Hi there everyone. Here is the third chapter of my story and I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you to all who have made the effort to write what they think about my story. Again, message me if you want to talk about my story.

I don't own Bleach or Tokyo Ghoul.

XXXXX

As Kaneki jumped from tree to tree, he pondered over the identities of the two unknown signatures that had entered the territory he had claimed for himself.

Kaneki briefly considered the Guardian was up to this, but immediately dismissed such a thing for several reasons. He doubted that the arrogant Hollow would have agreed to working with people stronger then him and would have sticked his gangs on them like he had with Kaneki. The former Ghoul also had a hard time believing that the Guardian would have managed to enlist such powerful Hollows considering his overconfident attitude. Kaneki wasn't even sure if they were Hollows, their weird signatures were unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Although, there was that one time, except that these ones were much stronger than the girl that he had met back then.

The former Ghoul began jumping to lower branches, his speed bringing him to less than a hundred feet from the intruders. He briefly thought bringing out his Kagune, but decided not to. Hollows were always surprised when they saw them for the first time so they could be a trump card if he kept them hidden until the right moment. He still had Cero as well as his claws and talons.

Seeing a clearing that was devoid of trees up ahead, Kaneki began to slow. He also noted that the signatures had halted. Chances were that they had sensed him already.

Kaneki burst from the trees and landed on the sand on both feet smoothly. He got his first look at the two intruders and blinked in shock, his mind racing in confusion.

Two Hollows stood in front of him, the larger one standing in front. Kaneki wasn't surprised by their humanoid appearances or that they were wearing clothes. What had him questioning his vision was the fact that they physically appeared to be humans….humans that looked as though they had gone through mild mutations, but humans nevertheless. One was staring at him intently while the other was just looking him over in a matter that was similar to how a bully would a potential victim.

Almost how Yamori would have.

The tall one was almost a whopping eight feet with possessed a strong build. Kaneki noticed that he was wearing what looked like a fragment from a Hollow mask that wrapped around his chin. He was also bald, but had a ponytail despite this. Kaneki noted with shock that the small giant had a Hollow hole located on his chest.

The second one was roughly Kaneki's own height, but felt far more dangerous than the larger one. He also wore a bone helmet that Kaneki suspected had once been a Hollow mask. Asides from the snow white skin, black hair and emerald eyes, the only other feature that Kaneki took note of was the strange tattoo marks that ran from the man's eyes like tear drops. Kaneki couldn't see if he had a hole as well because the man's shirt covered his upper chest, unlike the dumb looking one.

'What on earth are they?' Kaneki thought frantically, trying to make sense of that they were. They felt like Hollows, but looked like humans with broken masks.

The smaller of the two began to step forward, but Kaneki growled in warning. The advancer stopped.

The movement caused something at the man's waist to shine. Kaneki turned his attention to it and froze at the sight of a sword. He looked at the big one and saw another blade strapped to his side as well.

'Shinigami swords! How do they wield those weapons if they truly are Hollows?'

Before this, Kaneki had only encountered one that had been remotely similar to these two. That one, while appearing to be a human with a Hollow mask and Hollow Reiatsu, hadn't had a sword as far as Kaneki had seen, but these two somehow did.

Now that he thought about it, their power was obviously that of a Hollow's, but it also felt slightly like that of a Shinigami's as well. This revelation only added to the growing list of questions that Kaneki had.

Finally the one that had tried to step forward spoke. Kaneki felt as though ice was being poured over his back, like emptiness itself was engulfing him.

"Are you the one that the Guardian has been trying to hunt down these past few months?"

Behind his mask, Kaneki frowned. Had he been wrong about their lack of association with the Guardian. Part of him was tempted to deny their question or not even answer it. After a moment of consideration, he answered truthfully.

"I am. What of it?"

"Our master, Aizen-sama, wishes for you to become a part of his army. He has extended an invitation for you, although if you refuse we will use force to make you comply," the Hollow-Shinigami said coldly.

Most people properly would have been intimidated by the man's tone, but Kaneki was far from most people. The chill in his voice rose to match the green-eyed man as the former Ghoul recalled the name.

"You mean the one that the Guardian works for? Your Aizen should know by now if he has heard any truth from the Guardian that I don't hold interest in anything outside this forest." That was a lie, but Kaneki pushed that thought aside.

"Probably because you're a complete weakling," the giant scoffed loudly, cracking his knuckles. "Hey Ulquiorra can I squash this bug?"

"Silence Yammy," Ulquiorra snapped. He turned his attention back to Kaneki.

"You're preferences are of no concern to Aizen-sama. You will come with us now."

Kaneki felt anger bubbling up like acid inside of him. It didn't show on his face, but his Reiatsu must have as both Ulquiorra and Yammy stiffened sightly as the full force of his power hit them, the former showing no reaction while the latter just grinned stupidly.

Kaneki slowly began to push his Kagune to the surface. Normally, he was more composed than this, but his failed outing to the human world still had him in a very bad mood.

"That", he snarled hotly, "is not happening." With that having been said, he slipped into the battle stance Yomo had taught him.

Ulquiorra frowned and gestured to Yammy, who snorted gleefully and rushed forward, his fist raised back.

Kaneki wasn't worried. Yammy was obviously stronger than those Shinigami, but he fell short of the former Ghoul. He waited until the last moment possible to move. Shifting left with a few inches to spare, Kaneki slashed the giant's arm, cutting deep enough to almost reach bone.

Kaneki was surprised to feel some sort of resistance, but his claws still cut through whatever it was easily. As Yammy shouted angrily, Kaneki jumped back several metres and began charging a Cero.

Yammy noticed and began charging one from his mouth as well. However, Kaneki's was almost ready by then. His was fired first with the brute's following a moment later. They collided in mid-air, both Ceros struggling briefly before Kaneki's broke through and struck the giant in the chest.

As smoke evoked Yammy, Kaneki took this chance to move. He noticed that Ulquiorra had retreated and was watching the fight from the other side of the clearing, but he paid him no mind as the pale man obviously didn't intend to join the fray yet.

Circling the smoke, Kaneki dodged a fist that had probably been thrown at random. He increased his pace as the smoke vanished, revealing Yammy burnt and bleeding, but very much still alive. Finding himself facing his back, Kaneki took this chance to leap over Yammy's head, aiming his taloned feet for his head.

Yammy looked up and roared. "You piece of shit! I'll fucking kill you!"

He threw a punch that was engulfed in red. Kaneki was caught off guard by the attack's speed. It hit him and knocked him away. He landed safely, more surprised than hurt. That attack wasn't a Cero, but it was fast enough to catch him off guard. Kaneki took a second to feel his slightly stinging shoulder.

"Take this you pipsqueak!"

Even without Yammy's exclamation, Kaneki found dodging the following attacks easy, ducking and weaving out of the path of each projectile that the giant sent at him. He waited for a moment after avoiding the last before jumping and blasting his opponent with another Cero.

Kaneki wasn't ashamed to admit that he was far from the strongest Hollow in terms of physical strength, not when he had his Kagune, but now he doubted that he would even have to use it at this rate.

Dodging Yammy and ducking under a following fist, the former Ghoul moved inside his opponent's guard and brought his fist against Yammy's left knee using all the strength he could muster. Kaneki felt bone break under his fist and was rewarded with the giant making even more noise.

Kaneki then jumped and spun, driving his foot into the side of Yammy's face. The kick knocked Yammy over onto his back where he laying groaning softly.

In the corner, Ulquiorra didn't even blink.

Kaneki perceived the emotionless man for a moment before making a show of walking forward with an arm raised as though he intended to end Yammy's life.

As expected, Ulquiorra disappeared and reappeared behind him. Kaneki instantly brought out two of his Kagune, the two black organs blocked Ulquiorra's arm with ease. Kaneki then brought out his other two, intending to skewer his attacker through the face.

His Kagune only hit empty air.

Whirling in surprise, Kaneki jumped back as Ulquiorra reappeared several feet in front of him. Kaneki sent his Kagune to attack Ulquiorra, sending one after the other to strike him from different angles.

Ulquiorra dodged them all calmly. He then moved in front of Kaneki before he could react and drove his fist into his stomach. Blood left Kaneki's mouth as he flew back, landing on the ground nearby in a heap.

Kaneki ignored his aching stomach as he stood, wheezing as Ulquiorra stood silently. Kaneki quickly began charging a Cero from his mouth.

His opponent watched for a second before snorting.

To Kaneki's shock, a bright, green Cero appeared at the edge of Ulquiorra's index finger, growing to full size and firing before Kaneki's, despite his having begun charging first. They both hit each other, red against green. The two attacks were evenly matched for several seconds before Ulquiorra's overwhelmed Kaneki's. The former Ghoul cursed, just managing to jump out of the way.

'This isn't going well at all', he thought irritably.

Kaneki then took to the offensive and attacked with his tentacles, each attack being thrown with as much strength and speed as he could drag up. Ulquiorra simply raised his arms across his own face as the predatory organs descended. Ulquiorra's forearms blocked them all, but the force sent him skidding back several feet.

Refusing to let up, Kaneki continued to attack, smashing his Kagune against Ulquiorra's moving arms. His tentacles continued to press the attack, forcing Ulquiorra to begin taking steps back. Encouraged by this despite how hard his opponent's arms were, Kaneki continued to attack with renewed determination. His Kagune danced like snakes striking prey eager for blood and blood was what Kaneki would grant them.

Soon, Kaneki had Ulquiorra at edge of the clearing. The pale man's lower sleeves were ripped and his forearms and wrists were bruised, but he was showing no signs of pain or tiredness whatsoever. Kaneki was breathing heavily, but was refusing to slow, pushing his tentacles even faster. At that point, one got past Ulquiorra's guard and struck his face hard enough to draw blood.

Ulquiorra's arms faltered for a moment. Two other tentacles struck his stomach, lifting him off his feet and sending him flying into the forest, knocking down several trees as he disappeared from view. Kaneki eagerly took off after him.

After running for just a few seconds, Kaneki caught up with Ulquiorra who was standing there with his hands in his pockets as if he was bored.

Kaneki's eyes squinted as he stopped. He wasn't sure why, but Ulquiorra's gaze was beginning to get really unnerving. Most Ghouls that he had met didn't even come close in the intimidation department, including Rize and Yamori. Kaneki mentally shook his head.

Screw this. He was running out of patience.

The former Ghoul broke his brief staring contest and jumped high into the air, his tentacles striking down at his opponent.

Ulquiorra's hand dropped to the handle at his waist. He raised his arm, bringing his sword halfway out of it's sheath. The curved, unmarked blade blocked all four of Kaneki's attack organs at the exact same time.

Kaneki gasped.

Ulquiorra eyed him before he moved so fast that Kaneki couldn't even track him. One moment Ulquiorra had been standing there and the next he was by Kaneki's side, blood dripping from the sword's tip.

Kaneki's all four Kagune dropped to the ground, flopping around weakly like worms, having been completely severed.

Unable to take in what he was seeing, Kaneki slowly turned to look at Ulquiorra, but the pale man's face was calmly looking over the former Ghoul's shoulder.

"Useless."

Kaneki tried to move, but found a small ball of condensed energy forming right in front of his face. There was a flash of green light and he knew no more.

XXXXX

Renji and Rangiku both left the First Division's barracks, having just given their own accounts of the incident to the Soutaichou. There had been a written account in addition to that, something that Ikkaku would have absolutely hated Renji thought as he and his fellow lieutenant went to check on their comrade, their postures slumped slightly in defeat.

Knowing Ikkaku however, he probably would have chosen his current predicament over paperwork any day.

The rest of the trip was made in complete silence.

As Renji reached the Fourth Division, he grabbed a passing medic and asked her for Ikkaku's room number. Though obviously off put by his rudeness, she gave it to them.

As they made their way through the corridor and around any passing Shinigami, Renji decided to try and break the silence with small talk.

"How are you handling things?"

Rangiku looked at him and sighed. "I've been better honestly. I want a drink, but it somehow feels wrong at the moment. So yeah, not very well."

The redheaded lieutenant of the Sixth Division nodded in understanding. He crossed his arms across his chest. "Same here. Think I'll go sparring later."

The good feeling that had been swelling up in his chest at the idea quickly died down at the realisation that he wouldn't be able to do so with his usual partner.

"There's more to life than sparring in your spare time Renji."

He scoffed. "I could say the same thing about you when it comes to bars Rangiku-san."

Their small banter continued as they made their way around the place. They quickly arrived at Ikkaku's room, stopping in their tracks when Unohana stepped out of the room. The captain of the Fourth smiled when she noticed them.

"Oh Abarai-fukutaichou, Matsumoto-fukutaichou, I hope your both recovering well?"

Rangiku nodded politely. "Very well Taichou thank you." Unohana smiled and nodded in return.

Renji didn't bother with greetings and went straight down to why they were there. "Taichou, we were both wondering if there has been an update in Ikkaku's condition. Has there been any improvement?"

Unohana shook her head sadly. "No, unfortunately. His situation is stable, but his injuries are severe. His shattered ribs sent bone fragments into his body, several puncturing his lungs. We've managed to extract all of them, but it will be a while before he's able to breathe properly again. On top of that, considering that his skull was fractured in the fall as well as taking into account all of the blood that he lost by the time that you both got back, it's a miracle that he was still alive when you got here. Despite this, he will recover and it's thanks to you for getting him back to me so quickly."

"Is he allowed visitors at the moment?"

Unohana shook her head. "I'm afraid not for at least several more days."

Renji nodded respectfully. "Understood, thank you for your time."

Both he and Rangiku made to leave, but Unohana's voice called after them.

"One more thing."

Renji turned back. "Mmmm?"

"Could you please describe the Hollow that did this?"

Renji frowned and shrugged as he thought it over. "Dunno really. Human sized with white hair. Had a weird mask and a single red eye. There were these four black tentacles sticking out from it's back as well. Why?"

Unohana's facial expression was neutral, as if she was thinking over something important. Eventually she asked "did you include this in your report as well?"

Renji was getting confused by now and by the looks of it so was Rangiku. "Yeah?"

"Unohana-taichou, is something wrong?" Rangiku asked.

The captain of the Fourth Division spoke. "Tell me something. What do you know about Ghouls?"

Renji frowned as he struggled to recount what he knew off the top of his head. "Ghouls are essentially what humans in the living world have to contend with like where we have Hollows instead. They can't eat normally so they prey on humans and each other."

Rangiku added her own memory to the discussion. "They are of a minor interest to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute due to the fact that is mostly unknown what happens to them after death although a very part percentage of them are dragged down into Hell due to their eating habits."

Unohana nodded "Correct. If by some chance a Soul Burial is successful and the Ghoul is not condemned for it's crimes, then it will be sent to Soul Society like any other human. What's interesting is that there has never been a single sighting of a Ghoul appearing in the Rukongai. There has been investigations into this for centuries, but no solid answers have ever been found."

"What about Hollowification?" Renji asked.

"There hasn't been a single report of a Ghoul becoming a Hollow. There have been no sightings of a Hollow displaying characteristics of that would set aside as a former Ghoul. Though not any more I suspect if my suspicions are correct."

Realisation dawned on the Sixth Division member's face as he caught on. Rangiku also had a similar facial expression on her own.

A Hollow that had used to be a Ghoul? Was that even possible?

"Please excuse me. If I'm right the Soutaichou will be calling a Captain's meeting soon."

XXXXX

Third Division Captain Ichimaru Gin wasn't ashamed to admit to himself that he was bored as hell. The paperwork he had been filling out lately had been even thicker than usually, thanks to the death of his fifth seat.

He supposed that out of principal he should feel some remorse, but he didn't really. Gin had hadn't liked him at all and had been considering asking Gori to transfer to a different division. At least his vice-captain was tolerable.

His third seat on the other hand was one of the most interesting/amusing Shinigami that Gin had ever had in his division. His seemingly natural hatred for Hollows as well as the enjoyment he seemed to make out of tormenting others made Gin by comparison seen almost normal.

Almost.

Huh, speak of the devil.

Gin didn't get up from his desk to greet the newcomer, but a waved a lazy hand in greeting. "Why hello Mado-san."

Third Division Third Seat Mado Kureo's grin would have sent most children running for a hiding place.

"Oh Gin-kun, I've missed your lack of respect for rules and complete rejection for anything approaching common decency."

Gin just snickered. The slouched old man spoke like this to everyone, excluding the other Old Man that is.

"My, my, what a response Mado-san. I imagine that your trip to the human world was no trouble?"

Gin inwardly knew that Mado was strong, even stronger than Kira. Well of course he was stronger considering that he had just unlocked his Bankai a mere month ago and had just recently taken the Captain's Proficiently Test.

The current Captain of the Third had no illusions over who would replace him once he had defected with Aizen. Mado would be able to control the division, probably out of fear, but Gin didn't care about that.

"Any Hollows that I found in the human world were complete disappointments. Using my Shikai was overkill."

"If ya're bored well ya in luck cause I just got the news that Gori was killed during a mission to the human word. Here's the reports from both Rangiku and Renji."

Gin threw the file at Mado who caught it with one hand.

The silver haired man sat back in his chair and relaxed as Mado read over the pages. Slowly, the creases and lines on Mado's disappeared as a smirk/snarl of delight covered his face, the fearsome expression looking as though it had come from a Hollow instead of a Shinigami.

"How interesting," Mado muttered, "how very, very interesting."

Mado left the room with the file like it was his life line, leaving Gin alone.

Gin snorted in amusement. He was about to get back to his work, but froze when a Hell Butterfly flew through the window. He extended a finger and raised an eyebrow when it landed.

A Captain's meeting? How interesting.

XXXXX

Shinohara Yukinori, Third Seat of the Seventh Division couldn't remember the last time that he had cut this loose. Especially against his own captain in a sparring match.

A single strike from Komamura's blade was enough to send Shinohara sliding across the floor on his feet. Stabbing Sherukurasshā into the ground brought the Shinigami to a halt. His captain didn't give him any time to recover and was almost instantly upon him. Shinohara was only just able to bring up his Zanpakuto in time to block Komamura's.

Once graduating the academy, Shinohara hadn't been sure concerning which division that he would be joining. Mado had already been given an offer from the Third and had accepted. Shinohara had also gotten an invite from the Eleventh and the Tenth, but he had also gotten one from Komamura as well. He'd spent a week thinking it over before deciding on the Seventh since he was good friends with Iba and held Komamura in very high regard.

"Not bad Yukinori, but you can do much better."

Shinohara completely agreed.

Pushing his captain back, he charged after him and exchanged blades once more. After several seconds, Shinohara ducked underneath a blow and delivered the strongest kick he could cough up to Komamura's chest. The armoured captain stumbled back several feet, but recovered quickly.

He wasn't up there in the physical strength department with his captain and Eleventh Division captain, but Shinohara believed that he did well enough. There were only a handful of seated officers who could match him equally. Shinohara knew this since he had sparred with all of them.

The Seventh Division member unleased more blows against Komamura, who blocking them with his Zanpakuto using only one hand. Jumping out of the reach of his captain's counter, Shinohara jumped over a sweeping kick and halted when Komamura grabbed Sherukurasshā with a single hand. He threw Shinohara back who just managed to land on his feet when he landed. Holding his weapon over his head, Shinohara began spinning it like a rotor.

"Divide Equally, Sherukurasshā!"

His Zanpakuto melted away, leaving only the handle remaining. The boiling liquid dribbled down Shinohara's body harmlessly, slowly covering every inch of his body except for his face and feet. The bubbling metal then hardened instantly, leaving behind a heavily plated suit of shining black armour. At the same time, Sherukurasshā's hilt sprouted a massive cleaver like blade that reached almost six feet in length, the colour matching Shinohara's armour.

Feeling his aches and cramps disappearing and being replaced with powerful strength and speed, Shinohara's confidence in his combat abilities went up several inches. He made to attack, but stopped when a Hell Butterfly landed on Komomura's shoulder.

Now of all times?

XXXXX

Tenth Division Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro frowned as Komomura, Ichimaru and Kenpachi were the last to arrive and get in line with the others. Yamamoto grunted, but said nothing. There was silence for several moments before the Old Man began the meeting by speaking.

"Recently, there was an incident in the world of the living. Gori Taketsuna, Fifth Seat of the Third Division, encountered an unknown Hollow that was wandering around above the city of Tokyo. Because of it's unique appearance and powerful signature, Fifth Seat Gori called for backup and requested that his limiter be removed before moving on to engage the Hollow. By the time that reinforcements arrived, Gori had been killed and the reinforcements were attacked by Gori's murderer. After engaging our soldiers, the Hollow retreated back to Hueco Mundo due to it's injuries."

"How strong was it?" Kenpachi asked, grinning.

"I read the report. It was strong enough to fight three lieutenant level Shinigami without their limiters for an extended period of time." Unohana offered. She looked at him sternly. "Shouldn't you have an idea already considering that that it's one of your seated officers that's being looked after in my division?"

Kenpachi looked away and shrugged. "Just asking."

Hitsugaya added his own question to the mix. "Do we have any idea why it was even there to begin with?"

Ichimaru rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, grinning. "Gori mighta, but I'm fraid that the knowledge died with him. Shame he didn't add anything else beforehand."

Hitsugaya glared at the Third Division captain for his blatant disrespect, but said nothing.

"What was "unique" about the Hollow's appearance?" Sosuke inquired.

"It, while clearly a Hollow, shared some physical attributes with a Ghoul, including a set of Kagune. This has therefore lead to the conclusion that this Hollow was never once in it's life a human." Yamamoto stated.

This caught the attention of most of the captains. Several quiet mutters questioned how reliable the source was or how such a thing was even possible. The excitement in Mayuri's eyes was as clear as day to even Tousen.

"Mmmmm, such a thing should not be possible, considering all of our research. A current venture to the world of the living might help gain a better understanding," muttered Mayuri whilst rubbing his chin, speaking more to himself rather than his fellow captains. "The ramifications of what could be learnt from this are endless. The subject should be captured alive for research purposes."

Komomura however, was quick to interject on the Twelfth captain's opinion.

"The safety of our Shinigami must take priority. Simply killing this Hollow is the most logical solution."

Hitsugaya was willing to agree with the Seventh Division captain on this, but before he could speak he was interrupted by the Eleventh Division captain.

"Bullshit! Not before I get a piece of it. I call bagging rights." Kenpachi claimed loudly.

"Is fighting all you-"

"Enough!"

The three captains instantly quietened at the sound of their leader's voice. The Soutaichou's spiritual pressure lowered back to normal and he closed his eyes in thought. The other captains watched him in silence. Yamamoto eventually opened his eyes and spoke.

"Such an anomaly, if it truly is a Ghoul, is a breakthrough concerning the mysteries surrounding them. Especially considering the lack of knowledge we have concerning their respective afterlives. A Hollowified Ghoul may threaten the balance, if this one is only the first of many to come. More must be understood before any action is taken, whether to capture or to kill. I therefore authorise a team to be sent to the location where the encounter took place to see if any information can be gained."

Nobody spoke, even those who disagreed.

"Dismissed!"

XXXXX

As soon as the meeting was over, Aizen quickly made his leave. By now, Ulquiorra and Yammy would have returned if they had succeeded considering that he gave them his orders several days ago. If so then the Hollow still needed to be turned properly.

The Hollow-Ghoul situation held no interest with him, so it was already at the back of his mind. The potential Espada candidate on the other hand did. Aizen decided to return to Hueco Mundo as soon as possible.

Little did he know how related the two topics were.

XXXXX

When Kaneki finally woke up, he realised that his arms and legs were restrained by some sort of manacles. Groaning softly, he slowly tested his fingers and toes as feeling returned to them. He frowned when he noticed that they felt distinctively different from before, like back when he had first Hollowified.

In the back of his mind, Kaneki tensed when he felt Rize's presence, more pronounced than before.

He had been able to hear her every now and then over the past few years, speaking to him when he ate or teasing him, though he never responded to her. Rize, he didn't know how else to describe it, felt stronger than before, like her will had undergone some sort of transformation.

He opened his eyes and noticed that he was in some sort of room. It was white and completely bare, except for his bed and a small hole in the wall that Kaneki guessed was actually a window. He tried to look down to see his body, but discovered that a metal collar was wrapped around his neck which was attached to the bed.

"Oh, you're finally awake?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaneki spotted a young woman step into his field of vision. His eyes instantly went to her rather odd choice of clothing, noting the white frilly dress and the puffed sleeves. His eyes wandered up and saw her face, blinking when he saw her purple hair and her matching teardrop marks on each cheek. The bone fragment nesting in her hair instantly put the former Ghoul on edge.

"Where am I?" Kaneki demanded. He didn't allow it to show, but panic was beginning to swell up inside of him, having vivid memories of the last time he had been restrained and at another's mercy flashing in his mind.

"Where? Las Noches of course. Unfortunately I drew the short straw and was saddled with looking after you until Aizen-sama returned. He got back a while ago. I'd advise against escaping by the way."

Las Noches? Aizen? The one that the Guardian worked for? Kaneki recalled Ulquiorra's words.

"Once Aizen-sama was done, he asked me to explain everything to you and bring you to the training room where you'll meet the others. You don't look like much so they probably won't be impressed."

The last comment held a light teasing quality to it.

The woman then snapped her fingers and to Kaneki's surprise, his restraints disappeared. He hesitantly sat up. He was calm now, but was angry and curious despite himself. He briefly considered attacking, but decided to reframe for now.

"What are you? You're obviously a Hollow of some sort, but any others that I've met had Shinigami swords. How come?"

The purple haired girl snorted as though she was dealing with an idiot. "Arrancar, Arrancar, obviously, though I guess you never get out much. We're Hollows that have had most of our mask removed and gained Shinigami powers as a result, such as a Shinigami's swords which are called Zanpakuto by the way. There's hundreds of us here."

Kaneki turned and stood up to his full height as he absorbed what she had said. She definably had his attention now.

"You're serious?"

"Uh-ha."

Kaneki digested the Arrancar's words for several moments. Shinigami blades had always been of interest to him, despite his lack of knowledge about them. Hollows carrying such swords was just…odd. He eyed his…he refused to say babysitter.

"Where's yours?"

She snorted in response, holding up a whip. "Don't worry if you don't want one of these. Mine's special. By the way, here's yours."

She tossed a sheathed sword at Kaneki, who reflectively caught it. It was a tanto, with a blade roughly the same length as his own forearm. The handle was black as was the hilt which was circle shaped. The sheath was the same colour.

Getting confused, Kaneki frowned. "Why is this mine?"

The woman tried to stifle a giggle, but failed. She looked a few seconds away from full out laughter. Wordlessly, she tossed him a mirror that had appeared in her hand out of nowhere.

He looked at his reflection and almost dropped the mirror in shock.

It was as though three quarters of his Hollow mask had been cut away with a knife, leaving most of his face, human face uncovered. The only part of his mask that remained was the lower left section, the part that covered his cheek and the left side of his mouth. Behind his mask's clenched teeth, Kaneki's real teeth were visible as his mouth reflected his surprise.

His face was the same as it had been before he had died, though it looked as though he had aged two years or so. His unmarked skin was as pale as it had been before his death back when he was a Ghoul. His white hair was slightly longer, almost reaching his eyes which were the same pale shade of grey. Hesitantly, as though afraid he might ruin his new face, he slowly reached up and rubbed the palm of his hand against his face, feeling real flesh and skin.

Looking down, Kaneki stared at his now human body which was now adorned in clothes of the colour white, including a hakama as well as a shirt, jacket and sash. His feet were covered by black socks and a pair of sandals.

Kaneki expected to be angry, but instead…he felt wonder? Idly, he remembered his first few days as a Ghoul, how pathetic he had been when grovelling around on the floor, trying to maintain his humanity. After becoming a Hollow however, he had found himself missing his former body despite the power that his new one had granted him at the time. At least, he had wanted his face back.

Simply put, Kaneki currently didn't know what to make of his new appearance.

Eventually, he turned to look at the female Arrancar, who was still looking at him patiently.

"Your Aizen-sama is here? Am I allowed to speak with him?"

"Not yet brat, not until I give you a crash course in Arrancar biology and show you what we can do. Aizen-sama put me in charge of getting you up to speed on everything so the faster you catch up, the faster you get to meet him and prove if you're really Espada worthy material."

Kaneki frowned, but nodded. "Okay then."

He would play along for now so that he could meet Aizen and see what he had to say. He held Kaneki's interest, but he would die if he tried anything. Kaneki fingered the handle of his new blade.

"Good. By the way what's your name? Teaching a guy whose name I don't know is stupid."

"…Kaneki Ken."

"Cirucci Sanderwicci, Privaron Espada. Let's get started then."

XXXXX

Yeah, you might all disagree, but I am so cruel. Putting Gin and Mado in the same division and all. Really sorry Kira, I currently don't envy you at all or what you have to put up with.

Next chapter Kaneki meets Aizen and the Espada. To avoid execution, he has to challenge a current one in a fight to the death for that one's position. Who do you think Kaneki will pick?

See you all next chapter.

Translations:

Sherukurasshā: Shell Crusher