Disclaimer: I don't own anything and any spoliers in here are sheerly accidental, I'm still reading/watching everything so if I spoil something it's not meant to be. However the Shinsei Shinigami, Sakura and her squad her Zanpakuto and the such belong to me. Ichigo and his group belong to there orginal creators...and this is the long forgotten disclaimer. O.o
It was Saturday morning, yesterday had been fun, Ichigo showing her around and right now she was sitting on the chair in his room reading a book learning as much as she could, although this 'history' book was boring to read. She blinked when he rolled over and looked at her jerking and slamming into a wall for a moment with a wild sort of half awake look on his face.
"Sakura?" He asked.
"How many other girls do you know who are short with silvery hair?" She asked playfully and he relaxed.
"None, just making sure." He said and she smiled. "What are you reading?"
"History." She said snapping the book shut. "I managed to finish it....although it was a bit much, a rather heavy read." Sakura paused at the look on his face, he looked liked he was about to drop to the floor in shock. She'd say die, but he had already half way done that already.
"Come on we're supposed to meet up with Chad, Orhime and Uryu at the mall." He said and she blinked.
"The mall..." She said and shook her head. "It's been ages since I was to one of those."
"Your joking.." Ichigo said and she shook her head. 'No'.
"No, sadly not. I don't get out much as a **Shinsei.**" Sakura said and looked at him wearing a white dress with blue trim and little bows starting at the back of the waist and going down over the upper skirt. Ichigo took her hand and they left his room, without saying anything to his dad. He still wasn't happy with his old man for not telling him about being a soul reaper even if he himself didn't say anything to his dad. As they walked down the block Ichigo sighed.
"Something wrong Kurosaki-kun?" She asked and he looked at her.
"Your living with me Sakura, please it's easier if on my nerves if you just call me Ichigo." Ichigo said and Sakura smiled.
"Alright Ichigo." She said then tipped her head. "Something is still bothering you though."
"Yeah...." He said and looked away."I don't see how you even think being a Shinsei that I'd qualifty...I mean with it..."
"If your refering to the hollow inside of you, that's not big deal." She said waving her hand dismissively. "Lord Enma knows about and it not concerned."
"How can he not be?" Ichigo said.
"Because you have the strength to control the power and not let the power control and consume you." She said looking at him. "I can feel your Reiatsu Ichgo. All around me. I don't know if you can sense mine or not. A Shinsei's Reiatsu is a tad bit different then a normal Shinigami's."
Ichigo was quiet a moment then nodded. "I feel yours it's like I'm drowing in a warm ocean."
Sakura paused. "Did you say warm?" She asked and when he nodded she smiled and started laughing. "Well your the frist to discribe my Reiastsu as warm."
Ichigo looked at her. "Oh and what else would it be?"
"Ichigo, a soul reapers or Shinsei's attacks are based off of a persons reiatsu. Mine....Zakurakadoguchi is a ice and cherry blossom. Both the cold of death." She looked at him. "Neither of which are warm or reassuring."
Ichigo looked at her. "Really you don't feel cold to me." He said shrugging.
Sakura looked at him then took a deep breath and shook her head. "Perhaps, it's because like you I have a hollow inside of me."
Ichigo stopped walking which made her stop and turn to face him. She stood there looking at him a moment as he took her in.
"Your a Vizard?" He asked staring at her.
"No." She said looking at him. "And neither are you. A Vizard is a Shinigami who turns there back on everything that we stand for, the balance and harmony of the spirit and mortal realms. And wishes for nothing but further there own goals. You are not a Vizard because you want to protect your friends right? You want to be strong enough so that the hollows, Arrancar and anything else that attacks can be stopped and can't hurt them."
Ichigo nodded. "Yeah."
"I'm the same way. As such among the Shinsei the ability to access that well spring of power is called Sumiyaka Kishou." She said softly and heard him repeat it.
"Quick spirit?" he said again and she nodded.
"Yes, it's in reference to the fact that once the mask is on, the speed and power, the owner of the mask has is quicker, faster more powerful then others." Sakura said.
Ichigo nodded. "In other words."
"In other words Kurosaki Ichigo." She said smiling up at him as he was taller then her. "It is a rare and wondreful gift, if one can handle it. Lord Enma believes you are one that can, and that you'll earn that title. Sumiyaka Kishou.(1) It a postion not often given out." She said as she started walking with him again. "But it would be given to you."
"How many others have it?" He asked curious.
"Just her Ichigo." Kisuke said and both of them jumped.
"Oh sorry, did I startle you to?" He asked handing Sakura her student Id and shaking his head. "I thought you might need that, and happened to see the two of you passing by."
Sakura nodded her head. "Thank you Captian Urahara."
"Now now, no need for that." He said waving his hand. "Kisuke is fine." He smiled.
"Then please it's just Sakura." She said softly then blinked and felt Ichigo grab ahold of her holding her close without thinking about it as the spiritual pressure suddenly went thru the roof causing the buildings to shake and the ground to feel like it was trying to swallow you up.
"What is this insane pressure?" Ichigo asked and Sakura held onto him.
Sakura closed her eyes. Her mortal frame could not handle the pressure and she couldn't breath, but nor could she shift with the air to speak the enchantment that would allow her to shift. Then felt a hand touch her forehead and suddenly she was breathing. Looking up at Kisuke who held up his hand with an odd glove on he smiled.
"It forces a release from one's 'gi-gai' I figured you could use the help Sakura." He said and looked around. "What is that?"
"I'm not sure." Sakura said as she began to move a little and at Ichigo at the pain he was in and yet he had not once shifted his grip on her. Reaching up she touched him in the forehead and watched as his Shinigami form fell backwards out of his 'gi-gai'
"Ichigo are you alright?" She asked and he nodded.
"Yeah we have to get to the source of this...Urahara..."
"It's fine. You can leave your gi-gai with me. I'll make sure nothing happens to it." Urahara said waving him off.
Together the two took off running hitting the air and making good time...not that it was hard to track the pressure down. There was so much of it, and the closer one got to the center the more it screamed. Although standing there was one that Ichigo didn't want to see. A hollow mask took up the one side of his face, his eyes insane and the cold smirk there...
"Aizen." He said....Aizen was dead, Ichigo was certain of that, his heart thudding wildly in his chest.
"Ah yet Kurosaki Ichigo. I made the mistake of underestmating you once. Not again, although I see you got my calling card." He said and shook his head. "Is it really so surprising that I'm alive? Have you forgotten my Zanpakuto's magic? Did you think I ever released you from it?"
Ichigo glared at him and he smirked. "Time to end it though. You can not hope to win."
"Ten Kara Oriru Zakurakadoguchi.(2) " Sakura said and the cherry blossoms began to rain down from the heavens. She moved forwards and the spiritual pressure broke and Ichigo took a deep breath as if he could breath again. But he was watching a different sort of enchantment. Sakura was moving and dancing the chained fans flying around leaving behind glittering archs of reddish pink or icy blue light, but it was the blade edge that caught his attention as it seemed to cut lines of ice thru the air and thru Aizen, as well as the shards that seemed to fracture from the lines of ice in the air and go flying at him, but it was the cherry blossom petals that caught his attention, there scent cleared his mind broke the spell of Aizen's Zanpakuto, while they also cut Aizen. She stopped dancing after a few moments and glared at him.
"Your dark illusions will not work here." She said and he smiled.
"No, not before the power of a Shinsei. More to the point the first Captian Sakura Hitsugaya.
Your Zanpakuto, the cherry blossom gateway. The the road of the afterlife. All things become clear upon it's path."
Ichigo watched him hold up his hand as blood dripped down. Aizen looked at the wounds and moved jumping up into the air as a Menos grande appeared. "This is far from over. WE will meet again and everything will fall apart. You can not hope to win against me Ichigo. She may have broken my spell this time but you will fall after all you're either an Arrancar or an Vizard, there is nothing else for you."
After he dissappeared Sakura turned and faced Ichigo. "I'm sorry for stepping in."
"No, it's fine." He said shaking his head. "I'm...not as strong as I thought." Ichigo said and she shook her head.
"No, that's not it." She said looking at him. "Unless I broke that spell, he'd have you believing you'd won and escape at some point thru the battle while you fought against an illusion that he was creating." Sakura said softly.
Ichigo looked at her. "Your certain?"
"Yes, some of the most dangeorus villians out there are the ones who have the forsight to run away when they realize they are loosing so that they can build up there forces even stronger." She looked at the spot he left. "And he's one such bad guy. I'm afraid things are not good right now."
Ichigo nodded his head. "Looks that way, I'm going to have to notify soul society." He said and she nodded.
"I will need to send for the rest of my squad. The girls should be able to help keep your friends safe." She said turning to face him. "Plus help them to devolp there powers." She said looking at him. Then up at the sky. "I saw it yesterday in Uryu and Orhime, they want to help you Ichigo, even though we really only got to meet at the ice cream parlour."
Ichigo looked at her as she turned to face him.
"They don't want to be a burden to you. They want to be able to pull there weight as well." She smiled. "I think the one that's hurting the most, that wants to be able to watch your back like always is Sado." She said softly.
Ichigo looked at her, her words that they didn't need the facts they needed to know him, and he realized that they knew all he had done, had read it like reading a book or watching a movie. What they wanted to know, needed to know couldn't be written down or expressed on a peice of paper. They needed to know what you couldn't put into words.
"If they can help them with that." He said simply. "But I don't want them being in danger."
"Don't worry about that." A voice said from behind him. "That's the last thing we want as well."
Ichigo turned and blinked. Toushirou was there, as well as Rukia, Renji, Yamichika, Ikkau and of course Rangiku. But thent there where three girls he didn't know.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, this is Choko, Akahana. and my Vice-captian Miyuki." Sakura said walking up next to him. "The rest of Squad one."
"It's a small squad huh?" He asked and Sakura smiled. "You could say that. But there all skilled and I can count on them. So that's what matters right?"
Ichigo nodded. "Right....well were headed to the mall to meet up with Orhime and the others."
"Of course were still going." Sakura said looking at him. "Right after we get you your gi-gai and I get Uarhara to unshock my form." She said as they began walking.
"Un-shock?" Ichigo asked and she nodded.
"Yep, he scent my two states into a state of shock, I can't regather my 'gi-gai' as its called." She looked at him. "It's not reforming at the moment.
***Imperial Royal Shinsei Shingami~ I goofed in the last chapter and flipped the 'shin' to the wrong end. It's Shinsei which means holy, scared, or divine. In essence Imperial Scared Shinigami. I'll flip it back as soon as I can. but to avoid confusion here, I added in the note.
1. Sumiyaka Kishou~ Swift Spirit, or Quick Spirit as Sakua explains it's because of the intesne power granted when they use the hollow mask, but it's also in reference to the pain or internal battle, all around everything is moving faster in that state internal and external.
2. Ten Kara Oriru, Zakurakadoguchi~ Fall from the heavens, Zakurakadoguchi. (the Zanpakuto's name is cherry blossom gateway. Just as Aizen said.)