As she opened her eyes, Yukima could feel the wind across her face. Her arms were held by a pair of claws. She followed the claws to a large, bird-like beast in a white mask. She began to scream and thrash around. The beast, caught off guard, lost its grip on her and she fell.

As she fell, she could see a towering figure standing near a large fire. It wore a white mask like the bird. She became entranced by the size of the figure as it turned to look at her. It let out a thunderous roar.

A sharp pain shot through her back as she passed through the canopy, then nothing, then she stopped. For a moment, she thought she may have died. However, her memory suddenly returned. Last thing she remembered, she was dying in Yoshitada's arms. So she was already dead. But what was the large creature in the forest? And the bird that was carrying her?

She sat up, fighting the pain. Nothing felt broken, and none of her previous wounds caused her pain, in fact, they weren't there. Instead, over her heart was a chain attached to a metal plate.

"You might want to get out of here."

Yukima followed the voice to a man in white. The man held a bow of blue fire with a blue fire arrow.

"It's not safe for you here, get away," he repeated. Yukima couldn't gather any words to reply, "If you won't leave on your own, I will destroy you, meaning that's it, you're gone, nothing left. Sorry if that sounds mean, but that's what you have to look forward to if one of those white masked beasts gets a hold of you."

"Where should I go?" Yukima muttered.

"I don't know, just stay away from them! Get out of here, find your family," he saw her gaze drop, "or whatever family you have left?"

"I…I'm not sure what's happened to my daughter, Yoshiko, we left her in Satsuma, she wanted to stay there because she was with child," Yukima admitted.

"Do you want to see how that child ages?"

"Yes…"

"Then go, quickly."

Yukima nodded then began to run south.

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Bright sunlight filled Yoshitada's opening eyes as he sat up from a pile of hay. After arriving in Soul Society, he had stopped there to rest hours before. While sore from the fight with the hollows, he felt ready to move on. He had to find Urahara or Kenchiro to see if they had found Yukima.

Oooooooniiiiilllllllooooooorrrrrrd

Yoshitada looked through the area, trying to find one who called to him. Soul Society had been described as a world separate from the world of the living. There he had become known as Oni lord for leading a unit of horsemen to battle dressed as oni demons. The enemy army ran in fear, believing they truly were oni, and Yoshitada was the oni lord.

OOOOooooooonnniiiiiiiilooooooorrrrd

Yoshitada couldn't locate the voice, it called to him in a near growl. He closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself. Instantly the image of a horned man appeared. His hair flowed back in wild black strands. His red robe flowed out exposing his lack of a lower body.

"Yoshitada."

Yoshitada opened his eyes and saw a woman in black. Her hair hung in two thick braids. She smiled sweetly to him.

"I'm Unahana, captain Urahara sent me to escort you to him."

Yoshitada nodded and followed her.

"Are you a captain?" he asked. She laughed, glancing back to realize he was serious.

"No, I'm nowhere near good enough to be a captain," she answered, stopping her laughter.

"What's the cut off point in power level to be a captain?"

"Well, one way is if you can take another captain down. So…basically you have to prove yourself powerful enough to be a captain. Once you have more experience with shinigami, you'll be able to tell the difference easily."

"Any way I can tell now?"

"Captains wear white haori, and if you don't see them, some of the more rude captains won't hide their reiatsu, and you'll feel a crushing pressure come over you."

"So is it safe to assume that the Gillian Urahara warned me of is as powerful as him?"

"No, but they are strong. It was an easy task for him, but for someone of my level it would be a slight challenge, though I'm more of a healer."

"I see. So has he said anything about my wife?"

"I don't recall…he just requested that I escort you," she muttered. Neither said anything further.

In moments they stood outside a mansion marked with the symbol for the twelfth squad. The building was surrounded by strange machines and spots of scorched earth. As Yoshitada approached, Urahara quickly walked out to greet him. He wiped his hands and bowed, smiling as he looked up, "Welcome to Soul Society."

"Thank you for everything, lord Urahara," Yoshitada bowed.

"How do you like it here?"

"It seems to be a peaceful place."

"Sometimes it is, but occasionally the hollows become restless and everyone gets worked up," Urahara sighed, "Unahana, thank you for your help. You may leave when you like."

Unahana bowed and walked away.

"Have you found Yukima?" Yoshitada asked.

Urahara sighed, "You're quite direct, aren't you?" he dropped onto the porch, "We've searched the whole area, but we can't find her. I'm sorry."

"She could still be out there, she could still be…"

"I know, but there were so many hollows out there, unless she turns up soon, you may need to move on. Your children are all here…somewhere."

"I still have one more daughter, Yoshiko. She stayed home in Kagenishimura," Yoshitada noted, "She said she wanted to help run things while we were gone. Shortly after we left, we received a letter telling us she was pregnant, her husband, Yoshikuro, had known the whole time," Yoshitada laughed, wiping a tear, "Now she's going to be lord and lady of the Kagenishi clan."

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The sun was setting on the horizon. Yoshiko sat in the middle of the room, motionlessly staring at the floor. She could hear the cheerful birds outside. Why did they taunt her?

In the streets, the people were receiving the news she had just received. They mourned the loss of their lord and the majority of his line, and likely Yoshikuro.

Tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the floor as she moved her blonde hair out of her face. Tada's son had closed himself away in his room as did Kinji and Daisabu's wives. Tada's husband tried to comfort his son. Yoshitada's officers began to gather their troops for battle, rallying Yoshitada's cousins, the Shinro clan.

"Yoshiko…" Yukima muttered, standing in the doorway. Yoshiko didn't respond, she couldn't; Yukima was a spirit, a ghost. But she had to let her know, "Yoshiko, it's alright." Yukima sat beside her daughter and tried to hug her, but neither felt anything, "Damn it. Why do I have to be so helpless? Why couldn't I stop them from taking the others? Why can't I comfort her? Damn it!" she shouted as she punched the wall. Her fist made contact, leaving a dent. Yoshiko looked to the wall, noticing the mark.

"Wh-who's there?" Yoshiko stammered. She quickly stood and backed up to the opposite side of the room.

Yukima ran to the middle of the room and began to claw at the floor, carving kanji into the floor. Yoshiko watched in horror as marks formed on the floor. As soon as the sound stopped, Yoshiko peaked at the markings.

Yoshiko, we're alright, your husband is alive and on his way back, your father and I did all we could. We were attacked by the Shogun's forces. I'm sorry we couldn't return. I'm sorry I couldn't return everyone

"Mom…" Yoshiko muttered. She looked to Yukima as though able to see her. She squinted, trying to focus her vision.

"Yoshiko…"

"Mom, is that you?" Yoshiko gasped.

"Can you see me?"

"Yes!"

Yoshiko shakily made her way across the room as a woman screamed outside. As Yoshiko and Yukima looked, they saw an assassin on the rooftop with his bow aimed at Yoshiko and an arrow half way to them. Yukima tried to push Yoshiko out of the way, but went right through her. Yoshiko shouted and fell to the floor. The arrow pierced her lung.

"Yoshiko!" Yukima screamed, moving to help. Every breath sent pain through her chest. She was suffering and there was nothing Yukima could do for her, "NO!" she cried, curling up on the floor as the metal plug in her chest fell out. She could feel the skin on her face solidify as she shouted in pain. Her legs molded into a scorpion-like tail as she began to grow. Her skin turned dark red and he hole in her chest widened. The skin on her forehead stretched up into spikes.

Yoshiko looked up in horror, unable to speak. Another arrow flew in the window, this one on fire, several more followed it. The goal of the attackers was to finish off the Kagenishi line.

Yukima leapt out the window and onto the rooftop where the assassin stood. As the tiles beneath her shattered, the assassin lost his balance and began to fall off the roof. Yukima caught him by the arm and lifted him above her. His eyes widened as he realized he was suspended in mid air. With her other hand she grabbed onto his legs and pulled. She threw the two halves into the streets as she let out a loud roar.

The people ran for shelter as an army of Hojo soldiers launched their surprise attack. The village was set ablaze. The Kagenishi soldiers ran to fight off the enemy as Yukima looked to the rooftop and saw the soul of the assassin. He pushed himself across the roof, trying to get away.

"Afraid of what you've created?" Yukima growled, "the torment your people caused when you assassinated my family caused me to become this monster, now…I'm feeling hungry."

The spirit screamed as it was devoured. As the army below sent arrows into the castle, Yukima leapt down to the middle of the small force. Several soldiers were crushed beneath her as she landed. She sent her tail across those behind her as she swiped at those left in front of her. Those who survived the first attack scrambled for safety as Yukima stabbed at them with her tail.

In moments, the surprise attack was destroyed, ripped apart by a creature they couldn't see. The souls continued from where the bodies had left off, running from the hollow they could now see. However, she quickly devoured each of them.

"Thirty, is that all there were?" Yukima growled, looking around the streets, hunting for any that may have escaped.

"Mom!" Yoshiko cried from the top floor of the castle,. Yukima quickly looked, a small metal plug over her heart, "Stop it…please, you're not yourself…you'd never kill anyone."

"They took everyone from me, I can't forgive them. I must destroy them…"

"If that's so, then you aren't my mother, and I can go on to Soul Society in peace. The mother I grew up with is gone, I have no reason to stay," as she said this, a man in a black robe stepped from behind her. She turned to him and he put the hilt of his sword to her forehead. She disintegrated and each fragment rose to the sky.

"I saw everything that happened…I don't blame you, but I can't let you stay here. If I didn't feel sorry for the two of you, I would have stepped in earlier. Don't worry, she has already forgotten everything," the man explained.

"What do you mean, everything?" Yukima growled.

"Her soul will be restructured without her memories. All that will remain is her personality. Once I purify your soul, the same will happen to you. Maybe the two of you will meet again in Soul Society," he answered. Yukima bolted toward him. The man disappeared from the room and onto the rooftop beside it, "You're strong for a beginner, your pain was truly significant. I am Kuchiki Sabunori, shinigami."

"Yukima, shadow of vengeance," she muttered, turning toward him. Sabunori leapt toward her, shouting as he aimed his sword. Halfway there, she saw an opening and she sent her tail up, stabbing it through his stomach, "Sorry, but I still remember my military experience, I'm too skilled for you."

"Impossible…I'm…from the Kuchiki line…I can't die to a hollow of your level…" he stammered. Yukima flung him into the air and devoured him.

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Yoshitada and Urahara sat across from one another at a small table covered in a variety of foods. The room was lit by several of Urahara's experiments.

"What do you think about becoming a shinigami?" Urahara asked.

"How would I do that?"

"Go through training, manifest a zanpacto, maybe learn its name, and if you're lucky, attain bankai."

"What's bankai?"

"It's the merging of a shinigami and the spirit of his zanpacto. On a rare occasion, a shinigami is visited by the soul of his zanpacto very early on, maybe even before he becomes a shinigami. I wouldn't be surprised if this happened to you, seeing as how you sent energy blasts from my zanpacto simulator. My vice captain informed me of it. But he was caught off guard and couldn't tell what kind it was. In all honesty, I gave it to you so you wouldn't feel frightened by the hollows. It should have been like fighting bears with a stick."

"I understand why you might want me to be a shinigami, but all I want to do is gather my family and spend eternity together." As Yoshitada finished his statement, Kenchiro ran in and bowed to Urahara.

"Captain, we've just received word that Kuchiki Sabunori has been killed by a hollow," Kenchiro reported.

"In Satsuma? My readings showed no sign of hollows last time I checked. Perhaps it's a new one," Urahara thought aloud.

"Where exactly in Satsuma did this happen?" Yoshitada asked.

"I think…Kagenishimura," Kenchiro recalled.

"There were no recent deaths in my village, why was he there?"

"His captain said he followed a small force of shogunate soldiers, predicting a battle," Kenchiro answered, predicting Yoshitada's reaction.

"And a hollow is loose there? My daughter could be in danger!" Yoshitada shouted.

"From what I can see, there were no recent deaths in Kagenishimura before today, the only soul who would have had business in Kagenishimura in enough emotional torment would be your wife…I'm sorry but there's a good chance she's no longer herself."