Well, here we are, chapter 3. I'm still happy with the story, much to my own surprise (I've got a terrible habit of not finishing what I've started :P) Anyway, someone asked me when this story takes place. Well, I originally had it during the Arrancar arc, but I moved it to afterwards…makes everything easier that way. Anyway, this is a freakishly long chapter. I may go back and update it to make it smaller.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach… (Sobs uncontrollably)

Rukia was inconsolable…she didn't know what to do. Unohana and the rest of the Fourth squad had examined Byakuya again and again, but could not help him, but did diagnose it as poisoning.

"But how?" Rukia asked. "What could have happened?"

"We found this-" Unohana said, extending her hand to reveal in it a small dart-like object, roughly the size of a large insect stinger. "It was in his back, along the spine. It was so small, we almost missed it."

Flashbacks of the other night filled Rukia's mind

-Flashback-

"H-Hisana?" Byakuya said, eyes filled with shock.

"Hisana?" The woman asked, looking amused. "Lucky guess for you. Too bad, I have no prize to give you."

"Would someone explain to me what's going on?!" Renji demanded.

Suddenly, the noises began to approach. As the clouds above began to roll over, the sound of Soi Fon's voice rang out. "Don't move! We have you surrounded!" No sooner had she spoken, Soi Fon leapt to the rooftops, followed by the stealth defense squad. "You have nowhere to run!" Soi Fon said.

Soon, the clouds covered the moon, and Hisana smirked. "Who said I was trying to run?" She said. Before Yoruichi could think, Hisana fell into the ground, leaving

Yoruichi holding nothing but air. As eyes searched to find her, smoke filled the air.

"Damn!" Yoruichi said, covering her face. Through the blowing wind, everyone could see Hisana standing at the buildings edge, smiling eerily.

"Farewell, Kuchiki Byakuya." She said, leaping off the roofs edge. Yoruichi and Soi Fon rushed to stop her, but just then the moon came out and illuminated night sky, and they saw nothing. Not even the shadow of someone running away. The intruder had disappeared.

"Damnit!" Soi Fon said looking around. "Troops!!" She said, turning to her men. "We're going to scout the area! She couldn't have gotten too far!" Then, she

shunpoed away. Yoruichi ran to release the spell on Byakuya and the others. "You guys alright?"

"Yes, we're fine." Rukia said, dusting herself off.

"Yeah, thanks." Renji said. "We owe you big time." But Byakuya was silent. He had not risen to his feet, but stayed on his knees, staring off into the distance.

-End Flashback-

When she was escaping… Rukia thought.

"But," Ichigo said, eying the tiny stinger in Unohana's hand. "When did he get poisoned?"

"It was the other night…" Rukia said, her eyes almost glazed with disdain.

"But how?" Ichigo protested. "You were all watching her the other night, wouldn't you have caught it?"

"Unless…" Rukia's face darkened. "She was able to slip away from Yoruichi's grasp…"

"That's right." Renji said, as if coming to a realization of something. "She just fell into the floor."

"Fell into the floor?" Unohana's arched an eyebrow. "Please elaborate."

"She went through the floor like a ghost. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?!"

"Yeah. If she could have gotten away so easily, she wouldn't have needed the smoke bomb."

"So it was a distraction."

Renji and Rukia fell into deep thought, leaving Ichigo and Unohana to try to put the pieces together on their own.

"Ok." Ichigo said. "I'm completely clueless…Could someone please explain to me what's going on?"

"I'd like an explanation myself…" Unohana said.

"She was able to get away from Yoruichi, by slipping through the floor. If she could have gotten away just like that, she shouldn't have needed the smoke bomb, meaning that the

smoke was a distraction, so that Hisa- I mean, the assassin could plant the poison." Rukia explained.

"I still don't get it." Ichigo said, cocking his head. "If she was sent to kill Byakuya, why would she need poison?

"The poison was a fail-safe, just incase she couldn't finish the job there." Renji said, frustrated at Ichigo's stupidity. "We can give Kuchiki-taichou an antidote, can't we?" Renji

asked, turning to Unohana. "You're Fourth squad. You're trained to handle this, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry." Unohana said solemnly. "It's not that simple, Abarai-fukutaichou. All of our attempts have yielded no results…It's not just an ordinary poisoning…it's not only

affecting his body, it's affecting his mind."

Everyone was silent. As far as they knew, their hands were tied. They were dealing with a powerful enemy and techniques never before encountered. In short, they were screwed.

"Damn." Ichigo said under his breath. "I just wish there was someone who could help."

"There may be one." Renji said reluctantly.

"Who?" Rukia asked, eyes filling with hope. "Who is it?"

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Hisana stood in a dim-lit room. At the end was a throne and as she approached, a thunderous voice bellowed from the darkness.

"Well…"

"It's done, Akuto-sama." Hisana said, bowing to the ominous figure on the throne. "I've administered the poison, just as you have ordered."

"Excellent. You have served me well, Hisana. If the poisoning is successful, you just may earn your memories back."

Hisana looked up. She wanted nothing more than to regain her lost memories. Still, something wasn't right…

"Thank you, Akuto-sama!" Hisana said, bowing deeper. And with that, she jumped back into the shadows.

"Kaa-san. Baa-san. Soon…" The man said, rising from his throne. "I shall take my revenge and restore the honor of our clan…Just you wait…"

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hinamori Momo…"

Silence spread through the room.

"You think so?" Unohana asked, staring intently at Renji.

"She's excelled in demon magic. Even if she's not familiar with this enchantment, she'll still prove useful." Renji said, looking around.

"It's not going to be easy getting past Hitsugaya. He won't let her go, not without a fight." Ichigo said.

"I know, but maybe if I ask him, he might."

"What makes you think that he'll listen to you?"

"I'm a good friend of Momo." Ichigo lifted an eyebrow. "Well I'd like to see you come up with a better idea!" Renji said defiantly.

"I'll go with you." Rukia said, pulling away from Ichigo's arms. "Being Byakuya's sister, I might have some influe-" Suddenly, Rukia stumbled to the ground.

"Rukia!" Renji ran to help her, but Ichigo beat him to it.

"Are you alright, Kuchiki-san?" Unohana asked, her face filled with concern.

"Yes." Rukia replied, holding her head. "I just tripped that's all."

"Unohana." Ichigo said, helping Rukia to her feet. "Maybe you should go instead."

"Well…"

"Ichigo!" Rukia protested. "I'm fine, really!"

"Ichigo's right." Added Renji. "You've been through a lot and you're tired. You should stay here and rest."

"But-"

"No buts." Renji said firmly. Rukia sighed. "Alright." She said.

"Well, then." Unohana said briskly. "Renji, I'm going to let you ask him first."

"Me?" Renji looked at Unohana. "But why?" Unohana smiled.

"You said it yourself. You know Momo the best out of all of us." Renji looked dubious. "Besides," Unohana added. "If things get messy, I'll step in, so don't worry."

Renji thought for a moment. "Alright." He said, rising to his feet. "Let's go."

Ichigo and Rukia watched as Unohana and Renji left. "You'll think they'll be ok?" Ichigo asked, after they left. Rukia's eyes met Ichigos.

"I hope so."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Absolutely not! I forbid it!" This was Hitsugaya-taichou's response to Renji's request to allow Momo to examine Byakuya.

"But Hitsugaya-taichou!" Renji pleaded. "My captain is dying! Momo's the only one with the knowledge to help us! Momo excelled in Kido and demon magic, there's a good chance she'll be of use."

"You don't know that!" Toshiro said, crossing his arms. "There's no guarantee that she'll be able to help, plus she's still very unstable. She hasn't fully recovered from her ordeal

with Aizen."

"Bu-"

"I said no and that's final!!" It was obvious that Toshiro wasn't going to budge on the matter. Renji could only throw his hands up in defeat.

"Perhaps," Unohana said, stepping in "I may have a say in this."

"Hm?" Toshiro turned his head, surprised he didn't notice her standing there before.

"I, for one, am in favor of this action."

"What?!" Toshiro couldn't have looked more surprised than if Matsumoto had said she was giving up drinking.

"I agree," she continued "that Momo is unstable, but at this point, she's our only option."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this! Have you lost your mind, Unohana-taichou?! Releasing Momo could be disastrous!"

"And you don't think that losing another captain wouldn't be the same?"

"I'm not saying that it wouldn't be! But there's no telling what Momo will do once she's free!"

"I'm not asking to release her. I am only asking that she be allowed to help us in saving Kuchiki-taichou's life."

"Don't you have any other options? Why Momo?"

"Look, I know you care deeply for Mom, but as Renji has stated before, Momo has excelled in demon magic. While she no longer holds her high rank, she still possesses a great

deal of knowledge that could be of great benefit to us."

"And I still think it's a bad idea! Look, I'm sorry to hear about Kuchiki-taichou, but I am not changing my mind! Momo has been through enough!"

Unohana was silent. While it didn't show on her face, she was clearly enraged at Hitsugaya-taichou's lack of ability to comprehend the situation.

"Fine." She said, turning to leave. "You leave me no other choice. I'm going to arrange a captains meeting. We'll see what the other captains have to say."

"So be it."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hisana-sama."

Hisana's thoughts were interrupted by a small voice. Turning towards the door, she saw a small, white-haired girl standing there. "Amaya? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I'm sorry." Amaya said, quickly bowing in apology. "If I was interrupting anything, I'll leave."

"No." Hisana said. "I was just thinking."

"About your memories?"

"Yes and no. To tell the truth, I'm a little scared."

"Why?"

"I-I don't know why." Hisana closed her eyes. "It's just that I've been dreaming a lot lately."

"About your past?" Amaya walked across the room and sat on the edge of Hisana's bed.

"I'm not sure. I see it so clearly in my sleep, but when I wake up, it turns into a blur and I can't remember a thing."

"If you don't remember, why do you care?" Hisana was surprised by this question. She looked at Amaya, who was looking at her in the way that most children do when they

don't understand something. But she had a point. Why did she care so much?

"You're right. It's probably nothing. It's just that…" Hisana's voice trailed off.

"What?"

"There's something about this Byakuya…something familiar…"

There was a pause between the two of them.

"Well," Amaya said, hopping to her feet. "I'm sure once you get your memories back, you'll know for sure."

"You think so?" Hisana asked, watching Amaya walk towards the door.

"Yup. Till then, I wouldn't get too riled up about it." And with that, Amaya left.

Hisana closed her eyes and laid down. In her last swirl of thoughts before drifting off to sleep, Byakuya came to mind. I wish I could remember those dreams. She thought, just

before drifting into a deep sleep.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Order! Order!" Yamamoto bellowed as he tapped his cane on the ground. "I hereby call this meeting to order! Now," Yamamoto began. "We have a dilemma.

Unohana-taichou. Please explain."

"Thank you, Yamamoto-sama." Unohana said, bowing her head and stepping forward. "As many of you know, an attempt was made on Kuchiki-taichou's life last night. And

now, he has fallen ill, from poison administered by the perpetrator in her flight. It has been identified as demon magic and if immediate action is not taken, we will lose him."

"And what do you propose we do?" Asked Ukitake.

"I have requested the temporary release of Hinamori Momo, former fukutaichou of the Fifth Squad, so that we may utilize her knowledge of kido and the demon arts."

Whispers spread through the other taichous.

"What I had hoped," she continued. "Was to go directly to Hitsugaya-taichou. Being her overseer, I thought it would have been faster. But my request was met with resistance

and Hitsugaya-taichou would not listen to reason."

"And for good reasons!" Hitsugaya said, stepping forward. "Hinamori is not stable enough to handle this task." He faced the other members of the Gotei Thirteen. "If she were to

be released, there's no telling what would happen."

"But it's Kuchiki-taichou's life on the line, isn't it?" Ukitake asked. "If we lose him, we'll be down another captain. Plus, Kuchiki-taichou has served the Gotei Thirteen for many

years and has come through on multiple occasions. We mustn't turn our backs on him!"

"So you approve of letting that whack-job loose?!" Soi Fon said, glaring fiercely at Ukitake. "It's too risky, you've seen the damage she's done."

"I can't approve of this either." Said Shuhei, who had just been promoted to taichou of the Ninth Squad. "It's just too risky. What if Momo finds out Aizen was killed in the

Winter War? She'll probably go haywire."

"But we have to use our options." Said Kyouraku, taking his side in the matter. "And if Hinamori is our only option, what other choice do we have?"

"I could care less about Kuchiki-taichou." Zaraki said, gripping his sword restlessly and licking his lips. "But it would be a real treat if the girl tried to run…It's been so long since

I've had a good chase."

The other taichous ignored Zaraki and continued their debate. "I agree," Stated Izuru Kira, acting taichou of the Third Squad. "That Momo is too unstable. And Shuhei is right.

Momo doesn't know about Aizen. If she finds out, there's no telling what would happen."

"Now, now, Kira." Said Kurotsuchi, cocking his head to the side. "It might be interesting to see what the girl comes up with. I say go for it."

Soon, the room burst into noise as the taichous debated. It was very clear that a decision wasn't about to be made. The only captain who hadn't said anything was Komamura,

who was obviously waiting for what Yamamoto said.

"Order!" Yamamoto bellowed, once again tapping his cane on the ground. The room became silent. "It is very clear," He began. "That we will not reach a decision the way things

presently are. And since time is of the essence, I say we vote on the matter. All who are in favor of this action?"

Ukitake, Unohana, Kurotsuchi, Kyouraku, and Komamura stepped forward, then stepped back.

"All opposed?"

SoiFon, Kira, Hisagi, Zaraki, and Hitsugaya did the same.

It's a tie... Unohana thought, looking around the room.

It's all up to Yamamoto-sama now… thought Hitsugaya. A deathly silence fell over the room. It seemed an eternity before Yamamoto's voice bellowed out.

"I decree,"

Everyone held their breath.

"I decree that Momo Hinamori, be temporarily released, for the sole purpose of assisting Kuchiki-taichou in his time of crisis."

A smile spread across Unohana's face, while a look of despair crossed Hitsugayas.

"However," Yamamoto continued. "There must be guards around her at all times, and when she is not working, she is to be placed in a holding cell, and chained in Sekki-Sekki.

And with that, you are all dismissed."

Yup...very long.