Hello everyone, we are back with another chapter. A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed/commented on the last chapter it really means a lot. Also I will probably not be posting next week. Read on an enjoy!
Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo
X
Ichigo felt lost, he wasn't completely certain that he was lost, but the sense that the walls around him were the same ones he had passed ten minutes ago settled into his stomach like the bottom of the ocean or the clay bed of a lake beneath your toes. Zangetsu was of no help, the spirit was as equally lost and even Ossan had no suggestion other than he at least knew whether he was going east or west because of the sun, or at least he would until noon when he needed to find the Thirteenth division. It was almost like Seireitei was designed with the sole purpose of confusing intruders. He wondered idly if they gave out maps to new Shinigami and sent them off in some grand parody of that Greek myth they had discussed in class the one with the maze and the Minotaur.
With a sigh Ichigo paused for a moment and leaned against a nearby wall, white brick and unchanging, he tilted his head back and basked in the faint sunlight and the quiet. It was a thick quiet the kind that was almost tangible and Ichigo's footsteps echoed off the paved streets as he walked, sounding like an army and nothing all at once. Spreading his reaitsu outwards Ichigo searched for something, anything, even a Shinigami to ask directions from would work.
For a moment there was nothing, or at least nothing close by, but it was hard to distinguish in Soul Society, the very ground itself seemed to swell with reaitsu, the air hummed with it, and the sheer amount of Shinigami was like standing in the midst of a storm or a plague of locusts. But then he sensed something, like a blip on a radar blinking into existence a short distance away. Rolling his shoulders Ichigo's fingers hovered briefly over Zangetsu's hilt and then he stepped forward in a burst of flash-step.
Ichigo slowed to a stop as the street he was walking down opened unto a small clearing, buildings rose on either side and different streets branched off from the small almost circular area. At the far end of the clearing, near a staircase, stood a Shinigami with bright red hair. Ichigo blinked and tilted his head wondering if his eyes were deceiving him, so desperate for any sense of colour that they had decided the Shinigami's hair would be red; it was still red, bright red.
The Shinigami hadn't noticed Ichigo's presence, he was staring at the staircase, or rather past it and Ichigo could almost see something forlorn to the slant of his shoulders. That was when he noticed the lieutenant's badge. Ichigo debated turning around, it was probably the smart thing to do, fighting a lieutenant was dangerous, fighting the Shinigami would probably draw all the wrong kinds of attention. But Ichigo was also incredibly lost and he could probably pass for being a new Shinigami who was also terribly lost.
Before Ichigo could attempt to make an awkward noise to get the Shinigami's attention they turned and their gaze landed on Ichigo. They rose a brow and walked forward and with the motion, Ichigo noticed the tattoos on their forehead and upon closer distance, Ichigo ascertained they were probably a he. The Shinigami paused in front of Ichigo, tilted his head up and down as if studying him and asked, "Lost?"
Ichigo nodded helplessly and plastered a pleading expression across his features that wasn't at all faked. The red-haired Shinigami blinked and glanced down the street Ichigo had just come from with a quirk of his eyes that teased laugh lines there.
"Yeah, it's easy to get lost here, don't know why they keep sending Shinigami through here without putting up any signposts. Kuchiki-taicho even mentioned at least something orienting for Shinigami in case of emergencies," The Shinigami paused in the light-hearted talk and pinned Ichigo with a gaze that made him feel like he was a little kid getting a talking to from a concerned older sibling, so exactly how Yuzu and Karin felt. The Shinigami continued, "But you shouldn't be wandering around it's dangerous with the Ryoka invasion they already murdered Aizen-taicho."
"Aizen's dead?"
Ichigo questioned and couldn't help the way the words launched themselves from his chest thick with disbelief because it simply wasn't possible. Benihime would probably yell at him later for losing his composure. But Aizen couldn't be dead. He wouldn't die that easily. There was no way he would die now of all time right in the middle of an unfolding plot.
"Yeah it's a shame he was a nice enough guy I guess, was even trying to help in Rukia's case."
The Shinigami replied mistaking Ichigo's disbelief for grief or surprise. Oh. It made sense. After all, if everything worked out in Aizen's favour he wouldn't need a presence in Soul Society, and why wait when you could pin the murder on the ryoka and add even more gasoline to the sun-sized fire. Ichigo cursed the man with every word he knew and combined them together with Zangetsu's helpful input.
"Is there any word on Kuchiki-san's case? Last I heard it was execution which seems totally incorrect."
Ichigo questioned tilting his head to stare up at the slightly taller Shinigami, his expression was sad and Ichigo wondered if he knew Rukia. The Shinigami shook his head with a scowl and crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze distant for a moment as he replied, "No, they are still attempting to go forward with the execution. Kuchiki-taicho is furious, I haven't seen him in five days, everyone is up in arms but they're not going to change their minds. We'll probably have to go through…"
The Shinigami trailed off and blinked as if out of a daze and turned his gaze on Ichigo. And yeah Ichigo kind of felt it too, it was easy to be in the Shinigami's presence he wasn't threatening or anything and maybe it was just the red hair but he did give off an honourable sort of vibe that made it easy to trust him; even when Ichigo shouldn't. Though Ichigo got the feeling that in Soul Society they were either honourable or the exact opposite.
"I don't think I've seen you before, though you look familiar, what's your name?"
Okay, stay calm everything was fine. It was a totally innocent and normal question to ask. Ichigo tilted his head slightly and scratched at the back of his head as he shrugged and replied, "I don't get out much. Ichigo Kurosaki."
Maybe he shouldn't have said his last name, that was probably a bad idea. Too late. The Shinigami blinked and stared at Ichigo once more, squinting in a way that pulled at the tattoos on his forehead he said Ichigo's name under his breath and shook his head before he bowed slightly and replied, "Abarai Renji lieutenant of the Sixth division."
Abarai stared again and Ichigo wondered what exactly was flicking switches in the lieutenant's mind, maybe it was a similar appearance to his deceased cousin, Kūkaku had said they looked like twins in a manner that was almost freaky. Abarai mentioned his name once more under his breath before he straightened and suddenly the friendly countenance from before had disappeared. Ichigo internally groaned and wondered internally what had given him away, it wasn't like Aizen to write a death letter and sign it with Ichigo's name so it had to have been something else.
"Rukia mentioned you."
Good? Bad? Who knew? Not Ichigo. He stared up at Abarai fingers drifting towards his zanpaktou prepared at a moment's notice to unsheathe Zangetsu. It was a shame their conversation had been going so well and Ichigo really didn't want to fight. Abarai blinked and his eyes went wide as he moved hands slowly in front of his chest in the open gesture of peace.
"Woah, it's okay Rukia said you were a good kid it's obvious she's not in jail because of you… or rather Central 46 is to blame from that lens I think."
Technically it was Ichigo's fault, he had become friend's with Rukia, and yeah, his reaitsu was strange, he had introduced her to Uryū, but most importantly he had become friends with her. He knew that Central 46 would justify their sentence with whatever they could get their shrivelled old man mittens on but really the crux was Aizen, who would do whatever he wanted to get what he wanted. And that seemed to be Rukia's execution.
"You spoke to her?"
Ichigo question processing Renji's words (he knew Rukia and she was a good judge of character so this was probably okay) staring at the lieutenant with wide eyes even as the rest of him tried to unspool the threads of his thoughts. Renji nodded and tilted his head down, fingers brushing over the tattoos on his arm as he responded, "Yes before the trial when they were still holding her in the Central 46 cells. She spoke of meeting you and the human world. Told me that you would be coming to Soul Society one day and to keep an eye out for 'orange hair and too much reaitsu'… wait you haven't died right?"
Ichigo shook his head at the suddenly panicked question and crossed out the Central 46 as Rukia's current location even as he contemplated with a frown Rukia's accurate description of him. He felt there was more that wasn't being said, some sense of urgency hanging over both their heads the longer they stood in the clearing speaking about things that should probably be whispered about.
"Then how are you here?"
Renji continued with a tilt of his head that shook his hair and furrowed his brows. Okay, the moment of truth. Ichigo tried to smile but it was probably a bit weak as he shrugged and replied, "Broke into Soul Society to save Rukia."
"Broke into Soul Society to save Rukia?! You… into... she had said reckless but… teenager. Wait doesn't that make you the ryoka everyone is looking for?"
Renji questioned and the air was suddenly a bit cold once more it wasn't as if Ichigo had accidentally stumbled into a freezer full of land mines because there was the sense of the benefit of the doubt. But it was still kind of like ice sliding down his back.
Ichigo glanced carefully up at Renji, looked into his eyes and straightened his spine because he knew this much, he hadn't killed Aizen and that was enough. If Ichigo had to fight Renji he would, he liked the red-haired Shinigami but he wanted to save Rukia and he needed to keep moving forward to do that.
"Yes, but I didn't kill Aizen-taicho."
He waited every line of his body tense, suspended and waited like the moment before you go on stage where anything could happen. Zangetsu hummed in the back of his mind, energy and warmth a promise of strength that wouldn't fail them.
Renji stared at Ichigo for a long moment with narrowed eyes and everything too sharp before he nodded once and said, "I believe you, you're not a killer kid."
His shoulders slumped all the tension draining from his body and leaving him suddenly boneless with relief. Renji placed a steadying arm on his shoulder and suddenly Ichigo could see his spirit a monkey with a snake for a tail curled around the feet of their wielder. Ichigo smiled slightly at Renji and shook away the last of the nerves he nodded and straightened his spine.
"What's really happening in Soul Society?"
Ichigo questioned tilting his head and glancing at Renji's zanpaktou spirit for a moment before his gaze drifted to a nearby street. The shadows were longer now and Ichigo couldn't help but glance at the sky acutely aware of how much time he had left until they needed to meet outside of the Thirteenth.
"It's been chaotic, Kuchiki-taicho, Rukia's brother, has constantly been in meetings, he's torn over whether to uphold the unjust law or to fight it and save Rukia as his honour would dictate. It's basically how all of Soul Society is feeling. It's an open secret that the Thirteen and by extension the Eighth are planning mutiny, everyone knows they're going to do something. The Eleventh's revelling in the chaos and everyone is wound tight since Aizen-taicho was killed. It's a mess. Not to mention the execution had been moved up, it's in two days."
"Two days? Fuck. Do you know where Rukia is being kept?"
Ichigo asked processing the information that mostly followed what Ichigo already knew but also a bit more. Like the fact that the execution had been moved from five days to two. Most of it made sense and Ichigo wondered what the blanket of chaos Aizen had created hoped to achieve. He was already (fake) dead what did he need to hide?
"It's confidential but most of us think the First division, they wouldn't put her in the Second's prison that's for the worst kinds of criminals or so they say. So, what's the plan, tell me you invaded with a plan?"
Ichigo sighed because nothing could ever be too easy, could it? It was like all the forces in the universe were conspiring against him. A wave of reaitsu slammed into the area suddenly heavy and just there to kick you down and laugh about it, an untamed wild mess frothing about. His eyes widened and his head whipped around as he searched for whoever had such a large presence, it wasn't enough to bring Ichigo to his knees or even wind him but it was still something.
"Crap that's Kenpachi, the Captain of the Eleventh. We have to leave otherwise he'll force you into a fight and that's not a good idea."
Renji said running a hand through the unruly spikes of his hair, as he settled a hand firmly on the pommel of his zanpaktou and the fur on his spirit bristled. Ichigo nodded and quickly added, "My team is meeting at the Thirteenth, hopefully, at noon."
"Be safe Ichigo."
Renji said with a nod saying a hundred other things without words before he turned and ran disappearing down a street corner. For a long moment, Ichigo could see him like a speck of dirt on a camera lens before he was gone and Ichigo was alone except for the hoard of reaitsu charging towards him. He wisely turned tail and ran.
X
Ichigo's eyes darted around his surroundings as he skidded past the corner of a street his lungs aching somewhere in his stomach and his breath rasping from his lips as he glanced hastily over his shoulder. How was it possible for the Captain of the Eleventh division, a division that specialized in fighting and little else, to be so good at tracking Ichigo's reaitsu. It was like a bloodhound or as if Ichigo had a neon sign above his head blinking loud and bright calling out, "Here I Am".
It didn't even make sense, no one knew Ichigo was the ryoka, he was just a normal Shinigami with what appeared to be a bit more reaitsu than normal. Maybe it was because he was giving chase or something? But Renji had also run and it was unlikely that the Captain simply chased after whoever he wanted, who would do that unless they were completely insane?
Ichigo slid to a stop and paused to lean against a wall planting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He was using shunpo and he was fast but Seireitei was also a complete and utter maze where Ichigo was forced to double back every five minutes as he slammed into a dead-end or a fork in the road. The Captain of the Eleventh, on the other hand, seemed to know these streets like the back of his palm. Ichigo was probably so far from their original point of entry that he was on the other side of the Gotei 13.
As he ran a hand through his hair Ichigo's eyes drifted upwards, he winced as the sun scorched his eyes and with the stinging pain came the realisation that the sun was almost sitting at the centre of the sky. It was almost time for them to meet up and Ichigo was completely and utterly lost with a Captain chasing after him. Ichigo groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face before he straightened up and cast his reaitsu out like a net with crossed fingers even as he observed his surroundings.
He was in another dead-end. Great. How was that even possible? How did a military area have so many dead-ends? It didn't even logically make sense. Once again Ichigo assumed that the forces of the universe were not on his side for whatever reason, maybe he had angered them in a past life. Oh, and the Captain was approaching with no hope of Ichigo attempting to return the way he came from. With a sort of desperate humour, Ichigo wondered if it was all Aizen's fault if he had changed the architecture plans to contain too many dead ends and similar streets all for the purpose of causing chaos. For a man who liked everything to be organized to the last detail he also unfairly created too much chaos.
Right, approaching Captain who would probably not accept the answer no. Ichigo glanced at his surroundings the only way to escape would be to take to the roofs, it would probably provide a better view of the streets. A part of Ichigo hesitated for exactly a second before he heard the clatter of approaching footsteps and he decided that life over a sense of propriety was far more important. Ichigo stepped away from the wall and glanced at the entrance to the street, in the distance he could hear… bells ringing? Ichigo tilted his head before with a shake of his shoulders he jumped onto the roof.
A shingle gave way beneath his foot, Ichigo flailed for a moment, suspended on the edge and desperately composing a letter of apology to Yuzu because Karin would just come to Soul Society and demand an explanation herself. The shingle clattered to the street below and broke into shards with a crack that was too loud in the weird space of Ichigo's breathing and as the bells, like the kind on children's toys, drew closer.
Ichigo regained his balance and carefully settled both his feet on the roof as he glanced at the street below and beyond it. From the slightly elevated height, Ichigo could see a sea of white and the same almost orange but muted tiles he was standing on stretching out almost endlessly. Beyond it in the distance a hill rose towering over everything with something on top that glinted white, he wondered if it was the famed Sokyoku hill, the place Rukia was to be executed at. The view suddenly wasn't all that great.
The footsteps grew suddenly louder and Ichigo screwed his head back onto his shoulder as he turned, he couldn't afford to be standing on a roof and staring into the distance. He almost wanted to ask what was wrong with himself but he knew. It was Soul Society, the stress of trying to save Rukia, the freaking Captain chasing him, the uncertainty, everything. But he needed to get his act together.
"Oy kid fight me!"
Fuck. Ichigo should run. He should just go and absolutely not turn around to look at the Captain. The Captain who was far too fast and was apparently a homicidal maniac. Ichigo pivoted slightly to stare at the Captain of the Eleventh division. He was a large man with a torn haori, an eyepatch across one eye, and spiky hair with bells on the end. Ichigo stared for a long moment ignoring Zangetsu's desperate pleading to fight the Captain he placidly responded, "Unohana-taicho has forbidden fighting in the streets."
For a moment the Captain's expression twitched into something like displeasure and another emotion that Ichigo couldn't decode before he shrugged and swung his zanpaktou down at his side sending a whirl of dust and reaitsu into the air. Then a little girl with pink hair appeared. Ichigo stared for a long moment at the tiny girl sitting on the man's shoulder wearing a Shinigami uniform with a lieutenant's badge around her arm. Just what? Did Soul Society suddenly employ children?
"Hell, if I care what she says, you're strong I can sense it. Fight me."
"Yeah fight Ken-chan!"
Ichigo stared at both of them for a long even moment where he once more seriously contemplated his life. He turned and in a burst of shunpo disappeared from the roof, he was not fighting a maniac with a kid on his shoulders. Just no. For too many reasons no.
A burst of reaitsu was Ichigo's only warning. Zangetsu sung in his hands as he whipped around his feet digging into a stance as the Captain's blade slammed into Ichigo's own with all the force of a rhinoceros who had decided to mate with an elephant. Ichigo scowled and dug his feet into the cracked pavement shoring his stance with reaitsu as he glanced into the crazed eyes of the Captain in front of him. In the distance, he could see the little girl sitting on a roof swinging her legs and watching the fight with wide entranced eyes. The fight that Ichigo really didn't want to participate in.
He sprung back and debated turning tail and running, it was a cowardly sort of move, but Kisuke had enforced the lesson multiple times that tactical retreat was not a bad thing. Ichigo didn't even have time to look at the other street as the Captain, Kenpachi the Shinigami had called him, was suddenly in his space once more. Ichigo turned his attention fully to the Captain, he couldn't afford to divert his attention towards escaping he would just have to end the battle as quickly as possible.
Ichigo ducked under the broad swing of Kenpachi's blade and darted to the side in a burst of shunpo using it to push into the air as he brought his blade towards the Captain's unprotected back. Kenpachi whirled around with a grin that was frankly terrifying and caught Ichigo's blade before bodily throwing him backwards. Ichigo rolled across the pavement and popped to his feet just in time for the Captain to appear in his personal space once more.
Their blades clashed against one another with a shower of sparks as Ichigo's feet slid and broke through the paved stones, reaitsu swelling and building around them. Ichigo's head tilted slightly as he caught a faint echo from the Captain's zanpaktou. He didn't have time to analyse it as he was forced to bat aside an overhead strike, he retaliated and sliced his blade across Kenpachi's abdomen drawing a line of blood bright crimson against the off-white of his haori.
The Captain stepped back and Ichigo vaguely heard the little girl say something but couldn't focus on it as he watched the Captain tilt his head back and begin to laugh. Definitely an insane bastard. The almost maniacal laughter slowed to a stop as the Captain tilted his head to stare at Ichigo with a deranged grin that twisted something inside of Ichigo's chest, some primordial part of him that was screaming out fight or flight but preferably the later. It made Ichigo wonder where the Captain's zanpaktou was, he hadn't seen anything, but there was something.
Ichigo was forced to halt his consideration of the Captain's zanpaktou spirit or lack thereof when he rested his hand over his eyepatch and carefully explained that he used it to seal over half of his reaitsu. His stomach dropped in his chest and down to his toes for a moment even as Ichigo's fingers tightened on the hilt of his zanpaktou and he could hear Zangetsu in his mind quiet and sure in the way where they both knew this wasn't a game, this was after all, a Captain and the consequences weren't just bruises.
Reaitsu flooded the air like a tsunami, like that biblical story where the sea itself parted, and Ichigo could see the Captain's reaitsu almost a sickly yellow as it battered at the buildings and flushed through the street. Ichigo stood still in the middle of a hurricane his reaitsu pulsing around him as he stared at the figure of the Captain with narrowed eyes. There went any and all plans of subterfuge. Well at least it would make it easier for Yoruichi to find him; her and the rest of Soul Society.
That part of him that acted without thinking in battle and saved his life too often flared up and before Ichigo could consciously contemplate the movement his hands were gripping Zangetsu's hilt as the weight of Kenpachi's muscle and reaitsu slammed into his shoulders forcing Ichigo into the ground as a crater formed. He disappeared in a blur of shunpo and appeared behind the Captain who had already whipped around to catch Ichigo's blade. He ducked to the side and his blade scored a gash against the Captain's side but he just laughed as he whipped around and their blades clashed with another shower of sparks.
Ichigo began the incantation for a kido under his breath as their blades clashed against one another blurs of light and heat and the Captain grinned blood seeping from the shallow wound across his chest. He ducked around a side blow the incantation on the last line as he panted for breath, Kenpachi's zanpaktou slammed into his own forcing Ichigo into the ground before he suddenly disengaged and Ichigo was left slightly off balance.
He saw the blade coming out of his peripheral vision and rolled to avoid the blow colliding with the ground with a grunt. He rose to his feet and turned to face the Captain who was already flying forward blood dripping from the gash across his chest. Ichigo let a small grin slip across his lips as he finished the kido and cast the Shakkahō. It burst from his hands in a brilliant burst of crimson like a laser beam from an old horror movie wailing and screaming as it collided with the Captain's blade.
The kido drained away in a shower of red even as Ichigo was already behind the Captain Zangetsu humming in his hands as he brought his blade down. Kenpachi turned with a grin that was all teeth as he knocked Zangetsu aside and their blades clashed once more. The Captain of the Eleventh was an untamed force of nature, brute strength and little skill with too much reaitsu it was a volatile cocktail just waiting to become a Molotov.
Ichigo hissed as Kenpachi's zanpaktou scored a line across his chest the blood was warm against his sweat chilled skin and Ichigo didn't have time to dwell as he rolled underneath a low sweep and jabbed his blade at the Captain's abdomen. His blade slid through skin and muscle with ease, the Captain grinned, blood staining his teeth as his fingers clasped around Zangetsu's blade and held it there even as his zanpaktou rose into the air like a farmer's scythe before wheat.
Zangetsu was cold with anger at the back of his mind as Ichigo dematerialised their blade and rolled away and onto his feet, his eyes flickering to the briefly surprised expression on the Captain's face before unfortunately, familiar blood lust reappeared. Where was the man's spirit? A part of Ichigo knew that if he saw the Captain's spirit something would make sense in a way that he hadn't even realised he hadn't seen.
Reaitsu built into the air towering between the two of them, Ichigo stared at the Captain his breath heavy in his lungs and on his lips, the wound on his chest burned and the blood was cold and not quite dry. This was it, the final charge. The battle could probably go on for days, the Captain was the kind of man to get back up, again and again, no matter how serious the wound but Ichigo was much the same.
He charged Zangetsu humming in his head silent in the way that happened when they were one when it was spirit, sword, and wielder together as reaitsu roared around Ichigo bright red tinged dark at the edges as he collided with the Captain of the Eleventh. Blood flickered into the air as Zangetsu cleaved through muscle and bone, as he felt pain spear through his abdomen and a part of him wrenched itself together and apart all at once.
Ichigo stood in a crater of wrecked pavement, blood trailing down from the gash wrapping around his hip, it had missed his small intestines but had definitely clipped the large intestines and maybe his kidneys. His breath was too loud in his ears and Ichigo turned slowly to stare at the Captain. He was a solid figure standing there facing Ichigo with a grin and for one terrible moment, Ichigo wondered if the battle would continue if they would slug it out till they were bloody and raw.
The Captain's mouth opened and he croaked a laugh, took a wobbly step forward and collapsed to the ground. Ichigo stared for a long moment his chest shuddering with relief before the crimson spilling onto the pavement drew his eyes. Ichigo took a few shaky steps forward and collapsed beside the Captain idly pressing a hand to his own wound with a low halo of healing kido around it.
With a shaking hand, Ichigo ran a quick diagnostic kido that he knew by heart and diagnosed that the wound had missed most of the important internal organs but blood loss would probably kill the man in three hours if he wasn't healed. It wasn't totally critical but enough to make Ichigo worry. He had no idea what their medical staff was like here and how quick response time was. Yet he couldn't afford to heal the Captain properly, not when there was the chance that as soon as he was healed, he would track down Ichigo and demand to fight again.
Rolling his shoulders and hissing at the line of pain it brought Ichigo decided to heal the Captain just enough that he probably wouldn't die. The green glow of healing kido hovered around his hand and the blood spilling from the wound began to slow. Ichigo swayed for a moment, everything narrowing to his own wound and that of the Captain's before his focus widened again and he could sense the little girl in front of him.
When Ichigo opened his eyes, she was on the other side of the Captain staring at Ichigo with wide eyes and a nervous smile that brightened like sunshine when she noticed Ichigo's gaze. He checked Kenpachi's body and gingerly pulled his hand away even as he checked on his own side and clumsily stumbled to his feet.
"Thank for healing Ken-chan, Berry-san! Ken-chan would love to play with you again!"
The little girl said in a bubbly voice and before Ichigo's probably delirious eyes heaved the Captain over her shoulder and bounded away. Ichigo stared for a long moment at the blood on the pavement and wondered if it had been a dream before a gentle push from Ossan helped him clear his thoughts. Right he needed to find Yoruichi and the Thirteenth division. If he could find their reaitsu that would be enough.
Casting out his reaitsu Ichigo felt Uryū, faint and far away, he closed his eyes and swayed for a moment on his feet before he gritted his teeth and sheathed Zangetsu. Turning on his heal Ichigo stared at his torn shihakusho and the pale scar beneath with a sigh before he broke into shunpo. He was exhausted but Rukia was being executed in two-days and sleep wasn't an option. He just hoped everyone else had better luck than him.
X
Thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter the battle was fun to write and so was Ichigo and Renji's meeting. Also, Renji is totally an older brother he pretty much almost called Ichigo kid every time, it's like mandatory that all lieutenants are older siblings; Ichigo is also totally young compared to all of them and they know it on an instinctual level. Also, the battle against Kenpachi was almost easy for Ichigo because he's been sparing with the vizard for years, out of all the captains, Kenpachi at this point in time is probably one of the weakest captains (only for now). Anyways, till next time, reviews/comments are always appreciated (read: desperately craved)!