Did he have to leave him face first in the dirt for two and a half days...damn it. Getting up and heading over to the ladder Ichigo relaxed in his now once again single body. It had been hard but he got used to having two separate bodies only to realize that all that practice meant shit. He would have to relearn how to function in seven bodies anyway... and that gave him an idea.
"Ichigo...our sleeping beauty has awoken kukuku."
"Urahara you asshole you couldn't have put me in a bed?," Ichigo asked as he sat down at the table roughly and swiped a cup of coffee. Looking around he saw Yoroichi...were cats supposed to have that much Reishi? Well cats weren't supposed to talk either he supposed...
"Well you looked so comfortable I didn't want to wake you."
Glaring at Urahara just made him smile more behind that stupid fan. Sighing as he thought through his plan one more time Ichigo tried to reason out if he could accomplish it.
"Do you have any more of those Soul Candies?"
"My my...why do you ask?"
"Cut the crap...I may need them to succeed."
"Mabye...mabye...can you answer a question of mine in return?"
"Shoot."
Suddenly looking serious for a second Urahara made Ichigo tense slightly. Never seen him look that intense before.
"I've never seen eyes like that. Anything unique about them in particular?"
"Pain said they are called Rinnegan and unique to my Zanpakuto."
"'Samsara Eye...how interesting."
"Leave the boy alone, he's not one of your toys Urahara," spoke Yoroichi in the deep voice of the cat. "Although even I must say they are intriguing. Anything unique to them?"
"I can see you have almost as much Reishi as Urahara. And he seems to have an excessive amount...," Ichigo added with a curious look at the humble shopkeeper.
"Why thank you for noticing," Urhara said fanning himself while blushing. Stupid old man with his secrets.
"That is curious...," spoke the deep rumble of the cat as it walked across the table and stared into his eyes.
After a few moments of quiet Urhara spoke up in defeat. "I supposed I could have a few lying around. What need would you have of them?"
Trying his hand at the curious nature of the shopkeeper Ichigo looked him in the eye and slowly said, "If you can spare sixyou can find out. No mod souls this time."
"I'll see what I can dig up," stated the elusive shopkeeper with an odd look.
--
"So what are we down here for Ichigo," came the voice of the cat as they stood in the underground training area.
"I admit to being curious as well...Ichigo."
"How well is this place insulated against Reishi?"
"Quite well...I couldn't have training bringing down the might of the soul society on my humble establishment. Here you go," Urahara said as he handed six tiny round pills over.
"Well...let's test those out..."
'What do you think about this?'
'Let me feel them.'
Holding out his hand with all six beads palm up he focused Reishi until the tip of his sword came out of his palm. Slowly starting to glow they vanished quickly as six featureless forms materialized. Slowly walking up to each he put his palm's on their shoulders and injected the rods as his spirit had shown him.
'You will need a stronger connection to do what your planning. Here's what you need to do...'
After injecting it deep into each formless soul he sat down on his knees and placed his palm against his own forearm. Clenching his teeth he slammed two rods into his forearm and then did the same on his other.
Dripping blood into the sand he stretched out his leg and slammed two rods into his calf and then carried on to the other. This would limit his movement but if it worked he would have the connection he needed.
Slowly standing back up dripping blood into the sand he placed his hands against his forearms and pushed with all his might as the Reishi gushed into the piercings and rods imbedded deep into his body. He had to succeed or this was all for nothing. No matter what he had to endure.
Yoroichi and Urahara gasped at the amount of Reishi gushing out of the boy and into the six facsimiles of souls...and watched on as they slowly changed from formless souls to exact copies of Ichigo...
'I need more. I'm losing my grip on...'
Palm's pushed rods one last time into the shoulders and then his hips quickly as Ichigo injected two more set of rods deep and thru and gasped as the forms stabilized.
Urahara watched as the original sighed deep before falling to the ground screaming bloody murder as one by one all six copys started and fell to their knees screaming and crying aloud. He could now feel the distinct split power in each as they fell spreading Ichigo thin with how much energy was just used.
"Samsara Eyes...the six realms of reincarnaion and the...," Urahara wondered aloud.
"And the path between, the outer path," all the Ichigo's said at once. "That was," Ichigo started before all seven started coughing up blood, "Unpleasant."
'Was it successful?,' Ichigo thought to his Zanpakuto.
'The paths are made,' came the deep surprised voice of Pain, 'They are slightly weaker then if we made them with true souls, but the nature of them made it easier to create the connection.'
'Easier?,' Ichigo thought in wonder as the all consuming pain slowly subsided...and his mind expanding had finally come to a halt. Damn that hurt. But it was complete and he could feel intrinsically the unique powers of each path...even if it would take time to get used to or to master in any capacity he was sure as he focused all he could into looking at Urahara with only his eyes and not all seven sets now staring at the ground.
"I may need some help getting up."
"And I'm starving."
--
Deciding to rest for a bit Ichigo and his paths sat down in a circle and he slowly tried to move each one individually. Getting the hang of which left hand to move was easier after practice with the hollow like one in his soul but still difficult.
"So you said that kido focus was what your Zanpakuto did?," Urahara said while sitting near the group.
"Yes...yes. It was the first step I learned from him."
"And now...this is the true power of your Shikai. Amazing."
"Annoying...but if it helps save Rukia..."
"So...would you like a little help?"
Ichigo would have been more concerned if he had seen the shady look Urahara gave him with a wry smile.
"Sure. What did you have in mind?"
"Hado Number 4 Byakurai!"
As the beam of electricity seared against him and the wrong body dodged Ichigo decided he hated this man.
Fight Scene Marker*
All the bodies got up and turned around as Ichigo himself got in the middle of the circle.
"Trying to protect your weakest link, good idea but you really shouldn't make it so obvious," came Uraharas voice from above as Ichigo looked up and saw another Hado #4.
He knew his true body couldn't dodge...quickly falling into a cross legged sit he closed his eyes and focused.
"Azura Path: Metal Spider!"
All the voices screamed as one of the bodies gained two more sets of arms and two more faces on either side of its head. As it did this it was turning and leaning over Ichigo in a protected huddle and was hit with the beam.
Urahara retreated and watched as gleaming chrome covered all but the black metal rods, hair, and eyes of the one he now knew to be the Azura Path.
"A defensive path. Good. Protect the main body while you can focus on offensive. Let's see how you do. Hado #4!"
Focusing on Urahara he saw as the man's feet glowed before he suddenly was in a diffrent set of eyes field of view. As the beam came his way he used his Azura Path to block again and focused on the others.
"Deva Path: Almighty Pull!"
As Urahara suddenly found himself lauched at the paths he quickly started applying Reishi to his feet but right before he succeeded...
"Preta Path: Consume the Void."
As Urahara appeared quite far away he felt that the brief moment one of the paths touched him he lost a chunk of Reishi.
"Not so confident now Urahara?"
"Now I can stop holding back because you were low on Reishi," Urahara smiled fiercely as Ichigo gulped in his real body and suddenly saw Urahara start flash stepping around him while pulling his sword from his cane.
"Hado #4, Hado #4, Hado #4, Hado #4, Hado #4..."
As beams of burning electricity appeared from four diffrent directions simultaneously Ichigo decided the good old fashion dodge would be getting some practice as two of his paths took holes through the torso and one a slash with a sword.