Six years later found an 11 year old Ichigo, sitting on the steps of Squad 7s barracks, looking at the sky and daydreaming about nothing in particular. He still had eyes that were much too big for his head, bright orange hair, and a tall, thin figure. Though he ate just as much as everyone else, he always looked as though he' d hardly eaten anything at all. He had opened up a bit more though, he was much more mellow now than he was before, if you spoke to him, he would actually carry on a conversation and he was almost always smiling about something. He seemed to radiate an aura of happiness and relaxation wherever he went. He now slept in whichever squads barracks he happened to fall asleep in, they didn't mind, everyone liked Ichigo, and they were all practically family anyway. He still didn't have a zanpakutou, but he didn't mind, he just had to work with what he had, not that he ever had a reason to use it, but still. Everyone had taught him to use kido and he'd mananged to master all of them in about three years. They had also taught him about Soul Society, the world of the living, and a bunch of other stuff. He was particularly fascinated by hollows, which people had tried to explain, but had told him were better to learn about by experience than words.
He was happy with the way he was living, however, recently, he'd been having strange dreams. In the dreams, he was surrounded by a darkness that somehow had a light to it, it seemed to be glowing. He saw a man with long black hair and sunglasses that was dressed in a black cloak that seemed to move almost as if it were underwater or a shadow. Ichigo never saw his skin or face, except the mouth, which kept trying to tell him something, a name, Ichigo deduced. He couldn't quite understand why it was so crucial that he learn the name, but it kept nagging at him, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't make it out. His brow creased as he thought about this and continued to stare at the sky, as though looking for answers in it. "You shouldn't think so hard, you might break you brain."
Ichigo jumped a little and said with a laugh, "oh, Love, you scared me" "Sorry bout' that, anyway, whatcha thinkin' so hard about?" Ichigo paused for a moment, trying to find the right words, "I keep hearing strange things in my dreams" he said. "What kind of strange things?" Love replied. "I dunno, it's like I can hear a voice, but I can't make out what it's saying." "What else is in these dreams?"Again, Ichigo paused as he recalled them and then tried to figure out how to describe it. "It's like...a light darkness, a darkness that somehow has a light to it, is glowing." Love made a "Hmmmm" noise as Ichigo once again began to contemplate it.
It was about two hours later that Ichigo was wandering around Seretei, going nowhere in particular that Hiyori and Mashiro ran past him. what is going on?He wondered. "Come on!" said Hiyori as she ran past him. "Don't you wanna see a hollow?" She asked, he nodded and ran after them, staying a few feet behind. They went to the outskirts of seretei and that is where Ichigo saw the strangest thing he had ever seen.
The thing was huge, at least as big as two squads' barracks put together. It had big red eyes and ten legs. so this is what a hollow is he thought. Hiyori was the first to act. She drew her zanpakutou and went to slice it's head, but it disappeared and she landed on her feet, still in position. The thing reappeared a few yards away and Mashiro went after it, targeting it's head, but instead getting the same as Hiyori did. The thing appeared in the center of the field and thrashed it's tail around towards Hiyori, who tried to block it, but was sent flying into a tree. "Hiyori!" Ichigo made to go after her, but was stopped by the thing approaching him and sticking out it's tongue, as though about to lick him, he thought it absurd for only a moment before realizing that there were spikes on it. He looked over the lizard-like thing before deducing that it's weak spot was it's head.
Mashiro made to go for it while it was distracted, but the thing tracked her and dealt her the same hand as Hiyori. With both of the actaul shinigami out of the game, Ichi was left two options, run or fight. He was taught never to run if he knew he could handle it. He hopped into the tree nearest him and jusst sat there, waiting for a good oppurtunity at it's head. just then, a harried looking Kensei and Shinji ran into the field and got a look at the unconcious Hiyori and Mashiro. Kensei looked up and saw Ichigo in a tree, unscathed with a look of determination in his eyes, which turned to relief when he spotted Kensei and Shinji. The kid's not stupid, he knows he can't do anything without a zanpakutou. Kensei thought. Shinji went at it first, aiming for it's head but getting left behind as it zoomed away. Kensei went in it's direction, but barely cut it's tail before meeting the same fate. Shinji managed to track it and cut off it's tail completely, but that didn't stop it, the tail grew back instantaneously, and Kensei used this moment of distraction to go for it's head again, but again met the same fate."Damn it!" he shouted. The creature showed up silently behind the two Captains. "watch out, behind y-" They had just turned around to attack when the things tail glowed green and it hit them full force and sent them clear across the field, knocking them unconcious instantly.
Now, Ichigo was usually a mellow fellow, but when you hurt the people he considers family, well, anyone would take it personally, but it straight up pissed Ichigo off. He jumped from the tree and threw a rock at the hollow. It turned toward him but he didn't back down even as fear shot through his veins. The thing hissed at Ichigo and made to go for him, but Ichi was too fast. He flash stepped away, momentarily confusing the thing. It made for him again and this time, Ichi wasn't fast enough. It caught him in it's teeth and dangled him back and forth as Love and Ukitake entered the field. It turned towards them, Ichigo still in it's clutches. Their eyes went wide as they caught sight of the situation at hand. They jumped into action, but the thing got them anyway.
"Leave. Them. Alone." Ichigo ground out as he struggled to get down. He felt a rush of something he couldn't quite identify and then heard the same voice say the name he'd been trying so hard to riddle out. The thing dropped him and he landed on his feet, in his hand there was a handle and a quickly materializing blade. The blade was steel on one side and black with a red dragon on the other. The blade was bigger than he was and very lethal-looking. He turned towards the thing, still ever composed and said "Zangetsu" in a deadly voice.