The trace ended in the middle of the forest. Unfortunately it had rained last night so any tracks were washed away by the mud and leaves. Soifon was busy looking for any reiatsu tracks and Tadashi was trying to find tracks on the trees for any sign of conflict. He frowned when he saw nothing and turned to everyone else there.

"So, no signs of anything here. Let's move on to the next area." He tugged on his Captain Haori, "I'm going to be unprofessional for a minute. This is so weird!" Tadashi grinned at his two teammates, "Being a Captain is so weird, I would have never guess."

Soifon smiled, "Well you deserve it, you've deserved to be Captain since I've been." She sighed as she thought about how empty her division barracks were now. With Matsuri being groomed into the new Lieutenant it finally sank in that Tadashi would no longer work alongside her.

Tadashi turned to the other person, "Don't worry, I'll try my best to become a Captain that you can accept."

Hinamori Momo grinned weakly, "I'm sure you'll be fine, Takeshi." She had stopped referring to him as Tadashi and had started using his last name. But even that seemed painful. At first she was adamant about Tadashi becoming Captain but after thinking about it she decided that what happened happened and Aizen wasn't coming back any time soon.

Tadashi smiled in relief, "Thank you, alright now. Let's move out."

The three of them disappeared in a shunpo, not noticing the hidden figure in the trees.

"Two Captains and a Lieutenant? Master will be pleased." He chuckled before disappearing as well.

Officer Rikichi groaned as he opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the immense pain in his head and right leg. He licked his lips, mostly tasting his own blood. Further invistigation told him that he had been bleeding from his forehead and nose until the blood dried. He groaned once more when he tried to get up but found he was tied to a chair. He looked around the room to see he was in what appeared to be a cave with an iron gate keeping the opening closed off.

"I see you are awake now." Rikichi tried to move his head to look for the voice but couldn't.

Is he behind me? But I don't sense his reiatsu at all.

"You were so close to, unluckily for you it seemed like you stumbled across our base. I believe you got a good ten miles before we caught you."

Rikichi groaned as he tried to remember what happened. Or where he's heard the deep, cold, harsh voice of the male behind him.

Damnit, why can't I remember anything? Last thing I remember was seeing a cave and a large reiatsu before running away. And then...

"What is your name, Shinigami fool?"

Rikichi breathed in deeply, "My name is Rikichi, Unseated Officer of Squad Six. If you want money you won't get it from me, I'm too low in the totem pool for that."

I'm scared. No, terrified is a better word. Renji-senpai, help please!

"I see, well then Rikichi. I suppose I should tell you. My aim is not money but the death of a certain man, and I believe that you can help me with that."

Rikichi smiled bravely but inside he was completely petrefied.

I don't think I'll make it out of here alive.

"And why would I help you?"

He could almost hear the man behind him smile, "Oh I'll leave that for later but for now just now my name is Norio Yuudai." He walked in front of him and Rikichi discovered that he had long black hair and blood red eyes. He wore a short sleeve dark red haori with white wrapping under it that went over his chest, arms, and hands too and baggy Hakama leggings. On his left hip he had a wakizashi zanpakuto.

He smirked, and that itself sent chills running down Rikichi's spine, "By the way, you might want to get that leg of yours checked out, might get infected." And with that he turned and left, the last thing he heard was the clang of the closed metal gate and the shrill screamins of the unseated officer.

Tadashi growled, "Hm, seems like there was a chase here. Notice the set of footsteps Momo? Look at how the leading one has less indentation and the spacing is farther apart and obviously the footprint was made with shinigami sandals. The one next to is is deep and more closely spaced together indicating that this person was less considered about getting away, almost as if he was confident about being able to catch his target.

Soifon nodded, "And what makes you think that isn't just two people who happened to be going in the same direction at different times and paces?" She asked it as if it was a question.

Momo nodded, "Yeah, that's what I was thinking."

He, however, only grinned and ran a finger across the deeper footprint, "Notice the way the dirt is, both of them are as wet as the other one. If they were at different times then one would be drier, not to mention that they are both fresh." Momo leaned forward and studied it before smiling.

"Ah, I see. That's pretty cool!"

Soifon nodded, "I expected as much from you, Tadashi, why don't you follow the path now?"

Tadashi smiled slightly, "Hm, why follow the path when we have a spy here?"

He heard a gasp in the trees and a quick rustle before a dark shape jumped out of them. Momo gasped and Soifon smirked while Tadashi just smiled. The person was obviously male and wore what a typical ninja would wear except he had no mask and instead had his face shown. He had brown spiky hair and black eyes with a scar under his right eye.

"How did you find me? I was completely concealing my reiatsu!"

Soifon frowned, "There are only a handful of people who can hide from me. You just happen to not be one of them." Momo snickered and Tadashi just sighed.

"I am sorry for her rudeness, I am sure that would've worked on someone else but not us."

The man growled, "Don't you dare underestimate me! I am the second in command of the Yamigun!" He reached behind him and pulled out a tanto zanpakuto, "My name is Arashi Yuu, and this is my zanpakuto!" He pulled it out put the blade in his left hand, "Chishiomoui!" He pulled it up and grinned when it seemed to stretch before glowing silver. It expanded outwards and became a chain and sickle with a black blade, ten foot long chain, and a red circle weight.

He grinned and swung the weight around behind him, "Just so you know, third command and up has Captain Level reiatsu!"

Soifon sighed and grabbed her zanpakuto, Momo doing the same. Tadashi however stepped forward, "Sorry guys but this is my fight! Let me show you what I can do, I'll be sure to go easy so you can see."

Arashi screamed and swung the weight forward, "Die here, Shinigami Captain!"