บท 14: Chapter 14: War on the Horizon
*This fanfic belongs to Melkor's Mercy, I don't own anything*
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karakura Town XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Isshin bolted frantically to Ryuken Ishida's home after his encounter with Urahara and the Visoreds. His mind was racing a million different directions as he tried to contemplate what was going on with Yuzu, 'Damn it…I should have paid more attention to what she was doing. Why would Yuzu be spending time with Ryuken's son?'
Upon reaching the Ishida residence, Isshin pounded on the door as hard as he could, "Ryuken, get out here!"
It didn't take long for said man to appear as he opened the door. The white haired man adjusted his glasses and looked at Isshin curiously, "Wearing your Shinigami attire I see…what brings you here Isshin?"
"I'm pretty sure you know why I'm here…where's Yuzu?!" Isshin demanded.
Ryuken sighed, "I figured you would catch on eventually. Urahara probably already did, but he's left her well enough alone. Yuzu was with my son, Uryu last I saw. He's training her in the art of being a Quincy."
"What?! You told Yuzu about all of this?! About us?!" Isshin gawked angrily.
The Quincy shook his head, "No…I did not. She came looking for me actually. Apparently Yuzu knows all about you and Karin…and Ichigo. She came by the hospital asking for me. Uryu found her there and discovered that she was a Quincy as well."
"Yuzu is human! She is not a Quincy!" Isshin said disbelievingly, "what gives you the right to keep this information from me?!"
"We've been friends for a long time, Isshin…I know you all too well. When it comes to your children, you are blind. I knew you would have protested…but there is no denying the facts here. Yuzu awakened Quincy powers and somebody found her. They told her to come to me for training, and she's been under our tutelage ever since," Ryuken explained.
Isshin balled a fist furiously, "Who could have possibly sent Yuzu to you? Was it another Quincy? How could they have known Yuzu had Quincy powers?"
"A Sternritter by the name of Candice…she tried to recruit me into the Wandenreich, but I declined. I believe she was the one who sent Yuzu to us," the white haired man answered.
Isshin's eyes widened, "Sternritter? Wandenreich? What the hell is that?!"
Ryuken sighed, "The Wandenreich is a militaristic organization of surviving pure blood Quincies. I do not know much about them, but I know they are not an organization I care to be a part of. Sternritters are like their elite knights," Ryuken stated coolly.
"That doesn't make any sense…why would somebody like that send Yuzu your way, unless…they're luring you." Isshin's eyes shot open.
Ryuken seemed to immediately catch onto Isshin's line of thought as he brought a hand to his face, "Damn it…I shouldn't have overlooked that."
"Ryuken…where's your son, and Yuzu? Could that Sternritter have contacted them again?" Isshin asked now alarmed.
Ryuken seemed caught off guard by the revelation, "I can't sense their spiritual power…I thought they were still beneath the training ground."
"Maybe they're still there?" Isshin said somewhat hopefully.
The white haired man looked away for a moment, "No…it's been too long. I should have kept a closer eye on them."
"Did they get recruited?! I thought you were watching them, Ryuken!" Isshin said frantically.
The Quincy grunted in aggravation, "I should have known, Candice was up to something. We will go find them immediately."
"You're damned right we will!" Isshin growled.
Before either man could say another word, a third voice joined their conversation, "Don't bother…I saw two people take a pair of teenagers into some kind of strange gateway recently. They're probably already out of reach."
Both men jerked their heads to the source of the voice and spotted a darker skinned woman with purple hair. Isshin gawked in disbelief, "Yoruichi?! When did you get here?"
"I've been following you since you got back at Kisuke's place. I didn't realize things had gotten that bad in the Soul Society. Your son's a hollow and he actually fought Captain Commander Yamamoto?" Yoruichi confirmed.
Isshin nodded, "Yes…where have you been all this time, anyway?"
"Hanging out with Kisuke and what not. Though after seeing all of the Visoreds head back to the Soul Society, I figured it was a good time to come out of hiding," Yoruichi elaborated.
"I guess your timing is good then, because apparently Central 46 was killed during Aizen's betrayal," Isshin said seriously.
The woman's eyes widened, "So then Aizen was the one who let White into the Soul Society? I guess that explains how he got in."
Ryuken Ishida stared at Isshin disbelievingly, "Did she just say that your son was a hollow?"
"Ichigo isn't just any hollow…he's become the same hollow that attacked Masaki over two decades ago," Isshin said in a depressed, but serious way.
The Quincy eyed Isshin curiously before staring at Yoruichi, "That's absurd…and you say he fought the Shinigami leader?"
Yoruichi shrugged, "Hey that's just what I heard…Isshin needs to fill me in on everything still."
"That hollow that infected Masaki all those years ago…it latched onto Ichigo's soul. After he died…they became something else. They've fused souls and are now one being. That powerful hollow, White, looks exactly like Ichigo…because it is Ichigo. Yet…he acts like a bloodthirsty, hate-filled monster. Ichigo was never like that. The son I had, will never be the same again," Isshin said bitterly as if he was just now accepting the situation.
Ryuken's eyes widened considerably, "That hollow…fused with your son?! What does that make him?"
"When I gave up my power to save Masaki…it must have imprinted into the hollow's powers and Masaki's. When Ichigo was born…he was born with all three of our powers, abilities, and blood. And now, he's an arrancar as well. His spiritual energy is tremendous…he's more powerful than I am. He's more powerful than Yamamoto as well. If Ichigo ever unlocks his Quincy blood, he'll be invincible," Isshin ranted.
"Calm yourself, Isshin…surely you're exaggerating here. It is impossible for a hollow to command Quincy powers. Hollow and Quincy powers cannot mix…it's impossible. Ichigo would have to simply choose between one or the other," Ryuken tried to calm the man.
Isshin sighed heavily, "I've got my work cut out for me. I've failed all of my children…just like I failed Masaki. Karin's doomed to walk down the same path as me. Yuzu is god knows where thanks to your actions. Worst of all…Ichigo is the King of Hueco Mundo. How can I accept something like that? What would their mother say?"
"If your son is indeed a hollow…you know what has to be done," Ryuken said slowly.
"Yes…I do. I just don't know how I can live with myself after it's done. What would Yuzu or Karin say?! How would they feel to see their own father, killing their older brother? Yuzu especially…she loves Ichigo more than Karin and I combined…and that's saying something. That's why I didn't want her involved in any of this. She and Karin will hate me if I kill Ichigo…but I have to." Isshin said emotionally.
His behavior was completely abnormal to Ryuken, who was used to seeing Isshin in one of two ways. One he was either goofy and carefree or two Isshin was serious. Seeing his long time friend buried in guilt, shame, and depression was a very hard thing for Ryuken to watch.
The white haired man looked away, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. You're a good man, Isshin…and you didn't deserve this fate. However, that does not change anything. You would be doing your family a greater disservice by allowing Ichigo to exist as a hollow abomination."
"My son…my only son…" Isshin trailed off as he looked down at the ground.
Ryuken looked at Isshin seriously, "Do not give into despair, Isshin…you have a job to do. You should go and do it."
"Well nothing's going to get accomplished by us just standing around here. You and I need to go back to the Soul Society, Isshin. If you don't mind, I want to know the whole story on the way back," Yoruichi suggested to Isshin. The man nodded in acceptance.
Isshin turned his gaze back onto Ryuken seriously, "Try and find out what happened to Yuzu…I'm counting on you. Please let me know anything as soon as you can."
"Of course, old friend…I promise I'll find them," Ryuken reassured him.
"Let's go, Isshin…if we hurry, we might be able to catch up to Kisuke," Yoruichi stated as she practically dragged the man away.
After they departed, Ryuken balled a fist, 'Uryu…you idiot. I was counting on you to take care of the girl. You should have known better than to accept the offer of the Sternritters.'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Captain's Meeting XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Deep in the heart of the Seireitei, within the soul society's squad one barracks, a large assembly of powerful captains, lieutenants, and newcomers were gathered. Each of the various squad captains minus the three traitors were lined on either side of Yamamoto with their lieutenants. Across from Yamamoto stood Kisuke Urahara along with the large group of newly arrived Visoreds. Rukia quickly made her way to Ukitake's side as the Visoreds formed a line behind Urahara.
Yamamoto narrowed his gaze, "So it would seem Captain Shiba was right after all. It is good that you came here, Kisuke Urahara. Where is Captain Shiba? Did he not return with you?"
"Hey, Captain Commander, good to see ya. Isshin's got some business, but he'll be back here shortly. He told us to go ahead without him." Urahara stated casually despite the hostile confusion of the situation. Many of the captains gawked at the man as well as the former Shinigami officers behind him.
"Hmm…I see you have brought the rest of your accomplices back with you," Yamamoto noted as he looked over the Visoreds, "though considering your former claims in relation to the current situation…it would seem you were innocent after all. Sosuke Aizen was indeed a traitor."
"You're damned right we were innocent! I'm glad Central 46 is dead! All this destruction is your fault for not even giving us a chance to set the record straight!" Hiyori burst out angrily. She appeared less than pleased with the situation and had a look of rage directed towards her former peers.
Shinji shared her disposition, but he was less angry and more condescending in his tone, "Sosuke Aizen has always been a traitor. Hiyori is right…this is what you deserve for your shortsighted justice. We were forced into exile over your 'righteous' actions."
Shunsui shook his head, "Well my memory is a bit hazy, but I remember seeing Aizen the same night all that happened. How'd you explain that? He couldn't have been in two places at once."
"Well, that's another thing you probably need to know…Aizen's Zanpakuto isn't really a water type. Kyoka Suigetsu is actually an illusion type…its ability revolves around perfect hypnosis." Urahara clarified.
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. Unohana stared at Urahara seriously, "Are you implying that we were hypnotized by Aizen's Zanpakuto?"
"I wouldn't doubt it…I've kept a close eye on him for decades. Aizen's a crafty guy," Urahara noted.
Shinji clenched a fist angrily, "It's true! Aizen, Tousen, and that snake of a kid, Ichimaru set us up!"
"Calm down, Hirako…nobody is questioning you now. Obviously, you're all innocent of those crimes. Even if you weren't, I think the Captain Commander would overlook it in this situation," Unohana silenced the man.
Hiyori scoffed in disapproval, "Sure he would! We're only welcome back if it conveniences you right?!"
Kensei sighed, "Unless you get rid of that ridiculous execution sentence placed on us, then I'm out of here. We didn't come to justify ourselves to you guys."
Yamamoto held up his hand and glared at the Visoreds dangerously, "Enough with your snide remarks…what's done is done. Due to the recent proof of Sosuke Aizen's treachery, I will extend a pardon on all of you…despite what you are. With Central 46 murdered in cold blood, I have the authority to revoke their decision."
"You gotta love martial law," Urahara chuckled, but nobody else seemed to find his comment funny.
"So you're just going to pretend nothing happened and act like we're all good now?!" Shinji said distastefully.
Lisa frowned as she crossed her arms, "I think we deserve some kind of compensation for this…it wasn't our fault that those three made us into what we are. I agree with Shinji…words aren't enough to just make things okay between us."
"I see…then why exactly did you choose to return after a century?" Yamamoto asked. None of the Visoreds had a reply for his question as they all traded looks with each other.
Urahara frowned at the statement and spoke on their behalf, "I asked them to come, Captain Commander…judging by how powerful Hueco Mundo will become, I figured you needed reinforcements. Plus, I heard about what you did for Isshin…I thought it might be good to clear things up with everyone else as well."
"Umm, excuse me here, but who and what exactly are all of you? What's this about pardoning them? What happened?" Toshiro cut into the conversation with a serious curiosity.
Before any of the Visoreds could answer, Kisuke spoke up, "Allow me to explain to those of you that don't know. Many of us used to be Gotei 13 officers over a century ago, but after an incident involving Sosuke Aizen, we were all framed under the assumption that I had performed Hollowfication on all of them. At the time I wasn't sure what Aizen was hoping to gain from it, but now it makes sense…he wanted to create arrancars. With his own Hogyoku he indirectly turned these former captains and lieutenants here into Visoreds…which is like a Shinigami antithesis to a Hollow Arrancar."
Many of the younger captains gasped or stared with widened eyes at the news. The older ones seemed to share the same line of thought as it became increasingly obvious why Sosuke Aizen would want the Hogyoku and why he was aligned with White.
"Visoreds? What is that exactly?" Hitsugaya asked.
"We can put hollow masks on…" Kensei answered bluntly causing several of the younger captains to stare at them shocked.
Renji stared at the Visoreds incredulously, "And you all used to be former Gotei 13 officers?!"
"Yes we were…" Lisa answered in a matter of fact way, "I'm, the former vice-captain of Squad Eight. I'm Lieutenant Lisa Yadomaru."
Shunsui stared at her almost nostalgically, "Lisa…it's good to see you after so many years."
Nanao appeared almost emotional, much to everyone's surprise as she gave her former mentor a saddened stare, "I thought you were dead…"
"Another one of former Captain Urahara's tricks…" Chojiro spoke up for the first time in the meeting. He seemed more interested in the situation than usual.
Looking back at the Visoreds behind him, Urahara sighed, "Well…you guys might as well reintroduce yourselves to the new Gotei 13. I'm pretty sure most of them won't recognize you."
Kensei and Rose appeared passive, but had somewhat serious expressions. Love sighed as he stepped forward first, "Rabu Aikawa, AKA Love…former captain of Squad Seven."
"Rojuro Otoribashi…but you can call me Rose. I was the Squad Three captain," the blonde introduced himself.
"I'm Mashiro Kuna!" the green haired Visored woman announced cheerily, despite the tension, "former Squad Nine lieutenant!"
Kensei sighed, "I was her captain in Squad Nine…the name's Kensei Muguruma."
Shuuhei, the acting leader of Squad Nine due to Tousen's betrayal, was in pure shock at the sight of his former hero. The scarred lieutenant voiced his opinion, "Captain Muguruma?! Did you know about Kaname Tousen?! Was he involved with Aizen from the start?!"
The white haired man gave the scarred Shinigami a curious look, "I recognize you…Hisagi right?"
Before their conversation could continue, Shinji introduced himself, "I'm Shinji Hirako, and I'm the former captain of Squad Five. Sosuke Aizen was my lieutenant…before we were framed."
"I am Hachigen Ushoda. I was a high ranking member of the Kido Corps," the hefty pink haired man continued.
Finally giving in to the situation, Hiyori sighed, "Hiyori Sarugaki…former Squad Twelve lieutenant."
"And I'm Kisuke Urahara as I'm sure most of you know by now…this cute little fox was my underling," Urahara chuckled lightening the mood slightly.
Hiyori cracked a fist at him, "Don't call me cute…that's gross coming from you."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi narrowed his gaze at Urahara spitefully, "Yes, we all know you are…the former captain of Squad Twelve. Now that these unpleasant introductions are over, how's about you explain the nature of the Hogyoku that Sosuke Aizen was after."
Everyone's thoughts and conversations were cut short as they focused on Urahara wondering that very question. The man lifted his hat slightly so that the room could see his face better. Urahara appeared serious as he looked at the crowd, "My Hogyoku was supposed to be kept hidden. Part of me had hoped that it would remain dormant in Rukia Kuchiki…forgotten."
"Why was this item in Rukia to begin with? I wasn't aware that you two had any kind of connection." Byakuya asked bluntly with a touch of displeasure in his voice.
Kisuke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well…that's sort of complicated. You see, I put it in her a while back when she was stationed in Karakura Town. It was where I was hiding all this time. Her power level was perfectly suited for concealing it since she is strong enough to hold it but not too strong that she would activate its power. I sort of had to sneak it in if you catch my drift."
"Sneak it in? You might want to reword that…" Byakuya said darkly.
"Why me though?" Rukia asked uncertainly.
Urahara sighed, "I needed to hide the Hogyoku before Aizen found out where we were. If he had discovered us…it might have been possible that he would use our traitor status to hunt me down with the Soul Society's permission and retrieve the Hogyoku with authorized force. I knew that if it was hidden with you, he wouldn't find it for a while. And if he did…he wouldn't be able to take it without activating the Hogyoku's power. I imagine you all felt a strong spike in spiritual pressure when Aizen took it out of her right? That was a final failsafe so that if he did so, it would alert everyone in the Seireitei that something was happening. It prevented Aizen from taking it since it would leave him cornered. Unfortunately…I had no idea that he had an escape route to Hueco Mundo planned. It would seem he got one up on me."
"I don't care how this all happened…I care about what we plan on doing to stop them! White is monstrously powerful…is there anything you can tell us about that hollow, Urahara? Captain Shiba said that it used to be another hollow before fusing with his son. Is that true?" Soifon asked angrily.
Kisuke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well…besides the fact that his name is Ichigo, and he has Isshin's Shinigami powers, there's not that much I could tell you about White."
"Don't play dumb you asshole! You knew that creature was Shiba's son all along…didn't you, Urahara?" Hiyori put him on the spot.
Everyone stared at Urahara incredulously. He simply looked down somewhat shamefully, "I had my suspicions. It seemed to be more than a coincidence that a hollow matching the description of the one that attacked Isshin decades ago just so happened to appear again after his son died to a hollow attack."
"So you're saying you knew and you didn't tell Captain Shiba?" Hitsugaya asked threateningly.
"Like I said…it was just a theory. Isshin probably suspected it too, but the guy's a bit soft in the head when it comes to his kids. I figured it was best to let him come to terms with it himself," Urahara replied.
"A warning to the Soul Society might have been nice…" Soifon scoffed in annoyance.
Kisuke nodded, "Yeah…and not getting banished would have been nice too. Sadly, nothing ever goes exactly as planned. Regardless of all that, we're in serious trouble if Sosuke Aizen has my Hogyoku. My guess is that he's probably already combined it with his own and has a complete Hogyoku now. With White on his side, he'll easily be able to mass produce an army of arrancars with it. Plus…there's no telling what else he intends to do with the Hogyoku's power."
"This is crazy! So that's what they were after?! White wanted to mass produce an army of these arrancars with the help of Sosuke Aizen!?" Komamura jaw dropped.
Yamamoto scoffed in annoyance, "White believes he is the King of the Hollows…and is building an army to challenge us. It would seem we are now at war. The existence of organized arrancars poses not only a danger to the Soul Society, but to the balance of everything!"
"What makes arrancars so dangerous…I mean besides the obvious fact that they're powerful hollows? Is there some particular reason why they want to kill us? If we could diminish their reasons for wanting to work with Aizen, we'd stand a better chance wouldn't we?" Rukia questioned not fully understanding the severity of the situation.
Chojiro answered her question before anyone else could, "Arrancars are an abomination of nature. They are hollows that possess Shinigami powers. Not only that, but they are far more intelligent and organized since they are more human. When hollows become Arrancars, they cease needing to feed on each other…when that happens they typically turn away from fighting one another and unite to fight against us."
"Wait…so this has happened before?" Renji asked with a shocked expression.
Chojiro looked over at Yamamoto and then Unohana. Both of them had looks of intensity directed his way. He took this as a sign to shut his mouth and shook his head, "Not exactly…but hollows are dangerous regardless of their form. Natural arrancars have always been rare…some say rarer than Vasto Lordes. To imagine an army of them is something foreboding. With White and Sosuke Aizen pulling the strings, there's no telling what kind of havoc they can inflict on us."
"It would seem all of this is Kisuke Urahara's fault…I recommend we go forth with the execution anyways," Mayuri said sadistically.
"No complaints here…" Hiyori added as she glared at the man.
Before anyone else could add their two cents to the conversation, Yamamoto growled loudly, "All this talk of blame is getting us nowhere! Get back to the matter at hand!"
"I agree…as foolish as Urahara's actions were, they are irrelevant now. We have a much bigger issue to deal with, and cannot afford to point fingers anymore." Byakuya stated coolly.
Kyouraku nodded approvingly, "Yeah, my first question is how the hell are we going to stop White from doing another one of those cross beam attacks? It tore through the Seireitei like a knife through butter."
"The huge path of destruction that goes all the way out to the Rukongai…what was that? We saw the scarred landscape on the way in. Did White really create an attack of that magnitude?!" Lisa cut into the conversation curiously.
Kyouraku sighed, "Ah that…well, that was the cross beam attack that White used to get rid of me and Jushiro. I think it was called a Getsuga Jujisho. He seemed pretty angry when we tried to stop him. Thankfully Jushiro's Shikai was active or we'd have both been toast."
"I saw and felt that attack from the other side of the Seireitei…it demolished an entire Rukongai district." Momo added with a depressed, hopeless tone. She was still recovering from the aftermath of her captain's betrayal, but was even more horrified by the fact that he was aligned with the most infamous hollow known to the Soul Society.
"That whole trail of destruction was from one attack?!" Shinji deadpanned.
"Yes, and I'm willing to wager that it's only a fraction of what White's capable of. If something like that could do so much damage, then he's more than match for most of the captains. I believe Captain Soifon was correct…it will require strategy and teamwork to take White down. He is not a foe that we can hope to overpower," Ukitake added.
"How did his attack penetrate Sekkiseki stone though?! Isn't it supposed to absorb spiritual energy?!" Hiyori deadpanned.
'Ichigo might already have access to some of his Quincy powers…that's not good. Urahara seemed indifferent to the situation as he gave Yamamoto a stern look, 'I don't know if it's a good idea to tell them about Masaki's heritage…they've got enough to worry about without having to deal with the fact that Ichigo is part Quincy. The head captain likely knows, but I don't think Isshin would like me spreading that information here. I should ask him and see what he's told them before I say anything.'
Ukitake shook his head, "It is a great mystery. Though unfortunately, that is not the most pressing issue. The fact that this hollow was able to hold his own against the Captain Commander is what I find remarkably terrifying. We cannot simply rely on the Captain Commander to stop this juggernaut. We need a plan before things come to that."
"Yeah, Old Man Yama would probably have to use his bankai to kill that beast of a hollow if we all failed. That's bad for everyone…trust me," Kyouraku agreed.
"Don't even bother strategizing. I will kill that creature myself the next time he appears. All of you have proven yourselves too feeble for the task. That hollow is my responsibility now. If any of you wish to prove yourselves useful then you will need to deal with his army. I will not watch you children flail helplessly against a foe you cannot defeat." Yamamoto growled.
Many of the captains were shocked by Yamamoto's hostile, condescending remark. The younger captains especially, seemed angry that he considered them weak. In particular, Soifon, Hitsugaya, Komamura, Byakuya, and Kenpachi were all displeased by Yamamoto's lack of faith. Some hid it better than others, such as Byakuya and Komamura, but Soifon was actually glaring at the old Shinigami with fury.
Kenpachi had a disapproving stare, but said nothing.
"Do we have any kind of estimate of how many hollows White will bring back next time?" Hitsugaya asked.
Nobody answered much to his disappointment which led to a very awkward, foreboding silence. Toshiro shook his head depressed, "We need to know what we're up against. How many arrancars do you think White might bring?"
Urahara answered much to his relief, "Well, considering how rare Vasto Lordes are, I wouldn't imagine him having many arrancars stronger than captain level on his side. Though if you throw in the three captains along with whatever else he's got in his arsenal then I'd say it's very possible for him to have at least a dozen captain class allies."
"You're saying he's got a dozen captain class allies?!" Hitsugaya gasped, "surely you're exaggerating."
"Well, I can't say for sure, but it's very possible he might even have more than that," Urahara said forebodingly.
"How…how are we going to stop an army of hollows like that?!" Komamura demanded. His unusual moodiness was rubbing off on several others nearby. Tetsuzaemon Iba shared his captain's disposition as he stood with his head down.
Isane Kotetsu shook her head fearfully, "We won't be able to win without heavy casualties…how could the hollows have become this powerful so fast?"
"All hollows can be killed…I think the rest of you need to get past the illusion of invincibility that White tries to exude. The Soul Society will retaliate with its full power if necessary…we must wipe out these arrancars no matter what the cost," Unohana stated in an uncharacteristically dark way.
Isane looked at her captain somewhat surprised, but said nothing. Many of the room's inhabitants shared her reaction. Kenpachi Zaraki broke into an approving grin at her response, 'Now that's the Yachiru I like to see…'
Rukia stared at Unohana, 'What's going on with the older captains? It's as if they know something that we don't…I've never seen Captain Unohana say something like that. Why does she and the head captain both look so distressed? They're normally calm about fighting powerful enemies.'
Shinji crossed his arms, "As powerful as White is, I'm having a difficult time imagining Sosuke Aizen taking orders from a hollow. You can't overlook him at all…he's the real puppeteer behind all of this. He's probably just using White against us…most likely with Kyoka Suigetsu."
"How do you know White isn't using him?" Hachigen asked Shinji causing many in the room to stare wide-eyed at the idea.
"This is a damn mess. I wonder who has more of a god-complex, Aizen or White?" Soifon shook her head distastefully. Her mood was even more sour than usual due to Yamamoto's lack of faith in the captains.
"Maybe if we're lucky, White will kill Aizen for us," Hiyori said almost sadistically, "but then we wouldn't get the satisfaction of doing it ourselves."
Momo visibly clenched a fist as she thought about Aizen, 'Why?! Why would Captain Aizen do this?! It makes no sense…why would he join forces with that evil hollow?! Captain Aizen hates hollows!'
The woman glared at Hiyori unhappily, "Don't say things like that. Captain Aizen…he-"
"Momo, don't…" Toshiro tried to stop her outburst.
Hiyori turned her gaze to Aizen's lieutenant with a perplexed glare, "You got something you want to say? Oh I get it…you're Aizen's lieutenant huh? Squad Five yeah?"
"Hiyori, stop…" Shinji tried to prevent a scene.
The short blonde continued nonetheless, "Oh no…I want to hear what she has to say."
"Captain Aizen hates hollows…it makes no sense that he would betray us to them," Momo stated.
Hiyori face palmed, "You're clearly in denial…haven't you been listening this whole time? Aizen's a manipulator! He's probably got you brainwashed for all we know."
Momo immediately backed down as she looked away unable to meet anyone's gaze. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed. Her long time idol, and inspiration throughout life was a traitor to everything he once stood for. It meant that everything she had done or thought up until now was based around a lie.
The lieutenant shut down shortly afterward as she refused to look back up. Hiyori looked somewhat regretful from her previous comment but brushed it off as she turned towards the group, "There's no telling what's going on with White and Aizen. Though figuring out their allegiance might be in our best interest."
"So…what was White's real name again? Ichigo right?" Kenpachi confirmed.
Urahara nodded in confirmation, "Yeah, that's his name…Ichigo Kurosaki."
"Ichigo huh? I'll remember that name for next time. Mortal enemies should know each others' names," Kenpachi said approvingly. Not many people understood the halfway respectful way he spoke of Ichigo.
Yamamoto pounded his cane, "No…you've failed twice to kill this hollow. You will leave him to me…I will permanently put that thing down!"
"How should we go about our training then, Captain Commander? Also, what are we to do with these Visoreds?" Ukitake asked.
The Visoreds all tensed up upon being mentioned and stared at the old man seriously as they wondered what he had in mind for them.
The Shinigami leader looked at several of the former captains, "Captain Kensei Muguruma…you are permitted to reclaim your former position as the Squad Nine captain due to the absence of Kaname Tousen. Captain Rojuro Otoribashi…in absence of Gin Ichimaru, you may reclaim Squad Three should you so choose. And Captain Hirako…you may take the vacant seat as Squad Five's captain."
The three named captains stared at Yamamoto somewhat doubtfully wondering whether or not to accept his offer. Kensei and Rose both instinctively looked towards Shinji, their de facto leader.
Shinji shrugged, "If it means getting back at Sosuke Aizen, then I'm in…but don't think that makes everything okay between us."
"We accept as well," Kensei added after trading a brief nod with Rose.
"Hey, so what about the rest of us? What do you want us to do?" Hiyori half demanded.
Yamamoto held up his hand, "Of course those of you that were former Lieutenants may assume a co-rank with existing Lieutenants in these Squads. We will need every able bodied Shinigami ready before White strikes out at us."
Several of the current lieutenants seemed confused by the announcement. Shuuhei looked at Yamamoto uncertainly before pointing at Mashiro, "So you're saying that she and I will have the same seat?"
"Precisely…in times of war, it may very well benefit the Gotei 13 to have additional officers in case of casualties," Yamamoto answered.
Shuuhei nodded, "I see…"
"Yay! I get to stay with you, Kensei!" Mashiro cheered as she gracefully soared towards Kensei and jumped on his back. The green haired Visored waved at Shuuhei happily, "Dontchu worry, Hisagi, we'll make Squad Nine fun again!"
Kensei sighed as Mashiro did some kind of cheerful dance on his back. He looked down halfway annoyed, "There's no getting away from you I guess…"
Hiyori frowned as she looked at Mayuri, "I aint going to be that creepy guy's lieutenant…forget it! The Pharaoh and I don't get along. I'm only in if you let me be in Shinji's Squad."
Mayuri gawked at Hiyori offended, "Pharaoh? Are you mocking my beautiful headpiece?"
"Well at least it beats the sideways toilet seat thing you used to have up there…" Toshiro muttered under his breath.
"Sideways toilet seat thing?! What an ineloquent and inaccurate statement…though considering that it came from you, I shouldn't be surprised, "Mayuri noted as he gave Toshiro a condescending look.
"Lieutenant Sarugaki, your request is accepted. You may share the seat with Lieutenant Momo Hinamori," Yamamoto nodded.
The short blonde woman nodded in acceptance without saying anything. She still appeared unhappy about the situation, but likely trusted in Shinji's decision to accept reinstatement.
Lisa looked at Shunsui, "So I'm back in Squad Eight then?"
"Don't you worry, Lisa…it'll feel just like home. We'd love to have you back…right Nanao?" Kyouaku said with a smile.
Nanao adjusted her glasses and smiled, "We'd be honored to have you here, Lisa…"
"Well, I wasn't expecting such a warm welcome…" Lisa said somewhat surprised.
Love crossed his arms, "So since Squad Seven isn't vacant…where do I fit in?"
"You, along with Captains Shiba and Urahara will be granted a special status. You will not oversee any particular division or squad, but will be captains nonetheless. Should any captains fall in battle, you will assume their place regardless of the division," Yamamoto clarified.
Love nodded but said nothing in response. Hachigen chose not to say anything, but already assumed that his position in the Kido Corps was likely to be reinstated.
"Something's bothering me…you said they were Visoreds right, and that they had hollow masks? How does that work exactly?" Rukia asked as she looked over the newly reinstated officers.
There was a brief silence, before Mashiro enthusiastically leapt in front of everyone, "Allow me to show you! When we put on our hollow masks, we gain additional power for a brief period of time."
Everyone stared with surprise as Mashiro put on her Visored mask. Mayuri seemed very interested as he stared at it, "Hmm…those abilities might very well prove useful. Though you would be more useful if you allowed me to take a few samples and study-"
"I don't think so freakshow!" Hiyori interrupted, "You're not going to touch us…got that?"
"Have you made any progress on completing the Garganta?" Unohana immediately set the conversation back on track.
Mayuri sighed heavily, "My progress on creating a Garganta is nearing completion. What should we do when it's complete?"
Yamamoto pounded his cane authoritatively, "Nothing…for now. We will let the hollows come to us. Leaving the Seireitei's forces divided may prove to be a fatal error due to Sosuke Aizen's inside information. We will need to fortify defenses and train for this war. I want all captains to ensure their squads are prepped and ready for White's invasion."
"Captain Commander!" Soifon shouted, catching everyone's attention. The woman quickly knelt down to Yamamoto and crossed an arm over her chest, "I would like your permission infiltrate Hueco Mundo and spy on White. I will not engage him…just observe."
Several people were quick to voice their opinion on the matter. Hitsugaya shook his head, "That's suicide…nobody in their right mind would go to Hueco Mundo with a hollow like White as its King. Plus, how do you intend to sneak around undetected?"
"The intel gathered, could prove useful…but it seems too dangerous and not worth the risk," Ukitake stated.
Soifon stood up as she gritted her teeth, "It's my job as the leader of the Stealth Force! I want to contribute to this somehow…there's no amount of training that's going to prepare my squad for fighting something like White and whatever army he brings…not unless we understand what we're dealing with! I don't like the idea of just sitting here and waiting!"
"Well, I could help you out with being undetected…I've developed a Reiatsu concealing cloak, if you'd care to try it out," Urahara suggested.
Yamamoto took a deep breath and nodded his head, "Very well…your initiative has been accepted, Captain Soifon. I grant you permission to infiltrate Hueco Mundo…but we cannot afford to send a large group. This kind of endeavor would require perfect espionage."
"I'll go alone…" the woman stated callously as if nobody else in the room was capable of helping her.
Several of the other officers gave her distasteful looks, but Yamamoto nodded in acceptance, "So be it…"
"Are you out of your mind captain?! You'll killed if they find you there! I can't let you go by yourself!" Omaeda protested unhappily.
Soifon jabbed him in the stomach with an elbow and glared, "Shut up…unlike the rest of you spineless cowards, I'm not going to sit around and expect the Captain Commander to handle White. I'll gather information and return once I find useful exploitations."
"Ideally, it would be good to learn of the size of his army and the possible weaknesses each hollow exhibits," Chojiro said with a respectful nod.
The dark haired captain nodded her head, "I'll leave as soon as Captain Kurotsuchi has the Garganta ready. You there, Urahara…get me that cloak as soon as possible."
"This meeting is concluded until further notice…those of you that have been reinstated should restore order to your various divisions. Dismissed!" Yamamoto announced pounding his cane.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karin XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Due to recent events, the Shinigami Academy had been closed. Karin couldn't help but feel indifferent to that fact since she didn't care much for it anyways. Her mind was racing a million laps around the thought of Ichigo and his actions.
Looking out over a massive balcony overlook from the Shiba Mansion, Karin could see a tremendously large scar of pure destruction extending out past the broken wall of the Seireitei. The teen shook her head disbelievingly, 'How could Ichigo do something like that? Just how powerful is he? Is he stronger than dad?'
Her contemplation was cut short as one of the mansion's servants came darting behind her urgently, "Shiba-sama! There's somebody at the front door asking for you. Would you like us to get rid of them?"
"Who is it?" Karin asked almost mechanically as she didn't really put much thought or care into the question.
The messenger answered immediately, "A white haired girl claiming to be one of your classmates."
Karin turned towards the messenger and looked at him uncertainly, "Yukimura? What would she want?"
"Should I tell her to leave?" the man asked.
Karin shrugged, "Don't bother…I'll tell her myself."
After a short trek down the large stairs and into the main lobby, Karin pushed the front door open. Confirming the messenger's statement, it was indeed Ayame.
Karin glared at the white haired girl with a lazy carelessness, "Yukimura…what do you want?"
"Shiba…you're alive?! I heard some people saying you survived. How did you survive against White?" Ayame asked. Karin couldn't help but notice the other girl's unusual, genuine tone.
She crossed her arms confrontationally, "It doesn't matter…I'm alive. Now care to explain why you're bothering me at my house?"
The girl looked down almost shamefully, "I guess I wanted to apologize…the way you stood up to White was incredibly brave. You probably saved my life…when I heard you survived, I thought I'd come and thank you."
"Somehow I doubt you really care…" Karin said skeptically as she began to push the door closed. Before it could close all the way, Ayame placed her hand on it and held it open.
"Wait! C-can we talk? Please…there's some things I wanted to know," Ayame persisted.
Karin rose a brow doubtfully, "Is that so? Why should I care about anything you have to say? You're a bitch who probably should have died in that attack…"
"If that's how you feel, then why did you try and sacrifice yourself to save me?!" Ayame demanded.
Karin rolled her eyes as she took her hand off the door, "Fine, come in…we'll talk."
"Thanks…" the other girl said halfway respectfully as she entered the Shiba Mansion. Upon entering she noticed Karin sit down on one of the bottom steps of the staircase.
The Shiba teen stared at Ayame intently, "For the record, I wasn't trying to save you…I wanted answers from White. That hollow killed my brother Ichigo."
"White spoke to you like he knew you personally…care to explain what that was all about? And what's Karakura Town?" Ayame started her inquiries.
Karin sighed, "Look…I was a human before coming here not too long ago. Karakura Town is where I used to live. I didn't even know my father was a Shinigami until recently."
Ayame deadpanned, "Wait what?! You were a human recently?"
"Yeah…I didn't get the luxurious childhood you imagined. Captain Yamamoto put me up in this place a while back after my father brought me to the Soul Society," Karin elaborated.
The other girl looked completely shocked, "T-then…all those things I said were-"
"Yeah, they were not true. I didn't even realize my Shikai until after joining the academy," Karin continued.
"That's impossible! Nobody develops a Shikai that fast! Even I had to spend close to a year to get mine," Ayame protested.
Karin shrugged, "Whatever…I'm done trying to out do you. Go ahead and enjoy being queen of the Shinigami Academy because I'm not going back."
"You're quitting?! Y-you can't do that!" Ayame shouted, "After a hollow attack in the heart of the Seireitei and everything that's happened…how can you quit now?!"
The girl looked at Ayame sadly, "I couldn't bring back Ichigo even if I could kill White. No amount of power or training is going to mean anything…he's gone forever."
"Still…you can't just up and quit over something like that. I mean, if you care about your brother's memory, you shouldn't give up," Ayame stated.
Karin glared at her, "What's with the sudden shift in attitude?"
"Look…I'm sorry okay? I didn't know all that stuff about you. In fact I barely know anything about you at all. So…how did White kill your brother exactly?" Ayame asked.
"I don't feel like talking about it…" Karin said as bluntly as possible.
Before Ayame could voice her disapproval, the sound of the Shiba Mansion opening caught their attention. Walking into the massive building was none other than Isshin. Karin's eyes widened considerably, "You're back!?"
"Karin…we need to talk," her father stated seriously. The man quickly noticed Ayame, "I don't know who she is, but she needs to leave…"
"I guess that's my cue to leave then…" Ayame concluded as she walked past Isshin. The white haired girl couldn't help but feel intimidated by Isshin's demeanor. The man seemed beyond aggravated. Ayame looked back at them one last time before leaving, 'She said her brother's name was Ichigo? Hmm…'
After Ayame was gone, Isshin stared at Karin sadly, "About your brother's death, Karin…"
"I know what really happened. Ichigo is a hollow now…He killed my sensei right in front of the Shinigami Academy," Karin stated before Isshin got a chance to speak.
The man's eyes widened, "Y-you know then?! I'm…I don't know what to say."
"There's not much to say…Ichigo is a hollow, and we're Shinigami. I knew White was Ichigo for a while now. I confronted him and tried to fight him at the Academy when he was after that lieutenant…he didn't even fight back. He said I belonged in Karakura Town living a normal life. Maybe he was right," Karin sulked.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Karin…I'm sorry for what happened to your brother. All of this is my fault. Had I realized sooner…had I done something to stop this…" Isshin apologized sadly.
Karin shrugged, "It's not your fault…that is just how things are now. I want to go home, dad…and see Yuzu. Has she been alright? Ichigo asked about her…"
"He did?" Isshin said disbelievingly.
"Yeah…he asked me if Yuzu was a Shinigami like us. Thank heaven she isn't…how has she been? Can we go and see her?" Karin asked hopefully.
"You can't…she's missing," Isshin said looking away.
Karin's eyes widened, "What?! Is she okay? Who took her? What happened?"
"I don't know…but I have a guy looking into it. I'm not really sure how to tell you this, Karin, but Yuzu knows…everything. She's a Quincy too…just like your mother," the man replied.
The raven haired teen was glad she was sitting down, because that bit of news hit her hard. Karin gritted her teeth, "How though? She knew?!"
"According to Ryuken Ishida…Yuzu knows we're Shinigami. I don't know if she knows about Ichigo…and for heaven's sake I hope she never finds out. It would destroy her," Isshin said distantly.
Karin glared at her father, "It's not like Yuzu is the only one who loves Ichigo, dad! How do you think I'm feeling right now!? My own brother wants to kill us all! Why?! Can't we help him? Can't a Konso do something?! Why is he so powerful and angry?!"
"I don't know…but things can't be allowed to go on like this. Ichigo needs to be stopped. You saw what he did to the Seireitei…that's only a fraction of what he's capable of. Your brother possesses the powers of Hollow, Shinigami, and Quincy…if he ever realizes it, then he'll be impossible to defeat," Isshin sighed.
"First Ichigo…and now Yuzu is missing?! Damn it…I don't know what to do! I want to leave this place, but now we can't can we?" Karin said uncertainly as tears streamed down her face.
Isshin embraced her in a hug and frowned, "Stay strong, Karin…we'll find Yuzu and make things right. As for Ichigo…we'll figure something out."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Squad Twelve Research Lab XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Soifon crossed her arms impatiently as she glared at Mayuri, "So what is this thing missing in order to work?! You've been working on it for how long now?! Hey, Urahara…how's about you do something useful and figure out what's wrong with his machine."
Urahara, who was standing nearby quickly jumped into the conversation, "Ah, well Mayuri's a bit of an amateur at this. I'll have this Garganta device up and running here shortly. How's the cloak fitting by the way?"
Soifon looked over the unusual cloak device that Urahara had give her to wear and shrugged, "It's hideous…but if you're right about it working, then it'll be good enough for this mission."
"Ah it's not that bad looking… but it's not really built for your slender physique. If you want I can make you a custom, tight-fitting one." Urahara suggested.
Before he could continue, Soifon interrupted him, "It's fine! How much longer is this going to take?"
"Just a few more minutes here…umm, are you in some kind of hurry to leave?" Urahara asked as he continued with his adjustments to Mayuri's machine.
Soifon scoffed at him, "What are you kidding me? Of course I am…the longer I wait, the more dangerous this mission becomes."
"Alright alright…sheesh. And done," Urahara stated as he corrected the Garganta device causing it to open. Mayuri leered at Urahara as hatefully as possible.
"It would seem your alterations were correct…" Mayuri Kurotsuchi said bitterly between his teeth. He quickly turned to Nemu and muttered a few insults to her.
Soifon looked at the Garganta doubtfully, "Quick question…how will I be able to return?"
"You didn't think of that before volunteering? Are you stupid or something?" Mayuri shook his head laughing.
The ninja captain bit her tongue as she ignored the man and stared at Urahara for some kind of solution. Kisuke smiled knowingly as he placed a strange device over her wrist, "That device will signal this machine to open a Garganta from anywhere in Hueco Mundo to here. Be careful where you use it though. You don't want hollows pouring into the lab now do ya?"
Mayuri muttered more insults under his breath at Urahara, "Shouldn't you be on your way now? I can handle this from here…it is my machine after all."
"Oh sure…make sure you keep the power flowing in case she needs to make a quick escape," Urahara waved before taking his leave. After he was gone, Mayuri hissed angrily, "I loathe that man…"
"Is it safe to go in?" Soifon asked.
Mayuri sighed heavily, "Yes yes…you will just have to manifest a walkway with your own spiritual energy. It should be quite simple. I will keep power running, and will monitor the machine until your return. Feel free to pick up some specimens before coming back…I would greatly appreciate it."
"I'll see what I can do…" the woman replied callously.
Reluctantly, Soifon entered the Garganta and turned back to look at Mayuri before it closed. "If I don't come back in a week, then I'm probably dead. If so, then you need to turn this thing off."
"Obviously…do you forget that I am the scientist here and you're the spy?" Mayuri said condescendingly right as the Garganta closed behind her. Facing forward, Soifon formed a path through the Garganta.
'I'll prove the Captain Commander wrong…we're not all feeble! I'll do my part for this war,' the woman thought stalwartly.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Seireitei, Outside Squad Twelve XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As Kisuke Urahara made his way down the street, a familiar flash landed in front of him, revealing none other than Yoruichi. The woman stared at him curiously, "Hey Kisuke…care to explain what's going on right now? Isshin sort of filled me in, but what happened with the Captain Commander? I heard the Visoreds were reinstated?"
"Ah yes…they were. I'm sure quite a few people will recognize you. Me, you, and Isshin will have special captain status. Though since Soifon just left for Hueco Mundo, they might stick you back in Squad Two until she gets back."
"Soifon went to Hueco Mundo?! Why?!" Yoruichi said disbelievingly.
Kisuke shrugged, "Ah you know how she is…the Captain Commander pretty much said the younger captains were useless and she got all offended and volunteered for a reconnaissance mission."
Yoruichi's eyes widened, "How can you sound so casual about it?! She'll die if they discover her!"
"Hey, relax, I wouldn't send her off, without a few lifelines. She's got a Reiatsu concealing cloak and a few gadgets of mine. She'll be okay…" Urahara reassured the woman.
Yoruichi crossed her arms and sighed, "I need to go after her…why didn't you wait for me to get here?!"
"That's probably not a good idea…she hasn't seen you in over a century. I'll bet she's still pissed off. You might want to wait for her to come back. Besides, I'm going to need your help coming up with a plan to deal with Ichigo," Urahara stated.
The dark skinned woman looked down sadly, "I guess it can't be helped…but what could I possibly do to help you with Isshin's son?"
"Well…this may sound strange, but I need you to find a way to lure Ichigo to the World of the Living," Urahara said slowly.
Yoruichi rose a brow, "What? Why? Is there a particular reason you want me to do it?"
"Yes actually…you're probably the only person fast enough to outrun him. I'll explain it to you later. I've been working on a plan," Urahara trailed off.
The woman frowned at her long time friend, "Kisuke…I have a question and please be serious when you answer me. Did you know what was going on with Isshin's daughter? The Quincy one I mean?"
Urahara nodded, "Yeah…I figured she was up to something the moment I saw her with Ishida. I would have made an issue of it, but I figured she was in good hands with Ryuken."
"Well, apparently she got kidnapped…or recruited…I don't know. But Isshin's really pissed at you right now. You might want to work that out with him when you get the chance," Yoruichi suggested.
Kisuke seemed slightly alarmed, "Recruited? That's not good…we should probably go find Isshin right away."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Soifon growled in annoyance as she traversed the endless desert of Hueco Mundo at high speed. She made sure to stay low to the ground and had her eyes trained to detect any possible hollow. Though much to her dissatisfaction, Hueco Mundo was very empty and difficult to conceal oneself.
She had no way of knowing how long had passed during the long, high-speed trek through the desert, but she eventually noticed a tremendous building in the distance. The Squad Two Captain squinted hard as she tried to get a closer look at it, 'What the hell is that? I didn't know there were buildings here…'
The woman closed in on it, but appeared to get no closer despite how fast she ran. After what literally felt like hours, Soifon was within closer range. She couldn't help but wonder how large the building actually was, 'Is this some kind of palace? I'll bet it's the size of a city!'
The wind seemed to pick up all of a sudden, quickly alarming her to an approaching power source. Soifon swiftly dove down and buried herself as best she could in the sand near a rock formation. She carefully looked up and saw several arrancars running her way.
They appeared to be looking for something, but got distracted as one of them spoke up, "Ah damn…where did Ichigo run off to? I wanted to ask him about training!" The hollow that spoke, had black pigtails and a somewhat revealing white outfit. It consisted of a short white miniskirt, and a stomach exposing top that barely covered the chest. Soifon couldn't help but find it slutty as she noticed the long black boots worn with it.
'Are they arrancars?' Soifon wondered as she quieted her breathing and opened her ears. The other two were dressed less provocatively, but somewhat similar with white hakama pants. Both of their tops revealed a good amount of cleavage and showed the skin of their oblique curves. 'Hollows wearing white…they're going all out to oppose us aren't they?' Soifon thought distastefully.
The blonde arrancar girl shook her head and sighed, "I thought Ichigo was with Aizen. I could have sworn they went this way."
Soifon wasn't sure she heard the comment right, 'Ichigo and Aizen!? I wonder where they are? Spying on them would be the most ideal use of my time here.'
"Get a grip, Loly…we can't always depend on him for everything. Besides, wouldn't Ichigo be more impressed if we improved without his help?" the third Arrancar replied.
The one with the black pigtails crossed her arms, "Apacci…that's not the point. Training with Ichigo has always been OUR thing. Now everyone's trying to hog him. Even the Shinigami won't leave him alone."
"I don't mind him being around Aizen, but what's with all the other arrancars wanting to spend so much time with Ichigo all of a sudden? What's that all about? Like that stupid Lilynette girl or Harribel's followers…" Apacci asked.
Menoly frowned, "I don't know, but it's annoying. Between them and that Neliel…there's too many people trying to earn his favor. We've been following him the longest…but now it's like we're not even allowed near him. I mean does Nel really have the most favor with Ichigo right now? He did hug her back…plus he defended her to Grimmjow. There's something going on there…"
"Screw Nel! Can you believe the way she was trying to get Ichigo's attention!? I mean hugging him?! Who does something like that?! She thinks she's the top bitch around here and can just waltz right in and interrupt our time with Ichigo?!" Loly spat.
Menoly shrugged, "She certainly proved her point…between her looks and actions, she'll be hard to outdo."
"Her looks?! You think she looks good?" Apacci asked.
Menoly nodded somewhat shamefully, "I'd hate to admit it, but yeah…not to mention Ichigo seems to have some kind of bond with her. I don't like the idea of that…"
"Me neither…it makes my blood boil watching all these other arrancars fawn over Ichigo. Nel better watch her back. She might be stronger than us, but I'm not about to let her wrap Ichigo around her finger," Loly announced.
"Besides Neliel…now it seems even Harribel's followers are moving in. Can you believe that damn Mila rose?! She thinks just because she's got a big chest that Ichigo will like her!" Apacci growled.
"I wonder what Ichigo would have said…about who was the prettiest?" Menoly wondered.
'Are these really hollows? They're acting like a bunch of jealous, gossiping school girls. Though based on how they're dressed…maybe that's not far off,' Soifon thought incredulously.
Apacci sighed heavily, "He probably would have said Harribel…she's the best looking in my opinion. We're doomed to be sidelined forever if she starts vying for Ichigo's favor. She's the strongest female in Hueco Mundo."
"At least she's tolerable…besides Harribel doesn't really seem as annoying as some of these other bitches around here. I respect her for giving everyone space," Loly added.
"Do either of you know what the deal with Ichigo and Ulquiorra is? I mean like…why's Ulquiorra always around him? I tried to visit Ichigo's room while he was asleep, and Ulquiorra was there. He just shooed me away like I was a pest. Who is he to keep me from Ichigo?" Apacci said in annoyance.
"Why would you need to be in Ichigo's room in the first place?" Loly asked threateningly.
Apacci crossed her arms, "He's my master…I can visit him whenever I want."
"He's our master…don't be selfish, Apacci," Menoly protested.
"Who knows…maybe Ulquiorra just wants to make sure those Shinigami don't try anything stupid. I mean I feel kind of better knowing that Ulquiorra is guarding Ichigo when we're not around," Loly stated.
"Why would Ichigo need to be guarded? You really think any of those Shinigami would be stupid enough to attack him? All I'm saying is that it's weird." Apacci shook her head.
"It's not weirder than us wanting to be around Ichigo…besides didn't Ichigo meet Ulquiorra as a Vasto Lorde? The guy didn't have a mouth for a long time…he probably just likes Ichigo's company." Menoly cut in.
Apacci looked away jealously, "Well good for him…but so do I!"
"So what you're saying is you don't like Ulquiorra being around Ichigo?" Menoly asked.
Apacci glared at her, "No! It's not like that…I mean I don't have a problem with Ulquiorra. It's just…well we haven't had any alone time with Ichigo ever since all of this happened. I miss it when Ichigo would just talk and hang out with us. Why don't we have a special bond with him?"
'Alone time? Special bond? Just what the hell are these hollows talking about?!' Soifon wondered slightly shocked by the context of the statement. 'I didn't realize hollows were capable of such behavior. These three must be White's servants I'd wager. It's strange…they seem to have some kind of weird affection for him. This is bizarre behavior for hollows…do all arrancars act this human?'
Apacci sighed as she looked into the distance, "I don't know about you two, but I feel strange whenever I'm around Ichigo. Ever since I got this body…I don't know. I just feel different whenever he's not around."
"Different? What do you mean?" Menoly asked.
Apacci frowned, "I don't know…empty I guess. It's hard to explain."
"Trust me…if anyone gets it, we do," Loly nodded in understanding.
Menoly seemed deep in thought, "Yeah I can see where you're coming from. It hardly seems fair that we're not as close to Ichigo as we thought."
Soifon watched their conversation with an unusual curiosity, 'I didn't know hollows were capable of romantic feelings. Though…if Arrancars are capable of emotional attachments then it may be a useful way to exploit them in war. Still…I've heard enough out of these three.'
The captain carefully snuck past the three arrancars as she made her way closer towards Las Noches. The Stealth Force leader made considerable progress in short time as she closed in on the outer wall of the palace. Looking up at it, Soifon gasped, 'This building must be larger than the Seireitei! How the hell am I supposed to find anything in here?'
Her mental question was quickly answered as a patrol of arrancars came walking by. They spoke freely much to her approval. "King White's something else…how could he just let those Shinigami walk around Las Noches like nothing?" One of them asked.
The other shrugged, "Beats me…but I'm not about to question anything he does. White's got every former Vasto Lorde eating out of the palm of his hand. That kind of supremacy demands respect."
"Obviously…I would never doubt White's right to rule, but I just don't understand why he allowed Shinigami captains to join us. Doesn't he despise Shinigami?" one of the arrancars asked.
"Well that Aizen guy did tell him about the Hogyoku…I mean would you have turned down an offer like that if you were in his position? He turned us all into arrancars too. Surely you can't deny the benefit of it? Our High King has a great vision," the other arrancar replied admirably.
Soifon didn't get to hear the rest of their conversation as they were now out of range. She cautiously bolted down the massive hallway like entrance of Las Noches and dove behind corners trying to find a good place to watch enemy activity.
She did this for quite a while and eventually found herself much deeper in the palace. Landing behind a dark pillar in a massive room, she briefly looked around to make sure nobody was coming. Much to her curiosity she spotted a busty, blonde woman with revealing white attire walking down the massive chamber. The blonde woman had the lower half of her face covered, but upon closer inspection, Soifon spotted a mask fragment underneath the high collar. To her sides were two other arrancars, that were noticeably female. One had olive, shoulder length hair and a strange flowing dress, whilst the other was dressed in a provocative amazonian manner.
The raven haired captain carefully held her breath as Harribel stopped in her tracks. The blonde looked around the room curiously. Soifon immediately felt worried as the arrancar's green eyes shifted in the general vicinity of her hiding spot. 'Damn! Can she sense me?! That damned Urahara better have been right about this cloak. Otherwise I'm screwed!' Soifon thought concerned.
Luckily Harribel didn't seem to notice her as the blonde looked forward again. Two other arrancars quickly voiced their confusion. "Lady Harribel? What is it? Why did you stop?" the skimpily dressed one asked.
The blonde arrancar shrugged, "It's nothing…I just thought I heard something."
"You're clearly tired, mistress. Perhaps you should get some rest?" the other suggested.
Harribel shook her head, "No…I need to train for this war. White is counting on the Espada to do their part. Besides…we will need more power if we're to stand a chance against every Shinigami Captain and their bankais."
"Where did Ichigo even go?" Mila Rose asked curiously.
"Likely to train…I imagine all of the Espada are doing the same," Harribel answered.
'Espada?! What is that?' Soifon wondered perplexed as the three arrancars continued on their way.
She stared at Harribel curiously and saw a three engraved into the back of the arrancar's hands. 'So she's Harribel? That trio from earlier wasn't kidding. She's beautiful for a hollow…I wonder what that three on her hands is though?'
Moving further along, Soifon traversed deeper and deeper into Las Noches. Along the way she managed to pick up a decent amount of passing gossip from the lesser arrancars. Many of them seemed to be talking about the Espada.
From the bits of information she was able to gather, Soifon learned that the Espada were the ten strongest Arrancars and the official leaders of Hueco Mundo. She also confirmed the information from earlier that the building they were in was indeed known as Las Noches.
She carefully snuck around and did her best to locate any shred of news on where Ichigo and Aizen were. After a good amount of espionage, she learned that Ichigo and Aizen were far out in Hueco Mundo so that they wouldn't damage Las Noches with their training.
She spent the next several hours sneaking out of the palace and back outside. The captain nervously sprinted through the open sand dunes as she distanced herself from Las Noches. Part of her felt paranoid that she would be spotted, but thankfully the ugly cloak provided by Urahara matched the color of the sands making her less noticeable.
'Where the hell are they anyways?! You'd think I would be able to sense a hollow as strong as White…' Soifon thought annoyed.
However, much to her surprise, she caught a lucky break as a colossal surge of red power lit up the horizon. Soifon's eyes widened, 'That looks like White's Cero…maybe they're over there!'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Silbern, Wandenreich XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The past day had been quite an ordeal for Yuzu. The training she received from Bazz B was vastly different than what she learned from Uryu and his father. Instead of typical speed training and marksmanship training, Bazz B seemed intent on teaching her how to fight in actual combat. They had spent the majority of the past day training until she could no longer go on.
Yuzu collapsed from exhaustion as she finished her last training battle with Bazz B. Before she could hit the ground, the Mohawk Quincy caught her and helped Yuzu to her feet. He looked down at her somewhat stoically, "Don't fall over on me yet…we're not done training for another few hours."
The teenager panted heavily as she held onto Bazz B trying to keep her balance, "T-that's easy for you to say…I-I'm exhausted."
"C'mon, absorb the nearby Reishi…revitalize your stamina. If you don't want to be a target around here, then you have to stay strong," Bazz B reassured her.
The girl reluctantly let go of him as she wobbled on her feet, barely maintaining balance. He smiled slightly as a faint blue glow gathered around her body slowly replenishing her energy. Afterwards, Yuzu took a deep breath and stared at Bazz B uncertainly, "Bazz B-sama…umm, what's next?"
"Don't call me sama or whatever the hell that shit is…it's just Bazz B. Umm…let me think. We did target practice; you're pretty good at that. We did reishi manipulation…check. And we sparred for a few hours. I guess the next order of business is teaching you about blut," Bazz B replied.
"Umm…Bazz B, do you mind if I ask you some stuff?" Yuzu asked carefully.
The man gave her a careless shrug, "Go ahead, Kurosaki…I'm sure you're probably confused about a lot of stuff still. We haven't talked much since training started have we?"
"Why did you help me? What do you get out of training somebody like me? Who am I to you?" Yuzu wondered.
The hot headed Quincy looked at her as if offended, "You think I would just let some innocent, naïve teenage girl wander around here without a clue? The moment I saw Candice moving in on you, I knew what was up. I'll tell ya…this place changes people. Nobody who enters the Wandenreich ever leaves the same person they once were. This place is full of sickos who would love nothing more than to take advantage of you."
"What would Bambietta have done to me?" Yuzu questioned worried.
Bazz B shook his head, "Hell if I know…she's a sick bitch. Though I'm pretty sure you caught onto that fairly quickly. That whole female gang of hers are a bunch of sadistic, psychopathic wackjobs. Bambietta likes to kill and torture people for fun. Giselle's a weird freak who gets off on controlling and manipulating others. Meninas seems stupid, but she's probably one of the smartest in their group. She's hard to understand. Liltotto on the other hand, is the only halfway decent Sternritter in their gang. She's the smartest and the least annoying."
"What about Candice?" Yuzu wondered, "you didn't mention her."
"Candice is probably worse than Bambietta and Giselle combined…though she's a lot better at hiding it. Don't trust her," Bazz B warned.
Yuzu shook her head confused, "How is she worse?"
"She brought you here didn't she? Don't let her 'big sister' act fool you. Candice is a lot like Bambietta but with Giselle's innocent act sprinkled on top. You should try and ask her personal questions tomorrow and see how she reacts. It'll prove my point. Also, don't listen to the stupid bullshit their group likes to spout off," Bazz B replied as he looked up at the sky disgusted by the thought of Bambietta's clique.
"Bambietta and Giselle said some weird things about Ichigo…" Yuzu trailed off somewhat horrified.
"I wouldn't doubt it…they're a bunch of crazy whores. Trust me when I say, that you're better off not associating with them," Bazz B explained.
A third voice quickly interrupted their conversation, "What's that about me being a whore?"
Bazz B immediately tensed up as he noticed Liltotto standing there. The short blonde Quincy stared at him somewhat curiously, "I didn't realize you thought so highly of me, Bazz B. Am I really your favorite person out of Bambietta's gang?"
"When the fuck did you get here? Get lost…" Bazz B said threateningly.
Liltotto rolled her eyes at Bazz B's demeanor, "Chill out will you? You're not fooling me with that tough guy act."
The man reluctantly calmed down as he gave her a curious stare, "So what do you want?"
"I just wanted to apologize to Yuzu on Bambietta and Giselle's behalf. What they did was uncalled for…I think they just get off on messing with innocent people. For the record…I wouldn't have let them do anything to you. Even without Haschwalth's orders…" Liltotto stated.
Yuzu seemed surprised by the short blonde's gesture, "Thank you then…"
"Speaking of Jugo…where is he right now? Did he tell Yhwach know about the hollow king yet?" Bazz B asked curiously.
Liltotto shrugged, "I think Yhwach is sleeping right now. Haschwalth is watching his chamber…"
"Yhwach-sama sleeps?" Yuzu couldn't help but ask. Somehow the idea of the creepy, Quincy leader sleeping seemed impossible to her due to the man's otherworldly aura.
"So how's your training been going with, Yuzu?" Liltotto changed the subject.
Bazz B looked at the girl somewhat uncertainly, "Hard to say for sure…she's a good marksman, but is lacking in combat experience. I was about to teach her blut."
"Interesting…I can help with that if you want," Liltotto suggested.
Bazz B crossed his arms, "What's the big idea hanging out with me all of a sudden? We're working here, Liltotto…"
"I won't get in your way, dude…I'm not Candice. Plus, I figure you're not really good at this teaching thing are you?" the blonde asked.
"Uh…" Bazz B looked at Yuzu for confirmation as to whether or not he was teaching her properly.
The Kurosaki teen smiled reassuringly, "Bazz B is very helpful…he's tough, but patient. You're a lot like Ichigo."
Both Sternritters stared at her surprised by the remark. Bazz B cocked his head, "I'm like your brother?"
"No wonder she ran behind you the first chance she got…" Liltotto muttered, "Bambietta might not have been far off."
"What do you mean?" Yuzu asked.
"Who cares what she means…let's get back to training. Alright now, I'm going to teach you about blut, Kurosaki. It's a very useful Quincy ability that can very well safe your life. Blut comes in two varieties. There's Blut Vene and Blut Arterie. The former is a purely defensive ability and the other offensive," Bazz B explained.
"How does one use this ability?" Yuzu asked interested.
Liltotto answered before Bazz B got the chance, "Pure-blooded Quincies can naturally do it, but others can acquire it through training. Since you're not pure-blooded, it may take some training for you to get the hang of it. To start, you focus Reishi into your blood vessels like so."
Yuzu watched with amazement as a blue grid like pattern covered Liltotto's arm. Bazz B pointed a finger at the blonde loli's arm, "Burner Finger One."
A fiery stream of molten fire in the shape of a narrow beam shot towards Liltotto's arm. The blonde quickly jerked her hand out of its path after a few seconds of contact, "Ow! Damn Bazz B…you can warn me next time you want to demonstrate."
"Your arm…it's okay?" Yuzu noticed as the blue grid like pattern receded revealing no fire damage to Liltotto's arm.
The blonde rubbed her forearm annoyed, "For now I guess…"
"How did you do that just now? That burner finger attack looks powerful," Yuzu said admirably.
Before Bazz B could take pride in his ability, Liltotto shook her head, "It's his main ability. All Sternritters have specialized powers and a letter called a Schrift. Bazz B's letter is H for the Heat. You won't be able to replicate his powers."
"Really? All Sternritters have special letters and powers? What are yours, Liltotto?" Yuzu couldn't help but ask.
The blonde traded a brief look with Bazz B before answering, "I'm G for the Glutton…I can eat things many times my size."
"I don't understand…" Yuzu said uncertainly.
Liltotto crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall, "Hopefully you never have to…it's less than pretty."
"What about the others then? What can all of them do?" the teenager's curiosity continued.
"Bambietta is E for the Explode. She can blow things up with specialized Reishi bombs. Meninas is P for the Power. She's got superhuman strength and fortitude. Candice is T for the Thunderbolt…as you can imagine her powers are mostly lightning based. Giselle is Z for the Zombie…I'm pretty sure that is self-explanatory. As for some of the others, I'm sure you'll figure it all out eventually. Though it's probably worth knowing that Haschwalth is B for Balance and Yhwach is A for the Almighty," Liltotto concluded.
"Sternritters sound very powerful…" Yuzu noted somewhat intimidated by the idea of Bambietta blowing things up and Giselle creepily walking towards her as a zombie.
"Well, you should probably get some sleep Yuzu…" Liltotto suggested as she lightly pushed Yuzu along, "Bazz B and I need to talk."
"Umm…" Yuzu looked at the man as if waiting on his permission. He simply waved her off, "Head straight to your room, and don't talk to anyone. Candice will probably come wake you up tomorrow. Next time we'll work on teaching you more about blut."
"O-okay…thanks again, Bazz B," Yuzu waved before skittishly making her way back inside of the ice palace.
After she was gone, Liltotto turned back and stared at Bazz B, "It might not be a good idea to get too attached to her, Bazz B…there's no telling what Yhwach has planned for Yuzu."
"I aint getting attached…I'm just giving her a fighting chance. You know as well as I do, that she won't last another week unless she toughens up," he replied.
Liltotto sighed, "I know you're not doing this out of the kindness of your heart…"
"So what? You have something you want to say to me?" Bazz B asked threateningly.
The blonde loli crossed her arms, "Most people around here might be stupid, but I'm certainly not. You should tread lightly, Bazz B before something bad happens."
"If something bad did happen…where would you be?" he asked curiously.
The blonde shrugged, "That depends on a lot of factors…I will always make the logical choice."
"Good to know…" the man chuckled.
Before their conversation could continue, a third figure landed nearby. Both Quincies looked up surprised to see somebody they were not expecting. Bazz B cocked his head confused, "Giselle?!"
"Awww, Bazzy-kun, what are you and Lil-chan doing out here?" Giselle asked in an overly cutesy way.
"Liltotto and I just happened to run into each other. I was just leaving, actually. See ya later bitches," he replied callously.
Giselle giggled at his remark, "Haha, don't leave on my account, Bazzy-kun…we never get to hang out together."
"Hopefully we never will...also don't call me Bazzy-kun…It's Bazz B. I don't go around calling you Gigi like one of your little girlfriends," the man scoffed at her.
Giselle gave him a playful grin, "We could be friends…but you're always so scary and mean. What did I ever do to you? Or didn't do? Is there anything I can do to build our friendship?"
Liltotto face-palmed at the display, and Bazz B simply rolled his eyes. He rubbed a hand through his Mohawk before replying, "Stop playing innocent, Giselle…you're not fooling me with this shit. You know damn well why I hate your guts,"
"Hate is such a strong word…you really have to care about something in order to hate it," Giselle stated. Her eyes lit up in surprise upon saying it, "That must mean…you actually like me then?! Ha! Bazzy-kun, likes me!"
"Excuse me, while I go kill myself…" the man grunted as he pushed past Giselle and made his way back into the Silbern.
After he was gone, Liltotto shook her head at Giselle, "You really like getting under people's skin don't you?"
"I didn't know you and Bazzy-kun were on good terms…" Giselle said slightly more serious now.
Liltotto glared at Giselle seriously, "We're not…you didn't see anything. Got that?"
"Hmm...maybe I did...maybe I didn't." Giselle replied.
"What are you doing out here, anyway, Giselle?" Liltotto asked carefully.
The zombie Quincy brought a finger to her lip and looked up with an oblivious dumb smile on her face, "Let me think...Oh yeah! I wanted to tell you something!"
"What's that?" the blonde took a step back as if she anticipated what was about to happen.
Giselle smiled with enthusiasm, "I am going to train Yuzu!"
'What?' Liltotto thought bewildered as she stared dumbfounded. The loli gave the dark haired Quincy a questioning gaze, "Who authorized that...and why?"
Right as the blonde let her guard down, Giselle leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "I did...you won't tell anyone will you? A secret for a secret? Or maybe Bambietta would like to know about you and Bazz B hanging out together..."
"Do whatever you want...just keep your mouth shut," Liltotto sighed, "it's not really my problem anyways."
Giselle grinned happily as she hugged the blonde Sternritter, "Aww! You're the best, Liltotto!"
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