The Last Night of Peace
(Squad 4 barracks)
The entirety of the Seireitei was still in a state of panic and searches. The strongest of the Shinigami seemed to be failing against the ryoka and the most dangerous of them was still at large, putting most of the white city denizens in a state of frenzied confusion. The intruders that were captured were monitored closely and put to work with restraints on their powers. The able bodied were brought to the hospital of Soul Society under the watchful eye of one of the Head Captain's most loyal and trusted allies, Retsu Unohana.
"Please put those over there Ganju-san." The serene captain requested of the thug, helping carry and deliver bandages and medical supplies. Before his capture, Chad's assualt put a good number of Soul Reapers into the medical barracks, which were almost full with the members of squad 11. "Sado-san, these need to be in the OR." Ganju and Chad were designated to carrying and delivering supplies throughout the building. "Yes, Inoue-san. That looks good." Unohana took it upon herself to teach basic medic skills to Orihime, who was changing and wrapping bandages under Unohana's watchful eye. "Your power is wonderful, but very reliant on your mood. Use the basic skills for now." She advised the girl.
"Chad! What did you do to this guy?!" Asked Uryu, who was serving as one of the main doctor staff, currently treating the broken third seat of the eighth.
"He was in the way, so I pushed him." Sado said simply, carrying another patient to a different room.
"Through five walls?" The Quincy clarified, already resetting the broken bones.
"I push hard." He replied, carrying an irate squad eleven guy back to his room.
"As lively as its ever been." The captain said with a smile, grateful for the extra hands helping out. "Come along Inoue, I believe the next patient is a friend of yours." They wandered to the next room where Tatsuki was, wearing the battle dress of the Onmitsukido that Soi-Fon gave her, with her arms in splints and Soi-Fon, who was looking oddly distracted.
"Hey Orihime!" Tatsuki beamed to her friend as the two entered the room.
"Tatsuki!" Orihime cheered as she hugged her friend, careful to avoid the fractured limbs. "What happened?"
"Internal bleeding, concussion, almost a hundred broken bones, and... is that a wedgie?" They heard from the next room. "What the hell happened to lieutenant Omaeda?!" The healing duo turned their attention on the fiery martial artist.
"He was peeking on me changing." She said with a shrug, making the girls nod in understanding. Unohana than made to depart.
"Well, I have some business to take care of." She told the ladies. "Captain Soi-Fon, you seem distracted. Would you like to take a walk through my division's garden?" She offered, a sense of worry for the younger captain.
"N-no, I'm fine." Soi-Fon defended. "Besides, someone needs to watch the prisoners."
"We'll take care of that captain." They all turned to see Yumichika, Ikkaku, and a bandaged Zaraki coming in. Unohana smiled at the noticeable lack of his usual bells in favor of an unruly mess down the back. "You go out and enjoy the beautiful flowers." The stealth force commander hesitated before finally taking the advice.
"Yumichika, go to that one playing doctor. Ikkaku, help the other two with the supplies." Zaraki ordered. "I'll stay here with the girls." The two men scrambled to follow their orders when another pair of Zaraki's subordinates came to plead with their captain to let them out.
"You are both still injured. You need your rest." Orihime told the two, worried about their health.
"Listen here missy!" They started.
"Please go back to your rooms." Orihime pleaded using teary puppy eyes on the two, making them blush and leave, commenting that they did still hurt a little.
"Wonder how devastated they'll be when they find out you have a boyfriend." Tatsuki muttered, making Orihime giggle.
"I'll keep an eye on them, you go about your duties." Zaraki told the healer, noting for the first time that the scar she gave him didn't even burn anymore. The woman glared at the brat twice her size, feeling her own scar ache though not as much, before leaving to perform her duties.
(With Hinamori, hours later)
She was told that she could be discharged, that she was physically fine. The damage was minimal and they let her have an extended stay because of the trauma of watching her captain killed right in front of her. She admired him, such a gentle, caring man, showing compassion for all of his subordinates, protected them at their most vulnerable, and her hero. All the effort she put into rising in the ranks, to prove herself capable, worthy, and then he made her his lieutenant. She was filled with joy, loving the man like a father, worshipping him as a god. Then that ryoka showed up, supposed to help save Rukia from an unjust execution, offered help from her saintly captain, only for him to reveal himself as a monster and kill that wondrous man that saved her. And she was unable to stop him. She had nothing but hate for that damned ryoka that killed her beloved Aizen, that Ichigo Kurosaki. The second she woke up, realizing she wasn't having a terrible nightmare, she swore that she would kill him, no matter the cost. With that solitary thought, she dressed herself and took hold of her blade.
"Just where do you think you're going?" She turned to see her childhood friend and captain of the tenth division. "It better be back to your squad."
"I have to find him Toshiro." She said, seeing no point in lying to her oldest friend. "I have to avenge captain Aizen." Anyone could see the determination in her eyes, and Toshiro knew that it was a foolish endeavor.
"Ichigo Kurosaki is not your concern Momo." He said bluntly. "He's a captain's priority only. Stay out of it."
"Toshiro, he killed captain Aizen!" She screamed at him, trying to make him see her point, to let her attempt this suicide mission.
"Who then bested four lieutenants with little effort, put myself and Ichimaru on the defensive, defeated Kenpachi Zaraki, AND survived the Captain Commander himself." He said, reinforcing just how much of a threat the one ryoka was. "You're lucky to be alive right now. If you face him again, you will die."
"I know that!" She yelled out. "I know I don't stand a chance against him, but I have to do this. He killed my captain Toshiro, I have to avenge him." She pleaded with her oldest friend. "If you are really are my friend, you'd understand."
"I do understand Momo." He said, stern but gentle. "Make no mistake, I want to avenge Aizen as well, but you are incapable of doing so. Which is why I'm not asking you as a friend. I'm ordering you as a captain." She looked at him, shocked that he was denying her her new life goal. "Stand down, return to your division, restore order, and wait for further instructions." He began to leave just as she was about to protest. "Your squad lost their leader." He froze her with a single statement, reminding her that the loss was not just affecting her. "Don't take away the only one they have now. I'll kill Ichigo." He left her there, just as she collapsed into tears. He was walking through the halls of the fourth division, his goal clear in his head when he came upon Unohana's office and asking her to keep an eye on Momo when he heard something shocking.
"What do you mean Unohana-san?" He looked inside to see Uryu and Orihime speaking with Unohana over Aizen's corpse. "There is no body there."
"I thought as much." Unohana conceded, looking disappointed. "We've been lied to."
(With Ichigo and Yoruichi)
Hidden away from the eyes of Soul Society, underneath their very noses in a place known only to a few, Ichigo trained in the hidden training hall his masters used in their youth. For the added measure of security, he created a kido barrier that was taught to him for training in secrecy, maintained now by Yoruichi because he needed to devote his full attention to his training. Yoruichi continued to watch the empty glowing space before her, the area Ichigo was training inside, knowing that what he was going through now was beyond most Soul Reapers. As she has come to expect out of the hybrid.
'For them this would be training for bankai.' She thought, gazing into the glowing nothingness as she held onto the charm that let her power the kido spell. 'For you, this is merely enhancing your abilities.' When his spirits manifested, they explained that keeping them manifested was extremely draining for anyone but fighting a constantly stronger opponent that was familiar with all your skills was a whole other monster. That was Ichigo's training. She dropped the barrier's strength to the degree that she was able to see inside. Ichigo was clashing against both the old man and the hollow, each one holding a variant of Ichigo's current shikai blade while he tried to fend off both attackers almost simultaneously. He utilized everything he could, kido spells, ceros and balas, Quincy attacks, all while switching out new blades with every sword break. Never once missing a step even with the damage he was taking. His body was a canvas, their blades were the brushes, and his blood was the paint. In light of all of this, she knew she was going to run out of Reiatsu before he was at his limit. He impressed her, terrified her, more of a monster than anything she's ever seen or heard. All for the power to protect. Hours later, her energy ran out and the barrier fell.
"You okay Yoruichi?" He asked, despite the horrific condition his body was in.
"Yeah, just need to rest." She panted as he helped her up after regrowing the arm he lost. "You sure this'll work?" She asked her student.
"It has to." Ichigo said. "He'll have no other options than to act hastily."
"Yamamoto will kill you if this fails." She reminded him.
"Yeah, I know." Ichigo dismissed, already heading for the healing spring.
'He's agitated.' She thought, watching him walk away. 'He knows what's at stake and he's prepared for it.' A great battle was coming for them all. One that was spitting in the face of centuries of law and practice for the Shinigami, to prepare for a terrible war. 'And I know just the way to calm his nerves. Mine as well.' She adopted a mischievous smirk.
(With Byakuya)
It was the last night, Rukia's execution was tomorrow. He failed the woman he loved, lost her to illness, lost his parents, all he has left is his duty as a captain and his revenge. An empty existence, a living hell. Win or lose, after tomorrow, he would leave this life for whatever lay beyond.
"Soon Hisana, I'll be with you soon." He prayed in front of the shrine dedicated to beloved. "It may be foolish, but I wish something will happen to save Rukia. Anything." A rare tear forming on his eye.
(With Yamamoto)
He stood there, with his longest serving and most loyal members of his squad, hearing the report from the healer.
"The words of the ryoka cannot be trusted Retsu." He said to his assembled advisers. "But even then this is most concerning. When Ichigo attacks tomorrow, go to the Central 46 in the midst of the confusion. Find out personally what is happening there." The healer bowed in acknowledgment before he turned to his disciples. "Are the preparations ready?"
"Yes Sensei." Ukitake confirmed, unusually focused on the trial ahead.
"Never thought that this would ever happen. "Shunsui admitted. "Things are getting really hectic."
"After today, nothing will be the same." Yamamoto said, completely aware of the boy spying on them.