WHAZ UP! Ladies, gents, and other...I'm insane right about now. I just got a new prescription of ADD medication and I'm gettin' used to it, so my thoughts are gonna be makin' ya think 'WHAT THE FUCK' nonstop. I'm not gonna ramble, I don't own Bleach and ENJOY READIN'. Oh, and 'fore I forget: TsubakigetsputinhisplaceandscaresOrhime! I hate updates right now, 'cause I had to redo this ENTIRE FUCKIN' CHAPTER!
"Normal speech"
Thoughts and or emphasis
"Hollow speech"
"Zanpakuto speech"
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The group was still waiting on Jidanbo, they'd nothing to do. Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka were out and about again, and to put it bluntly, Ichigo was having trouble putting up with them. "Kurosaki-san, why are you so aggressive towards us?" Shun'o's question was met with a hungry glare, "Let's see: I'm being tormented by a blond cross-dresser," Shun'o looked unphased, "A high elf with a weird fashion-sense," Hinagiku looked just as energetic, "A pink-haired whore," Lily now had a pissy-pouting face, "An animate burger," Baigon didn't open his eyes but it was clear he was glaring at Ichigo, as the rant of starvation continued, "A red and black assassin," Tsubaki looked actually pleased by this 'insult'. "And..."
Ichigo stared at Ayame for a moment, with the aforementioned spirit looking at him curiously, "Dessert!" Ichigo's eyes turned amber and black, as he tried to eat Ayame. "What the Hell are you guys anyway?" He asked this while still trying to eat Ayame, as Tsubaki answered, "HOW THE HELL SHOULD WE KNOW?! WE'VE ONLY BEEN ALIVE FOR ONLY A WEEK! IT'S A MIRACLE WE EVEN HAVE NAMES!" "Yeah but-" "You're like fifteen, do you know the meaning of your existence? DIDN'T THINK SO!"
Orihime was listening to this and said, "You're scary!" Ichigo's darkened eyes took on a mischievous gleam, "Kid, you don't even know the half of it!" The others in their group weren't with them and when they entered the shade of the tree they agreed to meet under, "Where are the others?" "They tasted good too!" In his mouth, Tsubaki started to kick around, emphasizing his monstrous appetite. Tsubaki had given Ichigo an encouraging glance, which turned into a form of agreement and irritation, "LET ME THE FUCK OUT! I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS, HELL I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR SHIT!"
Ichigo's mask had already begun to form, making Orihime's eyes widen in fear. He...HE ATE TSUBAKI! THIS ISN'T KUROSAKI-KUN, THIS IS A MONSTER! As Orihime looked on in fear, Ichigo opened his mouth enough for Tsubaki to look into the outside world and lo an behold: Orihime with a terrified face. "Alright, you can let me out now...Let me out of your mouth Hollow-born!" Ichigo made no move to open his mouth, in fact, he seemed determined to keep his mouth shut. "LET ME THE FUCK OUT!"
Tsubaki then kicked Ichigo's lower jaw down, making it look like he was stronger than he really was as he got in between the four sets of teeth. The spirit then said one line, "You cannot handle the truth!" And then, Tsubaki was once again in Ichigo's mouth. That's when Orihime passed out from being lightheaded, and the rest of their friends came onto the scene.
Tatsuki's initial reaction was to hit Ichigo and make sure Orihime was alright, Uryuu's was to hit his surrogate cousin over the head and figure out what happened. Sado and Yoruichi didn't really worry, Ichigo is harmless to his friends and family. He won't do, or will have done, anything to kill any of them. Then Tsubaki kicked Ichigo's jaw open and escaped, "THERE'S AN ORGY IN THERE OR SOMESHIT!" This had the 'WHAT THE FUCK' reaction from everyone, "That was my tongue." "SAME DIFFERENCE!"
"Jidanbo has decided to let us through, but he's still a bit suspicious of us." Yoruichi's words were cautious, warning the youths to refrain from acting strangely. Orihime was unconscious still, until Tatsuki whispered quietly, "Orihime...Ichi-kun is going to ask you out on a date!" Her best friend gasped with a blush on her face, when she realized that best friend and guardian - figure had fooled her. Orihime's pout made Tatsuki chuckle evilly as the group made their way to the gate in a calm fashion, so as to not arouse suspicion.
When they passed the gate, Ichigo and Tatsuki began screaming in pain and fell to the ground. Their respective Zanpakutos were then propelled away from the their tossing and turning bodies. Ichigo's mask began to manifest, the red tribal markings had spread to the entire face of the mask, but there was a new feature. The mask now had two red stripes traveling from the top of the mask, over the eyes, and to the chin. "JIDANBO! WHAT'S HAPPENING?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Yoruichi's concerned shouts fell on deaf ears, for the gatekeeper was staring terrified at Ichigo's Hollow mask before the mask disappeared as quick as it appeared.
When the party had thought nothing worse could happen, the Zanpakutos and the wielders of said sentient swords began to emit a blood-like smokey substance that floated upwards before travelling to the pillar of the respective other half. Ichigo and Zangetsu's columns were at halfway when they met, making Ichigo scream like Hell's fire were on him and a writhing form to appear in the smokey blood-like substance in the air. Tatsuki's pillar of blood-smoke went and was immediately brought into contact of Kitsune no Ha's as a similar phenomenon began to take place for Tatsuki and her Zanpakuto.
From the writhing forms dropped two animals. The first, a Bengal fox, had a feminine build for its genus. Her claws were ivory and there were veins of ebony travelling through the weapons of an apex predator. The enlarged critter was about the size of a pack-pony, and her fur was like a forest trail. Her fur had spots and streaks that resembled twigs, rocks and greenery; her eyes were a blinded-white but her eyesight was clearly still functional as she looked to the rest of the party pleadingly. The most notable of her features, making her kitsune, was that she had five tails thrashing behind her writhing body. Her howl of suffering made everyone cover their ears as every squad nearby could hear it.
The other animal was a margay, although bone-grey and his fur looked like armor while down. He, as the feline's build was more masculine then Yoruichi's for some reason, had dangerous red-hazel eyes and he had green vaguely-pawprint markings for spots. His claws were sharpened to a malevolent point, his teeth were perfectly clean and on his forehead was a medium-sized black rhombus instead of his green pawprint-spot. He yowled loudly, sending a shockwave that could be felt through the wall and blew the party right into Jidanbo's hand, as he didn't want them flying into the buildings behind them. On his back were protruding bones in the shape of larger-than-normal chainsaw teeth. The cat's voice was agonized and tortured, like a wounded kitten or cub calling for its mother.
When Ichigo and Tatsuki saw their Zanpakuto manifest physically, their eyes widened momentarily before they reached for the convulsing animals. The aforementioned Zanpakuto spirits saw their wielders and moved, difficultly as they thrashed about like there was Hellfire on their fur. When they reached the Substitute-Shinigami and secretly Hollow-born, they placed a paw on the outstretched hand from the person they 'belonged' to. The pain stopped, and the cries ended with contented sighs and tired eyes. "We shouldn't have manifested...But here we are! We must return to your Inner Worlds."
"...Kitsune no Ha, are you sure you can?" The large fox looked to her companion with determined eyes, "I am Milady! Now, I just need to-" She was suddenly gone in a small explosion of light, and Tatsuki wasn't in pain anymore. She got up and retrieved Kitsune no Ha's physical form(s?), looking to Ichigo expectantly. "Ichi-kun, you might want Im-I mean-Zangetsu back in your Inner World if you want to get back!" He nodded with a groan, "Alright Zangetsu...Try and return to my Inner World, okay?!" The cat looked hesitant at first, before he too disappeared. But instead of light, he turned to the bloody-smoke substance and returned to his physical form of a sword.
Ichigo got up and picked his Zanpakuto off the ground with a wince. "Everything hurts...Ow!" Jidanbo looked to them without any concern anymore, I must be seeing things... "I'm sorry, but that part slipped my mind. All of the Shinigami who know the name of their Zanpakuto have gone through something like that, but it didn't cross my mind until now, gomen..."
Tatsuki looked to him with a moan of pain from her neck, "It's alright Jidanbo-san, you meant no ill-will, we're fine now...Next time though, huh huh, don't forget something like that okay?" He nodded and closed the gate after the rest of their group passed through the gate. Ichigo held his ribs as he continued forward, clearly still recovering. "Are you okay Little Gillian?" Ichigo's eyes momentarily widened as he mentally responded, I'll be fine Zangetsu. I'm just still feeling the effects of you being forced out of my body...Why'd you look different?
Inside the sideways Karakura Town that was Ichigo's Inner World, 'Zangetsu' looked pensive as he thought of a way to explain it. "Your mask changed, meaning you're closer to being an Adjuchas, but that also means I change as well. The change from Gillian to Adjuchas is different for each Hollow, but it's usually painful for everyone. Now since you're not the run-of-the-mill Hollow, it might not be painful, but be prepared for pain just in case..."
Ichigo inwardly nodded, as they continued onward. Tatsuki had several questions swimming in her head at the moment, but one was at the figurative eye of the storm. Why were you forced to manifest Kitsune no Ha? Inside the Karakura High-like castle in the mountainous area, Kitsune no Ha was strolling through her mistress's Inner Sanctum of her Inner World in a guard-like fashion. "I've no idea Milady, all I know is that I felt a presence force me out of your Inner World...Most curious..."
This answer only made her want to question further, but she understood that her Zanpakuto had no clue what had happened. The group was then stopped by Ichimaru Gin, taicho of the 3rd Division. His hair was a silver color and he seemed abnormally thin, but the trait about him that made the two posing as true Shinigami shake...Was his smile and his eyes. His eyes were slitted shut, but he seemed to see just fine, and he resembled a fox in that regard. But his smile was a little too kind, a little too honest, a little too...real! It was like they were staring at a snake.
"Hello there, and who might you be?" Tatsuki answered for the two of them, seeing as Ichigo was staring at the man in fear and seemed out of it. "I am Arisawa Tatsuki and Kurosaki Ichigo, we're members of the 13th Division Ichimaru-taicho. To what to we owe the pleasure?" His smile widened, sending chills up the spines of the entire group. "Oh, I just sensed the Reiatsu of two Shinigami I didn't recognize and I felt sorry for them as I could tell they were in pain, so I decided to investigate. And here I find you two, fine strapping young Shinigami, with potential recruits no less! Indeed you two are a fine pair of Shinigami, and a powerful duo if the power of your Reiatsu was any indication..."
Ichigo and Tatsuki shook themselves out of their stupor to nod in thanks and smile at the compliment, "Thank you Ichimaru-taicho. We're not seated members, but we get by, hehehehehe!" Ichigo's chuckles were joined by the taicho before them, "Indeed you do, how long have you been looking for recruits?" Ichigo answered this one with a calm demeanor, but with a hint of shame, "About three months. There weren't a lot of promising candidates wherever we looked and we only came through with these three," He raised a hand to gesture to the three they'd brought with them, "So it's not that great of an accomplishment. I feel we could've done better, but there's nothing we can do about that now...We heard that Kuchiki Rukia was condemned as a criminal, is this true?"
Gin nodded, smile never faltering, "Indeed it is. She gave her powers to a human, and was soon-after caught by Kuchiki-taicho and Abarai-fukutaicho. It's a shame that she has to be executed, she had such potential. Carry on..." Ichimaru Gin strolled off and out of sight, while the group continued its trek. Orihime made her uneasiness known, "He's very...Unsettling, I wonder how his division feels around him!" She held herself in a hug and shivered slightly, "He's a powerful taicho, so don't think light of him and don't cross him!" Yoruichi's words made them nod.
Nightfall, sewers
"We should be safe here for the night, they don't know we're here and they don't expect anyone to attempt to infiltrate the Seireitei. But stay on guard, we'll take shifts of...Second thought, Little Gillian and I will stand guard. We're unrequiring of sleep and can protect you all better, our eyesight is better than the rest of you, minus Yoruichi of course." Zangetsu's words rang true, for soon-after the hour passed, the entire group was out like a light.
"Zangetsu," The grey cat looked up to his wielder from where laid 'down' on the wall in an attempt to replicate sleep with a curious 'hn'. "What's Hueco Mundo like?" Ichigo's question was accompanied by an expectant gleam in his eyes and an expectant-awe in his tone. The feline made what appeared to be a smile on his face, "It's...Difficult to explain what our natural home's like. There's beauty in it, and danger at every turn. The Menos Forest is full of petrified trees that reach taller than a skyscraper and make tears in the clouds as they pass; The desert is vast and empty, but calm and peaceful when not an ounce or drop of blood is spilled in sight. And there's eternal night, where the light of the ever-crescent moon can make the Hollows who need sunlight strong and the night's shadows make the Hollows needing dark powerful...There is no compare to our home. One day, I will take you, with your father's permission of course but...There's nowhere in the several worlds like it."
Ichigo looked to his teacher in awe as he tried to imagine a world where Hollows roam free and where strength was acquired easily through consumption. "...There's also a place, I've heard, called Las Noches. A city and underground city in one, a place where the strongest of Hollows become more...I encountered many a Hollow who spoke highly of this place known as Las Noches, saying that the greatest of Hollows go there and become stronger than they could imagine, it is a dream come true for any Hollow. But I do not trust in rumors alone, for all we know, this 'Las Noches' is a Shinigami settlement where they lure in innocent or guilty Hollows to destroy them! But, I will never know, for I will never grow stronger and I will never regress...That is Hell." And with that, the conversation was done. Zangetsu didn't want to keep talking and Ichigo had a lot to think about.
The crack on Zangetsu's mask was unnoticeable at first glance, but when someone looked, there was a crack outlining the rhombus symbol on his forehead. "Hey Zangetsu?" "Yes Little Gillian?" "...What cracked your mask?" The feline seemed to curl up even more than before, "A stronger beast than I..." And that was the end of that, the only answer Ichigo would get out of his Gipakuto.
Daybreak, sewers
"We can continue through these tunnels to the Senzaikyu quickly and without much-" Suddenly a figure landed in front of them, "Resistance..." Before them stood a dark brown haired and eyed man, who ichigo identified as "Sousuke Aizen..." The name was little more than a growl and only the group could hear it. "I see you aren't what you say you are...Kurosaki Ichigo and Arisawa Tatsuki! I will have to kill you and your accomplices now, for the better of Soul Soci-" (Cue: Starset-My Demons.)
"YOU'LL NEVER FINISH THAT SENTENCE! TEAR THE SKY ASUNDER, ZANGETSU!" The sword glowed and the feline appeared, before curling into a bladed-ball that began to spin rapidly but remained in place. "YOU RUINED THAT GROUP OF SHINIGAMI AND CONDEMNED THEM TO DEATH! JUSTICE SHALL BE SERVED!" Suddenly, the bladed-ball charged at him, like Sonic the Hedgedhog would do in a videogame. The ball landed him into a wall true, but then the cat leaped away and swung its tail, creating a bladed-chain that was then swung into the man before the cat curled up again and created a chainsaw like attack as he reeled in the weaponized tail.
Ichigo's Hollowfied body manifested out of Aizen's sight and he began to tear into the man along with his Gipakuto. (It makes sense why they call it that, it's a gigai technically and a Zanpakuto, so combine the name) The man was bleeding like all get out, Ichigo's claws were dirtied with blood and sharpened with bone. Zangetsu's shredding didn't end, he wrapped the bladed-chain tail around the man and held the end as he reeled in the chain, creating a true chainsaw like attack that didn't end.
The group, was amazed, Ichigo and Zangetsu were kicking the living shit out of a TAICHO! And they were winning, before the man grabbed the chain with a grunt of pain and yanked him into Ichigo. Ichigo, seeing the light, disintegrated his Hollowfied body quicker than anyone could see. When they landed, they turned to the man with hatred in their eyes. "You ruined the lives of your own kind, and you dare smile like that!" The man had a kind and gentle smile on his face, "How do you know that? How do you know about them?"
"I knew them! I met them as an Academy student, and I knew Urahara-taicho and Tessai-taicho as a child, so don't play stupid!" Tatsuki raised her voice to be heard, "Deceive, Kitsune no Ha!" He sword transformed into the petrified fox with a blade-tail and breathed into the fox's agape mouth, making the sword transform into Ichigo's Zanpakuto in it's sealed state. "LET'S KICK HIS ASS!" Yoruichi called out at this moment, "NO! DON'T HE'S A TAICHO, YOU CAN'T HOPE TO WIN AGAINST Hi-"
The man then stopped moving as Tatsuki and Ichigo, who had Zangetsu on his back while he flung around the chain, stabbed him with his own Zanpakuto. (Uncue music) The group saw that he would be found eventually, so decided to make Soul Society breakdown from the inside out. Zangetsu climbed the wall with the sword, while Tatsuki threw the body up high against the wall which made blood trail up the wall, where the sword was stabbed into his body to hold him up. They returned to their work without anyone noticing, as it was early in the morning, and ran through the sewers. And then, they felt it. The Reiatsu of a taicho and two fukutaicho, "That must be the group who found the corpse...WE'VE GOT TO HURRY!"
Yoruichi's words made them run for their lives. Zangetsu was still manifested as he said, "Wait! Split up, if we stay together, we're liable to get caught and the mission will have been all in vain. Inoue Orihime, Ishida Uryuu, and Yasutora Sado! You three find an empty barracks and hide there until the day of the execution, the time is different in the Dangai so we're probably about..." Yoruichi answered matter-of-factly, "We're a week early, we need to to hid until the execution. If we get her before the execution, we'll be found for sure, and we need to get you stronger. Avoid everyone and find a way to get stronger without drawing attention to yourselves."
Zangetsu continued, "Thank you, Yoruichi. YOu should probably stick with Arisawa Tatsuki and I'll stay with Little Gillian, we'll be harder to find that way. We'll hide out here in the sewers, but closer to the Senzaikyu. Yoruichi, you should probably take Arisawa to the training ground...You three," He looked to Chad, Uryuu and Orihime, "Get to a barracks near Sokyoku Hill, where everything really starts! LET'S GO!" His commanding tone made everyone want to listen to him, when they heard the voices of Shinigami. "GO GO GO! WE'LL HANDLE THINGS HERE!" And they ran, even when they heard cries of pain they ran...
Tatsuki and Yoruichi, a day after Zangetsu's orders
(Cue:Thousand Foot Krutch-E for Extinction)"Keep going! The cliff where we need you to jump off isn't far from the Senzaikyu. Hurry! There right behind us..." Yoruichi was on Tatsuki's shoulders, they'd hidden in a barracks with Uryuu, Chad and Orihime the night before and were now headed to the cliff where the training grounds Imagebak mentioned were hidden. When suddenly, a gigantic pulse of Reiatsu hit the two of them.
"W-wh-what's, huh-huh-happening Y-yoruichi?! I can't move! Huh huh...Ungh!" Yoruichi was bristling, "They can't have warned all of Seireitei of us already! Zaraki Kenpachi, taicho of the 11th Division...This Reiatsu...It's his!" Tatsuki could barely move her arm, let alone her legs. "Well well well, look what we have here! A Ryoka in Shinigami's clothes, HAHA! Right Yachiru?!"
Suddenly, a little girl with pink hair landed on Tatsuki's left shoulder, a foot away from stepping on Yoruichi's tail. The deeper voice revealed itself to be tall man with an eyepatch and bells in his hair. He had a scar going down from the top of his face to his chin on his left side. The thing about him that was most unnerving, was his bloodthirsty and bloodcurdling grin. "You're right Kenny, it's a Ryoka! Have fun!"
The little girl hopped off of Tatsuki and disappeared. A blade passed Tatsuki's face by a hair, "TIME TO FIGHT YOU, YOU LITTLE PUNK!" The man carried a sword that looked like it was meant to tear flesh gruesomely, as the blade had sharp ridges that would make anyone think of a gigantic key's teeth. Drawing Kitsune no Ha, she got into a ready stance as she let loose all of her emotions into her Reiatsu, making the beacon of light like on the night they lost Rukia. Only now, instead of a lemony-yellow, it was a powerful-orange and there was the face of a fox in her show of power. The attacking man let loose his Reiatsu, making a smaller beacon with a skull in it.
Tatsuki charged, her eyes glowing a light silver-blue as she clashed with the man. "Who a-are you?! UNGH!" Getting kneed in the stomach, she spun her larger blade on the wrapping-bandages, creating a flail like weapon as she punched him in the face and drawing blood. "I'm Zaraki Kenpachi and you are?!" His maniacal and semi-psychotic smile only grew as he got cut, bruised, and beaten on.
"Arisawa Tatsuki, Substitute-Shinigami and defender of Karakura Town. Nice to meet YOU, NOW DIE!" She threw the hollow blade at him, cutting him on the face without making him slow down. "GET SERIOUS GIRL!" "THAN RELEASE YOUR ZANPAKUTO! I WON'T FIGHT AN UNFAIR FIGHT!" This proclamation of honor made him cackle condescendingly, "HONOR?! THAT BULLSHIT IS FOR THE WEAK! I can't release my Zanpakuto, because I don't know it's name, besides! It's just a weapon, a weapon to fight with!"
That sentence, made Tatsuki feel more adrenaline than any other fight in her life so far, "Is that so? If that's the case, then why...Do Zanpakuto have names, have souls, and have FEELINGS! DECEIVE, KITSUNE NO HA!" She blew into the fox's mouth, making it transform into a pair of curved swords that made the Taoist sign of Yin-Yang when close together at the front of the blade. (Man With the Iron Fists, twin yin-yang swords)
"Milady," Tatsuki was fighting on autopilot, there wasn't any reason in her mind anymore and the rational part of her mind was watching the fight with Kitsune no Ha. Yes Kitsune no Ha? "Don't call me that infernal name! Speak my true name..." The sword passed by Tatsuki's face, "Look deep..." Tatsuki hit Kenpachi but didn't cut him, she then cut him on the chest. "Think hard!..." The swords she used were cut through like butter, "Hear the cries of that Zanpakuto...AND SHOUT OUT MY NAME!"
K...KITSUNE BUREDO! As Kenpachi walked away, a miffed expression on his face, the beacon of power returned but stronger than before. "HAHAHAHAHA! THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" He ripped off his eyepatch, "NOW I DON'T HAVE TO HOLD BACK!" Tatsuki's twin yin-yang blades repaired, but her clothes turned to that of what many would assume an Amazonian warrior-priestess to wear. Her armor was light-weight, shining, fox-like shapes and markings adorned the suit of armor. It looked somewhat provocative, except there was thin dress cloth over her stomach, arms, and legs. Her blades were sharper, the sharpened spikes were fox teeth and her helmet was a fox's skull with a European knight's face-guard.
Tatsuki spoke, but with an older and wiser voice than anyone had ever heard. "You assume that Zanpakuto are nothing more than weaponry, that they are nothing but tools to throw away when broken or seemingly unusable...But that is not the truth! THE TRUTH IS THAT ZANPAKUTO ARE ALIVE!" Yoruichi was at the top of a pillar now, watching with wide eyes, "She's powerful...But she must learn Bankai if she wishes to defeat those who'd stand in our way..." As Tatsuki ran at Kenpachi, she mad the fox visage larger in her Reiatsu while Kenpachi made the skull enormous. Their swords clashed and stayed there, until Tatsuki was behind Kenpachi and to the right with blood on her blades.
They both passed out from the exhaustion. Yoruichi and Yachiru got down and took care of their respective partner. "Thank you Tats-chan for giving Kenny a good time! Bye now!" She was gone, leaving Yoruichi to carry Tatsuki, as the aforementioned cat began to grow and glow a bright blue...
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THAT'S A FUCKIN' WRAP ladies, gents and other! Whatcha think on my take of the Ichigo Kenpachi fight? I'm havin' fun with this series and I'm tryin' to make it as Bleachversally-accurate as possible as well as interestin' as I can. SEE YA!