Disclaimer: I am a poor college student living in America, not a successful mangaka living in Japan. Thus it can be reasonably inferred that I do not own Bleach.
AN: I would like to thank the people who reviewed. It makes me feel all warm inside that people actually enjoy this story. Please continue to offer your comments and critiques so that I can make this story as good as possible.
"What are you waiting for? Eat up. Doesn't it look good?"
"It looks like something I just got through beating the stuffing out of. You seriously expect me to eat this thing?"
"Think of it as tenderization. And yes, I expect you to eat it!"
Ururu's eyes bounced back and forth between Jinta and Ichigo as they argued over what was going to be the teen's first meal as an Arrancar. She looked down at the twitching, bleeding lump on the ground that until moments ago had been a low level Hollow. The trio had come across it while trying to figure out what the heck Ichigo was going to eat. Ichigo, who had had a long, stressful day, gleefully used the unfortunate Hollow as a punching bag. Just as the Arrancar had been about to draw his sword and finish it off, Jinta had remembered that the Menos Grande they had faced a week ago had eaten its fellow Hollows. Ichigo was understandably less than enthused with the idea.
"It's not like you have a whole lot of options here, Berry Head! It's eat the Hollow or starve!"
"I'm about three seconds from making you eat it, brat!"
Ururu sighed. I think we're going to be here a while.
-x-
Ishida, Inoue, and Sado followed Yoruichi through the streets of Karakura. After leaving Kisuke to treat his scratches himself, Yoruichi had locked on to the reiatsu signatures of Jinta and Ururu. They were staying in one place, which would make reaching them easy. If the group of teens behind her hadn't insisted on coming, she would have been there already. As they ran she focused on the third source of reiatsu that was with Jinta and Ururu, familiarizing herself with it. It certainly still felt like Kurosaki Ichigo; turning into a Hollow apparently had done nothing for his ability to restrain his power.
The quartet rounded the last corner and caught sight of Ichigo, Jinta, and Ururu. Unfortunately, they arrived exactly when Ichigo's hunger overruled his misgivings over eating a Hollow. Thus, they had a front row seat to Ichigo ripping one of the Hollow's arms off and taking a bite out of it. What followed was very much like a train wreck. Looking away became impossible as Ichigo tore apart and devoured his meal with all the savagery of a true Hollow.
Inoue finally managed to tear her eyes away when her stomach heaved and she emptied what was left of her dinner onto the street. Ishida and Sado looked like they were very close to joining her.
-x-
The sound of something splattering on the ground broke through the haze of bloodlust and hunger that had gripped Ichigo's mind. The first thing he noticed was the bloody hunk of meat in his hands and the blood that had covered the front of his kimono. The sudden realization of what had just happened hit him a moment later. He tossed the remains of the Hollow away in horror and stumbled to his feet. Wheeling around, he caught sight of his friends staring at him, terror evident on their faces. His vision swam, and the last thing he heard was his name being called.
-x-
The next thing Ichigo knew, he was waking up back in Urahara's shop, surrounded by his friends and the shop residents. Judging by the fact he couldn't move, Ichigo guessed that he was – once again- held by a Bakudo. There was also a sword at his neck and a glowing arrow pointing at his face.
"Good evening, Ichigo," Urahara greeted, cheerful smile at odds with the razor edged blade in his hand, "Did you have a nice meal?"
Ichigo glared. "No, not only did it look and taste awful, I lost control of myself while I was eating it."
"Maa, I was expecting that actually. Most Hollows are not able to gain some control of themselves until they get a good meal." That got glares from the rest of the room's occupants. "I'm sensing some hostility…"
"Am I going to go nuts every time I eat?"
"Probably not. "
"You have no idea, do you?" Yoruichi asked.
"It's not like I've studied many Arrancar. They're not easy to find you know."
"Why do I put up with you, Kisuke?"
"My devilish good looks and well developed sense of humor?"
-x-
Ishida let his bow and arrow dissipate so he could pinch the bridge of his nose. The shopkeeper was obviously insane. It was the only explanation for his utter lack of concern for Kurosaki's situation. "What do we do now?"
Yoruichi and Urahara stopped their banter to look at him. Urahara casually leaned back and sheathed his sword. "The best thing we can do is keep Ichigo well fed. That should keep him from losing control every time he eats."
"While that is important, I was referring more to the plan to retrieve Rukia Kuchiki. I doubt Soul Society would simply allow us to waltz in and take her, even if Kurosaki were a Shinigami. I imagine we'll have even more difficulty now."
Kurosaki seemed confused. "Wait, you're just going to ignore the episode I had?"
Ishida pushed his glasses up his nose. "I am not ignoring it. However, you seem perfectly lucid right now, and until we can determine whether it is going to continue happening, I see no reason to continue discussing it."
"That was just a bunch of nerd-speak for 'I'm going to ignore it for now'."
"I could shoot you if you would prefer."
"So…Plan to rescue Rukia?"
"I can answer that," Urahara said, his face turning serious again. "My original plan was to train Ichigo for the next week, to give him the necessary experience he needed to fight the higher level Shinigami, and then let him gain more power and experience as you made your way to Rukia."
At that point, Yoruichi took over. "Obviously, that won't work now. A Hollow invading Soul Society is going to be like kicking a hornet nest, only the hornets have the power to reduce cities to rubble."
"So what are we going to do now?" Inoue asked.
Urahara started to answer, but a knock at the door interrupted him. The door opened to admit Tessai and a thin, blond man. The blond stopped when he saw Ichigo, bound on the floor in a Bakudo. His gaze shifted from Ichigo to the assembled teens, to Yoruichi and Urahara, then back to Ichigo. Then he turned to Tessai and said, "I give up. What's the punchline?"