Crimson Winter

Battle Plans and An Unexpected Ally

Ichigo and Rukia made for Sokyoku Hill with great haste. They flash stepped from building to building, seemingly disappearing from sight for short periods as they reappeared a good distance away. Rukia couldn't help but to glance at Ichigo as they made their way to the meeting. His face is so solemn. I can see the anger underneath. Oh Ichigo. If only you would let us carry some of your burdens. One so young.... Shouldn't have to carry the weight of this world.

She sighed as they finally reached their destination. Sokyoku Hill. It's strange that fate brings us here again. Here where Aizen unveiled his betrayal. Where Ichigo saved me. That fool and his heroics. "So we've come back full circle, huh?" Ichigo stated. Rukia snapped out of her thoughts. "Seems that way doesn't it. Feels like it was only yesterday that I was being prepared for execution." Rukia replied. "Yeah. It does feel like that." He said with a soft smile. "This time won't end like that. He wont hurt you like that again." "Ichigo..." Rukia started softly. "We should go, Rukia. They're waiting for us." Ichigo interrupted. Rukia nodded and off they went to the top of the hill, back to where it all began.

"Fourth division! You will be a core part of this fight! We need all of the best healers in your squad to focus your efforts on the captains and lieutenants." A wisened and stern voice barked out orders. Head Captain Shunsui. After Old Man Yama had been sealed away, presumably dead, Shunsui had been nominated as Head Captain. Captain Ukitake had been a candidate as well but had refused due to his poor health. "Ah, Captain Kurosaki and Lieutenant Kuchiki, nice of you to join us finally." Shunsui said, not unkindly. "Head Captain!" They said in unison. "Oh drop the formalities you two. I assume Captain Kuchiki has informed you of the plans, Ichigo?" Shunsui asked. "Of course Head Captain. I will stand by until necessary for the battle." Ichigo responded. He had calmed down from the earlier conversation. He had acted rashly and he knew the captains were trying to protect their biggest chance of winning. "Good." Shunsui continued. "Kuchiki, you will be helping to protect those in the Rukon District. You will report to Captain Hitsugaya who will be heading the protection detail and Ichigo will be in hiding with the Shiba's until further notice." Rukia nodded. "Yes sir!" Ichigo sighed in relief. Aizen's main focus is going to be the seireitei. She will be safe at least. I'll be there to protect her as well.

"Now that we have that squared away my young friends, I must continue the battle plans. Dismissed to your posts." Head Captain Shunsui said. "Oh and Kurosaki?" Ichigo turned back towards his Head Captain. "There is undoubtedly going to be deaths, kid. When I call for you, if I survive that long, you use every bit of that anger. Every bit of that sorrow. And you destroy Aizen. Leave no trace of that sorry bastard alive." Ichigo smiled. "With pleasure Shunsui. For my dad. And for all those lost this far. History has no place for traitors." Shunsui nodded and the two young shinigami darted off.

They flash stepped their way to the gates of the Rukon district. Arriving to find the streets of Rukon already barren, its inhabitants hiding away before the war to come. Ichigo sighed before begrudgingly speaking. "Rukia." He started. She already has enough on her plate but still I have to tell her. Rukia stopped scanning their surroundings to give her attention to the much taller strawberry. "Yeah? What is it Ichigo? You look like you've seen a ghost." Ichigo let out a soft chuckle. "Only in a sense. I just... I just wanted to tell you.. to be safe." Rukia let out a soft giggle. "Well of course dumbass, who else is gonna watch out for you?" She replied, sticking her thumb and index finger in the shape of an L above her brow and sticking out her tongue. Ichigi sighed before laughing again. It's good to laugh, it keeps the thoughts of the war at bay. He thought.

"Ichigo, are you scared?" The blunt question struck him off guard almost as if she had punched him in the jaw. "Of course I am." He replied. "Not for myself, but for everyone else who is relying upon me to defeat Aizen. Im scared he'll take you from me too. Scared to death in fact." His eyes softened, and though tears rose and began to well in them he still had a soft smile on his face. "But I know I'll win, because I'm going to kill Aizen. Then no one shall have to fear that oppression again." Rukia looked slightly confused. "Take me from you?" She asked. "Like I said, scared to death Midget." He replied. "We should depart Rukia, you need to report to Captain Hitsugaya, and I don't want to piss Kukaku off. Again. We can talk about things more after this war is over. I promise." He said to her, intending his meaning of losing her.

Rukia understood. Best not to let emotion cloud their thoughts before what was going to be a long and violent war. She nodded. "I'll hold you to it then Strawberry. Stay safe, Ichigo." She said before flash stepping towards the center of the Rukon district. Ichigo watched her dart in and out of view for a moment, before he turned and flashed away to the Shiba residence. Ichigo made it halfway to the Shiba's when a large amount of spiritual pressure exploded nearby. Zangetsu was in his hand almost instinctively as he dashed towards this new disturbance.

   Arriving at a small outcrop of ragged shacks on the edge of a section of the nearby river, Ichigo came upon quite a scene. There was dust and feathers flying everywhere and a shack lay in ruins in the center of the area. Large amounts of the suspicious spiritual pressure emerged from this shack, along with quite a few choice words. "MOTHER-FUCKER! Can't those stupid, low down, useless fucking CUNTS design anything worth a thousand FUCKS! I'm gonna rip that psychotic store owner's heart out if it's the last fucking thing I do!" Ichigo stood in silence. How could he possibly react to this situation. "Oi!! You just gonna stand there with your dick in your hand or are you gonna lend a hand to your old pal huh?" Ichigo deadpanned. "Who the fuc-" before he could finish his sentence, a roof tile smacked him square in the head, causing a slight trickle of blood. Ichigo raised his fist in the air and shouted back at the voice, "Hey, what the hell's the big idea, huh? Who the hell asks for help and then assaults the person they asked for help? What kind of bullshit?!" His spiritual pressure flaired for a moment, dwarfing that of the other soul entirely. "Wait a second, fucking GRIMMJOW?" He asked, recognizing the other man's gruff, always angry voice. "Heh, in the flesh, Kurosaki." Grimmjow responded, flashing forward to face the slightly angry soul reaper.

"What the hell are you doing here? Come to fight? Now really isn't the best fucking time." Ichigo said, sheathing Zangetsu. "How the hell did you even get here?" Grimmjow grinned, an expression he wore quite often. "Fuck you, that's how." He responded. Ichigo deadpanned, slowly tugging Zangetsu from his back, a single raised vain popping on his forehead. "Fuck, calm down Sir Stabsalot, that crazy shop keeper sent me, guy with the funny hat and weird wooden clogs. Said soul society needed assistance, though I didn't care for that." He said with a smile. "He said I'd get my chance to fight Aizen and his fuckin' lackeys." Ichigo nearly jumped at the description of his mentor. "Kisuke? How?! He's been missing since the battle in Karakura!" He asked, desperate for any lead he could find. Grimmjow sighed. "I wish I could tell you. Hell I wish I knew myself, but it wasn't him. It was some type of... I don't know, machine, he built." Ichigo sighed in defeat. "That old man and his inventions." He said.

He had really hoped Grimmjow knew where Kisuke was. Soul Society needed him, and Ichigo needed his mentor as well. "So what the hell do you want?" He asked. "I'm here to help. I don't offer it easily, but that fucker sort of saved my life. And so did you, Kurosaki." Grimmjow responded, a vulnerability in his voice that seemed a bit unfitting for his violent nature. "Besides, with Aizen and his hollow army gone from Hueco Mundo and Nel and Harribel taking over as Queen Bees, there ain't much killing to be had there, so I figured you'd need some extra hands for this coming war." Ichigo sighed, but Grimmjow was right, they needed the help, and he wasn't going to turn down a strong ally like Grimmjow. "Fine." Ichigo said, turning once again towards his objective. "Then lets go, Grimmjow. We have a war to prepare for.