Disappearances in Soul Society

Disappearances in Soul Society

Prelude
Nine years after Kisuke Urahara was promoted to captain of the Twelfth Division, in the Rukongai there are three souls who are contorting in agony, spewing a mysteriously white substance from their mouths as they hold onto their necks, choking all the while.

The pressure on their bodies becomes too much and they explode, completely turned into the white substance which lands on a nearby umbrella that is shielding three observers. One of them concludes that an ordinary soul cannot be kept a prototype in their experiment as their body breaks down too easily and his comrade asks if they should quit due to this but the first person insists they will continue with their actions.

In the Seireitei, Shinji Hirako is out walking with his Lieutenant Sōsuke Aizen when he spots Kisuke Urahara with his Lieutenant Hiyori Sarugaki and 3rd seated officer Mayuri Kurotsuchi coming from the opposite direction. Shinji cheerfully delivers a greeting which Urahara returns with equal enthusiasm. However, Shinji is soon bemused by Urahara's refusal to use his fist name instead of speaking so formally. He then greets Kurotsuchi cheerfully by using his first name which the officer takes offense to, insisting he address him formally rather than informally. Even more bemused, Shinji takes back his words, asserting he's the pain rather than Urahara.

Changing the subject, Shinji asks them have they heard the latest news that is spreading around the Seireitei. Urahara asks what he is referring to but before Shinji can continue he is interrupted by Hiyori. The small Lieutenant delivers a hard kick to Shinji's lower back causing the captain to fall to the ground in pain. Stunned, he demands to know why she attacked him so ferociously and she asserts that she is still waiting for him to greet her along with her fellow comrades.

Shinji inquires as to why he should greet her at all and an angered Hiyori insists that he always leaves her out but it is customary to greet someone when meeting them on the street. Shinji strongly disagrees with this assertions maintaining that since he is a captain and she is not he can greet whoever he wants without requiring her approval. The rest of his words are cut off as Hiyori begins to hit him and Shinji is forced to defend himself and the two begin to scuffle on the groun while Urahara smiles awkwardly at the situation.

As the two of them continue to wrestle on the ground, Aizen turns to Urahara and continues the conversation Shinji had begun before Hiyori's angry interruption. He asks the captain if he has had any news of the gossip but it is clear that Urahara has not as he asks Aizen what the word on the street is. Aizen informs him that there have been mysterious deaths occurring in the Rukongai. Behind him, having to hold Hiyori down, Shinji angrily declares that he wanted to tell Urahara and sardonically thanks his subordinate for ruining his fun on the matter.

Curious and stunned, Urahara asks what they mean by strange deaths. Shinji elaborates that for the last month residents in the Rukongai have been disappearing and nobody can tell why. Confused, Urahara asks if they have simply run off but Shinji insults him, asserting that he didn't say that they were missing. Shinji maintains that when he says disappearing he means that they have actually been disappearing leaving behind their clothes with no other evidence. Instead of their clothes turning into spirit particles too when they die, they think their human form is somehow being annihilated while they are still alive causing them to vanish.

This serious news greatly puzzles Urahara who wonders how a soul can completely lose control in maintaining their human form before dying. Turning away from him, Shinji apologizes for confusing him about the situation. He elaborates that he was informed of the theory from Retsu Unohana. He is also quite adamant that, even though he's just explained it to Urahara, he really doesn't understand the possibilities either. He asserts that it has been decided that more evidence needs to be gathered and that the task has been assigned to the Ninth Division.

The 9th Division Investigates
A team of Shinigami have been dispatched into the Rukongai to investigate the area in which the disappearances have been occurring. Their job is to find more evidence so that the reasons for these vanishings can properly be concluded as the current theories have no supporting evidence other than the clothes that are being left behind by those who are disappearing. The high ranking members of the Ninth Division march through the Rukongai, the team includes Captain Kensei Muguruma; Lieutenant Mashiro Kuna; 3rd Seat Heizō Kasaki; 4th Seat Shinobu Eishima; 5th Seat Kaname Tōsen; and 6th Seat Izaemon Tōdō.

From the rear of the group, Mashiro demands to know what exactly Kensei means when he says that he doesn't know what they are dealing with in the investigation. Agitated, Kensei tells her to quit whining because when he says he doesn't know he means just that, they have no idea what they are dealing with. Mashiro insists that, having sent out a ten-man team of Shinigami in advance they should wait at the barracks for their report. Getting more angry, Kensei asserts that the lack of any report is the reason they are venturing out to investigate themselves.

Mashiro continues to insist that this isn't the job for a captain, claiming that Kensei is just bored and impatient, wanting to go out when they should have waited for reports. Her voice takes on a whining note to it and Tōsen asks that she calm down but she says she doesn't want to. Kensei's impatience with his lieutenant's antics heightens until the tension in him snaps. He angrily turns to attack Mashiro but is grabbed and held back by several of his subordinates as Eishima reminds him that that Mashiro is always trying to get a reaction of out of him with her antics.

Trying to calm himself a little, Kensei shrugs off his officers, informing Mashiro that he does not recalls even asking her to come along on the mission anyway. He tells her that she shouldn't have come and advises her to return to their barracks and get some sleep or do whatever she wants to do. Mashiro pouts at this suggestion, calling Kensei a dummy for not remembering that Lieutenants must follow their Captains during missions. She insults his intelligence several times before his temper snaps again. By that time Mashiro has entered a tantrum and is rolling around on the ground crying about how hungry she is.

Suddenly a ominous wail catches the attention of the Shinigami who turn away from the scene being caused by Mashiro. They spot several young souls fleeing from a very large Hollow with a long neck. Initially they are stunned by the size of the creature with Kasaki commenting on the sheer size of the monster. Undisturbed, Kensei withdraws his Zanpakutō and orders his subordinates to attack the Hollow and save the children. His officers obediently comply without any hesitation, all four of them drawing their own blades and attacking the Hollow as one.

One of the young souls is flung away by the persistent Hollow when it screams out from the attack. The child, Shūhei Hisagi, looks up and notices the approach of the dominating presence of Kensei standing over him as the captain moves on the offensive. Kensei releases his Zanpakutō, Tachikaze, and uses its special ability to defeat the Hollow by cutting it apart at various points of its large body. The Hollow falls to the ground as Kensei calmly looks on at the chaos.

The captain glances around as his subordinates assemble about him and asks if everybody is alright. When they confirm that they are he notices Hisagi kneeling on the ground, sobbing and loudly demands to know why he is doing so. He maintains that since he survived the attack the child should be happy and smile. Kensei then produces a smile of his own for the child to prove as an example but the result is quite terrifying. Bemused, Eishima informs his captain that his attempt to cheer the child is pointless as he is scaring him.

Kensei rejects this theory while he pulls the young soul to his feet and asks him his name, becoming more demanding when the boy hesitates. Hisagi manages to stutter several times before providing his name nervously. Kensei tells Hisagi that his name is a strong one and orders him to stop crying. However, still quite frightened due to the recent attack, Hisagi continues to sob and cry much to Kensei's displeasure as he continues to try and dissuade him from doing so. He sighs after a while and asserts that the situation is quite a pain.

Just then, Mashiro comes upon the scene calling out her captains name to try and get his attention. When Kensei sees her he demands to know where she was during the fight. Unashamed, she replies that she was in the bushes behind her before revealing that she found something of importance. Mashiro then holds up a Shihakushō and insists that the bushes are filled with them and thus far she has found ten complete outfits. Upon learning about her discovery, Kensei's expression becomes one of shock and sheer horror.

Kensei begins to evaluate the situation, weighing the evidence that Mashiro has brought them. He murmurs out loud about there specifically being ten pairs of Shihakushō that were discovered. Clearly bemused and worried, Eishima states aloud that he understands where Kensei's train of thought is leading. However, Mashiro is at a loss as to why Kensei and Eishima are so focused of the fact that their are ten pairs of uniforms. Shaking with tension, Kensei reminds her that ten is the exact number in the team they sent ahead of them.

Unconvinced that this means the team are also victims of the same vanishings, Mashiro wonders aloud if they could have just simply removed their own clothes. Kensei disproves this theory by inquiring how they would be able to remove their Shihakushō without untying their Obi and how they would be able to remove their socks without first taking off their sandals. However, these objects are all still in place which fits with the original style of disappearances where the victims are simply losing their human form and leaving behind their empty outfits as they were before they vanished.

Kensei gathers himself and begins to deliver orders to his subordinates; he orders Eishima to report to Central Command that the disappearances have claimed their first Shinigami victims; Tōdō is ordered to get researchers from the Twelfth Division due to the possibility that an unknown pathogen is the cause for the breakdown in the soul; he orders Kasaki to contact a patrol squad in order to obtains a tent so that they can set up camp in the area that night. Kensei determines that the culprit could make their way to the Seireitei so he intends to crush them there and then before they can reach their target. His officers agree with him and rush off to carry out their orders.

With his fellow Shinigami heading off to their intended destinations, Tōsen asks his captain what he should do in the meantime or if he has any particular task for him. Kensei orders him to follow his lead and they are going to start checking out the general area. He turns to the youngsters who are still hanging around and asserts that they should get away from the area and go home as it is dangerous. As he looks away, his undershirt is pulled back slightly to reveal the 69 tattoo on his chest. Hisagi stares at the tattoo for a long time and it is evident that the captain has made quite the impression on the youngster.

Call Forth the S.R.D.I.
At the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Kurotsuchi is examining a test-tube filled with a mysterious liquid. He turns behind him and begins to yell at Hiyori to hurry along and he needs the containers she is carrying for him. Impatient he tells her that the day will be over by the time she arrives. An enraged Hiyori smashes the containers on the ground and begins to insult him for being nasty when she was being nice and helping him out.

Kurotsuchi asks her why she is suddenly so angry and he really doesn't see an issue to be annoyed over. Hiyori declares heatedly that he is too fussy and wonders why, as a lieutenant, she should be made to help him in any way, asking him what seat he is. Korutsuchi tries to avoid answering the question by asserting that things as trivial as ranking systems do not concern him. Hiyori calls his bluff and reminds him that he is the 3rd-Seat, and thus cannot order her around. However, he reminds her that in the S.R.D.I., he outranks her so she should obey him.

Angry over Kurotsuchi's statement, Hiyori screams out for her captain, her eyes bloodshot with agitation. Urahara appears, carrying a prototype Gigai over his shoulder and insisting he didn't much sleep. Hiyori begins to demand he reprimand Kurotuchi but she cuts herself off, wondering what Urahara is carrying. Urahara informs her that he thinks he may be able to help those losing their human form by placing their soul in a human-shaped object before they dissipate, revolutionizing Gigai technology in the process.

Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Tōdō on Kensei's orders and he asks if Urahara is present explaining who has sent him. Urahara invites the Shinigami inside and Tōdō explains the predicament to Urahara regarding the missing Shinigami victims. Urahara insists that he understands the dire need in the situation and will make his selections for investigators and send them out to the site right away. He then advises Tōdō to report back to his captain in the meantime and the officer agrees.

When the officer leaves Urahara informs Hiyori that she is his choice to carry out the assignment. His lieutenant is livid, believing one of the lower Shinigami should carry it out causing Akon to mention that all she does is complain and should just retire her position. Hiyori is enraged and tries to kick him only for her frustration to increase when Kurotsuchi compliments his work. However, Urahara convinces her by asserting that she is the only subordinate he trusts with such an important task to carry out. She reluctantly agrees to the task insisting it will cost him big later on.

Fall of the 9th Division
Tōdō returns to the investigation site where Eishima and Tōsen are standing guard outside the tent Kensei has set up. Tōsen tells Tōdō that he is late but the Shinigami tells him to give him a break he had a longer distance to travel. He then tells Tōsen to go rest and he will take over watch but the officer disagrees saying they all should keep watch. Eishima asserts that they are all going to take turns in rotation and that currently Kasaki and Kensei are resting inside the tent before its their turn.

Inside the tent, Kensei is staring pensively at the food stewing in the pot in front of him. He glances over at his sleeping lieutenant and marvels at how Mashiro can sleep so soundly during a time of such danger. Noticing the top of her uniform faling open, he reaches over and tries to fix her top so that her breasts don't fall out. However, in her sleep, but she grabs his hand and tells him he is a bad boy which annoys her captain who verbally insists she should stop talking to him like that or he will beat her up.

A sudden scream from outside the tent alerts Kasaki and Kensei to an issues. They rush out to find the other officers felled with Tōdō glancing at them before he too collapses bleeding to the ground. Ordering his remaining officer to look for the attacker, Kensei tries to wake Mashiro. However, Kasaki is cut down before he is able to wake her. Suddenly the world around Kensei goes dark and, stunned, he is stabbed from behind through his chest. Deeply injured, he manages to turn his head to look at his assailant only to find that he actually recognizes them.

Aftermath
An alarm sounds across the Seireitei and all captains are summoned to the First Division headquarters for an emergency meeting. Urahara groggily gets to his feet and hears that the Reiatsu of the Ninth Division task force has vanished. Concerned, he rushes into the laboratory and asks a researcher where Hiyori is. When she tells him that Hiyori has already left, Urahara rushes off, thinking to himself that he should have went himself, unable to comprehend that this is happening.