Chapter 2: Return of Deathberry

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Ichigo looked at his surroundings. He was in the park, and the late afternoon sun cast an unearthly golden glow on the playground. Finding a nearby bench, he sat down and sighed. He seemed to be sighing a lot lately, he regarded to himself. It was probably because of the rather abrupt change that had occurred in his life. To have been thrust into a whole new world so suddenly, and just as abruptly ripped from said world, it took one some time to adjust. No one could say that Ichigo was one to go with the flow. He did things his own way, at his own pace.

Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, he looked up to see an unfamiliar figure. He had black hair, dark violet eyes, and a framed face that spoke of untold power on a rather tight leash. A blue trench coat covered his frame, a black shirt and black slacks accompanying black shoes. His eyes on Ichigo, his body in a relaxed pose as he regarded the strawberry.

"Yo." came the man's greeting.

Ichigo blinked. "Uh...hey. Can I help you?"

The stranger nodded. "Yeah. You can get off your ass and come with me, or you can sit there like a pitiful dog and sulk." Without giving Ichigo a chance to respond, the stranger did a 180 and began to walk away.

Ichigo's ire was immediately stoked. Who the hell did this guy think he was, just walking up to a random person and talking like that?

"Oi, teme, get your ass back here so I can beat it properly!"

"If you want to beat my ass, I suggest you follow me."

"Fine, be that way!" Leaping up, Ichigo ran to catch up to the man, who was calmly strolling down the park pathway, headed for the playground.

Nearing his object of attention, Ichigo's comment died on his lips as he rounded a grove of trees and spotted his friends near the playground equipment. His surprise was clearly registered on his face. His friends sported equally surprised looks.

"Kurosaki?" came Ishida's question.

"Kurosaki-kun! There you are! We were beginning to worry!" said Inoue.

"What's going on, Ichigo?" Chad asked.

Ichigo shrugged as he neared them. "I don't really know. Ask him." Pointing to the mystery man, all eyes turned to him.

Sighing, the man shrugged. "I suppose I should introduce myself. The name is Ishigawa Yuuto, and as to why I've asked you all here-"

"But you didn't ask us here!" said Inoue. "Kurosaki-kun did!"

"That's easily explainable." Yuuto began, seeing the confused (and now suspicious) looks he was getting. "I had to use a number that you would all recognize as Ichigo's. So I hacked his cellphone."

Eyes widening, all four of them stepped back from Yuuto. Ishida was the first to ask the most pressing question. "Care to tell us why you would do such a thing?"

Sighing, Yuuto rubbed the back of his head, a mannerism that seemed oddly Ichigo-like. "I told you already. I needed you all to be here, and Ichigo is the linchpin to this whole group. Would you have come to the park if I had used a random number that you didn't know?" Seeing the understanding come into their eyes, he nodded. "Of course not. You would have probably called the police, or some shit like that."

"What makes you think we won't still do that?" Ishida challenged.

"Because I did it for a good reason, and I would not have brought all four of you here for something dubious. If I had any ill intentions, I most likely would have brought only one of you here, no?"

"While that may be true, I still don't like the idea of you using me to get to my friends." Ichigo growled. "Your explanation better be a damn good one."

Shaking his head, Yuuto chuckled. "Oh, my 'explanation' will be a good one, all right." With that said, he drew a sword that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and plunged it into Ichigo's chest.

The shocked silence was so thick you could cut it with a knife...or in this case, a sword. Before any of them could react, the world seemed to explode. Ishida, Chad, and Inoue covered their faces, as dust and blades of grass were kicked up into the air.

When it began to settle, Ishida opened his eyes to see, of all people, Kuchiki Rukia, her Zanpakuto drawn and...were those tears? His brain was so numb at this point, he didn't know if he was hallucinating or not.

Once the air had finally cleared enough, they could see Yuuto on the ground, visibly weakened and panting fiercely. What further shocked the group was that he was now clad in Shinigami robes, his Gigai collapsed against a tree. His robes, however, were not of the traditional black. They appeared to be gray, and were fluctuating between white and black every few seconds. His blade was at his side, but the man was so tired he couldn't even pick it up.

Upon turning to where Ichigo had stood, they were once again thrown for a loop. Ichigo's body was also propped against a tree, and he was now clad in a black shukakusho similar to the one he'd worn before he lost his powers. There were several noticeable differences, though.

First, his hands were crisscrossed by several black straps, and on his left was what appeared to be a leather handguard. These leather straps were crossed over his chest, disappearing into his robes, and wrapped around the back of his neck, not quite connecting and acting more like a shirt collar then protective gear. They were also wrapped around his ankles, ending when they met his leather sandals that had replaced his straw ones.

The only other change was the most noticeable one. His Zanpakuto, Zangetsu, had undergone several changes to its' design. First, the blade; gone was the giant butcher's knife, and in its' place was the...giant meat cleaver design. Regardless, the blade remained relatively similar, with the exception of the tip, ending in a wicked faux point that then curved downward to end in a second, main point. It almost looked as if a chunk had been taken out of the original sword, then smoothed over to make the shape seem natural.

The handle had also undergone a change. Gone was the cloth band that had served as a makeshift grip, and in its' place was a black leather grip, both ends of the handle wrapped with gold circlets. The very end sported a short, broken chain, similar to Tensa Zangetsu's former chain.

Blinking, Ichigo felt his chest, sure that a sword had stabbed his heart just seconds ago. Looking around, he met the stunned expressions of Chad, Uryuu, Orihime, and...

Rukia.

Ichigo barely had any time to react before the petit Shinigami was wrapped around his torso, her added weight bringing him painfully to the ground.

"AHHH, RUKIA! WHAT THE HELL?!"

He blinked again, feeling a wet patch on his shukakusho. Looking down, he realized she was crying into his chest.

"Rukia..."

Looking up, said girl gave him a huge smile. "Welcome back, baka!" Without hesitation, and almost as if she'd done it a thousand times over, Rukia wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled his head forward, smashing her lips onto his.

The silence was once again rather heavy, as shock roiled over the people present for the umpteenth time. Ishida's cheeks were a healthy hue of pink, and he kept clearing his throat, hoping that it would alert the two to outside intrusion.

Orihime's eyes widened, before closing in silent acceptance. Ever since Hueco Mundo, she'd finally accepted the fact that Ichigo could never love her the way she loved him, so her love had morphed into sisterly love, and she now treated Ichigo like a big brother. Still, that didn't make the pain of seeing Rukia kiss Ichigo any less bearable. However, she figured that with time, it would go away, or at least lessen.

Chad's expression was the most comical out of the three, his eyes having widened considerably. His mouth hung open in complete shock, and his arms hung loosely at his sides. His knees buckled, and he barely managed to keep himself upright.

Ichigo's face was unreadable...mostly because his face was completely red. His shock had soon been replaced by the need to kiss her back. So he did just that. Her small moan of approval was all he needed to know he was on the right track.

"I...think I need...a little help, here."

The sound of heavy breathing broke the two from their heated exchange, and all eyes turned to Yuuto, his clothing now stark white as his sword faded from sight. Rukia immediately got off of Ichigo, and grabbed the man by his robes, hefting him to eye level.

"What the hell did you think you were doing, you asshole?!"

"Bringing...Ichigo's...powers back...that's what."

Scoffing, she dragged the poor man to his Gigai, before letting him climb back inside the faux body. He leaned against the tree, sweat trickling down his forehead as he started to regain his reiatsu.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just kill you here and now..."

"Yuuto" he filled in. "Ishigawa Yuuto."

"Right." Drawing her blade, she put the tip at his throat. "So, care to answer my question?"

"He's back, isn't he? Shouldn't that be good enough of a reason?"

Startled, she looked him in the eye, and saw only honesty in his response. Lowering the blade, she shook her head. "What you did was not only reckless, but borderline suicidal. If you know of Ichigo, you should also know how he got his powers in the first place."

Yuuto nodded. "Power transferal. It was so stupidly simple. In order to reawaken his Shinigami powers, all we had to do was transfer enough power to act as a catalyst to pull them from the depths of which they were thrust into."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Wait, when Old Man Zangetsu told me of the Final Getsuga Tenshou, he said that I would lose all of my Shinigami powers after using it. So why do I still have them?"

Yuuto smirked. "Your Zanpakuto must have not known the entirety of its' own technique. The same happened with Isshin."

Ichigo blinked. "My dad?"

Yuuto nodded again. "Yeah. A while back, he had to use Mugetsu as well. Against whom, I'm not at liberty to say. However, that's how we were able to bring his powers back, as well."

Rukia cleared her throat. "Be that as it may, you still have not properly introduced yourself, Shinigami."

Yuuto blinked. "Ah, right. Well then. Ishigawa Yuuto, Juusanbantai Taichou of the Gotei 13." He paused. "Well, now it's probably FORMER Juusanbantai Taichou, seeing as I've been gone all this time."

A terse silence followed, as everyone tried to process this new information. Rukia was the first to ask. "You...were a captain?"

Yuuto shrugged. "I didn't think they handed out white haori for having good behavior or being a smooth talker, so yeah, I suppose so."

Rukia's eye twitched. "Oi, just because you say you're a captain does not make you one. How am I supposed to believe what you say?"

Yuuto groaned. "Have the Thirteen Court Guard Squads really gotten this stupid?" Before Rukia could retort, he held out a white haori. Common knowledge as it is, all haori are specifically designed for the bearer, and carry the bearer's signature engraved in their own reiatsu. Even an unseated Shinigami could confirm this, if they had the knowledge, by simply applying a little of their reiatsu to the cloak. The signature would respond, and send back the appropriate information regarding the bearer: Name, Rank, and Position within the Gotei 13.

After doing so, Rukia handed the haori back with shaky hands. "So you are really..."

Yuuto scoffed. "As if someone would go around impersonating a captain. If you can find a quicker way to get yourself killed, I have not found one."

Rukia nodded. "So, then why-"

"Why did I disappear?"

She nodded.

He sighed. "You guys have probably heard of Kano Ashido, correct?" It took them several seconds, but they eventually remembered the Shinigami that had sacrificed himself to let them escape the Menos Forest in Hueco Mundo. "Him and his squad were killed by Hollows, after getting trapped in Hueco Mundo after following several Hollow through a Garganta. My situation was...similar, yet not."

"I was on assignment in the Human World. I'd taken over the duties of my Lieutenant because he had fallen ill. I was on my way back through the Dangai when it suddenly closed. I was trapped in there, and for the next several decades, I was forced to remain in the confines of the Dangai, constantly avoiding the blasted Kototsu, and waiting for the one day when I would be able to leave that accursed place. Then, you came along, Ichigo."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You and your father passed though the Dangai, and your father allowed you to undergo the training that I had completed ages ago: Jinzen."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "So you...you've..."

Yuuto nodded. "I've become one with my sword just as you have with yours."

Ishida interrupted. "I hate to barge in..."

Ichigo snorted. "Which you always seem to do."

Ishida ignored him. "...but how is it possible that you are still here? Wouldn't the Kototsu have erased you in seven days' time?"

Yuuto nodded. "You're correct in your assumption. Most of the time, I was able to avoid it by slipping into different sections of the Dangai. However, if all else failed, I would periodically destroy the blasted thing, and I'd get about a month's peace."

Ishida's eyes widened. "Destroy the Kototsu? How is that possible? No Shinigami weapon should be able to do damage to it."

Yuuto nodded. "Again, correct. However, as Ichigo can attest, upon completion of Jinzen, you will ascend to a whole other plane of existence. Your power level will be far greater than any can feel. Remember when Aizen easily destroyed the Kototsu? It wasn't because he was fused with the Hogyouku. It was because his attack was easily far stronger than the current could withstand. Thus, it buckled under that strength. Since I rarely destroyed the thing, the Department of Research and Development just assumed there were glitches in the programming of their computers, or something like that, since they never came to investigate."

Ishida nodded. "That may be, but here's another thing: How did you know of Aizen? Better yet, how did you know of the Hogyouku?"

Yuuto sighed. "Kids these days. Fine. Knowledge of Aizen is easy: the guy was an arrogant bastard, and even if he didn't reveal it, I could easily tell he was plotting something huge. NO one is THAT nice without some ulterior motive. Even Shunsui, that womanizing little-" catching himself, and disregarding the looks he was getting, Yuuto continued.

"Er, anyway...Before I went missing, I'd learned of Urahara's work on the Hogyouku, and I put two and two together. Course, by the time I had done so, I'd been trapped in the Dangai for some time. All I had left to do was train, think, and avoid the blasted Cleaner."

Ishida nodded again, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"Anything else?" When no one spoke up, Yuuto nodded. "Good. Oh, and you over there..." he pointed to a random tree. "...have you heard enough?"

Blinking, the group was not prepared to see Arisawa Tatsuki walk out of her impromptu hiding place. She walked right over to Yuuto and-

WHACK

His face to the side, having jerked that way violently when she punched him, Yuuto closed his eyes and side. "And what, may I ask, have I done this time, young lady?"

The others were in too much shock to stop her...rather, they were too shocked to even speak, let alone move. Not only could Tatsuki TOUCH a Shinigami, she hauled off and punched one. It's typically not a good idea to punch a death god, even if they don't take it personally.

The second punch was accompanied by a kick, and Yuuto staggered back a bit, blood pouring from his nose as he reached up and reset it with a rather sickening CRUNCH.

"You may be a Shinigami like Ichigo, but I will be DAMNED if I see you stab him again, for ANY reason! You just got lucky that your little trick worked. Otherwise, I'd send you right after Ichigo, you sorry bastard!"

Rukia's mouth was agape. No one spoke to a Gotei 13 Taichou like that, even if he was a FORMER Taichou. "Arisawa-san, I don't think you-"

"Shut it, Rukia." THAT got everyone's attention. Tatsuki now focused on the petite Shinigami, fire behind that cold stare. "You got some nerve, just up and kissing him like that."

She blushed, and behind her, a certain strawberry blushed as well. Tatsuki saw this, and growled. "YOU are just lucky that you're friends with everyone here, minus the bastard." A thumb was jerked in Yuuto's direction.

"Oh, Tatsuki-chan~ You wound me so." Yuuto mock-pouted.

Whipping around, she sent another right hook at his face. Ichigo was about to stop her, but saw Yuuto's pointed look at his direction. The fist connected, and blood once more poured freely from his nose.

Cracking his neck, Yuuto snorted out some blood, then turned to Tatsuki. "You done throwing your temper tantrum, little lady?"

Another fist to his face was the reply. Now completely enraged, she did nothing but punch his face over and over, until her arms finally wore themselves out.

Blood now poured freely from multiple areas of Yuuto's face, but his eyes never changed. "I take it you're done now?"

Panting, Tatsuki growled again. "You bastard."

Doing his best to wipe his face clean, he felt his face for any more obvious damages. "Hmm, cracked tooth, fractured jaw, broken cheekbone, broken nose...AGAIN, and several cuts and bruises. Not bad. Not good, either, but still..."

Smirking, Tatsuki looked him over. "Yeah, and what do you know about-"

Her sentence was cut off when she blinked. He was gone! Looking over, they spotted him near a tree, looking bored as he waited for their full attention. Getting it, he turned to the tree, and flicked it, then began walking back to the group.

"What the he-" the sound of wood groaning in protest had Tatsuki's eyes widen, as the tree began to splinter on the point of impact, and finally split altogether, both halves collapsing near their brethren.

"Wha...but...you...I...HOW?" came her incredulous reply, mirrored by the looks of awe on the others.

"Simple. I found the focal point of all the tree's energy. Mainly, the trunk. Most would think the roots, but all they do is draw the energy in. The trunk is where it's stored, so therefore it's the focal point. Next, I found a weakness in the focal point, one that could be easily exploited with the right amount of force. Finally, I applied that force, and let the tree destroy itself as its' own energy lost cohesion and tore itself apart. It's kinda like taking away a keystone from a foundation. The building will collapse under its' own weight without said keystone to help."

Ichigo thought back to Urahara's explanation of Soul Society's dependency on the Spirit King. That he was the focal point, the keystone, all in one. "Makes sense when you put it that way."

The others turned to him. "You understood that, Kurosaki?" came Ishida.

Rubbing the back of his head, Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. Urahara-san mentioned a similar situation, and it wasn't that different of an explanation. They're really similar."

Nodding, Yuuto went over to Tatsuki, who was now quite unsure of herself around this man. While only a few feet taller than her, his strength was undoubted.

Looking at her scared expression, Yuuto shook his head. "No need to be scared, Tatsuki. I'd sooner take my own arm off than hit a woman. I'm not so low. However, not everyone is as...nice...as I am. Make sure to gauge a person's ACTUAL strength first. It's always a good idea to know if the person you're punching can tear you apart with a thought or not."

She nodded, and he smiled. "Good. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my little firecracker, now would I?" Getting a blush as a response, he laughed. "Alright. Now, Ichigo." Getting the orange-haired man's attention, he continued. "You are going to have to come with me. Rather, you and I are going to have to go with Rukia back to Seireitei. We need to, basically, report in and show that: A. We've come back, and B. We're not as dead as everyone thought we are. Well, the second part is mostly for me, but you get my drift."

"Fine. Guys, make sure to-"

"Tch, we've been taking care of the town for the last 17 months without your help, Kurosaki. I'm sure that we can handle another hour or so."

"Right. Well, I guess we're off, then."

"See you later Kurosaki-kun, Rukia-chan, Yuuto-san!"

"See you later, Ichigo."

With a nod, all three turned around, and-

"Rukia, open the Senkaimon."

"Wait, why me?! Why can't you do it, Yuuto?"

"Well, I can. But if I do it, then they'll immediately get suspicious. Using code that hasn't been used in centuries is a surefire way to get the 12th Division up in arms."

"Oh, right." Opening the Senkaimon, Rukia leapt in, followed by Ichigo. Before following, Yuuto looked over his shoulder at Tatsuki. "Try not to get into any more trouble, 'kay Firecracker?"

She blushed again, and he laughed louder as he leapt into the portal.

Second chapter done, and I'm hoping that people are liking it. Comments, rates, and reviews are most welcome, and so are flames. (I can take the heat, not the ignorance.)

Ja ne,

Sgt. Assassin.