Chapter 35- Observations

"I'm not here to join you," Ichigo told Shinji. He got straight to the point.

"I see," Shinji said. "Then what are you here for?"

"I need you to tell me how to control my power," Ichigo replied.

A couple moments later they were fighting with each other, swords drawn. I heard the other Visoreds talking about how both of them were holding back. I could guess Ichigo was holding back because he was afraid that his hollow-self would take over. Shinji's reason? Well that I did not know.

I watched them for a while, wondering where Shinji was trying to go with this. For all I knew, they weren't getting anywhere from where they started. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw Hiyori jump over and slap Shinji out through the window of the warehouse. Well now they're going to get somewhere, I thought. I stood up in my spot and made my sword visible, even though I was only in my gigai. It took me a while to figure out how to do it, but I got it. I took my sword out of my sheath and stabbed it into the ground and jumped onto the hilt after using a soul candy. I crouched down and watched Hiyori try to force Ichigo to hollowfy.

"Hey Hiyori! You have to force it outta him! He doesn't know how to hollowfy!" I shouted.

She glanced at me angrily. "Shut up baldy! I didn't ask for your help!"

I got used to the fact that she kept calling me a baldy, so I didn't complain and continued to watch. Eventually Ichigo was overwhelmed by her strength when she had her mask on and his hollow-self was compelled out of him. His now hollowfied self attacked Hiyori and pinned her up against a pillar, nearly choking her to death. Moments later Shinji reappeared from outside and the others pinned Ichigo down with their swords aimed at him. Shinji broke his mask and Ichigo returned to his normal self.

"I bet they're going to make him use Hiyori's stupid trainer like they did with me," I murmured. "Sucks for him."

Then Hiyori's flip-flop came out of nowhere and hit me in the face, with so much force that it knocked me off of my zanpakutou. I sat up irritably. "What was that for?"

She was furious, yet panicked at the same time. "It's the Hiyori Super Trainer! Get it right!"

"Y-you heard that?" I asked her innocently.

"Well, you did say it out loud, didn't you?" she shouted with her teeth clenched at me.

"I wasn't meaning to say it so loudly," I admitted.

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Ichigo had been running on Hiyori's trainer for a while before he started complaining about how stupid it was, just like I did. I guess Hiyori didn't tell him what it was for either. By now, Ichigo had noticed my presence and asked me why I was here.

"'Cause Shinji wouldn't let me leave 'til you showed up," I told him.

"So why are you still here?" he wondered.

"I thought it would be interesting to watch how you do with what's gonna happen later," I half-smiled.

Minutes later Ichigo got pissed enough to through the exercise equipment at Shinji, who got the same results as when I threw it at him. He also called Hiyori's trainer something that it wasn't called and Hiyori and him started to argue about it.

I sighed. This is somewhat similar to what I did when I started training. I guess in some ways, Ichigo and I were a lot alike. Our personalities were similar but we each had traits that the other didn't. Those are the only things that set us apart from each other than our appearance.

I watched as Ichigo continued to complain to Shinji about why he was here. Shinji did as he did with me and placed his palm in front of Ichigo's face. Ichigo went unconscious and they brought him down to their underground battlefield thing. I took my zanpakutou out of the floor, sheathed it, and followed shortly behind.

"Hachi, you know what to do," Shinji said as he plopped Ichigo onto the ground.

Hachi nodded and I guessed he was setting up barriers. I saw that he was using bakudou spells to restrain Ichigo's body. Then a yellow, rectangular shaped, shield-type thing was placed around Ichigo. Hachi made an opening and Lisa stepped in to fight.

I heard a hollow-like roar that came from the direction of Ichigo's body.

"It's starting," Shinji talked out to no one in particular.

"I have a question, Shinji," I nudged his shoulder.

"What is it?" he looked at me.

"So are you guys going to just take turns battling his hollowfied, uh…whatever you call him until he defeats his hollow-self in his inner world?" I wondered.

"Yeah, it's fairer that way," he looked back at Ichigo and Lisa.

"Oh, well am I included in your little rotation thingy?" I tilted my head.

"Yes," he seemed focused.

"Awwww why?" I asked. "I didn't come here to join you either…" I frowned.

"Well, that's not what Shinji decided so just deal and take your turn like the rest of us," Kensei bellowed.

I glanced over at him. "I didn't ask for this. So thank you for everything." Then I realized I hadn't noticed him before even though I've been here for weeks. "Whoa whoa whoa whoa wait a second! Are y-you Kensei Muguruma?"

"Who else would I be?" he asked.

"The former Captain of Squad 9 before Tosen," I pointed out. "And you saved my best friend from a hollow in the Soul Society when we were little."

"Oh, that little brat who wouldn't stop crying right?" he sounded annoyed.

I made an angry expression. "He was not a little brat! I'm pretty sure if he were here right now he'd be very thankful for what you did!"

"Yeah, whatever," he shrugged and stopped paying attention to me.

"Jerk," I muttered under my breath.

I watched the continuous battles between the Visoreds and Ichigo's almost completely hollowfied body until Shinji elbowed my ribs. I rubbed my ribs as I looked over and asked what he wanted.

"You're up," he told me.

"Aww, already?" I complained. I made my zanpakutou visible again and drew it out of its sheath. "Let's get this over with. Hachi! Lemme in!"

Hachi opened up the shield, where I traded spaces with Hiyori and defended myself against the attacks that were thrown at me. That's all I could do for a while, and I didn't want to hurt him. Why exactly did we have to fight him? This continued for about ten minutes before I switched places with Kensei. As I walked out passed him I stuck my tongue out at him hoping he wouldn't notice.

Unfortunately for me, he noticed and grabbed the collar of my shihakuso. "I saw that!" he clenched his teeth.

I wanted to bug him more so I grinned evilly. "HEY LET GO OF MY SHIHAKUSO YOU PERVERT!"

I felt him tug it a little harder. "WHAT WAS THAT? I AM NOT A PERVERT!"

"YES YOU ARE! LOOK HOW CLOSE YOUR HAND IS TO MY-," I grabbed his wrist and tried to pry it off of my shihakuso. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

We started to argue as we exchanged angry looks and comments with each other. Neither of us would let go until the other one did first.

"Would you guys grow up?" Hiyori screamed at us, aiming a cero at us.

We looked over at her and yelled at the same time that it was the other one who started it. Then we saw the cero and screamed. "WHOA WAIT A SECOND YOU AREN'T GOING TO-!" We were cut off when she released it. We both dived out of the way not to get hit.

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT CHAPTER