Yo everybody. Sorry, it took a lot longer then I expected to write this chapter.

shea-aeront: I'm not giving up any big spoilers like that. So your gonna have to wait and see.

Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach.

Chapter Five

Orihime felt numb. All she could do is stare, complete obvious to everything. She was unaware of the reactions of the others. Nor was she aware that her shield was beginning to flicker, its power weakening as her will crumbled. All she was aware of was the three arrancar standing before her.

Mizuiro had a bored expression on his face, like nothing here really matter. He wore the standard white hakama, black sash, white sandals and black socks. But his jacket was unique. It was like a white trenchcoat with black trim and a high collar that reached the tip of his nose. The sleeves were baggy and loose but not as much as the normal uniform of the soul reapers. The jacket was zipped from his waist to the base of his neck, leaving the collar open, exposing the hollow hole in the center of his throat. His hollow mask covered his forehead and reached slightly down the sides of his head, with three small yellow glowing eyes in an inverted triangle formation in the middle. Resting in the left side of his sash was his zanpaku-to. Which was a saber, with a black grip, gold guard and finger guard, in a dark purple sheath. (looks like King Bradley's, from Fullmetal Alchemist, swords)

Keigo had the same goofy grin on his face, that he often wore but there was something dark about it. Something that unsettled Orihime. His mask consisted of a pair of triangular pieces on both cheeks and a pair of fangs hanging from each ear like earrings. Like Mizuiro, he too wore the standard hakama, socks and sandals. In place of the cloth sash, he had a black leather belt. Tucked in on both sides of the belt was his zanpaku-to, a pair of kamas. The kamas looked like they weren't made of metal but rather appeared to be highly polished bone with black bandages wrapped around the handles. The heads of the kamas were shaped like a bird's skull with the blades resembling the skulls' beaks. Oddly the were attached to his belt by small silver chains. He wore a coat similar to Grimmjow's. Except his reached his waist, it's sleeves weren't rolled up and it was zipped up.

Then there was Tatsuki, standing in the middle of the trio, wearing the same feral grin from her nightmare. Her hollow mask dominated the right side of her face with what looked like a bloody red half X painted on the right side of the mask's eye hole. Just like her expression, her zanpaku-to was just like the one from her nightmare. Expect now it was in a black sheath on her back like Hitsugaya's, with the same red spiral design as her sword's handle running down the sheath. Like the others, she wore the standard arrancar hakama, sandals and socks. Her jacket was similar to Ichigo's Bankai jacket. The collar exposed less of the neckline then Ichigo's, while the opening at bottom of the front of the coat showed off her mid-drift, revealing her hollow hole. Additionally, her sleeves ended a third of the way down her forearm and the bottom of the coat lacked the ripped and frayed look that Ichigo's had.

She heard Ichigo with Zangetsu drawn, yelled out, "Impostors! You three aren't them! Stop wearing their faces!"

Yes. Ichigo was right! This couldn't be her best friend. This couldn't be Tatsuki. It had to be some kind of impostor or trick. Her shield stopped flickering, her resolve restored.

Orihime watched as the expressions on the arrancars' faces change to one of amusement. The one masquerading as Keigo said, "Even after seeing our new forms, you still don't believe it's us Ichigo."

"You're not Keigo!" Ichigo shouted back.

Keigo impersonator rolled his eyes and was about respond when the Tatsuki impersonator started to walk towards the shield and began to speak. "So you want some proof of we are?" A dark chuckle escaped her lips. "Ichigo, do you remember the first time we met? Your mother brought you to the dojo when we were both four. Back then you were always smiling and clinging to your mommy. In other words, you looked like a total wimp back then."

Orihime's heart skipped a beat. She remembered Tatsuki telling her this story last June. Yet this arrancar knew it.

'Could it actually be Tatsuki...No it can't be. But she knows how they met...'

Uncertainty filled her mind as the shield began to flicker again. The arrancar was now standing right in front of the shield, the feral grin was back on her face as she continued telling her story. "In fact, I was first one to make you cry at the dojo. One high kick and you were bawling like little baby, until your mommy came. It was always like that until your mother became a snack for the Grand Fisher. Oh, speaking of him. You'll be happy to know Ichigo, that he's dead. Killed by a rather surprising individual."

Ichigo choked out, "Tatsuki?"

She nodded and said, "Finally the blind can see."

Mizuiro added, "Keigo and I are also who we say we are. Or would you like us to recite some past event to prove our identities as well, like how we first met or something that?"

Orihime fell to her knees, her eyes watering, her shield faded away. There was no denying it any longer. They were Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro.

A million thoughts and questions raced through Ichigo's head as Tatsuki turned around and walked back to where Keigo and Mizuiro were standing. Somehow, he managed to ask, "Why...why were you made in arrancar?"

Tatsuki stopped walking and glanced back. "Not sure. You'd have to ask Aizen. Though it's probably to get back at you or something like that. Personally, we don't care. In fact we should you probably thank you and Rukia."

"What?!" Ichigo couldn't believe what Tatsuki said. Because of him, Aizen abducted them, killed them, turned them into hollows, then arrancar and now they were thanking him!

A grinning Keigo replied, "Yep. Rukia loaning you her power started a chain of events that caused to us become arrancar." He turned to Mizuiro and asked, "Does Hallmark have 'Thank You' cards for this kinda thing?"

The three snickered at Keigo's remark, before Mizuiro replied, "Nah, I don't think they have a 'Thank you. Because of you, I have become more powerful then I have ever dreamed.' card. And before you ask, no I don't think they'll accept any idea you come up with."

"Aww. I had some good ideas too. Like-"

"Enough." a slightly irritated Tatsuki said. "We have a little mess to deal with here first."

Hitsugaya asked the question that Ichigo wanted to ask yet at the same time feared. "Why are working for Aizen? And what is your mission here?"

Mizuiro answered in a casual tone. "Our mission was simple. To be Aizen's eyes and ears in the world of the living. To monitor the activities of you and your team Captain Hitsugaya and of course our former friends from when we were human and that quincy, Uryu, who seems to have disappeared from the face of the Earth."

Ichigo felt like a rusted, jagged knife was thrust into his heart when Mizuiro said 'our former friends from when we were human'. As much as it hurt him, he knew it hurt Orihime more then anyone else. Tatsuki was one of his oldest friends. But for Orihime, Tatsuki was her best friend, who protected her from bullies, girl-crazy boys (and a few girls) and just about anyone else who threatened her.

"As to why we are working for Aizen. Well why not? As it stands, he's gonna win this war and ascend to godhood. Why not fight for him and reap the rewards? And also we also serve Aizen because he is strong. And one thing we learned in Hueco Mundo above all else is. In this world, in all the worlds, the strong will always rule over the weak."

A flood of emotions surged though Ichigo. Shock, sorrow, and horror at what his friends had become, guilt at not being there to protect them, and anger at Aizen for what he did.

'I hope there's a special place in hell reserved for you Aizen.'

"Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro. Urahara can fix you, make you human again." In all honesty, he didn't know if Urahara actually could, but anyone could, it was Urahara.

The response he received wasn't what he expected. To his growing horror, they laughed hysterically at him. A minute or two later the laughter finally subsided and Keigo said, "Wow, and people say you don't have a sense of humor Ichigo."

A smirk crossed Tatsuki's face as she said, "Nice offer. But why would we want to go back to being mere humans? Why would we want to give up this wonderful gift?"

"Gift?!!" Ichigo was now furious, not at Tatsuki and the others, but at Aizen for turning three of the people he cared about into these monsters. And he vowed that he would send Aizen to deepest, blackest part of hell for what did. "You call what you've become a gift?!"

"We do." Mizuiro answered. "But that doesn't really matter now. What matters is what we do right now. You have two choices right now. The easy way, where you cancel out what ever is blocking our ability to return to Hueco Mundo, we leave and the night ends with everybody in one piece. Or-"

"No way in hell!" Ichigo interrupted. "I'm not gonna let you make the biggest mistake of your lives by returning to Aizen!"

An irritated Mizuiro replied, "OK, first let me finish talking. I hate people that interrupt others. Now as I was saying, or we can do things the hard way. I imagine that you all know what means."

Ichigo hesitated. What Mizuiro said could only mean one thing. The three of them were prepared to fight them to escape. Ichigo on the other hand wasn't. Despite what they had become, they were still his friends. And he would never forgive himself if he killed them. Of course he didn't know what would happen if he killed them. Would their souls purified like holllows or would they cease to exist? He couldn't take the chance.

Renji snickered and said, "Your joking, right? It's four against one in our favor. There's no way you can win."

Just about everyone sweatdropped. Keigo said, "Are you seriously a lieutenant? There's nine of you and three of us, that's three against one. What kinda of lieutenant, outside of maybe Squad Eleven, can't do simple math?"

Renji's eyes twitched. "I know that!"

"Then why did you say four against one?"

Renji's eyes twitched even more and mumbled something.

Keigo put a hand to his ear and said, "What was that? I didn't hear that."

Renji looked absolutely pissed now. He raised his zanpaku-to, his intention clear. Before Ichigo or anyone could stop him, he shouted "Roar Zabimaru!"

His zanpaku-to shot out towards Keigo, who stood there, grinning. At the last second, Keigo grabbed his right kama, raised it to defect the attack, breaking the chain that held it in the process. Blade met blade, and to the surprise of all the soul reapers and humans present, Keigo successfully defected the attack and was now holding the top segment of Zabimaru in his left hand. During the whole time his grin never falter in the slightest. "Now that wasn't very nice. I just asked you to repeat what you said. I don't think that warrants an attack. But if you wanna play, that's fine with me."

Keigo raised his kama again and slashed the cords that connected the top segment to the next segment, separating the two. The blade retracted back to the hilt, while Keigo tossed the top segment at Renji's feet.

Hitsugaya calmly said, "His math may have been off, but he was right. Your outnumbered and I highly doubt that the three of you can beat all of us. So why not surrender and save us all some trouble?"

Mizuiro rolled his eyes. "True, few arrancar would be able to beat all of you at the same time. But do you really think we wouldn't have been prepared for this kind of situation?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of small black cubes. "That's why we have this."

He threw the cubes at Ichigo and the others. Ichigo raised Zangetsu, ready to defect the cubes away, when Orihime's shield suddenly reformed. Several of the cubes hit the shield, creating an intense light, forcing everyone to cover their eyes.

When light faded, Ichigo saw Orihime, still on her knees with tears pouring down her cheeks, yet somehow she had summoned her shield. He turned to Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo and for the first time, looks of surprise and shock on their faces. Mizuiro said with shock in his voice, "Impossible... The Caja Negacion should have consumed them, shield and all."

Tatsuki, having regained her composure, said, "It doesn't matter. It worked on four of them. Making the odds much better."

Ichigo looked around and saw that the four people standing furtherest away from Orihime were gone. Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Ikkaku and Yumichika were gone.

"Where the hell are they?" Ichigo said, turning to Mizuiro. "What did you do to them?"

"Hmm...? Oh that was the Caja Negacion, the Negation Box. It's actually used by the Espada to punish their subordinates. Basically, it simulates negacion field, you know what Aizen, Gin and Tosen used to escape the Soul Society. They will remain their until we let them out. Though captain Hitsugaya is probably strong enough to escape from it on his own in a couple of hours."

Tatsuki added, "As to why they were effected and the rest of you weren't. It's simple, the shield wasn't large enough. As you can see, it's barely covering the five of you."

Orihime voice suddenly called out, "Please Tatsuki don't do this. It isn't you."

But Tatsuki completely ignored her. Keigo said, "Four against three. I like those odds." Tatsuki and Mizuiro nodded in agreement.

"Ha! Now whose math is bad! There's five of us, not four!" Renji said in a 'I'm better than you' tone.

The three arrancar laughed at Renji. Keigo replied, "You idiot. I said it's four against three. I never said that there was only four of you."

Tatsuki added, "We actually only considered four of you a threat. Ichigo, you and tattoo face both have achieved bankai and are the strongest among you. Rukia is about the level of a fourth seat, maybe a third seat. Chad is built like tank, extremely durable and physically strong. That leaves the fifth and weakest one here, Orihime. She's barely stronger then a normal human who can see spirits and hollows. Which means, she's a step above all the insects of this world. A weakling like her isn't even worth our time to talk to, much less fight. In fact, she has no actual fighting ability. She just hides behind others and that shield of hers. A pathetic weakling, nothing more."

Orihime's shield collapsed, as a stunned silence filled the soul reapers and human. To hear Tatsuki say that about Orihime, was a shock beyond any that had happened so far. Ichigo couldn't think of anyway to respond save to mentally curse Aizen again.

Tatsuki suddenly disappeared in a static buzz and reappeared in front of Orihime and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. She grinned as she raised Orihime off the ground and again disappeared and reappeared. Now she was standing back with Keigo and Mizuiro, still holding Orihime. Ichigo instinctively charged forward, barely aware that Chad, Rukia, and Renji running along side him. All he cared about stopping them, saving Orihime and trying to find a way to fix them, for the lack of a better term.

They had gotten only a few steps when a crimson mist surged towards them. Wisely, they leaped back away from the mist. They watched a parked car become partially consumed by the mist, before it dissipated. The part of the car that had been touched by the mist had been turned into a puddle of melted metal and plastic.

Mizurio coughed and rubbed his throat. "Ugh. That always irritates my throat in this form."

But Ichigo pretty much ignored him, his attention focused on Tatsuki and Orihime. Tatsuki was saying something to Orihime, but her voice was too low for Ichigo hear what she was saying. Then Orihime replied, again it was too quiet for anyone outside of Tatsuki to hear what was said. What ever Orihime said, clearly pissed Tatsuki off. As she punched Orihime in the face, then delivered a kick to her stomach, sending Orihime flying towards them, while Tatsuki briefly rubbed her left eye. Ichigo dove and just barely caught her before she hit them pavement. Orihime appeared to be unconscious but otherwise fine.

"Rukia." he called out, gaze fixed on Tatsuki and others. There was no sigh of any remorse or guilt or shame in faces. It sicken Ichigo. He now knew what happened to them. They suffered the fate that he barely escaped when was he was training with the vizards. Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizurio had been dominated by their dark selves, their inner hollows and become the monsters standing before them.

"Yes Ichigo?" Rukia replied, now standing next to him.

"Take Orihime somewhere safe, then get back here as soon as you can." he said as he passed Orihime's unconscious body to Rukia, his gaze never leaving the arrancar.

Rukia nodded and carried Orihime way.

"The time for talk is over." Tstsuki said, snapping her knuckles. Ichigo simply nodded and tightened his grip on Zangetsu. "I want fight Ichigo, you two can have the others."

Mizurio nodded. "Of course. I also take it, you want us to clear out out of the area." Tatsuki nodded back at him. "Fine, I'll take Chad."

"Hey! Why do I get soul reaper leftovers!"

"What?! What did you call me?!" An irritated Renji asked.

Mizuiro sighed. "Keigo, you keep on picking fights him so you might as well fight him. And at least he's got a bankai."

Mizuiro disappeared and reappeared behind Chad, grabbed his shoulder and said, "Besides, you don't really have a choice." And he disappeared again, taking Chad with him.

Keigo sighed. "Alright, let's go Mr... Ah what's your name anyway tattoo face?"

"My name is Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad-"

"Enough." Keigo interrupted. "I just wanted your name not your life story tattoo face."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Keigo smirked. "Then catch me tattoo face."

Keigo turned and soindoed to the roof of a house half a block away, and shouted "Whatcha waiting for?!"

Renji was about to flash step after him, (can Renji flash step?) when Ichigo called to him, "Renji, please don't kill Keigo."

Renji grimly nodded at Ichigo and flash stepped towards Keigo, who was on the move again.

Tatsuki crossed her arms and said, "Ichigo, use your bankai, otherwise you'll just be insulting both of us."

Ichigo could see the logic in use his bankai, but at the same time, he couldn't. He feared killing Tatsuki. Despite what she had become, he knew that somewhere in there was Tatsuki he knew. He just had to find a way to reach her, to free her from the grasp of her inner hollow. The only way to do that was to beat her and bring her to Urahara.

Deciding against releasing his bankai, Ichigo charged at her. He slashed her diagonally across the chest. Or at least that's what should have happened. Instead, Zangetsu was resting on Tatsuki's left shoulder, her uniform wasn't even damaged.

"There are only three ways you can penetrate my hierro, is by either using your bankai, or by attacking me with pure intent to kill or using that mask of yours."

Tatsuki kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. She sonidoed behind him and punched his back, sending Ichigo forward. Tatsuki sonidoed in front of his path and delivered a tremendous uppercut to his face, sending him into the air. Only to be sent moments later, flying back to Earth after being on the receiving end of an axe kick to the head. He crashed into the pavement, leaving a large crater in the middle of the road.

Ichigo struggled to stand up, blood dripping from a cut on the middle of his forehead.

'Damn. Tatsuki always hit hard before but now her strength is nuts. I'm gonna have to use bankai. There's no other way.'

Ichigo got to his feet. "C'mon Ichigo." Tatsuki said, standing about two stories up in the air in front of him. "Your stronger then this. Don't hold back just because it's me. It's insulting. Stop thinking I'm weak. Think of it as sparring match we used to have when we were younger. Go ahead and release your-"

"Dance Sode no Shirayuki! First dance, white moon!"

Tatsuki looked down and saw the white circle underneath her. She raised her arms in defense.

She yelled, "Shit...!!" as she was frozen in a pillar of ice.

Rukia rushed to Ichigo's side. "Are you alright Ichigo?"

Ichigo turned to her and nodded. "I'll be fine. We have to help the-"

crack...crack...crack...CRACK!

The ice pillar shattered, revealing an annoyed Tatsuki. Her gaze was fixed on Rukia. "Rukia, you really shouldn't interrupt someone else's fight. So why don't you sit down and watch."

"That's not gonna happened Tatsuki." Rukia raised her sword and said, "Second da-"

But Tatsuki fired off balas at two of them before she could finish the command. Ichigo leaped to the side, while Rukia jumped back. Ichigo looked up, only to see that Tatsuki was gone.

'Where is she?'

His head darted back and forth, looking for some sigh of Tatsuki. He glanced at Rukia's direction, only to see Tatsuki appear behind Rukia, with her sword drawn.

Everything seemed to slow to a crawl. Ichigo yelled out to warn Rukia, who having heard the buzz of Tatsuki's sonido, started to turn. But she was too slow as Tatsuki slashed her back. Somehow Rukia managed to turn around and block Tatsuki's second strike with her zanpaku-to.

Unfortunately, Rukia's specialty was in kido, not swordsmanship and she lacked Tatsuki's physical strength. Even with one hand on the handle of the blade and the other pressed against the back of blade, near it's tip. Rukia was no match for Tatsuki with only one hand holding her zanpaku-to. Tatsuki forced Rukia to one knee, then kicked her in face. But she didn't let Rukia hit the ground. Instead, Tatsuki grabbed Rukia's right arm with her free left hand, and squeezed. There was a loud snap, followed by Rukia's screams of pain and her sword falling to the ground. Tatsuki sheathed her sword and grabbed Rukia's left arm. But before she could break it too, Ichigo yelled, "BANKAI! Tensa Zangetsu!"

Tatsuki grinned. "Finally! Now the fight can begin!"

"Put her down Tatsuki."

"As you wish." Tatsuki said, before slamming Rukia onto the hood of a nearby parked car, rendering her unconscious.

The two combatants charged at each other. Ichigo with Zangetsu raised in the air, Tatsuki with her fists ready to strike.

That's it for now. Sorry taking so long with this chapter but I reworked it a couple of times before I came up with this version. Originally, the first half of the chapter was just talking and the second half would be the first chuck of all three fights. But I just didn't like the way it was set up and began to rework to this version. The other reason for the delay was that I was catching up on my manga reading, including the latest chapters of Bleach. And all I have to say is damn that one creepy ability Granz has. Though I don't believe Nemu is dead, because she's a mod soul in gigai basically and Mayuri said that she can survive fatal blows. Can't wait to Mayuri kick his ass.

The next chapter probably won't be out till after New Year's. If you think you hate Tatsuki and others now, wait till the next chapter.

Also I'm thinking of starting another story, just so this one doesn't become a pain to write. It's a Naruto story with a slight Bleach crossover. It starts after the Wave arc but before the Chunin exams. Basically the Konoha twelve receive zanpaku-tos. There will be no hollows, soul reapers, etc and the storyline of Bleach isn't part of this story. Though I will turn some of the kido spells into jutsus and I will explain in the stories about the zanpaku-tos. It will stay mostly cannon to the first part of Naruto till the end of the Search for Tsunade arc. The time skip will happen but none of the members of team 7 will train under the sanin during that time. I'm also thinking of working the vizards into the story, the race, not the characters. All the zanpaku-tos I'll use are preexisting ones, mainly because I'm too lazy to create 12 new zanpak-tos. And the previous owners of the zanpaku-to will make appearances.

Here's the list of who get who's zanpaku-tos.

Naruto: Shunsui

Sasuke: Ukitake

Rock Lee: Ikkaku

Tenten: Soifon

Ino: Yumichika

Choji: Sajin

Shikamaru: Gin

Hinata: Rukia

Shino: Mayuri

Kiba: Renji

The last two I'm still deciding on, tell me what you think.

Sakura: Aizen, Tosen or Rangiku

Neji: Byakuya or Hitsugaya

Please Review!