Soul Society
"But still, if it's true what that bald guy said, and even if Rukia is in that white tower...the problem is which road to take to get there." Ichigo said as he lazily scratched his head.
"Oh, that's right. I have a map." Ganju said as he took out what seemed to be a map. "We wouldn't want to run into any Captains along the way, huh?"
"Rukia..." Hanatora said. "Are you talking about Rukia Kuchiki?"
"Huh?!" Ichigo looked at Hanatora.
"Just as I thought...It's her, isn't it? Then that "white tower" you referred to is the Senzaikyu. I know the secret way into that tower."
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Soul Society - The Sewers
"Huh, I would have never thought of using the sewer system." Ganju said.
"Yes, this sewer system runs underground throughout the Seireitei so we can go anywhere without running into obstacles." Hanatora said as he led the other two.
"Don't the others know about this entrance? We pulled up an ordinary-looking tile."Ganju said.
"Yes, everyone knows about it, but I doubt they'll catch up with us down here." Hanatora said.
"Why's that?"
"The only people that fully comprehend this complex system are members of Squad 4, those of us who specialize in relief and aid." Hanatora continued.
"Oh, I see, this system is also used as a pathway for relief and aid." Ganju said. "That's why only the relief and aid company needed to master this system."
"N-Not exactly."Hanatora laughed nervously. "It's just that it's Squad 4's duty to clean the sewer system. We're weak, so we wind up with a lot of menial chores."
Ichigo and Ganju looked at the nervous shinigami dumbfounded.
"Damn, I kind of feel sorry for Squad 4." Ganju said.
"No... It's really not all that bad." Hanataro said.
"Hanataro." Ichigo said
"Huh?" Hanataro said.
"Why are you doing all this for us? We're your enemies. And just because we want to go to the White Tower..."
"Hey, Ichigo." Ganju said.
"Why are you guiding us without question?"
"I know a lot about you from listening to Rukia. Ichigo Kurosaki...Please Save Rukia!"
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Squad 1 Barracks
"Here's the situation report." Yasochika said. "Sir Ikkaku Madarame, Third Seat of Squad 11, and Sir Yumichika Ayasegawa, Fifth Seat, same squad...The above high-ranking Seat officers, due to severe injuries, will withdraw from the front lines."
All of the shinigami gathered in the room looked at the blonde with grave expressions.
"A detailed damage report for the individual squads is still pending investigation." Yasochika continued. "However, regarding Squad 11...There is a report stating that they were nearly annihilated."
Renji scowled at the news.
"Squad 11 were?" Izuru said with a surprised expression.
"No way." Momo said.
"In just a few hours since entering this realm, they've managed to wreak that much havoc?" Shuhei said.
"Hah, how pathetic." Marechiyo said as he picked his nose.
"At this time, there are three confirmed Ryoka, of which two have taken a member of the Squad 4 hostage." Yasochika said as he continued reading the report. "We have intelligence indicating that these two, with the hostage, are headed this way. However, since a while ago, we have been unable to detect their Spiritual Pressure; therefore, their whereabouts are unknown."
"Either way, we need to collect more information." Rangiku said.
"Frankly, it's been a while since our Fourth Seat reported in." Tetsuzaemon said. "I think he's been defeated too. Can you check in on the West 20 area?"
"The Fourth Seat of Squad 7 — You mean Jirobo - of the Wind Scythe?" Rangiku said.
"Yeah." Tetsuzaemon confirmed.
"Jidanbo's younger brother, huh?" Shuhei said. "He was defeated too?"
"What in the world is going on? They're all pathetic." Izuru said.
"This certainly has turned into a horrible mess, Abarai."
"We need to act more carefully." Momo said nervously.
"That Squad 11 gets too temperamental. Abarai?" Momo looked towards where the redhead was standing before only to find an empty space.
"Stop spreading misinformation."
"I did no such thing!"
"Rangiku, calm down."
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"Headless chickens indeed." Indra said as he looked at the gathered shinigami from the top of the building. Indra sighed as he felt a familiar presence. "Hn why are you stalking me Aizen?"
A dark chuckled sounded behind the brunette. "My my...Indra-san I am not stalking you. Simply observing your movements. Just in case if you would do anything that would hinder my plans. Nothing more nothing less."
"Hn. Looking at your lieutenant just now she seems weak, did you choose her on purpose?"
Aizen smirked. "Who knows~"
"Hn. I suggest you get rid of her."
"Oh? Why?"
"Hn, I know her type."
Aizen narrowed his eyes at the former Otsutsuki. "Type?"
"Hn. She's the type who will follow men blindly. I would say from the useless category she would be placed on top of fangirls." Indra turned and looked at the annoyed brunette and smirked. "Don't tell me you're jealous? Tsk, tsk who knew someone like you would be jealous." He chuckled before disappearing in a swirl.
A tick mark appeared on Aizen's head. "Damn you!"
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The Sewers
"Before Rukia was captured and placed in the Senzaikyu Shishinro, she was held in Squad 6's barracks." Hanatora said. "I was assigned to cleaning duty for that area. To be honest, I was scared of her at first. After all, she is a noble. But..."
"But?" Ganju asked.
"Rukia scolded me on my first day." Hanatora said.
Flashback
"Umm, Lady Rukia, I'll be starting today's cleaning chores now." Hanatora said as he looked at Rukia who was sitting quietly.
"I'd rather you not call me that." Rukia said.
"Umm...But..."
"Just address me normally." Rukia interrupted the stuttering shinigami.
"Uh? Umm... Ah...Then Rukia-san?"
"Thank you." Rukia said and smiled gently.
"Y-Yes!"
Flashback end
"Her voice was much kinder than what I had expected." Hanatora said. "I was quite relieved. Ever since that day, my daily cleaning duty at the barracks gradually has become something to look forward to. And little by little, Rukia started telling me all kinds of things."
Flashback
"Umm, Rukia-san? I don't know much about the human world, but what's it like over there? Like the things to eat or drink...Oh, I'm sorry! I mean, it's nothing! I'm sorry."
"They have a beverage called a "juice" that comes in a paper package." Rukia said.
"What kind of drink is that?"
"It is a difficult beverage."
"Huh?!"
"There is a trick to drinking it. Even I had difficulties with it."
"Is that so? There's a drink that even you had difficulties with..."
"Hanataro, you may not be able to drink it even after hearing the trick."
"Really?!"
"He taught me how to drink it."
"Rukia, was there anything unusual in the human world?"
"Did you know that a Mod Soul can be inserted into inanimate objects as well?"
"What?! You mean those illegal things?"
"There was this guy who placed one into a stuffed doll he found on the street."
"Stuffed doll? That's the thing made with cotton and such, right? To put it into something like that...There sure are some reckless people out there."
"Yes, There are some reckless people out there."
Flashback end
"Of all the tales Rukia told me of the human world...the majority of them were always about this one person. Shortly after that, an official execution order was sent to Rukia."
Flashback
"Don't make me repeat myself." Byakuya said. "Rukia Kuchiki is guilty of a first-degree offense and will be executed in 25 days at the Central Execution Grounds."
"Rukia...The person you gave your Soul Reaper powers to Is that the same person you often speak of?"
"His name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I only spent two months with him, but strangely, I felt I could trust him from the bottom of my heart. And yet... And yet... Because of me, his destiny became twisted, and he was terribly hurt. There is nothing I can do to atone for this..."
Flashback end
"She looked very sad as she said that. I don't know how to put it, but she's a strange Soul Reaper..."
"Yeah, she is a strange one..." Ichigo said absentmindedly.
"Huh?" Ganju said.
"That's why we're here to rescue her." Ichigo said as he stood up and walked away.
"Ah? Hey! W-Wait a minute!"
"D-Did I say something wrong?" Hanatora said nervously as he joined Ganju.
"How should I know?!" Ganju exclaimed. "Hey, Ichigo!"
"I only spent two months with him, but strangely, I felt I could trust him from the bottom of my heart. Rukia said. And yet, because of me, his destiny became twisted and he was terribly hurt. There is nothing I can do to atone for this..."
You idiot'! Isn't this all my fault?! I swear, I won't let you die. Ichigo thought. Rukia!
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"Ah, young love..."Indra sighed dramatically as he looked at Ichigo through his Kamui.
"Master Indra you are speaking as if you're older than them." Kodzuchi said.
Two Tickmearks appeared on Indra's temple. "I AM NOT OLD GODDAMN IT!!!" he shouted.
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Hanatora peeked his head out of the tiled and looked around. "Uh... It's okay! You can come up. This exit is the closest to the tower."
"Wow! It seems like a long time since I've breathed fresh air!" Ganju said.
"Look there, that's the Senzaikyu!" Hanatora said as he pointed towards the Senzaikyu.
"We're definitely closer to it, but look at that!" Ganju said." It seems like it's going to be a rough road ahead."
"The mist is clearing!" Ichigo said. "Let's hurry."
Ichigo stopped.
"Hmm? Is something the matter, Ichigo?" Ganju said.
"There's someone by the stairs." Ichigo said as he looked towards the stairs.
"It's been a while." Renji said as he glared at Ichigo. "Do you remember me?"
"I would have liked to forget it, but there's still a heap of payback I owe you...Renji Abarai!" Ichigo said as he glared at the redhead.
"That's a surprise, you remembered my name, too." Renji said as he walked down the stairs. "That's pretty good."
"Why thank you." Ichigo said sarcastically.
"Wh-Who is this guy? His Spirit Pressure is on a completely different level than those earlier guys." Ganju said.
"Th-That, that person is Renji Abarai!" Hanatora said. "The Lieutenant of Squad 6!"
"Lieutenant?" Ganju gasped in surprise.
"I'm truly surprised I thought you'd be dead after Captain Kuchiki's attack." Renji said.
Ichigo started walking towards Renji.
"Uh, hey! Wait a minute, Ichigo!" Ganju shouted.
"I don't know how you managed to survive, but you're something else, all right." Renji said. "But this is as far as you go. As I've told you before, I will kill the one who stole Rukia's powers." Renji took out his zanpakuto while Ichigo put his hand on his own. "As long as you're alive, Rukia can't get her powers back!"
"How can you say that after taking her back just to kill her!" Ichigo said as he took out his zanpakuto and started running towards Renji. "I'm coming through!"
"Try it if you can! If only you can defeat me!" Renji said.
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With Yachiro and Kenpachi
"It's starting, and the opponent is Abarai, huh?" Kenpachi said as he stopped in his tracks. "He's already defeated the Third Seat. He'd better defeat at least a Lieutenant. Otherwise, he won't be much fun as my opponent."
"Kenny, how is it that you don't sense other people's Spirit Pressure, but you can tell they're fighting from far away?" Yachiro said.
"That's because I'm strong." Kenpachi retorted.
"Hmm...That's weird."
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"Hey, have you found anything?" A shinigami said.
"No, not at all." Another shinigami said.
"It's been a while since these Ryoka crossed over and while our casualties keep rising, we can't seem to find them at all! It means that they're that crafty."
"The Captains and Lieutenants are keeping in close contact to obtain the latest intel."
"Hey! In that direction..."
"They found Jirobo of Squad 7, and he's down!"
"What?!" The shinigami said as they ran towards the source.
"They're gone..."Uryu said as he and Orihime stapped out of the wall.
"Uh-huh." Orihime said.
"It seems Ichigo and the others are doing quite a number out there. The security is getting tighter."
"Well, I think we can handle Soul Reapers if they're like the one from earlier. What's the matter, Uryu?"
This Spirit Pressure It's Ichigo, and the other one is Renji Abarai! Ichigo...You sure met up with a tough one...Uryu thought. "Huh?!"
"Hey, are you okay?" A fairy-like figure said as it peered at Uryu's face.
"Do you feel all right? Are you running a fever?" another fairy-like figure said.
"I'm okay, so don't worry about me." Uryu said quickly.
"That's good to hear." Orihime said. "You space out sometimes, so I was worried."
"Aw, that's no fun." The fairy-like figure said poutingly.
"See you later!" The other fairy-like figure said as they both disappeared.
"Good, then let's hurry!" Orihime said.
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With Chad...
Ichigo's spiritual power is rising...His opponent's Spirit Pressure is quite strong. I'd better hurry. Chad thought.
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WIth Ichigo and Renji...
Ichigo and Renji lunged towards each other while attacking each other every now and then.
"Ichigo, you're fighting against a Lieutenant! No matter how strong you are, you can't win!" Ganju said.
"No That may not be the case." Hanatora said. "Please take a good look at Ichigo."
Ganju looked at where he was looking at and saw Ichigo push Renji's Zanpakuto away.
"Incredible! He's completely overpowering Lieutenant Abarai!" Hanatora said. "He...Ichigo... What exactly is he?"
"That's what I'd like to know." Ganju said.
"Hey, Ichigo Kurosaki." Renji said. "How do you plan on saving Rukia?"
"How?" Ichigo said.
"Even if you defeat me here, there are still 11 Lieutenants left. And above them, there are 13 Captains. Unless you defeat them all, there's no way to save Rukia. And you think you can do that?"
"Of course! Who cares how many Captains there are? Or how many Lieutenants? It doesn't matter! I'll defeat them! I'll defeat them all if they get in my way!"
"What's that? Where do you get your confidence from? Why are you so worked up over this? Your Zanpakuto has changed, huh? Don't think you're stronger just because of that! Don't be arrogant!"
"Huh!"
"Roar! Zabimaru!" To the surprise of Ichigo, Renji's Zanpakuto changed and thrust his zanpakuto towards Ichigo's direction.
Ichigo blocked the hit with his sword; however, he was pushed back because of its force. I-I can't stop it!
"Ichigo!" Ganju shouted as he saw the orange-haired get blown away to the house.
"I-Ichigo-san..." Hanatora said
"You seem to think that you already know my strength just by having fought me once. Let me tell you something. When the ranked Lieutenants and above are sent outside, our powers are severely limited so that we don't adversely affect the human world. My strength right now is five times greater than before. So no matter how strong you become, there's no way you can defeat me!"
"So does that mean that attack was the best you've got? It didn't affect me at all!" Ichigo said as he picked up his zanpakuto and stepped out of the house he collided with. "Thank you! If I'm dealing with 11 people like you, I think I can handle it!"
"You idiot!" Renji said as he glared at Ichigo.