Chapter 33: First Approach

When Ichigo saw the two men approach his twin and Rukia, he knew instantly that these two were not normal shinigami. "Karin," he spoke in a tone that got bot of his younger siblings attention. "take Yuzu and leave. We'll catch up to you two later." He then we on to walk towards his twin.

"Are they dangerous Ichi?" she asked, only she didn't receive an answer. Taking her sister's hand, along with their bogs, she make a quick exit from the area.

What do you think King? he heard his hollow asked.

Their reiatsu is enormous. Old Man Zangetsu spoke, his voice taking on a leery edge to it. Meaning he was unsure of these two strangers.

Ichigo remained silent to even his two zanpakuto spirits. He was trying his best to keep his cool, all the while keeping an open mind about the two men he was walking towards. Meanwhile his reiatsu was pushing against the bonds that the ring kept hidden away. Slowly a crack began to spread across the gem on it.

Verena stepped in front of Rukia, thinking that perhaps she was about to be put into danger. Across the way she saw Ichigo send their sisters away, as the people around them seemed to slink away towards other areas of the ongoing festival. The white haired man seemed surprised by her move as the brunette just chuckled.

"My, my Miss Kuchiki, you seemed to have made yourself a protective friend here." Shunsui stated with one of his lazy grins upon his face. "We're not here to start trouble." he assured them. "In fact, we are here to just talk."

"Rukia, I'm glad to see you are alright and nothing bad has befallen you." Jushiro said with sincerity in his voice. "I have been very worried about you."

"I'm sorry Captain Ukitake." Rukia said softly, almost with a meekness in her voice. "I never intended to worry you." She bowed her head slightly. "I only wanted to do my duty, but unforeseen circumstances forced me to stay."

"Rukia save our sister's life from a hollow," Verena stated regaining the two captains attentions. "but by doing so, she was injured and she lost almost all of her powers because of it." At this Rukia looked ashamed. "My family took her in afterwards. She's been getting stronger."

"I see." Jushiro looked towards Rukia. "Rukia, I'm glad you acted the way you were trained, but I'm sad to see you have been injured in a way that you've lost your powers."

"It's only a small set back for her." Ichigo's voice joined the conversation.

"Ichigo..." Rukia said his name softly.

Jushiro and Shunsui did a double take upon seeing Ichigo. "Is it me or does he look..." Shunsui began.

"I see it too." Jushiro said as a gentle smile spread across his face. But it's too soon for reincarnation to have taken place for him.

Shunsui looked between the two teens before chuckling. "Looks like you both got stuck with the wrong end of the stick." he commented with a grin.

"Don't know what you're taking about." Verena stated as she placed a hand on her hip.

"Shun!" Jushiro yelled in surprise as his friend continued to chuckle.

"Your hair..." Shunsui said with a grin. "is quite orange."

Ichigo growled slightly as an annoyed look came over his features. "It's natural." he said as his eyes narrowed at the man.

Shunsui put his hands up in defense. "I meant nothing by it." he assured the now annoyed teen. "I've seen some people with green or purple hair. It's from you having quite high reiatsu, it's affected your outside appearance." He then scratched his two day old beard. "Though the problem I'm having is actually sensing it."

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck as Verena looked away, suddenly finding the sky very interesting. Rukia frowned as she realized something. He's right! she thought. I thought it was because of my decreased powers, but when he's in his shinigami form I can sense his enormous reissue; however, I can't when he's in his human. She looked at Verena. She's the same way. Why?

Jushiro was about to say it didn't matter when he sensed it, a hollow. A screech went throughout the park, along with a flash of strong spiritual pressure. "Ichigo!" Verena cried out as she realized it was coming from the direction that Yuzu and Karin had run off towards.

"Shit." Ichigo cursed. He hadn't wanted to reveal his powers to these two men, but his two little sisters could be in danger, especially Karin with her powers the way they were. Popping Kon's soul pill into his mouth, he suddenly popped out of his body and quickly took off into the direction they had gone. Leaving Kon behind looking dumbfounded.

Orihime, who had been totally ignored until now, jumped when Verena spoke her name. "Inoue, let's go!" she yelled at her friend as she grasped the other girl's wrist.

"Idiots!" Rukia yelled as she ran after them. "That's the spirit pressure of a high class hollow!"

Both captains blinked in surprise as the young teens ran off, leaving them behind. "Were we just left behind?" Shunsui inquired as he tipped his hat back to watch them all run off.

Jushiro chuckled. "I think we were."

"Yo, old men!" a feminine voice caught their attention. Both looked to see that it was Verena. "What, do you need an invitation? Get your asses a movin'! We ain't waitin' all day!"

"Old men?" Shunsui asked incredulously before looking at his friend. "She's not talking about us, is she?"

"I think she is." Jushiro replied in a surprised tone.

Shunsui grinned. "Let's show these children just how old we are."

"That might not be a good thing." Jushiro joked as he followed his friend.

Yuzu coward behind Karin as her sister called up another kido spell, shooting fire from her hands that went out and attacked the invisible enemy. Sometimes she wished she could see the things her siblings could see, while other times she was glad she couldn't. She knew that the monsters were attacking them because of her sisters increase in power, but didn't that mean that Karin was more capable of defending herself? Wasn't she taking lessons from that Mr. Urahara guy? Something struck nearby making the dust and dirt shoot up into the air and around them.

"Karin!" Yuzu cried out in fear as she was overcome by the emotion.

"Brother!" Karin yelled out as she spotted the unmistakable form of her elder sibling.

"Ichi?" Yuzu asked as she looked up only to see nothing there. This was one of those moments she wished she could see her brother. She truly believed he must look amazing for Karin to always look so amazed when he showed up.

"Karin," Ichigo began as he brought Zangetsu up in defense. "Get yourself and Yuzu out of here."

"Yuzu! Karin!" Orihime's voice called out causing both girls to look at her. Yuzu could see that she was holding both of her hands out in front of her, a light seeming to appear in front of her; like a shield. "Run to me!"

Karin grasped her sister by her wrist and ran around the giant caterpillar-like hollow towards Orihime.

"Are you two alright?" Rukia asked as she appeared next to Orihime, behind her shield.

"Karin defended us as long as she could." Yuzu stated tearfully as she wrapped her arms around Karin before she began crying. "I was so scared!"

Karin patted her sisters head. "Everything is alright." she told her sister before looking passed the shield towards the fight. "Ichigo is fighting now. He'll kick that hollows ass."

Yuzu smiled at her sister, Karin's optimism gaining footing with her. Nodding, she agreed. "Right." A flash of energy sped by them suddenly before Yuzu saw a shadow th at looked like Verena standing there in front of them. She was about to ask what she was doing there when the shadowy figure vanished from sight. Was it my imagination?

"Verena is now here." Karin announced. "She's helping big brother now."

So I did see her. Yuzu thought before smiling at this. She liked the idea of seeing her siblings fight against monsters, but at the same time it was a frightening thought.

Verena jumped into a nearby tree before shooting a dozen arrows at the hollow. The creature screamed as the arrows pierced its skin. Ichigo ran forward and swung his sword in a downward strike, cutting he caterpillar-like hollow in half. The two halves fell opposite of each other onto the ground. The twin siblings looked at each other with a frown. It seemed dead, but usually dead hollows vanished after a fight. This one was still there.

Cheers from the sisters and friends made them look towards them before looking back at the monster. "I don't think it's dead yet." he told Verena, who gave him a nod.

Releasing her bow, she pulled out her still unnamed sword. "Don't loose focus." she said.

Ichigo gave a slight nod in agreement. Reaching his left hand under his white/black haori he grasped the handle of his second sword. Both keeping a defensive stance, when suddenly the caterpillar's two halves began to move. They both stood up and when they did, it was then that the two saw that the two halves had become two separate beings.

"How's that possible!?" Karin yelled out.

"What?" Yuzu asked her sister who turned and explained what was happening.

"Don't care." Ichigo said as he turned towards his sister. "I'll take one."

"I've got the other!" Verena cried out as she went in for a strike against the monster.

Both hollows anticipated the attacks and turned their spiked armored backed to the two teens. Ichigo's attack bounced off of the plates of the one and went to hit him in the chest, only for the white haired captain to suddenly appear out of nowhere and yell out, "Nami kotogotoku waga tate to nare, ikazuchi kotogotoku waga yaiba to nare." The sword in his hand turned into two swords with a cord held between the two. On the cord were white talisman. Holding out one blade, it absorbed Ichigo's attack. The talismans then glowed brightly before the energy was released ten times more powerful than the original attack by the second sword.

"Holy-" Ichigo began as he saw the end resulted in the hollow being turned into dust.

Shit! the inner hollow said as he finished Ichigo's comment. Zangetsu stayed silent, but his glasses did fall slightly on the bridge of his nose as he too was shocked at the speed of the white haired shinigami and the power he had just displayed.

Meanwhile with Verena, she was about to be impaled by the spikes when she was grabbed by her waist by the pink kimono wearing captain, who took out one of his swords and swung it in a downward strike. The hollow screeched as it's own spikes were thrown back at it. "Let me go!" Verena yelled at the older man.

"Aw, but I'm enjoying holding you." Shunsui teased.

Verena's cheeks turned bright pink. "I swear, if you don't..." she warned.

"My, my, you are a fiery woman." Shunsui commented, rather enjoying the nice weight of her body in his arm. "But first, let's destroyed this hollow before we try anything harmful on me."

Verena growled in frustration as she wiggled desperately trying to get out of this guy's arms. He actually tossed her onto his back, pulling out his second sword, just as the hollow turned towards them. "Hana kaza midarete, kashin naki, tenpu midarete, tenma warau." He mumbled softly, the poem-like incarnation caused Verena to look at the captain in awe as the long winded incantation finished revealing two heavily curved Chinese scimitars with silver edges. "Try not to move too much." He warned Verena, only gaining a glare from her. It wasn't like she couldn't feel the power emanating from the duel swords.

Spinning quickly, Shunsui rotated his swords facing in opposite directions from each other. This created wind blades that fire towards an opponent as he spun. Gaining both speed and momentum, Shunsui was constantly striking the hollow from all sides. Blood splattered as the strikes left deep hashes in the hollow's hide. As the spinning came to a suddenly stop, Verena saw the hollow fall backwards as its head fell forwards and off its shoulders.

As Shunsui's feet touched the ground, as they had been fighting high in the air, Verena finally was released and allowed off of his back. "Not back for an old guy, eh?" he asked her.

Verena turned towards him. "All you did was spin." she told him. She pointed at Yuzu. "My little sister can do that." she then turned away from him, smirking as she walked away.

Shunsui felt his shoulders droop a bit. "Only spinning, eh?" he chuckled as he felt his sword spirit grumbled at the audacity of that girl's words. "Oh...this girl is going to be trouble." he said to himself before grinning. "I could use a bit of trouble here and there."

M-Angel: Another exhausting week of work, though I did get to go to the local fair this week with my awesome sister-in-law. Hope everyone liked the minor fight scene in this chapter. Below are the incantation sayings in english and my replied to your comments.

Shunsui's Shikai Incantation - Flower wind rage and Flower God Roar, Heavenly wind rage and Heavens demon sneer.

Ukitake Shikai Incantation - All waves, Rise now and Become my Shield, Lightning, Strike now and Become my Blade.

Antex- The Legendary Zoroark: I hope you enjoyed this tiny fight scene. I'm glad you enjoyed the family scene in the last chapter.

GunBlade2018: Next chapter Masaki will be in it. I swear.

TheWolf87: I didn't like that these two were hardly ever used in the Bleach storyline and then Kubo killed Ukitake off. That just sucked. So I decided to bring them into the storyline earlier than in the original.

BioHazard82: Ill try to update a bit more often, but this chapter alone took three days to write due to my schedule.

Magapanda34: Uh...I might do a few arcs, but not all of them.

Kyouki no kitsune: Sorry! I tend to do a fa cliffhangers here and there.

lara5170: No, I don't plan to hook anybody up just yet. I'm creating relationships, but nothing will come of them for awhile. I agree. The more teachers he and Verena have, the better.

breannagabreil: Hope you made it to this point of the story.