I Told You So!

Chapter 1

"This Hollow...is Chan-Ichi's Zanpakutō."

Those five words uttered by the creator of the Zanpakutō, Ōetsu Nimaiya, shook Ichigo Kurosaki to his core. His eyes widened as he stared at Ōetsu. At the moment, he didn't know what to think or what to say. His body remained still, like a statue.

'What...'

As he brought his hammer down, Ōetsu brought his sights over to the Substitute Soul Reaper.

"The Hollow that Sōsuke Aizen created from piling up the souls of Shinigmi, was named 'White'. White infiltrated Chan-Ichi, and melded with Chan-Ichi's Shinigami powers. Does Chan-Ichi know what that means?"

"?!"

"White...is Chan-Ichi's true Zanpakutō."

Ichigo shuddered at the stunning revelation. The Hollow that had relentlessly attempted to take control of his body, was his real Zanpakutō?!

So that means...he was telling the truth?!

"I TOLD YOU SO, DUMBASS!"

Ichigo turned to glare at the source of the voice who had interrupted his thoughts. In front of him was the aforementioned being. The Hollow within his subconscious, and his true Zanpakutō.

Zangetsu...

"Would you stop saying that already? It's getting a little old hearing you say it every five minutes." Ichigo muttered.

"Not a chance," The Hollow, or Zangetsu refused with a smirk, "For all the crap I've had to go through with trying to protect you. I deserve every second of this moment."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and narrowed them.

"Well it's not like you ever gave me any hints to begin with."

Zangetsu gave Ichigo a look that bordered on annoyance and exasperation.

"Really, Ichigo? Really?"

"What?!"

The Hollow sighed and placed his sword form on the building of Ichigo's Inner World. He closed his left hand into a fist and moved it to his mouth, and cleared his throat. Straightening his posture, Zangetsu locked eyes with Ichigo, and took a deep breath.

"I AM ZANGETSU!" He screamed, his voice sending a piercing screech towards Ichigo.

"Gah! What the hell?!" Ichigo shouted, his hands moving to quickly cover his sore ears.

"The second time we battled in your Inner World, you asked me where Zangetsu was. I gave you my answer. That I was Zangetsu!"

"..." Ichigo stared blankly.

"Do you seriously not remember that?!"

"I thought you were lying!"

"Why would you think I was lying to you?!"

"The way you said you were Zangetsu sounded like you guaranteed that I wouldn't believe you!"

"How dense can you be, King?"

"Shut up! I'm not that dense!"

"Oh really?"

"I'm not! And while we're on the subject, if you're really my Zanpakutō, then why were you always trying to take over my body?"

"Because you didn't have the instinct to keep us alive, you idiot! I told you that it would be a problem for the both of us if you got yourself killed!"

Ichigo muttered at the Hollow's answer. He then widened hs eyes as he glared at the Zanpakutō.

"All right, then let me ask you this. The day you spoke to me in my head."

"I say a lot of things in your head, King." Zangetsu pointed out.

"Shut up! Anyway, you said that you were going to get closer and closer to me, until you swallowed me up. And-"

"I said that?"

"Would you stop interrupting me?!"

"Talk as though you're making sense, and maybe I wouldn't have to."

"...And then you said that I would disappear! So explain that!"

"First of all, when I said I was getting closer, I meant I was getting closer to becoming the main source of your power, instead of the Old Man."

"That still doesn't explain the disappearing part."

"I was just saying that to scare the shit out of you." The Hollow admitted.

Ichigo muttered a few curses at his Hollow and turned away, not even wanting to look at his face.

"Just say it King."

"I'm not apologizing." Ichigo growled out.

"I don't want a fucking apology!" Zangetsu shouted, "I want a thank you of appreciation or something! Do you know how many times I had to save your ass?!"

"You didn't save me that many times."

"Oh, really? Your battle against that guy with the pineapple hair? Your mask blocked the attack from his Zabimaru."

"Well-"

"Then your battle against that guy with the bells in his hair."

"You mean Kenpachi? Bu-"

"Your fight against that pain-in-the-ass Kuchiki. At the last moment, while you were sitting down on the ground crying about needing to win and all that bullshit, I took control! But just as I was about to kill him, you regained control!"

"I-"

"Your battle against Ulquiorra Cifer."

Ichigo's breath hitched at the mention of the 4th Espada. Zangetsu noticed the change in Ichigo's position, and he held back his other claims.

"The point is, King, that you needed to be saved countless of times. The old man never wanted you to become a Shinigami in the first place, so he suppressed your hidden potential, me."

"...It's just hard to believe that all this time, you've been my real Zanpakutō. And I've been pushing you away."

"Don't give me any of that sentimental shit, King."

"It's true! Although for someone who is supposed to be my sword, you sure had a roundabout way of acting like it."

"What did you expect, Ichigo? I'm a Hollowfied Zanpakutō. One of a kind."

"Yeah, an insane kind." Ichigo quipped.

"You know, if I had a gun I'd shoot you."

Ichigo rose an eyebrow at Zangetsu's choice of words.

"What would you need a gun for if you already have a sword?"

Zangetsu's frown was immediately replaced by a gleefully sadistic grin. The Hollow dramatically lifted his sword up slowly.

It took Ichigo a few seconds to realize what he had just said, and his eyes widened at the look on Zangetsu's face.

"...Shit."