Tamashi no Kiri
Chapter 5: Burden of Memory
We walk this field of fog
Shapes rise before our eyes
These images are as light as the fog
And we fall beneath their weight
This burden of memory
"What…what the Hell are you doing here, Arrancar?"
"Oh boy," Starrk said.
"Mr. Kurosaki, is there a problem?" Miss Ochi asked.
"Uh…no ma'am," Ichigo said. "I thought I knew one of the new students, but I guess I was thinking of someone else."
"Alright, so long as you don't interrupt my class again."
"Yes ma'am," Ichigo said. "Don't think I'm through with you," Ichigo hissed at Starrk.
"What a pain," Starrk whispered. "Don't worry, we'll explain later."
"You better," Rukia said as she narrowed her eyes.
"Rukia, it's alright," Sachiko said. "If they're with Sam, then they're alright."
"Who?"
"That would be me," Dr. Fleur said. "Don't worry. We'll explain it to you when we have time."
Mangiatori Hideout
Harper looked at the grey uniform that was on her bed and at the white shirts and red ties. She felt slightly nervous about starting school in only a couple of days. She heard a knock at the door.
"Uh…come in."
"Hey," Milton said, smiling. "I just wanted to see what you thought of your new uniform."
"It's…alright," Harper said. "But, I think I might need some new underwear."
"When they get back, I'll have either Emily or Charlotte go with you to help get you some underwear. If they're not available, then I'll have Sylvia and Shirley help you," Milton said. "I'm sure that they would know what to look for."
"Big Brother," Harper said.
"You know that you can just call me Milton."
"I know, but…I'm more comfortable with Big Brother."
"Alright," Milton said, chuckling. "What is it?"
"Will I…will I be alright?"
"Of course," Milton said. "Wait, you're not still nervous about being the new kid at school, are you?"
"Yeah, I am," Harper said and lowered her head.
"It's alright. It's something new and it's perfectly natural to feel some anxiety when facing something new."
"Like when I saw that monster?"
"Something like that, but that fear is a much more primordial fear. It's the type of fear that allows us to survive. Most spirits…most spirits just freeze when they see a Hollow and others run away. But you stood your ground and fought. When you stand to fight, that's when you truly evolve."
"I can't remember much about what happened that night."
"I know, but all that you need to know is that you took a great leap forward that night. Compared to facing a Hollow, your first day at school will be nothing, okay?"
"Yeah," Harper said and smiled.
"Good, now, let's hang these up before they get too wrinkly."
Karakura Park
"Ul…Ulquiorra?" Orihime whispered.
"I understand your surprise," Ulquiorra said. "I am surprised by all of this myself."
"How…how is this possible?"
"I do not understand how this happened. I only understand that it did. Perhaps, like the heart, there are so many things that my eyes cannot see and yet are there."
"You…you understand the heart?"
"I only recognize its existence, but not what it is. Tell me, Orihime, what is the heart?"
"You…you called me by my name," Orihime said and smiled. "That…that's the heart…or at least a part of it."
"I do not understand."
"When we humans talk about the heart, we aren't just talking about the organ that pumps blood throughout the body. We mean the bonds that we share with our friends and those we love and each other. When you said my name…it…it created a bond between us."
"This is interesting. I am glad that I decided to take a walk today."
"So…what've you been up to?"
"Well, I recently became a Soul Reaper with three of my fellow comrades."
"Wait…you're a…a Soul Reaper?"
"That is correct. You will meet some of my comrades later."
"So, why are you here?"
"We are on a mission for the Soul Society. However, I am currently not at liberty to say anything more than that."
"Oh," Orihime said.
"However, it looks as though starting next week, we will be classmates."
Karakura High School
"So let me get this straight," Ichigo said. "You're from something called the International Soul Reaper Research Center."
"That's right," Dr. Fleur said nodding as she took another bite from her sandwich.
"Those two are former Espada who were purified and sent to the Soul Society and they graduated from the Shino Academy in only two weeks," Ichigo said and pointed to Starrk and Harribel who were talking with Rukia and Sachiko.
Dr. Fleur nodded as she drank out of the can of Coca-Cola.
"And you're here investigating some strange Reiatsu that was found on that dead Hollow a couple of days ago."
"Yes," Dr. Fleur said as she opened the bag of chocolate chip cookies. "Kiss-key sent some of the data over to us and my supervisor sent me over. He should be here in a few days as well with a team if things get a little complicated."
"Huh, I never knew that there were other Soul Societies."
"Well…duh…of course there are. Did you think your Soul Society was the only one?"
"I just…"
"Don't worry about it," Dr. Fleur said, waving her hand at him. "Sometimes we forget that we're not the only Soul Society either."
"I still don't feel comfortable with having two former Arrancars in my school."
"Don't worry. Oh…a third former Arrancar will be coming to join us next week."
"Do I even want to know?"
"Well, I wouldn't tell you even if you did," Dr. Fleur said, winking mischievously at him. "I promised Kiss-key that I wouldn't tell."
"Uh…who's Kiss-key?"
"It's just what she calls Kisuke," Starrk said. "Bel and I just finished explaining things with those two," he pointed to where Rukia, Harribel, and Sachiko were busy discussing something else. "Now they're just doing girl talk."
"Ooh, I love Girl Talk," Dr. Fleur said and rushed over to them.
"What just happened?" Ichigo asked.
Starrk only shrugged and rubbed his head as he sat down.
"I figured that you might remember me," he said, "even though it was only once and even then for only a few seconds."
"Yeah, I was surprised that I actually remembered that incident," Ichigo said.
"Anyways, I wanted to apologize for what I did. I would have apologized to the girl, but I didn't see her."
"Orihime's probably sick."
"Well, when I see her, I'll tell her that I'm sorry."
"Didn't you do that when you grabbed her?"
"I know," Starrk said. "Still, I think I should apologize again. I'm Coyote Starrk by the way," he said and held out his hand.
"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki," Ichigo said and the two shook hands. "I have to admit that I'm rather surprised that we're kind of are on the same side now."
"Things change," Starrk said as he lied back against the tree. "People change too."
"I know," Ichigo said.
Oh you know alright. You know.
"Shut up," Ichigo growled. Starrk looked at him and was about to ask him what was wrong when someone called out.
"Ah so here you are."
"Oh, hey Tatsuki," Ichigo said, immediately recognizing the voice.
"So tell me, Ichigo, what was that back in the classroom?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You know, you and him," she said and pointed at Starrk who opened the can of orange juice he got from the vending machine.
"Oh…that…I…uh…I thought I recognized him."
"Oh my," Chizuru said as she saw Harribel and Dr. Fleur. "They're so gorgeous. I must say 'Hi' to them."
Chizuru was about to rush off when Tatsuki grabbed her by the collar.
"Oh no, you don't," Tatsuki said.
"Aw, but Hime's not here for me to hug and love," Chizuru said. "Plus, those two…"
"God, Chizuru, you're worse than a bitch in heat," Tatsuki said. "Besides, I bet they're already taken and wouldn't be interested."
"Fine," Chizuru said pouting. "But I guess...," she said and turned to Tatsuki.
Tatsuki only hit her on the head and Chizuru landed to the ground.
"Don't even think about it," Tatsuki said gritting her teeth.
"Uh…what's wrong with her?" Starrk asked and pointed to Chizuru.
"Oh she's just being a dumbass as usual. Honestly, she thinks that she can hit on every girl she sees."
"Oh boy, I better not let Nnoitora know about that," Starrk said. "He was bad enough with those kinds of things on the internet. If he actually saw it in real life…" he shuddered at the thought.
Soul Reaper Academy
"So, they're on a mission?" Nel asked.
"That's right," Grimmjow said.
"And now we're trying to hurry our curriculum," Nnoitora said.
"Damn right," Grimmjow said. "We don't want them to get all of the fun."
"Hmm, did they say anything about what it was?"
"Well," Grimmjow said thinking. "They said something about some strange Reiatsu that was found on a Hollow's corpse, or something like that."
"Wait…did you say a Hollow's corpse?" Nel asked her eyes were wide.
"That's what he said, bitch. Are ya deaf?" Nnoitora snarled.
"Where was this corpse found?"
"Is it important?" Grimmjow asked.
"Yes it is. Now tell me where the corpse was found," Nel said.
"Fine…it was found in the World of the Living," Grimmjow said. "Although that shouldn't be possible since they usually dissolve after they die."
"Nel…Nel needs to talk with the Captain-Commander," Nel said, getting up.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Nnoitora growled.
"Nel remembers something from her time as an Espada," she said.
"What is it?" Grimmjow asked.
"Never mind, I'll tell you later," Nel said and rushed away.
"What's up with her?" Grimmjow asked.
"Who cares?" Nnoitora growled.
Inoue Residence
"Hello Big Brother," Orihime said as she knelt before the picture of Sora. "Did you have a good day? I had a good day. Do you remember me telling you about Ulquiorra?"
Orihime looked down at her lap and her hands tightened on her dress. Seeing Ulquiorra alive again caused an inner turmoil. It was a sensation that was mostly unfamiliar to her. A part of her felt as though she was drowning in a stormy sea and another part felt as though she was causing the storm. She closed her eyes and could see herself struggling to hang on, but a great weight was dragging her under and as she looked up she saw herself glaring down at her and commanding the storm to drown her completely as her other self continually dropped weights on her to make her sink.
"No," she whispered. "Big Brother, help me. I…I need you here."
Then the image vanished and Orihime looked at the photo. She grabbed hold of it and clutched it close to her.
"I know you can't really help me. You're just a photo…a mere memory, but…"
But what Baby Sis?
"But…it feels good to just talk to you."
What about Tatsuki?
"I know, but…but she wouldn't understand."
Wouldn't she?
"I guess, but…but what am I to do? A part of me still loves Ichigo, but another part loves Ulquiorra. I…I just don't know what to do."
You're entering that phase of life where you need to discover what you want. You're dealing with some exciting and difficult emotions and you're doing your best to come to terms with them. You're not taking the easy road by lashing out at someone or running away from them. Instead, you're confronting them head-on and trying to accept them…because…you're a good person…Baby Sis.
"Do…do you really think so?"
Of course I do, silly. I'm your Big Brother after all.
"Thank you, Big Brother," Orihime said and smiled as the tears fell to the floor like rain.
Seireitei
"I just don't get her," Grimmjow said. "One moment she's being her usual self and the next she's flying off the handle and getting all serious."
"Why do you care?" Nnoitora asked. "It's not like you're a fucking pussy…oh…that's right…YOU ARE A PUSSY!"
"For the last time, I'M A PANTHER! I'm not some fucking cat," Grimmjow said. "For your information, I…I don't have any feelings for Nel."
"You paused."
"What?"
"You paused. That means that you DO have feelings for Nel," Nnoitora said and his grin became even wider.
"You're delusional."
"Oh…I don't think so. That would explain why you started your li'l vendetta against me after I got rid of her."
"Oh shut up. If that's the case, then how come I didn't recognize her when she came back to Hueco Mundo?"
"Well…she was a li'l kid then. Would you seriously recognize her as a kid?"
"Oh shut up and go polish your teeth or something. I really don't want to deal with you right now."
"Too bad, 'cause I decided that I'm gonna have my fun with you."
"Hate to disappoint ya, but…I don't go that way."
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"
"Really, 'cause it sure as Hell sounded as though you meant it that way."
"Fuck you," Nnoitora said.
Just then a Hell Butterfly was coming towards them. Grimmjow turned to Nnoitora, who only grinned and crossed his arms.
"Fuck," Grimmjow muttered and held out his hand and let the Hell Butterfly land.
"Grimmjow and Nnoitora," Yamamoto's voice called out. "You are to come to the Squad 1 Barracks immediately. Captain Zaraki shall escort you."
Grimmjow and Nnoitora looked at each other and grinned.
"Fuck yeah," Grimmjow said grinning.
"Hey, maybe we can still join in the fun after all," Nnoitora said also grinning.
Karakura High School
"Alright class," Miss Ochi said as she hammered the desk with her clipboard, "settle down."
Ichigo only looked out the window thinking about what Dr. Fleur told him. It was just too much for him to take in at one go. He knew that he would have to talk with Urahara about it. He then realized that he had a lot to ask Urahara, but every time he thought about asking, he would always shrug it off.
"Do I have your attention? Yes? Good. Now, I know that many of you are excited about beginning our course in Western Literature next week, but I have some news. I'll be going on vacation for a while, and you will be taught by a substitute teacher."
The other students began to murmur among themselves. Miss Ochi looked at them and sighed as she brought her clipboard down hard on the desk. The noise caused them all to fall silent.
"Now, I know that you'll miss me and I'll miss you, but I think that you'll enjoy the substitute teacher I found for you. In fact, I was fortunate enough that he agreed to come here to introduce himself to all of you little brats. I must tell you that he is originally from the States and his Japanese is a bit shaky. Anyways, I'll go get him."
When Miss Ochi left the room, the class began to talk among themselves.
"Did she say that the Substitute's from the States?"
"Wow, that's so cool! I wonder if they met any celebrities."
"Wow, we're going to be taught by someone from the STATES!" Sachiko said to Rukia.
"Yeah," Rukia said. "Hey, you're from the States, right Dr. Fleur?"
"That's right," Dr. Fleur said, grinning. "It will be nice to talk with someone from the States again."
At that moment, the door reopened and Miss Ochi walked in.
"Alright class, now I want you all to stand and show respect to your substitute teacher. You may come in now."
The class bowed their heads.
"Welcome to our class," they said in unison.
"Thank you," the substitute teacher said and Ichigo's eyes widened as he recognized the voice.
He turned and saw Starrk looking at Harribel. Rukia was looking at Sachiko, whose eyes were wide. Dr. Fleur, however, only looked forward and her eyes were narrowed and her brow furrowed in thought. Ichigo looked up and saw two familiar people standing at the front.
"I'll be your Substitute Teacher for a while," the man said, smiling at them. "My name is Milton Dante, and this lovely young lady next to me is my niece, Emily. I hope that we'll get along during our time together."
Squad 11 Barracks
"HELL YEAH!" Grimmjow shouted as he looked at his new uniform.
He was wearing a traditional black hakama. However, instead of the traditional shitagi and kosode, he received a sleeveless vest that reached down to his waist with a silver panther on either breast that appeared to be snarling at each other. The golden buttons that ran down it seemed to glitter and each showed a snarling panther's head. His sword, Pantera, was tucked under the cream-colored sash that was fastened with a silver brooch of a snarling panther prepared to pounce under a crescent moon. He made sure to keep the vest open to show off his abs.
"Well, you seem to be enjoying your new clothes," Nnoitora sneered.
"Oh shut up, I bet they gave you a big fucking hood to make you look like a spoon," Grimmjow said and turned around.
Nnoitora leaned against the door. He was dressed in a pair of black pants that were tucked into an all-too familiar pair of boots. He also wore a crimson jerkin with gold buttons that looked like grinning skulls. His sword, Santa Teresa, was tucked under a deep, blood-red sash with a silver clasp that looked like a skull with a crown of roses on its head.
"They found your boots?"
"FUCK YEAH! I thought I would never see these babies again."
"It looks better than that fucking spoon uniform you got, but not as bad-ass as mine."
"Yeah right!" Nnoitora said and burst out laughing. "You're covered in kittens!"
"They're PANTHERS!" Grimmjow shouted.
"Ah, I thought I heard a loud noise coming from here," someone said.
Grimmjow stopped and his eyes widened. He turned and saw his former fraccion standing in the doorway, wearing more traditional Soul Reaper uniforms. Shawlong stood at the front-and-center, his usual place. His hands were folded behind his back and he still had that stuck-up look that Grimmjow found irritating at times.
"Shawlong? Nakeem? Yylfordt? Di Roy? Edorad? What are you guys doing here?" Grimmjow asked.
"What'sh it look like?" Di Roy asked. "We're fuckin' Shoul Reapersh."
"When did that happen?" Grimmjow asked.
"Only three weeks after we started courses at the Academy," Shawlong said.
"Wait a minute," Grimmjow said. "It took me and Nnoitora FOUR weeks to graduate and you all graduated in only THREE?"
"Uh…yeah," Nakeem said.
"Even Di Roy?"
"Even Di Roy," Yylfordt said. "Now, where's my Baby Bro? I need to teach him something about using me as one of his experiments."
"That's…THAT'S FUCKED UP!" Grimmjow shrieked.
"Tell me about it," Yylfordt said.
Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Office
"Chojiro has informed me that you have information concerning what's been going on in the World of the Living," Yamamoto said.
"Yes sir," Nel said.
"Please explain."
"You see, sir, while I was an Espada, we heard rumors of an area in Europe where Hollows feared to go. Aizen was curious about it and so he sent a team of Arrancars to investigate and they found traces of an odd Reiatsu on a Hollow corpse that they found."
"Hmm, go on."
"Well, I don't know if it's related, but when I heard that you found a Hollow's corpse with strange Reiatsu on it, I thought that it might be the same."
"Do you know anything else?"
"I only know that Aizen got some samples and some information, but he never shared that with the rest of us."
"How did you come by this information?"
"I overheard Aizen and Gin talking about it, but I never heard him discuss it with anyone else."
"I see," Yamamoto said. "Did he inform his scientist about it?"
"Szayel Aporro? I don't know. Szayel Aporro did not become an Arrancar until shortly after that mission. All of the Arrancars who were involved with either the mission or the experimentation died. I suppose that the only one left who knows anything would be Aizen."
"Thank you for giving me this information," Yamamoto said.
"Do you think it might have something to do with what's been going on?"
"It's hard to say. The only way to know for sure is if I go talk with Aizen and we get that information. It might prove to be valuable or it might be nothing at all. You may leave, Miss Odelschwank."
"Thank you sir," Nel said and bowed before leaving the office.
Yamamoto sat in thought. From what he just heard, something similar happened before and Aizen investigated it. He didn't know whether or not the United European Reapers Guild knew about it and he didn't know who to contact to find out. It was frustrating when dealing with the foreign Soul Reapers, but at least those from the Democratic Soul Society had some cohesive structure. However, their bureaucratic methods would make dealing with them rather difficult.
Yamamoto sighed when he saw that his best chance of getting that information was to talk to Aizen.
Karakura High School
"So, he's the Substitute Teacher?" Ichigo muttered.
"What are you muttering about?" Rukia asked him.
They were walking down the hall to leave. Ichigo saw that Dr. Fleur, Starrk, and Harribel were standing in a huddle. He knew that they were talking about the Substitute since he saw how they reacted to him. Ichigo didn't know what the fuss was about, but it was obvious that Sachiko and Rukia felt something about Milton Dante.
"Oh…uh…it's just that I met Mr. Dante before. I knew that his niece was going to be coming here, but I had no idea that he was going to substitute while Miss Ochi's away."
"Ichigo…did you feel something odd about his Spiritual Pressure?"
"No, and I would have told you if I did," Ichigo snapped.
Rukia backed away from him. Her eyes were wide with surprise. It was true that Ichigo sometimes snapped at her, okay make that often, but never like that. It wasn't filled with the annoyance that it did. This time, his tone was filled with fear and anger.
"I know you would. But there was no need to snap at me like that."
"Perhaps if you didn't think that I was useless…"
"I never said that and I don't think that."
"Please," Ichigo said. "The way that you asked me if I felt something odd about the Substitute's Spiritual Pressure made it obviously that wanted to brag that you're not losing your Soul Reaper abilities."
"That's ridiculous and you know it. Damn it, Ichigo, what's gotten into you?"
"Why don't you figure it out?"
Rukia could no longer hold her anger. She slapped him across the face. Ichigo put one hand to his cheek and looked at her. His eyes were wide with disbelief.
"You…IDIOT!" she roared. "I don't know what happened to you. I don't know why you decided to go…go completely insane like that. Now, you better listen and listen good because this is important. I do NOT think that you're useless and I NEVER will. Do you understand me, Ichigo Kurosaki? You rescued me from my execution. You rescued Orihime from Aizen. You defended Karakura Town when it most needed it. You…Are…NOT…Useless."
She looked at Ichigo and shook her head.
"You're my friend," she said in a much softer tone, "and I care about you. So don't ever think that I would ever think that you're useless. Now tell me, what happened?"
"Rukia, I…I…"
"Ichigo, does it have something to do with your Inner Hollow?"
Ichigo nodded.
"I see. So, even though your Soul Reaper powers are diminishing, that one still remains. I'm curious about that, because you told me that both your Soul Reaper and Hollow powers are inter-dependant."
"That's what I thought," Ichigo said. "It turns out that Zangetsu was wrong about that and my Inner Hollow probably lied about it."
"Or neither truly understood what their relationship was," Rukia said. "Ichigo, you really need to speak with Urahara about this. He might have some idea of what's going on."
Ooh, that's a great idea, your Majesty. Talk with the crazy guy who made the Hogyoku to help the Visoreds and yet failed. HA! Don't make me laugh. You don't need anyone, Ichigo. After all, Shinji was right about one thing: they'll all turn against you.
"Shut up," Ichigo growled and put his hands to either side of his head.
"Ichigo," Rukia whispered.
"Is something wrong with him?"
Ichigo and Rukia turned and saw Milton Dante standing behind them. He was dressed in khaki pants and a button-down dark blue shirt. He held a cane with the golden head shaped like a beautiful woman singing.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Dante," Ichigo said. "I…I was just having a headache."
"I see," Milton said. "Oh, and please call me Milton. I'm rather informal about such things."
"Well, we wouldn't feel right about just calling you by your first name," Rukia said.
"Ah, I see that formality has been drilled into your heads. That's good for me to know. At any rate, Mr. Kurosaki and I met the other day, but I don't believe that I've met you before."
"I'm Rukia Kuchiki, Mr. Dante," Rukia said and bowed.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Miss Kuchiki," Milton said and held out his hand, which Rukia took and they shook hands. "I'll see you both on Monday."
"Yes sir," Ichigo said and they watched as Milton Dante walked off.
"He's rather…interesting," Rukia said.
"I'll say," Ichigo said. "It's funny, but when I met him, he told me that…" he stopped.
"He told you what?"
"He told me that all of our external fears are nothing more than manifestations of what we fear most about ourselves," Ichigo said. "Rukia, I…I'm sorry. You're right. I never should have snapped at you like that."
"You were afraid?"
"Yes, Rukia, I'm afraid. I'm afraid of becoming…becoming helpless."
"Ichigo, you'll never truly be helpless, not to your friends and not to me."
Muken
Souske Aizen still hung from his chains. The abyss below him seemed to be ready to swallow him. Sweat poured down his face and terror and agony filled him. He hated this feeling of helplessness. He tried to attain the heights of a God only to come crashing back to the ground and now completely powerless.
He heard the door to his cell open and raised his head. He did his best to look intimidating and gloating even though he felt like neither.
"Well now, this is a surprise," he said. "What brings you here, Yamamoto?"
"I am here to discuss something of great importance, Souske."
"I never thought I would live to see the day when the great Captain-Commander came to me for help. I don't know whether to laugh or cry."
"Enough, Souske," Yamamoto said. "You are fortunate that Central 46 doesn't have you dropped down there."
"Oh and what's at the bottom?"
"Nothing," Yamamoto said.
"I doubt that," Aizen said. "So, what did you want to ask me about?"
"I have received information that you had research conducted on a strange Reiatsu that was found in Europe."
Aizen tensed at that. Yamamoto did not betray his excitement. At first he was afraid that Aizen considered it unimportant enough to forget, but that reaction told him that Aizen still had it in mind.
"Who told you that?"
"I cannot say."
"I see," Aizen said. "What if I refuse to tell you anything?"
"Then I'll leave and you can just hang there. I know how much you enjoyed looking down on everyone else."
"Yet, here I am. I'm in the lowest cell in the Maggot's Nest and suspended over a great abyss. So tell me, Yamamoto, why should I help you? What can I gain?"
"You can touch solid ground again."
Aizen's eyes widened at that. He wanted that. He wanted to feel the dirt beneath his feet. Even if it was the dirt in this cell, it was better than that nothingness that he was suspended over.
"What if I still refuse?"
"Then you will hang there. You will long for the touch of ground, but you will never feel it. Even when your sentence is finished, you will never truly feel ground again. Every step that you take will feel as though you are still suspended over a great emptiness.
"The last prisoner who was held in those chains spent 100 years hanging above that pit and when he was finally released, he went insane. He cried out how he could not touch the ground. He wept that he was unable to feel the grass between his toes and yet he could see his feet touching the ground. In the end, he took his own life by jumping off a cliff, hoping that then he could feel the ground again.
"That is the power that the Abyss has. It makes you forget the feel of solid ground. It makes you forget the simple pleasure of feeling the grass covered in the early morning dew between your toes. Of course, to a god like you, what does that matter?"
Aizen saw that Yamamoto was about to walk out. Fear and panic rose in him. He knew that his only chance to feel the ground again was about to walk away. Even when he would be released, he would still never feel the ground. He would still feel powerless and helpless and those were things that Aizen never wanted to feel again.
However, what little bit of Pride was left screamed for him to deny Yamamoto the information. But the Pride that once caused him to rebel against the Soul Society was now being drowned by the gaze of the Abyss below him. His Pride let out one final cry of defiance, and if Aizen hadn't looked down, his Pride would have won.
But Aizen looked down. And his Pride completely shattered at the sight of the great emptiness below him.
"WAIT!" he cried out. "DON'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! I'LL…I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW!"
Kurosaki Clinic
"I'm home," Ichigo said.
"You're home," Isshin said.
"Yeah, uh…where are Karin and Yuzu?"
"Oh, they're outside playing with their new friend."
"What are you talking about?"
"They had a new student transfer into their class today. Yuzu and Karin just gravitated towards her and they brought her home with them."
At that moment, the sliding door to their back yard opened and he could hear his sisters laughing about something. Yuzu and Karin were walking with a girl about their age with light green hair and pink eyes.
"So, did you see the latest episode of White-Out?" Yuzu asked.
"Hell yeah, I did," the girl said. "That was exciting when Berry and Chappy went to see the Xcution Squad and their leader turned his medallion into a huge broadsword. I had no idea that the Fullbring ability would be so awesome."
"I know what you mean," Karin said. "Oh, and it looks like the remaining Ten Daggers are going to be coming back pretty soon."
"YES!" the girl cried out.
"Hey Yuzu, hey Karin, how was your day?" Ichigo asked.
"Oh," Yuzu said. "We had a good day today. We made a new friend. Lilynette, this is our brother, Ichigo. Ichigo, I would like you to meet Lilynette Gingerback Starrk."
"Wait a minute," Ichigo said. "Are you by any chance related to Coyote Starrk?"
"Oh, you know her brother?" Karin asked.
"Yeah, he transferred into my class…TODAY!"
"Wow, what a coincidence," Lilynette said and rolled her eyes. "Yuzu, Karin, would you mind if I have a little chat with your brother."
"Fine by me," Karin said.
"Oh, that will give me the opportunity to get dinner ready," Yuzu said.
"Dad, would you mind?" Ichigo said. "I think Lilynette wants to talk to me alone for some reason."
"Of course, but if you need any fatherly advice…just call," Isshin said.
"Oh yeah, I'll be sure to do that," Ichigo said and rolled his eyes.
As soon as the others left, Lilynette jumped onto the couch and Ichigo sat on the chair. The two looked at each other for a moment.
"All right, I guess that someone told you about why we're here," Lilynette said.
"Yeah, that woman with the light blonde hair and an obsession for the color purple."
"Ah Dr. Fleur," Lilynette said. "Look, the reason why I'm at your sisters' school is to help with our cover. Also, this way, we have someone keeping an eye on things. I hope that we won't have any problems. Do we have any problems?"
"As far as I know…no, we don't have any problems."
"Good, that's all. Now, your father…I know he's a Soul Reaper. Urahara told us everything that we needed to know."
"You're not exactly like your brother."
"Of course I'm not. Starrk's rather laid-back and I'm more of a go-getter. But that's not important. What's important is that you know that you can trust us since we're all on the same side. I thought I should make that clear to you. So, do we have an understanding?"
"I guess so."
"Good, now I better get your sisters. Don Kanonji is about to start."
Mangiatori Hideout
"Rukia is definitely a Soul Reaper," Emily said.
"Yes, I felt that when I shook her hand," Milton said.
"How many does that make?" William asked.
"So far…at least five," Milton said. "When I walked into that room, I could feel at least five Soul Reapers. When I start teaching on Monday, I'll be able to get a more accurate count."
"Would you like for me to come in?" Howard asked.
"Not yet. Right now, I need for the rest of you to stay low. It's possible that they might someone of Captain-level later on and we'll have to be ready for that. For the time being, I would like for Shirley, Ambrose, Robert, and Charlotte to do patrol duty. Remember, you are only to engage in battle if you need to. I don't want any more unnecessary casualties. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir," they said.
"Good, but remember to keep as low a profile as you possibly can. You are only to use your Risveglio as your last resort. The last thing we want is for them to know what we're capable of if we're pushed."
Captain's Meeting Hall
"I have called this meeting to discuss our current predicament," Yamamoto said. "As you know, a strange Reiatsu has been discovered in the World of the Living. I have received important information that such Reiatsu was discovered earlier in Europe."
"Who gave you this information?" Mayuri asked, sounding rather interested.
"The new recruit, Nel, informed me that she overheard a discussion on the matter while she was one of the Espada."
"And you trusted her?" Sui-Feng asked.
"I did. She helped the Substitute Soul Reaper while he was in Hueco Mundo and proved trustworthy. I then went to see Aizen to discuss the matter further."
"You actually talked with the Traitor?" Byakuya asked. "I trust that you did not take him at his word."
"I did not," Yamamoto said. "Yet he had no reason to lie to me. He confirmed that he did send out a team of Arrancars to Europe to investigate an area in the Carpathian Mountains where Hollows never went. While there they uncovered the remains of a Hollow that had been partially devoured by a human spirit."
Murmurs rose among the Captains at that. Unohana put a hand to her mouth, a first for her. Mayuri grinned and rubbed his hands together. Kenpachi looked rather excited. Komamura shook his head as though trying to process what he had been told. Even though they had heard of a similar case not too long ago, they still couldn't comprehend what they were hearing.
"This was…how long ago?" Toshiro asked.
"From what Nel told me, it was about 75 years ago by World of the Living reckoning. However, when Aizen heard the results, he had all of the Arrancars involved with the mission and research executed. He then decided to resurrect this project in hopes of creating a better race of Arrancars. He gave the research duties to only one Arrancar, but unfortunately that one Arrancar is not with us."
"Who was it?" Byakuya asked.
"He gave the research over to Szayel Aporro Granz."
"Do we even know where he is?" Komamura asked.
"Oh…I'm sure he's still standing in the middle of Las Noches," Mayuri said with a wave of his hand.
"That doesn't do us any good if he's unable to talk," Sui-Feng said.
"One body is in Las Noches," Yamamoto said. "But another is elsewhere."
"What are you talking about?" Mayuri asked.
"Szayel Aporro Granz is currently in Hell," Yamamoto said. "And I intend to bring him out to help us in this matter."
Inner World
He feels himself falling again. The water rushes around him and then he sees the remnants of Karakura Town mixed with the remnants of the tall skyscrapers below him. It's the first time that he understood that those tall skyscrapers that marked his Shikai were built over the Karakura Town that marked his Bankai. He sees the all-too familiar shape of White Ichigo standing as though waiting for him in the midst of the ruins.
"So, you decided to come back," White Ichigo said, grinning. "What do you want? Your King has not summoned you."
"I understand something."
"What do you understand?"
"My weakness stems from my fear, right?"
"That's right. But just because you recognize this fact doesn't mean that you have any control over it."
"That's where you're wrong. I know that you're the cause of my fear."
"Is that so?" White Ichigo said and shook his head. "You only understand the concept, but not the actuality. You understand that your weakness stems from your fear, but you don't understand where your fear comes from."
"Where's Zangetsu?"
"Back to that again? I told you Zangetsu's not here. If you were to try to enter your Soul Reaper form, you would be able to. However, you would have no control over it because this…" he said and gestured to the ruined landscape around them, "…is no longer your domain. It's MY domain."
"I'm here to reclaim it."
"Don't even try. You'll only find disappointment. However," White Ichigo said and grinned even wider. "I'll tell you what. Let's make a deal. If you can withstand the current and stay where you are, then I'll consider letting you fight to reclaim this area. However, if you cannot…"
"You'll devour me," Ichigo said.
"Wrong," White Ichigo said. "Why would I want to devour you when you're only devouring yourself?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You should know better than that. Now, here it comes."
At that moment, a rush of energy struck Ichigo. He felt himself spiraling out of control.
"NOOOOOOOO!" he shouted as he was pushed back to the surface.
Kurosaki Clinic
Rukia rushed out of her closet and saw Ichigo lying on the floor. He was struggling to be freed from his blankets. Under normal circumstances, she would have found this funny, but the look of terror and surprise on Ichigo's face told her that it was anything but funny. She rushed over to him to hold him down, but he was too wild to get anywhere near.
"Damn it," she muttered. "Bakudo number 1, Sai," she said as she pointed her index and middle fingers of her right hand at Ichigo.
Ichigo's arms immediately came together behind his back. However, he was still struggling and crying out. She looked and saw the door crash open as Isshin rushed in.
"It's the same," Rukia said.
"He didn't vomit this time?"
"No," she said.
"I see. I must tell him not to try returning to his Inner World. If he keeps trying, things will only get worse."
"What are you talking about?"
"Did he talk to you about his Inner Hollow?"
"He did, but what…?"
"I had something similar," Isshin said. "It wasn't quite the same as his, but it was similar enough."
"I don't understand."
"I know, and it's not something you truly know until you go through it yourself," Isshin said as he picked up Ichigo. "You might have gone through it and didn't even realize it."
As Isshin carried Ichigo to the bathroom, Rukia noticed that the door to the girls' room was opened and Lilynette watched what happened.
"Oh…uh…hi," Rukia said.
"Don't worry," Lilynette said. "I won't tell anyone," she said and slipped back into the room and closed the door.
Urahara Shop
"Do you think Lilynette's having a good time?" Harribel asked as she ran her fingers through Starrk's hair.
"I think so. But, there's something wrong with the Kurosaki boy."
"I may know what it is," Ulquiorra said as he looked up from the newspaper he was reading. "When I last fought him, he was taken over by something. I believe that it was his Inner Hollow."
"So, you think his Inner Hollow is taking control?" Starrk asked.
"I do not doubt it. Even though Urahara said that when he loses his Soul Reaper powers, he will also lose his Inner Hollow, I do not think that will be the case."
"Because they're as much a part of him as his heart," Harribel said and sighed. "He'll never truly be rid of them."
Inoue Residence
Orihime heard the knock at the door as she was getting out of the bath. She grabbed her robe and immediately put it on and rushed to the front door, leaving a trail of water behind.
"I'm coming," she called out. "Who is it?"
"It's me," Tatsuki said.
Orihime smiled and unlocked the door. Tatsuki stood outside with a bag of groceries tucked under one arm.
"Did I catch you at a bad time?"
"Oh no, I was just finishing my bath when you knocked. Please, come in."
"I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"I'm doing much better. Oh, and what did you get?"
"Well, I just got some things to make sandwiches. I got bread, and some sliced chicken, and some lettuce and cheese."
"Did you remember the bean paste?"
"Huh?"
"You can't make a decent sandwich without bean paste."
Tatsuki laughed and brought out the jar of bean paste that she got.
Orihime and her bean paste, she thought and shook her head. She would never understand how Orihime could possibly stomach the things she ate.
"You seem much happier," Tatsuki said. "Did something happen?"
"Yeah, I saw an old friend of mine. We had a nice conversation."
"Oh and where was this?"
"At the park," Orihime said.
"So you weren't sick."
"I guess not," Orihime said and laughed as she rubbed her head.
"So you decided to play hooky from school. I can't say that I blame ya," Tatsuki said and grinned. "I'm glad to see that you're doing well."
"Thanks for coming, Tatsuki," Orihime said and then bit her lower lip. "There's…there's something I would like to talk to you about," she said.
"You know that you can tell me whatever is troubling you."
"Thanks…Tatsuki," Orihime said and began to tell her everything.
Mangiatori Hideout
Harper dreamt that she was running down an alley. Something large was approaching her with sharp fangs and claws. She ran, but running was becoming hard for her. She didn't know what to do. Then…
…fog. Everything was covered in fog.
Where am I?
You know where you are.
Who are you?
I am Memoria Del Dolore. Don't you remember?
Why are you said?
I remember.
What do you remember?
I remember. Don't you remember?
Remember…
…darkness. Everything went dark. She could hear the thing laughing as it approached. Then something spoke from the darkness and everything was…
…covered in fog. A shape stood in the fog and looked at her. It pointed behind her and she saw the creature approach in the fog.
Stand and kill.
What do you mean?
If you don't want to die, then stand and kill.
Who are you?
I am what you are meant to be. I am your raison d'être. Now, stand and kill. Devour it before it devours you.
She turns and stands her ground. The creature is surprised at this, but then it only erupts in laughter as it charges. She leaps up. She becomes the warrior woman she saw standing in the fog and she devours. She can feel the icy cold blood flow into her mouth and the ripping flesh fills her senses. Then she is consumed by the fog.
"Harper," a voice calls out to her. "Harper, wake up." The fog fades and she sees…
Milton Dante leaned over her. Fear filled his eyes. Sylvia stood next to him, dipping a rag into a bowl of cool water. When he saw that her eyes were open, Milton sighed in relief.
"What happened?" Harper asked.
"You…you were having a dream," Milton said. "When Emily came to check on you, she said that you were screaming something and she rushed to get me."
"I…I did have a dream. I dreamt that monster was chasing me and everything became foggy and black."
"It's alright. You were just having a nightmare," Sylvia said.
"I…I remembered the woman," Harper said. "I remember the warrior woman who told me to stand and kill the monster. She told me to devour it before it devoured me."
"You…you remember that?" Milton asked.
"Milton now's not the time," Sylvia said.
"Of course now's the time. She remembers seeing her Inner Self and it's important for her evolution to remember how she got there."
"No it's not. It's only important for you."
"Sylvia, I know I'm right. The Inner Self is vital for Spiritual Evolution and this confirms it. Her Inner Self told her to kill and devour that Hollow and she did that. That's proof enough for me that the Inner Self does play an important role in all Spiritual Evolution."
"But does that mean that you have to exhaust her even more?"
"But…"
"No, Milton, I'm not going to let you keep her from getting some real rest. For God's sake, she was running a high fever."
"You're right," Milton said. "I'm sorry. I…I just got a little excited. Get some rest, Harper. We can talk about this in the morning if you're up to it."
"Okay," Harper said and she drifted back to sleep.
She dreamt of shapes in the fog.
Captain's Meeting Hall
Yamamoto struck the floor with his staff. Grimmjow and Nnoitora stood before them, dressed in their new uniforms while the Captains and their Lieutenants lined either side of the room. Shuhei stood to fill the vacant spot that was left by Kaname and Izuru stood in place of Gin. However, the spot for Squad 5 was completely vacant since Momo was going through serious treatment in order to help her recovery.
"This meeting is called to order.
"Nnoitora Gilga and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, I welcome you to the Gotei 13 and am giving you your first mission."
"ALRIGHT!" Grimmjow shouted.
"It's about fucking time," Nnoitora said, grinning. "Who do you want us to kill?"
"Ha! You two will fit right in with my squad," Kenpachi said with his signature slasher smile.
"Such insolence," Byakuya muttered under his breath.
"Enough," Yamamoto said and Grimmjow and Nnoitora fell silent. "While I appreciate your enthusiasm, now is not the time to show it."
"Sorry, sir," Nnoitora and Grimmjow said.
"Now, your first mission will be to return to Las Noches to retrieve some information. However, you will not go until I have returned with Szayel Aporro Granz."
"Wait a minute," Grimmjow said. "What do you want with Psycho Pink?"
"No shit," Nnoitora muttered.
"Only Szayel Aporro knows where he hid the information for his research. I have talked with Mayuri and he did not find any information concerning a strange Reiatsu."
"I was sure that he would have kept it with the rest of his specimens in his hidden storeroom," Mayuri said. "However, when I emptied it out for my own collection, I did not find anything that related to any strange Reiatsu."
"Are you sure about that?" Toshiro asked.
"Oh yes, Captain Hitsugaya, I am quite sure," Mayuri said.
"At any rate," Yamamoto said. "Captain Hitsugaya, you and your advance team shall go to the World of the Living."
"Do I really have to take all of them again?" Toshiro asked.
"Yes and you are to fill Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa on the situation."
"Yes sir," Toshiro said.
"Why can't I go?" Kenpachi asked. "It's been a while since I fought something and I want a fight."
"If you were sent," Mayuri said. "You would destroy Karakura Town in a matter of minutes with your barbaric behavior."
"Maybe I would or maybe I wouldn't," Kenpachi said, grinning again. "Would you like me to try it here and now Freakshow?"
"What did you call me?"
"You heard me."
"ENOUGH!" Yamamoto shouted. The two Captains continued to glare at each other, but they returned to their places.
"Captain Zaraki, if you truly wish to accompany Captain Hitsugaya's advance team, then you will have to follow his command. You are not to act on your own and are to be supervised by at least two individuals who are not part of your Squad. Is that understood?"
"Yeah," Kenpachi said, not sounding too happy.
"Do you still wish to volunteer?"
"Hell yeah," Kenpachi said.
"And I get to come too, right Kenny?" Yachiru asked as she popped up over his shoulder.
"Damn right you do," Kenpachi said and licked his lips.
"Great…just great," Toshiro moaned.
"Very well then," Yamamoto said. "Captain Hitsugaya, you and your advance team are to report to the Senkaimon in the morning. While you are going to the World of the Living, Grimmjow and Nnoitora shall stay in the Seireitei until I summon them. That is all."
Urahara Shop
"So, how many of you are able to do Shikai?" Kisuke asked.
"As of this moment," Ulquiorra said, "none of us."
"I see," Kisuke said.
"It doesn't make sense," Harribel said. "We practice Jinzen every day, but so far no results."
"Lilynette can enter Shikai," Starrk said. "She showed it to me one time."
"That is unusual. Did she say how she did it?" Ulquiorra asked.
"I didn't ask."
"Baka," Harribel said and shook her head. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder why I even bother putting up with you."
"Sometimes I wonder why I put up with myself," Starrk said and sighed.
"Interesting," Urahara said as he fanned himself. "Usually Jinzen works if a Soul Reaper isn't able to perform Shikai."
"Maybe they need to do something different," Dr. Fleur said as she was busy punching the buttons on her cell phone to make a text message. "I mean they were Arrancar before. Maybe something different is needed."
"True, but I heard that Grimmjow's fraccion were able to have a Shikai almost right away."
"Well, their Reiatsu was much lower than these three," Dr. Fleur said. "Did they exhibit any of their former abilities?"
"Huh, no they didn't," Urahara said.
"Come to think of it," Harribel said as she suddenly remembered, "Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun told me that they didn't exhibit the same abilities that we did during their Kido practices."
"Interesting," Tessai said. "That would mean that as far as we know only the former Espada were able to keep their Arrancar abilities. It would make sense that the requirements to achieve Shikai and even Bankai would be different."
"That makes sense. Uh…what are you doing?" Urahara asked as he watched Dr. Fleur's fingers flying over the keys.
"I'm sending my supervisor a text."
"Why is it in purple?"
"Hush, I'm about to send it. There, it's sent."
"Okay, but what was it for?"
"Oh just needed to send my report." All at once her cell phone began ringing "Good Things" by Fine Young Cannibals. "Ooh, that was fast."
She opened the cell phone and read the text message that she got:
EXCELLENT REPORT, DR. FLEUR
WILL BE THERE 4 DAYS OR SO
IF NEED 2 USE METHOD 2
LANCE BURGES
PS STOP WRITING IN PURPLE
"Thanks Lance," she said as she closed the cell phone.
"Well, what did it say?"
"Tell me Kiss-key," Dr. Fleur said, grinning. "Do you know how we do things as far as Shikai and Bankai go in the DSS?"
"Not really," Urahara said.
"Well, I'll tell you what. I'll show you exactly how we do things. You see we have two methods in achieving a Level-2 release, which you call 'Shikai'. The first is the equivalent to your Jinzen, but the second…well, it was the method I had to use." She held out her right arm to her side and allowed the golden tiger charm to hang down. "You may have noticed that I don't wear a sword by my side. There's a reason for that. Most of the DSS Soul Reapers don't view such a thing as very stylish or very practical. So, we sheath our Zanpakuto in some other form. This is mine."
All at once, the charm bracelet glowed and in one swift motion it vanished and she was now holding a sword with a thin double-edged blade. The tiger charm hung from the hilt on a silver chain. The blade looked as though it was made from moonlight.
"That's incredible," Urahara said. "It's like that strange ability I heard about: Fullbring."
"Ah so you know a little about Fullbring. Yes, it's very much like that, but it's not. My charm bracelet is the equivalent of a Zanpakuto when it's sheathed. The time that it takes to turn into its unsheathed form, or Level-1 release, is the same amount of time that it takes for you to unsheathe your usual Zanpakuto. However, the more powerful members of DSS can do it in even less time and some don't use bladed weapons like this."
"What do you mean?" Ulquiorra asked, intrigued. "I thought that all Soul Reapers' Zanpakuto were usually swords."
"That's because you've only seen what the Soul Reapers here use. However, in the DSS, the usual Zanpakuto for some is a gun that can transform Reishi into projectiles. For others, it takes the form of a crossbow with a number of arrows that's based on their Reiatsu levels."
"So, it doesn't always take the form of a sword?" Harribel asked.
"That's right," Dr. Fleur said. "It completely depends on the person. Cool huh?"
"I guess," Starrk said. "So, what is this second method?"
"I would rather wait until the other two get here before I do it," Dr. Fleur said. "Besides, you might not need it. At least, you better hope that you don't need it. It can be very…intense."
Mangiatori Hideout
Ambrose Stoker walked to the large warehouse entrance. He wasn't surprised to see Milton standing in the entryway and looking at the sky.
"Are you alright, sir?"
"I don't really know," Milton said. "I got excited when Harper told me that she remembered a little bit of what happened when she killed that Hollow. She said that she saw a warrior woman and that she became that warrior woman."
"You think she saw her Inner Self?"
"Yes, but it's different from how she described how she saw her Risveglio."
"Maybe you should give up on your research, Milton. If a spirit is able to evolve, then they'll evolve on their own. We can't force them to evolve. If we force evolution, then they won't be as strong."
"Yes, and I forced you and Shirley to evolve," Milton said. "Maybe you're right. But I just don't want to give up on my research."
"You don't have to give up. But you have to remember that you can't save all of them. Besides, there are more important things for you to worry about right now."
"I know."
Senkaimon Gate
"So, are we gonna do this or what?" Ikkaku asked.
"Yes," Toshiro said. "We'll be meeting with the first team at Urahara's."
"Heh, this should be fun," Kenpachi said.
"Just keep in mind that I'm in command," Toshiro said.
That moment, the Senkaimon opened. The bright light shone on them.
"Well, let's get going," Renji said.
As Toshiro Hitsugaya neared the gate, he felt the seal stamped on him and felt his Reiatsu reduce to 1/5 of its normal level. He took a deep breath and walked through the gate.
End of Chapter 5
Dr. Fleur V.O.: Profilo Dei Mangiatori
Kon: Hey, it's everyone's favorite Bleach Idol, Kon here wiht his lovely co-host Dr. Samantha Beatrice Fleur.
Dr. Fleur (waving): Hello.
Kon: Today we begin our Profilo Dei Mangiatori and our first topic is...Spiritual Evolution. Take it away, Dr. Fleur.
Dr. Fleur: Thanks. Anyways, there are two major types of Spiritual Evolution: Soul Reaper evolution and Hollow evolution. In Soul Reaper evolution, a soul goes to any of the many Soul Societies located around the world and most don't evolve any further. However, if they have significant amount of Reiatsu, they become Soul Reapers. There are two major stages of Soul Reaper evolution: Level-2 release and Level-3 release, or Shikai and Bankai. Most Soul Reapers however don't reach Level-3 release.
In Hollow evolution, well pretty much it goes from Hollow to Gillian to Adjuchas to Vasto Lorde. However, some evolve to become Arrancars, like Starrk did naturally.
These two types fall into the realm of acceptable evolution since they do not take place in the World of the Living. However, the type of evolution that the Mangiatori go through does. As a result, their evolution can threaten the Balance since it puts too much strain on the World of the Living. It's the equivalent of clogging the central point of an hour glass to where none of the fluid can go through. As a result, the strain can become so great that it causes the hourglass to shatter.
Kon: Yeah yeah, whatever, now hug me please. Let me feel those nice soft pillows.
Dr. Fleur: Okay.
Kon: YAY! (jumps)
Ichigo (walking-in): What's going on...?
(Kon crashes into Ichigo's chest sending them both flying back)
Dr. Fleur: Huh, I guess he wanted to give Ichigo a hug too.
End of "Profilo Dei Mangiatori" 1
A.N.: Poor Toshiro...
Hitsugaya: That's Captain Hitsugaya to you.
A.N.: Oh, sorry. Poor Captain Hitsugaya, he has to try to keep a leash on Kenpachi and Yachiru. I wish him the best of luck. Thank you for waiting for this chapter.
Akemi Amaterasu: Wait a minute, why haven't I been in any of the last couple of chapters?
A.N.: Don't worry. You'll be in the next chapter.
Akemi: I better, asshole.
A.N.: Wow, I've never been interrupted this much before. Anyways, thanks for reading and please review.