Recovery and Reactions

(With Ichigo)

The orange haired warrior stood there, in the pale light of the moon amidst the wreckage and rubble of his clash with the captain. He wasn't aware of the gathering audience or even what they saw. His knowledge about Aizen's abilities were simply that of illusions, not the extent of it. He surveyed the Soul Reapers surrounding him, the distraught petite girl with her hair in a bun, a man with a tattoo of 69 on his face, another wearing sunglasses with a thin mustache, a third with long blonde hair covering an eye, a woman with wavy blonde hair and huge... assets, and Gin Ichimaru with a shorter white haired boy wearing an Haori.

'Two captains, one of which tried to kill me earlier.' He thought to himself as he analyzed his situation, noting the badges on the others' arms. 'Along with five lieutenants.' Ichigo felt the stress of the earlier fight seep into his body, making him feel weaker and weaker. 'Can I talk my way out of this?'

"You murderer!" The petite girl screamed, charging at him with hate in her eyes.

'Guess not.' He realized with finality as the girl called out her blade, turning it into a multi pronged sword on fire. When she got within five feet of him however, he stopped her cold in her tracks with a large hand wrapped tightly around her neck. 'I need to get out of here, that fight took to much out of me.' He tightened his grip as she struggled feebly in his hand, already weakening from the cut off blood flow to her brain. He loosened his grip when she stopped struggling, leaving her only unconscious. It did not look good to the others watching this.

"Momo!" He heard them cry out as he let the girl down as gently and quickly as possible. He barely had enough time to avoid the spinning twin sided scythe blade, causing him to jump away from the downed girl. "You bastard!" The man with the tattoo called out.

'Guessing Aizen had them under his illusion before the fight.' He tried to focus while dodging the blades as the lieutenant charged at him with both kusarigama poles while the yakuza man attacked him with a large scimitar blade that had a pick below the tip. Both were relentless in their attacks, making Ichigo bend and weave through their attacks, unaware of the blonde lieutenant's chanting of a kido spell. He was impaled with the familiar rods of light which slowed him enough for both of his attackers to strike him. Both attacks hit true as the cold steel dug their way into his flesh, or that was the intention at least. When they made contact, they bounced off of him harmlessly.

"Impossible!" The white haired Hitsugaya gasped. "Just how much power does he have?" He damned his own abilities for being too dangerous to allow him to join in the fight, wanting to immediately kill the ryoka for daring to harm his friend.

'More than enough.' Gin thought as he watched the fight, losing his fox like smirk to analyze the hybrid. 'That's a terrifying hierro he has.' He thought before Ichigo forced his opponents away with a massive pulse of his Reiatsu. 'Near perfect regeneration, strong defense, amazing Reiatsu control and manipulation. And best of all, he'll only get stronger.' He felt himself grin. 'He'll do nicely.' He saw Hisagi throw his shikai blade one more time at the hybrid.

'I can't wait any longer.' Ichigo growled in his mind. Just as the spinning blades passed him, he grabbed onto the chain and wrapped it around his arm. The look of shock on the lieutenant was enough for Ichigo to yank on the chain and swing him around like a flail. After watching his ally get slammed into several hard surfaces, the yakuza looking man tried to attack Ichigo again. Ichigo sent him flying back with a punch to his gut and further back as Hisagi collided with him. "Hado #11, Tsuzuri Raiden." He whispered, sending an electric current through the chain and turning the two into lightbulbs.

"Raise your head, Wabisuke!" He heard from behind him. He released Zangetsu in time to turn and block a relentless assault from the squad 3 lieutenant and his hook shaped blade. When he backed off, Ichigo nearly collapsed at the sudden change of weight in his sword. "My blade doubles the weight of anything it strikes. I've struck your sword over twenty times, you can no longer lift your blade." The man said as he hooked Ichigo's neck with his sword. "Submit, and atone for the sin of hurting my friends." He said as he pulled.

"Izuru! That's not going to work!" Gin called out to his lieutenant. Sure enough, the blade barely made a scratch in the hybrid. Ichigo merely grabbed the blade and removed it from his neck before calmly raising up his sword. Kira was watching in dismay as Ichigo clearly demonstrated his prowess.

"Next time I see you, tell me how much this hurts." He said before swinging the flat of his blade like a club and sending the man flying. 'Damn, I could barely keep that going.' He said before changing his blade and removing the effects. 'That was really heavy.'

"Sit upon the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!" The child captain called out. In the midst of the onslaught against the hybrid, his lieutenant Rangiku managed to pulled his childhood friend Momo out of harm's way. With the other lieutenants out of his range, he and Ichimaru could now get involved. He sent a few of his ice dragons down on the lone ryoka. He saw Ichigo scan the area and seemed relieved that he was alone. He saw a dark red ball of energy coalesce in his hand. 'Is that a-' He thought in confusion before Ichigo thrust his hand at him and unleashed the torrent of power.

"Bakudo #39, Enkosen!" Gin yelled out, getting in front of his colleague with a round orange shield before Ichigo's cero destroyed the dragons and blast even them away. 'Is he already at the level of an Espada?' Gin wondered, thinking back to Aizen's army and comparing the powers of the two. Before he could do anything else, a massive thick cloud of red smoke exploded from Ichigo's position and his Reiatsu seemed to disappear. 'That project worked a little too well Aizen. This boy is going to kill you.' He predicted as reinforcements came too late. Ichigo has disappeared.

(With Ichigo)

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" The hybrid chanted as he speed walked toward another sewer entrance to hide and like his wounds. With the danger gone and his adrenaline wearing away, that dull itch in his side became a sharp pain, like something was carving away at his insides. "Damn you Aizen!" He cursed, feeling himself weakening more and more. "This is going to make talking to Yamamoto a bit worrisome." He managed to find his way to a safe place and collapsed on the floor. "Back in a sewer system, almost completely drained, and they know I have hollow powers." Ichigo grunted. "I need a nap..." He mumbled before darkness took him. Unaware of several figures in white appearing from behind him.

(With Renji)

He stood, watching in shock and awe at the battle that transpired. He brought Ganju and Hanataro to a good resting spot for the night and it wouldn't be too much longer till they get to Rukia's cell. He sent out a couple hell butterflies informing both his captain and the Head Captain of what was happening with him. He confronted Ichigo and was completely outclassed in a single move, he would take the other ryoka and bring him to the Repentance Cell to settle a personal issue of some kind and Ichigo was determined to reach the Commander. While the others slept he stood as a sentinel against any that might show up for some meager ounce of glory or something else idiotic, that's when he saw explosions of force and Reishi. He immediately realized that Ichigo was fighting, and was glad that Ichigo chose not to fight him. After some time the struggle died down and he heard an echoing scream of despair that stretched all over the Seireitei.

"Captain Aizen!" He heard Hinamori scream. That caught the tattooed lieutenant's attention. "You murderer!" Renji was shocked at that.

"Ichigo... you killed..." Renji didn't know Ichigo at all personally, just that he had the presence of a powerful and honorable warrior. Rukia told him more as a man that would fight to protect anyone if he could help. Everything he heard about Ichigo and everything he knew about Aizen told him that the two would be friends, allies. Aizen would bring Ichigo to the Commander, they discuss Rukia's case and get her amnesty, and he'd be placed under strict observation until the event that he could fully become a Soul Reaper. But now? Ichigo killed Aizen? What was going on? The battle continued with lieutenants Kira, Hisagi, and Tetsuzaemon proving no challenge and Captain Hitsugaya attempting to attack, only for his shikai to be overpowered with a hollow's cero. "Ichigo. What the hell are you?"

(With Tatsuki, Squad 2 barracks)

Tatsuki lay on her cell cot, resting and waiting with guards on stand by to act. Despite what happened after the spar, Tatsuki was being treated rather well. The interrogation didn't yield too much they didn't already know, other than who could fight captains. Tatsuki was being a well behaved prisoner so she was being treated relatively well. It wasn't until Ichigo's fight with Aizen started did she react.

"What's going on?" She asked one of her guards when a member of the patrol corps came in when the fight ended. The last thing she felt about her lover's Reiatsu was that it was fluctuating from focused to chaotic and weak. She was sitting at the edge of the cot with anticipation and worry.

"Apparently Ichigo met with Captain Aizen." The messenger stated. "Aizen offered to help Ichigo who instantly attacked with no other provocation." Her teachers never said anything about Aizen to her, all she knew was that he was never to be trusted. But for Ichigo to simply attack someone out of the blue? He must know something about Aizen she clearly didn't. "Captain Aizen stated his intentions to save the prisoner, but Ichigo responded that he didn't care about the prisoner before fatally injuring the captain. Ichigo Kurosaki disappeared without a trace shortly after disabling lieutenants Momo Hinamori, Izuru Kira, Shuhei Hisagi, and Tetsuzaemon Iba. " Tatsuki felt sick and numb, all the strength drained from her. "Same orders apply. Capture the ryoka, by any means necessary." He didn't say it, but the implications were clear. Lethal force is permitted. "Only Captain class Soul Reapers may confront Ichigo Kurosaki."

(With Chad)

He was resting after a long day of running around, evading patrols, beating the crap out of other Soul Reapers, placing tags all over the Seireitei, and he still had more to do. He had the energy, more than enough to keep going. Endurance, stamina, and strength were the things Tatsuki couldn't beat him at and he wasn't too far behind Ichigo's level in those areas. The reason he needed to rest was to calm himself down. Ichigo was in trouble, he felt it. He should find him, watch his back, shield him when he can't protect himself. But he had his mission, and Ichigo trusted him. Thinking back on last night when they talked.

(Flashback)

"Hey Chad, what's with those packets you gave to Ganju's friends?" Ichigo asked before they all retired for the night.

"I don't know. Something Urahara gave me. Said, five in every district and where the pressure seemed greatest. He told me and Uryu to place these in hotspots all over Seireitei." He explained. He didn't say it, but he felt uneasy about abandoning Ichigo in enemy territory.

"Don't even think about it Chad." Ichigo quickly said. "I don't care how bad it gets, you have a mission and you see it through to the end. Don't worry about me. Cause I'm not worried about you." He said, making the giant look at him questioningly. "I have too much faith in you to worry about you dying on me." He answered, throwing a confident smile to his long time friend. It eased Sado's nerves as he fell asleep for the night.

(Flashback end)

"Ichigo." He mumbled, rubbing the medallion on his neck. "You'll be fine." He said, reassuring himself before lying down to rest for a time. 'I'm sorry for being a bad friend. I can't help but be worried about you from time to time. I swear to never let you down though.' He let the darkness take him.

(With Uryu and Orihime)

The duo finished placing the next patch at their current location when they felt Ichigo's battle. Orihime desperately wanted to get to his side but Uryu managed to calm her down by reminding her how outclassed she would be. Best to let Ichigo finish his fight when she could be safe from the crossfire. By the time the dust settled and it was safe to go to him, he vanished. Uryu became the victim of an angry Orihime and her less than happy fairies who were now attacking Uryu in the most annoying manner possible with Orihime angrily pouting at him.

'Well, least she's not really hurting me.' He rationalized after remembering what she did to that one Shinigami that attacked them. The ones they saw first were easily dispatched with his bow and Tsubaki. The ones that found them, Orihime proved her frightening skill with her martial arts. It was embarrassing that she was handling the close quarters combat while he was too slow to stop them. He could hold his own, Orihime just always attacked first. That's when he felt a familiar Reishi presence, one he only recognized from his father. 'What the hell?' He wondered before feeling a fluctuation in Reishi that quickly dissipated.

"Uryu, what was that?" Orihime asked, recalling her sprites and calming down.

"That was Ichigo, and something else." Uryu said, being as vague as possible. 'The Vandenreich watches from the shadows. That shadows of Soul Society? How is this possible?' He tried to figure out before deciding to double their efforts and progress. "Come on Orihime, we have work to do."

"Right." She said, matching the urgency in his tone.

(Inside Ichigo's Inner World)

'Was this on your command?' The black Zangetsu questioned, standing watchful over his charge and master. 'Are you sentient enough to make these commands? Or was this the order of your mindless dogs?' Ichigo himself rested peacefully, unaware of events that took place.

"Well that was boring." Came the warped voice of the real blade. "King's showing hopeful progress though."

"Then the Quincy Soldats are dead." The elder said. "That's good. They might see the asset or threat that Ichigo is, but won't attack knowing he isn't vulnerable." He then noticed Ichigo healing faster.

"Yeah, they'll also be less inclined now knowing what might happen." The hollow spoke. "It'll take more than a bunch of nameless drones to capture Ichigo on our watch."

"Indeed." The old man said, watching Ichigo awaken from his slumber.

"Like maybe a cute girl with a nice rack. Someone like that one blonde chick-"

"Shut up."

`

(With Ichigo)

He roused himself from his slumber, releasing a yawn as he stretched himself and feeling several familiar pops in his joints and back. He forced himself to his feet and stretched out more.

"Thank god for my regenerative powers." He said to himself. "Not only would I be sore, I'd be dead otherwise... Where do souls go when they die?" Ichigo asked as he opened his eyes, only to be met with the picture of several dead bodies. All in white military uniforms with a Quincy cross that all seem to have deep gashes in their bodies. He looked down to see his blade, stained red in gore. "Let it go Ichigo, you have stuff to do." He said, choosing to ignore the bodies of the quincy. If he was going to reach Yamamoto today, he could not afford any distractions. He proceeded to leave his little hideaway after calling his blade back to his hand.

(Squad 8 Barracks)

"Captain Kyoraku," a female Shinigami with a stern expression called to her lazing captain, "a ryoka has appeared."

"Which one Nanao?" The lazy bearded man known as Shunsui Kyoraku asked his secretary/lieutenant. Tatsuki gave them a description of her friends and vouched that Ichigo would never kill unless necessary.

"Based on what Arisawa said, he should be Yasutora Sado." She said. "He's not permitted to fight a captain, but neither was Arisawa and-"

"And she sparred with Captain Soi-Fon. There is a difference." He said, raising from his nap. "Come on, let's go greet our guest."

(Squad 1 Barracks)

Ichigo finally made it to the courtyard of the leader of the Gotei 13's base. The building stood there, tall and imposing as Ichigo strode over to his destination.

"Come on out already!" Ichigo called out. "I know I've kept you waiting but I was held up!" He felt an immense spiritual pressure come down on him as a hunched figure on the roof of the barracks stood up. Ichigo felt a savage nature much like his repressed instincts, as much as he'd hate to say it, Ichigo was excited. The man jumped off the roof of the barracks and came crashing down across from him.

"I admit I was losing patience." The Kenpachi said in a deep tone, the jingling of his bells adding somewhat to his menace. "But that fight last night only served to excite me more." He stood to his full imposing height, showing his brutal and ragged form. "Name's Kenpachi Zaraki, captain of squad 11. And I'm pleased to finally meet you, Ichigo Kurosaki!" He said with a savage grin.