AN: Follows same story up until Yuzu is attacked by the hollow when Gingo saves her.
Chapter 1: Recovery
Ichigo stood there motionless as he watched his little sister be lifted into the air by an unseen foe.
"Damn it if I had my powers I could help her!" He yelled in his mind. "Yuzu where is it?" He shouted to his sister trying desperately to help. Little did he know that two people were watching the events from hiding. One was Kugo Gingo, and the other was Kisuke Urahara.
To himself Kisuke was waiting for Kugo to make a move knowing of the others plot and Gingo was waiting for the perfect time to swoop in and save the girl to make Ichigo seek him out. What happened next neither of them could have predicted.
"I'm pathetic, pathetic, PATHETIC!" Ichigo yelled before being consumed by a massive amount of spiritual pressure.
"What was that king?" sounded an eerie voice behind Ichigo that he knew all too well. As he turned around he saw he was in an underwater Karakura Town only everything looked so gloomy and that he was wearing a shihakusho. When his eyes rested on the figure that the voice had come from Ichigo got his very rare smile that made him look insane.
"Since you're here does that mean old man Zangetsu and my Soul Reaper powers are back?" Ichigo asked his inner hollow.
"Yes and no. You see, you're soul reaper powers are only the strength of a low ranking un-seated officer however, my powers and Zangetsu's powers never left. They were just sealed and hidden deep within your soul." His hollow answered with his sadistic grin flashing as he removed his mask. Just then Zangetsu steps out from behind him.
"Nice to see you again Ichigo," the old man said.
"What will happen to me?" Ichigo asked walking towards the two.
"We're not sure, but let's find out!" His hollow said as he charged Ichigo and began fusing them together. Zangetsu watched as Ichigo's hair turned white as his hollows had been, his shihakusho was now white with a black robe underneath also like his hollow but his skin tone remained the same. As he looked up Zangetsu saw that Ichigo's usual scowl had turned into his smile he got when he was over-confident and that his irises were a pale yellow like his hollow's but his sclera remained white.
"How do you feel Ichigo?" Zangetsu asked to see which personality had become dominant.
"Like my old self except stronger," Ichigo said in his usual serious tone but with that smile that made him look like he was gonna kill you.
"Then take my hilt and go save your sister Ichigo!" Zangetsu said holding out his hand. Ichigo raised his arm out towards him and Zangetsu then started fading into the massive cleaver that was Ichigo's shikai. It was still his black blade with the silver edge but the bandages that made up the sheath were now black. The band that went over his shoulder to hold it on his back was still red.
Back in the real world Kisuke and Gingo watched as Ichigo's human body fell limp to the ground and saw the new Ichigo in his soul form standing with Zangetsu.
"You picked the wrong guys little sister pal," Ichigo laughed at the hollow he could now see. Without so much as a hint he drew his sword and charged the beast and in one clean slash severed its mask in two making it disintegrate.
"Ichigo is that you?" Yuzu asked from behind Ichigo.
"Yeah Yuzu it's me," Ichigo answered as he turned around to face her. Just then Ichigo feels a familiar spiritual pressure and shouts, "Kisuke come on out!"
Out from behind a wall Kisuke walked out wide eyed with his face behind his fan to hide his shock. Gingo stood motionless where he stood telling himself to run and fast. "My, my Ichigo, it seems to me that you've gone and reclaimed your soul reaper powers," Kisuke laughed.
"Check again Mr. Urahara," Ichigo smiled at his former teacher. Upon Ichigo's words Kisuke again used his ability to sense spiritual pressure to read Ichigo's pressure. He went wide eyed and lowered his fan.
"Y-y-your more hollow than soul reaper now," the blond man gasped.
"That's right," Ichigo confirmed. "We'll wait for everyone to get here then I'll explain."
"Let's go to my shop quickly," Kisuke said as Ichigo slipped back into his body which also changed to his new appearance.
"Yuzu go home, I'll be home in a while," Ichigo smiled to his sister. Without a single word she ran home.
Later that night
As Ichigo and Kisuke sat at the little table in the back room of his shop they waited for most of the captains and few lieutenants to sit down. The party consisted of Head Captain Yamamoto, Soi Fon, Byakuya Kuchiki Shunsui Kyoraku, Juushiro Ukitake, Toshiro Hitsugaya, and Kenpachi Zaraki along with Lieutenants Rukia Kuchiki, Renji Abari, Yachiru Ayasegawa and Nanao Ise.
"Now before you get any wild ideas to attack me watch," Ichigo said as Urahara pushed his soul out with his cane. Gasps could be heard all around the room. "As you can see I've regained my powers to an extent."
"Why is your reiatsu more akin to that of a hollow Ichigo?" Rukia questioned first.
"I'll tell you," Ichigo said. He tells them about how he felt pathetic when he couldn't help his sister when she was attacked and how he woke up in his inner world and the events that happened. As he came to the conclusion he eyed up everyone in the room.
"I thought that the use of the Final Getsuga Tenshou would sacrifice your spiritual pressure completely?" the head captain spoke.
"You've obviously forgotten young Ichigo's will to protect Yamamoto," Kyoraku laughed at his sensei.
"And my hollow's will to survive, thanks to his last minute decision he took a mere fraction of his, Zangetsu's, and my own power and sealed them deep inside my soul and thanks to my growth rate were able to come back to nearly my full power." Ichigo added.
"By nearly full power, do you mean you're at the level you fought Aizen at?" Ukitake asked.
"Not quite there but close," Ichigo answered letting his grin grow.
"That leaves only one more question Ichigo Kurosaki. Are you with us or against us?" The head captain asked gripping his cane that held his Zanpakuto.
"Yes I will continue to be a substitute soul reaper until my human body dies then I shall become a full fledged soul reaper," Ichigo answers his grin glowing on his face. Satisfied with his answer, most of the soul reapers return to the soul society leaving Renji and Rukia behind.
Renji walks up to Ichigo with a smug look on his face and laughs, "I think it's time for a rematch." Ichigo just smiles at him, then looks to Urahara to confirm the use of the underground training grounds. Urahara nods his approval wanting to see Ichigo's new powers in action as well.