A/N: I am only going to say this once, I have had some revolting comments about this story being a yaoi one, but I'm not going to change it, I am a yaoi writer and I write for my own entertainment as well as the entertainment as others, so if you have a problem with the path this story is taking please bow out graciously, without sending me disgusting messages calling me a "fag writer" I am bisexual so a comment like that is extremely offensive to me and I will not hesitate to report anyone who starts being vile because they dislike yaoi. Thank you kindly to everyone reading and reviewing, if this story is up your street please continue to enjoy and you have my esteemed thanks for your support.
Chapter Four:
There was a hole. There was a hole in his gut. There was a mother-fucking Hollow hole going straight through his mother-fucking gut!
Ichigo was sat on the edge of the bathtub, having begun to get undressed only to discover the abnormality and become curious, it wasn't painful and it didn't feel any different than before, it felt like the hole wasn't even there... But it clearly was there. He could see it. There was a hole in his gut!
He took a breath and gently ran his finger around the edge of the hole, it felt kind of weird, like a warm tingling sensation. He tilted his head to the side and slowly slid a finger into the abyss, stroking around the blackened innards curiously, his face going slightly read as he realised the sensations caused by the action were causing him to become aroused, his pants growing tighter. He pulled his hand back and wriggled slightly as he looked at the lump in his pants, sighing softly before he turned the water on in the bath and watched the tub fill.
He was in no mood for pleasure, the deaths of his family weighed heavily in his mind, too heavily for him to simply forget. Grief, anger, hatred and murder burned in his heart, he wanted Soi-Fon and Unohana dead at his feet, with looks of pure fear on their faces. And then Yamamoto. He didn't care if every Shinigami in Soul Society came to fear him, he would kill the Head Captain in front of his Gotei 13 what real power and instinct was.
A low growl escaped his throat and he was drawn to the sound of bones cracking, realising to his surprise that he had balled his fist so tightly his knuckles had popped out of their joints. He looked at them with disinterest as he watched his high speed regeneration heal them and sighed, turning off the water and checking the temperature. It was just right.
He removed his remaining clothes and sank into the water, letting out a gasp as the water flooded the hole in his mid-section, creating a wonderfully calming sensation throughout his body. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, reclining and determined to find some small shred of inner peace so he could finally talk with Zangetsu.
There was a flooded city, with only a few rays of light trickling through the dense water, it was murky and not overly pleasant. Ichigo stood atop a sky scraper, looking around curiously at the new state of his Inner World.
"Huh... Guess this transformation fucked everything up..." he scratched his head in thought and shrugged it off, walking around the rooftop, searching for the perch upon which his zanpakutÅ usually stood, "Hey, Old Man, where are you?" he called out, his long hair rippling around him like fire in the water.
He turned abruptly and caught a blade between his hands, his eyes narrowed as he looked into the face of his zanpakutÅ, "Heh, there you are."
"Ichigo?" the tall middle aged male said in surprise, retracting his sword immediately and standing straight, "I began to believe our connection had been forever severed. What happened? Why do you look and smell like a Hollow?"
He raised an eyebrow, "Y-You don't know what happened? Zangetsu where have you been hiding?" he exclaimed.
"I have not been hiding. Sometime ago I ceased to be able to hear you, all I recall was an enormous feeling of loss, and then the rain came. It came like never before. We were lashed by terrible storms, lightening and thunder, the floods... Ichigo the floods... What happened to you, boy?"
He faltered as he realised the other man really had no clue and felt his throat tighten, "We were betrayed." he breathed.
"Betrayed?"
"By the Shinigami... Yamamoto..." his gaze fell to the floor, "They are dead, Old Man... My family... They were killed... And there was nothing I could do... In my grief I... I became a Hollow. I'm sorry... I-I let you down... I let Shiro win..."
Zangetsu frowned faintly and rested a hand on the other's shoulder, "I don't think you let anyone down. As powerful and wilful as you are... You cannot bring miracles. It sounds as though you and Shiro became one, in which case, neither of you won or lost. You simply because one. I am proud of you. Even now you still have the will to fight. And I will remain with you until the very end. Remain strong Ichigo, listen to your heart. You still have friends."
The strawberry looked up at him and nodded, he was right, there were people in Soul Society he cared about, people in the World of the Living he cared about, and right now they all believed he was dead, "I know what I have to do." he said firmly.
"Good boy. Remember, I am only an arm's reach away." Zangetsu nodded to him and walked backwards, slowly vanishing from sight.
Ichigo gasped as he was yanked out of the water forcefully and struggled, throwing some punches and kicks before he saw a flicker of blue and shook his head, "Grimmjow?! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Me?! What are you doing?! I came to check on you and you're trying to drown yourself!" the other man yelled angrily, "I could kill you!"
"What?! I wasn't drowning you idiot! I was talking to Zangetsu!" he barked, slapping his hands away and blushing as he realised he was naked, he grabbed a towel and covered himself, "You moron! Get out so I can dry off!"
Grimmjow looked started before he scurried out swiftly, clearly not desiring to annoy the other any more than he already had. Ichigo tutted and stood up, wiping the water from his face before he dried off, rolling his eyes at how stupid Grimmjow had been, as if he would try to drown himself.
A few minutes later, Ichigo left the bathroom, closing the door and walking into bedroom with a towel around his waist; Grimmjow was seated on the couch sheepishly, clearly expecting to be scolded for his brashness, though inwardly he was relaying every inch of the body he had just witness, wet and warm from the water, with hair sticking to his face and pearly skin.
'Oh... Boner...' he cleared his throat and adjusted his hakama so the rod between his legs was better hidden.
Ichigo emerged from the bathroom moments later, wearing a purple jumper and dark blue jeans, "I'm not suicidal, okay?" running his hands through his hair, tried to remove the knots from the lengthy waves.
The blue haired male seemed sceptical for a moment and folded his arms, "Look, you just went through a horror story and ended up here... No one would blame you for being a bit suicidal."
"I am not suicidal. And what's more... I have a purpose!" he said, clenching his fist in determination, "I am going to teach them a lesson for what they did to me! My friends all think I am dead because of them! Well I am going to show them all just how dead I am!" he spat, "And then watch them tremble with fear when I rip their heads from their shoulders!"
"This isn't like you, the Kurosaki I know would show compassion to his enemy, no matter what they had done to you or your loved ones." he argued.
"I'm not that person anymore." he growled, looking at him with pure malice in his eyes, "That person is dead and gone. And I intend to make them pay for what they did."
"At the cost of the respect and love of your friends?!"
"Yes! If I have to!" he barked, "I will not sit back and allow them to believe they have won! I have never backed away from a fight and I do not intent to begin now! I don't need your permission!"
"No, but you do need mine." a smooth voice said from the doorway.
Ichigo looked around sharply and took a breath as he saw Aizen standing quite calmly there, "And why is that? Am I your prisoner now?"
"Do not be ridiculous." the brunet chuckled, walking forwards slowly, "I simply refer to the fact that no Garganta into or out of this realm can be opened without my knowledge, and they can all be closed manually... By me if I see fit. Grimmjow has experienced this on more than one occasion, it is unpleasant."
"So I am a prisoner!"
"No, prisoners are not granted permission to leave, if I deem your task wise I will allow you to leave." he reasoned, "At the moment my answer is no. You are too erratic, you also have no idea how to use your Hollow powers, you'd die in minutes, huge Reiatsu or not."
He ground his teeth, "If you doubted me then why did you give me this?!" he roared, yanking his shirt up and revealing the large Gothic zero on his chest.
"Because I have faith that you will grow into the role. You were not born into it. Your strength is not yet at its pique, you must continue to fight and grow stronger Ichigo, is that not what you have always done?"
"You tell me, you are the one who's watched me my whole life!"
Aizen closed his eyes and took a breath, "This is pointless. Ichigo, I will personally assist you in learning to use your Hollow powers, it will take some time, but by the end of it... I give you my most solemn word, I will grant you access to Soul Society, and put you in charge of as many Espada as you desire to take with you. Do you agree to these terms?"
Ichigo stared for several moments as those words washed over him, he swallowed, his anger quelling steadily before he sighed softly and looked away, he stared out of the window before his gaze was caught by the family photo hanging nearby, it was the last picture to have been taken with all members of the Kurosaki family in it, just weeks before his mother had died.
"I... Agree to your terms. Please train me, if I am going to extract revenge I need to be strong enough to see it through." he decided finally, looking at Aizen, "But don't you dare go easy on me!"
He smirked slightly and chuckled, "Oh I wouldn't dream of it. We will begin in an hour. Grimmjow, take him to the arena and get him kitted out ready for training."
"... Yes Aizen-sama." the Espada nodded slightly before looking at Ichigo, "You're even more fiery than I thought Strawberry."
The new born Arrancar looked around slowly, his eyes narrowed, "What did you call me?! You fucking Blueberry!"