A/N: Thank you all for your reviews! I apologize for the lateness of this new chapter, but some of the characters and the battle scenes were not going as plan, and I had to scrap a lot of it and basically start over. I hope this is better. Please enjoy, and don't forget to hit that little review button!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo is the master of all things Bleach, except for the Clorox Bleach!
AIZEN'S ATTACK PLAN: ICHIGO KUROSAKI
While the captains moved either into their positions in the Rukongai District or reported to their divisions, Souske Aizen sat in his chair in the monitoring room, watching Ichigo and Rukia stroll to the Seireitei gate. There they had a small conversation with the gatekeeper, Jidanbo.
"Hello, Ichigo and Lieutenant Kurosaki, it's so good to see you," Jidanbo greeted the pair.
"Hey Jidanbo, how's it going on?" Ichigo responded.
"Never better, Ichigo. I hear that there is some kind of attack going on in the 78th Rukongai District. Do you know if it is true?"
"No, we haven't heard of such rumors, Jidanbo. Now, if you would excuse us we must get in to report to Captain Ukitake," Rukia answered.
"Oh, of course, sorry about that Lieutenant Kurosaki," Jidanbo muttered, preparing to lift the gates of the Seireitei.
"Okay, it's complete. You may enter Ichigo, Lieutenant Kurosaki."
"Yea, thanks, Jidanbo. I'll talk to you soon," Ichigo said goodbye with a wave.
"Bye Ichigo; see you soon!"
"Mission complete, Aizen-sama; we have infiltrated the Seireitei. We awaited further instructions," Rukia responded in a message.
"Well done Ichigo and Rukia; now, I want the two of you to split up. Ichigo, your job is to collect Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto and Lieutenant Hinamori Momo. Rukia, your job is to gather the information concerning the Royal Dimension and the King's Key from the Kuchiki Manor and the computer files of the Central Library. Is that understood?" Aizen commanded.
"Yes, Aizen-sama, we will do your bidding," Robot Ichigo responded.
"Very well, and I do not expect failure from either one of you. You are dismissed," Aizen replied.
As the couple headed off in separate directions to do their master's bidding, Aizen sat in the monitoring room, grinning like a Cheshire cat. His plans were working all too easily. He cannot believe how gullible and utterly useless the Seireitei really is. His plan for world dominance was getting closer.
Ichigo stalked off towards the Tenth Division compound. This was the harder of his two tasks simply because Lieutenant Matsumoto is not a pushover, but also she has the genius of Soul Society as her captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya. If he could think about the possibilities of everything that could go wrong, then he would not have taken this job. Since that is water under the bridge, he continued his trek to the division. Reaching the Tenth's office, Ichigo strolls in, trying to be as ambiguous as possible. However, that is an impossible feat when dealing with Rangiku Matsumoto.
"Hey, Ichigo, what are you doing here? Where have you been? Where is Rukia?" Rangiku rushed away from her desk, excited, barraging him with questions.
"Hey Rangiku, I managed to escape Aizen's prison. I'm sorry to say that Rukia is still being imprisoned. That's why I came here first - I need your help. Gin is threatening to kill her and I know you have the power to stop him," Ichigo pleaded.
"You think I have the power to stop Gin Ichimaru from doing what he wants. Don't make me laugh, Ichigo."
"Please, Rangiku. I am begging you to do this for me," Ichigo begged, falling down on his knees before the lieutenant.
"Of course, Ichigo; I will try my best to help you, but first let me go get my captain, and tell him the good news about your return."
"NO, you can't! We have to go now!" Ichigo yelled, grasping Rangiku's arm.
"Ichi, what are you doing? Oh, what happened to your arm…"
"I'm sorry about this Lieutenant Matsumoto; I promised not to hurt you, but unfortunately you leave me no choice…Bakudō Number 4: Crawling Rope," Ichigo murmured, and watched as the white rope tightly secured the lieutenant.
"Ichigo, what are you doing? Let me go this instant!" Rangiku screamed, trying to get out of her predicament.
"I cannot do that. I have orders, now sleep Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto," Ichigo replied, taking the side of his sword's hilt, and tapped the young woman on the temple.
"Ichi-go," Matsumoto whispered her last word before losing consciousness.
Ichigo opened the gate up to Hueco Mundo, just as Captain Hitsugaya raced around the corner of his office. He felt Rangiku's spiritual pressure rise significantly, and hurried to see what the problem was with his Vice Captain. He spotted Ichigo holding his vice captain tightly in his arms. Scowling Captain Hitsugaya ran up to the couple, but was too late. Ichigo and Rangiku entered the same type of force field that protected Souske Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tousen from the Death God's attacks. Captain Hitsugaya soon rushed to give the news to Captain Commander Yamamoto. For it is all agreed that Ichigo Kurosaki is once again a ryoka – a very armed and dangerous ryoka that every Shinigami must be on the lookout for; he is no longer their friend, but a true enemy.
Ichigo dragged an unconscious Rangiku to the second floor of Las Noches, where Gin Ichimaru awaited their arrival. Upon seeing them, Gin's fox-like smile became a frown as he noticed the gash on his precious lover's face.
"I told ya not to harm her," he admonished the orange-haired clone.
"It could not be helped, Master Gin, Lieutenant Matsumoto tried to put up a fight, and I was forced to render her unconscious with Zangetsu," Ichigo retorted.
"Very well, I will see to your punishment later. You need to return to the Soul Society and carry out Aizen-sama's plan."
"As you wish, Master Gin," Ichigo replied, bowing to the former Third Division Captain.
Returning to Soul Society via another portal, this one closer to his target, Ichigo headed towards the Fourth Division per Aizen's orders. He estimated that Captain Commander Yamamoto placed her under the care of Captain Retsu Unohana for her "mental limitations". Ichigo calculated that it would not take less than ten minutes to retrieve the lieutenant of the Fifth Division, and then he can return to Hueco Mundo.
Ichigo stealthily entered the compound heading straight for the recovery station. Aizen informed him that Momo was living in the fourth room on the right, courtesy of his spies. With his hand on the hilt of Zangetsu, Ichigo reached the assigned room, and quietly entered it. He peered down at the sleeping girl for a moment before silently waking her up.
"What are you doing here?" Momo asked, startled from her dream about being with Captain Aizen again.
"I am here to escort you to Hueco Mundo, per Aizen-sama's orders," Ichigo replied.
"Captain Aizen sent you to get me?"
"That is correct; now, we need to go before someone spots us."
"Yes, of course," Momo responded, gathering up her things. "I knew he would come back for me. I knew that Captain Aizen was not a bad guy, and that he loved me. I can't wait to see Captain Aizen again," she rambled on collecting all of her stuff.
After she finished, Ichigo grabbed her stuff and her hand, pulling her alongside of him. The two quickly left the Fourth Division, heading towards the Fifth, when they encountered Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, who was returning from his meeting with Captain Commander Yamamoto. Captain Hitsugaya wanted to check on Momo because he feared that Aizen would come after her next – and his assumptions were indeed correct.
Once again if Ichigo could feel, his sub-consciousness would tell him to run far, far away, and to leave this wretched, idiotic girl behind. It was not worth his life to go up against the genius of Soul Society.
"Ichigo Kurosaki, you are under arrest by the orders of Captain Commander Yamamoto. Now, release Lieutenant Hinamori Momo and give yourself up," Captain Hitsugaya announced.
"Sorry, Captain Hitsugaya, but I have my orders, and besides Momo wants to see Aizen again," Ichigo replied.
"This is what I want Toshiro; I want to be by Captain Aizen's side," Momo tried to reassure her childhood friend.
"Momo, you don't know what you want right now," Captain Hitsugaya pleaded. "Why can't you see that Aizen is a traitor to all we strive to be as Soul Reapers?"
"HE IS NOT A TRAITOR SHIRO-CHAN! You just don't understand. Please let me go to him!"
"I'm sorry, Momo, but as Captain of the Tenth Division, I cannot do so. Now, Ichigo Kurosaki please release your hostage and give yourself up," Toshiro announced, slowly unsheathing Hyournimaru.
Ichigo stared at the tendo captain for a moment, calculating an escape plan. What would it take to get this captain off his back? Having no other choice, Ichigo released Zangetsu and prepared to fight.
"Kurosaki, what are you doing? Why are you fighting against the Soul Society? What about your friends and your family?" Toshiro asked.
"I must do Aizen-sama's bidding, Captain Hitsugaya," Ichigo replied.
Toshiro stopped mid-stride as he thought about Ichigo's response. He's never called me by my formal title; he's always called me Toshiro. What is going on with Kurosaki? Is he under some type of spell? He thought to himself.
"Kurosaki if you refuse to back down, then I must force you to do so. Soar upon the frozen skies, Hyournimaru!" Toshiro exclaimed, releasing his attack towards his formal comrade. He didn't want it to end this way.
"Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo yelled, sending a red blast towards Toshiro.
A red Getsuga Tenshō! Kurosaki's attack usually has a mixture of red and black. What the hell is going on? Could this not be the real Ichigo Kurosaki? Did Aizen somehow managed to clone the real one? Toshiro wondered as he defended himself from the strange attack.
"No! Shiro-Chan, move out of the way!" Momo screamed as she watched the fight ensue between her best friend and her rescuer. Suddenly, a strong hand clamped over her mouth, and the figure dragged her to the side of the building. Momo struggled against the strength of this person, but it was no use.
"Momo, stop struggling. Listen to me, Captain Hitsugaya is fighting for you, and you are just distracting him," the figure released his hand over her mouth. Whirling around, with her hand on the hilt of her zanpakuto, Momo's eyes widened as she looked into the eyes of her kidnapper.
"RENJI! What do you think you're doing? I don't want Shiro-Chan to fight anymore than you do. Why won't he let me go? I want to go to Hueco Mundo where Captain Aizen resides. I need to be by his side! Why can't you all understand how miserable I am here?" Momo cried into the sleeves of his shihakusho.
"We won't let you go Momo because we all care about you and we love you. Don't you remember Captain Aizen tried to kill you? Why would you still stick by him so faithfully?"
"Because he is the only one who understands me, Renji," Momo replied in a whisper. "You would never understand…what was that?" Momo cut off her sentence as she felt intense spiritual pressure.
"Captain Hitsugaya went Bankai. Let's go Momo and don't you interfere," Renji answered with a stern warning. Grabbing her hand they return to the front of the building, just as Captain Hitsugaya released his sword upon Ichigo.
"Forgive me, Ichigo, but you must die," Toshiro announced, sending Hyournimaru over to his former friend and comrade, encasing him in ice.
As the ice broke apart, Captain Hitsugaya, Momo, and Renji stared with wide eyes at the scene upon them. Sparks began flying as Ichigo fell to the ground.
"Aizen-sama, I have failed; Aizen-sama, I have failed," Ichigo repeated over and over.
Captain Hitsugaya walked cautiously forwarded to inspect his fallen comrade. Upon reaching the orange-haired boy, Toshiro realized that it was not Ichigo at all.
"A robot, no a clone; How is this possible? If this was a clone of Ichigo, then where is he?"