~FIREFLY KNIGHTS~

Bleach Copyright Tite Kubo

Firefly Knights Copyright Illand Girl

'For those that need a Guardian.'


Chapter 21: Reflections of Reality


"Gin." His only word was an easy command, but Gin didn't move. The brown-haired captain frowned, looking at his subordinate. Gin hadn't moved since Naomi drew her zanpakutō. It took him a moment to realize, as he turned to see Naomi. She was looking at him-

He felt the cold pressure permeate his body again, his heart pumped once, twice, then he felt something cut into his left shoulder. Blood seeped into his haori, dripping down his body. Sōsuke looked down at the cut that spanned from his deltoid to his serratus. His hold on Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis wavered, and in that moment, he realized that his own world was staggering.

'I see. ' He looked across the hall to Naomi, to her unmoving form as she stared him down. He released his hypnosis, seeing the hollowed spirit standing closer to him, her eyes were closed as she held her zanpakutō beside her. Blood dripped from the tip of her blade. Naomi's eyes opened to first look at the blood, then to Aizen. Hot breath escaped her mouth again as she winced, her eyes straining to stay open.

With the illusions lifted, all battles ceased.

Gin couldn't believe what he was seeing. The kid somehow managed to cut Aizen. In the century he'd been following the man he'd never seen him get so much as a scratch . It was practically impossible thanks to the massive reiryoku that surrounded him. Piercing that alone would require powers within the same realm as his. And yet this kid sliced through him like butter. For some reason Gin expected Aizen to be furious. A direct hit on him surely would've bruised his ego, no? Yet Aizen wasn't angry, or afraid even. If anything, he felt a thrill creep up his spine as a smile split his lips. This was the closest thing to a challenge he'd felt in far too long. His mind immediately dissected and broke the event down piece by piece. Filtering together how she had managed to not only cut him, but seemingly cast an illusion of her own onto him. Kyōka Suigetsu had flawless control of the five senses, and now he had proof of it having experienced it firsthand. So that meant she had sent back his own illusion onto himself.

"So that's your power. It would make sense, considering your lesser ability to rebound one's attack back on itself. Your release allows you to reflect your opponent's spiritual pressure and direct it back at them the same way. Effectively forcing the user to cast himself into his own net. Very clever," he held his sword in front of him, as if on display. "But it seems you can only do this while the ability is active. Since Kanzen Saimin is not in effect, I have broken free."

Naomi didn't move, but he felt her spiritual pressure brush against his to confirm he was in fact not using his hypnosis. Good girl, she was learning quickly not to trust her senses. If she continued to grow like this, she may become an entertaining opponent in the future.

"Captain... Aizen...!" Hinamori cried from the floor, struggling to pull herself up enough to look for him. Tōshirō instinctively stood between Momo and Aizen, but his gaze was fixed to the wound on Aizen's shoulder. The ex-captain of squad 5 ignored her, still staring enigmatically at Naomi. A shiver ran through the girl as she felt exposed under that gaze. Briefly, she was reminded of the captain with the sour scent.

"And from the fact that this cut is so shallow," he lightly brushed the blood from his wound, showing it was only a few inches deep at most. Still a blow, but nothing close to fatal like it might've been. His haori and Shihakushō were ripped but remained covering his body. He reached with his good arm across his chest to pull the fabric open, revealing the side of his broad chest and shoulder.

"You didn't know exactly where I was. You used your sensory ability and took a guess. Still, you managed to cut me. Well done." Sōsuke's smile showed the top row of perfectly straight teeth, but there was a darkness to it that had Naomi bracing herself. She swallowed a lump in her throat, doing her best to feign bravery.

"But it won't happen a second time." he said, raising his free hand. Naomi sniffed the air, sensing a change in his spiritual pressure.

"Hadō number 90: Kurohitsugi."

She was consumed in a black box within a second, vanishing from the captain's sights. Seeing as Aizen was preoccupied with the girl, Gin had nothing better to do than to try and take out the little captain.

"Pierce his flesh, Shinsō!" The dagger elongated, rushing towards the shorter captain. Tōshirō deflected the blade, then squared up with the snake. A fierce look in the squad 10 captain's eyes despite the blood dripping on his Shihakushō. His eyes drifted to the black box where Naomi was. Why didn't she try to dodge it? She was fast, it should've been easy to dodge. Moments later, the Hadō completed, and Naomi remained standing. Small scratches could be seen in her wrap, along with a single cut across her nose. Otherwise, she remained exactly as when he had last seen her. Sōsuke frowned.

"How unfortunate. I failed to perfect that kidō with more than a third of its true power. But still, I am impressed. You have quite durable skin, Naomi Sakurai." Sōsuke watched as the girl took a deep breath.

"I try," she said, barely speaking in a whisper. Her voice was strained, this was clearly difficult for her to maintain. The spiritual pressure she was exuding was enormous, larger than most captains. To suddenly have such a heavy weight on your shoulders; it was a wonder Naomi hadn't buckled under the pressure.

Sōsuke watched her, noticing how she tilted her head. What was she thinking? Her attention was not on him clearly, as she vanished, reappearing next to Tōshirō. She deflected Gin's Shinsō with a rebound, surprising both captains. This rebound was different from previous ones. Gin's shikai bounced back to its dagger length, surprising the man as he looked down to his zanpakutō. Perhaps it was a similar ability to the one she used to deflect his Kanzen Saimin? Still, it was odd that she chose to rebound that, and yet Sōsuke had expected her to try and evade the Hadō he sent at her. But she didn't move, didn't try to flee. Did she know her skin would harden enough to withstand such a strike? Perhaps she could sense the level of potency in the attack? A curious situation indeed.

Naomi's defence was a welcome reprieve. As much as Tōshirō wanted to go head-to-head with Gin, his shoulder had him struggling to keep up. But with the girl next to him in her released state, Tōshirō struggled against the negative emotions swarming inside his chest. He felt frozen in place. Though he had to admit, Tōshirō preferred it when she was in the sealed state over this. It felt like the life was slowly draining from his body with her standing so close. However, this spiritual pressure was impossible for Aizen to replicate with his illusions. And oddly enough, with Naomi standing next to him, Tōshirō found a sense of strength.

"Aizen," Tōshirō's voice gritted out, thinking of the girl struggling to breathe at his feet. "What did you do to Momo?"

Aizen glanced lazily at the body laying behind them. What little strength the girl still had was being used to remain breathing. A pity, the combined spiritual pressures in the hall must be crushing for such a weak soul. Though he had to admit, it was impressive she was even breathing. Sōsuke's gazed slowly slid back to the short captain. Eyes half-lidded as he stared down his nose at his ex-comrade.

"You say that as though I've done harm to her. Tell me, what harm has come to Momo from my hand?" Aizen asked. Tōshirō was stunned, his eyes widening in surprise.

"What have you-" his eyes narrowed, rage consuming them. "You made her believe that you had died! Pushed her to try to fight Gin, to fight Sakurai, even me! Were you trying to kill her?!"

"Yes I did find it amusing how easy it was to shatter your bonds. I had hoped that Naomi would kill Momo, and you would be obligated to kill Naomi afterwards. That, or she would kill you. I wasn't entirely certain how that part would unravel." Aizen admitted, a cold smile on his face as he looked at Naomi. She was quiet, watching him from beneath her bone mask. "You disappointed me though. You saw through her blind rage and failed to kill her when given the opportunity. Curious, that you would falter when Momo has been your easiest opponent since stepping into the Seireitei."

Tōshirō glanced at Naomi, who didn't look away from Aizen. He hadn't known what to make of the scene when he first found Sakurai and Momo. He hadn't entirely believed Sakurai to be innocent either. But if what Aizen said was true, he owed Naomi a lot more than he initially thought.

"You didn't know? Tōshirō, did you really think someone of that level would have a difficult time against Lieutenant Hinamori? It would be more tedious to try and stop her without harm." Sōsuke sounded condescending as he spoke. "It is difficult to step on ants without crushing them."

"Ants..." The mockery made Tōshirō's blood boil as he glared at Aizen. "Momo looked up to you. She admired you, respected you, even risked her life to become your lieutenant... And you speak of her as if she were an insect?"

"An ant is still an ant even if it holds value," Aizen said smoothly, shocking Tōshirō. "But you are correct. Momo has been a very capable lieutenant. Her abilities, along with her blind admiration made her easy to control every step of the way."

Naomi glanced at Gin, off to the side of Aizen, he was watching the back and forth with an ever-present grin. His gaze shifted to hers as she narrowed her eyes at him. She hadn't forgotten that he was there and was remembering their last encounter. Had he been trying to warn her from coming here? Or was she lending too much credence to him? His actions still didn't make sense to her, but Naomi was beginning to understand that he never would make much sense.

After digesting Aizen's words, Tōshirō flared his spiritual pressure. It amused Aizen as he laughed lightly.

"Take this lesson to heart, Tōshirō. Perhaps one day you will understand it." Aizen showed his humour, grinning as his eyes held nothing but mockery. To Naomi, they looked empty.

"Admiration is the furthest thing from understanding."

Rage . The little captain felt nothing but white-hot fury at those words. Tōshirō went to strike him, ready to mow him down with all he had. In a flash, Naomi stopped Tōshirō by grasping the back of his haori, she yanked him closer to her with a startling amount of strength. From fierce warrior to house cat; Tōshirō felt like a kitten being picked up by the scruff of his neck as he was wretched back into place. His gaze snapped to Naomi, fire in his teal eyes.

"What-" He gasped, looking at her as she bent down and licked his shoulder wound . The sounds that came from his mouth were both childish and outraged. "What the hell are you-!"

"Shut up," she growled. Her eyes side-glancing at him briefly with an animosity he'd never seen before. Tōshirō's blood dripped from her mouth, staining her pale chin as she dipped her head to lick him again. The little captain was stunned into submission. This was not something he'd ever expected to see. He heard a sizzling and looked down to see his wound was closing. The pain subsided quickly, and he watched Naomi lick her hands before more sizzling could be heard from beneath her wrap. He touched his shoulder, not feeling the wounds any longer and still in shock. Rapid regeneration? No, it seemed her saliva held healing properties. It reminded him of captain Unohana's shikai.

"Tōshirō," Naomi sounded strained as she spoke. Tōshirō, for the first time, was so stunned by what just happened that he didn't even correct her. "Like Aizen said, his Kanzen Saimin is what created all those illusions. I can't fully stop him, but I can deflect it onto him long enough to make him stop the hypnosis temporarily. It means that he can, theoretically, still cast it on you and Hinamori if we're not careful."

Aizen watched, amused by her attempts at strategy. He'd let her, curious what sort of plan of attack she might come up with.

Tōshirō sobered up at her words, holding his zanpakutō in his right hand as Naomi stood partly behind him. He glanced at her, the feeling of her spiritual pressure mending his skin brought a feeling of relief, but also a deep chilling cold in places he'd never known to feel that way. Tōshirō shivered. He wanted to ask what was going on with her. Why was her spiritual pressure suddenly there? Why was it sucking the life from him? Why did it feel closer to a hollow's than a soul reaper? And why did this release create a mask that rested on top of her head? Perhaps, once this was over, he would ask her.

But for now, he had to focus on survival.

Begrudgingly, Tōshirō realized that only Naomi stood a fighting chance against Aizen. If Naomi could sense him out, at the very least she could defend herself enough to flee any strikes. She had proven herself to be strong, considering she had taken on Gin and Tōsen and still lived. Tōshirō couldn't deny her ability. He gripped his zanpakutō so tightly it hurt. A brief glance at Momo, and he was back in the right headspace.

"If you can occupy him, even for a little while, I'll take care of Ichimaru. Can you hold your own?" He asked, his spiritual pressure rising once more. Naomi hummed, though it sounded more nervous this time.

"In a manner of speaking, I guess." She didn't sound confident, in fact her voice was a little shaky, but he could hear the underlying determination in her voice.

It was courage.

He felt a wry smile slip onto his face as he glanced at the snake in the room.

"Then don't die on me, Sakurai." He gave her those parting words before using flash step to give space. Gin looked up as Tōshirō came flying at him, the little captain's spiritual pressure skyrocketing.

"Bankai!"

Naomi felt Tōshirō's release but couldn't watch him and see it personally. Her eyes were set on Aizen, who was just standing across from her. Staring at her with that enigmatic expression. She hoped Tōshirō would be able to stand against Gin, or maybe help her in some way. There was no doubt in her mind that Aizen was out of her league. Especially like this. Her body felt like she'd gained two hundred pounds, the pressure impossibly heavy. Her wounds from Momo and Gin were healed, but the hierro on her skin was so dense it made breathing difficult.

"I must admit, you exceeded my expectations," Sōsuke said from across the short distance, only to appear directly in front of her. Naomi didn't react as he stood above her smaller stature, his eyes condescending as he looked down his nose at her. Sōsuke noticed her lack of reaction, frowning. "You don't seem afraid."

"It's called acting." She said, voice still strained. He reached out to touch her, but in a blink, she was the one touching his back. He could feel her small fingers ghosting over his spine. Though he had allowed her, she had moved faster than his expectations.

"You didn't strike." He said, not turning to look at her. He felt mildly disappointed that she hadn't taken the chance he gave her. He had been hoping she would try and strike him so that he could prove to her how outclassed she really was.

"Neither did you." She said, as if that somehow justified the rejection of the opportunity that he'd given her. On some level, Sōsuke felt insulted. It frustrated him that this girl was speaking at him like they were on equal footing . As if he needed some sort of opportune moment to defeat her. Yet on the other hand, he found it oddly refreshing that she was not degrading his capabilities, simply being polite about returning the favour. All without thinking she had somehow gotten the upper hand. Sōsuke turned slowly to look at the girl, finding her eyes held a raw determination to them, but he also saw fear. Even afraid of him, she held herself together and allowed opportunities to slip past her.

A strange girl indeed.

She vanished, appearing further into the vast halls trying to separate from the battle Gin and Tōshirō were having. Naomi looked to where she had been, then froze as she felt Aizen appear behind her. This time he struck, but the mirror appeared behind her to block the attack. His sword felt like it was stuck against the mirror, as if it were being sucked in. Naomi spun to strike him with her zanpakutō. He used El Escudo on his left arm to block the strike, kicking out at Naomi in the next movement. She blocked it with her right hand, the impact rattling her arm. To her credit, she remained standing, but Sōsuke wasn't done as he opened his left palm, the same one with the barrier beside it, and faced it to Naomi.

"Hadō 31: Shakkahō." A red blast fired at her in the short distance. Naomi dropped her zanpakutō and opened her left palm, consuming the blast barely in time. So, she could still use that other strange ability in this form. Aizen had been curious if he could coax it out of her, and he had succeeded. Naomi created space, moving away from Aizen and using sonidō twice to keep him from following her. He smirked, enjoying her tenacity. It was refreshing to see the determination mixed with fear. He was correct to think she was not considering herself on equal footing with him. Her sensory abilities told her she wasn't even close to his level. And yet she was foolish enough to continue fighting him.

"I must say, I admire your skills. You have picked up fighting quite quickly, considering Urahara likely taught you for less than a month before you arrived here." He said, expecting to elicit some sort of response from Naomi. She frowned, tilting her head. Was she even listening to him?

"What makes you think Kisuke taught me?" she asked, moving to the left with slow, careful steps. What was she doing? Sōsuke chose to indulge her a bit, curious to see what she was planning.

"Who else would have prepared you to arrive in the Seireitei? Who else had the knowledge and the skill to prepare you for captain level soul reapers that was within your reach? Considering how much you enjoy nosing about, I'm certain you've heard by now that Kisuke Urahara is the ex-captain of squad 12. But did you know he was exhiled to the world of the living?" To her credit, Naomi did not seem overly startled by his words. She hummed as if trying to force two puzzle pieces together that didn't quite fit. Sōsuke decided to enlighten her further, a glint catching his glasses and hiding his expression. "Kisuke was just like you. Always getting his nose in other people's business."

Finally, the puzzle pieces seemed to click together. Naomi's eyes brightened with realization.

"So it's you who he had beef with," she said quietly, her breaths heavy. She had suspected it from the vague clues he'd given her before that she was on the right track, but now she was certain. Aizen was the one Kisuke spoke of when he said someone was working to destroy Soul Society from the inside. Sōsuke smiled, enjoying himself as he watched her piece the clues together.

"You catch on quickly. But it appears that you don't know the full story then? Interesting. I never expected Kisuke to send his foot soldiers in completely blind. But he did, evidently." Sōsuke reactivated Kanzen Saimin without saying a word. He wondered if she noticed? "He sent you in like lambs to the slaughter."

He took a step towards her, she didn't move. He took another, testing her resolve. Naomi tensed, tightening her grip on her resummoned zanpakutō. Espejo glimmered as if reflecting sunlight. Despite her shivering, Naomi didn't back away from him. It was entertaining to watch her try and stand her ground. Her fear in her eyes was eclipsed by a different emotion he knew well. It was determination. He had seen it on many faces over the long centuries. He had also seen how it looked when the light would leave them, when fear would override determination. Sōsuke wondered how far he'd have to push her to see her fall.

"Well, I'd like to think I'm more of a fox than a lamb." Naomi rambled, watching his eyes and brushing her spiritual pressure against his. This was good. He made a front of his spiritual pressure and surrounded himself. This would make him a beacon for her sensory ability. Naomi noticed. She took a step sideways, just one, and never backwards. Sōsuke noticed.

"There is one thing I haven't been able to figure out though," she tilted her head, watching him carefully. He hummed, inviting her to continue. Considering she had been rather polite to him up until now, he decided she was worthy of those same social graces she had shown him. "What is it that you're after? Kisuke said it was destruction of Soul Society."

At her words a dark look crossed his eyes. She knew immediately that was not in fact the correct answer. Naomi continued before he could speak.

"Okay, not destruction. Hmm. World domination? Please don't tell me it's world domination."

"Why? Do you find it too contrived?" He was curious, entertained despite knowing her opinions shouldn't matter. In the back of his mind he reminded himself that it was almost time to go. But he had time, he supposed. Enough time to enjoy this a little bit longer.

"Respectfully, I've read enough books to know the higher you climb the harder you fall." She said, planting her feet. He felt her spiriutal pressure radiate off her. Her words sounded tight as she stood still. Sōsuke chuckled, understanding the imagery she had of the world. It was a sound logic, for someone without the drive to succeed.

"And most would fall. It is not a climb for the faint of heart," his glasses caught a glint, hiding his expression from her. "But those that belong at the top will climb as far as they please, until they sit upon the heavens."

Naomi looked disappointed, a frown on her lips. It oddly insulted Sōsuke. This tiny human girl thought she could pass judgement on him? As if her opinions mattered?

"So, all of this is because you want a pretty view and a nice seat." She said with a sour tone. What struck Sōsuke as odd, was his desire to re-educate her on the subject. Enlighten her, so to speak. He chuckled.

"Was it not you who said, 'the only thing we can do is climb' ? Is that not the same thing?" He asked, changing the angle of his illusion just slightly to see if she had noticed. She stared at the illusion, not catching on to the fact that he had used his hypnosis once more. So her sensory truly was imperfect, at least at this stage. Perhaps with more training she could use it to perfectly track opponents. Despite her willingness to fight earlier, Naomi remained quiet, eyes strained as she thought silently. She wasn't sure what to say to him. Her lips flattened into a thin line in contemplation.

"There's a difference between you and me though. I am clearly on a lower level than you." She admitted. Aizen let out a breathy laugh. He had not expected a compliment from her.

"Flattery will not work." He said, finding her blunt words amusing.

"It's not flattery, just a fact. I can smell you. Your spiritual pressure is massive ." She glanced at Momo, then took a breath, holding Espejo a little higher. "Which means that, I have a longer way to climb than you."

"Oh? And you believe you will one day reach the same level as me? How naive." He wanted to laugh; the idea sounded absurd. "I am at the top of my power. I have maxed out my potential as a soul reaper. You will never reach me."

And yet he was reminded of the fact that up unless she tapped into the power of the hollow, he was unable to feel her spiritual pressure. Perhaps the hollow was only a fraction of it, and he was able to perceive just that portion? Or maybe she had no base spiritual pressure and all her abilities we simply her drawing on the hollow? None of her abilities seemed to have faded yet, implying they were all originating from the one source.

"You can call it being naive, but the difference between you and me is I am nowhere near my full potential." She braced into the balls of her feet. Did she expect to strike him mid-conversation? That would be rude of her after he'd been kind enough to extend his social graces for her. "Between the two of us, I've got the better chances of evolving."

'Curious words,' Sōsuke thought. How on the nose she'd been with that without even knowing. He felt a true grin, one filled with dark thoughts and cold reality, slip onto his face.

"The purpose of evolution is to enhance survival. So survive , Naomi Sakurai." He urged her. Naomi gripped Espejo tighter, swallowed her fear, and lunged for him. A frontal attack? It wasn't like her at all-

Ah.

Tōshirō's wave of ice followed at her heels. She had been adjusting herself to align with Gin and Hitsugaya's battle. Tōshirō, whether realizing it or not, was sending waves of ice directly at his teammate. It was a good thing Naomi was able to sense it, lest she be caught in the ice as well. Aizen raised Kyōka Suigetsu to strike her, but then found Naomi was behind him faster than he expected her to be. Her speed was increasing. She sliced at him and not the illusion, likely using her sensory ability again. Aizen assumed she would not trust her other senses for the rest of this battle. It was a shame.

"Impressive," he said, slicing at the ice with his zanpakutō while using his shield once again to defend from the opposite side. "But I already told you, you won't cut me again ."

He vanished, creating space to allow his illusions to distort the room around her just slightly to keep her off kilter. She staggered, closing her eyes to stay focused. But Aizen had already moved to exactly where he needed to be.

"I think I've heard that line before." She sounded like Gin, using humour to keep her spirits up in battle. She took deep breaths, was that her focusing her sensory, or was it fatigue? Sōsuke was curious what she smelled, if she was able to distinctly tell each of them apart. He was almost tempted to ask her outright.

Naomi appeared ten feet from him, face determined despite her closed eyes. Her whole eyelid was covered in black, like the cat-eye markings, making the closed eyes look like voids. It didn't match the electric green they became when they opened. This time, Sōsuke wanted her to strike him. He wanted her to attempt to stab him as he flared his spiritual pressure to act as a beacon once more. Knowing that she could find him easier with it, he decided to use it to his advantage. He waited patiently, ready and waiting for Naomi's sword to run him through.

Evidently, Naomi Sakurai had a running streak of never doing what he wanted her to, so why would she start now?

She vanished, and instead of reappearing next to him with her blade poised for the stab, she appeared behind him again. This time he used his shield, remembering the little trick she did with his Hadō. The red blast escaped her palm, colliding with his shield. He swung his sword, clashing with hers for the first time. That cold feeling covered him as her spiritual pressure radiated off her. He expected to feel her through the blade, feel Naomi's soul. He didn't.

Naomi created space, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Aizen. A frown graced her lips. She had felt something in his zanpakutō, but he was unsure how. Hers felt lifeless beside her, he couldn't sense it at all. Her power resonated from her and the mirror, but the blade was empty. And yet Naomi was looking at him as if trying to solve a puzzle. She came at him again, they clashed swords, and still Aizen felt nothing. She appeared in front of him, about to take a stab at him, when she vanished from the spot and Shinsō stabbed him in the chest.

Aizen's eyes widened, he stared down at the blade, blood running from the corners of his mouth. He coughed, blood spilling onto the floor in front of him as he struggled to hold his zanpakutō. Naomi stared with wide eyes, Tōshirō and Gin also stood staring. The little captain had blocked Gin's attack and sent it careening towards Naomi and Aizen. Hitsugaya had faith that Naomi, of all people, would sense the attack and dodge. He was right, and it aligned perfectly with their timing. He managed to get Gin to strike his own teammate. This would drastically tip the scales in their favour as he felt mild relief.

So why was Gin holding back laughter?

"Ya really shouldn't've dodged that~!" He sung in a mocking voice. Tōshirō's glare on Gin receded as he realized Aizen's spiritual pressure had not changed.

Slowly, Tōshirō turned to look at Aizen. The man was indeed standing where he had been before, but instead of a shocked face with blood streaming down his chin, Aizen's smirk was proudly on display as he stared Tōshirō down. The little captain's eyes widened, meeting his gaze, then lowering to see what the blade was stabbing. It had made an impact, but not on Aizen. Rather, the smaller body in front of him. Aizen held Momo up by the back of her neck, her eyes were glossy as she stared at the blade in her chest. It ran her straight through, Shinsō stopping inches away from Aizen standing behind her. Blood dripped onto Aizen's robes from the tip of the blade. Tōshirō's heart stopped for a moment, his eyes registering the scene. Realizing that Momo, not Aizen, was the one being stabbed. Aizen had used her as a human shield, and Tōshirō had been the one to enact Aizen's plan. Everything came back to him in a rush as he screamed.

"MOMO!" Tōshirō shouted, flying at Aizen with reckless abandon. Naomi was stunned, not having been able to sense Hinamori over Aizen's overwhelming scent. He'd known she wouldn't sense her, used her own confidence against her even. But even in her shock she could sense Aizen moving despite his visage standing there. It was a trap.

"Tōshirō stop!"

It was too late; Naomi could only watch as the squad 10 captain was cut down right there. Aizen stood behind Tōshirō, Momo freshly discarded where she had been impaled. Tōshirō's eyes were fixed on Momo's form as he staggered two steps before his ice wings shattered around him as he tipped forward. Naomi snapped out of it, using sonidō to reach him in time. She caught him, his head rested in her arms as she slowly lowered him to the ground.

"Momo...Mo...mo..." He was whispering. Naomi swallowed, then reached her fingers into her mouth to cover them in saliva. Strings of salivation stretched between her mouth and her fingers, dripping onto the captain's wounds. They sizzled as she did her best to heal him.

"You did well, Sakurai. Had you not moved, Momo would've been forced to cut you down." Aizen's words sounded twisted and distorted to her. When did he activate his hypnosis again? Aizen smiled at her. "I'm sure you're wondering, when did I activate it again? The answer is simple, when you let your guard down to focus on the battle behind you."

Naomi swallowed; her mouth pursed into a tight line to keep the rage in check.

"That was cruel." She growled in a lower octave, her eyes looking a darker shade of green. Aizen hummed, his smile thinning.

"Cruel? I would call it kindness," he glanced at Momo's blood that had stained his haori by his chest, mingling with his own that was still slowly staining his robes. "Momo can no longer live without me. I made sure of that. What kind of life would she live if she went on? Cruelty would be letting her continue like this."

"You're lying," her voice was hoarse. Aizen tilted his head, his mask of kindness back on to confuse her. She was walking a dangerous line with that tone of hers.

"Oh really? And what do you believe my reasoning is?" Aizen asked. Naomi shifted, her spine cracking. She would crumble under her own spiritual pressure soon if she kept this up.

"You say it's out of kindness, I think it's fear." She gently put Tōshirō down, trying to move over to Momo. Aizen stopped her, appearing between the two girls. Naomi, to her credit, didn't back down. A fire was in her eyes.

"Fear?" He laughed softly. "What would I have to fear from my lieutenant? She worshipped me and obeyed me perfectly. I am only showing her kindness by not shattering that image of me that she so desperately clings to."

Naomi lowered her gaze, hiding her eyes. He saw her clench her fists, her shoulders shaking. Why would Aizen kill her out of mercy? Why would his sword feel so...

"You said 'an ant is still and ant even if it has value. ' So you valued Momo?" She remembered the look Aizen and Momo shared when she first met them. The warmth in his eyes. How could someone fake that? "Or did you simply pretend to care about her and used her however you wanted?"

"Very perceptive. But yes, it was all a well fabricated lie." He admitted easily. Naomi let out a hot breath she'd been holding in, her eyes still downcast. Sōsuke sensed her battling within herself and decided to give her a moment.

"Were you afraid she would reject you if you showed her what you really are?" Naomi pressed, feeling her rage rising in her chest. A heat she was unfamiliar with pushed from deep inside of her. "Was that why you tried kill her instead of asking her to join you? Because you fear rejection?"

Aizen's smile vanished. He looked down his nose at her, a darkness seeping the corners of his vision. This girl had audacity and did not know when to stop talking . And yet, in realizing that she had managed to get under his skin, he was reminded of the only other person to do that. The only other person to present him with a challenge. Begrudgingly, he finally saw the similarities.

'She's so much like him.'

She raised her eyes back to him when he didn't answer her. While fear was evident, Naomi squared up with him, ready for a fight. He wasn't sure whether to commend her bravery or mock her naivety. She was filled with both after all. To his fascination, tiny fragments of bone began to crawl along the sides of her head, forming into the ramus of a mandible. Her spiritual pressure increased; her electric eyes darkened to emerald green. Interesting. What had changed in this short time? Her ambition? Her will? Or was it simply because more time in this form had passed? Her eyes narrowed, a growl emitting from her throat as she summoned her zanpakutō. Espejo glimmered brightly. She swung, the stroke destroying the ground and surrounding area as a massive dust cloud formed.

Without realizing it, Sōsuke let a real grin appear on his face. While he found her mouth abysmal, her power was intriguing. He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't interested in seeing her limits. She sonidō'd in front of him, even faster than the last time. He prepared a counterattack-

The helmet shattered.

Naomi's eyes widened as her spiritual pressure sank to nothing. Her transformation halting in its tracks. The dark green faded to indigo, her body returning to its human form in a split second. In the next moment, blood splattered from a slash along her back. She sunk to the ground at Aizen's feet.

He frowned, looking to where Gin was still poised with his strike. He'd used his bankai from across the vast hall to strike her down. It was disappointing. Sōsuke had been enjoying that; her trying to keep up with him. If the transformation had continued perhaps she would've been a bit more of a challenge for him. He sheathed his sword, releasing his hypnosis now that all three were down. Naomi struggled onto her hands and knees, tiny gasps and sounds akin to whimpers escaped her mouth as she struggled to breathe. The sleeveless Shihakushō struggled to remain on her as her back was completely sliced open. From the spine of her scapula to her opposite side iliac crest. The muscles were grossly damaged across her back; blood gushed from her body and pooled beneath her. It would leave a scar on her otherwise flawless skin. Sōsuke observed the girl's strangled whimpers, then looked at Gin.

"Gin, why did you interfere?" He asked in a formal tone, edging on irritation. Gin gave his usual grin, his blade already returned to its sealed state.

"Sorry captain, ya looked like ya were enjoyin' yourself, but didn't ya say we're on a time limit?" Gin hummed, glancing at the entrance to the halls. "Seems like someone else is comin'."

Indeed, Unohana and Isane were almost here, but they still had time. He had a chance to really test the girl had Gin not interfered. Aizen grabbed Naomi by the back of her neck and hoisted her to her feet. She cried, tears in her eyes as she struggled against his hold. He turned her so that her back pressed to his chest. Aizen supported her by pressing his forearm to her chest and grasped her throat. He was not strangling her, simply supporting her stance as her blood drenched his robes. Sōsuke chuckled, noticing the frown on Gin's face.

"Funny, it almost seemed like you were trying to prevent me from killing her." Aizen mused. "It would've been the perfect time, with two skilled medics arriving."

Gin paused, eyeing the two. He looked at Naomi's eyes, seeing a nasty look directed at him. He grinned, amused by the fierce glare. She was still very much alive despite the wounds she'd sustained.

"Hm? Nah, 'sides, I didn't think ya wanted to kill 'er, hm?" He looked away from Aizen as he spoke, surveying the other two fallen soul reapers. The medics arrived then, staring in stunned silence at the scene in front of them. "Uh oh. Looks like we're caught, captain."

"Captain Unohana. You're just in time. I've apprehended the Ryoka." Sōsuke fought a chuckle as he tilted Naomi's head to the side, showing her to the medics. Unohana didn't look surprised to see them, in fact she seemed rather composed.

"It's unfortunate, Sōsuke Aizen. I might've believed you, had I not run into lieutenant Matsumoto before coming here." Unohana explained, then retracted. "No, even before then. I wasn't entirely convinced by that corpse doll."

Aizen did chuckle this time, drawing his sword. He activated his hypnosis and showed them the so-called corpse doll.

"You mean this?" He asked, holding up his zanpakutō. "This is no corpse doll. Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu ."

Upon release, Unohana and Isane both realized the implications.

"An illusion. That's all this was?" Isane asked, sounding stunned. "When you gathered the lieutenants to show us..."

"You catch on quickly. I must commend you both. Yes, once someone has witnessed my Kanzen Saimin, then they are forever under my hypnosis. There is no escape. It is flawless, controlling all five senses." He lowered his head to beside Naomi's. "I can make you see anything I want, at any time. I could've convinced you that this little ryoka killed Tōshirō and Momo. I could've even convinced you both that these halls were a pit of monsters. The only limitation is my own imagination."

Unohana mulled over his words, realizing the specific requirements for the ability.

"If it must be seen, then..." She gasped. Aizen smirked, standing taller.

"That's right. It will only work on those who have sight. The release must be seen in order for you to fall under my spell. In other words, Kaname Tōsen was always my subordinate."

'Time to go,' Gin thought. He pulled out a long string of fabric and began the teleportation kidō. Aizen watched Unohana, pleased at the look of betrayal on her face.

"I must commend you Unohana. You are one of the few to figure out my hypnosis. Even though it was perfect, you still had your doubts. I will likely never see any of you again, so I must commend you for your astute deductions. Farewell."


"Connection complete. All Gotei captains, lieutenants, seated officers, and ryoka. May I have your attention please. This is squad four lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu, with an urgent announcement. Listen closely, as the message will not be repeated. This is an urgent message from captain Unohana regarding a traitor in our midst. I am sad to report that captains Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen have turned cloak and are defecting from the Gotei 13. Sōsuke Aizen faked his death and used the underground Seijōtōkyorin as a hiding place after murdering all of Central 46. Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Hinamori attempted to stop them and are in critical condition. Also, one of the ryoka has been taken hostage by Sōsuke Aizen. They are headed to Sōkyoku hill."


This chapter originally contained Sokyoku hill, but since it was mostly Aizen's rant about his plans I decided to cut it. It's a lot of Naomi being wounded and Ichigo being wounded, and both of them mostly hearing Aizen's plan, which is the same as the original so I thought it was redundant and I would hate to make you read that again. Any important moments on the hill will make it into flashbacks, so don't worry. There is some juicy moments.

And there we have it, the end of Nao's fight with Aizen. Thoughts?

MesmerizingMermaid: Thank you! That chapter was honestly so much fun to write! I wanted to expand on what happened in the show since Toshiro goes down in an instant in the canon. I like to imagine Gin was messing with him the entire time to keep him occupied and away from Naomi and Aizen. Oh and good news, Nao meets Shunsui next chapter! I'm really excited to write that dynamic honestly.

Anyway, see y'all next time!

Cheers.

Iland Girl