Chapter 25 - Convergence
Land of Lightning - Kumogakure
"Thank you so much for the hospitality, Hashirama; Wishing you all the best on the rest of your quest for unity," Orihime chirped, bowing deeply to the Hokage before turning to Mito. "And you, Mrs. Senju, we'll be praying for a smooth delivery of a beautiful baby!"
"Thank you, Orihime, "Mito replied with a smile, "May your journey be blessed with fortune. You are forever welcome in our Shinobi Alliance, and we hope you come to visit before too long,"
Orihime laughed. "Yeah. I'll be sure to bring Tobirama, too, if I can find him." Kumogakure had surrendered with essentially zero resistance with Hashirama and Nel leading the charge, and the Raikage had gone into hiding.
She had noted to the Hokage that Tobirama was likely reincarnated somewhere in the Soul Society districts, and that had been enough to assuage some of Hashirama's anger against the former Hidden Cloud's chief. He decided to ultimately refrain from committing resources into finding the man, instead focusing his attention on preparation for their march to the Land of Wind.
"Where should I even find you, though? This campaign is moving so fast," Orihime said.
"Yes," Hashirama agreed. "But I'm sure if Tobirama is with you, he'll be able to find me. Otherwise just ask around. It's not like we I'm going to be that hard to locate." He puffed out his chest, tapping on his armor with an empty fist.
"Hahaha, I guess you're probably right about that," Orihime admitted.
Hashirama snuck a mischievous glance at Nel, then, before leaning in close toward Orihime and not-quite-whispering; "You'd better bring Ichigo back with you before too long, or Nel might miss him too much."
The former Espada blushed as Hashirama continued; "You should have seen her at training this morning. Couldn't concentrate enough to gather even a single wisp of nature energy… So when I asked what's wrong-"
"Hashirama! Please don't-" Nel protested, turning beet red.
"She started crying, going on and on about 'Wahh, my Ichig-'"
"Hashirama!" Nel appeared behind in front of him with the loudest sonido Orihime had ever heard, drowning the Hokage out before smothering his mouth with her hands, but Orihime's interest had already been piqued.
Her eyebrows shot almost to her hairline, "Your… Ichigo?" Orihime asked, blushing slightly herself.
Hashirama's face was crimson, as he looked like he was about to die of laughter - or of asphyxiation - and Mito was doing her best to hide her own mirth behind an exasperated expression.
Some distance away, already with one foot in their Senkaimon, Ichigo shouted; "Come on!" He was with his father. "Dad, what's taking them so long?" He squinted, before reeling back after spotting Nel and Hashirama in a tangle of limbs on the ground, as Mito and Orihime were doubled over in laughter, leaning on each other for support. "What the… What's going on over there?
Isshin squinted too, before rubbing the back of his head. "No idea. Sometimes when it comes to women, it's better off not knowing.
Well within earshot of the Hashirama's command tent, Aaroniero Arrururie was performing weapons maintenance on some blunt kunai. Disguised as a Cloud Shinobi he had recently killed, he observed with rapt fascination as the former Tres Espada fraternized with Shinigami and Shinobi alike.
He was going to have a wealth of information to report to Lord Tosen after this. In fact, their little infiltration to the Elemental Nations had revealed a plethora of interesting developments he could not wait to share with Lord Aizen. Maybe he could even be promoted to Nnoitra's former position, after this. He chuckled to himself, pleased with his work as he slunk away back to Tosen's hideout.
Hueco Mundo - Las Noches Courtyard
Harribel's taking her sweet time, Madara thought as he closed his eyes. Trying to find ways to ease his boredom, the Uchiha eventually turned his thoughts inward. Zetsu. He called out mentally. To his mild disgust, the being did not reply, instead materializing as a layer of black, viscous liquid that flowed out from his arm. It pooled into a black puddle atop the white sands of Hueco Mundo, before morphing into the familiar form of a yellow eyed, pitch-black male silhouette.
"Madara Uchiha, how can I be of service?"
"How do I use your power?" Madara asked bluntly.
"There are many ways," Black Zetsu replied instantly.
Madara scoffed in annoyance as he observed the creature. "Allow me to rephrase, then. Every zanpakuto I've encountered possesses qualities unique to it. What are yours?"
Black Zetsu's face remained impassive as it stared back at Madara. "Augmentation and control. I can attach myself to other beings, granting them increased strength, durability and regenerative abilities, as well as allowing me to control their physical movements."
The Uchiha's eyes narrowed. "Tell me more. Are there limitations to this control of yours?"
Black Zetsu smirked. "My control is kinetic. I apply a physical force to someone's limbs, and the limb will move accordingly. An individual with enough physical strength may be able to resist me, but to that end, I can also resist them, slowing and disorienting them."
Madara nodded; "Show me," he said, extending his right arm.
The creature's eyes flickered, but it obeyed, slowly encasing the right half of Madara's body. "As I am now, I am purely augmenting your physical capabilities," Black Zetsu explained. "Because you already have a Hollow's high speed regeneration and Hashirama cells, I don't anticipate any significant increase in your recovery, but your right side should be stronger now than without me."
Madara flexed both his hands, before clasping them together and squeezing. His right hand certainly outputted more crushing force than his left. "Now try to move my arm, Zetsu," Madara ordered. Relaxing his muscles, he felt his right arm involuntarily hovering toward his zanpakuto. With some concentration, he stopped its movement. "Is that the extent of your control, Zetsu?" Madara asked.
The creature did not answer. Instead, Madara felt the force pushing his hand toward his sword increase, until it suddenly relented, and Black Zetsu reformed into its humanoid shape before him. Madara didn't know whether to be impressed by his own strength, or be mildly disappointed at Zetsu's lack thereof. Eventually, he just settled on acknowledging the creature's ability. "For a part of my soul, I expected more. But I suppose you will have your uses."
"As a fragment of the Rikudo Sennin's will, physical strength and combat is not my forte. My chakra, however, has properties that can stave off the gravest illnesses - even death, in some circumstances."
His chakra? Should it not be my chakra? Madara thought. He was about to ask for clarification, but suddenly felt a powerful Arrancar's reiatsu appear closeby. "Zetsu, come back. We will continue this discussion later," he ordered, and the black creature swiftly dissolved back into Madara's body.
"What are you mumbling about?" A high-pitched, girly voice accosted. "Huh…? Ewww! Did that Hollow just turn into black goo…? Did that black goo just flow into him?!"
Madara turned to face the new arrivals. He recognized one of them immediately. "Starrk. Primera Espada." He kept his face impassive, hiding his annoyance at the adolescent girl next to him. "To what do I owe this pleasure? And who is the young lady beside you?"
"I'm Lilynette; Starrk and I are the same pers-"
"Oi, Lilynette," the Primera Espada drawled. "You don't have to bore every new person that doesn't die in our presence with our entire life story."
Die in their presence? Madara raised his eyebrows, before flaring his reiatsu in challenge. "To the contrary, you now have my interest. Is that some kind of threat?"
Starrk sighed before closing his eyes and planting his face in his palms. "Damn it, Lilynette. You and your big mouth. Go on, then; explain…"
To her credit, Lilynette did not flinch, nor even react at the force of Madara's reiatsu. "You're the big mouth, Starrk. He probably just heard the word 'die' and thought you were threatening him!" She placed her hands on her hips, before tilting her head back enough to look at Madara down the bridge of her nose, despite being shorter than him.
Starrk sighed, but said nothing as Lilynette continued speaking. "Starrk and I used to be the same Hollow," she proudly declared. "We're the first and only naturally born Arrancar!"
Madara pointedly remained silent, waiting for the girl to continue. When she did not, and the length of the silence became awkward, Starrk cleared his throat. "What she means is, we were the first Arrancar created without the aid of the Hogyoku; until yourself, that is," he clarified. "Lilynette and I used to be one being. Problem was, our reiatsu was so dense that other Hollows would die simply by being around us, so we split our soul into two, and here we are."
Madara's expression grew dark. Like Yamamoto and Konoha. If this Espada was on that same tier of power, then he needed to be cautious. Just how powerful is Aizen, then? To be able to command someone like him? He thought with alarm.
"Relaaaax…" Lilynette said lazily, annoyed at how tense Madara suddenly became. "That was when we were just one Hollow. Now that we've split, even those weak little servants can walk up to us without problems."
"Lilynette," Stark chided, "Mind your manners. Those nice numeros bring us food and keep our palace clean-"
"Starrk!" The girl suddenly screamed, kicking the Primera Espada in the shin. "Don't talk like you even remember what they look like! I'm the one bringing food to you after they've made it, and when was the last time you even moved off that pile of pillows to look at any of the other rooms?!" She demanded. The Primera Espada cried in mock pain as he nursed his shin.
"Lilynette! Please! Let's keep these arguments to ourselves in private. We have an image to uphold here-"
"Hmph! You say the same thing each time a new Espada joins, and then you're instantly late for the next meeting. Or what about that time when Harribel came to ask for your guidance, and I had to tell her that you were sleeping?!" Starrk had buried his face in his hands, again, though Madara could see the hint of redness behind his fingers. Lilynette continued her tirade. "And you're always sleeping! Well into the afternoon, may I add!" She took a deep breath, before huffing. "Let's see how long you can maintain this image for Madara."
The Uchiha decided he would throw Starrk a bone, then; "I do not care for any appearances. If you are the Primera Espada, Aizen must have given you that rank for a reason. Why are you here?"
Starrk schooled his features and cleared his throat again, before shrugging his shoulders. "I only know what Gin has told me, but it sounds like Lord Aizen wants me to join this expedition into Soul Society, and make sure everyone stays in line."
Madara activated his Rinnegan, analyzing the reiatsu emanating from the pair, before frowning. Starrk was strong, but did not feel much stronger than the regular Captain. The pressure of his reiatsu felt on par with Hitsugaya or Komomura; nothing spectacular. Lilynette's reiatsu, on the other hand, was so weak that Madara could barely distinguish it from the spiritually rich atmosphere of Hueco Mundo. Even Orihime could give her a run for her money in combat, based on reiatsu alone.
Recent experiences have taught him to be more careful, however. He needed more information. "Am I included in 'everybody'?" He demanded, already knowing the answer.
Starrk pursed his lips, casting a dejected look toward the direction of Aizen's throne room. "Why does he make me do this…"
Lilynette kicked his shin, again. "Because you're the strongest, idiot. If not you, then who?"
Starrk sighed; "Yes, Madara, including you. We can clarify this with Lord Aizen at the briefing later."
Madara shook his head. "I take orders from no one. If you wish to fight by my side, I shall allow it only after I have ascertained your power for myself." Madara raised his spiritual pressure in a silent challenge.
"Is this really necessary? I hate fighting," he complained.
"Would you trust a stranger to watch your back?" Madara asked.
"I suppose I would prefer to know my comrades' capabilities," Starrk acquiesced, slowly drawing his zanpakuto. Lilynette took that as her cue to vacate the area.
Madara smirked. He decided to start relatively tame. The Espada seemed pleasant enough during this brief exchange, so he wanted to give him a chance to get warmed up.
For him to have the rank of the Primera, but have such weak reiatsu, must mean that his fighting style is formed around trickery. Madara thought. I'll beat him at his own game. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He called out, forming a clone seal with his hands.
Each of the four shadow clones he summoned had the strength of a Captain, wielding an imitation of his sealed zanpakuto as they surrounded Starrk, before closing in simultaneously.
A blue flash emanated from Starrk, and the shadow clones were dispelled in a puff of smoke.
Madara drew his own zanpakuto, then, suddenly on guard. What was that? A Cero? Four ceros, without even twitching a muscle? Where did he fire them from?
Starrk sheathed his zanpakuto. "Come on, we really don't need to do this, do we? You've seen my power now. Are you satisfied?"
Madara reigned in his surprise as he smiled savagely. "Not in the slightest." He pushed his spiritual pressure further as he spoke, before charging toward Starrk. The Primera Espada's eyes widened at the force of Madara's reiatsu as he ducked the initial strike and blocked another before flaring his own reiatsu in response.
Madara paused in his assault to find his footing, bracing against the force of Starrk's reiatsu. "That's more like it," he taunted.
"Dream… Luna Carmesi," Madara declared, closing his eyes and basking in the power of his resurreccion again.
"Wait!" Starrk held out a hand, trying to reach out and stop him, but was quickly forced to use it to shield his eyes from the blinding, crimson pillar of spiritual pressure that erupted from Madara's body. The torrent of energy shot up until it pierced the roof of Las Noches, and the skies above them cracked with a sound akin to shattering glass.
"Lilynette!" Starrk shouted. The girl was at his side in an instant. "Kick about, Los Lobos!"
Before his Resurreccion had even fully materialized, Starrk barrelled into Madara, throwing them both outside the gates of Las Noches in a tumble of limbs.
Madara reacted quickly, rolling and kicking the Primera Espada off of him before somersaulting a short distance away. "I see you're finally ready to get serious."
Starrk growled. "It is against the Law in Las Noches for any Espada ranked 4 and above to release their Resurreccion within the canopy of Las Noches. Your power falls within that classification. Consider your surroundings next time you are about to release your zanpakuto, lest you level the palace on a whim." The man's demeanor had completely changed. In his hands, he held twin, ornate black pistols adorned with white carvings. He pointed one toward Madara. "Do not act so carelessly again."
"What is the meaning of this?" Aizen had arrived, with Harribel trailing behind him. She appeared unharmed, and her expression was resolute.
"Lord Aizen," Starrk grumbled. "Gin told me about the expedition, so I came here to have a nap while I wait. Madara insisted on testing my strength…"
Aizen nodded, before walking past the Primera toward Madara. "Are you satisfied with what you see?" Aizen motioned with his chin to the gray, fur-clad espada behind him. "Coyote Starrk, my Primera Espada. His reiatsu is second only to my own in terms of raw destructive potency."
Madara nodded, noting that Starrk had yet to use his strange weapons. "I am. Although may I ask what those weapons do?"
Starrk raised an eyebrow as he twirled his pistols, cocking them single handedly in mid-air. "You've not seen a gun before?"
The Uchiha shook his head slowly, and the Primera Espada cast a questioning glance toward Aizen, who nodded his permission.
Stark pointed his right pistol toward Madara, and a blue flash lit up, followed by an explosion where the Uchiha stood, leaving behind a large cloud of sand that obscured the Arrancar.
"Starrk?!" Harribel cried. "I thought you were going to shoot… The sand or something!"
The Primera Espada shrugged. "It's fine. He wanted to know what my guns did. Now he knows. There wasn't anywhere near enough power in that cero to harm him, anyway."
A moment later, bellowing laughter from within the cloud of sand confirmed his words. With a sweep of his gunbai, Madara dispersed the sand. "What a fascinating weapon!" He grinned. "How about we do some training while we wait for the others?"
Starrk was about to protest, but Aizen answered for him. "Take him up on that, Starrk. I would gauge the extent of your abilities."
The Primera Espada sighed, before pointing both pistols toward Madara and firing a barrage of ceros.
Prepared this time, he raised his gunbai defensively before him, bending slightly at the knees so that the large war fan covered the entirety of his body. As the ceros collided against the flat of the gunbai, Starrk's eyes widened as they shimmered upon contact, before reflecting directly back toward him.
Aizen, Harribel and Starrk all leaped into the skies of Hueco Mundo, to avoid the resulting explosions, followed shortly by Madara. The Uchiha slowly bared his teeth in a vicious smile. "If firing ceros is the only thing you can do, then you may as well quit now. I've got more than a few tricks up my sleeve," he taunted, brandishing his gunbai behind him and raising his scythe in challenge.
Coyote Starrk sighed. "And to think that I'd planned to have a nap…"
Starrk did not have the overwhelming power of Hashirama or Yamamoto, but he was fast; terrifyingly so. The sheer speed of the Primera's movements and attacks were such that before his evolution into an Arrancar, Madara was certain he would have been overwhelmed.
Even now, he was forced to rely on his Rinnegan to keep track of Starrk's constant aerial maneuvering and ever changing angles of attack. That, coupled with the fact that Madara did not want to reveal too much of his arsenal with Aizen watching, meant he quickly found himself on the defensive. It was not against any conventional weaponry, either, but against beams of pure, crackling azure energy that bombarded him by the hundreds.
He used his gunbai to reflect most of them, but it was as if Starrk's aim was improving shot to shot, with no hint of fatigue. The angles he found were becoming increasingly harder to counter, until Madara felt a searing pain graze his calf, and decided he had to respond. If I close the distance, it's over, he thought, gathering his chakra.
"Shinra Tensei!" He channeled the Deva Path jutsu through his eyes in a cone toward Starrk's general direction. As the shockwave hit, Madara glimpsed a flash of shock on Espada's face before he was thrown, tumbling through the air with much more force than Madara expected. So my Rinnegan abilities are enhanced in my resurreccion… He observed, grinning as the sands below him parted in a ripple pattern, swirling up at edges from the peripheral force of his almighty push.
Harribel soared higher in the sky to avoid the sandstorm, though Madara noted that Aizen had not reacted at all to his Jutsu; any sand that blew close to him was instantly vaporized.
Ignoring Aizen for now, Madara located the off-balance Starrk with a sweep of his rinnegan, before giving chase with a sonido. Before the Espada could right himself, Madara was upon him. Twisting in the air to dodge the edge of the gunbai slicing at his chest, Starrk grimaced as he felt a lance of icy pain flare across his cheek, accompanied by a splash of red.
He'd been unable to avoid the follow up slash of Madara's scythe in time. There was no time to dwell on it, however, as Madara had repositioned himself for one more strike, tangling the Primera Espada in his chains before bearing down on him with both weapons in a cross slash.
"Oi, are you testing us or are you trying to kill us?!" Lilynette's voice rang out, as a quartet of glowing, flaming blue wolf spirits latched onto each of Madara's limbs, piercing his hierro with their teeth and stopping his strike in its tracks. Grateful for the respite, Starrk freed himself before falling back with a sonido, putting some distance between him and the wolves even as they exploded in a cloud of smoke.
"Thanks, Lilynette," he mumbled, though he sensed Madara's reiatsu had not waned despite the explosions. He turned to look at Aizen, who looked smugly entertained. The Lord of Hueco mundo noticed his gaze, and shrugged, motioning him to continue.
Starrk sighed heavily, before charging a cero from the hollow hole in his chest. He felt the blood from his cheek trickling down, mixing with the azure ball of energy at his chest. "Gran Rey Cero," he muttered, releasing the beam and allowing it to wash over the cloud of smoke before him.
Starrk frowned as his Gran Rey Cero diffracted upon impact with… something. As the smoke cleared, he could finally put a picture to Madara's defensive construct Ulquiorra and Grimmjow claimed could stop a Gran Rey Cero. A colossal, four armed, winged spiritual titan, clad in flaming blue armor, hovered in the black sky of Hueco Mundo. Each beat of its wings sent a series of sandy tornados howling across the desert. Its armored chestplate was cracked where it absorbed the brunt of his cero.
"That's a formidable ability you've got there, Madara Uchiha," Starrk growled, pressing his lips into a line. With Lilynette in wolf form, he no longer had his pistols, so he called his dual reishi swords into his hands instead.
"I can say I am suitably impressed, Coyote Starrk," Madara's voice bellowed from the top of his perfect susanoo. "Although I could ask you the same question… Are you trying to kill me?"
Starrk brought the hilt of one of his swords to his temple, closing his eyes and grimacing, as if suffering through a headache. "No. You're still alive, aren't you? Please don't tell me you want to keep fighting."
Madara laughed. "No. I am convinced of your strength, and will fight beside you, Coyote Starrk." Dissolving his susannoo, Madara released his resurreccion, and sheathed his zanpakuto at his hip. "Although, I find it strange how someone as strong as you could dislike fighting so much," he said, as he drew closer to the Primera Espada.
Starrk followed suit in reverting to his base form, his pistols dissolving into blue reishi that rematerialized beside him in the form of Lilynette. "Starrk! Why're you stopping? We haven't gotten to see his other half yet."
The Primera Espada made a pained expression. "Does it really matter, Lilynette? What did you call him again? A 'creepy shadow guy?' It's not like you want to make friends with him, do you?"
"Yeah, but what if he's just like us? Maybe he's split his soul in two?" Lilynette countered.
"Well how am I meant to know? Madara's right there - ask him!" Starrk said, annoyed, as he pushed the girl toward Madara, who raised his eyebrows.
"Are you talking about Zetsu?" The Uchiha called upon the being in his inner world, who materialized at his command.
"Yeah!" Lilynette said. "So your name is Zetsu, huh?" She circled around the creature, poking it experimentally. "So were you two once the same being, too?" She asked.
Madara shook his head. "He's just my zanpakuto spirit."
"A zanpakuto spirit that can manifest a physical body at will?" Aizen mused as he approached them with Harribel. "Where is the second one?"
Madara shot a disapproving look at Harribel, who smiled bashfully. "In here," Madara replied, tapping the side of his head. "And that's where he'll stay. Come back, Zetsu," he commanded, inwardly berating himself for even revealing Black Zetsu.
He knew that he should attempt to garner some modicum of trust with these people, but he had known too much betrayal of late. Despite how powerful he had become, it could never hurt to be more careful.
"Very interesting," Aizen observed, as Black Zetsu flowed back into Madara's body. "I can't say I have ever come across a zanpakuto spirit like that, before, even in theoretical literature. You are truly a fascinating Hollow, Madara Uchiha."
Any further conversation was interrupted, however, by the arrival of Gin, as well as the majority of the remaining Espada.
"Aizen! What is the meaning of this?" Barragan's gruff voice called out.
The Lord of Hueco Mundo smiled at the former God-King. "Calm yourself, Barragan. Madara and Starrk were just doing a little training, under my supervision." At Madara's scowl, Aizen chuckled and raised his voice. "Come, let us begin the meeting."
Seireitei - Squad 4 Barracks; Infirmary
"This is wrong," Ichigo growled. Isshin inwardly agreed, but remained stoic despite witnessing the terrible condition his former Lieutenant was in.
Thick, white bandages covered the lower half of her arms and legs, completely obscuring her hands and feet. What skin that was visible between the bandages and the sleeves of her white prisoner's garb was mottled in the purplish green of heavy bruising, and a multitude of cuts and scratches marred her face. Despite her injuries, her limbs were still bound with Sekki-seki, cuffed securely to a pillar installed beside the hospital bed.
"Rangiku," Isshin said tenderly, ignoring his son for now. He slowly placed himself down on the stool beside his former Lieutenant's bedside. "How're you feeling?"
"Captain Kurosaki…? It's good to see you. I feel alright," Rangiku croaked, her voice still hoarse from all the screaming she had done through Mayuri's interrogation. "Could be better, though." She chuckled. "I never expected that our reunion would be like this… with me on a hospital bed, restrained like a criminal…" She trailed off, seeing the sadness in her former Captain's eyes. "I'm going to be executed as a traitor, aren't I?"
The corner of Isshin's eyes twitched, and suddenly his breathing quickened. Now was not the time to lose his composure. "Yes. The old man's orders. They're going to announce it across the Soul Society soon. The p-" He was interrupted as Ichigo stormed out, slamming the door of the clinic hard enough to crack its walls. He grimaced, but continued; "-the plan is to use your execution to lure Gin out from hiding."
"Gin…" Rangiku whispered. "He is on our side; I'm sure of it. So he got away from the Captain Commander?"
"Yeah; snuck into a garganta so fast even the Stealth Force's best couldn't catch him in time," Isshin said.
"I'm glad."
"What's going on, Rangiku?" Isshin asked, a little forcefully as his expression hardened. "Everybody's telling me different things, but I want to hear the truth directly from your mouth."
Rangiku averted her gaze as Isshin leaned back. "I always had my hunch, but what exactly is your relationship with that man?"
Rangiku coughed, before flashing a sad smile at her old captain. "He is my hero."
Whatever Isshin had expected her to say, it wasn't that. "Your… Hero? What do you mean? Do you idolize him or something?" He frowned as he spoke. The Gin Ichimaru he knew was a sadist, through and through. He would entertain himself by joining a children's ball game and then 'accidentally' destroying the ball. There was nothing heroic he had ever seen, heard or could imagine originating from the Gin that he remembered.
Rangiku laughed despite her condition. "No, silly. Well, I guess I do, on some level. But he saved me when we were children, and he kept me alive until we joined the academy."
Isshin inwardly berated himself for not knowing this. He had never cared much for his subordinates' pasts, only ever glossing over their personal files before approving their applications. "You two go that far back, huh?" He mused.
"Yeah, the place they were looking for him… was where we first met. I was dying of starvation, and would have died a thousand times over the years if not for his protection. We were both orphans of the Rukongai, but he protected me as we grew up. He's still working to protect me, now." Her voice grew unsteady as she spoke, and her eyes glistened ever so slightly.
"I see," Isshin replied after a brief pause. "I honestly had no idea he used to be so… human. Did something happen to him?"
Rangiku shook her head. "No…" And then she caught herself. "Maybe. I don't know. Gin joined the academy, and I followed him as I always do. But he was a genius. He graduated in just one year, under Aizen's tutelage, and I always thought he had moved on from me and that's why he'd changed. I don't know exactly what he's up to, but I do know that it's got something to do with me. Maybe a stupid promise he made when we were kids."
"A stupid promise?" Isshin raised his eyebrows.
"He said something about… Making the world a nicer place for me. So that I didn't need to cry." Rangiku said, her eyes unfocussing as she gazed up at the empty ceiling. "I thought it was awfully sweet at the time, but didn't know, or really care, what he meant by that."
"Come on, Rangiku." Isshin shook his head. "That's a bit too much of a stretch, don't you think? If Gin's become the way he is now to make the world a better place, then I became a doctor to see more dead bodies. It doesn't make sense."
"He told me that Aizen took something from me, and that he's going to get it back," Rangiku said, an edge of defensiveness entering her voice. "That reminds me. He's going to lead a team of some of the weaker Espada here very soon - today, if my sense of time hasn't been disrupted. I heard from Captain Unohana that there is an ambush ready. Can you… try to keep him safe?"
"Hmm…" Isshin hummed contemplatively. "I don't think that's within my scope of influence, Rangiku. I don't like the Seireitei, but I'm not going to go against it for the sake of Gin, of all people. Are you sure he is still as noble as you think he is? I don't recall you two ever talking much when I was your Captain."
"I never really understood him, now that I've had some time to reflect on our history," Rangiku admitted. "But a part of me always took him for granted, I think. I knew he was always there, and I could always reach out to him whenever I needed to… Until recently, at least. I didn't know how much I would miss him, until he just suddenly left with Aizen."
Isshin couldn't help himself, despite it having been twenty years since he left the Seireitei. "Look at you, Rangiku; I think you're in love. I guess that does make you a traitor at heart," he teased with a playful nudge.
The auburn haired woman smiled, with some genuine mirth this time. "Good to see you haven't changed, Captain."
"I'll see what I can do-"
At that moment, Orihime burst through the door. "M-M-Mister Kurosaki! Ichigo has just stormed into the First Division and gotten arrested!"
Isshin groaned. "That hot-headed idiot…" he muttered.
Rangiku shifted, groaning as she strained to try and see the new arrival. "Orihime," she said, seeing the girl wearing her flowing orange locks down for the first time. "You look nice today."
Isshin suddenly found himself violently pushed aside as Orihime rushed to Rangiku's bedside.
"Rangiku! What happened to you? Hold still. I'll fix you up right away." She held out her hands over the injured Shinigami as she spoke.
"Thanks, Orihime… But you really shouldn't waste your energy. I'm about to be executed, after all," Rangiku said with a sad smile.
Orihime paled. "What…?" She let her arms fall to her sides limply, turning toward Isshin as she momentarily forgot about the healing.
The elder Kurosaki massaged his temples, and sighed solemnly; "Yamamoto's orders. Look, it's complicated, but I'll go and talk to the old man and see if I can figure something out. More importantly, if Gin's telling the truth, you should get out of here before the Espada arrive, Orihime. There is an attack coming any day now."
"What's that got to do with Rangiku?" Orihime demanded, ignoring Isshin's warning about the impending attack. She brought her hands back up to continue Rangiku's treatment. "I can't just leave and let her be executed! What has she even done?"
"She's been branded as a traitor, for conspiring to meet with Gin Ichimaru. All this here," he explained, motioning to the bandages and bruises covering Rangiku, "is Captain Kurotsuchi's handiwork while uncovering their connection."
"Captain Kurotsuchi…" Orihime repeated, eyes opening wide as recognition dawned. "Mayuri Kurotsuchi? He's the one that killed and experimented on Uryu's grandpa…"
Isshin nodded, "Yes, Souken Ishida. He was a key player in the Quincy resistance." His face scrunched up in distaste from the memories of the time. "Mayuri was incarcerated during the war of genocide, but I know he ran inhumane experiments on surviving quincy afterward. That man was a criminal of the worst kind, even before Kisuke dug him out of the Maggot's Nest. All his files were redacted when I tried to look into him, but he was the only prisoner dangerous enough to be confined in a solitary cell, if memory serves."
"Oh no…" Orihime sighed. "Criminal Captains...The Espada coming… And Ichigo's probably gone to shout at the old man about how stupid this execution is…"
Rangiku couldn't help but smile. "Knowing him, that's exactly what he's gone and done." But then she sobered. "These are uncertain times, Orihime. I'll accept whatever happens to me. I'm a Vice Captain of the Gotei 13, after all; my life was no longer my own the moment I took my oath of service. Don't you and Ichigo get yourselves in trouble over me." She was fighting for breath from all her talking, and Orihime frowned as she opened her mouth to reply.
Something wasn't right. She reached up to brush her hair behind her ears, and froze. Her hair was down.
"My Shun Shun Rikka…" She whispered, suddenly fearful. No wonder she hadn't noticed the telltale glow of Soten Kisshun working, yet. "It must have fallen off before we left Hashirama and them!" She breathed, cupping her hands over her mouth.
Before anything else could be said, an alarm began to blare in their room. Isshin reacted instantly, clenching his teeth as he sensed numerous hollow signatures appearing in the surrounding districts. Then, from the loudspeaker, Mayuri's voice echoed out, speaking the words they were all dreading.
"The Soul Society has been breached. The Rukongai is under attack. I repeat, the Rukongai is under attack. All officers of the Gotei 13, report to…"
As the message played, Isshin rose, "Speak of the devil…" he hissed, drawing Engetsu. "Orihime. Stay with Rangiku. I'll go and see what's happening. I won't be long." As he left, he flared his own reiatsu, and felt the other Captains respond in kind.
Soul Society was about to become a battleground.
Hueco Mundo - Espada Meeting Room
Madara and Starrk sat side by side to the left of Aizen. The tall, cold stone seats carved from the same marble as the floor and table before him seemed unnecessarily extravagant to Madara, but it was remarkably comfortable. Of the nine remaining Espada, seven were present, including two new faces Madara had not seen before. He himself occupied what he understood was the late Nnoitra Gilga's seat.
"Welcome, Espada," Aizen began. Gin remained standing, his body half shrouded in the shadow cast by Aizen's own seat, which stood even taller than the others. Kaname Tosen was nowhere to be seen. "As I have no doubt you are all aware, Madara Uchiha here was able to kill Nnoitra Gilga, hence earning himself the provisional seat of Quinta Espada."
There were a few grunts of acknowledgement around the room, and though Grimmjow made to speak, he swiftly swallowed his words at a pointed glare from Aizen.
"I have called you here today, originally because it has come to my attention that the strength of the Espada may be lacking in comparison to the Captains that you will inevitably face. Now, however, a unique opportunity has presented itself, brought to my attention courtesy of our Tres Espada, Tier Harribel."
Most of the heads present in the room turned toward Harribel, who ignored the attention. She had her arms crossed, and her crop top jacket was zipped up over her mouth.
"I have outlined my plan for creating the Oken with the souls from Karakura town before," Aizen began, to a chorus of grunts and nodding. "However there is one other way to obtain a King's key; Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto, the Head Captain of the Gotei 13."
Madara raised his eyebrows at this revelation, and Aizen continued. "Harribel protested the needless sacrifice of 100,000 souls, and begged me to reconsider if such a thing was necessary," he explained. "And upon further review, I concede that no, it is not necessary. At least not yet."
Harribel sat up straighter in his seat, and Madara chuckled under his breath. That Hashirama… Whether it had been Hashirama's influence, a part of her nature, or some combination of the two, the Tres Espada seemed to genuinely desire the path of least bloodshed.
"I had always known that Yamamoto possessed an Oken." Madara turned his attention back toward Aizen. "If not, then he at least has knowledge of where it is. Until now, it has not crossed my mind to bring the fight directly to the Head Captain, especially with Wonderweiss still recovering from his injuries at Karakura. However… A new, powerful variable has been presented to us." His eyes met Madara's, and the Uchiha's lips curled up in a small, knowing smile as he began to understand.
"Madara intends to confront Yamamoto - with or without my blessing. So I say we support him, and if an Oken can be secured through Yamamoto, then we are one step closer to our goal," Aizen said, standing up and spreading out a large canvas over his end of the table.
"Our operation will be two pronged," he began, drawing a remarkably detailed sketch of the Seireitei and its surrounding districts. "The first wave of attack will be adjuchas and gillians, dispatched to the inner districts to stir the Gotei 13 into a frenzy. They will be far enough away from the Seireitei to draw out the Gotei's forces, but not so far that it could be deemed an inefficient use of resources to send aid."
"Inefficient use of resources?" Madara interrupted, uncrossing his arms as he spoke. "Are you saying that the Gotei 13 would stand idly by and allow their citizenry to die simply because it's inconvenient to intervene?"
Aizen smirked; "There is a chance. I may be wrong, and they may well dispatch forces to the 80th districts of the Rukongai, but when I was creating my Hogyoku, I fed it… many, many Souls. The Gotei 13 had taken notice of the unexplained disappearances, of course, but because my movements were in the outer districts, nothing was ever done about it," he said casually, causing Madara to narrow his eyes.
The Uchiha clenched his fists, his reiatsu raising inadvertently with his anger. "Your citizens are your family-" He began, before catching himself. What am I talking about…? I sound like Hashirama. He cleared his throat. "As if I needed any more reason to crush the Gotei."
Aizen smiled knowingly. "Yes, the governing systems of the Soul Society are in dire need of overhaul, once the Gotei 13 have been routed."
He turned his attention back to the canvas before him, then. "Once the Seitreitei is in chaos, Gin's group will descend upon the Seireitei directly."
"This strike force will consist of Madara, Starrk, Ulquiorra, Harribel, and of course will be led by Gin."
As Gin was standing behind Aizen, the Lord of Hueco Mundo did not see the silver haired Shinigami's expression flicker. It was so subtle that even Madara frowned, questioning if he truly saw the slight glint of Gin's eyes as they opened for the briefest of moments.
"Captain Aizen, if I may…" Gin began. "I was under the impression that I would be taking, I don't know, Grimmjow down to Yammy for this little excursion. I wouldn't quite trust myself to handle-"
"You will act as the guide for this expedition, Gin." Aizen spoke over the man. "Ulquiorra shall be as my eyes, Starrk, my sword, and Harribel my conscience."
"And I will be the inferno that engulfs the Seireitei." Madara said, crossing his arms again.
"Very much so," Aizen agreed. "Though do not forget - Yamamoto holds secrets to unlocking the Soul King's Palace. You must extract them from him."
Madara grunted affirmation, but Gin spoke up in protest. "Captain Aizen, surely you can't mean for just the five of us to attack the Seireitei?"
"I do not expect you to engage in open conflict with all the captains," Aizen clarified. "Yamamoto will not release Ryujin Jakka in the Seireitei. He has grown soft over the years. By my estimates, if you confront him in the heart of the Seireitei, he will not allow himself to fight at his full strength. Obtain the Oken, extract its location if you cannot, and if all else fails, protect your lives and retreat."
Gin's lips turned downward as he chewed on the inside of his cheeks, but he inclined his head. "Of course, Captain Aizen."
Land of Lightning - Kumogakure
"Is it really that important? Don't you think she would have come back for it by now if it was?" Mito reasoned, but Nel was having none of it.
"She might not realize it until she desperately needs it." The former Espada protested. "Trust me. This hairpin is the source of all her powers."
"It's okay, Mito," Hashirama placated. "Things are stable here at the moment. We've already received petitions from the Rice and Water villages to join the Shinobi Alliance-"
"And that's precisely why you can't go foraying into the Soul Society of all places," Mito argued. "Things may appear stable on the surface, but there are still anti-Leaf resistance cells that have not been dealt with, and imagine the risk of dissent if you were to suddenly go missing. I do not have your power or authority."
"It'll only be a few hours at most, Mito. You can't possibly expect Nel to enter the Seireitei alone. She's an Arrancar."
"Which is why I'm against this whole 'risking lives to deliver a hairpin' business in the first place," Mito said crossly, placing her hands on her hips.
Nel made a dismissive gesture with her hands. "It's okay. You don't have to come with me. I'm strong - especially now with the sage mode you've taught me - and I can always escape with a Garganta if I need to. I'll be okay on my own," She said, opening a Garganta.
"Wait." Hashirama suddenly said, before jumping up with an exasperated grunt. "I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier. I'll just send a clone with you!" As he finished, he channeled as much chakra as he could into a wood clone.
"Alright," the wood clone said, in a perfect, though oddly excited imitation of Hashirama's voice. "I am a 50% chakra wood clone, and my job is to protect you from harm with my life, Ms. Nelliel." It bowed, and Nel blushed awkwardly before quickly bowing in response.
"Oh! Thanks…?" She said, more than a little perturbed by the sudden appearance of a second Hashirama.
"Oh dear… You really need to figure out why they come out with random personalities one day," Mito sighed.
The original Hashirama rubbed the back of his head with an awkward smile. "Hey, on the long, long laundry-lsit of Hokage's duties, there's always something more important to do than that... Besides, who cares what their personality is like, if they can do their job."
"Right you are, boss!" The wood clone agreed, stepping through the Garganta. "Onward, to deliver Orihime's hairpin!"
"Uh-huh…" Nel said, also entering her Garganta. "I'll see you guys later."
Dangai - Precipice World
"You really don't want to do this, do you," Starrk sighed as he walked up beside Gin. It was not a question.
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Gin asked in a lilting voice.
Ulquiorra answered behind them. "It is clear for all to see that this operation bothers you, Lord Ichimaru."
"Yeah," Starrk agreed. "Since you came to wake me up and tell me about it, you've been acting a bit different. More serious, almost. Care to share?"
Gin chuckled. "Matters of the heart. A Hollow like you would not understand."
"...Alright, you're the boss," Starrk relented, looking back toward Ulquiorra and pulling an exasperated face.
"Starrk!" Lilynette shouted, running up beside him. "How many times do I need to tell you that you need to be pushier?!"
"It's none of my business, as long as it doesn't affect the mission," Starrk replied.
"But I want to know!" Lilynette argued, placing a hand on her chest. "And what I want should concern you."
"Well, I want you to be less annoying, how about that, huh?" Starrk shot back.
Lilynette's face grew red, but before she could say anything further, Ulquiorra interrupted their argument in his dull monotone. "The Primera is correct. Nothing outside our mission should concern us. We are Hollows, after all. We have no heart."
"Oi, Ulquiorra. I appreciate you vouching for me, but could you please go easy with the nihilism? It's bringing my mood down," Starrk groaned. When Ulquiorra did not reply, Starrk turned back to look at him.
The Cuatro Espada returned the gaze. "I am obliging by remaining silent," he said, eliciting a chuckle from the Primera. "You can be a funny guy sometimes, you know that?"
"No. It is not my intention."
Starrk facepalmed, but did not continue the conversation further.
Madara was perplexed by the mind of the Cuatra Espada. He'd learned that Ulquiorra embodied the aspect of 'nihilism', but he also appeared to have stunted emotional development and social skills. In fact, Ulquiorra had not understood why Aizen had asked the two of them specifically if there was bad blood between them. Ulquiorra had immediately answered in the negative, and though Madara agreed, he could not help but feel some animosity toward the Cuatra Espada. They had only recently tried to kill eachother, after all.
Madara decided he would not dwell on the matter, repositioning himself so that his sight of Ulquiorra was obscured by the much friendlier looking Harribel.
"Harribel," Madara began. "What took you so long back there? And why're you being so quiet?"
Harribel frowned, hesitating; "Lord Aizen had doubts about my loyalty," she said, quiet enough that only Madara could hear. "I'm just preparing myself for the mission. It means more to me than the others, because it's also my chance to prove my loyalty to Lord Aizen and the Espada."
Madara raised his eyebrows, unimpressed. "I see."
He almost tripped over his own feet as he bumped into Starrk. They had all suddenly stopped. "This is the place," Gin said.
The atmosphere instantly shifted. "Lilynette," Starrk ordered, and the girl nodded. "I'm here, Starrk. Is it time?"
"Yes," the Primera Espada muttered. "For Aizen… For all our comrades, living and passed, and for the sake of a tomorrow for every Hollow and Arrancar in Hueco Mundo… " His brown eyes glowed with a tinge of blue light as his reiatsu skyrocketed in potency. Gin's eyes widened. "Kick about, Los Lobos."
The fleshy walls of the Dangai were seared away by the monstrous flood of reiatsu pouring from Coyote Starrk as he entered his resurreccion. Madara tensed. This Starrk was not the same man he had sparred with earlier. The killing intent that was so curiously absent from the Primera Espada mere hours ago was almost tangible in its density.
"Isn't it a bit early to be releasing your zanpakuto?" Gin asked.
"It's more to keep Lilynette out of danger," Starrk replied, twirling his guns. "We're going to be in the heart of the enemy's territory, right?"
Gin nodded, though his eyes betrayed a hint of... disapproval? "Fair enough."
And with that, he made a swiping motion of his sword. The Garganta opened.
Soul Society - North Rukongai; District 78
Two thoughts occurred in Madara's mind simultaneously.
One was that the bleak, frigid-white world before him was not the Seireitei.
The other was that they had fallen into a trap.
Spanning around them was a swath of black. Hundreds of Shinigami were arrayed in a double envelopment formation, surrounding the Garganta from all sides. Madara looked above and below them. They were completely encircled, and each cell of Shinigami was led by two warriors that wore the telltale white of a Captain's Haori.
Directly before him, a few dozen feet away, was Captain Commander Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. As Madara's eyes met with those of the wizened Shinigami, the Captain Commander ignited Ryujin Jakka, wrapping himself in its flames. Time itself seemed to slow as the upper half of his shihakusho slowly burned away, revealing a gnarled, battle-worn torso. Thick tongues of crimson fire licked across his muscular frame, burning with the strength of two thousand years as the very air around them simmered with his reiatsu.
Madara grit his teeth. He had been anticipating this rematch since his incarceration in the Muken, but now, seeing the countless scars of an untold number of battles and victories carved into Yamamoto's body, he could not suppress the shiver than ran down his spine.
He refused to flinch, however, and did not back away, staring down the flaming sentinel before him. Cloaked in the blazing inferno of Ryujin Jakka, even the eternal snow of the Rukongai stood no chance, evaporating instantly as the skies began to clear for the first time in millenia.
And then it began.
"Jokaku Enjo!" The Head Captain roared, swinging his blade.
"What is this!" Starrk demanded, bracing against the the heat of the fiery prison that enveloped the group. "They were waiting for us!"
"I don't know," Gin snarled. "Think of a way to get us out of here. Harrib-" He caught himself as he looked back toward the Tres Espada. Neither she nor Ulquiorra were with them.
"Yamamoto has separated us," Madara observed. "A basic, if cowardly tactic."
All three of them sensed the simultaneous release of Murcielago and Tiburon, as well as the surge of reiatsu from the Shinigami's side as the Captains and Lieutenants released their zanpakuto in response.
Starrk raised his pistols before him, unleashing a barrage of ceros into the flames, but his shots seemed to evaporate before they could even touch with the flames of Jokaku Enjo.
"Damn it. Gin, Madara; do something. We have to help the others!" Starrk growled. "I don't have any abilities that can free us from this."
Gin grit his teeth, wiping the sweat that was forming on his brow. He didn't care for the Espada, but he was also trapped here by Yamamoto, and he had no delusions about the Head Captain's mercy to traitors. His mind raced; he couldn't afford to die or be caught yet.
"Calm yourselves," Madara said smoothly. "I'm going to break us out of here."
Without waiting for acknowledgement or response, he thrust his arms out to the side, channeling his chakra into his rinnegan.
"What are you…" Starrk trailed off as he saw the flames of Ryujin Jakka slowly being siphoned into Madara's extended palms. Gin's eyes were now fully open, mouth hanging slightly ajar. Ryujin Jakka's spiritual fire - that which burned with the heat of the sun itself - was not just being extinguished. It was being absorbed.
As the last of flicker of their fiery prison disappeared into Madara's palms, the battlefield was envloped in a pregnant moment of silence. Neither side could properly comprehend what had just occurred. Then, Madara brought his palms together. A bright, purple glow emanated from his eyes before spreading out, and forming the four-armed, wingless torso of his perfect susanoo.
Against the barren backdrop of the Rukongai sky, the legless susanoo hovered eerily; an unearthly, hellish being radiating malice. Its four enormous arms trembled with barely contained power as Madara faced its palms downward. Drawing in every drop of energy that could be unleashed in a single jutsu, Madara closed his eyes.
"Shinra…Tensei." The command was uttered with an almost reverent inflection, a slight quiver in his voice at the sheer magnitude of his jutsu.
In the absolute silence that had blanketed the battlefield, there was no need to shout to be heard. Those two words, loosed from Madara's mouth barely above a whisper, reached the ears of every Shinigami that had assembled to oppose them.
Even Captain Soi-Fon, one of the fastest shinigami present, was blindsided as the shockwave from Madara's jutsu crashed into the Gotei's forces, blowing them away in a seismic avalanche of jagged rock and bitter snow.
AN: Alright! Time for all the build-up to pay off!...hopefully. I've got a few story beats planned that I'm sure are going to upset some of you, but hopefully everything that happens seems natural enough.
I've always liked Starrk as a character. He seemed underpowered at first, but then you read into it and realize he fought 4 captains (2 hollow mask amped) and defeated them all, before getting cheap shotted by Kyoraku. Yes, he didn't get to see any Bankai, but I feel like by the point Starrk got serious, it was too late. He had gotten stabbed in the back by Kyoraku, and then Lilynette sacrifices herself. With my fic I'll be trying to give his power the respect I feel like it deserves a bit more.
Responding to reviews:
Obamna: Yes, Orihime should be able to heal Mito if the nine tails gets extracted, but is that a chance Hashirama is willing to take is the more important question / i'm trying to frame a lot of the conflict in this fic through the lens of moral greyness, as well as uncertainty and risk. Also 2001 is 3 generations after world war 2. That's what I had in mind when I wrote that part, at least.
Olaszkecske: hahahaha can't get a more positive review than that, cheers mate
Paragon of Awesomeness: Madara is strong, yes, but there are people in the Seireitei that can still threaten him. I set out with this fic to make sure nobody is too overpowered, and that important fights do both/all sides justice. Also thanks for pointing out those abilities Re; absorption and reflection with the Gunbai. Hopefully they're used in a way that makes narrative sense in this chapter :P Also, I agree that Gin is smart, but I also think that his emotional intelligence is like ...F tier. Re; Nel, the Shinigami views are flawed and hypocritical. They also tolerate Ichigo, who has a hollow in him as far as they know. This point will definitely be addressed, though.
MadaraLimboClone: Hashirama is another one of those characters like Starrk that I feel like everybody knows is 'strong' but gets slept on a bit regarding just how insane he really is. His 1000 armed kan'on literally grabbed the nine-tails in ONE hand, after all. I've been building him up in this fic for a reason, though. It'll all be wrapped up soon, as we're heading into the main climax of this story. Re; human path soul absorption...I have plans for it to be used in a roundabout way. Honestly it's something I've made a point to avoid mentioning because it's just too broken. He could absorb a captain, but then there'll be no story lol. Probably similar reason it's never used for anything major in Canon. I've got a few more surprises up my sleeve in regard to Madara's jutsu, though, some involving the rinnegan. Stay tuned :P
Luv Boy: Ichigo will have a big moment very soon. Probably won't be any non-canon techniques created, but I'll be sure to put 100% effort into writing his scenes coming up. Also, similar to my response above, some of the more hax stuff is just...eh...too story-breaking. The more struggle, the greater the adversity that is overcome, the better the payoff. Simply absorbing the souls of his enemies on his way to curbstomping everything'll just be boring, right?
SpedeyAlarm & ToLancer - thanks for the support! And thanks for the support for everybody who's still reading and reviewing this fic! As always, I'm open to any criticisms/questions. until next time!