Yellow Trumpet

**Date Started:** 13 November, 2021
**Date Completed:** 25 November, 2021
**Next Role-Play**: N/A
**Users Involved:** User:DazzlingEmerald, User:Loominarty, User:Sekiro of the mist, User:AbysmalShadows, User:Sir Ice Man, User:EmperorSigma
**Setting:** Seireitei, 10th Division Barracks, Akatani
**Characters Involved**:
* **Shinigami**: Togashi Hiramochi, Wakino Atsumori, Ryujin Suiiki, Kamui Shihōin, Yagami Ryu, Nakamoto Rakkī Shin Takara, Sakata, Ichika
* **Hollows**: Auburn Roseheart

## Yellow Trumpet

Lazily laundering about a field lush of daffodils was where the 12th seat of the Tenth Division could be found, holding the name of Togashi Hiramochi. Ever seen his induction into the ranks of the Tenth Division he'd been accused of avoiding his duties by essentially taking up residence in this very field; though in reality the relatively young Shinigami was still just trying to get a grasp over what his life would be like going forward.

Until only recently, Togashi had experienced serious poverty, having grown up in the 80th district of West Rukongai, a place which was aptly named *Akatani*. As he laid on his back, Togashi held out a single daffodil before his face. He twirled the flower in his grasp, watching as the clouds moved from behind it.

A woman with quite the figure on her begins to approach the field, as her shadow continues to move closer and closer, one can disclose that she is a Shinigami and also a member of the aforementioned Tenth Division. She then walked up to the young man, letting her appearance be fully shown with her curvaceous hips, captivating lips, ebony skin, and silky long black hair that reaches to the waist, coupled with her treasuring orange eyes illuminating from the brightly filled sky. She greets him in quite the charming manner “Heyo there, I’ve heard that you’re the new recruit that recently joined our squad.” The lady exclaims.

The shape of the daffodil in Togashi's hand --especially with specks of the sun dancing upon it-- gave it the impression of a yellow trumpet. But that was not the only trumpet present; another formed around Togashi's pants as the undoubtedly sexually enticing woman came all the way up to him. His first impression was to be flustered, most obviously by her charm. He was a growing man after all and as such his eyes were always lurking. He wondered how in the hell she managed to find him, but perhaps that in itself was a showing of her ability.

"Oh. H-Hey. Yeah, that's me." He sat up and awkwardly coughed into his hand to give himself some more time to put himself together. "I'm Togashi Hiramochi. Seventeenth seat, I think." He gave her a chance to state her name next. It was clear that she was going to have to carry the conversation as he was a bit caught off guard.

The fully matured woman then proceeds to give Togashi an introduction as well corresponding to his. “Ohh, you’re name is Togashi hm? That’s a nice name. Mine is Wakino Atsumori, and I’m sort of a veteran I guess you could say within the squad. I like to think as myself as a very experienced Shinigami, but in all truth the gap in our abilities aren’t as far as you might think.” Wakino said fast, not giving Togashi enough time to take in everything she said. “So what brought you to the garden huh, Toga-kun? Are you perhaps interested in daffodils?” Wakino tells Togashi, referring to him by a nickname she just came up with on spot, showcasing her childish nature.

Togashi was an insightful man. He not only noticed this childishness of hers, but also deeply, deeply appreciated it. If she would allow, he would extend forth his hand for a more proper greeting. "It's nice to meet you, Wakino. Trust me, I'm very *experienced* as well." Should he succeed in shaking her hand then he would continue to keep it in his grasp and issue a soft kiss against her knuckles. She would feel the sharp hairs of his green hair pinch against her.

"I guess you could say that." He'd stand up to his full height. He was quite a large man, standing at nearly six and a half feet tall. He was also incredibly well built, such that he was comfortable wearing his gi only halfway so that one side of his bare torso was completely exposed. Togashi had a certain charm about him, which with his deep voice, sharp features, and well built frame made him come off as incredibly masculine. "Good thing I was here though. Because now I'm able to give this flower to such a pretty girl, like you."

Wakino stares deeply into Togashi’s eyes, almost completely mesmerizing him. She then says “How did you know I loved flowers?” whilst being completely taken away by the fact that he was offering her a daffodil, Wakino’s favorite plant. Such a gentlemen he was indeed, then as he attempts to try to give her a smooch on her fingers. Wakino abruptly halts him from doing so, “Hah?!, are you trying to pull a smooth one on me you freak?!?!” She yells out pulling her hand from Togashi and quickly snatches the daffodil before he can do anything. She then starts to perform Shunpo and moves away at flashing speeds while exclaiming “I’ll have you know that I’m a single woman and forever will be, as I’m only devoted to the battlefield!” She then runs off in the distance, nowhere left to be seen.

Togashi barely had any time to react to anything. She was gone before he had the chance to speak his part. "Well, that didn't go as planned," he muttered to himself, laying back down on the ground and ripping another daffodil from the field to take into his hand. Back he went, attempting to deduce the mystery the daffodil, which was the symbol of the 10th Division, represented.

"Life sure has its wonders and there goes another." the words of Suiiki wouldve taken the new recruit by suprise. while he seemed to be flirting with medusa Suiiki had been watching from not too far behind. the young mans apperance resembled that of a captain however he was not at that tier yet. the young man was only a 140 centimeters tall. he had a lean, his white hair reflected like snow in the bright atmosphere. it came down just a bit further than his eyes but was not in the way.
Suiikis calm eyes where of a silver shade. with the sun shining on them though they seemed to be of an amber color. Suiiki had Fair light brown skin. Aside from his features, Suiiki exuded a calming energy that matched with a colder exterior

while he hadn't been too keen to let Wakino see him at the moment as she would probably scold him about something. he did note that it was important to introduce himself to new members. looking up at Togashi, Suiiki introduced himself.
" i apologize for Wakino, she doesnt take well to charmers. Anyways i'm Suiiki and im also apart of the tenth division. Anything you want to know about me before you introduce yourself."

Startled, Togashi flinched abruptly. He looked back to the sight of another one of his peers having appeared at his flank. “Goddamn, what’s with all you guys coming out of nowhere?” He would sigh, but the young boy’s presence truly did catch his eye. “Yeah. I wanna know what seat you are.”

Togashi stood up to his feet. It’d been a few months since Togashi had joined the tenth division. But the shortage of soldiers in the Gotei 13 meant that he was going to be pushed out onto the front lines at every notice. “It’s nice to meet you, kid. If you need some mentoring, let me know,” he said, underestimating him based on how he looked.

Suiiki chuckled a bit at Togashi's response. When he heard the mans words Suiiki thought he would indulge the man before telling him about his ranking. " Ah thank you for offering your expertise. I will keep that in mind. Still it intrigues me what ranking you hold. Surely you must be one of the top seats. " While he didn't reveal his position in the squad. Suiiki meant no ill intentions by it. The fact of the matter was that he was amused.

Still keeping his cool demeanor, Suiiki Felt the presence of Wakino approaching. In that same moment Suiiki remembered Her specifically telling not to hide his rank from new members. Beginning to mentally prepare himself for her verbal onslaught by the time she arrived on the scene. Suiiki casually sat down in the field next to Togashi.

Sounds of chatter and laughter could be heard from a distance as a group of women’s footsteps could be heard. The various women in question were the members of the Shinigami’s Woman Association, a group led by the Soul Society’s “pinnacle of beauty” herself. Wakino Atsumori, as they pass by the field while having their little banter with shopping bags held in their hands, seemingly getting lost in conversation and not noticing their surroundings.

Wakino then stops in her tracks, slowing down the rest of the group wondering why she stopped. Wakino then turned her back around stiffly noting “I can sense-“ she says with her eyes closed. “TWO MEN WITH RIDICULOUSLY HIGH REIATSU!!” She blurts out opening her eyelids and dashing towards the field to Togashi and Suiiki’s location. They then stared down at eachother for a moment not saying a word while Wakino appears to have an angered expression across her face. “I knew it was y’all, hmph!” She says crossing her arms, clearly showing her fit of frustration.

"Oh. Look who it is." Togashi folded his arms across his chest. While he could not deny her beauty, he had given up on trying to befriend Wakino. If they could even manage being teammates, well, that alone would suffice. Still, the presence of her and the many countless other women made Togashi blush. He simply couldn't help it, no matter how much he wanted to maintain a professional attitude. He looked off to the side, so as to ease his... tensions.

There was no time for Wakino to correct Togashi's opinion of Suikki. For in the next instant, Togashi's phone began to ring. "Hang on a second. Let me get that," he said, reaching into the pocket of his Shihakusho and unveiling a technological device of some sort, which bore striking resemblance to the very cellular phones the humans residing in the World of the Living were using. The Soul Society, while lacking in military power, was still up to date with technology, it seemed.

Togashi pressed the phone to his ear and spoke in a nonchalant manner. "Yeah, it's Togashi. Go ahead." What ensued next were a series of nods, eye rolls, head bobs, and then suddenly, the Shinigami's eyes widened. "What? How can that be?" His pupils dilated and trembled in utter shock.

After he got off the phone, Togashi looked towards Suikki and Wakino with a far more grave expression on his face. No longer was he the laid back man from before. "I... just got a report. Recon Unit 6, which was sent on a mission to the 80th district of West Rukongai last night... never returned."

An expression of dissatisfaction covered Suiiki's face. While Wakino, hadn't started chewing him out he had come to realize whenever she held her tongue like this the talk was much worse. Adjusting his posture to sit more upright Suiiki had been momentarily distracted by the fact that so many of the woman's society had assembled. Let alone gone on a shopping spree in such a short time.

Seeing Togashi reach for a phone got his attention. Suiiki looked until he met the Grave eyes of Togashi. Knowing instantly what this look meant Suiiki Quickly rose to his feet. But this wasn't even the worst of it. The moment he heard the report Suiiki flared with anger. Even though it was sudden his spiritual pressure suddenly shot upwards. Causing waves of unease to befall some of the surrounding shinigami. " What, Some of our best where on that unit" The words identified just how severe the situation was. especially the fact it had gotten Suiiki so riled up.

Togashi noted Suiiki's rising spiritual pressure. I mean, who wouldn't be able to? Standing so close to the lieutenant, Togashi felt as if he was caught in the middle of a raging storm. Winds began to whirl in every direction. It seemed the lieutenant whom they depended on so very much was losing his calm. *His spiritual pressure is enormous for someone so young... just what seat is this guy?*

"Hey, kid! That's enough!" Togashi hollered aloud. "You're right. Some of our very best were sent out on that mission! But getting mad like this won't get us anywhere now will it?!" Togashi was trying to speak some sense into Suiiki before it was too late. He needed to calm him down before they could proceed.

We then cut to Wakino's reaction which was just a simple enough sigh. "I think it's to get down to business." The woman says in a more serious tone than she's ever been presented as by now. She then turns back to the group of women following her, who look shaken up by the news Togashi bestowed onto them. "Ladies and ladies, you shall not worry as we still have not been confirmed the proper situation and everything else pertaining to it as of now." Wakino reassures her follow female Shinigami comrades to contain their composure. She then looks back at Togashi "Toga-kuun, did they give us any other infomation?" She asks taking a breath.

The winds of Suiiki's Rage began to die down. He had to keep in mind just how much his spiritual pressure could effect those around him. Taking a breath in he let out a huge sigh. At the same time he regained control of his emotions. refocusing on the rest Suiiki bowed in apology before he gave his thoughts, " my apologies, now isn't the time to let emotions win over. Togashi, Being that you have the specifics you take the lead for now."

Togashi nodded in agreement with Suiiki's decision. Seeing as how the lieutenant had finally calmed down and apologized for his emotional outburst, Togashi turned to Wakino to answer her previous remark. "At this time I don't have any other information. However, I was told to repot to the 10th Division Barracks as soon as possible." Togashi glanced interchangeably at his two fellow division ten members. "You guys should come with me. This isn't a mission I can do alone."

As the group reached a consensus, all being in agreement to head for the barracks as fast as they possibly could, all three of the Shinigami would flicker away using Shunpo. Togashi proved to have the quickest Shunpo out of the three, outpacing even lieutenant Suiiki, while Wakino trailed behind them both as they headed for the barracks.

## Gone in the Wind

Togashi was the first among the group of tenth division members who were at the field of daffodils to arrive at the tenth division's barracks. His figure flickered into the establishment with strict ease, and as he looked to the side he was surprised to see that others from his squad, as well as Shinigami from other divisions, had also gathered here.

Togashi was the kind of man who immediately voiced his opinions. Members of the 3rd Division were the ones to summon him here. After all, they were the Shinigami among the Gotei 13 who were responsible for gathering intelligence, which they would then relay to the 10th Division before any other division. This was why Togashi took offense to other divisions being present. It felt insulting to think that they thought that he and his squadmates alone would not be enough.

"Why are *they* here?" said Togashi aloud for all to hear. "This is the Tenth Division's Barracks. Outsiders aren't allowed here."

"Togashi," began one of the Shinigami from the 3rd Division. "I'm afraid this is a matter that goes beyond the capabilities of a single division. We cannot risk any further casualties. It's best we combine multiple units to form one singular faction for this mission."

A cold gust of air gushed through the room. A painstaking silence followed suit. The Shinigami officers present were all hung up on a single word: *casualties*.

"What...?" said Togashi in disbelief.

Yagami Ryu heard the commotion as his shunpo carried him to the barracks. Frustration. Anger. Stomach churning guilt ate away at his insides. The Gotei 13 were already struggling to replenish their ranks, and the lawlessness in the outer districts of Rukongai had only gotten worse. But to lose a squad of Shinigami? Especially one of his own? The fury of it all burned something fierce within him.

He should have been there! His reiatsu threatened to break through and he struggled to maintain his focus and control. Closing his eyes he breathed deeply as he forcibly calmed himself down. It wouldn't do to lose his composure in front of the others. Opening his eyes he saw the Shinigami of the 10th and 3rd Division gather.

He flickered into being before them, his dark-blue haori fluttering in the wind of his passage. His gaze swept over the collection of Shinigami in attendance, spotting his own people, he made his way over.

"Togashi-san. It's as they say. We cannot afford to lose more investigating the cause. We're going in force to determine the disappearance of our comrades, and if possible the recovery of their bodies for proper burial." Ryu said.

In a flutter of vibrations through the wind, the visage of a man began to form before the group of gathered Shinigami. He was dressed in the standard shihakusho worn by all soldiers of the Gotei 13. He had his own customizations to it with custom sleeves that split in the same fashion as cuffed pants. Underneath it he wore long light blue colored gloves that stopped just above his elbows. To the blind eye it was the same uniform everyone else wore, but he opted for a more tight fitting one. He had long black hair with a purple tint to it and golden eyes as evidence of his lineage. Finally, what appeared to be his Zanpakuto rested along his waist in a horizontal fashion.

He was the Lieutenant of the Second Division, Kamui Shihōin first son of the Shihōin Clan. "I'd say we assess the situation better than leading in with direct force." Kamui began, adding in his two-cents of what he believed what be the better method. He was given instructions to aid the platoon in figuring out what happened, but was given a side objective by the Captain-Commander that needed to be carried out without fail.

"Aimlessly walking in to tear the place down would be counter-productive and I can almost guarantee that is what was done by our comrades. On another note, I have complete faith that our men did not just die." He paused and looked to each and every individual member who had been called for this task, "You all should as well."

Suiiki had been taken by surprise from all the members of the 13 court guard squads. Whom had assembled within the squad ten barracks. While his 12th seat was faster than him to arrive Suiiki took the extra seconds a time to ponder how they should proceed. As his form flashed into existence. The wind around him whipped suddenly as he stepped into the hall. Walking swiftly to meet the eyes of others Suiiki addressed his squad members first. "Calm yourself Togashi, the last thing we need is the ramblings of some squad member about other shinigami assembling. While yes this is the barracks of squad 10, this situation merits the added help." Suiikii had a serious tone to his voice now. Still he noticed some of the higher families and other lieutenants.

Suiiki choose to address the others to get formality's out of the way. His piercing Eyes scanned the room and landed on the first son of the Shihōin clan. Lietenant Kamui, it has been a while. Please forgive the rest of the members of my squad. I'm assuming they have strong senses of pride in their skills. Following your words it would be best to make the best of the situation thus far. Even I admit I lost my temper when finding about the news. Still we have yet to receive the full details. Given that so far the unit has only reported they have disappeared. This could mean several outcomes. Does anyone have knowledge they would like to share among the rest of us. " Suiiki still noted that he had not revealed his ranking in the t0th, So it wouldn't come to surprise for him if the other members met his words with some resistance. Still suiiki never concerned himself with social status as much. (Suiiki belongs to one of the newer noble clans of the soul society, However due to his past he prefers not to bring it up as much).

”Well well if it isn’t the other lieutenants.” Says a tall man wearing a shinigami shihakusho with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail, a lollipop in his mouth, and a Zanpakuto hilt on his waist.

”Since we’ve all assembled here, I think it’s only fair for me to introduce myself by now. For those who know me which is mainly the other two lieutenants and my squadmates you know who I am already, but for those who never saw me my name is Nakamoto Rakkī Shin Takara, the lieutenant of the intelligence force Division Three and the squad’s de-facto leader” The man declared revealing his status and position. “Issa pleasure to meet ya, hopefully we all get along during this mission.” Nakamoto says in a jovial fashion, taking out the lolipop from his mouth and disposes of it.

With a flicker, another figure entered the barracks, with not much of a figure to boast of. A woman with raven black-colored hair, tied in a ponytail, yet somehow, still disheveled. With a mirthless smirk, the woman asked, “Room for another? Of course, there should be.” She finished smoking her cigar, and with a small, flashy burst at her fingertip, the remains of her cigar disintegrated. Her walk was less than refined. Her body language indicated a rough upbringing. This was the first time in a long while that she had stepped in the barracks of the division once captained by the man who bore the name of the district she called home. She then addressed everyone in the barracks. “Reporting from the 13th Division. I am ordered to gather intel on the situation, and accompany y'all if the situation demands stepping into the Human world. Yep, that is just the way it is. If y'all going to the human world, the 13th Division wants in, even if they have to send a mere 7th Seat. So, pardon my language, what the fuck is going on?”

The many shinigami present let their presences be known. This was a dire circumstance. In the past perhaps there was some truth to the notion that Shinigami lives were expendable. But in today’s world that couldn’t be farther from it.

The shinigami gathered here were some of the very best that the Gotei 13 had among its ranks. Between two lieutenants, Suiiki and Kamui, for them both to be deployed on the same mission only showed its significance.

“Exactly 17 hours ago, members of the 13th Division were patrolling individual segments of Rukongai, as per their duties.” The squad three member continued. “It was reported by Inagaki Kitsu, 20th seat of Division 13, that there was a shortage of souls in the 80th district of West Rukongai.”

“That’s normal for their standards,” Togashi interrupted, as if the lieutenants condoning him earlier did not play any precedent to his mind, “you are aware what that district is known as, don’t you? It has the highest criminal activity out of all of West Rukongai, such that it was named as the ‘Red Valley’. There is constant bloodshed present everywhere. Every building, every corner, covered in it.”

But of course Togashi spoke out against this. After all, he was a man who came from that very district. He was a native of Akatani. It had bred him, nurtured the soul that served the Gotei 13 in the present day. If anyone was going to speak on it then he felt the absolute need to check them.

"Yes. I understand that," the 3rd Division member carried along. "But 3 hours later, 14 hours ago from now, more members of the 13th Division were brought in to investigate Kitsu's reports. They never returned. This is not something as simple as a mere Hollow attack. We were in contact with the platoon that charged into Akatani and they did not report anything even remotely Hollow related... before contact was lost." He turned to address the whole group. "Those of you gathered here today, it will be your duty to investigate what has occurred in Akatani. Discover the threat, neutralize it if possible. And determine what has happened to the Shinigami from the 13th Division who were on their patrol 14 hours ago."

Nakamoto then responds with his own thoughts on the situation so far, "I personally believe that this sudden attack may be a factor of another hidden variable, that we don't have knowledge of. This might even be a case of a mole" He says rubbing his chin trying to assess the whole circumstances at hand. "We should all split up between teams to efficiently figure out the root cause of the issue for the sake of convenience." Nakamoto speaks to the rest of the Shinigami in the room.

"The first squad I think is necessary for us to deduce where the threat is coming from and if there's an overall grand plan and this is a part of their plot is a recon squad, this team will consist of Lieutenant Kamui Shihoin, Togashi Hiramochi, and Yagami Ryu as the fastest individuals in this room as of right now I believe you lot are well suited for utilizing Shunpo to sneak up on the main enemy and locate them." Nakamoto addresses them while pointing at them. "The next group I'll assemble is going to be the Brute Guerilla Force the members of this team shall be me, Ryujin Suiiki, and Sakata, we're going to charge in headfirst to the battlefield and try to cause as much ruckus as we can to hinder the enemies from sensing the recon squad and make them too preoccupied in battling us that they lose their focus. We're pretty much going to serve as a distraction for everyone else to advance." He then pauses for a second and looks around the room "Wakino, the Shinigami Women Association, and the rest of y'all will serve as backup soldiers in case our plan fails, and with that I think I've come to a conclusion to assess the teams." Nakamoto says standing tall "We'll relay information to eachother via usage of soul pager. I've added you all to a group chat that you can message and call. Now with everything cleared, is there something else anyone wants to say?" Nakamoto questions the group.

Sakata let out a rough, angry chuckle. “That Kitsu! Of course he messed up. Still, too many casualties for my division, huh? The problem is a tough one. We can keep sending recon teams to the Red Valley, and keep risking that we never hear back from them. But we cannot *not* deploy forces either. We do not know the nature of the enemy, their numbers, or exactly what they are doing. We have received reports of dimensional rifts and Shinigami disappearing in human world. There is a reason why I rose from 10th seat to 7th so quickly. I was about to go on a mission to human world, until I was assigned here. There could be a link between what is happening in the human world and what is happening here, but I feel that things are decidedly different. Anyway, we need to turn the situation into where we are in-charge.”

She heaved a sigh, closed her eyes for a moment, and then spoke, “We can form a barricade around the area, and then start closing in. But we do not have the numbers. Unfortunately, what Nakamoto has said is the only option we have got.”

Knowledge they had no idea of was indeed the greatest factor of it all. The rest of the Shinigami present had no idea of what had truly been going on in the Soul Society, but Kamui definitely did. Such information needed to remain suppressed otherwise the Soul Society would be thrown into an unbalanced roar of chaos. The rest of Nakamoto's orders went into his ears and proceeded within his brain. Kamui hated being bossed around, but it was necessary for the sake of the mission. More than anything else though, Kamui didn't carry his Denreishinki on him almost ever. The constant vibrations from them often irritated him. He simply nodded his head and acted accordingly.

Kamui said nothing in response, instead he gave but a slight head nod. A simply leg lift was all it took for his body to become nothing more than an after image. A small vortex of wind replaces him follow by the little gathered of leaves that fell around his misty figure. Then, in the next blink even the afterimage had disappeared out of existence leaving nothing but the leaves in his place. Truly, if there was anyone who was a master Shunpo user, it was Kamui. He had no qualms against his comrades, but he left first because he intended to work alone. That's just who he was.

Ryu silently took in all the information, and thought back to when he had once lived in the Zaraki district. He had hoped the intel he had provided the squad would have been enough to give them an advantage but... dismissing those thoughts he focused on the mission. Doubt was a seed that once planted need only time to grow into something poisonous to the mind.

As his name was called he straightened his posture and looked to his would-be teammates, both of whom were Lieutenants, one his own and the other of the 2nd Division. He was honored that they would trust in his abilities to keep up with them, but he reasoned that it was likely due to his own history in Zaraki, and the Akatani that he was partnered with them.

His thoughts however didn't distract him from the fact that as soon as questions were open to that the 2nd Division Lieutenant's reiatsu suddenly vacated the premises despite his eyes still seeing his form. It took only a second for him to realize he was staring at an after-image and the shock of his departure hit him the next moment.

"Togashi-san!" Ryu yelled over the Shinigami talking to get his partners attention, before gesturing in the general direction the 2nd Division Lieutenant sped off, and quickly giving chase. He could feel the gap between the distance of their flash steps, but he was a Shihouin. There was no shame in recognizing that skill. But what he lacked in speed he more than made up for in endurance, and started doubling his pace pushing his stamina to its limits and started gaining on the quite frankly leisurely pace set by the 2nd Division Lieutenant.

*That foolish, selfish bastard!*, he thought bitterly, gritting his teeth in frustration at the blatant disregard the 2nd Division Lieutenant had shown. *Who the hell runs off in the middle of an operation to face an unknown threat without their team or backup?* The act galled at him, if his comrades were still alive, they needed to work together to find them, not run off halfcocked in some vainglorious manner just because you didn't like working with others! His reiryoku felt like a fire beneath his skin but he reigned it in. Once they caught up to him, they'd figure the rest out.

Seeing the rest begin to fan out Suiiki started walking towards the gate. Much like Kamui He preferred to be by himself. However there where times where self desire must be put aside. Looking towards lieutenant Nakamoto, Suiiki nodded in agreeance to being teamed up with him. " This should be interesting. Also ncie to see Lieutenant Kamui is his usual self. Well nothing anyone can do about that though. In the end he's a good leader and a wonderful fighter. ( Suiiki begins to think to a time he and Kamui shared a dual without swords. )" being that his comrade was better with words and the fact that he made the team Suiiki calmly awaited for the next events.

When Togashi noticed the arrival of Nakamoto, he greeted the lieutenant with a sheepish look out of the corner of his eye, while thinking to himself, *great. Another Lieutenant who thinks he's the one in charge around here*. Togashi propped his pinky in his nostril and maintained a very disinterested look on his face while Nakamoto spoke. And then when Nakamoto finally shut up, Togashi allowed a brief moment of silence before proceeding to check him. "What the fuck are you talking about? What do you mean you're going to charge headfirst and take on the enemies? Haven't you heard a single thing these guys have said? We don't know what the fuck is even causing all these issues. How can you be so sure there is an enemy in the first place?"

Togashi turned to confront Nakamoto. "I don't recall anyone putting you in charge around here, buddy." Togashi's voice returned to a more measurable tone. "But... if you want us to split up into different groups to cover more ground, then my Zanpakuto is perfect for that." All this talk of making teams and mobilizing as units, and yet one after the other, Shinigami began pouring out of the barracks. The first to go was Kamui; and following in pursuit of him was the 10th Division's very own, Ryu.

A comical yet enraged emote appears over Togashi's head as he hollers at the departing Ryu. "HOY, RYU!! WHAT GOOD IS REPORTING A DISOBEDIENT SHINIGAMI WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO DO THE SAME THING YOURSELF?!" But Ryu was gone. Togashi palmed his face with his hand, nervous beads of sweat trickling down his temples. "Great. There go the two guys who I was supposed to be teaming up with. Am I supposed to try and catch up with them?"

But Ryu and Kamui were not the only ones who took off in a hurry. Though he did move nearly as fast, Suikki too, had took his leave from the barracks, albeit he moved in a far more calculated manner. This was enough to draw suspicion from Togashi. "Hey, wait a second. Just where's a kid like that going off to?"

“Oi, hold on,” spoke Sakata, “Togashi, innit? Alright, I like your 'cover-more-ground' idea, mostly because it was identical to mine.” She turned to Nakamoto, “I would like to ask you, lieutenant to back us up on this one. Three forces are better than two.” She turned back to Togashi, “Head to Akatani, will ya? Inform me on my mobile device as to which direction you will approach the site. I will approach from the South. As soon as ya do, activate your Zanpakutō, and start moving in closer to general location of the disappearances. I will not be too far behind.”

She turned to leave, and briefly looked back at Togashi, “Oh, and the kid? A bloody lieutenant, that is.”

Saying what she had to say, Sakata headed out with a flicker. She had sensed that Togashi was faster than her, so she knew she could use the head start.

Without needing to look back, Kamui sensed the reiatsu of Ryu following behind him. He had never individually met any of the gathered Shinigami, but in the little time they did spend in the 10th Division barracks just now, Kamui had already registered each and every one of their spirits in his mental for later use. He kept his vision forward and continued to keep moving on. Even if Ryu possessed great endurance, Kamui was still a few levels above him but his ability to travel large distances would only allow him to create an even larger gap between himself and the Shinigami and that he did.

"Tch," Kamui grit his teeth. "I don't need anyone slowing me down." In his next step, Kamui's body vanished in a much different manner than before. It was clear that this movement was much different than the basic Shunpo, a much more advanced type of technique, if it was even apart of that ability. Not only did his physical form disappear, but his reiatsu did as well. A gap that was only about fifty feet instantly became one that was well over a thousand. And like that, he was *gone in the wind*.

Suiiki was occupied in thought. While he was not a captain the expectations of him in this age where closer to the same than they wouldv'e been in the days of the old. Scanning the movements of the speed unit. He gathered that it was wise to put Kamui in that unit. Even if he wouldn't be willing to directly help the others in the group. He was still a member of the second. Stealth and covert operations where his specialty. still Suiiki couldn't shake the feeling of the mission at hand. Recounting about how he once read the records of captain Toshiro, and those in the library. An uneasy feeling shook his bones. "I hope this isn't another hollowfication incident. The last thing we need is another Aizen. still how have our relationships been with other races. The shinigami have been known to be cold to others. " letting out a light sigh Suiiki's eyes flashed before he tilted his head slightly as if speaking to someone. " looks like we'll be getting another outing. We haven't seen actual combat besides training should be fun."

## HELP

Due to his sheer speed alone, Kamui, son of the Shihōin, was the first to arrive in the 80th district of West Rukongai. Even for a speedster like himself, to make it all the way here was no small feat; nor was it something that could be accomplished in less than several hours. Much like the reports had suggested, Akatani was a district stained in red. The stench of blood hugged the air of the district. Homes, wells, and other structures native to other districts were left in pieces.

A few yards ahead of where Kamui was, an elderly woman could be seen, crawling towards a well. She repeatedly fell over on her way to the well; it was hard to imagine that she would be able to reach her destination without proper assistance.

On top of the tallest pile of rubble, a tall figure stood. His face was masked by a cloth or scarf that wrapped around his neck, mouth, and hair, only leaving his eyes to be seen. He had been sitting in this position for quite some time and had watched the woman as she crawled helpless towards the well. His eyes squinted as she struggled to make her way, but she managed to do so regardless.

The masked man could have easily lend her a hand, but he needed to see just what she was going to do when she reached the well. It seemed coldhearted and ruthless on the surface, but with everything surrounding what had gone on in the Akatani District and the news of the disappearing Gotei 13 members made the district all the more not trustworthy. "I wonder," the man said to himself, eyes locked onto the woman as she continued to crawl along the ground. "Would the well hold any significance?"

Whether this man was Kamui or not didn't matter, the fact that he moved so cautious would have been more alarming. He concealed himself within the shadows, suppressing his reiatsu to the point he had been virtually non-existent to even the more expert of sensors. If Kamui did reach the location, he would have been there by now and coming in hot was Ryu.

One moment the 2nd Division Lieutenant was ahead of him and in the next he was gone. Along with his spiritual pressure. *So he knows how to hide his power?* Ryu summarized, and slowed his movement down. But then his mind came to another question. *He deliberately hid his spiritual pressure, and sped off. Why? Is he so determined to work alone that he'd abandon his allies in the middle of an operation for... ego? Or is there something more sinister going on?* Whatever the reason, Ryu felt his trust dissipate towards the 2nd Division Lieutenant.

His only recourse was whether or not the Lieutenant even knew the layout of Akatani to effectively start his search. Few Shinigami patrol the Zaraki, and he doubted that a pampered noble like the Lieutenant had much experience in the outer districts. To that end, whatever had happened to his officers troubled him deeply. The Zaraki was lawless, even more so after the Vanishing, but for a squad of trained Shinigami to disappear like this? They mentioned casualties but there were no bodies found. Increasing his pace, exceeding even his previous speed he sped towards Akatani.

It would take several more hours, on top of however long it took for the Lieutenant to arrive for Ryu to get there. Akatani was as grotesque as he remembered. The stench of blood, death and shit filled his nostrils, a sensation which pulled at terrible memories best left in the dark. Stains of battle, rape, and every other atrocity imaginable were littered across its streets. The decadent atmosphere was almost suffocating. The spiritual energy in this place was just... wrong, it was filled with so much negativity it weighed heavy on his shoulders. A bitter reminder of the extinction of morality, lost to the savage hunger of vainglorious demons in human form.

He wisely kept himself hidden using the shadows and traveled along the rooftops whenever possible. Extending his senses he strained his spiritual sensitivity to detect the presence of any nearby sources powerful enough to warrant his attention. He also took note of the best vantage points and paid particular attention to these places, to see if he could find any person or persons attempting their own recon. If he sensed the presence of his team, well, of his own Lieutenant made it, damn that Shihouin, then he'd reveal himself but beyond that, he would begin his own survey of the area.

As she crawled towards the well, the woman did not seem to possess any unorthodox spiritual energy. In fact she was wholly normal, though her reiatsu continued to fluctuate, indicating that she was struggling to hold onto her lifeforce. The truth of the matter was that this woman had gone days without consuming anything. She was nearing her end and this well was her final chance at salvation.

The man who'd submerged himself into the shadows and erased every trace of his being had noticed the arrival of Ryu. The Shinigami made no efforts to even look the woman's way, but he had been looking out at the rest of the district in search of something. But Ryu's arrival meant nothing to him. It was neither a negative nor a positive and he treated it as such. Eyes keen and squinted he changed the way he saw the woman. Her body became but a silhouette as the reiatsu within her became the figure of her being.

His mouth remain closed. But he kept watching her inch closer and closer to the well. He remained on the edge of his seat, waiting to see what would unfold once she reached what she sought so badly.

Seeing the woman was one thing, but feeling the struggling ebb and flow of her lifeforce ate at Ryu's heart. *My duty is to the mission*. He thought grimly. It had been drilled into him. And he understood why. But his heart... oh his heart cried out at the injustice before him. It galled at him to be unable to do anything to change things here. But as his eyes lingered on her decrepit form, his heart won out in the end.

Stepping out from the shadows, Ryu flickered over to the woman. He was careful to appear some distance away, so as to not startle her too much. Although it wasn't much, he always carried some military rations on his person. Retrieving one from a pouch he slowly approached the woman, raising one of his hands in a placating manner with the aforementioned food in hand. At the same time his other hand was placed near his weapon, in case he was attacked. Although he felt for the woman, it was not... uncommon to use such a tactic to lure victims into an ambush.

"Miss, please take this food." He said, indicating to the food in his outstretched hand. "If you are willing and able, could please answer a few questions for me, as payment?"

Though she was battling to stay alive, the elderly woman managed to raise her head up and look upon Ryu with observant eyes. And while she hadn't seen them in decades, she easily recognized the Shihakusho he was wearing. She paused a moment; she looked interchangeably between the food in the boy's outstretched hand and at the well that seemed like it was still a mile away. Then she regained her resolve and in a shocking twist, she slapped Ryu's hand away.

"Oh, I don't need help from a Shinigami!" she declared, using whatever remained of her humble energies in order to project her voice as clearly as she possibly could. "And I don't plan on doing any sort of favors for you either!

*She doesn't want pity. And what's left of her pride won't let her take any hand-outs from a Shinigami. Still...*, "I wasn't always a Shinigami." He responded meeting her gaze. "Nor have I forgotten where I came from. You aren't the only one who survived in Zaraki. Now," Ryu took a step forward.

"Take. The. Damn. Food." Ryu said through gritted teeth and all but shoved the food in the woman's chest. "If you're not going to tell me anything, then how about you not get in my way and leave? There are people in danger, and I need to help them."

His eyes flickered to the well, unsure of why it was so important to the old woman. Regardless it was better to have this woman out of the way, and maybe... maybe he should check that well out. His suspicion had risen considerably when she looked between the food and the well. What could possibly be in there that could help her?

"You Shinigami... you didn't give a damn about any of us for decades... when we were starving, just like I am now... when we were dying... when we were truly in need of your help..." This woman was several hundreds of years old. She'd been residing in Akatani for the bulk of her life. The amount of times she had come face to face with a Soul Reaper she could count on her hands. A single hand, even.

As it pertained to the far off districts of the Rukongai, the fact of the matter was that the Gotei 13 disregarded them. Whether by choice or not was not important. All that mattered to these innocent people was that the so-called government that ruled over the entirety of the spiritual world was all talk. "You impose your rules on us all and demand we follow them, but what's in it for us?!"

Pain. Agony. Horrific scenes of her past replayed in the elderly woman's mind. The faces of her dead son and his deceased wife. They didn't deserve to be killed. Where were the Shinigami when they could have been saved?

"I'd rather die than accept your help after all these years... you Shinigami are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites! Do you feel superior to me now, wearing those black garbs of yours? Carrying around that sword; does having a weapon like that give you the right to make demands of me? The people of Akatani have managed to live on without any aid from you Shinigami for over a hundred years... you refused to help us then, so tell me... *why now*?"

The elderly woman's gaze met Ryu's own. "You must need something from us; that's what it is, isn't it? Otherwise you wouldn't even care to look in our direction. You'd just let us rot! Take your food, then! You only want to feed me so I'll speak!"

A reiatsu could be felt in the distance. Growing... stronger as it came forth. It was unfamiliar to Ryu, though the nature of it undoubtedly carried the traces of another Shinigami.

"You don't think I know that!" Ryu roared, his emotions boiled over and his reiatsu erupted like a blazing aura around him.

"I lived here! I fought here! I've bled and suffered just like the rest of you!" He stalked forward each step punctuated with each statement. "I prayed for help knowing that it would never come! I would have traded anything, anything just to make this eternal damnation stop!" Taking a breath he controlled himself, and gathered his reiryoku, focusing on control as his reiatsu slowly vanished from the area.

"Do you know what I learned, living here?" He asked, half in exasperation and the other in pained resignation. "The only thing that matters is strength! Every bandit, every crime boss, every bastard who terrorized those weaker than them, wielded their strength like a club! The only choice any of us have is to either survive or become stronger."

Ryu sighed, letting out a breath as his flared temper died into embers. "The only difference between you and I, is that through fate, fancy or some obscure choice in my past has led me here." He said softly, looking at her, his gaze boring into her own. He couldn't deny her words, for they were the same one's he had uttered time and time again. Nor could he ignore the pit in his stomach as she correctly guessed why the Shinigami were out in force here. But that's why, doing this, even the little things was just one more step towards fixing this.

"What I do know is that I'm in a position to help you, and those here. Because I know what it was like. And I already told you. Just take the food and leave. If you're not going to help, I won't force you to." Ryu stepped beyond the old woman to the approaching reiatsu. "I need you to leave. Now. Something is coming and I doubt it will mind killing an old woman like you."

Though the man may have remained hidden, he kept his attention on the unfolding situation at hand. The exchange between Ryu and the elder woman was heard all over the immediate vicinity. The way she felt towards the Gotei 13 not being able to help them and spiting them as if they were nothing but a rodent under her boot did not get under Ryu's skin nor his own. He didn't come here to worry about any of that, his mission was something completely different. If anything, her dying would have been more in his benefit.

Ears tingling from an itch, the sudden surge in reiatsu approaching caught his immediate attention so much so, that he leaned back further into the shadows. He could feel with the overall make up of their reiatsu that they were much different from Ryu and the old women seeking to reach the well. He had felt this sensation too many times before--a Hollow. Still, like before, he remained hidden. The moment for him to make his appearance to carry out his mission had yet to come.

The approaching spiritual pressure subsided suddenly. Such that the elderly woman was unaffected by it. The presence in the air marked the arrival of another Shinigami until out of nowhere a slender silhouette stood just behind her. That was no Shinigami.

A naked creature covered in dark grey fur and long spiky red hair with a hole in its stomach and a white mask shielding its face. It was a Hollow, and it stood within close proximity of the elderly woman, its shadow hovering over her.

The Red Hollow stared idly towards Ryu, saying nothing. Then again, when did Hollow ever bother to converse? As far as the Shinigami knew, the Hollows knew one language. Gluttony.

The appearance of the furred creature took the immediate attention of the hiding man. His eyes traced the very frame of her body all the way down to her reiatsu before he registered it. He was able to see reiatsu in a different way, a unique skill that was only possessed and passed down the elites.

Without giving another moment to build up, the man emerged from the shadows in a single step. His was between the gapped area of Ryu and the elder woman in the literal blink of an eye. His mouth remained sealed, he didn't acknowledge the presence of the woman, the creature, nor the Shinigami that had been going back and forth with her. Extending his arms down, he forcefully grabbed the woman. She was so drained and dehydrated that she could even put up a fight to resist him.

"Let me go you!" She shouted, shoving her hands into his chest. Though by the time she could even finish this request, he had already disappeared atop a giant pile of rubble above a mile and a half away. He placed her on top of the rubble and returned back to where Ryu and the creature stood.

"Finally, you have revealed yourself." The man said, stripping the mask from over his head, revealing himself to be none other than the Second Division lieutenant himself. A slight breeze pasted over the area, lifting both Ryu and Kamui's Shihakusho into the wind and the same happened with the creature's hair. *"Not only a Hollow, but an Adjuchas."* Kamui thought to himself.

The Red Hollow remained motionless. Standing before her were two Shinigami. In the absence of the elderly woman, she flared her Reiatsu once more. This time it was far more potent than the last, perhaps even suffocating for someone of Ryu's seating. But that's all it was: pressure. There were no traces of spiritual energy that was emanated from the masked being.

The Gotei 13's dogs may not have expected her to, but after a long duration of silence, the Hollow unveiled its ability to speak their same language. "What have you done with her?" she questioned at once, without addressing what Kamui had to say earlier. "Bring her back to me."

The intial releasing of the pressure from the Hollow was intense to say the least. Had this person been cloaked and masking their appearance, Kamui would have easily mistaken her from a trained soldier of the Gotei 13 who would have at least held a high rank. The ability to release your reiatsu in the form of force was known as *Presence*. It was a technique Kamui had been and informed of by his Captain Commander who had the intentions of teaching it to him.

But Kamui wasn't there to applaud the Hollow. In fact, her speaking helped re-confirm that mentality. He blatantly ignored her request, she was in no position to make such a thing. Then, there was another request. Though, mid-way through it, Kamui had already stepped once more and closed the distanced between himself and the Hollow, standing right in front of her. The sound of crackling leaves and the ground being stepped on could be heard in the distance. He looked her right in her pelvic area, but his hands were in a position as though he were getting ready for an attack. In the split moment, Kamui had altered not only his position, but his stance as well so that when he did finally arrive, he had nothing more to do that unleash his attack.

Fingers placed together, he had his palm upward and aimed at the Hollow's abdomen. Pushing it forward at the aimed area, Kamui moved his hand with not only great speed which was evident by the blur left behind in his motion, but strength as well by the ripple caused around it as if he had forcefully broken the sound barrier. Tesshō was a strong technique, one capable of shattering even the sturdy masks of the Hollows, but when more force was applied it could do so much more.

Kamui was a blur. There was no other way to describe him. Trying to converse with a Shinigami had yet again resulted in failure. The Red Hollow should have seen it coming. These foot soldiers of the Gotei 13, while taught every combative technique in the book, were not tutored in the ways of the world. As such, they lacked greatly in manners and etiquette. An open ended palm strike was hardly any way to greet another person. But that was where she had gone wrong. Kamui did not see her as a person. He did not see her for who she was, nor did he care to ask for her name. The thought probably didn't even cross his mind.

Auburn Roseheart.

She knew her name. The citizens of Akatani knew her name. But this Shinigami had something completely different on his agenda. Why was he so eager to wage war against her? But of course. The rest of her kind must have not set a proper example forth. Should she hold it against him for his course judgement? Auburn did not retreat from the oncoming strike. Instead she merely adjusted herself, somehow in time to react to his attack. She caught his blow through her Hollow hole, causing the strike to still cause some damage as it grazed the sides of her insides but as it mostly contacted air it did not nearly do as much as originally intended.

"I don't want to fight you," said the Red Hollow. "I don't want to fight either of you," she then clarified. "Please. Bring her back to me or she will die." Auburn did not budge an inch from her spot. She stood her ground, blaring down upon Kamui with her towersome height. His arm through her hole, she made no attempt in restraining him or anything of the matter. The Hollow, rather ironically, was merely trying to converse with the Shinigami who refused to see her as anything but the monster she appeared to be.

What in the hell is going on!? Ryu had been paralyzed by the release of her reiatsu, a pressure like that of a torrential wave washing over him had stilled his movements and captured his breath. After a moment he greedily gulped precious air, but even that was somewhat thick. Kamui was an unwelcome addition, but given the circumstances he was willing to let slide.

Seeing him move, or rather seeing the instantaneous movement of the Shihouin made Ryu grit his teeth in frustration. The difference between them was astounding, like night and day, and it burned his pride having to admit that much to himself at seeing the Lieutenant vanish and reappear so swiftly. Yet what caught his surprise was how... easily the Adjuchas had seen through his attack. Was this the power of something like an evolved Hollow?

He shuddered to think of just how powerful the strongest of their kind truly was. But hearing it speak. It didn't have a proper mouth to speak from, there was nothing remotely human about this towering monster. That was why it was so disconcerting to hear it speak so melodiously. Why did it want the woman? To save her? No, no, that couldn't possibly be true. Hollows were notorious for leading their victims into a false sense of security. They were apex predators for a reason, feeding on anything with a hint of spiritual power.

And if this thing didn't want to fight us, maybe its because we weren't even a match for it. That a fight would be pointless. Tensing his body, his eyes widened when he saw the things gaze sweep to him.

"We're not going to let you eat them. Whatever game you're playing it ends today!" Drawing forth his Zanpakuto he flooded it with his spiritual energy, and began waving the weapon intricately in the air as he began casting a spell. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!!" He crouched low to the ground as his sword traced faint symbols in the air.  "Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat!" Leaping into the air, Ryu landed on the rooftop and thrust his sword in the direction of the Adjuchas.

Pouring forth his spiritual power he bellowed out the final incantation. "Geki!" Crimson light erupted from beneath the Adjuchas draping it in a blood tinged halo. The spell itself was designed to restrict and restrain an adversary. On ordinary foes it would paralyze them completely, but against something as strong as the Adjuchas, it would stifle its movements long enough for the Lieutenant to execute a counter-attack.

Where Ryu wanted to actually say something in a scolding manner, Kamui had little to no care for the seated officer's presence in all of this. *"Him being here would normally weigh me down, but,"* Kamui had a sudden flash to the Hollow reacting to his attack despite his sudden burst which he assumed would have caught her off guard. *"It is best if I am able to utilize him as bait. His death would be further used to my advantage to catch this thing off guard and strike from behind. A fallen soldier, but a small price to pay in order for this mission to be successful."*

This was the cruel thought process of Kamui and he truly meant every word he said to himself. Kamui was a very different Shinigami when compared to the others who held the positions he did.

A sudden flash would bring the scene back to the Barracks of the First Division. There was a feud going on between Kamui and Kurome Kuchiki, one of the thousands they had in their life time with one another. The old Shihoin-Kuchiki rivalry seemed to continue to go on as the time passed and it was only growing much and more strong with each generation.

"How could you be so willing to put your own men in danger!?" Kurome asked, visibly more angry that Kamui who had been standing just a few inches from her own face. This was one of their more serious arguments to the point that the other officers called in Tsunayoshi Nishikawa. "How dare you say what you're doing is in the benefit of the Seireitei!"

Kamui simply looked at her and shook his head. "You wouldn't understand, Kurome. It's a concept beyond your comprehension."

"I know! So stop acting like you're a hero!" She scolded, "You're not the type of guy to make the sacrifice play! You wouldn't lay down on a wire and let your men crawl over you to get to the other side."

He turned his back to her and walked past Tsunayoshi and Kurome, "I'd rather just cut the wire." He said, exiting the room.

Still, Ryu had acted in a way that would best benefit the both of them. With his vision split between the Hollow and Ryu, Kamui saw as the seated officer prepared his upcoming spell. He quickly pulled his hand back from the Hollow's whole and upon doing so, Ryu released his spell. Quickly, Kamui ducked and added more of his reiatsu into his legs; strengthening them. In a spinning motion, Kamui sought to sweep the Hollow off of its feet and knock it off of its balance through his **Takebarai** technique.

Auburn was so tall that even if she were to have be sweep off of her feet, the technique launched by Ryu would have still managed to scar her if it hit. Yet, that wasn't it just yet. In the same way he prepared his immediate counter attack, Kamui readied yet another strike through his Hakuda expertise.

Still yet did Kamui refuse to speak. Combat was hardly any form of proper acknowledgement. To say that Auburn was offended was nothing short of an understatement. Hollow were empty beings who longed for a way to fill that void within themselves. Many satiated it through consuming souls, but Auburn was nothing like the rest. Ryu, however, did speak to her, at the very least. If the spoken words of a Kido chant could be considered such a thing. Yet again as she was charged by the Shinigami despite not having fought back once, Auburn tried to reason with them. "You Shinigami have no way of knowing how this district operates. I cannot hold that against you." There were no visible teeth on the mask of the Red Hollow, though she spoke with a majestic voice that beamed loudly across the battlefield and many ways beyond. "Here, Souls and Hollows coincide in harmony. It has been that way for over a century. The Souls that reside here have long since lost their faith in the Gotei 13. Your violent course of action will only further distort their perception of the Shinigami."

The way the Red Hollow spoke was most intricate indeed. Each sentence was a glamorous statement of its own, rather than leading into one another with any sort of transitionary words. Words like "and" and "therefore" were absent from her speech, granting her a higher sense of nuance. Not only was it rare for Hollow to speak, but it was next to impossible for them to display any level of intelligence.

That was when Auburn was frozen. Caught in a sheem of red Kido, one could have easily confused the aura for her own reiatsu. But this was *Geki*, cast by the spiritual energy of Ryu. While it was a reasonably low-level spell, the full chant empowered it considerably, such that a Hollow with even Auburn's reiatsu could not so easily fend it off. She was paralyzed, left entirely vulnerable to a collaborative effort from Kamui. But even as she looked upon the Lieutenant seeking her life, Auburn did not display the slightest bit of fear.

Kamui showed a great wit to him by attempting to use Auburn's great size against her. The Lieutenant would succeed in not only delivering his blow but delivering it soundly; such that rather than a scar of any kind, he managed to sever the whole limb from her knee down. Blood spilled in the red valley. Akatani which was famed for its frequent blood spill was bathed in the fluids of the Red Hollow.

Pain. It was a sensation Auburn knew well. But the emptiness that she carried inside her soul was so great that it masked the pain caused by the attacks of the two Shinigami. Even as her own leg floated up into the sky, blood propelling it further and further like the flames of a rocket, Auburn did not react in the slightest. There was no indication of pain. She did not scream, she did not shout. She did not flinch, she did not retaliate.

Instead, Auburn stood tall, refusing to let her massive figure hulk from a sudden loss of balance. On first glance it seemed like Ryu's spell was keeping her from falling over now that she only had a single leg to go on. But the signature ability of the Red Hollow had already undone the effects of his spell and as the two Shinigami were about to see, this was one of the most dangerous powers that this Hollow possessed.

The red lining of Geki remained around Auburn's body indicating that the effects of the spell should still be present. And then, suddenly, the Hollow took a move of its own volition, stepping backward with its single leg. How? How could it move even an inch without Ryu's permission when just mere seconds ago it had been trapped beyond recognition? There was no way for the Shinigami to know. But for Auburn it was incredibly, incredibly simple.

**Sonbōki**.

Hollows differed from Shinigami in more ways than one. One of those ways was their possession of powers. While the Shinigami had to release their Zanpakuto in order to gain access to the powers of their souls, Hollows were entirely different. Auburn was a Hollow who could make use of her signature power without any kind of release.

Sonbōki was an ability that worked on a molecular level. By being exposed to the spiritual energy of another being, Auburn's body could memorize its exact signature and produce antibodies against it. This meant that any attack that was orchestrated through one's spiritual energy would no longer have any effect on Auburn once she'd experienced it a single time. This concept expanded to the released states of a Shinigami's Zanpakuto as well as their use of Kido, as Kido was nothing more than a projection of reiryoku. This was why Auburn was now suddenly immune to Ryu's Geki, despite having clearly been imprisoned by its effects before.

"You... have chosen the right form of attack," said Auburn in response to Kamui's severing of her leg. This implied that while she could produce antibodies against the likes of Shikai and Kido, there was still an entire field of combat that could still harm her directly. However, it was very rare to come across a Shinigami who was as adept in hand-to-hand combat as Kamui as most relied on the abilities of their Shikai.

It was in the instant that Auburn acknowledged Kamui's strength that her amputated wound began to bubble. Tendrils of flesh roped out from her knee until the lost limb was supplemented by an ability Shinigami of this magnitude should certainly have seen before. High-Speed Regeneration.

"In wearing those garbs and wielding those blades you claim to be the beacons of justice. Tell me. What is so lawful about attacking a soul who refuses to fight back?" There was no falsity about the things she said. Auburn was merely standing there and these two Shinigami decided to assault her. Even now when she refused to fight back they did not concede.

But how could they? The existence of such a powerful Hollow in itself was a grave threat to their dwindling numbers. But now since the Red Hollow had displayed the unique abilities that made it so feared, it was all the more reason to put it down here. Should this Hollow continue to exist, it would without a doubt cause great danger for what remained of the Gotei 13.

— We then see what’s going on with Nakamoto’s side of things, having just arrived within the bloody streets of Akatani the foul stench of the gore all over the entire district made his nose tingle with an indescribable sensation running around it. “Man this really is the red district, huh?” Nakamoto says sighing trying to relieve himself from all the pressure. He then attempts to utilize his soul pager to keep in contact with the rest of the shinigami deployed, but much to his chagrin it doesn’t work as there’s no connection across Akatani. “Well I guess all this leaves me to is to head off by my own now, hopefully ain’t anyone in danger.” Nakamoto then dashes off on the roads of Akatani, searching for anything of importance while he snacks on a popsicle in the meanwhile to keep him hydrated.

Whilst everything else is occurring those who are still engaged in the task of protecting the Tenth Division Barracks are all already fast asleep. With one Wakino still keeping her eyes open on the lookout, in case they receive any sort of report or something happens to them. *Man I really hope that everyone is safe out there, but they haven’t responded to us in hours maybe they’re already engaging in combat at this point. Shit Im kind of pissed I couldn’t get in any of the action aswell*, Wakino thinks to herself pondering about what’s going on. In the meanwhile all she can do is hope for the safety for the rest of her comrades.

Ryu felt the reiatsu of the Adjuchas do something strange. It was like his spell was trying to hold oil, it was just slipping out of his grasp. Then it did something he wasn't sure was possible. The Adjuchas didn't break his spell so much as it slid right through it. As if it wasn't even there. This was different from the spells effect being broken, it was as if the spell simply had no effect, almost as if nothing was there to grasp.

Ryu faltered for a moment at watching something so impossible in all his years happen. He was left even more confused at what the Adjuchas was even saying. Harmony between Plus and Hollow? That was... that was preposterous, it was sheer lunacy! Akatani was still a decadent den of misery, rape and suffering. Had Hollows secretly infiltrated the outer districts, raised themselves up as gods and cultivated a deranged sort of cult of worship!?

His anger boiled into a raging conflagration and his reiatsu exploded, the rooftop cracking and cratering as he was on it. There was no quelling the absolute fury he felt in that moment, the raw wounds of his past punctuated by the calm casual manner in which the Adjuchas asserted its dominance over the populace. To be used as mere cattle by a being they had no hope of opposing just to survive for another few days. As if these people didn't have it bad enough already. It was a twisted combination of the guilt that ate at his insides, the part of him that was committed to the pursuit of justice, and the utter failure of every system in seeing it administered that pushed him to the edge and beyond.

His reiatsu rose so sharply it had exceeded any barrier he had previously known. He felt it. The hunger, not unlike that of a Hollow, as his spirit voice surged to the surface of his consciousness.

**They Seek To Usurp That Which Is Ours.**
**It Contends Against Our Might.**
**Show Them Our Hunger. Let Not Fear Stay Your Hand.**
**Call Upon My Name. We Shall Devour All Who Oppose Us.**
Emboldened by his spirit which only fueled the raging inferno inside of him he roared out its name, its voice intermingled with his own. A dark foreboding presence whose power synchronized with his own.

"**O Great Wind Swallow the Earth into Emptiness! Ryō Fū Setsujin!**" Blinding light illuminated his form before obscuring it in a pillar of pure iridescent white. The light did not fade so much as it was devoured by the Zanpakuto in his hand and it was lit with the pale glow of moonlight.

Thrusting his sword down into the building on top of him a curious phenomena unfolded. As the blade passed through the very air, white particles formed in the passage of its blade. Then as it skewered the roof, a white vapor seemed to rapidly spread and subsume the building whole. Eventually nothing remained save for a white mist that floated menacingly above Ryu, and as it hovered their in the air, it continued to slowly expand.

This was the power of his Zanpakuto. A power that devoured all things. The white vapor was an extension of his blade, cutting, constantly cutting and slicing all in its path. Whatever was cut became part of his blade. Thrusting his sword forward, the white cloud of vapor took the form of a large angry serpent, easily the size of the Adjuchas itself and surged forward snapping madly, the sound of countless blades cutting endlessly in its wake as it sought to devour the Adjuchas whole!

There was simply no getting through to them. Since they had arrived, the Shinigami had done nothing but bring mayhem upon Akatani and its residents. Among these residents was Akatani's very own; Auburn. She was no different than the rest of the souls that called this district their home. In fact she very well stood at the helm of the hierarchy. "Why... why won't you listen to me? Why must you make this so difficult? Can't you see? I do not wish to engage in battle with either one of you. I only wish for us to understand one another!"

But it was no use. No matter how hard she tried, there was no way Auburn was going to get through to these Shinigami. Not when they were so adamantly set in their ways. Auburn meant no harm. She was truly as pure as they came. Among the Hollows she was an anomaly. More accurately she was an *amalgamation*, joined by consent rather than by force.

The release of Ryu's Zanpakuto spelled war. At this stage, there was no turning back. Black rifts ripped into the fabric of time and space beside Auburn. Kūmon. The cracks grew wider still, bearing large hands that emerged from the other side and pulled the chasm apart. No less than five Gillian had appeared in the blink of an eye, filling the battlefield with a daunting bellow. And their numbers continued to grow greater still yet. It would take some more time for them to fully unveil themselves but their intentions were crystal clear; they longed to take part in this battle, mobilizing at the command of the Red Hollow and acting in her immediate defense.

That was when a young child, a young human *soul* ran up to Auburn with a panicked look across his face. He was the very same child from the barn that'd encountered Sakata and Suiiki. "Mother Auburn!" he exclaimed in a terrified tone, "they've come! There's more of them this time!"

What was this? Souls and Hollows working in unison? The Shinigami may not have been able to believe their eyes. The boy embraced Auburn's leg, clenching his eyes through fear in such a way that he was unable to see the attack of Ryu coming toward him. "Cheema, you mustn't come here!" Auburn exclaimed aloud. The abrupt arrival of the boy left Auburn defenseless. But it brought into question; would Ryu seize the opportunity to strike the Hollow even at the cost of harming the young child?

All the righteous fury Ryu felt evaporated at the sight of the child. Eyes widening in panic pulled back his attack but struggled as his Zanpakuto raged at the sudden hesitation. A primal scream of rage boomed in his head as his Spirit demanded to be used, to kill, to consume. His vision swam as his reiatsu fluctuated in agonizing chaos as he pitted his will against his Zanpakuto vying for control. The cloud like serpent's movement was arrested and it stilled before writhing around in apparent pain. With a shout Ryu collapsed his raging spiritual power and resealed his sword, the white vapor vanishing instantly into particles.

Exhausted from the exertion he collapsed onto one knee panting heavily as he felt the drain of his reserves tank and the adrenaline leave him sore and fatigued. He could only stare on object silence at the display of a child running to a Hollow of all things for protection. It was... words failed to give voice to the swirling maelstrom of emotions surging inside of him. He then noticed to his growing horror as the sky itself seemed to tear open as Gillians, began pulling the veil of reality apart like it was a delicate fabric and gaze with unblinking empty eyes at the world below.

Indecision weighed heavily on Ryu as his mind raced on what to do. This was unprecedented. Something like this, souls and Hollows working in unison, right in their own territory. What did this mean? What would it mean for Soul Society going forward? He didn't know. And that scared him. Glancing in his peripheral vision he realized that no matter what Lieutenant Kamui would never stop fighting, regardless of the cost in souls this day. He would fight to the bitter end and sacrifice every single one of them to complete the mission. It was beyond ruthless, and nothing he said would ever sway the man. But he had to do something. Calming himself, he breathed deeply feeling his resolve harden as he came to a decision.

Uttering the incantation softly his hands went through a flurry of intricate movements flowing through the air as he poured his reiryoku into the spell-chain. Placing his fist over an open palm he twisted both inward so that his arms were parallel to his body. Blood red light burst from beneath the combatants yet this time rather than binding the Adjuchas the target was.... Lieutenant Kamui!? In the same instant as the red light, a plume of red smoke remotely detonated at the Lieutenants feet briefly obscuring both his sight and his spiritual senses as they became blocked due to the effects of the same. Meanwhile a prism of four lights streamed together to form an inverted pyramid around him to trap him inside. The surprise assault of the red light to limit his movement, the smoke to remove his vision and spiritual senses followed by the barrier forming around him hopefully caught him off guard.

Ryu then shouted to the Adjuchas and child soul, "Leave! Get out! He'll kill every single person here if it means beating you! Take the civilians and flee!" After which he braced himself for what was definitely going to be an angry counter-attack by the Lieutenant, slipping into his trump card, the *Seishi no Sekai*, his will and spirit aligning for what was almost certain death.

So much had occurred in just a short amount of time. Most of these events were between Ryu and Auburn, but there were more and more surprising that would come. First, Ryu's sudden surge and increase of power which had been fueled by his emotions caught the lieutenant off guard, but he was no novice to such a feat. In his eyes, this was the greatest skill of the weak and he hated it more than the weak themselves. How could they gain a power-up simply from being weak? It was uncanny and unfair to those who had spent centuries of working on their skills only to be bested in a last ditch effort by those who possessed this ability.

Ryu's burst was for the activation of his Zanpakuto, which even Kamui had to admit, was unique if he had to say the least. For a Shinigami who utilized Kido in such a manner it helped him understand just why Ryu's Zanpakuto operated the way he did. On the outside he was caring and soft, but when those things he cared for the most were put into danger, he would seek nothing but destroy that which is in his path.

Amidst all of this, Auburn's only intention was the talk to the Shinigami. Kamui heard her. He heard her loud and clear. But he had no reason to register what she had been requesting. Above all else that he hated, were the Hollows of the World. What could they possibly say to him that he would need to hear? A cry for redemption? They were past that point, he sought only to destroy them and end their measly presence before they could pose a threat for the Seireitei or the Soul Society as a whole. She was fed up and in the snap of her fingers five Gillian-rank Hollows appeared to do her bidding and just as quick, was a small boy who referred to her as "mother". If there was nothing that had surprised him in this day, it was the fact that this Plus casually referred to this Hollow as his mother.

His golden gaze locked onto not her but the young boy. He wanted to understand what was going on, he truly did. Even after she had explained that the district had allied with Hollows a few moments ago, he still didn't accept it. He was a head strong individual, driven by the mission and the orders he was instilled as a young man to exterminate all Hollows and things that would pose a threat to the Seireitei.

"If you are under the impression that a finger count of Gillians will be enough to defeat me, I suggest you run and proceed with a head start right at this moment." Finally, Kamui had broken his everlasting silence. But his words weren't ones to try and reason with Auburn, instead, he had been offering them a out from this whole situation. His gripped his fist tightly and he looked around the area in its entirety. He had pinpointed everything and that was all he needed. Lifting his hand he gripped the hilt of his sword. Then, in that next breath, a kido had activated directly underneath him, entrapping him in a Bakudo in the shape of a red pyramid.

Placing his hand against the barrier, Kamui's gaze instantly fell upon Ryu, yet his expression remained the same.

Auburn had prepared herself for the very worst. She looked away from Ryu, turning towards the child to look him as she could have sworn that she was about to meet her end. But then, at that very instant, just when the greatest window of opportunity had presented itself for him, Ryu overturned his intentions. He changed sides.

Her face could not express it, but Auburn, behind that white mask of hers, was very much surprised. The Shinigami that she'd come to know were nothing like Ryu. Sure he had started out just the same as any of them --hell bent on eliminating her for no reason other than the makeup of her hollowfied soul-- but in a sudden turn of events, Ryu suddenly experienced a striking change of heart.

Auburn met Ryu's resolve with silence. She clenched the arm of the boy at her waist, tightly securing a firm grasp over him. What was he doing, exactly? Going against his superior would certainly carry a heavy consequence. Ryu had no chance at falling Kamui. Their spiritual pressures alone determined that. And yet he was still willing to fight a losing battle for what? Auburn cast her gaze back down upon the child. There was her answer. Ryu was a Shinigami who seemingly saw graver important in the safety of this child than the law from where he came. His sincere care for those inferior to him made Auburn recall brief flashes of the past. She could not visualize the memories but the sensations were all the same. That nostalgic feeling that was buried deep, deep into her gut.

She would never know now. Not after all these years of being a Hollow. Auburn was the product of a deceased Shinigami, hence the reason her reiatsu bore such a deep resemblance to them. More specifically she had been a member of the Fourth Division, a medic with impressive skill. She was a feared warrior in her own right back then, but at some point she had fallen so in love with the idea of treating others that she had stopped training altogether. She devoted herself to her medic work out of her strict and keen sense of loyalty.

Only to be betrayed.

The law of the Shinigami was resolute. Lack of training made Auburn grow stagnant. Eventually those seated below her closed the gap between their powers and in time a single one of her subordinates even rose above her. There was a rule among the Gotei 13. If a Shinigami could defeat another of a higher seat, the position was his to take. How many times had Auburn saved his life? How many sleepless nights had she endured to nurse him back to proper health? But it didn't matter. He killed her the first chance he had received, all in order to ascend to the top of the food chain.

Stagnation. It was the aspect of death that Auburn embodied. If she did not continue to grow stronger now, then she would certainly end up just the same as in her past life. Of course she could not recall these exact details, but the drive was all the same. She felt a deep sense of paranoia from the events that led up to her death. And yet she refused to abandon her compassion.

"Shinigami," she called out, either to Kamui or to Ryu was unclear, but her voice remained stainless, as if untouched by the pain, "if you were to die here and now, would there be another to take your place?" She could not know for certain if she did not remain to see the results. Although she retreated for now, Auburn remained close enough to gauge their spiritual pressures.

Stagnation. If Ryu failed to grow stronger in this very moment then it was more than likely that he would die. Auburn retreated, taking the boy into her arms and sprinting away. Shielding her were the Gillians that'd ripped through the air itself and spawned anew in Akatani, slowly but surely backpedaling to reunite with the one who had summoned them.

Like Ryu had created and Kamui had suggested, they retreated and Auburn did so with haste. The one thing that Kamui did not account for was the fact that Ryu would have also aided in buying them time, but even then that was futile. Their figures grew smaller and smaller the longer than ran away, but their spiritual pressures were still as lively as ever. The red hue of the pyramid altered the color of his vision just slightly, but he didn't rely on his eyes much anyway. Even then, his gaze had already shifted from them and back onto Ryu.

"I see," Kamui said, his silence being broken once again. The man of few words had been being tested way more than he would have liked and he had been forced to break his silence one too many times already. "You would dare impede justice, boy?" The lieutenant asked, but it was clear he didn't want Ryu to answer him. His words alone were backed by his intent and the further Auburn had gotten away, the more resonance he words would have as they would seep into the eardrums of the young Shinigami. His words would travel through his body and echo like the chant of a catchy song. Ryu knew well what he had been getting himself into and he knew the consequences behind his actions, so why? Why would he risk himself for the sake of *that* Hollow?

An image of Kurome flashed in his mind, yet his expression still remained the same. "That weak heart of yours will bite us in the coming future and us, the capable and strong, will have to be the ones who will fight against them on the front lines." Hand still on the hilt of his blade, he slowly slid it out of it's sheath, though before it could be pulled out all the way he stopped, only revealing the metal blade of it.

Instantly, upon doing so, men dressed in all black with their faces covered appeared all over the town surrounding Kamui with their absolute attention on him. Literally blurs followed their figures before they came into full view, showing their tremendous level of speed. They made absolutely no sound upon entering scene and much like Kamui had done when he had been hiding within the shadows, they too kept their spiritual pressures completely masked. There nose didn't flare and their chests didn't move from breathing. They didn't blink not even once, yet their eyes didn't go dry. Their ninja-like appearance to most would have been unknown and maybe even to Ryu who had never encountered them before. But to the people who did, they were the very men who made up the First Branch of the Onmitsukidō referred to as the **Executive Militia**. They were known for partaking in missions where the use of force was necessary and were experts in the art of Hakuda.

There was something else these men were known for and it was the cold-bloodedness and the leader of them referred to as the Commander-in-Chief, was none other than Shihouin Kamui. It all would begin to make sense. The way that Kamui acted was more than just a man who wanted to protect his people. It was more assassin and ruthless-like considering he had no care for not even those of good intention if it meant they would get in the middle of his mission. He was trained in the same way that they were ever since he was a young child and grew up to achieve the rank as their Commander-in-Chief because of his ruthlessness. Each member that had been present of the Executive Militia remained quiet and awaited their orders.

"As the leader of the Stealth Force, by drawing my blade to an opponent an execution is supposed to be in order. However, after becoming the commander I altered the Punishment Force to have members of it specialize in torturing. By simply showing a portion of my blade, these men will knock that execution order down an absolute thrashing." With his other hand still free, the lieutenant channeled a large amount of his spiritual power into it and literally punched at the barrier created by Ryu with an even more amount of power than what was used to create it. It was a small skill he had learned from his many battles with Kurome, that so long as one is able to apply more force and spiritual power against a Kido spell, it could be canceled. "Your actions have put me in a position to appear to have failed *my* mission. In all of my time as a member of both the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and the Stealth Force, I have never failed a mission." He tucked his eyes and lowered his gaze. "You will regret having a soft heart. I hope your *will* allows you to survive through this."

As if his words were the green light needed for the Punishment Force, they each disappeared from where they previously stood and appeared surrounding Ryu. As if put into a specific sequence, they each attacked the weakened Ryu with various attacks. The first man went for a kick, which would have sent him flying to the man in front of him who had been going for a punch aimed for his gut. The strike would possess enough power to send him flying in another direction where a man would be ready to strike him once again. What they had been intending to create was the pinball effect of his body slamming against the attacking portion of a force member until he was beaten to an absolute pulp.

Ryu said nothing as the Onmitsukido surrounded him, his mind already deep into the trance of *Seisha no Sekai*, his eyes blazing with focus despite his condition. As members of an assassination unit it was obvious that they would strike from behind first. He knew that and had already been moving his body the moment they began attacking. They were noticeably faster but as he sunk deep into his sword form their speed mattered little. He deliberately left openings that their training would demand they take advantage of and that was their undoing.

Pivoting to the side of the kick aimed at his back, Ryu narrowly dodged the strike and with a flick of his hand he summoned forth a crackling golden rope which wrapped around the offending limb. With a sharp tug he launched himself forward into the intended strike of the other Onmitsukido, catching a glancing blow on his head his other hand glowed an orange-crimson before slamming it into the him. Dragging his hand back, he ducked low as the Onmitsukido trailing behind him collided with the other. By now the other members had charged in to engage him several attacks coming what his holes.

Like a dance, Ryu weaved through the stream of attacks, pivoting out from a cross and having arch his body back to evade the swift kick that would have smashed into his head. Meanwhile his hands were busy brushing up against the members, as the original Hainawa became an entangled web. As the Onmitsukido found their movements limited, their speed became irrelevant, as Ryu ran and slid beneath the spinning hook of another. Focusing on his next spell he grabbed the line connecting several of them as his hand became light with cackling lightning. In an instant the members connected were seized as the Hado Tsuzuri Raiden sent jolting shocks to their person. But as he had abandoned the incantations the potency of his spells tanked but it was enough to immobilize them as he weaved another spell in.

Thrusting his hand into the ground gale forces ripped into the ground blasting him skyward, the telltale sign of Tenran. The twisting winds gathered the entangled Onmitsukido as they were pulled by the kido rope still held in his hand. He prepared to cast another spell but his eyes caught movement above him. He hadn't been able to tag all the members and it seemed they took too shared the same philosophy as their commander as they waited to ambush him while their comrades were in danger. What felt like a dozen blows rained on his backside before he could even turn, and several more followed suit as reoriented mid-air.

With only one arm, defending himself was, and the damage he suffered was multiplied due to the effects of his stance. He felt his muscles beginning to tear and his bones felt like they were on the verge of breaking. Still he pressed on. Leaning his head to the side he barely dodged one blow, and as he raised his knee he blocked two others. Weaving seals with his hand he conjured a ball of cerulean energy which fired six ropes, all aimed at the attackers above him. The unconventional use of his spell struck the surprised Onmitsukido who were dragged downward as Ryu fell cushioned by the kido.

Unfortunately when his attention was gone the Onmitsukido on the ground had already shattered the kido rope binding them and had leapt up to strike from below. Yet Ryu's spell seemed to throw them off as they scattered out of the way of the falling Shinigami. Landing as gently as one could the six members who were dragged down were not so fortunate and slammed into the ground with an echo of resounding thuds. Still on the elastic surface, he wove a spell into it, the blue elasticity giving way to a red mirage as Geki reinforced the binding trapping the tethered Onmitsukido.

It was obvious by now that while Ryu would continue to defend himself he was not willing to risk injuring his fellow Shinigami in the process, no matter how misguided he thought they may be. Standing from his prone position, the other Onmitsukido members landed as the first real pause in the battle occurred. After such a display the Onmitsukido were re-evaluating their approach in how to deal such an adversary like Ryu, no doubt their previous tactics would not work.

Meanwhile Ryu felt his reiryoku plummet from the rapid-fire use of so many Kido. The episode with his Zanpakuto having drained him, along with the additional damage suffered as a result of his sword form was already taking its toll. He breathed laboriously, raising his arms in a rough fighting stance as he eyed the members of the Onmitsukido with weariness waiting for them to make the next move.

Where he thought his counter strike would have stopped the Onmitsukido halt in their movements, it did not. After all, they were THE Punishment Force. They were known to bombard their targets with strikes as long as they drew breath or until the Commander himself ordered them not to and in this case, he did no such thing. In a flurry of Shunpo steps each of the stealth force operatives flashed forward with more attacks, though this time they moved more strategically than last time.

Fast movements and steps were used to blur and mask their movements so that they could attack without being detected and with Ryu being in such a weakened state, this would have been child's play to do. Like a wave of raging ants, they all jumped onto Ryu and began delivering blows to his body that would easily result in broken bones and a state where Ryu would find it even difficult to move. Not even the wind would keep up with their movements. The naked eye? Not even close. The ground cracked beneath their heavy strikes, force from those that were at the bare minimum Hakuda experts would leave such damage behind.

After their pummeling they'd create a space between themselves and Ryu and thus, Kamui appeared. His figured towered over Ryu as he slid his blade back into its sheathe.

Ryu coughed up rivulets of blood as his body protested the movement. His sword form was always a double edged trump card, but combined with his earlier exertions it might have been his undoing. Even before the Onmitsukido pummeled him mercilessly, his body was already on the verge of collapsing. The beating just cemented it. He had tried defending himself as best he could, but after they changed up their strategy, it was just too much for him to bear and he fell under their rain of blows.

Still despite his broken body, he struggled through agonizing pain into a crouched position, his breathes coming out heavy and ragged. Glaring at the Lieutenant, Ryu spat blood to the side, "I think I've got you figured out now. For someone so strong, you do not hesitate to cast aside the lives of your subordinates and those around you to achieve your mission. But that isn't strength. Its weakness. Is it any wonder, they sided with Hollows? How long do you think that's been going on? In how many other districts is this happening in? Did it ever occur to you that you're way of thinking may have led to this in the first place? Just like you abandoned those beneath you to achieve your mission. We abandoned the people here, and look what came of it." Ryu coughed, haggardly, as he stumbled forward, barely catching himself as he retched more blood onto the ground.

"There are thousands more like that old woman. If you want to achieve your mission, and protect Soul Society, then maybe you need to abandon that ego of yours and look at the bigger picture. Do what you will. It won't change things here. Not unless we change. Not unless you change. We can either have peace... or war. The choice... is yours." With that Ryu slumped forward in exhaustion and lost consciousness.

Moving words from the young Ryu. Had anyone been around their hearts would have been immediately touched by the gracefulness and caring words of Ryu. They weren't selfish and instead warming to those listeners. He used everything he had within him to share his thoughts and like a man he said it too. Not a single bit of hesitation. Not a single regret followed behind them, he meant every single word that he said.

A lone Stealth Force member appeared behind the weakened Ryu. With a swift motion, he swooped his arms underneath Ryu's and held up up quickly pinning him in the full nelson hold. His grip Ryu was tight and firm, even if he did managed to muster up some strength, he'd had been held so tightly that he wouldn't even be able to break the man's grip over him. No, he needed to be in a much more fitting state than the one he was in in order to achieve that.

Head stiff, Kamui remained unmoved by emotionally or by facial expression. Kamui stepped forward and stod face to face with Ryu. As he did the visage of Kurome Kuchiki appeared over his body. With a balled up fist enhanced by his own spirit energy, he drove his fist into Ryu's gut with enough power to blow the wall out of a building. The bunch was aimed directly as his gums and would seek to knock all of the wind from his pipe leaving him gasping for air.

"We WILL move him to the Detention Center in prison and I will discuss with Center 46 on what should be done with him." Said Kamui, "I will go and hunt down that Hollow."

## Why Now

With all that’s going currently, it wouldn’t be unlikely to struggle keeping up with everything. This was the exact situation for Wakino, and the rest of the others still stationed at the barracks of the Tenth Division. Wakino complied to serve as backup to the others so she and the others will have to stay in the barracks until further notice of help or assistance needed.

Wakino has her guard on looking around the barracks every ten seconds, and opening up her Soul Pager to see if she received any notifications about the current situation. “Just what the hell is happening?!” Wakino blurts out clearly stressed and confused.

We then cut to what Lieutenant Nakamoto is up to. He’s running towards Akatani without even using Shunpo or trying to conceal his presence whatsoever, leaving him open to any kind of enemy attack. Though he is well aware of this, and is even hoping for someone to attack him. He then remembers earlier, how his other fellow Lieutenant Kamui Shihoin ran off by himself after being instructed to work together as a force. He says to himself “I always knew he was the type to not follow others from other people and do his own thing, but still the fact that he took off without saying a word… is a little suspicious.” He then opens up his Soul Pager and makes a call to the group chat with only a few picking up the call.

Sakata, having just arrived at her destination, approaching Akatani from the south, was among those who responded to the call, “Reporting from the south of Akatani, Lieutenant. Any updates?”

”Not on our end of the stick.” Replies Wakino, having picked up the call without hesitation due to her and the rest of the backup squad anticipating for them to be involved when the time has come. “We’re all feeling pretty paranoid right now though, I feel as if whatever is the cause of all this is closer to us than we think.” She says with her voice shaking up a bit.

"Calm yourself Wakino, just focus on preparing to head out. I'm currently on route to the location." Suiiki says on his soul pager trying to calm the nerves of his allies as best he can. While he was using shunpo everything around him passed by in a flash. " I haven't seen too much activity and I've even asked around from districts close by. No one has any information though. Still they are only suspicions. Wakino if you can, keep an eye on those around you. If your suspicion turns out to be right then we could be playing into its hands. By scattering all these seated officers let alone all lieutenants who've been assigned comprise the main force behind us. Now would be an opportune time to launch an assault on the soul society. I do believe someone in our group knows what is going on. By bets are that the second has info. We all know what they specialize in. I'm entering the district now ill meet up to your position."

As suiiki finished his statement he locks onto nakamoto's spiritual pressure and increases his shunpo. With one step Suiiki is next to the fellow lieutenant. His appearance flickers into existence right beside the man. Carrying the winds of his momentum Suiiki keeps running although he makes sure to keep his senses open to confrontation. "I'm guessing your opinion on lieutenant Kamui's movements is the same as mine. Then again that new 12th seat of mine has quite the temper doesn't he." Suiiki says to Nakamoto laughing a little as he states it.

Nakamoto already has sensed Suiiki’s presence trailing behind him and was waiting for the moment for them to reunite and continue along the plan. Nakamoto then replies to Suiiki as they initiate a discussion. “Yeah, Kamui is also well versed in espionage and stealth related tactics as the leader of the **Onmitsukidō**, but jumping straight into conclusions based on a hunch isn’t going to do us any well either. Also regarding about your new recruit, I love the spunk he has I believe that in due time he’ll make something of himself.” He says chuckling with his usual laidback face as he and Suiiki jump on rooftops heading straight to Akatani.

Nakamoto then puts his soul pager back on top of his ear to communicate with the rest of the Shinigami. “Sakata, are you on your way right now?” Says Nakamoto as he and Suiiki are nearing to the designated location.

As the two lieutenants came together, another third party quickly caught up to them. It was none other than Togashi Hiramochi, who seemed to be lagging behind everybody else. Using Shunpo, Togashi flashed into comprehension beside them both. "*Your* new 12th seat?" Togashi remarked, just now noting the badge wrapped around Suiiki's arm. "I see. So you guys are both lieutenants. In that case you have my apologies, Suiiki-kun. I did not anticipate someone so young could already hold such a position of power."

Togashi looked between Suiiki and Nakamoto. "Still. I'm glad you guys didn't run off like everybody else. I think it'd be best for us to stick together." There was still quite a bit of distance to traverse. Stopping here to converse may cause them to be delayed further, but it may not have exactly been a bad thing. "If we're all going to be working together then I think it's a good idea to discuss what each of us is capable of doing." He eyed them both. "What abilities do your Zanpakuto possess?"

In the middle of their discussion Suiiki felt a sudden ping of spiritual pressure. It belonged to 7th seat sakata, this alone made Suiiki worry about her current situation. He decided the best course of action right now would be to head to her location. " yo Nogashi, Nakamoto, I just felt Sakata's spiritual pressure skyrocket. I'm the one who can get to her the fastest so ill go see"

With those words Suiiki moved both hands to his zanpakuto Suiiki quickly unsheathes the blade and takes up a pose.
**Cloud the sea of shadows** *Kurayami-Kaito*. With his words of Release Suiiki unleashes his shikai. The previous katana now became a aikuchi with a pitch black blade. The pattern of indigo blue spider lily's was engraved into the blade the Ito became a purplish blue that stretched down into a ribbon of the same shade. Suiiki then focused even more on the spiritual pressure and speed forward. Using an advance form of shunpo Suiiki covered a long distance in one step, this brought him close enough to lock onto the spiritual pressure fully and use his zanpakuto to get to her.

Coming out of the flash step Suiiki spotted a spot of shadows. Moving towards it Suiiki let out a slash of dark energy towards them. Upon contact a portal of shadows emerged and opened. Going through Suiiki traveled through a dark landscape emerging through the other side.

Nakamoto was off to heading towards Akatani alongside fellow Shinigami Togashi. Until suddenly he halted his pace. “Szallyn.” Nakamoto says in a less outgoing tone that he usually is. “I’ve been tired of putting up this facade for too long!” He angrily exclaims at Togashi, Nakamoto then unsheathes the blade of his Zanpakuto “You know what Togashi? You shall end up the first but not the last!!!!!!!” Nakamoto scrams out while dashing towards Togashi attempting to swing his blade with tremendous enough force to slash his body in half diagonally.

"...!" Togashi was seemingly caught by surprise. His eyes widened as Nakamoto turned his shoulder and declared his betrayal. Only to suddenly ease in that same instant as a smirk escaped his lips. "Nakamoto... did you really think I was just some 12th seat?"

Despite being taken by surprise, Togashi reacted swift enough to unsheath his own Zanpakuto and clash evenly against the Lieutenant. "It was a ruse, Nakamoto. So that I could uncover the one behind an even *deeper* plot."

“Hah! You really think you can outmatch me? A mere twelfth seat?” Says Nakamoto grinning at Togashi with a smile so wide it expands his face. Nakamoto then hops back to put some distance between him and Togashi so he could activate his Zanpakuto. Nakamoto then yells out “Let there be light!” and a bright blinding flash engulfs the Zanpakuto then within that light the Zanpakuto morphs from a Katana to a Buddhist Prayer Wheel. Nakamoto then begins to rotate the Shikai in his hand spinning it around clockward, “You’re impudence boggles me, you fool.” He says as he throws his Zanpakuto at Togashi akin to a dagger or a javelin.

There was no doubting the speed of Nakamoto's Zanpakuto. After changing shape, it took the perfect form for a projectile meant to slash through its opponents. Although Togashi considered himself to be the superior combatant he could not simply underestimate Nakamoto by trying to make an example out of him in any way. Nor would his firm code of justice enable him to do so.

"Those who go against the teachings of the Soul Society will be adequately punished! A Zanpakuto is a symbol of our law! Those who have abandoned our principles have no business holding one in their hands!" Togashi gripped his nagamaki with both hands. His brow narrowed, and he took in a calm breath. "Tilt, Rikuten!"

At his command, Togashi's Zanpakuto changed shape of its own. The blade grew much thicker and even grew longer, while a large round circle formed along the bottom of the handle. "Oshi!" Togashi commanded. Oshi meant to *push*. Rikuten emitted an enormous gravitational push which pushed Nakamoto's Zanpakuto right back at him but with even greater speed than when he'd thrown it.

If successful, Nakamoto's own Zanpakuto would slice through him.

As soon as Togashi redirected Nakamoto’s Zanpakuto his life flashed before his very eyes. “Please have merc-“ The last words he was able to utter out, barely completing his sentence. As his very own Shikai was the same to take his life away. Nakamoto’s body now lifelessly laying down on a rooftop with blood splattered all over it and a hole left deep in his stomach from the wound. Right before he fully passed away though he was coughing, taking his final breath and was able to say “This is not over….. yet.” whilst pulling out the prayer wheel out of his stomach and laying it right next to him revealing the gigantic hole left in him.

"It *is* over, Nakamoto." Togashi approached the soon to be corpse and stood tall over it. His arm was stretched out by his side, spinning his Zanpakuto by the wheel on its end. "It is said that to be struck down by your own Zanpakuto is the greatest sign of felony. Do you understand what that means, Nakamoto? In the end even your own Zanpakuto was unwilling to stand by your side."

In a skillful manner, Togashi stopped the spinning of his weapon and pointed it towards Nakamoto's body. "Oshi: Umeru." The same technique as before, only this time it was to serve an even greater function. The gravitational force emitted by Rikuten this time around would be great enough to push Nakamoto's body straight into the ground, where it would be buried underneath the rubble, never to be seen again.

## RED

“Sure am, lieutenant,” replied Sakata, approaching Akatani from the south. As she closed in, she cast a low-level Kidō barrier that she narrowed down as she moved forward. The purpose of the barrier, of course, was to sense any strange happenings. She moved ahead, treading lightly.

Unlike Kamui and Ryu, two Shinigami who had sensed the severity of the matter and as a result, taken incredibly practical precautions, Nakamoto and Suiiki were out in the open as they traversed to their location. Akatani was a district looming with danger. It was not one Shinigami visited often, if at all. Their confidence as lieutenants was obvious, each of them with a badge embezzled to their shoulders.

But who could blame them? Not only were they Shinigami of lieutenant rank, but they still decided to stick together. That alone made them a potent tandem. The same could not be said for Sakata, who may have maintained contact with some of the other officers, but being present in Akatani already, she was still several hours away from Nakamoto and Suiiki.

A mere seventh seat had decided that she was more than capable enough to take on Akatani by her lonesome.

As she erected her barrier, it would begin to pick up on the surrounding spiritual energies. The residues of another Shinigami lingered in the air. Perhaps it came from the previous unit? Further ahead was a barn house that gave off a much stronger aura.

Sakata picked up her mobile device and spoke, “I see a barn house, and sense a very strong aura. Awaiting orders. I shall proceed if commanded, but this seems to be quite a bit out of my league, to be completely honest.”

Expressing doubts in her abilities was not something that Sakata had much of an indulgence in. Having grown in Zaraki, she had once been quite a hand-to-hand fighter, and even better as a swordswoman. The years of retirement from fighting had taken a toll on her sword-craft and moreso on her unarmed capabilities. Still, in recent months, she had been working on her fighting skills, took a special interest in Kidō, and so had rapidly risen in ranks in mere months, with the disappearance of her fellow 13th Division officers only aiding her ascent. Even so, despite her more than formidable abilities, this was a situation where she needed to tread very lightly.

Sakata's brows tensed. *I had told that Tokashi — wait, was it Togashi? — No time! — to make his move. Was I too hopeful in his abilities to reach Akatani before me? Well, that is what I get for trusting a 12th Seat.*

Sakata once again spoke in her mobile device. “I repeat. Awaiting orders. Requesting immediate back-up.”

Ultimately, her confidence got the better of her, and she decided to enter the barn. In a flicker, she was inside.

Curiosity was often a very unforgiving disease. When Sakata entered the barn, a young child was there to meet her. A small boy, sitting on the ground playing with his stuffed teddybear. He looked up at Sakata as she came inside. "What's with the outfit, lady?" he questioned her immediately.

Sakata stared hard at the boy, as thoughts ran in her mind. *Was the huge energy merely a previously left spiritual signature? Is this boy the source of the energy? Is this some sort of dormant energy or something more? Something more malicious, perhaps.*

Sakata spoke once more into her mobile device, “Apologies for preemptive action, but I have entered the barn. There is a small boy here. Not much about the situation can be ascertained. Requesting back-up immediately. Lieutenant Shihōin. Lieutenant Nakatomi — I mean, Lieutenant Nakamoto. Whoever is the closest, I am sending my coordinates. Southernmost side of Akatani. I repeat, requesting back-up immediately.”

Sakata then approached the small boy. Trying her best to smile, she spoke, “I am a Shinigami, boy. This is my uniform. What is your name, and what are you doing here?”

As Sakata stepped towards the boy, the door to the barn was closed shut, several locks jumping to place. The boy shook his head from one shoulder to the next. "Shinigami are evil!" he exclaimed, pointing his index finger at Sakata. "Tell your other friends to go away! Don't call them here!" The boy was adamant about his demands. Suddenly, his voice became incredibly more mature. Like the sound of a grown man. "HERE WE ONLY SERVE OUR GODS."

His neck snapped, and a grin much wider than his face could handle took hold of him. His eyes rolled back and his mouth dropped open, and from within emerged a shadowy figure that quickly expanded in size. It was a Gillian-class Hollow, that'd been using the boy's body as a host in order to disguise its spiritual signature.

The Hollow would rip to Sakata with terrifying speed. Because she was so close to the boy already, and given the Gillian's superior speed and size, there was a high probability that the Hollow would be able to snatch Sakata in its hands.

“Sōkatsui!” Sakata yelled, using the blast's momentum to blast herself out of the barn. Then, she prepared to flicker out of the location.

Sakata’s reflexes were sharp. It was impressive that she even managed to react in time to get off a Kido spell. But the Gillian hardly even winked from her attack; brushing it off like a feather. The spell failed to even leave a crack in its mask and it lunges towards her with even greater speed, closing the distance between them in an instant. It opened its mouth and it would bite through her midsection to sever her torso from her legs.

Sakata prepared to flicker, yet clenched her eyes tightly shut, readying herself for the worst, for though she moved, she knew full well that the Hollow was faster, and that she was done for.

Only moments before the hollow would bite into Sakata. A sudden burst of shadows erupted from the shade of a nearby building. It was Suiiki emerging with shikai released. The Lieutenant saw the Gillian class hollow Lunging towards the seventh seat. Quickly the lieutenant uses Shunpo and appears next to the two. As he appears out of the Flash step, Suiiki has his blade swinging downward attempting to save her. If Suiiki successful, the force of his slash will cut the Gillian's jaw, preventing it from devouring her in the moment.

The Gillian's sharp nose parries the Zanpakuto, yet the beast could not deny that it was surprised to see another Shinigami appear out of thin air. Just as quickly as Suiiki had arrived, the Gillian retreated back into from which it came; pouring into the mouth of the child and hiding itself deep within.

"Stop!!" the boy exclaimed. "Leave me alone!!"

The advent of the Gillian and the arrival of the Lieutenant led to the collapse of one of the barn's walls. The child stumbled on his hands and legs and fell backward, looking up at Suiiki in complete horror.

As the Gillian retreated, Sakata flickered, but faster than her movement were the thoughts pacing through her mind. *So, this is how it goes, huh? Wait! I should not be alive enough to have this thought. Is this one of those moments where your body is dead but your mind is not? Nope, not dead yet. Oh, here we go. Nope! Still alive. What is going on?!*

She opened her eyes. If she was not trembling with fear, she would be somersaulting with joy for being alive. Slowly she turned, and at a distance, saw Suiiki. “Lie— Lieu— Li—!”

*Okay, calm your bloody nerves down, woman!* She raised her voice, “Lieutenant Suiiki!” but maintained her distance.

The cold gaze of Suiiki pierced right through the boy who now stood trembling before him. he studied the child knowing full well a hollow resides within it. However was it just a host vessel. Or was the hollow just employing dirty tactics to evade death.

Sakata tried to move towards the Lieutenant, but her legs, still trembling, failed her. She dropped to her knees, and when she tried to rise, she dropped flat on her rear. *Stand up! Stand up, woman! If that Hollow pops up again, you need to move! And to move, you need to stand!* Suddenly discovering the strength to rise, she stood up, but instead of taking a step towards the Lieutenant, she took several steps backwards.

Hearing the voice of his felllow shinigami, Suiiki slightly turned his head in that direction. he didn't want to take his eyes off of the child both out of concern and suspicion. "My Apologies, I wish I could have done something sooner, never mind that though are you doing alright. and whats the story behind the child"

Sakata startled into attention upon hearing the Lieutenant's voice. Her mind was rambling before that. *Stupid, ugly Hollows with their stupid, ugly masks and their stupid, ugly fangs, hiding with stupid, ugly children.* She answered the Lieutenant, "If, uh, you do not mind, sir, uh, I would like to... keep me distance. Well, I, um, saw the kid, um, in the barn. And the next thing I knew, um, a Hollow popped out of it. Before that it spoke something about, 'Shinigami are evil!', 'Our Gods...' etc., etc., uh."

Suiiki made sure he showed no signs of hostility towards the boy, at the end of the day that's all he was. Who would blame him for fearing shinigami, who disregarded this district and are more than likely seen as evil to some of the residents.

Sakata, still terrified, felt liquid pouring all over her face. *Oh, must be sweat. Nope, some of it is pouring of outta me eyes, Wait! What?! Am I crying? I am bloody crying, am I not?! Oh, this is embarrassing, stop that! Oh, wow, now I am crying over the fact that I am crying. Could this day get any worse? Well, of course it can.* This was a very humbling experience. Much like her fiancé, she had made quite a habit of picking fights with only those she knew she could win against. It was quite a while since she faced a thing way out of her league. Several decades, in fact. She looked at the hilt of her sword. *I need to know your name, man!*

The boy stood up to his feet and started to take off, running away as if his life was in danger due to the presence of the two Shinigami. "Leave me alone!! Get away from me!!"

Thoughts were still rambling in Sakata's head. *Well, a big bloody Hollow would explain the Shinigami disappearing. But why here? And why in a child? This whole thing seems more like a symptom than a cause.* "Sir, this whole thing seems more like a symptom than a cause!" yelled Sakata.

Suiiki looked over at the now fleeing child. Unsure now of what to do Suiiki looked over to the portal he came through. During the commotion it had disappeared now leaving Him stranded with Sakata. Paying the female almost no mind anymore since he was sure she was safe. He did register her words though and with that Suiiki gave his opinion on the situation. "Looks like yet another thing we failed to do. How often have the shinigami reached out to places like this. The shinigami have seemed to abandon this place, so its people started taking care of themselves. A resentment of our organization steamed from that. But hey who can blame them what would you do if it seemed like the ones you looked up to just abandoned you or cast you aside." Suiiki said his words with the tone of someone who understood what the people of this district went through.

With his final words Suiiki did not await a response. He simply used shunpo and flickered out of existence. In truth all of the lieutenants of the gotei at the time where all like each other in some extent. Many where loners who climbed to the top on their own power. Still they had their own ideals. Suiiki would always make sure his comrades where out of harms way before he went off on his own.

## Shadows End

It had been about an hour since Suiiki left Sakata to her own devises. however while he was calmly thinking about what went on in the town, a sudden scream erupted from the town. Suiiki was alerted yet unsure, it seemed as if hollows could just pop out of anywear. even the child he had come across when defending sakata. still suiiki did what he deemed right, he dove into the direction stopping just short of its location.

what Suiiki saw made his eyes widen, (" Just what is going on in this town!") he thought to himself as he witnessed a most horrifing sight. multiple hollows swarmed a family tearing them apart, in the comotion a girl was cowwering in an alleyway. The shinigai surged forward as a terrifying speed. none of them where gillian class so that made this much easier for him.

"Hado number 30 Kageshiba," springing into existanse, Suiiki cast 8 shadow lances. Each moveed and morphed to his will. first Suiiki sent two and surrounded the girl expanding them to form a sheild. this was not met withought resistance however as one of the hollows managed to intercept one. this made the sheild weaker. Undetered Suiiki sent one lance toward the nearest hollow, piercing it straight through. with a yell of pain the hollow doubled back before dispersing into the air. Now reaching the ground Suiiki gathered one of the lances formed it into a blade. With a flick of his fingures the remaining. five scattered and tore through many of the hollows. yet they had little effect. To this end Suiiki released a Wave of spiritual pressure and cut through each of the remainders.

"I cant keep this up, need to to get the child and get out of here." Suiiki Used soru and attempted to reach the child he was trying to protect.

The last hollow looked at Suiiki who had let his guard slip him once he emerged from soru. Once he reached out his arm the hollow sped forward and cut into the arm of the shinigami. Triumphed it watched as the eyes of the boy meet his own. This would be the last thing he saw, Instantly the last Shadow lance Suiiki used to protect the girl warped and moved in the air like a snake. poising right for the hollow it shot into the air and made contact. Going straight through the mask of the hollow and killing it on impact.

Suiiki looked at the girl and back at the family who where devoured. He looked sad but he couldn't stay here, hoping this wasn't going to cost him. Suiiki scooped up the girl in his arms and speed off using soru.

they where a distance away now, Suiiki looked at the girl and gave her a slight nudge, wiping off any dust that was on her. "Sorry about dragging you into this little one. Are you alright?"

Hearing the Shinigami talk and try to comfort her the girl decided to trust him enough. " U-um I think so, Aren't you Guys the bad people. Mom told me you don't care about people who live so far out like us. And you don't feel emotions O-or have a family." As she spoke the girl was trying to hide her trembling. she was afraid but comfortable around the shinigami at the same time.

Suiiki listened to the girl and slowly raised his hand. He didn't want to alarm the girl but he also didn't know what to do to comfort her as much. For this, he decided to do something his mother would do to calm him. Suiiki placed his hand on her head and smiled warmly. "Forgive me for the inattention. You're right, our influence doesn't reach the far corners of the seireitei like this one. I don't blame you for thinking we are the bad ones and don't care. Still, if there is one thing I can confirm it's that we do feel emotions. Like you all most shinigami start in districts just like this one. and family is an important thing. If I'm being honest, I wasn't so fortunate to cling to my family. When I was young my mother raised me she was a very kind person and also the leader of our clan. But one day I lost her, to this day I blame myself for her death and I wish I could've done more. After it, all happened the rest of the clan members hated me for it. Even going as far as almost banishing me. If there is one thing I will never do. it's put someone in harm's way.

The two talked while they traversed the district although Suiiki constantly checked on the girl. Both had been through much for such a young age. However Suiiki could never imagine having to see your entire family being eaten right before your eyes.

Making his way back towards the Nakamoto and Togashi, Suiiki couldve sworn he felt the clashing of Reishi that normally signified battle. the Shinigami looked at the child one last time, before pressing on at higher speeds.

## Reunions

By coincidence Suiiki was just arriving when he saw Togashi pushing the deceased body of his friend into the earth. This set Suiiki off, he instantly drew his katana and sped toward the body of Togashi. "TOGASHI!! You join the Gotei Just to betray us!! What is the meaning of this."

Suiiki had seen many things in this district witch all pushed him closer and closer to the edge. Had it not been for the child who accompanied him now, Suiiki would've released every ounce of his spiritual pressure and focused it onto Togashi then and there. His attack would more than likely take his 12th seat by surprise. But he would've been able to dodge it or parry without either of them being harmed.

Suiiki's scream alerted Togashi of his arrival. He moved his Zanpakuto in time to parry the incoming attack; the two blades clashed. In that moment, Rikuten poured its spiritual energy into Suiiki's Zanpakuto upon contact. Togashi leaped backward to create some distance between himself and Suiiki, eyeing the Lieutenant with a calm expression on his face. "Losing your cool again, kid?"

Togashi landed on the ground after his brief leap. "Oh, sorry. You go by Lieutenant now, don't you?" Togashi made no attempt to dispel Suiiki's suspicions. For all he knew, Togashi was a traitor of the Gotei 13 that had murdered another Lieutenant. Due to crossing blades with Rikuten, Suiiki's Zanpakuto would begin to feel incredibly heavy for him, which was odd. A Zanpakuto was normally weightless to its wielder.

Togashi's Zanpakuto possessed the ability to manipulate gravity. Crossing blades with it would now cause the force around Suiiki's Zanpakuto to multiply, until it was much too heavy for him to use properly or even simply hold in his hand. The force would be so great that unless Suiiki dropped the sword, his hand carrying the Zanpakuto would descend towards the ground.

The clash left both Shinigami staring each other down. Suiiki was then confused, for some reason his left hand felt heavy. Only then did he realize that his zanpakuto had become heavier in his hand. Suiiki noticed he would be unwise to keep using it. Sheathing the zanpakuto Suiiki took the entire blade with both hands and put it on the ground fairly gently for it to be weighed down by gravity. keeping his eyes locked onto the 12th seat. " That's a problem, I would use my own body for this but if it has anything to do with gravity then its not wise. This will have to due then. *Hado number 30 Kageshiba,*" Suiiki said inside his head before putting his left hand in front of him. He then cast the Hado spell he displayed earlier while shielding the child from hollows. Following his command multiple shadows extended from his form forming a spirit wheel behind his back comprised of shadows Suiiki then moved his hand outward and called one of the lances towards it. As it conformed towards his hand the lance took the shape of a blade resembling his own in its shape and size.

"Togashi why. What reason did you have for killing an ally. You'll only get one chance from me, depending on what it is I will show you the same mercy you showed my friend." Suiiki said the words, but within his being he did not feel them. something had to be off, and even to add on to that the little girl was still in his care. He didn't want to leave her too far away from him. Which is exactly what would have to happen for him to battle Togashi.

"Lieutenant Nakamoto! Togashi! Where *is* everyone?" Sakata spoke into her mobile device after flickering around aimlessly for over one hour. She then sensed, close enough, a surge in spiritual pressure, then another. Both were familiar, but it could not be. If it were Nakamoto and Togashi, then one of them, being a mere 12th Seat, had to be much weaker than the other, a Lieutenant. But they were both higher than her own. She flickered towards the direction of the surges, this time far more discreetly than before. Soon enough, she saw Togashi standing over a dying Nakamoto. She had sensed no unfamiliar energy. There was no doubt. Togashi did this to Nakamoto. Or could it be a Hollow masking its energy, using Nakamoto as a medium? She was afraid to encounter another Hollow, but also, afraid, she was fatally curious. She prepared to use Sōkatsui again to attempt to lure Suiiki to her location. By her luck, Suiiki could show up to save her once again, or a Hollow could pop out of Togashi's mouth and kill her. Her luck was very fickle.

Before she could fire her Kidō flames, Suiiki showed up with a little girl with him, as if before his cue. From a distance, she saw them commence their fight and paced towards. Just as Suiiki prepared to attack again, Sakata interrupted them.

"Is there a Hollow in your mouth, Togashi? If there is, just pop out and see what happens."

"A what?" Togashi was sincerely puzzled by what Sakata had to say. Sakata seemed to have that impression on just about everyone she came across. It was why she was known in the Seireitei as the "Puzzling Princess". Togashi turned his attention back to Suiiki, who had conjured shadows from Kido. The Lieutenant did not yet attack him, however. The presence of the children around him may have played a factor into that.

"I don't owe you an explanation, Lieutenant. You're free to make whatever assumption you want. If that means you and I have to settle the score between us, then so be it." Togashi pointed his Zanpakuto at Suiiki. "Besides, I know how close a friend Nakamoto was to you. Which raises *my* suspicions."

Suiiki placed his Zanpakuto on the ground beside him. But having poured its spiritual energy within it, Rikuten would still be able to influence it. And that was precisely what it did. The gravitational force around Suiiki's Zanpakuto increased several fold. Earlier, Suiiki had seen Togashi bury Nakamoto into the ground. Now he was going to bury Suiiki's Zanpakuto into the ground. But the hole was large enough to also disrupt Suiiki's balance; and unless he moved away from where he was standing then he too would begin to fall into a large hole created by the gravitational force.

Suiiki looked at the girl behind him. Giving her a faint smile Suiiki let go of her and willed two of the lances to form a cage around her. It was then the lances began to speed off in the opposite direction. Due to his attention being on her Suiiki didn't notice the ground crumble underneath him. His first thought was to check on his Zanpakuto but it would just drag him down as well. The Shinigami fell into the earth but this did not cause him much alarm. As he fell Suiiki thought about togashi's words. something about them rubbed him the wrong way. At the same time a voice in his head rang in his ears. *He wants to paint you to be the villian. If that's the case show him the true power that allowed you to claim the ranks so quickly. A worm like him can be replaced* The words weren't Suiiki's own but he quickly pushed them aside. If the 12th seat wanted a fight he just warranted himself one.

The others would feel a sudden wave of spiritual pressure. Emit from the whole like a cannon. It moved like an entity extending instantly towards Togashi. This was Suiiki preparing himself to go on the offensive. The figure of the boy Flashed towards the top of the pit he had just disappeared into. His gaze and demeanor had changed however. His previous unstable state was replaced by cold unyielding eyes. He focused only on Togashi, with this Suiiki focused pressure towards his right leg and kicked off. Zooming towards Togashi, Suiiki posed the shadow katana to strike at his 12th seat. If his attack landed it would result in Togashi being hit with the full brunt of the attack causing him to shift his weight and regather his ground

What Suiiki did was almost Quincy-like, conjuring weapons out of his spiritual energy alone. Togashi had his Zanpakuto aimed right where Suiiki was, and as the Lieutenant approached him, he exerted yet another force his way. "Oshi!" he exclaimed. In a battle between two opponents of equal reiatsu, powers dictated everything. No matter how much spiritual pressure Suiiki generated, that alone would never be enough to overpower the gravitational force produced by Rikuten.

This force would hit Suiiki as if he had run straight into a steel wall, turning his momentum against him. Not only this but the force would then carry him backward, crushing him as it blasted him towards the trees in the background.

Sakata had her move ready for quite a while. She was waiting for the right moment to intercept. The moment arrived when Togashi exerted the force from his Shikai. "Sajō Sabaku!" Sakata yelled and a rope of golden energy wrapped itself around Suiiki and took him straight out to Sakata, out of the way of Togashi's attack. Sure, the lieutenant could very easily break out of his bonds, but was not Sakata's concern. All she wanted to do was to interrupt, and she did. She immediately released Suiiki and called them out, "You! Both of you! Boys with fancy bloody toys! Stop it!"

She turned to Togashi and mocked him, "*'A what?'* A wha- a what, you said? A Hollow! That is what I said. A Hollow. Can't you L-I-S-T-E-N?!" This was the sassiest tone she had ever taken to her voice.

She then turned to Suiiki, "Calm down, sir. Nakamoto was obviously a traitor. Can we move along, now?"

Suiiki had been so wrapped up in the events he had let emotion overcome him again. the one thing suiiki makes sure to always keep in check. although who could blame him, he was still young and everyone experiances the curse of emotions.

Hearing the words of Sakata, Suiiki only put his head down in shame, the truth was he knew that was the case yet he didn't want to accept it. The powerful spiritual pressure he emitted began to did down and with it the kido lances in Suiikis hands. He dropped his defenses first out of respect. For he had been in the wrong this time, once more Togashi reeled Suiiki him from his Anger. Quickly shaking his head Suiiki turned towards Togashi and bowed his head "Togashi my actions once more have been fueled by emotion and I did not see logically. For this I apologize and i thank you for dealing with the traitor. If you have any suspicions of me for being a friend of Nakamoto, that is understandable." Suiiki spoke towards Togashi giving his sentiment.

Next he turned toward Sakata and bowed to her as well. "Thank you for bringing me to my senses as well." Finishing his apologies Suiiki mad two motions with his hands. This brought the cage he made for the girl flying back towards him. The young child was released and quickly scurried back into Suiiki's arms, he was not used to the sentiment but appreciated it dearly.

As for his zanpakuto, it still was under the effect of Togashi's own.

Togashi sighed, sheathing his Zanpakuto. "You're soft, Ryujin." He could hardly fathom the sight of Suiiki embracing the young child. He looked away, barely even acknowledging Sakata. He turned away from them and started in the opposite direction. And then, suddenly, he froze. His eyes widened. He looked back, quickly. Standing behind Sakata and Suikki was the Red Hollow.

"Hoy!!" Togashi exclaimed suddenly. "You idiot!!! Watch out!!!!"

In the arms of the Red Hollow was the corpse of an elderly woman, who had been on the brink of starvation. When she was transported away by Kamui she was taken further and further away from a food source until at last she perished. The corpse that this Hollow held within her grasp... the Shinigami were the ones to blame.

Auburn thought back to a time many years ago, when she had first encountered the elderly woman. Back then Auburn had been a Gillian no different than the one Suiiki had just murdered. As her mind returned to reality, Auburn decided that she had seen enough. Between the members of the 13th Division who had raided Akatani 17 hours ago; Ryu and Kamui's own attack; and Suiiki and Sakata barging in for a campaign of their own, Auburn's opinion of the Shinigami was cemented.

"You Shinigami... is *this* your justice?!" Auburn beamed, towering over Sakata while looking the seventh seat dead in her eyes.

Sakata sighed. *Yes. This is happening right now.* She looked at the Hollow dead in its eyes, and said, “Yes. Bye.” Saying so, Sakata used her favorite Kidō spell, the Bakudō spell #26: Kyokkō, and disappeared.

Suiiki hated the mention of his family name, “Togashi do not call me by that name, as far as my family is concerned that name died with my mother, I’m no longer claimed by that family name” Suiiki said this in a cold tone, if he showed his true emotions all the time then everyone’s perception on him would be different from the laid back and normally emotionless shinigami he typically portrayed to be,

when he finally made wye contact with Togashi, the look on his 12th seat sent him to look back toward the same direction.
when he locked onto the hollow standing near them. All the happiness drained from him almost instantly. “ oh you’ve got to be kidding me”

Yet again, none of the three Shinigami present even bothered to answer her. Auburn held the corpse up for them to see it for themselves. "Answer me!" she bellowed. "This woman is dead as a result of the ignorance of one of your Lieutenants! You Shinigami are nothing but murderers! You cannot be allowed to be the ones in charge of governing over this world! Too many have paid the price!!"

A violent beam of red light engulfed Auburn. The corpse of the woman in her arms slowly disintegrated into particles of energy that merged with the Hollow herself. This spiritual pressure was beyond the level of a Lieutenant, being more potent than the time she had encountered Kamui and Ryu. It was of a different caliber, greater than Suiiki and greater than even Togashi.

As he felt the Hollow's incredible power, Togashi knew he had to act. The aura of the Hollow alone would be enough to erase the weak Kido spell that Sakata had conjured. The moment Sakata was revealed for the runner and hider that she was, Togashi, being the fastest Shinigami present, quickly flickered to her and should she allow it, would grab her under her arm. He would then flash back many meters away and attempt to escape for a few moments; long enough to escort Sakata away from danger.

However, this would leave Suiiki alone to combat the Adujchas, with his Zanpakuto still buried several meters underneath the ground.

Sakata, grabbed by Togashi, held on to him, and uttered, “Cheers!” as fast as she could, and was safely taken away from danger.

Suiiki was left alone with the hollow, still without his weapon and still with a child. The hollow and shinigami stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity before Suiiki made his move. Figuring all of his options where limited he threw the child into the pit, and cast a quick version of his signature Kido ability thus far
KAGESHIBA, this time only three lances appeared but that was enough, Suiiki quickly wrapped all three around the child’s form witch would protect her from the fall.

Returning his gaze to the hollow asked the being about her intentions now. “ Tell me hollow, what are your plans going forward. I don’t disagree with you, we shinigami are most certainly killers, killers who specialize in killing your kind of the get out of control. Intertwining the likes of me should provide insight into your thoughts however.” Suiiki has been preparing himself for the possible fight, he focused on his muscles and loosened up his body. Even withought a sword suiiki could still hold his own in a fight with no problem. For someone like him it came with the territory, for he studied martial arts of the human world and became quit adept at it. He awaited the hollows next move while also considering his options

"You're the one, aren't you? The Lieutenant responsible for murdering my friends?" It was true. Suiiki had just killed Hollow while in Akatani. "I'm no fool. I can sense that even now you are building up your spiritual energy to face me in combat, Lieutenant. Why is it that you Shinigami seek to kill us Hollow as soon as you encounter one of us? Why do you refuse to allow us to live in unity with the rest of you?"

The shock of those words took Suiiki aback. He once did consider this fact but never did he imagine a hollow would share it, how intelligent was she to even fathom such things. “ I-I’m not sure to be honest. While I cannot speak for my comrades I can say the reason for me. I kill hollows who have sinned, those who have devoured and snuffed out humans or souls. However if they have their own wills and are willing to live in peace then I suppose I wouldn’t mind.” The words Suiiki spoke held no lies. He was fascinated by her. If the hollow wanted to speak then he won’t put up any hostility towards her

The aura vanished, and along with it, any desire to fight. Auburn took a step towards the Lieutenant, wondering if he would take this chance to assault her like his comrades had before. "I wonder... if I were more like you Shinigami... would you be less willing to assault me?" Auburn stood around for a moment longer; taking as much interest in Suiiki as he did her.

” No no that’s not it, besides being a hollow doesn’t make you inherently evil. The way I see it you are fine as is. Besides you show more compassion than some of us Shinigami, if I can I try to give everyone a fair chance. Still the sad truth is that most wouldn’t agree with my philosophy’s. They either become afraid or spring into attack. Especially when seeing a hollow with a human in their clutches.” Suiiki had no intentions in attacking the hollow even as she began approaching him his form slowly became relaxed showing no sighs of hostility.

what he did next though was something a Shinigami such as himself would only ever dare do, Suiiki bowed his head to the hollow, “ I am sorry for the loss of a life, and even more so for the Shinigami’s part in matters. An apology isn’t enough but I would like to start somewhere.

On the other hand, thoughts rambled in Sakata's mind as she still clutched on to Togashi. *Oh, what a day! I was wondering if it could possibly get any worse... and then... it did! Oh, I am done! I am just so done! Shit! I am* not *done!* She bellowed, "Argh! We have to go back! We need to help the Lieutenant. We need to help that little girl! And, of course *not* the most importantly, I am *not* done!"

Sakata then calmed herself down and looked at Togashi somberly. Even more somberly than the already extreme usual. “You know, my name means 'retreat'. I thought it was ironic because while I have strategically drawn back at times, I have never truly retreated from a fight. And now, I did it twice in the same day! The truth is that it has been quite a while since I faced a true challenge, and I am beginning that a warrior's heart that I once had… has stopped beating. So, we must — I say, we *must* — go back! Also, I need to apologize to the Hollow. Sure, we may end up having to kill it, but I want to apologize to it first. It asked me a question and I was too curt with my response. Oh, look at me! Getting upset over being too curt to another, and that too a Hollow! I must be going crazy.” Indeed, the events of the day might very well have been taking a toll on her sanity.

Auburn took exception to Suiiki's kindness. It was the first instance where she met a Shinigami for the first time and he didn't immediately try to attack her. Her face was covered by a mask so he would not be able to tell, but behind it was a sincere smile for him. "Lieutenant. What is your name? I have not met a Shinigami like you before."

Her words were lost in the wind. A gentle breeze carried a few leaves into the dark sky. Auburn looked down at her hand, wondering about all the things she had endured. She could not remain in Akatani anymore. After today the Gotei 13 would be certain to send reinforcements. For the safety of its people, whom the Shinigami had already showed they would not take into account, she had to leave her home.

"You accepted me for who I am instead of what I am. I wonder... if I looked more like you, would I be able to connect better with the others as well?" There was only one way to find out. The same hand that she had been looking at climbed to her face. She cuffed her hands into a fist then knocked on her mask with her knuckles, cracking it once, twice, until several chisels caused the mask to give in. A bright red aura engulfed Auburn once more, shooting up into the sky as a tall pillar of light.

An incredible spiritual pressure far, far beyond that of a Lieutenant hung to the glowing red pillar until it dissipated harmlessly, giving rise to a wholly new entity. Gone was the Hollow from before. In its place, a being that looked every part of a human, with a small fragment of what was once a Hollow's mask remaining on her charming visage.

Auburn Roseheart, the newly transformed Arrancar. She was a very curvaceous woman with an enlarged bust size, garbed in white clothing. Now standing at nearly six feet in height, she was still a great deal taller than the young Lieutenant. She held one arm out in front of her chest as the other gripped a Zanpakuto. Like before she thought to test this young Shinigami's heart. She longed to understand what a heart could do, exactly, as there was a hole in the center of her neckline which kept her from knowing fully for herself.

Auburn took some small steps towards Suiiki. And then, if she still felt no ill intent from the Shinigami, she would cup her hand underneath his chin and bend forward to reach his height, before planting a soft kiss on his forehead. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

The face of Suiiki slightly lit up. This disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. A warm smile almost forgotten to suiiki formed on his face. While he witnessed her transformation Suiiki was amazed at the subtle tranquility of her ascension. When it gave rise to the stunning beauty that was her new being Suiiki was happy he could witness such occurrence. The kiss on his forehead only suprised him even more.

Your words are too kind, my name is Suiiki- Suiiki Ryujin” the words where short however for Suiiki carried much weight. It was the first time in years he felt safe staying his full name. The horrors of his past left the young Shinigami so afraid of himself he often hid within the shadows of others, even his own family. Thus this gave rise to his Zanpakuto. A soul filled with the lonely darkness shadows, however Hiddin within, a beautiful moon waiting to peak from the clouded sea.

“ I would like to know your name as well, if you don’t mind. Before we part ways” Suiiki’s eyes began to gleam. Wether it was from the moon that graced the darkened sky with its presence. Or the boys fascination and awe of a hollow-no a being such as Auburn.

"Auburn. Auburn Roseheart." She turned to him one last time, her face a charming smile illuminated by the light of the moon. Hollows and Shinigami; mortal enemies since ancient times. And yet these two somehow managed to understand each other on a firs glance. The shadows swallowed her thereafter, seemingly; she went away with the night, leaving the Lieutenant to himself.

Togashi could hardly tolerate Sakata. He had done what he had not particularly for her safety but for their own. He imagined to take on a Hollow like that he and Suiiki would have to join forces. Sakata would only get in their way and with how crazy she was there was a good chance she'd get them both killed. Togashi couldn't allow that to happen.

When they arrived where he planned, Togashi simply dumped the girl on the ground. "This is why I told them not to involve Shinigami from other divisions in *our* ordeals. Find your own way back, brat." Togashi flickered away with Shunpo.

Togashi returned to the battlefield, only to be surprised by the absence of the Hollow. He did, however, see Suiiki standing there as if he'd been struck by something. The look in his eyes, like he was dazed. "Lieutenant," Togashi called out to him, trying to break him free from his trance. "Lieutenant," he called again, hoping to get through to him this time, "...what happened here? Am I to believe that you defeated that Hollow by your lonesome?"

While togashi called out to Suiiki he finally broke through to the lieutenant. The boy looked as if he had just woken up from a dream. “ Togashi, you’ve returned, don’t worry about auburn she has left. The two of us shared…a like mindset.” Suiiki said these words to his 12th seat quickly snapping back to his usual self.

“By the way what happened to your extra cargo. Ah and one more thing I seemed to have a piece of my souls buried within the earth”

“Lieutenant!” a voiced pierced through the trees, and soon, Sakata emerged from them. While she arrived quite a while after Togashi, which is natural for the latter was much faster than she was, her current Shunpo speed was still a personal best for her. Her near death encounters with two Hollows and her reflexive action in the face of it had let her to push her feet faster than she could have possibly imagined, skyrocketing her Shunpo ability.

She asked Suikki, “Sir, where is the Hollow?”

Sakata flickered her eyes around and frowned, “The fight is over? Was it even a fight?” She eased her brows, “You know what, I do not care. What I do care about is, is the child alright?”

Sakata looked at Suiiki, her eyes wide, and spoke, “Sir, did the Hollow have a name? If so, I wish to know it. Also, is it still alive? If so, and if you meet it again, would you convey a message to it? Tell it …that I am sorry. It asked me a question. Is this your justice? I was done with this terrible bloody day, man! I was done! I was callous. I said, “Yes”. On my way back here, I thought a more appropriate answer would be, “No”. Now that I am here, I realize, I do not know the answer. But I wish that I did. Tell it that. I wish to understand it and know the answer to its question.”

Suiiki chuckled at Sakata for her thought seemed to be all over the place. “Well as I said there was no fight only an understanding. Her name was auburn, and she has left. I shall convey this message if our paths ever cross. “

Suiiki was walking over towards the hole he placed the child in. He was sure auburn knew she was there much like she new he was raising his spiritual pressure. Now looking into the hole Suiiki couldn’t seem to see it’s bottom. Wether that was from his kido or the zanpakuto that lied at the bottom he reached out and gathered the cluster of darkness. From it rose an orb of intertwining shadows. With a swift move of Suiiki’s hand the orb burst into many dark Sakura pedals, each fluttering about and being caught in the wind before vanishing into thin air.

from the orb sprang the child that accompanied Suiiki. He knew not what to do with her, her home even her family where now gone, he relayed with her and even sympathized. Leaving her to fend for herself here would be an option but potential could rise from the child. Suiiki had noticed it. “ hm perhaps wakino could give me advise on how to deal with you, she’s a mother figure to everyone else anyway.” With this Suiiki turned back towards the others letting the child follow him if she wanted.

“Oi, Togashi,” spoke Sakata, turning to the 10th Division Shinigami, “You left me in the bloody wilderness! Mind how you talk to be alright. You may be strong, but you still a 12th Seat.” She then swung her hand across Togashi's face, and turned to Suiiki.

“Speaking of being strong, I need to be. I must — I say, I *must* — get stronger, and I am willing to take all the help I can get. Maybe I can train with the 11th's. Or maybe you could train me, Lieutenant. First and most importantly, I need to know this my not-so-bloody bloody sword's name! When did you get to know yours?”

Suiiki thought back to his academy days. That also made his think of a certain someone. He thought the prospect of training someone was always a fun experience even more so training with someone. “ hm let’s see I guess I had a strong connection with kurayami since I got him. I found out his name a week after I received my asauchi and shikai only in only a month including that week even now we frequently talk. I wouldn’t mind explaining what I know or at least seeing what we can do to help you out.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate all the help I can get.” Sakata's face lit up, her spirits rose. Quite literally. Whether it was the sheer adrenaline thanks to the day's events kicking in late, or the sheer joy for a more hopeful future, but Sakata's spiritual pressure soared with her emotions, rising like it never did before. She looked at the child and smiled genuinely for the first time in decades. *I will get stronger, and the Gotei 13 will make a better for you and everyone.* Sakata then took her leave, not knowing that this was the last time she would see Suiiki …or will she?

## Purpose

it was the next day following the events in the bloodstained district for Suiiki. He was standing at the base of his Sakura tree in the 10th division barracks. Near his feet the little girl from akatani sat patiently. Suiiki had left Wakino a message in her room so he could figure out how to go about the girl

Wakino woke up with the shine of the morning sunlight blazing down upon her forcing her to rub her eyes off and get to work immediately. She brushed her teeth put her makeup on and got herself into some nicely made fashionable shinigami attire. She then checked the mail outside of her room in the tenth division’s barracks, she had received the letter from Suiiki about the child “Ohh, Suiiki-kun has found himself his own little kid to care of, how ironic considering he’s a child himself.” She says giggling.

Afterwards Wakino dashed outside of her corridors and went to Suiiki’s location in the Sakura tree where he usually lies at. Wakino waved her hand at Suiiki “Yo, what’s up Suiiki-kun” She said in her welcoming manner, she then noticed the little girl that was also in his arms “So you found her during the mission?” She says questioning Suiiki.

Suiiki looked upwards to wakino. The gentle breeze made his hair ruffle just a bit in the same direction. He looked down at the child and considered the manner he found her. “ yea it was while I was alone for a bit. I won’t dive go into how we met since it would probably bring up bad memories for both of us. Still I’m not sure how I should go about things. Hence why I asked for your expertise.” Suiiki said to Wakino much like a teenager asking his aunt for her guidance .

"Oh no worries" Wakino Atsumori said smiling at the thought of taking care of a child showing her kind and motherly nature, "I'll be delighted to take her in, plus I already have enough babysitting experience since I've known you for years now." She says replying to Suiiki as she starts laughing out loud.

Suiiki made a face at Wakino’s last comment. But he was grateful. Rising from his position Suiiki put the girl in Wakino’s arms before making his way to his quarters “
wonder how Asami is doing.”

Wakino then takes a look at the little child in her arms seeing that she’s about 3 years old, she then proceeds to ask her “Do you have a name little hunbun?” Although the baby could not understand what she was saying she looked like she shook her head no while looking back at Wakino “Alright then, I guess we’ll name you Ichika.” The child looked visibly happy. “Ichika it is then.” Says Wakino smiling cheerfully as she lays down Ichika to let her play around the Tenth Division’s beautiful garden.

“Even though we lost a few members of the Gotei 13, we are still able to start anew with another *purpose*.” She says finishing off the arc with the final line.