Orihime Innoe's breathing was still uneven and rugged and her heart was still beating faster than normal as she left the company of the bright-haired young man she had feelings for. She was grateful for Renji showing up when he did. Orihime really didn't know what she would have done in that moment if his voice had not broken her out of the trance she had been in.

She had to stop being what most people would call a fan-girl and give up on all the blushing and feeling flustered whenever Ichigo gave her even an innocent look. She had to lock her feelings in a titanium chest and keep the key in another chest and only ever open it once she was certain he felt the same way. If there is one thing she did not what to be anymore, it was the girl who looked and acted weak even when she had a way to be far more powerful and offer so much more help.

She really had never planned to let the former substitute soul reaper affect her so much. He made her mind foggy and around him she felt like she couldn't reason properly. Deep down, she knew her feelings would sooner or later cloud her judgment and probably end up hurting not only her but also the people she cared about.

She remembered how reckless she had been when she had decided to go to Hueco Mundo in the hopes of saving her friends.

As she ran into the house and tried to gain some composure after what she could only describe as the most intimate and closest she had been with Ichigo, Orihime made a promise to herself…she was not going be the girl who was easily affected any more.

She vowed to use her new strength and powers to become the person that no one expected her to be. She was going to be strong and try to fend for herself. And above all else, she was not going to spend her time being flustered and fantasizing about the spiky haired scowling hottie.

With the way the world was turning out, Orihime did not want to be a burden or a hindrance any longer. She recalled how powerless she felt when she was in Hueco Mundo and how much of a damsel in distress she had been. Well no longer would she be that girl. If the power she felt in her body now was anything to go by, she trusted she could muster enough to protect not only herself but also the people she cared about.

A new era was about to begin and it involved Orihime no longer being a weak and timid human.

~xoxo~

Some time when the whole gang was back together and had gathered in readiness for their travel to soul society, Urahara led them all to the training room. Ichigo was wondering what was going to happen next and just how dangerous it was going to be.

"Okay, now before you guys start off, make sure that Ichigo doesn't do anything reckless." Urahara said as he looked at the group of people before him.

"What's that supposed to mean, old man?" the bright-haired boy looked offended.

"It means exactly how it came out, Orange." Misaki shook her head and Ichigo scowled at her.

He was not reckless…much. He just sought to protect those he cared about at all cost. Big difference.

"You are not a Soul Reaper anymore and though there is a possibility that you might develop new abilities like our Orihime," Urahara turned to the curvy female and looked her over from head to toe, "we are not sure what those powers are or how long it might take you to actually be useful so until then try not to get into any unnecessary fights. When you do recover your memories, all this will make sense and hopefully you will get where I'm coming from."

Ichigo didn't need the clogs-wearing old man to explain it to him; the orange haired young man had been in more fights that he cared to remember-whether necessary or unnecessary.

"Let's just get this over with," the spectacled white-clad man pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I still find it bizarre how the Quincy fits in so well with us." the blue haired soul reaper looked genuinely perplexed.

The atmosphere in the room got intense as people looked wide-eyed from Misaki to Uryu.

"Why? Because your kind slaughtered my people?" Uryu looked cross.

"Yes." She answered lazily. "I mean, I can't imagine how you feel about it all but personally, I would have gone on a personal Soul reaper wiping out mission years ago. Anyone else would be pissed; I mean it's only natur…"

"What is wrong with you?" Renji couldn't understand how someone could be so inappropriate and that in itself was saying something.

"Come on, I can't be the only one thinking it. We should be his enemy but…"

A spiritual arrow flew towards the talkative blue head and passed by her ear before it slammed into the far ground behind her. Her eyes widened at the bold move made by the bespectacled young man in white, his spiritual bow still in his expert hands.

"The next one will make contact with your mouth," Uryu warned.

Misaki smirked and looked challengingly at the guy who had the guts to fire an arrow at her.

"Learn to take a joke, four-eyes."

"Um…that wasn't really funny." Orihime said, surprising everyone.

They all knew that the blue head had a twisted sense of humour but to be reminded of it by the busty girl just made it all so clear.

Misaki wanted to say more but she was cut off when they all glared at her, including Ichigo who in his current condition had no clue about Soul reaper and Quincy history.

"Can we just go already?" Renji spoke.

Looking at them under the brim of his striped hat, Urahara just cleared his throat.

"Um, yes." He said and proceeded to open up the passage to the soul society.

When the Senkaimon was open and its bright white passageway shone in the room, the two Soul reapers entered first, followed by the busty orange haired Orihime. Ichigo looked at the opening and then at Uryu and got a bad feeling about what was to happen next.

"Hey, it's totally safe…ish" Uryu said as he pushed his glasses up and went through the bright opening.

Ichigo took a deep breath and followed the others. The Senkaimon closed and Urahara was left standing alone.

Urahara heard footsteps behind him and even without turning he knew exactly who it was.

"So when are you planning on telling him?" Tessai asked the banished, former squad twelve captain.

"He still has a lot on his plate at the moment," Urahara turned to face Tessai, "besides I need to confirm some things first."

"The longer you wait, the more his life in in danger…and it's not safe for the people around him either. Kisuke you have to tell him."

"I know…" Urahara removed his reishi collector/sensor and studied it for a second; his features got even more serious as he thought about what it all meant, "I know."

~xoxo~

Soul Society

The Senkaimon opened in the sky. The bright white light engulfed the gang as they emerged from it.

"Welcome to the soul society, strawberry." Misaki said once they could see the new world before them.

"When the hell are we?" Ichigo's voice sounded confused as he looked at the sight below him. He felt like he had travelled back in time to feudal japan. Parts of the place were destroyed but on the most part it looked like a beautiful world.

"Don't let its look deceive you Ichigo; the place isn't as technologically crippled as you are thinking." Renji explained.

Looking around him, Ichigo realized that they were high up in the sky. Renji and Misaki proceeded to jumping down with ease and no fear of facing sudden death. Uryu smirked at Ichigo and jumped too.

"What is with these people's obsession with jumping?" he scratched the back of his head and faced Orihime.

"Um…well, maybe it is because they do it so well."

"You ready?" he asked her.

Orihime smiled at him and leapt out of the Senkaimon and down to follow the Soul reapers and the Quincy. That about answered Ichigo's question.

He was still finding it hard to understand how a sudden run in with a mysterious light was making it possible to jump great distances like ninja.

Pushing that thought back he also jumped after his new companions. As he carefully landed on one of the nearby roofs and took in the air, his head got the same sharp pain he was now so familiar with. Ichigo staggered a bit and hoped that no one noticed. Being seen as the weak link was something he didn't want to experience.

"Ichigo, are you okay?" A concerned Orihime asked.

"Yes" Ichigo lied, "I just lost my footing. This jumping is just weird to me still." He looked away as his face pinched, the intense pain making his eyesight cloudy.

"Oh strawberry, you are so lame. Hard to believe you were ever a soul reaper." Misaki said as she walked to him then hit him once in his stomach before he dropped to the ground on his knees.

"So fucking weak." She then knelt down and put an oval pill in his left hand and whispered, "Get a hold of yourself; I can't keep giving you my secret stash."

Ichigo held the miracle pill firmly in his hand and got to his feet, "I am not weak. I…just lost my footing." He popped the pill discreetly in his mouth and the headache was gone. He felt Uryu's eyes on him but he did not turn to look at the Quincy. His face would probably give too much away.

"We need to talk to the head captain first of all." Renji said, "He has to be told about this hooded scythe dude."

Renji switched his attention to Misaki.

"Since you were there and know what happened when he made his appearance, you will have to do this." Renji told her, "I will go with the others to the Department of Research and Development and see if captain Kurotsuchi has figured out anything new."

"Fine, whatever." Misaki answered, "Ask the foul mouthed one to go talk to the head captain." She shook her head and leapt away, jumping from roof to roof as she made her way to her destination.

"She is quite the character." Uryu commented.

"You don't know the half of it." Renji responded.

He turned to the still confused Ichigo and studied him, "Time you remembered your time as a soul reaper Ichigo. Let's get going." Renji spoke as he led the way.

Ichigo wasn't sure what exactly to expect but for the time being he would just take things one step at a time.

~xoxo~

Department of research and development, sometime before the arrival of Ichigo and his gang

A remarkable part of the institute was wrecked and the rubble had fallen all around the surrounding area. The smoke and residual spiritual energy from the blast had all but completely dissipated. Kurotsuchi felt murderous setting his sight on it all. His painted face was set in a serious glare as he tried to put the pieces together.

Who had the audacity to bomb his beautiful labs? They would surely pay. He did not care about how many of his subordinates had been killed. They were all just trash that worked for him, his little slaves. He only cared about restoring the institute to its former glory and killing whoever had messed with his true love.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, I have the report on the attack that you wanted." The flat, emotionless voice of Nemu reached the captain of squad 12 as he looked at what was once his pride and joy.

"About time, Nemu. Give it here!" He grabbed the report rudely and skimmed over it hurriedly. "This doesn't make any sense, what are they planning with this attack? Spiritual energy and hollows, Quincies and Shinigami, veils and spirit worlds…" Kurotsuchi mumbled to himself.

"Anything I can help with, sir?" Nemu asked.

"Just shut up and leave me alone!" The scientist shouted at her as he walked away from her and kept looking at the report.

from the looks of this, it appears they had been logging into the system and doing this intense research for a long time now. It can't be… Kurotsuchi's face beamed as he felt a sort of satisfaction.

"This is probably every scientist's dream come true!" Kurotsuchi felt an unmistakable feeling of delight and excitement. He had just discovered a gold mine. If what he had concluded was true then he needed to get himself the specimen in question. "Nemu, I need you to do something for me. I want you to…"

The scientist turned and when he didn't see her behind him but still standing where she had been when she had handed him the report, his face scowled and his eye twitched in annoyance.

"What are you doing all the way over there you useless girl?" he asked angrily and walked to her with the intention of slapping or strangling her.

"You asked me to leave you alone, captain." Nemu answered politely and in her low voice.

"Are you being smart with me?" the abusive Kurotsuchi got even angrier, "I will…"

"Captain." Renji's voice spoke as they made it to the institute. Kurotsuchi was not pleased for being disturbed.

"WHAT?" he yelled as he turned to where the voice had come from and the annoyance left his face as he took in the strange spiritual pressure. A huge grin formed on his painted face as he walked closer to Renji and his voice.

Luck was surely on his side. The specimen had walked right over to him.

"Captain," Renji started, but the scientist was not paying any mind to him at all. His eyes were fixed on the orange haired former substitute soul reaper and the closer he got, the more his grin widened.

"We need…"

"Shut up!" The painted captain yelled. He needed to treasure this moment.

"Welcome to my humble institute, orange haired one." He moved so close to Ichigo's face that Ichigo had to recoil a bit. It was rather uncomfortable. Kurotsuchi paid no mind to the other people, especially the Quincy.

"Captain, before we do anything I wanted us to fix his memory first." Renji said. "You do remember last year when he asked for that favour?"

"Oh, sure, sure, sure." The scientist masked his annoyance of being disturbed again with an unnerving smile. "I didn't really wipe his memory. I simply locked them away you see."

He reached into the sleeve of his clothing and produced a vial containing a green liquid. He gripped it in his pale hands before jabbing it swiftly in the side of Ichigo's neck. Ichigo had no time to react as the jade liquid emptied into his system.

"Hey! What the hell-"

"That will unlock that door and you will remember everything that you so carelessly wanted to forget." The scientist said with a crazed grin.

Ichigo closed his eyes as he prepared for it all to come back.

"Anything?" the tattooed one asked. Ichigo opened his eyes and felt disappointment when he felt no change.

"Noth…" Ichigo then dropped to the floor as the whirlwind of memories came rushing in. The door was open and his brain overflowed with stuff he had long forgotten. They flashed in his mind and he felt like his head would implode.

He remembered the first day he met the ridiculously short soul reaper and Fish Bone D attacked the Kurosaki clinic, prompting said soul reaper to lend him her powers. How her arrogant brother came for her and fought Ichigo. He remembered travelling to the Seireitei with Chad, Uryu and Orihime to save the short girl who was to be executed. How they had fought captains. He remembered Aizen, the Arrancar and the Visoreds. Heck he remembered it all; his hollow powers consuming him, defeating Grimmjow and Ulquiorra, he remembered using Mugetsu. It all came back to him and in the end he screamed out loud as it all overwhelmed him.

What had prompted him to want to forget in the first place? Was he so weak and pitiful that he didn't want to remember that time just because he could not be a soul reaper anymore?

Ichigo tightened his fists and vowed never to be so pathetic again. He got up from the floor and looked at the red haired Renji. He remembered him now. He remembered everything and even his expression changed. He felt like the person that Orihime had spoken of. He felt like the person he once was.

"Well…?" Renji enquired.

"I remember" Ichigo said.

Uryu was pleased and so was Orihime.

"Good," Mayuri Kurotsuchi said, "Now that that is out of the way, I would very much like to move on to more pressing matters." He was still wearing his huge smile; clearly enjoying what he thought was to be the most fun he had had in a long time.

"Yes, the bombing. We were…"

"Oh no, not that." The crazy scientist brushed Renji off, "my only interest now is him." He stared excitedly at Ichigo. "He is the key to everything and I need to disec…"

The sound of an alarm cut him off and he looked enraged. He was getting really sick of people disturbing his thoughts and what he wanted to say. A message was then heard in the whole Seireitei with the help of the hell butterflies.

"Attention…attention, the Seireitei has been breached. All able bodied men must prepare for battle. Attention…attention, the Seireitei has been breached. All able bodied men must prepare for battle."

Renji turned to go and help together with the Quincy. They swiftly leapt away from the institute. Ichigo planned on joining them but a hand held on to him. Looking at who it belonged to, he found that it was Nemu's.

"What, Nemu? Let go of me." He demanded.

"I am afraid I can't let you do that," Mayuri spoke, "you are my latest project Ichigo Kurosaki and I can't have any harm come to you before I have done my thorough study of what you are."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ichigo was getting annoyed.

"My modified body is able to detect all spiritual energies and as I stand here I cannot figure out just what you are. And I need to know. I sense a strange presence from you. The scientist in me cannot let you go before I understand it all." He smiled menacingly at the confused Ichigo.

Ichigo tried to break free of her hold but she was stronger than she looked.

"Don't fight it Ichigo," the scientist laughed out maniacally, "or should I call you specimen zero?"

A purple shield suddenly appeared between Ichigo and Nemu and Nemu's hand was swiftly zapped away, leaving Ichigo free.

"Thanks Orihime." Ichigo rubbed his wrists, that Nemu was one strong broad.

"Let's go Ichigo." Orihime called out to him and the pair ran off after Uryu and Renji.

"Nemu, you fool!" the angry scientist yelled as he slapped her, knocking her to the ground. "I asked you to hold on to him you useless piece of trash."

"I am sorry captain, please feel free to punish me." Nemu slowly got up and dusted off her short kimono.

"Oh believe it, I will." He looked disappointedly at her, "you can't do anything right you idiot." The crazy scientist shook his head.

~xoxo~

The voice hadn't been kidding when she said breached. The Seireitei was swarming with smaller hollows and the fearsome Menos Grande. The really tall hollows were slowly moving, destroying buildings and producing ceros as they threatened to destroy the whole Seireitei.

The lower level Soul reapers had no chance against the more powerful Gillian and most of them were being killed without putting up more of a fight. The floors and walls of the Seireitei where covered in blood and weak soul reapers were ended.

These kinds of enemies required the power of lieutenants or higher to be vanquished. From where Ichigo stood on the roof with Orihime, he could see most of what was going on in the Seireitei. In the distance Ichigo could see Renji in his bankai form, charging and blasting away the hollows. Uryu had produced a spiritual bow that was firing hundreds of arrows at once. Being in the soul society always had that effect on him. It made his abilities even more formidable. The smaller hollows didn't stand a chance.

Ichigo wished he could do Getsuga Tenshou in his bankai state. He knew these would not be a problem. He saw Orihime from the corner of his eye and he saw that she was planning on joining the fight. As she was about to charge off in the direction of Renji and Uryu, Ichigo grabbed on to her arm.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he asked.

"Um…I wanna help." She looked at him seriously.

"Like hell you are." Ichigo pulled her back. "Just stay back here, you will get hurt."

Orihime flinched and looked at him. He had unintentionally hurt her. She broke free of his hold and looked challengingly at him.

"I am not some fragile egg to be protected, Ichigo." She said then stepped back, "I can do this, and I know I can."

"I don't think you understand how serious this…"

Orihime took a battle stance as she engulfed not only herself but also Ichigo under her protective dome. Ichigo had been so busy scolding her that he hadn't sensed the hollow that was about to attack him from behind.

The bear-shaped hollow with its large paws and sharp long nails growled at Orihime and Ichigo behind the impenetrable dome. Its hollow mask showed its cold evil eyes and it looked hideous as the long saber-cat-like teeth protruded from its mouth.

The hollow touched the dome and got zapped once. It then started hitting against the shield over and over but the shield held. The shield started vibrating and got a darker shade of purple as it sounded like raw energy was coursing through it. It reminded Ichigo of the sound of electricity passing through power cables.

A gush of purple energy was emitted from the purple dome and hit the hollow in its stomach. Its body was cut in half as upper half fell off and dropped to the ground and dissipated. The lower half dissipated as well and Ichigo looked on in shock.

"Still think I can't handle myself?" Orihime said, totally pleased with herself.

"How did you do that?"

"Always with the questions, huh Ichigo?" Orihime smiled at him as she dropped the protection. "I believed I can do it and it happened. I'm sure if you stopped doubting yourself every single second and believe you are more than your soul reaper powers, you will be able to awaken your power as well."

Orihime didn't even give him time to respond before she ran off to deal with the snake-like hollow that had appeared on her right. She produced the purple shield again, this time making sure it was not a dome but just protecting her front and fired more purple projectiles which ended the hollow.

A two legged humanoid hollow also appeared and when she fired her purple projectiles, it dodged to the left and they missed. The hollow then started charging for her, dodging all of her long range attacks and Ichigo was about to dive to her aid when she produced a dome around him, keeping him away from her fight-imprisoning him momentarily.

She extended the shield in front of her so that it went all around her and also covered her top. The busty girl then shot multiple purple projectiles in all directions and no matter which way the hollow dove or jumped, there was one aiming for him. The humanoid hollow jumped in the air but the purple surges of energy were being fired up there too and one made contact with its hollow mask. The projectile pierced the hollow's mask and came out on the other side. The hollow snarled. Many more projectiles speared and were slammed in its chest, stomach and limbs such that it resembled a pin cushion then it disappeared as it died.

Ichigo could see that Orihime was pleased with her progress. He had never seen her quite like this. The force imprisoning him came down and he found a smiling Orihime looking at him.

"Please don't interfere in my battles Ichigo. Have some faith in me. I can do this," Then she ran to were the majority of soul reapers were encountering the Menos Grande.

Ichigo was about to follow her when he felt a searing pain in his back. A hollow had caught him off guard again. His back was ripped up and he immediately coughed out blood. The blood poured all over his shirt and down to the floor. Ichigo dropped from the roof and onto the hard ground as he could not keep standing with the pain he was in. On the floor, he tried to move his body but his body wasn't listening to him. He lay in a pool of his own blood and he felt his lungs start to fill up with the warm liquid.

Damn it, not again. Ichigo couldn't believe he was fatally wounded again.

The hollow that had attacked him peered over the roof Ichigo fell from and he saw that it had two legs and sharp blades for arms. There was a tail behind it that swayed in the air and the tip was also a serrated blade. Its mask showed off its sharp teeth and a pointy nose.

The hollow looked down at Ichigo and jumped off the roof. It's only thought then was to devour his soul.

He remembered what Orihime had told him. There was more to him than soul reaper powers and he had to believe he could do it. That he could still fight. That he was not weak.

Ichigo felt a burning heat all over his body as a blast of his Reiatsu erupted from deep within him. A black aura with a red outline covered his whole body and it reminded him of his Getsuga Tenshou when he was in bankai. It felt like pure energy and anyone with a brain would stay clear of it.

When the hollow got closer and touched the dark aura, its hand melted off. As Ichigo lay on the ground in pain a surge of the dark and red aura shot off in all directions before it came back and covered him again. Once the hollow's body got engulfed by the fog, there was nothing left, not even its mask.

Ichigo writhed in pain and the burning of his body continued. He smelled brimstone in the air and the pain from his back intensified. He gritted his teeth and he writhed some more. His skin felt like a hot piece of iron was being passed on it and when he opened his eyes all he saw was red. He groaned and crawled. He tossed and he turned.

His wrists felt bound. A red fur wrist band appeared and when he looked at them he saw that red-hot chains were coiling their way from his wrists up to his toned arms. His arms burned and Ichigo screamed out in pain as the chains wound around his arms.

A large war cleaver appeared in his right hand. Its hilt was black with red streaks and the large sharp edge glistened as it appeared. An identical cleaver appeared in his left hand as well. The obsidian blades were engulfed by black and red and as the pain started reducing Ichigo saw that they were attached to the chains that were coiled around his arms.

Ichigo slowly started standing up and he did not feel any more pain in his back. The burning sensation was gone. He was still engulfed by darkness and redness and when it cleared, no longer was he clad in black faded jeans and blue button up shirt with a tee inside.

Ichigo was now dressed in a black, jagged-sleeveless Hakama and fastened in the middle by a white sash. His feet were in white socks and sandals. He stood straight and held on tightly to the very larger weapons in his hands, surprising himself with the ease with which he lifted them.

Though he was no longer engulfed by red and black his larger war cleavers still were. Ichigo smiled to himself as he felt a power like none he had ever known wash all over him. Those Menos were going to get it.

When two hollows appeared in front of him, one on all fours and the other a spider-hollow, Ichigo thought there was no time like the present to try out his new power. He was going to use both blades for his first attack. He was going to cut them both down.

Placing his feet firmly on the ground, he pushed straight for the hollows and swung his great swords, killing both of them in an instant.

Ichigo leapt to a nearby roof. He looked to where the low level soul reapers were struggling with the many Menos and many dying. Ichigo then flash stepped in that general direction and prepared to wipe out the Gillians.

With the large war cleavers in hand, Ichigo leapt in the air and cut down the first Menos in his way. He was so fast that the unnamed soul reapers did not even know what had just happened.

He proceeded to cutting down one menos after the other until it became tedious. There were about twelve remaining and Ichigo wanted to take them down all at once. Looking at where they were he could see that there were a number of soul reapers teaming up to kill the tall hollows.

He looked at the aura covering his new blades and thought of Getsuga. He figured that due to the similar colour of the aura to his Getsuga Tenshou in Bankai, he would also be able to use Getsuga in this state.

Ichigo stood in the air and joined the other soul reapers who were already there.

"GET BACK!" Ichigo shouted and the soul reapers looked back at Ichigo. When they took in his spiritual pressure, they felt that he meant business. The lesser soul reapers on the ground and rooftops retreated and got back while the ones in the air stood behind Ichigo.

"Ichigo, you bastard…" he heard a familiar voice say and when he looked down he saw the bald head that he knew so well. The bald soul reaper's spear Zanpakutou cut at the larger menos and a huge smile was all over the soul reapers face, "…what makes you think you can tell me what to do?" Ikkaku Madarame finished as he swung his spear once more, killing the hollow.

"I am trying to end this fight as soon as possible Ikkaku." Ichigo said, "Why are you always so stubborn? Move away from…"

"Ichigo, I would suggest you leave him be…" Yumichika's voice reached Ichigo's ears, "…you know how he gets when he starts to fight." Ichigo turned and saw the feathers by the soul reapers eyes and he felt good to be back. It was a nice feeling seeing his old friends again.

"And I must say those blades are not beautiful at all." Yumichika added as he studied the giant war cleavers in Ichigo's hands, "and those chains…ouch."

Ichigo gave the beauty obsessed soul reaper a half smile and looked down at his weapons. Ichigo loved them

Now was his chance to try out his new and improved Getsuga.

"Last warning Ikkaku." Ichigo said as he prepared to pierce the Menos in ahead of him.

"GETSUGA TENSHOU!" He shouted with everything that he had.

Nothing happened.

Ikkaku cackled hysterically at Ichigo.

"Very impressive," Yumichika commented, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"Shut up. I thought it would work," he mumbled.

Ichigo was confused. He felt his cheeks colour slightly as they laughed at him.

A cero came flying straight for Ikkaku and as it was about to make contact with him, he was suddenly covered by a protective purple sphere. The cero hit the barrier and ricocheted. It flew back to the large Menos and hit it.

"Who the hell is responsible for covering me in this…thing?" Ikkaku asked.

"Um…that would be me." Orihime ran forward and panted. She had fought more in that one day that she had her entire life. She looked at Ichigo's attire and giant weapons and a smile formed on her face. She had expected his power to manifest in something intimidating and so she was not even shocked seeing him as he was.

Ikkaku turned with the intention of shouting and scolding whoever was responsible but as soon as he saw the sweet innocent Orihime his features relaxed.

"Well…thanks," he said, "but I can take care of myself. Now remove it so I can continue this fight." Ikkaku sounded excited as he looked at the number of menos remaining.

The purple sphere disappeared and Ikkaku was ready for more. But before he could charge, pink cherry blossom petals flew towards the remaining Menos and shredded them to death. The tiny blades were no match for anyone once they were scattered and the Menos were all done for.

Ichigo turned and saw the one who had taken care of all eleven menos at once.

"Byakuya…" Ichigo said.

"When will you ever learn your place you buffoon? It's Captain Kuchiki." Renji corrected, his Zabimaru placed casually on his shoulder.

Byakuya looked at Ichigo's appearance and without even saying anything to him, dropped swiftly to one of the roofs that were still intact.

Ichigo followed suit and so did Renji. Renji looked at Ichigo's new look and felt the need to get stronger too.

As soon as Ichigo's feet touched the roof, he was surrounded by the ninjas of the Special Forces, led by none other than the strict Captain Soi Fon. Their weapons were drawn and ready for battle.

"Don't make any sudden movements, Kurosaki." The leader of the Special Forces ordered.

Ichigo did not have time for this, now that his memories had been unlocked and they had already had one encounter with the hooded villain, what they needed to concentrate on was stopping him.

"What the hell is going on?" Renji asked, not liking how this situation was playing out.

"Ichigo Kurosaki…" Soi Fon spoke, her hands folded on her chest and looking as serious and intimidating as ever "…by direct orders from Central 46, you are to be executed."

~xoxo~

Authors Note: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Let me know if I did it justice

Review?

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