Authors Note: Just about managing to get out one chapter a weekish. I hope i can keep it up. Also managed to get rid of the flashback and push it to the next chapter, yay me.

I'm really in 2 minds about this chap and can't decide whether i really like it or hate it (my opinion keeps changing!).

Any feedback on how you feel about this chap specifically would be appreciated, happy for direct PM's :-)

Bleach 543: Soul Reaper.

Scene opens where it left off previously.

Soken: You actually mean to tell me that SHE finally deigned to consider another as a Shinigami and even refused to face her in battle?

Yamamoto's gaze is focused on Masaki as he replies back.

Yamamoto: Not merely a Shinigami. It's true that she always considered all other Shinigami as children unworthy to rest in her gaze. In her eyes we were nothing more than cleaners or as she termed it "soul sweepers" of the human world.

Soken: I recall her mockery of you when we went to capture her, on how you required my help and couldn't do it yourself.

Yamamoto: In her eyes only she was a true Shinigami, a god of death.

Soken: …and Masaki?

Yamamoto: …her words were that Masaki was a true reaper of souls, not just a "mere" Shinigami.

Soken: …not just a mere Shinigami…to even put HER in such fear…I find it unbelievable.

Yamamoto: Hmph, I doubt she was afraid even then. To her it was just a pointless endeavour, one that she would fail at since she didn't know how to counter her ability.

Soken: What ability does Masaki have?!

Yamamoto: ...Hmph, that depends. Is it the same as before or did she ever bother to train and refine it after she went over to the Zero squad.

At this moment Masaki, as she is still slowly walking towards Jugo and his army, turns her head to look up at Yamamoto and Soken, a little smile plays across her face as she gently shakes her head.

Yamamoto: (sighs) Another lazy one…or maybe these were the restrictions placed on her by the zero squad…

Yamamoto moves to stand slightly behind Soken and places his hand on his back.

Yamamoto: let me guide your reiatsu my old friend

Soken: Why?

Yamamoto: Hmph, because the ability of my foolish apprentice doesn't distinguish between friend or foe.

Scene change to Masaki

She slowly approaches Jugo who has stationed himself in front of his army. She stops standing a little distance away.

Jugo stares up towards Soken and Yamamoto in the distance for a moment before looking back at Masaki.

Jugo: So now they send out an undead women? Have they no pride left?!

Masaki covers her mouth with her hand and giggles.

Masaki: You really should be careful with your words you know, don't you know that women tend to hold a grudge?

Jugo looks at the distant Soken and Yamamoto behind the smiling Masaki and scoffs.

Jugo: and why would your grudge worry me? What do you feel you can achieve without your bankai when even your commander and Ishida Soken have chosen to stand by and do nothing!

Scene change to fake Aizen and Ichigo

They are standing some distance away to Jugo's right as they observe Masaki walking over and taking to him.

Ichigo: My mother is going to fight him?

Aizen: Indeed it seems that way Kurosaki Ichigo.

Suddenly Urahara appears behind them

Urahara: We've been tasked to go help the people below, Masaki will take care of up here. Let's go.

Ichigo: My mother is going to fight up here alone?!

Urahara: I'm sure they all know what they're doing Ichigo. A captain of the Zero squad is not someone you should be looking down upon.

Ichigo: …I'm not looking down on her…I just…cannot see her as anything else other than my mother. You two go on ahead, I'll join soon.

Urahara: …The captain commander was quite insistent on this Ichigo. Even I don't know exactly what Masaki's abilities are, however, he was clear that we couldn't be here for it. I would assume it is something that would affect us as well. Also, remember what we are, it serves no purpose staying back.

Ichigo: …

Suddenly a faint voice whispers in the middle of them.

Masaki: Let him stay Kisuke, I can tell he still doesn't understand who he really is.

A surprised look crosses Ichigos face

Urahara: I didn't want to affect him adversely so thought it better to just safely watch and observe. Once everything blew up together there wasn't much of a chance to properly explain it to him.

Ichigo: ?…are you talking about…what you spoke of before?!

Scene changes back to Jugo and Masaki

Jugo turns his head to look far away to his right where the fake Aizen, Ichigo and Urahara are standing and gives a brief nod toward them.

Jugo: Maybe you should ask them to lend you a hand, the young and the old working together, wouldn't that be perfect?

Masaki smiles as she meets Jugo's gaze

Masaki: You really don't know how to speak to a lady do you? My son, it would seem, has the same problem as well. Don't you know that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?!

Jugo: (Chuckling) why don't you show me then, show me this hell that you speak of. I promise on my name as Quincy that I won't steal your Bankai, show me what ability you have to make me fear your wrath!

Masaki gazes at him for a moment smiling before her eyes shift slightly to lock gazes with Ichigo far away.

Masaki: Pay attention Ichigo, you need to hear this.

Ichigo:? But I'm not even the real-

Masaki snaps her head around to fully face him. The smile gone from her face and hard stern look covering it.

Masaki: If I say you need to hear it, then you need to hear it! Are you going to disobey me again?!

A shocked and then sorrowful look passes over Ichigos face. He recalls that the last time he'd disobeyed his mother…she had died. His head lowers, eyes looking to the ground.

Masaki's hardened look softens as she speaks again, her voice much softer.

Masaki: Listen carefully my darling.

She turns back to lol at Jugo before speaking again.

Masaki: Ability? I wouldn't consider what I have an ability.

Ichigo/Jugo: ?

Masaki: Unlike a Quincy, who for the most part through their training increase the amount of reishi they control and create techniques to use it, a shinigami with enough reishi can merge it with themselves creating a unique ability and entity of their own.

Jugo:?

Ichigo: …

Masaki: These magical abilities have no relation to a persons strength or skill, it's a relationship that is linked closely and resonates with their soul. Therefore these abilities are something also closely linked to their heart or soul, so they manifest in a way showing either what they desire, hate, like, dislike or even fear.

Jugo: Are you waiting for reinforcements?! Why waste your time telling me this?!

Masaki: Even though we can improve, modify and adapt our abilities with time and training, the core root always stays the same.

Jugo: …

Masaki: ...and so, the core root of our soul is shown. I can see from your ability that you are actually an overly kind hearted person. You must actually hate doing this?!

Jugo:?!

Masaki: Unfortunately for me I didn't get what I consider to be some magical ability but just a technique, though I can understand why I got it.

Ichigo: …

Masaki: It's also why I'll apologise to you in advance. Unfortunately I cannot be soft hearted here, even if I want to, given the circumstance…also…one other thing…

Jugo: …?

Masaki: No mother uses her full strength when rebuking a child.

Jugo:?!

Masaki: Let silence reap, Izanami!

A shockwave spreads out in a circle from Masaki. Although it visibly releases and spreads out with great explosive force, it seems to have no impact on Jugo, his army or the surrounding environment. It seems to go right through them all as if it wasn't really there.

Ichigo: ..I don't feel anything?

Suddenly he snaps his head around to look off into the distance. Jugo does the same. Far away high up in the sky, you see Yamamoto and Soken falling down from sky. They fall almost three quarters of the way down before abruptly stopping and then slowly landing on the ground.

Jugo stares at masaki with a puzzled expression on his face.

Jugo: What did…?!

Masaki: (grinning) Noticed have you?!

Scene change to Yamamoto and Soken

Yamamoto no longer has his hand on the back of Soken and stands beside him, both of them breathing quite heavily.

Soken: I thought you were going to make me explode with the amount of reishi you were making me circulate so violently.

Yamamoto: There was no other choice, it's the only way I know of to even slightly counter her ability.

Soken: Why is it that I still feel so much…resistance?

Yamamoto: Hmph, that's because we only countered the release of her ability, we are not free from it and this is also when she has none of her focus on us.

Soken: Just her release has such an impact?!

Yamamoto: Hmph, her release now. I'm sure you noticed whilst trying to use your Divine Rain technique.

Soken: …Yes.

Yamamoto: It effects you much less than it effects me or her since our shinigami abilities manifest and are so directly in twined with our soul. Kisuke's ability might be able to resurrect us-

Soken: -However the key aspect of our actual soul is missing…I see.

Yamamoto: Indeed. I would guess at most this is only 50% of her abilities true effect…and she won't be able to maintain it for long without disappearing. A hollow shell can only imitate so much.

Soken: ?! …She cannot exclude us from her ability?

Yamamoto: Hmph, it's why I call her lazy.

Soken: ?

Yamamoto: She was the most dedicated apprentice I'd had. She trained the hardest and utmost in her sword skills, kido skills, movement techniques. She mastered every form of weapon that we could teach her and achieved bankai the fastest in the history of soul society.

Soken:?

Yamamoto: However, ever since she first released her Shikai she has chosen not to train or develop it any further.

Soken: Why?

Yamamoto: I cannot be certain. However I believe she intentionally chose to put a limit on herself.

Soken: Why would she do such a thing?

Yamamoto: She had already been noticed. She had been contacted and informed of her lineage and heritage once she achieved Shiikai. She was offered the choice to assist in bringing her clan back from the infamy of the past…and she accepted.

Soken: …

Yamamoto: I believe she wanted to show the higher ups that she could be trusted. That she did not need to be feared. Even though she had my full support she refused, she decided to toe "their" line, Hmph! When I asked all she would say to me is "just this much is enough".

Soken: What is her ability?

Yamamoto: ...Stillness.

Soken: Stillness?

Yamamoto: Masaki's ability…you could say it's more akin to that of a Quincy rather than a Shinigami.

Soken: Similar to a Quincies?!

Yamamoto: Quincy are said to be able to control reishi. However that isn't completely correct. It would be more accurate to say that they can manipulate and use it. Masaki on the other hand has the actual ability to control and effect reishi, not just her own but all reishi within her circle of control!

Soken: ?! What can she do with it?

Yamamoto: Hmph, that's why she infuriates me the most…only a single thing!

Scene change back to Masaki.

Jugo is looking at Masaki with a shocked expression on his face.

Masaki's looks back at Jugo with a little smile on her face. In her right hand is her zanpaktou. In it's released form it has grown longer with a long slightly curved blade at one end. The hilt has now become a long bandaged pole arm and now her zanpaktou looks like a cross between a naginata and a scythe. Their is a chain attached to the bottom of it which wraps around her left arm ending with a very small crescent moon blade. The crescent moon blade has holes across to top curve which Masaki's fingers fit through and looks somewhat like a knuckle duster.

Jugo: What exactly…have you done to me.

Masaki: (chuckles) I like to call it a time out.

Jugo: …

Masaki: …(sighs) I affect all the reishi around me within a certain radius. When I say all, I mean all of it… including all the reishi you have within you.

Jugo: Affect reishi?! How could you possibly affect reishi?!

Masaki: That's why I said my ability wasn't really some magical ability like most other Shinigami. I cannot use reishi to make the dead rise from the ground, I cannot use reishi to make the sky burn like fire, shoot beams of energy or manifest monsters.

Jugo: …

Masaki: What I CAN do is directly affect the reishi itself instead of using it. Unlike Quincy and other Shingami who only use it or manipulate it, I actually affect it.

From far away you see Ichigo looking down at himself in bewilderment.

Ichigo: You can control reishi to such an extent that you can even stop others from powering up or using their abilities?!

Masaki directs her gaze over to Ichigo and smiles.

Masaki: Nope, incorrect (chuckles coyly). Unfortunately I never really got a chance to develop or train my ability to a level where I would say I could control it.

Ichigo: ?…

Masaki: My shikai only has one ability that I learned and my bankai also only has only one additional ability. My bankai isn't really suitable to use in most situations but I've never really found that to be a problem.

She winks at Ichigo as she says this before finally turning to Jugo.

Masaki: My Shikai's ability is stillness. I stop, make still, all reishi around me.

Jugo/Ichigo: ?!

Masaki continues to speak and as she does so she starts to step slowly towards Jugo.

Masaki: Think of it this way, when you use reishi, you move it to achieve the desired result. My Shikai release applies a counterforce to all reishi around me returning it back to complete stillness. After my release there is a constant counterforce being applied to all reishi which, if I choose, I can strengthen in a certain area. You must have tried to circulate your reishi, use an ability, right? You know what I mean.

Jugo: Yes, it's like a man able to run being only able to stagger forward…

Masaki stops as she reaches and stands directly in front of Jugo. All the shock and grimness has left Jugo's face. It is now filled with a calm and he even smiles. Masaki smiles back at him warmly.

Masaki's: That's why I call it a time out.

Jugo: As soon as you use your ability all opponents effectively become ordinary humans to you. A Shinigami against humans…the end result is inevitable.

He looks up into the sky and gives a short laugh before looking back down and meeting Masaki's gaze.

Jugo: … You were right after all…hell really has no such fury…

Masaki smiles even more warmly at him and gently brushes his hair with her left hand.

Masaki: Didn't you know, moms are always right…go now, rest peacefully.

Jugo: …Thank you…

Masaki turns around to face Ichigo, a head flies high in the air.

Ichigo: ?!

Next Time Bleach 544: Who You Really Are?!