AN: Insomnia made me write this. This chapter is the end of the introduction to the story line. Enjoy!
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'After getting his family to Urahara's, Ichigo came to Keigo's house and knocked on the door. But who opened the door wasn't Keigo, it was his sister.
"The hell do you want, and why do you have swords? Who are you?" the girl asked impolitely. She couldn't help it, they had never met.
"Hello, my name is… Shunsui Kyoraku, nice to meet you miss. Don't worry these swords are fake, just to keep up appearances, I am here to take your brother on a trip, he entered a sweepstakes a month ago and he won a trip to Australia for a week." Ichigo had resorted to lying again, and this time had used someone else's name. She walked away and shouted for Keigo.
"Yo, Keigo, someone named Shunsui Kyoraku is here for you, to take you to Australia because you won a trip?" Keigo came to the door, and as dense as he normally is, he caught on.
"Oh yes, this is Shunsui, I entered a sweepstakes a few weeks ago to win a trip to Australia and he said he would come get me if I won. I'm sorry for not telling you."
"Whatever, just be safe, and bring me something…" Keigo came out and walked down the street with Ichigo and then the two of them just laughed.
"Ichigo, I think Tatsuki is working today…"
"I have a plan…" Ichigo grabbed Keigo and threw him over his shoulder as he flash stepped to the restaurant where she worked. "It seems that people can see me because of this band or something else, I don't particularly care what is doing it. wait here, hold these." Ichigo handed his swords to Keigo who had hid them in a bush. Ichigo walked in and started making a scene.
"Where is Tatsuki Arisawa! Tatsuki! There is an emergency!" Ichigo ran into the restaurant flailing his arms, luckily it wasn't crowded. Tatsuki came running out of the back.
"What, what's going on, oh hey I-" she was cut off when Ichigo began to speak.
"Arisawa-san there is a problem! Your house has been robbed! My name is Shunsui Kyoraku, I am undercover with the police, please come with me!" Ichigo had lied again and her boss came out of the back.
"What's going on here?" he demanded.
"Sir, Arisawa-san's house has been robbed, I am agent Kyoraku, undercover with Karakura PD. I need her for a few days for questioning."
"Very well, you can take her." The loud man went back into the back as Ichigo took her arm and ran out the door and around the corner to where Keigo was sitting. He took his swords back and put them back on.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ICHIGO" Tatsuki screamed so loud that people had turned to look at them.
"Oh shut up, come on." He picked up Keigo and her and jumped up onto a roof and started his was back to Urahara's when she started struggling.
"PUT ME DOWN DAMMIT!" The angry girl demanded, Ichigo did just that turned to her and held two fingers up.
"Bakudo no 1 Sai!" and her arms were bound behind her back.
"What the hell?"
"Stop struggling, you're making this difficult." He slung her over his shoulder and she agreed to calm down, hoping Ichigo would unseal her arms, but he knew better. He did the same to Keigo without the kido though and started flash stepping and made it to the shop in five minutes.
"Okay we're here, now Tatsuki, if I unseal you, do you promise to play nice?" Ichigo asked calmly as he let them down.
"Hell no." She spoke icily.
"I thought so…" he unsealed her anyway, he tapped his hilt to her forehead and the same to Keigo, and gave the bodies to Urahara who took them inside as the other three came out of the shop, Ichigo opened a Senkaimon. "Stick close everyone, it might feel weird when we get there, but you'll get used to it." The six of them walked through the Senkaimon.
…
Everyone except Ichigo and Isshin were dumbfounded with what they saw. Tatsuki spoke up.
"Well, Shunsui, what do we do now?" she had said the fake name to play along with it; she had her usual smirk on her face.
"Well first, we get you some clothes that make you fit in with the rest of us." The voice wasn't Ichigo's which startled Tatsuki and the others, Isshin and Ichigo knew who it was.
"Yo, Shunsui, sorry about that, I used your name to explain why I was taking them." Tatsuki and the others were looking around for the source of the voice, and were shocked when they realized the man was standing next to Ichigo. After introductions Shunsui called for someone.
"Nanao-chan come on out they aren't going to hurt you." Shunsui yelled off to the distance.
"Captain! I dropped my glasses while trying to clean them and couldn't find them. I'm not scared of his friends and family." Nanao said while she pushed her glasses up.
"If you say so. Nanao-chan take the girls and get them something to wear, Keigo you come with me, I'll have them brought to your barracks when they get changed Ichigo." They were led off into different directions, Ichigo took his dad towards the barracks.
"Ichigo, how about a race with your old man?" Isshin had a smirk on his face.
"Alright, I hope you remember where the fifth barracks are." Ichigo had the same smirk on his face
"Of course I do! I was a captain, I know where all the barracks are."
"Okay, get ready, we go in ten seconds."
They stood in the same spot waiting to go, after ten seconds they took off, Isshin didn't know that Ichigo was in the third for speed out of the captains, Byakuya was second and Sui-feng was first. Ichigo was waiting at his barracks for a minute before his dad came up.
"Well damn, you win son, but you couldn't have held back for your father?" Isshin was giving that goofy smile he always had.
"Maybe next time, come on, there are some people who want to see you." The two went in to the barracks to be approached by Mitezu.
"Yo, captain, who's the old man? Don't tell me another 'trainer?'" The unruly boy had asked.
"Hello Mitezu, this is another ex-captain, this time from squad ten." Ichigo explained to Mitezu.
"What is it with you bringing ex-captains here recently, first that cat lady and now him?"
"I guess you're talking about Yoruichi aren't you? My name is Isshin Kurosaki, ex-captain of squad ten."
"Yeah, I was and…Did you… are you the captains father?"
"Yes I am, nice to meet you, Mitezu."
"Does that mean you're much stronger than our captain? Since you're his dad and all."
"I'm not sure, since we never fought."
"I look forward to that fight then. See you later Captain Kurosakis." And Mitezu ran down the hall.
"What a little shit." Isshin said loud enough only for Ichigo to hear, who just started laughing and nodding. They made their way to Ichigo's office, and went inside, his old ripped up coat was on the desk, he took his zanpakuto and set them down against his desk, and put on his coat.
"Damn Ichigo, what did you do to that coat, it's burned, ripped, stained with blood…" Isshin seemed to question his son at everything since he brought him into the barracks.
"Orihime did it, she's really strong when she actually fights." After ten minutes of discussing random things, the door opened, and Kurostuchi walked in and threw a glove at Ichigo then walked out.
"You too Mayuri!" Ichigo had called when the crazy captain left. Ichigo took off his armband and put the glove on, which felt much lighter than the armband, and at first his pressure flared up but leveled off.
"That was something." Isshin had said surprised at his son's power. As he said that the door opened and Orihime ran in and hugged Ichigo tightly then noticed Isshin sitting on the couch she greeted him and gave him a hug too.
"Orihime, where's Koko?"
"She said something about the Rukongai before leaving quickly. Where are the others? Tatsuki-chan, Keigo and your sisters?"
"Shunsui and Nanao are getting them changed."
"I don't want that lecherous man near Tatsuki-chan, or your sisters!" Orihime started imagining all the bad things that could be happening and her face grew bright red.
"Relax, Keigo is with Shunsui, and Nanao is with the girls." Ichigo calmed her down with his explanation.
…
About an hour later Shunsui brought the four back, all of them in a standard Shihakusho, Orihime immediately jumped up to Tatsuki and gave her a huge hug. After a bunch of greetings Orihime turned to Ichigo.
"I think since you have that glove now, we should show them a fight!" That crazy grin she wore during battle was appearing.
"Alright, but dad, Shunsui, if they show signs that they can't handle the release of pressure, please stop the fight, bind me, use force if you have to, take them somewhere, anything." To Ichigo's request the two nodded and followed him out to that battleground where he used his new Bankai.
"Alright Ichigo let's go!" she immediately released her Shikai. "Embrace, Uchiakeru!"
"come on!" Ichigo took hold of both his swords and charged her, one slash after another with little time for Orihime to react, she managed to kick him in the chest sending him back, he just shot right back at her, with a flurry of stabs, which cut up her shihakusho a bit. She managed to get away from him and raise her right hand.
"Kin Ukeireru!" the giant wave of gold was met with a Getsuga Tenshou in the shape of an 'X'. And the explosion was massive, making his friends and sisters stumble a little, which he noticed and got distracted. Which was a mistake, Orihime had stabbed him in the leg and punched him in the stomach. Ichigo fell to the ground and coughed up some blood. He stood up and smirked, he sheathed his left sword and put his hand on the hilt.
"Moon be black. Heaven's cry, Zangetsu!" The two smaller blades turned into the moon carved larger one. Ichigo seemingly disappeared and appeared before Orihime and slammed the sword down on her, even though she blocked it, she was thrown into the ground forming another crater on the battlefield. She had that sadistic grin again as she jumped up to him and punched at his face, only to be stopped by his left hand, which had been reinforced by Soren Sokatsui that hasn't been fired, instead it just exploded and sent them both flying, Ichigo's coat had burned even more, and half of Orihime's shihakusho was gone.
"Release your Bankai!" Orihime screamed as she tried to stab Ichigo again but he blacked all of her sword attacks and dodged her punches and kicks. Ichigo threw off his coat and someone jumped out and caught it, he didn't see who though.
"All right, brace yourself… BANKAI!" The same black pillar had appeared and completely hid Ichigo, the release of spiritual pressure had caused Isshin and Kyoraku to take a step in front of the four guests, who began to shake, using their own spiritual pressures to protect them. The giant pillar disappeared revealing Ichigo with the chains on his arms the long tailcoat, longer hair, two swords and the lightning coming off his arms, connecting between the blades and ground, making a cracking noise constantly. By now, the captains that were there when he first used it were there along with his entire squad and Ukitake was there with Rukia.
"It seems like the glove just keeps him conscious, that huge pressure is still there." Shunsui had said over the cracking sound. Ichigo looked up at Orihime who had a huge grin on her face.
"Orihime…" he completely vanished, nobody saw where he went. "Let's give them a show." He was behind her swinging down both swords which she didn't have time to dodge completely and the lightning coming out of his arms had burned the upper half of her shihakusho until it was completely gone, she charged at him, and tried to slash at his arm, she managed to cut him, but the lightning caused her attack to weaken. It didn't hurt like it did the first time she touched it. He tried to kick her side but she countered with a kick of her own and punched him in the chest, sending him flying back, as he regained his footing, he threw the sword in his right hand at her, but she didn't dodge because it wasn't coming toward her, it seemed to have missed the chain seeming to stretch endlessly, she charged at him but he held up his free hand and used a kido. "Bakudo no 61 Rikujokoro!" the familiar six beams trapped her and he threw the left sword at the same angle but different direction, then with a flick of both wrists the swords wrapped her in chain and puller her closer the lightning shocking her, but not doing any damage, like it was defensive, instead of the original offensive properties it had. He released the kido and put his arms around her and spoke softly. "I win. Himei, tsuki, sakebi." And then there was a flash of light then a cracking noise, probably bones, the swords and chains exploded between them and fell as their sealed form and Ichigo looked normal, although his arms were cut up and bleeding. Orihime was covered in blood and severely injured but not nearly as bad as Ichigo, he had taken most of the hit for her, although she still fell to the ground next to Ichigo's sealed zanpakuto, he limped over to her and helped her up before kissing her. He picked up his zanpakuto and started limping over to Shunsui and the others. His squad just started clapping like they just saw a great movie.
"That was awesome! But what was that you did at the end?" It was Yoruichi who was sitting in Tatsuki's arms who dropped the cat when it spoke, not knowing that it wasn't a cat.
"Himei, tsuki, sakebi. It detonates my swords and their chains, which is why my arms are bleeding so heavily. I used the lightning on my arms to keep all the damage from going to her. It also seals Zangetsu, so it's more or less a finisher." Ichigo had trouble standing because the stab to his leg was catching up with him. "I think that we should go to the fourth squad now, come on, Tatsuki, Keigo, Yuzu, Karin, you four are staying there, and we need to be healed." The six of them started their way to the fourth squad.
"Ichigo, are you sure you should be walking, your injuries seem pretty serious…" it was Tatsuki who was staring at the little pools of blood he was leaving behind from his arms.
"I'm fine, Orihime didn't poison me this time so I should be fine." He coughed up some blood which made her think otherwise.
"Ichigo! What the hell was that black pillar earlier?" it was another female voice which only Orihime and Ichigo recognized, the other four looked around for who said it. but couldn't find where it was from.
"just come out, stop hiding, Bee. I don't want to talk to the air." Ichigo seemingly spoke to the floor. And then a short woman appeared next to him. "Hey, we were fighting, that black pillar was my new Bankai. Oh, meet my friends and family, the tall angry looking one is Tatsuki…"
"You ass!"
"bakudo no 1 sai!" her arms were sealed again, but she kept walking, as to not get lost here. After a little he released her.
"that's Tatsuki, the only guy here is Keigo," Keigo waved at her with a smile, which she hesitantly returned. "The blonde girl is Yuzu, my sister, and the other is Karin, also my sister."
"It's nice to meet you all. Ichigo, can I still use your quarters with Yoruichi-sama? Now that you're conscious I would assume that I can't do that there anymore."
"Do what with who in his quarters?" Yuzu had asked sounding a bit confused.
"Eh…she wants to know if she can keep playing with my talking cat in my room. And the answer is no, use the lieutenant's quarters."
They had come to the squad four barracks and went inside, Ichigo had told everyone to wait, he was going to get someone. He limped his way to Unohana's office and knocked.
"Come in, Ichigo." Said Unohana from the other side.
"Why does everyone know when I'm at their door?" Ichigo jokingly questioned
"Because I felt that fight from here. It's only a matter of time before you would show up at my door. Take me to Orihime I'll heal you two…" she had got up and followed him to the group and after introductions she took Ichigo and Orihime to separate rooms, and sent Isane to Orihime to heal her because her wounds were less severe. Retsu let the group go into his room to see how she healed him, they were curious about everything that was going on.
…
After Orihime was let out of her room after being healed she found the other four in the room with Ichigo who was still being healed, since it turned out, half his ribs were broken and that explosion at the end had broken his right arm in six places, the stab wound in the leg was much deeper than thought.
"Well Ichigo, I've healed all the broken ribs, but that doesn't mean that they won't hurt. Also, you should have use of your right arm later today or tomorrow. I'm actually surprised that your friends survived that burst of spiritual pressure." Unohana had fished wrapping the bandages on his chest and helped him put the top half of the shihakusho back on.
"Well, I had my father, and Shunsui protect them from it." Ichigo had said as he stood up an put his swords on with his left hand, which was harder than he thought.
"Oh? Your father is here too, I forgot he was coming…Can you send him my way when you see him?" Unohana had sounded happier than usual when she asked this.
"No need, I'm already here." Said Isshin from behind Orihime who was still in the door.
"Oh Isshin, when did you get here? I can't seem to sense anyone well when Ichigo is this close. He disrupts my senses it seems." She shot a glance at Ichigo who just chuckled nervously.
"Retsu-chan! How have you been?" Isshin strode past Orihime and hugged Unohana.
'WHAT? Did he just call her Retsu-chan and hugged her…good job dad, but what the hell?' Ichigo thought to himself at this spectacle.
"Over the last hundred years or so…not much, occasional war, you know how it goes." Unohana had freed herself from the man and Orihime ran up to Ichigo and whispered into his ear.
"The secret she told us that day was 'your dad was the last person she had sex with, around a hundred something years ago' and she looked into it, Koko is not related to either of them, don't worry." Ichigo's face was frozen with shock as he looked back and forth from his father to Unohana.
"Good for him, I think it's time to go, don't you?" Ichigo said under his breathe and Orihime nodded and Ichigo turned to the other four and motioned for them to follow him out the door. "We'll leave you two to catch up. Dad…Don't do anything…" He heard his dad laugh at this plea and they shut the door.
"Ichi-nii! Orihime seems like a different person when she fights!" Yuzu had spoken up from behind them.
"Yeah, she has a lot of fun fighting me. Yuzu, Karin, Keigo Tatsuki, did Unohana tell you that you are staying there with her instead of my barracks?" the four nodded and then Keigo spoke up.
"Yeah she did, but why can't we stay with you?" Keigo complained to Ichigo
"My barracks don't have two spare rooms."
"Wait. Does that mean Keigo is going to have to share a room with one of your sisters!? Because I am sure as hell not staying with him." Tatsuki sounded worried.
"As much as I don't like it, yes, the rooms you are staying in only have two beds. If Keigo tries something, don't hesitate to find Unohana, or Isane, either they will do something about him, or get me to do it."
"Hey! I'm not some pervert Ichigo! And plus they aren't 18 yet either, and let's not forget, they are your sisters!" Keigo defended himself from the accusations.
The six kept walking to the fifth squad barracks making small talk. Tatsuki eventually asked Ichigo something.
"Oh Ichigo, I've been meaning to ask you this, what the hell do you keep doing to me that binds my arms? Please don't demonstrate, just explain."
"That was a Bakudo called Sai, it's a low level binding kido, it doesn't hurt, it just binds the arms behind your target. Kido is basically…let's call it magic. There are two types, Hado and Bakudo, Hado is an offensive technique and Bakudo is binding, which I've been doing to you."
"I saw you do something to Orihime that was…I don't remember, but something 61."
"Ah, that's one of the higher level Bakudo; it completely immobilizes whatever it hits. I'll show you when we get to the barracks." After about five minutes they came to the barracks and Ichigo told them to wait outside as he went in. a minute later he came out dragging Mitezu by the arm. He knew that it wouldn't be good if he took him without a word.
"Yes, captain, for what are you dragging me outside today?" Mitezu already knew the answer.
"stand over there, and attack me." Ichigo had pointed off to the side.
"Fine, just don't kill me." Mitezu said then charged him. Ichigo dodged him and held his hand out, and a flash of light sent Mitezu flying, after gaining his footing he held up his hand and shouted out a kido. "Hado no 33 Sokatsui!" and the blue ball of energy had launched toward Ichigo who just held up his left hand and a large spinning shield came up blocking the ball of energy. Ichigo held up his left hand again this time Mitezu's arms were bound behind his back making him drop his zanpakuto, then six beams of light hit him holding him still. Ichigo used Sho again to move him away from his friends and let loose another kido, which was Soren Sokatsui. It hit Mitezu and knocked him out.*
"Dad, that was cool, but kido is considerably weaker when you don't speak out what you're doing." It was Koko who had been watching since he used Enkosen without speaking. She was the one who caught his coat, and she gave it to him
"Yeah I know, but I went easy on him, he said not to kill him, which probably would have happened if I spoke for that last one." He explained as he walked over and hugged her before putting his coat on.
"Ichigo, do you always greet your squad by knocking one of them out?" It was Karin giving a smirk. "Oh I just remembered! Toshiro is here! Can I see him?" Karin sounded excited to meet her old friend.
"Well, no I don't attack my squad normally; it's just Mitezu gets on my nerves. And yeah, I'll take you to his barracks later." Ichigo had led them around giving them a tour of his barracks while Orihime went with Koko into the garden to tend to the flowers and fish. Ichigo had led them to his quarters and opened the door and again, Yoruichi and Sui-Feng, on his bed, naked. But this time wide awake. Ichigo froze in the doorway and Yoruichi cupped her hand over Sui-Feng's mouth and ran into the closet, opening and closing the door quietly.
"What is it Ichi-nii? Is something wrong?" Yuzu had grabbed his right arm which he didn't have any feeling in so he didn't notice until she said something.
"Eh, nothing at all this is my quarters let's keep going." Ichigo tried to go but was pushed in by Tatsuki and Karin.
"What's the rush, we want to see the room!" The four had walked in and started looking around. Ichigo paled at the thought of what would happen if one of them opened the closet.
"I heard that Orihime shares the room with you, the closet has room for the both of your clothes?" Tatsuki was making her way to the closet. Ichigo couldn't get any words out to her to tell her not to open it. Then she opened the closet door, and stood frozen her hand still on the door. She slowly turned her head to Ichigo who was banging his head into a wall hoping she wouldn't ask. "Ichigo… WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN YOUR CLOSET!" She screamed and was pushed out of the way by a naked Yoruichi who had dragged Sui-Feng out of the closet with her, who now had tears in her eyes and was bright red trying to get free from Yoruichi. Keigo and the others were staring at the two with eyes wide and mouths dropped. Ichigo, not wanting this to continue, managed to get Yoruichi off her and throw her out the door, and she turned back into a cat and ran away. Ichigo turned back to Sui-Feng and put his coat on her.
"Where are your clothes, are you okay, your eyes are watering." Ichigo asked as he motioned for the group to wait outside.
"Ichigo…" she spoke quietly not wanting to make eye contact. "Yoruichi burned them a while ago. I can't believe this is the second time you caught this happening, and with me not wearing anything…I'm so embarrassed." She pulled the coat closer and turned away from him.
"Bee, you are a lesbian what do you care if I see you without any clothes. And besides, I have Orihime, even if you were straight I wouldn't care, I would just make you get out and put clothes on." Sui-Feng smiled when his argument made sense. "But that does not mean that you can keep being naked in my barracks, take Yoruichi to your barracks of you want to be with her." Ichigo pat her back to console her.
"What are they talking about in there?" Ichigo could hear Keigo from the other side of the door, and Tatsuki saying something and then hitting him.
"Ichigo, thank you for not being mad at me. But There is a problem…I have no clothes…and Orihime's yukata was the only thing here that fir me, and that's at my barracks…"
"I'm not mad at you for doing something like this, but next time…make sure you bring something to wear. So, are you going to bring my coat back in a minute?" Ichigo said with a chuckle.
"No, I'll wear something of Orihime's even though it will be a bit loose." Sui-Feng was wearing a smile, which was a rare sight on the strict captain. She took off the coat handed it to Ichigo and walked back to the closet.
"Well, I'll leave you to change than, make sure to return it eventually." Ichigo got up and left, putting his coat on. He came to the door and opened it and Keigo fell in, he was pressing his ear to the door to try and listen. "Keigo…do I have to bind you this time? Or will you behave around my friends?"
"Yeah, I'll be good, but why do you get to talk to the naked women!?" Keigo roared with jealousy. Ichigo just gave him a light punch to the head.
"That one was a lesbian you dunce, that's why she didn't freak out when I went to talk to her." Ichigo started to take the group around the rest of the barracks when Tatsuki spoke up.
"Hey, Ichigo, I noticed you didn't show us the Lieutenants quarters next to yours, is there a reason?"
"Oh, it's the same as mine just without all the miscellaneous stuff. Why?"
"well, since Orihime sleeps with you, and she's the lieutenant, I was wondering…"
"Yes, you can stay there if you want to, I think you have a high enough spiritual tolerance." Ichigo didn't let her finish before answering. He remembered how uncomfortable she was around Unohana.
"Really? Thank you! But wait…wasn't your dad going to stay here?" Tatsuki was smiling for the first time since Ichigo brought her, since he probably got her fired and kept binding her arms.
"He is probably not going to be around here too much, with him meeting with Retsu and such. I'll just tell them that you two are switching."
"Thanks, Ichigo, I don't know why but that Unohana person seems like she's hiding a bloodthirsty demon under her smile."
"You have no idea..." Ichigo motioned them into his office and sat at his desk, the four started looking around at the various things he had collected over the years. He even had a replica of his old hollow mask, which for some reason Byakuya gave it to him for congratulating him on being named as captain.
"Are there any reasons why Ichigo shouldn't be offered one of the open captain positions?"
None of the other captains said anything, they knew that he deserved it, after what he did.
"Now, Ichigo we have three openings for captain positions. But I'm pretty sure I know which one you want." Shunsui tipped his hat towards the rows of captains which all nodded knowing what he was going to do. "As of this moment forward I appoint Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Shinigami, Hero of the Winter War, Slayer of the Original Substitute, as Captain of Squad Five." After Shunsui declared Ichigo the next captain of squad five, there were no objections and the ceremony ended.
"Shunsui…Don't you think that list of titles was a bit lengthy?" Ichigo was standing before Shunsui smirking, wearing a fresh unscathed coat. "I mean, it's nice to be recognized for all I've done, but I would have been fine with just my name, something simple like that."
"I'm not sure if you've noticed…But simplicity isn't my style."
"It sure isn't, well, I'll go see my squad now, although, I'm not sure they will like me very much."
"I don't know about that…"
"They probably will just see me as the guy who killed their captain."
"And there's that, which certainly is a possibility."
…
"Hello, my name is Ichigo Kur-" Ichigo was introducing himself when he was interrupted.
"We know who you are. You are the one who killed Captain Aizen!" It was Lieutenant Hinamori who shrieked with her anger.
"Hey Lieutenant! That is our new captain! At least show some respect!" a voice from the crowd called.
"I knew at least one of you would act this way. I figured it would be the lieutenant. Listen to me once, I will not repeat myself. This will also be the last time I take this tone, unless you seriously piss me the fuck off. Lieutenant Hinamori, How many times were you stabbed because of Aizen, and for him to just to keep in his ways and continue his evil. I will give you two choices, I already know what your choice is, but I'm being nice. Respect me as your new captain, or get the fuck out of my squad. As I said, I will never take this tone unless I have a good reason to." He wasn't looking at anyone when he said that, his eyes were fixed on the back wall. He turned to Lieutenant Hinamori. "Get out. As I said, I was being nice giving you a choice even though I know your choice. Leave now. I will approve your transfer to squad ten in the morning before I formerly address my squad with a greeting they deserve."
"How did you…" Hinamori was speechless as to how he knew that she wanted to go to squad ten.
"I know more than you think. That will be all." He turned and left his awestruck squad.
…
After about an hour of doing paperwork he heard a knock on the office door.
"Come in."
"Captain Kurosaki." It was Byakuya Kuchiki with a box in his hands.
"Bya…Captain Kuchiki, What is it?"
Byakuya put the box on the desk. And opened it for Ichigo, his eyes wide with shock.
"It's a burden that shouldn't be forgotten."
"How…"
"Don't worry, it's a replica. There's no chance that this could be real, I made this. Rukia told me to use the stripes instead of that weird look it had when we fought for the first time."
Ichigo took the object out of the box. It was his mask. The one he wore when he came down after his fight with Ulquiorra, with the two stripes going vertically over the eye holes. He put the mask over his face. It fit perfectly, which bothered him.
"I wouldn't have expected you of all people to give me something like a hollow's mask. But how did you fit it?"
"Well when you were a-"
"On second thought I don't want to know. Thank you Byakuya." The captain turned and left, as he walked out Hinamori walked in. she put her Lieutenants badge on his desk.
"I'm sorry for my outburst earlier. Will you forgive me?" She asked without making eye contact.
"I already have. But you won't change your way of thinking just because I gave an angry speech, so, you can stay here tonight if you want. Tomorrow I will approve the transfer, alright?" he wore a smile which was much different from his dead serious scowl he had earlier.
"Why are you being nice to me?"
"Would you rather I was mean?"
"You already were. During that introduction."
"Trust me that was nice compared to me being mean. If I was being mean I would have smothered you with my spiritual pressure and had you on the ground in tears just to make you understand a point." She just stood there doubting what he was saying.
"There's no way that you're that strong…prove it. I won't hold it against you to do that right know, I want to be sure that Aizen's successor is strong." She had a straight face staring him in the eyes.
"Alright, but tell me if it gets to be too much." Ichigo stood up and walked around his desk and stood about the same distance they had been at the introduction.
"If what you say is true, then if I start crying stop."
Ichigo nodded then slowly raised his spiritual pressure and Hinamori started to tremble a little, then he shot it up and she fell to her knees and couldn't make any movements. He spiked it again and leveled it off and her eyes started to water and she completely fell to the ground. He dropped it back down when he saw her.
"Is that good enough for your so called proof?" Ichigo said as he helped her to stand up.
"I never felt something like that…But either way, you proved your point. I will leave tomorrow, Captain Kurosaki." She started walking away, but her eyes met with the hollow mask on the desk. "What is that Captain." She sounded worried since she didn't know he used to be somewhat of a hollow. Ichigo thought this would be a good idea to scare her a little. He picked up the mask and held it near his face with an evil grin.
"Oh? You didn't know that I'm a hollow? That my strength is being kept in check at around 40% so that I don't kill anyone by standing within 50 feet? How else do you think I won the war with a flick of the wrist?"
"Ichigo, stop teasing her…you are to go to the world of the living right now. There's a couple hundred Menos Grande appearing in Karakura town." It was Shunsui standing in the doorway.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN TEASING ME?" She was still shaking from what Ichigo said.
…
"Ichigo, what is this mask?" Karin had picked up the mask and took it over to him
"That is something Rukia's brother made me, he said it was 'a burden not to be forgotten' or something like that. It's a copy of my hollow mask."
"You're a hollow? I thought those were evil beings?" Tatsuki asked surprised.
"I'm more or less a Hybrid at this point…" Ichigo took the mask and held it in his hands, it felt nothing like the real one, this one was light and thin, the real one was heavy and thick. He explained the whole Hybrid situation to them. A couple hours passed and they had talked about different things. Orihime had come in a while after the hollow talk. A couple people came in and out, for different things, eventually Isane had come in to take the twins and Keigo. "Oh hey Isane."
"Hi Ichigo, I'm here to take the four of them to my barracks."
"Actually just my sister's and Keigo, Tatsuki wants to stay here. My father, I'm guessing will stay there, I haven't seen him since Retsu healed me."
"Ah, okay. Well, I want to ask you two about something, so I'll be back after I take them. Bye, Ichigo, Orihime." She led the three outside.
"I wonder what she want's?" Orihime asked as she put a finger to her chin. Ichigo stood up and sat next to her on the couch. Tatsuki got up and left, not saying where she was going to go.
"Who knows, probably ask me for some advice, to go for drinks, it could be anything coming from her." Ichigo had wrapped his arms around her and just held her to him. She was breathing lightly as she buried her face in his shihakusho and arms on his chest.
"I love you." She spoke quietly because her face was covered.
"I love you too." He pulled her head from his shihakusho and pressed his lips to hers. They sat there for about an hour just holding each other when Isane came back.
"Oh, I'm not interrupting anything am I?" She spoke quietly from the door.
"What's wrong Isane? You look troubled." Ichigo said as he let go of Orihime.
"Nothing's wrong, Nanao was wondering if you and Orihime wanted to go out drinking with us tonight? At the same bar you took us to before."
"Alright, damn, it's a shame Tatsuki can't use hell butterflies…I'll get koko to find and tell her, so yeah, when are we going?"
"In like twenty minutes, meet us at my barracks…Oh, I almost forgot, Sui-Feng said she would meet us there later, it should get interesting, I've never even seen her drink before." Isane left and Ichigo turned to Orihime.
"This is going to be an interesting night…" Ichigo looked into Orihime's eyes and smiled.
"Oh, maybe she'll wear my Yukata! It looked so pretty on her!" Orihime's eyes lit up at the thought.
"I doubt it, but everyone has been acting so weird since that day we took Retsu and Isane out, so maybe, as I said…an interesting night ahead of us."
…
Ichigo and Orihime were standing outside the squad four barracks waiting when someone unexpected approached them.
"Hello Captain Kurosaki, Lieutenant Kurosaki. I have something for you." It was Nemu Kurostuchi being bland as ever.
"Ah, I think I'll pass if it's a present from your captain…" Ichigo had said nervously hoping she wouldn't force whatever it was on him.
"No, I made this myself while he was busy; Captain Unohana requested I give this to your Lieutenant next time you went drinking with Lieutenant Kotetsu." She held out a vial of some purple liquid and Orihime hesitantly took it.
"Umm, Nemu-san, what is it?" Orihime questioned Nemu who was already walking away.
"It raises alcohol tolerance by a large margin. Take two drops before you start drinking, the effect should last for twelve hours." She turned and continued walking.
"Oh, I think this is going to be fun. I was hoping you could stay conscious this time, and I guess you will."
"Okay let's go." Isane had come out of her barracks with Nanao. After walking for a few minutes they came to the familiar bar that had led to some annoying rumors. Orihime took the liquid in the vial, making sure to only take two drops.
…
Three hours later, Ichigo and Orihime were hanging on each other kissing, Nanao and Isane were kissing on top of each other rolling around. Ichigo noticed the door opening and Sui-Feng walked in, wearing Orihime's yukata. Ichigo turned back to Orihime.
"Sometimes I swear you are a psychic." She smiled and turned her attention to Sui-Feng.
"Sui-Feng! Oh my god you're so pretty!" Orihime had jumped up and tackled her pulling her into a hug. She managed to pull away and sit next to Ichigo. Ichigo was still somewhat sober, not drinking much incase weird things start happening he could leave. Orihime on the other hand, was plowed.
"I'm starting to think that you're trying to seduce my lieutenant" he put his arm around her which made her flinch.
"No, I like the yukata, I had it repaired and I figured I would wear it since I had no other times to wear it. And I belong only to Yoruichi-sama!"
"I could figure that. Sex addicted lesbians… My squad think's I'm a pimp. And the rest of the soul society thinks I'm in a love triangle with Retsu. And I had to explain why there was a naked woman and a transforming cat in my closet to my little sisters. I can say the past month has been…Weird."
"That does sound bad, but can I use your lieutenant's quarters with Yoruichi-sama?
"I would prefer you didn't, just take her to your barracks." Ichigo had Orihime back in his arms kissing him passionately. Sui-Feng just blushed and turned to Isane and Nanao to talk to, but that made her blush even more.
"You're all already pretty drunk, I guess I'll leave." Sui-Feng started to get up only to be stopped by Ichigo with his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm not that drunk, I can still talk with you, more or less, until Orihime attacks my face again." Ichigo let go of her and she started a bottle of sake. "I didn't think you to be the type to drink. Well, I guess I shouldn't say that, since I didn't think you the type to be discovered twice, naked in my barracks with a cat." Ichigo had pried his face away from Orihime's to talk.
"There are a lot of things you don't know about me…" Sui-feng continued to drink her bottle slowly.
"Oh really? Tell me what I don't know." Ichigo smirked at her then turned back to Orihime.
"If I get drunk enough, I will probably say them anyway."
…
Three more hours later Ichigo's eyes were wide with shock, Orihime didn't seem to care, Isane and Nanao had stripped down at some point in the night and Ichigo put the coat on them.
"I think that is an interesting talent. If you don't mind, I'm going to drink until I can't remember." Ichigo reached for a bottle of sake only to find that there were none left. Sui-Feng drank it all. She was a heavy drinker, not what anyone suspected.
"Oh, there's no moooore!" Sui-Feng whined as she stood up and fell over again.
"And there's reason to leave." Ichigo picked up Orihime who couldn't walk at all, and started walking to the door.
"Waiiiit!" Sui-Feng jumped up at him but fell short a few feet away. "I can't walk will you carry me?" He sighed and took his coat off the two passed out, put it on, and bent over for Sui-Feng to get on his back
"Fine, There aren't many more rumors that could possibly start." Ichigo let her climb up on his back, but she fell off three times. So he put her in his arms, and Orihime on his back, she was holding on. "Don't blame me if I drop you I'm by no means sober."
'Why am I so nice to these insane people?' He thought to himself on his way out.
…
He came out of the bar, and there were two people who would never shut up about this. Renji and Rukia. Renji just fell over laughing and Rukia started to yell at him.
"What the hell are you doing Ichigo? First Unohana, now Sui-Feng?" She had her smirk on that meant she was about to have fun at his expense.
"Shut up Rukia, I'm helping the…conscious…ones back to their barracks. Isane and Nanao are passed out inside." Rukia pan passed him and told him to wait. She came back ten seconds later with a bright red face. Took Renji by the arm and dragged him away.
"Bye Ichigo!" she called quickly from a distance and Ichigo turned and left.
…
"What did you see Rukia? Whats wrong?" Renji asked as he caught up to her and took her hand.
"Isane…and…Nanao were… Naked all over each other…"
"I somehow knew that those two would be together. But come on, try to forget, we're on a date, focus on us." She didn't look at him. Renji had his hands on her shoulders and turned her to him. "Look at me Rukia. I took you out tonight so you can have fun. Lately you've seemed sad, please have fun." He kissed her forehead then pulled her into his chest.
"I'm sorry Renji; the wedding is making me all weird. I look to Ichigo as a second brother sometimes. I just don't want him to end up like Nii-sama, with Orihime dying from something and him becoming something with no emotions."
"Rukia, Orihime is a really healthy person, and she is a great fighter, which really seems like someone else's mind inhabits her though. Ichigo would throw his life down for hers, he won't let her die that easily. At least not again." He had put his hand on her cheeks and just stared into her purple eyes. She started to speak but was interrupted by Renji's lips. They kissed standing there for a minute then Renji slipped his tongue into her mouth, and she pulled away and slapped him.
"No tongue." And she turned and walked away for a few seconds then turned to see him still standing there. "My god, you're clueless. When a girl walks away from you after a kiss, you're supposed to chase after her…" she gave a smile which made Renji come after her. "But seriously, no tongue." She giggled and took his hand and took him with her.
"Fine, Rukia, anything you want. So will you tell me where you're taking me now?" He asked because she had been dragging him along for a few minutes now.
"We're going to squad five barracks. I want to see the garden Ichigo had put in, Orihime said it's beautiful at night. And since it's so late, the only people who might be awake would be Ichigo or Yoruichi prowling around looking to harass anyone who comes out."
"I don't think that's a good idea, what if that daughter of his see's us, she's scary as hell, her voice just digs into my soul and tears it a new ass." Renji remembered when he first met her, she just stood there and stared at him blankly, she had only asked him what his name was and he froze and couldn't speak.
"Oh come on, don't be a wimp, plus she's like a different person now, she's usually happy now that she's officially Ichigo's daughter. Her voice does that to me too though…" Rukia paled a little but shook it off. Koko's voice was usually upbeat like Unohana's but somehow was monotone, which bothered a lot of people.
"Fine, fine. I haven't seen it either and now I'm really curious… let's go." Renji kissed her on the cheek before they ran off to squad five.
After a little running they came to the squad five barracks and snuck in. they were being quiet and going down the hall they noticed the door to the captains office was open and Koko was sitting at his desk looking holding the fake hollow mask, she looked really tired and set her head on the desk, Rukia and Renji snuck past the office and searched for the door to the garden which took them five minutes to find even though its basically next to the office. They went outside and stopped.
"It's so beautiful! I didn't know Ichigo liked stuff like this?"
"He probably was either forced to have one or just likes fish, look at those Koi! They're huge!" Renji said as he pointed at a koi that was swimming by and it was almost three feet long. "What are those rocks?" He and Rukia went to the slab on the right island. "This one has the squad symbol…"
"I wonder what's on the other one." Rukia pulled him across the flowery bridge. They came up to the left rock. "They're names…the names of the captains of this squad."
"That bastard Aizen's name is even there. Why the hell would Ichigo keep something like this here?" Renji asked sounding angry.
"Because I respect him to a certain extent." The voice belonged to Ichigo who was standing next to them.
"What the hell, when did you get here, I can feel you from miles away normally!" Rukia had asked quickly because he scared her.
"There are many things I can do that nobody knows about except maybe Shunsui…" Ichigo paused as he ran his fingers over Aizen's name.
"What kind of things can you do that nobody knows about?" Renji had asked seeming a little skeptical.
"I can't tell you everything right now, but I learned some things that I'll show you. If you promise that you will say nothing." The two of them nodded and Ichigo took a few steps back and held up his hand. He closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. His fingertips grew into claw like spikes that were like bone. He walked over to the other slab and carved 'Orihime' into it with just his fingertip. He started to make a fist with the hand and the spikes retracted back to normal fingers.
"Ichigo, what the fuck was that…" Rukia sounded very worried. "How long have you been able to do that?"
"Since the day Orihime died. The day I became a captain. It was the first time I had hollowfied since before Aizen. I remember telling the man who killed her my name, I was so angry, I immediately hated him, I forgot that I was a captain and I said I was the substitute…" a tear rolled down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away and composed himself. "Anyway, since that day I've been able to turn certain parts of my body into a hollow's, after I went through the full transformation and kept my thoughts and will, I was able to change only my fingers, but now I can do both arms and some of the head."
"I was wondering what happened when you regained your powers from us, what happened to the hollow… I guess you became the hollow?" Renji spoke calmly as if he wasn't surprised.
"Basically. But you must swear to me…you will tell no one about this. I only told you since I was going to carve her name in the slab anyway, and you were here. I have never had to use this ability before, in combat I mean, I'm not sure how everyone would react if they knew I could turn into a Vasto Lorde class hollow at will." Ichigo was staring Rukia in the eyes as if looking for her soul. He turned to Renji and spoke. "I would hope you can keep this a secret as my best friend, Renji. And Rukia, I know that you won't tell anyone."
"I…I will not tell anyone. Ichigo, almost everyone knew you had a hollow inside you, but still they would all overreact if you were to be a Vasto Lorde." Rukia had a smile on her face as she held Renji's hand. "Is that only one of those things we don't know? Like, how did you erase your presence like that?"
"Yeah that was weird, I didn't feel you until you spoke." Renji spoke with amazement hoping for it to be some other cool thing he can do.
"That was something Urahara made me a while ago. I have no idea what it's called, I forgot the name. It completely hides my presence until I speak, or touch my zanpakuto. But the damned thing only works for three minutes." He pulled his shihakusho over his shoulder to reveal what they had originally thought was a tattoo on his right shoulder blade. "Yeah, that tattoo I have is actually something of Urahara's doing."
"Then why don't you use it more often? Like in the world of the living?" Rukia questioned, remembering all the trouble it was for him to go there because he would attract so many hollows.
"It only works for three minutes but it can stop if I talk at all." Ichigo explained as he fixed his shihakusho, he had ripped at least one of the sleeves off of each of them by now, he wasn't one to replace his clothes until they couldn't be practical at all.
"That's interesting, will you tell us of these other secrets one day?" Rukia had wide eyes at the possibility of even more interesting things.
"If you're in the right place at the right time…but let's move on. Do you like my garden?"
…
The next day Ichigo was woke up by Orihime, standing over him smiling. She was wearing his coat.
"Ichigo, there's someone here to see you! Get up! What time did you get to sleep last night?" Orihime asked with her usual happy voice.
"How the hell do you not have a hangover!?" Ichigo turned over and buried his face into the pillow and answered her question. "I got into bed when the sun came up."
"Why did you do that?"
"Well, I left you something in the garden; I talked with Rukia and Renji who had snuck into the garden before I could leave the present. Then I went for a walk, and watched the sun rise from the fourth squad barracks with Isane and Retsu, I was on the roof waiting for the sun to rise and she came out and sat in front of her barracks and Unohana came out and sat next to her and she knew I was there and called me down. I watched the sunset and came back and fell asleep next to my beautiful fiancé. Who I might add, would be even more beautiful, if she let me sleep for another hour." Ichigo lifted his head from the pillow to say this then dropped it back down.
"Fine, since I liked the ending to your story, I'll go see what you left me in the garden, and when I come back, I'll lay back down with you for a while. Okay?" She didn't get an answer he was asleep. After ten minutes she came back with a bigger smile on her face. He was still asleep so she lay down in the bed next to him and put her arm around him.
"Orihime, Wake up." Ichigo was now standing over her, she had went back to sleep. Tatsuki was there with him, and she had found a white ribbon and tied it around her neck.
"I fell asleep!? Did you meet with Urahara? And Tatsuki-chan, that's pretty!" Orihime had jumped up and fixed her hair.
"Yeah I met him; he's with Shunsui somewhere doing something that they didn't want me to know, oh yeah, did you like what I left you?" Ichigo was looking at Tatsuki who was looking around again, at all the stuff he had collected; she didn't get to look around because of Yoruichi.
"I liked it, but how did you do that so quickly and neatly?"
"It's a secret…You'll find out eventually."
"Aww, no fun. Anyway, what are we doing today?" Orihime walked out with them and into the barracks.
"We're going to play a little game with the squad." Ichigo spoke after a minute of thinking.
"I'm not sure your form of games will be okay for the squad. I mean, we need them to survive." Orihime spoke with a worried tone as to what he had planned. And Tatsuki flinched when she said they needed to survive.
"What the hell kind of games do you two play?" Tatsuki seemed to stay behind Ichigo crossing her arms.
"Hide and seek. Sudden Death Version" Ichigo said calmly as if she had played before.
"Sounds…fun…"
"Glad you think so, you're playing too."
"I'm starting to think you just want to attack me…"
"Somewhat, let's call it payback for all those years of beating me at fighting." Ichigo had a smile on his face, and Tatsuki just sighed.
…
"Is Koko out at the Rukongai again?" Ichigo asked and got a few nods from the squad. She had been going to a cave she had found accidentally and has been practicing something there. "Okay squad, today we are playing a game!" Ichigo announced to his squad that he gathered.
"CRAP…" His entire squad let out the one word simultaneously.
"Oh come on, you don't even know what game it is! It's Hide and Seek Sudden Death Version!" when he said the name of the game every squad member drew their zanpakuto and looked around nervously.
"I don't think I want to play, I'll stay here, with you, but explain it to me." Tatsuki spoke up from the side.
"I'll explain the game to you, you don't have to play this time, but the next one you do… This game is when I have a name selected at random by a squad member, but you will do that this time, that squad member is 'it' their job is to hunt down and knock out everyone else, the reason they got so defensive is because my name is in the selection as well, and since we're inside, they would have nowhere to go. The people who are being hunted, there is no limit to where they could go. But they cannot go into any buildings, when someone is confronted they cannot run, they must fight, Shikai release and kido is not allowed, which of course means I cannot use my Bankai if I am confronted or attacking. The game ends when the attacker is knocked out, or everyone except me and Orihime get knocked out, I don't expect them to be able knock us out, not too quickly at least." After he finished explaining Tatsuki still looked confused and Ichigo handed her a box with a bunch of papers on it.
"Orihime if it's me again, I will knock you out this time, just a warning." Ichigo whispered to her and she just nodded and smiled.
"Alright. The name is…you should all start running…Ichigo Kurosaki!"
"Go, I'll give you all a ten minute head start!" Before he could finish his sentence they were all gone.
"Tatsuki… I need to talk to you." Ichigo grabbed her shoulder to keep her from moving "How long do you plan on making me think that you are the real Tatsuki?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" She started to try and get away from him.
"Don't play dumb with me; you didn't want to stay with Unohana because you felt that she would know. Is that right? I went there last night and she said that you were sharing a room with Karin. I went to go check on them, and she was gone. I noticed you weren't with the rest of the squad. Mitezu." He took her hand and snapped the wrist. This made her jump back and drop a small knife from her sleeve. In a flash of light the person changed back to his ninth seat.
"When did you see me change, my Shikai has a flawless copy ability!"
"I see everything Mitezu, I see how you are shifting your feet to try and get into a fighting stance, you are thinking of trying something. I see everything you do." Ichigo knew he was shifting his feat even though he never broke eye contact. He lifts his finger and summoned a hell butterfly and sent a message to his squad for them to return, there was an emergency. "Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudo no 61 Rikujokoro!" after he was bound Ichigo dragged him outside with Horin, and waited for his squad to assemble. When they arrived they were shocked to see Mitezu bound by multiple kido.
"What the hell is going on, Captain?" one of the squad members asked.
"This piece of shit…Has decided that I should die. He tried to kill me, I'm sure you all remembered the girl standing next to me, Mitezu's Shikai can copy any person, including their spiritual pressure...once he kills them. He was attempting to assassinate me. And now he will be punished. I suggest that you all move as far away as possible, but be sure you can see him." His squad did just as he said; they hadn't heard this tone since the first time they met him. Ichigo released the kido and let him free. "Draw your zanpakuto. You not be granted a quick painless death. I will make it hurt." Ichigo said in a calm voice. His eyes were showing the hate he was feeling.
"Very well, captain, I will fight you, but will you fight me?" Ichigo had flinched when he saw who he had transformed into. "Ichigo, I love you, please don't hurt me." He had taken the form of Orihime.
"You don't deserve to live. Moon Be Black, Heaven's Cry, Zangetsu!" Mitezu had charged him as Orihime and Ichigo didn't do anything, he knew that it wasn't Orihime, but he did nothing.
"Whats wrong captain! Can't bring yourself to attack m…What the hell is this?" his zanpakuto was stabbed at his heart. But it wouldn't pierce his skin. Ichigo's left eye turned black.
"He said you were dead. You know…I've gotten stronger in two years." Ichigo looked down at the startled person and grabbed his hand. "Someone once told me…someone weaker than me cannot cut me. Bankai." The burst of energy threw him back into a wall, but not before Ichigo felt the bones in his hand break, did he let go. Mitezu managed to get away from him and he threw his zanpakuto at Orihime. Ichigo saw and managed to flash step in front of her. All that she saw was Mitezu's zanpakuto's hilt fall to the ground. Ichigo took the sword in his right hand and touched the tip to the bladeless hilt. The hilt started to flake away until it was gone.
"What the fuck!? You're a monster!" He started to panic and run. Only for Ichigo to throw one of the swords at him which barely missed him. The sword pulled out of the ground and Ichigo went off to get to him and the sword stuck in the ground shot out of the ground and wrapped the chain around him.
"You are damn right. It's time to stop playing with you." Ichigo slowly walked up to him and let the chain fall off of him, he grabbed his face and lifted him up off the ground. He took his left sword and stabbed him in the shoulder. Ichigo threw him straight up in the air with such force that he couldn't move. While in midair, he got impaled by the sword which had previously wrapped him, then hit with a Getsuga Tenshou. "Himei, tsuki, sakebi." The swords detonated and Mitezu fell to the ground. Still somehow alive with most of his torso missing, Ichigo's left hand was gone, but quickly regenerated as a claw made of bone. Both swords lay on the ground sealed. Ichigo picked up Mitezu and threw him into the wall. He was pinned by Hyapporankan to the wall. Ichigo held up his hand. "I really never thought I would use this, Urahara taught it to me as a last resort. Goodbye. Tamaza Mifune." The person pinned to the wall reverted back to the original appearance completelyn white eyes, and white hair.
"What the hell are you going to do? Are you going to blow up your entire barracks? I know you're reckless, but not like this! You will die here aswell if it's a last resort!" He tried to reason with Ichigo. He did not succeed.
"You really are a bad assassin if you don't know that I will not die, from something like this." Ichigo's arms turned white and claws formed. A Skull started forming over the left side of his head and a sharp horn formed. He started the incantation of the last kido.
"Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together…"
"You fool. You will die if you use that!" As he screamed Ichigo flash stepped away and appeared next to Orihime who was shaking at his appearance. Several giant spears of pink energy had started forming around Ichigo and Orihime.
"…there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired"
"Hado no 91 Senju Koten Taiho!**" The spears started to move forward. "It's finally done. Goodbye, Tamaza Mifune." The giant spears of light shot forward and slammed into the person pinned on the wall and a massive explosion followed. Most of the squad five barracks were gone. Nothing was left of him, and he couldn't feel his spiritual pressure. Slowly his arms returned to normal, and his eye fixed itself. The skull and horn retracted, but his hand remained like that. "Orihime...That wasn't Tatsuki this morning. It was Tamaza Mifune. Mitezu Nokoha was Tamaza Mifune. He killed Tatsuki although I don't know when, but she is dead, I can't feel her presence anymore." Ichigo refused to make eye contact with her on this news. His squad was still much further away, but the managed to see what their captain had done.
"Ichigo, I know you are right. She is gone. I can't feel her. But why did Shunsui lie?" Orihime had reached for his hand, but stopped when she saw the still bone hand.
"I don't think he lied. I think he was human to begin with. And the same thing that happened to you happened to him, but it seems his power was not the same magnitude, he couldn't cut me. And he was put into my squad by his request, I remember that day. Guess he wanted to finish what he started, but was considerably weaker than me after all this time. Which is why he wanted to do it stealthily." By now his squad had gathered around him, who was still staring at the ground.
"Captain. Was there a reason you went so overboard on him?" a voice called from the crowd sounding terrified.
"The man I just killed could have killed each and every one of you if he had killed me, the way he originally tried, you all would have died. He is the one who sent Orihime here in the first place, which is why he was able to turn into her, and use her strength, I'll explain about my appearance and how he couldn't cut me. You all know I used to be part hollow. Well, I maybe lied to you, I can transform into a hollow, a Vasto Lorde class hollow, on command, but I can only do as much as you saw, so far, he couldn't cut me because of how dense my spiritual pressure is normally and then mixed with how dense my hollow hierro is. This is something I've kept secret since a few days after becoming captain. But I did not want to give him a chance at survival, so I had to use it. I hope this does not bother any of you too much." He was looking at his hand which was a bone claw. When Orihime took it in her hand.
"Ichigo, I don't care what you can do, I love you, if you want to postpone the wedding I understand."
"I love you too. And I can't revert my hand back to normal. I hope you don't mind, I'll have Mayuri look into it, I don't think he will hesitate though; he despises hollows so I guess he will help. And no, I do not want to postpone the wedding. We will hold a funeral for Tatsuki back in the world of the living. Let's tell the others."
"Ichigo, I didn't know he was still alive. Forgive me." It was Shunsui who was standing on a building looking at the flattened barracks.
"It's alright Shunsui. He posed no threat to anyone, but if had succeeded in assassinating me, my entire squad would have died. I assume you have been watching the entire time?"
"Yes. And you wouldn't mind if you stopped showing so many of those hidden abilities of yours, would you?"
"Ah no, sorry I won't show any more. And what about my hand, and barracks?" Ichigo held up his hand for him to see, Shunsui had a blank explression.
"As for your hand, I got no idea, and your barracks will be rebuilt, out of something sturdier this time…" Shunsui was staring at the bone claw that replaced Ichigo's hand. "But you know…that claw looks kind of cool. Maybe you should keep it like that. It is your hand after all."
"Ichigo I like it, actually. It somehow feels the same as when it was a normal hand." Orihime held his claw and smiled as she ran her other hand over it. "Well, not really, since it feels like bone, but I know it's your hand and it feels like the same." Orihime's words made Ichigo smile a little.
"Ichigo, I'm calling a Captain Meeting, be there in five minutes. There is something important to discuss. It won't affect your wedding, don't worry."
…
The meeting was about to start, Ichigo was the first there, he wrapped his hand with a piece of cloth he found. He was talking with Orihime when all the other captains and lieutenants came in and lined up, some noticed Ichigo's hand wrapped up with cloth, and asked him about it to which he didn't respond, just shook his head. Everyone was asking about what destroyed his barracks, he simply told them to wait.
"Alright everyone is here, we can start this, before I address anything, is there anything that one of you would like to bring up?" Shunsui spoke up from his chair, but no one responded. "Alright then, I'm sure you all heard by now, that the squad five barracks are gone." Everyone nodded. "I won't go into deep detail, but it was…actually Ichigo, you should explain why your barracks are gone."
"I'm not going to explain this again, so listen close. My ninth seat Mitezu Nokoha, tried to assassinate me today, after he killed one of my friends that I brought, and took her form, his Shikai could copy perfectly anyone who he kills. If he had succeeded in killing me without a fight, most if not everyone in my squad would have died, since he can copy the dead person's strength. He in actuality was Tamaza Mifune. He took three forms during my fight with him, the reason my barracks are gone, is Senju Koten Taiho, Hado 91 with a full incantation. And this." He removed the cloth from his hand and revealed a claw, then his arms and other hand turned to bone, and his eye turned black and the horned skull part appeared. "I am working on furthering this transformation into a Vasto Lorde, I had wanted to keep this a secret for as long as possible. But, since I had to make sure that Tamaza could not survive the fight, I blew up my left hand, along with most of his internal organs, and then hit him with a full incantation Hado 91. I'm sorry for keeping this form from all of you, there are other things that I cannot reveal right now, but I will in the future." He reverted back to normal, except for his hand. "Which is why I will not seek a way to fix this hand, it will serve as a reminder that I serve to protect those who can't protect themselves. I serve with the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."
"I for one, don't care if you are a hollow or not. You protected your squad from this extremely dangerous person, without hesitation. I value that virtue." It was Byakuya surprisingly. The only captain who seemed to dislike the fact that Ichigo was basically a hollow in appearance was Mayuri Kurostuchi. Everyone gave their input then Ichigo had a thought that could be relevant.
"If I may interrupt everyone." Ichigo spoke up and each captain and lieutenant turned their focus back to what he says. "Thank you. I have a theory to why my lieutenant and Tamaza kept abilities and memories when they transitioned here. They were Fullbringers. This would mean there are many more like this. Most of which might be much more powerful than when some of you encountered them in the world of the living. This also means they could be much weaker, like Tamaza." Ichigo spoke while looking at the other captains.
"That would make sense. If that is the case, we all must be ready." Toshiro Hitsugaya spoke up and the rest of the captains agreed, the ones who fought the other Fullbringers spoke up about their abilities, and announced that they should watch out for any of their squad members with the same abilities.
"Very well. I'm issuing a kill on sight, if there is sufficient evidence, or they try to kill you. If you have just a suspicion, alert Ichigo since he is most familiar with their powers. And he can be downright scary if he wants to. As for this information, nobody outside of this room can know about it."
"Yes sir!" Everyone responded at once.
"Now, to discuss what I brought you here for…"
…
After the meeting Ichigo went to his barracks and saw his entire squad was trying to clear the area. After checking on them he went to the fourth squad barracks to talk with the other three. He found their rooms but they were empty. He started walking around and found them sitting with Isane talking about something.
"Hi Ichigo. I'm sorry about everything. I already told them about Tatsuki, but not why.." she wasn't facing him when she greeted him, but quickly stood up and grabbed his claw hand, she was a bit shaky since it was a claw after all, she pulled him over to them. Yuzu and Karin were crying, trying to hide their tears and Keigo just held his head down.
"I can't believe this. Why her? Why was it Tatsuki?" Keigo asked Ichigo who now had his sisters in his arms.
"I was ordered that no one is to know other than lieutenants and captains. Once everything is settled, I will tell you why she was killed, she didn't do anything wrong, so don't worry. You three are going to have a captain watching you closely, it would be me, but my barracks are gone and I have to go out to the Rukongai to kill a bunch of hollows. Retsu, Isane, and my dad are going to keep watch over you until you go back." He would have told them the reason why their friend died, but was ordered not to.
"Ichigo…what happened to your hand…" Keigo's eyes were now fixed in his bone claw of a hand.
"This is part of the reason my barracks are gone." He held up his hand to show it to them. It has pure white. With a bunch of black markings on the top of the hand, the fingers were longer than the other hand's fingers and they were spiked at the end. "I will explain one day, but I have to go right now. Isane, please protect them." Ichigo stood up and walked away slowly to find Urahara and ask him something. Ichigo left the fourth squad and went to the ruins of his barracks. He found Urahara actually helping his squad clear the area of all debris.
"Ichigo, what the hell made you use that kido at your own barracks? I saw the explosion from miles away." Urahara noticed Ichigo walked towards him so he met him halfway.
"We need to talk. Come with me." Ichigo led him to an area where there was no people.
"What is it?" He asked from under his hat.
"Is there a way I could open a garganta to get to Hueco Mundo without those pillar things you use? Preferably without a giant invention of yours." Ichigo spoke quietly so that no one but Urahara could possibly hear him.
"Yes, there is, but what reason do you have for going there?" Urahara said suspiciously eyeing his claw.
"I am going to help Koko with controlling her hollow, which is what she has been trying to do in a cave somewhere, which can only be taken so far before she can't control it there ad will attack innocent people."
"That seems like a good reason. Follow me."
AN: *The kido Ichigo was using without speaking while fighting Mitezu the first time: Sho, Enkosen, Sai, Rikujokoro, Sho, Soren Sokatsui.
The second fight with Mitezu made Ichigo seem like a godlike captain, keep in mind that he is a captain fighting seriously against a ninth seat.
**He was taught this by Urahara, it does not mean he is proficient with all kido under that level, it is a last resort. Not something he will use just because.