Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!
drag0onsclaw: I am not certain about that. What I and I pressume others as well, mean by a Segunda Etapa is in fact the second transformation Ulquiorra underwent. On the other hand if a Segunda Etapa exists for Arrancar hybrids it would be wise to assume that a Vaizard probably has such a form as well. So I suppose Ichigo's form must've been similar atleast, if not the same thing.
'GRIMMtheBITCH'1: That is something you'll have to read for yourself in this chapter.
Grinja: My plans for Momo will be made clear in due time. Perhaps this chapter, or perhaps not!
Shigur3': Hinamori has been wallowing in self-pity ever since Aizen has left. She has kept herself locked in her Division's quarters and hardly ever comes out except for the occassional meal.
mlkoolc86: Harribel sure seems to be a popular character with so many people asking about her, though I do understand. As for her rank, while I will not reveal her number I will assure you she will be one of the strongest Espada in Aizen's army.
DarkJason: 1. While in Hueco Mundo Aizen doesn't actually intend to do anything with Momo but talk. That's all I'm going to say about that. And indeed Hitsugaya will not be happy.
I am rather happy that I finally managed to twist the story back into it's plot. I merely had to prepare a lot of things before I could actually do this but as of now we you can expect more variety in the story. I will no longer be forced to limit myself to writing scenes that happen in Las Noches only. So expect some Soul Society coming up as well.
X009: Aizen's goal is plain, simple and overused. He wants to rule the world by created the King's Key and taking up the 'unbearable vacancy of the throne in Heaven'.
Hollow follow him for a vast number of reasons. Some of them respect his fearlessness. Others want to fill the void in their Hollow soul. Others he promised to create a world where Hollow would not be hunted. Nonetheless all of these are lies. Aizen cares only about his own ambitions, even Ichigo is a merely tool created to succeed in his ambition.
I guess one could definitely consider him evil. But then again, viewing someone as evil is flawed at best. Aizen in the end, believes that what he is doing is right. He believes, no he knows, that Shinigami aren't as pure and good as they portray themselves to be either. I hope that answered that question.
Now about your comment concerning Ichigo's body. Yes, you are absolutely right and I was a fool not to think about that. I mistake on my part and one which I shall edit in the near future. Thanks for making me aware of this.
RyumaOmega: The truth is, that if we think logically, Hinamori shouldn't be of much use to Aizen, right? She may a Vice-Captain but she hardly compares to any of the Espada. What use would she be as a soldier? Nonetheless, I do have a use for her, which will be explained in the upcoming chapters. It is not exactly vital to the future plots however it is vital for Aizen's success.
Chapter 10: Return and Retrieval.
Ichigo and Rukia stood a couple of miles away from the edge of Western Rukongai after having just exited the Garganta Ichigo created that would take them to Soul Society.
Just two hours ago Ichigo had received his final orders from Aizen as they went through the plan together along with Tousen and Ichimaru. It appeared as if Hinamori Momo was for reasons unknown to Ichigo a very important piece to Aizen. And so Ichigo had vowed to succeed in his task no matter how hard it may prove.
Aizen had informed Ichigo of the Fifth Division's Barracks as well as the Vice-Captain's and Captain's offices and quarters. Aizen didn't believe they would have appointed a new Captain to his old squad yet but had asked Ichigo to be wary of the possibility nonetheless.
He had warned Ichigo that while he should remain undetected for as long as possible it would practically be impossible to enter and exit Soul Society without being detected even once. The most important part for Ichigo would be to make sure that no Captains got to notice his presence before he was back in Hueco Mundo. But even this Aizen had told, would be hard to avoid, it might even be near impossible.
It was the main reason Aizen had explained why it had been Ichigo who had been sent. Ichigo had good control of his reiatsu and he could both conceal it well and sense other reiatsu signatures in the vicinity. Other then that it was Ichigo who had the best chances of coming out alive if he were to be confronted by one or even multiple Captains.
Another thing Aizen had made perfectly clear was that if his chances of getting out alive were drastically lowered by Hinamori's presence, he should abandon her and make sure he made it back to Las Noches alive. Ichigo just wasn't a piece Aizen could afford to lose. It was a risky move Aizen was making, but one that if it succeeded, could give him an edge in the upcoming war.
Just as Ichigo had been about to leave to get Rukia and get started with his mission Aizen had called him back. He gave him two neatly folded packages. Taking a closer look, Ichigo noticed that the first package actually contained a Shinigami's sihakusyou along with a pair of sandals and a white scarf that was generally worn only by high-ranked nobles which was supposed to cover his Espada tattoo. Even though Soul Society was not aware of the meaning of these tattoo's yet, if they found out and remembered Ichigo's they'd immediately be aware of who held the title of number one in Aizen's army. Aizen liked surprises and so he prefered to keep that information away from Soul Society as long as he could.
The second package on the other hand contained a simple black cloak with a hood. Confused Ichigo had looked at Aizen for an explanation. Aizen explained that back when he had been found out experimenting with hollowfication, Urahara had worn a cloak that completely hid all of his reiatsu. Aizen, while confident in Ichigo's ability to hide his own reiatsu knew he could not supress the Hollow feel to it. And so he had Szayel make a handful of these cloaks weeks ago.
And now Ichigo walked here along with Rukia near the outer edge of the Rukongai. He had yet to tell her about her part in the mission and he was dreading that conversation already. However it was time to stop stalling as they had almost reached the edge of Western Rukongai.
"Rukia, hold on," Ichigo spoke up.
Turning around, she looked at him with a confused expression. Basically signifying for him to let her know why they had to stop.
"There's something I-" He started but he was cut off as Rukia spoke up.
"I'm not stupid, Ichigo. I'm well aware of the fact that Aizen wouldn't have released me for nothing. I suspect you have another reason for being in Soul Society."
Sighing, he nodded. "You should know though that I pressed for your release and Aizen-sama agreed on the condition that I completed a mission in Soul Society while I was there."
Rukia smiled at him lightly. "I know Ichigo. I never doubted you. It's just that I don't want people to die merely for my safe return."
Now it was Ichigo's turn to smile. "Then I suspect you'll be happy to know that I'm not here to kill anyone nor do I intend to. I cannot tell you my mission's details but I swear to you that I will not take a single life tonight."
Relief could be seen etched into the features of Rukia's face. She smiled at him and nodded. Letting him know that if that was the case she'd help him if she had to.
As Rukia turned around to continue walking however Ichigo grabbed her by the shoulders and put his arms around her. "Promise me, Rukia," He started. "Promise that you'll grow strong. This war will take lives, countless lives. Promise me that you'll grow strong enough to survive this war one way or another." He pleaded to her.
Rukia's eyes widened at the level of emotional display coming from Ichigo. He didn't often show this much emotion to anyone. Before she could reply to him however he continued again.
"Start training as soon as you are up to full strength again. If you want to stand a chance at all if you ever run into an Espada you will have to train as if your life depends on it. Attain your Bankai and you might stand a chance against the lower ranked ones. But even with Bankai, if you run into a number below five, Rukia. Run. Run as fast as your legs can carry you, run as if the devil is on your doorstep. Run and cling to life Rukia, for any number below five means certain death." Ichigo stated sadly.
Rukia wanted to be angry at him for even insinuating that she run. She was no coward. She knew Ichigo was right ofcourse. But damn it all she knew Ichigo only said this for her own safety. For now she'd agree, but she would train as Ichigo told her to and she would attain Bankai. And once she had become stronger she would fight and end this war while making sure Ichigo too, lived through it. That was her vow, and she intended to keep it.
Nodding her agreement she felt Ichigo unwrap his arms around her. "Arrigatou, Rukia. Thanks for everything and I sincerely hope our next meeting will not be anytime soon. Live well."
Before Rukia could even react to his words she felt a blinding pain in the back of her neck and her eyes closed as her world went black.
Sighing Ichigo picked her up bridal style and silently thought he was glad he wouldn't be around when she woke up. She so would've kicked his ass for doing that.
=0=
Fifteen minutes later Ichigo arrived dressed in his Shinigami's sihakusyou with his reaitsu conceiling cloak hidden beneath his sihakusyou, before the giant sleeping gatekeeper that was according to Aizen, named Jidanbou. With his reiatsu hidden as best as he could manage on his own he appeared in front of the giant gatekeeper.
"Jidanbou-san! Jidanbou-san!" Ichigo tried to appear panicked, and he realized he wasn't too good at it.
"I just returned from a mission in the forest at the outskirts of Rukongai when I found my cousin lying in the middle of a clearing. She's the one who was kidnapped when the traitorous Captains left Soul Society. I need to take her to Kuchiki-taicho right away!" He yelled in feign panic.
Jidanbou meanwhile, stared at the Shinigami in front of him, barely awake. Admittedly he had barely been able to make out the words the Shinigami had spoken. Having just been woken from his sleep and all. One thing however he did notice. It was the face of Kuchiki Rukia, her prone body held in the Shinigami's arms, craddled to his chest. Jidanbou ofcourse recognized her as she was the adopted sister of the heir of the Kuchiki Clan, Kuchiki Byakuya. Jidanbou also knew that she was taken to Hueco Mundo along with the three traitorous Captains.
"Jidanbou-san! You have to let me in, I need to take Rukia-san to Kuchiki-taicho!"
This time he did understand what he was saying. Jidanbou realised this was an emergency and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of Kuchiki Byakuya's Zanpakutou either. Quickly making up his mind he turned around and lifted the gate only a little bit, just enough for the Shinigami to pass through who yelled his thanks as he passed the gatekeeper.
=0=
When Ichigo heard the gate slam shut behind him he instantly put down Rukia's prone form against the wall next to the gate. Reaching into his sihakusyou he grabbed the cloak, unfolded it, threw it around his body and put the hood over his head.
Picking up Rukia's form again he began to make his way over to the Fifth Division Grounds.
Ichigo had to admit this cloak was absolutely genius. No one had come looking for him yet since he started wearing this cloak. At the same time he could still easily locate the Shinigami patrolling closeby and make his way around them or just merely wait untill they passed.
As it were it only took him ten minutes to reach the entrance of the Fifth Division Grounds. Silently he whispered a few words before continuing.
"Bakudo #26 - Kyakko"
It was a Kidou Aizen had taught him this very afternoon. Generally it wasn't too useful when there was no light around however the Fifth Division Grounds had lanterns positioned around every few yards. As long as he kept focusing his reiatsu on keeping the Kidou active he could bend any source of light around him so as to hide himself from view. It was kind off ironic, staying in the light to remain undetected. Though he had to admit he was more afraid of Rukia regaining consciousness while he was still around then he was of being detected.
Making sure to stay in the light he quietly made his way towards the Vice-Captain's quarters. He only hoped his target would be there. If Aizen had been correct however his former Vice-Captain had likely kept herself hidden away from society ever since Aizen's leaving. He only hoped the man had been right, he couldn't afford to have to search for her all over Seireitei.
Having finally arrived at the Vice-Captain's quarters he silently slid open the door and entered the room. Instantly he dropped the Kidou again. There wasn't even a source of light in this room anyway as it was completely dark. Besides, it was impossible to focus enough to keep both the Kidou active and sensing for nearby reiatsu signatures while at the same time making his way through the maze that was the Fifth Division's Grounds.
Taking a closer look around the room he noticed it looked as if it hadn't been properly cleaned for at the very least a month. As he scanned the room further he could see a figure sitting huddled on the ground, with her back against the wall. He noticed she was holding a picture under her arms. A picture in which she was displayed at the side of her beloved Aizen-taicho.
Taking a closer look at the person sitting against the wall he noticed she was wearing her standard Shinigami sihakusyou her dark hair was pulled into a bun held in a tied cloth. A Vice-Captain's badge with what he presumed was the 5th Division's insignia was tied to her left arm.
Walking over to the empty bed in the room he gently put Rukia down and pulled the covers over her prone form. When he was done he walked over to the girl who should be Hinamori Momo and pressed his hand against her mouth so as to prevent her from screaming when she woke.
Gently grabbing her by the shoulder with his other arm he shook her awake. As her eyes snapped open they instantly revealed a panicked expression. He quickly held his finger to his mouth, hoping to prevent her from starting to struggle.
"Hinamori Momo," He said quietly, "Aizen-sama has need of your services. I have been sent to retrieve you. Will you come peacefully?"
As he finished his sentence her eyes started trembling and tears were seen leaking out. Ichigo could see the hopeful expression that shone brightfully in her teary eyes.
Despite the fact that his hand was covering her mouth he was sure a bright smile had formed on her face as she nodded vigorously.
"I will now remove my hand, do not under any circumstances make any loud noises. Talk if you want, but quietly." He told the girl who nodded again.
Removing his hand he was proven right as a wide smile covered her face. Tears still leaking from her trembling eyes.
"Aizen-taicho needs me? He has sent for me?" She asked him, both determination and hope resounding in her voice.
He nodded at her once. "I am here to take you to Aizen-sama however if we encounter any other Shinigami at all you must under any and all circumstances act as if you are being kidnapped, do you understand?"
She looked confused for a second but nonetheless she nodded that she understood and would play her part.
He reached out his hand to her and she instantly grabbed it. As he pulled her up he threw her over his shoulder and reactivated the Kidou that would hide his presence while in the light. He made his way towards the door and slid it open before silently slipping out.
As he left the Vice-Captain's quarters and turned to the right however, Hinamori instantly started screaming as if her life depended on it. Turning his head around he could see a group of four Shinigami standing behind him, looking at Hinamori with a panicked expression in their eyes, they instantly dashed off.
'Shit! Damn that Kidou! I would've sensed them coming if I hadn't have to focus on keeping the bloody Kidou active,' Ichigo thought. He instantly decided to drop the Kidou and as he started searching around for reiatsu signatures he noticed the Shinigami in their sleeping quarters were waking up and making their way outside.
All of this had happened in but a moment. His entire mission could be ruined if he didn't get out of here in time. As he thought this alarm bells started ringing all around the Fifth Division Grounds and he realised he'd wasted way too much time waiting around.
Instantly he dashed off, no longer bothering to be subtle about it. Using his speed to his advantage he dashed past any Shinigami on his way to the exit of the Division Grounds. They merely got a chance to look at him as he raced through the gates marking the end of the Fifth Division's property.
=0=
Meanwhile in a small hut on the Fifth Division Grounds sat a lone Shinigami drawing symbols on her arms at an impressive speed. When she finished she instantly shot her arms forward and a square-like figure made of Kidou appeared in mid-air, at which point she started a long chant.
"Net of black and white, Twenty-two bridges, Sixty-six vestments, Footprints, Distant Thunder, Mountain peaks, spinning ground, night crouching, cloudy sea, Blue ranks, Fill the great circle and dash across the heavens!"
When she finished speaking the chant the square figure started to glow in an ethereal blue light.
"Bakudou #77 - Tentei Kuura!"
Thinking of the people she wanted to reach with this message she closed her eyes and visualized their faces before opening her eyes again.
"Captains and Vice-Captains of Soul Society. This is Fugunaga Aiko speaking. Gobantai-fukutaicho[1] Hinamori Momo has been kidnapped by an unknown intruder. Said intruder is heading from the exit of the Fifith Division Grounds in the direction of Seireitei's western gate. Fifth Division's pursuit squads are currently following the intruder but request immediate assistance."
Those were the words that woke every Captain and Vice-Captain in Soul Society and alarmed them of the situation.
=0=
Juubantai-taicho[2] Hitsugaya Toushirou was dashing across the rooftops of Seireitei making his way towards the western gate. He'd still been awake working on some reports when the emergency call from Fifth Division had come in.
He'd instantly rushed out of his office after grabbing Hyourinmaru and strapping it on his back. Hinamori had been kidnapped. And if Hitsugaya had a say in the matter the person who did this would pay for it dearly. Those were the thoughts rushing through Hitsugaya's head as he was rapidly approaching the west gate.
=0=
Nibantai-taicho[3] Soifon was currently making her way out of the Second Division's Grounds. She'd just about finished the paperwork she usually had no time to complete overday, when the emergency call was made.
She'd instantly rushed out of the door to make her way in the direction of the west gate. How dare this intruder? Whoever he was he must've been good. To infiltrate the Seireitei unnoticed right under their noses. They were lucky he had been caught before he had escaped. Because that's what Soifon knew it was, luck on their part and bad luck on the intruder's part.
=0=
As Ichigo reached the west gate he instantly knew something was wrong. Sensing a reiatsu signature approaching from behind him he instantly turned around and raised his hand just in time to block a vertical slice to what would have been his chest.
Looking down towards his opponent Ichigo could see a short white-haired kid standing in front of him, dressed in the standard shinigami sihakusyou with a Captain's haori worn on top of it.
Just as Hitsugaya was about to open his mouth, Ichigo beat him to it.
"Juubantai-taicho Hitsugaya Toushirou. Youngest child genius in Soul Society's history. Nice to meet you."
Hitsugaya's eyes visibly widened at this. Jumping back he got in a battle stance, preparing to show the intruder why he was called the youngest child genius in Soul Society's history exactly.
Ichigo for his part merely put the by now silently sobbing Hinamori down. Boy she was one hell of an actor. Ichigo reckoned he should take some lessons from her, remembering his performance in front of Jidanbou just a little less then thirty minutes ago.
Locking eyes with Hinamori he gave her a meaninful look. One Hitsugaya couldn't possibly see with Ichigo's back turned to him.
"Bakudou #61 - Rikujyoukourou."
As the six rods of light slammed into Hinamori's waist she cried out in pain. Ichigo inwardly shrugged, have to keep up appearances after all.
Removing his gaze from Hinamori he instantly dissapeared in a buzz of sonido, reappearing on Hitsugaya's left he aimed a sidewards kick to his head. Hitsugaya, anticipating the move, quickly ducked under it causing the intruder's foot to fly over his head and said man almost lost his footing. Deciding to take advantage of his opponents momentary inbalance he thrust Hyourinmaru towards the intruder's unprotected side only for the man to jump up, turning in mid-air and landing on Hitsugaya's blade before kneeing him in the face.
Before Hitsugaya even had a chance to react he felt a hand wrap around his wrist and a moment later he was flying through the air and crashed into the solid wall of a building close to the west gate.
Ichigo meanwhile, had been unimpressed so far by the child prodigy. However admittedly he made Ichigo lose his footing, even though that was mainly his fault for going for such an obvious course of action. He was brought out of his musings by a loud voice yelling from the building's rubble.
"Soten ni zase, Hyourinmaru!"
Ichigo was aware of every Captain's Shikai and most of their Bankai's and so he was prepared for what came next. He instantly rushed forward charging at the giant ice dragon and at the last possible moment he jumped upwards intending to run along the length of the dragon towards it's wielder. There was one thing however that he hadn't considered. The air around the ice dragon was so cold his feet almost froze to the serpent's body the moment he landed on it. He instantly jumped off to the side and continued to rush towards his destination.
Hitsugaya who had noticed his approach by now readied his blade and swung it down towards Ichigo's head in a vertical slice as soon as he got close enough.
Ichigo, meanwhile, just smirked. His hand shot out instantly and grabbed a hold of the blade which he noticed was extremely cold. He pulled back his left hand and prepared to pierce Hitsugaya's ribs with it.
Just as he was about to strike however he felt a foreign object impact with his head and he was sent flying into the building opposite of the one Hitsugaya had crashed into.
"So, I was right," Soifon's voice rang out, as if talking to herself.
At Hitsugaya's questioning glance however she shrugged. "It's nothing."
Her thoughts at the time however were everything but nothing. The intruder was about to finish off the juubantai-taicho and he doesn't look like he's even got a single scratch on his body.
"He's a tough opponent," Hitsugaya's voice rang out from behind her. "So far he's been dominating the battle and he hasn't even drawn his sword yet. He's been showing some weird abilities though. Blocking sword strikes with his arm, grabbing my sword in his hand. He never even received a papercut."
Hitsugaya admitted, he appeared rather ashamed of himself. And rightfully so, Soifon believed. A Soul Society Captain dominated by a man who hadn't even drawn his sword.
On the other hand. Soifon wasn't stupid, he must be one tough opponent if he had Hitsugaya pushed into a corner without much visible effort like that.
She was pulled out of her thoughts as a buzzing sound could be heard behind her and a voice whispered in her.
"Nibantai-taicho and Commander-in-chief of the Secret Mobile Corps, Soifon."
Soifon's eyes widened briefly but she instantly turned around with a roundhouse kick displaying speed that could only be attained by years of hard work. The intruder in turn blocked her kick with a single raised arm. Unsheathing his sword with his other hand he quickly blocked the incoming attack of Hitsugaya's Hyourinmaru and grabbed a hold of a Soifon's wrist so as not to allow her to escape before kicking her violently in the stomach and sending her flying.
Locking eyes with Hitsugaya who was attempting to push him back he smirked. Hitsugaya in turn roared in anger.
"What do you want with Hinamori!?" He shouted, furiously.
"I? I have no interest in her. My master on the other hand, does." Ichigo replied.
Hitsugaya instantly send a combination of thrusts and swings at Ichigo which he neatly blocked with his own Zanpakutou. Ichigo however never knew what hit him as the chain of Hitsugaya's Hyourinmaru wrapped around his legs causing them to freeze to the ground instantly. Before he even had a chance to react Hitsugaya's blade swung down at him once more, forcing him to block while a voice behind him rang out.
"Jinteki Shakusetsu, Suzumebachi."
Ichigo's eyes widened at this. He knew what that weapon could potentially do to him and judging by the distance of her voice she was pretty close by.
He started chanting as he turned to look around. He instantly saw Soifon right behind him with her Suzumebachi mere inches from his back. Quickly positioning his index and middle finger in her stomach he finished the chant.
"Hadou #1 - Shou."
As these words left his mouth an invisible force seemed to shoot Soifon back in the direction she came from causing her to crash into the western wall. Focusing his attention back to Hitsugaya he was just in time to see Hyourinmaru approaching him and he once more grabbed a hold of the cold blade. Instantly realizing this battle was proving much harder then he thought he vowed to stop holding back and quickly made a vertical swing down Hitsugaya's left shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain before yanking his arm from Ichigo's grip and jumping back.
Ichigo meanwhile noticed several other well-above-average reiatsu signatures approach his position. Realizing he couldn't possibly leave here with the two of them still on his tail he was forced to improvise. For even he couldn't fight these two Captains including the other approaching reiatsu signatures all at once. Not without releasing.
Dissapearing with a loud buzzing sound he reappeared next to Hinamori and released her from the binding Kidou. Before anyone could even react to this he threw Hinamori in the air and started a short chant again.
"Bakudou #37 - Tsuriboshi."
A net of Kidou instantly formed in mid-air and attached itself to the nearby towers of Seireitei. Moving up, Ichigo reapplied the binding Kidou to Hinamori and held his position in mid-air as he waited for either Hitsugaya, Soifon, or preferably both to charge at him.
As if all his prayers had been answered Soifon reappeared besides Hitsugaya, breathing heavily. Both seemed aware of the fact that reinforcements were arriving and believed they'd merely have to stall for a short while. Locking eyes and nodding at one another, they charged.
However as soon as they went airborne, Ichigo smirked.
"Bakudou #73 - Tozansho."
A large inverted pyramid-shaped barrier formed in mid-air. Ichigo had put a lot of reiatsu into this so as to make sure they had atleast some room inside the barrier, sadly though there was a limit as to how big you could make it. Both Soifon, Hitsugaya, Ichigo and Hinamori were all trapped inside the pyramid now.
=0=
Hisagi Shuuhei, Kira Izuru and Abarai Renji were quickly making their way towards the west gate where they'd received word the intruder should be heading.
Not long ago they'd sensed Hitsugaya-taicho engage the enemy and not much later Soifon-taicho had apparently joined him. Two Captains fighting together against a common enemy was rare but all three Vice-Captains had felt the reiatsu signatures of both Hitsugaya and Soifon were slowly decreasing and while the intruder's certainly had lost more so far, he also seemed to have more left.
Noticing two familiar reiatsu signatures approach them they were quickly joined by Kyouraku Shunsui and Ukitake Juushirou Hachibantai[4] and Juusanbantai-taicho[5] respectively.
The three Vice-Captains locked eyes with their superiors once before nodding and continuing to make their way towards the west gate.
=0=
Hitsugaya roared in anger as he noticed they were stuck inside the pyramid and any large scale attacks could possibly harm Hinamori.
Ichigo however had no such problems as he dashed towards the young Shinigami-Captain and kicked out towards his side causing Hitsugaya blocked to raise his blade vertically at his side to block the kick.
Ichigo taking advantage of the opening quickly thrust his sword in the direction of Hitsugaya's chest. The young prodigy in turn ducked diagonally to the side, causing the blade to pass over his shoulder.
As Ichigo saw Hitsugaya make another thrusting motion with his sword he felt Soifon approach from behind him and with speed that was unrivaled among all Espada he quickly sonido'd behind her and grabbed her by the shoulders before pushing her forward causing her to be stabbed in the stomach by Hitsugaya's Hyourinmaru.
Her eyes widened but no sound came out of her mouth as the sword pierced her, looking down she could see the sword impaling her and continuing her gaze in the direction of the young Captain she looked him in the eyes, a look of horror was etched in the very features of his face.
=0=
This was the scene that greeted the three Vice-Captains and two Captains when they arrived at the west gate. A large inverted pyramid shaped barrier had been formed in the air and in the middle of it three figures could be seen fighting.
Inside, at the very tip of the barrier a net of Kidou seemed to have been extended. The thick strings holding the net in place connected to four of the larger towers of around the west gate, said strings seemingly passed through the barrier as if it wasn't even there.
However just as the five of them attempted to break down the barrier by attacking it together their eyes went wide at the scene they were looking upon. Inside the barrier, Hitsugaya Toushirou his blade had somehow ended up piercing Soifon's stomach. As they looked at Hitsugaya's horror-stricken look they couldn't help but feel sorry for the young Captain.
=0=
As Ichigo looked down upon the young Captain in front of him he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Having the force of your thrust used against you in such a way could hardly be a pleasant surprise. Then again, the truth was that these two did not work together well. They probably would've been harder to beat if they had each come at him individually.
Deciding to end the young prodigy's misery and completing his mission. He aimed to move a quick slice vertically over the boy's chest but as he was about to strike he noticed Hitsugaya's expression of horror turn to one of anger. Ichigo instantly let go of the unconscious body of the nibantai-taicho and jumped back so as to create some distance inbetween himself and the child genius.
The white-haired Captain looked him in the face with a furious expression etched into his very features. Looking in his face Ichigo knew that if he didn't end this quickly the young Captain would do something rash soon.
"Bankai," His silent voice rang out. That one word seemed to repeat itself forever in Ichigo's mind. An explosion of ice shot out from Hitsugaya and started circling around him at a rapid speed. As the ice started dissipating again it could be seen to slowly form two gigantic wings on the small Captain's back. Hitsugaya's sword arm was encased in a large dragon's head and his remaining hand and feet were covered in ice as well, making them look like claws. The last remaining addition to this was a long dragon's tail that fell down behind Hitsugaya. "Daiguren Hyourinmaru!"
Ichigo could only look at the prodigious Captain in awe. So this was a Bankai. It looked truly impressive, Ichigo had to admit. Looking up, Ichigo took notice of the fact that Hinamori was still bound above him, Ichigo would have to be careful so as not to injure her. It seemed Hitsugaya's anger was clouding his mind as he didn't seem to be worried about it.
Ichigo locked eyes with Hitsugaya and smirked. Causing the Captain ro roar in anger and charge at Ichigo recklessly. Swinging their swords above their heads they instantly locked blades the moment they got close enough. As Ichigo started to push further towards Hitsugaya he lashed out with his tail of ice forcing him to jump back. Hitsugaya instantly took advantage of the distance and swung his sword at Ichigo causing a huge dragon of ice to be released from the tip which instantly charged at Ichigo.
Ichigo meanwhile, was having trouble finding a way out of his current predicament. This barrier was starting to obstruct his movements more then Hitsugaya's now that he'd released his Bankai. He soon ran out of options as the huge dragon crashed itself into Ichigo forcing him through the barrier and thus breaking it.
Ice was scattered everywhere on impact and Hitsugaya had to close his eyes for but a second. The second he opened his eyes again his eyes went wide because of a stinging pain in his abdomen. Looking down he saw it had been impaled by a sword and looking over at the wielder he looked straight into the face of the intruder. Though said man no longer held that annoying smirk on his face. He was breathing heavily and the cloak he had been wearing was torn to pieces, revealing a Shinigami's sihakusyou which was just as torn as the cloak. That wasn't the most surprising thing Hitsugaya noticed however, no, it was the Hollow hole right in the middle of the man's chest. Hitsugaya's eyes widened briefly before he looked the man in the eyes once more. His vision slowly dissipating and as his Bankai shattered Hitsugaya, too, lost consciousness.
Looking down, Ichigo saw the faces of the two Captains who had caught Hitsugaya and Soifon more clearly. They were currently checking on their injured comrades but there was no mistake about their identity. Ukitake Juushirou and Kyouraku Shunsui, two of the oldest and most powerful Captains in all of Soul Society. Aizen had told him a lot about them. One thing Ichigo remembered in particular was the fact that Aizen had not managed to find out anything about their Bankai's, making him believe that they hadn't used it for atleast a hundred years.
"Who are you?!" Ukitake asked him, his voice calm.
Ichigo remained silent.
Perhaps that had been the wrong thing to do as both Ukitake and Kyouraku made a move to unsheathe their Zanpakutou. Ichigo couldn't let it get that far though. He had to make his getaway now, before more people showed up.
Cutting his middle finger on the blade of his Zanpakutou he sheathed it before holding out his bleeding hand. He grabbed the wrist of the other hand before locking eyes with both remaining Captains.
"My name, Ukitake Juushirou, Kyouraku Shunsui, is Kurosaki Ichigo." He exclaimed, after a seemingly unstable ball of blue energy started to form in his palm.
Ukitake's and Kyouraku's eyes widened as they yelled for their comrades to get away while picking up the prone bodies of the other two Captains before speeding off themselves.
"Gran Rey Cero!"
Those were the three words that Ichigo shouted out as he unleashed the technique in the centre of the plaza in front of the west gate. Dust and debris obscured him from vision as he swung Hinamori Momo over his shoulder and made his escape.
=0=
When Ukitake and Kyouraku returned to the scene after realising the attack had not been fired at them but had been used as a diversion their eyes widened at the destruction caused by the attack.
Entire rows of houses had been demolished to the ground and absolutely nothing was left of the actual plaza. It had become nothing more then a crater full of sand.
Looking over towards the gate they saw one large hole inside of it, at the other end of the hole they could just make out a Garganta closing. They realized now that they were too late. The intruder, along with Hinamori Momo, had escaped.
=0=
Aizen sat in his throne room, Gin and Kaname at his sides. All of the Espada were seated at a table not far away from him. They were awaiting the return of the Primera Espada. Aizen reckoned Ichigo had to have run into some trouble considering that he had not yet returned. He only hoped his most prized soldier would return. Even for him a mission such as this could prove fatal if he ran into the wrong people.
Looking over at his Espada most he could see were bored beyond belief. Luppi had an annoyed expression on his face. But what Aizen found the most intriguing was the worried expression on Nelliel's face. He had known Nelliel and Ichigo were close, remarkably so for Hollow but he had always wondered to what extent exactly. It appeared the Primera was very dear to Nelliel, Hollow didn't often look worried, as a matter of fact Aizen didn't think he'd ever seen a Hollow worried except perhaps in a losing battle. Aizen was curious if Ichigo felt the same way about the Tercera.
He was broken out of his thoughts as the doors to his throne room creaked upon slowly being opened. Two figures made their way through the doors. One was limping, a sure sign that he had obviously been in battle recently, his clothing was completely torn which exposed his chest almost completely. Kurosaki Ichigo had returned to Las Noches and next to him the figure of Hinamori Momo could be identified.
A loud crashing sound could be heard over at the Espada's table and as Aizen turned his head around to look at the source of the sudden noise he saw Nelliel dissapear in a buzz of sonido before reappearing next to Ichigo and throwing his arm around her shoulder to support him.
Meanwhile, Hinamori was staring at Aizen in morbid fascination. Was this the same Aizen that had left Soul Society a few months ago? He looked so different, yet completely the same, she thought. Her mouth opened and she spoke the words without even realising it, it was like second nature to her by now. "Aizen-taicho..."
Aizen smiled at her and she returned his smile with one of her own. Her eyes shone with happiness she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Hinamori," Aizen said, with a caring tone in his voice,"We shall talk later, Hinamori. It appears I need to tend to a wounded friend of mine first. Please, allow Kaname to escort you to your quarters. I will meet you there shortly." He smiled at her as he said this.
If possible Hinamori's smile got even wider as she nodded vigorously and turned to follow Tousen.
After Hinamori and Tousen had left the room Aizen turned his gaze back to Ichigo who was by now sitting on the ground and leaning against Nelliel. This, Aizen found interesting, it appeared his prodigy did feel the same way after all. It wasn't like him to display any sort of emotion in public normally which must mean his mission probably wasn't as easy as he thought it would be.
Taking a closer look as if to inspect Ichigo Aizen noticed a couple of things. While his clothing was torn and ragged the ends actually looked like they had broken off. At the same time there were large red spots that could be spotted all over the exposed parts of his skin. They could signify either minor burns or cases of extreme cold. Taking both his discoveries into account Aizen believed he must've ran into Hitsugaya.
"Ichigo," Aizen said. "I'm glad to see you have returned alive, though I dare say not exactly in one peace. But the truth is that was to be expected." Aizen admitted. "Will you make your report to us, Ichigo?"
Ichigo in the meantime was still breathing rather unevenly. He was cold, very cold. The attack from Hitsugaya's Bankai had been something he had been unable to avoid. He'd made the barrier as large as he could but having a gigantic ice dragon fly at you from such a short range isn't something you can easily dodge. In the end he had taken the blast willingly so as to make Hitsugaya drop his guard and thus allow Ichigo to get a hit in. He hadn't felt much pain then, the blast had hurt but he didn't think it was this bad. It must've been the thrill of battle, he supposed he had merely ignored the pain subconsciously.
He was glad he had managed to make a clean getaway though. Thinking back on it he wondered why he hadn't done that earlier. But the truth was that he knew why. He wanted to fight those Captains. Although admittedly the second one had come unexpected and had caught him by surprise. When the battle had continued after her appearance Ichigo had gotten completely swallowed up by the thrill of it. It had been fun and he had loved every second of it. He realised he had been wanting to test himself for a while now.
However when his battle with the two Captains was over and he noticed just who exactly were standing in front of him he knew he couldn't win this. Even if he released he probably would've lost against the two of them at once, though he couldn't be certain. Nonetheless reinforcements could've showed and that was not to mention the three Vice-Captains that were already there. Kira Izuru, Ichimaru's old Vice-Captain. Hisagi Shuuhei, Tousen's old Vice-Captain. And Abarai Renji, the man who had, along with Kuchiki Byakuya, forcefully removed Rukia from the real world.
He was rather surprised when he found that his pathetic excuse of an escape plan had actually worked. He wondered where he could have possibly thought of such a pathetic plan. 'Come on, Ichigo! Let's take the biggest and most flashy blast you got. Fire it wherever it'll cause the most destruction and then run!' Ichigo assumed that must've been close to what he must've been thinking at the time. 'Tch, pathetic.'
"A-Ah." Ichigo started. And so he went on to explain how his mission had gone. How he had gotten into the Seireitei with the sorry excuse of having found Rukia, the Shinigami who was captured by Aizen Sousuke, lying in a forest clearing. Grimmjow actually laughed maniacally at the stupidity of the western gatekeeper.
Next he went on to explain how he had infiltrated the Fifth Division Grounds and made his way towards the Vice-Captain's quarters. Arriving there he had put Rukia in Hinamori's bed so as not to arouse suspicion had Rukia been found somewhere on the streets.
Hinamori had decided to come willingly and even seemed glad to do so. He then explained how they had been spotted after leaving her quarters and how he'd made his way towards the west gate.
Arriving there he had instantly been engaged by Hitsugaya and next, Soifon. He quickly went over the fight, mentioning the fact that he lured both Captains inside of a barrier when he felt other reiatsu signatures move closer to their locations. Inside the barrier he managed to get rid of Soifon's interference but at this point Hitsugaya had released his Bankai. The space inside the barrier had been too small and he had been forced to take an attack from Hitsugaya in his Bankai, head on. Next he'd used Hitsugaya's dropped guard to his advantage to finish the fight.
He finished his report by telling him how he had caused a 'minor' distraction to ensure his safe getaway. When leaving Seireitei's barriers and arriving in Rukongai he quickly made a Garganta and retreated back to Las Noches.
Aizen in the meantime looked at his Primera with a sense of fascination. He had managed to beat both Hitsugaya and Soifon in a two versus one battle. Hitsugaya wasn't hailed for being the youngest child genius in Soul Society's history for nothing. Nor was Soifon the Commander-in-chief of the Secret Mobile Corps without a reason. Both of these Captains were well above the level of an average one. Ichigo had beaten them both without even releasing. Provided, Soifon hadn't used her Bankai, but Aizen knew she disliked using it. Forcing her to bring it out was never easy.
Aizen smiled at his number one soldier. "You have done well, Ichigo. Arrigatou." Aizen said. Causing the eyes of everyone in the room to widen. It wasn't often that Aizen openly thanked someone. Ichigo however was still breathing unevenly and was having a hard time standing up. Aizen decided a long rest was in order. "I'm glad you returned safely. Now go and rest."
Those were the last words Ichigo and Nel needed. Throwing his arm around Nel's shoulder once again she grabbed him by the waist and they started moving towards his quarters together.
=0=
[1]Gobantai-fukutaicho : Fifth Division Vice-Captain
[2]Juubantai-taicho : Tenth Division Captain
[3]Nibantai-taicho : Second Division Captain
[4]Hachibantai-taicho : Eight Division Captain
[5]Juusanbantai-taicho : Thirteenth Division Captain
=0=
And another chapter done. I definitely had a lot of fun writing this chapter and it took a lot less time then I had imagined it would.
Next chapter you'll find most of the answers to the questions you are probably asking yourself right now. But I felt that had I included that in this chapter as well it would've become a 'little' too long!
I also thought it to be appropriate that I inform you of the fact that in a little over a week I will be going on a holiday. Thus during that time you won't have to expect any updates for a little more then two weeks. But not to worry I'm still around for about a week and if I keep up the pace I have set for myself up untill now that should mean you'll get to see a couple of new chapters before we get to that point!
Lastly please, once more, read and review! Even though I might not answer to each and every review posted I would like to tell you that I appreciate each and every one of them and they inspire me to keep the updates coming as fast as possible.