"Hey Ichigo! Pay attention!"

"Huh?" Ichigo looked as Tatsuki's fist was suddenly in his face, knocking him back against the mat.

"Ichigo, you have to pay attention!" The teacher said from the sidelines. "If you're not paying attention Tatsuki is always going to knock you down!"

Ichigo got to his feet and wiped his eyes a little before looking back at Tatsuki and holding his fists up again. Every since his mother had passed away a few weeks ago Ichigo had stopped crying, had stopped smiling, and had become a little more sullen and withdrawn. He seemed to be focusing more and more on his training, as though he was trying to get stronger for something...Tatsuki had noticed the more she fought him. He was actually getting better...but he still always got knocked down. It was like his heart wasn't in it.

In truth, he wasn't. He had never been one for fighting as much as the other kids but ever since that day...he had a single minded need to get stronger now. It was to protect his family! He needed to be strong enough to protect them from anything or anyone! Karin...Yuzu...his fath--well, he could probably take care of himself now that he thought about it. He already knew he was a pretty strong boy, physically at least. After his mother passed away he had had....moments when he would tear around his room, punching and kicking things until he wore himself out. He had actually made a dent or two in the walls, despite the fact that his fists were so small. That was one of the reasons he didn't want to fight Tatsuki or the others. He knew he was strong. The other reason was because he was afraid of losing control. Whenever his emotions got too high or his anger overwhelmed him he seemed to be possessed and went around smashing and hitting things and people. Until he got his turmoil under control, he needed to be calm.

Another fifteen minutes went by and then class was over. Ichigo pulled on his coat and headed out the door. He had requested that he be allowed to walk home by himself after his mother died and his father had decided to allow it. It was one of the ways he was getting over her death. He sighed and stared at the ground as he walked. Little did he know that something very strange was about to happen to him.

When he was about halfway home he heard a horrible beeping sound. He looked up and saw a truck speeding down the road, heading the opposite way he was moving. As it passed by, some kind of liquid was thrown over the small boy, covering him in a strange liquid. He yelled out and wiped his face, the liquid making his body feel numb for a second. He couldn't tell where from the truck the liquid had come, but it didn't improve his mood any. He felt his heart beat a little faster, anger evident on his face. For a second, it felt like his clothes were moving on his body...but Ichigo quickly gained control of his emotions and sighed. He turned and kept walking.

As he walked...