The Beginning

Long ago in Sereitei, the shinigami were beginning to feel the strain of war against the hollows. More and more of them were appearing and even more of their shinigami brethren were being slain by these foul creatures. Soul Society’s morale was running low, and the pressure for an answer to what had been going on plagued all of the 13 squads of Sereitei. The division even more plagued by this question was the 12th squad. As the leader in all new technologies and information, the pressure was placed on them to find a solution as to how to quell the hollow threat, though it was the weapons division of this squad that felt the true brunt of this.

The weapons division was tasked with creating new weaponry that would further help in the shinigami's struggles against the hollow threat, yet their recent technological advances in weapon’s technology was sub-par at best. Because of these technological setbacks, and the stress that the entirety of Soul Society had been being put through, this was the perfect time for the people to find a scape goat, someone to blame all their misfortunes and woes upon. The most enticing choice for being blamed for everything that was going wrong was the 12th Division.

The 12th division did not take kindly to these accusations and ordered that the weapons division either quickly come up with a solution to this ever-growing problem, or they would soon be disbanded and another group would be tasked with this job. This decree came as a shock to the weapons division, especially the vice-captain of the 12th Division, since it was he who headed the weapons division.

Amami Kazuma was this lieutenants’ name, and he was a man who was prideful of his position. The fact that his captain had even considered relinquishing him of the position that he had worked so hard to achieve infuriated him. Amami realized the politics involved with the decision that the captain had made. The weapons division was making the 12th division look bad, as a result of its recent setbacks. The only plausible thing to do in order to save face would be to disband of what was putting a blemish upon it. Amami decided that he would find a solution to this problem, and use it to gain favor with the countless shinigami in Sereitei. If he could be responsible for casualties on the shinigamis’ side for dropping indefinitely and destroying the hollow threat, no doubt his fame, and even more importantly, his rank would soar.

With this ideal in mind Amami quickly started work, ordering the weapons division workers to labor ridiculous hours. Greed and vanity fueling his work, he explored all of the sources of information and theories presented to him. He worked feverishly, in hopes of finding his “holy grail”. As Amami continued in his work it only lead him to dead end after dead end. The stress of the work was beginning to put a heavy toll on his mind, putting him on the brink of sanity, causing him to look at immoral theories and principles with approving eyes. Amami’s mind was being corrupted, and with the greed that fueled his ambitions it only served to further deprave him.

Amami continued his pursuit for an answer by looking through restricted files that Sereitei had long sealed away. His reasoning for this was in his thinking that there might be a clue as to what was happening now, that may have happened in the past. As Amami dug deeper into the files he began to run across mentions of humans who were spiritually aware and able to slaughter hollows quite easily. Amami was in disbelief as the information about these “humans” began to pile up.

Why hadn’t he thought of it earlier? This was obviously the answer to all problems connected to hollows. The job of a shinigami involved the destruction of hollow’s not only to purify the hollow’s corrupted spirit, but in order to protect humans from becoming fodder for the hollows. If humans were all given the ability to defend themselves from the hollows there would no longer be a need for shinigami’s to die for this cause, humans could just defend themselves. In essence, Amami wanted to give this war and all it entailed and hand it over to the humans to deal with.

Amami jumped for joy with this revelation, if he could accomplish finding these humans who were spiritually aware and commence testing he could figure out what was giving these humans this ability, he could create an army of super humans, fit to take over the war against the hollows. Amami quickly sent three of the strongest seated shinigami in squad 12 and sent them to the human world in search of some of these spiritually aware humans.

Days passed and the shinigami finally arrived back to the weapons division’s barracks, secretly bringing back with them human prisoners. As the prisoners were brought into the division, Amami quickly ordered testing be done and samples collected. He needed all the information and data on these specimens that he could collect, if anything were to ever go wrong at least these would be in his possession.

Testing on the specimens was torturous in nature. The victims would have to run test day in and day out, fighting hollows that were also collected. Humans that were severely injured were not allowed to be treated, but rather to see how long their reiatsu would allow them to live after surviving through such brutal injuries. As the humans began to die, even more testing would be done on them, since the measure of reiatsu could be better done on them as they passed on into the afterlife. Human after human was being brought into Sereitei and being massacred in search of the “Perfect Human”.

Time went on Soul Society was getting suspicious, large amounts of humans were disappearing from the human world, and reiatsu was being traced in these places. As people began to analyze the reiatsu traces they found out that this was not hollow reiatsu, but rather the reiatsu of shinigamis. As this information got back to the captain commander Soul Soceity was placed on lock-down, stopping the use of senkai gates to and from the human world. A mass investigation was then underway in order to find out which shinigami were behind this.

Amami began to get nervous. All of the work he had accomplished, and the leaps and bounds he had come in research would be for naught if they were discovered now. No one is Soul Society would understand the magnitude of his work if it was seen in its raw form, which included the countless human bodies that were yet to be disposed of. Amami quickly ordered that the hundred of officers who worked under him in the weapons division perform a massive clean up.

Amami knew that what he had been doing would never be accepted, at least not yet. If the shinigami could see the finished product of his labor they would congratulate him with the highest honors. It was time for him and the hundred of workers that he commanded under him in the weapons division to take their leave from Sereitei for the time being. Amami then ordered his workers to bring everything that hey had ever developed in the division with them, as they transported through a portal that Amami opened up with experimental garganta technology.

Hundreds of years passed after this incident, Soul Society still searching for Amami and the betrayers as diligently as the day that it occurred. Rumors that Amami has created a secret facility in order to further his research in the creation of spiritually aware super humans still run rampant to this day…..

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*BANG BANG BANG* "Ishimaru! It's time to commence with the rest of your training and observation!" Ishimaru opened his eyes. The banging of the metal door, and the screaming had finally woken him up. He slowly rose from his bed and wiped his eyes, "OK Miki...im on my way." Ishimaru quickly put on his training uniform and knocked on his door. "Miki, you can open the door now, I'm ready..." The beeping of buttons being pressed on an electronic keypad could be heard from behind the door. As the door finally slid open, revealing a skinny woman with long brown hair, sporting a pair of squared glasses.

This woman was named Miki Fujiwara, she had been charged with watching over Ishimaru. This included making sure he made it to his daily training and observation sessions on time, and even unlocking Ishimaru's room door for him. "Ishimaru, you need to get a move on. You're going to be late for your training, and you know that I'll be the one who is punished if you are." Ishimaru nodded his head, "Yes...I apologize..." Miki then waved her hand is a shooing fashion, motioning Ishimaru towards the training dome.

These events, waking up to Miki banging on the door, having to wait for her to release him from his "prison", being lectured, then spending the rest of the day in training and observation until the next day, they happened day in and day out. Nothing ever changed in the way that his day was spent, expect maybe he'd see his father, Amami, every now and then observing his training.

Ishimaru and his father weren't as close as they used to be. When he was younger, Amami praised him when he first began his training, but as he had gotten older it seemed like his training had become more of a job than anything else. He also rarely spoke or heard a word from his father. Only being instructed on things to do by messengers sent by him.

While thinking about these things, Ishimaru finally had made his way to the Observation dome. He walked up to the door and greeted the two attendants, who nodded their heads to him and entered the pin number to let him inside. As he walked in he observed the dome. It was huge and empty at the same time. The inside of the dome itself was covered with seki seki stone, or rather that's what his father told him. It was implemented into the walls of the dome in such a way that the person inside of the dome didn't feel its affects, yet when reiatsu hit the wall it was quickly absorbed, leaving the wall and the dome intact. Video cameras and loud speakers were also placed inside of the dome, so that the scientist who spectated could give orders and also gather data on his training session.

Ishimaru always wondered why he had to train this way. It was as if he was an experiment, but he always tried to stay on the positive side of it. This training was making him stronger, he should atleast be greatful to his father for giving him that, right? Ishimaru's thoughts were quickly interuppted by a booming voice of the loud speaker. "Yes, Father?"

It seemed like Amami decided to show up to his training and observation today, which always meant for some reason that the days session would be even more difficult. "Today, you will be fighting an Adjuchas class hollow. Are you ready?" Ishimaru could tell that Amami was just going in the motions of conversation and truly could care less if he was ready or not, but he decided to give a nod as a reply anyway. As he did this, the gate on the far side of the arena began to open....

"An Adjuchas?" Why was Amami giving him such a weak opponent again today? Well they weren't actually weak, but now, after Ishimaru began to master his powers a bit better they were amateur to him at best. He could feel the reiatsu of the approaching hollow getting closer and closer from behind the gate. "He's stronger than most of the other adjuchas I've fou--" Just then three sharp claws shot forward, seemingly extending from the darkness, as the hollow had yet to show itself from the darkness.

Ishimaru quickly jumped to his left, "Geist Lanzen!" A single lance composed of reiatus almost immediately formed in his hand. Ishimaru then slashed down at the claws which were still extended, quickly severing them. The hollow screamed in anguish, it's eyes opening up, quickly flashing its golden iris's. "There!" Ishimaru quickly pointed his lance forward, using the location of the hollow's eyes as a guide, "Indem Speer!!!"

The lance quickly shot forward, impaling the hollow with a sickening squish. He could feel the weight of the hollows body on his lance, "He's not moving, he's done with..." Just as a precaution though, Ishimaru quickly slashed downwards with the extended lance, effectively cutting the hollow in half. Ishimaru then dispersed his Geist Lanzen and looked upwards towards the observation stands. "Am I now done for the day?"

The click of the loudspeaker could be heard, but a voice did not follow it. It was almost as if his father was thinking of words to say. Ishimaru smiled, "I must have impressed him" A minute went by and finally Amami began to speak, "Yes, you are done for the day...." Ishimaru bowed out of respect and made his way out of the observation dome. Miki was waiting for him, "It's now time for you to return to your room." Ishimaru let out a disappointed frown and followed Miki.

As Miki and Ishimaru contiued their walk towards his room she abruptly stopped. Ishimaru, not paying attention continued to walk and soon bumped into her, "Oh! Sorry Miki, I apologize!" Miki continued to stare at the ground, "Ishimaru, we are the ones who should be sorry. For everything that we've put you through..." Ishimaru was confused, "You mean the training? That was simple, I was able to kill that adjuchas faster than the others. Father's training is really paying off" Miki looked up at him, "You've been living here for all of your life, never seeing the world outside. Everyday you train and train, but have you ever wondered what exactly it is that you're training for?" Ishimaru was taken aback by the tone of her voice, it seemed so sad, he had never seen her like this before.

"I suppose, that father would tell me the reason for this training when he felt that I should hear it, but for right now all I can concentrate on doing is to become stronger, in order to make him proud. There's really nothing else I can do other than that..." Ishimaru surprised himself, talking about his life it seemed that he really didn't have one. One could have obviously picked up on this by the fact that he had lived inside this facility for the entirety of his life so far, but looking back on the events of his life, there were virtually none. All that he could ever remember doing is training and murdering hollows. He really didn't even have an idea of what a hollow was, except that Amami told him that "They are foul beast".

As Ishimaru stood there in silence, Miki walked up to him, embracing him in a hug. "It's alright....I cannot begin to tell you that I understand what you are feeling, but there is more that I must tell you....I will come back to your room later tonight. I have to tell you everything about this facility, Amami, and you, Ishimaru." Miki then pressed a combination of numbers on the keypad, causing Ishimaru's room door to slide open. "I'll be back to tell you everything, Ishi." He nodded and walked into his room, the door sliding closed behind him.

Ishimaru sat in his bed, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. His mind drifted between what Miki had told him previously that day, and the thoughts of what exactly it could all mean. "What could this secret possibly be?" These thoughts racked his brain until he fell back, his head crashing onto the pillow under it. As Ishimaru prepared to close his eyes, someone began to bang at his door, startling him. Ishimaru slowly stood up and walked towards the door, "Who's out there?". Silence soon followed this question, putting Ishimaru on edge. "It's me, Ishimaru. Im coming in" Ishimaru breathed a sigh of relief, it was Miki and she had returned like she said she would.

The door soon slid open, Miki quickly walked into the room with understandable nervousness. Her being here, talking to him would obviously get her in trouble if caught. She quickly took a seat in one of the chairs and didn't wait until Ishimaru took a seat before she started to speak. She told Ishimaru about Amami and who he really was, the weapons division's defection from Seretei, Amami's ambition to create armies of superhumans, and lastly, Ishimaru's true identity as a clone.

As Ishimaru sit there listening, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. All of this was just too much to take in, but at the same time, to Ishimaru, everything fit together. The daily trainings, the observations, and being locked up in this facility. He was nothing more than an experiment, which is why his "father" had treated him as such. He became enraged at this realization, he wanted to kill them all, make them pay for everything that he had to endure. Though...as furious as he was, the true emotion that he felt was depression. He had been lied to his whole life, if it could even be called that. The mother that he had been told died when he was a baby never existed, and the father he had admired could care less about him.

Miki stood up and placed her hand on Ishimaru's shoulder, who was on the verge of tears. "Now that you know all of this, it's time for you to leave this place...." Ishimaru's head jerked up in shock, "Leave...this place? How would I do that?" Miki sat down on the bed next to Ishimaru, "I've set up a an experimental transportation portal for you, I'm not completely sure where in the human world that you would end up." Ishimaru nodded in agreement, he knew after learning all of that there was no possible way that he could stay now. If he did that he would just be furthering Amami's goals. "How do I get to the portal?" Miki quickly stood up, "The portal is right here..." As she said this she pulled out a small remote control, quickly pressing a button.

As she did this a black hole appeared on the ceiling, crackling with electricity it quickly began to grow, soon engulfing the ceiling in all of its entirety. The furniture within the room was quickly swallowed up, threatening to pull Ishimaru and Miki into its grasp as well. "OK ISHIMARU, YOU MUST LEAVE NOW!!! THIS PORTAL EMITS SPIRITUAL POWER AND IT WILL BE PICKED UP BY SENSORS!!", Miki screamed to be heard over the swirling wind of the portal. Ishimaru looked at Miki with concern in his eyes, "WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU!?!" Miki smiled as she looked at Ishimaru, "DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME!! I'LL BE FINE!!! JUST GO!!!" Ishimaru quickly wrapped his arms around her, "Thank you...for telling me the truth...", he whispered into her ear as he let her go and leaped into the portal, disappearing into the darkness.

As the portal slowly closed behind Ishimaru, a device began to ring. Miki slowly reached into her pocket, pulling out a cell phone. With a smirk she read the name of the caller and answered.

"Hello Sir, the mission was a success. He has been released..."

"Good...How did he react to you telling him everything?"

Miki let out a short giggle before continuing, "He reacted just as you suspected he would, he became emotional, and from the way he acted before leaving it's apparent he will try and return someday."

"Excellent. His field test should run very smoothly, and the fact that he plans on revenge assures that we will get him back as soon as testing is complete....Is there anything else that you need to report?"

"No Sir, But I do have one question. Permission to ask, sir?"

A slight chuckle was heard over the phone before the man continued to speak, "Of course Miki, you've done a fine job today, it's the least that I could do."

"Thank you sir.....I was just wondering, what is it you plan to do with Ishimaru after he returns?"

"By the time Ishimaru decides to return he should be exponentially stronger than he is now...but the fact that he has the ability to make his own conscious decisions is a hindrance, because of that he will need to be terminated"

"Terminated!? Then what was the point of all of these years of his development?!"

The man on the other side of the phone began to laugh in a condescending fashion, "His training was only to test the extent of his powers, to even see if his development was worthy of continuing. Now that we've seen their extent after his termination we will just clone more of him using his genes. These new clones will follow our every unquestioningly follow our every command. Now, do you understand Miki?"

"Yes Captain Amami, I understand..."


As the phone clicked, marking the end of the conversation, Miki slowly backed up against the wall, slumping up against it. "I'm sorry Ishimaru...."