Night in Seireitei was usually silent and quiet, and the moon usually lit the sky with its soft and calming glow.
Tonight, however, the sky was completely dark and not a single star was visible. Clouds covered everything in sight, and not a single moonlight shone through.
The silence was filled with tension and fear.
Hinamori Momo didn't like the atmosphere. She was a girl that looked like in her late teenage years, and she was one of the youngest lieutenants in Gotei 13, lieutenant of the 5th Division. Her hair was tied neatly with a flower hairpin. On her arm was her lieutenant badge.
Right now, she was terrified to be left alone and decided to visit her Captain's chamber although it was rude and unbecoming to do so at night.
Her footsteps were light, as if she was trying her best not to make any sound, and her head moved from side to side. She felt that someone had been following her, but when she turned around, no one was there.
'It must be just my imagination.' She convinced herself and kept walking. Her destination wasn't too far away, but it felt so far from where she stood.
Nervous, she reached out to the door leading to Aizen Sousuke's quarter and knocked softly.
"Who's there?" Aizen's voice echoed from inside.
"Me, Hinamori. Captain." She replied. "Umm, I am a bit scared so... may I come inside?"
"You can come inside." The Captain's gentle voice said.
She felt relieved upon hearing his reply. She smiled in relief and slid the door open.
Opening the door, she saw Aizen scribbling something on a scroll with his ink brush.
The man had a soft smile and a pair of glasses on his nose, giving him a friendly and intelligent look. He was a Captain that was highly trusted and respected.
"What is the matter?" Aizen looked at her, concern was apparent in his tone.
Hinamori's cheeks flushed red as she realized that she was bothering the busy man with her problem.
"Um, I-It's nothing." She stuttered and bowed her head. "I just can't calm down tonight, I am really sorry for disturbing you, Captain Aizen."
"Nonsense, it's fine. You are my lieutenant. This is my duty." The man said, putting the brush away. He folded the paper and put it inside his desk, before turning his head back to her, "You must've been afraid. You can stay here until you feel safe."
"T-Thank you, Captain Aizen!"
Aizen gave her a small smile, telling her to calm down. "You're welcome. Make yourself comfortable. Do you want some tea?"
"No. I'm fine." Hinamori sat at the corner of the room and refused.
But the man still made tea for her, showing his care for her. He put the teacup on the table in front of her and sat back in his place.
"Captain Aizen. Do you think we're in big trouble?" She asked in worry.
"No. Not at all." He said reassuringly, "Our force is much greater than any invader, and the Captain Commander is strong. No one can defeat him. You can rest easy tonight, I'm here for you."
The girl nodded. Being here just felt safe, so safe. Like a kid with her guardian, it just felt like there's nothing that could go wrong in the world.
"I'll try, sir."
She then sat still in silence. Aizen continued his work on his desk. His movement was slow and steady, as if there was nothing wrong in this world.
Watching him calmed Momo, pulling her away from dangerous thoughts.
No attack, no commotion—everything was fine in her mind. That attitude somehow managed to ease her, and she sipped the tea on the table, finding that the drink was warm and sweet, unlike a tea which was usually bitter.
Nothing would go wrong if she stayed beside Captain Aizen, that was what she thought from deep in her heart.
***
Shirou managed to find a hiding spot to rest for the night. He hid in a store room, far away from any Shinigami patrol.
The room was filled with empty boxes, crates, and jars that looked like they hadn't been touched for years, proved by the accumulating dust on the lid. He was lucky that he could find such a good place.
No one found him until morning, something miraculous considering how many Shinigami were searching for him. But it was only the first night and he could feel the search party was more active than the previous one. Their presence had been detected.
'I have a nice nap.'
Fighting at night would certainly give him an advantage, but he needed the energy to do it. Sleeping for a short period of time was enough, at least for now.
Standing, Shirou brushed the dust off his clothes and walked out. He looked through the window and found that the sun was rising, the sky was clear and he could hear birds chirping.
'I can still feel everyone's reiatsu, so they are safe. Ichigo is with Ganju while Sado is with Inoue. Yoruichi-san is... gone.'
Shirou could still feel the others' presence, and they seemed to move together. It was a relief that no one got captured and that their condition was fine.
But Yoruichi was gone, not even a hint of her spiritual presence remained.
'It seems that Yoruichi is moving with a stealth technique, so I can't sense her. I don't know why, maybe she wants to avoid getting sensed by the enemy or something.'
Shirou walked out from the storage and went outside. His eyes narrowed when the sunlight shone on him through the brewing cloud. The atmosphere was tense and the air was heavy, telling everyone that there was a crisis.
His eyes quickly scanned the area and stopped at a tall white tower in the distance.
Today's goal was to check that tower and see if Rukia was there before the Shinigami realized their goal. If they could rescue her fast enough, the risk of getting found out was smaller than waiting. It was better to finish the job faster rather than later.
And so, he jumped up to the roof and began moving to his destination. He used Reinforcement to every corner of his body, making him stronger and faster than normal.
With this speed, he could reach the prison faster. The scenery blurred past him as he ran on the roof. His eyes could see that there were no people on the road and it looked deserted. This place looked more like a ghost town than a city full of life.
'I can sense the Shinigami, so they are hiding somewhere. They must have anticipated our attack, and hid in an ambush.'
As he ran, Shirou noticed something. The building changed slightly when he approached the white tower in the distance. The wall became taller, as if to stop anyone from trespassing. And there were no longer civilians around.
He was so focused that he didn't realize that a shadow was watching him before he was found.
A chill suddenly crept up his spine and his body moved on instinct, turning toward the source of enormous reiatsu he could feel. He stopped at once and jumped backward to gain distance, landing in the middle of the street between tall walls and looked up.
There, a person was sitting calmly. His board and large figure sat on top of the roof, his Captain haori was torn and fluttered by the wind.
Spiked hair with bells on the tips of each spike, and the eyepatch on the man's right eye made the man look dangerous, yet the man had an expressionless face and bored eyes.
There was no trace of hostility on his face, just boredom and curiosity.
His reiatsu felt overwhelming, the pressure was as great as Byakuya or even higher, yet this person had a different aura.
"Yachiru, it seems we found him." The man spoke slowly, but his words were clear and deep.
Shirou instantly focused, trying to sense his reiatsu. But, it didn't seem like the Captain was using a concealment, so the pressure that he could feel right now was his real pressure.
'Is he trying to suppress it?' He didn't believe this was his opponent's real strength. 'I don't have any info about the Captain of Soul Society, so I'm at a disadvantage. But I can't avoid him, can I? Not with him being this strong.'
"Indeed, Ken-chan."
Another voice resounded, this time coming from above. Shirou turned to the voice and saw a small girl appeared from behind the man, wearing the standard uniform of Shinigami. She had pink hair that was cut short, and her eyes were bright pink, filled with excitement.
This time, however, he felt no reiatsu coming from her, not even a hint of spiritual energy. But she was also dangerous, and Shirou's instinct told him she was something familiar—sharp like a sword, cold like a blade, deadly like a killing machine.
'What are these people?' He had thought that they would start a fight, however the girl seemed uninterested.
Instead of fighting, she just stared at him.
However, the man suddenly moved. He disappeared and reappeared right before Shirou in an instant, making the auburn-haired boy widen his eyes.
'He's fast!'
In a second, Shirou knew that his opponent was stronger than him, faster, more experienced. But that didn't matter. All his opponents so far had something similar. They were all far stronger than him.
He didn't hesitate and trace the twin swords to block the incoming attack.
Clang!
His swords blocked the man's attack with a loud sound, sparks flew from where their weapons met. Shirou could feel that this man was powerful, just one swing was enough to send him flying backward.
But the man wasn't finished. His eyes glinted with killing intent and his serrated blade shone in the dark sky, swinging it down on him again.
It was swift and strong, enough to crush the twin blades Shirou held in his hands. He had no chance of winning with the twin swords in a contest of power.
Shirou's mind was running at full speed and he knew he needed a stronger sword. But there was no time to change weapons for now. He diverted the enemy's attack by deflecting his sword with the twin swords.
Bang!
A large gash formed in the ground as a large chunk of the street was cut out by the man's sword. The amount of destruction was terrifying, even the shockwave from the attack destroyed a chunk of the ground around them. Dust rose to the air, hiding the man in sight.
'This man is dangerous.'
Using Hirenkyaku, Shirou created a distance between them. The man didn't follow and instead rested his blade on his shoulder.
"You're fun! What's your name?" The Captain's voice bellowed loudly, causing the surrounding to shake.
Narrowing his eyes, Shirou answered. "Kurosaki Shirou."
"I'm the 11th Division's Kenpachi Zaraki. Let's go." The man named Zaraki said and charged like a bull, raising his blade. "It's time to kill or die."
***Chapter End***
It's time for B-B-B-B-BATTLE!
Unlike in the canon, the most dangerous person in Ryoka party is undoubtedly Shirou.
And he moved way faster than Ichigo and the others, that's why he met this man first.
Anyway, bribe me with stones for more chapters.
And if you're curious about Soul Society arc (Almost finished) and don't want to wait, visit my pat -reon / ShuviLily.