Moon Princess

by romeoraiden

Ichigo Kurosaki was born destined for greatness but has had to suffer as he grows to embrace his destiny. Naturally, he will not endure this burden alone as he will have many allies to help him along the way. But only one of them can help him go beyond as his ever-faithful sword of the moon. (M for Violence and bad language)

13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Far From Peace

Ichigo takes a deep breath to keep himself at ease. He remains tired and sweating a lot from the previous hardships yet he persists, standing tall and moving forward, wishing to do so much more. Right now he is without his Zanpakutō, surrounded by the skyscrapers that make up the city within his soul, and he waits, looking around every corner for what he seeks.

It feels like he's been searching for hours with his target nowhere to be found but he knows he will find what he is seeking even through the darkness of the night and the moon above not giving him enough light to see. And sure enough, he finds what he seeks, within an alleyway on his right he sees it, a glowing, palm-sized orb resembling a miniature moon, floating, as though daring him to catch it.

"There you are!" He declared, his Reiatsu momentarily coursing through his body and he ran towards it at super speed but the moment he was an inch away from grabbing it, the tiny moon turned to its left fast enough to evade Ichigo's hand, and the Shinigami Agent is forced to slow down but not quick enough because by the time he does he's already at another alley, three city blocks away.

"Slippery little thing!" He sneered, running back after it with the moon flying upward to the top of a skyscraper and Ichigo gave chase by running up the wall of the building.

The moon flies off to another skyscraper at the other side of the street, once Ichigo reaches the top he leaps off the roof and lands on the same rooftop the moon landed on and continues to give chase. He does a lot better in following the small moon with it trying to evade Ichigo by making so many random curves, going up and down every time, it even forces him to speed around in circles while running on the wall of a skyscraper.

Ichigo succeeds in overcoming these challenges but none are easy feats to accomplish and more than once he slips and falls, even while attempting more leaps from building to building he finds himself falling and crashing violently but still, he refuses to give up and continues to chase after the moon.

"You're not getting away! One way or another I will catch you!" He swore with his hunt resuming on the ground and he was getting closer and closer, though they were moving at the speed of lightning, it can feel like they were moving slowly at times, like the few bits of debris caused by some shockwaves he caused taking forever to hit the ground, at least to Ichigo it feels that way. The world around him just gets all wrong when he moves this fast.

When he spoke to Yoruichi about this sensation she first laughed him off as just being scared and caught off in the adrenaline of Hohō but soon adopted a more gentle approach as a mentor by telling him that the use of Shunpo, and speed in general, is the most complexed of the Shinigami Fighting Styles, that's why there are so few members among the Gotei 13 Divisions who can use Hohō and those that are proficient are largely assigned to the Onmitsukidō for more covert operations that demands harsh training that seems inhumane to some and Ichigo is among a rare few who are lucky enough to access Shunpo with just raw spirit energy.

And for a beginner, moving so fast and seeing everything and everyone around you freeze up can be quite scary at first. All he needs to do is relax and focus only on reaching his destination.

With this in mind, Ichigo does just that and ignores the world around him when he moves this fast, focusing only on achieving his objective, which is to catch this damn moon that is way more flexible than him, and again continues to evade him by cleverly waiting at the last second to curve left just as they were about to crash into a glass window. Ichigo has to think fast and act even quicker.

He can't afford to run on up the building and turn back down, that will give the moon enough time to escape and he'll lose it again.

Having no choice, he decides to jump, placing his feet on the glass with the intent to make a high leap toward the moon, of course, the severe folly of this plan is that it depends on the window being able to withstand the force he is exerting as well as his weight, which isn't happening unless he pours his Reiatsu into his feet with the intent to channel it into the surface he is landing on with the hopes of his power protecting his surroundings from himself.

He goes through with this plan by jumping towards the window and quickly shifts his direction to the street the moon ran at, preparing to go after it while using his Reiatsu on the window, already proving to sound only good on paper with cracks rapidly forming.

'Don't break! Don't break! Don't break!' He cursed inwardly, still needing a few more nanoseconds to pull this off but the cracks aren't stopping. Will he lose this match?

'No way in Hell!' He growled with more determination. 'Not in my domain!'

Against all odds he pulls off his leap before the window shatters to pieces and the leap is so great that it gives him the boost he needs to finally catch the small moon, grabbing it with both his hands as they hit the street and by the time they slow down, they reach the Lunar Throne with Getsuhime there waiting for them.

"Two minutes and twenty-nine seconds. Beat your previous record by a picosecond," Getsuhime calculated.

"Is that a good thing?" Ichigo breathed in relief while the moon freed itself from his grip and moved to Getsuhime, landing on her palm. The little thing was made by her and was controlling it the whole time.

"If you were to ever fight to the death against that evil cat she'll kill you a million times over while killing all your other friends simultaneously no matter the distance," Getsuhime surmised.

"Ah… any other figurative enemies that aren't god-tier you can compare me to?" Ichigo gulped.

"You need to try it again," She bemused, vanishing the little moon. "You're doing a lot better at using your Reiatsu to prevent any collateral damage to your surroundings when you move with all your speed. Thus far I'd had to step in and make sure you don't cause any whiplash to those you carry around, let alone puke. Hohō is such an important style of Zankensoki to master and with your ever-increasing Reiryoku, it is easier to let you murder the world around you."

"Come on, it was never that bad. And besides, with all my Reiatsu focus on all my other abilities, the damage is more avoidable," Ichigo pointed out.

"That method is no more than training wheels. True Shunpo Masters must use all their energy when moving quickly and still be able to avoid unnecessary harm to their surroundings," Getsuhime lectured. "Still, you've done enough for tonight."

"I don't need sleep so long as I'm here and morning isn't for another five and a half hours so I can go a few more rounds," Ichigo insisted.

"Unless you're trying to impress women by developing a more muscular body you really mustn't force yourself all that much," She advised.

"Sasquatch! Don't give me any stupid crap, that's my dad's job," He protested.

"As you wish," Getsuhime sighed. "But running has past."

Until dawn, Ichigo went through a different training regimen, such as doing 2000 pushups while a large cube that weighs ten tons is placed on his back, made even more intense by the fact that there is a small hole where he lies that is generating a high voltage of electricity that is shocking Ichigo every time his chest gets too close to it, and he has to shrug off the shocks while he does it, made even worse since the cube is metallic.

"1893. 1894. 1895. 1896. 1898, 1899," Getsuhime counted every pushup, indifferent to her master's anguish.

"1899. 1899. 1899. 1899. 1899. You can't go to 1900 unless you go all the way down. I told you this after the 299th Pushup and then the 1200th," She reprimanded. Ichigo groaned in despair that it finally began to rain in the Inner World.

After that nightmare, Getsuhime made him do 3000 pull-ups among the skyscrapers with a large poll connecting between two rooftops, again with a metallic cube weighing him down, this time strapped by chains on his torso, and this cube now weighs around thirty tons. At least she wasn't electrocuting him so he got through it with decent results.

Getsuhime seemed to think so because the next exercise consisted of Ichigo doing 3000 sit-ups at the edge of a rooftop on the second tallest skyscraper in the Inner World with chains wrapped around his chest tied to another cube that instead weighed sixty tons.

That alone was more torturous for Ichigo to lift but she made it even worse when she picked up a single black feather and used it to tickle him every time he took longer than a second to pull himself up. For God's sake, Ichigo spent years hiding the fact that he's ticklish to the point that even his parents forgot about this fact and Getsuhime is taking advantage of this weakness to torture him.

It was so bad that after the 1100th sit-up, Ichigo ended up falling off the edge of the skyscraper down to the street.

The impact was so bad that Ichigo ended up exiting his Inner World and going back into the Human World. He breathes heavily from the horror of it all, sweating madly and trying to calm himself.

"What the fuck is wrong with you…" He uttered while he lay on the floor of his room back in Karakura.

It took him a whole hour to calm himself from that nightmare and exit his room to have breakfast. Getsuhime is giving him his space and he's going to savor every second away from her.

"Morning, you masochist," His father greeted him, already having breakfast.

"Shut up…" His son groaned, readying himself bread to eat. Since Yuzu still hasn't come home yet, the two have been cooking for themselves, which isn't a problem and they wouldn't mind doing so from now on but the youngest Kurosaki is determined to be the main chef of the family. "It's going to take until the afternoon for my body to stop feeling this sore. Why didn't I listen to her when she advised me to stop training."

"Tempting, I know. An Inner World, I mean. You can do a lot in the place that lurks inside our souls but after a while, the side effects of getting harmed there, which directly affects you on the outside can start to weigh you down more than it reasonably should. That's why Shinigami don't visit their Zanpakutō as often as you've been doing," Isshin explained.

"Now you choose to tell me this!" Ichigo protested as he sat back down.

"I gave up trying to teach you things the easy way when you were thirteen," Isshin shrugged.

Annoyed but Ichigo decides not to press it and have breakfast.

"Only two days left. In just two days your mother and sisters will be back from their trip and everything will be as it should be," Isshin smiled as he just finished his breakfast and started reading the newspaper.

"Yeah, and I can finally get my body back and get out of this Gigai," Ichigo sighed.

"It's not so bad. As a man born in the Beyond, the past twenty years have been pretty nice in this body," Isshin stated.

"The Gigai is not the problem. What is it's that Kon has been in my body for way too damn long. God only knows what he's been up to," Ichigo hissed.

"How bad can it be with your mother hellbent on keeping girls from touching a single hair on your head," Isshin snickered.

"I can no longer share that optimism," Ichigo stated. "The question is, how to convince her that we're fine and she doesn't have to fret over us."

"She's your mother. No amount of power in the world will stop her from worrying about you. That's just how it is with parents," Isshin smiled solemnly.

"I suppose," Ichigo whispered.

It's been a whole week since they've returned from Soul Society, though it's been a bit longer since the fight with Aizen. Everything has settled down, and even though Ichigo still feels tensed when it comes to the Shinigami, he is somewhat content with the outcome. None of it is perfect but it's better than how it was before Aizen was exposed and he recalls how the meeting with the Captains went down.

(Flashback)

"As most of you are aware, this meeting has been called to discuss the issue of the Ryoka," The Head Captain leveled a severe glare at the three aforementioned Ryoka. "Isshin Kurosaki, is it now? Formerly known as Isshin Shiba and his son, Ichigo Kurosaki. You have been classified for breaking into Seireitei."

"We wouldn't have needed to bust in here like this if you hadn't dragged Rukia back here to be executed over something that wasn't her fault," Ichigo added. "I never even got a chance to speak at her trial, assuming there was one."

"There was," Byakuya replied. "However, humans are not seen as acceptable witnesses to the actions of Shinigami. Given that they are typically incapable of perceiving us. Though, recent events have shown us just how misinformed we truly were."

"Understatement of the century!" Mayuri cut in. "I mean, really, so much trouble over one girl, that alone was downright annoying and a colossal waste of time but what really has our attention is the implications of your existence, brat!"

"Spare us the creep factor, Mayuri. We're all under Aizen's clutches for the moment, so let's not say or do anything that'll make us point our blades at each other again," Isshin advised.

"Is that a threat I hear?" Mayuri questioned, not concerned.

"And aimed right at your head," Isshin complied, being serious despite the circumstances.

"Typical Shiba. How barbaric," Kurotsuchi shook his head.

'Freak,' Ichigo thought.

"We will discuss the traitors shortly. Right now, you must explain yourself. What really happened to you after the Ōin War had ended?" Genryūsai raised his voice to make it clear that he would not tolerate anything that wasn't the truth. "According to the words of Lieutenant Matsumoto who remains in her service to the Gotei 13 with questionable diligence,"

He either didn't notice or chose to ignore how most of them snickered or tried to suppress a snicker at his choice of words on Rangiku's ''diligence'', those who know her at least.

"… That you closed the Garganta that was opened within the Seireitei by striking the finishing blow to Arturo Plateado, which left you exhausted and unable to defend yourself while that accursed Hollow used the last of his strength to drag you into Hueco Mundo with him where the remains of his army were waiting to tear you apart. We had no way of forming a rescue operation because no one in the S.R.D.I. knows how to enter Hueco Mundo by our own means so we had no choice but to declare you as K.I.A."

That caused all of them to have a flashback on how that terrible war had ended, even though they've won, the outcome felt like too high a cost.

Arturo Plateado, also known as the Lord of Calamity, was a Hollow of unimaginable power and of a rare breed known as an Arrancar, a Hollow who somehow obtained the abilities of a Shinigami, and thus an unnatural hybrid seen as the worst kind of abomination to the Soul Society, and he proved he earned his title by bringing so much devastation to the Soul Society.

Even though he was weaker than the Head Captain, he was still stronger than the rest and was horrifyingly intelligent that he was even able to outsmart and deceive Mayuri into making mistakes that endangered the Gotei 13, a fact he will continue to deny till the end of the world, so in short, he was a herald of the End Times, and it certainly felt like the world was ending because even Genryūsai lost hope that they would win without the Royal Guard who chose to stay where they were because Arturo had boasted that he had the means to break into the Reiōkyū and kill the King.

Rather he was telling the truth or not no one could be sure but they knew that everything about this Arrancar needed to be taken seriously.

"After I finally got a good hit at Arturo, which I admit was nothing more than a damn comedic fluke, and was stranded in Hueco Mundo, I did my best to hold off the horde swarming me and hide within that great desert world," Isshin began his tale.

"I lost count of how many days after a week, made even more frustrating by the fact that there is no sun over there, just a moon that shines brighter than the one Soul Society and the Human World share, with a Lunar Phase that works in the opposite direction so once it turned into a full moon I deduced that a month has passed at least. Eventually, I stumbled upon an… interesting Hollow who realized I wasn't a pray she'd want to mess with and I got her to open up a Garganta for me to finally leave that place."

"You got a Hollow to help you escape?" Soifon questioned with critical skepticism, something most of them share because the implication is hard to grasp for any Shinigami. Even Ichigo is giving him a questioning glance, though nowhere near as doubtful, just curious.

"I know it sounds bizarre but that's how it happened," Isshin sighed, not caring what they think.

"Though she couldn't take me straight away to the Soul Society and instead brought me to the Human World. Turns out that the ability to open up a Garganta isn't universal among the Hollows and is more complex than we thought. We're just lucky that Vasto Lordes are with the minority who can't leave Hueco Mundo because they don't have the power, unlike Arrancars who aren't so limited and can come and go as they choose."

This revelation finally brought some much-needed clarity for the Captains. Questioning Hollows for information about them and their world has always been nigh-impossible to the point that no one believes they can ever be reasoned with, which is why it was most common to believe Vasto Lordes were no more than a fairytale.

"Once I made it to the Human World, it was smooth sailing back home from there but I got sidetracked when I realized that I ended up in Naruki City, one of the human settlements under my Division's Jurisdiction. Seeing this as another lucky break, I decided to first contact the Shinigami stationed there, figured it was one of the subordinates I knew personally, and maybe finally have some of that human-made food Gin is always bragging about to be better than anything made in Soul Society because I was STARVING! A whole month without food! I can't believe I survived for that long," Isshin continued his tale with a smile that quickly turned into a grim frown. "Instead, what I found was two of my men slaughtered."

Things become more serious, they can all feel the turmoil Isshin is feeling just by recalling this event.

"As you all know, before the war started, there had been a string of reports about Shinigami stationed in the Human World being killed off by an unidentified Hollow that no one could detect or stop. At first, we thought it was the Grand Fisher since he's eluded us before," He didn't fail to notice the wince his son made at the mention of that awful name, neither did the Captains but Isshin continued.

"Only for it to become clear that it was something brand new because these attacks started happening to Shinigami from multiple jurisdictions of more than one Division, there was no way of knowing if it was a group of them or if it was just one powerful Hollow, only that there was a pattern, not that we could investigate because of Zennon but I believe I finally found the culprit."

"What kind of Hollow was it?" Jūshirō asked with narrowed eyes.

"It looked humanoid so at first, I mistook it for a Vasto Lorde but I easily brushed that off the menu because the bastard was more like a beast that acted solely on instinct. Body covered in black armor, black horns pointing forward, a white mask reminiscent of a human skull, no limbs instead a pair of serrated black blades. The craziest thing was that its hole was covered up by some kind of red substance that seemed organic but not a heart," The description greatly fascinated Mayuri.

"As we fought, I was too fatigued, couldn't use my full powers and I could tell that he was stronger than an Adjucha, enough that he could defeat a Captain without the use of a Bankai, which I needed and could still access without worrying about dying from the strain. What spooked me was that I felt like I was really fighting a Shinigami. The way it moved resembled Hakuda mixed with Zanjutsu because of the bladed arms but the Reiatsu it emitted was Hollow. He was an animal, yet possessed the caution of a seasoned warrior. Mad for combat, yet clever enough to adapt and learn. Angry yet… sad."

"Sad?" Retsu repeated.

"He wasn't doing these murders of his own accord. No way smart enough to avoid detection for so long, someone was controlling him and covering his tracks, and I got my answer when someone attacked me from the back, nearly hitting my spine, preventing me from using my Bankai," Isshin narrowed his eyes. "I couldn't see them because of some cloak that not only completely hid their Reiatsu but masked their appearance from sight."

"It was Aizen," Yoruichi cut in. "The cloak he used back then and later in our previous battle, which Matsuri destroyed was originally designed by Kisuke, which he replicated for his own agenda."

The mention of Urahara brought a sore mood for some of them, mainly Mayuri, Soifon, and interestingly Byakuya. Ichigo can only frown while Rukia becomes more somber.

"Not the first time he stole and copied Kisuke's work, but I already told you all this," Yoruichi shrugged. "That Black Hollow was a creature he created due to his obsession with Hollowfication and has made many abominations in the past that unbeknownst to us have been terrorizing Soul Society for a very long time, ones with very unique abilities that are above the norm, even among the greatest of Hollows."

Her words made both Rukia and Jūshirō recall one particular Hollow that has hunted their dreams for decades, the one who robbed them of Kaien Shiba. Did Aizen create that thing also?

"Speaking of Urahara. It was because of him that I survived that encounter," Isshin continued with his tale. "During my clash with that artificial Hollow, our fight went all the way to Karakura Town where Kisuke has been residing for a very long time since his exile and saved me from that poor bastard. But the wounds I sustained were too great, my death was imminent. To prevent this, Kisuke put me in a special Gigai he has been working on that could cure any injuries a Shinigami who lacks Kaidō sustained by simply getting back in it that will overtime restore them, however, there was a catch, and the prototype he gave me had the undesired effect of eventually suppressing my powers, transforming my soul into that of a human as a result."

That confession especially got a reaction from the Head Captain, his eyes that are normally kept closed like Gin yet is somehow still able to see (Seriously, how does that work? Ichigo wants to know), are open wide with the veins within the eyes visible due to his anger.

"YOU INCONCEIVABLE BABOON!" The old man boomed, somehow shouting a sonic scream that made Ichigo, Rukia, and Matsuri cover their ears, unlike the others who handled it very well, likely used to him yelling like that.

"Of all the stupid crap you've done in the past! You disgrace," Soifon scoffed in disgust.

"I've never been more intrigued and disappointed in my life. And I suffered the indignity of working for the degenerate who should've left you to die," Mayuri added.

"Not… really the craziest thing I've heard in my whole career as a Captain, to be honest," Jūshirō muttered trying hard to wrap his mind around the idea of a Spirit becoming a Human without first going through the Reincarnation Cycle.

Retsu can only continue to look at her former Lieutenant bewilderedly over what he had gotten himself into while Tōshirō just frowns. Sajin and Chōjirō stay silent but are just as baffled.

"I'll tell you what's crazy, learning that Isshin here would actually settle down. And here I thought you'd be a bachelor for life," Shunsui smirked, still wanting to keep things upbeat.

"Trust me, falling in love with a human and all that was never part of the plan but hey, when you find the right girl, everything falls into place," Isshin smiled, reminiscing his first date with Masaki.

"Is she hot?" Shunsui asked curiously.

"Shunsui!" Jūshirō scolded.

"It's Isshin! I want to meet the woman who can keep this party animal in check," Kyōraku pouted. "And if maybe she has a sister."

"Believe me, Kyōraku, once you meet her, you'll never want to look away," Isshin smirked. "Of course, if you do, I'll have no choice but to kill you."

"Can we please not talk about Mom like that!" Ichigo groaned.

"Oh no, please, keep talking about how you went to the trouble of siring a Human-Shinigami Hybrid responsible for causing so much destruction. I'm sure we are all dying to know that little side-project," Mayuri grinned.

"NO! We're getting back on track!" Genryūsai raised his tone again. "Shiba, throughout this whole human charade, you've never once tried to contact anyone of your survival. Not your half-brothers, nor your nephew and niece, or the Kudō Twins, or no one from the 10th Division. You did nothing to warn us of Aizen's machinations."

"What was I supposed to do? If I had contacted you, one way or another, Kisuke would've been exposed and apprehended. I've never been one to rat out my friends and I always knew that he wasn't responsible for what happened to Shinji and the others," Isshin stood his ground with his decision. "And besides, like we already told you, Aizen was there when I fought his creation so he must've seen Kisuke save me and what I was doing this whole time as well, so he was always three steps ahead."

"Which explains how Aizen knew about Urahara's plans to also turn Rukia into a human," Byakuya spoke up next, getting to the real root of the problem, with Rukia feeling the most tensed, but not because of what Kisuke had done but rather because of her brother's ire directed at the Shopkeeper.

"The Hōgyoku. Is that what you called it? The device Kisuke Urahara invented that Aizen went to unthinkable lengths to steal and claim for himself," Genryūsai questioned.

"Yeah, that little thing used to be a crowning achievement for Kisuke. It was created to help with his research in Hollowfication. Granted, he never wanted to give himself or anyone Hollow abilities but like so many others have been doing in Soul Society, even among the Nobles, the forbidden research was too tempting to ignore, and somewhere along the way, he concluded that he needed to invent something like it to get anything done," Yoruichi explained. "Alas, nothing went like it was supposed to and the Hōgyoku proved to be capable of more than just Hollowfying, especially when Aizen learned about it and tried to take it by force. We did everything we could to destroy it, and believe me, I am very creative when it comes to getting rid of something but the Hōgyoku proved indestructible."

"How did you even know this Hollow was even made by Aizen?" Tōshirō finally spoke.

"Kisuke analyzed a fragment of its body that strangely remained and concluded it was an artificial beast, what's truly shocking about it is that it was created in the same manner as an Asaushi, something he connected to a similar Hollow he encountered early on in his new life in the Human World," Isshin explained.

That made it even more concerning to the Captains. Using the secret technique to forge Zanpakutō for creating Hollows doesn't make any sense unless Aizen was also experimenting with the souls of Shinigami and combining them with Hollow Reiryoku. Only Mayuri lacked even an ounce of disgust on his face over this conclusion and secretly considered conducting similar experiments, mainly to one-up Aizen for sabotaging his institute.

"And you are certain that there was no other choice other than this abominable act to dispose of the Hōgyoku?" Genryūsai questioned.

"Kisuke even concluded that the Sōkyoku would be ineffective, hence why Aizen tried to use it to separate the two when he staged the execution," Yoruichi affirmed. "Unfortunately, Aizen discovered in the Daireishokairō that Kisuke had invented a safer method to extract foreign objects from one's Soul in case the execution failed as it did."

'How convenient,' Ichigo, Byakuya, Mayuri, and Soifon thought while shrugging at once.

There was a long silence before Yamamoto spoke. "Your report has been taken into account. We will deliberate on what you've told us and decide on a course of action. That said there is still much yet unsaid and you four aren't the only ones with much to answer for,"

'Here goes nothing,' Matsuri thought with a sigh, for it was her turn to be questioned.

"Lieutenant Matsuri Kudō of the 7th Division!" Genryūsai raised his voice, though not as intense as he usually does. "Though you were certainly more subtle than Lieutenant Abarai of the 6th Division, 4th Seat Yamada of the 4th Division, and the 11th Division's own Captain, Lieutenant, 3rd and 5th Seat, you too are also found guilty of collaborating with the Ryoka and also seemed to have known about Sōsuke Aizen's malicious actions but have withheld it for an unspecified amount of time. In light of your decades of service to the Gotei 13 as our most dutiful Lieutenant, this is an outrage of the highest magnitude, though we Captains have chosen to give you temporary leniency until now, you too are here to face judgment. The same will fall on your brother if he too was a part of your rebellious actions."

"Yes, Head Captain. However, I must stress that my twin brother had no part to play in any of this," Matsuri spoke up. "Yes, I had him help me here and there but he was oblivious to my true intentions since he was truly unaware of Isshin's return unlike I was and should be fully pardoned."

"That is not for you to decide," Genryūsai countered, deeming her claim obsolete.

"If I may, Head Captain. Though the decisions of my Lieutenant were all a great folly, I believe we should first consider just how dangerous her schemes truly were. Not to us, but to herself," Sajin finally spoke, having been the most silent until now. Matsuri stays quiet and is unable to hide the guilt she feels over the difficult position he is in.

"We all fell for Sōsuke's ruse as a trustworthy comrade, however, that does not mean I was blind to your opposite reaction to his presence or the mere mention of his name. There was no fear in your eyes or anger, rather you were cautious and at times wary but never did you express any disgust for him, even when you believed yourself to be alone on occasions. Sōsuke on the other hand seemed to be very taken with you, some even say he treated you with more favoritism than his own subordinates," Sajin said pointing out all the subtle moments that no one ever bothered to address. "I couldn't help but worry that perhaps you two shared an unpleasant history given your apparent indifference to his kindness but I couldn't bring myself to ask."

"Nothing like that, Captain. I'd never met Aizen until after I became a Seated Officer and even then our conversations were always with Hinamori beside him. But… as you all know, I like to keep a closer eye on Rukongai, even though the Nobles and Central 46 are constantly, and let's be real, heartlessly want the Gotei 13 to prioritize the Seireitei, some of us haven't forgotten that the Soul Society is more than just this Capital, and in my explorations, I learned things. Heard the whispers. Noticed that out of all the Captains, Aizen is the one those in the farther districts are the most frightened to speak about," Matsuri explained, making Genryūsai frown and the other Captains minus Mayuri grow pits in their stomachs.

"I didn't know what to make of this so I kept digging, and met up with less than sane individuals who are so off their ruckus they've claimed with confidence Reiō is really a rat, but I digress, and while I found no evidence of Hollowfication Experiments, there were clear signs that someone was doing something to the Rukongai citizens and those who know about or worse, witnessed it were forced into silence and went mad as a result," Matsuri continued, and now even Ichigo and Rukia are starting to feel spooked.

When did they get themselves locked in a horror film? And what the Hell is a Hollowfication they keep mentioning?

"I don't know what I did wrong, I was so sure I covered all my tracks but I was compromised. Someone was watching me from time to time. Maybe it was Aizen or his underlings but someone found out I was investigating him and I was lucky that they never made any attempt to stop me, either because they were confident I wouldn't be able to stop them or because they thought I could be useful. All I knew was that I couldn't tell anyone of what was happening, not even Fujimaru otherwise I don't know what awaited me."

"Matsuri…" Sajin lowered his head in shame, unable to shake off the thought that if only he'd come to her sooner maybe things would've been different. Maybe he could've saved Kaname from taking this path.

"And what of Ichimaru and Tōsen? Did you have reason to believe that they were in league with Aizen?" Tōshirō asked, his tone expressing sympathy for her situation.

"Not Tōsen, I was just as shocked as everyone. I knew Aizen was close to them but I didn't think his influence extended to the 9th Division," Matsuri said sincerely while rubbing the back of her neck. "Gin is another story given the many times I felt a snake around my neck."

"I know that feeling," Rukia sighed, remembering the first time she met Gin Ichimaru.

She was walking with her brother for a joint meeting between their respective Divisions, Captain Ichimaru was walking by and stopped to chat with Byakuya about a previous mission, and before they did, Byakuya instructed her not to speak, nor even look at the silver-haired man while he conversed with him.

She knew of Byakuya's disdain for Gin but she never considered he viewed Gin as a threat, and she wished he'd taken his warning seriously because one look at Ichimaru's signature grin was enough to feel his presence around her, like a pair of snakes wrapping themselves over her body with the intent to end her life in the worse way imaginable, and they were going to take their time as she watched.

"You never told anyone but it was quite clear that you were keeping an eye on Momo. She even told me that you visited her often in your free time," Tōshirō noted.

"At first I thought she might know something about Aizen's machinations given how she worshipped him but thankfully she was just as in the dark as everyone so I hoped I could come up with a way to keep the two more apart but there was simply not enough time,"

"So when Rukia was given the death penalty and the Ryoka invaded, you immediately suspected Aizen was involved?" Jūshirō asked.

"Yes. I discovered a lot of books containing classified information that should only be found in the Daireishokairō so I concluded that he at least has to have moles amongst the Central 46's retainers. Undersold as that theory turned out, the outcome was the same and I knew now was the time to strike. Whatever it takes," She said with more vigor.

"Yes, and you certainly proved to excel as a lowly rebel than you are as a Lieutenant," Mayuri said, still holding firm to his accusation that Matsuri is the one who rescued Uryū by attacking him.

"Are you referring to your fight with our Quincy being interrupted by an assailant your disgusting surveillance bugs couldn't make heads or tails off?" Yoruichi spoke again, quickly getting under Mayuri's nerves. "You haven't figured out that it was me." She lies in an attempt to keep any further heat off Matsuri and to strengthen her claim, she gathers Reiatsu into her hand to generate red flames of the same Kidō Matsuri used on him.

"Or do you need a refresher with a demonstration?" She offered, really earning a glare from the mad scientist. Soifon for her part is now directly glaring at Mayuri before turning away.

"Now, now. There is no need to get all violent when we're all trying to form a partnership of a sort." Shunsui insisted and luckily, Yoruichi was just teasing, though in truth she wanted to kill the damn clown.

"While we're on the subject of criticizing my group of ''poor'' decisions, why don't we get to the meatgrinder already, that being your own inaction," Ichigo spoke up a bit louder to keep all attention on him. "Yoruichi told me all about the Shinigami Agent before me and how he screwed things up so bad you all became paranoid of ever trusting another human with your powers. She also told me what the proper punishment Rukia was actually supposed to face but instead, she was given the death penalty and none of you lifted a finger to get to the bottom of why?"

Ichigo expected a lot of things, mainly negatives, like them blatantly denying any responsibility for their blunder, shifting the blame solely on him and his group.

Complete silence due to the guilt they want to hide. Anything that will continue to paint them in a bad light.

The one thing his experience did not prepare him for was some honesty from the Head Captain.

"An easy question with a difficult answer," Genryūsai replied neutrally. "We, the Gotei 13 are sworn to be the most dutybound in all the Soul Society to maintain order and stability, to preserve the Balance of Souls between this world and Humanity. To accomplish this, we must all strive to be the perfect warriors and balancers, never make any mistakes, and only ever achieve success. However, we are unfortunately the furthest thing from perfect." He admitted.

"It is not that we didn't notice the folly in the orders we were given. For the upper echelon of Soul Society to disregard our laws is something that no Shinigami should allow but that in itself is a silent war I have been fighting for millennia and in that there is no end in sight without being forced to spill so much needless blood," His words give Ichigo pause from anything he wanted to say. And to that, no one says anymore for a while, the solemness is overwhelming, and even the most stubborn among them who hold on to their pride so strongly are willing to admit they're just as responsible for the recent events.

The meeting went on for a while longer and Ichigo, Isshin, and Rukia were sent back to the dungeon for another day before the Captains decided to pardon all of the Ryoka and the rebellious Shinigami who sided with them. Like it or not, they were all in this together and unless Aizen is stopped, continuing to fight each other will only benefit him.

"Ichigo!" Orihime cried with joy upon seeing him again and their friends who came to see her as she was exiting the 4th Division Barracks to have some fresh air.

Out of impulse, she runs over to give Ichigo a bearhug, having been worried since she wasn't able to see him after the battle ended, and while she has done well to save so many injured from death, so much so that she has earned the respect and even admiration of the Shinigami, she was constantly fretting over him in that dark dungeon she was told he was locked in. With the others, she didn't worry as much because she knew they were at least in good health enough to not be too uncomfortable or miserable, at least as far as Yoruichi told her.

While initially caught off by the sudden affection, Ichigo simply smiles for her sake. "It's nice to see you too, Hime,"

"I was so worried. They wouldn't let me see you or the others until I was done helping everyone I could, which I wanted to do anyway but it was so hard to sleep," Orihime sobbed.

"And from what we've been told, you've already become a celebrity in the Seireitei, making sure no one who was burned by the Sōkyoku's flames would die. Even Captain Unohana is impressed by you," Rukia smiled at her.

"Rukia!" Orihime rapidly focuses her attention on her petite friend despite never losing her hold on Ichigo. "Does this mean they're finally letting you go too?"

"Yeah, now that all attention has been shifted to Aizen, the Gotei 13 has chosen to treat us as their allies, at least for the time being. It all depends on how well we perform to remain in their good graces," Yoruichi explained.

"Which won't be too hard, since Shinigami are woefully ignorant," Uryū scoffed, his Quincy Pride getting to him a bit.

"You're a bowl of sunshine, aren't you," Renji hissed.

"All is well and ends well, that's all I have to say," Ganju sighed, glad that he could go home now, and hopefully, his sister will praise him for enduring all this madness instead of beating him up. She couldn't possibly think he'd been slacking off and punish him needlessly, could she?

Nah, she'll be busy abusing their lousy excuse of an uncle to bother with him, so today is a good day to live.

"Aww, I'm so relieved that everything turned out okay," Hanatarō sighed.

"Don't celebrate just yet. Remember that the aftermath of every battle is always harder than people like to think," Isshin reminded.

Kenpachi and his subordinates won't be bothered too much or at all by the rest of the Gotei 13 but Renji, Matsuri, and Hanatarō may not be so fortunate. Aizen being the true mastermind won't change the fact that they rebelled against their allies and sided with the invaders, they'll be lucky if being demoted is the worst they go through. The one with the biggest trouble is Matsuri, many will not react well to the knowledge that she's been suspecting Aizen for a long time and withheld it, and those she is close to in the 3rd, 5th, and 9th Division will be especially angry with her, who are all heartbroken by the betrayal of their Captains and may lash out, not that Sajin and Yoruichi will allow it.

"Does this mean we can go home now?" Orihime asked hopeful.

"Soon. Right now I want proper relaxation so we'll return to Kūkaku's place. There is still a lot of baggage that needs to be unpacked before Karakura," Ichigo assured her. "Speaking of things to unpack. Getsuhime!"

At his command, the Black Dragon appeared before them, or rather was always there, right behind Orihime but was just invisible until she was called. Her sudden appearance makes almost everyone shout in shock.

"IT'S BACK!" A nurse from a window noticed the Ryoka coming in and cried in horror as soon as Getsuhime reappeared and everyone in the vicinity who is not with the Ryoka runs away.

"So… how have you been doing, girl?" Ichigo asked his Zanpakutō.

"Everyone has been an atrocious conversationalist," Getsuhime retorted.

"Do you expect anyone to be comfortable talking to you when you look like that?" Uryū muttered.

"Screw you, Uryū," Ichigo scoffed. "Anyway, I hope at least you've been very good with Orihime aside from keeping any sick assholes away from her."

"It's been a bumpy few days," Orihime said cheerfully while trying to hide the fact that she spent most of the aftermath scared herself to be guarded by an actual dragon. It's one thing to be friends with someone who has the kanji for dragon in her name and tends to be too protective but this is going overboard. Speaking of Tatsuki. "In fact, it honestly felt like having Tatsuki beside me every step of the way."

This had the undesired effect of making Ichigo gasps at her audacity.

"What?" She asked confused, which turned to worry when he removed her arms from him and he was now glaring at her.

"How dare you," He growled lowly before backing away from her. "Let's go Getsuhime! I want to get out of here."

"Finally," Getsuhime sighed as she began to shrink and morph back into her human form with her sword self manifesting into Ichigo's left hand. "I could use some shut-eye." She said before returning to Ichigo's Inner World and her sword self gets resealed and put back into her sheath, and Ichigo immediately departs.

"W-Wait! Ichigo… What did I do wrong?" She cried hysterically, not understanding what she did to earn her crush's scorn. This could ruin everything.

"She seriously never realized that he and Tatsuki hate each other?" Rukia questioned dumbfounded by how things escalated so stupidly.

"I wouldn't say that they hate each other but they just… don't like to see the other happy. More so Ichigo," Chad tried to clarify as best he could.

"Sounds like hate to me. What's this Tatsuki like?" Renji asked.

"She's basically a female version of Madarame, except she prefers to fight with her fists and she's essentially a Misandrist," Rukia explained. "Though in Ichigo's defense, I can understand why he is upset with Orihime comparing his Zanpakutō to her."

"That's a dark saga in our high school life that will end tragically," Uryū predicted.

(End of Flashback)

So much happened after that, mainly directed at Isshin, most of it was pretty good. The Shinigami aren't really bad people once you get to know them, Ichigo would be hard-pressed to call any of them terrible, except for Mayuri, a little standoffish to be sure but then again everyone has their ups and downs.

The real issue was Kenpachi.

As much as he and Getsuhime didn't want to, they owed him for helping them out with their fight against the Captains so they reluctantly gave Kenpachi the second round he demanded, and this time they had even more spectators than Ichigo was comfortable with but at least it came with the benefit of giving the Gotei 13 a clearer image of his power since he beat Kenpachi again but doing so was more difficult than the first time since the 11th Division Captain had also gotten stronger somehow.

He kept getting back for more that Ichigo had to use his new power but without summoning the Dragon this time, to finally put him down. To his chagrin, losing again only made the madman even happier and crave another fight. Needless to say, Ichigo may or may not have a fear of battle now.

Ichigo still isn't comfortable considering the Gotei 13 his allies, even if he's fond of plenty of them, there is still the matter of if or when they'll trade blows once again as the glaring factor they all seem intent on holding on to is their sickening pride and being bested by an unnatural hybrid of both Human and Shinigami doesn't sit well with many of them.

He can't help but want to sleep with one eye open and hold on to his friends and family a lot tighter than he normally does. For now, he really can sleep comfortably because they all share a common enemy in Aizen, until he is defeated, Soul Society can't waste too much time pondering on Isshin and Ichigo, nor the still exiled Kisuke Urahara, especially since the Shinigami Research Department Institute is still in shambles because of the virus they now know Sōsuke created that left too much of an impact on their system with so much data lost.

Mayuri has become vengefully volatile that he never once acknowledged that his daughter Nemu was returned to him safely, something Ichigo considers a blessing since he might abuse her due to her failure. For all her apathy, Nemu is quite sweet. Hopefully, she'll free herself from Mayuri one day.

Kisuke Urahara is another problem entirely. It was only after they rescued Rukia and they regrouped in the Study Chamber that Isshin and Yoruichi, or rather Yoruichi came clean about his involvement since Ichigo's dad was really only in it to pay his debt to Rukia.

The Hōgyoku that Kisuke built is a pretty powerful device that can grant an individual like Shinigami Hollow powers, transforming them into a hybrid of the two, and it can also grant someone Shinigami powers, which even a Hollow can receive to become a different but still compatible hybrid called an Arrancar.

Kisuke was determined to learn the secrets of Hollowfication but more importantly, why were the ancient ancestors of the Noble Clans so obsessed that they came up with the concept in the first place? Ichigo surprised himself with how well he took the news but was still almost as hurt as Rukia by the obvious betrayal. He was starting to like that Hat and Clogs.

And like any typical mad scientist who developed a conscience far too late, all attempts to destroy what he created had no success, and eventually, Kisuke concluded that the only solution to rid himself of the Hōgyoku was to seal it within a protective shell that could infuse it with a person's soul, which is the best place to hide anything but a Human Soul was unethical and wouldn't survive the union initially, thus a Shinigami's Soul was deemed more useful.

The Gigai Kisuke gave Rukia would overtime turn her soul into that of a human as a side effect of the merger to make the Hōgyoku completely unusable once and for all, forcing her to live the life of a mortal just like Isshin, the only difference being that she wasn't given a choice.

It was a decision Yoruichi assured them was something Kisuke struggled for a very long time to dismiss the plan altogether but ultimately concluded that this decision was the best outcome.

Somehow Aizen found out about this outrageous plan and correctly deduced that the Hōgyoku would survive Rukia being incinerated by the Sōkyoku, thus separating them, hence why they had to rescue her in the first place.

Frankly, Kisuke is nothing if not difficult to contend with, even before they found out about this. Ultimately, it was decided that they would tolerate him for now with the hopes that he could redeem himself. Rukia forgave Byakuya in a heartbeat so maybe there's hope for Kisuke.

On the subject of Getsuga Shukenja, as Aizen said, it is not a part of Ichigo's Shinigami powers but it is one that Getsuhime can control with the Dragon being a physical body for her to inhabit and move about to better support Ichigo in combat. It just isn't a power he'd ever imagine he would have.

(Flashback)

"Fullbring?" Ichigo repeated, trying to process what Getsuhime just told him regarding the Getsuga Shukenja, a topic that took place after returning home in his Inner World. "So I'm like Orihime and Chad."

"Correct, and frankly, it is unbecoming of you to seem troubled by this considering that you should be used to your own oddity by now," Getsuhime said.

"How could I not be troubled by what you're telling me? I have Hollow powers as well," Ichigo protested. "I only just started managing to cope with the fact that I am part Shinigami. I haven't begun to process the whole Quincy thing and now you're telling me this. And given how your hands were on the wheels the whole time you must've known about this since the beginning."

"Of course, I am one with every part of your being, including the source of all your powers. It isn't a stretch to say that I'm the source of everything, including me being your, let's call it an Inner Hollow," She explained all the while hiding the true weight of her deception. "I didn't bring it up sooner because I too am appalled by such an essence being inside you and tried to hide it but Aizen's actions forced me to abandon my pride as a Zanpakutō and utilize this unwanted power."

"I admit, if you had brought this up to me sooner I would've told you to keep it locked up forever as well," He sighed, trying to keep a more level head, all while feeling a massive headache from this newfound stress. "Aizen was… unbelievable. If not for this thing inside we might've died back there."

"It's not a thing, Ichigo, it's Reiryoku in a state arguably purer than a Shinigami's and in a more humane form that is passable enough to not feel revolted by it," Getsuhime said with zero intent to mention the Hollow still being conscious, as hard as she has been trying to reduce him to just energy.

'At least the Old Man is out of the picture,'

"And I suppose Yasutora Sado made a valid point. Hollows are former humans who lost themselves to despair but as long as you remain yourself this power is yours to use as you choose,"

"Chad always was the more level-headed of the group," Ichigo mused, conceding that he was overreacting. "How does Fullbring even work? And did I get this power because a Hollow attacked my mom?"

"Palpably. She is a Quincy, or rather she was, so fighting Hollows was her lifestyle. I'm interested in learning how she survived having Hollow Reiatsu inside of her long enough to have you because Quincy are a fickle subspecies of Humans. Despite being rivals to Shinigami, their bodies have a 0% chance of enduring Hollowfication as their power is poisonous unlike with Shinigami who have a 20-40% chance of surviving the process and becoming hybrids. I find Fullbringers to be a more worthy subspecies in that regard."

"Well, this is my mom we're talking about, so I guess Death decided to have a sick day," Ichigo joked, unsurprised that his mother overcame something that was supposed to be fatal to her people. Then again, his dad and Kisuke likely had a hand in her recovery. He still hasn't asked her why she lost her powers. He will get his answers from her in time, for now, he doesn't want any more baggage.

"So how exactly does this new power work?" He asked. Getsuhime is not eager about it but will tell her master everything he needs to know to get stronger.

"Fullbring enables you to manipulate the "souls" contained within matter. Because Reishi from the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo has been leaking into this world for countless millennia, everything, even rudimentary objects such as lampposts and chairs have been imbued with a spiritual essence, granting them a pseudo soul, however small," Ichigo's eyes widen to the bizarre explanation, not able to fathom something nonliving having a soul.

"By using their power to "pull" on these lesser souls, Fullbringers can manipulate the object's movement or even alter its physical characteristics. By pulling on the soul of water, Fullbringers can walk across its surface without falling through, and similarly, they can walk on air by manipulating the souls of the sky to create footholds. Many more feats are possible, making the technique highly versatile. Unlike other spiritual beings, Fullbringers use their power with their physical bodies. Because of this, they must train extensively to build up their stamina so they can use it properly."

"But our Fullbring seems to work in tandem with my Shinigami form so I presume you had something to do with that," Ichigo said.

"That has more to do with your will influencing this power to suit your true nature, further proving that your destiny is with the Shinigami, loathe as we are to trust those fools,"

"I do love wielding blades. I wonder how well I can "pull" one of these souls to my whims," Ichigo said.

"Let's find out," Getsuhime said, and in an instant, Ichigo found himself back in his room.

"Go get a glass of water from the refrigerator," She instructed and he was quick to comply, moving downstairs and into his kitchen, silently relieved that his dad was attending to a patient at the moment.

"Now what?" Ichigo asked once he got himself a glass full of water.

"Maintain your grip on the glass and pour a tiny portion of your Reiatsu into the water, exactly 0.1%," She said confident that his Reiatsu control was good enough for this simple task.

He first places the glass on the table as a percussion, his hand never letting go. As soon as he channeled his spirit energy to pour on the water, he noticed a flickering of green luminescent light is generated on his hand that was poured into the water, and in a matter of seconds, the water was pulled out of the glass and now lies floating beside Ichigo's face.

"Wow…" He muttered, surprised that he was capable of something that wasn't destructive, at least he hoped that was the case.

"This is but a taste of Fullbring. When you feel like it, we can work on perfecting this as well,"

"Damn right, we will,"

(End of Flashback)

Right now everyone just wants to relax in their homes and try to get some normalcy back in their lives, but Ichigo cannot dismiss the ache in him, the desire to continue improving himself and prepare for his next battle. Sōsuke Aizen wasn't just a Captain-Class Shinigami, no, he was in a league of his own, hopefully not as strong as Head Captain Yamamoto but still a threat, unlike anything Ichigo has ever seen, or will ever again if he's fortunate. He's made things personal, and Ichigo will not accept defeat by him again and must get stronger.

"I'm heading out," Ichigo said to his dad after finally settling down from Getsuhime's brutal training and dressing up in all-black attire.

"You look like one of those street punks who are always harassing you," Isshin blatantly insulted.

"Shut up! At least I don't look like a goat, or smell like one," Ichigo hissed.

"You say that now but one day, when you finally get facial hair, you'll be proud to have such a glorious chin like mine," Isshin mused with lots of vanity. "Your mother loves it."

"Screw you! And you can bet your hairy ass I'll never grow a beard, and if I do I'll cut it off so that no one will ever compare us!" He snapped at his father before leaving.

It's been like this ever since they got back, the hard truth is that these two have never been in the house by themselves before, at least not since Ichigo was twelve, and without Masaki or the twins, the fights between the two are even more constant and more intense that the neighbors called the cops on them. That never happened with Masaki around and she isn't exactly sane either.

(Flashback: The First Night since returning to Karakura)

"NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I CAN'T TAKE IT! I CAN'T TAKE IT! MASAKI!" Isshin cried like a baby while trying to sleep in his bed.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Ichigo immediately rushed into his room looking angrier than ever. "It's 2 a.m. you damn old man!"

"My son! I can't sleep. I can't rest while my beloved wife is so far away from me. I have only nightmares. It's torture. Torture, I tell you," Isshin whaled.

"How fucking old are you! Sleeping is the easiest thing in the world. The only ones who should be having a hell of a time are those with Insomnia and the only condition you have is that you're a pathetic man-child," Ichigo sneered.

"You just don't understand the burden of being a married man. I hope one day soon you'll experience the glory of having a wife and the pain of not having her by your side," Isshin pouted.

"If that's the case I'll just be a bachelor for the rest of my life then," Ichigo declared, determined to never be like his father. This sent Isshin over the edge as he instantly jumped off his bed and kicked Ichigo in the chest.

"WHAT?! You refuse to give me grandchildren!" Isshin boiled with so many veins in his face popping. "Unforgivable! You are unworthy of the Kurosaki name!"

"SHUT UP!" Ichigo seethed as a fight commenced that took them to his room where he picked up the combat badge Ukitake gave him and tried to shove it into Isshin's mouth. "You're so damn annoying!"

"Masaki! Our son is bullying me!" Isshin cried while trying to keep the badge off his mouth.

Things got heated during the third night…

Isshin groans, waking up after having another fight with his son and Ichigo went a little too far, using a cooking pod to bash him in the head, knocking him out cold.

That was just the tip of the iceberg as what woke him up was dirt thrown at his face, when he finally snapped out of it, he found himself inside a hole in his backyard dug up by Ichigo who put him there and then proceeded to place all the earth back in the hole with a shovel. The shine of the moon's waxing gibbous lunar phase right above them.

"Ichigo! What are you doing?" Isshin gasped in genuine horror.

"What does it look like? I'm burying you," Ichigo seethed as he placed more dirt on his father. He didn't even bother to tie him up, the shock of what his own son is doing to him is helping with that.

"But I'm alive, son! I'm alive!" He cried but Ichigo just kept putting more dirt on him.

"You're waking the neighbors again is what you are," Ichigo hissed, refusing to stop.

"Patricide, Ichigo! This is patricide!" Isshin yelled.

"Pest control is more like it!" Ichigo snapped. "And when you're out of the way, I'm going to find that filthy extra lab coat you wear only to sleep and burn it."

Ichigo takes a sigh of relief, now with his old man taken care of he heads inside his house. But his crime will not go unpunished as from the grave, Isshin Kurosaki lives again, crawling his way out.

"You will not harm the coat I use to make love to your mother!" He screamed tackling Ichigo to the ground.

"ZOMBIE!" Ichigo cried in horror as he struggled to push Isshin off him. "I HATE ZOMBIES! GET OFF OF ME!"

Watching the madness unfold are Kisuke and Yoruichi who've been viewing the spectacle since it started.

"We really should do something about this," Yoruichi insisted while she was drinking a soda she brought with her.

"Tomorrow without question. So we will savor this moment while it lasts," Kisuke snickered. "Want some popcorn?"

"Don't mind if I do,"

(End of Flashback)

Ichigo decides that he needs to cool himself down, can't afford to let his whole day be ruined when he and his dad aren't fighting again and the only way to keep it that way until his mom and sisters return to shield him is to stay out all day.

Heck, he'll need to sleep outside, he doesn't care. This isn't even his real body, just some empty shell that Kon would desperately want for himself, so he'd better burn it when he reclaims his body.

The question is what to do all day. He has enough money to buy all the food and drinks he needs but where to hang out is what's puzzling.

Out of a mere whim, he reaches for his right pocket and picks up a wooden badge with a silly black skull and an X design on the center that was given to him by Captain Ukitake before he left the Soul Society.

"The last human who gained the powers of a Shinigami indeed betrayed us but before that tragic day, we were truly beholden to him and his accomplishments. He helped us acknowledge the true worth of humans and with your father's guidance, I'm sure the Soul Society will come to truly trust you eventually. This is why you will need this badge. When the Gotei 13 accepts a human as an ally it's a tradition that they are given this as proof of their allegiance," Ukitake's words come back to his thoughts.

'You don't seem very happy that I have this thing,' Ichigo mused to Getsuhime.

"I trust nothing that comes from that place and neither should you. The Reishi-filled air reeked of deception," Getsuhime replied, feeling only bad omens from the combat pass. "Your father also seemed apprehensive when you showed it to him so receiving it only solidifies that the Soul Society remains our enemy."

"Yeah, I be lying if I said I wasn't suspicious by the way Jūshirō described this thing to me," Ichigo frowned. "Still, the fact that Dad hasn't voiced any objection must mean that he trusts Ukitake enough not to be too wary or malicious so I'll hold on to it for now. It can help with tracking Hollows and exit my physical form so it's too useful to give up because of paranoia. Worst case scenario, I trust your judgment if we have to cross blades with them again." Ichigo declared while secretly hoping that he was not making a mistake.

"So be it,"

As he continued with his walk, Ichigo must've lost sight of where he was going because of his concerns for the badge, surprised to find himself at the entrance of the Karakura Cemetery.

"Damn, it's a wonder I haven't been run over by a car or bumped into a wall if I never realized I'd end up here," Ichigo mused about his negligence. "Was this your doing?"

"Either someone hypnotized you into coming here or your previous trauma subconsciously drew you back. Definitely the latter," She said somberly.

"Yeah… that sounds about right," Ichigo muttered and decided to go inside, the woods nearby always give out a calming presence to those who walk in, helping them be at ease while mourning the fallen. Then again, those trees may not help him much anymore, especially when concerning what happened the last time he was here with the image of a Hollow coming to mind.

A giant hamster with red bird-like hands and feet and a red tentacle-like limb that hangs from his forehead, similar to the lure of an anglerfish, and what really got under Ichigo's skin was his menacing red eyes.

Ichigo sighs a bit with the images getting to him.

"Does the Grand Fisher still haunt you?" Getsuhime asked him.

"Yeah. It doesn't matter that I beat and purified him. I don't think the scars will ever heal," Ichigo said sadly. "The only thing that helps me continue to walk tall is that the family has moved on. Well, maybe not my mom but it's enough for me that her smiles are real unlike before when she was always scared."

"No one is ever truly fearless. Sooner or later our courage will run out but that doesn't mean the end is near," Getsuhime stated.

"I hope you're right. Now that I think about it, maybe what that bastard Kaname said about his principle holds more merit despite his actions. A heart that can connect with fear," Ichigo pondered another past event and what Kaname Tōsen said to him. He remains the enemy but that doesn't mean everything he says is malicious.

"There will be time to contemplate this another day, for now, you should try to relax," Getsuhime suggested.

"I know. Guess coming here was a mistake after all," Ichigo sighed deciding to leave the cemetery. "The question is what to do now?"

"You could always see what you're friends are doing," Getsuhime suggested.

"I wish that were an option but Chad is with his band, making up for lost time and I'd only be an inconvenience. It'll be a cold day in Hell before Uryū is okay with me being in his house, especially letting me be near Kairi. The best option for me to spend the day with would be Orihime but unfortunately, she said she'd be spending the day with Tatsuki!" Ichigo's growing annoyance turns to wrath on that last part.

"So no visiting your other Princess?" Getsuhime concluded.

"Not the way I would phrase it but that is basically the issue," Ichigo muttered.

"That is a pity," Getsuhime stated while she was back in her garden raising new flowers. "Considering that some teenage humans act poorly when under a lot of pressure like you are feeling right now, and as a Shinigami, you are under a lot of unnatural pressure, spending time with a female companion would help relieve your stress and help you function more adequately in the future."

"OKAY! WHEN DID YOU START TALKING TO MY DAD BEHIND MY BACK AND HOW MUCH OF HIS CRAP DID YOU SWALLOW UP!" Ichigo seethed that his Inner World experienced a brief earthquake, causing the flowers Getsuhime was tending to fall apart.

"They weren't going to blossom to the estimated capacity anyway but it was worth a try," She said apathetically.

"HOLLOW! HOLLOW!"

Ichigo's fury is quelled once he hears his Badge turn on, warning him that another Hollow has surfaced into Karakura.

"Thank God, something to slice and dice," He muttered.

"Yes, murder is another excellent way to vent one's frustrations," Getsuhime agreed.

"Screw you, that's terrible. And does it even count as murder when those things are already dead?" He countered.

He places the badge on his chest, triggering his soul self to exit his Gigai, and he catches said body before it hits the ground and wordlessly activates his Shikai to rush to the Urahara Shop at blinding speed, landing in front of Ururu.

"Hollow hunting, would you mind watching this thing for me?" He requested the sweet girl and left the Gigai on the floor.

"Okay," She nodded before the Shinigami Agent took his leave.

Ichigo arrives in a park where he senses where the Hollow should be. He turned off his Shikai due to having no need for it, he didn't before when he was using Rukia's power. It didn't take long to find his target, a monkey-like Hollow appeared and it was chasing a small brown-haired girl that looked no older than ten.

'No one deserves to die so young,' Ichigo thought sadly at seeing the young girl's ghost. Currently, he stood on top of a large tree watching the young girl running along the grass heading straight for him. Behind her, the Hollow jumped off the surrounding trees causing many humans to wonder why leaves and branches were falling to the ground at an astonishing rate.

The Hollow finally caught up with the girl and jumped in front of her. The girl fell onto her rear in terror as the Hollow prepared to grab her.

"I wonder if you will be as delicious as your family was!" The Hollow said viciously. Just before he could grab her, Ichigo attacked. Before the Hollow knew it, his mask split into two from the vertical slash of Ichigo's Zanpakutō and his body disintegrated.

"Y-you killed it!" The young girl shouted at the man backing away terrified.

Ichigo let out a rare smile and told her. "No, I purified it,"

'Damn, so my speed was not enough and it devoured her whole family,' Ichigo thought bitterly.

"Grieving is pointless, the Hollow's been dealt with so the souls it has devoured have been freed," Getsuhime reminded, and he knew that to be true but that did not stop him from feeling angry at himself.

"Are you going to purify me too?!" She asked fearfully with her eyes focused on his sword.

Ichigo shook his head, "No, I purify those monsters and then send spirits like you to the Afterlife,"

"B-but…" The girl trembled and Ichigo understood her fear. She had just seen her family get eaten and now she was all alone.

"All those that were eaten by that monster went to Soul Society after I purified it," Ichigo assured her. "So your family is somewhere in Soul Society which is where I am sending you. I don't know if you will find them instantly when you get there but as long as you stay here you will never find them. Also in Soul Society, you won't have to worry about being chased by any more monsters."

"So my family is somewhere in this Soul Society?" The girl asked seeking clarification and Ichigo nodded. A determined glint flared up in her eyes. "Then send me there mister and I will find them!"

The bottom of Getsuhime's handle lit up with blue spiritual energy and he pressed it gently on the girl's forehead and she began to disappear.

"Good luck," Ichigo said before she disappeared completely. "Doesn't seem like there are any more Hollows around. Guess the rest of the day will continue to be boring."

"As long as you don't release any Reiatsu it'll stay that way,"

"Good. Boring is great, and I feel better after helping… that… girl," Ichigo said feeling confident before turning into confusion. He shifted his head to look up at the sky out of a whim only to gaze upon something unreal. A gigantic bubble with the image of the Seireitei.

"What in the world…" He uttered in disbelief.

"That's not something you see every day," Getsuhime narrowed her eyes.

"No shit but what is that?" Ichigo pressed. He next shifts his thoughts to his pocket when he hears the phone ring, picks it up, sees Kisuke's phone number, and immediately answers.

"I take it you see what I'm seeing," The Shopkeeper responded in a serious tone that gave the young Agent chills.

"What is going on, Kisuke?"

"Something I did not foresee would happen this soon and not ever to this extent," He replied.

"This is something that's supposed to happen?"

"That's not a question that can be given a short answer. Head over here and I'll explain everything," Kisuke instructed. "You should know that everyone in Soul Society is experiencing this phenomenon also, with Karakura visible above their sky, according to Yoruichi who is over there. It has not made their recovery any easy."

"I'll bet. I won't be long," Ichigo said, hanging off the phone.

"Must we go see him this early?" Getsuhime asked with apprehension.

"Let it go. We must know what the hell is going on," Ichigo lectured. But before he goes to see Kisuke, he is halted when he starts sensing some strange serge of Reiatsu. "What now?"

Something has appeared in the direction of Karakura's train station but if they were Hollow, then there would be at least a hundred all in one location. The area was far too small for that to be possible. He focused on sensing the Reiatsu at the station better and his eyes widened when the pressure felt far different from a Hollow's.

"Guess Kisuke will have to wait,"

"This spiritual force… I think I know what it is but I can't be certain without a close examination," Getsuhime said also feeling wary.

"Then let's get a closer look," Ichigo said, rushing straight into the Train Station where they got to see what was going on.

"What the hell are these things?!" Ichigo shouted in puzzlement at the sight of the spirits. They were pure white with pink pin-shaped heads. No human could see them nor did they attack any of the people around them, so what were they doing there?

"Blanks," Getsuhime frowned. "Unusual Souls that have lost their memories and have been reduced to wandering husks of their former selves."

"Is losing their memories that big of a deal?" Ichigo questioned while he walked among the Blanks to have a closer inspection.

"To a Spirit, nothing is more important than one's own identity, if you don't even have a name, then your existence is obsolete, leaving the Reishi body to deform. Unless you are a Shinigami, Spirits in Soul Society who suffer amnesia will wither away from that realm and become a Blank, and sometimes Souls of this world who pass on won't be able to survive the trip unscathed, either because of a weak will or any other phenomenon, they'll instead become a Blank, doomed to wander existence searching for their lost memories while instinctively seeking the comfort of fellow Blanks."

"That is so fucked up," Ichigo muttered in horror, unable to fathom such a fate. "Will I be able to help them with Konsō?"

"No, they're not traditional spirits, and besides, plenty among them surely ended up in this state after receiving a Konsō so you're more likely to aggravate them," She advised against doing that.

Just as Ichigo readied to make his next move on what to do about this new crisis, he looked back into the sky where a new Shinigami arrived. Said Shinigami is a female and a young one at that, perhaps two years younger than him, with long purple hair which was tied with a yellow ribbon. She wears the standard Shihakushō with a red ribbon tied around her waist and possesses large amber eyes.

Ichigo's focus was taken off her when suddenly the pink heads of the ghosts turned red and began swarming him.

"Hey! I don't accept unwanted hugs!" Ichigo snapped as he brushed a couple off him with a fierce swipe of his left arm. They stopped swarming him when a large wind was summoned behind them all and Ichigo felt a rise in the Shinigami's Reiatsu and correctly deduced that she was going to use her Shikai.

"Call forth the Twilight…" The Shinigami called out but Ichigo Shunpo'd up to her and smashed his Zanpakutō into hers.

"Stop! Those things aren't Hollows, nor are they harming anyone!" Ichigo shouted at her, feeling empathy for the tragic existence of the Blanks.

"Stay out of my way, you dumbass!" The Shinigami yelled back and quickly stepped on his face. She used his face as a spring to leap further into the air while causing Ichigo to plummet to the ground.

"Call forth the Twilight, Mirokumaru (Maitreya Circle)!" The Shinigami hollered and Ichigo watched her Zanpakutō turn yellow and it turned into a Khakkhara with a pointed tip. The Shinigami Agent watches in amazement when she summoned a large tornado and began destroying the ghosts. Ichigo also noticed that along with the tornado, there were plenty of orange and brown leaves. In a matter of seconds, all of the ghosts were gone along with the Shinigami.

"Can you believe how strong that wind was?"

"Any idea what just happened?" Many of the living wondered out loud.

"What is going on? Where did that Shinigami go?" Ichigo muttered after placing Getsuhime in her sheath and ignoring all the civilians who couldn't see him. He did, however, perk up when he heard a familiar voice shout out.

"Yes! That was awesome! They vanished!"

Ichigo spun around to see that same girl inside her Gigai. In her Gigai she wears a light brown shirt with a dark brown skirt and maroon tie.

"Ha-ha! Yes, yes, y-yes, ¡yes! Oh, that felt so good…!" The girl cheered doing a little jig but stopped immediately when she spotted Ichigo looking at her. "Oh, great… It's the dumbass!"

Ichigo screamed pointing a finger at her, "It was you! Hold on, how'd you change into your Gigai so fast?"

"I don't know…" She shrugged calmly.

"Tell me who you are!" Ichigo demanded. Why would Soul Society send a Shinigami when he was already here protecting the town?

"I'm a Shinigami," Was her blunt reply and it annoyed Ichigo.

"That's your occupation. I mean your name of identity,"

"If you want to know someone's name, it's best to introduce yourself first," The female Shinigami pointed out.

"Fine. Ichigo Kurosaki," The Shinigami Agent replied. Not only did Soul Society send a Shinigami but they also didn't even tell her about him. What was up with that place?

To Getsuhime, this incident is strike one.

"See! That wasn't so hard. And my name is Senna," Senna told him joyfully and turned away, "Later!"

"You're not going anywhere! Not until you tell me why you did that!" Ichigo snapped annoyed.

Senna looked back dully and answered, "Because it is my job…"

"Shinigami fight Hollows and those things were something else, therefore attacking them was needless and cruel," Ichigo pressed and was startled when she screamed.

"What's wrong?!" Ichigo said worriedly looking around. "Are they back?"

Senna immediately ran to one of the large windows of a store. "This is bad! I knew it!"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked her dryly.

Senna reached up and touched the yellow ribbon that tied her hair up, "Hmm… nope, yellow just isn't my color,"

"What difference does that make?" Ichigo replied annoyed and grasped her shoulder to stop her to pull her with him. "Let's go."

"Hey, take it easy!" Senna protested.

"This day just turned to Hell for me, so you're not leaving until I figure out what is going on," Ichigo snapped.

---

'Ichigo?' Orihime wondered, having felt her crush's Reiatsu around the Train Station that she and Tatsuki were passing by alongside another individual whom she had no idea who it could be except that it felt like another Shinigami.

It couldn't have been Rukia, hers is just as easily noticeable as Ichigo's.

Why would the Soul Society have sent someone else to guard Karakura if the town already has Ichigo?

"Something on your mind?" Tatsuki asked her, noticing the curious look in Orihime's eyes.

"Oh? I just thought there was something interesting around here, but I guess I was wrong," She replied and it wasn't a lie, as she was sure Ichigo was here as a Shinigami. She hates lying to her best friend but in this case, Arisawa, who can normally tell when Orihime is lying to her, detects no falsehoods from the orange girl.

"By interesting, you mean Ichigo passing by here?" The tomboy of Karakura High was pretty close to spot-on with her question and she received her confirmation from Orihime blushing madly until her face, as well as her neck, turned crimson.

"W-W-Why would you say that…?" She uttered embarrassed. "Itsnotlikespentthiswholetimetryingtotrackhimdownoranything!"

"Slow down, ''Mrs. Kurosaki'', I wasn't interested in an answer," Tatsuki shrugged, never caring but also not supporting her friend's affection for the man whom she still sees as a loser. Still, he is a better pick than Chizuru, if Orihime turns out to be bisexual that is. "Anyway, I'm off to the ladies' restroom. You coming?"

"N-no, I'm fine," She said trying to calm her nerves after her embarrassing attempt to deny her feelings. Sure, she's been keeping track of Ichigo's presence all day but that wasn't intentional as his Reiatsu is overwhelming, no matter how well he tries to suppress it to prevent Hollows from being drawn to him. She, Chad, and Uryū are always aware of where he currently is because of how attached they've become to him.

Orihime is now all by herself with the train station momentarily less crowded so she can cool herself a bit without anyone giving her too many odd stares. Peaceful. Just the way she loves it and always wants it to be.

She just wishes Ichigo felt the same…

Then suddenly, a new Reiatsu surges within the train station. Again this feels like a Shinigami and no one else would sense it unless nearby like she is to it. it feels very subtle and calm but underneath there is a deep hatred that is almost poisonous.

She turns around to her right to see the source of this power that rivals the Gotei Captains. A man taller than Chad, with long white hair that reaches down past his shoulders, a scar from his forehead, traced diagonally down to the corner of his jaw. He wears a strange dark armor with a gold border, along with a long black cape, with a red interior, and what looks like a gold frill from his waist, connected to his red obi belt-like sash.

Orihime stays paralyzed on the spot, unable to move because of the man's intimidating force, and is certain that if she does make a move, she'll be dead instantly. Unable to do anything and awaiting death, she is somewhat relieved and confused when the man instead walks past her without a care, as though he never even noticed her, or perhaps he is unaware that she is a Watcher.

"The Human World. It's changed so much," He spoke with a voice filled with nostalgia. "Despite these people as a whole never changing at their core, their creativity remains as enviable as ever."

He praises the architecture of Karakura, looking as though he's never seen a city like this before. It almost reminds Orihime of how Rukia used to look at her world during her time here, which at the time she brushed off as her being overly cheerful about everything because of her upbeat disguise. No doubt now that he is from the Soul Society also.

"The Goddess was here, along with several Blanks but I arrived too late," He muttered to himself. "No matter, she's impossible to miss."

Both she and the Man are caught almost off guard when they hear the howling of a Hollow who arrives standing above the train station, and this one resembles a humanoid rhino. It lunges forward, going straight for the man who remains passive and unworried. In the blink of an eye, a Japanese Jian with a black blade and white edges manifests in his right hand that he uses to cleave the Hollow in two and it fades away similarly to when one is slain by a Zanpakutō but to Orihime there was something different about it.

Another Hollow pops up that tries to attack the man from behind, and he sees it coming so he remains unconcerned.

"Santen Kesshun, I Reject!" Orihime called upon the power of her Hairpins, summoning her shield to block the Hollow herself, confusing it and the Man, having never seen a human display such an ability. Either way, the man disposes of the Hollow just as quickly before Orihime could even blink. She dispels her shield once she is sure that there is no more danger in the immediate area.

"Interesting, I have heard rumors of humans with special abilities but that shield does not fit the description I've read about Quincy," The Man said finally giving Orihime her attention.

"No, I'm not a Quincy but I am close with a few of them," She replied.

"So there were some who survived the Second Massacre. That is surprising news," He said but his smile wasn't heartwarming, nor truly sincere, just happy to some extent. "Though I must ask, why would you bother helping me, whom you do not know even by name when it was clear that I needed no help disposing of trash."

"I knew that. It's just that I don't like to sit by and do nothing when I could be of help," She answered with a determination that was the result of her role in saving Rukia.

The man is not impressed and scoffs at her.

"So you're one of those misguided children who believes that it is important to spread goodness and mercy to others no matter who they are or what they've done, eh?" He questioned.

"What?" She asked, caught up by his harsh words.

"My dear, you have so much growing up to do. If you are close with those called Quincy then you should know better, so let me give you some real-life advice to help you in your adulthood, if you make it that far before your mindset gets you killed," The man said now with a more serious expression. "Abandon your innocence and forsake your current ideals. Neither this world nor the next will ever deserve what you offer them. In the end, they will only betray you."

With that said, the man vanishes using Shunpo, leaving a dumbfounded Orihime behind.

---

To Ichigo's increasing chagrin, one thing led to another and he ended up in the mall where Senna leans her hands forward, grasping onto a wired fence as she observed the outside structure of the mall.

"They have a Ferris wheel!" Senna shouted excitedly. The large Ferris wheel was noticeable behind the mall. "I wanna ride that next!"

Senna looked back at Ichigo slowly approaching her with a grin. He was back in his Gigai, he had to first go pick up from the Urahara Shop, promised Kisuke that he would return soon as he first wanted to clear things up with Senna due to feeling sore about the presence of another Shinigami in Karakura.

"Sorry, what is it that you wanted to know?" Senna asked him.

"What Division are you in and why did Soul Society send you when I am already here?" Ichigo inquired. He already suspects that she's from the 13th but he wants to hear it from her.

Senna shrugged helplessly, "I forget… I don't remember little details like that. I know I belong to one of those Divisions,"

"How can you not remember what Division you are in? Who sent you?" Ichigo questioned her.

However, Senna just laughed and skipped away making sure to only place one foot in each of the square blocks on the path. "If I forgot, I forgot. I don't see the difference it makes. Besides, I woke up on the river shore yesterday, so I wasn't sent here,"

"Unbelievable…" Ichigo muttered making a mental note of that. Does this mean she is a rogue Shinigami? However, considering that she doesn't know what Division she is in but believes she is in one might mean that her memory has been tampered with.

If she is a Shinigami then she shouldn't be at risk of becoming a Blank but all the same, he should keep a better eye on her.

"Do you know anything about the Blanks?"

"No idea," Senna answered bluntly.

A woman walking a small white dog walked past and Senna asked her, "He's so cute! May I pet him?"

"Sure…" The woman replied with a smile and Senna crouched down. The dog must have enjoyed it due to how fast its tail was wagging.

"I just had this feeling that I should get rid of them, you know?" Senna explained to Ichigo after the woman and her dog walked away. Senna jumped back up and began jogging around. "It was a hunch. People get those, right?"

"What's with her?" Ichigo muttered aggravated and he closed his eyes. He rubbed his head a little to weaken the slight headache he was getting. "She just can't stay still."

"Hence why you need to keep your eyes on her constantly," Getsuhime countered.

Ichigo gulped when she said that, looking up and saw that Senna was nowhere in sight.

"Damn! I just took my eye off her for a moment!" He exclaimed and ran after her. Fortunately, he could still feel her Reiatsu in the area.

"H-Hey!" Ichigo shouted seeing her not far ahead. It seemed she had slowed down because she had begun skipping again.

"Jeez, you're persistent…" Senna mumbled and ran off forcing Ichigo to pick up the pace.

The first floor of the mall had a large open area with some benches littered in the center along with a wired monument. There are multiple escalators around to take people up to the other floors. Ichigo trails behind the energetic Senna and sees her skipping near one of the large blue pillars that holds the mall up.

No matter how close he got, she somehow managed to pull away.

"Remember when you told me that if I answered your questions you'd do anything I asked you to?" Senna giggled running away from him.

"I didn't agree to anything like that!" Ichigo retorted weaving through some people.

"Let's play tag! You're it!" Senna laughed joyfully looking back at Ichigo.

"Wait! I don't want to play tag!" Ichigo shouted back just as she quickly turned the corner.

Ichigo continued to follow her but after he turned the corner, he lost all sight of her. The area that he was in now was the performance area of the mall where at night many live shows would be performed. It was usually magic tricks.

"Hey, Senna! Come out wherever you are!" Ichigo shouted annoyed. This was just like when he was younger and playing hide and seek with Yuzu and Karin. "I don't believe this…"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but our time would be better spent hearing what the Wretch has to say," Getsuhime suggested, reaching her limit with the stupidity named Senna.

"Yeah, screw her for now," Ichigo relented but vowed to return at a later point.

He quickly left the mall just as Senna popped out from behind a pillar with a grin. Now she could explore this place without him badgering her.

---

"Sorry for the delay, I feel stupid for all the time I wasted," Ichigo muttered, sitting on a black cushion at a small round brown wooden table with Kisuke sitting opposite to him and Tessai to Ichigo's right. Orihime, who came to the shop to inform Kisuke of what she witnessed, sat on Ichigo's left. "What do you got for me?"

"At 12:15 P.M. in Seireitei, our beloved Karakura suddenly appeared in the middle of the sky just like it did here. Unfortunately, none of us noticed until 3 P.M. so I sent Yoruichi to Soul Society and she discovered what I had suspected. Fortunately, she knew of a way to contact me despite the issues Soul Society is having," Kisuke explained to Ichigo.

"What kind of trouble?" Ichigo asked him.

"The S.R.D.I. detected a massive disturbance in the human world's spectral frequencies. One minute later they lost all contact with us. Fortunately, I built a device in my spare time that allows my communication devices to operate on a private frequency and so it wasn't affected,"

"Okay… What does that mean?" Ichigo questioned blankly. Why couldn't Kisuke just explain things in a language he understood?

"As you kids know, our universe has two significant worlds… the Human World and the Soul Society. Between them is the Dangai which serves as a tunnel… as well as its main purpose, to keep the two worlds from colliding," Kisuke reminded him.

"About three days ago, another dimension appeared between the Dangai and the Human World. It began to expand rapidly… bridging the gap and adhering to both worlds. At this point, it appears that the area that attached itself is acting like a lens. Now the Human World looks as though it's located within the Soul Society, which is in a different dimension. In other words, it just looks like a mirage. In the Human World, the image of the Seireitei appears in the sky. Yoruichi told me that Soul Society tried sending in the Onmitsukidō over there but it failed."

"Ms. Shihōin certainly gets information quickly…" Orihime commented impressed.

Kisuke nodded. "So, now we're investigating the influx of spiritual waves into the Human World,"

"Which would be the Blanks," Ichigo replied.

"That is correct. This means that this dimension is Kyōgoku (Valley of Screams)," Kisuke told him.

"Getsuhime told me much about them, like how unless you're a Shinigami, spirits who lose their memories become Blanks," Ichigo said.

"Has she now?" Kisuke said halfheartedly, Ichigo none the wiser about how unlikely that seemed. Orihime noticed the deep look of contemplation Tessai also had, making her assume that perhaps it wasn't normal for a Zanpakutō to have this kind of information unless her master knew about it firsthand.

"Right, well, what I'm sure she hasn't told you, at least not yet, is that this type of lost souls wander aimlessly through the Dangai, and are slowly drawn together over a period of time. As the souls come together, it triggers the arrival of Kyōgoku," Kisuke explained to Ichigo.

"What's so special about this dimension?" Orihime asked.

"For starters, it's believed that the existence of Kyōgoku, and those that came before it was orchestrated by Reiō," Kisuke said, piquing the interest of the high school students. "To help the souls that suffered this fate, Reiō set in motion a chain of events in which the Blanks would find salvation by separating into memory and energy, then return to the cycle of transmigration, or more accurately they are all drawn their by the Shinenju (Memory Rosary). It's a sentient jewel Reiō created that acts as a collection of memories and the one who returns the Blanks to their former selves so that they can pass on properly."

"The Shinenju is also worshipped as a Deity in the Soul Society beneath Reiō, some like the Head Captain look at the jewel as Reiō's child, and thus also has a princely status," Tessai continued the tale. "Whenever Kyōgoku returns, the Shinenju descends from the Reiōkyū, the dimension where our God resides, and goes on a journey to purify the Blanks."

"Amazing," Orihime said in awe, and even Ichigo was intrigued.

"Why wait until Kyōgoku appears to do its duty? From the way Getsuhime describes it, Blanks are formed infuriatingly often," Ichigo asked.

"An important question that a lot of nonbelievers have brought up but gods work in mysterious ways," Kisuke said, looking mighty curious about that exact question. "In any case, the appearance of Kyōgoku in itself isn't a matter of concern, as it's a natural and common phenomenon. Yet… there is a problem. This time Kyōgoku has connected the Soul Society to the Human World, something which has never happened before."

"There has never been a natural phenomenon that has created a tunnel linking two worlds. That's what is going on here. There is no doubt that someone is doing this deliberately," Tessai said with narrowed eyes.

"And the Shinenju?" Orihime asked.

"Nowhere to be seen. She usually arrives first in the Seireitei before starting her voyage, and is commonly escorted by at least four Captains for her protection as the raw and unique Reiatsu of a godly entity can attract the attention of some of the most powerful Hollows," Tessai added. "The Captains are certain that she descended but no one can find her, making everyone freak out over where she might be."

"Meaning that this goddess is in danger," Ichigo concluded with narrowed eyes.

"I'm afraid so," Kisuke said grimly, disturbed by the mere implication.

"Could it be connected with the man I saw?" Orihime wondered.

"That's right, you spotted someone in the same location where Ichigo found the Blanks," Kisuke said, making Ichigo cringe over how Orihime of all people might've been in danger while he was away chasing that pesky new girl.

"Yes," She said and began to explain her encounter with the man, describing to the best she could but purposely withholding the parts of their conversation and what he told her before disappearing.

Kisuke pondered what he learned.

"The description of the armor he wears does ring a bell. A former noble clan in the Soul Society might've worn something similar," Kisuke said.

"The only one that comes to mind is the Ryōdoji Clan, in particular their leader, Ganryū," Tessai said.

"Ryōdoji? Yoruichi mentioned that name when we arrived at the Soul Society. Something about a rebellion within the Rukongai," Ichigo said.

"They were a high-ranking Noble Family second only to the Four Great Noble Clans, better known as the Shisonka (Supreme Offspring). Pretty popular back in the day in Rukongai for being the kind of people who look after the little guys," Kisuke explained.

"Does that mean they were tight with the Shibas?" Ichigo wondered out loud.

"Bingo! Good guess," Kisuke cheered over his student's hunch. "The Shiba and Ryōdoji were family friends and were as thick as thieves."

"Tragically, the Ryōdoji Clan fell on hard times, there was a death in the family, an assassination orchestrated by a rival clan, and this lead to them causing a rebellion using Rukon folks as soldiers, which ended in tragedy," Tessai shook his head in sadness. "This all happened while the both of us, Yoruichi and Isshin were all very young so we only learned one side of the rebellion."

"It be a pretty big leap to say that they're involved in this but it's the only lead we have," Kisuke said.

"There might be another lead for us," Ichigo said. "I met someone, a really weird, super annoying Shinigami named Senna who arrived out of the blue and took out all the Blanks I found against my wishes. I doubt she's a bad person, just misguided but what concerns me is her lack of memories. She knows who she is and all that but she doesn't know which Division she's from. I think she was just messing with me but her carefree demeanor worries me."

"Soul Society sent a new Guardian who's experiencing memory problems? Captain Ukitake's men have always been ostracized as the Gotei's most incompetent but that seems hard to believe," Kisuke said doubtfully. "She might be worth something so you best keep an eye on her."

"I wish I could decline," Ichigo muttered. "Wouldn't it be better to contact Soul Society and ask them if Senna is really one of theirs?"

"Not yet. I would like to keep things between us until we have more information. Since the Shinigami have their hands full, adding more to their list of problems would be unkind," Kisuke stated.

"I see what you mean. All right, time to get back to work," Ichigo said, knowing that what came next would be a difficult task.

---

I'm back, and it's time for the first movie of Bleach and our beloved Senna. Honestly, it's because of the movies that I found out about Bleach in the first place. It was the Diamond Dust Rebellion that introduced me to Ichigo and the gang. It was hard to follow everything going on but it wasn't too bad in my opinion and it was good enough to get invested so it holds sentimental value to me.

I wasn't sure if I could air this because something's come up with my life that I can't ignore so monthly updates may become impossible but the latest Bleach episode got me hyped so I got motivated, especially since I restarted playing Brave Souls and I got my hands on both Anniversary Characters. I waited forever to get White and a much better True Shikai Ichigo so I've been in a good mood all week.

That's all for now, folks. Till next time let's keep the hype train going.

Off-topic but I'm just going to get this out there. Bambietta is best girl, and Giselle can go to Hell. One day, I'll make a story that expresses my disdain for everything zombie-related, with Ichigo killing Giselle and saving Bambi.