When Ichigo arrived at school, he saw Keigo and Tatsuki talking together.

"I-chi-go!" Keigo hollered at him. The youth raced over to him, and Ichigo held his arm out, causing the teen to fall backwards on the floor. Not even caring, Ichigo made his way into the classroom.

"Ichigo," Tatsuki came over to his desk. "Where's Orihime?"

He shook his head. "She's not feeling well. She won't be in today."

"Where's everyone else?" She persisted.

Ichigo pulled out his notebook and set it on the desk. "How should I know?"

Keigo came back into the classroom, holding his nose. "Ichigo, why'd you do that?" He whined, sounding nasally.

"Leave him alone, Asano-san," Mizuiro spoke, heading into the classroom.

"What? What? Why Asano-san, Mizuiro! Why must you say my name like that?" Keigo whined more. Ichigo shook his head and tried to concentrate, finding it rather difficult with all the noise the teen was making.

Tatsuki sat down in front of Ichigo's desk. He could feel her staring at him but refused to look up. He knew what she was going to ask and he did not feel like telling her anything.

"Ichigo," she said. "Where is she?"

Giving up, Ichigo sighed. "She's staying out today. Stuff happened last night. She's fine. Don't worry. She's just tired. She needs her rest. Can you please leave me alone now?" He glared at her and looked back down at his notebook.

"If I find out that something's happened to her..." Tatsuki threatened.

"Nothing happened. She'll be back tomorrow." Ichigo said.

Before Tatsuki was able to say anything more, Miss Ochi stepped into the classroom. "Ohayou, everyone! Please take your seats."

She ran through the roll sheet. When she came up to Orihime's name, Ichigo said that she, Ishida and Chado would be out for the day. "What about Hirako?"

Ichigo looked around and saw none of the other shinigami were in the class. "I guess he's out as well. As are Renji and Rukia." He sighed. Why do I have to be stuck here today while everyone gets to take the day off? I'm just as tired.

The day dragged on. Ichigo could not concentrate for the life of him. Every time he looked up at the clock, he felt his eyelids becoming heavier and heavier. He had no idea how he was supposed to find Shinji, since he wasn't at school. He had just assumed that the two of them would make their way together to wherever it was that he lived. He groaned, realizing that this was all part of the plan. Why can't anyone clue me in? "Where's the fun in that, eh, Ichigo?" Go away! Please, not now. I'm in class. "No time like the present."

To anyone else, it looked like Ichigo had a major headache. His hand was pressed against his eyes, squishing his eyes shut. He was biting his lip, trying to not allow the Hollow to speak for him. Why are you doing this now? I'm not upset! "Ah, but 'cha are, Ichigo. You're upset cuz everyone got to stay at home today while baby Ichigo had to go to school." Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about.

"Kurosaki-san?" Miss Ochi spoke to him. Ichigo did his best to not grimace and keep a straight face as he lowered his hand to his desk, doing his best to not make it seem like he was having an argument in his head. Which, in actuality, he was. "Is everything alright?"

Before he could even answer, the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. He let out a long breath. His Hollow was quiet, for the moment. He sighed, gathering up his school books.

"Ichigo! You wanna go with us down to the soccer field?" Keigo bounced up and down next to his desk. "Please? It will be a lot of fun. You'll see!"

"What did I say Asano-san?" Mizuiro spoke gently. "Leave Kurosaki-san alone."

"MIZURIO! STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

He stood up, placed his book bag on his shoulder and began to walk out of the classroom, not even bothering to listen to Keigo and Mizurio discuss him. He went into the bathroom, knowing that Keigo would probably follow him soon. He stepped into a stall and reached into his pocket. He held the tiny blue marble in between his index and forefinger of his right hand. He quickly popped the ball into his mouth, swallowing it down. He exited his body and sighed.

"Ichigo?" Kon asked him, in his body. He watched the mod soul scratch the back of his neck like he did. "Everything okay?"

Nodding, Ichigo spoke. "Listen, Kon. I need you to be me for a bit. I'm going to go and find Hirako and try and get some help with my Hollow."

"Okay," Kon nodded his head fast. "Will you be home tonight?" The mod soul opened the window of the bathroom, knowing it would be a good escape route for the substitute shinigami. Ichigo jumped up and balanced on the window sill.

"I'm not certain. Whatever the case is, just be careful. Oh, and go and hang out with Keigo and Mizuiro. Keigo keeps whining. I'm sure it will make him happy if you appear to him and say you wouldn't mind hanging out." Without bothering to wait for his reply, Ichigo jumped from the window sill and landed on the ground like a cat, graceful and refined. He began to shunpo away from the school, away from prying eyes. He rounded a corner and continued on.

Having no idea where Shinji stayed, Ichigo paused for a moment. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to remember the time when Ishida was able to track a soul by how it appeared. He knew that he wouldn't be able to do something like that because he was horrible at trying to gauge reiatsu. He tried to remember what Shinji's reiatsu was like and began to follow what he thought was the Visored's reiatsu. He soon found himself in the warehouse district, miles away from his home, on the outskirts of Karakura town. He saw one particular warehouse that was further back from the rest and was wide open. Taking a chance, he approached this warehouse, holding Zangetsu in his hands.

"Yo!" Ichigo heard a familiar voice speak when he entered into the facility. He looked up and saw the man he was looking for, standing above him on what appeared to be the second or third floor of the warehouse. "Took you long enough to find us."

"Us?" Ichigo asked. "It wasn't that difficult to find you."

Shinji chuckled, stepping out of the shadows. His newsboy cap was anchored on his head, wearing a bright burnt orange shirt with a skinny patterned tie. "Please. You're terrible at trying to find a person by their reiatsu. I just increased the strength of mine so you would find us quicker."

"Why do you keep saying us?" Ichigo asked. "Do you not live alone?"

Slowly, more people appeared from the shadows, on all levels of the warehouse. Ichigo saw a girl next to Shinji whose blonde hair was in two high pigtails, and wore a red track suit. There was an elegant looking man with long blonde hair, a very rotund man who had pink hair and a pink mustache. On another level was a girl dressed in white jumpsuit with goggles on top of her vivid green hair, and another girl who wore a short skirt and a sailor's top with spectacles on her face. There were two more men, a man with very short, stark white hair who was very muscular, and then there was a gentleman who wore sunglasses inside, with his hair in pointy tufts. Ichigo eyed each of them with a weary glance.

"No, Ichigo. I do not live alone. These people are like you and me."

"Tsch. Like you? I'm nothing like you."

"Are you not?' Shinji asked. "Isn't that why you came here today? Don't you want to learn how to control your Hollow?" Shinji jumped down to Ichigo's level, holding his zanpakutō. "Well?"

Holding Zangetsu in his hand, Ichigo growled at him. "You know why I'm here. You told me to come. What more do you want from me?"

"You need to acknowledge that the Hollow is a part of you. Not someone trying to take you over." Shinji said, unsheathing his sword. "Now, are you going to cooperate with us, or no?"

Ichigo glared at him. "Why would you think I would actually think that my Hollow is a part of me. He's not! He's a demon! I'M NOT A DEMON!" Ichigo charged at him with Zangetsu, beginning to trade blows with him.

The rest of the Visoreds watched with feigned interest. "This is the one we're supposed to train? Is Urahara mad?" The elegant dressed blonde said.

"Rose, if the man believes in him, then we have to trust that." The man with the sunglasses said.

"Whatever, Love." The tiniest of the group said, squatting on her perch, watching Shinji and Ichigo continue to fight. "That old man has no idea what has been going on with us. Why does he suddenly care about us now?"

"Oh, come on, Hiyori." The girl with the glasses spoke. "Quit blaming Urahara."

The tiny blonde, Hiyori, raised her hand, still watching Shinji and Ichigo. "I'm not, Lisa." She stood up and stretched. "Hachigen?"

The man with the pink hair and pink mustache moved from the shadows? "Hai, Hiyori?"

"Set up more barriers. I'm tired of watching these two idiots fight."

"Hai, Hiyori." Hachigen then clapped his hands together, and began an incantation.

Ichigo was too busy fighting Shinji to see what was happening above him. He knew he wasn't fighting at full strength. He knew he could easily take out his friend. Friend? Don't friends tell each other when there are others? Who are these people who are in this warehouse? Do they all live here? Did he really mean that they're like me? Are they all Hollows?'

"Stop fighting like a girl," Shinji taunted him. Ichigo growled and forced Zangetsu against his zanpakutō. As he continued to trade blows with Shinji, he was forced to stop as he watched Shinji fly past him. He stopped what he was doing and just stared. Where Shinji had just been standing, was that tiny girl he had seen earlier. She had come out of nowhere and had kicked Shinji in the face, forcing him out of the way. He heard Shinji holler when he finally fell.

Hiyori turned and looked over at Hachigen. "I thought I said to put up more barriers?"

"Hai. My apologies, Hiyori. I didn't get them up fast enough." Hachigen spoke in a quiet tone, doing his best to concentrate.

Ichigo continued to just stare at this tiny person in front of him. He thought that Rukia was short, but clearly, there were tinier in this world. And she has a Hollow? He shook his head.

"What?" Hiyori asked. "Surprised to see someone like me? Please."

"Who are you people?"

"Why are you so afraid, Ichigo?" Hiyori evaded his question.

"Afraid?" Ichigo stood still, looking at her. "What makes you say that?"

"You're not fighting at full strength. What are so afraid of?"

Ichigo shook his head. "I don't want to let him out. He's been taunting me all day. I can't handle it. If I fight at full strength he'll come out."

"Well, isn't that the point?" Hiyori asked, her small fang tooth hanging over her lip. "Isn't that why you're here? To learn how to control that?" She sighed. "Urahara is an old fool if he thinks that you can learn how to control anything that powerful."

"You shut up!" Ichigo became angry. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh?" Hiyori said. She raised her hand above her head and drew her Hollow mask onto her face. Ichigo stared as he watched her white mask cover her face. Unlike his own, hers had a horn in the middle of her forehead. He watched as her eyes changed black and yellow. "I know that crazy shop keeper much better than you think, boy." He heard her voice change, just like his did whenever his Hollow was released. "Now, stop fighting scared." She drew her own zanpakutō and charged Ichigo.

Ichigo threw up Zangetsu and blocked her attack. "No! I refuse!" He did not attack her. Looking into her yellow and black eyes, he couldn't do anything. How is it she can still talk to me and maintain her focus? What is she doing? Can I watch her and figure out how to do that myself? He continued to block her attacks, refusing to let his Hollow go.

"Hey! Ichigo! Quit being a pussy!" Shut up! Go away! "No!"

The others watched as Ichigo and Hiyori continued to fight. Well, Hiyori fought viciously, throwing jabs and taunts at him. "BALDY! QUIT BEING SCARED AND JUST CHANGE!" She screamed at him.

"I sure hope she knows what she's doing," Rose said.

"She does," the white haired man said, watching the two fight.

"Kensei, what if she doesn't?" The green haired girl whined.

"Mashiro," Kensei said. "Just watch."

The Visoreds went back to watched their tiny friend continue to wail on Ichigo.

"You're not gonna last..." Shut up! The more Ichigo tried to block her attacks, the more his Hollow was harassing him. He kept trying to figure out how this tiny shinigami was able to keep herself in control. What if I do something like this? "Not going to work, loser." The more he fought, the more the Hollow began to win. He lowered his sword and felt himself finally losing the battle. He felt his reiatsu spike and knew that it was all over. "My turn now."

Ichigo threw his head back, howling with rage as he felt his Hollow take over his body. He felt his broken mask appear on his face, watching from inside, unable to stop it from happening. Shit! His Hollow went on full attack, waving his zanpakutō at the Visored. He struck out at her, pinning her to wall.

The moment that happened, the rest of the Visoreds were on the floor next to her, pointing their own zanpakutō at Ichigo. Shinji stood over Ichigo and pressed his zanpakutō against Ichigo's mask, ripping it off his face. "I think that's about enough for now, Ichigo."

Hiyori leaned against the wall panting, eyes scared. It had been too close. Ichigo blinked a few times, feeling his Hollow retreat, causing the black and yellow to disappear from his own eyes. He shook his head and saw the tiny blonde staring at him with scared eyes. "I...I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't want to let him out. I warned you."

"No matter," Shinji said. He pulled Ichigo up off the ground. "We're going to show you how to control him. It may take a bit. I'm glad you came in your shinigami state."

Ichigo nodded, looking down. "Kisuke hinted that I should keep Kon on me, just in case. I have no idea how long it's going to take, so might as well make everyone worry less."

"Smart," Shinji remarked. "We really can't have you killing any of us. As much as I hate Hiyori."

"Shut up, Shinji!" Hiyori glared at him, still against the wall.

The short haired Visored stuck his tongue out at Hiyori. "You shut it. You almost got yourself in real trouble there. Good work."

"Baka," she muttered under breath.

Ichigo looked around at the other Visoreds. "I supposed you'd like introductions, yes?" Shinji asked, watching Ichigo's face. The substitute shinigami nodded. "Alright."

Shinji began to introduce everyone to Ichigo. "So, the one you almost tried to kill is Hiyori. Be careful around her."

"Why?"

As if on cue, Hiyori jumped up and took off her sandal, slapping it across Shinji's face. "Baka! You suck at introductions!"

"Hiiyoooori!" Shinji whined, holding his nose.

"Whatever." She looked at Ichigo. "Okay, Baldy. You know me. Fine. Over there," she pointed to the two girls, "are Lisa and Machiru. Don't bug them." Ichigo shook his head. "The rest you'll get to know as you train with us."

"Oh come on!" Ichigo shouted. "That's not fair. I should at least learn everyone's names!"

"BAKA!" Hiyori raised her hand to hit Ichigo and he side-stepped her quickly. Everyone gasped at how quick his reflexes were. She went sailing past him and skidded to a stop. Grumbling, she turned around. "Nice move, baldy."

Ichigo shook his head. He looked at the muscular white-haired man. "Who are you?"

"Kensai." He pointed to Rose and Love. "That's Rose," the elegant blonde waved his hand at Ichigo, "and that's Love." Lowering his sunglasses quickly, Love nodded. "The man over there is Hachigen," he pointed at the pink haired fellow. Ichigo nodded, seeing that Hachigen was busy concentrating. "There. Now you know us. You've got quite a lot of spirit in you, kid."

"Don't call me kid," Ichigo grumbled.

"To us, you're a kid," Shinji spoke. "This may take a few days, Ichigo. But don't worry. We'll get it so you can control that raw power inside of you. That's what you want, yes?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yes. I don't want to be on edge all the time because of him. I want..." He blushed at what he was about to say. I want to make sure I can control myself around Kisuke. "I just want to make sure I don't hurt anyone."

"Right." Shinji grinned at him, knowing exactly what Ichigo was about to say. Shinji knocked him hard on the head, causing Ichigo to collapse on the ground. "Then, let's do this."

"You sure about this, Hirako?" Rose said, watching Shinji with Ichigo.

"Not really, but what better way to get him to control his Hollow than force him into his own world? Come on," he picked up Ichigo's body and slung it over his shoulder. "Let's move this down to our new training facility, thanks to the old man." He flipped a switch on the wall, causing a staircase to appear in the floor. "You can do this, Ichigo," Shinji spoke softly as he carried him down the stairs. "We all know you can, whether you think so or not."

However, Ichigo could not hear anything that was being said to him. As Shinji had said, he was now in his own world, facing his Hollow.

…

A/N: So, somewhat cannon, somewhat not. I hope you guys enjoyed meeting the Visoreds. There is a lot more to come. ^_^ Thanks for reading!