Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach
Sorry it took so long for this chapter. However I have a new schedule on my profile if you want to check it out. Every Monday night is when I work on this story. I had it mostly finished last night and I just had to do some minor tweaks today before posting it. My goal is to write at least 1,000 - 2,000 words each Monday and that way by the end of the month I should have enough to post.
Arrancar Saga – Bount arc – Chapter 11 – Calm before the Storm
Yoshino's Apartment – 7th of September, 10:00pm
Uryū glanced around the small apartment that this Bount had taken him to. The young Quincy had walked behind her the entire way with suspicious before they arrived at this building. It was a modest place with only three rooms and Uryū didn't see any other items other than the essentials. He had noticed curiously that she lived in a building next to one that had a giant clock.
"You said that you would explain everything once we got here." Uryū reminded her, "Start explaining! What is a Bount and why are they after me?"
"That's right," Yoshino smiled as she looked out the window and she stared at the starry sky, "straight to the point. Very well," the Bount turned to face the Quincy, "we Bounts are humans similar to you Quincys."
Uryū's eyes widened momentarily.
"However there are differences. You Quincys generate your power with the spirit particles in the air. The stronger the amount of spirit particles in the air, the stronger you are. Bounts, however, gain more power by absorbing the souls of dead humans. I guess, in a way, we are what humans call, vampires."
"That song that you played to hypnotise that woman, you were going to suck out her soul." Uryū remembered, "But you just said that Bounts absorb the souls of dead humans."
Yoshino looked away sorrowfully, "Yes, absorbing dead human souls is the way it is supposed to be. Although to be more precise, absorbing a living human soul is against the Bount law. It is strictly forbidden. However some of the Bounts recently have been going off the rail and they are absorbing human souls and gaining incredible power."
"Then they obviously need to be stopped, but that still doesn't explain exactly what you Bounts are and what does it have to do with me." Uryū demanded.
"I'm getting to that. You see, we Bounts also go by another name. The eternal clan, you see, we live for eternity. Unless we are killed by someone, then we will keep on living in this endless world." Yoshino explained to him, "I don't know how we were created but all I know is that whoever it was, they did a terrible thing creating us. I have lived for so long, I have made friends and then forced to watch them age while I stayed the same. I was so alone and people feared me. They called me a witch. For a short time I found myself wishing for my life to end until he came into my life."
"Who came into your life?' Uryū asked absorbed in her story.
"My husband, Jin Kariya came into my life. He showed me that this life was worth living and that our love would be like our lives... eternal. For a while I believed that it would. That it would be possible for love to last eternally. I was such a naive fool. Now that I think back on it, I don't think that he ever loved me and then he did something that opened my eyes. Now all I care about is stopping Kariya."
Uryū narrowed his eyes, "What did he do to make you hate him enough to stop whatever he is planning?"
"I saw him absorb a living soul." Yoshino told him seriously, "He did something strictly forbidden and he was glad that he broke that ancient law. The moment that I saw him do it, I knew that he was planning something big and then my hatred for him increased immensely."
"What do you mean?"
"Only I knew what Kariya did. If I told the other remaining Bounts, they wouldn't believe me. So in order to stop Kariya, I needed to gain more power." Yoshino admitted bitterly.
Uryū's eyes widened in horror, "You absorbed living souls!"
"I did, I sucked up a couple of them." Yoshino said in disgust, "I gained more power in a couple of days then I did for hundreds of years. However it still isn't enough. I don't know precisely what Kariya's main goal is but I do know that whatever it is, it will be catastrophic to the living world and the Soul Society. Fortunately Kariya has hit a little snag in whatever he was planning."
Uryū looked away thoughtfully as he digested the information that Yoshino had told him. He by no means trusted her but at the same time he wouldn't dismiss what she was saying. However one word in her explanation stood out to him.
"Wait! What did you mean by 'remaining' Bounts?"
"Ah," Yoshino smiled without any humour, "how silly of me to forget the other reason why the Bounts and the Quincys are alike. Most of the Bounts had been wiped out by a combination of Hollows and the Shinigami. I think that is why Kariya is after you. I think he wants your power to help him achieve his goal. He will try and use the bitter history of the Quincy to his advantage."
"I see..." Uryū muttered. He had no real desire to 'avenge' his fallen ancestors. When he had told Ichigo that he actually agreed with what the Shinigami did 200 years ago, he was telling the truth. The young Quincy refused to be manipulated by this Kariya.
"You are vital to his plans, I am sure of it. That's why I brought you here and explained all of this to you. I want you to help me destroy him and we need to do it soon." Yoshino repeated, "While he hasn't thought of a solution to his problem."
"What is this problem that you keep talking about?"
"Kariya intended to unleash his plans a week ago but then we all sensed a huge spiritual pressure. However it wasn't just the strength that worried him but the nature of it." Yoshino told him.
"A strong and different spiritual pressure... a week ago." Uryū's eyes widened, "That was when Ichigo transformed into a Hollow!"
"That is correct." Yoshino's smile turned deadly, "Do you understand why he needs you now? You're the only one that currently has the abilities to fight against your friend. He fears Ichigo Kurosaki."
"I can understand that he is hesitant to fight against Ichigo's powers," Uryū admitted, however he kept the thought that Ichigo could be outsmarted to himself, "but I don't see how I could help him in his fight against Ichigo. Right now my power isn't enough to compete with Ichigo's besides why would he even believe that I would turn against him? Surely he doesn't really believe that I would side with him to avenge my fallen ancestors? Ichigo didn't even exist when all of that happened. His parents weren't even born yet and he believes that I will turn against him?"
"When you say all of that, it makes Kariya's intentions seem foolish." Yoshino smiled softly at him, "However that is far from the truth. Kariya is burning with hatred towards those that have slaughtered his fellow Bounts so he doesn't understand the concept of friendship. He doesn't care whether a Shinigami wasn't born when his family and friends were killed. All Shinigami are his enemies, more so than Hollows. Ichigo Kurosaki is human, Shinigami and Hollow, that makes him an enemy to Kariya. You, on the other hand, are different. You are a Quincy. You're supposed to hate both Shinigami and Hollow and Kurosaki is both. He should be your mortal enemy and that is all that matters to Kariya. Although he will have taken into consideration that you might say no and he will have prepared for it. You never know with Kariya."
"I see," Uryū murmured, "I'll have to make sure I prepare for the possibility."
"Will you help me, Quincy?" Yoshino held out her right hand towards him, "With your help, I know the two of us can defeat Kariya."
Uryū glanced at the hand momentarily as he thought about his options. Should he tell Ichigo about this? No, he decided. Ichigo had enough on his plate right now with Tatsuki's death and the Arrancars that had been invading. He knew the basics about them thanks to Ryūken. However he couldn't risk going at this alone or with Yoshino. For all he knew, this was some kind of trap but at the same time he couldn't help but trust her slightly. Still he would need to tell someone just in case.
It couldn't be Orihime; she was suffering too much from Tatsuki's death. It would have to be Chad. Uryū knew that he could trust his giant friend to keep it from Ichigo if it meant protecting the Substitute Shinigami. Telling Kisuke Urahara about this was crucial as well. No doubt that eccentric scientist would be able to pick up some information about the Bounts.
Uryū grasped her right hand gently with his own, "Alright, I will help you."
Kurosaki Clinic – 8th of September, 7:30am
Ichigo groggily woke up thanks to the loud noises coming from next door. He rubbed the sand out of his eyes and he approached his window and he saw a moving truck pull out of his neighbour's drive way. A squeaky sound caught his attention and he looked straight down to see his father bouncing on a small circular trampoline with a large grin.
"Good morning, Ichigo!"
Ichigo stepped to the right just before his father crashed through the window and Isshin rolled into a crouch.
"Nice reflexes my son!" Isshin grinned and he attempted a high jump kick but once again Ichigo simply side stepped the attack and Isshin went crashing through the window. Ichigo didn't even flinch when he heard his father hit the ground painfully.
"It never ceases to surprise me how durable he is." Ichigo muttered to himself out loud.
Just over twenty minutes later for Ichigo to get showered and ready before he headed downstairs to have breakfast with Rukia and his sisters. When he entered the room, he heard Karin complaining to Rukia about the excursion to the museum that her class was going to.
"Freaking dad," Ichigo complained when he sat at the breakfast table, Rukia sitting opposite to him and Karin sitting to his right, "he pulls the same stupid crap every day."
"Oh, come now," Rukia grinned slyly at him, "you shouldn't say such things about your father."
"Shut it!" Ichigo growled at her smirking face.
"By the way, Ichigo," Karin interrupted, "did you know our neighbour, Housaka, moved out?"
"Yeah, I saw her earlier." Ichigo replied.
"Yesterday, she said hi to me, and she looked to be in a real hurry." Yuzu told them as she approached with a tray that had a single red bowl on it in her hands. "I wonder what happened."
"Maybe she got sick of dad screaming all the time." Ichigo concluded wisely.
"She would never say that!" Isshin slammed the door open with a glare on his face. He had pieces of glass all over his body and blood leaked out slightly from each one. He didn't seem to notice it though. "She always told me, 'Every time that I see together, you look like such a happy family!' She had nothing but praise for me." Isshin grinned widely.
"Maybe she was just yanking your chain." Ichigo bluntly told him without so much of a glance to his father. He was about to take a bite of his breakfast when suddenly a foot slammed into the back of his head.
"What?!" Isshin shouted, "When did you get so dishonest?! Father is sad –"
Ichigo cut off his father's rant with a heel into his old man's face and Isshin landed painfully on his backside.
"Ow!" Isshin shouted painfully, "The glass in my butt got pushed in deeper!"
"I'm done, let's go Rukia."
Rukia quickly caught up with Ichigo after he walked out of the house, "We're you going?"
"I'm heading over to the Vizards to ask them for their help." Ichigo informed her, "I take it that you're going to Kisuke's?"
Rukia nodded with a frown, "He has a tendency to know about things before they happen and so I suspect he has at least a theory on who that man was last night."
"I wouldn't be surprised." Ichigo muttered dully as they approached the fork in the road where they would have to split up. "I'll catch you later, Rukia."
"Yeah, see you." Rukia said softly as Ichigo turned down the road to the left, "I hope you can convince them, Ichigo."
Captain Meeting Hall – 8th of September, 8:00am
The Captain Commander Yamamoto slammed his wooden staff into the floor to silence the Captains in the room. They were all lined up in two rows, facing each other with only Tōshirō Hitsugaya missing from proceedings. On Yamamoto's right stood the Captain's of the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 12th Divisions. On his left were the Captains of the 7th, 11th and 13th Divisions.
"Yesterday, a patrol unit on long term deployment to the living world returned safely." Yamamoto announced gruffly, "They managed to come back without a single casualty. This is a truly great accomplishment. As of now, the 3rd, 5th and 9th Divisions are without Captains and the 10th Division Captain is currently stationed in the living world. This has left the Gotei 13 severely weakened. While those filling in have done an admirable job so far, we cannot leave the Gotei 13 in this state. As such, myself and two other Captains present here were called upon yesterday to observe the Captain's Qualification Examination. We found one man suitable for the job. And so, I will introduce you all to the gentleman who will take former 3rd Division Captain, Gin Ichimaru's position. The new 3rd Division Captain of the Gotei 13, Amagai Shūsuke, may enter."
The large doors that stood opposite to the Captain Commander opened and in a walked a tall and muscular man with bluish chin-length hair in a somewhat ragged fashion. He wore a long-sleeved captain's haori along with the standard Shinigami uniform except for a couple of details. He had two Zanpakutō and some paper that he kept the fold of his uniform.
'He has two Zanpakutō?' Komamura thought in surprise.
'He has spirit.' Kyōraku smiled.
The new Captain walked to the centre of the room and with a quick nervous glance to his right and then left, he introduced himself.
"I'm Amagai. I'll do the best job I can. I'm new to this position, but I look forward to working with everyone."
"Take your place, Captain Amagai." Yamamoto signalled to his left.
The Captain of the 3rd Division walked over and he joined the row of Captains. He stood opposite of Soifon and he stood next to Komamura but there was still a gap between them for the Shinigami that would become the 5th Division Captain.
"Now onto other matters, last night a group of Arrancar invaded Karakura town but they were foiled thanks to the efforts of Captain Hitsugaya and his team along with Ichigo Kurosaki. We received a report from Captain Hitsugaya about the Arrancar and we have learned that the strongest Arrancar are known as the Espada." The Captain Commander informed them all.
"The Espada..." Komamura murmured thoughtfully.
"How can we tell which Arrancar fall under the rank of Espada?" Kyōraku questioned the Captain Commander curiously.
"The Arrancar have tattoos of numbers on their skin and the Espada are the Arrancars that have the numbers 1 – 10." Yamamoto answered him, "Captain Hitsugaya also reported that one of the Espada was among the Arrancar that invaded Karakura town and he was equal to Ichigo Kurosaki in Bankai without releasing his Resurrección."
"That's two now," Ukitake realised, "that other one from a few days must be an Espada as well."
"It seems like Ichigo is a magnet for these Espada," Kenpachi released a blood thirsty grin, "I should go pay him a visit! I may run into one of these powerful Arrancar and even if I don't, then I'll just fight Ichigo!"
"You will do no such thing!" Yamamoto barked angrily and he slammed his cane fiercely into the floor.
"I'm sorry," Captain Amagai interrupted softly, "I have been briefed on these Arrancar and the situation with Sōsuke Aizen beforehand but who is this Ichigo Kurosaki?"
"That's right," Ukitake smiled at the new Captain, "I forgot that you wouldn't have heard of him. He is a Substitute Shinigami and he proved a great help to us not long ago."
"Astonishingly he is also capable of using the powers of a Hollow." Komamura informed Amagai.
"He can use Hollow powers?" Captain Amagai questioned with wide eyes, "Isn't that illegal?"
"The matter of Ichigo Kurosaki's Hollow powers is disclosed!" The Captain Commander declared, "We will need his power in the upcoming war with Aizen. Captain Kurotsuchi, have you made any headway into the concerns that Captain Hitsugaya reported last night?" Yamamoto questioned the Captain of the 12 Division.
"Of course not," Kurotsuchi bristled, "I have only had a few hours to look into it. I need a bit more time to do through all possibilities."
"Make it your top priority, Captain Kurotsuchi." Yamamoto ordered before the eldest Shinigami turned to Soifon.
"Captain Soifon, go to the living world and acquire the aid of Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin in finding out just what else we are dealing with." Yamamoto commanded the leader of the Stealth force.
"Yes, sir." Soifon responded emotionlessly. Her blank facade hid the real emotions that she was currently feeling, her excitement and joy at the prospect of seeing her beloved Yoruichi and the anger and aggravation of seeing that man again.
Yamamoto slammed his wooden staff into the floor once again, "The rest of you are to continue with preparations for the Soul Society's defence for the upcoming war against Aizen Sōsuke. Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyōraku, you're both to continue looking into Aizen Sōsuke's past to determine what his goals are."
The Captain Commander dismissed the Captains and Ukitake took the chance to introduce himself to the new Captain.
"There are a lot of formalities that come with being a Captain, and you'll probably be uneasy at first, so feel free to ask me for any advice anytime."
"I'll do that." Amagai said sincerely.
"Who were the other two that oversaw his examination?" Komamura wondered to Kyōraku as they watched Ukitake and Amagai interact.
"Does it really matter?" Kyōraku asked with a grin, "At any rate, we've got one less open position. We should be happy."
"Yes, that is true, but..." Komamura was cut off by Soifon.
"Regardless, Amagai Shūsuke is going to have to prove to all of us how good he is." Soifon told them bluntly.
"Just like everyone has too." Kyōraku murmured.
"It won't be long until he is given the chance." Komamura said gruffly, "The war with Aizen will be upon us soon. He will be able to prove to us all his skills when the war commences."
Vizard Hideout – 8th of September, 8:45am
Ichigo crashed painfully onto the ground and his Hollow mask shattered into pieces when his face collided into the ground.
"Our masks are our biggest weakness, Ichigo." Shinji slowly descended towards the ground near where Ichigo lay. He released his own mask and Ichigo looked back up at him with a hint of confusion. Shinji gave him a serious look, "Remember this well, Ichigo. Not even after 100 years of trying can we make our masks any tougher, they just remain brittle. The major problem about this Ichigo is that we use the mask to activate our Hollow powers and so if we lose it, then we lose access to our Hollow abilities."
"I understand," Ichigo sighed and he got back to his feet before looking at his Bankai blade with a frown, "I'm using my Bankai and my Hollow powers and I still can't beat you. You don't even need to activate your Shikai."
Shinji gave him a wide grin before the blonde haired Vizard took a seat on a large rock, "Despite everything ya have accomplished, ya still a novice when it comes to the matters of Shinigami, aren't ya, Ichigo?"
Ichigo scowled and he looked away, his silence giving Shinji his answer. "I guess Kisuke was more interested in training ya to become stronger that he didn't have time to explain all of this. Very well, Ichigo, what do you know about a Shinigami's limits?"
Ichigo frowned in thought; Aizen's words came to his mind.
"No matter how much innate capability you have, you can never overcome the limitation of a Shinigami's spiritual body. In other words that is the Shinigami limit. Is there no way to break that boundary? Is there no way to grow and surpass your innate limitation? There is. There is just one way. That is... the transformation from a Shinigami into a Hollow. By breaking down the wall that separates the two opposites, that being is able to climb to a higher level."
"I know a little, mainly from what Aizen told me." Ichigo admitted to Shinji and he repeated Aizen's words to the Vizard.
"The first thing that ya have to understand Ichigo is that all Shinigami posses different limitations." Shinji began explaining, "Majority of the Shinigami within the Seireitei have too little spiritual power to ascend to the level of a seated officer. Each division as ya know Ichigo have a Captain and Vice Captain and from there they have a 3rd seat down to a 20th seat. Sometimes a division will have a couple of people holding one of the lower ranks but that is uncommon. Hundreds of Shinigami from each division is an unseated officer."
"So because they don't possess the spiritual power they don't get a rank." Ichigo clarified with a frown, "What are their responsibilities then?"
"They are usually assigned to posts in either the Living World or the Rukongai districts." Shinji answered.
"I see..." Ichigo murmured and his mind took him to Rukia's rank, 'Since Rukia was sent here that means that she isn't a ranked officer. I've never really thought about it but there is no way she shouldn't be a ranking officer. Why isn't she one?'
"Do unranked officers possess Shikai?" Ichigo asked the blonde haired Vizard.
"Some of them do, but the reason they remain unranked officers is for other major deficiencies that prevent them from ascending into the ranks." Shinji replied.
That didn't help Ichigo understand why Rukia wasn't a seated officer but he decided to move on for now and he resolved to ask her about it later.
"Like I was saying earlier," Shinji continued his explanation, "all Shinigami have different limitations. However I will explain to you how a Shinigami's powers will matchup against another with the same limitations as them. I'll use me and you as an example. Hypothetically if we had the same limitations and the same amount of Spiritual power and the same amount of control, I would be the superior fighter in a match between Shikai."
"What do you mean?" Ichigo retorted, "How can you be stronger if we are equal in all of those areas you just described?"
Shinji let out a large grin, "I base that on our Zanpakutō abilities."
Ichigo just gave him a blank look.
"Your Bankai is a compression type, Ichigo. You get a huge increase to your strength and speed when you're in your Bankai. However my Zanpakutō is an illusion type Zanpakutō and so I don't get any increase in strength or speed when I use my Shikai or Bankai. Do you understand what I am saying, Ichigo?" Shinji inquired.
Ichigo nodded, "Yeah, I think so. You're saying since my Bankai increases my strength and speed then my limit in Shikai is much smaller than someone like you who doesn't gain strength and speed from your Zanpakutō. I need to go into Bankai to reach my maximum limit."
"You're on track." Shinji grinned at him, "Like I said previously, though, and that is to remember that all Shinigami have different limitations. I can guarantee that you and I don't have the same limitations. In terms of strength, speed, reflexes and sheer spiritual power, you have far more potential than I do."
Shinji's explaining gave Ichigo a better understanding about the Shinigami but it still left many different questions in his head. The main one was concerning why Rukia wasn't a seated officer and how he was supposed to get even stronger. The training with Shinji was helping him maintain his mask for longer periods while in combat but he felt that he had hit a wall. Shikai, Bankai and Hollow mask, Ichigo always had an ace up his sleeve that he needed to learn in order to get stronger but now he didn't have anything.
"Kensei will take over the next sparring session, Ichigo." Shinji informed him, "I'm going to get something to eat. I'll have a talk with the group later about your request."
With that out of the way, Shinji sheathed his Zanpakutō and walked off towards the other Vizards in order to get some mid-morning snack. However his thoughts were on Ichigo's training. He had to admit there was some frustration in sparring with Ichigo because of the fluctuations in his spiritual pressure. There were times when Ichigo struck with his Zanpakutō, his spiritual pressure exceeded his own by a long way and yet there were times when Ichigo's spiritual pressure dropped sharply. Shinji just didn't understand it. Maybe it was time he had a talk with Kisuke.
However the discussion that he just had with Ichigo gave him an idea and as he approached the other Vizards, he called out to Kensei.
"Yo Kensei! I think it is time to change up Ichigo's training!"
The silver haired Vizard gave him an annoyed look, "What do you suggest?"
"Don't let Ichigo use his Bankai! He is only allowed to use his Hollow mask and Shikai!"
Kensei grunted, "Fine."
Perhaps they had been training Ichigo all wrong, Shinji thought. Maybe the key for Ichigo to obtain his true potential, they needed to force him to reach his limitations in his Shikai.
Karakura Town – 8th of September, 10:30am
"What the hell is with all these damn Hollows appearing, Rukia?!" Ichigo shouted angrily as he slashed through the white lizard mask of a Hollow before he unleashed a wave of blue spiritual energy at the two Hollows approaching him from behind. The two of them were completely consumed by the Getsuga Tenshō. This large group of Hollows couldn't have come at a more frustrating time for Ichigo. He had only finished his harsh training with Kensei 25 minutes ago.
"How should I know, you fool?!" Rukia retorted incredulously while killing a Hollow with the Sōkatsui spell. Rukia had been on patrol for a little while and the two of them crossed paths on their way to Kisuke's.
The two of them were high above Karakura town surrounded by hundreds of Hollows that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and neither Ichigo nor Rukia knew the reason why.
Ichigo spun out of the way to dodge the large claw-like hand that attempted to take off his head and the Substitute Shinigami flash stepped behind it and he slashed through its head with Zangetsu.
"If Uryū has used one of the Hollow baits again, I'm going to kill him!" Ichigo swore loudly.
"I doubt it," Rukia disagreed as she killed a Hollow with another Sōkatsui spell, "considering that the last time he did so forced a Menos Grande to appear!"
"At least with our stronger spiritual pressure the Hollows are drawn to us and not to the rest of Karakura town!" Ichigo acknowledged, "Let's split up and get rid of these Hollows quickly!"
Rukia agreed without saying a word and the two of them split up to deal with the Hollows. However while he was slashing through his group of Hollows, Ichigo heard a voice call out to him.
"You! Are you this town's Shinigami?!"
Ichigo glanced down to see a small figure wearing a formal pink kimono adorned with floral patterns and a Japanese style hat that covered the person's face. Ichigo assumed that it was a young female soul.
Ichigo quickly flash stepped onto the pavement a few feet in front of the girl and he warned her, "Those monsters will eat you if you keep messing around here!"
"We are the one who would like to eat." The young girl told him.
"You want to eat? We?" Ichigo blinked in confusion.
"Never mind that." The girl waved off, "We –" the girl walked towards him but she tripped and fell onto the pavement. Her hat was knocked off her head from the impact. Without the hat covering her head, Ichigo saw that she had long blonde hair and green eyes.
"Ow! That's why we hate our hat!" the girl complained loudly.
"Where did you come from?" Ichigo asked her.
The blonde haired girl didn't answer him and instead she offered him her hand in a formal way of asking him for assistance in standing up. Ichigo reluctantly helped her up to her feet.
"You have excellent timing. Bring us something to eat." The young girl demanded.
Ichigo had taken his focus of the girl as he suddenly noticed that something that had changed with the hundreds of Hollows in the sky. They were all heading towards them and Ichigo glanced at the young girl and he wondered if it was because of her. She definitely wasn't someone normal considering that she could see him in his Shinigami form without any trouble.
"We are hungry!" the girl shouted angrily at him.
"Beat it." Ichigo didn't even glance at the girl and he readied his Zanpakutō for the incoming Hollows. However to his surprise, two Shinigami appeared just behind him and one of the grabbed the girl.
"We leave this to you." The other informed him and they took off into the air. It had been so quick that Ichigo didn't get the chance to take in their appearance and unfortunately for the Substitute Shinigami, he had taken his eyes of the Hollows. At least eight Hollows all jumped on top of him.
"Kenryū, that Shinigami was eaten up!" the girl yelled.
"Yes, it is his duty to protect you, Lady Rurichiyo." Her blue/black haired Shinigami bodyguard, Kenryū informed her. "We must secure our safety first."
"Bankai!"
Rurichiyo was surprised when a large burst of black spiritual energy burst out of the dog pile of Hollows and the force sent them scattering. Ichigo stood in his black garments and his sword was in its Tensa Zangetsu form.
"Tensa Zangetsu!"
"Kenryū, who is he?" Rurichiyo asked in awe.
Kenryū shared a glance with Rurichiyo's other bodyguard Enryū. Enryū is a muscular man with a small Mohawk in the shape of a lightning bolt and he wore black sunglasses.
"He is the Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki."
With a burst of speed that none of the Hollows could follow, Ichigo shot into the air and he began slashing through multiple Hollows with the incredible speed that his Bankai gives him.
"You idiot!" Rukia shouted angrily, "Don't use your Bankai so recklessly!"
"I know but I have an idea!" Ichigo retorted and without warning he ripped on his Hollow mask. There had been so much intense spiritual pressure in the air last night and so Rukia didn't really feel the impact of Ichigo's spiritual pressure when he puts on his Hollow mask. However this time she got the full brunt of it. The feeling of her friend's once warm and comforting spiritual pressure suddenly turned dark and fierce. Rukia stiffened for a second as the memory of Kaien's spiritual pressure changing when he unwillingly fused with that sickening Hollow.
"Leave here! Now!" Ichigo shouted angrily and he forcibly used his spiritual pressure to press down on the Hollows. To Rukia's astonishment, the entire gathering of Hollow began fleeing back to Hueco Mundo. Ichigo's mask broke away and he returned to his Shikai state with a sigh, "It looks like it worked."
"I see," Rukia murmured and she almost gave him an impressed look, "Hollows are creatures of instinct. In order to survive, they will follow the commands of stronger Hollows and that is why you used your mask. I never thought that you could use your brain like that."
Ichigo gave her a brief glare at the pot shot but he was more concerned about those other Shinigami that he had encountered.
Urahara's Shop Basement – 8th of September, 12:25pm
Ichigo sat on one of the many boulders in Kisuke's training ground and Renji was sitting on another a few feet from him. The Substitute Shinigami deactivated his Bankai and he rested Zangetsu against the boulder he was sitting on. He wiped away some of the sweat that had gathered on his forehead after his recent sparring session. Renji had requested a spar with him, Bankai vs. Bankai. The red headed Shinigami had explained to him that he had trouble manoeuvring his Bankai against opponents with great speed.
"Hey Renji, why isn't Rukia a seated officer?" Ichigo asked the Vice Captain.
Renji appeared startled at the question, "Why are you asking me?" he retorted, "Why don't you ask her?"
Ichigo scoffed, "Rukia would take me asking as some kind of insult to her skills and knowing that midget, she will give me a hard kick to the shin in retaliation."
Renji sniggered lightly, "She would do that, wouldn't she." Renji closed his eyes for a moment as he contemplated the answer, "The simple reason is that Captain Kuchiki prevents her from moving up the ranks."
"Byakuya?!" Ichigo said surprised.
The Vice Captain of the 6th Division nodded, "Yeah, he might not show it but in his own way he does care deeply about Rukia. You know about the conflict he had during Rukia's execution, don't you?"
Ichigo nodded, Byakuya only gave him a very short version when they fought but Rukia had told him afterwards about Byakuya's true conflict.
"Captain Kuchiki deliberately kept Rukia in an unseated rank so she wouldn't be set out on any dangerous missions." Renji smirked at him, "Although he seems to have softened up though."
"Softened up, how?" Ichigo frowned at him confused.
"He allowed her to come here, didn't he?" Renji pointed out, "With his positioning as head of the Kuchiki clan, Captain Kuchiki could have overruled the Captain Commander's decision to send her here."
"To a place where known Arrancars have come." Ichigo realised, "Who would have thought that Byakuya would lighten up?"
"I should point out that he told her that the reason that he is allowing her to go is because she is the only capable of controlling your idiotic and rash actions." Renji informed him with a teasing grin.
Ichigo swore loudly.
Bakkōtō Creation Lab – 8th of September, 10:30pm
"What brings you here at this time of night, Captain Amagai?" an old man wearing a Shinigami uniform with a red kimono over it asked the new captain silkily. He had white hair slicked back, large sideburns extended into a large white beard, and he had one spectacle in his left eye.
The new captain for the 3rd division had come down to the Kasumiōji Clan compound at the dead of the night with an important task for Kumoi to attend to. Unfortunately the old man wasn't at the compound and so Amagai had to come all the way down to the secret laboratory where Kumoi was building forbidden weapons known as Bakkōtō's.
"I have a request to make." Amagai informed him coldly, "The Bakkōtō that I instructed you specifically make, I need some modifications done."
"Oh?" Kumoi raised an eyebrow, "What kind of modifications do you want done to the most ambitious Bakkōtō ever created?"
The specific Bakkōtō that they had been working on had the ability to negate a Shinigami's powers. What else could he ask for?
"It has come to my attention that there is a Substitute Shinigami that is capable of using Hollow powers." Amagai explained gruffly, "I need you to modify the Bakkōtō to negate these Hollow powers as well."
Kumoi looked thoughtful, "That's an interesting request. Unfortunately I can't modify it without a sample of the spiritual pressure of Shinigami/Hollow hybrid." Kumoi snapped his fingers, "Hanza!"
A man roughly 6 foot tall suddenly appeared a few feet from Kumoi in a bowed position. He had light purple hair and a scar across his face. He wore a mask that concealed his mouth and nose and he had red armour over his left shoulder. He wore dark clothing that helped him blend into the darkness.
"Yes, Lord Kumoi." Hanza said respectfully.
"Rurichiyo has headed to the Living World, correct?" Kumoi asked the head assassin.
"Yes, my lord. According to our sources she is Karakura town." Hanza reported.
"That is where the Substitute Shinigami is located." Amagai cut in.
"Hanza take some men and kill Rurichiyo Kasumiōji and her two bodyguards." Kumoi instructed the assassin, "While you are there I want you to get a sample of the Substitute Shinigami's spiritual pressure. Make sure that he has activated his Hollow powers when you get the sample. If you have the chance to kill him, then take it but either way, I need that sample."
'A Substitute Shinigami with Hollow powers, I've never heard of such a thing.' Hanza thought surprised, "As you command, my lord. I'll gather up some men and we will strike tomorrow night."
Kumoi nodded, "Good."
Mansion outside of Karakura town – 8th of September, 11:00pm
Jin Kariya, leader of the Bounts, sat on a comfortable chair staring out a large window at the front garden of the mansion. The leader of the Bounts had short white hair, long upward-curving eyebrows and red eyes. He also wore a long brown and black coat over a grey shirt and red tie and he wore black pants. He had initially expected his plans to have already been put into motion however there was a slight hiccup and that was the increased power of Ichigo Kurosaki. They certainly took notice of him when he transformed into a Hollow and Kariya had kept an eye on him since. However Jin wasn't as worried as he assumed Yoshino suspected him to be. All he had to do was his adjust his plans and to make sure he and his fellow Bounts were much more subtle about their activities.
"Lord Kariya," a large muscular man in a sleeveless shirt entered the room, "We have a guest wanting to see you."
"Oh? Who is this guest, Koga?" Jin asked him curiously.
The short orange haired Bount simply moved to the side and Sōsuke Aizen walked into the room with a pleasant smile on his face.
"Hello Jin Kariya, I have come to you with a proposal."
End of Chapter
If you like it then please leave behind a review and if you don't like it, then don't read it.
Battles galore in the next chapter as the Bounts finally make their move. Plus Tatsuki starts here first day in the Shinigami Academy, so I will write a little bit of that.
As for the scene with Shinji explaining to Ichigo about the limits of a shinigami, in hind sight, I'm a little iffy about it. I hope to all you readers it makes sense to you like it did in my head when I wrote it. If anyone needs more clarification, let me know.
Answering the Readers:
C: I'm sure Orihime's desperation would lead her to at least revive her accidentally, Ichigo's will to protect Senna caused him to unlock that Reiatsu blast thing, fair enough that's not an entirely fair comparison but we know it's possible for Bleach characters to discover amazing power if they need to.
R: You have a point but Orihime I don't think is a character that falls into that category. When I wrote the scene, I tried to write Orihime the same way as when she tried to heal Ichigo up at the dome against Ulquiorra in canon. She wasn't able to heal Ichigo then and at the time she knew the true nature of her powers. If she couldn't heal Ichigo then, she wouldn't be able to heal Tatsuki. However unlike the events on the dome, the loss of Tatsuki is going to have a massive impact on Orihime.
Q: Could you clear up Ichigo's power levels a little bit?
A: Right now he is about the level that he fought Grimmjow the third time in canon. However at this point he has reached a bit of the block, simply because of the struggle that is happening in his soul. In this chapter, Shinji has started to change up his training in an effort to get Ichigo stronger.
Q: One last thing, will Ichigo ever stop angsting over everything?
A: Yeah, he will eventually. RtFaP Ichigo has been dealt a far tougher hand than canon Ichigo did at this point but unlike in canon where Ichigo gets stagnant, RtFaP Ichigo will overcome it and grow stronger.
Q: Will you have Kenpachi regain his strength before or after the time skip?
A: After the time skip but before the Quincy Invasion.
Q: How can Kisuke talk about his living life when he was born in Soul Society?
A: When does it say he was born in Soul Society?
Q: Kubo never went into this but if the amount of souls decreased below 100,000 in Karukara, would Aizen have to wait until for the number to increase or find a new area to create a Kings Key?
A: I don't think Aizen would be willing to wait. I'd imagine that he would find a way to get more humans to travel into Karakura town.
C: The thing about Rukia's Bankai that will annoy people is pretty much exclusive to people who know what Absolute Zero really is. For lack of better phrasing, it is when it becomes so cold that all movement ceases. In gases, atoms move quickly. In liquids, atoms are fluid but slower. In solids, even though they don't seem to move, the atoms still do. Absolute zero is when all movement stop, so it is essentially the ability to stop time and everything around her. Science lesson, woo hoo!
R: Thank you; I can see why that will annoy a lot of people. I think what we all just have to accept is that since she is a Shinigami and technically dead, that the human laws don't apply to her. Either way, I still thoroughly enjoy her powers.
C: I really hope you make the Bount arc good... it sucked really badly.
R: I'll do my best.
C: I think Ichigo needs to make some time and work on learning/mastering some of the basics it could make a big difference without way to bad ass before the fight with Aizen. it always pissed me off that Ichigo had to go Bankai to keep up with someone with a sealed Zanpakutō
R: I hope that Shinji's explanation about a Shinigami's limits in this chapter helps deal with that confusion. Although maybe I just made it more confusing, I don't know. Ichigo's powers just fluctuate so much in canon that it gets annoying. At least with an Asauchi his powers should have balanced out.
Q: Will Ichigo get an Asauchi at some point to balance out his powers, I can see a scenario in my head on how it happens if you are interested.
A: I won't reveal anything about Ichigo's powers in the future but I am interested in the scenario that you have pictured.
C: I'd say Rukia's Zanpakutō was so powerful here due to training at the Soul Palace or whatever the place is called. It's like how Byakuya's Shikai became more powerful and I think it is linked to the 'Special' Reiatsu that exists there.
R: I've got a theory of my own that will be used in this story however I think in canon, what you have just stated is exactly it. The Royal Guard have forcibly made Rukia and co stronger.
Q: is Yachiru going to use her Zanpakutō earlier than she did in Canon, mostly because it would hilarious to see the Arrancars' reaction to her sword's ability and those 2 demon helper things
A: I'll need to wait and see what happens to Yachiru in canon. Although the Arrancars reaction to it would be amusing.
Q: Despite the badassery displayed, Kubo never really put much detail in the Final Ichigo vs. Final Aizen fight, in my view. Do you plan on expanding that when the time comes?
A: Definitely, not only will I put more detail into the fight but I will also have my spin on Aizen's past.
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Kenpachi is a badass. Gremmy is a brain... that was weird but in a good way. I thought his death was rather fitting, trying to become more powerful than Kenpachi but not being able to handle it.
I like Kenpachi's Shikai. I think it looks mad! However what happened to Yachiru?! Suddenly the theories of her being his Zanpakutō spirit might make sense; I'll keep my eye eagerly waiting for more on that.
The arrival of Ichigo however is the highlight of the manga in the last couple of months. Ichigo's new look is badass. It is easily my favourite uniform of Ichigo's. Is it just me or is his large khyber sword smaller than the previous versions? Anxious to see Ichigo fight more with the dual wielding Shikai.
Renji, Rukia, Byakuya, Hisagi, Ikkaku and Yumichika stepping in is also interesting. I wonder what the match ups will be.
So Yhwach is on his way to the Royal Realm thanks to Ichigo breaking through the barriers. So how did Rukia, Renji and Byakuya get back down to the Soul Society? Did the Royal Guard send them down a different path, a safer and quicker path? Did they intentionally send Ichigo that way so Yhwach would ascend into the Royal Realm? I get the feeling that the first interaction we have with the Soul King will be a confrontation between it and Yhwach.