Bleach: Kingdoms and Princesses

The Kasumioji Conspiracy, part 1

The snipers watched as a rowdy and drunken group of souls milled around a large warehouse. Many noble families owned land and buildings throughout the Rukon. The Kasumioji Clan had amassed over the centuries a significant amount of land and built property. The warehouse, and the ones nearby, all belonged to the clan, though they had been rarely used in a long time. Rumor had it that once they were used to help manufacture and store goods for when the Seireitei wiped out the last of the Quincy. Now they served a different purpose.

The crowd was becoming rowdier by the minute. The recruiters had done their jobs well in getting as many souls as possible riled up. They had been fed propaganda about how the Seireitei looked down on them. Had they had been forgotten by the Soul Reapers, and made to suffer through many injustices, both at the hands of the Soul Reapers and their enemies. The only way things would get better was to impose a new order. They thought they would be that next order. But they were nothing more than the tools to ensure a new era emerged.

The snipers were supposed to ward away any snooping Soul Reapers and their spies. However, none of their ilk was to be seen that night. The snipers had done an excellent job of eliminating ay potential leaks and snitches. They gazed upon the fruits of their work. A cry went up from the road and the crowd quieted a little.

A mob from Zaraki made its way towards the warehouse. Thousands of murderous souls armed with rusty swords and makeshift weapons hollered and screamed as they joined the crowd. They were a special acquisition, brought along to help sow extra chaos and death during the upcoming battle. The real weapons and soldiers were about to appear. The doors to the warehouse were rolled back and large mech suits ambled out, dragging behind them massive crate and oddly shaped contraptions. Men in suits came out and addressed the crowd. The mob would not be silenced, but at least the men were getting their message across.

Soon, thousands of rioters and soldiers were underway. They would be joined by other cells until they numbered in the tens of thousands. Together, they would overthrow the Seireitei. The snipers moved carefully along the rooftops to keep an eye on their army.

Another, smaller, but better organized and equipped army descended the stairs leading from the Kasumioji Manor proper. Samurai rode horses with the symbols and colors of their house streaming from their backs. The assassins moved deftly through the trees and shadows, dogging the army's progress.

The main gates swung open and allowed the soldiers passage into the sprawling roads of the Rukon. They filed out, reorganized themselves in ranks, and then marched to the north. They quickly approached the lands of the Kannogi Clan. An opposing army came out to meet them. However, instead of the banners mingling in battle, they met in unity and changed course. Officers gave the word and the two houses then marched forward. They marched on the Shihouin Clan.

Byakuya Kuchiki stood before the council of his family's elders. Kouga leaned against a wall and in the shadows, a hungry expression covering his face. Byakuya looked everyone coolly in the eyes and spoke clearly.

"The noble clans are now in a state of war. At this very moment, our informants tell me that the Kasumioji Clan and the Kannogi Clan will wage battle in the streets. Other houses might throw their lot in with one clan or another, hoping to gain leverage and prestige at the end of the conflict. In this time, the Seireitei has decided to not get involved. Furthermore, the heads of each of the Four High Houses have also decided to not get involved. We will only fight if we are attacked directly. And I will only take to the field of battle if ordered by the Head Captain."