Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Acidwire

Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Acidwire is a fight that takes place at night in Karakura Town. It involves Ichigo Kurosaki learning about the true nature of Hollows.

Prologue
Orihime Inoue walks down a street but as she does this a car speeds towards her. The next day, Rukia Kuchiki reads a book to herself out loud but is soon interrupted by Ichigo, who asks her what she's doing. Rukia tells him not to surprise her like that and explains that she's studying modern speech. However, this ends up angering Ichigo because while she's relaxing, he has to train. Rukia asks him if he's done with the training and Ichigo states that he is, but wonders why he had to hit 100 pepper-filled balls. Rukia is shocked by this and she asks Ichigo if he actually hit all of the balls. Ichigo states that he did and Rukia begins yelling at him, explaining that he was only supposed to hit the balls with the picture of a head on it. However, Ichigo tells her that he has no way of telling which ones have a picture of a head on it because her drawings are so bad. As this is happening Orihime walks by and spots Ichigo.

Rukia explains to Ichigo that a Hollows weakness is its head and that the point of this training is so he can learn to kill Hollows easily. However, Ichigo points out that he has been doing fine defeating Hollows so far, but Rukia tells him that he must learn to defeat them in a single blow by attacking them from behind. She remarks that she has no idea how he has survived this long. Ichigo tells her that he can't attack Hollows from behind because it would be fighting dirty, but Rukia tells him to save that stuff for when he fights humans, because he'll end up dead if he thinks like that against Hollows. As Ichigo tries to come up with a response, Orihime appears behind him and loudly greets Ichigo. Ichigo is shocked from this and he asks Orihime what she's doing here. Orihime states that she was shopping and she asks Ichigo the same question. As Ichigo tries to come up with something to tell her, Orihime notices Rukia. However, Rukia doesn't remember her and Ichigo whispers to her that Orihime is in their class. Rukia realizes her mistake and she greets Orihime as well.

Ichigo notices that Orihime's arm is bandaged and he asks her what happened. Orihime states that she was hit by a car last night when she was getting something to drink at the store. She laughs about this and Ichigo, shocked from this news, tells her that she should be angrier. Rukia asks her if she gets hit often and Orihime states that she does, but mainly because she zones out a lot. Rukia then notices that Orihime's left leg is injured as well and she asks if she could examine the injury. Orihime allows her to do so and explains that she must have got this injury from the car as well. Rukia begins looking at the injured leg and Orihime asks her why she has such a scary face when doing this. Rukia states that she was just thinking that it looked painful and Orihime remarks that she's right and realizes that it hurts much more than her arm. Orihime then realizes it's late, and leaves to go watch "laugh hour". Ichigo offers to walk her home but Orihime tells him she's fine and leaves. As Orihime walks back, she thinks to herself that she should accept Ichigo's offer.

Rukia asks Ichigo if he's close to Orihime and he states that he is since she's best friends with Tatsuki Arisawa, who has lived in his neighborhood since 8th grade. Rukia goes on to ask Ichigo if she has any family and Ichigo states that she had a brother, but he died three years ago in a car accident. Ichigo states that he remembers what happened well, and explains that he died in the Kurosaki Clinic before an ambulance could even arrive to take him to a bigger hospital. Ichigo remarks that he only just realized that the girl that was with him that day was Orihime. He then asks Rukia why she wants to know this and if she's interested in Orihime, but Rukia tells him that she isn't and states that she's going home. Ichigo asks her where she always goes to since she has nowhere to live, but Rukia asks him if he's really interested in her personal life. Ichigo states that he isn't, and Rukia tells him that he shouldn't ask then and leaves, angering Ichigo.

Yuzu Kurosaki opens up the door to Ichigo's room and asks him if he has seen her dress. However, Ichigo appears behind her and remarks that she shouldn't open his door without knocking first. Yuzu realizes that Ichigo took a bath and complains that she wanted to go in too. However, Ichigo tells her that she should learn to go by herself since she's in the 5th grade now. Yuzu tells Ichigo that he has become colder since he entered high school, but Ichigo states that he hasn't. He then tells Yuzu that he doesn't know about her dress, causing Yuzu to ask if he has at least seen her pajamas. Ichigo tells her that he hasn't seen that either and asks her why she thinks he has the answers to everything. After entering his room, Ichigo hears beeping from his closet and wonders what it is. All of a sudden Rukia comes out from the closet shocking Ichigo, and he asks her when she came in there. Rukia tells him to forget about that for now and she states that there's an order to kill a Hollow. Rukia states that the Hollow is going to appear right in this room and she sends Ichigo into his Shinigami form just as the Hollow, called Acidwire, appears.

Battle
Rukia tells Ichigo to aim for the head and Ichigo tells her that he knows. He then swings his Zanpakutō down on Acidwire's head, but the wound isn't deep enough and the Hollow gets away. Rukia tells Ichigo that their going after him but Ichigo tells her to wait. He states that he saw part of the Hollows face and that it resembled Sora Inoue, Orihime's brother. Rukia explains that the reason she said that he should sneak behind Hollows is not only to avoid being damaged, but to also avoid seeing the Hollows identity since all Hollows are the souls of former humans. As this is happening, Orihime, who is now at her house, talks with Tatsuki. However, while they talk a seam splits on the face of Enraku, Orihime's teddy bear.

Ichigo goes up to Rukia and yells at her for the fact that she never told him about what Hollows really are. Rukia tells him that right now the Hollows are monsters that must be defeated and she states that they have no time for discussions because as they argue, Orihime may die. At Orihime's house, Tatsuki tells Orihime that she should have let Ichigo walk her home and then take him into a dark place so she could take him down. As Orihime is shocked from her idea of what she should have done, Tatsuki wonders why Ichigo would be hanging out with the new transfer student. Tatsuki then asks Orihime if she has been to the park with Ichigo alone, and Orihime fantasizes about what would happen if she was. Enraku suddenly falls from the shelf it was on top of and Orihime goes over to pick it up. She spots the rip on it and as she wonders what happened, blood begins to form on her hand. All of a sudden a hand appears from out of Enraku and impales Orihime's chest. She falls down unconscious and Tatsuki, being unable to see the Hollow, wonders what happened.

Ichigo and Rukia quickly head over to Orihime's house with the new information that Hollows attack their families. Ichigo asks why this is since Hollows are meant to only eat souls when their hungry and that their also indiscriminate, but Rukia informs him that this is only true after the Hollows eat their family. Rukia goes on to say that Hollows only eat souls so that they can ease their pain and suffering. She also explains that Hollows go after the ones they love most to fill its empty heart. Rukia tells him that the mark on Orihime's leg was actually the bite from a Hollow and that her dead brother is definitely going to be attacking her again.

Tatsuki is attacked by Acidwire and he cuts her shoulder, causing blood to spill out of it. As Tatsuki wonders what's happening, she is attacked by the Hollow again and forced onto the floor. Orihime, who is now out of her body, wonders what the Hollow is and why she can see her own body. She then notices the Chain of Fate on her chest and tries to pull it off. Orihime then notices Tatsuki being attacked by Acidwire and she charges into the Hollows arm to stop him. She then goes up to Tatsuki and tells her to run away, but she doesn't hear her. As Orihime wonders why this is, Acidwire refers to Orihime by name and explains that Tatsuki can neither see nor hear them. Orihime asks the Hollow why he knows her name but Acidwire remarks that it's sad that she even forget his voice. Acidwire then goes to attack Orihime but Ichigo arrives and uses his Zanpakutō to block the blow. Acidwire asks Ichigo why he interferes and Ichigo tells him that this is his job and that if he wants to kill Orihime, he'll have to kill him first.

Acidwire stops his assault, and Ichigo wonders if he scared him off. Ichigo then looks at Tatsuki and gets mad at the fact that she was unfairly caught up in this. He then notices someone on the ground and is shocked to see that it's Orihime, even though Orihime is right behind him. Orihime then says hi to Ichigo, despite the fact that she shouldn't be able to see him while he is in his Shinigami form. Ichigo asks Orihime why she can see him and Acidwire tells him that it's because he is looking at Orihime's soul right now. Acidwire then swings his tail at Ichigo, while telling him that Orihime is already dead. Ichigo tries to block the attack with his Zanpakutō but because Acidwire's tail is made out of scales, it is too hard for him to cut through it and he is sent crashing through a wall. Ichigo lands on top of a roof and blood begins spilling from his forehead. Acidwire goes up to the newly formed hole in the wall and tells Ichigo that despite how much he talks, his movements are too slow for him. Acidwire asks Ichigo if it's really that much of a shock that Orihime's soul was removed from her body. He then spits out an acid-like substance that hits Ichigo's hand and burns it, causing Ichigo to drop his Zanpakutō. Acidwire then swings his tail down on Ichigo and sends him crashing down into the streets below. Orihime, who has now been grabbed by Acidwire, yells out to Ichigo and Rukia runs towards Ichigo to help him. Orihime tries to get away from Acidwire and the Hollow asks her if she has truly forgotten about him. Orihime takes a closer look at the Hollow and finally realizes that it is her brother.

Rukia tells Ichigo to wake up and she asks him why he's getting beaten up like this. Ichigo remarks that this battle is different from the ones he has had before but Rukia warns him that if he loses, Orihime will die. Orihime asks Acidwire if he's really her brother and the Hollow confirms it. Orihime asks him why he's doing such horrible things to Tatsuki and Ichigo, and Acidwire states that it's because those two are trying to tear them away from each other. Acidwire explains that after he died, Orihime would pray to him every day and that made him happy. However, after she became friends with Tatsuki her praying began to stop, and after she became friends with Ichigo, the praying stopped all together. Acidwire remarks that the only thing she would talk to him about would be Ichigo and that it was painful to listen to. Orihime tries to reason with Acidwire, but the Hollow continues to talk about how painful it became and how eventually he simply wanted to kill her. Ichigo suddenly jumps through the hole in the wall and goes to attack Acidwire but the Hollow is able to stop him with his tail again. Acidwire then looks at Orihime and tells her that they’re going to live together like they used to. Orihime tells Acidwire that if he was sad then he should have said something. She then asks him why he's hurting her friends since her brother wasn't the type of person to do stuff like that. Acidwire angrily grabs Orihime and tells her that she was the one to turn him into what he is now. He then begins squeezing her until Ichigo cuts off both of Acidwire's hands. Ichigo tells him that the reason big brothers are born first is so they can protect the younger siblings that come after him. He tells Acidwire that he should never tell his own sister that he's going to kill her, but the Hollow simply asks him why he interferes.

Acidwire tells Ichigo that he thought of Orihime as more of a daughter then a sister. He states that they had terrible parents and that the day he turned 18, he took Orihime away to live somewhere else with him. He remarks that ever since that day, they've lived together and he won't let anyone else have her. He then charges towards Ichigo and tries to bite him, but Ichigo blocks to blow with his Zanpakutō. Ichigo tells Acidwire that Orihime doesn't belong to anyone, but Acidwire states that since he lived his life for her, and that she won't live her life for him, then the least she could do is die for him. Acidwire then charges towards Orihime while Ichigo tells him to stop.

Aftermath
Orihime allows herself to get attacked by Acidwire and she begins hugging the Hollow. Orihime tells Acidwire that she wanted to show him that she could be happy so he wouldn't have to worry about her anymore, but because that was making him sadder she apologizes and tells Acidwire that she loves him. Orihime then faints and Ichigo tries to go and save her. Rukia stops him though, explaining that as long as the Chain of Fate is still there she can be saved. Rukia then tells Acidwire to get out of the way so she can heal Orihime. Acidwire says to himself that he knew the truth as to why Orihime stopped praying, but even so he still wanted her to pray for him because that was the only time her heart was all his. Ichigo tells Acidwire that Orihime wears the hairpins she got from her brother every day. He then remarks that the ones who live and the ones who die are just as sad as the other, and to not be so selfish in thinking that he's the only one who's sad. Acidwire remarks that he thought Orihime had thrown away those hairpins and the Hollow jumps out into the streets of Karakura Town.

Ichigo goes after the Hollow, only to see Acidwire removing his mask. Acidwire states that if he stays like this then one day he'll lose himself again and go after Orihime. He tells Ichigo that while he now has a small part of himself back, he wants to disappear. Ichigo tries to reason with the Hollow but Rukia tells Ichigo that he's making the correct choice. She tells Ichigo not to worry as cutting a Hollow is not actually killing him, but only to wash away his sins so he could be sent to the Soul Society. Orihime thinks back to the day her brother died and she remembers getting into her first fight with Sora because he had gotten hairpins for her that she really hated. She thinks to herself that she regrets never saying goodbye to her brother that day, despite it not changing anything.

Orihime then looks at her brother and says goodbye to him. Acidwire then completely disappears into the air, and Ichigo asks Orihime if her wounds are healed. Orihime states that she's fine but tells him to ignore that for now because there are many questions she wants to ask him. However, Rukia immediately knocks Orihime unconscious and explains to Ichigo that she's replacing her memories. She then goes over to Tatsuki and does the same thing to her while telling Ichigo that the only problem with doing this is that the memories are completely random. The next day at school, Orihime tells her classmates that a sumo wrestler came into her room and shot a bazooka at her wall, but no one believes her. Ichigo asks Rukia if she did the same thing to his family before and she states that she did and she asks Ichigo if it worked well.