Who is the real enemy? (Sal)

Patrols, long patrols where you just watch for hollow activity, they were always boring and drawn out, if only some action would start, it would be so much better if they acctually meet a hollow or a rogue to give them some kind of challenge, though he knew he should be careful what to hope for, last time he was ambushed and almost killed by a hollow, so this time it should be done right, and with no casualties.
And his current seat did not give him a morale boost either, only being 17th seat, he was not seen as very strong for the squad, but at least he was around the top of the squad. Lavi took up his phone, finally some hollow movement. Lavi quickly directed his squad towards the hollows, as they arrived there was nothing more than a single weak hollow "Is this all they send me out to take care of, what a waste" In the a mere second Lavi dispatched it with his sword "I must say I had expected more, so guys lets head back" He turned to his squad, but to his surprise there was standing two hollows instead, and the two he had patrolled with was lying on the ground dead "a trap, should have figured" Once again he had allowed squad members to die, but he could not allow that to put him off, people died every day, and especially with him leading them, it was a surprise no rumors had started yet "No holding back this time, I am not going down. Bring down Justice Yoshio" His sword changed into a big hammer that he held in two hands, Lavi swung the hammer with great ease, hitting the first hollow, and just kept up the momentum hitting both hollows in the same swing before they crashed into the wall.
Lavi took a step back with the hammer and waited for a few seconds for the hollows to come out from the wall again "grow. grow. grow!" for each time Lavi said it, the hammer grew in size until it was a the size of a mini van, and he then swung it down at the two hollows annihilating them.
Lavi lets the hammer turn back to his sword, and sheathed it, he went over to his comrades, he took their mobiles, and then turned away from them, getting ready to leave the place when...

Sal watched the Reapers from the shadows, he had been since they arrived. It was so easy to disguise your presence in a Gigai, to wander the streets, passing within inches of Gotei's best and brightest.

So easy, so very easy.

The brief tussle with the Hollow was common place, mundane even. What really caught his eye was the way the Hammer wielding Shinigami reacted to his comrades death. There was not a flicker of emotion, not the slightest shred of guilt or remorse or sorrow. There was nothing there, no feelings one way or another, the man had taken it in his stride like he had just witnessed a fly being swatted from the air.

"Interesting..." Sal said, stepping from the shadows he dragged his true body from the confines of his fleshy prison and immediately his spiritual energies soared around him, sending a cascade of power into the world.

He approached the man and began a slow rhythmic clap, a smile upon his face, his black coat hugging his physique, concealing the Zanpakuto upon his back.

"Quite a show..." He said.

Lavi halted for a second as he felt a strong power around him, it was out of the ordinary, but it was not like the presence of a hollow, he kept his hand close to his zanpaktou, whatever it was, it could be dangerous, there was no reports of other patrols in the area, so whoever it was, it could be unfriendly.
Lavi could hear a little voice from under his shirt "Be careful Lavi" Lavi noded "I know just keep yourself hidden" he whispered down to the voice.
Lavi turned towards the sound of someone clapping, he kept calm even though he was quite scarred, he just would not allow himself to show it.
Lavi decided to head directly to the case, this person was not normal "Who are you?" He kept his hand close to the Zanpaktou all the time, and would draw it at the first unusual move from the person

Sal tilted his head slightly when he noted the defensive posture. This man was ready for battle, even though the difference in power between them was substantial. Sal could respect that, he had gotten to where he was in life by fighting the odds.

"Sal Norongachi..." He said although he doubted this lower ranked Shinigami had heard of him, or at least could link the recent battle with Squad 11's Captain in Seireitei to the name. He remembered that fight fondly, the destruction they wrought upon Rukongai, wiping out districts like it was nothing as they sought to kill one another. The perfect killer, the perfect woman. He may have fallen in love that day.

"And you are?" Sal asked, his hands in his jean pockets, the smile still upon his face.

That name... he had heard it from one of his contacts in Rukongai, apparently is was some big fight that leveled part of the Rukongai, he had to extra careful now, else the name did not say much, but that did not make it any less a reason be ready, but it was also too soon to make any drastic moves before he was sure of this mans motives. "Lavi Kusajishi" Lavi was still very suspicious of this person "What is it you want" It was clear as the day that Lavi did not trust this person, anyone who seemed out of the ordinary, or just anyone at all, would have to give him a reason not to distrust them before he would even consider lowering his guard.

"A pleasure." Sal said with a very small bow of his head and he walked over to the corpses of the fallen Shinigami, casual and slow so as not to excite the young Reaper and poked one with a toe.

"You don't seem to mind that your comrades have died, Lavi." He said, entirely disregarding his question. He didn't really know what he wanted at this point, it would all depend entirely upon the mans behavior in the conversation to come.

What was up with this person, well for now he should just play along, no need to make any rash decision right now "They were weak to let them self be killed so easy, I cant go grieving for every person that dies" Lavi did not move at all and instead followed Sal's movement "What is it to you?" He asked out, there had to be some reason, the thought of taking the chance and just attacking suddenly from a blind spot kept going trough his head.

Self control. It was often noted by Sal's enemies and allies alike that he lacked this quality. This presumption was false, he simply enjoyed indulging his desires more often than not. Lavi was showing great restraint however, Sal had purposefully positioned himself with his back partially turned to the man as he inspected the corpses and yet...no strike came.

"The preservation of life is the very basis on which your entire government was built, was it not? So its stands to reason that a Shinigami should, when facing the loss of those around him feel the urge to never let it happen again..." Sal said, turning fully once again.

"That was...of course until the inevitable corruption began to rot away at Seireitei from the inside, the weak rose to power through subterfuge, bribes and assassinations. The very ideals of a once proud legion of Warriors lost amongst the politics, the petty squabbles for rank and riches..." Sal's voice suddenly became very cold, flat, yet full of venom. "The weak and the devious, the corrupt and the cowardly...should never come to power..."

He started to laugh and let a hand rest upon his forehead. "Listen to me, lecturing like an Academy teacher." He said and as quick as a flash he had drawn his Zanpakuto and cleaved a twenty meter fissure in the ground between them, cutting vertically up the buildings on either side they shook and crumbled casting debris, glass and the squeals of twisting metal into the air.

"They were weak... " Sal pointed his blade at the dead Reapers at his feet. "...and you are weak," Sal said, his voice a monstrous growl in the dust cloud that billowed out in all directions. "Because they made you weak, Lavi."

Lavi already had his hand around the grip of his Zanpaktou as soon as the dark voice was coming from Sal, this sudden lecture was weird yet he could not dismiss what was said, there was some truth to it all, he wanted to object when Sal talked of feeling remorse and should not let ones comrades die again, but he did not get the chance to do so.
It was clear this man was no friend of seretei, and much more an enemy of seretei, yet he would find himself at a big danger here, fighting was very dangerous, but if he could catch Sal by surprise, then he might be able to escape long enough to conceal his presence and call for backup.
As Sal sliced over the building, Lavi did not hesitate for a second, he drew his Zanpaktou "Bring down Justice Yoshio" he said out and was standing with his hammer again, he placed the head in the ground with his foot on it, and a hand on the handle, he had to react quick if something should happen "What is that supposed to mean?" Lavi really disliked the idea of being called weak, yet he was curious where Sal was heading with this, and keeping him talking might make some kind of miracle happen.

Sal spread his arms wide, if there was ever a chance to strike it was now. "You are alone. Call for backup, tell them that Sal Norongachi stands before you ready to cut out the corruption in their hearts and no one will come." Sal said, his arms still spread.

"You are expendable Lavi...a mere asset to be used and discarded whenever they feel like it..." Sal dropped his arms and seemed almost deflated by his own words. They were all true, he had lived through Seireitei's betrayals time and again.

"You know it yourself, how many Reapers have you seen felled by Hollow since you left the Academy?" Sal took in a breath of the night air and closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "An army is only as powerful as its leaders. That's what they say, so let me ask you this. What becomes of the Leaders if the army becomes more powerful than they are?"

The words striked true, when Lavi thought back, every time he had been saved it had been by mere chance, not because someone was actively heading to his rescue, so this was what this person was after, turning him rogue, making him follow that road, so all what Sal had said so far was words of propaganda, he was not about to turn rogue because of such words, there is no way all of what he said could be true.
"If the army becomes stronger than its leader, then they will passively seek a way to overthrow the leader, it a simple instinct of wanting power, and everybody knows might makes right" Lavi hesitated for a second before continuing "Though that must have been old times when you left seretei, last i checked there was no politician at the top of seretei, all squads is lead by people who proved their worth more than once" Lavis foot became a bit unsteady on the hammers head, like he was waiting for a moment to strike, yet he was curious what Sal had to say for himself.

Why did Sal care about one Soul Reaper among thousands. What was the reason for this sudden flare for the dramatics that had come over him. Seireitei had fallen, it had done so silently with whispered words and cloaked agendas.
When the time came for those who lurked in the shadows, pulling the strings of the Gotei, to unveil their plans. No one would be safe, no one.

Perhaps he saw something of himself in Lavi, in Dralon, in Arawn....maybe he wanted to give them the ability to avoid the fate that befell him. Outcast, exiled, traitor and criminal. All because he had lived, when he should have died.

Seireitei started this war and he would finish it.

"The Seireitei of old?" Sal couldn't help but smile. "Anyone who could oppose them is at this very moment being dealt with in one form or another. Where is the Captain Ri O'Nocht? Or the Captain Kurama? Or the Shinigami Tatsuya Okibi?" The sentence fired from Sal's mouth quickly and without a moments hesitation.

"Because you do not see the snake does not mean it is not there Lavi! Don't be so naive, don't simply accept the world as it is presented to you as i did...." Sal's voice grew quiet, the smallest hint of emotion infecting his speech.

"It is a cruel fate, to be betrayed by your own. To have to fight people you once called comrades....." He sheathed his Zanpakuto and looked the man in the eye.

"There will come a time when you will finally witness all that i have said. When the snake bares its head and you will truly see that what you are fighting for, is an illusion." Norongachi took a slow step forward.

"So strike me down Shinigami, if you think me your enemy. I won't resist, i won't defend myself. I've killed to many who did not know why they were fighting."

His words were persuading, but to betray seretei seemed to be too rash, to betray Shikuro Kaiyo and Arawn, they all had helped him in the past, made him pull through when he was close to pulling himself into despair "No you are wrong, Captain Ri O'nocht was found guilty of treason, there was a good reason for his execution" Lavi took a stronger grip around the iron handle of the hammer.
"Lavi I am scared lets get out of here" the voice was a low whispering and only with a very good hearing it could be heard by others than Lavi. As Sal approached him with a single step, Lavi used his foot to kick the hammer and it then turned as he held it in one hand, and he was then holding it in two hands in a defensive position "not one step closer" it was getting way too much out of hand, and it was clear to see the confusion in Lavis eyes.

Lavi could hear a small beeb from his pocket, it was just about time for him to be where his patrol should end, so luck might still be smiling on him. Lavi swung down his hammer hitting it down infront of Sal, it would make more sense to hit him down, but he could not make himself do it, Sal was open, so why could he not do it, Sal was a rogue, no one would mourn his passing.
Lavi kept a grip on the hammer, he made a small jump "extend" as he said it, the handle of the hammer extended, making him make distance between them both quickly, and as soon as there was a good amount of distance he pressed down towards a building, landing there he lifted the hammer and made it shorten in to himself again

"The problem with the truth is that it never stays hidden for long." Sal took another step and the Shinigami soared into the air, propelled by his Hammer he landed on a building in the distance.

"Cling to your lies, what you want to believe," Sal called over the distance, he could have been at Lavi's side and back again in the blink of an eye but there was nothing to be gained by further frightening the Reaper. "When you learn the truth think hard about whom you serve! The men above you or the ideals that came before them!" He gave a brief wave and then turned and walked in the other direction.

It didn't matter how many failed to believe him, he would tell them anyway and when the day came where all he said came to light they would face the choice with all the knowledge they needed to make the correct decision.

Duty or Justice.