Updated again. Mainly grammar, spelling, and a few other minor issues. Enjoy
Ulquiorra walked down the hall towards the throne room next to a nonsensical babbling Yammy. "So, Ulquiorra, is it true that this time Lord Aizen is returning for good?" he asked, scratching his head as he clumsily strode forwards.
The fourth closed his eyes. Yammy truly got on his nerves when he asked such apparent questions. "Yes, Yammy. Lord Aizen will now reside here, in Las Noches," he simply explained, feeling his lord's familiar spiritual pressure growing as the pair drew closer to the throne room.
"He popped up once in a while to check on things here. But now he's gonna be around all the time. Doncha think it'll be weird now?" the giant questioned, shoveling some type of nutrients into his mouth in a more than unpleasant manner. Ulquiorra shuffled a few feet closer to the wall to avoid the little crumbs that littered the air around the tenth Espada.
Disgusting, he thought irately. Ever since he was branded by his master, Yammy has taken a liking to him because of his strength. It's been…a long time since then now, and the idiot still couldn't understand that the fourth disliked his company. "It only makes sense that he would come here, you idiot."
"Huh?"
Ulquiorra closed his eyes as he passed through the throne room door. "Lord Aizen has revealed his motives to the Soul Society, marking him as a traitor." The fourth explained as he took his place next to the other Espada, followed by Yammy, who stood annoyingly close to him, of course. Why choose the least personable Espada of the ten? Even Grimmjow would've been a better choice, all things considered.
The room became silent as Aizen spoke of his plans and what he expects to accomplish now that he officially resides here in Las Noches. It was generally what Ulquiorra expected, a general report, like the ones he gave during his periodic check-ins. "So, some kids broke into the Soul Society and managed to destroy all thirteen Soul Reaper squads," the giant mocked. "Bunch of useless trash, right, Ulquiorra?"
Before the fourth thought of a response, Aizen called to him from above, "Ulquiorra, I wish to speak with you," he commanded.
"Hope you ain't in trouble," Yammy laughed as he inadvertently stomped out of the throne room, lazily waving to him. Annoying pest, Ulquiorra thought.
"Of course, sir," Ulquiorra said, bowing respectfully to him.
"I have an important mission that I can only trust you with," Aizen rested his head in his hand as he gazed down at him. Ulquiorra nodded, giving his master his full attention. "You are going to observe the boy named Ichigo Kurosaki and the people he's closest to. Actually," he rested his finger on his lip thoughtfully before appearing directly in front of Ulquiorra. "This would be better referred to as an infiltration mission. I've already begun preparations for you," his master started, the corner of his mouth peaking up into a smirk. "There's a building in the center of Karakura where new citizens tend to live. You will be stationed there, so you don't draw any unwanted attention from your targets."
Ulquiorra blinked. Aizen can't possibly mean he wants him to live among humans just to slip past the substitute Soul Reaper's defenses. He'd much rather be glued to an ever babbling Yammy while he ate his pointless human nutrients. The fourth inwardly cringed. Both options were the start of something genuinely miserable. Even so, what could he do? His master entrusted him with an important order. "Yes, Lord Aizen," he began, his voice lackluster and flat. "I will complete this mission without fault." Ulquiorra's response seemed to please his master. It didn't matter what he thought of it, so long as it was an order from Aizen.
"Excellent, head to Szayelaporro's lab. I've already given him his instructions, and after you're finished there, you'll return to me. That way, I can inspect his work before I completely seal your Hollow self." The fourth bowed his head respectfully as his master returned to his throne, dismissing him. Ulquiorra turned on his heel, his hands slipping habitually into his pockets as he glided from the room towards Szayelaporro's lab.
The walk felt almost like a death sentence. Living under the noses of humans and Soul Reapers alike. The Espada didn't understand why Aizen chose this course of action; he was far better at observing from a distance and reporting back his findings. Intermingling with the two subpar species seemed like it'd be counterproductive and unfruitful on his end. Perhaps Aizen is looking for something more intimate in nature, something that wouldn't be perceived from observing from afar. The Espada surmised, nearing his destination.
Ulquiorra shuffled through the laboratory door, noting a fair-skinned body lying motionless on a metal table. He stopped next to it, staring down at the uncanny resemblance this body had to him, yet it was completely different. Its skin wasn't a pasty white but a perfectly smooth ivory and his Hollow features were nowhere in sight on this body. He places his hand on its sternum, no hole; however, his brand was still visible. The bold, gothic number four contrasted sharply with the body's skin. At least something familiar remained.
He looked at its face, his index finger tracing an invisible line where the teal tear trails should've been. He then turned its head to the left, revealing nothing more than ebony locks of hair. He ran his fingers through it, his frown deepening, noting there wasn't a mask that hindered him from touching that part of its head.
The Espada straightened himself, exposed hand retreating to the warmth of his hakama pocket. His master truly had Szayelaporro make the perfect disguise for this mission; however, he still wasn't pleased that he had to reside in that at all. "Oh, Mr. Number Four!" the scientist called as he approached from behind. "Looks like you found my handiwork. Hope you like it, 'cause I think it's my best model yet!" The pink-haired man leaned over the body, inspecting it. "You should try it on, can't keep lord Aizen waiting for too long."
Ulquiorra said nothing as he placed his hands on his faux body, and with little pressure needed, he was sucked inside like a vacuum. Unexpected was a bit of an understatement, feeling his body stretch and crack as his muscles lined up with the body's frame. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but it wasn't miserable, to say the least. The merge completed, and he opened his eyes, staring at the plain white ceiling.
An odd weight encased him as he sat up, moving the body's stiff limbs. One hand instinctively reached for the black void in his chest but was only met with soft skin with little give. "No hole there, four, you're supposed to resemble a Soul Reaper, so couldn't put one in," he suppressed a small laugh, handing him a pile of black fabric. Ulquiorra stared irately at it, knowing precisely what uniform he is holding.
"A shihakusho," Ulquiorra observed, glancing up to Szayelaporro with the same expressionless face he typically had before being in this body. The fourth quickly slipped the garments on before sliding his zanpakuto through the white sash at his waist. The hakama had two long fabric pieces sewn into the top of it, resembling his coattails, but they were inverted in color. He tied the white sash, fastening everything in place, and adjusted it till he felt presentable. Ulquiorra headed to the body-length mirror, staring at his unfamiliar reflection. He looked just like those damn pieces of trash now. It was humiliating and far below his rank to hide like this.
The fourth swiftly spun from his reflection, refusing to look at it again. "Yes, a slightly modified version, though. You just wouldn't be you without your fluttering coattails!" The man sang, spinning in a dramatic circle, that same false smile adorning his face. What other modifications did he sew into this flesh suit, the Espada wondered, heading to leave. "It's heavy, isn't it," Szayelaporro stated as an eerie sneer pulled at his cheeks.
"Why do you ask?" the fourth questioned, stopping in his tracks, barely glancing at him.
Szayelaporro pushed his glasses up his nose, his grin only deepening, "Well, you see, you still have a gigai to put on when you enter the world of the living." Ulquiorra looked directly at him. Another body? He should've expected as much; remaining only as a Soul Reaper would raise inevitable questions. "And wouldn't it be amusing to see such a high-ranking Espada crawling around on all fours, gasping for breath cause of all the physical strain he's under?!" He laughed, spinning on his toes, "Will Mr. Number Four finally crack? We'll just have to wait and see!" the scientist howled as he exited from another door in his lab.
Ulquiorra silently left the room. No matter the strain he's put through, he will not be overcome and will prevail. "My only purpose is to serve Lord Aizen. No amount of pressure will cause me to fail." He stated aloud as his toneless voice gently echoed through the hall as he strode forwards.
The fourth towards the throne room. "Hoho! What's going on here?" Ulquiorra merely continued forwards, ignoring the pest behind him. He didn't want to deal with Grimmjow right now. His mood was somber enough, and it always left a bad taste in his mouth when the sixth Espada bothered him. Grimmjow hopped in front of him, his psychotic grin nearly splitting his face in two. "I came to investigate when your spiritual pressure practically vanished. Thought your sorry ass finally killed yourself or something!" he spat, looming over the fourth. "But I come and see you looking like a fuckin Soul Reaper!"
"I haven't time to deal with your idiocy, Grimmjow," the fourth said, sidestepping him, and continued walking to the throne room.
"You asshole! Just you wait, I'll fucking kill you one day and claim your rank as my own. You ain't stronger than me. You can pretend all you want, Ulquiorra! Now have fun playing Soul Reaper," he mocked just as the throne room doors closed.
Ulquiorra bowed to his master, "Szayelaporro did a fantastic job creating this body for you. He even managed to almost completely mask your Hollow spiritual pressure. How do you feel?"
Ulquiorra blinked. Feel? "This body is heavier and less nimble," Aizen smirked as if expecting that answer.
"Remember when you first started training as an Arrancar," his master asked, his voice light and thoughtful. Ulquiorra nodded. "At first, you felt stiff and immobile, much like you do now, but through rigorous drills and long hours of exercise, you overcame that feeling. It's the same concept with this body."
Ulquiorra blinked. "Aside from masking my spiritual pressure and making me look like a Soul Reaper, is there anything else I should be aware of while in this body?" he asked, watching his master nod before appearing in front of him.
"Yes, it cuts your powers to a mere fifth of what they are normally," Aizen started, "You also cannot remove this body." The Espada's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. He was trapped in this body with severely reduced spiritual power. That'll turn out well if engaging with a particularly difficult foe. "It's for your own protection. If you accidentally slipped out of this body, your mission would be compromised. Therefore, I had Szayelaporro install a safeguard for that reason alone." He explained, walking a few paces away from him. "Any questions so far?"
Ulquiorra's hands found their way back into his pockets. For his protection? That sounded doubtful and unlike Aizen to be concerned for one's safety, even if it was his own subordinate. "Am I capable of using any of my basic Hollow abilities while inside this body?"
His lord turned to him, "You can still make a Garganta and use your sonido. Using anything like a cero or bala would be a poor decision. It could cause your body to deteriorate, and the seal I put on you would weaken or break altogether." So, his Zanpakuto will be his primary weapon, of course. The fourth detested using his sword on unworthy opponents. It was beneath him when he could, in truth, destroy an enemy in a single physical blow. "It would also give away the fact that you're a Hollow, and we can't have that," Aizen explained.
"I understand, Sir," the fourth responded. "I'll refrain from using those attacks."
"That would be the best course of action, Ulquiorra, but since you have exceptional control over reishi. You could, in theory, learn kido if you wanted to. It would take much practice, but it could be beneficial in the grand scheme of things." Aizen finished, peering back at Ulquiorra.
Battle like a Soul Reaper? Preposterous. He is a Hollow, not one of those self-sacrificing pieces of trash. "If it is beneficial to you, I'll take learning Kido into consideration, Lord Aizen," he said with his typical expressionless voice.
His master stepped towards him, "Excellent, Ulquiorra," he said, resting his hand atop of the Espada's head. "Now, I must seal away every trace that would incriminate you as a Hollow," he started.
Ulquiorra closed his eyes, listening to his master's chant. It was oddly calming, or was it the spell taking hold of him? He wasn't sure, but he could feel a strange energy envelop him as his master's words grew soft enough where he only heard a varying hum. That was the last sound the fourth heard before his consciousness slipped into a welcoming void of darkness.
Author's Note: I feel that the main reason Arrancar don't use kido is because they weren't taught how to, they do have the ability to control reishi don't they? If you really think about it visored's can use cero's, being that they are soul reapers with hollow powers. An Arrancar is a hollow with soul reaper powers so I think they could if they trained enough. Therefore, in my story, Arrancars can use Kido if they learned. Anyway, I hope this doesn't make anyone too mad. Have a great day.