Shunsui couldn't breathe. Raw terror – the likes of which he has never experienced in his entire long existence - had snatched him with relentless claws. Nanao was in front of him, her body motionless and unable to function because of the suffocating aura that was spilling from the old man who held her captive. Yet he could not move. He could not think rationally and it took less than a single breath for his emotions to destroy his common sense, prompting him to shunpo towards Yamamoto with as much speed and power as he could muster. He did not have his Zanpaktou in his hand nor could he find the concentration to perform kidou but this did not matter. All he knew was that Nanao was in danger and he had to do whatever it took to save her.

His body was engulfed in the amazing aura of the soutaicho but he did not allow it to slow him down in anyway. He felt something smash against his chest suddenly, pushing him backwards into the quick reflexes of Jyuushiro. Shunsui felt blood trickle down his chin and a tremendous pain in his ribs but right now he did not care. The old man had protected himself with kidou but that would not be a problem for much longer. He was, by his own admission, not much of kidou user but the few spells he had taken the time to master were powerful enough to cope with situations such as these.

He recovered quickly and made to spring at the soutaicho once again but someone was holding him back. Angrily he tried to pull away but Jyuushiro has a firm grip on his arm, a concerned look in his eyes. Shunsui did not care. He needed to get to Nanao! Several more hands grabbed him before he could lunge again, the collective power of who was too great for him to shake off.

'You will get her killed!' Jyuushiro reprimanded firmly.

Shunsui looked across the hall to where Yamamoto was standing and met his gaze levelly. 'If you do anything to hurt her I will kill you.'

The old man smiled. 'Such harsh words. No one has to die tonight; Nanao is simply my assurance to your cooperation. You were always stubborn, Shunsui, when it came to things you did not want to do. Now, you will listen to all I have to say without losing your head, are we clear?'

Shunsui's gaze slipped to the woman being held captive before him and found he could not say anything. Yamamoto took his silence as consent.

'Very well. I have kept you all waiting long enough so now, at last I shall explain myself. I am sure none of you can forget our recent betrayal by Aizen Sosuke and his subordinates, and I am sure each and every one of you knows exactly how much of a chance we stand against the arrancar army he is building in Hueco Mundo.' He paused briefly. The room remained silent. 'You will all die.'

An angry ripple of noise erupted from the shinigami who were surrounding them. Shunsui remained silent, his concentration on only the man before him. He knew firsthand the strength of the arrancar – the vasto lords – better than most; yet he clearly believed in the strength of his fellow shinigami more than their grand commander did. The room descended into silence once more.

'So I began to think of a plan, one that meant I would not be the only shinigami with a chance of standing up against Aizen. I had Sasakibe do research on the arrancar, even though I knew he would probably not return alive, and I concluded that nothing in our current arsenal would suffice. So I started looking into forbidden kidou that we no longer taught at the academy, spells that would make us more powerful!'

'Those spells were forbidden for a reason!' Ukitake protested angrily. 'What good would such powerful kidou be if it killed half the shinigami who tried to master it?

'Yes, well you would know all about that now, Jyuushiro.' Yamamoto smiled darkly. He had finally reached what he really wanted to say. 'My research led me to a scroll deep within the archives, one that we had tried to destroy many years ago, but was protected by kidou we have no knowledge of. Not only that, I could not open it regardless of how hard I tried. I was close to giving up but then it occurred to me to look for some sort of reference, one from the time the scroll was sealed.'

Shunsui sensed where this was going. Yamamoto knew they were involved; it was the only explanation for what was happening. He felt the grips around him lessen slightly as his restrainers became more interested in what was being said. When the opportunity arose, he would be able to break free. He looked at Nanao again. The fear had disappeared from her face, replaced with the familiar indifference that accompanied her when she was analysing something. Their eyes met briefly and Shunsui felt his heart soar. His Nanao-chan was not as helpless as she was pretending to be. She had something, there was no doubt.

It was simply a case of waiting for the right moment and guessing what she had in mind. He still had her Zanpaktou up the sleeve of his haori, it was roughly the same size as his own smaller sword so he was more than able to use it if need be. But a Zanpaktou was a personal artefact; it would open to no one but the person who it belonged to. His best bet was to get it to her. Its ability would prove far more helpful in this situation than just attacking with a blade.

Yamamoto had his gaze concentrated wholly on Shunsui now. 'I found the scroll I was looking for and didn't I receive a pleasant surprise! Not only did I discover that my two brightest pupils happened to be at the academy when this scroll was last used, but they were in fact the last people to use it!' He took a step forward, dragging Nanao with him. 'I couldn't very well ask them to open it for me without telling them my plan – a plan, as their resistance during the ryoka invasion demonstrated – they would not accept without a fight. So I staged the theft of the scroll; I hid it deep within the walls of first squad. I had to make certain I was on the right track. Your expressions when I announced the theft was all the proof I needed.'

Shunsui felt his heart pounding in his chest over the ache in his ribs. He didn't dare break his gaze from the old man in case he caught on to what Nanao was planning. However it meant he could not see either. It was proving almost beyond his ability, not being able to check if she was alright. He clenched his fist angrily as the old man took another step forward.

'I waited to see if they would stumble across the truth, to see if they would realise my plan. All I needed was for both of them to try and open the scroll whilst they still thought I was oblivious to what they had done. However I had overestimated their abilities. Even when I threatened them they still did not grasp what was happening. So I staged the theft of a second scroll, the one that would make them realise I was on to them. Yet, still I was disappointed.'

'What are you talking about?' Byakuya asked, confused. He was not the only one unaware to what was being referred. No one but Shunsui and Jyuushiro knew what was truly going on here. 'What could you possibly need Kyouraku and Ukitake-senpai for? Why would you need them to open the scroll?'

Yamamoto silenced Sixth Squad's captain with a glance. 'Because, Kuchiki-taicho, they were the reason it was sealed in the first place. They were experimenting around with the kidou back in their youth, and that was not without consequence. Did it never occur to you that it was a little odd for a man as powerful as Ukitake to be in a state of constant ill health; or that Shunsui, despite his obvious vitality, is perpetually tired? Did no one even think that the fact both have been growing worse in their condition was in any way related to the scroll going missing? How very disappointing.'

Shunsui could feel Jyuushiro's hands trembling.

'So it was the kidou in the scroll that made them so? It is as dangerous as Ukitake-san said,' Hitsugaya observed aloud.

Yamamoto shook his head. 'I thought so to begin with. So, tired as I was of waiting, I planted the scroll in Shunsui's office where it would be found easily. I thought if I could get him to touch it, the scroll would open and my plan would be complete. I would have the kidou I needed to beat the arrancar. However...'

'...it did not work,' Unohana finished quietly.

Yamamoto fixed her with fiery eyes. 'Quite the opposite, it worked fine!' He snatched the scroll from Sasakibe and pulled the long parchment free, allowing it to spiral onto the floor like a pale serpent. 'This is the problem! The scroll is blank! There is nothing left! It wasn't playing around with powerful kidou that made them both ill; it was erasing it from the scroll.'

Unohana seemed to be the only one who had realised the significance of this. 'If what you say is true, then that would mean...'

'...Yes!' Yamamoto exclaimed manically. 'The kidou is no longer within the bindings that controlled its amazing power, its trapped within those two. And I want it back, whatever the cost!'

'But, if they were to release the kidou back into the scroll – assuming they could – they would in all probability die!' Unohana exclaimed, aghast.

The old man simply frowned. 'I am sure neither of them would mind redeeming themselves for this crime. Sacrificing a couple of disobedient puppies in exchange for defeating the arrancar is a trade I am willing to make.'

Shunsui was clenching his fists so tightly they were bleeding. He was about to lose himself again but a quiet voice stopped him before he could move.

'If that is the way you feel, Yamamoto-soutaicho,' Nanao began as he watched the small ball of kidou in her hand burrow into the old man's body, 'then that makes you no better than the arrancar!'

Yamamoto sprang back with surprise, throwing his prisoner across the room with tremendous force. Shunsui sprang forward, catching her in his outstretched arms before she hit the hard floor. His ribs screamed in protest but it was a small price to pay. They fell backwards against the wall and his legs gave out from under him.

'Are you alright Nanao-chan?' He asked frantically. 'Nanao!'

She opened her large blue eyes and placed a warm hand delicately against his cheek. She smiled weakly. 'I'm fine as long as you're here.'

'How very touching!' A voices spat angrily from the other side of the room. Yamamoto was tearing towards them both, the scroll trailing behind him. 'How dare you attack me, Ise Nanao? Don't think you can escape reprimand when this is all over! Attacking me is treason! And you, Kyouraku Shunsui! I won't let you escape unpunished either.' Crushing reiatsu began radiating from the old man.

Shunsui felt his ears ringing and watched as almost every shinigami around him began to collapse with the pressure. Half of the fukutaicho were paralysed to the spot, the rest being supported by captains who were fairing little better. Jyuushiro had his arm raised in an attempt to prevent the raging energy from tearing apart his two third seats. He could see the strain it was causing. Unlike last time they had fought, Ukitake was far from a good state of health. If he was anything like Shunsui, when the scroll had been opened his energy had slowly began to leach away. Kyouraku knew his friend needed his help.

'We need to help Jyuushiro,' he informed Nanao in an undertone. 'Do you have any sort of plan?'

Nanao looked up at him – he was surprised by how well she was resisting his aura – and nodded. 'You will have to trust me, Taicho. I don't have the strength to attack him in this situation.'

'What do you have in mind?'

She sat up, leaning closer to his ear. 'I need my Zanpaktou. Now pay attention.'

Nanao held her breath, her arm draped around his neck as Yamamoto stalked towards them at a terrifying pace. It was not quick – it was indeed quite the opposite – but it only served to make the nerves in her stomach seem even greater than they actually were. In her free hand, concealed beneath the folds of Shunsui's haori she held her Zanpaktou. It was unsheathed and the only thing between its blade and his skin were some thin layers of clothes. Yet Nanao knew her Zanpaktou would never hurt him. If anything her entire plan was reliant on this.

They waited until he was closer. Shunsui stood up, she felt him strain as her weight grated against his injury. He had probably broken his ribs when he had recklessly charged to her rescue; she had been close enough to hear a sickening crack. Yet it had been this that had brought her mind back from the terror that had possessed it when Yamamoto's reiatsu had threatened to tear every fibre of her being a part. She wanted to tell him to put her down, that she would manage fine on her own, but Nanao knew that she would never be able to move fast enough. They only had one shot after all.

Yamamoto met them with a terrible gaze as his own Zanpaktou appeared in his hand, replacing the walking stick that usually disguised it. It was sheathed yet Nanao could feel the power radiating from the weapon – it was beyond any force she had ever endured in her entire life. The urge to black out was overwhelming and it was only the strong arms of Shunsui and the knowledge that their only chance lay in her plan that prevented it. She chanced a look around – only the other captains stood now. Kiyone and Sentarou were slumped behind Jyuushiro, conscious but unable to move. Matsumoto had sunk against a pillar and was slowly sliding down it, her eyes glazed.

Nanao embraced her friend's suffering and allowed it to strengthen her resolve.

'Are you ready, Nanao-chan?' Shunsui whispered.

Her entire body shook; she pressed it closer into his. 'This is our only chance. Now!'

With that single world several things happened all at once. Shunsui with his tremendous speed moved towards Yamamoto and Nanao saw enough before the old man became a blur to know that he was not a little surprised by this sudden movement. Yet Nanao did not have time to gawk in amazement – she somehow had to keep up with him. As soon as his foot had left the ground she had pulled her small Zanpaktou free from its hiding place, a white glow flaring brightly only to be swallowed by their speed.

It had been a while since she had released it but it felt more powerful than ever. However, it was still nothing compared to the flaming brand they were charging towards. She looked up at Shunsui, her free arm grasping his neck tightly as his hand fell free, and felt him grasp the hilt of her Zanpaktou. His palm was cool despite the heat generating from Yamamoto's sword and she could feel his strength flowing through her own weapon. She pulled her hand away as her sword bled into shikai, the incantation she spoke lost to the noise pounding against her eardrums. The small blade split in half, two daggers scarcely the length of her hand replacing it. She watched as Shunsui launched one of them at their opponent with as much strength and distance as he could manage.

Yamamoto had not been expecting it.

The small blades edge grazed his cheek as it flew past, landing delicately back in Nanao's palm at the other end of the room. They reformed by their own accord, she was unable to release her shikai for long in these conditions; even the second it had taken for them to make it from one side of the room to the other had managed to drain her reiatsu greatly. Her breath fell in heavy unison with the man who still held on to her tightly. They had barely scratched him.

Yet a scratch was all it took.

'There was always something bitterly ironic about your Zanpaktou's ability,' Shunsui commented earnestly as they watched the old man's eyes begin to lose focus, his sword arm slipping ever so slightly.

'What did you do?' Ukitake asked as he stood firmly, still guarding his third seats from the dangerous aura. 'Come to think of it, I have no idea what Nanao's shikai ability is.'

Despite everything Shunsui smiled. 'My Nanao-chan has two lovely little daggers that are tipped with a very special poison. They cause nausea, distortion of the senses, slowing of movement and a great reduction in the capacity for coherent thought. If affected badly enough, the opponent can pass out within a few seconds but still be completely intoxicated even after they wake up.'

Ukitake looked at her disbelievingly. 'So, in short, your Zanpaktou makes people feel extremely drunk?'

Nanao found herself smiling slightly. 'Crudely put, it can. My shikai's ability works depending on whatever kidou I happen to be using at the time. The 'poison' I used just so happens to be easiest to manipulate.'

The terrible aura around them began to dissipate slightly, enough so that those who were paralyzed to the floor could find the strength to sit up, but it was far too early to relax. This was only the start of their plan. They had to get as far away from here as they could before Yamamoto recovered his senses, and come up with some way to make him see sense. Nanao noticed every shinigami in the room was staring at them. Some looked angry at their attack on the soutaicho; others looked angry at the fact the soutaicho had hurt them and their subordinates. A couple looked indifferent, and would no doubt shy away from this conflict as soon as they were able.

Nanao could sense a war approaching.

She looked at Yamamoto. He was still standing there, his Zanpaktou held in his hand loosely and his expression dazed. It would not keep him sedated for long.

'Taicho, what do we do now?' Nanao asked, concerned.

He looked at her with a lazy smile. 'I'm not sure, Fukutaicho, what would you suggest? That little trick won't keep him off our backs for more than a couple of minutes. And even in that time, nothing we can do will even remotely harm him. For that we require Zanpaktou. Shall we risk running to the office, and keeping as many innocent people as we can away from harm? Or do we try and use kidou? Ukitake, what do you think?'

The white haired man was frowning deeply. 'Escaping this room may not be as easy as that. Not everyone here is on our side, Shunsui, and even if they are a fight with Yamamoto-sensei is not something they can duly allow to occur. We should have been better prepared.'

Shunsui sighed. 'No use regretting it. We shouldn't have messed around with that scroll but there is nothing we can do about it now. Do you think we could shunpo to where are Zanpaktou are and back before he recovers? We'll fight our way out if we have to. Nanao-chan, do you think you can keep up?'

'Well with you injured, I think so. Are you sure you are up for it?'

He waved a hand dismissively, finally putting her feet back on the ground. 'I'm fine. It just means you get to nurse me back to health later, while I lie helplessly in bed.'

Nanao raised an eyebrow. 'And how does that differ to every other day?'

He looked ready to supply an answer but Ukitake got there first. 'Enough, both of you; we don't have time to argue. Are you ready to be back here in two minutes time?

'I'll race you, Jyuushiro. Come on Nanao-chan, before everyone else realises what we are up to!'

'Don't fall behind,' she teased as they disappeared from the room. They burst past the door and the members of First Squad who were standing guard before they knew what was happening. None of them were quick enough to offer any sort of chase. Nanao raced forward, the bitterly cold wind ravaging her entire body. The kimono was difficult to move in and it took a fair amount of concentration not to trip over. She was resisting the urge to kick off her sandals and simply run in her tabi socks but she did not like the idea of having wet feet as well as cold ones. That, and by the time she got them off, she would have wasted the amount of time it would take to arrive at the office already.

Painfully she endured, her eyes never leaving the man who was just ahead of her. Nanao knew her captain well. More importantly, she knew the man beneath the haori better than anyone. That's why she could tell just by looking that he was in a worse condition than he would ever let on. He was breathing heavily, and his arm was wrapped firmly around his ribs as he ran because it no doubt felt like he was being stabbed in the chest with every step he took.

Yet it was more than just the injury.

She had sensed his reiatsu grow steadily weaker ever since the soutaicho had opened the scroll. It was draining him somehow, as it probably was Ukitake-taicho as well. Nanao felt her gaze narrow. If they stood a chance then she had to find a way to destroy the scroll. Surely it wasn't as impossible as everyone said? Her Zanpaktou manipulated kidou...there had to be a way. The problem would be getting a hold of it in the first place.

They reached the gates of Eighth Squad within less than a minute and neither of them stopped to open the gate. They simply went over the top, kicking off the wall and landing through the open window of the second floor corridor. Shunsui pushed the sliding door of his room open and trounced across the room to where Katen Kyoukotsu sat proudly on display. It was the only thing in his room that wasn't in dire need of a good dusting.

Despite their haste, he picked it up delicately and placed it firmly within his obi belt. He took a swig of the sake bottle that was on the shelf for good measure as he made towards the door again and together they moved back towards the window. Nanao got one foot on the ledge when a firm hand grabbed her hand, spinning her around.

She found his lips upon hers suddenly. The kiss was long, passionate, and it made every hair on her body stand on end. It was a kiss that she never wanted to end because it would probably be the last one they ever shared. Her stomach fluttered and she felt cold tears running down her cheeks.

'You know how much I love you, Nanao-chan.' He said simply as he finally withdrew his warm lips.

She burrowed into his chest, despite his injuries. She needed to be close to him – to smell his scent, to feel the gentle rise and fall of his breath – and it shattered her resolve.

'Shunsui,' she began as tears choked her. 'I don't think I can do this! I can't stand the thought of losing you.'

He wrapped his arms around her entire body. 'Everything will be alright my darling Nanao. With you next to me, it is impossible to lose. We will fix this mess and then, after that, we can be well on our way to having those six children we talked about.'

She looked up at him, somehow managing to find the will to smile. 'And a cat,' she reminded him. 'One that sleeps just as much as you do.'

He smiled back at her warmly. 'Don't be silly Nanao-chan; no cat could ever sleep as much as me.'

There was a pause, one that lasted forever.

Together they set out back towards the Ball, his hand wrapped firmly around her own. It had only been a couple of minutes but Nanao felt like it had been an eternity since they had left, and enough had certainly happened to reaffirm her feelings. They landed at the door, but what had previously been a scene of confusion and dissolved into a battleground. All around them shinigami were fighting each other. Taicho. Fukutaicho. Seated members. Unranked members. It did not matter.

However the noise from within the hall itself was most concerning. Screeches echoed across the entire snowy garden and Nanao recognised the sound of Yamamoto's Zanpaktou.

Nanao felt her heart skip a beat.

Ukitake was already back, his swords defending with increasingly less vigour against an attack that was far too much for his weakened body to handle.

'Jyuushiro!' Shunsui shouted over the noise. 'Nanao-chan, Sasakibe has the scroll. I will keep Yamamoto busy. Do what you can to get it – I know you are more powerful than that old man.'

'I will get the scroll,' she declared with a confidence she did not have. 'Don't do anything stupid, or I will never forgive you.'

He nodded once, his smile scarcely visible. 'Flowers are disturbed; the god of flowers weeps,' he began as he unsheathed both of his katana. 'Winds of Heaven are disturbed; the demon of Heaven laughs.' She watched as both his weapons changed shape. His shikai never failed to impress her, even if she was training against it and it was nothing short of pummeling her into the ground. 'Katen Kyoukotsu!'

They shared one last glance and then he was gone, his weapon bearing the brunt of his sensei's intent to kill him. Nanao tried to convince herself that it was enough to trust in him but the reiatsu radiating through the room was trying its best to change her mind. She took a breath. She had her own task to complete.

Steeling herself once more Nanao turned to face the haggard fukutaicho who stood at the opposite side of the room, his bruised hand clutching the still unfurled scroll. She cleared the distance in one step.

'Sasakibe-san,' she began as she withdrew her Zanpaktou from her sleeve once more. 'Give me the scroll. It is the only way to stop this madness.'

He looked down at her, a look of disgust on his face. 'I never had you, of all people, pegged as a traitor. You attacked Yamamoto-soutaicho. Ise-san, I cannot forgive you. You will suffer the same fate as those two captains. Prepare yourself.'

He lunged, his shikai released within the blink of an eye. Nanao had been expecting it. She did not raise her own sword, its surface far too small to provide a sufficient defence, but used shunpo to evade it. Kidou flew from her hand, powerful despite the fact she had skipped the incantation entirely. It caught him on the shoulder. He stumbled back and Nanao took her defensive stance.

She was faster than he was, even in this kimono, and her kidou was more powerful as well. He was a sword user which, if he could not move fast enough to catch her, would put him at a major disadvantage. It was simply a case of analysing his movements and looking for an opening.

Sasakibe flew at her again and moved to slash at her neck. Nanao moved again, her blue eyes never missing a movement. She wanted more than anything to glance over to see what was going on in the fight between Shunsui, Ukitake and Yamamoto but she knew that to lose concentration would be fatal. She dodged another attack. Kidou flew from her outstretched hand, catching him on the chest.

'When did you become so good, Ise-san? If I recall, you were assigned to Eighth Squad so that Kyouraku could protect you in return for you keeping the office running. All those private lessons he gave you paying off?'

'That type of innuendo is hardly appropriate,' she reprimanded firmly as the hilt of her small sword found its way into her hand. The weapon split in two and she allowed the most powerful offensive spell she knew to flow into one of the daggers. She hit him in the exact same spot she had a moment ago, the wound caused by the kidou acting like a beacon. He let out a grunt of surprise, pulling her dagger out quickly and throwing back towards her with an intoxicated aim. She had scarcely caught it when he swayed dizzily and collapsed, blood pouring from his mouth.

Nanao used to shunpo to move closer to his body. She quickly wretched the scroll from his hand and turned her back. With a sigh she turned back almost instantly, the second of her daggers held in her left hand. She pricked his finger with it carefully and felt the antidote spread across his body. It was enough to spare his life, nothing more.

There were more important things to concern her.

She held the scroll now. She placed both her small daggers against it but neither reacted. It was a condition of her shikai that she had to know the kidou she was channelling before it would work. Nanao glanced over to where Yamamoto was standing, his sword screaming down in movements she could barely follow. If what the old man had said was true, he had probably tried to use his sword to destroy the scroll. It was protected by kidou so it was of little surprise it had been undamaged. Given a couple of days Nanao probably could have figured it out. Yet as it stood she had seconds to figure out what to do.

Ukitake was crouching behind Shunsui, blood dripping from a wound on his head. He was incredibly pale, his eyes were distant. She looked up at her Taicho – saw the pain each movement caused him – and plunged her Zanpaktou into the scroll.

She barely opened her mouth to begin the incantation when she felt the scroll's reiatsu, it was ancient and powerful beyond anything she had felt; if she could simply get the particulars of it then she could use its own power to destroy it.

It was within her grasp, Nanao could feel it.

And suddenly it was all over. Her Zanpaktou had shattered before she had realised what had happened. The scroll had been snatched from her grasp; it was now in the ancient hands of the man who had suddenly realised his subordinate had been defeated. Blood was seeping from her palms but it was nothing compared to the shock of seeing what had happened to Shunsui.

He was panting hard, a gaping wound on his side.

'Taicho, I can destroy that scroll!' She declared quickly.

Yamamoto cut her off before she could say anything else. 'It would seem I have underestimated you, Ise Nanao. Sadly I cannot let anyone with that knowledge survive. You are a small sacrifice. It is for the greater good after all.'

He raised his sword and sped towards her, flames scorching the scene around her. She would have screamed had the choking reiatsu of Yamamoto not flared beyond anything she could measure, paralysing her where she knelt on the floor. The fire was upon her yet somehow she was not burning. Confused she looked up, and her stomach fell away entirely. Shunsui stood in front of her, his swords crossed before him an attempt to stave the incomparable strength of the soutaicho. Nanao could see the blood splashing on to the floor.

'Taicho...' she managed feebly but no more words would find their way to her voice. Tears began streaming down her cheeks but she was helpless.

Yamamoto pulled back a little. 'Bad boy! Why don't you go and faint like Ukitake and save me the trouble of beating you down?'

'Who would protect Nanao-chan if I went and did that?' He replied with a whisper of a smile.

The old man snorted indignantly. 'You are both going to die anyway. Be it here by my blade or by whatever method we devise to execute traitors, your time is up. Why don't you just save me the trouble and give up? Return the kidou that you took and I can save everyone!'

Nanao somehow managed to stand up. It all made perfect sense now. 'So that's it, Yamamoto-soutaicho. You want the kidou because you aren't strong enough to beat the arrancar on your own? God forbid you actually having to rely on your subordinates to help you in this battle. God forbid anyone actually sees that the shinigami aren't all powerful. You would kill us all simply to protect your image.'

He met her eyes levelly. 'Image is everything. Now enough of this nonsense! Die, Ise Nanao!'

Yamamoto lunged again, this time faster than even Shunsui could defend.

A scream of total anguish echoed from her throat.

As if in slow motion she watched the blade collide with the flesh of the man she loved. He fell to the floor in a spray of crimson, his eyes wide with surprise. Nanao ran towards him, her own eyes a blur and her heart thumping painfully against her ribs.

'Taicho!' She shrieked, terrified. He did not respond. 'Taicho!'

He looked up at her, smiling. 'You can't call me that anymore, fukutaicho...'

His eyes slipped shut and Nanao looked at him as she had countless times before.

Only this time, the gentle snores had been replaced by bitter silence.

AN: Firstly, I am just guessing at Nanao's Zanpaktou but I thought I would give it a cameo (although I didn't want to cop out with some amazing coup de grace, so it's bye-bye potential solution to all the problems). But anyways, BAD YAMAMOTO! I had tons of fun writing this chapter, hence the length. I deliberated about splitting it into two chapters but I really wanted to end on something epically awful happening...I think this about did it. As always, thanks for the reviews, and as always – if you haven't already – join the LJ shusnui-nanao community! I cosplayed Nanao to Amecon a couple of weeks ago so I think I may do Shunsui to Fuyucon in October...can a girl get away with that...it'll be fun trying. See everyone in chapter 15