In Hueco Mundo…
"Ahh! I've found you my pet! I knew those cursed shinigami couldn't hide you from me forever! It may be over three decades late but I will finally fulfill my promises to Lord Aizen." A voice stated happily.
A week later in the soul society…
"Captain Kurotsuchi!" an out of breath messenger called.
"What do you want I was in the middle of something you fool!" the irate captain responded.
"A message from the station that monitors the world of the living there is an unusually high level reiatsu release located in the Southeastern United States that is interfering with other sensors due to its magnitude however there are no Shinigami in the vicinity that are capable of producing such high levels. These levels of reiatsu are usually associated with Lieutenant-class Shinigami without a limiter. A request to send a team to investigate has already been sent to the Captain-Commander. Your presence is required in a meeting of all captains and lieutenants to assist in deciding who should go." The messenger stated unperturbed.
"Very well give me the data and get lost." Captain Kurotsuchi said looking over the data there was cause for concern the levels were indeed Lieutenant-class and more worrisome they were rising.
"Then it is settled Captain Hitsugaya will lead the party with his lieutenant as well as any others deemed necessary to the mission. Captain Hitsugaya you may leave as soon as you are ready we will have limit releases waiting for you should you need them." Captain-commander Yamamoto stated.
"Yes sir I will begin to assemble my team immediately. I plan to leave by sunset at the latest before if at all possible." Captain Hitsugaya stated signaling his lieutenant and Renji Abarai to come with him. When he reached the 11th squad barracks he called over Ikkaku Madrame and Yumichika Ayasegawa who after the situation was explained immediately jumped on the chance to go in hopes that there would be some good fights along the way. At the 4th squad Hanatarō Yamada agreed to accompany the group for the purposes of healing. As soon as everyone had gathered what they'd need for their time in the world of the living they met at the senkaimon near the first division barracks.
"Remember to stay alert and no goofing off…we are going to locate the source of the reiatsu determine if it is a threat and if needed neutralize it." Captain Hitsugaya stated before leading his party through the gate before sundown as promised.
When they emerged from the gate they were standing over the sleepy city of Naples, Florida while treated to one of the most beautiful sunsets any of them had ever seen. The clouds looked like they were painted in the sky by a master artist were all different shades of pink and purple while the sky glowed with shades of red and gold. Captain Hitsugaya was the first to snap out of the trance brought on by the magnificent sunset.
"Spread out and search for the mystery reiatsu if you find it send up a burst of reiatsu." Captain Hitsugaya stated headed inland towards golden gate.
He was passing a hospital out near the interstate when he heard the familiar cry of a hollow he headed towards the sound which in turn lead him closer to the hospital. As he got closer Toshiro sensed what they'd been sent to locate he sent up a flare of reiatsu and proceeded to destroy the hollow. He was trying to pinpoint the source of the reiatsu when the rest of his team showed up.
"We need to split up and search the hospital for the source and if you happen to come across any wandering spirits perform a soul burial since we're here." He stated knowing full well that his lieutenant was hiding the fact that she'd been shopping instead of searching. They spread themselves out over the 6 floors and began to search.
The last area Toshiro checked was the intensive care unit on his floor. He overheard some nurses discussing a patient that had come in a week ago in what appeared to be a coma even though she was perfectly healthy other than her body temperature being much lower than normal they could find no reason for the coma-like state she was in. 'Sounds like a jinzen state to me but how the hell could a human achieve that…' he thought 'I'll check it out anyway.' He walked to the room in question noting that the reiatsu was getting much stronger it was even beginning to bother him. When he reached the room he grabbed for Hyōrinmaru. There was a giant wolf sitting next to the bed of a human girl alert to his presence and the minute rise and fall of the girl's chest as she breathed.
"You are a Zanpakuto…step away from the human girl." Toshiro said drawing Hyōrinmaru.
"I cannot do as you request Shinigami. I promised my master I would watch over her while she slept and recovered." Yoru replied looking at the girl.
"Who is your master?" Toshiro asked.
"Why the human girl you see before you is…I am her Zanpakuto. For years she suffered an unbearable restlessness that was caused by her soul seeking me…finally her soul couldn't bear it anymore and cried out forcing itself into a jinzen state to find me. Once she recalled my name and passed my test to see if she was worthy of my power by finding the blade my spirit resided in we spent the next week training. Although it was a week here the time equivalent is seven years in her inner world and every moment was spent learning to master me. My master is quite incredible is she not Shinigami?" Yoru asked Toshiro.
"Yes I have never heard of a human being able to acquire a Zanpakuto without being made a Shinigami through the academy or the transfer of power from a Shinigami to a human. And my name is not Shinigami it is Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya of squad 10." Toshiro stated the last part sounding a might annoyed.
"Captain Hitsugaya! There you are…is that wolf the source of the reiatsu? Shouldn't you have taken it out already?" Lieutenant Matsumoto asked.
"No the human girl in that bed is the source and the wolf is apparently the spirit of her Zanpakuto." Toshiro replied.
"Huh? How can that be? I've never heard of a human attaining a Zanpakuto before except for Ichigo but that came from Rukia…" Matsumoto said confused.
"Please keep your voices down…my master needs to rest so she may recover from her week long jinzen state…" Yoru pleaded softly.
"A week long jinzen state! Holy crap! She must really be something else." Matsumoto said aghast.
"Matsumoto I'm going to say this one time and only one time…keep your voice down or I'm going to remind you why Hyōrinmaru is considered the most powerful ice Zanpakuto in the soul society." Toshiro said softly but the temperature dropped by several degrees. The only ones unfazed by the sudden drop were Yoru, his sleeping master, and Toshiro himself "Matsumoto I want you to go back and personally report this matter to the Captain-commander take Hanatarō and Yumichika with you and return same threat as earlier applies if you so much as breath a word of this to anyone but the Captain-commander. I will stay here and keep watch on her as will Abarai and Madrame this much uncontrolled reiatsu coming from a person without any defenses is just asking for trouble from hollows or worse arrancar." Toshiro said not taking his eyes off the sleeping human girl.
"Understood Captain I will find Hanatarō and Yumichika and leave to report on our findings. Do you think she's a threat Captain? The Captain-commander will want to know your opinion." Matsumoto asked.
"No I do not believe her to be a threat to the soul society at this point...I believe her to be similar to the Kurosaki family if only slightly stronger for managing to manifest powers in human form beyond seeing spirits and touching spirits." Toshiro said still not taking his eyes off of the girl "Now get moving before I freeze your sorry ass."
"Eeep! I'm going…" Matsumoto said moving as fast as she could without using flash step.
In the Soul Society...
"I see…Captain Hitsugaya stayed to keep guard over her good if she is truly as powerful as she seems we'll want to bring her back to the academy once she wakes up so she can be formally trained." Captain-commander Yamamoto said thoughtfully "I want you to go back and give these orders to Captain Hitsugaya Lieutenant Matsumoto…Protect the girl at any cost until she wakes then bring her to Kiskue Urahara to get her started and see what she can do before we send her to pointless classes at the academy. Also tell him to do so by any means necessary though from what you told me of the spirit telling her the truth and encouraging her to join us like you did with Captain Hitsugaya many years ago may be the swiftest and easiest route."
"Yes Captain-commander I will leave as soon as the senkaimon is ready and report your orders to my Captain." Matsumoto said bowing slightly before taking her leave to arrange to return to the world of the living.
"I'm glad the Captain-commander decided to send Kasumi to Urahara first…he may be a nut job but his methods are effective." Toshiro stated after Matsumoto had finished relaying their orders and the Captain-commander's suggestion of how to convince her to come with them "and I was already thinking of telling her the truth it just seemed like the simplest way to go."
"Kasumi is that her name Captain?" Matsumoto asked surprised that her captain knew the girl's name.
"Yes Matsumoto it is and the wolf has requested to be called Yoru. I decided to find out more about the situation while you were gone." Toshiro replied. After a couple of days destroying hollows and the occasional low level arrancar the girl stirred.
"Are you alright Kasumi?" Yoru asked. Toshiro immediately woke from his nap after his shift of destroying any hollows or arrancar that would try to attack the human girl he had been ordered to protect.
"Yoru…" She croaked trying to sit up but lacking the strength.
"I'm right here Kasumi do not exert yourself just let the nurses take care of you and I'll explain what happened while you slept later." Yoru stated worriedly she smiled weakly for his benefit and the nurses that had come to see what was going on.
After a series of tests that proved nothing was wrong Kasumi was released to go home. On her way home Kasumi noticed several people dressed in clothes that were reminiscent of kendo uniforms following her.