Book 1: Shinōreijutsuin

Sixty years after the winter war, Kurosaki Ichigo's human body finally died. His family were not sad though as they had all inherited his latent shinigami spiritual powers and knew that he was not truly dead, merely no longer living. After he had watched his own funeral he opened the Senkaimon and entered through it, going from Earth to Soul Society. When he was in Soul Society he said, "Hi, how're you doing?" to the gate guards, who were levelling their pikes at him.

One of the guards demanded. "Who are you? We haven't received any reports on any shinigami coming back today."

"Uhh...Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Who?" one of the other gate guards asked.

"Hey, he's that substitute shinigami...you know...the one from that battle against the Arrancar."

"Really? He doesn't look anything like what I thought he would...I mean, besides the hair."

"So what did you think I'd look like?" Ichigo asked, for some reason really irritated at the guards words.

"Well...my group thought that you'd be all muscle-bound...you know...like the 11th squad captain."

"Why?"

"Well...in the academy we were told that you only ever used your Zanpakutō, and since by all reckoning the only ones that do that are the blockheads in the 11th squad."

"So you thought that I was a blockhead, did you?"

"Uhh..." the second guard said, realising that he had just dug himself into a massive hole that he had no hope of climbing out of.

"Ahh, buck up, I'm just messing with you. Seriously though, how do I sign up as a proper shinigami?"

"Wait...you're not here to save Seireitei this time?"

"No. I just died about a week ago. I'm here for good this time."

"I see...that's good." the first guard said.

"Why?" Ichigo asked.

"Most of the shinigami nowadays are relatively green...there only experience dealing with hollow being a training exercise in the academy...even then it's in a controlled situation with pseudo-hollow."

"I see," Ichigo said, "So, like I said, where do I go from here?"

"Hmm...I'd head on over to the 1st Division HQ."

"Okay, can you show me where that is?"

"Yeah sure...no...actually just let out some of your reiatsu, that should call some of the higher-ups here...actually no...don't do that. I'll take you to the 1st Division HQ."

"Alright, lead the way," Ichigo said, indicating for the guard to go first.

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Eight minutes later Ichigo was standing before the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. He said, "Unohana-san?"

"Kurosaki-san? What are you doing here?"

"I just recently passed away in the Living World...but enough about that, where's Yama-jii?"

"Still forgetting to place the proper honorific after a persons name are we Kurosaki-san?"

"Well...looks like some things never change."

"But some things do. Genryūsai-dono is no longer the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13...I am."

"You are...so..."

"Genryūsai-dono couldn't get over the recent death of Chōjirō Sasakibe and started making reckless decisions that caused the current captains to appeal to the Central 46 to force him to step down."

"So who's running the Fourth Squad now?"

"Isane is."

"She has a Bankai now?"

"It has been around sixty years Kurosaki-san. No seated office can stay in their position if they don't continuously dedicate themselves to learning more to cover current weaknesses."

"Hey hey, I didn't mean it like that. I was just curious, that's all."

"Oh. So I suppose that you wish to discuss your future as a full-fledged shinigami then?"

"Well...I was hoping to, yes."

"I see...well, I've been informed that Zaraki-taichō is very determined to get you into his squad."

"Please no, please no, please no!" Ichigo plead.

"To be quite honest I'm tempted to just form another squad for you to lead...however..."

"The time that I've spent away from here may have dulled my skills...is that what you're thinking?"

"No, not me. It's just that there will likely be some that think that way and either object to the formation of another squad, and some members of that squad may think that you are some kind of push-over, or look to make a name for themselves, thinking that you were an easy target..."

"I see...so what would you suggest?"

"Hmm...I would suggest a period of time as a seated officer of one of the current divisions...of course there is the problem that right now you would only really fit into the Eleventh Division, which I hear you are not planning to have much contact with."

"Okay...so what should I do then?"

"Well...there is always Shinōreijutsuin."

"Shinōreijutsuin?"

"It is literally translated as Spiritual Arts Academy, but is more commonly referred to as the Shinigami Academy, where all prospective shinigami go to learn the basic skills that shinigami use, both for combat and for supportive purposes."

"I see...so that would allow me to gain experience with using other combat methods, thereby making me fit into one of the other squads?"

"Exactly..."

"Alright then let's do thi..."

"However," Unohana-taichō said, interrupting Ichigo. "Ever since the Winter War that has been included as part of the lessons on the history of soul society."

"Yeah, so I've heard."

"You have?"

"Yeah, Minato was quite the talker," The gate guard said.

"It seems that all that got into the lessons about my appearance was that I have bright orange hair."

"I see. Well even so, there is no other shinigami in all of Seireitei with hair that colour. So,..." Unohana flash-stepped behind Ichigo, placing her hand on the top of his head and said, "Kidō #1: Heakea: Midoriiro," as she did Ichigo's hair turned from orange to green, spreading out from Unohana's hand. "There, that should do it for the appearance...now all we need is a name..."

"A name?! What're you talking about?"

"Well, as you said, all they know is your hair colour and your name, this is a way around it...Ah! Shin'ichi...Aosaki Shin'ichi."

"Oi oi," Ichigo said in a low tone, indicating his disbelief at Unohana's obsession with the colour green.

"Okay, Shin'ichi, you'll need to go through the proper processes for enrolment for the Shinigami Academy. Luckily the entrance exams take place in roughly three weeks."

"Luckily? Why is that?"

"Because, Kurosaki-san, while some student do take swords into the academy with them, the swords are never so distinct as yours is."

"Okay, so what...I leave it here with you?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Unohana said in a surprised tone. "You will just need to find a way to seal it into the form of a normal sword. That's all."

"That's all is it," Ichigo said in a flat tone.

"Yes. Normally it is not a problem, but since you seem to still have your reiatsu control problems, you'll need to enter jinzen and ask the spirit of your Zanpakutō to grant you the ability to seal it into a normal sword form."

"Okay, where can I do that?"

"Although it shouldn't take too long, it would be ideal for you to do this where I can oversee your training."

"Alright," Ichigo said, resting his sword on his lap. When he closed his eyes he was already in his inner world. When he saw the spirit of his Zanpakutō he said, "Hey Zangetsu, it's been a while."

"Indeed it has Ichigo. It is good to see you again."

"So, you must know what I want," Ichigo more stated than asked, knowing from past experiences that anything he knew so did Zangetsu.

"Indeed I do."

"And?"

"I will seal your sword for you...although that means that you will need to learn how to fight without relying on the greater weight of me."

"Alright. I'll come here whenever I can to train...that hollow is still around, isn't he?"

"Yes. Although it is strange for you to be asking about him after all this time."

"Not really. He's like a version of me that already knows the extent of my powers, which makes him the greatest training partner that I could hope for."

"I see...Very well then, when you leave this place I will have sealed myself into the form of a chokutō since it functions in a similar way to my Shikai..."

"Okay, than..."

"I'm not finished yet."

"Oh, sorry about that. I thought you were."

"I had thought that after all this time you would have learnt a little of patience."

"Well, I suppose that I did in my real body back on earth, but it never really transferred on to my Shinigami form...I'm not sure why."

"Well...anyway...if I am to be sealed, then you will also need to know how to unseal me."

"Oh! Of course! I'd completely forgotten about that!"

"Yes, well I suppose that that is only to be expected, not having any contact with other shinigami for more than half a century."

"So how do I do it?"

"Unsealing a zanpakutō's true form usually requires the use of a release command or phrase. This can be overcome once the shinigami knows Bankai. For our current purposes it would be best if you did use a release phrase however. My release phrase is 'tear'(1)."

When Ichigo returned from his inner world Unohana told him to follow one of her guards to the 12th Squad Barracks to talk to Mayuri about getting a device to limit his reiatsu to that of a seated officer instead of his current level of the previous Captain-Commander.

2 weeks later he had two wristbands that sealed one third of his reiatsu each as, according to Mayuri, any more and he would be overpowered by his own power if he tried to remove it after an indeterminate period of time and a modified sheathe that opened up lengthwise when Shin'ichi pushed a button on the end of his Zanpakuto's hilt. It could also be drawn like a normal sword. A week after that, he turned up to the Shinōreijutsuin to take the enrolment exam.

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Author's notes:

(1) tear = the ripping apart of something by force