Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo and Shueisha Inc. I merely own my original characters. No copyright infringement or financial gain intended.
Feedback: Reviews are welcome, flames are not.
Happy 2018 everyone! Wish me luck in somehow being able to finish this story this year. It's a tall order for me, but I'm hoping all the same.
"Komamura, you will know true justice. Your death was not in vain."
His words and the sensation of Komamura's remains flowing through him reverberated inside his mind. Komamura had never understood the path he walked, but he would now understand it…He would make sure of it. All he had ever desired was to impart the justice his precious friend dreamed of….
He could scarcely believe his goal was finally closer to fruition than ever before. It was perhaps a matter of hours before Aizen's ascension to the throne would take hold and things would finally start to change….
It felt so close yet so far….
He had patiently waited decades upon decades, preparing for this momentous occasion. He had imagined these moments thousands of times. Little did he think impatience would start to nip at him. He could feel eagerness seeping into him, urging him to enter the Soul Society and accelerate Aizen-sama's rise to power, but his job here was still not over…
He could still feel Shinigami roaming about in this forsaken mock town. They needed to be eliminated. He could sense that the number of Hollows had dwindled. He supposed Aizen-sama needed to direct them to the Soul Society.
He was headed towards the closest Shinigami, near where he had first encountered Komamura and felled his pathetic subordinate. Komamura had been keen to drive him away from the bodies of his dead and injured comrades for their battle. He had merely postponed the inevitable.
Komamura, their deaths will have meaning as did yours, he thought, as he swooped over the corpse of Fujimoto and willed it to decompose and flow into the palm of his hand. He could feel his hand pulsing with obvious delight. It was a strange, but pleasurable sensation. He could understand why Hollows liked to feed.
He continued his trek, absorbing all the fallen bodies. He veered northward, sensing the lone living Shinigami in the area. He could feel him behind a half demolished wall of some Human establishment.
He thought he heard the faintest chink of mental, but he thought nothing of it, as he vaulted over the pitiful partition hiding his prey.
He landed neatly on the other side and stared at the injured, middle aged male Shinigami, who held his Zanpakutō in his hands, but clearly could not will his rotund body to leave the soiled ground he rested on. His large body shook with palpable dread. The motion traveled throughout his blood soaked, tattered Shihakushō.
"A-Are y-you the o-one w-who k-killed K-Komamura-taichō?" he demanded with a croak.
"Surely you have sensed our battle," Tōsen responded, earning him a slight widening of the eyes from the battered man.
Pain, understanding, disappointment, and fear flitted through Okada's gaze.
Though Tōsen could not visualize the man's emotions, he said knowingly, "You have nothing to worry about."
"You will soon join him and be at peace," he added, as he stepped forward after a momentary pause.
Okada gulped, unclutched a hand from the grip of his katana, and raised a trembling hand.
"Hadō #4. Byakurai," he shouted hurriedly, releasing a shaky blast of lightning from his outstretched index finger.
Tōsen leapt aside, though the man continued to release another lightning bolt despite his apparent discomfort.
"Stop this foolishness. I wish to end your pain, not prolong it," Tōsen said, easily sidestepping another blast and leaping into the air with his sword raised high.
Okada watched in horror as the power from his finger sizzled out. He hastily made another attempt to focus what little Reiryoku he had left into his finger, but he could see the man's shadow looming closer. He was above him now, filling his vision. He could feel the deadly aura emanating from the blade cutting downward. The same blade that had killed Komamura-taichō, that had probably taken the lives of Fujimoto, Uchida, Kimura, Takeda, and countless others…
He steeled himself for the inevitable contact, thinking dully how Fujimoto's efforts to save his life had all been for naught…He supposed it was too good to be true that he could be spared, especially since that poor boy hadn't deserved to die after such painstaking work…
Well, at least he would be dying by the hand of the creature that had been strong enough to slay his taichō. He still couldn't quite believe Komamura-taichō, who had been so strong and powerful, and whom he had admired and respected, was gone…
I don't even know if I was genuinely respected like Komamura-taichō, he thought, feeling his heart lurch uncomfortably with this notion.
As the blade drew closer, her words flashed in his mind without meaning to.
"A title is meaningless if you don't have respect from those around you. Remember that in your next life, Dai."
Maybe next time I will…
He winced and shuddered as he unexpectedly heard the booming roar of an air current colliding with his attacker and saw him being whipped away. He gaped in disbelief. Who could have possibly generated such an attack?
He then heard the heavy stomp of boots as his savior landed a few feet in front of him. To his bemusement, he was not dressed in any Shinigami garb. Who was this guy?
"Looking back at it, I don't think you've ever understood what it means to be a Shinigami, Tōsen Kaname," proclaimed the silver-haired man. "A Shinigami fights until their dying breath. They don't kill their comrades."
"Perhaps you are right, Muguruma Kensei," conceded Tōsen, as he landed on the ground without much damage. "I don't think I've ever understood why Shinigami fight and give up their lives for an institution that fails to treat its soldiers with justice. Tell me, was it just when Central 46 slated you and the others for execution for a transgression not of your own volition? All the times you've risked your life for the Soul Society clearly meant nothing to them. Why would you bother remembering what it meant to be a Shinigami when they merely viewed you as expendable?"
Frowning, Kensei narrowed his gaze.
"Mashiro," Kensei said in a commanding tone, his eyes still fixed upon his former subordinate. "Take the Shinigami to safety."
The lime green-haired young woman, who had just appeared near Okada's feet, looked affronted.
"But, Kensei, I came to fight," she protested.
"Mashiro, you can fight after you come back," he said in a low, imposing voice that brooked no argument.
Mashiro huffed. "I'll go, but you better save a piece of him for me, or else," she warned him, as she turned to Okada and swept him carefully and effortlessly into her arms despite his size. Without a word, she disappeared.
"Curious. Why would you even bother protecting the life of a Shinigami who stands for the institution that ordered your destruction?"
"I might have been angry back then at those bastards, but like hell I'd let you take another Shinigami life to help you and Aizen send this world to oblivion any faster. Besides from what I've heard, I suppose I should be thanking you for eliminating Central 46 except that you and Aizen are the reason why the others and I were even condemned to death," Kensei pointed out with a dark glare, as his fingers twitched around the ring beneath the guard of his katana.
"I would have gladly spared you such a fate if I had been allowed to do it myself. You and the others were bound to die regardless due to your unstable Hollowfication. You were quite fortunate Urahara Kisuke was able to stabilize your condition with the Hōgyoku and that Shihōin Yoruichi rescued you from your fate. However, your Hollowfication doesn't compare to the one bestowed upon me by Aizen-sama."
"Tch. Is that so? We'll have to see about that." Kensei smirked, as he twirled his sword around his fingers and released a whirlwind.
Tōsen dodged, flying upwards with astounding velocity.
The ground, where he had been standing, splintered with the blast.
"You're fast," Kensei muttered, deftly turning to block a strike aimed at the back of his neck.
"I am," Tōsen assented. "I'm also stronger than you," he added, as he pushed his blade forward.
Kensei gritted his teeth, as he resisted his pressure.
"So. is this power what you were after? Is this why you were willing to betray me and the others?" Kensei demanded, glaring at the eyeless mask poised above him from behind the katana.
Although he knew what Hirako had told him, he had always wanted to know what had driven the quiet, peaceful man to treachery. He simply could not fathom why Tōsen would join the likes of Aizen. If given the chance, he had hoped he would get the answer. Last time, he had been preoccupied with Wonderweiss, but it seemed now he would have his chance…
A terrible grin appeared on Tōsen's visage as a slit split across the lower half of his mask where his mouth would be, revealing skull like teeth.
"I never betrayed you, or the Gotei 13. I've only ever been loyal to the path with the least bloodshed and genuine justice for the world which is the path Aizen-sama walks unlike the Gotei 13. This power is merely a reward for my loyalty," Tōsen explained, driving Kensei backwards slightly.
Kensei released Reiryoku into his short blade and formed a pulsing ball of energy that quickly expanded and traveled upwards towards the longer blade bearing down on his own. He leapt backwards, discharging an enormous blast that engulfed Tōsen in a massive cloud.
As the smoke cleared, he could see Tōsen still standing with his sword at his side, panting. The chin area of his mask was partially cracked and his chest plate was significantly charred and bruised.
"Don't know what kind of bullshit Aizen fed you to join him, but being a guinea pig is not a reward," Kensei remarked.
"I'm not a guinea pig as you were. I'm but the next step in the evolution of Aizen-sama's new world. Allow me to show you the difference in our power," Tōsen said, as his wounds suddenly vanished, appearing unscathed.
"High speed regeneration," Kensei noted, as he prepared himself for another attack.
He let out a series of air blades that never grazed the high-speed bullet figure, who somehow rushed past them, avoiding the ensuing explosions.
Kensei instinctively donned his Hollow mask.
Bringing Tachikaze to a high angle, he caught Suzumushi and dealt Tōsen a powerful kick to his abdomen with his left leg. Tōsen rolled backwards a few feet and Kensei instantly appeared behind him, giving him no chance to avoid a solid kick aimed at the middle of his back that sent him sprawling onto the floor. The concrete beneath the former Ninth Division Fifth Seat groaned as it gave way to form an indentation that matched his figure.
Kensei maintained his foot on his ex-subordinate's lumbar curve, increasing the pressure and hearing the faintest creaking and popping of bones snapping underneath his weight. To his credit, Tōsen merely grunted and tightened his grip around his Zanpakutō.
Making a slashing movement with his Zanpakutō, Kensei expelled a wind blade that tore across Tōsen's right wrist, halting his movements. He then directed his combat knife to slash his opponent's left wrist as well as both of his ankles as he continued to incapacitate his back.
Kensei pulled his foot back after a minute or so, took a step back, and reached for Tōsen's hair and yanked his head back, pulling his upper body partly off the ground. He thrust the tip of Tachikaze against the top of his head, breaking the topmost portion of the back of his mask. He then dropped the man back on the ground, none too gently.
"The next step in the evolution of Hollowfication? Gimme a break," Kensei muttered, disgusted. "You've been deluding yourself if you think you've been more than just a plaything for Aizen. You're just as expendable as the Espada, or anyone he's ever tinkered with."
"Don't compare me to the Espada," Tōsen snarled, his voice sounding distorted as it bounced off the concrete surrounding his face. "Their level is beneath mine. Aizen-sama has never told any of his followers to trust him. Most follow him out of sheer fear, manipulation, or the desire to wreak havoc in his name. Out of all his followers, I'm the one with the greatest loyalty to his cause. I have been willing to do everything he has asked me to further his goals, including killing my former colleagues, incapacitating my taichō and fukutaichō to infect them with a Hollowfication pathogen, and even killing, Komamura-taichō, the closest friend I had in the Soul Society. Aizen-sama is fully aware of my unwavering devotion to his ambitions, which is why he has gifted me with the power to ensure his ascension to power."
"I never thought of you as blind when you were under my command, but you've clearly been blinded by Aizen. What the hell…." He trailed off, as he heard a snapping noise as Tōsen's mask reappeared and bones reformed. The wounds to Tōsen's wrists and ankles had vanished.
Before he could move, the fallen man disappeared from his view.
He reeled sideways as he felt the familiar slash of metal scraping his oblique. Using Shunpo, he sidestepped Tōsen's follow up attack from behind. He skillfully parried and dodged a series of blows in rapid succession, before feeling a rock-hard appendage collide against his abdomen. He flew across the air, spewing blood into his mask. He managed to turn over in midair as he descended towards the ground.
"Shit," he cursed, as he felt his hockey face guard shaped mask disintegrate. His five minutes were up.
He stumbled backwards as he felt another kick slam into his side, sending him soaring onto a heap of debris left over from some demolished building that had been wrecked in some previous battle. He coughed as more blood found its way up his throat.
"It was wise of you to attempt to impede my movement, but such a tactic is meaningless for my power. Unlike you, I'm not limited by mere wounds or time. This is what power conceived through someone who knows how to utilize the Hōgyoku to its full potential looks like," Tōsen said smugly, as he appeared in front of him.
"You called me blinded by Aizen-sama, but that's absurd. He cannot even use Kyōka Suigetsu on me because my eyes cannot witness it. I see clearly the path he walks, which is probably a lot more than I can say for you. Tell me, how well do you trust Urahara Kisuke? How certain are you that he keeps you well informed regarding his plans? He didn't inform the poor half-Human, half Shinigami boy of anything concerning the Hōgyoku. Were you were aware that he was using that boy as bait to draw Aizen-sama's interest? Aizen-sama immediately recognized Urahara's ploy when Ichimaru Gin informed him of recognizing something familiar about Kurosaki Ichigo. Why is it that you fight for him? Is it merely to repay him for saving your life?"
"What are you talking about? I'm not fighting for Urahara Kisuke."
"Is that so? I would have thought you were. He has kept you well informed about recent events in the Soul Society and has also enlisted you to help Kurosaki Ichigo control his Hollowfication. You surely came to fight at his behest rather than the Gotei 13. Otherwise you and the others would have been transported to the Soul Society along with the rest of the Karakura residents."
"We came to fight for revenge against Aizen, not because of Urahara Kisuke. We knew he was up to something when those Arrancar started showing up in the World of the Living. We were waiting for him to make his move. We helped train Kurosaki Ichigo because he is like us. He is our ally."
"Kurosaki Ichigo is synonymous to Urahara Kisuke. His Hollowfication was due to him. From the observations we had of the boy, Aizen-sama gathered that the boy didn't even realize he had a Hollow inside him. Aizen-sama is fully aware that Urahara Kisuke must have had a hand in your desire to train him. There is no need to conceal the truth, unless, you weren't actually conscious of how you were used like Kurosaki Ichigo. It wouldn't be the first time."
"You talk too damn much," Kensei growled. "I don't remember you being so damn talkative."
"I suppose it is time for me to finally dispose of you as I should have done a century ago," Tōsen acknowledged, taking a step forward.
He brought up his sword to block an orange boot that had suddenly dropped down. Energy sizzled as the two objects collided. With a brusque movement, he brushed aside the flamboyant footwear, sending Mashiro flying. She effortlessly twirled in the air.
"Stupid Kensei, why are you all beat up?" Mashiro demanded, glancing at the former Ninth Division taichō, as she dropped down to the ground. A white mask reminiscent of a grasshopper covered her face.
"I'm not beat up. I was just saving a piece of him for you," he snapped, annoyed.
"Really?" Mashiro's voice conveyed enthusiasm.
"If you are implying, you were merely holding back for her, that is ridiculous. Neither your power, or hers can contend with my power. Let me show you to what extent my Hollowfication is superior to yours," Tōsen said, holding his Zanpakutō upside down.
"Resurrección Suzumushi Hyakushiki: Grillar Grillo," he called out, as a dark, swirling cloud of Reiatsu enveloped him, tainting the air with an ominous aura.
"Resurrección?" Mashiro and Kensei echoed in unison, as they watched the pulsing Reiatsu mass shift and grow, eventually eddying away to reveal a rather strange creature in Tōsen's place.
Dark fur covered the massive expanse of the huge moth like Hollow except at its torso, where its Hollow hole resided. Four clawed insect like hands extended from its torso while four insect-like wings erupted from his back. A long bushy tail protruded from his bottom and two large horns, each decorated with two rings and chains near the tips, curved over his hunched back. A white cricket shaped head with a lone vertical slit, the only marking evocative of Tōsen's old mask, and large circular shaped eyes that were closed at the moment, sat atop the hunched shoulders.
The eggshell-like eyes slowly opened, revealing large orange bulbous eyes with green pupils.
Kensei and Mashiro merely stared.
"I-I can see…I can finally see!" proclaimed a disturbing voice. "So this is what the world looks like! Well, what the world currently looks like…" He laughed, showing his fang like teeth.
"Wow, Tōsen, did you join Aizen so he could turn you into a creepy moth Hollow that can see?" Mashiro queried in wonder.
"Kuna Mashiro, your appearance is as childish as your personality," Tōsen noted, focusing his gaze upon her.
"They're both better than yours," Mashiro retorted. "I can't believe you let Aizen change you into that. You looked better before."
"She has a point," Kensei agreed.
"This power is a gift from Aizen-sama. Its appearance is irrelevant. I never sought to see, because my sightless eyes have always seen far more than your sighted ones. The gift of sight is a mercy by Aizen-sama. He has given me not only the power to help him, but the actual power to visualize the word we had hoped to create all these years!" He released a cackle of uncharacteristic joy. "Aizen-sama is truly merciful! You will soon come to know his justice."
"You're weird. Why are you so happy? I don't think Aizen cares about you. He made you look so gross."
"Silence! You don't know even know what you are talking about! The power he gave me is stronger than yours!" he said, flexing his wings. The air around them vibrated, producing cracks on the ground.
"Whatever. I'm glad he didn't make me look like that!" Mashiro said, as she leapt into the air and spun around, jutting out her leg to strike a clawed hand when she was within his range.
Tōsen simply took the hit and tried to grab her with his upper left claw hand. The Visored female leapt backwards over it, striking the hairy limb hard as she righted herself. She scarcely dodged the swatting claw from the lower left.
"Mashiro Super Kick!" she yelled as she reappeared above it, hitting it hard enough to create a small crack that slowly grew.
"Huh?" she said, disappointed that the damage had not been greater.
"I'm not some weakling like Hooleer," Tōsen sneered. "You wanted a piece of me. Here you go," he said, swinging his arm and flinging the now crumbled pieces of his claw at her.
"Hmph," she muttered, as she easily destroyed them with a punch.
She watched as his claws regrew and he charged toward her, jabbing at her with both of his upper clawed hands with startling tenacity. She weaved over and around them, barely dodging them as they came at her again and again. He followed her as she used Shunpo to appear higher in the air in the opposite direction of Kensei. She continued to twirl and dance around him, striking when possible.
Her smaller figure and speed barely seemed like an advantage since any wounds she inflicted he quickly healed. It didn't matter where she hit him. She had broken the top of one of his horns and had even smashed one of his eyes when she had managed to get close to his face and they all regrew without fail. And regardless of the number of times she hit the same place, his regeneration remained unaffected. He didn't seem to be showing any signs of fatigue.
"You're like an annoying fly," Tōsen said, as he swatted her away. "Well, I suppose some things never change. You're still a useless nuisance. I never understood how you were chosen as the fukutaichō…"
"How rude!" she fumed.
"I'm merely saying the truth. Even your own taichō thought it. Though I suppose I shouldn't complain. If you had been a much more diligent fukutaichō, you might have actually been a challenge. I found it quite easy to betray the taichō with you sleeping on the job."
Mashiro looked hurt for a moment.
As a clawed finger thrust at her, Mashiro twisted her body over it, using it as a springboard to flip over his arm. As she floated downward, she grabbed ahold of his monstrous wrist and with a determined cry, wrenched it to the side with such strength that she flung him away.
As he flew away from her, Tōsen drew green circles with his claws in front of him.
"Los Nueve Aspectos," he shouted, releasing powerful green sound based blasts.
"Mashiro Super Cero!" Mashiro cried out, extending her leg out and releasing a powerful lime green blast of her own.
There was an enormous collision of energy that bathed the world in sublime green.
The smoke dissipated revealing a worn Mashiro. A crack was visible on one of her antennae.
A shadow appeared behind her and within seconds, she found her ankle being grasped with bone crushing strength. She could feel her ankle snapping and she soon found herself being flung away. She fell from the sky and slammed into a wall a few blocks away. She groaned as she slid to the floor in a crumpled heap. The lower half of her mask was broken.
"W-Why? Why'd you do it?" she demanded, as the mask piece above her nose shifted and cascaded to the ground.
Tōsen gazed at her quizzically. His wounds were nonexistent.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, watching as the rest of her mask crumbled away.
"Why did you betray …Kensei…and me?" she clarified, her mind drifting back to the night over a century ago.
She had been sleeping, dreaming…She had imagined Kensei had been perverted enough to touch her…And then sometime after she thought she had heard strange shouts, thought she had heard a worried Kensei bellow at her to wake up…
She opened her eyes, only to find an impenetrable darkness staring back at her. She couldn't hear, smell, or sense anything…. She gasped as pain burst through her abdomen. She didn't understand, couldn't even move…
And the darkness suddenly became to vanish, and moonlight soon revealed her attacker…
"It can't be…"
And then the world went dark once more as she felt his foot connect with her cheek.
"Because it was necessary," he said coldly. "Aizen-sama needed specimens like you and the others. It was a sacrifice that needed to be made in order to prepare for the new world that is to come through Aizen-sama."
"What are you talking about? Aizen is destroying the world. I don't understand why you would help him do that…"
"He isn't destroying it, he's purifying it," Tōsen corrected her. "You couldn't possibly understand."
Tōsen was suddenly yanked backwards. He whirled his head around, spotting Kensei with his mask, clutching the end of his tail and swinging it hard.
"Enlighten me then," Kensei shouted, as he hurled the bestial creature away.
"You can't understand either!" sneered Tōsen, as he flapped his wings and flew around once he regained his bearings. "Whether you fight out of revenge or not, you're still protecting the Seireitei! You once said you wanted to crush the threat before it reached the Seireitei, but the truth is, the Seireitei is home to what threatens the entire universe. The Gotei 13 thinks they impart justice by what they do, but they simply maintain the balance that suits them. Aizen, on the other hand, wants to actually enforce justice by changing the way the world works, and it starts with eliminating everything with ties to the old way."
"You're right, I can't understand. It just sounds like genocide to me," Kensei grunted, sounding repulsed.
"Aizen isn't spilling blood for the sake of killing, he's doing it to enact a revolution! It's the Gotei 13 that is guilty of genocide to maintain their power! They slaughtered the Quincy and have killed anyone who has ever threatened their authority. They let Souls die every day in the World of the Living and in Rukongai all to maintain a cycle that benefits them!" Tōsen retorted angrily. "That is not justice for all! Aizen-sama will bring about true justice by ending it!"
"Bankai, Tekken Tachikaze!" Kensei called out, as a loud wind burst surrounded him.
His hands now each held a sharp knuckle blade. Purple segmented bands encased his arms and shoulders while a thicker band curved above and around his shoulders and back, looking like some kind of segmented cape.
"You have a sick sense of justice," Kensei said, as he slipped into Shunpo and charged towards the bestial creature.
"It's you who has a sick sense of justice! You're fighting to protect an unjust cycle! Your Reishi along with the others will help end it, so just die! Los Nueve Aspectos!" Tōsen exclaimed, as the silver-haired Visored came within a few feet.
Kensei punched away at the green laser like circles, dissolving them into nothing.
Tōsen used Sonído to evade Kensei's incoming punch and appear several feet behind him.
"La Mirada!" he said, releasing a green Cero beam from each eye that converged to form one fierce beam that tore through the sky.
Kensei vanished the moment it reached him.
Tōsen felt pain assuage his flesh as a sharp blade thrust through it. He then began to shake as his body felt the rumblings of a potent force racking it. Tōsen withstood three cutting punches before he slipped into Sonído, putting distance between himself and his assailant.
"No matter what technique you use, or how many wounds you can inflict, you can't kill me! My wounds heal immediately!" he taunted, showing him his healed abdomen. "My power has no limits! Your poor fukutaichō already experienced this!"
Kensei made a noncommittal noise and switched his knuckle blades into brass knuckles. With a burst of speed, he appeared in front of Tōsen and began pummeling any part of his body that he could reach, hard and fast.
Every part that regrew, he thumped and thrashed again and again. Tōsen merely seemed to find it amusing.
"If that is what you've always considered justice, then I get why'd you let Aizen delude you into thinking he can do the impossible and why you wouldn't hesitate to betray your so-called comrades for him," Kensei said, as he rammed his fist against a clawed hand. "And why you've probably never understood what it means to be a Shinigami," he added, as he punched another claw with his other fist.
"I only became a Shinigami to crush the Seireitei from within just like Aizen-sama!"
"I see," Kensei said, his gaze flashing.
Reappearing behind Tōsen, he released a fury of blows that trailed up to his head. With a particularly fierce look, he plunged his right fist, now sporting his original wicked knuckle blade, through Tōsen's head while he struck his left fist through his back.
That was for Kasaki, Eishima, Tōdō, and Mashiro… you bastard!
Copious amounts of blood covered Kensei, but though he was now mask-less, he merely blinked and shook his head to clear away the blood coating his eyelids. With the back of his right hand, he wiped away the blood around his mouth.
"Are you all right, Mashiro?" Kensei asked, once he had returned to the spot where he had left the green-haired young woman.
"Of course! Well, except for my ankle. He broke it," she said, as she took in his bloodied appearance. "It's not fair that I can't regenerate my wounds instantly like he could," she pouted.
"Quit your whining. You're lucky he didn't rip your foot off. Hachi will heal this in a heartbeat," he replied, as he squatted down to her level to take a quick look at her injury.
"Kensei, I'm glad you were able to avenge the Muguruma Commando Unit. I was hoping you would get that chance in this war," Mashiro confided softly, after a beat. "I know Aizen was his leader, but Tōsen was the who killed them…who hurt us and made it possible for us to hurt the others…"
Kensei stared at her for a moment, before admitting, "I'm glad too. I never should have allowed that bastard in the division. He was nothing but a coward with a twisted sense of justice. I never thought there would be a threat inside the Seireitei, let alone that he would be one of them."
"Me neither. He was like one of those caterpillars that can blend in with whatever is around them. I never noticed anything weird about him."
Kensei gave her a look. "More like a camouflaging roach," he growled. "I would have gladly squashed him, if I had realized…"
"I know, Kensei."
They fell silent.
A pensive look stole over Mashiro.
"Kensei, I'm sorry for failing to protect you…that day…As your fukutaichō, I should have—"
"You idiot, I never blamed you. We were all ambushed. There was nothing you could have done. Besides, I just squashed the real culprit with your help. Without you, I couldn't have reused my mask again. I underestimated him."
Mashiro giggled, her face brightening. "Stupid Kensei, you can't do anything without me. That's why I told you to save a piece of him for me."
"Shut up, you idiot," Kensei grunted, looking mildly annoyed. "I underestimated him because I was waiting around for you to show up! I didn't want to deal with your nagging later if I had beaten him by myself!"
Mashiro grinned. "Whatever, Kensei! Hurry up and take me to Hachi! I'm tired of being here."
"You're such a pain," he grumbled, gathering her in his arms and standing up.
"Kensei, what would you do without me?" she wondered quietly, suddenly remembering Hiyori's passing.
"Don't say such nonsense. We're fighting until we can't anymore."
"Kensei," she murmured, as he carried her away.
The din of the alarm had been lost amidst the explosions and roars rippling throughout the Seireitei. Renji could hardly believe that the Shakonmaku had been breached yet the dark shadows of the Hollows covering the sky proved it. He could see and hear the fires and battle cries erupting across the Sixth Division as he, himself, led his own squadron to destroy the invaders. He had been eager for action, but not like this. Safety in numbers only seemed to apply to the enemy and the end of the world seemed to be upon them. He had never seen so many Hollows in his life! It felt as though Hueco Mundo seemed to be spilling forth its inhabitants upon the Soul Society.
Kuchiki-taichō had been quite adamant that they had to be prepared for the worst, but Renji had never quite contemplated how dangerous Aizen's invasion could be. This was going to be one hell of a fight for the Seireitei.
Tiles scattered to the floor as Hollows of various sizes and strength levels landed on the buildings. They stared at the Shinigami with undeniable hunger as they bellowed.
"Alright men, let's do this!" he yelled, as he braced himself for the upcoming battle.
They chorused behind him a hearty hoar of enthusiasm though he knew underneath it lay fear. These men had never seen the likes of an Adjuchas or an Arrancar until now. For better or worse, they had to give it their all.
He felt rather strange leading them. He barely knew them. He hadn't been their fukutaichō but for a couple of months, and yet these men placed their faith and loyalty in him. They looked to him to keep them alive.
It unnerved him to have such a responsibility placed on him. He had never fought with a squadron under such dire circumstances let alone as a fukutaichō. No matter what he would make sure he wouldn't fail them. He would prove he deserved to be their fukutaichō.
"Howl, Zabimaru," he shouted, leading the charge
His subordinates followed behind him, releasing their Zanpakutō.
The acrid scent of smoke tainted the air with glaring pungency though the flames had dwindled away. The familiarity of the scent did not bring her comfort or relief as it normally would since the aroma embodied death itself and its continued presence accentuated how rampant it was.
Blazes cloaked in shades of grey still billowed elsewhere. She could see their muted glow in the distance from where she stood. She felt as if hell was spewing flames upon the Seireitei.
If only the heavenly rains could wash away the terrible fires spreading throughout the Gotei 13…
Momo's chest tightened at the thought.
She had known the elimination of taichō was crucial to ensure Aizen's victory, but the beginning stages of his invasion were undeniably a painful reminder that Hitsugaya-kun's elemental powers were sorely needed for this assault…
Coincidence or not, she could see even more why he had been a better target than her.
Tobiume's fireballs could easily augment the destruction.
She had to be careful. She had aided Aizen enough as it was.
She was glad her true aptitude lay in Kidō. It was what her training had revolved on when Hitsugaya-kun had been infected, but she hadn't envisioned this war zone. In truth, she had been preparing Kidō for a specific scenario, though she was uncertain of how effective it would be. It seemed what mattered now was relying upon everything she knew, otherwise she wouldn't even survive for the scenario she had attempted to prepare for.
"Hinamori-fukutaichō, behind you!" she heard Nanao call out urgently to her.
Since the encounter had begun, Nanao had switched over to her formal title denoting the gravity of the situation.
Grateful though she was for her colleague's warning, she had already sensed the danger behind her. She could even feel the coolness of the shadow befalling her figure.
"Hadō #4. Byakurai," she said, spinning around and unleashing a large and strong lightning bolt that burned through the fish faced Hollow glaring at her and through its two other comrades.
"Hadō 31: Shakkahō," Nanao now cried, generating a rather large red ball of energy that consumed the angry creatures surrounding her.
Fifteen feet behind the Eighth Division fukutaichō, Momo saw one of her soldiers, who had been fighting alongside them, stumble and fall. A Hollow was hurtling towards him, preparing to swoop low like an eagle catching its prey in the river.
Momo raced towards her subordinate, judging that the creature's head start and speed would deem her the loser if she did not act now.
"Bakudō # 9: Geki," she said hurriedly, prompting the Hollow to become still in midair as a red glow enveloped it.
She leapt into the air, brandishing a sealed Tobiume over her head and bringing it down to slide through the frozen monster's head. She landed neatly on the ground and swiftly turned, offering her soldier a hand.
"Arigatō, Hinamori-fukutaichō," he said, as he took it and was pulled to his feet.
"C'mon, let's keep fighting!" she encouraged, as she, herself, already speeded towards the others.
The Hollows shrieked as they were blown away to nothing by the dazzling blue crescent that had been flung in their direction. Ichigo whirled around, cutting across another Hollow that had dared intercept his path. Rukia could tell by the tension in his jaw and the way his eyebrows remained steadfastly furrowed that he was working out his frustration and anger that they had been unable to find Masaki at the Kurosaki Manor.
Their search, though hurried due to the looming threat of Hollow attacks, had been as thorough as could be, and they had not caught sight of nor sensed the presence of the orange haired Shinigami young woman within the forsaken manor. Rukia had been hoping her deduction had been correct. It had seemed like the most obvious location for her to go to since Masaki had made it perfectly clear earlier that she had wanted to be away from everyone.
"That doesn't matter…I shouldn't have drunk more than a drink…I can't really drink…This is bad…no this is very bad…" Masaki murmured, looking horrified. "I-I can't show my face in the Seireitei again…"
"It's not that bad, Masaki," Rukia countered. "You just had some sake. Everyone says and does stupid things when they drink…I know I've done it…"
"But it's not the same, Kuchiki-san….I shouldn't have drunk or said anything…I might have…no—I probably did affect the future…This is bad…This is really bad…." Masaki muttered, dropping her stricken gaze to the floor. She lowered her clenched hands onto the floor and dipped her head.
"M-Masaki, you don't really know that…."Rukia started, watching as the bowed orange head quivered.
"Y-You don't know that I didn't…"Masaki countered unsteadily, keeping her head bent. "I-I-I-I don't even want to find out," she added as a sob escaped her throat, "b-but I probably did. Y-You don't know how bad this is…I-I just want to go home…back to before I caused this whole mess…"
Rukia couldn't understand why her instinct had been wrong…She had been certain Masaki would want to be alone. She had been so distraught this morning. She had reached her breaking point, which is why she could understand her need to be away from everyone in a safe, secluded and somewhat familiar place…
She wondered if she had been there and the Hollows had driven her out. She and Ichigo had fought quite a large horde of Hollows upon exiting the Kuchiki Manor's barrier as well as in the surrounding residences, but the number of Hollows had thinned around the Kurosaki Manor. Masaki could have potentially eliminated them and fled elsewhere if the Hollows had proven to be too much. Or she could have hidden herself. Or perhaps, Masaki had merely managed to keep her presence hidden and had not even drawn the attention of the Hollows. They all seemed like a reasonable explanation. Their search had been rather harried; they could have missed something.
Rukia hoped that wherever Masaki was, she remained safe. Rukia didn't think she was foolish enough to return to the Gotei 13. Not even in her frazzled state since she clearly wanted to be alone. Nonetheless, she was at risk now that Aizen's invasion had started. Like Ichigo said, she shouldn't have to fight in this war that wasn't hers…
Yet Rukia knew, she probably wouldn't have a choice since she was out there somewhere…
The sky seemed to grow prematurely darker all the time. Spirals of smoke and ashes twisted and curled towards the open sky with alarming frequency throughout the Gotei 13 from what she and Ichigo could see as they leapt from building to building and worked their way through the residential area and now commercial area of the Seireitei. Unsurprisingly, the Gotei 13 appeared to be the central focus of the destructive beasts invading the Seireitei.
It was both a blessing and a curse. The Shinigami could defend themselves unlike the nobility but the sheer number of Hollows clearly posed a grave problem. The Gotei 13 could only bear so much before they succumbed to the relentless attacks and thus left the entire Seireitei unprotected.
The residential and commercial zones of the Seireitei had been fortunate to receive attacks from lesser Hollows so far, but nevertheless, she and Ichigo had seen the guards of the nobility, many of whom had trained as Shinigami but worked as bodyguards, struggling to protect the manors of their employers. She knew the aristocratic families had likely taken refuge in underground chambers hidden beneath their homes, but their safety remained in peril for the time being. She and Ichigo had assisted several guards in their trek, but they had to continue fighting as long as the Hollows kept reappearing.
Somehow she and Ichigo had managed to keep the structural damage to a minimum as they dispatched the Hollows they encountered by attacking rapidly and luring them towards the sky away from the nearby edifices.
She was impressed by the restraint Ichigo had displayed thus far with his power. She had never seen him attack in such a controlled and efficient manner. Swift and precise attacks were what needed to cut the monsters efficiently and he was executing them with great accuracy. She was proud he was demonstrating control over his attacks and power.
He seemed like a seasoned Shinigami as he struck and slashed Hollow after Hollow. It almost seemed inconceivable that this was his first time dealing with continuous hordes of Hollows. Truth be told, she had never dealt with so many either. No Shinigami had.
It was a real test for everyone, and yet she knew the true battles lay ahead.
"Damn, she's not here either," Ichigo muttered, as he cleaved his final enemy, a bulky creature, in half and glanced around. Frowning, he closed his eyes for a moment, letting his senses stretch out, but amber eyes only revealed frustration upon opening.
Leaping backwards, Rukia finished beheading the monster that had attempted to sneak up on her and joined him. With every reprieve they had, he always attempted to sense Masaki, but he always received the same result. Nothing.
She wasn't surprised, though she understood his disappointment.
"Rukia, we're almost reaching the Gotei 13 and we still haven't sensed her. I can't believe it. I thought we'd come across her by now. I don't understand where she could be hiding."
"I told you, Ichigo, Kidō can be helpful in that regard."
"Well, even if she is using Kidō, there's no way she can keep hiding if those freaking Hollows keep pouring in. The whole damn Seireitei looks like it'll be torn apart if this keeps up."
"Ichigo, if it comes to it, she'll have no choice but to fight. This may not be her war, but I think she's always been aware that no matter what she has to survive the past to return to her present. You cannot doubt her resolve to survive just like we can't doubt ours or that of the Gotei 13."
"You're right," he acknowledged, his gaze solemn. "I just hope she'll be okay."
"Me too."
"Let's go, Rukia. We need to hurry and help the Gotei 13," he said, as he burst into Shunpo.
Rukia nodded.
She's a quick leaner.
Kūkaku mused as she observed her young cousin, Kurosaki Karin, apply the bokken handling techniques she had taught her ten minutes ago. With every minute, she could tell the young pre-teen possessed an innate prowess for swordplay. All the girl needed was continued practice, focus, and emotion management to refine her technique and become skilled just like the family members in her bloodline.
She had stumbled upon her and Urahara's red-haired boy going at it with bokken. They had apparently needed to keep busy, which is why they were taking advantage of one of her training rooms and its supplies. They had stopped to give her that explanation and explain why Ururu was unconscious on the floor. Though Urahara and Yoruichi had mentioned the girl could be extremely sensitive to Hollows, she found it quite impressive that she had been capable of sensing the Hollows descending upon the Seireitei despite the distance and being underground. Afterwards, she had ordered them to resume their sparring while she watched.
She allowed them to spar for five minutes before she halted them and gave them a proper demonstration. She knew that Jinta from what Yoruichi had told her was versed in Hollow slaying techniques, but he didn't exactly have the finesse of a swordsman, or real know how on to teach anyone from what she had seen. The boy himself confirmed his weapon of choice was a kanabō, a spiked war club, and she could see how such a crude weapon suited the impish and rough nature of the boy rather than a katana.
Her cousin had a better handle on her wooden weapon and was adhering better to keeping her impulses in check though she could see she had half a mind to want to whack her bokken haphazardly in mad strikes to bash her opponent when the boy taunted her.
Both the boy and her cousin shared a strong will and a competitive desire to beat each other. She found the match rather interesting despite that fact that she was annoyed with Urahara for allowing her cousin to be up and about.
She had wanted him to put her back to sleep since she found the whole thing risky and unnecessary but he had waved away her concerns saying it was best for her to start learning the truth about the spiritual world (at least smidgens of it) and proceeded to give Karin the rundown on why she and her family members were in the Shiba household in the Soul Society. The girl had taken it surprisingly well since she had been aware of her brother's Shinigami status.
Nevertheless, Kūkaku still felt somewhat apprehensive since she wasn't sure what her uncle would think of the situation. She hoped he wouldn't be upset since the girl was technically safe and his family history was still a secret.
She recognized that Urahara did have a valid point about the girl needing to understand the Soul Society and its inhabitants since she suspected Karin would likely draw the attention of the Gotei 13 at some point after the war. Half Human, half Soul hybrids had never been heard of until now and since her uncle had returned to the Seireitei, they would soon realize Ichigo was not the only Kurosaki child endowed with Reiryoku.
She could sense Karin's level was above an average Human, but not quite developed to be highly above Human. The girl was still young and could become more spiritually aware with time. Yoruichi had told her that had been the case with Ichigo.
She wasn't quite sure what the Gotei 13 would do if her powers continued to grow. Her status was unprecedented for a Human.
Yuzu, the other twin sister, seemed to be the least spiritually aware, but it could be her development was much more latent than the other two. Yoruichi had told her there was a chance the girl could eventually increase her Reiryoku due to her exposure to Karin's own, though, perhaps, she had gained more of her mother's genes than her father's. She supposed that could be beneficial.
The more imminent threat was what the Gotei 13 would do to her uncle rather than the twins. Her uncle had taken the risk of alerting the Gotei 13 of his living status and past for the sake of the future of the entire universe, but he had no guarantee he wouldn't be forced to return to the Seireitei after the war. It technically was illegal for Shinigami to inhabit the World of the Living after all.
Change inevitably loomed over the Kurosaki family once the war ended.
She had a feeling that would apply to the Gotei 13 as well.
Aizen's invasion had started and she knew it was an all-out war.
A part of her wished she could be out there destroying Hollows, but she had sent her little brother in her stead and in the name of the Shiba Clan. The clan had always defended the Soul Society and in this all or nothing situation it would still be true. She hoped that idiot would be helpful and that he would come back. She didn't want to lose more family, not when she had just regained her uncle and his family.
A loud crack and an angry curse sounded as Jinta reeled backwards. Her cousin had managed to unbalance the poor boy with a nice strike.
"Good one, Karin." Kūkaku grinned.
"I want a rematch," Jinta demanded, as he jumped back to his feet, annoyance radiating off his small figure.
"Sure, I wouldn't mind repeating that." Karin smirked, as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
"Why you! That was a fluke, don't get cocky."
"Take a break, you two," Kūkaku interrupted.
"I don't want to take a break, I want to continue sparring," Jinta said stubbornly.
"You can continue sparring after you take a break, Jinta. You look like you'd only get beat again. You guys showed some improvement, but you both still have a lot of work to go."
"I like this. It's kinda fun. I'd like to learn more," Karin admitted.
Kūkaku chuckled. "I know the feeling. It can be pretty addicting."
"You used to be a Shinigami, right, Kūkaku-san?"
Aquamarine eyes stared at the dark-haired girl.
"What makes you think that, Karin?"
"Well, it'd make no sense for you to have this training space and a bunch of different kinds of bokken, if you never were a Shinigami." Karin shrugged. "Urahara-san mentioned that a katana is what Shinigami use to purify Hollows. You have one, and I can tell you know what you're talking about when you used the bokken, so this place would have helped you keep your skills sharp back when—"
"Back when I had two arms," Kūkaku interjected.
Karin looked slightly embarrassed and uncomfortable. "I was going to say when you were a Shinigami."
"You figured I lost my right arm while I was a Shinigami, didn't you? You're a pretty smart girl." She grinned. "Truth is I lost my arm in a nasty fireworks explosion. My family, the Shiba Clan, specialize in fireworks. I started learning how to make them when I was a kid and I've had my fair share of burns and scrapes, but unfortunately, one day I got caught up in a really bad explosion. You were right in thinking that losing my arm was what ended cutting my career as a Shinigami short though."
"So you were a Shinigami?"
"I was. For a short while, anyway. Most of this stuff was my older brother, Kaien's. He used to be the fukutaichō of the Thirteenth Division. He was the one who taught me how to fight. He even kept training me even after I lost my arm. He didn't want me to forget, or to become weak. Thanks to him I never allowed myself to become weak even though I lost my right arm."
"He sounds like a good brother."
"He was," Kūkaku admitted softly. "He was killed several decades ago."
"I-I'm sorry," Karin murmured, suddenly looking startled. "I'm sorry Jinta and I even came to this room. We shouldn't have…"
Kūkaku waved her hand as if to brush away her words. "Don't worry about it. I told you, you were free to use any room, didn't I? Besides, my brother always welcomed anyone who wanted to learn. Training his subordinates was one of his favorite pastimes. I'm sure he would be glad to see that this room is in use again."
The room became quiet for a moment.
"I'm just glad you aren't a home wrecker like your brother," Kūkaku added with a chuckle, breaking the silence.
"Huh? Did my brother mess up your house?"
"That sounds just like the carrot top," Jinta chimed in.
"He nearly wrecked one of my training rooms when he was learning to control his Reiryoku."
"When did he do that?" Karin pondered. "I thought he trained with Urahara-san."
"He did, but he also did some additional training here. Look, I think you'd best hear the entire story from him when he gets back."
Karin nodded, looking disappointed and slightly concerned.
"Don't worry. Ichigo will be here before you know it," Kūkaku said bracingly. "I sent my kid brother, Ganju, to help him out. They've trained and worked together before. They're both survivors, you know, so you needn't worry so much. Have faith in your brother."
"I do have faith in him," Karin murmured.
"Well, how about another lesson then?" Kūkaku piped up.
Karin nodded.
Glossary:
Reiryoku-spirit energy/power
Reishi- spirit particles
Kanabō-a spiked war club used in feudal Japan
Katana- sword
AN: Kubo has obviously depicted Tōsen as someone whose true impediment is his figurative blindness. I never thought about this until I was writing this, but Tōsen's Resurrection form is symbolic in the sense that he is like a moth drawn to the flame (Kudos to those who thought of that from the get go). The flame being Aizen since he aspires to be the sun. Kubo's tag line for Aizen is "The gaze into the sun." Gin is a snake that is drawn to the sun's heat.