Author's Note: I might start cross-posting to AO3. All my stories will eventually be backed up there.

some typos were fixed in CH21, and a few very minor details were corrected. CH 20, Gin saying he's Squad Six isn't a mistake; he's Squad 3 but said that to her on purpose.

Patchy clouds were dispersing above a sea of skyscrapers. A northerly airstream settled down into a comforting breeze for Ichigo while he was jogging laps on this rooftop's edge, listening to his white-haired Zanpakuto spirit yap on about apparent Hollow power that Ichigo always had possessed. The mood of this conversation was a million times more laid-back than he had anticipated.

"You should be thanking me," White-Hair Tensa Zangetsu said, "otherwise you would still be a virgin right now." He was lounging on his sofa from the first Jinzen session, using that same horned mask to shield his face from the sun. He'd been hiding the truth in plain sight.

Not hiding. Simply displaying the truth.

Weighted bangles around Ichigo's wrists and ankles grew heavier and drew more spirit energy from his body. He mumbled, "Thanks, but you haven't answered my question: how do I have these powers? Rukia told me it should be impossible." Not to mention it was also a crime to attempt hollowfication.

The spirit shrugged. "How do birds have wings? They just do."

The smart answer was millions of years of evolution. Ichigo shook his head. "You're saying you don't know."

"Of course I don't."

"What else do you know about my Hollow powers?" Ichigo drawled.

The spirit lifted his mask, unveiling a mean sneer. "If you ever have your dick blasted off, you'll be able to instantly regenerate."

Choking on saliva, Ichigo had stumbled midway through that statement. His testicles momentarily retreated into his body. Composure came to him after eight steps. "What if I lose my head?"

"You might be fine. Let's test it."

"Let's not risk that, I think we've put Rukia through enough today."

Another shrug. "Suit yourself."

Despite the weirdness of that exchange, it was reassuring to know his body was more than simply durable. He could safely place himself in harm's way for whatever demand—for Rukia. He would gladly be her shield of living flesh and bone; he owed her that much at least, especially after the morning's taboo escapade. Any normal girl would have ran away from him screaming. But not Rukia Kuchiki. She was still at his side, as though nothing depraved had happened. The exact opposite, she was warming to him even more. Crazy.

Ichigo sharply turned on the corner. The other half of Tensa Zangetsu, standing on a pole, shifted into view, always watching, always listening. Those blood-red eyes reminded Ichigo to ask, "Hey, do you two remember the Menos Grande?"

White-Hair Tensa Zangetsu answered, "You want to learn the Cero." He stood, mask staying on.

"Yeah." Ichigo stopped jogging.

A white palm pressed outward. Fingers curled into a claw. "The destructive power of Cero can only come from instinct. You either have instinct or you don't."

Hateful spiritual pressure detonated. Red death engulfed Ichigo.

Heart missing beats, he was shoved backward into a riverside meadow. Crystal water trickled down boulders. A bee hovered by his head. His unsheathed swords were on his lap with the Katana radiating an echo of the same Hollow spiritual pressure. Their blades were glinting red in the dim afternoon sun. Most of all, a whiff of flame-grilled fish blew up from downstream. Food was ready. He sheathed his swords.

But Rukia, leaning against a tree, cloak back on, wanted to talk: "So what did they say?"

"My Hollow power comes from my other spirit. I don't think you've met him before. He looks like me but bleached white. He's the Katana. The princely guy you saw is the Wakizashi."

"And you're sure no one has ever performed hollowfication experiments on you?"

"As far as he knows, I've always been this way." He shrugged like his spirit would. "He showed me the Cero." He copied Tensa Zangetsu's pose, aiming upward. Summoning hatred from his heart on command was tricky, and so nothing happened.

Rukia was grinning. "Wow, that is one mighty Cero."

"It has to be on instinct."

"Then you must be instinctively a fool." She covered her face with his half-formed mask. The horn had long broken off and disintegrated. "It is I, Ichigo Kurosaki, the most foolish of Hueco Mundo, here to satisfy lusts which have burned since I was an eleven-year-old Human child. Hand over all your virgin girls. Give me beautiful pussy!"

"Shut it!" A facial tick squeezed his eye. He threw a stick.

She sidestepped, her laughter manic. "Did I strike a nerve?"

"Pfft, I don't sound like that."

"Pussy! Beautiful pussy! Rukia, you feel amazing!"

An instinct to spank her had to be restrained. He let her have her crazy insane fun. "Are you done yet?"

"Beautiful pussy!" She dropped the mask into her backpack. Her smile lingered. "Want to know something interesting?"

"Yeah?"

"When a soul becomes a Hollow, all its regrets and laments form the hole, usually in its heart. For the rest of its existence, the Hollow will relentlessly pursue all it can to fill its hole. But no matter how much it devours, or kills, or rapes, it will never fill the hole in its heart." Rukia sighed. "You are an exception."

Interesting indeed.

"Am I a Hollow though?"

"I don't know what you are." Her eyes softened. "But I'm glad you chose me to pursue."

An awkward sappiness sweetened his tongue. Instinctively he returned her affectionate gaze.

Two heartbeats, then it was over. She looked away, saying, "Let's go eat. I'm starving."

Running normally, he followed her downstream toward a sparkling lake. Without a spiritual pressure buffer, wind was tossing his hair about, his Captain's Coat billowing. This baggy male Shihakusho was not aerodynamic by any stretch of the word. Around a grand oak tree, savory smokey flavors saturated his airways. His jaw slackened at the sight of a small circular barbecue grill, same as those in the living world. Spatula in hand, Haruka was flipping fish fillets. Naturally, Hanataro was also there.

"Oh hey, you two," Haruka chirped, "I was wondering where you ran off to." Her tone implied something lewd.

Rukia cleared her throat. "Quick training session."

"Jinzen," Ichigo added.

Through a mouthful of fish, Hanataro asked, "Why Jinzen?"

Straight-faced, Rukia clarified, "It was about Ichigo's Hollowfication. I'd like you two to keep this hush-hush. It will have to be classified as a Gotei 13 secret once we're back in the Seireitei."

Back in the Seireitei.

Where Ichigo's sisters and father were held. Waiting trial. Three to five working days.

Thanks for reminding me, Ichigo sourly thought.

"I know," Haruka said, "no comments from me."

But Hanataro said, "A hundred years ago, Captain Kisuke Urahara was researching Hollowfication. Several Captains and Lieutenants died because of his experiments. Kisuke was executed, along with a couple others."

"Is this why it's a crime now?" Ichigo asked.

"Pretty much." Hanataro helped himself to another fillet.

Haruka started chopping up the last fish with her Zanpakuto. "That's old history. I don't think even Captain Kurotsuchi would risk trying it on anybody. He's Squad 12, by the way, Ichigo. Head of the Research Department. I would… keep my distance if I were you."

Ichigo bit into tender, juicy, flaky fish. Not bad. Not great either. It needed seasoning, salt and pepper minimum. How did they not have any salt stored here? Unbelievable. "Why's that?"

"He's brilliant, but he's a madman," Rukia said, chewing. "Don't let him talk you into killing your sexual urges with his chemical injection."

Ichigo's teeth sank into the tip of his tongue. Salty blood seeped. A fish bone snagged in his throat, and he dislodged it with surgical spiritual pressure, a handy trick he had practiced in the living world. "Why the hell would I want that?"

"Something about scientist pride," Rukia said.

Haruka hummed a tune as she placed fillets on the grill. "Ichigo, don't feel guilty about your needs. You don't have to mutilate yourself."

"I don't feel guilty," he stated.

"That's good. Let it all out on Rukia, that's why she was assigned to you."

"I will." He cleared his throat, tried to not look at either girl, but Haruka, not wearing a cloak, was a magnet for his eyes. Strands of her golden-blonde hair were drifting in the breeze, calling to him.

"Do you like my hair color?" Rukia's knuckles hit his elbow. "Ichigo?"

He remembered to chew and swallow. "Yeah, why?"

In a conversational voice, she explained, "I forgot I brought cosmetic injections for hair color. I've got chestnut, dark-blonde, light-blonde, dark-orange, light-orange like yours, ruby, white, and gray. It's permanent, but it can be reversed. Are any to your liking?"

He held her oily fingers. "Rukia, you don't—"

"Just tell me what color you want."

"Try bright-orange," Hanataro suggested. "You'll look like brother and sister."

Haruka giggled.

Ichigo held in a chuckle. "Girls in the living world dye their hair all the time, so I don't think it's a big deal. I was going to say, you don't really expect me to like gray hair, do you?"

"It comes with the set." Rukia washed her hands in lake water, then unzipped the backpack. Out came a transparent plastic case of needles full of colorless liquid. Labels were color-coded. The one color she hadn't mentioned was black. "It's the standard case. If you want exotic colors, you'll have to wait."

"Exotic colors?" he blurted.

"Blue, purple, pink, green, you can imagine."

He chortled. "Just hair color? Not skin and eye color as well? What about height and breast size?"

Irritation knotted her lips. "That better be a joke, or are you admitting you don't prefer my body at all?"

"I'm joking. You're fine as you are currently." He rubbed her shoulder.

"Are you sure? You've been eying up Haruka ever since we got back to town." Rukia opened the case, plucked a needle, and jabbed herself in the arm before he could react. Her thumb pressed down. One, two, three, her raven hair lightened to a dazzling light-blonde, near platinum. Eyelashes and eyebrows were included. Minor Vellus hairs all over her body weren't left out either. "How's this?"

It was a change.

And the color didn't quite match Haruka's golden blonde.

He brushed strands out of Rukia's eyes. Such an insignificant thing to be spending time on, now of all times. "As I said, your raven hair was fine, but I also like this blonde look. You have energetic cuteness. However… I think this will be a better color for you." He plucked a syringe and most gently injected.

Blonde further lightened to pure white. Whiter than snow. Matching her Shikai blade.

She pulled back her hood and held up the case's mirror. She was happy. "Sode no Shirayuki has white hair. How do I look?" She was asking the other two Shinigami.

"A Kuchiki princess," Haruka said.

"I liked blonde more," Hanataro mumbled in a tone suggesting he was planning to have sex with Rukia soon. He flinched as his eyes met Ichigo's glare. "But white's also good. Ichigo, why don't you try black? Kaien had black hair."

Kaien.

Lieutenant Kaien Shiba—the guy Rukia had been obsessed with.

Trees behind the lake blurred. Muscles in Ichigo's face slackened. So much had happened in the past days, he hadn't at all thought about that name. It couldn't be a coincidence.

Ichigo whispered, "The same Kaien Shiba as Captain Isshin Shiba?"

Haruka was covering Hanataro's mouth. "Alright, lunch's over! There must be a line of sick and injured waiting for you, Hanataro." She grabbed the small grill, then hurried off with Flash Steps with Hatataro in tow.

"Hmph, about time." Rukia's smirk was both glum and teasing. "He was your cousin. Maybe I loved him, maybe I didn't. As I've told you before, I killed him with my own Zanpakuto."

Ichigo nearly could not speak: "Tell me what happened. Everything."

"I was still in Squad 13. He was my Lieutenant. He looked just like you except with black hair. It was a mission to South Rukon 19. A Hollow, which we now call Metastacia, took over his body with a parasitic power. We chased it to a nearby village. It was about to release his Shikai on a group of young children." Rukia's eyes were faraway. Her skin paled. "I froze his body and chained him with my Bakudo. I thought I had it held down. It broke free and opened a Garganta. Instead of letting it go, I stabbed Kaien in the heart. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have let him go."

"Don't say sorry." Ichigo embraced her with firm arms. "There's nothing to be sorry about. You did what you had to. His body and power became a danger to innocents. It was your duty, nothing more, nothing less."

Rukia's head furiously shook as she stepped away. "Don't you understand? You can come back from Hollowfication; he could have as well."

He placed a hand on her head, looked her in the eye. "And don't you understand? I didn't come back. I am always Hollowfied."

"What, no you're not."

"My Hollow power come from Tensa Zangetsu, not some parasite Hollow. If I understand Zanpakutos, it means I always had this in me. I was born this way, Rukia. I have always been Hollowfied. There is no coming back from it, because it's not something to come back from. It would be like cutting off one of my arms."

Wide eyes morphed into a frown. "You have to be Kaien's reincarnation. Metastacia fused with your soul on a fundamental level."

"Then there's nothing to be sorry for, is there?" He shrugged with open palms. On grass, the case of syringes nabbed his eye. He picked it up, took out the black syringe. "How about it? It'll be like old times."

She seriously considered it—for a second and no longer. She snatched the syringe, threw it down, and broke it beneath her Geta sandal. "And what?! Should I start calling you Kaien?! I love you, Kaien, is that what you want to hear?!"

"I was just joking."

"No you weren't."

"I was half-joking." His chuckles were half-forced. "Listen, this bothers you a lot more than it bothers me. This was before I was born, yeah? So my dad would have been around. Didn't he forgive you already?" Then again, the real Isshin may have been a different man.

"I never spoke to him of it," Rukia said. "Your aunt Kukaku was enraged. She yelled at me for hours that night. Blamed it all on my weakness. I haven't seen her since."

And Ichigo was holding in rage at his own family, that his blood-related aunt could be so outrageously stupid. He blew out hot air. "Then let's pay Kukaku a visit, and I'll beat some sense into her, and afterwards I'll beat some sense into my dad for not talking to you. Don't feel so guilty. I forgive you on their behalf."

An incredulous stare tilted Rukia's head. Her jaw sagged. Her eyes narrowed. "You can't forgive me on someone's behalf."

"I just did. You're forgiven."

"No, I'm not!"

"You are."

Her foot stamped. "What is wrong with you?!"

"It must be my Hollow side talking on instinct. I forgive you on their behalf." He smirked.

"Stop saying that!"

"Do I need to write it down? On behalf of Isshin and Kukaku Shiba, I, Ichigo Shiba-Kurosaki, forgive you. It's a very simple concept to understand, really. I hope I didn't give you brain damage. Did I fuck you too har—"

Spinning, she delivered a roundhouse kick to his hip. "For what you did to me this morning, I suppose we can say the Kuchikis and Shibas are now even!"

"See, all is forgiven."

"Oh my god, you're just like him." Through teeth she groaned in frustration. "Next time we have sex, I'm calling you Kaien!"

The predator in him stirred from its slumber. He patted her cheek. "Try it, and we'll see what happens."

She slapped away his hand. Beneath dishelved snow-white hair, indigo eyes rolled. "Maybe then your Cero won't be dysfunctional. Let's just go, enough talk. You've got a lot more to learn about Kido." She checked her communicator-detector device. "And the Bacteria network's still down. You're on patrol duty tonight."

He realized he hadn't slain a single Hollow yet with his two swords. This was going to be fun.

Author's Note: So in canon, I'm pretty sure Ichigo can only fire a Cero from his horn(s). I'm slightly changing that for this story.

Review Responses:

- Yes, Ichigo can only see possible futures, where things he see more often means it's more likely to happen. I might edit that chapter where he releases so it's even more clear.

- The number of Hell butterflies does indeed indicate a level of intensity of the power. How it's connected to Hell exactly will eventually be revealed.

- How Rukia really feels about Ichigo is supposed to be quite ambiguous, but there are little hints dotted here and there...