(Ichigo's inner world)
"Well that happened." Ichigo said, laying on one of the many towers that inhabited his world. After the fight with Renji and Byakuya, Ichigo made his way back to the Urahara Shoten. When he got there, however, he collapsed on the floor and brought himself to his inner world. By his side was the massive Khyber blade with cloth wrapping around the tang. No hilt, no guard, just a bare blade. "I wonder what the explanation for this is."
"Well it's still not a real zanpakuto, if that's what you're wondering." He heard a warped speech that mimicked his own. He leaned forward to see a white copy of himself with black and gold eyes. "Hey there, King." Zangetsu said, smiling a predatory grin. Ichigo raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What is this anyway?" He asked, sitting up across from his blade. "I know its comprised of Reishi but I thought I couldn't do that whole release stuff."
"Your blade is manipulated by Reishi, given form through your hollow, and channels the purification of a Soul Reaper." Said the aged wisdom of his Quincy powers, appearing next to Ichigo.
"That's all the explanation I'm getting isn't it?" Ichigo asked.
"Best guess we're going with." Zangetsu said, helping his wielder to his feet. "And it's not exactly shikai. Its you being able to use more of your power."
"Like faster healing and ceros." The elder said.
"So why did I still pass out?" Looking at his hollow side who gave him a deadpanned look.
"Because you heal from injuries." Zangetsu explained. "Damage remains and did lose a lot of blood before it finally kicked in. The limit of your healing is recreating major organs, so avoid any large blasts."
"We should also build up your endurance and damage tolerance." The elder Zangetsu said. "However, before that, you need to talk with everyone. Storming Soul Society alone is insane."
"And making reservations for the party isn't exactly smart either." Zangetsu scolded. "And speaking of a party, yours just showed up." He said before slapping Ichigo back into the outside.
(Urahara's shop)
Several people occupied the quaint little store of the scientist, some old friends of his while others were his student's. They sat and waited for Ichigo to recover from his confrontation with Byakuya. The children believed it a dirty move while the adults recognized the truth, a golden opportunity taken. Byakuya was a prideful man and it would not do to fail a mission, no matter the terms of the bet. Tatsuki glared at her boyfriend, wanting to chastise him for recklessness while Orihime wanted to help him recover. Uryuu recognized that the time was coming to meet the Captain Commander of the Shinigami and prepare for the incoming war with the Quincy. Chad, everyone was busy trying to convince him that it wasn't his fault for Ichigo's condition, that he did not break his vow to his friend. Another ten minutes passed before the object of their discussion finally awoke.
"Note to self, need to-" Ichigo started saying before taking a fist to his face.
"What were you thinking you idiot!" Tatsuki yelled as Yoruichi held her back, Orihime already healing Ichigo. "Why would you go off against the enemy without any backup and expect to come out unscathed!?"
"Because I told Rukia I would talk to them!" Ichigo yelled back, already coming back to full because of the healing shield. "And I told them the mostly true story." He admitted.
"Considering the circumstances, you may have bought her more time." Isshin said, praising his son. "Good job son."
"And since we have a way into Soul Society already ready, we can focus on your training." Urahara said cheerfully.
"But if you thought we were rough before," a dark aura covered the room as Yoruichi gave a predatory glare and grin, "then you have know idea what you're in for." A silent, grim, calm settled over the youths. That massive swarm of hollows was minor league, nothing to really write home about. Now, things were going to be for keeps.
(Soul Society Meeting with the Captains)
There he was standing with his colleague captains of the Gotei 13. An awkward menagerie of individuals of various personalities and mindsets. He had delivered his report to the aged man in front of him, the leader of all Shinigami, Captain Commander Genryusai Yamamoto. Now Byakuya could only hope for a favorable outcome.
"I have no doubts that if execution could have been avoided, and I kept better control of my lieutenant, he would be standing here with us serving as a witness." Byakuya finished, returning to his place among the captains. He didn't mention the last thing that Ichigo had told him, something reserved only for the Commander. He saw the one eyed and battle scarred barbarian that led the 11th squad bare a toothy grin in desire of the fight the boy promised, while the deranged scientist that commanded the 12th looked intrigued. He supposed that was better, the last thing he needed was that psychopath, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, ranting about how the gigai was destroyed by the boy when his powers came back.
"This is a most curious development." Spoke Yamamoto, and a gravelly deep tone that rang with power and experience. "This may require further investigation. If she did not truly break the laws than the boy will have to be brought here to face charges." Some would deny the claims made and would push for the execution of Rukia, but the new report opened possibilities that they couldn't help but ponder on. A descendant of a Soul Reaper that managed to unlock his latent ability? This required more evidence, no one motioned to push for Rukia's death. "Dismissed!" He declared with a slam of his cane. The captains moved to return to their various divisions, however Byakuya stayed to speak with the Commander.
"Sir, it's been a while since you were at the Kuchiki compound correct?" Byakuya asked his aged superior. "How about you take a break and have some tea with me?" Yamamoto took a moment to consider.
"I think I may take you up on that offer young man." Yamamoto decided, giving Kuchiki leave to start preparations.
"Well aren't you the generous one." A sly tone, mocked the noble Kuchiki. He turned to see a silver haired fox like man talking to him. "Or maybe you're trying to butter him up to plea for your sister's freedom?" Byakuya simply watched the taunting fox with contempt.
"Don't be absurd." He told his colleague. "If Rukia is guilty, I'll kill her myself. My grandfather and the Commander were old friends. It's only right to tend to that bond." He said before walking off. 'I have to make sure only the Commander and those he deems trustworthy hear this.' He thought to himself, remembering the resolve he saw in Ichigo. Like, he wasn't an enemy.
(Karakura High, Last day of school)
Ichigo felt sick. The day went by with nothing changing. The people still talked the same, acted the same, were the same, the only difference was a solitary empty desk in the classroom. The only evidence of Rukia Kuchiki ever existing in their lives. That and the memories of the spiritually aware. Now that classes were finally over, the team Ichigo had could finally move on to begin their training.
"Going to find Kuchiki-san aren't you." Ichigo heard, surprised by his friend Keigo who sneaked up behind him. Keigo was giving his friend a hopeful smile as he explained an unasked question. "I don't know when it happened, but I was able to see spirits and I saw you with her a few times." He gave Ichigo a pat on the back. "It's not just me either. Mizuiro and Chizuru can see them too." He wrapped his arms around Ichigo in a friendly hug. "Just promise you guys will come back safely." He whispered.
"Keigo." Ichigo muttered, patting his friend's arms. "If you don't let go, I'm breaking your arms." Keigo snorted out, but he got the message. 'Don't worry, we'll be fine.'
"Catch you later Ichigo!" He yelled out. "Mizuiro is taking me with him and his ten lady friends to Hawaii!" He cheered while skipping away.
"Well, I guess he deserves a break." Ichigo said, getting up to meet with Chad. There were a few people he had to introduce the giant to for his training.
(Karakura Hospital, Main Office)
He took a deep breath, aware of what was going to happen. His father would likely disapprove of him going to Soul Society, wanting him to keep his mind focused on the goal of helping his cousin. Were that the case he would allow it, but Uryu still harbored a hate for Shinigami after Soken's death. Uryu was still scared that he would abandon his friends simply for the sake of vengeance. Both father and son knew this, that made the decision difficult.
"I expect a full report when you get back Uryu." Ryuken said, finishing his evaluation of him son sitting across from him. He rose from his seat while Uryu looked at his father in surprise. "Your actions in Soul Society will determine how you and I proceed with your training." He said as he walked to his bookcase, shelves filled row by row with medical and surgical books and case studies, except for one solitary box on the top of it all. He took it from the dusty resting place, and passed it to his son.
"This is..." Uryu exclaimed. It was about as long as his forearm with a sandy color that was quite light with a seal tied taut around it.
"I trust you know how to use it?" Ryuken asked his son who nodded in affirmation.
"But this is still old Quincy methods." Uryu protested. "Shouldn't I bring my Purification Cross instead?" Ryuken shook his head at his son.
"I'm not saying don't bring that with you." He firmly scolded his son. "I'm telling you to fight with the Sanrei Glove. Were you fighting hollows, I'd insist on the first, but you are fighting Shinigami." Ryuken explained. "Fight with that and you'll have enough strength to do what must be done." He gave his son leave to go and train. As Uryu was walking out the door, his father asked an oft repeated question between the two. "Why do you fight Uryu." Uryu paused, knowing the answer, but feeling his own resolve being tested. He didn't care for Rukia, he was still angry with the Soul Reapers, but he knew why he fought. To help Ichigo, to protect the balance of the worlds.
"I fight to help my comrades." He said before leaving for the basement of the hospital, the hardest place to manipulate Reishi.
(In front of a warehouse)
Ichigo remembered the last time he stood in front of that large building of wood. Something so simple, so plain, no one would recognize it or what was hidden inside. It was just after Chad's own powers manifested, Ichigo's hollow power grew more and more chaotic, necessitating this visit to others close to him. They eventually helped to teach him balance as they learned from him to understand their own powers more. These were the people best able to help Chad.
"You sure about this Ichigo?" Sado asked his friend, looking at the warehouse in a disappointed manner. "These guys will be able to help me?"
"Your powers seem more like a hollow's Chad." Ichigo explained. "We would've brought you here sooner but it wasn't exactly the same." He turned to his large shield with a confident grin. "So until we manage to find anyone that believes they can help you, trust me on this." He said before narrowly dodging a sandal being thrown at him.
"You think you can just show up without calling dumbass!?" Yelled an irate tomboyish little girl in a red track suit. "You'd better get ready for a major a-" She was shoved out of the way as a white bullet with green hair tackled Ichigo.
"Berry-tan! I missed you!" The hyperactive girl exclaimed, hugging Ichigo tightly.
"Mashiro," He said, pointing at the girls for his friend, "and Hiyori. Just some of the new friends you're going to make."
"Yeah, sorry about that Ichigo." Someone said, so casually that you wouldn't know someone was being cuddled to death while trying to dodge Hiyori swinging her sandals at him. "Just wanted to see if your awareness was still up to par." The yellow haired man was then hit with Hiyori being flung at him like a baseball.
"Screw you Shinji!" Ichigo got up and made his way inside the warehouse, Mashiro still clinging to his back cheering 'horsey' excitedly.
"Uhh." Chad started, slowly following after Ichigo.
"Just ignore her Chad." He said as they entered the warehouse. "Say hello, to the Visoreds. The more dignified ones anyway." Ichigo said, bringing attention to the others. The large, green suited Hachigen, the black suited Rose, the silver haired Kensei, and the star afro Love...who was laughing at something in his manga. "Mostly. I guess."
"So this is the guy you were talking about?" Rose asked, coming down to meet Ichigo face to face. "He seems to be a man of good music tastes."
"You can get that from just a look?" Ichigo asked as Kensei pried his former lieutenant of his back.
"He has that special air about him." He said, waving his arms around like he was conducting an orchestra. "Tell me, Sado-san, do you play guitar?"
"Yes, I do." Chad replied.
"How wonderful." Rose said, actually excited. "We should play together sometime."
"He's not here for guitar lessons!" Kensei yelled after he was done scolding his childish partner. "He's here for training." He walked up to the giant, sizing him up. "Show us." Chad took a moment to raise his right arm and summoned his powers. A black oily film covered the entirety of his right arm before solidifying into the familiar form.
"Definitely hollow in nature." Said Hiyori, coming up out of nowhere. She got back into her old roots as Kisuke's lieutenant when he created the Research and Development institute of Soul Society. Being the former Head Researcher gave her some helpful skills. "If I had to guess, you were born with these powers, and prolonged exposure to Ichigo," she turned to yell mockingly at the hybrid, "who still couldn't control his Reiatsu I might add!"
"Screw you monkey!" Ichigo yelled back. Kensei glared at them to stop squabbling before things got out of hand.
"Anyway, because Ichigo has hollow like Reishi himself, it helped awaken these dormant powers within." Hiyori said, finishing her analysis and feeling a little proud of herself.
"Kisuke already figured that out." Ichigo said, causing her to twitch in anger.
"You wanna go you freaking jackass! I'll beat you from to-"
"Hiyori!" Shinji said, firmly. Hiyori actually stopped and looked at her de facto leader. "How best do you think we can train him." Hiyori took a second to think.
"Fight us with our masks on I guess." She said after a few seconds. The best way was probably to train in Hueco Mondo, but there was no way to get there. The Visoreds learned many new techniques after Ichigo got them to come to terms with their hollows, but they couldn't get to the Land of the Hollows.
"I'll go first." Love said, getting up from his seat to lead Chad down into the training basement. Ichigo stayed behind with Hachigen.
"Hey Hachi!" He said, getting the barrier master's attention. "I need something."
"Yes Ichigo?" He said, respectfully of the boy.
"I need to learn one of your barrier spells." Ichigo said, in a serious tone...which was ruined when he finally noticed an absence of a certain girl. "Where's Lisa?"
"Went to get the latest porn." Shinji said, following the others into the basement.
"Why am I not surprised?"
(Kisuke's training hall)
Yoruichi watched as Orihime and Tatsuki traded blows against one another. Originally, she wanted Orihime to focus on gaining more control over her shields but Tatsuki vouched for Orihime being a natural martial artist. The results were speaking for themselves as she proved herself a very graceful fighter. Yoruichi decided to focus on improving their martial arts while tossing in their special powers as well. Tatsuki slammed a fiery fist against Orihime's shield while she sent Tsubaki to knock Tatsuki off her feet, who managed to recover by hand standing with a quick twist and striking against the shield again.
"Separate!" Yoruichi yelled as they jumped away from each other. Orihime jumping onto her Santen Kesshun while Tatsuki managed a weak shunpo jump. "That's good. Take five." Orihime was swift and graceful while Tatsuki was strong and fast. "You two are doing pretty well for novices, but we can't afford that with Soul Reaper captains and lieutenants."
"By the way Sensei," Tatsuki spoke up from drinking her water, "there's a karate tournament coming up that I promised to go to. Can we continue doing that?" Yoruichi gave a dry look to her disciple.
"You realize that would be child's play for you right?" The cat like woman said disapprovingly.
"Yeah, but I'd like the recognition for Ichigo to brag, 'I'm dating the strongest high schooler in the nation!'" She said, doing an impression of her boyfriend that seemed more like Isshin. Yoruichi could only chuckle at that thought.
"Fine, we'll go." She said, acquiescing to her student's desires. "But you better win. You hear me Arisawa."
"Yes sensei!" She yelled confidently. She and Orihime got ready for the next bout when curiosity caught their sensei.
"By the way," She said almost teasingly, "there's a fireworks festival next week and you'll have that time free to rest for the mission. Any plans of romance with a certain strawberry?" She had a mischievous smile which only grew as she noticed a pair of luminescent blushes.
"We have...plans, yes." Orihime said hesitantly, clearly embarrassed and nervous.
'Oh my!' Yoruichi thought, having an idea of what they were planning. 'Aren't you two the naughty ones!'
(Kuchiki Compound)
Byakuya nursed his damaged arm while Yamamoto processed the information he just told him. Even after seeing captain Unohana of the Fourth Division, he still felt the burns of Ichigo's attack. He remembered facing down the boy, the force of that attack and the way he held himself.
"In two weeks," The old Shinigami finally spoke, "that boy will come to Soul Society himself. To save Rukia Kuchiki, and to speak with me." The bold and brashness of the claim reminded the age man of a former captain that disappeared some twenty years ago. "I must admit, I am curious as to what that brat would have to talk to me about. If what I think is correct, he's been trained by the exiled captains and lieutenants." He said, letting his experience try to determine what the boy's aim is.
"You think he plans to destroy Sereitei?" Byakuya asked calmly.
"Not at all. If that was his intention, he would not have told you anything." The old man said, stroking his long beard as he contemplated the strangeness of what was happening in Soul Society. The main governing body of Soul Society, the Central 46, were oddly insistent on Rukia being executed by the end of the month, and the method of choice was odd as well. "Using the Sokyoku for Rukia is excessive, and if she did it to save Ichigo's family then her punishment should be imprisonment."
"There is more to this than we think?" The noble asked, surprised at the possibility of the Gotei 13 or the Central 46 being manipulated to use excessive force on a dutiful Soul Reaper.
"Possibly." The old man stated, rising from his seat. "We'll hold off the execution until this Kurosaki comes to Soul Society. I'll have him found and monitored in secret. When they come here, I want them captured alive with Ichigo brought to me. I will hear what he has to say." Yamamoto began to walk to his division, enjoying the fine day they found themselves in. "Thank you for the tea captain Kuchiki."
(Three days later, Kurosaki household)
It was morning and Yuzu was getting breakfast ready, a breakfast for three as her brother was still gone. Karin was sitting at the table, even more down than her usual stoicism. The mood was clear, they were worried and missed their brother.
"Karin?" Yuzu started. "Ichigo will be fine right?"
"Tch, yeah!" Karin said with forced enthusiasm. "Didn't you watch him wipe out all those hollows?"
"Yeah but, dad says any captain can do that." Yuzu said. "Some are stronger than others and there are other Soul Reapers that close to captain levels." Karin was about to say something else when she noticed her sister was trembling. She got up and walked over to Yuzu, who immediately latched onto to her twin and started crying. "I'm scared for Ichigo! I want to help him but I can't!"
"Yeah." Karin replied, hugging her kinder twin in a gentle embrace. "I know the feeling Yuzu."
"You're worrying over nothing." They heard their father say as he came into the room. "I know my son and he's going to be fine. He's strong," he said, generating several large balls of compressed Reishi floating above his hands, "just like his parents." He smiled, feeling pride in his son and the progress he's shown. "Keep up!" He suddenly yelled, gently tossing the spirits spheres at his girls who immediately cheered up and started bouncing them around. 'Keep getting stronger Ichigo. I'll keep them safe while you go to Soul Society.'