Back To Square One

Chapter 1 – All for Nothing

The braking of steel, a sound that could be heard through out the lopsided under water city. At the centre, two men fight in the space between the small skyscrapers. One fights to protect, the other fights to gain power, in order to protect.

'You still refuse to stay down, Ichigo.' Says the man in white, wearing half a helmet with a forward facing horn on the left side of his head, all coloured black.

The man called Ichigo looks up from the side of a building he stands on. He faces the man in white, the combined form of his zanpakuto, Tenza Zangetsu, and his Inner Hollow. Despite the pain in his sword arm, a broken black nodachi with square cross guard in the form of an open ended menji meaning ban and the pain in his left foot, his eyes still burn with an unbreakable resolve.

'I told you I won't go down. Not till you tell me what the Final Getsugatensho is.'

'I said I have no intention of telling you!'

And with a loud war cry, the being known as Tenza Zangetsu, speeds toward Ichigo bringing his white nodachi in an overhead swing.

The sound of clashing blades could be heard once again, as Ichigo blocked Zangetu's sword by bringing his broken nodachi in an up-ward swing, and bringing it back down again to block a second blow. Only to bring it back up, to block a forward lunge from Zangetsu.

Bringing is sword to up to his face he deflects another strike from is zanpakuto. Following up with a two handed over head swing, their blades meet for a brief battle of supremacy. The clash lasts only a fraction of a second, as Zangetsu lets his welder past him, Ichigo, surprised by such a tactic, barely manages to bring his sword round to meet the sword of Zangetsu, just as he is kicked of the side of one of the sideways buildings.

Ichigo stands once again, in a cloud of dust from the impact of falling onto the side of another building.

'What is this? If he were serious about defeating me, he could have done that at the very start. There was that great a difference between our powers.'

Looking up he sees Zangetsu, with both his hands grip tightly to his sword, crashes into the building, were Ichigo once stood only a fraction of a second before. Ichigo moving round and away from the crash sight prepares for his opponent to show himself. A streak of white is the only warning, that Zangetsu has begun his attack.

'If he had no serious intention of telling me,'

As he swings his sword, Ichigo brings his sword arm across his face to block, and swings his arm back around again to deflect a second strike.

'He should stop fighting,'

Keeping his arm up, he blocks and deflects two more thrusts from the welder of the white blade.

'And keep himself hidden.'

Jumping back from a thrust to the torso, he grips what is left of his nodachi with both hands, blocks a two handed downward swing, then bringing arm around, with his fingers facing upwards, he is able to deflect a swing that would slice him in half. He tries to bring his sword around again, only to find that Zangetsu has griped his arm, and throws Ichigo though the air.

'What is this?'

Ichigo now struggling to stand, looks in the eyes of Tenza Zangetsu who is standing ten feet away from him.

'Why is it that I only sense sadness flowing from is blade?'

The resolve to fight can still be seen in his eyes, but now confusion can be seen as well. Zangetsu, realising that Ichigo is close to his goal, readies his blade one last time.

He charges toward his welder, swords clashing together in a shower of sparks. The force of the impact, launches the both of them into the air, where the tops of the buildings should be. Swords still locked together, both combatants share true eye contact for the first time.

Ichigo's still show his resolve. A resolve shown though a pair of eyes that would bring fear into the minds of the most powerful of hollows, resolve that has given strength to those he calls his friends, willing them to fight on.

The face of Tenza Zangetsu shows nothing, however, his eyes show pride. Pride in the fact that his welder is willing to fight anyone who dear try to harm those he loves. Pride in that Ichigo is willing to going such lengths to protect those weaker than him. To protect the many thousands of people who are in his home town, and those who live life in the many districts of Rukongai, and Soul Society.

The exchange lasted only two seconds, the eye contact, broken by Zangetsu, who turned away.

'It can't be! Can it?'

Now shock could be seen in Ichigo's eyes now, he would have never known that is was the way to gain the power he was searching for. The power to destroy an enemy, who now walks on a plain of existence, higher than any other being in the universe. This was how he could walk with the same level of power, maybe even go beyond it, and obtain power of a higher level.

With one final swing of his sword, Zangetsu disengaged from the lock of blades, sending Ichigo back, high above the buildings below.

Ichigo could only look at the back of his zanpakuto. The spirit of the blade he now holds in his right hand. A broken black nodachi.

'I see now. Why you could not teach me this technique, for it is something that I must learn for myself.'

He knew that this was the end, seeing Zangetsu charge toward him, with a look in his eyes that betrayed nothing. Ichigo could only smile, placing his trust in his zanpakuto, he let go of the sword in his hand.

Now a look of surprise showed itself on Zangetsu's face, as he ran is welder though.

Ichigo opened his eyes. For the first time in three months, he felt truly alive. Looking at his Zanpakuto, he could see the changes, the cross guard now more opened, the lines resembling a set of prongs, the blade now a deeper shade of black. But it was the hilt that shocked him most, for there was none. In its place, was a black glove with a long black chain that snaked its way up his arm reaching the shoulder, leaving a small amount of the rest of the chain to dangle freely down his back, that and said chain replaced his right sleeve. He also noticed that his hair had grown out as well, with his orange spicks flattened down instead of up and had grown down two his shoulders on the back of his head, along with the few stray strands that fell below his eyes.

'Take your time admiring your dam self when this is over son.'

Turning round, he sees his father still pouring spirit energy into the restrictive currents, looking a lot worse for wear. Kurosaki Isshin, father to a teenage son and a pair of twin girls, now weak from preventing the restrictive currents from consuming him and his son, was now sporting a beard.

'You ok dad?'

'What do you think son, am I sitting here trying to look pretty?'

'Do you want me to give you my honest opinion, or should I say what you want me to say.' Ichigo replied with a smile. He missed this, messing around, he had not done anything like this in a long time.

'Oh fine, be that way. Still, do you mind helping your old man up, because you have no idea how badly this place eats at your spirit energy.'

'Sure'

Lifting is father over his shoulder, he ran toward the exit.

'Other way Ichigo, your running in the wrong direction.'

'Oh, Sorry.'

So turning round and running toward the 'exit' his eyes shone with purpose, he was ready to face anything that Aizen, or what the whole world could throw at him. He certainly was not expecting to find out what he did when he got out.

'Don't worry. That rolling stone may change addresses like changing underwear, but the house, at least, always looks the same. If I see it, I'll recognize it instantly.' Said a black cat from the ground.

'Somehow, I get the feeling that he is telling the truth.' The giant thought to himself.

'Instantly, huh.' The one in black thought out loud.

'Yes, yes, instantly.'

The group of five walked on, all with different thoughts on the matter. The giant, silently wondering what it is about the house that could help stand apart from the rest they had seen. The orange haired girl, innocently thinking about, who this Shiba person was. Maybe he is a pirate, who got lost at sea hunting for lost treasure and ended up in Soul Society. Or a ninja, who died fighting an evil samurai, who was trying take over Japan. Or maybe a pirate-ninja who was... Well you get the idea.

'Oh, there it is. That's it'

Everyone who was not the girl with long orange hair, or the small black cat. Opened their mouths in shock.

'Th-'

'That's

'Whoooa, that's cooooool!'

'Hmmm'

The reason for all these reactions, was because the house in front of them may seem innocent on it's on, with its blue tiled roof, and brown wooden sliding doors. No that was not what was causing the two rather out spoken males to cover their eyes in horror. The object in question was the huge pair of arms that were holding up the red banner, reading SHIBA KUUKAKU across the front.

'See, instantly recognizable, no?'

'Whether it's instantly recognizable or not isn't the problem!' Exclamed the one in black.

'The idea that he likes places with no other people is probably a lie, too! They just won't let him live in town because he builds houses like that!' Replied the one in white.

That's GOTTA be the reason!'

'So this time, it's a person's arm's holding the banner. Quite well done.' Remarked the cat. Pride shining though his voice.

'Every time...'

'...the theme is different?'

'Come on let's go.'

'Wheee!'

'Hmmm'

The cat, the giant and the airhead, all walked toward the house, seemingly uncaring about the fact that they walking toward an abomination. While the Quincy and the Soul Reaper stood in place, to shocked to move or to say anything.

'We're about to enter that sad excuse for a house? What are they thinking?'

The Soul Reaper however, was having a different sort of reaction. Where he should be thinking something along the same lines as the man beside him, he felt fear, not for the house ahead, not for the fact he would never hear the end of this if anyone at home found out about this. No, the reason for this fear was because, deep down at the very core of his being, he felt that he was being torn apart. And it hurt like hell.

'Kurosaki, you ok, look I understand that the house looks li-'

'Uryu. Go, get out of here.'

'Kurosaki, what's wron-' He didn't get to finish the sentence, as the teen beside him, burst into flames.

He could feel it, as the blue fire burned away at his body he could feel himself dyeing, his soul tearing its self apart. He didn't know why or how, just that the pain was too much. He was being burned away from existence.

'I'm sorry Rukia. I could not save you, and I have not even started yet.'

The last thoughts of Kurosaki Ichigo, before his body exploded into blue spirit particles.

Oddly enough, Ichigo's last thoughts managed to find their way to a certain Soul Reaper. Said Reaper, is currently stuck inside a large circular prison cell, awaiting execution. She was laid out on her back, staring the high ceiling, replaying the mental massage over in her head. When she had heard that Ichigo had come to save her, she felt so of whelmed with joy and with hope. He should have just stayed at home at lived out his life, but instead, he chose to save her. For all of the trouble she had caused him he still came back. He never forget her, she had a place within his heart. But now he was dead. Killed before the rescue had begun. So she began to cry.

'KUROSAKI'

'KUROSAKI-KUN'

'ICHIGO'

Ichigo's friends were now frantic, after seeing their friend burst in flames and die before their very eyes. They were to shocked to do must else.

That was in till heard a senkaimon gate open behind them. Turning round, they could not believe their eyes.

Ichigo kept on running. He had been running for a while now, but he knew he was close, he could feel it. He was finally going to fight Aizen, and stop him creating the Royal Key, and killing the Spirit King. He also knew that to stop him, he would need to use that. He finally understood the reasoning behind Tenza Zangetsu's reluctance to allow Ichigo to gain such power, because of what would happen as a result.

'Get ready son, there is no turning back.'

'Don't worry, I'm ready.'

He had no regrets, and was ready to face anything that maybe on the other side. Or so he thought.

He landed on a dirt path cutting its way through a patch of grass in the Soul Society. Looking around, he could see the trees in the distance, however he seemed to completely to ignore the abomination with arms standing behind him.

'Why does this place feel so familiar, it's like I've been here before. But could that be possible.'

'Kurosaki-kun'

That one name snapped him out of his thoughts.

'It can't be. Can it.'

Turning to look over his right shoulder, he could see the shocked faces of his friends, all looking slightly younger in their appearance, and dressed the same way they had when he invaded the Soul Society so many months ago.

'You have got to be kidding, right.' Disbelief clear in his voice, and the only words that could describe their situation, were the words of one Kurosaki Isshin.

'Well son, that was all for nothing now wasn't it.'

Ichigo could only nod.