Here is a chapter of Savage; I'm sorry to say that you're going to have to wait to see any of Ichigo's Bankais. I am doing this deliberately, of course, since there have yet to be any enemies where he aught to use it, in my opinion.
I hope you enjoy the chapter, and Follow/Favourite/Review
I'm still undecided about the fillers, but I'll probably do the Zanpakuto rebellion, at the very least, since that's quite applicable to this story.
-()-()-()-
Old Man Zangetsu
Hollow Zangetsu
Nejibana
-()_()_()-
"Faster, Ichigo!" Yoruichi ordered, as the Subsitute Soul Reaper faltered for a step. "How do you expect to beat Aizen if you're that slow?!"
"I've been running for an hour now, Yoruichi! SHUT UP!" Was the orange haired human's reply. It was true; he had been flash stepping over the course for an hour at this point, and his chest was rising and falling quite rapidly; something that was entirely visible to the dark skinned woman as he had shed his upper body's clothing at the half an hour mark. As Ichigo appeared, in a blur, at the top of a particularly tall crag the woman berated him again.
"And do you think that Aizen'll die quickly?!" She asked, rhetorically. "If you can't even manage to keep up with me, how do you expect to fight the traitors? They obviously will have forces that you need to cut your way through! It won't be a fast fight!"
"First of all," Ichigo began, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Aizen isn't the goddess of Flash." Another inhale. "Secondly, you aren't doing anything! How am I not keeping up with you," He vanished and materialized again. "When you're just sat there-" Ichigo gasped. "Watching me struggle?"
"As soon as I think that you can give me a run for my money, we can have a race; unless you think that you're ready to challenge me already?" Even though he couldn't see her at the moment, Ichigo was certain that the Goddess of Flash was smirking. "Perhaps we could make a wager?"
"Not a chance." Ichigo grunted, as he landed on ground level with a stumble. "No way I'm making a bet with you."
"And what does that mean?!" The ex-Captain demanded of Ichigo, appearing next to him and shoving him backwards. The purple haired woman glared at Ichigo as he slowly stood.
"It means," Ichigo began, rolling his shoulders and testing whether his legs could support him after so much exertion; it was the equivalent of running several marathons one after the other, and only continuing when he had assured himself that nothing was damaged; at least not permanently. "That whatever you would suggest betting would be... inappropriate? Distracting? Stacking the deck in your favour, since you would start immediately after putting some kind of dirty image in my head."
"That's... true." Yoruichi shrugged, with a grin, and patted Ichigo on the arm. "Well, now that you've decided to take a break, shall we go to the Springs?" She asked, with a wink. She had shown him the replica of the rejuvenating hot Springs as soon as she could. And at every other opportunity, just to remind him of his unwilling promise in the Soul Society. "It would be the perfect time for you to fulfil you end of the bargain." She suggested, without a hint of subtlety.
"Yoruichi," Ichigo began, with a vein visible in his forehead to demonstrate the frustration he felt. She had directed the conversation to this at every opportunity. "We did not make an agreement. You flashed me, and told me that I would have to do the same to "Make us even". The only reason I didn't argue at the time is that I was in a rush! I don't want to strip for you, as I've told you countless times!" As the woman briefly pouted, and then looked alarmingly chipper, before a thought occurred to Ichigo. "And I'm going to start locking the doors and windows to my room and invest in some blackout curtains, so don't you dare try to spy on me! If you do..." He racked his mind for a threat, and gained a smirk. "I'll tell my dad that you're trying to spy on him." The purple haired exile looked slightly ill at the thought of what the exuberant man would do; most likely declare that it was selfish no to share his beauty with the whole world, before sharing it. He was, even now, faithful to Ichigo's mother, but one word that could not be used to describe Isshin Kurosaki was shy.
"Fine," Yoruichi shook the image out of her head, and sidled up to Ichigo. "Maybe I need to try another method to convince you." She smirked, and pressed her clothed breasts against Ichigo's bare back.
"Sorry Yrouichi," Ichigo vanished in a blur of Shunpo, and appeared a hundred metres from her. "It's about time for my training with Hat 'n' Sandals. He said that I'll be meeting some of his friends soon." Kisuke hadn't actually used friends, instead opting to call them his ex-comrades, for some reason Ichigo was sure would be strange, but the human-Shinigami inferred that the two meant the same thing. "See you in a bit!" He left Yoruichi stood, confused, with her arms half wrapped around the empty space in front of her, while her pupil fled the uncomfortable situation.
"Damn you, Kurosaki," The Goddess of Flash growled. "You may have won the battle, but I'll win the war." The purple haired goddess smirked, as she imagined the fun they would have later that same day.
-()-()-()-
"Oi, Urahara-san!" Ichigo called, as he exited the training area; wholly unaware of the absence of clothing on his upper body. As he glanced around, he saw no sign of anybody, and was about to begin walking through the store when his attention was pulled to something behind him.
"Uh- Um- Uhh..." The hybrid heard from behind him, and turned to see Ururur staring at his abdomen.
"Oh. Hi, Ururu," Ichigo grinned at the girl. "Do you know where Urahara is?" The girl didn't respond. "Umm... Ururu? You okay?" He crouched down, in front of the girl, and was startled to find that she was very red in the face. "Are you alright?" He repeated, in a worried tone. As she, yet again, failed to respond, Ichigo placed the back of his hand against her forehead, and was startled to find that she was burning up. Checking the vicinity, he located Tessai and scooped the girl in to his arms; quickly moving through the shop to get the small girl some help. Worryingly, her symptoms seemed to worsen as he carried her.
"Tessai!" Ichigo called, as he found the man stood behind the store's counter. "I think Ururu needs help!" Ichigo showed the unconscious girl to the ex-Captain, and the large man made a concerned noise as he felt the feverish girl's brow.
"Set her down over there, Ichigo." The hybrid lay her on the counter, and Tessai began his checks. "Now, tell me what happened."
"I'm not sure," Ichigo began, confused. "I came out of the training area; looking for Hat 'n' Sandals, and found her stuttering and staring at me; or maybe just staring in to space. When I approached her, she didn't seem to hear me, and she was very hot to the touch, so I decided I should take her to you, since you're best qualified to take care of her. But, then, when I picked her up she passed out in my arms!" Ichigo exclaimed.
"This is not good. I don't ever recall seeing such a sudden onset fever; I saw her not a minute ago, and she was fine. I will do what I can; healing Kido is enough to heal most illnesses, and hopefully she will recover quickly. If not, I may ask you to bring her to the Soul Society; Unohana-Taicho should be better able to identify this mystery illness." Tessai focused on the girl, and began to cast the healing magics over her. "Did you say you're looking for Urahara-sama? He's out front, with a... customer. I would recommend you put a shirt on first." One sat on the counter on the other side of the store that would be a decent fit, and so Ichigo donned it.
A customer? That would be a first; Ichigo had yet to see somebody make a purchase from Kisuke's store.
-()-()-()-
"I DEMAND that you stop deliberately sabotaging my subordinates' mission!" An angry, female voice exclaimed just as Ichigo walked out the door.
"I'm not sabotaging their mission! I thought it was a game!" Kisuke responded, to the small captain's ire.
"In what way is your pointing out their positions a game?!"
"Have you never heard of hide and seek?" Kisuke asked, in a patronising tone that suited his smirk rather well.
"No, I haven't!" Soi Fon answered, in a matter-of-fact, if irritated, voice.
"Oh, well it's really simple," The exiled Shinigami began. "You see; one person is the seeker, and it's their job to look for the hider, who hides as best they can. Whoever mana-"
"I don't care how to play!" The current captain barked, as Ichigo spotted her hand on the small blade on her hip, and Urahara spotted him.
"Oh! Hello, there, Ichigo!" The hat-wearing man grinned at his apprentice, and continued in an amused tone. "Is it true that you think Soi Fon-Taicho is cute when she's angry?" It felt as though the world had slowed to a crawl for several seconds after Ichigo heard the statement, and Soi Fon turned to look at him, an unreadable expression on her face.
"Wh-What?!" Ichigo exclaimed, and raised his hands into a defensive position. "N-No! I didn't say that!" He denied, truthfully, and backed away.
"Oh? So you think she's ugly?" Kisuke's grin widened at Ichigo's panic.
"No!"
"So she's pretty?"
"Yes! I mean- I- She's..."
'A little help here, guys?' Ichigo requested of his inner spirits. 'Nejibana?' He specified and, to his relief, received an answer.
"I have no right to say what my opinion is one way or the other; while it is obvious to any who look that Soi Fon is beautiful, she has never expressed any desire to hear my opinion, and it is disrespectful to comment on her appearance without request." Ichigo repeated what his Zanpakuto said in what he hoped was a confident tone, and gulped nervously. "Nor do you have any right to pose questions of that nature." He added, with a glare, to Urahara.
Soi Fon stared at Ichigo after he said this; blinking confoundedly for a good half-minute, before a brief flash of satisfaction seemed to pass over her face, and she turned her anger back on to Urahara, while the exile's grin faded for several moments before coming back in full force.
"Do not try to change the subject; it just points out that not all men are as despicable as you are!" Ichigo supposed that that was a compliment, if a backhanded one, and was relieved that he escaped unscathed. "Why Yoruichi-sama tolerates you, I will never know."
'Thanks for that, Flower.' The hybrid thought, with a relieved sigh. 'Things could have turned ugly.'
'There is no reason to thank me, Ichigo; I would not have been able to tell you what to say had you not known, subconsciously, how to diffuse the situation yourself.' The Zanpakuto assured her wielder.
'Hey! I could have helped!' Hichigo stated.
'No. You could've made a crude comment that would have resulted in me running for my life if I was dumb enough to say it out loud.' Ichigo responded, as the others who could hear their conversation voiced their agreement
'Well... yeah, but it's a little insulting that you didn't even ask!' The Hollow exclaimed. 'Maybe next time you ask someone to fight I won't volunteer.' He threatened his wielder.
'Right, because it's really in your nature to pass on a fight.' Ichigo turned his attention to the outside world as his hollow tried to argue his point, gave up, and started swearing.
"... besides, I don't think that my talking to Ichigo's changing the subject at all. It's him your men were spying on, after all." Kisuke's grin was splitting his face as he pointed this out to the diminutive captain before him.
"That's not- they weren't spying; they were doing reconnaissance!" Soi Fon stated vehemently, and did her best to subtly glance at Ichigo. While she was excellent at stealth in terms of infiltration and fighting, the Captain was less able when it came to social interaction. The petite captain was shocked to find the human-Shinigami looking unperturbed. Evidently, something about her look told Ichigo she had expected surprise and, most likely, fury because of the obvious violation of his privacy. He supposed that she may have guessed correctly, had they been able to hide from him; the Soul Society still didn't trust him, and that hurt, but why would they? It had been less than a month since he invaded them and kicked several asses.
"What? I knew they were watching me. I wasn't thrilled about it, but it was easy enough to avoid doing anything I'd rather your spies didn't see." Ichigo shrugged, and looked to Urahara. "Stop trying to stir up trouble." The human-Shinigami recommended.
"I agree. It could end badly for you." Soi Fon smirked, as she fingered her sheathed Zanpakuto again. Then, she frowned and looked at Ichigo. "I'll have to have words with those that failed their task; I'll explain the situation to the Captain Commander, and it is likely that you will be updated on the situation upon revisiting the Seiretei." She stood there for a moment; a stoic expression hiding any thoughts she had in the hesitation. "When will that be? I need to make a report." Ichigo had thought she came here to berate Kisuke, so it was strange that Soi Fon had an assignment, but dismissed it as a mistake on his part.
"This weekend; the day after tomorrow, in other words, I believe. I can only train so much in the world of the living, after all. Oh, and on a related subject; would it be possible for us to train some more when I arrive?" It would be useful for him.
"Yes." Was the curt response Ichigo received, before the captain vanished in a burst of Shunpo. A few moments later, Urahara wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"I think she likes you." The exile chuckled. "Now, should we get going? My ex-comrades are anxious to meet you." The hat-wearer grinned at an inside joke, and Ichigo got a very uneasy feeling. "Oh, but I have to fetch Yoruichi first; she wants to tag along." That didn't make the hybrid feel any better about the situation.
"Really? She didn't mention anything about coming… with us." He said, trailing off when the shop owner vanished. "Okay, then. I suppose I'll wait out here."
-()-()-()—
"Eh? Are you sure this is the place, Urahara-san?" Ichigo questioned, as the trio of souls; Ichigo's body left at the store, stopped outside of a run-down warehouse. "It's kind of… shabby; do they really live here?"
"An illusion, dear Ichigo!" The exiled man grinned, unsurprisingly, and stepped forwards. "HEY, GUYS! IT'S ME, KISUKE!" He yelled, waving his arms above his head.
"They can see you, Kisuke." Yoruichi commented, from her place next to Ichigo, as she trailed her fingers down the Substitute's arm. There was no need to be so loud, since the Vizards' barrier alerted them to the presence of any souls in the area.
"What are you doing, Yoruichi?" The orange haired teen asked, with confusion, as her fingernails lightly ran down his flesh.
"Doesn't it feel nice?" She asked, pouting, as she paused her ministrations.
"Umm… I guess?" Was his befuddled response.
"Good! Then I'll keep going." She smirked, and
"But… why are y-"
"There we go!" A light orange barrier had appeared in front of the hatted man, and a gap about the size of a doorway had opened up for the trio to enter. "Come on, love-birds, let's go!" He exclaimed, before running inside. Why he did this, Ichigo had no idea, but he was prevented from asking as Yoruichi followed her friend at a more sedate pace; though she was still walking faster than Ichigo was happy to be pulled, as she took his hand.
"What are you- What's going on with everybody today?" He asked the air, as he allowed himself to be pulled through the gap. He heard a giggle, from somewhere, but was unable to locate the source as he glanced around the area. The doorway slammed shut as Ichigo passed through, and he heard a commotion from ahead.
Yoruichi obviously heard it, as well, as she sped up to catch up with Urahara; the Goddess of Flash, unlike the man she was dragging, had a good idea of what that noise meant, and it promised entertainment. There was a reason she had come today, after all.
"WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL, BAKA?!" A small, blonde girl yelled at Kisuke, to Ichigo's surprise; whatever he had been expecting the noise to be, it wasn't that. And it certainly wasn't for said girl to be beating Urahara with her sandal; as the red imprint on his face suggested. "HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO US?!" Off to the side, a blonde man watched with amusement, as his fellow Vizards watched with varying degrees of the same.
The girl flew at Urahara again, with her shoe poised to strike, and the hat-wearing man squeaked; dodging out of the way and hiding behind Ichigo and Yoruichi to escape the angered girl's wrath.
"YOU!" The girl was effectively distracted, as she spotted Ichigo. "You're the one we have to train, eh?! The newbie, dead waited BAKA?!" She threw the shoe at Ichigo, who stepped out of its path, and the projectile thudded against Urahara's forehead, and he fell to the ground with a whimper.
"That's not very nice." Ichigo commented, as the girl snarled. "You're quite temperamental, aren't you?" The unnamed blonde man snickered, and Ichigo's attention turned to him at the same time as the angry girl removed her remaining sandal.
"BAKA!" Was her battle cry as she leapt at the snickering blonde, and planted it into his forehead. As she continued to attack the other blonde, Ichigo heard one of the others comment.
"You'd think he would learn by now." The afro'd man shook his head, as the others voiced agreement.
"Okay… I'm going to need somebody to tell me what's going on." Ichigo stated, as he looked at the carnage around him. "Who's the little girl? Why's she so angry? And who's the poor sucker she's beating on?" He glanced back at Urahara, and continued. "I'm sure Kisuke deserved what he got, but could someone say what, exactly, he did this time?"
"I can do that," Yoruichi suggested, as she turned to Ichigo. "These are the Vizards. Did Kisuke explain who they were before he brought you here?" A shake of Ichigo's head answered her question, and the dark-skinned woman sighed. "Of course not. Well, the story's quite a long one; so you should sit down. It's also the story of how we were exiled." This caught Ichigo's interest, and he took the suggestion to heart; sitting on an empty chair as the others; excluding three obvious examples, made themselves comfortable.
"Hey!" Yoruichi's method of making herself comfortable; sitting on Ichigo's lap, inspired this response from the Substitute Soul Reaper.
"Do you want to hear the story or not?"
"Yeah, but why does telling it require you sitting on my lap?" Ichigo asked, logically.
"It's a distressing story; I may need comforting if I'm to make it all the way through."