A few words from the author: I would like to say a big thank you to all who took time to read my story, and a bigger thank you to all who reviewed.
Notes on the text: The first part of this chapter is very dark, descriptions get slightly graphic: CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED. Cameo appearence by Hollow Ichigo. Introduction to new characer, replacement for Ikkaku. Any resebleance to any persons live or dead is purely coincidental.
Legal mumbo jumbo: I don't own Bleach
All that remained of the jungle were smouldering ashes and craters, the black skeletons of trees dotted the landscape. The air was permeated by the thick gasoline smell of napalm and the heavy smell of gunpowder. Ichigo led his squad through the ashes on their mission. A voice in his head repeated the order they had been given...
Leave no survivors...
They walked among what was left the jungle in a V-shaped pattern. Bodies littered the ground, some charred beyond recogniton and others horribly mangled by explosions. In the distance Ichigo saw a small patch of jungle, one that had been untouched by either napalm or artillery. He led his squad up to it and ordered his men to stay back and cover him as he entered the island of greenery.
Leave no survivors...
He walked slowly through the underbrush alone, looking for any sign of human life. It was quiet... too quiet...
Leave no survivors... the voice kept repeating the phrase over and over again.
He heard a rustling in the bushes a few feet to his left, he jumped, closed his eyes, and started firing randomly into the bushes. A man sprang up with his hands in the air. He was about fourty years old, his black hair was slightly messy. He was shaking with fear as he tried to explain that he was not an enemy. Ichigo opened his eyes and pointed the gun at him...
"Leave no survivors..." he said grinning like a madman. Ichigo's eyes had changed; the whites of his eyes had turned black, his irises turned a dark shade of yellow. He let out a maniacal laugh as he mercilessly gunned the man down.
"BROTHER!", a voice from the bushes shouted. A girl, not much younger than Ichigo ran from the bushes and knelt over the bullet-riddled corpse. She had black hair that was slightly messy, like her brother. She looked up at him, tears streaming from her deep blue eyes. "Why?" she asked.
Ichigo raised the gun at her and with a cruel smirk said, "Leave no survivors..."
He squeezed the trigger...
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Febuary 1, 1968, 0700 local time, Rukongai outpost, Boun Ma Thout, Vietnam
Ichigo woke up in a cold sweat, it was just a dream.
He got dressed and headed over to the mess hall for some chow. He picked up some SOS and sat down at a table. He had no appetite, his thoughts drifted to the meeting yesterday. His squad was being transferred to Saigon. Saigon had been hit hard, the US embassy had been attacked by suicide squads. There were also plenty of enemy troops in the city that needed to be taken out. They were also getting a replacement for Ikkaku, who died from his wounds last night. The replacement was coming fresh of the boat from Nha Trang, along with a new squad to replace the dead and to substitute for Ichigo's squad here at Rukongai.
Ichigo finished his breakfast and went back to the bunkhouse to pack up. Everyone else was packing up as well. Renji was packing the sovenir he picked up from last night, a Tokarev pistol. Ishida, Chad, Ganju and Kira were sitting at one of the tables passing the time playing poker. Urahara was sitting on his bed, reading a book. They had a few hours to burn before the Chinook came in with the replacements, their Huey would be leaving after lunch.
The Chinook landed and fifteen men who looked to be in their early twenties with duffel bags slung over their shoulders exited. They were followed by a man in his early twenties who wore a new tiger-stripe uniform. He had an M-16 strapped to his back and a Browning Hi-Power holstered on his left hip. His white hair stuck out from under his helmet, a lit cigarette hung from his smiling mouth.
"Ah, you must be Mr. Ichimaru." Urahara said, greeting the man.
"Gin Ichimaru at ya' service, sir." The man responded.
"Welcome, I'm Urahara; but call me sandalhat. This is Ichigo." he said pointing to Ichigo. "That's Renji, Kira, Chad, and Ganju." he said, indicating each man respectively. "And that's Ishida."
The replacement Huey was next to the Chinook, Kiyone and Kotsubaki had it up and running and Tessai was on the doorgun. Ichigo entered the waiting Huey, threw his duffle in a pile and sat on his helmet. Everyone else sat on their helmets too, except Gin, who looked at what they were doing with a confused expression on his face. Ichigo and Renji both caught a glimpse of Gin's confused expression and exchanged smirks, they knew what was coming next.
"Why do y'all sit on ya' helmets?" he asked.
"So we don't get our balls blown off." Renji casually responded.
Gin started laughing, "'that's th' mos' ridiculous thing I ever heard." Then when nobody was looking; Gin took his helmet off and positioned it comfortably underneath himself, making sure that certain parts of him that he held most dear had plenty of protection.
After everyone had situated themselves, the Huey took off. Ichigo watched as the place he had called home for the past three months faded into the distance.
The beginning of this story was supposed to show just how much the fighting has affected Ichigo. The two people he killed in his dream are ment to be certain people, but I won't tell who. I will say that you haven't seen the last of them.