Pain. That was the first thing that Kaneki felt as he was released from the weak bonds of his subconscious. He looked down to see blood soaking his shirt. He was dizzy enough from blood loss he actually thought he was going to die for real this time. Kaneki began to get up, ignoring the slowly closing wound in his torso. He would have to eat soon.

"Oh," the ghoul in front of Kaneki said, disappointment lacing his words. "I thought you were dead..." Then a cruel smirk took over his features. Before Kaneki could act, the ghoul's kagune began to surge toward him.

"Why don't you learn to stay down like a good dog?!" He yelled. Kaneki could barely get out of the way of the kagune. What his next move was going to be was probably not going to be his smartest, but he didn't really have much of a choice. Taking a running start Kaneki made an advancement towards the ghoul, dodging the kagune surging towards him. His breath had become labored and harder with each step, but he kept moving. Kaneki finally got close to the ghoul and did the only natural thing.

Blood exploded into his mouth as he took a chunk out of the ghoul's shoulder. He could barely hear the ghoul's disgruntled moan of pain. Wiping the blood from his mouth Kaneki stepped back.

"That tasted worse than rotting fish..." He said. Then, a splitting pain formed base of his spine then began to move up and finally ended at his shoulders. Kaneki could feel the kagune begin to form but this time, that sensation was different. By the time it finished forming, his mind was in a jumble, Kaneki figured it would be harder this time to keep his sanity intact. Cracking a finger Kaneki looked up at the ghoul, Kakuja mask covering half of his face.

"What's 1000 minus 7?"

Shirazu POV

"Holy shit, I thought I had become miss Shirako for a second there..." Shirazu muttered under his breath as he rolled away from Nuts. Shirazu couldn't help but begin to worry about Sasaki at that moment. Aogiri would be tough to beat, what with all the forces battling head to head with the CCG they were going to be outnumbered... And fast. Shirazu looked up once more to see that Nuts had been pierced by a quinque. Her shrill scream burst through the air and the blade of the quinque retracted.

She was smart enough at that moment to get away, revealing a new investigator that Shirazu hadn't seen at the beginning of the raid. He had a mop of brown hair cleanly pulled back into a small ponytail and cold, calculating brown eyes. He looked pretty young, maybe not even much older than himself, maybe even Sassan's age.

"Any and all available officers report to the administration building*" Shirazu heard from his earpiece, looking over at Saiko he asked "Wait, wasn't that where Sassan was with the SS rate ghoul?" Saiko gave a grave nod and the new investigator spoke.

"Rank 3 Shirazu, Yonebayashi, follow me." Shirazu and Saiko gave the investigator an incredulous look. The investigator gave a slight smirk.

"Forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself. I am rank 1 Hideyoshi Washuu." Shirazu's eyes widened at that. Washuu?! He thought I never knew Yoshtoki had another kid... Well, I didn't know he had one in the first place so...

Shirazu gave Saiko a small glance and they followed the already advancing investigator.

Kaneki POV.

"So... How should I kill you?" That was the only intelligible sentence to come from Kaneki's mouth at that moment. The other ghoul's features showed apathy, but that only masked the pain that threatened to take over his face. Giving a smirk of a madman, Kaneki began to advance to the ghoul, kagune whirling around to pierce the ghoul in several places. All the other ghoul could do was keep blocking, but that was easier said than done. Going faster than any normal person could register, Kaneki brought his kagune around to stab the SS rate ghoul in the torso. Repeatedly.

"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna-" the ghoul said as finally, he coughed up the last of his blood and as his internal organs left his body, and splattered on the ground. It looked like... Well, jam**. As he the ghoul took his last rattling breath Kaneki began to come down on him... Or what was left of him.

Shirazu POV.

Seeing Sassan on the remains of the SS rate ghoul was enough to upturn his stomach, but the kagune sprouting from his back was enough to make Shirazu cringe. It looked painful, with the twin appendages which resembled centipedes, looking completely different from his other kagune, which resembled tentacles more or less. But his face unsettled Shirazu the most. Half covered, his normal eye only showing his white sclera, and the kakugan eye shining brightly on the other half of his face.

Sasaki gave a cruel smirk and began to laugh like a madman. Shirazu looked over at Saiko, who looked terrified most out of the investigators who had arrived.

"W-what happened to him?" She asked, voice quivering in fear, also voicing one of the many questions that Shirazu had floating through his mind at the moment.

"I'm afraid that rank 1 Sasaki has become a kakuja," Washuu said confidently. But upon the terrified looks of Shirazu and Saiko, he added: "But only for the time being... Though I really can't say anything for his mental state..."

Only moments after the investigator had said that, one of the centipede-like tendrils shot toward the group. Had it not been for Washuu, Shirazu and Saiko would've been killed right then and there.

"I'd watch out if I were you," he said. After that first attack, a whole armada of attacks began to rain down on the few investigators. Shirazu began to use his kagune for what it was meant for, but that was hardly enough.

"Maman!" Shirazu heard Saiko call out. He was pretty sure that wouldn't work, but he tried it anyways, shouting for him to snap out of it. But that just wasn't enough. Shirazu could barely focus on getting away from the rampaging kakuja. Actually, that was the only real thing that he'd paid any attention to in the academy. A gurgling scream cut through the air and he saw Saiko being pierced by Sasaki. That. That was enough to make him just about go ballistic. A hand outstretching before his chest was the only thing that prevented Shirazu from giving Sasaki all he had. But this wasn't Sasaki. He would've never hurt any of the squad. Not even once. This wasn't him- and Shirazu was ready to kick his ass for it.

"You might want to stay back." Washuu said as he stepped forward toward Sasaki. For a moment, Shirazu caught a flash of pain in his apathetic eyes, almost a bit of sadness, also.

"Rank one Sasaki!" Washuu said. The guy was an idiot. Shirazu had also tried reminding Sassan of his rank too, and that had worked out sooo wonderfully. Meanwhile, that hadn't taken any effect whatsoever. Sasaki had kept on with his insane mutterings about numbers… and for some reason: Centipedes. Washuu kept on doing that several more times, attempting to get closer, jabbing at the kagune with his blade-like quinque whenever it got too close. Finally, Washuu seemed to get fed up with the unresponsiveness of Sasaki.

"KANEKI!" He yelled at him and Sasaki turned around to face him. Recognition passed over his features and Shirazu could see tears form at the corner of one of Sasaki's eyes. They began to stream down his face as the investigator. Then a look of betrayal overcame his features as Washuu shot RC suppressants into his chest.

"Sleep for a little bit, Sasaki," Washuu said as Sasaki's kagune began to dissipate, as well as the mask covering part of his face. Then, before Sasaki succumbed to the suppressants he spoke one word. And that one word was filled with warmth and familiarity.

"Hide."