Chapter 15

"Are you sure this is going to work, Kisuke?" asked a skeptical Unohana. "It may have been successful for Ichigo but he's a unique individual. He defies everything we thought we knew. You can't expect everyone to be as successful."

"I understand that, Captain Unohana," he responded, flashing her a mischievous smile from behind his fan as the fourth squad grunts halted the restrictive current. "However, just because Ichigo is unique, doesn't mean that none of the rest of them can unlock that potential within themselves."

As the restrictive current came to a complete halt, a senkaihmon opened behind the two as they wrapped up their conversation, revealing the rest of the captains and lieutenants, as well as some seated officers, of the thirteen court guard squads.

"Welcome!" Kisuke shouted, exhibiting extreme showmanship as he bowed before them all. "To start the next few minutes, we'll all be meditating with our zanpakuto, much like many of you did to be able to attain bankai. However, this time will be different. You see, all of you will attain a new level with your zanpakuto, because I've commissioned a little bit of help from the royal guard."

Some mumbles and many shocked expressions passed between the shinigami as they discussed who it could be, only a few having met any of the royal guard, and the rest only having legends to base their beliefs off of.

"Nimaiya," Kisuke said, stepping out of the limelight to reveal the creator of all zanpakuto. "Would you do the honors?"

"Yo, listen up," Nimaiya said, frowning from behind his sunglasses. "You've all lost your true connection with your zanpakuto! You have forgotten what they truly are, and what you are to them. You have forgotten the reason that you fight, and many of you have forgotten your will. So, before we continue, I'll be taking those."

As they all listened, each and every captain was shocked, with the exception of Yamamoto, who'd been trained this way when he was much younger, as their zanpakuto suddenly disappeared from their sides and were suddenly in this stranger's hands. The man produced a blacksmith's inspection hammer and tapped each one as they came to him, frowning deeper as he heard the disappointing sounds they produced.

"Damn," he said as all the zanpakuto lined up behind him and fell into a crowd of sheer white human bodies with no faces. "Y'all are terrible to your zanpakuto! No wonder they are so damaged. Looks like we have no other choice."

"What are you doing with my Hyourinmaru?!" Toshiro shouted, watching his blade disappear into the figures.

"You're all going to reforge your zanpakuto," Nimaiya explained as he saw Ichigo in his transcended state. "Even you, ginger."

"What?" Ichigo asked, astonished. "I have other things t-"

Before he could react or do anything, Ichigo watched his bankai outfit change back into his standard uniform and the extremely long chain that wrapped around his arm, as well as the gauntlet, ripped from him, painfully, as Zangetsu joined the rest.

"Now, you'll all have to find the blank that is your zanpakuto," he explained as Zangetsu finally joined the rest of the zanpakuto in the crowd of blanks before all of the zanpakuto turned into the white faceless humans and began stumbling around while Urahara closed them into a room of his own creation, sending even Benihime in as before closing the door so the shinigami couldn't run to the blank they saw become their zanpakuto. "When you find your zanpakuto, you must walk, together, from this room."

As Ichigo watched, the head captain walked into the room, removing the top half of his uniform as he did so.

"Kisuke Urahara," he said, as he passed the man with the silly grin. "No matter what is heard from this room, do not open the door until I tell you to release me."

Urahara nodded to the head captain, peering at him from under the brim of his hat as the door opened and the old man walked inside. After a few minutes, there was a large wave a reishi released from within the confines of the room, nearly suffocating many of the lieutenants and causing some of the seated officers much disorientation. As the energy dissipated, a voice could be heard from behind the door and Kisuke opened it to reveal the old man with a new cut adorning his face and a blank walking beside him, matching his stride perfectly.

As they exited the room, the blank was lead to Nimaiya, who heated one of the many forges he'd assembled, and quickly forged the head captain's sword. After the sword rested in the flames for a moment, Yamamoto reached into the flames, extracting the blade, its wrappings on the grip appeared to be charred linen and the head captain quickly sheathed it into his walking stick yet again as the rest of the shinigami ran into the room, some in groups and others on their own, each returning with a blank striding alongside.

As Ichigo approached the door, seeing Urahara once again wielding Benihime beside the door, he felt an ominous sensation in the pit of his stomach. Without any further ado, he marched solemnly into the room. Hours passed, this time, however, and, as time drew near for the forge to be closed and next stage of training to end, Nimaiya grew impatient waiting on him, and opened the door to see a beaten and bloodied Ichigo, lying face down in the dirt.

"I see," the smith said, looking down at the boy, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Please," Ichigo shouted, trying to lift himself from the ground. "Please! You have to let me try again!"

"I'm sorry, kid," Nimaiya said softly. "You're just no good. You don't even know who you are. How can a zanpakuto work with someone like you?"

"Wha-?" Ichigo said, his eyes filling with pain as the rest of the shinigami watched in shocked awe. "You've gotta be kidding me..."

"'Fraid not, kiddo," he replied, flipping his hair and looking at the orange haired teenager. "And, if you can't wield a zanpakuto, I'm afraid I have no choice than to banish you from soul society, never to return to seireitei. You can never return to being a shinigami or this place, ever again."