White Sun Rising: Ron the True Fan Edition
Chapter 10: Captain of the 10th/Inner Hollows: Momo Hinamori/
Recap: The Seireitei is ablaze with not only fire, but chaos as Ichigo Kurosaki marches toward the Repentance Cell to rescue Rukia Kuchiki. During a fight with Kenpachi Zaraki, Orihime Inoue absorbed some of the brutish captain's powers, becoming a Substitute Shinigami like Ichigo. During the course of this battle, Ichigo used his Inner Hollow to beat Zaraki into unconsciousness, but with the help of Sode no Shirayuki and Zangetsu, he regained control before Ichigo was forced to kill him. However, this wasn't the only problem: Momo Hinamori, the Lieutenant of the 5th Division, has increased in strength due to Ichigo's presence. Unfortunately, they have no idea that the longer she is around him, the more the seals around her Inner Hollow degrade. And that is not their only problem, as the 12th Division has been given free reign to find the Ryoka and take them out. And what about Chad and Yoruichi? Or Rukia for that matter? Read on to find out!
Momo poked her head out of the warehouse they were using to hide from the Gotai 13. "Looks like the 12th Division's been loosed."
"What's so bad about 12th Division?"
'They're the research and development squad.'
"Eggheads. Great."
Momo looked at Ichigo.
"Huh?"
"Shirayuki told me what the 12th Division was."
"What's an 'egghead'?"
Uryū stood up.
"It's a scientific insult. Stereotypical scientists are usually depicted with oversized heads, hence-"
Both Momo and Ichigo spoke as one.
"Eggheads."
"Exactly."
"While he doesn't have an oversized head, Mayuri Kurotsuchi is a definite egghead. A mad egghead, at that."
Something exploded nearby, and Ichigo got ready for another fight.
It turned out, however, to be Chad, who walked toward the group as soon as he saw Ichigo.
'Looks like Chad unleashed a can of whoop-ass on the 12th, eh, Shirayuki?'
'Ichigo, if there is anyone I do not want you do fight, it would be Sado.'
"Hey, Chad, where's Yoruichi?"
"I don't know. He just left."
Then Ichigo saw white.
And it wasn't a good white, either.
'GET DOWN!'
Ichigo obeyed Zangetsu's order and pulled Chad down with him.
Ice coated the warehouse, sealing it up.
"Well, it's about time I found you, Ryoka."
Ichigo groaned.
'Why does everyone keep calling us that?'
'Ichigo, I'd be more worried about the Captain trying to kill you.'
The captain was barely taller then Rukia, although he was if you counted his hair, which was standing up.
"And you are?"
"Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of the 10th Division."
'Oh. Him.'
'Anything I should know?'
'Just that he's a captain-level version of Rukia with your temper.'
"I remember you from the report Captain Kuchiki submitted: Ichigo Kurosaki. Although I wonder how you have TWO zanpakutō rather then one. But that doesn't matter."
He sent a wave of frozen spiritual energy toward Ichigo and Chad, who dodged with ease.
'This is getting ridiculous.'
He drew both Zangetsu and Shirayuki, then released both blades. Hitsugaya, however, had one thought.
'This could be a problem.'
The problem was about to get worse as the ice shattered and out of it came a pissed off-and in Shikai, no less-Orihime Inoue.
"Koten Zanshun, I reject!"
The force of Orihime's offensive attack sent Hitsugaya flying toward a wall. And he went through 4 more before coming to a complete and total stop.
Tsubaki, the spirit responsible for the attack, returned to the girl's hairclips.
Both men looked at her.
"I got pissed off. Don't I got the right?"
'Ichigo, she's using Zaraki's inflections.'
'I know. Somehow, I think she's better for it.'
But Toshiro wasn't down for the count.
He got up and charged at Orihime, who deflected his blow with her new shield, then pushed his blade down with her own before bashing him in the face with the shield itself.
'Good God, it's like I'm fighting Zaraki, only shorter, less powerful and a girl!'
It got worse as her zanpakutō was basically designed to trap an enemy's blade while she used the shield as an offensive weapon as well as defensively.
It was also a foreign design, so he had few, if any, ideas on how to fight the girl that seemed to be a clone of Zaraki and his own Lieutenant, if only in gender and body shape.
"Toshiro!"
He looked over and saw his childhood friend, Momo Hinamori, walk out of the ruins of the warehouse. "Momo! What the hell are you doing here?!"
"They're not here to fight us! They just want Rukia freed!"
Two thoughts went through his head: one, they were telling the truth and they were simply just forced to fight everyone to get to the Repentance Cell.
Two, they had lied to Momo and she had sided with them, poisoning her with their lies.
And judging from her lack of hostility toward the Ryoka, he went with option two.
And she had clearly sided with them.
"Captain!"
His rather well-endowed Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, joined the fight, attacking Ichigo and Chad.
"Well, this is fucking great!"
Uryū had joined the fray as well, opening fire on both shinigami.
The pair dodged his attacks, but they had one problem: Momo.
While conflicted, she had decided to side with Ichigo and the other Ryoka.
"Rangiku, the other girl is your problem. Kurosaki is mine."
"What about Momo and the other two?"
"Use your Shikai if you have to."
Rangiku smirked.
"Got it!"
She attacked Orihime, who blocked the equally endowed woman's attack with her shield before countering with the Egyptian sickle-sword.
While Rangiku avoided dying, she did lose a lot of hair dodging the new Substitute's attack.
Uryū and Chad decided to help Orihime while Ichigo engaged Hitsugaya.
Momo attacked Toshiro, but was not intending to kill him, only to disable him.
'Come on, Peachy! Take him out!'
Momo blinked. 'Who-Tobiume, was that you?'
'Fucking hell, Peach, you're stupid! Do I sound like Tobiume to you?!' '
She then recognized the voice: it was hers, only...doubled. Hollow.
'What the hell is happening to me?!'
She barely avoided by hit by Toshiro's zanpakutō, and was only saved by Ichigo using Shirayuki to parry the attack.
At that moment, Momo's spiritual energy spiked.
At that moment, it was Captain-Level.
She stuck back, hitting Toshiro's zanpakutō and launching him at Rangiku.
'Oh, shit. Ichigo, I think what happened to you is happening to her!'
And Shirayuki was right: the same thing happened, but unlike Ichigo, whose Hollow powers were damn near Vasto Lorde-Level, Momo was lower, at a low-level Adjuchas. (AN: I always wondered how the ranking system worked, so I decided to work it around that of the Gotai 13. A Vasto Lorde is a Captain-Level Hollow, but can be a lot stronger then a shinigami captain. Adjuchas are Lieutenant-Level, but can be as strong as a captain of the Gotai 13. Menos Grande are the equivalent to ranked Gotai 13 officers. The rest are akin to unseated shinigami)
Momo didn't have a mask on, but her eyes were black and yellow, like most Hollows.
"Kurosaki! Get your ass moving!"
Ichigo blinked.
"Wha-"
"Your Queen's waiting for you at the damned tower! Move your ass! I'll take care of these two." Orihime walked up beside her.
"You'll need my help. Kurosaki-kun, get to Rukia!"
Ichigo wanted to not go, but Hollow Momo and Orihime actually could handle the Captain and Lieutenant.
Ganju and Hanataro, who had stayed in the ruins to avoid detection, got the hell out of there.
Chad and Uryū backed off, not wanting to get caught between a fight between a Hollowfied Lieutenant, Orihime and the leaders of the 10th Division.
Uryū knew what a Gillian-Class Menos Grande could do and he wasn't in the mood to get between something more powerful and three more shinigami.
Chad didn't want to go, but he had a feeling that he wasn't needed in this battle.
Ichigo wanted to stay, but Rukia needed him, and quickly.
With Toshiro and Rangiku
Toshiro Hitsugaya did not want to fight Momo.
Not in her currant state, at least.
Her shinigami abilities were now on par with his own, and her newly unlocked Hollow abilities were at Adjuchas-Level.
And the other girl, Orihime, had a two-part zanpakutō made of a sickle-sword and shield.
Fighting the two would not be easy, nor would the two come out unharmed.
A mask formed on Momo's face, covering her forehead and the right side of her head, with it extending to cover her nose and right eye.
Slashing attacks would be almost pointless in wounding Momo with that mask covering her head.
"Momo? Can you hear me?"
"Sorry, Ice Man, Peach ain't around at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep."
Both shinigami blinked.
"It's a fucking joke! Aw, screw it!"
She charged up a fireball with her sword and fired it at Toshiro.
"Oh, shit!"
Rangiku charged at Momo, but Orihime intercepted the woman with her own blade before delivering a blow to her head with her foot.
"You want to fight?! FIGHT ME!"
Rangiku snarled.
"Growl, Haineko!"
The sword turned to ash, and Orihime countered with a defense of her own.
"Shiten Kōshun, I reject!"
The ash impacted the shield, and was reflected back at Rangiku.
"Son of a bitch!"
She canceled out her Shikai before impact, but that didn't stop the now-killer Orihime from charging the Lieutenant with her nasty-looking Shikai.
Rangiku tried blocking, but she failed to notice the shield, which batted the sword out of the way.
Only the tip of the blade hit Rangiku, but the strike would leave a nasty scar running from right side of her hairline to her jaw.
Meanwhile, Momo and Toshiro had gotten into a massive battle between fire and ice, and the former element was winning.
Cero and kido fireballs rushed at Toshiro, who was having increasing difficulty blocking the attacks.
'To hell with this! This isn't Momo: it's just some Hollow that took control of her body!'
"Bankai: Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!"
Toshiro released his Bankai, forming ice wings and a tail on his back.
"I was wondering when you'd do that! Time to up the ante!"
The mask completely formed on her face, giving her full access to her Hollow powers.
And those were at seven-tenths the power Ichigo had when her Hollow started waking up.
In short?
Hitsugaya was just praying he would survive Momo's first attack.
A beach ball-sized Cero/Kido fireball formed on the tip of her blade, terrifying Toshiro even more.
He decided retreat was better then getting his ass whooped.
"Matsumoto, let's get the hell out of here!"
Orihime was kicking the Lieutenant's ass.
"Like that's happening!"
She kicked Matsumoto into Toshiro, and Momo fired the Kiro (Cero/Kido hybrid) shot at the pair.
A scene from a Star Trek movie would later remind the two of this incident.
"Son of a-"
BOOM!
With Ichigo
'YOW! That had to hurt!'
Ichigo nodded as he finally made it to the bridge connecting the Repentance Cell to the rest of the Seireitei.
On it was a giant pain in the ass: Renji, with his zanpakutō out on his shoulder. '
Great. Him again.'
Renji walked toward the group, and he was not in a good mood.
"Out of my way, Abarai!"
"Sorry, Kurosaki, but I can't let you get her out of that cell! As much as I want to step aside, I can't!"
"Then it looks like I'll have to kick your ass, then give Rukia her sword back!"
Renji blinked.
"WHAT?"
Then he noticed Shirayuki, in her released form.
Like everyone else, he was going to regret getting in Ichigo's way, as Ichigo's unholy reiatsu levels + Sode no Shirayuki = frozen area the size of the Vatican City.
But that was later.
For now, he had to face Ichigo, who had both swords out.
"Howl, Zabimaru!"
Renji's Shikai went straight for Ichigo, who blocked it with Zangetsu.
'Sorry, Shirayuki!'
'What?!'
"GETSUGA TENSHO!"
A blue wave launched from Shirayuki, heading straight for Renji.
"FUCK!"
He had to jump to avoid getting hit, retracting his Shikai in the process.
The attack hit the door leading to the cell, destroying it.
No matter what, Ichigo won, because Rukia was practically free.
"Well, Renji, looks like I win even if you kill me!"
Renji looked back and saw Ichigo's point.
'Note to self: don't get hit by that attack.'
Renji dropped the zanpakutō and put his hands over his head.
He knew better then to fight when Rukia was behind him, directly or not.
"Good idea, Renji. Chad, if you please?"
The giant walked over to Renji and hit him over the head, knocking him out.
With Rukia
Rukia was having a long and detailed talk with her Inner Hollow when the door leading to her cell exploded.
'That's the King!'
Rukia stood up and got to the door just in time to see Chad hit Renji over the head, and thus knock the poor bastard out.
Then again, that was the point: Ichigo wasn't trying to destroy the Soul Society.
He was trying to free her.
And he succeeded.
She tried leaving the cell, but her energy was dangerously low thanks to the damned Sekki-Sekki rock.
Ichigo, instead, came to her, stepping over Renji's body and ran to the cell.
He stopped in front of Rukia, panting slightly.
Rukia jumped into his arms.
"About. Damn. Time!"
Then her robes changed from pure white to her normal shinigami uniform.
'What the fuck just happened?'
'Ichigo, she took some of your spirit energy. She's back at full power.'
Shirayuki probed her mistress.
'Holy shit, she's more powerful then before! Quick, hand me over to her!'
Ichigo chuckled, then handed Shirayuki over to Rukia.
"Here. I think I've had her long enough."
'Hey!'
'Oh, don't take it like that! Besides, she was only lending you to me.'
'Ichigo, I had been checking on what was happening to Shirayuki. She has become your second zanpakutō. Permanently.'
'Son of a bitch! It was all for nothing?!'
'Not exactly. What happened to her happened to me.'
Ichigo blinked.
'Are you telling me that Rukia can use you, too, Zangetsu?'
'In as many words.'
Then a second sword appeared on Ichigo's hip.
It was a copy of Shirayuki.
'What the hell?'
'Looks like there's a permanent link between you and Rukia, Ichigo: you have enough power to make sure there's two of me at once, and Rukia's got enough for a weaker-but still deadly-version of Zangetsu!'
As if on cue, a smaller version of Ichigo's sealed zanpakutō appeared on Rukia's back.
'I'm not sure whether to be scared or not.'
"What the hell? Why do you still have Shirayuki when-"
Then she noticed the miniature Zangetsu on her back.
"Oh."
Then both felt a familiar presence.
It was Byakuya Kuchiki, who had made it past Uryū and Chad with zero difficulty.
"Oh, shit."
The older Kuchiki looked at Rukia, then noticed the four swords they both shared.
"I do not know how you have two zanpakutōs each, but they will not help you now, Kurosaki."
Rukia drew her Zangetsu.
"That's what you think!"
She subconsciously fired a Getsuga Tensho at Byakuya, who barely dodged in time.
Rukia blinked.
"That's new."
"It's one of Zangetsu's attacks. A lot of my power bleed into Shirayuki, and she gained a few of Zangetsu's abilities."
'I'm working on figuring out what I gained and what I didn't, but that attack was one of them. You should've seen the look on Zaraki's face when he got hit by a super-charged one!'
Rukia blinked at hearing Shirayuki outside her mindscape, but when Ichigo gave her a knowing smile, it seemed it was commonplace for him.
He drew both his version of Shirayuki and Zangetsu.
"Hey, Byakuya!"
The 6th Division captain was still reeling from dodging the high-speed attack that Rukia shot at him.
"I think this time, we're going to win!"
Byakuya checked Rukia's reiatsu levels and nearly widened his eyes in shock.
Rukia's reiatsu was on par with Sajin Komamura's!
And he didn't even want to know where Kurosaki was at.
Of course, want and need are two different things.
He checked.
And he nearly pissed himself.
It was at Kenpachi Zaraki's level, if not slightly higher!
Fighting two now-Captain-Level shinigami would be hard, and he knew the once the other two woke up, he would be outgunned and outnumbered four to one.
Then Hitsugaya and his Lieutenant slammed into the tower, followed by a long haired woman in a shinigami uniform with an odd sword and a shield.
'Three to one, and even if the girl isn't at their level, my Shikai isn't going to hold all three of them off at once. And I don't think that girl shot those two into the tower.'
He glanced over his shoulder and saw Hinamori with a Hollow-type mask on.
'She's betrayed us? With Aizen dead, her mind could be pliable enough to be turned against the Gotai 13. And that mask...What is it and where did she get it, along with that power?'
Byakuya decided that the odds were anything but in his favor: Bankai or no, one of them could still kill him should they survive, and if Kurosaki was any indication, he could survive anything.
He decided to avoid getting attacked, rescue Hitsugaya and his Lieutenant, then get the hell out of there, in that order.
"At the moment, Kurosaki, you win. I cannot fight you and your comrades along with assuring my own survival at this time. But you will not escape the Seireitei alive. That I can assure you of."
Orihime jumped at Byakuya, using the walls of the Repentance Cell as a booster to attack the Captain. While she was fast, he was faster, and dodged her strike.
He grabbed the leaders of the 10th and got out of there as fast as his shunpo could move him.
Orihime raged at the retreating Byakuya, and Rukia sweatdropped at the sight.
Of course, she was curious as to how Orihime got shinigami powers.
"What happened to her?"
Ichigo sheathed his Shirayuki and Zangetsu.
"She got stabbed by Kenpachi Zaraki."
Rukia looked at him. "
The Captain of the 11th? And she survived?"
Ichigo shrugged.
"Same thing that happened to me happened to her, I guess."
Rukia looked at her boyfriend.
"He can't control his reiatsu worth shit, Ichigo. While she gained shinigami powers from him, it's not the same thing. I had to force spirit energy into my blade to give you my powers. He didn't need to."
'Hey, Queen! Tell him about me!'
Rukia winced. He would hate her for it.
"Uh, Ichigo-"
"I've got an Inner Hollow."
She looked at him.
"What?"
"I'm not sure how it happened, but all I know is I'm thankful Shirayuki was with me, because I don't think Zangetsu could control him alone."
'No offense.'
'None taken, Ichigo.'
"Wow. We're more alike then I thought." Ichigo looked at her.
"Huh?"
"I've got one, too, Ichigo."
With their mission a success, Ichigo and Rukia are reunited at last, but dark forces are on the horizon. With the use of Hollow powers from both Momo and Ichigo, the Gotai 13 will send everything they have at them. And what of the two captains of the 3rd and 9th Divisions and the mighty Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Captain-General of the Gotai 13? Will they engage Ichigo and Rukia in combat? In fact, will they even get out of the Seireitei alive? The only way to find out is to tune in next time!
Status of Inner Hollows for shinigami encountered by Ichigo Kurosaki as of this chapter
Ichigo Kurosaki: Unsealed; near Vasto Lorde-Level
Rukia Kuchiki: Unsealed; extremely high Adjuchas-Level
Orihime Inoue: Sealed; unknown
Momo Hinamori: Unsealed; low Adjuchas-Level
Renji Abarai: Sealed; unknown
Toshiro Hitsugaya: Sealed; unknown, presumed high Adjuchas to Vasto Lorde-Level
Rangiku Matsumoto: Sealed; unknown
Kenpachi Zaraki: Unknown on both counts
Yoruichi Shihōin: Sealed, but weakening; unknown
Suì-Fēng/Shaolin Fēng: Unknown on both counts
Ikkaku Madarame: Unknown on both counts
(Sitting in a restored Seireitei is the Author, with a picture of Orihime in her shinigamified state)
AUTHOR: And now a complete explanation of Orihime's zanpakutō.
Nephthys
Name means: Lady of the Mansion (Egyptian)
Sealed state: An Ancient Egyptian bronze khepesh, or sickle-sword (No longer useable thanks to high amounts of spiritual energy and pressure; now stuck in permanent release state)
Shikai: A longer khepesh and a wooden shield covered in leather; release word 'Protect'. (Release word comes from the Egyptian goddess of the same name's role in protecting the dead on their way to the underworld)
Bankai (not gained until a battle with Sosuke Aizen): Sword turns from bronze to steel, shield gains metal covering and Orihime wears Egyptian-style chainmail tunic under shinigami uniform to increase protective properties along with a vulture-shaped helmet. Release words: Bankai, Anubis, son of Nephthys (Release comes from the fact that, in Egyptian mythos, Anubis, the son of Osiris by Nephthys, (despite her marriage to Seth) is the god of mummification, and as such is another guardian of the dead)
Abilities: Mainly like Zangetsu, minus Getsuga Tensho, plus a shield that can be used as either a weapon or a protective measure; immune to hypnotism Shikai and can grant immunity to others for a short time; can use Getsuga Tensho-type attack called Konton no Hi (Fires of Chaos) (takes name from Nephthys' position as Seth's wife, as her husband is the god of chaos and confusion)
Drawbacks: Mostly melee-use only; as she gained her shinigami powers from Kenpachi Zaraki, Orihime takes some of his traits, including his tenancy to curse and the desire to prove oneself the strongest of all, but her original personality downplays this greatly, resulting in Orihime normally just cursing more then normal and charging headlong into the enemy without thinking at times
Advantages: Durable shield in Shikai that cannot be broken in Bankai; enhances original powers by a factor of three or more, especially in Bankai state
Spirit: A doppelganger of Suì-Fēng wearing Egyptian-style robes, but height is akin to Ichigo with a bust and hairstyle akin to Tatsuki (both post Aizen's defeat); wears sword form on her left hip and constantly has shield (Bankai form) on left arm; her personality is motherly, but ruthless when Orihime (and thus herself) is threatened, and stern when Orihime is being stupid
AUTHOR: In short, I have made Orihime into a much tougher character, but she remains, at her core, her original self. At most, she will still on the sidelines most of the time, but can rush in to make the enemy's life a living hell at a moment's notice should she need to. Also-
(A familiar tune starts playing)
AUTHOR: Wait a second. What the hell is that music?!
(Then the source appears: a Warthog. And not just any Warthog, either: it's the Red vs Blue Warthog)
AUTHOR: Oh, shit! It's those guys! Get the hell out of here!
(Scene fades)
It's official as it's going to get, people: Red vs Blue is over. With RWBY entering production, this means I can get Reds and Blues of the Old Republic rewritten at last. I know fans of that story have been waiting for over a year for me to get off my ass and get to it, but Rooster Teeth was always the deciding factor, as I needed RvB to end for me to do my job.
It's over now, so those that were impatient for me to write it out are getting their wish. However, the RvB crew will live on in the hearts of millions of their fans, and in this case, another one of my stories and challenges, both of which are the same, but you can do with the challenge as you wish, as long as the basics are obeyed.
But now I'm starting to ramble. Not a good sign.
My next update will be a Challenge Depot one, so read up on them!
Also, Skywalker T-65 has reviewed and favorited this version of White Sun Rising. I have to say, I'm honored. When the original author tells you you're doing a good job... Well, can't let it go to my head. Tite Kubo didn't write White Sun Rising, after all: a fan of his did, and he did a hell of a job until he put it up for adoption. If the creator of Bleach did do just that, then you'd have the right for an ego trip for about five minutes.
Next Time on White Sun Rising: With Rukia in tow, Ichigo and his new friends from the Gotai 13 run into a man thought dead by the rest of the Soul Society.
Ja Ne!