Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro followed Izuru Kira with Matsumoto Rangiku on his heels. Their opponent, who was also a lieutenant, didn't slow down and kept running from them.
"Stop!" He yelled out, trying to get his attention. "Were you the one who killed them?! Answer me, Lieutenant Izuru Kira!"
The blond man turned his head and looked back at them.
"I am not." His face darkened and he shook his head in denial, "I was only let inside a moment before you arrived, Captain Hitsugaya. Also, isn't there something more important for you?"
He looked ahead again and ran, turning left in a corner.
"I am not playing with you. Stop right now and answer my question!" Captain Hitsugaya shouted and gritted his teeth.
Still, Izuru didn't stop. Rather than stopping or answering, he asked a question.
"Shouldn't you be protecting Momo right now?"
Hearing that, Captain Hitsugaya's eyes widened and he stopped.
"Matsumoto, I leave him to you!" He said as he turned to another way. His mind was on Hinamori Momo's well-being, "I need to find Hinamori before it's too late."
"Leave this to me." Rangiku answered and chased after Izuru. Her expression hardened, realizing that her Captain was right.
It wasn't her duty to chase the Lieutenant, not at this crucial moment.
However, Izuru unexpectedly stopped once Captain Hitsugaya left. He stood at the edge of the roof, looking at Rangiku with an unexplainable expression.
"What? Tired of running?" Rangiku asked with a grin. Her expression didn't show any shred of amusement though.
"Matsumoto-san, what are you going to do now?" The Lieutenant suddenly asked, confusing Rangiku, "Do you know anything that has happened behind the scene?"
"Are you referring to what has happened to Captain Aizen?" She narrowed her eyes, looking straight at him, "I can only guess what is going to happen, but I can say that everything is planned by a traitor who betrayed everyone's trust."
"Is that all you know?" He pressed on.
"Tell me what you know, Izuru. I am tired of being played." Rangiku gritted her teeth and gripped the sword in her waist. Her reiatsu rose, creating a heavy atmosphere around her.
"There is indeed a traitor in Soul Society. But the one who you thought betrayed everyone's trust is not the mastermind." He said, looking straight into Rangiku's eyes. "Captain Ichimaru is a person who wants to catch the mastermind."
She narrowed her eyes in suspicion and confusion, not knowing whether or not she should believe in his words.
"Are you telling the truth, Lieutenant Izuru?"
"Yes."
"Then who's the traitor?"
"Do you know that Soul Society plans to kill some Captains who stood in their way? They worked with Ryoka to eliminate pests, or so I've heard." Izuru unsheathed his sword and pointed the blade at her, his eyes cold.
"What did you say?"
"Raise your head Wabisuke."
Rangiku didn't even get to dodge his attack as he used Shunpo to approach her. A wave of exhaustion and drowsiness hit her like a truck.
And her world went black. Everything became dark.
Her mind went blank as her body fell forward, unconscious.
Izuru sheathed his zanpakuto and approached the fallen figure of Rangiku.
"I'm sorry." He apologized before leaving with Shunpo. His figure disappeared from the roof, leaving her behind.
***
Darkness clouded the compound where Central 46 lived right behind the meeting hall.
Two people were there, Ichimaru Gin and one was the Lieutenant of 5th Division, Hinamori Momo.
Both of them walked toward a row of buildings in the back.
"This is..." Momo trailed off as they entered the place.
"Seijoto Kyorin, the immaculate tower grove where the 46 resides." Gin answered as he entered one of the towers. "Have you been here before, Momo?"
"This area is off limits. I have never been here before." She answered as she followed him. Her eyes kept moving around, observing the area around them.
"Of course. No one should be allowed in this area. But I have a reason to bring you here."
"And that is?" She asked with a suspicious tone.
"The murderer will visit this place, there is no doubt about it." Gin stopped and turned around. His grin widened and his eyes opened slightly.
Momo could see his blue eyes staring at her, sending shiver down her spine.
She was scared, she realized.
"I don't understand." She admitted. But then, something crossed her mind, "Unless..."
The man who killed Captain Aizen was coming here.
And she was going to meet them.
"It is possible. The murder is someone close to Central 46 and they have been using their power to their advantage. Politics inside the Soul Society is a mess, everyone wants to have strength for themselves." Gin explained. "And one of them resorted to killing Captain Aizen in the middle of Ryoka's invasion."
"Impossible!" Hinamori denied his explanation. But then, she remembered the letter she received from Captain Aizen.
There, in that letter, he expressed his worry. Something was happening and it wasn't right.
She was confused at that time, not knowing the truth.
However, at this very moment, everything made sense to her. Her instinct screamed that she was right. She had figured everything out. But she didn't want to accept it. It would be impossible for 'that person' to do this!
"No, it can't be."
"Look, he's here." Gin said in an excited tone, grinning like a mad man. "He is earlier than I expected. I guess I am wrong about his personality."
Turning around, Momo saw him.
At the entrance of the grove, a lone figure appeared from the shadows. A white-haired Captain, breathing heavily as if he had just finished a marathon or fight.
"Shiro..."
"Momo! Get away from-"
"Too late." Gin's sword pierced Momo from behind, taking the advantage of her guard. The tip of the sword appeared from her stomach, covered in fresh blood.
"Gin!" Toshiro said the name in horror and rage.
"Captain... Ichimaru?"
"That person was me, Momo." He whispered into her ear and she widened her eyes.
Blood trickled down her mouth and her body went slack, falling down after the sword that was stabbed inside her body was pulled out. A small pool of blood formed under her as her consciousness faded away.
"No!" Toshiro ran toward her, trying to catch her body from hitting the ground.
He caught her in his arms and glared at the Captain in front of him. Gin had his usual smile plastered on his face. His eyes closed again.
"It's too late. She'll be dead soon enough. Her organs are damaged. You have no chance of saving her."
His voice was cold and full of malice.
"You bastard!" The Captain of tenth division raised his reiatsu, creating a blizzard that surrounded him and Momo. The ground around them froze, turning into an ice land.
His reiatsu rose higher and higher, turning everything in the vicinity into ice. A strong wind blew, causing a small tornado of snow to form around them. His expression was full of rage as he held Momo's unconscious body in his hands.
"Uh oh, if you do that, then Momo will die faster, you know?" Gin retreated a bit and looked at the raging captain.
Toshiro clicked his tongue and lay Momo down slowly. He unsheathed his sword and walked toward Gin.
"Bankai."
Suddenly, a strong wave of reiatsu blew from him, turning everything around him into ice. The wind was strong, sending everything that was not frozen flying away.
Gin couldn't even open his eyes as he was assaulted with strong wind. A small tornado was formed, lifting every debris in the air.
A giant ice wing extended from Toshiro's right wrist with an ice dragon from his shoulders, its head was above him.
"Daiguren Hyourinmaru!"
Gin didn't have any chance of moving as everything around him was covered in ice. Even the ceiling was filled with dark clouds and ice.
"Ice is not just about freezing, it is also the element of air. It is the embodiment of water and wind." Hitsugaya's reiatsu increased and he glared at Ichimaru.
The temperature around them was getting colder, causing ice to form on the building.
However...
"While I like it, it's the wrong season for ice, Captain Hitsugaya."