Assault on the 9th Division (event)

This article, Assault on the 9th Division (event), is part of Bleach: War for the King's Seal, which continues on from the opening segments of the site's former Fanon Canon project. Use of this page's contents is determined by the author of this page, unless otherwise specified.

"I'm sorry, Keiichi. I don't think I'll get the chance to visit that bar of yours. Kenji, please forgive your dumb teacher. Shūhei, you are now the acting Captain of the Ninth Division, and great-grandfather... thanks for your companionship all these years."

—Kazuya Kuchiki's last thoughts.^[src]

The Coven War
Preceding Arc	Quincy Blood War
Setting	Renascence Beginning Bleach: War for the King's Seal
Outcome	Numerous: Captain Kazuya Kuchiki is murdered. 3rd Seat Kenji Hiroshi is extensively injured. The 9th Division barracks suffer massive damage and roughly 50% of its members are killed. Van and Kei suffer minor wounds.
Series Details
Protagonists	9th Division, Gotei 13
Antagonists	Hotaru's Witches
Major Battles	Kenji Hiroshi & Shūhei Hisagi vs. Sakae
Notable Events	Numerous: Hotaru vs. Unnamed Kidō Corps member Internal Kidō Corps conflict Kazuya vs. Unknown assassin Kenji vs. Sakae Hisagi vs. Sakae Kei vs. Eleonora Van vs. Unknown assailants
General Information
Story Debut	Bleach Renascence
Roleplay Debut	Dawn of the Coven

An Assault on the 9th Division was an event taking place in 2004, occurring roughly a year following the Quincy Blood War. The Assault was a surprise attack by unknown parties, rumoured to be discontented former members of the Kidō Corps, against Captain Kazuya Kuchiki and surrounding Shinigami of the 9th Division. The attack resulted in the death of Captain Kuchiki, Hisagi becoming acting-Captain of the 9th Division, and the creation of the Shinigami Kidō Association to keep Captain Kuchiki's teachings alive.

Pre-Assault

In the weeks before the assassination, the plans were discovered and almost leaked to the Gotei 13 by a member of the secretive Kidō Corps, who bore witness to a clandestine meeting between Hotaru Hiroshi and Sakae Kisaragi, where she also discovered that Hotaru was from another world. Hotaru successfully nipped the problem in the bud and killed the woman, but not before hearing her last words. In the end, Hotaru resolved to become a creature of darkness in order to realize his own ambitions.

Kidō Corps Revolt

Unknown to many within the Seireitei at large was the brief, albeit intense, conflict that occurred within the ranks of the Kidō Corps, resulting in the exodus of a number of its members. One such member who left without bloodshed was Sakae. The Natsume twins were likewise involved in the incident and were two members who went rogue, becoming the earliest of Hotaru's recruits. Only the higher-ranking Shinigami of the Gotei 13 were aware of the incident, and it never became public knowledge due to the secrecy surrounding the Kidō Corps, though rumours and conspiracy theories eventually began to circulate. These rumours persisted for many years after the incident in question.

Assault

The attack -- the goal of which seemed to be the elimination of Kazuya Kuchiki -- resulted in an attack on the 9th Division, and was linked with Kazuya's past membership of the Kidō Corps. This was one reason why the earlier internal incident within the Kidō Corps was never made public.

Murder of Kazuya

Captain Kazuya Kuchiki kills a would-be assassin with a wave of golden-flame before being approached by an individual he recognizes, and a quick Kidō duel is initiated between them. Kazuya is unexpectedly killed in the subsequent battle, and his final moments are spent with thoughts of his family, comrades, and students at the forefront of his mind.

Van vs. Xiuying

During the fighting, Van Satonaka, who had recently lodged a transfer request to the 9th Division, is caught up in the fighting taking place on the grounds. Although he survives, he suffers a broken arm. This attack was perpetrated by Xiuying, who attacked from stealth, and she became somewhat annoyed at herself for failing to kill Van. She would fail again a number of years later.

Kei vs. Eleonora

Kei kicks Eleonora.

Elsewhere, Kei Yume was attacked by Eleonora within the barracks of the 9th Division proper, during a training session with younger Division members. Unlike so many of his colleagues, however, he successfully repulsed her from the room whilst protecting his charges. By impacting the floor, which produced a shockwave powerful enough to stun her, Kei subsequently kicked her clear through the adjacent wall and into the courtyard.

Kenji & Hisagi vs. Sakae

"For that... you die!"

—Kenji to Sakae upon discovering Takeji's corpse.^[src]

Hisagi and Kenji are amongst the members of the 9th Division who sense the death of Captain Kuchiki. Following his Lieutenant's order, Kenji initially falls back but upon finding the corpse of his friend, Takeji Yatsunishi, he flies into a rage and attacks his killer. Despite a spirited effort, Kenji is ultimately outmanoeuvred and driven into a corner by the assassin, necessitating the intervention of Hisagi to save him. Kenji briefly hears Hisagi unleashing his Bankai before passing out from his injuries.

Aftermath

Kei Yume, having been knocked to the floor sometime after driving Eleonora off, momentarily raises his head to look around. He sees the burning remains of the 9th Division barracks, countless dead bodies, and a lone figure wreathed in flames.

Captain Kuchiki recognized the person who killed him, but this information was ultimately taken to the grave with him, and for many years the assassin's identity was unknown. In the days that followed, Captain Kuchiki was buried with full honours.

Roughly half of the 9th Division's personnel are lost in the attack, and the remaining half are holed up in the barracks of the 4th Division receiving medical treatment. In the weeks that followed, Hisagi is forced to accelerate the lessons of a number of year six Academy students to fill gaps. Hisagi briefly led the 9th Division as acting-Captain. He did so until the return of Sajin Komamura to the Gotei 13, who subsequently mentored Hisagi before he ascended to the status of Captain himself.

In the weeks that followed, it was quietly speculated amongst the Gotei 13 and student body of Shin'ō Academy that the secretive Kidō Corps had a hand in the murder of Captain Kuchiki. This directly affected recruitment to the Kidō Corps. These rumours persisted throughout the years.

Author's notes

Behind the scenes

• The events depicted here are the canon elements salvaged from the now disregarded Dawn of the Coven chapter. This story initially served as the opening story of the site-wide Fanon Canon.

• The Kidō Corps conflict outline above pulls a few bits from the Kidō Corps Revolt event of the old Fanon Canon, as it existed before the Fanon Canon reshuffle. These loose strokes were incorporated into the Bleach: War for the King's Seal continuation in the event that someone wanted to carry a version of The Coven forward into the King Seal's continuity.

• Megumi was originally the character Kenji fought in Dawn of the Coven. This was later changed: Megumi's place was taken by Sakae, and thus she became responsible for extensively injuring Kenji and killing Takeji. Kenji's anger was likewise directed from Megumi to Sakae in subsequent stories.