Operation: Kazuhiko Retrieval Arc

[Chika Hirabayashi]

Name: Operation: Kazuhiko Retrieval Arc

Participants: Chika Hirabayashi, Celes Castellanos,Kaen Youji, Satoshi Fuuko, Munemasa Iroka, Satoshi Kazuhiko, and any Hueco Mundo invaders that may aim to stop the group.

Location: Hueco Mundo

Difficulty Level: Medium-Hard

Setting: NDE

Plotline: A group of Shinigami head into Hueco Mundo in order to recover Kazuhiko after his initial kidnapping.

Estimated Enemy Strength: 7-1.

Estimated Time Until Completion: Good Question

Starts: Celes will make an introductory post (due to being the individual tying most of this together In-Character). After that, post order will be established by those that post next.

Special Conditions: After the group enters Hueco Mundo, the opportunity for those in Hueco Mundo to invade the thread becomes available. Thread invaders follow standard Invasion rulings.

[Celes Castellanos]

The sun had barely begun shining over the horizon. It was the wee hours of the morning. Everyone in the Tenth Divison would be found sleeping, resting for their next shift. Or, at least, mostly everyone. Sitting atop the barracks and enjoying the morning breeze was none other than its Captain, Celes. Accompanying her were, by far, the three highest-ranked officers of her number who seemed to almost fall asleep. Each one of them slowly shifted from side to side, struggling to stay awake. Nevertheless, Celes required each one of them for a very specific task.

"You each have your assignments. Deliver my message and you'll be excused for the rest of the day." Each one of them nodded, yawning ever so slightly. Before they all rocketed off to their designated target, Celes spoke up with a stern voice. "Remember. Not a word to anyone. Don't need the head honcho finding about this before we depart." With that, her few Seated Officers headed out. Continuing to rest idly, she briefly ran through the events that all led up to this very moment in her head. 

Finding the 80th District laid to waste with Chika... Reading the report of a mysterious invader within the same district... The disappearance of a Fourth Division Shinigami within the 80th District. It all aligned so well. This invader was responsible for effectively kidnapping a fledgling Shinigami and his hands had been stained by the blood of countless innocents, including some of her own number. This fugitive had to be held accountable. Unfortunately, Celes originally had no idea where to start this search. This is where Kaen, Vice-Captain of the Seventh, came into play. According to the report from Kimiko and a quick visit to the Vice Captain within the Fourth Division Barracks, it seemed that their culprit was a denizen of Hueco Mundo. 

This could only mean one thing. She'd have to siege Hueco Mundo, possibly Las Noches, if they had any hope of rescuing the Unseated Officer. This would be a rather hopeless task at first glance but, thankfully, Celes knew the right people for the job. She had issued a summons to key players via her Officers. First among them was Kaen. Having initially fought the culprit, he likely had an inherent understanding of his abilities and could provide insight. Next was Chika. Having fought the Vice-Captain, she knew the girls' capabilities and deemed her a worthy asset. Besides, there was no way she was going to take no for an answer. The third among them would be Kimiko, Captain of the Eleventh. Similar to Chika, Celes knew her to be a powerful warrior and they certainly needed that for where they were going. 

Speaking of which, there was one final summons to perhaps the most important one of them all. Shawn Rabuburēdo, Vice-Captain of the Thirteenth. Without him, there was no easy way to gain entry into Hueco Mundo. At least to Celes' knowledge. Thankfully she had ensured his part in all of this a while ago. He'd likely be here soon, ready to open the gateway to Hueco Mundo. For now, however, Celes simply waited for the group to convene before they delved into the maw of the beast. She hummed softly as she focused on the cold breeze. Soul King only knew when she'd feel it again. 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Celes' Stats n' Skills}
Strength- 500 [1250]
Speed - 400 [1000]
Spiritual Pressure - 200 [150]
Reiatsu Strength - [400]
Light Aura- 100
Dark Aura - 0
Instinct - [300]
Senses - [150]
Energy Sensory - [50]
Healing Expertise - [0]

Total SP: [2000]

Pain Tolerance: 3
Bu Gei - Blessed Breath Contemplation: 3
Martial Arts - Hakuda: 3
Battle Analysis: 2
Strength of Will: 3
Weapons - Broadsword & Shield: 3
Weapons - Katana: 3

[Nakajima Kimiko]

When Kimiko first began to dream, she recalled memories of her past. These memories, now so incredibly distant, portrayed her time as a Human. They showed her home, her school, and her arcades. They also showcased the people that remained within these places, such as a few acquaintances, her family, and her friends. But then, the memories were distorted. Initially, they were injected with a wrong. This wrong could take any form or shape imaginable, but they often took the form of Hollows put in the place of people she knew. More often than not, the individual that was affected the most by this particular wrong was her father, someone that she has learned to move on from a long time ago after she became what she is now. However, every time such a wrong appeared, she would correct it by simply slaying it, for whenever it appeared, so too would her Shihakusho and her Zanpakuto. Thus, after a time, its effectiveness grew ineffective. She had surpassed it, and so it needed to be replaced with another wrong.

The dreams, thereafter, took the form of torturous nightmares. No more did she slay transformed individuals, no more did she have access to even her weapon. By then, she was reduced to nothing more than a plaything for a being that she did not understand. When it appeared, it was but a figure of dark she could not identify, yet as the nightmares proceeded, she became more and more tangible. Eventually, Kimiko was able to properly understand what it - no, she - looked like. She appeared as her old self, her scholarly self, who attended a school whose name has been forgotten a long time ago. One could say that she was almost a perfect copy of what she once was in the physical sense. With that said, the similarities ended there, since she couldn't be any more different when it came to every other thing that composed Kimiko. She, unlike the Shinigami, was insulting. She was playful yet cruel, respectful yet incredibly disrespectful, serene yet capable of great violence when least expected.

For the longest time, Kimiko was unable to actually recall these experiences properly. Her body would remember the damage it received in the dreams for a time, albeit in a much liter form, but the mind would not. Whenever the latter attempted to conjure the memory, said memory would always appear as an indescribable blur from which no real information could be gathered with the exception of a few key elements. Eventually, the Shinigami was able to rid herself of this blurriness and this critical lack of information. It took some time, but she did actually succeed in becoming aware of what was happening, both through the showcase of her great will before the being in her nightmares and by learning a little bit more about what this being was supposed to be. However, this was only for the most recent dreams, more specifically the ones closest to the time Celes entered her Inner World and battled Taishokukane, the spirit of the dark blade.

So then, why could she remember those things now? Why was she suddenly reminded of these many earlier dreams, nightmares, and other experiences that she has gone through during her early days as an officer of the Gotei 13? Simply put, it was because she had been reminded of them. For some reason she could not explain, she was now being presented with each and every one of them every time she dared to go to sleep. In the void, she would watch them all unfold before her in complete immobility, unable to do a single thing throughout the whole process. She watched a younger version of herself cut down a Hollowfied version of her father in many more ways than one, and then watched that very same version being stabbed, smashed, killed, and mutilated in every single way imaginable by what she now knew to be her Inner Hollow. Every night, she was shown every single one of those things, and every time she was, she found herself taken aback... but more importantly, she became confused.

What was the point of this? She knew that this was the doing of her Inner Hollow, but what was she trying to pull here? Was she trying to remind her of the pain that she has caused to her? Was she trying to tell her that she was still weak, somehow? These many questions were what the Captain asked herself as she remained in her quarters this early in the morning, shortly after she awakened from her slumber yet again, and why she now found herself behind her desk, lost in thought as she kept her blades - especially Shizukakane, the white blade - close to her. Unable to sleep any further, she decided to stay awake and think about this on her own, something that she has always done whenever she's had any of them. It was not a pleasant experience for her to dwindle on the matter, but at the same time, she believed it to be necessary; after all, matters connected to her Inner Hollow always needed her attention, especially given the threat the creature posed to Shizukakane's safety. So she remained behind her desk, and thought.

The thinking would remain as such for a while, draping her in the silence of her quarters. She would attempt to conjure answers to her questions that, in her mind, felt like they made sense to a degree. Some of them had credence, others less so. At times, the spirits within her blades would even chime in. It would be during those moments that the silence of her quarters would be broken. She would respond to her white blade with respect, treating his surprisingly-few words with care, and she would acknowledge her black blade with what could only be considered as a modicum of respect. Nevertheless, they wouldn't really come to a conclusion that she believed to be satisfying, leaving her to eventually become silent once more and stare at the ceiling with a frown.  They definitely mean something. I'm sure of it,  her thoughts rationalized as she further wondered about the dreams.  She wouldn't make me see them for the hell of it...

Before she could think about this any further, however, there would be a knock at her door. With a frown, the Captain would lower her gaze from the ceiling towards the source of the noise, then lift a brow. Huh... That was unusual. At this time of morning, most of her officers should be asleep with the exception of a few patrolling the grounds at night. In fact, judging by the sky outside, they were still just a bit too early, right before the end of curfew. She would keep her on the door, holding onto her blades as she did so just to be sure. Eventually, however, the knocking would repeat and a voice would come from the other side. "Kimiko... There is a man at the gates... He wishes to speak to you," a gravy voice came from the other side at that moment. Instantly, Kimiko tensed down. She knew who owned that voice: it was Gideon, her assistant of sorts. Upon hearing his words, she would find herself standing up from her desk with her swords in hand.

"Yeah, gimme a sec."

---

The man at the gates was a member of the Tenth Division. Under the orders of Captain Celes Shindazu, he was tasked to speak to Kimiko so as to inform her of an incoming military operation. Apparently, Celes had prepared a mission centered around the rescue of a particular Shinigami officer who had been kidnapped by an unknown individual. This individual was supposedly a man from Hueco Mundo who was able to infiltrate the Soul Society and lay waste to the 80th district of Rukongai, and was thus considered as of now to be a potential servant of Sonken Kouhai, Ruler of Las Noches and leader of the Espada. Given the specific nature of the operation, the officer of the Tenth made sure to inform the Captain of the Eleventh that this was a confidential matter and that it would be accomplished without the approval of the First Division and, therefore, the Captain-Commander. In other words, this would be a very risky mission, even for someone of her position.

Kimiko, however, accepted immediately without any apparent hesitation. The very moment the officer began to talk about a kidnapping, she instantly knew what this was about. The kidnapped officer was Satoshi Kazuhiko, the brother of one of her newest apprentices, Fuuko. She has been hearing about him ever since she began personally training the woman of the Fourth, and has been thinking about it ever since with an amount of frustration that grew further and further by the day. Kidnapping an officer was already bad enough, but doing so on their own territory right after they were entirely finished repairing the damages caused by those of the depths below during that blasted invasion? That was insulting. The fact that this was done in the 80th district was perhaps even more insulting as well, given that Seireitei was so far away from the scene that there was no way it could have easily responded to what was going on in time.

It was a shame that she could not bring her officers with her. This kind of action deserved the might of the Eleventh in its entirety. Despite this, she made sure to respect Celes' wishes and thus came alone after she made sure to give a few instructions to Gideon. Quickly, she moved across Seireitei, using various Shunpo jumps from building to building before she finally arrived to her destination. With a quiet clack of her sandals against the ground, she appeared not far from Celes' position, then approached her. By then, the sun was still barely visible in the sky. "Hey, Celes. Good morning," she called with a quick wave and a friendly smile towards her mentor. The area was cold enough to cause a small bit of vapor to come out of her mouth as she spoke. Good thing she had gotten used to this kind of seasonal cold, else her sleeveless attire would have been quite annoying for her to wear. After her presence was made known to the Captain of the Tenth, she would then stretch and look towards their surroundings, making sure that nobody was around. "I'm not gonna lie...  I would've preferred to just attack them directly for this. Some people in the Eleventh come from the 80th."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}

Statistics

Physical	Spiritual		Sensory	Miscellaneous
Strength: 158 (210-52) Speed: 700 (400+300)	Reiatsu Strength: 30 (40-10) Spiritual Pressure: 700 (400+300)		Instincts: 400 Senses: 300 Energy Sensory: 50	Light Aura: 50 Dark Aura: 50 Healing Expertise: 0

Skills

Mental	Battle		Body	Utility
Strength of Will: 3              Analyzing: 2	Iaijutsu: 4 Martial Art - Hohō: 3 Battle Analysis: 3 Battle Focus: 1		N/A	N/A

[Chika Hirabayashi]

Today was the day.

After quite a while of focusing her attention on herself, focusing all of her strength toward this very moment, Chika Hirabayashi was finally ready for what was to come next. After her trip into the 80th District with Celes, it seemed that the time had finally risen for the lot to head into Hueco Mundo. A sort of 'retaliatory strike' some might say. Though, the goal here instead was focusing on the recovery of a Shinigami. Satoshi Kazuhiko.

Stretching out her shoulders as she made sure to conserve her energy, Chika focused her attention toward the road ahead. She had already begun to take proper precautions, making sure that she wasn't going to be exhausted before she'd even arrived at the barracks. After all, Fifth Squad's barracks weren't exactly close to the Tenth's; she'd have quite a ways to go before actually managing to make her way there. Regardless of that fact however, she'd get there eventually. Even if it did take her all afternoon in order to do so!

Thankfully, afternoon had been an overstatement by quite an amount. It had still been in the early signs of morning by the time that Chika eventually arrived within the Tenth's domain. Walking in as she'd done so often before to numerous other Squads, Chika took a moment to look around. It seemed almost like some sort of meet had been going on... one she wasn't going to intrude on for the time. She'd wait until Celes had finished speaking to- wait, who was that?

A woman almost an entire foot taller than her stood nearest to Celes, beginning with her own conversation. The haori she wore gave away her position, but that hadn't changed the fact that Chika had just never met this woman before. Which, while certainly odd, wasn't unheard of for the girl. Even holding the position she did, Chika simply didn't get around very much; she hadn't quite figured out why quite yet, but there was a handful of people that seemed to just not associate themselves with the foxgirl. Why was that?

"Salutations!" she called out, waving her hand toward the two, "do mine own eyes deceive me? It appears as though a new ally is to be had in our legendary excursion into the dreaded wastes of Hueco Mundo!" Striking a quick pose, Chika took the opportunity to crank up her extroversion up to an 11 for the day. "It's quite spectacular to have the opportunity to meet you, Miss Captain! Chika Hirabayashi, Lieutenant and Acting Captain of the Fifth Squad, and the Illustrious Bearer of the Starcursed Brand, at your service!" Balling her fingers one-by-one into a fist and holding it not far from her face, Chika allowed the bandages on her right arm to fall into view.

Turning her attention toward Celes for a moment, "pray, what might be the plan for this rather wicked adventure to be had, Captain Celes?" Giving her an excitable smile all the while, Chika kept her hands on her hips. She took quite a bit of effort to keep up the persona she'd been trying to maintain since she'd arrived; those that knew her were to recognize it as a surefire sign of the girl's nervousness toward the situation at hand.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chika's Stats & Skills}
Type: Fighter, Version 2

Stats & Skills:

Strength: 40 [30]
Speed: 200 [300]
Reiatsu Strength: 40 [30]
Spiritual Pressure: 300 [450]
Instinct: 100 [100]
Senses: 50 [50]
Energy Sensory: 50 [50]
Healing Expertise: 0 [0]

Light Aura: 100
Dark Aura: 0

----------

Strength of Will: 2
Weapons - Katana: 2
Acting: 2
Martial Arts - Hakuda: 2
Martial Arts - Hōhō: 2
Pain Tolerance: 2
Stealth: 2

[Kaen Youji]

A summons to the 10th Division huh? And regarding the news Kaen had told Celes about the skirmish in District 80 no less. So.... It had to do with Kazuhiko.... An invasion of Las Noches to get him out? Damn... Kaen didn't expect that from her. But he was pleased to hear it, and made him glad that he'd made the connection with Celes earlier. Of course he would go, but.... Well. There was an obvious elephant in the room. Kaen probably owed it to Fuuko and Iroka to let them know what he was doing. Now Kaen wasn't about to invite them. He knew Celes would probably object to bringing in some freshly promoted Shinigami to the fore-- especially those who'd been so grievously injured. Sooooooo.... He just wouldn't invite them! No harm in letting them know that he'd be going to get Fuuko's brother back though right? Fuuko wasn't so headstrong she'd come barreling for the tenth as soon as she was told, right?

Well, that's the story Kaen would be going with, at any rate. He sent one of his officers, Akane, to run off to the Fourth, to advise Fuuko and Iroka of the basic details. Well. "Basic details". The message he was sending with Akane was "Hey Fuuko, Iroka. Just thought I'd make sure you knew. I'm heading to the Tenth Division to get your brother. I thought you might like to know." Simple enough. Anyways!

-----

Kaen was at Celes's barracks before too much time had passed, though certainly after Chika and Kimiko. He approached the Barracks, and-- huh. Well. He wasn't expecting it to be hard to find Celes, but he hadn't expected her to literally be sitting on top of the Barracks! Okay then! That made it easy! A heavy kick off from the ground (with a midair flip because why not?) and Kaen landed on the rooftop near Celes. It seemed he was third to arrive, looking at the people assembled. "Huh. I see we have company." He recognized one of the women as the recently promoted Kimiko Nakajima. Though they'd never met in person, Kaen had been updated on her. But he didn't know anything about the fox girl present.

"Sup, Celes?" He asked, smiling cheerfully. "Good to see you again. Captain Nakajima." He gave a short bow. "Nice to finally meet you. And uhh... I'm sorry, I don't know your name." He admitted to Chika. "But I'm Kaen Youji of the 7th. I'm sure it's nice to meet you as well!" He stated, standing in a very relaxed pose, as he waited to be caught up on what was going on.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko had to practically restrain herself not to through Akane through something when the message was delivered. Her crowing could probably be heard throughout the entire Yonbantai. "You. Are. SHITTING me, aren't ya!?" Fuuko snarled as she grabbed Akane's collar and shook them. "Did that bastard really send you here to pull this shit!? What is he tryin ta make a joke!? I ain't fuckin laughin, am I!?" Fuuko gave Akane another shake. "Is he tryin ta rub it in my face that I can't do shit!? That bastard!" Fuuko's cheeks flushed. She was hot and feeling a certain way! Her hands shook as she gripped Akane's shuhakushou, but she knew better than to shoot the messenger. 

Fuuko sighed and slapped her hand down the uniform and gave Akane's shoulder a pat. "Thanks." She spat. "I'll give him my reply personally!" Fuuko grabbed everything she needed, including her med kit, and left her place. Since Akane had already brought up Iroka and, hopefully, got to her first, that made Fuuko's decision on whether or not to bring her bestie. Of course Iroka was probably much more useful than Fuuko was, and Fuuko definitely  needed her to keep Fuuko in check, but the thought of being responsible for Iroka getting hurt was also something that stuck in the back of her mind. She couldn't bear the thought of Iroka being injured, or worse. With another sigh, shegot to Iroka's place and banged on the door. 

"Oi, Sis! I'm going to Squad Ten to save Kazu!" She didn't have to say anymore. Iroka would find her way. She was good at following Fuuko's trail. That just left tearing ass to the Juubantai. Thankfully, being a sewer cleaner meant that she knew the quickest ways to nearly every division. Not the nicest trip in the world, but she'd gotten used to the tubes and tunnels and knew which way to go to keep from traversing the stinkier stretches of the sewers. 

Once she popped up in the Tenth barracks, she took a moment to scan for Kaen's reiatsu. She couldn't at first, but there were at least three captain level raiatsu signatures all gathered together. If one of them wasn't Kaen, then the bastard was really playing a trick on her! She rushed over to where the signatures were coming from and recognized Nakajima-taichou quickly. Then, she recognized Kaen's. She clenched her teeth as she leered at the door. They hadn't left yet. That was good. She reached to knock and stopped as she pulled her fist back. Then, for some reason, the thought of Kaen laughing about it with all the other captains, something Fuuko knew he wouldn't do, creeped into her head. 

"I sent a message to Kazuhiko's sister so we need to hurry up or she'll follow us because she can't control herself. If she comes with us, she'll just end up dying because she's weak and pathetic."

"What!?" Fuuko hissed. "So it's like that, huh!? Rrrrrrrghhh!" Fuuko lifted her foot and kicked the door open with as much force as she could muster and stomped into the room. "WEAK AND PATHETIC, HUH!?" She screeched. "BASTARD! I'LL SHOW YOU!" The words got out before her eyes could take in the room. She blinked when she realized no one was there. Her eyes shifted upward.

They were on the roof.

With a deep, breath and increasingly flushed chew, Fuuko hopped onto the roof. Fuuko spotted Kimiko immediately. She also looked at the other woman in the Haori and froze. Her lips pursed and she bent in contrite embarrassment.

"Sensei." She said and bowed to Kimiko. Her cheeks somehow got more red and more hot. She kept her head bowed low and swiveled to face Celes. "Captain Shindazu." She could feel her palms getting clammy as she kept her fists clenched and her body hunched over. 

"Satoshi Fuuko, Fourth Seat of Squad Four." Her voice was calm, patient, almost meek. "Satoshi Kazuhiko is my younger brother. I was informed that there was interest in rescuing him." She paused. Her patience for formality had come to an end along with the threshold with which anger outpaced the subduing affect of embarrassment. She straightened up and shook out the stiffness with a sneer. "...from that fuckin Bum! I'll stuff every Ryo I have down his fucking throat until he chokes on it!" 

Munemasa Iroka

[Munemasa Iroka]

Life had been relatively calm in the few days following the meeting of the Division 4 Shinigami with the Flamingo Pervert in Rukongai. Still, there were so many things about that event that Iroka could not get out of her mind. For starters, the fact that this fellow could kill them without a second thought was rather upsetting. Then, there was the issue of the strange voices in her head. Did she have twin zanpakutou? She had asked herself over and over if she did, but for all intents and purposes, that was rather unlikely. She had only one sword. Still, there had been mentions of people who had a singular zanpakutou which split into two on release. Maybe that was her case.

That other voice, though. It unnerved her to no end. It was said that one's zanpakutou spirit was a reflection of who or what one truly was. Maybe that voice was a reflection of the self-loathing she felt, which had been drilled into her head in the earlier years of her life. Then again, there was something that deep down felt off about that voice, as though the voice was a part of her, and at the same time, a complete stranger, like some strange parasite that had somehow evolved from one's own cells. Precisely like a cancerous metastasis, as far as Iroka was concerned. Still, she did not feel sicker than normal, nor had her efficiency reduced any.

While a normal person would probably take time off to think about such troubling things, Iroka did the opposite. For her, delving into work had the interesting effect of making her brain more effective in its analysis. When she was bored, or inert, her thoughts just flowed together in a jumbled mess through her head. While working, however, it was as though her brain compartmentalized all her major thoughts, and began working through them, either in tandem, or based on the level of perceived priority. And so she had decided to focus on a bit of personal work, to get her thoughts sorted out.

It was while she was seated cross-legged on her bed, using a screwdriver to take apart a phone she had smuggled from the human world, that she heard a sudden knock on her door, making her jump. Beyond the door, Fuuko called out that she was going to Squad 10 to rescue Kazuhiko. That did it. Instantly forgetting about what she had been tinkering with merely seconds ago, Iroka sprang to her feet, changed quickly into her shihakushou, grabbed her zanpakutou from where it lay propped up by her bedside, and took off for the 10th, hoping that she wasn't late. Even though she had felt absolutely helpless in Rukongai, Iroka felt she had improved since then. A committed healer was probably necessary for such an intense job, and Iroka hoped to fill that role.

Following Fuuko wasn't particularly difficult, though the blonde was faster than she was; the destination had been given, after all. It didn't take long to reach the 10th, and Iroka soon observed that there were a number of people on the roof. Using Shunpo, she leapt from the ground onto the roof, and met with a rather daunting sight. Two captains, two vice captains, and Fuuko. In a slightly shaky voice, she greeted everyone with a deep bow, and edged closer to Fuuko, unconsciously positioning herself so that Fuuko was between her and the rest of the assembled Shinigami. Like some sort of shield. "I-- I thought I might offer my services on this mission," she stammered quietly. "You might need some healing...."

[Celes Castellanos]

It wouldn't be too long until the carriers had delivered their messages and Celes' chosen participants made their way to the Tenth Division. Granted, she really hadn't summoned that many Shinigami. Nevertheless, the subtle gusts of air drew closer and closer until the sounds of footfalls made themselves known. Celes' head swiveled to the side as Kimiko arrived. "Hey, Celes. Good morning," The Captain of the Tenth briefly bowed her head, acknowledging her disciple, and smiled back. "Hey there, Kimiko. Glad you could make it.", Celes chuckled softly.

"I'm not gonna lie... I would've preferred to just attack them directly for this. Some people in the Eleventh come from the 80th." Celes hummed softly initially. In truth, she wasn't entirely surprised by Kimiko's comment. "I can't fault you for that. In truth, I've found it quite vexing myself...", she'd pause for a moment in reflection. Beneath her soft surface, it burned Celes to her core. She had sworn an oath to defend every life, no matter her personal feelings, in Seireitei and beyond. This kind of attack was practically a blatant insult to her station as Captain of the Tenth.

Celes' hand curled into a fist even as she took a deep breath to calm herself. She'd return her gaze to Kimiko and smile. "However, I can't allow myself to act in anger. I lost men as well, but an all-out attack isn't going to help our little dilemma here. We have our hands full as is." Celes shuddered briefly as she recalled the mass destruction that befell Soul Society during the invasion by Hell. Their enemies had shown that they are not afraid to strike at the heart of Soul Society. A full-on assault on another realm would prove catastrophic if more of their enemies took advantage of their broken, battered state. However, that was a conversation for another day.

Slowly, but surely, more would trickle in. First Chika. Then, finally Kaen. Each one of them offered their formalities to which Celes happily obliged. "Welcome, Chika. Kaen. Just waiting on one more..." Celes raised herself to her feet and stretched her arms high toward the sky. A few cracks later and she was good to go. Rolling her shoulders forward, Celes' eyes briefly scanned across the several participants as she smiled brightly.

"Well, I suppose it's time to discuss the game plan. First,-" The lime-haired Shinigami's train of thought was interrupted as she caught wind of a rather loud voice. "WEAK AND PATHETIC, HUH!?" Stomping and a heavy slam proceeded to accompany the shouting. "BASTARD! I'LL SHOW YOU!" Celes simply raised her eyebrow and pushed her fingers against her forehead, letting out a sigh of relief. Who the hell would cause such a ruckus?! Thankfully, it seemed that answer would reveal itself soon.

A short hop onto the roof later and Celes would find herself eye-to-eye with a newcomer. She had never met this woman before, but she seemed to be the cause of the disturbance. Speaking of formalities, she'd address Kimiko. "Sensei.". This blonde woman then turned her attention to Celes. "Captain Shindazu." The Captain grimaced a little and just sighed. She didn't like the formalities of her position and the titles that came with it. She didn't like special treatment. Unfortunately, everyone who initially met her kept to that same address. Nevertheless, Celes raised her hand and spoke softly, ""At ease,...". She trailed off, realizing that she didn't know this woman's name.

Thankfully, she'd pick up on that and introduce herself. "Wait? Satoshi Fuuko? That could only mean... "Satoshi Kazuhiko is my younger brother. I was informed that there was interest in rescuing him." Celes let out a soft puff of air as she grimaced a little further and stared at Kimiko... then at Chika... finally at Kaen, all with a serious look. Her mind was only concerned with one question... "Did one of them seriously already slip? In fact, Celes did not even focus on the latter half of Fuuko's comment.

Unfortunately, before the Captain even had a chance to respond, another person suddenly appeared on the roof with them. Another Shinigami with a unique head of hair. As she bowed her head in greeting, Celes let out another sigh. "Lemme guess,..." "I-- I thought I might offer my services on this mission," Celes' eyes shifted between Iroka and Fuuko as one used the other as a shield of sorts. "You might need some healing...."

Two Unseated Officers on a mission like this? It was rather risky. Hell, Celes was downright contemplating denying the request. After mulling it over for a moment, Celes turned to Fuuko. "Family, huh? In that case, I would bring shame on myself if I stopped you from coming." She then turned her gaze to Iroka. "As for you... I've always had much respect for the Fourth Division. I wouldn't be where I am today without their help. I'll allow it."

With all that taken care of, Celes closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "As you may all know, we are here to rescue one of our own, Kazuhiko of the Fourth Division. We know he's in Hueco Mundo thanks to intel provided by both Kaen and Kimiko Shihoin. So the plan is simple. We get into Hueco Mundo...", she'd pause for a moment and look at Fuuko. "Track down your brother and get him hell out of there. Any questions?

[Chika Hirabayashi]

As the remainder of the group had taken the opportunity to show up, Chika stood valiantly, with her hands on her hips the whole time. Seemed that quite a number of faces were quickly showing up to arrive! She didn't want to waste her breath by introducing herself multiple times to everyone, so thus would simply be waited on until everyone had arrived.

As the moments passed, and Kaen, Fuuko, and then eventually Iroka showed up, Chika nodded her head. Seemed like a good amount of people have arrived! Time for her to make her 'entrance'! "Salutations!" She shouted with a rather over-the-top salute, "'tis quite the pleasure to meet all of you! For those that know not my presence, I am Chika; Lieutenant and Acting Captain of The Fifth Squad! It is quite the honor to meet such an effervescent group of people!" Immediately bowing her head to her superiors, Chika immediately threw her arms back to her sides. The smile across her face spoke volumes about her disposition.

Listening to what Celes had to say on the matter, Chika simply nodded her head along, waiting for Celes to eventually ask about questions. Chika shot her hand up immediately. "Just one, Celes!" She would've used the required honorifics there, but she knew that Celes herself wasn't exactly a fan of them. "What's the plan for entering Hueco Mundo? Surely you've quite the trick up your sleeve!" Immediately thereafter, Chika threw her hands on her hips again. She stood proud, simply awaiting an answer.

---

Having already been sanctioned ahead of time, a small platoon of Thirteenth Squad Shinigami had been set up near the main entrance to the Senkaimon, fully prepared for an excursion into Hueco Mundo, as sanctioned by Shawn Rabuburedo. The moment the Kazuhiko Retrieval Team had been prepared to leave, the entrance to the desert was prepared and ready. It was just a matter of the group arriving.

The moment that they'd been prepared to enter, the group was to be used as a cover for Seireitei operations, in order to assure that as little information about the mission had gotten back to the Captain Commander as possible. Upon entering, both the Squad 13 Expedition Team and the Kazuhiko Retrieval Team were to split, leaving the group to go about their own operations as necessary, as written in a note currently in Captain Shindazu's possession. All was prepared to go off without much problem at all! The question remained however, was the Retrieval Team prepared for what was to be on the other side?

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko was glad to see that Celes was doing relatively okay from the looks of things. Amongst those who have lost their lives during the demonic invasion, the officers of the Tenth Division probably were among the greatest casualties. Their duties being as they were, they most likely had no choice but to bear the brunt of the attack in order to defend as many civilian installations as possible during the invasion and thereafter from those which sought to put an end the Soul Society. Unfortunately, as brave as they were, the most of them did not possess the necessary skills to defend these installations appropriately against some of the greater demons that appeared on that faithful day, and those that did were very quickly overwhelmed by the lesser creatures that followed the greater ones. With all of this in mind, it would not have been surprising to see the Captain of the fallen be at the very least disheveled... but no, she still stood strong.

Well, at least she did to an extent. She hid it well with her words, but there were a few things during their mutual introductions to one another today that Kimiko noticed. Her friend's words may have been as soft and as reassuring as ever, yet for the briefest of moments, her true emotions would be revealed. That moment was brief, perhaps lasting about only a few seconds at best. Even so, it showed the swordswoman emotions that she was once again not used being showcased by her friend: frustration, anger, outrage. It did not take long, of course, for these emotions to disappear, as by the time Kimiko noticed them, Celes had gone back to appearing as her usual self. Their presence here was also understandable, given that Kimiko too shared them in regards to Kazuhiko's situation. However, the dojo master noted them regardless. She felt she had too, after all, as the student of her fellow Captain. "I guess you're right... but I don't think my soldiers would've agreed with that," she would thus find herself jesting, returning a smile in response to her friend's in the process.

A moment of silence would then briefly come as the two superior officers began to wait for the other members of this little band to appear. As powerful as they were, they were most definitely not going to go out there in the very heart of Hueco Mundo on their own. Besides, they didn't even know how to get there without having to directly go through the Senkaimon. Kimiko didn't, at the very least, and unsurprisingly, it made her wonder about it all. How were they actually going to go there, really? Was someone from the Thirteenth Division a part of their group? After all, the Senkaimon was under their complete jurisdiction and nobody could actually use it without their proper permission. If that was not the case, was its use somehow authorized by the Captain of the Thirteenth for the purpose of this mission? As always, the questions came and they bothered the scarlet-eyed woman. Hopefully, this would be answered sooner rather than later.

Regardless, the aforementioned moment of silence would find itself swiftly coming to an end as two officers then joined Kimiko and Celes on the roof. The first of these officers was someone that the Captain of the Eleventh had never met before, a certain Chika Hirabayashi from the Fifth Division. From the looks she carried, it appeared as though she was some kind of fox-girl. How she came to be in such a way was a mystery to Kimiko, as she could have sworn that she has never once seen someone look like that throughout the entirety of the Soul Society, but she guessed that this officer was somehow the offspring of a Human and a member of the Beast Clans. It was the only way, really, aside from genetic modification, which was a bit of a ridiculous notion. Then again, she was a damned magician, so perhaps this was the effect of some kind of spell. That, and her attitude appeared to be the kind to expect from people who wanted to look like this in public.

It did not take very long for Kimiko to get a bit of a grasp as to how the girl behaved. She appeared to be overly friendly, quite flashy and unabashed. In other words, she was quite the massive extrovert. Being in one of the most extroverted squads in the Gotei 13, the Captain of the Eleventh Division as seen and spoken to many people who acted just about as loudly and as impressively as this woman. She also interacted with several people who were somewhat similar back at Nijūkan. In spite of all of this, however, it was still not enough to properly prepare Kimiko for the sheer amount of extroversion on display. "The.... Starcursed Brand...?" She would just repeat in the moment as she stared at the fox-girl, a bit bewildered as she tried her best to adjust to this girl's attitude as quickly as possible. Fortunately, this adjustment would come fast, as eventually, she would straighten up and give the girl a smile. "I am Nakajima Kimiko, Captain of the Eleventh Division, and owner of Nijūkan! Nice to meet you, Chika." 

Not long after Chika's arrival, others would then begin to appear on the roof of the Tenth's barracks. First, there was Kaen, who Kimiko made sure to greet with a "Likewise, Kaen" and a nod of respect. Having already met him before and having heard of his connections to Fuuko in one way or another, which admittedly wasn't very difficult, she was not surprised to see the Vice-Captain of the Seventh here. Then, shortly after he came, two more officers would appear. Fuuko was unsurprisingly one of the two officers, and as to be expected from her, she had quite the flashy entrance. Kimiko could feel the entire building shake as the blonde went from room to room within the barracks of the Tenth, probably waking up half of the entire Division in the process until she realized that they were all on the roof. It did not take long thereafter for her to calm down once she arrived and spotted them all, which caused Kimiko to smile at her student. "Heh, good morning, Fuuko," she would tell her student all the while not at all noticing Celes' staring, as she believed that Fuuko was supposed to be part of this operation all along. "Keep up that energy. You're gonna need it to take that guy out if he shows up."

Meanwhile, the other officer who came was another stranger to Kimiko. Like Fuuko, she was another member of the Fourth, though she did not introduce herself just yet. At a glance, the Captain of the Eleventh wasn't quite sure of what she could do. Unlike the others who Kimiko was either aware of or could understand what they could do, even Chika, it was hard for her to pinpoint what this newcomer could do aside from healing. Well, either way, a healer is appreciated. Shizukakane can heal the swordswoman just fine, but his powers can't extend to others, and who knows in what state they will find Kazuhiko over there. "Same thing here. The work of Shibantai will always be appreciated by Jūichibantai. You can come if you want to," she would go on to assert her position on the matter shortly after Celes. As much as she preferred to be treated as a familiar figure more than anything, Kimiko remained a Captain, and so she needed to act as such before these people.

The lime-haired officer would then go on to explain the operation to the team. As Kimiko expected, it was a straightforward plan: all they needed to do was find Kazuhiko, get him, and then get out before the entirety of Las Noches falls upon them. Even so, there was one question that she needed to ask, and it seemed Chika shared one of them. Fortunately for them all, and especially Kimiko herself, this question would be answered rapidly as they found themselves heading towards the Senkaimon.

---

By the time each member of the operation found themselves before the Senkaimon, Kimiko would stand there patiently, waiting for the path to eventually open into Hueco Mundo upon the behest of the Captain of the Thirteenth Division, Shawn Rabuburēdo. Her eyes would stare forward in the moment, readied as she tried to imagine what would happen the very moment they would step into the great white desert. As surprising as this may sound, the swordswoman had never once gone to Hueco Mundo. In fact, she had never seen it. For the longest time, the only places in which she fought Hollows of any kind or any other enemy of the Soul Society were within the Living World or, sadly enough, within the Soul Society itself. In so doing, she wasn't quite sure of what to expect over there, aside from perhaps a visit from a few of the members of the Espada. Worse yet, it was possible that they would have to do battle with Kouhai, the leader of Las Noches.

As much as a part of her did want to actually eliminate some of the members of the Espada, if only to show them that the Soul Society was not left as weakened by the events of the demonic invasion as the people of Las Noches supposedly believed it to be, she was hoping that the operation would go on as planned by Celes. She was aware that a failure would potentially lead to another attack against the heavenly realm, and for all intents and purposes, another attack was not what they needed to go through for the time being. They had just recovered from the latest invasion, just finished repairing the grand majority of the damages caused to both Rukongai and Seireitei. They needed to breathe, at least for a few more months or a year. In any case, once everyone would find themselves ready to go forward, the Captain would look on towards the others, then her apprentice. Perhaps a means of encouragement, she would nod at her before giving her a smirk. "Keep your head up high, Fuuko! I can already tell this is gonna go well," she promised before looking towards the officers of the Thirteenth who were taking care of further preparing the Senkaimon. "Your brother's gonna come back home safe."

He better be. Who knows what's gonna happen if that little guy falls victim to his kidnapper. For all they know, he might already be gone.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Technique Used}
Technique Name: Akuma no Ishi (剃るかんめき, "Demon's Will")

Technique Type: Other | Strength of Will Buff

Technique Element: None

Usable by: All races

Class: 3

Technique Reiatsu Cost: N/A

Technique Description and Effects

The projection of one's own will to empower the hearts of others. The user channels the strength of their very soul within themselves before shouting it out, most typically either in a short inspirational speech or a motivational war cry. By accomplishing this, the user is capable of bringing forth the Strength of Will skill of all of their surrounding allies by one point for the next three posts, inspiring them to go further beyond towards victory even if such a thing may cost their lives. A master of this skill is said to have such a powerful will that they are able to instead bring the aforementioned skill of their allies up by two points.


Drawbacks & Weaknesses

As saddening as this may be to those who may be interested in learning this technique, not everyone is born with a powerful will. That is simply a natural, uncontested fact that cannot be refuted even by the greatest minds there is in this world. In so doing, it is not difficult to imagine that this technique will not always show any kind of positive effect onto the people surrounding them, especially if they are used by naturally-uninspiring individuals. In order to guarantee this technique's proper success, the user must possess a 2 in at least one of the following skills: Acting, Charisma, or Strength of Will. This technique can be executed by those who have a lesser version of these skills if they so will it; however, upon execution, there will be a 50% chance of this skill failing to provide any kind of inspiration to allies altogether.


Made by: Nakajima Kimiko

Reserved? : No

[Kaen Youji]

And..... There it was. Honestly, the only surprise to Kaen was how quickly Fuuko had gotten there, not her presence, nor her explosive entry. He supposed the Fourth Division officer had been training hard after the fiasco in the outer districts, and at her statement to Kimiko, Kaen now had an idea of who was responsible for that. Oh man. Ohhhh man, it was so very hard to avoid a comment about that. "I thought you said you didn't want to be trained by Kimiko." .....Okay, there he'd thought it, he could move on. Kaen looked at Fuuko-- and then Iroka behind her. Both had come. As he'd expected. The blue oni and the red oni as Fuuko had put it.

"Well. Fuuko. Nice to see you. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here as well. This is your brother afterall. You must have gotten a lot stronger since the last time we met if that's the case." Kaen commented, almost idly, playing dumb as to the fact that he was the reason she was here afterall. Whether Fuuko intended to play along or if she would decide to pass on outing Kaen was up to her, and he'd roll with it either way. "Afterall. We're going into Hueco Mundo. Full on enemy territory. There will probably be enemies of the caliber of that asshole we met in the Rukongai." He advised her-- his only warning. His only offer to let Fuuko back out now. He gave Iroka a nod. "Though Iroka's right, we probably could use someone to patch us up. A group like this is sure to attract an Espada." His brow furrowed in contemplation. The approach would be interesting.

Kaen nodded to Chika as she introduced herself with a smile. "Nice to meet you as well, Chika. Acting Captain of the 5th? I look forward to seeing you in action then." Moving on though.... "I do have one question Celes." Kaen responded in answer to Celes's inquiry for any questions. "What's the plan to track him down once we arrive? The only intel Kimiko and I were able to verify is that he was in Hueco Mundo. No way of knowing exactly where. Barring.... well.... the only landmark we have. Is this team enough to go into Las Noches if it comes to that?"

---------

Whether they were or not though, Kaen joined the group as they approached the main Senkaimon, once everything was sorted out, and ready to go. Beneath his Shihakusho was the slight glint of his chainmail vest he'd commissioned so long ago, and had saved his life on more than one occasion. Hachiryuu affixed to his back, and his eyes on the gate ahead. This wouldn't be easy. He was sure of that. A group consisting of two Captains, two Acting Captains and two additional Shinigami was going to attract attention. It was going to attract Kouhai's eye. As to how he would respond....?

That was the hard part. That was the question Kaen wasn't sure he could answer.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko didn't like that all eyes seemed to be on her, even after Iroka entered. She was grateful for her showing up too, but it didn't change a thing. Especially Captain Shindazu, who Fuuko had yet to formerly meet. Her talk of shame, made Fuuko blush. "No no no! Please, I am the one who is in debt, taichou." Fuuko said, keeping her head lowered. Fuuko glanced as Celes looked over Iroka. "She is Munemasa Iroka! Not only is she one of the yonbantai's best healers, she is my sister in spirit. She's the blue oni of Yonbantai. Without her... I am nothing." Fuuko continued, trying to speak on behalf of her squadmate and best friend. "She is... definitely  more useful in this mission than I am..." Fuuko added. 

Fuuko then turned and looked at Chika as she explained herself. "Thank you, Chika Fukutaichou!" Fuuko said, dipping her head to bow a bit more. "I am honored!" Still, she wa sacting  Captain? It wouldn't be very good if all these people went into Hueco mundo and didn't come back cause of Kazu, or, probably more likely, Fuuko's own nagging and threatening to do something incredibly stupid. More stupid than she had already done. She was eager to hear how Celes responded to Chika's question, though. 

Fuuko swiveled to meet Kimiko's gaze. "Hai! Thank you again, Sensei!" Fuuko said and strtaightened up finally. "I am sure with you, this will be an easy mission." She said with a smile. "Not to offend anyone, but, with you coming my own mind is a bit at ease. Thank you again." Fuuko said and bowed once again. 

Fuuko then straightened up when she turned and looked at Kaen. "Heh." She smiled. "At the very least this bitch works now." Fuuko said and tapped the end of her zanpakutou. "Though I can't say she'll be very helpful. I'd say she shoulda stayed sealed." Fuuko then shrugged. 

'Anego! Why are you being mean!? Don't put me down in front of so many others! Anegoooo!' Shukketsubuki whined. 

Fuuko ignored the zan as Kaen spoke. "Of that fuckin bum!?" She growled. "Tch... " She stowed her anger at the man who had humiliated her so badly and pursed her lips. "Espada?" She had only heard the term in hushed whispers. "Maybe sendin four captains ain't the best  approach?" She asked aloud. "Especially if we gotta go there." She said, referring to Las Noches. Suddenly, she was very  worried about this mission. 
__________________________

But that didn't matter. As she approached the Senkaimon to get transported to Hueco Mundo, she was filled with both nerves and excitement. Anticipation, dread, fear, anger, eagerness. It all ran through her at the same time. She wished she had something stiff to drink, but, instead, while she waited, she pulled out her kiseru pipe, packed it and lit it up. A deep inhale sent the smoke into her lungs and she held it there and closed her eyes. She then slowly let the smoke billow into the air with a soft hiss. Just the act was relaxing, but the substance was too. 

After taking a drag, she held out the pipe. "Anyone else? Last chance before we head out, right? We got any kinda plan?" Fuuko reiterated. "Not that I need one. Just point me in the right direction!" Fuuko said with the worst attempt at chuckling away her nerves. She looked to Kimiko, who was trying to encourage her. "Yosh! You're right, sensei! We'll get him back in no time!" 

[Munemasa Iroka]

As Iroka made her presence and decision to join the mission known, the captains approved of her joining the rescue party, and Fuuko introduced her in a much grander way than the orange-haired Shinigami had expected. If now was the time to show some level of confidence, in order to at least advertise her competence to the gathered group, Iroka was unaware of it. Instead, she tried to move even more behind Fuuko than she already was. The presence of two captains and two acting captains was quite unnerving to her, and it didn't help that she was, despite her funny quirks, a naturally bashful person.

In any case, it was quite pleasant to note that the captain of the 11th Division expressed her approval of the 4th. It was not as though Celes' regard for the Yonbantai held any less acclaim. It was just that with the Juichibantai having been previously known among members of Iroka's division for their bullying of the Yonbantai Shinigami, hearing Kimiko appreciate the usually overlooked healing services of the 4th was heartwarming. Even though Iroka was doing her best to hide behind Fuuko, she mustered all the willpower to step into view, in order to bow in thanks to the two captains, before returning to her hiding spot behind the blonde.

There was something scary about captains. Even though Celes and Kimiko were obviously not trying to unnerve her, captains were just frightening. Vice-captains not so much, but they were still a bit scary. Iroka suspected that she would probably have been just as 'scared' of Kaen as she was of the two captains, if he had owned the title and the white haori. The girl who introduced herself as Chika seemed like a very bubbly sort, but she was a vice-captain. So she was scary. Still, were those dog ears and a tail? The awareness of the presence of the captains overwhelmed the urge to attempt to perform an examination on Chika. Maybe later....

It seemed a group of exploring 13th Division Shinigami would be using the same Senkaimon as the rescue group. Likely to cloak the rescue team's foray into Hueco Mundo. This indicated that the foray was anything but sanctioned by the Central 46, but if Iroka was of the sort to care about rules, she would have had misgivings about going. Still, it made her feel thoughts of admiration for the gathered group. Their commitment to rescue an apparently dispensable member of the least prestigious Gotei 13 Division impressed her. She would do her part... she would prove that she was not useless. But deep down, Iroka hoped she wouldn't have to.

There was something quite inspiring about Kimiko's encouragement to Fuuko, though....