Bleach:Zangetsu

Something was off. Byakuya's sharp eyes narrowed as he observed the figure before him. The boy, Ichigo, had always been striking—his wild orange hair, now so long that it trailed to his ankles, was the first thing anyone would notice. But it wasn't the hair that grabbed Byakuya's attention now.

The boy's skin... Byakuya's gaze lingered on it, his eyes tracing the unnatural pallor that had overtaken his complexion. It wasn't the usual lightness from exhaustion or wear that Byakuya had come to recognize. No, this was something different. The color had drained from his skin entirely, a sickly shade, like the barren, lifeless sands of Hueco Mundo. It felt wrong.

A heavy silence hung in the air as Byakuya's eyes lowered, following his observations. And then, his breath caught in his throat, though his expression remained impassive.

In the boy's chest—there it was. A hole. A gaping void, clear and undeniable. It protruded from his body in a way that was unmistakably Hollow-like, something that shouldn't have been there. Byakuya's fingers instinctively tightened around the hilt of his zanpakuto, slowly drawing it from its sheath, the blade humming with readiness.

"Kurosaki... is that you?" Byakuya's voice remained calm, though the underlying tension was evident. His mind raced, processing everything. Was this truly Ichigo? Or had something far worse taken root in his place? Byakuya's thoughts flashed to the crazed, Hollow-like grin Ichigo had worn during their fight on Sōkyoku Hill—a smile that still haunted him. Was that grin now making its return?

The boy, Ichigo, stood motionless. His hair swayed gently in the breeze, but otherwise, he was unnervingly still. His eyes, when they flicked to the side, were distant, hollow. He gave them a brief glance, but there was no recognition in it. No words. No response. It was as though Ichigo had become someone—or something—else entirely.

Zangetsu's eyes narrowed slightly analyzing Wheater he should kill them or not., the memories of the king rising to the surface. Time is of the essence, 

He reflected he didn't have the time to deal with these two. There were others to protect, others to consider. Aizen was out there, wreaking havoc in the king's town. He had to be the priority but before that.

Zangetsu's focus briefly shifted to the looming white towers in the distance. A faint trace of spiritual pressure lingered there. It was weak, fading, but still there. No time to waste. He couldn't allow it to be snuffed out. Therefore, the hollow made up his mind.

Byakuya's grip tightened on his zanpakuto, his gaze unflinching. The silence stretched on,Ichigo remained motionless, his gaze distant and locked on something far beyond Byakuya's reach.

Without a word, Ichigo turned his back and began walking away. Byakuya's brow furrowed in confusion. What was this? It was only then that Orange Haired spoke, his voice cold and detached.

"Don't follow me...."

Before Ichigo could finish, a loud, boisterous voice rang out from behind them.

"Haha!! You've gotten stronger, Kurosaki!!!" A voice screamed completely ignoring Zangetsu's statement.

Kenpachi.

Byakuya's gaze flicked briefly toward the source of the voice. Kenpachi, always eager for a fight, charged forward with his usual reckless enthusiasm, sword raised high, aiming to strike down Ichigo.

Zangetsu let out a small sigh of annoyance. All these insects keep getting in my way...

Without another thought, Zangetsu moved swiftly. Kenpachi's blade came crashing down with overwhelming force, but before the strike could land, Zangetsu's clawed hand shot out, grabbing the blade mid-swing. There was no struggle. His clawed hand, sharp, dug into the steel, cracking it with ease. And in a single, fluid motion, the blade shattered into pieces, fragments scattering to the wind like dust.

"I warned you."

Zangetsu's voice cut through the air, cold and controlled, before anyone could fully process what was unfolding. In the blink of an eye, a crimson sphere of energy began to coalesce in his outstretched hand, crackling with power. His mind flashed back to Ulquiorra—remembering how effortlessly that Arrancar had fired off Ceros, the devastating blasts that could annihilate anything in their path.

With a fluid motion, Zangetsu released the blast, a streak of red light that shot toward Kenpachi with such speed it was almost impossible to track. The energy collided with Kenpachi, sending the massive warrior flying backwards with a force that surpassed the eye's ability to follow. The explosion rocked the landscape, sending a shockwave rippling through the air, the explosion blooming like a crimson ember before it faded into the distance.

Kenpachi's body hit the ground with a thud, the very air around him crackling as his form writhed, engulfed in flames. His entire body burned, a furious inferno licking at his flesh as he tried to rise, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "HAHAHAH!" He grinned despite the pain. This was the thrill he was looking for, something rarely found.

Ichigo had potential but it was dimmed by his soft heart and yet the current ichigo was nothing like the one he knew... This one .. The way he nearly killed him sent tingles though his body. Had he finally found the worthy fight he was looking for?.

"Get back here Kurosaki... The Fun only just begun." He grinned as blood poured from his wounds. severe burns marked his body oozing with bubbling blood, boiling due to the heat of the cero.

Zangetsu's cold gaze never wavered as he crashed the remaining shards of a nameless zanpakuto beneath his clawed feet, his eyes locked on the fallen warrior as he spoke again, his words came out in so Mechanically. Something that irked both Shinigami. "That was a warning."

Before anyone could react, before even the faintest shift in the air could be felt, Ichigo—Zangetsu—vanished in an instant. The sheer speed at which he moved was almost incomprehensible, leaving only a fading blur of orange in his wake.

Byakuya remained still, his posture rigid, though his mind raced. His thoughts scrambled to make sense of what had just transpired. Ichigo's behavior—this strange, almost otherworldly presence—left him with one overwhelming question: What in the world is happening here?