So after trying to get this story right several times, I think maybe I've got a bit of a better grasp on it. So here's my third attempt at a decent Bleach fic. I tried my best to keep events in order, although the bleachverse is pretty complicated... Read and review!

"Hey. Wake up." Kuchiki Byakuya stood stoically in the door frame, his cold eyes gazing down at the sleeping girl on the floor. Her hair was a deep shade of blood red, which was tangled from her sleep. Byakuya barely suppressed a sigh before stalking over to the woman, nudging her shoulder with the tip of his toe. She groaned, shoving him away roughly before opening her eyes.

"What the hell, Byakuya?" she growled, pushing herself out of her bed. The Kuchiki frowned in distaste, watching as the young woman jumped out of bed, wearing only a slightly over sized shirt. He turned away quickly, averting his eyes. "Don't be so shy." the girl muttered, slipping her arms inside the shirt and pulling her Hakama on under it.

"Honestly, you've been asleep for practically the whole day."

She slid out of the shirt, now fully dressed, and began to pull on the long white socks that she wore with her sandals. "I know you don't like me, Byakuya, but Captain Kuchiki is confident in my talents." Byakuya said nothing, merely continued to stare out of the open doors. "You're still seeing her, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Byakuya snapped, sending an icy glare her way. She chuckled darkly.

"Yeah you do," she replied, sliding her feet into her sandals and grabbing her Zanpakuto from the floor beside her bed. "That woman from Rukongai- Don't think I don't know about her, Byakuya." she said, smirking slightly as a flustered expression crossed over his face.

"Captain Kuchiki wishes to speak with you," he muttered, swiftly changing the subject. The girl sighed lazily, running her thin fingers through her hair.

"How troublesome."

"I still don't see how you became a Lieutenant." Byakuya murmured, and the girl chuckled softly.

"What can I tell ya', I'm gifted." she replied, pulling on her Lieutenant's arm band with the symbol for Division Six engraved on the small piece of wood. Byakuya held back on rolling his eyes, settling instead for a heavy sigh and a shake of the head. Hitsugaya Hiori was well known for her lazy personality, and she rarely did anything that she wasn't out right instructed to perform. It still baffled him how she had gotten the Lieutenant's position in his grandfather's division of Gotei Thirteen. "What does the Captain need t'see me for?" she asked, tying her sword on her back with a long cloth that was similar to her hair in color.

"I don't know those sorts of things," Byakuya replied, shrugging indifferently. "Your brother was looking for you, as well." he continued, and Hiori grumbled to herself.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll stop by the academy later." she said, pushing past Byakuya to get to the door. "Oh, and Byakuya?"

"Hm?" he replied gruffly, not meeting her eyes. A wide smirk spread over her face, and her gray eyes met his for a brief moment.

"You should talk to Captain about that Rukongai girl- God knows you don't wanna have me be the only woman in your life" she said, snickering. "Well, aside from Yoruichi." and with that she turned to go, her long red hair nearly whipping Byakuya in the face as she turned to go. Tensions were always high between the young Kuchiki and Hiori- It was a well known fact. The simple fact was that Byakuya didn't approve of someone so careless and absentminded as she was becoming the Lieutenant of Division Six, taking the place of his own father. But after graduating the academy, her talents seemed to have made quite an impression on the old man, Captain Kuchiki Ginrei.

A young boy with dark hair was leaning up against the side of a building, standing up a little straighter the closer Hiori got to him. He wore a black choker around his neck, with arm bands wrapping around his upper arm to match. His dark hair stuck out in odd angles all over his head, and his eyes were slightly narrower than the average person.

"Hiori, Toshiro is looking for you." he said seriously, staring up at the red haired girl as she walked by.

"Ah. Hey there, Shuhei," she muttered, not pausing at all as she made her way past him. He frowned, catching up to her and matching her pace. She peered down at him from the corners of her eyes. He was several inches shorter than she was, his spiky hair making him appear to be nearly the same height, even though he was around the same age as her younger brother. "What the hell is that?" she asked, making a face and eyeing the tattoo on his cheek.

"A tribute." he replied curtly, his eyes shifting and meeting with hers.

"Sixty nine is a tribute?" she asked, stopping in her tracks and folding her arms. "The hell kind of tribute is that? You do realize what sixty nine can-"

"Do you give Kensei that kind of crap about his tattoo?" Shuhei snapped, his frown deepening.

"Ah, so that's the tribute." she said, continuing to walk again. "That makes so much more sense."

"You're gross,"

"Says the boy with 'Sixty-nine' tattooed on his face." she retorted, adjusting her arm band slightly as she walked. "Well go wander off and bother some other Lieutenant, I've got shit to do," Hiori said, waving her hand dismissively. Shuhei scowled.

"You're always so bossy," he muttered, slowing down and turning to his left. "You and Toshiro are so alike."

"I'm telling 'im you think he's bossy." she called back, and she had a sneaking suspicion that the boy was flipping her off while her back was turned. The sun was lowering in the sky, and she finally made it to the Captain's quarters, where Kuchiki Genrei sat outside, waiting for her expectantly.

"You're starting to make me regret appointing you, Hitsugaya," he said sternly as she appeared behind him. She bit her lip apologetically, nodding her head slightly to show she understood. "You aren't concentrating on things, Hitsugaya. You're my Lieutenant- I shouldn't have to have my grandson go and wake you up at seven at night," he scolded.

"Yes, sir," she said stiffly, brushing her side fringe out of her eyes. Her Captain nodded, standing up from his place on the floor. The man towered over her by about a foot and a half, and that accompanied by the incredible Spiritual Pressure that the elderly man possessed always succeeded in making Hiori feel extremely intimidated, even though she had always been told that her own Spiritual Pressure was something to be marveled at.

"We sent some people from Division Nine to look in to those Rukongai disappearances," he began, walking passed her and placing his palms on the railing. "But they have yet to return." he said seriously, turning his head as Hiori moved to her place next to him. "They've called an emergency meeting- I had half a mind to leave without you. We might be late, now." he explained, and Hiori bowed her head apologetically.

"It won't happen again, Captain Kuchiki," she assured him as he turned to walk down the stairs. Hiori followed along by his side, wringing her hands nervously in front of her. Once inside, she took her place between Shihoin Yoruichi and her Captain, her eyes carefully studying the wood grain on the floor nervously. She only half listened as Yamamoto spoke urgently, giving the Captains a quick overview of the situation.

"Allow me to go!" A sudden yell broke through Hiori's trance, and she lifted her head up, her eyes falling on Urahara Kisuke. His panic-stricken face now had a light sheen of sweat, and Hiori eyed him nervously. She had known Kisuke for some time, and had always looked up to the man, especially because of his collected personality. She had never seen him look so troubled. "I've already sent out my Lieutenant, she-"

"Urahara!" a voice barked, and Hiori snapped her head in the direction of Yoruichi. "By going, you'll just embarrass her- You were the one who ordered her to go, after all." she said, hr voice now level. It was quiet for a moment as Yamamoto debated internally on the best method of approach.

"Fifth Squad Captain Hirako, Seventh Squad Captain Aikawa, Third Squad Captain Otoribashi, Eighth Squad Vice-Captain Yadomaru, Sixth Squad Vice-Captain Hitsugaya and Vice-Captain Ushouda from Kido Corps." he finally said, and Hiori's heart jumped nervously as her name was spoken. She looked up at her Captain, who gave her a reassuring nod. She stepped forward, along with the others mentioned, and the Captain Commander gestured with his hand for them to go. She shot one last look at her Captain, hoping that perhaps something like this would be enough to convince him to allow her to keep her place as Lieutenant. The next moment, they were gone, Flash Stepping to the disappearance site.

"Shinji!" Lisa called, leading the rest of the investigation team out of the woods and into the clearing where Shinji stood, having just deflected a possibly fatal attack from their currently unknown enemy. Hiori made her way up behind the short blonde girl, who was standing directly behind Shinji.

"Hiyori, are you alright?" she muttered, and the small girl shook her hands away roughly.

"O-of course I am, stupid, why wouldn't I be?" she replied, and Hiori shrugged, turning her attention to the monster standing opposite them. Her eyes traveled down its body, coming to rest on a distinctive tattoo in the middle of its chest.

"Sixty... Nine...?" she murmured, taking a step closer and looking towards Shinji. "Captain Hirako, that's not-"

"Yes. It does look like Kensei," he replied, eyeing the creature cautiously. "But I don't recognize this Reiatsu." he muttered, and Hiori shivered as her large gray eyes met with the flaming red ones of the monster.

"Shinji, is that Kensei?" Lisa gasped, the rest of the team finally having gotten close enough to read the large, inky black tattoo that was engraved in the monster's skin.

"He's... Just like a Hollow," Rose muttered, his eyes growing wide as he looked the creature up and down.

"So it would appear... But even if it is Kensei, if we don't draw our swords, we'll die," Shinji said, and Hiori reached to her back, drawing her Zanpakuto. Kensei lunged, and Hiori could feel her bones creak in protest under the astounding Spiritual Pressure.

"Thaw, Amaterasu!" she roared, and her sword length grew to match her height, blocking the Kensei-monster's blow. Sparks flew through the air as she attempted to hold him back, and Love leapt into the air, bringing down his Zanpakuto in an attempt to restrain Kensei. Instead, his face made contact with the Hollow's heavy fist, sending him flying back into the air, and the Hollow jumped after him.

"Love!" Shinji screamed, turning back to the others. "Don't just stand there- This isn't Kensei anymore," he said, and Lisa took a running start, swinging her Zanpakuto forward in a desperate attempt to shatter the Hollow mask covering Kensei's face. He blocked it easily, raising his arm to take the blow instead, and at the same time Rose brought down his own blade. Both attacks were easily avoided by the monster, and he threw Rose back towards the ground, where he landed roughly.

Hiori let out a strained growl, releasing her spiritual energy into the jagged edged gap that split her sword down the middle, ending just before the hilt. It shattered, the small pieces of ice scattering into the air and evaporating.

"What're ya' doin', you're defenseless!" Shinji roared, leaping in front of her to stop a crushing blow from the Hollow. It roared, pulling back its fist in preparation for another punch, and Shinji braced himself. It never came. The Hollow toppled to the ground, shrieking at the top of its lungs as a mixture of blood and water poured out from underneath its mask. Hiori's blade re-materialized, and she stuck the tip roughly into the dirt.

"Ushouda, do it now!" she called, and she glanced up into the sky to see Lisa, Rose and Love engaged in a nasty looking fight with Kazahana Mashiro, Kensei's Lieutenant.

"Way of Binding Ninety Nine: Restrain!" he called, forming seals with his fingers. Black bands materialized from the air, large metal blocks digging themselves into the ground to hold them in place as they wrapped around Kensei's body carefully.

"You can do that with no incantation? That's badass..." Shinji muttered, glancing over at Ushouda.

"It was... A stretch..." he replied, breathing heavily. "It's good that Hitsugaya was able to immobilize him with her Shikkai," he said, and Hiori nodded in appreciation. Shinji sighed as the others congregated around him, picking Hiyori up and holding her limp body with one arm.

"What should we do?" he muttered, staring down at the Hollow. "Is there some kinda kido to fix this?" Hiori scoffed reproachfully.

"We don't even know what the hell this is- It's doubtful there's 'some kinda kido' that'll do anything." she said snarkily. She gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. "S-sorry, Captain," she said quickly, and Shinji rolled his eyes. Hiori glanced down, eyeing the girl in his arms as her body convulsed. "S-Shinji, I think you should-" An ear piercing scream ripped from the small girl's throat, and she slashed through Shinji's shoulder.

"This thing- Is it contagious?" Hiori growled, backing away from the Hollow-masked Hiyori. Shinji clutched his bleeding shoulder, attempting to quell the blood flow.

"I dunno," he muttered, flinching as a shooting pain went down his arm. "I dunno what the hell this is."

"Hiyori!" Lisa called as the young girl let out a loud roar. Her Hollow mask completely covered her face, and even her Reiatsu was that of a Hollow's. Hiori's eyes widened. Just what was this thing? A minute later, her vision darkened, a completely black something covering her vision. She couldn't see. She couldn't hear. She couldn't smell.

"C... Captain Hirako!" she called, stretching out her arms. There was nothing around her, although she was sure that she had just been standing next to Shinji, not even a foot away from him. Without warning, she heard a crunch as something sharp pierced through her rib cage, and she dropped her Zanpakuto. What was this?

Hiori fell to the ground, opening her eyes, which met with Love's. He was on the ground beside of her, writhing in pain. Hiori gasped, clutching her side and she felt the warm blood seep through her Hakama. Her vision clouded over- She heard someone call out Tosen's name, and she wondered if she and Love were the only two who had been attacked. She strained her eyes, spying Aizen and a young silver haired boy off in the distance. Had they also been sent to investigate?

Her heart rate slowed, and as she shut her eyes she felt something stir in one of the unfamiliar corners of her mind. She could no longer feel the pain in her body, and she thought vaguely that she was most likely dead, and she felt an odd sense of regret welling inside her. The fact that she was feeling regret confused her, as she was now ninety five percent positive that she was dead. Hiori had been unable to visit her younger brother as she had promised.

'No, you aren't dead, Hiori,' hissed a demonic voice. 'You're all mine, now.'