Author's note: I might work on a couple chapters of this before returning to my other story, every time to try to sit down and begin to write the next chapter, despite having a plan in my head mind you, I just go blank and start to feel depressed. So, Imma write a bit of this story to kinda switch gears so I can go back and write in the proper mindset.
On a much less depressing note I'm basing musical interests based off my own, I don't think it was every stated what Ichigo enjoyed sooo yeah. May or may not be prevalent this chapter but I thought I should just mention this.
Also, I will say this right now. I'm making up my own shit here, including power levels and things that can be done. So anything concerning saying someone is OP or underpowered, well I'm sorry but I will write it as I feel it needs to be written. If I think that one tough af opponent may be easy for Ichigo then it will be done like so.
I began thinking with my other story, this is a fanfiction. This is my own version, my own story, so I ain't about to limit myself to canon stuff. If I feel something needs to be changed I'll damn well change it if I want to. I don't mean to sound rude, well maybe a bit rude but not extremely so, but that is how I feel. Le sigh, well before I rant any longer, on with the story!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, if I did, I would be rich as fuck. Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo and DxD belongs to Ichiei Ishibumi
"Speaking"
'Thinking'
"Zanpakuto"
Chapter 1
A sudden lurch forced a pair of warm brown eyes open. The orbs glanced around before lowering its lids, relaxing from their alert state from being roused from slumber. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, the man suppress a yawn as he glanced out of the window he sat by. It seems he had finally arrived. He removed his earbuds from his ears, letting them dangle from the front of his shirt. He waited until the aisle had cleared out some before he stood, stretching his his body with several pops.
With a sigh the young man ran a hand through his messy orange hair, grabbing his bags from above his seat. Moving through the vehicle he gave the driver a nod of appreciation as he exited. Stepping off the bus he glanced around the bus station. There were easily a couple hundred people going to and fro. Pushing his way past the masses he left the station and retrieved a paper from his back pocket. Looking over the address he got his bearings and began his walk through the city of Kyoto.
It was a bit past noon when a bell chimed, signalling someone walking through the doors. A young man with a permanent scowl on his face stood at the counter, drumming his fingers to some unknown song as he waited. A series of grunts and the sound of stacks of boxes falling came from the back room. He leaned to the side, trying to peer back through the door to see if everything was alright. Suddenly a man popped through the door, grumbling slightly.
He looked to be in his late 40's, his hair had very little black left in it, making way for several grays. A patch of gray hair was found on his chin as well, forming a well kept beard. The man wore a striped dress shirt tucked into a pair of black slacks, held up with suspenders. Finally making his way to the counter, he put on a pleasant smile and ceased his grumbling.
"Welcome to Sunrise Apartments, how can I help you?" Ichigo showed him the slip of paper.
"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, I called ahead a while back."
The man looked over the paper for a moment before going to his notebook, verifying the information before looking back to Ichigo.
"Well seems everything is in order Kurosaki-san"
Ichigo's scowl deepened slightly at the formality. But since he didn't have many options for housing he wasn't about to correct his only form of shelter. The man went on, going over different rules, which were all pretty self explanatory. Keys in hand, Ichigo set off towards where the old man had told him his room would be.
A small jingle of metal was followed by the slight creaking of a door. Walking into the darkened room Ichigo felt along the wall until his hand hit the switch. Flicking it up, a warm light illuminated the apartment. It wasn't anything too fancy, as Ichigo didn't have unlimited funds to work with, but it was more than enough for him.
The apartment consisted of a main room, which was a living room, dining room, and kitchen connected. There were two doors leading from the room, presumably to either the bedroom or the bathroom. A quick peek confirmed this, and Ichigo nodded in satisfaction. It would do. Glancing at the clock Ichigo saw that it was getting fairly late. He yawned, though he had gotten a nap on the bus it wasn't a restful one.
Tossing his bag down at the foot of his bed the orange haired young man flopped down upon the mattress, finding it to be rather comfortable. Soon enough he felt himself getting pulled into a deep slumber as the moon began its ascent outside.
A few weeks ago…
"Are you sure about this Ichigo?"
Ichigo looked up to the speaker, who was seated across from him in the food court.
"Yeah, I think I am Chad. Not like there's much left for me to do here anyways." Ichigo said, his scowl turning slightly bitter.
"Karin has been training her powers, the old bastard has his power if he needs them." Ichigo sighs, "No matter how hard I try I just can't access my powers anymore. I know I have most of my energy back, but its like something is still blocking them." He said running a hand down his face.
It was true, over the past few years his energy had been coming back to what it was before, slowly but surely repairing itself. By now he had roughly what he had when he went to Soul Society the first time to save Rukia. With the power he had regained he too was able to see spirits once more, though only pluses. For some reason he hadn't seen any traces of shinigami or hollows. The thought turned his scowl into a slight grimace. Speaking of Soul Society or shinigami, not a single person from there had so much as come to check up on him.
You would think after saving their asses they would at least come by every once in a while, just to check in. But sadly twas not the case. They seemingly cut off all contact with him. He could understand for maybe the first year so they could rebuild, but it had been nearly three years for fucks sake! He was 19 and had just graduated with no sign head nor tails of anyone from his time with the supernatural.
Truthfully he was a bit pissed, as not just Soul Society, but nearly every one of his friends seemed to cut themselves off from him. They rushed off during class, and anytime they spoke to one another they went quiet as he approached. The only one who would still stand by him and openly tell him what was going on was Chad, who was like a brother to him. And Ichigo was grateful for it, he didn't like being left out of the loop.
"Does your family know?" Chad spoke in his low tone.
Ichigo paused for a moment before shaking his head.
"No, I'm not going to tell them. I might write something for Karin and Yuzu, but they won't know until I'm gone."
Chad slowly nodded his head, "Where do you plan on going?"
"Not sure yet, going to look at my options. Though Kyoto sounds promising. Should be plenty of opportunities."
Last night…
Ichigo double checked his bag, making sure he had packed everything he needed. He glanced over his papers, checking the information for his bus ticket. Looking to the clock he saw that it was time to head out. Stuffing the papers in his back pocket he grabbed his bag and opened the window. Before he left however, he glanced back to his desk, where two objects sat.
The first was a letter for his sisters. He didn't want to leave them without at least giving them a goodbye, they never did anything wrong. The second object made Ichigo scowl deeper. It was his combat pass, supposedly symbolizing his position as a substitute shinigami. He scoffed. What a load of bull. Anytime he showed that pass to any of the local shinigami they never recognized it. Though it was useful for getting into his soul form, he suspected that there was more to it than that. He sure as hell wouldn't put it past them to make it into a tracker. So there it lay, he wasn't about to let that clown faced creep be able to track him wherever he went.
He hesitated for only a moment more before leaping out of the window, landing low and going into a roll to cushion his landing. Beginning his walk to the bus station he sent one last glance towards the house he had grown up in before continuing forwards.
He was about halfway across town before he stopped, seeing three figures blocking his path. One was Chad, his tall stature was hard to mistake for anybody else. The next person was Kisuke Urahara, wearing his trademark bucket hat and wooden geta, his fan whipped out in front of his face. Lastly there was a small black kitty cat, with piercing golden eyes Ichigo could see clearly even from this distance. He was slightly relieved Yoruichi was in cat form, it meant less chances for her to tease him. Ichigo's scowl deepened as he cautiously approached.
"If you guys are trying to stop me don't bother, I-" He was cut off by a masculine voice, though he knew better.
"No, we're not stopping you. We came to see you off." Yoruichi said, softly padding towards him before leaping to his shoulder and nuzzling against his face.
He scratched her behind the ears as he turned to the others.
"How did you find out hat n clogs? I only told Chad."
"Oh I have my ways Kurosaki-san." Urahara said in a jovial tone, his fan in front of his mouth not completely hiding the mischievous smile.
However said fan snapped shut, and in an instant he was in a serious mood.
"Ichigo, As Yoruichi said, we aren't stopping you, however I did wish to give you a couple items before we part ways." He reached into his dark green coat, rummaging about for a moment before pulling out a cane and tossing it to Ichigo.
He caught it with one hand, bringing it closer for inspection. The cane was made of a deep black colored wood, the head of the cane was a polished silver metal. The head had the appearance of a small knob or bulb of sorts. Atop the handle was the same flaming skull that was present on his substitute badge, colored a pure black against the silver. Urahara cleared his throat.
"I know that you are getting your power back, though they're not quite ready they're still there. That cane is much like mine, once they do come back completely you will be able to push your spiritual energy into it and make it into an asauchi. I made it so that once you do you will be able to fuse your soul form with your human body, so that you can use all of your powers while in your body like myself and the vizards."
Curious, Ichigo pulled the handle from the rest of the cane, the end coming free with a click. The silver part stretched down far enough to accommodate for a single hand perfectly, the knob acting as a pommel. The blade itself was straight, but pure black. It looked similar to Tensa Zangetsu in a way, minus the hilt and slight curve. Looking it over for a moment he sheathed it with a click, looking up to see a small book flying at his head.
His quick reflexes allowed him to catch it just in time, sending a glare to a certain blond shopkeeper. He glanced down at the cover, his scowl becoming deeper.
"Kido for dummies: Pocket Edition? What the hell hat n clogs? You know I have zero control over my energy."
Urahara just waved his fan in front of his face once more.
"Well then Kurosaki-san, I believe that it would be prudent for you to learn my young pupil! After all, you should know how useful kido can be!"
Ichigo thought for a moment, he had seen several kido be used to great effect, and once he had his powers back he certainly had the reserves for it. With a nod, Ichigo stuffed the book into his bag, cane still in hand as it was a tad large to fit.
"Oh yes, nearly forgot!" Urahara walked up to Ichigo this time, handing him a card along with some sort of odd looking pin with the flaming skull on it as well, colored white.
"Try touching the pin with the tip of the cane." Ichigo glanced at him oddly for a moment before doing so.
When the cane made contact with the pin there was a small flash of light and the cane was gone, the skull now colored red. He looked to Urahara for explanation.
"I did some research into the caja negacion cubes that the arrancars had used, and found out that they were really small pocket dimensions! So I created a pocket dimension, for your pocket!" Ichigo just sweatdropped. "If you want to remove the cane just press on the pin and it will pop back out. I would recommend pinning it to the inside of your jacket for easy access."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"The card is a gift on behalf of Soul Society though… well kind of." He had a glint in his eye, "You see, any shinigami that kills a hollow gets payed for it, and it is quite lucrative if I do say so myself. So! Seeing as they haven't given you anything as payment, I took it upon myself to… procure shall we say, a substantial amount of funds from the 12th divisions coffers. I don't think Mayuri will be needed all of that extra cash."
Ichigo actually smirked for a moment at the scientist's actions before it returned to a neutral scowl. He nodded his head in appreciation.
"I do believe that there is enough on there to last you a few lifetimes, so be sure to spend it wisely!" He stepped back a bit, allowing Chad to approach Ichigo.
There wasn't need for any words, as they had come to an understanding. Chad held out his fist, Ichigo mimicking as they fist bumped one last time before he left.
"Thank you guys, I appreciate it. If something happens I'm sure you can get ahold of me hat n clogs." He began to walk away, Yoruichi jumping to Kisuke's shoulder as he passed.
He had walked a bit before he turned around, offering them one last wave before he turned the corner, seeing them waving back.
Present day…
The shrill sound of an alarm clock roused Ichigo from his slumber, sitting up quickly as he awaited an attack that never came. He sighed, running a hand down his face before chuckling slightly. At least he wouldn't have to worry about the craziness of his father while he was away. He sat in bed for a moment, gathering his thoughts as he remained. Soon enough he stood, stretching as he walked to the restroom.
He glanced at himself in the mirror, seeing all of the scars littering his torso. Each one he could remember clearly, telling its own story. He tore his gaze from the mirror as he stepped into the shower, preparing himself for a tiring day.
First thing Ichigo had to do was go out and buy groceries. He stopped by an ATM which sat outside of the hotel, wanting to check how much was on the card before making any choices. He had built up a good amount of money from working for Ikumi over three years, so he was set for a while even before the card. Pressing the correct buttons Ichigo found his eyes going wide in disbelief as he glanced around quickly. He quickly retrieved his card and closed out of the screen before anyone could spot just how much he had.
'Holy shit! He said killing hollows was good money but I didn't expect it to be that much!'
Without going into specifics, lets just say Ichigo never had to worry about money so long as he didn't splurge. Though he still wanted to get a job, just for something to do. His scores were high enough by the end of high school he could get a job at most places that didn't require a degree. Though he decided to let himself get settled in for a few days before he would go job hunting, as that was much less of a priority now.
He pulled out his phone and looked at the maps app, looking for nearby stores. Finding one of the larger stores nearby he set out once more to gather the materials he needed to settle in.
1 Month later…
Ichigo walked into his apartment, returning home from a workout session at one of the gyms closer to his home. He remembered what Urahara had said about using his powers in his human body, and had figured that he needed to make sure his body could actually handle them first. He glanced at the calendar, seeing what he had marked down for tomorrow. He sighed.
Tomorrow would be his first series of job interviews. Truthfully he wasn't looking forwards to it. He had applied to a few different places, primarily places he would be on his feet often. Jobs like unloading boxes or as a dojo trainer. Luckily enough he had received a few calls for interviews a couple days ago, and they were all on the same day! What a coincidence. It was a good thing that all of them were within a few blocks from each other.
He walked to his room and glanced in the closet, pulling out the clothing he had bought for the interview. A blood red dress shirt, complete with a tie, would go along with a pair of black slacks and dress shoes. His scowl turned into a slight grimace, not too happy to have to wear such formal clothes. He was used to T-shirts and loose jeans. But, he supposed he would have to look the part if he wanted to have any chance at landing a job. With any luck they wouldn't turn him away immediately because of his hair and scowl
He shook his head of the thoughts and moved to a different train of thought as he walked to the bathroom for a quick shower. Since he had been in the city he had felt his power levels returning much faster than they had in Karakura, which made him wonder exactly how much this city was involved in the supernatural. He hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary, nor heard about anything on the news.
Regardless, his power levels were back up to where they were after his three months in the dangai, yet he still hadn't heard anything from his spirits. He had tried on multiple occasions to push energy into the cane Urahara had given him, but each attempt met with failure. Whatever was causing his powers to be blocked off was starting to really piss him off!
He sighed, no use lamenting on it just yet. He could still feel that his reserves weren't completely full yet, meaning that the use of Mugetsu must have expanded them even further. He would wait until they had completely filled before beginning to get upset if there was a lack of anything.
He glanced down to the now empty bowl in front of him, blinking momentarily. He must have been on autopilot while he was thinking. Ichigo shook his head as he stood, putting the bowl into dishwater as he passed by the sink. Shuffling to his bed Ichigo fell right in, going to sleep as soon as his orange haired head hit the pillow.
Ichigo let out a groan of displeasure as he loosened his tie. He had just finished the last interview of the day and his mind was shot. They went well enough, though the most promising one was helping to unload crates in a warehouse. They seemed to need his help the most. Each one had something for him to try, from moving crates to a quick spar for the dojos, which was a tad odd with his slightly formal attire. But he completed each task with ease.
He popped his neck as he walked in front of a rather large looking temple. It was beautiful to say the least, the gardens out front full of vibrant colored flowers of all varieties. If it wasn't closed behind a sturdy looking gate he was tempted to walk through them himself, just to relax. However he noticed something odd.
The gates were opened, and the two guards which normally stood watch beside it were knocked out, lying in pools of their own blood. Ichigo rushed over to them to check their pulse and breathed a sigh of relief. They were still alive, but barely. He started to reach for his phone before he heard yelling. He looked up to find a large group of men dressed in black dragging a young girl towards him. He started to see red. Because of his own little sisters he had a large soft spot for kids, and to see one being taken against their will pushed him to his edge.
Suddenly one of the men lashed out, smacking the girl across the face. That was the last straw for Ichigo as he sprung into action. He rushed towards them, his stance low and his fists ready to strike. One of the men spotted him and began to yell before he found himself missing a few teeth. The group was stunned for a moment before they began their own assault. One of the bigger ones kept a hold of the young girl as the rest surrounded Ichigo.
"What the hell do you dumbasses think you're doing!? Kidnapping a little girl!" Ichigo yelled out, waiting for them to move first.
The thugs remained silent. Suddenly all of them lept forwards, intent on ending the fight quickly before the guards could come rushing out. They were lucky to find the girl away from them, and they weren't about to risk getting caught now. Ichigo quickly ducked under the first few punches, sweeping his legs along the ground and tripping up just over half of the thugs. He sprung up, his fist smashing into the jaw of another. The lack of teeth crunching together probably meant this was the first one he slugged.
Ichigo left back a bit to look at the situation. There were 7 who were trying to attack him, and the 8th holding the little girl back. 4 of the thugs were on the ground and trying to get back up, and there was the one he just slugged standing back a bit holding his jaw. So effectively Ichigo only had to deal with two right now. Without much hesitation he lept back towards the two opponents, swinging with all his might. However he was surprised when they both caught his fists and retaliated with punches to his gut.
All the wind escaped his lungs as he was thrown back a great distance. He managed to land in a roll, standing while gingerly holding a hand to his gut. There was no way these guys were normal people. The only ones he met that could actually throw him that far were shinigami. His scowl deepened, as he began to think that some shinigami were responsible for this.
He crouched down for a moment before taking off, his body starting to blur as he pushed himself. He leaned to the side to dodge another punch and struck back with his own. The thug blocked it but released a strangled cry of pain as a crunching sound was heard, followed by a loud snap. The bones in their arm had broken completely. As they he tried to escape however, Ichigo followed up with an uppercut, sending the thug into the air a bit. He fell to the ground unconscious.
Ichigo quickly flung his foot out, catching the one behind him who was trying to get a sneak attack in. They went flying a small distance before landing on their feet, coughing heavily. By now the others were nearly on their feet, so Ichigo quickly reversed himself and ran towards the injured thug. Using his experience in martial art Ichigo quickly struck several spots with a force he didn't know he had. One final palm strike to the chest sent the thug flying once more, this time landing unconscious.
Ichigo quickly leapt to his side as he felt the air moving behind him. He didn't move quite fast enough however as he earned a small scratch to his back. He turned around to find something odd. The toothless thug had removed his gloves, revealing clawed blue hands.
Not giving Ichigo time to think the odd man jumped towards him once more. They exchanged several blows, Ichigo landing some good hits to the thug while gaining several small scratches. Taking an opening Ichigo delivered a solid and final punch to the skull of the thug, knocking him out. Suddenly Ichigo found himself surrounded once more.
He stood there, fists raised and breathing heavily. But here was the odd thing, he didn't feel like he was injured at all! In fact, he was feeling like he was being flooded with energy. He knew he shouldn't be enjoying himself as a little girl was still being kidnapped, but he couldn't help a small smirk that was growing. Each of the men began to remove their gloves, revealing more clawed hands much like the last one, their skin different colors and shades of red and blue.
With a small battle cry each of the men charged forwards, Ichigo responding with a cry of his own and his coiled muscles released themselves, springing into action.
It was a very one sided battle. As Ichigo continued to fight, he kept feeling better and better, energy flooding his body. He progressively began to hit harder, to move faster as time went on. Each scratch or gash he gained only made him feel stronger! He didn't notice as the smaller scratches he gained began to bubble over slightly, a white substance covering them.
As the last thug fell, Ichigo heard a loud thud behind him. He turned his gaze to the last, and largest thug. He had dropped the girl, finding that it would be best to just escape unscathed, and brought out a large wooden club, the end covered in heavy iron. The girl quickly hid behind one of the trees in the garden, watching the battle unfold.
With a small smirk, Ichigo spoke up.
"I don't suppose that you would give up?" an inhuman roar met his question, "I'll take that as a no, well that just means more fun for me!"
As Ichigo spoke, black tendrils began to overtake his vision as he heard mad cackling in his mind, a loud banging along with it. Ichigo paid it no mind and charged forwards, ready to begin the last round.
Inside the palace all the guards were on high alert, everyone tense as they searched for the missing girl. Suddenly a large roar was heard, followed by a burst of energy so powerful that many were sent to their knees. The only ones left standing were Suzuki Iwao, the head of the temple guards, and Yasaka, the leader of the yokai in Kyoto.
"Kunou!" Yasaka yelled, worried for her daughter's safety.
Suddenly she ran off, leaving Suzuki behind.
"Wait, milady!" He yelled, running after her a moment later when she did not, in fact, wait.
Yasaka reached the front of the palace and stood there in slight shock. Suzuki wasn't far behind.
"Please milady, you really mustn't run off like that, especially with possible-" He stopped when he saw what Yasaka was staring at, his eyes widened as well.
In the middle of the gardens there lay 7 thugs dressed in black. Their hands uncovered showing odd colored skin with sharp nails. Though this wasn't what had them stunned. There was a young man, roughly 20 years old if they had to guess. His clothing was torn to shreds, and his body littered with several cuts, small and large. Yet he was fighting a very large and imposing man, armed with a heavy club, without a weapon!
They watched as he ducked under the haphazard swings, retaliating with punches that created shockwaves with each hit. Suddenly the man got a lucky swing on the orange haired man, his metal covered club crashing into his chest as he landed. He was sent flying towards a tree, smashing right through it and continuing on. He managed to flip himself upright and claw at the ground, slowing himself down. As soon as his backwards momentum stopped he lurched forwards, coughing up large amounts of blood.
While he was recovering the larger man dressed in black began to make his way over to a tree, which confused the two spectators until they heard a shrill scream pierce the air. Their eyes widened.
"Kunou/The princess!" They shouted, Suzuki sprung into action, drawing his katana as he ran forwards.
However about halfway there the orange haired man suddenly sprang forwards as well, his body covered in an aura of black and red energy. He appeared in front of the kidnapper and launched a heavy punch at his face. The thug brought up his club to block, but then everyone was surprised once more.
The man's fist made contact with the metal end of the club. But when they thought his fist would stop, it continued forwards, punching right through the solid metal with ease. His fist collided with the skull of the thug and sent him flying. He landed in the middle of a group of flowers, completely knocked out from that punch. He stood there for a moment more, his fist outstretched as he panted heavily, his energy flickering around him before fading into nothingness.
He stood straight up, stumbling as he turned to the tree which housed the princess. He seemed to speak with her for a moment, though because of the distance they couldn't hear quite what he said. He shambled over to the tree, holding his arms out. The blond haired princess slowly made her way down from her perch, the man assisting her on her descent.
As soon as she had made her way down both Yasaka and Suzuki made their way to them, Yasaka scooping her up protectively. Suzuki stood next to the orange haired man as they both watched, small smiles on their faces. Suddenly there was a large thud. They turned to see the princess' savior had passed out, likely form a combination of blood loss and exhaustion.
"What will we do with him lady Yasaka?" Suzuki questioned.
Yasaka turned her gaze over the young man for a moment before speaking up.
"Bring him in to be healed. I would speak with him after he regains consciousness." Suzuki bowed his head.
"Of course, I shall return with healers." With that he rushed off towards the temple once more, leaving Yasaka and Kunou with the man.
Yasaka turned her gaze towards her daughter.
"How exactly did this happen Kunou? Did you sneak off again from the guards?" She just nodded her head as she looked down.
Yasaka rubbed her temples, this child…
She turned her gaze to the others laid out around them. By their hands they appeared to be oni, though they would need to remove the hoods and masks to find out for sure. Suddenly she felt a tugging on her robes.
"Mother look!" Kunou was pointing at the young man.
She was shocked once more by the orange haired hero. There was a white substance bubbling over his wounds, healing them slowly.
'It looks like the healers will have an easy job here.' She thought to herself, glad that he seemed to be able to heal himself
However she turned to Kunou once more, the look on her face making the young princess pale slightly.
"Now then young lady, we must discuss your punishment for sneaking out again." Yasaka said sternly, making Kunou gulp.
Inside Ichigo's mindscape…
Ichigo opened his eyes to find himself in his mindscape, though this time the skyscrapers stretched upwards rather than sideways. He stood there for a moment, before his lips began to twitch upwards. If he was here, then that means that he should have access to his powers! A voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hey there kingy, long time no see eh?"
Ichigo turned around slowly, coming face to face with the negative version of himself. He gazed upon the embodiment of his hollow powers for a moment before he spoke up.
"Hey there… don't suppose you know where old man Zangetsu is do you?" The hollow gained an expression of annoyance on his face for a moment before it reverted to his usual sadistic smile.
He reached into his robes and pulled out something that made Ichigo's eyes narrow. In the hollow's hands was the old man's sunglasses, though they were covered in blood.
"Before you get angry kingy lemme explain some things."
Ichigo glared at the hollow for a moment before nodding reluctantly. If there was one thing that changed about him while he was powerless it was he had gained a bit more of a level head. Well, most of the time. The hollow actually sent him a grateful smirk before he began.
"Well first and foremost, the old man wasn't who ya thought he was. And lemme finish before ya try to pull any shit. The old man was actually the embodiment of a different set of powers, not yer shinigami powers. Ya see, you know that yer dad was a shinigami, but I don't suppose that he told ya anything else while I was under?" Ichigo shook his head, goat chin had never gotten around to talking to Ichigo about anything.
The hollow sighed, "Well kingy, Imma just say it outright, he was yer quincy powers."
Ichigo's eyes narrowed, "How the hell could he have been quincy powers? Goat chin is a shinigami."
"And if he was a shinigami then where else could another set of powers have come from?"
Ichigo thought for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. "Mom…"
The hollow smirked, "Exactly. Now shut up while I tell ya exactly what happened. Goat chin was in the human world hunting a powerful hollow, which was actually one of Aizen's experiments. They were fighting, and your mother stepped in, baiting the hollow in close to deliver a killing blow. However to do that she had to get bitten by the hollow and was infected by its energy.
Your father returned back the next day and found from hat n clogs that she was the hollow energy was corrupting her, she was going to die. So, he gave up his powers to help seal the hollow energy and save her life. He wouldn't get them back until either it left her or she died. Then, well, I think ya know what happened after that. You and the twins were born.
Now here's what ya don't know. That night when she died, she could have lived. But a man named Yhwach absorbed her quincy powers, leaving her defenseless to Grand Fisher." He could see the hate on Ichigo's face, so he continued before his king could stew in his emotions.
"Now calm down king, cause I got some good news for ya. Soon enough you'll get yer chance for revenge. According to some sorta prophecy or something stupid like that, he's supposed ta wake up anytime now. I would think that he would attack Soul Society first chance he got, so we just gotta bide our time."
Ichigo calmed down some, he would have his chance soon enough at least. Taking a breath to calm himself, he spoke up.
"Alright, if the old man was my quincy powers, then where are my shinigami powers if you're my hollow powers?" The hollow Ichigo shook his head.
"Seems I need to spell it out for ya kingy. I know I've told ya before, but I am Zangetsu! The hollow energy sealed in yer mother latched on to your shinigami powers, resulting in yours truly." He said as he gave a mock bow.
Ichigo's mind was fairly borked right now. After everything else this maniac was claiming to be his actual zanpakuto? The hollow claiming to be Zangetsu frowned slightly, he knew that the king was doubting him.
"Let me ask this then, if you are my shinigami powers, why would you constantly be trying to take over my body?"
"To make sure ya didn't die first and foremost. And also ta push you. If you didn't have any challenges you wouldn't have grown. Besides, it all worked out in the end didn't it?"
"And how do you explain him being the one with shinigami power? The one to teach me bankai?" Zangetsu scowled at that.
"He was using some sorta quincy bullshit to take my shinigami energy into himself and use it. But what did ya notice when you went into bankai? Yer energy changed to be just like mine. Rather than that light blue shit he was making artificially!"
Honestly every point he was making was valid. After all, every other person he had seen go into bankai had never had their energy change colors. And he did remember Ishida had said something about quincies being able to absorb energy or some nonsense like that.
"One last question, what happened to the old man then?"
"I absorbed him while he was weakened. After you used mugetsu we were severely weakened. Since he needed to absorb my energy as he couldn't make as much on his own, I could recover faster. I got him to talk while I stood over him, a blade to the throat helped with that, and know what he said? He was supposed to make sure that you joined that Yhwach prick, or else kill you if ya didn't. Of course I wasn't about to let anyone kill my damn king."
He tossed the sunglasses to Ichigo, "If you want those you can have 'em"
Ichigo just looked at them. The spirit he had thought was helping him had ulterior motives all along. He trusted the old man and this was what he did? Looking at them a moment longer, Ichigo clenched his hand tightly, crushing the glasses. They dissolved into small particles of energy and dispersed themselves throughout the air. He glanced back at his hollow-no. At Zangetsu, who had a smirk on his face. Not one of his sadistic ones either, this one seemed to be genuine.
"Alrighty then kingy, I think its time ya wake up, ya got some hottie hovering over ya right now." He cackled a bit as Ichigo slapped his face.
"Talk to ya later Zangetsu."
As Ichigo faded from his inner world Zangetsu couldn't help the smile on his face. He finally was able to work with his king without the interference of that old coot. He used a quick sonido to disappear into Ichigo's inner world, off to do who knows what.
Ichigo's brown orbs cracked open slightly before they slammed shut, the bright lights stinging them. He groaned, putting a hand to his face to try to keep out the light.
"Ah, you're finally awake!" He heard a feminine voice speak out from next to him.
He rolled his head to the side slightly, opening his eyes once more to peek between his finger tips. Next to him was quite a beautiful woman, her long golden locks cascading down her back in a graceful manner, her eyes to his surprise were a matching golden hue. He looked at her for a solid minute before speaking up.
"Er, who are you and where the hell am I?" The woman frowned for a moment before replying.
"My name is Yasaka and you are in one of the spare bed chambers in my temple." Ichigo quirked an eyebrow.
"Your temple?"
"Yes, my temple. Now if you don't mind I wish to know your name now."
"Ichigo, Ichigo Kurosaki."
The name sounded familiar to Yasaka, but she couldn't for the life of her figure it out. She would have to look into it later.
"Well Kurosaki-san-"
"Just Ichigo please, I don't like formalities, makes me sound like my old man." Yasaka frowned for a moment.
"Very well, Ichigo-san," She grinned slightly as his scowl deepened a bit. "I wanted to thank you for saving my daughter Kunou. She had snuck away from the guards and walked right into those… lowlifes."
"Sounds like you need better guards." Yasaka chuckled slightly.
"Indeed it does." She paused, "By the way you fought out there, you aren't human are you?"
Ichigo was slightly shocked at the statement, looking at her with his eyes narrowed.
"No… not completely at least."
"Then what sort of yokai are you?"
"... eh?"
Yokai? As in those mythical beings in all the folklore and stuff?
"I can't tell what sort of yokai you are, your energy if rather different than all of the yokai I am familiar with. You energy doesn't match angel or devil either." Ichigo just looked at her quizzically.
"I'm not sure what exactly you're talking about, the only supernatural beings that I know exist are shinigami and hollows." Now it was Yasaka's turn to have a confused look.
"Shinigami…" She muttered before her eyes brightened in recognition.
"I believe I heard tell of something to do with shinigami in some small town nearly three years ago."
"Aizen…" Ichigo muttered, his scowl deepening at the thought of the madman.
"Yes that was it, Aizen was a traitor and he with his army fought the shinigami over the town" Ichigo sighed.
"Yeah, those shinigami." Yasaka looked a bit confused at his reaction, he seemed a bit bitter at the mention of them.
"The shinigami cut themselves off from the rest of the spiritual world several centuries ago, so I must apologize for my forgetfulness." Ichigo waved a hand dismissively.
"Nah don't worry about it. It ain't like they go around advertising their presence. I don't think I've ever heard of yokai anywhere around Karakura though?"
"Ah, that was it, Karakura. No, we have deemed that city off limits after it became the jureichi many years ago as that was the responsibility of the shinigami. All the yokai that had entered disappeared without a trace. We have some human informants in the area for anything we may need to know." Ichigo frowned, were the shinigami responsible for that?
It was silent for a moment, both occupants of the room deep in thought. Ichigo glanced around, looking for his phone to check for any messages that may be important, yet none of his belongings were in sight. He sat up, grimacing a bit at how stiff his body was. The covers fell from his torso, revealing his bandaged frame.
"Uh, I don't suppose you know where my stuff is do you?" Yasaka jumped slightly at the sudden question, apparently she was deep in thought.
She held a finger to her chin as she pondered, before bending forwards to grab something from the floor. She rose, passing the box she had retrieved to Ichigo. With a nod he opened it up and grabbed his phone, turning it on. When he saw the date however, he nearly flipped out.
"I've been asleep for two days!?"
"You were very injured, you did take a swing from an oni's heavy club after all. While you seemed to be able to heal the gashes by yourself, the damage to the inside of the body seemed to be healing much slower, so we put you into a small coma to allow my healers to work better."
He didn't think that he had gotten hurt that much during the fight. Given, he hadn't felt much of anything the whole time, but still. Looking at his missed messages, he found a few calls from employers for job interviews… which were yesterday. Great, he ran a hand down his face while groaning. Golden orbs gazed at him curiously.
"Is there something the matter Ichigo-san?" Ichigo slowly nodded his head.
"Yeah, while I was out I missed out on several calls for job interviews. Ah damnit." Yasaka nodded, a look of thought upon her face.
"Ichigo-san, from the fight is it safe to assume you have combat experience?" Ichigo's mind flashed between images of all the battles he had fought in to far, from hollows to near gods.
"Yeah, you can say that, why?"
"What sort of jobs were you applying for?" Ichigo's scowl morphed into one of slight confusion, what was with the questioning?
"Erm, heavy lifting, dojo instructors, mostly physical labor since I'm sure most wouldn't hire me for much else because of my hair color. Again, why do you ask?" She remained silent for a moment more before answering.
"Well, I would like to offer you a job. You mentioned earlier that we needed better guards yourself. So I would like to hire a better guard. If you accept, I would like you to be a personal bodyguard for myself and Kunou." Ichigo was confused, and decided to voice it.
"Uh, why would you ask me though? I'm sure that there are several people much more qualified for something like this?" Yasaka shook her head.
"Perhaps, but from what myself and my head of the guard have seen you are very powerful to have taken down a large and armed oni with only your bare hands. In addition, you didn't have to jump in and save my daughter, someone who you didn't know, yet you did. I believe that tells me enough about your character." Ichigo waved his hand once more.
"I was just doing what anyone would do, it's no big deal really." He paused, "Well, what exactly would I be doing then… and would I have to wear some silly costume or something?" Yasaka laughed softly at his question.
"Your uniform would be of your choice, as for your tasks you would simply be near either me or Kunou during the day and making sure nothing happens to either of us. You will be given a regular salary in addition to a room near ours and regular meals." Ichigo thought about it for a moment.
It was a good deal, and with his powers back he could finally protect people again. If something like what happened was a regular thing then he would be damned if he wasn't going to try to prevent it. He turned to her fully.
"Alright then, I accept." Yasaka gave him a warm smile, clearly happy, making him blush a bit at her radiant beauty.
"Wonderful! I shall arrange for a room to be prepared for you and for the staff to be informed. You can take the rest of the day to take care of any unfinished business and pack your belongings. Just return to the front gate tomorrow morning and speak with one of the guards, they will summon a servant to bring you to your room. I will discuss everything further tomorrow." Ichigo nodded and began to stand.
He stumbled slightly and fell back to the bed. Apparently his leg hadn't healed completely from the fight. He thought for a moment before an idea struck him.
'Might as well put it to use.'
He pulled out his pin, confusing Yasaka for a moment until a cane popped out. He stuck the pin back into his pocket before attempting to stand once more, using the cane to assist.
"Ya know king, if ya hadn't pushed so much energy into yer leg to use a bastardized flash step yer leg would be fine." He heard Zangetsu speak out from his mind.
He turned to Yasaka, "Sorry, I used a bit too much energy and messed up my flash step during the fight, so my leg is taking a bit longer to heal. Should be fine by tonight though." Yasaka nodded in understanding, according to the healers every muscle in his right leg had nearly torn into two, and now she had an explanation.
"It's quite alright, though if you would refrain from injuring yourself in the future that would be ideal." She said, a small smirk on her face.
Ichigo's lips twisted up for a moment before falling back once more as he nodded.
"I'll keep it in mind, now where are my clothes…" He spotted them off to the side, all patched up.
He walked over towards them, his leg already feeling better with the use. Thank god for hollow healing. He turned back to the bed to ask for some privacy to change, but found that Yasaka had already left the room. He shook his head and began to dress himself, thinking about what the future could hold now.
Yasaka had left the room after he stood, leaving him in privacy to change. As she walked towards Suzuki's location she couldn't help a small smile from finding its way on her face. Now she had found someone who seemed easily powerful enough to protect her little girl… and herself of course. Speaking of the little princess, she wondered how Kunou would take it? She wasn't terribly worried, as Kunou did express some worry over Ichigo's healing.
Speaking of Ichigo, she knew that she had heard that name before. She came across a servant as she was walking, and stopped.
"Could you have someone bring me any information that we have that includes the name, Ichigo Kurosaki? I'll be in the throne room." The servant nodded and hurried off without a word as Yasaka continued on her way.
Soon she arrived in the throne room, the doors opening for her. She strode over to the throne, lowering herself on the cushioned chair as she briefly flared her power, calling for Suzuki. She didn't have to wait long as Suzuki entered the room, Kunou following behind closely. Spotting her mother, Kunou ran around Suzuki, eagerly making her way to Yasaka. She reached her mother and jumped in her lap, her mouth going a mile a minute. Yasaka, not able to understand Kunou, lightly booped her nose, making the little girl go quiet and flush in embarrassment.
"Now Kunou, what have I told you about behaving properly?" She lightly chided, Kunou's face became slightly more red.
"Sorry mother…" She muttered, making Yasaka smile.
"Now then, what is it you're trying to tell me?" Kunous visibly brightened.
"Is he awake yet mother?"
"Indeed he is Kunou, I just got done speaking with him actually, which was what I was wishing to speak with the two of you about. Oh, you may rise Suzuki." Suzuki had finally approached the throne and was kneeling before her.
WIth a nod, he stood fully. "I must apologize milady, but the princess was eager to learn of the young man's condition."
"Think nothing of it Suzuki. I wish to inform both of you that I have found a new bodyguard for us." The two others looked at her curiously.
"Who is it mother?" Yasaka smiled at the little girl.
"Why the very man you were asking about Kunou, apparently he is a shinigami." Suzuki looked slightly shocked.
"We haven't had any interactions with shinigami in quite some time, what is his name?"
"Ichigo Kurosaki." Suzuki's eyes bugged out of his head, "Do you know who he is Suzuki?" Just as he was about to speak up a knock was heard from the doors. "Enter." She called out.
"Pardon the intrusion milady, but I have the information you have requested." Yasaka nodded, accepting the papers from the servant who scurried away quickly.
She patted Kunou on the back, the young girl stepping down from her lap so she could have enough room to read. Opening the file to the first page she began skimming over the contents. The first page was basic information, name, date of birth, etcetera etcetera. One thing did stand out on the papers however, it listed his location as unknown for the past month. Up until then it listed him as living in Karakura town his whole life. She flipped to the next page.
This one was a copy of his high school transcript. It appeared that towards the last few years of high school his grades improved dramatically, in fact he was within the top 10 in his class. She nodded her head, glad that he was at least intelligent as she flipped the page once more. Here was what she was looking for, notable events.
As she skimmed over it her eyes began to widen slightly, and by the time she was finished she was quite shocked. By the smallest chance she had met probably one of the most powerful shinigami, one that was able to succeed where even the head captain had failed. Though she was a tad confused, it said that he had lost his powers after the fight. So how did he have them back?
Well, she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially since she had found one of the most capable people to protect herself and Kunou. She looked up, glancing between the two others.
"Well, I certainly believe that with him around, we have nothing to worry about." she said, smiling.
Kunou looked slightly confused, but Suzuki had a smirk on his face as he nodded. Perhaps he could even get Ichigo to help train his guard if he was up for it.
Later that evening…
Ichigo currently lay in bed, going over the events of the day. Next to him was his packed belongings in a couple bags. He had already sorted things out with the landlord, giving the excuse that the job he had gotten required him to be closer to the site. He had spent the rest of his evening packing up his belongings, though he had to make a couple trips to the store to buy some extra bags.
Though as much as he tried, he was unable to sleep. With a sigh he sat up on the edge of the bed, looking to his bags once more. A thought popped into his head as he rummaged through one of his smaller bags. He pulled out a small book, the cover bearing a golden script.
'Well, might as well see what I can do with kido.'
Book in hand, he walked into the living room and seated himself on the couch. He flipped open the pocket sized book to the first chapter, titled 'Easy Methods for Energy Control.' With a deep breath, he began to read.
Author's Note: Well here is the first chapter… woo… Oh, nearly forgot I was wanting to talk about my choice on the cane. Yes well, I thought that it would be an easy explanation for him to be able to use his powers in his body. If you can store a spirit in a body, why not make something similar to a gigai for a zanpakuto? Basically an physical asauchi. Or if you wanna think about it another way, an artificial sacred gear that has a spirit trapped in it.
Either way works. As far as the 'why' for it being a cane… why not? I recently read a couple fanfics that had Ichigo using a cane and they turned out quite nicely. Its inconspicuous enough to work. I'm thinking of perhaps making his fighting style similar to Ikkaku's in the way that he uses the sheath as well, or perhaps I'll just have it to where he's like shinji, who always just tosses the sheath to the side only for it to magically appear when he needs it again. We shall see.
Anywho, hope you guys and gals enjoyed!