Fanon Canon: Despairing Deserters

The Lesson
Shigenaga had kept his promise, as he always did, although the price he'd have to pay still left a bad taste in Kazuya's mouth. He'd been forced to relinquish a Kuchiki heirloom to the Northern King. His cousin would not be pleased, but he'd cross that bridge when he got there.

The Headquarters which Shigenaga had promised them had turned out to be a small edo-style castle on the outskirts of Karakura town, one might have wondered how it had managed to stay hidden for so long, but powerful wards and enchantments had successfully kept it hidden for several centuries already. He could only guess that it previously served as an important center of business for Shigenaga up until this point, there was no telling how many lives had been ruined here. It was common knowledge in the Kuchiki clan that the Northern King had no remorse for his actions, and that he'd terrorized the northern districts for more than a century already. Unfortunately, Shigenaga's wealth and influence rivalled that of the Kuchiki clan. Were they to make an attempt at stopping him it would most likely prove ultimately fruitless, and then they'd lose a valuable business partner and customer.

He and the task force sent from Soul Society were currently located in upper wing of the castle, in a large room lined with red carpets and adorned with pictures of their host. He'd gathered them here to teach them how to fight against this newly surfaced threat, as always, the noble art of Kidō was the solution they required, and he had been disappointed to learn that most of his subordinates seemed to only have passable skills in the artform, relying upon less worthwhile forms of combat such as Zanjutsu or Hakuda. A notion among Shinigami which he simply could not comprehend to this day.

Before he begun his instruction however, there was one thing he had to introduce into their arsenal, this one a gift from the Kidō Corps themselves. They were seeking additional members and had thus provided him with a magical object which might simultaneously increase their interest in magic, and be of massive help in this mission. Reaching for a nearby table, Kazuya picked up a four foot rod of polished wood, topped with what appeared to be an ornamental wood carving in the shape of a wolf head. He let his subordinates have a good look at the unusual implement before raising his voice.

"Before we get down to the lesson itself, I'll introduce a tool to your arsenal. This is a Hitotsue, more commonly known as a condemning rod. To you, it might appear as little more than a lovely piece of art, but there's a secret to this weapon, and it's a secret I'll share with each of you for the purpose of this mission. Far from being an ordinary piece of wood, this rod contains the essence of an Okami, an Okami with seven tails to be precise, and a part of their royalty. This is an immensely powerful spirit, easily more powerful than all of us in this room, treat the rod with respect for that very reason, it's got enough power to destroy a small city such as this were it to be misused."