A/N. ive had this ready for ages but my ever reliably beta pointed out it felt rather fillerish, so I got to work on what was going to be the next third of this chapter, but its fought me every step of the way, so sorry about that.
on a good note, we are moving into the next arch of the story that will focus on ichigo's quincy abilities. its also going to start focusing on other plot points ive built up so far like mayuri and ichigo, orihme being labled a traitor (that was ages ago but I haven't forgotten), the rulongai retaliation and my personal favourite, the movements of the 5 noble houses (including ichigo) we will also see a bit more of the B team next chapter. alongside my shout out the Joker619 (my beta) I also need to give a huge thanks to Accurius for letting me bounce ideas off them, they have given me some really good ideas (some to be used and some not) as well as refined my ideas on ichigo's quincy powers and how it will all work together (again, some to be used and some to be discarded). Joker619 also pointed out my use of an OC and how this seems to be a bit of an issue with some people, rest assured my ONLY OC will never take centre stage from ichigo for long, its also my attempt at trying my hand at it. the entire B team will never gain to much power and at this point I don't even plan a single shikai for them. Bleach is told from the point of view of the elite warriors of the seireitei and ive always wondered how the rank and file see and contribute to events, this is my solution (I actually hoped this was the purpose of ryunosuke and yuki but it didn't happen), I hope you all get some enjoyment out of it.
aftermath
Ichigo paced back and forth in the large tent set up as his command post, Toshiro stood watching, waiting for his friend's mental state to settle.
"So how did they kill my people? I wouldn't expect a modern firearm to outright kill a Shinigami so quickly" he asked
"They had Zanpakuto, or more precisely, Asachi. From what the Onmitsukido can gather they had been stockpiling them for decades."
"But how did they hurt us? An Asachi wouldn't cut me, and how did a group of idiots like that even get Asachi in the first place?"
"Wrong Kurosaki, an Asachi would cut you if you were unprepared for it. You, Zaraki, me, even the Soutaicho can all be cut. We all raise and harden our Reiatsu when in battle, but even that's not always enough. Someone like us always emits a high Reiatsu, true, but it's just as the name says, it's a pressure, if someone pumped out enough Reiryoku they can match or exceed any Reiatsu. Very theoretically a Rukongai citizen with a solid control on their Reiryoku could emit enough Reiatsu to overwhelm Yamamoto but they would certainly die from Reiryoku depletion even if that split second opening was enough to kill him, after all its part of a soul's very life force. You know what? I'm going to add basic Shinigami combat principles onto my lessons with you, you are frighteningly undereducated in this. You should never underestimate a Shinigami of any rank or release state, what makes the taicho so powerful isn't just bankai and Reiatsu, it's the centuries of experience"
"Man, we really are just a couple of kids aren't we?" Ichigo said as he hung his head in despair
Toshiro copied the action "Yeah we are, but damn it all we worked and bleed to get here! Don't forget, I"m the youngest taicho in the history of the Gotei 13 and you're the youngest to get bankai ever! Don't you dare let them look down on you or ever look down on yourself!" the young teen shouted back
"Thanks" Ichigo muttered before flying of the hand again, "Damn it, I hate this seal!" he raged as he embedded Zangetsu's sealed blade into a table top "even if we aren't talking I can always feel him in me. With this blasted seal he's just a whisper of what he should be and it's screwing with my head, I can't think straight!"
"It's there to prevent accidental injury to souls weaker than you, it's more important in Rukongai than almost anywhere else, your Reiatsu alone could kill a normal soul. Momo said you've gotten pretty good with barriers, that true?"
"Yeah, I laid down the wards around our camp, that and kido seems to be about all I'm good for so far."
"It'll come now you know your strengths and weaknesses, but you should have no trouble raising a barrier around your quarters or this tent to contain your power when you release him. As long as he's resealed when you go out or have visitors around who can't handle it you should be fine. I do the same thing with Hyourinmaru. I get the feeling, I really do."
Ichigo sprang into action, a flame of Reiatsu at his fingertips, and with a wave of his hand a barrier materialized around the inside of the tent. Immediately, Zangetsu erupted in a wave of black power, his partners stress over the events of the last two days flowed out of him as his mind cleared.
"That is so much better," he sighed as Zangetsu's presence brushed against his own. Even the cold, sharp feeling of his hollow was a deep relief.
"Alright back to business, how did they get Asachi to begin with? I thought it was a Shinigami's weapon." He continued calmly
"It is, but a Zanpakuto alone isn't what makes a Shinigami. There is a lot more to the subject but you would need to talk to someone more knowledgeable than me. I would suggest Urahara Kisuke over Kurotsuchi Mayuri, not only is the man sane but your relationship with Kurotsuchi seems rocky at the moment if the glares are anything to go by. May I enquire what your issue with him is?"
"Are you saying we don't all have issues with Kurotsuchi?" Ichigo replied with a smile. Toshiro's unwavering gaze was his answer, "sorry, it's a little personal. Hell, for all I know he may have had nothing to do with it. It's a thought, it just eats at me is all."
"...you may not know it but each division is given a core task, while all divisions maintain patrols the tenth is the primary defender of the living world. I'm not deployed so frequently out of some form of spite for my age or hazing, it's my duty."
"So is that why you're always so busy with paperwork?"
"Yes Kurosaki, the tenth division is around five times the size of a regular division, but they tend to have other duties involved, such as the twelfth division who operates and maintains our communications and sensors as well as being responsible for Shinigami scientific advancement. The point I'm trying to get at is that I've had to work closely with Kurotsuchi for some time now. Whatever issue you have with him is causing you great distress but I can guarantee the man's amorality."
"Isn't that the issue here?"
"No Kurosaki, amoral, not immoral. There is a rather distinct difference though most don't see it as such now days. To be immoral is to know the difference between right and wrong and still not giving a damn. To be amoral is to have no moral compass at all. Whatever he, most likely, has done wasn't out of some desire to cause suffering. That man is steered only by his pursuit of knowledge."
"How's that any better" Ichigo snarled
Toshiro sighed, "It's not really, but it is an important difference. It's the difference between Aizen Sosuke and Urahara Kisuke, one manipulated his friends and comrades, knowing everything they stood and strove for, while the other sent his good friends son against a force that has held firm before all that time and the universe can throw at it with but a week's training and a complete lack of information. In the end, the first sought to raise himself higher than any other while the second was doing what he thought was right."
The young duo sat in silent thought, both lost in their own minds. Eventually Toshiro continued.
"Kurotsuchi isn't the kind of man to take anything other than pride in his work, may I suggest you just ask him if he was involved with what's on your mind? I'm not saying you have to forgive him if he is but it's better than not knowing. Besides, it's distracting you and we already have reports of another force headed our way."
"...thanks Toshiro. Now, do you want to talk about it?" Ichigo inquired
"Talk about what Kurosaki?"
"The way you talk about Aizen makes his betrayal sound very personal"
"He stabbed my oldest friend, his own Fukutaicho, through the chest and left her to die Kurosaki. Do I need another reason to hate him?"
"No, but the way you say it says there's more to it. Everyone else has moved on a bit, especially Momo, but you still want him dead as much as you did a year and a half ago. Like I said, it seems personal."
The taicho of the tenth let out a deep sigh, "It is personal Kurosaki."
"Yeah, I understand that, but there was more to Aizen's actions than a simple drive for power, when I fought him, all I could feel was loneliness in him."
"If he was so lonely than why did he turn his back on all of us?" his friend all but screamed at him
"I can't answer that Toshiro, I really wish I could, but nothing he did made sense. Even when I was above his level, all I felt was joy, joy that no matter what happened I could stop it from harming anyone. Aizen had that sort of power, and he gave it up. I still don't get what it was he was after, did he want power, or did he want to be normal? I can't answer that and I really don't think Aizen will if you ask him."
"This is a pointless subject, let's just get back on track." Toshiro said, closing the subject, "Latest reports indicate the next force is more organized than any we have faced so far, we can't afford to waste time."