I do not own Bleach.

8/23/08: And yes, I am editing...a lot. SOOO...if you noticed a couple of new chapters...it's not new. I just split chapters 3 and six to make them more manageable...but I did rewrite some of Unplanned Irony.


Chapter Four

Black Blood


Tall glasses hit the air, red wine slipping from the very tips. Tatsuki took in long sips, savoring its taste as she tucked her hair behind her ears. Ichigo joined in, taking a seat right next to her. The Graduation ceremony had taken longer then expected, ending about two in the afternoon. Ichigo and Tatsuki, along with Ishida, had spent the rest of the day downtown. Tatsuki had bought a number of items-- ranging from gym clothes to soccer balls and new paint. Ishdia and Ichigo had regretted doing this with her, for they had ended up being the ones to carry all of her bags. Not that she couldn't do it herself (after all, she was strong enough), she just like ordering them around sometimes. Afterwards, they all had ended up in Ichigo's cramped apartment. They were going to meet up with some of their other friends later at the bar, to join in on some drinks and dancing.

"Four years of studying, and we can finally relax!" She smiled.

"Yeah, about time." Ichigo joked. "Hey Ishida, are you still in the kitchen?"

"Yes, I am. Why? Do you want something?" Ishida shouted from behind.

"Just grab some napkins, a little wine spilled on the carpet."

Tatsuki reached for the remote laying on the coffee table. She flipped the channels until she found the soccer game they were broadcasting. "America is beating Germany, three to one. When are we heading out guys?"

Ishida came back into the living room, handing Ichigo the napkins. "Like in half-in-hour or something...let's watch something else."

"No! I wanna see who wins!"

"You can check it out online later." Ishida complained. "Sports are dull."

"Yeah and politics is so much better, right?"

"Now see here-"

"Hey, if you two keep acting like that then we won't watch anything." Ichigo glowered at the pair of them. Tatsuki pursed her lips and Ishida glowered right back.

"Jezz, it's like living with a couple of two year olds."

"But we don't even live with you!" Ishida began to protest but was silenced when Tatsuki threw the remote at him. "Tatsuki!"

"Oops." she said in a flat voice. "Maybe you should learn to shut up."

"Alright you two, enough." Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I'm gunna be right back, please don't try to burn the house down."

Ichigo left the living room, and wondered into his bedroom. He knelt down in front of is desk, his hand firmly grasping a lock. He pressed a few buttons and was satisfied when he heard a familiar click. Pulling the drawer open, he took out several notebooks before closing the drawer once more and locking it. He and grabbed a yellow bag laying next to his bed, shoving the notebooks into it.

"Still hiding your stories?" Ichigo looked up, and saw Tatsuki leaning against the door frame. "You always do that."

He turned his head away from hers, pretending to look at the clock on the bed-stand. He didn't like to see Tatsuki in this room, especially with just the two of them. He tried to break the tension that had drifted over them. "What's Ishida watching?"

She shrugged. "Something about sewing...I wasn't paying atten-" Tatsuki jumped away from the door and bumped her head on the opposite wall. Out of the blue, the white badge residing in Tatsuki back pocket had just begun to vibrate and shriek like a Howler monkey. "Shit!" At the same time, Ichigo and Ishida felt their own badges buzz off and knew they had to go back to Karakura town.

"What the hell?! Aizen is attacking again?!" Ishida had rushed into the room with the pair.

"That or a lot of really powerful Hollows are attacking." Ichigo replied.

"They would be powerful if the Vizards and Urahara can't handle them..." Tatsuki shook her head. "Enough talk! Come on, we gotta go!" Tatsuki ran up to Ichigo's window, and threw it opened and motioned for the boys to come closer. They did, instinctively grabbing onto her shoulders as she closed her eyes, focusing on what she was about to do. The air around them seemed to ripen, as if jittering with excitement. It flowed around them more quickly then it normal would have done, Tatsuki still had her eyes closed and her hands pressed against her chest. She began to repeat the same word in a bated breath as the wind gave a sharp whip across her back. "Take me home."

Both Ichigo and Ishida gripped their hands tighter as a huge breath of wind surged forward, causing the paper, books, pencils and many of Ichigo's worldly possessions to scatter onto the floor. And when the rush was over, they were gone.


Orihime looked over shoulder and she saw Ulquiorra standing at the entrance of her doorway. She looked at him curiously before he stated. "Aizen is making his move on Karakura Town."

"What? He's attacking it?!" Orihime felt her familiar feelings of panic were beginning to rise in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't like it was the first time he had done this, but still, Orihime could not help feeling afraid for her old friends. A lot of them had been killed during the course of the war...

"That's what I have been told." Ulquiorra told her, his hand on the doorknob.

"But..." Her eyes gazed down to the ground. She didn't want him to get hurt either.

He closed his own, irritated by her actions. She didn't need to get so emotional about everything. "I'll be back. You know I always come back."

"I know..." She gazed at him before asking, "Can you tell me why he is attacking? It's only been about two weeks since his last major battle, why do another one right now?"

He gazed at her then stated, "As informed as usual, I see. He seems to have some sort of objective but what it is, I couldn't tell you. I can only predict it has something to do with his renewed interest of Kurosaki Ichigo."

"W-what?"

"Honestly, does this really surprise you? Didn't Gin-sama show you that magazine a few days ago?"

"Well, yes..." Orihime started, startled. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

Ulquiorra sighed, "Please, I know you're smart enough to figure it out on your own. I am not going to sit here and explain it all to you." She glared at him, though it did nothing to dissuade him. "Don't give me that look. I am going to place guards in front of your room due to my absence and you are not to leave until I get back." He shut the door quietly behind him.

She loathed it when he did things like this.


Ichigo, Tatsuki and Ishida landed in the yard of Urahara's shop with a heavy thud. Tatsuki staggered to the front stairs, completely out of breath. Her powers had always taken a heavy toll on her psychically and traveling from a far-away place like Tokyo was always a challenge. Ichigo didn't really fully understand her powers, but from the explanation Urahara had given them once it seemed all she could really do was influence the wind. She could never materialize herself into it, or recreate it. Whenever Tatsuki traveled by using her powers, it was being in small tornado, moving her from one place to the next. The wind, being a natural substance, had a mind of its own.

She coughed violently, Ishida rushing over to give her support as Ichigo began to investigate for the source of the problem. He spotted it instantly. A dozen or so Hollows were stationed on the street in front of the shop, growling at the new arrivals. He could sense that they weren't that strong so he really didn't understand what the problem was.

"They must have put a barrier up so that they couldn't get in..." Ishida commented. "But why did they call us?"

"Kurosaki!" Said a scratchy voice from behind.

They all turned to see Hiyori glaring at them. "About time you got here! Look, I am gonna make this as simple as possible then were getting to work. Those things behind you can't be killed unless we find one in particular and kill it. I don't know all the details, but that's your job. Find the core and kill it"

"What?! You called us just to look for some dumb Hollow?" Ichigo shouted.

"Tch. You dummy! This is the start of a battle! If we don't get rid of these things now, it's gunna get real annoying by the time Aizen and his cronies show up."

"Does the Soul Society know what's going on?" Ishida questioned.

"I think Urahara sent them a message or something..."Hiyori scratched her neck. "But because their dumb new system and all..."

"Yes, we know. It will take some time before we can get their help."

"Tatsuki, can you fight?" Ichigo knelt down to her side.

"Yeah...yeah..." She trembled a little as she pushed herself up. "I'll be fine..."

"You better, wind-chick." Hiyori snarled.

Tatsuki glared at her and a gush of wind beat against Hiyori's face. "Are any of the other Vizard out there?"

"Yeah...I was just given the job as messenger." She gave Tatsuki a dirty look, rubbing her cheek. "I am gonna go." She jumped away onto the rooftop and yelled from above. "By the way, wind-chick, that didn't hurt!"

Tatsuki growled and was about to go after her, but was prevented from doing so when Ichigo grabbed her forearm. "Drop it, Tatsuki."

"Were going need to get this done as soon as possible." Ishida said, looking at the other two. "I suggest we split up. Don't go all out with your powers though; we'll be needing that for later." They nodded. "Also, keep in mind were trying to kill just one of these things...so don't bother killing them all. From what Hiyori said, I am assuming they'll just heal themselves and be after you all over again."

"So, it's just guess and check?" Tatsuki looked thoroughly annoyed. "That must mean they're hundreds of them if everyone else is looking!"

Ichigo reached into his inner pocket, and pulled out his old Substitute badge. Pressing against his torso, his soul leapt from his body and he was left with the task of storing it safely inside the Shop. Tatsuki and Ishida, despite a short snap at one other, were already gone, battling their way up opposite sides of the street.

Ichigo dragged his body up the stairs and banged the door open. Ururu answered it and without question took Ichigo's body. He flew off into the distance.

Pulling his Zanpakuto, he gracefully landed onto the deck of a building putting some space between him and his friends. He wondered momentarily if Sado had also come, for he thought he felt his Reiatsu nearby. However he was driven out of thought when he heard a loud chorus of whooping noises. He gazed over the edge and saw the Hollows from earlier snapping up at him and showing them their white teeth. There at had to be at least twenty.

Ichigo raised his eyebrows. "Wow, they're really annoying...I might as well get started." He jumped down, using the back of his sword to club the nearest one on the head. Its skull cracked open and it hollowed with pain, but no blood spouted out. Instead, it covered the sidewalk with an black goo.

He knitted his eyebrows together, confused. He examined the black goo for as long as he could, plunging his sword into the next hollow that tried to lunge at him. It tiled over, squealing and the black substance rippled out again, adding to the puddle below. And then it clicked.

"Okay, if they're a fake it will have...black blood?" Ichigo stored the information into the back of his mind and went back to work,.

The Hollow Hyenas weren't very strong, but it seemed that they had one advantage that Ichigo didn't have at the moment. Numbers. Lots and lots of numbers. Whenever he was done with a street, double that number of Hollows he had just defeated would come chasing after him. He dare not take out his mask or fully awaken his weapon, mainly because he wanted to save it for later. But after a good hour or so, he was seriously considering it. They just kept coming, one after the other. Ichigo thought there would be no end to the sea of black blood he was creating.


Aizen was smiled triumphantly as he watched the battle in Karakura town progress from his screen. Everything was going to plan. The bait had lured Kurosaki back into his hometown.

"Aizen-sama!" An Arrancar rushed in, bowing his head politely before saying, "The Kurosaki boy--"

"I know already, I saw him arrive." He pointed up at the screen and with the swish of his hand, it faded away. "Tell Gin that it is time to put the plan into motion."

"Yes, sir." The Arrancar bowed once more and then hesitated before asking, "Sir, may I ask you something before I go?"

Aizen stood and narrowed his eyes. "If it be appropriate and quick."

"What is it that you exactly want with the Kurosaki boy?"

Aizen looked over his shoulder and frowned. "What on earth makes you think I would answer that question? You who are a mere servant to one of my Espada?"

The Arrancar stood there, a little stunned and hung his head in shame, "Forgive me, I let my curiosity get the better of me."

He smiled, though it was a cruel one. "You have done this before, you need to start learning your place. You are dismissed." And with that, the Arrancar left, his hurried footsteps echoed behind him.

It was such a shame that the Kurosaki group would never be able to find the true source of those Hollows. Aizen had made doubly sure that the Source was still trapped within these very walls, locked safely away from the rest of her clan. He smirked, sweeping out of the room, his long white clothes swishing underneath. It was finally time to take the boy, something that had long been overdue.


Author's Notes:

Edit: I am splitting chapters 3 and 6 into two seperate chapters. Why? No idea...thought it might be easier on the eye.

Holy jezz...O.o...this was a long chapter! I am really sorry for making you read my horrible writing! O.O...Hyenas are awesome.

Well...just make this short and quick...I left you guys on a cliffhanger...I think...O.o...at least there was action in this chapter! Hopefully I wrote it well..: D

Thanks to Fiery, as usual.

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Ps- Any mistakes, let me know. Document manger messed up some of my paragraphs and I fixed most of them, but it's possiable I missed a couple.

PSS- I did a bit of editing to this chapter...hopefully it