Sparks flew in the air as Shiro's and Unohana's blades clashed. Ossan's shorter sword speared towards the First Kenpachi's stomach, only to be bat away with her bare hand. Blood dripped from her fingers for but a moment at her action before she curled her hand into a fist and broke my nose again. I didn't even flinch, lunging forward to headbutt her. The blow connected, blood dripped down our faces for an instant, and she stumbled back from my hollowfied strength. Minazuki was screaming through the air towards me before she even steadied her stance. With a well-placed strike from Shiro's blade, and Unohana's sword arm was removed at the elbow again. Ignoring the pain, she spun on her heel, her left foot crashing into the side of my head. My right foot slammed into the dirt as I turned backwards, slicing horizontally just as she dropped to the ground to rip her old hand from the hilt of her sword. My weapon passed harmlessly over her form as she rolled under the blow. She came up kneeling with her sword snapping out to cut through my ankle. I swung that leg out, blood splattering into her eyes to blind her. I dived at her, unable to properly stand when my foot was a quickly healing stump. I was caught by Shiro, and held under his right arm. Ossan was next to Unohana, holding her sword arm. I blinked.
"Guess we're done. We can pick this up later, Unohana." The woman in question switched her gaze between my zanpakuto spirits and I, utterly confused.
"…Alright." She responded. Ossan promptly let go of her hand, and watched as she sealed her Bankai. As she sheathed her sword, I sealed my own blade, my transformation ending. Shiro helped me slide our sealed blade back into the sheath that Senjumaru made. It was a special one that transformed with my zanpakuto, so I could sheathe my blade in any state. The medic before us was staring in confusion.
"Shiro and I carry each other sometimes. You'll get used to it."
"If you don't mind, why?" Shiro shrugged for me.
"We kinda just do. Sometimes, like now, he'll cut one of my fights short by catching me under his arm and just keeping me there. Other times, I'll throw him over my shoulder so he doesn't get into a fight, or he'll just jump on my back."
"From the way you're speaking, he is manifested often." We both nodded. "Isn't that draining on your reiatsu storage?"
"Nah, not really. We got a lotta reiatsu. We nev'r tested the limit, but I think our record's, like, a week straight."
"Something like that, yeah." I agreed. The First Kenpachi attempted to straighten her clothes, only to realize that they were shredded and soaked in blood. She was still modest, but Yamamoto was gonna be pissed as shit over the condition her captain's coat was in.
"Oh, dear. I'm going to have to change." She mumbled to herself. Kyoraku, Ukitake, and surprisingly Toshiro came up next to Old Man.
"Indeed you will, we have dinner plans!" The flowery captain announced.
"Is that why you stopped our fight?" The raven haired medic asked.
"You three are joining, I assume?" I questioned.
"Yes to both." Ukitake confirmed, a bright smile on his face. "By the way, how was your fight?"
"Oh, it was wonderful. Ichigo was not exaggerating in saying that he was the best fight I've ever had."
"Yes," Kyoraku chuckled, "Him proving his claims correct seems to be a running theme today!"
"I see we have much to chat about. Shall we discuss it at dinner?" Toshiro cut in.
"Of course, let Ichigo and I change, and we will be right with you."
"Actually, my clothes were specially made to regenerate." Everyone turned to look at me, and the level of disbelief was so intense, I could feel a couple small cuts in my shihakusho close up.
"Ichigo, your clothes are soaked in blood. And anyway, you're missing your left sandal." At Unohana's jab, both Zangetsu and I looked down at my hanging feet.
"Fukkin-"
"Clown!" Readjusting his grip on me, Shiro jumped back up the cliff, shouting. "Give King his shoe back!" I heard laughter from the captains we were leaving behind.
After reclaiming my sandal, and vaporizing all of the severed limbs Kurotsuchi collected, we returned to Unohana's home to get changed. Shiro and I had both forgotten that people were supposed to be uncomfortable around blood, but luckily Ossan hadn't. He persuaded us to borrow a couple uniforms from Kyoraku while Unohana turned in our clothes to the Gotei 13's preferred dry cleaning service, and I was currently in her bathroom drawing a bath. She had taken one look at my chest, covered in heaping amounts of dried blood, remembered I hadn't bathed since before Rukia's execution, and politely ordered me to clean myself. A towel was wrapped around my waist as I gathered the shampoo and body wash we had gotten for me earlier today. Zangetsu, as manifestations, couldn't get dirty unless they or I wanted to, so they chose to sit in the First Kenpachi's office to continue planning. I heard the door open, and continued watching the tub fill with water.
Ten years ago, I would have nearly passed out as I stammered, blushed, and screamed for the medic to allow me privacy. Then I was at the center of two horrific wars. I was accustomed to not only showering with others, but showering with members of the other sex, members of different species, and in one situation that was unbearably tense, my enemies.
"I see the bath is nearly ready. Ichigo, you wouldn't mind helping me wash up, would you?"
"As long as you do the same for me, not at all."
"Wonderful!" The tub finished filling, so I shut the water off and took off my towel before stepping into the steaming water. I sighed contently as I sat down, and heard a similarly relieved sigh as Unohana slid in to my right. We absorbed the comfortable atmosphere for no longer than a minute before we sat up in unison. I motioned with my hand for her to turn around, and grabbed her shampoo once she did. Washing her hair was a little tedious, but I never minded.
"If it's not too personal, what was your first experience in washing someone else's hair?"
"My sisters." I hummed. "You heard me mention my mother died when I was nine. As it turns out, Isshin Shiba was a terrible single father. Yeah, he'd pay the bills and bring in food, but he couldn't cook worth a damn and he pretty much left it to me to take care us. Up until they were ten, I cooked all the meals, kept them both clean, helped them out with homework, and listened whenever they had a problem. After that, they knew enough to clean and cook for themselves, though Yuzu basically appropriated the kitchen. As much as I hated it, my fights prevented me from being there as much as I wanted, but it helped that I knew they could take care of themselves." I could tell that Unohana was unhappy hearing such information. I finished her hair, and began scrubbing the blood off her back.
"With their parentage in mind," She cautiously began, "Were they involved with the afterlife?"
"I didn't let them. With the shit I went through, I couldn't in my right mind risk them getting hurt or worse."
"I see." I patted her shoulder as a sign that I was done before turning around. Her fingers were scrubbing my hair promptly, massaging my scalp. "From what Shihoin-san told me before she left, you used to blush like a grade-schooler if a woman so much as showed a little extra skin."
I would forever be grateful for Unohana's ability to know exactly when to change the subject.
"Yeah, I liked to say I was just being respectful to women, but in reality, I was suppressing my desires because I feared I'd end up like the perverts at my school. I got used to women's bodies during the Winter War, because I had to use the co-ed showers, and then I finally got laid during the Blood War."
"Oh? And who was it that 'plucked the strawberry'?" The raven haired woman giggled as she moved to wash off the blood. My eyebrow twitched, but I otherwise didn't react to the jab. Hopefully, if word didn't get around that I hated the name 'Strawberry', Rangiku wouldn't eventually nickname me 'Strawberry Sunrise'.
"I'm gonna keep that to myself for now."
"Of all things, it's the inconsequential information you're keeping secret?" She laughed.
"If it's inconsequential, then it doesn't matter if I don't tell you, doesn't it?"
"I thought you were a gentleman! Don't you know it's ungentlemanly to tease a woman?"
"Considering we're currently washing our dried blood off each other after a bout of ruthlessly ripping each other limb from limb, I don't think 'gentlemanly' applies." Another soft laugh from Unohana sounded behind me.
"I see your point. Come, if we remain in here much longer, we'll have to draw another bath to wash off the bloodied water." I smirked in victory and stood up, toweling off as the nurse stepped out behind me. "Oh, Ichigo?" I turned around to look at Unohana, out of the bath and facing me with her only towel atop her head.
"Yeah?" An approving smile grew on her face, and it took me a moment to realize she was pleasantly surprised that I was staring at her fully naked without so much as a blush.
"When my hair is dry, could you assist me in re-doing my hair?"
"Sure. Before you ask, I learned how to braid from a childhood friend of mine, she'd ask me to braid her hair so it would stay out of her eyes when she trained."
"A man of many talents, I see. And bearing natural gifts, as well." She smirked. I blinked in confusion, and she gestured to me. Lost, I looked down, realizing that my only towel was around my shoulders, giving Unohana quite the view.
"I imagine whomever you laid with enjoyed the experience." It took a moment for the sentence to fully settle in my head. When it did, I burst out laughing. At the woman's bewildered expression, I laughed harder and shook my head. My lungs stung a little as I gasped for breath, but I managed to get in control of myself enough to reign in the laughter. My smile stayed, though.
"Something I said?" The First Kenpachi asked with a raised eyebrow. I nodded silently, drying off my hair and grabbing the spare clothes I had gotten from Kyoraku.
"Yeah." I chuckled. I felt her suspicion focus on me as she dried her hair. I had only gotten the hakama on when she announced she was finished with her hair, and I proceeded to help her with her typical front-braid. We finished getting dressed and exited the bathroom, with her giggling about how gentlemanly I was when I asked she exit first. Zangetu's heads snapped up when we entered the living room, before Ossan folded the papers and placed the supplies inside his cloak. Unohana's suspiciously curious gaze locked onto me, and I responded with a serious shake of the head.
"Not yet." The intensity of her gaze tripled, but she relented when I glared back at her. Her expression momentarily turned worried, before she shifted her gaze to the nearby clock. It was nearly time for us to meet with Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Toshiro for dinner. I readjusted my clothes as my nurse grabbed what she needed for the meal, it was weird for me to not have my typical armor on. Zangetsu's sealed blade at my hip soothed me a bit, but I was gonna be a bit uncomfortable until I had my clothes returned.
"We're gonna need ta head up ta the palace sometime. Get some extra sets o' clothes, eat at Kirio's, maybe watch 'n laugh as Senjumaru gets pissed as she fails at makin' stain-proof clothes." I laughed.
"Don't forget pissing Tenjiro off." Shiro grinned, wide and mildly psychotic.
"I ain't ever gonna forget ta piss off Discount Elvis." Unohana's amused giggle reached my ears as she entered the room.
"I don't know who this 'Elvis' is, but any insult to Kirinji-san is one I agree with." I smirked and held out my elbow.
"Oh, Shiro and I have got more, if you're interested in hearing them." Her arm slipped through mine and she matched my grin.
"The restaurant is quite a ways away, I wouldn't mind having that fill the gap."
"Oh, man, I jus' realized, we got so much shit on Discount Elvis this time! This one time, we fin'ly managed ta convince 'im ta drink wit' us, an' he got so fukkin drunk, he star'ed singin'!" The pale copy of me cackled. "Oh, man, he fukkin sucks! 'M sure a banshee swallowin' glass would sound bett'r!" The raven haired medic's laughter rang through the night as we journeyed.
"Ah, you're here!" Kyoraku cheered upon spotting us. He and Ukitake were sitting at a bench across from the fancy ramen shop we were gonna eat at, though Toshiro was nowhere in sight. It was about 10 minutes before the time we agreed on, so it was fine. "You two sure cleaned up well, considering how much blood you were covered in!" I laughed.
"Most of it was still wet, so it wasn't that hard."
"Yeah, they only took like 10 minutes." Shiro had decided he didn't want to walk at some point, so he was currently hanging off my back. Ossan was standing to my left, opposite Unohana.
"I see." Ukitake had a kind smile on his face. "Will your zanpakuto be eating with us?"
"We will eat if food is offered, but we require no sustenance, so the decision is yours."
"Then you wouldn't mind if I ordered you some ramen?"
"Not at all."
"Go ahead. You can leave the sake ta me."
"Shiro, we have no money, and we don't get free stuff anymore."
"Ah, ne'ermind then."
"Free?" Kyoraku sat up a little straighter. "You got free sake?"
"Free everything, actually. All the fighters got discounts, but since the front-liners were worked so hard, any food or drink was free. Not much else though. None of us would've abused it, but the Central 46 was adamant on not letting us have free stuff that wasn't a necessity."
"Well, at least there were some benefits for you. I don't want to imagine being worked so harshly and still having to pay just to eat. Speaking of paying to eat, Juushiro and I already decided that we would pay for dinner, so you have nothing to worry about."
"Thank you so much, Shunsui, Juushiro." I smiled gratefully in time with Unohana's verbal thanks.
"You are very welcome!" I flinched. It had been so long since the last time I saw Ukitake smile so widely. Luckily, Toshiro came at just the right time for a much needed distraction.
"I apologize for cutting it so close, Matsumoto managed to evade doing paperwork again." The prodigy seethed. Shiro snickered.
"Ya gotta give Tits some praise." He laughed. "She's been successfully skippin' out on work fer ov'r a hundred years straight!" The icy captain glared daggers at the hollow, which only caused him to laugh harder.
"Let's just go inside, shall we?" Kyoraku interrupted with a chuckle. Toshiro narrowed his eyes at my pale zanpakuto spirit before huffing and collecting himself. It was always hilarious how childish the short captain sometimes was. Yamamoto's students didn't bother waiting, standing up and walking through the open doors of the restaurant. Before we could get separated, Unohana, Toshiro, and I filed in after them. We found a table fit to seat six, at my zanpakuto's insistence that it would be fine. It was in a private room for seated officers and captains, near the back of the eatery. Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Toshiro sat opposite Unohana, myself, and Shiro. Ossan sat at the end of the table, between Shiro and Toshiro.
"There, see? Everything's fine." I smiled, as everyone except for me looked at the menus.
"Yes, yes, I see, Kurosaki-san. If you don't mind me asking though, why aren't you looking at the menu? Do you not like this place?" Ukitake, the ever thoughtful one, asked.
"Oh, I do, but Unohana and I already agreed on the way here that she and I would just share a plate."
"King ain't gonna be able to down a full meal for a while." Shiro mumbled, flipping through the pamphlet. "Too used to rations. Hey, Lungs, you sure you don' mind buyin' fer us?"
"I'm sure. Order whatever you please. I rarely spend money, seeing as my lieutenants go above and beyond for me." The silver haired captain soothed. "Kurosaki-san, you are oddly comfortable with both us and yourself. It's rare for those who have seen war to admit what it has done to them so readily." I waved it off.
"Thank Oh-Etsu and Ichibei. They're the ones who helped me understand what zanpakuto truly are and how to master mine." Toshiro's head rose up from his menu.
"Your ability to accept your faults and your mastery over your zanpakuto don't seem like things that correlate." I sighed in response. I guess I was gonna have to go over this explanation a few times. At least that would make it easier to explain.
"What are zanpakuto?" I asked. The child prodigy raised an eyebrow.
"A zanpakuto is a fragment of a Shinigami's soul that separated from them and gained both sentience and power."
"So, a Shinigami's zanpakuto is a piece of themselves."
"At their core, yes."
"Meaning it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that your zanpakuto is yourself."
"I'd say it wouldn't be completely accurate either, but essentially what you said is true."
"And why isn't it completely accurate?"
"There are many reasons, but one of the most noticeable is that a zanpakuto wields powers that Shinigami inherently don't." I blinked.
"Hey, when Yamamoto gets pissed, the temperature rises, right?" Toshiro's eyebrows knitted together in confusion and suspicion.
"What are you getting at?"
"Answer the question." I demanded.
"Yes, when Yamamoto-soutaicho gets angry, the temperature rises."
"Even when his zanpakuto is sealed?"
"Even when his-" Toshiro's eyes widened.
"If you need more evidence, I can use hollow and quincy techniques even when my zanpakuto is completely sealed. If he's feeling particularly dickish, Kyoraku can fuck with games people are playing if he's close and focuses enough. Hell, I've seen ice form around your feet when you catch Rangiku drinking on duty."
"But-"
"Contrary to what most believe, it's not heritage that determines a Shinigami's level of power. It's their connection to their zanpakuto, and the closer they are to accepting themselves." The prodigy's mouth shut as he leaned forward, clearly waiting for me to continue. Silently, Shiro showed his menu to Ukitake, pointing out what he and Ossan wanted. The silver haired captain nodded in acknowledgement before returning his gaze to me. Oh, I just realized everyone except my zanpakuto was staring at me in interest. Might as well keep going.
"Like you just demonstrated, most Shinigami treat their zanpakuto as separate from themselves, but they aren't. A Shinigami's personality and desires directly shape what their zanpakuto and its abilities become. Even the little things, like the release phrase, are subconsciously determined by the Shinigami. My zanpakuto's abilities are centered on my desire to protect those I care about, and focus on destroying anything that means them harm. My release phrase, Shatter Fate and Tear the Heavens Asunder, describes the lengths I would go to keep my friends safe." I explained. "Oetsu Nimaiya and Ichibei Hyosube taught me: I am my blade, and my blade is me. Understand that your zanpakuto is a part of yourself, accept it completely, and you will go farther than any amount of training could take you." Amazed silence filled the room.
"Well spoken, Kurosaki-san." Kyoraku gaped. "I must say, I am disappointed in myself. I don't mind learning from those younger than I, but to miss such obvious things leaves me a little frustrated."
"I can't help but agree." Ukitake breathed.
"From your words, your accepting yourself is how you are able to understand and admit what war has done to you, correct?" The First Kenpachi asked.
"Pretty much." Toshiro held his head in his hands, looking like I just completely shattered his world views. Wait, that's exactly what I just did.
"You said a zanpakuto's personality is shaped through the Shinigami's personality. In what way?" The white haired captain asked. I shrugged, before jabbing a thumb at Zangetsu.
"Not too sure, but if it helps, Shiro was formed based on my instincts, while Ossan was formed based on my desires. In general though, I'm basically an exception, so it's probably best to not look into it that much." There was a knock at the door, before a waitress cautiously peeked her head in.
"Are you ready to order?"
"Yes." Kyoraku was looking like he was in desperate need for a drink. The waitress quickly entered with a notepad in hand and took our orders. It was kinda funny how obvious it was that she was trying to not pay attention to Shiro. The woman left as quickly as she entered, announcing that our food would be ready shortly.
"Wait," Toshiro began, looking like he just had an epiphany. "Your zanpakuto explained to me that I needed to reevaluate what I knew about my Bankai. Does that mean my body is ready for my Bankai, but I'm holding myself back because I believe it's not?" I blinked, before turning to Ossan, because there was no way Shiro would give such vague advice.
"The fuck did you tell him?"
"I explained to him that some of what he believed to be fact in regards to his Bankai was incorrect." The Quincy spirit defended.
"Old Man, I get the whole self-discovery intent, but we don't have the time for him to double-check everything about his Bankai." I sighed in exasperation before turning to the confused prodigy. "Toshiro, your body is too young to handle your Bankai. That's just a fact. With that out of the way, run me through what you know."
"Daiguren Hyorinmaru dramatically strengthens my freezing abilities, grants me access to techniques I cannot use in my Shikai, and, because of my body, has a timer in the form of ice petals." I nodded at his words. "When the three flowers of four petals each completely break apart, I am ejected out of my Bankai."
"Are you sure?" I questioned. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He shut it, and then opened it again.
"The timer isn't how long I have left in my Bankai?"
"Nope."
"Then what is it counting down?"
"If your body is too immature to handle your Bankai as is, and you aren't eventually forced out of it because of that, what's the only option left?" He was silent for a long moment. Long enough for our food to come, but he didn't touch his bowl. Shiro didn't care, though. He dived right in to his meal, which Ukitake noticed with a chuckle.
"The timer is Hyorinmaru preparing to force my body to become mature enough to handle my Bankai?" The prodigy cautiously asked. I pointed at him with my chopsticks.
"Bingo." Call me Ichigo Kurosaki: Shatterer of fate, the heavens, time, and Toshiro Hitsugaya's world views. I smirked as I swallowed a mouthful of ramen. Oblivious to my thoughts, Toshiro was staring open-mouthed into space.
"Well, changing the subject, Kurosaki-san, you mentioned you were a hybrid of many things!" Kyoraku announced. "You're Human, Shinigami, Hollow, Quincy, what else?"
"I'm not a gikongan or mod soul. I'm everything else, though." Ukitake's eyebrows furrowed.
"You're an arrancar?"
"I think. I can use abilities exclusive to arrancar, so I can only assume."
"You're similar to Inoue-chan and Sado-kun?" Kyoraku wondered.
"They started calling themselves 'Fullbringers' at one point. Don't know where they got it, but they told me how Fullbringers are born, and that I could use Fullbringer powers if I wanted to. Never had the time."
"I heard the Soul King is a species in his own right." Unohana jabbed. I took a drink of my sake, and Zangetsu dug into their meals more aggressively. Which, sadly, didn't stop Shiro's leg from bouncing slightly, or Ossan's coat from flaring out more. I refilled my cup as quickly as I could, and felt everyone slowly turn to me.
"…no." Toshiro pleaded. I kept drinking. "No." I pointedly looked away when Unohana swiped my cup. "Goddamn it, Kurosaki." The white haired captain groaned, his head hitting the table.
"It's not like I'm a god or anything…" I scratched the back of my head nervously. "The Soul King kinda died at some point, and Ichibei said I fit the bill to replace him…" I felt more than saw Toshiro's piercing glare. "Well, Yhwach did say a few times that my Bankai was the only thing capable of beating him, and he's the one that killed the Soul King…" As if they were expecting it, the older captains lifted their bowls right before the prodigy's head slammed against the table.
"…You're going to be the cause of so many migraines for me, aren't you…" The icy captain mumbled.
"…Yeah…" I accepted.
"…Kyoraku-taicho, fill me a cup of sake." Ukitake and Unohana laughed as Kyoraku did as asked. I smirked before swallowing my second mouthful of noodles.
"Have a good night, you two!" Ukitake wished as he and Kyoraku separated from us.
"You two as well!" I mirrored, waving my hand. Toshiro, after drinking a comfortable amount, had left an hour before, claiming that he needed the time to think. We stayed to enjoy each other's company, and were only leaving now because the raven haired medic realized how late it was getting. Kyoraku had an arm around his friend's shoulders for no other reason than because he could, and the silver haired man didn't mind. Shiro was over my shoulder, because he was drunk and drunk Shiro led to fighting if he wasn't carefully watched. The Old Man had retreated into my inner world once the bill was paid, off to either continue planning on his own or to just take in the atmosphere in there. Once again, I was bunking with Unohana.
"Ichigo?" I turned to look at the woman I was walking beside. "You mentioned yesterday that you owned no place to live yet. I am curious about that."
"Oh, it's nothing much. After the Winter War, Yamamoto convinced the Central 46 to reward me for my help. I'm pretty sure they only went along with it because it would give me incentive to continue fighting alongside the Soul Society, but they also didn't really want to give me a gift, so they gave me a house in West Rukongai's 1st District. You should've seen their faces when Yoruichi and I destroyed all of the bugs they shoved in there." I chuckled. "I'm sure if I asked for it, Yamamoto would give me the place again."
"It's funny 'cause King almos' ne'er used it." Shiro slurred. "Was too busy bein' usef'l. Unlike those jackholes." My nurse giggled behind her hand.
"I see. Did you share it with anyone?" I shrugged.
"Whoever asked, really. Even on the rare occasion I slept in the place, I would let close to anyone crash there if they needed a place to stay."
"Who wouldn't you allow?"
"Anyone who I knew would wake me up by attacking me. Like Zaraki, or my dad, or an arrancar you haven't met yet. I gotta admit, the one time Byakuya stayed the night, I was terrified I would take up to Senbonzakura tearing my bed apart. It probably scared me more when I woke up to him making breakfast."
"And why was that?" The medic laughed.
"It's halfway between how sure I was that he would poison my food, and how he had never cooked a day in his life. Downside to being a noble is that you have servants doing everything for you."
"My, how amusing." I snorted.
"Anything else you're curious about?"
"Only one thing right now: Does your zanpakuto have nicknames for everybody?"
"Almost. He uses the real names for people who have truly earned his respect."
"Oh? And who make up that list?"
"You, Chad, Yoruichi, and a couple of arrancar you haven't met yet. He calls our sisters by their real names, but that's because they're our sisters."
"Quite the small list." I shrugged as we entered the 4th Division.
"He has high standards. What I've noticed is that everyone on the list is someone that pulls their weight, cares for me, and isn't an ass." She raised an eyebrow.
"Shouldn't be too hard, considering you described yourself as one of the most vital fighters. Shouldn't everyone have respected and cared for you?" My eyes hardened as I nodded.
"For the most part, but that doesn't mean most of that respect and care is genuine. Well over half of the Seireitei kissed my ass because my name held so much weight, and if I was healed by anyone other than one of my friends, I supposedly owed them a favor. A lot of nameless Shinigami would attempt to fight alongside the front-liners just to brag about how they fought by my side, or to make up some bullshit about how they saved me." My hand that wasn't holding Shiro clenched. "Some of the more cocky ones would seek out opportunities to 'rescue' me. If they saw an enemy that wasn't in my immediate line of sight, they'd attack. Usually ended with either the Quincy killing them, or me accidentally striking the Shinigami because they got in front of the enemy. Always ended with me pissed off at them because of how stupid they were being in the middle of a war. Fucking attention-whoring dumbasses." Unohana's hand slipped around my fist.
"As sad as it is, people like that exist. In times like these, we cannot afford the luxury of ignoring those with power simply because they're unsaintly." I shut the door to her home behind us, and we both slipped off our shoes as I continued.
"Oh, I accepted that a long time ago. What pisses me off is that the Academy doesn't take the dumbass out of the students. It's there to train Shinigami, not power-hungry assholes who think they can do whatever they want. Every Shinigami I've met that's supposed to watch over the Rukongai strong-arm the citizens for protection money, and demand food and sex under threat of death." A heavy frown fell upon the raven haired woman's face.
"Outside of constant watch, there is little we can do." A cool, soothing wave washed over my body from the Old Man, and I sighed. We both changed into night clothes, Unohana wearing her sheer white nightgown over underwear, me in some sweatpants and a tank-top we bought earlier. It was when I laid down on my futon, Unohana kneeling next to me readying a Kido spell, that I spoke up.
"Like you said, the fodder coming out of the Academy isn't something we can fix yet. As much as it pisses me off, it's low on the list of priorities, but it is something I came here to change." The nurse smiled softly.
"And I don't doubt it, like everything else you came to fix, will be. Right now, however, we're going to fix your terrible sleeping habits." As she placed her hands in front of my face, I snorted and closed my eyes. Just like when Shiniji used it on me all those years ago for my Vizard training, my consciousness faded instantly.
The scent of blood hung heavy in the air. Reiatsu saturated the battlefield so heavily it tingled on my skin, but I paid no attention to it. There was a burst of energy to my right, and Ossan's blade snapped up to split the Heilig Pfeil in two. I was in front of the Quincy that fired it instantly, Shiro's blade tearing across his chest before he could blink. The soldier fell with a bloodied grin, a moment before a light blue pentagon lit up along the ground, with me in the center. A Soldat kneeled before each corner, Seele Schneider stabbed into the ground with Ginto held above each hilt. My eyes widened, and I Sonido'ed as fast as I could towards one of the corners. The trap would break if the formation broke, I just needed to get one! Something crashed into the ground behind me, and I stumbled. Instinctively, I spared a glance towards the crater behind me, only for my eyes to widen in horror. Renji was on his back, his Bankai active and his serrated blade out. The enormous, mask-bearing 'Superstar' was on top of the redhead, his knee in the center of what was clearly a set of broken ribs and his fists flying towards the lieutenant's face. Renji's purple and black arms were all that was keeping his head from caving in. The temptation to rip apart the fanatic with a fucked-up version of heroism was so intense my arms shook, but I had to make the smarter decision. Renji, while not for long, could hold out under the assault. However, he wouldn't be able to survive an over-powered Sprenger.
My head snapped towards the closest Soldat, and I shot towards him at my fastest speed in Shikai. Rage filled my body as Shiro and I snarled in unison. His blade sheared through the Quincy, separating the Soldat's upper body from his lower at the bicep. The maniacal grin on the dead man's face didn't leave.
"Too late." My eyes dropped down to the Reishi blade below me, already glowing brightly as the technique activated.
"RENJI!" I screamed, dashing towards my friend so fast I felt one of my legs break for a moment. The 'Superstar' was bat away by Shiro's blade, and the Sternritter became a blur that flew across the war zone. I couldn't spare time to be cautious of Renji's injuries, I grabbed his shihakusho and pulled. The redhead barely budged.
"THE VILLAINS ARE DESTINED TO DIE!" My eyes tracked the body locked around Renji from behind as my Khyber blade speared towards the 'fan's' head. "EVEN IF THE HERO LOSES A LOVED ONE IN THE PROCESS!"
"SPRENGER!" The world moved in slow motion. I could see the igniting lines of the trap as they sparked towards where we were. I watched as dread and morbid realization melted onto Renji's face. I saw the air distort around Shiro's blade as it streaked towards the 'Superstar's' sidekick with unmatched speed. My gaze locked onto Renji's and I felt the scream force its way out of my throat as he shut his eyes.
"Win for us, Ichigo."
"RENJI!" Everything turned white, and I felt his shihakusho burn away in my hand.
"Kurosaki." A messenger called, kneeling in front of my desk as I did paperwork. I sighed, and didn't even bother to look up.
"How many times to I have to tell you to just call me Ichigo?" I shook my head. "What is it?"
"I have been tasked with informing you that the Quincy, Uryu Ishida, has been killed." Everything stopped for a moment. My hand shook, and the pen within it snapped. A freezing chill settled in my body, like I was completely submerged in a glacier.
"…What?" My voice cracked, and tears burned my eyes as I looked to the kneeling messenger. He didn't raise his head, or even shift his stance.
"Uryu Ishida, who was tasked to spy on the Wandenreich almost two years ago, had been found out by the enemy. They killed him upon discovery." Rage simmered under my skin.
"That's-that's a lie! Uryu is too good to be found out, especially after this long! They couldn't have found out! Don't tell me such-" I shouted, standing up out of my seat.
"The leader of the enemy army appeared in the Head Captain's office, and delivered Uryu Ishida's head before explaining what I just described to you. This happened mere minutes ago, I was tasked to inform you immediately." I was left unable to do anything other than stare. The fires of my anger were snuffed out by the ice-cold that encapsulated my body. Numbly, I fell into my chair, my lips parted and the world spinning around me.
"Get out." I mumbled in a daze. The messenger did so without hesitation, barely escaping my reiatsu filling the room and tearing everything apart.
"Kurosa-"
"Where are they?!" I shouted over the nurse, who visibly recoiled.
"D-down the hall to your r-right, f-fourth door on the left." I was pushing people aside as I rushed through the crowd of people, a depressingly familiar sob reaching my ears.
"Outta my way!" People began to part faster, enough for me to jog to the room and rip the door open. The sound of the crying muted everything else. I prayed that was why I couldn't hear the heart monitor. Deep down, I knew it wasn't. I stumbled towards the large bed, with the orange dome covering it before falling to my knees next to the only chair in the room. Orihime turned to me sharply, her face ugly with tears. She crashed into me, the chair skidding away and tipping over, but neither of us cared. Her arms were tight around my shoulders, and her face was buried into my chest, her sobbing soaking my clothes. Her screams of despair filled the sickeningly quiet room. Numbly, my arms raised to hug her back.
I had seen what happened, and I eviscerated everything on the battlefield to give us the opening we needed to take him to the 4 th . Unohana took him, healing him as best she could the whole trip, from what I heard. A trail of blood followed behind the medic, a mix of both his and whoever was unfortunate enough to stand in her way. When the Soldats stopped coming, Zaraki couldn't even praise my display from how dazed he was. I vaguely recalled the man's voice screaming across the war zone for alcohol. Most everything was blurry from when he was hit until I reached the 4 th , including most of what I did to get here. Orihime clearly tried everything she could, and everything only fully set in when her healing barrier dropped. My eyes locked onto the heart monitor, which displayed a horizontal line. I reached out with my reiatsu sense, and got nothing. Pesquisa, nothing. Sight, no rising of the chest. I trembled in Orihime's hold as I clutched onto her, before joining her in screaming and crying.
Chad was gone.
I stood up dazedly, Yoruichi's body held in my arms. My mind was blank. My body was numb. I saw a Shinigami staring at me, and carefully placed her within his grasp.
"Take her to my home. I'm burying her myself." My voice was monotonous, and the Shinigami gaped at me for a moment before nodding shakily. As soon as he took off, I turned to face the Quincies before me. I knew, somewhere deep in my mind, that there was a collection of Sternritter among the horde. I couldn't decipher who, or how many. Subconsciously, I was aware there were other Shinigami here. My mind wasn't acknowledging any of that. There was an explosion of reiatsu as I wordlessly slipped into Shikai. Huh. I didn't recall drawing Zangetsu. Didn't matter. I was vaguely aware that someone was talking to me. There was no effort to decipher it past realizing it was the voice of a Quincy. Could it have been the Old Man? No, I could tell he was just as mind-numbingly pissed. I dimly acknowledged Shiro taking control of my mouth and letting loose something nasty in response. The Quincy were coming closer. Wait. No. They were standing still. I was the one moving. One of the Quincies fired off an arrow, and the shattering of the projectile on my skin pulled me from my daze.
"You killed Yoruichi." I seethed. My reiatsu stormed around me, disintegrating everything nearby.
"Well, yeah, but I can zombify her if you want." My glare locked onto the woman who just spoke, utter hatred filling my body. "She looks so delicious, I wouldn't mind having her around to taste whenever."
"You killed Yoruichi." I repeated, more of a growl than actual speech.
This wasn't a battlefield anymore.
"You're all going to pay."
This was a cemetery.
"Ichigo!" I heard Rukia's voice scream, and I carved across the battlefield towards the voice. Blood was flying everywhere, structures were being destroyed. I saw a Sternritter tumble across the sky, Zaraki rocketing after them like a bloodhound. I grabbed a few fodder Shingami by the back of their shihakushos and threw them out of the way of a rain of arrows. A torrent of fire torched a collection of Soldats, and I caught a glimpse of Goatface lunging after the 'Flame'.
"Ichigo!" Orihime's voice cut across the warzone. My cero blasted apart a path of Soldats, and Ossan's blade snapped out to bifurcate the 'Overkill' at the waist. That was the eighth time he's died. Thanks in no small part to the elusive 'Zombie', the wave of Quincies was nearly endless. If there was a body to recover, she would make it come back to keep fighting, and the opportunity to destroy a Sternritter's body was rare at best. There were Soldats whose jobs were entirely to keep us from getting that chance, after all.
"King!" Shiro? I couldn't spare a moment to search the battlefield for my zanpakuto spirit, but I didn't despair. He could take care of himself, and on the off-chance he was gravely injured, he could return to my inner world whenever he wished and come back fine. I jumped in the path of a Quincy spear, saving Ikkaku. The spear-wielder gave a nod in response before continuing with his fight. A Getsuga Juujisho annihilated a horde of enemy reinforcements. "Snap out of it!"
Snap out of it? I searched the battlefield. My eyes furrowed. The only Sternritter who could create illusions was the 'Fear', and I didn't see him or anything I normally associated with his ability. Maybe a mind thing, from the 'Love'? No, I didn't spot any half-naked overweight jackasses, and I didn't feel any sudden urge to kill people for the sake of appeasing someone else.
"You're dreamin', King! Wake up!"
I was pulled out of the nightmare instantly. Someone was grabbing me, and I socked them in the face. There was a shout, the person recoiled, and I followed. I tackled them, straddled them and grabbed the arm of the fist that was flying at me. The other hand was sent out, and I grabbed it just as quickly. Switching both of the attacker's wrists to one hand, I slammed their arms above their head and headbutt them to calm their struggling. They bucked their hips, and I was brought off-balance by the unexpected display of strength. Before I could force my hips down to lock them in place, a set of arms came up from behind me and grabbed me in a full nelson. I shot to my feet and backpedaled into a wall, stunning the person enough for me to reach up, grab their clothes, and throw them over my head and onto the other attacker. I rushed forward, and the person I threw tackled me. I hit the ground, and swung at the intruder. The other one grabbed my arm and held it down, so I brought up my other fist.
"King!" I gasped, and saw white. Shiro was on top of me, his arms tight around my torso and worry in his eyes. Unohana was breathing heavily, pinning my arm down with her body and blood trailing down her temple. My eyes widened, and Shiro got up. I attempted to slide back, only for the medic to reach forward and pull me into a hug.
"It's alright. Everyone is alive, safe and sound. Whatever you saw is not going to happen again. You're not going to let it, right?" I choked on my words, but nodded. My tears burned my cheeks, and I leaned into the embrace as I tried to get a hold of my breathing.