A/N: I'm BleachFan32 and this is my first FanFic. I've just recently gotten obsessed with Bleach, the manga, and now, Bleach the anime. This is my very first fanfic, so please go easy on me if I make a few mistakes. I would very much appreciate it if you all could rate my stories. Really appreciate that. I hope you enjoy it and here I go. OH, and this will be taking blace in an Alternate Universe.

Bleach does not belong to me in any way:

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Chapter I.

Paradox

The wind blew in a congruous shape, as it gusted through the sky in its bounded glory. Ichigo stepped back, blood winding the palms of his hands, the lengths of his fingertips wreathing in pain, as they clutched at his Bankai. His breaths came out in shattered clumps, choking, almost rasping their way up through esophageal tube. "Kuchiki… Byakuya. I see you're growing tired, you're almost out of breath, I can tell. Am I going too fast for you?" he taunted, his orange hair raising up, as Byakuya indefinitely increased the force of his spiritual pressure. His face was calm, undeterred by Ichigo's taunting. The orange-haired teen only grinned flamboyantly.

"You'll have to do better than that, Kuchiki…because your reiatsu isn't as heavy as it once was," he grinned another triumph smile, continuing; "and you know what that means? It means that we're on the same level know--" Byakuya appeared behind him in a blindingly fast Flash Step. Ichigo reared, catching Byakuya almost a second too late. Byakuya vanished in an nth second, catching Ichigo off balance. The orange-haired Shinigami halted himself, inhaling a deep breath; then disappeared in one of his on Flash Steps.

Byakuya appeared in one and a half seconds, Ichigo behind him, his Soul Slayer in Bankai form at Byakuya's throat: "Your movements are becoming sluggish, Kuchiki. What's wrong? Don't tell me a human has surpassed you. What a shame." Byakuya chuckled lightly, his eyes darkly traces the cracked planes the russet colored ground provided. The wind, in another stiff breeze, blew up passed them.

"You are naïve, Kurosaki. Look around you and what do you see? Tell me." Ichigo, his demeanor cocky and abrasive, looked up smiling. His smile suddenly faded as he saw what Byakuya had warned. "My Bankai has been following you, swiftly and surely, acutely measuring your range of attacks, following you and watching the extent of your Bankai's abilities;" he disappeared from Ichigo's perception, "now my Bankai will destroy you Ichigo." He dropped his sword into the ground, as it materialized into the earth beneath.

"You think this'll work on me again? I've already seen through this attack." He grimaced, his face looking like it would be converted into a permanent scowl. Kuchiki only chuckled. His blades emerged from beneath the earth, raising: "This, Ichigo, is your end. Scatter, Bankai." The blades shattered into cherry blossoms, setting into a volley, as they vanished. Ichigo pulled his Zangetsu up by the hilt, and stood in an immobilizing stance. "This will decide…" Before he could even finish his sentence, Byakuya appeared before him, in a staggering Flash Step, the tip of his index finger but an inch away from Ichigo's heart.

"This, Kurosaki Ichigo, will be your end." Byakuya disappeared, twenty Flash Steps following behind the first. The congregated shattered remnants appeared from below and above ground. The first airborne attack, Ichigo was ready for, he shattered the blades to pieces with his Zangetsu, but the second attack was a bit different. The blossoms cut through his back like a pair of steak knives tearing through a baby's skin. Ichigo reared up, swishing his sword around in a circular motion, aerodynamically blasting the swords away.

"Is that it, Kuchiki? Is that all you have for me?" In almost an answering response, Byakuya appeared, his Flash Step flawless, and effortlessly sufficient. The tip of his finger again touched an inch below Ichigo's heart. In too low of a voice, Ichigo whispered, "No," in almost an inaudible sound. Kuchiki's Soul Slayer readjusted into original form, back into his sheathe.

"Destructive Art: White Lightning." The zigzag lightning bolt screeched through Ichigo in a crackling that was indeterminately sickening. Blood oozed like a gushing fountain in a drinking tube. The cracking of his bones jolted in gist of pain and blood. His eyes widened for a fractional second, and then he coughed up a bucket of blood. He looked up, the sinister cold look Byakuya gave him was chilling.

"You planned this…from…the beginning…*cough…haven't you?" Before he could even receive an answer, he was on his knees, his hand shaking fiercely, Zangetsu dropping to the floor in cut of a second.

********

"Captain Hitsugaya. Lieutenant Matsumoto. We have a message to relay to you…" The third division messenger corps arrived in a swift contempt, racing, no charging toward Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto.

"A relaying message from the Third Division Corps at a time like this. When there's so many Ryoka present in Soul Society, they're sending amateurs. My, my how times have caught us." The divisionary corps messenger swiftly handed each of them the Hell Butterfly. Hitsugaya commanded him away as the message was relayed:

"Since the defeat of so many captains has been going on since the Ryoka presence, there has been a callout meeting to all captains. Meet at the execution point in one hour." The butterfly was struck through by an expendable blade. Hitsugaya turned, Matsumoto soon following. The blade retracted itself and brought back down the line, a sinister smile. A caricature, one could say.

"I can't have ya'll messin with my plans today, can I? Especially you, Tenth Captain Hitsugaya-chan." His smile was that of a mad-mans. Ichimaru stood forward, his expendable blade retracting forward. Hitsugaya stepped forward, a grimace churning the edges of his faces. Matsumoto stepped closer, her hand bright on the hilt of her sword, every finger on her right hand itching in anticipation. Ichimaru smile tightened his lips more, his stance quivering in laughter and excitement.

"What plans, Gin?" she asked, her voice trembling in what seemed like fear, "what are your plans? Have you been plotting against us all this time?" her voice trilled with more evident anger than fear. Ichimaru cocked his head to the side, in what seemed like confusion.

"All in good time. I ain't bout to tell you everything, now would I? You gotta beat me first, then maybe I'll tell ya watcha wanna know." Hitsugaya, in a rather efficient Flash Step appeared directly above Ichimaru, sword bashing above, voice roaring at high volume. Ichimaru called upon his Soul Slayer's first stage of release and crashed against Hitsugaya's Soul Slayer. Ichimaru sunk deep, foot catching Hitsugaya in the back of his head. Before driving down low, Gin released his blade trying to catch Hitsugaya off point.

"No you don't!" Matsumoto arose in a haste and slashed her sword, charging almost aimlessly towards the back of Ichimaru's head; however, before her sword could connect, he used a rather slow flash step to maneuver away. Matsumoto was just a fractional second away from the eyes of Hitsugaya. Ichimaru's snobby laughter caught them both off-guard. Hitsugaya flipped up, rage bubbling his expression.

"Shikai!" A crescent-shaped blade attached to the hilt by a chain, was what formed from his Zanpaku-to. Hitsugaya charged forward, his feet pacing down the intruded ground. He leaped into the air, and swung his sword, Ichimaru's neck within his range. The devilish grin from Ichimaru was everything but flattering.

"I can't have ya' chargin me, recklessly like that!" His Zanpaku-to extended, charging incredulously on Hitsugaya's. The young squad captain somersaulted backward, taking in a deep breath and then caressed forward. His blue eyes shone in what seemed like amusement. His sword cataclysmically glided through the hard, muffled terrain.

"Ichimaru, I knew you were doin something, but I had no idea what it was. You were always up to no good, weren't you," Hitsugaya cocked his head to the side, a smirk befalling his crystalline lips, "and just what is your plan?" Ichimaru grinned, the fiendish smirk, the kind of smile that chilled your bones to the core.

"Since you ain't got no chance of stopping us, then I will. We makin an impossible to stop Alternate Universe." Hitsugaya's face turned up in confusion and shock, a tinge of angst infiltrating the calm demeanor of his features.

"An Alternate…Universe? Why? What purpose would it give to you:" he paused for a second, his face turning up in thought; "I noticed you said us and not I. Who are you associated with?" Ichimaru's grinned beamed wider. His bag-lady finger wagged back and forth, the clutches and braces around them craning over the bone.

"Now, now, Hitsugaya-chan!" Hitsugaya's facial demeanor dang-near boiled red:

"DO NOT DISRESPECT MY AUTHORITY BY CALLING ME HITSUGAYA-CHAN! IT'S TENTH CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA TO YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE!" Without even waiting to ask anymore questions, Hitsugaya hurdled sky-high, his Zanpaku-to changing in evident grace.

"Bankai: Daiguren Hyorinmaru: Great Crimson Ice Ring!" Ice swung in a flowing cascade, running around the shape of Hitsugaya's arms. The encased water molded into the enticing silhouette of two large wings, a tail, and twelve large flower petals. The ice also formed into a dragon's head around his sword hand, encasing it up to the hilt, which resembled an eight-pointed star. He stood, a confident smile on his face as he faced Ichimaru. The smirk lowered into a half-witted, crazy-man leer.

"So this is the much revered Bankai, I've heard about. Very impressive, Hitsu. Ain't half bad." Hitsugaya used a level ten Flash Step, appearing in midst above Ichimaru. He swung his sword, releasing a flurry of water, bounding all over the terrain.

The effects of the water, froze Ichimaru's arms; within seconds, Hitsugaya's sword was at his neck: "Give up."

*******

"You are naïve, boy. You came here today assuming you could defeat me. Your assumption was half-witted. While you may have improved your abilities, you cared not to consider the limits of mine. That, Ichigo Kurosaki, was your undoing —" The hilt of Ichigo's Zangetsu, poked Byakuya's throat, a tapping incretion. Byakuya's dark eyes, and black-locks widened in a exponentially surprise. Byakuya turned, staggering minimally as he approached this gesture short-armed, his Bankai still in released form.

"I didn't even sense your approach. How did you move that fast. While I was speaking you were right in front of me, blood soaking from a wide open wound. What technique allowed you to do this? What technique allowed you to escape my eyes?" Ichigo grinned his grin, eyes growing burdened under the stress of his bright wide smile. He removed his hilt from Byakuya's neck and walked back.

"You could have easily slit my throat and been down with it. Why didn't you? And you didn't answer my first question." Ichigo walked back five or ten steps. His smile erased into a hardened stare.

"Well, Yoruichi and Kisuke taught me something. Kisuke taught me how to tap into my spiritual energy, and Yoruichi taught me how to use Flash Step. However, my Zangetsu and Yoruichi taught me a move even more advanced than Flash Step. It's called Sasokasei and it's a maneuver that you have to use once you've been struck no matter how minimal the damage. It'll produce an after-image of you defeated and befouled of spiritual pressure. It takes some spiritual pressure to consume and release the technique, and then it quantifies with the Flash Step but ups your speed level ten X. More advanced and sufficient than Flash Step. What do you think?" Byakuya charged, seaming closer, no doubt using a Flash Step, but Ichigo saw through it, his eyes were more advanced, the slothful movement was caused by anger, no doubt, a factor that no one has challenged him in such a way, especially not a ryoka.

He used his Zangetsu to redirect Byakuya's incoming Zanpaku-to. Another baffled expression befallen Byakuya as his blade was redirected. Ichigo's foot planted right in the center of his chest and he pushed him across the ground. His beamingly impressed smile reappeared. "I've got your number, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Byakuya winced, as both his pride and body were being pounded to dear life. He managed to lift himself up, realigning his shoulder from Ichigo's rigorous kick. His face was tousled in anger. He lifted himself into the air, eyes blazing with mad fury. "You think you're better than me, Kurosaki. YOU THINK YOU'RE STRONGER THAN ME? YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN…BYAKUYA…KUCHIKI?" He let his Zanpaku-to fall into the ground, and he called forward his Bankai: "1000 Blades Of Death!" The swords emerged from atop the ground, and Byakuya landed with them, that same crazy façade planted on his face. Ichigo sneered, readying himself.

Ichigo clutched the hilt of his Soul Slayer firmly, grasping it until his hands drew blood. The blades continued to increase in number as they jack-hammered above ground. Byakuya made his stare a clear gaze, forwarded straight towards Ichigo: "Scatter...Bankai!" In a cataclysmic second, the swords smashed in a crackling fury, rattling like rattlesnakes in hot weather. They reverted to their cherry blossom form and then scattered. The blossoms charged in groups. One group came from the left, one from the right, one head-on, and one from behind.

"I'm not gonna make it." Byakuya was behind him in a matter of seconds. His speed had increased, and he directed the blades from point view. Ichigo stared in distraught. Secretly he knew he couldn't use his Sasokasei anymore, because it would totally deplete his spiritual pressure. His reiatsu was starting to run low as it was in the first place. He closed his eyes, thinking over which one he would rather use: A) His spiritual pressure to play off an Advanced Flash Step -- his last -- or B) Blast away the razor blossoms with his Zangetsu's special power. Both required ample amounts of Spiritual Pressure constantly.

He leaped into the air, redirecting one of the attacks' path away fractionally. He used a slow Flash Step to dodge one more, but as he continued, the attacks continued to increase their power and speed. He looked down and saw Byakuya maneuvering with his hands, incantations of Spirit Energy engulfed and encased around his hands. He was doing so by intensifying the speed and raw strength of the attack in itself and also upsurging his reiatsu to the maximum point.

"MAN! I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!" He sliced one of the attacks in half. It swung in a proliferation, gliding into a boulder. Seconds later, the giant rock shattered, exploding into small fragments across the Earth. The second and third attack caught him off guard. He managed to defend himself against the second attack, but the third volley of attacks caught him in the back. It pushed him into the ground, the second and fourth attack commencing with the third. An explosion rifted from the terrain.

"It's done," Byakuya uttered from cold, stiff lips.

*******

"An Alternate Universe?" Matsumoto said to herself, fear striking her tone. What exactly was Gin talking about? Matsumoto ran back to the Squad Captains' meeting place. Her face was doused perspiration, caused by her nervousness and fright. "Please hold out Hitsugaya-san!" She bounded into the air and fled at full speed.

A/N: Sorry it's a little boring right now, but after this chapter the introduction I will start getting deeper into the storyline. This story was really shot. Sorry about that, but trust me, it will definitely get better starting next chapter. I mean an Alternate Universe is being brought. It's absolute Paradox. Well anyway, please review my stories! I really appreciate it.