New allies
As Soifon's anger finally went away (for now), she joined them in their game. Kari even brought out some of her hard candy that Yachiru absolutely loved; Toshiro and Soifon were actually surprised that the girl had brought it to begin with.
"You're a really cool ryoka, Candy girl!" said Yachiru after she finished her first round.
"You're a ryoka?!" said Toshiro surprised.
"Well…I was. That's why Soifon-taicho and I were fighting earlier. But don't worry, I have NO intention of getting in the way of everyone else," said Kari with a laugh.
"If you are really a ryoka, then why are you…?" said Soifon, who still hadn't figured it out.
"Why am I now the fourth seat of the eleventh division?"
"That, and why aren't you in a cell by now?"
"Easy…I convinced Zaraki-taicho not to turn me in, and he gave me the seat position because I kept putting those pin heads in their place…how many times was it, Yachiru-chan?"
"Around four or five. Giving Candy girl the seat position was mostly to keep her from beating up the others any more."
"Though it might only serve as proof that I was sucking up to Yachiru and Zaraki," said Kari bored.
"Why would they…?" started Soifon.
"I hang out with Yachiru-chan a lot and give her free candy. She's the main reason I brought it with me in the first place. Though the others still can't get over the fact that I'm nice to the fourth division," said Kari.
"That's something you don't see everyday…someone from the eleventh actually being friendly towards the Medical Ops!" said Toshiro.
"Hey, they don't get enough credit. What they lack in strength they more than make up for with their usefulness. Who else would take care of those whiny fools from different divisions?"
"True," admitted Soifon.
"So why did you infiltrate the eleventh? Why not the fourth or the R and D?" asked Toshiro.
"11th was the best choice I had. It was the only one where fighting isn't considered a bad thing. It's the only one that suited my personality best."
"And because few would dare to oppose someone from that division," Soifon pointed out.
"Huh…that's one thing I never thought of. I guess my main reason that I choose that one is because I knew the captain and little Yachiru-chan better than the others."
"Meaning you knew how to manipulate them," said Soifon bored.
"Not really. They were just easier to get along with," said Kari, "Besides, Yachiru-chan is soooo Kuwaii!!"
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," said Toshiro.
"Kari, I've been meaning to ask, but how do you know that Yoruichi will find me on the day Rukia is executed?" asked Soifon, changing the subject.
"Well, technically she won't be executed at all. Ichigo will come and save her at the last minute. But I doubt you'd believe me if I told you the truth."
"Anything else you haven't told us?" asked Toshiro.
"Let's see…you suspect Ichimaru is up to something, right Toshiro-taicho?"
"How did you know…?"
"I also know exactly who's behind Rukia's execution."
"What?!"
"There's a plot that hasn't fully unfolded yet, and I can't tell you too much lest I make things worse than they already are," said Kari.
"Is there anything you can tell us that won't alter the future too much?" asked Toshiro, hopeful.
"There is one thing I think I should warn you about. Don't trust Aizen."
"What? Why Aizen?" asked Soifon.
"He's hiding something that you won't like," said Kari. (Oh joy, another one of her ominous warnings!)
"What?"
"Let's just say that not everything about him is what it appears. He's not who you believe he is," said Kari, choosing her words carefully.
"I guess we'll have to take your word for that."
"I know I might not seem trustworthy, but you have to believe me. Don't trust everything that you know about Aizen. And I recommend you keep an eye on Hinamori…just because she admires him doesn't mean she knows his true nature," said Kari.
"What do you mean?"
"You'll find out for yourself. When the execution date draws closer, then I'll be able to tell you more. But not until then," said Kari.
"Well, I've had enough warnings of the future to keep me confused for a few days. I'm going back to work," said Soifon.
"What do you say we get back to playing?" said Kari, changing the subject.
A few days later, Kari was keeping an eye on Aizen and his assistant captain. When she saw a familiar scene play out, she knew that she had to intervene somehow. As Hinamori rushed to make it to her meeting, she took a short-cut that would lead into a whole new nightmare. When the others showed up and saw 'Aizen' up on the tower, killed by his own Zanpaku-to, Hinamori was distraught, and wasn't thinking straight. She saw Ichimaru walking up, his usual grin on his face. She went temporarily insane and tried to 'avenge' the apparent death of her captain. Kira, the assistant captain of Ichimaru's division, went to block her. But before either of them could make contact, Hinamori suddenly went limp!
"Wha…?" said Kira, confused.
Kari appears out of nowhere and catches the now-unconscious Hinamori before she fell. She turned towards Ichimaru with an apparent scowl. (Doesn't like Ichimaru even if he was a captain!)
Toshiro approaches; he puts both Hinamori and Kira under arrest. Then he looks at Kari, who shot him a look saying, "I'll explain later!"
-----
"So how did you know to appear at that particular time?" asked Rangiku mildly confused.
"I have a certain source that had already warned me about Aizen's apparent 'death'," said Kari. (Toshiro notes she was using the term 'death' loosely. That sent an immediate warning up in his mind.)
"So why did you knock out Hinamori?" asked Toshiro.
"It seemed like a good idea to knock her out and spare her any more pain. At least it stopped her attack," Kari pointed out.
"True…so why do I sense that you're holding something from us?" asked Toshiro.
"Remember when I said that not everything about him is what it appears?"
"Yeah…I vaguely remember that bit," said Toshiro.
"Well I was mostly referring to his death. Don't believe what your eyes see. It's not what you think it is."
"Meaning there's a chance he isn't dead?" said Rangiku.
"It seems a little too convenient, don't you think?" said Kari.
"What do you mean?" asked the two.
"Someone or something supposedly kills off Aizen for no apparent reason. The Seireitei is already in enough chaos over my friends being all over the place trying to save Rukia…so much so that the death of a captain wouldn't be made public in order to avoid panic. Seems that the timing is a little too good if you ask me," said Kari.
"You're right…the timing is good; too good for it to be a coincidence. So you're saying that there's something else going on that we can't see?" asked Toshiro.
"Yes…so what do you plan to do, Toshiro-taicho?" asked Kari.
"I'm going to continue as I usually do. But what you've told me won't be ignored. I'll be keeping my eye out for anything unusual…besides you and your friends," said Toshiro. (Kari heard the emphasis on 'you'. She grinned.)
"I'll give you one last piece of advice before I go. There's more than one person behind this plot."
"How many are there?!" asked Rangiku concerned.
"Three…but I can't say which ones yet. Two of them you've probably begun suspecting, but the third is someone who'll take you by surprise," said Kari vaguely. Before they could ask, she vanished.
She did her usual routine at her division; and then waited patiently for the incident when Hinamori and Kira both broke out of the barracks. When Toshiro went after Hinamori in an effort to protect her, Kari appeared by his side from out of nowhere!
"What the…?!"
"I know what happened…and what will happen when you find Hinamori," she said calmly.
"What? Tell me, please!" said Toshiro urgently.
"That letter that Rangiku found addressed to Hinamori from Aizen… It implicates you as a conspirator against the Soul Society. In the state-of-mind Hinamori is in, she probably believes every word."
"What does that letter say?!"
"Would you like me to repeat it word-for-word?"
"You're kidding, right? I thought Hinamori was the only one who read it," said Toshiro.
"Well, do you want to know before you catch up to her or not?" retorted Kari.
"Fine."
-----
'If you are reading this, I am probably dead. Therefore, I confide the truth of what I have discovered to the one I trust the most. The truth about why Rukia Kuchiki must be executed…and why the execution date keeps changing. In the course of my investigation, I reached a conclusion. The true goal of the execution is not to kill Rukia Kuchiki. The execution has been contrived so that something may be stolen. And that thing is…the Sokyoku. The Sokyoku, whose seal is only removed for executions has the destructive power of one million Zanpaku-to in its blade. The Takka has the defensive to power to block an equal number of Zanpaku-to. Furthermore, when used to execute a Soul Reaper, its power can be momentarily increased by several dozen times. The one who plotted Rukia Kuchiki's execution intends to use the Sokyoku to destroy not only the Seireitei, but the entire Soul Society as well. The name of that despicable person is…Toshiro Hitsuguya.'
-----
"What!" said Toshiro in shock.
"Part of the letter was true. This whole execution nonsense is so something can be taken…but its not the Sokyoku. And I guarantee you that is exactly what the letter says word for word."
"But why…?"
"Why would Aizen write such nonsense? To turn her against you. She will attempt to kill you after you find her."
"How do I know what you say is true?! I barely even know you!" said Toshiro angrily.
"Look, if you don't believe me, then you'll have to believe it after we find Hinamori. You shouldn't be so damn suspicious of me, Toshiro! I am on your side!" said Kari irritably. That was when she remembered the rest.
"What?" asked Toshiro when he saw the look on her face.
"I almost forgot…the letter went on to say something else. And since Hinamori is too distraught to think straight, she will do what it said on the letter."
"What else was on it?!" asked Hitsuguya in annoyance.
-----
'Tonight I have called him out to the Higashi Daishoheki. I must foil his plan at all costs. If he will not back down, I am prepared to cross swords with him. But if I die, Hinamori, please carry on for me and kill him. That is my last wish. I ask this of you not as the captain of the 5th company, but as a man.'
-----
"Please tell me this is a sick joke," said Toshiro in complete disbelief.
"I wish…" grumbled Kari. They found Hinamori five minutes later. Hitsuguya's eyes widened as Hinamori said the letter's contents aloud from memory. They were the EXACT same words Kari had said before!
Hitsuguya tried to reason with her, but she was beyond help at that point, too delirious from her grief. He looked at Kari who shot him a 'Now do you believe me?!' look.
As he battled it out with Hinamori, he looked at Ichimaru. That was when something clicked in his mind.
"So is this more of your work, Ichimaru?! Aizen wasn't enough for you?" he said in fury. Before he could go after Ichimaru, Hinamori came out of nowhere and continued attacking him; he couldn't dodge or even block her, so he was forced to knock her out. As Hinamori fell, Kari caught the girl before she made contact with the ground.
"Hitsuguya, he is a part of this, but he wasn't the one who wrote that accursed letter," said Kari as she set Hinamori down gently.
"What?"
"That really was Aizen's doing. He's the one whose making her suffer…however…Gin Ichimaru isn't completely innocent in all of this!" replied Kari.
"I thought you looked familiar. You're the ryoka girl who somehow got Shinso to attack me at the gate," said Ichimaru in a casual tone.
"Who said I was a ryoka now, snake-face?!" growled Kari. (Toshiro and Kira both stared at her because her growl sounded a little TOO similar to a dog!)
"Funny…everyone else says I look like a fox."
"Oh puh-lease. Naruto looks like a fox when he grins…you, on the other hand, remind me more of a deceiving snake!" snorted Kari…then she smirked, "Speaking of foxes…what took you so long, Kitsu?"
"Its not easy to sneak out of a cell, Kari!" retorted the fox-familiar.
"What the…? Where'd that fox come from?" said Kira.
"He's no ordinary fox, is he, Kari?" said Hitsuguya. Everyone's eyes were on her as she took out a red-blue glove and knocked out Kitsu's true form out of the Gigai.
"Nope…he never was a normal familiar to begin with. I call him Kitsu for short, even though his true name is…" started Kari, who let the fox finish.
"Kyuubi no Kitsune!" said Kyuubi evilly.
As Hitsuguya activated his Zanpaku-to's ability, Kyuubi and Kari protected Hinamori from his onslaught; when Gin tried to get rid of Toshiro, Rangiku was the one who blocked him from hitting the others. Ichimaru backed off after she appeared…he took his second in command with him. Hitsuguya took Hinamori to the fourth division and went with Kari and Kyuubi to a certain location where she had hid something important. She knew now was probably the best time to reveal her source.