Alright, so I'm back in the Bleach realm, with a story that is slightly AU, I don't know exactly how to explain I, but it's nothing major.
What could have happened if two of Isshin's old acquaintances from Soul Society came to check on the Kurosaki's after the death of Misaki?
I do not own Bleach, or anything else recognizable!
SPOILERS! There is certain information in this story that isn't revealed until episode 111 of the anime and chapter 186 in the manga. Read at your own risk!
Kurosaki Misaki's funeral was a short and quiet affair, the likeness to her death, which left her nine-year-old son traumatized and guilty, lost on everyone as they all returned to their respective homes afterwards. Once the remaining Kurosaki's returned home the boy still stood solemnly, his tears already shed, next to his twin sisters with an arm around each of them as if that could protect them from any more pain. They looked out of place in the cheerfully decorated living room- the solemn orange-haired Ichigo, with dark-haired Karin to his right holding back tears with a bite to her lip, and fair-haired Yuzu to his left sniffling as tears continued to stream from her eyes. Their father Isshin had slipped outside a few moments after their return, and the three siblings had no idea where he went or when he'd be back.
"Sit," Ichigo murmured to his sisters as he gently pushed them towards the dining and made his way to the kitchen. They hadn't eaten much that day, it was almost suppertime, and while the nine-year-old was very skilled in the kitchen he at least knew how to make the instant ramen they kept around for their father during late nights at the clinic. Even during the short amount of time it took for the food to cook he repeatedly checked on his sisters to make sure they were still alright. As soon as the food was done he brought it back to the table, all in a silence that was unusual in the typically rowdy household.
"Thanks Ichi-nii," the five-year-olds sniffed before picking at their meals. Once they ate all they could manage it was almost seven, Yuzu's tears hadn't stopped the entire meal, so Ichigo, deciding an early night was necessary, got them out of their clothes from the funeral and into their pajamas.
"Ichi-nii…" Karin trailed off and looked up as he got ready to leave their room and go to bed himself.
"Yeah Karin?" He answered.
"C-Can you stay with us tonight?" Yuzu finished, knowing what her twin wanted. Ichigo gave a small smile and nodded, promising to return after he changed. After some shuffling around they decided to sleep in Ichigo's bed, since he was the only one of the three of them with a grown-up bed. He lay down in the middle of the bed, and each sister curled up on one side and placed their head on his small chest. Ichigo stayed awake as long as he could as he waited until both of his sisters fell asleep first, counting the minutes using the new clock his mother had bought with him only two weeks before her death.
At eight the squirming stopped, along with any semblance of forced giggle brought on by ticking, and they tried to fall asleep.
At 8:15 Yuzu's tears stopped for the first time since breakfast that day and she had finally cried herself to sleep.
At 8:30 Karin's breathing finally evened out and she too fell asleep.
At nine his father finally came back, and he allowed himself to drift off into a fitful sleep filled with visions of ghosts and monsters.
Isshin felt guilty for leaving his children alone; however this would be the last time for a long time where he would take a while for himself. With each step he put between himself and his house, now one person- one very significant person- emptier, he broke down a little more- something he was unable to do in order to be the rock for his children. He took one last drag of his cigarette before flicking to the ground and putting it out. He glanced up at the blond man in a green hat and clogs who, along with the black cat perched on his shoulder, had mysteriously appeared out of the shadows without a sound.
"What do you want?" He asked tiredly, running a hand through his hair and turning fully towards the other man.
"You know I won't say any meaningless words Isshin," The blond tipped his hat back to look the other man fully in the eye, "I know what she meant to you, what you gave up to be with her, and I won't trivialize that."
"She was my life," Isshin laughed bitterly before sobering, "But now I have to take care of my kids, do the best for them that I can. Goodbye Urahara, Yoruichi. It's unlikely I'll come seek either of you out for a very long time, if ever, now that they only have myself to rely on," The two men parted ways, one going back to his fractured home and the other disappearing into the night as quietly as he'd appeared, as if he were a spirit.
As soon as he opened the door to his house and smelled the instant ramen the guilt hit him full-force and he walked quickly up the stairs to check on his children, starting with Ichigo. For the first time since his wife's death Isshin gave a small smile at the sight of his children all curled up together on one bed with Ichigo wrapping a protective arm around each of his sisters. He quietly got his camera and took a picture of the heartbreaking scene, the tear-tracks visible on all of their faces.
"Wherever you are Misaki, remember to watch over our children," He whispered before moving into his room and collapsing on the bed, too tired to continue being the rock for his family for the day.
Five Days later…
Kurosaki Ichigo sighed as he walked home from school. His father had talked him into returning to school for the first time yesterday, and he couldn't help but notice how strangely everyone acted around him, except for Arisawa Tatsuki who just pretended as if nothing had changed. While his mind wandered on the short walk home, he didn't realize that his feet were taking him towards the river- and the one spot where it had happened.
In the past five days since the funeral the dynamics of the Kurosaki household had drastically changed, skewed from their comfortable rountines. No matter how hard their father tried, he simply couldn't take over Misaki's old household duties on top of his own work. Dinners had been burned, and the house quickly accumulated dirt until finally Yuzu stepped up and began cooking for them, simple meals, but it was food. Since the twins hadn't yet returned to kindergarten, Yuzu told Ichigo with a wavering attempt at a smile that she'd spend the day cleaning with Karin. The dark-haired girl herself hadn't shed a single tear since the day she heard of Misaki's death, something Ichigo wasn't sure whether to be worried or relieved about. She would occasionally look ready to burst, but would quickly look upset at herself and put on a brave face. Their father did his best, but between well-wishing neighbors, a seeming increase in local injuries and the stress of having recently lost his wife, the man he once saw as unstoppable looked ready to collapse and not wake up for months.
That left Ichigo to try and protect his family as best as he could. What exactly was it his father had said… that his name meant "to protect one thing" or something like that? Whatever is was, he decided that one thing would be his family. Even if he was only nine, he would continue working on his fighting skills so his sisters wouldn't have to worry about being hurt, and their father would be able to rest a bit easier.
"Ah, hello young man!" Ichigo whirled around, ready to fight, when he finally noticed he was back at the riverside. He gulped and searched around him to see who had spoken- if it was the woman he saw before his mother was killed. Instead he saw two men- both wearing perfectly normal clothes for people their age (he was guessing roughly the same age as his father)- but they looked… out of place here. Not so much by their appearances, but more in the way they held themselves and acted, as if they might be discovered at any moment. The shorter man with the long white hair had been the one to speak, and he smiled kindly at the young boy.
"Who're you?" Ichigo asked cautiously, backing a step away from them and preparing himself to run if necessary.
"Ah, we're old… acquaintances of your father's. We met a long time ago but haven't had the time to visit him. We heard of your mother's death though and wanted to check up on him even though we couldn't make it to the funeral," The taller one with curly brown hair spoke this time approaching Ichigo slowly and crouching down in front of him. Up close the scruff on his face gave him a gentler appearance, along with the muted gleam in his eyes, "And how're you doing kid?"
"Fine," Ichigo answered, still wary, "What did you say your names were?"
"How silly of us to forget! I'm Kyoraku Shunsui, and this is my friend Ukitake Jushiro," The man, Kyoraku, introduced with a lazy smile. The overall effect that smile caused was calming, and Ichigo allowed himself to relax slightly.
"Kurosaki Ichigo," The boy offered, although he was guessing the two already knew that.
"Would you like some candy Ichigo-kun? I've got plenty here that I bought to take back to my friend who's… uh, roughly your age and I'm sure he won't mind if I gave some to you for yourself and your sisters," The other man, Ukitake said. He held out some candy that was still sealed in their wrappers, so Ichigo took them, deciding he'd check the candy before giving it to Karin and Yuzu.
"Thank you," He politely replied, placing the candy in his book bag.
"No problem," Ukitake smiled again, "We've got to be heading back soon, but it was nice to meet you Ichigo-" Before he could finish his sentence a high-pitched scream rang out from not too far away.
"Yuzu, Karin," Ichigo breathed, back on high-alert. He knew his sisters' screams anywhere, "YUZU! KARIN!" He took off sprinting towards the origin on the scream and left two slightly bewildered men behind him.
The corner of the street came quickly, and Ichigo skidded around it without noticing that the men he'd just met were able to keep up with his fast pace. As soon as he could see what was going on his scowl deepened and he flew forward to hit one of the two teenagers harassing his sisters, who were backed against a tall stone wall. Karin stood in front of a crying Yuzu with a scowl on her small face, adding fuel to Ichigo's anger, "Get away from them you-you-you JERKS!" Although there was an obvious height and skill gap, Ichigo made up the difference with his anger. He jabbed his elbow into the back of the knees of one of the teens causing him to collapse to the ground and smack his head on the pavement. The fallen boy let out a groan and Ichigo smiled in triumph just as the other teen grabbed him by the back of his collar and hefted the nine-year-old off his feet.
"Excuse me," All of the kids in the empty street looked up as Kyoraku spoke up from where he was leaning against a fence. A piece of hair dropped into his face and he pushed it back with a cold smile directed at the high school students, "You may not want to do that. Those are a friend of mine's kids, and he wouldn't take too kindly to you two harassing his children." With one look at each other, the one teenager dropped Ichigo then hauled up his friend and the two booked it out of there. As soon as they were out of site Ichigo was up and in front of his sisters.
"Are you two alright? Did they hurt you?" Ichigo asked while inspecting the two girls. Only giving them a second to know their heads, he became angry once more, "What were you two doing out here this far from home all alone? Wasn't Dad there, why didn't you ask him to go with you? What-"
"We came to see how school had gone today," Yuzu sniffled. Karin looked at her twin then huffed out, "You were taking too long to get home so Yuzu got worried and wanted to come find you. Dad was busy with a patient and she was being impatient so we came by ourselves." Ichigo was stunned- not only had his sisters been worried about him, but that was the most he'd heard out of Karin in the days since their mother's death.
"Idiots, I had to get my make-up work. I was almost home anyway, I just ran into these two who are some of Dad's old friends…" Ichigo trailed off as he looked back and noticed that there were traces of the two strange men he'd just met, "They must've had to go, they did say they had somewhere to be," He turned back to his sisters and inspected them one more time, angrily taking in the scraped palms and knees on Karin before deciding to lift Yuzu onto his back and grabbing Karin's hand, "Let's go home, I'm hungry!"
As the sibling made their way back home, they laughed for what felt like the first time in a long time, Karin and Yuzu in awe over their brave brother.
Meanwhile back at the clinic Isshin, without turning to face the open door, spoke form his place checking stoke, "Hello Shunsui, Jushiro. I'd say what a pleasant surprise, but seeing as how my last days in the Seireitei were less than so, it's understandable that I'd be wary when two of the most powerful captains show up."
"I see your time here hasn't dampened your skills any Isshin, a necessity I suppose with you three lovely children. They remind me of Nanao-chan when she was little," Kyoraku said with a nostalgic look.
"There's no need to be wary," Jushiro interjected with a roll of his eyes, "We simply wanted to make sure you were alright after what happened and hadn't found a chance to slip away for a few hours until now. All we're here for is to offer our help."
"How'd you hear about- never mind, of course the Old Man has had Kurotsuchi keeping tabs on Urahara and I," Isshin replied with a small sigh, "Thank you for the offer, but we're doing alright. Now, if you two don't mind, my son is supposed to be home from school any minute now and I'd rather not expose him to any high levels of spiritual power- all three of them are already predisposed towards high spiritual power between Misaki and I, and any chance to cut down on their exposure I'll take."
"You do understand that he knows what killed Misaki, right?" Jushiro said with a small frown.
"You already met him, didn't you?" Isshin asked angrily.
"We were curious as to what caused her sudden death so we went to investigate the scene, when Ichigo walked by and was mumbling something about a mysterious woman, as well as a monster. I believe he already has-" Isshin cut Kyoraku off.
"The ability to see spirits, I know. That's why I'm limiting exposure to Shinigami so he doesn't get any more powerful. Look," Isshin smiled softly at his two old friends, "It was nice seeing the two of you again, and I wish you could stay longer but if I'm going to raise them right that means no mysterious friends that never appear to age."
"Be easy on them when they get home," Kyoraku advised before turning to leave, "The three of them have had quite the adventure."
"Goodbye Isshin," Jushiro smiled sadly before leaving with his friend. Isshin stood there, confused, before he heard the voices of his children coming from down the street. Once they entered the clinic he stared in surprise at the laughter tumbling from their lips, which was almost a foreign sound after days without the sound. His children… looked happy for the first time in what seemed like forever. He smiled back at them, before launching himself at Ichigo.
"My children! You have safely arrived home!" Ichigo, in his surprise, sidestepped his father and tugged Karin with him, causing the man to face-plant into the wall and fall to the floor, "Misaki, why do our children hate me so?"
"Be quiet," Ichigo scoffed, setting Yuzu down, who immediately made sure Isshin was alright while Karin giggled at her father's fate. Between their father's cries, and Ichigo's complaints about all of the homework he had, Yuzu and Karin tidying up, the house managed to regain some of its liveliness. Two friends smiled knowingly at each other, before disappearing through a doorway that came out of nowhere.
Seven Years Later…
"You did well Isshin, the boy is strong and a good kid," Jushiro commented as he Isshin and Kyoraku watched Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu interact with each other as they set up dinner.
"Yeah, he somehow managed to get all of Misaki's good traits," Isshin smiled fondly towards his children.
"And all of your bad traits too," Kyoraku snorted, "Have you seen his stubbornness and sense of duty? Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, just don't sell yourself short."
"Oi! Goat Chin!" Karin called out, peeking her head around the corner, "Hurry up or else we're eating your part of the meal!"
"Karin, you shouldn't be so mean to Dad," Yuzu gently admonished and Ichigo snorted in response.
"Don't worry about it, he can take some taunting from this shorty," Ichigo smirked as Karin glared up at him, then yelped when she smacked his arm in retaliation.
"And what about Karin? Is she showing signs…" Jushiro asked haltingly, hoping to not upset his friend.
"Yeah, she's been able to see spirits since not too long after Misaki's death. Apparently she's had some adventures with little Hitsugaya-taicho recently as well," Isshin grinned at the thought of the cool and collected Call-Me-Hitsugaya-taicho-Toshiro and his spitfire daughter who lacked the care to maintain formalities meeting up and spending some time together. Maybe he'd visit the little prodigy soon, threaten him nice and thorough before letting Ichigo loose on him.
"GOAT CHIN!" Both Ichigo and Karin yelled out in irritation since Yuzu was restricting food until their father joined them at the table.
"Coming, I'm coming. See you two later, and keep me updated on the Seireitei," Isshin waved as he walked back to the dinner table where he was promptly pushed down by one child and prevented from getting food by another. Ichigo looked back towards where his father had come from, and saw the flutter of white robes and he shook his head.
"Goddamn meddling old men, the lot of them," Ichigo muttered with a small grimace.
"Always have been, always will be!" Isshin replied boisterously and received a punch in the arm from Karin in response.
Annnnd done! I'm fairly happy with how this turned out, but will probably be edited sometime when I'm not so busy with school. Please drop a comment about your thoughts, critiques, questions or anything else you can think of, reviews are greatly appreciated!
Charlotte