Yukima rest against a tree, winded by her retreat from Kagenishimura. Shortly after she killed the shinigami, several more arrived, each one far stronger than the one she had defeated. If it hadn't been for the lucky shot, she would have been killed. The moon hung high above her, she felt starved, as though she hadn't eaten in days, yet she devoured the souls of an entire military unit and a shinigami.

She could hear soldiers approaching, a two man patrol. She moved deeper into the forest, making sure they weren't shinigami.

"…and can you believe the entire unit of Hojo soldiers was literally ripped apart? I didn't think the Kagenishi were capable of such brutality, they rarely even kill their enemies. Must have been the fall of their line. Their only hope would be for Yoshikuro to return, if not, they'll have to merge back with the Shinro," the first guard noted. They wore Satsaru banners, they were allies, they had no connection to the Hojo.

"The country has truly been on its toes since Masako took over. She betrayed her husband and her sons, such a woman shouldn't be allowed to rule over us," the second guard stated.

"You never know when there will be spies in the forest, you might lose your head," the first guard warned.

Yukima remembered Masako from her human life, her cold eyes, her determined posture, and the emotionless way she talked. Vile woman, someone had to do something about her, someone they could never find, a spirit, Yukima.

Yukima quickly set out for Kamakura.

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Yoshitada sat in the meeting room of the shinigami academy. If Yukima was a hollow, would she still have her human side? Was she human at all? What if she was caught by shinigami? Would she remember him? Would she be the same person?

What if she wasn't a hollow? What if she was caught by a hollow? Would he ever see her again? He hoped she was the hollow who attacked his village, but what if she couldn't contain herself, and devoured Yoshiko's soul? How would he handle it if he were forced to fight her?

Oni lord, you're too sensitive for me. Yoshitada looked around the room. Of course you know by now what I am…Oh please, he couldn't have been more clear.

"Are you my zanpacto?" Yoshitada muttered.

Oni lord, I'm your brother, if you're an oni, and I'm an oni, then we're brothers. This is why, when you were travelling to soul society, I chose you. Yes, I am your zanpacto.

"Please, tell me your name," Yoshtiada requested.

Ha, while I did choose you for our kinship, I want to see that you're strong enough. Don't rush things, we have all the time in the world.

"Please, I need to be the one to stop my wife," Yoshitada pleaded.

I know, I've guessed. Just have patience, she's strong, she'll be around for some time.

"It's not about her strength, what I'm worried about is what she'll do. I don't want her to be to responsible for anything too horrible."

Stop whining, you'll be fine, no one you knew will see what she's doing.

"Fine then, but if I can go undefeated through ten battles in a row, you tell me your name."

Haha, intriguing offer, very well, win ten battles in a row, real battles, fights to the death! Win them on your own and I will tell you my name.

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The Kamakura mansion was at peace, not aware of the looming tormented spirit craving the blood of its chief resident. The guards at the front gate leaned against the wall with their shade hats covering their faces. The other residents prepared for bed as Masako's immediate family met in secret.

Yukima descended upon the guards, stabbing her fingers into their necks. They dropped to the ground and their souls climbed out, looking fearfully around them. They saw Yukima and ran in fear. Yukima grabbed one by the head and ran her tail through the other. She devoured both then made her way to the castle. The tile cracked beneath her as she peered over the wall. Three guards looked around for the tiles they heard cracking.

"Kaneto, alert the others, it seems we have intru—"

Yukima landed between the three of them, stabbing Kaneto with her tail, and the other two with her claws. She threw their bodies into the city and peeked into the room to the left, three women looked toward the garden in terror. Yukima turned to the right, the room was full of noblemen, clenching their ornamental katanas with their shaking hands. To the right again was a group of guards, slowly making their way to the garden. Yukima lined her tail up and stabbed through two guards in a row, the other two looked to their friends, gazing in horror as Yukima drove her claws through their temples.

As she pulled her claws out the guards' souls stood where their bodies were. She quickly devoured them and moved on.

She tore her way down the hallway, looking through room after room until she found Masako. Finally, she found the nun-Shogun at the head of a group of panicked family members. Masako simply stared at the dust that broke from the doorway as Yukima tore her way in.

"Lady Yukima," Masako sighed. Yukima stopped and stared at Masako who glared at her, "Yes, I see you."

"Doesn't matter to me," Yukima growled, pulling herself closer.

"I suppose," Masako shrugged, "I see I caused you enough pain to transform you to a hollow. That's all I wanted, I'm happy to die like this, go ahead."

"Why…why did you target me?" Yukima shouted, catching Masako by the left arm and lifting her in the air. Her family members screamed and tried to help her.

"You mocked everything I believed in, my life style, my husband, my choices. I know you sheltered Yoshitsune and his family in your village. I know your daughter married his son, I know she's dead, along with her child. Kill me now so that I can be with my husband again!"

Yukima laughed as she grabbed onto both sides of Masako's torso and slowly pulled her in half vertically. Masako smiled as she was torn in two. Yukima tossed the two halves to the sides of the room as Masako's soul fell to the floor. Yukima laughed as Masako stood.

"What are you laughing about? I'm now going to the other world to be with my husband," Masako scowled haughtily as she turned away. Yukima caught her by the hair and lifted her from the ground as her laughter nearly shook the room.

"Ignorant whore, you act like you know about hollows, but in all honesty, all you know is how to see them. If you knew the first thing about us, you'd know your true fate. You're going to be devoured. That means you will never see your husband ever again, you won't even exist as a conscious being. In the end, all you'll be from here on is a pile of waste," Yukima taunted. Masako's eyes opened wide with fear.

"No! Please spare me!" Masako pleaded.

"Spare you?! Like I'd ever let a bitch like you get away with what you've done!" Yukima growled. Masako screamed in horror as Yukima devoured her from the feet up, letting her feel as much agony as possible. The soul was more potent than most, though less than the shinigami, she felt strengthened.

Yukima looked at the others who stared in horror at the body of their sister, or master… They were just servants dressed in fine robes. She had hoped to kill all the Hojo family, but they appeared to have been sent away, but she had to get out before any shinigami arrived. She tore through the wall and escaped through the forest.

"Kaneto…" a small child whimpered. Yukima stopped and looked to the body of one of the guards she had thrown, the body was surrounded by a group of civilians. The child hugged his remains as he cried. The man had been run through with her tail. She walked closer, shaken by the sight.

"I'm sorry Taro, I know how much he meant to you," a young woman said as she attempted to comfort him.

"Mom, shouldn't he be at the mansion?" Taro sobbed.

"Yes…" she answered, looking up at the crowd.

"Taro, I'm sorry," Kaneto sobbed, attempting to put his hand on Taro's shoulder, only to have it pass through.

"What have I become?" Yukima muttered, Kaneto heard her and looked in her direction.

Kaneto shouted in horror, Yukima ran back in the forest, "Wait," he ordered. Yukima stopped and looked back at him, "What are you?"

"I'm a hollow," Yukima answered guiltily.

"Were you the one who…" Kaneto trailed off as he looked to the hole in the stomach of his dead body.

"Yes."

"I see. Was I you target?"

"No, it was Masako," Yukima answered, walking closer to him. For a moment he just stared at the ground.

"I don't blame you, she hurt many people, destroyed so many innocent lives."

"She's the reason I'm like this now. I…I was once lady Yukima of the Kagenishi," Yukima admitted.

"I remember you. You were an honorable woman, I respected your whole clan. When my brother was sent to kill you, I pleaded with him to rethink it. I'm sorry, I couldn't convince him."

"I forgive you, and I'm sorry, I have truly become a monster. I let her win, I let my losses drive me to kill again. I never would have killed anyone in my life, thanks to my husband, I learned how to fight without being lethal, however, I lost that side of me when my children were murdered," Yukima explained.

"So is…Masako dead?" Kaneto asked.

"Yes, and her soul has been devoured, the nation's curse has been destroyed," Yukima answered.

"At least I was able to die in her defense. I fulfilled my duty, now I can wait to be taken to the other world, that is, as long as you'll leave me in peace…"

"I have had my revenge and took far more than I should have, you may go, a shinigami should be here soon to send you to the other side," Yukima assured as she began to walk away.

"Thank you, lady Yukima, I will pray that you find peace."

Yukima ran through the forest, getting as far from the area as possible. She stopped by a small stream she recalled from her past. She had been baptized by Yoshitada in the stream. It had been the morning after they admitted their love to one another.

Yoshitada had gone to Kamakura to report his officer's betrayal to Minamoto Yoritomo, the husband of Masako. Yukima had been following her brother to prevent him from killing Yoshitada, the enemy of their clan. She lost track of him and went directly to Yoshitada, the two could no longer hold in their feelings and admitted their love for one another. Her brother was killed by the guards and died at her feet, it was then that she learned of his split personalities, one was a twisted killer, the other was her childlike brother. After his death, she spent the night mourning. When she woke, they had a funeral for him. Yoshitada comforted her as she struggled with the loss. Not long after, she asked to be baptized in the way of his father, a former crusader from Europe. He took her to the stream she now saw in front of her.

"I was going to devour that soul you left back there, but I thought a hollow who left a tasty soul behind would have an interesting story. Explain," a hollow ordered from behind. She turned to see a bat-like beast hanging from a tree branch.

"He deserves to live," Yukima growled.

"I see, so you still have some humanity left, well, we really shouldn't fight, both being hollows, but it aggravates me that you are so merciful," he hissed.

"If you intend to go after him, you'll have to go through me," Yukima warned.

"Fine, fine, if you insist on fighting one of your own," he sighed. Yukima lunged at the other hollow, stabbing at him with her tail. The blow stabbed through his left wing. He screeched as he attempted to fly away, but spiraled to the ground. As he landed, she ran at him again. He sat up and let out a loud screech, blasting her back. He leapt at her, feet first. As he was about to land the blow, she ran him through with her tail. He squirmed in pain.

"Hm…we eat souls, right? We're technically souls…you technically, are food for me. Well, I am feeling quite hungry now."

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Yoshitada had been training for weeks, mainly doing the exercises he had done in his real life. He was at the top of his kendo classes and decent in zanpacto mastery, but had to improve on kido spells.

Soon, they would be having exams, one in each area. Kido wasn't too hard, just not something he was used to. Urahara had informed him that those in charge were considering sending him on early, possibly two levels because his control of his zanpacto. However, he would first have to reach the top of his kido class. However, he couldn't bring his zanpacto into shikai form until he completed his deal, however grim it may be.

"You need to stop working so hard, you're embarrassing the rest of us," Sorako, one of his close academy friends, joked.

"Sorry, but if you all tried harder, you might advance as fast as I am," Yoshitada mocked.

"Well, I don't remember any sword training from my lifetime, but I was told I arrived shortly after a war in Egypt. One shinigami I talked to said he's been to Egypt and said I look Egyptian," Sorako noted.

"Well then, mind if I call you Cleopatra?"

"I prefer Nefertiti."

"I don't remember that one."

"Well, I heard of her from Captain Tenraiyama, apparently she was the most beautiful woman in Egypt," Sorako explained, "So, do you think I could be Nefertiti?"

"Possibly, but it's hard to see anyone being as beautiful as my wife back on earth," Yoshitada reminisced.

"Oh…" Sorako muttered, looking to the floor.