Kick About, Destroy, Bind

by MJLCoyoteStarrk

Aizen is set to take over the Gensei Provinces and three former Espada can stop him, but can they get anyone to believe them in time or will they be forced to stand alone? Official theme music: "The Ecstasy of Gold" and "The Trio" by Ennio Morricone

10. Chapter 10: The Sacrificial Lambs

Kick About, Destroy, Bind

Chapter 10: The Sacrificial Lambs

Karakura River

Renji didn't know where he was going.

He only knew that he couldn't face Rukia. He practically admitted that he loved her. However, to have an Arrancar…no…AN ESPADA point it out was just too much for him to handle. He barely noticed the people around him. He stopped at the banks of the Karakura River and looked out over its glimmering surface.

"Who am I kidding?" he asked himself. "She likes Ichigo so why should I even bother?"

You bother because you love her and you don't want to regret never telling her yourself.

"RENJI!" someone cried out.

He turned and saw Rukia coming towards him.

"Rukia, what are you doing here?"

"Listen, I just got word from Mizuiro and…and something bad happened."

"What is it?"

"Not here," she said and looked around. "People might panic."

"What are you talking about?"

"Renji, we…we have a situation."

Karakura Hotel

"ARE YOU SURE?" Sentaro and Kiyone cried out.

"I'm sure," Keigo said. "All of Central 46 was just…massacred."

"This is not good," Hitsugaya said.

"Hanataro, I need you to get Isshin Kurosaki," Unohana said. "He might find something. Make sure he doesn't go to the Pinkerton Agency."

"Uh…why wouldn't he go to the Pinkerton Agency?" Keigo asked.

"Mr. Asano, we have reason to believe that the Pinkerton Agency has been infiltrated by Shadow Lurker," Ukitake said.

"That's impossible," Keigo said and laughed, but he fell silent when he saw that none of the others were laughing. "Why do you say that?"

"It's because members of Kage no Tanken ambushed our train," Kyoraku said. "The only agency that we know that has access to all Privatized Squads is the Pinkerton Agency."

Central 46 Rotunda

"What do you think happened here?"

Tatsuki turned and saw Tsukishima walking towards her.

"Well, sir," she said. "The best I can tell is that persons unknown broke into the Central Chamber. The guards who we stationed here were probably taken by surprise, but…"

"What is it?"

"Well, why were the guards in here?"

"Hmm, that is a good question," Tsukishima said. Yes, I knew that you would think that was odd. Now, let's see if you reach the conclusion I want you to reach. "What do you think, Miss Arisawa?"

"Why are you asking me, sir?"

"It's because you're a new recruit and fresher eyes have a way of seeing things that older eyes miss. So, why do you think they were in here?"

"The massacre was already taking place," Tatsuki said. "That would mean that someone who had access to the Central Chamber before the Closed Council began."

Good.

"What about this one here?" Tsukishima asked and pointed to Hanza Nukui.

"Probably an accomplice," Tatsuki said. "He had the mark of Kage no Tanken on him and he had something in his pocket. However, I didn't touch it in case Sheriff Kurosaki needed for everything to be the same way as we found it."

"That's good. Where is Sheriff Kurosaki?"

"I sent Mizuiro to find him. Keigo is getting the Gotei Officers who arrived yesterday."

Hmm, that might be a problem, but then again…

"Yes, the Gotei will need to be informed of the situation. I'll contact them about this. In the meantime, I want you to secure the scene and make sure that the civilians don't find out about this. If anyone asks, just give them an excuse. We wouldn't want to cause a panic; especially since Día de los Muertos is approaching."

"I understand, sir," Tatsuki said. "We might be able to get leads on who's responsible. This one was definitely Kage no Tanken," she said and pointed at Hanza Nukui. "However, someone got sloppy. There were a series of boot prints that we can use and a weapon and…this," she said and held up the final item that Tsukishima dropped: a silver cigarette case engraved with a diamond with two crossed revolvers in the center.

"Is that…?" Tsukishima asked, although he already knew what it was.

"It is," Tatsuki said. "It must belong to someone who at least served in the Gotei."

Sheriff's Office

Renji rushed to the desk and looked over at the prisoners. They were all present and accounted for so they were not responsible for whatever happened. Rukia didn't tell him much on the way over except that something happened at the Central 46 Rotunda.

"What's going on?" he asked aloud. "First, two Chief Justices were murdered and now something else has happened."

"Excuse me, but what are you talking about?"

He turned and saw Apacci leaning forward, hands pressed against the bar.

"What's it to you?" Renji snarled.

"Well, you're talking to yourself," Apacci said. "That either means that something really serious has happened or you're going insane."

"Apacci, just let him be," Harribel said.

"Yes ma'am," Apacci said and she backed away from the bars to slouch against the wall.

"So, what is going on?" Starrk asked from where he sat.

"I don't know," Renji snapped. "And I sure as Hell ain't telling you. Here," he said and tossed a newspaper from his desk to him. "Read this if you want to know."

"Thanks," Starrk said and he reached to where the folded newspaper fell.

"Whatever," Renji said. "Now you be good li'l doggies and stay until I get back. If you behave, I'll give you a treat," Renji said and laughed as he left.

"What a fucking asshole," Apacci snarled.

"No shit," Mila Rose said. "What's his problem?"

"It's hard to say," Sung-Sun said as she looked out the barred window. "At any rate, something must be going on for him not to pull his gun on you."

"Oh shut up, Sung-Sun," Apacci sighed.

"Well, what does it say?" Lilynette asked Starrk who was busy reading the paper.

"Not much," Starrk said as he read the paper and tossed it aside. "Alright, so we know that something's going and Ichigo won't trust us."

"Yeah," Harribel said. "But that Rukia girl seems to have a level-head on her shoulders."

"I agree. We know that at least Captain Kyoraku is here so we have an ally in him at least. Also, Ulquiorra is still on the loose. However we can't exactly do much where we are," Starrk said and looked over at Lilynette. "Did you tell Ulquiorra the back-up plan in case we needed to use it?"

"I did," Lilynette said and smiled. "I'm sure he's going over it with Orihime even as we speak."

Alley

Ichigo groaned as he sat up. His vision was slightly blurred, but it was clearing up. However, his head felt as though someone was pounding it with a sledge hammer.

"Shit," he moaned and rubbed his head.

"Are you alright, Ichigo?" Shinji asked.

He looked at him and gave the so-so gesture with his left hand as his right continued to rub his head.

"Yeah," Ichigo said. "Except that my head feels like a ton of rocks crashed on it. So, how did you end up here?"

"I'm not really sure," Shinji said. "One moment I'm walking to Visored Headquarters and then I hear a noise coming from here. The next thing I know…POW! Lights out. Then, I wake up to see your ugly face close to me."

"I was looking for Renji when I heard you moaning. Then someone hits me on the head and I'm waking up here."

"Come on, I'm sure that your deputies are worried about you," Shinji said as he pulled Ichigo from the dirt. They walked out of the alley when someone shouted to them.

"THERE YOU ARE, DUMBASS!"

They turned and saw Hiyori leaping in the air sideways. Her feet made contact with Shinji's face and he was sent flying backwards. He got up, clutching his bleeding nose.

"OW! WHAT THE HELL?"

"We've been looking everywhere for you, Dumbass," Hiyori said and looked at Ichigo. "Rukia came by to see if we saw you. Apparently something's happened. You both need to get your asses to the Central 46 Rotunda right now. She already sent Chad to talk with Xcution and they should be there by now."

Ichigo looked at Shinji. He saw that Shinji was also thinking the same thing.

"Hiyori, what happened?" Shinji asked.

Fort Seireitei

Aizen read the message that Tsukishima sent and smiled.

"Make sure no one else sees this," he said and handed it back to the dark-haired man at the telegram.

"Yes sir," the soldier said. "Would that be all, Lord Aizen?"

"No," Aizen said. "Send a message to Tsukishima. Tell him to take care of the rest of Kage no Tanken. They've served their purpose."

"Yes sir," the soldier replied.

"Then I want you to send a false note to Yamamoto informing him that Central 46 has come to a decision about Los Lobos and his companions. You know what to say."

"Yes sir," the soldier said as he rolled the actual message into a ball and threw it into the stove. Aizen smiled as he watched the paper burn. Soon, the Gensei Provinces would burn as well.

Fort Kusajishi

Captain Amagai walked through the rows of cots. He was disturbed at the number of soldiers who were going through withdrawal. Whatever they had been on must have been extremely strong and addictive.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "How could this have happened?"

"Sir," Lieutenant Kibune said. "I'm afraid that we lost another four men."

"I see," Amagai whispered and bowed his head. So far they had lost ten men to severe withdrawal from whatever drug they were on. He had seen men go through withdrawal from morphine and heroin and cocaine, but in those cases, death was extremely rare. However, with whatever drug they were facing, the fatality rate of withdrawal was higher than any other drug he heard of. "I want you to inform Fort Seireitei of the situation. Tell them to send Captain Kira or Captain Hisagi with more men at once. We'll try to make do with whoever can still hold a rifle."

"That won't be enough if the Arrancars decide to attack us," Kibune said.

"I know, but we don't have much of an option right now."

Central 46 Rotunda

Ichigo knelt beside the corpse of Kaname Tosen.

So much for Starrk's story, he thought. He reasoned that if Tosen was dead then that meant that Aizen couldn't be involved. Aizen never struck him as the type of man who would betray those he swore to protect.

"What are we going to do?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo looked at her and got to his feet. He ran a hand through his orange hair as he looked at the scene of death that surrounded him. Shinji was with the other Visoreds and they were busy taking photos of the scene that would be sent to Fort Seireitei. He also saw that Kugo was talking with Tatsuki and Mizuiro.

"Even the Privatized Squads are getting involved with this," Ichigo muttered.

"What?"

"Oh, sorry Rukia, I was just noticing that even the Privatized Squads are handling the situation."

"Yeah, but I wanted to know what we're going to do. You know this will cause a panic. We're fortunate that it's close to Día de los Muertos."

"Yeah," Ichigo said. "People are too busy getting ready for the festivities. Right now, we keep it quiet until after the festivities."

"What should we do about those who are curious of as to what we're doing here?" Renji asked. "Everyone knows that during the Closed Council, no one is allowed in."

Ichigo sighed. He knew that people noticed them going in, but at the same time they also tried to keep out of Central 46 business during Closed Council sessions. It was one of those times when they could use Gensei traditions to their advantage, but they were severely limited.

"We tell them what's going on," Ichigo said. He saw that Renji was about to protest. "We don't have any other choice, Renji. If we stay silent then that will cause people to spread rumors and that's the last thing we need."

"I know, but Ichigo," Renji said. "Won't telling them what's going on only cause them to panic?"

"Renji, they're not Borderlanders or Arrancars. We tell them that we've got a good idea of who's responsible and will bring swift justice on the parties responsible," Ichigo said. "People need to be reassured that even when something like this happens, we're going to take care of it."

"Well, those are the words of a true sheriff," Kyoraku said as he and Ukitake approached.

"Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake," Renji said and saluted. "It's been a while sir."

"Yeah, yeah," Kyoraku said and sighed as he looked around him. "This is a mess. Who would have thought that Central 46 would be reduced to a pile of corpses? Have you found anything?"

"So far, the only bits of evidence we found were a series of bloody boot prints from one of the perpetrators," Tatsuki said as she approached. "We also found a revolver that was fired and a note in that one's pocket," she said and pointed to Hanza Nukui's corpse.

"Wait a minute," Ichigo said as he approached the body. "I think this is the one who attacked me in the alley."

"What are you talking about?" Rukia asked.

"I went out to look for you, Renji. I heard Shinji moaning in an alley and when I approached someone came up behind me. I got a brief look at the face and I think this was him."

"Why would someone hit you over the head?" Renji asked.

"Maybe it was to keep him from raising an alarm," Ukitake said. "Did you find anything else, Miss Arisawa?" he asked Tatsuki.

"Only one thing," she said. "It was a silver cigarette case. It had the emblem of the Gotei on it."

They looked at her and then at each other.

El Atormentado

Szayel Aporro led the horses Lumina and Verona to where the other horses were waiting to be loaded onto the train. His amber eyes were fully alert and continually looked back and forth from behind the darkened glasses he wore. So far he didn't see anyone who looked familiar to him, but that didn't mean that he wasn't being followed. After the incident at his ranch, he knew he had reason to be cautious. However, in Szayel Aporro's case, caution only led to paranoia and he knew that his paranoia could be a problem.

"May I help you sir?"

Szayel Aporro nearly jumped out of his skin and he reached for his gun. He would have probably shot the poor conductor on sight if he hadn't mastered his reflex in time. He saw the frightened look on the conductor's face and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Szayel Aporro said and gave a nervous titter. "I'm afraid I must have dazed off there for a bit."

"No, no, no, I should be apologizing," the conductor said. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"Yes, well…"

"I was wondering if you needed help with anything, sir."

"Oh yes," Szayel Aporro said. "I'm just waiting for my horses and the luggage in my cart to be loaded before I board myself."

"I see," the conductor said. "Where are you heading?"

"I'm heading towards Karakura Town. I have some business that needs to be taken care of."

"I see. Would you like me to telegram ahead so that way you'll have a cart ready?"

"Oh that would be wonderful," Szayel Aporro said. "Also, do you have any pink lemonade? I'm awfully thirsty."

Karakura Hotel

Byakuya Kuchiki waited in the smoking lounge when he saw the man he was waiting for walk in. He had heard about Shukuro Tsukishima and he knew that this man was the head of the Pinkerton Agency in Karakura Town.

"Ah you must be Captain Kuchiki," Tsukishima said and put his right-hand over his left breast and bowed. "It is an honor to finally meet a member of the esteemed Kuchiki family."

"You are Shukuro Tsukishima," Byakuya said. "I have heard about you as well from my sister."

"I see. And what has Deputy Kuchiki told you?"

"She has told me that you are an extremely competent young man."

"I'm flattered. Now, how may I be of service?"

"You may start by giving me all of the information that you have on Kage no Tanken."

Tsukishima looked at Byakuya and a part of him wanted to draw the dagger out of his book and shove it into the Captain's throat. However, another part of him understood that doing so would be counter-productive. He hoped that Byakuya did not notice the moment of hatred that came over him. He cleared his throat and he placed the bag onto the table before him.

"I see," Tsukishima said. "Might I inquire as to your interest in Kage no Tanken?"

"My interest is that they tried to kill me and my fellow Gotei Captains. I want to know why they would do such a thing."

Tsukishima wanted to smile. He had been preparing for this even before he gave the order for the Kage no Tanken to perform their little ambush. He reached into the bag and pulled out the files he brought with him.

"Captain Kuchiki," he said. "While I don't pretend to understand their motivations in attacking you and other high ranking Gotei personnel, I do pride myself in getting as much information as I can. Everything that I know about Kage no Tanken are in these files. From what I understand, they were led by a man named Hanza Nukui, now deceased."

"How do you know that this Hanza Nukui is deceased?"

"I recognized his corpse at the Central 46 Rotunda. It stands to reason that one of the guards killed him with a single shot to the head. We…had dealings with Kage no Tanken in the past."

"I see," Byakuya said, hiding his surprise that Tsukishima would tell him this. "What kind of work did you hire him for?"

"We asked for any and all details that he knew about Shadow Lurker. Unfortunately, it seems that even the Pinkerton Agency was deceived. I did not realize that he was also working for Shadow Lurker."

"How do you know this?"

"The note that was found on his person," Tsukishima said and brought out a small bag with the note inside. He held the bag to Byakuya who took it and began to read.

"I don't understand," Byakuya said. "This note mentions that there were other parties involved."

"I must agree," Tsukishima said and looked Byakuya in the eyes. "It would appear that Shadow Lurker is actually more than one person."

Sabaku Desert

Grimmjow rode alone. It was his turn to do patrol and he was glad. It gave him an excuse to get away from the other Espada for a while. He wondered why Aizen had instructions for Aaroniero and Zommari to ride on ahead, but he decided that they were probably being sent as scouts to make sure that the Garganta Pass was clear.

He sighed and stopped his horse, Kitty. He had the feeling that he was being watched. He looked around but did not spot anything. He smiled and began to whistle the tune of "No Regressar" as he walked. He stopped when he heard someone else whistling "No Regressar" and smiled.

"Nel," he said and turned.

Nelliel Tu Odelschwank stood behind him and grinned. She raced towards him and embraced him. Their lips locked and Grimmjow realized how much he missed the taste of cherries that her lips seemed to possess. They parted and looked into each other's eyes.

"I made up some ground," she said.

"I know. But it's just you and Pesche and Dondochakka while I have to travel with an entire army."

"I know. I've been observing the others when I had a chance."

"That's risky. What would happen if someone saw you?"

"I was careful."

"Look, Nel, promise me that you won't do anything too risky. I need for you to stay at least a half day's ride behind us. I would hate for something to happen to you."

"I know you would, but I want to do what I can."

"I know you do, Nel, but…"

"Not another word," she said and put a finger over his lips. "I know you don't want anything bad to happen to me, but I can take care of myself."

"I know. That's what I love about you. Listen, I better ride back to the group and make a report before anyone gets suspicious."

"Grimmjow, promise me you'll be careful."

"I always am," Grimmjow said and kissed her again.

The Main Arrancar Force

Luppi narrowed his eyes as he watched some of the Panteras return from their patrol. Aisslinger was busy counting the boxes of ammunition they brought with them for the Bala-class Shooters.

"Aisslinger," Luppi said.

"What is it? I'm busy."

"Listen, I think that Grimmjow's up to something."

"What are you talking about?"

"When he goes on patrol, he stays out longer than the others. Sometimes it's one of his Panteras who stays out longer. Also, they keep on wandering away from the main force."

Aisslinger sighed and looked at Luppi.

"And why are you telling me this?"

"I need someone to help me keep an eye on them."

"Why? Based on what you told me, it's probably nothing."

"But what if it is?"

"I'll tell you what," Aisslinger said. "I'll help you keep an eye on Grimmjow and his Kitties on the condition that you help me count this shit."

"Fine," Luppi said. "You've got a deal."

Naruki Hotel

Kugo Ginjo looked at the notes he and the other members of the Xcution Squad took at the scene. He was not surprised that Riruka tried to make her notes as pretty as possible with hearts dotting eyes and doodles of flowers and rainbows and unicorns in the margins. Her notes were usually over-ridden with the "cuteness". He put Riruka's notes aside and sighed. So far, only Giriko and Jackie took any notes that could be of use to him. Giriko even went so far as to draw each individual boot print and even included measurements. Based on the measurements, the boot prints were from someone who favored their left foot and wore a size 9 ½.

"Hey Ginjo, Ichigo's here to see you," Jackie said from the doorway. He looked up and saw that she was as sulky as usual since she wasn't permitted to wear her boots.

"Send him in," he sighed and rubbed his eyes.

He looked up when Ichigo walked in with Renji. Kugo leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his chest.

"I need to know what you found out," Ichigo said.

"Well, based on the boot prints, at least one of them is a male who wears a size 9 ½ boot and favors their left foot. Unfortunately, the Pinkerton Agents at the scene took a bit of evidence away before we even had a chance to look at it. Oh…and Riruka can't decide on whether you or Starrk is hotter. That's about it."

Renji snickered while Ichigo glared at him.

"What?" Renji asked. "Come on, you have to admit it's pretty funny."

"Tch…whatever," Ichigo said. "Anyways, I've issued an arrest warrant for all members of Kage no Tanken. I want you and the others to track down as many of them as you can."

"I see," Kugo said. "I've already sent the others to find the other members of Kage no Tanken and I wouldn't be surprised if Tsukishima did the same thing."

"So, what do you think?" Renji asked. "What's going on? I mean, Central 46 has been slaughtered and the majority of people don't even know it yet."

"They will though," Kugo said and sighed. "If we can get at least one member of Kage no Tanken to talk to us, then we may have a chance at finding something out."

Junrinan

Kukaku Shiba carefully measured the ingredients for the fireworks. The days before any major celebration were always the busiest times for her. She sighed and sat back in the wooden chair. She had already completed fifty rockets for the larger fireworks and God only knew how many of the smaller ones that would be launched from beer bottles. She was glad that she had a couple of days left to finish.

"Hey Sis," Ganju said from the doorway.

"What is it?"

"We got a message from Karakura Town. Something's up."

"Your ass is going to be shoved up into your mouth if it's not important. Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I'm sorry, Sis, but this is important."

Kukaku sighed and got up from her work table. She walked to her younger brother and swiped the piece of paper he was holding from his hand. She looked at it and her eyes went wide.

"No…this is…this is impossible," Kukaku said and looked at Ganju. "How many others saw this?"

"Only me and the guy who was at the telegraph," Ganju said. "I made sure he'll be quiet."

"I hope you didn't kill him."

"Don't worry, Sis, I ain't a murderer. But, he did ask for a steep price."

"Ganju, money is the least of our worries. I have to find a way of filling this order on top of the one for the Día de los Muertos celebrations. Although," Kukaku muttered and looked at the message. "I have a feeling that this one is far more important. Ganju, I'm going to need you to get out Ole Betsy."

"Are you sure?"

"Damn right, I'm sure. We're going to have to crank these out the good ole fashion Shiba way."

Karakura Hotel

Byakuya looked over the files that Tsukishima gave him. He looked at Rangiku who was probably not even bothering to look at the pages since her attention was most likely on the bottle of whiskey in front of her.

"Rangiku," Hitsugaya said from his corner. "Get to work."

"Yes, Captain," Rangiku sighed and continued to pretend to work.

"I swear, she can be just as bad as Captain Kyoraku," Hitsugaya muttered.

"It's not our fault," Kyoraku said from the loveseat that he was lying on with one of the files opened and covering his face. "These reports are rather boring."

"Shunsui, they may be boring, but there could be vital bits of information," Ukitake said and sighed. "Sentaro, Kiyone, have either of you found anything?"

"Not a thing, Captain," Sentaro said. "But, I'm sure that I can find what we're looking for faster than Short Round over here."

"Who are you calling 'Short Round', Goat Face?" Kiyone asked.

"That should be perfectly obvious. If you can't figure it out, I know a replacement job you can do. I heard that newspaper boys get paid rather well."

"Why you…" Kiyone growled.

"Enough you two," Kyoraku said, "less talk and more reading."

"Perhaps you should try taking your own advice," Hitsugaya muttered.

"I heard that your meeting with Shukuro Tsukishima went well," Unohana said. "From what you told us, we can assume that Shadow Lurker is more than one person."

"At least, Tsukishima seems to think so," Byakuya said. "Considering that the note said, 'Our instructions' it makes sense. However, I got a feeling from Tsukishima that was rather…hostile. He had a look in his eyes that told me he wanted to kill me."

"That's nothing new," Ukitake said. "When I tried to deal with a Pinkerton Agent, I got the same glare. They think that the Gotei is only good for protecting the Gensei Provinces from Arrancars; anything else is their jurisdiction."

Byakuya nodded in agreement. He looked over the files and then he stood up. The other Officers in the room looked at him.

"What is it?" Isane asked.

"We might have a lead," Byakuya said and showed them the file. "According to this, Ryo Utagawa is perhaps the easiest member of Kage no Tanken to identify. He always carries a Death's Head Viper with him."

"Wasn't Uryu's father attacked by a Death's Head Viper?" Kyoraku asked.

"Yes," Unohana said.

"Well, it's a start," Hitsugaya said. "Rangiku, I want you and Isane and Sentaro to search for him, but be careful. He has a Death's Head Viper that he uses as a weapon."

Karakura Town

"Shit," he muttered as he ran. He looked at the Death's Head Viper that was draped over his neck like a tie. "That bastard betrayed us, Fried. He set us up. Damn it, I have to let the others know."

"I'm afraid that I can't let you do that, Ryo."

Ryo Utagawa's eyes widened. He turned around and saw Tsukishima approaching him.

"You bastard," Ryo growled. "Why were there Pinkerton Agents at my apartment?"

"They were there to take you into custody," Tsukishima said and smiled. "Of course, you resisted and they killed you by accident."

"What are you talking about?" Ryo asked, panic crawled up his spine.

"It's quite simple," Tsukishima said. "When people find out that Central 46 has been completely annihilated, they're going to want to blame somebody. I'm just providing them with the fall-guy."

"You…you son of a whore," Ryo growled and held out his arm. The Death's Head Viper began to crawl on his arm and was coiling itself, waiting for her master to give the order. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"It's because your part in our plan is over," Tsukishima said. "However, while Aizen wanted to have you eliminated in secret, I thought of a better idea. You can still be useful to us…just not alive."

"You bastard," Ryo said. "How many of us are you going to kill?"

"Hmm, that's a good question. I think that…at least half of you should suffice. The rest can go on the run and get caught and strung up a sour apple tree for all I care. However, for those who know who's behind it all…well, dead men tell no tales, right?"

"Damn you. FRIED, ATTACK!"

The Death's Head Viper immediately launched herself at Tsukishima who only stood where he was and smiled. In one swift and fluid motion, he unsheathed the dagger from his book and cut off the snake's head. Ryo watched in horror as his beloved pet was cut in two and Tsukishima was twirling the snake's tail as though it was a piece of string.

"That wasn't very nice," Tsukishima said and tossed the snake's tail to the ground and kicked its head away from him.

"Fried," Ryo gasped and then looked in horror at Tsukishima. "You're…you're not human."

"Well I'm not an ordinary human if that's what you mean. You know, you made me lose my place in my book," he said and looked at the book in his hand. "That's too bad. I hope that you're willing to take responsibility for what's going to happen."

"Get away from me," Ryo muttered.

"You know. It was a mistake for you to only use one weapon. Now you're unarmed and I'm…" he said and slashed Ryo's throat with a swift and graceful move of his wrist. "I'm not."

Ryo tried to stop the bleeding, but the wound in his neck was too deep. He looked up and saw that Tsukishima was now holding a revolver.

"I think I might have made a mistake in cutting you," he said. "But then again, he's also good with a blade."

Ryo didn't understand what Tsukishima was talking about and at that point it didn't matter. He knew that he would die and Tsukishima leaned against the wall to watch.

"Oh what a pity that I didn't make it on time to save your life," Tsukishima said. "I could have been able to ask you my questions."

Ryo understood. The Kage no Tanken were nothing more than sacrificial lambs now. The last thing he saw before darkness took him was Tsukishima rushing towards him.

"DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME YOU FUCKER," Tsukishima yelled.

Damn you, Ryo thought as Death took him.

Sheriff's Office

"So, what do you think?" Kyoraku asked.

Starrk sat in thought while Harribel paced the room. They had been brought out of their cell and into the small office to listen to what Kyoraku knew. Starrk was glad. This was more information than he got from the newspaper that Renji threw at him.

"This is big," Harribel said. "We've been hearing people talking about this in the streets."

Kyoraku nodded. He knew that when people saw members of the Privatized Squads go into the Central 46 Rotunda during a Closed Council Session, then something must be going on. He heard many rumors going around as well. Everything from that one of the Chief Justices stubbed their toe to a bomb threat to a murder.

"Ichigo will have to let them know before the rumors get too out of hand," Kyoraku said.

"What about the bankers?" Starrk asked.

Harribel and Kyoraku turned to look at him.

"What are you talking about?" Kyoraku asked.

"I overheard a couple of bankers outside my cell mentioning something about a major gold shipment being stolen from the Garganta Line. I think that the two might be related."

Kyoraku leaned back and sighed. There were too many pieces of the puzzle on the table that he couldn't see how they fit. He never heard about the robbery of the Garganta Line. However, many would view that as proof that Gin wasn't involved after all. However, gold was precious. Without the Gensei Provinces large reserves of gold, there was nothing to back up their currency. If their currency couldn't be backed up, then it became little more than pieces of toilet paper.

That was when Kyoraku thought he saw a glimmer of the pattern of what was going on. He sat up and brought out his notebook and pen. Starrk and Harribel looked at him as he began to draw on it.

"Now it makes sense," Kyoraku said. "First, you told us that Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen were involved, right?"

"That's right," Harribel said.

"Kaname became a Chief Justice on Central 46 while Gin Ichimaru became head of the largest bank in the Gensei Provinces," Kyoraku said and showed them the piece of paper.

Starrk nodded his head while Harribel gasped at what the series of interconnected lines meant.

"Yes," Starrk said. "The slaughter of Central 46 will cause a breakdown in law and order because people believed them to be a constant. However, when this will happen is unknown since the Gotei is still around. Likewise, the massive theft of gold will cause an economic collapse since the Gensei currency will be worth little more than children's play money without something to back it up. These two things: a breakdown in law and order and a worthless currency will cause the Gensei Provinces to weaken severely. However, martial law can be put into effect if the Gotei is still able to function as a united and coherent group. But how long will that last?"

"It's hard to say," Kyoraku said. "But, I don't get something. Why did Kaname die if he was also a part of it?"

"You just answered your own question," Harribel said. "He died because all of the Chief Justices had to die. It would look suspicious if even one Chief Justice was allowed to live."

Kyoraku nodded. That was the same conclusion that Byakuya reached, but he had to make sure.

"In the meantime, I'm sure that you and your fellow Captains will act as Appointed Justices," Starrk said. "That should be enough to reassure people and keep them from rioting."

"Maybe that's why we were attacked," Kyoraku said. "Whoever attacked us did not want us to reach Karakura Town."

"It's likely," Starrk said. "But, I want you to tell us more about this Tsukishima person. You mentioned that he's head of the Karakura branch of the Pinkerton Agency."

"That's right," Kyoraku said. "Why?"

"It's just that I never heard of him," Starrk said. "But, he sounds like the type that Aizen would want at his side."

United Hogyoku Bank Headquarters

Gin Ichimaru smiled at the silver-framed photograph he kept hidden in his drawer. He only brought it out whenever he needed some level of comfort or a reminder. He sighed and put the photo back into the drawer. He got up and made his way into the foyer. Not many people were in since they were all probably gathering at the Central 46 Rotunda. He knew that Ichigo was going to make a statement now and he couldn't wait to hear what he had to say.

"I'm going out for a bit," Gin said to the Shift Leader. "I won't be back in for most of the day."

"Very good, sir," the woman said as she bowed. "I'll take care of things here then."

Gin nodded and smiled as he went out into the hot late afternoon. He got word from Tsukishima that Ryo had been taken care of and that just left Jin Kariya, Yoshino Soma, Yoshi, and Ugaki to take care of.

Senkaimon Express Platform, Karakura Town

Ugaki looked about the platform for any sign of the others. However, he didn't see them. He took out his pocket watch and looked at it. If they didn't arrive soon, he would leave them behind. He knew that something wasn't right when they hadn't heard from Hanza Nukui and that was confirmed when he received a call from Jin telling him that Pinkerton Agents were coming after them and that Hanza was dead.

He told Jin that he would take the next train out of Karakura Town and Jin agreed to meet him. However, none of the others were here and he was getting a bad feeling about it. He looked around the station and saw that some of those on the platform were looking at him.

"Shit," he whispered.

In the distance, he could hear the train coming. He looked at the plains across the track and saw a group of men on horses. He suddenly realized that he was trapped. No wonder why none of the others came. They must have seen the Pinkerton Agents and decided to try to find another way out. He had miscalculated. He reached into his pocket and brought out his pack of poisoned-edge cards. If he had to, he would fight his way out.

"Excuse me, sir," someone said.

He did not think. Ugaki took the card at the top of the deck and scratched the conductor's throat. The conductor looked wide-eyed and began to struggle for breath as the poison took effect. Ugaki saw that the Pinkerton Agents were making their way towards him. Ugaki took the next card from the deck and threw it with excellent precision. The card dug into one of the agent's shoulder. The other agents brought out their guns.

Those who were ordinary citizens began to scream as shots rang out. Ugaki rushed to a pile of luggage and felt something hit him in the side. He stumbled and threw another card, but this one went wide and struck a fleeing woman in the back. He snarled and threw his cards one after another. Some cards hit fleeing pedestrians while others embedded themselves into the station walls or floor. However, some found their mark and another agent would go down, struggling for breath and already as good as dead.

"Shit. Shit. SHIT!" Ugaki screamed as he tossed another card.

The whistling of the train was coming closer and it was already putting on the breaks. Ugaki decided that he would try to make a run for the exit. He got the rest of his deck of cards ready, but as he began to run, he tripped over a piece of luggage. He went sprawling and watched as his deck of cards scattered out of his hand.

"No. No. No. No. I refuse to accept this," he muttered as he crawled to reach at least one card. "I REFUSE TO DIE!"

He looked around and saw the Pinkerton Agents rushing towards him. There was only one thing he could do. He got to his feet and began to run towards the platform. He reached for the revolver he kept hidden under his coat. As he got closer to the edge, he saw the train coming closer. If he could time his jump just right then he would only have to deal with the agents on horseback. However, before he could jump, he felt someone grab him.

"Tsukishima sends his regards," the agent whispered and pushed Ugaki off the edge.

Ugaki landed on the tracks and was mangled beneath the approaching train.

Central 46 Rotunda

Gin Ichimaru watched as Ichigo Kurosaki and Shukuro Tsukishima and Captain Byakuya Kuchiki walked onto the platform. The whispers in the crowd told him that many already had their own theories. Gin looked at Tsukishima and was impressed with how calm he looked.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Ichigo said. "I have something very important to tell you. Now, I've been hearing a lot of rumors going around about what's been going on. I'm afraid that every member of Central 46 has been murdered."

Murmurs rose at that. Ichigo took a deep breath and continued before the murmurs could turn into panic.

"I have asked for Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of the Gotei if he and his fellow Gotei Officers would serve as Appointed Justices for the time being. They have agreed. Thus, law and order will be maintained. We have dealt with problems in the past and we must stay strong if we are going to have a chance. There is very little doubt that the slaughter of Central 46 was a part of Shadow Lurker's plan.

"Shukuro Tsukishima has agreed to send the Pinkerton Agents after the members of Kage no Tanken who carried out the attacks. Make no mistake. We will make sure that justice is carried out. I urge for all citizens of Karakura Town to do their part. Now, are there any questions?"

"Yes," someone called out. "Are the Arrancars in custody a part of this?"

"That's right," someone else called out. "This didn't happen until they came."

"Yes, how do we know that they aren't a part of Shadow Lurker's plan?"

"How do we know that one of them isn't Shadow Lurker?"

"That's right. Ulquiorra 'Night Bringer' Schiffer is still on the loose. Maybe he's Shadow Lurker."

Gin wanted to burst out laughing. This was exactly what they wanted. However, he wondered what Tsukishima was planning. Originally, they were supposed to keep Kage no Tanken's involvement a secret. But now, Tsukishima was making it known.

"That is a very good point," Tsukishima said. "So far, two of the central members of Kage no Tanken, Hanza Nukui and Ryo Utagawa, are dead. My men have reported that they have a third member in their sights and they should be ready to apprehend them. If they succeed, we will do whatever it takes to get answers. In the meantime, the Arrancars who have been arrested will remain in Sheriff Kurosaki's custody."

"Why bother?" someone shouted. "We know those Arrancars are behind it. We should string them up NOW!"

Gin smiled at the sound of the cheers that rose up at that. The long enmity between Arrancars and those who lived in the Gensei Provinces and Borderlands was proving to be an effective weapon. So long as that hatred was this strong, then Aizen's plan would go smoothly. Hatred is the most effective weapon to use. He could tell that Tsukishima was going to use that to get Starrk and Harribel out of the way for good.

Sabaku Desert

Ggio rode next to Sui-Feng towards the front of the Arrancar's main force. He never realized just how beautiful someone could be until he first looked into her eyes. He knew that he shouldn't be growing too attached to her. Baraggan made it clear that she would die the moment that they achieved absolute victory. However, if he could find some way to make sure that she escaped, then he would do whatever it took to make sure she got away before that happened.

"Hey, Ggio," Nirgge said from beside him. "I hope you're not thinking of going against Lord Baraggan's wishes."

"Why would you say that?"

"I see the way you look at our li'l prisoner. You're falling for her. Aren't ya?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Why would I fall for a filthy Gotei Officer?"

"Try to deny it, but it's pretty obvious. I tell ya what. I'll talk to Lord Baraggan about letting you have her before he kills her. Who knows, maybe you'll be the one to pluck her li'l flower. Or perhaps I should have that honor."

"Must you be so crude? You're about as bad as Nnoitora. Besides, she's my responsibility. So you better keep your hands off her."

"Aw, Ggio's in love," Nirgge said and rode away laughing.

"Damn idiot," Ggio muttered.

"Thank you," Sui-Feng said.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"You…you said that you would protect me."

"Come on. We both know that ya can easily take care of yourself. Why should anything that I say make a difference?"

"It just does," Sui-Feng said. "You wondered what happened to my father. I'll tell you if you like."

"I don't want to cause you any more pain than you're already going through."

"It's alright. You see, it was on the same mission that caused my mentor and…and that man to have to leave the Gotei. They were following a lead when they were ambushed. At first, everyone thought it was one of those things, but then evidence was found that suggested that someone fed information to Rudobon.

"It caused a panic in the Gotei and soon everyone was starting to mistrust each other. My father led the investigation and he must have found something because a few days later, he was killed. No one knew who did it, but then…then a piece of evidence was found in a certain Captain's chambers that linked him to the betrayal. We didn't know if it was intentional or not, but he and my mentor were both made prime suspects. However, General Yamamoto decided that they were probably the victims of fraud and that someone else was behind the betrayal. But it was still a serious crime and so they were both sent to live in Karakura Town. "

"I see," Ggio said. "Your mentor…what was her name?"

"It was Yoruichi Shihoin," Sui-Feng said. "The Captain who was punished with her was Kisuke Urahara."

Karakura General

"Well, look who just woke up," Davis Murphy said and smiled over at Kisuke.

"Where am I?" Kisuke asked, groggily.

"You're at Karakura General Hospital, silly," Yoruichi said and smiled at him. "It's good to see that you're up."

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly feeling 100%."

"Here, drink this," Yoruichi said and held out a glass of water for him.

"She never left your side," Davis said and smiled. "At any rate, welcome back."

"How long have I been out?"

"A couple of days or so," Davis said and shrugged. "Kisuke, we…we have something to tell you."

"What happened?"

"It's Central 46," Yoruichi said. "We heard that they were slaughtered. Apparently the Kage no Tanken was behind it and so the Pinkerton Agency is sending their agents to find them."

"Who's in charge of the investigation?"

"We don't know," Davis said.

"But from what we heard, Ichigo made an announcement about it only a couple of hours ago. However, people are getting anxious and some have even suggested breaking into the Sheriff's office to lynch the Arrancars," Yoruichi said.

"Who's keeping law and order?"

"Right now, it's the Captains who came from Fort Seireitei, but they're having a difficult job keeping everyone in line. Ichigo's been helping out as well, but it's putting a lot of pressure on him," Davis said.

"Rukia told us when she came to visit," Yoruichi explained. "Who would have thought that so much could happen in so little time? So far, three of the Kage no Tanken's core agents are dead. Hanza Nukui was killed on their attack on Central 46. Someone killed Ryo Utagawa in an alleyway. And now it looks as if Ugaki jumped in front of a train before the Pinkerton Agents could capture him."

"Wait a minute, what about Kaname or Gin?"

"Kaname Tosen's dead," Davis said. "Gin was nowhere near any of the scenes."

"Then that must mean that the Pinkerton Agency is getting rid of them," Urahara said and sighed. "Why would they do that? What do they have to gain by getting rid of Kage no Tanken and make it known that they were involved?"

"That's what we were talking about when you woke up," Yoruichi said and sighed. "We just don't know. We've been trying to come up with explanations, but…"

"We can't come up with anything concrete," Davis said. "So far, the best we can tell is that it causes for at least one of the plotters to come out of it smelling like a rose. However, it could also be a way of rousing people's hatred against the Arrancars and get the ones in custody out of the way for good."

"Then we have to help them," Urahara said and sat up even straighter, but this caused his head to swoon and his vision to become hazy.

"You let me handle that," Yoruichi said as she pushed him back into bed. "I'm going to break them out tonight before the lynch mob comes for them."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I'll just play it by ear," Yoruichi said and smiled.

Pinkerton Agency Offices

Tatsuki looked at the cigarette case that was found at the scene. She thought that it looked familiar, but she wasn't quite sure.

"Hey Tatsuki," Mizuiro said. "Are you still looking at that thing?"

"What else would I be doing with it?"

"May I take a look?"

"Sure, go ahead," Tatsuki said and sighed. "I don't know why, but I thought I've seen it before."

"Tatsuki, it's not unusual for the Gotei to give gifts like this to former members. It looks like an ordinary cigarette case with the Gotei crest."

"I know, but the gifts that the Gotei gives are usually gold. My father used to serve in the Gotei and when he retired he received a gold pocket watch. But, I've never heard of them giving out gifts made of silver."

"Maybe it's a family heirloom."

"It's possible. I don't know. I could have sworn that I've seen this before, but I can't remember where."

"Maybe you should just stop thinking about it. Don't you remember what our instructor told us when we get stuck on something?"

"Yeah," Tatsuki said. "He always told us that when we stop putting too much pressure on trying to remember something, that's when we remember it."

"Exactly," Mizuiro said. "Well, I better help Keigo fill out the report."

"Yeah, thanks Mizuiro," Tatsuki said and sighed as she put the cigarette case aside.

Outside Karakura Town

Yoshi ran. Behind her the sound of hooves filled the air. The moment her horse was shot from under her she knew that if she would have any chance was to wage guerrilla warfare on the agents. She saw Tsukishima kill Ryo and warned Jin about it. She had a feeling that by the end of the day, none of Kage no Tanken would remain except for Carolyn and her group who would be joining the Arrancar forces at the Garganta Pass.

"Damn you, Tsukishima," she hissed under her breath.

Tsukishima must have been planning this for quite some time; maybe even from when he first contacted them about the job. His agents were too organized and they knew where to go for it to be a sudden-notice operation. She knew that not everyone in the Pinkerton Agency was involved, but she didn't know who to trust among them. It was best not to trust anyone but herself.

She heard her pursuers gaining ground on her. She dodged to the side into a cluster of bushes. She kept silent as she heard voices.

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know."

"Damn it. We need to find her."

Yoshi reached for her revolver and that was when she felt something bite into her hand. She winced in pain, but didn't move. She knew that she had to fight the pain, but something was wrong. Her muscles were beginning to spasm and she could not control it. She could hear the agents pass by as she began to struggle to breathe. Her entire body felt cold and hot at the same time. Her body was covered in cold, clammy sweat.

"Fuck," she moaned before her vocal chords tightened and her throat restricted.

Behind her, the Death's Head Viper slithered away from the bushes to find a new place to rest.

Kurosaki Residence

Isshin Kurosaki sighed.

"Dad, is everything alright?" Yuzu asked.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Karin said. "He's probably tired."

"Isn't Ichigo going to be joining us?" Yuzu asked.

"He's busy right now," Isshin said. "He has responsibilities as sheriff."

"Not to mention he has to find whoever's responsible for the murder at Central 46," Karin said.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Dad, everyone's talking about it. Even before Ichigo announced that Central 46 was murdered, people were talking about it," Karin said and shoveled a spoonful of peas into her mouth.

"Right," Isshin said and sighed.

He knew that his son's duties as a sheriff would be difficult, but now they only got more complicated for him. He remembered when he sent his son to train with the Gotei and how his son stood at the front lines when the Espada attacked four months before. Now, his son was beginning to demonstrate the strains that came with his job.

"Hey Dad, how's Ryuken Ishida doing?" Yuzu asked.

"He's still recovering. Fortunately, he's through the worst of it. He's fortunate to have survived a bite when he was younger."

He was about to take a bite of steak when he heard a noise coming from outside. He sat up straight and rushed to the window. He was surprised to see a group of people gathering at the General Store across the street. They were carrying torches and some of them even had ropes.

"Oh shit," Isshin whispered.

"Dad, what is it?"

"It's nothing. Karin, I want you and Yuzu to go down into the cellar while I handle this."

"Dad, what's…?"

"Just do as I say," Isshin said and Karin knew by the tone in his voice that he was to be obeyed.

"Yes, Dad. Yuzu, come on, we can take our dinners with us into the cellar."

"What's going on?"

"Come on, Yuzu," Karin said as she gathered their dinner plates. "It'd be like when we used to play fort."

Isshin watched as Yuzu and Karin went to the cellar stairs. He sighed and walked towards the case where he kept his gun. He opened it and brought out the revolver he received from his service in the Gotei. He made sure to load it and bring extra casings with him before he left.

He never realized that one piece of his memento from his time in the Gotei was missing.

Outside Karakura Town

Jin Kariya and Yoshino Soma made their way into the Kabe Mountains. He saw that Carolyn and her group were waiting for the Arrancar army to arrive in the Garganta Pass.

"Why aren't they being attacked?" Jin asked himself.

"It's because they don't know who Shadow Lurker is, but we do," Yoshino said. "They're only going after those who were directly involved with Aizen or Tsukishima. Jin, we need to get into the Borderlands before Tsukishima or any of his cronies find us."

"I know, Yoshino. Damn it, I really made a fine leader, didn't I?"

"You couldn't have known that Tsukishima would betray us."

"Hanza suspected and he was killed first."

"Jin, look at me. We are still alive and we have a chance."

"I know, but I hate running like this. I want to see Tsukishima go down in flames for this."

"You will, but to do that, we have to survive. Right now, public sympathy is against us and we need to buy some time to come up with a plan. I'm sure that Tsukishima took the time to come up with a plan on how to deal with us when he was done with us."

"That's exactly right," Tsukishima said as he stepped into the path ahead of them. "It's a nice night to go on a nice little walk, isn't it?"

"What…what are you doing here?" Yoshino asked.

"I'm here to finish the job of course. I figured that you would be trying to escape to the Borderlands. You know. If you had tried to go through the Garganta Pass, you would have succeeded and you would have thrown a wrench in Aizen's plan. So, why didn't you?"

"We didn't know if we could trust Carolyn," Jin said.

"You could have," Tsukishima said and smirked at them. "You should have."

"Look, we just want to go," Yoshino said. "Step aside, and let us go on our way."

"I don't know," Tsukishima said and smiled. "On the one hand, I could. But then you would only…how did you put it? Oh yes, that's right, 'buy some time and come up with a plan.' What kind of plan were you talking about? Were you talking about a plan to start a new life together complete with a house with a white picket fence and a couple of kids? Or perhaps you were talking about a plan to get back at me?"

"Tsukishima, are you doing this on Aizen's orders?" Jin asked.

"I am."

"You do realize that he'll only betray you as well, right?"

"Of course I do. But I intend to survive and come out of this looking like the savior of the Gensei Provinces. However, for that to happen, I cannot have anyone standing in my way."

"We can help you turn against Aizen," Yoshino said. "If you let us go, we'll help you."

"What can you do? The Kage no Tanken is dead. You have nothing to offer me that I haven't taken into consideration. Even if I were to help you, I would have to take what you know into consideration. You see, none of the Pinkerton Agents are loyal to Aizen. They're all loyal to me. Some of them know about my plans, but I'll make sure they meet with an 'accident' when this is over.

"I've taken everything into account."

"Is that so?" Jin asked and smiled. "I have a safety deposit box in a certain bank. If I don't wire in by tomorrow afternoon, they have orders to release what's inside."

"Let me guess," Tsukishima said as he shook his head. "This 'safety deposit box' contains vital pieces of evidence that links me to Aizen and proves that Aizen is Shadow Lurker. Please, I know full well that you have no such safety deposit box or evidence."

"Oh well, it was worth a try," Jin said.

"It was, but unfortunately it didn't work," Tsukishima said and pulled out his revolver. "I suggest that if either of you have anything you would like to say to each other, you should say them now."

"Well, I think that we both think that you should go fuck yourself," Yoshino said.

"Come now, do you really want to go out on that note? Saying 'Go fuck yourself' to your would-be executioner is a bit…cliché."

Yoshino sighed and looked at Jin who looked back.

"Jin."

"I love you too, Yoshino," Jin said and he pulled out his revolver, but he wasn't fast enough.

Tsukishima fired his revolver. Jin and Yoshino both fell with a bullet hole in their foreheads.

"Well," Tsukishima said as he stood over their bodies. "That was touching."

Sheriff's Office

Renji sighed and looked over at the prisoners. He then looked at his pocket watch. He was glad that Rukia wasn't there to see what he was willing to participate in.

"Are ya waiting for something?" Mila Rose asked.

"Shut up," Renji said. "You fucking Arrancars are responsible for this."

"How do you figure?" Apacci asked. "We're behind bars you fucking idiot. How could we be responsible for your problems?"

"YOU HAVE AN ACCOMPLICE OUT THERE!" Renji roared. "Everyone knows that Ulquiorra Schiffer was responsible for the deaths of a group of 45 Gotei soldiers, including my father."

"So, that's why you hate us so much," Starrk said. "Did Ichigo lose someone he loved to an Arrancar?"

"That's none of your fucking business."

"You know," Harribel said. "If you're going to surrender us over to a lynch mob, then don't you think you should tell us everything?"

Renji looked at her in surprise.

"How did you know?"

"Oh please, we're from the Hueco Mundo Wastes," Sung-Sun said. "We know all about lynch mobs. We know how many Arrancars the authorities in the Gensei Provinces and Borderlands handed over to lynch mobs."

"What about Lilynette?" Starrk asked. "Were you actually going to allow a mob to hang a child as well?"

"She's an Arrancar," Renji said.

"You bastard," Starrk said. "You are nothing more than a coward. At least your father died with dignity, but I wonder how he would react hearing that his own son would hand over prisoners to a lynch mob. How would he react if he heard that you were willing to hang a little girl?"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY FATHER, YOU FUCKING ARRANCAR!"

"Then don't hand Lilynette over to them. You call yourself a 'hero', but a hero does not participate in a lynch mob. Lynch mobs are for cowards and weaklings," Starrk said. "People who give into group rage only damn themselves. The gods show mercy for those who die unjustly and that include Arrancars. However, those who participate in mindless violence and do not repent of it are forever damned to wallow in the flaming river of blood."

"Is that what you Arrancars believe?"

"No, it's what Captain Ukitake believes," Starrk said and sighed. "However, an even worse punishment awaits those who would dare bring harm to a child if it's not limited to bringing them up right. I would think that lynching a child is punishable by having your stomach ripped open and the cavity filled with rabid rats before being sewn up at the very least."

"Sorry, but I don't believe in Hell," Renji said and smiled.

"No, but you do fear for your sanity," Mila Rose said. "Can you really live with yourself if you're partially responsible for a child's death?"

Renji tried to speak, but he couldn't say anything. Instead, he looked away from them. He reached for the drawer where he kept his revolver. He decided that he would just shoot every last one of them and to Hell with the consequences. That was when the door opened.

Outside the Kurosaki Residence

"What's going on here?" Isshin asked.

"Hey, Isshin, we were wondering if you were going to show up," a large fat man said.

"Frank, what's going on?" Isshin asked.

"What does it look like?" a weasel-looking man asked. "We're going to hang the fucking Arrancars for what they did. Renji agreed to hand them over to us."

"Are you insane?" Isshin asked. "They were not responsible for the murder of the Chief Justices. They were behind bars."

"That may be, but Ulquiorra is still out there. After all, why should you care? They're Arrancars."

"Are you listening to yourselves? None of you are killers. What's gotten into you? This isn't how things are done in the Gensei Provinces. If you do this, then you're little better than animals. Nothing good ever comes out of a lynch mob."

"If I didn't know any better, Isshin, I would say that you're an Arrancar-lover. Was your wife an Arrancar?"

Silence fell. Isshin looked at the weasel-faced man. The weasel-faced man smirked at him and then Isshin struck him in the face with his fist. The man backed away and reached up to his broken nose.

"You son of a…," he began and stopped when he saw the revolver aimed in his face.

"Now you all listen to me," Isshin said. "I know most of you here and you know me. For God's sake, you knew my wife. Jerry, your kid played with my son when he was five. Charles, your wife and my wife would get together to help with baking. Think about what you're doing. It's nothing but murder. Whether there's a purpose or not, murder is still murder. None of you are murderers. For God's sake, Frank, you own a butcher's shop. Your job is to cut up cattle; not string up kids. There's a little girl among the prisoners. What if she was your daughter?"

"Well I…" Frank began, but fell silent.

"She's an Arrancar," the weasel-faced man said, but hardly anyone cheered.

"Shut up," Isshin said and turned to the man. "You've caused enough trouble. I want all of you to go home and think it over. If you really want justice to be done, then let the Gotei Captains see to it. That's their job; not yours."

One-by-one the others looked at each other and began to go in the direction of their homes. Isshin smiled. The weasel-faced man scurried away like the rat he was. Frank put on of his large, beefy hands on Isshin's shoulders.

"You know, there are other lynch mobs forming all over town."

"I know, Frank, but no one from my neighborhood will be a part of it. Now, tell me where the other mobs are forming. I want to make sure that nobody in Karakura Town does anything they'll regret."

Sheriff's Office

"Orihime," Renji whispered. "What…what's wrong?"

"Renji, it's…it's Night Bringer. He…he came to get me. I ran as fast as I could. I...I don't know where he is now."

"Alright," Renji said and opened the drawer. "You're safe here, Orihime. When Ichigo gets here, I'll let him know what's going on."

"Thank you, Renji," Orihime said and launched herself at him and embraced him. "I'm…I'm so glad."

"Of course," Renji said and sighed. "Ichigo would hate it if anything happened to you. I'll stay here and…"

"What you'll do is back away and put your hands up," Orihime said and aimed Renji's own revolver at him. "I'm sorry, Renji, but…but you're wrong about them."

"Orihime…what are you doing?"

"This is a prison break," Orihime said and smiled. "I'm sorry to have tricked you like that. Oh, you guys better get away from the wall."

"Huh?" Apacci asked.

"GET DOWN!" Starrk cried out as he covered Lilynette.

The wall behind the cells exploded. When the dust cleared, Starrk saw a man and woman he didn't know standing on the other side.

"Wow, Miria that went better than I thought."

"I know, Isaac. That was INCREDIBLE!"

"Okay, so that ends that stage of our little train robbery. We robbed the sheriff. Now, what was the next stage?"

Starrk looked at the two and shook his head.

"Well, it is nice to see that no one got hurt," Ulquiorra said as he walked into the office. "Thank you for the distraction, Orihime. Did you get the keys?"

"I sure did," Orihime said and tossed Ulquiorra Renji's set of keys.

Ulquiorra went to the prison doors and opened them.

"Well, I'm glad that plan went well," Starrk said as he dusted himself off.

"Indeed," Ulquiorra said. "You better gather your things and get ready. Your horses are right outside."

"Then why did you blow up the wall?" Renji asked.

"There are two types of people in this world," Starrk said. "There are those who go out through the front door and there are those who go out through a hole in a wall."

"Apacci, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, get your things and then go northeast for a ways," Harribel said. "Lilynette and Ulquiorra will go south while Starrk and I go northwest. We'll meet at the agreed location."

"You mean…you had this planned?" Renji asked.

"Well, we were really hoping that Ichigo would be cooperative, but since he wasn't…" Starrk said and sighed.

"Orihime, why are you helping them?" Renji asked.

"It's because…" Orihime said and shrugged. "I'm sorry Renji, but you and Ichigo wouldn't understand. Now, sit down. Lilynette, would you please do the honors?"

"Not a problem," Lilynette said and grinned.

"What are you doing?" Renji asked.

"Just this," Lilynette said and struck Renji on top of the head with one of the pieces of firewood lying by the stove. Renji went down with a crash and Lilynette stood over him. "Hmm, I wonder if I should hit him again."

"That is fine," Ulquiorra said. "He will be out for a while."

"Bel, here," Starrk said and held out her revolvers and gun belts.

"Thanks," Harribel said and strapped them on.

"We better hurry," Ulquiorra said. "People are starting to gather and some of them are carrying torches."

"A lynch mob must have arrived," Starrk said. As he broke into Rukia's desk and took out the three wooden boxes she kept there. "Lilynette, I believe this is yours," he said and held out her wooden box. Lilynette grabbed it and held it close to her. "Alright, let's get going," Starrk said and they rushed out into the night.

Roof of the Sheriff's Office

Yoruichi watched as the Arrancars and their helpers raced in different directions. The crowd below began to yell and try to give chase. She chuckled and looked at the explosives that she put over where the bars to the cells were and shook her head.

"Damn, and here I went through all of the trouble of actually getting things set up," she said and sighed. "Oh well at least they got out."

Pinkerton Agency Offices

Tatsuki took a sip of tea as she looked over the reports. She looked at the clock and saw that it was past 10 at night. She sighed as she put her tea cup back onto the saucer and allowed her head to fall back. She was about to fall asleep when she suddenly jerked awake. She stood up and her chair went crashing to the floor.

"That's it. I know where I've seen that cigarette case before," she said and rushed to where it laid.

She felt a surge of excitement and panic rise in her. The excitement was from remembering where she saw the cigarette case before and the panic was from what it meant.

"The boot prints were from a size 9 ½," she muttered. "The first time I saw that cigarette case it was in his hands. No…it's just not possible."

She reached for the cigarette case and opened it. On first look, it was an ordinary cigarette case, but if one took a closer look, they would see that the cushioning for the cigarettes was not original. She pried the cushioning away from the surface. She dumped the cushioning and cigarettes on the table, but was afraid of what she would find.

She kept it face-down on the table and tears began to flow from her eyes.

"Damn it," she moaned. "Why did I have to remember?"

Inoue Residence

"So anyways, this is my place," Orihime said as she entered with Starrk and Harribel. "The others should be arriving once they're done making the false trails."

"But all roads will lead here," Harribel said.

"Ulquiorra will take care of that," Orihime said and smiled. Then her smile faltered and her face became serious. "It's funny, but there was a time when I felt something for Ichigo, but…"

"It's alright," Harribel said. "I used to feel that way about…about someone from before. It happens."

"So tell me. Where did you get the explosives?" Starrk asked.

"Isaac and Miria brought them. They knew how to use them," Orihime said and smiled.

"I'll say," Starrk said. "They're a bit…odd."

"That's for sure," Orihime said. "Well, I better get things ready for the others."

"Do you live here all by yourself?" Harribel asked.

"Yeah, it was just me and my brother, but then he… You know what. Never mind what happened to my brother. There's no need to remember sad stuff right now."

"That's right," Starrk said and sighed.

"I'm sure Lilynette's alright," Orihime said. "She's with Ulquiorra right now."

"Yeah, she is," Starrk said and smiled.

"The others will be here early tomorrow," Orihime said. "They have to be careful. In the meantime, you two can take the guest bedroom. It's down the hall and the last door on your right. If you want I can get a bath ready."

"That would be nice," Harribel said. "I could use a bath right about now."

"Alright, then I'll get it ready for you. It shouldn't take that long since we got indoor plumbing installed a few weeks ago."

"Thanks," Harribel said and looked at Starrk who was looking out the window.

"It's quiet out there," Starrk said and sighed.

"I'm sure the others will be alright," Harribel said.

"I don't know. The night feels…uneasy about something."

"What direction is it coming from?"

"All around us," Starrk said. "The uneasiness is coming from all around us."

Fort Kusajishi

Captain Amagai made his way to the gates. It was a hard day and he only found twenty men who could still do patrol. The watch fires blazed as he made his way. He saw his Lieutenant at the gate with another man. Amagai stopped when he saw that they were working on the bolt that kept the gates shut.

"What are you doing?" Amagai asked.

"Oh, Captain Amagai," Kibune said. "We were trying to get the bolt in place."

"I checked it earlier and it was fine."

"Captain, you're exhausted," Kibune said. "You should go to your cabin and rest."

"No, I'm sure that this bolt was securely in place when I checked it earlier. What are you doing, Kibune?"

"As I explained, Captain, I was only trying to make sure that everything was secure."

"Then I suppose you would have no objections if I…"

That was when a gunshot rang out. The three men looked in the direction and then another gunshot came from somewhere else. Then bells began to ring out in alarm. Then another sound filled the air. It was the sound of hooves and the shouts of men on horseback. He watched as grappling hooks made out of bones reinforced with metal were being flung from the ground below. Arrows set on fire rained down on the courtyard, but he noticed that none were being aimed anywhere near the hut where the powder and ammunition was stored nor at the canons.

"EXEQUIAS!" someone cried out.

That's impossible, Amagai thought. It's been a while since they tried anything.

"Damn it," Kibune said. "Get the gates ready."

"Yes sir," the other man said and rushed to the gates.

"Kibune, what's he up to?"

"It's none of your concern, Captain," Kibune said.

"Damn it, General Yamamoto put me in charge and I want an answer. I'm your commanding officer."

Kibune was about to make his way towards the gate when he felt something pierce him in the stomach. He looked down and saw Kibune clutching a knife, the blade deep in his innards.

"I told you that it's none of your concern," Kibune said. "It's a pity. I liked you. I really did."

"Why?" Amagai moaned.

"It's because, you were wrong. You're not my commanding officer. Aizen is and this is what Aizen wants."

"Aizen?" Amagai whispered, unable to comprehend what he was hearing.

"That's right. Aizen is Shadow Lurker."

Amagai felt himself go limp and Kibune slid the knife out of him. He looked at his Lieutenant who was heading towards the gate which was beginning to swing open.

"You…bastard," Amagai hissed. He reached for his revolver.

"You know that you can't stop it," Kibune said.

"What is the first thing they teach you at the Academy?" Amagai whispered.

"Disarm your…" he stopped and his eyes went wide.

"You forgot," Amagai whispered and fired a single shot into Kibune's head.

Even as Kibune fell the ground dead, Amagai knew that Fort Kusajishi was lost. He could hear the sounds of grappling hooks taking hold on the walls. The sounds of steel clashing against steel filled the night air and the fires became brighter. He watched as Exequias soldiers on horseback rode through the gates. Some of the Exequias were getting busy loading the Cero-class cannons onto carts.

Oh God, he thought. They came for the cannons. They mustn't get the cannons.

Amagai got to his feet, revolver still in hand. The blossom of blood continued to spread as he staggered towards the Exequias.

"I am a Captain. I will do…do my…my duty," he whispered and raised his revolver. "I will do my duty no matter what."

Before he could finish he heard a gunshot and felt something dig into him. Captain Shusuke Amagai fell to his knees and he began to pant for breath. He heard footsteps and turned and saw Rudobon walking towards him. He tried to raise his revolver, but his strength was weakening.

"I don't like this, Alejo," Rudobon said. "There is no honor in this victory."

"I know, sir. But, it's what Aizen wants."

"What Aizen wants is none of my concern. I only know that to crush Karakura Town we need these canons." Rudobon knelt in front of Amagai and looked at him. "I would have rather fought this battle with honor. Alejo, I want you to execute all of those in Gotei uniforms who were working to betray their commander."

"Yes sir," Alejo said and rushed off.

Rudobon looked back at Amagai and sighed.

"You will die soon," he said as he stood up and withdrew his sword. "However, you would have died doing what you swore to do. There is no shame in such a death. I will give you a clean death by my own blade."

Amagai tried to get to his feet, but he couldn't. He heard Rudobon go behind him and only felt the blade pierce him at the beginning. Then all was over.

Rudobon stood over the former Captain's body and sighed.

"Bury this man and all of those who tried to fight to defend this place. They do not deserve to be made food for scavengers. I want you to do nothing with the bodies of those who betrayed their oaths. Their bodies shall be a feast for vultures. The rest of you, get those canons loaded up. We're heading south to the Garganta Pass."

Inoue Residence

Harribel wrapped herself in one of the towels that Orihime left. She made her way to the guest room where Starrk was still looking out the window.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, nothing's wrong," Starrk said. "I thought I heard a wolf howl from somewhere."

"They'll be fine," she said and grabbed his arm. "Come on. Come to bed."

Starrk looked at her and smiled. He caressed her wet skin.

"You know. I really did miss you," he said.

"Then prove it," Harribel said and allowed the towel to fall to the floor. "Show me how much you missed me. Show me how much you missed this."

Then her lips were on his. They dragged each other onto the bed and allowed their bodies to do what they would. They relished in each other's touches and kisses. Whenever they became one like this, they both felt as though they had died and been renewed. Their voices rose high in unison as they reached the height of passion.

"I love you, Bel," Starrk panted, his naked body covered in sweat.

"I love you, my Wolf," Harribel said and caressed his cheek.

Outside Karakura Town

"I hope the others are alright," Lilynette said as she rode her pony, Strawberry back from the false trail that she and Ulquiorra made.

"I am sure that they will be fine," Ulquiorra said. "I would hate to think of what would have happened if I had not arrived when I did."

"Most likely Pineapple Head would have handed us over to the lynch mob," Lilynette said. "What a disgrace."

"He is a Borderlander," Ulquiorra said. "My guess is that he must have come from one of the southern towns like El Atormentado or Hanging Dog. They usually get it bad from Arrancar attacks."

"I know," Lilynette said. "I'm glad that you saved us."

"It wasn't just me," Ulquiorra said. "Orihime..."

"You like her don't ya?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You like Orihime. You like Orihime. You like Orihime," Lilynette sang.

"Did you do this when Starrk and Harribel were together?"

"Of course."

"We better hurry."

"Why? Are you missing Orihime?"

"No, but I am finding your remarks rather annoying."

Sheriff's Office

Dawn rose over Karakura Town. In only a couple of days, Día de los Muertos would be upon them. However, Ichigo had other problems than setting up the fake skeletons or preparing the trays of treats that he would pass out to the town's children.

Ichigo looked at the empty cells and the holes behind them and grimaced.

"Great, just fucking great," he said.

"Ichigo, I'm sorry," Renji said.

"And Orihime helped with this?" Ichigo asked.

"That's right."

"Rukia, I want you to go to Orihime's place. They're probably there, but keep it quiet. I don't want anyone to know that Orihime was involved. At this point tell anyone who asks that they had help, but we don't know from whom."

"Alright, but there were witnesses who said that Orihime was involved," Rukia said.

"I don't care. Say that they probably imagined it," Ichigo said.

"Alright," Rukia said. "Oh…good morning, Mr. Kurosaki. It's nice to see you again."

"Good morning, Rukia," Isshin said as he walked in. "I heard that your Arrancars escaped."

"Yeah," Ichigo said and sighed as he sat down. "This day couldn't possible get any worse."

At that moment, the door opened and Tsukishima stepped in with Tatsuki and Mizuiro and Keigo. Ichigo and Isshin looked at them and Ichigo sighed as he stood up.

"This is rather interesting," Tsukishima said. "I see two empty cells where there should be six Arrancars. What happened?"

"Why are you here, Tsukishima?" Isshin asked.

"Dad, it's alright. Tatsuki, why are you here?"

Tatsuki didn't respond. She looked at Ichigo and then looked away before finally answering.

"I'm doing my job," she whispered.

"Tatsuki, what's wrong?"

"Miss Arisawa brought some important information to my attention concerning a piece of evidence that was found at the crime scene," Tsukishima said. "I believe that someone here knows what this is," he said and held up the silver cigarette case.

Ichigo and Isshin gasped in surprise.

"Where did you get that?" Isshin asked.

"So you do recognize it?" Tsukishima asked and raised his eyebrows.

"Of course I do," Isshin said. "That's mine, but…that's not possible. Mine is still in my display case."

"It is not," Tsukishima said. "When Miss Arisawa brought this to my attention, we checked your house after obtaining a search warrant signed by Captains Hitsugaya and Kuchiki," he said and held up the warrant. "Your two daughters were very willing to help in whatever capacity they could."

"This…this is insane," Ichigo said. "And you found that at the crime scene in the Central 46 Rotunda?"

"That's right," Mizuiro said. "Ichigo, you must understand how hard this is for us to do."

"What are you saying?" Ichigo asked. "How do you even know that case belongs to us?"

"A very good question," Tsukishima said and opened the case. "I must admit, she was a beautiful woman," he said and showed the photos that were in the case. One photo showed Isshin and Masaki on their wedding day, looking into each other's eyes. The other photo showed Ichigo with his two sisters. "This is a heart box. It's a silver case that Gotei members used to store mementos of loved ones. It could be from photos or a letter to strands of hair or even a piece of jewelry. Mr. Kurosaki here must have been using it as a cigarette case. Now, the not makes perfect sense," Tsukishima said and he brought out the note that was found on Hanza Nukui's body.

"What are you talking about?"

"The letter has this passage here that I could not understand at first until Miss Arisawa brought my attention to the two photos. It reads, 'Our instructions are for you and your team to make the Gensei Provinces suffer. They were not there to save her nor did they see justice done.' It made perfect sense when I recalled that your wife, Mr. Kurosaki, was killed by the Arrancar known as the 'Big Fish' a few years ago. When he was caught, he was sent to Fort Seireitei, but along the way, he was killed. It's odd, don't you think? You said you were in Junrinan at the time, but I looked over your files and they mentioned that you were not in Junrinan the week that the 'Big Fish' was being transported to Fort Seireitei."

"What are you getting at?" Ichigo asked.

Tsukishima looked from Isshin to Ichigo and sighed.

"But his death wasn't enough, was it?" Tsukishima asked.

"Hold on, what are you suggesting?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah, we have a right to know," Renji said.

"Loyalty is such a fragile thing," Tsukishima said. "Isn't it, Sheriff Kurosaki? Tell me, what size boots do you wear?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Renji asked.

"Mizuiro, Keigo, search the premises."

"Yes sir," they said.

"I'm sure we won't find anything," Keigo whispered to Ichigo.

However, before Ichigo could ask him what he meant, Keigo went to the back office. Renji and Rukia looked at each other and then at Tsukishima who was only staring at Ichigo.

"Look, if you think that I was involved with whatever happened at the Central 46 Rotunda, you're wrong. I was knocked out in an alley with Shinji, the head of the Visored Squad. You can question him if you want."

"Well, that is good to know," Tsukishima said. "You would be interested to know that the revolver found at the scene belonged to another of your colleagues."

"Who?" Ichigo asked.

"Kugo Ginjo, who is currently in our custody," Tsukishima said.

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked.

Tsukishima only stayed silent. He looked away from Ichigo and down the hall. Ichigo turned and saw Mizuiro marching down the hall as though he was in a funeral procession. In his hands was a pair of bloody boots.

"These…were hidden in a closet," Mizuiro said and held up the boots. "I can't be sure, but this looks like blood."

Renji and Rukia gasped and looked at Ichigo whose face was completely pale. Tsukishima looked at him.

"You never did answer my question, Ichigo. What size boots do you wear?"

"9 ½," he whispered.

Tsukishima sighed and nodded. Keigo and Mizuiro brought out their handcuffs and approached Ichigo and Isshin. Tatsuki grabbed a chair and collapsed into it. Tears streamed from her eyes.

"Ichigo, how could you?" she asked.

"This is impossible," Rukia said.

"There must be some kind of mistake," Renji said.

"There's no mistake," Keigo said and sighed. "All of the evidence points to the same conclusion."

"Ichigo Kurosaki and Isshin Kurosaki," Tsukishima said as Keigo and Mizuiro locked the handcuffs around their wrists. "You are under arrest for the murder of Central 46 and are suspected of being the criminal known as 'Shadow Lurker'. You will be sent to Fort Seireitei to face trial. In the meantime, Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki are suspended of their duties as Deputy until their names are cleared of any involvement in your crimes."

Ichigo swallowed as he and his dad were led outside. He could see people stop to stare as he and his dad were being escorted to the wagon outside. Then a weasel-faced man whom Isshin recognized rushed up and spat on Isshin.

"Look at this," he screamed. "Shadow Lurker has been arrested. Shadow Lurker has been arrested."

Tsukishima watched as the man ran away and suppressed a smile. He hoped that Gin offered a good price for that little service to be done as he asked. He only regretted that the man failed in his errand to raise a lynch mob to hang Starrk and Harribel.

Oh well, he thought. At least the majority of the obstacles are off the board.

Soon, the cry rose throughout Karakura Town. By midday, everyone was saying the same thing: "Shadow Lurker has been arrested." Ichigo Kurosaki was no longer known as the "Hero of Karakura Town." He was now known as "Shadow Lurker."

End of Chapter 10

A.N.: Whew, I think this is the longest chapter I've written for this and a lot happened. I love writing Tsukishima's character since, like in the manga, he's so creepy and he's so hands-on with his schemes and yet he finds ways of getting others to come to the conclusion that he wants them to. Next chapter will be a flashback chapter about another duo and the title will be "Goodbye, Helcyon Days". That will be up sometime next week.

Thank you for reading and please review.