15 Hollowification

I stay behind and wait for the Head Captain to start talking. I can feel that he also isn't sure about what to say or what to think about something. 

"The Central 46 have notified me.", Yamamoto starts talking and I only listen. Yamamoto doesn't talk fast or hasty. His age and experience are far too big to make him nervous about something like this. But I understand his suspicion. 

"I was told to task you specifically with this mission. They want you to keep an eye on things. I have reason to believe that there is something else going on here.", Yamamoto says and then opens his eyes to look at me. I nod my head at that. Indeed, that wasn't the smartest move, to ask for me specifically. 

"I agree. This seems strange for them to ask me, the Captain of the 11th Division to do this. What would you suggest, Head Captain?", I ask him.

"Nothing for now. Do what was asked of you. I shall try to find out what they are planning. Make sure you stay vigilant, Captain Kuchiki.", Yamamoto says and finishes our talk. I nod my head and excuse me. It is time for me to see whether Aizen has something special planned for me. 

.

I tell my Grandfather about the special order I was given by the Central 46 and ask him to make sure nothing suspicious happens. I don't want him to think I am in any way involved in some shady business. After doing that, I leave the Seireitei to go to the Rukongai. 

I see a fight happening with my Kenbunshoku Haki. I'm not in a hurry, however. I continue at the same pace I had to come here. I am not trying to make things easy for the schemer. I am however interested in a good fight. 

I arrive at the scene to see a hollowified Captain Muguruma punching the 8th Division Lieutenant Yadomaru. Then the Captain who is now wearing a white mask and gloves shoots down and is about to attack Yadomaru again when a blast lands in his face. 

"Stop ... Kensei ... isn't the kind of weakling ... that would raise his hand against a woman ...", Captain Otoribashi from Squad 3 says. 

"UUOOOAAAHHHAAAHHH!!!", the hollow-Muguruma screams and attacks Captain Otoribashi who is lying on the ground hurt. I use my pure speed and appear in front of Captain Muguruma.

*BOOM*

I hold my index finger in front of me and stop the Hollow Muguruma's movement with it. 

"Hm ... This is quite the show you are giving here. What exactly are you doing Captains and Lieutenant?", I ask them as I look around. 

"Lieutenant of the 9th Division, Mashiro Kuna and Captain of the 9th Division, Kensei Muguruma ... what happened to them? And why do they look and feel like Hollows?", I ask them. 

"Captain Kuchiki! What are you doing here?", 5th Division Captain, Shinji Hirako asks me. I look at the Lieutenant of the 12th Division, Hiyori Sarugaki which he carries under his arm. 

"I was requested to come here by the Central 46. And I come here and see this embarrassment."

"It is indeed a mess. We don't know what happened. When we came here, Kensei and Mashiro were already like this. And-", before he can finish, Muguruma begins to roar like a Hollow. 

"UUOOOOOAAAAAHHHH"

He tries to attack me with his fist, but I block his hits with my palm and don't move from my spot. I can feel his increase in strength but to be overwhelmed by this ... they are an embarrassment. 

I move my head out of the way and dodge a punch. Then I bring my hand to his arm, while his punch misses my head, and pull down, breaking the arm to a full 90° angle. 

*CRACK*

"UUAAAAAAHHHH", the Hollow screams again and I have enough of this. I can see that his arm is slowly healing already, like the high-speed regeneration of a Hollow. This changes things. I always thought that it was harsh for the Central 46 to demand the Visords' execution. But seeing the former Captain Muguruma like this ... I understand it completely. 

He is no longer a Shinigami, but a Hollow. A stronger Hollow but still a Hollow. So unless Urahara Kisuke comes to do his thing, I believe I might have to kill them right here. I bring up my arm and am about to slice him using my speed, but Hachigen Ushōda beat me to it. 

"Bakudo No. 99 - Kin!!", he screams and causes Muguruma's arms to be bound to his back with spiritual fabric and iron shafts. I look at that and then look around to see the others totally out of breath. 

"Nineties level without a chant, huh? Just what I've come to expect.", Captain Shinji says. 

"I ... overexerted myself a little.", Hachigen Ushōda answers. 

"Now then. What happened here?", I ask again and look around for someone to answer me. I know what happened but I need to keep up my appearance of the unknowing guy. 

"It is one hell of a mess. When we came here, Kensei and Mashiro were already like that. They don't seem to be conscious and just attacked us out of nowhere. Their appearance resembles that of a Hollow but not fully. Hatchi, can't you do anything with Kido?"

"It's easy to say that, but ... without knowing the cause there is little I can do.", the man says. I listen to them and then sense something happening. I look at Captain Shinji and point at the Lieutenant he is holding in his arm. 

"Captain Hirako, you might want to release Lieutenant Sarugaki.", I say. He has that questioning look on his face and looks down.

"What is it, Hiyori? Are you okay?", he asks instead of putting her down, "Hatchi. For now, heal everyone, starting with this one here-"

"Shin ... Shin ... ji ... Let me ... Let me GO!", Lieutenant Sarugaki says and a white substance pours out of her mouth. She gains a Hollow mask, like the other two and then swings at Captain Hirako. However before that Hollow Horn can cut him, I appear in front of her and catch it with my fingers. 

This angers the hollowified Lieutenant and she lets out a Hollow scream. 

"OOOOOUUUUUUOOOOO!!"

"Enough of that.", I say as I feel my eyes roll around. This idiotic scene wants to play out similarly to the way it did in canon. But not with me. I pull the horn towards me and knock her out immediately. She falls to the ground unconscious. 

"HIYORI!!", Lieutenant Yadomaru screams. She rushes towards me to catch Sarugaki but I stop her. 

"Why?!"

"Whatever happened to the others, happened to her as well. We don't know the reason for this change, so it is better to keep your distan-", I stop talking as I feel something happen with my future sight. I turn my head to the left and sense a presence there. And as I am about to move, everything turns dark. 

I lose most of my senses, except touch and my Haki of course. I can still sense what is going on and feel the presence attacking the others. I use my speed and appear before the man who is just about to cut Captain Aikawa. I catch his Zanpakuto in my hands and look at him. I recognize him as Kaname Tousen, one of Squad 9. 

I pull back the blade between my fingers and then punch the man ... hard. The technique that took away most of my senses disappears as Tousen is knocked back. The mask he was wearing is broken and I still hold on to his Zanpakuto. 

"...You ... Tousen!!", Captian Hirako remarks on the ground. I put my hand up telling him to shut up. This is my fight now and he should just be silent and either die, turn into a Hollow or just be silent. 

Tousen stands back up again. He is bleeding a lot and I can tell that he has a concussion. He won't be able to fight properly anymore but that is of no concern of mine. I will see what I will do with him. Depending on my mood, he will die. And right now, that is his most likely fate. 

"*Cough* ... Captain Kuchiki ...", he says and nothing else. 

"What are you pulling here Tousen? Are you behind these things?"

"And if I am, what are you going to do about it?", he asks me. 

"Hm ... no you're not the perpetrator. You're not smart enough to think of that. The question is ... who is?", I ask and look at the man go through multiple expressions. From surprise to anger to surprise again. It seems that he didn't take me for that smart. Now, whether I would have come up with that on my own, remains to be unknown but using emotion sensing, I can tell what he is feeling right now. 

"You know nothing!", he says. 

"Oh? But I don't need to know anything. After all ... you know. The rest, the Central 46 can uncover. That's where I'm taking you.", I say and begin walking towards him. I sense his emotions changing again. He seems to be anxious but then ... he suddenly relaxes. I already know what will happen but it is interesting to see his reaction to this. 

I dodge to the side, just as Lieutenant Sarugaki attacks me. I grab the small woman by her head and then swing her around, right into the approaching figure of the now Hollow Captain Aikawa. 

*Bang*

Their bodies collide as I don't take any care to reduce my strength. Honestly, I don't care about them. If they are so weak that they can't survive that, then that is their problem. I block the fist of the recovered Hollow Captain Muguruma, who is making enraged Hollow sounds. 

"OOOOOOOHHHHH!"

I use my strength and break his wrist, giving him great pain, just in time for another one to arrive at our location. Lieutenant Mashiro Kuna has broken free and kicked at us. Instead of dodging her, I use Captain Muguruma as a Hollow shield. Mashiro Kuna's kick lands on Muguruma's face and I hear a crack in the Hollow mask. 

*Crack*

Maybe that is the way to get them to regain their consciousness. But it doesn't look like it. I turn around and round-house kick the Hollowified Lieutenant Lisa Yadomaru in the face. Her head snaps harshly to the side and her body shoots away. 

This continues as all of the former Shinigami transform into Hollows and attack me. But it is no use. I dodge and use their attacks against each other, only to then come in and break bones and knock them out again. They don't care about injuries. They are only focused on attacking me and for some reason, I find that strange. Kaname Tousen was here just a moment ago, but they only attacked me. After knocking out everyone, which took about 20 seconds, only Captain Hirako, who is still lying on the ground and I am left. 

But I can tell that Captain Hirako is also not looking very good right now. He has attained a wound from somewhere. Thinking back, I remember. It was from Tousen's use of his Zanpakuto, which I still have in my hand. Pathetic. 

"Why ... why would Tousen ... betray ... Kensei ... his own Captain? ...", he asks me. I look into the distance. 

"Because he was told to do that.", I say and see a man who has been bothering me for a long time walking out. 

"Isn't that right ... Aizen Sosuke?", I ask as the man together with his small companion comes into view. 

"Captain Kuchiki you are correct. Tousen hasn't betrayed anyone. He is loyal. He has done nothing more than loyally follow my orders. Could you two find it in your hearts to not blame him for what he's done?", he asks with a proud and arrogant smile on his face. I can tell that he was using this chance to observe me. I mean how would I not know that, I could feel him hiding the entire time.