This fanfiction was originally penned by BloodAvenger42, a bit of an old-school creation. But guess what? I'm on a mission to give it a fresh makeover! Now, if by any chance the original author spots this and decides they want this fanfiction taken down, no worries – just slide into my DMs, and we'll sort it out!
[Chapter 1 - A Day Far From Dull]
Ichigo let out a weary sigh as he reclined on his bed, gazing lazily out of his window at the drifting clouds in the sky. The first day of summer vacation had arrived, and yet, a sense of ennui hung in the air. His friends were all occupied with their own plans, leaving him with idle hours to fill. Even his sisters had ventured out with their own companions, and the thought of spending time with his eccentric father held little appeal.
Adding to his listless mood, the once-constant threat of hollows had dissipated. Aizen's defeat at his own hands had silenced that peril, and the ordeal with Xcution had culminated in the restoration of his powers. Now, however, a void of purpose yawned before him.
In a fit of frustration, Ichigo's irritation bubbled forth, propelling him upright. He dismissed the rattling of the drawer where Kon had been relegated to hush his chatter. Determinedly, he strode into the bathroom, where he splashed his face with water as if to shake off his vexation.
"I wonder what Hat-n'-Clogs and the others are up to," he mused aloud, his thoughts drifting to his companions who had shared in his battles.
Kisuke found himself in a bit of a pickle, a situation he hadn't grappled with in ages. It had been forever since he'd faced this particular conundrum, a hurdle he'd skillfully sidestepped for years on end... until now. The enigmatic Kisuke Urahara was stumped, his memory drawing a complete blank. The brilliant idea he'd been toying with had vanished into thin air, leaving him utterly flabbergasted. He scratched his head in bemusement, a puzzled expression on his face.
"Well, isn't this a bother? Had a real gem of an idea too... Oh well!" Kisuke's mood shifted abruptly, a grin replacing his perplexed look. With a nonchalant air, he proceeded to pour a haphazard assortment of ingredients into a vial containing a peculiar, pulsating liquid.
In a sudden burst of transformation, the contents morphed from crystal clear to a vibrant neon green. Kisuke's eyes lit up with exhilaration at the sight of his new creation. There was just one hitch – he hadn't the faintest clue about its purpose. A sigh escaped him as he pondered the predicament, eventually deciding that the wisest course of action was to dispose of it, lest it trigger some unforeseen spectacle. Kisuke shook his head in a mix of resignation and amusement before sealing the vial with a cork.
"Well, well, Ichigo, what's the reason for this unexpected visit?" Yoruichi's voice, carrying its distinct feline voice, chimed in.
Kisuke's attention shifted upward as he raised his head.
"Hey there, Yoruichi-san. Just curious if you've caught wind of any hollow activity in the vicinity," Ichigo's voice remarked in a casual tone.
A sly grin played on Kisuke's lips as he sauntered toward the entrance.
"Nope, not a single hollow in sight. Their attacks have really dwindled since your victory over Aizen," Yoruichi's response echoed.
Amidst the exchange, Kisuke caught the sound of Ichigo's disappointed sigh. Seizing the moment, Kisuke flung open the doors with an impish grin, only to find the hallway devoid of Yoruichi.
"Ah, Kurosaki-kun, what brings you to my humble establishment?" Kisuke inquired, his tone laced with a hint of curiosity.
Ichigo met his gaze with an air of nonchalance.
"Oh, you know, just checking if any hollows have popped up on your radar," the orange-haired teen replied, his words carrying an understated casualness.
Kisuke theatrically produced his signature fan, a giggle escaping him.
"You do recall that you possess the Substitute Badge, correct?" he quipped.
Ichigo's response was a shrug.
"Might've met with an accident," he offered simply.
Kisuke's laughter danced once more as he playfully snapped his fan shut.
"Ah, it appears I've stumbled upon a case of pure, unadulterated boredom, am I right?" he interjected, a delighted lilt in his voice.
Another nonchalant shrug from Ichigo.
"Yeah, you've got it. Bored out of my mind, so what?" he retorted wearily.
Kisuke was on the verge of responding when a sudden impact jolted his back. Reacting swiftly, he spun around to prevent the person from tumbling backward. In that split second, a glint of neon green caught his eye, hurtling toward Ichigo. The world seemed to shift into slow motion, and Kisuke could only observe as the vial soared through the air, colliding with Ichigo's chest. Delicate glass shattered upon impact, releasing a torrent of the vial's contents onto the boy. The liquid met Ichigo's shirt, triggering an explosive burst of green mist that enveloped him. Coughs erupted from Ichigo as the mist engulfed him, his eyes squeezed shut.
Intrigue danced across Kisuke's features as he awaited the aftermath. All eyes remained fixed on the settling green cloud. Ichigo cleared the mist with determined swipes, dispelling it until it dissipated entirely.
"What the hell, Hat-n'-Clogs!" Ichigo's voice was a growl, irritation evident even with his eyes shut.
A tinge of disappointment crept into Kisuke's sigh, as his experiment failed to yield any noteworthy outcome. Well, it was back to the proverbial drawing board. Just then, Yoruichi reappeared in her human form.
"Did I miss something?" the Goddess of Flash inquired, curiosity glinting in her eyes.
"Hat-n'-Clogs here decided to give me an impromptu sight test with his experiment," Ichigo grumbled, annoyance lacing his words.
Yoruichi's grin was infectious, her hand resting playfully on her hip.
"Oh, come on now. If you were blind, you'd miss watching me transform," she quipped.
Ichigo lowered his hand, a glare fixed on her... only to be replaced by a sudden stagger, his hand now clutching his head.
"What the…?" His sentence started but was lost as his staggering took him in the opposite direction.
Witnesses exchanged bewildered glances as a familiar figure, emanating a smooth, feminine voice, staggered in the opposite direction.
"Hell," the smooth voice concluded.
Stunned into silence, Kisuke blinked rapidly. Could this chaotic scene be the fruit of his potion? Abruptly, Ichigo collapsed to the floor, seemingly unconscious.
"Ichigo!" Yoruichi's cry snapped her out of her stupor.
"What just happened?" the same voice inquired, a note of confusion tinging its tone.
Yoruichi froze in her tracks, her gaze lifting to meet the figure that still loomed before her. Those golden eyes, now mirrored in the mysterious double, held her own in an unbroken stare.
"What?" Yoruichi's doppelganger chimed with an edge of irritation. "You're not just going to keep me hanging like this, are you, Yoruichi-san?"
Stunned, Yoruichi could only return the gaze, her astonishment palpable.
"Ichigo?" she ventured, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"Yep?" Yoruichi-Ichigo responded, a hint of exasperation lacing her tone.
Abruptly, Yoruichi-Ichigo's words dwindled, her attention drawn to the sound of her own voice. An unsettling realization seemed to dawn within her, her golden eyes widening before rolling back. Her form gave way, collapsing gracelessly to the floor in a faint. In a seamless transition, Ichigo's body sprang to life, his eyes darting about as he audibly exhaled, a sense of relief washing over him.
"Man, you guys won't believe the bizarre dream I just had," Ichigo chimed in, his voice carrying a hint of incredulity.
Collective gazes converged on the unconscious figure lying just behind Ichigo. Even he turned to observe the unexpected sight.
"Huh? Why is Yoruichi-san out cold?" he inquired, his confusion echoing through the room.
"Ichigo-san… Shihoin-sama is right here…" Ururu interjected softly, her voice laden with an undercurrent of awe.
Ichigo's gaze shifted to the Shihoin princess standing beside Kisuke, prompting a sudden grimace as he clutched his head.
"Oh, for crying out loud, it's happening again..." Ichigo groaned, his body tipping backward and rolling toward the prostrate Yoruichi. A surprising revelation ensued, revealing an additional copy of Kisuke by her side.
"Again," Kisuke-Ichigo chimed in, completing the sequence.
Recovering his footing, Kisuke-Ichigo rose to his feet while Ichigo and Yoruichi-Ichigo remained unconscious. A puzzled frown furrowed Kisuke-Ichigo's brow as he rubbed his temple, inadvertently dislodging his fedora in the process.
"What in the world..." Kisuke-Ichigo's sentence hung unfinished as his gaze shifted from the fallen fedora to the genuine article, his eyes locking onto Kisuke's form before surrendering to the same unconscious fate once more.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME, YOU BASTARD!"
Kisuke found himself in the midst of a challenging task – pacifying an enraged Tessai-Ichigo, a situation that bordered on the side of awkwardness. Meanwhile, Yoruichi stood at a distance, a hint of amusement dancing across her features, even though she was doing her best to ignore the fact that a copy of herself was sprawled nearby, a rather peculiar sight that had transpired after Tessai had succumbed to unconsciousness at the sight of his own form separating from Ichigo's.
"Well, Kurosaki-kun, truth be told, I'm not entirely certain myself. That potion was actually meant for disposal due to its unstable nature, but, well, I may have let it slip my mind," Kisuke admitted, a sheepish expression creeping onto his face.
Tessai-Ichigo's gaze bore into Kisuke, a mixture of frustration and exasperation in his eyes. Kisuke, unperturbed, pressed on.
"Interestingly, it appears that whenever you establish eye contact with an individual possessing a significant spiritual pressure, a duplicate of said individual is generated for your... command," the scientist explained, his fingers absently rubbing his chin.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Do you have a solution to this mess?" Tessai-Ichigo inquired, his impatience palpable.
Kisuke emitted a sigh, his demeanor more serious now. "That's the predicament we're facing. Given the unknown nature of this substance, determining a cure proves quite the challenge, especially considering the compound has completely dissolved," he revealed.
A vacant expression momentarily washed over Tessai-Ichigo's face. "So, let me get this straight – you're essentially saying this is a permanent condition?" he summarized.
"Yup!~" Kisuke sang, a playful glint in his eyes that only further fueled the frustration of the quartet of Ichigo bodies now glaring daggers at him.
In an instant, all but one of Ichigo's copies toppled forward, landing face-first on the ground. The last remaining figure, Yoruichi-Ichigo, released a sigh of exasperation, rubbing her temples as she settled back, resigned to the unfolding situation.
"Don't you worry, Kurosaki-kun," Kisuke chimed, his face veiled behind his customary fan. "I'm confident you'll find your way forward... although venturing to Soul Society might be a bit ill-advised at this juncture."
Ichigo – or rather, Yoruichi-Ichigo – gave an appreciative nod, a fatigue settling over her that she hadn't realized before.
"Actually, I think I'm going to catch some shut-eye," Yoruichi-Ichigo announced, her readiness to leave evident. But her intention was momentarily thwarted as the genuine Yoruichi, in her feline form, leaped onto her lap.
"Wait a second, Ichigo. Have you realized whose body you're currently in?" the cat-shaped Yoruichi inquired.
Yoruichi-Ichigo blinked, her gaze shifting downward to her own form. A rueful smile crept onto her lips.
"Oh," she uttered, her hand absently rubbing the back of her neck.
"The guest bedroom is at your disposal," Kisuke offered, his voice cordial. "I'll take care of informing your father."
Yoruichi-Ichigo sighed in response, offering a nod before hoisting her original body onto her shoulders, determinedly making her way to the designated room. Jinta, Ururu, and Tessai pitched in to assist with the other two bodies, orchestrating an oddly coordinated procession. Kisuke, ever the scientist, responded to the unexpected turn of events with a thoughtful hum.
"This is quite the captivating twist – not only can he generate duplicates of individuals with potent spiritual energy, but he can also simultaneously govern them all!" Kisuke exclaimed, a gleam of fascination in his eyes.
His excitement dimmed under the intensity of Yoruichi's glare.
"Remember, Kisuke, this mess is of your own making. So you better thinking up a solution," she growled, her tone conveying a mix of irritation and resolve. Without further ado, Yoruichi retreated to her quarters, leaving the scientist to ponder alone.