(I'M. SO. SORRY. I've been away for so long, thing is I'm still a little stiff when it comes to the ideas and I'm probably going to quit high school this year so I'm put under a lot of press. I'm sorry this "lazy" stuff affects those who read my Hichi-Ichi-fanfic or whatever, but I'll get on it, you shouldn't wait longer. I read through my past chapters and I noticed SO MANY grammar and spelling errors and I apologize, I'm sorry for all the faults, but I'll try to do this one better, also, forgive me if there is anything I've written here you don't understand.)

Tuesday morning

Ichigo wakes up in his bed, his phone is ringing, he picks it up and looks at the screen:

Just the alarm, he shuts it off and stands up, he dresses himself and is just about to open his door and go down the stairs when he realizes: It happened again today, Isshin didn't wake Ichigo up, he opens his door and goes down the stairs, Karin is nowhere to be seen, Yuzu however is asleep on the table in the kitchen. Ichigo approaches Yuzu and pats her head:

- Hey, Yuzu, where is the old man and Karin?

Yuzu opens her eyes and rubs them, then yawns and looks at Ichigo even if she's just barely awake:

- Good morning, Ichigo, Karin has already gone and dad is-... visiting mother.

- Now? This day? This early? That's not like them, none of them, not at all.

Yuzu giggles and stands up from her chair but wobbles because she's still tired.

- It's ok, you will just have your breakfast and then you'll be off like you always do, so it doesn't affect you the slight-

She widens her eyes and squeals:

- AH! No no no! I forgot to make you breakfast! Forgive me!

Yuzu is internally crying, Ichigo has seen these moments many times so he knows.

- Haha, it's ok, Yuzu, I'll just take a fruit and then I'll be off.

- NO!

Ichigo's carefree mood comes to an instant halt as Yuzu screams in his face. Yuzu blushes and turns to the cabinets in the kitchen and pulls out a loaf of bread. Takes out a piece of the bread, an apple from the fruit bowl, pours milk in a plastic bottle and then puts all of that in Ichigo's bag then hands it to him:

- NOW you're good to go.

She says and smiles, Ichigo laughs and gives her a quick hug:

- Thank you, Yuzu, what would I do without you?

He says and leaves home to go to high school.

Ichigo sits down at his desk, he came here early so neither Chad, Orihime, Uryû, Keigo nor Mizuiro was there yet.

Time goes and they rest eventually arrive and the first lesson starts. In the middle of the lesson, Ichigo can hear the hollow's voice inside his head:

"Remember what I said before? Don't let anyone touch you, but if it's necessary, as little as possible, you hear me?"

"Hey, I decide what I do with my life, you keep out of it."

"I'm giving you helpful advice you dumbf*ck! The 'cold' you had before was the result of you letting your guard down!"

Ichigo doesn't answer, just keeps on working with the economy project and shuts Hichigo out so that he can concentrate.

After the first lesson Uryû confronts Ichigo by Ichigo's desk:

- I noticed your stiff and nervous body language from where I was sitting, something is troubling you Kurosaki.

- Is it that obvious?

- Indeed it is, now out with it and don't waste my time.

Ichigo couldn't tell Uryû about Hichigo so he came up with something else to not raise any unnecessary suspicion:

- You see, my father quit waking me up in the morning since-... last week, I think. And when I woke up today, the old man had gone to visit mother at the graveyard, Karin had gone to her school already and Yuzu was sleeping on the kitchen table.

- She was sleeping ON the kitchen table?

Uryû asks, raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms.

- Not ON the table, she rested her head on her arms that were crossed over each other on the table. Something is happening to my family and I fear that I'm the cause.

Uryû sighs and goes back to his own desk. Ichigo leans his head against the palms of his hands, the problem regarding Hichigo is still as big as ever but the absence of his family is also a problem.

Next lesson is history, not a single word from Hichigo this time. Ichigo, Uryû, Orihime, Chad, Mizuiro and Keigo meet at the roof and eat their lunch together. Next lesson after lunch is physical education, tennis outside, next lesson is math and still not a single word from Hichigo. When he gets home Isshin is there, and so is Karin and Yuzu. Ichigo greets them, walks up to his room and closes his door, pulls out his homework and THAT's when Hichigo finally decides to talk:

"You know what? Hugging Yuzu this morning, letting yourself be touched by your 'friends' at school, did you not understand when I said 'don't let anyone touch you'?! It means that any form of contact is a no-no!"

Ichigo hugged Orihime and fist-bumped/bro-fisted Keigo, Mizuiro and Chad during lunch, was that too much?

- You shut up, Yuzu is my little sister, she's part of my family, and my "friends" as you call them are an important part of my sanity. The reason I'm not crazy like you is because of them. So don't you dare talk shit!

"You can still be with them, as long as you don't touch them or let them touch you. Every time you made any form of contact to someone else today there was a shift in your spiritual energy. Keeping you alive, keeps me alive, so don't go around do stupid things!"

Now Ichigo was getting angry, he couldn't shout though, his family was home and they mustn't hear him talking out loud with the hollow. It would raise unnecessary suspicion.

- Listen, you're not me-

"No, YOU listen! I AM you, you letting your guard down like that puts your life at risk! That so called 'cold' you had was DEADLY! K.O.! GAME OVER! No matter how many times you tell yourself that your 'friends' makes you stronger, they don't, they make you weak and you will most likely pull one of those 'self-sacrifice'-things and save them with your life. 'Friends' doesn't make you stronger if it means that you're ready to die for them! You may be close but if you're ready to die for them, then you are bound to die very soon, Ichigo."

Ichigo listened to every word the hollow spoke and swallowed.

"They are weaker than you, they make you prioritize wrong, their lives in front of yours, the first rule of a hero or whatever is to always see to that you yourself survive, understand? If their 'strengths' aren't strong enough to defend themselves then maybe they shouldn't 'participate in the events in which you have to put your life on the line."

Every word Hichigo spoke was sadly the truth.

Orihime had the "fairies" (Ayame - Baigon - Lily - Hinagiku - Shun'õ - Tsubaki) in her hairclip, but against bigger enemies no shield would be strong enough, healing is good but Tsubaki would barely be able to make a scratch on whatever big and/or powerful enemy we're facing. He's got guts, he's fast and strong but he is small and if he would be hurt and/or killed-... Orihime would just be broken beyond repair.

Chad however would be more capable of protecting himself, but with Ichigo always worrying about anyone of my friends even if they're capable of defending themselves it'll put Ichigo at a huge disadvantage, worrying more about them than myself. Chad is not as fast as Uryû, Ichigo or even Tsubaki, he wouldn't be able to defeat a larger amount of enemies by himself with a one-hit-kill-attack. That would be a problem if they all had to split up.

Uryû never helps out unless Orihime asks him to, but if he does tag along, his body takes damage whenever he uses his bow and arrows.

So on the next mission, maybe Ichigo should just persuade his friends to stay at home?... What was this shit! This was Hichigo's idea! OF COURSE they all would be able to take care of themselves! Orihime's shield is strong enough to reflect most attacks! Tsubaki, Chad and Uryû can together fight off enemies and Orihime can heal the wounds so that no one has to turn back because of potential death!

- I believe that they become stronger every time they fight, nothing will improve if they just sit idly by and watch me. They make me stronger because simply their presence urges me to try harder and push my limits.

"THAT'S THE PROBLEM!"

Ichigo is really confused about this and just waits for an explanation.

"The harder you try, the farther you push your limits! Sure it's fine once in a while to become stronger and push the limits, but whenever you're close to them, you push your limits until they eventually break!"

Ichigo tries to see this from Hichigo's perspective; however, nothing really gets through.

"Do you want to know why I try to force you into hollowfying?"

Ichigo suddenly lets go of his pencil and holds his breath, where was this coming from?!

"Because you always try to win the fights by understanding them, never using brute force like Zaraki Kenpachi, Abarai Renji or Kuchiki Byakuya. You don't try to solve the problem; you try to find a way AROUND the problem! AVOIDING it! In a labyrinth you'd draw a map as you pass through the high walls- I ON THE OTHER HAND! I would use strength to knock down every wall in the way and find my way through in no time!"

It's starting to make sense; maybe Hichigo was trying to say that Ichigo was thinking too much? That he was making the fights way longer than they should be? Fighting with Kenpachi, the old man never stopped to think over a good strategy, just hammering his sword on Ichigo and taking joy in doing so. Renji was a little more tactical but he was driven by-... anger perhaps? At that moment he probably didn't have time to think of a strategy. Byakuya was driven by dedication, he can't see past his pride, loosing wouldn't be an option so finding every possible hole to hit Ichigo and defeat him was his goal, no tactical planning there either.

(I was inspired by Hichigo's instinct speech on Bleach episode 124 when he was fighting Ulquiorra when I wrote this ^^)

- So you're saying I think too much?

"Yes, and the source of the thinking begins with your 'friends', Orihime can't fight that well and she is easily scared, Chad is a bit like you, you're both worried about the rest of your group and so your thoughts tie knots upon themselves and neither of you pay attention to your surroundings. Uryû has his head stuck in the clouds too, he's not worried about you or Chad though, he's worried about only Orihime and she's worried about all of you. You all trying to protect each other is the problem, unless you are all fight on each side of the battlefield by yourselves you'll never make any form of progress."

Ichigo felt hands on his shoulders and sudden laughter that made him shiver. An exhalation, a hush in his right ear followed by a whisper:

- The reason I try to force you into hollowfying is because I'm trying to save you.

Ichigo turns around quickly, but whatever that was is gone now, the cold hands could be anyone's, but the voice, that was without a doubt Hichigo. However it wasn't just in his head, he heard it just next to him, as if Hichigo stood and leaned against Ichigo's right ear and whispered.

Ichigo goes back to his homework, finishes it, eats dinner with his family, back to his bedroom and goes to bed early. He has a lot to think about, his "relationship" with his hollow, his family and their strange behavior lately, whether he should tell his friends about his "problems" unless he WANTS to lose their trust.

He has to make a decision.

Soon.

So, thank y'all for waiting for a new chapter, I'm going to go hide under a rock... See you next chapter! ^^