The Lengths One Will Go

By: Kuroi Atropos

Warnings: AU, None for this chapter specifically

Summary: When Ishida goes missing, Ichigo, Orihime and Chad begin a search that leads them to Mayuri, where they uncover far more than their missing friend. Ironic that a Quincy would lead to the breaking of the Seireitei.

Disclaimer: Kubo Tite owns Bleach, and he gets paid for it, not me.

AN: Okay, so… I only got one response to the contest and I'm pretty sure that was because I was ranting so much, so I give up… It'll stay pathetic. Miko, thanks for the support! You didn't have to but I'm glad you did. I'll get that back to you soon, you know what RL is like right now unfortunately. PS: Thanks Obi.

RR:

Volcanic: Thanks! :) As for spelling, I thank the makers of the 'Spell Check' feature every day.

Greyfalcon: Thanks for the compliment! PS… :p ….. joking…. I really mean it, thanks for the review!

Fan girl 666: Thanks!

Saigo no Hajime: oh yeah, Ikkaku has been itching for a (2nd) fight all day long. Guess I should add AU onto the warning tags too, since yes, I am planning to have had our oh-so-favorite 12th Squad Taichou have helped Aizen with his initial Hollowfication experiments, mainly with Kensei and Mashiro. As for Urahara and Yamamoto actually seeing each other in Canon, I didn't think so and tried to find it but couldn't, I can mask it under the AU tag if I need to, but I was wondering if you could let me know which chapter it's in so I can modify the story if I need to, I'd appreciate it. Thanks! :)

Morghann: Yes, there are too many fun characters in Bleach and D. Gray -Man and Naruto and everything else I like so it's just not fair! As much as I love them I want to cry at all the plot bunnies such awesome characters inspire. The main focus characters in this are going to be Ichigo, Ishida, Orihime, Hitsugaya, Yumichika and Urahara… I think. And as if that weren't enough, I have a bunch of sub plots designed for many of the other characters just so I can combine multiple plot bunnies into one. This fic is going to be a little epic and I want to see if I can realistically pull it off. I mean, aside from a few paragraphs of Chapter One this has all been a single day here, as sad as it is, all of this is only the setup. All the POVs will eventually narrow down into a few regular ones with the occasional side character like I started out with only Ichigo but then had his problem lead to the others making him realize that there's more than just what's in front of him like how Rukia first got him to agree to fight Hollows by using that kid. I wanted to kind of show case the initial problem that led to the discovery of all the other problems, than slowly narrow it back down into the main characters focus even as everything else the initial POVS started was still going on, if that makes any sense… Ugh… I'll stop rambling now…

I hope you enjoy the Chapter!

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Chapter Nine

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"-incompetency and blind stupidity that for even one iota of second allowed you to believe-"

Ichigo had actually been kind of impressed when Ukitake uncharacteristically lost it and literally started berating the Sotaichou very loudly when the gates had been held open by the Gate Guardians, only the one manned by Jidanbou remaining closed. Not even Kyoraku grabbing his arm and reminding him that this wasn't the time could stop the white haired man's tirade.

"-sheer lunacy of the assumption that that traitor wasn't capable of swaying more than a girl and two insane men when he'd fooled all-"

Next to him stood a lounging Shinji whose smug grin had broken into quiet, slightly mad giggles when Ukitake had called the Old Bastard a flame-blinded geriatric codger four minutes before, and Love who was glaring at the Sotaichou from the blonde's other side. Ichigo himself couldn't decide whether to head back for Inoue and Chad or go straight for the Hollows, and figured he'd wait to see what the others would do since they had a while before the Hollows reached the main areas. Occasionally he could feel pockets of spiked Reiatsu indicating fighting but most Shinigami ran from the wall of Hollows, most likely aiming to regroup. Ichigo couldn't decide which of those tactics to cheer given the circumstances, hence the reason he was rather impatiently waiting for the idiots here to stop being quite so stupid.

"Oy, Shinji, stop enjoying the bastard getting his for once and actually concentrate on the problem at hand for a second." Ichigo glanced at where Kensei was walking up to them with Toshiro, Matsumoto-san, Renji and Shuuhei-san. They came with baggage too, Toshiro clutching a thin, black haired girl tightly to his chest and Shuuhei had the Thing draped over his shoulders.

"But- but its Ukitake taking him to task!" Shinji finally choked the frankly scary giggles back to say. "And he's right and the old fart's just as damn unwilling to listen to reason as he was back when Aizen did this to us!" The amused grin vanished a little, a look of almost detached contemplation taking over his face. "I have to laugh at how pathetic he is or I'm just going to kill him!"

Kensei smacked Shinji on the back of the head. "Kill the Hollows not the Shinigami, you annoying idiot!"

"Not like they act much better half the time." No one got the chance to respond to Shinji's sharp retort as Ukitake's voice somehow managed to climb in volume, drawing all their attention.

"-and all the people who will die today are on your head, Yamamoto-Sotaichou!"

Ichigo blinked as Ukitake finally ground to a halt, not quite comprehending the silence in his word's wake. Everyone was staring at the tableau the three scions of Shinigami society made standing there in the middle of their abandoned battleground. The Old Bastard looked at Ukitake calmly despite the younger man's rant, and if anything this just made Rukia's Taichou's face steel even more.

"Juushiro, you-"

"Are completely right!" Shinji called out in a sing-song voice interrupting the Old Bastard, making Ichigo wish Hiyori was here to pelt him with a sandal as it turned the Sotaichou's attention onto their group. He couldn't help but grasp tightly to Zangetsu's hilt, ready to draw if the Old Bastard made a move towards them.

The gravelly voice called out perfectly calmly again, "Hollows like you have no place even breathing here in the Seireitei, Shinji Hiraku."

Ichigo growled, and opened his mouth to yell at the Old Bastard only to have Shinji beat him to the punch. "We aren't just Hollows, we're Shinigami! And despite all the decades we gave you in service when that-" Shinji paused as his fists clenched, and Ichigo knew the feeling of trying to reign in anger enough to make a rational argument, he usually failed at it, "-when Aizen ripped us into shreds and did this to us you were just going to erase us to keep it from getting out on top of killing the two people who were willing to help us!" Ichigo blinked for a second, before he spun to gape at the three Vizard who stood aligned against the old man. Love and Kensei were on either side of Shinji, all three of them of them had their Zanpaktous out, and seemed ready to retaliate against anyone who moved against them in a heartbeat. Urahara just hovered to their side, letting them take center stage, carefully pulling his hat down further over his eyes.

"You are nothing but Hollows, just like the Arrancar we have already fought. You are no longer Shinigami and should be executed on the spot as a danger--no, traitors to the Seireitei, just like Aizen!"

"We've never fought Soul Society, sir!" Love cried.

"We didn't ask for this and didn't want it! We needed help but you just wrote us and all the others who died off, abandoning us after all the years we loyally served you! We were your Taichous and would have laid down our lives for you Sotaichou-sama!" That was Kensei, and he looked pissed. Ichigo could only stare at the Vizard. He'd seen them fight, Shinji against Grimmjow, and all of them against him when he was first learning to master his Hollow. He knew they could be vicious fighters if provoked. He knew they didn't like Shinigami, but not the reasons. To think they'd been betrayed just like Rukia and Orihime. Just like Ishida…

There was no justice in Soul Society.

There was also no noise. No one wanted to say anything until the Old Bastard spoke. Ichigo could see recognition on a few people's faces as they looked at the Vizard now, and the oncoming crush of Hollow Reiatsu mixed with the occasional flare of Shinigami's as they fought them…

It wasn't the time for this; they had bigger, less personal battles.

But the personal ones— those were sometimes the ones that were the most important.

"You are Hollows. There is only one response to Hollows."

Ichigo growled at the Old Bastard's cold words, furious on behalf of the three men standing there with looks of angry resignation on their faces and the other five Vizard currently working to help a world that had betrayed them. Then Ichigo wondered what the Old Bastard thought of him. He had a Hollow, and he had actively fought Soul Society and disobeyed its orders more than once. Was the Old Bastard just waiting for him to help deal with Aizen before he took him out?

"You really don't care about us at all, do you Sotaichou?" Shinji said with an off kilter tilt of his head. It seemed meant to be more of a statement, but the faintest traces of hope turned it into a sad inquiry. Ichigo felt half tempted to throw Matsumoto at him to try and cheer him up.

"How could I when you've become what you are?" Then the Old Bastard's eyes narrowed on something over Ichigo's shoulder. "Hitsugaya-Taichou, you are a prodigy the likes of which hasn't been seen before so I will give you one more chance. Answer me now: What exactly do you think you are doing?"

The kid clenched Hinamori harder and Ichigo felt pretty sure the girl would end up bruised from the boy's grip. "What, you didn't understand me earlier? I'm taking Hinamori as far away from you as I can before you 'approve her transfer' to that damned Black Hole and string her up and drain her Soul like you have those others!" He shouted back at Yamamoto in the middle of the broken ground.

That started a load of whispers.

Half the Shinigami around them hadn't known what their reason for fighting the Sotaichou was, and those that did hadn't realized they were candidates for the Black Hole they were trying to get people to out of. The news about the Vizards, some of the truths that had just been revealed for all and sundry… and Aizen's Hollows closing in. As if on cue, another short flare of Reiatsu burst against the Hollows, and Ichigo wasn't sure if he'd imagined the scream from the distance or not as the din died down in response. All of this really wasn't getting them anywhere, and Ichigo wasn't Ishida, he couldn't come up with a single caustic barb that would make people stop being idiots and think.

Ichigo couldn't imagine how all the fronts that made up their side of the field would be able to work together against the Hollows, especially since he thought he could feel the strength of a few of those lesser Arrancar in there, the Privateer Espada or whatever they were called. The one thing he felt relatively sure of was that Aizen and the other two former Taichous weren't with them, and he couldn't feel the greater Arrancar, but that just might be his lack of talent at sensing Reiatsu.

Ichigo could see enough people twitching, not to mention the grin splitting Kenpachi's face widening, and knew they were going to start fighting against each other just from the tension. He'd just started to pray they'd be able to finish their battles and be in good enough shape to take on the Hollows when Captain Unohana landed her Zanpaktou on the roof above them. She dropped down like an angel from heaven, her long black braid barely swinging.

"All of you stop where you are right now! Let us deal with the traitor's Hollows before we deal with our internal affairs. Am I perfectly clear?" Ichigo felt his own back stiffen and glanced a little sheepishly around only to see that every single person in the area was at stricter attention than when the Old Bastard had slammed his cane earlier. Unohana-Taichou's narrowed eyes widened a little, and he felt some of the tension rush out of him. "That means you too, Hirako-san. Stop smirking at the Sotaichou this instant!" Ichigo bit back a smile as Shinji gulped. "Those of you more versed in strategy than I had best come up with one as most of our usual contingencies have already been rendered moot." There was a contemplative lull as people looking around, neither side really trusting the other's leadership, and not even the Sotaichou seemed sure of how to proceed. "Well?" Her eyes narrowed again, along with Icihgo's. She was right, enough was enough.

"Best defense is a good offense. We go to them and kill them all before they get any closer," Ichigo stepped forward, Zangetsu a comforting weight on his back. He hoped that this strategy would pass muster (his normally didn't) since he really didn't want to be here as they continued arguing. He'd rather sink his sword into something then stand around uselessly.

"That's more like it!" Kenpachi called out. Ichigo glanced up at the annoyance in his voice, but luckily it seemed to be more directed at the other Shinigami.

Ukitake shifted forward, and Ichigo could practically see scenarios buzzing about his head. "That is a good start, but not all of us, just enough to do them some damage and buy us some time to complete defenses. Those who go out go in pairs. I'd say three teams of fighters?" The white haired man glanced at Kyoraku, who nodded, opening his mouth only to be cut off by the Sotaichou.

"Four. We'll need a pair to head off the group moving towards the noble families so the 6th Squad can adequately prepare the protective seals." The 8th and the 13th Captain looked at the Old Bastard contemplatively, before giving a hesitant nod. Ichigo let out the breath he'd unconsciously taken when the geezer interrupted, idly noting others doing the same. Yeah, getting these two sides to work together wouldn't be pretty. He was very grateful he'd be out fighting rather than trying to do that.

"Okay, volunteers for the teams?" Kyoraku said.

"I want on." Kenpachi grinned maniacally, not that anyone had really doubted that he'd be in the thick of the fights whether he was on a team or not.

"I'll go," Love said before Ichigo could chime in, "and I volunteer Shinji too." They all ignored the blonde's loud protestation that he wanted to stay since he was a little too hotheaded about the Sotaichou to do much good here.

"Soi Fong and I are in," Yoruichi chimed in with a smirk.

"I want a piece of them too!" Ichigo added quickly, in case they hadn't realized his suggesting it counted as an emphatically waving hand in the air. He wanted to be doing something useful.

No one else spoke up, so the Old Bastard slammed his cane onto the ground. "Komamura-Taichou, Kuchiki-Taichou, fill out the ranks. Move out, 8, maybe 9 steps. Kuchiki-Taichou, Kurosaki, you two handle protecting the path to the Noble Houses, Central 46 Chambers and Residential Towers."

Ichigo scowled, ready to argue about the Old Bastard audaciously giving him orders in Ukitake or Kyoraku's place; the geezer might be able to suggest amendments to their strategy, but he no right to actually give orders to anyone he had hurt any longer. Ichigo had barely opened his mouth when Byakuya grabbed his arm (he was going to slice the next person that did that) and shook his head, so he deepened his scowl and they all vanished in a haze of Shunpo.

They'd split into groups of two a ways out to meet the Hollows. Ichigo found it slightly amusing to see the two Vizard skirt Kenpachi just like everyone except the 11th Squad and Unohana. Shinji had practically cringed when he'd been paired up with the 11th Squad Taichou. Soi Fong went with Yoruichi (of course), Komamura and Love teamed up without any complaint, and Ichigo and Byakuya peeled off a little early to get where Byakuya wanted them to wait. Ichigo might not be able to pick apart the Reiatsus like Ishida and some of the others could, but even he could feel the spots that contained the massively more powerful Reiatsu's of the Arrancar and incomplete Arrancar. They shouldn't be too much trouble, though. So long as the teams could refrain from fighting amongst themselves they might even be able to kill most of the Hollows before they reached anyone else.

XXXXX

Before he was a Shinigami, he was a Noble. Not just any noble, but the Head of the Noble House of Kuchiki, a descendant of the Royal Line.

By his very existence he had to condone that some people were better than others, that by right of birth he was more capable of leadership than many of the others who had more years, more wisdom, or more experience than he did.

Byakuya Kuchiki, by living the life of privilege he lead, admitted that he was more deserving of it than the multitudes of Souls in the Rukongai, and that he deserved to have servants bowing to him and pandering to his every whim even as people starved in the outer districts.

However, because of this, he had also been taught he held a great responsibility to those under his care. The Noble Families might collect tithes along with the Central 46 from the people, but that was to help fund the Gotei 13 and protect the people in turn. They were allowed their place by the grace of the populace that was willing to support them. You did not betray them, you did not break them, you did not allow them to be tortured, you did not allow them to be used to the point their Souls were destroyed.

Yet, as a Shinigami, he had supported the Sotaichou, supported the Gotei 13, and the Central 46 as they did just those things.

Do or die, his Sister was going through that portal and would be kept well away from the Seireitei until Byakuya made damn sure the regime his family helped sustain would in no way allow those travisties any longer and that any attempts to stop it from doing so would fall on him alone and not her. He knew how tough the oncoming times would be. The short list that technician had given was bad enough. He didn't want to know what other systems would fail in the upcoming days and didn't want his Sister to suffer.

They'd survive Aizen's little toys, and the Noble Families would browbeat the Gotei 13 and the Central 46 into submission. They would bring justice to those that had injured their subjects and build a stronger Seireitei in place of this corrupted regime.

He glanced over at where Kurosaki kept pace with him. The orange haired Shinigami and his Fukutaichou would protect Rukia. Those three children and the others allied with them would defeat Aizen himself and any other threats arrayed against them.

Byakuya would build a world those children would be proud to come home to.

XXXXX

Ever since Yoruichi-sama had come back into her life, Soi Fong had been reevaluating that same life. As she watched her Lady, her Commander… her Taichou resting gracefully on a tower wall as they waited for the Hollows to reach them, Soi Fong finished her evaluations.

Soul Society held nothing for her now. Her Father had passed recently, and the rest of the family, including those in her Secret Mobile Corps and 2nd Squad, would never forgive her for drawing against the Seireitei for whatever reason, even if it, as it had been today, was the right thing to do.

Yoruichi-sama had explained to her the reason she'd left, explained the Vizard, how she'd saved Kisuke Urahara as he was about to be executed for helping them, how Yoruichi hadn't been able to live in Soul Society any longer and hadn't wanted to force anyone into the life of a semi-outcast. Soi Fong knew without a doubt that if the Shihoin Princess had asked her a hundred years ago to follow her, she would have without hesitation.

She couldn't decide if that would that have been the right thing for her. Even when she had hated Yoruichi-sama for abandoning her and had worked until she bled to surpass the Princess, she'd still respected and honored the woman who had encouraged her to become powerful--to become strong and beautiful and self reliant on her own…for herself, not for her family or for the Shihoin's they served more than any other.

Yoruichi-sama would accept her if she couldn't achieve that, but she'd never truly respect her. Soi Fong hadn't known if she could stand that. So rather than blindly following the woman as she would have done all those years ago, now that she'd found her, Soi Fong had kept to her duties, and thought.

Today, a part of her musings had crystallized: The idea that sometimes, going against the Soul Society was actually the correct decision for her own Soul. Soi Fong shuddered as she remembered the child, sliced to pieces by Kurotsuchi, and the quick glimpse she'd gotten of the Black Hole.

Soul Society had allowed that—encouraged it. How many of the people that Soi Fong herself had brought in were hanging in that… that… outrage?

Today she'd stood against her life, her Corps, and her Squad, as she had seen the man they served without question and the Central 46 he represented, and been sickened.

So today, now that she had five seconds that didn't involve fighting for her life, for Yoruichi-sama's life, and for the lives of all those behind her, she finished deliberating. As the Hollows closed in, Soi Fong felt lighter than she'd ever felt in her entire life. She made sure pull off her Taichou's haori and drape it across the roof they stood on before it could be shredded by her Shunko. She wanted no doubts that she was leaving the Gotei 13.

Soi Fong looked up when Yoruichi pushed away from the tower to stalk to the edge of the roof. She could only stare at this amazing woman as she glanced over her shoulder, carelessly flicking her purple tail out of her way, and smiled at Soi Fong in a way that made the younger woman's heart lighten even further. "Shall we defeat these pesky little Hollows and get about our lives, Soi Fong?"

"Yes, Yoruichi-sama!"

XXXXX

Yoruichi felt ready to obliterate some Hollows. Today had been nerve wracking (to say the least), and she needed something to take out her frustrations on before it became time to really deal with the old man and the mess he'd created. Tempers would eventually be banked so that solutions could be reached, and those arguments would be tough enough without her reaching the end of her short temper.

Damn it, how could Kisuke have missed something this freaking big when he'd been made Taichou of the 12th Squad? She could be angry at him for that at least; even though she'd been convinced he hadn't started it, or even condoned it.

She could also be furious at him for what happened to Ishida, but she was furious at herself as well. She'd known what type of person Mayuri Kurotsuchi had been, why he'd been sentenced to life in the Maggot's Nest. He actually deserved it, if not worse, unlike some of the other Shinigami imprisoned there. She'd still let Kisuke take him out though. Just like he said, sometimes her Kisuke could get distracted by the thrill of discovery and forgot the consequences.

They wouldn't forget the consequences this time, though. They'd make sure Ishida got taken care of, and help the people in the Black Hole. They'd break all the Hollows headed their way, and then go after Aizen. The man would pay, not just for turning traitor, but for ruining their lives and the lives of their friends.

She couldn't stand still any longer, and shoved off from the wall she was leaning against and looked at the Hollows they would battle shortly. She glanced over her shoulder at her apprentice and little sister. "Shall we defeat these pesky little Hollows and get about our lives, Soi Fong?"

"Yes, Yoruichi-sama!"

She smiled and made another mental note to work on getting the young woman to call her just Yoruichi.

XXXXX

It curled up from his stomach, made his fingers clench and his feet tingle with the urge to move. He could see every detail of the Hollows coming for them; smell their disgusting stench; hear their shrill voices echoing with laughter; feel their sick auras dance along his skin; taste the sharp expectation in the air.

Kenpachi knew it wasn't just from the Hollows though, the battles that would rage when all the Hollows had been dealt with were what would really matter.

He didn't really care one way or the other about what happened to souls too weak to fight for themselves, but seeing Kurotsuchi drug and bring down a strong fighter like that archer just for experiments really galled him. In the end, it hadn't taken him much to decide that come hell or high water he and his Yachiru would leave Soul Society today. He'd already gotten most of the fights out of it that he would get and, what was left wasn't worth risking Yachiru somehow catching that freak's eye. Besides, now he'd even be able to really fight the Taichou's without that strange, almost reasonable voice in the back of his head telling him it was wrong. All he'd have to do to be able to fight in the upcoming battles against Aizen was stick close to Ichigo.

Until then, he'd have plenty of other fights if the Vizards that had come to back up that fool Urahara were anything to go by.

The blonde brat on the roof across from him was perched almost lazily, and Kenpachi breathed in the former Shinigami's sharp, hollow-like scent. He'd better survive this day, because from what he'd seen of his clash with the Old Man, the strange man could fight. Kenpachi vaguely remembered the guy from when he'd been a Taichou so long ago, but that hadn't really mattered, only the quicksilver movements and the sharp twists of his blade and Reiatsu as he fought.

The shivers of pleasure at the idea of facing such a strong fighter, of finding yet someone else he could really go all out against made his whole body ignite with a rush of adrenaline.

The visions of all the beautiful battles to come danced through his mind, jumping here and there around the scarred places that had been there as long as he could remember and twisting to glee at the idea of being able to truly live in a worthy battle.

These battles, they'd be glorious.

In the end, Kenpachi Zaraki hadn't been able to hold as long as he should have. What did they expect of him anyway, with battle singing in his veins?

He threw back his head and laughed in joy, his bells ringing in his ears as he raced towards the Hollows.

XXXXX

Shinji really hadn't liked the way that Kenpachi Zaraki had been eyeing him, and breathed a relieved sigh when the nut went off half cocked for the Hollows.

He had to actually beat his Hollow over the head once since the thing was so uppity about wanting to 'come out and play with the nice man.'

He had enough to deal with thanks to the old man and this mess that Urahara had dumped partially in their laps. Not to mention the inevitable collapse of Soul Society because of today's events with Sosuke Aizen still hanging in the wings waiting to pounce like right now…

The last thing he needed was an insane Kenpachi gunning for him. He shuddered as he remembered his introduction to the man over a hundred years ago. He hadn't gotten any saner and Shinji couldn't wait to finish taking care of this mess and head back for the Human World and their safe little existence of anonymity.

XXXXX

Sajin Komamura had made up his mind, and even in light of all that had been revealed since he'd decided to enforce the Sotaichou's orders, he would stick by that. He wouldn't abandon this place that gave him meaning. He had his people to look after and his duty to Soul Society. True, when (if, more than likely given how truly horrible they were at communicating with the Seireitei) most of his Squad heard about this, they'd probably be more than happy to join the revolt, there would be some that wouldn't. There would also be other Squads and Shinigami that would lose their Taichous and need support.

Sajin sighed as he thought of how broken most of the Seireitei had been after Aizen and the others had betrayed them. He really could care less about Aizen or Ichimaru, but Tousen still hurt. The strangely fragile man with his reliance on justice and order was the last man Sajin would have ever expected to hurt those that cared for him. But he had, and Sajin had no idea why, save that Tousen believed that following Aizen was the path of least bloodshed. The large captain couldn't comprehend how that could be when the traitorous man was so selfish in his pursuits. Wanting more power than being a Shinigami could grant? Wanting to sit on the throne in Hell since the throne of Heaven was denied him? How could a path of such narrow mindedness be justice?

Justice was fighting to right the wrongs done, and try to ensure they never happened again. Like the injustice done to Tousen's unnamed friend that drove the man, like what had been perpetrated on Sajin himself his entire life because of his differences. Sajin's entrance examination had not gone smoothly, and in the end his case had ended up with Ukitake-Taichou. The man hadn't had to grant his request to join the Academy, yet he had, and because of his strange circumstances he'd drawn the personal attention of the Sotaichou rather early on. The old man had been encouraging, inviting him to tea, treating him as if he was normal, giving him a place to belong. He'd personally introduced him to his Taichou, Love Aikawa, who was now pacing him stride for stride again.

Still, as he and his former Taichou came to a halt before the mass of Hollows, he couldn't help but wonder what truth the accusations of the Sotaichou held. He'd have to see for himself, since he had been the victim of enough hearsay to not believe rumors without proof.

He watched Aikawa from the corner of his eye. The man didn't seem evil, and if nothing else, Sajin respected him for the way the former captain honestly hadn't cared what he'd looked like, and encouraged him in subtle ways to gain more confidence in himself, as well as to lose the mask he'd worn. He'd only known the man for two years, but even so, Love Aikawa had been the man that Sajin had most wanted to emulate as Taichou, even with his rather… inglorious end.

Then again, had that end really been inglorious? They'd said they'd been betrayed, and for all his protestations, the Sotaichou had never actually disagreed. Also, no one really knew exactly what had happened the night that half the leadership of the Gotei had been declared traitors and exiled. Surprisingly though, after the initial declarations, nothing else had been mentioned, like all the Central 46 and the staggering Gotei 13 had wanted to do was forget.

Still he'd persevered over the years, and he would persevere now as well. The Seireitei would survive this, and they'd survive those that would leave as a result of the injustices wrongly done in its name.

He thought of the Human child's bright blue Reiatsu spreading over the horizon and the blood coating that monster Kurotsuchi. Perhaps, if the situation had been handled better, true justice rather than just mindless fighting would have been enacted.

He thought of Hitsugaya-Taichou, the young boy obviously terrified out of his mind to the point of blind rage, not for himself but for the barely older girl, Hinamori-Fukutaichou clutched in his arms. He didn't know what the Black Hole this boy and many of the others were so horrified by was, but he would see it for himself before he judged it.

He thought of Hisagi-Fukutaichou, an honestly good and caring young man, who believed in the strength of Shinigami and their ability to strive for justice. If only so that when Tousen returned, the young man his friend had cared so much for would be in the Seireitei and still believing in him. Sajin would find what had caused the shattered look in his eyes, though he suspected it was the Black Hole that Hitsugaya-Taichou had spoken of, and the other former Taichou Muguruma, who he'd hovered near the entire confrontation.

Undoubtedly Kurotsuchi, who had been dropped unconscious at the young man's feet showing signs of Shuuhei's wind work, had something to do with it as well.

The 12th Squad Taichou seemed to be at the center of much that was happening this day, and just from what Sajin had seen he wanted the man brought to trial. If true proof arose that Yamamoto-Sotaichou had aided and abetted him in harming innocent souls like Hitsugaya-Taichou had alleged…

As much as it would hurt him, Tousen and Yamamoto (the two people who truly gave him a place to belong and the hope that if he tried hard enough he could be more than an outcast) had believed in justice. They were accountable to the same philosophies they advocated, and Sajin would make the Seireitei a place of justice and fairness they would be proud of when they found their paths again.

XXXXX

Love Aikawa's view on life was simple: It's short, so don't stress. There's no point in getting worked up over things that won't matter in a week.

People should live and let live and anything that had a problem with that should be argued and/or annoyed into agreement and ignored if they couldn't be. Anything that actively fought against letting people exist in peace should be brought down without mercy. Unfortunately, in his life, that more often than not meant Hollows, but if they grew enough, even they weren't so bad. Take the adorable little Nell they had running around now thanks to Ichigo. The tiny little Arrancar had never hurt a fly (and never would)!

Heck, even his own inner hollow wasn't too bad unless something got him riled up. He could even hold the occasional philosophical debate if the wind was blowing in the right direction.

Love sighed as he looked at his fighting partner for the next little while. He vaguely remembered the man's Reiatsu from back when he'd been Taichou, but didn't remember the face, and it was certainly something he'd remember. Maybe the kid who'd wandered around in a mask all the time?

This was all so troublesome.

Why couldn't Aizen have just worked for whatever it was he wanted rather than having to go all megalomaniacal on everyone?

Why couldn't the Sotaichou just admit that maybe he was wrong?

Seriously, Love thought as the Hollows finally reached to two of them, life would be so much better if people just respected each other. The fox-faced Taichou released his Zanpaktou to Shikai, and giant arms began to bat the Hollows into oblivion even as Love took down the Gillian in front of him with one swing.

People really just needed a little love.

Had anyone considered giving Aizen a hug or something?

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End Chapter Nine

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AN: Okay, my beta points out that I should probably clarify timeline, so: (She also points out that this has spoilers) This goes AU mid Hueco Muendo. Basically you know those pause points everybody had? They escaped then. Rukia got away from 9th two headed guy (Kaien wanna-be), Ishida, Renji and that brother guy slipped from 8th pink haired guy's (Mayuri wanna-be) trap, and Orihime and Ichigo slipped away with Nell after the Grimmjow fight and before Noitra, so yeah. No Captains in Hueco Mundo, no Fake Karakura Town Fight and a lot of the big reveals haven't happened.

PS, Grimmjow is alive and Espada number 6, even if on shaky footing. Ichigo doesn't know about Neliel and her lackies stayed in Hueco Mundo as informants while Nell was taken back to Earth and taken in by the Vizard.

I think that's most of things that might be confusing, let me know if you need anything explained! ^_^

C&C Please!

PPS My beta also points out, that for Love's Hollow the wind must be coming from 37 degrees West-Northwest at exactly 14 miles an hour at no more than 5 knots and no less than 2, and it must be in the afternoon otherwise he is too cranky.

PPPS Please note that we had waaaaayyyyy too much fun with this at 12:53 in the morning.