Here it is, the final chapter of this arc! The next one is an interlude, so hopefully this absolute monster of a chapter manages to answer all of your questions. If not, feel free to ask them in the comments.

Enjoy!


Part I

Ichigo couldn't remember the last time he'd seen this many panicked Shinigami in a single place. Maybe it happened before he was officially one himself, he really couldn't be sure, but here he found himself witnessing this kneeling on the ground with his father limp in his arms.

When a medic came to take the man away, all he could do was nod numbly. When he saw them scrambling about to pick up the wounded, Ryoka included, all he could do was stare.

Captain Komamura…

Captain Commander Yamamoto…

Uryuu…

Orihime…

Tatsuki…

Rukia

So many were wounded, dying even, because of him.

No, not because of me. I know exactly who did this.

So lost in his own thoughts, it took Ichigo a second to realize someone was trying to get his attention.

"E-excuse me…Lieutenant Shiba, sir?" A shy looking Fourth Division member had his hand stretched out to Ichigo, as if to tap him on the shoulder.

"…Sorry," Ichigo said, shaking head. "What were you saying?"

The officer, Hantarō Yamada, Third Seat, if Ichigo remembered correctly, repeated what he had said. "Well, your father…um, Captain Shiba, we're treating him at the moment, and he's asked to see you."

This grabbed Ichigo's attention immediately. Without a second to lose he picked himself off the ground, standing to his full height as he demanded, "Take me to him."

He was led through a sort of organized chaos walking past stretchers as well as Captains speaking together in hushed tones. He was finally brought to where his father was lying down, two medics kneeling next to him, a healing light emanating from their hands. His old man didn't look good, that was certain, but Ichigo was still pretty sure it took more than that to kill ol' goat face.

"Captain Shiba," Hantarō said softly, "your…err, Lieutenant Shiba is here."

At those words Isshin shifted ever so slightly, and Ichigo let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. Ichigo kneeled next to him immediately and watched in relief as one of his dad's eyes cracked open.

"Yeah, dad," he said a little breathlessly, "I'm here."

Isshin let out a low croaking laugh. "'Dad'? I can't even remember the last time you've called me that."

Ichigo cracked a smile. "Don't get used to it, old man."

"Tsk, that's more like it."

A warm feeling built up in Ichigo's chest as his father said this. As long as they were on the subject of reminiscing, gods, when was the last time he and his dad just talked? His smile dropped as he realized just how sad that really was.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo."

The Lieutenant's brow furrowed in confusion. "Sorry? For what? You almost got yourself killed, just to save me."

"Only in the end." His father's voice had a miserable tinge to it.

Whatever argument Ichigo had brewing in his head, he decided not to say it.

Isshin continued, "I should have been doing it from the beginning. I'm your father. Hell, I should have been working harder than anyone else to get you back, and I definitely should have known that Aizen was up to something like this."

"As if that's fair," Ichigo finally scoffed. "No one knew what that bastard was up to."

Isshin broke his gaze saying, "Yeah, I guess no one did, not really."

Not really?

Those words had Ichigo pausing. He would have asked what his father meant right then and there, but he remembered where he was, that there were a couple dozen ears around him probably looking to glean whatever they could from this mess. The time to ask would come later, preferably with Urahara there, as well.

"You were working," Ichigo said instead. "You probably sent at least a hundred appeals to Central Forty-Six. You just didn't know they were already dead."

"But it still wasn't enough. I never do enough."

Ichigo frowned. "I'm here now," he insisted. "I'm still alive. That proves it was enough."

"Yeah…" Isshin trailed off. He was staring into space now, like he was lost in thought, and Ichigo had a solid hunch that whatever he might say to the man wouldn't really be heard.

So, Ichigo decided to just sit there on the ground and watch the healing, silent and watching, brushing off anyone who tried to take him away to get checked over. He felt fine. Right now, this was where he belonged.

Part II

She was staring at white. That was the first thing Rukia realized as she slowly dragged her eyes open. There were white walls, a white ceiling. Where on earth was she?

The second thing she realized that her mouth was about as dry as could be, like someone had replaced her tongue with a wad of cotton. It took her a minute to fully rouse, but once she did, she quickly realized she wasn't alone.

"Seriously?" a hushed voice sounded. "You guys took down the Captain Commander? Damn it! Why couldn't I have been there…"

"Trust me, you're lucky you weren't," a tired voice responded.

"Shh! Guys!" a deep voice urged. "I think she's awake!"

Rukia's plain view of the ceiling suddenly became much less plain as Ganju and Renji crowded over her, blinking owlishly at her. Rukia stared blankly back up at them.

"…Help me up?" she eventually croaked out.

Renji swept in immediately, a steadying hand at her back as he dragged her up into a sitting position, sheets tangling at her waist. "You doing okay?" he asked.

She experimentally poked at her own stomach, surprised to find herself in no pain whatsoever. "I thi–"

She cut herself off with a hacking cough.

"Oh, shit!" Renji exclaimed, scrambling for something just out of view. He came back with a filled glass of water and held it out to her. "Uh…here."

She took it gratefully, starting off with a tentative sip that soon turned into greedy gulps. The whole glass ended up being emptied in about a second. She considered asking for another one.

"Thanks, I needed that," she said, wiping the excess off her lips. "I was going to say I'm feeling pretty good, considering. How long was I out?"

"About a day," Renji said with a crooked smile. "You sure gotta give it to these Shinigami. Their healing's amazing."

"That might be underselling it," Rukia grumbled, Orihime's shield firmly in her mind. Then, sitting up straighter, Rukia remembered someone else that needed plenty of healing. "Where's Ishida?" she asked.

"Ishida's right here," the Quincy said sarcastically. He was sitting on his own bed just past Renji a meter away. He looked exhausted, but if he had the energy to be snarky already, he couldn't have been that bad. Before Rukia had the chance to say something sarcastic back, someone knocked quietly at the door.

"Hello?" a sweet voice called. The door opened slowly.

In walked Orihime, several bundles of fabric stacked in her arms, a bandage wrapped around her head. Rukia couldn't help but smile, and the moment Orihime met Rukia's eyes, she was smiling back.

"Rukia, you're awake!" she cried, dropping the fabric at the foot of the bed. She hurried over to Rukia's side, gently nudging Renji away.

"Yeah," Rukia answered, feeling just a little awkward. "I see you're alright."

"Mm-hmm!" she sounded with an enthusiastic nod. She pointed to her bandage. "No need to worry about me. I've got a hard head. I went back to work hours ago. Now, let me have a look at you."

Rukia tried not to squirm through the examination as she had her pulse checked, her breathing checked, and all sorts of other things monitored that she wasn't sure about through various methods and the occasional muttered spell. It was over in a few short minutes, luckily.

"It looks like your doing good," Orihime said, patting Rukia on the knee. "You may even be up for a bit of walking around."

"That's good to hear," Rukia said with relief.

"But!" Orihime added with a stern expression. "You can't strain yourself. No running, no Hohō, and you're going to be back here by sundown for another checkup. That includes you Ishida!"

Rukia heard the Quincy grumble to himself quietly at that. Rukia had to choke down her own laugh at the response.

"I will," Rukia assured. This made Orihime's smile return.

"Good!" she said. "And since no one likes walking around in hospital scrubs, I've brought these." She reached down to grab from the top of the pile, showing off a lively patterned cotton fabric.

Orihime separated the pile to reveal sets of Yukata and Obi belts. Rukia probably would have preferred regular clothes, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. Orihime placed one of the sets in Rukia's lap, a light blue floral Yukata with a soft yellow belt. She hoped dearly that she remembered how to tie these.

"Okay, let's get you up and dressed," Orihime said cheerfully. Shooing the boys to the other side of the room entirely with their own sets. She shut the curtain between them.

As it turned out, no, Rukia did not remember how to tie an Obi, but Orihime was more than willing to help. Rukia had to say that the girl had pretty good taste, too. The set looked rather cute. She even provided matching sandals. (And showed her how to hook her Zanpakuto into the wide belt.) By the time Rukia was fully dressed and out the door, the others had already left.

"We'll just meet them outside," Orihime said easily.

The two walked through the infirmary towards the exit. It looked busy there, not that Rukia had a proper frame of reference. People were bustling around, often carrying various charts and carting along machines. The two got a few stares here and there, but much to Rukia's surprise, nothing more than that. It was then that she realized just how weird this whole scenario really was.

"Hey," Rukia started. Orihime glanced over her shoulder at the girl. "Why aren't we prisoners."

"I was wondering that myself not too long ago," Orihime admitted with a wry grin, "but after all that happened with Capt–" she corrected herself, "Sōsuke Aizen, the Captain Commander decided we have bigger things to worry about. Apparently one of the first things he did after waking up was pardon all of us."

Rukia's eyes widened. "Seriously? He does realize we tried to kill him, right?"

Orihime nodded furiously. "That's exactly what I said! According to Captain Unohana, and I quote, his exact words were," she said the next words with a rough approximation of a grumbly old man voice, "'As if those were the first youngsters to try and send me to my grave.' Amazing, huh?"

"That's more than amazing…"

It was then that they reached the entrance, the other three standing outside as promised, fully dressed. Ganju was wearing a green plaid Yukata with a black belt. Ishida was in a white and navy-blue checkered Yukata, red belt. Renji was in a striped burgundy Yukata, white belt.

(Rukia had never actually seen Renji in a Yukata or Kimono before. It suited him.)

"Hey," Rukia said with a wave, stepping over the threshold.

"Yo!" he said with a grin.

"Well, don't you all look nice," Orihime complimented. "Since we're all officially pardoned, I was thinking I'd show you around. This is my Division, after all, and the Soul Society is much nicer when you don't have to sneak. At least I think it is."

"Sounds good to me," Renji said, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

"Yeah," Ganju agreed. "Just about every member of my family works here, but I've barely seen the place."

"I'm alright with that," Rukia added.

It took a second or two, but Ishida finally said, "I guess that'd be fine."

Renji snickered. "You know you can drop the whole 'lone wolf' act, right. No one's buying it anymore."

Ishida rolled his eyes. "What do you want me to say?" He put on a fake silly smile and exclaimed, "'Oh boy, I sure want to see the Soul Society!'" The smile dropped into something deeply annoyed. "I said it was fine."

Rukia knew she had to stop this before they all ended up standing there watching these two argue until the sun went down. "Don't worry Ishida," she said as calmly as possible. "We all know what you meant."

"Thank you," he said, arms crossed. Then, his face snapped into a scowl. "Hey!"

Choking on a laugh, Orihime actually stopped this from going any further.

"I think now might be a good time to start the tour," she sniggered out. She took a brief moment to compose herself, but Rukia could still see her lips twitch.

She began, "The building you've all just walked out of is what most would call the heart and soul of the Fourth Division. The Gotei Thirteen may be a combat organization, but we do much more than just fight. As you've all probably figured out, my Division specializes in healing, and our Captain, Retsu Unohana, probably spends more time here than she does her own office. Now, all these buildings around you…"

Rukia listened carefully to Orihime's explanations on the various barracks and supply halls, taking in every detail. It wasn't every day that you got to explore another world, and Rukia wasn't going to waste a single minute of it.

What struck her most was the efficiency at which everything and everyone moved. She remembered seeing the Soul Society as rather cold and clinical when she first arrived, but here in this densely populated area, watching people walk this way and that to their various jobs, talking, eating, or just trying to catch a minute or two of breath, she didn't think that way at all.

It definitely helped that Orihime just had so much to say on every little detail. She never ran out of things to mention about how this place and its members functioned, having random anecdotes to throw in every once in a while about a specific building, or even specific person. She was deep in some story about her very first trainee when the group was interrupted.

"Hey, just the people I was looking for." In front of them stood a grinning Tatsuki, a few bandages peaking out above her collar being the only sign she was ever hurt at all.

(Rukia remembered her screams very well, too well. It was good to see her looking healthy.)

Flanking Tatsuki was a Captain, and if Komamura was the largest Captain Rukia had ever seen, the one in front of her was definitely the smallest. He barely even came up to Tatsuki's chest. The Captain had white hair and a stern expression that looked just a little odd on someone that seemed like they could be in middle school. It was a face that also looked strangely familiar.

She realized she was staring just a little too long when the Captain sent a glare her way. She looked away as quickly as she could, just as Orihime was bowing deeply to the boy, addressing him properly.

Tatsuki continued, "Captain Urahara says he wants see you guys. I'd take you there myself, but…"

"But, you were supposed to report to the infirmary over an hour ago for another checkup," Orihime said with a rather scary looking smile.

"I apologize for that," Captain Hitsugaya answered. (He even sounded like a middle schooler!) "Work in our Division has piled up lately. I came to escort her personally, as well as to see…Captain Shiba and Momo."

"You should be able to see Lieutenant Hinamori just fine," Orihime started, "but I'm sorry to say that only family is allowed to see Captain Shiba at the moment."

The boy looked crestfallen at that, gazing at the ground.

"Then he'll definitely be let in!" Tatsuki said confidently. "Honorary Shibas, remember?"

"Tch, no way they'd keep you out!" Ganju assured.

"See, nothing to worry about." Tatsuki nudged the Captain on the shoulder with a grin, something that he didn't seem to like judging by the look he gave her. It didn't deter her, though.

At the very least he seemed a little happier.

"I'll make sure to catch you later, 'Hime," Tatsuki said, heading back in the direction of the infirmary again. "And Urahara…"

"I'll take them there. We're pretty close, anyway."

"Thanks." Tatsuki gave her a "thumbs-up", and with that she and her Captain left.

Using her tour guide voice Orihime said with a smile, "Captain Tōshiro Hitsugaya is the youngest Captain the Soul Society's ever had, actually! He was only one hundred years old when he was given his rank a little under twenty years ago."

He's how old?!

Rukia had almost forgotten how weird aging was in the Soul Society. She wondered how old that would make someone like the Captain Commander, then.

"Now, let's take our little tour over to the Twelfth Division."

Orihime wasn't wrong. The Twelfth Division wasn't very far from the Fourth. (No, Rukia didn't understand the layout, either.) A couple minutes of walking and one sign post later and suddenly Shinigami carrying med packs were traded in for Shinigami in what appeared to be their equivalent of a lab coat. Orihime would go on to explain that while the Fourth Division was the "Medical" Division, the Twelfth was the "Science" Division. In retrospect it made sense that the man that made something as strange as the Hogyoku was the Captain of such a group.

The Hogyoku

Rukia hadn't thought of that little thing since before waking up. Someone had made that horrible crystal, and someone else had thought it desirable enough to kill over. They had already met the latter. It was time to meet the former.

Needless to say, she was nervous.

"Hey." Rukia jumped.

"A little stressed out, huh?" Renji said with a nervous smile. Rukia fell back next to them, frowning.

"I'm that obvious, huh?" she asked with a grimace.

"A little, yeah."

Normally that kind of response would have made Rukia crack a smile, but now, it only made her frown grow deeper. Renji scratched the back of his neck, looking completely out of his element.

"While you were out cold," he started, "Yoruichi stopped by. She didn't say much, just that this 'Urahara' guy would want to see us and that we should trust him. I mean, I'm not really sure if I want to, not after everything I've heard about him, but if Yoruichi thinks we should…"

Rukia's mouth quirked upwards. She felt herself relax.

"You just made that up, didn't you?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

Renji's eyes widened right before he looked away.

"You can't prove that," he grumbled. Rukia smiled wider.

"You always know what to say, don't you?"

She saw Renji''s shoulders relax a bit at that, and swore she could see him blushing, though his face was turned away. She tried to move around him, just to get a better look, but he only turned further. She quickly gave up, shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Here we are!" Orihime announced. "The Twelfth Division Headquarters. Fun fact, they also double as their main labs, with the Captain's personal laboratory being right here."

The Shinigami walked them all through the large double doors that made the entrance. The first thing Rukia noticed, aside from the sprawling labs before them, was the receptionist counter blocking them all off from it with surprisingly modern looking barrier turnstiles attached to it. Behind the counter sat what looked like a ten-year-old girl in a Shinigami uniform.

The girl had black hair done up in pigtails, though her bangs still seemed to get in her eyes as she brushed them away every so often to better see the book she was delicately flipping through on the desk. She looked up at them the second they were all in, a shy look on her face as she shifted on the stool, eyes going over every single one of them. She settled on Orihime.

"Miss Inoue," she said in a quiet voice, closing her book. "I didn't think you'd be here so soon."

"We were already up and about when Tatsuki found us," Orihime explained. "We decided to just head straight here. I hope that wasn't a problem…"

"No, no, it's fine," the girl said, hoping down from her stool. "Urahara isn't busy right now, anyway." She typed a few keys in to something that Rukia could't quite see, and suddenly the barrier was open. "Please come right in."

Crossing the barrier Rukia took in everything from the girl's rosy cheeks to the little pink straps on her wooden sandals. She was really quite adorable.

"I could take you to the Captain…if you'd like," the girl said, eyes shyly on the ground.

"That'd be wonderful, Ururu," Orihime said with a gentle smile.

The little girl nodded, and with a gesture of her hand said, "Please follow me."

Orihime turned back to the group briefly, saying, "This girl's name is Ururu Tsumugiya. She's one of Captain Urahara's experiments, and the main entrance's guard. I wouldn't recommend trying to sneak in while she's around."

Well, that not ominous.

Ururu lead them through the labs, Rukia finally getting a good look at the interior, and she really did have to say, it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.

Yes, a few of the Shinigami were a little strange looking, but most of what she saw was just chemistry equipment. There were a few machines she didn't recognize, but just as many that she did. As it turned out, the turnstile wasn't the only modern thing this place had. Something about that was quite refreshing, in fact.

They're led ever deeper, and things get a little stranger from then on. There was a machine manufacturing what looked like Soul Candy, a large tank with an unnervingly human looking Gigai, and plenty of stuff that left her unsure of what she was even looking at. They walked past all that to reach a section of the lab that seemed sequestered away from all of that.

It was an area of the building were machines were lined edge to edge, wrapping around and head towards a computer that reached the ceiling. Crouched in front of it was a scruffy looking blonde man in a Captain's Haori that didn't seem to notice them.

The red-haired boy (that looked just a little younger than Ururu and was also in a Shinigami uniform) who was sitting on the counter, kicking his feet as his fingers rapidly pressed the buttons on a Gameboy (wow, Rukia really didn't think she'd see one of those here) did notice them. He nudged the Captain in the side with his foot.

"Urahara," the boy grumbled. "People are here."

The blonde man sat up straight, glancing at the boy and then over his shoulder, eyes obscured by goggles. Standing up, he took them off and placed them on the counter, facing them.

Kisuke Urahara was a shockingly normal looking man. He looked maybe a few years older than Byakuya, though he had a much more laid-back look about him. He had stubble on his face, and his sandy blonde hair fell into his eyes. He leaned casually against the desk behind him. He wasn't at all what Rukia had imagined.

"Ah, sorry about that," he said with a grin, brushing the hair out of his eyes. "I can get a little wrapped up, you know. It's great to finally meet all of you."

Rukia frowned at this. She didn't think there were any Captains that were "happy to meet them".

"So," he continued, finger pointing at them one at a time. "You must be Uryuu Ishida, the Quincy." He was right. "You're Renji Abarai." Right again. "I already know you, Ganju." Ganju grinned in response. "And that would make you," he looked at Rukia then, eyes curious, "Rukia Orikasa."

Rukia frowned. It was generally seen as rude to not let someone introduce themselves. Then there was that emphasis on her. She found that somewhat unsettling.

"If you haven't guessed already," he continued, "I was your contact."

Rukia eyes widened. Okay, she hadn't quite seen that one coming. (Though perhaps she should have.)

"I know, I know, I've got a lot of explaining to do."

You bet your ass you do.

Judging by the look the Captain gave her, how he averted his eyes guiltily, that sentiment was plain on her face. The easy smile he'd been holding dropped.

"You should probably sit down. This may take a while."

Part III

Honestly, Uryuu found the labs unsettling.

No, he hadn't noticed anything heinous in the tanks. None of the machines set off any "mad scientist" alarms in his head. He just remembered the stories he'd heard when he was younger.

Though his grandfather would hesitate to say such things around a young Uryuu, Uryuu's father had no qualms with it. He told Uryuu plenty about the dozens of Quincy carted off to these labs many years ago. Now, Uryuu had no idea if the Shinigami standing in front of him had anything to do with those, and while he wasn't eager to trust the man, he was at least willing to hear him out.

Brushing a hand through his hair and looking incredibly unsure as to whether he even wanted to be here, Captain Urahara began speaking.

"A lot of what you've already heard about me is true. I made the Hogyoku a little over a hundred years ago out of some morbid curiosity. I quickly figured out what it could do, so I decided to lock it away in this lab under the toughest security possible. This was probably where I made my first mistake."

"Your first mistake was…. hiding it?" Orikasa asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

Urahara shook his head. "Making it," he corrected, "and it didn't take Aizen too long to realize what I had done. He'd requested to see it and study it for himself numerous times, and I always rejected him. It was around then that I started realizing our sweet and likable Captain wasn't quite what he seemed."

"Tch, I'd hardly call that man sweet," Uryuu scoffed.

Urahara let out a chuckle. "No, I suppose you wouldn't, not with the first impression you kids got."

With a grimace Inoue said, "The Aizen we knew was always nice. He was the kind of person that you could always approach if you had a problem and the very last person you'd expect to do something like…this."

"No one saw his betrayal coming," Urahara confirmed with a mirthless smile, "save for a few, but we were special cases, all people that he'd managed to cross long before his 'official' betrayal. You know most of them: Yoruichi, Tensai, Kukaku, Isshin, and me.

"Of course, now, everyone knows, and you can bet with everyone involved, no matter what happens, things are bound to get interesting real soon."

Everyone involved… but me.

The thought left a cold pit in Uryuu's stomach.

"Sir," Orihime started, "I understand us Shinigami working to stop Aizen, but the humans have done enough. They should be going back to their old lives, not fighting to fix…our mess."

For a couple of seconds Urahara didn't answer, seeming to genuinely consider it. "Abarai and Ishida could probably do that no problem. You too, Ganju, but Orikasa? I'm not so sure."

Orikasa paled slightly at this; her fists clenched. She kept her eyes firmly on the ground. For some reason, though, she didn't look surprised.

The Captain explained himself, his eyes firmly on Uryuu's classmate. "The Hogkyoku erases the barrier between Shinigami and Hollow, and from what I understand, Orikasa, it's done just that with you. I expect Aizen to be very interested in you for the foreseeable future."

Orikasa didn't raise her head, and her expression tightened as she processed the news. Whatever look Urahara was giving her at that time, Uryuu couldn't read it.

"Well," the Captain said suddenly, clearing his throat, "that's really all I have to say, and I doubt you want to be cooped up in some stuffy old lab all day just listening to me talk." Sitting back down in his chair, he made a shooing gesture giving them all an easy smile. "Go, be young, enjoy yourselves!"

Uryuu took that as a cue to stand up from his chair, and the second he did he realized just how exhausted he felt, mentally and physically. This was way too much to take in and judging by the pained expressions on the others' faces, they all felt the same.

Just as Ururu was about to lead them out, hand tugging on one of her pigtails as she eyed the path they had just came from, Orikasa stood up straight and bowed to the man.

"Thank you," she said. "You helped us in ways we probably don't even know. For that, we're grateful."

"Ah, I didn't do as much as you think," Urahara insisted looking even more uncomfortable than before.

Orikasa just kept her head low. After about a second Inoue followed, and then Abarai, and then Ganju. With much hesitation, so did Uryuu.

(One bow wouldn't hurt, and Orikasa did have a point there. Besides, he'd probably never see this man again.)

They were escorted out the same way they came in, Inoue trying (and failing) to keep the same enthusiasm in her tour. Uryuu lagged behind.

Part IV

As the group made slow progress back to the infirmary, Rukia's mind drifted. No, she wasn't naïve enough to think that this whole ordeal with Aizen was anywhere near over, but she'd also thought that she'd be able to go after him should the need arise. Now, she knew it was likely going to be the other way around.

That was a scary thought.

Beside her she could see the others looking concerned, even distressed about what they'd just heard, though none looked more downtrodden than Ishida. He was at the very back of the group, head down, and looking like he just wanted to be left alone (more than usual, anyway). He almost looked sad.

Rukia moved to the side near Renji just in time to see him send their friend a concerned glance of his own.

"Hey," she whispered to him. "Do you know what's got Ishida like…that?"

"No idea," he whispered back. "The last time I saw him like that we were stuck in the Second Division thinking we were going to get tortured."

"Wait you were what?!" she asked incredulously. Then, she shook her head furiously. "Never mind, tell me later."

Renji shrugged his shoulders, as if to try and pass it off as being no big deal. This did nothing to comfort Rukia. "So, what," he said. "Do you think we should go talk to him?"

"Maybe, if…" she trailed off, suddenly remembering a specific detail of their tour. "Orihime!"

"Yes?" the girl called back, looking quite relieved. Only then did Rukia realize no one but the Shinigami had said something in some time.

"Uh… Renji, Ishida, and I are going to the gardens, if that's alright."

"Yeah, we're just going to walk around for a bit," Renji improvised, "I mean it's so long since we've been able to just 'hang out', you know?"

The use of slang seemed to go over the Shinigami's head, but she nodded all the same, seeming to understand the point. "Sure," she said, "just come back soon. You don't want to overwork yourselves."

"Thank you!" Rukia said with a smile. Looking back, she could see Ishida, still walking, probably having not heard a single word they'd said. She sent a sly grin to Renji.

Before the Quincy even knew what hit him the two friends hooked one arm each into one of his and started dragging him away.

"Time for a change of scenery, four eyes," Renji said with a snicker.

"What are you doing?" Ishida asked, eyes wide. Rukia had to admit, the look on his face was priceless.

"We're just going to talk," Rukia said plainly. He didn't seem assured by that in the slightest.

The two quickly found the entrance to the gardens, stepping in through the gates and yes, it was just as beautiful as Orihime had described.

There were stone paths leading through a quiet grassy area, well kept and pristine. Tall twisting trees loomed overhead and going in further they could see a bench placed before a pristine pond. Rukia made sure to steer them there. She and Renji sat Ishida on the center of the bench, sitting down on either side of him the second they let go.

For a moment they sat their quietly, Ishida shifting uncomfortably between the two. Rukia took that time to enjoy the view, seeing the way the setting sun reflected off the pond's surface, appreciating the plants that grew on the shoreline. She almost felt sad that they weren't just here to admire the scenery and that they had more pressing matters at hand.

"Why did you bring me here?" Ishida asked, scowling.

"We were worried, dumbass," Renji said.

Rukia nodded. "You haven't been yourself today, at all."

Ishida didn't say anything.

"Talk to us Ishida," Rukia said with a sigh. "We're your friends."

"Or don't," Renji said with a shrug. "If you tell us to fuck off, we won't argue."

"Much," Rukia added.

Something in Ishida's expression cracked at that. His annoyance seemed to melt away then replaced by something even worse. He looked defeated.

"I lost my Quincy powers."

A few beats passed after that.

"…Are you serious?" Rukia quietly asked.

"I wouldn't joke about something like this," he said tersely. "The technique I used to take down the Captain Commander took everything I had. I realized there was nothing left when I woke up this morning."

His gaze was on his lap. His hands were limp at his side. Rukia…she'd never seen him like this before, not even close.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say.

"You have nothing to apologize for. It was my choice… I just need some time."

"Do you want us to stay or…?" Renji trailed off, a deep frown on his face.

"I'd like to be alone."

Rukia bit her lip, nodding to herself. "Okay, we'll give you some time alone, then." Even as she said this, her and Renji sent each other worried glances over Ishida's hunched shoulders. They stood up, getting ready to head back to the infirmary.

"…Thanks."

The two stopped. Rukia looked back at Ishida, questioning.

"I…I needed to say that out loud," he elaborated. "So, thanks."

He didn't say anything else after that. He just stared out into the water. He looked better, if only marginally so. They walked back into the halls in the infirmary feeling entirely unsure. Making it all the way to the hospital room, Rukia sat down on her bed quietly, Renji nearly collapsing into the chair next to her.

"There's got to be something we can do…right?" Renji asked suddenly.

Rukia shook her head with a grimace. "We barely even know anything about our own powers, much less his." The words felt wrong to Rukia's ears. He was their friend. Wasn't there anything they could do?

"Hey, things could have been a lot worse," Renji tried. Rukia snorted.

"Yeah, like apparently you could have gotten tortured."

"Or you could have gotten defeated by that psycho-crazy Captain that I heard so much about!"

"Pfft," she chuckled, "you don't even know the half of it."

They ended up exchanging those two stories, as well as other weird anecdotes they could drudge up for each other. The back and forth was nice, familiar. It felt like they hadn't done this in forever, just talked. Rukia made sure to hang onto every detail.

"I mean," he finished, "at least we got what we came here for in the end."

"We did," she said with a happy sigh. "Where has Ichigo been, anyway?" Renji didn't answer for a moment, a pensive frown on his face. Rukia's smile faltered. "He's alright, isn't he?"

"No one's seen him," Renji said. Rukia paled. "Wait, wait, that's not what I meant!" he rushed out. "None of us have seen him yet, but Orihime told us he's on observation or something, at least until his powers start coming back."

Rukia felt herself relax. "Then he's here in the infirmary."

"Yeah, he's here. He's apparently in some special wing just for Captains and Lieutenants. It might be hard to get in, but I bet…" He grinned. Rukia had a good sense of what he was getting at.

"Oh, we can get in," she said getting up from the bed and moving to the door, "and since Orihime isn't due for another hour…"

"All we have to do is just figure out how we're going to actually see the guy without getting busted."

"We'll get there when we get there," Rukia said with a shrug. Besides, all she wants to do is see him for a second. Even one second would be enough. "So, do you know where this wing is?" she asked as she opened the door. The two walked out, quietly yet casually.

"Not really," he said sheepishly.

"Seriously?" she asked with a scowl.

"I mean, I'm pretty sure we can figure it out, right? This place can't be that big."

Rukia didn't say anything in response. She just hoped to god he was right.

By the time they reached the half hour mark of sneaking around Rukia realized that no, he wasn't right. The infirmary was not small, and they probably shouldn't have expected as much from a place meant to support the entire Gotei Thirteen.

It didn't help that she was pretty sure they were going in circles.

"Really, you couldn't have asked where he was?" Rukia questioned, tiredness seeping into her voice.

"As if they'd tell me," Renji grumbled back.

"Wait," she said, hand in the air. With that same hand she pointed to a nameplate right next to her.

Saijin Komamura

She was sure she'd heard that name before, but…

"Captain Komamura!" she whisper-yelled.

Renji let out a sigh. "Then we found it."

"Start checking nameplates."

It seemed that for once luck was on their side. No one was in the hall at the moment, but she wasn't convinced that would last. She carefully read every nameplate she passed.

Chōjiro Sasakibe…

Isshin Shiba…

"Found it!" Renji quietly called, just on the other side of the hall. Rukia hurried to him, read the nameplate and grinned.

Ichigo Shiba

Her hand hovered over the doorknob, and Rukia quickly realized that even though she had the perfect opportunity, she had absolutely no idea what she was going to say to him, or even what he would say to her on such an impromptu visit. Still, she didn't want to just turn back, not after spending all this time searching. So, steeling herself, she opened the door, just a crack.

"You guys have been keeping up with your studies, right?"

Rukia nearly slammed the door shut at the sudden sound of Ichigo's voice. Did he know they were there already? And what was this about studies?

"Yeah, and it's gettin' real boring," another voice complained. She sounded like a young girl.

"Karin's gotten so much better at Kendo, I can barely keep up," another young girl said exasperatedly.

"I keep on asking goat-face about going to the Academy, but he keeps turning me down," Karin said with an audible frown.

"Hey," Ichigo said, a smile evident in his voice, "we only need one Tōshiro running around, here. Besides, from what I hear, Yuzu's still got you beat at Reiryoku control."

Karin grumbled causing Yuzu to giggle.

"Wait," Ichigo insisted, "you'll be glad you did, but for now you two should get going. You don't want to be late for your lesson, do you?"

"We've been on time for weeks," Yuzu insisted.

"Yeah, just this once won't hurt," Karin added.

"Hey, don't get lazy on me, now," he ribbed.

"Excuse me?"

It took Rukia a second to realize that voice wasn't coming from behind the door, but rather behind her. A hand grabbed her ear, another grabbing Renji's and before she knew it, she was being forcibly dragged inside the room.

If Rukia weren't so busy yelling "ow!" at the painful sensation of being dragged by her ear, (and dear god no one had done that to her since she was five) she would have noticed more about the room she was in. It had a single bed, one much nicer and larger than the bed she had. The room had a grand window overlooking the gardens and seemed much more spacious. The chairs next to it (in which sat two very confused little girls) looked brand new. In short, it was a deluxe room, that much was obvious.

"Master Shiba," a voice full of disdain said. The person currently dragging her and Renji by their ears was a stern looking man with neatly cropped black hair and an angular face. He wore a kimono and hakama set that looked like it would have been all the rage in the 1800s.

"These two were spying on you from outside your door," he continued. "Shall I report them, sir?"

This wasn't too far from what Rukia was expecting, if she were being honest. She winced as the man pulled harder, forcing her to stand straight. She could hear Renji loudly complaining from the other side.

Still she saw Ichigo, sitting up, looking fine, if a bit amused, beside two young girls that Rukia presumed were his sisters. There were some differences, like their hair colors, but the black haired one had a shared a striking resemblance with Captain Shiba, and she was pretty sure she'd seen Ichigo make those exact two expressions before (the bewildered innocent confusion as well as the thinly veiled hostility).

Seeing them, now, she considered it all worth it.

"No!" Ichigo said between chuckles. "They're friends, there's nothing to worry about."

The man didn't look very sure, but he let them go immediately after that explanation. He then proceeded to glare at them for a solid five seconds, a glare that had Rukia's eyes glued to her feet in an attempt to avoid it.

"Young Mistresses," he finally said softening his glare, "I've come to take you to your lessons."

The twins immediately groaned at this, looking to their brother for help. He simply smiled and waved them off.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," he said. "I'm–" He found himself cut off as the two girls tackled him in a hug, grabbing as tightly as they could, judging by Ichigo's strained (touched) expression. After a long moment they let go.

Rukia felt as if she were intruding on something, here.

"Okay, sensei," Yuzu said, looking a little brighter. Karin kept her gaze to the side, scowling. It looked a odd on her young face, her being a little younger than Hitsugaya by Rukia's estimation. Still, Rukia could recognize the "Shiba Scowl" anywhere.

The two girls were escorted out by their sensei, dragging their feet ever so slightly. The man gave her and Renji one last icy glare before quietly closing the door behind him.

"My sisters," Ichigo said with a grin. "They're strong, but…I think they took this whole thing harder than anyone, even if they won't admit it." His grin faltered there for a moment. He shook his head. "Sorry, uh, take a seat."

Rukia could feel the awkwardness in the air as she sat down. Renji was rubbing his probably sore ear, seeming like he had no idea where to even look, and Rukia was suddenly reminded of how she didn't have anything ready to say. She got to see Ichigo. Now what?

Ichigo ended up being the first one to speak.

"I still can't believe it," he finally said.

Rukia let out a long sigh. "I know what you mean." Renji nodded tiredly beside her.

Maybe it was out of some need to break the awkwardness or maybe it was just some weird break in sanity, but Rukia started laughing. She was giggling and then chuckling, and then just unabashedly laughing. Before she knew it Renji joined her with his own chortles. Then Ichigo started laughing, too. She wasn't sure how to describe this feeling, but it was good, that was certain.

Eventually the laughter died down, and they all quieted.

"Thank you for brining me back to them," Ichigo said, a full smile on his face. "There's not much I can do to repay you, but–"

"Repay?" Rukia asked incredulously. "This was me repaying you. You were the one that gave me these powers in the first place. If I had just let them take you…"

"Hey, hey, we know you could both do this all day," Renji joked. "Ichigo, just say what you were going to say."

Ichigo looked genuinely embarrassed for a moment. Rukia felt her own face heat up.

Clearing his throat, Ichigo continued, "My Captain agreed to help you all get to the World of the Living. Hopefully, you'll be back to your normal lives by tomorrow morning."

"Yeah… 'normal'," Renji snorted.

"You know what I mean."

Though he didn't come out and say it, Rukia heard the implication in Ichigo's words. He wasn't coming back with them.

Whatever. She'd never seen him happier than when his sisters hugged him back there.

"Just try not to be a stranger, okay?" Rukia asked with a half-smile.

"Karakura kinda grew on me," he answered with his own. "I doubt I could stay away from too long." That smile dropped quickly, though, something that sent a wave of concern through Rukia.

"That being said it might take a while," he continued. "Aizen made a real mess of things over here. Everyone's got their work cut out for them for a long while. That's not even counting all the work that's gotta be done to stop the bastard. We don't even know what we're stopping him from."

Their judicial branch was gone, three Captains just went AWOL, and plenty of others were injured. Yeah, they had some work to do, Rukia thought.

A soft knock sounded at the door a second before it was quietly opened.

"Ichigo, have you seen–" Orihime cut herself off, stepping through the doorway. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on Renji and Rukia. The glare she was sending them was somehow just as intimidating as the Sensei's from earlier.

"So, this is where you were," she said with narrowed eyes. "Rukia you're supposed to be in bed."

"Uh, s-sorry," Rukia stammered out, "I guess I just…"

Think fast! Think fast! What's a good excuse?!

Orihime continued before Rukia could think of one. "Renji, Ichigo, you two should have at least known better, but then again…" She sent Ichigo a harsh glared, one that Ichigo shied away from.

Rukia could already imagine a very similar conversation happening in the past in which Ichigo was in her place.

Really, though, Rukia thought Orihime was overreacting a bit. Yes, she was starting to feel tired, but she wasn't in pain or anything. Then again, she probably wasn't up for another thirty minutes of walking.

Okay, now she was starting to feel embarrassed.

"Well," Orihime grumbled out, "I guess there's nothing we can do about it now. You better hope you didn't reopen any of your wounds, though."

"I d-don't think so?" Rukia supplied.

"Tch, I'll be the judge of that." Then, the Shinigami muttered something quietly to herself. "I don't think I can get a wheelchair out here on such short notice," she said.

"I really don't think that's necessary!"

"Maybe it wouldn't have been if you were a good patient," Orihime said with narrowed eyes. Rukia couldn't find it in her to say anything back. The Shinigami chose then to turn back to Ichigo, a gentle smile back on her face. "It's nice to see that you're doing well. Captain Unohana's going to come around soon to check up on you."

"Got it," he said with a grin. "Staying put." Orihime grinned back.

"Then it's time for us to go," Orihime said, turning back to Rukia, "and since getting a wheelchair will be difficult…"

Lips pursed, Orihime looked at the other girl for a moment before nodding to herself. She then proceeded to crouch down on the floor, her back to Rukia, arms outstretched behind her.

"Get on."

On second thought, the wheelchair sounded quite nice.

"Are…you sure you can carry me?" she asked pathetically.

"Oh, I could carry Renji," Orihime assured. Beside her, Renji paled.

Rukia didn't want to do it, but after a long moment of hesitation she got up from her seat (feeling her legs wobble at the motion) and climbed on Orihime's back, wrapping her arms around the Shinigami. Orihime stood up, and Rukia was surprised to find her hold quite secure. It was embarrassing, but Rukia had accepted her fate by now.

Still, she had at least one thing left to say.

"Ichigo!" she said, turning awkwardly to see him again. He perked up. "See you around."

"Yeah…" he said, smiling. "See you around."

They left the room then, Rukia feeling warm for reasons aside from Orihime's body heat.

Coming back ended up being far faster than going. Renji and Rukia proved to be even more lost then they knew when Orihime took about two minutes to bring them back to their own room. They arrived to a quietly dozing Ishida, lying in his own bed. Orihime carefully placed Rukia on hers, drawing the curtain between the two.

"I'm going to take a look at Rukia," Orihime said softly, "so you should stay behind the curtain until we're done."

"Actually," Renji said, "I'll think I'll just go along. I don't want to bother Ishida or anything."

Orihime nodded offhandedly. "Ganju should be around here somewhere. He should know where you'll both be staying."

Renji left then, quietly thanking Orihime and sending Rukia a sympathetic wave. She waved back, feeling a bit like flipping him off for just abandoning her.

"Strip."

The experience was awkward. She was fully conscious, not even having pain as a motivator, and having absolutely nothing underneath this Yukata. Rukia had to remind herself that for all intents and purposes, Orihime was a doctor.

They wrestled off the Obi belt together, and Orihime got to take a good look at the wound underneath. For the first time, so did Rukia.

The wound was a straight slice going from the bottom of her left ribcage all the way to her right hip. It was almost completely healed, scabs having formed with most already falling away. However, the edges of it looked inflamed.

It wasn't the only scar she had on her body either. It seemed that during her time here she'd built up quite the collection. There were the mostly healed lightning bolts at her wrists and elbows, a result of her Bankai, apparently. Then there were the faint burn scars, evidence of her fights with Tatsuki, nearly faded away. There were also the scars from Kenpachi's fight, the faint one on her shoulder and the one that cut into her side and could be traced around to her back. That one didn't seem like it was fading any time soon.

She wondered if those would transfer over to her human body, because if they did, she'd have quite the time explaining things back at school.

"It's doing well," Orihime said, "but you did manage to irritate it." A spell on her lips, Orihime placed a glowing hand over the wound, moving slowly over the entirety of it. Pain that Rukia didn't even realize she had started ebbing away. Orihime was done with it in about a minute.

She moved on to some of Rukia's other wounds then, mostly those caused by her Zanpakuto, but quickly determined they were alright.

"One more healing session tomorrow morning and you should be free to go," she assured, "but you're on strict bedrest until then."

"You can't be serious," Rukia said nervously. "I'm going to be here for the rest of the day?"

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Orihime scolded, putting Rukia's Yukata back into place. "It's almost dinner time. You won't be here for long. Besides, this is your punishment."

Rukia grimaced. No, that wasn't as bad as she first thought. Actually, now that she was thinking about it, dinner sounded really good.

Orihime drew the curtain back after that, whispering that someone would be by with dinner soon and then reminding Rukia to actually get some rest while she was here. Rukia grumbled something back that she didn't quite remember, and Orihime left.

Rukia decided to get comfortable in her bed after that, adjusting the pillows and trying to just sit back and relax as she let her mind drift.

Rukia was going home tomorrow. She wasn't even sure how long she'd been gone, but… seeing Byakuya, Kukaku, all her classmates, heck, even Paku, she was looking forward to that. She was looking forward to "normal", and if Aizen thought he could ruin that for her, he had another thing coming.

Part V

Renji really wished Orihime had told him where the hell Ganju was. Finding that big of a guy shouldn't have been this hard, but then again, this infirmary was a goddamn maze. For all Renji knew Ganju wasn't even in the building anymore.

Just as he was getting ready to give up, head back, and consider it all a lost cause, he spotted Ganju quietly slipping out of the infirmary's back doors.

"Hey, wait!" Renji called.

Ganju froze immediately as if he was just caught doing something wrong. He looked stiffly to his right and then his left. Without so much as a word he grabbed Renji's arm dragging him outside.

"What the hell?" growled out Renji. Did the guy really have to be this rough?

"Shh!" Ganju sounded. "This is on a need to know basis, Abarai," he said conspiratorially, "but, I'm sneaking out."

"…Huh?" Renji asked flatly. "You do know where not prisoners, right?"

"Of course, I know that! It doesn't change how the Soul Society is. There are rules, regulations, you need things like 'clearance', and I don't have time for that," he sneered. "Luckily, I've got a man in the insider…err…outside."

"Where are you even going?" Renji asked exasperatedly.

"To the same District we came from."

Renji paused.

"…Okay, I'm coming with."

It was hard to tell how long it took the two to reach their destination, the western gate of the Seireitei, but by the time they got there, it was completely dark out. Apparently just through there was the First District of West Rukongai, where a few of Ganju's buddies were supposed to be.

"I mean, I can't just least without saying anything," the man continued. "Who even knows the next time I'm coming back here?"

"…Uh…yeah," Renji said lamely. He really wasn't listening.

The gate before them was hulking and huge, taking up an entire section of the wall, a wall that he didn't get a very good look at back when he was on the other side of it. He was wondering how the hell they were going to get through. He doubted either of them could open it.

Then, he got close enough to hear someone snoring. The sound was loud enough to make the ground shake slightly beneath their feet. He was starting to get an idea of how they would open this.

"Jidanbō!" Ganju stage whispered. The snoring halted suddenly.

"Huh…who's there?" a deep, tired voice asked.

"It's me, Ganju! I need you to open the gate for me and my friend!"

"Are you sure?" Jidanbō asked with a whine. "I'm not really supposed to do that for just anyone."

"Well, yeah, but we're not just 'anyone' are we?" Ganju asked, hands on his hips. "Besides, we'll be back before anyone even realizes, promise!"

"Well…" The man on the other side seemed to be considering. Renji hoped to god that they weren't turned away after all that walking. "Okay," he relented, "but if someone asks, I'm blaming you!"

"Thanks buddy! You won't regret it!"

Ganju took a large step back, and Renji quickly followed, just a little fearful.

To Renji's relief, the ground didn't rumble. Power didn't buzz through the air. Instead, the fingers of two impossibly large hands dug under the gate and lifted it. The gate was about a quarter of the way up when Ganju urged them both forward. Renji quickly ducked through.

The second they were on the other side, the gate was lowered, a quiet yet heavy thud sounding out.

Renji had started to put together a mental picture of the gatekeeper as all this was going on, but he really wasn't ready for what was before him. The man was easily ten meters tall, Renji having to crane his neck just to look him in the eye. He wore the Shinigami uniform and beside him laid two cleavers bigger than Renji and by a good amount. His imposing figure, one made of pure muscle, was one betrayed only by his face. He looked like a tired monkey, face open and just a little dopey. It was only when he sat down again, causing the ground to shake, that Renji remembered to be intimidated. The large man stared at Renji.

"You're one of the Ryoka, aren't you?" Jidanbō asked with wide eyes.

"Umm, yes," Renji said, unsure. Jidanbō's face broke out into a wide smile.

"When I heard what you all did, I thought it was amazing!" he said. "I would have helped you if I could, but I had to stay here," he pouted. "I'd say 'stay as long as you'd like' but then we'd all be in trouble. Just be back soon, okay!"

"We will," Ganju assured. Jidanbō sleepily waved them goodbye.

As they walked through town it became apparent that this District was fast asleep. Lanterns were blown out and not a soul seemed to be awake, none but them, of course. Still, Ganju seemed certain that he could find his buddies. Renji was starting to lose hope for himself.

Considering the merits of just heading back and trying again early tomorrow, Renji followed Ganju out of the town and into the outskirts of the village. It was here that he realized that the people may not have been as asleep as he first thought.

An orange glow could be seen through the trees, right in the direction of the old Shiba compound. When they reached it, Renji couldn't help but smile.

It was a summer festival. It wasn't very big, not like the ones back in Tokyo, but something about it felt much cozier. It looked like everyone in the District was here talking, eating, and dancing. There were no shortage of stalls lining the area. Dozens of handmade lanterns were lit above their heads, and Renji really wished the others were here to see this.

"Renji!" a voice called out.

Renji found himself being barreled to the ground by a young boy. "Yūichi!" he cried out, hefting both himself and the child off the ground. It looked like coming here wasn't a waste after all.

Yūichi buried his face in Renji's chest, a contented sigh coming from him. "You kept your promise."

The teenager grinned. "Of course, I did, kid. Now, what story do you want to hear first?"

Renji ended up staying at the festival until late into the night telling all kinds of stories and gaining quite the audience after a while. By the side he saw Ganju drinking and laughing with four men that looked about his age. He guessed these were his friends if the man's dumb grin was anything to go by. That was alright. Renji was grinning, too.

This was easily the best night he'd had in a while.

Part VI

When Rukia was woken up it was very nearly the crack of dawn. Still, she didn't feel tired. Back in the infirmary she'd had nothing better to do but eat and then sleep, so she was well rested.

Not too far behind her were the others, Ganju, Renji, Yoruichi, and Ishida, all ready to go through what was before them in the gardens, a huge portal in the shape of a Tori Gate that she was quite sure wasn't there yesterday. In front of her stood Ichigo and his Captain, a Captain that she'd actually met before.

Rukia recognized him as the white-haired Captain from outside of Ichigo's cell, and seeing him now, while not filled with adrenaline, she noticed a few other things about him.

He was a very pale man, almost unhealthily so, something that was only accentuated by his long white hair. His thin face was very gentle, however, and he looked to be in his fifties. He immediately introduced himself as Captain Ukitake.

Not long after doing that, he apologized for being absent in the final confrontation. Apparently, he didn't just look unhealthy. He had taken ill not long after Rukia had first met him, something that he looked none too happy about as he explained it, though he put on a smile for the group anyway as he launched into his explanations.

"This is a real Senkaimon," he announced to the group. "I imagine your trip through here will be much smoother than your previous one.

"Still a good idea to run, though!" Yoruichi said, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Not funny," Ganju said with a scowl.

"Rukia?" Captain Ukitake asked quietly, waving her over to the side. "Could you please come here?"

Yoruichi looked back at Captain Ukitake before placing a hand on Rukia's shoulder giving it a solid squeeze. She let go, with a reassuring smile and Rukia headed over to the man, feeling just a little nervous.

"Yes, Captain Ukitake?" she asked, trying to mind her manners. He smiled warmly.

"Since you'll be keeping your Shinigami powers," he explained, "I thought it prudent to give you this."

With a graceful hand he pulled something out of his sleeve and presented it to her. He was holding a strange wooden badge about the size of her fist. It had a red rope attached to the top, presumably for tying to your belt, and on its face was a stylized image of a skull.

"This is the Combat Pass of the Substitute Shinigami," he stated. "I recommend you keep it close. It marks you as one of our own and should also help you leave your body in a pinch if needed." He placed it carefully in Rukia's outstretched hand, wrapping her fingers around it. Rukia made sure to hold onto it tightly.

"Thank you, sir," she said with a bow.

"No, thank you." He bowed back.

After that, cheeks tinged pink, Rukia headed back to the others, carefully hooking the badge on her belt. She stood in front of the Senkaimon.

They were ready to go.

"Hey, Rukia!" Ichigo called out suddenly. She looked back at him. He gave her a soft smile. "See you around."

"Yeah…See you around."

With a smile on her face she stepped inside.

Part VII

An entire four days after what Kisuke was pretty sure would go down as one of the most infamous events in Soul Society history, a Captain's meeting was finally called. It was at least a couple days overdue in his opinion, but he understood that they had to wait for all the injured to get cleared for duty.

Well, almost all.

Lieutenant Hinamori, Momo, as everyone knew her, may have been physically cleared for duty yesterday, but as far as Kisuke knew, she still hadn't gotten out of bed. Those that visited her said she was nearly catatonic. Just another reason to hate Aizen and this whole goddamn coup.

Kisuke was one of the last people to enter the meeting room. It looked even bigger and emptier than usual. There was maybe one other time in his career when the place looked this sparse, but he was pretty sure he'd rather go a few unarmed rounds against a Gillian than dredge up those memories. Today, there'd be no helping that, sadly.

The meeting started as any other. Introductions were given, formalities were glossed over, and reports were doled out and recited. No one paid attention during this part. In fact, Kisuke was pretty sure he could see Kenpachi dozing off in his seat. The only real deviation from the norm here were all the Lieutenants speaking in lieu of their Captains, or in the Fifth Division's case, one incredibly intimidated Third Seat.

Eventually, however, those ended, and for once, Kisuke didn't find himself relieved at that, mostly because he knew exactly what came next.

"It has come to my attention," the Captain Commander started, "that a few of you here suspected Aizen of treachery and did not see fit to report it to me. I would ask that you step forward." At that final demand he sent an accusatory glare right at Kisuke, and all the man could do was stare confidently back, even if he didn't feel very confident.

Kisuke stepped forward, and despite all they had discussed earlier, so did Isshin. (It wasn't a pleasant discussion, either. It had started and ended with Isshin punching him in the face from his hospital bed for going behind his back and doing all of this. Apparently, his old friend hadn't like finding out about their quest by accident when he saw Yoruichi outside of the cell and realized something was up. Kisuke really couldn't apologize enough for that one, and he knew it.)

"Yes," Kisuke answered automatically. He had rehearsed this repeatedly yesterday, "I…" He sent Isshin a pointed stare before correcting himself. "We suspected that Sōsuke Aizen was up to something many years ago. We just didn't have any proof."

"Then pray tell," Captain Unohana interjected, "why you did not say anything."

"It's just as he said," Isshin drawled. "We thought we knew, but we just didn't have any proof. The bastard was too slippery for that."

With a humorless smile Kyoraku added, "In their defense, if they had told me a week ago that Aizen was going to pull something like this, I probably would have sent them off to see you, Retsu."

"Regardless of their reason," the Captain Commander said solemnly, a deep scowl on his face, "withholding of such information will not be tolerated in the Gotei Thirteen. We will discuss both of your punishments at a later date, but now, I would like you to tell me what you believe to be the extent of Aizen's crimes."

Kisuke nodded slowly, accepting, before reaching behind him to pick up a box, one filled to the brim with files, every single one on Aizen. About half of it was confiscated from Aizen's Division headquarters just yesterday. Kisuke had plenty of other boxes back at his lab just like it.

He picked up one of the manila folders, this one containing his own notes. Flipping through it he began listing off its contents.

It was a timeline, one that started from nearly the day Aizen became a Lieutenant decades ago, and it didn't seem to end. Glancing up every once in a while, Kisuke could see the shock and sometimes even pain evident on the others' faces. He noted young Ichigo in particular when he mentioned the deaths of Miyako and Kaien Shiba, and how he looked pained, but not surprised.

He ended up stumbling through the Visored incident when he finally got to it. By the time he reached recent events, everyone just looked tired.

Ukitake was the one to break the stupor they all found themselves in. "Just one of those crimes alone would be nearly unthinkable," he muttered. "He's really responsible for all of that?"

Kisuke nodded. "A week ago, these would have been little more than conspiracy theories, but after looking through his research, I can confirm all of my claims are true."

"And you've brought his research with you?" asked the Captain Commander.

"I've brought some of it," Kisuke corrected. Jokingly he added, "I think I would need a little help bringing all of it here. The guy's been at it for a long time."

"Excuse me, but I don't think you've been very clear as to what this research is even about," Suì-Fēng interjected with a deep frown.

Putting the file back in its place, Kisuke said, "He was mostly doing experiments on Hollows, Shinigami, and humans with special powers such as Quincy. He seemed to have a fixation on power and the creation of hybrids, hence the Visoreds, as well as the strange abilities of the young Ryoka, Rukia Orikasa."

"Then…if he's made several Shinigami with the powers of Hollows," Unohana said carefully, "would it be reasonable to say he's done the inverse, already?"

"It's almost certain." Now, came the hard part. "But I can't confirm it. Much of his research on that seems to be missing."

This caused some murmurs to spread throughout the room.

"Missing?" the Captain Commander asked.

"It's possible the research is with him in Hueco Mundo where he'd have plenty of candidates to continue it. He did leave some information about them here, however, we're just having some trouble figuring it out."

"Seriosly?" Kenpachi snorted. Kisuke blinked. He hadn't realized Kenpachi was even paying attention. "Isn't figuring that shit out literally your job?"

"Yes," Kisuke answered with a frown, "but most of this is in code, and the stuff that isn't even my brightest researchers are having trouble comprehending."

"Could you give us a time frame for when you'll have it all uncovered?" asked the Captain Commander.

"Probably three months."

The Captain Commander's frown deepened, something that sent an uneasy feeling through Kisuke's stomach. The older man didn't say more on it, though. He instead moved on.

"Thank you Captain Urahara. Before I adjourn this meeting; however, I would like to say a few words."

The man cleared his throat and with a single strike of his cane Captain Commander Genryusai Yamamoto began.

"There are some that are calling these recent events the greatest betrayal the Gotei Thirteen has ever faced. Maybe they are right. Only time will tell, but those of you who have been with me for the last few centuries would know that this is far from the only betrayal and far from the only crisis that we've had to overcome.

"As difficult as such a thing may seem, there is one thing that is of the utmost importance during times such as these. Trust in your fellow officer is paramount. You must believe one another, and you must believe in one another.

"It is for that reason that I, on behalf of the Gotei Thirteen would like to issue an apology to Lieutenant Shiba."

Looking at Ichigo, Kisuke could see shock, plain as day. Still, upon hearing his name the kid steeped forward, visibly steeling himself.

"Had we remembered these principles," the Captain Commander continued, "you may not have been in the situation you found yourself in days ago. For that, I apologize."

Ichigo bowed deeply, stepping back to his position. His expression was unreadable.

"It is on those words that I would like to end this meeting." The Captain Commander struck his cane on the ground twice the sound clear and absolute. "Dismissed!"

The Shinigami filed out after that, all scheduled to return in a week to discuss their strategy moving forward, but before Kisuke could leave with the others the Captain Commander said one more thing.

"Captain Urahara, you will stay. We will discuss this research of Aizen's further."

He really should have seen that one coming. Kisuke went right back to his spot. He could feel his back aching from his recent long hours at his desk. He could hear little bottle of painkillers he kept stashed away for his frequent migraines calling to him. Still, he waited patiently for the Captain Commander to continue.

"Under these circumstances," the Commander began, "we cannot afford to wait three months for you to uncover Aizen's research."

Kisuke frowned. He realized they wanted to make battle plans within the week, but…

"We're working as hard as we can, sir," Kisuke tried. "These things take time, and it's not as if we've uncovered nothing."

"Then, what have you uncovered."

"For starters," he said, pulling out a specific file in the box, "we know he calls these Hollow-Shinigami hybrids Arrancar."

"'Arrancar'? The name sounds familiar."

Kisuke nodded, pointing to the use of the name on the paper. "It should. It was a proposed name I gave them some years ago. It seems Aizen was using my own research as a jumping off point in more ways than one."

That really pissed him off, too. His research was never meant for something like this. The second he realized what it could be used for, he had stopped. He just hadn't realized that someone had continued it for him.

(Again.)

"This research, you worked on it with your very first Lieutenant back in the day, before your falling out, correct?"

Kisuke grit his teeth. "Yes, I did." He wasn't liking where this was going.

"Do you know the whereabouts of your former Lieutenant?"

You've gotta be shitting me.

"No, I don't." He could feel the file tearing slightly in his hands. He had copies.

"Do you believe you could find him?"

He snapped.

"If you think I'd ever work with that monster then you have another thing co –!"

"Kisuke!" the Captain Commander boomed. The scientist bit his tongue. "This is not up for debate. Out of any current or former members of the Gotei Thirteen, that man is the only one that would be able to help us in this matter."

He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all, but at the end of the day, the Captain Commander always had the last word. With Central Forty-Six gone that sentiment rang truer than ever.

"You will find Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and you will bring him back before the month's end. Have I made myself clear?"

Kisuke bowed, if only to hide the intense anger in his eyes.

"Yes, Captain Commander."


I had a ton of fun with characterization in this one, especially with Orihime and Urahara. I think I'm an Urahara fan and I didn't actually know it until today? I'm not really sure, yet. We'll see.

Tune in next week, because spoiler alert there might not be a new chapter for a while after that. I'll talk about it more later.