The sands of Hueco Mundo exploded as two captain level entities unleased large amounts of spiritual power as their blades clashed violently. One was a young man appearing to be around eighteen years old. He had nicely tanned skin, his left eye was a cool aqua teal while his right was a bloody crimson color. He spikey black hair that was held in a rather unique style while most of his hair was messy and unruly with the front stopping just above his eyebrows ending in golden blonde tips, he had four long tail like braids, the tips of which also changed from pitch black to golden blonde. His name was Kuro Kurosaki the son of Tier Harribel and Ichigo Kurosaki 'The King of Hueco Mundo' and one of the few beings whose power was said to be even greater than that of the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13.
Kuro was currently fighting with his Shinigami Zanpakuto instead of his sealed Resurrección blade though he still hadn't released his Shikai. In its sealed state his Zanpakuto took the form of two three and a half foot chokutō without either having a handguard. Their handles were wrapped in a tattered blood red cloth and the pommels hand a small finger sized silver ring attached to them.
"I see your still getting stronger every day…maybe in a few decades you'll actually give me a challenge" grinned Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. The blue haired Arrancar and commander of the Sixth pillar of the 'Akuma no hashira'(AN. Demon pillars), was a tall, muscular man with blue eyes with small green lines below them.
"Oh, please I haven't even released my Shikai yet and you're already sweating" Kuro grinned back only to receive a hard kick to the chest throwing him back a few feet though he quickly used Sonido to get back into the fight.
"Your spiritual power is impressive to say the least, but your control over it sucks even more than your fathers did at your age" Grimmjow said lazily placing his blade on his shoulder.
"Come Kuro kick his ass" a voice yelled from the top of a hill, where a small group of Arrancar (Mostly females) where spectating the battle. Among the group were three of Kuro's closest allies and childhood friends including Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose, and Cyan Sung-sun. Of course, the one who was yelling was Apacci while the others were simply cheering him on.
"Looks like you have quite a few fans" Grimmjow smirked. Kuro simply grinned back having not inherited the prudish nature that his father had in his younger years.
"Go get him Grimmy you can do it" a feminine voice yelled causing Grimmjow to blush.
"Shut Up…how many times have I told you not to call me that in public Taiga" Grimmjow yelled.
"Looks like I'm not the only one with a few admires" Kuro laughed causing a tick mark to appear on the Commanders forehead.
"Cero" The sand once again exploded as Grimmjow shot a powerful Cero at Kuro engulfing him in a large explosion.
"Geez that really hurt ya know" Kuro frowned as he emerged from the explosion with light singe marks.
'Damn that kid's Hierro is something else' Grimmjow thought looking at the little damage the teen in front of him had received from taking his cero head on.
"Alright looks like I'll have to kick things up a notch" Kuro said building up his spiritual power in preparation to unleash his Shikai. Even at the distance the spectators were standing they could feel his Spiritual Pressure weigh down on them.
"Finally starting to get serious huh" Grimmjow got into a ready stance, not knowing what to expect as he had never seen Kuro release his Shikai before.
"Open the box and let chaos reign, Pandora!" Kuro said releasing a pillar of black and gold spiritual pressure. Grimmjow watched as the prince's swords morphed becoming a pair of curved guard less butterfly swords with a large hand sized ring for a pommel. The coloring of the blades was mostly black with a silver edged blade.
"Huh I was expecting something bigger" Grimmjow said slightly unimpressed.
"My Pandora's strength lies in her unpredictability and adaptability" Kuro said holding his blades at the ready. "I hope you're ready to see why my Zanpakuto is considered the queen of chaos". Kuro rushed forwards with surprising speed quickly forcing Grimmjow on the defensive even though the veteran warrior wasn't going all out yet, it was still an impressive feat.
Kuro kept pressuring Grimmjow with merciless, quick slashes to the point where Grimmjow didn't even notice that one of his blades had seemingly disappeared until he felt a stinging sensation in his back letting him know he had just been cut.
"What the hell" Grimmjow cursed quickly getting some distance with a quick Sonido.
"Heh I guess I forgot to mention that Pandora gets really antsy and doesn't like to stay in one form for very long. Once I start to draw on her power even I don't know what form she may take next" Kuro said holding out his right hand and catching the now three-pronged windmill style shuriken like blade by the handle.
"That's a pretty nasty ability, but it won't be enough to stop me" Grimmjow said rushing forward his speed doubling as he released more spiritual power. The two warriors clashed again and again, both landing and receiving cuts with each exchange. Though Grimmjow had a few centuries of experience over the prince he found himself constantly thrown off guard by Kuro's constantly changing Zanpakuto. It seemed that both his blades could transform at will which made Kuro's attack pattern chaotic and hard to predict. After a particularly unexpected combo where one of Kuro's blades shifted into a dagger as Grimmjow tried to get inside his guard only for the smaller blade to quickly deflect his sword down while the other transformed into a long spear which Kuro managed to bury the entire head into the blue haired commanders gut before he Sonido'd away.
Just as Grimmjow was considering getting serious and releasing his Resurrección, their battle was interrupted as one of the Queens of Hueco Mundo appeared between the two men. "I believe that is enough sparring for today" Tier or as her friends and family called her Tia said with her usual stoic voice.
"But we were just getting to the good part" Kuro whined.
"Sorry to ruin your fun but your Father has called for a meeting in one hour all the Commanders are required to attend. Your father asked me to tell you that your presence is also expected at the meeting apparently, he has some big news." Tia smiled at her son. Ever since she had become Ichigo's first mate and been turned into a perfect Arrancar her mask fragment had shrunk only covering the top of breast and nipples instead of the whole lower half of her face, as well as her hollow hole disappearing.
Like every Arrancar that Ichigo had given power to thanks to his binding with the first Hogyoku courtesy of Kisuke Urahara. Kouro like so many others, was very familiar with his family legacy and what lead to his Father's ascension to the throne of Hueco Mundo.
Many centuries ago his Father had been a Captain of the original gotei 13. While that alone was an outstanding feat, his father had only been 40 years old at the time making him the youngest soul ever to obtain the rank. Even the child prodigy and current Captain of the 10th division was over a century old before becoming a Captain. His father while being the youngest member of the original captains was known for his massive spiritual power and sword skills that were only rivaled by the Captain Commander. Ichigo served as a Captain for a number of years eventually receiving a solo mission to venture into Hueco Mundo and Eliminate a group of Vasto Lorde level hollow that had been able to drive off other Shinigami that had tried to engage them in combat.
Ichigo had jumped at the task always ready for a good fight and expected to find a group of powerful but unorganized and mindless hollows trying to devour everything in sight. He was surprised however when he engaged a tactful and intelligent team that quickly forced him into his Bankai. The battle dragged on for several days and in the end both sides were too tired to continue and the fight ended in a draw. Ichigo always being one of the more open minded Captains asked if the Vasto Lorde had names. Stark, Neliel, Tier, and Ulquiorra were their response. Ichigo learned a lot about hollows that day and came to the conclusion that they weren't all that different from Shinigami or at least the four in front of him weren't. By the time that his strength had recovered enough to continue the fight he found his drive to kill them had disappeared and instead returned to the Soul Society to report his failure.
As the years went by Ichigo found himself taking more and more trips to Hueco Mundo to visit the four Vasto Lorde under the guise of hunting down powerful hollows. Eventually when squad 12 received a new Captain and became known as the research and development division Ichigo found himself quickly becoming friends with the Captain, Kisuke who also took a liking to the more powerful and similarly open minded orange-haired Captain. Kisuke eventually revealed that he had been working on a secret project with the objective of developing an item that would be able to break down the barriers between Soul Reapers and Hollows as well as respond to the wielders greatest desirers. The item in question would eventually become to be known as the Hogyoku.
While Kisuke had been met with moderate success in creating the Hogyoku he had found that it required a massive amount of spiritual power to awaken fully so he enlisted the help of Ichigo who had to most massive amount of Spiritual Power aside from the Captain Commander. However before their experiment could progress very far Ichigo was tasked with the job of hunting down a rather troublesome Hollow that had been plaguing the outer Rukon Districts. Not seeing the point of enlisting any help for such a simple task Ichigo went after the Hollow alone, a choice that forever affect the future of both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo alike. It didn't take long for Ichigo to find and engage the Hollow in battle, easily overpowering it Ichigo prepared to strike the final blow when the Hollow spoke. Having never heard of any Hollow other than Vasto Lorde and some Adjuchas having the ability to speak Ichigo faltered. That was when the Hollow struck one taste of Ichigo's blood was all it took for the Hollow to activate it's unique ability of trying to take overs Ichigo's soul.
The exact details of what happened next were blurry as even Ichigo himself wasn't sure as his mind was in flux at the time. What is know is that days, weeks, or possibly even months later Ichigo awoke in the sand of Hueco Mundo as neither a Hollow nor Soul Reaper, he'd become something else entirely. While Ichigo had still remained himself he knew that he would no longer be welcome among the ranks of the Gotei 13 and instead decided to seek out the Vasto Lorde that he had become somewhat well associated with.
Ichigo was eventually declared KIA by Central 46 despite the claims of many Captains that Ichigo would've never fallen in battle to such a Hollow and that no Body was ever discovered. Many insisted that a full scale man-hunt be put to a vote to find the missing Captain, but they were shot down as Yamamoto would've been forced to brand Ichigo a traitor in order to do so. After all if he was as powerful as everyone insisted he was what other reason could there be for his prolonged disappearance. The full-scale search never happened and any further attempts to locate the Captain would be seen as treasonous. Kisuke however would not be deterred from finding his friend, secretly he began using every resource at his disposal in order to find the orange haired-man. Years of endless scans of the Seireitei and Rukon Districts had proved fruitless and in desperation he decided to search even the least likely places imaginable. Even still with years of searching the world of the living and outskirts of Hueco Mundo with no results Kisuke was nearly ready to give up and continue his Hogyoku research when one his scanners finally went off. It had detected Spiritual Power nearly identical to Ichigo's. Without a second thought Kisuke created a device that allowed him to travel to the home of Hollows and rescue his friend.
Their meeting had not been what Kisuke had expected. Even for a man with such a broad and intelligent mind the image of the semi-hollowed Ichigo would forever haunt him to this very day. His hair was much longer than it had previously been coming down to his back and his old uniform and Haori fell around his waist in tatters leaving his upper body bear. Black tribal line raced around his body seemingly connecting at where his heart was. Two bone white horns jutted from the sides of his head, and the white around his pupils had turned black. Not only that but he seemed to be working with several other Vasto Lorde on building a small fortress where Urahara could since at least two dozen weaker Hollows inside of. Preparing for the fight of his life Kisuke was ready to use his Bankai at a moment's notice. However, when Ichigo moved faster than even his eyes could track Kisuke knew his life was forfeit, that feeling only lasted half a second before Ichigo threw him into a tight one arm hug, and yelled that he had been expecting him to show up years ago.
It took quite awhile for Ichigo to explain everything that had happened to him to Kisuke and even longer for the eccentric scientist to believe that the hybrid in front him was truly his long-lost friend. Kisuke however if anything was always a man to quickly adjust and soon began to take everything in stride even going as far as to set up a secondary lab within a large cellar inside Ichigo's new fortress once it was complete, so he could continue working with the former Captain on his Hogyoku project. Now without the worry of anyone in the Soul Society finding out about his secret research Kisuke was able to speed up its actual development tremendously. Soon he was ready to try to fully awaken his greatest accomplishment yet, and with Ichigo's even more massive and twisted Spiritual Power he was sure he would succeed.
While Kisuke was arguably the greatest mind that Soul Society had ever seen even he didn't predict what happened when he had Ichigo pour is Spiritual Power into the dormant orb. The Hogyoku instantly fully awakened and bound itself to the person with the strongest will in the room which of course was Ichigo. However, when the Hogyoku bound itself to his soul it not only caused both his soul reaper and hollow powers to merge seamlessly but also those of his Zanpakuto Zangetsu and dormant Quincy powers which were most likely the result of his human soul having been mixed with Quincy blood courtesy of his mother. The result was a perfect hybrid of the four powers and a being whose power was potentially limitless. With Ichigo now possessing the first Hogyoku and using it's power to build his own empire, as well as creating an entirely new race of perfect Arrancar to follow him. Kisuke returned to the Soul Society to pursue the development of another Hogyoku.
Kuro wasn't too sure what had happened after that as his father has never went into detail but history spoke for itself. At some point Kisuke along with several other high-ranking Officers had been wrongfully charged with treason and banished from the Soul Society. Some of these having been turned in Visored who quickly chose to join Ichigo's newly founded Empire which now rivaled the Soul Society in turns of power and they still hadn't created a 13th pillar as Ichigo had yet to find a suitable Commander.
"Well if Ichigo called for a meeting than we better not be late" Grimmjow said sheathing his blade.
"Really I thought you took delight in doing whatever you could to piss my father off" Kuro smirked as a devilish grin crossed Grimmjow's face.
"Haha you're not wrong about that, but after taking that spear to the gut I'd rather not have to use my high-speed regeneration again if I can help it, after all not everyone can be as skilled with it as Ulquiorra's punk ass" Grimmjow huffed.
"Whatever you say" Kuro said sealing his Shikai and sheathing his blades by placing them perpendicular to each other with the blades touching causing a sheath of spiritual energy to form.
"I suggest both of you shower before attending the meeting you reek of sweat and blood. The meeting will take place in an hour that should give you both some time to freshen up. Grimmjow Ichigo would also like you to arrive a few minutes earlier as he has some things to discuss with you" Tia inform making said Arrancar sigh and scratch the back of his head.
"Yeah sure see you two at the meeting" Grimmjow said before he Sonido'd over to Taiga and the two of them disappeared.
"He never changes…I suggest you get going it wouldn't do for you to be late to your first Commanders meeting" Tia smiled.
"Yeah I'll see at the meeting" Kuro said before flash stepping over to the hill where the girls were waiting.(AN: all canon character that are part of the 'Akuma no Hashira' will be wearing the same uniforms just imagine the same uniforms as the Canon just predominantly grey with black highlights. Also all canon characters will look the same unless otherwise descripted).
"Look like you enjoyed yourself" Apacci grinned throwing him a towel.
"Thanks, you know me, I'm always in the mood for a good fight" Kuro grinned.
"Well we should really get going if you want to get to the meeting on time" Sung-Sun suggested.
"Yeah and your mom was right you really could use a shower" Mila Rose frowned wrinkling her nose.
"Well I was just sparring so bite me" Kuro scowled.
"Is that an invitation" Mila Rose gave him a seductive stare.
Kuro blushed at bit much to the amusement of the girls before he quickly sonido'd away towards his flat. The girls quickly followed behind him heading towards 'Noche Eterna'(Eternal Night in Spanish). The city was built into the side of the largest mountain in Hueco Mundo at the very top sat Ichigo's palace and the Cathedral where all Commanders meetings were held. Scattered up, down, and all around the mountain were the various headquarters of each commander which looked after and watched over a district keeping order discipline and protecting the other Arrancar that lived there. Although all Arrancar possessed a Resurrección only those who had reached the level of power of high-level of Gillian or low-level Adjuchas could become a part of the 'Akuma no hashira'.The majority of hollows that had chosen to become Arrancar however were normal hollows or low-level Gillian class hollows that sought to escape the endless hunger that plagued them and to regain some semblance of the humanity they once had.
Kuro lived in a flat that looked over the 13th district close to the middle of the mountain it already had members of the 'Akuma no Hashira' in place looking over it but since a Commander hadn't been appointed over them they weren't considered to be an official Pillar like the other 12. The training area that Grimmjow and Kuro had been using had was only a few miles away from the base of the mountain. So it only took the young hybrid about 10 minutes to make it back to his flat. Quickly tossing off his sweat stained training outfit, which had just been some old baggy pants and a worn out sleeveless hoodie. He had lived in his mother flat until about a year ago when he had decided that he wanted his own place. Not that his mother had stayed at her flat often, usually only when his father disappeared with Kisuke from time to time.
His father quickly agreed to it under the condition that he helped to look after the 13th district Kuro agreed to the terms and moved out within a few days along with Mila Rose, Apacci, and Sung-Sun. The three had been a slight surprise while they had all been childhood friends with his mother taking them in as young children after they had been orphaned after a particularly nasty attack by the self-proclaimed 'king' of Hueco Mundo Baraggan Louisenbairn. They had been very close their entire lives but they also held his mother in very high regard and he had believed that they had wanted to become part of her pillar. At their current level of strength, they would be worthy of becoming seated officers, so it did come as a slight shock to him when they decided to join him in his task of looking after the 13th district.
Quickly making his way to his private bathroom Kuro stripped down and quickly washed himself. Being born a hybrid he never had a hollow hole like other hollows did before being turned into Arrancar. Seeing as his mother was a very powerful Arrancar and his father had an inner hollow he did end up having a mask fragment although he wasn't born with it and it only appeared after he had unlocked his Resurrección. Running his fingers through the messy hair on top of his head which was as unruly as his fathers before moving them back to his four tail like braids which were just like his mothers and feeling four ring like white bone pieces that severed as hair ties, along with a broken choker like collar that separated at his Adams apple. They were his mask fragment that had appeared when he was 12 when his spiritual power had developed enough to unlock his Resurrección along with his inner hollow awakening.
After giving his hair a quick wash he turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He brushed his teeth and put some oil in his hair to keep it moisturized in the dry desert air. Walking out of the bathroom in just a towel he stopped when he saw Apacci laying lazily on his large bed while Mila Rose and Sung-Sun sat on a couch that was pushed against the far wall.
"Mmm looking good" Mila Rose growled softly looking Kuro up and down like a piece of meat. His skin was just a shade darker than his mother's while he had his father's good looks, as many women constantly pointed out. Thanks to his constant training he had always been extremely fit, his entire body was covered in lean muscle while he was a bit more muscular than his father had been at his age he still maintained a large amount of flexibility. He never wanted to be one of those guys that sacrificed range of motion for bulging muscles as that would limit his combat effectiveness.
"Down girl" Kuro teased turning his attention to getting dressed. He had gotten used to the girls teasing over the years while they could still sometimes get him to blush he was now more likely to tease back than anything else. He'd also gotten used to them breaking into his room privacy was something that hollows in general didn't really understand or care about in most cases. Hell, he couldn't even count how many times he'd been caught naked by one of his many sisters or Palace staff when he was growing up. They were very instinctual beings and if they felt the urge to do something they simply did it, without thinking about how it affected anyone else.
"So, Kuro what do you think your father wants to talk to you about at the commanders meeting" Sung-Sun asked.
"Probably trying to marry me off to some noble house" Kuro joked. Apparently, the girls didn't find it funny as they all started releasing a small amount of spiritual pressure with a dark feel to it.
"I was just kidding you know my father isn't like that and even if he was my mother would never allow it" Kuro said trying to calm them down.
"Like you'd ever agree to marry any of those stuck-up bitches anyway" Apacci huffed. Currently there were several Noble houses in 'Noche Eterna' each one of them were awarded their status by Ichigo as they had been the most influential hollows and had helped him amass the large amounts of followers he had now and had been critical and building 'Noche Eterna' and the 'Akuma no hashira' into what they were today. Kuro as the prince of 'Noche Eterna' had always been expected to attend the parties and events that were hosted by not only the royal family, noble houses as well. He often envied his many sisters as it had always been optional for many of them to attend. Ichigo had always wanted a large family and as it turns out there were many women of all races that were interested in him. Kuro so far knew he had at least a dozen sisters that had been birthed by Arrancar and his mother had not very subtly hinted that he had many more sisters that had been birthed by Shinigami women but he had no idea who they were or who their mothers were.
"While so of them aren't that bad…most of the time, I can understand your distaste. All of them were raised to be politicians not warriors" Kuro said letting his towel fall as he slid on some boxers not really caring about being naked though the closet door did hide his brief nudity much to the girl's displeasure. Noticing their frowns Kuro teased them once again, "You didn't think you were going to get a free show did you" he stuck his tongue out.
"Someone's feeling like being a tease today…it be a shame if those boxers were miraculously cut to shreds" Mila Rose smirked.
"You wanna try me" Kuro smirked back.
Mila Rose didn't respond but instead disappeared in a quick Sonido reappearing with her arms outstretched trying to slash his boxers to ribbons. Kuro grinned as he quickly grabbed her wrist twisting it so she was forced to turn her back to him before lightly kicking her to the bed causing her to land on Apacci smothering her with her large bust.
"Damnit get off me, you fat cow" Apacci yelled trying to kick Mila Rose off but only served to further entangle the two much to Kuro's and Sung-Sun's amusement.
Kuro continued to get dressed while the two argued pulling on his usual 'Akuma no hashira' outfit. A pair of dark grey hakama pants with a dark grey sleeveless hoodie with black trim and black combat boots.
"You girls ready if we want to make it to the cathedral on time we need to head out now" Kuro said once he had strapped his Zanpakuto to his back.
"Damnit stop fighting" Kuro yelled. As the two struggling girls, had been completely ignoring him until he raised his voice.
"Fuck no need to yell I think you shattered my eardrums" Apacci groaned.
"Well if you all don't hurry up we're going to be late" Kuro frowned.
"My, my so unlady like" Sung-sun giggled with her sleeve covering her mouth.
"Shut it washboard" Mila Rose yelled untangling herself and smoothing out her uniform.
"Enough you can scream at each other until your ears bleed when we get back." Kuro said heading to the door while building his spiritual power to prepare for the lengthy series of Sonido he was going to have to perform.
"We get it we'll be right behind you princess" Apacci smirked as Kuro smacked his lips and rolled his eyes.
Kuro wanted to reply but a quick look on the wall told him that he was already going have to push himself to make it to the meeting on time. Cursing to himself he instantly started to Sonido at top speed leaving the girls behind. After almost 10 minutes he made it to the entrance of the cathedral and walked towards the front doors only slightly winded.
"You three can wait out here" Kuro said as the girls slumped to the ground out of breath having struggled to keep up with him.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the main doors finding that all the other commanders had already gathered. His father was already sitting at the head of the long table, along with his mother Commander of the 3rd Pillar, Neliel commander of the 4th Pillar, Stark Commander of the 2nd Pillar, Ulquiorra Commander of the 5th Pillar, Grimmjow Commander of the 6th Pillar , Mia Commander of the 7th Pillar who looked so much like her mother Neliel that it would be nearly impossible to tell that she was Kuro's older half-sister. Next were the former Shinigami Captains turned Visored they had agreed to fill in the slots of commanders until Ichigo could find acceptable replacements in return for protection from the Soul Society. This Included Shinji Commander of the 8th Pillar, Love Commander of the 9th Pillar, Kensei Commander of the 10th Pillar, and Rose Commander of the 11th. Kuro couldn't help but notice that his other sister Mako Commander of the 12th wasn't present.
"Ahh Kuro please take a seat, I'm sure you're wondering why I've asked for your presence during this meeting" Ichigo smiled. His long black hair and crimson eyes a result from bonding with Zangetsu so many years ago. Though Kuro was aware that he was capable of turning his hair back to the original orange if he so chose to.
"Yes, I am" Kuro answered keeping the nervousness out of his voice.
"Well now that we've all gathered I guess there is no point in waiting any longer since all of the current Commanders and myself have finally agreed on who we think should become the Commander for the brand new 13th pillar." Ichigo announced standing up he held out his right hand which was suddenly engulfed in black flames tinged with deep purple. The flames quickly died down to reveal a Grey and black Commanders Haori.
"Commanders rise and welcome our newest member, Kuro Kurosaki you are hereby appointed as the Commander of the 13th division of the 'Akuma no hashira' Congratulations" Ichigo grinned as everyone else broke out into a round of applause.
Kuro could barely contain his shock as he walked around the table and allowed his father to place his haori on his shoulders. After returning to his seat everyone sat down and looked at him intently.
"Well the floor is yours is there anything you'd like to say" Ichigo asked.
Kuro stood and looked over the table before starting his speech. "First I'd like to thank all of you for accepting me into your ranks and for helping to train me into the warrior I am today. I just hope that I can live up to all of your expectations and become a commander truly worthy of wearing this haori" Kuro said before sitting down.
"As humble as always I see" Stark chuckled.
"I'm glad to see that your impressive strength hasn't gone to your head that is a rare trait among young men, and something even your father lacked at your age" Ulquiorra said with a barely noticeable smirk.
"Hey, I wasn't that bad" Ichigo said defensively.
"Taking on four Vasto Lorde on their home turf single handedly, I'd say you were quite head strong back then sweet heart" Nel giggled.
"I won didn't I" Ichigo puffed out his chest, despite his immense power he'd maintained much of his original personality.
"If I recall correctly our battle ended in a tie" Tia corrected her husband.
"And then you only barely were able to hold us off in your Bankai, it was less of a battle and more just you wearing us down with your speed" Stark said lazily.
"Huh is that right I seem to remember it differently…oh well anyway Kuro I'm sure you're already aware of your duties as a Commander" Ichigo addressed his son.
"Yes, I am father" Kuro answered.
"Good I'll give you some time to get used to you pillar as well as select your seated officers after that I have a special assignment for you" Ichigo said his tone turning serious. "As you all know our relationship with the Soul Society has vastly improved in the last century to the point that we are considering a formal truce between our nations. Before that happens however it seems that the 13 court guard squads are now facing some difficulties as a string of strange events have got old man Yamamoto worried. He sent me a request asking if I could lend some assistance by sending some extra hands preferably someone highly skilled in combat incase things take a nose dive. Kuro, I decided that you are the best candidate not only are you highly skilled for your age, you possess the intellect needed for a mission requiring such finesse. This is a great chance to get the soul society to see what we are cable of as well as strengthen the relationship between us. As the sole prince of 'Noche Eterna' you also have the political status to stand up to any nobles you may come across." Ichigo explained.
"I understand father but with those points being made why not chose Mia or Makko" Kuro asked.
"Mia is currently in charge pursing a rouge hollow that is on the Soul Society's most wanted list while Mako is out on the front lines keeping Baraggan's forces from getting too bold and your other sister are not as gifted as you three in terms of spiritual power" Ichigo explained.
"That and Mako would be more likely to challenge everyone in the damn gotei 13 to a fight the death rather than focus on her mission" Mia snorted.
"At least she and Kenpachi would get along" Kensei grunted.
"Kuro you are the only capable of accomplishing this mission if you chose to accept it you may take three other members of your pillar to accompany you to the Soul Society if you should wish" Tia said getting the conversation back on track.
"I accept and I'd also like to submit my suggestions for my sub-commander 3rd seat 4th" Kuro said.
"Yeah and I bet I can guess who you're thinking" Shinji smirked.
"I'd like Sung-Sun to be my Vice Commander, Mila-Rose to be my 3rd seat and Apacci to be my 4th seat as well as having them be the three to accompany me to the Soul Society Kuro said ignoring the blonde Visored.
"Ha I fucking knew he wouldn't want to break up his little harem" Grimmjow laughed.
"Kuro, is it true did you make a harem without inviting your beloved sister" Mia said giving him puppy dog eyes.
"Damnit I'm not making a harem and even if I was why would I invite my sister you damn incest freak" Kuro growled.
"Looks like he really dose take after his father huh" Rose sighed.
"You say that like it's a bad thing" Ichigo frowned.
"To be honest I think that they are all deserving of such positions they all possess the necessary skills and strength to fulfill their roles, they are well respected by other members of the 'Akuma no hashira' and have been trained by Tia for a number of years." Nel cast her vote.
"I agree they all have a lot of untapped potential and giving them some more responsibility could help with that" Stark spoke up.
"Funny I thought the same thing about you when I gave you your position but somehow you've managed to stay just as lazy as always" Ichigo muttered causing the man to yawn further proving his kings point.
"I agree plus those three would probably destroy half of 'Noche Eterna' if they found out we sent Kuro on a mission without them" Shinji said voicing his support in his own way.
"True they're more attached to Kuro than Lilynette is to Stark, plus I don't really see any reason to deny his request" Grimmjow shrugged.
"I agree" Ulquiorra said simply same with Rose, Kensei, and Love.
"I think it will be good for the girls, I also don't think that any of us want to be the ones trying to rein them in while Kuro's gone" Tia mused remembering how much of a handful the three female Arrancar could be.
"Yeah I agree" Mia nodded.
"It looks like we are all in agreement, I'll allow you to tell them the good news" Ichigo smiled. "Now on to more mundane matters"
The rest of the commander's meeting went over the usual issues such as the many hollows that were requesting to be turned into Arrancar as well as becoming citizens of 'Noche Eterna', the continued strengthening of the 'Akuma no hashira', trade agreements with the Soul Society and the most pressing issue of what pillar would replace Mako and the 12th in a month in half to keep Barragan from getting too cocky and trying to invade their lands.
After another hour of various discussions Ichigo called the meeting to an end dismissing the Commanders. Kuro quickly bowed and left to reveal the big news to the girls and the members of the newly established 13th pillar. Most of the other Commanders returned to their post though a few stayed behind to address some more secretive matters. These members included Stark, Nel, Tia, Shinji and of course Ichigo. Two more figures stepped out of the shadows once Ichigo placed a barrier around the cathedral ensuring privacy.
"Mind telling me why you didn't warn Kuro about Aizen" Kisuke asked.
"Yeah I was wondering the same thing" Shinji.
"If I had warned him about Aizen, he'd likely treat him more warily than any other Captains which Aizen would undoubtedly notice. We all know that Aizen is extremely cautious and careful, at any point in time he could have several backup plans. It best that Kuro accepted the mission as is. He is a young man now and needs to learn to make judgments on his own." Ichigo replied.
"Ichigo you can't be serious he's your only son, and even though I might not be around much I care for him. You have to understand the danger you're putting him in by sending him there ignorant of a potential threat to his and the girls lives" Yoruichi frowned.
"I do but he will never be pushed to tap into his full potential if he continues to deny his instincts and be afraid of his own power" Ichigo said deeply.
"What are you talking about I've spared with Kuro-kun on more than one occasion and the boy is powerful to say the least you mean to tell me he's been holding back" Shinji huffed.
"Kuro is indeed strong but have any of you noticed in the recent years that he has almost entirely been training his Shinigami powers and neglecting his hollow side" Tai sighed.
"Being an Arrancar or even a natural hybrid like Kuro gives him extremely strong instincts not only when it comes to combat but also other things such as mating" Tia explained further.
"What does sex have to do with all this…I mean don't get me wrong I remember Ichigo being as horny as a rabbit in heat once he merged with his hollow side but that was because the imbalance in power he had throughout his life coming into balance." Yoruichi couldn't help a cat-like grin at a few encounters she had with the newly transcended man all those years ago.
"Exactly Kuro's powers should have been in balance since birth but ever sense he unlocked his Resurrección he's been suppressing his hollow side along with those instincts…" Tia responded.
"So that's why his power is so uncontrolled" Kisuke deduced.
"Yes, it seems that he is afraid of his own power and the destruction it can bring if he goes out of control…having bared witness to his released Resurrección I have to say I can understand why. I'm sure you all remember that small sea that seemed to spring up over-night." Ichigo sighed.
"Yeah it just randomly popped up about four years ago…wait you can't mean that Kuro did that" Stark said in shock.
"His power is truly fearsome and he's getting stronger all the time even with the mental limitations he's placed on himself…but until he truly learns to let go he will never reach his true potential" Ichigo confirmed.
"Ichigo this isn't some training exercise, this is Aizen we're talking about if he feels that Kuro is getting close to uncovering his plans he willkill him and the girls too. Are you that willing to throw their lives away, the life of your only son" Keisuke replied angrily.
Suddenly all the occupants in the room were forced to their hands and knees barely able to breathe as Ichigo unleashed a small portion of his Spiritual Pressure. "Do you think me heartless…I know the danger I'm placing Kuro and the girls in. You are not a parent, I don't expect you to understand, sometimes you must let your children fall and fail in order to grow strong. I can't shield them from every evil in this world so they must grow strong enough to face it themselves" Ichigo said darkly.
"Besides I will not be sending him there without backup you and Yoruichi have severed as 'ambassadors' between myself and the Soul society for quite some time. I'm sure a genius like yourself could come up with a reason for the two of you to return for an undetected extended stay" Ichigo smirked reeling in his power and allowing everyone to breathe easy again.
"You say that like I have a choice" Keisuke said rubbing his chin as he started thinking of a plan.
"Of course, you have a choice I'd never force you to do anything" Ichigo said plainly.
"Well in that case I refuse" Kisuke said with his usual goofy grin before Ichigo put a slip of paper in front of him. "Huh what's this"
"An I.O.U stating that you owe me one irrefutable favor and I'm cashing it in" Ichigo grinned, as Keisuke looked at him as if he was staring at the devil himself.
There was truly only one word that the famed scientist could use to describe the moment he had been checkmated by his longtime friend. "FUCK".
Six months later
Kuro had taken to being a Commander like a fish to water. He was a born leader and had both the respect and admiration of his subordinates. It helped that his pillar was made up of many of the Arrancar that had been serving with him as guardians of the 13th district before he was made their commander. Mila Rose, Apacci, and Sung-sun were also doing well in their respective positions although they still argued as much as ever, after an ass chewing or two from Kuro they at least learned to do it outside of work hours. Despite their arguing their team work was as outstanding as it had always been and Kuro knew he could trust them to complete any assignment that he threw at them. There was never a shortage of work that needed to be done, which lead him to his biggest enemy as a commander one he would be happy to be rid of, for a few months at least Paperwork.
"Damnit why didn't anyone tell me about all this damn paperwork" Kuro yelled ruffling his hair with hands. His office was inside the 13th division HQ a large dome shaped compound on the border 12th and 13th districts. The compound itself was large enough to house the barracks of the 5,000 'Akuma no hashira' members that served under him as well as a large dinning faciality, and two large recreational, and training areas.
"How did Grimmjow ever find enough time to get all this paperwork done and constantly spar with me" Kuro wondered aloud.
"Taiga told me that she actually does most if not all the paperwork for the sixth pillar on a daily basis since Grimmjow has a tendency to just disappear. Lilynette also told me that Stark is just straight up too lazy to bother with paper work." Sung-Sun revealed from her desk on the other side of the room as she sorted through her on mountain of paperwork. She knew that Kuro had selected her because she was easily the most organized of the three of his childhood friends.
"Damn those two really have it made" Kuro sighed. He took a wishful glance at his office door wondering if he could get away for a bit before it was time for him and the others to head to the Soul Society. As he prepared to sonido to the door, it was kicked in by his loud third seat and equally loud fourth seat Mila Rose and Apacci.
"How many times do I have to tell your fat ass that you're not supposed to take naps during work" Apacci yelled.
"But I need my beauty sleep and I don't think anyone can argue with results this good, right Kuro-kun" Mila Rose said casually sitting in the young commander's lap.
"Oi get off of him you big breasted sloth" Apacci yelled.
"Oh is someone jealous…not my fault the rest of you are too scared to make a move. Kuro likes aggressive women don't you" Mila Rose grinned as she pulled the prince's face into her ample cleavage.
Kuro tried to yell at the ebony Amazonia, only for his protest to vibrate her bosom making the taller woman moan loudly.
'Yeah that's right motorboat those tits'a savage but noticeably feminine voice growled in his head.
'Damnit not now' Kuro thought as he started to feel his hollow instincts rage. Unable to stop himself he grabbed a hand full of Mila Rose soft ass and squeezed.
"Oh looks like someone's getting bold" Mila Rose yelped as Kuro suddenly picked her up and sonido'd slamming her against the wall. The other girls stopped as they felt Kuro's hollow reiatsu go wild.
'Stop you're going to hurt her' Kuro mentally yelled trying to fight the hold his inner hollow currently had on his body.
'What are you blind look at that smirk she wants this…they all do and you do to' The feminine hollow replied making Kuro's body lean forward and bite Mila rose roughly on the neck.
'I said stop now Leviathan' Kuro yelled taking control of his body once again.
'So, you remember my name…this isn't over I'm going to get you for locking my away for six straight fucking years and there's nothing that slut Pandora can do to save you' Leviathan growled before fading away back into her cage in Kuro's inner world.
Breathing heavily the prince put down his mostly turned on and only slightly freaked out third seat. Without looking at any of them Kuro quickly flashed stepped out of the room not trusting his hollow powers at the moment.
"As hot as that was does anyone know what the hell just happened" Mila Rose said breathlessly.
"Your guess is as good as mine" Sung-sun shrugged.
"Lucky bitch" Apacci muttered.
"What was that washboard" Mila Rose yelled starting up another round of arguing while the other two wondered what was going on with their commander and best friend.
'This should be far enough away' Kuro thought as he had flashed stepped a few miles away from 'Noche Eterna'. 'Pandora' he called mentally.
'Yes master' Pandora answered in a seductive purr her voice dripping with lust.
'I told you not to call that just 'Kuro' is fine' The black-haired hybrid replied.
'Of course, master, It has been a while since was last spoke what can this humble goddess of chaos do for you' Pandora asked.
'Your anything but humble' Kuro laughed. 'I want to know how Leviathan broke free I thought you were keeping her under control' Kuro frowned.
'As I'm sure you are aware of master your strength has only continued to increase despite me using a large amount of your spiritual power to keep Leviathan caged. I'm afraid to say that your hollow powers are growing just as quickly as your Shinigami and my hold over her slipping, which allowed her brief escape earlier' Pandora explained.
'Is there anything that can be done about it' Kuro asked.
'No and even if there was I'd refuse your already not fighting at full strength because of the amount of energy that is required to keep Leviathan in check and I refuse to weaken you any further' Pandora voiced seriously.
'You saw what she did…I can't have her running rampant especially in the Soul Society. Do you know what that would do to my father's reputation if word got out that his son can't control his own power' Kuro hissed.
'I'm not worried about your father I'm worried about you, you, I and Leviathan are all one. Three separate entities bound into one soul. If you truly want to have control over her than accept her just like you did with me' Pandora said gently.
'I did accept her I trusted her and you know what that got me…I almost killed my own Sister' Kuro yelled.
Pandora was silent as she had told him multiple times that his sister hadn't even been remotely close to death as her high speed regeneration was nearly as advanced as Kuro's but after seeing the destruction his Resurrección was capable he began to blame himself for her injuries as children tend to do. As ridiculous as the notion was the prince had come to fear his power and did what any child would do he blamed it on who he thought to be the source, his newly revealed inner hollow Leviathan.
'Kuro…fine if you fear her influence that much come to your inner world and do it yourself. Be warned that she will not allow you to confine her as easily as last time' Pandora warned the Zanpakuto spirit was frankly tired of Kuro pussy footing around his Hollow powers.
'I understand I'll be there in a bit' Kuro crossed his legs to preform Jinzen. He was interrupted however as a large bust appeared on his head breaking his concentration. Looking up to see a head full of teal locks with hazel eyes staring back at him with a lustful grin he quickly tried to flash step away only to be caught mid step.
"Kurroooo-kunnn don't try to run from my love" Mia yelled hugging her younger half-brother tightly. She looked like a younger version of her mother Nel except her mask fragment was smaller featuring a smaller two horned oni skull which sat on the left side of her head.
"Get off me you damn pervert" Kuro yelped as he felt his sister's hands expertly fly under his jacket feeling his bare flesh. She drooled as she felt her half siblings muscled chest and shredded abs. "I said get off" Kuro yelled kicking Mia in the stomach and sending her flying knowing she wouldn't really be hurt by such a weak kick.
"Mmmm how well you've grown I can't wait to see what kind of monster you're hiding in your pants I remember you were so gifted even as a child. Mmm I'm getting hot just thinking abo-"
"Cero" Kuro said blankly releasing a black and gold Cero from his outstretched palm.
Mia smirked and opened her mouth inhaling the blast of hollow energy. Kuro frowned as he completely forgot about his sister and her mother's unique ability. Instead of blasting the cero back with double power like she normally would if she had time to play she started chewing it. She was here on business not for her own pleasure after all and after a few more chews she swallowed it with a low moan. "Mmm such a strong taste, are you done teasing me or I'm a going to have to go straight for the main course" Mia licked her lips.
"I need an adult" Kuro whimpered fearing for the safety of his innocence.
"Mia-chan I see you're having fun as always" Tia said appearing in an almost soundless sonido.
"Of course, it's been so long since I've been able to play with Kuro that I guess I got a bit carried away" Mia said rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
"You know it isn't wise to dawdle when your father gives you an assignment" Tia crossed her arms.
"Sorry I'll get right to it…Kuro our father sent me to tell you to gather the others who will be departing with you to the Seireitei you will all be leaving within the next hour" Mia informed with her usual childish grin.
"Thanks for the notification" Kuro nodded thankful for his mothers intervention.
"No problem Kuro-kun" Mia said with a wink before turning around and using sonido after a few steps.
"That woman is going to be the death of me" Kuro groaned flopping back into the sand. His mother just chuckled quietly behind her high collared jacket even after her mask fragment had shrank away from her face she still liked the high collared jacket as it made it easier to hide her emotions.
"Still I'm pretty sure you prefer her over Mako" Tia said with a slight smile.
"Yeah I wonder about that some time at least Mako doesn't try to rape me every time we're alone" Kuro sighed.
"No, she just tries to kill you" Tia said unamused at the commander of the 12th pillar actions.
"Ugh why can't we just be like normal siblings…I guess there's no use in whining about it. Besides I have enough women problems with Mila Rose, Apacci, and Sung-sun without my own blood adding to the problem." Kuro cursed his luck.
"It is only natural that powerful men attract powerful women just look at your father" Tia said trying to encourage her son a bit.
"Yeah, I know but, didn't it ever bother you with dad having some many other lovers" Kuro asked.
"I'm not going to lie I wasn't very keen on the idea of sharing your father with anyone except Nel. However, your father made it clear to me that I was his first love Queen along with Nel and he would never pursue another woman without our permission. I was selfish at first I knew there were many other women that loved him as much as I did but I just wanted him to myself. After a few months I started to realize that his was just too much for us to handle so I allowed other into the relationship. Slowly but surely more followed but no matter what your father's love for me has never wavered." Tia revealed with a slight blush.
"Dad was a real player huh" Kuro laughed only to receive a slap to the back of the head.
"I could say the same about you, siblings aside you already have quite the following. While I'm happy to see that my son is so popular with women I will say I'm a bit ashamed at how indecisive you are, Hollows are creatures of instinct. Stop denying yours" Tia frowned.
"It's not like it's easy…" Kuro mumbled.
"It never is but you have other priorities right now. Fulfill your duties first and stay true to your heart and everything else will fall into place. I'll see you at the cathedral in forty-five minutes." With that his mother vanished.
Taking a few minutes to think over her words and that of his Zanpakuto Kuro decided that maybe he had been being a bit hesitant and uptight lately. 'I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to loosen up once we get to the Soul Society'. Quickly making his way back to his office where the girls had been waiting he informed them of their imminent departure and the group heading out after leaving the Fifth-seat an Arrancar known as Akku in charge while they were away.
"Glade to see you four made it on time" Ichigo smiled standing in front of the grand cathedral along with the other Commanders and Sub-Commanders.
"Of course, we wouldn't be late for such an important mission" Kuro nodded.
"Good in that case there's no need to procrastinate any longer" Ichigo said opening a large garganta. Kuro and his officers stepped forward into the portal having never been to the soul society before they were nervous about what to expect but put on brave faces as not to show any weakness. "Make sure you tell the old man I said hey when you see him" Ichigo yelled before closing the portal.
"No point in being nervous now, let's go" Kuro said taking off towards the light on the other side of the tunnel.
"Who's nervous this is going to be a blast no paperwork for a few months this is like a vacation" Sung-sun cheered in her normal controlled manner.
"Yeah I'll drink to that" Apacci agreed.
"Let's hope these pussy-footing Shinigami have good Sake otherwise all the paperwork back in 'Noche Eterna' would be worth it" Mila Rose grinned.
As the light got closer and closer the groups pace increased until finally they broke through to the other side. Quickly shielding their eyes from the bright sunlight, they were greeted by a gruff but powerful voice. Lowering their arms, they all involuntarily flinched as they had arrived at the base of the first Division where every Captain and Lieutenant class Shinigami was waiting in two rows (All the captains and lieutenants from Ichigo's first invasion to rescue Rukia).
"Welcome Kuro Kurosaki it is our pleasure to welcome the prince of 'Noche Eterna' to the soul society" The head Captain Yamamoto greeted.
"It is an honor to be here I hope that we can make a bright future for both our kingdoms, together" Kuro bowed.