Chapter 4:My Blade As My Pride

"What!" Rukia shouted as the broken remains of Ichigo's mask fell onto the ground

"S-Shit!" Ichigo cursed as he fell onto the ground

"What the hell" Sado said in a small voice as he turned towards the scene "Damn it! the mask broke"

"Well, Well" Mayuri chuckled "Looks like your trump card just bit the dust"

All of a sudden, Ichigo's white armoured skin and long hair literately exploded off of him, it took the form of Blue energy that circled in the air before it shot back down onto Ichigo like a beam, after the smoke cleared, Ichigo's Hollow hole was gone

"Ichigo…" Rukia whispered

"Now you die boy!" Byakuya shouted as he lifted up his Zanpakutou "I Don't know what that thing was but it's doesn't matter because now you are dead!" and with that he swung it down

"Ichigo!" Chad and Rukia shouted out in unison the Orange haired boy laid motionless on the sand

*Slash*

Rukia closed her eyes, dreading the worst, Chad however was unable to tear his eyes away...and he was thankful he didn't

"Ishida!" He shouted

"What?" Rukia shouted, She opened her eyes to find the quincy with his bow drawn, and the slashing sound had come from…

"Ahh!" Byakuya shouted as he held his deeply wounded arm, caused by the arrow fired by the Quincy

"What the hell is going on down here?" Uryu shouted

"Ishida!" Rukia shouted as he she flash stepped next to him "Where's Inoue?"

"I Left her on the roof" He Explained

"What!" Rukia snapped "Are you insane?"

"I Didn't choose to leave her there, she didn't want to come down" Uryu explained "She felt Kurosaki's reiatsu…"

"Oh…" Rukia said, solemnly, She knew that Inoue was scared to death of his hollow powers.

"But onto more important matters…Just what the hell is going on down here, I Saw Kurosaki was about to attack your brother so I had to act quick"

FLASHBACK

Uryu used the blue surfboard-like device made out of Reishi to literately skate down the tower that connected Las Noches to the roof, As he moved in closer, his worst fear was realised, Kurosaki had indeed turned into that thing once again, He knew immediately that it couldn't be good, he remembered how the Espada had stopped him by cutting one of his horns off, He pulled a Seele Schneider and managed to break the horn off with a well place shot, however he noticed that Byakuya had then lifted up his Zanpakutou, intent on killing him, not entirely sure what to do, he fired an another arrow at the captain, Nearly severing his arm

END FLASHBACK

"So it was you that broke Ichigo's mask" Rukia said out loud, Uryu was confused as to why she sounded slightly angry

"Y-Yes" he stuttered, Rukia scowled at him

"Idiot! He was our last hope!" She said as she smacked him in head

"Gah!" Uryu shouted as he held his now bruised cranium "Kuchiki-san, what are you talking about?"

"We've been betrayed" Sado explained as he Sonido'ed beside him

"B-Betrayed?" He stuttered "What do you mean?"

"They knew we would come to Hueco Mundo to rescue Inoue" Sado began

"They're the whole damn reason Inoue got kidnapped in the first place" Rukia told him, Ishida's eye's widened

"You mean-"

"They didn't come here to help us…they came here to kill us" Rukia said, finally getting it out of the way

"But…" Uryu began but ultimately could find only one word "When?"

"Ever since Aizen's rebellion" Rukia noted

Uryu was now grinding his teeth in anger

"Son of a Bitch" Uryu said as he turned to Mayuri "My Grandfather wasn't enough for you…you went for Kurosaki's life too…"

"You'll be joining him soon enough Quincy" He chuckled

"This time I'll make sure I kill you" Uryu said as he released his bow

"Wait, Ishida" Chad interrupted "I Want to fight him"

"But Sado!" Ishida protested as he lowered his spirit bow

"Ever since I got this extraordinary power" He began, motioning to his armoured arms "I've only been able to been able to take out a few hollows and one arrancar….I Want to fight him…so I can prove it to myself that I'm strong enough to protect my friends"

"Sado…" Uryu gasped

"Please" He Begged

"I….I Understand" Uryu said as he withdrew his bow

"Thank you" he said before he Sonido'ed towards Mayuri

"So…" Uryu began to talk to Rukia but she quickly Flash stepped to Ichigo's side

"The hollow hole is gone" Rukia gasped as she felt the area where the hole used to be

"That tickles" came a small voice, Rukia gasped as Ichigo turned his head and looked up to her "Hey…Rukia"

"Ichigo" she said with tears in her eyes

"Don't cry" he whispered as he attempted to lift his hands to wipe her tears away but ultimately couldn't move his arms

"Kurosaki" Ishida said as he approached him

"Ishida" Ichigo said as Rukia helped him up "Never thought I'd be happier to see you"

"You're welcome my friend" Uryu smiled as he pushed up his glasses but his bright expression soon faded "So…we've been betrayed"

"Yeah" he said sadly as Rukia finally got him to his feet "…I Trusted them…"

"We all did…" Uryu said sadly before he noticed as certain someone on the ground "Abarai! He's Injure-"

"Ishida…" Ichigo interrupted, The Glasses wearing boy turned to him, Ichigo simply shook his head and Rukia grinded her teeth

"H-Him too" Uryu said as his eye's widened "I…I Trusted him, When we fought that Granz bastard I told him that I needed the help of someone I trusted to set up the sprenger…Son of a…how foolish of me…damn shinigami…"

"Now I can see why you hate Shinigami" Rukia said in a small voice "They're all traitorous bastards…"

"Every single last fucking one of them" Ichigo growled through his closed teeth

"What do we do now?" Uryu asked, Ichigo then motioned for Rukia to let him go

"We fight…" He said as he donned his mask

"We'll rip the Soul Society to shreds…" Rukia said as she drew her Zanpakutou but was also shocked by Ichigo's bold leader-like attitude

"Then it's settled" Uryu said as he drew Ginrei Kojaku "It's almost like we're a new army…"

"An army…Ishida, My friend, you have just given me the greatest idea ever…"

"El Direct-"

"It's useless!" Mayuri shouted as he attempted to slash Chad but he dodged "Honestly boy, you just keep spamming the same attack over and over again. It's bad enough that the orange haired boy does it too"

"Damn" he cursed "I guess have to go for it, I only have one shot at this…"

Chad then immediately began to charge

"What is this?" Mayuri scoffed "Some kind of Kamizake move? Oh well boy, If you're that eager to die…"

"Sado!" Rukia yelled "Ichigo! he's going to-"

"Don't fret" he interrupted her "Chad may not be the smartest guy in the world, be even he has a strategy"

"You bore me child" Mayuri sighed as he began to charge, Sado lifted up his armoured left arm and planned to deliver a strike

However Mayuri saw through this and flash stepped towards him, His Zanpakutou aimed for his heart, However Chad saw this and brought up his shielded right arm to block the attack

Needless to say, it didn't go well, The Zanpakutou pierced his whole arm

"Sado!" Rukia and Uryu shouted in unison

"Foolish boy" Mayuri chuckled

"Maybe" He chuckled, He looked up with a smile on his face "But I suppose you're the foolish one now…you really should've let go of your Zanpakutou…too late now"

"What are you talk-" Mayuri began to speak but then noticed he couldn't pull his Zanpakutou out of his arm "it's stuck in the bone!" and was too late to Notice the boy had drawn back his left arm, Mayuri froze…

"La Muerte!"

"DAMN IT!"

Everyone's eye widened as a Huge amount to Reiatsu shaped like a skull appeared in mid-air as Chad delivered the final blow, Mayuri was thrown back and unlike the arrancar he had fought before, Kurotsuchi didn't have armoured skin…

"Ahhh!" Mayuri squeaked as his Chest collapsed on itself

"La Muerte…The Death" Uryu said

"How fitting" Ichigo said as he picked up Tensa Zangetsu "They'll be a lot more death when I'm through with them…"

The Remaining Shinigami took their defensive positions as the female Shinigami, Substitute Shinigami and the Quincy began to charge

"Damn" Byakuya cursed as his arm continued to Bleed profusely, he barely lifted Senbonzakura in time to Block Ichigo's attack

"There were so many times I wished I killed you after our fight…" Ichigo said, referring to their fight in the Soul Society "just goes to show you that some wishes do come true…"

"Bastard" Byakuya grunted before Ichigo kicked him in the gut

"Oh I'm the Bastard?" Ichigo chuckled as he removed his mask "If I'm the Bastard then what does that make you? the little tattletale who told old fart Yama 'bout my Hollow powers. A Worm? a Maggot?"

"Shut up" Byakuya groaned as Ichigo held his Blade to his throat

"You really are a worm" Ichigo scoffed "Goodbye Byakuya Kuchiki"

"Stop!" Came a Voice, he turned around and found the shaking figure of Isane Kotetsu "Don't kill him"

"And why shouldn't I?" He scoffed "Shinigami…you're nothing but traitors!"

"Ichigo-Kun" Unohana said quietly "This is a direct order from Head Captain Yamamoto, We must carry it out no matter what the-"

"Enough with the old fart already!" Surprisingly enough, this didn't come from Ichigo, Rukia, Chad or even Uryu, it came from Hanataro "Why should we kill our friend? they've done nothing wrong! they even saved us!"

"Hanataro Yamada!" Isane shouted

"Ichigo-Kun's done nothing wrong!" He pleaded "So what if he's different? He's still the same man who saved us from Aizen!"

"Well…guess someone actually has some sense within them…" Ichigo smiled "Thank you Hanataro…"

"Hanataro…" Unohana said in a small voice

"It's not right! He's-"

*Slash!*

"Hanataro!" Ichigo shouted as his somewhat friend was impaled, He noticed that Byakuya had used the special flash step that he had used in their first encounter before Rukia was taken back to the Soul Society, there's no way someone like Hanataro could see it, let alone dodge it.

"Traitor" Byakuya grunted, before he looked at Ichigo "Never take your eye's off your opponent…especially when it's someone like me"

"You Son of a Bitch!" Ichigo roared as practically ripped his mask back on and charged into Byakuya, a mere swing of Tensa Zangetsu was enough to blow the captain roughly 4 feet back

"Byakuya!" Rukia roared as she flash stepped behind him, she too angered at what he had done to their friend

"Shit!" Byakuya cursed as he barely blocked Sode no Shirayuki "Foolish girl, I'll-"

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

"No!" Byakuya shouted but it was too late as the black energy wave smashed into his back, Rukia held out her hand, a smirk that could rival Hollow Ichigo's was plastered on her face

"Hado #33 Sokatsui!" She roared as she fired the lightning blast, point blank into Byakuya chest

"Damn!" is all he could say before he was blasted back, a huge gash in his stomach

"Let this be a lesson" Ichigo said to the remaining captains "By betraying us, you've made a new enemy…and by making a new enemy you've started a new war…"

"What are you now?" Ishida groaned "A Dictator?"

"No…a Leader" he said as he removed his mask "Come on…"

"Where are we going?" Rukia asked

"To get Inoue…" Ichigo said as he started to walk toward the towers that connected Las Noches floor to it's roof

"What are we going to do now?" Chad asked

"Simple…we begin again"

"What do you mean?" Uryu asked

"Simple" he said as he turned to them "We're no longer on their side…and we're still fighting Aizen…then there's only one option…we build an army…"

"An Army?" Rukia gasped "Just the 5 of us?" She was shocked, Ichigo had almost become a new person, Ruthless and dictator-like "What's happened you?…did the soul society betraying us really change you that much?"

"No…" Ichigo said in a voice void of any emotion "That's not an army…today…we start building one…"

"So what do we do?" Uryu asked

"Grab Hanataro" Ichigo commanded "He's our first new member…"

"Wait!" Isane shouted, but her protest was ignored, She didn't charge, she knew she couldn't take on a Captain-Class Shinigami, there was nothing else to stand in there way, Kenpachi was occupied with the Cero Espada, Byakuya and Mayuri were half dead, and she doubted Captain Unohana could do anything either

"But even so, That's only six…" Chad said as he picked up Hanataro and slung him on his shoulder

"But soon that number's going to increase" Ichigo said with a sinister smirk on his face "Ishida, use that Reiatsu surfboard thing to get you and Chad onto the roof, Me and Rukia will fly"

"Reiatsu Surfboard thing? It has a name-" Uryu began but it was too late as Ichigo and Rukia had already taken flight "Damn him…Come on Sado"

"Alright" he nodded as Uryu prepared the "Reiatsu surfboard thing"

"So…" Ichigo began as he and Rukia closed in on the hole in the ceiling "I'm your Ichigo?"

"W-What?" She stuttered, then she remembered that when the fully hollowed Ichigo was approaching her she told him she wasn't afraid because he was her Ichigo "I…I Umm…"

"I May not of been in control of that thing but I could still see and hear everything…But Did you mean it?" he asked, Rukia looked up and for the first time noticed his expression

He may of changed into a ruthless leader on the outside but Rukia could see beyond that, she could see the tears in his eyes, she could see that deep down his heart had been ripped out and stomped on by those he dared to call allies, He was broken on the inside

"Yes…you're my Ichigo" she said with a smile

Ichigo smirked at this, he could feel his heart starting to mend at an alarmingly quick rate, He wiped the single tear on his cheek and stopped his flight

"Ichigo what's wrong?" she asked as she also stopped beside him "Aren't we going to get Ino-"

She was silenced when Ichigo wrapped his arms around her and placed his lips on hers, Rukia could hardly believe that it was now of all times that they shared their first kiss, but she knew, they needed each other now than ever, all they really had now was each other, No Soul Society…just them, Rukia groaned as he pulled back

"How do feel about Renji?" he asked truthfully

"He loves me, got Byakuya to arrange our marriage, I refused, I Hate him" She admitted

"Well…" he began as he caressed her cheek "Will you accept my love?"

"Gladly" She admitted as he went in for another kiss "you know…you're the first guy to ever kiss me"

"Good…'cause I'll be the only one to ever kiss you" He said as he lightly pressed his lips to hers

"Can you two please stop shoving your tongues down each other's throats, Honestly, now of all times?"

Ichigo and Rukia broke apart and turned to face who dared interrupted them, they found the Quincy and the slightly blushing silent giant on the "Reiatsu Surfboard thing''

"Hardly think nows the time for a passionate make out session when we've just been betrayed" Uryu said as he pushed up his glasses

"Shut it Ishida!" Ichigo roared as he and Rukia tried to hide the blushes creeping on their faces

"Merely stating facts" He shrugged

"Let's just go get Inoue" Chad said, desperately trying to change the subject

"Fine" Ichigo grunted as he and Rukia began to fly upwards again

"It's about time they got together" Chad said

"Tell me about it" Uryu nodded as he and Chad continued their voyage "They've been giving each other longing looks ever since I've met them…". on the inside however he was dreading one thing "Inoue-san is going to be Heartbroken…"

Finally the five had reached the roof of Las Noches, Rukia and Chad noticed the huge amount of Damage that had been caused up there, they instantly (and correctly) assumed it was too do with Ichigo's New Hollow Form

"Damn, you really did a number on this place" Chad whistled

"You can thank Ulquiorra for some of it too, Him and those damn Lanza Del…things…"

"Kurosaki-Kun! Ishida-Kun! Sado-Kun! Kuchiki-San!" Orihime cheered as she ran towards her four friends, noticing the injured Hanataro on Chad's shoulder

"Inoue" Rukia smiled "I'm glad you're alright"

"Inoue…" Ichigo began, praying to god his plan could succeed

"Kurosaki-Kun!" She jumped in pleasure, hoping, praying that he was about to confess to her...

"Ulquiorra"

Nope…

"W-What?" She and indeed everyone else stuttered

"When he died, he turned into Ash and scattered…do you know if there's still some ash up here?"

"Kurosaki! You can't be serious!" Uryu shouted, catching wind of Ichigo's plan

"W-What?" Rukia asked, generally confused

"Kurosaki-Kun…" she stuttered "…I…Don't"

"Did he see me pick up the Ash and put it in my pocket?..."

"Inoue" He said in a stern voice, that practically demanded an answer "Do you or do you not know where we can find the ash?"

"I…I…"

"That Clump in your pocket" Sado pointed out "What is that?"

"It's nothing it's just…"

"Inoue…" Ichigo interrupted "Is that…him?"

"Inoue-san!" Uryu gasped, now he knew why she snapped at him earlier when he asked what it was, she was hiding a piece of the Arrancar!

"Inoue…"

"Yes…" she said in a small voice "It's some the ash he turned into..."

To everyone's surprise, Ichigo walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder

"Revive him"