Hi! I don't own Bleach, other than a Clorox Bleach pen, so please do not sure me. You will receive 40 US dollars and a ton of history notes. It really isn't worth the lawyer fees.

This was inspired by #22 of YamiPaladinofChaos' wonderful fic Snapshots Between Diametric Opposites. But, this isn't really KenUno, like his fic is. I hope you have as much fun reading this as I had writing it.

To the Rescue

By megaroony

Nobody was sure about how it happened. All of a sudden, Hollow attacks had started coming in left right and center. It was bad. Very bad. Injuries were rampant. Everything from broken bones to massive internal bleeding. It got to be so bad, that there was no room left in the fourth division's wards to treat the wounded shinigami. And the gravity of many of the wounds called for skill far greater than the emergency relief squads had. That was how Unohana Retsu found herself crossing the barrier to the human world.

She sighed as the end of the tunnel came into view. She hadn't slept for the last two days and she wasn't sure when she'd be able to sleep again. She stepped out of the tunnel and was greeted with an "EVERYBODY DOWN!!!!!!!!! IT"S GONNA BLOW!!!!!!!" yelled by Zaraki Kenpachi.

She immediately dropped and covered her neck and the back of her head with her hands. Sure enough, three seconds later, an explosion rocked the ground, sprayed debris and body parts everywhere and radiating more heat than she thought was physically possible. She slowly got up after the dust had settled a little bit.

"Taichou! Are you okay?" came the worried voice of Kotetsu Isane. She looked back at the vice-captain, who seemed to be supporting a very worn out Hanatarou.

"I'm fine" came her response. She was more worried about her division than herself. If they couldn't deal with the injuries, who would? Or, even more to the point, who could? "And you? How are you holding up?"

"I'm tired, but okay. Hana here seems to have it the worst. He's been here for close to a month and hasn't gotten to rest properly the entire time. He is almost asleep on his feet. I'm going to take him back until he feels better. He really needs to rest."

"Make sure you rest too, Isane. I need you to control things back in Soul Society while I'm here."

"Of course, taichou." With that, Isane heaved herself and Hanatarou through the portal and disappeared from view. Unohana touched her head briefly, feeling a headache coming on and really wanting some tea, and then, went off in search of either the injured or Zaraki-taichou.

She ended up finding the injured first. She released Minazuki and healed them to the best of her abilities. Those that could still walk and support others were directed to the portal and told to take as many with them as they could. Once the critically injured had been dealt with, she began searching for the main battleground, knowing her skills would be needed again there. When she arrived, she almost turned around, left and come back to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

It was a mess. Blood, of shinigami and hollow alike, was everywhere. The creatures were huge and frighteningly skilled. Ichigo, Zaraki, Renji and Ikkaku seemed to be the only ones left there. It seemed the rest were either dead or had wisely run from the site, probably in the direction of the portal. She hoped that they made it.

"Oy, Unohana-taichou! Watch out!" shouted Renji. Her reaction was instantaneous. She had drawn her zanpakuto and blocked the attack the hollow thought that it could sneak on her. Unohana Retsu to the rescue, it seemed. She would have found it ironic that she, somebody from the fourth division, was helping eleventh division and ex-eleventh division members if she had the time.

"A captain, huh?" said the hollow in his sinister sounding voice. "Your soul will be quite delicious, won't it?"

"Only if you get it", came her cool reply.

"What's your name?"

"Unohana Retsu, captain of the fourth division, not that it makes any difference. There is only one outcome of this battle. Knowing my name is pointless."

The hollow scoffed. "The fourth division. I've heard of you. Your shikai only heals things. You can't do anything to me, weakling."

She smiled her calm, serene smile again. "We'll see." And with a blurred flash step, she launched her attack. Quick flashes of steel and the white of her cloak were the only things visible to anybody watching. Nobody could call the fourth division's captain weak.

She paused in the continuous dance of attack and defend for a moment. Her usually calm expression was now one of grim determination, her eyes flashing with something that could be anger. Her captain's cloak was splattered with blood, this time, some of it even her own.

"What", the hollow said. "Are you scared now? Still think you can defeat me?" He laughed, a raucous sound that was jarring to her ears and her soul. She didn't respond verbally, but stiffened her shoulders and began the dance again.

She didn't know how long they had been fighting for. It could have been minutes, hours, or days. All she knew was that she was tired. Very tired. This constant exchange of blows was draining her remaining reiatsu and she knew that the fight needed to end soon. Her kidou and sword skills were not going to be enough.

The fact that the hollow was just not dying made her mad. Sometime during their fight, the end of her braid had been cut off, so her hair hung about her face and fell to her lower back. It was hindering her. She had lost quite a bit of blood and had taken some critical hits. It was really time to end this.

She took a deep breath and steeled her body for what she was about to do. Looking over her shoulder at the remaining shinigami, she saw that they were just finishing up, or already done with their battles. Ikkaku was sprawled out on the ground, most likely unconscious from the exhaustion.

"All of you, move!" she ordered, her voice coming out harsher than she had intended. They looked at her as if she was insane. "Please", she asked, her voice softening. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Whatcha gonna to do, Unohana?" asked Zaraki. She gave a weary smile, glanced at her trusty zanpakuto, and looked up at him, her eyes flashing dangerously. She turned back to her opponent, who was smirking at her, waiting patiently for her to make the next move.

"You'll see. Just move as far away as you dare." He complied with her request, signaling the rest of them to follow him. His uncovered eye was alight with understanding. He had a vague idea of what she was going to do.

"Holler if you need us." His voice held a note of concern. It was rather touching, coming from a gruff man like him, but she did not have time to dwell on it.

"Of course." She took a step away from the hollow. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her remaining spiritual energy and threw her zanpakuto into the air.

"Bankai", she said, her voice deadly. "Destroy it, Minazuki, destroy it."

The sword gave off a bright white glow, before concentrating into one thin beam, which traveled through the air to her waiting fingers. She redirected the energy with the precision of a surgeon, which she was, in essence. The hollow didn't stand a chance. With a few quick twists and turns of her hands, it was gone, as was any structure within a twenty-foot radius. It hadn't even taken five seconds.

She paused, feeling exhaustion course through her body as the adrenaline rush wore off. She desperately needed tea and she needed to train with her bankai more. This brief usage should not have made her this tired. She sighed, ignored the astounded looks she was receiving from the remaining shinigami, procured an energy pill from somewhere, and quickly swallowed it. It was time to be the healer again.

The title is a little obscure, but it will do. Suggestions, rants, critiques, flames, and death threats are all welcome.

Thanks for reading!