Chapter 26 - Checkmate

North Rukongai - District 78

"I am impressed, Madara Uchiha; to tame the flames of Jujako Enjo is no mean feat," Yamamoto barked, observing the chaos around him. "But you have merely bought yourself time. Do not believe, for one naive moment, that the odds are in your favor."

Madara's attack was enormous in scale, but at the cost of diluting its offensive potency. What initially looked like a devastating attack, in fact only served as a displacement technique to blow away the Gotei's forces.

"I have evened up the playing field," Madara replied. "You are alone, Yamamoto, and there is nowhere for you to hide. Where is the Oken?"

The Head Captain's ancient eyes glowed with indignation. "You expect me to hide? What blasphemy, from the mouth of such a runt. Misbehaving children must be punished and you are no exception, hollow."

"The Oken," Madara repeated. "Give it to me and I will grant you a swift end. If not-" He was interrupted as Yamamoto appeared behind him with a shunpo, slashing at his neck with Ryujin Jakka.

With Gin

"Looks like you guys really took my warning to heart," Gin said, playfully brushing the dirt and debris off his coak. He took note of his surroundings; Madara's technique had displaced the bulk of the Seireitei's forces, separating them into smaller groups. He supposed he should be grateful to the Arrancar for that. He was alone, now, with only Toshiro Hitsugaya in his way.

Looking into the young Captain's eyes, Gin was puzzled, if slightly amused, by the sheer, unadulterated hate blatantly burning within them. "Now, Captain Hitsugaya… I don't know what I've done to slight you so, but how about in return for my information, you just pretend I was never here?"

The Squad 10 Captain's expression darkened even further as he moved to block Gin's path directly. Once he had regained his bearings from Madara's area attack, he'd felt the former Squad 3 Captain's reiatsu close to him. He ordered his squad to assist with evacuating the Rukongai while he confronted the traitorous Captain. Gin was the reason Rangiku had been stripped of her position and put on death row. He had to know why.

"Gin Ichumaru…" The platinum haired boy ground out through clenched teeth. "What are you playing at? Are you going after Rangiku?"

"Going after her?" Gin said, putting a finger to his chin and looking up in mock confusion. "Ah, is that why she's not with you? You think you're protecting her by keeping her away from me?"

"Bankai; Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" Hitsugaya screamed, sending a wave of icicles toward Gin with a mighty flap of his wings.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, there. Straight to Bankai?" Gin teased, both hands in his pockets as he weaved through the barrage with effortless ease. "Last time we fought I was goin' easy on ya, kiddo. You don't wanna make me-"

"Shut up!" Toshiro shouted, flinging himself toward Gin with a flap of Hyorinmaru's icy wings. "Rangiku's going to die because of you! Whatever lies you've poisoned her mind with… They've cost her everything!"

Hitsugaya's words shattered Gin's facade of nonchalance. His concentration faltered, causing him to drop his guard and allowing the edge of Hyorinmaru's blade to nick the side of his cheek. Stumbling in his evasion, he retreated with a shunpo before Hitsugaya could press his advantage.

"...Say what? She's going to die because of me?" Gin's tone grew serious as he finally drew Shinso. "What is that supposed to mean?"

North Rukongai - District 80; Zaraki.

Tier Harribel had no clue where she was. She made a beeline toward the nearest concentration of high reiatsu, but the further she went, the more run-down her surroundings appeared to become. A foul stench of rot permeated the frigid air, and souls with ravenous eyes leered at her whenever she drew close. They were stronger than the average Rukongai citizen, but none dared make any attempt on Harribel.

A deep frown was carved into her features as she flew. This was not supposed to happen. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of what was going on. Aizen questioned me regarding my loyalties to the Espada and himself, suggesting that he suspects a traitor in our midst. She thought.

She knew for a fact it was not her, and it couldn't possibly be Madara, as she had been with the man the entire time. So who was it? Who had set them up? It couldn't be anybody that was there with them, because they were all ambushed with impunity the moment the garganta opened. The only other person who had contacts within the Soul Society was… Kaname Tosen?

But Tosen had put his own life on the line to hide their imminent betrayal that day in the Konoha forest when she struck him down. Harribel was angry. After all that they had worked for, just who among the upper echelons had both the motive and influence to orchestrate such a thing?

"Hey, shark lady." A familiar, gruff voice halted Harribel in her tracks, and she narrowed her gaze at the towering Shinigami before her. "Fancy seeing you all the way out here… Remember me?" Zaraki Kenpachi bared his jagged teeth in a gruesome smirk as he bounced the flat of his zanpakuto on his shoulder. "I gotta be honest, I wish you were someone stronger," he grumbled; "But I guess some kinda fight's better than none."

"You." Harribel, already in resurrection, cautiously studied the man before her as she slowly readied Tiburon. She'd been defeated by him once - overwhelmed by a single, devastatingly powerful strike that had exceeded all expectations at the time. She was stronger, now, but she still knew she could not afford to underestimate this Captain. "Captain of the 11th Division. Name yourself." She demanded, glancing at the kanji on his Captain's haori.

Kenpachi bellowed in laughter. Accompanied by the jingling of the bells in his hair, Harribel felt greatly unsettled by the haunting cacophony. "You want my name? Sorry, but I've never had one," he drawled as he settled down. "You can call me the Kenpachi from Zaraki; I was born and bred in the muck and filth of this very district. I used to feed on the rats just to keep the hunger at bay. Feels almost nostalgic to be back."

Harribel grimaced; she remembered running the man through with the entirety of her released Tiburon, before he had rejoined the battle and summarily cut her down. Even if he had received the highest order of medical attention, a tenacity like his demanded caution.

She was mildly disgusted that this shinigami seemed proud that he used to eat rats, but she had no interest in learning more about him. Her mind turned to more pressing concerns, however, as two more Captains arrived, hemming Harribel in with a triangle formation.

She took stock of each of the new arrivals. One of them, she recognized as the female swordmaster that had defended Yamamoto against Hashirama. The other she remembered vaguely from the Captain's meeting where she, Gin and Tosen had made their move.

He wore his long, black hair in braids clipped up with five intricately engraved hairpieces, and a light green scarf adorned his neck. "Captain Kenpachi. We have orders to kill the Arrancar, not make small talk," he said.

Kenpachi uttered a throaty growl, not deigning to respond to him. Instead, he turned to the female Captain. "I'm bored enough as it is. Is there really any need for this to be a three on one?"

"Captain Kuchiki and I came to offer our aid. You and Harribel were the closest to us," Captain Unohana explained.

"I was promised a battle!" He growled, slashing a deep, semicircular gash in the snow beside him. "Not a slaughter."

The scarfed Captain closed his eyes deliberately before sighing. "Ever the senseless brute. Let us be done with Harribel quickly, so we can assist the others."

Zaraki Kenpachi's lips curled up in a snarl as he spat in the snow, brandishing his zanpakuto. "She's all yours, then, Byakuya. There's no point fighting an opponent I've already defeated once… Especially not now that Nozarashi has awakened." His words dripped with apathy, eyes glazing over as he turned away. Casually dragging the tip of his zanpakuto through the snow, he made his way back toward Madara. "I'll go find one of the other intruders instead."

He had taken but a few steps before he suddenly stopped. All four of the combatants had sensed the sudden flaring of a familiar reiatsu, followed immediately by the fading of another.

Retsu Unohana snapped her head at the direction of Gin and Toshiro. "Captain Hitsugaya…" She began, gripping the hilt of Minazuki tightly as she monitored the young Captain's fading reiatsu. He was in close proximity with Gin Ichumaru, and it was obvious from her senses who had come out the victor in their exchange. "He's still alive; I have to help him. Zaraki - don't underestimate her. Finish this quickly before assisting the Captain Commander. Captain Kuchiki, I'll leave this situation in your capable hands."

Without even waiting for their acknowledgement, Unohana disappeared with a shunpo, taking off toward the wounded Toshiro.

Zaraki Kenpachi groaned, but looked over his shoulder toward Harribel. "You heard the boss. Can't be helped then, I guess. Don't die too quickly."

The boss? Harribel had no time to dwell on the words, however. Her eyes widened as she only barely sidestepped a wild, overhead slash from the mad captain. He's fast! How is he so much faster than before?!

She focussed her attention on the rest of the man. One thing had not changed between their previous clash and now, and that was the fact that he paid absolutely no heed to his defense. She contorted her body through another series of cleaving strikes, before stabbing Tiburon into the snow. Pivoting off her zanpakuto, Harribel spun herself around in a circle, driving one of the bony spikes that extended from her shin guards toward Kenpachi's gut.

The mad Captain did not even bother to block or dodge, choosing instead to take the blow in a return for an opportunity of his own to strike. Harribel threw her torso backwards, ducking under the edge of Nozarashi. She grunted as she felt compressed air from the jagged blade tear across her vision, severing a few strands of golden-blond hair.

The moment the blade passed by, Harribel withdrew her knee from Kenpachi's gut, planting her free foot into the wound to wrench the spike out. She'd deliberately twisted the spike and applied pressure sideways to create as much trauma to the wound as possible, though her efforts were met by a cackling laughter. Zaraki Kenpachi's shoulders heaved with each mighty chortle as he tore off his eyepatch. The wound she had inflicted was seared shut instantaneously by the strength of his reiatsu.

She dashed behind the Squad 11 Captain with a sonido, charging up her trident. Given their previous encounter, she had no intention of dragging this fight out. If he chose to take her lightly, then she would capitalize on that and claim his life as payment for the insult.

Her sword began to glow with a yellow sheen, but before she could release her technique, she was blindsided by a torrent of what appeared to be pink cherry blossom leaves. There was no way to guard against the onslaught as she was swept aside and into the snow by the countless petals, and a sound of screeching metal filled her ears as the razor sharp leaflets sliced across her hierro.

The Tres Espada's steel skin held, briefly, but as the assault subsided, she was bloodied with shallow cuts all throughout her body as she fought her way back to her feet. Damn it… I'm already in resurreccion, so any damage I take is permanent. I can't afford to get careless and sustain any more injuries.

Even Kenpachi on his own would have been a tough opponent, but the presence of this second Captain complicated things - especially now that she knew he was capable of precise, long distance attacks. Harribel grit her teeth. She wished she could activate sage mode, but there was no water around her. Everything Hashirama had taught her about the technique had revolved around her affinity with water…

And then a sudden realization hit her, and she could not help but smile.

"Captain Kenpachi. Must you always fight like such a mindless beast? You are full of openings for the enemy to exploit," Byakuya scolded as he recalled Senbonzakura. "She is only small fry. There are others yet fighting that require our aid. Stop wasting time and finish her off already."

"Tch. I will do as I please, Byakuya. I don't like killing trash that's weaker than me, so how about you do it. Nozarashi's appetite has waned."

It was then that Kenpachi noticed a thin film of whiteness in the air, and that it had stopped snowing. Turning his nose up toward the sky, he sniffed, and raised his eyebrows in surprise as a humid mist wafted into his lungs. Looking toward Byakuya, he saw that the Squad 6 Captain, too, had noticed something awry with the atmosphere. It never stopped snowing this far north in the Rukongai. Then he remembered the water dragon that had descended on them back during his first encounter with Harribel and the Shinobi, and the pieces began to fall together in his head.

Turning toward where he had last seen the bloodied Harribel, he squinted. All he could see was white. The light, snowy mist had swiftly grown into a dense, white smog that reduced his vision to a few mere feet around him. "Oi, Byakuya. Careful. She can manipulate water. Probably did something with all the snow around he-"

He was cut off by a pained yell from Byakuya. Acting on instinct, he propelled himself toward Byakuya's direction, catching the wounded Captain before he fell. He still could not tell where Harribel was, so he flared his yellow reiatsu until it illuminated the area around him like a glowing beacon.

The light penetrated enough smog for him to see that the Squad 6 Captain now had an ugly, mangled stab wound in his abdomen. He was breathing raggedly, two chick rivulets of blood beginning to drip from the corners of his mouth even as it pooled from his wound.

"Gran Rey Cero," he heard softly from a distance, and instantly reacted, turning to slash at the rapidly approaching cone of light he saw in the corner of his eye. The jagged blade of Nozarashi split Harribel's cero in two, both halves sizzling harmlessly around himself and Byakuya. Before the light from the first cero had even faded, two more flashes appeared above him.

Scooping Byakuya up with his spare arm, he leaned protectively over his wounded comrade as the two ceros converged upon him.

Hovering high in cloudy skies, despite being covered head to toe in her own blood from Senbonzakura's petals, Harribel was rather pleased with herself. She had taken away their sense of sight by boiling the water in the snow with her Hirviendo to create a thick fog, and had taken out the long-ranged Captain with a surprise attack.

Kenpachi was impressively fast to counter her first Gran Rey Cero, but the second two - enhanced with nature energy and fired in her resurreccion - must certainly be enough to put him down. She wiped the blood from her eyes as she surveyed her handiwork.

Raising Tiburon above her, she channeled what remained of her reiatsu before pointing toward the cloud of debris her Ceros had created. "Cascada."

The resulting tidal wave that bore into the ground consumed snow and dirt alike as it pooled into a giant, icy lake in the middle of the Zaraki district. Any curious onlookers at this point had long since fled the scene, and Harribel surveyed the surface of the lake moment for a movement, confirming no movement before she turned to leave.

She could sense Ulquiorra and Starrk still fighting, though Gin's reiatsu signature felt calm as it drew further and further south. Unohana must have yet to catch up with him.

What's got him in such a rush…? Harribel thought, surprised at the sheer speed Gin was moving at. Maybe south is where the Seireitei is. She reasoned, before turning to head the same way. Not for the first time, she wished she could have kept some of the high speed regeneration she had as a Hollow. The cuts across her flesh were all shallow, and it had ultimately been to her benefit as they bled into her cero, enhancing them to their Gran Ray variant. Nonetheless, she could not help but feel unsightly, covered in blood as she was, so she lowered herself toward her lake.

A blistering streak of white and black rocketed out from the water, accompanied by a cacophony of clinking bells. "Drink, Nozarashi!" Zaraki Kenpachi's voice bellowed out from behind her. Turning toward the source, Harribel braced and was forced to touch down upon the snow to steady herself as the Squad 11 Captain's killing intent shook every cell of her body. She brought Tiburon up before her. How could I forget… All of these Shinigami captains still have their Shikai and Bankai. Casting a worried look at the human-sized meat cleaver that her foe's zanpakuto had released into, she decided to stall, drawing in the nature energy around her as she spoke. "Impressive. I take it that this is your Bankai, Zaraki?"

The mad Captain was soaked. His Captain's Haori had been blown away by the Gran Rey Cero, though remnants remained where they were scorched into his skin. The entirety of his shoulders and upper back was marred with burn marks, though he did not seem to be in any pain as he howled in laughter, brandishing the cleaver with a speed and ease that made Harribel immensely uncomfortable. "Bankai?! This is my Shikai, Nozorashi. I don't need something like a Bankai to deal with trash like you. Come at me; make this interesting. Or are you out of tricks already?"

Harribel heard a soft crack in her jaw, surprising herself at how hard she was clenching her teeth. "Make… it interesting…?" She repeated, incredulous. She had to stall a little bit longer.

"I'm bored. Just die already, and let me be on my way," Kenpachi growled as he began walking toward Harribel. With a casual swing of Nozarashi, he blew away the remaining smog in the air, allowing them clear sight of each other. He paused, then, quirking an eyebrow as his eyes fell upon a sight that he had not been expecting.

Harribel's right arm was almost completely fused with her Zanpakuto, and the sheath had morphed into what looked like a long dorsal fin jutting out from her upper spine. The white, bony armor that had decorated her body was still there, but had taken on a bluish hue, alongside an almost grainy appearance. It was not unlike that of actual shark skin. Right below the lightning tattoos on her cheeks, and running down toward her collarbone, five gill slits had opened, fluttering lightly with each exhale of her breath.

"Harribel, the better your control over the nature energy you absorb, the less physical change you will experience…" Hashirama's words echoed in the back of her head as Harribel hissed in frustration.

The Tres Espada knew that, under the pressure of live combat, the sage mode she had entered was imperfect. It would have to do for now, though. She did not have the time to retry. She consoled herself with the thought that the Squad 11 Captain was arrogant, and she could use that to her advantage and kill him before he could use his Bankai.

"I was kiddin' when I called you 'shark lady' before, but damn. So you're a shark Hollow, huh?" Kenpachi mused, looking her up and down. "Your reiatsu feels stronger now, too. Maybe you'll actually give me a bit of a warm up."

Harribel brought Tiburon before her. "A warm up?" She demanded, eyes narrowed in affront, "These barren slums will serve as your grave, Zaraki Kenpachi, and this time, the rats will be the ones that feast on your corpse."

Kenpachi grinned. "Die here? I'm afraid I can't. The Zaraki district is my world. Here, I learned to fight, to kill… To fear, and to enjoy the thrill of battle!" His voice rose in feverish pitch as he spoke, culminating in a psychotic scream as he charged forward, lumbering through the snow.

Your world? Where there is snow, there is water… And with this much water… Harribel thought as she concentrated. "It's me who has the home field advantage! La Gota!"

Kenpachi sidestepped the projectile, but Harribel had taken that opportunity to position herself above him, driving downwards with Tiburon. Kenpachi parried; the momentum driving them both toward the ground.

The mad captain's eyes widened briefly as his feet suddenly sank further than he expected, into the frigid lake at the center of the district. His guard faltered, and before he could drag himself out, Harribel was upon him, completely submerging them both.

North Rukongai - District 76

Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake dusted themselves off, scanning their surroundings with mild concern as they did not recognize any landmarks. There was a distinct sense of something uncomfortable in the air. The atmosphere around them felt claustrophobic, clinging to their skin and weighing them down with every breath, but the captains focussed their attention toward their respective subordinates first.

Every head was accounted for, and neither captain could sense anything of immediate concern within their subordinates' reiatsu. Only seated officers, as well as those who had potential they had personally verified, had been cleared for this mission, and consequently nobody was weak enough to have died from Madara's initial attack.

"Hey, Shunsui," Ukitake called out softly, pointing towards a figure some distance away. It was then that Captain Kyoraku realized the oppressive thickness in the air was not due to dust, or debris, but a menacingly powerful Hollow reiatsu.

"I see him, Jushiro," Kyoraku replied, reaching out with his senses. "He's alone, but he's very powerful. I don't know whether to feel lucky or not."

"We came here to fight, Shunsui. We should deal with this one as quickly as we can and then help the others."

Even as they spoke, however, they realized something was not right. Their squad members were struggling to get back to their feet. Many of them, in fact, were on their hands and knees, despite not having any major injuries.

"Captain Kyoraku, Captain Ukitake…!" Nanao cried as she staggered toward them. "I… I can't breathe. The reiatsu…"

Eyes suddenly widening in realization, Shunsui Kyoraku threw down his flower kimono and bamboo hat. "Jushiro. Get everyone out of here. Nanao, you have command of the 8th division. Work with Captain Ukitake and coordinate evacuation efforts for this district as well as all surrounding districts. If this Arrancar isn't dealt with quickly…" He didn't need to finish his sentence. His friend and Lieutenant both nodded, and he flew out to meet the Espada.

"Your little display has caught my attention, Arrancar," He announced, casually placing a hand over his chest as he introduced himself. "I am Captain Shunsui Kyoraku. Could to rein in that reiatsu of yours, please? It's disturbing my comrades." There was an unmistakable note of steel to his voice as he spoke. The first things he noticed about the appearance of the Arrancar was an eye patch over his left eye, and the two guns in either hand. Apparently Gin was supposed to bring some of the weaker Espada here… He came exactly where he said he would, but Harribel was with him, and she's the number 3. Kyoraku pondered this as he sized up his opponent. This one certainly feels stronger than Harribel… So who is he?

"Shunsui Kyoraku? My name is Coyote Starrk, and I would like to know where we are at the moment," the Arrancar said, annoyed.

"Well, I'd be happy to tell you, but how about you do me a favor and stop projecting that reiatsu of yours, first?" Shunsui pressed. He could feel some faint signatures of Rukongai citizens growing weaker all around him, and he did not want to start fighting and add his own reiatsu to the spiritual onslaught they were already experiencing.

"Sorry," Starrk muttered as he closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "I'm already doing my best to keep it under control."

Shunsui's breath quickened. That was impossible; it must be a bluff.

"Now are you going to tell me what I want to know, or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" Starrk raised a pistol toward Shunsui as he spoke.

"To be honest with you, I don't know where we are, but could you please wait while my subordinates evacuate the surroundings? I don't want them caught up in our fight," Shunsui said, drawing his zanpakuto in preparation for an attack. To his surprise, Starrk only crossed his arms and shrugged, so he sheathed Katen Kyokotsu again.

"Sure. I have a few things I want to ask, anyway."

"Go ahead." He did not relax his grips on Katen Kyokotsu.

"You were prepared for us," Starrk stated. "How did you know we were coming, and how did you know when and where? Do we have a traitor in our midst?"

Shunsui did not answer immediately as he considered his options. He thought about straight up telling the arrancar that Gin was the traitor. He seriously doubted such a revelation would harm Gotei 13. If nothing else, it would sow discord amongst Aizen's forces. Such a statement, however, would also be admitting that Gin was on their side, and he was unsure if such a thing was strictly true.

Whether or not Gin was on his, or the Gotei 13's side, however, he knew for a fact that the former Squad 3 Captain had always been head-over-heels infatuated with Rangiku. The young Captain had once approached him in regard to what gifts women liked, and had let it slip that it was for Rangiku. Shunsui kept his secret, of course, but he had no idea at the time that the knowledge of Gin's heart could leave him so conflicted now. Whatever Gin was doing, it was likely it had something to do with the busty Squad 10 Lieutenant, and her life was teetering on the brink of Yamamoto's rage as it was.

He didn't like the fact that Yamamoto had ordered Rangiku's execution any more than he had liked Rukia's execution, and he didn't like the fact that Gin had so quickly cut down Hitsugaya, Rangiku's Captain, before setting off in search of her. Ultimately, it was because he could sense Toshiro's reiatsu slowly stabilize and revitalize in the care of Captain Unohana that he decided to lie to Starrk.

"We have our sources in Hueco Mundo, but it would be wrong for me to name them," he finally answered. "Now which Espada are you? Coyote Starrk?"

"What makes you think I'm an Espada?"

"I'm Shunsui Kyoraku, Captain of the 8th Division of the Gotei 13." Shunsui ignored Starrk's question, reintroducing himself and including his position this time, turning slightly to show the '8' on the back of his Haori.

The eyepatched Arrancar before him sighed. "Coyote Starrk…" He began, pulling off the white glove on his left hand, and displaying his Espada tattoo for the Captain. "Primera Espada."

Shunsui scoffed lightly to himself, smiling at his bad luck. "Ahh. I thought it would be something like that."

Starrk had a pained expression on his face. "I would normally give you the chance to leave, but Lord Aizen has ordered us to thin the Gotei's forces as much as we can. So you're number eight in the Gotei, huh?"

Shunsui raised an eyebrow at that question, before laughing heartily. "Oh no, I'm afraid you are mistaken, Mister Primera Espada. The Captains of the Gotei 13 are not ranked by power."

"I see." Starrk frowned, opening his pesquisa to try and gauge his opponent's strength. "So where do you rank, then? You got a Bankai, right?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't." Shunsui said with a grin. He sensed that the evacuation was proceeding well, and nobody was in range to be harmed by their reiatsu anymore. "Mind if I ask a couple questions of my own?"

Starrk chewed on the inside of his cheeks at the non answer; he narrowed his eyes at the audacity of this man, and did not deign to respond.

"Why are you all here? What do you want with Soul Society?" Shunsui continued.

"Don't know. Now do you have a Bankai or not?" Starrk asked again, more aggressively this time.

"I guess we're both going to have to get any further answers the hard way, huh." Shunsui sighed. "When the Flowery Wind Rages, the Flower God Roars…" He began, unsheathing both zanpakuto and setting them against each other in a cross before him. "When the Winds of Heaven Scream, the God of the Underworld Sneers…" He pulled his shorter zanpakuto back, and in a flash of light, the two ordinary looking swords morphed into black scimitars lined with a silvery edge. The red tassels at the end of each hilt danced as Kyoraku brandished his blades. "Katen Kyokotsu!"

"Very well." Starrk sighed, cocking his pistols back.

With Ulquiorra

Ulquiorra Cifer was a pragmatic Hollow. He prided himself on having a good gauge of both his own and his enemies' abilities. Therefore, despite being in only his first release, he was flying as fast as he could, away from his pursuer. Upon regaining his bearings from Madara's attack, he had found himself in the midst of three Captains, and their squads.

One of them, the big, lumbering humanoid creature with a bucket over his head, had gone into Bankai immediately. From what Ulquiorra could tell, all the Bankai did was summon a creature even bigger and clumsier than Yammy. It mirrored the moves of its wielder, but was slow and pitifully easy to dodge.

The second Captain, however, was anything but slow. She had discarded her Captain's haori and cloaked her body in some kind of electric, white energy, and was fast enough that even he had a hard time keeping track of her movements.

However it was the third Captain, whose face was obscured by thick, black and purple paint, that had Ulquiorra the most concerned. He had thrown one of his energy lances toward the oddly garbed Shinigami, but a golden, claw-like zanpakuto moved on its own to intercept the attack before it could make contact. Ulquiorra had gotten the distinct sense that he was being studied by the face-painted Captain, even as he moved to evade the other two.

Then, sensing Gin had won his fight before suddenly rocketing south at an incredible speed, Ulquiorra decided he needed to regroup with his team. Flapping his wings to gain altitude, he'd taken off with a sonido, relieved that only the female Captain gave chase. His relief turned into alarm, then, as he noticed that, despite being at his current maximum speed, she was gaining on him, and quickly. He had absolute confidence in his own speed, but despite that, he pushed his denial aside as he was forced to turn. Murcialago's blade swiped across just in time to block a stab from Soi-Fon's dagger-like finger attachment.

"You have impressive speed," Ulquiorra admitted, slowing to a halt as he noticed that the other two Captains had not moved, and he was a safe distance away in this one on one.

"Done running, Hollow?" Soi-Fon sneered.

"I am simply regrouping with my allies," Ulquiorra replied. "You, on the other hand, have abandoned yours in pursuit of me. Is that a wise choice, I wonder?"

"Your allies?" Soi-Fon expanded her senses around her, before laughing as she realized who Ulquiorra was referring to. "You mean Gin Ichumaru? He is not an ally of yours. He was the one who told us about this little invasion in the first place."

Ulquiorra's face betrayed no expression, but within him, he felt something strange. Something akin to a burning sensation. "Gin… betrayed us? Betrayed Lord Aizen?"

"You don't look very surprised," Soi- Fon said as she readied herself to attack. "I guess a man who looks and acts the way he does can't expect to garner much trust, no matter where he slinks off to."

"No," Ulquiorra corrected. "I am very surprised. I need to report this to Lord Aizen immediately." He raised his finger to open a Garganta, but Soi-Fon rushed at him, forcing him to take evasive maneuvers. After a brief flurry of blows, Ulquiorra's brow twitched as he noticed a few butterfly symbols from where he had been stabbed.

"I see you are trying to stab at the same place as these marks," he observed. "I gather it is in my best interest not to allow that to happen."

Soi-Fon narrowed her eyes, hissing in frustration. Her Shunko still had room for improvement. Yoruichi and proved that to her undeniably during their short skirmish during the fiasco of Rukia's execution. Even so, the fact that she had failed to execute Suzumebachi's Nigeki Kessatsu enough times for the Arrancar to notice her plan was an insult to her training.

"Oh, you're remaining silent. I take it that I was correct in my assessment, then," Ulquiorra said, when Soi-Fon did not respond. "If you don't resist, I can grant you a painless death."

Soi-Fon balked at his words. "Painless death? The only one dying today is you!" She squeezed a little more reiatsu into her Shunko, until the reishi swirling around her took form into an approximation of two butterfly wings on her back. It was still experimental, but in the times she had gotten it to work, she had experienced a decidedly dramatic increase in both her strength and speed. The wings materialized, flickering briefly before stabilizing and she smiled savagely. "Any last words, Arrancar?"

Ulquiorra stared impassively at the energy swirling around Soi-Fon. "You are quite powerful," he began, causing the Squad 2 Captain to raise her eyebrows slightly; "But do not think such a pathetic display will allow you to escape true despair."

"Escape true despair?" Soi-Fon scoffed. "I'm through wasting words with you." She raised Suzumebachi, analyzing three ways to attack the four different marks already on Ulquiorra's body, as a sickly, greenish black aura began to seep upwards from where he stood.

The Cuatra Espada's yellow, cat-like eyes stared unblinkingly at her as his reiatsu began to rise astronomically. "If you don't know despair… Then I will teach it to you."

Soi-Fon backed away a few steps, bringing her arms defensively before her torso as Ulquiorra became encased in swirling green reishi, and then, as the screeching storm of energy died down, a vile reiatsu bore down upon her, making her breath catch in her throat. "What is this-"

"Resurreccion, Segunda Etapa," Ulquiorra interrupted, slowly stepping forward even as Soi-Fon backed away.

The remnants of his Hollow mask were no longer visible anywhere on Ulquiorra's body. His leathery wings had become completely bat-like in appearance, each spanning twice the length of his body. From his eyes, as well as the Hollow hole in the center of his chest, wept a sickly, viscous black fluid. A long, spindly black tail whipped wildly behind him, snaking out from what appeared to be a furred, two pronged mane extending from his waist downward.

Soi-Fon stared into his glowing, expressionless green eyes, before they suddenly disappeared along with the Arrancar himself, and she felt a shadow fall over her from behind.

She froze. Such speed. She knew she was one of the more inexperienced Captains in the Gotei 13, and she knew that she could never hope to fully replace the void left by Yoruichi's absence, but the goal of living up to her mentor and idol was what spurred to take on any challenge; she had always pushed herself to break past her limits and grow into a more formidable shinigami.

Now, however, when she tried to slash behind her, her body refused to obey her will, locked in place at the prospect of her impending death. All she managed to do was turn her head slightly, drawing in a gasping breath as she gazed into the empty, green and yellow eyes of the monster behind her.

"Now," Ulquiorra said, breathing down her neck. "Do you understand despair?"

Soi-Fon's control over her Shunko failed as she involuntarily quivered in absolute terror at the overwhelming presence of Ulquiorra's Segunda Etapa. The Arrancar was not significantly larger than she was, but the shadow it cast sprawled forth like a demon belched from hell itself. Its mighty wings and spiraling horns made for an imposing silhouette, smothering any thoughts of bravado or defiance before they could even take form within her mind. At that instant, every fiber of her being was overcome by a single, primal instinct.

Run.

She sensed the approaching reiatsu of Captain Komamura, probably only a few seconds away if she met him halfway, but for some reason, it felt too far. She heard a buzzing sound behind her, and saw a glowing green lance crackle into existence from the corner of her eye. She watched as Ulquiorra's shadow raised the lance. She knew what was coming next, but her body refused to move, and her life flashed before her eyes. Lady Yoruichi…

Seireitei

Nel could not decide whether she and Hashirama had arrived in the Soul Society at the best or worst time possible. She could feel the very familiar spiritual signatures of Starrk, Harribel, Ulquiorra and Madara fighting in the far north, but they were so far away that it would take minutes at full speed to reach them.

She could also sense Ichigo's reiatsu close by, though it felt heavily suppressed, and Orihime was not far from him. After a very brief moment of consideration, she decided to pay Ichigo a visit first. Orihime's hairpin could wait a few more minutes.

And then they had arrived in what was unmistakably the Seireitei. The heart of the Soul Society felt almost barren. There were plenty of energy signatures, but all extremely weak and of negligible concern to her. "Where is everybody…?" She wondered out loud. They had been jumping across the tops of buildings to maneuver through the city, until an invisible force stopped Nel from flying. She was pleasantly surprised that Hashirama's unique method of travel via hopping through trees had become useful to her so soon.

"Probably fighting Madara and Harribel... I sense many powerful combatants in that direction," Hashirama said, pointing north. "Do you recognize any others?"

Nel nodded. "Yeah, two others. The Primera and Cuatra Espada. But where are the rest of them?" A hint of concern crept into her voice. "It feels like each Espada is fighting multiple Captains… And why are they all so far away from the Seireitei?"

Hashirama frowned. "All the more reason to find Ichigo, and fast. He's more likely to know. It's a good sign that he's not up there fighting."

Nel nodded, and they made their way directly toward Ichigo's energy signature, until they came upon a tall white tower.

It looked in a dismal state; a huge chunk had been smashed, and only rough scaffolding had been erected around it to keep the tower upright. Hashirama leaned forward, stared intently at the damaged section, before turning to Nel. "Madara was here. I can sense the residual chakra from his perfect Susanoo, but the damage looks like he attacked the tower from outside."

Nel was about to reply, but as they circled around, they came within sight of two Shinigami.

"H-H-Hollow!" One of them cried out, instantly readying his zanpakuto. She spotted a walkway where they were standing; two sentries guarding the entrance to the tower. Their spiritual pressure felt weak even compared to a Gillian, so she alighted before them, completely relaxed.

"I'm not here to hurt you," she began placatingly, but the two guards seemed terrified just at the feel of her spiritual pressure. "Is Ichigo in there?"

"I-I-Ichigo Kurosaki is under arrest for unlawfully interrupting a Captain's meeting and accosting the h-head Captain." The first guard stammered out.

Nel's eyebrows shot up. "He's under arrest? Can I see him?"

"Negative, Ma'am! We have strict orders to prohibit-"

"Well that simply won't do," Nel interrupted, voice mellow but slightly increasing her spiritual pressure. "I need to talk to him. If you don't do anything silly, then nobody needs to get hurt today."

The guards looked at each other, before gulping visibly. Whether they nodded, or were shaking so violently that their heads appeared to nod, Nel didn't know, but she sauntered past them with no issue.

"I would have just knocked them out, or incapacitated them," Hashirama said as he followed.

"And I could strangle them with my reiatsu alone, but what's the point in that? There's nobody for them to alert, anyway," Nel replied.

They were walking slowly, so Hashirama looked back at the terrified guards before chuckling. "They can hear you, you know?"

"I know," she said, making no effort to keep her voice down.

One of the guards began to whimper, and fell to his knees, clutching his head, muttering something about his life being over and losing his job.

"I think you might be giving them a panic attack."

Nel smiled back at him. "I know," she said again, in a sing-song voice, and Hashirama shook his head with a wry smile.

They walked for about another minute, before they heard a very familiar voice echoing through the corridors; "Hashirama? Nel, is that you guys?"

"Ichigo!" Nel cried as her face lit up with joy. She ran the remaining few steps until she saw him, hands and feet bound and chained with sekkiseki. She immediately tore the bars off his cell, and got to work on his bindings.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ichigo asked, as Nel worked. "Never mind that. What's going on?"

Hashirama shook his head, shrugging. "We were hoping you could tell us."

"Hashirama! Give me a hand. These chains are tough!" Nel called out, as she was unable to free Ichigo.

"The last thing I heard was that the Gotei was preparing to ambush the Espada who were coming with some kind of set up. Gin Ichimaru is secretly working against Aizen-"

"What?!" Nel stopped what she was doing.

"Hurry up and get me out of these things," Ichigo said. "We need to help Madara and Harribel. Oh! And Yamamoto wanted to execute a friend of mine. I'm here because I…" He trailed off, suddenly looking sheepish blushing.

"Say no more," Hashirama ordered, suddenly serious. "Consider your words carefully, Ichigo. Madara and Harribel are no longer my allies. In fact, if Aizen's forces and the Gotei 13 thin each other out, it is only to my benefit. If you wish to aid either of them, I cannot allow you to be freed."

Ichigo's expression darkened as he was lost for words, but both of their attentions were drawn to Nel as she kicked the wall in frustration. She had been trying to cut through the chains with Gamuza, but could not even put a nick in them. "Oh be quiet, Hashirama. Ichigo is a friend, right?"

She did not even bother to look at Hashirama as she grunted, exerting all her strength in futility trying to break the Sekkiseki around Ichigo's wrists. "What is this stuff made of? It's indestructible!" She cried in frustration, before remembering the point of their mission. "Guys, let's figure this out later. I still have Orihime's hairpin."

Hashirama rose wordlessly, and Ichigo kept his eyes on the Hokage's clone as he followed suit. "I'm going to need a hand…" He motioned to his found feet.

Hashirama sighed, before using his wood style to create a cradle. Popping Ichigo in, Nel wrestled with the cradle, but could not find any solid purchase. Frustrated, she settled with picking Ichigo out of it and slinging him over her shoulder like a backpack.. "Come on, let's head over to Orihime." She said, before making her way out of the tower.

"Wait!" Ichigo suddenly called out, right before Nel was about to begin running toward Orihime's reiatsu. "That's my Dad…"

Nel looked up into the sky, expanding her Pesquisa. Sure enough, she sensed the flaring of Isshin Kurosaki's reiatsu northbound, not far beyond the walls of the Seireitei. The person he was facing off against was… "Lord Ichimaru…?" She whispered.

North Rukongai - District 2

"Gin." Isshin hissed. Engetsu was drawn, and his spiritual pressure swirled around him in a blue maelstrom..

"Captain Kurosaki. Fancy seeing you here."

"What are you playing at, Gin? I want the truth, from one outcast to another!" Isshin demanded. "Rangiku is on death row, branded a traitor because of your association, yet every word that falls from her lips is in compliment to you."

Gin opened his eyes, dropping his chin slightly and pursing his lips. That confirmed Toshiro's words. I have to get to her quickly. Get her out of here, and then… And then-

"Tell me, what is your plan, Gin? Is it really to kill Aizen?" Isshin spoke again, interrupting his thoughts.

"...I want to create a better place for Rangiku, where she will never need to cry again," Gin said, almost too soft to hear.

Isshin's face contorted in rage as he pointed the tip of Engetsu at the silver haired man before him. "You?!" He demanded, half scoffing. "How?!"

Gin did not answer, so he continued; "Even as you head toward her now, you do so upon a path watered by the blood of her Captain-"

"Captain Hitsugaya is being healed as we speak! I spared his life!" Gin shouted back. His voice was not as rough as Isshin's, and despite the outburst, sounded weak compared to the rolling bass of the elder Kurosaki. He did not let that intimidate him, however, maintaining eye contact even as Isshin grabbed him by the front of his robe with his free hand.

"Alright, tell me your plan, then!" Isshin roared into his face, "Rangiku has cried more in one day - one conversation - than I ever remember her doing over her decades as my Lieutenant. How does that factor into this 'better place' for her? And how exactly do you intend to make things 'better' for her?"

The side of Gin's face twitched, as if he had just been struck, but he remained silent yet again.

"So tell me. For the last time. What is your plan? What is this 'place' you have in mind for her? Each. And. Every. Step." Isshin spat, emphasizing the last few words.

Gin did not struggle as Isshin hoisted his feet off the ground. In fact, he suddenly found that he could no longer hold the Former Squad 10 Captain's gaze, and he grit his teeth. "I wanted to assassinate Aizen, but he is cautious, and his Espada are powerful. Now with the addition of Madara in his forces, I don't know what to do. I just want to see Rangiku-"

"And what?!" Isshin threw him onto the ground, causing the man to sputter as his lungs filled with dust. "Are you going to whisk her away into the world of the living, wallowing in denial for the briefest span of bliss while existence itself crumbles around you? Or have you forgotten that Aizen is trying to kill the Soul King, and that you have been helping him each step of the way?"

Gin made to speak, scrambling to his feet but Isshin placed a heavy foot on his torso, pinning the much skinnier man down. "I didn't think he would become so powerful!" Gin forced out, fighting the urge to cough. "The Hogyoku's power is beyond anything I could have imagined."

"And we all called you the 'prodigy,'" Isshin spat, "So you're scared, and now you just want to run away from this catastrophe that your hand helped shape?" Isshin bent down, placing an elbow on his knee, applying even more pressure on Gin's chest. "Is that it, Gin Ichimaru?"

Isshin's voice had grown low, and his face was close enough for Gin to feel his breath. Gin had his zanpakuto well within arm's reach, concealed in the long sleeve of his coat, and it was completely in Isshin's blind spot. He did not move to draw Shinso, however. Isshin was a man that he respected; he knew from decades of silent observation that despite his shortcomings as a Captain of the Gotei 13, he had always treated Rangiku like family. Aside from himself, there was no other person he would trust to uphold Rangiku's safety more than Isshin… So why… Why are we fighting now? He thought desperately for a way out of this situation that did not end in one of them injured or dead.

"I can kill Aizen, Captain Kurosaki," he choked. "I can tell you Aizen's weakness."

In an instant, the pressure on his chest eased. "Speak," Isshin ordered.

"I can still kill Aizen. Or Madara, but if I get rid of one, and the other learns about my methods…" Gin trailed off, and Isshin frowned.

"Madara is hardly Aizen's ally."

"He is a Hollow of immense power, and an enemy of the Seireitei-" Gin began, before Isshin stabbed Engetsu into the ground beside Gin's face.

"Don't change the topic. Aizen's weakness," he growled.

Gin closed his eyes, heaving a shuddering sigh. He had waited 110 years, training and honing his skills to be the one to finally take down Aizen. Out of sheer pride, he had kept the knowledge to himself that Kyoka Suigetsu's complete hypnosis could be overcome by physical contact with her blade. Now, for the first time, he regretted that decision. In fact, he had made a grave miscalculation from the very beginning.

In his century-long quest to surpass Aizen and take back the piece of Rangiku's soul he had stolen from her, he had not once considered the possibility that Aizen would become as untouchable as he had, and he had doubly blundered in not accounting for a the swathe of powerful allies Aizen had gathered around himself.

Gin was faced with no choice here. He needed to work together with others if he wanted to take down Aizen, and ensure a future for Rangiku.

"Okay…better late than never, right?" He said.

North Rukongai - District 78

Madara was keeping up with Yamamoto blow for blow, but speed was not the issue here; each strike hammered home to him that Yamamoto was the physically stronger combatant, and not just by a small margin. Despite being in his sage mode, and clad in a smaller version of his armored susanoo, he could not completely stop the Head Captain's blows, instead protecting himself via redirection and careful positioning.

Yamamoto had yet to release his Bankai, so he, too, held back on his sword release. He wanted to use his Resurreccion to catch Yamamoto off-guard at an opportune moment, and would only release reactively if he absolutely needed to.

It was becoming increasingly clear to him that Yamamoto was not going to give up the location of the Oken, even at the cost of his life, so Madara needed to find something more important to leverage.

As the aftershock of another parry reverberated through his bones, an idea occurred to him. He had been battling Yamamoto one on one; their movements far beyond the ability of any non-Captain Gotei soldiers to follow, but there were still hundreds of Shinigami spread out around them. Time to gauge what kind of leader he really is.

Clasping his hands together, Madara's rinnegan glowed as he scanned his surroundings for reiatsu signatures. 100… 200… 300… 500… He smiled.

"Deep Forest Bloom!" He roared. A chorus of alarmed cries sounded out on the battlefield as enormous pods of plants burst forth from vines that snaked out of the snow around them. As the pods grew, flowers began to bloom, quickly blanketing the area in a cloud of murky pollen.

High up in the skies, Yamamoto was far above the pollen cloud that the jutsu had released. The heat from Ryujin Jakka also incinerated any pollen that floated too close. "What trickery is this, Madara?" He bellowed, but his question was answered as his Shinigami began to drop one after the other, clawing at their throats in futility.

Yamamoto's eyes widened in rage. "You would sink so low?!"

Madara smiled in response. "These soldiers came to the battlefield armed and ready to take my life. Surely you cannot expect me to simply ignore them?"

Yamamoto's crimson flames simmered around him, slowly shifting to a lighter color, until the roots close to his flesh began to take on a blu-ish, white color. Madara squinted through the brightness of the flames, as he felt the heat radiating from the Head Captain's direction strengthen in potency. He cares for his men…I can use that to my advantage.

"If you are so desperate to know the location of the Oken, then I will oblige you, Madara Uchiha," he began, sheathing his zanpakuto and slamming a fist against his chest. "It is right here! These very bones of mine have been infused by the Soul King's reiatsu. That is the truth of the Oken."

"By my presence, the gates of the Royal Palace will open, and upon my death my body shall return to ash." Madara clenched his fists as Yamamoto continued; "There is no way for you to obtain an Oken, foolish hollow."

"Who is the Soul King, and why is he so important?"

"A lowly existence such as your own does not merit the knowledge of Reio. You have been delivered here to your death, Madara Uchiha. Make peace with it before I strike you down." Yamamoto replied.

Madara did not know if Yamamoto was telling the truth about the Oken. The Head Captain was clearly ready for him, and was unperturbed by the loss of his forces. So as Madara racked his brain on his next course of action, another, highly concerning question rose to the fore of his mind.

"You knew we were coming. Who tipped you off?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Former Captain Ichimaru informed us you would be arriving here today. That troubled child must be cursed to betray everyone he associates with," Yamamoto answered immediately. "He will also be dealt with, after your death."

If Madara had been fighting Hashirama, or anyone who had knowledge about wood release, they would know that he could not possibly use the Deep Forest Bloom while he himself was in the air. Yamamoto did not have such information, however, and Madara had already confirmed at Konoha forest, as well as by proxy through Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu, that even the Head Captain was susceptible to Genjutsu.

The Deep Forest Bloom was real, but the Madara that Yamamoto was fighting in the skies was an illusion. Well camouflaged in the cloud of pollen below them, hiding between some of the gigantic spore pods, Madara frowned deeply. Has Gin been a double agent for the Shinigami this entire time? He thought, before shaking his head to himself No. Yamamoto just said he needed to be dealt with…what is going on? Honing into Gin's reiatsu, Madara sensed that he was very far south, traveling with…Isshin Kurosaki?

Madara's brow twitched. He was having a hard time making heads or tails of the situation at hand. Extending his senses further in the direction Gin and Isshin were traveling, he started as he felt Nel's signature shining brightly next to the dim, but unmistakable reiatsu of Ichigo Kurosaki. Are they all connected, somehow? And then a terrible thought occurred. Have I been used as a decoy for something greater!? Gin! He would not dare!

He took off in the silver haired Shinigami's direction at full speed, even as a new plan began to take shape. If his guess was right, Gin and Isshin were heading toward the Seireitei, and that was where Nel and Ichigo were. Yamamoto was a ruthless warrior - of that, there was no doubt. But he was also the leader of the Gotei 13, the protector of the Seireitei.

Madara himself had thought his own heart had frozen over with hatred for Konoha. It was not until the impending destruction of his village, and seeing Hashirama ready to give everything to protect it, that he had also decided to stake his life for it. It felt like so long ago, when Yamamoto had forced that choice upon him. Now, he would demand the same of the old Captain. He would hold the Seireitei hostage in exchange for access to the Soul Palace. He could sense nobody in the Seireitei who had enough reiatsu to even remotely threaten him.

He wouldn't kill all the innocents, of course. He refused to sink to such senseless depravity. The pollen from the Deep Forest Bloom only served to knock its victims unconscious, but Yamamoto did not know that, either. He would threaten the jutsu in the Seireitei, allowing Yamamoto to conjure up his own nightmares about his peoples' suffering. Having seen its effects first hand already, Yamamoto would be dancing in his palm out of fear for his people.

Madara smirked. Even if the old man had to remain alive for them to enter the Soul Palace, watching the Head Captain grovel would, at least for the time being, placate his thirst for revenge. The stage was set and the pieces were in place. Once he released his genjutsu, Yamamoto would come charging into the Seireitei, and then it would be checkmate.

AN: this was a hard chapter to write. Somehow it seemed like pacing has slowed down to a crawl, what with so many characters and fighting going on simultaneously. Hopefully I've done the first part of everybody's fight justice!

Also...next chapter was meant to be part of this chapter, but it just got too big. This chapter is another 10k+ word one already. I've had this story beat planned since the beginning of the fic, and some of you are really going to not like the character death that is about to happen. Bonus points if anyone can guess who dies, but I doubt anyone will :P

As always, leave a review if you have any questions/criticisms. I read and appreciate all of them. Thanks for the support, everyone, and I will reply to reviews end of next chapter. Should be out in a week or 2 at most, but I want to do this next one 100% justice...stay tuned everybody!