Grimmjow had just landed and climbed out of the crater left behind. He looked around curiously, sniffing the air before he suddenly felt it, a powerful rush of energy that made him grin.

"Heh. Now I get why he sent me here." Grimmjow said as he turned towards Sokyoku Hill and started running towards it.

…

Not too far off, Gin was already running towards Sokyoku Hill, his haori flapping behind him as he ran. He quietly knew he wasn't alone though as he could sense a familiar spiritual pressure behind him, chasing him. He knew who it was and why but he decided not to let on as he kept running. Soon however, he saw a group of Soul Reapers pass by at an intersection ahead of him, one of them noticing him and signaling the others to stop.

"Hey! Isn't that-?" "It's that bastard Ichimaru!" "What's he doing here?!" "Get him!" the Soul Reapers said as they drew their Zanpakuto. Gin merely pointed towards them, not slowing down.

"Sorry fellas but I can't stop. On a mission 'n' I need to get past so, Hado 33: Sokatsui!" Gin ordered as he fired a large burst of blue energy at the Soul Reapers, blowing them away but not killing them, allowing him to pass.

"Bye-bye!" Gin called as he ran past them.

…

Meanwhile, the sound of metal on metal echoed as Kaien and Ikkaku exchanged blows. Kaien remained calm, nimbly deflecting Ikkaku's attacks while Yumichika observed from the sidelines. Ikkaku was grinning, using his sealed Zanpakuto and sheath to attack Kaien's twin blades.

"Come on, Kurosaki! I know you've got more fight in you than that! Fight me!" Ikkaku yelled. Kaien then leapt back before spinning and bringing his blades around towards Ikkaku in a powerful swing, the strength of the attack sending Ikkaku sliding back a few feet, having successfully blocked.

"Ha-HA! Now we're talking!" Ikkaku declared, pressing his sheath and Zanpakuto together.

"Extend, Hozukimaru!" Ikkaku shouted as his Zanpakuto became the segmented spear before charging at Kaien who stood ready to block. Kaien blocked as Ikkaku swung his Zanpakuto at him but had to quickly lean back as the upper segment of Hozukimaru detached and swung towards Kaien, narrowly missing his chin my mere centimeters. Kaien then retaliated by sliding his twin blades downward whilst ducking down and rearing them back to his left side, swinging at Ikkaku with one blade, forcing him to block.

"Shimmer, San, Kuroni-GETSUGA TENSHO!" Kaien yelled, catching Ikkaku off guard as he swung upward, sending the red crescent wave towards Ikkaku who narrowly dodged.

"Not bad Kurosaki! Learning to fight a little dirty!" Ikkaku said as he leapt back, grinning all the while.

"There's a lot riding on me completing my mission! I don't have time to play fair!" Kaien replied as Ikkaku's grin widened.

"Then let's see what you've got! I want to see you fight with all your might!" Ikkaku yelled as he held his Zanpakuto in both hands, the bladed end pointed towards Kaien. He then began a charge towards Kaien who calmly raised his right blade.

"Blow away, Tsuki, Nobara Heimaku." Kaien said as his right blade disintegrated into a swarm of red rose petals, the sight of this caused Ikkaku to slide to a halt, recognizing the attack as he saw the petals swirling around him, effectively trapping the 3rd seat within them, but Kaien made no moves.

"I'm not here to fight you Ikkaku. I'm kinda surprised you'd even stand in my way all things considered." Kaien said calmly.

"Get your facts straight Kurosaki! You and your punk relatives are the ones who set off the Ryoka alert! Your old man should've warned you about entering the Soul Society unannounced! Besides, I've been itching for this rematch for some time! You yourself noticed I couldn't exactly go all out on you in the World of the Living, so I thought you would've appreciated the rematch on equal footing!" Ikkaku said as Kaien kept him pinned within the swirl of red rose petals.

"Under normal circumstances I'd take you up on that offer but I'm in a hurry! I would've thought you'd want to save her as much as I do all things considered!" Kaien said, earning a confused look from Ikkaku and a curious look from Yumichika.

"What are you talking about, Kurosaki?! Save who?!" Ikkaku asked.

"I can assume he is referring to the Lieutenant." Yumichika replied, earning a surprised look from Ikkaku.

"Huh?" Ikkaku asked as Kaien looked towards the 5th Seat.

"That's right. I'm here to save Yachiru, to stop her execution. I would think you guys would want that, wouldn't you?" Kaien asked as Ikkaku and Yumichika both looked at him surprised.

"You're here…to save the Lieutenant?" Ikkaku asked.

"There's more to this than we've been led to believe. I know for a fact that she's been framed. I don't have the proof but if I can get to where they're keeping her, the proof will present itself!" Kaien explained. Ikkaku then grinned and rested his Zanpakuto on his shoulder.

"And who says history doesn't repeat itself?" Ikkaku asked, confusing Kaien.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Last time a Kurosaki came rampaging through the Seireitei, we tried to stop him but in the end he ended up being the hero of the evening. Now another Kurosaki is rampaging through the Seireitei but this time it's gonna be different." Ikkaku explained, Hozukimaru reverting back to its sealed state.

"What are you talking about?" Kaien asked as Ikkaku sheathed his Zanpakuto.

"He means we're not going to stop you, Kurosaki." Yumichika said as Kaien directed the rose petals to reform his right blade.

"You're not?" Kaien asked.

"No. Like you, we think the Lieutenant's got a bum rap. Our Captain's the same way and practically all of Squad 11 is just looking for someone to gut over it. So the way I see it, we're both after the same thing only you're more likely to make the person responsible for the Lieutenant's frame up appear and when they do, we'll skin him alive!" Ikkaku said as he rested his Zanpakuto on his shoulder.

"So continue onward, Kaien Kurosaki. Allow Squad 11 to rally behind you." Yumichika said as Kaien smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks." Kaien said before Ikkaku pointed his Zanpakuto at him.

"Two things before we let you pass, Kurosaki. First, this isn't me conceding defeat. This is only delaying our fight. We will have our rematch. I promise you that." Ikkaku said as Kaien smirked and nodded.

"You can count on it. And the other thing?" Kaien asked.

"You're likely to run into our Captain. He's really upset over the Lieutenant's frame up and he's looking for the people responsible too. But be warned. He's also looking for the human that the Lieutenant gave Soul Reaper powers to. You can imagine why we're warning you of that." Ikkaku said as Kaien scowled.

"I didn't force her to give me these powers. She helped me awaken them to protect both her and my family!" Kaien argued.

"You don't have to explain anything to us, Kurosaki. We're on your side. But our Captain may not be so understanding." Ikkaku explained as Kaien gave a nod.

"I understand. Thanks for the warning." Kaien said as Ikkaku stepped aside.

"Better get a move on, Kurosaki." Yumichika said as Kaien ran past. Ikkaku and Yumichika both watched him leave with smirks on their faces.

"You do realize that if he's wrong, we could be considered traitors to the Soul Society for this." Yumichika said.

"Has that ever stopped us before?" Ikkaku asked but Yumichika merely smiled.

"No. Just wanted to make sure you knew the consequences of trusting him on blind faith. After all, what if he's wrong?" Yumichika asked.

"Oh he's not wrong. I'm sure of it." Ikkaku said before he and Yumichika both took off running down a different street, heading to rally Squad 11.

At the Kurosaki Estate…

Karin emerged from hers and Toshiro's room, her Squad 5 Haori worn around her once again. As she stepped into the main room, she found Captains Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Kuchiki, Lieutenant Matsumoto, Isshin, Masaki, and Kaichou waiting for her.

"Alright since I've been put in charge of apprehending our own family, we'll need to coordinate. Aunt Kaichou, I think you probably want to deal with Sora, Sosuke, and Tatsuki personally. Dad, you might want to go with her." Karin said as Kaichou and Isshin both nodded, Kaichou looking towards Ukitake.

"Jushiro, I could use your help and the help of Squad 13. There's no telling how strong my grandchildren are but considering their linage we can assume them to be pretty strong." Kaichou said as Jushiro gave a nod of reassurance. Karin then looked to Byakuya. She was about to say something but Byakuya spoke first.

"I believe I know what Kaien's main objective is. That being said, I will not be participating in the task force." Byakuya said, startling Karin.

"It's your call, Captain but if you're sure." Karin said as Byakuya turned to leave. Toshiro watched him leave with a studying look.

"Mom I need you to stay with Mai. I don't think Captain Unohana's going to need you too much tonight." Karin said as Masaki gave a nod.

"Of course." Masaki said as she headed into the manor.

"Toshiro, you should probably join the task force for apprehending Ichimaru, Grimmjow, and the other Ryoka. I can handle Kaien." Karin said as Toshiro gave a nod.

"I understand. And be careful. He is your nephew but don't underestimate him. He is your brother's son after all and underestimating a Kurosaki can be extremely dangerous." Toshiro said as Karin gave a nod.

"I'll be careful." Karin replied as she passed by, Hekireki Megami at her side as she stepped out of the estate, leaving the estate grounds.

"Orders, Captain?" Rangiku asked, noticing Toshiro's contemplative expression. He was silent for a moment before he finally gave his orders.

"Order the squad to spread themselves out in an area between the Ryoka's reported landing site within the Seireitei and Sokyoku Hill. Order them to look for the Ryoka identified as Kaien Kurosaki and to report his location to the two of us and us alone. They are not to engage him or any of the Ryoka in combat or attempt to detain them." Toshiro said as Rangiku looked at him confused.

"You don't want me to bring Karin in on this?" Rangiku asked but Toshiro narrowed his eyes.

"Not yet, no. If the answers we get from Kaien are unsatisfactory to me, then we will inform Karin. Until then, we follow our own line of investigation." Toshiro said, surprising Rangiku.

"Investigation?" she asked as Toshiro started walking towards the estate exit.

"Something about this Ryoka Invasion doesn't feel right. The timing is almost too coincidental. It's too close to the expiration of the grace period for Lieutenant Kusajishi. With her sudden recanting of her confession, my suspicions are peaked. And now that we know Kaien is the human who gained Soul Reaper powers from the Lieutenant, I can only assume he's here for more than just rescuing her. I suspect rescuing her is to try and prevent something even more sinister from occurring. Remember the last time a Kurosaki came to the Seireitei on a rampage? What resulted from that?" Toshiro asked as Rangiku began to see his meaning.

"Then what do we do, Captain?" she asked, Toshiro looking at her with a serious expression.

"We find Kaien first, before anyone else." Toshiro said before he and Rangiku both started running out of the estate grounds.

Meanwhile…

Grimmjow had been running towards Sokyoku Hill, the hill still some distance away. As he ran, he ran through a wide open yard area with two watchtowers flanking the path on the opposite side. Blocking the path ahead was a line of Soul Reapers from Squad 9.

"There's the Ryoka!" "It's the Arrancar!" "Stop him!" the Soul Reapers yelled as some of them charged towards him. Grimmjow merely grinned and slid to a halt, raising his arm and blocking with just his arm, their swords crashing harmlessly against his Hierro enhanced arm. The Soul Reapers were stunned.

"He blocked the attacks with just his bare arm!" one of the Soul Reapers exclaimed as Grimmjow's grin tightened.

"Really? Is that all you've got?! Your puny blades can't even pierce my skin?! You call yourselves Soul Reapers?! Ha! Let me show you some real power!" Grimmjow yelled as he started to glow with blue spirit energy, the Soul Reapers backing away in alarm. He then threw his hand forward towards one of the towers, firing a blue bala towards it. The bala flew towards the tower, smashing into it and obliterating the entire upper levels of it. The Soul Reapers were stunned by the Espada's power. Even Grimmjow was mildly surprised.

"What the-…ah that energy field Kisuke warned me about. It really is enhancing my powers. I'm gonna have to be more careful about using my stronger abilities here." Grimmjow said mentally before grinning at the Soul Reapers.

"So, ya gonna run or am I gonna have to start letting the Bala fly?!" Grimmjow asked as the Soul Reapers let out panicked cries and started fleeing. Grimmjow laughed and continued running towards Sokyoku Hill. He then sensed a spiritual pressure coming from nearby.

"Bakudo 62! Hyapporankan!" a voice declared. Grimmjow's eyes widened as he spun around in time to see a light purple rod of light come flying towards him, suddenly splitting into numerous additional rods of the same size and pinned Grimmjow to the ground by his clothes. Grimmjow looked and saw Shuhei Hisagi standing atop a wall near the fallen tower.

"You will go no further, Arrancar!" Shuhei yelled as he flash stepped down from atop the wall. Grimmjow merely scowled slightly.

"I know you. You're the Lieutenant of Squad 9, right?" Grimmjow asked as Shuhei drew his Zanpakuto.

"That's correct. I am Shuhei Hisagi, Lieutenant of Squad 9." Shuhei said as Grimmjow looked at him.

"Mmm. Must suck to be you. You were Tosen's Lieutenant, right? Now you've got another bum Captain. You must be the most unlucky bastard in the Soul Society." Grimmjow commented, earning a scowl from Shuhei.

"Don't talk about my Captain like that, Arrancar! You've got a lot of explaining to do for breaking in here and attacking the Seireitei like this!" Shuhei said. Grimmjow merely stared at him with a blank expression. Shuhei's eyes then widened as Grimmjow started to glow with blue spirit energy again, the rods from Shuhei's Kido spell starting to shake and crack until, one-by-one, they started shattering until they were all gone. Grimmjow started to climb to his feet, stuffing his hands into his pockets with a disinterested look.

"Listen, Lieutenant. If I were here to kill you or your fellow Soul Reapers, I'd not be so calm right now. Why do you think I aimed for that tower and not your men, huh?" Grimmjow said as Shuhei scowled at him.

"A fair question, one you can answer to Head Captain Yamamoto." Hisagi replied as Grimmjow sighed in annoyance.

"I ain't got time for that. I'll talk to him after I've done what I need to." Grimmjow said before arching an eyebrow and then sniffing the air.

"I'm on the right track." He muttered to himself.

"Hold it! I'm not letting you go any further! I'm taking you in, Arrancar!" Shuhei said as Grimmjow sighed heavily.

"You do realize who I am, right? I'm the former Sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez. You don't stand a chance against me!" Grimmjow said but Shuhei stood firm.

"I don't care who you are, I will not let you pass!" Shuhei said as he held his Zanpakuto in both hands.

"Reap, Kazeshini!" Shuhei said, his Zanpakuto immediately entering its Shikai. Grimmjow wasn't impressed.

"So be it." Grimmjow said softly as he pulled his hands from his pockets, a determined glare on his face.

Elsewhere…

Gin was running through the Seireitei, using Kido Spells to incapacitate any Soul Reapers in his path. He could still sense the familiar spiritual pressure behind him, managing to keep up with him. Finally he reached an intersection and came to a stop.

"Ya know I can sense ya behind me. You've been followin' me for a while since I got here. I don't need to ask why, do I now?" Gin asked as Momo Hinamori stepped out of the shadows, a hand on her Zanpakuto and a murderous look on her face.

"Gin Ichimaru." She hissed in a low tone. Gin turned towards her, his smile still on his face.

"Hiya, Hinamori. Ya look good. Young Miss Kurosaki treatin' ya well? Or is she called Mrs. Hitsugaya now? I can't keep up." Gin asked casually, only earning an angrier look from Momo.

"How dare you show your face around here, after what you've done?!" Momo asked as Gin's smile turned into a confused frown.

"Hmm? Oh…You still think I'm the one who made Aizen turn evil. (Sigh) And here I thought Captain Wrangler did a better job rehabilitatin' ya." Gin said as Momo adopted a kendo stance.

"Captain Aizen only turned against us after you manipulated him! You might've realized your mistake later on but you're still to blame for it all!" Momo yelled angrily. Gin gave her a sad frown.

"Nothin' I say will convince ya, will it? Oh well, if it's a fight ya want, then it's a fight ya can have…but it is kinda unfair to go at me two on one, right Izuru?" Gin asked with a smile. From the shadows just as Lieutenant Kira flash stepped in behind him, his Zanpakuto drawn. Gin looked over his shoulder towards his former Lieutenant.

"Hiya, Izuru. Glad to see ya. Long time no see. Ya don't write, ya know." Gin said as Izuru scowled, clearly hesitant to raise his blade to his former Captain.

"Please, Captain, don't make this difficult. Surrender peacefully and we won't harm you." Izuru said, adopting a kendo stance as Gin sighed slightly, still smiling.

"Wish I could go with ya, but I got orders. Don't really have time to explain unless ya want to try and chase me while I do." Gin suggested but the two Lieutenants both stared at him.

"Hmm…guess that's a no." Gin replied as he drew his Zanpakuto, ready to fight.

End Chapter 43

Soul Reaper Illustrated Guide.

Shuhei and Grimmjow stood staring each other down, ready for either one to make a move.

"Say…your original form was a panther, right?" Shuhei asked.

"Yeah? Why?" Grimmjow replied, curious to know why as Shuhei reached behind his back.

"TAKE THIS!" Shuhei yelled, throwing a red ball of yarn at Grimmjow who scowled.

"You really think that I'm so stupid I'd fall for that-…it is some good yarn though." Grimmjow said as Shuhei stepped aside and motioned to a large wicker basket with pillows, a saucer of milk, and a bowl with a freshly cooked fish in it behind him.

"AND THIS!" Shuhei yelled as Grimmjow pounce past him with an angry yell, curling up on the pillow, lapping the milk up from the bowl while glaring challengingly at Hisagi.

"Yes! Now you've lost the will to fight!" Shuhei declared triumphantly as Grimmjow froze in realization.

"The hell!"

Fin!