Chapter 21: Execution

15 years later

It had taken some time, but now that Phase 1 was nearing its completion, Ichigo was making sure some things were falling into place. First off was how prepared everyone of his troops were. He was currently back in Hueco Mundo as he walked along with Sosuke to where the meeting room was held in. The two hadn't changed much aside from Sosuke no longer wearing glasses anymore, but aside from that, there wasn't much of a change.

For the past fifteen years, things had been going smoothly for the orange haired captain.

He had been able to train both Rukia and Toshiro to their full potential and was actually proud of their progression thus far. True, he still held animosity towards Rukia, but he has realized that this Rukia he's training is not the same that stabbed him in the back. She could now use her shikai and was even more proficient in her kido techniques, even going as high as the 70's area before tiring out. It was impressive to Ichigo that she was able to withstand the numerous training exercises that he threw at her at a moments noticed. At least she was loyal enough to start calling him 'sensei', much to his surprise. Her brother never called him that. Toshiro was progressing faster than anticipated as he was close to achieving Bankai. His tactical skills and swordsmanship were now on par with Sosuke by comparison, just not by too much. It was definitely hilarious to Ichigo once Isshin noticed that his lieutenant was becoming so strong under his best friends tutelage. The anime tears were just spectacularly funny.

Ichigo's other students turned captains were progressing wonderfully as well.

Soi-Fon had become the new leader of the stealth forces, obviously, as well as head of the Fon clan. He skills had sharpened to the point of even giving Ichigo a hard time tracking her when she was being stealthy on him. She was strong, brave and determined, not to mention eternally loyal to Ichigo for how he treated her. Good thing that the connection she and Yoruichi had wasn't really developed before she became a Vizard.

Byakuya was definitely different than his original self. For one, he actually smiled on a regular basis. That was all thanks to Hisana being by his side, not to mention Rukia being his little sister as well. How did Hisana survive you ask? Well, all it took was a little bit work on Ichigo's part. He told both Aizen and Szayel to analyze her spirit energy and even managed to get a blood sample of her. To their surprise, it was actually pretty simple to isolate what was causing her to be sick and make a serum for her. Ichigo gave her the serum that saved her life and made Byakuya eternally grateful to his teacher. When asked where he got it from, Ichigo simply replied 'A friend.' That was all Byakuya needed to here.

Gin had more or less stayed the same as he was. Stronger, less creepy, protective of his childhood friend Rangiku, all that. Ichigo was a little bit confused when the man asked if he himself could train the busty woman. Ichigo wondered why before remembering their connection and how Gin just really wanted to make sure she was safe. Ichigo merely chuckled at the request and told Gin that his desire to train and protect her is of his choice, not his teachers. Gin was happy for that and had been spending his time with her as often as he could. It was a good thing for the two and made Gin even more loyal to the current Kenpachi.

As it goes for the squads and everyone else, not much has changed really. Everyone was still relatively the same. Isshin was still his goofy self when around friends and family while being serious-ish when performing his duties. Ginrei was enjoying retirement and was now just longing in his home at peace with everything. Kyoraku was still the same though now he had a new lieutenant in the form of Nanao. Ukitake was fine, still a little sick, but Ichigo was having Sosuke and Szayel work on it. Unohana was the same as well, nothing really to say about her aside from getting Hanataro within one of her seated officers spot. Akon was doing well within the his squad as they were developing many odd inventions and such. Kaname and Komamura were also the same as they ran their squads well and even had the same lieutenants as they did in Ichigo's own time. The head captain was also the same and unchanged for the most part, though he was a bit suspicious of Ichigo for some time now.

In Hueco Mundo, things were very interesting nowadays. Ever since Szayel discovered that they as arrancar had developed bodies similar to soul reapers and humans, he hypothesized that was it possible to have children. It felt like a bit of a stretch at first, but then he brought his theory to Sosuke and the two decided to test it out. They found two subjects that were willing to test this out and over time, the woman was actually pregnant. It was a monumental discovery for the arrancar's as they could actually reproduce in a more natural way that didn't involve a Menos Grande or a mass of hollows clamoring to be the one in control. In a few years, children were actually seen running around the yards of Las Noches, all different yet the same in terms of spirit energy. It was like a perfect comparison to how the souls within the soul society reproduce, just with hollows instead.

Aside from the children running around, more and more hollows continued to go to the palace in hopes of living a normal-ish life. The more that entered, the more Ichigo had to expand upon Las Noches. Now the place is roughly the size of a large island with over 100,000 arrancar within it. Far more than the soul society, but the only thing was that each arrancar had a different kind of job. Most were fighters that trained relentlessly for when they took the soul society. Some practiced healing others with unique powers and such. Some took to craftsmanship to make different things for everyone such as furniture, decorations and really anything else. There was even a school and teachers who taught the young how to fight, the types of soul reapers and hollows there are, even some history taught by Kisuke and Yoruichi for the soul society and Szayel and Halibel for hollows.

As for the world of the living and the other Vizards, just like Ichigo had predicted, they chose to stay in the world of the living in that warehouse. It was pretty much exactly like how they were in his original timeline, only without Kisuke there helping them out, adjusting to the way humans lived would be impossible. They all were able to use their hollow masks effectively despite not knowing anything about them, but that came to be expected. Ichigo never visited them again but knew that they were seriously pissed at him for ruining their lives. The only thing to do with them was wait for when they made their move.

In other news, Ichigo was able to stop Ran'Tao from creating the Bounts, meaning Kariya and his people were able to live in peace far from soul reapers. He was also able to convince Byakuya of some darkness he was feeling coming from his clan. Something about a sword owned by one of his own that was sealed away. Safe to say that the Kuchiki clan double checked the seal to Koga Kuchiki's resting place and sure enough, the mans zanpakuto was almost freed. The last thing Ichigo insured, after being convinced by his student Rukia, was to help find those two children she cared for for a time. It was a request from Rukia to her sensei and her brother to allow the children within the Kuchiki manner and be trained by her, with Ichigo's blessing on that last part. Despite that bridge already long since burnt and impossible to happen now with the whole destroying the soul society part, Ichigo relented and searched for the two alongside Rukia and Hisana. They found the two, Homura and Shizuku, not long after and the two were living with Rukia under her care now.

The last thing under Ichigo's eye was Masaki Kurosaki in the world of the living. Right now, she was a fifteen year old girl with not a care in the world going through her daily life like normal. Well, normal for a Quincy that is. She didn't know he existed and that was good for him. He couldn't bare to ruin her life by interrupting it as it is right now. It would take something else to sway Isshin into going and staying with her, but that was another issue for later on down the line.

As Ichigo and Sosuke walked along the halls of Las Noches, they passed by many arrancar that greeted them with respect. It was nice to be able to walk through the palace and greet people as if it was an ordinary day.

Right now, the two were heading down to check the progress of the tear. As they checked, Ichigo smirked as it was nearing completion. With this, it would take roughly another year or two before completely opening to them. With that time, all he needed to do was ensure several pieces were moved into the right places. The main ones being his students, his squad, and especially his father. Everything else would have to be dealt with at later dates but those were the ones that were definitely the main focus before they can begin with Phase 2. Everyone within Las Noches knew about Phase 2 as it was told to them years ago. Many volunteered to join in the invasion as it was what they were gearing up for ever since Ichigo showed up over a decade ago.

If all went well, then very soon Ichigo would have to start telling the ones closes to him about his original timeline. The reason why was because Kisuke began to ask some serious questions that Ichigo couldn't answer with a reasonable answer. Like how Ichigo knew that both he, Yoruichi and Tessai would be the ones to follow Shinji and his group. Or how he was able to stage attacks from Aka and Misuto in certain areas that would lead the soul reapers in that specific area in general. Or how he knew of the Hogyoku and how it worked. That last part was met with only one answer that irked the blond man.

'When the time is right, I will tell you all everything.'

It was good enough for the man, but Ichigo could tell that he was slowly starting to put the pieces together. It would just take longer without knowing everything first.

If only it was easier to tell them all the truth. If only everything turned out differently in his own original time, then things would've been his own normal. Ichigo couldn't lie to himself, he missed his old life. Very, very much. He missed his friends from school, his sisters, his father in a sense, same with Kisuke and Yoruichi, and especially his life before he met Rukia. That life was gone now and would never come back to him. This was his life now. Driven moreso by a warped sense of justice than revenge at this point. Justice for his betrayal by those he saw as comrades. Justice for the hollows and arrancar that died senselessly following a mad man with an even madder plan that would have destroyed the fabric of their worlds itself. Justice for his friends that were more than likely captured or killed by the end of his own death. Justice for his father and especially his sisters for whatever would've happened to them after his death. Justice for all the wrongs performed by others that he had to solve with his own power when he was not even involved in the situation.

Okay that last one is more for annoyance sake rather than actual justice. He seriously couldn't stand basically being the problem solver to the soul society's problems every time.

With all that said though, Ichigo was ready to really star making an impact once everything was set into place.

I know, not what everyone was expecting, but this chapter is pretty special as it is the first time I've ever had a co-writer helping me out. My friend Whisper Yoyo helped me write this chapter to pretty much help set things up for what's to come for the rest of this story.

Thanks for the help Whisper, you're awesome.

Okay, so the next chapter will progress the story along. I'm most likely going do something similar to Ichigo Vs Soul Society when it comes to the big fights where I make that its own chapter. I don't know yet but thats what I'm leaning towards. I'm open to suggestions cause I'm honestly getting some serious writers block for some of this story.

Anyway, you guys stay awesome and as always,

PEACE!