in advance, i do apologize for the long explanation but it was long overdue i think. i hope that it makes sense and you guys like it!
Ichigo walked next to Kurosaki for a few moments in silence unbeknownst to him that Kurosaki was actually being kind to him and letting the small hangover pass from him. He was also trying to figure out how to not scare the boy with the past that he had tried to forget for so long.
"Are you sober now?"
"Yeah, I'm okay I think."
"Good, because there are a lot of things you need to understand and I won't repeat them."
Ichigo nodded and Kurosaki closed his eye.
"Everything ties in together: the eye patch, Orihime and Tatsuki, some other things and I now believe that this may even have to do with the Cakurahita." He breathed in and crossed his arms. "I can't remember how long ago it was but long enough that Orihime and Tatsuki look just a little older than when you last saw them. It all started with a strange occurrence with some of the Vizoreds. At some point we began getting calls that some of the Vizoreds were causing trouble in the World of the Living, doing Hollow-like things and then forgetting what had been done. Urahara and Tachuri were helping to investigate since they are located there along with Hirako since he is the unnamed leader of the Vizoreds.
"Urahara reported to us that one day when he was doing some on-site testing, Lisa suddenly bent over with a pain in her stomach and then in her head. Suddenly, the Hollow part began to explode from the inside like pudding, wrapping around her body, and she began to go insane. She around doing unsavory things just like a Hollow with no sense would do. The Head Captain, against his own wishes, needed to see what was going on and so he had Urahara and Tachuri just watch her instead of help her. What they found out was that she was being controlled by someone who can control Hollows."
"Control Hollows?"
"Yes. I now have a sneaking suspicion that Saskichi Murasunta was actually part of the Cakurahita. She didn't use a zanpakuto, using her fingers like marionettes to maneuver people. We didn't discover her until sometime later but she had a way of detecting Hollows and controlling them to a degree. We found that the more exposed they were, the less control she had."
"How do you mean?"
"Kurotsuchi noticed that the regular Hollows had more control over themselves because they have less of themselves. They are there to get souls and keep alive from Soul Reapers. They usually don't have a lot of thoughts unless they are advanced. Vizoreds, on the other hand, contentiously try to keep their Hollows under control, the threat continuously there. The more thought put into keeping it controlled, the easier it was for her to control it. For us, our Hollow is our zanpakuto so there was no threat anymore... at least for us."
He closed his eyes and leaned on the wall as Ichigo watched him carefully, seeing that things were hard to explain.
"Because I would not be affected by Saskichi, I was sent to search for her and help Urahara and Yoruichi. Byakuya was sent with me... along with his daughter, Kohana."
"Wait, wait, his daughter?"
"Yes. Byakuya and Nanao had a daughter named Kohana who was about twenty-four at the time. What the Head Captain wasn't aware of was that in all technicality, Byakuya is a Vizored... a not too experienced one at that. Just because he says he is doesn't mean he really is. You know his pride..." Ichigo chuckled. "Truly though, Byakuya is probably the least experienced one with the Hollow inside than any of us. And boy did Saskichi know it.
"It was so unexpected when it happened. It was like when Byakuya came on the scene, Saskichi knew exactly who the easiest target was and she stopped attacking all the other Vizoreds, only going after Byakuya. She played with him for a little bit, making him think that he had control over his Hollow when all she was doing was controlling him. She would play with the Hollow inside him, making it act up just like our Hollow did and then allow him to take back control. When we least expected it, she hit him full force. One minute he was fine and the next he was going out of control. I've never seen someone descend so fast or so violently. When I tried to stop him, that's where this lovely eye patch comes into play."
Kurosaki reached up and removed the eye patch. A sudden descend of power seemed to come over the area, the tops of the walls of the squads chipping from the power and a couple of lesser Soul Reapers actually fell to the ground in surprise. Ichigo looked at his older self, actually in awe, but the disfigurement of his eye was very gruesome. There were deep scratches near the eye and they got shallower as the scar went along his face, his eye clouded in blindness.
"As you felt, I do have an immense spiritual pressure as well, more than Zaraki could imagine. It's the same type of patch though; Kurotsuchi made it for me." He said, turning it over for Ichigo to see the mouths attached to them. He turned it around and tied it back. "It was after this incident that I needed the extra help anyway... Byakuya had scratched me deeply and ran away. After Urahara helped me with the wound, I thought it best to go to Orihime's to not only warn her about Byakuya but get my eye fixed...
"When we got there, there was blood everywhere. Tatsuki was dead but her soul was shaking in the corner. I asked her what happened and she told me that Byakuya had come in and suddenly started swinging Senbonzakura around wildly. Orihime had tried to get him under control but he turned into his Hollow form and began to swing. He killed Tatsuki and took Orihime with him. I performed konso on Tatsuki and went to look for Orihime, Kohana in tow.
"We finally located Byakuya with Orihime somewhere near the river where Mother died. He had Orihime in one arm, Senbonzakura up to her neck with the other. His Hollow mask was on but his hands were shaking, one of the few times I'd ever seen him scared. Kohana called to him and we tried to go toward him but he threatened Orihime with the sword each time. The last sense of self he had was forcing his sword away from Orihime's neck and pointing it at us. All he said was: "Forgive me." and the Hollow took over, killing Orihime right in front of us. Kohana and Orihime watched as I fought Byakuya."
Kurosaki closed his eyes tightly as he seemed to hold his hand up to his side.
"I had no idea how difficult it was to fight someone like me. Byakuya was always a very difficult opponent but having him have Hollow powers like me was hard to work with. If you remember, the only way we beat him at all was with our own Hollow powers." Ichigo nodded, remembering. "So think how much stronger he was… I knew it wasn't him that was doing the fighting but he was going at me with no mercy. I didn't want to kill him but I knew that if I didn't get a hold of myself that I would have to. Using the blut tactics only worked so long, for it's hard to think about that when you're in battle.
"Wanting to help, Kohana thought that it would be good if she entered the fight. Byakuya was pretty far gone, mostly Hollow and less human, and I warned Kohana that it was dangerous to do anything. It was hard enough to not kill Byakuya as is without Kohana in the way. I told her to leave and take care of Orihime, whose chain was quickly beginning to shorten from it being cut from her body… Byakuya's childhood stubbornness was definitely a family trait and in the middle of the fight, Kohana stepped in front of her father."
Kurosaki pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I don't know what*that girl thought she was doing but she held out her arms just like Orihime did when her brother was turned into a Hollow and stared at her father. "Chichi, I know that you can hear me. It's me, Kohana. Come back to us." She yelled. I tried to get her to move out of the way but she could see that Byakuya was fighting himself, seeming to try and pull off the mask that was over his face. It was all a ruse… that damned Saskichi was using that to trick us again. She made Byakuya use Cero and it hit Kohana in the chest. She flew past me and against a wall. I could barely see Orihime trying to go to her and help her out, but her chain was beginning to be eaten, causing her so much pain.
"It was a blur from there, so many things were happening but in the end Byakuya and I ended up locked with our swords together at one point. Byakuya took the higher edge and whipped my sword around, stabbing me through with Senbonzakura. The last thing that I heard was "I'm sorry, Ani… I'm sorry, Chichi" and a blade was thrust through me from behind and then into Byakuya. IT seemed the Kohana had to use me in order to sneak up on her father and since I was already run through… The only thing I can think of is that she did konso on Orihime since she's here and all but… I have no idea what happened to her. We went to look for the body but it was nowhere to be found."
Ichigo was silent for a while as Kurosaki looked at the ground.
"So… Byakuya killed Tatsuki and Orihime?"
"Yes."
"Does he know about this?"
"Unfortunately."
"He seems to have taken it rather well, then."
"No. He is just easy at hiding the pain. You should know that, Ichigo."
Ichigo smiled a little and sighed, looking up at himself.
"And Saskichi?"
"She is still at large. We had her captured for a little bit but she was too smart even for Kurotsuchi and escaped back to wherever she was from. The more I think about her, the more I see how she would fit in with the Cakurohita. I must present this to the Head Captain anyway to make sure she doesn't appear again and if she does, what to do about Byakuya and the other Vizoreds."
"What do I need to do? Can I help?"
"Sorry, but it's my job to protect the Soul Society, not yours."
"We're the same person!"
"No, we aren't. I'm sure there are other people that would like to see you again. This is not a concern of yours."
Kurosaki use Sonido and left, leaving Ichigo by himself.
SOMEWHERE UNDERGROUND
"Are you sure this is where they have him?"
"Positive."
The door opened and the two stared at the lone man in the chair.
"Well, well; I haven't seen your face in a while." The man said with a grin.
"Yes, it has been a long time, hasn't it?"
"What brings you here to visit?"
"You chose the path of the Soul Reaper, limiting yourself with that silly sword of yours, and then tried to gain immense power. I find that a bit of a step backwards on your part, for someone so intelligent as yourself."
"You flatter me."
"You want to attain real power? I can show you how without having to go through silly swords, silly transformations or silly rules. How would you like to have your powers available at any time? No blade required? What would you say to that, Aizen?"
Aizen smiled from his restraints.
"Real power, you say?"
"The highest ever dreamed."
Aizen just smiled a little more.
"Your offer seems better than most. Who's to say I won't rule over you one day, Roka?"
The red headed woman turned to look back at Aizen, her glasses shining in the light.
"Fat chance, but you're on the right track. Untie him."
ah! my baby! i love aizen, just so you know. he's my all time fave char in the series. he's just so... cunning and well planned *hugs self* anyhow, he's so witty so i hope i did him okay cuz he's also power hungry and stuff. and kohana's living will be discussed later on, i promise about that... if the explanation did not suit you or is wrong in some way, please let me know nicely why that is so and i will try to accommodate
