Bleach 540: The most powerful team vs The most tenacious army!

The scene opens up in Soul Society

You see Jugo standing near the edge of the cliff with his back to the open air, in front of him stand close to a hundred ashen faced figures that he has raised from the dead. Hovering, encircling them all are the figures brought back by Urahara.
The scene moves closer focusing on Yamamoto and Ishida Soken who are hovering close together.
Soken turns his head slightly to glance at Yamamoto.

Soken: Hmmm so you as well my old friend. Things must really have changed since my death, I would never have thought you'd allow yourself to be used like this.

Yamamoto: Hmph, as if you can talk. When have I ever wavered when it came to protecting soul society.

Soken: Indeed, if my eyes don't fail me it seems like you've lost a hand there.

Yamamoto: a small price to pay and better than losing my life to a bunch of mere hollows.

Soken: When your time comes it comes does it not old friend, I was not the young man I used to be, age caught up on me a lot faster than it did on you.

Yamamoto: That should still not have been your time!

Soken looks at Yamamoto enquiringly for a moment.

Soken: ...I see. You're upset that I didn't contact you or ask for aid.

Yamamoto: ...you should never have been there.

Soken: (sighs) that is true, but neither should my grandson have.

Yamamoto:?

Soken: He was not too far away snoozing in the sun after a hard days training. I can't say what caused that many hollows to appear all at once but running away and calling for backup would have put his life danger.

Yamamoto:...

Soken: So fighting them and keeping their attention focused on me was all I could do. And they kept coming wave after wave after wave until this old body finally gave out.

Yamamoto:... How is it that you remember all this?

Soken: I left some of my reiatsu stored with Urahara Kisuke and told him to use my blood immediately after my death so that I would retain all my memories up to that point.

Yamamoto: hmph... I suppose at least it was a meaningful death.

Soken: (chuckles) It's good to see you as well old friend, now, let's see what we can do about your hand.

Scene change to the fake Aizen and Ichigo hovering.

Ichigo looks towards Aizen. Aizen stands there smiling faintly clearly aware that Ichigo is watching him.

Ichigo: Aizen, when did you-

Aizen: You disappoint me Kurosaki Ichigo, shouldn't it be obvious? Or is it that Urahara Kisuke hasn't explained to you all the details of his Bankai?

Ichigo:...

Aizen: Soon after I walked out of that cell. I bumped into Urahara and he asked me to help, evidently I made him explain exactly what that entailed before I permitted such an action. Urahara's ability doesn't permit him to control those he brings back. If he brings back a friend then obviously they'll help him. Bring back an enemy however and well...

Ichigo: ok.

Aizen: Ok Kurosaki Ichigo? Is that all? No doubts at my change of heart? No hesitation that my character may change yet again?

Ichigo: No, I've already seen the depth of your resolve Aizen, it's good to have you fighting with us again.

Aizen:...?

Scene change to the real Ichigo and Masaki.

Ichigo has a shocked look on his face as he looks at the face of the smiling mother.

Ichigo: Mom?!

Masaki: (chuckles) still so easily surprised? You must still be a bachelor Ichigo.

She turns to face Urahara and shakes her head at him whilst still smiling.

Masaki: You didn't tell him even though you planned on bringing me back?

Kisuke: Aah no, sorry Masaki, there wasn't really any time for explanations, and it was your condition that no one know about this, not even Isshin.

Suddenly a faint blue beam of energy passes through the side of Masaki, it comes out the other side and carries on going. All three of them look up, the beam of light is coming out of Soken and has now connected Soken, Yamamoto, and Masaki and is heading towards Aizen and the other Ichigo. In a few moments all 6 of them are connected by the pulsating blue beam of light.

Masaki: looks like there's not much time to talk, Kisuke, a moment please.

Kisuke: of course, I have a few things to get ready.

Urahara flash steps away.

Masaki: not much time now Ichigo, hopefully we can talk later once this is over, but is there anything you'd like to tell me?

Ichigo: when did you let Urahara-

Masaki smacks Ichigo across the back of the head knocking him to the ground. He looks up at her stern face with her hands on her hips as he picks himself back up slowly.

Masaki: All these years and that's all you can ask?! No, I'm doing good mom, I'm happy mom, I've got three kids and thinking of some more -

Ichigo hugs Masako tightly, tears falling from his eyes. Masaki smiles and hugs him back.

Ichigo: I'm good mom, I'm happy.

Ichigo is unable to say more, overwhelmed by his emotions. Masaki pats his back soothingly.

Masaki: That's good enough, I guess I'll have to wait for the grand kids.

She pulls away from Ichigo's embrace and looks him in the eyes.

Masaki: Now, to answer your question. I'm sure Kisuke told you how his Zanpaktou works. It absorbs the blood and reiatsu of anybody it cuts allowing him to create exact duplicates by replicating the DNA and reiatsu, two in his shikai form and six in his Bankai. We retain everything from the moment we were cut, memories, experience, everything.

Ichigo: [wiping away tears] Yeh he did.

Masaki: Soon after I had you kids and we were settled, I asked Urahara to do this. I already knew about the Kurosaki history and Urahara had learned of Bach and our history as well. We both knew that he would come back one day and were afraid it would be during our time.
He'd already told me of his abilities when discussing possibilities for standing against him. Once I was ready, I made him promise not to tell anyone even Isshin and only use me if Bach returned. As much as I wanted to see you grow up, I wanted to be a loving memory in your mind rather than a ghost that would haunt your present.

Far behind them you begin to see Jugo's zombies rushing forward towards them. Ichigo wipes his eyes a final time and turns to stand beside his mother and readies his sword.

Ichigo: Ok, we'll save the rest for later.

Masaki crosses her arms across her chest looking at the oncoming horde with a smile on her face.

Ichigo: but what is this light connecting you all?

Masaki: Kisuke may be strong but even he doesn't have the ability to bring this many strong people back at full power. His ability duplicates our growth at the time but there's only so much reiatsu he can give us, at the moment you would say that we're all like quarter charged batteries.

Ichigo:...

Masaki: This is a technique of grandpa Sokens, he's charging up our batteries using the reiatsu from soul society through it, like an umbilical cord.

As the oncoming horde draw closer Ichigo slowly raises his sword above his head. Just as the horde get within 20 feet a blazing wall off fire spreads out across the battlefield cutting them off. Yamamoto and Urahara appear in front of them. Yamamoto has his sword drawn

Kisuke: The others should be able to keep them occupied for the moment.

Yamamoto: Long enough for us to complete our task.

Yamamoto turns to face Kurosaki Ichigo and stares at him for a moment.

Yamamoto: I feel the presence of Ryujin Jaka within you Kurosaki Ichigo, I'm pleased he's found another purpose after this old man.

Ichigo: Genryu san...he didn't make it easy.

Kisuke: Genryu san, if you could please open the portal, we've left it quite late already.

Ichigo: What?! You can do that?!

Yamamoto draws his sword out before him.

Yamamoto: it was a right granted to me by the soul king as the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 after many years of service. No other soul but you three now are aware of this.

Kisuke: The captain commander entrusted this information to me once he realised that Bach may well get to the Soul Kings realm. Not knowing what would happen in the battles to come we needed to ensure a fail-safe method of getting there if that were to happen.

Yamamoto stabs his sword forward into the air, it seems to pierce through it with half of the blade disappearing. He twists the blade clockwise and a screen door appears around it. Yamamoto withdraws his sword out of it and the doors open.

Yamamoto: Kurosaki Ichigo, come over here.

Ichigo walks towards the captain commander and stands next him. Yamamoto turns his head to look at Ichigo.

Yamamoto: As much as I would have liked to avoid it, the fate of us all once again will lie on your shoulders.

Ichigo:...

Yamamoto: but this much, at the very least, i can do for you.

Yamamoto grabs Ichigo's arm by the shoulder and powers up his reiatsu. As he does so, he stabs his sword into Ichigo's stomach, you see his reiatsu being drawn in by Ichigo. A look of surprise crosses Ichigos face.

Ichigo: (!again?!) My reiatsu?

Yamamoto: Ryujin Jakka is attuned to my reiatsu, he can now absorb my reiatsu and merge with it and thus merge it with yours.

Ichigo:...thank you

Yamamoto: Do not soften yourself Kurosaki Ichigo!

Ichigo:!?

Yamamoto: Understand this! You are not going to fight a man. You go to fight a deranged army housed in the shell of a man. You have not yet seen his true power and you will need every bit of strength and skill that you have attained so far to defeat him!

Scene change to the other side of the wall of fire.

The wall of fire stretches from one end of the cliff to the other. Hovering high in the air, facing the battlefield with their backs to the wall are Ishida Soken and Urahara Kisuke. Down below them, slicing through the zombie army are Ichigo and Aizen.

Kisuke: They seem to be having a lot of fun. It feels quite boring to have to stand on defence. Maybe we should go down and join in?

Ishida Soken smiles a little at Urahara's comments.

Soken: Ah Kisuke, I have missed your banter. You know why we can't go down there, as your real self stated, it's too dangerous for the four of us to be close together. It might be enough to allow that Quincy to seal us away.

Kisuke: Aye true, but we may not have a choice soon, they're not making any headway.

Soken: Yes, as soon as they cut those Zombies down they begin regenerating almost immediately.

Kisuke: Their strength is no joke either. Though their attacks seem to lack any finesse or skill the power behind each swing and attack is easily at least of captain level.

Soken: Yes, taken unawares just one strike could take us down.

Urahara scratches his head with a little smile on his face as he looks sideways at Ishida Soken.

Kisuke: He must be channelling a great amount of Reishi into them, I wonder how distracted he is at the moment?

Soken glances at Urahara and smiles. Far across the battlefield Jugo, who has been completely still up until now, swings the sword in his right hand smoothly down and back behind him. There does not seem any haste or urgency in the motion but it is not slow. The sword swings back just in time to deflect a reishi arrow flying towards his back. The arrow goes flying askew to one side. Jugo lifts his head up and gazes directly at both Urahara and Soken.

Soken: Not nearly distracted enough it seems.

Kisuke: heh, too much to ask for it to be that easy eh. I do love how you can make those arrows appear though, i've always found it fascinating.

Soken: We may not have had a chance to discuss our techniques in too much depth during my time but you know perfectly well how our abilities work, so why such fascination?

Kisuke: Have you gotten that old or is it just your eyes? Can you not see the distance between us? Is there a single Quincy out there that can control reishi in such a wide are that they can make arrows appear that far away?!

Soken: (chuckles) Well, after a certain age it's only natural to move on from developing and creating yourself to refining and controlling what you already have.

Kisuke: (grinning) I doubt even our impressive friend over there has such skill or he would have used it already, no wonder you could keep Ryuken in check for so long.

Soken: (smiling) Ryuken has his own skills and path that he's created, he has no need to follow mine...though I am beginning to doubt whether I am alone in my control of reishi.

Kisuke turns to look at Soken with a surprised look on his face. Ishida Soken simply chuckles without saying anything further. Behind them the wall of fire begins to come down before finally disappearing. Urahara and Soken turn to see Yamamoto being supported by Masaki. He looks weary, his body drooping a little and looking thinner than before. The real Urahara is nowhere to be seen.

Kisuke: Well I guess the captain commander will need some time to recharge, so what now?

Soken: Well i suppose if we are unable to kill all of these undead foes then we'd best see if we can at least keep them still.

High above them hundreds upon hundreds of reishi arrows appear, thicker than tree trunks and longer. They are angled down diagonally, pointing towards Jugo and his horde of zombies.

Far across the battlefield Ishida Uryuu is fighting and dodging his opponent. A look of shock appears across his face as the Reishi arrows appear atop of Sokyoku hill.

Uryuu: Grandpa?!

Next Week Bleach 541: The Divine Rain.