Ichigo's True Heritage
Chapter 9
Central 46
Yamamoto POV
"No! Absolutely not!" Yamamoto roared.
Behind him, Toshiro shook in terror. "Please! Rangiku had no part of this! And Ichigo's simply a victim of circumstance!" he pleaded.
Before them sat the newly formed Central 46. And they were not happy.
"Victim of circumstance?!" shouted a voice from the right. "The Department of Research and Development lies in ruin, and you barely escaped with your life, Head-Captain! Victim or not, it had been proven that even if the boy is just a pawn in the traitors schemes, he is undoubtedly a threat!"
Another voice chirped in. "And your lieutenant has withheld this information long after it should've been revealed. Had she not told us this sooner, we may have been able to spot Aizen's plot before all this madness happened! And because of her relationship with Gin Ichimaru, her loyalty cannot be proven!"
The two captians turned to the man in front, the one who always dished out their decrees. "Head-Captain Yamamoto, Captain Hitsugaya. We've reached our decision. And you and the other captains will obey it; there will be no objections from this point forward.
Rangiku Matsumoto, due to the information she'd withheld up to this point, and to her doubtful loyalty to the Seireitei, is hereby stripped of all rank and authority permanently! In addition, she is to be imprisoned in the Maggot's Nest FOR LIFE!
And as for the son of the traitor, Ichigo Kurosaki: Because of his uncontrollable power and the facts that have come to light regarding his father's manipulations, is to be executed IMMEDIATELY!"
Meanwhile….
Rangiku's Room
Ichigo POV
Ichigo opened his eyes and groaned, feeling tired. "Where am I?"
A hand touched his chest, making him look up and into the eyes of Rangiku. "Thank goodness. I was starting to think you'd never wake up."
Ichigo sat up and rubbed his aching head. "What happened?"
Rangiku's face turned grave. "After Aizen cut the transmission you…you hollowfied. You almost killed the Head-Captain. Then you collapsed."
Ichigo's mind did a rewind and did indeed remember most of it. "Wait…Orihime!" he remembered. "What happened to Orihime?!"
Rangiku shook her head. "Gone. By the time Captain Kyoraku reached her apartment, Aizen was gone. And he took Orihime with him."
Ichigo stared at the floor for several minutes, then at the shiny blue object on his wrist. "I…I have to go rescue her." He looked into his mother's eyes. "I'm sorry. I know it's stupid and foolhardy, but I have to try."
Fighting back tears, Rangiku pulled her son into a big hug. "I know. It's who you are. But…" she pulled away from him and looked him in the eye. "What will you do when you face him?"
Ichigo stood there wondering that himself. "I…I don't know. But I'll know the answer when I meet him face-to-face again." Breaking the warm embrace, Ichigo grabbed Zangetsu, leaning up against the wall, and put it onto his back.
"How will you get to Hueco Mundo?" Rangiku asked.
Ichigo looked down at the blue gem on his wrist. "This. I'm not sure what it is but… I'm pretty sure I can use it to save Orihime." Suddenly, the hogyoku, as if reading Ichigo's heart and mind, glowed. To Ichigo's satisfaction, the air before him distorted and was ripped open, forming a Garganta.
Before setting off into the darkness, he turned to his mother and saw she had tears in her eyes. Quickly, he pulled her into another warm hug. "Mom," he softly said. "I promise I'll come back."
Kissing his forehead, Rangiku smiled. "Good luck, Ichigo…my son."
Parting from his mother, Ichigo took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness, his destination: Hueco Mundo.
No sooner did the Garganta close did the door open, revealing Captain Soi-Fon and several Punishment Force members. Looking around her gaze hardened. "Where's your son? Where's Ichigo?" she demanded.
Rangiku gave her a weak smile. "He's gone to save Orihime."
Soi-Fon looked at her for a moment before sighing. "They're not going to like this. But regardless," her gaze turned cold. "Rangiku Matsumoto. You're under arrest."
Hueco Mundo: Outside Las Noches
Ichigo POV
Stepping out onto the white sands, Ichigo shivered, feeling cold and somehow at home here. Looking around, he gaped as he saw the huge building before him. "Whoa! Aizen sure dosent' think small!"
Closing his eyes, he reached out and tried to detect Orihime's spiritual pressure. After several minutes he managed to locate her, at the top of the closest tower sticking up above the dome. Though… something about it felt off…. "Doesn't matter. I have to save her!"
Ichigo thought about busting a hole in the wall and charging in but knew that would be a bad course of action. He was all alone and he didn't have the stamina to fight Aizen's army, rescue Orihime AND deal with his father at the same time. "If I can't go through, I'll just go up."
Using the reishi foothold technique, Ichigo quietly made his way up the side of the wall. Making it to the top, Ichigo looked around and saw nobody. "Geez, does Aizen usually leave this place unguarded?" he wondered out loud. 'Or maybe…he thinks nobody'd be brave or dumb to try to sneak in….'
This time, as he reached the base of the tower Orihime was in, he did use for force. A quicky Getsuga Tensho easily opened up a way inside. Seeing stairs, Ichigo raced up them. Still the boy encountered nobody. "Weird, where is everyone? Having a coffee break with Aizen?" he muttered. Finally, as he reached the top of the stairs he saw the door where Orihime was being held and threw it opened. "ORIHIME!" Ichigo shouted as he threw it open and saw…
…nothing. There was nobody there.
"What?" Ichigo was confused. He was sure he'd felt Orihime's spiritual pressure in this room. Taking a step inside, he kept a hand on his weapon, ready for an ambush. As he stepped into the middle of the room a voice sang in from behind him.
"Surpise, Ichi!"
Slam!
Ichigo whirled around to see a grinning Gin Ichimaru standing behind the door. He gulped as the man's blue eyes glared at him. "So sorry, Ichi! But I'm afraid your princess is in another castle…."
To Be Continued….
