Clinging To Hope

by heidlebergchick

On a routine patrol of the First District, Captain Kuchiki and his Lieutenant encounter a strange creature. As the encounter turns deadly, the Gotei scrambles to react, unaware of the burgeoning war at their doorstep. The Gotei ensemble must look to their past, to save their future. (Gritty, realistic Invasion Arc, Post-Aizen/Pre-TYBW, rich Bleach lore - TYBW 523-526)

9. Chapter 9 - The Choices We Make

Chapter 9 - The Choices We Make

---

Japanese Translations

Taichou - Captain.

Fukutaichou - Lieutenant.

Zanpakutō - Soul Cutter - A reaper's sword.

Shikai - First release stage of a zanpakutō.

Bankai - Full release stage of a zanpakutō.

Hōzukimaru - Name of Ikkaku's zanpakutō.

Ryūmon Hōzukimaru - Ikkaku's bankai release command.

Sakikurue - Yuumichika's true shikai release command.

Ruri'iro Kujaku - True name of Yuumichika's zanpakutō.

Okojō - Stoat - A member of the weasel family. (Nickname) I decided to go with stoat because the actual Japanese word for weasel was Itachi.

Kan - the currency of the Soul Society - metal coins with squares in the centre. Roughly translates to 'ring'.

Sekkiseki stone - Stones that make up the walls of the Seireitei - it negates reiryoku and can only legally be opened by the gatekeeper.

---

~ Day 3 - Early Afternoon ~

An unstiffleable yawn punctuated the relative silence in the post-op ward, as Captain Unohana readjusted the blankets covering her fellow Captain as he slept on, blissfully unaware of the efforts she had undertaken to ensure his continued existence.

Turning around, she could see the look on Ginrei Kuchiki's face; it was a mixture of both dread and hope. She briefly wondered if Rukia would join them for the conversation but supposed her grandfather would fill her in at a later time. She took a seat across from the elderly man.

"The prognosis is very good; we'll be able to move your grandson out of the intensive care unit as early as tomorrow morning. During our initial inspection of the wounds during the last operation, we noticed severe deterioration of the walls surrounding his left kidney, as well as the surface wall of the organ itself. We've used medicinal kidō to heal the worst of the damage as we can't rely on using Byakuya's reiatsu."

Hope began to outweigh the dread on the old man's face, though only slightly. Unohana continued to speak, her exhaustion evident in her voice.

"It will take the best part of a week for us to actually heal the physical damage to his lower back because I'm very wary of using our traditional kidō treatments; it could stop his heart if we stress his body out in that manner."

Ginrei's face became immediately alarmed at her admission but he didn't say anything. His gaze flickered minutely as he processed the information.

"It just means that when we do use kidō, we'll have to go at Byakuya's pace, and stay within the limits he's able to regenerate easily. It'll mean staying here a bit longer than usual, but only a few days."

Ginrei frowned. "After his first operation, you said he was through the worst until the fiasco this morning. We know nothing about how he was attacked or what else these creatures are capable of; how can you be certain nothing else will happen?"

Unohana's eyes softened despite his tone. She knew his harsh words were coming from fear and concern and nothing more. "There was no possible way we could have known about those contaminants had he not deteriorated so quickly, but with the help of Captain Kurotsuchi, we were able to remove all the foreign traces of reiatsu from his body. His reiatsu levels were rising and not dropping when we left the operating room. We will remain vigilant for any signs of anything that could disrupt the healing process so that your grandson will be able to return home within the week."

Ginrei nodded, but his expression didn't really change. It wasn't a guarantee and deep down, he knew no self-respecting healer would, or could, give him one. Still, there was nothing he could do about it, so he relented with a sigh. Unohana nodded with a small smile, before touching his hand reassuringly before rising from her chair. As she exited, Ginrei could only hope that Byakuya really had come through the worst and that he was finally on the mend. His grandson couldn't take another shock like the one this morning, and Ginrei surmised with a final frown; neither could he.

---

Rukia sat in the bedside chair of her brother's room; he'd just been moved to his own room for where he could be provided round-the-clock care after his latest operation. As she stared at his flawless face, she found she wasn't able to take any comfort from the steady rise and fall of his chest, and the rhythmic sounds of the various hospital equipment.

As peaceful as the room was, the young Kuchiki couldn't forget his groans of agony, or the way his body had trembled and tensed. She couldn't forget the sight of his lower body covered in blood or the sense of helplessness she had experienced in the past two days.

She couldn't help but dwell on the facts as she knew them. Her grandfather had done his best to relay what Unohaha had told him during her absence, but upon finally seeing her brother, most of the information went over her head. All she knew with certainty was his life was no longer in danger, and that he would be staying put for the next few days.

She had watched her grandfather return home after departing this news, but Rukia remained pensive and silent. Despite the renowned strength her brother possessed, he had fought for his life for two days, through two surgeries, and only now was there light at the end of the tunnel. It bothered her that she knew exactly what he would do when released; he would go straight back to his Division and place himself right back at square one. Could he handle facing down the same enemy, knowing the reality of the pain they could cause? When that day came, would he be lucky enough to escape with his life, or would they finish the job?

Tears rolled down her face at the unfairness of it all. How strong did a person need to be to oppose this new enemy? If she met them, would she stand a chance? Her fingers shook in anger; just what the hell even were they? What gave them the right to show up and throw everything into chaos?

Everyone around her had changed ever so slightly. Her grandfather hadn't spoken much or smiled, Renji had been forced to take up the mantle of his Division, and she was left questioning what her next step would be. Remembering Renji's words as she sat crying beside her brother, she questioned her goals.

What do I want to achieve?

---

Mayuri Kurotsuchi looked up from the microscope, and jotted several notes in his hardback. As tired as he was, there was no way he could walk away from this for something as boring as sleep. A mystery was what he lived for. The prospect of solving unanswered questions, giving meaning to the unknown, and delving into all the exciting possibilities the mystery presented. Yes, this is what researchers needed to stay engaged and motivated.

Samples of blood, tissues and the unidentified white flecks sat lined up neatly in separate stations. The blood was the simplest to solve. A lack of sufficient proteins ruled out any haemotoxic or cytotoxic venomous agents; as much as he didn't want to admit it, Unohana Taichou had been correct. Her medical standpoint pointed to reiatsu levels as the cause of the necrosis and tissue degeneration. In the samples of tissue that had been all but disintegrated, there was a distinct lack of reiatsu of any kind, whereas the samples that remained relatively intact, contained residual reiatsu from both Unohana and her team of healers as well as Captain Kuchiki himself. It wasn't much of a mystery, all in all, and the macabre display of the Captain's lower body turned out to have an exceedingly simple explanation. He found it maddeningly dull.

The true puzzle remained the foreign samples they had found. He swirled a sample bottle in his hand and stared at it with a deep intensity. Multiple possibilities for deciphering its secrets lay open to him, but with only a few good samples to work with, he had to choose his experiments with care.

Turning his hardback to a blank page, he quickly scribbled down a few questions in succinct bullet points. He needed to know how this foreign sample worked. How long would it last outside the body of the creature, or inside the body of the victim? How long would it survive, now that it had been removed from the victim's body? Would it remain longer if left inside the sample body as it had been collected along with the healing kidō, or would it die faster if separated from all contaminants? What other behaviours would it exhibit? So many questions, and as he replaced the sample bottle in the rack, he was determined to design the experiments that would tell him everything about this sample and the enemy it came from. He wouldn't rest until the secrets unravelled before him, no matter how long it took.

---

At Squad Ten, Rangiku approached the office of her Captain with mild dread. While this morning's events had riled up her sense of purpose, she could only imagine the amount of paperwork that lay beyond the threshold.

Poking her head around the door, Captain Hitsugaya was too busy to notice her entry. With a strand of white hair almost touching the desk, he glanced at a report file before writing notes in an adjacent notebook. The door shut with a distinctive clicking sound and he paused to look up.

When he didn't say anything, she took a look around the room. Three boards of blank paper stood beside a fourth board which contained a huge map of the entire Soul Society. The map contained four red pins, with several orange pins connecting them and Rangiku pondered what it meant.

"What is all this?" she asked, and the diminutive Captain rose from his desk.

"So far, it's a visual guide of every site where a battle took place. Ultimately, I want to track the movements of these enemies." Gesturing to two red pins in close proximity, he continued, "This is the area where Captain Kuchiki fought, and this," he said, pointing to the second pin, "was the rendezvous point." A pencil thin circle surrounded the two pins, and the orange pins between them and Rangiku surmised she was looking at the overall area, as the Captain and enemy had kept moving. "The second set of pins represents the conflict between Captain Zaraki, as well as the secondary location where his Division teamed up with the Ninth Division."

She noticed a similar pattern of rapid movement at the circled pin where Zaraki Taichou had had his encounter, highlighted by a trail of orange pins leading away from the first red one, but there was a distinct lack of circling around the site where the two squads had fought. "They didn't move around as much here," she mused, flicking a manicured nail towards the last red pin.

He hummed in agreement. "The reason for that is Captain Kuchiki's battle wasn't contained, exactly like Captain Zaraki's, whereas Lieutenant Hisagi's was. That's why he has a red pin with no orange ones attached. So, the pins that have the circles are where a Captain engaged the enemy. Captains are fast, which means they can afford to move around like that. Truthfully, I'm not very surprised."

Rangiku nodded at this new information and felt a little more impressed with Shūhei; for someone that liked to goof around as much as she did, he took his job very seriously.

Hitsugaya returned to his desk and picked up three folders, before returning to his lieutenant. "The red folder contains combat records, hence the red pins. The green folder has all the medical reports and this blue one is full of forensics. I've read them all, but it's a lot of information. All I need are the salient points on those boards."

Rangiku nodded. "Why?"

Hitsugaya took a piece of paper out of a folder and held it up. It was a mission decree from the First Division. "My mission is to track the creatures to a singular location. If there are any details in these folders that could tell us anything about them, their motivations and behaviours, why they're here, where they're headed or what they want, we'll use that to track them and then the appropriate Division can destroy them. I can't stress how important it is to get the salient points on these boards."

Matsumoto nodded almost immediately. "Okay, so you want the entire picture in broad terms, without all the details?"

"Not exactly," he replied. "I need to glance at these boards for the entire picture. Whether that means broad strokes or details, it'll depend on the relevant information."

She nodded and eyed the coloured files in the crook of his arm.

"I'll take one and get started then."

He raised an eyebrow at her statement, but handed her the blue file quickly, before she had a chance to change her mind. Standing before a blank board, he produced his notebook from earlier, and began writing.

Following his example, she browsed the file and delved into Fon Taichou's detailed findings of the previous days. The sounds of markers scratching on paper quickly filled the room, and the two became absorbed in their work.

---

As Captain Zaraki touched base on the soil of his Division, he turned to Ikkaku and Yuumichika. "Go to the training grounds, I'll meet you there." Smiling at Yachiru, he allowed the tiny Lieutenant to lead him towards the barracks with the promise of bean buns and all the adorable smiles he could withstand. "You have ten minutes."

"Yes, Zaraki Taichou," came the immediate reply. Kenpachi nodded without turning around to see them bow in his direction.

Ikkaku noticed Yuumichika's slight trepidation as they began their trek. The man's shoulders were tense.

"What's the matter?" Ikkaku turned to face him. "Are you wondering why we have to go to the training grounds?"

Yuumichika searched Ikkaku's eyes and found no fear there. "Yes, I am. You're not even worried what he'll say?"

"What? No," replied Ikkaku almost instantly. "I mean, what the hell does he care, really? Two guys trading barbs, it's hardly the first time he's seen that. I mean, I'll probably have to apologise but he probably just wants to start the day's training."

Yuumichika nodded but eyed his best friend carefully. "This is bad, Ikkaku. Why did you say that about Captain Kuchiki? I mean, you and Renji have had this thing going on for years, and you know I've never gotten involved because it was none of my business. Just, with everything that's been happening, today wasn't exactly the best day to antagonise Renji or his Captain, you know? Especially with the man's family standing behind him?"

Ikkaku stared back at his feather-adorned friend for a moment, before sighing. "Yeah, I know. It was really stupid. It was weird though." Ikkaku began counting off the fingers on his left hand using his right. "That moron has never pulled rank before, he's never threatened me with the brass, and he sure as hell never brought the Captain into it. I don't get it."

Yuumichika simply nodded. "Renji's never held the reins of his squad before. He's never seen his Captain go down like that before and he's never had more of a reason to stand his ground."

Ikkaku chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Why'd he have to get personal, though?" He glanced back at his friend. "I mean, we've never seen eye to eye, but I've never spilled his secrets, or mocked him on things that were important to him, especially not in fucking public." He paused, before adding in a quiet voice. "Is it true; did the Captains know about my bankai?"

Yuumichika sighed. "If they did, it's the first I'm hearing about it. You know I wouldn't tell anyone."

"Yeah, I know," said Ikkaku. "It was way below the fucking belt, and he had no right after everything I've done for him." He rubbed his head in his hand. "Fuck! I'll be hearing about promotions and all that other bullshit now that it's out, out. What's so wrong about being happy where I am? You didn't hear me laughing in his face when he said he wanted to surpass Kuchiki."

"There's nothing wrong with your goals. Renji had no right to say that in front of everyone no matter how much stress he might be under. It was a hideous display of hypocrisy."

"Right?" said Ikkaku. "If I hadn't trained him, and spent my time and effort investing in someone besides myself," he said, using air quotes, "then, he wouldn't have a shikai, a bankai, or the command he has now. And let's be honest; there's no way his Captain would have taken a hit, if he was man enough to hold his own against those creatures. It's his fucking fault his Captain almost got killed, not mine. How fucking dare he call me unmanly when he can't even get through a fight without his Captain's protection?"

Yuumichika pursed his lips at the crass comment. "I'm on your side in all this; I think your remark was wrong, but Renji's reaction was extreme for whatever reason, be it because he's under stress from running his Division now or from something else. All I know is, he owes you a lot. He was an unseated nobody when we met him, and his journey here started with you. I think his revelation was a disgusting way to repay your selflessness."

Ikkaku straightened a little, taking every word seriously, as his best friend continued. "However, a lot has changed since those days and Renji has come up the ranks a lot faster than most. It only took him fifteen years to become a lieutenant. He's different now than he was; the war changed him."

Ikkaku frowned at his best friend. "What are you saying?"

Yuumichika sighed. "There isn't a nice way to say this, but like I said, I'm on your side, so don't take this the wrong way." The dark-haired man paused while continuing to endure his friend's frown. "I think Renji made some good points too."

Ikkaku's eyes rose in disbelief and his expression bore a hint of betrayal. "The things he said about our Captain were true. He loves a good fight, yes, but he doesn't seek it out. He spars but that's it. He doesn't disrespect his peers, rather, despite their differences, he's befriended them. He listens to the higher ups and takes his orders from them, so when they send him out to face an enemy, he obeys."

Ikkaku chewed his lip as he listened. He couldn't deny a single point, and was instantly reminded of his and Abarai's Captains friendship. That's when the sinking feeling entered the pit of his stomach. "Do you agree with the point he made about me losing at the tower? Do you think I should have used my bankai to win?"

"No. While I agree with the points he made about our Captain utilising all his abilities in a fight, I'm not rude enough to suggest releasing a bankai in the living world would have been a smart idea, not without permission, crunch time or not. I really think that not unleashing it was the smarter choice. Renji should have considered that fact." Yuumichika shrugged and Ikkaku smirked.

"Exactly." Ikkaku made a flourishing gesture and nodded. "He wasn't even there that day, he's just using second-hand information to help his argument." His facial features seemed to shrug as he rose and nodded to his best friend. "I'm going to pick up the pace; our ten minutes are almost up."

With a grin, he was gone, leaving Yuumichika racing to catch up, and his worried expression became more pronounced with each step.

---

Yuumichika touched down on the training grounds and noticed that a crowd of unseated men had followed Captain Zaraki to the location. As he passed, Yuumichika picked out a face in the crowd. It was the man from last night with the healing laceration around his eye. The man turned at that moment, returning his gaze and simply nodded. Yuumichika returned the gesture as he continued his trek, and he mused, maybe the man did know how lucky he was.

Making his way to the top of the grounds at the front of the throngs, he saw Kenpachi step out onto the grass. Yuumichika's eyes narrowed minutely as he sensed his Captain's mood. His reiatsu was a coiling ball of anger, barely contained, and ready to lash out at a second's notice, despite the presence of his eye patch.

'Damn it, Ikkaku. You've really gone and done it; the Captain's beyond furious,' thought Yuumichika.

He caught Yachiru's eye and knew she could sense it too; the men were too close. With a bright smile towards Yuumichika, she transformed her zanpakutō into a pink scooter and zoomed along the edge of the crowd, forcing them to step back. She didn't stop until there was sufficient distance between them and Kenpachi, marked by a muddy line. She nodded to Yuumichika and took a spot next to him to maintain the new distance. Satisfied, Yuumichika turned his attention back to his best friend who steadied himself as Zaraki addressed his squad.

"Madarame, step forward."

Zaraki's no nonsense words snapped the entire crowd to silence and attention. Ikkaku bowed and addressed his Captain. "I'm deeply sorry for making remarks about another Captain. It was disrespectful and brings dishonour to myself and your Division; it won't happen again."

The scarred Captain frowned heavily causing his normally frightening appearance to seem more terrifying. "I'm not interested in apologies; the Sixth are happy to move on because I said I'll handle it. That's why I'm here." His voice remained clipped and cold, the gravity of his words was becoming more menacing than his tone. He took another step towards his Third Seat. With each forward step, his reiatsu grew stronger, fuelled by his rage. "Bankai is a Captain's level skill." The words came slowly as he took yet another step. The reiatsu increased; there were murmurings of distress among some of the men in the crowd as they began to find it hard to breathe. "How long have you had it?"

Knowing better than to lie, Ikkaku replied, "Years."

With a vicious burst of reiatsu, more than a third of the men found themselves on their knees, as Captain Zaraki drew his nameless zanpakutō with a scarred hand. A sinister expression allowed the squad to see his canines as they glinted in the sun along with the fresh scars on his skin.

Ikkaku gently touched the hilt of his zanpakutō and felt a tremble of excitement from the spirit within. Now that he didn't have to hide his bankai, he could finally go all out against his Captain.

Yuumichika held his breath subconsciously as he watched Ikkaku unsheathe the blade. Red reiatsu slowly clung to Ikkaku's body, trailing around him in crimson wisps. Zaraki's eyes narrowed in anticipation as the murmurings of the squad got a little louder.

"Nobiro, Hōzukimaru." The standard blade transformed into its usual three-sectioned staff. Ikkaku held his shikai straight out in front of him with his eyes closed. Sure enough, the staff glowed white, soaking up the reiatsu that was heavy in the air around them. The wind picked up at the massive change in spiritual pressure causing a veritable tornado to spring up around Ikkaku. The squad members squinted and craned their necks to get their first glimpse of the bankai they didn't even know their Third Seat possessed.

"Bankai. Ryūmon, Hōzukimaru," said Ikkaku, in an almost whisper. His voice was low, deep and steady.

For a moment nothing happened despite the throngs desperate attempts to pierce the spiralling wind with their wishful thoughts. Yuumichika's heart was pounding; he knew exactly what Ikkaku's first move would be, because he'd seen it before.

"Huh!" came the cry.

Kenpachi found himself digging his heels into the ground as he was suddenly forced to hold off the incredible weight of a bankai hitting his sword. He grinned as Ikkaku surged and didn't give him pause to collect himself. Instead Ikkaku continued to hammer his massive blades, one after the other, against Zaraki's zanpakutō as hard as he could, using his force and momentum to remain airborne.

With every swing, Kenpachi stared at the two blades. Red horse hair tassels adorned the blades where they met their pommels. Chains connected the pommels to a giant dragon crested axe that floated behind him. With a single step forward, the giant Captain pushed back, dislodging Ikkaku.

The Third Seat landed back on the ground and took a moment to rest the blades on the ground. He reached up and grabbed the centre handle on the axe and began to pivot it in a circle; the two blades began to twirl around him. Kenpachi watched intently as the dragon on the front of the axe began to fill with red reiatsu, and he found himself wondering what would happen when the crest turned completely red.

With a sideways glance at his Captain, Ikkaku spoke. "Even though this is my bankai, Hōzukimaru is asleep because he's so lazy. I'm trying to wake him up."

Zaraki didn't care for Ikkaku's apologetic words and frowned. "Then stop trying, and do it!"

Zaraki advanced leaving Ikkaku no alternative but to raise one of his blades, while simultaneously continuing to spin the axe handle. The force of Kenpachi's sword strike on his bankai still sent enormous force through his arm and with every passing second, with every hit, the crest continued to fill. Every time Ikkaku spun, his Captain landed another blow on his defending blade, and with every swing, Kenpachi's impatience grew more pronounced. Finally, Kenpachi caught his third seat as he spun around to face him and backhanded him with such force that Ikkaku was sent sprawling across the grass, where he landed in the dirt face down. A groan rang through the squad. Yuumichika grimaced.

"Is it awake yet?" said Zaraki. He pulled his bandages aside bearing his chest to Ikkaku. "I can't make it any easier than this; either cut me or stop wasting my time; I don't have all day!"

Ikkaku struggled to his feet. Mud and blood covered his face, and he spat out some bloody saliva on the ground. His reiatsu throbbed steadily as it began to build. The blade spun to face Zaraki for the last time; the dragon was completely red.

Faced with this fact, the Captain blinked and that was all the time Ikkaku needed. In a burst of speed comparable to shunpō, the Third Seat rushed at Zaraki. Blood sprayed across the air as Ikkaku's blade finally found purchase on his chest. Through the blood and grime, Zaraki caught the look of intensity in Ikkaku's eyes.

He grinned.

From the spot where he stood, Yuumichika heard a little voice pop up, "I think Ken-chan is happy now; look, he's so excited." Glancing at Yachiru, and then to his Captain, Yuumichika couldn't help but agree. There was definitely more excitement than anger bleeding into his reiatsu now that the fight had intensified. Internally, he hoped his best friend would make it out of this in one piece.

As Ikkaku's blade arched upwards, his second blade swung down. Zaraki matched this new pace, meeting his upward and downward strokes with one hand. More and more reiatsu began to build as each blow sent a greater force onto his jagged blade, as if the bankai was getting more powerful with each hit, as well as with greater ease, like the blades weighed less. Deciding to up the ante, Kenpachi caught the blade in his hand as it swung down, holding the second blade off with his own. Ikkaku pushed, trying to release his zanpakutō from his Captain's grip, but struggled. As they remained locked, the Third Seat pushed back with his own reiatsu without paying any attention to the dragon crested axe floating behind him. The building spiritual pressure between the two swirled around the bankai in waves. In a furiously swift motion, Kenpachi released the blade he was holding and unleashed his considerable reiatsu behind his sword stroke, and for a brief split second, the crest of the dragon flickered bronze.

The conflicting masses of pressure exploded obscuring the two fighters from the crowd. Yuumichika gazed intently at the displaced wind, with Yachiru jumping up on her tiptoes. When the wind finally began to die down, Yuumichika gasped.

Zaraki stood relatively unscathed but Ikkaku hadn't fared so well; he was lying on the side of his head unable to move. Massive shards of his blades lay in pieces around him and the red crest began to revert to its dormant, grey state. The fight was over. As Kenpachi approached his Third Seat, the man struggled to meet his gaze.

"I can see why you didn't tell me about your bankai, never mind the rest of the Gotei. It takes too long to 'wake', and it breaks far too easily; this bankai is in its infancy." Ikkaku began trying to struggle back to his feet, but found himself looking at his Captain who had half kneeled instead. "Never again will you insult another Captain. You're done making decisions about my Squad, without my say so." To make his point, he reached down and grabbed Ikkaku's badge and ripped it off. "Because of the decisions you've made, I'll keep this until you earn it back, if you can; you are no longer my Third Seat."

He stood and addressed the Squad. "The same goes for everyone else: if there's anything else going on in this squad that I don't know about, you have until sunset to tell me with no consequences. If I wake up tomorrow and find out about anything else, then that person is out of Squad Eleven for insubordination. It's up to each and every one of you to decide if you want to stay in this Division, because if you don't like the way I run this squad, then find yourself a new one with another Captain."

With that he turned and strode towards the offices leaving Ikkaku in the dirt. He didn't see Yuumichika pale at his statement, as Yachiru followed him. The remaining squad members glanced at each other wordlessly as they processed their Captain's words. Some hung back to look at their now disgraced, former third seat.

Yuumichika squashed down his nagging thoughts and turned his attention to the more pressing matter at hand, his best friend. Kneeling on the ground, mud began to stain his pristine uniform, but for once, he didn't care. Hooking an arm around his chest, Yuumichika helped Ikkaku into a sitting position. Ikkaku pulled his arm away from his friend and refused to meet his eyes; he was ashamed. Yuumichika refused to accept this.

"Let me help you, Ikkaku. We can go inside and clean you up."

Ikkaku still didn't meet his gaze. "What do you care; you heard what he said." His voice cracked with defeat.

"Of course, I care! I know you, Ikkaku. You'll get it back in no time, don't worry."

Ikkaku nodded, not quite believing Yuumichika's pacifying words, but allowed his friend to help him to his feet. He didn't stare at the men as Yuumichika steered them back towards the barracks, knowing he'd see the loss of respect in their eyes. Yuumichika did look and on their faces, he saw a myriad of emotions: shock, fear, and confusion.

Reaching the barracks, Yuumichika guided Ikkaku to the wing that housed the seated officers. Turning left onto the corridor reserved for the ranks ten through three, Yuumichika passed his own room, and the one that belonged to Iba Tetsuzaemon before he had left to become the Lieutenant of Squad Seven. Finally, they arrived at Ikkaku's door, and Yuumichika had a sudden realisation as he slid the door open and entered; Ikkaku was no longer a Seated Officer in Squad Eleven.

---

"He humiliated me," said Ikkaku, as Yuumichika wiped blood off his skin. "He took my secret, and broadcast it to the entire squad, and now I'm a joke with no badge."

He swore and Yuumichika slowly dabbed away more blood. "You'll get it back."

Ikkaku hissed and moved away from the blood-soaked cloth. "That's not the point. I don't understand why he did this. It's been you and me forever with him and Yachiru since we met them in Rukongai. We don't have the same relationship with our Captain as the other squads. This doesn't make sense."

"It's true, we have a more relaxed sense of camaraderie, as if Kenpachi is our friend." Ikkaku glared at Yuumichika as he spoke. "But he's not, Ikkaku. He's our Captain and there comes a certain amount of respect just for his title. He's friendly with us probably because we've known him for so long, but longevity doesn't equal friendship. At least, not in a true sense of the word."

Yuumichika wore a sympathetic expression but knew he had to set Ikkaku straight, as gently as possible. He removed a self-adhesive dressing from the first aid box and applied it to the cut above Ikkaku's eye. "We're friends. We know the others' secrets and protect them. We back each other up and even if we don't always agree, we're still there when the other needs us. Our relationship with the Captain isn't like that."

A frown replaced Ikkaku's glare. Yuumichika sat opposite him and sighed. "I had no idea he would go this far; I knew he was angry, but I didn't think he'd take your badge." Ikkaku gave a glum nod but didn't reply. "I thought he was going to have you give a formal apology, but this is extreme."

"It's because of the bankai. The Captain wants strong fighters, and now he knows I've been holding back for years. I don't think he cares about what I said to Renji, but he can't forgive a secret like this. Maybe if he'd been in on the secret, he might have helped me keep it."

Yuumichika nodded with each word. "That must be what it is. By hiding it, you inadvertently robbed him of years of joy he could have had sparring with you. Then there's the reveal itself; it's completely untrained and doesn't pack the punch it should. Had it been the opposite he would have been delighted and he would've only slapped you on the wrist. If he saw no potential in your bankai, he might have kicked you out."

Ikkaku shuddered minutely. "I'll thank my lucky stars that didn't happen." He rubbed his bald head and swore. "Training is going to be insane now that he knows about it."

Yuumichika tilted his head optimistically. "That's good though, right? Now you can train it. At the end of the spar, did you notice the dragon?"

Ikkaku turned. "What about it?"

Yuumichika frowned. "It turned bronze, Ikkaku."

When the bald man's eyebrows shot upwards, Yuumichika widened his eyes as he nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it flickered for a second. I think you might have piqued the Captain's interest."

He chuckled. He poured a medicinal mouthwash into a plastic cup and offered it to Ikkaku. "Rinse your mouth, there's still blood on your teeth."

When he'd done as requested, Ikkaku finally returned his gaze to his best friend. "That tastes vile." He made a face and a sound of disgust, causing Yuumichika to mirror his expression.

Sounds of the day's training reached their ears from outside and Ikkaku groaned. "I need my badge back; if I go out there, the men are going to rub this in my face 'cause I've lost respect with the Captain."

Yuumichika located some cream for the massive bruise on Ikkaku's face. "First you have to understand why you lost your badge, then prove to the Captain that you've understood why and take steps not to repeat the offences. Then you'll get the badge back."

Ikkaku's eyes drifted as he recalled the words of his Captain as his badge was ripped off his uniform. "We know why, now all we need is to change the Captain's opinion."

Yuumichika shook his head. "He said it was because of the decisions you've made, Ikkaku. Hiding the bankai was one, but there's also the remarks towards Squad Six. First, you insulted their Lieutenant, and then when their Captain was incapacitated and that Lieutenant took over formal command, you made remarks about their Captain. Insulting people is fine, but you're picking targets above your rank. That's never going to fly, Ikkaku."

Ikkaku shrugged, causing his best friend to elaborate. "Our Captain and Captain Kuchiki are friends," said Yuumichika. "They respect each other because of their differences to the point where they banter with each other. No one else would ever tell Captain Kuchiki straight the way our Captain does and he appreciates that. On top of that, he enjoys their sparring sessions because it means Captain Kuchiki's skills don't get rusty. Despite the difference in their fighting styles, our Captain thinks Captain Kuchiki is a strong opponent. He likes that Kuchiki never backs down or never holds back. They won't stand for anyone disrespecting the other."

Ikkaku nodded. "So, how can I get it back?"

"Apologising to Captain Kuchiki and his Division would be a good start, but whatever you do, don't go in there with insincerity; they'll smell it a mile away. A real apology will reinforce their beliefs about our Captain and take the pressure off him to deal with this on Captain Kuchiki's behalf. Also, I'm not agreeing with Renji. I firmly believe revealing your bankai was awful, and he shouldn't have done it. Despite that, you know you were in the wrong by making those remarks, but what's important is that we're going to make it right by apologising."

"Right," said Ikkaku. "What's step two?"

"Step two is giving the Captain what he wants; a healthy amount of respect, run decisions by him before you assume he might be okay with your choice, as well as a good spar… whenever he wants one. Get back in his good graces and keep your head down, then you'll get your badge back."

"That sounds like a good plan," said Ikkaku.

The conversation lulled as they paused to take in their surroundings. Ikkaku's face became resigned and Yuumichika glanced at all the personal items strewn around the room. "I have to move my stuff to the dorms; I can't live here anymore."

Yuumichika nodded. "I can give you a hand."

"Thanks," said Ikkaku, before he noticed the dirt on Yuumichika's hakama. "You know you're covered in dirt, right?" Yuumichika looked down and frowned.

"I forgot; getting you looked after was more important. I'll change after we get you to the barracks."

The former Third Seat raised his eyebrows, before grinning back at Yuumichika. "You're a good friend, Yuumichika; as bad as this is, it's good to know you've got my back."

Yuumichika returned the grin. "Always."

---

Shunsui concentrated as he closed in on the source of his lover's reiatsu. It wasn't in the offices near his lounge as he expected, but rather, out towards the far end of their training grounds. As he approached the edge of the trees, he caught the first glimpse of Jūshirō bathed in delicate sunlight and surrounded by wildflowers as he sat on the grass. He pulsed his reiatsu to let the older Captain know he was there, and smiled when he turned his head to speak.

"Hello, Rukia," said Jūshirō. Shunsui moved a leaf out of the way and sure enough, he saw the young Kuchiki bowing to her Captain. He hastily masked his reiatsu from her.

"Ukitake Taichou."

Shunsui watched as his lover waved off the formalities and offered the girl a seat beside him on the grass. Despite his gesture, she knelt formally, as if by default. "Is everything alright? How's your brother?"

Rukia frowned, her expression showing concern and something else Shunsui couldn't put his finger on. "He'll be fine, but that's what I'm upset about." She shifted slightly.

Jūshirō tilted his head in confusion. Upon seeing his expression, she hastily clarified her thoughts. "He's fought for his life for the last two days, and I know him; when he's better he'll just go back to his Division and fight the same enemy again. What if they kill him this time?"

Shunsui could see the concern on Jūshirō's face and saw that Rukia was close to tears. "I know it's upsetting, but it's not your choice to make. Captain Kuchiki isn't the kind of man or Captain to sit by and allow others to deal with a conflict when he could provide crucial assistance. Sometimes people make choices we don't like, people we love, but understanding why can sometimes allow us to accept those choices."

Rukia nodded and Shunsui thought about those words, 'was Jūshirō talking to him?' He listened a little more attentively as his lover continued.

"Sometimes when we, or someone we love, makes a choice that we don't agree with, we react with anger or frustration. Not all choices are correct, but again, it's up to the person who made the choice to decide."

"I know he'll return to his squad and end up right back at square one," said Rukia, with frustration clouding her tone.

"As often is the case when faced with circumstances beyond our control, we are forced to make decisions without careful consideration. I admire your brother for the choices he made, and that of his young lieutenant. Despite getting hurt, I have no doubt that Captain Kuchiki has no regrets. I believe the next time he faces this enemy, he will have learned from his previous actions. What's more important than making a poor choice, is not repeating it. When he faces similar circumstances, if he does have any regrets, I'm sure he'll make a very different choice."

'Apology accepted, Jū-chan,' thought Shunsui, with a wry curl teasing his lips.

"Renji said my brother jumped in the way of the attack to protect him. He was really upset with Byakuya-sama, but he was more upset with himself because he thought it was his fault for not seeing the attack," said Rukia, softly. "Renji was so afraid that he would die because of him."

Ukitake gave a faint smile at the bond between the two and laid a reassuring hand on Rukia's. "The next time Abarai Fukutaichou enters a battle beside his Captain, rest assured that he won't let anything happen to him. The helplessness he felt watching your brother get hurt, and going through that painful recovery was enough to motivate him to see that it doesn't happen again. No doubt, you are feeling the same helplessness that he felt, leaving you on the brink of making a choice of your own?"

Shunsui mused as he thought about it. 'Definitely, but only if you say yes.'

Rukia nodded, but frowned at the white gardenias. "I don't know what to do. I'm afraid that if our Division gets involved, I'll get hurt because I'm nowhere near as strong as Byakuya-sama, and he almost died."

Ukitake mused as listened, knowing Shunsui was doing the same. "Is becoming stronger the answer, then?"

Rukia paused, and replied slowly. "I could train some more, but I don't think I'll be much stronger any time soon. Not as strong as I'd need to be, at any rate."

"I think you're being too hard on yourself," said Jūshirō. "You are a lot stronger than the child you were when you joined this Division. You've learned advanced techniques and been on many missions in the Living World and beyond. You are a lot stronger than most, with a vast amount of experience. But not all strengths are related to combat."

His voice became soft as it filled with emotion. "Is strength wielding a sword despite knowing you could die? Is it courage to face our fears? Could strength allow someone to shoulder a burden that threatens to crush them? Could a person draw strength from an impossible situation when a life is at risk? I think so, but that is only my opinion. The question is, what do you think?"

Rukia's lips tilted, giving the impression of a smile, while Shunsui grinned broadly as he agreed with his lover. "I don't know what to think. All I can see is chaos and pain. The Captains and Seated Officers are scrambling to react. Even Renji is acting strangely; he's implementing new training across his entire Division."

Her Captain nodded. "I can understand why it looks that way, but what they're doing is adapting. First, they need to learn about the enemy and what is required of them. With that information, each individual will decide their next step. Lieutenant Abarai is making amends, in a way. By adopting this training, he's taking all the pressure off you brother, so the only thing he has to worry about is getting better. It's quite noble of him, and speaks to the high level of respect he has for his Division and his Captain.

"As for the rest of the squad leaders, some will react instinctively, like your brother did; he wasn't given the luxury of time. Some will apply logic to help them cope, like Captains Unohana, Fon and Kurotsuchi. With every detail they unearth, their decisions will change accordingly. Their caution is recommended, as they ultimately decide the fate of the other Divisions. Some, like Captain Zaraki, won't need all the details. He will take only what he needs and decide as he goes, blending logic with instinct. The choices depend on the situation and the individual."

Rukia gave a mild sound of agreement. "How will I know if I'm making the right choices?"

Her Captain gazed off across the meadow. "Think about what you want, and about what's important to you. Think of the people you love, and no matter what you find yourself facing, you will have no regrets whether or not you know the decision you're about to make is flawed or perfect." He sighed. "Life has a way of testing us in good ways and bad, and I don't know what the future holds. I just hope that you'll make the best possible choice that you can when the time comes."

Rukia finally smiled, "I will. Thank you Ukitake Taichou."

He nodded and she rose to bow. "Give my regards to your brother and Ginrei-sama; I wish you all well." In a flash of shunpō, she was gone with a wide smile, leaving the two Captains alone for the first time since Ukitake's disastrous admission.

Kyouraku made his way beyond the trees and into plain sight, his pink haori fluttering in the breeze. The white gardenias bobbed as he passed, while Jūshirō continued to gaze off into the distance. He didn't move when his lover sat behind him, nor when he kissed the top of his head.

"I missed you," said Shunsui, softly.

"I'm sorry I left," replied Jūshirō, as he closed his eyes and leaned into his lover.

"You don't have to apologise to me, Jū-chan," said Shunsui.

Ukitake turned his head enough to stare into Shunsui's brown eyes. "Perhaps not, but I want to. You deserve better."

Warm hands cupped his face and Jūshirō found himself on the other end of a soul-searching gaze. "All I want is you, Jū-chan; I'll take the bad with the good if it means that I'd always have you. Moments like this where we can be ourselves, free to live without judgement. If I said that I would leave the Gotei, what would you say?"

A hint of worry and surprise entered Jūshirō's expression. "You would leave the Gotei?"

He nodded. "I would. Nothing is keeping me here except you, but I would only leave if you were coming with me."

All you have to do is say yes…

"Shunsui, I love you, and a life with you sounds amazing." He looked away. "They still need me here; I still haven't named a Lieutenant."

It wasn't a true rejection, but Kyouraku would be lying to himself if he didn't admit he felt a little crushed. A pause hung over them before Shunsui salvaged the point he was trying to make. "It doesn't have to be today, Jū-chan, but with the investigation hanging over us, we might not have a lot of time. This could be our only chance, and I don't want to lose you." Desperation crept into his voice.

Jūshirō smiled softly. "The investigation shouldn't be a reason for us to rush into a decision like this. If we run away and have this hanging over us for the rest of our lives, we'd have no peace. If we do it right, then perhaps the Gotei will allow us to leave peacefully, and maybe we'll truly be able to enjoy the rest of our lives together. I don't want to have any regrets."

"I understand," said Shunsui. "But if the moment comes where we have to make a choice that decides whether or not we have a future, will you consider my offer then?"

Jūshirō leaned in and kissed his lover. Shunsui gave in to the pull of his soft lips and grinned, allowing his lover to take advantage and trace his tongue across his. Shunsui returned the kiss fully, before Jūshirō pulled back, and he found himself staring back at him. His gaze was serious and resolved.

"When that day comes, I won't hesitate, Shunsui. There's nowhere you could go where I wouldn't follow." Shunsui smiled and Jūshirō shot him a wicked grin, before pushing him onto his back. "I'm not done loving you, and I never will be."

With words out of the way, Jūshirō proceeded to kiss his lover as the wildflowers swayed in the breeze and the sun beamed down.

Shunsui surrendered with a single thought in his mind, 'And I'll never tire of loving you, Jū-chan.'

---

In his own room, Yuumichika patted his freshly donned shihakushō, and as he took a final glance around the small space, his zanpakutō glinted in the waning light. The more he stared at his zanpakutō, the more Kenpachi's words played around in his head.

'If there's anything else going on in this squad that I don't know about, you have until sunset to tell me with no consequences.'

Biting his lip, he thought about it. 'Should I tell him about my shikai?' He grimaced. 'He'll throw me out for having a kidō-based ability, but if I don't tell him and he finds out he'll throw me out anyway. What should I do?' A final glance outside the window showed that the sun would set soon; he had an hour at most. 'I have to decide quickly.' He scrambled mentally. 'Maybe Hisagi will know what to do?' He quickly summoned a hell butterfly and sent it off. He took a final glance at the room and left.

---

"Good to see you, Yuumichika," said Shūhei. "I got your message; what's up?" Yuumichika paused to catch his breath after the rapid burst of shunpō causing Shūhei to frown. "Is everything alright?"

Yuumichika shook his head and straightened up. "No, it's not. I've never seen Captain Zaraki so angry, Shūhei."

The Lieutenant raised his eyebrows, but said nothing, prompting the Fifth Seat to continue. "After everything at the hospital between Abarai-kun and Ikkaku, we got back to the squad and the Captain called Ikkaku out. He was upset about the disrespect, but now he knows that the rumour about the bankai is true, he's realised that Ikkaku's been lying to him about it, so he's furious."

Shūhei raised his eyebrows in a kind of shrug. "I can imagine; what did he say?"

"He said, 'bankai was a Captain's skill', and then he asked how long Ikkaku was able to do it, so when he got his answer, the whole conversation devolved when the Captain challenged Ikkaku."

Shūhei grimaced. "Is Ikkaku okay?"

Yuumichika nodded. "Physically, yes; he's a bit banged up, but nothing serious." He looked away, causing Hisagi to shoot him a questioning glance. "The Captain took his badge."

The Lieutenant's eyebrows shot up and Yuumichika returned his nervous gaze. "He is still with Squad Eleven though, right?"

Yuumichika nodded. "Yes, but he's a non-seated officer now. I helped him move to the dorms."

"Did the Captain give a reason for taking the badge?" asked Hisagi.

The Fifth Seat replied with another nod. "He said it was because of the decisions he made, hiding bankai's, making decisions about the squad without clearing them first, and for disrespecting Captain Kuchiki."

Shūhei nodded with a grim expression. "Makes sense; as good as your relationship with Zaraki Taichou is, even he couldn't allow that kind of insubordination. If he ignored it, Ikkaku wouldn't know where the boundaries are and would have continued making decisions that conflicted with Zaraki Taichou's goals. That would lead the squad into chaos if the factions loyal to Zaraki or Ikkaku ever disagreed. That's the last thing any Captain wants. The leadership of any Division is crucial for its success."

Yuumichika blinked, "I didn't think about it like that. Again, I thought the Captain was just personally offended by the secret bankai."

Shūhei laughed. "Well, that didn't certainly didn't help Ikkaku's defence. How did he take the demotion?"

"He's a bit shocked, and a little hurt. He's convinced the men will give him a hard time, so naturally, he's very eager to get the badge back, but he knows and accepts why the Captain did what he did. Now he has a plan to get his badge and his position back."

Shūhei looked impressed. "Abarai-kun will be happy to hear it."

Yuumichika frowned in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Well, after you guys left this morning, the other Lieutenants got talking about him." Upon seeing Yuumichika's worried expression, he held his hands up. "No one said anything bad, but they did mention his current decisions, but nothing about him personally. In fact, Renji was his biggest champion."

Complete disbelief crossed the Fifth Seat's face. "Why would he defend Ikkaku after everything they said this morning? It makes no sense."

"Abarai-kun is a Lieutenant and he can see Ikkaku's potential, even if Ikkaku is letting his personal goals get in the way of seeing it for himself. He was worried about the insubordination Ikkaku was showing even before today by not expressly being a team player, or playing by the rules of the Gotei. Whether that's fact or hearsay, isn't the point; it's how those actions are perceived by others. His fear is that without the protection of Zaraki Taichou, the Gotei would notice and kick him out, and believe it or not, Renji doesn't want that." Shuhei received a blank look in return. "Renji knows if Ikkaku trains that bankai, it'll be more powerful than Captain Komamura's, and with his tenacity and attitude, he's a great asset to the Gotei."

"Renji said that?" Yuumichika's voice fell flat with shock.

"Yes, he did, so I'm immensely happy to hear that Ikkaku realises his mistake and is working to make amends with the two Divisions. It'll serve him well in the future. I can see why you were upset, but I'm glad everything will be okay."

At Yuumichika's still worried expression, Hisagi paused.

"There's more," said the Fifth Seat, as he kept his eyes downcast. "Do you remember that time when Aizen was believed dead and we we're all at each other's throats? You and I fought?" Hisagi nodded. "Do you remember the technique I used to win that fight?"

Shūhei momentarily darted his eyes upwards as he recalled that particular brawl. "Yes, you had those bluish-green vines that sapped my reiatsu?"

"In light of Ikkaku's choices, when he took the badge, Zaraki Taichou addressed all of us. He said if there was anything else going on in the squad, he wants to know about it by sunset tonight. That's without any consequences, but if he finds out about anything else after sunset, then that person will be kicked out of Squad Eleven, regardless of their rank."

Shūhei returned the Fifth Seat's gaze with a little confusion. "Okay?"

Yuumichika shifted where he stood. "He doesn't know about that power I used against you that day. You're the only person in the entire Gotei who's ever seen it."

Confusion continued to colour Hisagi's expression. "Is there any particular reason for that?"

"I don't know what I was thinking by showing you, but no one knows about it because it's a kidō-based ability. If my Captain ever found out, I'd be kicked out of Squad Eleven."

Hisagi's head tilted slightly. "Why?"

"No one in Squad Eleven uses kidō in any form. I think it's a form of respect towards the Captain because he chooses not to use it. Anyone that's ever shown any kidō-based ability or talent has always been physically muscled out of the squad. I would be no different."

Shūhei frowned again. "Then how do you explain your use of kidō, during our previous engagement? I'm sure your squad noticed, and yet nobody's said or done anything, have they?"

"I think the current issue is more interesting, but I'm sure when it settles down, they'll revisit the issue. If I stay, that is," said Yuumichika.

"We'll see about that. Is that the only reason you choose not to use that technique?" asked the Lieutenant.

"Yes. I want to stay with Squad Eleven; it's my home," said Yuumichika.

Hisagi paced a few steps, and thought about it. "What if you're forced to use it?"

"I'd rather die than use it," came the resolute reply, causing Shūhei to turn his head sharply.

"Strong words, Yuumichika. What if it wasn't your life that was hanging in the balance? What if it was my life?" he said. Yuumichika hesitated, and Shūhei pushed. "What if it was Ikkaku's life? Would you use it then?"

Yuumichika faltered visibly, but said nothing.

"If the answer is no, then, in that scenario, Ikkaku would die. You would get to stay in the Eleventh Division watching his dreams die, because he isn't there to live out his dream for himself. If the answer is yes, and your secret ability is revealed, then Zaraki Taichou will be forced to remove you for insubordination. You would be separated from Ikkaku and your squad." Taking a final look at Yuumichika, he continued, "Nothing good can come from hiding your ability. It's a lose-lose situation."

Yuumichika pinned Shūhei with an expression that was both desperate and terrified. "It's not that simple, Hisagi. I've been lying about this since the beginning. Revealing it means no one would ever speak to me again."

Ikkaku would never speak to me again.

The unspoken words didn't need to be voiced; Yuumichika's fears remained apparent on his face. "You don't have to use the technique if you don't want to, Yuumichika, but you do need to tell your Captain about it. You never have to mention it again. On the off chance that you do need to use it, there won't be any repercussions. It's the best course of action." At the look on the man's face, Hisagi's expression softened. "The truth always comes out, Yuumichika. Maybe today, or maybe in a thousand years from now; it will be revealed eventually."

Yuumichika sighed, but knew Hisagi wouldn't steer him wrong. The Lieutenant glanced upwards at the sky and noticed how low the sun was in the orange sky. Yuumichika followed his eyes and frowned. "If I don't go now, I'll miss the deadline."

Shūhei nodded. "You might consider telling him about our arrangement as well? I'm sure he'd appreciate it."

"I will. Thank you, Hisagi. I appreciate your advice, you've been very helpful."

Shūhei reached out to pat him on the arm. "Anytime, Yuumichika. You know that. Go quickly before you're late. Let me know how it goes."

Yuumichika nodded, before vanishing on the spot.

As the dust settled, Hisagi spared the vacated spot a final glance.

'Good luck, Yuumichika.'

---

"Zaraki Taichou, Sir, could I have a moment of your time?"

The Eleventh Division Captain looked up to see his Fifth Seat standing in the doorway of his office. "What's this about?"

Yuumichika shifted slightly. "I have something I'd like to tell you," he paused noticeably, before clarifying his statement. "Before sunset."

Zaraki was perceptive enough to instantly understand exactly what Yuumichika meant as he looked up sharply, before turning his gaze to the window. The sky was orange as the sun was setting, but it was still there. "I see. You have three minutes."

Yuumichika squared himself before blurting out the words that could potentially get him kicked out or provide him with a permanent safe haven. "My zanpakutō is kidō-based."

Kenpachi stared at his Fifth Seat. The silence saw his nervousness increase. "I call it by a false name. My zanpakutō loves the colour azure, and hates the colour wisteria. If I call it by the colour it hates, then it only gives me partial access to my shikai and conceals its kidō capabilities."

Zaraki curled his lip. "Why haven't you told me this before?"

"I was afraid I would be asked to leave, Captain. Every time I saw an opportunity to tell someone, I let my fear of reprisal cloud my judgement of what I knew I should have done. The longer I waited, the harder it became to actually reveal the truth, but I realise that that is no excuse," said Yuumichika.

Zaraki rose from his chair and gestured to his Fifth Seat to follow him. Opening the door to the indoor dojo, Yuumichika could see the room was quiet and deserted. "Show me."

Yuumichika swallowed and drew his zanpakutō. His Captain watched and stood silently opposite him.

"Sakikurue, Ruri'iro Kujaku," said Yuumichika.

As the standard katana glowed white, the Fifth Seat could feel the spirit's surprise and immense joy at being called by its true name. The white glow melted, revealing the usual four bladed weapon, now bathed in azure reiatsu.

"What can it do?" asked Kenpachi.

Yuumichika directed his reiryoku and the vines burst from the four blades and wrapped around the arm of his Captain. As it pulsed, tiny buds began to appear along the vines causing the Captain to raise an eyebrow.

"The buds will sap your reiatsu until they become flowers. When they bloom, I can eat one to heal myself and when the flowers fall from the vines, you will die."

Zaraki made no move to dislodge the weapon after hearing that statement. As the seconds passed, he felt the drain on his reiatsu increase and the rejuvenating effect it was having on his Fifth Seat. Yuumichika gasped at the sheer amount of reiatsu the blade was absorbing and his arm shook under the strain. Having made his point, he released his Captain and sheathed his sword. Zaraki glanced at his arm and saw the kidō marks on his shihakushō, but said nothing. He gave no noticeable indication of the fatigue Yuumichika knew he must have been feeling.

"That's quite an impressive ability; it's a shame you haven't shown it to me before." Yuumichika frowned. "I demoted Madarame for lying about his bankai. By right's, I should demote you as well."

Yuumichika hung his head and nodded. "I understand, Zaraki Taichou. I accept your decision."

"I should, but I won't."

Yuumichika froze, having no idea what his Captain meant.

"Madarame's bankai was revealed because Abarai forced his hand. He would never have told me about it willingly, a decision I disagree with. You, on the other hand, volunteered the information. You could argue that I've also forced your hand, but you could have continued hiding this shikai despite that. I'm not going to take your badge because I appreciate the courage you had to come in here and tell me the truth."

At his Captain's pleased expression, Yuumichika wondered if he was about to push his luck.

"I would still like to keep my ability between us for now; Captain. I will tell others about it, but I'd like to approach them in my own time to explain it personally."

The Captain hummed but nodded. Yuumichika breathed a sigh of relief. "Answer me one question, then," said Kenpachi. Yuumichika nodded. "Why haven't you told them about your shikai?"

"A few reasons, Captain. At first, I had very few friends, and I didn't know a lot of people. Kidō wasn't a popular talent in this Division and those who showed talent were pushed out. When I unlocked my shikai, I knew the same thing would happen to me, so I found a way to conceal its true nature.

"The squad does this for two reasons. There are no Seated Officers that use kidō, so it's a difficult type of weapon to train up in Squad Eleven. The people that leave for training in other squads, don't come back, because their gifts are embraced by the new Division.

"The second reason is because of you," said Yuumichika, causing Zaraki to tilt his head. "The Squad is trying to follow your vision and style. Since you don't use kidō and your zanpakutō is melee-based, they think kidō is weak and has no place in the Squad." He gave a shrug and Kenpachi nodded.

"Do you think kidō is weak?" asked Zaraki.

"Absolutely not," said Yuumichika. "Our Captains with kidō-based weapons are some of the strongest fighters in the entire Gotei. I don't deviate from the values of Squad Eleven, but I do agree kidō has its uses and I'm not afraid to use it when I need to."

Zaraki chuckled. "I heard you used it in our last fight." Yuumichika looked slightly uncomfortable, but nodded. "What did you take away from that fight?"

Yuumichika's expression became more pronounced as he frowned. "Our men were not prepared. They couldn't match speed, and they couldn't evade. Their unreleased blades couldn't land a hit, so I called for support from Hisagi Fukutaichou. I realise it deviated from our normal fighting style, but the outcome had I not intervened, would have meant a death sentence for the men. I didn't feel like I had any other choice."

"I understand that," said Zaraki.

"Hisagi Fukutaichou offered to train me so that I can better prepare the men for our next engagement," said Yuumichika.

"You want to lead training drills?"

"Yes," said Yuumichika, "But in your style. I want the men to work on their shunpō, so they can keep up with or evade the enemy. I want to pair men up that complement each other and maximise their effectiveness. I would add flash stepping in mid-air to give us a leg up. Lastly, I would work on sharpening up reiatsu training because it'll help them with the unreleased blades and protect them from cuts and nicks. I just want the men to be able to do their job with as much protection as I can."

Zaraki stared at his Fifth Seat hard, before turning on his heel. Yuumichika followed and found himself back in his Captain's office. He stood stock still as the Captain took a seat.

"I will allow you to train with Hisagi, and implement what you learn into the training drills here. I have two conditions," said Kenpachi. Yuumichika nodded. "First, any training you undertake will be on your time."

"Of course, Zaraki Taichou."

"Second," said Zaraki, as he reached into a drawer in the desk. "You have to accept and wear this." He slid his hand across the desk palm down, before removing it. It was the Third-Seat badge.

"I can't; it's Ikkaku's," blurted out the fifth seat.

Zaraki's expression hardened. "Not anymore it's not. It's nobody's. If you want to train and lead drills, then this is my price." Zaraki continued. "If you walk away from this, and the men meet their makers in the next fight, then you'll have to live with that blood on your hands. Take it or leave it."

Yuumichika's frown remained as he stated at the polished piece of wood, resting on a folded sash. 'If I take it then Ikkaku will hate me, but if I don't take it, our brothers could die in the next fight.' He mentally corrected himself. 'What am I saying; they almost died last time! They'd be dead right now if Shūhei hadn't been there.'

He closed his eyes as his expression wilted. He knew if he wanted the members of the squad to survive, then he had no choice.

"I'll take it," said Yuumichika. Zaraki moved the badge within reach of his fifth seat's hand, though he made no move to take it. "I have a condition of my own."

Zaraki grinned broadly. "Let's have it, then."

Yuumichika gathered his nerves and looked his Captain straight in the eye. "If Ikkaku makes amends and begins making better decisions relating to himself and the squad, then I will ask that you restore him to his rightful rank. I will only take this if I know it's temporary."

"That remains to be seen. You're basing your condition on a set of odds that might never happen. Madarame has a lot to prove to me before I'd even consider it. By rights, I made a mistake of handing him the Third Seat badge when he asked for it, instead of making him work for it. Seeing you wear it might motivate him to work for it now. If the day comes, I'll think about it."

For the last time, Yuumichika glanced at the badge and sighed. His Captain was right. He carefully removed his Fifth Seat badge and folded the sash like it was something precious and fragile. He placed it gently on the desk and reached for the second badge. His fingers shook, but he squashed his feelings down and grasped it. He flinched when he felt a strong hand pat his arm.

"Congratulations, Third Seat Ayasegawa. You have twenty-four hours to submit a schedule detailing your proposed training plan," said Kenpachi, adding slight pressure with his hand before removing it entirely. "Wear it with pride and honour."

"Yes, Zaraki Taichou." Yuumichika bowed and turned for the door, as he knew a simple nod from his Captain was as good as any worded dismissal. The only thought in his mind as he exited, was how he was going to explain this to his best friend.

---

Rangiku stared at the board intently as she added blue pins. Following Fon Taichou's forensic report, she placed the pins strategically where the female Captain indicated the enemy's movements. Placing a final pin, the lieutenant stepped back to view her handiwork. She remained silent as her Captain joined her.

Hitsugaya's eyes darted rapidly across the board taking in all the critical points from the report. With the added visual of the pins, he frowned at the board, causing Rangiku to question him.

"What's the matter, Captain?" she asked. He grimaced and made a humming sound at the back of his throat.

"The point of origin seems to be coming from the west, which is fine, but I'm questioning if this is correct," he said, pointing to the direction the creatures were heading to. Rangiku glanced down at the report, double checking if she had, in fact, made an error. Seeing none, she shook her head.

"These pins are accurate, Captain," she replied.

He hummed again, perhaps wishing it had been a mistake. He pointed at the pins and the realisation hit her.

"They were heading straight for the Seireitei." She began flipping furiously through the report. "Here it is. Fon Taichou said, 'Captain Kuchiki drew the creatures away from the village after they displayed aggression.' She was very impressed by his ability to think quickly on his feet."

Hitsugaya nodded. "Was there anything else to suggest the creatures were heading to the Seireitei?"

She nodded. "Her Division has been patrolling the entirety of the first district. She notes their distinct reiatsu signature heading in that direction. There's also a mention of it in Hisagi Fukutaichou's report. He said, 'the secondary location is strategically close to both the entrance to the Seireitei and the direction they are thought to have travelled from. They seem particularly fixated on hurting the Captains, and every engagement is an attempt to kill.' Even Ayasegawa reports the most serious injuries were reserved for the Captains. The question is why?"

Tōshirō drew his eyes away from the board and met his Lieutenant's inquisitive glance. "They might be a form of hollow we haven't encountered before. Whatever they are, they're obviously drawn to high spiritual pressure, and with every reaper and member of nobility centred in the Seireitei, the combined amount of concentrated reiatsu makes sense for them to be drawn to this location. I'll be sure to let the other Captains know at the next meeting."

She nodded.

With a final glance around the room, he smiled at Rangiku. "This would've taken me days to achieve by myself. You've been incredibly helpful, and I'm thankful for your hard work."

He didn't elaborate, fearing her current work ethic was nothing more than a temporary state of madness. He smiled and she returned it broadly.

"Not a problem, it was my pleasure. If there's anything else I can do to help, let me know." She bowed respectfully, causing Hitsugaya to chuckle.

"Oh, I will, at ease, Lieutenant."

She grinned. "In that case, I think I'll call it a night." Returning the files to his desk, she pinned him with a cheeky smile. "That is the last of the paperwork, right?"

Her only reply was the sound of raucous laughter, and she closed the door behind her.

'You're welcome, Tōshirō.'

---

Deep concentration creased the man's already wrinkled eyebrows. He reached for miles searching for that tiny speck, to see if the fated outcome had finally occurred. To his dismay, it seemed a mere thread of life remained for his future victim.

"Damn it! How much reiatsu does he have?" he yelled, and tossed his glass at the wall. It shattered into hundreds of shards, but he didn't care.

"Calm yourself, Kamui," came a soft feminine voice. The man, Kamui, was instantly roused from his rage, as he took in her alien face with devotion in his eyes. "Your Captain is not yet dead, then, I presume?"

He slumped into his favourite chair with an air of sulkiness. "I can still sense a hint of life, but this morning, when it was at its lowest, I think a healer tried to interfere. The amount of reiatsu increased, but thanks to the damage, it didn't hold. All I can sense are the fragments that remain. Captain Kuchiki may be clinging to life, but nothing can help him now."

"If it is but a matter of time, why do you fret so, my love? Surely patience is not in short supply?" came the soft reply.

Kamui chuckled. "No. I am swept up in this wave of momentum; death begs for more death." He rose from his chair and slowly approached the lady. He stroked her cheek and gazed at her with regret and anger. "Look at what they've done to us? We've finally built our forces, we've been patient and now it's our time to strike at their heart. It is time for them to learn pain and suffering." He cupped her strange face gently and yearning filled his gaze. "Yaeko, my queen, I won't rest until they feel the same helplessness I felt. They brought me to my knees, and I promise you, I will bring them to theirs."

Her replying smile was sinister and revolting, as fangs marred the lines of her feminine lips. Her golden eyes pierced through his soul, burning with the same wrath that consumed him, and she nodded with poise that would rival the wealthiest of noblewomen.

"Well then, let us not forget our primary targets. Remember those who decreed the sentence that spelled our ruin. I'm sure it will sate your bloodlust for a single evening." Her wry smile felt creepy and monstrous. "One more night is not too much to ask for, if it means that the Captain's death is assured; removing your reiatsu now could see him recover. We don't want that, now do we?"

He shook his head, and kissed her knuckles. "Certainly not, my love. You are wise beyond measure; what would I do without you?"

She laughed and crossed the room. She bent slightly and gracefully rose. "I am sure this will prove useful." In her outstretched arms lay his zanpakutō. "Do make sure it hurts, won't you?"

Pleasure swirled in his gaze at the thought of such wanton sadism and the corner of his lip curled in a horrifying smile. "For you, rest at ease; there's nothing you could ask for that I wouldn't give."

She nodded. "Go, then. Do not be seen. The weasel will see you through the walls."

---

Tobacco smoke curled in wispy ringlets around the street corner where some men were playing cards. The smell of cheap cider, mixed with the cigarettes, painted an olfactory scene to match. This was nothing more than a group of local low lives wasting yet another evening in a dank crevice of the Rukon District.

"Deal the cards, man," said an old man in the corner.

"Alright, alright, keep your hat on," came the belligerent reply. The larger man put his drink back down on the makeshift table, which, in reality, was a simple overturned box, and began dealing the cards. The four didn't notice the approach of a tall, imposing figure from the shadows.

"I'm looking for Okojō," said Kamui.

The four immediately looked up, pausing mid-puff to size up this stranger.

"Who's asking?" said the third man.

Kamui's eyes narrowed and he swept his travelling cloak aside, enough to reveal the hilt of his zanpakutō. When the men's eyes widened, he took a step forward. "My name is of no importance." He held up a small pouch of coins, and jingled it for the benefit of the local bottom feeders. "Is Okojō here, or not?"

The fourth man, Yoshi, stood. He was aged beyond his years, a clear side effect of partaking in one too many recreational products in his youth, as well as a rough life. He was thin and his clothes had seen better days. He wrapped his thin coat around his shoulders and beckoned the stranger to follow.

"What can I do for you, mister?" said the man nicknamed 'weasel'.

"I require passage beyond the walls," came the reply.

"You want to get into the Seireitei?" The local seemed a little surprised.

"Precisely, I'd like to pay an old friend a visit."

The man was perceptive enough not to question why said friend didn't send out an invitation, but instantly realised that this was not a social call. It was simply smarter to mind his own business.

"Right you are, that'll be two hundred thousand kan, no names and no questions asked. I never saw you tonight."

Kamui nodded. "Fine. Let us proceed, then." He tossed the purse at the man, who didn't waste a second pocketing it. He set off in a brisk walk, not caring to see if the tall stranger was keeping up or not. He walked in silence for almost fifteen minutes before he paused, peeked around the corner and turned back to Kamui. He put his finger to his lips and made the gesture for quiet, before pointing upwards. Several hundred meters above them, Kamui could make out the black figures of the Covert Corps that hadn't been there the week before, and mentally told himself not to gloat. He really didn't need any impediment to his journey.

Carefully, the man nicknamed after a weasel, pointed to a huge slab of stone under their feet, and upon closer inspection, Kamui could make out imperfections on one of its sides. The thin man dug his fingers into the groove and beckoned the taller man to help. As silently as possible, the two men shifted the slab enough to reveal a tunnel. The local pointed down and then sideways, as if to say, follow the tunnel under the wall until you emerge on the other side. Kamui nodded and jumped. As he took his first steps, he heard the sound of scraping stone, as Yoshi shifted the slab back into its rightful place. Without pause, or concern, Kamui continued his journey in total darkness.

---

Seiya Chiba shivered.

'The maid must have left the window open again,' he told himself mentally, as had told her time, and time again, not to open the window if the fire was lit; it would just let the heat out. He tried to grope for his blanket. That's when the realisation hit him; he couldn't move his arms, in fact, he couldn't move at all. His eyes shot open and began darting rapidly as panic set in.

Seeing the familiar decor of his four-poster bed, he relaxed minutely. 'Okay, I'm still at home in my bed.' His eyes continued moving quickly, 'then why can't I move?'

"Ah, I see you're awake, then?" came a voice from before the bed. Seiya couldn't see the speaker.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" he shouted angrily.

A chuckle met his words, as Kamui took in the sight of his paralysed victim. "Ever the nobleman. Do you think raising your voice will move me to purpose? Or could your anger be a disguise… for fear?"

Seiya heard the delicate, clinking sound of crystal followed by the sound of liquid pouring. The old man frowned in anger; this intruder felt safe enough to pour himself a drink from his private collection. "Why would I be afraid of you?"

"I don't think you truly appreciate the situation you're in, Chiba. You still believe your family name or status will help you, or that you could name a monetary number that will stay my hand. Do you think if you scream loudly enough, that someone will come to your aid?"

Chiba refused to answer the man.

"Clever," remarked the stranger. "The only weapons you possess are a cautious sense of self preservation and a sharp tongue; those will not help you this evening." He paused. "No one is coming to help you, and you will not escape. Kidō has many applications beyond what they teach at the academy." A measure of hope left the old man, but a fraction prayed it was nothing more than the stranger boasting. The man continued. "You don't remember me, do you?"

The old nobleman blinked. "Should I?" He heard a growl, followed by swift footsteps, as the man strode to his bedside.

"You should!" he growled. "You may not remember me, but you will."

Rough hands grabbed at his greying hair, causing Seiya to gasp as he took in the image of the intruder. He was tall and imposing, with lines around his eyes. His hair had begun to grey, signifying someone middle aged entering their senior years. Whoever this man was, Seiya knew he had lived for at least a thousand years. As he stared into the man's eyes, he could see the rage that dwelled there, but as much as he wished he could, he couldn't remember the man. All of his noble-born pride and stubbornness vanished, as he knew that this man, whoever he was, was not to be trifled with.

"Please," reasoned Seiya. "If I have wronged you in some way, then let us speak of this in a civilised manner; you seem like a reasonable man."

Kamui's mouth twitched in a humourless smile. "You're changing your tune, I see. I find this amusing. I hold your life in my hands, and you wish to be diplomatic, but a long time ago when we first met, you did not want to listen when I tried to reason with you; why should I listen to you now?"

Seiya swallowed, but his mouth had gone dry. "I am not the young, pompous man I was in my youth. Forgive an old man his forgetfulness, I simply wish to come to a suitable solution. Tell me your name; surely, you can allow that much?" The man took pause, and Seiya held his breath. The only sound he could hear was the fire crackling, and his own rapid breathing.

A chuckle rose from the silence. "I'm not going to play your little game this time, Chiba. No, this time, you're going to play by my rules. I'm going to give you a hint, and you're going to tell me who I am. If, after the hint, you still don't remember who I am, then I'll hurt you. Do you understand?"

Seiya tried to shake his head, but couldn't. "Please don't do this, we can discuss this properly, like gentlemen?"

Another chuckle met his words.

"Not tonight, Chiba. Now," said Kamui, "Let us begin."

(Torture begins.)

Seiya began to breathe more rapidly when he heard the man approach. He could do nothing but watch as he hoisted a mirror and attached it to the ceiling of the four-poster bed. Seiya could see his body and realised with horror, he would not only be able to feel everything this man was going to do to him, but he would be able to see it as well. All he could wonder was who was this man, and what could he have done to prompt such a response?

The man pulled out a sizeable leather pouch and began untying the string to reveal surgical-like instruments. He ran his finger along them, as if trying to choose one to start with. When he landed on a particular item, he returned his gaze to the nobleman.

"Our tale began nine hundred years ago here in the Soul Society. I was a young, naive reaper, focussed on helping the Soul Society, when I met an extraordinary woman and we came up with a revolutionary way to protect our borders. Ringing any bells?"

Seiya cursed mentally realising it still wasn't enough information to identify the man. "I will remember, I just need more information. Please," he urged, hoping he would drop the shiny apparatus. Luck was not on his side.

"Ah, ah, ah; you said you understood the rules, Chiba. I won't change them now." He held up the instrument so that Seiya could see it better. "This is a tool for removing in-grown nails." He pointed to a section that appeared tube-like. "Your digits go in here, and when I pull the lever," he clicked the handle, causing the clamp to swing backwards sharply, "Out comes the nail. Simple as that."

He began fitting the device to the big toe on Seiya's left foot, who, despite his inability to yank his foot away, protested loudly.

"Don't do this!" he cried as the pressure on the nail increased painfully.

Kamui ignored him, and proceeded to click the handle. Seiya screamed. Sure enough, the nail flew from the toe leaving the nailbed raw and bleeding. Kamui tossed the nail into the open fire.

"There now, that wasn't too bad." Kamui returned his gaze to the nobleman, whose chest continued to rise and fall quickly. "After graduating from the academy, I struggled to find a Division where I would thrive. I wasn't interested in joining a squad where my gifts would simply be used; I wanted to achieve something, for my work to matter. My kidō was exceptional, my shunpō exceeded the seated officers, and my zanpakutō scared my peers."

The old man frowned with frustration knowing he was about to lose a second toenail. "You're doing this purposefully! You're being deliberately vague to draw this out!"

Kamui chuckled, "Now you're beginning to catch on. I take it you still haven't had an epiphany?" Seeing resignation upon Chiba's face, he fitted the device to his second toe. "Out it comes, then," he said nonchalantly. He clicked the handle and the second nail was removed with a scream, just as quickly as the first. Kamui flicked the nail and continued his narrative.

"At the time, the Soul Society was having issues filling the roster for the weekly patrols. Nobles, like yourself, were clamouring at the Gotei to stop crime from spreading to their doorsteps, as there were many ways to bypass security. Without the manpower of the Gotei, crime was rampant. This wasn't good enough for the social elite; heaven forbid, they couldn't sleep at night at the thought of Rukon ruffians robbing them blind. With me so far?"

Seiya shook his head wordlessly and steeled himself. His toes were throbbing, but it was manageable. He felt the intruder refit the device to his third toe. As it left the nail bed, he cried out in agony and would have arched his back if he wasn't paralysed. His heart was racing.

Kamui flicked the latest nail away. "The problem really lay with folks like you," he said, as he stared at Chiba. "The nobles were whinging like toddlers, while rejecting the thought of volunteering their own sons and daughters to join the Gotei; it was considered a plebian career option. They wanted a solution without contributing to one. More and more reapers were drafted from the existing ranks, and the military became weak as a result."

Seiya found his voice, despite attempts to catch his breath. "I remember that," he gasped.

Kamui paused and looked him in the eye. "So, you know who I am?"

The old man shook his head. "Many people, reapers and nobles alike, offered solutions before our committee. Far too many to name; it was a long time ago."

"Correct," said Kamui, "But that doesn't help you, does it?" His words were far too gleeful for Seiya's liking, but he expected no less, knowing his options were almost non-existent. "Oh, this isn't your night, is it, Chiba?"

Seiya didn't reply as he felt the device being fitted for the fourth time. He stared at the mirror on the bed ceiling wondering when the pain would end, but all he saw was an intruder who had barely begun.

---

Seiya's breaths came in sharp, jagged bursts, as he panted for air. Pain shot from each nail bed, up his entire arms and legs. They trembled despite the roaring flames, and he could feel wetness clinging to his skin. He had no idea if it was due to sweat, blood, or something more embarrassing; he was too afraid to look up, because he knew it would look worse than it felt. He jerked his eyes back to his tormenter's, when he heard the sound of metal being discarded into a container.

"It's a shame," said Kamui, "I'm enjoying our little talk, but we seem to have run out of nails. What to do," he pondered loudly for Chiba's benefit before running his fingers along the leather pouch. The instruments tinkled, causing Seiya to shudder. "Ah," he said, landing on a set of pliers. "This one, I think." He held the pliers up for the old man to see, and waved it a little. "This is very versatile in the right hands. Speaking of hands, do you know how many bones there are in yours?" Fear and horror filled Chiba's eyes, as he was forced to continue to stare at the device.

"From tip to wrist, you have twenty-seven bones in each hand." He picked up one of his bloodied hands and pressed on the bones next to his wrist. "There are eight tiny bones right here," he moved his fingers to Chiba's palm and squeezed again, "There are five here, and three in each finger with the exception of your thumb." He pinched that exact knuckle to make his point. "The thumb contains two bones. I'm going to break each and every single one, but not before I remove them from their sockets." The growl in his voice betrayed the pleasure he showed as he snapped the pliers in anticipation. "The hard part is dislocating each bone, without breaking them; we'll get to that. Now, back to our little talk."

Seiya began to whimper, "No more of this, please!"

Kamui ignored his pleas and began to speak. "It was during this time of unrest that I truly found my place within our ranks. While I was a formidable reaper, I felt that my zanpakutō was being wasted swatting down hollows. I was resigned to another night shift atop the Sekkiseki walls when the men got into a heated debate about it. The argument got so loud that shinigami from other Divisions began listening in. I pointed out the glaring weakness of the Gotei's current actions, but said, until a true solution was found, we would continue to work these long shifts with no end in sight. I said, if there was anything I could do to change things, I would do it, but until then, we would have no recourse but to continue on as we were. Afterwards, a woman approached me and said she was working on such a solution and I begged her to tell me more." He glanced back at the nobleman. "Do you remember her?"

Seiya's eyes opened with fear. "No," he replied, weakly.

Kamui tutted. "Pity; she is integral to our story." He clicked the pliers forcefully, creating a jarring sound, and reached for Chiba's hand. "Time to get to work, then, I'm afraid."

He gripped Chiba's thumb forcefully and placed the tip of his bleeding finger between the pliers. He began wiggling the bone, adding more pressure with every fraction of a second that passed. Seiya began whimpering and pleading but, once again, the taller man ignored his protests. He concentrated on putting the right pressure on the bone so it wouldn't shatter, and continued to push the finger backwards in an unnatural way. Eventually, as Chiba continued to scream, the bone gave way and the resulting popping sound muted his cries back into whimpers. Tears rolled from his eyes as Kamui inspected his work and noted how the joint was already beginning to swell. He replaced the tip of the pliers onto the next joint.

Seiya gasped rapidly. "No, s-stop! You're supposed to tell me the next part of the s-story before you hurt me again!"

"True," said Kamui, with a laugh. "My story isn't long enough for that, and I'm determined to get through the entire hand before I tell you anything further."

The next few minutes were the longest of Seiya's already long life. He screamed as the pliers pressed down on each joint, and wailed pathetically as each bone popped from its socket. Pain throbbed from his bleeding fingertips to his shoulder, as the yet unidentified intruder continued to torture him. He lost himself in waves of agony, as tears rolled down his wrinkled face, he sobbed quietly as he felt the last bone pop and the tool left his skin. He chanced an upwards glance, and what he saw horrified him; his hand was twice its normal size. Blood pooled onto the once pristine sheets under his hands and feet, and along the nearby skin.

Kamui stared at the now swollen appendage. The joints were flat and useless. He bent some of them backwards to see how flexible the hand currently was, and laughed when Chiba screamed again.

"Are you ready for the next part of my story?" Chiba groaned and Kamui slapped him roughly. "Pay attention, or it will only continue to get worse, Chiba."

Seiya nodded with another sob.

"She drew my attention instantly; she was so beautiful, but her intellect was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. We spent nights discussing her project, and I couldn't help it; before I knew it, I had completely fallen in love with her. She was part of the Twelfth Division, and she was gifted at manipulating reishi." His words became reverent, but Seiya couldn't appreciate his love for a woman he couldn't recall, and with a single glance, he knew his captor knew it too.

Kamui didn't say anything as he reapplied the pliers to the first joint on Chiba's other hand. Mercilessly, he made quick work of the entire hand, not caring as the man screamed for him to stop. When the nobleman was a mess of fresh tears and blood, he dropped the swollen hand without checking his handiwork.

"If you don't start remembering, I'm going to start with your feet next time." He saw just enough recognition in the nobleman's eyes to know he'd been understood, and so, he continued his story.

"Not long after that, I joined her at her Division, and together we were determined to make her project a success. By today's standards, her soul-based technology was very rudimentary, but she worked night and day trying to finish it, because she was convinced, she could use her technology to defend our borders."

Seiya wished he could turn his head away so that the man wouldn't see his face. He still couldn't remember who he was talking about, and with one glance at himself, he shuddered at the thought of more pain. As it was, his hands were useless and the bloody streaks were starting to dry and itch across his skin. It really wasn't his night, because the man was already fingering the set of pliers in anticipation. He let out another quiet sob hoping it would end soon.

Kamui moved to the end of the bed, careful not to obscure the man's feet in the mirror. "There are twenty-six bones in each foot. Some are trickier to get to than others, but I'll do my best. I do hope you're comfortable, because this will take a few minutes."

As the man settled in, Seiya couldn't tear his eyes away from his reflection. He watched as each joint was ripped from its socket, and he screamed in agony as the unimaginable pain shot up through his legs as each bone was carefully dislocated. He dreamed of pulling his leg away and kicking the man in the face, but all he could do was lie there and cry.

"Stop! Please don't do this anymore, I beg of you," said Seiya.

Kamui placed the blood-stained pliers on the bed next to his other foot, whose bones were as yet untouched. It was a threat and a promise of what was to come.

"We're down your final foot, Chiba. Either you're going senile, or you're not listening." He sat next to the pliers, carefully so as not to get covered in blood. "I was so inspired by her creation that one night I drew my zanpakutō. Using its abilities, I breathed life into her work. Her creation moved under my control, like a puppet, I was able to hear everything it heard, and see everything it saw. We practiced for weeks until I was able to control teams of these gigai's for lack of a better word. It was a perfect combination of our talents. Naturally, we were very pleased."

Hearing nothing from the nobleman, he picked up the pliers with a sigh. He had no sympathy for the snivelling nobleman; he deserved this pain. He threw considerable force into his shoulder as he forced the heel bone to leave its socket by pushing it upwards towards the man's chest. The man sobbed like a child, but with a final glance he could appreciate the work was now symmetrically complete.

"Are you ready for the next piece of the story?" said Kamui.

"Y-yes," said Seiya, hoping it would bring the evening to a close, and his torture along with it. He didn't see the man nod in return.

"Rather than wasting our time and effort trying to get funding when the money ran out, she went a step further and learned how to clone her original creation, so that we could create limitless numbers of these squadrons. They were semi-autonomous and exactly what the Soul Society needed. They were meant to be our guardian angels. That is when you and I met for the first time when I unveiled it in the Central Forty-six chamber. The guardian was taller than a reaper, with a snow-white mane. Fangs, talons and golden eyes," said Kamui, with a smug smile.

Recognition finally flooded through the old man's eyes. His eyes darted to Kamui's with fear and dread. "T-takeuchi!" cried Seiya. "How—"

The sound of soft claps met his admission. "Finally," said Kamui. "I take it you remember our entire history?"

Seiya would have nodded if he could, but managed to rasp out a reply from his hoarse throat. "Y-yes, but you must understand—"

"Wrong! With the entirety of the noble houses clamouring for a solution, a real solution, we came up with the perfect one! Hundreds, thousands of guardians to protect everyone! The Divisions would be freed up to defend our world from real threats, while crime would vanish from our districts." He picked up a hammer and mallet and took a step closer to the bed. "You could have been part of the panel that saw our world prosper and succeed, but what did you do?" He stared down at the man with loathing, "You sentenced us to death!"

Seiya retorted, his fear waning as acceptance began to take hold. "We didn't have a choice!"

Kamui sneered. "The same way I have no choice but to punish you for your stupidity!" He positioned the mallet on Chiba's swollen foot, and brought the hammer down swiftly with force. The bones shattered loudly, but were immediately drowned out by a deafening howl.

"W-what you saw as a protection unit, w-we saw as an army under the c-control of a single shinigami. No o-one individual should possess that kind of c-control!" cried Seiya.

Kamui returned fire with fire, bringing the mallet down on his other foot. "I was a loyal shinigami, focused on nothing more than helping our world!" Another scream tore itself from the nobleman's mouth.

Seiya replied softly, as his voice was nearly gone, "Yes, but what was to stop you turning that power on your own k-kind, if you ever had a reason to b-become a threat?"

"You mean like now?" said Kamui, dropping the mallet again on the man's shin, rendering yet another howl.

"Y-you were nothing without her! Asano needed y-you, true, but without her, you had no a-army," he replied with a spluttering cough.

Kamui bellowed with rage and tossed the mallet aside. He swung the hammer with both hands until the second shin and both femurs were shattered. Chiba screamed long and hard, before dissolving into a string of weak sobs.

"You don't ever get to say her name!" cried Kamui. "I was barely able to save her after what you did to her!"

Panic saw Seiya's eyes bulge. "S-she is still alive?"

Kamui panted, and raked his hair back out of his eyes. "Yes," he replied in a quiet tone. "She sent me here tonight to dispose of you. We have returned to show the Soul Society the folly of their decision, and show them our vision for the future. Surely, you've heard of my dramatic re-entry three nights ago?"

Seiya's eyes remained fixed on Kamui's, shock and alarm evident. "The c-creatures—"

Kamui smiled a sinister and vicious smile. "Exactly! But I have some bad news for you, Seiya Chiba; you will not live to see our glorious vision become a reality."

With that he brought the hammer down as the bone-chilling screams continued to create the perfect backdrop for his wrath.