Chapter 31: The Traitors
In a dark room overlooking screens three men wearing a white haori stood overlooking the battle that had just happened. "Hmm..." the brunette touched his chin, a smile on his face. "He's stronger than I anticipated."
The white haired male next to him looked at him. "He destroyed that menos like it was nothing."
"Gin," the brunette began. "do I sense a sort of astonishment coming from you?"
"I am very impressed Aizen." he admitted.
Next to them, the third man was running his hands across buttons that were giving him a read out of everything that had happened. "What are the results?" Aizen inquired from the blind man.
"The numbers say that he is far above what you were willing to work with." Gin said.
"I believe that this boy's powers are still evolving and once they have matured that he could be at a level that is only seen in the royal realm." The blind man told his comrades.
"So he's too powerful?" Gin inquired.
"Not even you or I have this much level of potency to our powers." Tousen stated, speaking to Gin.
So this boy could be the one. Gin thought as he tried to continue the facade that he'd been putting up for the last century of his life.
"We wait and see how Soul Society reacts towards him." Aizen said, a single look at him from his comrades and they knew he was already generating a plan in how they would either acquire the boy or kill him. "The plus side of this, is that we now know that we were slightly successful with the experiment with Shinji and his group."
"They seemed stronger than before." Gin commented as he turned to leave.
"Yes, they do." Aizen said with an ominous tone to his voice that had Gin coming up short.
"Are you planning on testing them now that you know where they are?" Gin inquired, quite curious as to why Aizen had allowed them to live this long.
"Perhaps, but not yet." Aizen assured him before the three quickly vacated the room before they were discovered by someone who could be monitoring g their movements. After all, one could never be too careful.
Ichigo glared at the horoscope that was written in the magazine he was reading. I hate fortune telling. he thought as a scowl placed itself on his face. Not just fortune-telling, I hate psychics and any trade that gets people to give you money because of things they can't see. His eyes scanned the horoscope once again. So even though it is written that this week is going to suck for cancer, I'M NOT WORRIED AT ALL! He mentally screamed at himself gaining chuckles from both his zanpakuto.
Not even after tripping into traffic three times king? he heard the white haired hollow ask.
Or the fact you've lost your wallet once since the week began? the old man inquired.
Both grinned at their teases as the scowl on Ichigo's face deepened. BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT SHIT! he mentally yelled at them. Laughter echoed in his mind from both zanpakuto.
Verena looked away from the television as Yuzu scanned for the show she was looking for. Upon noticing Ichigo's face she began to chuckle. Suddenly Ichigo heard a laugh that came from the television that sent chills up and down his spine. Turning he saw Don Kanonji on the television doing his very annoying laugher in front of the cameras.
A medium my ass. Ichigo thought recalling how only a few weeks back that he and Rukia had the unfortunate encounter with the guy. He almost turned a spirit into a hollow. If I hadn't acted when I did, that poor spirit would've been lost to us.
"You seem to be in a good mood Ichigo." Verena commented.
"After last week, yeah, I suppose." he said as his mind went back to the menos he had fought and defeated. I've never fought a menos, but adjucha's I've fought once or twice. He remembered the power output that those hollows gave off and shivered as recalled what Shinji once said. That when he'd trained with his hollow and went into that first form that he'd been an adjuchas level, but now he was passed an arrancars level.
Is there even a level for you King? his hollow piped in, the white haired being appearing in his mind as if they we back to back.
You tell me. he told the being, which only caused the hollow to give him on of his manic smiles before going silent.
"So," Verena began as she turned herself around in her seat to face Ichigo. "has Rukia said anything about the visoreds?"
"No." he answered with a bit of annoyance in his tone. "She hasn't said anything about to me and my hollow either."
"So you explained to her what the visoreds are?" she asked, trying to get her twin to talk to her.
"Yeah." he answered as he pushed the chair back away from the table before standing. "She understands who they are or were when they left Soul Society. She understands that they each have a hollow within themselves. She also knows about my hollow." He felt his eyes twitch. "But she has yet to yell or scream at me or anything!" he yelled causing Yuzu to jump in her seat on the couch in fright.
"Ichi!" the young girl complained as she glared at him.
"Sorry Yuzu." he apologized as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"What's going on?" Rukia's voice caused Ichigo to look at her. She wearing a cute romper jumpsuit with a bunny on the romper pants and tiny butterflies on her chest.
"Isn't that one of Mom's old rompers?" Yuzu asked as she looked the outfit over.
Rukia flushed before smiling. "Your mother just gave it to me." she told her.
Ichigo gave her a soft smile. "That just means Mom likes you." he told her before including his head towards the back sliding window door.
When Rukia followed him, she saw that he seemed a big tense. I wonder what's wrong? she thought as the two went out onto the back cement porch.
Ichigo leaned against the siding of the house. "So have you decided?" he asked her as Verena came out from behind Rukia.
"Decided?" Rukia repeated, not understanding what he wanted. Decide what? she wondered as a cool can of soda was placed in her hand by Verena.
"Whether you hate him and the visoreds." Verena explained as she walked over to her brother before handing him a soda as well. He looked a little sad as he awaited her answer. He really liked having Rukia around, but if she hated him now; then that was her loss.
"No." Rukia answered. "It has taken me all week of thinking about what happened, what was said and revealed." She looked at Ichigo. "A man that I really looked up to, Kaien Shiba was his name; he was a mentor and friend. He was killed by me after he was taken over by a hollow." she told them. "I-I have suffered because of his death. Losing him to the hollow and then being the one that had to kill him; it hurt me worse than I thought." She touched her chest. "Then you telling me what you did, about the hollow that lives inside of you." At that moment Ichigo could feel the hollow listening in. "You haven't turned into a monster. You're not being devoured by the thing inside of you. I don't understand why you and the visoreds are different from what happened with Kaien, but you are. You are stronger because of that being, aren't you? It's because of him that you are this ridiculously powerful." she concluded. "You haven't tried to hurt me or anyone around you; instead, you protect and fight the real monsters that are out there hurting people."
"Yeah, I guess I do, do that." he admitted as a soft smile reappeared on his face. "Thanks Rukia, for not hating me."
Her eyes widened before softening. "Idiot." she said turning away from him with her arms crossed over her chest. "I'd only hate you if you failed at your job." Ichigo's grin broadened.
Dark clouds gathered together as a storm system moved in over the Seireitei. Inside the meeting hall, all thirteen captains were gathered together, well almost all of them, as the captain of the eighth and the head captain were noticeably missing. Hurried footsteps could be heard throughout the room before the large white double doors were pushed open. The messed look Shunsui had must've been a sight as his best friend had wide eyes upon seeing his late arrival. Quickly taking his place next to Ukitake, Kyoraku had a grin upon his face.
"Why are you late?" Jushiro inquired in a hushed whisper as Shunsui quickly fixed his straw hat along with his haori and the pink kimono that was half hazardous thrown over his shoulders.
"Was finishing up a few things." he assured his friend. "Also, I found her. She's safe and I plan to help her."
"Help her?" Jushiro inquired, a worried tone coming over his voice..
"Rest assured, she is safe." he eyed his friend from his peripheral vision. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course." Jushiro said quietly.
Suddenly the head captain was seen walking through the doors. As he walked by Shunsui, the brunette hid his face slightly with his hat. It was a trick he'd learned over the years in order to avoid Yama-jii's gaze. An added plus was that it also annoyed the older head captain.
"I have received some troubling news." he announced. "It would seem we have soldier who has abandoned their station."
Captain Kurotsuchi took this moment to step forward. "Yes, one of my subordinates was doing some scans of the living world when we came across the missing Lieutenant Kuchiki's spirit pressure along with an image of her appearing on a human program."
"Human program?" A youthful voice inquired. All eyes turning towards the youngest member of the Gotei, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, the captain of squad ten. The silver haired youth looked slightly annoyed. "Why is this a worry for all of us? Shouldn't it be something handled by the sixth?"
All eyes darted towards the stotic noble, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, Rukia's adoptive older brother. "Actually," Kurotsuchi continued, a grin appearing on his face. "I've also discovered an anomaly that's in the same location as Lieutenant Kuchiki. An energy source that is so powerful that it can't be anything other than..." His grin broadened as he went in for the dramatic surprise. "...an unauthorized substitute shinigami." Gasps came from most everybody, except for Kyoraku.
"Hmm..." Shunsui began as he spoke for a change. "That's not too big of a surprise."
"What?" Kurotsuchi inquired though it sounded almost like he was demanding the captain of the eighth to explain what he meant.
"About three months ago I was in said area, during a chance at some leave, when I sensed something." he lied, though he wasn't giving it away to anyone. "I came across Miss Kuchiki. She told me that she was sensing huge amount of reiatsu but couldn't pin point it. Deciding to help her investigate, we came along a group of humans who were giving off quite a bit of reiatsu, but there were two were really giving it off unlike any other I've come across. I asked Miss Kuchiki to infiltrate their group and keep me informed on the developments of the group."
"You never made a report of this." Kurotsuki groused, his eyes narrowing at the captain.
"That's because the investigation isn't complete." he told the captain of the thirteenth. "And now you've gone and ruined my surprise." He gave a pout. Jushiro covered his mouth with his hand to cover his laughter. He could see right through Shunsui's lie, but was thankful for it.
The head captain's hum caught the attention of the gathered captains. "Have you gathered enough information on these humans?" Yamamoto inquired, his voice sounding very much like an exasperated father looking over some troublesome children.
"Some." Shunsui answered with a grin. "The one boy can leave his body like a certain other substitute could. As can his twin sister. Some of their friends have unusual abilities." He cupped his chin as he thought about how much he should say. "Rukia did mention something about one of the humans have super speed that rivaled the missing Yoruichi Shinoin."
"What!?" Captain Soi Fon screeched.
Knew that would get a reaction. Shunsui thought deviously. "That's what she said the last time we spoke." he said with a shrug. "I was going to take Ukitake with me tomorrow to make contact with the group and see about us working together and learning more about these children."
"Children?" Gin Ichimaru's voice echoed through the room sounding quite curious about this bit of information.
Kyoraku pushed his hat up slightly to reveal the mirth in his eyes. "Yes, they're all young teenage children." he admitted gaining looks of shock from everyone in the room. His eyes scanning each person's reaction and found two to not be filled with shock. Sosuke Aizen and Kaname Tousen. What secrets are you two hiding? he silently wondered as more questions soon came at him from all sides, all the while watching the two men he was beginning to believe were the traitors he'd been searching for. Now, how was he to provide this gut feeling? Only time would tell.
M-Angel: So, I decided to post an early update because I finally got a job and will be working this weekend. I'm doing training. I'm very excited and so very happy. Any way, I hope you like my new twist to the story. Hopefully everyone likes it. ^_^
TheWolf87 - Yes, the group will get upgrades before facing off everyone in Soul Society. Renji is a very fair contender for Verena, but so is Shunsui and Chad.
GunBlade2018 - Aizen might try to, but I'm planning to make Ichigo even stronger and throw in another twist later on.
Antex- The Legendary Zoroark - I'm glad you really enjoyed that chapter.