Force of Souls Chapter 33 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Force of Souls! There’s only three days for Ichigo to get strong enough to stop Rukia’s execution. Can he truly achieve Bankai, a level of mastery that most Shinigami will never attain? Yoruichi seems to think so, and she’s got a plan to make it happen! But as Ichigo tries to grow stronger, things within Seireitei continue to move as well.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 33 – Three Days for Realization

A person, or people
A side that is shown
A side that is true
Are they the same, or different
Do you even understand yourself

“Why?!” Ichigo demanded angrily, grabbing the front of Yoruichi’s orange shirt and shoving her against the stone wall of the hidden chamber. “Why’d you take me outta there?!” His Reiryoku flared and his Reiatsu increased substantially as it pressed down on everything. “I had the best chance of coming out alive of anyone there! Now Rukia, Ganju, and Hanatarō are all going to be killed!”

Yoruichi looked at Ichigo with a cool, unflinching gaze. “Who do you think you are? You had no chance. No one there could’ve fought Byakuya and lived.”

“You…!” Ichigo tried to retort, but only found himself spinning through the air and slamming harshly on his back on the unforgiving stone floor. “Gah!”

“Stop shouting. You’ll open your wounds again.” Yoruichi said, as if she hadn’t just used Taketonbo to slam Ichigo into the floor. “Carrying you away was the best I could do. It was the only way to escape Byakuya and Ukitake.”

Ichigo took a second to steady his breathing and looked up at Yoruichi from the floor. “But why me and not Rukia?” The whole point of coming to the Soul Society was to rescue Rukia.

Yoruichi looked at Ichigo for a moment, her expression unchanging, but her golden eyes softened slightly. “Nobody there had any hope of defeating Byakuya.” She paused for a second before continuing. “But in three days you just might have a chance. The others wouldn’t. That was my reasoning. You were the only logical choice.”

Ichigo’s eyes widened at Yoruichi’s reasoning for escaping with him alone.

“Byakuya wasn’t alone. Ukitake was there as well.” Yoruichi said factually. “He was Rukia’s direct superior, a very dutiful man. He’ll imprison Ganju and that boy from Fourth Squad that tried to help you save Rukia, but he won’t allow them to be killed. They’ll be alright, Ichigo. You just need to focus on becoming stronger.”

Standing up, Ichigo pushed aside the pain that he felt. It was overshadowed by his relief that no one would die at the very least.

“You can’t defeat Byakuya as you are now, but I’ll train you so that in three days’ time, you can. And then, with your own hands, you can save your friends.” Yoruichi assured Ichigo.

Resolve burned within Ichigo as he looked Yoruichi in the eye. “I’m ready.”

Yoruichi led him further into the hidden area below the Sōkyoku Hill into what looked VERY similar to the underground training area that was beneath Urahara’s shop in Karakura Town. The two stood across from each other before Yoruichi spoke again. “We don’t have time to wait for you to heal completely. I know you’re in pain, but you’ll have to endure it.” Ichigo drew Shingetsu and held his Zanpakutō at the ready. “I want to ask you a question. How much were you taught about Zanpakutō?”

“Rukia taught me that my Zanpakutō is formed by my soul, it’s part of me.” Ichigo answered promptly, looking at his sword for a moment. “I know that a Zanpakutō cleanses the sins of a Hollow when a Shinigami slays it, allowing them to pass on to the Soul Society as long as they weren’t evil and bound for Hell. I also know about Shikai and that there’s a second release beyond that called Bankai.”

“Good, you learned well.” Yoruichi nodded once. “Yes, all Zanpakutō have two stages of release. The first is Shikai, and the second is Bankai; it is mandatory that a Captain be able to perform both.” She wanted to drive home just how outclassed Ichigo had been when facing Kuchiki Byakuya.

Ichigo hadn’t known that about the Captains. “Mandatory?”

Yoruichi gave him a small grin. “Yes. With only one exception, every Captain has mastered both Shikai and Bankai.”

“Exception… Do you mean Kenpachi Zaraki?” Ichigo didn’t take long to put the obvious together.

“In the long history of the Soul Society, he’s the only one to become Captain without being able to perform Bankai, or even knowing the name of his Zanpakutō.” Yoruichi confirmed with her arms crossed as she explained. “The Thirteen Court Guard Squads valued his power and fighting ability that much. But then, you’ve already experienced that first hand.”

Ichigo could only agree, given that he still had his injuries from his fight with Kenpachi.

“In terms of the Zanpakutō’s combat ability, the difference between Shikai and Bankai depends on the individual’s innate talents and training, but generally…it’s between five and ten times greater.” Yoruichi revealed with a serious expression.

“Ten times…” Ichigo stared at Yoruichi in surprise.

“Astonishing, isn’t it? But because of that, even for someone with talent, it can easily take ten or more years of training to master Bankai.” Yoruichi said factually.

Ichigo grimaced at that. “I don’t have that kind of time!”

Yoruichi agreed with a simple nod. “Of course you don’t.” She narrowed her golden eyes on Ichigo. “When I say ten or more years, I’m talking about normal training. There are serious risks involved, but I’m taking a completely different approach with you.” Yoruichi warned him of the dangers of what they were about to attempt. “You’re going to learn Bankai in just three days.”

“How can I do something that normally takes ten years in just three days?” Ichigo questioned. He’d been told that he had an impressive growth rate before, but achieving something in three days that normally took a decade was ridiculous.

To answer Ichigo’s question, Yoruichi pulled out an odd object from behind a large rock that was close by. It was a white, vaguely human-shaped thing, and about as tall as Yoruichi was. It had a two curved lines around the middle and a single vertical line that went up from those lines all the way to the tip of the pointed ‘head’, along with two strings tied across the upper chest area.

“What’s with the weird doll thing?” Ichigo had to ask, not sure how this was supposed to help him achieve Bankai in just three days.

“It’s a Tenshintai (Divine Transfer Body), an object that used to be held by the Onmitsukidō, but was invented and tested by Kisuke.” Yoruichi said as she patted the object. “It can forcibly transfer and externalize the spirit of a Zanpakutō.”

Ichigo looked at the Tenshintai curiously. “And we need that to train for Bankai?”

“Of course.” Yoruichi confirmed and began to explain. “The essence of Shikai is to communicate and synchronize with your Zanpakutō. That is how you learn its name. But Bankai requires you to externalize the spirit of your Zanpakutō and force it into submission. Unlike Jinzen, where you enter your Inner World to talk to your Zanpakutō, you must bring your Zanpakutō spirit out into the physical world. It usually takes a Shinigami ten years of training to be able to do that at will before they can even start training for Bankai.” Yoruichi looked at Ichigo pointedly. “But you were already able to fight Kenpachi Zaraki to a draw. I believe that you’re ready to externalize Shingetsu.”

“What do I have to do?” Ichigo asked, ready to start training.

Yoruichi smirked at Ichigo’s immediate focus and drive towards the new goal set before him. “Piercing the Tenshintai with Shingetsu will force the spirit to externalize. I’ll use my Reiryoku to maintain that externalized state for Shingetsu. But…” Here Yoruichi looked at Ichigo sharply. “This can only be done once. And it only lasts for three days. Somehow you must force Shingetsu to submit in that time. If you can do that…”

Thunk

Yoruichi looked at the Tenshintai and saw Shingetsu already stabbed into it. She looked at Ichigo with a trace of surprise in her eyes a split-second later.

“I won’t ask what happens if I fail.” Ichigo said, still holding the handle of Shingetsu. “If that’s the only way, then I’ll just have to do it!”

The Tenshintai vanished, almost like it shattered, and Ichigo realized that he was no longer holding Shingetsu.

Behind Ichigo, Shingetsu appeared, allowing Yoruichi to meet the Zanpakutō spirit for the first time. She had to look up at the older man, given that he was almost two-meters tall. The short dark hair and short beard, the navy blue shihakushō with the golden obi, the spirit looked rather normal aside from the white blindfold over his eyes and tied at the back of his head.

“You appear to have recovered enough, Ichigo.” Shingetsu said with a look.

“Shingetsu…” Ichigo felt rather odd being face to face with his Zanpakutō in the physical world. The presence of the spirit was so similar to his own Reiryoku that it was like there was another Kurosaki Ichigo next to him.

“You heard everything, right?” Yoruichi asked Shingetsu.

Shingetsu nodded to Yoruichi in confirmation. “Yes.”

Yoruichi looked around the large, hidden training area, as if to show Shingetsu the space that was available for the upcoming training. “I’ll let you choose the method of battle. Can you start right away?”

“Yes.” Shingetsu said calmly before Ichigo’s eyes widened as the underground area began to warp and darken around them. In only a few seconds, the brightly lit area looked like they were outside on a starry night with no clouds in the sky.

“What the hell…?” Ichigo looked around in surprise.

Shingetsu didn’t explain, only holding out his hand. One of the shining stars shot down from the sky and became the familiar form of Ichigo’s Shikai as soon as it touched Shingetsu’s hand. “You must come to understand our power fully, Ichigo. I can only be defeated once you have gained that realization. You must do that before I kill you.” He held the black blade at the ready.

Ichigo held out his own hand, but no star fell to grant him a sword of his own. “Eh?” He blurred away in a Shunpo to avoid the swing of Shingetsu’s sword. “Why didn’t I get a sword?!”

Yoruichi watched as Ichigo dodged one swing after another from Shingetsu, feeling the pull on her Reiryoku that was maintaining the Tenshintai’s effect. It was a rough start; Ichigo clearly didn’t know what Shingetsu meant when the spirit spoke of understanding and realization. But she’d watch as this unfolded, that was her role in this training.

-Fourth Squad-

“Considering the following! While in the custody of the ryoka, the prisoner was coerced, both mentally and physically, into following their orders! Therefore, I ask for leniency, Captain Unohana of Fourth Squad! That’s the report of arresting officer, Captain Ukitake of Thirteen Squad!” Sentarō read off his Captain’s report loudly, just short of shouting.

Beside him, with her hands over her ears and an annoyed look on her face, was Kiyone.

“Thank you. But the ryoka you assisted caused serious damage. Given your position, your complicity cannot be overlooked.” Unohana said with a stern look on her normally soft features, her eyes locked on her subordinate that the two Third Seats had brought back to the Fourth Squad. “Do you understand, Fourteenth Advanced Relief Team leader and Fourth Squad Seventh Seat, Yamada Hanatarō?”

Hanatarō looked at his Captain with an expression of acceptance, but the emotion in his eyes was not one that Unohana was used to seeing in the normally meek young man. Hanatarō knew what he’d done was going to get him in trouble, but he’d done it anyway, because he felt it was the right thing to do. Such resolve was rather foreign for him, but deep down, Unohana was glad to see it.

“You will be confined until such time as this ryoka incursion is handled and your own punishment is decided.” Unohana said with finality.

“Yes, Captain.” Hanatarō bowed to her, accepting his coming imprisonment without a hint of regret.

-Fourth Squad ~ Underground Relief Cell #75-

Tatsuki woke up confused. One, she didn’t remember falling asleep. Two, she wasn’t in her own bed. Three, because she wasn’t in her own bed it was almost odd not to be cuddled up with Orihime or Ichigo or Rukia. That’s when her memory came back and she recalled the last thing that had happened before she woke up.

“Damn it…” Tatsuki nearly growled.

“Hey! You’re awake!” A man bandaged up like a mummy said, poking his head down from the bunk above Tatsuki’s.

Tatsuki pressed her self against the wall. “What the fuck?!”

“Tatsuki!” Orihime nearly shoved the bandaged man aside to hug her girlfriend tightly.

“Hime-chan?!” Tatsuki accepted the hug and squeezed Orihime tightly in return, as best as she could anyway with the manacles on her wrists. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Orihime mumbled into Tatsuki’s neck. It was clear by the way Orihime’s shoulders shook that the orangette was stifling tears as she held onto Tatsuki. “We got caught… We were so close to Rukia…”

Tatsuki rubbed Orihime’s back and let her girlfriend get out her emotions. “I know, I know… I’m frustrated too.” She laid her head on Orihime’s shoulder and took the comfort that was being offered. Small tears of frustration and sadness nearly burned in the corners of Tatsuki’s eyes.

“They got all of us, so don’t feel too bad.” Ganju told the girls with a heavy sigh, pulling up some of the bandages to show his eye and part of his face. “We had her in our hands and still failed.” His emotions were still warring within him, given just who Rukia was, but frustration and self-recrimination were the two strongest at the moment.

Orihime turned to look at Ganju, wiping the last of her tears away. “Why didn’t they kill us?” She asked with a slight shake in her voice. “They even healed your injuries, Ganju.”

Ganju looked over his bandaged form. “Not all the way…the stingy bastards.”

“There’s been a new development.” Chad spoke up from the chair that he was sitting in by the wall, the piece of furniture bolted to the ground to prevent it from being picked up by a prisoner. He gave Tatsuki and Orihime a smile, glad that they were both uninjured, though they’d clearly had their share of rough events judging by their eyes and expressions.

“Chad…” Tatsuki looked at their friend, seeing him also dressed in a white robe, and with noticeable bandages on his chest and arms. “What happened?”

“The Captain that I ran into told me that one of the Captains had been murdered.” Chad told the three of them. “They don’t know who did it, but as ryoka we’re the prime suspects.”

Ganju grimaced. “So, we’re being kept alive for questioning.” He pulled at the manacles on his wrists a bit. “If not for these damn things cutting off my Reiryoku, I could bust us out of here with my Seppa spell.”

“If they’re willing to keep us alive, and even treat our injuries, then that should mean that Ichigo is fine.” Chad said and saw both Orihime and Tatsuki perked up a little at his words.

“We’re all here, so that only leaves Ichigo and Yoruichi outside.” Tatsuki looked to the single window near the ceiling of the cell, seeing the sunlight outside.

“I’m going to wait for Ichigo.” Orihime said firmly. “He’ll definitely come here.” She had absolute faith that her boyfriend would find them no matter what.

Chad nodded in agreement, a small smile on his face. “Until then, all we can do is recover from our injuries and prepare for the next fight.”

The four all looked towards the lone window, knowing that Ichigo would come for them no matter what stood in his way.

-Hidden Training Area-

“Hadō #4: Byakurai!” Ichigo pointed his right index and middle finger at Shingetsu and unleashed the beam of lighting at the spirit.

Shingetsu didn’t alter his course in the slightest, the lightning moved around him oddly, as if there was something in the way, before it struck the floor behind the charging spirit.

“You won’t get anywhere like that, Ichigo.” Shingetsu said as he swung at Ichigo again, forcing the young man to duck and Shunpo to the side. “You have to understand our power.”

Ichigo nearly ground his teeth, having been on the run since they began. “Understand what about our power?!”

“Everything.” Shingetsu replied as the black blade nearly cut Ichigo’s chest, only a quick backstep having let Ichigo dodge.

With a quick Shunpo forward, Ichigo managed to catch Shingetsu’s wrist and control his sword hand. He threw a knee strike, but Shingetsu took it without flinching. “Shit…” Ichigo hissed, feeling like he’d just slammed his knee into stone. “Our power is gravity. What am I supposed to understand?”

Shingetsu easily overpowered Ichigo, pushing him back with his greater weight and size, before nearly throwing the younger man to the ground. “What is gravity?”

Ichigo rolled out of the way of a stomp and skipped back up to his feet. “Gravity is the force that pulls things together, everything that has mass has gravity.” Ichigo nearly recited form one of his science textbooks.

“Yes, gravity is an attractive force.” Shingetsu confirmed as he swung at Ichigo, forcing him to dodge again.

“How does that help me…” Ichigo trailed off as he recalled how Shingetsu had gotten his sword. “I’m an idiot…” He held out his hand towards the stars above.

Clang

Blade met blade as Ichigo caught his own copy of his Shikai and blocked Shingetsu’s attack.

“Not an idiot, just a bit slow on the uptake given the situation.” Shingetsu said with an amused grin on his lips.

“Grk!” Ichigo grunted as he was nearly pulled off his feet towards Shingetsu.

Clang

Sword met sword again as Ichigo was forced in close by Shingetsu’s gravity.

The heavy pull lessened to nothing as Ichigo fought back with his own gravity. “I’m not going to fall for that, Shingetsu.” He swung his sword, only for Shingetsu to easily block and then redirect it with a circular swing of his blade.

“Canceling out the pull of my gravity with an equal pull of your own. You’re learning.” Shingetsu nodded before Ichigo felt his knees nearly buckle as the crushing force of multiplied gravity slammed down on him.

Ichigo raised his Reiryoku, pushing outwards with it to lessen the effects and thrust his blade forward, sending a blast of gravity at Shingetsu.

Shingetsu let the distortion get close, but it wavered and warped around him without actually touching the spirit. “And what was that?” he clashed swords with Ichigo again, the rocky ground cracking from the force.

“I sent a wave of gravity at you.” Ichigo answered rhetorically. It had been one of the first things he’d learned how to do with his Zanpakutō’s Shikai.

“How? Gravity is the force of attraction not repulsion.” Shingetsu reminded Ichigo as he shattered the sword in the young man’s hand.

Ichigo bit out a curse as he leapt to the side to avoid the follow up swing and held out his hand. A streak of light as one of the stars fell into his hand and Ichigo was holding another copy of his Shikai once more.

Clang

“You showed me how to do it, how should I know?!” Ichigo ground his teeth as he locked blades with Shingetsu.

“You must understand our power to use all of it.” Shingetsu released his guard and pivoted to the side. The sudden loss of resistance nearly made Ichigo stagger forward. The massive increase in gravity, however, did pull him off his feet and send him rocketing across the training area to slam into one of the rocky plateaus scattered about the space.

Ichigo grunted as he shot back to his feet. “Jūryoku Mo…” He knew the Gravity Well ability quite well, but hadn’t considered using it as a counter like that before. “How about this!” He stabbed the sword in his hand forward and set his own Jūryoku Mo right behind Shingetsu with an incredible gravitational pull.

A hail of pebbles, dirt, dust, and rocks were nearly ripped from their resting places on the ground and sent at Shingetsu.

Once more, Shingetsu didn’t seem affected in the slightest by the powerful gravity that Ichigo had unleashed. Even all of the impromptu projectiles dispersed around Shingetsu without touching him.

“Is that…orbit?!” Ichigo saw the ring of debris now circling Shingetsu and the gravity well that he’d set behind the spirit.

“Many celestial bodies have rings, Ichigo.” Shingetsu said as the ring of debris spun faster and faster before being pulled into a tiny point directly in front of Shingetsu. It was only then that Ichigo realized that even his Jūryoku Mo had also been drawn in and crushed by Shingetsu’s orbit.

Shingetsu flicked the tip of his sword upwards and Ichigo suddenly found himself floating into the air in Zero G. Realizing that Shingetsu had removed gravity to make him vulnerable, Ichigo made another Jūryoku Mo to pull him back down to the ground and hold him there.

Clang

Crack

Ichigo cursed as his blade snapped and Shingetsu’s cut into his shoulder.

“Pinning yourself down isn’t smart in battle, Ichigo.” Shingetsu said before kicking Ichigo backwards.

The kick hurt, but Ichigo realized he was flying through the air from it a split-second later as Shingetsu had sent a strong gravity well behind him to drag him across the training area.

‘How is he doing that?!’ Ichigo questioned himself as he managed to get his feet horizontal and bend his knees to absorb the impact with the far wall. He reached up to the stars to pull another one towards himself, only to see dozens of them racing at him in streaks of brilliant light. “Shit!” Ichigo bit out as he realized the actual purpose of Shingetsu’s Jūryoku Mo was to attract a multitude of swords straight at him.

Bam

Bam

Bam

Bam

Bam

Bam

The rain of swords shattered the stone around Ichigo and threw up a ton of dust. Two of the blades had grazed his torso, one hit his left arm, and his right leg had a cut on it too.

The shine of even more stars falling towards him made Ichigo throw himself to the side. He countered the gravity well holding him in place with his own gravity, and then stopped in his tracks. “That’s it.” The streaks of stars were about to hit Ichigo before they all veered off to the left in a wide arc. Ichigo snatched one of them out of the air, gaining a new copy of his Shikai again, before letting the others orbit around him. “This is…tougher than it looks.” He was having to do a balancing act of gravity, keeping himself as the focal point, but making a secondary ‘ring’ around himself that pulled in the opposite direction.

“Orbit is the capture of smaller bodies by the gravitational pull of a larger body.” Shingetsu said as he approached Ichigo, sword at the ready. “All things that orbit eventually fall into the central mass and source of the gravity holding them.”

“Unless that source disappears!” Ichigo canceled his own enhanced gravity and all of the orbiting swords shot away in a circle of blades as they were yanked away by the secondary ‘ring’ he’d set up to maintain the orbit.

Clang

Crack

Shingetsu shattered the blade that was launched directly at him, letting the second closest one pass by him harmlessly as it wasn’t close enough to actually hit him. “There are as many blades as stars in the sky, Ichigo. Will you use them all before you understand?”

“Jūryokuga!” Ichigo unleashed the massive arc of gravity straight at Shingetsu.

The fast-moving arc flattened a trench through the length of the training area in mere seconds.

“Ack!” Ichigo hacked out some blood as Shingetsu pulled the sword out of his side.

“That wasn’t understanding anything, you simply tried to overpower me.” Shingetsu chastised as Ichigo collapsed to the ground, holding his bleeding side. The spirit raised his blade and then brought it down on Ichigo. “Until you understand, you cannot defeat me.”

“Shit!” Ichigo was about to force a Shunpo, even being in a terrible position to attempt it and knowing he’d at best get a few meters before eating rock and dirt.

Thunk

“The hell?!” Ichigo balked as the Tenshintai -now back in its previous state- fell on top of him.

“You can take a breather, Ichigo.” Yoruichi said with a grin, a slight sheen of sweat on her face. “Day one is over.”

Ichigo blinked, feeling like he hadn’t spent anywhere close to a day fighting Shingetsu yet. “How?”

Yoruichi cocked an eyebrow at him in confusion. “What do you mean? You’ve been running and fighting Shingetsu for just over ten hours already.”

“That’s…impossible.” Ichigo didn’t feel like they’d fought that long. ‘Did I really spend hours running before I figured out how to get my own sword?’ It didn’t feel like it, maybe the constant starry sky had messed with him?

Speaking of…

“Is this place going to stay like this even when Shingetsu’s not here?” Ichigo pointed up at the starry sky above them.

Yoruichi grinned. “Yeah, the ‘battle’ remains in effect for three days or until you force your Zanpakutō to submit, whichever comes first.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Ichigo. “Isn’t it thrilling to be alone with a beautiful woman at night?”

Ichigo let out a slow exhaled at Yoruichi’s flirting, but hissed lightly in pain from the wounds he’d suffered from Shingetsu.

“Come on, a dip in the hot spring will heal you up.” Yoruichi motioned for Ichigo to follow her.

A short time later and Ichigo eased himself into what looked like a natural hot spring with a sigh. “Aaahhh… A hot spring. Never saw one of these at Hat-n-Clog’s place.” He relaxed back against the stone edge of the spring. “If this is the end of day one, then it must be night outside.” Given that he and the others had attempted their rescue of Rukia in the early morning, and his battle with Kenpachi had taken a bit, then put him out of commission for a short time, he supposed that made sense. ‘Still…how did ten hours pass in that fight? I felt like only an hour or two had passed at most.’

He splashed some of the hot water on his face.

“My sense of time must be messed up down here.” Ichigo reasoned as he felt a tingle on his side where he’d been stabbed. “Hm?” He blinked in shock as the stab wound healed up right before his eyes. “Eh?! How the hell?!” Ichigo touched his side where the injury had been but didn’t feel any trace of it. “I just thought it was soothing my pain, but it’s actually healing my wounds! Amazing!” He cupped his hands and brought the water up to his mouth. “I wonder if it would heal me from the inside if I drank it?” He sipped the water only to be startled by Yoruichi’s voice.

“Ichigo, how’s the water?” Yoruichi asked, standing a few meters away from the hot spring.

Ichigo swallowed the water in his mouth. “It’s great.”

“Good. You’ve earned it.” Yoruichi said and Ichigo could practically hear the smile in her voice. “I think I’ll have a soak too.”

Ichigo nearly choked on the water he’d already swallowed. “What the heck?!” He turned around to tell her that he’d get out, only to see Yoruichi pulling her black, skintight pants off. “Why’re you taking your pants off?” He covered his eyes with one hand and turned to face the other direction. He wondered if he should cross the hot spring and get out on the other side.

Yoruichi grinned. “You don’t take a dip in a hot spring with clothes on, Ichigo.” She pulled her orange shirt off and let it fall on top of her discarded pants. Then she pulled off her black, backless undershirt, leaving her naked.

“Hah… You’re a real tease, huh?” Ichigo said with his hand still covering his eyes as he heard Yoruichi slip into the water.

“I don’t know what you’re getting so worked up for.” The masculine voice of Yoruichi’s cat form made Ichigo lower his hand to see the black cat soaking in the hot spring. “What’s that look? Are you disappointed? Be honest now… You little pervert.”

Ichigo glared at the black cat. “I will drown you.”

The two enjoyed the spring in silence for a little while before Ichigo spoke up again.

“Shingetsu keeps telling me that I have to understand our power before I can defeat him. But the only thing I know about gravity is what we learned in school.” Ichigo said with a sigh as he looked up at the starry sky. “Am I missing something? Doing something wrong?”

Yoruichi hummed thoughtfully for a moment. “Perhaps Shingetsu is trying to get you to understand yourself through your power.”

Ichigo looked at Yoruichi curiously. “How do you mean?”

“Do you recall what allowed you to hear Shingetsu’s name in the first place?” Yoruichi asked.

“I had to admit that I was afraid. Afraid of dying. Afraid of losing someone. Afraid of failing.” Ichigo looked down at the water contemplatively. “Once I accepted that, I could finally hear Shingetsu.”

Yoruichi sighed a little, memories of times long ago coming to mind. “Denying yourself goes against the synchronization required for Shikai. When it comes to Bankai, you must conquer yourself… Every part of yourself.” Yoruichi looked up at the starry sky above. “Even the parts that you don’t like about yourself, and don’t want to admit you have. To conquer them, you must understand them, and accept them.”

Ichigo blinked at Yoruichi’s words. He thought about them in silence for a long moment, going through everything. ‘Am I still denying something about myself? Is that why I don’t understand what Shingetsu means?’

Splash

Ichigo was broken from his thoughts by a splash and looked at Yoruichi. “Hey…”

Yoruichi had returned to her true form and was sitting -almost posing- on the edge of the hot spring, showing off her flawless body proudly with a sexy smirk. Ichigo’s eyes naturally took in everything, from her beautiful face and eyes, her impressive tits, her trim and toned stomach, her wide hips, her strong thighs, and her nice legs.

“I have girlfriends.” Ichigo covered his eyes with his hand again. He wouldn’t go behind their backs for anyone.

“Obviously.” Yoruichi’s smirk could be heard in her voice. “But why stop at three?” She questioned with a little purr in her tone. “I’m sure Tatsuki-chan and Orihime-chan wouldn’t mind getting their hands on me~”

Ichigo slowly sank below the water. Yoruichi wasn’t wrong. If there was genuine feelings between Yoruichi and them, it wouldn’t be long before Orihime suggested it, much like she’d done with Rukia. He and Tatsuki would be the ones to pump the brakes on Orihime’s big heart that wanted to build a big, loving family with those that showed true care and affection for all of them.

Yoruichi’s smirk turned into a soft grin. “I won’t try and force anything. But I might just fall for you all in time.”

“Hah…” Ichigo rose back out of the water with a sigh. “Tatsuki was right. One day Orihime might actually get a harem.”

“Oh? Not you, Ichigo?” Yoruichi teased with a grin, still showing off her body without a care.

Ichigo let out a playful snort, his hand still covering his eyes as a grin formed on his lips. “Please, we all know it’s Orihime’s harem; I’m just the only man in it.”

“So, Orihime wears the pants, huh?” Yoruichi snickered and Ichigo lowered his hand just enough to shoot her a quick glare. “Take as many peeks as you want, Ichigo. You might not get to see such a lovely lady again.” Yoruichi was having far too much fun with this as Ichigo covered his eyes again. “I’ll have to make sure to surprise Tatsuki-chan and Orihime-chan when this is all over.”

With a small splash from her feet leaving the water, Yoruichi stood up and turned to leave the spring. Ichigo relaxed a bit more and lowered his hand from his eyes, content to soak for just a bit longer.

“Hey, Ichigo?” Yoruichi called out a few moments later.

“Yeah?” Ichigo turned to look over his shoulder, assuming that Yoruichi had gotten dressed after leaving the hot spring.

Yoruichi looked over her shoulder with a grin, her back and her ass practically being presented to Ichigo. “Are you an ass man or a breast man?”

“PFFT!” Ichigo ducked back into the water so fast that he nearly inhaled some of it.

“Hahaha!” Yoruichi laughed at his reaction. “Take your training seriously, but enjoy yourself when it’s time to rest.” She was gone in a blink, taking her clothing along with her.

Ichigo only came out of the hot spring a minute later, once he was fairly certain that Yoruichi was gone. “That woman is going to be the death of me one way or another, isn’t she?” He did feel a bit calmer now, the stress of his training today having melted away from the combination of the hot spring and Yoruichi’s playful teasing.

‘Just hang on a little longer Rukia, Tatsuki, Orihime, Chad, Ganju… I just need to get stronger and then we’ll all get out of here.’ Ichigo promised in his mind, steeling his resolve and determination to save and protect his friends and loved ones. He looked up at the starry night sky and watched the tiny, almost imperceptible movements of the simulated stars and planets as he dried off.

Within Ichigo’s Jinzen world, Shingetsu watched the sky and the movements of the stars, planets, the new moon, and even the galaxy that lay beyond the black moon. “You’ll understand in time, Ichigo. You’ll have to.” He clenched his fists and the movements of all the celestial bodies and objects sped up to a visible degree. “For all that you want to protect, you’ll need to come to terms with the part of yourself that you have yet to accept. You can’t force me to submit any other way.”

-End Chapter-

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Ichigo has begun his Bankai training!

As he tries to force Shingetsu to submit, he’s learning more and more about his own power. Much like how in Canon his fighting with Zangetsu for three days taught him a great deal about combat and boosted his overall level.

But is Ichigo still held back by something within that he doesn’t acknowledge about himself, or doesn’t want to acknowledge?

Can Ichigo understand his power and himself in just three days?

Will Yoruichi be the death of him with her teasing?

Does Orihime get the harem she wants?

Keep reading to find out!

Until I get your reviews, later!