Yo everybody! It's been far too long since I've posted anything. But I'm back with an update for your enjoyment.

Chapter Five: Weeping Skies

"Their unit was annihilated," Captain Ukitake said. "They were the only survivors."

Rukia Kuchiki stared in horror at the injured bodies of Third Seat Miyako Shiba and Fourth Seat Sasuke Uchiha. Earlier that day, they had been sent out with a team to scout out the area that a dangerous hollow had been nesting in. A short while ago, another scouting team found them and brought them in.

Sasuke laid there on the stretcher, a number of bandages covering his body. His blood covered headband lying next to his head, his zanpaku-to resting on his other side. On the stretcher next to him laid Miyako. She had fewer injuries than the Fourth Seat. In fact, they didn't appear to be enough to render a person unconscious. Yet she was.

Rukia was deeply worried about both of them. Miyako had been an idol to her. She was strong, beautiful, wise and kind. Everything she wanted to be.

Sasuke. She had to admit that she cared about him, even if she knew very little about him, due to his quiet nature. In fact, when she first met him, she had thought he was just like Byakuya, quiet and cold. But she learned from Kaien and herself that Sasuke was actually quite different around those he called friend. The prime example of this was when Sasuke's best friend, the lieutenant of Squad 8, visited the Division Compound, which was fairly frequent. He was one of the few people that could get Sasuke to smile and the only one she knew of that could get Sasuke to actually laugh.

"What's their status Captain?" Lieutenant Kaien asked, his voice filled with concern as he stared at the unconscious officers.

"Miyako didn't receive much damage but her reiatsu is dangerously low. The Squad 4 medics said that she should recover in time," Ukitake replied. "Sasuke, on the other hand, was seriously injured. Fortunately, the Squad 4 medics managed to stabilize him. He'll be alright in about a week, maybe two."

Kaien turned to Ukitake. "Captain, permission to go out and destroy that hollow."

"No Kaien," the Captain said, shaking his head. "Not until they regain consciousness and we can learn more about the hollow that did this. Besides, how do you think your wife will feel when she wakes up and learns that you're gallivanting around the Rukongai, looking for a hollow instead of being at her side and worrying about her well being? Don't worry Kaien, you'll get your chance at it."

Pain...

Agonizing pain...

But pain was a good thing...

It meant he was still alive. He had to warn them about that hollow.

Sasuke Uchiha slowly opened his eyes. He was back in the Seireitei. The barracks of Squad 13 by looks of things. He slowly and painfully sat up. Sasuke ignored the pain. He had to warn the Captain and Lieutenant Shiba about that hollow and what it could do. He glanced to his left. There was an empty stretcher.

'No...'

Sasuke grabbed his zanpaku-to, got to his feet and using his sword as crutch, he started limping towards the door. His body was screaming in agony. But he fought through it. He had to warn them before it was too late.

He reached the door and started limbing down the hall. His thoughts on that hollow and it's unnatural abilities. And above all, what happened to Miyako. Somehow that hollow had possessed her body and used it to kill the entire squad. Sasuke would have died too if wasn't for another team of scouts nearing their location. The hollow then played dead hoping to trick them into bringing her back to Headquarters. Sasuke had tried to warn the second team. But he was too weak and blacked out as he tried. Why the hollow didn't kill him once they were left alone, he didn't know. Maybe it thought he was dead. Maybe whatever remained of Miyako had stopped it from killing him.

Sasuke pushed open one of the double doors that made up the main door of the barracks. Standing not far from the doors were Captain Ukitake, Lieutenant Kaien and Rukia Kuchiki. All three turned to him the second he opened the door. "Sasuke! What are you doing up? You should be resting!" his surprised Captain exclaimed.

"No time... Miyako's...gone... We have to... destroy her..." Sasuke rasped.

Kaien grabbed him by the collar. "What the hell are you talking about Uchiha?" an angry Kaien shouted in his face.

"The hollow...is inside... Miyako's body..." he weakly replied.

"WHAT?"

"It's running loose...somewhere in the barracks... It must be destroyed...before-"

"AAAAAAAAAAH!"

"GAAAH!

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Everyone turned to the direction of the screams. Kaien immediately let go of Sasuke and ran towards the screams. "Kaien!" Jushiro shouted, trying to stop his Lieutenant. "Kiyone, Sentaro!"

The officers in question came running. "Sir!" they said in unsion with a salute.

"Take Sasuke back to his bed and seal off the compound. No one gets in or out. Kuchiki, you're with me," the Captain ordered before running after Kaien.

Kiyone and Sentaro, ever eager to impress Captain Ukitake, grabbed Sasuke, lifting him up and carrying him like a box to his quarters. Had Sasuke had any energy left, he would have protested his treatment. But as it was, his attempt at warning the Captain and others had sapped the last of his strength and he passed out before they had gotten a third of the way to his room.

When Kaien, Ukitake and Rukia reached the scene, they found Miyako standing over several bodies, her sword drawn and dripping with blood.

"Miyako? What have you done?" Kaien said in horror.

Miyako turned to him, her face completely expressionless and raised her sword. "Please Miyako. Lower your sword," Kaien pleaded. "I don't want to hurt you."

Suddenly, she lunged at him...Only to stop halfway. Her movements became awkward and jerky. She seemed to be trying to move in two separate directions. Like two people trying move a puppet in two different directions. One wanted to go forward. One wanted to go backwards. "Run... Please..." Kaien heard her whisper.

Miyako suddenly screamed and jumped back. She turned and ran away, at speeds that Miyako had never done before. She was heading towards the Rukongai.

Kaien was about to follow when Ukitake stopped him. "Kaien, you just can't go rushing off after her. It's too dangerous," Ukitake said to his subordinate. "We have to assemble a team before we go after her."

"No. I'm not waiting. You can assemble a team if you like, Captain. But I'm not gonna wait," Kaien replied. "I'm going after her."

Ukitake sighed. The look in Kaien's eyes told him that there was no way to convince him to wait. "Fine. But we're going too."

It took them several hours but they eventually found Miyako...Or at least what remained of her uniform hanging on a tree branch. Kaien reached out to touch them when several tentacles lunged at him. Kaien jumped back as he drew his zanpaku-to.

"Heh heh heh... I smell prey," a voice said.

A hollow emerged from the bushes. It was grotesque. It stood on six arms with a mass of tentacles on its back. "More soul reapers. Heh heh heh..."

"Are you the one who possessed Miyako?" Kaien asked, holding his sword defensively.

"That tasty morsel? Yes. I devoured her soul from the inside out," it replied.

Rukia reached for her sword. "Kaien sir. I'll go first," she called out from behind him

"Captain, let me fight it...alone," Kaien said, ignoring her.

Ukitake stared at his subordinate. This was battle that only Kaien could fight. They both knew it. The white haired man nodded. "Very well."

Kaien started walking towards the hollow. "Before we fight, I have to ask you something. How many soul reapers have you eaten?"

"Hmm... Let me see... Sorry. I don't recall," it answered.

"Have you ever regretted it?"

"What a stupid question. I have feelings, just like you. Not a night goes by that I don't regret eating a soul reaper. Why right now... I'm regretting... not eating that girl sooner!"

The hollow lunged at Kaien, but he flash-stepped and sliced one of its hands off. He grabbed a fist-full of tentacles and raised his sword, preparing to deliver the final blow.

"Rankle the seas and heavens, Nejibana!" he shouted.

Suddenly, Kaien's zanpaku-to shattered surprising everyone.

The hollow laughed. "Once a night, the first to touch my tentacles has their zanpaku-to destroyed!"

"I don't need a zanpaku-to to destroy the likes of you!" Kaien said before jumping on its back and tearing off several of its tentacles.

"Kaien sir!" Rukia yelled as she reached for her zanpaku-to.

Ukitake grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"Captain! Please, let me go!" Rukia shouted at him. "We have to save him!"

"But what will become of Kaien's pride if you save him? If you go to his aid now...his life would be saved. But you would end up killing his pride forever," he replied.

Rukia stared at him in disbelief. "Who cares about his pride? Compared to his life, his pride is-"

"Listen and remember this well," Ukitake said to his subordinate. "There are two kinds of battles. Every time we fight, we must know whether it's battle to protect life or a battle to defend honor. Right now, Kaien is fighting for honor. For the honor of those who died at the hands of this hollow. For Sasuke's honor. For the honor of his wife. But most of all, for his own honor. Think of it as foolish pride if you like. But let him fight this battle alone."

The two fought a vicious, bloody battle for several minutes. Neither seemed to have the upper hand. Kaien tore off a number of the hollow's tentacles. But Kaien had a number of nasty cuts and wounds.

"I didn't expect you to last this long without a zanpaku-to. Impressive," the hollow commented.

"What'd ya expect? My bare hands are more than enough to tear you apart," Kaien replied as he wiped some blood from his brow.

"Heh heh heh... Well, it seems that I have to use that again. Such a pain. But I guess there isn't any other way," the hollow mused.

The hollow's tentacles then exploded into hundreds of thin threads. All flying towards Kaien. The remaining parts of the body of the hollow collapsed in a heap. Kaien raised his arms in defense from the threads. As soon as the threads reached Kaien, they entered his body through a wound in his left arm.

"Kaien sir?" Rukia asked, her voiced filled with concern.

"What?" Kaien asked, in a voice that wasn't his. "Did you call my name little girl?"

Kaien turned to face them, revealing his face. His eyes were now black pits with orange splotches on his eyes. Just like on the mask of hollow. Ukitake knew happened. The hollow had possessed him like it did to Miyako.

"Kai...Kaien sir?" Rukia weakly said.

The Kaien-hollow licked its lips. "Why do you keep saying my name like that? Are you that worried about me, little girl? Am I that dear to you?"

It leered at her. "In that case, I'll start by eating you first!"

It jumped at her and tried to bite Rukia. But Ukitake flash-stepped into its path and blocked it with his sword.

"Run Kuchiki!" he ordered.

"What?"

"Do you want to die? Get out of here!"

Rukia turned and ran. Ukitake knew he had to be careful. Kaien was still in there. He had to find a way to remove the hollow from his body. The hollow lunged at him; he blocked it with his sword. The hollow swung its fists at him. Again, Ukitake dodged and blocked the attacks. But he made no aggressive moves. He couldn't it was Kaien's body he was fighting. He had to be careful and find a way to extract the hollow.

"What's the matter? Why don't you attack?" the hollow asked. "I know what you're up to. You're trying to think of a way to drag me out of his body. But it's hopeless! This isn't like human possession! I'm a spiritual entity and so is he. We're a fusion of spiritual entities! We can't be separated! I'll spend all night eating his spirit from the inside!"

Ukitake knew what he had to do. If he couldn't save Kaien, he would do the one thing he could do. He would prevent that hollow from having Kaien's body and soul. He sliced the side of Kaien's neck.

"Then it can't be helped. I'll kill Kaien along with you," he grimly proclaimed.

"Are you crazy?" it rasped in surprise as it clutched the wound. "You'd kill your own subordinate?"

"Yes. I won't let you have Kaien's body," the captain replied.

Suddenly, Ukitake felt a sharp pain in his chest and he coughed up blood.

'No! Not now!'

The hollow lunged at him, tentacles erupting out of Kaien's left arm. It slashed his right side and kept on running. Ukitake looked behind at where the hollow was heading. Rukia had returned. And it was heading right for her.

"Kuchiki, you fool!" he shouted as he ran as fast his body would allow. "Kill him!"

Rukia stood there, petrified.

"He isn't Kaien anymore! KILL HIM!" she heard her captain shout.

It ended in an instant. Kaien was slumped on top of Rukia's standing form, her sword impaling him through the chest.

"Captain..." Kaien weakly uttered. "Thank you...for letting me fight…"

Ukitake simply nodded. There was nothing for him to say. Kaien was dying. No one could save him.

"Rukia... I'm sorry I got you into this mess..." Kaien said as he wrapped an arm around her back. "You must've been scared... Thank you... Now I can leave...my heart...behind..."

Kaien's head slumped down. He was dead.

Two Days Later

It was raining, like the heavens were weeping for the loss of Kaien and Miyako. It reminded Naruto of when the Third died. It was still hard to believe that they were gone. It seemed like just yesterday was their wedding and the day before, Kaien had proposed to Miyako. They had been a great couple.

Now today was their funeral.

The entire Thirteen Division was present. His own Captain, Nanao and himself were from the Eighth as well as a number of other people from other Divisions and the Heads of the other Four Great Noble Houses. Basically, everyone that knew Kaien and his wife. Save for his younger siblings, who were off grieving on their own.

On his right was Sasuke, bandaged and on crutches. Many, including his own Captain, urged him to stay in bed and rest. Sasuke had refused. As much as Kaien annoyed him, Naruto knew that Sasuke had a tremendous respect for Kaien. Maybe it was because, like Sasuke had said numerous times, Kaien reminded Sasuke of him. Of course, even Naruto would admit that they were similar.

Naruto glanced to his left. Rukia Kuchiki stood next to him. He always wondered what Rukia's sister ever saw in Byakuya. The guy was worse than Sasuke, at his worst, had ever been. Yet she had seen something in him that she had loved. What that was, he had no idea. But whatever it was, she married him.

Rukia looked terrible. Tears were flowing down her cheeks while her eyes were dull and lifeless. Naruto had heard what happened that night. Having to kill a mentor and friend was something beyond terrible. He doubted that could have done what she did. There was no doubt that she blamed herself for his death. There was no reason for her to do that. It was the hollow's fault not hers.

"Hey Rukia," he whispered to her.

Rukia turned to him, but didn't say anything.

"I know you're in pain right now. But there is something you need to know. When a person dies, their past, their present and their future dies as well. Those who die also have goals and dreams that will never be realized. But more importantly, they have parents, siblings, friends, loved ones, people who are important to them. All those people have one thing in common. Bonds. The bonds they shared with that person. A bond like that cannot be severed by death. As long as we hold onto those bonds, Kaien will never truly die," Naruto said. "Live your life Rukia, free of guilt. Not for Kaien's sake. Not for the sake of the life and the dreams he lost. Live your life because he would have wanted you to."

Rukia's eyes widened for a moment but she didn't say anything. She may listen to him. She may not. Only time would tell.

A Week Later

"Ah Sasuke. I see your wounds have almost completely healed up." Captain Ukitake said from his office.

"Thank you Captain." Sasuke said as he sat down.

"Now as you know, we are without a lieutenant and a third seat. And you, Kiyone and Sentaro, are the ones next in line to fill those positions." Ukitake said. "Although I don't wish to replace Kaien and Miyako so soon, with my health I need a new lieutenant and third seat to take care of the Division when I'm not able to. And I want you to be my next lieutenant, Sasuke."

Sasuke was surprised. A rare occurrence. Logically, he knew that he was the next in line to become Lieutenant of the Division. Yet he was surprised that this was happening so soon. Captain Ukitake's closest friend, Captain Kyoraku, had yet to find a new lieutenant for his Divsion. Even with his poor health, Sasuke figured that Ukitake would have waited awhile.

"I...don't know what to say, Captain," he admitted.

Ukitake smiled as he pulled out a Lieutenant's Badge and handed it to him. "Well you are the only candidate in the Division that could become the next lieutenant for the Division. You're now the strongest member of the Division besides myself, so it's natural that I promote you to the position of lieutenant."

Sasuke accepted the badge and tied it to his left arm. "Of course, you realized that it means that you will have added duties and responsibilities than what normal lieutenants deal with," Ukitake said.

Sasuke nodded. "Thank you Captain. I won't let you down."

The white haired captain smiled. "I know you won't."

It was raining when he had awoken from the endless darkness. He shivered from the cold wetness that covered his body. He was surrounded by trees while he laid upon wet grass.

'Where… Where am I?'

Letting out a feeble grunt, he tried to sit up, but his body lacked the strength to rise beyond an inch and he slumped back down. All he seemed to have the strength to do was breath and move his eyes.

'How did I get here?'

He couldn't remember. Not just how he got to this place, but anything before he had woken up as well. He couldn't even who he was.

"Hey there!" a voice called out. "You know most people frown on people being naked in public."

A blond haired man appeared over him. Who this man was, he couldn't say. "So why don't we see about who you are under that mask."

'A mask?'

He hadn't been aware that there was even something on his face.

The man reached out and touched his face, pulling the mask from his face. But the second it stopped touching his face, what little energy he had disappeared and darkness consumed him once more.

"Urahara, what is it?" Tessai asked as he approached his friend.

"Something rather… interesting," the ex-soul reaper replied, studying the naked man before him, a white mask in his hand.

Tessai stopped as the man's face came into view. "Is that..."

Urahara nodded. "We better get him inside," he said. "And we better crack open the phone book. We're going to need Shinji and the others."

A Week Later

"Alright Kisuke. Why have ya called us all here?" Shinji asked with a long yawn. "Ya have any idea how long it takes to get here?"

It had been annoying for all them to have to come here suddenly like this but the shopkeeper had insisted that they needed to see him immediately. So they came despite the pain and hassle of it.

All of them had adapted to living in the Human World for the most part, though at times they felt out of sync with the short lived humans around them. Some of them had taken to traveling across the world, blending in among them while others had found quiet places to live, away from most humans. But all of them, regardless of what they were doing, lived with at least one other of them. After all, they couldn't really spend all that much time with humans with the humans eventually noticing that they didn't appear to age.

"Yeah. What is this all about?" Love added. "All of us haven't been together like this in… thirty years."

"Thirty-three years actually," Mizuro corrected.

Love shrugged.

Urahara cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "A week ago I found someone unusual near my shop. Someone that you all really need to meet," he explained.

"Who?" Shinji asked.

Urahara turned to the door behind him. "You can come in now."

The door slid open and familiar face stepped into the room, surprising the former soul reapers.

"Kaien?" Sakura uttered, voicing what they were all thinking.

"That's who they tell me I am," Kaien replied, an uncertain tone in his voice.

"Huh?"

"As far as I can tell, he's suffering from amnesia," Urahara explained. "But in addition, he's also suffering from the same condition as you."

"What? How'd that happen?" Kensei asked.

"No idea," Urahara replied. "But he's become like you, expect for one thing. Oddly, he cannot manifest his zanpaku-to. Needless to say, he needs your help."

Shinji rose up to his feet, approaching the young man. He carefully studied at the man who looked like Kaien. Physically, he was identical to the Lieutenant to the Thirteen Division and he even sounded like him. And Shinji could see the blackness creeping from the very edge of his left eye. He turned to Urahara. "Well then, we'll see what we can do."

The idea of an amnesic Kaien waking up in human world as a vizard was something I debated doing when I first wrote the original. Eventually, I decided against it but the idea never left the back of my mind. Of course, I must admit, I'm a little surprised that no one else has ever come up with the idea where a portion of Kaien's spirit tears itself from Metastacia after death, taking a bit of the hollow with him, becoming a vizard the same way that Aaroniero became an arrancar by consuming Metastacia that still contain a fragment of Kaien. In this case, his memories and Nejibana. Of course, one of the reasons I didn't do originally, is because I actually believe that Ichigo is the reincarnation of Kaien, or at least what wasn't taken by Aaroniero.

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