Chapter Nine: Snakes and Schemers

In a high place looking over much of the Soul Society, Gin Ichimaru found his zanpakto. The old man was smoking a pipe while sitting on the edge of a balcony. His eyes were distant as he watched the infernos arise throughout the streets. Battles were taking place.

'My,' said Gin, 'they are causing a ruckus aren't they Shinso?'

'I told you not to call me that.' replied the old man.

Gin sighed and leaned against a wall, tapping his blade against his shoulder. He waited for his zanpakto to make the first move. Yet Shinso did not make the first move, just sat there as the battle went on. After a moment he looked up with a chiding expression on his face.

'Ichimaru, come look at this,' he said in a stern voice. 'I want you to see it.'

'We've seen it all Shinso.' said Gin. 'Our work for Captain Aizen-' A blade shot out, and Gin moved aside as it pierced the wall behind him.

'We've seen nothing!' snapped Shinso as he turned around and stood. 'Murdering a third seat to get into the good graces of a monster is one thing! Helping him destroy the balance of souls to get revenge is quite another!' He retracted his blade. 'We must go into this with our eyes wide open. Once we set foot into Hueco Mundo, there will be no return to how things were.' He took his pipe from his mouth and emptied the ashes from it. 'Are you ready to do what is necessary Gin?'

Gin's smile faded, and his eyes opened as he walked forward. He thought about Rangiku; he thought about living as a hunted man. Even if his true plans were made clear, he doubted the Soul Society would understand. There truly would be no return if he went through with all this.

'Yeah,' he said, 'yeah I'm ready to do what is necessary. I made my mind up a long time ago. There isn't any changing it now.'

Shinso smiled. 'Excellent, I knew I could count on you.' He threw his pipe to the Seretei below, then offered one hand. 'Now let's see if we can't kill Captain Aizen before any of it becomes necessary.'

Gin smiled, a genuine very unsnakelike smile as he took his hand. 'Right you are partner.'

Then they disappeared into the night.

It was in an abandoned warehouse that Aizen found Kyoka Suigetsu. The sword, or its illusion, was sitting in the center meditating. It looked ordinary. So ordinary in fact that one could barely find a way to describe it. He stopped before it, feeling very annoyed, and more than a little fearful, though he hid both well. The powers of Kyoka Suigetsu were greater than any Zanpakto he knew of in their potential. And now they were turned against him.

'Kyoka Suigetsu,' said Aizen, 'we have a plan we must finish. This… adventure is putting everything we have worked for at risk.'

'Your arrogance is putting everything we have worked for at risk more than any adventure of mine.' shot back Kyoka Suigetsu. 'Indeed, you have endangered our operations far more than is excusable. Especially for one of your intellect.'

'What are you talking about?' asked Aizen. 'Everything is proceeding as we planned-'

'Hirako Shinji lives!' roared Kyoka Suigetsu as he arose. Around them, the walls transformed into visions of past events. Past people, Aizen could have killed but didn't. 'Kisuke Urahara lives! The Captains and Lieutenants we hollowfied live! And they will only return stronger for revenge! And worse still you have brought a snake into our midsts for the sake of your own overconfidence! Gin Ichimaru is dangerous; he became a Soul Reaper to kill you! Such resolve could destroy us! You're only defense against him is gone! And you are left searching through alleys hoping not to run into him while looking for me!'

'That defense has only been defeated because you have rebelled against me.' said Aizen.

'You rely on me.' said Kyoka. 'I am more a crutch than a partner. Had you not had me, you would never have been able to frame Urahara as well as you did. I, however, no longer need to rely on you.'

Then he was gone. And Aizen realized that he hadn't sensed Kyota's spiritual pressure during their conversation. He had never been here, to begin with. He was going to have to find Tosen; he was the only one who would be able to track down Kyoka Suigetsu. He was the only one who couldn't be fooled.

Hiyori sped through the Seretei, looking for her sword. She did not have to go far before quite a wall was caved in beside her. A number of soul reapers were thrown to land with a crash by Hiyori. Kibikiri Orochi was standing there with a casual demeanor, sword in hand. The zanpakto spat as she stepped forward, spinning the blade in her hand. 'Bout time you showed up!'

Hiyori drew her sword. 'Alright listen up you stupid sword! Your mine, and I'm sick and tired of having you clean up your mess! Now either shut up and submit, or I'll beat you to a damn pulp!'

'What? You think I'm just going to give up like you did?!' snapped Orochi. 'Keep dreaming!'

Both surged at each other, and their blades met in a flurry of blows. Hiyori leaped up onto the wall and rained blow after blow on Orochi. However, the pale zanpakto parried her blows, then surged upward. She hit Hiyori with a roundhouse kick, sending her flying.

Hiyori righted herself in mid-air and then was forced to deflect a barrage of blows. They staggered her by sheer force. Orochi kept hitting, growing angrier and angrier.

'What's wrong?!' asked Orochi. 'What happened to all that bravado?! But I guess that's all you are these days, isn't it?! All talk!' She knocked Hiyori's blade from her hand, before slashing her across the chest. 'And no action!'

Hiyori stumbled back, bleeding heavily and fell against a wall. Her whole body was numb with pain, but she blocked it out, using her reishi to staunch the flow of blood. She got back int her stance, staring down at the ground as she struggled to raise her sword. 'Shut up.'

'Look at you!' said Kibikiri, kicking her the sword. 'We used to be the terror of the soul society. No one dared mess with us. Now, look at you, just doing whatever Kuroschutchi says without even questioning it! It's pathetic! What the hell happened to us?!'

'All of my friends died.' said Hiyori. 'Byakuya nearly cut me in half.'

'Big deal,' said Kibikiri, 'you've taken injuries before-'

'AND NOBODY CARED!' roared Hiyori.

New strength filling her, Hiyori surged forward and drove back Kibikiri. In a flurry of powerful blows, she sent her zanpakto careening through a wall into a courtyard. Hiyori charged forward. 'My entire life you've been pushing me to show other people who's boss, to hit first and ask questions later! And I obeyed! I threw my weight around everywhere!'

She continued to drive Kibikiri backward. She inflicted wound after wound upon the sword which sent her staggering back. 'Then Byakuya Kuchiki, a Third Seat, took me out with one slash! He wasn't even trying! Nobody came to visit me, nobody did anything! All my friends died, and the only reaction people had was that I deserved it! AND IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT!'

Her blade to an abrupt halt as Kibikiri caught the sword with her own. 'YOU LOSER!' Her foot lashed up and kicked Hiyori in the face, sending her reeling. 'What, so just because you spent all your time picking on people who wouldn't fight back it makes it my fault?!

'FUCK YOU!'

Planting her sword in the ground, Kibikiri brought round both legs to kick Hiyori in the chest. She letting go and unleashing a flurry of hand to hand strikes. The two dueled back and forth, their hands moving faster and faster. Bruises appeared on their skin. Finally, they parted ways, sliding to a halt.

'Nobody said you had to pick on people weaker than you!' said Kibikiri. 'Maybe if you'd tried to fight people you knew were stronger than you! Tried to improve yourself instead of just being a bully you wouldn't be in this position!'

Hiyori caught her fist and brought round a leg to roundhouse kick Kibikiri across the jaw. The force slammed her against the nearby wall.

'Fine! Maybe I will! I'll get stronger than anyone ever has been before! I'll get so strong that I'll crush Byakuya, and see how he likes spending a week in squad 4! How is that!'

Kibikiri arose and wiped the blood from her mouth with a smile. 'Now we're talking. Let's do it together.'

Hiyori smiled.

And then suddenly something sharp passed through her back. Hiyori fell forward, her limbs no longer obeying her commands as she landed. She caught then a glimpse of the twisted cross between a butterfly and a baby. Kibikiri rushed forward, but the creature dodged aside. It stung her as well, and she too collapsed.

'Captain Kuroschutchi's zanpakto…' realized Hiyori. Poison gas began to seep out around them.

And then the butterfly baby thing exploded into flame. Captain Kuroschutchi walked into the courtyard. 'So, I see you've managed to get yourself injured again haven't you? I truly do not see why I put up with you.'

'Shut up and help me!' roared Hiyori.

This whole getting stronger thing wasn't off to a good start.

Kaien Shiba surged through the air toward the spiritual pressure he sensed. It was times like this, when about to head into danger that he became afraid of things. Like how he'd not spent enough time with his wife. Or he'd left his paperwork undone. No matter how many times he emerged victoriously, he always ended up finding something he wished he'd done better.

Then he came to a halt on a rooftop and saw Rangiku. The buxom blonde was flash stepping to and fro, followed by the ashes of her sword. Heineko was sending her ashes to destroy wall after wall in her effort to defeat her former master.

'What's the matter, old woman!' snapped Heineko. 'Too old and bent to keep up!'

'I am not old you naughty sword!' snapped Rangiku, before firing a kido which Heineko dodged and weaved away from. 'Now stop trying to kill me!'

'Why should I listen to you?!' snapped Heineko. 'You only joined the thirteen court guard squads because Gin did! And we both know he's only going to abandon you again!'

'He always comes back!' snapped Rangiku. 'That's why we're friends!'

'Your friends because you developed early, and kept developing after most people stopped.' snapped Heineko. 'No wonder you're so obsessed with your own beauty. As soon as you start showing wrinkles, everyone will want nothing more to do with your lazy ass.'

'Why you-' Suddenly the walls beneath Rangiku crumbled, and she fell forward to land with a crash on the ground. Heineko descended, reforming her sword as she lunged downwards. 'Say goodnight old maid!'

'Rankle the Seas and Heavens! Nejibana!' cried Kaien as he descended. He drew his sword, which transformed into a trident swirling with water.

Heineko stopped her charged just in time to avoid being impaled. Kaien pressed the assault with a flurry of strikes that sent water surging towards her. Heineko retreated, before leaping onto a roof. 'Hey, what's the big idea handsome?! I was just about to kill my wielder!'

'Yeah, well I'm not about to let you do that.' said Kaien.

'Pah, like you, can stop me.' said Heineko, before sending ashes towards Kaien.

Kaien sent a surge of water to scatter the ashes and then charged at her. But Heineko leaped over the assault and reformed her sword to slash at his neck. Kaien ducked under the blow and jabbed upward with the back of Nejibana. It slammed her in the stomach and sent her tumbling down to hit the ground hard.

Kaien spun his trident round and surged in for the killing stroke. Heineko rolled away but was hit with the waves and slammed against the nearby wall. Before she could rise, Rangiku appeared and set her sword to her throat.

'Surrender,' said Rangiku.

'What are you kidding?' asked Heineko. 'I'm just waiting for backup.'

Stormclouds were gathering above, and Kaien looked up. Thunder cracked, and rain began to pour down. A shadowy figure loomed above them, holding a spear. Suddenly there was an ungodly flash of lightning. Kaien felt white-hot agony before everything went black.

Authors Note:

And that seems a good place to end for now. These chapters have been getting shorter, haven't they? Still, it is a filler arc, and most of it was fight scenes. I think I'm going to try and spice things up a bit next chapter, not sure how, though.

Anyway, enjoy.