Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own bleach.

Ichigo took Kon out of his bag ignoring his protest. He then procced to swallow the mod soul. "Kon, watch the match from there. Watch me as I pound this guy through the floor! Now hurry up and explain the rules of this fight."

Uryuu silently took a hollow bait out. He procced to explains rules to Ichigo. There was some protest from Ichigo but Uryuu already broke the bait. They watch as the sky crack as the hollow crawled out. "One down." Uryuu said as he killed it.

Ichigo grab Uryuu slamming him on the ground. "Return it to normal. Drive back the Hollows!"

"Don't speak rashly. You saw it, didn't you? What I did just now. 'The die is cast' one could say. Soon, Hollows lured by the bait will flood this town." Uryuu push himself up. "Instead of grabbing me, I think you should run. If you wish to protect as many people from the hollows."

"Bastard."

"And you should be careful. You should know by now that hollows tend to prefer humans with high spiritual power as their targets." Ichigo thoughts instantly went to his sisters and Toushiro. Ichigo took off towards the girls' school. "Hey, wait! Ichigo!" Kon yelled after.

"Kon, Toushiro should be at hat and clogs still correct."

"Yeah." Ichigo sigh of relief. "At least one of them is safe."

With Toushiro

"Huh." Urahara said. Toushiro turn to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"We may have a small problem." He mutters.

"What do you- "He was interrupted by his cell phone. He opened it, seeing the hollow signature. The signal went died. The look Urahara had concern Toushiro, before he can say something his phone went off again showing more hollows signals. "What's going on? Urahara?"

"I may have an idea. But it seems like there are too many hollows for one Shinigami and Quince to handle all by themselves." He replied.

"I got to help them." Toushiro stated.

"In your condition, you be in the way." Urahara said matter of fact.

"I can't wait here and do nothing. As a captain, it's my duty to protect those in this town." Urahara reach and grab his cane. He moves it up to Toushiro chest. "Are you sure this is what you want."

"Of course." Toushiro said without hesitation.

"You be in pain. Breathing would be harder and you be unable to use shikai. I ask again. Are you sure you want to do this?" Toushiro grasp the cane. "Yes." Urahara thrust the cane forward, Toushiro wince as he staggers out.

With Ichigo

"ICHIGO! ICHIGO!" Kon yelled. "Kon, did you find my sisters?"

"Yeah, they're both at home."

"Okay. Go back to them and protect them. I'm going to find Uryuu."

With Uryuu

"Damn, I can't kill them with one shot anymore."

'Something is wrong, I'm losing my strength. There no way that small amount of bait lure this many hollows. Something else must be at work.'

With Toushiro

Toushiro jump up cutting the hollow mask. After it disappear he lean against a nearby wall. Trying to catch his breath. The dull pain he can deal with but the breathing was making this more difficult to deal with.

'Two month in the Gigai and I'm as strong as an average Shinigami student.' He stood up.

"Well looks like this area is clear for now. But I'm curious, I thought you were unable to transform. Toushiro Ichimaru." Uryuu ask from behind. He notices Toushiro lack of breathing.

"I'm only able to be in this form for a short while. I haven't recover my strength yet. But I must ask did you have something to do with this?" Toushiro said with a short breath.

"Yes, I started this contest with Kurosaki to see who is the better to protect this town. Tough I must say there are a lot more than predicted." Toushiro notice the blood dripping from this hand.

"I see." Another hollow appear. Toushiro got ready to kill it but the lack of air cause him to lean against the wall again. Uryuu jump into action to kill the hollow, but someone else bet him to it. "Ichigo…" Toushiro mutter.

"You better be ready Ishida; I'm going to beat the hell outta of you." Ichigo said. Uryuu sense a hollow and took aim. Ichigo turn to seeing the hollow appear behind him. "No you don't." Uryuu already fire and Ichigo cut the arrow then killed the hollow.

"To you this is a contest, but I'm not interested in playing your game. Fight me if you think a Quince are superior than Shinigami. Why don't you prove it right now or are you to afraid?" No answer. "What are you waiting for?"

"Ichigo wait." Toushiro said.

"Why?" Ichigo ask confuse.

"Look up there." Toushiro pointed up to the sky.

"The hollows are gathering." Uryuu said.

"Shit." Ichigo said. Toushiro bit his lip, knowing what the hollows are up to. Uryuu started killing hollows. "Quit it Ishida! There's too many! After we think of a strategy." Ichigo insisted.

"What are you afraid of Kurosaki." Uryuu said. "If you're afraid you can watch from here! I WILL WIN THIS BATTLE!" Uryuu yelled as he ran towards the hollows. "OVER HERE, YOU HOLLOWS! THE LAST QUINCY…URYUU ISHIDA IS YOUR OPPONENT!"

"The last Quincy? What's he saying?" Ichigo question. Toushiro walk up to stand next to Ichigo. "There was a genocide of Quincy about 200 years ago. Those that survive the genocide hated the Shinigami, since it was Shinigami that did the killing." Ichigo stared in Toushiro in disbelief.

"It was a difficult choice that many Shinigami didn't want to do but they had to, to prevent the destruction of the world." Toushiro explain the balance and how the Quincy where destroying the balance. How Soul Society tried to stop them peacefully at first but they didn't listen and continue to destroyed hollows. They were left with no choice. Ichigo was piss off about the decision, how can they do something so horrible.

"Shiro let's go. If we don't leave now Ishida would be over run." Ichigo said chasing after Uryuu. "By the way, how are you in your Shinigami form?"

"I'm could only in this form for a little while. The drawback of it is that it's harder for me to breath." To prove his point, he started to pant slightly.

"Are you going be okay to continue?"

"Don't worry, Ichigo. I be find." Toushiro said with an eyeroll.

"If you say so." Ichigo said still concern. They soon caught up to Uryuu. Ichigo ran up farther yell at the top of his lungs. "ISHIDA!" Ichigo and Toushiro quickly working as a team destroying the hollows. Where Toushiro was clean and precise, Ichigo was more destructive.

"Ishida! I heard about your 'reason for fighting'! Whether the Shinigami are right, or the Quincy are right, I don't know about that stuff and I don't plan on saying anything about it! But there is one thing I understand! Ishida! Your way of doing things is old news."

Toushiro could only face palm and mutter. "Ichigo you idiot."

Uryuu just push up his glass and said. "I'm not interested in what happen to the Quincy. I've only heard about that from my sensei. To me, it's simply an old tale. Sorry, but I'm not the kind of overly sympathetic person. I honesty felt that the Shinigami were probably right. Until my sensei died right before my eyes." Uryuu continue to explain how his sensei wanted to work with the Shinigami and how the Shinigami didn't help his grandfather and let him die. "In front of you, Shinigami. I must prove the strength of the Quincy!"

Toushiro could understand Uryuu statement while Ichigo being a hot head he was ran up to Uryuu kicking him in the back of his head. "Your story is too long!"

"W-w-what are you doing!" Ichigo just kick him again. "Shut up. It doesn't make any sense! Your story was so long that I forgot the first half! But in fact, your sensei's greatest wish wasn't about the Shinigami acknowledging the strength of the Quincy! It was about working along with the Shinigami wasn't it!?"

While Ichigo was dealing with Uryuu, Toushiro kept the hollows off them. Ichigo throw Uryuu behind him so that they were back to back. Toushiro jump back till he was between them panting. His vision was blurring. He can barely see the hollows surrounding. 'If only he wasn't in such a useless state, I could get rid of them easily.'

"Shiro, are you all right?" Ichigo said concern. "I just need to catch my breath. Then I be find."

"Alright Ishida and I will cover you. Right Ishida." Uryuu nod his head better to focus on the hollow than ague with Ichigo right now. They both stared attacking the hollows. Keeping the hollows off Toushiro as he recovers his breathing. Everything stop once there was a loud crack in the sky. Toushiro eyes widen seeing the Menos Grande. 'Why? Why did it have to show up now?'

"Wh-What is that?" Ichigo said.

"It…It's enormous! That's a hollow too!?" Uryuu question. Soon both stated question each other than argue with each other. "SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU!" Toushiro scream over their arguing. Both boys shrink back from the small Shinigami. Even though they wont admit it but they were a little scared of him.

"Look. Both of you are useless against a Menos Grande. Only a Shinigami around my caliper could defeat this thing." Toushiro move to act but fell to his knees. His head was spinning; he need to return to his Gigai real soon. Ichigo was at his side in an instant, while Uryuu kept the hollow at bay. "Shiro are you okay?" Toushiro could only groan. "You need to get back to your Gigai now. And you don't have the power you use to."

Toushiro glare at him knowing he was right. Without his power, he was nothing more than more than a buzzing fly. Suddenly Ururu was before them with a cannon firing at the hollows. "H-Hello." She said after she was finish firing. Soon the rest of Urahara group show up.

"Kurosaki. We've came to the resc-e." Urahara sang. Tessai walk up to Ichigo and Toushiro. "I'll take him Kurosaki. It best for him to return to his Gigai." Ichigo nod and let Tessai take Toushiro. The kids went off to destroyed the hollows.

"We'll take on the surrounding small fry. For you, Kurosaki to concentrate on fighting that one." Urahara said pointing to the Menos. "Look, this isn't time for idle chit-chat." Both Ichigo and Uryuu turn to look at the Menos.

"It's coming out!"