Chapter Two: 譲与 (Jōyo)

Six Years Later….

Aizen Sōsuke leaned back, taking a sip from his cup of tea. Ever since he'd become the taichō of the Fifth Division, his plans had become both easier and more difficult to conduct. His position as taichō of the Fifth Division gave him a much higher rank to manipulate, almost ridiculously distant from the pull that he had as fukutaichō. However, with his attainment of the taichō rank, his duties increased near fivefold, making that much harder to slip away for experiments.

Still, the positives vastly outweighed the inconveniences, and Sōsuke wasn't going to complain about the extra duties and paperwork when it allowed him to keep a better eye on potential recruits. Caution was key when recruiting to a treasonous cause. The three Academy students he had rescued over fifteen years ago had enormous potential, so he had requested that they each receive a seated position after graduation.

Putting them in a seated position enabled him to watch for sympathies and to test their capabilities. Each had performed wonderfully, but Abarai, he decided, wasn't suited to such subtle activities, and was too hotheaded for use. Kira was quite usable, and seemed like a malleable character. Hinamori, on the other hand, Gin had taken an interest in. Why, Sōsuke had no idea, but he prefered to let his fukutaichō out on a long leash when it came to his little games.

Really, he had to see if he could rid himself of Abarai. Perhaps another Hollow experiment was needed. Sōsuke had a few ideas of what he could use for that. Then he remembered that the Sixth Seat of the Eleventh Division had opened up recently. That would do nicely. It would appear that he was just promoting him while he was really anxious to be rid of him.

Kira was also in need of a promotion. If he was to mold him into a recruit, he would need more regular contact with him. The tutoring he had given him a while ago had already cemented his position with the boy, and if he could get him a higher seat, it'd be easier to test him again. Both the Eighth and the Tenth Seats had openings. Eighth Seat would probably be better.

As for Hinamori, he'd let Gin take over her development. He'd let Sōsuke know that he was close to achieving Bankai, and would be eligible for the Third Division taichō in a few years. Perhaps he'd let Gin take her with him when he took over the Third. No need for a promotion.

Pulling out a transfer request, he carefully wrote out the necessary forms for Kira and Abarai's promotions. Smiling, he put away his brush and closed his ink well. Since he was promoting Kira, he'd need to test him. He thought over his options for further tests as he filed the papers to be handed out later.

Renji looked down at the paper in his hand. It was a request for him to be transferred to another Division. The Eleventh, specifically. Renji grimaced. If there was one Division he didn't want to be a part of, it was the Eleventh. Part of it was their taichō, the Kenpachi. Part of it was their philosophy, with reliance only on Zanjutsu. And the last part of it was his like of the Fifth Division. He'd grown to like the place after his thirteen years here.

However, he knew that he would have to accept. He'd be receiving a seated position much higher up, for one. Sixth, to be exact. Also, it would not seem right to refuse such an offer. For an Eighteenth Seat to jump to a Sixth Seat was unusual.

Sighing, Renji pulled out a brush and signed his name at the bottom of the paper. He'd turn it in to Aizen-taichō later. For now, he'd have to tell Kira and Hinamori.

"I'm being transferred to the Eleventh Division," said Abarai-kun as he entered the room. Izuru looked up and saw the annoyance in Renji's eyes.

"Congratulations," replied Izuru.

"Ha ha." Abarai-kun sat down on the floor. "You know that I don't want to go there. It'll be torture."

"Maybe not. You might be able to polish your Zanjutsu skills there. You've been wanting an actual challenge for a while. Maybe this is it."

Abarai-kun looked at Izuru thoughtfully. "How is that you're the one looking on the bright side? You're usually the pessimist."

"I'm only positive when others aren't," Izuru deadpanned.

"That must be it!" Abarai-kun looked like he wanted to continue, but Hinamori-kun knocked on the door.

"Come in," said Izuru.

Hinamori-kun slid open the door, and sat down next to Abarai-kun. "So," she said, directing her question at Abarai-kun, "what's up?"

"I'm being 'promoted' to the Sixth Seat of the Eleventh Division."

"Congratulations, I guess," said Hinamori, a little downcast.

"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to it too much. Kira was just saying that maybe I should touch up on my Zanjutsu while I'm there."

"You have gotten a little reliant on your Kidō lately," pointed out Hinamori-kun.

"That's because it's so useful!" exclaimed Abarai-kun. He frowned. "Maybe you're right. I guess I shouldn't judge them until I actually get there."

A lull in the conversation made Izuru shift a little uncomfortably. Not two minutes before Abarai-kun had arrived, he'd received papers determining his promotion to Eighth Seat of the Fifth Division.

"Izuru-kun, you look a little uncomfortable. Why?"

Izuru sighed. Hinamori-kun was always too sensitive. "Would this be a bad time to mention that I'm being promoted to Eighth Seat?"

Abarai-kun sighed. "No, but yes. Whatever. I guess I'll go see Aizen-taichō." He got up and left, a sad expression on his face that Izuru only caught for a moment as Abarai-kun slid the door shut.

"You think he'll be okay?" asked Hinamori-kun.

"Yeah. Abarai-kun had always been tough. He'll be okay."

"Oh, congratulations on your promotion as well, Izuru-kun."

"Thanks." They sat in silence for about a minute, before Izuru stood up. "I guess I should see Aizen-taichō, too."

"Yeah, see you later, Izuru-kun."

Momo watched as Izuru-kun disappeared down the hall, wishing that last conversation with Renji-kun hadn't been so awkward. She probably wouldn't see him for a while. Deciding to stop by his quarters later, she headed towards Gin's private quarters. Gin had been very insistent of her referring to him by first name, so she'd complied, taking to it more than she would have liked. She'd been training with him every Tuesday they were both available for the past six years, which had been all but four of them. She hadn't received a long term mission since then, and had to beg off twice because of illness, and the other two times Gin had canceled.

Knocking on his door, Momo waited to Gin to answer the door. About four years ago he'd requested that she come pick him up, so that he didn't have to wait at all for her. It was more efficient that way, or so he said. Momo believed that he just liked making her uncomfortable. It had worked well for the first times, until it became habit.

"Come on in, Momo-chan." His sickly sweet voice pierced her thoughts, and she slid open the door to his office. Gin had combined his office and living area into one room so he wasn't inconvenienced by travel time between them. At least, that's what he'd told her.

"How's your week been?" asked Gin pleasantly, sliding a cup of tea across his desk. As pleasantly as Gin could say anything, anyway. Momo picked up the cup gratefully, taking a sip of the green liquid. It was as good as all of Gin's food. He was actually a remarkably good chef when he put his mind to it, and his tea was the best Momo had tasted in casual situations.

"Fine," Momo responded. "Got some good practice in with the incantation of Hadō no Hachijūhachi. It's still difficult forming it, and I haven't tried to launch one yet, but I'm working on it."

"Good, good," replied Gin. "My week's been a lil' more eventful. I just achieved Bankai."

Momo dropped her cup of tea, the cup shattering on the floor. "What?" Momo spluttered.

"I just achieved Bankai," repeated Gin. "Want me to show ya?"

"No thanks. I don't think the Omnitsukidō would be very happy if you released it here."

"I suppose not," agreed Gin. "I'll at least tell ya its name. My Bankai is called Kamishini no Yari."

Shivers ran down Momo's spine. The meaning was immediately obvious. Kamishini no Yari. God-Slaying Spear. The ultimate killing sword.

"Let me give ya a hint about Bankai. Your Zanpakutō know's what's what. You'll know when you're ready for it. Don't try for it before then."

"How will I know when I'm ready."

"You'll know. It takes just ta right bit of reiatsu ta get it done. Ya don't quite have enough yet, but maybe in twenty years." Gin's smile turned hopeful. "Ready for training?"

Momo nodded. Together they went to the training field, silence hanging over them as it usually did when they were moving. Gin started shunpoing about halfway through, and Momo had to imitate him to keep up. Gin had probably the second best shunpo of all the fukutaichō, and Momo struggled to stay with him.

Gin reached the training ground a full minute before she did, and Momo had to catch her breath for a moment before she smiled at Gin. Gin just drew his Zanpakutō, and charged. As always, Momo had barely enough time to draw her own Zanpakutō, but Gin shunpo'd behind her instead of thrusting, and Momo had to shunpo herself to avoid getting skewered.

They sparred in Zanjutsu and Hohō for about ten minutes, before Gin let up and Momo was able to take a break. Five minutes later, she was up for Kidō practice. Gin put up a barrier for Momo to throw Hadō at, and Momo prepared herself. Today she was going to try to finally use the highest level Hadō she knew.

"Heavenly thunder tears asunder! Blood of the dragon, teeth of the serpent, muscle of the turtle, heart of the tiger. Juxtapose the living with the body. Underneath the sea, a rumbling departs! Shattering the sky, an empire falls. Annihilation of the King! Hadō no Hachijūhachi: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"

A blast of blue lightning tore through the air, crashing into the barrier. The barrier shattered; the powerful Hadō continuing onward, until Gin blocked it with another barrier. Momo stopped the Hadō, but that didn't stop the Hadō from nearly destroying the second barrier as well.

Collapsing, Momo took several deep breaths in a row to help stabilize her now extremely weakened reiatsu. "Think ya might've overdone it there, Momo-chan," said Gin inconsequentially.

Momo didn't answer; she was still recovering from using the insanely powerful attack. While her reiryoku restored itself quickly, such a drain would leave her recovering for at least two days just to return to a normal level. "Maybe just a bit," agreed Momo, smiling and wincing in the same moment. Her entire body felt drained and devoid of energy.

"Perhaps I could give ya a rundown on Bankai," suggested Gin. Momo nodded hesitantly.

Gin pulled out his lecturing stick, and cast a barrier to act as a chalkboard. He'd often done this when informing Momo on basically anything, from a certain aspect of Kidō to the best way to prepare mocha tea. Internally, Momo shuddered. She didn't ever want to remember that lesson ever again.

"The first thing to remember about Bankai is that it is ta most powerful technique of any shinigami. Yamamoto-sōtaichō's Bankai has been hypothesized ta be able ta destroy Seireitei in a single blow. Now, that might be exaggerating, but ta sentiment is true. Bankai is nearly unbeatable without another Bankai to counter it. That part's fairly obvious."

Gin's smile intensified. "What most shinigami that don't know is that Bankai can be achieved by just about any shinigami with enough dedication. The nobles, who for ta most part have higher than average reiryoku, would like ya to believe this lie, because then they have power over you. Really, once ya reach a certain reiatsu threshold, it's all downhill. But the problem is that people don't believe they can improve, so they don't try. If ya don't try, how can ya do anything?

"Of course, this is all bull if ya don't commune with your Zanpakutō often. I try and enter jinzen once a week, and it's worked well. Your relationship with your Zanpakutō is the most important part of achievin' Bankai. How would ya describe your relationship with your sword?"

Momo thought for a moment. Tobiume had always been helpful and respectful, and Momo had tried to communicate her gratitude for having a Zanpakutō spirit like Tobiume to her as often as possible. "I'd say that we have a respectful, mutually beneficial relationship."

"That's a good start," commended Gin, "but you'll have ta do better than that. Sure, you've got respect now, but what about when ya try for Bankai? Bankai is about showing your dominance over your Zanpakutō spirit. Ya gotta materialize your Zanpakutō with your reiatsu, and then defeat them in single combat. Materialization takes a lot of reiatsu, and ya definitely don't have enough for it right now to be able to fight after a materialization."

"Is it okay for you to tell me how I achieve Bankai?" wondered Momo.

"I don't see why not. It helps ya prepare, and your Zanpakutō can't do anything about it, can it?'

"I—I guess." Still, it felt to Momo like she was cheating.

"Now, the final thing I'll say about Bankai is that after ya achieve it, ya need to work with your Zanpakutō a lot ta figure it all out. While you'll naturally know how to wield it, the more practice ya have, the better. However, the biggest problem about practicing with your Bankai is that ya obviously can't do it in the Seireitei. Fortunately, once ya achieve your Bankai, if ya talk to your taichō, he will arrange for a training session was outside of the Seireitei and the Rukongai. But that won't be for a while yet. Right now I would focus on controlling your reiatsu more, 'cause it's the most important part of materialization."

Gin put away his lecturing stick. "Well, that wraps up this les—oh, wait, there's one more thing. Don't try and go for Bankai right after ya materialize your Zanpakutō. Ya need to practice it until ya can fight just fine with your Zanpakutō materialized. Trust me, you'll want it."

"Thank you," said Momo. "I really appreciate your tutelage."

"It's no problem. See ya next Tuesday or sooner!" With that, Gin shunpo'd away, leaving Momo to think about Gin's impromptu lecture about Bankai.

Renji took a deep breath. He was about to enter the Eleventh Division barracks, and he was a little nervous. Finally, he knocked, and waited for someone to open the door. The door came crashing open, and in front of him stood a tall bald man with a sword on his shoulder.

"Who're you?" he sneered.

"Abarai Renji, the new Sixth Seat," replied Renji, eyeing the man carefully. His reiatsu was definitely refined and dangerous.

"I'm Madarame Ikkaku, Third Seat." Madarame looked him up and down. He didn't bat an eye when he saw Renji's missing arm, but continued looking him over. "But if you think you're up to being a Sixth Seat, you've got another one coming. We gotta spar first, to see if you're up to it."

Madarame led Renji to the spot where they would spar. Several members of the Eleventh Division were already gathered there, but moved out of the way when Madarame glared at them.

He grabbed two bokken and tossed one to Renji. He caught it awkwardly in his left hand, before testing its balance. It was a decent bokken, and Renji did a few practice swings. Getting the general jist of the sword, he faced the bald Third Seat.

Madarame looked like he was waiting for Renji to make the first move, so he did, launching an attack on Madarame's left side. It was quickly deflected, and Renji tried thrice more, trying to get past Madarame's guard. Failing, he left an opening in one of his attacks, and Madarame capitalized on it. However, since Renji was expecting it, he ducked to the right and thrust forward with his bokken.

The sound of wood clattering filled the dojo as Madarame blocked Renji's attempt at his shoulder. However, Renji was anticipating this, and had already shifted his blade to a different position before Madarame hit it away, letting Renji press onward with his attack.

"You're pretty good!" complimented Madarame when Renji backed off from his assault to catch his breath. "You're at least Tenth Seat level. But let's see how you're on defense!"

With that, Madarame charged, and Renji had to put every effort into just blocking his attacks because of the amount of power in each blow. However, Renji's brain went into action and started analyzing his attack patterns.

He seems to favor attacking from the left side. Probably left handed. Renji parried another blow, grunting as he redirected it away from his blade for a riposte.

Only Madarame's slight shift in footing gave away the switch from a left handed assault to a right handed one. Renji's eyes widened in surprise and only just had enough time to jump away from the attack.

"Caught the shift in stance, did you? You're really good. I'd hate to see how you'd be with your right hand," commented Madarame.

"Doesn't matter what my right hand can do if all I need is my left hand to beat you," retorted Renji.

Madarame sneered. "Pretty big words from a pretty big mouth. Let's see how you handle this!"

He rushed forward, forcing Renji on the defensive once again. But his attacks were only more intense, and with only one arm it was hard to block each attack. Still, Renji wasn't about to give up. So he put his shoulder right up against his wood blade and pushed forward. Madarame, surprised by the unusual strategy, backed off on his assault, and Renji charged.

Three strikes later, Renji had Madarame on the defensive, but Renji knew that the skill difference was too great for him to overcome in a prolonged bout. Putting his last bit of energy into a feint, Renji twisted his bokken, hitting Madarame's bokken just right so that it twisted out of his grip and clattered to the floor.

As Renji held his bokken to Madarame's neck, murmurs broke out among the gathered crowd. "Told you I'd beat you, Madarame," said Renji.

Madarame laughed. "That you did. Call me Ikkaku. How about another bout?"

Renji could feel the Third Seat's reiatsu flood the dojo, and gulped. Ikkaku had definitely been going easy on him, and Renji was a little worn out. Ikkaku was also raring to go, and Renji couldn't beat him a second time. At least, not in pure Zanjutsu.

Renji only put his sword out in front of him and hoped that Ikkaku wouldn't beat him too badly.

Izuru sighed. Really, the only difference between an Eighteenth Seat and an Eighth Seat was the amount of paperwork necessary. Izuru was now responsible for so many more people who had paperwork to deal with it was exhausting him. Not that he was complaining, but it seemed like he had barely any time to devote to training anymore. Briefly, he wondered what the paperwork of a taichō was like. Shuddering at the thought, Izuru signed off on the report from one of the unseated shinigami in the World of the Living.

A knock on the door made Izuru look up from the reports stacked neatly beside him. "Come in," said Izuru.

Abarai came in through the doorway. He sat down on the floor, and looked out Izuru's window. He'd moved into an office, as was standard for all seated officers above Tenth Seat. Abarai would have one too.

"So, how's life as the new Eighth Seat?" asked Abarai.

"Tiring. I never thought there would be this much paperwork," replied Izuru.

"You think you have it bad?" retorted Abarai incredulously. "Not only am I the Sixth Seat, which means more paperwork in general, but I have to redo so much of the stuff my subordinates it's downright annoying. I hardly have any time to train nowadays, I feel like."

"Tell me about it. I thought I was improving a lot lately, but this promotion has been a double-edged sword. The extra pay is nice, though."

"Yeah," agreed Abarai. "Still, this makes me wish for the good old days as an Eighteenth Seat."

Izuru nodded. "Did you come here just to talk, or was there something else?"

Abarai cleared his throat. "Well, we haven't had a spar in a couple of weeks, so I was thinking we could have one sometime. You know, to keep our skills up."

"I've been missing those," said Izuru. "I'm free this Saturday, actually, so if there's any chance of one then…"

"Great," said Abarai. "I have the day off, too. How about we meet at the old training area at about 9?"

"Sounds good," said Izuru. "See you then, Abarai." He waved once as Abarai left the room. Once he was gone, Izuru let out a deep sigh of relief. He'd been worried that things would get awkward between him and Abarai after the transfer, but Abarai hadn't held it against him. Izuru was happy that his friend hadn't abandoned him like that.

Still, Izuru would need to prepare for the spar. They'd taken to having three matches for each spar: a pure Zanjutsu spar, followed by a spar mixed with Kidō, and ending with a Shikai spar. Abarai always won the Zanjutsu fight, and Izuru always won the Shikai fight, but the fight with Kidō was always contested between the two of them. While Izuru might be much better at Kidō than Abarai, Abarai was better at applying it to combat, but Izuru's knowledge of Kidō was so much more expansive than Abarai's that it usually outweighed that advantage. Usually.

Smiling as he reminisced about the spars, Izuru glanced down at his desk, only to wince at the amount of paperwork on it. He had a lot to do…

Four Years Later….

Momo took one glance at the haori adorning Gin's form before sighing. While she had known that Gin was going to take the taishu, and had suspected that he would pass, it was another thing entirely to see Gin wearing the haori.

"Ah, Momo-chan, good ta see ya," said Gin cheerfully, the smile on his face actually reflecting his happy mood.

For a moment, Momo hesitated, only because she wasn't sure how to address Gin now that he was a taichō. "Congratulations on achieving your rank, Ichimaru-taichō."

"Momo-chan, how many times have I told you to call me Gin?" asked Gin.

"Three," replied Momo succinctly.

"Hmm, seems like it was a lot more than that," said Gin, rubbing his jaw line thoughtfully.

"Nope, just three."

"Ah, whatever. Say, Momo-chan, I've got a favor ta ask ya."

Momo looked at the newly minted taichō curiously. "What is it?"

"Would ya mind bein' my new fukutaichō? The old one kinda quit on me."

Momo spluttered incomprehensibly for a moment, before taking a deep breath and calming her nerves. "What?"

"Would ya mind bein' my new fukutaichō? The old one kinda quit on me," repeated Gin.

Momo was completely surprised by Gin's request. "You want me to be your fukutaichō?" she asked incredulously.

"Ya got the skills," said Gin. "And you're pretty much the only candidate I can think of off the top of my head. So, what'll ya say?"

Momo tried to still her frantic heart. "Can I have some time to think about this?"

Gin nodded seriously, the smile nearly disappearing off his face for a moment. He raised his hand, five fingers outstretched. He dropped his thumb. Momo stared at him. He dropped his pinky. Her eyes widened.

"You're not seriously doing that, are you?" Gin's smile returned, and his ring finger dropped.

"I need more time than that!" exclaimed Momo. Gin's smile only grew larger as he his middle finger, leaving only his index finger in the air.

The finger lowered, leaving Gin's hand in a fist. "Well, Momo-chan, come to a decision?"

"I-I…" Momo paused, taking a deep breath.

"I'm waiting, Momo-chan," said Gin.

"Yes," blurted Momo. "I'll do it."

"Great." Gin smiled more. "We can have all sorts of fun together, I just know it."

Renji breathed heavily as he finished his latest workout. Ikkaku had been running him through the paces after he'd requested that Ikkaku train him. For the past three months, he and Ikkaku had been out in the wilderness, beyond the Rukongai, and Renji had improved by leaps and bounds. But he hadn't once beat Ikkaku since that first spar, which frustrated Renji a little, although he knew it was because Ikkaku was just that good.

Sighing, Renji leaned back against the cool rock of a raised ledge. Ikkaku was relentless in his training, and Renji knew he had improved greatly since then. Right now, he was taking a short break before Ikkaku started him on his next routine.

"Renji!" shouted Ikkaku as he shunpo'd into view. "Time to get back to work!"

Renji sighed and stood up. "What're we doing next?"

Ikkaku pulled out his Zanpakutō and leveled it at Renji. "Before I start, I want you to promise me you'll never tell anyone else about this."

Renji raised an eyebrow. "What's so important that you need to swear me to silence?"

"I can't tell you. You haven't sworn to silence," replied Ikkaku.

"Fine. I swear that I will never tell anyone about this."

"Ready yourself, Renji," warned Ikkaku. "If you aren't completely prepared for this, you'll die."

"Howl! Zabimaru!" Zabimaru changed from its sealed form to the whip-like blade of his shikai. Renji shifted into a ready stance, waiting for Ikkaku's surprise.

"Bankai! Ryūmon Hōzukimaru!" Dread filled Renji from head to toe. He hadn't been expecting anything like this. Ikkaku's Bankai was the first he'd seen, and it was magnificent. In each hand Ikkaku held the handle of a guandao, and both were connected by chains to what resembled an axe blade hanging behind Ikkaku's head.

And so the fight began. Renji opened up the match, but was quickly forced on the defensive as Ikkaku's skill with the weapon became apparent. Renji tried several times to force Ikkaku on the defensive, but Ikkaku was too powerful for Renji's attempts to do anything but fail.

As the match dragged on, Renji noticed that the dragon etched onto the axe blade was turning red, slowly filling up like a gage. Ikkaku saw Renji looking at the dragon etching and swung his right guandao at Renji's left side. Renji was barely able to block, the strike stronger than any of Ikkaku's blows. The red pattern grew a bit more, and Renji made the connection. "I'm fighting a losing battle, aren't I?" said Renji. "You're getting stronger with each hit, but I'm starting to tire."

"You got that right! I'm impressed. You figured out my Bankai's ability really quickly. You better prepare yourself if you don't want to die! here I come!"

Renji was barely able to block Ikkaku's swing, forcing him back several feet. Gritting his teeth, Renji charged, knowing it was futile, but he had to try. Within three strikes, he was back on the defensive, desperately blocking each strike, but it became harder with each touch of the blade. Finally, Renji was too slow to stop Ikkaku next swing, and was rewarded with a strike to the side.

"I concede," wheezed Renji.

"Wimping out?"

Renji shook his head. "I'm dead if I'm hit again."

Ikkaku nodded. He resealed his Zanpakutō, and opened up the compartment in the hilt of his scabbard. He dabbed the healing ointment on Renji's wound, and quickly bandaged it.

"I'm impressed," said Ikkaku after he had finished tending to Renji.

Renji raised an eyebrow, too pained to answer verbally.

"You managed to last against my Bankai for as long as you did. It speaks volumes of you skill to say that you held off a Bankai with your shikai, even if for a few minutes."

"T-thanks," muttered Renji.

"So, as a reward, I'm going to start you on your own Bankai."

Izuru let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. A month ago he'd been assigned to a district in the World of the Living, and all he'd been told was that there were a lot higher level Hollows appearing there. So far, Izuru hadn't been too impressed with them, but now he was ready to take that sentiment back for a refund.

The Hollow he was currently hiding from was the most powerful he'd ever seen. With two pairs of wings, the Hollow was prepared for fast and agile flight. The first pair of wings were large and mainly used to power along, while the second pair was used for fine tuning and quick turning. But that wasn't the most dangerous part about this Hollow. Each of the Hollow's wings were razor sharp along the edge, and with how quickly the Hollow could move, it had taken all of Izuru's wits just to stay alive. He had thought that his shikai would be able to take it out, but the Hollow had another terrifying ability.

The ability to adjust its own weight.

To someone whose Zanpakutō was entirely about weighing the opponent down, it came as an extreme disadvantage. The Hollow was even strong enough to break free of low-level Bakudō. However, Izuru wasn't going to let his hopes down. He had a whole other arsenal of techniques in his Kidō repertoire.

But in order to harm the Hollow, he'd need a high level technique, and those took time to prepare. So he'd need a distraction.

"Blood and flesh, bind together for release! Respite for the wicked, imitation of the living! Bakudō no Gojūyon: Gami no Jinkei."

Next to Izuru, a duplicate of himself appeared, ready for action. Izuru directed it away from him, so he could prepare his next Kidō.

The Hollow took the bait, and launched itself at the copy. "Health, youth, praise, trials, justification, growth, pain, death, life! Steel wings of existence, encircle the blinding separation. Nine shall bind and uncover! Bakudō no Nanajūkyū: Kuyō Shibari."

Eight balls of energy surrounded the Hollow as the ninth ball manifested in the Hollow's chest, preventing it from moving. The Hollow struggled against the Bakudō, trying to escape, but the Kidō held. Izuru took a deep breath, preparing for the finishing blow. He was low on reiatsu as it was from the two Bakudō as it was, and this Hadō would exhaust the rest of his reserves.

"Throne of resentment, call your blood! Breath of stone, red of tyranny. Wisdom shall triumph over the nothing! Life, tears, bones—dry to dust! Hadō no Rokujūkyū: Kankai: Kyosei Sandosō!" A three-pronged black spear of energy appeared in Izuru's hand, and he threw it at the Hollow, impacting against its mask. Each of the spear tips dug into the mask, weakening it.

Mustering the last of his strength, Izuru shunpo'd in front of the Hollow and swung his sword onto the Hollow's mask. It shattered, and the Hollow disintegrated, finally cleansed.

Izuru dropped to the ground, exhausted. That had been the hardest fight of his life so far. Even the fight against the Huge Hollows hadn't been as hard, even if that was only due to the fact that he had others to support him then. Sure, he had been taken down, but this fight had taken everything he had. He was on the edge of reiatsu exhaustion, a condition he wanted to avoid. While he had never experienced it himself, Abarai had once, and just from that occasion, Izuru never wanted to, if it could be avoided.

Izuru sighed. He needed a vacation after this. Maybe he could convince Hinamori to come along too.

Five Years Later…

Momo frowned as she looked at the report. Rangiku had given her the report after her taichō had disappeared four weeks ago. Rangiku's report stated that her taichō had gone to the World of the Living on his own prerogative to investigate the continued disappearance of the squad members in that area.

She had brought up the report in the fukutaichō meeting after Shiba-taichō's disappearance, and had asked Momo to investigate as a favor, though Momo believed that Rangiku just wanted to get out of doing the work herself.

But Momo had agreed anyway, because she was concerned herself. While she hadn't known Shiba-taichō all that well, only meeting him a couple times, he had been quite enjoyable company, with his carefree attitude. The first time she had met him was when Renji had been promoted to Third Seat of the Tenth three years ago. Shiba-taichō had been quite jovial, and his attitude seemed to put everyone around him at ease.

Now, Momo was trying to figure out what had happened. The Twelfth Division had supplied a log of the reiatsu changes where Shiba-taichō most likely disappeared. She scanned over the document, and stopped when she saw high levels of reiatsu in the report.

Momo frowned. A large Hollow's reiatsu had been detected, and Shiba-taichō had released his shikai to fight it. Shiba-taichō's reiatsu had dropped partway through the fight, consistent with an injury received, but there had been a sharp spike of reiatsu afterwards that the Twelfth couldn't understand. The Hollow's reiatsu had disappeared immediately after that spike of reiatsu, and then Shiba-taichō's reiatsu had lowered again—he must have resealed his sword.

After that, however, Momo couldn't find anything about why Shiba-taichō was still missing. Yes, he had gone to the World of the Living without permission, but that didn't explain why he hadn't returned. As it was, the Twelfth couldn't locate Shiba-taichō's reiatsu any longer, something no one could explain. Overall, it was a very confusing case.

Sighing, Momo put the report down. She would write up another report to state her conclusions, but it still didn't answer the most important questions—where Shiba-taichō was and why he hadn't returned.

Two Years Later…

"Abarai Renji, follow me."

Renji fell into step behind the sōtaichō, nervously following the aged man to the room where he would take his taishu. He wasn't sure how he had been nominated to take the taishu for the Tenth Division, but been nominated he had, and he wasn't going to let the Gotei down.

Renji was led to a room in the First Division, where Ukitake-taichō and Ichimaru-taichō were waiting, seated in the traditional seiza. Ukitake-taichō waved and smiled reassuringly, while Ichimaru-taichō's everpresent grin deepened slightly. Yamamoto-sōtaichō sat between them, while Renji sat facing the three taichō.

"Abarai Renji, you have been nominated for the taichō position of the Tenth Division by Ichimaru-taichō. This is the greatest honor the Gotei can offer you; will you accept the taishu?"

Renji bowed. "I will."

The sōtaichō nodded to Ukitake-taichō, who brought forth a stack of papers, a brush, and an ink well. "Please fill out this in the most efficient manner possible," said Ukitake-taichō.

Renji bowed again as he received the stack of paperwork, and set the stack down on the table between them. He skimmed the first report, and picked up his brush and began to write.

Forty minutes later, he finished the final piece of paperwork, and set down his brush. He handed the stack to Ukitake-taichō, who took it graciously. Renji bowed again.

"The next portion of the test will be a combat spar against Ichimaru-taichō. You may use any Kidō below level 70, your shikai, and any hohō and hakuda techniques you desire. No fatal or permanently debilitating strikes will be allowed. Ichimaru-taichō will be under the same restrictions."

They both stood and Renji followed Ichimaru-taichō to the dueling field. Both bowing, Renji looked up just in time for Ichimaru-taichō to leap towards him, his palm extended in a jab at his right side. Renji grinned and countered, throwing Ichimaru-taichō to the ground. His opponent stood up, and feinted to Renji's right. Renji saw through the feint, and launched his own attack.

Ichimaru-taichō's left hand reached Renji's throat just as his own hand reached Ichimaru-taichō's solar plexus. After a moment, they separated.

Then they drew their swords and faced each other. Renji narrowed his eyes, evaluating Ichimaru-taichō's defenses.

Seeing two different openings, Renji lunged forward at one of them. Ichimaru-taichō blocked, and set about testing Renji. Renji blocked and parried until he had just the right opening to launch a Shakkahō at Ichimaru-taichō's exposed chest.

Ichimaru-taichō shunpo'd out of the Hadō's range, and retaliated with a Sōkatsui. Renji dodged that as well, and launched a Haien in return. Ichimaru-taichō was unable to dodge, and took the Hadō directly in the right arm. Renji didn't hesitate and used his next Kidō. "Bakudō no Rokujūsan: Sajō Sabaku!"

A length of glowing chain sprouted from Renji's outstretched hand, wrapping itself around Ichimaru-taichō several times, preventing him from moving. "Enter the flightless, torn from the heavens. Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Resplendent death becomes the blemish of life. Triumph will last! Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hadō no Yonjūni: Raikoku Shisaku! Hadō no Rokujūsan: Raikōhō!"

A purple cord riddled with thorns wrapped itself around Ichimaru-taichō, the thorns digging into his haori. A blast of fiery lightning followed shortly afterward, leaving Ichimaru with several mild burns. "Shoot to Kill, Shinsō!"

Ichimaru-taichō's blade shot towards Renji, who quickly put up his sword to block. He wasn't quick enough, however, and took an injury in the arm. As Ichimaru-taichō cut himself free of the Sajō Sabaku, Renji released his own shikai, the familiar whip-like weapon appearing in his left hand.

He swung Zabimaru towards Ichimaru-taichō, but he just dodged it and Shinsō once again shot towards him, but this time Renji was ready for its speed, and parried it, and leapt at Ichimaru-taichō's now open guard. Renji swung Zabimaru in an upward slash, only to find it blocked by the now shortened blade of Shinsō.

Renji smiled at the challenge. Ichimaru-taichō was good—probably better than him—but he wasn't going to back down. They exchanged a few more blows, until Yamamoto-sōtaichō called for a halt. Renji was sweating all over, and blood was dripping down his arm, but he had quite enjoyed the spar against Ichimaru-taichō.

"For the final portion of this test, you will perform your Bankai, and demonstrate at least one technique against the Hollow-like target provided."

Renji bowed to Ichimaru-taichō, and took a deep breath. This would be the fourth time that he used his Bankai. He was ready for this. "Bankai."

Izuru slipped his report into Aizen-taichō's inbox. It was just a report detailing a routine check-up on the World of the Living, one without any obstacles. Izuru hadn't returned to the World of the Living since the incident with the gravity altering Hollow seven years ago, and he wasn't eager to do so again for some time yet. The experience, while exhilarating, had been exhausting.

Since then, Izuru had spent as much time as he could improving his Kidō, as it had been what had saved his life. He still had problems dropping the incantations of any Kidō over level 60, but he had learned several level 80 Hadō, and one level 90 Bakudō. He still couldn't use those more than one per day, but it was still a great improvement on his part.

The other thing he had spent time on was his Hakuda. His Zanpakutō had been useless against that opponent, and if there was an opponent his Kidō wouldn't work on, he needed a backup option. So he'd worked his Hakuda until was able to bring Abarai to a draw most days. He had only won once, and that day had been one of the happiest in the past several years. Even if his victory had been against a one-handed man.

Izuru smiled at the reminder of his conquest as he slipped back into his office. He'd grown used to the place after seven years. When he saw the additional paperwork on his desk, however, he sighed again. Three more reports had come in while he was turning in the one he had just looked over.

As Izuru was filling out the first form, a knock came at the door. "Come in."

Abarai stepped into the room, and Izuru stared at his new appearance. A white long-sleeved haori adorned Abarai's body. "Abarai, y-you're a taichō?" stuttered Izuru blankly.

Abarai nodded, abashed. "Newly instated taichō of the Tenth Division."

A thought came to Izuru. "How long have you had Bankai?"

"About half a year," answered Renji.

Izuru suddenly felt inadequate. He had thought they were all around the same level, each balancing each other out. He'd felt a little left behind when Hinamori-kun had become a fukutaichō, but to see Abarai as a taichō, before he'd left 8th seat?

"I can give you some tips," Abarai blurted. "You're definitely strong enough to handle materialization just as well as me. It takes a bit of practice, but I think you'd do fine."

"T-thanks," said Izuru. "I'd appreciate it."

He felt distant, now, Izuru realized, as Abarai left his office. He and Abarai had grown apart over the last several years, but only now was Izuru realizing that fact. Izuru had stagnated, while Abarai had improved by leaps and bounds.

Maybe Hinamori could help him out. He'd certainly need it to catch up to Abarai.

Momo started as a knock came at the door. She'd been meditating again, trying to get her reiatsu under control. It had been more unruly than usual lately, and it was starting to affect her performance with Kidō. She wasn't sure how to fix the problem long term, because it seemed the consequences were snowballing out of control.

"Come in," she said, calming her wriling nerves.

Izuru opened the door. "Sorry to bother you, but I had a question."

"Sure, come on in. Would you like some tea?"

"I'll be fine without any, thanks."

Momo poured herself a cup for herself, and sat across from Izuru. "What did you want to ask me about?"

"First of all, did you know that Abarai just became the Tenth Division taichō?"

She nodded. "He was introduced at the fukutaichō meeting this morning."

"He told me this afternoon, and afterward, I felt like I had done nothing to really improve my skills."

"You know that's not true," said Momo.

"But I feel that way. I was wondering if you had any ideas on how I could improve. Especially in regards to Bankai."

"You will need a mentor for Bankai. While materialization isn't overly difficult, it's tiring, and there are a few quirks that having someone who has already mastered it is very helpful to deal with them."

"I suppose you've been getting special instruction from Ichimaru-taichō."

"I have been for a while, actually. That's the main reason he chose me for his fukutaichō."

"I suppose I've been rather proud, haven't I? Thinking I can accomplish it all on my own."

"But you don't have to," said Momo. "Renji-kun and I will be behind you all the way."

"I appreciate that. So the first step is finding someone who is willing to instruct me?"

"I would recommend talking with it with Aizen-taichō."

"I think I'll do that right now. Thanks for listening to me, Hinamori-kun. I really appreciate it." He stood. The door closed after him.

Momo sighed. Near the end, she'd nearly lost control of her reiatsu. She really needed to find a solution. Maybe if she was constantly drawing on it in a small way? It would certainly help lower the amount of reiatsu she had available.

She got to her feet, and gathered her reiatsu around her. It was far too noticeable and would most definitely attract attention to herself. How about…? Yes, that might work. Smiling at her ingenuity, she limited the reiatsu to just her feet, and compressed the output as much as possible, forming a minute barrier around it.

She took two steps forward, and her smile widened. This seemed like the perfect solution. Her steps had been completely silent, as her feet hadn't even touched the ground. Now all she had to do was stabilize the output so it would constantly apply, and she would be set. Perhaps she could even develop into a Bakudō rather than just pure reiatsu manipulation. Then she could teach the trick to others. It would certainly help the Onmitsukidō.

A/N: You read that right. Renji's the Tenth Division taichō, not Tōshirō. Yeah. Bet you didn't see that coming. This chapter took a while, I know, but I lost momentum during Izuru's fight against the Hollow, and then again at the final scene. Sorry about that. Anyway, this chapter really started to delve into the changes brought about by Aizen's tardiness.

So, I had a lot of fun coming up with the new Kidō, even if one of them is just the Bunshin technique. The stuff in bold is mine, of course.

Hadō no Yonjūni: Raikoku Shisaku—Blemish Engraving of Thorny Cord

Hadō no Rokujūroku: Raikōhō—Thunder Howl Sear

Hadō no Rokujūkyū: Kankai: Kyosei Sandosō—Crown's Commandment: Void Subjugating Trident

Hadō no Hachijūhachi: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihou—Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon

Bakudō no Gojūyon: Gami no Jinkei—Imitation of the Human Form

Bakudō no Nanajūkyu: Kuyō Shibari—Nine Sunlight Traps

Onmitsukidō—The Black Ops, headed up by Soi Fon.