“Things like protecting the world are no more than moral reasons that sound good.” — Soi Fon. 

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[World of the Living] 

Clangs of swords and howling winds could be heard for miles in this fake forest, and huge dust clouds could be seen rising to the air in every direction. 

Sparks flew as two blades collided again for the hundredth time, blowing away the dust around them to reveal the two combatants – A man with straight cut blonde hair and a dark-haired woman with a ponytail. 

The stark change however was the malevolent air their Reiatsu carried as they clashed. 

Former Captain of the 5th Division, Hirako Shinji, and former 3rd Seat of the 13 Division and wife of the Division’s Lieutenant, Miyako Shiba. 

The source of the change in the Reiatsu was because of the glaring difference in their physical appearance – the bony masks that were currently covering their faces. 

The difference between the both of them was apparent at a glance that while Miyako was seriously clashing against Shinji, the former Captain was leisurely using her to gauge and balance the difference their Hollow masks gave them. 

Miyako growled, losing control for a split second which Shinji used to slam the butt of his sword against her mask, shattering it and canceling her transformation altogether. 

“You still have a long way to go, Miyako. Your control keeps slipping whenever you start getting tired.” Shinji remarked as they landed on the ground, Miyako lightly huffing and massaging her head as she did. 

“Thank you, Captain Shinji.” She bowed in gratitude, acting extremely formal that it caused Shinji’s lighthearted grin to crease up. 

“I’m no longer a Captain, ya know.” He said. 

She nodded. “Be that as it may, you’re still the leader of this unfortunate gathering of ours, unspoken or not.”

Shinji sighed comically as Miyako wasn’t making it any easier for him. “Then at least just call me Shinji like ev’ryone else. Me being the only one called Captain makes me embarrassed.”

She didn’t reply, only nodding before slowly walking away. 

Shinji frowned at Miyako’s closed off attitude towards the other, like she said, unfortunate Shinigami. Even though they’d spent some time together, and though she did carry on with her duties and never once refused anything asked of her, the once loving and cheerful 3rd Seat of the Thirteenth was suddenly keeping everyone at a distance. 

“You shouldn’t blame her, Shinji. A year or two isn’t enough to heal the pain of separating with her husband.”

“I’m not so clueless as to not know that.” Shinji snapped back sharply. He stopped to scratch his head roughly to disrupt how serious he was becoming. “And what are you doing here, Yoruichi?”

“What? Am I not welcomed?”

“Ya know, I dun think I’ll ever get used to seeing you like this.” He said with a deadpan as a small shadow flitted over to a nearby rock to face him. 

“What? I like this form. It’s so comfortable.” A rather gruff and masculine voice escaped the mouth of the black cat staring at Shinji with mirth in its feline orbs. 

A cat. Yoruichi Shihōin was now a cat. 

“What are you doing here, Yoruichi? Delivering the bastard’s message?” Shinji asked, staring impassively at her. 

Her tail swished in mild annoyance at Shinji’s question. “No, I just wanted to see how you guys were doing.”

Shinji’s face remained impassive but his eyes shot a glare at Yoruichi. “Don’t patronize me, Yoruichi. You heard what she called us right – an unfortunate gathering – and who do you think was the main reason behind it?”

Yoruichi sighed and sat on her legs, staring at Shinji with serious feline eyes. “It’s undoubtedly Aizen’s, he himself said as much. Kisuke’s research only helped push it forward.” Kisuke made a mistake, no doubt about it, but blaming him as the root cause was something she wouldn’t let slide. 

“Well as you can see, we’re doing pretty well for ourselves. You can see yourself out when you are done sightseeing.” He strolled away in a languid gait, carefree and uncaring in his mannerisms. 

“What are you guys planning against Aizen?”

He stopped, his nonchalant attitude disappearing for a brief moment there, turning his head slightly to stare at Yoruichi with one eye. 

“Nothing. Not anytime soon.” He said with a certain cold light in his eyes. “Attacking him without knowing what he’s planning will be us playing into his hands. You said your 3rd Seat is keeping an eye on him, yeah? Well, let’s just hope he can do that without dying.”

He left after saying his piece, leaving Yoruichi to spectate the improvements the others have made concerning controlling their Hollow masks. 

Without anyone being aware of her presence here, except Shinji, Yoruichi left as she came – unseen and unheard. 

…… 

[Soul Society, 13th Division] 

“Ah, this hits the spot.” Shunsui exclaimed in sheer satisfaction as he savored the aftertaste of the wine he just emptied. 

“I don’t know how you still haven’t overcome this fixation of yours after all these years.” Jūshirō remarked with a wry smile on seeing Shunsui finish the bottle of wine he brought while he still hadn't gotten through his first cup. 

Shunsui nodded sagely as he replied, “Because I don’t want to. What else do you want me to drink, tea?”

Jūshirō looked confused, not knowing what the problem was. “Tea is good. It’s calming.”

“And is there a reason why I would want to remain sober for centuries?” What was this white haired man saying? Who in their right mind would want to be calm and clear headed for centuries? Whoever it was, their name could never be Shunsui Kyōraku. 

Their conversation stopped when they saw someone coming over, Jūshirō’s Lieutenant. 

“Oi Kaien, come join us.” Shunsui offered as the man neared them. 

“Oh, Captain Kyōraku, I didn’t see you there.” Kaien Shiba was a tall black haired man, loyal and morally upright, someone approved by every Captain and Lieutenant, even among the former ones, because of his strength, mentality and moral conduct. 

“I’m sorry but I can join you.” He apologized before turning to Jūshirō. “I’m taking a few of our Shinigami to the Rukongai. There’s been a suspicious rise in Hollow activity, mostly around the Western 30th District.”

“So that means you’ll likely be gone for a week. Thank you for your consideration but don’t worry, I’m not that helpless that I can’t get by.” Jūshirō said to Kaien, who nodded and promptly disappeared. 

“He’s still hurting, huh.” Shunsui stated, having watched the heartbroken Lieutenant with hazy lopsided eyes. 

Jūshirō could only bow his head regrettably. He and everyone in the Division dearly missed Miyako’s, someone he saw as his own daughter, and they all sympathized with Kaien. 

“It always hurts. Losing a loved one. Especially when it’s someone as cherished as Miyako.” He said that while looking at his best friend and brother. 

Shunsui didn’t acknowledge the meaning behind Jūshirō’s eyes, instead he stared at the empty bottle with pained eyes. “Why does good wine never last?” He cried jokingly. 

…..

[2nd Division]

Hiyori Sarugaki stormed past a few surprised Shinigami who curiously wondered what had irritated the violent midget today as they heard her grumbling and cursing her breath out. 

“That dead eyes bastard! Making me run endless errands and also sending me to kill those damned Hollows… nonstop!”

Had it been in character with her persona, she would have cried a long time ago from the inhumane assignments she was being given. It wasn’t like they were that high in difficulty, she wouldn’t be complaining so much had that been the case. 

Oh no no no. It was the endless stream of average missions that had her running ragged all over the Seireitei and Rukongai. 

She pushed open the dead eye’s bastard’s door and barged in without any sign of respect or even trying to knock. 

“I’m done… with everything.” She said and threw a scroll at him which the ingrate prick caught without even looking up. 

He slowly brought the scroll to his eyes and gave it a simple scan before closing it and dismissing her.

“Is that it?” Did she do all that just so he couldn’t be bothered to spend even five seconds to look through the report? “Are you messing with me? Is this some kind of payback?”

Hiyori Sarugaki was completely pissed off. 

“Excuse me?” 

“I’m not that stupid, you damn cock.” She retorted spitefully. “Ever since my transfer, I’ve barely spent any time in the 2nd Division. If you don’t trust me enough to be here then why accept the transfer in the first place?”

The hateful bastard and her superior, Lieutenant Itachi Uchiha, stared at her impassively that it really irked her. 

“What? Say something dammit!” She yelled. 

Itachi picked the scroll he’d kept aside and started reading it as he addressed Hiyori. 

“Hiyori Sarugaki, former Lieutenant of 12th Division, other than my curiosity over your decision to transfer to the Second, these errands, while simple in nature, I specifically gave you to gauge a few things; your attitude towards command, your response towards authority, your own view of yourself, your combat capability, your focus on delegated tasks both small and great, the limit of your composure… as well as a few unimportant things.”

Hiyori stared slack jawed at her Lieutenant who finally finished reading through the scroll and had put it away to look at her with those dead and empty black eyes of his. (They made her feel nervous for some reason, though she’ll never admit it out loud.) 

“I do find your character profile extremely lacking for a Division as disciplined as the Second but I guess we can take care of them as time goes on.” His hands went into his sleeves and something immediately shot out from them at Hiyori who dodged in alarm and caught the object as it sailed past her. A kunai. 

“Hiyori Sarugaki, welcome to the 2nd Division.”

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