Yo everybody! I know I said I wasn't gonna post another chapter until posted a few chapter of my Naruto/Bleach fic. I was gonna post the first couple of pages for it yesterday, when I had a desire to change a major part of it. Including my own OC, the fourth genin of Team 7.
You see, my only regret with Hollowfication was that I couldn't include my two major OCs for Bleach. A human OC who developed his own abilities when Chad and Orihime and a soul reaper OC, who was the fourth seat of Squad 11. I wanted to add them, but I felt that would have had to do the Soul Society arc in order to do so. But at the time, I really wanted to write an arrancar!Tatsuki, arrancar!Mizuiro, arrancar!Keigo fic, so I didn't include them.
Ah well, enough of my rant. On with the show.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. That honor belongs to Tite Kubo.
Chapter Fourteen
"Oh but you didn't." Aizen said as another grin spread across his face. "You attacked Tatsuki when you were specifically told not to even acknowledge her. And for that, you have to fight one more person before you can reclaim the position of Sixth Espada."
"Who?"
Aizen's grin widened as he answered. "Tatsuki."
Orihime's heart skipped a beat. Aizen wanted Tatsuki to fight Grimmjow. Grimmjow, who had beaten Ichigo twice before while Tatsuki barely beat Ichigo once.
"You're kidding? What kinda punishment is that? This will be easier than killing Luppi." Grimmjow said with a smirk.
"We'll see about that." Tatsuki said as she stepped towards Grimmjow.
Grimmjow glanced at Tatsuki, then turned to her and said, "Girl, heal her."
Both Orihime and Tatsuki looked at him in surprise.
"I don't want there to be any doubt that I'm stronger than you Arisawa." Grimmjow replied. "Now heal her, girl!"
Orihime reluctantly began to heal Tatsuki. It wasn't that she didn't want to heal her friend. It was that the moment she finished healing her, Tatsuki would begin fighting an opponent that she couldn't beat. Grimmjow had beaten Ichigo twice while Tatsuki barely Ichigo once. And she was injured while Grimmjow appeared to be at a hundred percent.
Tatsuki didn't say anything as she healed her. Her gaze was entirely on Grimmjow. When she finished, Tatsuki continued walking towards Grimmjow. But as she walked past her, she whispered to her, "Look at me with those eyes again and I don't care what Aizen-sama says, I'll rip your eyes out."
For the first time, even after her transformation, Orihime was afraid of Tatsuki. There had been any trace of doubt, any trace of guilt, any trace of sorrow, or any trace of her friend in Tatsuki's voice.
Now Orihime no longer feared for Tatsuki's life. Instead, she feared that there wasn't anything left of the person she knew.
Tatsuki started tearing the bandages off her body as she walked towards Grimmjow.
Orihime had pissed her off. Orihime had the gull to look at her with pity and fear for her life. Orihime thought that she was weak, that she couldn't beat Grimmjow. It was beyond insulting. In fact, if Aizen hadn't ordered them not to harm Orihime, expect for in self-defense, she would have beaten her up right then and there.
So she'd have to settle on taking her anger out on Grimmjow.
"You don't stand a chance against me Arisawa." Grimmjow said.
"Funny. I was about to say the same thing about you cripple." she replied.
"Quit calling me that bitch!" he shouted back.
"Sorry, but you'll always be a cripple to me."
"Then DIE!!" he shouted as he used a sonido.
He reappeared in front of her, his right fist flying towards her. But she was ready for him. Her left shot up and grabbed his fist while her own right fist flew towards him. But he grabbed her fist just like she had done. Both found themselves locked in a test of strength with the other.
They remained there for over a minute, the ground crumbling beneath them as both trying to overpower the other. But neither seemed to be making any headway.
Tatsuki hated to admit it she couldn't overpower Grimmjow. But at the same time, he couldn't seem to overpower her.
'Let's see if this works.'
Tatsuki drove her left knee into Grimmjow's crotch. Grimmjow fell to his knees with a loud groan, holding his sore manhood.
"That had to hurt." Keigo said while Wonderweiss giggled.
Before Grimmjow could get up, she spun her right leg and kicked Grimmjow in head. But Grimmjow countered by grabbing her leg before she could hit him. Still holding her leg, Grimmjow stood up and threw Tatsuki. She crashed into the middle of a wall.
Before she could get herself out of crater in the wall, Grimmjow struck again. Hitting her with a barrage of punches, pushing her further and further into the wall. Grimmjow stopped the barrage as he pulled his right fist back. He wanted to finish this in one blow.
But before he could strike, Tatsuki tackled him, sending both of the to the ground. When they hit the floor, they both sonidoed away from the other.
They both raised their right fists, focusing reiatsu into their arms. They stood there for a moment, just staring at each other. Then they both started running towards each other, roaring as they did.
Grimmjow struck first, trying to hit Tatsuki's head. But she ducked down, dodging the blow. Than she drove her own fist upwards and into Grimmjow's chin, uppercutting the larger arrancar.
Grimmjow flew backwards and hit the ground as Tatsuki drew her sword with one hand and sonidoed on top of him. She brought it down on Grimmjow's head, but he managed to grab it in midair while drawing his own sword and impaling her in abdomen, just a few inches above her hollow hole.
"Not bad, Arisawa." he said with a smirk. "But not good enough."
Tatsuki coughed out some blood. "Again, I was gonna say the exact same thing." she said as her free left hand hovered over his abdomen, charging a cero.
Grimmjow's eyes widened in shock. He was beaten, he knew it. If he let go of her sword to counter her cero, her sword would go through his head. And there wasn't enough time for him to pull his sword out and attack her before she fired the cero.
"Enough." Aizen said. "There is a clear winner."
Tatsuki disspelled her charging cero and pulled her sword out of Grimmjow's grasp and his sword out of her abdomen. While Grimmjow was too stunned to stop her.
"NO!! She hasn't beaten me!! She just got lucky!!" Grimmjow shouted when he regained his composure.
"You are beaten Grimmjow. There was no way for you to escape." Ulquiorra said.
"NO!! I'm stronger than her!!"
"And yet there you were Grimmjow. At the mercy of someone you considered weaker than yourself." Aizen said.
He then snapped his fingers. Tatsuki felt a tingling sensation on her right bicep. Tatsuki rolled up the shelve of her new coat, to reveal that the number 84 that had been there had changed into a six.
"Congratulations Tatsuki Arisawa, Sixth Espada." Aizen said.
"I'm an Espada." she said quietly to herself in disbelief.
"I'm an Espada." she said again, this time louder as a grin across her lips.
"I'M A FREAKING ESPADA!!" she shout at the top of her lungs in triumph.
Saturday 10:34 am.
Karakura Town
Ichigo was pretty pissed off as he ran through the streets of Karakura. The Soul Society had decided to abandon Orihime, declaring her a traitor in league with Aizen. Then they pulled Hitsugaya's team and ordered him to stay in Kurakara until further notice.
No way in hell was he gonna do that. Four of his friends were in Aizen's clutches. And he wasn't gonna wait around. He was through waiting.
He quickly reached his destination. Urahara's shop.
Urahara was there, standing outside, waiting for him.
"Welcome Ichigo. I thought you'd come by." he said.
Ichigo nodded. "The way to Hueco Mundo. Is it done?"
"Truth be told Ichigo, I had it done a few days before we found out what happen to your friends."
"What?! Why did you lie to us?!"
Urahara sighed. "Because I didn't want you to go running off to Hueco Mundo. Or rather Orihime running off to Hueco Mundo." he answered. "Come. I have everything prepared inside."
The two stepped into the shop and into Urahara's underground training area.
"I always feared that Aizen would someday set his sights on Orihime's ability." he explained. "That's why I tried to remove her from the battlefield this time and why I lied to you."
Urahara paused for a moment. "Unfortunately, when we found out about Aizen did to your friends, I knew that Orihime wouldn't willingly sit on the sidelines. If I allowed you to go to Hueco Mundo, she would have refused to stay behind."
"Why does Aizen want Orihime?" he asked.
"Her ability to heal goes far beyond healing. She can reject that an event even happened. Repairing damage that even the most powerful healing spells couldn't repair. Restoring limbs and body parts that had been completely destroyed. She can probably even reverse death."
"What?! Then why didn't you tell us that when we had Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo. She could have made them human again!"
Urahara shook his head. "No she couldn't have."
"But you just said that-"
"Physically, she can do it but she lacks the spiritual power to turn them back into humans. If she tried it on just one of them, the best case scenario is that she manages to turn them back into adjuchas and restores a bunch of the hollows they devoured while she dies from a massive loss of reiatsu." he explained.
"Then there's no hope to change them back." Ichigo said dejectedly.
"Actually, while there is no way to turn them back to humans, there may be a way to restore their minds." he said. "I have a theory. If Orihime focused her ability on their hollow holes. It may be possible for Orihime to at least partially to reject the loss of their hearts, restoring more of the human part of their souls. I think it may cause the hollow part and the human part of their souls to split apart and allow that human side a chance to take control. But again, this is just a theory. It could do that, then again, it could do nothing or it could do something completely unpredicted. You'll just have to see."
"Thanks. But should you be helping me? By helping me, you'll be violating the orders of the Soul Society."
Urahara smirked. "I'm not worried about that. Such violations are the reason I'm residing here now."
"Okay then. Open up the way so I can get going."
"Going into enemy territory by yourself Kurosaki?" a voice called from behind him. "Not even you are that stupid."
Ichigo knew that arrogant voice. He turned around. And there sitting on a cliff ledge was Uryu.
"Uryu?!" Ichigo said in surprise. "Why are you here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he said as he leap down. "To go to Hueco Mundo."
"Then you know?"
Before Uryu could answer, another voice, coming from Ichigo's right said, "Urahara told us about what happened to Orihime."
It was Chad.
"We're going too Ichigo. Orihime, Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro are as much my friends as they are yours."
"I appreciate your feelings, Chad, Uryu, but with your powers-"
"Ichigo." Chad said before slamming his transformed fist into him.
Ichigo barely managed to block it with Zangetsu.
"Are you saying that even this isn't enough?" Chad said. "Trust us Ichigo. You don't have to carry such a heavy burden by yourself. That's what nakama are for."
Ichigo was stunned. There was nothing he could say. They were going regardless of what he said.
Urahara took this moment to speak, "Alright then. Everyone ready? It seems like the last of our preparations are finally complete."
The three of them nodded.
"The stone bridging both worlds lies in my right hand, the sword securing reality in my right." Urahara chanted. "Black-haired shepard, chair of hanged men, with the arrival of the stratus, we strike the Ibis."
A large portal opened up above their heads.
"This is the portal the arrancar pass through, known as Garganta." Urahara explained. "Within, no road exists, and spirits spiral around with great turbulence. Keep your footing by traversing the spirits, and continue onwards. Head towards the darkness, and you will eventually reach Hueco Mundo."
"Got it." Ichigo said before he, Chad and Uryu leap up into the portal.
'Orihime, Tasuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, we're coming to save you.'
Elsewhere
Los Noches
Tatsuki walked through the halls of the domain of the Sixth Espada. Her domain.
She had achieved her dream. She was now an Espada. She now officially stood among the strongest of arrancar. But that wasn't the end if her ambition. She wanted the number one spot.
Of course, it'd take her decades to reach the First's level. But the way things were turning out, that wouldn't be a problem. In about two months, Karakura would be wiped out and Aizen would ascend to godhood. Then Hueco Mundo, the world of the living, and even the Soul Society would be under their rule.
Tatsuki snapped out of her thoughts of the future and focused on her new domain.
Unfortunately, at the moment it was filled with all of Luppi's crap. Who knew her predecessor had so much garbage. Even with all of Luppi's Fraccion cleaning out all of the dead Espada's garbage, it was gonna take a couple of days before all the garbage was gone.
Suddenly, a massive spike of reiatsu surged through the air. It could only mean one thing. Someone breached the outer perimeter of Los Noches.
A grin spread across Tatsuki's face. "About time." she said to herself. "I was beginning to think that they weren't coming."
Elsewhere
"Wow. I wonder if they were this loud breaking into the Soul Society." Keigo said.
"Probably. Discretion is something Ichigo isn't familiar with." Mizuiro said. "Though you'd think that after that whole fiasco with rescuing Rukia, that he would have learned be a little discrete."
Keigo chuckled while Mizuiro activated his pesquisa. "It looks like there's only three of them and they're at the Iceringer's and Demora's outpost."
"Only three?! What do they plan to do? Walk up to the front gate and ask nicely if Aizen-sama would release Orihime?"
Mizuiro shrugged. "Not just Orihime. Ichigo will asked us as well." Mizuiro laughed and added, "He still clings to the belief that he can...what did he call it? Oh right, 'fix' us."
"Fix us?!" Keigo said as he laughed. "There's nothing to fix!"
"True." Mizuiro replied. "How about we go see how they fair against those two idiots?"
"Sure."
Elsewhere
"Well now, this is interesting." Arturo Plateado said as he turned his head from the ancient tome he was reading.
Arturo was currently sitting in his private study, one of the many hidden chamber that not even Aizen knew of.
Aizen had believed that the previous Los Noches had been completely demolished and his Los Noches had been build were the previous one stood. In reality, all but the lowest levels and the extremely ancient foundation had been spared and built on top of. At his orders, of course.
That was Aizen's biggest weakness, his arrogant belief that the majority of the arrancar would loyally follow him, that there was no arrancar his equal that would rebel against him, and that he was just an Espada when Aizen killed the Lord of Los Noches and took over Los Noches.
In reality, he, Arturo Plateado, was the real Lord of Los Noches. The one Aizen killed was merely one of his Fraccion.
Nor was Aizen aware that three of the current Espada in reality were loyal to him instead of the ex-captain, and at least two others could be swayed to his side. Also, that almost all of the Privaron Espada were on his side or would side with him over Aizen.
Although Arturo did not know the full extend of Aizen's plans, Aizen wasn't even aware of this hidden rebellion waiting to happen.
But soon...Aizen would. And Los Noches would be his again.
Elsewhere
Aizen was sitting on a couch in his personal quarters when the surge of reiatsu. It meant only one thing. Kurosaki and the other Ryoka had come. Just as he had planned.
"So they've come."
Elsewhere
Ichigo, Chad and Uryu had just arrived in Hueco Mundo and Ichigo had to admit, it was quiet different then he expected. He had been expecting some dark, nightmarish place. Instead, they were standing at the end of a long white corridor.
"It looks like we're in a pretty decent building or something." Ichigo commented. I kinda imagined Hueco Mundo to look much different then this. This place reminds me more of the Soul Society then-"
"Lower your voice Kurosaki." Uryu interrupted. "Our entrance has no doubt already alerted others of our presence."
"Is this really Hueco Mundo though?" Ichigo said, not really paying attention to the Quincy.
"Are you listening to me Kurosaki?! First off, we need to find a place to hide-"
Uryu stopped the instant they felt it. Something was behind them.
The three of them spun around and saw someone lurking in the shadows behind them. A rather large someone judging from the large hand resting on the ceiling.
"What the?" it said. "Who are you?"
That's all for now.
So anyone surprised by Aizen's revelation in the latest chapter of the manga? I wasn't. I had noticed that during Ulquiorra's conversation with Nnoitra, that Ulquiorra basically said, 'It doesn't matter whether or not Orihime follows Aizen's orders. For Aizen will win regardless.'. Now I didn't know that Aizen was using it as a distraction to lure and trap four of the captains, Ichigo, and the others. That surprised me and reminded me why Aizen is such a badass villain. He takes deception and manipulation to a whole other level. You never see him coming until it's too late.
And the other reason I posted this chapter now, was the stats for Hollowfication rose a fair amount since I've posted the last two chapters.
Hits: 5906
Reviews: 46
Favs: 23
Alerts: 20
Once again, I wanna say thanks. You guys are what drive me to continue writing.