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Chapter 2

=DA=

Part 5

=DA=

Urahara's not so secret training ground

Executioner's hill

Soul Society

My words earned me a Shunko strike aimed at the center of my forehead. Fortunately, both Aria and Soi-Fon intervened and clashed with Yoruichi in front of me, creating a blinding explosion that threw dust and debris in all direction. Sharp stones tore into my clothes, yet they simply smashed apart against the Reiatsu covering my skin – something that I only now remembered I've been constantly doing as a matter of course. A moment later, the three women took their battle up towards the ceiling. As fast and good as Yoruichi was, Soi-Fon and Aria were more than enough to push her back.

"Testing it is." I grinned and Flash-Stepped in front of Ichigo, slowly, oh so slowly swinging at the lad. We couldn't risk cutting him in two accidentally now, could we?

What did Byakua tell him when they faced off back in the world of the living? Renji did spread the tale once they got back, "you're slow even when you fall," wasn't it? Well, I could honestly say that the boy had improved significantly. Nevertheless, he was slow to move as if he was at the bottom of the ocean with countless megatons of water pressing upon him.

Zangetsu acted faster, Flash-Stepping and rising his blade to meet my own. There was no killing intent in my swing, no real power, merely curiosity. Zangetsu on the other hand? He was simply furious.

"Tell me, Kurosaki, why do you fight?" As soon as I spoke, I began sub-vocalizing, a very useful skill I learn during a prolonged training exercise with some Imperial special forces types soon after I managed to claw my way out of the Academy on Korriban. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat!"

I pressed harder against Zangetsu and stepped within his guard, pointing index and middle finger at his chest at point blank range. "Geki." I said aloud, unleashing the Bakudo. To his credit, the Zanpakuto almost managed to Flash Step away when bright red light exploded from the tips of my fingers and engulfed him. He fell to the ground with a grunt, paralyzed by the binding spell.

"Now, where were we, Ichigo? I can call you Ichigo, right, lad?" I chuckled and went after the boy. He threw the broken sword at my fake and picked up the closest one sticking from the ground. I merely tilted my head to the side to avoid the improvised projectile and went after the kid. A moment later our blades clashed and his sword shattered. It was merely an empty shell, no personality, no power, no soul. A Zanpakuto it was not.

"What do you want?!" Kurosaki glowered at me. He picked up another sword, then a second in his left hand and came at me.

I shattered both blades with a strike that was little more than a love-tap.

"To know you. Both Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai spoke highly of you. She is ready to go to her death gladly if it would mean that every single one of you humans survives this rescue attempt. And Abarai, the young man in love with her? He hopes beyond hope that you might actually be able to save the woman who stole his heart."

As I spoke, Ichigo picked up the next blade and attacked only to stumble in shock as my words registered.

"So tell me, why are you fighting?"

"I'll rescue her!" Kurosaki glared at me and attacked again. Good speed, his form wasn't too bad for someone without proper formal training, there was a strength in the swing. It was just too bad that the blade itself was empty. I didn't even bother swinging this time, I simply parried and the sword blew apart on impact showering us both with shards of dull steel.

"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and tear out your own throat!" The next Bakudo on the list had an almost identical incantation, even if their effects were quite different. "Horin." I pointed an index finger at Zangetsu who managed to break through my previous Bakudo through sheer strength and copious amount of Reiatsu. A tendril of orange energy shot out of my finger and went for the Zanpakuto spirit as soon as he got free. It was good thing that this particular technique could be guided mid-flight, otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to catch him with it just as he attempted to Flash Step away. The glowing chain sneaked around the man, bound his hands so he couldn't use his blade to cut it and proceeded to tie him up like a turkey ready for the oven.

"Old Man!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Right now I'm interested in you, Kurosaki, not your Zanpakuto. Show me your resolve. Tell me why you deserve to try and rescue Rukia." I taunted.

Ichigo flashed blue as his control over his Reiatsu went to hell as he lost his temper and came at me with everything he currently had. It was too bad for him that despite becoming faster and stronger, the blades he picked up and broke against Kyoka continued to be empty mockeries of Zanpakutos.

I shook my head in disappointment, smashed away the next sword he picked up and touched his forehead, slamming home a Geki without bothering with an incantation. Kurosaki froze where he stood and fell on his back like a cut down wooden log.

"Are you finally ready to speak and listen, boy?" Honestly, he wasn't doing a particularly good impression this evening.

When the only answer I got was baleful glare, I recalled that the paralysis of the Geki was rather good. He couldn't properly talk even if he wanted to. I released the Bakudo with a sigh and looked pointedly at the teenager.

He gingerly got up to his feet and gave me a dirty look.

"You stand down or I'll shove you back in Kurosaki's inner world the hard way." I promised, pointing Kyoka at Zangetsu.

The Zanpakuto scrunched his face in a grimace, yet didn't attack after freeing himself form my Bakudo. He merely Flash Stepped to stand at Ichigo's side.

Meanwhile, Momo and the members of the Stealth Force stood back, weapons at the ready, however fortunately they had the good sense not to interfere.

"Rukia's my friend. Of course I came to save her!" Ichigo spat. "Why do you people want to kill her anyway?!" He demanded.

"Don't look at me, I believe that this whole thing is particularly idiotic. I've been telling so to anyone willing to listen. Unfortunately, Central 46 isn't feeling particularly reasonable as of late and ever since your invasion began, they're under security lock-down.

"Then why aren't you rescuing her?" Kurosaki demanded.

"Didn't you listen, boy? I've been doing everything I could to legally exonerate her! Your invasion isn't helping. In fact, it's reflecting very badly on Rukia and everyone who stands in her corner." All true and very much bullshit, bantha poodoo and worse.

Even at the best of times Central 46 was anything but sane and reasonable. Killing them all had to improve the general IQ of Soul Society in a noticeable margin. It was really for the best.

"Instead of continuing to do so, tonight I had to deal with an assassination attempt by an infiltrator who came uncomfortably close to stealing my memories, Reiatsu and impersonating me, had to spent some uncomfortable time under Captain Unohana's tender care and finally I was ordered to deal with your temper tantrum instead of being busy with finding a way to get Rukia out of this mess intact!"

At that, Ichigo stared at me open mouthed. This was becoming a pattern tonight. It was fun at least.

=DA=

Part 6

=DA=

Central 46 compound

Soul Society

Aria was pretty sure that almost every Captain rank Shinigami in Soul Society were busy either observing Aizen, sulking in the case of Kuchiki or being ready to immediately deploy in case of either Sosuke going on in the deep end or another "infiltrator" appearing and trying to replace one of them. It was really pathetically easy to slip within the locked-down and supposedly well guarded government compound where Central 46 was supposed to be well protected during any and all unpleasantries like this so called invasion.

Really, what was wrong with Gotei 13 that a bunch of barely trained kids could turn the place on its head? Aria had participated in real invasions, she had faced one as well. This? This circus had nothing to a proper planetary invasion.

Either way it was a bloody disgrace and not just because Aizen pulled some strings to ensure it would create as much chaos as possible.

Once she went inside the compound using a backdoor created by Aizen decades ago and not found through all the security checks afterwards, Aria could do whatever she wanted to. Her first task was simple in theory, though not so much in practice – she had to alter the dead bodies so their wounds would correspond to Tosen's and Gin's blades, which was easier said than done. Primary Tosen's as well, making it even harder. Gin himself murdered nearly half the bastards, Aizen gleefully helped as well. In fact, Tosen really accounted for less than a fifth of the slaughtered bodies littering the compound.

Aria sighed. It was going to be tough, especially if her Master was forced to get all out in the foreseeable future. That's why she reconsidered her first task and went to craft some fake orders. At worst, she hoped her master would be blamed for murdering the government for being kriffing useless parasites and in order to preserve the life of one of Gotei 13's more promising Shinigami. That and perhaps because he had it with following monstrous orders…

She got parchment and ink, consulted some of old records and began crafting her magic. Orders to conduct experiments on hollowfication and souls, orders to create a very special device, the one just like the one Urahara built, orders to experiment on Captains and Lieutenants in order to strengthen Soul Society, orders to neutralize them as too dangerous and unstable after the experiment more or less succeeded… and many more. Only when she was done with said directives and had them creatively misplaced so they could be found anyway during the investigation of Central 46's slaughter but not if anyone merely tries to figure out if Aizen had been ordered to do his crimes, Aria busied herself with doctoring the crime scene.

Of course, going to Central 46 wasn't the first thing Aria did. Her number one task was the most vital. She went to retrieve the device that could be used to extract Urahara's little creation from Rukia's soul. When she got it, Aria Flash Stepped to the prison, engulfed the whole area in one of her most potent illusions and strolled right into the cell as if she owned the place.

"Rukia, Captain Aizen sent me." She smiled at the girl who still looked dazed at what Veil told her just an hour ago. It took Kuchiki extraordinary time to react to Aria's presence, even longer to gather herself and respond.

She was blushing too.

"Captain Aizen sent you?" She asked in a croak.

"That he did. I'm here to tell you some hard truths. We had an audience before, Captain Soi-Fon and through her and the Stealth Force, the rest of the Captains of Gotei 13. The reason you haven't recovered your powers isn't Ichigo Kurosaki. Its what Kisuke Urahara did to you when he offered you a gigai back in the mortal world…" Aria began explaining. A bit of creative twisting of the truth, and Rukia would be hard pressed to trust Urahara and his friends even if they told her that water was wet.

The look of hurt and betrayal that appeared on Rukia's face made Aria fell something odd. She found herself pulling the girl into an embrace even as the influence of her Bankai made her relish in the chaos and suffering she just caused.

"Shh… it's all right. I'm here to help you. Sosuke is a good man. He sent me here to retrieve that thing from your soul before it could irrevocably damage your soul. We're doing everything we can to legally get you out of this mess and if that fails… we won't let you die just because a bunch of foolish old men and women decreed it. You're not alone, Rukia. There are people who care about you and will stand beside you, not matter what."

=DA=

Urahara's not so secret training ground

Executioner's hill

Soul Society

Damn, my temper was getting the better of me. I took in a sharp breath and did my best to reign in my emotions.

"You're doing all that?" Ichigo asked, looking at me with a mix of distrust and awe.

"Rukia is one of our own. Unlike some people, I won't leave one of my precious comrades be executed just because she did what she had to survive." I scoffed. "That's an utterly infuriating and foolish notion."

Kurosaki nodded in agreement. "My thoughts exactly!" He exclaimed. "Rukia did nothing wrong!"

"Well, technically she should have called and explained the mess she got both of you at the beginning. Captain Ukitake is one of the best and most understanding people in Soul Society. Even as we speak, he is Rukia's strongest supporter."

"And her own older brother isn't…" Ichigo grumbled.

"I gave him a piece of my mind earlier tonight." I smirked. "Twice at that."

Kurosaki offered an almost matching smirk of his own. "Serves him right, the bastard. I can't even conceive of standing by if someone wants to hurt my sisters, much less support something like their execution, laws be damned!"

"We're in agreement then. You know, you look familiar. If it wasn't for your hair colour, you would be almost a mirror image of a now deceased friend of mine, Kaien Shiba." I looked closely at Ichigo.

"I'm a Kurosaki, so unless he had a family in the real world…"

"Hmm… Its possible I guess. Or it would be if the Shibas weren't a former Noble Clan who are now exiled out of Gotei 13's directly administered territory. I sheathed my sword, even though I obviously kept my Bankai ongoing.

Needless to say, the huge cave continued to echo with explosions, not to mention the flashes of light that almost constantly lit it up while the three women continued to clash above us.

"I wouldn't know. My mother died years ago and my father…" He scowled. "There's no way that idiot is a Shinigami." Ichigo's eyes scrunched in thought. "Did you just say Shibas?"

"Oh, you know of them?"

The teen grimaced and looked guiltily.

"It was Kukaku who helped you, didn't she? She used that Kido cannon of hers to breach the barrier? It makes sense. Did she recognize you, I wonder… The more I look at you, the more you remind me of Kaien… of Isshin too for that matter. I'm sure that was why Rukia didn't think twice of offering you her power and wanted to be close to you in the living world. She told me everything."

For the second time tonight, Ichigo made a great impression of a fish out of water.

"Isshin?" He choked. "That's dad's name."

"There was an Isshin Shiba. He used to be the Captain of the Tenth before being promoted, then about a century ago he vanished without a trace… He was a good man, however as you say, a bit of an idiot. A loud one too like most Shibas, with Kaien being a pleasant exception to the rule. As I said the resemblance is uncanny." I made a show of peering closer at him. "And you have sisters you say? Good for you. I'm sure Kukaku Shiba would love to meet them once we've resolved the mess we find ourselves in."

"Yeah… that might be nice…" Ichigo said weakly while sweating.

The way things were going, soon I might be Gotei 13's least problem. Damn, I hadn't have this much fun in ages.

"I've learned what I need, Ichigo Kurosaki. Do go on and hurry up in achieving your Bankai. If I fail to exonerate Rukia legally, she'll need your help soon. Don't worry about your other friends," I nodded at Momo. "We'll make sure they're safe and sound."

I turned around and headed for the exit, with a dazed Hinamori and our ninja minders falling in around me.

Aria and Soi-Fon? I'm not sure they even noticed our departure, they were too busy playing with Yoruichi.