Brief: Just over two years after he lost his Soul Reaper powers, Ichigo starts being able to sense spirits again, but what else will emerge as his powers start to re-emerge?
Spoiler Warnings: Post 423: Farewell Swords
Note: If you are looking for the continuation of my After the Winter War series, this is not it! This is separate to my other works!
Pairings: IchiRuki (of course), IshiHime, possible others include ByaHis.
Darkest Side of Me
Chapter 7: More than meets the Eye
The sun was getting low in the sky when the man reached his destination. It was not uncommon to be summoned to the barracks of another squad, but it was much less common for a noble to be looking around another squad's barracks without being called for. His steely gaze fell upon the white-haired man speaking with his colourful friend animatedly and, despite how it impressed him how the man was able to stay in condition to be a Captain for as long as he had, marched towards the old friends with a stoic expression placed firmly on his features.
"Ah, Byakuya," Ukitake greeted warmly. "What brings you here? Care for a drink?"
"You may dispense with the pleasantries, Captain Ukitake," the younger Captain practically scolded. "I wish to know if you have spoken with my sister recently, and how she is progressing with her mission."
"I see," the man nodded from his seat, sipping from the shallow, bowl-like cup in his hand. "Yes, I have spoken with my Lieutenant, since we are on business terms. She has informed me that Ichigo is making excellent progress, much higher than the estimates we were given by Kisuke Urahara before hand. It is now believed that his zanpakuto could be reformed by the end of the week instead of the month."
"I understand," Byakuya nodded, though something still bugged him. "And what of the hollow reiatsu readings in the area?"
"Byakuya, please," Ukitake brushed off the question. "It was a tiny reading, even you must accept that. Rukia did not mention any hollows in her report, since it is nothing to do with the mission, but we can only assume that either she or the resident Soul Reaper of the district took care of it quickly. Was it not obvious that the reading was very nearby to Rukia's?"
"Indeed it was, but I do not like it, Jushiro," Byakuya looked away slightly. "I am worried that the boy may be hiding his hollow from us, and that it was his energy emission that we detected."
"There is no way to be sure, but it only lasted for a second. As I said, it most probably perished very quickly."
Their gazes locked and the tension could be felt in the air before Byakuya nodded, satisfied by this, and showed himself out. Kyoraku sighed when he was sure that the noble had left, pulling the brim of his large hat over his face a little more.
"Jeez, that was close," he mused with little hint of anxiety in his voice. "Do you think he really believes any of that?"
"Let's hope so," Ukitake said uncertainly. "Else this winter could become rather frosty for everyone."
The small group looked anxiously at the man laid down over the floor. Ichigo had not moved for about fifteen minutes, and every minute that passed by made Rukia all the more worried about her ex-substitute. She knew his hollow was powerful, though she had wondered for a time whether it had been behind the destructive energy beam which had torn through the dome of Los Noches, but she had not been expecting such a violent reaction so soon after his reiatsu was awakened again. Finally, his eyes scrunched together as he came to, lifting himself uneasily into a sitting position.
"Hey, guys," he announced as if he had simply left the room only to return moments later. "What's with those looks?"
"Ichigo..." Rukia's eyes were wide and her fear was evident in the irises. Ichigo went to tell her not to worry when he felt her tiny fist slam into his skull. "You baka! What the hell kind of way is that to greet your friends? I thought your father taught you to have manners!"
"What?" he bellowed, rubbing his sore head. "That's no way to react after someone's been unconscious, moron! You're gonna give me brain damage if you keep this up, you damned midget!"
"DON'T CALL ME MIDGET, STRAWBERRY!"
"MAKE ME!"
The two of them traded insults and blows in normal fashion, causing everyone to sigh or shake their heads at how they could act as though nothing had happened. The day wore on, time in lessons ticking away slowly as if the hands of time had rusted over. Ichigo gazed outside and risked the odd glance at Rukia as she doodled bunnies in her book (or rather what he assumed were bunnies, it was hard to tell). Art had been interesting; draw the person you look up to or trust most. Ichigo had been adamant not to allow anyone to see his, though Rukia boasted about her attempt at Byakuya with a great sense of pride, despite the fact that she had drawn him with a pair of rabbits ears and a poorly drawn body in general.
"Oh my," Urahara said as the cavern shook. He had told Ichigo to force all his reiatsu outwards so that he could gauge his power level, but it had more than trebled the estimated amount. "This is very unexpected indeed. But, on the plus side, it seems that you're ready for the reformation ceremony!"
"Great, how do I do that?" Ichigo asked, eager to feel the grip of Zangetsu's blade in his hands once more.
"Simple," the shop keeper smiled, pulling the brim of his hat over his eyes. "You have to fight Rukia to the point of exhaustion."
It took a few moments for Ichigo to comprehend what had been said.
"Nani?" he asked.
"Mai, Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia called out, coating the area in delicate white snow. "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"
The blast of ice missed Ichigo by inches as he sprang away in his white hakama.
"Dammit, what the hell, Rukia?" he shouted before turning on Urahara. "Oi, Hat-'n'-Clogs! What the hell is going on?"
"You have to fight Rukia to exhaustion!" the man shouted back. "Oh, and you shouldn't be watching me!"
Sure enough, Ichigo turned in time for Rukia's frail-looking sword to cleave through the area of space he had been stood in moments earlier. The look in her eyes showed no remorse or emotion except that of her will to kill him. He pushed off, knowing he could use Shunpo if needs be but keeping that for last resort.
"Don't I get some kind of weapon or armour? I could be killed!" he protested further.
"How do you know that's not the plan?" Urahara asked, clearly amused.
"Why you-!"
"Hado 31, Shakkaho!" The superheated red kido shot passed by much less distance than Ichigo had anticipated, but he was able to recover in time to use Shunpo to escape Rukia's sight.
"Kisuke!" he barked angrily.
"Alright, here," the blonde man smirked, throwing a tube a little larger than a pen at him. "Grip it in both hands," Ichigo did as he instructed. "Raise it over your head," Again, he obediently followed. "Now say the words 'By the power of friendship, ultimate sword of justice, activate'!"
"Like hell I'm saying that!" He went to throw the tube on the floor when a beam of white light shot passed his head. "Alright, fine! By the power of friendship, ultimate sword of justice, activate!"
"What do you know, I can still make you say this ridiculous stuff," Urahara grinned.
The tube shimmered briefly before the energy massed into a ball of light which shot upwards into a katana blade. He did not take much time to admire the weapon or the time it must have taken to make as Rukia was bearing down on him. He ran towards her at full speed and their blades met with a flurry of sparks and the grinding of steel on steel. They parted, backing away, but Ichigo's long dormant reflexes kicked in, kicking up quickly into another lunge. He missed the small disc of light at Rukia's hand until he was repulsed by an invisible force, the blade falling from his grip.
Rukia was quick to respond, kicking him in the back and focussing a quick Hainawa onto Ichigo as he came to a halt. The unruly yellow ribbon twisted around his arms and bound them together.
"Hado 33, Sokatsui!" Rukia yelled.
The blue fire scorched the Bakudo away and charred Ichigo's robes and left arm, but he reacted with haste, grabbing the fallen sword hilt and battling on with Rukia. His reflexes were good, but, after several hours sparing, his reiatsu was on the verge of collapse; he knew he was at his limit, and he knew that Rukia was pressuring him about this fact. Before long his weapon was flicked to one side and he was on the ground beneath Rukia, Sode no Shirayuki's snowy blade pointed at his chest.
"I am Rukia Kuchiki," she announced solemnly. "Tell me your name, human."
Ichigo understood and smiled.
"Ichigo Kurosaki," he replied. "And I'm a Substitute Soul Reaper."
The blade pierced his heart but he felt no pain, only a warm sensation in his right hand. A ball of blue-white light was building at his hand, smaller parts swirling around fiercely like electrons around an atom, until it could take no more and became a great flash of blinding light.
When the smoke cleared, Rukia was stood by Urahara, zanpakuto sheathed as Ichigo emerged. In his right hand was a long sword with a katana-like black and silver blade. The bronze tsuba was in the shape of a crescent moon and the grip was a bloody hue of red. From the hilt hung two short blue chords. Across the man's chest was a red length of cloth. He placed the blade against the cloth and a dark blue sheath formed itself out of reshi.
Rukia smiled at Ichigo, who was now wearing the black hakama of a Soul Reaper but with a pair of bindings across his hands and wrists as well as his neck. The man grinned back to her as he came over.
"You knew all along, didn't you, Rukia?" he asked. She blushed a little.
"Yeah," she admitted. "Sorry I couldn't tell you, else you wouldn't give it your all."
"Hey, I would too!"
"Yeah right, you'd just go half and then give up. I know you would have."
"So, Ichigo, I take it that is Zangetsu's sealed state," Urahara announced, breaking up the tension in the air.
"Huh?" Ichigo drew his zanpakuto, the sheath turning back into reshi at his will to unsheathe the weapon. "I guess so. How do I use my Shikai then?"
"Zangetsu should have told you the release command when you took your powers again," the shop keeper said from behind his fan. "Try releasing now."
"Alright, here goes," Ichigo gripped Zangetsu tightly in both hands and focussed his reiatsu. "For the sake of protecting what we must, stand and cleave the moon, Zangetsu!"
The weapon transformed in an instant into an over-sized cleaver. The blade curled round at the tip with an circular indent in the blade from the point into the flat of the blade and also at the opposing end of the silver cutting-edge. As before, the sword was silver on the cutting edge and black on the non-edged side of the blade, but the hilt was now a cylindrical shaft with larger cylinders on both ends and a length of chain hung from the hilt. Ichigo staggered a little from the exertion of releasing his Shikai with his weakened body, but smiled, shouldering the blade as he always used to.
"How's that?" he asked, receiving a smile from Rukia. The simple sight of the sword made her zanpakuto more than happy.
"I am glad," she heard Shirayuki say in her mind. "to see such a friendly blade again. That other weapon Ichigo used was so dull and emotionless."
I agree, Shirayuki, Rukia thought back. It is good to see Ichigo like this again; he was always so happy as a Soul Reaper.
"Oi, Rukia, you in there?" Ichigo asked, tapping her forehead. She swatted his hand away furiously, a pink hue creeping over her cheeks as she looked away. "We should be heading home. Come on."
Rukia smiled and nodded, heading towards the exit with orange-haired man who was now officially a Soul Reaper beside her; just two friends, glad to be with one another.
The burst of reiatsu which had created Zangetsu was like an explosion, and the fallout of the blast could be felt by a handful of people all over the small town. At the opposite side of Karakura town, where the Ishida residence was, a certain bespectacled man and his busty girlfriend flinched at the sudden sensation of the fresh reiatsu as it swamped over them and passed in a matter of moments. They smiled at one another as the surge of energy swept passed them before exchanging a heated kiss, their energies intertwined.
They barely felt the second burst as Ichigo released his Shikai, nor did they notice a slight disturbance as a flash of white bathed the dark street before retreating into the murk from whence it came. A single figure, clothed entirely in black with a katana sheathed behind it, stepped into the faded orange glow of a failing street light, briefly taking in their surroundings before shimmering out of sight.
Had anyone seen this strange happening, they would have thought that they had dreamt it up in a daze or a simple trick of the light.
The noble walked at a fast pace over the gantry which led to Squad 1's barracks, his face stoic as always though his reiatsu was sharp and silently enraged. It was rare for Byakuya to be heading for the barracks without there being a Captain's meeting, but the terms of his visit were not social in the slightest. He strode up to the huge wooden doors and stopped before the Lieutenant who stood there.
"Captain Kuchiki," the man said formally. "I am afraid the Head-Captain is very busy at this moment. Would you like me to pass on a message when he is available?"
"That won't be necessary, Lieutenant Sasakibe," Byakuya's tone was level, yet there was an underlying hint of murderous intent if he was prevented by the Lieutenant, causing the latter to gulp visibly. "Head-Captain Yamamoto is expecting me. Now, please stand aside."
"I-"
"Let him pass, Lieutenant," the gruff voice of Yamamoto growled out at the man. He walked out of the now open doors, his left arm missing from the battle with Aizen two years ago. The Lieutenant bowed and moved away quickly, not wanting to intrude. "Now then, what is this matter which you wish to speak about, Captain Kuchiki?"
"I understand that Squad 12 had some interference in the vicinity of my sister, sir," the noble kept his tone level. "I was informed by Captain Ukitake that it was a hollow which Rukia has now slain."
"Then what is the problem?" the old man was growing impatient. "Surely you trust the word of a fellow Captain, one of the oldest there is at that?"
"Head-Captain, I do not doubt that Captain Ukitake is trustworthy," Byakuya dismissed the claim. "However, I do know that he shares a close relationship, both with his squad and my sister, and I have no doubt that he would lie to his fellow Captains at her request."
"Are you suggesting treason?" Yamamoto's tone was deadly serious as he spoke. "Choose your words carefully, Captain, for you are on dangerous ground."
"I think that Rukia is covering for the boy," Byakuya's eyes glowered a little at the thought of Ichigo. "He may still have the hollow which ran rampant when he first came to Soul Society inside of him. In which case, he may be losing control of it while fooling my sister that he is the dominant being."
Silence fell briefly as the old Captain considered this.
"The thought has come up in my mind as well," he conceded. "It is not often that such a thing occurs to a Soul Reaper, but in the event of it going out of control, I fear that not even the Captains will be able to guarantee a triumph over such a creature. However, Ichigo Kurosaki is a valuable asset to Soul Society, therefore we must act accordingly; we cannot risk his hollow going out of control, but nor can we afford to lose such an asset to our forces.
"I understand your turmoil, Captain Kuchiki," Yamamoto went on. "I know that you promised your late wife that you would protect Rukia Kuchiki under any circumstance," Byakuya's face never faltered, though his eyes lost a shade of two in tone. "For that reason, I am sending a member of the Stealth Force to investigate Ichigo Kurosaki and the area of Karakura town to ensure there is no danger. I do not want you to interfere unless I inform you otherwise. Do you understand my order?"
"I do, Head-Captain, sir," Byakuya agreed. "Thank you for doing this."
"Very well," Yamamoto turned around and entered the large room once more. "You may leave now."
As the heavy doors came to a halt, Byakuya arrived at Kuchiki Manor, making his way for Hisana's shrine quickly. He slid open the doors and lit the red candles ceremoniously around his late wife's portrait before kneeling before her smiling face.
"Hisana," he said in a sorrowful, regretful tone. "I am doing my best to keep my promise to you, but I fear that I may be doing wrong." He looked sadly into her deep blue-purple irises, softly touching the ornate frame in which her delicate form sat. "What would you have me do?"
Yeah, I like the whole 'loyal to the late wife' thing Byakuya has.
I'd like to think he secretly confides in the portrait when he is at a loss or needs a moral compass in his life.
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter; I'm glad I decided to double update this time, but still, that's just me.
Anyway, please don't be shy if you notice something glaringly obvious which is good or bad; please read and review for me.
(*SPOILER*ALERT*)
Who else was psyched about the latest chapter in the Bleach Manga? The all-new Tensa Zangetsu looks good, in my opinion, but I personally wanted something more like Saiga no Getsuga Tenshou. What about you?