Warnings: this and that. I feel the end coming for the is story. I don't know if I should be happy or sad.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Bleach.
An orange headed man stood upon a dent chip stone wall. His long hair lazily blowing behind him in the light breeze. To the left and right stood his bodyguards while attach to his back and hip were his two odd swords. The man looked out across the open field and then to the bridge that he and his men had been guarding for the last two years.
Ichigo sighed before turning back to the town that he and his unit had taken up residence in. The town looked worst off but was still standing with most of its people having done left for safer homes further in the country. The teen was glad for it since he didn't have to worry about noncombatants welfare. With final looked Ichigo started down the ladder his scarred hands gripping the creaking wood.
In the last two years the defenders of Kuro had nearly lost their King, had their two elder Princes kidnap before the youngest rescued them, then when they thought that they had the Shinigami on the ropes Ichigo came under attack by the intruder's newest weapon. Ichigo hadn't known he was so badly injured until he felt the blood lost start to make itself known. Neither of his Zanpakuto could tell why when he woke the thing affected him. but whatever it was it nullified his healing ability so any injury he sustained from it left him scarred. Needless to say that weapon didn't last long not with the teens allies taken care of it before Ichigo could die from it.
But it gave the orangette a firm reminder that he couldn't afford to be rash like he used to be in the past. The teen sighed again when the shadow of his Second appeared next to him and smiled when the big man handed him a small clear crystal. While the Shinigami may have been busy with new weapons Kuro hadn't been lying down either. Kisuke and Aizen had develop a new way of communicating with all the army and it was the little crystal in Ichigo's hand. When place in water the image of the person you wanted to talk to would appear and thanks to the eccentric blond only those who the stone imprinted on would be able to hear what was spoken. Which meant on the command staff would hear any sound.
"I guess a meeting is being called?" Ichigo asks though he was expecting it. With the King being kept off the frontlines the war had taken a fiercer edge, mostly from their side. Kaien had taken over when Isshin had been nearly killed.
Kaien now watched over the Northern part of the Country with Ichigo in the middle and Shiro in the South. Ichigo hadn't felt right just taking command from those who knew the army best and had taken to having the officers close or in charge of the areas he couldn't be at. While that let some of the newer ones come to respect him the older ones that still only saw him as a too young easily over emotional kid and Ichigo finally just told them that he couldn't care less at the time. He had to replace those later when the war took them out.
"Yes sir, his highness wants to go over the latest reports and I believe he wants to hear ideas on ending the war." Keith followed the teen into the building being used as his headquarters.
"We have been bouncing ideas for years and still having come up with anything; what does banging our heads on a dead horse going to do."
Keith gave a snort leaning against the wall as he watched his leader place the stone into its water basin, "I can only think that it maybe because that there have been sightings of the High Kings entourage lately." Ichigos gave him a 'are you serious' look, "Well even if that just people imaginations there is still Avery's whereabouts no one has been able to find him since he tried to assassinate the King."
A growl echo throughout the room and Keith raised his hands up in front of him and took a step back. "That bastard," Ichigo snarled. "When I get a hold of him." he let the sentence hang with his threat.
"Well I guess we better get started with the meeting," Keith change the back to the other topic. "The stones glowing."
Ichigo stared at Keith then at the glowing crystal, "Oh."
And like that the heavy feeling that had grown in the room lifted and Keith let out a breath. He had gotten use to Ichigo's bout of anger when the teen was mad enough to let his control slip. In the shadows he saw the bodyguards also were trying to settle themselves before stilling. Keith turned back to Ichigo as the teen watched the water formed the image of his brothers and other officers. The room soon filling with water people.
"Alright now that we are all here let's get to business," Kaien said with a glint in his eyes. the room stilled as everyone gather around the table with a map of Kuro spread out.
Keith stayed in the back ground listening. Ichigo would tell him everything he hadn't heard his main job now was the keep disruptions to a minimum. The bog man sighed the war now reaching its third year and he hope that they could end it before long. He hadn't heard anything of his own brothers nor his Aunt but the little dragon that came a year ago had mention that the woman was alright and that he needed to stay with Ichigo, his Aunts orders.
He jolted when he heard the teen talk or in Ichigo's case shout when what he suspects was a bad idea being thrown on the table. His hand hovering over the handle of his sword but soon relaxed with Ichigo did. He didn't tense again until another soldier appeared next to him with a letter and reading that letter had Keith exiting the room. He could feel Ichigo watching him go but the blond figure that the letter contents shouldn't be revealed to a room full of people. He needed to go over the thing before handing it to the already riled up orangette.
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Ichigo slumped into his chair as soon as Kaien's and Shiro's images vanishes. He grinned at how the two even when running an army still find times to be overprotective. He almost forgot about him having trouble being consider the younger sibling. Though he wished that he could have gotten to see Isshin the teen wanted to talk him and Ichigo was a little worried since he hadn't heard anything in a while.
Thinking about things that he saw Ichigo frown when he remembered that Keith had ducked out of the meeting and the teen was curious about the man's reason. With a resign sigh he lifted himself up and out of his seat and was about to leave when the very man met him at the entrance.
'speak of the devil,' the teen frowned again when the big man didn't greet him like normal. Instead Keith was also frowning. In his hand was a letter; a very crumpled letter.
"Something I should be aware of Keith?"
Keith hand the teen the paper not even looking at him and after the first few lines Ichigo crushed the paper a very low growl rumbling from his chest. It was a report from one of the scout units that Ichigo had deployed a little to the South. They reported a sighting of one man wanted for the attempted murder of the King.
"How reliable is this?"
"Very, he was spotted by one of our own and has two sets of eyes on him now."
"alright, have them drive the little weasel in our direction we'll let him get really comfortable here before letting him see me. Then I'll deal with that traitor," Ichigo smiled that was anything but friendly.
"Are you going to tell your brothers about him?" Keith asks his back turned to Ichigo.
"I'll wait till I dealt with him."
"Understood Sir." Keith left leaving the orangette alone with his thoughts and swords.
Ichigo's emotions were getting out of control as thoughts of the man who harmed his father cycled through his mind.
"Calm yourself Ichigo."
"Or you'll crush your little toy soldiers."
Ichigo stamp down quickly on his rising power a little sheepish that he allows it to grow that out of control. He peeked outside to see if anyone had been affected, luckily no one was. The teen decided that he needed to take time to cool down before he did hurt someone. He chastised himself and once he found a spot near the town but still in sight of the towns guardians and his troops he sat down and enter his inner world.
It was nice to be somewhere where he didn't have other's lives to worry about. It was just him and the two pieces of his soul and he smile drawing his blade. Zangetsu copied the move both waited then charged at each other. Here Ichigo didn't have to worry about how much power he used or try to hold it back so when his sparring session was over he was exceedingly satisfied. It was rare that he could indulge himself like this and he was very glad that the healers and Keith knew about it so when he went back not everyone would be in panic thinking that he had been injured without them knowing.
"Feel better King?"
"Much," Ichigo sighed resting on the side of a building. Despite his current position his inner world never flooded as bad as it used to, it didn't even get that bad anymore. Ichigo wasn't about to question it though and he rather like it when the two spirits didn't complain.
"You have been restless as of late Ichigo. It was what you needed." The older looking of the two said, "Do not wait until later to release this tension again Ichigo or we will tell the Doctor." It was a warning that Ichigo knew would be kept so the teen just nodded.
Reluctantly Ichigo felt that he needed to leave and soon faded from the high skyscrapers and opened his eyes to grassy fields and stone walls. He stretched before walking back keeping himself in the soldiers on the wall line of sight before using a bit of power to jump over their heads.
'those looks never get old,' he mused.
On the ground he was met be Keith who still looked grimed Ichigo's own light feeling dropped as he tilted his head for the man to follow him. when they were behind closed doors Keith gave the teen a frown when he saw the dried blood but shook his head and ignored it.
"He was closer then we first thought and from what the scout said they will be able to herd him here tonight or early morning."
"Really."
"Yep," Keith paused. "Feel better now that ya got all that angst out of yer system?"
Ichigo of course said nothing but rolled his eyes at his friend. However, before he could send Keith away his water mirror started to shimmer and Kaien's image formed.
"Ichigo, we have a problem."
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the orangette cursed the man who was across from his hiding spot as he watches him trade information about troop movements to the person that he couldn't see from his spot. It was luck that the man he was watching was the same person he had been waiting for but it was bad because the bastard had been spying on them while he had been in hiding. Kaien had sent him an urgent message two weeks ago and Ichigo and done his best at keeping everyone under his command from tearing the man limb from limb.
It said something that they even listen to him, but right now he was trying to keep the man under surveillance without him knowing since Ichigo was so well seen in this town.
"Tch little shit has balls pulling that crap here."
Ichigo couldn't agree more but he was trying to get the right info for Kaien and if he can stop the exchange of info. It had proven harder then he first thought and he wished that he had taken more time with Yoruichi and learned how to be unseen and silent.
"Like you could do it even with practice."
'shut up jackass!'
The teen peeled himself off the wall when the traitor moved off he barely saw the shadow following the other before losing sight of them. the other person wasn't his target and he would soon know who it was when he was brought to him later on right now the one who had targeted Isshin was his main priority. He just had to make sure the guy didn't leave the town before his was taken into custody and he was happy that he had two men waiting for them further up to provide distraction while he came up from behind the man. if all went well no one besides the prick would get hurt.
Ichigo saw his chance as the man turn a corner, he waited as he heard shouting by the men he knew were there, and then once the traitor started to back up he pounced. It was hardly a struggle all Ichigo had to do was use a hold that he saw his father used on unruly patients. The traitor, former Grand Duke Tainner, was almost as tall as Kaien but with none of the Princes charm. In fact, Ichigo could say that the man reminded him of a drunk duck. Beak and all. He was sorely tempted to poke but reframed but that didn't stop his hollow from making him choke on his laughter. He waved off his men who were giving him funny looks.
"Let's get him put in the brig from now I want to see the other one," he said.
Once Tainner was tied up nice and tight to the chair in the room that he would be staying for some time. Ichigo went about to find his second in hoping that his target was hog tied up too. He was not disappointed when Keith came out of the adjoining room a bit scratched up but otherwise none the worse for wear.
"I take it that he was more trouble then you believed?" Ichigo said with a smug grin.
Keith gave the orangette a frown, "Shut up brat."
"You're the same age as me ya know."
"But I am still older then you."
"How does that count!?"
Back and forth the banter went several of the guards and soldiers mostly the older ones laugh at the two quarreling officers. When the two were done Ichigo stared at the door leading to the spy that Tainner was giving info to. He really wanted to go in and question him but Kaien was sending him people, his own black ops, to question the two. Keith seeing the look quickly thought of ways to distract the young Prince until that interrogators showed and were done.
"Hey we haven't eaten yet and if we done Doc. will come for our heads. So let's go before he comes snarling at us."
Ichigo gave the blond a look that said that he knew what the man was trying to do but instead of fighting it he nodded and let Keith lead him out and towards the new mess hall. The teen gave the building one last look before he turned him back to it. He could always come back later and scare the living daylights out of the two spies. In the back of his mind Zangetsu hummed then cackled.
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the next morning Keith found his Captain in a rage. He only knew this because he could see the dust cloud from the nearby forest and the frighten looks of the troops were big indicators. So, carefully he went looking for his rampaging superior.
He found him not far and he was impressed with the destruction of the area. Ichigo had given the local farmers more land to cultivate. He was curious about what had cause the teen to get so angry. Though he could take a wild guess.
Ichigo on his end ignored Keith in favor of pretending that the tree had Tainnner face plaster on it. What he learned last night during his little visit had him beyond angry. He realized that being here instead of getting his troops over to Kaien's position was not what he should be doing. So, once he cooled down he marched towards the silent Keith.
"Get the men ready we need to march to the North and back up Kaien."
"Okay; why?"
"Because he is about to be hit with nearly all of the Captains and their Squads including the High King."
"But what about Macaw and Cambridge?"
"No worries the vets are going to stay now that they have the extra help."
"ya know we are going to get into trouble once the war is over right."
"Yep."
"Alright then, Let's get going Sir."
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Chapter End.
Thank you for reading. I won't be posting next Thursday in favor of doing another story. Just letting ya know.