After the War, Before the Peace

Tall, dark, handsome and enthusiastic, Dune's the new 5th squad captain. Hyper, blonde, and a bit wacky, Chihiro's the 3rd's new captain and she loves annoying Kensei, who's back into the Gotei with his old position. And now there's ... Ichigo-fukutaicho?

I know, I know. I should be working on "Crazy People, These Arrancar" (or Maybe "Gin's Games") right now, but I'm just not feeling it, so I'm taking a break from writing those for a while. Instead, I've had this plot bunny in my head for a while now, and I wanted to test it out. Those who know me know how much of a procrastinator I am, so good luck to me, LOL …Here goes!

(((Warning: Swearing)))

CHAPTER ONE

~~ Featuring Shinji, Kensei, Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji ~~

"He wants what?" Hiyori asked incredulously.

Shinji shrugged. "Hell if I know what he's thinking. I made it clear we're not on the Gotei's side anymore, and have no intention of reconnecting old ties. So, the old man's offer was unexpected. I'm only relaying the message 'cause Urahara made me promise." Hiyori snorted in response, but her sarcastic reply was quieted with a short inquiry from Lisa: "But then again, now what?"

Seven pairs of eyes turned to stare at the slender visard. "What do you mean now what?" Kensei grunted gruffly. Without changing her expression, Lisa exemplified.

"Well, the war with Aizen is over. We got our revenge. What exactly were we planning on doing the rest of our lives? Personally, I don't really care either way. If I go back to the Gotei 13 … I'd be lying if I said I didn't have anyone to miss there." She was silent for a moment. "But, you guys are … my family, more than they are. I'd feel worse going without all of you then without any of them. Che…"

Rose sniffled. "So Poetic … OWCH, Love!" Said visard put his hand back down. "I agree that we need to think about this seriously."

"You guys can't actually be thinking about this, right?" Hiyori demanded. "I'm not going back to the Gotei 13 even if the old man begged me!" "We know, Hiyori," Shinji drawled. "It was given as more of an individual choice. After all, there are three open captain's positions. Yamamoto probably figured one or two of us would accept and the rest would stay in the human world –"

"What, split up?" Mashiro whined. "I don't wanna!" "Quiet down!" Kensei barked. "You don't have to go anywhere you don't want, but you can't control other people, so just shut up already." "Kensei, so meeeaaannnn…"

Outside, it was dark. Shinji had just come back from a surprise call from Urahara in the middle of the night, and the news he brought certainly wasn't anything that the visards had been expecting. A sudden offer from the head captain: There were three empty captain's positions, and they needed filling. How's about forgetting the past and moving forwards?

Well, not in those exact words, naturally. But that was the gist of it.

Hacchi looked into the distance. "I prefer being in the human world, but I would not mind being in the kido cores again." Shinji nodded and looked to Love and Rose. The latter sighed.

"Well, are we really going to have to decide right now? How melancholy. I'm still shocked the offer came in the first place. What about us being part hollow and all?"

"The central 46 is dead, and from what Urahara said, it sounds like they aren't going to be coming back anytime soon," Shinji stated with finality. "Looks like Aizen did one good thing at least; it seems to me that those guys never helped with anything at all. Maybe the Head Captain really is starting to break away from the old traditions and get some common sense. Who says an old dog can't learn new tricks?" He chuckled at his own joke.

Rose closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he announced, "I'm not going back to the Gotei 13. It just doesn't seem right for me."

"Me neither," Love added. "I couldn't readjust to that."

Hiyori whipped around and crossed her arms. "Hell no!"

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Three no's, and one maybe for Hacchi. You guys?" He asked nodding to Lisa, Mashiro, and Kensei. Lisa was silent, leaning against the wall, and it didn't look like she would be talking any time soon. Shinji, knowing that she was probably torn over being able to see her old captain and Nanao again, decided to move on. Taking the initiative is a good way to start…

"I guess me, myself, I don't really want to be back –" "I'm not going." Shinji blinked. It was Mashiro who had interrupted him, and she didn't have her usual peppy energy about her. She was staring hard at nothing in particular, but when she started taking next, it sounded like she was addressing Kensei.

"I can't always be following people around. I've been hanging on to what's familiar, but it's time I stopped that. From now on, I'm going to be doing things more on my own."

"….doesn't she do that already?" Love muttered to Rose, who shrugged. Kensei, however, picked up on her tone.

"What, you mean me? Always following me? Yea, but it's not like you're a dependent kind of girl. Hell, you took out at least half a dozen menos and that big-ass blue thing by yourself. And even I couldn't stop that Wonderweiss freak. So…"

"But you've already made your decision, right, Kensei?" Mashiro asked quietly. The change in her usual demeanor was a bit unsettling. Most of the visards were staring at her.

Suddenly, "What's that mean?" Hiyori asked loudly. "Made his decision? Kensei, are you actually thinking of going back?" Kensei didn't reply at first. When he did, it was in a more normal tone of voice.

"I don't know what it is exactly. You guys can't picture yourself in the new Gotei 13, I guess, but maybe I can. Or it might be that after all that, settling down for good is the thing that just doesn't seem right to me. Not having something to work towards or for? That's something I hate. I don't want to live doing nothing. So, yea, I guess I've made my decision. And I've surprised myself. This is a different answer than I would have given if you had asked me before the war."

Shinji nodded, and then looked to the side where Lisa was standing back up from her leaning position. She didn't face him, but said, "I don't know for sure if I want to go back or not, permanently. But I think I'm gonna pay an old visit to … some people from the Seireitei. See ya."

"Oi! Lisa!" Hiyori yelled. Lisa's figure vanished with a ruffle from her flash step. "Damn it! Always disappearing like that!"

Meanwhile, Love had walked over to Kensei and clapped his hand over the man's shoulder. "Good luck, mate. Visit, got it?" Kensei gave a gruff smile and said "Yea."

He didn't notice Mashiro leave the room.

Love's farewell was the cue for the others to start dispersing. Shinji walked with Kensei out of the shop, Urahara's shop as the destination (naturally, the shopkeeper was the one who was providing the travel).

"I didn't think you'd accept the offer," Shinji said suddenly. "You surprised me too." Kensei just nodded. Shinji stared at him from the corner of his eye for a while, then put his hands behind his head and sighed. Kensei gave something that could probably be better classified as something between a bark and a cough than a chuckle, but Shinji got the intent.

As they approached the shop, Kensei turned to Shinji with an inquiry. "What are you planning on doing now?" Shinji sighed again.

"Not entirely sure. Keeping the town safe from hollows, I guess. Karakura Town might need the extra hand, it I interpreted something else that Urahara hinted at correctly." Kensei frowned. Well, frowned deeper than usual. "Why's that? Unusual hollow activity?"

"No, nothing like that. It's just that … the town's resident Substitute Shinigami might not be around this place much anymore. Then again, I doubt that he'll accept the offer … well, then again, you surprised me… who knows, eh?" Kensei growled. "Stop talking in riddles, dammit!"

Shinji laughed. "I bet you'll know soon enough. Farewell." They had arrived at the small shop. Kensei gave an angry exhalation, but nodded and waved, without turning back to look at Shinji, who was slouching with his hands in his pockets.

He looked at the sky. It was nearing dawn, but Shinji didn't feel like going to bed anytime soon.

"I wonder what Ichigo's doing right now…"

"GOOOOOODDDDD MOOOORNIIIING, IIIICHIGOOOOOOOOO!"

WHAMPH.

Kurosaki Isshin's protest was muffled by the pillow that his son had just shoved halfway down his throat.

"WHAT THE HELL, OLD MAN! IT'S NOT EVEN FIVE THIRTY! DON'T BE YELLING SO LOUD THIS EARLY! YOU'LL WAKE THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD!"

"The pot calling the kettle black, strawberry."

Ichigo's eyes widened and he pushed his (smothered and twitching) father aside, looking for the owner of the cool voice.

She was standing in his doorway, arms crossed, in full shinigami robes. She gave him a familiar smirk.

Ichigo returned the gesture. "Hey, Rukia. I didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon. Aren't you stationed in the Soul Society for a while?"

After Aizen had been defeated in a brilliant joint effort of Isshin, Urahara, and Ichigo, things had slowly been returning back to normal. Many Soul reapers (the lieutenants and other officers of the third, fifth and ninth, and Matsumoto, especially) were a bit disheartened after the war, but thing in general were holding up well. Orihime had volunteered to help with the healing of the Soul Reapers, which made things go much smoother than they otherwise would have. Toshiro had thanked her for healing Hinamori, who otherwise would have needed months in the fourth division, and undoubtedly special care from the scientists in the twelfth, before she had made a full recovery. Ichigo found himself marveling at his friend's superior healing ability… and her inability to say no. Ishida had to literally drag the busty girl away from a healing center so that she could get some rest and dinner before she collapsed.

Ichigo couldn't help but notice that Ishida hadn't let Orihime out of his sight after that incident. Curious.

Back in reality, Rukia's grin was widening. It occurred to Ichigo that she must know something he didn't.

"I am. I'm not staying here. I haven't even picked up a gigai." She paused.

"Maybe you want to stop that before your dad dies."

Ichigo looked down. He was still pressing the pillow on his father's face, and Isshin wasn't twitching anymore, either. "Shit." Ichigo threw the pillow across the room.

A new voice sounded in the room. "Wow, you really are an idiot, aren't you?" "RENJI!" Ichigo yelled, surprised. Said lieutenant laughed from where he was crouching; in Ichigo's window.

"What are YOU doing here?" Ichigo asked his fried. Renji looked to Rukia. "You haven't told him yet?" "I was just about to," Rukia sniffed. "You interrupted me."

Renji jumped down from the window and gave a low bow. "I apologize, oh great and mighty third seat of the 13th division." Rukia just grinned in response.

Ichigo stopped poking his father (who was passed out, apparently) to stare at Rukia. "…No way."

"Way," was her response. "Well, geeze," Ichigo said. "Congrats. But did you come from the Sould Society just to tell me that?" "Nope," Renji said. "We're here to give you a test an a choice. Don't think I'll go easy on you, either."

Ichigo paused as this sunk in. "Wait, what? Go easy? A choice? What are you – GAH!" The substitute shinigami leapt aside as his friend suddenly sprung forwards in a punch that would have connected squarely with Ichigo's jaw. Behind him, Rukia pulled out a familiar glove and sprung at him as well – this punch he didn't avoid.

Ichigo's spirit body sailed across the room and straight out the open window, just as Rukia planned. His human body slumped on the floor across from his father's, who opened one of his eyes at Rukia.

"Good luck," he said. "Tell me how does." "Yessir," Rukia replied.

After the war, Rukia had learned a bit about Kurosaki Isshin's rather …. unique position from her captain. But, it wasn't her story to tell or to know, so she mostly left it alone.

Meanwhile, Renji had jumped out the window after Ichigo, yelling "First test! Start!"

Rukia smiled as she heard something that sounded vaguely like 'what the hell you crazy bastard' in response.

Ah, yes. Life was good.