Hey everybody! This is my first Bleach fanfic. I happened to fall in love with the show and have had this idea rattling around in my brain for a while now. I love reviews and constructive criticism, so feel free to give me FEEDBACK! Please? Sorry if some characters are a little OOC, I'm just getting a feel for things.
Anyways, here goes! Enjoy!
A/N: This story takes place after the Winter War where Aizen is defeated, along with the bulk of his army. Ichigo and Rukia have returned to the living world, while the Soul Society attempts to pull itself together and reestablish some kind of order after the war.
Pairings: Hitsugaya/OC, Ichigo/Rukia, Orihime/Uryu, various others
Rating: M for strong language, and later violence and sex
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.
Chapter 1 – The Aftermath
-Karakura Town-
Ichigo's eyes opened slowly to the sounds of birdsong and sunlight. He lay in bed motionless for a few moments, letting the events of the past several months wash over him. It was hard to believe really… that Aizen was dead. The war had been brutal, and there had been casualties. Tousen was dead; he had been killed by Shuuhei. Hiyori was in a state of stasis until some way could be found to piece her back together. Momo Hinamori was comatose again; the strain of fighting in the battle and the wound she had received had pushed her fragile psyche too far. Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Kyoraku, Captain Soifon, and Captain Komamura had all been seriously injured and had barely recovered. And of course, there were the myriad shinigami who had died whose names he didn't know. Ichigo sighed. And here he was, waking up in his own bed, as if it had never happened. As if he was a normal high school student. Life could be stupid sometimes.
His reverie was interrupted by tapping on the door, and Yuzu's voice summoning him to breakfast. He sat up in bed, swung his legs over the side, and reached for a pair of pants before… the door burst off its hinges and Isshin Kurosaki bounded into the room.
"ICHIGOOOOOO! Good morning, my sooooon!" the man bellowed, jumping through the air in what would have been a magnificent tackle, until Ichigo's fist promptly stopped his forward motion. Isshin squeaked as he hit the floor, skidding on his face.
"Crazy old man…" Ichigo muttered, pulling on his belt, grabbing his bag, and heading downstairs. He nodded at Karin and Rukia already sitting at the breakfast table, as Yuzu's concerned voice floated down the stairs. The three of them quietly ate their breakfast, while Isshin bounded back down the stairs and into the kitchen. Ichigo and Rukia quickly bolted out the door shouting their goodbyes behind them as they went. Karin looked up at their father, and rolled her eyes. "You're really a piece of work, you know that?"
Outside, Rukia looked at Ichigo. "Something on your mind?" she asked.
"Yeah, sorta," he responded. "I've just been thinking about what's happened lately. It's weird that things are back where they started – you and me in Karakura Town, taking on regular old hollows. Seems kinda surreal." He frowned slightly and slung his bag over his shoulder.
"I know what you mean," Rukia said. "But I think that's what the Soul Society is going for, some semblance of normalcy. The Winter War was brutal and almost tore the Seireitei apart. As is, there's still a lot of repairing and organizing to do. It's probably better if things are slow for a while. But you're right… it seems like history is repeating itself. Like we're starting at the beginning again." She shrugged.
"Maybe things really are circular…" Ichigo mused.
Their conversation ended as the two of them reached Karakura High School. They found Chad, Orihime and Uryu all inside, and the five of them greeted each other before beginning a very average day in the world of the living.
-Soul Society-
Head Captain Yamamoto gazed down the two rows of captains before him. Still only ten… three more were needed desperately. Squad Three, Squad Five and Squad Nine were still without captains, and their shinigami were in various states of disarray. Although Shuuhei Hisagi was handling his responsibilities as Squad Nine lieutenant well, Squad Five and Three were in sorry shape. Without captains, or in one case even Lieutenant Hinamori, the members were discouraged and unruly. Something needed to be done.
"Very well," Yamamoto began. "I have called this captain's meeting to order to discuss a pressing matter. I would like to begin taking candidates to fill the three empty captain's positions. I believe that your input on this matter is important, and I wish for you to put forward the names of any candidates you feel may be accomplished enough to be considered for taking over the duties and responsibilities of a captain."
A moment after Yamamoto finished speaking, Jushiro Ukitake stepped forward slightly and spoke. "I would like to offer Ichigo Kurosaki as a candidate for the position of a squad captain." There was an initial moment of silence before the room erupted into shouting.
"That's impossible!" Soifon snapped, "That boy is just a child. There's no way for him to accept the responsibilities of a captain!"
"I agree." Byakuya Kuchiki answered coolly. "The boy has no place taking a position as a captain; he's not a true shinigami. His blatant disregard for our rules and wishes further prove that he is disrespectful, immature, and will inevitably defy the wishes of the Soul Society."
"Nevertheless," Jushiro rejoined, "he has proven himself a strong ally. He is certainly at a captain's level, is a competent fighter and strategist, and has aided us numerous times."
"Just because his blood isn't pure," Shunsui Kyoraku replied, "doesn't mean he won't make a strong captain." He looked pointedly at Byakuya.
"I think it'd be interesting having the boy around." Kenpachi Zaraki grinned.
"Kurosaki is capable, however, the question is whether or not he will make a suitable captain." Toshiro Hitsugaya crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.
As the shouting continued, Yamamoto sighed and closed his eyes. This was exactly what he had been hoping to avoid. Well… Ichigo Kurosaki was certainly someone to consider. However, there was one serious issue that needed to be addressed.
"Enough!" Yamamoto growled, effectively silencing the other captains. "Ichigo Kurosaki will be taken into consideration." He raised a hand to stifle any responses. "But! In order for Kurosaki to be a candidate, he must become proficient in kido. During the period of his training, he will also be taught about the customs, history, and laws of the Soul Society. This training period will act as a trial period, in which we will decide if he is, in fact, a suitable candidate for captaincy. Now, other possible candidates?"
Captain Kuchiki stepped forward. "Lieutenant Renji Abarai."
Shunsui raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Your own Lieutenant?"
"I believe that he possesses the necessary abilities." Byakuya didn't even blink.
"Two candidates…" Yamamoto rumbled. "And one of those is uncertain. "At least one more name needs to be submitted for consideration."
Komamura suddenly stepped forward. "I would like to put forth the name of Shuuhei Hisagi."
"Shuuhei?" Zaraki raised an eyebrow. "He hasn't even achieved bankai yet. There's no way he's at captain level."
Captain Unohana quietly spoke for the first time. "Lieutenant Hisagi proved his physical strength and strength of character and will when he managed to kill Tousen. Bankai cannot be far off. He has aptly handled the day to day duties of a captain up until this point, perhaps it would be foolish to remove him and appoint someone else in his place."
"In that case, I would like to add Izuru Kira to the list of possible candidates." Hitsugaya flicked aquamarine eyes to Yamamoto. "Izuru has shown many of the same capabilities."
Yamamoto nodded slowly. "Very well then. There are officially four candidates for the position of captain within the thirteen court guard squads. I will be selecting two other captains to assist me in the selection process and captain's exam. There will be a three-month grace period, in which the candidates will be informed of their nomination and given the proper training and opportunity to prepare themselves." He paused, and grasped his staff more firmly.
"It is imperative," he continued, "to treat this matter as one of the utmost significance. The confusion within the Seireitei must be calmed. I expect all of you to work towards this end. This captain's meeting is now over, you are all dismissed."
The captains responded with a prompt "Yes sir!" and began to disperse, while Yamamoto waved Hitsugaya towards him, and the small, white-haired captain stepped forward. As Yamamoto looked at the child prodigy, he realized again with surprise that he had grown. Not excessively, but Hitsugaya was now brushing a little over five feet. Still… he was dwarfed by almost all of the other captains. There were rumors that Mayuri Kurotsuchi had something to do with the 10th squad's captain's growth spurt, but Hitsugaya insisted that it was due only to his daily naps.
Mentally shaking himself from his observations, he addressed the small shinigami, meeting the serious gaze of Hitsugaya's startling eyes. "Captain Hitsugaya, I want to send you and your Lieutenant Matsumoto, along with Renji Abarai to the world of the living to inform Ichigo Kurosaki of his candidacy for the captaincy. It will be your responsibility to bring him back to the Soul Society for his training. I expect you to leave in one week from today."
Hitsugaya nodded curtly. "Yes sir. I'll start preparing immediately." He quickly left the meeting room, and ran down the street towards the Squad 10 barracks. First things first – he would inform Rangiku about the decision (gods, she was going to be ecstatic) and then he would send word to the Squad 6 lieutenant.
He sighed. He was going to have so much paperwork to catch up on.
-Somewhere else…-
The four figures sat around the fire, which cast flickering shadows over the walls of the cave. Outside the storm continued, whipping sands into a frenzy and howling down the passageways. Finally, the first man broke the silence. "So our scouts have returned with the information we were seeking?"
"Only three out of the seven returned," came a woman's voice. "The others were lost gaining access to the ruins. Apparently there were still some traps left over, and the place still attracts strong hollows and arrancars."
An older man's voice joined the conversation. "And our suspicions…?"
"Valid." The first speaker sighed. "After analyzing the data and the research, we have confirmed our fears. Now it is time – we must send word to the Soul Society."
A cloaked woman hissed. "Shinigami… is it truly necessary to get them involved?"
"Unfortunately. The problem originated with them, and it should end with them as well. They must be alerted immediately. We must choose a representative to send to the world of the living." The old man frowned.
"The world of the living?" the cloaked woman sounded surprised. "Why-"
"Because that representative must contact the substitute soul reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki. Not only will he be more willing to listen, he may be willing to intercede for us. Don't forget, my friends, that the Soul Society will not take kindly to our arrival. We must have allies going into this. And Ichigo… has never played by the rules. He is our best hope." The first speaker sighed. "Now, we must choose someone to send."
"Someone young," the first woman interjected. "That person must be adaptable; the world of the living has changed drastically of late."
"Someone of noble birth." The old man paused. "In order for our representative to have credibility, he or she must have noble blood in his or her veins. That will hopefully force Central 46 to at least grant them a hearing. Not to mention, that will ensure political training and knowledge."
"So… a young noble…" the cloaked woman shifted uneasily. "That will not be simple. We are so scattered. However, perhaps he-?"
"No." the first speaker snapped. "He is out of the question. His hatred of the Soul Society is common knowledge, and he has a tendency to become quite violent. He would start a war that we cannot afford to fight."
The older man laced his fingers together. "The whereabouts of most nobles are unknown… Except for, of course, her. She would fit the bill quite nicely, in fact, don't you agree? One of the youngest, of noble blood, open-minded, and unafraid of a challenge… Perhaps she could be persuaded?"
The first woman frowned. "True… she would be the most suitable candidate. However, there is the issue of her aversion to battles. Do you think that this could cause her to shirk some duties if they might result on bloodshed?"
"Hopefully, there will be no bloodshed." The first man leaned back. "I agree, she is the best candidate. And she is the closest. Send a scout to her immediately; I want her through a portal and into the world of the living within 6 hours. You will brief her on the way, and provide her with all the materials she needs for her venture."
The other three figures nodded, and silently slipped away to begin preparations. The first man leaned back and watched the shadows play across the ceiling as the wind howled. Time was of the essence. He closed his eyes, and began to chant aloud. Although the old spirit chants were mostly obsolete, he would perform one anyway. She was going to need all the help that she could get.
To Be Continued…
So, there's Chapter 1! Sorry it's a bit long and a tad boring, but I had to set everything up! PLEASE R&R, I would love to hear your thoughts. Chapter 2 will be coming soon!
-Aeilyn