Chapter 12 - The Friends We Support

A/N: Spoilers (Episodes 224- 226 - Fake Karakura Town Arc)

Day 4 - Early Morning - Squad 3 ~

A piercing scream filled the silent battlefield. As the blonde plummeted to her death, a cushion of kidō caught her, and a voice cried out, "Give me a minute, Rangiku; I will heal your wounds."

Momo Hinamori knelt at Rangiku's side and felt the crush injuries along the right-hand side of her body, rendering her unable to speak or breathe without excruciating pain. As the kaidō surrounded her hands, Momo shivered and looked up in terror; the beast had returned!

With a poke of its finger, Momo too, was sent flying to her death. Izuru Kira shook himself, unable to continue to stand by and watch these two brave women try to hold off this arrancar abomination. Taking a leaf out of Momo's book, he cast the same bakudō, casting an elastic web of reiatsu to break her fall. As he watched her descent, a voice broke his introspection, causing Kira to gaze up in amazement at the Ninth Division's Lieutenant.

"Thank you for hanging on as long as you did, we'll take it from here." Shūhei tore a proud gaze away from the female Lieutenant, and caught Izuru's eye.

"Are you sure you can face that thing alone?" asked Izuru quietly. Shūhei shook his head.

"I can hold it off long enough for you to provide emergency first aid, and then hide them with kidō. After that, I expect you to help me destroy this monster. If we don't, Rangiku could die," said Shūhei. Kira felt himself gulp at the thought only for Shūhei to continue. "You used to be a member of the Fourth Division; you can do this."

Kira cast a worried expression at the ground and spoke quietly from under his fringe, "That was a long time ago." He looked back at the dark-haired Lieutenant and the message of absolute trust carried silently between them. Kira found himself nodding. Shūhei's plan was sound, and together, they had a chance of pulling it off.

With a swing of his shikai, Shūhei wrapped the monster in chains and Kira returned to Momo.

"I'll be right back."

In a burst of shunpō, half a second passed and Kira zipped through the battlefield with ease. Trusting Shūhei to deal with the monster, he scooped up Rangiku, and in the next second, he placed her carefully next to a sitting Momo. At a distance, he could feel Captain Hitsugaya's reiatsu monitoring the two women, and his relief knowing they would now be cared for. A glance told Kira there was a possibility Momo had a collapsed lung and even internal bleeding, but one look at Rangiku made him put her care first. A silent moment of concentration passed, and he performed a bakudō to shield them from the monster in a shining blue pyramid.

Minutes passed as he poured kaidō into Rangiku's injuries, begging the bones to rejoin and the wounds to knit back together. Her harsh ragged breaths continued to come with painful gasps and a part of him began to lose hope; her injuries were not healing fast enough.

'Maybe I don't have what it takes anymore… it's been so long…'

A male cry ripped him from his thoughts, and Kira wrenched his unseeing gaze away from Rangiku and back to the battlefield. Horror filled his eyes and he saw Shūhei trapped inside the fist of the giant, while it squeezed him. Bored, it tossed Hisagi into a wall, and took a step towards the pyramid.

The horror intensified in Kira's eyes, as each footstep from the creature's hooves sent tremors through the ground and the neighbouring buildings. The shockwaves continued through the webs of kidō, until Kira didn't know if it was shaking or if it was his own knees. Momo and Rangiku were similarly affected judging by their darting eyes and shivering frames.

A cry rose from behind the monster, and for a moment, Kira held his breath. Tetsuzaemon aimed a strike at the creature's back. Kira's eyes bulged in alarm as the creature unveiled a hidden trump card, with a literal eye in the back of its head. Tetsuzaemon's face filled with panic as his momentum carried straight towards the eye, and Kira gasped as a cero burst from it, wiping the Seventh Division Lieutenant from the battlefield.

'No,' thought Kira. A quick glance at Rangiku told him she was nowhere near healed enough for him to stop, or move her. As fear crippled his body, he continued to pour kaidō into his fellow Lieutenant, but he knew he was losing his focus. Every rattling breath from the creature saw it advance another step. The shadow of the antlered creature bore down upon them, and Kira gazed up in paralysing fear at its blank stare. When blood rained down on him, his mouth opened in shock and confusion.

"It is inexcusable for four Lieutenants of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads to make their Captain Commander come out to the front lines."

Kira blinked.

It was Soūtaichou Yamamoto. His haori fluttered under the supreme release of his overwhelming reiatsu. As he processed the fact that the creature had a giant hole in its breast, Kira became distracted by the labouring breaths of the two women. The Soūtaichou's reiatsu was too much for them to bear in their current condition.

A vicious cry rose from the creature as it stared at its chest. With a roar, it smacked the bleeding hole, as if expecting it to heal and stop hurting. When nothing happened, the creature smacked the wound again and again, with each blow punctuated by another roar. As the sound became increasingly enraged, Kira could imagine the hard, unfazed gaze the Soūtaichou was giving the monster. It unleashed an overwhelming amount of crushing reiatsu, and Yamamoto began to reprimand the creature as if it was an unruly child.

"It seems, you haven't learned your lesson!"

In response, Kira watched as the creature roared at their Commander and he shuddered when its mask shrank and its muscles began to bulge and grow enormous. As the hole in its chest closed up, and its limbs became gigantic, Ayon smashed the surrounding buildings like they were made of sand, and still, the Commander stood his ground.

"It is obvious to me that you are a simple beast, who only lives for killing." The cane rippled and faded to reveal the Commander's zanpakutō.

"Ryūjin Jakka, Hitotsume: Nadegiri!"

The sword strike was so fast, Kira didn't know the creature had been hit until he saw it fall in two perfect halves. It was so massive, the bisected creature took up the entire four-laned street. When Yamamoto turned away, Kira gasped when a single half of the creature began to rise behind his back. A sideways glance from the Commander gave him a slight touch of relief; he would not be caught off guard.

"This is your last warning!" growled the Soūtaichou. When the beast kept coming, he sighed, and drew his blade in another lightning flash. This time, however, he didn't aim to cut. Flames burst from the sword so quickly and silently, the creature was engulfed in an instant, sending a ball of fire through the street and into the sky. When it dissipated, the creature was gone as well. Kira released a huge sigh of relief; it was finally over.

"Strengthen the barrier, Lieutenant Kira," said the Soūtaichou. "This fight is not over."

Kira awoke with a cry.

Why was he dreaming of the battle in the fake Karakura town? It was over two years ago, and they had won. Kira frowned and got out of bed. As he went through his morning routine and arrived at the office, the images flooded his mind of Rangiku, Shūhei and Momo. Every one of them could have died that day, had none of the Captains been present. It was a chilling thought, and Kira knew he would never forget their scared faces, and the sounds of agony they made.

Granted the arrancar pet was probably a once in a lifetime foe, but it didn't mean new, equally powerful, enemies would never turn up. Of course, they would, and when they did it would be the same colleagues called upon to deal with it. Morbidly, Kira wondered if they would be so fortunate next time.

For all their power, they were all incredibly fallible. Shūhei, Rangiku, Tetsuzaemon, Momo and even Renji would not be safe forever, or lucky enough to be near a Captain. He eyed his desk and saw the fresh reports. He didn't need to read them; he had already gone through them in great detail. Lieutenant Kusajishi was incredibly lucky to have had Zaraki Taichou with her, and Renji the same. In the same breath, he knew himself, Shūhei and Momo did not have the same luxury of a Captain to lead their Divisions.

He sighed.

Renji had been incredibly lucky the monster he had fought was by itself. If it had had more pack members, they might have pursued him in his attempt to save Kuchiki Taichou's life. Renji had been completely alone with no-one there to help him, unlike himself when he had had Shūhei while he was trying to heal Rangiku. If he had been facing Ayon alone, as Renji had faced an unknown threat, Kira had no doubts he would have been killed. It was a daunting prospect, and Kira gasped.

A thought hit him so suddenly, he held a hand out to catch himself, as his eyes glossed over in thought. His conversation with Renji sprung to his mind; he wanted to come up with a way to assist with the new enemy in a way that suited him and his squad, but at the time of the conversation, he hadn't been able to think of anything. Now, however, maybe he was on to something. He grabbed a leaf of paper and began to scribble down the bones of a plan. If he worked hard for the next hour, it would be done before the Lieutenants Meeting.

As he bent over his desk, he knew he had to make this work. He vowed, his friends would never be put in another deadly situation alone again. He would have their backs.

"Where are we with the case against Squad Thirteen?" asked Renji. Suzuki Haru stood and bowed with a serious facial expression.

"Not as far as I'd like to be, Sir," he replied. "It's very difficult to prove that an officer shirked their duties."

"By nature, it's a sneaky offence and almost impossible to catch an officer red handed," said Renji. "If they did get caught, it would most likely be by the Captain of that Division and then most likely dealt with in-house. It's a very rare case."

Suzuki coughed uncomfortably. "Quite true, but there are many factors to consider here. The problem is the conflict of interest, as well as the fact that we don't even know if we legitimately have a case."

Renji made a face, curling the side of his mouth in a way that scrunched up his eye. "No, we definitely have a case. The Captain told me that they ordered Rukia to take command. Why would he say that if that wasn't true?"

Suzuki's expression didn't change. "I don't doubt the Captain's word; if he is adamant that the Third Seats did indeed commit this offence, then we'll need him to make an official written statement to that effect. This case presents a conflict of interest because the person the Third Seats chose to shirk their duties onto, happens to be our Captain's sister. Not only does it make Rukia look good, but it could serve as a platform for her to elevate herself from her current unseated position," said Suzuki, with an air unease.

"Our Captain would never use their relationship as an excuse if that was something he wanted," countered the Lieutenant. "If promoting her was the objective, he would just make a recommendation and leave it to a panel to assess and decide; why involve the Third Seats?"

"True," nodded Suzuki. "If the Third Seat's representation argues bias because of a conflict of interest, then they would have a valid point. I know our Captain would never go this route, but it can be argued that he did simply because the opportunity presented itself."

Renji stared at his Third Seat for a moment and spun a little on his heel with his hands behind his head. "You're right. Maybe we can minimise it. If the extent of his involvement is filing a witness report while someone else prosecutes, then that will be a very slim point for the defence to use. His word carries a lot of weight, and his reputation is pristine."

Suzuki nodded slowly. "As for the point I made about us even having a case is far more pressing. We don't know if this was a legitimate offence, or if they sought permission from Ukitake Taichou to delegate the training; what if we honestly don't have a case here?"

Renji paused.

It was a good point. He brought his fingertips to his mouth in deep thought.

"Alright, that's the first step. We need to get statements from all the relevant parties, Captains' Kuchiki and Ukitake, the Third Seats and Rukia, if not a few members of the squad. We'll need physical documentation of the training schedule, and a list of names that were signed off by Ukitake Taichou to perform those duties. We'll need a written document stating Ukitake Taichou agreed to allow the Third Seats to delegate the training. Then we can review that information to decide if we have a case worth pursuing, or if we have to issue an apology to Captain Ukitake. I will ask Sasakibe Fukutaichou to sit in on the meeting when our Captain gives his witness statement."

Suzuki bowed and smiled. "Very good, sir. That will satisfy all the issues, especially if we can involve the First Division. It will make our case that much more credible, because we're aware of the conflict of interest. I will take care of setting up the appointments for this coming week."

"Great," said Renji. "Now, I want to reunite with the squad before the Lieutenant's Meeting. It's time to put our plan into action."

Gone was his unease, and in its place, Suzuki rose with a broad smile. "They'll be very relieved that you're back. I'm a capable Third Seat, but I know I'm definitely no substitute for real leadership."

A small frown wrinkled Renji's brow, "Don't sell yourself short. Everything we do from this point, every person that gets to leave the battlefield and return to their loved ones, is purely thanks to you." Renji pinned him with a look of total sincerity to emphasise his words. "It was one thing for me to write out the training, but you're the one that got things rolling on the ground. I can say with confidence, you're probably the only person in the squad who can't see how valuable you are."

Suzuki smiled warmly. "Funny, I could say the same thing about you. You saved the Captain's life, fought the enemy and decided our next steps. Every success this Division has from this point is actually thanks to you. I just did what I was told." He strode towards the door and gave his Lieutenant a polite pat on the shoulder. "That's the truth."

"The Squad is formed, Lieutenant Abarai, Sir!" said Suzuki. Behind him, a portion of the squad stood in two perfect rows, where each row consisted of four neatly separated squares. Behind them, the majority of the squad stood as a whole.

The Sixth Division was deathly silent as the anticipation of seeing their Lieutenant for the first time in three days grew palpable. The second his large frame came into view, the squad members erupted into thunderous applause.

As they continued to cheer and whistle, Renji began walking to the spot in the centre, taking it all in. In his letter, he had been quite optimistic about Byakuya's recovery. As far as the squad was concerned, the Captain was on the mend and due to return. As he stared at them, he envied them for their ignorance; they had no idea how close they had come to losing their Captain the very same day that letter had been delivered. Imparting that knowledge to them now would serve no purpose, but in his mind, it had changed everything. To him the threat level the enemy presented had increased and that meant the time for games had ended.

He reached the point in front of the delegation and took a firm stance. Gone was the Renji of old, and in his place stood a serious, resolute individual. His face said it all, and with that one hard stare, the clapping slowly paused, with confusion taking its place.

"This is an unprecedented time for the Sixth Division; never before have we had to prepare to face an enemy without the guidance of our Captain. While he will make a full recovery, it may be up to us to face this enemy without him."

Some of the squad members began to look worried, but Renji continued in a serious tone. "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why the squad has been divided in this way." He sighed. "The truth is, the vast majority of you will not be called to future engagements where this enemy is concerned; instead, you will continue with your normal duties."

He let that sink in, and knew the profound disappointment he was doling out. Their urge to act was strong, but considering the facts, he needed only the best soldiers beside him; he wouldn't risk the lives of those who didn't have the skills required to come out of the fight alive.

"Of the eight groups, four of you are skilled in specific disciplines designed to serve a very specific role in future enemy engagements," he said, gesturing to the four groups in the first row. "The remainder," he said, with a nod to the second row, "will act as a reserve team of the same skill sets as the group in front of you. I will explain to you in more detail why I made these decisions after I give you a little insight into the enemy we must face."

Renji took a deep breath and thought about the previous battle, and as he did, wisps of reiatsu bled into the air around him. It was still a bit of an open wound.

"I've never faced an enemy like this. We entered the forest to find out where the strange reiatsu was coming from and we found a lone creature. We didn't know what to make of it, and when it became aggressive, the Captain drew it away from the direction of the village." The squad became enraptured by the story, having heard none of the details previously. "My first gut instinct was to follow him so I could back him up, but the further in I got, the harder it was to see. It was almost impossible to use shunpō, because the trees were so tightly spaced and the more the gap between us grew, the more it felt like hours had passed. In that time, two more creatures intercepted that path forcing me to engage. I decided to fight with my shikai because I didn't have time to waste, but they are incredibly agile. Seconds after I released Zabimaru, one of them vaulted onto my blade to get to me directly. As I got myself out of that scrape, the other one was at my back."

The squad members gasped, and some held their hands to their mouths in alarm. Renji was nodding to himself mentally. They needed to hear this exactly how it happened. Only then would they understand how dangerous this enemy was and engage it with the correct mindset.

"I killed one and I could hear kidō-fire in the background, so I knew the Captain was still fighting, but his shots kept coming. I didn't know if he was being mobbed, or if he was facing the same agility I was. I was pretty distracted and wound up on the ground without my blade because the last creature tackled me. Pure instinct saved me. I rolled to grab my shikai, and when I turned back to the creature behind me, we were locked in a death match." He held up his hands a certain width apart. "Its talons were this big, and it did its very best to drive them straight into my skull. Had it not been for the sound of that kidō-fire, I wouldn't have thought to bring my knee up and win the stalemate." The crowd gasped and Renji paused, unintentionally making the moment more acutely impactful.

"When I made it back to the Captain, he had pinned a final creature to a clearing. It was like slow-motion; he was directing his shikai upwards to follow the creature as it scaled a tree. Shards of bark rained down into the Captain's eyes, and when he tried to shake them out, his leg wound caused him to fall and his shikai to lose direction. The same second he started to fall, the creature lunged for him and I reacted." The whole squad hung on his every word. "I used a Shakkahō to kill it, but I knew I had to aim right above where the Captain fell to hit the creature, it was moving so fast. We went back to the rendezvous point to plan a way to control the situation when we were ambushed. I never saw it coming, but the Captain did. He pulled me out of the way, and in that moment, got hit instead of me. I rushed him to the Fourth Division and barely managed to get there in time."

Guilt and regret poured from his every word.

"From start to finish, that battle was a disaster. We had never seen these creatures before and we had no idea what they were capable of or how dangerous they were. They looked so skinny and weak, we didn't take them seriously enough, and that cost us very dearly." He paused. "We made too many mistakes." His glossy eyes focused and he looked back at the soul reapers before him. "I can't change the past, or take back the mistakes that were made, but I can use the experience to prepare you to face them."

Haru coughed and Renji nodded. The Third Seat's voice carried over the throngs. "Anyone not assigned to a specialist team may return to their normal duties. Please report to Fourth Seat, Imai Hiroshi. Dismissed!" The large section of men began to recede from the training ground, led by a tall blonde man leaving only the eight small groups with their Third Seat and Lieutenant.

Renji returned his gaze to the first formed group. "Team One will act as our scouts. As reikaku experts, you will provide critical support to the squad by locating each and every enemy present. From the moment we arrive, throughout the engagement, and during our retreat, you will prevent their ambush tactics. You will be led by Tenth Seat, Hirano Shigeru."

He turned to the second group. "Team Two will act as our wranglers, led by Seventh Seat, Itō Masako. Your expertise lies in hohō, so hakuda and shunpō will allow you to herd the enemy into plain sight. This is where Team Three will come into play." He redirected his gaze. "Now that the enemy will be corralled together in plain view, it will be your job to keep them where they are using bakudō. You will be led by Twelfth Seat, Iwasaki Yoko."

As he continued to speak, Renji noticed the faces of the teams were beginning to match his own, becoming more resolute and determined. "Finally, when all enemies have been located and restrained, Team Four, led by Sixth Seat, Tamura Kazuo, will terminate them using kidō or a released zanpakutō. That's it, seek, corral, restrain and kill."

He focussed on the second row. "The reserve teams will serve two functions; you can work in shifts with the primary teams to ease the workload and rest, or you have the option and ability to respond to secondary attacks if they happen in multiple locations or in quick succession of each other. This is not a case of the primary teams outranking the secondary teams or vice-versa; you are equally well trained and suited to your assigned group."

A ripple of surprise rose through the ranks at his thorough thought process, but he wasn't finished.

"Among you, there are individuals who have mastered all four of these skills, but for the vast majority of you, that is not the case. I can't expect the entire Squad to master every technique in a matter of hours or days, which is why your teams must work together as a whole." He stared them down, quelling all thoughts of excitement and optimism. "Don't think for a second that this will be easy because you will be using a technique you happen to have mastered. The most critical element to this training will be how you work together. If you don't, this enemy will tear through every gap in our defences and shred us to pieces without pause or mercy. I expect absolute effort and dedication."

Renji gave the Squad a modicum of relief as he turned away from them and gestured to his Third Seat. A quick nod saw Suzuki step forward once again.

"Team One, today we will work on walking in mid-air; you must not become targets if you are to identify every enemy. Team Two, you will join them."

The team leaders nodded.

"Team Three and Four, you will work on accuracy. Firing off kidō successfully will do no good if you miss the target. Move to the training ground."

A groan sliced the air of the silent Squad Thirteen offices as Kiyone surveyed the schedule for the day. Naturally, her sound caused Sentarō to look up from his work.

"What is it now?" he griped. He folded the reports as he rolled his eyes.

"Have you looked at today's schedule?" she replied. "Ukitake-sama has assigned us another zanjutsu form to teach!"

"What?"

Sentarō quickly shot up out of his chair and began scanning the training board with urgency. Sure enough, there it sat in the Captain's elegant script—'Way of Precision, Instructors - Kotetsu Kiyone and Kotsubaki Sentarō'.'

Kiyone groaned for the second time, "It's listed as a three-hour time slot!"

"Damn!" said Sentarō softly, before he gave a light shrug. "The Captain must be worried about the enemy to force this on us at such short notice; I'd swear this wasn't part of the weekly proposal I read a few days ago."

Kiyone nodded her agreement, and brought her gloved hands to her temples with another groan. "How am I supposed to teach the form when I haven't even finished cleaning the Captain's lounge? I don't know what I'd do if he comes back and it's not done!"

Sentarō glared at her. "What do you mean you're not finished; what were you doing all day?"

Returning his glare, she quickly countered his argument, "Well, I wasn't sitting at a desk all day reading, that's for sure!"

"I'm summarising the reports for the Captain so he doesn't have to spend the night bent over a desk reading them himself! I'm actually trying to help him!" came his hot reply.

"Whatever," she huffed. "I need to finish, so there's no way I'm teaching those idiots an entire form of zanjutsu." Sentarō almost didn't catch the word crazy when she muttered it under her breath.

"Well, you're crazy if you think I'm doing it by myself."

When he got no reply, his glare intensified. As the seconds ticked away, the silence began to become unbearable. Finally, the male Third Seat had enough.

"Kiyone!"

"Just get someone else to do it!"

"Who?" he asked, as a modicum of incredulity crept into his voice.

Kiyone searched blindly, and spun to face him. "Rukia Kuchiki."

He blinked at her and frowned. "I thought she was off active duty owing to personal circumstances?"

Kiyone shook her head. "She dropped in yesterday to speak with Ukitake Taichou. I'm not sure what they spoke about, but she signed her name on the active list before she left; she's definitely on the grounds."

He nodded before his gaze began to drift sideways, it was clear he conceded her fine choice if his expression was any indication. "She did perform rather well last week with the academy refresher course," he trailed off. His words were more thoughts voiced than aimed at his colleague. Finally, he made his decision, "I still don't think this is a good idea, Kiyone; I think you should lead the training."

Sentarō looked up to find Kiyone had already left the room. "I'll finish the summaries. The training will be taken care of, and the Captain will be able to have a perfect, calm and carefree evening." Hopefully, the Captain would have a perfect evening.

In the corridor outside the office, Kiyone walked with a spring in her step. 'What a great idea! I can't think of anyone more suitable to teach the Squad, while I clean the lounge and Sentarō finishes the summaries. Ah, the Captain will have such a lovely evening!'

"You want me to train the Squad?" Utter disbelief coloured Rukia's words as she stared at her Third Seat's smiling face. "Surely one of the Seated Officers would be more suitable to teach an entire form of Zanjutsu?"

Kiyone heaved a great sigh, and looked away with a sad expression. Thankfully, a surreptitious glance told her, Rukia hadn't seen through her ruse. "Unfortunately, none of them are available. Most of them are working on one-to-one training, as we've had an unusual amount of requests recently from some of the squad members. Two are involved in personal training, and the rest are leading missions in the Districts.

"Ukitake Taichou added zanjutsu training to the roster after we reviewed the schedule for the week, and I won't lie, it caught us a little by surprise." She gave a sheepish little laugh, adding a hint of nervousness.

Rukia paused, and thought about it. She'd never heard of all the officers being away from the Division in this way. There were always at least five familiar faces cropping up here and there throughout the day, but it was a bit of an unusual time for the Gotei. One look at Kiyone's face gave her a hint of the amount of stress the higher ups were currently dealing with.

A thought occurred to her, and she voiced her curiosity. "Why did you ask me? I know I led a small group a few days ago, but that was very basic drills for the new academy recruits and nothing comparable to this; the Way of Precision is one of the most difficult forms of zanjutsu!"

"Besides the scheduling nightmare, why wouldn't we ask you?" She smiled.

"I'm afraid I don't follow, Kotetsu Sanseki," said Rukia.

Kiyone paused and searched the girl's eyes for a moment. Clearly, she was smart, and Kiyone had to give her a little bit more of a nudge. After all, very few people could withstand a healthy amount of flattery as well as a boost to their ego.

"This has been bothering me for a while, but there's a question I've been wanting to ask you if you'd indulge my curiosity for a moment?" Rukia gave a hesitant nod, and her eyes flickered with a touch of fear. Kiyone seized upon this perfect blend of emotions and softly spoke. "Why are you not a Seated Officer?"

Of all the things she could have asked, Rukia wasn't expecting this and fought the squeak that threatened to erupt from her throat. A Kuchiki didn't squeak! She stiffened noticeably. "Pardon?"

Kiyone pinned her with a pointed expression. "Oh, come on! You're a Kuchiki! Sure, you can be a little formal, and even slightly aloof, but people tend to expect that from nobility. I asked because you've been with us for decades and led missions both here and in the world of the living. You were even a vital part of the rescue operation in Heuco Mundo! It's a well-known fact that you've developed your shikai beyond most Seated Officers, and your kidō is also quite advanced."

Rukia froze, her eyes widened a little as she recalled pieces of her previous conversation with Renji. It was strange hearing her accomplishments being listed, but she erred on the side of caution and modesty. She felt like she needed more time to come to terms with her emotions before focussing on future aspirations. "While it's true that I would love to be a Seated Officer, I haven't sought it out. I have no doubt that Ukitake Taichou could hand pick far more experienced and qualified shinigami. I'm sure I will achieve my goals when the time is right."

The Third Seat continued. "I want to confess something to you, the other day when you were training by yourself, I watched and it was like I was hit with a burst of inspiration." Kiyone paused dramatically, and Rukia frowned minutely. "I asked Sentarō to let you lead the training because I wanted to see what would happen. You excelled beyond my wildest expectations, and so, when I noticed the roster, I knew you were the perfect choice." She wiggled her eyebrows at the girl playfully. "I'm sure you've had extensive training in many of the forms of zanjutsu?"

Rukia blushed. "My brother—," her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, "Kuchiki Taichou insisted that I be well versed in the four pillars." She composed herself and tried to ignore Kiyone's widening grin.

"Oh, there's a story behind that mysterious answer. In any case, it's settled and I'm positive you'll be amazing; training begins in a half hour, " said Kiyone in a sing-song voice as she offered a playfully casual farewell salute. A thoroughly confused Rukia remained where she stood while she rounded the corner, allowing the girl no room for a counter argument. Once there, her false smile shifted into an insidious leer.

'That's right, Rukia Kuchiki, you'll continue to excel, exactly as planned, and either get discharged for usurping an Officer's command, or get snapped up for a Seated position in another Division seeing as how our ranks are full. Either way, you'll be out of my hair and far away from Ukitake Taichou! It's nothing less than a spoiled little girl like you deserves anyway.'

"Good afternoon, everyone," said Sasakibe Chōjirō as the stream of Lieutenants dawdled at the large conference table. When Yachiru took her seat with a giggle, he nodded. "Welcome all of you; I would like to begin today's meeting."

Eleven pairs of eyes settled on him, and he adjusted his notes. "It's been an unusual few days for us at the Gotei, to say the least. With a new enemy threatening the souls of this world, the Captains have devised a plan of attack to combat them. After copious investigation from the combined efforts of Captain's Kuchiki, Fon, Kurotsuchi, Unohana and Zaraki, Captain Hitsugaya believes this enemy is driven by a desire to consume spiritual pressure. He will be attempting to track the enemy in the hopes that they can be eradicated.

"While this is tentatively good news for the districts, it could spell disaster for the Seireitei and those who live and work here. Captain Komamura has been tasked with defending the borders of the Seireitei against any attempts at entry."

Tetsuzaemon nodded; clearly his Captain had already shared this theory with him, but for the other Lieutenants, the idea that they were drawn to the capital was disturbing. Sasakibe pressed on despite the mild murmurings.

"Captain Kurotsuchi is currently conducting analysis of the creature's reiatsu. He believes they are more like us physically than that of a hollow, despite being drawn to high concentrations of reiatsu. He will be unable to provide concrete answers based off of their reiatsu alone, and so his request to capture one alive has been granted. The Soūtaichou wants to know everything he possibly can, and therefore, if any of you encounter this enemy, please contact Captain Kurotsuchi. The sooner he can capture one, the sooner we will get those answers."

Matsumoto made a face, but Nemu looked about as bored as Ōmaeda. Hinamori was still frowning heavily about Toshiro hunting the enemy, and Kira wore his usual expression of worry and nervousness. Yachiru munched on a cookie as if they were discussing the weather instead.

"Lastly, Captain Zaraki offered an evaluation of the enemy's psychology. His report indicates the intelligence of these creatures is far more than he expected. He said they successfully laid a trap by distracting him, so that they could target his Lieutenant. He compared their strategies to a highly intelligent human opponent. Again, if you encounter them, please be cautious."

Shūhei frowned deeply, and saw a similar expression on the faces of Nanao and Tetsuzaemon to his right. This was not good news, and yet, he remembered reading similar reports suggesting this frightening intelligence from Captain Kuchiki. It made him think of Yuumichika briefly, and wondered what implications it would have on their training.

"Now that that is concluded, is there anything you would like to add or discuss?" said Sasakibe.

Glancing around the table, Renji shifted in his seat and paused briefly. When no one else made a move to rise, he stood and addressed his fellow Fukutaichou's. "I have successfully created four strike teams and an additional four reserve teams. Rather than spending weeks having each individual master all the skills required, I designed these teams from squad members that are already proficient in specific skills. Adding seamless teamwork will allow for everyone to benefit from these skills during a conflict.

"The first team will employ reikaku to find each enemy and mitigate their ambush tactics. The second team will then herd them to a designated area using a mixture of hohō and hakuda techniques, where the third team will prevent their escape using bakudō. Finally, the fourth team will terminate every enemy using released blades or hadō. If you require the assistance of these teams, or would like to imitate any of these training techniques into your current regime, please let me know and I will be happy to provide any help that I can. Thank you," said Renji. Applause met his address and he bowed in acknowledgement.

"Well done, Abarai Fukutaichou," said Tetsuzaemon. His face bore a stunned but pleased expression, mirroring most of the other Lieutenants.

"That's quite an impressive achievement, Renji," said Shūhei. "I'm glad your plan bore fruit."

Renji grinned. "Save the accolades until it's battle tested, eh, Shūhei?" Hisagi returned his grin.

Yachiru giggled and bounced to her feet. "Yumi-chan let us do try-outs!"

Rangiku noticed the many confused expressions and smiled at the tiny Lieutenant. "What kind of try-outs?" she asked playfully.

"He made an obstacle course with a long straight part and trees at the end, so we had to get to the end as fast as we could. Then we had to move this huge log and hop over all the masts to get the pretty ribbon." The others began to frown with even more confusion, but Shūhei's eyes widened in surprise. "After we got the ribbon, we had to cross the pool of water without getting wet and then came my favourite part; we had to find a ball hidden in the ground!" She clapped her hands with joy.

"Ball?" asked Rangiku.

"Yep!" Yachiru squealed with glee. "It had to be the same colour as our ribbon!"

"Okay, I'm completely lost," said Nanao with a chuckle. A few indistinct mutters of agreement went around the table.

Shūhei put his hands up and the silence returned. "I'll take it from here, okay kiddo?" Rangiku leaned back so he could give Yachiru a gentle fist bump. He handed her another cookie from the basket on the table as he stood.

"Are you gonna tell them about how Ken-chan got really mad at baldy?" asked the tiny Lieutenant, causing the confusion in the room to increase.

"You betcha, squirt!"

"Oh, tell us already," said Rangiku with a whine in her voice. "I know a story when I hear one."

Shūhei put his hands back in the air, and again, the others began to quiet down. "Yesterday, myself and Lieutenant's Kira and Matsumoto, with Ayasegawa Goseki, went to visit Lieutenant Abarai in hospital. We met with Zaraki Taichou, Kusajishi Fukutaichou and Madarame Sanseki at the nurses station when a patient was rushed to the operating room by Captain's Unohana and Kurotsuchi. That patient was Kuchiki Taichou."

A few gasps sounded at his words, but Rangiku grimaced as she remembered the awful state the Captain had been in. Even Kira averted his gaze a little.

Sasakibe frowned at Hisagi. "How does this relate to Squad Eleven?"

"Madarame chose that moment to insult Captain Kuchiki's honour as he was being wheeled away and almost unconscious in front of his Lieutenant and family. We, including Captain Zaraki, were quite surprised by his comment," said Hisagi.

"I should think so; it was in very poor taste." His frown was severe. "Has he been reprimanded?"

"Yes, Sir," said Renji, with a polite nod to Shūhei, who returned it instantly. "After speaking with Zaraki Taichou, I decided against taking disciplinary action. Zaraki has assured me the matter will be dealt with, and unless there are any further instances of disrespect, I am happy to let him settle the matter."

Sasakibe held his gaze for a moment before conceding a nod. "Hisagi Fukutaichou, please continue." Shūhei nodded sharply.

"Upon returning to their training grounds, Zaraki Taichou began by addressing the rumour surrounding Madarame having a bankai. He challenged him to a spar, and when Madarame was defeated, he punished him for the choices made regarding the Squad, the disrespect to the Sixth Division, as well as hiding his bankai." Shūhei paused. "Zaraki Taichou relieved Madarame of his command."

Gasps rang out from every corner of the room. "You're joking!" said Ōmaeda, his voice barely higher than a stunned whisper. Rangiku covered her mouth absentmindedly, while Kira appeared alarmed. Yachiru munched on as if there was nobody else in the room. Sasakibe nodded, slightly mollified by this news.

"After moving Madarame to the garrison with the other non-seated officers, Ayasegawa spoke to the Captain about the previous battle and shared his concerns about how unprepared the men had been. He also shared Zaraki Taichou's concerns about the sinister nature of the enemy. He told his Captain about my offer to train him so that he could implement new training in the squad to ensure a better result for the Squad in future engagements. The Eleventh Division, excluding the Captain and Lieutenant, struggled with the ambush tactics." Shūhei took a moment to gather himself. "It is because of that fact that Captain Zaraki offered Ayasegawa the badge naming him the new Third Seat of Squad Eleven."

Tetsuzaemon's jaw dropped. He had been friends with both men for decades, if not a century, and he couldn't believe how the recent events had turned out. He was genuinely surprised by how badly Ikkaku had fumbled his command, but utterly floored by the way Yuumichika had stepped up. He also knew Ikkaku's temper, and he frowned; there would be hell to pay if he thought Yuumichika had seized the opportunity to seek out the badge.

"Does Madarame know?" he asked.

Shūhei made an apologetic face. "I'm sure by now he's aware, but I haven't seen Yuumichika since our training session at dawn, and I won't see him again until tonight. I'll be sure to let you know if I hear anything about it," he said. Their gaze lingered for a few seconds longer than it should have, before Iba narrowed his eyes. Hisagi tilted his head, and he understood immediately; he'd be told privately, but not here and not now.

"The obstacle course Lieutenant Kusajishi mentioned is modelled after one that exists at Squad Nine; Yuumichika has created one, however hastily, in a single morning to assess the entire Division. Its primary function is to determine any and all skills a reaper has, and more than that, it offers insight into how an individual acts under pressure, or chooses to tackle specific problems. The other added benefit is the versatility of the course; it can be altered, or its structures used to simulate a variety of combat conditions. Using this approach, at the end of a single day, he will be able to post an accurate training schedule tailored to whole groups and individual squad members, as he will be intimately familiar with their characters, strengths and weaknesses. In my opinion, it shows Ayasegawa has an excellent grasp of what is required of him as a Third Seat. In light of recent events, I can only commend Zaraki Taichou's decision to promote him."

He bowed and returned to his seat. Applause littered the air between them as the collective group sat in complete amazement at the sheer turn of events Squad Eleven had experienced in a mere two days.

"And there I thought I was motivated," said Rangiku, breaking the silence. "Who knew he had it in him?"

"How could we? He's never taken the lead before," said Renji, with a hint of bitterness.

Tetsuzaemon frowned, but knew Renji meant no offence. "It'll be interesting to see what he does with it." He couldn't help but remark to himself that it would be equally interesting to see what Ikkaku made of his current set of circumstances.

Sasakibe rose to his feet, quelling any further discussion on the subject. "Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

Isane nodded and rose to her feet. She offered a bow to the Lieutenants. "I would like to expand slightly on the events of yesterday from a medical perspective." Sasakibe nodded, and seated himself with an attentive expression.

"The injuries sustained by Captain Kuchiki are unique in the scope of this current conflict. We've seen lacerations, some to the bone, shunpō wear, and the usual battle fatigues, both physical and spiritual. Captain Kuchiki was stabbed in such a way that the talons of the creature remained embedded for at least three to five seconds. This interval allowed the enemy to implant its reiatsu into the wound." A few gasps rose from the group. "It then began to eat Kuchiki Taichou's reiatsu, preventing us from healing him, and causing rapid degeneration of the tissues around the stab site. Kurotsuchi Taichou removed every speck of this foreign reiatsu from his body, which ultimately saved his life. If you are stabbed in battle, or sustain contact with the talons for a period of time, please mention that to the medical staff immediately. Naturally, we will now be screening all wounds for this ability, but if you notice weakness, pain, or receding kaidō therapy, contact a member of the Fourth Division as soon as you can; it may save your life. Thank you."

She sat and noticed the looks of their faces had morphed to become disgusted and horrified, with the exception of Yachiru and Nemu.

Sasakibe rose to his feet, when Kira rose as well. A brief glance passed between them and Chōjirō retook his seat, allowing Kira to take the spotlight. He didn't speak immediately, instead, he slid a folder across the table to Sasakibe. He inhaled sharply as he read the title of the document, before meeting Kira's eyes.

"Are you sure about this?"

Kira's only reply was a simple nod, but his eyes were determined and resolved. Ōmaeda leaned over a little, but found he couldn't make out the words as they were upside down. The other Lieutenants found themselves leaning in as their interest was rekindled.

Sasakibe began to read the report, and the further his eyes travelled down the sheet of paper, the higher his eyebrows rose. He flipped the page, and became absorbed in it. Kira stood still and patient, but the tension in the room was mounting. Finally, he read over the final page, showing a detailed diagram of the proposal.

Sasakibe looked and exhaled. "The scope of this plan is beyond anything I've ever seen in this particular field. Furthermore, it is unprecedented for a Lieutenant to propose such actions."

Multitude of eyes followed his statement, imploring the blonde to give them some kind of explanation.

"If we don't do this, we risk losing exceptional members of the Gotei. As it is, it's a miracle Kuchiki Taichou survived. What if Abarai had been pursued as he rushed his Captain to the Fourth Division? They could both have been killed," replied Kira cryptically.

Sasakibe nodded and the mounting curiosity was too much for Rangiku to bear. She leaned over to Nanao, and whispered, "I wish they'd let us in on the big mystery!"

Kira's gaze flickered back to Sasakibe's. "Can we make this happen?"

Chōjirō remained silent, for what seemed like an eternity, before he sighed. "This is far beyond what I can grant as a Vice-Captain even of the First Division; it would need the approval of the Soūtaichou at the very least, but I'll have to double check." He spared the papers a final glance and relented. "Honestly, I hope this becomes a reality, I really do. It's outstanding."

He slid the paper to Ōmaeda, who gasped upon reading the title, "You want to change your Division's occupation?" He spluttered as exclamations rose from the room.

"Yes," said Kira. "The Third Division is a combat squad, but it's actually, much less defined in a traditional sense. We embrace all areas of training, and yet, we aren't known for anything specific."

Ōmaeda finished the proposal and slid it to Isane, who grabbed it eagerly. "It's incredible, but isn't it a bit much to pull off by yourself?" He winced at the implication of Squad Three being managed without a Captain, but Izuru didn't react.

"I have to do this," came the quiet reply. "I can combine the skills I learned while I was a member of the Fourth Division, and what I've learned about combat since joining the Third. I'm not afraid of hard work, Ōmaeda."

"It's perfect!" cried Isane, as she passed the file to Hinamori. "I'll do whatever I can to make this a reality. You have no idea how beneficial this would be to the Gotei as an organisation." Kira smiled and offered her a quick bow. "What prompted you to choose Combat Medics?"

Izuru ignored the gasps and replied softly. "I had a nightmare about the events that occurred in the fake Karakura Town. Reading the reports of recent events where people were getting attacked by creatures just made me remember Ayon and the devastation he caused. Yesterday at Squad Four, I witnessed the beginnings of the same medical horrors caused by combat and the idea just came to me. It was strange, but it feels right to me." He shook his head. "Uh, I'm terrible at explaining things." He grinned a little and she smiled in return.

"Give yourself some slack," she said softly and Kira found himself nodding as he stared into her eyes. "You work so hard, and never ask for anything. I want to help, because it's one of the best ideas I've ever heard."

"Agreed," came the voice of Renji. Kira readjusted his gaze to see Renji, Tetsuzaemon and Shūhei sharing the document. "This would have been a dream to have three nights ago. Byakuya could have been brought to hospital safely, and I could have remained at my post and mounted a counter attack. This needs to happen."

Iba nodded furiously as he replaced the pages neatly for the ladies to read, and Shūhei spoke. "If we had had this back in Karakura Town, we would have had a chance. Isane is right, this is exactly what the Gotei needs. You have my vote."

"Why would the Soūtaichou deny something so sorely needed," asked Nanao. "Surely, the Captain's would advocate for this to be implemented with urgency?"

Sasakibe frowned. "I sincerely hope so, but perhaps because of the conflict, our ranks are being spread desperately thin, it might not be feasible to physically organise."

"That's a thin reason to deny something so valuable!" She flicked her hair with a huff at the man before flinging the document back up to the top of the table. He didn't grace her with a flinch when it hit his outstretched hand. "We need this because it will save lives. You can help Kira Fukutaichou to make this a reality for the future of the Gotei!"

Thunderous applause met her words, and Kira shot her a grateful glance.

"Well, that's me well and truly told." She felt her cheeks flush, and Sasakibe chuckled. "I will make sure Yamamoto Taichou reads this straight away. Unless there's any other groundbreaking statements to add, I call this meeting closed. You may return to your Divisions."