Preventative Measures

Ichigo dodged another spiked boomerang while Shunpo-ing to the side, trying to get into the Vasto Lorde's blind spot. Leroux Banthos had proven to be a formidable warrior, and his style involved adding more and more weapons to the mix, making it impossible to approach without being injured.

Currently, there were ten boomerangs spiraling around the Hollow at high speed, creating an offensive barrier that Ichigo was wary of physically tackling. The only opening at that time was when Leroux was throwing another of his weapons, and the opening itself was dangerous, for Ichigo would have to then confront a head-on attack with little chance to evade. There were also four boomerangs chasing Ichigo constantly, somehow controlled psychically by Leroux. Leroux himself was not simply standing there either; he was going after Ichigo physically as well, wielding two of his boomerangs in his hands.

Ichigo had already attempted a Cero to obliterate the barrier, only to have the rapidly revolving shield of thrown weapons deflect them. Somehow, the boomerangs had reflective properties. If I let him get up enough steam it'll be impossible to beat him. Now I see why he's a Vasto Lorde. "Time to use something new."

"Use what?" Leroux asked in an amused fashion.

Ichigo leapt back again, putting a little distance between them, and then he began spinning Tensa Zangetsu to charge his signature attack. "Getsuga…"

"Ha! Another energy attack? You know my boomerangs will just deflect it!" Leroux lunged at his opponent, eager to eat such a powerful foe.

Suddenly, however, Leroux found himself stopped in his tracks, as Ichigo had simply leapt into and through the shield, taking the cuts and slices and ignoring them as he brought his blade down upon the Vasto Lorde. "…Tenshō."

In an instant, the Vasto Lorde was cut in half by the crescent-shaped black cutter. Being only the size of Ichigo himself, the Getsuga continued on for as far as Ichigo could see, cutting a swath through the desert sands of Hueco Mundo. The Getsuga also caught another of Ichigo's challengers off guard, obliterating him in an instant.

Regenerating his wounds quickly, Ichigo turned a hard eye to the Hollows around him. Not all of them had come to fight him – some had come simply to watch, and most of these were obviously Adjuchas, though there was the rare Vasto Lorde among them as well, apparently not interested in becoming King of Hueco Mundo. "Anyone else going to challenge me?" Ichigo asked quietly.

There was much shuffling around by the assembled challengers as they attempted to determine who had arrived next; Ichigo's display of power was enough to make them doubt their ability to win. While they were deciding, a familiar woman's voice called out, "Ichigo!"

The Vizard turned his head to see Nelliel Tu Odelschwank and Tia Hallibel running towards him, followed slowly by two figures he didn't recognize. Ichigo took off his mask so he could conserve his power for the time being. "Nel? Hallibel, and, who're they?"

"This is the former Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk," Nelliel introduced, indicating the tall, bored-looking Arrancar. "And this is Lilynette Gingerback, his Fracción."

Ichigo immediately looked at Starrk suspiciously. "I killed Aizen. Is that going to be a problem?"

Starrk shook his head negatively. "No. I owed Aizen much for giving me a priceless gift, but my debt has been paid – I fought for him as best I could. That was all that was ever asked of me." He gave a tiny smile in Nelliel's direction. "Now, I seek to convert Las Noches into a peaceful place in Hueco Mundo, a sanctuary of sorts, with Nelliel."

Ichigo nodded; he could respect that. "Alright."

Starrk looked around. "You're trying to become King of Hueco Mundo?"

"I don't exactly have a choice," Ichigo explained. "Since the last two rulers of Hueco Mundo – Aizen and Baraggan – are dead, Ulquiorra told me that there was a good chance that Hollows would invade my town looking to consume and absorb powerful souls to grow stronger quickly. I don't want my companions to die, so I'm here to take care of it now."

Something in that last sentence seemed to hit Starrk hard, almost enough to physically stumble. Little did Ichigo know that his explanation had sparked memories, memories of loneliness and despair. I don't want my companions to die. I'm lonely. Why do they always die? Why can't I be weak? Starrk tore himself out of his recollections and shook his head. "It's a pain in the ass, but maybe I can help." He raised his voice so he could be heard. "I am Coyote Starrk, Aizen's Primera Espada and second in command!" he called out. "Aizen, former ruler of Hueco Mundo, is dead! This man is Kurosaki Ichigo, the one who killed him!"

"So he's said," another human-sized Hollow agreed with a disbelieving and undeniably feminine tone, stepping forward in challenge. This Hollow was completely covered from head to toe in a bonelike armor, but the armor was covered in strange designs that resembled strange, grotesque beasts with little markings where their heads would be…

With a start, Ichigo realized that the markings looked like Hollow masks. Are those… supposed to be pictures of Hollows, maybe?

Maybe she's vain and likes to remind people of who all she's consumed? Cazador suggested.

Who knows?

"… but what evidence do we have that this boy was the one who slew him?" the Hollow finished.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he stared into the Hollow's eyes, anger beginning to rise within him. "There's no evidence I can give that would suffice, would it." It wasn't a question.

"Not unless you have some trophy of the kill, like I do." She gestured towards her armor. "My armor automatically updates with every Hollow I eat."

"And the words of the Primera Espada, and the Cuarta Espada, and the Third Espada both past and present aren't enough?" Ichigo asked incredulously. "You know what, fine. I'm tired, and it's been a long day. There's no point in dragging this out." He held his left hand in front of his face, thick black tendrils of Hollow reiatsu rising from each finger. "I'll show you my power, and force you to submit!" In a single ripping motion, he pulled the mask back onto his face, looked directly into the eyes of his opponent, and gathered his Hollow reiatsu. "Blacken the night, Cazador de la Luna!"

Ichigo's eyes never left the Hollow in front of him as his mask stretched around his head and formed those wicked horns. His stance never changed as his Hollow vest stretched out to envelop his body or as his chest opened up with a Hollow hole. His killing intent never let up for an instant as his reiatsu changed to match his new Hollow form. "Now do you get it?" Ichigo demanded, unleashing his full reiatsu upon them all, noticing with some satisfaction that most of the Adjuchas fell to their knees, unable to stand, and some of them were even unable to breathe. Almost all the rest of the crowd looked rather uncomfortable as well. "I am Vizard! I am Hollow and I am Shinigami, and I have attained both Bankai and Resurrección! Let me make this crystal clear: I am NOT in the mood to be fucked with right now, and I am NEVER in the mood to put up with people endangering my town! If it means guarding of those I have sworn to protect, I will purify every damn one of you, so unless you want to know the feeling of my Zanpakutō running through your heads, now would be a good time for you to shut up, acknowledge me as your King, and let me get back to my own life in the living world!"

If you want them to respond, you might want to lighten up on the reiatsu a bit, Ichigo…

Ichigo waited a few more seconds, just to make sure that they had gotten the point, before lowering his reiatsu output. "So?" he inquired a lot more calmly, now that he'd gotten a chance to vent his anger in a productive way. "What's it going to be?"

Despite half-expecting it, Ichigo was still surprised to suddenly be the only one standing upright – everyone else had fallen into bowing or kneeling positions. Even the Arrancar Ichigo had befriended had all fallen to one knee and bowed their heads. "Hail, Kurosaki Ichigo, King of Hueco Mundo!"

Hitsugaya Tōshirō sat at his desk in the 10th Division quietly – he'd just finished his paperwork, and miraculously Matsumoto had done hers with minimal complaint. It's probably her way of trying to make things easier for me, since Hinamori's… Hitsugaya shook his head, trying not to think about it. Aizen was dead – getting angry about Hinamori's condition would serve no purpose any longer. 

Hitsugaya was broken from his thoughts by an unexpected knock on the door. "Enter."

To the white-haired taicho's surprise, Unohana-taicho stepped inside quietly, as though she were about to ask something painful. "I apologize for disturbing you at such a late hour," she began, taking her seat in front of Hitsugaya.

"It's nothing," the diminutive taicho reassured. "What can I do for you, Unohana-taicho? Is something wrong with Hinamori?"

"No, no, Hinamori-chan is resting peacefully," Unohana hastened to inform Hitsugaya. "But she may not be for long. Tell me, Hitsugaya-taicho… what do you believe are the chances that Tōsen-san will recover his taicho position?"

Hitsugaya frowned pensively, giving it some thought. "Komamura-taicho did ask for leniency in deciding Tōsen's punishment, did he not? As Kyōraku-taicho is acting sōtaicho, and given that we are distinctively lacking in Shinigami capable of filling a taicho's roles at the moment, I believe chances are relatively high that Tōsen will regain his position but in extremely limited fashion."

Unohana nodded. "I had come to the same conclusion. Tōsen has told me today that should that be the case, he will recommend that Kurosaki Ichigo become taicho of the 5th Division."

"I see. And you want me to retract my recommendation, then, for Hinamori's sake?"

"No," the healing taicho disagreed. "That would only set back the problem for a short time. In order to give Hinamori-chan the most amount of time and the best chance to survive, you must convince Kurosaki-san not to accept the taicho position when it is offered. You worked with him for some time, Hitsugaya-taicho, and the reports indicate that he seems to listen to those he has worked with. Could you not persuade him to ask for some extended length of time to consider?"

Hitsugaya frowned. "I believe I could, should it come to that. How long do you anticipate needing to bring Hinamori to the point of being capable of working with Kurosaki?"

"Healing the mind is far different from healing the body, Hitsugaya-taicho," Unohana stated quietly. "She may heal quickly, or she may never heal. Given what happened last time, however…"

Both taicho held a moment of silence as they recalled Hinamori's struggles when Aizen had betrayed her openly. For her faith to have been restored, and then have Aizen die at the hands of someone she'd been fooled into thinking a monster… The truth could very well elude Hinamori for the rest of her days.

"Kurosaki isn't necessarily the source of the time limit," Hitsugaya pointed out, a new thought coming to him once he'd made that realization. "When Yamamoto-sōtaicho recovers, you know what he'll do."

Unohana nodded sadly. "He will see Kurosaki-san as a potential asset, and Hinamori-chan as a burden. He will make the sacrifice quickly should Kurosaki-san accept the position. I am hoping that he will take more time to consider the decision if Kurosaki-san remains where he is and takes no overt actions towards Soul Society."

Hitsugaya looked at the healer in surprise – sometimes it was hard to remember that Unohana was well-versed in politics and gentle manipulations with her usual actions. He narrowed his eyes; Unohana had to know that relations were very strained between Kurosaki and the Gotei 13. The odds of something sparking outright hostility were dangerously high. "This is a dangerous gamble," he warned.

"I'm aware of that, but I will not let an innocent be sacrificed just because she has been mentally raped by Aizen," Unohana replied with a hint of steel in her sweet voice. "I had thought that you agreed with me after our talk today, Hitsugaya-taicho."

A shiver ran down Hitsugaya's spine at her tone; he was treading in perilous waters, but the icy Shinigami would not back down from what he knew was right. "I do agree that Hinamori deserves her chance to recover, Unohana-taicho. What I am saying is that we should use that plan as a last resort. There must be other options available, we simply need to find them. Where does your authority supersede Yamamoto-sōtaicho's? Don't you have special rights as the lead healer?" Hitsugaya questioned. "I remember reading about something when I was preparing for my Taicho Proficiency Test."

"Yes, I have the right to declare a Shinigami medically unfit for duty," Unohana agreed. "Unfortunately, it only has provisions for physical trauma. Mental trauma is typically handled by the Shinigami in question's taicho. And as Aizen is the reason for Hinamori's state…"

Hitsugaya frowned. "That's a hole in the law that should be rectified."

"Unfortunately, it is not likely to be addressed for some time – Soul Society has more pressing issues," Unohana informed her fellow taicho matter-of-factly. "As this is a rare event, it has a low priority. In any case, I have found no other option, which is why I came to you."

"I see." The taicho in a child's body considered this for a few moments. "I will have a talk with Kurosaki."

"Thank you."

A sudden flare of reiatsu from the 4th Division caught both of their attentions. Almost as soon as it had been released, it was silenced. "Hinamori!" they cried out in unison, leaping to their feet and flickering into Shunpo.

They arrived together, rushing through the doors to where they'd felt the reiatsu, only to see Hisagi crumpled to the floor, and Gin staggered against a wall and breathing heavily outside of Hinamori's door, holding his Zanpakutō at the ready, with blood dripping from the end. "There was… someone… here…"

"Who was it?" Hitsugaya demanded as Unohana quickly began another diagnostic scan of Gin.

"I… don't know …" Gin wheezed. "Whoever it was… didn't speak. Average height. No Zanpakutō. Completely covered… in dark clothes. Suppressed reiatsu."

"It was your reiatsu we felt! You used your Shikai!" Unohana exclaimed in a mixture of surprise and urgency as she got the results from her diagnostic Kidō. "Stay awake, Gin-san! You must stay awake!"

"Sorry… Unohana-taicho. Didn't have… a choice…" And then Gin collapsed.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, chase the intruder! I must attend to Gin-san!" And before the ice-wielding taicho could respond, Unohana was rushing Gin off to be attended to.

Hitsugaya looked around quickly before spotting some blood on the ground that ended at a point. He Shunpo-ed away once he felt us coming. He focused his own power and with a few moments concentration, materialized reiraku. Searching quickly, he found the one whose signature matched that lingering in blood on the ground and seized it, immediately knowing the current location of his target. Found you. He flickered away in Shunpo, chasing the would-be assassin.

Meanwhile, Soifon frowned at the Onmitsukidō agent who had been observing the assassination attempt. She'd just received news of the plan's failure. "Gin…" she hissed angrily. "How did he do that?"

She'd scheduled the attempt at night immediately after she'd received word that Unohana had left the area. As luck would have it, Hisagi Shuhei was the one guarding Tōsen, rather than Komamura-taicho, which had drastically increased the chances of success; a surprise knockout worked much better on fukutaicho than they did on taicho. Given how Tōsen had seemed to be of likeminded opinion to Soifon herself based on his previous conversation with Unohana, the 2nd Division taicho had figured that the blind traitor would not interfere.

But Gin? Gin should have been asleep, and even had he not been asleep, he should not have been able to sense the agent with his still-recovering powers, and even if he had managed that miracle, it was outright ludicrous to think that Gin would find the strength to leave the bed, call his Zanpakutō to him, and then use Shikai! But that was exactly what Gin had done.

He'd paid for it, true, but Soifon's first and best attempt on Hinamori's life had been foiled. Now Soul Society would be on alert, security would be tightened, and all further attempts would be far more difficult. Soifon had half a mind to assassinate Gin next, should he survive the night, but his power was needed as a possible counter against Kurosaki. Against someone with the powers of a Kami, Gin's Kamishini no Yari would be quite helpful. Kurosaki could hardly be expected to anticipate and block a spear through his heart from kilometers away.

As it was, Soifon had just lost a good agent – the assassin she'd sent to kill Hinamori was under orders that if he should fail, then he was to consume a suicide pill in a nearby river. The pill would rapidly accelerate the decomposition of his body into reishi, and the river would wash away the rest of the evidence. Just in case of such a scenario, the agent had also been ordered to wear clothing that would not associate him with the Onmitsukidō, and all records of his existence had been removed.

Soifon scowled as she sat heavily. Her next plan would require some critical thinking… and perhaps some created opportunities. I need a distraction large enough and urgent enough to lure all the taicho away… That also gives me some plausible deniability. The question is, what could do such a thing? The only time I know of was… Aizen… Soifon began to smile; she had an idea.

But in the meantime, she now felt Hitsugaya's reiatsu nearby. And now, a chance to appear completely uninvolved. She Shunpo-ed out, preparing to join him.

"Damn it!" Hitsugaya cursed aloud, staring at floating clothes in a nearby river. His lock on the spiritual energy of the assassin had faded almost entirely less than a minute prior, and all that remained were on those clothes, and even that last trace was dissipating rapidly. "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyōrinmaru!" With a single wave his Shikai, the clothes and a large part of the river froze in ice; with any luck, it would preserve the clothes and the reiatsu on them. Also, the Shikai release would undoubtedly attract attention from the other taicho and should be enough to bring at least one more to him.

Hitsugaya materialized the reiraku again and searched, but even as he did he knew it was in vain. Whoever it had been, the attacker was dead, and there were only two ways that Hitsugaya knew of that could completely destroy the body in such a short amount of time without unleashing enough reiatsu to be sensed easily. Soifon's Shikai, and an advanced suicide pill.

It had to have been a Shinigami, Hitsugaya thought with narrowed eyes. It was obviously an advanced form of Shunpo. But who has the audacity to attempt to kill Hinamori when she's under the protection of so many taicho?

Hitsugaya thought back to Gin's description, trying to place what it reminded him of. Dark clothes, silent, suppressed reiatsu, no Zanpakutō… His eyes widened. No Zanpakutō? Every Shinigami in the Gotei 13 carries their Zanpakutō! But then… what about Onmitsukidō? They specialize in Hakuda…

Hitsugaya frowned uneasily. He had no way to tell whether they were Onmitsukidō clothes or not. Perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to Soifon? But if she was the one to kill him, then that could pose a problem as well…

As if his thoughts had summoned her, he felt Soifon Shunpo a few meters behind and to his left. "Hitsugaya-taicho. I felt your Shikai just now – is something wrong?"

"Soifon-taicho, there was an attempt on Hinamori-fukutaicho's life approximately ten to fifteen minutes ago," the ice user explained quickly. "I tracked the assassin using reiraku, but too late it seems…" He gestured towards the frozen clothes. "His body has been completely destroyed."

Soifon inspected the clothes closely. "These are similar to the uniforms of the militia branch of Onmitsukidō. Please remove the ice, Hitsugaya-taicho, I need to examine the clothing more closely." Hitsugaya merely waved his sword and the ice shattered. "Thank you." Soifon made a show of feeling the fiber before testing its weight and durability. "Hmm. This is definitely not one of my uniforms," she concluded. "I believe someone may be trying to frame the Onmitsukidō, and by extension, myself. Alternatively, this could have been a rogue, overenthusiastic Onmitsukidō agent attempting to make certain that Aizen's influence over the Gotei 13 is no more. I shall perform an inspection on my troops in the morning."

Hitsugaya nodded in acknowledgment, watching as Soifon looked over the articles of clothing for something, even lightly sniffing it.

"There are no holes," she determined. "Nor is there a scent of poison upon it, though it's possible that any traces of poison would have been washed away. Considering that when put together, these fabrics cover the entire body, it is likely that the perpetrator took an advanced suicide pill."

"I had come to the same conclusion," Hitsugaya agreed, slightly impressed by Soifon's display of investigative skill.

Soifon frowned. "Suicide pills of this level are not available to most Shinigami. The Onmitsukidō have a stock commissioned from Kurotsuchi-taicho, but very few indeed have access to it. Please excuse me, Hitsugaya-taicho, I must check on them immediately."

The 10th Division taicho nodded swiftly, and Soifon picked up the faux-uniform and Shunpo-ed away. It was only after she was out of sight that she allowed herself a smirk. Perfect.

Hitsugaya looked at the river, thoughts racing. If it wasn't one of the Onmitsukidō… Kurotsuchi makes the suicide pill… But what Shinigami would do such a thing without his Zanpakutō? Whoever it was proved he or she was dedicated to killing Hinamori and only retreated once it was evident he would fail. But in such a case, it's counterproductive for a Shinigami to not bring his Zanpakutō, just in case. Unless it wasn't a Shinigami… But if it wasn't a Shinigami, then but maybe a… Mod-Soul in a gigai?

That was a very troubling thought. All the Mod-Souls had been confiscated and destroyed, to the best of Soul Society's knowledge. The closest thing would be Nemu, Kurotsuchi's 'daughter' and fukutaicho, created from the combined technology of gigai and gikon. Both Kurotsuchi and Urahara would have the ability to create a Mod-Soul that could emulate Shinigami Shunpo. And they could both devise a suicide pill capable of destroying the body and reiatsu. But why would one or both of them go after Hinamori?

Hitsugaya shook his head and paced a few meters back and forth, trying to force his genius brain to get the answers like it always had. What does Hinamori have that they don't? Think! What's changed that they would go after her now, rather than when there was perfect opportunity while all the taicho had left Soul Society? What's changed, Tōshirō?

The taicho suddenly froze in place, his brain having clicked. Aizen. She's the last known person that Aizen actively used an illusion on. Kurotsuchi and Urahara are both scientists… could one or both be trying to reverse engineer Kyōka Suigetsu?

Without warning, Hitsugaya's brain flashed back to the recent meeting of the taicho…

**Flashback**

"I could, ah, make some mental adjustments…" Kurotsuchi offered.

**End Flashback**

Kurotsuchi NEVER simply offers his services unless he's interested in something! He usually has to be ordered by Yamamoto-sōtaicho! Hitsugaya mentally snarled as anger and betrayal filled his being. "Kurotsuchi…!" he whispered, his voice trembling in rage, the hand holding Hyōrinmaru clenching as he struggled to keep his reiatsu from flaring and betraying his killing intent. Hitsugaya's Zanpakutō roared his support in its wielder's mind, thirsting to slay that which had brought such hot fires of anger and hate within Hitsugaya's Inner World.

Hitsugaya was a hair's breadth from accidentally entering Bankai. As it was, the river, grass and trees within a three meter radius around him had frozen solid. I'll prove it was you, and kill you myself!

Kyōraku Shunsui sighed as he lay on the grass under a tree near his division's barracks, looking up at the heavens. "The sky sure is pretty tonight," he commented quietly. "It's a nice night to think, and I could use all the extra help I can get right now." 

"Perhaps you could bounce some ideas off me, Shunsui," Ukitake Jūshiro's voice offered, stepping into the clearing. Seeing Kyōraku's mild surprise, Ukitake smiled wryly at his old friend. "Shunsui, you've been going to this tree to think for decades. It wasn't hard to find you."

Kyōraku chuckled. "Well, if you're offering, Jūshiro… I'm trying to figure out how to deal with Tōsen and Gin. I want to at least give Gin back his taicho position – he only lost it because he figured the only way to beat Aizen was to stab him in the back, as we wouldn't believe it until Aizen did something against us. But if I don't punish him at all, the Central 46 will, and they're likely to execute him."

"Alright. What have you thought of so far for punishments you could live with?"

"Taking away his pay for a few years, temporarily removing some of his rights as taicho, binding his reiryoku for a while, putting him in some form of house arrest that would allow him to do his duties as a taicho but not much else…" Kyōraku listed. "Alone, each of them didn't sound like enough, but together, it seems like too much to put Gin through – he did what he felt he had to do. How can I punish him harshly for that?"

"Would execution be better?" Ukitake pointed out.

Kyōraku looked at his best friend sourly. "I hate it when you use logic while I'm having a moral crisis."

"Consider it comeuppance for not doing your own paperwork for Kami knows how long," Ukitake joked lightly. "Seriously though, I think you might actually be doing Gin a favor if you combine those punishments."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, it's not like anyone's going to trust him for a while," Ukitake reminded him. "Putting him under house arrest except to do his job would protect both him and those who would harass him."

"True…" Kyōraku murmured thoughtfully.

"Taking away his source of income for a year isn't exactly going to hurt him, especially if you bind his reiryoku. Those with lower power don't eat as much, especially when they are not doing very much, so combining those with the house arrest cancels out realistically, but politically it appears as though you're punishing him very thoroughly," Ukitake finished.

Kyōraku broke out into a broad smile. "Ah, what would I do without you?"

"Be buried in a pit dug for you by all your previous conquests, reciting bad poetry as they pile dirt on you," the white-haired taicho quipped instantly.

"Hey! I'll have you know my poetry is quite good!" Kyōraku protested, though the grin on his face betrayed his amusement. "It certainly helped me with the girls back in the Academy!"

"That it did," Ukitake admitted. "So, Gin is taken care of. What are your thoughts for Tōsen?"

"Well, there are three big issues," the easygoing acting sōtaicho replied. "First, Tōsen did betray us all for his own goals, which were decidedly anti-Soul Society. Secondly, Tōsen went so far as to seek and gain the forbidden Hollow powers. But thirdly, Komamura-taicho has asked for leniency and has given his word that while Tōsen does despise the Central 46, he understands that times are changing and so too will our government. I'm inclined to grant Komamura's request, mostly because while Tōsen does have his share of the blame, it was our government that drove him to it."

"Having Tōsen with us will certainly bring the truth out to the Central 46 that simply having Hollow powers does not make them Hollows," Ukitake conceded. "But there's something more to it, isn't there?"

Kyōraku sighed again. "Jūshiro, you know the Kurosaki kid better than I do. Do you honestly think he'll attack Soul Society?"

"Not unless he's provoked," Ukitake answered easily.

"And that's just it. Once the Central 46 convenes, don't you think they're going to be scared shitless by the idea of a Vizard of Ichigo's power, especially since he can't be sensed if he doesn't want to be?"

"Of course."

"They'll inquire about Ichigo's loyalty, and as soon as it comes out that he was taught by exiles, has Arrancar and Vizard friends, and has 'subverted' our own forces into being loyal to him first…"

Ukitake paled, immediately getting the implications. "The Central 46 would think he was gathering an army, and put us at war with him!"

"Bingo. If we were lucky, the least he would do is pull an Aizen and slaughter all of them." There was no humor in Kyōraku's normally playful expression as he looked Ukitake straight in the eyes. "So I'm trying to avoid that, just as hard as I can. Kurosaki's allies would not look nearly so bad if he were part of Soul Society; we could spin it as Soul Society spies in external circles or something. That's my other big reason for letting Tōsen regain his position: there's another chance of getting that last taicho approval for making Kurosaki a part-time taicho. But if that doesn't work, there's more than one way to do it. So I'm going to the living world tomorrow to persuade Kurosaki to take the Taicho Proficiency Test. Hopefully he listens to reason… If he agrees, I'm going to send Nanao-chan to him to teach him what he needs to know so he can pass, before the Central 46 convenes. Even if he fails, then it would still go a long way."

"What can I do to help?" Ukitake asked seriously.

"Aside from finding a way to abolish the Central 46?" Kyōraku clarified. "Figure out a plausible reason for Ichigo not being technically a part of the Gotei 13, just in case. Or create a crisis that extends our martial law a little longer so we can find a way out of this mess."

Stepping through a Garganta that opened above his house, Ichigo removed his Gillian mask and sighed tiredly. He'd left his orders that no Hollow of any Menos class – Gillian, Adjuchas, or Vasto Lorde – were to enter Karakura Town unless it were a dire emergency and his presence was needed. Anything needed in the meantime was to be handled through Ulquiorra, Nel, Starrk and Harribel, who would contact him if necessary.

Ichigo planned to make weekly visits to check on things for the time being – he was rather interested in how Starrk was going to convert Las Noches into a Hollow Sanctuary. But right now, the Vizard just wanted to sleep. He'd woken up as Kurosaki Ichigo, Transcendent Vizard, and had somehow ended up as King of Hueco Mundo. What next? Ichigo mused humorlessly. Spirit King?

Perhaps in time.

I think he was kidding, Zangetsu.

But I was not. We are far stronger, far more evolved than any Shinigami , Hollow, Vizard or Arrancar we have witnessed thus far. We defeated Aizen, whose ambition was to take the Spirit King's place. Are we not closer than any other being in existence?

Ichigo groaned, climbing in through his window and reentering his comatose body on the bed. That particular discussion could wait for another night – Ichigo had too many problems in the present to focus on the future just yet. Before he closed his eyes to succumb to sleep, however, he turned his head upwards and gave a fervent plea to any deity listening. Please, please, let tomorrow be dull and have nothing to do with spiritual matters.

You do know that's probably not gonna happen, right?

Ichigo sighed again as he rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. Yeah. I know.

He felt Cazador shift a bit, as though coming to a decision. Alright, listen up. You've been a kickass King, Ichigo, so let me give you a little advice.

Ichigo said nothing, but Cazador knew he had the Vizard's attention.

You're too wary of letting your guard slip to enjoy being alone. Spend your time with those ya trust to watch your back for you.

Strangely enough, that made a level of sense to Ichigo. His problem was that he was physically on the edge all the time, ready for combat on a moment's notice. Since Ichigo was having difficulty finding relaxation alone, perhaps he would have better luck in a friendly game with his friends. Huh. Thanks, Cazador. I'll look into that. Ichigo got an impression of Cazador smirking at him, but the Vizard ignored his Inner Hollow in favor of finally getting some sleep.

A dimension away, Kurotsuchi Mayuri grinned widely at the monitor in front of him in the 12th Division. "How interesting..."