- Where's the compass scroll?
- I'm not sure.
- oi!! Then which direction are we supposed to go?
- I'm releasing them. Releasing butterfly of hell.
- You couldn't have done that earlier?
- Capture her... Otherwise kill her.
- This is not the job of a shinigami, Captain.
- You're right actually... It isn't.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- Hmmmm, where did they go? 'Sigh' oh well, don't worry Rukia, big sister won't let anything happen.
/
Within an average looking, quiet street, was a shop with a large sign above the door that said (Urahara's Shop) In front of the shop, two small figures moved around.
"Jinta, can you focus on sweeping." One of the figures, Ururu, called out to the other figure while sweeping the entrance to the shop.
"Quiet. This is the soccer, that men go crazy for!!" 'Jinta' swung his broom through the air as he ran across the street and back. "Shoot!!"
Ururu turned to Jenta. "Really..?" She noticed a small figure walking past Jenta. "Hm?"
Turning to the two adults within the shop, she called. "Tessai, Mr Kisuke?" When they turned to her, she pointed to the tiny figure. "There's a cat."
Indeed, there was a black cat standing by the door.
"Oh_" Kisuke swooned as he picked up the cat. "Isn't that Yoruichi. You're back." He quickly raised it high while laughing.
A few feet away, Jenta and Tessai watched Kisuke. "What happened? That cat is...?" Jenta asked.
"It's name is Yoruichi." Tessai answered. "It's the boss's only relative."
"Heh." Jenta chuckled. "His only relative is a cat. Seems like our boss is... Very pitiful."
"I guess you could say that." Tessai sighed.
The cat suddenly leaped off from Kisuke, looking into the sky.
Kisuke, surprised, asked. "What's going on Yoruichi? Is it going to rain?"
The cat... sighed? And then it spoke. "Stop acting Kisuke." It's voice was deep, not just any deep, but masculine deep. "You should know very well..."
Kisuke's smile faded away as the cat continued speaking. "They" An ominous wind chose that moment to blow. "Have already came."
kisuke's striped hat covered his expression, leaving it a black shade as he responded. "About that... You wanna talk about it now, or until after you're done with your milk?"
/
Booom*
Rukia grit her teeth as she watched her... friend?... Acquaintance?... Classmate... As she watched Ishida collapse in the floor, blood pooling beneath him, and a figure standing over him.
The figure smirked, his spiky red hair gleaming under the moon. "Look at this... I told you so."
Hack* Ishida coughed, as he struggled to move under his injuries.
Rukia was too scared to move, she wanted to help Ishida. He had come to save her, and now was going to die. She couldn't just stand back and do nothing, but... 'He's strong... He's gotten way stronger.'
Renji's smirk had turned into a full blown chuckle as he lorded over the hurt quincy. Rukia could still not find the resolve to move. 'I won't... Even be a match to him.'
Seemingly satisfied, the red haired figure raised his sword. "I guess I should end this now." With his hand raised, the moon shone on his face, revealing a bandana over his forehead and large jagged eyebrows. "Remember this before you die."
"...!" Ishida wheezed, trying to get a look at his assaulter.
"Abarai Renji!!" The red haired figure spoke. "This is the name of the man that killed you."
"Remember it well!!" *SWISH* He swung his sword, cleaving the quincy in half.
CLANG*
Renji's sword found purchase on the concrete floor instead of the promised human, causing a small explosion of dust.
"Huh!!" Renji shifted his gaze behind him, finding the intruder who landed with a *clop* "who... Who the hell..?"
The dust cleared revealing an orange haired figure wielding a big ass sword- an unusually large zanpakuto. "Kurosaki Ichigo!!" He yelled. "The one who will defeat you... Remember it well!!"
Renji stared wide eyes at the newcomer. "A... Shinigami?" He leaped to the top of a fence. "Who are you? Whose orders are you following!?"
He paused, staring at the weapon on the shinigami's hand. "What the... THAT!!" He stammered. "What is that idiotically huge sword!?"
Ichigo frowned. "Huh?... Well I guess it's kind of big, isn't it? I thought it was pretty big compared to Rukia's" he lifted his zanpakuto. "But up until now... There hasn't been anyone else's to compare it to."
Renji crouched even as he wondered. 'The hell!? How is it possible to have a sword that big!? The zanpakuto reflects the amount of swordsman spiritual power.' he tsked. " I get it now. You're the one who's stole Rukia's shinigami powers."
Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "So what if I am?"
"You're dead!!" Renji leaped towards Ichigo at inhuman speeds trying to end it in one strike.
Behind Renji, hidden from the moon by a shade of walls, a figure stood unnoticed. "Kurosaki... Ichigo...!"
CLANG*
"Wha..." Renji's eyes widened as his sword was redirected towards the sky by Ichigo's large zanpakuto.
Ichigo's eyes were cold as the sparks from the clash passed by his view in a slow motion. With a chill in his voice, he spat. "You're slow."
"Tch." Renji grit his teeth before rushing at Ichigo again with multiple strikes.
CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*
Ichigo had an impassive look on his face as he parried all of Renji's strikes. "Where's all that bravado now!?" He launched a kick at Renji's midsection, sending the shinigami crashing into a wall.
Renji immediately stood up, the dust clearing. He idly cleaned some spit on his jaw with his thumb. "You bastard."
Ichigo's gaze, impassively cold, remain trained on the red haired shinigami. "Go on. Talk some more." Although his thoughts were anything but stoic. 'Oh thank goodness I made it in time. Have to thank weird hat guy later.'
Yes, a few moments ago, Kisuke or rather weird hat guy had barged into Ichigo's room, through the window no less, with Rukia's location.
He noticed that the red haired shinigami had a grin on his face, but rather than feel threatened, he felt relief. 'Looks like my training paid off. After that scary ass hollow, I trained as fuck to up my speed. I promised myself to never be caught off guard like that ever again. I was starting to wonder if my training worked, but I can tell. If it was me from a month ago, I wouldn't even be to touch this guy. But now?'
Renji flinched as Ichigo's sword appeared inches away from his chest. 'Fast!!'
CLANG*
A hasty block caused Renji to slide backwards from the impact.
Rukia stood in a daze. 'Wha... Is this the same Ichigo? When... So strong? How is this possible!?'
Renji prepared to attack once again when a voice stopped him. "You are being too careless Renji. Why are you underestimating him?" The figure formerly hidden in the shade walked out under the moonlight, making his presence known.
Rukia froze.
"Kuchiki Sama!!" Renji glanced back at the figure. "What are you talking about? It was just a fluke. A guy like this is nothing."
'Kuchiki' sighed. "That kid who says he's Kurosaki Ichigo. I knew he looked familiar. Thirty three hours ago, using our undercover sources, we were able to see the image."
Kisuke's next words seem to freeze Renji in his tracks. "We were able to purify the Menos, thanks to the scar the young man gave him "
Ichigo simply stood, with a stoic face, although. 'Meno... Wha... Is he talking about the big nose guy!?'
"Pbbt!!" Renji chuckled. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!" He grinned. "You've got to be kidding. The quality of our undercover forces must be dropping."
He pointed at the orange haired substitute shinigami. "A rookie like him gave menos a scar!? You expect me to believe that bullshit!?"
His fingers then changed direction to Ichigo's zanpakuto. "Just look at this guy's weird ass sword, it's big but has no strength to back it up. I can barely sense its spiritual pressure."
Ichigo remained stoic. 'Well duh, that's the point. That hollow snuck up on Ishida and me back then and I didn't even feel it even when it was in front of me. Hell even Ishida couldn't feel it and he's really good at sensing spiritual stuff. That checks off another training down. This guy is really helpful.'
Unaware of Ichigo's thoughts, Renji kept on yelling. "He's not capable of purifying evil spirits. Hey you, what's the name of your zanpakuto!?"
Ichigo stoic face changed to one of confusion. "Huh... The name... I don't do that stuff. What are you, a nerd? Do you actually go around naming your swords!? That's weird man."
A vein on Renji's forehead protruded as his face flashed with anger for a brief moment, before he took a breath, calming himself. "That figures... Didn't even ask his own sword for its name!!" He drew his left hand across the side of his blade, a faint haze enveloping it.
"Come back, after you train for two thousand more years!!" He yelled as his sword his sword exploded in a roar.
Ichigo stiffened. "His zanpakuto..."
Renji, noticing Ichigo's sudden flinch, roared in excitement. "Roar HEBIOJOUMARU!! Look in Front of you!! In front of your eyes!! There's your food in front of you!!" His zanpakuto had transformed, turning into a large segmented blade with a massive tip that ended in a long ridge with several small ridges running down the blade's edge.
Ichigo's eyes widened. 'This feeling, lts just like that time. Well no, the hollow is still scarier but the feeling is almost the same. In that case.'
Kuchiki raised his eyebrows as he felt Kurosaki Ichigo's spiritual power suddenly spike in an explosion of power.
CLANG*
Two massive swords clashed with each other as Ichigo met Renji's charge with a charge of his own.
Ichigo and Renji struggle in their clash for a few moments, their weapons pushing against eachother. Eventually Renji started losing ground and Ichigo spotted a grin, when suddenly Renji smirked.
SLICE*
The segment of Renji's sword had moved like a snake, slicing into Ichigo's chest with a quick jerk.
Clang*
Ichigo's sword dropped from his hands as the shock of the attack unnerved him.
Swish*
Just like the top segment, the remaining segments separated, and sword took on a snake like motion, and Renji leaped in glee. "This is the end rookie, you will lose to me!! Renji Abarai!!"
Rukia watched as Ichigo fell to his knees, while Renji kept laughing and yelling"You will die here!!"
Renji swung his serpentine blade with a relaxed smile on his face. "Sorry rookie... This is due to the difference in our strengths." His blade immediately reset itself with a...
KKKKKK KLANG*
"A zanpakuto can change size and shape, depending on the spiritual strength of the owner." He raised the sword, using it to shade his eyes. "This is... My true strength."
"I don't have a personal grudge against you rookie, but you're not fit for this world... So die!!" Renji raised his sword.
Grab*
"What the..." Renji yelled in shock as Rukia suddenly latched on to his blade wielding arm. "Rukia, what the hell are you doing!? Are you trying to get into a bigger crime you idiot!?"
Rukia, ignoring the red head, yelled at Ichigo. "Hurry!! Get up and run away..!! Ichigo!!"
Clench*
Rukia and Renji froze as Ichigo grabbed his sword.
"You still have enough strength to move around!?" Renji yelled with a maniac grin on his face.
His grin however, disappeared the moment he saw Ichigo smiling. "Sorry about that..." Ichigo scratched his neck. "I was lost in thought."
"Haha- ack!!" A choked laugh was heard from Ishida who was still laying on the floor bleeding to death.
A vein protruded on Ichigo's forehead. "Oi!! I can think, four eyes!! Shut up!!" He turned back to Renji who finally pulled Rukia off his arm. "I tried... But... Holding back isn't really my thing."
Renji froze, his words caught in his throat. "Wha..." His eyes widened like saucers when he suddenly felt Ichigo's spiritual power explode like a torrent.
The shockwave was able to push him back, and he had to use his sword as leverage. 'What's this? His spiritual power... It's suddenly insane.'
Kuchiki shook his head in disappointment. 'Reckless, Renji... That you couldn't even notice that he was repressing his spiritual power is foolish.' He turned to the orange haired substitute shinigami. 'Although, such a crude way of hiding your presence, that weirdly worked. It's like he copied it from someone and believed it would work, perhaps a hollow?' Sigh. 'This fight is over.'
Sl_ice*
Renji froze as his shoulder spurted blood. He hasn't even seen Ichigo move. "Huh...?!" He turned around to see Ichigo vanish again. "Ugh... This bastard!!"
CLANG*
Renji immediately raised his sword as Ichigo's sword nearly split his head in twain.
SWISH*
The impact sent him flying anyway. He twisted in the air, landing on his feet and sliding back.
His bandana now had a tear in the middle, from which blood streamed down his face. 'What the hell!? His speed suddenly increased. And his spiritual power...'
"Haha" Ichigo barked out in laughter. "What's wrong... You might as well be standing still." He pulled his robe, showing his shoulder that had healed already. "Hope you didn't think... I would lose to you."
Renji almost staggered back. 'What the hell? I can feel his spiritual power just by him talking... It's heavy."
Raising his sword, Ichigo charged at Renji. "Then let's end this!! I win!!"
SWISH*
Ichigo's sword sung as it sliced towards Renji.
"!!!!!!!" Ichigo suddenly leaped backwards in a hurry. He glanced at his sword, which was now missing its massive blade.
'What was that just now? Something moved.' He glanced at his sword again. 'I missed it.'
Chink*
The sound of steel thudding against concrete echoed into the night and Ichigo found the source. A few feet away, the other figure called Kuchiki that Ichigo noticed when he arrived, stood holding his broken blade in his hand while resting it on the floor.
'He's fast... Just like that one... Damnit!!' He watched as 'Kuchiki' dropped his broken blade, and his hand went to his own zanpakuto on his hip.
Shk*
'Shit, he's coming this way.' Ichigo immediately heightened his senses prepared to at least dodge the attack.
Spurt*
He didn't.
Blood spurted from his chest as he struggled to remain standing. 'Damn... I barely saw it, but my body couldn't move out of the way. Did he attack from the back or the front? It was hard to tell.' he felt his strength leaving him. 'shit, I'm falling.'
"You're slow," Kuchiki said, his voice low as he stood beside Ichigo. "Even when you're toppling down."
Rukia gasped in fear. "Byakuya Aniki!!"
Renji allowed himself to release the breath he didn't know he was holding. 'I haven't seen that in a while. It's undoubtedly amazing. I barely saw the last two movements, I didn't even see him draw his blade or when he sheathed when he was done.'
Rukia looked like she was about to break down, when...
Clench*
Renji and Rukia froze, while Byakuya paused, as Ichigo grabbed his ankle. "I'm... I'm not done yet."
Rukia looked ecstatic, with a wide grin on her face. "Ichi-"
The world lost colour.
"Let go rookie." It was a simple statement, Byakuya didn't raise his voice neither did he make any movements.
Rukia felt like the world was trying to kill her as she drowned on air. Renji couldn't find the strength to keep himself standing as he staggered, trying to catch his breath.
And Ichigo... Well...
"Can't hear you... Look at me if you wanna say something." He wheezed from his position in the floor, still holding tight to Byakuya's ankle.
Byakuya turned to face him. "You won't have that arm for long."
Ichigo grit his teeth, as he refused to let go.
Rukia was terrified of what would happen to Ichigo and tried to reach him, but could barely move herself.
The tension was so thick as Ichigo and Byakuya stared eachother down.
Rukia's heart leaped into her throat when Byakuya's hand drifted to his sword and slowly pulled it.
"SAL-"
Renji flinched. "Oh shit."
"LU-"
Byakuya's hand drifted away from his sword. "Oh no." He whispered.
"TATIONS!!!!"