Worst Recon Ever [North Rukongai, District 77]

[Suigintou]

She was too fast! Riku tried to dodge her strikes, but the first still cut through his shihakusho and left a thin line of red. He wasn't as lucky with the second; it cut much deeper, and he could do nothing as she moved behind him and struck again. Damn!

The wounds weren't fatal, but if she had done this much with so little effort...

The knives he had already attacked with were too far to make a quick enough strike, but he had anticipated that she could dodge them and had hidden a pair within his sleeves. Now, when she was distracted by her attack, was the best opportunity he was likely to have...so without a word, he sent them flying toward her unguarded back.

This wasn't the time to play fair.

Eyes still on the arrancar, Riku straightened with some effort as Renjiro moved to stand next to him, one arm clasped over a line of blood on his chest.

The jigoku chou...?

He gave a slight nod. They didn't have a chance of defeating her on their own...and if they tried, it was as Renjiro said. They would be killed.

The boy raised his hand, and the butterfly came to him, landing gently on his finger in a spot that hadn't been touched by blood. He brought the small creature close to his lips. "Go to Kyouraku-taichou and give him this message. There is an arrancar in North Rukongai, District 77, in the location we were sent to investigate. We need backup. As many shinigami as can be spared. Division is irrelevant. Hurry." This word was added with urgency despite how softly he spoke, and immediately, the jigoku chou lifted from his finger and flew off.

Now, all they could do was try to hold her off and trust in the butterfly's speed.

[Aki Sora]

The ground shook beneath Mishelle and she immediately jumped to the right to avoid the kidou. In moving away from the chains, she put herself in the path of the other knives and the ice shards that were coming toward her.

"Che... no matter," she said quietly as she lunged forward, her katana striking at the blades and knocking them out of her way. "You two are really being a pain in the ass. I'll have to end this quickly."

Mishelle's eyes opened, a clear sign of her annoyance. One would expect both of her eyes to be green, but it wasn't exactly the case.

She stood before the two shinigami men and stared them down with one green eye and one golden eye. Her katana was raised and she twirled the blade, cutting through the ice as she moved closer to the two. Another step, and the arrancar disappeared with a Sonido, moving behind the two just as the black butterfly flitted away from the younger of the two.

"Hurr..." Mishelle sighed as she watched the dark insect fly away, calling for reinforcements no doubt. "Well... may as well drag this out a little longer. Although I'd rather not."

She lunged forward and grabbed the younger man by his shihakusho, pulling him toward her. Mismatched eyes stared into his as she quickly slashed his midsection. Maybe to an untrained eye it looked like only three swipes, but in actuality, it was three times the amount seen, each a little faster than the last. Tossing the him aside, she quickly prepared herself to finish off the other.

[Aly]

Renjiro had no time to check if Riku was alive after the salvo of blows that had rained on the younger Shinigami; he was preoccupied with making sure the Arrancar didn't get him. As long as one of them was able to distract her, then the casualties would be less. His only goal at the moment was to keep the woman here, in this area, and to stay alive. If there was one thing he had picked up as a Shinigami, it was Shunpo. He wasn't as fast as Kuchiki-taichou, but he was still pretty damn fast. It had been a while since he had last had to go at this speed.

In the blink of an eye he was gone, reappearing behind the woman as his Zanpakutou lashed out, ice crystallizing rapidly with it. A point-blank shot. It was damn risky of him, but he did it anyways.

"Hisamekiba!"

[Suigintou]

Damn! He couldn't hit her! It took all of his effort to keep up, and even then he was having difficulty. Riku was an experienced fighter, but this arrancar...she was on an entirely different level. He kept close attention on his knives, so that when she dodged some more were approaching, but it seemed that regardless of his strategies she was much too quick, too observant. Suddenly she was behind him, and before he could do more than face her, she had grabbed hold of him. Amber eyes widened; how--he had barely seen her move--!

"Baku--" his first reaction was to attempt to defend himself with kidou, but the barrier was shattered before the words had fully formed on his lips. Slash after slash tore into him before she discarded him like a doll that had lost its amusement value, and he hit the ground hard, though he barely felt it through the shock of the blows. Awareness of the fight continuing near him dimmed as blood spilled out onto the ground; Nakukari returned to its sheath in its katana form, though not by Riku's will.

He was, at least, alive, his breaths coming shallow and shaky...but wouldn't stay that way if their reinforcements didn't arrive quickly.

[Bishiglomper]

(Back in Seireitei)

Masaharu stood waiting anxiously at the end of Hachibantai's section. He had gotten a summons from Taichou, asking him to take a squad of available shinigami on a mission to a far Rukongai district. As for not heading out yet, Masaharu was waiting for his team to meet him.

He didn't have to wait long, they followed suite as quickly as Masaharu had sent the message to gather his squad. As they came together Masaharu took his place at the front of his team, calling for their attention as he conveyed the situation.

"Kyouraku-taichou has given us the mission to head to the 77th district of North Rukongai. We received word from shinigami previously sent on reconnaissance that an arrancar has appeared. We are to serve as their backup. We need to move quickly."

They all responded in the affirmative and swiftly followed their leader to the Black Ridge Gate at the north of Seireitei. There, they would meet with an available taichou that would lead them to the scene.

Masaharu wanted to get there as quickly as possible. If Riku was there and they needed backup, not to mention Renjirou, a seat above Masaharu himself; the situation was a dire one.

----------------
Once the Taichou arrived, Masaharu let his squad follow him; hesitating as his group left. The orders were to bring along a shinigami from Yonbantai...

'I don't know how severe the damages are, one healer might not be enough. If anyone else should be hurt...'

Quickly he scanned the area. Spying the 4th's insigna pack, he ran up to the shinigami. He was short and timid looking but they didn't need a fighter, they just needed someone efficient in kidou healing.

"You're a healer from Yonbantai? We need help in Rukongai, you're coming with us!" Without waiting for a response, or permission even; Masaharu snatched the shinigami by his shihakusho and shunpo'd after the group in efforts to catch up.

[Aki Sora]

Hitsugaya Toushirou had been feeling something amiss for most of the day, but attempted to put the thought out of his mind by working on the various stacks of paperwork that was constantly sent to his division. With his fukutaichou MIA, as she mostly was, the responsibility had been placed solely on him to take care of the documents.

It wasn't until just a few minutes ago he received a jigoku chou giving him news that a recon team had encountered an arrancar in the 77th district of Rukongai. To say the least, the news shocked the young taichou. He was informed to retrieve a member of yonbantai and join Hamasaki Masaharu immediately.

Hitsugaya responded quickly to the call, asking Unohana-taichou for permission to have her fifth seat, Yoshikuni Kagoko. She'd kindly obliged and sent the red-haired, emerald-eyed woman with him, wishing them both well.

"Arigatou, Unohana-taichou," the white-haired boy said as he turned and stepped off into a Shunpo, Kagoko right on his heels.

An arrancar in Rukongai? Hitsugaya thought. Aizen has to be behind this, but why send them now?

His mind buzzed with questions. These inquiries would continue to plague him until he had some concrete answers. Hopefully this mission would shed some light on the matter.

Kagoko followed the young taichou closely. She could automatically tell that his mind was preoccupied. It was concerning the mission, no doubt.

Hauuuu... I hope the injuries aren't too severe, she thought as she kept up with Hitsugaya until they met up with Hamasaki and headed off to aid the other shinigami.

[Suigintou]

The sound of sweeping rhythmically broke the quiet of northern Seireitei. Yamada Hanatarou had been assigned to clean the area, and he didn't mind doing it; he was used to this sort of work, and found it preferable to working in the sewers, anyway. It wasn't a bad job, really, and he got to know his way around Seireitei better than most shinigami, so it was okay as long as he didn't run into anyone from Juuichibantai...

They liked to chase him around until he found a good place to hide, usually through the nearest sewer entrance...

But he didn't see any of them today, so he didn't have any complaints. He paused for a moment to glance up as a jigoku chou flew past and idly wondered if it was carrying a mission, though he didn't have any thoughts of getting one himself. Cleaning work was what he was usually assigned to, and he didn't really mind that, because at least it meant there weren't injuries for him to tend to.

At the sound of footsteps behind him, Hanatarou glanced back to see a small group of shinigami before turning back to his work. Maybe the jigoku chou had been for them? Probably a hollow...he wasn't any good fighting hollows...not that he wanted to, because hollows were big and scary and usually better left to someone with a lot more fighting experience. He was content to sweep all morning, in safe, hollow-free Seireitei...

Then suddenly, one of the shinigami approached him from behind, and before Hanatarou could make any kind of response to his question, he found himself being literally dragged off, dropping his broom.

"Aah--! Wait a minute, whaaaat, Rukongai? A hollow? Is someone hurt? Is that Hitsugaya-taichou? What's going on? Could you please put me doooown, I can't breathe, aaah..."

But it didn't seem that his pleas were to get any attention, at least until they reached their destination. How typical of his luck...

So much for staying in safe, hollow-free Seireitei.

[Aki Sora]

A look akin to amusement took over Mishelle's features as she narrowed her eyes slightly. The faint grin on her face appeared as she watched Riku fall to the ground, his zanpakutou returning to it's sealed form.

Just as quickly as she put down the young, she made her way to Renjiro. The fool thought he could still stand against her after she merely toyed with Riku. Ha! These shinigami were quite full of themselves.

"No matter," she said as she moved toward him quickly. "This one seems as if he'd be able to stand longer."

Hitsugaya quickly moved through the districts of Rukongai, the other shinigami close behind. He felt a reiatsu weaken and his brow furrowed, a slight grimace forming.

Damn! he thought to himself. He prayed that the back up team made it to the other two before it was much too late.

Kagoko continued to keep up with the rest of the group, noticing that Yamada Hanatarou has also been picked up. It was a relief to say the least. Two yonbantai members is better than one.

Looking up before she had a chance to strike Renjiro, Mishelle had picked up on a small number of different reiatsu and it was approaching quickly. Shit! Their reinforcements! This had to be quick.

Switching her katana's position, she headed straight for the man's midsection. Since she didn't have as much time, she could only afford to slice him five times before quickly sheathing her blade and moving a considerable distance away him and opening a Garganta.

"Thanks for the good time," Mishelle remarked as she entered the portal. "And thanks for participating in my field research."

She stepped into the Garganta and it began to close, the other shinigami arriving just as it began to close. She looked back, scanning their faces and noting the young one wearing the captain's haori. A light, barely-there smirk appeared and she turned her back. She headed back to Hueco Mundo, back to her lord to relay information that may pique his interest.

[Bishiglomper]

They were nearly to the location when Masaharu felt his heart drop. That was Riku's reiatsu! He felt it suddenly get weak and he feared the worst. Masa sped toward the front, closer to Hitsugaya-taichou and passing the majority of the squad, wanting nothing else than to get there as fast as possible. It hadn't even fully occured to him at the moment that they were going to meet an arrancar to engage it in battle. Since he felt Kouyama's reiatsu drop, his only concern was to make sure he stayed alive.

The squad had got there just in time to see the eldest of the shinigami drop; and a garganta closing behind a shadowed figure some distance away. Damnit! they were too late. The arrancar had retreated before they could make up for their fallen comrades efforts.

Being in such a state the whole way there, Masaharu had neglected to release the shinigami in his hands- having carried him the whole way. He let go, seeing and running up to his fallen friend lying in the grass all covered in blood. Since the danger had seemingly gone, Masaharu took no hesitation in falling to his knees at Kouyama's side.

"Riku! We're here, hang on buddy." He regarded his friend with a serious expression. The concern he showed for him was obvious as he hesitated to touch him, instead calling over the shinigami he picked up on the way.

"You! We need help over here. Quickly!"

[Aly]

Failure. That was the main thought in Renjiro's mind as he watched Mishelle disappear through the Garganta. He'd failed to protect his comrades. He'd failed to hinder the Arrancar. He'd failed. In the days he was still human, such a shame would result in seppuku. But he was no longer human, and no longer a yojinbo. He was not allowed suicide. And so as the man lay facedown on the dirt that was quickly turning dark with his blood, he cursed himself for the crushing defeat.

Whilst everyone made a beeline for Riku, the older Shinigami fought against the darkness that threatened to engulf him. His limbs quivered faintly from overexertion, and he was numb . . . well, mostly. Touryoushi had long since reverted to his sealed form, but Renjiro refused to let go of the Zanpakutou. He was more concerned with his younger companion, and was glad the others saw the youth's need. Take care of Kouyama first . . . don't let him die . . . Forgive me, Kouyama. I should have been more careful. I should have done more.

He was so tired, and he felt so heavy . . . Stay awake! To close your eyes is death. A Minamoto never falls until he breathes his last fighting! As long as he kept his mind active, as long as he forced himself to not fall completely into the depths of shock, he would stand a chance of living. So Renjiro focused on the reiatsu of the newcomers who had arrived to help. Two he recognized right away: a Taichou's suppressed one and Hamasaki Masahara's, who was just a seat below him, but nonetheless a strong and reliable man. The rest were unseated individuals from various bantai, and after a brief sorting he recognized two as Yonbantai. Renjiro himself had never confirmed with anyone, but he'd always thought that those of Yonbantai had a slightly different feel to their reiatsu than those of other bantai. Mustering his strength, the dark-haired Shinigami forced open hazel eyes glazed flat with pain. Even if he couldn't remember everyone, he at least wanted to at least thank the Taichou who had answered their cry for help, once he'd recovered. And he wanted to thank the Yonbantai members and Masaharu . . . and apologize to Riku.

His vision was blurred; Renjiro figured it was perspiration, pain, shock, or any combination of the three. But he spotted Masaharu's dark red head, as well as the blue bands that Yonbantai's satchels. One had dark hair and the other orange-red. The Taichou was easy to spot, their white haori a dead giveaway. It certainly wasn't Kyouraku-taichou; he would have recognized the taichou by his reiatsu anyhow. Their hair was white as well, which left Juubantai Hitsugaya Toushirou and Juusanbantai Ukitake Juushirou. The white blob (for that was what everything looked like: blobs of colour) was rather small, and from the way the colours moved the haori seemed to be sleeveless. There was a linear shadow stretching across the haori's back, which Renjiro took to be a Zanpakutou. He'd seen Ukitake-taichou enough times to know how the older man looked like: tall, with a long-sleeved haori and his Zanpakutou at his hip, under the haori. That meant that it had been Hitsugaya-taichou who had answered the jigoku chou's desperate summons.

Exhaustion finally won. Unable to keep himself distracted any longer, Renjiro succumbed reluctantly to the darkness.

[Suigintou]

Hanatarou didn't need the order to help. His bag was already off of his shoulders and he was tying his sleeves back when Masaharu addressed him. Confusion and fear had hit him when he had seen the arrancar, but now that she was gone he was focused on the injured shinigami in front of them; he wasn't good at much, he was at least good at this.

"Kagoko-san, please take care of him," this referring to Riku, who had the worse injuries. Kagoko was a higher seat than him and could tend to him more quickly, so he turned his own attention to Renjiro, getting to work immediately. Both of them were in bad condition, but with himself and Kagoko there, Hanatarou wasn't concerned about their lives being in danger. They could do enough to get them back to Seireitei, and from there Unohana-taichou could take over, if necessary.

Thoughts of the arrancar's appearance still bothered him, but Hanatarou pushed them aside, keeping his attention on his work. Her blade had cut deep, but she hadn't hit anything vital, and the wounds were new enough that blood loss wasn't a heavy concern. It would probably take a while, but he could handle it.

He just hoped the taichou could do something about the arrancar...he didn't want to see more people get hurt like this.

[Aki Sora]

The Garganta closed completely and Mishelle departed Soul Society. She'd succeeded in creating a bit of chaos in the place where the shinigami were plentiful.

Hitsugaya's look of disappointment remained on his features as the arrancar left unscathed. But he couldn't be concerned with that now that she was gone. This would haunt him, but for now the two injured shinigami were top priority.

Before Hanatarou spoke, she was already making her way to Riku. His wounds were the most severe and time was of the essence. The young woman sat by his side and began using her healing kidou to mend the deep and numerous cuts.

"Hauuu, hang in there Kouyama-san," she sighed as her hand glowed from the kidou.

[Bishiglomper]

Masaharu stepped back to give the shinigami room. He didn't doubt her abilities in kidou, realizing this was yonbantai's fifth seat. Still, it didn't do much for him to see his best friend, one he thought of as an adoptive little brother lying there in a pool of his own blood. As he regarded his friend with an unveiled concern, he gently placed his hand on Yoshikuni's shoulder.

"Thank you," he said softly.

He moved away then, wandering lost in his thoughts. Masaharu wanted to know what an arrancar was doing in Soul Society, let alone Rukongai in the first place. They were lucky to have gotten away alive going by the initial scene when they had just began to arrive. A pair of strong shinigami, seated or not, collapsed on the ground with their mid-sections mercilessly slashed. He had caught a fleeting glimpse of the arrancar as she left via the garganta. Masaharu had the feeling she left unscathed.

He found himself by Minamoto, nearly hovering over the shinigami he had the fortune to snag along.

"Ah.. how bad is it? Will he need further attention in Yonbantai?" He was fairly sure he knew the answer, but it didn't hurt to ask..

It unnerved him; If this man was brought down so easily, he didn't want to calculate the damage that could have been done if they did indeed have to fight. Minamoto was a capeable fighter, seating above Masa himself at sixth seat. And Kouyama could hold his own just fine, nevermind that he wasn't seated. If they had engaged in battle, their only hope would have been the fact they had the aid of a captain.


"Hitsugaya-taichou." Masaharu addressed the shorter captain, stepping away from earshot of the squad. The other shinigami themselves were talking in hushed tones, expressing concern over the situation and of their comrades well-beings.

"Forgive me if I'm out of place, but do the captains know why there's an increase in hollow activity? Why there was just an arrancar in Rukongai, let alone Soul Society?" Obviously something wasn't right, and he'd prefer to know that that it was being investigated.

[Aki Sora]

A slightly frustrated look still on his face, Hitsugaya turned to the other Shinigami. "I'm sure they're aware of the activity, but... I don't believe they have any information as to why," the young taichou spoke. "Don't worry, everything will be figured out in a matter of time. This will not pass without being investigated. Return to the ranks and await orders."

Whilst Hitsugaya spoke with Hamasaki, Kagoko continued to heal Riku, making sure to mend the severest of wounds first. The emerald-eyed Shinigami sighed, never letting up on her kidou.

Whatever happened here, it was definitely not pretty, she thought to herself. Maau, I hope everything gets sorted out soon.