Lifting the Veil

Yoruichi Shihoin stepped out of the shadows. Soifon found herself unconsciously stepping forward, and she tenderly touched the bandages on Yoruichi's arm. "Yoruichi-sama, you are injured! Wha-"

"Shihoin Yoruichi. Soifon. Listen now," came Yamamoto's voice, low and deliberate. "I have need of the both of you."

"Hai, shou-taichou!" Soifon stood at attention again.

"What I am about to tell you is not to be repeated beyond these walls. In time I will reveal the plan to the rest of the Captains in my time, but meanwhile, you are to take heed."

"We know that Aizen plans to destroy Karakura Town to forge a King's Key. We could send the entire Gotei 13 to Karakura Town for its defense. However, we will be facing no ordinary enemy but the Espada themselves, and perhaps Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tosen. The city cannot endure captain-level fighting, nor can our captains enter this battle with limiters. If the town is destroyed through our efforts to defend it, we will have lost. Aizen intends for it to be destroyed."

"The only way we can keep Karakura Town safe is to hide it somewhere else, even while we make Aizen think that it is still where it is. We must swap the real Karakura Town with a replica. One that can be destroyed without consequence amidst fierce fighting."

Yoruichi spoke up. "Kisuke and Mayuri have been working on a prototype of the fake Karakura Town since we learnt about Aizen's research into the creation of the King's Key. By the first day of winter, Kisuke would have executed the rituals that will make the swap possible. He is busy preparing now for this in the real world."

Yamamoto leaned heavily on his staff. "And how are the preparations for the garganta? The kidnap of Orihime was unexpected. We may have to send in the infiltration force within a week."

Yoruichi nodded. "Kisuke reckons that the garganta in his basement will be stable enough to take Captain-level shinigami to Hueco Mundo within three to five days. I won't be surprised if Ichigo approaches Kisuke tonight to seek entry into Hueco Mundo to pursue Orihime."

Soifon stared at Yamamoto, dumbstruck at the scale of preparations that had been going on within Soul Society and between Urahara, Yoruichi and Yamamoto. All under our noses… what… what other secrets does shou-taichou hide? How many of the captains know of this?

The words whirled in her mind as she struggled to make sense of the vast dimensions of the plan. An infiltration force into Hueco Mundo? But shou-taichou just said he wouldn't give any help… I guess he was deliberately appearing disinterested… but… a fake Karakura Town? A swap?

A few things began to fall into place and she spoke up. "Shou-taichou, you intended to send a force into Hueco Mundo all along. You let the others think that Orihime was unimportant so that the Arrancar would not expect a force from Soul Society. But an infiltration force will be sent out now. Her presence there does not change anything except for the timetable of our operations."

Yoruichi broke in firmly. "Kisuke has been puzzling over the kidnap of Orihime since last night. She has extraordinary powers of healing… he's guessing that she could restore the Hogyoku to its original state earlier than we anticipated."

Yamamoto's eyes opened and he looked piercingly at Soifon. "Orihime Inoue is the key. The less Aizen thinks we value her, the more complacent he will get, and the easier it will be to rescue her. I have no doubts the Substitute Shinigamiwill add to our forces in Hueco Mundo when the time comes."

Yamamoto's eyes then narrowed again as his gaze bored down on her. "This plan will be made known to the other captains when we send in the strike force into Hueco Mundo. But time is precious. Even now, you and Shihoin Yoruichi must prepare Soul Society for the arrival of the real Karakura Town. Aizen will not be deterred by the presence of a fake Karakura Town and he will hunt down the real one once he realizes what we have done."

Soifon nodded, a determined look on her face. "What will you have me do, sir?"

"Choose two of the best seated officers that remain from each squad. Half of them will protect Karakura Town while it is in Soul Society, along with the keigun. The other half will work with the remaining Onmitsukido corps to protect Seireitei. Shihoin Yoruichi, Urahara Kisuke, as well as Tessai Tsukabishi will remain in Soul Society to oversee the protection of this area."

Soifon turned to protest. "Shou-taichou, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukido, perhaps I should also help with security…" but she was cut short by Yamamoto. "Soifon, you may carry out those duties now, but when winter comes, your place is at the frontline, in the battle. We must not fail. Aside from the Hueco Mundo strike force, all other Captains and Vice-Captains will assemble to defend the fake Karakura Town. We must take down Aizen and his Espada there if the real Karakura Town is to survive. We must defeat our enemies if Soul Society is to continue. Urahara, Yoruichi, Tessai and the Onmitsukido will be Soul Society's last line of defence if the Gotei 13 should fall. We must not let that happen."

Yoruichi nodded and crossed her arms as she addressed Soifon. "Nemu has done up a model of the fake Karakura Town. We have some weeks – you and I will use that model to strategise how best to deploy the Onmitsukido and the seated officers." She turned to her protégé and smiled. "I'll need your help, Soifon. I know Karakura Town well but you'll have known the Onmitsukido better, having led them for the past hundred years."

A hundred years.

Kurosaki Ichigo, you will not fight for Soul Society. Your loyalty is with your friends. Orihime Inoue is reason enough for you to fight and that is sufficient for our purposes. There was no need to give you further information – it only adds to the burden of the mission without giving further motivation.

But I… I will fight for Soul Society.

I will protect Soul Society.

I will protect Karakura Town.

I will protect its people…

I will protect Yoruichi-sama.

And… I am needed. What I do will make a difference. And this time, I am not the unknowing pawn whose emotions were toyed with a hundred years ago.

I have reason to fight.

Yoruichi and Soifon were dismissed, and they stepped out into the evening air. They were barely out of the First Squad's quarters when Soifon turned to Yoruichi. "Yoruichi-sama, I-"

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, Soifon. That was some briefing by Yamamoto wasn't it? Come on, we have to go see Nemu now." Yoruichi walked off ahead, but Soifon did not follow. Yoruichi turned back to look at her. "Come on, Soifon. We have no time to lose! What's up now?"

Soifon looked at Yoruichi, eyes full of concern. "What happened to your arm, Yoruichi-sama?"

The hard look in Yoruichi's eyes softened. She would have ruffled Soifon's hair as she used to do when she was a young girl, but it would be rather inappropriate to do that to the Captain of the Second Squad now.