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Where is it? With more force than necessary, Ichigo drew open his desk drawers. Pens and pencils clattered against the front panel. One even hurled over the side, softly landing on the carpeted floor.
Not here either. Abandoning the drawers, Ichigo looked under his bureau and bed.
'Ichi-nii, hurry up! We're gonna be late!' Karin's voice called from downstairs.
'Give me a minute!' Ichigo shouted back. 'I can't find my phone!' Seeing nothing on the ground, the adolescent raised to his knees. His whole room had been turned over in his search. Every place he might have misplaced his phone in had been checked.
I need to stop leaving it on vibrate. It would make it a lot easier—
Ichigo stilled, realisation slowly dawning on him. Kon.
Standing up, Ichigo stormed over to his closet—the one thing he hadn't checked yet—and pulled the door aside. Just as expected, he found the Mod Soul hidden in the corner. With a familiar pair of earbuds put in each ear, Kon was watching something on the phone he had clutched between his paws.
'Kon!'
The plush lion nearly jumped in fright, a terrified yelp coming from his mouth. The mobile slipped from his paws, falling the five inches to the floor. Ichigo snatched the living toy by the ear, his other hand retrieving his phone. It didn't surprise him to see a half-naked woman on the screen.
'I told you to not to use my phone to watch this shit!' Ichigo yelled, emphasising his words by shaking the plush lion. 'How did you even figure out my password?!'
'But how else am I to look at cute girls!' Kon protested.
'I give you magazines!'
Kon fell silent for a moment, thinking about his response. 'Correction, how else am I to look at moving cute girls?'
'I don't care but don't use my phone for it, you pervert', Ichigo snapped. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the Mod Soul aside. Kon made a show of wailing in pain as he hit the floor, exclaiming how wicked of person Ichigo was and how much agony he was feeling.
Ichigo paid him no mind. Instead, he focussed on his phone. He closed the site and erased his search history. While he was at it, he also checked his downloads, just to be sure.
'If I ever find you using my phone for this again, I will ban you from my room'.
Kon promptly stopped his theatrics, horrified at the threat. 'You are too cruel, Ichigo! How is a man to be a man when he can't look at scantily dressed young women?'
'You are disgusting'.
'You are just too prude', Kon argued.
'I am not prude', Ichigo muttered.
A disruptive wave of the energy reached his senses, pulling his attention away from the laughing Mod Soul. Turning his head to the source of the turbulence, Ichigo tried to figure out who—or what—had caused it. It isn't a descorrer, so it can't be a Hollow. A soul reaper, then? As the thought crossed his mind, a reiatsu came into existence. It swirled tightly around the soul reaper, like a white cloak of freshly fallen snow on a winter's night.
Ichigo recognised the signature instantly. Rukia.
Having been so focussed on the reiatsu—which was speedily heading their way—Ichigo had failed to hear the hurried patter of feet ascending the stairs.
'Ichi-nii!'
The sudden voice behind him took the adolescent by surprise. Startled, Ichigo twisted his head around; staring straight into his sister's less-than-happy eyes.
'We need to go!', she stated. 'Did you find your phone?'
'Uh, yeah'. Ichigo raised his phone for her to see. 'By the way, I don't know if you noticed but—'
His sister broke eye contact as she caught something in her peripheral vision. Grey eyes widened, jaw slightly ajar in disbelief at who she saw outside of her brother's bedroom window.
Sensing the reiatsu behind him, Ichigo heaved a sigh. 'Rukia is coming'. He shifted to face the window, gesturing for the soul reaper to come inside.
Rukia hesitated for a spell but complied, phasing through the glass as if it wasn't even there. Rapidly, the temperature in his room dropped by a few degrees as her reiatsu flowed through it like a frisk breeze.
'Rukia onee-chan!' Kon was quick to clamp himself to the woman's leg. With a swift shake, Rukia dislodged the plush toy and trapped it between the ground and her foot.
'It is nice to see you too, Kon'.
The soul reaper had changed since the last time they had seen her. She stood taller, more confident in her abilities than she had been when they’d met. Her hair had been shortened, barely touching her shoulders where they once brushed past her collarbone. Even her uniform had been altered, giving it more flair to match her character. Her left arm was exposed, showing off the gloves she was wearing—a pair similar to those her brother fancied. Still, the thing that both Kurosaki noticed was the badge she now wore proudly around her arm.
'Congratulations with the promotion', Ichigo said, pointing at the bronze plaque in question. 'You deserved it'.
The casual recognition was enough to break the barrier Rukia had pulled up. Her shoulders lowered, soft pink lips slipping into a small smile. 'Thank you. It has been too long, Ichigo'.
'Just three years and eleven months, but, eh, who's counting?' Ichigo said with a shrug. 'It's good to see you again'.
'Likewise'. Rukia turned towards Karin, who had overcome her shock at this point. To the soul reaper’s dismay, the girl didn't seem to be all that pleased with her presence. 'It is good to see you again as well, Karin'. She observed the clothes the young Kurosaki was dressed in and added, 'You have a match today?'
'Yeah, kick-off is in an hour'.
'An hour? I thought you said we had to hurry?!' Ichigo said.
'We do, I don't wanna be late'.
'You won't. I’ll bring you myself if I have to', Ichigo assured.
'I...I'm afraid that might not be possible'.
The siblings turned their attention towards Rukia in synchrony. 'Why not?' Karin questioned.
Her brother, however, had an inkling. 'This isn't a social visit, is it?'
Rukia shook her head, 'Unfortunately, I have been given the order to bring you to Soul Society. The captain-commander wants to speak with you'.
'What? Why?' Karin asked.
'I haven't been told. However, I think it's safe to assume it concerns the return of your brother's powers'.
'Well, too bad for him. I already have plans', Ichigo said as he raised to his feet. 'Karin has an important match today and I am not missing it because some old geezer can't be bothered to set a date'.
'Ichigo'.
'No. I am sorry, Rukia but he'll have to wait until Karin's game has ended'. Ichigo walked over to his sister and put a hand on her shoulder. 'You are free to join us, though'. As he tried to guide Karin along with him, he found her resisting.
'You should go'.
'What? But, Karin—'
'I just don't think it would be a good idea to make him wait. We don't even know what he wants to talk about, what if it’s urgent?' Karin said. 'Besides, we kind of have to live there after we die. We better not piss the man off'.
Ichigo frowned, Karin might act nonchalant but he could see this bothered her. The slight twitch of her mouth a tell-tale sign she was attempting to put on a strong front. She doesn't want to be the reason I get in trouble with them.
'Kick-off is over, like, fifty-five minutes. Plenty of time to go over, ask what the deal is and set a date', Karin reasoned.
Rukia was quick to agree, 'Yes, that should be more than enough time. You will be back before her game begins and you will know the reason why the captain-commander wants to speak with you’.
They do make a good point, Ichigo admitted. With a sigh of resignation, the older brother looked at his sibling. 'Are you sure you're okay with this?'
Karin nodded, 'Yeah, it's fine'.
Again, her lip jerked as she spoke and Ichigo knew she was lying. 'No, it's not', he countered. 'But if you insist, I’ll go'.
Karin covered her brother's hand that still laid on her shoulder, trying to offer him a grateful smile. 'Thank you'.
'I promise I will be there on time'.
Tapping his hand in appreciation, Karin guided it off her shoulder. 'You should go, we're wasting time'.
A fond smile snuck its way on Ichigo's face, 'Alright, I'll see you in a bit'.
Taking comfort in her brother's words, Karin felt a bit of her concerns fade. Ichigo will be fine. There is nothing to worry about. Her smile was a tad more genuine this time. Giving her brother a quick hug, she then hastily made her way out of the room.
Once Rukia heard the descending steps, she moved her left foot. With precision, she slipped her toes underneath Kon and kicked him towards Ichigo. With ease, the adolescent caught the plush lion around its midsection. Giving the Mod Soul a gentle squeeze, the marble popped out.
'You heard your sister, better hurry up'.
Ichigo had already flicked the pill in his mouth by the time she finished her sentence. The moment he swallowed, his soul was separated from his body. Denim jeans and cotton shirt were traded for the stiff silk of his shihakushō he had long become accustomed to.
Kon—who now possessed his body— looked over his shoulder. Unlike Ichigo, he didn't scowl; making it easy to tell the difference between them. 'I take it you want me to go with them?'
'If it ain't too much trouble', Ichigo said. 'Maybe, if you behave, I will see what I can do about the phone problem'.
'Really?!'
'Only if you behave!' Ichigo repeated. 'No funny business'.
Nodding furiously, Kon even gave a salute, 'I promise'.
Shaking his head at the Mod Soul's actions, Ichigo picked up his jacket—which contained his wallet—and tossed it to Kon. 'Just go, they have probably already left'.
Kon caught the jacket without issue and headed towards the door. Sticking one arm through the sleeve, he used that hand to close the door behind him.
"Phone problem?" Rukia asked.
'I don't wanna talk about it', Ichigo said. 'Let's just go'.
#
To Ichigo's pleasant surprise, Rukia had managed to arrange a second Hell Butterfly for their trip to Soul Society. For the first time, he was able to travel through the seikamon instead of the Dangai, which was a major upgrade. Not only did the seikamon provide safe passage between the two worlds, but it also did not have a cleaner.
With fast steps of shunpo, they traversed the long hallway. Their waraji making soft sounds against the wooden flooring. The light on the other side got brighter with each step. Swiftly flooding their vision until in encompassed them whole.
And just like that, they had arrived in Soul Society.
'I think I actually beat you here', Rukia said with a hint of a smile.
'I didn't know we were racing', Ichigo replied. His lips involuntary twisting into a grin.
'We weren't'. She waved her hand dismissively. 'But if we were, I definitely would have won'.
Ichigo quirked an eyebrow, 'Is that a challenge?'
Rukia chuckled, a hand obscuring her mouth to muffle the sound. Her laugh sounding different from before. It had a more noble air to it. 'Maybe next time'. With a smile, she gestured for him to follow.
They kept to the sky, making platforms with their reiatsu to pass over a multitude of houses and winding streets. Ichigo didn't recognise this part of the Seireitei and was glad Rukia was there to guide him. He might have invaded this place almost four years ago but that didn't make him any more familiar with the streets he hadn't been in.
Before long, they landed in a small courtyard. A large building embraced the open space, the style reminiscent of feudal Japan. A pair of doors were flanked with soul reapers, one giving a nod to the other before disappearing inside.
'The captain-commander's office is behind those doors. They will call you once you can enter', Rukia told.
'You can't stay?'
The lieutenant shook her head, 'Unfortunately. My captain wasn't feeling too well when I left'.
'Maybe someone else should’ve come to pick me up, then', Ichigo said.
'That would have been preferred. I told them Renji would be more than happy to go in my place; yet, Lieutenant Sasakibe was adamant I was the person to go', Rukia explained. 'Eventually, Captain Ukitake assured me he would be fine but I doubt he was truthful’.
'Then you should go. I don't want to keep you longer than needed', Ichigo said
'Thank you'.
'Still, it was nice to see you again'.
'It was nice to see you, too', Rukia replied.
With a look and a wave that conveyed more than they could ever express in words, the two said their goodbyes. Rukia took off with an impressive shunpo that made Ichigo suspect she had been going slow for him.
Strangely, that knowledge didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. Maybe it was the fact that he was still recovering, or that he hadn't been going his fastest either. Still, to watch his friend go with such a speed, it filled him with a sense of brotherly pride that might even rival that of what Byakuya must be feeling.
'Kurosaki Ichigo'.
Hearing his name, the adolescent looked towards the double doors. The soul reaper had returned and was currently addressing him.
'The captain-commander has invited you to wait inside'.
With a small shrug, Ichigo walked over. When he stood before the doors, the two soul reapers each push one open, allowing him entrance.
The office was more spacious than Ichigo had presumed. Large windows made up most of the right wall, allowing the sun's rays to brighten the room with natural light. Ceiling-reaching bookcases lined the back, rows upon rows of literature giving the space a faint vanilla-and-almond smell.
On the left side, relatively close to the entrance, stood a desk surrounded by cabinets. A multitude of stacks of paper lined the tops, waiting to be read and signed. A small desk lamp was placed on the corner, giving the person who owned it the option to work deep into the night if required.
In front of the bookcases, straight across the door, stood a low desk. This one was flanked by files, one stack high but slinking, the other low but rising. The captain-commander moved his pen across the paper, placing his signature with ingrained accuracy on the dotted lines.
Behind him, the doors slipped closed.
'You can take a seat'.
Ichigo froze at the sudden, unfamiliar voice. Whipping his head to the left, Ichigo spotted a head—of who he presumed to be the lieutenant—poking out above the piles of paper.
'Huh?'
The lieutenant frowned at him, 'I said: you can take a seat'.
Looking back at the room, Ichigo noticed the two pillows on the floor. Their position in correlation with the captain-commander's desk informing Ichigo that's where he was supposed to take place.
'Actually, I am in kind of a hurry'.
For some reason, the frown of the lieutenant deepened even more; rivalling Ichigo's infamous scowl with its intensity. 'The captain-commander will be with you shortly. Please, take a seat'.
Somehow, I think I already pissed him off. Not wanting to provoke the man's ire more than he already had, Ichigo gave a curt nod and walked over to the cushions. Both were the same colour, yet, the right one looked more inviting. Adjusting his zanpakutō so it wouldn't dig into his side as he knelt, Ichigo took place on the thick cushion.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. His knees had barely touched the cotton when the captain-commander laid down his pen. With his sole hand, Yamamoto moved the paper over to the lower pile, clearing his desk of his duties.
'Kurosaki Ichigo', the man spoke. 'It has been quite a while since we've last seen each other. I hope you have been well'.
'I have', Ichigo lied. While he had taken the opportunity to rekindle his bonds with both family and friends, the loss of his powers had cut him deep. Three-quarters of his soul had been locked away from him, leaving an emptiness he wasn't able to fill. His nights had been terrorised by memories and bad dreams, leaving him shaking upon waking and unable to return to sleep.
But now was not the time to inform the man of the trauma he had subjected the adolescent to when he had been a mere teenager.
Yamamoto nodded, 'That is good to hear'. Obscured eyes eyed the youth before him. 'I overheard you are pressed for time, did this come at an inopportune time?'
'Uhm, yeah. My sister has an important match today and I promised to be there', Ichigo answered. 'I have around half an hour before I need to head back'.
'I see'. The man moved a piece of paper on his desk. 'That is fine. This meeting is to bring somethings to your attention and your opinion on those matters. It is at a later date that we shall discuss them in-depth'.
'Can we set a date for that right now?' Ichigo proposed.
'I don't see why not. Which dates suit you best?'
Automatically, Ichigo reached for his back pocket, only to realise two things: he had no back pocket and Kon had his phone. Damnit! I really need to ask Urahara for a phone. Letting his hand rest on the sheath of his weapon, Ichigo thought about what he had planned the next two weeks. 'Preferably, next Sunday in the evening', he answered. 'If that isn't possible, any other day—except Friday—I can make some time free between seven and eleven past noon'.
'You are still in school, yes?' After Ichigo nodded in confirmation, he continued. 'Then I shall aim for Sunday. A Hell Butterfly with more information will be sent three days in advance'.
'That would be nice, thank you'.
Yamamoto raised his hand as if to block the words of gratitude. 'Don't thank me, for I should be apologising. The return of your powers caught us by surprise. Nevertheless, that is no excuse for our lack of communication. We should have brought this to your attention beforehand'. Lowering his hand, the man continued. 'Well then, as you have a timed schedule, I will list the subjects that will have to be discussed. We can then go over the most pressing matters or those you prefer to have some more information over. Does this sound reasonable?'
'Yes'.
With an incline of his head, the captain-commander looked back down at the paper on his desk. 'If possible, we would like to have some information about how you managed to regain your powers. As, to our understanding, you used a technique that sacrificed them in exchange for greater strength'. Yamamoto paused, eying the adolescent from behind his eyebrows.
'Oh, uhm... I don't know', Ichigo replied. 'If anyone, you should ask Urahara. He might know'.
Content with his answer, the man continued. 'On that same note, do you know whether it will become as great as it had been before?'
'I can't say for sure, though Urahara thinks so'.
'If that turns out to the most probable expectation, we need to discuss ways in which we can limit exposure. This is to minimise Hollow attacks and rapid increase of spiritually aware people in your hometown', the man told. 'While on the subject, I have been made aware you and your friends still take care of the Hollows in and around Karakura Town. Is it correct?'
'Yes, that's true'.
'And if given the opportunity, would you stop?'
Ichigo frowned, 'How do you mean "stop" exactly?'
'What if we arranged for a soul reaper to be stationed there permanently. Would you and your friends cease to hunt down Hollows that come to your town?'
'No', Ichigo answered without a doubt. 'If someone were to be attacked, none of us would be able to walk away. I don't mean this as an insult but I trust my friends more than some soul reaper I don't know'.
Yamamoto hummed, his tone a tad displeased. 'I can understand. You have fought alongside your friends for years, you know what to expect with them'. The man shook his head. 'Still, I was afraid you would say that. We will have to discuss manners so we can have a better view of what you and your friends do; likewise, we need to know how we can help you live your lives while taking on this responsibility'.
'How should I picture that? You sending soul reapers during midterms?'
'If that would help you and your friends focus more on your tasks in life, then that could be arranged', Yamamoto said.
I know I said that but now I think about it, that would help out a great deal, Ichigo thought. Urahara can't always fill in for us and to have a night to ourselves would be amazing. 'That wouldn't even be so bad, actually. If we were to set something like that up, it would take quite a load off our shoulders'.
'Then we will discuss this next week. This seems like a matter you might want to bring up with your friends, as well'.
Ichigo nodded in agreement and the captain-commander continued to the next bullet-point on his list.
'This one you might be less inclined to accept, it's about the powers you use in the World of the Living'.
'Didn't we already hit that?'
'No. It does have some overlap but that the previous point is about your spiritual pressure specifically. This item is about what powers we would prefer you do not use in combat while in the World of the Living'.
Dark orange eyebrows pulled down in a frown, 'You mean I can't use bankai'.
'Correct', Yamamoto said. 'Please be aware that all soul reapers that are sent to the World of the Living have similar restrictions. We do not intend to limit you more than we do our officers'.
'I think we'll have to talk about this more next week in detail', Ichigo said. 'I need more details before I agree to anything'.
'Of course, that is only understandable', the captain-commander agreed. 'There is also a point of strengthening our relationship. We do consider you and your friends as allies and we want to make that official. The way how we go about that is something we are unsure of, as we have never had allies in the past'.
'What about the Quincy?' Ichigo pointed out, his frown deepening. 'Before the war, that is. Didn't you have some sort of alliance going on back then?'
'Not exactly. While our enemy was the same, we were never able to come to a consensus on how to deal with them. They started to actively hunt down Hollows and eradicating their souls, which upset the balance we—as soul reapers—save the responsibility of to keep. They endangered the existence of the three worlds and so, in the ends, also became our enemy', Yamamoto explained.
That's also a way of looking at it, I suppose. Uryū had told him more about the Quincy massacre a couple of weeks back. While the captain-commander hadn't lied, he failed to add why the Quincy felt the need they had to hunt down hollows. Mistakes had been made on both sides and, unfortunately, those mistakes led to the near extinction of a whole race.
‘I will bring it up with the others, see what they think about it'.
'Then we have reached the last subject on the list', Yamamoto said. 'Your Hollow powers'.
Immediately, Ichigo tensed. His fingers of the hand that had been resting on his scabbard curled around it, his thumb gently caressing the wood. 'What about them?'
'As you are aware, our law forbids the obtaining of Hollow powers. This was why we banished a handful of our captains and lieutenants some hundred years ago. I believe you know them as the Visored'.
'Yes, I am familiar with the story', Ichigo said.
'During the war, the Visored have provided us with immense aid. Their assistance was crucial in the fight against the Espada. Without them, we would have lost a lot more men'.
Hearing the captain-commander speak so positive about the Visored, Ichigo felt his shoulders lower slightly.
'This, combined with the slaughter of the Central 46 and the fact their Hollowfication had been involuntary, we have decided to lift their banishment. As, technically, they haven't broken any laws'.
Ichigo blinked, 'Really?'
'Yes. While some of them preferred to stay in the World of the Living, a few have returned to their rightful positions', Yamamoto explained. 'There was, however, one condition to their re-instalment'.
A strange sense of dread started to build up within his core as Ichigo listened to the captain-commander. His fingers tightening their grip on his zanpakutō. 'And what might that condition be?'
'Should there ever be a way to undo the Hollowfication process, they are mandated to undergo the treatment', the captain-commander answered. 'As it happened to be, Captain Kurosuchi had a breakthrough last year. After analysing the research Sōsuke Aizen had done himself and the papers of Urahara Kisuke, he was able to construct a treatment to eradicate any and all Hollow energy from a soul that has been subjected to Hollowfication'.
Ichigo froze as the meaning of those words dawned on him. 'You mean, Shinji and the others—'
'—are no longer Visored', Yamamoto confirmed. 'Considering you have gained Hollow powers in the past as well, we want to extend the same offer to you'.
'No'. It had passed his lips before Ichigo even realised it. Even as he heard his answer, giving him a second to re-evaluate if this was what he wanted, Ichigo stood by his knee-jerk reaction. 'I appreciate the offer but I will have to decline'.
The captain-commander frowned, 'I am afraid I don't understand. Correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the assumption you have also undergone Hollowfication'.
'Uh, well, yes, I suppose I have', Ichigo answered, his free hand rising to rub the back of his neck. 'Though, I don't think—'
'And I can sense in your reiatsu that you still have those Hollow powers', Yamamoto continued. 'Is that not correct?'
'No, you're right, but—'
'Then I fail to comprehend why you would decline this offer. I thought you would be happy to finally be freed of that cursed power'.
Guilt tugged at his heart at those words as he knew that, at one point, he would have jumped at the chance. I didn't know better, Ichigo reminded himself. But I do now and I will do my best to do right by him.
'If you had given me this offer four years ago? Yeah, I would have taken the offer', Ichigo admitted, his thumb gently moving across the paint-over grain of his sheath. 'But things have changed and I won't agree to something like that anymore'.
A white brow raised, revealing one red-brown eye. 'May I know what has caused this change of heart?'
'It... it's complicated', Ichigo said. 'And, to be honest, it doesn't sound very believable, either'.
'You are not instilling me with much trust', Yamamoto noted. 'Do you have any proof that can convince me your words to be true?'
'Urahara can back me up', Ichigo answered. 'He made me undergo a few tests. I am sure he still has the data somewhere. Will that be enough?'
'Urahara Kisuke has one of the finest minds I have ever come across. If he collaborates your story, I have no choice but to believe you'.
A bit assured by the man's words, Ichigo tried to relax a bit. His shoulders were willing to lower, however, his hand refused to let go of his zanpakutō. 'In that case, I suppose I can tell you'. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Ichigo started to explain. 'I didn't gain my Hollow powers through Hollowfication. I inherited them from my mother. The Hollow powers latched on to the Shinigami powers I inherited from my father. I guess, to put it real simple, my Inner Hollow and Zanpakutō became one entity at that point'.
The captain-commander's eyebrows raised, showing his red-brown eyes to the adolescent. I don't think that is an expression of acceptance, Ichigo noted mournfully.
'You were right. This does sound unbelievable’.
'It's the truth, though', Ichigo said. 'I know it is hard to believe but I have come to terms with it'. Ever so tenderly, his fingers moved across the scabbard of his weapon. 'And, eventually, I have come to accept him'.
'I see'. The man hummed, his head bobbing up and down. 'I think I understand. You had no other choice but to accept the situation'.
Not entirely sure if the captain-commander did understand, Ichigo replied, 'Something like that'.
'However, even when we have come to accept something, that doesn't mean we wouldn't prefer to have it be different', Yamamoto said. 'Kurosaki, we are giving you the choice you didn't have then. You don't have to continue with a Zanpakutō Spirit that has been compromised by a Hollow's nature'.
Anger ignited within him at those words. 'Zangetsu's duality isn't a liability', Ichigo snapped. 'He is my Zanpakutō first and foremost—'
'It is a Hollow, Kurosaki', Yamamoto interrupted. 'It can't be a proper Zanpakutō Spirit, it isn't trustworthy'.
'Like Hell, he isn't!' Ichigo shouted, his reiatsu becoming unruly. 'Zangetsu has saved my life, time and again. He does everything in his power to keep me alive and kicking, even if that means sacrificing himself. I trust him with my life and I am proud to wield him!'
In his rage, Ichigo lost grip on his reiatsu. The energy lashed out and filled the room, turning the air thick and heavy. The sinister edge his Hollow powers caused blatantly obvious.
A sharp gasp made Ichigo aware of his slip up. At once, his reiatsu stopped lashing out, now flowing around the room without being a crushing weight on anyone's shoulders. Ichigo quickly reigned his power back in and exerted his control over it. The reiatsu calmly returned and did not fight against him.
He didn't have time to dwell on the matter, however, as another reiatsu was making itself known. This one turned the room in a sauna.
'My answer is final'. As Ichigo made to stand, he felt the captain-commander's reiatsu weigh down on him. Raising his own a little to counter it, Ichigo made sure to shoot Yamamoto a glare before turning around and heading for the exit.
'Kurosaki! Get back here this instant!'
The temperature increased instantly, a wave of burning heat falling over him. Sweat trickled down his back like tiny rivers, drenching his shitagi within seconds. Breathing became a punishment, the air too thick and dry to be inhaled properly. All moisture in Ichigo's throat turned to sand, his lungs unable to get the needed air in without choking.
This only served to fuel Ichigo's brewing rage. Is he seriously trying to force me to stay?! Throwing any respect he had left to the wind, Ichigo let his reiatsu go uncontrolled. Black energy encased his body, flowing around him as a protective barrier. Immediately, the weight the captain-commander was pressing down on him alleviated. Taking advantage of the small reprieve, Ichigo cleared the last few yards to the doors.
The words of warning Yamamoto threw his way were drowned out by the comforting silence his own reiatsu created. With a tad more force than needed, Ichigo pushed the door open. Once his foot had passed the threshold, black energy gathered beneath his waraji. With an impressive display of shunpo, Ichigo vanished from sight.
#
END
BLEACH - Tite Kube