Aaaannd now, the last bit of this arc:


(Intro- Colored image of Team ICHIGO! Woohoo!!XD)

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," Hinamori Momo screams, throwing herself against the wall and staring up at where Captain Aizen hangs dead - pierced through the chest by a sword. "Captain Aizen. Captain Aizen. No..." she cries. "No. Captain Aizen! CAPTAIN AIZEN!!!"

"What's up? Pretty noisy for so early in the mornin'," someone says casually.

Hinamori turns around with tears at the corners of her eyes. The group of vice captains part as 3rd Captain Ichimaru Gin walks in on the scene.

The sight of him jogs Momo's memory, -- Be careful.

She sees him approach with the same strange grin on his lips that he always has.

Be careful of the 3rd Division.

Especially- Hitsugaya's words come back to her in full, whenever Aizen goes out alone.

Momo's rage explodes at Gin, "YOU!!!" She rushes at him and draws her blade while he simply stands there with a thin smile.

As she is about to strike, Kira Izuru appears between them and blocks her with his own blade.

"Kira-kun!!" Momo looks up at her old friend in shock. "Why..."

"I am the Vice Captain of the 3rd Division!" Izuru yells sternly, keeping her sword at bay. "No matter what the reason, I will not allow you to turn your sword against my Captain!"

"Please..." she pleads with him, "move aside, Kira-kun..."

"I can't do that!"

"Get out of the way..." she says desperately, "move aside..."

"No!"

"Don't you understand me when I say move!?" Momo snaps.

"Don't you understand me when I say no!?" Izuru snaps back.

Momo readjusts her grip on the hilt and puts her strength into it, "Crack open!! 'Tobiume'!!!" she calls out, activating her Zanpaku sword.

"Wha..." Izuru watches in shock as Momo's sword releases a surge of power - causing a huge explosion.

Momo skids backward. She still has tears in her eyes, but her rage keeps her focused and dangerous.

Izuru skids back in the opposite direction, glaring at her, "To use your Zanpaku sword at a time like this... how shallow!!"

"Do you know what you're doing!?" he yells over at her. "Don't mix up public concerns with private ones! Vice Captain Hinamori!!"

She ignores his words. Instead she concentrates her energy at the base of her sword - forming an orb of raw energy. She swings her blade; hurling the orb straight at Izuru's head.

He dodges it in the nick of time as it flies past him and takes out a huge chunk of the building behind him. He glares at her coldly, "I see... so then I have no choice... I will... deal with you as an enemy!"

He leaps high above her as he calls to his blade, "Unmask yourself, 'Wabisuke.'"

Momo moves forward to meet his attack -

>CLANG<

Hitsugaya stands between them with his sword unsheathed just enough to block Izuru's attack and with his foot holding down Momo's Zampaku blade.

"Don't either of you move," he warns them, keeping his eyes trained on Momo.

Momo stares at him with hurt betrayal in her eyes, "Hitsugaya-ku..."

He looks away, "Capture both of them."

The remaining vice captains are quick to respond. Rangiku and Iba restrain Momo, while Shuuhei comes up behind Izuru and grabs him by his neck and sword arm. Momo is upset, while Izuru's expression is broken and distraught.

"I'll report this to the Captain General," Hitsugaya tells them. "Take them into custody!"

Gin walks up to Hitsugaya as the rest of the shinigami leave, "Sorry 'bout that, 10th Captain. Even one of my own caused trouble..."

Hitsugaya pauses without looking in Gin's direction, "...Ichimaru. Just now... you were about to kill Hinamori, weren't you?"

Gin's hand twitches at his side while his grin remains the same as ever, "My, such a thing would be terrible."

"...I'll tell you this in advance," Hitsugaya turns and gives him a dark look. "If Hinamori's blood is made to run, I will kill you."

"That's frightenin'," Gin smiles back fiercely. "I'll have to keep an eye on her to make sure none of the bad guys reach her."

~*~*~

In the sewers beneath Seireitei, Ganju snores deeply from where he sits leaning against a wall.

Something interrupts his slumber and he looks down - doing a spit-take of surprise when he sees Hanataro curled up on his lap, drooling all over his pants.

"Damn you, Hanataro!" Ganju leaps to his feet in anger, knocking off the sleeping Hanataro in the process. "What's with you sleeping on my lap!? That's gross... huh," He spots the huge drool stain, "AHH!? You got drool on my best clothes, dammit!!"

"He's exhausted," a familiar voice behind him speaks up. "You could at least get off his case about the drooling."

Ganju turns around, startled, "...I...ICHIGO!!!" Indeed, Ichigo is leaning against the doorway with Zangetsu over his shoulder. He seems as good as new.

"Y...you're fine already!?" Ganju asks.

"Yeah, thanks to Hanataro," Ichigo smiles slightly as he points out. "The pain in your body has disappeared too, right?" Ganju looks over his own healed wounds in surprise. "After me, Hanataro also healed you wounds despite being pretty unsteady and lightheaded."

Ganju looks down at the shinigami curled up on the ground, sleeping peacefully.

"...Now once more... for the last time..." Ichigo turns toward a new direction. "Let's go! To Senzaikyuu!!"

~*~*~

At the top of the great wall surrounding the white castle known as Senzaikyuu, a shadowy figure crouches... waiting.

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