on defeating the enemies? Only time would tell. Nevertheless, the two lieutenants could not help but to wonder where Sui-Feng and Shuhei had been taken to. Once they got back, they would definitely be badgered by Marechiyo and maybe Momo.

"Shit…..I've never felt so stupid in my life" Renji noted in his head as he glanced up at his captain. "Did that stranger really piss you off, Captain Kuchiki? I really wish you would start open yourself to me" he then added to his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Rukia thought about the way the stranger spoke to her brother and it astounded her. "That man seemed to know Byakuya really well. He even knew about Hisana. Who is he, really?" she wondered in her head and began glancing up to her brother. "Was that another member of the Kuchiki clan? I have so many questions that I would like you to answer. But since we are in war, I will wait, for now" the black-haired girl added to her thoughts.


In another district in the icy cityscape

While Mayuri had continued his battle with Pernida, Ikkaku and Yumichika had managed to grab their captain and move him away from this chaotic battle. Mayuri had now plans to activate his modified Bankai: Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō: Matai Fukuin Shōtai. With the practically insane captain releasing his Bankai, the two members of Squad 11 knew that this fight would get ugly.

Grabbing Kenpachi, they along with Hanataro went further away from the area the fight was commencing. With Kenpachi too paralyzed and broken to move his body, he would only commit suicide by standing in such fight. Therefore, it was important that Kenpachi was brought to somewhere safe. Then he could begin recuperating.

The three Shinigamis found themselves inside one of the icy buildings in what seemed to be an apartment complex. It seemed as if they were standing in a living room, as it contained furniture belonging to such room. Regardless, it was a safe place for them to assess Kenpachi's critical condition. They removed his shuhakusho and saw his injuries, including the stab he had received from Mayuri to stop Pernida's infiltration of his nerves.

"Captain Zaraki really has taken serious injuries. His whole body looks bent as a pipe" Yumichika noted while noticing how the captain's body looked like.

Ikkaku only scoffed at him. "Tch, how the hell was he supposed to know that thing could infiltrate objects and do with them as it pleased? Or perhaps more importantly, how were we all supposed to know that this freak was actually a giant, fucking hand!?" the baldheaded man then asked out impatiently.

Yumichika sighed while hearing this. "None of us are fortune tellers, Ikkaku. Now quit throwing a tantrum and help us find out how to cure the captain's condition" he said before turning his attention to Hanataro, who had also begun assessing Kenpachi's injuries. "Anything good so far?" the flamboyant man asked the timid medic.

"Not yet. But I can see the reason why Captain Kurotsuchi stabbed him" Hanataro remarked, much to the outrage of the two Squad 11 members. "If he hadn't done that, that Pernida-thing would've completely taken control of his body. Not that I agree with Kurotsuchi's methods" he then insisted to them with hopes of easing their anger.

The two Shinigamis eventually saw the merit in Hanataro's words, considering the fact he was a medic. "Well, you're the doctor here, so we'll have to listen to you" Ikkaku said before glancing at Kenpachi, who was still being able to move his eyeballs. Ikkaku couldn't help but to form a disgusted look on his face. "You know, it really creeps me out that you can move your eyeballs like that, captain. Can you just stop for a second or two?" he asked his captain in a respectful manner, although he was creeped by the moving eyeball as well.

"He can't help it" Yumichika said to him. "At this point, his eyeballs are the only body parts that has remained untouched by Ashisogi Jizo's paralysis. The rest of his body has. He can't even move or speak" he then added while glancing at his paralyzed captain.

Hanataro was in deep thought, until he sighed in distress, which caught both Ikkaku and Yumichika's attentions. Why was he behaving like this? The young medic rose up to his feet. Hanataro gulped.

"I'm sorry, Captain Zaraki. But I don't have any medicine that can cure you as what you are now" the timid medic told him, while making sure Ikkaku and Yumichika were listening as well.

Ikkaku gritted his teeth in anger. "What are you saying, midget? Aren't you supposed to be the medic here!? You're an…." the baldheaded man had his mouth shut by Yumichika, who only sighed annoyingly while doing this.

"I thought I told you to stop throwing these tantrums of yours!" he told him before letting go of Ikkaku. The flamboyant man then glanced out at the windows. "Man, it's a good thing we're safe here. Captain Kurotsuchi must be having fun with that giant hand. I wonder why his lieutenant continued to stay there" he then remarked questionably.

Ikkaku shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me. Frankly, I could care less if that pedo clown gets his ass handed to him by that Pernida-thing, no offense" the baldheaded man remarked before noticing Hanataro drawing out his Zanpakutou. Both him and Yumichika raised eyebrows at this. "What are you doing?" he then asked the young boy.

Hanataro turned around and surpassingly smiled gently at those two Shinigamis. "I said that I may not have medicines that will cure Captain Zaraki, but I have another solution to this problem. And I'm thinking about doing it with the help of my Zanpakutou: Hisagomaru" he said while holding his Zanpakutou.

"Hold on, are you planning on finishing Captain Zaraki off!?" Yumichika asked out in an outraged tone, only to be held back by Ikkaku. This surprised the flamboyant man.

Ikkaku grinned by what he was seeing. "I see. If I recall correctly, your Zanpakutou is capable of healing every wound it touches, rather than inflicting damages" he said before forming a frown with his mouth. "But we're not just talking about serious wounds on the outside, there's also serious wounds on the inside as well" Ikkaku added to his statement.

Hanataro nodded his head at them. "Yeah, but ever since Aizen's defeat, I've been trying to learn how to use my Zanpakutou as a real Shinigami. During this training, I've managed to learn two things that I never thought Hisagomaru could do. Let me show you how" he said while positioning the tip of his blade at Kenpachi's left arm. Hanataro could see Kenpachi glance at him with his eyeball and it made him chuckle nervously. "Sorry, Captain Zaraki. This will sting for a little moment" he said and stabbed Kenpachi's abs with his Zanpakutou. "Fulfill, Hisagomaru" the young medic then released his Zanpakutou.

Yumichika was furious. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR….." he was banged on his head by Ikkaku, thus making him stop. "Why did you….." Yumichika stopped when his partner spoke up.

"And you say that I must stop throwing tantrums? You need to look in a mirror, Yumichika" the baldheaded man said while pointing his finger towards the meter on Hanataro's Zanpakutou. "Besides, look at the meter" he then pointed out to him.

The two Shinigamis watched as Hanataro pulled out Hisagomaru from Kenpachi's arm. As soon as it was pulled out, it began moving on its own. Both Ikkaku and Yumichka were stunned to see this. It was actually Kenpachi being able to move his left arm.

Hanataro sighed. "Well, that takes care of that" he noted and then proceeded to find a new place to stab his blade in. "I think I'll go for your back this time. Please don't hate me for this, because it will sting a bit" he said and proceeded to stab the tall captain on his back.

"Holy asscrackers….." Ikkaku uttered out lowly by what he was seeing. "Hanataro…..your Zanpakutou is….capable of healing serious wounds on the inside as well" he then added with amazement in his eyes.

"It has also removed the paralysis of Ashisogi Jizo" Yumichika added while seeing Kenpachi being able to even stretching his left arm. He then glanced at Kenpachi's missing right arm. "But I don't suppose you can bring back the captain's right arm" he then added.

As Hanataro pulled Hisogamaro out of Kenpachi's back, he was able to lean at his own will. The timid medic then began searching for a new place to stab his Zanpakutou. He also watched the meter on his blade. "I think your two legs should be able to fulfill the meter. Once the meter's full and transforms my blade into Akeiro Hisagomaru, I will show you the second thing I learned my Zanpakutou could too. But it's gonna cost me a lot of energy" he said while even glancing at the floor. However, the young boy began forming a determined look on his face. "But I don't care about that! I also wanna be helping others! I no longer want to be the one who always ends up being helped. It's time I also got the chance of being a hero here" he said and then stabbed Kenpachi's left leg.

When Hanataro was finished with both legs, Kenpachi was able to move and even stand up on his own feet. However, he still lacked the ability to speak and his right arm hadn't been regained. Both Ikkaku and Yumichika were stounded by what they were seeing.

"I can't believe it…." Yumichika uttered out lowly while glancing at the young medic. "And your rank in Squad 4 is the co-4th seat? If I was your captain, I would've promoted you to lieutenant" the flamboyant man told Hanataro, who chuckled nervously in return.

Ikkaku chuckled smugly while hearing this. "Lieutenant? I think Hanataro would rather do well as Captain of Squad 4, if you ask me" he said before glancing up to his captain. "Wouldn't you agree, captain?" Ikkaku asked Kenpachi, who why not being able to speak, simply nodded his head as a yes, indicating that he was also impressed by Hanataro's skills.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear this" Hanataro noted before holding Akeiro Hisagomaru in his hand. "While I have managed to heal the injuries on the inside, Captain Zaraki still hasn't his voice or right arm. Once again, I'm gonna have to rely on my Zanpakutou to do that" the young medic noted while glancing at the full meter.

"So, are you gonna stab Captain Zaraki with that tiny blade?" Yumichika wondered with a raised eyebrow.

Hanataro shook his head as a no. "No. When Hisagomaru is full it can do two things. The first alternative is the one that unleashes its full power to attack enemies with. But the other alternative is something that I learned not long ago. Instead of using my blade to destroy, I will use the blade's butt to heal. But this type of healing will be very different from those of ordinary medics" Hanataro said as he moved close to Kenpachi's toned stomach. "This can only happen if my own Spiritual Pressure comes into contact with yours, Captain Zaraki. I'll have to warn you though, it will be quite powerful. Do I have your permission to do this?" he then asked the tall captain, who glanced down at him.

Before Hanataro even knew it, Kenpachi simply made a thumb up gesture with his left hand. It surprised the young medic and the two members of Squad 11. However, it only indicated that Kenpachi was ready for this treatment and willing to receive it. He even nodded his head to comfirm that Hanataro had his permission.

Both Ikkaku and Yumichika smiled by what they were seeing. "You heard him, Hanataro. Give it into him" Ikkaku told the young medic.

Hanataro nodded his head as a yes and then proceeded to yell out loud as he landed the butt of his blade on Kenpachi's stomach. The moment it hit the stomach, a powerful aftershock erupted and it sent the three Shinigamis flying throughout the room. To them, it was almost as if a bomb had exploded and Hanataro, Ikkaku and Yumichika crashed into the wall. However, as soon as 10 seconds had passed, both Ikkaku and Yumichika opened their eyes.

"Ouch…I think I've got a bump on the back of my head!" Ikkaku groaned as he rubbed his bald head.

"Healing!? I would rather call this a suicidal…." Yumichika stopped speaking as he and Ikkaku were stunned from what they were seeing before them.

Standing before them was their captain, all healed up and perfectly fine. There was no cut to be seen on Kenpachi's exposed torso and his right arm had been regained. The long-haired man only began clenching his hands, while trying to stretch his neck, thus managing to crack some bones.

"Argh…...that felt good. I can't believe I was like this for so long" Kenpachi spoke up with relief in his voice. But he suddenly snapped in realization. "Holy hell, even my lungs seem to have recuperated greatly. As has my toes" he added while trying to do some stretching.

The two members of Squad 11 were astounded and happy at the same time. "Captain! You're back!" they both said at the same time, being happy that Kenpachi was fully cured from his critical condition.

Kenpachi grinned at them cockily. "Damn straight! You think I was gonna let a giant-ass hand defeat me? Fuck no! No way I'm gonna die by the likes of that" he boasted proudly as any warrior would. He then put on his shuhakusho and grabbed his Zanpakutou. While he did that, he glanced out from the window to notice Spiritual Pressures. "I feel there's one hell of a fight happening not far from us. And from the looks of it, Kurotsuchi seems to be in some kind of trouble. As smart as he is, that giant hand will only outsmart him one way or another" he then noted warily.

"You're right" Yumichika noted while he also glanced out of the window. "But are you sure you want to fight that…" the flamboyant man stopped as he could see Kenpachi glance at him with a stubborn and strict gaze.

"Listen up, you two! Like it or not, I'm ain't gonna let that giant hand get away with making an ass out of me! I owe him a knucklesandwich! And I also owe Kurotsuchi a favor. He did after all save me from getting my ass ripped apart. But above all, I'm heading back to the battle!" Kenpachi declared.

"YES, CAPTAIN ZARAKI!" both Ikkaku and Yumichika said at the same time, confirming their undying loyalty to their captain.

But Kenpachi suddenly noticed Hanataro lying unconscious against the wall and he walked over to the young medic. Both his subordinates were surprised to see what he was doing with Hanataro. The usually ferocious Captain of Squad 11 leaned down to the young boy's level.

"I owe ya big time, Yamada. I knew it was a good thing that you joined with us. When you're awake, I'll express my gratitude to ya" Kenpachi said before slowly and steadily carrying the unconscious medic on his left shoulder. "I'll make sure that you're not harmed. Hey Ikkaku, Yumichika" he turned around while calling on his subordinates.

"Captain Zaraki…" Ikkaku said lowly. "Are you taking him with you?" he then asked his captain.

"Damn right I am. When we get to the battlefield, I'll leave you two in charge of keeping Yamada safe from all harm. And don't you dare let harm come to him! This kid actually saved my ass for real, instead of Kurotsuchi. He's someone I'm happy to feel grateful towards" Kenpachi told them while proceeding to move, with both Ikkaku and Yumichika following him.

They were stunned by what they were just hearing. "I don't know about you, but this is the first time I've heard the captain speaking positively about Squad 4's medics" Yumichika whispered into his partner.

Ikkaku only shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not surprised. He pretty much looked up to Unohana" the baldheaded man whispered back to him, making sure that their captain was not aware of this conversation.

The three members of Squad 11 then headed out of the building and into the battlefield, hoping to see what Mayuri had been doing while they had been stuck behind the lines.

To be continued…


Author's note: Chapter 38 complete. It was mostly focused on the first phase of Mayuri's battle with Pernida. I'm also deciding to do some changes with regards to this fight, so Kenpachi will come into the picture. That is why I also focused on how Kenpachi was cured and regained his right arm. I also wanted Hanataro to have some relevance in this chapter, considering that he was mostly forgotten in the canon story. We also saw what Shuhei and Sui-Feng were up against and they have been captured by these white-dressed followers of Yhwach, who are Souls and Shinigamis. Now who is this man that kept badgering Byakuya and his family? He possesses a Zanpakutou named Kazeshiragiku. The next chapter will tell us about how Kenpachi comes into the fight, and will probably tell us about Ichigo and his group. But the rest, I'm not sure of. Anyway, hoped you enjoyed reading this chapter.