Affiliation: Human Realm | Rank: Substitute Soul Reaper | Zanpakuto Name: Zangetsu

Through the Grapevine

Ichigo Kurosaki laid sprawled out on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Things had been calm for over two months since he last had heard about any ongoing complications involving Aizen. Last he had heard was about Kita killing Toshiro. He grit his teeth and scrunched his face in anger at the thought of that. The thought of Kita betraying Toshiro's trust in her enraged him. Toshiro had given her his trust and protection and she payed him back with a dagger through the heart.

"Hey! Ichigo!" That came from possibly the most annoying voice in the world. The orange and cream colored stuffed lion that was Kon came sailing through the air and landed on his face.

Ichigo growled and scrunched up Kon's fluffy body in his fist, sitting up and throwing him to the ground in annoyance. "What the hell do you want Kon?"

Kon hit the floor with a muffled "urmph" an popped back up, his plush face red in anger. "Hey! No need to toss me to the floor!" He crossed his stuffed arms and turned away from him. "I was about to point out that some very interesting spiritual pressures were popping up around town, but now--Hey! Are you listening to me!?"

Ichigo wasn't. As soon as Kon said spiritual pressures, he had turned to look out his window and up at the dusty pinkish-orange sky, honing in on said reiatsus. He recognized several of them immediately.

"Kisuke! And Ukitake too!" Then his eyes widened in horror at the others. "Aizen?! Gin?! AND Nnoitora?! What the hell is going on?!" There was also another familiar reiatsu, but it was strange somehow. It felt familiar yet... different.

He hurriedly grabbed his Shinigami badge and held it to his chest. In a flash of light and a soft bam he was out of his physical body and in his soul form, clad in black with Zangetsu strapped to his back.

"Kon! Stay here till I get back!"

Then he was out the window. As he started bounding over rooftops, he felt another reiatsu. He turned to the right and saw her immediately. Yoruichi Shihoin. He flashed over to her.

"Yoruichi!"