"Are we ready for this...?" said Rikichi quietly as he stood with Renji and Rukia, facing their entire division.

"No one's ever ready for battles like this," said Rukia, just as quietly. "You just have to hope you're able to make it though to the end."

"Don't worry," soothed Renji. "Everyone's worked hard, and we're the best prepared division here."

"Is giving everyone a two day break right now a good idea?"

"Yeah," said Renji. "We all need the break, and Yamamoto-soutaicho's already agreed. Didn't cha know? All the division's have gotten a two day break sometime in the last few weeks. We juss happened ta be the last ones ta get it."

"Oh."

"It's time Renji. Everyone's here."

"Right," He took a step forward and the entire assembled division plunged into silence. "Now I know some of ya have heard about tha' vacation days tha' the other division's have been gettin. Well, it's finally our turn. Starting at the end a taday, the entire division is on holiday. Use yer time wisely, and don't go gettin yourselves in trouble. We still got a big battle commin up, and I need everyone at their best."

Resounding cheers of joy at the announcement of a holiday reverberated through the halls of the division.

Renji held up a hand to ask for silence. Once the throngs of elated shinigami quieted he continued, "All duty and drills for the remainder of tha day are canceled. Instead, we're gunna have an impromptu trainin' session. I want ta see what ya guys ken really do, not juss what ya show Rikichi an tha rest a the officers everyday. Got it?"

Nods of agreement and calls of "Yes Taicho!"

"Right then, I want you all to listen to Rukia and Rikichi as they get ya set up. Tha less ya goof off and screw around, the sooner we ken get outta here and the more time of ya get..."

--

(Two whole days off...) mused Ichigo that night after Renji'd finished working his division. (What are you planning on doing?)

"Whadda ya think?" he replied as he setting into his favorite chair in his living room. "Sleep and talk ta ya."

(You're actually going to sleep?)

"Yeah, went an had a little talk with Unohana this mornin' and explained why I needed help sleepin and why she shouldn't tell Yamamoto."

(Ahhhh, made Hanatarou smuggle 'um to you.)

"Shaddap. He offered."

(You're as bad as Keigo is.)

"I'm nothing like Keigo," grumbled Renji as he retreated to Ichigo's inner world so he could have a proper conversation with the boy for the first time in a couple of weeks.

"I know, but it was the first thing that popped into my head."

"Idiot."

"Not talking to you Hichigo."

"Aww come on King. I'm bored enough as it is. At least let me call ya names an junk."

"Hey, I just wiped the floor with you earlier today, so you don't get to ask for anything."

"Yer both still sparin at tha' high a level?"

"Might as well. At least in here I still can. It's gunna take Unohana forever to fix all the crap that Aizen's done to me."

"You know Unohana-taicho. She'll have ya good as new in a few weeks."

"Hope so," he said. "My shoulders and neck are really screwed up though, no thanks to dipshit over there continuously re-tearing the muscles every few weeks."

"Bite me teme. Next time I'll let you take the torture."

"There's the Hichigo I remember," said Renji with an odd grin on his face.

"No, the Hichigo you remember would have thrown something at you."

Large rock just missed clipping Ichigo's ear, "Like that?"

"Would you do the honor's Renji?"

"I'd love ta Ichigo." He drew Zabimaru and charged Hichigo, who just jumped over him, cackling like a maniac and landed almost exactly where Renji had been standing a second ago.

Ichigo had already drawn Zangetsu and was swinging it in a graceful arc at the Hallow's torso. Hichigo once again leaped out of the way and drew his own Zangetsu. "We haven't done this in forever!" he called gleefully.

"Yeah, an' I haven't done this at all before," called Renji as he dropped into a familiar stance and ran a hand across the face of Zabimaru. "Roar Zabimaru!"

Ichigo and Shirosaki both froze as Renji's blade extended into it's Shikai form.

Everyone was still for a full minute, waiting to see what would happen.

"Huh...guess yer Shikai's do work in here."

"That was kind of stupid Renji."

"Worked, didn't it?"

"Apparently. So, we gunna stand here or we gunna fight?"

Ichigo shrugged, "Ready Ren?"

Renji's response was to shunpo close to Hichigo to try and slice him in half. Hichigo dodged, but lost half a sleeve to the insanely sharp blade. He was just fast enough to leap over Zangetsu's slash, and keep both his feet. He shunpo-ed about twenty feet away and grabbed hold of the cloth wrapping on his Zangetsu's hilt, using it to spin the blade like a weighted rope. "Two Shikai's against one ain't fair boys!" he whined as he threw Zangetsu like a spear at Renji.

He had to leap to another building as Ichigo sent as rather powerful Getsuga Tenshou his way. "I never called no Hallow powers idiot! Just remember, you go full Hallow, and we're both gunna Bankai!"

"Sure, if Shikai works, then Bankai will too. Juss love yer logic Ichigo," chuckled Renji as the grin on Shirosaki's face grew and he threw Zangetsu straight at Renji, who managed to doge just fast enough to avoid anything more major then a shallow laceration to his arm.

"Shut up and get ready ta Bankai," he called back.

They both watched as Shirosaki distorted and grow into his true Hallow form, laughing like crazy the entire time. With a glance at each other, they both roared, "Bankai!"

Ichigo seemed to shimmer as his coat changed to match that of Zangetsu's and his blade changed to that of a jet-black katana with four equally black chain links dangling from the end of the hilt. "Tensa Zangetsu," he said calmly.

Renji was hidden behind an enormous cloud of dust as Zabimaru grew into a giant bone snake with a skeletal head, and Renji's shihaksho was partially hidden under a dense fur coat. "Hihiou Zabimaru."

"Let's get this party started!"

Ichigo leaped onto the head of Zabimaru and Renji sent him flying towards Shirosaki at a near blinding speed. Just before they would have collided, Renji jerked on the hilt of the sword and the head of the giant snake sharply changed direction. Ichigo used the direction change as a distraction and sent a full power Getsuga Tenshou at Shirosaki from above. Said Hallow deflected the attack with both clawed hands, earning a nastily painful burn and probably broken wrists. "Gotta do better then that King!" he roared as he launched a Cero blast towards Renji, trying to distract him before they could line up for another attack.

Renji rolled to avoid the blast, separating the sections of Zabimaru to avoid any major damage. He whipped the blade back around and used it to surround the Hallow in a cage of undulating skeletal sections. Hichigo still stood there, grinning his insane grin, waiting to feel the telltale presence of another Getsuga Tenshou. What he got however, was Ichigo landing on his shoulder and driving Zangetsu deep between the tendons and bones of his left arm. Howling in pain and annoyance, he fired several rapid fire Cero blasts in all directions, more as a way to vent the frustration of being caught that easily then from hope of hitting either of them.

"Gotta do better then that Hichigo!" mimicked Ichigo, trying to keep Shirosaki annoyed and unfocused. He was already back on the head of Zabimaru, hiding in the dense fur that adorned it. Renji had circled around behind Shirosaki and was waiting for the signal to start the attack. Ichigo released a half-power Getsuga Tenshou towards Shirosaki and started running down the spine of the giant snake he rode. Renji, seeing the signal, maneuvered Zabimaru so that he was repeating the earlier scenario. Shirosaki fell for the bluff and focused his attention upwards, not down. Ichigo run under him and slashed deeply at his legs, nearly severing one.

"Damn it!" howled Hichigo as he leaped as best he could away from the slashing blade of his opponent. He knew he couldn't leap high enough to clear Zabimaru with an injured leg, so he used a Cero blast to throw him up and clear of the enormous Bankai. He landed heavily a hundred yards away, already firing more Cero blasts at them.

Renji, using several dislodged sections of Zabimaru as a shield, called out, "Hurry Ichigo! I can't keep doing tha' forever!"

"I'm hurrying!" he called back, already shunpo-ing back into position. He fired off several Getsuga Tenshou's to counter-act the Cero blasts coming at them.

"We've almost got him! Juss a little more!"

"You wish, little shinigami!" yelled Shirosaki as he limped quickly out of the range of Ichigo's blasts.

"Can't run forever on that leg Shirosaki!"

"Don't need ta run King! Just gotta get ready!"

"Ready fer what?" asked Renji as Ichigo shunpo-ed to stand next to him.

"Get down!" he yelled and pulled the confused taicho to the ground, just in time to duck under an insanely huge and powerful blast of Cero. The blast clear just high enough to do no more damage then singeing some hairs and burning a trail across the back of their shihaksho.

"'The fuck was that!?" called Renji as he looked up at the shattered section of his Bankai.

"Full power Cero blast. More then enough to kill a taicho-ranked shinigami."

"If ya ken do that, then why tha' hell are ya still here?"

"Cause we can only use it once. It uses so much energy that we're helpless for a while afterworlds." He got up quickly and was already running to attack Shirosaki. Renji resealed his Bankai and ran after Ichigo. Together they surrounded the helpless Hallow and Ichigo yelled, "Give it up Shirosaki! We win this round!"

Shirosaki growled and returned to his normal form. "Yeah, yeah... Figured that out already."

"That was stupid," said Ichigo as he sealed Zangetsu and his shihaksho returned to normal. "You know that attack is to risky to use to win a fight."

Renji, with a nod to Zabimaru, "Thanks fer tha'. You ken take a break now Zabimaru." Zabimaru returned to his fully sealed state and Renji sheathed him. "Yanno Shirosaki, I'd love ta see tha look on Zaraki's face if he ever saw tha' attack."

"What, the look of utter glee at an attack that's more then strong enough to actually kill him? Me too now that I think about it."

: Okay boys, have you had your fun for the day? :

"Hey, it was a training exercise. You can't fault me for having fun while training."

: I wasn't. I was going to ask you to keep it down, as I'm trying to work. :

"Yeah, yeah. We'll keep it down Zangetsu. Keep your coat on."

"Ya've been spending too much time with Zabimaru," sighed Renji as Zangetsu glared at the boy and dissapeared back into his corner.

"Don't remind me," he said, blinking in amazement at what he'd just done. "I can't believe I just said that."

"Nothin' ya can do now King." He rubbed his injured shoulder, "Well, now I got a taste a what ya been complainin about fer the last few months."

"That's nothing compared to the crap you've done to me."

"Oh stop before ya start drawin swords again. Zabimaru doesn't wanna another round just yet."

"You do know that wasn't even a very hard fight, right? Normally it takes a lot more then that to defeat him."

"King's, got a point there Renji. Normally I don't go down so quick."

"I know it, but no one ken stop me and Ichi when we team up."

"Ya'd think the one that's always watchin ya guys fight could, but then again, what do I know. I'm just a Hallow."

"It's your temper man. You get annoyed and lose focus before I do."

"Yeah, but nine times outta ten I'm so strong by comparison that it don't matter. Plus, Hallow's all have short tempers."

"Like we didn't already know about that..."

"Again, bite me."

"No... I'd much rather not."

"Oh fer tha love a..." Renji turned around, forgetting for a minute he wouldn't see anything different behind him.

"Someone on your end?"

"Sounded like it... Be right back." Opening his eyes and glaring at the door like it had committed some unforgivable sin against him he snapped, "What!?"

Terrified squeak. "Um... Renji? Can I... can I talk to you?"

Sighing deeply he stood up and opened the door, "Sorry Hanatarou. Didn't mean ta snap at ya. Come on in." He shut the door behind the boy, "What'cha need ta talk about?"

"Um... well... it's Rikichi..."

"Rikichi, eh? What 'bout Rikichi?"

"I'm worried about him... I think there's something wrong with him."

That made Renji blink, "Wrong how? Like, holy shit someone's gotten to him, or he's acting off and you can't figure out why?"

"The second one. He's been really quiet around his friends all week, and won't tell us what's wrong. I caught him sneaking around after curfew a few nights ago when I was finishing cleaning duties, and he wouldn't even look at me while he was stuttering out an explanation. I've never even heard him stutter, so it made me suspicious. Then he missed a training session we'd set up for yesterday, and refuses to tell me where he was. Has he been really busy lately?"

"Well, we've all been pretty busy, but no more so then usual. That's weird though... he never said anythin' 'bout havin ta miss a training session. He knows I'd let 'em go early fer one a those unless there was some emergency happenin at tha time. I dunno, I haven't noticed anything really different about him, an' we haven't been meetin at night so he shouldn't be breakin curfew. Hmmm... I'm glad ya told me 'bout this Hanatarou. You've got another trainin session tonight, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, if he doesn't show up, er he's acting weird still, come tell me, and I'll talk to him."

Hanatarou smiled weakly, "Thank you Renji. I was worried that you wouldn't believe me."

"Hanatarou, if there's anything I've learned during the years we've been friends, it's that when you notice somethin off, then there's almost always somethin' wrong. Ya've got tha uncanny ability ta see thing's tha no one else does, an tha's what makes ya such a good medic. It's also what makes ya a good friend."

The little medic was practically glowing at the high praise from his friend. Smiling, "I'd better get going. Can't be late."

"Of ya go then," said Renji as he let him out and shut the door behind him. Renji sighed deeply and slumped back into his chair. "Ugh... always something ta ruin my good mood."

(Come on Renji, I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe he's just getting side tracked or something.)

"Well, unless he can come up with a good reason fer why he's breaking curfew, I'm gunna hafta write him up."

"Can't you give the kid a break?" asked Ichigo as Renji reappeared in front of him.

"Prolly, but that's only if Hanatarou's the only one that saw him."

"Have you actually noticed anything different about him lately?"

"Not really. He's bit a bit more nervous then normal, but tha's not all that unusual right before a big battle. He'll, I was tha same way back when I was Zaraki's 6th seat."

"Hmmmm... can you think of any reasons to not show for his training with Hanatarou?"

"No, an that's wha's buggin' me tha most. Richiki's not tha type ta forget 'bout stuff like tha', an' he definitely wouldn't with Hanatarou. Those two are like brothers."

"I dunno what to tell you. You're just going to have to hope he doesn't ditch him again so you can get back to worrying about the more important stuff."

"Feh, I stopped worrying about anything a week ago. We've done everythin we can ta prepare, so there's no point in gettin' an ulcer over everythin else tha's going on."

"True enough."

"'m bored already... can we spar again?"

"Ya never quit, do ya?"

"Not really, no."

"See why I wish he was gone so much?"

"Yeah, but I pretty much got why you'd want him gone since I figured out ya had a Hallow inside."

"So, speaking of people I wish I could get rid of, heard from my dad yet?"

"No, but I'm expecting Urahara's message tomorrow, so I'll prolly have a message for ya from him then."

"Still can't believe they let him send the last three..."

"Feh, I'm glad he did, needed tha laugh. Yanno he's started doin tha same syllable elongation thin ta my name as he does ta yers."

"You're kidding. Well, it's official, you've become part of the family."

"Why doesn't he do tha' with Rukia then?"

"Only does it for his 'sons'," said Ichigo, shaking his head at his father's antics. "He's normal with girls."

"That's sad when ya stop an think about it."

"Tell me about it."

"I like yer dad. He's funny."

"He's nuts!"

"And? Birds of a feather I say."

"Kami, you're weirder like this then when you were normal."

"In a weirdly abstract way, yeah, I am. But then tha' means tha' I'm weirder when 'm actin like a normal person then when I act like a bat-shit insane Hallow."

"Is it sad that I agree with that statement?"

"Not really. I kinda hafta agree with 'em too," said Renji, disconcerted.

"Well, aren't we just the oddest trio on the planet."

"We're the only trio on the plant aibou."

"You know what I meant!"

Hichigo snickered obnoxiously.

"Kill me now..."

"Tha' would defeat the entire purpose of tha last month."

"I know... but I really need a break from all his annoying crap."

"Just wait. This time next week you'll be sleepin' in a bed over in tha 4th with Unohana pumpin tha good stuff into ya."

"I can only hope."

Loud creak sounded from the distance.

"Oh now what..." grumbled Ichigo as he vanished from view.

"Wha's goin' on?"

"Dunno, one of Aizen's pets just opened the cell door."

They both waited in silence for a minute before Hichigo said, "Crap, Aizen's asking for Ichigo. You'd better go, we can't risk him noticing anything."

Renji nodded, "I'm gunna be listening in, so tell me what's goin on, 'kay?"

"Sure thing Ren," he responded as Renji dissapeared.

--

"Aizen-sama reque-"

"I know he wants to talk to me you creepy pile of Hallow parts. Let's just get this over with already so I can go back to sleep." He followed the thing to Aizen's throne room, which hadn't changed at all since he was last there. The chair he was shoved into was even the same as the one he'd sat in previously.

"Welcome Kurosaki Ichigo. I trust you are well?"

"Cut the crap Aizen. I've still got three days 'till our fight, and I'm not really feeling up to a practice spar at the moment."

"Ah but that is not why I have brought you here. I wanted to show you my newest creation." He waved towards a corner where a statue looking thing was standing. It moved, which made Ichigo jump a bit in surprise, over next to Aizen, bowing deeply to it's master. "This is him. He has no name yet, but does have several interesting abilities. Along with the usual arrancar powers, he is the first I've created with natural healing abilities." Turning to his new pet he said, "Show him if you would." The newest arrancar nodded and moved near Ichigo. It extended it hands towards him, but didn't actually touch him.

"Oi! I don't want some creepy arrancar using any kind of weird abilities on me!"

"Do you not wish to be healed? I would have thought that you would appreciate being in top physical condition for the upcoming fight."

"I think I'd rather pass."

"Well, unfortunately for you, I wasn't giving you the option of declining." He nodded at the two twisted creatures behind Ichigo, which grabbed a hold of the struggling shinigami and held him in place.

"I'm going to kill you in the most painful way possible!!" screamed Ichigo as the arrancar began it's work. Ichigo yelled in pain as his damaged bones were re-broken and set in the correct alignment by the 'healing' spell. He continued howling in agony as his all his muscles were essentially dissolved and regrown without all the damage and scarring that had accumulated. His tormented screams where punctuated by gasps of agony as his nervous system was set on fire by the supposed 'healing'. The pain he'd felt during every battle he'd ever been in in his life combined with all the torture sessions over the last year couldn't hold a flame to what he felt right now. After what felt like an eternity, but which was in actuality just about a minute, the creature's hands fell back to it's sides; it's job was finished. Ichigo slumped forward, gasping and practically sobbing from the ordeal.

"Yes... I should have warned you that this ability is not yet complete, and has the side effect of extreme pain."

"You will pant die sob and it will panting sob be every bit flinch as painful gasp as that was pant."

"We shall see Kurosaki; we shall see. Take him back to his cell."

The creatures pulled Ichigo to his feet and shoved him out of the room and back to his cell.

--

"Holy crap king..." said Hichigo as Ichigo lay, still panting and sobbing, on the bed of his cell. "That was way worse then anything he's ever done before."

"Don't remind me..." he practically whimpered, body still burning painfully.

"Do ya want me ta take over for a while? I can knock ya unconscious so ya don't have ta feel it."

"No," he said. "It's getting better. I'll be okay for now."

"If yer sure..." shrugged the Hallow. "Whadda ya want me ta tell Renji? He's practically begging for me ta tell him what's going on."

"Think of something, but just don't tell him what really happened. Last thing he needs is to go berserk and do something really stupid."

"Sure thing."

Ichigo sighed and tried to ignore the intense burning that radiated through his entire body. "Three more days..." he sighed and tried to sleep.

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AN: I'm putting this here now because I don't want to screw up the beginning of the next chapter with a note. It would totally kill the feel of it and I want it to be as good as it can be.

Okay, so you've all been waiting dilegently while I've killed time building for the final battle. Well, hooray for you I'm tired of putting it off. Next Chapter: Off to War, The Final Battle! Aizen vs Ichigo!

And just a fair warning, I had to Wiki information on everybody's zanpakto and their abilities 'cause well, let's face it, I love Bleach, but I know next to nothing about it past the Soul Society arc. Which means I know nothing about everyone's abilities. I've only just started watching the Arrancar arc and they're in the beginning of the Bounto arc on tv, so im kinda screwed right now. If I've gotten stuff wrong, or there's a better way of putting it, tell me and I'll go fix it.

Oh, and as much as I search and begged and moaned and basically broke my desk from slamming my head agianst it so hard so many times, I could not find ANYTHING. AT ALL. On Shyuuhei, Rikichi, Kyouraku, or Isshin. Four of my favorite shinigami are stuck sounding weak and pathertic even though we knoooooooooooooooooooooow that Isshin, Kyouraku, and Shuu definately aren't weak or pathetic. And in my world Rikichi's a thrid seat so he's so not a weak.

Also, the next chapter is long, so be prepared to settle down for awhile. I'd suggest grabbing a sack and a drink first, cause you really will be there for awhile. Yay epicness.