Disclaimer: Still don't own Bleach… I can't think of anything funny to say. Good thing I'm writing fanfiction and not doing stand-up comedy, right?

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#190: Light's Fiery Dragon

#200: Guest (Sadly, I can't give you a question because you don't have an account and I have no way to PM you)

#210: Ethorin

#220: book reader-lover of 3000

So, due to overwhelming majority, Kenpachi's Zanpakuto spirit will make its grand appearance during the Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc. Granted, I'll be dropping hints between now and then. So challenge yourself! Try to solve the mystery of Kenpachi's Zanpakuto spirit before it appears! I'll tell you all now that like Murcielago, it's a character from another TV show/anime/cartoon.

A couple people have PMed me about Ichigo's inner world. Aside from not being sideways and the giant hole in the center, it's identical to Canon Ichigo's.

Sorry this is a short chapter. Writer's block has returned, so I'm posting what I've got and starting fresh. That tends to work for me.

"GOOOOOOOD MOOORRNIIIIIIIING, ICHIGOOOOOOO!"

"SHUT UP!"

In her bed in the Kurosaki Clinic, Senna snapped awake and jumped to her feet as the building shook. She tried to anyway. Her legs got tangled in the blanket and she fell off the bed with a cry, landing in an indignant heap on the floor.

In the bed opposite her, Rukia crawled out from under her covers and got to her feet far more gracefully than Senna did. She smiled as she cracked her back.

"Ah, the Kurosaki morning wake up call. Can't believe I missed that…"

"This happens every morning?" Senna asked as she struggled with her blanket.

-x-

Goat-chin attacking Ichigo while he slept? Normal.

Ichigo retaliating with equal or greater force? Normal.

Yuzu cooking breakfast? Also normal.

Two pretty girls who looked to be the same age as Ichigo sitting at the breakfast table at Goat-chin's insistence, after apparently spending the night in the clinic? Not normal.

"This is so good!" the purple-haired girl, Senna as she introduced herself, said, wolfing down her breakfast. "Can I have some more?"

"Of course," Yuzu said with a smile, "Have as much as you like."

Of course, Yuzu was just happy to have guests and didn't think anything was odd at all…

"Hey! Senna, that's mine!" Ichigo yelled when the girl snagged a plateful of eggs from in front of him and downed them in seconds. A chopstick duel erupted between the two over the remaining plates of food. The other girl took the opportunity to steal the sausage from his plate. "Dammit, Rukia!"

Karin stared, her chopsticks frozen halfway to her mouth. Her Sixth Sense was telling her that the menacing presence occupying her brother's body was still in residence. Her eyes and ears presented her with a comedy routine straight out of a slapstick anime. The conflicting signals effectively paralyzed her, leaving her able to do nothing but watch.

"So… Would either of you two lovely ladies be interested in dating my son?"

Karin's paralysis ended just in time to dodge the mouthfuls of food that were spat across the table.

"What the hell, old man?"

The Kurosaki patriarch gesture dramatically. "It's not like you're making any effort to find yourself a girl! Therefore, it falls on me, as your father, to find one for you! I want grandchildren!"

"I'm only fifteen, moron!"

Karin wondered what she had done in a past life to get such an embarrassing goof for a father.

-x-

Isshin grinned as Ichigo, Senna, and Rukia escaped. A quick glance assured him that Karin had lost her stiffness and had defaulted to ignoring his and Ichigo's antics, occasionally chiming in with deadpan side comments, just like she would have before her brother's transformation.

Phase one in his devious plan to bring his children back together was well underway.

He suppressed the urge to cackle maniacally. No wonder Aizen was evil. This was fun.

-x-

"Crazy old man…" Ichigo grumbled as the trio walked down the street.

"I liked him," Senna said. "I thought he was funny."

"He's completely out of his mind." Ichigo was also annoyed that he hadn't been able to interrogate his dad about him being a Shinigami. It just hadn't felt like the thing to do immediately after the old man snapped him out of his freak-out last night.

Ichigo clenched his fist. That was the second time he'd flipped out like that. He couldn't really say he was out of control. He'd been fully aware of what he was doing when he ate Kurotsuchi and during his fight with Grand Fisher. He needed to get a handle on this before someone really pissed him off and there was no one around to pull him back.

Maybe Shinji or one of the others has an idea. Maybe something they do to control their Hollows could help…

"Ichigo!"

"Huh? Ow!" Lost in thought, Ichigo hadn't noticed that they had arrived at Urahara's shop and just kept walking. Straight into a telephone pole.

-x-

"Thanks, Tessai," Ichigo said, pressing the ice pack against his forehead.

"You really should be more careful, Mr. Kurosaki," Urahara said, holding his fan in front of his face. The blond man very gingerly sat down across from Ichigo, Senna, and Rukia. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Couple things. First, ever hear about a bunch of Shinigami wearing armor and kinda greenish shihakusho?"

Urahara rubbed his chin. "Can't say I have. I assume you've encountered a group matching that description?"

"The freaks jumped me in the cemetery last night," Senna piped up. "We kicked their asses though," she said with a smirk.

"Any idea what they wanted?"

"Me. Duh."

"I meant the reason why they wanted you, miss."

Ichigo shrugged. "We didn't get to question them. They bailed when Grand Fisher showed up."

Urahara and Tessai both blinked. "That menace showed up? What did he want?"

"Me. Duh," Ichigo chuckled. "I kicked his ass. It was very therapeutic." Ichigo frowned. "At least, it was until I tried to eat him. Not one of my better moments…"

Urahara scratched at the back of his head. "I…really don't know what to say to that. You say 'tried'. You didn't follow through, I hope?"

Rukia shook her head. "Mr. Kurosaki and I arrived in time to stop him. Something happened afterward that prevented one of us from purifying Grand Fisher."

"Oh! So his powers finally came back, huh?"

"You knew Dad was a Shinigami?"

Urahara waved his fan dismissively. "We go way back. You said you missed out on purifying Fisher?"

Rukia nodded. "I felt like my chest was being ripped open. It was unlike anything I've ever felt before. But I wasn't injured or anything. The pain came out of nowhere."

"Something was happening with Grand Fisher as well," Ichigo added. "But the son of a bitch got away while we were checking on Rukia. We didn't get a chance to see if there was a link."

Urahara was silent for several long moments. Ichigo noticed that his free hand was drifting down to cradle his still tender rear. The shopkeeper gulped audibly and broke out in a cold sweat. He plastered on a shaky smile and lifted his fan in front of his face.

"Um…It…it might be a good idea to get to work on removing the Hogyoku…" Urahara chuckled nervously. "I'll just…go get everything ready. Be back in a few minutes!" Urahara jumped up and ran from the room an instant before Ichigo popped Kon's pill in his mouth and lunged out of his body.

-x-

Below the chaos unfolding in Urahara's shop, Yoruichi stood in the center of the training room in her true form. She smiled as a pair of traditional sliding doors appeared from thin air in front of her.

The doors opened, releasing large amounts of smoke. Yoruichi waved a hand in front of her face to clear the air.

"Are the Kido Corps still doing that? Them and their 'dramatic entrances'," the former Captain sighed.

"I tried ordering them to stop once. They changed the smoke to firecrackers until I relented," Soifon grumbled, stepping out of the Senkaimon. She looked around. "This looks like the hideout that was inside Sokyoku Hill."

"That was Kisuke's favorite place. I wasn't surprised when he built a new one here." Yoruichi threw her arm around Soifon's shoulders and led her toward the ladder. "So, shall we get this search started?"

"Ready when you are, Lady Yoruichi."

"Great! A simple tracking mission, then some R&R for you and me!"

-x-

In the sky above Karakura Town, the air cracked and split open, revealing a dark void.

Four pairs of black and white clad feet stepped out of the space between and into the Living World.

You'd think Yoruichi would be old enough to know not to tempt fate like that… Who might these four visitors from Hueco Mundo be and what is their objective?

Seriously, what is up with all that smoke that comes out when a Senkaimon opens?

Sorry about the length. Next one should be longer.

While you wait, check out my "Plot Bunny Containment Unit".