Before we begin I would like to thank the support for the story and that since this is an AU story I will be changing many things from canon. Plus adding in other references from anime that I feel would uplift the story.

Also since Masaki survived that incident I'm having what influence she would have had being alive effect Ichigo. Therefore he will be different from canon in some ways.

Now Enjoy!

The Story of the Protector

Chapter 1: The Scary 10 Year Old!

''Again!''

Urahara Kisuke's voice sounded off in his underground training room, directly under his shop. Currently said man stood in a firm stance with his zanpakuto, Benihime, held at his side. His weapon resembled a shikomizue with a curved handle and a silver base. Kisuke held it in hand and shifted his posture as he waited for his opponent to move. His gray eyes narrowed beneath the brim of his bucket-hat, to which they took on a glaze of complete seriousness.

His gray eyes took in his opponent for half a second and that was all he needed to see before he vanished in a black blur before his eyes cut to the left once he saw a flicker of black enter his peripheral vision. His body acted out in complete reflex, Benihime parrying another sword. Sparks flew as spiritual metal clashed. The sword he was currently blocking resembled something akin to an oversized khyber knife. It had no tsuba and no proper hilt with only a cloth-like tang which was gripped by his opponent.

Kisuke felt his body move as his opponent began to push against him and he pushed back which is what his foe wanted. His gray eyes widened in alarm as his opponent vanished in a shunpo before appearing behind him. Zanpakuto already in a over-head swing, and reacting in all his years as a former Taicho Kisuke spun on his heel and jumped back. Just in time to as the massive blade came down hit the ground causing it to shatter, sending cracks all over from the tip of the blade.

Skidding back Kisuke looked up in time see his opponent coming back from the air, rearing back with a diagonal slash. Sensing he was putting a lot of power behind it Kisuke readied himself and good thing too as the two zanpakuto's met in a fierce clash. Feeling the strain hit his body from his arms and down to his legs made him grit his teeth. The ground beneath him began to crack more and more before Kisuke pushed with more strength ending the stalemate. Throwing his opponent back he took the offensive attacking back with various slashes, cuts and blows that even the trained eye would have problems catching.

But his opponent had been trained well enough to match blow for blow. It was a show of swordplay as Kisuke's attacks were parried, blocked or matched evenly. Sparks lit up the battlefield as Kisuke and his shorter opponent met blow for blow. The underground training field rocked with each clash of zanpakuto's, shattering the ground beneath more and more before it reduced itself into a crater.

Nonetheless Kisuke could feel a bead of sweat fall from his face as he met his opponents blows evenly, inwardly thanking his experience as a former Seireitei Taicho.

Otherwise he wouldn't have left these spars unscathed...

His eyes widened when he saw a flash of silver and he moved just in time, strafing to the left and he let out a nervous gulp as the zanpakuto he battled against met the ground again. Only he noticed the smallest sliver of reiryoku at the tip of the blade. This resulted in the ground around the tip of the blade and 4 meters ahead of it cracking and exploding from an unseen attack that ripped through the ground with ease. In addition, the wind ripped off his bucket hat which he dully noted afterwards when it landed on the ground beside him.

'Yikes!'

''Okay, that's enough!'' he shouted to his opponent who stopped his advancing attack.

''So how did I do, Kisuke-san?'' suppressing his surprise and a bit fright Kisuke turned to his opponent and gave a uneasy smile. Bending down and picking up his favorite hat he pat off the dirt and turned to look at his opponent. Now many would begin to think a former taicho of his caliber, awesomeness and greatness would be facing someone of almost equal status.

But that was not the case...

Not. At. All.

He turned his gray eyes on his much shorter opponent who turned out to be a 10 year kid with fiery spiky orange hair, determined brown eyes and peach skin. He was dressed in a formal black shihakusho with white shocks and waraji sandals. However held over his shoulder was the kids very own zanpakuto, an abnormal one if Kisuke ever saw one and he'd seen many in his long life. It was the very same Isshin had described to him that had appeared when the boys power was forcibly awakened on that night.

'And it's grown as the boy has as well, intriguing as always.'

''Yes, I believe we're done for today, you've kept up your Zanjutsu training very well. And I hear your Kido and Reiatsu training and control is going over very well with Tessai-san. You may go for today and rest up. Alright, Ichigo-san?'' he said addressing the boy, the eldest child of the Kurosaki family and his own student at that. He smiled as he watched Ichigo nod before he willed his zanpakuto to disappear causing it to burst into particles of reiryoku which soon vanished back into him.

He followed the boy back up from the underground training field and as he did his mind went back on how this all started.

It had been a year since the night of that incident, the night when Ichigo and his mother Masaki were attacked by the Hollow, Grand Fisher. The very night Ichigo somehow, to this day he had yet to figure it out, wretched out his very power hidden deep within him to save his mother from the hollow. The same night Karakura Town was flooded by reiryoku which sent alarm bells to all spiritually sensitive people in the area and especially to those in the Seireitei.

That had been a night Kisuke would rather not repeat ever again. Although he was able to divert Soul Societies attention from Karakura Town by masking where the cause happened to a different location he was still bombarded with questions by another group. He still had phantom pains on his face from a certain sandal!

Luckily he was able to keep it all a secret...

It was a day after that incident when Isshin asked him to train his son in the Arts of the Shinigami. He agreed since it was important for Ichigo to train in his power so he could face the inevitable threats he, and his father and mother knew he would face. He left telling of what he was to his parents since that was not his job it would also be awkward explaining it to him.

Though thankfully they left out certain parts of how he came to be...that wasn't until he was much older.

Still as he looked at the boy Kisuke was still the most astonished about Isshin's boy. Although he had yet to leave his human form and enter his spiritual body, he was still able to train as a Shinigami in a human body. Something that still confounded him, but when he considered Ichigo's rather unique case he had to expect some unexpected things from the boy. But he had fooled himself into thinking that when he began training him in the arts of the Shinigami.

Ichigo had shown him at even his young age, he was deceptively very astute in the ways of combat. He hadn't needed to train him in Hakuda since the boy trained regularly at Karakura's Dojo. He let Tessai begin with his Kidō Training and controlling his monstrous Reiatsu and Reiyoku which always seemed to grow denser and larger as the days went by. Which left Kisuke to train him in the art of Zanjutsu and Hohō. Thanks to being a former member of the Onmitsukidō he was a master in that art alone, so training Ichigo in it was easy.

He would have ideally wanted a certain stray cat to teach him, but she was busy scouting the Seireitei and Karakura for any potential threats or suspicious movements.

Still Ichigo got it down, and boy did he catch on quick! Kisuke easily learned something about the boy in just his one year of training him. Though their training sessions were small and happened just after he left the dojo it still gave Kisuke an insight into Ichigo's potential. The boy was very aware of the spiritual world even before the incident on that night. Able to see ghosts for as long as he could remember and uniquely aided them to cross over to the Seireitei. Ichigo had a very keen sense of sensory because of this and Kisuke experimented with this by having Ichigo detect Tessai across Karakura Town while at the same time sparring with him. It was a test to detect Tessai's distance from them and his status while in the middle of combat.

And he passed with flying colors...

Not only that but since he began his training a year ago, Kisuke had seen the boy was incredibly durable especially with his human body. He knew without a fact that normal human bodies couldn't deal with the same amount of punishment Ichigo's been dealt with and would have shutdown long ago. But Kisuke theorized with his immense reiatsu and his...unique status. Made Ichigo's body far more durable than any other human in Karakura Town, maybe even the planet. At the beginning of his training he would have a hard time getting back up from a spar, but now he could even make Kisuke sweat.

That was scary, and the boy was only 10 years old!

But the most frightening and shocking thing of all he's found out about the boy was his advanced growth rate, it was an innate ability Kisuke figured he was born with. He grasped the basic control over all he's been taught and has been able to master them in days where it would take even the most gifted shinigami years to master. Already from what Tessai told him, Ichigo had learned the three divisions in Kido incredibly fast and perfected up 1 to 30 in both Bakudō and Hadō. And his versatility in Kaidō was spot on, giving him an advantage in battle to heal himself when the need ever arose.

Even controlling his Reiatsu/Reiryoku proved to be a tougher challenge, but the boy was progressing very well due to the fact he was training to control a reserve of power that increased everyday or so. Thankfully every time the boy was not in his shop cloaking his presence he had a device given to Ichigo to help mask his spiritual power from the eyes of everyone. But of course he had to tweak it every now and then with each increase in his power.

In the case for Zanjutsu, Kisuke had to say the boy couldn't learn any formal training and was the "Learn as you go" type who learned more from battle than from instructional teaching. This was why Kisuke had Ichigo spar with him every time he came over, it was to push him further and further to learn in his own way. Because of that Kisuke actually had to begin putting more effort in his spars against the kid otherwise he would have been scathed in many of their spars.

His poor bucket hat had been scathed so many times!

'Although I find his zanpakuto to be very unique, he's never burdened by it's weight or size and has grown to fight with it as if it were natural to him.' since Ichigo's zanpakuto was stuck in it's shikai state due to the release of his power the first time. Ichigo had to grow to learn how to fight with that type of weapon at the get go. But it seemed he learned real quick, especially when facing against him in their spars.

Overall Kisuke had to admit Ichigo was a instinctual genius when it came to battle, all he lacked was experience and a strong body. Which would be remedied when he got older...and when that day came...

Kisuke let out an involuntary shiver...

This boy was gonna be downright Scary! His potential more so!

''By the way Ichigo-dono, your mother ordered for some ingredients would you mind taking it back to her?'' Tessai Tsukabishi said with a pleasant expression. Tessai was a tall, muscular, lightly-tanned man. His hair as black and was cornrowed and he had a large handlebar mustache which is connected to his long sideburns. He wore rectangular-shaped glasses and the rest of his attire consisted of a white muscle shirt, blue pants and a blue apron.

Taking the small bag in hand the 10 year old Kurosaki gave a slight smile to the large man, he had changed out of his training shihakusho and back into a red shirt, blue pants and white tennis shoes. ''Arigatou Tessai-san, I'll make sure she gets it.'' turning his gaze back to Kisuke he gave the man a nod of respect. ''Thanks for the training Kisuke-san, I'll be back tomorrow and I will make you bring out your Shikai!'' he proclaimed to the humble shop owner who just tilted his head down shadowing his eyes, but an amused smirk crossed his featurues.

''We'll see Ichigo-san...we'll see...now get going before you start to worry your parents!'' he said shooing his student who just gave him a stern look before he ran off leaving the two former Taicho's watching him leave.

As soon as Ichigo was out of sight Kisuke gave a melodramatic sigh before be plopped to his knees while Tessai gave a hearty chuckle. ''I swear that boy is gonna kill me~!''

''Oh come now, you're over exaggerating, Urahara-dono.'' Tessai said making Kisuke give a rather nasty look which was rather uncommon from the usually pleasant man.

''Tessai...'' he started but the taller man continued unperturbed.

''Plus I watched your spar with him and it seemed you were still holding much back on him even when he was using all he had.'' he continued and Kisuke found it harder to tell Tessai the truth.

''Tessai, we were sparring without doing Hakuda, Kido, or Shunpo all of what you saw was his natural physical prowess and Zanjutsu. Nothing else.''

That made Tessai go silent before looking to Kisuke, soon a bead of sweat poured down from his neck before his glasses bean to drop from his eyes. ''Pardon?''

''Tessai, I was doing all I could not to release my Shikai just to even the playing field. I almost slipped and used a few Kido here and there, the kid is growing more and more. He's blowing my expectations of him completely out of the park. If this keeps up with the way he's maturing he's gonna be one terrifying kid.'' Kisuke admitted with no small amount of deception in his voice. He meant every single word, in just one year alone that boy, a child of 10 years of age was already capable by Shinigami standards to be a 5th or 4th seat!

''W-well...thankfully Masaki-dono is able to help keep him in line and with Isshin-dono's aid he is able to keep his skills under wraps. It wouldn't do any good if anyone found out about the boy right now.'' Tessai spoke causing Kisuke to nod in turn. Since Masaki survived the incident she was able to keep Ichigo in line, teaching him right from wrong and all the mannerisms his father...ehm lacked. Kami knows how the boy would turn out if Isshin was left alone to raise him.

…..

'Probably turn into a delinquent that earned a reputation for beating up bullies at school and such.' the man thought before laughing off such a ridiculous thought.

If only he knew...

Kurosaki Clinic

''Oi minna! I'm home!'' Ichigo announced himself to his family as he walked inside his home. And he was awared the scent of supper being cooked.

'Kaa-san must be cooking, wonder what she's making...oh no!' his eyes widened in alarm when he heard an alarming sound of footsteps coming from upstairs. It was coming and fast, he tensed himself and readied his body for it.

''IIIIIIIIIICCCCCCHHHHHHHIIIIIIGGGGGGGOOOOOO!'' the resounding scream of his beloved father echoed in the Kurosaki household. His father came at him with alarming speed, sending a kick towards his face. However having grown accustom to his father's random acts of attacking him since that incident he moved with experienced ease. Strafing to the right he grabbed hold of his fathers leg and sending a stern look to his father he than began to spin him. Then he threw him against the sofa before going towards the old goat and looked down at him, ''Sup tou-san?'' he received a groan from the full grown man.

''Are you two fighting...again?''

At that moment, Isshin and Ichigo turned stark white as a voice that sounded oh so elegant could make the most foulest of demons shit themselves before bowing for forgiveness. Ichigo's brown eyes dilated and he dared to turn his head as Isshin began to sweat profusely as he and his son beheld the sight of the one thing all mankind feared for their very life's.

An angry woman...

There stood Kurosaki Masaki, beautiful and graceful like that of an angel sent down from the Heavens. Her long wavy brown hair fell to her mid-back and her almond brown eyes bore down on the two with a 'pleasant' expression that just screamed something else entirely. Held in hand in a ominous manner was a wooden ladle that at the very sight made both father and son quiver on the spot.

That damned thing was deadly!

''Well...were you?'' she pressed on making Isshin gulp before Ichigo, with the need to survive overtaking everything else...blamed his father!

''He started it Kaa-san! He attacked me first!'' he ignored the shocked and betrayed look from Isshin while his mother's look turned pleasant when she looked his way making him sigh in relief. Than he remembered the ingredients from the Urahara shop and handed her the bag, ''By the way, Tessai-san told me to give you these ingredients you ordered.''

Blinking in mild surprise Masaki took hold of the bag and gave her eldest child a smile, ''Oh thank you sochi for bringing them. I can use this for tomorrow's dinner! Now than, why don't you go get washed up and supper should be done by then. Mmm'kay?'' Ichigo just gave a nod in return. He did need a shower and giving one last pitying look at his father he turned his back and walked away leaving his father at the mercy of his mother and the deadly wooden ladle.

''Now then...'' Masaki continued as she saw her son go upstairs, she turned her head back to look at Isshin and what he saw...what he saw would have made Old man Yamamoto himself run in fear. Masaki's face was shadowed by the bangs of her hair, and her mouth was set in a cruel smirk and...was he seeing things or were her eyes glowing red?

''Where were we my dear husband?''

And Masaki came down swinging the ladel with deadly accuracy and the whole neighborhood heard the most girlish scream rip out from the Kurosaki Clinic.

''AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! NOT THE FACE! NOT THE FACE!''

Ichigo let out a wince as he heard his fathers yelps and screams of pain and anguish as he went upstairs. As he did so though he had only one warning of dual footsteps coming to from his left before he heard the sound of two voices that he instantly recognized.

''Onii-chan!'' spinning around he smiled before his two little sisters, Yuzu and Karin ran towards him. Smiling donning their little faces and it honestly made him smile brightly at the sight of his two younger siblings. Major reasons as to why he had accepted and chosen to become what he was now.

The two girls were fraternal twins of 6 years of age, Yuzu was much like their mother Masaki having an overly sweet personality altogether with a slight pinch of being playful when dealing with her sister Karin. She inherited their mother's light brown hair and her eyes were a much darker brown shade than her sister Karins. As for Karin well, Ichigo had to define her as a tomboy, and she was beginning to resemble him in some form. She had black hair and dark grey eyes which brightened as she looked up at her and Yuzu's brother.

''Hey Yuzu, Karin, Kaa-san's about finished with supper so go and get washed. But don't mind if tou-san is whimpering at the table.'' he said with a slight grin making them blink in confusion. That is before Karin realized what he meant followed by Yuzu causing them to giggle.

''He did it again? One of these days goat-chin is gonna learn...'' she shook her head causing him nod his head and patting their heads he walked to his room. Intent to clean himself, eat and get some well deserved sleep.

'Sides Tatsuki-chan would take any chance to get me if my guard is down...she just won't let up. Wonder why tou-san and kaa-san always have that look when she comes over...it's like they know something I don't.' scowling Ichigo went to his room not knowing exactly why he was agitated about that.

That Night-Ichigo's Room

Laying in bed Ichigo was wide awake as he stared up at his ceiling with an impassive expression. Another day, another day of school, training at the dojo with Tatsuki and another training session with his Shinigami instructors at the Urahara Shop. It was a lot for him to get used to, but it was his choice to make at the beginning and he hadn't regretted it since the day his parents told him of what he was now.

It all originated on the night of that incident they said, somehow he had fulfilled his promise to his mother, to protect her and everyone he loved. By remembering that promise he somehow awakened his powers that he inherited from his father whom told him that he was a Shinigami and used it to kill that thing, a hollow his mother called it. Because of that, his parents told him that he was a Shinigami like his father was, and now had to train his new found powers by the local Shinigami his father befriended before he was born.

They had given him a choice, but Ichigo knew sooner or later he would have to take up his powers and at the time he knew that he wielded power to actually do something to protect those he cared for. Even if that meant going through torturous training sessions with Kisuke and Tessai he still accepted it in a heartbeat, and would do so again and again if represted with the choice again. He'd accepted to be trained back then and he felt he was growing stronger, vastly stronger then he ever was or ever hoped to be on that night. But as he looked up at his hand he clenched it as a scowl formed over his face.

It wasn't enough though, he still felt as if he didn't have near enough power to protect everyone. He knew the basics of the Shnigami Arts, but he still felt as if he hadn't even made a scratch in the proverbial iceberg of what he could actually do or accomplish. He was forbidden to engage any of those Hollows until his instructors felt he was ever ready for them. He was never allowed to go outside without a necklace given to him by Kisuke as gift for awakening his powers so early. Grasping at said necklace he looked at it and saw that it was a sea green gem that had two silver beads on both sides of the gem which was tide together in a black string. He didn't know what its use for was and was only told what it was for when he was older. But he figured it had something to do with keeping him away from Hollows and other Shinigami.

Something his father had warned him severely about, to never ever come in contact with another shinigami that wasn't Kisuke or Tessai.

Sighing Ichigo let go of his necklace and turned his gaze out to the sky, deciding to try something he read in a book from Urahara's he sat up and positioned himself on his mattress in a meditative posture. This was something he read in a book belonging to Kisuke which was said to be called Jinzen, a meditative posture that a shinigami would use to train with his Zanpakuto. Deciding to give it a try, he closed his eyes, willing his zanpakuto to form on his lap which it did. Forming from blue spiritual particles that came out from within him. It soon began to form into the blade that battle against Kisuke's Zanpakuto not too long ago.

Feeling a bit of anxiety, Ichigo calmed his breathing and closed his eyes repeating the words he read in the book in a mantra so he could come in contact with his zanpakuto spirit and by extension his inner world. He always wondered why his zanpakuto was already in shikai form before he even knew its name and Kisuke theorized it was because of his immense reiryoku that was unleashed at the brin on that night which forced it to transform, but it's power was sealed until he knew its name. Soon enough Ichigo felt a pull on his consciousness and everything went black as he felt himself get pulled by this sensation.

When he opened his eyes once more, Ichigo was welcomed to a sight of pure grasslands, mountains dotting the landscape which spanned far in the distance. He turned and saw dense forests even one of which was behind him which seemed just a tad darker than the rest. However it was when he felt a slight presence above that he looked up to see a man standing a tree branch while looking directly down at him.

It was a middle-aged man with brown-tinted sun glassed, with a stubble and long ragged black hair with brown highlights. He wore from what he could see was a oversized black overcoat with with burgundy highlights that seemed to flare out in tattered ends, as if some non-existent wind was blowing it in that direction. He also wore low-heeled boots, and black pants.

Narrowing his eyes, steeling his resolve he stepped forward meeting the man's gaze with strong brown eyes which seemed to impress the man if the slightest quirk of his brow was any indication.

''So let me guess, are you my zanpakuto, Ojii-san?'' the 10 year old Shinigami-in-training spoke to the spirit who seemed content with looking down at the boy before speaking.

''That I am, but I wonder something, young Kurosaki. Can you...finally hear my name?''

It was at that moment, that single moment Ichigo knew his life was gonna be taking a drastic turn when he the old man spoke his name.

"Hear my name, my wielder, shout out my name, let it ring out and pierce the very heavens, for my name is, Zangetsu!''

Seireitei-Unknown Location

A small computer screen lit up being the only source of light in a darkened room, it revealed a 10 year old Ichigo seated in a Jinzen posture as a impassive expression was all that could be seen from the boys face. However the one watching this play out intertwined his fingers and watched with no small amount of interest or intrigue. Brown scholarly hair parted way to reveal square-shaped glasses that reflected bits of what the screen was revealing to the man. While parts of his eyes revealed them to be soft brown orbs which seemed to twinkle in deep and genuine interest in the boy in the screen.

''Yet again you exceed even my own expectations, Kurosaki Ichigo. Already performing the Jinzen...remarkable, simply remarkable.'' watching the screen go by, a small smile of excitement played across the mystery mans face.

''Perhaps my future plans need to be altered a bit. I eagerly await to see how much further you advance yourself, Kurosaki Ichigo.''

Done! That's a wrap! You know I think I may just make chapters this short from now on, kinda enjoy it this way. Easier to get what I want in without needless headaches about pumping in more and more.

As you can see Ichigo may seem a little out of character, but that's because I feel with Masaki alive she has an influence on him as he grows. So, there will be changes in him which you will see in future chapters.

With that being said, yes I abused the almighty hell out of Ichigo's advanced growth rate, but when I look back I see that I am a bit accurate. Ichigo at 15 years old just became a shinigami and at the end of the Winter War went above and beyond the powers of a Shinigami and Hollow, all in just one year. So, with that being said...

He's gonna be one scary mofo...

Anyway I'm tired so I'm out! All constructive criticism is very much appreciated now have a good day!

Ojii-san: (Old Man)

Jinzen: (Blade Zen/Sword Meditation)

Kaa-san/chan: (Mother)

Tou-san: (Father)

Onii-san: (Big Brother)

Sochi: (Son)

Shikomizue: (A blade hidden inside a cane)