1,34904/01/2020: Hello everyone. This is ThunderReborn. This chapter has been reedited by TM11, a former editor, by Darklord331, current Beta Reader, and Grammarly (not sponsored by them). Hope you enjoy the newly edited chapter.
The following is a fan-based parody.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, TV Tokyo, Viz Media, Studio Pierrot... and other people
All other references of characters or abilities are not mine.
Please support the official release.
"Hello." -Normal talking
'Hello.' –Ichigo's thoughts.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō speaking
"Hello." – Zanpakutō thoughts.
"Hello, my child." – Divine being speaking.
Kon'nichiwa [Translation of Hello]
Chapter 1: Step One of A Thousand
Ichigo stood over the barren wasteland at the outskirts of Karakura Town, breathing lightly. The dust settled around Aizen's remains, revealing his bisected form. Ichigo's breathing hitched as the white skin on Aizen's back stitched together in a web of goo, regenerating his body as if Ichigo's final attack was useless.
'Was the Final Getsuga Tenshō not enough?' It couldn't be possible. Holding a breath, Ichigo used Shunpo to get down into the valley with the remnants of his power. Even that much was difficult.
The madman's form had reverted close to his normal state. He no longer looked like a butterfly monster, but was still not quite human or Shinigami. Only white skin and fragments of a Hollow-like mask were left of his transformation.
"You have lost, Kurosaki Ichigo!" Aizen declared as he slowly stood up. Ichigo could only stare, unable to retort, unable to reason how Aizen had survived the attack and still had enough reiatsu to heal himself. The Final Getsuga Tenshō should have been an attack dimensions higher than Aizen's comprehension. Yet he took it head-on and lived – impossible.
Ichigo's remaining powers over darkness faded away and he slumped forward. He palmed the dusty ground for support, breathless from the shock of the sudden drop in his reiatsu, now on the level of a lieutenant, barely. Part of him wanted to chuckle. At this moment, even Renji would be more useful. He couldn't do a thing now, and no one else could either.
"Behold, my Zanpakutō is vanishing," Aizen said, holding up his crumbling Zanpakutō. "Surely you, of all people, understand what this means." Ichigo glared in response. He understood perfectly well; everyone would die if Aizen wasn't stopped. Everyone would die because Ichigo failed despite giving it his all. Was his best still not good enough? Aizen grinned maniacally as if he could read Ichigo's mind.
'Yuzu, Karin, Chad, Orihime, Uryū, Goat-chin, everyone… I'm sorry.' Ichigo thought as he slowly lost hope. In contrast, Aizen's expression turned into an ecstatic triumph.
"The Hōgyoku has decided that I do not need a Zanpakutō! You became one with your Zanpakutō and its powers, and now I am the same. No… Now that you've lost that power I will ascend to heights far above you." Ichigo tried to get up, but he just couldn't, half because of his own weakness and loss of hope, and the rest from Aizen's beyond captain level reiatsu pinning him down, like the weight of his flooded inner world.
"Aizen," Ichigo mumbled as he once again tried to push himself up. His despair boiled into hatred, burning through his core. He gathered his fading reiatsu to summon Zangetsu. He growled, clawing into the dirt, refusing to let this be the end. His reiatsu only further slipped through, leaving him with only glimmers of his previous power.
"This is the end, Kurosaki Ichigo!" Aizen roared. He moved to finish Ichigo off but was abruptly halted by a crimson nail of reiatsu erupting from his chest. To Ichigo's surprise, this wasn't part of another transformation, and for several seconds, he remained still, speechless at the development.
"What is this? Kidō!?" Aizen yelled in shock. Several more crimson nails then erupted from his torso. "Arrrrhhhh" Aizen yelled as he attempted to remove these red nails.
This was Ichigo's chance. He gritted his teeth, pushing against the ground with every strand of reiatsu left in his soul, clawing the dirt till his nails throbbed in pain. It wasn't enough to even stand though – not nearly enough. He could only watch as Aizen convulsed under the growing daggers. The red energy resembled Kidō or a Zanpakutō ability. It wasn't Ichigo's technique, he was sure of that unless Zangetsu had something planned the whole time. That was unlikely since Ichigo himself didn't even know any damn Kidō. There were only a few people he knew who could do such a thing, and they were all lying unconscious – defeated.
"When did something like this-" Aizen began but was cut off by a newcomer that Ichigo spied with the corner of his eye. Blond hair, green cloak, and clogs
"Urahara!"
"It appears to have finally activated," the shopkeeper emotionlessly stated his hat and fan nowhere to be seen. Aizen spun his head to the blonde, still convulsing under the effects of the Kidō.
"Urahara Kisuke! This is your doing?!" the brunette demanded, scowling enough to reveal the gums of his teeth. Urahara walked up to him, appearing to measure each step with precision.
"Yes. Before you achieved complete transfiguration, in your most unguarded moment, I fired that Kidō into your body on the back of another Kidō," Urahara explained, pausing as the Kidō daggers grew. A heavyweight lifted off Ichigo's shoulders. Aizen was finished. His sacrifice was worth it. The carrot top let out a long breath and relaxed into the dirt, able to sit up straight again. Even the spiritual pressure was starting to lift now.
Urahara continued with his explanation, voice stoic.
"It's a seal. I thought that if you fused with the Hōgyoku, you would most likely become all but impossible to kill. So, I developed a Kidō for sealing you away." Of course, he did. He was Urahara, the shopkeeper with a multitude of plans and backup plans.
"What…" Aizen asked with a glare, wrinkling his nose. "That's impossible." Urahara considered him with an unchanging expression as the seal grew, not showing a glimmer of worry or hesitation. The white shell of Aizen's form shattered and the brunette raised his hand, examining himself with widening eyes. "Wha-What is this…?"
Ichigo looked at him blankly, struggling to understand how he hadn't realized sooner, or at least noticed his reduced levels of reiatsu. Something else must be going on at the same time internally. Something that has to do with what he had felt in the madman's blade when he caught it during their battle. "Pain… Loneliness… And despair." Ichigo thought as he recalled the emotions he felt when he held Kyōka Suigetsu for that moment. Urahara then continued with his explanation, breaking Ichigo from his thoughts.
"This is the will of the Hōgyoku," the blonde stated, gesturing to the swirling purple orb in Aizen's chest. "The reason the seal I fired at you before has finally activated is because your power has weakened."
"Weakened from Mugetsu, that much was obvious, although…" Ichigo furrowed his brow, not sure what to make of that revelation. He disagreed with Urahara's explanation. To him, it felt like Aizen wanted to lose his power as if it was part of his plan. Lost in thought, Ichigo didn't notice a purple thread floating in the air, slowly and swiftly sneaking towards him.
"H-how?" Aizen stuttered and Ichigo glared at his words, his demeanor. Something was off. Unnoticed by Ichigo, the purple thread reached its goal and touched the carrot top.
"The Hōgyoku is saying… that it does not recognize you as its mast-"
"HHHHHHHAAAAA!" Ichigo interrupted Urahara with a yell as a purple and green light shot out of Aizen and hit him. Shortly after it ended, Ichigo collapsed and Aizen began to broke down into blue particles.
"So… the Hōgyoku did choose a new master. Good luck, Ichigo." Aizen whispered before his entire body disintegrated to reishi. Urahara grabbed the unconscious hero and took him to the Fourth Division.
Scene Change: Mindscape
"Where am I?" Ichigo thought. Looking around, Ichigo quickly realized that he was in his mindscape, but this time, the world looked completely different. No longer was it the underwater Karakura Town Ichigo saw last time he came here, instead, the skyscrapers are right-side-up and there are trees and mountains all over the place. "What the" Ichigo pondered.
"Welcome back Ichigo," Tensa Zangetsu stated. He was still in his fusion form when Ichigo learned the Final Getsuga Tenshō.
"Tensa Zangetsu. What happened here?" Ichigo asked.
"Well that question should be addressed to them," Tensa Zangetsu replied, pointing off to the distance. Looking at where his partner was pointing at, Ichigo saw two other beings walking towards them. One was a female about 5 feet and 11 inches with green eyes and long green shoulder-length hair. She was wearing a traditional green kimono with blue waves decorate the bottom and tied up with an obi that showed her amazing curves. The other woman looked like a mirror copy of the first lady, but her eyes and hair were purple instead of green. Her kimono is also purple and decorated with white butterflies.
"Who are you, ladies? How did you get here?" Ichigo questioned.
"You're a silly boy. Understandably, you do not recognize us." The lady with the purple hair replied.
"Unfortunately, we were just used by your recent foe." The lady in green stated.
"Wait… used by my recent foe… you're Kyōka Suigetsu." Ichigo concluded as he looked at the lady in green. "And you must be the Hōgyoku." He added while looking at the lady in purple.
"You're smarter than I believed. That's a surprise," Kyōka taunted.
"So, how did you two end up here?" Ichigo asked, ignoring Kyōka's comment.
"Well, when Aizen was hit by your attack, I realized that he did not deserve my power, so I decided to leave him. I then saw that Kyōka's bond with him was severed and asked her if she wanted to come with me." Hōgyoku explained.
"And I said yes," Kyōka added.
"Ok," Ichigo sighed. "Now then, what is going to happen now?"
"Well. You are still going to temporarily lose your Shinigami powers, just as planned. However, all of us are going to retrain you for three years. During that time, no one will be able to sense your reiatsu at all." Hōgyoku stated.
"Wait, if I don't have any reiatsu, how will I talk to you?" Ichigo asked.
"Normally, that is true, you should not be able to talk to us. But when have you ever been normal? Additionally, you will also be able to train here, in your mindscape." Hōgyoku explained.
"Ichigo we want you to tell no one that this is happening." Tensa Zangetsu asked of his King.
"Why Tensa?" Ichigo asked.
"There is a lot of reasons why," Tensa started. "The first is that, when the Shinigami find out that you still have your powers, they might capture you, or worse, kill you. The next reason is that no Shinigami has ever had two different Zanpakutō spirits. If Soul Society finds out that you have two different Zanpakutō spirits, they will do whatever it takes to capture you, especially if the other Zanpakutō is Kyōka Suigetsu." Ichigo's eyes widen with Tensa Zangetsu's words. "It would get even worse if they discover that you possess the Hōgyoku as well. Finally, if anyone else discovers your heritage, they will order your destruction." Tensa concluded.
"Wait, WHAT!?" Ichigo yelled in shock. "EXPLAIN!" Tensa Zangetsu then slowly separated into the younger version of Zangetsu and the bleached version of Ichigo.
"Ichigo, please allow me to fully explain before you ask any questions." Tensa Zangetsu asked before explaining himself. "Your heritage is special; it's practically a miracle that you're still alive considering what you are. As you have seen earlier, your father was a Shinigami, a Taichō whose family can be traced back to the founding of Soul Society. Your mother, on the other hand, was a pureblood Quincy. Yes, Ichigo you are related to your friend Uryū." Tensa revealed, much to Ichigo's further shock. "Your mother was attacked by a hollow named White and got infected with Hollow reiatsu. It was killing her, so your father stepped in and stopped it from killing her. However, when you were born, it passed down to you. You, Ichigo, are the perfect hybrid of Shinigami, Quincy, and Hollow." Tensa Zangetsu finished.
"So… if you are not Zangetsu then, who are you and where is the real Zangetsu?" Ichigo asked.
"Silly King. Who do you think is Zangetsu?" Ichigo heard behind him. He turned and saw his Hollow.
"What do you mean?" he questioned.
"Remember what I told you when we first met, King!" The Hollow stood there as he recalled what his hollow told him long ago.
"That 'Zangetsu' thing you're talking about... aren't you holding it right there? Or maybe... could it possibly be the one... that I have here?"…"I am... Zangetsu."
"So, during all those times, you have been trying to tell me that you are my real Zanpakutō. So, if you're Zangetsu, then who are you?" Ichigo asked to 'Tensa'.
"Well, Ichigo, I am the manifestation of your Quincy powers. My name is Yhwach. I will teach you the ways of the Quincy since it is your heritage." The newly dubbed Yhwach stated.
"We'll talk more later, Ichigo. You are needed back outside, now." Kyōka said.
"Alright, then. I'll talk to you all later." Ichigo promised.
Scene Change: Outside
When Ichigo collapsed, Urahara quickly grabbed his body and brought him to the Fourth Squad for medical care. The healers quickly finished healing all physical damage, but Ichigo ended up in a coma-like state. Many people went to see the Hero of the Winter War once the healers said it was fine to visit.
Ichigo remained in that state for about two days and Urahara soon told the Shinigami that the teen needed to go back to the human world. He explained that Ichigo was slowly losing his reiatsu due to the Final Getsuga Tenshō. They then transport him back Urahara Shōten and, a few hours later, Ichigo woke up.
"Did we win?" was the first question that Ichigo asked.
"Yes, Ichigo, we won. Aizen is dead." Urahara answered with a smile.
"I see. Are we still in Soul Society?"
"No. We got you back to the human world."
"Alright. How long until I lose all of my reiatsu, then?" Ichigo questioned with a frown.
"Well… according to my calculations, I believe you have a few hours left before you lose it all." Urahara said with a frown of his own.
"Alright then." Ichigo nodded. "Who is here right now?"
"Well, your human friends, Kuchiki-san and Abarai-san; they are all here."
"Can I talk to them?" Ichigo asked as he sat upon his futon.
"Sure, I will call them in." Urahara agreed, getting up and leaving the room. A few moments later and Rukia, Chad, Orihime, Renji, Uryū, Tatsuki, Chizuru, Keigo, Mizuiro, Yuzu, Karin, and his father walked in.
"Hello everyone, as you know I have a few hours left, so I want to tell you everything that happened in these few months." Ichigo then started retelling his journey as a Substitute Shinigami, rescuing Rukia and later Orihime and the battle with Aizen. "Alright then is the- HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Ichigo suddenly yelled in pain.
"What is going on!?" Yuzu and Karin asked, shocked and worry over their older brother.
"It's finally happening. Ichigo is losing all of his remaining reiatsu." Isshin said.
"Everyone thanks for your support and help throughout this journey," Ichigo told them before the pain took over and he fell unconscious.
One Month Later
Ichigo woke up a few days later and Urahara quickly explained that, due to using the Final Getsuga Tenshō, he lost all of his reiatsu. The shopkeeper then quickly brought Ichigo to his body and placed his soul back in it. During the following days, Ichigo finally lost his reiatsu and the ability to see spirits.
Currently, a month has passed since the end of the Winter War and Ichigo already noticed an immediate change between him and his friends. When Ichigo asked to talk to either Chad, Orihime or Uryū, they would make an excuse to leave him hanging. Ichigo soon realized that his former friends either think he can't handle not associating with spirits or no longer want to associate with him.
This sudden change in attitude from his friends made Ichigo doubt their friendship. The feeling only got worse when it was explained to him that, even when he regains access to his powers, no one will be able to sense his reiatsu.
"Hey, Hōgyoku, it has been one month, can you finally explain to me how come no one can feel my reiatsu?" Ichigo asked the purple-haired beauty. However, it was Kyōka that answered him.
"Well Ichigo-Kun, the reason is very simple. Your reiatsu is completely different from all of your friends and family." Kyōka explained. "It is composed of Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy reiatsu all working in harmony."
"What do you mean working in harmony?" Ichigo asked.
"Ichigo-Kun, think of it as a three-way scale." A picture of a scale with a Yshape on it appeared. "The upper left side represents your Shinigami side, the upper right is your Hollow side and the lower central side is your Quincy side. Do you understand right now?"
"Yes, Kyōka," Ichigo replied.
"Good. Now, when you just started to use your powers, you would use most of your Shinigami reiatsu." Kyōka began and Ichigo saw that the scale dramatically dropped to the upper left side. "As time progressed on, you slowly used your Hollow reiatsu as well." The upper right began to lower itself about halfway, where the upper left side is. "When you used the Final Getsuga Tenshō, that's when officially your Shinigami and Hollow reiatsu synchronized while your Quincy reiatsu unofficially synchronized. But now, you officially accepted all three types of reiatsu, making all balanced out." Kyōka finished and the scale's plates were perfectly balanced.
"That explains how strong my reiatsu can become, but how come I could sense Aizen's reiatsu but he couldn't sense mine?" Ichigo inquired.
"Well, think of all of this as a hierarchy of the dark ages. The three individual races and all imbalanced beings are the slaves. The beings with a balance between two of the three races, for this instance Aizen and natural Arrancars, are the nobles. While you Ichigo now have a balance of all three races, making you the king." Kyōka explained in detail.
"Wait, if the Vizards and unnatural Arrancars find real balance, they would be on the same level as Aizen?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes, King. The Arrancars could, theoretically, find balance and become the same level as Aizen. But, for the Vizards, they're hollow is unnatural since Aizen inserted it in when their soul was already dead." Zangetsu answered.
"So, from now on, no one will be able to detect my reiatsu?" Ichigo asked for clarification's sakes.
"Yes, Ichigo. Even if you touch your badge, Soul Society will not be able to detect your reiatsu." Kyōka assured him.
"What do you mean by that?" Ichigo asked.
"Urahara didn't tell you?" Kyōka asked in response.
"Tell me what?"
"The badge that Soul Society gave you is a surveillance device for Soul Society and a device to absorb, analyze, and control the user's reiatsu. It is also a device for communicating with Soul Society either one way or two ways." Kyōka revealed.
"So, all this time, Soul Society was spying on me and listening to private discussions?" Ichigo questioned with an angry frown.
"Yes," Kyōka answered.
"Thinking back, it does make sense. Even though I don't like it." Ichigo concluded with a sigh. "Is there anything else you want to talk about?"
"Well Ichigo, I think you should rejoin Karate," Yhwach told the teen.
"Why?"
"Karate will help you with Hakuda and possible Hohō," Yhwach explained his reasoning. "It would also explain why you are getting physically stronger."
"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.
"Ichigo, haven't you noticed Hōgyoku hasn't shown up and said anything since we all first met you?" Kyōka inquired.
"Now that you mentioned it, I haven't seen her since. How come?"
"She is currently modifying your body to not only to handle all the extra reiatsu but allow you to use most of your powers without destroying your body," Kyōka explained.
"I see," Ichigo said.
"Now, back to my explanation," Yhwach redirected the conversation. "While your reiatsu is reforming, doing these things will help you when we train you in your mindscape. Also, I want you to spend some time and look up various weapons." Yhwach stated.
"Why?" Ichigo asked.
"Well, Ichigo, for the last three months, what do you think you have been using as a weapon?" Yhwach asked.
"A Zanpakutō?" Ichigo guessed.
"Wrong. That sword you wield was made from me manipulating the reishi in the atmosphere and combining it with your reiryoku to create that sword." Yhwach revealed.
"So, you want me to use this technique to make other weapons when I fight?" Ichigo guessed.
"Yes," Yhwach answered.
"Don't Quincies only use bows and arrows?" Ichigo questioned.
"The only limitations to a Quincy is creativity and how much reiryoku they can produce," Yhwach told him.
"So, modernize the Quincy weaponry. What about the other stuff that Ishida has?"
"Well… yes. I want you to modernize the Quincy weaponry. But items such as Seele Schneider and Gintō, I believe will not be needed. Also, I will teach you other techniques that Quincys has available such as Hirenkyaku, Blut Vene and possible Vollständig." Yhwach said.
"In the topic of teaching, I will teach you all the things that Aizen knows. Even though he was a psychotic mastermind, he knew how to teach. You will learn everything and then some, Ichigo." Kyōka added.
"And from me, King, you will master all the hollow techniques I have to offer. Firing Ceros and a few Gran Rey Cero, opening Gargantas, High-Speed Regeneration for all the wounds, Hierro to prevent damage, Sonído, Pesquisa and even Resurrección." Zangetsu added.
"Shit… That is a lot of things to learn and on top of going to school." Ichigo grimaced.
"Ichigo, I can manipulate your mindscape so that it acts like the Dangai." Hōgyoku began. "The time dilation will be one hour outside equaling two months in your mindscape."
"What will my new schedule look like?" The teen asked.
"Look at this paper we made for you." Hōgyoku said and gave a piece of paper to Ichigo.
[FRONT SIDE]
05:00 - 05:15 - Wake up and warm up
05:15 - 06:00 - Running
06:00 - 06:15 - Cool down stretches
06:15 - 06:30 - Shower and Get ready for school
06:30 - 07:30 - Eat Breakfast/ Get to school
07:30 - 08:00 - Home Room
08:00 - 08:50 - First Period
08:50 - 09:00 - Transition
09:00 - 09:50 - Second Period
09:50 - 10:00 - Transition
10:00 - 10:50 - Third Period
10:50 - 11:00 - Transition
11:00 - 11:50 - Fourth Period
11:50 - 12:50 - Lunch
12:50 - 13:00 - Transition
13:00 - 13:50 - Fifth Period
13:50 - 14:00 - Transition
14:00 - 14:50 - Sixth Period
14:50 - 17:00 –Extra Activities.
17:00 - 18:00 - Homework
18:00 - 18:30 - Dinner
18:30 - 21:00 - Free time
21:00 - 22:00 - Mindscape Training (Look at the back side)
22:00 - 05:00 - Sleep
[BACK SIDE]
WEEK 1: Hakuda
WEEK 2: Kido
WEEK 3: Zanjutsu
WEEK 4: Hohō
WEEK 5: Zanpakutō Training
WEEK 6: Hollow Training
WEEK 7: Quincy Training
WEEK 8: Miscellaneous Training
"Wow, this is going to be very long." Ichigo stated, a bit shocked at how busy he will be from now on. "Wait. What is going to be in miscellaneous training?"
"Good of you to ask, Ichigo. Miscellaneous training includes a lot of things. Some of them include studying different languages, history of all three species, legends of other species, cooking and more. You Ichigo will be the strongest, most powerful and most elegant war machine." Kyōka said.
"Alright then. Let's get this thing started." Ichigo said, knowing it was going to be hell.
Next Day
Following the suggestion from his spirits, Ichigo decided to confront Tatsuki about rejoining Furin Hall (1) that day at school.
"Hey, Tatsuki. Can I talk to you privately?" Ichigo asked his childhood friend during lunchtime.
"Sure Ichigo," Tatsuki replied, hiding the questionable thoughts in her mind. The two soon walked to the empty roof.
"So what do you want to ask me about?" Tatsuki asked.
"Well, I was wondering if you still go to Furin Hall. You know, the Dojo we went to when we were younger?" Ichigo asked.
"Why?" Tatsuki asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Tatsuki, do you still go to Furin Hall?" Ichigo asked again.
"I do, why?"
"I was wondering if I could join you there." The 'former' Shinigami inquired.
"WHAT!?" Tatsuki shouted in surprise, absolutely astonished at the question. She hadn't expected Ichigo to ask her about something like this. "Why?"
"Well, mainly for some closure." Ichigo began. "Out of the four of us, I am the only one who doesn't have anything to reconnect me back to society. Look at the others: Chad has his music, Orihime has her cooking and Ishida has his sowing. However, all I have, all I know how to do, is fighting." Ichigo explained, turning towards the city and holding onto the railing. "I decided that if the only thing I have reconnecting me back from the spiritual world is fighting, I might as well use it to my advantage." He concluded.
"I… see," Tatsuki said. "Well, yes, I still go to Furin Hall. If you're interested in coming back, go there on the weekends from 9:00 to 12:00."
"Why?" Ichigo asked. "If I remembered right, there are two classes during the week about an hour half each."
"Those classes are for general students from white to red belts (2). While the weekend classes are for black belts or special people with recommendations. I am a Black Belt Instructor who teaches most of the classes. However, at the weekend, I can spar." She explained.
"Ok. Thanks. Also after school, can you ask the captains of each school club to meet me here at the roof?" Ichigo asked.
"Why?"
"Well you see, before all the Shinigami stuff happened, many of them were willing to pay for my services to their teams. I've recently decided to work with them to plan a schedule to rent my services to the teams." Ichigo explained.
"What? Why?" Tatsuki asked.
"I want to do this for two reasons. One, for the extra money. I don't want to depend on my dad for my stuff. Two, doing all of this will likely get me positive publicity and may get me a few scholarships for college. Three, it gives me fewer reasons to get involved with Soul Society, if I ever get my powers back." Ichigo explained and Tatsuki gave it some thoughts.
'The first two reasons are logical. The sports club did ask Ichigo for assistance before. And the third is something I agree with absolutely. Dragging a 15-year-old to war is not something I like.'
"Ok, Ichigo, I will help you with that." Tatsuki agreed.
"Thanks," Ichigo said and they then both left-back to class.
Same day: Afternoon
"Hey, do you know why Arisawa-san called us up here?" Tetsuo Momohara asked. He has black hair, thick eyebrows and a small plaster on his forehead. He currently wore a white gi with a black belt tied to his waist.
"I don't know. All she told me was that, if we wanted Kurosaki's help, we had to meet up at the roof after school." Satoda Natsui (3) said. He has short brown hair and brown eyes and wore the standard Karakura High School uniform.
"Well, if he doesn't show up in a few minutes, I'm leaving." Mizuho Asano stated. She has long brown hair tied up in a ponytail with a purple hairpiece and long bangs on both sides of her face. She has slightly thick eyebrows and brown eyes and was currently wearing the Karakura High School uniform.
"Asano, calm down or you will get wrinkles." Shizuka Nanami (4) teased. She has long reddish-orange hair that is waist length, with several strands next to her head sticking out in a spiky manner, her short bangs clipped together by several hairpins to frame her face. Shizuka also has brown eyes and, like almost everyone at the roof, wearing the Karakura High School uniform.
Ryō Kunieda was sitting on the floor reading her book instead of talking like the other captains. She has long black hair, a mole under her left eye and was also currently wearing the standard Karakura High School uniform.
"All of you shut up. Kurosaki is here." Ichirō Shinjō (4) stated. He has long, curly blonde hair and blue eyes. Like the others, he wore his Karakura High School uniform, but with the addition of a pair of purple-ish brown gloves. At his statement, everyone looked at the stairs to see Ichigo walking up with a small notebook in hand.
"Thank you all for showing up. I do apologize for my lateness." Ichigo began. "Now, all of you are here because you need my services at various sport events. Is that correct?"
"Yes." The members of the sports teams confirmed.
"Very well. I've recently decided to loan my services to you all. You will tell me about every game one week in advance to get it incorporated into my schedule. For sports that are one round, such as Soccer, the price for one game is 2,000 yen. For the sports that are multiple rounds such as Karate, Archery, Boxing, Kendo, Track & Field, the price will be at least 2,000 yen and no more than 3,500 yen." Ichigo explained. "I will accept the payment in full after the event is over or the day after. If you cannot pay at that time, tell me a set day when you will pay. Are there any questions?"
"Will you attend practice?" Momohara asked.
"And you are?" Ichigo asked.
"I'm Momohara Tetsuo. I am the current Vice-Captain for the Karate Class." The brunette introduced himself.
"Well, Momohara, I do not see the need for me to show up to practice since, mostly, it is independent," Ichigo replied.
"What about Soccer?" Natsui asked.
"And you are?" Ichigo questioned.
"I am Satoda Natsui. I am the Vice-Captain of the Soccer Team and the older sister to Mahana Natsui." Natsui replied.
"Ok. That explains why you look familiar. Well, to answer your question. I will only attend the practice before the game and it will cost you an additional 500 yen." Ichigo said. He then passed around his notebook for everyone to sign a copy of the agreement and take their copy. After the agreements were signed, Ichigo asked them for the date of the first competition for each game. They all told him the days and Ichigo noted which one overlapped with each other and his schedule.
Once everything scheduled, all the captains left, leaving Ichigo alone on the roof. The carrot top teen looked at the planner and smiled a bit. Each sport landed perfectly in the open two hours he had on the weekdays. As for Karate, the Karate tournaments were once a month on Saturday, so he will miss one day with Tatsuki at Furin Hall. Ichigo closed his book and went home, having told the captains he would start tomorrow.
Same day: Evening
"Tadaima [I'm home]," Ichigo stated as he opened the door.
"Okaerinasai, Onii-san [Welcome home, older brother]," Yuzu yelled from the kitchen.
"Are Karin or Goat-Chin home?" Ichigo asked.
"No. Tou-san left somewhere and Karin said she was going to a friend's house." Yuzu replied.
"Ok. Well, if you need me, Yuzu, I'll be in my room doing homework." Ichigo told his sister as he climbed up the stairs and went to his room. He sat down on his desk and opened out his notebook before writing down his updated schedule.
The first week, Monday of the month: Track & Field Completion
The first week, Thursday of the month: Soccer Game
The second week, Tuesday of the month: Boxing Tournaments
The third week, Wednesday of the month: Archery Completion
Extra practice is available every day except on weekend from 15:00 - 16:00
The third week, Friday of the month: Kendo Tournaments
Extra practice is available every day except on weekend from 16:00 - 17:00
The fourth week, Saturday of the month Karate Tournaments
Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 - 12:00 at Furin Hall
'Don't know how I got very lucky with this schedule.' Ichigo thought.
"Yes, you did, Ichigo." Yhwach agreed.
"I agree with Yhwach. The best thing about this is that these sports will help with your training. Archery will allow you to practice your aiming and teach you how to use a bow. Kendo will also serve as practice for Zanjutsu." Kyōka added.
'Well. Let's get this party started.' Ichigo thought.
Two Months Later
The next two months went like a blur for Ichigo, but, overall, everything was going well. Many of Ichigo's former friends were surprised by his new lifestyle and, when they tried to confront him, he simply told them that it was "none of your business."
All around, many of the citizens at Karakura Town also started to see Ichigo as, not a delinquent, but as something else. With Ichigo participating in these sports clubs, Karakura High School began to get more recognition and other sports captains of sports such as Tennis, Swimming, Basketball, and Baseball asked Ichigo for his assistance.
He agreed but, unlike the first contract with Karate, Kendo, Soccer, Boxing, Archery and Track & Field clubs, their contract was 4,000 yen for his assistance. Their sports would also be his second priority since they didn't answer when Ichigo first called them.
Many students at Karakura High School have come to like the new Ichigo since he helped the school out overall. One by one, students that have been bullied before began to share their stories. They all mention one key detail, Ichigo intervened and defended them from the bullies.
By the end of that week, Ichigo's fame grew into higher heights and, by the end of the school year, he was considered the most popular person in the entire town thanks to his amazing sports skills and heroic actions against bullies! The police also took a look at crime rates since Ichigo's middle school years to now and noticed that crime is at an all-time low! Many people credit it to Ichigo, much to his surprise.
Lastly are his grades. Even with all this going on and how busy he was all the time, Ichigo somehow managed to go neck-a-neck with Uryū for first place in the entire grade.
Now, on March 17th, Ichigo climbed out of his window and sat outside on the roof to stare at the moon.
'These have been some long six months.' Ichigo thought as he stared at the moon.
"It has." Yhwach appeared, drinking some whiskey while also staring at the moon.
'And to think we have come this far since the moment Rukia stabbed me with her sword.' Ichigo thought.
"Yes," Yhwach replied.
"But amidst all this…" Kyōka appeared and cuddle herself on Ichigo's left side.
"You have done well." Hōgyoku appeared on his right side and cuddle herself to the teen too. Ichigo immediately put his respective arms around them and brought them closer.
'I have. Zangetsu you can come out if you want.' With that Zangetsu also came out and laid down a few feet away from his king.
"I agree. I may be the embodiment of your instincts, but I do agree that this is nice." Zangetsu said. Everyone continued to stare at the moon, Ichigo thinking back to how much his life has changed these past six months.
'It all started on July 10th, 2004 (5) when Rukia came to my room and my family and I were attacked by a Hollow. That was the night that I first awoke my powers.
Then, on August 1st, I lost my temporary powers and began the training to awaken my true powers. On August 10th we began the rescue mission to save Rukia. October 1st to 15th was dealing with those Vampire rip-offs called Bounts. After that was the Kasumioji and dealing with politics for another few weeks. Then Senna came and we dealt with her for a week. Then Toshiro crashing here due to his old friend, Sōjirō Kusaka, coming back for revenge.
On November 20th, Muramasa and his Zanpakutō rebellion happened. On the 30th, Yammy and Ulquiorra came and later Grimmjow and I fought. Then I had to deal with the Vizards. Stupid Aizen using physiological warfare with Orihime. Later dealing with him and the remaining Espada attacking Karakura Town. And, finally, killing Aizen on January 21st, 2005.' Ichigo recalled everything that he was involved in in the past six months.
Ichigo eventually fell asleep in the arms of Kyōka and Hōgyoku. Both ladies gently lifted their Master back to his room and placed him on his bed. They both stole a quick peck to his cheeks before going back to his mindscape.
"Yes, more blackmail," Zangetsu stated with a smirk. Yhwach then came behind him and slammed his empty glass on Zangetsu's head.
"Shut up," Yhwach said.
"Fine, you killjoy," Zangetsu replied before going back to Ichigo's mindscape.
"Rest well, Ichigo." Yhwach wished as he pulled the blanket over Ichigo's body before also going back to the mindscape.
Next Morning
"BEEP! BEEP!" Ichigo's alarm rang at 5 in the morning. He turned it off and began to change to a t-shirt and running shorts. At 5:15, he saw both Yuzu and Karin coming down dressed in sports tops and shorts. They all then left the house and began to jog around Karakura Town.
After the first few weeks, Yuzu and Karin asked if they could join their brother on his runs around the town. Ichigo allowed them to but told to take a slower pace. Time passed and Yuzu and Karin could keep up with Ichigo when he wasn't sprinting or running at a fast pace. Ten minutes into their run, Tatsuki joined the group and they all ran around the town, waving hello to the other early risers.
Soon 6 o'clock came around and Tatsuki ran back to her house while the siblings returned home. They did their cool down stretches and took showers before Ichigo came down to the kitchen to make breakfast since it was his turn. Due to his wish to learn how to cook, Ichigo and Yuzu had agreed to take turns making breakfast.
By 7:30, Ichigo was walking out of the house. He greeted the various neighbors and other people working as he made his way toward school, going to his homeroom as soon as he arrived.
Since today was the last day of school before Summer Break, everyone would have a half-day and one of the highlights of today was the announcement of who got the highest grades in each class as well as the highest grade in the entire section. Many people have been putting bets on who would be on top, the most bets being on Uryū and Ichigo. Even the teachers got involved in the action.
For Final Exams, once the students are finished, the teachers seal the exams in boxes, which are randomly shipped to another high school. That high school would then grade the exams and box the results before sending them back to the original school.
As soon as Ichigo sat down, the bell rang for class to begin. Ochi-sensei came in and stood by the podium. The students stood up, went to attention, bowed at the teacher and sat down.
"Morning, everyone." Ochi-sensei greeted.
"Morning, Ochi-sensei." Everyone replied.
"Alright, then. I know everyone is betting on either Kurosaki or Ishida for who got the highest score." Ochi-sensei said, bringing out the envelope before unsealing it and pulling out a piece of paper. "Now then. This year's student with the highest grades on the exams is… Keigo Asano!" Ochi-sensei yelled.
"NAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Everyone yelled in shock and disbelief. A big click was then heard and everyone focused on Ochi-sensei, who had her phone out and was laughing.
"Oh my god! You should all see your faces!" Ochi-sensei laughed out loud, everyone glaring at her until she stopped. "Ok. Ok. Here are the real results." Ochi-sensei pulled another envelope and unsealed it.
"This year's student with the highest grades on the exams is… Kurosaki Ichigo!" She yelled, causing Ichigo to smile. Ishida, hearing the results, walked over to Ichigo's desk, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look at them.
"Well, Kurosaki, congratulations on getting it this year." Uryū congratulated his estranged friend.
"Thanks. Maybe you'll have better luck next year." Ichigo said and raised his hand for a handshake.
"I do not need your luck. I'll keep mine." Uryū replied, but accepted the handshake nonetheless, causing the class to cheer at the sportsmanship between the two smartest students in their grade.
Later at Noon
Soon the bell rang, signaling the end of another school year. Ichigo was walking out of the school gate when he noticed someone staring at him. The man staring at him appeared to be middle-aged and wore thin, frameless glasses and a plain grey suit with a light blue shirt and a tie adorned with Quincy crosses. He has narrow blue eyes and is fair-skinned with white hair. For a second, Ichigo thought he was like an older version Uryū.
"Hello, Ichigo." The man greeted.
"Who are you?" Ichigo asked the stranger.
"My name is Ishida Ryūken." The albino introduced himself.
"So you're Uryū's dad?" Ichigo guessed.
"You're way smarter than your father, it seems." Ryūken complemented.
"You know my father?" Ichigo questioned.
"I do. Do you want to go to a café to talk about this?" Ryūken suggested.
"Sure." Ichigo agreed and got into the car with Uryū's dad. They soon drove to a café and sat at a booth away from the majority of the other customers. A waitress came by to take their order and Ichigo asked for tea while Ryūken ordered a black coffee.
"So, how much has your father told you about your mother?" Ryūken asked.
"Nothing, um, Ishida-san," Ichigo answered, questioning his formality with this man.
"Call me Oji-san. Oji is fine too." The newly dubbed Oji-san stated.
"Oji-san?" Ichigo questioned.
"Yes. You see, your mother and I were one of the few Pureblood Quincies left. My mother, your grandmother, adopted Masaki to be my wife to keep the pure bloodline pure." Ryūken started. "However, one day, she saw your father fighting another hollow. Due to how much reiatsu their battle caused, it attracted Masaki's attention and she left to join the battle."
"The hollow they fought was almost completely black with a white mask and its light-colored hair reached down to the middle of its back. It also had two long, forward-pointing horns protruding from the sides of its head and its Hollow hole, located in its upper chest, was filled in. Another interesting aspect of the Hollow were two blades in place of its forearms." Ryūken described the Hollow, which made Ichigo recall the masked Zangetsu used when they fought in Bankai.
"Masaki saw how Isshin was struggling, so she intervened when the hollow was about to inflict the final blow. She fired a Heilig Pfeil at the Hollow and it stopped attacking your father to charge at her. She attempted to shoot it down with more of her Heilig Pfeil, but it dodged them all. Masaki concluded that the Hollow was too fast, so she allowed the Hollow to bite her hand before shooting another Heilig Pfeil straight at its head, successfully killing it." Ryūken described the fight, Ichigo grimacing at the part where his mother let the Hollow bite her.
"A few days later, Masaki started to have a Hollow hole form on her chest. I quickly grabbed her and ran off. While running with Masaki in my arms, a hollow appeared and was about to attack. Luckily, though, Isshin was there to kill it. Urahara then also showed up and took us to his shop, where he explained that Masaki was going through Soul Suicide. Luckily, he had already invented a way to stop it. It requires a human and Shinigami soul to balance out the Hollow and Quincy soul. Isshin entered the Gigai, thus stopping Masaki from going through Soul Suicide at the cost of his Shinigami powers." Ryūken finished.
"I see…" Ichigo said. By the end of the story, Ichigo had finished his tea and got up to leave.
"Wait." Ryūken pulled Ichigo back to his seat. "I want to give you something that belonged to your mother's." He pulled what appeared to be a small white case with the Quincy Cross on the box. "When your mother passed away, Isshin gave me Masaki's Quincy Cross. I decided that you should have it. Your mother would want you to." Ryūken told him and gave the box to Ichigo. When the teen opened the box, he had some flashbacks of when he was younger and saw this cross on her neck.
"Thank you, Oji-san." Ichigo thanked.
"You're welcome. Masaki also asked me to commissioned two bracelets for Yuzu and Karin when they were born. I have them right here." Ryūken told him and brought out another two white boxes. "Please give these to them. You may tell them the same story that I told you if you wish." Ryūken asked, handing the two boxes to Ichigo.
"I will, Oji-san," Ichigo said before standing up. He went to take out his wallet to pay for the drinks, but Ryūken waved him off.
"No need." The albino said. "Already paid for it." With a small smile, Ichigo left the small café.
As he walked home, Ichigo stared at the pendant in his hand.
'Mom's Quincy Cross… Hey everyone.' Ichigo called out to his spirits.
"Yes, Ichigo?" The spirits replied.
'I need something to act as a medium to use my powers, right?' Ichigo asked.
"That is correct. Why?" Yhwach asked.
'Well, a Quincy Cross is made from Soul-synthesized silver, right?' Ichigo questioned.
"Yes…" Yhwach confirmed.
'How is Soul-synthesized silver made?' Ichigo asked.
"Well, Soul-synthesized silver is made by exposing silver to a large amount of pure reishi and reiatsu," Yhwach answered.
'What if I find two katanas and expose them to my reiatsu? Would doing so turn them into Asauchi?" The teen asked.
"Well…" Kyōka wondered off, unsure of the idea.
"We could try it," Hōgyoku stated. "Not only that, but we could also try to get physical objects, like your body, to your mindscape. That way we don't need to worry about your physical body lying around."
'Also, Yhwach, if I turn the Quincy Cross to a ring, will it still work?' Ichigo asked.
"Work in what way?" Yhwach inquired.
'Well, I thought that I could use the Quincy Cross like the Green Lantern Ring from the movie we saw a while ago." Ichigo suggested.
"That is…a pretty good idea." Yhwach answered.
'Right? It allows me to use the ring as a medium to make whatever I need. A shield to block, a gun for long-distance, a train to transport a lot of things.' Ichigo listed the various ways he could use his 'Quincy Ring' as he arrived back home.
"Tadaima." Ichigo greeted as he walked inside.
"Okaerinasai, Onii-san!" Yuzu yelled from the kitchen.
"Are Karin or Goat-Chin home?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes, Ichi-Nii?!" Karin yelled from the living room.
"Yuzu are you available right now?" Ichigo asked.
"Give me a few minutes. Why?" Yuzu replied.
"I have something I want to talk to you and Karin about," Ichigo replied. A few minutes later, the twins sat on one side of the couch while Ichigo sat on the other.
"How much do you know about the spiritual world as of right now?" Ichigo asked.
"We know a summary of what you did for the past few months with your powers," Karin answered.
"Ok. That is good. Now then, I want to tell you something I just found out about Okā-san [mom]." Ichigo said.
"What?" Yuzu and Karin asked together.
"Well… you know who Uryū is and what he is, right?" Ichigo asked.
"A Quincy." They replied.
"Well, it seems Mom was a Quincy," Ichigo told them.
"Really?" They replied, astonished at the news.
"Yes. Earlier today, I found out that we have an Oji-san from mom's side named Ishida Ryūken. He is Uryū's father. Mom was his adopted sister at the time. One day, she sensed Goat-Chin and another hollow fighting, so she left to join the battle. She saw how Goat-Chin was struggling and intervene when the hollow was about to kill him. The hollow stopped attacking Goat-Chin and went after her instead. She attempted to shoot it down with her Quincy Arrows, but it dodged all of them. Mom concluded that the hollow was too fast, so she allowed it to bite her hand. With it directly in front of her and with no way to dodge, she shot another Quincy Arrow straight at its head, successfully killing it." Ichigo explained, the twins listening with rap attention.
"A few days later, Mom started to have a Hollow hole form on her chest. Oji-san quickly grabbed her and ran off in search of help. While he was running with mom in his arms, a hollow appeared and was about to attack when Goat-Chin intervened and kill it. Urahara also showed up and took the three to his shop, where he explained that Mom was going through Soul Suicide. Luckily, Urahara had invented a way to stop it, but it requires a human and Shinigami soul to balance out the Hollow and Quincy soul. With that Goat-Chin went into the Gigai and stopped Mom from going through Soul Suicide at the cost of his Shinigami powers." Ichigo finished the tale.
"Wow…" Was all the twins could say after that.
"Yep. Also, Oji-san asked me to give you this." Ichigo took out the other two white boxes. "Kaa-san commissioned these two to be made for you two. She was planning to give them to you when she deemed you ready." Ichigo told his sisters before giving them the boxes. They both opened their respective box to see two Quincy Crosses.
"What about you, Ichi-nii?" Karin asked once she stopped admiring the craftsmanship of her cross.
"Oji-san gave me Mom's Quincy Cross," Ichigo answered and brought out said object. "I am not going to hide these from you," Ichigo told them. "Keep them as a memento or ask Uryū to teach you if you want and he has the time." With that said, Ichigo stood up and put his shoes back on.
"Where you going, Ichi-nii?" Karin asked.
"I want to go see Mom's shrine for a bit."
"Ok, Ichi-nii. Come back soon. It's almost dinner time." Yuzu reminded him.
"Sure, Yuzu." Ichigo agreed before leaving the house. On the way to his mother's shrine, some guy pushed Ichigo to the side as he passed him.
"Hey, stop! Give me back my bag, you asshole!" The owner, Ichigo assumed, yelled. Seeing this, Ichigo quickly ran after the thief and punched him in the face. The thief fell to the ground before getting back up and attempting to stab Ichigo with a knife. The carrot top caught the knife between his fingers and punched the thief with the other hand. Thinking better, the thief ran away, but Ichigo grabbed the bag and returned it to its owner.
"Holy shit man! That was awesome! Thanks!" The owner thanked Ichigo for returning his bag.
"No, problem," Ichigo replied.
"You hungry? I'll treat you to some ramen or something as thanks. How about it?" The owner of the bag asked.
"No thanks." Ichigo waved off the offer before going on his way to his mother's shrine.
"You're a lot more careful than I thought, Kurosaki Ichigo." The owner of the bag said to himself. From his bag dropped a badge. It was shaped like a pentagon with an 'X' and a skull in the center.
Numbered Annotations
(1) Furin Hall is the Karate Dojo in Canon. Look at the Bleach Wiki
(2) Using my Tae Kwon Do rank structure. The rank structure should be similar
(3) Satoda does not have another name and I decided to give her Mahama's last name since they kinda look similar.
(4) From Beelzebub.
(5) 2004 was the year the Anime aired.