Chapter 11

Ok so I'm going to try a different format this time, tell me if you like it!

Groaning, Ichigo sat up arms swinging to give himself leverage until the fog in his mind cleared, instinctively, he reached for his shoulder, a phantom pain of the blood pulsing through raw veins. Blinking he looked over at his shoulder and saw the completely healed state of what would have been his wound.

"She did a good job" he thought. The pad of his left thumb brushing over the new skin "a very good job" he muttered out loud, dropping the hand in favour looking about him.

"So, your awake" head snapping to the left with an audible 'click!' he watched, slightly bemused but mostly annoyed as Yoruichi stepped out of the shadows, of the room revealing her clothed form clad in her stealth commander uniform from her old days leading the stealth force.

"She patched me up eh?" he questioned, it was more of a statement though, a way of creating a conversation.

"yes, she as good as ever, you're lucky you have her, now your little scar less body won't be so threatened in future" her cheeky gin made him scoff.

"yeah, right, that woman is as bloodthirsty as Kenpachi when she lets loose, though in more of a fallen angel aspect if I say so myself" standing up suddenly he used the stone wall of the cave to his left to steady himself, his balance wrecked by the sudden movement.

Taking a few deep breaths he shook his head and narrowed calculating eyes on her "is everything the same?" he questioned dangerously, his change in demeanour surprising her slightly, but she shrugged and took it in her stride.

"Yes, we made sure everything remained the same, if it wasn't it would ruin your plans after all, ne. I know at least that much" Ichigo nodded reaching out with a left hand to gesture her over in a loose motion; she did so slowly, swaying her hips in such a way that his eyes began to involuntarily rake over her tight uniform "c'mon Ichi kun time to fight Bya Bya" nodding Ichigo interlocked his stiff fingers and cracked them before letting them fall to his sides where he pulsed his reiatsu and caught the cleaver and Katana that flew at him, inspecting them for a few seconds he nodded and attached the Katana to his waist (Sasuke Uchiha style) before he then attached the cleaver to his back and with a flit of his shihakshou disappeared.

With Orihime

The redhead was kneeled next to the giant of a man that took her into his division, her steel grey eyes focused intently upon his wounded form.

"The kids alright you know" she jumped at the gruff voice, eyes flying up to meet his beady ones.

"How do you know that?" she asked questionably, tone smooth as he laughed a rumbling laugh coming from deep in his chest "woman, you can tell a lot about a man from the way he fights, and that kid you have there" he chuckled "he's a keeper" her eyes narrowed almost unnoticeably.

"What makes you think that?" she stood up, towering over the man tucked into his bedroll.

"he's a protector, plain and simple, where I fight mostly for the sake of fighting, he fights to protect those dear to him, even if it costs him his life" out of the corner of his eye he spotted Orihime shift almost unnoticeably.

Now let it be known that, though bloodthirsty, Kenpachi was a shinigami who was hundreds of years old, and those hundreds of years had tempered him into a wise man that could spot emotions when he saw them.

"You're jealous" he stated bluntly, reading her like an open book "there's someone that he like's or loves and you want in on that feeling" Orihime's shocked look brought a chuckle from him.

"would you like my advice, little girl?" seeing as she didn't say anything he continued "when a man like him comes along, he's bound to have many a woman in his lifetime, women are attracted to tenacity, no?" (Note: complete bullshit) "well then, it would be best if you just push a little, let him know what you want, if he says yes, well you have your answer, no, well there's always other fish in the sea, as they say" letting a sigh slip from his lips he looked up to the milky white ceiling "there was once a person that I liked, I know it may seem impossible with my attitude ne?" he chuckled, chest vibrating as emotion bundled into a knot that he couldn't swallow "she was like me, she loved fighting, for exactly the same reasons as I do, though you wouldn't understand, eventually she gave up, probably couldn't find that person; heh" he snorted and rolled his eyes to look directly into hers.

"She never looked at me, you're in the same position, hm" she flinched violently; it was the answer to his question.

His voice lowered to a soft drawl "never give up like I did" he raised a scarred hand and brushed it against her cheek "it'll only result in a life of emotional solitude" then almost immediately the shields were back up, the monstrous grin upon his features "go get em!"

Thoughts swirling with confusion, deliberation, hope and hatred she stood "thank you Zaraki san" she bowed quietly and turned to leave, swiftly exiting through the rice paper door panel that was slid open by Ikakku who silently bowed to her and let her pass as she stewed in her memories.

Flashback Bitches!

She bit down a cry of pain as the matte black blade, wielded by the rage filled Kurosaki Ichigo cut into her arm, dragging gleefully against her Ulna and radius "guh!" she let out a dry heave as she was violently pulled by her once friend/love interest to the left, his soul slayers grip on her arm like a vice "I-I can't" tears prickled at the edges of her vision, fuelled by the pain of the zanpaktou wedged into her bone "Santen Kessun: I reject" bringing up a small barrier around her she was batted away, the barrier that she had formed shattering upon Ichigo's vengeful impact sending her sprawling to the ground, neck broken but not critically so.

She watched from then on as Ichigo ripped through the members of the gotei, only to be stopped and crushed by the head captain himself. She saw him moments later, buried among the rubble, limp, practically lifeless as the head captain ignited his shikai above the teen "Know that your death meant something, my grandson" her eyes widened "g-grandson" she gasped.

BOOM!

She closed her eyes and winced as chips of stone raked nature's claws across her face.

Rolling her eyes to the left she saw Kurosaki, slouched in pain and exhaustion, numerous stab wounds littering his body, a couple cauterised by the sheer output of Ryuujin Jakka.

"NOW ZANGETSU!"

Expecting an attack she brought up her shield to surround her body causing her to hover several feet off the floor as the world around her twisted and deformed, structures melting into nothing, the ground twisting, rising and falling like the tides of the ocean, smoothing over and cracking as age retreated and accelerated "Kurosaki kun, what have you done?" she whispered.

Suddenly the world stopped changing, her shield cracked, shattering like glass as she fell to the ground with and unmerciful 'THUD!'.

Groaning she stared across the forest floor, at peace for a few seconds before the sound of thudding feet alerted her to a presence.

"Sleep little one"

And the world bled into black.

Flashback end!

Sighing she collapsed against the nearest tree, and slid down its rough textured surface, her thoughts troubling her immensely "what should I do" she whimpered cradling her head as war waged inside her mind.

Her attachment to Ichigo was unshakeable; she loved him no matter what.

But she hated him as well, for ignoring her, for seeing everyone but her.

Tears leaked through her vision as she shook like a leaf "what should I do" she whispered.

"What should I do"

Ichigo and Yoruichi leapt across the tiled roofs of Sereitei, heading for the shrine of penitence "so Yoru chan, not long now" the time traveller kicked off of the next roof, his foot cracking the tile under the pressure of his energy as he took off, extending his slipstream of reiatsu in mid air to blur forward in a blindingly fast step.

Struggling Yoruichi caught up with him, her bountiful chest heaving as she forcefully kept her reiatsu output the same to keep up with her lover.

"Don't worry, were almost there" Ichigo teased, turning on his heel as soon as he hit a solid surface to turn and look at her "I'll let you keep up for now".

Growling she leapt forward, past the orange haired boy and up the side of the tower to land on the roof of the shrine where Rukia Kuchiki was being transferred.

Arriving a split second later Ichigo landed on the catwalk where several kido users had Rukia secured via ropes attached to some sort of device on her neck "Rukia!" getting into character he leapt forward, Zangetsu being swung wildly as a teen of his age should do (wink wink).

He quickly dispatched of the kido users with ease, a simple shakkaho blasting them apart as they had nowhere to dodge to.

Sensing a presence he turned quickly, bringing his zanpaktou into a block that shielded his upper abdomen from injury. It also had the added bonus of stopping him from being eviscerated by Byakuya Kuchiki's zanpaktou.

"I can see you, Bya Bya!" he pushed forward into Byakuya's weak block and twisted his soul slayer to push down on Byakuya's zanpaktou.

"Chire, Senbonzakura" Byakuya's blade exploded into bright pink petals, sending Ichigo flying as the petals gouged skin out of him creating pools of blood on the ground as he collapsed, hitting the floor with a loud 'thud!".

Glaring down at the orange haired teen Byakuya reformed his zanpaktou into a gleaming silver blade "die, boy".

Stabbing down Byakuya cursed as a cloth curled around his arms, locking his movement in place "Yoruichi!" he snarled, face twisting in anger as he pulled at the cloth, trying to wrench her over but to no avail "na ah" using shunpo she appeared next to Byakuya and snatched up Ichigo before disappearing, but not before leaving some mocking parting phrases.

"Bye bye, Bya chan!"

Byakuya growled, clenching his fist "damn you woman!"

Groaning, Ichigo gripped his head as he sat up.

"Holy shit, what hit me?" breathing heavily he blinked several times to banish the pains from his head

"Yoruichi, you there?" he asked looking about.

"no she's out at the moment, preparing something apparently" his eyes widened as he turned his head to the left, staring into the shadows with a small smile "hello" he began as she stepped out of the shadows.

As she did so she revealed dark black hair tied in a neat plait before her chest and a captains cloak that hung over her shoulders giving her the appearance of an over encumbered woman who would have difficulty moving efficiently.

Of course, it was all a ruse, this woman was, aside from the head captain, possibly the most powerful of the captains.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" he chuckled, breathing through his nose as he tried to sit up but the woman just smiled sweetly at him, a feeling of death emanating from her "lay down, now" she commanded as he did so with a chuckle.

"It's definitely been a while Retsu chan..."

ooh cliff-hanger hehe, so how was it, good, bad? Also I know exactly how this series is going to end so don't worry about me running out at the end of this story :)

Oh yeah, here's a thought, I'm going to set up a poll for another sword, if you can I would like you to participate, the subject would be over the Sokyoku, should it be Ichigo's 3rd weapon or not, I did say that he would be immensely powerful and godlike but I would like your opinion on the matter (Sokyoku is the blade at the top of the pole, not the entire thing)

well that's all folks

REMEMBER TO VOTE!

See Ya!

TrueInitiative

By the way, thanks to DevilzWarz for being beta and correcting my typos.