STOP ME WHEN YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH

Ha, You're Funny

About seven villages later, a group approaches him. He runs his cold eyes over each one, assessing them as threats. The six of them surround him like a pack of rabid wolves, their snarling faces and bared teeth showing all intentions. Ichigo replies to them with a snarl of his own, and he can feel his eyes turn yellow.

"Who are you?" The alpha male demands.

"No one important," he dismisses.

"Oh, yeah? Then why are the Shinigami searching for you?"

Ichigo keeps his expression blank, but on the inside, he grimaces. "I don't know what you mean. I'm not familiar with the way this place works yet."

"Shut up. We all know you're lying."

Oh, boy. That's aggressive. This isn't going well. The group moves in, inching a little closer with cautious steps.

"Oh, yeah? How's that?" Ichigo challenges.

"We've all heard of the ryoka that broke into the Seireitei. The boy with orange hair."

He bites his tongue, running scenarios in his head. What should he say? What should he say? Dammit, don't panic. He can do this!

"If that's true - which it's not - and I really am the guy they're looking for, is it really your best intentions to mess with me?"

The alpha doesn't falter. He's completely comfortable and in control of the situation. It makes Ichigo's teeth grind.

"Of course. We're bored, kid. We need a challenge, and the boy who kicks Shinigami ass is just the kind of challenge we're looking for," he grins, his yellow teeth almost as difficult to look at as the sun.

"I'm not here for a fight. Just passing through."

"Oh, really? Too bad we don't give a shit."

Yoruichi arrives at the end of the fight, Byakuya at her side. They silently gape at the unconscious bodies pooled around Ichigo's feet as he bites his fingernails. He wants to pace. He can't pace. The vasto lorde is restless. Ichigo needs to fight him.

He then notices the blood coating his fingers, and immediately stops biting his nails. Gross. How did he not notice? That fight really knocked him off his metaphorical feet. He must've slipped up, and the vast lords briefly took control. Oh boy. He needs to get some place safe - for everyone's sake.

"Are they..." Yoruichi trails off.

"Yeah, they're unconscious."

"You're out of control," Byakuya scolds.

"They deserved it!" Ichigo snarls, the whites in his eyes darkening.

He bites his lip now, hoping it'll shut him up. The vasto lorde. He's forcing his way through. The ginger is resisting against the urge to pace now that he's aware what it means, but it seems that the vasto lorde has other means of taking control. Ichigo needs to get the plan over with. Now or never.

"Did they?" Yoruichi scowls, already in his face about it.

"It's him," Ichigo says through his teeth. "The other guy. He wants to come out. I can't let him out."

Her eyes widen in sudden understanding. "Was this his idea?" She gestures to the beaten and bloody bodies laying in piles.

"No. They attacked us."

"Us?" Byakuya quotes.

Wow, he really needs to shut up. "I need to get to Shinji. Please. Before-" he hisses in abrupt pain and grips the side of his head. "Before he gets out."