Toshiro had leapt into the air and was coming down on Karin with his Zanpakuto ready to cut her down the center like a hollow. All Karin had in her hand was a long wooden stick to defend herself with. She had realized less than a second before the blade reached the stick that he wasn't holding back and was most likely going to kill her if she didn't get her Zanpakuto to appear. Toshiro swung his blade down towards her…

"CLANG!"

Toshiro's eyes widened as he saw that the stick had vanished, only to be replaced by a large black with white edged sword. It was similar to Ichigo's first Zanpakuto only a little smaller and the edges of the blade were jagged like a saw blade. The hilt had a guard on it shaped like a lightning bolt and it shared the white cloth trait of Ichigo and Kaichou's respective Zanpakutos complete with the extra strip of cloth dangling down beneath the hilt.

Toshiro smirked as he flash stepped away and returned to the position he was in prior to attacking her.

"Surge, Hekireki Megami." Karin said with determination as her Zanpakuto's blade crackled with electricity.

"So your Zanpakuto is an electrical type Zanpakuto. Very interesting." Toshiro said as Karin noticed that there was a black sheath resting on the ground next to her. She quickly picked it up and tied it to her back like Toshiro did with his. The strap attached to it was exactly like Ichigo's.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you afraid that you can't handle me?" Karin asked with a smug grin as she held Hekireki Megami ready for action.

"If I can handle you on your home turf with that game you play, then I can most certainly handle you on my home turf with the limits removed." Toshiro replied with a smirk as he held Hyorinmaru ready for combat.

"Bring it on Elementary boy." Karin taunted as the two leapt into battle.


Meanwhile…

Nemu Kurotsuchi was busily checking on the members of the twelfth squad as they worked hard on their respective research projects as one of the guards posted outside approached with a certain Quincy behind him.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi. This Ryoka said he's here to see you." The guard said as Nemu turned to see Uryu pushing his glasses up.

"He is not considered a Ryoka. He is welcomed here by the Seireitei. Leave him alone unless otherwise informed." Nemu instructed as the guard bowed and departed without saying a word.

"Uryu Ishida, what brings you to the Soul Reaper Institute of Research and Development?" Nemu asked with her usual emotionless tone.

"Uh well…I have a bit of a problem." Uryu said nervously. He was definitely attracted to Nemu for several reasons; A she was drop dead gorgeous, B she was intelligent, C she unknowingly appealed to his sense of Quincy honor in that she was constantly being abused by her "father."

"What sort of problem? Has my master's Bankai poison infected you again?" Nemu asked as she reached for her lieutenant's seal for the antidote but Uryu shook his head frantically.

"No-no-no it's just. (Sigh) I can't use my Quincy powers to protect Ichigo Kurosaki's sister without strengthening both hers and my enemies. The power in my arrows makes those LeBlancs that you've heard about stronger with every shot. One shot turned an otherwise normal LeBlanc into a creature almost as strong as a Menos Grande. I immensely dislike this feeling of helplessness and uselessness and I will do anything, even if it means becoming a Soul Reaper, to remove these feelings. But first I wanted to see if there was anything or anyone here who could help me." Uryu explained.

"Well then Quincy you've come to just the right place." A voice that Uryu didn't want to hear said from behind as a chalk white hand with an overgrown blue polished middle fingernail was placed on Uryu's left shoulder.

"I don't believe that I was asking you in particular, Captain Kurotsuchi." Uryu replied with venom clearly in his voice.

"Well if you want the help of the Research and Development Institute then you're going to have to go through me." Mayuri said as he crossed his arms.

"Fine then. I'm sure Captain Wrangler or Mr. Urahara could help me out instead and for a much lower cost and with much better results." Uryu said with a smirk as the 12th division Captain froze with his eyes widened and his upper lip twitched a few times.

Uryu was insulting his intelligence as well as his ego. Mayuri couldn't stand to be outdone by either Kisuke Urahara or Kaichou Kurosaki and Uryu knew and gladly exploited this fact.

"Do you take me for a fool Quincy? I know full well when one is trying to use reverse psychology on me and this is no different!" Mayuri yelled angrily as Uryu just shrugged.

"Oh well, can't say that I didn't try." Uryu said as Mayuri sighed impatiently.

"I didn't say I was refusing to help you Quincy. The mere thought alone that you would try that old fossil Urahara or that spur wearing yahoo Wrangler only makes me feel more determined to try and find a solution to your problem." Mayuri said as Uryu smirked again. Mayuri had played right into his hands.

"Then shall we begin searching for this solution?" Uryu asked as Mayuri nodded.

"Why yes lets. Nemu! Come girl!" Mayuri beckoned as he and Uryu and Nemu headed straight for his special and private laboratory.

"Now then Quincy. Judging by what you said to Nemu earlier, it seems that what you're searching for is some way to both destroy your enemies without strengthening them. However my research into the Quincy's is not that well complete but…wait what's this?" Mayuri asked as he noticed he had an e-mail. It was from Captain Wrangler. It was a digital copy of her reports into her findings on the Quincy's from when she commanded squad fourteen.

"Oh that girl is already trying to outshine me." Mayuri grumbled as Uryu rolled his eyes.

"She's more of an historian than a scientist. She probably knows more about the Quincy's than you." Uryu replied as Mayuri gave a barely audible growl.

"Well I'm comparing the data she's provided to the data we already have on record to see what the contradictions are." Mayuri said as the computer started scanning the documents. The ETA on completion was bouncing back and forward between three and four hours.

"It's going to take a while." Uryu said as Mayuri groaned.

"If you're just going to stand around, stating the blatantly obvious, then you can leave…and take Nemu with you! I'll send a Hell butterfly when the scan's complete." Mayuri ordered as Uryu shrugged and headed out with Nemu close behind him.

"So…uh…Where do you want to go?" Uryu asked as Nemu arched an eyebrow,

"What do you mean?" Nemu asked confused.

"Well I've got nowhere to go except back to the Kurosaki estate, but I wouldn't mind seeing some more of the Soul Society while I'm here, besides I could use a guide." Uryu replied as Nemu remained confused.

"I am not sure what you are attempting to ask me. Are you in need of a guide through the Seireitei and the Rukongai districts?" Nemu asked as Uryu sighed and grabbed her arm, then proceeded to drag her out of the institute. They didn't realize that Mayuri had observed their departure.

"If that boy thinks' I'm blind for not noticing his behavior around Nemu then he is gravely mistaken…however…this poses a new prospect. A Quincy and Soul Reaper hybrid. If the two were to mate, then the resulting child would be a most interesting specimen for me to study. Of course it would have to be from a distance since it would be my own grandchild and the father would not at all be willing to…WAIT WHAT AM I SAYING?!?!" Mayuri shrieked as it finally hit him that there was a potential romance blooming and it involved his Nemu with the Quincy boy.

"What an ethical dilemma! Either I let this potential romance continue unencumbered so that it might either live or die on its own with the possible outcome of having both a Soul Reaper and Quincy hybrid and a grandson rolled into one or intervene out of parental obligation and end the relationship immediately. (Sigh) What trouble these ethics are. At least the first solution has more sentimental benefits to me." Mayuri sighed as he plopped back down in his chair and turned to a different one of the many fields of research he was conducting.


Later in Rukongai…

Uryu and Nemu exited the gates nearest to the first district. Uryu had offered her his arm to her like a gentleman, and fortunately she had observed many men and women doing this and knew the proper response. So out they walked, into Rukongai. Needless to say they started receiving adoring stares from the locals.

"Why are they staring at us?" Uryu asked as Nemu remained silent for a moment then came up with her reply.

"I am not one hundred percent certain. I theorize that it is because I am a Soul Reaper and that you appear to be a commoner." Nemu replied emotionlessly.

"That's possible." Uryu replied. He then heard something that made him blush.

"Oh look. What a cute couple." A woman said as they passed.

"Uryu Ishida, what sort of couple classification do you believe they have us filed under?" Nemu asked curiously.

"Uh, I think they believe us to be romantically involved. And please call me Uryu." Uryu replied.

"I see. Would you consider their assessment of us being a romantic couple to be accurate?" Nemu asked as Uryu gulped nervously.

"I-I'm not sure." He stuttered bashfully as he looked away from her.

"Your pheromone levels contradict your…statement." Nemu said as she suddenly realized that Uryu had genuine feelings for her. She had never experienced anyone who genuinely cared for her. She had no comprehension of what it was like to have someone show any emotional attachment to her. Her father kept her around for material reasons but never for emotional reasons.

"Uryu? Do you have feelings for me?" Nemu asked as Uryu sighed.

"I-I…I definitely do feel attracted towards you. You're beautiful, you're intelligent, you can fight…the only flaw I can find and yet that seems less of a flaw everyday is that you're a Soul Reaper. My father would never approve of this." Uryu said as he and Nemu reached a small hill on the edge of town.

"You have flaws as well but that is natural. I have more flaws than you described but they are too complicated to describe them all…that is unless you wish for me to explain them for you." Nemu said as Uryu chuckled innocently.

"Your flaws are probably too insignificant to even bother noticing. To my eyes, you are flawless." Uryu said as he and Nemu sat down at the top of the hill, looking out over the town and the Seireitei.

"From my observations of you Uryu…this is a behavior pattern that I haven't seen before." Nemu said as Uryu blushed.

"Well…I don't think I've ever been in a situation like this before." Uryu replied bashfully.

"You…believe I am flawless?" Nemu asked curiously with a small amount of red in her cheeks.

"Yes of course." Uryu said as Nemu gave a small smile. Uryu smiled back and turned towards the city. He didn't expect Nemu to kiss him on the cheek however.

"I have never been referred to as flawless before. It feels…nice." Nemu said as they looked over the town together, inching slowly closer to each other as time seemed to pass by slowly. Before they knew it, the sun was setting and the two were holding hands when a Hell Butterfly appeared and landed on Nemu's available finger.

"My master's scan of the information is completed. He's calling us back to the Institute and wants us there immediately." Nemu said with a disheartened expression.

"Should we go?" Uryu asked as Nemu remained silent as if seriously contemplating whether or not she wanted to go back at the moment.

"Perhaps after the sun has set completely." Nemu suggested as she turned around and faced the setting sun. Uryu sighed slightly as he cupped her chin in his hand, turning her towards him.

"As much as I would love to…I can't shake this useless feeling…and at the moment, your "Father" as you call him, is my best hope for finding an alternative solution to fixing my powers so that they don't help our enemies. On my pride as a Quincy, I shall not let anything harm an innocent child, even if she is the younger sister of a Soul Reaper or even if she is learning to become one." Uryu said with a determined expression.

"I understand. From what I have already learned of these LeBlancs from Lieutenants Abarai and Matsumoto, your powers would indeed be useless at defeating the enemy in its current state. But I remain confident that we can find a solution." Nemu said with a smile as Uryu nodded.

"Then let's go find out what the Captain has found." Uryu said as Nemu pressed a button on a wrist band concealed in her sleeve and the two suddenly vanished in a beam of light, only to reappear back in the Institute within the Seireitei.

"I hope that your extended absence was a result of some malfunction of your transporter unit Nemu." Mayuri said without turning away from the computer.

"Yes sir. It was a malfunction." Nemu lied but Mayuri really didn't care. His scan had turned up something most interesting.

"We'll look at it later Nemu. For now Quincy I believe that I have discovered something most interesting about your powers. It seems that what our intelligence reports about the LeBlancs are true. They are apparently from an alternate world, one similar to Hueco Mundo in purpose. Where Hollows dwell in Hueco Mundo, these LeBlancs dwell in a world of their own, the name of which is unknown and at the moment they cannot seem to be able to crossover to other worlds such as ours. However one Quincy scientist, who lived several decades before the Quincy massacre, first suspected that these creatures existed and started taking steps to prevent their arrival." Mayuri said as the image of a Quincy cross with a green gem in the center.

"He discovered a gem that when combined with the Quincy's power to absorb Reishi, created a unique field of tainted Reishi that when it hits its target, it causes the Reishi within the target, to self-destruct and the soul to be cleansed as if hit by a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto. Essentially it turns a Quincy's arrows into a Reishi based Zanpakuto that can kill a target at range. The gem is actually quite common here in the Soul Society but ultra rare within the world of the living. I already have a few samples here for experimentation purposes but never once suspected that they could be used to enhance a Quincy's weapon." Mayuri explained as Uryu blinked.

"Where is this gem?" Uryu asked as Mayuri turned towards him.

"Nemu, retrieve Reishi-gig samples numbers eleven, sixteen, and twenty." Mayuri ordered as Nemu bowed and headed to one of the archives.

"So you're just going to give me those samples or you're going to make me work for them. I highly doubt that it's the former." Uryu said, pushing his glasses up, inspiring a sneaky grin from Mayuri's painted face.

"You are correct Quincy. I've noticed your behavior around Nemu, and it is quite obvious of your feelings towards her. I simply am fulfilling my fatherly duties and asking what your intentions are. Well…what are they?" Mayuri asked as Uryu started sweating buckets.

Uryu had some explaining to do.


Meanwhile…

Kaichou was walking back from the med center after her therapy session with Hinamori. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone clear their throat.

"I was wondering if we'd find you around here. You haven't once come to my squad's barracks. I gotta admit, I'm kinda hurt by that fact." A familiar voice said as Kaichou grinned and pushed her hat up slightly before turning around to see Kenpachi Zaraki with his ever faithful lieutenant sitting on his shoulder.

"Captain Zaraki. Sorry but I don't have the time to fight you right now. Besides that, I'm a bit tired." Kaichou replied with a smile.

"For once I didn't come looking for a fight." Kenpachi said, earning a surprising look from both Kaichou and his lieutenant.

"Huh? You don't want to fight her now Kenny?" Yachiru asked surprised as Kenpachi grinned.

"Not yet at least. Besides there's something I have to do first." Kenpachi said as he set the young girl off onto her feet.

"I assume this has something to do with our encounter one hundred and ten years ago eh?" Kaichou asked as Kenpachi grinned.

"Yeah. It does." Kenpachi said as Kaichou smirked and removed her hat, allowing her raven hair to float in the wind.

"You were right about that Captain after your brother resigned. He was a pathetic weakling. Maki Ichinose was one of his most loyal companions and he tried to fight and kill me when we last met when the Bounts tried to invade. He was killed by the Bounts leader shortly after that." Kenpachi said as Kaichou smiled and glanced down at a confused Yachiru.

"Kenny? What are you talking about Maki for?" Yachiru asked worriedly.

"Don't worry kiddo. Kenny and I are just old friends reminiscing about the past." Kaichou said as Kenpachi grinned and knelt down to the young Lieutenant.

"Have you ever wondered why I joined the Soul Reapers? Well it's because of her. She may have been nobility but she was not like the other nobles that I've known in my time. She didn't treat me like commoner trash and she helped to mold my skills. She was the one who first saw my potential. I admired her…and I still do." Kenpachi said as Kaichou blushed slightly at the complements.

"Zaraki you don't have to try and suck up to me. You've always been on my good side." Kaichou said as she donned her hat and turned to leave.

"I've got to meet up with my family for dinner, I'll see ya round Zaraki." Kaichou said as Kenpachi grinned.

"You too Blue Blood." Kenpachi said before Kaichou turned with a curious look on her face towards the two.

"Hey kid, what's your name?" Kaichou asked as Yachiru smiled.

"Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Yachiru exclaimed as Kaichou's face turned from curiosity to shock. She then glared straight at Kenpachi.

"You didn't?" Kaichou asked as Kenpachi grinned and nodded.

"Oh I did. I did." Kenpachi said as Kaichou shoved her hands in her pockets with a smile on her face.

"Kenpachi Zaraki…you never cease to amaze me." Kaichou said with a sigh before flash stepping away.

"Kenny? Do you like-like Ichi's aunty?" Yachiru asked tauntingly as Kenpachi gave a chuckle.

"Yeah but not enough to do anything about it. I couldn't go for a woman who can't beat me." Kenpachi said as Yachiru giggled and starting chanting…

"Kenny and Blacky sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Yachiru giggled as Kenpachi groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Knock it off brat." He said as they started off on their hour long trek to try and find their way back to the 11th squad barracks.


End Chapter 17.

Yeah I know Uryu and Nemu seemed a bit OOC but then again we don't know how Uryu manages under romantic pressure like this.

Soul Reaper Illustrated Guide.

The Visoreds were sitting in the underground level of their hideaway, going about their business. Lisa, Love, and Rose were sitting in separate areas of the room, reading manga (erotic manga in Lisa's case). Kensei was reading a newspaper while Mashiro slept on the ground next to him while absently fondling her right breast, much to the former's chagrin. Hachi was busily practicing his barrier making Kido. The only ones absent were Shinji and Hiyori.

"Has anyone seen Shinji and Hiyori lately?" Kensei asked as he looked up from the newspaper.

"Yeah Shinji said that he and Hiyori were working on something. He didn't say what though." Love said as the door to the underground facility opened up. From it emerged Shinji and Hiyori carrying something large with a drop cloth on top of it.

"Shinji what the hell is that?!" Kensei asked as everyone turned their attention to their returning comrades.

"Gather around my fellow Visoreds, we have for our mutual entertainment, albeit a rather demented form of it, something that will provide us with plenty of laughs while Ichigo and his friends are away in the Soul Society." Shinji said with a grin as the Visoreds gathered around.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Kensei muttered as he saw Hiyori grinning.

"So what is this thing Shinji?" Love asked as Shinji grinned even wider.

"Glad you asked that Love, allow me to introduce you to one of the greatest inventions since Gigais and Mod souls. Hiyori?" Shinji said as Hiyori ripped the drop cloth from the object, revealing what looked like a game show wheel but with an outer wheel and an inner wheel. Both wheels had the faces of Ichigo, Rukia, Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, and Uryu on them.

"What pray tell is this new devilry?" Rose asked curiously.

"Hiyori and I have discovered a new way of entertaining ourselves. By randomly switching the mod souls that currently inhabit the specially made Gigai for each of the people listed here on these wheels, we can reach a whole new level of perverted entertainment." Shinji explained as Mashiro started bouncing up and down.

"Ooh-ooh switch that girl with the big chest with the strawberry head!" Mashiro shouted.

"Ah but that's what the wheel is for. With every spin, we'll see whose mod soul is put into whose Gigai! And we'll find out in the next chapter's Soul Reaper Illustrated Guide that will be appropriately re-titled "The Visoreds Wheel of Misfortune!" Shinji explained with a sinister grin.

To be continued…