Author's Notes:
Well, would you look at that- a new chapter that only took a month and a half to come out. Sure has been a while since we've had one of those. Maybe it's because the chapter is shorter, maybe it's because there's less action. . . in any case, we can move forward, and that's what counts.

Yuzu let out a long yawn and sat up. Outside of the hut, the light of dawn was only just coming. The sun had not risen yet. In the meagre rays of light, she could make out the silhouettes of Takumi and Oboro moving about.

"Yuzu? Are you coming?" She heard the voice of Oboro, the head of the farm, calling her.

"Just a moment!" Yuzu called back. Slowly, she got up from her mat, stretched, and followed the couple outside. Even though it was still cold enough for Yuzu to start shuddering after she left the hut, she didn't say anything, knowing that it would get warm soon enough.

She had arrived in the afterlife only days earlier, and had had the fortune of landing- or whatever you called it when a soul came into the afterlife- near a small village. In exchange for a bit of labour, a family had agreed to take her in, and Yuzu had soon found that farm work was something she did not mind doing. She was stronger and healthier than she had been in life for many years, and life- afterlife- was finally enjoyable.

She missed her mother. She missed Ichigo and Karin. But even so, the pain of not being with them anymore felt... dulled. Muted. Not as important as it probably should be. Yes... for some reason, she felt oddly indifferent about being in the afterlife. Her family, her friends- she still remembered and missed them all, but the memory of them was just not clear. It was as if Yuzu was trying to look through a misted window; she could still make things out, but they were not entirely clear to her. And even though she had the distinct feeling that someone had told her what she should before she got here, she could just not remember it. So, for the time being, she was perfectly fine with staying with Oboro's family, as mundane, full of work and uneventful as this life (if you could call any existence in Soul Society that) was.

Until noon, Yuzu quietly worked together with her surrogate family on the fields, with nothing happening that could have distracted any of them. By the time that Takumi, an older woman, told them that it was time for a break, Yuzu was sweaty and exhausted, as the cold of the early morning was nothing more than a memory by now. More than glad to take a break, Yuzu sat down with the others, and they began to eat as they chatted with each other.

About halfway through her lunch, Yuzu noticed something that drew her attention away from her conversation with the others: On the other side of the field, next to a tree, a purple-haired woman with dark skin was standing and staring at them. Stopping mid-bite, Yuzu stared back at her, debating on whether or not she should draw the other's attention to her. Before she could however come to a conclusion, Kisaragi interrupted her thoughts.

"Yuzu? What's the matter?"

Yuzu turned her head towards Kisaragi and his parents, who all looked at her in confusion. Remaining silent, Yuzu pointed at the woman- only to realize that while she had looked away, she had vanished. "...Never mind. It's nothing"

With a collective shrug, the others went back to their lunch, and after another moment, Yuzu followed suit. She wasn't even sure why exactly she hadn't told the others about the woman- what if she was another person that had recently arrived at Soul Society, and also needed help? But then again... based on the short moment where she had seen her, the woman had not exactly given off the impression of being lost and confused. Whoever she had been, she had most likely not been lost.

Once all of them were done with lunch, they headed back to the fields to continue their work. However, if Yuzu had expected the rest of the day to be entirely uneventful, she would soon realize that she was wrong. Not long after they had resumed their work, the purple-haired woman returned, walking towards the field in open view- and this time, she was not alone.

Takumi and Oboro were the first to realize that they had visitors, and they told Yuzu and Kisaragi to stay where they were while they met the woman and her companion, who, as Yuzu noticed, was a girl that seemed to be several years older than her... and wearing some black robes that seemed very familiar to her. Hadn't Ichigo worn something like that when she last saw him?

Once they were close enough, Takumi and Oboro began what turned out to be a rather lengthy, but not heated conversation with the two strangers. After a while, the girl in the black robes walked away from her companion as well and Takumi and Oboro, and towards Yuzu. As she got closer, Yuzu was able to get a better view of her face, and at last she realized who this person was- impossible as it seemed. "Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia stopped in front of Yuzu and gave her a kind smile. "Thank goodness I finally found you. Your father will be overjoyed."

oOo

Soifon stood deeply bowed, one knee on the floor, one hand joining it to keep her balance, her other arm folded behind her back. She patiently kept her stance, waiting for the Soutaichou to ask for her report. Last night had meant having to write a lengthy one, and she had had little time for sleep- but that was a common enough issue; nothing that some high-quality coffee couldn't fix.

"Stand." Yamamoto said, sitting atop his throne-like chair in the First Division meeting hall. Obediently, Soifon promptly rose, standing to attention. Yamamoto nodded.

"Report, commander."

"Yes, sir!" Soifon said firmly. The whole ritual of it always gave her a sense of comfort, of security- she knew her place in life, as did he, and there was no need for deviation, irregularity or informality.

"Yesterday I engaged a group of empowered human elements led by the traitor Kugo Ginjo, the first substitute shinigami."

"I was not informed." Yamamoto noted, before Soifon could continue her report.

"It was not deemed necessary, my lord," Soifon said quickly. "We received an intelligence report from one of our extra-organizational sources, and I decided time was of the essence."

Yamamoto nodded. "Carry on."

He probably wasn't disapproving of her actions. The Soutaichou liked to assert his authority in small ways here and there, reminding his captains under whose authority they operated.

"The source gave us the exact location of Kugo Ginjo and his associates. Once confirmed, I personally led a kill team, to send a clear message to all our enemies what happens to those who betray us. I engaged the enemies, seven empowered human beings, and quickly eliminated them."

"You were not only found out before attacking, but let yourself be caught unaware."

The Soutaichou's voice was not scolding or angry. He didn't need to be; the words were enough, matter-of-factly stated. She grit her teeth. He had actually bothered to read the mission report.

Soifon hung her head in shame. "My most sincere apologies, Soutaichou. I underestimated my enemy, and acted rashly and foolishly."

"With several veteran operatives in your team, one would think the rational approach would be to attack all at once, and quickly eliminate the weaker enemies before focusing on the chief threats." Yamamoto said. With a thousand years under his belts, he had unparalleled military knowledge, including a comprehensive understanding of covert operations.

"Yes, Soutaichou. I have no excuses."

"You do." Yamamoto said. "A singular, powerful opponent killing a group of our enemies is indeed a strong message."

"Yes, Soutaichou."

Yamamoto gave her a scrutinizing look. "Continue."

"I quickly assassinated one of them. I was then trapped in a strange, unknown ability used by these 'fullbringers', and had to use my limit release to break free. Following these, I quickly exterminated the rabble. Kugo Ginjo and his last remaining ally had the presence of mind and strength to pose a problem, although not for long. With the use of my shikai, I killed them both."

Yamamoto nodded. "Is that all?"

"With regards to the mission itself, yes." Soifon said. "Of course… our extra-organizational source made an appearance shortly after I had finished."

"Urahara Kisuke." Yamamoto said knowingly.

"With respect, my lord, that man is unpredictable, arrogant and foolish, and has no allegiance to anybody but himself." Soifon said, straining to keep her voice neutral and level. "To deal with him in the long term is-"

"Your grudge with him is well known, and noted." Yamamoto said dismissively. "For the time being, he is useful. That is all."

"…yes, my lord." Soifon said quietly, biting back her words of disgust for the renegade like they were bile.

"To summarize, you fulfilled your mission. However, you let yourself get spotted, you took unnecessary risks, and on top of that you made enough of a ruckus to be spotted by two novice substitutes. You are out of shape, commander."

"My most sincere apologies, Soutaichou." Soifon said, clenching her fists. It was not untrue, she realized- she had been careless, even arrogant. That was not the way of the onmitsukidou.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes- an impressive feat, given that they were almost closed at all times- and gave her yet another scrutinizing look.

"You would not hold your title if I did not think you deserving of it, Soifon." He said sternly. "Mistakes are made even by the wisest of rulers. You erred. See to it that you do not make the same mistakes again."

"Absolutely, my lord. Thank you, my lord." Soifon said quietly.

"You have much growing to do still." Yamamoto commented. "That is all for now. There will be a strategic captain's meeting later this evening, and attendance is mandatory. We are to discuss our readiness for the war, and how to proceed against this new threat. Your onmitsukidou will be of vital importance."

"Understood."

"Dismissed." Yamamoto said, and Soifon turned around and began walking out, furious with herself. Even gentle admonishment was admonishment, and Soifon was a perfectionist.

oOo

In Karakura town, the next morning had come, and with it came the inevitable discovery of the Fullbringers' mansion being destroyed. Despite the building standing isolated in a remote corner of a park, it didn't even take until noon for somebody to walk by the house, notice its dilapidated state, and call the police. By the time that Tatsuki was able to return to the park after her classes in the afternoon, the entire area around the mansion was still marked as off limits by the police, with a large number of official-looking people scurrying around.

Tatsuki herself watched them with a mixture of slight anxiety, and a sense of objective analysis. To some extent, it was interesting to think about how the police would try to explain what had happened here last night... but any kind of curiosity that could be drawn from this thought immediately paled when Tatsuki considered what this would be to them if they knew the truth. Murder in seven cases. A massacre that destroyed even the building in which it happened. But... it had been done on the orders of a government. It was the law of a different justice system being enforced, so it was- had to be- alright. It had to be...

But even then, some images stayed with her. The twitching body of a girl not much younger than herself. The dying breath of a twelve-year old child. Blood, everywhere...

Yesterday, her focus had been Ichigo, making sure he didn't mess up. She had been high on adrenaline then, too focused to consider how much death she was surrounded by, but after a good night's sleep... the images stayed. The Gotei Thirteen was a military organization, and soldiers killed. Nobody would be surprised by such a simple statement- but knowing it factually, and seeing it with your own eyes, those were two different things entirely.

Trying to get her mind of the matter, Tatsuki took out her phone to check the time. What was done was done, and the Gotei had done as it did, and for all she knew, they had good reason to. What mattered now was to explain what exactly had happened to Orihime and Uryu, whom she was waiting for right now. And as if on cue, right after she had put her phone back into her pocket, the two of them came into view- evidently having come here together, as Tatsuki could not help but to notice.

When Orihime took notice of Tatsuki, she waved at her and ran the rest of the distance between them, leaving Uryu behind, much to his visible befuddlement. Tatsuki just smiled at her.

"Hey, Orihime. Ishida-san. So, I guess I don't have to explain why exactly I wanted to meet you two here?" She said, making a small gesture towards the ruined mansion.

"Yes, well, no need for that." Uryu said, while Orihime just nodded. "But is it really that good of an idea to discuss this out here in the open?"

"Oh, please. We're young adults talking about some weird things- anyone overhearing us will probably think that we're talking about an anime or something like that." Tatsuki scoffed.

"Well, this all would make for a cool anime, wouldn't it?" Orihime asked cheerfully. "But anyway… really, what did happen here? Even I sensed that you, Urahara-san and Kurosaki-kun were doing something here last evening, Tatsuki, and I'm definitely not that good at sensing these things."

Tatsuki nodded, and gathered her thoughts. The images of last night- Soifon's cold disposal of the Fullbringers, Ichigo jumping in, Urahara showing up, Ichigo attacking Urahara- were still very clear in her head. Putting them into words should not be too difficult.

"Well…" Tatsuki began.

She took a deep breath, and quickly began to recount last night's events; the merciless destruction, how she had seen it with her own eyes, how Ichigo had snapped...

One explanation later, the mood between them had changed in about the way that Tatsuki had expected: Orihime had started solemnly looking blankly into space somewhere in front of her not long after Tatsuki had started retelling the events, whereas Uryu seemed to be lost in thoughts, but otherwise not too bothered. Tatsuki herself decided to remain silent for the time being, as she had said everything that she wanted to say, and figured that it'd be better to let the others just say what they want.

"This… this is just horrible." Orihime broke the silence, raising her head. Her voice did not quite break, but it was shaken. "I mean- they didn't really seem like nice people, but to have the Gotei just- just…" Her voice trailed off.

"I, for one, am not surprised." Uryu said, giving Orihime a compassionate side glance. "This is just how the Gotei operates. How they handled the Quincy was essentially the same as this, only on a larger scale."

"But that happened centuries ago, didn't it? I-I thought that nowadays, they would handle this differently…" Orihime said in a tone that made it clear that she was grasping at straws.

Tatsuki placed her hands on Orihime's shoulders. Just as she had anticipated her reaction, she had also already thought of what to say to her. "Well, um... I'm not saying it was right, but... they were enemies. These people- they were just terrorists to them, weren't they? And this is just what governments do with terrorists."

Uryu flicked his tongue, and gave Tatsuki a weird look. "You know, hearing you mention this, Arisawa-san… I myself am admittedly not that compassionate of a person, but even so I can't help but to think to myself. Kurosaki-kun definitely overreacted, but aren't you taking this… a bit too well? As far as I know, we all agreed that while the Fullbringers aren't exactly trustworthy themselves, the Gotei and Urahara-san aren't really people that we should get too close with, either. "

"Yeah… the way you told us about this… this all sounded like you didn't care at all that this captain person just killed them all. Don't you feel at least a bit sorry for them?" Orihime added, giving Tatsuki a concerned a look.

Completely taken aback, the substitute Shinigami stared at the two of them. It made no sense. The Fullbringers had done nothing to gain any of her sympathy- in fact, they had been a threat to them- so why should she be moved by their deaths?

But on the other hand… if Orihime, and even Uryu thought that she was underreacting… "I-I just don't know. Killing them like that, it's terrible, merciless, and I'm not saying they're the good guys or anything-" Tatsuki stopped herself, and took a deep breath. "Look, you knew they were trouble, from the first day. I did, you did, we all did. So did Ichigo, even if he listened to them. And guess what? They were working for that bastard Aizen. I knew they were trouble, and I was right. They were trying to get each and every one of us to work for the Gotei's number one enemy, and if we had fallen for that, we'd be somebody else's pawns- and right in the Gotei's cross-hairs. Do you think that sounds right, being somebody else's puppet? Being used? Being made to die for somebody else's mad ambitions? No, those people were dirty, and we were just caught up in the middle of it. Somebody had to keep their head on straight, or Ichigo would have got himself killed!"

"So they say. But true as that may be-" Uryu began, but before he could even make whatever point he was trying to make, Orihime cut him off.

"Wait. Speaking of Kurosaki-kun… where is he? I haven't seen him all day, and considering how you said he acted last night… this all really must've gotten to him."

Tatsuki swallowed. "…Crap. You're probably right… I haven't seen him all day, either. You know, I better go and check on him. I know him better than any of you, so I think I better go by myself."

"Well, I don't mind. I had other plans for the rest of the day, anyway, so good luck Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime said, before turning around to Uryu, who spent the last moments looking slightly annoyed by having been interrupted. "Would you like to hang out with me for the rest of day the Uryu-kun?"

Uryu blinked a couple of times, as his expression slowly changed into one of simple confusion. "I- uh- well- I guess I don't have any other plans for today, so…"

"Good! Then let's get going! And Tatsuki-chan, good luck!"

Feeling about as flabbergasted as Uryu looked, Tatsuki just started as Orihime took his hand and dragged him off. For a moment, she continued to stare after the two, before she too turned around and walked away. As she left, she could not help but to wonder why she felt some kind of disappointment… and something else, something that she couldn't place.

oOo

She found him much later that day, sulking on a rooftop in his Shinigami form. He had made an effort to conceal his reiatsu, although being himself, he could not do it well enough that Tatsuki couldn't find him. He had a moody look on his face, dangling his legs over the edge of a ten-story office complex.

"Um, hey," Tatsuki said awkwardly. She had to be careful about this. It was a sore spot, and if he thought she was trying to justify what had happened, he wouldn't listen. "I just wanted to check if you were okay. I was worried. So were the others, you know?"

Ichigo gave her a glance, but did not reply.

"Look, I can tell you're not all right, so I'm not gonna ask," Tatsuki said, sitting down next to him, "but damn it, talk to me, you great big dummy. Keeping it in will only make it worse."

"I can still see it." Ichigo said, staring at the horizon. "I tried sleeping last night. It was a mistake. I saw their faces, but without eyes and covered in blood. All of them looking at me. They didn't say nothing, but they didn't have to. They thought it was my fault. Me, selling them out. That's what they believed when they were dying."

"Hey," Tatsuki said firmly, "this is not your fault, okay? They sent a whole freaking squad of ninjas to get those people. A captain led them. And we know who sent them that way, don't we?"

"Fucking Urahara." Ichigo sneered, a shade of hate in his voice. "That scheming bastard!"

"Right," Tatsuki said, nodding. "You just… got caught up in something you shouldn't have. Two sides making war."

Ichigo finally looked at her. "That? War? That wasn't war. That was a massacre, Tatsuki."

Tatsuki took a deep breath, and thought out her next comment carefully. "It's a shit deal, Ichigo. If the world was fair, we'd have no part of it. But they brought us into this. Not you, not me, not anybody else. It's not my fault, or your fault, and there was nothing anybody could do about it."

"There should have been." Ichigo said sullenly. "Shinigami, bankai, what's all that power good for when you can't use it to help?"

"I know you want to help, Ichigo," she said reassuringly, putting a hand on his shoulder, "because you're a good person. But even if helping them was the right thing to do, what good would it have done? They'd have called you a traitor, and killed you. Trying to help is pointless if there's no chance of actually managing to do it."

"So I should just not bother, is that it? I shouldn't care about murder?"

He was being unfair. Moody. A not insignificant part of Tatsuki wanted to tell him to fuck off. Instead, she took another deep breath.

"Of course you should try. But be smart about it. Pick your battles." She looked him right in the eye. "I know what you think. You saw something terrible, and I don't care about it. But I do. I see them too. Dead and bloody, when I close my eyes, okay? But right then, I was trying to keep you alive. I saw it happen and I didn't know what to do, because I didn't know what to make of it. A bunch of assassins killing a bunch of shady types who gave us no reason to trust them? Not my business. But then you charged in, like you always do, and somebody had to watch your back. And what would have happened if I wasn't there? Did old bucket-hat look like he was about to stop kicking your ass?"

"…no." Ichigo mumbled. "You're… right, I guess." He sounded so weary, Tatsuki thought, like he had gotten old overnight.

"I know it sucks," Tatsuki said emphatically, "and that's why you can't be sitting here all by yourself. Lean on the rest of us. Keeping it in will only poison you."

"I suppose you're right about that." Ichigo said quietly. "You're right. Not wrong. Whatever one. It's just… heavy, you know?"

"Yeah," Tatsuki said with a sigh. "It's heavy. Hell, we're too young to be soldiers. We know how to fight, but we don't have any training for this kind of thing. But it is what it is, and we got to deal with it."

Ichigo nodded. "Thanks, Tatsuki," he said, sounding a little bit relieved. "I can always count on you to kick me when I'm being stupid, right?"

"You know it," Tatsuki said, with a small, solemn smile.

"Leave me alone for a bit, all right? I need to think."

"Sure," Tatsuki said quickly. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, all right?"

"Yeah, sure," Ichigo mumbled.

He had seemed a little cheerier, but Tatsuki didn't quite believe it. It was obvious this had shaken him, deeply and to his core, and she wondered if he hadn't just said that to get rid of her. He could be such an idiot sometimes…

oOo

In a spectacular combinations of various light effects, the gateway between worlds opened up in the basement, creating a connection between the world of the living and the Soul Society… and through it stepped a black, rather tired-looking cat. Paying no heed to the phenomenal, physics-defying interdimensional portal, the cat simply left it behind, and kept walking through the basement. Yoruichi was simply too tired and too used to it all to care.

Even though she had only decided to aid the search for Yuzu on a whim, it ultimately had turned out to be a far more tiring experience than she had expected. This admittedly had nothing to do with the search being hectic or extremely urgent, neither of which it had actually been. No, what had made the search so exhaustive had been the sheer unprofessionalism of the team under Rukia's command. Rather than carrying out everything discreetly and without making a big fuss out of it, seemingly every person in the Rukongai had heard about them, and offered their "help" to them, complicating things more than they needed to be. In short, the Shinigami that Yoruichi and Rukia had had to work with were Isshin's men, all right.

In the end, it had simply been more efficient for Yoruichi and Rukia to go out to search for Yuzu by themselves, rather than going out with a big team. And sure enough; by now, Yuzu was with her family in Soul Society, Rukia was back at work with her own Squad, and Yoruichi was finally home, and ready to go sleep.

But of course, things would not be that easy. As she walked through the basement, she passed by Tessai, who was leaning against a rock reading a newspaper, and only just seemed to notice Yoruichi when she was past him.

"Good evening, Yoruichi-dono. Kisuke said he wanted to talk to you when you come back."

Yoruichi stopped walking, and looked at Tessai behind her. "Is it anything that can wait until after I've slept?"

"Knowing him? Probably not." The bespectacled man said. "It might be urgent. Last night Squad Two paid a little visit to Aizen's henchmen in town, and our Substitute Shinigami got mixed up in it. Didn't get hurt or anything as far as I know, but you'll have to talk to Kisuke about details. He didn't really tell me that much."

"Alright, I'll go look for him now. I swear, I leave him alone for just a short while…" Yoruichi grunted, before dashing off.

She ultimately found Urahara sitting up in the shop, lost in thought all alone, and looking unusually serious. In fact, he did not even notice Yoruichi when she entered the room, and only looked up when she coughed loudly.

"Ah, Yoruichi! You're finally back, I see."

"So I am. And I hear you have something you want to talk to me about?" Yoruichi asked, sitting down in front of him.

"Well…" Urahara said, scratching his head.

One recapping of last night's event later, Yoruichi stared at Urahara in disbelief- as much as it was possible for her while in cat form, at least. "Kisuke, you're an idiot."

"Hmm. It's nothing new for you to call me that, but what is the occasion in this particular instance?" He asked, cupping his chin with his hand.

"How about just about everything you did last night?!" Yoruichi quite literally hissed. "You showed yourself to Ichigo and Tatsuki after they had just witnessed people that have manipulated them into getting their sympathy getting killed one after another, you basically bragged about how you were responsible for all of it, you didn't just knock Ichigo down when he attacked, but you almost let your zanpakutou tell you what to do with Ichigo, and you did all this in front of someone who's sure to report this all back to the Gotei!"

"Oh, please," he said dismissively. "The ol' soutaichou knew full well what he was getting into when he allied himself with me. Hearing about what I did last night won't change a thing, since he and the entire Gotei still need me, whether they like it or not." Urahara made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

Yoruichi shook her head firmly. It still amazed her how a man this brilliant could also be so daft at times… but when it came to certain things, he simply was as clueless as a child. "That is not what I'm getting at here. You've basically completely destroyed any trust that Ichigo might've had in you, and you've at the very least shaken Tatsuki's trust in you- and knowing them, Uryu and Orihime are going to know about this."

Urahara made a confused face, and scratched his head again. "So what if I have? Those four are young. They'll change their minds before long. And besides, it's not like they have that big of a role from here on out."

"That is also not the point here! It was because of us- you that they got dragged into this entire thing! With their beliefs shaken like this, and everything going on, who knows what they're going to do now! The only thing that's for certain is that they won't want anything to do with you for a long time, if ever!" Yoruichi shot back, getting close to desperation. He was just such a chore to deal with sometimes…

Urahara stared at, completely taken aback. She could almost see his mind at work, trying to figure out solutions, or just ways to proceed. "This… has something to do with this 'moral obligation thing' you told me a while ago, right? How sometimes, I should care about what people think of me, even if they don't really benefit me?"

Yoruichi let out a sigh. Finally, she was getting somewhere with him. "Yes, that's about it."

"…So what do you propose I do? Pay Ichigo a visit and fall down on my knees in front of him, begging for forgiveness?" He asked in a defensive kind of half-hearted sarcasm.

"He'd kick you in the face if you did that. No… I think for the time being, it's probably for the best if you don't do anything. Just stick out of Ichigo and other's lives for a while."

The shopkeeper sighed. "So basically, what I planned to do anyway. Thanks Yoruichi, you've been a great help."

Yoruichi frowned. "You wanted to know what to do, and this is pretty much the best thing you can do right now. Just let him and the others be for now."

"…Wait!" Urahara exclaimed, as if just had a brilliant idea. "What about those two henchmen of Aizen's that I kept alive? They probably won't have much use for information, but couldn't I send them to Ichigo? So that he knows that at least they are still alive?"

"No, no." Yoruichi said, shaking her head. "It's better if you don't do that. Considering Ichigo's current state of mind, this would probably only make him even bitterer towards you. I mean, you basically kept only two alive, when you could have let all of them live. It is really for the best if you just do what I suggested."

Urahara groaned. "People can be so annoying… but fine. Ichigo and his friends will be irrelevant to me for the time being. And in the meantime… I suppose we might give some old friends of ours a call."

oOo

The ever-present sense of venerability, eternity and oppressive authority that the captain's meeting hall always carried itself weighed thickly over the assembled leaders of the Gotei's military divisions, not at all eased by the emotional gloom hanging over them. They had been betrayed, played for fools, and the Gotei was now facing an unprecedented threat from a uniquely powerful and dangerous opponent. No matter what happened, the coming months would shape Gotei history, and they would all be key players, written down in the annals of the Gotei. Many of them might die, and while the death of a captain here and there was not too strange, they faced the end of the world as they knew it- not only their lives would be at stake, but the very order of their organization, the fundament the Gotei had been built upon.

Every last captain was present, even Zaraki and Kurotsuchi; the soutaichou had been quite clear how he felt about people missing a war meeting. Every division stood represented, the captains quietly waiting for their leader to speak up. Soifon stood to the left, closest on her side to the soutaichou, and observed the other captains from under her mask of indifference. Many hid their emotions quite well, such as Kuchiki Byakuya or herself, while others still were visibly shaken, like Ukitake Jushiro, or Komamura Sajin. Others still seemed bored- uninterested, such as Kenpachi and Kurotsuchi. They had little in common, except how neither of them seemed to think their place was here.

Looking uneasy in his new haori, still not worn in, was Abarai Renji. Representing ninth and third were their vice-captains, Hisagi Shuhei and Kira Izuru, looking even more uneasy. It was not strange; both of them had truly believed in their captains, worked closely with them, and now shouldered the full responsibilities of running an entire division- not to mention attending an official war council.

"As all are present," Yamamoto-soutaichou finally said, his old, gravelly voice carrying across the room clearly, "I declare this war council in session."

All heads turned toward him, looking at the ancient warrior. This would be the first true test of leadership he had faced for centuries. Under him, the Gotei had grown strong, stable, peaceful, powerful, facing few threats capable of upsetting its reign. Powerful.

We grew powerful, all right, Soifon thought. Complacent. We got too comfortable, too used to never being challenged, too fixated on the status quo.

None admonished themselves more than she did. It was her job to know things, and this… she had not seen it coming. Nobody had.

"As you all know, we have been betrayed." Yamamoto rumbled. "We face all-out war, against a force of vast and unknown power. Should we fall, the very fabric of the universe might rupture, as the balance of soul becomes upset and unstable. There can be no failure in this war. We must win, even if it costs us all our lives. We face war, and it shall be ugly."

Kenpachi grinned. He was alone; the hall was full of stern, serious faces, solemn in the face of the impending conflict.

"What may come is unknown. Aizen Sousuke has obtained an artefact of immense power, and has allied himself with our greatest enemy. As we speak, he musters his forces." The old soutaichou nodded at Soifon. "Intelligence officer, report what is known."

Taking a step forward, Soifon stood to attention, and spoke up, loudly and clearly.

"We know very little at this time. Based on conjecture from ex-captain Urahara Kisuke-" she managed not to cringe and stutter at the mention of his name, which made her a little proud- "we believe he intends to artificially create arrancar. Should he have more than a few Vasto Lorde, we may well face oblivion. He may strike at any time, from any point. As far as we know, he cannot directly assault the Gotei itself, although it cannot be ruled out that he has found a method. It is also unknown what his true objective is. To be honest, we know very little with any certainty. A megalomaniacal tyrant threatens to usurp us, using our greatest enemies."

She grit her teeth. They knew so little, and it felt like a failure to admit it. To lie would be even worse, though.

"How strong is the Gotei's defenses at this point?" Kuchiki spoke up. "My division is fit and battle-ready, should an invasion come. However, we must work in unison. All divisions must be accounted for. Do we have a battle plan?"

"We do," Soifon said. "However, because of the Gotei's defenses, it is considered unlikely he will strike here first. He will likely want to draw us out, and face us on our own terms. He may be mad with power, but Aizen Sousuke is also intelligent, and has an intimate knowledge of our defenses and battle tactics. We must face him. He knows this."

"And face him, we will!" Yamamoto rumbled. "Our enemy knows us well, and we know nearly anything about him. That advantage is his. However, we have a strong force of powerful, experienced fighters. He knows it well; in terms of power, we outdo him. Alone, he cannot win this. He will want us to make a strategic mistake, and capitalize on it. We will face him when he challenges us, and crush his rebellion into dust. This we must do, in the name of the Soul King."

"We are also investigating various sites of particular spiritual power in the world of the living," Soifon said. "In particular, he seems to have shown some interest in Karakura town, and its wild cards."

"Then that may well be our battleground," Byakuya said, nodding sagely. "But why?"

"Again, little is known. It may be nothing at all," Soifon said neutrally. "We will continue to attempt to gather information on him, but he is far beyond our reach in Hueco Mundo."

"I want each division ready in case of a full scale invasion." Yamamoto said gruffly. "A direct attack may be his course of action still, and we had best be prepared. Our fortifications will be seen to, and I expect each man to be working overtime to make us ready for war."

"Shit, in the end it'll come down to us lot. You know that, right?" Kenpachi said. "Aizen's a stiff prick. Did you see 'im rising up, talking about being a god? He's full of himself, and he'll want to prove we're better than him. We, the handful strong enough to fight at the highest level, and his handful to boot. He can talk, sure, but it won't change it. We can prepare the Gotei all we want, but it won't matter. It's all about us lot versus what he's got."

"You speak out of turn." Byakuya said, his eyes narrowing. "You had best not disrespect the men and women serving under our command."

"Silence!" Yamamoto rumbled. "I will have no petty disputes, no grudges, not at this time. Intelligence officer, you mentioned Karakura- and its wild cards. What of them?"

"They have been observed, as ordered." Soifon said. "Mostly, it confirmed what we already knew- quite powerful, but unrefined."

"What is your opinion of them?" Yamamoto said. "Do they pose a risk? Do you recommend they be purged?"

Soifon hesitated. She had a bias here, she knew; Yoruichi-sama cared about these people and she cared about Yoruichi-sama. But she had to give an answer…

"Not at this time, no," she said, keeping her voice even. "They are powerful indeed, four of them managing to defeat one captain- albeit an agitated, distracted one. However, their overall power is not strong enough to consider them a direct threat, nor are they hostile to us."

Yamamoto gave her a slight nod. "We cannot afford any loose cannons at this time. They will need to be monitored... which brings me to the next point. By now, it is fair to make the assumption that Aizen and his henchmen have a certain kind of interest in Karakura Town. Because of that, we will deploy a small troop of high-ranking officers led by a captain to watch over the town. This way, we'll be able to react to any advances that our enemies make far sooner, while also keeping a closer eye on the aforementioned wild cards in the area."

He made a pause and looked at the other members of the meeting, most likely to try and see if there was any opposition to his plans. After meeting the head captain's gaze with a neutral expression, Soifon also took a quick look around. As it was to be expected, most of the other captains seemed to silently approve of the plan. Kenpachi grinned so wildly that it was painfully obvious that he'd gladly take this chance to be at the frontlines, while Kurotsuchi similarly made it obvious that anything that would keep him away from his research should stay as far away from him as possible. The two vice-captains, Kira and Hisagi, as well as Abarai seemed more confused about the sudden silence than anything. Shiba Isshin stared at the ground, looking relieved. Wasn't one of the substitutes his son…?

Soifon let her mind wander a bit. If she were to lead that mission, it would give her a chance to be near Yoruichi… of course, the main objective would have the highest importance, but such a chance to be near her would not come again any time soon. But… no. Soifon was the leader of the omnitsukido. She could not just jump at a mission just because of her personal involvement in it. Whether she would lead the mission or not would be up to head captain alone.

"Shiba Isshin." He said, completely ending any second thoughts that Soifon still had. "One of the substitute Shinigami that we will need to keep a closer eye on is, if I remember correctly, your son. In addition to that, you also have a bit of a history with Karakura Town, and are the most familiar with it out of any of us. Therefore, you'll be leading the mission."

Startled, Isshin looked up, and gave Yamamoto a confused look. Then he nodded. "Ah. Yes, I can do that, soutaichou. Is there anything that I should keep in mind while selecting the other members of this mission?"

"You are free to use any members of other squads that are not otherwise occupied. Prioritize Shinigami that have interacted with the wild cards before, such as Kuchiki Rukia. Soifon will hand you a list after the meeting. Make sure-"

"If I might interject, soutaichou." Unohana suddenly said, cutting him off. "Even it's not absolutely certain that this is a frontline mission, I would still suggest that Shiba-taichou takes along a member of my squad for medical support. My fukutaichou, Isane, should be free for this."

Yamamoto grunted approvingly. "Very well. You can work out the exact details of the mission later, Shiba-taichou. For now, there is still much to discuss." He paused, and looked at the other captains with a grim expression. "But know this- I have steered the Gotei right for a thousand years, and I shall let no upstart change this. Like a light in the darkness, we will stand and hold firm- or we will die trying."

oOo

Elsewhere, in a place that was as far away from the captain hall as any place could be, an all too similar group of people had gathered. The room they were in was built entirely out of a light black stone, with a soft white light illuminating it, making for an overall atmosphere that most would describe as unsettling.

"Most" did however also not live in a world where an atmosphere and surroundings such as the one in this room was practically omnipresent.

Remaining entirely silent, Aizen let his gaze wander through the room. Seated around the long table in the middle were all of his new subordinates, the Espada, along with Gin and Kaname. For the time being, everyone was perfectly silent, even if doing so seemed to provide a great challenge to a select few members of those present.

Seeing all of his Espada gathered around like this, Aizen felt a certain sense of pride. The vast majority of them had just been hollows of one degree or another. But now... now, the Espada were a force unlike anything ever seen in Soul Society, Hueco Mundo or the world of the living, no doubt even dwarfing the combined strength of the Gotei 13's captains. And it all was because of his brilliance, as well as the little tool that he had taken from Urahara, the Hogyoku. Of course, ultimately, neither the Hogyoku nor the power of the Espada were truly necessary for him to conquer Soul Society, but having both was still a welcome asset.

At the thought of welcome assets, Aizen could not help but to shoot a glance behind him. His ever-vigilant self-proclaimed bodyguard, Momo was standing behind him, wearing a white uniform not unlike the ones that him, Gin and Kaname were wearing. Ready to take action against anyone who acted out of line towards him, she quietly observed everyone present. Foolish as this was, as she was clearly weaker than any of the Espada, Aizen could not help but to be impressed by her courage. In general, Momo had been full of surprises since joining him: Had Aizen at first expected her to struggle with adjusting to the environment of Hueco Mundo, where hollows of all kinds were constantly around, she quickly smashed those expectations by proving herself to be an efficient leader to the small group of Arrancar that he had put under her command. All in all, Aizen could not be more satisfied with this ally that never thought he would have in all of this.

Truly, between his subordinates and his other war preparations everything went absolutely fine for Aizen... with one exception. Minor as it may be, Urahara disposing of his fullbringers was an annoyance. And though he did not like to admit it to himself, the thought of what that accursed shopkeeper might still be planning was nagging at the back of his mind, telling him that there were still things in this war that he could not entirely calculate... but then again, Urahara simply had no forces to pose any noteworthy threat. Aizen had worked around him once, and he would do it again if the man was foolish enough to stand in his way.

Smiling contently, Aizen directed his attention towards the increasingly impatient Espada. He had tried their patience for long enough... it was time to get to the point. "Thank you so much for joining me here today, my loyal subjects. It is time that we discuss our first strike against the Soul Society..."