The moment the last word left Ichigo's mouth, the larger of the two pale men attacked. His eyes were easily able to follow their movements as he closed the distance between them. Rather than attacking in a linear fashion, the man zig zagged in an attempt to throw Ichigo off. He had to admit that for a man of his size his speed was somewhat impressive. Nothing near the movements of some of the higher ranked Espada, but it was still a sight to see.

The glowing ax-like weapon came down on him from his left side, easily slicing through the air as it approached. Most of the man's face was covered by a white fabric, only letting Ichigo see a single lilac colored eye narrowed in concentration. The shorter of the two smirked to himself, and looked almost eager to see the orange haired teen get cut down. The look on his face morphed into a frown only a moment later, when the ax collided into the ground, creating a large gash from the impact.

Ichigo looked down at his attacker with a bored expression on his face as he pried the weapon out of the ground. Just before it would have reached him, he took a step back, letting it pass by him harmlessly.

"You know, you asked who I was, but didn't bother introducing yourselves." Ichigo pointed out before taking a step to his left. The red ax once again missed but this time, the attack continued despite that. The man's grip on the weapon tightened and the ax was once again coming at him. This time, it was swung horizontally.

He could see the larger man's eye narrow further than before, and he knew this must not be something he was used to. In a way they seemed like even more stuck up versions of Byakuya. Even in his distracted state, however, he was able to continuously dodge and weave through every swing of the ax.

"Why introduce ourselves when you will be dead in moments?" The shorter one asked from his place on the side.

Ichigo mentally scoffed. Was he even watching what was happening?

His opponent roared in frustration, and with a two handed grip, swung downward from above. It would have been easy to stop him before he even attacked, but an idea made its way into his head. Throwing caution to the wind he stood in place unmoving, and Ichigo waited until the glowing weapon was close enough before his arm shot out.

A large explosion shook the area and blew apart the wall behind him, kicking up smoke and debris. The red glow of the weapon was still partially visible through the smoke, but one would be able to see that it hadn't made it to the ground. Once the smoke cleared, two sets of eyes widened in shock as one crinkled in satisfaction.

Ichigo's hand now held the head of the ax in what looked like a relaxed hold, though it was anything but. Glancing behind him, Ichigo saw that not only had the wall been destroyed, but a large portion of the building itself as well. The hole also provided him a look outside which confirmed that he was in a vastly different place than before, and it was certainly not anywhere he recognized.

A snow storm seemed to be taking place as heavy winds howled. The sky was pitch and clear of clouds, and in the distance the only thing he could see was darkness. Turning back to the man in front of him, he noted that the power behind the swing was much stronger than anything he'd experienced in his time in this new world, but more importantly he realized his own might had grown even further than he suspected.

The force behind his swing was much stronger than Hidan, and he was sure that it also trumped far beyond even Tsunade's monstrous power. If this had been only two days ago, he would have had to enter his Bankai to block a swing like this straight on. Nonetheless, while it was still impressive, it was nowhere near enough to make him have to block using his Zanpakuto anymore.

"Kinshiki, what are you doing? Hurry it up." Ichigo heard the one still observing say.

"Kinshiki." Ichigo repeated, testing the name on his tongue. "I'll give you one chance to back down." He warned.

The large man gave no indication that he'd heard the warning, and again tried to pry the ax out of the substitute shinigami's hands to no avail.

"I warned you." Before Kinshiki could respond, his right hand swung his blade downward diagonally. The white garment Kinshiki wore was torn from his right shoulder down to the left side of his hip. The putrid smell of flesh engulfed what was left of the room, and crimson flecks stained his right cheek. Soon, the once pristine white fabric slowly gained a red tint, as the blood began to flow from Kinshiki's now open side.

Kinshiki's groan of pain was followed by a rough exhale as Ichigo's foot embedded itself in his gut. Faster than either of the two could react, Ichigo appeared in front of him with Zangetsu poised to strike once more. He swung and met the red ax head on. The energy construct was only able to hold the black blade back for a split second, before it was cleanly split.

Though Kinshiki managed to step back just before the tip of the blade caught him, he was caught unaware by the powerful blast of air pressure that accompanied the swipe. A boom echoed through the room as the man was sent barreling out into the frozen tundra. Rather than wait, however, Ichigo stepped into a Shunpo and met the man as he was still airborne.

Kinshiki's eyes, both of which were now visible, widened at his sudden appearance above him. His arm crossed in front of him in a protective manner, the other dangling uselessly at his side, but it did little to shield him from the second swing of the blade. Like before, another powerful force was generated from the swing and he was shot down.

Crashing into the snow, Kinshiki quickly righted himself and created another ax. Most of his upper body was now bare after Ichigo's pummeling left his clothing in pieces, and already the discoloration of severe bruising was beginning to take place. His right arm was more of a hindrance than anything else, now, as it only hung on to cracked bone and stretched muscle, a large gash extending from his shoulder to his waist leaving it all visible. Ichigo noticed his opponents heavy breathing, and the way his right side tensed as the biting winds of snow and frost made its way into the wound, but still Kinshiki took a stance for battle.

Landing softly onto the snow covered ground, Ichigo swung Zangetsu to the side to clear the blade of blood. Distantly, he heard the shattering of rock and the felling of trees that accompanied his action. He made a mental note to be more careful with his strength when he was in friendly territory. Without turning around, he tilted his head left and then right to avoid a hail of multiple black cylindrical rods. With soft thuds, the rods impaled the ground just behind Kinshiki.

Turning his body so he could have both of them in his sights, Ichigo brought Zangetsu up and rested it on his shoulder.

"Unless you want to end up like Kinshiki, retreat." Ichigo ordered, lazily staring at the still unnamed man.

"I'll admit you've caught me by surprise with your strength. To be able to keep up with Otsutsuki, especially of our level, is a feat on its own." The man praised, his tone more serious though still confident. "As a measure of respect, I shall tell you my name. Otsutsuki Momoshiki." The now named individual finally introduced himself. Ichigo thought perhaps they could talk things out now, but that idea was soon discarded as Momoshiki raised his right hand.

Ichigo's attention was drawn to the man's palm where a single eye stared back at him. It wasn't like any eye he'd ever seen however, its position notwithstanding, as this one was entirely red with multiple black rings encircling its pupil. A burst of energy registered on his senses, and the eye glowed ominously, its black rings turning white and an aura of power wafting off of it. A small puff of smoke shrouded it, before even more of the same black rods were fired at him again. With a wave of Zangetsu, most of the rods were easily deflected, but he was still forced to jump back.

Kinshiki appeared to his right, having created another weapon, and slashed at him with his remaining good arm. Just as he was about to unleash another attack, Ichigo was forced to step back once again to avoid another folly of rods. They didn't look like anything special, but he could feel the strange chakra imbued in them, and decided it was best to not chance getting hit by one of them. The rods were much faster than any of the movements he saw from the two, as well. The moment his feet touched the ground, Kinshiki was on him again. His speed had slowed considerably, but he still had plenty of power behind his attacks.

He parried a diagonal slash from the new ax, a hill beside them disintegrating, but three rods landed in between them before he could move toward Kinshiki to retaliate. Scoffing at the growing annoyance Momoshiki now presented, Ichigo knew he would have to separate the two long enough to handle them one at a time.

Kinshiki was already near death's door, so Ichigo decided he would be the first one to go. From what he'd been able to see, Momoshiki relied heavily on those black rods. Ichigo still wasn't sure what they did, but he was in no mood to find out. Kinshiki was able to create weapons out of the red energy he could summon, but with one arm was severely limited.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He knew he was stronger now than he was two days ago, immensely so. Perhaps this would be a good chance to test just how much stronger he'd gotten. Stepping into a Shunpo, he appeared in front of Kinshiki, who was still staring at the spot he'd previously occupied. He noticed Kinshiki's eyes beginning to widen, though he was still no faster than a stone statue. Glancing over, he saw Momoshiki's hands and legs twitching slightly as his body began to lean forward.

Ichigo's focus returned to Kinshiki, and his hand tightly gripped his opponent's face. With another Shunpo, the two disappeared. Tens of kilometers passed in an instant, and once he was confident that he was far enough away from Momoshiki, Ichigo tossed his opponent down into the ground, creating a small crater upon impact. In an impressive display of durability, Kinshiki was still able to roll and back on his feet, though the onslaught wasn't over yet. It seemed that throw had been the last of his arm, however, as the appendage laid a few paces away from the giant.

His single arm wasn't enough to protect him from the rapid series of punches that began to connect with his upper body and face. The blood on Kinshiki's upper body had stained the rest of his clothing, and the punches that continued to connect only served to worsen his wounds.

In a desperate attempt to create space, Kinshiki formed another blade and began to swing haphazardly. One swing over extended his arm and Ichigo wasn't one to let an opening like that slide. Kinshiki's arm hadn't even begun to retract when another thin red line appeared on his chest, this time from shoulder to shoulder. Like the first one, the gash opened up a second later and blood began to flow down his body like a fountain.

The snow beneath Kinshiki was dyed a deep red in an instant, but Ichigo wasn't finished yet. Appearing in front of the barely standing man, he followed his attack with a strong kick to the underside of his chin, propelling Kinshiki high into the air.

Glancing back, Ichigo could sense movement rapidly approaching, and he knew he would have to end it quickly. Cocking Zangetsu back, he allowed the familiar feeling of his power to flow through him. His body took on a bluish tint as did Zangetsu. Glancing up at the airborne form of his opponent, two words left his mouth.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

With a mighty swing, a large arc of blue energy was expelled from his sword, larger than any he had made before, and began moving rapidly towards Kinshiki. It almost blotted out the sky with its light, only extending and widening as it traveled higher and higher. Ichigo squinted his eyes, no longer able to see the tiny form of Kinshiki in the farthest reaches of the atmosphere. The attack then connected, letting off an explosion that stretched on for an enormous amount of distance, all while the shockwave traveled up into space and down towards the ground. It felt like a strong wind against him, but the land around him flattened and splintered as the earth groaned in protest. Ichigo continued to stare upward, ignoring the destruction surrounding him. He could feel Kinshiki still up there, surprisingly enough, but the amount of energy he felt from him was quickly disappearing.

With a Shunpo, he vanished and reappeared a few meters away just as Momoshiki arrived. Ichigo noticed that the veins around his once pupiless eyes bulged on his skin as he looked up at the cloud of smoke in the air. Momoshiki's hands clenched into a fist, and he could hear how the short man gnashed his teeth together. Ichigo glanced up once more, still not seeing anything, before a fiery blur pierced the smoke as the air around it warped into a cone. Momoshiki could do nothing but watch as his partner's body descended from the sky, landing with an overwhelming crash onto the now fractured and cracked ground below.

Ichigo watched as Momoshiki dashed over to the downed man with a rather angry look on his face. It wasn't as if he was worried for Kinshiki, but rather he was upset that he'd lost. Kinshiki's entire body was exposed to the coldness of the world, allowing everyone to see the damage he'd received. He was barely even recognizable as human anymore. His remaining limbs were shriveled and twisted into charred black stumps, and his chest looked more like a severely overcooked piece of meat than anything else. Blood no longer soaked his chest, and it hardly looked like there was any liquid in his body at all. Ichigo reflexively scrunched his nose at the sight, but no smell reached him. The flesh had long been burnt already, and all that was left was soot crumbling in the breeze.

Even still, Kinshiki made a raspy breath, and Ichigo shook his head in disbelief that he was even still alive, let alone conscious. He almost felt bad for the man, but reminded himself that they had brought this upon themselves. He'd given them a chance to talk things out, and they had refused.

"I see." Momoshiki commented suddenly, and in a tone far too calm to be good. "It seems you're different from the vermin we've come across in the past few centuries."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed at the numerous years he referred to rather casually, and, while he spoke, Ichigo began to draw on Zangetsu's power. His eye color once again changed to black and yellow, whilst a hole formed in his chest. He didn't know what Momoshiki was planning, but he didn't want to spend any more time here. He needed to finish this.

That feeling inside returned once he drew on his true power, and he instinctively pointed Zangetsu forward so that the tip was pointing at Momoshiki. Red particles began to coalesce at the tip, as a small sphere was formed.

"Cero."

A large red beam of light was fired, rapidly closing the distance between it and Momoshiki. The ground surrounding the beam melted from the heat, and Ichigo watched with half lidded eyes as the Cero crossed the distance, but rather than an explosion going off, the attack stopped. The sphere was seemingly suspended in mid air, until it began to shrink, and he could see that it was being absorbed into the man's right hand. The eye embedded in his palm glowed once more.

"How odd." Momoshiki commented as the last of the attack was taken in. He stared at his hand curiously for a moment, before his smirk returned, and he thrusted his other hand forward. The smirk disappeared a moment later when nothing happened.

Ichigo was just as confused. He knew enough to deduce that Momoshiki had planned on somehow firing his attack back after having absorbed it, but it had failed. Why? Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that it wasn't a chakra based ability?

Momoshiki grit his teeth in frustration and turned to look at his almost dead partner. His eyes had evaporated in the heat of his Getsuga Tenshou, but even still Kinshiki turned his head to meet his fellow Otsutsuki's. Ichigo watched morbidly as the charred body was turned into something that resembled a blood red fruit, which was then promptly consumed by Momoshiki.

Seconds after the final bite went down his esophagus, Momoshiki's body expelled massive amounts of chakra and his body quickly began to change. The regal look he once wore transformed as black marks quickly formed across his body, dripping from his hairline to the unders of his eyes unevenly like ink. He saw more of them cover his chin and parts of his neck, and even more of the dark pattern peeked out from the collar of his dress. His previously immaculate hair shot out in length, as it grew wild and haphazard. The two horns atop his head then thickened as it began to jut out upwards, and then curved behind the Otsutsuki. The previously brownish gray color of them was bleached white, before that same black pattern formed over their base.

Most notable, however, was the massive increase in power Ichigo could feel from him, as well as the third eye that had sprouted on his forehead. It sported the same design as the ones on his palms, but its color was golden. Glancing down, he saw that the red eye on his palm had changed to match the color of the one on his head, and his once lilac eyes had also turned yellow.

Momoshiki smirked, then extended a hand as red energy shot out from his palm. It extended and thinned, stabilizing as his fingers gripped it. It was almost exactly like how Kinshiki had done, but rather than an ax, Momoshiki created a large scythe that he then began to spin rapidly above his head and behind his back, until he assumed a stance for battle.

"Now then." Momoshiki taunted. "Allow me to show you why the Otsutsuki are the superior beings in the universe."

Momoshiki's form blurred, and Ichigo blinked in disbelief. His surprise only lapsed his concentration for less than an instant, but that was enough for his opponent's new form. Moving with speed much faster than Kinshiki could have hoped to achieve, Momoshiki appeared in front of Ichigo, his arrogant smirk gone and a look of concentration plastered on his face, as he connected his fist with the shinigami's chest. Ichigo's body was forcefully sent back flying through the air. There was a dull throb in his chest from where the attack landed, but it still wasn't enough to do much. Going with the momentum, his body spun in the air until he landed on the ground and skid to a stop.

The stop was short lived, however, as he was forced to jump right to avoid a downward slash of the scythe. The energy blade tore through the ground without any resistance as a gash formed in the earth. Ichigo dashed backwards to avoid the follow through of the swing, and an ear shattering boom was released as Momoshiki's scythe finished its arc. A strong wind buffeted him, but he stood unflinching. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the air pressure created from Momoshiki's strength travel for what seemed like a thousand kilometers, multiple mountain tops being sliced clean through, before a distant blast echoed across the planet.

The two fighters stared at one another for a moment, before both disappeared. Loud booms echoed across the empty land as the two clashed rapidly. Nothing but blurs of black, white, and red were visible as they sped across their battleground. As the ruined land passed them by in a blur, their blades continued to clash violently, hundreds of exchanges happening in the space of a second. Momoshiki had much more power behind his swings than Kinshiki did, and his movements were incomparably faster as well.

The red scythe sliced the air above him, but Momoshiki didn't stop at the swing. His body spun along in an attempt to deliver a spinning kick to Ichigo's head. Bringing his left arm up, he absorbed the impact easily, and quickly followed it up with his own slash. Momoshiki was quick to spin the scythe around, and just barely managed to stop the attack from connecting.

The man smirked proudly and lifted his right hand, once again showing the yellow eye in his palm, glowing once more. Ichigo expected the black rods to be fired, as Momoshiki had already done innumerable times during their recent exchanges, and prepared to raise his blade to bat them away. Instead, he found himself being pushed back by an unseen force. It slammed into the entirety of him and Zangetsu, and, as he flew back, he noticed the ground around Momoshiki eroding in a circle. Ichigo clicked his teeth in annoyance as he righted himself. With Kinshiki's powers at his disposal, along with that boost in his own speed and power, Momoshiki was now a much more dangerous opponent.

Despite this, Ichigo felt a grin creeping up on his face. As much as he had been planning on ending this quickly, he also hadn't had a chance to let loose like this for months now, and his blood was boiling in anticipation. His mind flashed back to the words Grimmjow beat into him during their battle, and he chuckled. There was no need to hide from it, especially not now that he knew the truth of himself.

He was having fun.

Landing softly on the ground, Ichigo decided he would kick things up a notch. Faster than before, Zangetsu cut through the air, letting off a now black Getsuga Tenshou. Like the Cero, the attack was frozen in the air, and Ichigo knew Momoshiki would be absorbing it, though it likely wouldn't be fired back.

Knowing what to expect, Ichigo moved just as the attack began to shrink, the size of his technique obscuring his advance. Landing only a foot away from where the attack was still suspended, Ichigo effortlessly cut through it, revealing a shocked Momoshiki. Incredibly, the man was still able to react to his approach, though not fast enough to avoid the attack completely.

The black blade created a shallow cut starting from beneath Momoshiki's left eye, dragging down diagonally as the man's lips were split, before it ended its path at his chin. Now going on the offensive, Ichigo followed the man as he took steps back, and continued launching vicious slashes. The ground shattered due to the force of each swing, the landscape of this world irreparably changing with every missed or diverted strike, and Momoshiki was visibly focused on avoiding the attacks. Despite the power he had gained from consuming Kinshiki, he'd seen what only two solid cuts were able to do to his former partner, and knew he couldn't allow that to happen to him.

Coming to a stop, Ichigo took a few small breaths, his heart pumping with excitement as he gazed at his opponent. Momoshiki's hand reached up to his face to wipe off the blood, as his teeth gnashed in anger at having been marked by a mere human.

"You still haven't shown me anything." Ichigo called out, knowing how to get someone like Momoshiki to lose their composure. "You've gotten faster and a little stronger, but is this really all you can do?"

The Otsutsuki wasn't able to retort as an agonizing pain erupted in his stomach. His eyes widened when he realized Ichigo was no longer across from him, but rather in front of him with a knee buried in his solar plexus. Imitating the attack from earlier, Ichigo jumped and spun, but this time his foot did connect with the side of the man's head.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" He roared immediately after. The pitch black beam soared through the air toward the spot where Momoshiki would be landing. He doubted the attack would connect, and was proven right when, rather than absorb it, the red scythe was dug into the ground in order for his opponent to launch himself into the air once more. For all of his arrogance, it seemed the same trick wouldn't get him twice.

Knowing that Momoshiki could somewhat keep up with him at this stage, he closed his eyes and focused. His body relaxed as he began to call upon Zangetsu's power, more so than he already had. He doubted he would get the chance to do this when he returned to Konoha, so this would be the only time he got to test it out in a real battle for the foreseeable future.

Momoshiki saw that Ichigo was closing his eyes, and felt a rage burn within him. This human was seemingly writing him off, closing his eyes in the middle of a battle. Gripping the scythe in his hand, he dashed forward with as much strength as he could muster. The plateau behind him crumbled from the force of his push, and with a mighty swing, Momoshiki went for the kill.

His vicious smile soon disappeared, replaced by disbelief. Upon connecting with Ichigo's body, the scythe snapped cleanly at the handle. The upper portion flew high into the air before it landed with an unceremonious thud. Momoshiki's eyes zoned in on Ichigo's neck, where he could make out faint teal lines that glowed along his skin. The same spot where his attack had hit showed no damage at all.

Suddenly, he was forced down to a knee as an abrupt increase in gravity seemed to plague the area. With a bit of trouble, he managed to look up at Ichigo, only to be met by something completely different. Something familiar. The hole in the man's chest was still present, but now one of his eyes had reverted to the brown he originally sported, and his other remained that sickly yellow surrounded by pitch black. The eyes weren't the source of his confusion however, but rather the black markings that decorated the left side of his face, extending over his eye and disappearing into his shirt, and the large bone-like horn sticking out of the left side of his head.

"What is this?" He questioned, though it was more to himself than anyone else. His eyes widened by a fraction as a thought entered his mind. That horn, and the mark over his face, trailing down his chest. Momoshiki's eyes darted lower. There was nothing on his hand, no markings of any kind. Perhaps it was incomplete? With the two new additions sparking his memory, he returned to the golden orb gazing at him unflinchingly. What he had paid no mind to before, he now evaluated with a critical eye. It wasn't the complete design, but perhaps it was the symbol of…

"Otsutsuki Isshiki, are you in control?" Momoshiki questioned. Having had a moment to catch his breath, the man managed to stand on his own strength, jumping back until he could feel the pressure around him return to normal.

Ichigo looked at Zangetsu, noticing the previously black blade had been bleached white, before looking back at Momoshiki. "Isshiki? Never heard of him."

Momoshiki hadn't even had time to process his remark, before he felt a blinding pain from his right side. Ichigo had once again disappeared, now standing to his rear looking away from him. Glancing down, he saw his right arm on the ground, the yellow rinnegan staring back almost as if in shock itself.

Gripping the open wound, Momoshiki tried to retreat only to find his path blocked by the orange haired teen. A hard right handed punch connected with his cheek, and it felt as if his head would be removed from his shoulders. He felt the bones shatter into dust, and the left side of his face drooped limply. The force from the punch caused a sonic boom to echo, as he was violently forced into the ground below, the earth cratering for leagues from the shockwave of his impact.

For the first time in centuries, Momoshiki realized his defeat at the hands of someone he deemed inferior was inevitable. He was losing too much blood, and his attacks wouldn't pierce whatever the lines on his opponents body were. He had stored his remaining chakra pills in his right hand rinnegan, as well. Coughing up more blood, he spat on the ground and glared at the man. There was only one thing he could do now, loathe as he was to admit it.

Ichigo cocked his head to the side in curiosity when he noticed Momoshiki begin to stand upright once more. Now that he'd gotten rid of the right hand that absorbed techniques, he was barely any more dangerous than Kinshiki was.

Momoshiki let out a deafening yell, and red chakra flowed out of him in waves as he pumped everything he had left into this. The chakra that fuelled his rinnegans, his weapon creation, and even the bare amount he needed to stay alive. In a burst of incredible speed, the man managed to once again punch Ichigo in the chest, only this time, the amount of power felt like barely more than a prick to the shinigami, though a bit of his shirt was destroyed in the process. Ichigo gripped the man's remaining wrist, slightly underwhelmed, and applied the barest pressure as a sickening crunch was heard.

Momoshiki felt it, but didn't let it show. Instead, he bared one final smirk, and attempted to bring his leg up for a kick. Ichigo had no problem parrying the attack and sliced the man once again, this time horizontally across the stomach, nearly bisecting him. Intestines spilled out as the Otsutsuki flew across the land. His yellow eyes began to roll upwards into his skull while the third one, no longer glowing, stared as its demise grew closer.

Ichigo dashed above him, and, at almost point blank range, brought Zangetsu up above his head with both hands as he began gathering energy. A feeling inside roared for more, and he easily gave in. His horn dug into his forearm, blood spilling onto it, and a crimson orb formed at its tip. Power rushed through him, and ecstacy filled him. A wicked grin more fitting for his Zanpakuto spirit spread across his face, and he couldn't find it in himself to care about the damage he was about to do. He didn't narrow his energy, and he didn't compress it. All he wanted was to prove his might, his superiority, and his dominance over this enemy. With a mighty swing downward, Ichigo let off a gargantuan black arc of energy, and the red beam swirled around it, combining the two attacks.

"Gran Rey Getsuga." A blinding flash of light illuminated the entire upper atmosphere of the desolate frozen tundra as the attack traveled downwards. It grew and grew as it flew towards the barely lucid Otsutsuki, the Gran Rey Cero having been completely absorbed into the Getsuga Tenshou at this point. The attack connected, and the world screamed. Ichigo raised a hand in front of his face and leaped back, as the explosion dwarfed the arc of energy a thousandfold.

He shook and stumbled on his reishi platform, putting more and more distance between himself and his new technique. The beam of red and black extended past far beyond the clouds and into space, as its wind flattened mountain ranges like grains of sand. Ichigo felt the pressure on his back lessen, though a new lesser pressure all around him replaced it, and he slowed his dash. Looking back, he saw nothing but the vast expanse of space. Far below his feet was the planet he had been on. He could see its curvature, and the small moon that hung in its orbit.

It was impossibly vast, though it seemed smaller than his own Earth, at least from the pictures he had seen. Smoke billowed across the surface, spreading for thousands and thousands of kilometers. It cleared quickly, and Ichigo saw that the damage he wreaked had spread just as far. This world was now less of a globe, and more of a single hemisphere. Molten lava wreaked over the land, his attack seeming to have disintegrated the crust and mantle of the upper portion of the planet. The pressure around him increased, but Ichigo paid it no mind, staring at what he had wrought in mild fascination and horror.

Usually, he tried to focus his attacks so they had the most power with the least collateral damage, but he had thrown caution to the wind here. The world was little more than a husk, thankfully, but Ichigo could only imagine Earth being below him, or even the Elemental Nations. The bloodlust that screamed for more had cooled, and all he was left with was the magnitude of his new power. He opened his mouth for a shaky breath, only to find that he could draw no more air inside. Ichigo's eyes widened as he realized where exactly he was.

He dashed down towards the upper remains of the planet, stopping a few kilometers away from the sea of lava that still churned, the heat it emitted still stifling even through Blut Vene, only to find he still could not draw in breath. Panic thoroughly set in as he realized the atmosphere must have burnt up in this excessive heat. He entered his fastest Shunpo, as he dashed around the planet, his lungs already straining, and he reached the other side of the sphere that had not been hit by his attack in under thirty seconds. Arriving at a clearing much like the one he arrived in, he drew in a greedy breath.

All of the snow had since melted, but other than that it looked relatively normal, for now at least. Ichigo could see the glow of molten liquid in the distance, but didn't worry himself. He had no plan of staying here, regardless. The pressure bearing around him had vanished once he entered the other side of the world, and he slumped over in relief.

Now that everything had died down, Ichigo remained standing, though he was now back in his regular form. He couldn't imagine Momoshiki had survived that, but he closed his eyes and spread his senses across the world just in case. There was no trace of his chakra anywhere on the planet.

"It's unfortunate that even with all my power, I wasn't able to see my own fate. But I can see yours quite well." Ichigo's head whipped up as he heard a voice from inside his mind. "Those who defeat gods cannot remain ordinary individuals. Soon, I'll take everything from you."

Ichigo recognized the voice of Momoshiki, and felt a sudden change in his chest. The same part where the Otsutsuki had landed his last punch. Opening his shirt, he saw a small mark on the center of his chest, in the shape of a diamond.

"That mark will be your undoing." Momoshiki continued.

Ichigo looked up at the night sky, for however long it would remain, and replied in a seemingly uninterested tone. "Is that right? You said you couldn't see your own fate…but I can tell you what it'll be. I don't know what you think you're doing, but it won't play out the way you think."

Inside his inner world, Momoshiki frowned at the reply he'd been given. None of the vessels he'd ever chosen reacted this calmly. He soon found out why as a white blade emerged from his chest, and two sets of arms pinned him down.

"Well now, it seems we have an unexpected visitor, doesn't it old man?" Zangetsu commented with a nasty grin.

Yhwach stared down impassively at the strange man who'd invaded Ichigo's inner world and nodded. "So it seems."

Momoshiki's connection to the outside world soon began to disappear, and his senses failed. He couldn't even utter a word in protest before everything went black for him.

Back in the real world Ichigo shook his head, and made a note to check out the mark later. He knew Zangetsu and Yhwach would have it covered, but he still couldn't just leave it unstudied. A casual swing of his sword created a Garganta, and soon, the wrecked world was left behind.

xxxx

The serenity of the Senju estate was momentarily disrupted as the mouth of the Garganta opened in the same place it had first been created, the frantic buzzing filling the clearing with its appearance. Stepping out, Ichigo noticed that it was darker than when he'd left, much darker. He knew he hadn't taken that long during his battles, but maybe there was some time distortion between worlds like with the dangai?

Hoping that it was only later in the same day, Ichigo made his way toward the backdoor. The lights had been turned on inside so he was certain Tsunade had returned, or at least stopped by.

Entering the home, he looked around and found Tsunade at the dining table having a meal. She paused mid bite and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Where have you been?" She asked, licking ketchup off of her lip. "You've been gone for hours. And what's up with your shirt?"

"I tried using one of my new abilities to get home."

"Since you're still here, I'm going to go ahead and say it didn't work." Tsunade replied.

He nodded. "It sent me to two different worlds I think. I even had a little run in with two people."

Tsunade blinked slowly, registering the words that had reached her. He had an encounter with otherworldly beings? Knowing that he himself was from a different reality made it a little easier to process the information, but it was still rather unbelievable to hear.

"I know I told you to keep yourself occupied, but this wasn't what I thought you'd get up to." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Get some food and sit down, I want to hear about this little adventure you went on."

Feeling his stomach grumble, he mouthed a quick thanks and served himself before taking a seat across from her.

"So, you're telling me you fought and killed two centuries old space aliens?" Tsunade asked slowly, as if talking to a child, once he finished regaling her of his tale.

That wasn't exactly how he had put it, but he nodded nonetheless. "The strange thing is one of them confused me for someone named Isshiki once he saw my horn, so it's safe to say there's more of them out there."

Tsunade slowly chewed her food while she kept her blank gaze on Ichigo, making him feel slightly uncomfortable. After swallowing the bite, she leaned back in her chair and let her head tilt back. "Casino's and debt collectors."

"Huh?"

"That's what my problems used to consist of before I met you. Then you broke me out of my slump, and revealed to me things I never would have considered possible. Now I've been told about aliens, alternate dimensions, and other worlds. I'm just wondering what you'll drop on me next."

The shinigami wondered if now would be a good time to tell her about the diamond shaped mark on his chest. It was her first day back and she had her plate full as it was, maybe he would wait until tomorrow.

"I should've known it wasn't over." Tsunade grumbled as she straightened in her chair. "Alright, what aren't you telling me?"

Not knowing exactly what to say, he figured the best way to go about it was to show her, he stood up. Curiosity was present on the medics face, but she remained silent even as Ichigo turned his body toward her.

Seeing his hand peel back the hem of his shirt, she was about to question what he was doing, but cut herself off when she saw the diamond shaped mark on his chest. Any teasing remark about him wanting to have a matching diamond on himself died when she realized that it seemed to be a solid object. No, that wasn't exactly right.

Her food forgotten, she turned in her seat so she too was facing forward, and placed a hand near his chest. Leaning forward, she let her finger scrape the surface of the mark, feeling no distinct texture. She looked up at him, gauging if her touch had garnered any sort of reaction.

"Does that hurt?" She asked in a professional tone.

"No. I don't even really feel it to be honest. It just showed up after I killed Momoshiki." He said, not bringing up the fact that the man had somehow entered his inner world. He could learn more about that the next time he went in.

Her hand took on a greenish glow, and slowly traced the mark and skin surrounding it. Ichigo tried not to move as her fingers tickled his skin, and kept his eyes on the mark as well.

"It doesn't seem to be a physical object, it's almost like it's part of your skin." She muttered softly. Tracing her finger over the mark again, this time with a bit more force, and she shook her head. "I've never seen anything like it. There's some kind of energy coming from it, and it's more like chakra than your reiryoku. It almost reminds me of…" She trailed off as her hand absentmindedly rubbed her forehead.

"I don't feel any different, and there's no pain or anything like that." He commented. Running his own finger over the mark, he hummed to himself. "If it's part of my skin then I might have an idea."

Tsunade looked back up at him, and was greeted with the sight of two sickly yellow and black eyes. A small shudder crept up her spine at the look, as if something primal was warning her about them. Even though there was no malice aimed at her, the sight still unnerved her. At least his bones weren't sticking out of his head, she thought.

Turning around, he made his way to the back yard with Tsunade hot on his trail. If the mark really was just on his skin, then there was an easy way to better understand what was going on. Channeling Zangetsu's power, he turned around and threw his shirt on the ground a fair bit away from him.

Tsunade crossed her arms and wondered what the hell Ichigo was doing. "You could have just taken off your shirt inside you know? There's better lighting."

"I doubt you'd be happy with me staining your home."

"Staining?" Her question died moments later when his own hand pierced his chest. Ichigo grunted in pain as his fingers dug through the skin and muscle, as he roughly tore around the marked spot on his chest. A sickening squelch reached her ears, and she saw as he wrenched his hand out, the few sinews still attaching the two pieces snapping violently. Blood gushed over his hand, but a white substance quickly bubbled over the wound on his chest.

Tsunade's disturbed look at the sight of all the blood was followed by intrigue, when the pale goop began to fill in his wounds, beginning to turn a peach color as it molded into the flesh. All of this took around five seconds, about the same time as her own Creation Rebirth, but his monstrous energy hadn't diminished in the slightest.

"You idiot!" Tsunade chastised once she got over her surprise, but he only held out his bloodied hand toward her. She quickly disappeared into the house and came back with a blank scroll which she had him place the flesh onto. The mark was still intact, although the feeling she'd sensed from it was no longer present.

Looking at what should've been a clean bit of skin, both were surprised to see the mark had come right back as the white substance had settled and tanned. Placing her hand on his chest to scan him again, Tsunade once more detected the faint trace of energy flowing within.

"Well, there goes that idea." Ichigo commented, letting his eyes revert to their usual brown color. "Oh, yeah." He added after a moment of thought. Reaching into his pocket, he carefully pulled out the two scrolls he'd managed to get his hands on before the incident with the Otsutsuki's had gone down.

"I found these while I was over there. I haven't had a chance to look at them though."

Tsunade took the scrolls and could tell that they were old, much older than any she'd ever come across. It was a miracle that they hadn't crumbled away. She nodded for him to follow her back into the house, and placed the scrolls in the center of a small table in the living room.

"I'll take a look at them tomorrow and study the mark when I get the chance. I don't like knowing you have something like that on you, but there's nothing we can do for now. Not until I know what we're dealing with." She began, already feeling a headache coming on. "Anyway, I looked into what you needed."

Ichigo perked up.

"There's three people necessary to perform the technique, but I don't know the limitations on what it can do. Unfortunately, only one of the men is in the village at the moment, so I'm going to need you to wait for a few more days." She informed him in an apologetic tone.

He sighed but nodded. It couldn't be helped. "It's not your fault. So, what do I do until then?"

"You could take some time to get to know the village?" She proposed. "There's a lot to see and do. I'd give you a tour if I didn't have so much on my plate. Orochimaru really fucked things up for us."

"I suppose I can find a thing or two to do." He said before he remembered something he'd wanted to try. "Actually, is there anywhere I can practice some…high level techniques?" He asked, referring to Hado #90.

The blonde's eyes narrowed in suspicion. She'd seen what he could do with his power, and the village wouldn't be able to handle something like that if it went out of control.

"I won't disintegrate anything, promise."

Not in the mood to tell him that shouldn't be anything someone should have to promise, she gave a weary nod. "There's a large forested area to the east of the Hokage tower. It's blocked by a large fence. You can't miss it, and you can practice there. But if any of your attacks destroy a portion of the village, then you can forget about the help until you pay back the damages. Got it?"

"Got it." He said, before a yawn escaped him. The events of the day were finally catching up to him. "I think I'm gonna go ahead and call it a night."

His yawn forced one of her own out, and she nodded in agreement. "Same here. I'll probably be gone by the time you wake up. Feel free to help yourself to any of the food here, or buy some if you want. We probably need to do a grocery run, anyways. Also, there's a few shirts in my closet if you want to borrow one. Night."

The two made their way down the hall, and turned in opposite directions toward their respective rooms. With one final 'goodnight' Ichigo closed the door and took in the sight of what would be his room for an unspecified amount of time. Placing Zangetsu against the wall, he removed his clothing until he was comfortable, and laid down under the covers.

This bed was much nicer than the other ones he'd slept on in this world, and sleep came to him within minutes.

xxxx

After a quick shower the following morning, Ichigo made his way to the living room to find that Tsunade had indeed already left. It was barely half past nine in the morning, but already the sun was relatively high in the air. Stopping by her room, he knocked loudly as he slowly entered, just in case he was wrong and she was still inside. Luckily, the room was empty. Checking her closet, he found that there were a few shirts available, however they were of a rather…unique style. Nearly all of them had the kanji for gambling on them, even the ones that looked like mens clothes. Was her whole family full of addicts? He exited the closet with a sigh. He'd rather be seen as a slob than a megalomaniac. Looks like he would have to keep the torn shirt for a little longer.

Going to the kitchen, he took a look at the left overs from the night prior, and contemplated whether to eat here or go out.

"She did say we needed groceries." He muttered after checking out the mostly empty fridge. He wasn't sure if she had people to do the shopping for her, being the ruler of the village and all, but just in case, he decided he would stop by a store and pick up a few things. He would need to get some new clothing as well, and with the current state of his garments he couldn't put it off any longer. As much as he liked his current attire, it was time for a change, at least until he got back home.

He was living here for who knew how long, so the least he could do was stock up on food. Turning toward the front door, he saw a single key hanging on a small metal rack on the wall next to the door. Figuring it could only be used for the front door, he took it with him, and sure enough, he was able to lock the door.

Walking along the path that led back to the heart of the village, Ichigo took a moment to really look around. Now that he was allowed to stay, he could see what the village had to offer. First on his list however, was a breakfast place.

When he reached the main street that led all the way to the Hokage Tower, choices were on both his left and right. Everything from small stands to large restaurants with people already entering, some even had a line.

Scratching the back of his head, he debated whether he should look for a small hole in the wall style place, or to take his chance with one of the few in front of him. Not having much to lose, Ichigo walked toward a medium sized old style place that advertised everything from noodles to all meat dishes. The aroma made his mouth water the closer he got.

Stepping inside, he was greeted to a rather full establishment, but fortunately there was a seat open along the wall to the far right of the bar. His eyes gravitated to the left side, where two familiar figures were seated among three others that he didn't recognize.

'Hatake Kakashi and Sarutobi Asuma.' Ichigo thought to himself. Looks like Kakashi was doing better if he was already out and about.

"What can I get for you sir?" Ichigo looked up to see that he was next in line, and quickly glanced up at the menu overhead. Deciding to stick with his usual routine, he asked for whatever the special of the day was. His order was jotted down and his money counted after he handed it over.

He made his way to the bar area, and took his seat just as the man he would've been sitting next to stood up and left. It didn't take more than five minutes before a steaming bowl was placed in front of him, along with some chopsticks that were wrapped in white paper.

Releasing the utensils, he snapped the sticks in half and began to softly blow onto the bowl to cool it down. His eyes darted to his right when someone sat beside him.

"Hey there." Came the nonchalant, almost uninterested voice of Kakashi.

"Yo." The shinigami replied in a tone just as lazy.

"Second day in the village, how are you adjusting so far?" The man asked.

"Pretty good all things considered. I have the day to myself since Tsunade has to get things under control. I figured I'd try a place out, get some necessities, and then maybe train a little." He replied, unsure as to why he would have garnered Kakashi's attention, before taking a bite.

The silver haired shinobi didn't miss how Ichigo hadn't referred to her as 'Lady Tsunade', but rather just by name. Kakashi hummed and nodded to himself, before looking back at his table for a second. Giving Ichigo his attention once more, he spoke.

"I see. Naruto told me a little about you yesterday. He said you were able to keep Kabuto back while focusing on Tsunade before he got his shot."

Ichigo thought back to the battle, and vaguely remembered Naruto having been eaten by a snake before somehow escaping. How long had he been waiting for his shot that he got to see him smack Kabuto around?

"It was nothing, really." He said, waving it off.

"Humble I see. In any case, since you came with Lady Tsunade I assume you're sticking around for a bit."

Ichigo nodded. "It looks that way, yeah."

"Then why don't you join us over there." Kakashi offered, nodding his head toward his table.

Looking over his shoulder, he noticed everyone at the table quickly resumed conversations with each other, as if they hadn't been watching them.

"They're somewhat interested in you too."

"How?" Ichigo asked. He hadn't spoken to anyone.

"They saw when you arrived with the Hokage, and were curious as to who you were."

Not wanting to be rude and reject the invitation, he nodded as he grabbed his plate. Kakashi led him to the table and took a seat next to Asuma, scooting him over to make room at the far edge. Now among them, he was able to study the people around.

The first was an older version of the kid Tsunade had spoken with the day before. He was taller, however, and had much more muscle on his body. Next to him were two women. The first was a rather attractive one with purple hair a few shades lighter than Yoruichi. Her choice of clothing was interesting, to say the least. She had a tan coat over a mesh shirt that was quite see through. He forcefully tore his eyes from her flat stomach, a light blush on his face, and frowned as her energy brushed against his senses. It wasn't anything special for the most part, except for a curious feeling he got from her. It was centered around her shoulder, but it didn't feel like the chakra he'd become accustomed to in this world.

Finally, there was a woman with black hair and ruby red eyes. She wore some sort of outfit that resembled bandages, only much more ornate. Her right sleeve was red and her left was missing, showing her bare arm that was bandaged from her fingers to just below her elbow.

"Well, I know you're aware, but I'll introduce myself again. Hatake Kakashi." Kakashi said with a small wave.

From there, the shinobi went in a circle introducing themselves. Sarutobi Asuma, Might Guy, Mitarashi Anko, and finally Yuhi Kurenai.

"So, Ichigo!" Might Guy boomed with energy, his white teeth shining brightly. "Kakashi tells us you knew him by his bounty. Are you by chance a bounty hunter?" He asked curiously.

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled, and Ichigo could tell the man was grinning under his mask. He regretted having mentioned the bounty upon meeting the man, because it was clear everyone knew about that now.

Ignoring the purple haired woman's chuckle, he replied. "Something like that, yeah. I recently turned in Rokusho Aoi."

Anko's eyes lit up and she pointed at him with her chopsticks. "That was you?" She questioned. "Ibiki had a field day with him. I haven't seen him that happy in years."

"How did you get into bounty hunting?" Kurenai asked curiously.

"Well, since Yugakure didn't keep their shinobi, I needed to find a way to make some money." He replied automatically. Tsunade had said to keep his background a secret, so his old cover would have to work for now.

Eyebrows raised all around the table. They of course knew that Yugakure no longer had shinobi, but none of them had met one. "Yugakure?" Kurenai followed. "So how did you end up traveling with Lady Tsunade?"

Ichigo went on to tell them about how Tsunade felt that he had scammed her out of her money, while leaving out some of the finer details of their encounters. That seemed to sate their curiosity for the time being, and the rest of the meal was spent with more random questions they could come up with.

"...not much of a sword user myself, but I can do well with some nunchucks." Might Guy finished proudly. Ichigo wasn't even sure if he'd asked if he could use a sword, but somehow they'd gotten here. He had to admit though, the group was welcoming and some of the stories they'd shared had managed to elicit a laugh out of him.

His attention, however, was continuously drawn back to Anko and her strange aura. This didn't go unnoticed, as every time he tried to discreetly look, her eyes would directly lock with his, a sly smirk on her face as she leaned forward more and more.

"See something you like?" Anko asked, teasingly twirling a small strand of hair on her finger.

All of the other jonin looked at him with varying degrees of entertainment written on their faces, though none looked surprised. It seemed they had been picking up on his glances as well.. Not wanting to hear about it like his blunder with Kakashi, he figured it was best to simply ask what was on his mind. It had been about half an hour now, so maybe it was time.

"Actually, there is something that's been on my mind for a bit." He began. Some of the jonin glanced at each other, wondering where this would go, and Kurenai in particular looked very amused.

In typical fashion, he didn't think his words through before speaking them, and continued. "Since I got here I've been getting this certain…feeling from you."

Anko's grin only widened at his words, and he realized his error. "Go on…I'm dying to hear what comes next."

Cursing himself for his choice of words as embarrassment filled him and a blush covered his cheeks, he powered through. Pointing toward a spot on his shoulder, he tapped it twice. "It's like a strange chakra I'm detecting on you, right around here. I don't know how to describe it exactly."

The playful look on her face disappeared when she registered his words, and the others around him all winced. It seemed he had stepped into dangerous territory, as Anko frowned and subconsciously rubbed at whatever was there.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." She said, her voice flat as she straightened in her seat.

She quickly downed the rest of her food and stood up, giving them a brisk goodbye. His mouth was slightly agape, wondering just how badly he'd messed up. The others must have seen the look on his face, and Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She'll cool down soon. It's a sensitive issue she's been dealing with." The man said. His cryptic answer only created more questions in Ichigo's mind. Kurenai was the next to leave, no doubt wanting to check up on her friend, though her farewell was much less uncomfortable.

"I messed up, huh?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, but like Kakashi said, it's a sensitive topic and you didn't know. Give her a few days, and she'll probably apologize for the outburst." Asuma reassured him.

Sighing to himself, Ichigo finished up his food while answering the few questions the men asked while posing a few of his own. They all got up at the same time, and he found that Kakashi had to meet with his team, as did Asuma and Guy meaning he was on his own once more.

Now full, it was time to get some new clothes, but where could he get them for a reasonable price? Tsunade would probably know assuming the shops were the same as when she was here, but she was busy. His gaze traveled to the tower and an idea came to mind.

Tsunade might be super busy, but Shizune could be available. He recalled she had wanted to talk to him on the way back from Tanzaku Gai, but had Naruto chatting her ear off the whole time. She would have a good idea of where to go and what foods Tsunade liked to make. Nodding to himself, he made his way down the street, ready to get the rest of the day started.