First off all, I apologize for this taking so long. I personally would have hated to wait this long, and I thought about it nearly every day. But here is Chapter 9, hope you enjoy it.
Despite everything that Yoruichi told him last night, it still took him a while to calm down enough to actually fall asleep the night prior. The things she said helped, but it would still take him time to adjust and he hoped she was patient. Waking with her still curled into his form, and thankfully for his heart, clothed, brought a smile to his face. Rolling over to face her, he gently swept a few purple strands away from her face. Being a light sleeper that she was, her eyes fluttered open and found his own. A soft smile curled her lips and she returned the gesture. His hair was long, and he would probably need to get it cut soon. Yoruichi seemed to like it longer, playing with the soft strands that still perked into spikes at their ends. The two were content to lay together and play with the other's hair and study each other's faces for a while before Yoruichi suddenly but tenderly pecked him on the lips and got up. Her sudden gesture of affection shocked him, but by the time he was recovered enough to ask her about it, she had already stolen the bathroom.
Their morning was remarkably similar to the previous, though there was not as much conversation, more silence, not quite tense, but not as comfortable as it would normally be. It allowed him some time to sort through his feelings, finding that he was not actually as uncomfortable or awkward feeling as he thought he was. She had all but established that they were in a relationship, and that displays of affection were normal, the only thing holding him back at this point was his own inexperience. Ichigo could never thank her enough for how easy she made it for him. He had so much pressure from everything else, but any pressure from her was merely to abandon his own skittishness, rather than any overbearing expectation. He hugged her as they parted ways, not quite comfortable enough to repeat her move from earlier, yet.
With a far more steady mind, Ichigo met Yamamoto's training with a calm determination. His rebuffs, scoldings, and punishing counters phased the younger man less. A minor revelation struck him at how much more he actually learned when there was less time spent resisting that which he did not know or did not like being corrected on. The day was productive, and when he shared his thoughts with the elderly man, it actually brought a full bodied laugh. It was not patronizing in intent, though it did offend Ichigo until Yamamoto explained that the hybrid had just brought him back to the first time that he realized being a teacher could be so rewarding.
It almost immediately changed the dynamic in their relationship, Ichigo saw the older man as more of a teacher, and less of a representative of stuffy laws that had put a treasured friend in danger for no good reason. While they still disagreed, Ichigo was far more likely to eventually concede to the points the strongest pure Shinigami was trying to make. By no means were every single point he tried to make easily grasped by the hybrid, but efforts made to understand on both sides brought a rush of productivity. The sun was finally beginning to set and Ichigo rose from his uncomfortable seat on the ground behind the first division when every single positive feeling he had for the day shattered.
Standing in the air along with a few others were a few Humans that Ichigo could immediately tell outclassed a fair amount of the captains he had met. The Wandenreich was upon the Seireitei again with an explosive storm of blue reishi arrows shredding many of the barracks buildings, and those residing within them, to dust. Lower-level soldiers stood no chance, hundreds died in seconds as their bodies were rent through by an attack they had no chance at sensing.
Ichigo's stomach dropped into his feet in shock, but his reiatsu exploded in time with the ancient captain commander beside him. Wordlessly, Yamamoto jumped into shikai, drawing the fire of a few Quincies as he charged. Ichigo tore off after the nearest enemy, immediately streaking across the sky in a cat and mouse chase. The Quincies were infuriatingly fast, and just as coordinated. Spiritual arrows came from all directions with enough energy to pierce his defenses, forcing Ichigo to devote more to blocking than anything else. Releasing his bankai in the momentary reprieve that an enormous fiery tornado swept through the Quincies positions, Ichigo flashed after the nearest Quincy once again.
His balance was once again thrown off when a voice boomed across his mind: "This is captain commander Yamamoto Genryusai, evacuate the Seireitei. Save as many lives as possible and flee, we will regroup later. Captains, protect your soldiers' retreats with everything you have!"
Shock did not even begin to apply to Ichigo's current state, though he was shaken free to dodge the next volley. A moment later, Ichigo pushed his power as high as it would go, disappearing from the enemy's radar. He knew that aiming for the weakest that he could sense would be the most productive from Yamamoto's teachings. A man nearly a half mile away taking aim at a lieutenant was erased into a red mist as Ichigo's condensed Getsuga Tensho shredded him from behind.
A veritable sea of arrows tracked both him and the captain commander across the sky, leaving little room for retaliation. It was infuriating that as soon as he dodged, a few Quincies peeled off to threaten those trying to flee, mowing down more hapless Shinigami that did not need to die. The streets ran with blood, pooling in innumerable craters between crumpled and torn bodies.
Ichigo had managed to kill three, three, compared to the hundreds if not thousands of lives that the other side had taken. All his wounds had healed thanks to his high-speed regeneration, but that was the last thing he was worried about. Thousands of deaths weighed on his mind, Ichigo did not previously experience it, but this could only be what war felt like. The worst part that made him feel like the worst kind of person is that the only thing he truly could care about was the unsurety if those he cared about were still alive. It was all he hoped for. Yamamoto led a miserable meeting, previously full formations were significantly condensed and combined to hide their tattered state. Byakuya joined him at the fire that he was poking at, letting out a long sigh and looking at his broken right arm with remorse.
The Kuchiki felt further guilt that from what it sounded like, his division suffered the fewest casualties. It had nearly killed him due to reiatsu depletion to do it, but he had expanded his bankai into a shield the moment that the arrows started to fall. Abarai served admirably to take charge and get the unit moving away to safety, and later paid the ultimate price. His attempt to fell a foe multiple times his strength would doubtlessly be remembered if they all survived this. Rukia lived, though she had not yet woken from her injuries.
The two sat in silence for close to an hour before the noble clan leader rose, a quiet excuse that he needed to visit his sister barely breaking the noise from the campfire. Ichigo could never bring himself to speak, not one word for the devastated and injured captain. Another joined him with a quiet groan, creaking joints settling on the log opposite his own position.
"Ichigo Kurosaki, I apologize for how callous this will sound, but what are your thoughts on today's events?" Yamamoto's question was delivered in a long-suffering, but nonetheless even tone.
Quashing his initial anger at the unfeeling query, Ichigo thought. The training from the past two days, while draining, had been productive in checking reactive impulses. After carefully considering his answer, Ichigo responded: "I think, that Soul Society has received crippling losses that have the potential to leave us vulnerable to annihilation aside from those strong enough to survive the onslaught. We are scattered and depleted beyond any possible defense. The Quincies delivered a surprise attack that killed thousands, what is there for us to do besides regroup? We don't know where they're coming from or how many there are."
Beady eyes drove deep into his over the firelight, watching every thought take place. It was unnerving, how deeply Yamamoto observed his attempt to utilize the older Shinigami's teachings. "So, you see how when faced with an enemy with individually insurmountable power, there are ways to conquer his strength by attacking those who are weaker. Their attack had a level of coordination and the element of surprise, making it far more devastating than what any of them would have been able to do on their own. You already identified two of the primary things we need to know, another is how are they coordinating and performing their attacks, the last is why they are attacking in the first place. While the massacre a millennia ago is motivation enough, why now is the more important question as well as what do they want to accomplish?"
Ichigo contemplated the questions, trying to absorb the perspective. Thinking about it from the enemy's point of view was a new thing for him. Careful thought and decisive action were imperative for the survival of those he cared about. "I am guessing that they have been preparing for this for a while. They would had to have been watching us for a while, but for how long, and why haven't we found them before?"
"I am not wholly sure, for that, we may need to make contact with Urahara Kisuke. I need you to send for him now, tell him that you need to meet somewhere they cannot see. I must stand guard as you are the only one that is able to traverse the dimensions with ease, go."
Ichigo realized the gravity of this situation, that they could be observed at that very moment, and complied immediately. If that was the case, then it was a race against time if this was something that the Quincies wanted to prevent, or attack during. Ichigo's strength gave him some pride, but it was not that he wanted to be stronger than others, besides his enemies. The hybrid wanted his friends to be strong enough to defend themselves, and even his level of strength did not suffice. The two shared a nod, the younger tore a hole in the fabric of reality with a clawed hand and vanished in a buzz of sonido.
Yamamoto rose from his seat at the campfire, it seemed that Kurosaki was learning to rely on all the tools at his disposal more with fewer doubts. The boy's strength would be needed, and he was a quick learner, possibly quick and strong enough to survive the end of this war. The old man stretched his senses, and predictably, he did not have to go very far. Two beacons of Quincy reiatsu sparked into bonfires not far from his sleeping camp. Grunting as he wordlessly released his shikai, waking his entire camp with the sudden heat and pressure, he was tired, but not so tired he would tolerate losing more men. The oldest Shinigami was impressed at the gall and stupidity of the attackers. Afterall, he was a man who had led utter genocide before and was responsible for the near extinction of the Quincy race. If they thought his age was a reason he would fall, or fail to kill them, the mistake of underestimating him would be one of their last.
I will try to upload again soon, need to get back into the swing of things.