In the graphic shown here, while executing an instruction, a branch is received. Once a branch is received, a new instruction is fetched from the location to which the instruction pipeline is branching. There are no decode or execute instructions in the instruction pipeline at that point, so the core will move on and fetch the next instruction while the instruction that was being fetched in cycle four is being decoded in cycle five. Finally in cycle six, the instruction that was fetched by the branch in cycle four is executed. Since the instruction pipeline is now filled, instructions begin executing every cycle until another branch or a multi-cycle instruction is received.