Requiem for the Hollow Rose

by sreshtiyer

After witnessing the death of Pyrrha, white fills her vision and the Rose huntress finds herself in a desolate and bleak place. Confused, lost and still grieving the loss of her friend and her own helplessness, little does Ruby realize that was just the beginning of her arduous journey. Innocent to Mature Ruby. Rated M for psychologically disturbing themes (non-sexual).

21. Chapter 21: Embrace your instincts

Chapter 21: Embrace your instincts

That grinning face. That sadistic expression. After what he'd done, Ichigo wanted nothing more than to rip and tear this 'thing' in front of him to shreds. Because someone this cruel, sick and disgusting couldn't possibly be a soul reaper, let alone human.

"It's rather troublesome and time consuming to be spending time fighting a mere soul reaper, so I am going to finish this using in the most effective way possible. Claw out, Ashisogi Jizo!" he chanted, and his katana transformed into a deformed trident head with serpentine blades and a guard in the shape of a baby's face. To Ichigo, who had seen many different zanpakuto shikai releases so far, this one was the most repulsive.

"As repulsive as the bastard using it" he cursed internally. He couldn't tell the kind of ability this zanpakuto had but he knew it couldn't be good news. Mayuri was approaching him, and Ichigo's instincts were screaming at him to stay wary of that twisted blade. But unlike his sisters, he had no way of using long distance techniques such as quincy arrows or kido like Mr. Hat and Clogs. He only knew how to fight close quarters.

*GRAB!*

Out of nowhere, the girl he'd knocked out grabbed him from the side. He'd completely forgotten about her.

"Da…dammit, let go!" he cried out, struggling to get her off. But to his surprise, the girl had a surprisingly tough grip strength. Seeing Mayuri approach faster, he flailed about frantically until she let up a little bit. But what happened next left the orange head in disbelief. Mayuri slashed at both of them without any hesitation. The blade passed through her lungs and left a slash across Ichigo's chest. The girl however, was smiling, looking at Mayuri.

"You…..YOU USELESS PIECE OF FILTH!" he roared, kicking her violently against the wall. "I TOLD YOU TO HOLD ON EVEN IF YOUR ARM CAME OFF!"

"I…I'm sorry, Master Mayuri…." she mumbled weakly.

"Hmph, I wasn't expecting much from you anyways" he said disappointed.

"Yo….you evil….bastard…..wasn't she…..on your side….?!" growled the orange haired soul reaper. Somehow, more so than the injury itself, he was finding it harder and harder to move.

"I would be more concerned about myself if I were you" he advised. "Because killing you now is as easy as strangling a baby" he said in a sinister tone, approaching him. Ichigo tried his hardest to move, but no matter what he did, his body simply wouldnt comply.

"Finding it hard to move? That's what you get for using brute strength like a primitive ape that only knows to fight using its brawn" he mocked. "My Ashisogi Jizo synthesizes a drug that only blocks the motor nerves from functioning. In other words" he said, stabbing into Ichigo once more. He roared out in pain, which only intensified as he wasn't able to flail around to ease it. "It leaves the subject completely capable of feeling pain while shutting down their motor functions" he said. The pain. It was so much worse than anything he'd felt in his life. In his battle with Renji, he'd received far greater wounds and yet, the pain he got from those wounds was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. He was losing consciousness.

"How disappointing. Was the intruder that we were told to be so wary of? Not even worth studying or killing. Just stay there until you rot away. Perhaps your corpse will be more useful as research material" he said, turning and leaving towards his lieutenant. Ichigo could barely make out what she was saying before he started violently kicking and screaming at her. Even in that situation, where he needed to be more concerned about himself, he still couldn't help but feel pity for the girl being roughed around like a rag doll by her own superior. That, and the fact that he wanted nothing more than to kill the pathetic excuse of a human being in front of him.

Right then, everything slowed down to a halt. The world turned monochrome. Materializing in front of him, with his ever-brooding expression and almost completely covered by a dark cloak, with shoulder length shaggy hair and dark shades, was his Zangetsu.

---

"Oh no…..brother!" gasped Rukia silently.

"That's…captain Kuchiki….!" exclaimed Hanataro, completely terrified.

"Dammit, another captain?!" groaned Tatsuki. "Wait, did you say brother?!"

"Ruki-nee's brother is a captain…?" wondered Karin. "Not to mention, that guy…."

"Yeah…..his reiatsu is off the charts. Still nothing compared to dad though" noted Yuzu.

"Wait…you're not thinking of fighting him are you?" asked Hanataro.

"No, run away!" shouted Rukia. "You're no match for Byakuya! You-"

"Oh shut up!" said Tatsuki with an annoyed expression, comically whacking Rukia in the head. "Do you think we don't know that? Even if we want to run away, you think that guy's simply going to sit still while we, the 'intruders' try to run?" she asked.

"Which is why, we might as well give it our best shot, right?" asked Karin, with a smile. But in contrast, she was sweating. Playing it cool was the only way she could calm herself down. "Yuzu, the difference between our skills is obvious. But we should be able to stall him for a while. Hanataro, Tsuki-nee….think you can run with Ruki-nee while we do that?" asked Karin.

"What?! You guys must be nuts?! Are you really asking me to run while leaving the two of you to your deaths?! Ichigo would never forgive me, and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself either! And aneki…" said Tatsuki.

"Dont worry….we won't die. If it gets too dicey, we'll make a run for it" said Karin unsure.

"Yeah…..so please don't worry about it, Oneechan" assured Yuzu. "Just get out of here!" she shouted, forming her reishi bow and firing a volley of arrows. Byakuya sliced them apart with his immense speed.

"Child's play" he said simply. "I detected two concerning spiritual pressures heading to the tower, and I must admit, I was not expecting two children" he said. "However, even you must know the difference in our skills"

"Oh, shut up" snapped Karin. "We still need to pay you back for almost killing our brother!" said Karin, "Unveil, Shingetsu!" she chanted, and her katana morphed into the familiar triangle shaped blade. She also activated her blut arterie. She charged, in between Yuzu's volleys of arrows hoping to cut him while she kept him busy. She swung, but hit only air. The momentum kept her going, and her swing sliced clean into the railing, going through it like butter. It even cut away a part of the ground.

"I see…..you must be Ichigo Kurosaki's sisters. You should have stayed back in the world of the living after what happened to him. Power is all you have, and although I am intrigued by those glowing reishi veins and even the fact that you have a shikai, you're far too slow to even look at me" he said, appearing behind Karin. She felt a sharp pain from her back, and blood spurted from the diagonal slash going across her back. "This is what happens to those that don't know their place"

"KARIN-CHAN!" shouted Yuzu, "You leave her alone!" she said angrily. "Shroud, Mangetsu!". Yuzu's dagger changed into the bladeless ring handle, into which she wasted no time pouring her reishi and forming an energy shield. She also simultaneously activated her blut.

"A reishi based zanpakuto" he noted simply. "However, even a shield such as that is of no use if you cant-!" Byakuya flash stepped behind Yuzu, intending to cut into her. However, his blade was stopped. As if he was slicing into a thick wall. The spot he cut into only drew the tiniest trickle of blood. He had expected it to cut much deeper.

"That's impossible…!" he said, surprised.

"What's unbelievable is how you don't even care about what happens to your own sister!" said Tatsuki's voice from behind. "These two are far more like her siblings than you'll ever be!" A blast of fiery orange reishi sped past Yuzu, barely missing him by inches.

"T….tsuki-nee….!" groaned Karin, getting up slowly.

"I thought we told you to….!" said Yuzu.

"Sorry….I just couldn't leave you guys after all" she said, firing off more blasts of fiery reishi. But this time, Byakuya was on guard, completely avoiding them.

"I never expected a human would have such….abilities" he said. "But I will give credit where its due. I never expected Ichigo Kurosaki's sisters to possess soul reaper powers, let alone possessing such strength. I can now see why lieutenant Hinamori lost to the three of you. I apologize for not striking you hard enough. I'll make sure you won't walk away from this alive" he said, holding his zanpakuto.

"Yuzu he's…coming!" said Karin. Yuzu stood in front of Rukia, and Tatsuki in front of Yuzu protectively.

"Brother please don't! They're only children, please! They're actually-!" screamed Rukia, but it was no use.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura". And with that phrase, his zanpakuto's blade disintegrated into dust, leaving only the hilt.

"His blade….disappeared…?" wondered Karin.

"RRRRUUUUNNNN!" screamed Rukia at the top of her voice. But, nothing she said could stop what happened next. Like a tranquil scene by the riverside with falling cherry blossoms, petals of many different shapes and sizes blew over them like a gentle autumn breeze. And when it was gone, their bodies suffered multiple lacerations all over. Yuzu's blut however, did manage to significantly reduce the damage. Because she was the only one standing. Bleeding profusely, but standing still. Karin and Tatsuki however, were so grievously wounded it wasn't even funny. Even Yuzu was barely standing.

"N….no….." she whimpered, struggling to move "K…karin-chan…onee-chan….." she said, taking baby steps, one at a time. With each step, the wounds gave in little by little.

"No…please stop….please…..you've done enough…!" begged Rukia, but the look in Byakuya's eyes told a different story.

"You survived an attack from Senbonzakura" he said. "Quite admirable. But you won't survive another" he said, drawing back his blade. Right then, he felt his hand being held.

"?! What's the meaning of this..?!" he exclaimed.

"That's more than enough, Captain Kuchiki" said the long white-haired captain. "Have you no shame?! They are mere children! And even if they are intruders, you should have no trouble capturing them with peaceful means. Using your zanpakuto to wound them to that extent is unbecoming even for you, Byakuya!" scolded Ukitake.

"Ca…captain Ukitake…!" exclaimed Rukia.

"You seem to misunderstand, captain. The intruders were formidable enough for me to use my shikai. That one even survived a hit from Senbonzakura. And the wartime exemptions allow unrestricted use of our zanpakuto" he explained with an unchanging tone.

"War?! Are you serious?! You're telling me the head captain thinks a handful of intruders invading this place is an act of war?!" he exclaimed. "Just what's been going on when I slept?!"

"So, if you'll excuse me, I have a job to finish" said Byakuya. "Our orders are simple. Eliminate the intruders. And they are the intruders. Even you must know the consequences of disobeying the orders of the head captain. Or will you stand in my way, captain?" Before them, Yuzu was still making her way slowly to Karin, her wounds now opened considerable. Her face was covered in blood. She was helplessly prodding Karin with what little strength she had, before glancing at Tatsuki. She was crying.

Byakuya raised his sword once more, the petals converging towards Yuzu ominously.

"Byakuya, enough!" roared Ukitakte.

"Byakuya! No, please, I'm begging you stop! They're the children of-!" screamed Rukia.

*SCHICK!* *SCHICK!* *SCHICK!* *SCHICK!* *SCHICK!*

It happened in an instant. Byakuya didn't even feel it at first. Neither did Ukitake. Because it literally came out of nowhere. Going through Byakuya's raised arm was three glowing arrows of reishi, one each at the palm, elbow and forearm. The palm and elbow of his other arm also had reishi arrows each.

"GU…..GUUUUARRRRHHHHHHH!"

In just an instant, both of his arms had been rendered useless. In a scream that was uncharacteristic of his calm and collected demeanour Byakuya cried out in intense pain.

"Wh….what just….?!" Gasped Rukia in utter confusion. Reishi arrows?! So that would mean…a quincy..! But…..Yuzu is the only one who could've….no…..it can't be….the direction those arrows came from…! She looked to her left. Way out there, just beyond the walls of the Seireitei, was a glowing spot of light, like that of a star glowing in the night sky coming from the Rukon district.

Naturally Ukitake had noticed it as well.

"…what in the world just…?!" he exclaimed wide eyed. That was when he noticed the glowing spot in the Rukon district just beyond the wall, coming from somewhere in the 1st Rukon district.

"A long range attacker…..all the way from the Rukon district…?! Impossible! Who in the world has that much skill to attack so precisely from such a distance and even manage to injure a captain level Shinigami?!" he said. Byakuya also took notice of it. He was bitter, humiliated and defeated by an attacker that wasn't even in front of him. The spot of light grew brighter.

"Incoming!" exclaimed Ukitake, and took out his own sword to block the arrow that was heading towards Byakuya.

*KLANG!*

A sharp and loud metallic sound rung out as Ukitake parried the arrow quite effortlessly. Even a seated officer would've been able to parry a projectile coming from that distance. The reason Byakuya was caught off guard was because he wasn't expecting or paying attention to that side of the bridge. But what Ukitake hadn't anticipated, was that whoever it was, was far stronger than he gave them credit for.

"No….way…my Zanpakuto is…..!" he exclaimed again. Right where he parried it, there was a chip on his blade. "Who…..who in the world could….?!"

The bright spot disappeared, as if it never existed in the first place.

"It's gone…!" he said astonished.

"Heh, would you look at that. Just when I thought I was becoming a better parent, you're always one step ahead of me, aren't you?" asked a gruff voice. "I'm no match for you after all"

Ukitake and Byakuya sharply turned their heads upon hearing the new voice. A voice that was as familiar as it could be, and yet different. The same could be said for the face. Standing in between them and Rukia + Hanataro, was a black-haired Shinigami with a stubble, a tattered white cloak hanging from his side. But what gave away his identity away, was the zanpakuto hanging from his left side.

"Unbelievable….!" said Ukitake, his arms slumping to his side. Byakuya was very visibly surprised now. "…Captain…..Shiba…..!"

---

Uryu, Chad and Orihime managed to avoid running into any further seated officer level shinigami. Their tactic had been very simple. Defeat a few regular shinigami and dress up in their outfits. It was CHad who first suggested it but Uryu was the one who first thought of it. Naturally being a quincy, he wasn't very pleased but Orihime managed to convince him. After that, most shinigami ignored him and the few that were suspicious would get taken out almost immediately but either Uryu or Chad. Orihime would offer a small apology following that.

"You don't have to do that everytime you know" said Uryu sweatdropping.

"But...but I feel bad otherwise!" she said pouting.

"Normally I would agree with you but after what those guys did to you, I don't really mind" said Chad, referring to the incident just moments ago wherein two drunk shinigami were hitting on Orihime and came close to sexually assaulting her. Naturally the glassed quincy and the gentle giant intervened before anything else happened.

"I'm still having trouble believing this is the after life. Other than being a few centuries out of sync, this looks no different than the real world" said Chad.

"And that's why we should introduce them to our ways!" said Orihime cheerful "I'm sure they'll be super excited and turn into a more peaceful civilization then!"

"If only it were that easy…" said Uryu adjusting his glasses. They were soon in what appeared to be a large courtyard.

"My, you three are beyond belief!" said a raspy voice. "But I must admit, I never expected one of the intruders to be such a lovely girl such as yourself!"

A figure landed in front of them, with flower petals falling on the spot where he landed. A man with a straw hat and a pink, womanly looking kimono with dark hair tied in a ponytail.

"Wh…who are you?!" asked Uryu, putting his guard up.

"I think it's rude to introduce to ask that without introducing yourself but since you've got such a lovely lady there, I'll let it pass. Greetings! I'm Shunsui Kyouraku, captain of squad 8. Pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

"A…a captain!" exclaimed Uryu. "Damn, this is bad…!"

"I'm Orihime Inoue! Pleased to meet you!" she replied cheerfully.

".…Yasutora Sado" said Chad.

"And just why the heck are you two being so humble and polite?! Hello?! Enemy dead ahead!" asked Uryu comically.

"But….it's just a greeting" replied Orihime. "It would be rude to not introduce yourself after he did"

"Urgh for the love of..! Fine, Uryu Ishida, you happy now?!"

"Ahahaha well, I like you three. Now that that's out of the way, why don't we…?" Shunsui stopped mid sentence when he noticed that the flower petals were falling with an increased rate. Sweatdropping, he asked the woman with glasses who was throwing them from a basket to stop, and she simply continued unabated. He continued to ask her in a flirtatious manner, and the woman, called Nanao, now dumped the whole basket right on top of his head with an annoyed expression, including the basket.

"Um….what do we even do here…?" asked Chad.

"Eheheheheh….they seem like they're nice people…." said Orihime awkwardly laughing.

"What ridiculousness" scoffed Uryu. "We have no time for your games, captain. Thanks for the welcome, but we'll be on our way now. I believe it benefits you as well to avoid conflict. So let's just pretend we never saw each other and we we'll disappear from your sight as well"

"Whoooooaaahh, hold up now, we can't have you doing that!" said Shunsui in a jovial manner. "Know what, let's do this! I do quite like the idea that you want to settle this peacefully, so why don't we just settle this over sake? Nothing beats having a good time together with a bowl of sake, here, why don't you join me?" he offered, sitting down and pouring himself a a bowl of sake.

"Is this guy….actually being serious right now…?!" exclaimed Uryu, getting annoyed this time.

"Sorry, but we'll pass. And besides, we're minors. We can't be having alcohol" said Chad.

"That's right! Until you're of age, it's better to drink juice instead!" advised Orihime animated.

"That's what you two are worried about?!"

"Huh, is that so? Oh yeah, you are human teens, so I guess that's make you children in our terms. I see, my bad! Alright then, why don't we simply sit and share stories then? Natsuko-chan used to tell them to me and Jushiro all the time when we were kids! Like….The Girl in the Tower! Oooh, that's a great one, always brought a tear to my eye! Or how about The Two Gods? I always used to get reminded of the Soul King when I heard that story. The Story of the Seasons is great too!" he counted off in his fingers.

"Only because it features 'four lovely maidens', isn't that right, captain Kyouraku?" asked Nanao with a disappointed voice.

"Ehehehe you got me there" he replied with a sheepish smile. Nanao's disappointed expression only grew further. "But ahh! Those were the days! Even though those were times of war, Natsuko-chan used to take care of us kids to make sure we didn't see the horrors of it. Her stories and her cookies always brought a smile to everyone's faces. Even Yamajii was fond of them. Too bad my lovely Nanao can't make cookies like her~~" he stated off dreamily. A vein popped in Nanao's head. "And besides, the others must be moving to your friends as well. It'll be over soon anyways. So why make this painful?"

That was it. The mention of their friends set off an urgency in Uryu and Chad and the urge to stop wasting time and regroup with everyone. The fact that other captains were already moving towards meant they could no longer fool around here.

"Oh crap….I shouldn't have mentioned that" he said in regret.

Uryu and Chad nodded at each other, moving towards Kyouraku who was still sitting down.

"Hmph, I'll take care of the girl, captain. Knowing you, there would be many other problems if I ever left the female intruder to you" she scoffed, moving towards Orihime.

---

Momo hadnt ever felt emotions as intense as the ones evading her mind at the moment. The moment she saw the corpse of her captain strung up on the wall like some sort of publicly executed criminal, her world became blank. After what the intruders told her and what her captain himself told her, she knew this was done as an act of warning. What else could it be? After all, her captain did say that he was challenging the soul society itself in a way. And he paid the price for it with his life. Though he was in the right, though he was doing everything he could to fix things, this is how the system payed him back. Black hatred began to flow within her, and when Gin Ichimaru came to the scene, she could only barely remember flying into a blind rage, attacking him, Izuru who defended his captain and then even Toshiro who tried to calm both sides. It didn't matter to her. Maybe they were all in it too. She simply couldn't trust anyone at the moment. Not even Toshiro. Because after all, he was one who followed the rules to a T next only to captain Byakuya.

After she was apprehended and put in confinement, she couldn't catch even a glimpse of sleep. She didn't want to sleep. Because right now, the itch to get out of here and avenge her captain was greater than anything. She didn't even notice Rangiku approach her. She handed Momo a letter, saying that it was in Aizen's study and that it was addressed to Momo. In all the days Rangiku had visited Momo, she hadnt seen her eyes light up as they did now.

"A letter…from captain Aizen.?!" she exclaimed weakly.

"Yeah. We found it on the day he was murdered. But since you didn't see him that day in the morning, he must've written it the day before. I havent opened it but…I just felt that you should have it before it got confiscated as evidence. They must contain his last thoughts and words. I thought you should be the one to know it. Sorry…..that's the least I'm able to do right now" she said apologetically.

"No…no, Rangiku-san. This means a lot to me. Thank you" she said. Rangiku waved her goodbye before going on her way.

With trembling hands, she undid the thread binding the letter. She tried her best to calm herself and read the letter as slowly and carefully as possible. It read:

My dearest Momo,

Firstly, I would like to sincerely apologize for keeping quiet about my involvement with my personal investigation of the Soul Society's atrocities since the past few decades. I feel absolutely dreadful that I have betrayed your trust in me. I dearly hope you are able to find forgiveness in your heart, though I deserve none of it. I'm well aware that what I am doing is utter lunacy; going against a system such as ours is not one that can be done by a single soul. It was for that reason that my fellow captains warned me to stay clear since I would only be bringing ruin to myself. Toshiro for one was very concerned about it. Because though he knew about the happenings here, he still steered clear of Central 46 and anything that didn't concern things outside his duties. Still, the deeper I delved into the system, the harder it became for me to consider myself a Soul Reaper. I knew that attempts to silence me would be inevitable. My position as a captain of the Gotei 13 was my only saving grace. So far, I have been able to thwart attempts by the Soul Society to take my life. This was also why I never wanted to involve you. It would have been simple to stay quiet and live on turning a blind eye to the things happening here. But how could I? After all, if even I stayed quiet, there would be no one to call them out. And so, I continued unabated. Only days ago, I received a rather foreboding warning from Central 46 asking me to halt my activities or risk facing consequences. But I can no longer associate myself with the organization called the Soul Society. Wearing the mask of a dutiful and law abiding captain while knowing the evils of this place is simply too much for me to ignore. Not any more. Not after all that I have seen them do. That is why, I plan to fake my death and forever leave the Soul Society on the day of the execution. I understand this may come as a sudden decision to you. But please, please know that I never, ever wanted us to part ways in this manner. But they forced my hand. I had rather hoped we could talk one last time before I made my decision. However, I really do not wish to drag you into my problems and into the mess I have gotten myself into. Also, going against the system is something I want to do. It would be incredibly immoral of me and irresponsible of me if my own lieutenant were to get dragged into this mess because of my actions. That is why, I felt that at the very least, I must leave my words in writing. I only pray, that if a situation as the one I have described above does come to pass, this letter finds itself in your trustworthy hands before it is lost to other prying eyes. Momo, you are the only one I can trust with all of my being. I only want you to be happy and live a peaceful life away from all this. I know you have many caring friends and comrades who also deeply care for you. I….cannot ever be so irresponsible as to tear you away from them. I could never forgive myself otherwise. That is why, consider this my personal request. Though others might consider me dead and perhaps even a traitor for daring to go against the system, at the very least, I wanted you to remember me and the truth. I admit, it will give me some solace. Live your life to its fullest. Do not let my words lead you astray from what you truly want to do. And more importantly, do not come looking for me. Because it will mean abandoning everything you hold dear just to be with the likes of me. I do not wish for that kind of future for you. Dearest Momo, once again, take care and may our paths never cross in the foreseeable future, for both of our sakes.

Your dear captain,

Aizen Sosuke

The paper fell from her hands as a shocked Momo stood there, frozen to the spot. Something was creeping inside her. Something frantic. Something burning. Something intense. She felt like a locked animal, waiting to unleash them all at the slightest trigger. Her captain was alive. Hunted, perhaps even wounded but alive. He was planning to leave the Soul Society. All of it was too much for her to take. No matter what happened, the last thing in her mind, was being stuck up in a little cell like this. She just had to find him. She had to. Before the opportunity lost itself to her forever. And so, without even thinking twice about it, she blasted the cell doors and made her way to freedom. Towards the one she adored the most.

---

One second Ichigo was face to face with the depressing old man, who explained to him that because Mayuri had rendered Ichigo's motor nerves useless, he used Reishi to join 'string' parts of his body together like a puppet, which would allow him to fight a bit longer, but only if he wished for it. When he replied with a 'yeah', he found himself being cloaked in a large encroaching shadow and now, he was fighting what was a bleached version of himself with what might as well be a wooden stick in his inner world. Bleachigo held a sword shaped like Zangetsu, with its colour scheme inverse of the regular Zangetsu. He had a mocking and twisted smile on his face, casually slinging Zangetsu over his shoulders.

"I'm very disappointed, Partner. It's like you don't even want to fight even though you couldn't have asked for a better target for your bloodlust" he scorned him, while gripping Zangetsu by its cloth hilt and spinning it around like a saw blade. A maneuver that surprised and much to his annoyance, impressed him.

"Never thought…..I could use Zangetsu like that…"

"But even more disappointing is how much you want to make mincemeat out of him and yet, still won't! It sickens me how spineless you are! And you have the tools to do it too! Then what the fuck were you waiting for, huh?! Why are you the one on the ground, bleeding and completely useless, HUH?!" he snarled, throwing Zangetsu like a dart, which Ichigo narrowly avoided. Bleachigo scoffed in annoyance.

"Shut up! Don't compare me with the likes of you!" retorted Ichigo. "I'm doing fine fighting the way I am right now!"

"You think you can simply use your Zanpakuto like any other weapon? A Zanpakuto is a part of you! And yet, you're swinging it around without even understanding that. You have no idea the power you're holding in your hands. And yet, all you think is about yourself. 'I need to train and become stronger'. What nonsense! You don't have the right to wield this weapon!" he declared, continuing to play deadly darts with Ichigo. His mastery of the weapon was supreme. He was using it like it was part of his body. In ways that Ichigo never even thought of. But, he agreed that there was some truth in his words. Why did Urahara san tell him time and time again about the importance of his Zanpakuto's name? Why did Renji berate him during their first battle for now knowing his Zanpakuto's name? It all made sense now. Indeed, he had been so arrogant. He looked at the depressed looking man in a dark cloak watching from the distance. He wished, with all his heart for another chance. A chance to learn more. Bleachigo grinned.

"Time to end this…!" he said, charging at Ichigo. They locked blades. "I'll show you how to properly wield Zangetsu, and what you've been holding back, partner!"

Back in the Soul Society, Mayuri stopped kicking and trashing Nemu when he sensed the sudden, almost titanic spike of reiatsu coming from the soul reaper he'd left for dead. The figure of the downed orange head was slowly getting up.

"How curious! You can still stand up after-"

Mayuri didn't even get to finish his sentence as a sudden blur sped past him, and his arm came clean off.

Nemu watched, with a worried expression as her master was forced back with such ease that it was hard to believe she was looking at the same man who was lying helpless on the ground without even being able to inflict a single wound. Not just that. His fighting style had changed so drastically as well. He was using his Zanpakuto as a flail while rushing at Mayuri in a completely erratic manner, slicing off bits off of his body with each strike, all while wearing a sadistic expression on his face. His iris, which were initially soft brown, were now pale yellow.

Ichigo could see and experience all that was happening while he was being 'shown' how to fight but without actually being able to do anything as he watched himself rush time and time again at Mayuri, slicing him off little by little. It was as if someone was moving his body for him. At first, he was impressed that he was watching himself fight with such skill against a captain. He could feel everything his bleached version was feeling as he continued to hack and slash away at Mayuri. Sadistic pleasure, fun, entertainment, bloodlust, satisfaction. As the fight went on longer and longer, he felt something was seriously wrong. He could almost picture the twisted expression on his face. He then began to consciously try to regain control. And then, he tried harder and harder, more frantically as the sick pleasure and satisfaction of cutting him down like a butcher poured into him with more fervor.

Finally, Mayuri's torn body was sent across the long pathway and through the wall.

Mayuri couldn't understand it. He couldn't care less about his body literally being in tatters. He simply had to know. About that soul reaper. About that mysterious reiatsu and why it spiked to a level far above a captain's spiritual pressure. And why his eyes had changed color. Why his fighting style had changed. Why his voice had changed. He had to know. He wanted to experiment. He wanted to cut him open, pry the secrets he was hiding. Even if it meant using his Bankai against a lowly soul reaper.

"Bankai! Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo!" he called out, and the familiar form of his larvae like Bankai with yellow skin with a child's head spewing poison from its mouth emerged out from the rubble, it's enormous form not even perturbing the mysterious intruder's advances at him. The boy leapt at his Bankai, pointing his sword towards it and stabbing into the head, ignoring the poison as if it never existed. The sword then began to glow with a red hue, brighter and brighter.

"Im…impossible…!" he exclaimed. That reishi. There was no doubt about it. It was the reishi of a hollow. Because that red glow, was no doubt the glow of a cero. His widened eyes were illuminated red by the increasing luminescence of the doom blast, as it engulfed him and his bankai in a colossal explosion that obliterated everything that was caught in its path.

Nemu stared in astonishment, as the smoke cleared to reveal her master still alive, struggling to even stand with a large chunk of his left side missing. His Bankai, with a large hole through its centre, split apart and crashed on either side.

"Da…damm you..! Damn you! How dare you reduce my body to this state you-!"

Mayuri didn't even get to finish his sentence as the familiar form of Zangetsu found itself being wedged inside his torso. He violently coughed out blood and finally gave in to his injuries, falling down to the ground. The orange haired teen with brown eyes forcefully extracted the Zanpakuto, and began hacking into whatever was left of him, stabbing, slicing, gouging at whatever he could reach into.

*SPLAT!* *SCHICK!* *KASHCASK!* *SLIIIICK!* *SCHEEEK* *KISASHCH*

"Sto….stop…" begged a quivering Nemu, slowly reaching out for Mayuri as the carnage continued. "Please…..stop….I beg of you…!" she begged, with wide eyes. "Please…please…"

Ichigo continued to watch in horror as bits and pieces of the demented captain went whizzing past him as he continued to hack at him.

"Enough…..THAT'S ENOUGH DAMMIT! GET OUT…! GET OUT OF MY BODY! STOPP! YOU'VE BEATEN HIM, DON'T….! JUST STOPP! STOOOOP!" roared Ichigo in blind rage.

"Whatever are you talking about, partner? I let go a long time back. This is all your doing. I let go the moment I put a hole in that giant ugly bug. I knew you had the instinct. All I did was give you a little push. Can't say I blame ya. After what he did to your sisters, I knew your bloodlust would come rushing out with a little help. It feels good, doesn't it? The warm feeling of blood on your body, the sensation of sinking your blade into your enemy, cutting into his flesh, gutting that disgusting filth with your emotions laid bare?" he asked with a twisted grin.

"No….NO, I'm not…!" replied Ichigo with a wavering voice. "That…..can't be me….!"

"Just admit it, partner. The longer you deny it, deny your true nature, the more it'll hurt. Take it from someone that's been there" he said. "In any case, this wasn't a complete waste. Deep down, you're as thirsty for battle and carnage as I am! You aren't a completely lost case after all! So, don't go disappointing me anytime soon now!" he declared, fading away before Ichigo could retort any further.

No, he told himself violently. That couldn't be. He could never accept it. But despite how much he tried to deny it, to prove it didn't exist, how much he tried to deny what he told him, he knew he was only lying to himself. Because in all the time he was gutting Mayuri, what he was feeling wasn't regret, empathy or sympathy. It was satisfaction but not one that was sadistic or twisted for the sake of gutting him. It was satisfaction for utterly dicing up the piece of trash that dared to traumatize his sisters. Like a wild animal defending its possessions. In the pool of blood that formed around him, he didn't see the face of Ichigo Kurosaki. He saw a face of a murderer, a psychopath. More importantly, it was rivaled only by the expression on his sister's face he had seen in Grand Fisher's lure.

The moment memories of her came flooding into him, it was as if he was slapped awake. Because the murderous looking expression was instantly replaced by one of immense regret, fear and despair. His eyes grew wide, pupils dilating and Zangetsu slipped from his hands, falling to the ground. The blade was covered in so much blood that the blade appeared bright red in color. He dropped to his knees, clutching his head. And then, he wailed. In despair. In fear. Of himself. Of what he'd done. Of what his sisters would think if they saw him in that state. Or Tatsuki. Or his dad. Or Ruby.

Unbeknownst to him, the scientist had barely managed to escape by stabbing his zanpakuto at his throat to liquefy himself and recover back at his quarters.

It would not be until much later, after Ichigo had passed out from fatigue and emotional trauma that he would be found by Yoruichi.

She arrived at the scene, only to see blood and viscera everywhere. The stench of it was unbearable and the sight of it incredulous. She cringed horribly at the very scene of it. But what was most disturbing, was to witness the orange haired soul reaper practically covered in it. His hair, clothes and his Zanpakuto. Panicking, she approached him only to find that he had no major injures that could account for so much carnage. Because his Zanpakuto told her enough of what likely happened. Not to mention, the expression of despair and trauma that was still visible on his tear stained face.

"Oh kiddo…." She said apologetically, hugging him close to herself. "Ruby….I'm so, so sorry…I should've gotten here a lot sooner" she said to no one in particular in a guilt ridden voice. It was only then that she noticed that his mouth was foaming slightly and his skin was turning pale blue little by little.

"Dammit, poison!" she cursed. She looked around and saw the passed-out lieutenant of squad 12. She searched around her robes to find a vial of liquid. She knew that's where the antidote to that madman's bankai's poison was. Being the ex-captain of the stealth force had its perks, she told herself. Having knowledge about the captains was only expected of someone in her position. She wasted no time in pouring the contents of small vial in his mouth. Making sure he'd gulped it down, she lifted him and his Zanpakuto, and disappeared with a flash after making sure the coast was clear.

---

Inside the inner world of Ichigo Kurosaki, the only two inhabitants of the world were having a heated debate.

"Tell me, why would you do something like that? What purpose does it serve to traumatize him?" asked the middle aged broody man wearing a dark cloak.

"Don't get carried away, pretender" snapped the bleached version of Ichigo. "Don't forget, I'm Zangetsu, and you're just pretending to be me. And I get to decide if he's worth wielding me or not. If he can't understand the essence of holding a sword, of doing battle, then I refuse to let him use me. A sword is a weapon. Used to indulge in carnage and to drown in the pleasures of battle. And I am a hollow. All hollows hunger for something, their instinct calls them out for something. And my hunger, is for battle. To crush my opponent's skulls, to slice them to ribbons, to tear them apart and to experience the pleasures of battle. And I refuse to submit to a weak minded King who doesnt understand the horse he uses to ride into battle. If he wishes to use me, then he must prove his strength to me"

"Even if it means that could potentially lead him to fear his sword? His own self? Which in turn could get him killed?" asked the middle aged man.

"If he ends up fearing his own sword, his own self, fearing me, then that just goes on to show how much of a worthless coward he is! But I cant have him dying on me, I refuse to die along with a weak minded fool who doesnt know anything! That's why, you neednt worry about that. Unlike you, I wont try to hide what I truly am. I despise roundabout tactics like that.I still don't see why we need to hide anything from him, but unlike you old man, I don't fear being killed by Juha Bach in the event we have to face him. In such a situation I'll just rip him to shreds"

".….."

"Silent, are we? That's fine, I don't really care why. As long as we do things the way I want things to be, I don't mind you taking over my role, if it helps that fool in accepting who we are. However" said Bleachigo. "What I said still stands, Zangetsu-san. A soul reaper that doesnt understand his weapon will never be able to use his full strength, and in the end, that will be what kills him. Not me, but it will definitely be whatever it is that you're doing. You and 'big sister' still don't get that. I liked that one. She had eyes just as empty and hollow as mine, I can't wait to meet her again! I'll have much more fun fighting her. And when I do, that time, I won't have king interfering" he said, before disappearing into the middle aged man's shadowy cloak. In silence, the old man could only stand in solitude as he reflected on his other self's words. If only it were that simple, he thought to himself. Though he was right in a sense, it also went on to show how much of a hollow he truly was. Things like emotions and sentiments were not things that were completely lost on that one. But he couldn't let his heart waver. Not now, when he'd endured it for so long.

"Ruby Rose…you are such a difficult person to forgive. Though your intentions were admirable, in the end, it was your decision to leave that led Ichigo to the point where he finds himself today. Though you never wished for him to become a soul reaper, a notion that both you and I shared, your actions did the complete opposite. And I fear that the effects of it are still ongoing" said 'Zangetsu' to himself. "If only you had stayed, you could have prevented all of this from happening in the first place. Ichigo could have led the life his mother wanted the way both you and her wanted"

---

Despite their combined efforts, Chad and Uryu could do nothing against the jovial captain. He simply handled their attacks with a single hand, looking bored in the process even.

"Oh come on, you kids still want to go on? Why take so much trouble? You kids still have long lives ahead of you. Why would you even bother with someone no even from the same realm as you?" he asked.

True, he did have a point. Rukia wasn't particularly close to either of them least of all Uryu. And yet, here they were. Risking their lives for someone they just knew. Perhaps it was the effect of hanging around Ichigo, they thought to themselves. To Uryu, that was certainly the case. A ardent hater of soul reapers at first, his feelings on the matter had certainly changed after meeting him and his sisters. It also helped that their mother was a quincy who died just like his own. And before he knew it, he was here. That was it.

"Because Ichigo is here risking his life" said Chad simply. To an outsider, that answer would've made no sense. And it certainly didn't to Kyouraku. But he understood that they had resolve. In that case, he would not belittle them, even if they were children. He drew his twin katana. Chad prepared his arm, charging in as much energy as he could. Uryu had considered using his reishi glove to sacrifice his quincy powers to gain temporary explosive increase in his abilities. But doing that against someone so overwhelmingly strong would make no difference. After all, what good would it do even if he defeated Kyouraku if he couldn't use his quincy powers after that? That's why, he decided against it. When Chad unleased his attack, Uryu considered he would unleash his own barrage of attacks at Kyouraku. Perhaps something might happen.

And so, they did just that. But the moment Chad released an enormous blast from his arm, Kyouraku vanished. He felt a light blur going past him and then pain. It happened so fast, it was hard to believe he'd been cut, let alone Uryu along with him who was also falling down with an expression of shock. But the two of them were most worried about Orihime. Because now there was no one left to defend her.

Nanao was perplexed at the strange energy shield that the girl continuously deployed to defend against her attacks. She tried a variety of bakudo and hado spells, but most of them didn't get through. Somehow, the girl was holding up against her. But she didn't attack in retaliation either. Nanao didn't know if it was because she lacked the means to or if she simply didn't want to out of pity. Because she was strongly inclining towards the latter.

"Hmph, how weak. Showing sympathy to an enemy during a battle" she scoffed. "A woman shouldn't be so weak, especially in a battlefield such as this. Aren't you ashamed? Letting those two men fight for you while you stay back all comfortable in the background?"

She was ashamed. This soul reaper didn't need to tell her that. She was angry, not at her for berating her, but at herself for being so useless despite promising herself that she would try to make it up to those that were always protecting her. Just then, she saw the two of them fall after the getting hit by the captain's attack. Her friends were hurt. These people had hurt them. To any normal person, this would've been a perfectly normal situation where anger would've led them to retaliate back. But not her. No matter how much she tried to, how much she wanted to make up to them, she simply couldn't. Because the only thing that came to her mind after she saw her friends fall, was that they were injured. And that they needed to be tended to.

"Ishida-kun! Sado-kun!" she screamed in worry, running towards them.

"Why you!" started Nanao, annoyed at the girl. How naïve! She thought to herself. Exposing her back to an enemy so defenselessly, she was asking to be killed. No matter how soft her enemy was, she wasn't going to let that stop her from doing her duties.

Kyouraku however, knew that the girl was more worried about her friends than herself. He genuinely felt bad that he had to do this in front of her.

"My apologies. But I wouldn't worry if I were you. Everything'll be over soon. Just sleep for now" he said solemnly before knocking her out with the back of his blade.

Orihime could only watch as darkness enveloped her vision and she felt her body give in.

---

"Impossible….captain…..Shiba…!" exclaimed Ukiktake with an expression of utmost shock. "What are you…?"

"Why….are you….here….?!" rasped Byakuya, his arms hanging limply by his side. They were both bleeding profusely.

"Don't take it personally Jushiro. But cherry blossom here stepped just a bit too far in" he said. "Is this what the 'great noble Kuchiki' family teaches its people nowadays? To butcher little kids?"

"Silence…! You have no right…..to be lecturing me after deserting…." Retorted Byakuya.

"Yeah, you're right. And it's not like I cared about being a Shiba clan member. But that's not what I'm talking about" he answered. "You almost killed my adorable little daughters. She was merciful enough to leave those arms intact. If I had reached just a second earlier, I would've made sure you could never hold a sword again, Kuchiki" said Isshin with a glare. Byakuya and Ukitake gasped at this new information.

"They're….your children….?!" Said Ukitake wide eyed. "You had children, captain Shiba?! Not to mention…..I never thought you'd be the doting type…."

"These two are, but not this one" he said, picking up Tatsuki. He was holding Karin and Yuzu in his other arm. "And what can you say? You're absolutely right there. I really do have Masa and Ruby to thank for that"

"Does that mean…Ichigo Kurosaki is also…" asked Byakuya.

"Yeah…" he replied. Byakuya's eyes widened. Now it made sense. That immense spiritual pressure he sensed on the boy. He was a progeny of the Shiba Clan. The progeny of Isshin Shiba, possibly one of the strongest Shinigami in the Soul Society. Stronger than even himself.

"Who would've thought…you would" started Ukitake. "But….what do you plan on doing now, Isshin..? Don't tell me you decided to show yourself after 20 years to save Rukia…?" he asked.

"Of course not" he replied. "I'm here because they're here. No offense, Kiddo" he apologized, looking at Rukia. "Sigh, alright don't give me that look. Fine, I'm here to rescue her too, but right now, these three need immediate attention. Anyways, to answer your question, what kind of parent would I be if I simply let my children go when I know this can happen to them?" he asked, throwing another dirty look at Byakuya. "As much as I would've loved to catch up, I think it's about time I took my leave. They'll really die if I don't move my ass now. Don't even bother, Byakuya" he said when he noticed that the captain of the 6th division was trying to lift his limp arms to attack. "In your condition, I could clobber you without even looking. Heh, she even knew that I would've killed you for reducing my daughters to this state. Really, I'm no match for her at all" he said with a smile.

"You know…who did this?" asked Ukitake.

"Let's just say that I'm not the only one looking out for my kids. I didn't want to disturb her peace, but I'll have to thank her at the very least after all this is over. Honestly, she's way better at it than I'll ever be. Ruby would be disappointed that I still left you alive. Actually, the two of you should be glad their big sister isn't here. I doubt…this invasion would've taken this long had she been here" he said. "But, I may have been too lax with them. I should've been stricter; I shouldn't have been so relaxed and reluctant. If I'd known this is what they'll be going through, I should've made sure they were strong enough to handle it. Well, not anymore" he said "Mark my words, cherry blossom. Next time you try something like this, it wont end the same way" he said, flash stepping away from him and appearing on the roof.

"Wait, Isshin!" called out Ukitake. "About Kaien…do you still…?" he asked with a downcast expression. Isshin simply sighed.

"Of course not. If anything, I know you of all people cared for him the most. And that goes for you too" he said looking at Rukia. "I know it wasn't either of your faults. So don't be blaming yourselves. He wouldn't and I wouldn't want that either. Instead, I'll be happy if you do right by my kids. They are his cousins after all" he said.

"I…I see….." said Ukitake. "Of course, you needn't worry about something like that. Still, thank you" he said. "Isshin…before you go, I must ask. Aizen…were you the one who…killed him?" he asked. Isshin exclaimed.

"Aizen's…dead?!" he asked, exclaiming.

"Yeah, he was found dead this morning pierced by his own Zanpakuto" informed Ukitake. "But by your reaction, I suppose it wasn't you"

Impossible, thought Isshin to himself. He isnt the sort of guy who'd get himself killed like that. No way, not when that perverted shopkeeper had that much trouble against him. I'm pretty sure its another ploy of his. I don't know what he's planning this time, but…..I don't have time to think about it right now.

"Of course not" answered Isshin with a darkened expression. "Let me give you a word of advice, Ukitake. You, me, him, and even the head captain have all taken Aizen too lightly. Let's just say that he was the reason I was on a 20 year hiatus plus the disappearance of a certain perverted shopkeeper and a certain cat" he said. "I'd be careful with anything that concerned him" he said before finally disappearing.

After his disappearance, there were simply far too many things, too much new information that they had a hard time processing any single piece of it. The appearance of Isshin Shiba as one of the intruders after his 20 year hiatus, his familiarity with the mysterious attacker, the mention of a 'big sister' to the Kurosaki siblings who was supposedly powerful enough for Isshin to speak of her that way, him having 3 children who also happen to be soul reapers AND Kaien Shiba's cousins. Not to mention, this new information with Aizen.

"It appears…..as though we have a lot to talk about" said Ukitake. But he knew first things first, Byakuya needed to be tended to. He asked the flustered Hanataro to leave Rukia to him, as well as asking him to escort the captain of the 6th division to the 4th division. From her reaction, he gauged that Rukia knew a considerable portion of everything Isshin told them, considering that she was in the world of the living. He would have a lot of catching up to do after being sick in bed all this time due to his illness.

---

Isshin flash stepped over to the one place that he, Yoruichi and Urahara had agreed upon in the even that they needed to regroup. His daughters and Tatsuki wont make it if he didn't make haste. He cursed himself for being so slow on the uptake and needed Masaki of all people to rescue his kids from almost being killed, when all she deserved was spending her afterlife in peace. With or without his powers, she was always one step ahead of him. Another surprise waited for him at the hideout where Yoruichi and Kisuke built their 'playground' for training and recuperation. It was seeing Yoruichi and Ichigo with the latter being thrown in the recovery pool that Kisuke had built in the giant underground cavern.

"Isshin!" exclaimed Yoruichi upon sensing his arrival. "What's…?!"

"Damn, him too?! Whom did he fight….?" asked Isshin.

"Mayuri but there's more to be said about that…." informed Yoruichi. "What happened to….." she asked with a horrified expression.

"Cherry blossom" he said with distaste. Yoruichi angrily scowled. Expressions of disappointment, anger lit up on her face and she clenched her hands. "If not for Masaki, he would've really killed them. Of course, I got to them just a second later but…."

"Masaki?! You mean…!"

"Yeah. She attacked from the Rukon district. I imagine she sensed their reiatsu disappearing and decided to protect them" explained Isshin. "It surprised me too. But leave that for now. First we need to tend to these three" he urged. Yoruichi nodded, and got to carefully lowering Karin, Yuzu and Tatsuki into the recovery pond. She cleaned their wounds gently, making sure they were all cleaned and disinfected first before lowering them into the pond. After making sure they were stable, Isshin and Yoruichi continued to discuss the information each one had. Yoruichi had mostly been in hiding till then, but even she had heard about Aizen.

"I don't buy it, not one bit" she said and Isshin agreed.

"We can look into it later. How did you come across Ichigo?" he asked. And then she explained how she sensed his reiatsu fluctuating while Mayuri's reiatsu was still going strong. And then, she recounted sensing his hollow reiatsu following which she immediately rushed to the scene.

"When I got there, I found so much blood and guts lying about on the floor, I was scared out of my wits, I'll be honest. Knowing that demented scientist, I feared the worst. But Ichigo had relatively minor injuries. I saw Zangetsu caked with blood and guts and I knew immediately what happened. The look on his face…." she said apologetically. "I'm sorry Isshin….."

"Don't be.….." he said. "If anything, I'm glad you found him in time…..but, it's already started huh?" he asked.

"It would seem so. Normally, a soul that has passed on becomes a shinigami by training with an asauchi and pouring their spirit into their blade which forms their Zanpakuto. That's the reason a zanpakuto spirit is very similar to its master in terms of personality. In their case however, the opposite happened. They were born with zanpakuto spirits in them. I suppose one could say that you both had not three but six children" she explained.

"Yeah, and when White merged with Ichigo's zanpakuto, what we got was a hollow becoming part of his being. It's no surprise that Ichigo would inherit some of his instincts" said Isshin. "Yoruichi, I think we've been too lax with them and I admit I've been too relaxed about this too. Some dad I am, thinking I got better at it since they were born. I couldn't have been more wrong. Even when she deserves nothing but peaceful time, I even made her worry" he said in regret. "If the likes of cherry blossom are going to be after them, I'd rather make sure they can survive and live, without anybody needing to look after them"

"I understand" she replied. "How do we go about this?"

"I'll leave them to you to take care of them. I think its time you trained them harder. If they're going up against the likes of cherry blossom, then….it might be time to use that" he suggested. "Though about Ichigo, I think you might have a harder time making him accept his powers rather than training him...sigh, even though the two arent even remotely related by blood, they couldnt be more like siblings". Yoruichi nodded in agreement.

"What about you….? Arent you going to stay here…?" she asked.

"I know we heard that Aizen's dead but I think there's more to it. I think I'll try to find out more. I'd rather not meet any of the other captains if I can help it, though it matters little now. But I don't know whom I can trust and whom I cant. But….I can think of one. I would like to stay, but I think this is equally important. Plus, the other three kids are still missing. Someone needs to be out there to look out in case anything like this happens" he informed.

"Hmm…..you have a point. Alright, leave them to me. I'll take care of them" she assured. "You don't have to worry about anything. I'm not Masaki or Ruby, but I'll try my best to take care of them" she said.

"Come on, don't say that" he said "I know you care for them just as well as they would. In any case, I'll leave them up to you. I'll try not to be away for too long" he said, before giving one look at the kids still lying unconscious in the recovery hot springs before leaving.

---

He could feel his body burning up. He felt horrible, the worst he'd even been in his life. He ached all over. His head felt heavy. He couldn't moved his body even if he wanted to. Flashes of memories and experiences were flowing into his mind, one after another in disarray. An unending pool of blood and gore at his feet. His surroundings shrouded by darkness. And in the midst of it all, he could see the mangled remains of the demented scientist. In his hand, was his familiar zanpakuto lathered with the blood and flesh of his enemy. And reflected on the crimson pool was his face, his orange hair dyed red and his soft brown eyes now narrowed down on himself with an ice cold expression.

He awoke with a jolt. He was gasping, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. His hands were shaking. He clutched his face in agony.

"Finally awake I see" came the familiar voice of Yoruichi the cat. He yelped, turning around to face the the familiar face of the black cat.

"Yo…yoruichi…?" he called out. "Where….am I…? This looks like…..Mr. Hat and Clogs's…." he said, looking around. There, he saw that his sisters and Tatsuki were lying down as well, covered in bandages.

"Yuzu! Karin! Tatsuki!" he screamed, pushing himself to get up despite his injuries. He stumbled, ignoring his injuries and pushing himself to reach them. The three of them were soaked, as if they were freshly out of the pool. Tatsuki's clothes were sticking to her body, the wet clothes outlining her toned abs and curvy body. Ichigo gulped, blushing lightly.

"Quite the looker, isnt she?" said the cat in a playful voice.

"Sh..shut up" he said dismissively and making an attempt to hide his flustered face.

"It's alright you know, taking interest in a girl's body is quite healthy and natural for a boy your age" the cat continued. "And you neednt worry about them. They were much more injured than you were, but your father brought them here before things turned fatal. I've managed to patch them up and recovery pool did help. Having said that, your condition was no better either. I'm only glad I found you when I did"

"Who…who did this to.." he began, when he saw that the girls were slowly stirring. He shook them lightly, and one of them gave a very interesting reaction.

"Hrmmm…..no…ane-aneki…." called out Tatsuki, clutching her head, "Not…..not there…" Ichigo fiercely blushed, because the expression on her face was one of disturbed pleasure.

"How very interesting~~" cooed the cat. "Aah, too bad she isnt here to witness this"

"Ichi…go…...no….don't….." continued Tatsuki. This time, Ichigo backed away considerably, his face bright red.

"Oh ho ho ho~~I hit the goddamn jackpot!" said the cat. "I'll have a lot of fun with this one! It's like I'm watching Soi-Fon all over again, fu fu fu!"

"Le….Oy! Tatsuki! Wake up!" called out Ichigo, no longer able to continue watching. He felt he was seeing something he wasn't meant to see.

"Hrmm…Aneki…?" called out Tatsuki sleepily. "Urgh…..my body…." she winced. "Ichigo…?!" she exclaimed, almost embarrassingly.

"Ichi-nii….?" called out Karin, waking up in a similar manner. "Where are…back at that guys place…?"

"Urgh…..my body hurts…" winced Yuzu, waking up in a similar manner. "Onii-chan…! You're…!"

"Mo…more importantly, Ichigo! What the hell were you doing slumping over my body like that?!" demanded the raven haired girl angrily. "I'll kill you if you did something inappropriate!"

"Wait…..Ichi-nii was….doing what now?!" exclaimed Karin, her jaw dropping.

"Oh be quiet! It's your fault for saying stupid crap like that!" he retorted, "I was only trying to wake you up!"

"Stupid crap like…..!" she gasped, "Yo….you saw….?!"

"Tch, plain as day" he said with a scowl. "And I thought something was seriously wrong.…..?" The orange haired soul reaper stopped mid way as he saw Tatsuki's expression darken.

"Tatsuki..?" he called out. She drew her arm back and knocked one straight into his jaw, comically sending him flying.

"You BIG JERK!" she roared with a comical scowl. Yoruichi was watching this scene with a wide smile on her face. She never imagined she would find playthings in here of all places.

"Ichi-nii…..I don't know what the heck happened but…..I feel like it isnt hard to guess…." she sighed. "You still have no tact at all…. I pity you, Tsuki-nee"

Yuzu prodded at Ichigo who was lying down with his eyes spinning.

"As amusing as this has been" interrupted Yoruichi. "I think its time we get down to buisness"

"Yo..yoruichi..? What are you doing here?" asked Tatsuki. She then explained how Isshin rescued them from Byakuya and brought them here while he went looking for the other three. And how she rescued Ichigo after he beat Mayuri.

"Woah, Ichigo beat a captain?! Color me impressed!" said Tatsuki in awe. "The three of us couldn't even do anything!"

"I'll say!" said Karin.

"That's amazing, onii-chan…!" praised Yuzu. But Ichigo however, looked very uncomfortable. As if the very topic was stressful to talk about.

"Ichigo…?" called out Tatsuki. "What's…?" Yoruichi though, knew what to do here. Because she had seen the same scene play out with Ruby, all those years ago while she joined her and Masaki for their first bath together.

Like brother, like sister, she thought to herself.

"In any case, you're lucky I found you Ichigo. Though I must say, it wouldve helped if you were able to move. It was hard carrying you with you dripping blood. I had to really take a roundabout route to make sure we werent followed" said the cat .

"Wait…..you carried him….like that …?" asked Tatsuki with a questioning look.

"Oh no, of course not! In my true form, carrying you was no issue" she said.

"Ah true form…huh?!"

"True form….?" asked Ichigo.

"Oh yeah, guess I've never shown you four. This far in, I see no reason to keep myself hidden" she said. "Behold! My true form!" said the cat. And the four of them witnessed as the form of the cat began to glow, and parts of the cat began morphing with smoke blowing out to accompany the transformation. Hind legs became long, slender limbs. Paws morphed into long, slender hands. And within no time, standing in front of the four of them, was a slender looking, dark skinned woman with long dark hair, sharp, yellow eyes and a very curvaceous, slender toned body. She stood there, completely naked, with her hand on her hip.

"Wh…wh…..wha…what….?!" exclaimed a flustered Ichigo.

"Yo…yoruichi is a…a wo….woman…..?!" said Tatsuki.

"A cat just…..transformed into a woman…..yeah right, I think I'm still dreaming" said Karin deadpanned, falling back down flat.

Yuzu merely had a frozen smile on her face. It was as if her system had crashed.

"Bu…but…..you were a cat!" argued Ichigo.

"Oh please, use your head, Ichigo. Cats don't talk" she said simply.

"Bu…but..! Your voice…..why the heck are you a woman…?!" asked Tatsuki.

"It's always amusing to see how people assume I'm a man when I'm in cat form. It always gets people" she snickered. "Too bad, it didn't work nearly as well against your sister" she informed "She saw through me right away"

"Yo…you met…Ruby-nee?!" asked Karin.

"Of course. She and I were very close. And she…..was exceptional in sensing spirit energy. She could tell right away that it was me" she answered. "Ah those were the times! We used to hang out together a lot, your sister and I"

"You…..I remember you telling me that you were with aneki a lot of times….I'm surprised she didn't mention a talking cat in all of our times together" asked Tatsuki.

"Oh I didn't really transform after that time in front of her. There's simply no fun when she could tell me apart right away" she said. "In that sense, I'm quite satisfied none of you could tell. Anyways, as I was saying, I.."

As Yoruichi continued with her explanation, there was one obvious fact that was lost to the four of them. The fact that Yoruichi, a hot young looking woman, was stark naked in front of a certain orange haired soul reaper. A fact that he himself only seemed to realize at that moment. More than Ichigo's face, it was Tatsuki and Karin's faces that lit up first, followed by Ichigo's and then Yuzu's.

"OYYY! THERE'S A GUY RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! ! GO PUT ON SOME CLOTHES!" screamed Tatsuki embarrassed. Yoruichi merely pouted dismissively. "Aww, you guys are no fun at all" she said but still started putting on her clothes.

"I hope I wasn't the first girl you saw completely naked Ichigo" she asked playfully. The orange haired reaper said nothing, merely turning away embarrassed. "It's alright, you neednt get jealous you know" said the flash master in a voice that was barely a whisper to Tatsuki. "There are so many other things that you can take from him. Want me to show you the ropes?" she said, turning the raven haired girl a bright red color. "That was a very interesting dream you were having, was it not?" she continued which only caused her to further shut down. She continued putting on her clothes and teasing Tatsuki and Ichigo (even going so far as to offer another quick flash at her body, saying that he 'might not get the chance to see another hot young girl like herself again', which further caused Tatsuki to angrily protest against the flash master). Yuzu however, was shut down the entire time, this being her first exposure to the adult world, as Karin put it. As Yoruichi was busy teasing the two of them, Karin spent her time trying to get Yuzu back to life. But the poor little girl's innocence was further and further degraded as Yoruichi continued to drop one bomb after another.

Once all the commotion had died down, Yoruichi rounded them four of them, saying that they no longer had the luxury to take things easy. With all the captains out patrolling and looking out for them, Yoruichi assured that they would never make it out alive in the condition that they were in.

"For the next three days, the four of you will be training extra hard. And that means, no sleep or food until I say so" she explained. She then brought what looked like a cardboard cutout of a human shaped object. She explained that Shinigami swords had two states, that being Shikai or the initial release and Bankai, the final release. And she went on to explain that though shinigami have to train for atleast 10 years to master Bankai, the tool in her hand would allow her to train them in just 3 days. Since she only had one, she explained that Ichigo would be most suited to use it since he was the strongest out of the four of them. As for Karin and Yuzu, she said they would need to learn to communicate with the zanpakuto spirits like they did during the time they were looking for their soul reapers powers. Since that was the starting step of learning to use Bankai, which required them to materialize their zanpakuto spirits outside their inner world and make them submit. Since Yuzu and Karin were better than Ichigo at sensing reishi and synchronizing with ther zanpakuto spirits, she assured them that the tool was unnecessary for them. She also said that she would teach them kido, since they were good with reiatsu manipulation. For Tatsuki, she offered to train with her personally.

"Ichigo….I'm well aware of what happened during your battle with Mayuri" she informed him.

"Mayuri…." said Karin with distaste. "He's the sick bastard of a captain who…"

"Karin, language..!" said Tatsuki sharply. "Though in this instance, I'll let it slide after what he did"

"Ack, sorry Tsuki-nee" she apologized.

"Ichigo…..beat that man…?" asked Yuzu meekly.

"Yeah, but…" he said, looking away.

"All I can say is Ichigo, whatever happened then, he deserved every bit of the 'beating' you dished out on him. If he had defeated you, you can be assured that she would now be on an operating table with all sorts of experiments being carried out on her by that demented captain" she said. "And not to mention, if you're still worried about what might happen, just let me tell you that at your level, any other captain you meet or they meet will overwhelm you or them with next to no effort. If it hadnt been for your father, you sisters wouldnt be here right now" she informed.

"Byakuya…it was him that did that to them was it not…?" asked Ichigo.

"Yeah. And he's way too powerful for you to take on as you are" she then leaned in on Ichigo, making sure only he could hear him. "If you continue to fear your zanpakuto because you mutilated someone who deserved it, he'll kill you and them before you can take another step. And though I or your father will take the necessary steps to make sure that doesnt happen, the next time we arent around, there's no telling if we'll be around to save you. Not to mention, you wont even be able to save Rukia as long as cherry blossom continues to stand in your way, promising to end his own sister's life"

".…alright Yoruichi-san. I'll try.." he assured. Yes, he had been terrified. Of Zangetsu. In all the time he was in the chamber, he hadnt even tried to look at his weapon. But after hearing all the things Yoruichi told him, he knew that he had no choice. The stakes were simply too high. Because though he was terrified, he was ashamed that his own younger sisters were standing strong, looking at him with concern and worry. After nearly dying at that. For him, their elder brother. When it was supposed to be the other way around.

"Will we also….be stronger than Byakuya?" asked Karin. "I don't want to lose to someone that would kill their own sister in cold blood without a second thought"

"Without a doubt. I don't know if you've heard, but being your father's children there's no way you don't posses the potential" she assured.

"Oh yeah, I remember Ikkaku and Yumichika being surprised when we told them about dad!" said Yuzu.

"Your father was the ex-captain of the 10th squad of the gotei 13" she said.

"Dad was…."

"A captain…?!" said Yuzu exclaiming. "But considering the strength of his reiatsu, it's not that unbelievable"

"Who wouldve thought…..Isshin-san would be…"

"And yet, Mom was able to keep that goof in line…" snickered Karin. "Mom was the real badass if you ask me. Ruby-nee comes a close second"

"And there you have it. You guys have the capability. And I'll make sure the likes of little cherry blossom cant have his way with you the next time you meet him" said Yoruichi.

And thus began their three day training program supervised by the flash master herself.

---

Toshiro Hitsugaya was in a fix. Considering that he dealt with his lazy lieutenant's antics on an almost daily basis, nothing could really bother him that easily. That in itself spoke volumes about the mess he found himself in. First, he got a notification informing him of Momo's and Renji's jailbreak. Upon going to investigate with Rangiku, he then found Gin Ichimaru, a man who always got on his nerves lurking about. He admitted freely that he was the one who released Renji, stating that it was done solely so that he could lure Toshiro out to the open. Out of nowhere, he was then attacked by Momo, who started going on about how Aizen mentioned the evil deeds being done in the soul society, and how he was killed because he found out too much. And how she felt angry and betrayed that he did nothing to tell her about any of the happenings in the soul society, though he was her friend. The two engaged in a fierce combat, with Momo accusing and berating him all the way while Toshiro fought her reluctantly and Gin watched amused. He was able to knock her out eventually, but the fact that he was simply standing there and the tense exchanges between Aizen and Gin in the past meant that there was a high possibility Gin was the one who murdered Aizen. Since Momo was close to Aizen, it wasn't unthinkable that he would try to make her suffer that way too. Without thinking, he got dragged into a fight with Gin, with Rangiku helping him along the way. The battle ended with Gin making his escape with an injured arm as well as Momo rendered unconscious. After dropping her off at a safe place, Toshiro did wonder how much of the letter Aizen sent to Momo was true. Because there was some truth in the things that Aizen had written since those were things that Aizen himself had consulted Toshiro in the past. To him, it wasn't that unthinkable that Central 46 would try to get rid of Aizen.

"Only one way to find out" he said to Rangiku. "Rangiku, we're going to Central 46 right now!" he said. Because Rukia's execution almost seemed to have a sinister purpose behind it. Not to mention the changing execution dates. As they made their way to central 46, what they didn't expect in their wildest dreams was that they would be called out by the one man the two of them thought was long dead. Since the last 20 years. When they first saw him blocking their path, they didn't quite recognize the face but the familiarity did knock their memory a bit. It was only after they saw his blade and the torn cloak he had over his shinigami uniform did they recognize him.

"No….no way…!" exclaimed Rangiku wide mouthed.

"Ca…captain…..Shiba….!" said Toshiro with a bewildered expression.

---

Uuf, another lengthy chapter done just in time for the new year. So yeah, Happy new year everyone! Looking back, this story has come a long way since starting and I'm glad it has the following that it does at this point. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. Next chapter, the SS arc concludes with a prelude to the arrancar arc. A few comments on a few things.

Why did I have bleachigo do what he did? Personally, I just felt that Ichigo's fear of his hollow was kinda…unrealistic in the manga? I mean, he didn't display any signs of it when he fought Byakuya and the things that his hollow did werent even that intense. Sure, after that he begins to hear his voice in his mind and stuff, but to me, it just felt unrealistic that he feared his inner hollow so much. Now something like what happened here, I can see it causing him mental trauma. And what can I say, inducing PTSD in my characters and having them develop is something I like to write about. I mean, with Ruby, Yuzu and now Ichigo, it should be no surprise I guess, ahahahaha!

So Summer is also called 'Natsuko' by Kyouraku, where did that name come from? Easy peasy. 'Natsu' means Summer in Japanese. '-ko' is a common suffix in female names in Japan. Hence, Natsuko, which literally means Summer.

Why was Ruby not there in the SS arc? To me, I don't see a logical scenario working out with her being here. One, Aizen's plans to get the hogyoku would be spoilt if an arrancar was here, let alone one that looked like Summer that the oldest captains knew. Also, as Isshin mentioned, Ruby would've just rescued Rukia lickety split. Remember, Aizen had no idea that Urahara had a harmless way of extracting the hogyoku. He only knew this information AFTER he faked his death and went to Central 46. Until that point, the only method he knew of was if Rukia was incinerated by the flaming phoenix. He would've made sure she wasn't around so that she wouldnt interrupt Rukia's execution.

Having said that, this arc is almost done. Next chapter for sure. Its funny, because in my original draft, this arc was simply one line that said "Skip ahead to arrancar arc, since most things happen like cannon". But when I had a second look, I really wanted to illustrate the fact that Ruby being there just for such a short time had already drastically altered so many things, like the butterfly effect. So much so that though she's completely absent in the SS arc, the effects of it could be seen. I also see this as a way to fix a lot of plotholes that bleach had. I promise you that in the long run, when all chapters are done, Ruby not being there wont be as much of an issue.

And yes, Momo's route will also be different.

---

Response to reviews:

Spellflame: Nope, they don't. But Ruby or Summer don't need them. Their reiatsu sensing capabilities are so keen that they can tell illusions apart.

Lucian Naruto: Well….maaaaayyyybee. We'll see soon enough!

RelentlessIce: Yeah, as you saw, they didn't. And yeah, Isshin did pull them out of that mess. Kinda.

Argorok: Thanks fam!

Misaka Phenex: Eh, its not too big of a deal. She doesnt do it all the time, just every once in a while.

NightmareKnight1: I understand completely. And thanks for sticking around still. I really appreciate it. But I can tell you that things will converge soon enough.

Greer123: Yeah, he did.

firewyrm2: Yeah, as you saw, they did. To their eyes, Rukia is like a second Ruby. Though they're completely different personality wise, its her 'place' that Rukia took. That's why they still see a little of Ruby in Rukia. No sorry, havent heard about Blueblaze Cross Tag Battle. But I'll check it out sometime! As for Shovel Knight x RWBY, definitely an interesting idea.

David Alejandro Gmez Fernandez: I don't understand Spanish, but I guess you're talking about Momo's fate being different in this fic. Yeah, I plan to write it differently.

Spartastic 4: Thanks! In hindsight, I this is how I shouldve handled the previous chapters as well. I realized that once everything is complete and Ruby is back again in the arrancar arc, things wouldve sorted themselves out even if she feels missing here.

Ah you're right. But I think Karin and Yuzu can take care of it, since they can absorb reishi. Thanks a lot!

The-Killer40513: For now, they need to switch. But later, Ruby could learn to manifest Summer like a separate spirit.

Black_Horus: Thanks! That was the intention and I'm glad it looked alright! And yeah, I always felt it was weird that Aizen tried to kill her off. I mean, if he's out looking for potential recruits, there's no one better suited than her to be one. Sure, she's no captain, but who's to say she can't become stronger? And yeah, I think Kubo let off Mayuri too lightly. That's why I changed things up just a little bit.

PoofyOhio: I dunno actually *nervous chuckle*

Momentei: Thanks a lot! Well, the same ingredients that you use for cookies can be used for cakes and tea cakes as well, so I see why not.

Vedahzii: Thanks a lot as always, Happy New Year!

Eseer: Thanks!

NEGATARO: Thanks a lot bud!

loldelegate: Yeah, I understand. As I mentioned, in my first draft, all I said for the SS arc was that "Skip ahead, since things happen like cannon". I simply wanted to take things in a different perspective; Ruby isnt here, but the effects of her presence could be seen, like the butterfly effect. And thanks for reading!