Disclaimer: All right to the Bleach franchise are monopolised by that magnificent asshole, Tite Kubo.
"Talking"
'Thoughts'
[Mugetsu talking]
"Attack Names"
xxxxxxx
Chapter 5: Taking Out the Trash
Currently sitting at his workstation, Ichigo was silently completing the day's homework. It's been three days since his visit to Hueco Mundo, and those who kept a close enough eye on him noticed the subtle differences in his attitude. He seemed to be more relaxed and his smiles were a lot more genuine. His sisters were thankful to see their brother a lot more stress-free. They had noticed the problem he was having before but were unsure how to go about helping him, which is why they were glad to see the issue seemingly sorting itself out.
Today Ichigo spent his first day back at school, having spent the last two days since his return from Hueco Mundo in Kyoto, participating in the National Kendo Championship. Needless to say, he absolutely swept his age division and is now the proud owner of the Under-17 kendo champion title. While he was happy with his achievement, it was annoying to come back only to be flooded by a backlog of homework. Miss Ochi cut him no slack as she demanded he catch up. Now that he was in the Top 5 of the school, she seemed to hold him at a very high standard and expected excellence from him. Not that he minded, it was just a bit tedious to weigh through all the content.
While he robotically worked through his homework, his mind was plagued by other issues. He noticed it as soon as he got back home. There was a residual reiatsu lingering just outside his home. There wasn't much, but just enough for his sharp senses to pick up on. It was unfamiliar, it didn't feel much like a Hollow, Shinigami or a Quincy. That being said, there was a bit of a Hollow taint, but it wasn't a Hollow. He spoke to Yuzu and Karin, who possessed high sensory abilities as well, about what they had gathered from the situation. They informed him that they noticed a man with black pants and shoes, a white shirt with black suspenders and long black hair hanging around them. They discreetly noticed him walking on the telephone lines, spying on them. They also mentioned that he seemed to carry a small notebook with him everywhere. Ichigo had to use every ounce of his training to control the pure, unadulterated rage that he felt at the gall of this man to stalk his precious little sisters.
Still, from the sensation of his reiatsu that they described to him, it was similar to what he had already sensed. It was safe to say that he was involved in the spiritual world. Apparently, he didn't seem to be interested in making a move on them and was more likely doing a reconnaissance mission. Not that it excused him in Ichigo's book. Either he was targeting Yuzu or Karin, or more likely trying to figure out how to use them against him. The latter was more likely as Yuzu and Karin were unaware of the spiritual world as far as anyone else was concerned. That just worsened his already foul mood.
He stretched his senses to cover as much ground as he could and followed the residual signature, noticing that it left Karakura Town and entered the neighbouring Naruki City. It suddenly clicked in place for him. He remembered the above average reiatsu signatures contained within that city.
As his pen fluidly danced across the page, his mind was going over possible scenarios. He had planned on leaving those people to their own devices, as it wasn't his business what they did. It wasn't a crime to have large amounts of reiryoku, regardless of whatever propaganda the Soul Society pushed. Therefore it wasn't his place to judge them. Now though, all bets were off the table. They had knowingly encroached on his territory. If they were spying on him, he wouldn't even mind that much as they certainly wouldn't be the first people to do so. They crossed the line however, when they dared to turn their attention to his sisters. He decided that he would pay them a visit later to night. A proper attitude adjustment is in order. While he was normally against killing, if these people posed enough of a threat to his family then…well…he would harden his heart and do what needs to be done. He finished that thought with a flourish of his pen as he completed his work.
(Scene Change)
It was just before midnight when the world turned red in Ichigo's room. His human body already strategically placed on the bed as he vanished in a blur of Shunpo, blitzing towards Naruki City. His face was emotionless as he razor-focused his mind.
It took him less than a minute but he eventually found himself outside a relatively high-end set of apartment buildings. He could sense the signature of the one that was stalking his sisters within along with five other signatures. One of them stood head and shoulders above the rest though. If Ichigo were to make an estimate, it would be on the level of one of the lower tier Captains.
He slipped in through the opened window and beheld the frozen scene before him. There was an older gentleman with an eye-patch who seemed to be tending the bar. There was a younger looking boy along with a girl around his age as well as an older looking woman. He also spotted his would-be-stalker from the descriptions offered by Yuzu and Karin. He turned to the final occupant of the room and spotted a bulky looking man, probably in his early thirties, sitting comfortably on a leather couch. His attention was drawn by Mugetsu who immediately recognised the man.
[Ichigo-sama, I'm familiar with this man thanks to Kyoka Suigetsu's memories. This is the former Substitute Shinigami, Kugo Ginjo. He was the first one, before you. However, unlike you, he didn't possess abilities of his own and was reliant on the power that was injected into him. As such, his power would have eventually faded. However, he became drunk on his power and started forcefully draining the reiryoku of other Shinigami to bolster his own. He was eventually labelled as a criminal and a high priority target for the Soul Society. He is the reason why it is prohibited for Shinigami to transfer their powers to a human]. Mugetsu informed him.
Now that caught his attention. It seemed that it ran deeper than he realised. This Kugo Ginjo was obviously after him for some reason, given their positions as former Substitute Shinigami. He would refrain from simply killing them for the moment, curious as to their agenda. He was going to let the scene play out and see what he could gather from it. That didn't mean he was giving them a pardon though, oh no, they were going to regret ever turning his attention to them.
"Bakudo #26: Kyakko"
Ichigo whispered, before vanishing. Kyakko (Curving Light) is a spell that conceals the user in a curtain of camouflage by bending the light around them. Just because they couldn't sense his reiatsu didn't mean they couldn't see him. There weren't many hiding places in the room so he settled for using Kyakko. He slipped out of his personal dimension, allowing the world to regain its colour and time to flow naturally once again.
He stayed silent as he followed the conversations in the room. The bartender was a man named Giriko. The young boy who seemed to be engrossed in his hand-held video game was called Yukio. The young girl with magenta coloured hair was called Riruka. The older, dark-skinned woman was named Jackie. And finally, the stalker asshole who seemed to be coolly reading the same fucking page for the last hour or so was named Tsukishima.
From what Ichigo gathered, they were an organisation called Xcution. Pretty lame in Ichigo's opinion. He hypothesised that Ginjo was probably suffering from chuunibyou syndrome. They referred to themselves as Fullbringers, it was also the name for their unique abilities. From what Ichigo pieced together, their abilities were similar to Chad's, in the way that regular humans were able to manifest supernatural abilities.
That wasn't the only thing he picked up though. Mr. Chuunibyou himself questioned the stalker prick, Tsukishima, about the progress of his mission in monitoring the Kurosaki household. Apparently they had plans in store for Ichigo and wanted to know the usefulness his sisters could provide in implementing those plans.
Ichigo, at hearing this, erased all emotions from his face. He had heard enough. These people were threating his family and they needed to be re-educated in the points of authority. He would teach them the errors of their way. Not before he bled them dry of their usefulness though. He picked up two things of interest that immediately made his eyes glint. One was that the little bastard playing the video game was apparently loaded. The other was that the stalker prick had the ability to effect the memories of his targets, something he planned on using on Yuzu and Karin, thus sealing his fate.
In a rapid fire chain of casting, each Fullbringer was trapped within six beams of light. The exception being Ginjo who shot to his feet, immediately recognising the Kido being used. He was too late however as he too was caught in the trap. They all heard a smooth voice echo throughout the room.
"Bakudo #61: Rikujōkōrō"
Ginjo was immediately trapped within the six prisms of light. He flexed his reiatsu in attempt to break free, but the construct was far too powerful for someone of his level to break.
"Bakudo #63: Sajo Sabaku"
Ropes of light burst out of the corner of the room, further ensnaring him and ensuring his captivity. Ginjo was frantically swiveling his head trying to get a view of the intruder, ignoring the pleas of help from the rest of the Xcution members. They were all panicking, trying desperately to free themselves from the spell but it was too high level for them to even budge. Since most of their abilities needed the use of their hands or feet to activate, they were currently powerless. They saw the panic on Ginjo's face and realised the kind of danger they were in if even the strongest of them was caught. Fear started to settle in. They were defenseless and caught unaware in their own base and were now currently at the mercy of whatever enemy infiltrated their hideout. In none of the scenarios that played out in their minds did this end well for them.
The attention of the occupants of the room were drawn by the sound of something being stripped away. They look to the corner of the room to see a curtain of light being stripped away to reveal Kurosaki Ichigo in all his glory.
"Wha!" Ginjo choked on his saliva, unable to comprehend what the fuck was happening.
"Ara…you seem to be a bit confused, Ginjo-kun. Don't worry, just take a seat and everything will be explained to you." Ichigo advised with a friendly smile on his face, his voice was soothing and comforting…subconsciously bringing a sense of reassurance to the Fullbringers. Whereas previously they were shit scared, they were now feeling that it wasn't as bad it may have been since Ichigo seemed like a pretty nice guy. Not to mention, from the information they were given about him, he was the 'hero' type. He wouldn't ever hurt them. If they played it right, they could talk him into freeing them by giving him some important information…by which point Tsukishima's ability would bring him under their control so he could fulfill his use to them. It was a similar conclusion that ran through all the minds of the Fullbringers as they discreetly nodded to each other. It was these thoughts that allowed them to drop their guard a little and have hope that they would get out of this.
Which was unfortunate for them.
Ichigo stopped at the table and poured himself a hot cup of tea, ignoring the rising tension of the room. After his cup was filled he calmly walked to the single seat leather couch and took a seat, putting him in full view of the restrained Fullbringers that were in front of him. He took a soft sip of his hot tea before looking quizzically at Ginjo.
"I thought I asked you to take a seat, Ginjo-kun. Do you not want to?" Ichigo questioned, much to the irritation of Ginjo who had to do his best to quell his natural reaction due to the unfavourable circumstances he found himself in. Instead, he plastered on a fake smile.
"As you can see, I'm a bit incapacitated at the moment. Perhaps if you release our bindings, we can take a seat."
Ichigo looked to actually consider that suggestion before he shot him down.
"No, that's okay. You can just stand there in that case."
Ginjo gritted his teeth in frustration, wanting so badly to take a swing at the brat in front of him with his sword. He made eye contact with Tsukishima, hoping the man had found some way to get out of this…but he was met with a disappointing shake of the head.
"Now that's we're all comfortably settled in, I'd like to address a few issues we seem to have." Ichigo stated, earning himself plenty of glares from his obviously mocking statement. "You see, I was minding my own business…happily going on with my life when what do you know…some filthy pervert starts stalking my sisters. Now I'm not one to judge people's unique sexual fetishes, but when the intent is aimed at my sisters…well…I get a bit trigger happy. Now, if you would be so kind as to explain why you were staking out my house."
Ginjo smirked mockingly at him.
"I'm sure you don't know who we are. Let me tell you now that we are spiritu-"
"No, I know who you people are. I sensed your reiatsu in this town a few months ago. It's just that I made the conscious decision to ignore you. What you people did wasn't any of my business. Unfortunately, you decided to make it my business by endangering my family. So I'm going to ask you again. What were you hoping to achieve?" Ichigo cut Ginjo off before explaining the situation to him. His smile was still friendly, but the way his eyes darkened made some of the others shift uncomfortably.
Seeing the stubborn looks he was receiving caused Ichigo to sigh in resignation.
"I see. It seems as though we will have to do this the hard way." Ichigo said emotionlessly causing a few spines to chill in fear.
"Hahaha! What are you going to do, Kurosaki?! Torture us? Ha! I don't know how you got your powers back but it doesn't matter. I know enough about you to know the kind of person you are! You aren't going to do a damn thing to us! You're too noble for that. So why don't you drop the act and free us and maybe we'll forget about your little misdemeanor." Ginjo mocked with a sneer on his face, confident in his safety. Riruka looked at him like he had lost his mind for taunting the person who they were obviously at the mercy of.
"You are right in a way. I'm normally not one to engage in something as distasteful as torture. I used to have this unfortunate tendency to try and see the best in people, even if they were trash. But you made a grave mistake. I'm not as noble as you seem to think I am. The only thing I care about in this world is protecting my friends and my family. As long as they are safe, the world could burn for all I care. Unfortunately for you, by targeting my sisters, even if it was just to spy on them…you painted a large red target on your backs. My morals are much more flexible these days. And while I take no enjoyment in what I'm about to do, I will do it anyway. Because that's the kind of person I am." Ichigo intoned softly, his voice reaching all the ears in the room. A few stomachs sank in terror at his word.
"Stop bluffing boy! This has gone on-"
"Hado #1:Shō"
Ichigo said before a force hit Ginjo on the top left corner of his torso. The sound of bones cracking and joints popping echoed throughout the shocked silent room as Ginjo's collar bone was broken and his shoulder popped out of its socket.
Normally Shō is used to simply push the target away from the caster. However, Ichigo modified it a bit to concentrate its area of effect to a smaller radius…allowing it to do more concussive and targeted damage. That, coupled with the fact that he was locked in place by two sixties level Bakudo, ensured an extremely painful experience for Ginjo.
"AHHHH!"
Ginjo's pain filled screams reverberated around the room. Unfortunately for the Fullbringers, they had soundproofed their headquarters so nobody would be able to hear their pleas for help.
The rest of them looked on in horrified rapture, unable to look away from their leader's shoulder being almost torn out of its socket.
"Now that we have established my willingness to maim you…perhaps your tongues have loosened to an extent. Well? Anyone up to answering my original question?" Ichigo inquired politely.
"You bastard! How dare you!" Tsukishima roared at him, spittle flying out of his mouth. He was incensed at the sight of his savior being harmed in such a way.
"Oh? You seem to have some emotional attachment to Ginjo-kun here. Perhaps you should tell me what I want to know before I decide to give his other shoulder the same treatment." Ichigo advised with a reassuring smile.
"Fuck you, Kurosaki!" Ginjo spat, a glob of blood escaping his lips.
Ichigo just sighed and shook his head at the stubbornness being displayed. He raised his hand and pointed his finger at Ginjo's right shoulder, causing the man's eyes to widen in fear.
"NO!" Tsukishima protested impotently, but it was all for naught.
"Hado #1: Shō"
"AAAARGH!"
The sight of Ginjo's other shoulder being mutilated once again was too much for the likes of Yukio and Riruka, who emptied the contents of their stomachs on themselves. Jackie and Giriko looked away, grimacing at the unpleasant sight. Tsukishima had a few tears in his eyes as he witnessed the man who gave him so much being tortured.
"Well, does anyone feel like talking now?" He inquired once again.
"N-No…cough…d-don't tell him a-anything." Ginjo feebly ordered, blood smeared all over his face as he desperately tried to ignore the pain.
"I must say, I'm impressed. You're much more durable than I give you credit for." Ichigo praised genuinely as he clapped his hands. To the ears of the terrified Fullbringers though, it felt like nothing but a mocking gesture. The reality of their situation was finally settling in and with it, the terror inducing thought that they could very well die at the hands of the monster currently preying on them. The analogy about a sleeping dragon was never more appropriate to them then it was now. "Now, I can continue trying to 'persuade' you, Ginjo-kun. But you are obviously the strongest person in your little clique. That being said, it occurred to me that I don't need you to tell me anything. For there is always a weak link you every chain. Your pain threshold is surprisingly high, I wonder if the same could be said about Yukio-kun over there." Ichigo explained as he turned his bored eyes to the now frightfully trembling Yukio.
"No! Please! Don't hurt me!" Yukio begged pitifully, tears running down his face.
"Yukio! I'm warning you, don't you dare say a damn thing!" Tsukishima shouted at the boy, taking over the reins of leadership while Ginjo tried to pull himself together. He was still deeply shaken by what he saw happen to his leader but he would follow through with the order he was given.
"Ara ara, it seems your leaders are expecting you to endure some painful torture for their sake Yukio-kun. I must say, this little club must have some amazing benefits if they expect you to go that far for them. I'm honestly a bit hurt that I never got invited to play." Ichigo frowned playfully as he stared straight into Yukio's terror induced eyes, the scent of Ginjo's blood and the pressure of the situation slowly suffocating the boy. "Well, let's find out if you're as durable as Ginjo-kun."
"No! Wait! Please…I'll tell you! Please…just…" Yukio whimpered.
"Yukio, you little shit! You better keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you!" Tsukishima threatened.
"I'm not sure if you realise the situation you currently find yourselves in…but you aren't in any position to make threats. Trust me when I say that there is nothing you can conjure up that will compare to what I will do to you if I don't get the answers are want as to why you people are targeting my family." Ichigo warned Tsukishima, who put up a stubborn front. The slight trembling of his body though, gave him away. "I've been pretty lenient on you lot thus far. Don't make me resort to lopping off your limbs. Just tell me what I want to know and we can all get on with our lives." There was a collective gulp from the Fullbringers, noticing the sincerity of his words to carry out his threat as well as the unshakeable conviction in his eyes.
They may have been many things, but they weren't warriors. They were just a collection of above average spiritually aware humans who were lucky, or unlucky depending on your perspective, to have awakened a special power. Thus far, they have never met any resistance. They have never encountered and enemy that they couldn't overcome. And even if they did, Ginjo was at least at the level of a Captain and would always deal with the situation. Therefore they have never experienced a battle of life and death. They have never been in a situation where they were forced to face their own mortality. Until now that is. The ever reliable Ginjo was reduced to a bloody, whimpering mess. They were all immobilised and at the mercy of their enemy who has thus far shown absolutely no hesitation to mutilate them. It was the first time that they were faced with the consequences of their actions. They were facing the cost of being too drunk on their power and too secure in their own little bubble. Seeing the steely red eyes of their would-be executioner was enough to break the will of the more vulnerable members.
"We wanted your p-power." Riruka spoke up, unable to handle the situation they were in any longer, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room.
"Riruka! Shut your mouAHHHHHH!" Tsukishima warned before screamed in agony as his knee exploded in a shower of blood.
"Hado 4#: Byakurai"
Tsukishima was forced to stay on his feet by the Rikujōkōrō holding him up even though the Byakurai sent by Ichigo blew his knew out his knee…further compounding his torment. Ichigo just looked on with dispassionate eyes as the man whimpered and struggled to stem the agony he was feeling. The others cringed at the scene.
"It was rude of you to interrupt a young woman who clearly has something to say. Didn't anyone ever teach you any manners?" Ichigo chided Tsukishima, like a parent scolding a child, before turning to Riruka with a warm smile on his face, making the poor girls heart race even though she was absolutely terrified of being killed by him. She cursed herself and her stupid hormones for picking this very moment to act up. "Now, you had something to say, Oujo-san?"
Riruka nodded shakily, before launching into the tale of what Ginjo had planned for Ichigo in a few months. From how he planned to push suspicion on Urahara Kisuke and Kurosaki Isshin, to how he planned to use Hollow bait to endanger one of his sisters to force him to seek them out after which they would help him awaken his Fullbring. She also told him of Tsukishima's role in the plan and how his powers were meant to turn Ichigo's family and friends against him before Ginjo would eventually betray him, stealing his Fullbring for himself and eventually sharing it with the rest of them. She also spoke of Ginjo's intention of shattering his resolve by revealing the purpose of the Combat Pass that was given to him.
The room was silent as Ichigo digested the information. The Fullbringers were smart enough to realise that they didn't come out good in that story. If anything, it may make him want to hurt them even more. They were fearing for their lives even more right now.
Unexpectedly though, Ichigo didn't rage about what he heard. He sat there calmly taking it all in, before closing his eyes…seemingly deep in thought.
"I see." He finally said. The tense silence was becoming stifling for the Fullbringers, as they stood there with no choice but to await the judgment of what was probably their executioner. Surprisingly enough, he didn't seem to care much about their plan, if his next question was any indicator. "I actually have two questions regarding that. Firstly, this is quite an expensive building. I'm not expecting that worthless degenerate, Ginjo, to actually have a steady job. So which one of you is responsible for paying for it?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer. He needed a 'control' question though as it was his second question that was the most important.
His question was met with baffled looks. They were expecting anger and rage along with bodily harm being done to them after hearing what they had planned for him. But all he cared about was how they financed their operations? It made no sense. But they wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Maybe they could by their lenience…at least until they can come up with a way to make their problem go away.
"Um…it's thanks to Yukio. He's an orphan who parents left him a vast fortune to inherit…so he has a lot of money to invest." Riruka answered tentatively. The grin that appeared on Ichigo's face scared the living daylights out of her. It was reminiscent of the grin that his Hollow would often give.
"Does he now?" Ichigo whispered before settling his predatory gaze upon Yukio who shuddered in fear, something that was become a reflex reaction to Ichigo's presence. "That answers my first question. Next…you spoke of how Ginjo planned to steal my Fullbring…how did he plan to do that?"
Riruka looked confused at his strange question once again, only this time she didn't have an answer to him.
"Errm…I'm not really sure. I think Ginjo is the only one that knows." She replied, feeling a little more comfortable when Ichigo's gaze moved away from her.
"Well, it seems like we're back to you Ginjo-kun. Would you care to enlighten me as to how you were planning on stealing this supposed Fullbring of mine?"
Ginjo, who was wheezing painfully…still feeling the effects of the damage done to him earlier and fighting the urge to scream out in pain…spat a glob of blood on the floor at Ichigo's feet in an act of defiance.
With a sigh, Ichigo got off his seat and languidly walked over to Ginjo, causing the man to tense in apprehension. That turned to confusion when Ichigo's hand glowed green, signifying the use of Kaidō, and began to heal the damage done to him. After he was done, Ichigo walked back to his sat and plopped down on it.
"Do you feel like talking now?" Ichigo asked.
"What? Hahaha…you think healing the damage you did was going to make me feel thankful enough to tell you. Ha! You're even more naïve than I thought." Ginjo taunted, clearly not remembering what Ichigo was prepared to do to him.
"That wasn't the reason that I healed you." Ichigo replied with a bemused look on his face as he stared at Ginjo. "From what I can gather, you are the big boss of this operation…with the creepy stalker as your second in command. He seems to know just as much as you do and he holds you in extremely high regard. I have no doubt that he is aware of the method that you use to be able to steal Fullbring. Now, I can try to torture it out of him, but he seems to be the kind who would be willing to die before selling you out. An admirable trait to have."
"Hado #1: Shō"
Ginjo's horrified scream sounded out once again as Ichigo gave his left shoulder the same treatment as before.
"But I wonder how long he can hold out as he watches me inflict these tortures upon you. As I showed you earlier, I have the ability heal you. I didn't do it to get your gratitude. I did it to prove a point. No matter what I do to you, I can easily reverse the damage. I have enough reiatsu to do this for days. I will continuously inflict the same punishment on you, before I heal you and then do it again." Ichigo informed him, causing his eyes, and the eyes of the rest of the room to widen in horror. "I wonder which of you will break first and tell me what I want to know."
"Hado #1: Shō"
"AAAAARRGGH!"
Tears started to roll down Tsukishima's face as he watched Ginjo howl in pain. He was desperately fighting a war within himself at the moment. There was a part of him that wanted to carry out Ginjo's orders, as he had always done. The other part of him couldn't stand to see his savior being forced to endure the horrific torture that was being inflicted on him. He watched with terrified eyes as Ichigo got up once again to heal Ginjo before taking his seat. As Ichigo raised his finger once again, Tsukishima knew that he couldn't watch this any longer. He couldn't allow Ginjo to endure this pain. He needed to save him. Even if it earned him the ire of Ginjo, he would endure it as long as the man was safe from this beast that was currently terrorising them. He was smart enough to know when they had lost. It was a bitter taste, considering that they lost before the game even started.
"Wait. I'll tell you." He whispered, causing Ichigo to stay his hand and turn his attention to him with an encouraging smile that make Tsukishima sick to his stomach.
"Tsukishima! Don't do it!" Ginjo shouted.
"I'm sorry Ginjo, but I can't watch this any longer." He said before focusing his hate filled eyes on the calmly smiling Ichigo. "It is the same method that a Shinigami uses to transfer their powers to a human, except in reverse. Ginjo would sink his blade into the victim and suck their power into it instead of injecting his power into them. There would be no damage done to the victim as the blade pierces the soul rather than the body. He would then incorporate that power into his own arsenal." Tsukishima explained bitterly.
Ichigo was silent as he internally conversed with Mugetsu, who was stoically watching the proceeding so far.
'Do you think you can do it?' Ichigo questioned his partner, causing her to scoff lightly.
[I will pretend that you didn't just imply that you are doubting whether I can accomplish something that the sword of some puny fake-Shinigami can]. Mugetsu shot back irritably.
'Haha…sorry Mu-chan but just wanted to be sure. You know I would never doubt you.' He placated.
[Hmph. As it should be. You just do what needs to be done and I will take it from there. The ability seems to be a bit limited from the way he's been using it so I'll try to adjust it to suit our power without losing the most important parts of it]. She said.
'Got it.' He replied before turning to Tsukishima.
"Well, I'm glad you made the correct decision. The bonds of loyalty and friendship on show truly is warming to the heart." Ichigo stated before getting up and slowly walking towards Tsukishima. All eyes followed him as he drew his Zanpakutō and came to a stop in front of the man. They all thought that Ichigo was going to kill him, which was proven correct when he sank his blade into Tsukishima's stomach. There were a few distressed cries at the scene. But as the seconds ticked by and no blood was visible, confusion set in. Not for Tsukishima though, as he understood what was happening. He turned his frightened eyes to the smirking Ichigo before screaming in denial as greyish liquid raced up Ichigo's blade from within his stomach that was pierced. The process took only a few seconds before it was done, leaving Tsukishima struggling for breath.
It took a while to understand what was happening, but realisation started to slowly set in for the others who could do nothing but watch, wondering if they were going to be next.
Ichigo closed his eyes after the process was done, taking in the information Mugetsu was currently transferring to him about the intricacies of his new ability and what it can do. Without as much as a warning, his blade glided through the air, 'cutting' Tsukishima from his left shoulder to his right hip. There was no blood though, not even a scratch. After it was done, Ichigo walked back and took his seat.
Tsukishima's eyes widened as he understood what just happened. He desperately searched his memories, trying to figure out where Ichigo inserted himself. He knew it was hard to resist his ability, and even though it may prove futile, he would try his best to fight its effects. After a few minutes though, he found that he couldn't find a hint of Ichigo's presence in his memories apart from those of today. But he knew that the boy did something to him.
"W-What did you do to me?" He questioned Ichigo who was sitting patiently, waiting to see if he would figure it out.
"You know, I'm a bit annoyed right now. As someone who takes their training seriously by pushing my body to its limits and trying my best to get the most out of my abilities…it's people like you that annoy me the most. You have, sorry had, such a devastating ability. The ability to insert yourself into and rewrite people's memories to a certain extent. It's an ability that requires subtle grace and a delicate touch to draw out its full potential. Yet you used it like a sledgehammer. Forcefully inserting yourself into people pasts without rhyme or rhythm, even if it made no sense. You didn't take the time to research your targets behaviour or the details of their past. You never took the time to fully understand the extent of your ability along with its weaknesses. It's kind of pathetic." Ichigo critiqued him mercilessly. "In case you're wondering how I knew how you used your ability…it's because I 'read' your past. That's what that cut did. It showed me your past, your personality, your motivations, your fears, hopes and dreams. It allowed me to see all that to needed to see to judge your character." Tsukishima felt his eyes widen at what he was hearing.
"T-that's not how my ability works!" He shouted in denial.
"Of course it's not…It's how my ability works." Ichigo corrected him. "My Zanpakutō is far greater than anything that your butt-buddy Ginjo could ever conjure up. I didn't just take your Fullbring, I had my Zanpakutō alter it to suit our style. Trust me when I say, she did an amazing job."
"You won't get away with this, Kurosaki!" Ginjo spat, silently seething at his plans falling into ruin around him. Ichigo turned to him with a look of bemusement.
"Of course I am. In fact, you probably won't even remember me by the time I'm done with you." Ichigo retorted, his blade glinting in the artificial lighting of the room as he spoke, allowing the others to understand what was about to happen to them. "You should be thankful to your buddy Tsukishima over there. I was actually planning on killing the lot of you." He stated bluntly, causing a few of them to break out into a cold sweat at the confirmation of what they thought his intentions to be. "But thanks to my new ability, I can rid myself of you nuisances without having to get my hands dirty. Plus, there's a nice reward for me to collect. I'm sure you wouldn't mind depositing a few million yen in my bank account, now would you Yukio-kun? After all, you guys owe me for services rendered." Ichigo teased, brandishing his Zanpakutō, clearly showing the boy that he didn't have a choice in the matter. "Don't fret though, I won't take everything. I'm not greedy you know. You will have enough to live out the rest of your days comfortably. Think of it as compensation for making me come all the way out here to deal with you clowns."
That was all he had left to say to them before he proceeded to cut everyone once…getting an understanding of them…before proceeding to rewrite their memories to suit their experiences and their personalities. He made sure to leave out any trace of himself or the rest of them as he didn't want them to be able to find each other and band up again. He also made sure to insert within them the memory of them having the desire to move out of Naruki City. He knew from the memories he viewed so far that Chad seems to be involved with this lot. He didn't want the big guy associated with them so he made sure they would disappear without a trace. He was careful with the false memories he placed though, not wanting it to lead to any problems for himself or his family in the future. After he was done, he put them to sleep before using Shunpo to deposit them to different parts of the city.
Surprisingly though, there was one person who was left out of this process as she watched him go to work on the rest. When he was done and he returned, he focused his gaze on Riruka.
"I'm conflicted as to what to do with you. I can tell you're not a bad person, I don't even need this new ability of mine to see that. You obviously fell in to a bad crowd and by the time you were sucked in it was too late. Despite what you may think, I'm not some heartless monster. I believe in giving second chances to those who deserve it. I can tell from your personality that you aren't the kind to seek retribution nor will you sell me out to anyone. So let me ask you…would you like me to rewrite your memories or will you prefer to be on your way, never to repeat the events of today or of Xcution to anyone else." He asked, looking deeply into her eyes. Said girl couldn't help but blush as she lost herself in his exotic red eyes. The blush on her cheeks made Ichigo raise an eyebrow. He snapped his fingers in front of her face, hoping to get her out of her trance.
"Um…I promise I won't say anything. You have my word." She stuttered out, trying and failing to maintain her tough girl image. Ichigo gave her a warm smile in response, something that made her cheeks heat up even more.
'He's so hot!' She thought traitorously.
"For what it's worth…I'm sorry that this had to happen." Ichigo apologised, earning a bewildered look from the girl.
"You're apologising!? Why?!" She shouted, looking at him like he was crazy. "You had every right. What Ginjo was planning was cruel and was designed to break you in the worst way possible. I didn't agree with it, but he was the boss. If anything, I'm the one who should be apologising." She said, looking ashamed of herself.
Ichigo place a finger beneath her chin and raised her head up to meet his gaze. She got goosebumps at the intimate gesture. Her heart was pounding uncontrollably in her chest as she lost herself in the warmth of his eyes.
"You're a good person, Riruka. It makes me happy to hear you say something like that. Now I'm positive sparing you was the right decision. You are free now. Go on and live your life freely. The possibilities are endless and you need not fear anything anymore. I'm sure you will find the happiness you are so desperately searching for if you continue being the kind and compassionate person that you are." Ichigo advised, staring deeply into her eyes. "This is goodbye, maybe we will meet again someday in the future" He said, before turning on his heels and vanishing in a whisper, leaving no trace of his presence.
Riruka just stared at the spot that he previously occupied.
'Maybe I've already found it.' She thought with a small smile.
(Scene Change)
It's only been a few minutes since Ichigo left the Xcution Headquarters and we find the transcendent deep within one of the parks of Naruki City, using a tree as a support as he empties the contents of his stomach into one of the bushes. He's been retching for a few minutes and he finally seems to have nothing left to throw up.
'Oh god! What have I done?! I tortured someone for fuck sake! They were right…I'm a monster!' Ichigo thought furiously as he curled into a ball, gripping his head as he tried desperately to chase away the images that were haunting him.
[You are not a monster!]. Mugetsu shouted in protest.
'How can you say that?! Didn't you see what I did to him?! How are those not the actions of a monster?! I…he was right…if it was me before the war…I would be appalled at the very thought of doing what I just did…w-what is happening to me? What have I become?' He cried desperately, trying to find some vestige of the idealistic, innocent person that he used to be. Mugetsu sighed sadly from within Ichigo's mind. It pained her to see him like this.
[You are not a monster, Ichigo-sama. Please don't forget the reason that you did this in the first place. It was for the safety of you sisters…remember?].
'Yuzu and Karin…Oh god! How am I ever going to be able to hold them again with these same hands that I used to torture somebody? I don't deserve to embrace them with these blood stained hands of mine.'
[I'm disappointed in you]. Mugetsu scolded, immediately getting his attention. [I thought I told you not to suppress these negative emotions. I thought we agreed that you would deal with them in a healthy way. Whatever happened to abandoning your fear and looking forward? What happened to the man who was willing to do whatever it took to protect his loved ones? What happened to the man who didn't mind becoming a monster if it meant his sisters were safe? Did you think it would be easy? That you could just beat people up and your problems would be solved? The world is a cruel place, and this may not be the last time you will have to do something like this. You need to come to terms with that if you wish to move forward. You chose to walk this path…it's too late to turn back now. Are you going to continue to snivel pitifully in a puddle of your own vomit or are you going to accept what happened and move on?]. She challenged him, hoping to at least get a spark from her wielder. They were both silent for a few minutes.
'It's difficult Mugetsu. I…I feel so disgusted with myself right now. I know I said that I would do whatever it took to protect them…but I never realised how painful it is to stay true to that conviction.'
[It never is, Ichigo-sama. That's what makes you a great man though. Your strength of character and your determination is what makes you stronger than most. It is natural to feel doubt every now and then, especially for someone as young as you are but don't falter now, in the face of a single hurdle. You need to dig deep within you to find that unbreakable resolve once more. It's also a good thing that you feel the way you do. It proves that you're not a monster. If you had taken some form of enjoyment from the act then I would have said it's too late for you. You need to remember this feeling. This is what makes you 'human'. This is a sign that you are a truly good person. A true monster would have felt no remorse at what he did. Keep in mind the reason for doing what you did. Who knows what could have happened to you sisters or your friends had that man been allowed to carry out his plan. I'm not condoning torture…I'm just trying to make you see that sometimes…you have to get your hands dirty if you truly want to protect what is precious to you. Some people may look at you differently or they may shy away from you…but the people who truly matter, who truly care for you…would welcome you back with open arms…knowing that you are the same kind and caring person that you've always been]. Mugetsu counselled, making Ichigo think deeply about what you said.
'You really are wise beyond your years, Mu-chan.' Ichigo said, causing her eyebrow to twitch in annoyance, but a small smile to appear on her face, knowing that her wielder is back to his regular state of mind. 'I guess once the adrenaline wore off and my mind was confronted with my actions…I kind of lost it. Haaa…You're right though. I made a promise to protect my sisters by any means necessary. It isn't as easy to put into practice as it is to say it out loud. In my mind, I know what I did was necessary, but my heart is in turmoil. I guess it may take a while to reconcile the two with each other. But I can't afford to dwell on it. I need to move forward. As long as Yuzu and Karin are safe…then that is all that matters. I would like to think that it may become easier in the future, but that thought frightens me. I need to find a way to deal with these feelings though. I need a coping mechanism. I can't afford to lose it every time this happens. I need to be strong. Not just for Yuzu and Karin, but for you too.' He thought. 'I'm sorry for showing you such an unsightly display. I guess I still have a long way to go before I can be the kind of man you envision me to be. But I will say this now. Thank you, Mugetsu…for putting things into perspective for me. You really are the best partner a guy could ever ask for.'
Even though she snorted at his words, there was a warm smile on her face as she sent soothing pulses of her reiatsu to Ichigo. She was happy that he had somewhat come to terms with what he did and is trying to move on.
Ichigo understood that the path he chose to walk would not be an easy one. He couldn't solve all of his problems with power alone. There will be times in the future when his resolve is put to the test. There would be smiles as well as tears. It was up to him to overcome the obstacles that would no doubt block his path. He needed to dig deep within himself and find the courage that he needed to move forward. He had a long road ahead of him and this was just a minor blip on the radar. It would be an important lesson though…one that would teach him the necessity of sometimes doing what needs to be done. Such was the cross to bear for all leaders.
Nothing else need to be said between them as the understanding was reached.
(Scene Change)
The next morning saw Ichigo casually walking down the stairs of the Kurosaki household. He let out a yawn, still a bit annoyed at his lack of sleep last night. He paused though, when a delicious aroma assaulted his senses. He stepped into the main area of the house, drawing the attention of Karin and Yuzu, who were sitting at the table and putting the finishing touches on breakfast respectively.
"Good morning, Onii-chan!"
"Morning, Ichi-nii."
Yuzu greeted him enthusiastically with a large smile on her face while Karin gave him her usual casual wave, though she too had a small smile in her face.
Ichigo just froze on the spot, taking in their warm greetings and the happy smiles on their faces. He quickly crossed the room and gathered them both up in his arms, much to their shock.
"Kyaa! O-Onii-chan!"
"Wha! Ichi-nii! What do you think you're doing?!"
Yuzu and Karin reacted to the spontaneous display of affection. Ichigo said absolutely nothing as he simply held onto them, drinking in their presence like a man dying of thirst in a desert who found water. The girls realised that something was wrong and that their brother was obviously experiencing something difficult. They stopped protesting and simply wrapped their smaller arms around him, giving him all the love and comfort they could possibly convey.
And just like that…All was right in the world again for Ichigo.
Last night's doubts and fears were washed away by the torrent of love that he felt for these two. Just seeing them happy this morning was enough to justify his actions. As long as they could continue to greet him this way, then it would all be worth it. He would spill as much blood that he needed to if it meant he could protect their smiles. Maybe he truly is a monster. But if it meant that his sisters were safe and happy…then he would be that monster. He would be the monster who turns his fangs on anyone that dared to threaten his treasure. He understood now, what Mugetsu was telling him last night. Yes, it won't be easy. But for them…there is nothing he won't do. With that…his resolve was strengthened and renewed. He would not look back now. He would keep moving forward. For a brighter future in which his beloved sisters can live as freely as they want to.
(Scene Change)
Ichigo nodded in satisfaction as he checked his bank balance at the ATM. The work he did on Yukio really paid off. He had a few millions in his bank account that would ensure that neither he nor his sisters would want for much. That isn't to say they were a poor family, because his father, for all of his many faults, always provided for them and anything that they needed. This, for Ichigo, was 'just-in-case' money. Not to mention, money to spoil his sisters every now and then on their customary weekends out.
He was about to pull out his card and leave, before a thought occurred to him. Well, he had the money to splurge a little now so why not? Those were his thoughts as he withdrew a pretty sum of money and made his way to the mall. He had some shopping to do.
(Scene Change)
"I'm so bored!" Lilynette complained as she was lying on the floor of the conference room of Las Noches.
Starrk was sleeping in a small pile of pillows in the corner of the room. The Tres Bestias were once again arguing about something pointless. Pesche and Dondochakka were whispering to each other, obviously up to no good and Nel and Tier were in discussion about the security measures of Las Noches. There was nothing else for her to do, especially now that she didn't have 'Little' Nel to play with anymore.
"I wish Ichigo would visit. Things seem more exciting when he's around." She said to herself.
The discussion in the room suddenly stopped though, as an unfamiliar sound echoed throughout the castle. They all turned to each other before trying to make sense of it. Even Starrk got up from his nap and looked around in confusion.
It was the sound of someone knocking on their door.
It was a foreign and baffling sound to them.
Harribel snapped out of her confusion though as she barked orders.
"Bring up the security screen." She ordered. Pesche nodded before pulling a lever on the wall, allowing a hole to open up in the middle of the table and an image to be projected to them. It was the front gates of Las Noches and there was a familiar figure in front of them.
The figure, sensing that he was being watched, turned to the surveillance device and gave a cheeky wave. Harribel closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation while Starrk cracked an amused smile. Nel and Lilynette where much more boisterous in their reactions.
"Ichi!"
"Ichigo!"
"Dondochakka, go open the door and let him in." Harribel tiredly ordered the large man, already feeling the oncoming headache that the orange-haired enigma was sure to bring.
It took only a few seconds for Ichigo to already be walking through the doors of the conference room, much to the joy of Nel who attacked him with a running glomp.
"Ichi!" She shouted in joy, happily rubbing her cheek against his, much to the annoyance of Harribel. "I missed you. Why didn't you come visit sooner?" She pouted, looking at him with a dangerous glint to her eyes. Ichigo just sweat-dropped at her rapid shift of emotions.
"Sorry Nel. I was a bit busy with a kendo tournament and school. Not to mention there was a minor…annoyance…that needed to be taken care of." He placated, his emotions turning a little darker on the thought of those 'annoyances'…something that Nel picked up on and shot him a worried look. He just gave her a reassuring smile in return, conveying that everything was be okay.
"Hi Ichigo!" Lilynette greeted enthusiastically. Ichigo chuckled at the bubbly girl, patting her head in return.
"Hey Lilynette. How've you been doing?"
"It's been so boring here. There's nothing fun to do, except when you're here." She told him with a look of annoyance on her face.
"Haha…is that so? Well I think I have the solution to your problem." He said cryptically before turning to the rest.
"Hey Starrk."
"Good to see you again, Ichigo." Starrk greeted in return, barely stifling the yawn that escaped his mouth, much to Ichigo's amusement.
"Ladies." He sent a nod to the Tres Bestias, getting a friendly wave from Sung-Sun, a seductive wink from Mila-Rose and a scoff from Apacci. He just shook his head at the contrasting personalities of those three. He finally turned his head to the blonde at the head of the table. "Harribel, it's nice to see you again."
"Kurosaki Ichigo." Even though it was bland and simple, Ichigo took what he could get. With his greetings over, he turned back to Nel, completely ignoring the two clowns in the corner who were posing stupidly, trying to get his attention.
"I wanted to visit sooner, but like I said…I got caught up-" He was cut off by two shouts of protest.
"Oi! Aren't you forgetting someone?! It me! Your best buddy, Pesche!" The pale blonde Arrancar shouted in protest, comically waving his arms around.
"It rude not to greet your best friends, dontcha know!" Dondochakka shouted, sounding like he was about to cry.
Ichigo turned his half-lidded eyes to them.
"Oh? You guys are still here?" He said uninterestedly.
Pesche and Dondochakka huddled together, both shivering uncontrollably.
"Cold. That was so cold." Pesche whimpered.
"That was cruel, dontcha know!" Dondochakka protested, really crying this time.
Ichigo just face palmed while the rest of the Arrancar, minus Harribel, laughed at the little comedy skit.
"Anyway, like I was saying. I wanted to visit earlier, but I got caught up in a few things. I did bring a few presents though. Think of it was a peace offering." Ichigo said with a smirk before he snapped his fingers, making a large stack of boxes suddenly appear behind him.
"Umm…you brought us boxes. Wow…thanks Ichi." Nel said in an unsure tone of voice, trying to sound enthusiastic but failing miserably. Ichigo just looked at her with a dead-pan stare.
"The boxes aren't the gift, Nel. What's inside them are..." He said slowly, like he was speaking to a particularly dim child, making her pout in protest. The sound of one of the boxes being opened drew their attention as they spotted Lilynette opening on of the boxes and pulling out a colourful looking book.
"Wow…what is this?" She asked in wonder, as she saw the various pictures and words the book contained.
"That, my dear Lilynette, is a manga. Think of it as a picture book with different stories of different genres." He explained. "There's a whole lot of manga in there as well as light novels, paperback novels, card games, board games, puzzles and other little knick-knacks meant to be fun." Lilynette looked on with stars in her eyes as she beheld the bounty that Ichigo brought them. The others too, looked on in amazement as the array of different colours and contraptions that were laid out, even the stoic Harribel. "I remember you saying that there wasn't much to do here in Las Noches so I thought I'd bring a few things that people in the World of The Living made to entertain themselves."
"Wow! Thank you, Ichigo! You're the best!" Lilynette gushed as she gave him a fierce hug before breaking off to join the Tres Bestias, Pesche and Dondochakka in excitedly checking out their new merchandise.
"Are you sure this is okay, Ichi? Wouldn't these things cost you a lot of money?" Nel questioned worriedly.
"Haha…normally you would be correct. But let's just say that a generous benefactor decided to sponsor me. Trust me when I say that buying these goodies barely dented my bank account. So there's nothing to worry your pretty little head about." He reassured her with a teasing smile as he patted her head, getting a deep blush from her in response. Not only for calling her pretty but also the intimate way he stroked her hair. Once again, Harribel felt her eyebrow twitch in annoyance. She needed to get to the root of these annoying reactions that she's been having. Ichigo turned his attention to Starrk, who was looking at the boxes in interest as well. "Hey Starrk. You interested in a game of chess?" Ichigo asked with a challenging smirk on his face. Starrk answered him with a challenging smirk of his own before they both went off to a side table and set up their board.
Nel and Harribel looked at each other and shrugged before sifting through the different novels, hoping to find something that caught their attention.
It was much the same for the rest of the day, with shouts of fun and teasing as the once dreary Las Noches became a castle of fun and games for the once bored Arrancar. There was now colour to the once colourless world.
xxxxxxx
Author Note:
Wow that was a bit morbid. I honestly didn't intend to write this much about the Fullbringers but I got a little carried away. I initially meant to deal with them in a few paragraphs in the beginning and then get on with things in Las Noches…but they ended up getting an entire chapter.
Fullbringers: As you may have noticed, I didn't kill any of them…even though I so…so desperately wanted to. I decided to leave it a bit open ended in case I need them later on. Ginjo though, is definitely going to have his uses later. I never planned for him to die by Ichigo's hands. I have something else in store for him.
Giriko and Jackie were kind of irrelevant here as I honestly didn't know what to write about them. Jackie is one of my favourites, not to mention smoking hot, but I just found no uses for her.
Riruka: Riruka was left alive, with her memory intact. I did that because I honestly feel that she was the most redeemable character from the Fullbringers. She was also the only one that actually won her fight in that arc. I don't care what anyone says…she had Rukia effortlessly beaten and could have easily killed her. But in the end, her kindness shone through. She's also a real quirky character who I can have a lot of fun with. Ichigo's interaction with her just sort of happened and I decided to just go with it. She isn't considered for the pairing yet, but we'll see how it goes. I'm my mind though I can see her being to Ichigo, what Juvia is to Gray. That crazy, possessive stalker who follows him around and peeks at him from behind light poles…which actually happened in canon! I can seriously picture her showing up at the Kurosaki household on a maid outfit, saying that Ichigo's needs to take responsibility for what he's done to her…hehe…and then hijinks would occur between her and Ichigo's sisters just as GreekfanFT pointed out in his review. That's just something in the back of my mind though and will mostly be a side-story kind of thing if you guys like enough for me to put it in there.
Ichigo's actions: Like I said in the last chapter, I would show you the darker side of Ichigo in this chapter. It isn't as bad as compared to the kind of violence that is in my other stories, but it was still pretty gruesome for the Bleach universe. I wanted to show you the different facets of Ichigo as well as letting his 'humanity' shine through.
It was getting a bit too heavy though, so I threw in some fluffy scenes at the end with his sisters and the Arrancar.
Tsukishima's Fullbring: This was something that will be very important to the story. I had always planned for him to take this power from the very beginning as many of my plot point's hinge on its use. I did add a little twist to it though in giving him not just the ability to rewrite memories, which was the original use of the ability, but to also 'read' the past of an individual. This ties in to the space-time theme of his abilities as well as the ability that canon Ichigo said he had…the one where he can read to motivation of those he crosses blades with.
For those of you that are up to date with the manga…you will probably be able to see what I'm doing with Ichigo and where he's actually going with the skill-set that I'm building for him.
Also for those that are wondering about the time frame…it's currently ten months after the Winter War. There is still about 8-9 months until the first offensive by the Wandenreich. It doesn't mean that there won't be small skirmishes behind the scenes that prelude to the war.
Anyway, that's enough for today. I have a funeral to go to later so there might not be any more updates for a few days. I also need to concentrate on trying to update my other stories. Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter and look forward to more in the future.
Lionheart021 out!