A Black Heart

Argh I hate writing sometimes. Do you think we could just hook a few wires up to my brain and I can just think about what I want to happen? I mean a picture is worth a thousand words and I have so many in my head. Unfortunately I'm a terrible artist so no asking me to even try and draw the gore in my head. Hope you enjoy today's chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'Inner speech/thoughts'

"Kido/Zanpakuto Attacks/Quincy Techniques"

"Zanpakuto speech/Inner Power"

"Hollow speech"

XXX

Chapter 19:

'We found them while coupled. She screamed his name in ecstasy. She fell in love with him.' No matter what Renji did, Gin's words continued to ring in his head. Even after happening on one of the ryoka by chance on the trip back to his division, he found no respite from his inner turmoil. Kicking the Shiba member into a wall, he watched dispassionately as he coughed out a mouthful of blood.

"Are you ready to give up yet?" he asked in a bored tone, watching as Ganju groggily got to his feet, before wiping the blood away with the back of his hand.

"Not even close…soul reaper," he grunted out, reaching into the little satchel he kept at his back and pulling out a few small fireworks. "Ha!" he shouted as he threw them at the Lieutenant, only for Renji to simply swat them away into the air to explode harmlessly.

"Don't you get it, we're in a completely different league to one another!" he roared, slashing Ganju across his chest. The Shiba man could only croak in defeat as the pain from his wounds finally overwhelmed him, before he toppled backwards out cold.

"Tch…guess I should get a healer or something so we can interrogate him later," Renji grumbled, before looking in the direction of the Shrine of Penitence. 'I hope for her sake that the Captain didn't hear what happened…who knows what he might do if he finds out.'

XXX

"Hngh!" Ichigo grunted, dodging to the side as Kira tried to carve into him again, his zanpakuto just ghosting over his clothing. Launching a fist at the Lieutenant, he quickly pulled back as the Lieutenant tried to block it with his blade. While he had been curious about the Lieutenant's shikai in the beginning, that curiosity soon turned to hatred, as his blade slipped through his resisting fingers, after trading a few blows with Kira. It simply didn't help his mood when Kira had explained to him that his blade doubled the weight of anything it cut, meaning that he couldn't even touch it really. Now, left with nothing but his fists and kido to defend himself with, he quickly retreated into the halls of the Third Division's barracks, hoping that the tight quarters would aid him more than it would Kira.

His intuition seemed to have paid off, as the Lieutenant was forced to forgo the use of kido, lest he destroy the very place he was trying to protect and limit himself to far more basic and predictable sword strikes. And if the blood trail that followed them was any indication, Ichigo would soon win this fight through attrition alone.

As their game of cat and mouse continued, they unwittingly stumbled back into the now empty detention area. Sparing a quick glance around the room, Ichigo suppressed a growl of frustration at the numerous empty cells, before he turned his attention back to Kira just in time to see his blade descend towards him in a high overhead strike.

Allowing it to pass within a hairsbreadth of his body, he took advantage of the momentary opening to grab the Lieutenant's hands and deliver a vicious head-butt to his nose, breaking both skin and cartilage. Ignoring the blood that splattered over his face, he drew his palm up to the Lieutenant's chest.

"Bakudo no. 61, Rikujokoro!" he chanted, pinning the Lieutenant in place with six blinding yellow rods of light, before leaping back and drawing both palms to face the struggling Lieutenant.

'I've been in a situation like this before…' Kira thought in shock, as he struggled blindly against his bonds. Across from him, two blue fireballs began to form in each of Ichigo's palms, their size growing by the second. "This…this is impossible. You're supposed to be dead," he whispered lamely.

"Dead...maybe, but aren't you too?" Ichigo asked with a smirk, the kido in his hands beginning to lose some of its stability. "Try to survive this Izuru Kira, Hado no. 73, Soren Sokatsui," he roared, sending a duo of azure flame waves at the helpless Lieutenant.

XXX

All around the Seireitei, soul reapers of all ranks turned in shock in the direction of the colossal explosion that came from the Third Division, their eyes wide as they watched two walls of flame demolish everything in their path towards the outer walls.

"That came from the Third Division…Kira!" Hisagi shouted, his fingers clenching around the hilt of his zanpakuto as he pondered how dire the situation must've been for his close friend and comrade to use such a devastating spell while within their headquarters. Turning to the Quincy boy, he narrowed his eyes in anger at the trouble he and his cohorts had caused by coming here. Even now, heavily injured from precise strikes to his wrists and ankles and bound by his signature Bakudo (Bakudo no. 62 Hyapporankan), the teenager still struggled to free himself.

"It's over for you Quincy," he remarked, sheathing his blade at his waist. "Your skill is admirable and there is no doubt in my mind that you could handle a horde of hollows. But you are nothing when compared to the power of a seated soul reaper, let alone a Lieutenant."

Seeing him scoff at his words, Hisagi suppressed the urge to lambast him again and instead turned his attention to a visibly shaken Hanatarou as he sat shaking on the floor. "Get up Seventh Seat Yamada; I need you to tend to the Quincy's wounds so that he doesn't die before we can question him."

"Of course sir! Right away!" Hanatarou squeaked, hurriedly shuffling over to the defeated teenager.

'And so I lose again to a soul reaper…only this one isn't planning on pummelling me into a bloody pulp,' Uryu thought bitterly as he hung his head in shame. 'If only I had recovered in time to train with the Sanrei glove…or maybe I could've …' he thought in slight despair before passing out, wondering what he could've done to change his fate.

XXX

As Kira landed face down and rolled across the quad, he suppressed the urge to cry out as agonising pain coursed through his system. Through bleary eyes he could just make out his charred flesh smoking slightly, the repulsive smell making him want to wretch. Looking up at the sound of shifting timber, he watched as the boy from the world of the Living, walked through the flames of destruction towards him. When he was finally within earshot, he croaked out, "H-How?"

"How did I survive? How did I get in here? Or maybe you're asking how I beat you? It doesn't matter how I did any of these things. You're the loser here and all you're allowed to do now…is die," Ichigo said as he stooped down to speak. "Answer me correctly though and I might just let you live. Now…where is Rukia?"

"You're here…for Kuchiki? Why?"

Scowling under his mask, Ichigo reached down and lifted the Lieutenant's head by the few hairs that remained on his head, before smashing his face into the hard stone ground. "I told you to answer my questions, not ask more. Where is Rukia?"

"N-Never…" Kira stuttered out, getting his face crushed once again for his troubles.

As Ichigo was about to do it again though, he was halted by a sudden cry of stop. As both substitute and Lieutenant looked over Ichigo's shoulder at their uninvited guest, they found a lone female soul reaper with mousy brown hair, standing there with her blade held in shaky hands.

"You don't have the power to stop me, so give me one good reason to," Ichigo said dispassionately, going through the motions to crush Kira's skull again.

"L-Lieutenant Kira escorted Rukia Kuchiki to the Shrine of P-Penitence yesterday!" she shouted at him, a few tears pouring down her face. "It's the large white tower in the middle of the Seireitei!"

"Is that so…well you've been a big help. I'll leave him alone now," he said, dropping Kira's head to the ground with little fanfare. "Tend to him if you want, you were willing to risk your life for his after all."

"Huh?" the unnamed woman said, before she ran towards the pair of them and quickly began trying to ascertain Kira's vitals.

As he stood watching the scene with a sense of detachment, Ichigo could hear the sounds of more soul reapers approaching. Disappearing with a soft buzz, he reappeared next to his zanpakuto, lifting it again with ease as the weight doubling effect had disappeared. Relishing the feel of his blade in his hand again, he headed back to the two soul reapers, shaking his head at how the woman cradled the man's head in her lap. Sneaking over to them, he brought his blade down hard on the woman's neck, uncaring as her head rolled away with a distraught expression frozen on it, while the body collapsed gormlessly onto Kira.

"I said you could feel free to tend to his injuries…I didn't say I would leave you alone to do it," he muttered, sheathing his blade behind his back. "It's not that I wanted to kill you, but I can't allow anyone that sees me live to tell another soul about it." Knowing that the others were almost there, he rushed off in the direction of the white tower in the distance, a sense of purpose in his step.

When the other soul reapers came on the scene, there were several sharp gasps and pained cries as they took in the site of devastation. None of them were aware though, of the figure that lurked in the shadows, a devilish smirk on their face from the events they had observed.

XXX

Within the barracks of the First Division, eleven of the Captains of the Gotei 13 met to discuss the situation with the ryoka and the casualties suffered by the Eleventh Division. Their conversation was less than amicable though.

"So Captain Ukitake and Captain Zaraki ain't here? What a shame for the Thirteenth Division Captain to be sick at a time like this," Gin commented with a smirk, his tone completely casual. "And I'm guessing tha' Zaraki's supervising the search for the intruder. Such a 'caring' Captain ain't he."

"Humph, as if that brute would do such a thing. He's more likely glad that the ryoka was strong enough to kill his men than worrying about their deaths," Mayuri said with a snort.

"Regardless of his intentions, he should still be here," Aizen said with a tired sigh, shaking his head slightly.

"What do the Tenth and Twelfth Divisions have to report regarding this incident," Captain Commander Yamamoto grumbled, turning his gaze on the two Captains that stood next to one another.

"The Tenth Division has found no trace of the intruder, or any victims on its grounds. We have also increased our patrols along our border with the Eleventh Division, in case the intruder is still within their territory and looking to escape," Toshiro Hitsugaya explained crisply.

"We have yet to find anything either, but we are still in the process of collecting samples from the bodies of the deceased, so that we might analyse it and possibly even trace the culprit. However, due to some bumbling fools, almost all of the samples, so far have been tainted, making them practically useless," Mayuri explained in a bored drawl.

"One would think that such a thing would not be a problem for you Captain Kurotsuchi," Kyoraku Shunsui remarked, peering at his fellow Captain from under his straw hat.

Whatever retort Mayuri was about to come up with, was silenced by an urgent knock at the door. Ordering the person to enter, the Captains turned their attention to the member of the Inner Court Troop before them.

"My apologies for interrupting, but I bring an urgent missive for Captain Unohana from Lieutenant Kotetsu," he fired off rapidly and clearly. "Minutes ago the Third Division barracks was demolished and Lieutenant Izuru Kira was gravely injured in the blast. Currently she is performing emergency medical procedures in the field, but requests that Captain Unohana make her way there immediately, as she fears that the Lieutenant will not make it without her help."

The room was deathly quiet as each of the Captains digested what they had just heard, before Unohana disappeared without a word and the individual Captains began to murmur quietly to one another. They were all silenced by the thumping of the Captain Commander's cane against the ground.

"This is unacceptable!" he roared, his voice causing the Inner Court Troop member to flinch, while the Captains stood stoically. "The ryoka have proven that they are capable of widespread chaos and destruction and even now prove that our Lieutenants are not capable of defeating them. Therefore I am now ordering all Captains to take charge and hunt the ryoka down themselves! I also declare that the full release of zanpakutos has been granted within the walls of the Seireitei by provision of Special Wartime Orders. Relay that message to all squads!"

"Y-Yes sir!" the Inner Court Troop member replied, before vanishing in a burst of shunpo.

"This meeting is dismissed. I want these ryoka rounded up before that day is done!" he commanded, watching as the Captains under his command all began to shuffle out, their expressions grim. Well everyone, but one.

"You've just been told that your barracks has been destroyed and that your Lieutenant is in critical condition and yet you still have that smirk on your face Ichimaru," Aizen said as the Third and Fifth Division Captain's brushed past one another.

"Eh? Why do you care Captain Aizen? They ain't your men," Gin shot back.

"And with how blasé you are about their lives, I wonder if they truly are yours," Aizen calmly said, his eyes narrowed. "You may be able to throw off the others Ichimaru, but I know you're up to something."

"Little ol' me? That's talk that might end up getting ya killed Captain Aizen," Gin said as he pushed past him. "Best be careful who ya go pointin' ya fingers at."

From around the corner, Toshiro looked back uneasily at the two. Never one to eavesdrop on purpose, their conversation left him more than a little unsettled.

XXX

As the sun set over the Seireitei, Chad maintained a silent vigil at the entrance to the underground training area, his eyes constantly scanning for any sign of Uryu or Ganju. Feeling a soft weight settle on his shoulder, he turned his head to the side to find Yoruichi perched on his shoulder.

"Still nothing," she asked, getting a shake of his head in response. Sighing she leapt off his shoulder and began to head towards the Ninth Division's barracks. "I'll go find out what happened. You go back to Inoue and stay put. Do not leave unless I come back and tell you it's safe to do so."

Hearing him grunt in answer, before disappearing underground, she scanned the horizon and picked out the plume of smoke that rose in the distance. 'That's somewhere around the Third Division, so maybe the brat was able to free Rukia and we can begin to plan our escape. Then again, we'd never be so lucky. Now where have those two brats gone…'

XXX

Hey another chapter. I know it's going slowly, but the last time I did this arc in another story, I focussed solely on Ichigo and didn't even mention the others. At least this time we're going to cut back to them now and then, while still focussing on our favourite…bad guy? I don't know if I want to call him a bad guy, but considering the shit he pulled today, well I'll leave that up to you to decide. Till next time.