Hitsugaya POV:

I was pissed that I had been sent out to deal with a relatively low level Arrancar, that for some reason felt foolish or cocky enough to wander this close to the Seireitai.

"Go Toshiro, do not hesitate and you will see the answer to many of your own questions." A deep soothing voice in the back of my mind decided to speak once more, to me the voice always felt like a the soothing relief of ice on a raging burn.

"Hai." (Yes) I announced not caring if anyone thought I was talking to myself, as I frequently spoke with Hyotenmaru.

I did however drastically pick up the pace when I realized with alarm that there was an academy student heading strait for the hollow... wait what? It changed direction... No... shit! It was going for the student!

I used shun-pu to arrive at the soon to be battle zone, only to see Onohana already desperately trying to lure the thing away from, oh gods... not her.

"Hunter! Foolish girl run!" fear very real in my voice for once. I had been ordered by her father to keep her safe and it would seem I had nearly failed.

Where was Joshu! He was supposed to be with her... had the hollow already killed the boy? He shook his head, to clear it.

No sooner has the words left my mouth did I realize I had angered Death. But How? It didn't make any sense, I was just protecting her as he as asked me to was I not?

A painfully ominous and soul piercing cold crashed over the area, it was the first time I had ever felt the overwhelming primal fear for my own existence. I was not afraid of dying, or of him and so it must be his deliberate doing.

Despite my best efforts I hit my knees at the suffocating pressure of his anger directed at me and with a glance at the others they could tell and feel it as well... When had Kuchiki shown up?

I looked back up as Onohana and Byakuya, being more resistant to such pressure and not having it directed at them, both attempted to distract either Hunter or the Hollow. Including outright attacking it or trying to 'rescue' Hunter whose eyes were glowing with an eery gold light as large swaths of darkness and what only looked like black smoke protected her from there attempts... wait,

"I get it, I'm sorry, I understand now!" Death's pressure let off me.

"Captains HOLD!" Shouted a pissed off Kenpatchi who had arrived just as I figured it out for myself.

"Let it happen and watch carefully."

They did stop, even if only out of shock and the angry atmosphere suddenly became soothing instead of oppressive... he wanted this? Sure enough they relaxed as well, could they hear... I mean I knew Onohana could but Kuchiki? Kenpachi? That was certainly... unexpected... I looked back at Hunter and it took everything ounce of restraint I had not to interfere, as the hollow zeroed in on her. Looking around quickly I saw I was not alone. Flickers of pink in the air told me that Kuchiki had released Zakura just in case.

I looked back and couldn't restrain myself anymore, I could not just stand by as she was killed by that THING, only I couldn't move. I looked down to see my feet were encased in deadly black ichor, I gulped reminded exactly who I was dealing with and steeled my will to the fact that I was going to have to just sit back and deal with watching.

"I hope you right big man." Said Kenpatchi beside me as he kept twitching for his sword only to restrain himself.

"I am, now watch." replied death from all around us now.

I watched as one by one the others forced themselves to look upon what was surely an execution of the very one they were all trying to protect. Only what we saw was far from what should have been, the hole in the boy was receding, weeping massive amounts of back tar as well as the steady stream of souls that escaped into the black shadows.

The boy was smiling, not smirking but genuinely smiling. "Thank you, long have I prayed and struggled with what I have become, seeking a way to cure myself of this curse and free those who were consumed by the hollows I have slain." As his hole sealed a massive wave of power discharged from Hunter and crashed into the boy as well as us. throwing us all back several feet.

"Onohana, go to them." Onahana rushed forward at his words and let her medical instinct take over.

"Get your asses over here and help me with them!" She bellowed.

"Them? Captain surely you meant to end the creature while its uncon-" replied Byakuya only to be cut off.

"I said them as well Kuchiki, the boy is cured. Now you know of her gifts and you know of each other captains. Work together to find others and learn the old way, but be careful Yamamoto and I have never seen eye to eye. He believes that you all have rendered me... obsolete, and he is a fool. All shiningami are descended from my blood, my children not unlike Hunter there. The original pure-blood and old families were created mainly from my blood back in the beginning as my aids, you are from one of those lines Byakuya, as is Yamamoto... in fact he was one of my original creations."

"What of those many souls who join our ranks from the city of souls who were once mortals?" I asked curious.

"Those who become shiningami only after they have lived as humans and thus died. Are still of my bloodline as well through my offspring, joining me in service upon their deaths; such as the rest of you. Some even bearing my gifts such as Hitsugaya and Joshu. In a way all shiningami are my decedents in some way, be it via creation or blood. So it pains me greatly when you turn from me and deny me, when you say I am not real or no longer needed. this city of yours is only a part of one world. I have billions of galaxies full of people whose life-cycle must be managed, calculated and overseen. An infinite amount of lost souls to ease and sinners to reap, that while I may seem obsolete to you your people would collapse under the pressure if I were to abandon you. I made you and I refuse to give up on you all and simply let your worlds collapse because one man has delusions of being a god or a king over MY people and is brainwashing his way into making everyone else do so to. We do this my way now. Find those who are ignorant or who can be taught the old ways, all others will be slaughtered when I give the call." he finished as he faded...

While he had talked Onohana and Kenpachi had worked to help Hunter, and had found that the boy was also a shiningami, a powerful one at that.

"Now what?" She asked.

"We need to get her out of the academy and onto a team." Kuchiki stated flatly, as if it should be obvious.

"It's too soon, he'll never allow it." I said remembering the stink he had made when they wanted to make me a captain, and I had already graduated.

"We have four captains to vouch for her, I can tell you her skills in healing and throwing weapons as well as recon will help aid her in getting on a team. We all need to put in a request however, to make the old man even consider it." countered Kenpachi uncharacteristically, now that I think about it he has been acting very odd ever since Hunter came into the picture... I wonder if it's related at all.