A Black Heart
Thanks for the support everyone. I know that when you read this story, humour is the last thing you expect, but I think with regard to some of these scenes; it's completely expected from some of the characters. Rest assured, this is still an exploration of the deep dark recesses of my mind, but there can be snippets of light here and there.
PS. Blame the World Cup for my lack of updates. With it going on at the moment, I come home from work, watch the three games and eventually collapse into bed at 2am.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
"Normal speech"
'Inner speech/thoughts'
"Kido/Zanpakuto Attacks/Quincy Techniques"
"Zanpakuto speech/Inner Power"
"Hollow speech"
XXX
Chapter 17:
"You're kidding me…" Uryu breathed out, staring at the immense underground chamber he and the others found themselves in. "How the hell do the soul reapers not know about this place?"
"Considering that your father hid you under that hospital, without anyone else being the wiser, you should be able to answer that," Yoruichi explained as she led the teens to an alcove carved out of the rock. "Now then, we are currently under Sokyoku Hill, the execution ground of Captain-class fighters. What we need to do now is…" And so the explanation began, with Yoruichi explaining that she would ascertain information on Rukia's location, before Chad, Ishida and Ganju would be tasked with creating a distraction to lure the soul reapers away from Ichigo's most likely path.
"One thing that I must stress to you three though, is that if you are ever confronted by a Lieutenant or Captain; do not try to fight them. At your current levels, I do not expect you to win such a battle. Also we're not here to wage an all-out war against the soul reapers, wherever possible, do try and avoid open conflict with them," Yoruichi explained, getting a nod from the three teens and older soul.
"Uh Yoruichi-san, what am I supposed to do?" Orihime asked.
"You will stay here and heal the others should they need it on their return. While I know you possess the power to attack, you are our sole source of first aid while here. Because of that, we cannot risk you on the front lines." Getting a reluctant nod of acknowledgement from her, Yoruichi turned back to the others. "I suspect that Ichigo has already begun his mission, but for now I want you to stay here. When I return, we'll begin with our plans."
When the feline had vanished from the underground area, the somewhat reluctant tag-along Ganju spoke up. "Who is this Ichigo guy exactly? You guys keep speaking about him, but none of you have explained who he is."
"Our strongest fighter."
"A pain in the ass."
"Rukia-san's rescuer." Chad, Uryu and Orihime replied at the same time, drawing a confused and exasperated look from the Shiba man.
""Well that's a big help," he muttered under his breath. 'I wonder what happened to that soul reaper I fought last night. Is he in the Seireitei, or is he trapped outside? Bah, it doesn't matter now; it's unlikely that we'll ever meet again'
XXX
Contrary to Ganju's thoughts though, Ichigo was indeed in the Seireitei and was currently sneaking around the area that fell under the Eleventh Squad's jurisdiction. Knowing that just sneaking around in a random direction would get him nowhere, he had been picking out the lone stragglers as they passed, incapacitating them with lightning quick strikes, before interrogating them with his blade at their necks.
To his frustration though, most of them seemed like mindless drunks that knew little beyond their own Division and cared little for the happenings elsewhere. So after many slit throats and pointless conversations, Ichigo finally found himself faced with his best lead yet.
"I can't believe I'm stuck here on cleaning duty with you while everyone else hunts for the ryoka" Goteitaishi, a brutish looking soul reaper with brown spiky hair and a thin moustache said, idly picking at his nose, as he used his broomstick to support himself.
"The orders of the seated officers are to be obeyed to the letter though Goteitaishi-san," Seizo Harugasaki, another soul reaper with faded red hair answered, as he diligently worked at cleaning the walkway they were currently on.
Whereas Goteitaishi was exactly what Ichigo had been seeing of soul reapers for the last few hours, Seizo was certainly different enough that he might know something that could point the substitute in the right direction. Thus, he slipped from his perch above them and landed silently between the two, knocking out the larger one with a well-placed chop to the neck, before rounding on the smaller of the two. To his surprise and that of the soul reaper in question, he found his blow stopped by the handle of the broom Seizo held.
"Who, who are you?" Seizo questioned his brow furrowing as he took in Ichigo's Onmitsukido uniform with a critical eye. "What business does the Onmitsukido have with us?"
"You actually stopped me…" Ichigo muttered, re-evaluating the man in front of him. "How strange since you're the weaker of the two."
"I asked you a question! What business do you have here?!" Seizo repeated, tossing the broom to the side and drawing his blade from its sheath.
"Quiet," Ichigo whispered to him, grabbing his blade with his bare hand, before ripping it from his grasp and bringing him to his knees with a blow to the gut. Before Seizo could try and muster a counter-attack, he felt a sharp pain to the base of his neck and collapsed in a gormless heap.
When he awoke minutes later, he was surprised to find himself bound to a chair, the shining yellow ropes of Bakudo no.4 Hainawa keeping him from escaping, whilst a gag hung loosely around his neck.
"Good, you're finally awake," Ichigo spoke, walking to stand in front of him, his face except for his eyes still covered by his mask. "You soul reapers have so many of these storage rooms littered all over the place, it's almost as if you wanted to make it easy for someone to hide from you."
"I don't get it. You use the techniques of a soul reaper, but you act as if you've never been to the Seireitei. Just who are you?" Seizo asked, trying to distract Ichigo long enough so that he could break free of his binds. To his dismay though, he found them to be immensely strong, his own meagre reiatsu proving to be no match for them.
"My name isn't important, nor is why I'm here. What you need to know right now is that I want some information."
"And what information is that exactly?"
"Don't worry; we'll get to that in a moment. It seems as if your friend has finally woken up," Ichigo murmured, looking at something behind Seizo.
Confused at what he meant, he looked over his shoulder and was surprised to find Goteitaishi bound in a similar fashion to him, but the gag was bound tightly around his mouth.
"Now then, it's time we begin," Ichigo said, twisting both chairs around so that the two bound members of the Eleventh Division were forced to face each other. Standing at Goteitaishi's shoulder, he stared down at Seizo. "Where is Rukia Kuchiki?"
"Kuchiki? What do you want with her?" Seizo asked puzzled, while Goteitaishi merely struggled against his bonds, ignoring the question completely.
Sighing, Ichigo held his hand just over Goteitaishi's shoulder and chanted, "Hado no. 11, Tsuzuri Raiden," causing his hand to crackle with pale yellow energy. Staring into Seizo's eyes once more, he placed his hand on Goteitaishi's shoulder, causing the soul reaper to cry out into the gag as his body was flooded with kido-powered electricity. His body could only twitch though as his bonds held fast against him. "I'm asking the questions here. Where is Rukia Kuchiki?"
"We don't know!" Seizo shouted at him, hoping that someone would walk by and hear their screams and come to their aid. He knew the truth though, other than drinking and fighting one another, it was a rare occasion for members of their Division to actually go around patrolling their district.
Sighing again, Ichigo repeated the process on Goteitaishi, holding the man under it for a few seconds longer. Grimacing as he smelt the strong odour of urine flooding his nostrils, he took a step back from the still twitching man. "That's the same answer I've been getting from idiots like him all day," Ichigo muttered, gesturing to the man he had been torturing. "You though, you're smarter than them. So show me how smart you are and tell me what I need to know?"
"I can't tell you, because information like that is only distributed to the leadership of a squad!" Seizo shouted back at him, looking fearfully at Goteitaishi. If this kept up, or if Ichigo put his hand on his heart or head, it would be over for his fellow soul reaper.
"Then tell me the process you follow when you arrest a criminal? Is there a central holding area, or are they separated amongst your…squads? How long are they held there for?"
"All criminals are held at the barracks of the arresting party," Seizo quickly rattled off, getting a nod from Ichigo. "Each barracks is equipped with a jail and convicts are only separated when they are intent on causing harm to one another. I can't say for how long she will be held there as her punishment hasn't even been announced yet."
"There we go. That wasn't so hard now was it?" Ichigo said with a grin under his mask. "I just have two more questions for you then. Which Division does Captain Ichimaru and Lieutenant Kira belong to and where is their barracks?"
"I've told you enough as it is. Even if I tell you what you want to know, what's to stop you from killing the two of us?" Seizo spat.
"True, but that didn't stop you from answering my questions earlier."
"Anyone could've told you that. What you're asking now is revealing her possible location to you. If I tell you their Divisions though, you'll know exactly where to go and that I cannot allow."
"Hmm and what's to stop another soul reaper telling me this? Either way I get the information I want and they would be none the wiser. The only thing that changes is the body count. Now will you tell me, or am I going to continue to butcher you and your fellows?"
"I won't! On my honour as a member of the Gotei 13, I will not aid you any further!"
"You are adamant on this? Nothing I say or do will change your mind?"
"Nothing!"
"Very well then," Ichigo replied, clasping his hands together at his declaration and rubbing them together with gusto. "Since you've been a big help already, I guess there's just one thing left to do before I leave," he muttered, drawing his blade from behind his back and beheading Goteitaishi where he sat.
As the man's head rolled to his feet, Seizo looked up in fear as Ichigo approached him. That fear was soon tainted with a hint of confusion though as Ichigo sheathed his blade again.
"Now I was going to give you a quick death, but you've pissed me off now by withholding that information. So as I said, you get a very special reward," he explained, slipping the gag into Seizo's mouth. 'Hado no 11, Tsuzuri Raiden," he chanted, covering both his hands with electricity once more, before hovering them over Seizo's ears.
'Please…please let someone find us now,' he pleaded in his mind, the crackle of the static behind him causing him to sweat in fear. 'Please someone…' "AHHHHHH!" he cried out, his screams muffled by the gag, as he felt Ichigo place his hands on either side of his temple sending the electricity coursing straight through his brain. Holding the struggling soul reaper's head in place, Ichigo watched on dispassionately as his limbs soon stopped twitching and the smell of burning flesh clogged his nostrils. Sustaining the spell for a few more moments, he finally released it and stepped back, admiring his handiwork as the dead soul reaper's head flopped forward lifelessly.
"Well…it's time I got going. Now I just need to find out where this Ichimaru and Kira stay and I'll have Rukia's location," he muttered, slipping out of the storage room without anyone being the wiser.
XXX
Within the Third Division barracks though, Rukia sat forlornly on the bed in her cell, the sole piece of furniture bolted into the wall and supported with cold steel chains. If she was entirely honest with herself, she was glad to be back in the Soul Society, away from Ichigo and his schemes, but another part of her longed for the freedom she had experienced together with him.
Thinking back specifically to their last moment together brought a blush to her face, before it was ruthlessly crushed by the image of Gin stabbing him through the chest with his own blade, while forcing her to watch as he bled out on the ground. His death, despite all the pain and anger he had displayed towards her, still shook her now, a cruel reminder that there was always someone's blood on her hands. Hearing the door to the detention area open, she was unsurprised to see Renji Abarai enter, a grim expression on his face. He had been visiting her almost daily since she'd been arrested, acting like some lost puppy that wasn't sure if it should be happy or glad to see their master on their return. She understood why though, after all how often did someone openly laugh at someone, because they were promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
"Rukia," he said in a professional tone, betraying no trace of emotion in his voice.
"Lieutenant Abarai," she answered back, turning her head away from the bars of her cell, so that she wouldn't have to face him. "Have you come to deliver my sentence?"
"No, the Central 46 have yet to come to a decision regarding your offences," he murmured, trying to get a look at her face. "I came here to talk to you actually."
"What do you wish to discuss with me Lieutenant Abarai?" she repeated, causing him to grit his teeth as she repeated his rank.
"If you're going to mock me again, could you at least do so to my face!" he snapped at her, slamming his hand against the bars of her cell.
When she turned to face him though, he grimaced at the look of sheer defeat in her eyes. "Is this what you wanted Lieutenant Abarai? The Central 46 has been debating my case for over ten days now, this long delay can only mean that they plan to either exile or execute me."
"That won't happen! I'm sure that right now the Captain is…"
Whatever he was about to say died in his throat though as the door to the detention area opened once again and Izuru stepped in, a flash of surprise on his face at Renji's presence, before it quickly disappeared.
Walking towards her cell, he stopped a few inches away from the bars. "Rukia Kuchiki, Central 46 has found you guilty of transferring your powers to a human being and as such, have ruled that you are to be executed one week from today, by means of Sokyoku. I am to escort you now to the Shrine of Penitence so that you can await your punishment." As he finished speaking, four masked guards in white entered the area, a black stave in each of their hands.
"Wait…execution…by Sokyoku…that can't be right," Renji stuttered out, watching on in disbelief as the four guards entered her cell and attached several lines to the collar at her neck. "Izuru there must be some mistake!" he shouted, grabbing his fellow Lieutenant by the collar of his shihakusho.
"Lieutenant Abarai!" Izuru shouted, causing Renji to release him, as he levelled a stern glare at him. "My orders come from Central 46 themselves and we cannot disobey them. If you do wish to voice your grievance, might I suggest going to a Captain? I advise you to wait until after their meeting is concluded though." Seeing that Rukia was ready, he silently led the small troop out past Renji, the redhead staring stoically at the ground.
"I do not mean to sound belligerent Lieutenant Kira, but is this much security really necessary?" she asked, once they had left the walls of the Third Division and made their way towards the centre of the Seireitei.
"I guess it can't be helped since you don't get much news in there," Izuru answered with a sigh as he stared over his shoulder at her. "The Seireitei was invaded little over five hours ago and so far we've yet to find a single trace of those responsible."
"Invaded? Who would do that?" she asked incredulously.
"As I said, we don't know. Who do you think would invade the Seireitei?"
An image of Ichigo flashed across her mind at his question, but that would be impossible. He was dead after all. "I haven't the faintest clue," she mumbled, looking down dejectedly.
XXX
'My, my, the Captain Commander certainly rambles on sometimes,' Gin thought, yawning as he entered the office he shared with Kira. 'Of course Kurosaki and the others would cause quite a fuss with their entrance, but the fools believe them to be somewhere in the southern area of the Seireitei. Not that they're wrong, but we all know that the threat you can see is trivial when compared to the threat that you can't. Oh, what's this?' To his surprise, he found Renji seated on the couch they kept for when they had moment to relax, the Lieutenant muttering darkly under his breath. "Is there something I can help you with Lieutenant Abarai?" he asked, relishing the sight of the soul reaper almost jumping out of his skin.
"Ah Captain Ichimaru I didn't know that the meeting was over sir." Renji stated, bowing quickly to the Third Division's Captain.
"Yes well it was more to hear the Captain Commander grumble on and on, about how it's disgraceful that such a thing happened under our noses, or how we should feel ashamed that we have yet to capture the intruders. Personally I feel that he's just a little grumpy this morning after finding out that the prune's he's been waiting for were delayed." Seeing the Lieutenant blanching at him for his apparent disrespect, Gin tilted his head at him and smiled. "Now is there a reason that you're currently in my office making yourself comfortable?"
"I…I was actually waiting to speak to Lieutenant Kira sir," Renji stuttered out, some sweat beginning to bead his forehead from Gin's attitude and behaviour.
"Izuru? Well from what I heard he was to escort Rukia-chan to the Shrine of Penitence, because of this ryoka mess we find ourselves in. Might I ask what this is about?"
"I, I wouldn't want to bother you with it Captain."
"Really? You know I wasn't called a genius for nothing you know. Perhaps I could help you with whatever problem you find yourself in?" Gin said jovially, plopping himself down on the couch across from the redhead.
"It's just…I wanted to know what happened to Rukia while she was in the world of the Living. I know that the two of you were only there to detain her and bring her back to the Soul Society, but none of the official reports mention anything about her stay there. I thought that you might at least be able to tell me where she was staying, or anything for that matter?"
"And she hasn't told you anything? From what I know, the two of you joined the Shino Academy together after all."
"We…grew distant over the course of our education and time in the Gotei 13 sir. That along with the almost…shamed look I see on her face makes me believe that something more serious happened to her back in the world of the Living."
'Oh this will be fun indeed,' Gin thought, an evil smirk forming on his face, before it was quickly hidden. "Ah I see…well you know it really isn't my secret to tell…"
"You know something? Please Captain; tell me what happened to her!"
'He's such an easy boy to manipulate. Oh well, let's see how he reacts to Rukia-chan's little, indiscretion.' "Well, this is simply what I observed when I saw her, but I do believe that Rukia-chan fell in love with a human while in the World of the Living and being torn away from him has left a hole in her heart."
"Love…a human?! T-That's impossible…She would never…"
"Oh but I assure you its true Renji-kun, in fact we were unfortunate enough to find her while they were…coupled."
"C-c-coupled?"
"Yes, they certainly were going at it quite spiritedly. I believe the boy's name was Ichigo, from the way she was screaming it. What a pansy name for a boy wouldn't you agree?" Gin commented, looking up as he heard his door slam shut with a bang, the irritating Lieutenant nowhere in sight. "Was it something I said?" he asked out loud, his signature devilish grin on his face.
XXX
Ah Gin, how I do love you so. Well hope you enjoyed the chapter, till next time boys and girls.