Hey everyone, Vertius here with Chapter 7. Jeez, this chapter was such a pain in the butt to write. I knew exactly what I wanted to put into it but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get it right, it just kept fighting me every step of the way. I've been sitting on this completed chapter for about a week now just revising and revising and revising it some more. I finally got it to this point where I'm pretty happy with it, but that's enough of my ramblings, I hope you all enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Highschool DXD, nor any of their respective characters.
Guardian of the Dead
- Chapter 7 -
~ Urahara Shop
Ichigo and Yoruichi walked at a much more relaxed pace back towards the ladder, neither deeming it necessary to say anything. Ichigo was happy to be back in such a familiar location along with familiar faces and good friends. He knew things were definitely going to be stressful in a short while and he would admit he wasn't all too anxious to see everyone again even though he knew it would be fine, still in the back of his mind there was that little pinprick of doubt that they wouldn't be able to forgive him.
Yoruichi was silent for a different reason, yes she was happy just being back with Ichigo again, however she was having mixed feelings about what she sensed around him. She wasn't frightened, she would never be scared of Ichigo because she knew he would never harm her, however, he still felt terrifying. As she walked alongside him she could feel a deceptively comforting warmth brushing over her body, deceptive because unlike someone as well trained in sensing reiatsu as her, she could feel the lethality below the initial warmth, the super-heated reiatsu pricking at her skin, promising a slow and painful death should she challenge him.
She felt it upon meeting his gaze too, as soon as their eyes met she felt so small, like she was staring up at a giant, if she had to describe it she would say it was like being in the presence of the Captain Commander, a sense of hopelessness immediately fills your body, and you know that no matter how much you struggle against it this titan could crush you with an unrelenting and unparalleled force.
She understood now what Kisuke had meant when Ichigo first left to Takama-ga-hara. He said with the utmost certainty that even if Ichigo managed to return back here, he would never return as the same person they all knew, it was impossible, and now being in his presence she could understand what her longtime friend meant.
"-san"
"uichi-san"
"Yoruichi-san!"
Finally, after the third call, the woman in question jumped, flushing slightly in embarrassment having realized that her companion had been trying to get her attention for a while now, glancing over to the orange haired man next to her she was met with concerned eyes, "What's up, Ichigo?"
His eyes quickly flicked to the area in front of him, an action she mimicked, "We've been stood at the base of the ladder for a couple minutes now but you were so deep in thought that I didn't want to say anything, is everything alright?"
She was honestly having a hard time staying focused again, 'I could get lost in those eyes of his, dammit.' Ichigo had always had a very powerful and deep gaze, however now with them filled with so much concern, and directed right at her, she was finding it hard to stay focused, 'but it would be best not to keep him waiting,' she mused, noticing his eyes narrowing slightly at her lack of response, he worried too much. "Yeah, I'm fine Ichigo, just thinking is all, you gave me and Kisuke quite the surprise earlier."
'Deflection successful,' she didn't like using his guilt to force a subject change, but at the same time she really didn't want to have to admit that his dark and powerful reiatsu was really attractive to her, nor the fact that when he looked at her with those worried eyes her heart skipped a beat.
Ichigo gave her a skeptical look, not sure if he should take her words at face value or not, after a brief second of consideration he decided that it would be best just to take her word, annoying Yoruichi was not on his priority list right now. "Well we should probably head up, I'd like a few moments before everyone arrives to think about things." with those words said he pushed off the ground, launching himself up the dark tunnel, Yoruichi following shortly behind.
~ A few moments prior
"Oh, Tessai-san~"
"What is it, Boss?" the large dark skinned man asked, appearing behind the owner of the Urahara Shop, he was a little curious about the reason for his longtime friend's sudden change in attitude. Ever since Ichigo's death the man had put up a front, pretending to be back to his old goofy, nonchalant self, however, those close to him could see through it with ease, this was the first time Tessai had seen him genuinely happy since the tragedy.
"We're going to need lots of tea, Tessai-san, an interesting guest has just arrived and I'm sure his friends are going to be thrilled to see him once more."
The large, dark-skinned man's eyes slowly widened, a realization donning on him as his boss strode towards the front room, fan waving lazily in front of his face in a failed attempt at hiding his large smile. 'It couldn't be..' as Tessai was the main constructor of the many Kido barriers and Seals which made the underground training room what it was he could also tell roughly tell who and how many people were in the large room at any given time.
He had felt the slightest shift in his barrier and was prepared to descend the ladder in case an intruder was upon them but decided to stay put when Kisuke's and Yoruichi's reiatsu stayed neutral, if there really was an enemy then he would be able to sense the killing intent from his two friends. When the former Kido Corps Commander himself sat down and focused on the signature he was baffled at the strong familiarity he got from it, yet at the same time it felt completely different, it reminded him of a less scary Captain Commander, something that he wasn't sure was a good or bad thing just yet.
Though Kisuke's words just now had just all but affirmed what he thought he sensed through his barrier, even the usually stoic man couldn't help but grin slyly as he headed towards the kitchen, that kid just didn't know how to stay down.
~ Ishida Residence
A slight buzzing which emanated from the young man's pocket forced his train of thought to slip away and a small, unimpressed frown to set onto his features. The third year of high school had started just over a month and a half ago and he was once again studying hard to hold his place atop Karakura High's student rankings. When a moment passed and still the buzzing did not cease the dark haired teen sighed heavily and reached into his pocket digging out the rectangular device which caused his annoyance. His gaze shifted to that of curiosity when he noted the name which was displayed on the caller id, 'Urahara.'
It had been a good while since he had last spoken to the man, and though the shopkeeper's eccentric personality was sometimes too much for him to handle he knew that he would not contact someone unless it was for a reason, thus he answered it.
"What is it, Urahara-san?"
[Ishida-san! it's been so long, how nice of you to call me~]
Said teen could tell that this conversation was going to end with a headache for him, he just knew it. "Urahara-san, you are the one that called me, distracting me from my studies I might add, so what is it that you want? It's rare that you contact me."
[ah, I'm doing well, thank you for asking.]
Ishida could feel his eyebrow twitch, 'Deep breaths Uryuu, just play his game,' the bespectacled teen could hear the practically shit-eating grin on the blond's face so he knew whatever he had to say wasn't bad. His expression shifted slightly downcast as thoughts of his old rival entered his head, 'We definitely don't need more bad news.'
When only silence came through the opposite end of the phone Urahara wondered if something had happened, no matter how much he annoyed the young Quincy it was rare for him to not respond to someone, he just wasn't rude like that. [Ishida-san? Are you alright? You didn't hang up on me did you?] there was a slight grunt on the other end at that, Urahara's voice having broken the teen's attention away from whatever had grabbed it.
"As much as I would enjoy ending this conversation right now it's rare that you contact me and thus you must have a reason. I'm loathed to admit that my curiosity has been peaked." he could just feel the smugness radiating off the man on the other side of the phone at that. Surprisingly, the response he got was not as expected.
Suddenly the shopkeeper's tone shifted, seriousness taking over all other emotions, [I've contacted you first, Ishida-san, because I know you can work quickly when it calls for it. I need you to gather the Karakura gang at my shop, something has come up.]
Just as Ishida's mouth opened to respond the line went dead. Hanging up his own phone he set it down softly on the top of the desk before him, slowly his fingers thrummed against the flat surface as his mind raced. Why did Urahara need them together, and at his shop too, why couldn't he just contact them by phone? This whole situation bothered him.
Sighing again he slid his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and re-grasped his phone, finding the number for the healer of their gang he hit call.
[Ishida-kun?] the confusion in her voice was apparent, Ishida didn't ignore his friends but he certainly didn't go out of his way to chat with them either, that just wasn't the way he was, [Is everything alright?] so it was understandable that her first question was this now that he had contacted her.
"I don't know," the young Quincy replied simply. "I just got off the phone with Urahara-san and he told me to gather the Karakura team at his shop, there was no room for debate. I was hoping you would contact Arisawa-san and I would contact Sado-san, we can all meet up at the usual spot."
There was a small pause of silence before a small hum of agreement came through the other end, [Of course, Ishida-kun, I just hope nothing bad is happening again..] she trailed off, voice going weak.
"Me too, Inoue-san." with a small goodbye they both hung up, Ishida immediately getting on with calling his fellow classmate from Karakura High who had fought alongside him many times now, he just wanted to get this over with.
~ Urahara Shop
With his phone call done he set off to the main room where Tessai, Yoruichi and Ichigo were already waiting. Tessai stood diligently off to the side and Yoruichi right next to Ichigo who despite his rough exterior looked very much aware to the female presence next to him, 'What do we have here?' he mused, glancing at his dark-skinned friend, mischievous thoughts entering his mind. Sitting down across from the two he shifted his hat back, letting his normally half hidden face be basked in the light of the room.
"I've been curious about this for a while now, Kurosaki-san," Urahara started drawing the young mans gaze, he couldn't help but be momentarily taken back, 'What power his eyes hold, just briefly meeting them and it felt like there was a weight on my shoulders,' now he really was curious as to what had happened these last months. "I noticed it down in the training room as well but your reiatsu was suppressed quite skilfully, however now that were are in the shop it's like you don't even exist. I can't help but wonder if you are really that skilful at controlling it now or your power simply isn't what it used to be just yet."
With the weight he felt on his shoulders he knew Ichigo was strong once more, but whether he was at the level he was before the Dangai training was unknown to him. He didn't even imagine the possibility that Ichigo was already back at the level he was after the Dangai training with his father, that would just be ridiculous.
At those words a sort of arrogant, but not completely douchey smirk spread across his lips, it was a rare occasion that Urahara was at least partially wrong in an assumption, so to hear it now make him sort of happy, "You were only slightly correct, Urahara-san. I've been training quite extensively in controlling my power since it was reawakened, though progress has been slow. What you felt underground was the extent of my ability so far, and that's only while I'm not in combat. It's only thanks to Ryujin that I'm able to have it suppressed to this extent right now."
Yoruichi let out a small, resigned sigh, "I still can't believe that you have Ryujin Jakka of all Zanpakuto's, as if you weren't powerful enough already." this comment earned a small chuckle from Ichigo, "I feel like I'll regret asking, but just how strong are you right now?"
The Shinigami gained a contemplative look at the question, "in terms of the amount of reiryoku I possess? I'd say I'm almost on par with my state after I completed the Dangai training." he paused as there were muted chocking sounds around him, both Urahara and Yoruichi looked utterly terrified at the thought, Tessai looked quite surprised as well, still, his reaction was much tamer than the other two. They had been informed by those who met Aizen in the real Karakura Town of how Ichigo had quite literally manhandled Aizen and tossed him around like a rag doll.
Ichigo couldn't really blame them, hist post-dangai state was pretty over-powered, at least for this side of the parallel, after speaking with Amaterasu he knew that even his current level of power was insignificant to some of the things that existed out there.
Taking a breath he continued, "If I really wanted to I could have raised that level further in these months I've been away but that wasn't mine nor Ryujin's first priority. Our main goal was to train my control, firstly for the simple convenience it brings, being able to conceal myself is a benefit in many situations. Secondly, and most importantly it was for safety.
Ryujin Jakka is not a Zanpakuto that you can use irresponsibly, if you make a mistake, or try and do too much before you're ready you will kill yourself and a lot of innocent people. It was even more necessary for me who regained all of my powers before actually becoming partners with Ryujin, if I had tried to come here before I was at least at this level lots of innocents would have been in danger."
"So that's why you've been away so long.." the Goddess of flash stated, more to herself than anything.
"Yeah," he affirmed, voice becoming more melancholic, "I wanted to come back as soon as possible but I knew I couldn't. Reiatsu control, Zanjutsu, Kido, Hoho, Hakuda, I've been training day after day, honing all of these skills so that I may return back to the real world stronger, and more suited to protect than ever."
Ever the intelligent one, Urahara had that glint in his eyes, the one that meant he had picked up on something that no one else had, and as he eyed Ichigo curiously from under the brim of his hat, he couldn't shake the feeling that something big was going on. "Kurosaki-san, I wonder why it is that your reiatsu is suppressed so low right now. I understand that even now as we speak you are training yourself, but that doesn't explain why your Zanpakuto is helping you keep it to such a low output, if anything I think that would only hinder your training."
Tessai and Yoruichi both gave Ichigo an intrigued glance, the shopkeepers words ringing true and bringing confusion forth in both of them as well, the young orange haired man had his head down, bangs shielding his eyes as he stared at the green liquid in the cup between his hands, there was a small, reminiscent smile on his face as he thought about how to respond.
"I should have known you'd catch on eventually, as you said, this obviously wouldn't be helping my training very much. The reason for my reiatsu needing to be completely suppressed is because It was decided that the Soul Society would be kept unaware of my current state."
Tilting his striped had down once more he hummed in acknowledgement, "So you aren't staying then? If you suddenly popped up only to vanish once more after being presumed dead it would raise too many questions that the Captain Commander just couldn't answer."
There was a flash of purple as Yoruichi's head whipped to the side so she that she could face Ichigo, her ponytail reacting to the sharp movement, her eyes were downcast, almost in a silent pleading towards the man next to her not to leave them again.
He couldn't meet her gaze, he knew what kind of expression she would be giving him. It didn't feel right just saying sorry to them, because as much as he felt bad that he would be leaving again he wasn't sorry for making the decision he had, he was excited, more so than he had been in a long time. He would stay here for a short while and catch up with everyone, spend time with his family, but soon he would be leaving again, he wanted to explore the other side of the parallel, to experience firsthand everything that really existed. So instead he just reached over and placed a hand on her leg, giving it a light squeeze for comfort.
"You're right, Urahara-san, I have something that I want to do."
Those words were all that needed to be said to convince the three adults in the room with him, ever since his mother had died, everything Ichigo had done was for someone else. From protecting his sisters and friends to later protecting all of the souls of the dead. To finally hear Ichigo say that he wanted to do something for himself, well that was all they needed to hear to accept it.
The young orange haired man involuntarily tensed when four far too familiar signatures brushed on his senses, even though he used to be terrible at sensing people before he could still recognize everyone's reiatsu to a certain extent, now that he had been training in controlling and sensing energy he could easily picture who was walking up to the shop now. The fourth one shocked him quite thoroughly, however, 'Tatsuki?! When did she get so strong?' in terms of raw power Chad and Ishida still outclassed her by a fairly large margin however he knew Tatsuki was a very skilled and agile fighter, she would definitely use that to her advantage against a stronger opponent.
"It seems they're here."
Glancing up at the man who had just spoken those words he was a little taken back to see his eyes lacking the mischievous glint that Ichigo would have expected to be there, perhaps Urahara knew something about her powers that he didn't like? Maybe something that had to do with what he'd discussed with Amaterasu before leaving Takama-ga-hara? He didn't know but he'd had to keep an ear out, if they were involved with this then Ichigo wouldn't be able to sit back.
The sound of the front bell ringing caused Tessai to move, heading to greet the new guests and lead them to where Ichigo was waiting. They were probably some of the tensest seconds of Ichigo life, listening to the soft padding of footsteps and hushed voices as his friends approached the room, was it too late to run away?
~ A few moments prior
"Ishida-kun! Sado-kun!"
The thin Quincy and the giant Fullbringer each turned their heads upon hearing their voices called. Inoue was skipping happily down the street with a large smile on her face, Tatsuki who was only a couple steps behind her had a small smile of her own as she told the bubbly girl to watch her step lest she falls and hurt herself.
"Hn," Chad replied, a small thumbs up accompanying his greeting.
Ishida was much more cordial, "Inoue-san, Arisawa-san, good afternoon."
Tatsuki just gave a quick 'Yo' and a small wave.
Upon reaching them the two males fell into step alongside the girls as they each headed towards the shop where some unknown and hopefully not too serious information awaited them.
Deciding to try and ease the tenseness that was hanging over their heads Ishida asked something he knew would deflect their thoughts, at least until they reached their destination, "So how is your training going, Arisawa-san?"
That question immediately hyped the Karate girl up, eyes lit with emotion she pumped a fist into the air beside her, "Great! I've gotten so much stronger already. That Ginjo guy said my Fullbring is close to being completed already. I can't wait to start training with that big chested cat woman," at those words her best friend turned disapproving eyes towards her.
"Tatsuki-chan! I told you that you shouldn't call Yoruichi-san that anymore."
"Yes yes, sorry Hime, I forgot," Tatsuki didn't look sorry in the slightest but it seemed to appease Inoue.
Ignoring the last comment Ishida once more spoke up, "I hope you finish quickly, the sooner you can stop associating with them the better," Inoue gave him sideways glance at his words while Tatsuki just waved her hand dismissively.
Ishida had made it very clear that he didn't trust Ginjo or the rest of the 'Fullbringers' from the very beginning, though he had nothing to support his unease he was a man that trusted his instinct, and he felt that those people were trouble just waiting to happen. Unfortunately, they were the only people who could truly help Inoue, Chad and Tatsuki understand their powers better and grow stronger, so as much as it bothered him Ishida had no other choice than to just let it pass.
"Me, Chad and Hime were actually supposed to head over there a bit later but then you called saying that the crazy shopkeeper wanted to see us," even though she hid it well it was obvious that Tatsuki was still scared of Urahara after their initial meetings. She knew that especially with her Fullbring now she was a lot stronger than most humans however she also understood through meeting Urahara and having that experience with Aizen that she was pretty insignificant in the greater scheme of things. So while she was still confident in her own abilities, she was no longer too arrogant to not fear anyone.
The sound of crunching gravel filled the dead alleyway as they turned into the open lot that held their destination, oddly enough the place looked dead to the world. Everything was closed up and not a sound could be heard from within, though they could feel the signatures of those inside. Urahara, Yoruichi, Tessai and?
Ishida froze as he tried to pick up anything about the fourth and last signature inside the building, but it was what he felt that threw him off so much.
"What's wrong, Ishida?" Chad asked, not used to seeing his stoic friend get so spooked.
Breaking out of the stupor he was in he pushed his glasses up and spoke in a low tone, "there's someone powerful in there, incredibly so, their reiatsu is masked to a level where I can't even tell who or what they are, yet even with it suppressed to such an extent their presence is so strong that I can feel it weighing down on me all the way out here."
He didn't receive a response, instead, the four teens just stared towards the shop before tentatively walking forwards once more, they trusted Urahara and thus they would still enter even with this unknown presence, they could only hope that nothing serious was happening as Ichigo was no longer here to save everyone anymore.
Or so they thought.
As soon as the familiar chime rang out, signalling their entrance to the shop the tall Kido master was there to greet them, offering a small bow to each of the four teen's before him, one which they all returned. He patiently waited for each of them to set their shoes off to the side before leading them through the winding halls towards the back room.
Tessai was the first one to enter the room again, stepping off to the side to retake his former position against the wall. A few steps behind him was Ishida, though upon his entering of the room his eyes skipped everyone else and shot to the fourth person present, the one who held that terrifying presence he'd felt outside, the man with shockingly orange hair sat calmly at the round table before him. He didn't even care when Tatsuki bumped into him from behind due to his abrupt stop.
"Hey, four-eyes! what's the big idea suddenly stopping like.. that.." the karate girls voice trailed off as she peaked over the Quincy's shoulder to see what caused his sudden freeze up, when her eyes landed on the subject of his dismay it only took a couple of seconds before she brushed passed with a quiet exclamation of 'Ichigo' and enveloped him in a hug. Screw her tomboy attitude, her childhood friend whom she thought was dead was now sat here right in front of her alive and well, this was no time to act tough.
Upon hearing the name Ichigo, Inoue and Chad immediately followed into the room after Tatsuki, both holding astonished and unbelieving looks, tears brimming in the auburn-haired girl's eyes. When Tatsuki and Ichigo finally released each other Ichigo stood, addressing his friends before him with a deep sorrow in his gaze, "I'm sorry everyone, I know I put you through a lot these last months, I was supposed to get my powers back and go from there but.." he had to pause as thoughts of his test came back to his mind, thoughts of his failure that lead to his death, he slumped forwards as the negative emotions pressed on his heart further.
Before he could fall further into despair, a burst of fire was sent from the depths of his soul, rushing through his veins and burning the dark thoughts away, with the fires of his soul roaring again he continued, "but it didn't go that way, I failed what I had to do and I died for it. I shouldn't be here right now, and truthfully I don't know how or why I am, but the fact of the matter is I was given another chance, and I won't let it slip."
Off to the side, Tatsuki clicked her tongue in mock annoyance, drawing curious looks, "After leaving without telling any of us don't you have something to say, Ichigo?"
That caught the Shinigami off guard, 'something to say? I already apologized, what could she be talking about,' he was truly baffled for a short time, scrunching his brows up further in confusion with each second that passed. Then with a heavy sigh, one filled with mock exasperation he smiled and spoke again, "I'm back."
"Welcome back," she responded simply. This small exchange seemed to evaporate all the tenseness that they didn't even know was there as everyone relaxed and sat around the table with smiles on their faces. Well almost all the tenseness, Inoue felt horrible because it was her best friend but the hug that Tatsuki had shared with Ichigo bothered her far more than she would have liked. She also didn't miss the subtle movements of Yoruichi as she shifted closer and closer to her crush, nor the way that she purposely brushed against him when there really wasn't a need to, and what really caused the evil entity inside her called jealousy to stir was the fact that Ichigo wasn't bothered by it, in fact, he seemed happy with her close proximity.
As everyone waited for Tessai to finish pouring their tea, Ichigo felt a familiar stirring within him and so pushed his attention inward.
"All that worrying and for what, Ichigo? It is as I always told you, and as you always knew, what happened previously doesn't matter, they are just happy you are alive." Ryujin spoke from the depths of Ichigo's soul, a sense of 'I told you so' apparent in his voice.
'Yeah yeah, I knew it would be alright from the start, but it's in a humans nature to continually worry about pointless things or things in which they have no control over.'
"You need not remind me, Ichigo. After thousands of years by Shigekuni's side, the mortal's foolishness is well known to me."
Those words sparked a thought that he had been trying to suppress recently, the concept of time. It was something he'd been thinking a lot about ever since heading to Takama-ga-hara originally. It had never really struck him before, but after hearing about the mythical creatures of legends like Dragons with near infinite lifespans, the Gods who live for hundreds of thousands if not millions of years, and then on a much smaller scale the current Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 who has lived for at least four thousand years to Ichigo's knowledge, maybe more, and it got him thinking, what would it be like to live so long?
He wasn't so sure he wanted to find out, the prospect of living so long – and he knew that he would – while everyone close to him grew old and eventually passed away meanwhile he'd still be alive and kicking, looking no older than 20 years old. To have to go through a cycle of continually losing friends and family to old age sounded like a really depressing life, one that would bring more sadness than happiness.
Ryujin Jakka, while fully conscious of his wielders inner turmoil chose to stay quiet, there wasn't much he could say in comfort right now. His wielder was young, unbelievably so to the aged Zanpakuto, and of the handful of years he had spent living, only a couple of them were actually as a part of the supernatural. For the first fifteen years, he believed himself to be a normal human who would live a normal life, finish school, get a job, start a family, retire and then pass away when his time was up.
Now, in a span of a couple years, he has had those beliefs thrown to the ground and thoroughly stomped on. After the roller coaster that was his time as a Shinigami, from the simple hollow to the Arrancar, the Bount, rebellious Zanpakuto and traitorous Shinigami, he never once had the chance to just let everything soak in, to come to terms with the life he was born with, the life he was forced to live whether he liked it or not, he never had a chance to just understand and accept anything.
The months of being powerless didn't help either, after being forced to sacrifice parts of his soul in a war he shouldn't have ever taken part in, how was he supposed to just sit down and think about things with the loss of himself constantly weighing on him day by day. Now he has learned of his existence and how he came to be, what he really is, he had a final farewell with Zangetsu and now the wound from that sacrifice may finally begin to heal.
With a new entity bound to his soul and knowledge that the world isn't as small as he thought it was, only the thing that he fears – time – will allow him to come to terms with and move on from the thoughts that weigh him down. Only as the unending flow of time continues will he be able to grow and mature, to live with the cruel hand that fate has dealt him and to find happiness in the long life that awaits him.
On the outside, Ichigo's former classmates and friends were struggling with the situation. Even though they thought he had died, that they would never get to see him again, now that he was right here in front of them they found that they were at a loss for words, they didn't know what to say to him, or where to even start. Urahara words from before rang clearly in their heads, 'You must be prepared to accept that if he comes back, he will not be the same person that he was before.'
It's always been said that a person's eyes are the gateway to their soul, and as the four teenagers gazed into the deep brown of their unofficial leaders they realized that truer words had never been spoken. Whatever happened while he was away, whatever he was made to go through during these few months of separation, he had come out from it a different man than when he went in.
The age, wisdom, and power he now held in his gaze made the four realize that their friend was farther away than ever. He'd always been ahead of them, even as they walked alongside him it felt as if they were gazing at his back, always so close but yet too far to actually touch, now though, he was in a different world from them, a world in which they could never reach.
Urahara could see the unease in the four and it was understandable, they most definitely didn't expect to see Ichigo again when he called them to his shop, and to find out that he had changed so much wouldn't be helping anything either, so in hopes of making things easier on the group he opened things up. "I must say, Kurosaki-san, I never expected you of all people would be able to seal your Zanpakuto,"
At that comment a sadistic smirk slowly crept into the teens face, creeping out those in the room with him, "I almost forgot about that, thanks for reminding me Hat n' Clogs," the man in question was raising his arms in surrender as Ichigo's hand slid across the hilt of his sword, "You bastard, you told me I had too much reiatsu to suppress when in reality you just didn't want to take the time and teach me."
The shopkeeper chuckled nervously and instantly felt regretful at bringing the subject up, "Now now, Kurosaki-san, let's not be too hasty here, I think you would agree that we never had the time to undertake such a project."
He couldn't really deny that it would have probably taken him a lot longer to gain the small amount of control he had now if he wasn't able to train all day, every day with Ryujin before he returned to Takama-ga-hara. With a soft shake of his head his smirk lost the sadistic touch it had before, "Yeah I suppose, everything worked out in the end so I guess it doesn't matter now."
"That's good to hear, I fear that I'd be reduced to ashes if we were to fight now," Kisuke replied with a mirthless smile, the scariest part of his statement was that he wasn't joking in the slightest.
His remark drew puzzled frowns from the four who weren't actually aware of the changes Ichigo had gone through, "The last time I checked Zangetsu wasn't capable of controlling fire, and while I no longer doubt Kurosaki's uncanny ability to do the impossible I feel like it isn't so simple this time."
"You're right, Zangetsu couldn't control fire, however, this," he grasped the hilt of his blade for emphasis, "this isn't Zangetsu."
The Quincy's eyes slowly widened, "What do you mean? You're clearly a Shinigami once more, how is that you don't have Zangetsu?"
"Because just having my powers returned cannot reverse the damage that I caused. When I used the Final Getsuga Tenshou I sacrificed a part of my soul that I will never get back." only Yoruichi, Urahara and Tessai truly understood the significance of what it meant when Ichigo said he lost part of his soul, his human friends could guess but without having a Zanpakuto of their own they could never fully understand.
"So is that not a Zanpakuto then, Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue asked, glancing down at the blade which lay next to him.
"It is, do you all remember the incident with Toshiro and his old friend Kusaka?" after receiving nods from his human friends – Tatsuki as well since she had been told about all of their adventures and thus she understood what Ichigo was referring to – "Well whoever said that his Hyorinmaru is the only Zanpakuto that can have multiple wielders?"
His statement was met with looks of understanding, though now it rose the question, who's Zanpakuto was it?
"This sword is Ryujin Jakka, and it is the Zanpakuto of the current Captain Commander of the Gotei 13, Shigekuni Yamamoto." Dead silence met that statement, only when the implications of his words finally clicked a few seconds later did he get a response, one that was quite expected to be honest.
"What?! What were you thinking?!" Ishida demanded, voice risen in one of the rare moments which his calm composure couldn't keep up, "What if they find out? There's no way you can defeat that man in a fight, he's the strongest Shinigami born in a thousand years for a reason, and I doubt that the governing body would make an exception to the rule, even for you Ichigo-" Ishida went silent, having immediately caught onto his slip up.
Ichigo just grinned at him, "I appreciate your concern, Uryuu, but what they don't know won't hurt them." his grin widened when he saw the Quincy twitch, not only at the use of his first name but the emphasis put on it as well.
Stepping in for the frazzled teen Tatsuki spoke up, "Look Ichigo, there is no way they won't notice that you have a Katana now instead of that huge chunk of metal you used to call a sword, I would know, I've seen it a couple times. Not to mention you wield fire now, last time I checked changing powers wasn't a normal thing, there is no way you can hide it."
"Normally you would be right Tatsuki, however, it's been decided that my existence is to be kept a secret from the Soul Society."
That was a sobering statement, they'd never expected to hear something like that. It was no secret that he had many friends over there, and some he considered to be family, so it was hard to believe that he would go along with something like this. They could tell from his expression that he wasn't happy with it, so why then was he agreeing to it?
"You've never been one to follow orders Kurosaki, especially not one like this, just who was it that you met?"
His response was short and simple but the weight of his words was not lost on them, "The creator of the Shinigami."
Ishida let out a deep sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up in the process, "I told myself that I'd stop letting it get to me, but I just can't fathom this insane ability you have to draw everything and everyone under the sun towards you. I didn't think it was possible for one person to break the laws of common sense as many times as you have."
A round of laughter erupted at those words, the room couldn't blame Ishida for looking absolutely exhausted after hearing the tale of Ichigo's most recent adventure. Action, drama, mystery, hardship, triumph, his story had it all, just what they'd expect from him.
Ichigo had been pretty forthcoming with the events that had happened, obviously changing certain details like some names and places, it wouldn't do well to go announcing the existence of Takama-ga-hara, the Shinto Trinity and everything else. As far as his friends knew he had been spending time up in the Royal Palace with the Zero Division. The one detail he did give away which told a lot more then one would think was that the creator of the Shinigami he went to meet wasn't the Soul King.
The Soul King was thought to be the highest existence in this world, if the Shinigami were created by someone else then that meant there was at least one person of a higher being then the Soul King, and if there was one then who's to say that there wasn't more.
Tatsuki, who had been rather quiet since Ichigo had started telling everyone where he had been and what had happened while he was there had a troubled look on her face as she stared at the clasped hands in her lap. "Hey Ichigo," she spoke up softly, cutting off the light conversation which had taken over. Her childhood friend gave a short hum of acknowledgement as he turned to look at her. "Just how big really is everything out there, how much of what we believe to be fairy tails is real?"
He didn't reply right away, instead looking out the small window on the far wall, as the seconds passed his eyes glossed over as thought and memories took him away, finally with a voice filled with wonder he responded, "it's massive," they could see the yearning in his eyes as he remembered all that he'd seen, "Things that you wouldn't even believe could be real are. Shinigami, Hollow, Quincy.. in the grand scheme of things were all insignificant, just small parts of a much bigger picture."
"You want to go back." It wasn't a question but a statement from Ichigo's brother in arms, it was clear to them that whatever it was he seen when he was away, he wanted to explore it further, to learn and experience more.
Inoue looked shocked and saddened when he didn't deny it, "but what about Karakura Town, your friends, and family, who will protect them if you're gone Kurosaki-kun."
It was a weak excuse, everyone knew it, but they still couldn't blame her, no one wanted Ichigo to go, however, if this was what he wanted then they had to accept it. After everything he gave for them, if they refused his happiness in return right now then they wouldn't be deserving of him.
"You guys will, there's no one that I trust more to protect our home then everyone in this room right here," and that was the truth. It wasn't that he distrusted his friends from the Soul Society, but they were bound to that organization and their duties, thus weren't able to be here every day like his human friends and mentors were. "and don't forget, my Oyaji may have more than a few screws loose but he's a former Shinigami Captain too, one that was able to fight and push Aizen to what he deemed his 'limit' without even releasing his sword. I know you guys can handle everything."
Inoue couldn't refute that, if there was an enemy that managed to take out not only the four of them but the four former Shinigami Captain's as well then the Soul Society would have to come to their aid because it would mean that the threat was something they couldn't ignore. Even without Ichigo, this town and everyone in it was completely safe.
"As much as I appreciate the vote of confidence I don't have superpowers like you guys, I can't really do much against those Aizen types."
Ichigo let out a soft hum as he eyed Tatsuki, he could see a spark of amusement in her eyes and right away he knew what was going, 'They think I still can't sense reiatsu. It's likely they were going to surprise me with it but.. I think it would be more amusing to see the looks on their faces if I burst the bubble.'
With the curious eyes of his mentors on him and the help of Ryujin he rose two fingers and pointed them at Tatsuki, "Hado #4, Byakurai."
When the pale bolt of lightning fired out of his fingers the four teens immediately panicked and Tatsuki crossed her arms in front of her to block as a green light enveloped her hands, the three adults, however, did nothing, they could feel that the spell was very weak, probably not even strong enough to cut through a piece of wood. His Zanpakuto must have helped with controlling the output however the forming of the spell was all Ichigo and they had to admit it was an impressive bit of Kido he just pulled off, it was obvious how hard he'd been training these last few months.
Oddly enough, instead of freaking out at him for suddenly attacking her like he did Tatsuki softly pouted instead, "You knew, didn't you?"
Ichigo gave a cheeky grin and chuckled, "I could tell that your power had jumped drastically before you even got here."
"Che, way to take the fun out of it." she was pouting even further now, prompting everyone to laugh once more.
Glancing down at her hands he noted that her power was very simple, yet it suited her well. She had two, slightly clawed gauntlets covering her hands with the blackened steel extending up her arms in a layered pattern almost reaching her elbows. Much like himself, Tatsuki was a fighter that made use of her speed and agility to defeat her opponents so these two gauntlets were perfect for her, not only would they add more destructive force to her blows but she would gain a great deal more protection from other hand to hand combatants but also against weapons as well.
"So what's the story with those?" in actually Ichigo already knew what had been going on but he couldn't just admit it. He needed to just go with the flow for now, and when it was time to confront the Fullbringers he would find out what they were really up to, and then make his decision about what to do with them.
"I hated my weakness. I've always prided myself on being the second strongest girl in Japan, but after coming face to face with Aizen and experiencing the supernatural world firsthand, I realized how powerless I actually was and I hated it." she paused briefly, head tilted downwards, she was a prideful girl and so admitting something like this, even to close friends wasn't the easiest.
"It didn't make things any easier when you four finally came clean to us all after the war finished. To learn about everything you guys had gone through, all of the injuries you sustained in the countless battles you fought, to learn that Ichigo had actually died once, all to protect your friends, family, Karakura town. When I learned all of that, knowing that I couldn't do anything to help, I didn't want that anymore, and so I came here."
All attention now shifted towards the shopkeeper for a continuation of the story, "Yes, I was surprised when Arisawa-san showed up here one morning asking me to help her awaken powers of her own. I will admit that I didn't have high hopes from the start, she is a normal human with no supernatural heritage, and while she too was exposed to both your massive reiatsu and the Hogyoku's influence like Inoue-san and Sado-kun, it was in a much smaller dose thus her powers hadn't developed enough for her to naturally awaken a unique ability like the former two did.
However, even though my expectations were low I did my due diligence and ran some tests, unfortunately, in the end, I determined that there was nothing I could do to help her. Cutting her chain of fate wouldn't have worked due to her lack of dormant Shinigami powers, she would have simply become a hollow, and without the Hogyoku's presence accomplishing a feat like Inoue-san and Sado-kun were impossible."
"I remember that, Tatsuki-chan came to my house later that evening and told me about it, she had wanted to surprise us with powers of her own but it didn't work out. I hated seeing her so down and that was when I came up with the idea of asking Ginjo-san. After telling Sado-kun we agreed that since we were going to their base for more training the next day, Tatsuki-chan could come along and talk to him about maybe gaining her own Fullbring."
Ichigo jumped in quickly, he already knew the answer to any questions he might have had otherwise however he had to keep up appearances, "Fullbring? What's that? Who is this Ginjo?"
"Ginjo-san is the leader of a group called Xcution which houses five of the original seven Fullbringers, the other two betrayed the original five and thus are considered enemies, however now with Tatsuki-chan, Sado-kun and myself there are eight members. Fullbring is a power used by spiritually gifted humans who have the powers of hollows due to their parents surviving a hollow attack before their birth."
At those words Ichigo's eyes shot towards the blond shopkeepers, upon their gazes meeting the young man noted that Urahara held the same opinion as he did, something didn't add up with the whole situation. Neither Tatsuki or Inoue had parents who were attacked by hollows before they were born, and even if they did they didn't possess a single hint of hollow reiatsu within their bodies.
Chad was the easiest one in all this, Ichigo didn't know if his parents had a run in with a hollow or not but it was true that Chad had always held hollow reiatsu within him, the Hogyoku just made it stronger and helped it awake sooner. Inoue could be loosely passed over due to her exposure to the Hogyoku, it obviously had some effect on her which is why she has the so-called 'Fullbring' but Urahara said it himself, Tatsuki wasn't exposed to the Hogyoku long enough for it to have enough of an effect on her to manifest her own powers, and she didn't possess any hollow reiatsu, so how did her powers manifest?
Shifting his sight to the right a little he met the hard gaze of his lone Quincy friend, ever the smart one, it would seem that Ishida had some qualms about everything as well. "What do you think about it, Ishida?" Ichigo was genuinely curious what his friend and rival thought, but this also worked in his favour as it made it seem like he was gathering information for the first time.
In typical Ishida fashion before he could start speaking he shifted his glasses up the bridge of his nose letting the light hit them at just the right angle to cause an ominous glare, "I've only met this Ginjo character briefly, however, I don't like him one bit. He is a suspicious man who's true motivations are unknown, his appearance was a little too convenient for my liking."
"Hoh? What happened?"
"It happened about a month before your disappearance. Sado-kun and I were walking home from school as our paths are the same for a few blocks before we eventually split and go our separate ways. A little ahead of us on the street was another man who we now know to be Ginjo walking alone, after walking for another minute or so a robber came running up the street behind us and snatched Ginjo's bag, at the time I had never met him and thus thought nothing suspicious about him, I just assumed that it was a simple robbery and so I apprehended the criminal and returned Ginjo's bag.
My suspicions first arose when I handed him the bag and out hands briefly touched, he was good at hiding it but he had an aura very similar to Sado-kun's and it was tainted with that of a hollow. I thought to myself, just what are the odds that the man we save shares the same sort of unknown power as Sado-kun? In the end, he offered to buy me some ramen as thanks but I turned him down and from there we went our separate ways."
Ichigo mulled over the words that had been spoken so far as the Quincy took a short break to have a sip of tea for his parched throat, he could already see where this was going, but he would have to wait for the full story to completely put the picture together.
With a soft clearing of his throat, he was ready to continue, "Everything was quiet and back to normal for the first couple weeks after the initial meeting, just as the third week was closing in Sado-kun brought it to our attention that he had been contacted by Ginjo. The man admitted that he shared the same powers and wished to talk to him about something, Sado-kun accepted and accompanied Ginjo back to their base.
The meeting was fairly straightforward, he told Sado-kun about his group 'Xcution' and of the other members who shared the same powers as him, he offered a position in their organization and should he accept then Ginjo would help train Sado-kun in the use of his Fullbring."
"I was suspicious, so I agreed to talk with him," Chad said, bringing the attention to him now, "I asked him how he knew of my power, he was honest in saying that he had done some research on me and everyone else."
Ichigo's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at that, "Why?" was the simple question he asked. The orange haired man was close to putting it all together, he just needed a little bit more.
"He said they needed your help, as a Substitute Shinigami the only person who could remove their powers from them is you, Ichigo."
'ah, I understand now,' that was all Ichigo needed to hear to fully connect the dots, he understood what Ginjo's true goal was and it was apparent that he would be needing to pay these 'Fullbringers' a visit. "So I get why Chad met with this Ginjo, but how did things get to where they are now, you said that all three of you are members right?"
"Well Sado-kun and Ishida-kun were both suspicious still and so they decided it would be best for Sado-kun to stick around and see what he could learn about them. Ginjo-san did make good on his promise and was helping Sado-kun train his fullbring, things were going really well so eventually, we decided that it would be beneficial for me to meet them as well and hopefully train my powers too."
Ichigo nodded in understanding and gave a thankful smile towards the healer of their group, "Thanks everyone, I understand everything now and I think it would be best if I met them, these Fullbringers. I'd like to hear more about their problem, if I really can help them then I'd like too, it would be a good way of paying them back for all the assistance they've given you guys."
"I thought the Soul Society wasn't allowed to know you were alive Ichigo? If you start heading out like normal they'll spot you."
"Don't worry Tatsuki, Urahara-san has it covered."
The shopkeeper instantly found many expectant looks on him, everyone was curious as to how Ichigo would be able to stay hidden. "When myself, Tessai-san and Yoruichi-san first came to Karakura town we needed a way to keep ourselves hidden from the Soul Society while at the same time not using anything too drastic or large that would alert them of our location instead of actually hiding us.
With Tessai-san's mastery over Kido, and my knowledge of science we were able to devise a new multi-function Kido barrier that would suit our needs. With Yoruichi-san's mastery over everything stealth related she was able to set up the various beacons and their own protective seals all throughout Karakura town. Individually the beacons aren't that helpful, but together they form a giant dome around the city which we have full control of, and since it is composed of many smaller beacons instead of one large one, Soul Society cannot detect it even with their most powerful sensors.
This dome allows us to let the Soul Society see what we deem acceptable, and on the opposite side we can also hide anything we wish from them and they would never be any the wiser to it."
With that said any worries the group of teenagers had of Ichigo being detected were evaporated. Ichigo was pleased to find out that the group actually had a scheduled training session with Xcution today and even though they had to push it back they could still go, he was disappointed that he would have to wait longer to see his family again but this was important, it would only be a quick meeting to feel things out and then he would race back home to the Kurosaki Clinic.
As Inoue, Chad, Tatsuki, and Ishida stood to go wait outside Ichigo pulled Yoruichi to the side to have a quick chat with her.
"What's up, Ichigo? It's not like you to try and get some alone time with me."
He could feel a slight flush on his cheeks but he did well to ignore her comment and the smirk on her face, he'd rather not embarrass himself in front of her again. "I need a favour, Yoruichi-san, I'll pay you back as soon as-"
A swift smack to his head stopped him before he could finish, Yoruichi had a small frown on her face as well, "Ichigo, you don't need to 'pay me back', aren't I your friend? Friends don't pay friends back, if you need me to do something I'll do it Ichigo, anything to help you."
Ichigo grimaced, admittedly that wasn't the smartest thing to say, "Ah, you're right, I'm sorry Yoruichi-san. I do see you as my friend- no, your more then that, you are very special to me, I wouldn't be here today without you."
She nodded and gave him a bright smile, "Good, you're special to me too Ichigo, now what is it you need?"
"I need you to follow us to the Xcution base and do some recon on their members. I'm only going to be introducing myself today and setting some bait so nothing should happen, but regardless I need you to watch this Ginjo fellow as he seems to be the leader of their group, if you think there is someone else suspicious then find out what you can from them too."
The goddess of flash nodded slowly, thinking over his words, "Do you know something?"
He gave a small nod of confirmation, "I was given a little information on them before I came here but not everything, after what I was just told I've put a picture together and if my assumption is right then they're up to no good. I need you to find out if I'm just being paranoid or not."
With one more nod she turned to head to her room in the Urahara shop, if she was going on a recon mission then her cat form would be best suited and so her current clothing wasn't very much use. A couple moments later and Ichigo had joined up with everyone else and they had started heading towards the Xcution headquarters, Yoruichi tailing them silently from behind, if Ichigo didn't know she was there beforehand he would have never noticed her, even Ryujin couldn't fully track her reiatsu currently, and he'd been doing this for thousands of years.
The journey there was casual, about three quarters of the way there Ishida split off, the Xcution members didn't like outsiders coming over even if they were friends with the other members and it wasn't as if he had anything to worry about anyways, with Ichigo there even if some sort of altercation broke out the Fullbringers stood no chance of victory.
"Ichigo." the old Zanpakuto called out as they neared their destination.
Ichigo kept walking even though his eyes slightly lost focus as he turned his attention towards his inner sanctum, 'What is it, Ryujin?'
"I will be releasing my control over your reiatsu until the issue with the Fullbringers is resolved, keep it suppressed to the lowest that your current abilities will allow."
The Shinigami rose a curious brow at that, 'Why? This is an odd time to step up my training, don't you think?'
"This isn't about training, think Ichigo, you know as well as I do what Ginjo Kugo is up too, but do you think he would act if he knew how strong your current self it? Those humans are nothing but ants compared to your power."
'I see, the last information they would've had on me before I lost my powers was that I lacked any semblance of control over them. They will immediately notice from my current state that I have regained them but will assume I still have no control, with you releasing your hold on my power and me suppressing it they will just think I am far weaker then I used to be and will be more encouraged to put their plan into action, whatever that is.'
A soft clapping rang out in his ears upon finishing, "Very good Ichigo, I am pleased to see you making use of that intelligence, raw power can only get you so far, a smart fighter will find a way to defeat you."
The effect was immediate, a slight gush of air pushed out when the tight grasp was relinquished, it was possible for a Shinigami to completely hide their reiatsu all the time if they trained long enough however it had negative side effects that made it undesirable. When it is completely suppressed it feels as if your body is constantly under pressure and close to bursting, more so when a soul doesn't actively cycle reishi like it would when not completely closed off it causes the body to become stiff and less responsive, that was why even though most Captains possessed the ability to fully suppress their reiatsu they didn't.
His three friends who were accompanying him startled at the sudden release of energy, it wasn't that the reiatsu he was releasing was especially strong or anything however when a Shinigami releases their tight hold on their power it often pulses out at a much higher intensity due to the pressure which had built up, much like a bursting dam will settle down slowly after the initial release of pressure.
Since they had arrived at their destination it wouldn't do well to explain what he was doing, you never know who's listening so he just gave the three teenagers a look that conveyed the words 'trust me.' They each nodded and Chad pulled out a black card, sliding it through the scanner on the wall and punched in a short key code, a second later there was a distinct click and the door edged open.
~ Xcution Main Base
Despite the old and worn down appearance on the outside of the building, the inside was actually quite lavish with nice furniture, pool tables, and a bar. It was dimly lit and gave of a serene atmosphere that each member found quite enjoyable. Right now, however, the room was quite tense, the Fullbringers original plan was unexpectedly thwarted and their new one seemed like a waste of time to each of the members, they were starting to feel antsy and impatient and that was never a good thing in any group.
"So, where are they Ginjo?"
"I already told you Yukio, they called and said something came up, either they'll be late or they won't come at all today."
"Hmph, I still think this is a waste of time. Even with that new Arisawa girl, their combined powers are still less then Kurosaki's was, why are we still training them?"
Ginjo addressed the dark-skinned woman who had just spoken with an annoyed glare, she had made it very clear since Ichigo Kurosaki's death was announced that they should move on and not waste their time with the kids. "Look, I know that they can't compare to Kurosaki's power but we've invested too much time into this not to get anything out of it, that's why we're still training them. Once they get to an acceptable level we'll take their powers and leave." when the woman made to move to refute his statement he attempted to go back to the magazine which he was reading but it didn't last long.
"Arisawa-san, Inoue-san, and Yasutora-san are approaching, there is an unknown fourth with them." They hid it well but at the bartender's words all eyes shifted to the door, they didn't think the trio would bring anyone dangerous but their definition of dangerous was probably a lot different than the Fullbringers.
"Who is it, Giriko?" Ginjo asked, slowly grasping the pendant around his neck.
"The signature feels much darker then I'm used to but it is undoubtedly a Shinigami." at those words Ginjo's pendant was enveloped in a green light and a moment later his large claymore was formed, it rested upright, tip slightly stuck into the floor as his hand rested lightly on the hilt.
"What do you mean dark? How strong is the Shinigami?"
"The Shinigami is stronger then Yasutora-san, however, his strength does not surpass yours. As for my meaning, it is exactly as my words sound, his reiatsu feels noticeably darker than a normal soul and at the core, there is a sense of corruption like that of a hollow."
A few seconds of silence passed before Ginjo let out a slight sigh, "Che, had me all worried for nothing then," he responded, reverting his claymore back to it's pendant state as he relaxed into his chair once more, "There are Shinigami will Hollow powers, those 'Visored' or whatever, it's probably one of them, I don't know why they'd be coming here but I guess we're about to find out."
As he finished a loud buzzing rang out through the quiet room followed by a loud click and seconds later the door edged open. Chad was the first one through the door, offering a small nod in greeting followed by a neutral looking Tatsuki and smiling Inoue, when the fourth and until then unknown person stepped through the door a couple gasps could be heard because right there in front of them with Shihakusho and Zanpakuto was the supposedly dead man Ichigo Kurosaki.
The small, magenta-haired girl who had been closest to the door at the time was having a mild panic attack, she had seen Ichigo Kurosaki before and he was already really attractive, but now he stood before her taller, more built and with longer hair, and he was absolutely gorgeous. The fact that he was supposed to be dead was completely lost on her. "I-I-Ichigo Kurosaki!" she finally managed to stutter out.
"Yo," he replied, giving her a warm smile. Ichigo could instantly tell that this girl wasn't evil in the slightest, her reiatsu was too pure to be. The rest of the Fullbringers, however, each had varying levels of malice in theirs, the dark-skinned woman and the blond haired kid weren't too bad, however the man behind the bar was a tier up from them and even more than him was the final man sitting in one of the chairs in the lounge, 'That must be Ginjo.'
"This is a surprise, Ichigo Kurosaki, I had heard you were dead."
The man had a warm smile on his face as he addressed Ichigo, 'It seems he's quite the talented actor too,' Ichigo gave a lopsided grin and finally responded, "I was, however one thing most people learn quickly about me is that killing me is only half the battle, the other half is actually keeping me down."
Ginjo had mixed feelings right now, the kid obviously had his powers back even if his reiatsu was far weaker then before, so why did those words sound so frightening to him even though he outclassed the former war hero in power. "So what brings you here? I don't think we've ever formally met."
"We haven't, but imagine my surprise when I come back to find out my formerly normal childhood friend now has powers of her own, I was obviously curious. Tatsuki, Chad and Inoue told me about what they had been up too and about you guys, I heard that you needed my help with something and so here I am."
The Xcution leader looked momentarily taken back by his expression quickly smoothed over, he was at the disadvantage right now, clearly, Ichigo had been brought up to speed on everything. "We do, I'm assuming you've heard why?" he received a nod in return, "I see, that saves time then, so will you help us?"
"Yeah, that's why I'm here. Unfortunately, it's going to have to wait a couple days at least, I have some business to take care of that can't be put off any longer." Ichigo could tell that Ginjo didn't like that response but there was nothing he could do about it, Ichigo held all the cards and the man knew it.
"Take as long as you need, you're helping us out immensely by doing this, so just come back whenever you're ready."
And that was that, with a quick goodbye Ichigo's two task's were complete. The first was to introduce himself and lay some bait, the second was to get Yoruichi inside so she could do some recon. The dark atmosphere inside made everything a lot easier, as a black cat she could easily hide herself up in the shadows of the ceiling, all he now needed to do was wait for her report, and until then he had a family to see.
~ Kurosaki Clinic
Even though Ryujin had said he wouldn't help Ichigo suppress his power anymore until the issue with the Fullbringers was dealt with a small exception was made as he didn't want his father to sense his presence just yet. Ichigo had left the Xcution headquarters well over a half an hour ago and had been stood outside of his home ever since, unable to take the first step. The living room lights were on in the house and Ichigo could feel Yuzu and Karin's reiatsu there, his fathers had joined them just recently after closing the clinic for the night.
It was getting late and if he waited any longer they would go to bed with him never having said hello, with a mental push from his Zanpakuto he stepped off the roof opposite to his home, landing softly on the front doorstep. Shakily his had lifted to the door, he figured now wouldn't be the best time to use the Shinigami's ability to walk through walls, instead, it would be best to knock.
With three strong raps all the noise in the house immediately died down, it was to be expected, no one usually came around this late at night so they were probably suspicious. Ichigo could hear the muffled but still distinct heavy steps of his father as he approached the door, he hadn't even seen the man face to face yet and tears were already forming in the corners of his eyes.
When the door finally swung open Isshin didn't even attempt to offer a normal greeting as he recognizing the black Shihakusho immediately, upon seeing exactly who it was at his door he stumbled backward, wide-eyed, gaping in shock. His jaw was clenched in an attempt to keep his emotions in check as he stared disbelievingly in front of himself.
"Ichigo..?" it was no more than a whisper, a silent plea to any god which happened to be listening to please let this be real. When he first lost his wife it was hard, so hard, she was the merciful sun that allowed him to orbit around her. He was able to keep moving forward however because of his three beautiful children, his son who when young was a crybaby and complete momma's boy grew up so fast, matured to a level beyond his years, becoming the best big brother his sisters could ever ask for.
His two daughters, Yuzu and Karin, the first who was a carbon copy of her mother, a bright smile that could light a room, a big heart that cared for everyone and the second, more of a tomboy who took after Isshin in appearance but modelled her personality after her brother who she respected and loved far more then she would want to admit. Both of his daughters modelled themselves after Ichigo in some way or another, he was such a strong young man in heart, spirit, and conviction, he had a pure sense of right and wrong and would do whatever it took to protect someone who needed it even if it meant losing his life.
He was a true hero and protector and in Isshin's opinion, the world was blessed to have someone like him fighting for their sake. When he got the news that his son had fallen in Takama-ga-hara his world shattered, it was like Masaki all over again. The hardest part of it all was helping his two daughters through it all, they had finally each started moving on to the path of accepting his death, and now here he was.
It didn't even register in his mind when it happened but he had closed the distance and enveloped Ichigo in a bone-crushing hug, fearful that his son might once more leave him, this time permanently.
"Oi, Goat-face what's taking you so long?" the rougher mannered of the two twins called out, wondering what was taking so long at the door. She, much like her brother had adopted the nickname Goat-face for Isshin. When the daughter received no reply she rose from the couch and started heading towards the front door area, Yuzu not far behind. The sound of the sister's voice had already broken the father and son out of their stupor but now with the soft padding of footsteps heading their way they broke apart, Isshin stepping to the side.
When the two girls rounded the corner the reaction was immediate, the didn't need to rub their eyes and reaffirm that what they were seeing was actually real, they didn't know how or why he was stood there but without a doubt, they knew this was their brother.
"Onii-chan!/Ichi-nii!" both of their cries were slightly muffled by the cloth of Ichigo's Shihakusho, they hadn't even finished calling out his name before they launched themselves into his arms, tears streaming down their cheeks, bodies lightly shaking as they sobbed.
Ichigo could only mumble out apologies to the both of them as they hugged, his hands rubbing soothing circles on their backs. It would take a lot to make it up to the both of them, his father too, but he didn't care, he would do anything for their forgiveness.
~ Two days later
It was a quiet morning at the Kurosaki residence, Both Yuzu and Karin had already left for school and Isshin was already up and working in the clinic, that left Ichigo with some free time which he used to relax on his bed and stare out the window. His Shihakusho was folded neatly on his desk and Ryujin's sealed form rested on top of that, currently, he was just wearing some light grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt, it was nice to be back in modern clothing again after wearing traditional Japanese for so long.
As irresponsible as it was school had completely slipped his mind, he still wanted to graduate and thus would need to figure something out soon as he was already behind in work and the distance was growing further with each day. But, it wasn't as if he could simply re-enroll in Karakura High, it would most likely have to wait until he crossed the parallel where no one knew him, then he could 'transfer' into a school there and start working to get caught up in his studies.
Letting out a deep sigh he shifted slightly in his bed, he was so bored, he had arrived back here on Saturday and thus he had spent all day yesterday – Sunday – with his sisters but now with everyone back at work and school he had no one to talk to. He thought about heading to Urahara's but the man was most likely busy with some form of research or experiment and Yoruichi was still out gathering information on the Fullbringers.
Or so he thought. Just as that sentence ran through his mind a small black object flashed through his open window, revealing the small black form of Yoruichi now sat on the corner of his bed, tail flicking slowly back and forth. "Yoruichi-san, what are you doing here? It's only been two days."
"Hmph, two days was all I needed," she replied lazily, "They gave themselves away the same night you visited," she continued, earning a curious look from the man opposite her, "As soon as the training session ended and Sado, Tatsuki, and Inoue went home that Ginjo let his true-self show, he's got more than a few screws loose."
"I kind of got that feeling when I met him, so what did you learn?"
"Well.."
- Flashback start,
Chad, Tatsuki, and Inoue hadn't even been out of the building for thirty seconds when Ginjo broke out in a wild, malicious laughter. He just couldn't believe his luck, "I swear you can't make this stuff up," he spoke out, laughter finally calming down enough to think normally.
No one in the room replied to him, he got a little crazy when he was like this and no one knew better then the fullbringers how unstable the man's mind was, the only reason they followed him so loyally was that he'd probably try and kill them if they ever wanted to leave.
A shuffling sound towards the back and the opening of a door alerted the five to the arrival of the two other 'rebel' Fullbringers, or at least that was what they told Ichigo's friends. In truth, it was all an act to deceive them. While Riruka, Yukio and Jakie – who were honestly the most normal and sane out of them all – were happy with Tsukshima's arrival because it would draw Ginjo's attention away from them, it was also a double edge sword in the sense that most the time they weren't sure who was nuttier between the two.
Both men were horribly evil and cared for nothing that didn't directly involve and further their goals.
"I could hear you laughing from all the way in the back Ginjo, something good must have happened."
"Ah, you'll never guess who just showed up, and he agreed to help us with the issue of our powers as well." the grin on the mans face was sickening as he said those words, the unknown pair of eyes that were watching from the rafters now understood a little why Ichigo was so suspicious.
"I'm afraid I don't know, you'll have to just tell me."
"Ichigo Kurosaki."
Tsukishima rose a brow at that, he wasn't sure how a supposedly dead man had appeared in their main base but he wouldn't doubt Ginjo's judgment, if he said it was the Kurosaki boy then it must have been. "Well ignoring that he should be dead he is a lot weaker now then he used to be, are you sure it will still be enough? Still, though that's very nice of him to donate his reiatsu to us."
"It doesn't matter, well just kill his three friends and take their powers along with his, it will work out in the end."
"Should we start planning then?"
Ginjo shook his head lightly, "There's no need, Kurosaki can't defeat me and even if they give us more trouble then we originally thought they would your Fullbring will seal the deal. He said he'd be back soon, when he returns with his three friends we slaughter them all and take their powers."
- Flashback end.
Ichigo let out a hum of though when Yoruichi's retelling of events ended, 'So it seems I was more or less right then, I didn't think they would go after Chad, Inoue or Tatsuki but they think my power is a lot less then it used to be so it makes sense.'
"So, what will you do Ichigo?"
"Nothing, for now, I promised to spend all of my available time with Yuzu and Karin this week, I'll go with them for one of their next training sessions and deal with it then."
Yoruichi's eyes bugged out at those words, had he not just heard what she said? "How can you be so nonchalant about this?!"
"You heard them, they aren't going to do anything until all four of us are present, they wouldn't risk attacking them without me there given that I could easily lead allies to their location and they'd stand no chance of winning. I'm the most valuable asset out of us four, until I go there nothing will happen."
The black cat begrudgingly accepted his words, as crazy as it may have sounded to her, Ichigo was right. Though it was quite the shock still, if this was the old Ichigo he would have run in half-cocked without a plan and probably caused more harm then good, but now he was completely calm even in this sort of situation, was he really so powerful that he didn't even need to fear the Fullbringers at all? She supposed she would find out sooner than later.
~ A/N:
It's a sad day, I just found out that two of my favourite crossovers have been deleted. If any of you guys know them then you're legends. The first was a cross between 'Bleach' and 'Is this a Zombie?' it was called 'Is this a Soul Reaper?' I loved it so much, it hadn't been updated in a really long time but it was still super fun to re-read.
The second was a cross between 'Bleach' and 'Rosario Vampire', unfortunately, I don't remember the title of this one but the plot was basically when Tskune rejected inner Moka and tried to get a new Rosario from her father so he could seal inner Moka away and get the pink haired version back, inner Moka in her heartbroken state left the monster school and transferred to Karakura High with Kokoa and basically both of them fall in love with Ichigo and Ichigo falls in love with the both of them too and it was just really good. I'm so sad both stories are gone but I respect the authors choice to remove them.
If you guys were curious about my current projects then keep reading. I just released a short three-part story of basically my version of how Bleach should have ended so if you want to read that then cool, if not no hard feelings. Also along with this story I am working on two other large projects, one a pure Bleach story and the other another Bleach/DXD cross, they are still both in the early stages of planning and I might not even green light them for writing so don't get your hopes up for them if you were. Other then that I am still continuing this story obviously, we should finally be getting into the DXD side of things next chapter.
If you have any thoughts on the chapter than feel free to leave a review, I'm always looking to improve my writing and so constructive feedback is appreciated. If you have any questions then feel free to message me, I always reply when I can.
- Vertius