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This article, Restored Heart, is the fifth chapter of the War on Two Fronts arc, which is part of Bleach: Cataclysm. This chapter continues Kaien and Kentaro's mission in Hueco Mundo. Several characters are introduced to the series in this particular chapter, and include Fujimaru and Matsuri KudÅ as well as Miyoko and Shuji Kato. Prior to this these characters appeared in Bleach: Tower of Night.
A blond-haired man with blue-coloured eyes sat up. A look of confusion crept its way across his youthful face as his forehead became furrowed in thought. A red ribbon hung by his left shoulder and billowed in the night wind as he slowly got to his feet, causing his hair accessories to jingle. He wore the attire of a Shinigami. The black kosode had a torn right-sleeve and an angular cut near the ribs on his left-hand side, his hakama where scuffed with crude patch-work along the knees and legs, and the sheath of his ZanpakutÅ was cracked.
"What is it Fujimaru?" The voice was distinctly feminine.
Fujimaru turned to regard the woman who had spoken to him with narrowed eyes. She was shorter than he was by nearly a full-head and wore Shinigami attire like him. Hers was equally as torn and scuffed as Fujimaru's though she had acquired a brown cloak that sat draped over her shoulders. Her long ginger-coloured hair framed her young face and her fringe fell over her face in such a way that her light-blue eyes where mostly obscured. The cloak was baggy and served to dually shield her from the cold wind, which was considerable, and hide her curvaceous figure.
The thought caused Fujimaru to blush. He attempted to disguise it by rubbing the stubble on his chin and cheeks with his hand.
"... Can't you sense that Miyoko?" Fujimaru asked.
"There was something." She admitted. "There was a spike in reiatsu, brief, but sudden and sustained. Like a beacon. I didn't recognize it."
"I could've sworn I've felt it before." Fujimaru maintained.
"Maybe you're just tired?" A third voice, male, stated.
Like Fujimaru and Miyoko this man was a Shinigami. His attire, however, was in far better condition than that of his companions. There where scattered holes and poorly mended patches, sure, but they where short and far between. Wrapped around his neck was a red-coloured scarf. As he stood he adjusted the article so it sat more comfortably. In that small window Fujimaru glimpsed the scars around his neck: the result of a past wound which had very nearly cost him his life. His long black-coloured hair fell as bangs on either side of his face and chin so that the parts of the scar not obscured by the scarf where still hidden most of the time.
"This isn't fatigue Shuji." Fujimaru replied. "That was a Shinigami!"
"You should listen to my brother." Said the fourth and final member of their group. "I know I've felt that reiatsu before."
She was Fujimaru's sister. Like him she sported blond-hair and blue-coloured eyes, and sported a similar hair accessory as Fujimaru did. Her kosode possessed a hood and this was pulled over her head to shield against the chilly wind and she was pulling the brown cloak she wore close with her left-hand. The arm was heavily bandaged.
"I am." Shuji maintained. "I just don't see what this has to do with us Matsuri."
"It was brief, true, but that reiatsu did not belong to a Hollow." Miyoko said as she came to Matsuri's aid.
The tension between Matsuri, Miyoko and Shiju was growing to a fever-pitch. Fujimaru could see neither of them where willing to back down. Matsuri and Miyoko where both well-known for being serious and hard-working woman with strong moral centres; if someone was in danger, which they probably where in Hueco Mundo, then they would want to help. Shuji was a different case. Although he and Miyoko where quite similar in many ways, as siblings often where, they often disagreed on matters. Shuji, as his clothing suggested, was far more careful in his approach to matters than the others. He probably saw this as a trap to lure them out of hiding. The Adjuchas where capable of such ploys.
"... I think it's worth the risk to take a look." Fujimaru stated.
The three turned to look at him with very different expressions. Matsuri was expectant, Miyoko was concerned, whilst Shuji appeared resigned. Despite the four being old friends Fujimaru was the only one amongst them currently capable of Bankai: as such they tended to fall in behind him as one might a Captain in the Gotei 13 when their course was being decided.
"... Okay, lead on." Shuji said.
Kaien stepped carefully, slowly. He disliked Hueco Mundo: there was an inescapable feeling of violence and brutality that seemed to permeate the very air in all directions. He felt the grains of sand beneath his feet where going to swallow him up and he felt the air was going to freeze the blood in his veins. This was no place for anyone to stay over-long. There was a harshness here that simply did not exist elsewhere.
"Do you feel that?" Kentaro asked, gulping. Kaien could see the sweat dripping from his chin.
Kentaro never much liked Hueco Mundo either. The young man had lost too many friends upon the sandy plains to have a good thought left regarding the realm, and if that wasn't bad enough it had been the realm that spawned Averian and provided Oda with sanctuary. The latter destroyed the realms through the Collapse and the latter swept up what remained when he invaded. Two quick strikes had laid their world to ruin and both had been launched from Hueco Mundo.
Kentaro was visibly shaking.
"Yeah. We're being watched."
Kaien risked a quick glance behind them. As he expected he saw nothing but still he did not feel any better. He put a steadying hand on Kentaro's shoulder.
"Should we...?" Kentaro began to suggest, but trailed off.
"No, not yet. All we've determined for sure is that our foes are surveying their territory. We need a little more information. Averian had Espada in our world. He should have them in this world too."
So they hunkered down to wait. As time elapsed the sense of urgency spreading between both men grew. Something was watching them and that something wanted them dead. For the first time in a long time Kaien felt like prey. None of it showed on his face though. He kept a stoic front for Kentaro's benefit, who seemed to be growing more uneasy as time went on.
"Enough. We're leaving." Kaien declared.
It was only then the thing watching them revealed itself. As a blur of turquoise passed before Kaien's eyes he instinctively drew his ZanpakutÅ in a defensive manner that meant he did not become a Human-sized pin-cushion. At the same time Kentaro moved to Kaien's back and intercepted two separate attacks. The first of these two attackers wore a silver-coloured mask whilst the second sported red tear-drop markings above both brows. The one who attacked Kaien from the front was familiar to both Kaien and Kentaro: they had crossed swords with him in their own world.
"Arturo?" Kaien asked. "This complicates things."
"Juan and Joel too?" Kentaro deduced. "Things aren't so different."
Juan was the Arrancar with the tear-drop markings. He wore a loose fitting white kimono-style top with dark hakama. In his right hand was a bone-like sword he wielded like a rapier. His companion, Joel, sported a military-like navy outfit that echoed Human world design. He held a longsword in his right hand. Arturo was the only one who was consistent with the one Kaien and Kentaro in their own world. He wore a long white kimono and white hakama and, as usual, looked to be looking down on those near him.
"Can you handle those two in your condition?" Kaien asked.
"Leave them to me." Kentaro replied, sounding very confident.
Perhaps he wanted to hit-home how confident he was. What he did next did a lot to reinforce the fact: Kentaro's ZanpakutÅ glowed with a whitish light as he heaved forward, pushing back both Juan and Joel in one motion. In two steps he was behind Joel ready to cleave down through him though Juan recovered in-time to intercept. Kaien, meanwhile, began his own battle with Arturo. He seized the Arrancar's wrist and by proximity his ZanpakutÅ and opened his opponent up for a strike, only for Arturo to deflect his blade with his Hierro. He didn't even draw blood!
"You always where tough." Kaien remarked.
"I have no time to deal with you lowly worms."
"I suggest you do find the time...!" Kaien responded, with a surge of reiatsu. "Rage Across the Seas and Heavens, Nejibana!"
"There it is again!" Matsuri exclaimed.
"Wait... Is that-" Shuji began to say.
"It's Kaien!" Miyoko declared. "That's definitely Kaien. He's released his ZanpakutÅ!"
"Bankai, KokyÅ« RyÅ«jÅmaru!"
Fujimaru was covered in white-light briefly. When he emerged a tiger's head had enveloped his shoulder and grey strips of cloth covered his forearms. His ZanpakutÅ was entirely composed of blue energy, and a cape draped his back. Two slivers of energy floated next to his left shoulder, and a disc next to his right.
"I'm going on ahead!" Fujimaru called to his friends.