Ch8-int Seireitei 3 (Final)

Ichigo ignored the wince of pain that racked his body, the wound on his leg worsening as he leapt from one roof to the other. He'd long left his friends in the dust in his mad dash to Rukia. His sword gleamed in the light as he made another massive leap forward.

He scanned the ground before him quickly, his eyes widening momentarily when he caught a glimpse of Ishida, right beside him was the woman that had disappeared earlier, in the white tower, and left him with those shinigami. He narrowed his eyes as he dropped down beside the two, catching the woman off-guard.

Ishida on the other hand seemed to suddenly wake out of his stupor the moment he'd landed.

"Kurosaki!" Ishida's eyes widened at seeing him, a strange glow came out of his eye... Probably some Quincy nonsense. "What are you doing here!?" His classmate continued.

Ichigo had been about to answer before his eyes caught sight of Orihime's limp body. Red briefly coloured his vision before he realised the girl was simply unconscious.

"How are you here... I left you with six lieutenants..." The woman remarked, a surprised look on her face.

Ichigo rose to his full height before he brandished his sword, pointing it towards the woman before him.

"If you get in my way, I'll add a captain to that list," He stated as he started gathering reiatsu.

"No!" Ishida's shout promptly broke his concentration as he suddenly turned his head in time to see Uryu reach a glowing hand out towards him.

When the boy's hand connected, Ichigo briefly felt an impending sense of doom before he felt a heavy presence fill his mind.

For a moment, he struggled as whatever Ishida had done tried to force him to obey. He briefly grabbed his head from the strain before he felt it. The feeling had started in his stomach. He felt something, almost soothing, fill his chest.

And then he and the entity promptly started screaming as he held his head with a vice grip. His eyes widening as his voice echoed out.

...

The screaming didn't actually last that long, as the moment the pain had started, he'd felt the entity that attacked him slowly start leaking out of him. The pain increasing in intensity as it went on.

He could feel the strain on his lungs as he struggled to breath, just above he could make out, in his peripheral, the darkness leaking out of him slowly condense. When he raised his head to take a better look at it, his eyes widened at the mangled creature that stared back at him, a hungry look in it's eyes.

He didn't even notice the arrival of the other captains as he watched the writhing creature reach a hand out towards him. Ichigo tried to will his body to move but for some unearthly reason he found it frozen. The feeling worsened as he started to feel something leave him.

Ichigo could do naught but hold his head as the pain intensified further and to his shock the mangled creature's body slowly started to change in shape.

"What the hell is Huya doing here!?" He heard someone say, though he couldn't discern the voice from anywhere as he closed in on himself, his pain intensifying.

When he raised his head one last time, his expression quickly turned to shock as he took in the familiar form of his own zanpakuto spirit! "Zangetsu..?"

The spirit in question focused it's hungry gaze on him as it reached out another hand. Ichigo's eyes widened as he aimlessly wondered if it was the end...

He doubted the Shinigami would help him after everythi-

And then he appeared before him, an easygoing grin on his face though there was a hint of worry aswell.

"Yo Huya! My name is Aizen Sosuke! Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu!" The man exclaimed excitedly, the kind of excitement you had when you opened an unexpected gift...

And, though Ichigo didn't realise it. To both, Ryoka and brown-haired captains shock, A myriad of colours suddenly burst out of the blade's tip, the light suddenly colliding into the, almost complete, manifestation of his Zanpakuto spirit. Though the face, looked somewhat different.

And then Zangetsu... Or as the Shinigami Captain before him called him, Huya, screamed alone... As the edge of his cloak? Shadows? Edge of his robe? Suddenly started to rot away. Ichigo barely even noticed the other captains that had arrived with the one that had saved his life. He barely even noticed Rukia with them as he watched. Transfixed.

"Damn you... Damn you..! This isn't over... You hear me!? Aizen Sosuke! I, if it is the very last damned thing I do, WILL KILL YOU!" Huya's scream echoed out as the space started to distort around the edges as more and more of the reiatsu simply started disappearing. A bright light flashed as holes in space started to knit itself back together, before disappearing entirely.

"Yes... Well, best of luck," The captain stated, a deadpan look on his face.

Ichigo released the breath he'd been holding as he fell, wincing the slightest as his back hit the ground. He felt... Oddly lighter. He held his blade morosely for a moment before to his own surprise, he felt something flicker through his mind. When he raised his gaze, he found the brown haired captain staring at him with an amused look on his face.

"What the hell just happened?" He questioned, somewhat bemusedly, his eyes briefly looking to his blade.

The man seemed to appraise him for a second before his smiled seemed to widen. "Oh... I think I might've, for lack of a better phrase, just saved the world... But... Knowing my luck he's probably going to come back... Oh sorry, I am rambling. My name's Aizen Sosuke,"

Ichigo briefly kept the gaze as he slowly stood up. "So I've heard, Kurasaki Ichigo," He remarked holding a hand out.

The captain seemed to stare at it with a look of amusement for a moment causing Ichigo to worry the slightest before, to his pleasant surprise, the man grabbed it. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Ichigo blinked before he released the mans hand and rubbed the back of his head. "Right... Say you kno- Rukia!" Ichigo suddenly realised the girl had been standing right next to and talking, rather cordially for that matter, the first captain he'd encountered.... He made to run towards the girl before to his own surprise, he realised she wasn't even wearing her cuffs. In fact... She looked-

As if she'd noticed his gaze, and definitely heard his voice, she gave him a simple smile before she pointed towards the brown-haired captain...

"By the way, Ichigo, you might wanna keep Urahara away from your siblings!" Aizen's voice suddenly caught his attention.

...

Author Notes: Next chapter will explain what happened during the trial while this went on. Hope you enjoyed! Don't forget feedback!

Edit: Added an extra quote following Aizen's appearance.