A Whole New World [Joint Training]

[Shōkan Kawada Ⅺ]

OOC: Training For CTP

Squad 4 Barracks
7:00 A.M.

---

The early morning light filtered through the blinds of the window to the side of Shōkan's bed. He sat inside a small room in the squad 4 barracks, wearing the simple white robe provided for all patients of Squad 4. The main difference between Shōkan's room and that of normal patients, was that the door and window were both barred, and sealed with some sort of kidou. When he first woke up, Shōkan panicked, he had no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered was- No, now wasn't the time to dwell on that. While Shōkan was sure he could find a way out of the hospital cell, he decided to patient and sat on his bed, waiting. He found more than adequate stimulus in his surroundings.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play}

The motes of dust, visible in the light, drifting all around him. The soft, yet harsh scent of cleaning chemicals reaching his nose. The very feel of the air on his cheeks. Shōkan marveled as all of these sights, smells, and feeling assualted his senses. After so long without even the simple pleasures of a breath of fresh air, Shōkan gave himself into the stimuli around him. Smelled the scents, saw the sights, and not just in the way that many trained warriors do, observing his surroundings, but taking them in, really focusing on the sights and smells and feels themselves, not just what they meant.

Not that Shōkan devoted all of his attention to his surroundings. His mind raced a mile a minute. What had happened? How had he gotten out? Where was he? and more importantly, when was he? So, in the pursuit of sating this thirst for knowledge, Shōkan began laying out the facts of his situation. First: He was no longer in his seal, that purgatory. This, in and of itself, meant the world to Shōkan. He had been sitting in that purgatory for so long... Second: He was in the Soul Society. Through the bars on his window, Shōkan could see the pale white towers rising in the distance, given that information, it was probable he was contained in either Squads 4 or 12. Third: His zanpakuto was gone.

When Shōkan said gone, he didn't mean it wasn't with him. He meant that it was gone. Even when a shinigami is seperated from there zanpakuto, they can still feel their connection to it. No matter how far away, a zanpakuto is such a fundemental part of a shinigami that the lack of one can be fekt instantly, especially by someone as in touch with his as Shōkan was. Taking this information, Shōkan could only deduce that his zanpakuto had been destroyed somehow... Completely and utterly, so much so that it left a scar upon his soul. Shōkan could feel the ache of it in his chest, his soul yearning for the piece of it that was missing.

Shōkan took this in... He mourned the loss of his zanpakuto. To Shōkan, it was not only a weapon to be used in battle, Honō-Haraikiyome was more than that, so much more. His zanpakuto was his best friend, and closest confidant. Someone he could always trust. And losing that, left a void almost as large as losing the piece of his soul that it represented. Shōkan felt a single tear roll down his cheek... "Goodbye, old friend..." With those words, Shōkan strengthened his resolve, and squared his shoulders. He had to continue on, with or withoutHonō-Haraikiyome... He sighed, waiting for the door to open, so he could find out more about his current situation...

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

Himitsu Misute is an interesting Vice Captain. He is one of the most dedicated Shinigami in the Gotei 13 ranks, but he doesn’t let his position or power get to his head. He’s down to Earth- Err, down to Soul Society? Anyway, the guy watches out for his people. When he heard that one of his lower seated officers had suffered an injury in the field and had been recovering in Squad 4’s barracks. But there was still one question. Where is her room…?

That’s right. Himitsu was lost. He had no clue where his fellow Squadmate was, so that gave him one more option: take a guess. I mean, what are the odds? One in one-hundred? If he tried a few times, he was bound to find her, and all of those medics seemed too busy to be bothered with such an unimportant question. And so the Vice Captain wandered through the barracks, occasionally bumping into a few dollies or knocking over a rack of equipment. It’s not easy being 6’8”.

And so the Lieutenant walked into his first room. It was mostly empty except for the blanket-draped figure of a man lying in bed. His breathing was heavy and raspy. The machines beeping had been slow and steady, but the second Himitsu opened the door, it suddenly accelerated urgently. “D-doctor… will I be o-okay?” the desperate man asked with a voice as rough as sandpaper. Himitsu could only extend a warm smile that the man’s scorched, blinded eyes could not see. “You will be fine, keep fighting and holding on. You’re a warrior.” And with those words, Himitsu left the room.

That was so manly! a sobbing voice in Himitsu’s head said. Yeah… uh, Flex? Can I call you that? Suddenly any hint of misery left the mysterious voice and was filled with extreme pride and confidence. Call me Flex Powers! I don’t care what you need to say to summon my powers, but when you refer to me as your Zanpauto’s spirit, I will only listen to that name and that name alone. No other name is worthy of my manliness! The Vice Captain smiled to himself and walked onward.

He popped into about four or five other rooms, all of which were either empty or had medics preforming urgent operations. But still, he couldn’t find his squad mate. Finally, the giant man gave up and went for one last try. He popped into a room in the corner, praying that his subordinate occupied it. However, all he found was some seemingly uninjured man sitting on a bed. What do you say when you walk into a situation that you definitely didn’t intend to get yourself into?

“Uh… er… hi?”

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}

Strength - [100] Points (60)

Speed - [300] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [300] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400] Points (700)

Light Aura - [90] Points

Dark Aura - [10] Points

Instinct - [100] Points

Senses - [150] Points

Energy sensory - [50] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1400] Points

Abilities

• Mental Incantation Level 3

• Weapon: Staff Level 3

• Battle Analysis Level 3

• Battle Skill: Kido Level 3

• Strength of Will Level 3

[Sozen Kuchiki]

OOC: I owe a post in this thread too. Sorry I took two weeks!

IC:

"Ah, Himitsu," a strong, confident voice spoke behind the new Squad 6 Lieutenant. The shadow behind the man was bigger than one would imagine for a man who was only so tall (about six feet), but when Himitsu turned to see Sozen Kuchiki, his Captain, he would notice that, as always, Sozen was larger than life. It wasn't just that his aura was powerful, or that he was rich. It was that his reputation preceded him, and he took it gracefully, and in stride. Though prideful and confident, Sozen was not one who displayed excessive arrogance (a trait his son might learn from later), and it made him seem all the larger.

Wait, but why was Sozen here? Well, to understand the answer to that question, you'd have to rewind... twenty minutes. So, flashback to twenty minutes previously. Sozen could be found discussing with an associate Captain (Okami, to be precise) the ramifications of the invasion of Las Noches which was pending. Sozen did, after all, have plans to invade within the next year. Preparations were needed, and it must remain secret, so that no one would know that it was coming. Not even Kouhai or his spies. So, it was kept to a very loosely knit group. Though others knew of an impending "invasion," no one really knew "when," and besides, rumors of such a thing had circulated long before it had actually been planned.

Now, at the end of that meeting with Okami, Sozen had encountered some trouble after leaving his fellow Captain. What kind of trouble? Women. As soon as he stepped out of the place, a shriek of joy followed him, and he looked over to see a young maiden with blue hair gasp in surprise and run toward him crying out, "I KNEW YOU'D COME FOR ME, LORD SOZEN!" And just like that, other girls from around the area perked up. "Did she say Sozen?" "SOZEN?! WHERE?!" "SOZEN KUCHIKI!!!!" The man that had been dubbed best looking man in Soul Society. Also he was rich. Two good things about him. ...And now a crowd of women wanting him.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," he had assured one, kissing her hand. "And you, you are quite lovely," he had said to another. But by the ninth girl in like two minutes, Sozen realized there would be no end to this. And so, he did what any other sensible person would do in that situation. He wordlessly released his Zanpakuto, Akai Birido, and instantly teleported to the nearest red thing in sight. What was that? It was a small red poster on the wall of a building medium distance from Sozen that he had spotted on the way to meet Okami. He had taken note of the building, and of viewing the poster through the window.

Using crazy intense animal level sight, Sozen looked at the afar window, seeing even that little spec of red, and instantly was in the hallway of the Squad 4 barracks, his Zanpakuto sealing once more. Outside, the women were in shock at Sozen's sudden disappearance, and he was almost certain that he could hear in the distance "So mysterious! How sexy!!" Having made his escape, the elusive Sozen Kuchiki noted that his new Lieutenant was down the hall. Well, given Himitsu had only transferred within the last few days, and Sozen had yet to truly greet him, the Squad 6 Captain decided that now was as good a time as any.

"It is good to finally see you," Sozen said to his new Lieutenant. "I was looking forward to making your acquaintance for quite some time." And, then, his eyes fell to the inside of the room, where he noted a man inside, who appeared uninjured, but had... A shadow of someone's eyes. They were eyes, to be sure, and this person looked normal, but Sozen knew that look. That look of uncertainty. He had worn it once, when he had lost to the Segunda Espada. There was no doubt in Sozen's mind that this person too required a boost from whatever he was feeling. "And this is a friend of yours, I presume?" Sozen asked Himitsu. Then, addressing the man, "Greetings. My name is Sozen Kuchiki. A pleasure to meet you." Giving his name was a formality. He knew everyone knew it. But why stop introducing himself? Sozen was a person too.

[Shōkan Kawada Ⅺ]

Startled out of his dazed state by the door opening, Shōkan turned to see who was entering. Of the people he was expecting, Shōkan supposed this was fairly high on the list. First probably woujld hae been a Squad Four member, and second, would be a captain or Vice-Captain. The man was huge, towering over Shōkan who was simply sittign in his bed. Immediately Shōkan assumed he was here to question him, after all, people don't just come flying out of interdimensional portals everyday. He was actually wrong in this however. Simply looking up at the Vice-Captain, Shōkan began speaking "Before we begin... When is it?" Slightly nervous inhis tone, Shōkan, a man known to be without fear in his past life was nervous and anxious to hear the answer. Part of him didn't want to know at all.

Before Himitsu could answer however, a captian appeared. He was extremely handsome, with straight black hair a pale features, Shōkan knew waat he was the moment he saw him, after spending his entire life around a similar sort, and being one himself, Shōkan could immediately tell the captain was a noble. If the cut of his features didn't give it away, it was the air in which he held himself, the way Shōkan once had. Seeing the number on his Haori whilst the man briefly spoke to the Vice-Captain, Shōkan also knew who he was, at least, in a vague since. The number on his haori was a six, and the captain of squad 6 was always the head of the Kuchiki Clan. Absorbing this information, Shōkan wasn't at all surprised of the mans identity when he introduced himself.

What he was surprised about however, was how Sozen introduced himself. Assuming that Shōkan and the Vice-Captain (Now named as Himitsu) new each other prior to this. This was somewhat confusing to Shōkan. He was exoecting to be intreeogatted by the Captain of Squad 6 and his Cice-Captain. The Squad was the Soul Societies internal affairs after all. Quickly taking in the facts present, and coming up with a conclusion quickly, Shōkan realized that this was all an accident, and neither had known of Shōkan existence until now. Before he could clarify however, a Squad 4 member walked up to Shōkan's room. Seeing the two Squad 6 members in front of the door, his eyes widened in surprise, "Lord Sozen! Vice-Captain Himitsu! We weren't expecting you so soon? We just sent the message in fact... I suppose the rumors about your squad's efficiency is true" He said, bowing to the captain.

So here we were in somewhat of a humorous situation. Neither of the officers knew that they had just been called to Squad 4's barracks for this very purpose, and yet had somehow ended up their anyway. The purpose of course, was to learn about the identity, powers, and origin of the person sitting in the rooms only bed. While he wasn't being treated as a criminal, he was a very intersting individual indeed.

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

(( OOC: Training for CTP ))

Himitsu was confused to hear a strangely familiar voice greet him from behind. After all, he had just arrived at the room and had absolutely no clue who he had just stumbled upon. Just as the Vice Captain had cluelessly gotten himself into such a ridiculous social situation by walking into the hospital room of a random Shinigami. The concentration of dramatic irony rivaled that of a horror movie near the caliber of Thankskilling ( OOC: I doubt you get the reference, but if you do, I’m so sorry you had to watch that.).

But now, Himitsu turned around to face his own Captain. Sozen Kuchiki. Head of the Kuchiki House. Leader of the Gotei 13’s 6th Division. Direct superior to Himitsu Misute. The very man who introduced Himitsu to Soul Society, explained how the Gotei 13 functioned, and inspired the oversized man to become a Shinigami. He was the same man who saved Himitsu from a barrage of Quincy arrows during the Vandenreich attack on a Central 46 member’s wedding.

But there was one feat Sozen accomplished that truly blew Himitsu away. He had singlehandedly taken down one of the most powerful individuals in all three worlds: Kuroi Nato. The Segunda Espada had brutally wiped the floor with Himitsu long ago, leaving him helpless on the ground as he took the life of a handful of Shinigami before leaving Himitsu to live on with his despair. He was invincible.

But Sozen brought him down. The Crimson King took down one of the most fearsome Arrancar to ever exist, one of the most vicious, evil souls, and Himitsu was in awe of that. He wanted that same power and ability to wipe out evil. He both envied and admired his Captain, but in due time, he hoped to acquire similar strength. He was going to catch up to Sozen one day.

“Hello, Captain Sozen. It’s great to see you after so long. Uh, I really don’t know who this guy is. I’m a little lost, to be honest.” No point in hiding the truth. Himitsu scratched the back of his head awkwardly as a sheepish smile lit up his face. When Sozen introduced himself, Himitsu suddenly remembered that he had completely forgotten his manners. “Oh, er, my bad. I’m Himitsu Misute, Vice Captain of Squad 6. Sorry to barge in to your room.”

Suddenly, a new voice jumped into the fray. A couple of medics had appeared just outside the room. "Lord Sozen! Vice-Captain Himitsu! We weren't expecting you so soon? We just sent the message in fact... I suppose the rumors about your squad's efficiency is true" Wait, what? “Umm, what do you mean? I didn’t get any message, so mind filling me in?”

Himitsu’s eyes looked the man sitting on the bed over, studying him carefully. Squad 6 was usually affiliated with interrogation, so was this man important enough to call the top two Shinigami in the Sixth Division over for? Himitsu wasn’t comfortable with his ignorance and didn’t want to rush to any conclusions, so he waited to be filled in before taking any action.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

"You mean you aren't here to interrogate this man?" the random lackey asked. Now, Sozen was confused too. He was honestly just here to escape the fangirls. As luck would have it, he had stumbled across Himitsu Misute, his new Lieutenant. He did recall the man's face and name from that time of saving him, however Sozen had never actually really made his acquaintance or learned very much about who Himitsu was. So, needless to say, this was an exciting opportunity. It was clear that Himitsu had come a long way since then, and would prove to be, at least by Sozen's preliminary evaluation, an exceptional subordinate. ...But he had no idea what was going on either.

"It makes sense that information dissemination is our job, however... It appears both Himitsu and I were here accidentally," Sozen said. The lackey, come to think of it, was quite naive. Certainly, Squad 6 was efficient, but come on. The message was sent out literally less than a minute ago. Also, why would both Captain and Lieutenant be sent to interrogate the guy? Normally, just a regular squad member would be in charge of doing that. Still, this was probably going to start a rumor among the Thirteen Court Guard Squads of Squad 6's legendary efficiency. Sozen could see it already. "Squad 6: The most efficient division."

"This is the man that fell out of the rift in the sky," the lackey clarified. "We sent your squad a message hoping you would send someone to ascertain who he is and where he came from." That made some sense. And, looking into the room, Sozen noticed something about this young man, too. It was the eyes, mostly. Those haunted eyes, coupled with the features which were chiseled out of a family that he knew very well. Oh they did all look roughly the same, even if their hair color always differed randomly for some strange reason. Yes, those eyes were unique to the Kawada family, for the Kawada family's way of raising their children was... different.

"I suppose that we may as well do it, since we're here now," Sozen decided. It was an opportunity. They could all have a discussion. And, beyond that, Sozen found here an opportunity. The Kawadas had been troublesome for a few generations, now. They had been on great terms with the Kuchikis during the reigns of Jinbei Kawada and Ginrei Kuchiki, but had grown more hostile during the days of Kochikochi Kawada and Mephisto Kuchiki, and at last culminated in hostility when Sozen's younger brother, Onuya Kuchiki, had been Head, and Jinbei Kawada had had to reclaim his position. Since then, Shade Kawada and Kenryoku Kawada had been hostile to Sozen, who had been unable to reign them in for a working alliance.

In this Kawada man, Sozen saw hopes for the start of better relations. So, stepping into the room, Sozen sat in one of three chairs (why were there three?) and looked at the Kawada man. The lackey, seeing that Squad 6 was about to start their job (even if they were only accidentally here), decided that he was useless there, and would be of much more value going somewhere else. So, he left, leaving Sozen, Himitsu, and Shokan alone with one another. Well, as alone as you can get in a room of three people. Sozen's scarlet eyes fell upon Shokan, evaluating what kind of circumstances would have caused him to fall out of some rift in the sky at random.

Judging by how he looked, he was uncertain of who Himitsu or Sozen really were. It was as if he was encountering strangers. This meant that their reputations did not precede them, and he came from a place where they did not hold their positions. "Tell me about yourself," Sozen said softly, actually quite kindly. "Your name, your parents, and I want to know who is the Head of your family." Sozen had a sneaking suspicion, here... It was just a suspicion, but... Before current Head Katrina Kawada had been Kenryoku, before him Shade, before Shade had been Kochikochi, before Kochikochi had been Jinbei. And that was modern times. But... what if?

[Shōkan Kawada Ⅺ]

Shokan watched as captain (now known to be Sozen) summarily dismissed the squad 4 member. If there had been any doubt of his nobility, it was gone now. Sozen sat in one of the rooms chairs, and began the interrogation. "Tell me about yourself... Your name, your parents, and I want to know who is the Head of your family." At the mention of his family, Shokan unconsciously straightened up, his eyes hardened, and he projected the energy of a leader. This was the head of the Kawada Clan, one of the most powerful captains of the Seireitei. He who was undefeated in over a thousand duels, and obliterated an entire army of hollows single handedly.

Shokan wasn't surprised that Sozen guessed he was from a noble family, he would expect nothing less from the head of the Kuchiki Clan. Shokan began to comply with the man's questions. "My name... My name is... Shokan. Shokan Kawada..." As Shokan began speaking, he faltered in his words, it had been so long since he's spoken aloud that he almost forgot how to speak properly. "I am... Was. The head of the Kawada Clan." Regaining a bit of his noble bearing, Shokan straightened, and gazed ahead imperiously. For a brief moment, one could see the the man Shokan once was. Then it all crumbled away.

"Forgive me... It has been so long... What is the date? How is my Clan?" He gazed at his hands as he spoke, his posture had deteriorated to show the damage the years in stasis had used his psyche. Looking up imploringly at Sozen and Himitsu, Shokan was not the powerful head of a Clan, and instead the broken bits of a man in search of the thing he holds closest. His family. That alone, would have broken any man of his sort, but the wound was widened even further, with the loss of his zanpakuto, one of the only constants he had ever had in his life. If the years alone in silence hadn't done him in, that would have.

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

Something wasn’t adding up. Shokan gave off an aura of confidence and leadership, yet details weren’t making sense. He claimed to be a Kawada, and his attitude definitely fit the bill. He had that same type of assertiveness that most nobles had, just in the way he decided to ask the questions during the interrogation. But there were too many gaps in the story. It didn’t quite make sense yet.

Himitsu wasn’t familiar with the history of nobles, nor did he keep up with noble politics. However, he had never heard the name Shokan Kawada before. And with the man’s word choice, it seemed like he was an icon of the past. A relic. Someone who hadn’t appeared for decades, maybe even centuries. Shokan had to be a very old head of the Kawada, someone who hadn’t been around for a long time. He couldn’t have just been hanging around either. After all, the Kawada were currently led by the rash and inexperienced Katrina, so Shokan would have clearly been a better choice for the head of the family.

“Shokan, I’m sorry to leave your questions unanswered for the time being, but I’d like you to do something for me first. Tell me exactly what you remember last before coming to this room. Every detail helps.” Some sort of time travel or warp in time was the only plausible explanation Himitsu could come up with. However, he needed Shokan’s side of the story first.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

Music

Needless to say, Sozen's mind rushed. It was a flash of memories. Of readings. But he knew. He knew the name. For before the famed Golden Phoenix, Kochikochi Kawada, there had been Shokan, and before him there had been Hiroto, eldest son to Jinbei, elder brother to Kochikochi. Sozen knew who this was. Once considered the most powerful Captain of his time, stronger even than the old timer Ginrei Kuchiki. The name was not something that would be known by those who were not nobles anymore, for though powerful, Shokan was of an old dynasty, before the reforging of the Kawada name by Shade. Before the mantra, Reviving the Kawada is everything, and failure is NOTHING.

But, Sozen knew. He knew who this was. And opportunity was his to play with, now. For Shokan was from a time of peace between the Kuchiki and Kawada families. During his time, their alliance had been strong, fresh due to the previous heads, Jinbei and Ginrei, who had forged an unbreakable alliance. This was opportunity, for the poor relations that had been held by the families in this time could be mended, and peace between nobilities could exist at last. Well, peace between most of them. There was, of course, going to remain the brewing civil war of the Shihoin, and the plotting of the Kasumi'Ojis, but that was another matter.

And, once Himitsu spoke, Sozen would join in. "Before we can tell you, we must learn what could have happened to you. You were a powerful Captain, and for anything to hurt you as you have been hurt... It makes me anxious to think about." Sozen said. For his goal was indeed to win this man as an ally. As it stood, the Kuchiki Family was the most powerful of the noble families, but... Alliances were needed. Though as an individual the Kuchiki unit had become more powerful than the others combined, in the meantime the relationships between the families had been fragmented by ambition. And Sozen recognized that this would be problematic in future, when his son took the reigns, for Souza had no interest in playing the game, only in victory. And his conditions for victory were teamwork and cooperation, not advantage based.

But, just how strong was this Kawada man? Given the time in which he had lived, he should be quite powerful. But, he was broken. Wounded. Even without sensing it, Sozen could tell by the look in that man's eyes that his very soul had been wounded. It was the same look from when the Segunda had broken Sozen's Bankai, forcing the Crimson King to reforge it. That damage of the soul was something which was difficult to get over. And Sozen could see, deep in the eyes of Shokan Kawada, that even deeper still was that damage, above even what Sozen himself had experienced. Further, the man had come with no sword, which indicated... He may no longer possess it.

[Shōkan Kawada Ⅺ]

Hearing the men dodge around his question, Shōkan immediately knew something had happened. If it they were fine, just as they were, a simple 'They are fine.' would have sufficed. No, they danced around the question, and asked ones of there own. He could tell they were still alive however, judging by their reaction to his name, Shōkan deduced that his clan was safe at the moment, which was all he really needed right now. Something had happened to the however, and Shōkan would find out what that was. That however, could wait. Shōkan closed his eyes and turned in on himself as he searched for the core of his being, that inner steel he possesed deep inside. Eyes flashing open, shoulders straightening, Arashi gazed at Himitsu and Sozen. His energy had shifted, while the broken man was still there, he was hidden deep inside, this was the face of a leader.

And a Leader did not think, did not live for himself. Nor could Shōkan. Speaking calmly, rationally, and with more than a hint of authority in his voice, Shōkan recounted his story for the two (adding in a bit of background information for Himitsu's benefit). "I was born 641 anno Domini." He turned towards Himitsu, "Around 600 years after the Spiritual Arts Academy was founded for reference. I am the only child of Hiroto Kawada and Kyoke Kawada, grandson of Jinbei Kawada, and heir to the Kawada Clan." Shōkan held himself proudly as he recited his heritage, and why shouldn't he? It was a bloodline to be proud of, a bloodline of immensely powerful, honourable warriors.

Shōkan wasn't there to tell them his life's story however, so he skipped ahead a bit. "At the age of 40, I became Captain fo Squad 13, and Head of the Kawada Clan." Seeing as all of the necessary backstory had been covered, Shōkan ccontinued, "Over three centuries after that, there was... A disturbance in teh World of the Living." At this point, Shōkan's eyes glazed over a bit, as he lost himself in his own memory. "Menos of various classes were appearing in the Human World. At the start, they killed many of the unseated shinigami stationed there, after a time, we began placing higher and higher ranked officers in The World of the Living, until only Third Seats and above were allowed to patrol it."

"Around this time, Shigekuni-soutaichou came to the decision to send a Captain to the world of the living on a semi-permanent basis, to find the source of this disturbance. As I was the Captain of Squad 13, this fell under my jurisdiction, and so I was sent to the World of the Living. Three months later is when the event happened." Looking up once more to Sozen, Shōkan was sure he knew that which he spoke of. It might have been kept secret from the majority of the Seireitei, but a family as powerful and influential as the Kuchiki would surely have heard of this event... The Convergence.

"Over the course of the three months I was stationed there, I exterminated Hollow after hollow. Menos Grande, Adjuchas, it did not matter, all fell before my blade." At this, Shōkan's hand unconsciously fell to his side, presumably where his zanpakuto was supposed to be. "One day while patrolling what was the current Spiritual Center, a city somewhere in the mediterranean, I can't remember the name... Anyway, I suddenly sensed a huge, ridiculous amount o hollow energy. Arriving at the scene of it, plains just to the east of a large river, I came across it... The Convergance." Shōkan grew quiet for a few moments, gathering his thoughts before he continued.

"Arrayed in front of me was the largest Garganta I had ever seen... It's width was the height of the tallest tower in the Seireitei, and pouring out of it were countless hordes of hollows of all classes. Standing at the forefront of this army was a lone humanoid of immense power. It could only be a Vasto Lorde yet..." He shook his head, "that doesn't matter. Having no other choice, I faced the army myself, and managed to defeat it and the Vasto Lorde, yet not before he hit me with soemthing..." Shōkan subtly shifted the conversation away from the battle. Believe it or not, Shōkan was a bit humble, the only to time to take accomplishments was not for ones self, but for the greater good of the clan, and Shōkan didn't really feel the need to bask in the glorry of his Pyrrhic victory, so he glazed over the details of his admittidly amazing singlehanded victory over an entire army.

"Whatever it was, was ravaging my spirit. Squad 4 could do nothign to help, everyone was at a loss for what to do, and just when all seemed lost, Squad 12 came up with a solution." He sighed briefly, "An experimental device which should teleport me into an alternate dimension where time ran one thousand times slower. Of course, it was supposed to slow my thoughts to the same speed as well, so that it would seem a blink of the eye to me... Unfortunately it was not." At this, Shōkan clenched his fist a bit, he had been forced to spend a milleniea all alone-

'No. Now is not the time for grudges.' slowly his fist unclenched and he continued. "Anyway, the attacks effect on me was severe, ravaging my very soul. I'm not sure what the full effects of this are... But they can't be good. The last thing I remember before waking up, was a dark hole in the white dimension I was held suspended in, before I finally lost consciousness for the first time in a thousand years." Turning back towards the pair, Shōkan asked somethign of them. "Please, allow me to see Shigekuni-soutaichou... My debriefing is over a thousand years over-due after all" A hint of mirth in his voice accompanied the slight smile on his face as Shōkan stated that.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

They likely had some research to do. If it was Shokan Kawada, Sozen knew the man's history already. He also knew what the Convergence was, and knew that it was not the first time it had happened. No, that Convergence was merely one of six that had already occurred in the last five thousand years. The most recent one had been within the last few years. Rather than look into the Convergence, the Vasto Lorde that damaged Shokan, or even the man himself, it would be more prudent in Sozen's opinion to research what had caused the errors in the holding system. It was supposed to function better, but it had essentially undergone a catastrophic failure, judging by Shokan Kawada's current status.

"Thank you for sharing," Sozen said, standing up. "Himitsu and I have research to do about the technology used on you. After Squad 4 has finished evaluating you, and has deemed you healthy to come, seek us out in my office at the Squad 6 barracks. We will then return you to your family." He wasn't sure how Shokan would be after that test, though. After all, what Sozen saw was that Shokan may no longer possess his Zanpakuto. Reading that the Kuchiki Head had once done suggested that when enough time without being used passed, a Zanpakuto spirit could die. And, for Shokan, it had been a very long time indeed.

As Sozen and Himitsu left, Sozen struck up conversation with his Lieutenant. "Squad 12 was being run by Ran'Tao at the time that Shokan was a Captain," Sozen said. Now, given Himitsu was part of Squad 6, it was likely he had been given lots of reading to do upon entry. Had he done it diligently, he would know that Ran'Tao, former Captain of Squad 12, was the researcher whose experiments on manipulation of the soul had accidentally led to the creation of the race known as the Bount. It was one of the best known names in science, best known because of it being one of the most critical failures ever to come out of Squad 12.

"Ran'Tao would have been the one to design Shokan's encasement," Sozen continued. "And though she is best known for the Bount, she was an amazing scientist. My grandfather often attested to her brilliance. I find it unlikely that both her experiments with the Bount and her stasis field could have been such colossal failures by coincidence alone. I do not consider it within her nature to have failed so horribly more than once. I am suspect now of the potential for sabotage." Because if someone had been sabotaging Ran'Tao, they had never even been considered, let alone caught. It meant they could still be alive today.

So, hours would pass, then, of Sozen and Himitsu researching all sorts of things. They would soon be experts in not only the Convergence, but in every enemy that Shokan had ever encountered, as well as all the politics of the time. Plus, they would know all the science behind that stasis. The alternate dimension should have been flawless. The calculations were perfect. Absolutely correct. Which could only mean that the transportation machine itself had to have been tampered with, had there really been sabotage. Sozen made a mental note to look into it himself at a later date, for when that thought arrived, so too would Shokan. It was then that he would take Shokan to the Kawada Manor.

---

Play this

Old Kawada Manor

When Sozen, Himitsu, and Shokan arrived before the old Kawada grounds and Manor, where Shokan had likely grown up, what they would find was ruin. The ground was blackened by old fire, and the gates hung rusty, and destroyed. The mansion that once had been that of the Kawadas was in ruin. It was nothing compared to its former glory. The atmosphere of the place was that of the defeated. The destroyed. The crushed. This, Sozen felt, deserved to be seen immediately. It was also a slight play on Shokan, to make him more willing to be an ally, once he saw what his family had gone through.

"Years ago, the Kawadas were attacked," Sozen said. "In our time, there are many Hollows that have learned to break their masks, and in doing so transform themselves into more humanoid beings, who in addition to their Hollow powers also possess Zanpakuto. These are called Arrancar. Many of the Arrancar whom you will encounter serve in Hueco Mundo's palace of Las Noches, the enemy of Seireitei, led by the traitorous Soul Reaper named Sonken Kouhai." Sozen let that hang momentarily. After all, though the concept of the 'Arrancar' had existed back then, there was no recorded sighting of one. Shokan likely could have been a Captain who did not know. Most Captains had not known.

"The mightiest of these Arrancar who serve Las Noches are called the ten Espada," Sozen said. "And one of these, Kuroi Naito, destroyed the Kawada family financially, and then appeared in Soul Society itself, and attacked them. In a valiant battle against him, one thousand clansmen were killed, along with then Head, Kochikochi Kawada." This was Shokan's uncle. He had been Head, and had been killed by an Espada during the attack. Now, Shokan might not know what to feel, but it was worth wondering how much things had changed, if a Hollow was truly powerful enough to crush that many Soul Reapers in a single fight.

"Today, the Kawada live on. They have relocated, and after a period of turbulence where they lost two Heads, they now fall under Katrina Kawada. Your family is recovering from a time when they lost their place as one of the Great Noble Families. Recently, they have regained this honor. And we hope soon their full power as well." This must all be some shocking news for Shokan, so the Squad 6 Captain stopped in the meantime, awaiting the former Kawada Head's reaction to all of this news. But, Sozen knew what that reaction would be. The same when Hibiki had died. That reaction of despair. Of rage.

[Shōkan Kawada Ⅺ]

As Shōkan finished relaying the information to Sozen, he could see the gears tunring in the mans mind. He knew something, Shōkan could see it. "Thank you for sharing," Sozen said, standing up. "Himitsu and I have research to do about the technology used on you. After Squad 4 has finished evaluating you, and has deemed you healthy to come, seek us out in my office at the Squad 6 barracks. We will then return you to your family." As Sozen and Himitsu left, Shōkan couldn't help but feel like he was missing something, like something was being kept from him... He didn't like the feeling. Not one bit.

Not long after, a cacaphony of Squad 4 members and Squad 12 members had what almost ended up in a minor battle outside his door, as the Squad 12 members had to run their tests immediately, yet the Squad 4 members were adamant in the defense of their patient. It almost came to blows before Shōkan ended it. Simply standing up, walking towards the closed door, and opening it. The mere presence of authority he exuded was enough to silence all of the shinigami outside. Quietly, hardly more than a whisper, yet with strength that could shake mountains, Shōkan spoke. "Let them in." He had places to be, and no time for this petty squabling.

As the Squad 12 members began their tests on him, they quickly found what Shōkan already knew to be true, what he knew the moment he had awakened. His zanpakuto... was lost, ravaged, purged. With the loss of that sword, Shōkan not only lost vast amounts of power, but more importantly, he lost his one and only best friend. Shōkan was strange in his relationship wiht his zanpakuto. The two were so close that Shōkan never really needed much training to release his shikai, and created the record for his time by achieving bankai at 23 years old. He was a genius beyond measure, but Shōkan gave much of the credit to his friend and parter... Honō-Haraikiyome.

Along wiht the loss of his zanpakuto, Squad 12's test uncovered many other things... None of them good. Prior to his sealing, not only was Shōkan spiritually the strongest captain, but also physically. In fact, the only person he had ever met that had been able to match his physical prowes was that little Minoru brat. Now however, his body and soul were left ravaged, regressed a huge degree. While to a regular human, Shōkan would still seem supernaturally strong, fast, and powerful, to himself, he was but a fragement of a ghost of his former self. Looking down at his too pale hands, Shōkan clenched them... Not out of frustraton, but of determination. He would regain all the power he had lost. Not only his power, but his clans as well.

As the tests finally winded down, and Shōkan was allowed to leave, he looked in the mirror in the bathroom. He looked... Different. Paler. His eyes were colder, glacial blue, not the warm cerulean they once were. His face still had the perfectly formed bone structure that almost all of his clan possesed, but his hair was a startling, pure white. Extremely contrasting with the former black mixed with red it had once been. He was not the same man he was 1300 years ago. Not physically. Not mentally. He didn't even look the same. None of that mattered to Shōkan. His identity was, and always had been, for the purpose of his clan. In the past, Jinbei had often called him the Avatar of the Kawada. It was as if nature had created him in the image of them. He even took after his grandfather, earning the monikers "The Archangel" and "The White Flame King", similar to Jinbei's. Arriving at the Squad 6 barracks, Shōkan quickly set off for the Kawada Manor with the pair.

---

Old Kawada Manor

Arriving at the burnt husk that was the Old Kawada Manor, Shōkan's knees trembled at the sight before him. The burnt frame of the main house still stood, but all of the other building's surrounding it had been incinerated.The old tree where Shōkan had spent so many hours of his days reading. Gone. The family stables. Gone. Everything he had ever known and loved... Gone. "Years ago, the Kawadas were attacked," Sozen said. "In our time, there are many Hollows that have learned to break their masks, and in doing so transform themselves into more humanoid beings, who in addition to their Hollow powers also possess Zanpakuto. These are called Arrancar. Many of the Arrancar whom you will encounter serve in Hueco Mundo's palace of Las Noches, the enemy of Seireitei, led by the traitorous Soul Reaper named Sonken Kouhai." Sozen Sozen began telling th etale of the Kawada's demise.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Actual Bleach Music}

At hearing this, Shōkan fell to his knees. Tears began welling up in his eyes. The Kawada were all he had ever lived for, all he had ever cared about. Above happiness, there was only honor. Above honor, there was only duty. Above duty, there was only the Kawada. That was the motto he had lived by... And now it was gone. "The mightiest of these Arrancar who serve Las Noches are called the ten Espada," Sozen said. "And one of these, Kuroi Naito, destroyed the Kawada family financially, and then appeared in Soul Society itself, and attacked them. In a valiant battle against him, one thousand clansmen were killed, along with then Head, Kochikochi Kawada." 'Even uncle...' Shōkan thought to himself. Kochikochi Kawada was the strongest active Kawada besides himself at the time. If a mere Hollow was truly powerful enough to crush that many Soul Reapers along with Kochikochi... 'How much has changed? Has the world gone mad?'

"Today, the Kawada live on. They have relocated, and after a period of turbulence where they lost two Heads, they now fall under Katrina Kawada. Your family is recovering from a time when they lost their place as one of the Great Noble Families. Recently, they have regained this honor. And we hope soon their full power as well." At this point, it was too late for Shōkan to be reassured. He had fallen to deep into despair. At first, he wallowed in it, but then, Shōkan fought back the despair, the heart renching anguish. He couldn't take it, if he focused on it, he would succomb to it, and be broken beyond repair. instead, he dug deep into his soul, hoping against hope that he would find something other than this unstoppable flood of tears. Deep down, in the core of his soul, he found rage. Shōkan focus on it, that righteous anger. It was the only thing he could do.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Not Actual Bleach Music}

Rage enough to tremble mountains, rage eenough to fell empires. Rage enough to consume this petty sadness that wreaked havoc over his soul. Still on his knees, Shōkan slammed his fist into the ground, and it trmble slightly. His release was gone. Probably forever, but the sheer power of Shōkan's soul could not be denied, Sozen and Himitsu would be forced to jump back as vibrant pure white flames consumed everythign around them, burning what was left of the old Kawada manor to ashe. Slowly standing, untouched amidst the flames, Shōkan turned to the captain and his second in command. The rage in his voice would cause men to tremble, and the fury in his eyes could rival that of the dephts of hell itself. "Let you be witnesses to this statement today. I will kill Kuroi Naito. Destroy Las Noches. Nothing on this, or any other world will stop me, and I will not rest until this deed is done..." As quickly as it appeared, his rage vanished, and the flames disappeared.

Shōkan spoke in hardly more than a whisper. "I will only have solace once my clan has been avenged. Only find redemtion once they've risen from the ashes..." Walking back over to the pair of Shinigami, Shōkan demanded, "Take me to the current Kawada Manor." While it wasn't rude, as he was speaking to the clan head of the Kuchiki, his tone showed the full brunt of the immense emotion he had suffered this day. His emotions were a jumbled mess. on one side, he felt overwhelming sorrow for all he, and the Kawada had lost. On another, he felt an all consuming rage over the injustice his family had recieved. And finally... Below the sorrow and rage, there was hope. Hope for the future and all the Kawada could become. From that hope, sprouted a determination of iron and steel. He would return the kawada to their former glory, and when he had done that, Shōkan hoped that he too, would be restored... That the scar on his soul might be healed... Even if just a small bit.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

OOC: When did ZK say he'd be posting again as Himitsu??

White flames blasted out from Shokan. Sozen had expected as much. The Kawada's former Head was powerful, and clearly loved his family. He had expected a reaction like this one when the truth came out. How long ago had it been that Sozen, upon hearing of the death of one of his family members, had had the same reaction, and even a similar vow...? That was just what people in Soul Society did during their grief. Reiatsu explosions, condemning claims, and something like that. Scarlet eyes watched the Kawada's legendary former Head in all his rage. That reiatsu... It was like Kyomei, who also had been cut off from Zanpakuto. Was this a trend?

Note. Scarlet eyes watched the Kawada's legendary former Head. Without moving. Though Himitsu might have to get out of the way, being a Lieutenant, Sozen, wanting to feel the reiatsu and the rage for himself, stood in place, unmoving as he observed. His own dark red reiatsu formed a smaller column around himself, warding off the white fire and parting it at the Kuchiki Head. In his rage and also his grief, Shokan probably wouldn't notice so small a detail as how strong his reiatsu had become, or how the Kuchiki Head had nonchalantly withstood it. When the flames cleared, and what was left of Old Kawada was burned to cinders, Sozen watched Shokan's vow.

Kill Kuroi? Sozen nodded to himself at the irony of that. It didn't matter what era the Kawada was from. He would carry the tradition of the Kawada hatred for the Segunda. He now marked the fourth Head to swear vengeance on Kuroi. Steaming, the Kawada's former Head rose, and Sozen observed, and heard the dictation to take Shokan to the new Manor. No please. Not really asking. Somewhat of an order. That made sense. It was the Kawada's former Head. Their kind of authority was like that of a military general. They didn't say please. They didn't even really ask. They weren't trying to be rude, but they were trying to just tell.

"Well, let's go, then," Sozen said with a dark smile.

---

New Kawada Manor.

The new Kawada Manor. It wasn't even really a mansion. It was a tower, built by Kenryoku Kawada following Shade's demise. To its credit, it had been born in a month. It stood two hundred floors high, practically a skyscraper. It was enough to overlook most of Seireitei, and even much of the Kawada's lands. It was very corporate looking. Marble floors which were smooth and without tiles. A fountain in the lobby. Elevators. Windows. The like. It was nothing like the feudal style which had been the original. This was modern. It wasn't just a place to live, though it had residential floors. It was a headquarters of operation.

Surrounding it was a huge moat, with no bridge even remotely visible, and sharks clearly infesting the waters below. Surrounding the edge which marked fall into the water, there were various statues in the forms of all the Kawada Heads who had ever left. There was even one for Shokan. They formed a full circle around the perimeter of the place, but for a single opening which was parallel to the main entrance. This area was in between the statues of Shade Kawada and Kenryoku Kawada. Advancing to this gap, but stopping just before getting in between either Shade or Kenryoku, Sozen spoke. "Embers of The Phoenix."

A huge stone bridge appeared out of thin air, connecting them to the Manor. Sozen walked forwards, ushering Shokan and Himitsu to join him. Upon reaching the entrance, which had automatic doors, cameras all over it, and two statues of Jinbei on either side of it, Sozen had to speak yet another password. "Ni-Higyou," Sozen said, and the automatic doors opened up. "I have already alerted them to who you are," Sozen said. "Once you step in, they will use their own tests to verify your identity, and then decide what to do with your return. I wish you the best of luck." Sozen started to leave with Himitsu.

Music

At the last second, he turned back. "Oh, I almost forgot..." Sozen said. "If it's Kuroi that you want, when I defeated him, I spared his life for the Kawada Family to attempt to take. I understand your vendetta is of great importance to you." Like that, Sozen established something. Kuroi, who had taken the mighty Golden Phoenix and a thousand Kawada members and killed them all, had himself been bested by this Captain. In this era, it was clear who was strongest. The Crimson King, Sozen Kuchiki. As Sozen retreated, the building's shadow fell over him and made him into a black outline whose only visible feature was the Cheshire cat's grin and the all-seeing scarlet eyes.

"If you'd like lessons on facing him, you know where to find me."

If Himitsu is next post, he can obviously dictate where we end up next. If it's Shokan, then it's up to him to dictate where we go next.

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

Shokan Kawada was truly something else. He was a relic. An icon, but an artifact. He was way out of his time. Sozen had probably only heard of Shokan from old tales about the greatest heads of the noble families. For Shokan to survive an extended battle against hordes of hollows is an incredibly feat. Among today’s roster of Captains, he would have stood as one of the strongest. His former strength may even rival that of Sozen.

However, all good things must come to an end eventually. Himitsu’s brow furrowed as he heard how Shokan’s life was pursued, but his Zanpakuto was lost and his powers stripped from him. Himitsu would have felt more sympathy for him, but he hadn’t much had the chance to get attached to a Zanpakuto spirit. His former Zanpakuto detested him and refused its services during a time of need for Himitsu. But now, he was just getting acquainted with his new Zanpa-

“WHAT A MAN! TO FIGHT THROUGH ALL OF THOSE DAMN HOLLOWS WITH NOTHING BUT HIS BARE HANDS. HIMITSU, LOOK AT THIS MAN AND REMEMBER HIS FACE. YOU WILL TRAIN HARD EVERY DAY TO FOLLOW HIS LEAD AND ACHIEVE TRUE MANHOOD. IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT YOU MEET A REAL MAN SUCH AS THIS SHOKAN KAWADA!” Of course, Ten- FLEX! FLEX POWERS! THAT’S THE ONLY NAME YOU WILL CALL ME UNLESS IT’S TIME FOR YOUR TO DEVELOP A HINT OF MANLINESS AND CALL ON ME FOR A FIGHT. MY NAME IS FLEX POWERS!

Himitsu withheld a chuckle and nodded goodbye to Shokan before heading out of the hospital room behind Sozen. When Ran’Tao was mentioned, Himitsu’s mind instantly recalled the information he had gathered when studying the creation of Bounts. Ran’Tao was responsible for that very project as Squad 12 Captain, but it seemed that she was involved with much more than just artificial souls. Sozen had faith in her brilliance as a scientist, so Himitsu decided to spend the night looking into the matter while considering the possibility of a sabotage.

Every captain had enemies somewhere, so Sozen’s theory wasn’t unlikely. But not just anyone would be able to pull off such a dangerous stunt and risk the life of a fellow Captain. It would have to be an enemy of both Ran’Tao and the Kawada. And so as Himitsu researched, he and Sozen came up with the conclusion that Ran’Tao’s project was theoretically flawless. Maybe there was something working below the surface and records, something that Shokan may still know.

---

Himitsu was hurt just looking at the former Kawada Manor. All of that history was burned to a crisp and vaporized. None of it was left except for the ghosts of structures that only Shokan could still recognize. It hurt even more for Himitsu to see the man crumble to the ground in emotional agony. He didn’t understand, but he sympathized. He sympathized as much as another person could and maybe even a little more than that.

"Let you be witnesses to this statement today. I will kill Kuroi Naito. Destroy Las Noches. Nothing on this, or any other world will stop me, and I will not rest until this deed is done..." Never seemed to stop making enemies, and eventually, his actions backfired on him. First, Sozen had managed to defeat the Segunda Espada in combat. Now, Shokan decided that it was his turn to bring Kuroi down, and he undoubtedly would work toward and recover his former strength to help him reach that goal.

But what about Himitsu? He was only a fourth seat when Kuroi destroyed his body and slaughtered a rescue team right before his eyes before letting Himitsu live with the pain and guilt. Kuroi crushed Himitsu as a person. How could he save others when he himself was helpless? How was he supposed to protect anyone if he was so weak? Himitsu was done being the one to watch others stand up to the Segunda. It was his turn to get stronger and return the favor to Kuroi. And so he glared at Shokan with eyes as sharp as daggers and issued him a challenge.

“You want to kill Kuroi? Get in line.”

---

Himitsu had never had business on Kawada grounds before. In fact, he typically stayed away from noble manors because of his lack of affiliation with any of the families. All of the communication he’s had with Sozen had been in Seireitei and never got into Sozen’s personal life with on Kuchiki grounds. Therefore, Himitsu couldn’t help but be impressed with the grand Kawada manor.

The security was definitely tight, and just when Himitsu thought he was going to get a peak into the inside, Sozen had signaled that they weren’t going to enter any further. His moderate excitement was killed, but that was understandable. The Kawada had their secrets and lives separate from his. They wouldn’t let an outsider into their walls, and Sozen was most likely permitted because of his close affiliation with the family. Shokan was going to have to reintroduce himself to his family. Himitsu nodded a silent ‘good luck’ and followed Sozen out.

"Oh, I almost forgot... If it's Kuroi that you want, when I defeated him, I spared his life for the Kawada Family to attempt to take. I understand your vendetta is of great importance to you." Only after Shokan left did Himitsu turn to Sozen. “Sorry for being so direct, but what’s the real reason Kuroi survived?” Himitsu speculated that the Segunda had somehow escaped with his life, but the fact that Sozen let him go unsettled him. As much as he wanted to kill Kuroi himself, the important thing was that Kuroi was dead. And here Sozen was saying that he allowed the man to get loose and keep taking more lives. Was it really out of some misplaced courtesy toward his Kawada friends? It seemed like there was more to Sozen's intentions than Himitsu could see.

(( OOC: I’ll let Shokan make the next call on where to go. ))

[Shōkan Kawada Ⅺ]

Walking through the doors of the massive Kawada Manor, Shōkan wasn't quite as awed as all that. The architecture was strange, not the wide as well as tall buildings he was used to, exchanging a bit of width for height to scrape the sky... Reaching a room just past that, Shōkan could see the numerous servants standing there waiting to escort him, as well as a lone man Shōkan could immediately identify as a Kawada. As he turned to bid the pair of shinigami farewell however, Sozen spoke. "Oh, I almost forgot..." Sozen said. "If it's Kuroi that you want, when I defeated him, I spared his life for the Kawada Family to attempt to take. I understand your vendetta is of great importance to you." The building shadow fell over him, and all that was visible was a bright white grin and powerful eyes, "If you'd like lessons on facing him, you know where to find me."

Shōkan would definitely be paying the Squad 6 commander a visit very soon. He would most certainly hold the man to his offer. If swallowing his pride was the price Shōkan had to pay to gain valuable information on his now most hated enemy, he would pay it a thousand times over, rip out his pride and throw it away, filling up the space it left inside with power to burn away the Segunda Espada to ash. With this in mind, as he watched Sozen and Himitsu leave, Shōkan didn't wave or say farewell, instead, he bowed, long and deep. Raising his head, Shōkan felt the automatic doors close behind as he headed towards the the people arrayed before him. They whisked him off to some room in the giant tower, and began running tests on him. Testing his blood, testing his reitsu. Before they even began however, they seemed fairly confident Shōkan was who he said he was.

For one he had the appearance of a Kawada, but the thing that really sealed it was the long black tattoo reaching from his right wrist to the back of his shoulder. The tattoo was that of a stylized phoenix, and it was something only one person in the Kawada Clan could have at a time... The Clan Head. When Shōkan was born, a small phoenix tattoo was placed on his wrist, binding not only to his flesh, but also to his soul. And when he was made clan head, the ceremony served as a catalyst for the tattoo to grow up th elength of his arm. It was so connected to him that it even reacted to his moods and powers, glowing when he was angry or activating his powers. Shōkan supposed that since he was sealed, he was the last clan head to bear this tattoo. You see, their could literally only be one at any point in time, the technique wouldn't accept a new host unless the previous bearer either died or rejected it, and Shōkan had done neither.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Home At Last}

With the tests finally concluded, the servants in the room bowed, and said in unision, "Welcome back, Lord Shōkan." At this, Shōkan simply bowed his own head slightly in acknowledgment. Slowly, the crowd of servants departed, leaving only one. His attire consists of a classic western suit, no overcoat, simply a clean, white silk shit and a black vest, along with a bowtie. He also wears high quality black pants, slacks, and a belt. Shōkan couldn't help but notice that while all of this clothing had formal use, it would be perfectly fine in combat conditions, giving the man a full range of motion. Slowly, the man walked towards Shōkan and bowed deeply, Shōkan asked him "Who are you?" He replied submissively.

"I am Geoffrey Wilcox Lord Shōkan... When you fell form th rift in th esky, it was I that found you, and then took you to Squad 4." Surprisingly, Shōkan recognized the name. It was that of an old family that had served the Kawada for a very long time, long before Shōkan's time even. Shōkan in response to this, bowed to Geoffrey in tunr, surprising him, "Then my thanks must go to you Geoffrey... I owe you a debt." Geoffrey stuttered a bit at this, flattered and embarrased, "O-oh, L-lord Shōkan t-that's not necessary!" Shōkan gave him one fo those charming, claming smiles he was known for, "Of course it is, you saved my life, and I will never forget that Geoffrey." Geoffrey bowed even lower, "Thank you, Lord Shōkan..."

Even as Geoffrey came up out of his bow, another man walked into the room. He was tall, and lightly muscled, just enough to show that he had martial training, but not enough that it would be his specialty. He had long blac hair, pale skin, and perfect posture. From the way he held himself, and the look of his face, Shōkan could immmediately tell that this was on of th esurviving Kawada Clan members. Arrivng in front of Shōkan, he kneeled gently. "Shōkan-sama... Welcome back. My name is Arashi Kawada." Shōkan smiled down at Arashi, beckoning him to rise, while normally this would only be done for the clan head, the situation was a bit extenuating. Technically, Shōkan was still the clan head, but at the same time he wasn't. That, along with his nigh legendary status among his clan caused Arashi to treat him as he might one of the highest members, which Shōkan technically was.

"It is good to be back Arashi..."

---

One Week Later
Squad 6 Barracks
10 A.M.

It had benn one week since the events that brought Shōkan back to this world began. They had been filled with learning... lots of it. Learning about the history of the past thousand years, paying special attention to recent history. Learning about the different and new races that inhabited the worlds. Specifically, he payed special attention to one race. Arrancars. While Arrancars had existed in Shōkan's time, there was next to no information about them, and it was widely believed that there was only ONE arrancar... Cain. Now he learned that there wasn't just more than one, there was an entire ARMY of arrancars sittign in Hueco Mundo. You can understand how information as large as that might give a man some time needed to adjust.

So after the past week of learning, with so much help from Arashi (Shōkan felt especially indebted to the man, he was exceedingly patient and efficient), Shōkan was ready to visit Squad 6. Entering the illustrius building, Shōkan made his way towards the Captains office. Shōkan had made preparations a week ago, formally requesting an audience with the captain at this date and time, so he was positive Sozen was in there, probably Himitsu as well, now that he considered it. Opening the door and entering the room, Shōkan found Sozen sitting at his desk, presumably doing paperwork of some sort, Shōkan bowed to the man. Actually, calling this movement just a bow, wouldn't do it justice. This was a masterpiece of political and social engineering that had been creatd over hundreds of years of experience as a noble clan head.

The bow displayed was just below that of an equal, recognizing that this was Sozen's territory, but that Shōkan was not subservient to the man. In all honesty, the grace and perfection of it would be noticable to someone of Sozen's stature, considering he had probably mastered political machinations such as this, just as Shōkan had. The introductory greeting out of the way, Shōkan continued on with the semi-ceremony that always took place whenever two nobles of considerable stature met together. At least, it was in his time, nowadays, it was considered only necessary in formal situations. But Shōkan new this, it was all a part of the plan. "Lord Kuchiki, it is good to see you in good health this morning." Giving a gesture of askance, Shōkan continued, "Do you mind if i take a moment of your time, Kuchiki-dono?"

It didn't matter if this was a prearranged meeting, this was simply how these things went between nobles. Sozen knew why Shōkan was here, Shōkan knew that Sozen knew why he was here, yet they went through this charade, not only for tradition, but to read each other. half of the reason for these formal introductions was to read the other noble, the wording, the phrasing, the tone. Massive amounts of information could be deduced by just a few sentences in this way, and it was th eprimary reason they were still done in the first place. For instance, Shōkan refering to Sozen as a Kuchiki first and foremost, and not as a captain, indicated that Shōkan was there as a Kawada, and not as a Shinigami of the Gotei 13. This was just one of many things that could be deduced from this, Sure it wasn't all that important in the end, but until the end, it was of the utmost importance.

After this, Sozen would direct the conversation towards what they both new Shōkan was really there for. Kuroi Naito. Sozen knew why Shōkan was there, he wanted information on Kuroi, from his fihgting style, to his release, to his personality, fears, and skills. Everything could be used in this. Shōkan wasn't stupid, maybe back in his prime he could have faced the Segunda Espada on equal terms, but now? That would be a joke, and not a particularly funny one at that. Shōkan was completely of his own power skills and limitations. No, this ws to gather intel on his opponent. To gather strength, calmly collect his resources, plan his and his clans revenge. Blindly giving into rage was the way of bezerkers and fools, for a person that truly wanted vengeance, they had to be cool, calm and collected.

One had to prepare and plan, to ensure success. Shōkan knew this well, and he would succeed where the others of his clan had failed, because they didn't understand the way Shōkan did, they never would. Because Shōkan was from a different time. A time when the monsters of today were born, he knew how they thought and fought and acted because that was how he thought and fought and acted. he knew because, compared to these Shinigami in today, he was one of those monsters, those freaks of nature who were powerful beyond measure. He simply had to rediscover that power...

Of course, Shōkan wasn't refering to his release. He knew that his zanpakuto spirit, and by extension his Shikai and Bankai, were forever lost to him. What Shōkan was referring to was this new power he had discovered. After Sozen and Himitsu left the Kawada Clan compound, Shōkan had explored his new power extensively. It was exceedingly simple, and yet, overwhelmingly powerful. Usually this made for the best powers, except... The more he tried to control it, the more volatile and destructive it became. This didn't sit well with Shōkan at all.

He didn't trust a power he couldn't control, so as it were, he preffered not to use it unless he needed to. That being said, he wasn't overly opposed to using it if the situation demanded it, he simply wouldn't use it in situations that required finesse, or where allies were nearby. At the moment, the most he could reign the power in, was to reduce it's range, other than that, the more effort he put into it, the more violent and destructive it got, to the point where he left it as it was for the moment.