Calm After the Storm
Chapter 7
"Zangetsu!" Ichigo called out loudly. The spirit was in his usual perch in the inner world. "Did you catch all that?"
"Yes, Ichigo. Do you have some kind of plan?" At this the teen smirked confidently.He sat squarely in front of this counterpart of his soul and he crossed his arms and legs, stubborn to the last.
"Of course I do. We will definitely stop them. But first I need to talk to it." Zangetsu raised an eyebrow but complied, already understanding what the boy planned. He manifested the hollow beside him.
"King! So nice of you to visit! Should I get out the nice china for a cup of tea?" Isn't sarcasm wonderful?
"You heard all that right?"
"Maybe, what if I did?" Ichigo growled quietly, annoyed at the mocking tone in the hollow's voice. He reigned in his temper and tried again.
"It's your power too," Zangetsu mentioned in his rumbling voice.
"They want to make us weak." For once the hollow didn't retaliate, only narrowed its eyes.
"We've had this discussion before, King. The traitor provoked us the last time. We gonna do this again?"
"Hey, I know you don't wanna be sealed any more than I do. Besides, I think we might get bored being stuck in the living realm for the rest of eternity killing hollows."
"Very boring indeed," it approached the now standing Ichigo. "So I guess we're in agreement then." A dangerous smile lit its face. It held out a hand, an offering.
"Why don't we show them what it means to be a Vaizard, huh?" He took its hand in a strong grip.
The chamber was in an uproar. Members of the Central 46 and the Gotei 13 shouted at the humans remaining in the room. They stood proudly, although somewhat angry Ichigo had left them there to deal with the idiots. They said nothing.
Yamamoto-soutaichou again rapped the ground with his staff, and continued to do so until every voice had been silenced. He looked at the humans.
"What has happened to Kurosaki Ichigo," he demanded to know. The humans remained silently, not in the least intimidated. They were too angry with the souls in front of them to care about whether the man could fry them up extra crispy.
Keigo finally lost it and stomped forward, his face furious, yelling. "You should be asking what the hell you did wrong! You should want to know just how badly you've screwed up! You don't deserve to know!! You'd probably just disregard the truth and think what you want to think and not listen for half a second because you don't want to acknowledge that Soul Society is seriously fucked up!!"
"Keigo," Chad said warningly. The enraged teen shot Chad a glare over his shoulder. "Back off, this isn't helping. Maybe we should tell them."
"Whatever!" shouted Keigo. "Why should we worry about them?" He pointed sharply at the souls.
"I don't care about them. I'm worried about others that may be caught up in this: the ones that only take orders not make them." Surprise spread about the room at the giant's words. Chad looked at the people who had foolishly provoked Ichigo with pity, even if they had tried to condemn them. "The only reason you are alive at the moment is because Ichigo hasn't killed you yet."
Tatsuki spoke up. "Keigo's right though. … I say let Ichigo tell them himself if he wants to when they ask tomorrow. Meanwhile tell everyone not to approach Ichigo unless they are a 5th seat or above." The council began talking amongst themselves at the audacity of the humans. Yamamoto considered the seriousness of the humans and remember the power he had felt, the perfect control he had witnessed. He hadn't even noticed when the boy's reiatsu capacity rose, despite the huge difference it made when the boy's' condition had changed.
Ishida nodded at the silence of the soutaichou, deeming him to be in agreement.
"Fine. In that case, ladies and gentlemen, we will be going to make sure the Vaizard," at this term he sneered, "doesn't accidentally kill one of you strongest taichous." They walked out the chamber without looking back. They were silent until they were finally past the last door, walking the normal paths.
"Where are they?" asked Mizuiro.
"Hang on…" Ishida concentrated. Not that it was too hard to find them. "They're fighting near the execution grounds. I don't think they have been going for very long." They ran for the stairs that would lead them to the top.
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They raced over rooftops, crushing tiles under their sandaled feet from the power of their shunpo. Kenpachi found it somewhat difficult to match the teen's pace but he wasn't concerned, he still had his eye patch on.
They had decided the high plain that Soukyouku had once stood upon would be the site for their battle, due to the size of the empty area and really the convenience it presented because it was the nearest place that didn't have any building that threatened to crush them if things got out of hand.
Not that it mattered much.
Even if they had agreed on going there beforehand and words would only shorten their breath, Kenpachi wanted answers.
"Hey!"
"Yeah?"
"What's up with ya? When'd ya get so much power?"
"Eh, you don't need to know 'til tomorrow. You can ask me then. All I wanna think about right now is how long it'll take me to pound you into the ground." He looked back to show a lazy grin.
"Ha!! I can't wait to see you try!"
They jumped the stairs at the base of the cliff vertically and used shunpo again to rush through the forest of dead trees. They stopped as they reached the center of the open plain, spread twenty feet apart Ichigo's hand on Zangetsu's hilt. Kenpachi stood relaxed.
"Take off the eye patch please!" Ichigo said cheerily.
"I wanna fight ya with it on first, see how strong ya got."
"Take it off or I'll kill you!"
"Threats don't work on me! Ya just gotta fight me!"
"I wasn't threatening you. My reiatsu will kill you if I let loose while your eye patch is on." Ichigo grin grew more into a smirk… though for some reason there was a little sad twist.
"Oh? You know that, huh?" The curious sadness was gone, and Ichigo shrugged.
"You're talking to the dude that killed Aizen, remember? I killed him in the same… condition… that I am now. So yeah, I know."
Kenpachi chuckled and in one swift movement tore the eye patch away. His reiatsu soared as if happy to be let free and the man laughed gleefully. All of Seireitei felt the power, knew it was his, and resolved not to go anywhere near the former execution site.
"Finally!! I can go all out!!" He unsheathed his zanpakutou as he felt Ichigo raise his reiatsu to match. They considered each other silently until Ichigo let out an unrestrained bark of laughter and lunged at his opponent, who lifted his zanpakutou to meet Ichigo's between them. The jumped apart to meet again, both wearing wide smiles.
Kenpachi took advantage of the close proximity to grab the front of Ichigo's shihakushou and toss him into the air. The teen quickly found purchase beneath his feet to stop his ascent and upside down he swung Zangetsu in a wide arc.
"Getsuga Tenshou!!" Kenpachi recalled reports he had read as he darted to avoid the crescent of power barreling toward him. He wasn't ashamed to admit he had studied up on the teen (for future reference) after his first fight and the betrayal. Even after the research, he was surprised and pleased. He wasn't expecting such an intense concentration of reiatsu. He recalled see the attack during the War as well, but something was wrong.
The light was supposed to be light blue. So why was it purple now? Granted; it wasn't a perfect mix, the color was more blue than a pure purple color, but now matter how you looked at it, it wasn't right.
Zaraki was just happy he could fight the teen again… he didn't care.
The explosion sent dirt and rock into the air. Ichigo flipped and landed on the ground next to the edge of the new chasm and looked down cautiously to the bottom. The ground below them was easily visible. He heard Kenpachi whistle slowly and Ichigo looked up.
"Another one of those and there won't be a cliff anymore."
"You know where to find me if you need a demolitions expert."
"Ichigo!!" The two Shinigami turned to look at the six people on the outskirts of the forest. Ichigo beamed and waved in greeting.
"Hey guys! I'm gonna finish up here, then we can go hang out!" He shouted to them.
"'Finish up'?!" scoffed Kenpachi. He jumped the distance of the new gash in the ground and Ichigo was busy again. He lifted Zangetsu over his head to block the swing and pushed Kenpachi away easily. He chased after the man and before he could gain good footing Ichigo scored a hit on Kenpachi's arm. Kenpachi ignored the wound and darted forward before Ichigo could back away again. If Ichigo hadn't dodged he would have lost his left ear, but instead a shallow cut was inflicted on his shoulder and chest, perfectly vertical.
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"Renji, what's going on?" Asked Rukia, alarmed as her childhood friend sprinted to her. He gasped, unable to form a word until he had caught his breath. "How did the meeting go?"
"… Ichigo's… freaking out! Something hap…pened to him."
"What do you mean freaking out? He doesn't freak, he just scowls and yells."
"I'm telling you, something's… wrong! The meeting was a set up t… to begin with. It was a trial. They all condemned them to a seal… Ichigo has been exiled... for being a Vaizard…"
"What??"
"… and now Ichigo isn't yellin' or scowlin'. He doesn't even… look angry Rukia! He looks like he found out he won the lottery or something! Everyone else looked… scared too— hey, you okay?"
Rukia had become paler with every word. She stared at Renji hard, desperately.
"Did his hair seem to be lighter? Can you remember??" The red-head frowned, thinking back to the silent Ichigo at the chamber.
"Now that you ment— woah! Wait up!! Where are you going??" He sped to follow the woman who had dashed past him.
"I have to speak to Nii-sama!!" Renji chased Rukia through the familiar winding paths to the 6th division offices. For once, she abandoned protocol and slammed open the door to her brother's private office, revealing her brother and a surprised Juushiro Ukitakewho had obviously been in the middle in a conversation. They both looked to the noise of the door.
Rukia stood with Renji just behind, her hands on either side of the doorway, head bowed tiredly. Byakuya frowned (visibly).
"What is the meaning of this," He set down his tea and waited impatiently for her excuse.
"Nii-sama…" panting from exhaustion (it was a long way from 13th to 6th); she could not speak.
"Rukia-chan, what's wrong?" asked Rukia's taichou with concern.
She suddenly looked up.
"I know what happened to Ichigo and you have to let me explain!"
xlxlxlx
Kenpachi blocked a swing at his waist and stepped back to disengage and make a backhand slash at Ichigo's chest. Every move they made, even when dodged, made small cuts, adding on as time went by.
The others stood back at the edge of the tree line watching the two Shinigami. Ichigo had told them to stay there and none of them were suicidal enoughto get any closer to the battle, even if Ichigo shielded them from his own reiatsu.
Ichigo jumped back and was pushed further as Kenpachi engages their blades closely. He pushed with reiatsu as well as physically. Ichigo dug his feet in to stop the backwards movement and his feet dug into the earth unintentionally, caving under the weight of the battle.
"What, is that all you got?" Ichigo's grin grew and opened up a little wider. Kenpachi was astonished to say the least. The boy matched his level and could still go higher?!
"Sorry to disappoint, but this is only a fifth of my potential." Kenpachi pretended to ignore him. Instead of trying to fight the pressure of Ichigo's new levels he used it against the teen, forcing him to dig even deeper into the hard ground. Ichigo smirked now and suddenly bottled up all the excess reiatsu. Kenpachi reeled from the release and Ichigo took the opening. He scored a horizontal slash across his chest.
They paused and the amused taichou looked at Ichigo and chuckled. His zanpakutou resting at his side.
"Why didja wanna fight me?"
"I knew I'd need to relieve some stress after the 'meeting,' just as much as you need it."
"… Eh?"
"I figure you haven't had a decent fight in a few months right? You've to be crawling in your skin because you haven't been able to go full out; I know I would be too."
"Yep. Since the war went and got done. Been damn boring since then, driving me insane."
"You aren't already?"
"Well… can't argue with that."
Ichigo rested Zangestu on his shoulder and risked it.
"Have you gotten a new fukutaichou?"
Kenpachi narrowed his eyes at Ichigo and tightened his grip on his weapon, but didn't attack. Instead he said, "The only one I trust to do the paperwork besides me is refusing the position. The bald asshole said it'd make him grow hair, being stressed out all the time, or some shit like that."
"No one else, huh? Too bad!! You're stuck with all the paperwork then?"
"Hell no!! I make baldy do it anyway! We have a bet going to see what his natural color is." Ichigo laughed at his friend's expense and began the fight once again, running at Kenpachi unhurriedly. He needed the man busy to ask his next question.
He kicked his foot out, trying to unbalance Kenpachi and asked, "How's the division without… her?" Kenpachi half growled, half grunted at the kick to his chest (although the impact was lessened by his jump back) and the maniacal grin adorning his scarred face lost a bit of it's luster... if you could call it that.
Kenpachi used a few shunpo to advance forward and grab a handful of Ichigo's hair. He switched hands on his zanpakutou andpurposefully caught iton the curve of Zangetsu after the hilt and pushed Ichigo's arm back into an awkward angle, effectively rendering it useless in such close range.
"They're fine." He raised a knee to nail Ichigo in the gut. "Bastards 've prob'ly gotten used ta the quiet by now." Solely running on instinct Ichigo used his freehand to grip Kenpachi's shoulder for leverageand he jumped high to avoid the reiatsu-laden attack, flipping over his opponent's head (sacrificing some hair on the way down). Kenpachi was forced to let go unless he wanted a dislocated shoulder. While Kenpachi reclaimed his arm Ichigo landed softly behind the taichou.
"What about you?"
Kenpachi launched into shunpos to avoid the elbow to the back of his neck. He circled the teen tightly and faced him squarely.
"Too damn quiet," he almost whispered, and he gifted Ichigo with an identical cut across his chest. The teen staggered back.
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The four figures sitting in the 6th division taichou's office were gravely silent. After hearing what Rukia had told them… she had learned the information about this aspect of Ichigo's power from Inoue, who would surely never lie to her Shinigami friend. The truth disturbed them greatly.
Rukia suddenly spoke, her whole frame tense. "Ichigo never asked for this… he wasn't even aware he had a hollow until he fought you, Nii-sama. He only tries to do the right thing with the power he's been given." She clutched the folds of her shihakushou. "Exiling himis the same as exiling any other Shinigami for possessing power! The Central 46 is wrong! Hasn't he saved their stupid lives enough times to have earned at least a little peace?!" Sheran out of words and tried to remove her stiff fingers from her wrinkled uniform. Byakuya decided to ignore the snub against the council… she was obviously not herself…
Ukitake spoke then. "We can't go against the decisions of the Central 46 council. It has been this way for thousands of years." He lips thinned bitterly, quite unlike the man to be so bitter. "These new fools wouldn't change for the sake of one man."
Tense silence filled the room again, each lost in their own tumultuous thoughts.
Renji let out a sudden chuckle, sounding like a child discovering the cookie jar was unguarded. He almost laughed outright at the faces of the others staring at him… It was so obvious!
"Knowing Ichigo, we don't have to do a single thing for this to blow over." It wasn't possible for the others to be more shocked at Renji's words. He grinned slyly at the others, "He'll just beat everyone up until they either change their minds or they're dead." He looked pointedly at Byakuya.
… Jeez.
xlxlxlx
Neither Shinigami advanced on the other, each breathing heavily at the exertion and blood loss.
"We can't fight much longer unless we want to kill ourselves instead of each other," said Ichigo, sounding quite a bit like he didn't care either way. Then he sighed melodramatically and laid Zangetsu across his back, the wrapping automatically sheathing the blade.
"And it was just gettin' good, too," complained Kenpachi.
"Shut it, Bells, I still have a long three days ahead of me and I need to be conscious for all of them." Ichigo sighed again and pulled in his power. Kenpachi sheathed his zanpakutou as well, and place his eye patch on regretfully. He appraised the teen who had his back to him (he was watching his friends run over to them).
"Ya know, I could blame you for her death."
Ichigo paused stiffly thenturned his whole body to him, tilting his head slightly. All amusement from the fight was gone and in its place emptiness so complete Kenpachi was tempted to step back.
'Holy shit…'
"I already blame myself for a whole lot more than you'll ever know, Bells… what's one more pebble on a mountain?
"And besides, you blame yourself for Yachiru's death enough for the both of us." He turned away again, with a smile on his face, to meet the ones that understood him the best... his friends, his nakama.
I would like to say SORRY!! for all those who have been waiting for this chapter... please don't kill me?... Here! Have a cookie!
The fight was crazy hard to write... I tried to be detailed, and I'm always insecure about fights. I realize some moves areprobably not possible but a) it's my fic and b) it's Soul Society for crying out loud, what isn't possible when you're that powerful? The standing in mid-air thing is possible though (Ichigo does it by instinct when he is smashed through Orihime's wall when her brother attacks and Shinji hangs upside down when we first see him). I don't know about the flippy thing Ichigo does to get away from Ken-chan though... it looked cool in my head. (sigh) Let me know what you think??
Hahahaha, I still haven't told you what happened to Ichigo!! I almost did, but I didn't want to give it away too soon!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach... (sniffle) I want Ichigo though... it's no fair that the girls won't share him...
PS! The first part was indeed a flashback on the time Ichigo changed in the meeting, what happened to make him change is a surprise, although this is another clue... forgive me if you think I am dragging it out too long...
Have wonderful lives and see ya next time!!
