Chapter 14 - The Misgivings We Overcome

Translations

Hadō 73 - Twin Blue Fire.

Hadō 1 - Shō - Thrust (Invisible burst of air, generally harmless.)

Jigokuchō - Hell Butterfly

Shihakushō - Shinigami uniform

Haori - Captain's white coat

Yakuta - Top half of the outer layer of their uniform

Bakudō 99, Part 2 - Bankin - Shokyoku - Shiryū - Prologue - Halting Wraps

Nikyoku Hyakurensan - Refrain - Serial Hundred Bolts

Shūkyoku - Bankin Taihō - Finale - Fully Prohibited Great Seal

~ Day 4 - The Seireitei - Late Evening ~

Ignoring the slight trembling of the four reapers behind her, Rukia gazed intently through the vast forest depths at the pair of golden eyes gazing back at her with the same intensity. Had its eyes not burned with such a bright golden hue, she might have missed it completely. Fear flooded through her body as the realisation of what she was looking at hit her, she snapped her eyes shut and took a deep breath, willing her fear to dissipate and her composure to return. Returning her gaze to the creature, she found herself praying it was alone, before she was instantly reminded of how eerily similar this was to the scene Renji had described. They too had encountered a single enemy, and she knew all too well how that had turned out for her brother and his Lieutenant.

She set her lips in a grim, determined line, and knew she had to eliminate this creature as quickly as possible, while removing its ability to strike her instead. It dawned on her in that instant of how fortunate she was to have led training only hours ago on the perfect style to deal with this particular problem. The Way of Precision would allow her to drop this beast instantly, and end any threat of retaliation.

Once again, she closed her eyes, and this time she focused on her reiryoku, begging it to flow quickly throughout her stance. She drew Sode no Shirayuki and stepped into the correct kamae, and as the delicate snowflakes danced lightly around her, she snapped her eyes open and froze her sword arm as she was about to aim in the direction of the creature.

'If I aim for its throat directly, it'll see through my attack before I even move! It'll either get away, or try to attack me instead here on the streets of the Seireitei!'

With another deep breath, she did her best to calm her rising panic, and began to focus on the principles of the philosophy behind the Way of Precision. Languidly, she held her gaze with the creature, and allowed Sode no Shirayuki to drop beside her leg, pointing slightly away.

As she took a step forward, she could register the slight panic in the reapers behind her, but she didn't focus on them or their words. She just needed them to stay behind her where they would be safe. Rukia held the soft eye contact and took another step forward.

Your body and blade must move at a speed that your opponent cannot defend against, even if they can see you coming. You must be beyond reach, a shadow…

Flakes of sparkling snow rained down from above as the air shivered with cooling pinpricks and vibrating reiatsu. The creature tensed and straightened, but Rukia calmly took another step.

You need to move with absolute determination and target your strike with purpose. You have no hesitation…

Sode no Shirayuki trembled beneath her precise grip, filling her with its frigid and calming presence. She focused on its throat.

You have no fear, you are safe…

The air shuddered with a burst of sudden, frozen reiatsu, and Rukia vanished.

Rukia touched down on the forest floor. In a fraction of a second, she placed her second hand on the pommel of her zanpakutō, and felt an incredible surge of power thrum through her body. As the milliseconds bled together in a tranquil blur, Rukia raised her sword, correcting her stance. The creature seemed torn between flight or fight, before its eyes glowed a little brighter. As she surged towards it, it shook its pale head and started to lope right at her, dipping and rising in a fluid rhythm. Rukia's eyes narrowed as she simultaneously concentrated on her aim, and on measuring the tremendous amount of reiryoku coursing through her.

The additional power was blissful and heady, and the instant the tip of her blade found purchase, it began to ease and ebb. She came to a halt, and stared at the top half of her zanpakutō. She had managed to impale the creature right through the soft section of its throat, in the exact moment its head was raised as it cantered towards her in slow motion. She ripped her sword from the creature, its jaw slackened and its forelimbs dangled weakly before it hit the forest floor with a thud.

Just as she began to study its strange features, taking in its skeletal appearance, wispy mane and vicious fangs, its eyes began to dim. She gasped as the forest became bathed in sparkling lights, merging with the falling snowflakes, and she found her eyes following them up into the canopy above her. Before she knew what was happening, Rukia found herself blinking as the forest plunged into what seemed like total darkness, as the lights disappeared. Adrenaline continued to course through her body, and her breathing was a little fast, but she welcomed it. Knowing what she did about these creatures, the young Kuchiki had no intention of being taken by surprise. She released her freezing reiatsu forward into the trees.

'I can't believe how fast they are,' she thought softly to herself. 'It was nothing like what I pictured, and yet, remarkably unmistakable.' She froze as her reiatsu brushed close to a strange sensation, and Rukia's eyes burned in the direction of the black, rustling treetops. Sure enough, two pairs of golden eyes stared back at her.

'Damn! I hate it when I'm right.'

"Please don't tell me she's taking that thing on by herself?" said Takagi, while Kaoru stood staring at the spot that Rukia had just vacated. Kōji and Katsumi stood side by side nervously, but said nothing. "Are we just supposed to stand here and do nothing?"

"Takagi-kun, please," said Kaoru.

"No! We should be helping her!" Takagi protested animatedly with his hands. Kōji and Katsumi shared a worried glance, before turning hopeful expressions towards Kaoru.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru-san, but I think Takagi-kun might be right," said Kōji. Kaoru, losing all of her usual composure, whirled around to look him in the eye with an expression of disbelief bordering on anger.

"You can't be serious! How could we possibly help; she outclasses all of us combined!" cried Kaoru.

Kōji's gaze darted sideways, as if conceding her point. Another second passed before he pinned her with a resolute gaze. With his jaw set, he finally replied, "I know I'm nowhere near as practised as Kuchiki-sama when it comes to training, but she taught me something today that I didn't know was possible. That I can be a powerful shinigami one day with the right training. She put absolute faith in me and the entire Squad when she demonstrated an entire form of zanjutsu. Not only that, but she gave us the opportunity to witness some of the most devastating techniques I've ever seen at the Thirteenth Division. When have the Third Seats ever trusted us? When have they ever shown us a glimpse of the true power a shinigami can wield, and a safe place to learn the necessary techniques?"

Kaoru stood stunned to silence, and Takagi placed a supportive hand on Kōji's shoulder. "I know what you're trying to say, but it was a lot more than just being shown a few new moves. Rukia-sama always held us at arm's length. She was cold and dismissive, and I put that down to how I always believed nobility were supposed to act, but today was different. Today I saw Rukia, my comrade and fellow member of Squad Thirteen, and not the Kuchiki. When she lost her composure after the Haretsu technique, I felt the same pride in her that I think she felt looking back at us." He shrugged, and his face broke in a goofy grin. "Call me crazy, but Rukia is my friend, and I don't think it's right for a friend to face something like this alone no matter how accomplished her skills might be."

Katsumi chose that moment to respond. "I was so scared when it came time to perform that first technique; I couldn't pool my reiryoku, and I felt like an idiot. I stood there, hoping and praying she wouldn't notice, but she did. I thought she would be disappointed and honestly, I was expecting disdain and disgust. Instead, she was kind and supportive, and she halted the training to help me, and everyone else facing the same problem. She lifted us up and gave us the chance to train on an even playing field with the rest of the Squad, when I expected her to tear us down and abandon us like the Third Seats would have done. That's why I didn't exclude her when we were leaving for dinner, and I won't abandon her now. Kōji is right; she needs us."

Kaoru's eyebrows rose, as soft expressions of pride and unsure grins carried between the other three shinigami. She sighed and wilted, and for the first time, her fear overcame her outrage. "I want to help, but I'm not sure I know how. Rationally, we should get help, but we're alone!"

"No, we're not," replied Katsumi. "This is the Seireitei; there are always shinigami here, and I know I saw some on our way in. I can find them and bring them here; they'll know what to do."

"Good idea, Katsumi-san. We'll go help Rukia-sama," said Kōji.

Takagi grinned broadly, and he rubbed his palms together vigorously. "Now that's a plan. Let's go; I want to know if she missed me or not."

He chuckled, causing Kaoru to roll her eyes. "Oh, for goodness sake! Now is not the time." She smacked him on the arm lightly, and turned a final glance at Katsumi. "Go as fast as you can."

Katsumi nodded seriously, and offered a small smile to the group. "Just stay safe, okay?"

Despite the worry across Kaoru's face, she managed a small smile in return. "I'll make sure we'll do our best!"

As Katsumi vanished in the direction of the Gotei's borders, Takagi stared towards the bushes. "Let's go; we're wasting time."

Rukia was not very impressed by the stalemate; in fact, it was quite frustrating. She could see them, and they could see her. As she stared at them, their eyes glowed, and they snapped their teeth at her. She readied her reiryoku in response, but they were too far away for her to close the distance with her blade. While it was not ideal for them to charge her, at least she could strike at them. Maybe there was another way. She sheathed Sode no Shirayuki, and raised her palms out before her.

"Hadō no nana-juu-san, Sōren Sōkatsui!"

With a push, twin blasts of blue fire burst forth from her palms, more powerful than the standard single blast. White light blazed at the epicentre and Rukia threw her gauntlet-clad arms out in front of her face to shield her from the rushing wind, while squinting at the brightest part of the fire and its progress towards the beasts. She felt the wave of reiatsu bleed from her and surge towards the creatures in the canopy. As the fire raced forwards, leaves burned to ash, and the bark of the unfortunate trees and branches caught in its path, darkened and crumbled.

'Bingo!'

Rukia smirked as the beasts forms shimmered under the intense heat of the racing flames, and just as she hoped, they burst like hyenas away from its promised destruction. One flew towards the tree trunk on the left, and the other vaulted to a new tree. While it was an improvement because they were closer, now their positions were problematic. Rukia pursed her lips.

'Enough of this,' thought Rukia.

Pooling her reiryoku, her eyes glowed, and snowflakes swirled around her in a flurry of cooling air, highlighted as glittering pinpricks in the dark forest. Solidifying tiles of sparkling reiatsu met her feet as she took a step into the air. Treating the very air as a staircase, she climbed, careful not to get too close. She took careful aim at the creature on her left, who's eyes had narrowed into slits, and its emaciated thighs quivered as if to flee. Rukia pointed a finger at it.

"Hadō no Ichi, Shō," said Rukia.

The invisible burst of air shot towards the creature, much like a twig poke. It was harmless, but annoying. Exactly as planned, it released the tight energy in its limbs, and shot towards the tree trunk, claws drawn. As she watched it drive its talons into the thick bark, Ruki's eyebrows shot up; she didn't want those things anywhere near her! She shot a second burst of kidō inches above its head to make sure the creature continued towards the ground, before she turned her attention to the second beast.

Aiming carefully, she struck near its head, causing it to duck away from the tree trunk. She grimaced, and aimed right for the spot in front of its nose, before it could vault away to another tree entirely. It braced itself awkwardly on its forelimbs, and pointed its nose upwards, away from her shot. As it steadied itself, its head began to lean towards the tree trunk, and in that instance, Rukia hit it right on the thigh prompting it to dive at the trunk.

She returned to the ground as quickly as she could, and pooled her reiryoku; it was now or never. The two beasts finally reached the floor moments later and snarled. As she placed her hand on the pommel of her zanpakutō, they lunged at her with lightning speed.

She grabbed the blade with the thumb down the inside and pulled. Light flashed along the outline of its razor-sharp edge. She took another bounding step towards them and targeted the first creature. The strike came so quickly, the beast's body continued to move, and with another surge of reiryoku, Rukia pivoted to the right, slicing at the head of the second beast. As blood sprayed from the wound, the seconds ticked by and sparkling lights bathed the moss-covered ground, and Rukia blinked.

'Good! I knew Semu would work if they were close enough,' thought Rukia to herself, as she struggled to control her rapid breathing. 'Please let them be the last two; I sent the Jigokuchō ages ago, and I don't know how much more of this I can handle.'

Sending out her reiatsu, she scanned the surrounding area and found nothing. Deciding it wasn't worth the risk to just leave without checking, she began to trek through the darkness, with only the rustling leaves and scant rays of moonlight to guide her.

"Do you think she went this way?" asked Kaoru.

"Sorry, Kaoru," replied Kōji. "I never learned how to track spiritual pressure. Now, I wish I had." He gave a light chuckle.

"It's called reikaku," she retorted, nowhere nearly as composed or as smug as usual, "But I haven't learned it either." It seemed to Kōji, that every step Kaoru took deeper into the inky, black woods, the more her regret and fear clouded every rational thought in her head. Not that he blamed her; it was rare for a rookie to take part in missions that occurred after nightfall. Never, did soul reapers of their calibre ever purposefully enter into combat without the supervision of a seated officer. A stray thought crossed his mind, but he shook it away; helping a friend was more important than even his own fear.

"Whatever it's called, doesn't matter," said Takagi. "None of us can do it, so we should keep an eye and an ear out if we hear Rukia-sama."

No sooner had he said it, did Kōji spot something glinting in the darkness. He slowed and stared at it. The others paused next to him, silently wondering why he had stopped. He pointed a finger in the direction of the tiny light, and they all fixed their gaze. It flickered, as if it was disappearing and reappearing.

"Stop it, Kōji; you're scaring me," said Kaoru, in a tight tone of voice.

"Yeah man, it's probably just the moonlight or something," said Takagi.

Kōji wasn't convinced and he shook his head slowly. "No, it's yellow," he paused, "No, it's gold, I think."

As they stared, the tiny golden light got slightly bigger and bigger. Until it wasn't a single light, it was two.

"Oh, no," said Takagi in an almost whisper.

A rhythmic crunching sound of soft footfalls answered his question, and very slowly, flickers of silver danced around the two golden lights that seemed to glow brighter with every additional sound that broke the vanishing silence. The canopy rustled in the light wind, and a ray of moonlight shone down to the ground, allowing the three to catch a glimpse of the source of their fear. A skeletal creature walked calmly, and the realisation finally hit them; the golden lights flickering was the creature opening and shutting its eyes, and the silver spots were the pinpricks of light that hugged its angular frame.

"What is that thing?" Kaoru cried.

With a pause, serious and filled with shock, Kōji replied, "I think that's what we're looking for."

The pale, silver creature bared its fangs, as it stalked closer. Its eyes glowed in a deep honey, as a growl spilled from its throat. As Kōji stared at its approach, he set his jaw tightly. "We have to kill it." Takagi and Kaoru spun their heads to look at him with terror and disbelief. "If we don't, it'll kill us."

A twig snapped and the three shinigami flinched. Kōji glanced towards the strange bony paws of the creature approaching them, and didn't see any sticks; it was walking on bare soil. A sinking feeling spread through him, and he chanced a glance to his left. Sure enough, there it was. As another set of glowing eyes blinked at him through the darkness, he gasped.

Takagi and Kaoru's eyes shot his way and upon noticing the direction he was looking in, followed suit. Kaoru screamed unintentionally, and Takagi's mouth opened in shock. "We're flanked on both sides." His words were listless and devoid of his usual upbeat humour. "We're going to die out here!" he added in a deadpanned whisper. Another muffled sound crept from Kaoru, though she desperately fought to suppress it. The creatures paused, and Kōji took a deep breath.

Ever so slowly, he shifted closer to Kaoru and Takagi, and whispered, "We will not die here tonight." Kaoru sniffed and turned her tear-filled eyes towards him. "We are shinigami, and now it's time to put our training to good use. If we can kill those two animals, we can move forward and get to Rukia; then we can all go home," he said, "Together."

Takagi nodded stiffly, his motivation for being in this situation was instantly rekindled. Kaoru wiped her eyes and shot the creatures a glare. "How do we kill them? They won't just stand there if we start the incantation for a hadō, or a bakudō."

Kōji's eyes flickered to her, and had a sudden realisation. "Is this your first time in a real combat situation?" He received a nod as his only answer, until Takagi shifted and gave a nod of his own. "Okay. We can't do kidō without incantations yet, and since speed is our main priority, it won't help us. I also don't want to draw this out any longer than we have to, because I don't want to give those things a chance to hit us instead. We need something fast and lethal."

"Agitowari!" The word spilled from Takagi's mouth like an exhalation, rather than a spoken term.

"What?" asked Kaoru.

"It's perfect," said Takagi, with a little of his usual peppiness creeping back into his voice. "It's fast, it's deadly, and it'll let us walk away from this without a scratch!"

Kaoru spluttered, "But, but it's one of the most difficult techniques to try to pull off! We only just saw it today; this isn't training, it's the real thing!"

"I promise, we can do this. Pool our reiryoku into our stance and sword arm, step and draw, step and aim, strike and evade. That's all there is to it," said Takagi. He hugged her. "It's okay, we can do this."

She nodded, not to answer, but to steel herself. She wiped her eyes furiously, and shot another glare at the creature that had appeared first. "I'll take the one on the right," she said.

"Great!" he replied. "I'll take the one on the left."

"I'll watch your back in case more show up," said Kōji.

As a unit, the three reapers adopted the correct stance with their feet shoulder-width apart, and began pooling their reiryoku. It began to bleed from their pores, and soon, the area around them began to shiver with potent reiatsu. With hands on their pommels, Takagi gave Kaoru a nod, which she returned tentatively. Kōji's chest gave a tiny start as the two creatures growled and tensed at the growing reiatsu in the air, and the two shinigami vanished in a burst of shunpō.

Locking eyes with his target, Takagi took his first step, and began to draw his zanpakutō, careful to point his thumb down the blade to give him precise and fluid sword strokes. As he took his first step, the creature spurred into action, with a surge from its hind end. He eyed it carefully, ignoring its speed, and concentrated on aiming for its throat. It was a difficult opponent, as it was mostly bones, which Rukia had told them were not generally chosen as targets for this particular form of zanjutsu. It leapt to strike at him so quickly, Takagi almost hesitated, before remembering his instructor's words.

You have no hesitation. You have no fear; you are safe…

He slashed broadly with his sword with an uncharacteristic gleam of deadly purpose in his eyes. When blood flew from the tip of his zanpakutō, he sped up, completely bypassing the creature and touched down a few metres away to resheath his sword.

As he turned around, he found himself praying his aim had been true and that he was indeed safe. Lights burst from the prone form of the skeletal creature on the ground, before they dissipated and vanished. He released the breath he had been holding, and stared at the clear patch of bloody ground.

'I did it?' His eyes glanced around the area in quick, rapid darts, along the tree trunks, and into their swaying branches. He found nothing. 'I did it! It's dead!'

He turned and heard a scream nearby, and his triumph turned to dread.

"Kaoru!"

Kaoru drew her zanpakutō as she sped towards the frightening creature. She targeted her aim at the soft section of its raised neck, and as light gleamed along the edge of her blade, her fingers trembled. With as much force as she could muster, she swung the broad side of her zanpakutō at it, before her face fell in crushing dismay. It jumped at the last second and her target shifted before she could readjust her aim.

As the sword brushed across its bony chest, a trickle of blood marred its silver hide. She was so horrified that her strike had been misplaced that she paused, completely forgetting the next kata's in the sequence. Taking advantage of her shock, the creature slashed its razor-sharp talons towards her delicate throat and face. She gasped as the moonlight caught the deadly talons, and she flinched away from them with a scream.

Searing pain shot through her, and she felt the bony claws pierce her skin like butter, and another scream burst from her as the tips scraped and rattled across her ribs. She fell to the ground in a heavy heap, she curled in on herself, while her eyes remained wide open in absolute terror looking straight into the eyes of the beast. As its talons bore down, all she could see was its horrific fangs, and glowing eyes that promised her swift death.

Kōji watched as Kaoru missed and the swirling reiryoku in his body swelled with dread and shock. He didn't even think about it, and began racing towards the falling woman with the fastest shunpō speed he could manage. His reiryoku became volatile and spilled from him, blanketing his entire body and zanpakutō. He was moving so fast, and his eyes were so fixed on the chest of the creature, he didn't even register the flicker of presence from his zanpakutō for what it was. Instead, he felt the surge of power fill him, and grabbing the pommel of his blade, he reached Kaoru and uncurled his arm with intense force. The creature's mouth hung open in a terrifying display of monstrous fangs, and its eyes burned.

The base of his pommel struck the beast in the chest with such force, the jarring sensation burned through his sword and all the way up his arm and into his own chest, that the creature was flung backwards with a sickening black hole smouldering at the centre of its breast. The smell of smoke filled the air, and it hit the ground with a heavy thud.

"Kaoru!"

Takagi burst into view, and raced towards them. Kōji and Kaoru gasped when the lights filled the space occupied by the creature, but Takagi crouched over Kaoru, next to Kōji. "It's okay, that happened to me as well. I think it means the creature is dead." The smell of lingering cauterised flesh wafted around them and Takagi scrunched up his nose at Kōji. "That was one hell of a brutal shot, man! Nice!" He clapped Kōji on the shoulder and Kōji grinned broadly.

"I wasn't trying to kill it; I just wanted it as far away from Kaoru as possible." His words sounded pleased, but incredulous.

"Well, whatever works, right?" said Takagi.

"Right," said Kōji.

"They're dead?" asked Kaoru quietly, slowly uncurling her arms with a hiss.

"Yes, we're alone now," replied Takagi.

"We're going to be okay," said Kōji. "Now let's look at that wound."

Kaoru blushed, but lowered her arms, allowing both men to see her slashed shikakushō. The first cut crossed her upper arm near to the bone, but the slashes across her lower rib nicked her breast and landed deeply into the bones of her ribs. As Kōji inspected it, he saw the glinting peaks of bone. The wounds were very small, but deep, and the skin flaps quivered with every breath she took. "They're deep, Kaoru. We have to get you to the Fourth Division."

Takagi removed his yakuta, revealing his white undershirt, and wrapped it around the young woman's shoulders to preserve her full modesty. She took it gratefully, and Takagi took a step back beside Kōji.

"I'm sorry I don't have anything I can use to put pressure on the wounds, but for now, try not to move too much, okay?" said Kōji. Kaoru nodded, while he helped her to her feet.

"What do we do now? What about Rukia-sama?" asked Takagi.

"I'm not sure—"

Kaoru screamed and Kōji stopped speaking instantly. Her look of utter panic returned in full force, and the boys followed her eyeline to see a third creature racing towards them.

Takagi's eyes widened, and Kōji's mouth opened in surprise.

'We're not ready!' thought Takagi.

Kōji began pooling his reiryoku as quickly as he could, and spared Takagi and fleeting glance, before he returned to track the creature's progress. It was coming at him like lightning. "Protect Kaoru!"

He drew his sword and took the best stance he could. It wasn't perfect, but he didn't have time to correct it; he didn't even know what technique he was going to use. The beast leapt forwards revealing its underbelly, and Kōji braced himself for an impact that never came.

A gleaming sword tip rushed through the bony skull of the animal, before vanishing. It dropped to the ground, with blood spilling from the keyhole-shaped gap in the bone. Its eyes dimmed and twinkling lights burst from it. Pinpricks of cold hit his skin, and Kōji found himself frowning. The lights hadn't felt cold before, nor had the air felt heavy or thick.

Recognition flooded him, as the wind whooshed past his face, and a petite figure stepped into view.

"Do you want to explain to me why you're in the forest fighting for your lives, when I asked you all to stay on the street?" said Rukia, with disappointment all over her face. When their expressions shifted from relief and joy to shame, Rukia swept past them with her palm out. "Later; we're getting out of this forest now." Her tone left no room for argument, and they quickly fell into step beside her.

Shunpō proved impossible with Kaoru's injuries, so the group of four trudged through the dark forest, snapping the dry twigs and crunchy leaves under their sandals. Rukia led the way with a hint of a frown on her face. Takagi managed to catch Kōji's eye, while supporting Kaoru, but Kōji's eyes darted away with a grim expression. Finally, Takagi had enough and broke the silence.

"Rukia-senpai, if you're going to be mad, be mad at me, not them. Coming into the forest to help you was my idea, and I swayed the others," he said softly. Rukia continued walking, but now that he could see a glimpse of the side of her chin, he knew she was listening. "Today was a very special day for Squad Thirteen and for me personally, because we got to see the real Rukia Kuchiki for a moment. When we performed Haretsu and you lost your composure, I was as proud of you, as you were of us. I'm glad I got to see that side of you, because it let me get to know you," he said. "To me, that's the first step in making a friend. It's because I consider you to be my friend, that I didn't want you to have to face these creatures alone."

Rukia slowed, but kept walking.

"It was my idea to use Agitowari to kill the two creatures; we needed something fast and deadly, that would let us continue to search for you. I was so scared, because it came at me so quickly, I nearly hesitated. The only reason I'm standing here now is because of what you taught us today."

Rukia stopped.

"I had no faith in myself as a person or as a shinigami," said Kōji, also coming to a stop beside Takagi and Kaoru. "When you stood in front of us and showed us a glimpse of the true power a soul reaper can wield, down to the correct mindset and philosophy, the speed and dedication required, and the reasoning behind the stances and kata's, you gave us much, much more than a few new techniques to use on the battlefield. You gave us your trust and respect, something the Third Seats have never done. You also gave us a safe place to train, and showed faith in every single one of us by letting us experience making mistakes, and achieve success. It's because of you, I now have faith in myself."

Kaoru smiled wistfully, ignoring her stinging ribs. "I had no intention of coming in here, but in the end, I agreed with everything the boys and Katsumi said. Katsumi said she was so embarrassed when you noticed that she couldn't pool her reiryoku, that she expected you to dismiss her. When you halted the training to help her and the others, you elevated them to the same playing field as the rest of the Division."

Rukia turned around slowly with her eyes downcast.

Kaoru gave a light giggle. "When we did finally enter the forest to find you, none of us could track you using reikaku, but we didn't stop, not even when we met the two creatures." She paused. "I tried to kill it, but as I struck, it jumped and I wasn't able to readjust quickly enough. That rattled me, and I forgot the final kata of the technique; I just stood there in shock." She gestured to her chest. "This was my mistake. I know what I can do, and what I can't do. For those things

that I can't yet do, I will ask for help, because we all need a little help sometimes. I want to get stronger, and I know you'll be there to help me with that."

Rukia closed her eyes and breathed. When she opened them, her amethyst eyes swam with moisture, and her mouth slipped into an involuntary smile. "I am not your superior, and I had no authority to order any of you to stay behind. I was trying to protect you, but now I see that I was wrong to ask that of you, because you were just trying to protect me as well." Her smile widened with genuine warmth. "You are all amazing people, and I would be honoured to be your friend."

She bowed to them in respect.

"Still a bit formal there, Kuchiki-san," said Takagi.

Kaoru giggled, and added, "Don't listen to him, Rukia-san. If a bow here or there is part of being who you are, then consider me your friend."

Kōji sent Rukia a broad grin, and returned her bow, "I agree."

They bowed to her, and rose. "You're right," said Takagi, turning to Kaoru. "That is kind of cool."

Kaoru covered her eyes as she pinched her nose. "There's no need to mock it, Takagi."

Kōji turned away from Rukia to stare him dead in the eye. "She's right, Takagi-kun; it's a sign of respect, right Rukia-san?"

The three returned their gaze to Rukia, who looked torn between being incredibly unimpressed by their display, and trying desperately not to dissolve into a fit of laughter. Lips twitched, and eyes darted until all four couldn't help but give in to a hearty round of chuckles.

A shriek, followed by a deep groan of pain, cut through the laughter. Takagi, Kaoru and Kōji snapped their eyes back to Rukia only to see a beast standing on its back legs and wrapping its claws around her shoulders. Its talons scraped along her collarbone trying to reach her throat. Rukia groaned and hunched an arm around her neck to protect her chest and throat. As it brought its nose down to her neck, she felt its breath along her skin, and she shuddered. With her remaining free arm, she concentrated her reiryoku and put her palm on its muzzle, preventing it from biting her.

"Shakkahō!"

A brilliant burst of crimson light blasted itself from Rukia's palm right into the creature's head, and she moaned in pain, allowing the kidō to dissipate and the creature to fall from the ground. Feeling the heat of the kidō fire along her skin, Rukia turned to make sure the creature was dead, before returning to look at the three soul reapers in the same moment the creature's corpse burst into glittering lights.

Kaoru gasped and her fingers flew to her mouth. The boys' eyes widened. Rukia's cheek, chin, ear and hair were singed and burned along the left side of her face. Her yakuta was torn and lightly shredded across the tops of the shoulders, and they could see soft wet spots where the blood was beginning to pool.

Rukia touched her face with her left hand gingerly, but raised her right hand out in front of her, as she swayed on her feet. A second creature was already in hot pursuit, instantly reminding Rukia that these creatures didn't operate alone. She shot a burst of kidō at it, but the dizziness hindered her usual excellent aim. She fired again and again, bathing the forest with red and white fire.

Takagi, Kaoru and Kōji looked on feeling worse with every millisecond. "Come on; we have to do something!" said Takagi.

Flashes of goldenrod zipped through the air, and suddenly, the creature stopped midstep. Rukia took a shaky breath, but kept her palm held out. Six beams of golden light attached themselves to the midsection of the now struggling creature, and Rukia began lowering her palms to see who had cast the bakudō.

"Rukia!"

Rukia's eyes widened in recognition; it was Katsumi. Takagi, Kaoru and Kōji's faces broke out into massive grins as they cheered and waved at her.

"I knew you needed help, so I did my best," said Katsumi as she touched down beside them. Massive reiatsu built up in the air around them and Rukia gasped. Dozens of figures touched down on the forest floor, and with a closer look, Rukia was able to make out the insignia's for the Second, Ninth and Twelfth Divisions. "I found the scouts from Squad Two at the border of the Seireitei, and we evacuated the entire area between here and the shopping district. After a few minutes, we saw the group from Squads Nine and Twelve heading out, so I led them here."

Rukia leaned forward and peered around Katsumi to the gathering shinigami and her eyes widened. It was Hisagi Fukutaichou and Kurotsuchi Taichou! Catching her eye, Hisagi strode towards her, fixing her with a warm, soft gaze. "How are you doing, Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia offered him a very small smile. "I'm fine, Sir; we were just heading home," she said, gesturing to the other four members of Squad Thirteen, "When I noticed the creature's eyes through the bushes from the street. The situation was quite precarious; I didn't know if it would disappear and cause a situation in an unknown location, or if it would enter the street and start attacking the townspeople. I knew I should have called for help, but time was a factor, Sir."

Shūhei nodded and tilted his head towards Katsumi. "Miss Sano did mention something about you having dinner before you got caught in this situation."

Takagi chuckled, "It was a dinner and a show alright, Hisagi Fukutaichou."

The girls giggled and Shūhei gave a wry smile. He pointed his index finger towards the fringes of the forest to a tall, blonde shinigami wearing the insignia for Squad Nine. "That is Hitomi Kobayashi, and she is my Third Seat. I'd like the five of you to go to her, so that she can keep you safe before you go to the Fourth Division to have your injuries assessed. You've done very well, but we will take it from here, okay?"

Rukia frowned. "What about the creature, Sir?"

Shūhei pointed at Captain Kurotsuchi, who was pacing near the creature, assessing it from every visible angle. As he spoke inaudibly, one of his people calmly took notes on a clipboard, despite the persistent struggles of the immobilised beast. "Kurotsuchi Taichou has been granted his request to capture one alive for research purposes by Soūtaichou Yamamotou; we want to learn everything there is to know about these creatures for a variety of reasons. It's best if we give him some space to do that."

Rukia nodded seriously. Getting between Captain Kurotsuchi and the current object of his research sounded stupid even to her. "Yes, Sir."

"Excellent. I'll be along soon to ask you a few questions before we head off to Squad Four, but first, I have to assist Kurotsuchi Taichou."

As Shūhei straightened and turned his attention back to the Captain, Rukia quietly followed Kaoru, Takagi and Kōji, ignoring the stinging of her burns and lacerations. The situation was in their hands now.

As the creature struggled, Captain Kurotsuchi smiled at it with his index finger curling around his chin. "My, my, what an interesting beast you are! I've read everything there is to know about you and your kind, but I must confess, I find the reading material to be quite lacking. I'm not one of those Captains that is content to read something in order to come to conclusions and make decisions. Unfortunately for you, I'm much more of a hands-on type of Captain."

He paced around the creature, utterly transfixed by its bizarre, skeletal appearance; truly, he had never seen anything like it. He continued to speak in a relaxed, quiet, and yet, menacing way. "There are so many things about you that I'm burning to understand, such as why you reserved your strongest attack for Captain Kuchiki, instead of infecting every reaper you encountered? Why do you require extended contact with your victim to transfer your reiatsu? Is that the reason you didn't also infect Captain Zaraki before he overpowered you?"

The creature ceased its struggles instantly, fixing its glowing eyes on the Captain. Mayuri's expression became calculating as he pondered the beast's strange reaction to his words, as if it could understand him. "I find it difficult to believe he wasn't a tempting target considering how much reiatsu he possesses or that the opportunity didn't arise, but it's true, I wasn't there, and the combat report could contain errors. If that is the case, it would mean that you made a deliberate decision to target Captain Kuchiki. I find that interesting, if that is the case. I also find it interesting that it would conflict with Captain Hitsugaya's belief that you are drawn to the Seireitei in order to consume reiatsu. You have quite a unique method of predation, if that is indeed what it is."

The creature's eyes began to glow a little softer, but seemed mesmerised by the Captain.

"No matter, I will discover every secret you hold. I will understand your psychology and motivations, your behaviour and your biochemistry. If I have to dissect you down to the molecular levels to understand what you are, rest assured, I will," said Kurotsuchi with a sinister intensity creeping into his voice. He waved a palm to Shūhei, who stood to the side with a serious expression of thought crossing his features. "Begin the bakudō; I want this specimen brought to my lab now!"

"Yes, Captain Kurotsuchi, Sir," said Shūhei. "Bakudō no kyu-juu-kyu, Bankin!"

"You'll never get your hands on my work!" cried Yaeko, who tore her eyes away from the last remaining reiatsu panel to stare at Kamui in an accusatory manner. "How does he know so much?"

Kamui stared at the screen with shock and looked like he'd aged a few centuries in the last few moments. As the Lieutenant began the long incantation for the high-level bakudō, he focussed heavily on the screen. Pulsing and flaring his reiatsu, he watched their creation struggle against the weaker kidō, but it didn't work.

Yaeko shook his shoulder, as urgency coloured her terrified words, "Kamui, break the seal; get it out of there!"

Kamui rose swiftly from his chair, as Yaeko followed the progress of the Lieutenant with horror on her face.

"Shokyoku, Shiryū," said Shūhei. As the reiatsu swept up around him, it pulsed and bubbled in spiky waves under his palm, shooting forwards towards the creature with blinding speed. As it rushed, it morphed into what appeared to be silky, white fabric. It quickly encapsulated the creature's violent efforts to free itself, dissolving the previous bakudō.

"Nikyoku, Hyakurensan," continued the Lieutenant. His arms trembled visibly under his shihakushō, and jade rods, like small knives flew at the wrapped creature. It caused no injury as it struck at its vital joints and body parts. Still squirming, the black-haired shinigami began to sweat as he prepared to voice the final piece of the bakudō.

"Shūkyoku, Bankin Taihō!"

Above the creature, a solid looking box, that could have been made using metal, quivered as it readied to fall.

Yaeko knew if it dropped and surrounded her creation, the seal would be complete, and her creation would be lost.

"Kamui!"

Silver reiatsu burst through the spacious room, and would have destroyed glass windows had there been any. It hung thick in the air, and Yaeko's heart raced as he revealed the gleam of his zanpakutō.

"Sōsa Suru, Gūre Makihige," said Kamui with his eyes fixed on the falling box. A mighty surge of reiryoku flooded his system along the tether he held to his scout. He pushed as much of his reiryoku as possible through the link, and as he watched the screen, he saw the swathing fabric bulge and swell. The falling box slowed, causing the Lieutenant to push more reiatsu into the bakudō, while sweat collected on his forehead. A groan of exertion left Kamui's mouth as he pushed more and more of his power along the tether. With a deafening roar, he flared his reiryoku and the creature burst from the fabric, causing the rods and metal construct to disintegrate. The Lieutenant almost fell over from the effort, but had he not been trying so hard to capture his scout, Kamui might have been impressed.

"Capture it!" came the voice Kamui now knew was Captain Kurotsuchi's.

Several of the black-clad shinigami raced after it, but with his sword revealed, Kamui continued to course reiryoku down the link, giving the scout a boost of speed. It wasn't how they were designed, but it was better than having soul reapers recapture it. After several minutes of pursuit, Kamui didn't sense any shinigami, and allowed the screen to fade.

"That was too close!" said Yaeko, with a hiss.

"I know," he replied softly. Resheathing his zanpakutō, he placed it down with unseeing eyes. He sank back into his chair and closed his eyes with a sigh.

"You said you would recall the scouts, not engage in another battle with a Kuchiki!" said Yaeko from behind him.

"She was an unseated officer, and an easy target," he replied, and Yaeko almost growled. "More than that, she was a witness, and could have reported our movements to the Gotei!" If he had been looking at her, he would have seen the hint of trepidation cross her monstrous features. "They already know enough as it is."

"Not necessarily," she replied more softly than she had since the engagement had begun. "It's true that we used them to attack the Seated Officers, more specifically the Captains, but not for the reason they think. I know you intended to infect Captain Zaraki with your reiryoku before he removed his eyepatch, but they don't know that. They seem to be labouring under the impression that these are living creatures that require sustenance, which we both know isn't true; they are merely constructs made of reishi."

Kamui nodded. "Yes, but I can understand why it would appear otherwise. It would appear Captain Hitsugaya is following a wild goose chase. Our creations are unique and unlike anything they're used to or have trained to defend against. Despite that, they've made remarkable strides in combating them."

Yaeko wrapped her robe around her shoulders a little tighter, as she shivered. "I count it a blessing that Captain Kurotsuchi did not get his hands on my work. He could have unravelled our every secret, and laid our plans bare for the entire Goteijūsantai to see and connect them right to us! He is a very dangerous Captain, one of the most dangerous in my opinion. I will never forget that haori; he is from the Twelfth Division, and Head of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute controlled by the Thirteen Squads."

Kamui leaned forward and touched his fingertips to his chin, before he shot her a hesitant glance. "The scouts were never designed to be soldiers, my love; they will not win us this war and reveal our glory to the soul reapers."

"I agree," she said, with a glimmer of playful malice playing in the corner of her demonic eyes. "Next time, you should send in the foot soldiers!"

Kamui smiled.