Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I do own Volumes 1-27 of the series though.

AN: Alright. I think I'm starting to hit my stride. This chapter flowed a lot more easily than the previous three. As always, please leave comments and critiques. I can't improve if I don't know what's wrong with my writing.

Orihime glanced around the underground training room. The blond man, who introduced himself as Shinji Hirako, had led them across town to a seemingly abandoned warehouse. Inside it was revealed to be anything but. Beneath the dilapidated building was a cavernous room, occupied by seven other people. Hirako-san had divided the teenagers up between his companions, "to whip you brats into shape," he had said. Chad and Ishida-kun were sparing with Kensei Muguruma, Mashiro Kuna, and Rose Otoribashi. Orihime was currently partnered with a giant of a man named Hachigen Ushoda, or "Hachi" as he had asked her to call him. The rest of the group was working with Kurosaki-kun.

Granted, "working with" probably was not the phrase to describe it. Hirako-san was the only one actually trying to teach Kurosaki-kun to control his reiatsu enough that his sword could be reduced to a more manageable size. The other three, Love Aikawa, Lisa Yadomaru, and Hiyori Sarugaki waited with their hands on their own swords, in case Kurosaki-kun went out of control.

Orihime shivered as she remembered the sight they had come across earlier that night. Kurosaki-kun, ripping into the remains of a Hollow, blood dripping from his mouth, his eyes devoid of their usual warmth, replaced by the same bloodlust and madness that had clouded her brother's eyes. Even facing Sora-niisan had been less frightening than seeing Kurosaki-kun like that.

"Are you alright?"

Orihime jumped at the sound of Hachi-san's voice. "S-sorry. I was thinking."

-x-

Hachi glanced from Orihime over to Ichigo, just in time to see the Arrancar get smashed into the floor by a vicious sandal to the back of the head.

"Stupid, Strawberry! I've seen cadets fresh out of the Rukongai with better control than you!"

Hachi winced in sympathy. All of the Vizard had at one time or another felt the wrath of Hiyori's dreaded Sandal of Doom. Looking at him right now, the Vizard could not see any sign of a homicidal, soul-sucking monster. Ichigo Kurosaki seemed to be no more dangerous than most of the Shinigami Hachi knew.

All of the Vizard had thought Urahara had finally gone off the deep end when they were asked to assist in the training of an Arrancar and three humans in preparation for invading the Seireitei. There had been plenty of objections to the idea, most boiling down to the simple fact that Kurosaki was their antithesis. Who knew what kind of destruction the Arrancar was capable of? In the end, Urahara had needed to tell them exactly what was at stake, and what would happen if Rukia Kuchiki was not rescued.

The thought of Aizen with the Hogyoku quickly outweighed any misgivings the Vizard had. One Arrancar, who really didn't seem all that inclined to cause mass slaughter, or an army of murderous Arrancar, with Aizen Sosuke leading them? That was a no-brainer. And really, who better to train a bunch of kids to take on the upper echelons of Soul Society than former members of those upper ranks?

So it was decided. The Vizard would spend the next ten days getting the kids as prepared as it was possible to be, while Urahara worked on the Senkaimon. Hachi was rather enjoying the experience. Orihime Inoue was a vibrant, intelligent girl whose powers were very close to his own, something he had never seen before. Kensei and Mashiro also seemed to be enjoying the chance to spar with someone new (not that Kensei would actually say it outright). He was certain that by the end of the ten days, all three humans would be able to at least challenge the Vice Captains. It was Kurosaki that it was hard to say if he would be ready.

As a Shinigami/Hollow hybrid, Kurosaki certainly had the potential to fight on the level of the Captains. The problem was, the Vizard really had no idea where the similarities and differences between their powers and Kurosaki's were. Thus, they had no idea how best to train him. Was his Zanpakuto merely a seal for his power, or was there a spirit he had to commune and work together with? If it was the first, how does he unlock that seal? Shinji was trying to get Kurosaki to perform Jinzen, which would let him communicate with his Zanpakuto spirit (provided it existed), but first the Arrancar had to gain at least a rudimentary grasp of control over his reiatsu. And the more time they spent trying to figure out how to proceed with the training, the less time they would have to actually do it.

Hachi sighed. Kurosaki wasn't his concern right now. He turned back to Orihime and continued trying to convince her that if she wanted to be able to fight, she had to actually want to hurt her opponent. Pacifism was all well and good, but any Shinigami worth their Zanpakuto could easily disable an attack with no intent to kill behind it.

-x-

Ichigo picked himself up off the ground, spitting rocks out of his mouth. It was a freaking sandal; why did it hurt so much?

"For crying out loud, Strawberry. How can anyone suck so bad?" Hiyori taunted.

Ichigo groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. He had been sitting here for hours, and he was no closer to making it into his inner world. Hell, he didn't even know if he still had an inner world. After all, it had been collapsing last he saw it. There was no sign of the old man either.

Ichigo's train of thought was suddenly derailed when a sandal-clad foot plowed into his face, sending him bouncing and skidding across the training ground until he slammed into one of rocks that dotted the landscape.

"The hell was that for, you pint-sized bitch?" Ichigo yelled, dragging himself to his feet. His only answer was Hiyori appearing next to him and again sending him sailing across the room.

Hiyori watched Ichigo impact the ground, then turned to Hachigen. "Hachi, put up a barrier. This is taking too long. We'll do it the old fashioned way." She started walking toward Ichigo, drawing her Zanpakuto as she went.

-x-

Shinji, Love, and Lisa immediately backed out of the line of fire as glowing, transparent walls appeared around Hiyori and Ichigo.

"What on earth is going on?" Ishida asked, as everyone gathered around the outside of the barrier.

It was Lisa who answered. "Trying to force Ichigo into releasing his Zanpakuto."

Ishida looked through the walls, to where Hiyori had begun attacking Ichigo with her own Zanpakuto. "By trying to kill him?"

"Desperation can do wonderful things," Kensei said.

"Some Shinigami have an easier time releasing their Zanpakuto the first time in a life threatening situation," Love added.

"But Ichigo's not a Shinigami," Chad said.

The Vizard looked at each other, then turned away, coughing awkwardly. He was right of course. Nothing else they had tried was working. There was no guarantee this would. The only thing they could do was hope for the best.

-x-

Ichigo was quick to draw his own sword when he saw Hiyori bearing down on him. He was lucky the weapon had repaired itself when he emerged from the Shattered Shaft. Steel ground against steel as Ichigo struggled to hold of Hiyori's assault. He twisted his blade to the side and deflected Hiyori off to the side, but she simply whirled around and was on him again in a second.

His eyes widened as he heard a cracking noise coming from his blade. Before Ichigo could even look to see how bad the damage was, a particularly nasty swing from Hiyori shattered the sword again. Ichigo gaped at the broken blade, and so completely missed Hiyori winding up for another kick.

Rock crumbled as Ichigo collided with yet another boulder. As Ichigo lay bleeding among the rubble, his mind was racing. Why? Why does it keep breaking?

The sound of pebbles being kicked aside broke him from his thoughts, and Ichigo looked up just in time to see Hiyori reaching down to grab his hair. She dragged him up, then smashed his face down against her knee. Ichigo yelled in pain as he felt his nose break.

"Do you get it yet, Strawberry? That thing in your hand doesn't deserve to be called a Zanpakuto." Hiyori's voice sounded far away and some part of Ichigo noted that it was probably because pain and blood loss was causing him to black out. "Unless you pull your reiatsu together, that sword of yours will remain a worthless, sword-shaped balloon." She drove her knee into his face and body a few more times. "You go to Soul Society like this and it won't even be funny how fast you get killed." She let go of his hair and Ichigo dropped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Hiyori turned in disgust and started walking away.

-x-

Orihime had her hands up covering her mouth as she watched her crush be brutally beaten. Chad was struggling not to try and force his way through the to help his friend. The only outward sign Ishida gave was his tightly clenched hands. All three cursed their inability to help their friend.

"I know it's harsh," Shinji said, "but let this serve as a wake-up call. What Hiyori just did is nothing compared to what the Shinigami will do. He needs to… Does anyone else feel that or am I imagining it?"

He wasn't imagining it. The amount of Hollow reiatsu in the cavern had just started growing. Everyone immediately focused on the motionless body of Ichigo Kurosaki.

-x-

Ichigo's eyes snapped open. He wasn't bleeding, he wasn't in pain. That was rather odd considering the beating he had just gotten. A quick glance around showed that he was back in the cityscape that was his mind. Almost everything seemed to back to the way it was last time he was here. The massive sinkhole in front of him was a new addition though. Ichigo peered over the edge, trying to see the bottom.

"It's too deep to see all the way down."

Ichigo jumped in surprise, nearly falling over the edge of the pit. He spun around and spotted the speaker, standing perfectly balanced on top of a lamppost. It took a second for his mind to register just who he was looking at.

"Old man?"

The being that Ichigo believed to be the spirit of his Zanpakuto smirked at him. Like Ichigo, the spirit had undergone some changes. His coat had reversed its color scheme, making it white with a black collar. His hair had also turned white. On his left shoulder was a trio of red stripes. Ichigo recognized them as corresponding to the stripes on his mask fragment.

"Indeed. Tell me, Ichigo, can you hear my name now? It's #$%&^*(."

Ichigo shook his head. "Sorry, I just hear gibberish."

The spirit scowled. He stepped off the lamppost and landed lightly on the street beside Ichigo. "Do you know why you can't hear me?" Again Ichigo shook his head. "It's because of fear. When we first saw each other you were terrified of turning into a Hollow. That fear blocked your ears to me."

"And now?"

The spirit's frown deepened. "Yourself."

"Huh?"

"Ever since you transformed you've been terrified. 'Will I have to eat people to live?' 'What happened to me when I ate that Hollow?'"

"Shut up."

"'They're afraid of me.' 'How long will it take Ishida to decide I need to be put down?'"

"Shut Up!"

"How long until I snap and go on a killing spree?' 'Am I going to end up like the monster that killed Mo-'"

"I said SHUT UP!" Ichigo slugged the spirit in the mouth and followed up with a blow that knocked him to the asphalt.

The spirit pushed himself off the ground. He spat out a tooth and a glob of blood, then he calmly got to his feet. He fixed Ichigo with a glare. "You treat your own power as a caged beast, waiting for the day it can break free and devour you whole. So long as you live in fear of yourself, you will never gain the control you seek."

Ichigo clenched his hands into fists again. The spirit simply stood there, refusing to back down. They stared each other down, until Ichigo finally blinked and turned away. "So what am I supposed to do?" he asked in a defeated voice.

"Why are you so afraid?"

"Why? I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm a freaking Hollow?" Ichigo said sarcastically. "My being around people is dangerous."

"You were dangerous long before you became a Hollow. Long before you became a Shinigami. Karakura Hospital had a whole ward on constant standby, ready for the next batch of thugs you and Chad would put there." Ichigo couldn't help it. The deadpan delivery made him smirk. "You could very easily kill a man with your bare hands, yet you never did. The same hands that beat those you fought into the ground also held and protected your sisters. When you were a normal human, you knew how to control the amount of force you used. What is so different now?"

"I – I don't know…"

"The simple fact is that there is no difference. You can learn to control yourself now just as you did then. All you need to do is believe that you can."

"I'm not sure I can."

"I am."

Ichigo looked up at the spirit. The old man's face had softened. He extended a hand to Ichigo. "If you can't believe in yourself, then believe in me who believes in you."

"You stole that from Gurren Lagann."

"Is the point any less valid?"

Ichigo looked at the still extended hand. He looked down at his own. Then he reached out and clasped the spirit's hand. "Alright. I guess if my sword trusts that I can handle it, I guess I can trust myself."

The spirit smiled. "Abandon your fear. Face forward. Advance. Don't give an inch. Retreat and you will age! Be afraid and you will die! Open up those ears of yours and listen, Ichigo! My name is –"

-x-

"Zangetsu!"

Hiyori's eyes widened as Ichigo's reiatsu soared. She watched as he climbed to his feet, no longer bearing any of the marks from his beating save the blood. Even his nose was back in its place. Then she caught sight of the sword in his hand.

The blade's length hadn't changed at all. However, it had narrowed considerably, becoming a more practically proportioned odachi. Ichigo looked at the sword, then at Hiyori, and grinned. Hiyori barely managed to get her Zanpakuto up in time to block Ichigo's. From the first clash she could feel that the blade was far sturdier than previously. She also realized that with a weapon that could match hers, Ichigo had the advantage in physical strength. Ichigo's strike picked her up and threw her a dozen meters. Hiyori hit, rolled, and came up on her feet, only to find Ichigo's amber and black eyes boring into hers.

"Payback time, Shorty!"

Hiyori was about to summon her mask and put the Strawberry in his place when a new barrier wall flared to life between them.

"Okay, I think that's enough of that!" Shinji said, clapping his hands to get their attention. "Ichigo, congratulations on your accomplishment. We're done for tonight. Get some rest and get ready for hell tomorrow."

-x-

Ichigo glared at Shinji's retreating back. He turned his gaze to the new sealed form of his Zanpakuto. With a smirk, Ichigo flipped it up and returned it to the sheath on his back – which had apparently resized itself to match its occupant. Then he was bowled over as a crying girl tackled him. "Wha -? Inoue?"

Orihime sniffed. "I'm so glad you're okay Kurosaki-kun. I was so worried about you!" So worried in fact, that she had completely forgotten that not long ago she was scared of him.

Ichigo was at a bit of a loss. He was no good at comforting crying girls. What was he supposed to say? 'It's okay, Inoue. I'm not worried that I might go nuts and try to eat you anymore?' He was pretty sure that wouldn't help much. He glanced up as a shadow fell over them.

"You okay, Ichigo?"

Ichigo smiled. "Yeah. I'm okay, Chad."

-Next Morning-

"Good Morning, Everybody!"

A chorus of groans and mumbling was Shinji's answer. The former Captain of Squad 5 grinned and pulled out a portable gong and mallet – which Urahara had helpfully provided for just such an occasion. With a flourish, Shinji hefted the gong and drew back the mallet.

-Kurosaki Residence-

Karin and Yuzu nearly fell out of their beds when the whole house rattled.

"The heck was that?"

"Earthquake?"

"Fear not, my darling daughters! Daddy will carry you to safety!"

"Go back to bed, Goat-chin!"

-Back at the Warehouse-

"Now, now. Calm down, everyone. It was just a harmless little prank…"

"I want his head, Strawberry."

"Only if you get there first, pipsqueak."

"Rose? Hachi? Lisa? Someone help me? Please?"

-Later-

Kensei stood before the assembled teenagers. Normally Shinji would be doing this, but after the beating he got from Hiyori and Ichigo this morning he probably wouldn't be doing much of anything today. "Alright. Listen up. We've got a lot to do and only nine days to do it. Inoue, you're with Hachi again. Sado and Ishida, you're with me. Kurosaki, Lisa's taking you out to hunt down something to eat, then you're learning how to use those Hollow powers of yours. Everybody got it? Well then what are you all doing still standing around for? Get to work."

-x-

Ichigo looked at the Hollow in front of him. He thought of what had happened last time. The bloodlust that had drowned his rational mind.

Abandon Your Fear.

Ichigo squashed his doubts and leaped at the Hollow. He didn't have time to be afraid.

-x-

Ishida dodged Kensei's punch and retaliated with a flurry of arrows. None even came close to hitting the Vizard.

Be ready, Shinigami. The last Quincy is coming for your heads.

He thought of the red-haired Shinigami that had effortlessly defeated him and redoubled his attacks.

-x-

Chad grunted as Mashiro's kick slammed into his armored right arm. The follow up punch laid him out, flat on his back. Slowly, he sat up and regained his feet.

I've got your back, Ichigo. Just like I always have.

He launched himself at the green-haired Vizard, letting loose a massive blast from his arm.

-x-

Inoue panted as she threw up her Santen Kesshun to block an attack from Hachi.

"Now don't half-ass it, woman!" Tsubaki yelled at her.

"Right! Koten Zanshun! I reject!"

Tsubaki bisected Hachi's next attack but was stopped when he hit a barrier.

"Not good enough, woman! Put some oomph in it, damn it!"

"Right!"

I will be useful.

"Koten Zanshun! I reject!"

-x-

Ichigo looked up at the clear, blue sky as he chewed on a chunk of Hollow. He swallowed the last of his meal and stood up.

Hang on, Rukia. We're coming to get you.

Just to set the record straight, Ichigo did not use Resurreccion this chapter. That was just him getting his head together. Don't worry, we'll be seeing Resurreccion within a few chapters.