//------------------------------//
// Rebellion: Attempted Relaxation 
// Story: Bleach: Heart of a Hero 
// by Blackdrag-rose 
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With Koga defeated, and Muramasa freed from such an abusive partner, who Byakuya had killed, Sombra and his group opened a Senkaimon back to Soul Society and headed back to tell everyone the news that the rebellion was officially over and to share what else had happened since they left to deal with Muramasa's hideout. It didn't take them long to get back to their destination, where many Shinigami were happy to see that they had returned from their mission with success, though at the same time a good deal of the entirety of Soul Society wasn't pleased to find that Muramasa was alive, even less so when they discovered that he was one of Sombra's followers now. Sombra had accounted for this, because Muramasa's recent actions had resulted in a great deal of property damage, a number of deaths, and strains to the relationships between Shinigami and their Zanpakuto, and he assured the Shinigami that things would be different now that the rebellion was over. At the same time he made sure that Zangetsu and Haineko took Muramasa back to the building that he and the other Arrancar were staying in, because while the rebellion might be over he wanted to be sure that there were no lasting side effects from Muramasa releasing all the Zanpakuto of the Captains, Lieutenants, and seated members of the Gotei 13, who had been defeated in some manner since his arrival.

As he was giving that command, however, one of the Shinigami from the First Division approached him and the rest of his group, to which Byakuya and Senbonzakura excused themselves, allowing him to see what the Captain-Commander wanted from him before he did anything else.

"Can I help you?" Sombra asked, because he was sure that the Shinigami didn't need him and the Arrancar to assist in cleaning up the destruction that had occurred during all the fights, since that was mostly the fault of a good number of the brainwashed Zanpakuto, but he was interested in what he might be told.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto sent me to ask you if you'd join him in his office." the Shinigami replied, though based on his tone Sombra assumed that the normal message would be a request, but given that Sombra was the King of Hueco Mundo and a visitor he knew that the way the request was worded had changed for him.

"It's likely just a follow-up on what happened after we left my hideout." Muramasa commented, as Yamamoto had given Sombra the key to unlocking Koga from his seal and then departed from the area with Yoruichi Shihoin, and he could tell that his new Lord understood what he was talking about, showing him that he and the others might not need to make such comments while he was around.

"Agreed. Which means that you guys should head back to where Grimmjow, Harribel, and Nel are waiting," Sombra said, as it was time to introduce the newest Arrancar to the others, so Muramasa could understand what he had gotten himself into and what he was going to do to reverse his reputation, before the trio nodded and departed, to which he turned towards Ichigo, "So, Ichigo, what are you going to do now that the rebellion is over?"

"I'm going to head back to Karakura Town, tell Urahara and the others what happened, and then I'm going to finish my schoolwork before I do anything else." Ichigo replied, though at the same time he wondered why he had bothered to come to Soul Society and try to stop the rebellion on his own, because once Sombra was called in it became pointless for him to even be there, "But first I'm going to check on Rukia and Renji, see how the two of them are doing, and then I'll head back home and pick up where I left off... and try to relax before the next major threat reveals itself."

Sombra nodded his head, as relaxing should be the focus of a number of Shinigami and Arrancar now that the rebellion was officially over, and it wasn't long before Ichigo dropped out of his Bankai state and flashed through the air as he headed back to the Fourth Division's barracks. Once that was done he turned towards the Shinigami that was patiently waiting near him and beckoned for him to lead the way, to which the two of them headed out for the office building of the First Division, which was constructed entirely different than most of the buildings in the Seireitei. He knew that many would think he was crazy for allowing Muramasa to go free, but at the same time he knew that the former spirit had only done what he did because he was looking for his partner, so since he had gone from being evil and became a good person he was sure that Muramasa could do the same. It was going to take some time and a lot of good deeds, but he was sure that the Shinigami would come to understand what Muramasa's intentions are and forgive him in time, allowing him to focus on what he was doing as he and the Shinigami beside him rushed towards the First Division's barracks.

It didn't take him long to reach their destination, where the Shinigami walked him up to a rather large door and opened it, showing an interesting looking deck like area that allowed someone to watch the sun set and stare out at the entirety of the Seireitei from a single spot, even if they could only see twenty-five percent of it.

"Lord Sombra has arrived." the Shinigami announced, allowing Sombra to step out into the open area that Yamamoto wanted to talk to him in, though as he did so he found the Captain-Commander sitting at a table with two cups of tea sitting in front of him, before a single glance had the Shinigami excuse himself and close the door behind him.

"It's nice to see you again, especially since last time we were in a hurry to stop the rebellion." Sombra said, though at the same time he knew what to do and stepped forward, to which he walked up to the table and took the seat that had been set out for him, "I take it that you already know what happened to Muramasa and that you want to know what happened after we went to the World of the Living?"

"Indeed." Yamamoto replied, though he wasn't surprised that Sombra knew that he had already figured out that something had happened to Muramasa, as he was used to the Arrancar knowing far more than he told anyone, before he poured some tea for them and set one down in front of his ally, "Would you like anything to eat while we talk?"

"No, this tea is more than enough." Sombra said, to which he picked his up and sipped on it, finding that it was the same blend that he used when he was calming Haineko down, which made sense considering that it was the same type that Urahara had him drink when he was living in his shop, "The reality is that Arrancar don't actually need to eat or drink anything to keep their bodies going, not like Shinigami, who need to eat and drink to replenish their reiryoku, so most of us either don't eat anything or we do because of old habits... though the only one of us that actually had to eat, to build his power, was Yammy. But you did not ask me to come here so we could discuss what an Arrancar ate and what they don't eat, you asked me to come here so you could figure out what happened to Koga and what I'm going to do with Muramasa, now that he's an Arrancar."

"Word has spread that you not only spared Muramasa, but that he's one of your followers now." Yamamoto stated, once again not surprised by how well Sombra was able to determine what someone was thinking of, especially when he had all the pieces of the puzzle, but even then he had no idea what the full extent of Sombra's abilities were, "I am curious as to why you would do such a thing."

"He started out like me, an innocent person who thought they were doing what was right," Sombra replied, as he was sure that Zangetsu had shared what little he knew about his past with Muramasa, hence why he and Haineko were able to convince him to give up on Koga and embrace a new destiny, "then a tragic event happened that shifted his view on reality and caused him to take his first steps towards freeing Koga, even if it meant doing actions that many would consider to be evil. The thing is that I was able to eventually put my dark past behind me and forged a new future that did not reflect my past, so if I was able to do something like that, in the few months since I became an Arrancar, than I think it's possible for someone like him to do the same thing. Don't worry, I'll make sure that there's always one of the other Arrancar with him, since trouble's bound to happen sooner or later, and he'll have plenty of chances to fix the mess he made and maybe, just maybe, convince the Shinigami that he's not as bad as they think he is."

"I see." Yamamoto said, as not a lot of people knew what sort of history Sombra had, before he became the Arrancar that he was, but at the same time he found that whatever history he had was a good influence on what he did, for them and for his own kingdom, before he sipped on his own tea and thought about something else, "What about Koga?"

"Dead. Byakuya and Senbonzakura killed him." Sombra answered, though at the same time it was a fitting reward for what he had done to his Zanpakuto, because anyone that willingly shattered their blade like that, and inflict so much damage upon their partner, didn't deserve to have a Zanpakuto at all, in his opinion anyway, before something else crossed his mind, "You know, after dealing with Koga, it's got me thinking about how many more ancient enemies the Soul Society might have and when they might show up in the future. Maybe you could fill me in on what those might be? I could assist you in taking them out, if one of them happened to show up anyway."

Yamamoto considered it for a moment, as there were a few things he could think of that someone like Sombra could take of rather quickly, though part of him wondered if it was necessary for such a thing to happen, considering that they'd be too reliant on him if something bad happened. At the same time he had to admit that one or two of the enemies he was thinking about could only be defeated by someone like him or Sombra, making him truly weigh his options on the matter, and he could tell that Sombra was okay with waiting for an answer, since it seemed like he was thinking about any possible threats that he might take out on his own.

"There are a few, but none that you need to concern yourself with immediately." Yamamoto said, causing Sombra to raise an eyebrow for a moment before snapping his fingers, to which Yamamoto glanced around the room as the same seal that was used to keep him and Haineko from being interrupted appeared around them, with the 'key' floating near Sombra, indicating that they could speak without others knowing, "First off there are the Bounts, a tribe of artificially created beings that can live indefinitely as long as they consume souls, though I believe that Humans created the story of vampires from their existence, despite the fact that we're positive they were exterminated. There is also several rumors that something is up with the Kasumioji Clan, but these are just rumors and I won't trouble you with them until we have some solid evidence that anything is happening, especially since noble houses, even the lesser ones, are known to make trouble for the others at times. The third potential threat is that of Ginjo Kugo, the previous Substitute Shinigami that came before Ichigo, though it has been some time since he did anything in the World of the Living and it seems as if his reiatsu has disappeared, so you won't need to worry about him. And last, but certainly not least, is the long dead Father of the Quincy known as Yhwach, who I personally killed a thousand years ago, so you won't have to worry about him suddenly showing himself at some point in the future either."

Sombra stared at the Captain-Commander for a moment, because he was sure that he wasn't being told the entirety of the truth, before simply nodding his head and let the seal break apart, as it appeared that they were going to engage in small talk while they finished their drinks. His mind was focused on other things at the moment, because given how his home world worked, in terms of dealing with villains, no one was ever truly defeated and usually came back after a great deal of time, only to surprise those that were around the target of whoever had survived. Based on Yamamoto's words he had to assume that the Bounts were still alive, or at least a few of them anyway, there was a chance that something would happen with the Kasumioji Clan in the near future, and he was sure that this Ginjo was only hiding his reiatsu, to prevent himself from being found until he was ready... but Yhwach, on the other hand, that person was definitely alive. Based on the fact that his own physical form had been shattered and he had been reduced to a mere shadow, and then to a soul when he tried to take the Crystal Empire a thousand years ago, he had the feeling that out of all of the threats the one he'd focus on was Yhwach, especially if it took someone like Yamamoto to take him out.

In the end Sombra simply told the Captain-Commander that he'd be on standby if any of the threats showed up, as he thought they might, and excused himself so he could make sure that his newest follower was settling into his new life as an Arrancar, though he could tell that Yamamoto knew that he'd be keeping an eye out for any of the threats, since there was no telling when they'd show up and attack them. When he returned to the barracks that he and his followers were staying in he found that Muramasa was there, as were the others, though Grimmjow wasn't too surprised to see that he had freed another Zanpakuto spirit and Nel knew that their own forces were growing quite well, even though Harribel simply nodded her head and accepted him into the group without delay. Muramasa seemed surprised by the fact that they were so willing to accept him, since they had been enemies earlier that day, but at the same time he was willing to do his best to make his new master, or Lord as he quickly picked up, happy, and they knew that he would have a chance to make up for his wrongdoings in the future.

"Lord Sombra, what's our next course of action?" Harribel asked, because while she knew that they might be in Soul Society for another day or two, to be absolutely sure there weren't any consequences for what happened when Muramasa caused the rebellion, she was interested if some of them might be going home soon.

"We're going to make sure that there aren't any serious consequences because of this rebellion," Sombra replied, as he knew that Harribel understood what he was thinking of, just like Zangetsu and Grimmjow seemed to understand it as well, before he glanced out at the Seireitei once more, "I have the feeling that we're going to find something to keep us busy for a few days before we can go home, and that the Shinigami might need our help with something."

He was positive that there was something they were overlooking, as he was sure that they weren't done with the rebellious Zanpakuto, and Haineko told him that she already delivered the fragments of the spirits she had defeated to Mayuri while he was talking to Yamamoto, but he was sure that they would figure out what that something was in the very near future.





The following morning Sombra got an interesting invite that he wasn't expecting, as Byakuya was inviting the entirety of the Sixth Division to come to his mansion and watch the cherry blossoms bloom, as well as have some food and have a good time, and he suspected that both Rukia and Renji would be there. The reason he was likely doing that was because he, Renji, Senbonzakura, and Zabimaru destroyed the Sixth Division's barracks in their mock battle, to make it convincing for the other Zanpakuto spirits, and they were already hard at work repairing the damage that had been caused to that area, along with the building that Rukia and Sode no Shirayuki destroyed during their battle as well. It was surprising that Byakuya would do such a thing, much less invite Sombra to something that was supposed to be for his Division, but maybe him being there would ease the tension that everyone else felt and actually enjoy themselves, so he guessed it couldn't hurt to accept the invitation and relax a little. What truly surprised him, however, was the fact that Byakuya was also extending an invitation to Muramasa, most likely because he was the Zanpakuto of Byakuya's uncle and there would be a good chance for him to try and make a few friends, though the invite also mentioned that if Muramasa refused Byakuya wouldn't hold it against him, since it might be too soon for him to really do something like that.

"I am... surprised... that he'd invite me to the party as well." Muramasa commented, though as he spoke both he and Sombra walked down the street, with him diverting his eyes from the few Shinigami that were walking in the same area that they were in, "I don't think the other Shinigami will appreciate me being there."

"Well, you can stay for a few minutes and then excuse yourself if you want," Sombra said, as he had accepted the invite without delay and had told the other Arrancar that they were free to relax in whatever manner they saw fit, though he had the feeling that Zangetsu and Haineko were going to have some fun, "At the very least Byakuya won't be upset if he sees that you made an attempt to make some new friends, and then you can go do whatever you want with your spare time while I unwind."

Muramasa said nothing as they stopped at the gate of the Kuchiki Manor, where Sombra knocked and they were let in the moment the Shinigami on the other side noticed who was at the door, to which he remained silent as the two of them walked into the area where the party was being held. It was there that they found the Sixth Division, those that hadn't been wounded by the Zanpakuto and those that had recovered from their minor injuries, were enjoying themselves and didn't seem to notice who was standing near them, but in the next few moments Muramasa found that he was wrong, in an entirely different manner. Instead of the Shinigami being interested in him, since he made several Zanpakuto betray their partners, they were focused on Sombra and zeroed in on him, allowing the two of them to separate while he took the crowd in a different direction so Muramasa could try his hand at making friends with those that were near him. A few Shinigami glared at him, meaning that they knew that it was his fault the Seireitei was in the condition that it was in, but seeing that he was an Arrancar told them that they shouldn't try anything, not when Sombra was nearby and their Captain, who was approaching the grounds, would be displeased with their actions.

Despite his best efforts to find anyone to talk to, that weren't high up in Soul Society's ladder, he ended up stopping in front of both Renji and Rukia, who seemed like they were enjoying themselves now that Rukia had healed from the injuries she sustained during her fight with Sode no Shirayuki, and the light glares in their eyes meant that it would be some time before he fixed things.

"Muramasa." Renji stated, as his glare was more intense than Rukia's was, meaning that she either knew something that her friend didn't or she had been told what happened when her brother came back to the manor after they came back from the area that Koga was sealed away in, "You've got some nerve coming here, after what you did."

"Relax, her brother invited me to this party," Muramasa replied, though he hoped that his first encounter with the Shinigami, after the rebellion was over, was going to be a success, but since it was these two his chances of that happening went right out the window, "besides, I had the feeling that I would be unwanted by the other Shinigami, so I'll just spend a few minutes seeing what this part looks like and then I'll leave. Either way, shouldn't you be with the Captain right now? It seems a crowd is starting to form around him."

"Nah, the others need to bond with him more than I do." Renji said, to which he glanced in the direction of his Captain, who had stopped to chat with some of the other members of their Division, before shaking his head and turning back towards the former spirit that was in front of them, "I'm surprised you accepted his offer to come, and that he even sent you one to begin with."

"Renji, my brother was just being nice." Rukia stated, though at the same time she focused on the Arrancar that was standing in front of them, knowing that his rebellion had allowed her to reconnect with Sode no Shirayuki, just like the other Zanpakuto had reconnected with their partners, save for Haineko and Ruri'iro Kujaku, "I heard that the entire incident was so you could figure out where your own Shinigami partner was located, all so you could free him and do whatever it was that you had planned... and then something happened when you found out where he was imprisoned, or at least that was all my brother was willing to share with me."

"That is the gist of what happened, and yes, that also makes me a hypocrite." Muramasa said, though the second part was directed at Renji, who had started to open his mouth so he could say something and closed it when he figured out that he was the one it was directed to, "I made up the lie about wanting to free the Zanpakuto so I could sow chaos, get the information I needed, and then free my previous master so he could rule the entirety of Soul Society... only things didn't work out as I anticipated and Koga broke my physical form, and I was convinced to take a new master in his place."

Rukia and Renji glanced at each other, as what Muramasa just told them indicated that he was an abused Zanpakuto that had turned away from their partner, like Zangetsu and Haineko did, but before they could say anything several of the Shinigami ran over and pulled Renji away, either because they were too nervous to talk to their Captain or they wanted him present Muramasa had no idea. Rukia sighed and walked away from the area that she was standing in, though at the same time, instead of being left alone, Muramasa followed after her and commented on the fact that her brother was letting them use the mansion for whatever event was going on, even though he was surprised that none of the Shinigami seemed to care about his presence all that much. Rukia revealed that her brother just wanted everyone to relax and unwind from the fights with their Zanpakuto, where she glanced at him when she said that, to which Muramasa nodded his head, as he understood that she was still upset with him turning Sode no Shirayuki against her, before they reached a room that he suspected was hers, based on a few rabbit plushies that were laying around the room.

Not even a moment later they both heard the sound of someone scream, though while Rukia headed there without her blade, as this was supposed to be a party, Muramasa made sure his was at the ready, since all Arrancar seemed to carry their weapons on them... though when they reached their destination they found two beings, one being a satyr and the second being a man with a black sword smashing up one of the rooms that some souls had fled from.

"Stop it!" Rukia called out, to which the two beings stopped what they were doing and turned towards them, though the looks of aggression on their faces indicated that they weren't happy about something, "Who in the world are you two supposed to be? Control yourselves!"

The pair of enemies attacked immediately, the black sword wielding being causing Rukia to dodge the attack and get behind them as Muramasa parried the incoming attack from the satyr with bladed claws as his weapons, before moving to Rukia's side, since letting her get hurt was a surefire way to make Byakuya mad at him.

"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren." the pair heard, indicating that Sode no Shirayuki was on the other side of the wall that was behind them, to which they jumped out of the way and watched as a torrent of ice barreled through the wall, catching the two beings off guard.

Rukia and Muramasa flashed outside the building and watched as ice formed where the torrent went through, but even as that happened the cat-claw wielding was the first to emerge and Sode no Shirayuki blocked the incoming attack that was thrown at her, before knocking the being back, who decided to flee at that moment. As that happened the blade sword wielding being raised his blade in an attempt to slice her in half, though before that could happen Muramasa flashed between them and raised his hand towards the being's head, using his power to stop him in his tracks. He was lucky that it worked, as it stopped the being and caused him to lower his weapon, but at the same time he delved into the being's core, like he did when he tried to free the Zanpakuto from their partners, and found nothing but an empty void that seemed to be looking for someone to fill it, like a nameless blade seeking their partner. In fact while he was feeling this emptiness, one that felt familiar to him, he couldn't help but wonder if he had found another blade that was like him, expect this time there would be no happy ending, not if the being joined them once he had calmed down.

"Did they hurt you, Sode no Shirayuki?" a voice asked, to which Muramasa turned his head slightly and found that Senbonzakura was also standing nearby, making him wonder why the blades were still manifesting when his hold had been broken on all of them and he had withdrawn the fragments of his power.

"I'm fine, Senbonzakura." Sode no Shirayuki replied, though she appreciated the concern, since that could have been ugly if Muramasa hadn't acted and she was sure that Senbonzakura would have stepped in as well, before she turned her head slightly, "Lady Rukia, are you all right?"

"Yeah, but... why are you guys manifested?" Rukia inquired, not that she wasn't grateful or anything, since Sode no Shirayuki did save her life by coming when she did, but at the same time this only left her confused since she was so sure that the Zanpakuto had gone back to normal, "Didn't you guys go back to being our swords?"

"We didn't agree to that." Sode no Shirayuki stated, as while the mind control that Muramasa had put on all of them had been broken, either by a Zanpakuto's partner freeing them or Captain Mayuri working hard to 'deprogram' them and return them to normal, none of them had actually agreed to go back to being stuck inside their blades.

"It's your own fault for misunderstanding what we said." Senbonzakura added, as the Zanpakuto meant that they were taking a break and returning to their blades for a time, but even then they were still able to manifest and be their own beings whenever they wanted, though they were more mindful of what their partners wanted of them than they originally were, especially since Muramasa no longer controlled them.

"What's all this ruckus?" a new voice asked, to which they all turned and found Byakuya and Sombra walking down the path that was near where they were standing, before the two of them noticed that Muramasa was stalling a being that neither of them recognized, "And who is he?"

"He and another being like him attacked the room that we're in front of," Muramasa explained, though even as he said that he lowered his arm and found that the being barely moved, meaning that he must have done something right to keep him in a suspended state, "I think we might want to see what in the world is going on now, because when I stopped him I peered into his inner world and found a void that feels like the same emptiness that I used to feel, after I discovered that Koga was sealed away and that I was on my own."

Sombra stared at the humanoid being that was wrapped in black cloth, not like Kazeshini since this guy had openings in the cloth that revealed his skin, and knew that if Muramasa thought that this guy was another Zanpakuto spirit that he had to be right in some regard. Byakuya seemed to be thinking about that as well, because despite the fact that many didn't like Muramasa he was sure that his uncle's blade had to be on the right track, to which he had Rukia, Senbonzakura, Sode no Shirayuki, and Muramasa follow him, while at the same time Sombra made sure that the being was contained as they headed towards the Twelfth Division's barracks. Some of the Shinigami looked at them as they walked down the street, mostly because of the being that they were bringing with them, and while they thought that Muramasa was doing something wrong Rukia was quick to tell whoever spoke that this wasn't the new Arrancar's fault, though since they didn't know what caused it they were heading to Mayuri's place to see if he could figure something out. That action surprised Muramasa once more, since he wasn't used to someone else standing up for him in such a manner, to which he nodded his head in gratitude as they moved towards their destination, where they encountered fewer Shinigami as they got close to where they were taking the being.

Nemu was there when they arrived, which made sense considering that this was the Twelfth Division's barracks, and she beckoned them inside when she noticed that they had something new for them to understand, where they eventually found the area that Mayuri was in... to which he stared at the stunned being that they were carting around and did a few minor tests while Rukia, Byakuya, and Sombra sat down, since Muramasa was keeping the being stunned.

"Well, this is a rare treat." Mayrui commented, as it had been some time since he had something new to study, as the mind controlled Zanpakuto had been interesting for him to study, but at the same time it wasn't anything new, since there were a few records about Muramasa's abilities in the area that all the information on Zanpakuto was stored in, "Someone came to visit me for once, instead of me heading out to visit someone to gain any information. So, what can I do for the two of you, and both Sombra and his newest follower?"

"I'm curious if you know anything about our Zanpakuto still being in their materialized forms," Rukia stated, though at the same time she noticed that neither Sode no Shirayuki or Senbonzakura were offended by what she had said, which made sense considering that she had asked them that earlier.

"I may have freed them, and a number of the other Zanpakuto, from his mind control, but I never said that I would be able to return them to how they were before he showed up." Mayuri stated, to which he held up his own Zanpakuto for a moment and had Ashisogi Jizo appear in front of him for a moment, allowing the spirit to fly around his chair in a circle for a few seconds before returning to his blade, where he put it back where it belonged, "There you have it. Now, if you don't mind, I have some tests to run on the information that you've brought me so far."

"What about him?" Sombra asked, where he gestured to the being that was stunned at the moment, who Muramasa seemed to be keeping contained without seeming stressed out by what he was doing, while at the same time Mayuri glanced at him for a moment, "We originally came to ask about him and what he might be apart of."

"Ah. Him." Mayuri said, to which his usual smile appeared on his face, as that was something that he would willingly talk about with the people that were in front of him, and, despite the fact that he had only gotten the information a few moments ago he already had something he could tell them, "He's a rampant Zanpakuto that was materialized by the powers of your newest follower earlier. Are you aware of the fact that Muramasa also materialized the Zanpakuto of the rank and file Shinigami as well?"

"I did no such thing." Muramasa stated, though despite the fact that he was keeping the majority of his attention on the being, or rampart Zanpakuto, that was in front of him he turned towards the Captain that they were talking to, who glared at him, "All I did was materialize the Zanpakuto of the Captains, the Lieutenants, and the seated members of each Division... I never materialized the Zanpakuto of the lesser Shinigami of the Divisions, since their blades wouldn't be as powerful as the others."

"Hmm, maybe your reiatsu leapt from the Zanpakuto you materialized to the Zanpakuto of the Shinigami that they attacked moments after your announcement." Mayuri remarked, though at the same time he didn't honestly care what the spirit thought, because he would figure out what was really going on at some point in the future, which meant more research and tests were needed, "Either way, a number of the Shinigami that had their Zanpakuto manifested were unable to force their partners to submit to them and ended up dead in the process, so you see, a rampant Zanpakuto is a blade that has lost their master."

"Normally, as you all know, a Zanpakuto dies when their master does." Nemu added, showing that she knew more about Zanpakuto than she seemed to show, especially since she didn't have her own weapon to fight people with, before she glanced at her Captain for a moment, "There must be some abnormality with them."

"These aren't Zanpakuto, Shinigami, or even Hollow... they're an entirely new phenomenon." Mayuri said, as this was the exciting part about what they had brought him, because the being seemed like a Zanpakuto spirit and clearly wasn't one at the same time, or at least it was to him, "Let's see... I think I'll call them Toju, or 'Sword Fiends'. Maybe if you left that being with me for a while I could give you more information on what's happening to them... or you could go catch the other one that attacked your mansion. Oh, before I forget, there is one thing I should mention, and that's the fact that these Toju are capable of wielding their Zanpakuto powers to the fullest, meaning they're in a state of constant Bankai and will be incredibly dangerous for some people."

Sombra nodded his head in understanding, even though this wasn't something that would bother him at all, before he beckoned for the others to follow him out, where he noticed that Mayuri frowned when Muramasa directed the stunned Toju outside the barracks, depriving him of the specimen they had found. The moment they were outside the barracks he had them move some distance away from where Mayuri's lab was located, only to stop a few minutes later, which was where he asked Muramasa if he could delve into the spirit's inner world again and see if he could establish a connection to him, or at least explain that there was a master he could serve.

"What do you mean by that?" Rukia asked, because as far as she knew these Toju weren't like the Hollows and spirits that Sombra was calling to his side, turning them into Arrancar to expand his growing empire, but at the same time she found that her brother was interested in what was going on.

"Captain Mayuri called them rampant Zanpakuto, and admitted that they could still use their powers." Sombra stated, though at the same time Muramasa shifted a little, showing that he understood what he was talking about already as he delved into his work, before he decided to explain himself, "Basically that means that, despite his classification that they are 'Toju', masterless blades that are rampaging, they're still Zanpakuto spirits that are looking for a place to belong, or a master that they can serve to the best of their ability... almost like what Muramasa was when he first showed himself. I believe that it might be possible to convert these Toju into Arrancar, be they high powered Gillian or low powered Adjuchas, but at the very least they won't die and be forgotten, which seems to be the thing that they are trying to fight as they look for someplace to call home."

"It's admirable that you're willing to go through this, for complete strangers." Byakuya said, because he could see why Sombra would go through the effort of saving Zangetsu, since he was the spirit of Ichigo's Zanpakuto, and why he might do the same for Muramasa, since they had been walking down the same path, but doing this for a random spirit, who had lost their partner, was what really caught him off guard.

Sombra said nothing to that, because in some ways even Haineko was a complete stranger to him until he learned more about her, and yet he had stood by and helped her separate herself from her abusive partner, but even as that thought crossed his mind the wind kicked up around the Toju they had captured. It seemed that Muramara's work was a complete success, as he had convinced the poor Zanpakuto spirit to walk a new path and was now his own being, with a more humanoid form, his own Hollow hole and mask fragment, and everything else he needed to be an Arrancar. As he considered what he was going to say, however, he found that both Zangetsu and Haineko flashed into the area that they were standing around in, though while they were both worried that something might have happened they were shocked to see another new Arrancar standing near Muramasa, before they smiled and welcomed him to his new life.

"It seems that our next objective is clear," Sombra commented, causing everyone to turn towards him for a moment, as it was time for him to tell his forces what they were going to be doing for the foreseeable future, until this side effect of the rebellion was over, "Muramasa, you and Zangetsu should take our new ally back to the barracks and tell the others that we'll be on the lookout for the rest of the Toju that were born from the fires of the rebellion, as something tells me there are more of them than we think there are. I'm going to go explain the situation to the Captain-Commander and see if he can let us use a larger building for bringing all the Toju together, where we can free them and get them situated in their new lives as Arrancar, even though I might want to build a gateway to Hueco Mundo soon, considering that there were a good number of Shinigami that fell when the rebellion started."

"What about me?" Haineko asked, as she wanted to be of assistance, and she knew that Sombra was aware of that fact as well, but at the same time she was eager to see what sort of assignment her Lord had for her, especially since they had no idea how many Toju there were in the Soul Society.

"For now I want you to stay with Rukia and see if you guys can't capture that other one that attacked her earlier, when she was at the Kuchiki Clan's manor." Sombra replied, though for right now, since they had next to no information on how many targets they would be going after, he wanted to be sure that they had some time to rest and relax while they tried to find their target, before he smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, I know that you'll do just fine on this assignment and pass with flying colors."

Haineko nodded her head in understanding, which was followed by Sombra, Zangetsu, and Muramasa departing the area with the newest Arrancar, though before anyone could say anything Renji ran up to them and told Byakuya that it was almost time for the changing of the Seireitei guard, to which Byakuya told Rukia that this was in her hands and that she was allowed to use Senbonzakura as she saw fit, to which he and Renji left as well.

"So, how are we going to capture that Toju?" Sode no Shirayuki inquired, as while they could refer to it as a Zanpakuto, since it was clear that they could also be transformed into Arrancar like some of the spirits that Sombra released from their partners, it was easier to think of them differently to make the mission easier.

"Here's a thought: why don't we go destroy a barracks?" Senbonzakura asked, to which both Rukia and Haineko were surprised that Byakuya's partner would even suggest something like that, especially in the state that the Seireitei was in at the moment, "We could draw all of the Seireitei's attention to us and maybe shock the ruffian out of hiding!"

"We're trying to restore the Seireitei, not destroy it." Rukia stated, though she had to resist the urge to growl or show any anger, since this wasn't something that she wanted to deal with at the moment, and she could tell that her newest ally was thinking the same thing.

"Then how about we freeze everyone in the town, including the ruffian?" Sode no Shirayuki offered, because if Rukia didn't want to destroy something, and she was sure that her partner wasn't in the mood to do that, then freezing an area sounded like the next best thing to her, "The town itself would be unharmed in the process, and we'd have a chance to be sure that we caught the target before he had a chance to free himself."

"How about we stay away from the destructive plans?" Haineko inquired, as she honestly couldn't believe that, even with being bested by their partners and having Mayuri deprogram them, these two Zanpakuto were still seeking to blow something up to get a job done, "Why does violence have to be the first solution anyone thinks of?"

"Well, what would you suggest we do?" Senbonzakura asked, because right now he wasn't sure what the Zanpakuto turned Arrancar was thinking, especially since most the Arrancar he knew were prone to starting a fight the moment they found a decent opponent, "So far Rukia hates everything we've thought of... maybe she'll like your idea."

Haineko had no idea what they should do, she honestly didn't, but since she was new to this whole problem with the Toju she asked what had happened when the first one, which had been part of a pair of attackers, and discovered that both the new Arrancar and the runaway had been attacking a party. She thought about that for a moment, as it sounded strange to even consider such a trap, before she had them follow her to the Tenth Division's barracks, where she found that Captain Hitsugaya was still in, working on paperwork, and that Matsumoto wasn't nearby. Mayuri had been quick to inform the remaining Captains aboout the Toju, meaning that it saved them some time when Haineko offered her idea to the young Captain, surprising her companions as well and making them wonder why they hadn't thought of it first, and it was only further boosted when Matsumoto came in and declared that it sounded like a wonderful idea, causing Hitsugaya to sigh and sign off on them having a small party to celebrate their hard work. In reality it was a cover so Rukia and the others could be hiding in wait to see if the runaway Toju returned, to terrorize another party, but Haineko insisted that she'd be find hanging out with the Shinigami and keeping an eye on things from the center of the crowd.

In no time at all they were able to gather everything they needed for their trap, causing the Shinigami of the Tenth Division to smile as each of them sat down in the courtyard of the barracks and enjoyed themselves, especially when Sode no Shirayuki toasted them for a hard day's work... to which Matsumoto and Haineko, being at the center, down their sake drinks without delay, surprising the spirit that was standing over them.

"Oh my, you two certainly know how to drink." Sode no Shirayuki commented, as that wasn't something that she was expecting when this plan had been offered to her and the others, but at the same time it certainly made it seem like this was a party that everyone was enjoying.

"You bet we do, we used to play games like this all the time in my inner world." Matsumoto replied, remembering the number of times that she and Haineko would play drinking games, though they both had a high tolerance for this sort of thing, meaning that it would take more than one large red bowl of sake to take either of them out, "Though to be honest, I never thought that I'd be ordered to go drinking, especially with how my Captain hates me doing this sort of thing."

"The only sad part about being an Arrancar is that I can't get drunk anymore... believe me, Zangetsu and I tried that the night the rebellion was over and we woke up without a hangover." Haineko added, though at the same time she laughed for a moment as she noticed a blush appear on Matsumoto's face, as her tone revealed that the two of them had done a little more than just drinking that night, before she decided to poke her former partner a little, "What's that look on your face for? Don't tell me you want the details on what we did last night?"

"H... Haineko! Now isn't the time or the place to be talking like that!" Matsumoto remarked, as she honestly didn't want to know what her lazy partner did last night with one of the strongest Arrancar in Hueco Mundo, and she wasn't even counting Sombra since he was on an entirely different level.

"Relax, I wasn't planning on telling you anything anyway, I just wanted to mess with you a little." Haineko said, though she had to admit that seeing her former partner so flustered over thinking what she might have done with Zangetsu last night was amusing to observe, before she looked at the party around them, "Trust me, the rampant Zanpakuto that we're looking for will show up at some point, we just have to be patient and draw him out of hiding."

Despite saying that she was immune to the effects of sake and alcohol, which was true, Haineko did had some of it every now and then, mostly to keep up the appearance that they were having fun as the evening gave way to the night, and a good number of the Shinigami ended up drunk or passed out after having a good time. Something that she and the others weren't expecting was for Senbonzakura, the Zanpakuto of Byakuya Kuchiki, to get drunk and fall back onto the ground, leaving his mask crooked as a drunken Matsumoto laughed at him, as she was completely drunk and didn't have a care in the world. In the end, however, it seemed that their plan to draw the Toju out with a party was a bust, as he didn't show up at all, but the event wasn't a complete waste of time, as it gave the Tenth Division some time to relax and unwind from their ordeals, especially since they were forced to be constantly on guard when the rebellion was going on. Sure, they might not have found their target this time around, but they were happy to see that their plan had some benefits to it, even though Captain Hitsugaya left them to put out the fires and whatnot, which made sense considering that this was their plan to draw the Toju out of hiding.

When they finished up, however, Haineko noticed that Rukia and Sode no Shirayuki were sitting on one of the rocks that was nearby and seemed to be looking at either the moon or something that was in the area around them, but at the same time she knew that this was some alone time that they needed.

"Sode no Shirayuki, what's wrong?" Rukia asked, because despite what some of the Zanpakuto thought, about their partners or masters not understanding them, the rebellion had brought them closer to actually understanding each other, even if that drove some partnerships apart, like what happened with Haineko and Matsumoto.

"It's nice to talk to you like this, despite the fact that we Zanpakuto are tools made for fighting." Sode no Shirayuki replied, as the freedom that the rebellion had given her, along with the other Zanpakuto, had been refreshing, but at the same time she had the feeling that it wasn't going to last much longer, "I think there's something in our hearts that we're lacking, but I'm not sure what that something is. You know, before Muramasa showed up, I was proud of my powers, so I thought that it would be nice to move about as I please, and he took advantage of that weakness in my heart... back then I truly believed that I could do anything on my own, but the rebellion has made me realize otherwise. There's nothing a weapon like myself can do without you there to serve as my heart, as I would simply be a weapon of destruction if I was left on my own."

"You're wrong, Sode no Shirayuki. You aren't a weapon of destruction." Rukia said, though at the same time she faced her partner and gave her a smile that revealed that she believed otherwise, especially when she considered everything that they had been through over the years, "We've always been together. You were always there to protect me, even during the hard and painful times. You have no idea how much you've helped support me over the years. I was able to stand strong because I had you with me, so please, don't say you can't do anything."

Haineko smiled as she watched the two of them, as it appeared that they were finally getting over the tension that had been created between them thanks to the rebellion and they connected their hands for a moment, but that was before the three of them noticed the reiatsu of someone attacking someone nearby and they moved out immediately. When they turned around the corner they found the satyr Toju standing on some steps in front of three startled Shinigami, though as they entered the area the being turned toward them and caused his violet reiatsu to appear, before he started spinning around like a twister and knocked Rukia back as she attempted to block the attack. As that happened the three Shinigami ran out of the area, leaving Rukia, Sode no Shirayuki, and Haineko to deal with the Toju that was standing in front of them, who happened to be grinning at them as he readied his claws to cut them down where they stood. Sode no Shirayuki waved her hand and directed a stream of icy wind to form a vortex around their enemy, allowing Rukia to get out of the way as it attacked her again, but as that happened the Toju spun around the stopped the attack entirely before charging at her. Sode no Shirayuki dodged the attack and appeared behind their foe, trying to attack him again with the icy wind, but that was followed by him spinning back and hitting her a little, causing some hair to drop in the process as the strands were cut off, though this time, when he moved to attack her again, Haineko drew her blade and parried the attacks that happened to be coming their way.

As that happened the Toju also went after Sode no Shirayuki, who dodged the attacks that were aimed at her, but despite that there was something they needed to do and it seemed to be working quite well, because it prevented the satyr from seeing Rukia readying herself, as she fired a Hado Number 33: Sokatsui that barreled into the satyr's back and sent him flying forward. When the Toju got back up Rukia fired the same attack again, followed by Sode no Shirayuki using Some no mai, Tsukishiro to freeze the ground below their target when he was wounded, seemingly trapping him inside the pillar of ice that she had summoned. What happened next was that Haineko called out, as she was paying attention to the reiatsu in the air around them, and Rukia tackled her Zanpakuto spirit to get her out of the way, as the Toju threw one of his claw blades at her and hurt Rukia in the process. As the Toju leapt into the air, after freeing itself from the ice, Haineko flashed into the air as well and kicked him back down into the ground, as she wasn't about to let either of her companions get hurt once more, especially since they could easily beat this guy and capture him. Rukia and Sode no Shirayuki glanced at each other for a moment, as Haineko kept their opponent stalled, before she felt the presence of Rukia's Zanpakuto spirit transferring back into her blade form... which was followed by them forming the steps of the Hakuren technique, to which Haineko leapt into the air and let the torrent of ice crash into the Toju.

When the dust cleared they found a construct of ice in front of them, with the satyr trapped inside it, to which the pair smiled as Haineko sheathed her blade, as it would take some time for the ice to thaw and let them get the satyr, but at the same time that gave one of the Arrancar time to catch up with them. Since Mayuri couldn't be trusted with anything, not without ruining something, one of them was going to make sure he did some simple tests on the satyr before handing him over to Muramasa, who was going to attempt to reawaken him as another Arrancar. At the same time, however, Zangetsu flashed into the area and informed her and Rukia that their incident at the manor and over here wasn't the only one that the Shinigami had reported in, meaning that there were more Toju for them to hunt down and capture, even though it would take some time for them to find all of them and end whatever was happening. It also meant that they wouldn't be leaving just yet, meaning that Haineko might have to spend some more time in the area of her former partner, but at the very least she and the others could show the Shinigami why it was good to be friends with Lord Sombra, as they sought the remaining Toju and stopped them.

She only hoped that this incident would help Muramasa get over his past, as he deserved more after being so poorly treated by his previous partner, and that the Shinigami accepted him for who he was trying to be, but she guessed that only time would tell what would happen next.