A/n: Sorry for the delay, holiday weekend and such. Hope you all had a great Memorial Day by the way. So last chapter we got to introduced to both Tia's and Tatsuki's zanpaktou. The plan for this one is to expand on those scenes and start really getting into the plot development.

Review Responses:

Antex: Thank you for the vote of confidence. As far as where I plan to take this….well let's just say not everyone is going to agree on certain issues.

Von Remington: I'm glad you like it so far. Hopefully I don't disappoint.

Hallibel: There will not be Segunda etapa but there will be an equivalent. As for Ichigo being OP, it makes writing combat so much easier.

Clw123Cat: Glad you liked it.

I don't own Bleach

1 day in the Living World = 7 in Soul Society

L.W-Living World

S.S-Soul Society

H.M-Hueco Mundo

"speak"

'Thoughts'

"Zanpoktou"

"Hollows"

Chapter 6

Ichigo carried Halibel, who was unconscious, to the Shattered Shaft, where hopefully Hat 'n Clogs would be. He could feel her soft skin tan skin against his. If he wasn't so focused on trying to help her right then, he might have enjoyed it a bit more.

When he arrived at the shaft he was relieved to see the former Captain waiting expectantly for him. "Well Kurosaki-san, you always do make life interesting. Lay her down and we'll keep an eye on her. Nothing more we can do at this point."

Kenpachi did as he was asked and gently laid Tia down on the hard ground. "Thanks Urahara-san for helping out both of them. I think I need to go make a visit to S.S and get things rolling. I might need some support when I show up with a former Espada and propose to make her my Vice-Captain. Not to mention Tatsuki…."

Kisuke hid his face behind his fan as he watched the young Captain fall deep into thought about what the future might hold. "Like I said, don't worry about them; we'll watch out for them. I have full confidence in Arisawa-san's ability to come out alive. As for Halibel-san, she's most likely just getting to know her zanpaktou."

Ichigo glanced over at the shaft and then at Tia, trying to calm himself. "You're right, I know they'll make it…and if they don't, I get to beat your ass Hat n' Clogs." He replied with a devilish grin.

The shop keeper didn't seem too thrilled at the promise as his eyes widened in slight panic. Captain Kenpachi's grin turned into a full on laughing fit. "I wish…haha…you..could…hehehe…see your face." They then both took a minute to recompose themselves. "Don't worry, I won't hurt ya…too much."

Ichigo then turned away from Kisuke and drew his katana. He then proceeded to stab the air with it and then turn it, opening a senkaimon with a hell butterfly drifting through it. He then turned back to face Urahara. "Thanks again. See you guys soon…hopefully." After his last words he walked through the senkaimon and began the trek to S.S.

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"hahaha! What's the matter queen? Too much for ya?!"

Tatsuki quickly rolled to her left to avoid a downward swing from her hollow. Once she recovered from her roll she went to cut her opponent's legs with a low sweep of her blade.

She was prepared for many counter moves to her simply sweep, but she hadn't even considered what she watched her hollow do in response. Her negative copy jumped up just enough to let the blade pass underneath her feet, but what shocked her was when her hollow landed on the flat of her blade as it passed under her.

The sudden weight to the blade caused Tatsuki to drop to ground and lose her grip on the katana. When she got her face off the ground and stood back up, she found her hollow's blade pointed at her chest.

"Seems I win…Queen. I'll be taking that body of yours and that hot boyfriend that comes with it. Oh the things I'll do to him…" Tatsuki could visibly see her shiver in pleasure.

Tatsuki clenched fists several times, trying to control her anger.

'Punch first, ask questions while punching.'

"Like hell you will…" She said in a whisper.

"Hmm? What was that Queen?"

Tatsuki raised her head and opened her eyes. "I said…" She slid her right foot back along the floor a pace and began to bring her arm back with it. "LIKE HELL YOU WILL!" In a blur of motion she batted her hollow's katana with her left hand away from her body then lunged at her with right arm shooting forward to deliver a punch to her face.

Her fist connected with her hollow's nose, making several audible cracks before the force sent her whole body flying backwards into a wall.

After several seconds Tatsuki and her zanpaktou heard groaning from the hollow spirit crumpled against the wall. "Nice to know…what buttons to…press, eh Queen?"

"I think this will do for now. Won't it?" The unnamed zanpaktou said as she glared at the hollow, daring it to say otherwise.

"Yeah alright, I was gonna let her win anyway."

"Wonderful. Tatsuki-san…" She reached into her kimono and withdrew a katana, which she held out to her wielder. "This is my asauchi, take it. Hopefully someday soon you will be able to hear my name. Go, return to your world. We will speak again soon."

Tatsuki took the asauchi and bowed respectfully to her zanpaktou. "Thank you. I look forward to training with you."

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"My name is Aquarius, and I am your zanpaktou."

Halibel stared at her water look-a-like with a slightly opened mouth. "Ah..did you…just…you just said…MY zanpaktou?"

"Yes I did. You see Halibel-san, you are falling for that orange-haired shinigami. Love is not something that is allowed within a hollow. However, since you seem so determined to prove the laws of nature wrong, nature has given you back your heart. A heart, the very thing that you lost when you became a hollow, the very thing that allows us to love. This, coupled with your raitsu has given birth to…me." Aquarius explained in a sweet voice.

"So I am the perfect balance between hollow and shinigami. Unlike the Arrancar and Espada that Aizen created. They only have a sword that is used to house their hollow powers…They are and imperfect product."

"That is correct. Now that you have both a hollow and a zanpaktou spirit, you are what's called a Vizard. You are now like that Captain, Ichigo 'Kenpachi' Kurosaki, though far less powerful still." Aquarius raised one of her hands to her gut and pushed it in.

Tia watched as the water appendage formed with the water making up Aquarius's stomach. When she withdrew her hand she held the hilt of katana with an ocean blue hilt. "This is my body, your zanpaktou. Use it well and draw upon my powers whenever you need them."

Halibel graciously accept the asauchi from the water figure. "Thank you."

Aquarius gave her a soft smile as she let go of the sword. "Several things you should be aware of before you return. One, you have access to shikai, a shinigami's first release, as you are aware. Two, we will work on bankai training within a week or so. And lastly, my shikai ability is not to be used unless you wish to see your opponent suffer and…Drown in despair."

Tia gave her a quizzical look with a raised eyebrow as she saw three more water figures start to materialize. Slowly the water began to mold into features. Feet, legs, torsos, arms and…heads.

Tia's face morphed into one of horror as she saw tell-tale features of the ones before her. "No…you all…how? This can't be real…"

"What's the matter Halibel-sama?"

"Shut it Cyan! She doesn't care about us. She simply watched as we burned to death."

"Mila-rose is right, she didn't do anything to help us, her own fraccion."

"No…please. I wanted to…I would have…I couldn't move…Your screams…I still hear them in my head." Tia dropped to her knees and started sobbing uncontrollably as the water clones of her fraccion continued berating her for letting them die.

Aquarius waved her hand and the figures lost all semblance of shape and the water was absorbed by the sands. She then approached the still sobbing Tia who was wrapped in the arms of Tiburon. "You see, why I ask you to not use this? I am not ashamed of it, but I am afraid of it. This power is truly something that I needed you to understand. I needed you face it, so that you will know what your enemies face should you use it."

"Please…please just…send me back….please." Tia managed to say between sobs.

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Ichigo stepped out of the Dangai and into the S.S. "Ah it's good to be back." He didn't even make it two steps before it started.

"I hoped I didn't have to see you again." A female voice said from behind the new Captain, causing him to freeze.

Without turning his head Ichigo responded. "You know Soi-fon, one of these days you're gonna find that you snuck up on the wrong person. I wouldn't want anything…bad to happen to you. Yourichi would be most displeased if her favorite student was…wounded beyond healing." He said with a smirk.

She silently drew her blade and released her shikai as she walked to his back, blade first. "Are you threatening boy?"

Kenpachi scoffed at her words. "Please, I was merely expressing my opinion on your actions and the consequences of said actions."

Soi-Fon flashed to stand in front of him with her golden gauntlet at his chest. She moved her hand forward just enough to…"What is this?! I can't…" She tried to stab him again, with the same result; nothing. "I can't touch you?"

"Like I said Soi-Fon, one day you're gonna sneak up on the wrong person." He said as he reigned in his raitsu enough to have the desired effects on her. He walked away as the assassin kneeled on the ground coughing as her zanpaktou resealed itself. "I'll say 'hi' to her for you next time I see her." He called back to her.

Ichigo proceeded to make his way to the Squad Eleven barracks. He arrived to find many of members of his squad either lounging around or sparring. "I guess they really didn't have anyone to direct them. Yumichika has at least kept them from getting from doing nothing…more or less."

"Captain!"

"Hey it's our new Kenpachi!"

"Good to see ya Captain."

Ichigo waved and greeted each of his subordinates as he walked through the training grounds. Eventually he saw Yumichika running up to him.

"Good to see ya again…Captain."

"Come on, you don't need to call me that do you?"

"Actually I do, Captain. Otherwise I'd be calling you Ichigo like I have been. But now that you're here sir, we need to get things moving again. There isn't much, just need some signatures and then there's a Captains meeting later today."

"Alright, I'll follow you since I don't know where the fuck I'm going."

"Neither did Captain Zaraki."

After Yumichika showed him to his quarters he found a pile of papers on the desk in his room. "Guess I'll have to get used to it."

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Captain Ichigo 'Kenpachi' Kurosaki of Squad Eleven arrived at the Squad One barracks for the Captains meeting several minutes early and was soon joined fellow Captains Shunsui, Ukitake, Kuchiki and Unohana.

"Hello Captain Kenpachi." Unohana greeted with a smile. "How does it feel to be granted the title? I myself have forgotten the feeling."

"It's gonna take some getting….WAIT!" The 'healer's' words had finally clicked in his head. "You aren't saying what I think you are…Are you?"

Unohana's kind smile turned into that creepy counter-part that just screamed Bloodlust! Her words hadn't gone unnoticed by the others as well.

"That was a long time ago…Captain Yachiru 'Kenpachi' Unohana. There's no reason to bring that back up." Shunsui said as he lowered his straw hat over his eyes.

"Captain Unohana, are you saying that you were once known as 'Kenpachi'?" This time it was Captain Kuchiki who spoke up.

"Why, yes I am the oldest holder of the title… You see, I was the first 'Kenpachi', Captains Kuchiki, Kurosaki. I bring this up because I need to have my match."

"What do you mean by that…Captain Unohana?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh please, just call me Retsu. I'm a fellow Captain now…Aren't I?" Once again her face adopted her signature bloodthirsty smile.

"Uh…right, yeah, of course…Retsu."

"Wonderful. Now, every time someone new is given the title 'Kenpachi', I have a nice…Friendly spar with them. I don't want the Head-Captain handing it out to just anyone."

Ichigo quickly glanced around as he noticed more Captains arriving. Captain Soi-Fon in particular took notice of his presence.

'If I didn't know better, I'd say she's just as obsessed with me as she is with Yourichi.'

"Ichi, you already have Tats and Tia. You aren't starting a harem are you?"

'Dammit Shirudo, I am not a pervert…at least not that big a one….'

"Keep telling yourself that Ichi! If you ask nicely, I'll come out and play with you…"

"Shirudo, knock it off. Leave the damn closet pervert alone." Hama said with the hint of a snicker in his voice.

Ichigo decided it would be best to ignore his zanpaktou spirits and return his attention to the conversation with the Captains. "Very well, Retsu, we can have our 'friendly' spar after I get the 'ok' for my Vice-Captain and third seat. Which now that I think about it…could take some time, old man isn't gonna be happy."

"Might I ask why?" Ukitake asked.

"well… No, I want it to be a surprise and I wanna see who I can really trust."

"What do you mean by that Captain Kurosaki?" The Kuchiki clan head asked.

"You'll just have to wait. I expect I know who I can count on for this one but I don't want anyone having prior knowledge."

'He must be thinking of doing something that'll change this place forever…again.' Unohana thought to herself.

Before anyone could say another word on the matter, the doors to the meeting hall opened. All the Captains filed into their ranks. It might have been his first Captains meeting but he wasn't stupid, Ichigo quickly found his place next to Captain Ukitake and across from Captain Hitsuguya.

The Head-Captain, sitting in his seat at the head of the formation, banged his cane against the floor to get everyone's attention.

"This meeting will now begin. I'd like to start by thanking Captain Kenpachi Kurosaki for defeating Aizen and ending the Winter War." Ichigo bowed his head in acknowledgment to the Head-Captain's words.

"Now, on to more troubling matters, Captain Kurotsuchi, please tell us what you have so far."

"Yesterday by our time we received data indicating that the Gates of Hell had appeared. Normally this isn't of any concern; however, this time we were not able to the location in which they opened. Even more troubling is what we were able to discover. According to my calculations, two Espada level beings left Hell. For reasons unknown, a couple hours later, the Gates reappeared and the two beings were dragged back in. Once again we were unable to pinpoint the location of the Gates."

There were many concerned whispers floating around the room at this information. Some didn't care since the raitsu signatures disappeared, others were spouting wild theories.

'You think we should tell em? I don't know how they'll take to the idea of me having power over Hell.'

"Actually Ichi, there's something we forgot to mention…umm our powers just extend to summoning spirits from Hell. However, the Kushanada have plans of their own, they are trying to decide on whether or not to just let you control the domain of Hell. Of course, should they agree to do so, they'll still do their duties but you'll also have access to the Kushanada's powers whenever you need them. There may more not be more side effects of this, we just don't know."

'You've gotta be kidding me! Seriously? They wanna make me the ruler of Hell? Why?'

"Captain Kurosaki, is there something you wish to say?" The Head-Captain asked as he watched the facial expression change across his face.

"Yeah…" Ichigo stepped into the middle of the room but remained far enough back so all the Captains could see his front side. He then began to undo the top half of his robes.

Everyone must've been at least curious as to what he was doing since no one spoke up to question or stop him. When he opened his robes to expose his chest there were numerous gasps, several raised eyebrows and one vacantly staring Unohana.

"After my fight with Aizen, the Hoguyoku separated itself from his body and fused with mine. In order to kill Aizen, I had to sacrifice my zanpaktou. However, the Hoguyoku gave birth to a new zanpaktou in the form of twins. My new zanpaktou in bankai has the ability to summon spirits from Hell to fight alongside me. What Captain Kurotsuchi was just describing was this ability."

"Are you saying that you opened the Gates of Hell?" Captain Kumorura asked.

"More correctly my zanpaktou did. In order to learn my zanpaktou's name, I had to fight two condemned Espada and one of my zanpaktou spirits in bankai. After the fight I was told their name as well as the fact that a shinigami can only learn bankai once, even if for whatever reason has earned a different zanpaktou. So in learning my zanpaktou's name, I also achieved bankai with it at as well."

Once more the room was filled with whispers, some curious and some disbelief. The Head-Captain banged his cane again on the floor to quiet everyone. "Care to demonstrate this bankai of yours Captain Kenpachi?"

Ichigo silently nodded and drew his zanpaktou. "Bankai."

There was a flash of purple and black raitsu that filled most of the room for an instant, then it all converged back at its source. Ichigo stood motionless as he was covered in the same black armor Shirudo had been. "Tamashi no Karitori."

The room's occupants quietly observed his new form. "Ichigo, when we use bankai, our raitsu jumps almost four times in size from our shikai state. Yet I do not detect ANY raitsu from you at all." Retsu spoke from her spot in the formation as she still openly stared at him.

"That's because this armor condenses all raitsu flowing from my body and creates a hierro just outside of it. I can forcibly expel raitsu if I so choose and not have it add to my hierro."

"That won't be necessary Captain. Please reseal your zanpaktou and take your position." Commanded the Head-Captain. Ichigo did as he was told and took his place next to Ukitake. "Since that matter has been cleared up, does anyone have any topics they want to discuss?"

Ichigo once again stepped forward. "Head-Captain I believe I have chosen my Vice-Captain and third seat. Currently they both reside in the L.W and are obtaining their zanpaktous."

"This is ridiculous Head-Captain! We discussed one joining his squad but never did we talk of two and we certainly didn't discuss them being directly beneath him! He's probably screwing the one we did discuss."

For the second time in a matter of hours, Captain Soi-Fon found herself on the ground gasping for air. Everyone watched as Ichigo flashed to stand in front of the downed Captain. "Remember my words Soi-Fon, you don't want to make an enemy out of me. I'm sure your Yourichi-sama wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you."

Ichigo released his hold on his raitsu and allowed the petite shinigami to breathe and freely move once more. "Captain Kurosaki, I am aware that Tatsuki Arisawa should become a shinigami within two weeks time, but who is this second person?"

"Two weeks? I left Urahara's and she was already in her inner world. By the time I get back I suspect she'll be ready to start training. As for the second…well most of you know of her, but the only one who can say he actually knows her is Hitsuguya."

Everyone looked to the short white-haired Captain to see what he had to say. "You can't be serious?! She's a formidable opponent that can fight against two Vizards and a Captain while in Resurrection. Now she has a zanpaktou as well?"

"I am indeed serious, the former tres Espada, Tia Halibel has gained a zanpaktou and I'd like her to be my Vice-Captain."

A/N: Alright, so my plan isn't to add Retsu to the relationship, however if you guys do want her in it, let me know in a review or a PM. I'll see about putting out another chapter for you guys later today.