I do not own any of the rights to bleach, that goes to Tite Kubo.

'Ichigos thoughts'

"Normal Speech"

-Shiro talking in Ichigos head-

* Zangetsu talking in Ichigos head *

"Shiro talking"

"Zangetsu talking"

Ichigo

They were evenly matched. Him and the Oni. It was the same thing over and over again; block, counter while the Oni did the same thing. They'd been battling it out for only 10 minutes and where nowhere near finishing. Regardless of the stamina Ichigo had, he needed to finish this now. Time was running out and the more he battled the shorter that time became. The Oni so far had not shown any of the abilities Ukitake had mentioned. The only thing he had shown was pure speed and brute strength. The only advantage Ichigo had was his bankai which he had yet to use, but he couldn't always be relying on Tensa Zangetsu.

"Is this all the great Ichigo Kurosaki has?" The Oni taunted as it stood a few meters in front, recoiling from the latest clash they'd had. "The one who's going to destroy the soul society? HA! Don't make me laugh, you probably couldn't even hurt a small fry hollow!"

"You sure about that? Why don't you come test your new theory?" Ichigo said it in a mocking tone that was unlike him.

"Che, thought you'd never ask." The Oni charged towards him at full force swords raised. He attempted to slice one down Ichigos face but that like all the others was blocked. The other came to his side with the intention of ripping him in two. With not enough time to block it with his huge sword Ichigo shunpoed to the Oni's unprotected side, the shunpo was just too slow. The blade caught him in the side making a shallow cut the bleed profusely. This didn't faze Ichigo as he had grown too used to wounds like this and he simply continued with his attack. But the only thing he found himself attacking was an empty space.

"You gotta' be faster than that soul reaper," a rumbling harsh voice whispered behind him. Turning, Ichigo blocked the two red coated scimitars pushing them away as he swung Zangetsu back round making the beginning of a deep cut across the Oni's chest before it used something similar to a shunpo to get away.

"That's more like it!" The Oni yelled as it increased its reiatsu by a huge margin, "Crumble and crush, for I am Kouki (A/N: Vast and Strong) and I am one with the earth that we walk on!"

By the way he said it Ichigo guessed this was one of the abilities that Ukitake had mentioned. Kouki, the Oni he had been battling started to change; his hair became a golden colour but had now shortened in length, his skin started turning a deep brown as it became solid rock flecked with pieces of steel and other metals. The swords had completely disappeared with nothing to replace them. Ichigo knew better then to underestimate appearances, he'd realised that when he first battled with Urahara.

"Soooo soul reaper, how to you like my true form? We call it the demon gate release but there's no need to go into that now! Nows the time for fightin'!" the rock clad figure yelled before its arms morphed into pointed stumps and he was charging back towards Ichigo. As Kouki did so the ground lifted up around him, small pieces began to twist and shape into multiple pointed shards. The shards glinted menacingly as they drilled through the air, quickly making their way towards Ichigo.

Bringing his sword up Ichigo was about to release to a Getsuga Tensho but was interrupted by a familiar yell from behind him, "Hyōrinmaru!"

In an instant the piercing shards of solid rock had been frozen as had the charging form of Kouki. Soon the ice begain to crack as a baked earth coloured reiatsu bubbled underneath is almost melting it from the inside.

"Toshiro?" Ichigo glanced over his shoulder to see the short elementary captain accompanied by three other captains and just over that number of lieutenants, "what are all you lot doing here?"

"It's captain Hitsugaya," Toshiro sighed, "as for why we're here, we're here to either help you or eliminate you depending on the outcome of this. There were meant to be more of us but they apparently had more pressure matters and the captain commander saw no need for so many of us to go after they had persuaded him."

"I see, well thanks for the help guys but I think I can handle a few of them," that monotone voice again wove its way around everyone who heard it, leaving the captains on edge about how much Ichigo had changed during such little time.

"This is not up for debate boy, you are to go on ahead with the rest of us while captain Hitsugaya deals with this opponent." Byakuya's cold tone demanded he obeyed as he, Kenpachi, Suì-Fēng and the lieutenant's Ōmaeda, Rangiku, Yachiru (who was probably on Kenpachis back) and Hisagi strode towards him. The look in their eyes told him that he would continue even if they had to make him.

"Okay, okay I'll leave it to Toshiro." Ignoring Toshiros complaining and Rangikus failed attempt at soothing him which just turning into more teasing, Ichigo continued at the giant cave entrance but no emotion carried him towards his goal. Did he even want to kill the Oni? That was the doubt that lay in his mind as he called back to the others, "are we going then? I don't have long you know. By the way Byakuya wheres Renji?"

"Lieutenant Abarai is currently recovering from a mass intake of sake." Byakuya said, his cold noble eyes not only glared at Ichigo but also Rangiku who Ichigo assumed was the reason for Renjis hangover, she however seemed not to notice.

The cave was dark but not so dark that they couldn't see. The occasional torch lined the spacious chiselled out corridors. No one spoke as they made their way through, there was too much resting on this as a whole. There was the possibility that Ichigo wouldn't break the spell in time, that the Seireitei could be destroyed if they failed to contain Ichigo and then there was the chance that they would all die. No one knew exactly what to expect from the Oni, their origin was almost unknown as were their abilities. The echoes their footsteps made became louder as they entered a vast arena that was currently occupied by the silhouettes of at least four opponents.

Suddenly light flared around the arena and the darkness was forced the retreat into the furthest depths of the arena. The figures could now all be seen in their entirety, two were almost identical while the remaining two had the air of menace about them. They already appeared to be in their demon gate forms and ready to fight for whatever it was that they believed in.

The only difference between the two who were identical was their hair and the clothes they wore. One had an unnaturally shinny grey coloured mane of hair while the other had a tarnished copper colour. And then Ichigo realised that their hair wasn't the normal kind, it was made up of differently lengthened sharp metals which in its wholeness reminded Ichigo of porcupines. Although their clothes were different, there wasn't that much difference between them. They both wore body suites that contained a longish sash around the waist like a skirt and calf high flat boots to top it off. The two wore opposite colours to each other, while the steel-haired one was clad in a copper body suit and steel coloured boots and sash the other was clad in a steel coloured suit and copper boots and sash. The overall conclusion was that they were obviously twins that had attempted to look different but ended up looking the same overall.

The other two were both guys they both wore the same thing, but looked nothing alike. One was tall, well-built and had short flaming red hair that was literally on fire. In fact the whole of his body was one big walking, talking flame of intensity. Under the flames you could just make out the outfit that were black pants of a shihakusho complete with a bare chest covered only by a strip of material that would have held a sword.

The other guy wore the same clothes but had long deep purple hair that radiated pain that could poison the very soul. He appeared to have not entered the demon gate form but the grin that was plastered on his face said otherwise. The last thing that made them appear powerful was the colour of their skin. They were all a dark abyssal black that seemed to absorb what little light there was in the arena. Ichigo knew this was bad but again the lack of any helpful emotion prevented his warning appearing on his face.

"These guys must be the high-up ones Ukitake was telling me about." Ichigo started and would have said more had Suì-Fēng not interrupted.

"The others will deal with them Kurosaki. We are leaving, now!" and with that Ichigo was dagged away by Suì-Fēng before he even knew what was going on. She pulled him along as she shunpoed over the maniacal grinning Oni and into the small tunnel that had been located behind them. As she did so Ichigo decided it was time to see how long he had left.

'How long guys?'

*I'm afraid that your time is now less than 45 minutes, Ichigo.* Zangetsus solemn voice was barely reaching Ichigo now that the time had become so short.

'Where did it all go?'

-Well there was that fight, you probably didn't realise it kingy but your left legs now fully hollow and the right is almost done.- The hollows voice reached him louder than normal but Ichigo couldn't care nor find any other emotion to perk interest in what was going on, his hope was gone, his caring nature was gone as were any other things that made him Ichigo.

'I see, well I guess this is it.'

*Do not give up Ichigo don't let-*

-Don't worry king, ya're doing everything exactly right- Shiro cut over Zangetsu, Ichigo could sense a faint smirk from the hollow but nothing more.

"Are you going to make me carry you everywhere?" Suì-Fēngs stern voice asked him as she let go of him.

"I was checking how long there was left." Emotionless and cold the words made their way from Ichigos mouth, a hint of the hollow distorted voice was barely audible behind the words but it was still there. Suì-Fēng picked up on this and deduced that the boy probably had about just over 30 minutes until he was done for.

Nodding Suì-Fēng indicated for him to continue as they followed the trail of the strong unknown spiritual pressure that was their enemy.

Kasumi and Akira

"Are you sure it's this way Kasumi-chan?" Akira sighed. He and Kasumi had lost sight of the captains and moments later felt clashes of spiritual pressure which they then began to follow, not before getting lost however.

"Yes I'm sure, look I can see something just over that rock!" Kasumi pointed to a large rock that was the outcropping of the side of the cliff, her and Akira didn't know this. She went skipping over to the giant rock almost falling off when she came to a sudden halt inches from the edge. Looking below her she saw the captain of squad 10 fighting against a man made from rock. The captain seemed to be winning but they had little time to assess the battle as they had to catch up with Ichigo. Thankfully it was easy to sneak into the cave opening because of the reiastu masking cloaks they had been given.

Once inside the cave they felt more clashes of spiritual pressure but promptly ignored it as they eventually found the source of it in a giant stone arena. Without glancing at the on-going battles they carefully edged their way around the arena, trying not wince when they heard the slicing and carving of flesh, nor to retch when the putrid smell of blood hit them.

Leaving the giant foul-smelling arena behind them they made haste to catch up with Ichigo. They didn't know why they would be needed or how they would be able to help someone like Ichigo, but they knew that they wanted to support Ichigo in whatever way they could. The tunnel that they traversed down was darker than the rest of the place and it gradually became smaller and smaller until they reached an old wooden door. They could sense Ichigo on the other side and opened the door a crack. Just enough to see but not enough to be noticed by. Through the crack they could see a frightening figure that looked nothing like the others they had seen. This one looked like death itself; a black skeletal body that was shrouded in a loose black and smoky green cloak. The hood had been pulled down to reveal a hollowed face whose blackened skin stretched over, and was illuminated by plain green eyes. The rest of the face was how all the others looked but worse; the lack of flesh left the angry expression pulled taught over all the features making it look like it was about to rip open, the rotting bone tusks were sharpened to a point and attempted a smirk that the skin shouldn't have allowed. The figure held only a single slither of metal that glowed a sickening green and yellow.

In an instant the figure of death was gone from their sights and appeared right in front of them, its eyes inhumanly twinkling with cruelty as he grabbed them both by the neck dragging them back with him. They tried to scream but no sound would escape their lips, all they could do was struggle as they tried to loosen the creatures hold. Glazing forwards they saw Ichigo, he face showed no emotion or any trace that he cared they had gotten caught. But in his eyes they could see a deep rage brewing and with it came the quickest change that had happened yet and in that instant his leg was hollowfied, the clawed feet digging into the ground in frustration as he strained to control his anger. To his left on the floor something caught their movement; it was Suì-Fēng the captain of squad 2 and commander of the stealth forces, she was twitching and writhing in pain from something they couldn't see. They had no more time to look at her because their heads were forced to face forwards, to face Ichigo as the man of death said some of the last words they would ever hear.

"What would happen, dear Ichigo, if I were to show you how I can expend my power? How about on these two?" the voice sounded like many others were combined with it, pain filled moans echoed through the room they were held in. The grip on the back of their necks tightened as both Akira and Kasumi felt something pierce their chests.

It was numb, they couldn't feel anything. If they were to describe it then it felt like they were floating. But that was at one single point. After that point when the foreign object twisted its way into their heart, pain literally pulled out their heart and burnt it. At first it felt cold and they didn't realise what was happening but then the anger on Ichigos face told them as the transformation almost finished itself.

"Don't….angry…no…..hollow.." Kasumi coughed to Ichigo, she didn't want him becoming a hollow because they had been stupid enough to think they could help them. That was the last thing she said before darkness descended upon her and her mind refused to respond to her commands to move as she felt her body crash to the floor along with Akira.

The coughs coming from Kasumi had confirmed what Akira knew happened, they had been killed in the hoped that Ichigo would go full hollow. That had failed, Kasumis final plea to Ichigo had gotten through and his anger had subsided for now. Although they had only known Ichigo for a short time, it didn't matter they knew that when they first saw him that he was a great man. Not because he defeated Aizen in the winter war but because he always but those he cared about above himself no matter what the cost. Such as when he invaded the Seireitei to save Rukia Kuchiki from execution with only a handful of people, but he'd done it and in doing so had changed some laws of the Seireitei that had been round since the beginning.

Those last thoughts of Akira and Kasumi faded into nothingness as they crashed to the floor, lifeless. The only thing they heard was the ear piercing cry of Ichigos now fully hollowfied form.

-I'm sorry king but I'm fed up of being the horse, your emotions make you weak. So weak I can easily squash out you and Zangetsu.- Shiro cackled in Ichigo inner world as he gazed down at the unconscious bodies of Ichigo and Zangetsu, a smirk evident on his face. Everything had happened just how he expected, Ichigo had never realised and now he was in control.

"Let's get this started, shall we? I haven't had a proper fight in ages!" Shiro screeched an insane smile creeping onto his ice white face as he covered it with his mask.

Who would've guess Shiro was only pretending to help Ichigo? What's gonna happen now? will Ichigo regain his body? Or is it now Shiros forever? What about Kasumi and Akira, was it really Urahara who gave them the cloaks? D:

Find out next time, maybe.

Thanks for reading :D