Ichigo looked at her for a moment as she put her hair back in place over the mask.

"How can you just have half of a mask? I mean, it's happened to me before but usually in the middle of me taking control of my body. Why is yours just... there?"

"Because it's half developed."

"How are you so calm about this?"

The girl smiled a little. "I've been stuck in limbo for a very long time, battling my inner hollow. We've come to know each other very well..."

"What's your name?"

"Kohana."

"Okay, Kohana, what's the big deal then pulling me down like that? Who were those guys and why are they trying to kill the older version of me?"

"From what I got from them was that a woman named Roka was going to try and take over the Soul Society by releasing everyone from their zanpakutos, Soul Reapers and Vizored alike, with Murasunta's help."

"Murasunta... isn't she the one that..."

Kohana nodded sadly. "Yeah... She's the one that got a hold of Father and made him hurt your friends. I hope they haven't gotten a hold of him again... but if they get a hold of you."

"What do you mean?"

"Roka's ability is to destroy the zanpakuto that filters the shikai and bankai that everyone uses. If she releases yours..."

"Not just older me. Zaraki and a couple other people would bring this place to the ground."

"That may be true but only you have all four sectors of our world. You are a Soul Reaper, a human, a Quincy, and a Hollow. Now all you need is to have all of those powers released by turning into a Cakurahita? They don't need to unleash anyone else but you, ani."

Ichigo realized that what she said was right and he stood up.

"I have to go find me before those people get a hold of him."

"I'm coming with you."

"Are you sure? I mean, your family thinks that you're dead and you have half of a Hollow mask on your face."

"I don't think the Head Captain will mind right now." Kohana said with a frown. "Besides, I have a feeling that Murasunta has my father already."

"Oh that reminds me, I was trying to find Byakuya because I was told that Nanao was stabbed."

"Stabbed?! Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"I... was getting there?"

"Come on then!" she yelled, grabbing his arm as she jumped into the sky, using foot holds.

***************

Nanao opened her eyes but everything was blurry. She felt something be stuck on her face and was met with Kyoraku looking at her thoughtfully.

"Head Captain..." she said softly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit with a brick or twenty."

He smiled at her as she suddenly looked around.

"Where's Chinnaoya? I heard him crying but..."

"Orihime took him to be with Matsumoto for the time being. He was in a fright and everyone here was trying to help you. She thought getting him away would do better for him than if he watched you."

Nanao sighed as Zaraki walked in, holding a small vial and needle.

"Good to see you up, Nanao."

"Zaraki-san..."

"Can you tell us what happened?" he asked as he pulled the plunger on the syringe.

"It was the strangest thing... I heard the door open to the house and looked to see that it was Byakuya. I asked him where he had been and he said that he had been about. Usually he's very specific about where he has been and so I asked exactly where. He looked at me strange and then gave me a smile I had never seen on him before. I mean, I know Byakuya doesn't smile often but when he does, it's usually very ghostlike, almost unseen. This smile, though, was full of deceit and malice. Like a sick joke. I knew instantly that it wasn't Byakuya. So I confronted him about it and then... and then he melted away. Like he had been a costume someone was wearing and I felt a blade pierce through me from the back. I turned and, you won't believe this, but I saw Aizen looking at me. He smiled and whispered, 'How does it feel to be stabbed by your own blade?' and then everything went black."

"Aizen?" Kyoraku said in shock. "They released Aizen? Then... if that wasn't Byakuya..."

"Didn't Aizen have an illusion zanpakuto? Something about the five senses?" Captain Kurosaki said. "I never really got to understand it because I had never seen it but when I was going to Karakura Town from Hueco Mundo during that time, Captain Unohana had warned me about it and since I was the only one who hadn't seen his zanpakuto, that was why I was the best to defeat him."

"It's true that Aizen's zanpakuto was one of the more powerful illusion zanpakutos we've ever seen but Urahara's kido seal negates that power and so he shouldn't be able to do anything with it." Kyoraku said.

"It's not just illusions. It's hypnotic." Nanao said from the bed as Zaraki gave her a shot. "Trying to beat around the word won't stop it from having the definition, sir. Aizen's zanpakuto was a hypnotic zanpakuto."

Kyoraku sighed, knowing that but not wanting to full out say it.

"So you are... but are you saying that he was using it then?"

"Sir, he wasn't using anything. He didn't have a zanpakuto on him. I think he's a Cakurahita now."

Captain Kurosaki looked over at Kyoraku and then out the window when he thought he saw orange hair jumping in the air. He walked over to the window and watched, confirming the hair was his younger self's.

"Excuse me for a moment." He said, jumping out the window and heading over toward Ichigo.

**************

"We have to warn them about Roka's powers. She doesn't have to have any permission to unleash the zanpakutos from people. All she has to do is know the name of your zanpakuto and she can release you from it. No asking, no nothing, she just does it." Kohana explained to Ichigo. "She believes that she is doing everyone a favor and so unbinds it without consent so to speak."

"If she undoes it, can it be put back again?"

"I don't think she thought that far ahead." Kohana looked up. "Is that... is that you?"

Ichigo looked over and saw his older self coming toward them.

"Yeah, that's the older me."

Kohana stopped and went behind Ichigo, hiding herself.

"What-"

"He'll kill me!"

Ichigo made a face as he went to the ground, Captain Kurosaki following him.

"Ichigo, where have you been?"

"I was going to go see Nanao but Orihime said I should look for Byakuya."

"Then why isn't Byakuya with you?"

"That's because I was sidetracked by..." Ichigo looked around. "Hey, where'd she go?"

"Who?"

"Kohana."

Captain Kurosaki lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Kohana? You mean Kohana Kuchiki?"

"Yeah."

"She's dead, Ichigo."

"No she's not. She was locked up and has been battling her Hollow since then. Kohana! Kohana, come out!"

Captain Kurosaki grabbed Ichigo by the shoulders.

"Did that liquor screw up the story I told you? She was nowhere to be found after the incident, okay? She's gone."

"No I'm not, ani."

Captain Kurosaki looked over and saw Kohana walking toward him. He went to go to her but stopped.

"How do I know you're real?"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.

"Aizen was released from his prison and is now a Cakurahita. He has no zanpakuto."

"But I never saw his zanpakuto so that means that I would have immediately seen right through her."

"That may have been true before but now that he doesn't have the zanpakuto anymore, there really isn't a release to show..." Captain Kurosaki said, glaring at Kohana. "How much have you told her?"

"Ani, it's me. I promise. Quiz me if you like. Something only I would know."

Captain Kurosaki stared at her for a moment as she looked at him in awe. The last time she had seen him was when he looked more like Ichigo and less like what he was now.

"How did you stop your father when he was being controlled by Murasunta?"

"I stabbed you both through you first and then through my father. I had been blasted with a Cero but I found the strength to save you both."

Captain Kurosaki was still leery but Ichigo pointed at her.

"If this were an illusion of Aizen, I would have seen through her easily. From what she has described to me, the Cakurahita still have to have an activation word, just like we do. Wouldn't that initial activation be what I would originally see as a release?"

"I guess so..."

"We came to warn you though." She said, walking up to him. "There are these two guys looking for you."

"Why?"

"They want to make us a Cakurahita. Mostly you, but I'm you so..."

"Why me? They have Aizen and he almost had the Soul Society and Karakura Town."

"They needed him but now they need you. You have more power than him."

"Which reminds me, didn't Urahara seal him up? He shouldn't have powers at all." Ichigo said.

Kohana nodded. "That may be true but there is a Cakurahita that can turn on and turn off zanpakutos."

"You mean like when the Quincies were stealing the bankais?" Captain Kurosaki said.

"No, he turns them off and turns them on. As in, if you released either shikai or bankai, he can just command them to turn off and they can't be released no matter how hard you try to get them to. Then, when you least expect it, he will turn them on again. It may sound stupid but that's why Aizen has his power back now. I don't know exactly how he got Aizen's turned back on but with him down, there's only one other person left to unleash."

"And that would be you, Kurosaki Ichigo."

The three turned as a guy with a black mohawk looked at them and grinned. He was pretty stout and only had a pair of silver harem pants and matching shoes on. Seeing both Ichigos he laughed, his big belly jiggling.

"Roka will be so happy to know that somehow there are two of you."