Chapter III

"Yoruichi-san!" cheered a very annoying voice from the corridor outside her classroom.

Yoruichi gritted her teeth. What now? She just had to vacate her lesson that morning just to waste her time interrogating a very uncooperative criminal. Now, now, that she's in the goddamn middle of her lesson, she was once again being latched to by the same madman, that not only two damned hours ago, was with her during the interrogation.

Why on this God's green Earth did not this annoying lint talked with her hours ago, when she was…she dunno…with him?!

"This better be important, Kisuke," spat Yoruichi as she excused herself from the class – who, by the way, were sighing in relief, thanking this hooligan salvation who interrupted the class.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Good teachers should always be courteous to guests, so that students will follow the good example," Kisuke teased. Yoruichi felt a vein pop.

"Good guests should always know better than to interrupt a class. It affects the students' learning process," she jibed, crossing her arms across her chest. "What are you doing here, Kisuke?"

"I just came in to check on you. You know I always worry about you. Somet…" he stopped when he noticed that she had begun to be silent. He sighed and frowned, before changing the subject. "How is Orihime's training coming along?"

"That's it?" Yoruichi was taken aback due to the randomness of the question. "You came all this way!" she exclaimed. "You interrupted me in the middle of my godforsaken lesson!" her voice grew louder. "Just. To. Ask. How. Orihime. Is. Doing. In. Her. Goddamn. Training?!" Yoruichi hollered, her voice echoing across the length of the corridor.

Everything went still and silent.

"Curiosity. Curiosity," Kisuke said in a casual tone. Yoruichi clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, then she sighed. This won't do. She calmed herself.

"If you must know, Orihime has been doing rather well," she pointed. Yoruichi could still remember that day. A month after Yhwach's death at the hands of Ichigo, Orihime went to Urahara Shoten. The girl back then asked for some training regarding hand-to-hand combat, and how she can incorporate her natural Reiatsu in punches, lunges, kicks and whatnots. Of course, Yoruichi was perplexed but not quite surprised, since according to Ichigo, Uryu and Sado, the girl was a karate black belt holder. After a five-second deliberation on her part, she acquiesced, seeing as though she has nothing better to do after the war. And perhaps it was due to guilt, as out her friends, she received the least training. She, Yoruichi, believes that it was partly her fault too.

However, it was a decision that Yoruichi did not even regret, not for even a millisecond. Well, she had never encountered such a student with diligence in training after Sui Feng. The girl had the natural talent, but the girl was also as determined to improve, not like the buffoons inside the classroom.

"Doing well how?"

"Well, in a way that she's progressed so much in the past few years. She's able to spar with me on quite the even level. She's strong, sturdy, and fast, that it makes me think that she's second to Sui Feng in terms of hand-to-hand combat and Shunpo. Unbelievable, isn't it?" She smiled broadly at the man.

"What about teaching her Shunko?"

"Nope, she refused. It's quite a waste, if you'd ask me. She said that she already had her own set of abilities, and would like to improve it," Yoruichi shook her head with a smile.

"And what of her progress? Is it slow? Fast?"

Yoruichi paused for a while, perusing her memories for more details. "Well, she's no Ichigo if that's what you're pointing at. There was no explosive and spontaneous power-up in the middle of the battle. It was steady, as what you would expect from any Shinigami students. The difference is just that she was diligent, patient, calm, and most importantly, level-headed unlike Ichigo, Sado or that Renji kid. But….these days we're just sparring. I don't want my prized student getting rusty," she chuckled.

"Interesting," Kisuke muttered as his eyes were staring off into space.

Yoruichi sighed again. "If she's being targeted like those times in the past, I can assure you that she is more than capable of hurling your ass back to you."

"No, it's not that," he chuckled. "Anything regarding her reiatsu? You've mentioned that she has become more powerful, how can you say so?"

"Well, she's become skilled alright, physically. However, concerning her reiatsu, I'm still puzzled. Of course, it's not a Shinigami's, or Quincy's or Hollow's…actually, it's quite unreadable."

"Unreadable, how?"

"It's weird. Let's just say that I know for certain that you are a Shinigami based on the reiatsu you emit, and based from its frequency, I can identify that you are quite powerful. With her, it's like there's a shield blocking me from reading it properly…well, she's a barrier-type, so perhaps that is the reason," she hypothesized.

"Well, it's an interesting theory," Kisuke confirmed.

"Come to think of it, I never saw Orihime expel her reiatsu, nor saw her even being brought back to her knees whenever someone did…and that was years ago when there were high-level Shinigami, Arrancar, Visoreds, or Quincies within her immediate vicinity. Hell, she even married Ichigo, and I never saw her being strained by his overwhelming reiatsu. And that's something."

"Just like you said, it's probably because she's a barrier-type. Perhaps the reason she does not expel reiatsu is because it already acts as a constant shield of sorts," Kisuke offered.

"Oh, so that would explain it!" Yoruichi exclaimed.

"Explain what?"

"During one of our training sessions, I punched straight into her gut with enough force that could knock Isshin several feet away. And while she did flew high up in the air, she remains quite unscathed. I presume it was just her high endurance and tolerance to pain, but I think it was the reiatsu-turned-automatic-shield," she chuckled.

"Interesting, indeed," said Kisuke. Yoruichi swore that at that moment, she could hear the mental gears in the man's brain working and turning.

"There's something that you're not telling me," she accused. She stepped forward menacingly with her eyes narrowed into slits. "Tell me."

"Well, that girl that you thought cannot expel reiatsu…she just did a few days ago," confirmed Kisuke in a grave tone.

"Then that means that she is getting p…"

"Powerful, yes," the man agreed. "But it doesn't add up. Something big is going on."

"You should ask Hachi. He's also one of her trainers," suggested the woman. "Or better yet, ask Orihime directly, and stop with this undercover shenanigans of yours."

"I can't. They already had enough things to deal with, what with their child coming in contact with the disembodied reiatsu of a demented immortal warlord," he admitted. "In any case, if the mother had this much power and potential to begin with, then I think it's only a matter of time before the son also does."

"Adding to the fact that the father is the most powerful being in existence…" Yoruichi realized. "Oh, no," was the only thing she could say as her eyes widened with the sudden epiphany. Aizen's plans had always involved Kazui.

"Let's meet up with Ichigo and the others," Kisuke said before disappearing in a flash.

Mr. Kurosaki, captain of the Fifteenth Division, has just recounted the issue at hand. Apparently, at 0900 hours that morning, a Spiritual Pressure with similar signature to Juhabach had appeared in two separate places simultaneously. The first had been monitored by the Twelfth Division and the other had been in the Human World, right where the Kurosaki Family lived. A moment after the so-called apparition, it quickly disappeared without any traces for the family or the Thirteen Court Guards to track.

Billy Banx Jr. remembered that this Juhabach is known among the denizens of the Spiritual World as an immortal god-like figure, said to have been the direct son of the Soul King. He is also known as the progenitor and emperor of all Destruction Monks He is also said to have the all-powerful ability called The Almighty that allows him to see any possible future and change it according to his will.

"We have reason to believe that our son may have been his target all along," the Soul Reaper said.

Billy wasn't able to ask as to why they came up to the conclusion, as it was followed by Dr. Ishida's explanation.

"Around ten years ago, before Yhwach's death, he warned us that he will come in the near future, just as peace will finally return," Dr. Ishida stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Belatedly, Billy remembered that the eastern branch of Soul Society called the criminal as Yhwach, and not as Juhabach as what they, as westerners, do. Anyway, Billy has no reason to doubt the story of the Four Emperors, seeing as though they would not cause a commotion just to lie. However, there is one thing to be addressed, still.

"No," stated the only woman member, Mrs. Kurosaki. Billy felt a blush growing on his cheeks. The woman is that beautiful and ethereal for mortal eyes to behold. He mentally slapped himself for being distracted. "You will not chaperone our kid. We couldn't do that to you," she finalized. Ah, she was able to read their minds, he remarked sheepishly. "We are just having this meeting today as representatives of the Human World. We do not want a repeat of the previous war. This is just to better prepare us for the near future."

Billy heard Noel heaved her breath. Apparently, Noel has her mind high up in the clouds, like Ninii not so long ago…Newbies.

"Thank you," said Noel with a rather daft smile plastered across her face. Mrs. Kurosaki smiled at the statement.

"Um…if I may," Ninii squeaked. Billy noticed that her ears had begun turning red. Probably the result of her rather embarrassing fiasco a while ago. "I understand that Mr. Banx is here due to his status as a member of our Sabre Squad, but why include us Conservation Rangers?"

Billy was also curious as to why these two had been specifically mentioned, but not before noticing that Ninii used an honorific in his name. The brat was that embarrassed, he grinned mentally.

Mrs. Kurosaki flashed her radiant smile once again. Wow, she looks like a goddess. "Well, I've heard so much about you and Niihashi-san, so I specifically asked for the two of you to come here."

Hueco Mundo stretched for miles like a barren wasteland. Menoly kicked a lone pebble to occupy her time as they walk aimlessly towards nothing.

"Menoly!" Loly called out to her. Menoly merely stared at her partner's angry face. "Faster!" she barked. Menoly sighed and walked briskly, reaching the still-irritated Arrancar.

"Just where are we going?" Menoly whispered. "And why do we have to wear these cloaks. They smell of dried blood and cockroaches," she complained.

"Shut your trap," barked the other girl. "We're gonna get out of here," she gestured to the grayish sand that lays before them.

"Eh, why?"

"It sucks, that's why! Now hurry up before that bitch Harribel notices us," Loly walked faster.

Menoly just sighed. She's sighing too much these days. She's probably getting older the more years she babysit Loly and indulge her in her whims. She glanced at the ever-permanent moon glistening alone in the darkness of the sky. She turned her attention back to Loly who was now several paces away from her.

It has been over a decade since they were able to drive away the remaining forces of Quincies that tried to invade Hueco Mundo. Peace…or whatever semblance or version of it returned as Tier Harribel regained the throne as the Queen of Hueco Mundo.

In order to manage this realm, she divided it among the remaining living higher-ranking Arrancars, among of which are Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. Menoly could not remember who the others are. She does not give a damn about them, anyway. Harribel then used the remains of Las Noches as her base of operations, wherein all Area Heads of conduct monthly meeting to discuss the situation of Hueco Mundo.

Maybe, Loly's just pissed that Grimmjow of all people, was able to get a province all to himself, Menoly remarked mentally. A smile spread across her lips at that.

"What are you stupidly smiling at?" Loly called once again. Menoly shook her head and jogged towards her partner.

"Nothing," she smiled once again, as a huge Garganta opened right below their feet and swallowed them up before they could use Sonido.

It took a solid thirty minutes to finally pry Noel from the presence of Mrs. Kurosaki. Although the Empress had been kind enough to answer all of their team mate's fanatical questions, it's getting quite embarrassing already.

Ninii muttered another apology, both for her rude greetings, and for Noel's diminishing professionalism. The Empress assured that it is by no means a problem. And here they are, exiting the gate of Fifteenth Division, finally free from the shackles of propriety that is ambassadorship.

Billy noticed that Noel had begun to be silent. She's probably having these realizations that she was not able to keep her cool at the presence of the Vermillion Bird Empress.

"Let's go," he announced rather loudly, so as to signal both girls to stop staring off into space and actually pay attention to their surroundings.

"Greetings!" a man approached them. He is a tall, lean-built man with light skin and gray eyes. His hair is messy and light-blond, with strands framing the sides of the face and hanging between his eyes. He has chin stubble. He wears a dark coat, which sports a white diamond pattern along its bottom half, with a dark green shirt and pants underneath. He wears traditional Japanese wooden sandals and a striped dark green and white bucket hat. "Good Day, I am-"

"Lord Kisuke Urahara, former Captain of the 12th Division and first president of SRDI," replied Billy as he stretched his hand towards the man in green clothes. "Billy Banx Jr., member of Sabre Squad, Wing Bind. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

"The pleasure is all mine," Lord Urahara took the outstretched hand, smiling. "I assume that the meeting went well?"

"Quite. What brings you here?"

"Well, to have a chat with the four brats inside, actually," Lord Urahara chuckled. "Anyhow, it is a fortune that I met you right now," he said as he put his hands in his pockets and rummaged for something. "Here," he offered his palm in front of them, revealing three silver rings.

"Uh, thanks?"

"These are an advanced prototype of a universal real-time language translator, to you know…break down our language barrier? It reads spiritual frequency from the brain and translates it into the wearer's desired language. Its default setting is in the lingua franca of the Human World…so English," Lord Urahara gestured for them to take one.

Billy took one first, followed by the two girls. He slipped it into his right middle finger finding it rather loose. He was about to voice it out when a second later, the ring fitted the finger slim. Whoa.

"Do the members of the Fifteenth Division wear them?" Billy was curious, as he had observed a while ago that the Four Emperors can perfectly speak English.

"They do, but I doubt that they had much problem in speaking English. They're well-versed as it is. After all Sado-san is an international athlete. He was tutored. Ishida-san and Orihime-chan are both doctors, so they are kind of required to learn English. And Ichigo is a College Professor with a Doctorate in Language, so there you go."

"Wa-wait, Mrs. Kurosaki is a Doctor?" It was Noel, probably giddy at her newly discovered information.

"Of course. I think it was Pediatrics…Well, who else would use that home-based clinic if not for her?" Lord Urahara remarked with a wistful smile. "Anyways, nice meeting you, good Sir and Madams," he tipped his hat and went inside the compound.

"Whoa! That was awesome," exclaimed Ninii.

"My, my, my. I have never seen a Garganta that looks like that…if that was, in fact, a Garganta," Aizen said, his voice lilting. "I'd shower you with applause, but as you can see, my hands are…quite occupied."

"Curious, aren't we?" said the voice from the looming darkness of the room.

"Curious, indeed."

"Everything's possible with me."

"Except these infernal shackles, I presume."

"Now, let's not get into that. After all, we have guests to attend to."

"Ah," Aizen mouthed as he heard the sound of several footsteps and voices muttering among themselves. "Now, I've readied my valiant rooks and knights. Shall we play a game of chess, Ichigo and Orihime?" he smiled to himself.

A faint purple light twinkled in the distance. "I believe the word is pawns."

Aizen chuckled before turning his attention to his now complete audience. "Greetings, fellowmen. Before any of you question as to why you're here, let me make you an offer…an offer you all can never refuse," he paused just for the theatrics. "Revenge."

A/N: Aaaannnddd here's an update of the story. I noticed that I committed some mistakes in the previous chapter, so I rectified some of them. Anyways, apologies are in order for the delay. The notebook where I wrote my original ideas...well, let's just say that I've forgotten them at my office, and I wasn't able to get it back in at least five days, so go figure. Hahaha!

Guest #1: Thank you for the comment. I really appreciated it!

Jitaku: Me too! I'm not really sure myself whether a fanfic about Bleach X Burn the Witch actually exists, so why not just create one, and voila!

kalmaegi: Hello! So, here it is! I've been on a hiatus since I do not have a good concept which can top The Fight. It took me several weeks of mental block and brainstorming to think of something quite "intelligent". I mean, come on, how do you create a conflict when two of your protagonists are already God-tier in a certain aspect, so please do bear with me until I finish this. I had a good story...I think. Hahaha. You guessed some of it though, I had to use Burn the Witch characters to reintroduce the story of Bleach, and of course, what better way of reintroducing our main heroes than elevating their status using their powers, and then adding a few details of my own. The Fight tells us that Masaki was unable to reincarnate as a side effect of Orihime's powers, so it fits my idea of having Isshin stay at the Spiritual World to reinstate the Shiba Clan, (that's why he wasn't present in the epilogue chapter of Bleach). Regarding the Four Symbols, it just came to randomly, and I think that it fits quite nicely with the Ryoka. The Fifteenth Division and the flower also came into me like an epiphany. But thinking logically, there are already 14 Divisions (0-13), and that they have symbolic flowers, so once again, it fits.

Guest #2: Nah, he'd probably even no remember it, seeing as Ichigo is notorious for forgetting certain details. Hahaha