Chapter 35: Four pillars of Deceit (Voice of Reality)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'Inner speech/thoughts'

'Inner spirit speech'

'Inner hollow/Zanpakuto speech'

xxx

It was a lot later when Ichigo stood in Aizen's room staring at the man himself, while Aizen studied the thing Ichigo had brought from Seireitei. Placed on the table, the collection of tools seemed fairly ordinary to Ichigo but completely captivating to Aizen.

"I thought you'd be more disappointed." Ichigo said and tried to gauge Aizen's reaction. But the man just smiled and continued studying the tools. When the following silence lasted for more than just few minutes, Ichigo couldn't help but ask.

"What even are these things?"

Without turning his attention away from the table, Aizen responded with one word.

"Hōgu."

When Aizen didn't continue, Ichigo's stare slowly turned incredulous.

"Hōgu?"

"Yes, Hōgu. Otherwise known as Treasured Tools, said to have been bestowed to the Shihōin Clan by the gods themselves."

Raising one eyebrow, Ichigo felt confused.

"I'm sorry, but what?"

Aizen straightened his back and looked at Ichigo with a long, drawn out sigh. Then, to Ichigo's surprise, he chuckled and motioned Ichigo to come closer, presumably so that he didn't have to raise his voice.

"Very well, I'll give you some explanation." Aizen said and pointed his look at the Treasured Tools, prompting Ichigo to do it as well.

"There used to be Five Great Noble Families in Soul Society. Each of them fulfilled some role that is considered to be very important." Aizen said and raised his hand to show Ichigo his opened palm.

"There was the Shiba Clan. Their role used to be transportation. Heavenly transportation, to be more precise. In other words, they were responsible for transporting personal to and from the Royal Palace, where the Soul King presides." He listed and bent one of his fingers down in a countdown.

"Royal Palace, Soul King… I think I heard that before but there was no information about these things." Ichigo spoke, only to see Aizen shaking his head.

"That topic can wait for later, Kurosaki. Moving on. There is the Kuchiki Clan. Their role is to compile and protect the history of the Soul Society. The fabricated one and the real one. Of course, they are responsible for the Daireishokairō, though few of the clan members can access it freely." Another of Aizen's fingers bent down.

"Fabricated one?"

Aizen chuckled.

"You are curious, that is very good. But, that is also a topic for later. The third Great Noble Family is the Shihōin Clan. Also known as Tenshiheisōban, the House of Godly Gears, they the caretakers of Hōgu , the Treasured Tools, and Bugu, the War Tools. Like I said before, these are said to have been bestowed to them by gods."

Another finger down.

"The Fourth Great Noble Clan, as far as I was able to determine, is the Tsunayashiro Clan. There is little information on them. The only thing I am sure of is that they are the clan that is ranked the highest among the Great Noble Clans and their word takes precedence over others. They are also in direct contact with the Royal Realm."

Only one last finger remained, the thumb.

"The Fifth Great Noble Clan… is a mystery even to me. Even after almost two centuries, I was unable to find anything on them."

Bending the last finger, Aizen's hand formed a fist. A fist that shook a little.

Ichigo watched it shake in fascination. His thoughts were already a mess and he had a feeling Aizen was not yet finished with the information reveal.

"I think there is at least one more Clan that is interesting and it's the Ise Clan, the Clan of the Vice-Captain of the 8th Division. It is interesting in that they are not a Noble Clan per say, yet other Clans, Noble and Great Noble alike, hold it in great regard. Even if I don't know anything more, that alone suffice."

Aizen walked around the table and pierced Ichigo with a deep, meaningful gaze.

"I'm sure you've noticed the pattern, Kurosaki. These clans have one thing in common and that is the past, something tied to the events which are themselves tied to the Soul King. For example, the tools in front of you. Treasured tools and the missing War Tools. These are the garments and armaments of a godly soldier. One question arises, are they to fight FOR the god, or fight THE god? Interpolating from that, another question becomes clear; are the Clans of Soul Society protecting the truth or guarding it? Protecting the Soul Society AND the Soul King or guarding the Soul Society FROM the Soul King? What I'm trying to ask, Kurosaki, is whether is Soul Society and its clans keeping everything related to the Soul King for his protection, or is it for his containment?"

After the lengthy monologue, Aizen took a deep breath and renewed his gaze.

"What is the truth, Kurosaki? That is what I want to find out. The truth. However, the one who seeks the truth in a place full of lies is always unwanted in fear of revealing it to the sheep who are being led by the false shepherds. Remember that, Kurosaki."

…

Ichigo wasn't sure how he got from Aizen's room and then to his own quarters but, as he lay on his back with his gaze firmly set on the pain ceiling, he didn't complain. There was so much Aizen said directly and so much indirectly that Ichigo felt like his brain no longer fit inside his skull and needed at least ten times more space than it already had. Noble clans, gods, tools, soul kings and untold history. There were so many topics he could choose from and think about, yet his mind was surprisingly blank as a new canvas, ready to be painted on.

"What the hell." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. The mission in Seireitei happened during the night and so he was fairly sleepy, yet he also wasn't. The mental strain from having to absorb loads of new information kept him from falling asleep. A groan escaped his lips.

He needed an advice and he needed it bad.

'Old man.'

'I'm here, Ichigo.'

'What do you think?'

'I think you would only waste your energy trying to understand a fraction of the puzzle that is missing the most important parts. If truth exists and you truly want to uncover it, you should not rush blindly. Go at your pace, the one that suits your speed.'

'He's trying to manipulate me, isn't he?'

'Most certainly. He is cunning and very convincing so I can see where are your doubts coming from.'

'But?'

There was a slight pause. It caused Ichigo to nervously shift on the bed.

'…sometimes, there are no buts, Ichigo. Just like the Gotei, Aizen is just a side of a coin. He is trying to pull you into the truth he believes in just as much as the Gotei wants you to believe in theirs. It is you who has to decide which truth you want to believe in, if any at all.'

'…why does everyone have to talk in riddles? Just tell me what do you mean, old man. I'm not always the sharpest tool in the shed.'

Another light pause fell upon them.

'Ichigo, you are being way too harsh on yourself. And you are rushing to understand too many things at once. All I want to say is that you should pick up the pieces of the puzzle from every side and only then reach the truth you want to believe in.'

Pushing his brows together, Ichigo formed a frown but felt somewhat better.

'I see. Thanks, old man.'

'Though I should warn you, Ichigo. The truth isn't always just a coin. Sometimes, it can be a complicated shape that has more sides than any color has shades.'

Ichigo slightly raised his head and then smashed it against his pillow.

'You know… sometimes I hate you.'

There was no answer, but he could feel, rather than hear, Ywach's small smile. His inner spirit then retreated back into the depth of Ichigo's mindscape and left him alone with his thoughts. And so, there he was, breathing heavily into his pillow, when something pinched the surface of his mind.

'I'm getting so swept by Aizen's words and my mission, I think I lost the sight of my own, original goal.' He thought and slowly rolled over to stare at the ceiling once more.

'I wanted to change the afterlife.'

Memories of his past sins, actions and promises flooded his mind like a hurricane and dispersed everything that he didn't need to think about. Instead, a clear image of what he had envisioned so many months ago rose from the ashes of his fractured ideas and attacked him in full force.

'I wanted to create a better afterlife.'

He rubbed his eyes.

'Is this how I wanted to do this? No. I'm sure it isn't. Can I even accomplish everything I wanted to do?'

His eyes snapped open.

"Damn it. I just wanted to make a difference."

…

Walking through the endless labyrinth of corridors, Ichigo kept glancing at one of the most unpleasant people he had ever met. His presence was even worse than Aizen, Urahara and any other manipulator he had met so far combined.

Ichimaru Gin was anything but a nice guy.

It wasn't even the man's face, despite looking like a textbook example of a snake. No, it was something else. His spiritual energy alone was giving off vibes of something slimy and cold, Ichigo couldn't help but shudder every time and anytime he had to deal with him. Now, Ichimaru was guiding him to a certain room where Aizen kept his other guest.

Ichimaru stopped in front of doors that led to a room created solely with the Sekkiseki mineral and snidely pointed at the doorknob while taking a step back.

"Say hi to her for me, would you Ichi-chan?"

Ichigo suppressed the urge to shudder and internally screamed. Ichimaru was smiling at him in a way that made him feel like he was submerged in ice cold water while also being hunted by a basilisk. The expression seemed so unnatural, Ichigo had to think whether Ichimaru was even human, or a literal snake in human skin.

He grabbed the doorknob and turned it. The doors opened and allowed him to step inside. When the effects of the Sekkiseki fell on him, he slightly trembled. There was no way anyone could use even a speck of reiryoku while being held within the room. With a deep breath, he closed the doors and took a few steps inside, until he stood in front of thick bars that were containing none other than Yoruichi Shihōin.

The room was barely illuminated and so he was sure it would take Yoruichi a while to spot him but she did it right away. He didn't see her face but the tone of her voice betrayed her shock at seeing him.

"I-Ichigo? What are you doing here?!"

Ichigo desperately wanted to talk to her like he would under normal circumstance but the situation he was in was anything but normal. He had no way of knowing whether there were some cameras or anything similar to it but he didn't want to risk all of his effort so far and so he knew he had no other choice but to choose his words very carefully.

"Hello. Yoruichi."

The only rays of light fell on him and revealed his new clothes to the person staring at him in shock.

"You… ah, damn it."

When he offered no response to her words, she sat back on the ground and leaned into the bed frame behind her.

"What do you want?"

Her voice made a turn and she sounded quite hostile.

"I just came here to make sure you were really alive."

Yoruichi chuckled but it was the kind of chuckle one made when facing a defeat.

"Really? Touching."

When he heard her voice that was now completely devoid of any warmth or friendliness, Ichigo debated with himself if coming to visit her was even a good idea. Still, it was out of his control. Aizen had told him to do it either way so there was no way he could just leave without saying what he was supposed to say.

"I recently visited Seireitei." He said and tried to study her reaction. However, other than her vocal response, there was none.

"Congratulations on making it back alive."

"I met your sibling."

That, however, did draw some reaction. Yoruichi's eyes snapped open and her jaw clenched, as if she tried to force herself not to jump on her feet.

"I see. So, he really went through it and sent you to do the dirty work, huh? Good thing Yūshirō was there. I assume he didn't let you take anything from the vault?"

Registering the fact that the person he had come across in Seireitei was of male gender, which honestly surprised him, he slightly shook his head.

"No. I did take something."

Yoruichi's crossed arms twitched.

"I don't know what Aizen wants with them, though. Heh, actually, I don't understand half the things he says to me. Still, he makes some really good points about the state of affairs in the Soul Society."

He didn't think what he just said would earn him anything but a shrug, so Ichigo was very surprised to see Yoruichi turning her head to stare directly into his eyes.

"What the hell did he tell you that convinced you to join him, Ichigo? I know you had troubles trusting us but… really? Joining forces with Aizen?"

There was a hint of pleading in her tone and Ichigo felt slight cracks in his demeanor. That was exactly the reason he didn't really want to visit Yoruichi. Facing the consequences of his actions this up close, facing the accusations from those who trusted him was something that his sixteen years old self wasn't ready for. He could mow down his enemies like flies, but the guilt of betraying was worse.

"You are a member of a Great Noble Clan, Yoruichi. You must know things that would make my stomach turn. Aizen knows even more. I wasn't told everything yet, so I can't make a full picture, but I'm starting to see things that have been hidden in plain sight." He stated and tried to keep the tone of his voice even.

"Things like what?" Yoruichi asked him with a frown.

Ichigo threw his hands in the air.

"I don't know! But I sure as hell can see that many small details don't fit the truth I've been told before."

Not waiting for Yoruichi's answer, he turned around. He delivered the words he was supposed to and so there was nothing else he could talk about. He grabbed the doorknob when he heard Yoruichi's mumble.

"…so, we lost you."

Ichigo made sure the doors were still closed while his eyes darted all around the room, glancing in each corner to try and find any hidden apparatus. He felt his breath getting faster and heavier. There was so much at stake, he wasn't sure he had the guts to say what he wanted to say. Would he be cryptic enough? Would she understand? He knew he didn't have to say anything. It was truly of no importance whether Yoruichi knew the truth or not. However, the small part of himself, his guilty consciousness, was telling him to do it.

Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth.

"Everything I do, I do for the sake of Soul Society, Yoruichi. Remember that."

Afraid of losing his mask, he didn't even turn to look at her and instead opened the doors and walked out. There, he took another set of deep breaths.

'I knew it. I'm not good at this.'

Then the only other person in the corridor leaned into him. When Ichigo heard his cold, slimy breath on the nape of his neck, he froze.

"Ya have a lot to learn, Ichi-chan."

Ichimaru then straightened his back and left Ichigo alone with the fear in his eyes. The teen could hear Ichimaru's ominous cackling slowly getting distant but the fear that had spread through his body remained.

…

The next few days passed peacefully. Aizen appeared to study the artefacts from Shihōin clan and Yammy must have taken a hint, because he never showed up again, a fact that gave Ichigo plenty of time to further train with Nelliel, though there was a minor difference in a sense of another Arrancar joining them. He introduced himself as the Privaron Espada number 103, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio. One day, he simply showed up during one of Ichigo and Nelliel's spars and easily convinced them to let him join. It was hard to do refuse as his goofy, yet serious personality and battle skills quickly convinced Ichigo of his worth. While considerably weaker than Nelliel, Dordoni compensated it with vast array of different approaches to battle where Ichigo was forced to use more power to fight him off than he had thought he needed. Aside from that, unlike Nelliel, Dordoni had no problems with showing Ichigo his release that pushed Ichigo even further. Few times, he even almost won.

Ichigo didn't really know what to think of the situation. He was a Shinigami, yet it was hard not to fall into a routine and a weak camaraderie with the Arrancars that appeared to be more human than some humans. Maybe it was because he was part hollow but Ichigo realized that presence of Nelliel or Dordoni didn't bother him. On the contrary, being near the Arrancars actually brought him some comfort and peace of mind. All in all, the constant presence of his new comrades and lengthy spars left him stronger than before. Calling upon the fragments of his hollow mask became easier, faster and less disturbing.

It was one day after an exceedingly satisfying spar that found Ichigo wandering through the vast labyrinth of Las Noches in an attempt to discover something new, when an inviting whisper entered his mind and made him freeze in surprise.

'What… what is that?'

The whisper was barely audible and he couldn't decipher any concrete words, yet the voice behind it caused him to slowly turn his head towards it. For some reason, something was telling him to follow and find the source of the voice. Despite his best attempt to ignore it, he made his way to a slightly opened door nearby, where he was convinced the voice was coming from. As he neared it and placed one hand on the door, his eyes bugged out.

'I know this voice.'

Resolutely, he opened the door fully and entered the room. It was fairly dark, the only illumination came from a small pedestal in the middle. He couldn't see what was placed on top, but he just knew he had to come closer.

'That's…!'

Shocked, he stared at the small orb, a million questions popping within his mind but the only thing he could think of was the name of the thing.

'Hōgyoku.'

There, in front of him, placed on top of the pedestal, looking as innocent as the souls of his sisters, was the one thing Aizen had sought months ago. The Hōgyoku. The vague whisper called out to him once more and Ichigo, feeling hypnotized, reached out with his hand and touched it. A familiar voice filled his mind.

'…mors...עֵזֶר...σκοτώνω…'

Ichigo froze in fear. The words echoing in his mind were foreign, coming from languages not known to him. He didn't understand, their meaning eluded his grasp, yet the emotion, the urgency of the voice was clear. The voice wanted something, needed something, something which he couldn't grant it. It was then when the comprehension filled his being.

He knew the voice. It was the same one who had called to him all those months ago, when he had lost his sisters, when he had died and when his soul almost tore itself apart.

Shock, fear, desperation. The emotions he had felt so many months ago came undone and the orb glowed in the dark, brighter than before. A portion of Ichigo's reiryoku jumped from his body to the orb and the voice turned louder and more desperate.

'MORS!'

'עֵזֶר!'

'σκοτώνω!'

Completely terrified, Ichigo tore his hand away from the orb, feeling drained physically and mentally. He was unsure of what just transpired but, at the same time, he knew he had to get away or else something that could fry his mind would happen.

He would understand.

The thought of it happening frightened him more than anything else and he ran away as fast as he could, stopping only once he was safe in his own room, behind locked doors. There, he leaned into the wall and slid to the ground.

'What the hell is that thing?!'

…

Unknown to Ichigo, one person had watched the scene very closely through the means of a large screen. At first, the man seemed calm but with each passing moment, since Ichigo placed his hand on top of the Hōgyoku, his expression changed more and more, until a large smile, a predatory grin, formed on his face.

Taking a sip from the teacup fill with tea, Aizen Sōsuke watched the orb glow and then Ichigo run away with a satisfied, smug grin.

"Most interesting, Kurosaki Ichigo. Yet completely expected. You truly are a terrifying child."

The door to his room opened and, just as the screen in front of him turned black, a pale Arrancar entered.

"You have called, Aizen-sama?"

The smile on Aizen's face lessened, yet remained, as he addressed the newcomer.

"Ulquiorra. Yes, come."

Obediently, the Quatro Espada took a few steps until he stood right behind him. Just as the Arrancar wanted to speak, Aizen interrupted him by showing him two images that flickered on the screen. They were short recordings of two hollows that seemed to be wandering through Hueco Mundo. While Ulquiorra stared at the screen, Aizen took a peek at him.

"Gin found these two several weeks ago. They may seem ordinary but I am convinced they may be critical for our cause."

Ulquiorra glanced from the screen and gave him a neutral look.

"Aizen-sama?"

Aizen allowed himself a smirk.

"Yes, Ulquiorra. I want you to find them and bring them here. I will turn them into Arrancars so you can make them your Fracción. Think of it as a… favor."

There was a hint of an emotion flickering across the usually impassive Arrancar's face as he blinked in surprise.

"Should I bring them at any cost, Aizen-sama?"

Aizen shook his head.

"Yes and no. Yes, I need them here. No, do not use force on them. Merely… convince them. You are very good at handling emotional personnel without resorting to violence, Ulquiorra. Use that. In any case, if they still refuse to come, you may mention the name of our new guest. While it can make them more… temperamental, I believe it will definitely change their answer."

Ulquiorra turned away from him and stared at the screen for a long time. Then, like flipping a switch, he nodded.

"It will be done, Aizen-sama."

…

"My dear Espada, welcome to another meeting. Today, I'd like for another person to enjoy this gathering with you."

Seated all around the large table, each member of Espada raised an eyebrow at Aizen's sudden statement when the door to the meeting room opened and revealed an orange-haired Shinigami calmly walking inside.

"What the hell? What is that stinking Shinigami doing here?" Grimmjow growled with an unconcealed hostility, causing Aizen to look at him with a fairly amused grin.

"Why, Grimmjow, does the presence of a Shinigami bother you so much?" He asked. While Ichigo quickly took a seat, Grimmjow realized what he just said and gulped.

"Ah… I didn't mean it like that."

Aizen chuckled.

"No fear, Grimmjow. I am in a very good mood today so I'll let that slip pass. Though I shouldn't have to, I will explain Kurosaki-san's presence in just a minute. Meanwhile, please all enjoy the freshly-brewed tea." He stated and, along with the rest of the table, took a sip of calming beverage from the teacup placed in front of him.

"Now that we are all composed…" Aizen started and glanced around the room, giving each Espada a pointed look, before continuing.

"…I shall explain. First, I'd like to ask your opinion on two members of Privaron Espada you all should be familiar with, Dordoni and Nelliel."

For a moment, silence fell upon the table. Then, Aizen looked in the direction of the only female in the room, Tier Harribel. With a nod, she spoke.

"I assume you are talking about their fighting capabilities, Aizen-sama?"

"Yes."

Tier grew quiet for a few seconds, seemingly gathering her thoughts, before speaking again.

"I don't have much knowledge about Dordoni, so I'll hold off from belittling him and just say he's average but Nelliel used to be same as me, the Tres Espada, which means she possesses fair amount of power even unreleased. Since falling off to Privaron, she most likely suffered a decrease in overall fighting ability, although I'm convinced she should be able to fend off some of us in base form for at least a fair amount of time."

Sitting quietly in his chair, Ichigo managed to mask his surprise from the information about Nelliel's former position with a cough.

Seated next to Tier, Nnoitra loudly scoffed.

"Bullshit."

Tier merely ignored him but Aizen didn't. He turned his attention to the thin Arrancar until the said person returned his gaze.

"Anything you'd want to add, Nnoitra?"

Facing Aizen's stare, Nnoitra flinched but his innate conviction allowed him to reply.

"She's just a weak woman."

Ichigo, following Tier's own reaction, narrowed his eyes at him, yet both decided to remain silent. Aizen just smirked.

"I see. Is that why she used to beat you anytime you challenged her?"

Once again surprised with the information, Ichigo coughed quietly, while Nnoitra's expression turned into angry grimace. With one hand, he punched the table and caused the teacups all around the table to tremble.

"I'm stronger now!"

"I never implied you aren't. I'm only pointing out the fact that, while weaker than before, Nelliel's strength isn't something to scoff at. Wouldn't you agree?" Aizen asked with a perfectly calm smile that caused Nnoitra to bite his tongue and reluctantly nod. Satisfied with that, Aizen turned to the rest of the table.

"My decision to speak about those two is the fact that they have been regularly sparring with Kurosaki, which, albeit slightly, increased their overall fighting ability. Nelliel is still behind her previous power, yet she took several steps towards it. Such a phenomenon deserves a thought, don't you think, my dear Espada?"

Every head turned towards Ichigo and the young Shinigami had to fight the urge to squirm under the intense collective gaze coming at him from every direction. Aizen glanced at him as well. Then he looked up and his gaze found the largest member, Yammy.

"Another thing I'd like to bring is the sudden… hm, fight, between Kurosaki and Yammy."

The Espada finally looked away from Ichigo, allowing him to take a deep breath. On the opposite end of the table, Yammy briefly met Aizen's gaze, before looking away. Aizen's smirk returned. He gave Ulquiorra a pointed look.

"How would you describe the fight, Ulquiorra. I know you were watching it."

Ulquiorra didn't look surprised and immediately opened his mouth, almost as if he had expected the question.

"Kurosaki Ichigo was different from when we met in the Human World. While Yammy seemed to have the advantage of larger physical strength, he was unable to fend off most of Kurosaki's attacks. On his current level, Yammy stands no chance against full powered Kurosaki."

From the corner of his eye, Ichigo noticed Yammy seething, but the large Arrancar remained quiet. Unlike him though, the rest of the Espada began to mutter among each other. A clap of hands quickly silenced them.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra, for the short, yet informative report. The last thing I'd like to talk about it the mission to the Soul Society where Kurosaki joined forces with Zommari. Zommari, I'd like you to tell the others what you have told me in your report." Aizen stated after clapping once. The dark-skinned Espada politely nodded and then looked at the others.

"I assume the specifics of the mission are not important, so I will focus on Kurosaki Ichigo. However, there is not much I can say. The mission was short, lasting only hours, barely enough time for me to form any sort of opinion on him. Still, he was easy to work with and, despite clearly lacking experience, he moved fast enough to somewhat keep up with my Sonído. I would say the speed of his movements should be just below those of an average Espada."

Surprised with the praise, Ichigo looked at the other Espada, only to see them mirroring his own expression. Some of them, like Baraggan, outright ignored everything around him, but some stared in Zommari in disbelief.

With a smile, Aizen clapped once more and brought the attention back to him.

"Now, with all of that said, I expect some of you to reach the inevitable conclusion and the reason behind this meeting. Anyone care to share his or her insight?"

However, for several long seconds, nobody spoke a word. Aizen kept smiling but, when the silence continued, the corners of his mouth began to twitch. In that moment, one of the Espada finally decided to speak. With a bored expression and a tired voice, the Privaron Espada, Starrk, sighed and then lowered his head to the table.

"You are trying to make us see what you have said when he first came here, which is that Kurosaki Ichigo is a valuable asset."

Aizen renewed his smile and smashed his hands together.

"Precisely, my dear Espada. I believed Kurosaki Ichigo to be a valuable asset that can further increase our overall strength and now, I hope you believe so as well. The time for confrontation with Gotei 13 is slowly approaching and I do want all of you to be prepared as much as you can. Therefore, it is my hope you can forget some of your inner dogmata and try to interact with him with the prospect of growing even further."

End of Chapter 35.

This was a bit shorter chapter than I usually publish but prolonging it wouldn't thematically fit its title and subtitle. And just like I said in the previous chapter's AN, this chapter contains some exposition, a background info if you want to call it that, on some Noble Clans of Soul Society. This info is important and needed for further development. The name Tsunayashiro is taken from a novel from Bleach universe, currently being written by Narita Ryogo and supervised by Kubo Tite himself. Remember the name Tsunayashiro. Why?

Because many events of this story are tied to it.

Well then, I also mentioned a surprise and... what did you think about the Hogyoku scene? Was it enough of a surprise for you?
Who is that voice? Why is it talking to Ichigo? Why in foreign languages? What is it even saying? Why is it saying those things? All important questions that will be answered further down the road. I'm sure some of you can already picture the answers but I'll try to keep surprising you anyway.

Aizen is still his big ol' manipulative self and his message to his Espada is clear - use Ichigo to further strengthen yourselves. However, the question is, will it, in the end, even matter? Even best of plans can become useless when facing the unpredictability of Kurosaki Ichigo.

On another note, soon I'll leave for a trip to Norway, where I'll be just when I, according to my schedule, should be publishing the next chapter. Therefore, the next chapter will be published only a week from now and the chapter after that three weeks from that day. Just a bit of heads up.

To reviews:

theblacklightprojekt - no! Bad Ichigo!

MugetsuIchigo - terrible future indeed! And how about that, it wasn't a cliffhanger! It was just Yushiro recognizing Ichigo as the identity of the thief.

The Last Kenpachi - nope. (I'm not sure about female Sternritters yet though...)

Harbinger of Kaos - that is one fatal flaw of Ichigo's plan: thinking he can play with the big boys. Prepare to get surprised then. Don't assume it will be an Espada who will take on him full blast. They will help, but I tried to do it indirectly.

Coyn1206 - as mentioned above, I know about the novels. I read what english translations there are on the web.

blarg7865 - Aizen hated Nobility for different reasons. One of them has been hinted on in this chapter. I have both clans already created, though I did take one of them from a novel. Aizen has his ways of knowing, though a spy isn't one of them. DONT READ MY MIND! Chapters I am currently working on contain a mention of that book ... how the hell did you know about it is beyond me though, are you some kind of a wizard? O_O And yeah, that would be a nice fanart.

Scarease, Dinner, Guest - thank you.

Well, that's all for now. Look forward to the next chapter that will be longer than this one (it's around 8k words). And so, the next chapter:

Chapter 36 - Destruction of evolution (Humane, Heartless, Hollow) - will be posted on 22nd/23rd of March!

So long.