SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 6 out, this is Chapter 7 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.

Pairings: Ishida/Hasu, minor pairing Hitsugaya/Karin

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.

Chapter 7: Hitsugaya Strikes! Slice the Enemy in the Middle of the Forest

In the Squad 10 barracks...

"Reporting in." one of the unranked Squad 10 Shinigami reported back. "We have identified strange activity in Kusajishi."

"Strange activity?" behind his desk, Hitsugaya echoed.

"Someone has gathered up large groups of vagabonds and started cutting down the trees in Kusajishi Forest." the Shinigami explained.

"Captain." Matsumoto looked at her superior.

"Is this the Bount's doing?" Hitsugaya inquired.

"On the surface, the sponsor is a gambling hall, one of many in Kusajishi." the Shinigami replied.

"So, there's someone working behind the scene." Hitsugaya concluded.

"Yes, sir." the Shinigami answered. "I have information implying that as well."

"What should we do?" Matsumoto asked.

"It's an important clue." Hitsugaya stated. "It needs to be checked out."

"So, are you going to send someone to check it out?" Matsumoto inquired.

"No, Matsumoto." Hitsugaya corrected. "I'm going to see Abarai. Out of everyone involved in this incident, Abarai has had the most contact with the Bount. We will be counting on him."

Elsewhere in Soul Society...

"It seems the contractors have gotten better with reconstruction, haven't they?" Kyoraku noted, as he and Ise surveyed the reconstruction work.

"They've had a lot more work lately because of that ryoka incident, which is probably why they improved." Ise reasoned.

"But, restoring things doesn't solve anything." Ukitake reminded. "Who destroyed this and why?"

"Maybe it was a symbol." Mayuri suggested. "The Bount probably used it as a display of their presence here."

"But if we simply rebuild it, it's rather pointless." Kyoraku pointed out.

"Seriously, you're so blissfully ignorant." Mayuri sighed. "Symbols can be used to influence people's mentality. Right now, all of Seireitei is in an uproar. On top of that, it's amazing how you've allowed them to break into Seireitei. You're getting soft." he walked off. "Wait a moment." he stopped in his tracks. "Oh my."

"Something's the matter?" Kyoraku asked.

"It can't be!" Mayuri realized. "No, I just remembered something urgent. Excuse us." with that, he marched back to Squad 12 with Nemu behind him.

Back in Ran'Tao's hideout...

Hasu stumbled away from her brother who had suddenly awoken, screaming.

"The bomb is..." Ichigo gaped.

"What are you dreaming about?" Ririn was shocked.

"You overslept." Ishida chided.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say it's PTSD." Hasu supplied.

"So, you've finally woken up." Ran'Tao addressed the group, an iron pot of vegetarian hot pot was shimmering over the stove. "Well, let's eat."

"Ran'Tao," Ishida started, after breakfast. "It's about what we were discussing yesterday."

"Sorry about falling asleep in the middle of the conversation yesterday." Ran'Tao apologized.

"Your face is..." Ishida trailed. "We knew a person who looked a lot like... no." he corrected himself. "We met a Bount in the real world who looked just like you. Sōma Yoshino, that was the Bount's name. What does that mean?

"Right." Ririn agreed. "I was wondering about that the most."

"That Bount called Yoshino was probably a copy of me." Ran'Tao replied. "The incident that created the Bount, our experiment for creating immortal souls... it's not like we could use a normal soul in that experiment."

"They weren't normal souls?" Ichigo echoed.

"I see." Hasu realized what Ran'Tao was implying. "You used your own souls as the base to create artificial souls for the experiment."

"The experiment to create eternal life," Ran'Tao continued "Even if our calculations are correct, there were obviously some ethical problems with using human souls. As such, we used our own souls are a base for creating artificial souls. The artificial souls were mixed with regular human souls during an accident in the experiment, causing a mix-up."

"So, that's what the Bount really are then." Ichigo noted.

"Right." Ran'Tao nodded. "They were originally artificial souls that had Shinigami souls as their base. It's only natural for the Bount to have such vast power."

"I see." Ishida noted. "And so, the Bount are able to use Dolls the same way Shinigami was able to use Zanpakutō."

"Yeah." Ran'Tao agreed. "After that, we began researching artificial souls which led to the discoveries of false souls and Modified Souls."

"So, they're like our ancient ancestors then, aren't they?" Ririn gasped.

"I see." Ichigo realized the same thing. "Ririn's Bount sensor worked because they're from the same family tree."

"We didn't expect them to have any Shinigami characteristics other than what they already had, but..." Ran'Tao admitted. "But that Bount named Yoshino, took my appearance, didn't she?"

"Yeah." Ishida replied.

"So, where is this Bount?" Ran'Tao asked.

"She was killed by Kariya." Ishida answered.

"Anyway, we have to stop those Bount as quickly as we can." Ichigo declared.

In the Squad 12 barracks...

"I knew that was it." Mayuri managed to pinpoint the intruder from before. "The one who snuck into Seireitei and set up the explosives was Ichinose Maki. "Take a look at this, Nemu. Even though Shinigami have not recently passed through the gate, there was one incident where it opened all by itself. Here's a record of it. It was Ichinose coming in and then exiting. When you pass by the Senkai Gate, it will open and close, even if you hide your appearance. It would seem that he was unable to completely hide his Reiatsu, no matter how adept at concealment he is. In fact, the only reason this was discovered at all is because of me. He tried to break into the database and secretly manipulate that data. But that sort of thing won't work on me. Ichinose Maki's Nijigasumi has the ability to manipulate light waves, thus allowing him to become invisible. And the Bount have the special ability to completely hide their Reiatsu. If I had those abilities, there's no way that I wouldn't use them. Everything that has happened here in Seireitei was Ichinose's doing while he was invisible. He's the one who set up the symbol. He may have snuck into other databases and altered them as well. Let's input his pattern and check it out. Just as I thought." he managed to pull out the altered data. "It's amazing that he was able to make so many changes without anybody noticing. What?" he gaped. "This is... it can't be! Look at this!" he pointed at the image of the Quincy Bangle that had come up on screen. "When I recovered the erased Bount data, this was in there. I thought of using the Quincy's powers to bring the Bount into Soul Society when I saw that. This data... so Ichinose set this up so that I could find it? They used me, out of all people. They used me so that the Quincy would be able to use his bow, allowing them to enter Soul Society. Now, they've really done it." he spat. "Those damned Bount."

Deep in the Kusajishi Forest...

"We've located them." Matsumoto reported back. "It seems that they're gathering in the interior of the Kusajishi Forest."

"According to our information thus far, it seems that they've gathered quite a few rouges together." Hitsugaya noted.

"As a result, Kusajishi has become pretty quiet." Renji guessed.

"So, what should we do?" Matsumoto asked.

"Since we've come this far, we might as well go take a look." Hitsugaya suggested. "They are members of Rukongai, regardless of the fact that they are ruffians. Do your best not to injure them."

"Renji, is your Zanpakutō okay?" Matsumoto inquired. "In the real world, you used Higa Zekkō, didn't you? Your Zanpakutō hasn't recovered yet, has it?"

"It's okay." Renji assured. "I don't have to go into Shikai when fighting with punks."

"But what are you going to do when the Bount appear?" Hitsugaya posted a question. "Well, when that happens, you can act as a messenger and run to Seireitei as quickly as you can. Let's go."

Outside Ran'Tao's hideout...

"Are you going?" Ran'Tao asked when her guests proceeded to take their leave.

"Yeah." Ichigo answered. "Inoue's Shun Shun Rikka just informed us that the Bount are up to something in the Kusajishi Forest. We gotta get going."

"Ran'Tao, what about you?" Ishida inquired.

"That's not the only thing the Bount are up to." Ran'Tao supplied. "There are some preparations that I must take care of for when the time comes."

"We understand." Hasu nodded. "Then, we'll meet up later."

"That's right." Ichigo suddenly recalled. "There was something else I wanted to ask you. Ran'Tao, you know about Ishida's battle accessory, don't you? How long will it continue to work?"

"Even I don't know that." Ran'Tao admitted. "Maybe it will quit working today, maybe tomorrow. Should it accidentally discharge, it would blow everything away within a considerable radius, including the user."

"There's no point in worrying about that now." Ishida shrugged. "I'll just do what I can."

In the Kusajishi Forest...

"Captain." Matsumoto looked up at Hitsugaya after she took out an attacking Rukongai resident with the hilt of her Zanpakutō.

"There's no mistaking it." Hitsugaya agreed on the tree. "The Bount are up ahead."

"But this is a bit weird." Matsumoto pointed out. "It feels like there aren't enough people here."

"What should we do?" Renji asked.

"For now, let's spread out and move on." Hitsugaya answered. "I found you." he grinned, stopping outside the forest and was met by Ichinose. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Ichinose Maki." Ichinose replied.

"You're the Shinigami that's been lending support to the Bount?" Hitsugaya frowned.

"I am no longer a Shinigami." Ichinose corrected. "I am the great Kariya's comrade."

"Where are the Bount?" Hitsugaya demanded, his eyes scanning the empty area.

"I have no need to answer you." Ichinose drew his Zanpakutō.

"Then, I have no choice but to force the answer out of you." Hitsugaya growled, drawing Hyōrinmaru.

In a flash of Shunpo, the two adversaries clashed.

"Why do you help the Bount when you are so skilled?" Hitsugaya questioned, both Shinigami met was a stalemate.

"Because I saw justice in Kariya's goals." Ichinose replied. "There is no longer any justice within Soul Society. Therefore, Kariya is going to purge everything." sensing someone was drawing near, he flashed back.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Hitsugaya recognized the Shinigami Daiko who had exited the forest with Hasu and Ishida.

"Captain Hitsugaya." Hasu reverted into Tula. "What is happening in this forest?"

"The number of ruffians gathered in the forest is too small, after all." Matsumoto reported.

"Kurosaki." Inoue blinked when she and Sado arrived via boar.

"Why are you here?" Ichigo blinked.

"Right now, Ganju is..." Inoue pointed to the forest. "We came here with Ganju so that we could stop the people who have gathered together in this forest, but..."

"But for some odd reason, hardly anyone is here." Kurōdo piped in.

"What's the meaning of this?" Hitsugaya frowned.

"What's wrong, Chad?" Ichigo noticed Sado's shocked expression.

"One of the Bount has the ability to manipulate different dimensions like Noba." Sado remarked.

"That old man." Matsumoto recalled Sawatari.

"You're too late now." Ichinose declared. "Kariya and the main force are already on their way to Seireitei."

Omake: Kon-sama's Ultimate Shinigami Illustrated Guide

At the Shinigami Women's Association's meeting...

Matsumoto had brought back souvenirs from the real world.

Matsumoto: Okay, everyone. Here are your souvenirs from the real world. Yoruichi cat for you. (Passes a black cat statue to Suì-Fēng) Candy. (Hands Yachiru packs of sweets) A pennant (Hands a puzzled Isane a flag) A bear (Gives Kiyone a black bear statue) A crest. (Hands Nemu a wooden plank) And then... (Leaves a pink bikini in front of Ise)

Ise: (Picks up bikini) What is this?

Matsumoto: A swimsuit.

Ise: (Thrusts the bikini in Matsumoto's face) Why something that looks like a string?

Matsumoto: Actually, Captain Kyoraku requested it. He asked me to get a sexy outfit for Nanao-chan. So I thought I'd get a swimsuit. Why don't you wear it?

Ise: (Fumes) There's no way I'll wear it!

SailorStar9: In the next chapter, Hitsugaya and Ichinose continue their battle, and Ichinose uses his Shikai, blinding all of those present. As Ichinose is about to attack Tula, his attack is blocked by 11th Squad Captain Zaraki. Zaraki instructs Hitsugaya to take the group and stop Kariya from invading Seireitei, and Ichinose, torn between his loyalty to Kariya and desire to avenge his former captain by killing Zaraki, decides to stay and fight Zaraki. Now that's done, read and review.