Anime Otaku: note that this can be taken as narcissistic bromance or narcissistic romance. Damn my TMIS
Otaku Sama: Either way, it's narcissistic. IchixHichi if you see romance instead of bromance.
Anime Otaku: Dear lawyers, I don't own BLEACH! Capiche? Also, setting takes place a year after Xecution arc. Just pretend Hichigo's back. Kind of AU when it comes to arrancar and shinigami characters. POV-Omniscient
It's only been a few days since Ichigo's first day at Karakura university. Orihime's majoring in culinary arts, Ishida in arts and crafts, Chad and Tatsuki majoring in sports, himself double majoring in sports and medicine, seeing medicine as a way to help him fix injuries without wasting Orihime's time and that he wants to help people in the future be better as well as protecting them. He would've recommended Orihime to be a doctor but he thought Orihime shouldn't use her powers for hospital injuries and thought it's best for her to be a chef. Besides, she doesn't have to waste eight years of her life when she could spend that all on her major, anyway. Having no other classes for the day, Ichigo went to his dormroom to get some shut eye. He wasn't even sure being in a dorm room with Renji, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, and Uuryu was going to either be a good thing or a pain in the butt throughout his college life.
Ichigo. You might want to come in the inner world!
Eh? Why? Something wrong, Zangetsu?
Just come here and you will get an answer.
Eh? Whatever.
Ichigo went inside the inner world. "What seems to be the problem, Zangetsu?"
"This world feels awefully quiet here. Too quiet."
"Now that you mention it, Zangetsu. It's been quiet. What happened?"
"I'm not sure. But it probably has something to do with your inner hollow."
"Eh? Did you try finding him?"
"I found him. But let's just say he wasn't himself throughout this year."
"..."
"I think it's best to show you, Ichigo."
Ichigo followed Zangetsu to see a black and white house, with a sign saying, 'Property of: I-don't-have-a-name'. When did a house of all things came in this inner world?
Zangetsu opened the door with no problem, Ichigo following him. They kept searching until they found a white notebook, named 'I-Don't-Have-A-Name'. Out of curiosity, Ichigo opened it. He skipped some pages that had doodles of himself getting killed by his inner hollow. After skipping a few pages, Ichigo read the recent journal entry.
I don't know the date so I will say entry number...last?
I don't know or care who's reading this so here's what I have to say. I lost motivation to do anything. I have NOTHING to do, NO ONE to play with. Everyday, I'm getting sick and tired of watching what goes on in King's world. Tired of King and ZanZan ignoring me, saying I'm a pain in the ass. One day, I asked Zangetsu why it's best I don't take control and why he's on Ichigo's side. He refused. I pestered ZanZan for a few days until he told me. It was because I was a hollow. He also told me about king's friends and how they influenced him into thinking I'm purely evil. I learned that because of them, king saw me nothing BUT a nuisance. How he's always told to 'control your inner hollow' like some pet. They don't even know me yet they mark me as what? Some pet that has to be controlled! And those vizards. ZanZan told me what happened to THEIR inner hollows. About them getting supressed permanantly, which is why those vizards are able to use their powers without question. He told me about how if it wasn't for me training, I would've ended up like them. I was happy for the time. But, I knew one day, king would seal me for good like all the other vizards did. In fear, I kept training for that day to come. Cause, I'm not going easy when fighting King. Good luck finding where I am, baka king! You all thought a hollow can't get emotions? Well you're fucking wrong! I just kept keeping them to myself seeing it would make me weak if I were to tell anyone! Especially with the likes of you, king!
I-don't-have-a-name
Ichigo could't believe it. Well, he actually could but still...this really wasn't his hollow self, like Zangetsu told him. He wouldn't be writing an entry like this, let alone having a journal as a whole. Ichigo turned to see that Zangetsu was reading too, eyes showing cold sadness and worry. "Let's go find him, Zangetsu."
"Right behind you, Ichigo."
In human world...
Grimmjow, his room mate who's in his second year, saw a sleeping Ichigo, Uuryu, and Ulquiorra as he came back from a soccer game. Something's fishy. How come Ichigo didn't show up! He was our best freshman goalie... then again, it's only the beginning of first semester, poor freshman's probably trying to adapt here, he thought. Grimmjow looked at the clock. 9:00 pm? Damn. Might as well get dinner soon. But first, I gotta fresh up my extremely sweaty body. By the time Grimmjow finished, Renji came back from his movie date with Rukia, Accompanied by Uuryu and Tatsuki. "Yo JeagerJaques!"
"What up, pineapple head. How's your date with midget-chan?"
"S-she's not a midget! She's perfectly normal! Even if her cup size is an A, I don't care! I love her for who she is!" Renji said, blushing deep red.
"Geez, Pineapplehead! Too much information! All I said was how the date was. No need to overeact," Grimmjow said, putting on his undershirt.
Renji calmed down. "It was good. We watched Harry Potter 7 part 2."
"How was it?"
"Awesome! Longer battle scenes, though there was some romance that I ignored."
"Romance is in a lot of films. Consider it fanservice to the movie watchers," Grimmjow said, now putting on his aqua blue t-shirt.
"Yeah... Hey, know how long strawberry over there's been sleeping."
"No. Why?"
"Just asking. Princess-chan wants to know how he's doing."
"Then wake him up. I can't cause I'm still wearing a towel on my waist."
"Go to the bathroom and put your pants on there."
"You don't have to act like my mom! I don't change pants in fron of people, you know," Grimmjow said, going to the bathroom to groom himself completely.
Renji, bored as ever, thought of waking Ichigo up. He went close to Ichigo's ear. "Wake up! Your princess is wondering if you're doing okay!"
Ichigo's body didn't move a millimeter. "Ichigo? Hey! Get the hell up!"
Grimmjow came out wearing an aqua blue t-shirt and black pajama pants. "Quit shouting, Renji! You could wake up the whole University with your yelling!"
"Could you get a bucket of water to wake the idiot?"
"What? Is the freshman deaf? Tch. Whatever."
Grimmjow got a bucket of water and poured it all over Ichigo's bed and body. Ichigo still didn't move. "What the hell? He's STILL freakin asleep?" Grimmjow yelled.
"I'm calling Rukia now!" Renji said dialing the number.
"Now is not the time to chat with your fiance, Renji! This is serious!"
"I know! Why do you think I'm calling her, you idiot!" Renji yelled, placing the phone to his ears. Please pick up!
"Renji?"
"Talk later! This is an emergency! Ichigo won't wake up!"
"How is that an emergency?"
"Me and Grimmjow yelled in his ear, and poured water all over the dude and his bed and he still didn't wake up!"
Some emergency, Rukia thought. "I'm on my way, Renji."
"So what know. pineapple head?"
"Have some patience, Jeagerjaques. She's coming."
Back to inner world...
"Come on! This is the 50th skyscraper we saw. How deep in my mind is this place anyway?"
"How about you close your eyes for a moment. Maybe it can help locate where he is."
"Okay...here goes," Ichigo said, doing as told. "I see..."
"..."
"A black/white skyscraper."
"Inside it?"
"Empty rooms... and one room with a white door!"
"Alright, show the way, Ichigo!"
"Right!"
Ichigo and Zangetsu went fifty kilometers and made it to the destination. "Let's go, Zangetsu?"
They went inside the building. Floor by floor, room by room, they found a white door. Ichigo opened it, to see some creature inside. It had the white clothes his inner hollow wore, but, something was different. The creature had a mask with two horns, stripes going vertically around the eyes. The creature has a white zangetsu in bankai form. "Well well. Looks like the king finally used his head for once and found me here."
Ichigo spoke, "What's thi-"
Ichigo was cut off from talking due to his zangetsu and the creature's zangetsu clashing. "Shut your trap king and fight me!"
Ichigo, having no other choice, donned his small hollow mask and fought. "Zangetsu!"
"Hmm?"
"Take control of my body! My friends might be worried and I don't have time to explain them! Especially now!"
"...alright," Zangetsu said, before fading.
Reality...
Zangetsu, who took control of Ichigo's body, woke up from slumber. Orihime hugged him, tears on her face. "Ichigo-kun! What happened? You've been alseep for a long time! Did something happen?"
"I'm not Ichigo," Zangetsu said.
Orihime moved away, shocked. Renji spoke, "Who are you? And what are you doing in Ichigo's body?"
"My name...is Tensa Zangetsu."
Everyone in the dorm was shocked. Rukia said, "Zangetsu? You're...Ichigo's sword!"
"Did something happen to Kurosaki?" Uuryu asked.
"Yes. He's fighting his inner hollow. And it isn't an ordinary battle."
"How bad is it, Zangetsu-san?" Oriime asked.
"It's best if I showed you. But, I can only take one person."
While people kept arguing of who should go, Orihime saw Zangetsu holding on to her hand, a small light emitting from it. Everyone stopped bickering when they saw Orhime's unconcious body smack the floor.
"Inoue!" Rukia and Tatsuki said simultaneaously, rushing towards the body, placing it on top of the bed , right next to Ichigo. Chizuru panicked. "What are we going to do? Is she going to be alright?"
"Of course she will!"
The group turned to see a large breasted woman with ginger hair. "Just how do you know that, Matsumoto?" Renji asked.
"I know Orihime, seeing we both are gingers with large boobs. She's going to be alright. Combat skills might not be her strength. But there's one thing she has that no one else can surpass her: She has strong heart! She and Strawberry-kun will make it out! You'll see!"
The group saw confidence in Matsumoto's eyes and agreed. Rangiku went closer to the bed and made Ichigo and Orihime's body hugging eachother closely like a warm embrace, heads clashing together. "You just love to mess with them don't you, Rangiku," Uuryu said in reponse.
"I'm a ginger. Those two are gingers. So I can do so," Rangiku said, with a wink. "Besides, they went to prom together in highschool so why can't they share a bed, four eyes?"Uuryu flinched from the nickname.
"So...what are we supposed to do now?" Grimmjow asked.
"Well, I gotta get my beauty sleep," Rangiku said, leaving the dorm.
"Yeah, I gotta go do homework," Uuryu said.
Eventually the only people left in the room was Rukia, Renji, and Grimmjow. Grimmjow, as unpatient as he always is, went to his bed and slept. "Rukia?" Renji asked as Rukia unpacks her sleeping bag and her chappy pillow Renji gave her on her birthday.
"Yeah, Renji?" Rukia said, placing herself inside the sleeping bag.
"...nevermind," Renji said the two closed their eyes and went to sleep.
In the inner world...
Zangestu took Orihime by her hand as they jumped from building to building until they reached the sky scraper. Orihime used her shield below them like how she and Uury traveled above the atmosphere of Hueco Mundo during Ichigo's battle with Uquiorra. As the two made it, Orihime witnessed Ichigo and an arrancar-level hollow fighting. Orihime used Soten Kissun to place each of the two into a circular shield. She then approached the hollow. "What's going on here?" She asked.
"Well well, if it isn't queenie saving the king's goddamn a**! Great!"
Orihime turned to see Ichigo, then back towards the hollow. She then went inside the shield and broke the hollow mask with Tsubaki, to see a bleached version of Ichigo looking down on her. "Why are you doing this?"
"Why do you wanna know, Queenie-"
"My name's Orihime, not Queenie." Orihime shouted. "I repeat. What are you going to gain from this?"
"Heh. Like I'd want to earn something."
"Yo, Hollow!"
The hollow turned to see Ichigo shouting to him. "What makes you think I'd suppress you to death? I'm not like the vizards! You think I'm heartless or something? I'd never do that even if you are a hollow!"
The hollow's eyes widened at this. Orihime continued for Ichigo. "Kurosaki-kun's right! I don't know what goes on in this place. But, understand that Kurosaki-kun and Zangetsu-kun care about you! They wouldn't do that to you-"
"Shut it, princess! Care about me my a**! To them, I'm nothing BUT a nuisance according to them! Did King ask for hollow powers? Did I want to exist as a hollow to begin with? You're just like King and everyone else! Now I know why I stopped planning to take control years back! I'd rather be alone than be around king's a**holes of friends, seeing me as some pet without bothering to know who I am! Why do people think ALL hollows like me are emotionless a**wi-"
The hollow stopped talking as he felt something warm wrapped around his chest. It kind of stung, considering the hollow wasn't used to something as nice as a hug throughout his life. But at the same time it felt...warm and...welcoming. Ichigo saw this too and watched with a smile on his face, seeing your other self being around your friend isn't worth being jealous about. "If Kurosaki-kun was that heartless, why didn't he kill you years back? Why didn't he kill ANY arrancer he fought when in Hueco Mundo?"
"..." was the hollow's reponse, with Ichigo's eyes wide, shocked. Never has he seen this side of Orihime. Is it because the hollow is the opposite part of himself, causing Orihime to talk like this? The girl did have a point. "From what I was told by Zangetsu-kun, your upset about why Kurosaki-kun is in charge of you? The reason isn't because you're hollow!" Orihime said, as she brushed her hand over his hair, calming herself down. "But because your attitude is that of a growing child. Kurosaki-kun isn't trying to be mean; he's probably just being an older brother to you like he tends to be towards me. Older brothers sometimes say mean things to their siblings. But, they don't really mean it! In heart, Kurosaki-kun and Zagetsu-kun care about you in the fact that to them you're like a younger sibling. A brother."
The hollow turned to see King and ZanZan nodding from Orihime's statement. Maybe I did overeact afterall. The hollow thought, as he placed his white Zangetsu on the ground. In response, Orihime let him go and broke the shields away from both the hollow and Ichigo. Ichigo walked towards Orihime, with a sincere smile on his face, his inner hollow doing the same. Orihime made a guesture, pointing towards the two and hugging herself. In response, Ichigo and the hollow proceeded to hug eachother, Zangetsu smiling from afar. "King?"
"Yeah."
"I'm s-"
"We forgive you, hollow. Besides, it would be a bit creepy if you actually say it. And I'm no king, just a half human-half shinigami named Ichigo," Ichigo said, as the two let go of eachother.
"Hey, hollow-kun?"
"Eh?"
"Do you...have a name?"
"...no."
"Do you...want one?"
"Meh, not like I care, queenie, you can name me anything from no name or what King calls me, ba***rd."
Orihime turned to see Ichigo giving a -I'm-sorry look and placing his hand on the back of his head. Orihime turned back to the hollow. "I guess how about Hichigo...Shirosaki? Considering Hichigo means scarlet bloody protector, if my kanji is correct, as well as you being white, Shirosaki fits," Orihime said.
"Not to mention that Hichigo could be an abbreviated as Hollow Ichigo," Zangetsu continued.
"Hichigo Shirosaki...I like it. Thanks, queenie," Hichigo said with a smirk on his face.
"You're welcome, Shirosaki-kun," Orihime said.
"Inoue," Ichigo said. "It's time to go. Our friends might be worried now."
"Oh my! You're right! I totally forgot! Sorry, Shirosaki-kun and Zangetsu-kun but we really gotta go! Bye!"
"Oh and Zangetsu. Play with Hichigo or give him other hobbies to do, kay?"
"Very well, Ichigo."
"Yo king? Are you going to confess you-" Hichigo was cut by Zangetsu covering his mouth and a puzzled Orihime.
In the real world...
Ichigo and Orihime woke to see eachother sleeping on the same bed, hugging eachother. "Daaaah!" They both said, falling off the bed in opposite directions with Ichigo landing on top of Renji.
"Get the hell off me!"
"I'm trying, redhead!"
"Quit shouting! It's five in the morning!" Rukia shouted, whacking her chappy pillow at both of them.
"Owww!"
The three turned to see Orihime getting up from the opposite side, right hand placed on her forehead. "You okay, Inoue?" Ichigo asked.
"Yeah. Though, how I end up on your bed is strange, Kurosaki-kun."
"Come on, Orihime! You're in college and you STILL call him 'kurosaki-kun'?"
"What's your point, Rukia? I still calll you midget," Ichigo said with Rukia reponding by whacking her Chappy pillow repeatedly at the the orange boy.
Orihime turned to Renji, who said, "If you're wondering, it was Rangiku that put you two together on the bed."
Orihime was blushing strawberry red. "Ran-chan-"
"She loves to mess with people who are ginger-haired like herself."
Renji and Orihime turn to see their lovers beating the crap out of eachother, which in turn, caused Grimmjow to wake up and split them apart with Uuryu and Ulquiorra both planning to invest their own money for earmuffs.
Inner world...
"I'm bored. What do you wanna do, considering king has no time ta play?"
"How about I teach you how to draw, surf, swim and other activities humans do?"
"When do you get time to do those things, ZanZan?"
"I self taught myself when I had no screen time. Except drawing. I took virtual courses from the computer. I could teach you if you like?"
"Beats standing here doing nothing," Hichigo said.
"Follow me, young padawan."
"Tch. Whatever, Yoda," Hichigo jokingly said, while following Zangetsu.
Omake (I think. IDK). Takes place after Ichigo graduates and marries Orihime. Zangetsu and Hichigo age as well, being art of Ichigo's inner world.
Ichigo: I wonder how those two have been doing? *goes to inner world to see a beach*
Hichigo: *is wearing blue swimtrunks and surfing* Yahoo! This is fun!
Zangetsu: Told you! *Is surfing as well and wearing black swim trunks*
Ichigo: How di- nevermind.
Hichigo: Hey king! Join in! It's been a long time after all that college exams sh*t!
Ichigo: One sec, Hichigo. And it's Ichigo, not king, remember? *leaves inner world and comes back with Orihime, both wearing swimsuits, Ichigo's being red and Orihime's being purple*
Hichigo: Hey there, queenie! Looking lovely as usual I see! So you are officially husband and wife I see? I knew it!
Orihime: Thanks! Glad you like the one-piece. I found it suitable for my age! ^^
Zangetsu: Cut the chatter! We came to have fun!
The four have fun from surfing, hide-and-seek, poofing up restaurants to dine, and mainly, have the best day ever until dawn. Orihime's one lucky girl. She hangs out with three from loving one.
Anime Otaku: Sorry for any unintentional OOCness!