Hunting season. Part II.
(Post FullBringer Arc)
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Ichigos hands grasps at the sand mound under his hands as he lies on his back looking up at the giant moon. His stomach aching and his shoulders bleeding profusely, he turns with effort to get himself up but the strength inside him starts to waiver. His hand reaches for Zangetsu but it's nowhere for his hand to reach, but he was just fighting where is it!?
Get up! He struggles harder this time to stand up but all he can feel is the sand underneath him sink him further as he struggles, he's sinking too fast. Shit! Get up! He's starting to panic as his struggling makes him only sink further.
"Wha-!" He looks up trying to grab anything but his hands can only grab the sand before him and he continues to slide further.
He's up to his chest in sand when he notices he's being watched from behind but when he goes to turn he can't physically turn that far.
"Who's there?" He asks and then feels a hand on his head.
"Look forward Ichigo, what do you see?" A deep voice asks.
"Who are you!"
"What is it you see?"
He looks forward and only sees Hueco Mundo, the sand, the moon, nothing! "Look forward Ichigo, move forward."
"No! Wait! Old man that you? I'm sinking I'm-!" The hand leaves his head and he feels his strength finally diminish from his body. His eyes close and the feeling of exhaustion is felt throughout his entire body making him want to sleep for the rest of his life.
He wakes up and he's facedown on pavement and his body feels stiff. Ichigo turns to his side and looks around, that's right... he crashed here last night. He stares at his hands and remembers he's got his powers back. Sometimes he wakes up still frantic that it was all a dream that he still didn't have his powers.
Now that all his friends, and Soul Reapers knew of his smoking habit it's been Operation Sober Ichigo Up recently. No matter if there's no Hollows or anything happening they don't want him smoking anymore. He already tried quitting for a week and all that got him was frustration and he could quit if he really needed to.
"Ichigo!" He looks up, he's on the ground against the wall, Rukia looks down with concern.
"Damnit Ichigo!" She pulls him to his feet. "We thought you were dead, your spirit energy went missing for a part of the night last night and we couldn't find you! What happened?"
"Ah, I've been here all night, no worries." He felt like crap and if what she's saying is true then what was that dream last night?
"Here?!" Rukia looks around taking in the alleyway, "Ichigo..." She says nothing else and drags him all the way to the Shoten not once removing her hand from his arm.
"Lookie here Yoruichi, our friend Ichigo decided to join us!" Urahara throws his fan up in joy, "Small blessings are often disguised, probably a good thing you weren't here yesterday Ichigo."
"Why's that?" Ichigo isn't awake enough for this.
"We found the guy who stabbed your sister." Yoruichi says standing before the door to the underground training room.
That wakes him up. After the day he went on a rampage beating up all the thugs he ever stole from or the ones he could find Rukia, Renji, Chad, Orihime, Ishida and Toshiro had helped him scour the rest of the town and make threats to anyone else who might decide to touch him or his own...
—-
"This guy beats us up more than we do him, and you call us the thug! How rich, bet that sister of his deserved it!" A guy with chains and tattoos laughs out while pounding his fist in his hand.
Chad slams down the guy who made the witty remark and Orihime is right beside him putting her foot on the guys neck. "Don't think you know much about what people deserve."
Yoruichi is behind her, "That's great Orihime! Now bend down beside his ear and whisper several threats! Then take your knuckle and dig it into his side right here near his kidney,"
"What is this a training session?" Toshiro scoffs from his spot, a thug dangling from his hand he drops him to the ground.
"It sure is!" Yoruichi laughs as Orihime takes her instruction, the guy below her is wide eyed shaking.
"Who are you people?" The thug cries out in pain.
"Hey, we done here?" Renji's red head pops out from the corner, "We got couple more thugs here need knocking out here!"
"Can't handle it Renji?" Chad asks with his foot still on the other guy.
"Of course I can! Don't you be starting on me too Chad I don't need it!" Renji yells at him.
"Let's go Orihime, I think this guy's got the hint... and if he doesn't," Yoruichi turns to the thug and leans down whispering something no one else can hear and he rightfully pretends to pass out.
Toshiro turns to Yoruichi. "Aren't you supposed to be taking care of the Hollows?"
"And miss this? Urahara can deal with it!" She takes off after a runaway thug.
—-
They hadn't found the guy that night they went hunting for him and it's only been a full week since the attack. He was starting to think they wouldn't find him.
But they did, of course...
"Where is he?" Ichigo asks, anger taking over and thoughts of what he is going to do.
"Well, we kinda had a little bet of a sort going on.. Not one you're part of. You see," Urahara is becoming vague again.
"Where is the bastard?" Ichigo cuts him off.
"Here's the deal, you stop smoking for a month and we will let you beat him up." Renji says.
"Oh a month? You're gonna hold onto this guy for a month?! You outta your mind!?" Ichigo laughs this is just great.
" Oh, we're not kidding." Urahara states and when Ichigo meets his eyes he brings up his stupid fan.
"You!" Ichigo looks around to find Rukia avoiding his eyes, Orihime playing with the tea packets on the table, Yoruichi examining her nails and Chad taking a sip of tea, and then theres Renji and Toshiro glaring back at him.
"Fine!" Ichigo snaps out then storms out of the Shoten.
"The guys gonna need a month to recover anyway after what you guys did to him!" Jinta says walking into the room with Tessai.
"Guy is in bad shape." Tessai agrees, "Well done."
"I see you took my advise." Urahara smiles over to Renji.
Renji glares over at the mad scientist. "Yeah, well... can't kill the damn bastard."