Yoruichi walked in, a towel wrapped around her waist. Droplets of water still clung to her smooth, sun-kissed skin, gliding down her toned stomach and hips as she moved. Her damp purple hair hung loosely, strands sticking to her shoulders, and her golden eyes held a seductive gaze, one so intense it could make any man fall for her instantly.
When Ichigo's eyes landed on her, he wasn't going to lie, it did take him aback a little, but he quickly composed himself, a smirk creeping onto his lips.
Yoruichi noticed the smirk, and her eyes narrowed slightly with playful challenge. She had come in to tease him, to make him stumble, but it seemed like it would take more than just a little skin to shake him.
She stepped into the steaming water, the heat curling around her legs. Slowly, deliberately, she waded in, and when she was halfway submerged, she undid the towel. It slid off her effortlessly, floating for a second before sinking. Her naked body was revealed in full—a vision of strength and beauty, sculpted and sensual, the kind of sight that could stop a war in its tracks.
' This will show him, ' she thought, a smirk tugging at her lips.
But Ichigo simply stared, unphased, his expression unreadable.
"Was that supposed to do something?" he asked, his tone calm, a little cocky.
' I'm trying hard not to get hard, ' honestly, he thought, doing everything he could to stay relaxed and unbothered.
Yoruichi let out a soft chuckle, then walked in deeper, fully submerging herself before moving to sit beside him. The water rippled gently around them. When she settled next to him, her bare thigh brushed his, and her hand, warm and slick with water, landed intentionally on his upper thigh.
"You're really one in a million talents, you know," she said, her voice husky, her touch deliberate. "I've never met anyone who mastered their Bankai in a single day."
"I mean, I already had a deep connection with Zangetsu, just needed to have him submit, I guess," he replied, keeping his voice steady, even as her fingers crept higher up his leg.
Yoruichi moved carefully, slowly inching her hand upward, her golden eyes watching his reaction—but just before she could go further, Ichigo gently caught her wrist. Their eyes locked, the air between them charged with thick, unspoken tension.
She leaned in, eyes half-lidded, lips just inches from his.
But he stopped her again.
"Let's get to know each other first," he said, his voice low, but firm.
Yoruichi blinked, her lips parting slightly in surprise. Then she leaned back with a pout, her fingers trailing off his thigh as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts.
' He got me again,' she thought, exhaling with a soft sigh, both amused and aroused.
The two sat in the hot spring water for nearly two hours, the steam swirling around them as the night deepened into silence. The heat soothed Ichigo's muscles, but his mind remained sharp, focused. After drying off and exchanging a brief, teasing glance with Yoruichi, he returned to his training.
He wasn't content with being strong—he wanted mastery. Complete, ruthless, unshakable mastery.
His blade moved with terrifying precision, his spiritual pressure growing denser, sharper, more refined with every passing hour. He pushed his Bankai to the brink, forcing Zangetsu to reveal everything he had to offer.
By morning, Renji had already left. There were no goodbyes—just a nod and a resigned look. Ichigo knew what was coming. Renji with no doubt would get his ass handed to him, and trying to talk him? Was pointless.
On the final day, Ichigo stood alone in the clearing, wind tugging at his cloak. His Bankai was no longer just speed and power—it was control, depth, presence. The air around him warped as his spiritual energy surged. With one smooth motion, he activated it.
His cloak billowed behind him, black and red, edged with silver. The new Bankai Gi shimmered, dark and regal, something he wasn't supposed to unlock until far later. But this was his path now.
' I look cold, ' he thought, cracking a small grin before releasing his Bankai, the dark cloak fading as he returned to his Shikai form. His sword had changed too—sleeker, sharper, infused with a steady, glowing power.
He admired the blade, then looked to the horizon.
' After this, I'll master my Hollow side. It's connected to my Soul Reaper powers... which, now that I think about it, are pretty much the same thing.'
"That is true, Ichigo," a familiar voice echoed inside his head—Zangetsu, calm and composed as always. "But you have another side within you."
' I know, ' he thought, his smile fading slightly. ' I'm not ready to dwell on that side yet. But when the time comes... I will.'
The door slid open behind him.
Yoruichi stepped in, her movements smooth, her presence as casual as it was lethal. "Are you ready?" she asked, her eyes glinting with anticipation.
"Yeah, I am," Ichigo replied, not turning around. "I can already sense them above me. Yamamoto's spiritual pressure feels like a mountain... he's the only one I should be worried about. Oh, and of course, mommy Unohana."
Yoruichi raised a brow, smirking. "Don't tell me you plan on taking her too?"
Ichigo blinked, cleared his throat, and said, "No, of course not."
Which only made her frown.
' How many women does he plan on taking? ' she wondered, a twitch forming in her eyebrow.
The answer? As many as he could manage. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud. Still, Ichigo wasn't foolish. He knew a massive harem would be more trouble than it was worth—emotionally, strategically, and logistically. So, he narrowed it down to a select few. The ones who truly mattered to him.
• Unohana
• Rangiku
• Soi Fon
• Orihime
• Tatsuki
• Rukia
• Yoruichi
• Isane
• Nanao
• Kukaku
Others would come and go—mentioned in passing, flirted with, maybe even teased—but these ten? They were the core.
This list could change, of course. The story was fluid.
After all, this was a fanfic.
' From now on, fuck the plot, ' Ichigo thought, a devilish grin forming. ' I do what I want, when I want. I'll still fight the villains—I'm not gonna skip the action, that'd be boring—but everything else? Mine to rewrite.'
He tightened his grip on Zangetsu, his spiritual energy rising once more.
It was time.
Time to face Captain Byakuya. Time to shake the Seireitei to its core. And, most importantly, time to save Rukia.
On his terms.
TO BE CONTINUED