gah, this seems so interesting.

I know it isn't canon-compliant anymore, not with all the reveals, but honestly this looks like it will handle post soul society arc a lot better than canon.

PLEASE continue! This has so much potential!

Awwww, that's it?! Damn it. Did you feel like it had gotten too AU by the time you got to this point? Anyway, the thing with Ichigo maybe being similarly affected sounds like an interesting angle to have fleshed out if you'd kept going; either you let it be something else entirely after all (after all, although some of the symptoms sound similar the phenomenology sounds completely different) or, if you could wrangle an explanation together, he could've been a successful version of what the experiments had been trying to do.

I don't know what the big deal is with losing those Arrancar; if Gin thinks there's a chance the shinigami got infected, then the Arrancar had to have been infected, and why would Aizen want them around to risk infecting him and/or the rest of his army?

Your characterization has been great. On a related note, Ichigo's position as a doctor's son is an aspect of him I haven't seen used before outside of the actual clinic; it's very interesting to read.

I love how you called Isshin being a Shiba as far back as when this was written, haha. From reading this, it seems like you wrote it right after the Soul Society arc. I was wondering why you didn't just use the canon version of what happened to Uryuu after coming back, before I realized it. I also was thinking the pale-haired Arrancar was Barragan and then Findor before it was revealed he was an OC.

Hahaha the contrast from his speaking toward Byakuya and toward Rukia

So much fun!

"Renji stepped forward, tossing his hair back. "We came, we saw, we -"

Rukia kicked him in the ankle."

I just about died laughing at Renji's head tossing dramatics (it was a little bit OOC, perhaps Yumichika?) but it was wonderful fun anyway.

And watching Ukitake and Isshin butt heads in Ukitake's own mild-as-steel way? Super.

Ukitake is just TOO cool. "A gust of wind plucked at his sleeves and stirred his hair; reiatsu rippled like a wave through the room."

Never thought I'd say this, but Renji is wise beyond what his brawn-over-brain actions might say sometimes: "Renji's considered opinion was that this Grimmjow fellow should join up with Eleventh... Maybe some information would slip from brawler to brawler via some sort of mental osmosis."

And awww... Shunsui and Ukitake are so cute!

But heartbreaking to have Ukitake compare Urahara to Aizen (both were, in Ukitake's mild and long memory, such "nice boys") and also for him to conclude that sometimes (possibly false) reassurance "was... part of a Captain's job."

I love the way you weave important conversations into one another, and multi-fight scenes in the same way- gives a grand emsemble feel to your stories and also helps unite the many characters and sub-story-line is a great way (and which you've continued to use to amazing effect in "Winter War")! :)

Gah, and finally, so scary.

Scary, scary, scary what went on in the 12th under "nice boy" Urahara. I like it that Urahara has a dark, dark side underneath... that he and Kurotsuchi are possibly not so different in spite of Urahara's smiling blond face and silly antics. I ended this chapter thinking that in the "Contagion" universe possibly Kurotsuchi is simply more honest than our 'simple shop-keeper' ex-Captain.

Eeeee! I just realized- last chapter? No resolution for the story?

I know, I'm 4 years late in my request, but if you have time, perhaps after "Winter War", would you consider taking this up again?

With much gratitude-

Yitian

I'm a big fan of all your writing- have been catching up with Winter War and now going through your other works.

This one is particularly awesome- mix of great plot, amazingly crisp (and true) characterizations, plus your usual dry and succinct sense of humor... I can't say how much I love this all.

Unohana is one sharp lady; Inoue is brilliant and silly; Rukia is her usual fierce and smart (but oooohhh so outwitted by Ukitake and Shunsui... can't fight against centuries of experience I guess!); Kira is such a poor puppy; ha! And you called Isshin being a shinigami possibly before the manga... though you underestimated his spot! ;); Nanao is soooo cool (specially in her fight with Nemu!)

My favorite so far though is Ukitake rescuing Yuzu... he and Shunsui don't get to, in the manga, show that them being the longest lasting captains after Yama-ji himself isn't just chance and good humor. I'm looking forward to Ukitake kicking some Gin-behind!

Thank you again for this and your many beautiful works that you so selflessly share with us- authors like you are what make wading through loads of less-than-stellar fiction (fanfiction or even published work) and sometimes less-than-stellar arcs in canon worthwhile-

Arigato!

It's really too bad this story appears to have been discontinued. It may no longer jive with Bleach as a whole, but it does the source material justice and then some. I find your character moments, inter-Divisional maneuvers, and interesting explanations far more compelling than the long grind we're currently getting in the manga. One wonders where you were going with all of this, between all the dangling sub-plots and possibilities.

I suppose I can't grouse too much more, or I'll be looking a gift horse in the mouth. "Winter War" is a fair trade-off for "Contagion." Still, it's such a marvelous tale you've spun.

I suppose that says more about you than anything else. You have enough creative mojo to cast off a story like this and still crank out fic of staggering caliber. That's quite the talent you have.

Well, it's been almost completely jossed by canon, but I like this story and where you're going with it. The only thing I think you need to work on is upping the tension and horror a little. I hadn't even realized until this chapter how serious the whole situation is since you've been downplaying it the whole story. Cheers!

Just thought I'd point out you wrote 'horror' instead of hollow twice near the beginning of this chapter...

so very 12th division used the 11th as booby-trap testers! any dead get thrown out of the 11th as wimps!lol

Huh. Very interesting plot line and good length chapters, but the personality traits of the characters still need to be more pronounced.

Very interesting and well written. Although Orihime seems too smart, Urahara's not evasive enough, and Ishida's too emotionally involved and not indifferent enough. Otherwise it's pretty good.

Hm, so the disease can be combated somewhat.

Ahahaha, finally, I get to see Ukitake in action!

This can't be good for our intrepid heroes.