Fitting in: Part 1
Ichigo awoke in his room. His room in the Kuchiki Estate to be precise. According to Rukia it was way larger than his room when he been alive, but Ichigo couldn't remember much about his life when he been well... alive. According to Rukia he had died about nine months ago fighting Aizen the traitor. While he lost a lot of his memories, he had been fortunately far from forgotten and Rukia with the help of Yachiru had found him and helped him make a new start.
However Byakuya had forbidden Ichigo from going to the world of the living due to the 'serous complications' that Ichigo's reappearance, lack of aging and serous memory loss would cause. But Ichigo was pretty sure that he would have a wall with pictures of friends on it in his old room, but probably not a frame to place his huge sword Zangetsu on, or several books on Kidō (serous books in black covers, not Chapy covered versions like Rukia's).
On a normal day Ichigo would wake, train with Renji a little while and then eat. He then spend a fair bit of the afternoon with Rukia , typically learning history, noble rules of good manners or Shinigami related stuff like Kidō. A little while before tea time he then go train some more with the Eleventh Division and after being half beaten senseless by Kenpachi, visit Forth Division, get patched up and then go back to the Kuchiki Estate.
He then have a family meal with the Kuchiki's, with Byakuya often firing of random questions based of what Rukia had been teaching him. After that he spend the rest of the evening talking with Rukia between kissing her senseless before retiring to his room. All in all it was a pretty nice set up, through sometimes Ichigo wished he didn't own Yachiru a debt of honor that required him to train with Kenpachi as much as he did, typical while limping towards Forth Division.
All in all however, he gotten use to his daily routine. However today was going to be different...
"You awake yet Strawberry!?" Rukia shouted as pulled the door open violently and without warning. Ichigo felt himself blush as he realized Rukia wasn't alone and he wasn't dressed.
"Your right Kuchiki-san...." Yoruichi said as she walked in, despite Ichigo not being fully dressed. "He has put on some muscle in the last few months!"
Ichigo glared at Rukia who was wearing her 'I'm so innocent' face.
"What the hell you doing, bringing Yoruichi into my room before I'm even dressed!" Ichigo shouted at her.
"Oh I was so sure you be dressed by now my sweet little Strawberry." Rukia said in her deliberately over sweet tone she used when trying to annoy Ichigo. "And I did warn you yesterday that I be waking your early for the meeting with the captains"
"And at no point did you say you bring Yoruichi into MY room to ogle at me!" Ichigo shouted back in reply as he rapidly clothed himself, while trying to avoid the Second Division Captains gaze.
"But I also didn't say I wouldn't " She said with a smirk. "And the way I look at it if you got it, flaunt it. Plus, I'm secure in the knowledge that your mine and mine alone. So why not show of?"
Ichigo sighed at the crazy, demented, cunning and underhand midget, then turned to Yoruichi.
"So besides ogling, what bring you to my room at this time in the morning Yoruichi?" Ichigo asked politely as he ignore the grinning midget. "I thought you where about the only captain who doesn't want me in your squad?"
"Oh thats true." She said with a grin. "Which is why I'm best suited to take you to the captains meeting, no bias and a nice sensible head on my shoulder to advise you with."
The reaction Rukia took to this comment was priceless.
"But thats my job!" She shrieked , much to Ichigo's delight. Yoruichi pointed her finger at Rukia and replied.
"Utterly biased." She said bluntly. "Firstly you hold Shunsui and Ukitake in rather high regard. And secondly you had this serous brother-taking-over-your-life complex with Byakuya ever since Ichigo's moved in."
"I am not biased at all!" Rukia shouted back in a quick reply to a smirking Yoruichi
"So you have no trouble trusting someone who's both three times as old as you and a good friend to guild your boyfriend on a important choice?"
Rukia just stared at Yoruichi a few moments before sighing.
"You best guide him properly." She said softly while glancing at Ichigo.
"Oh don't worry I will" Yoruichi said before mischievously glancing at Ichigo. "Through I must admit you really got the jackpot with Ichigo, six pack and a super firm but too to boot!"
Ichigo felt himself go as red as a strawberry.
"You're as bad as Soifon you know." Yoruichi said as she walked back out the door. "She goes the same shade whenever I change from cat to human in front of her, it like she never seen me in the nude before or something... but anyway lets move it Ichigo!"
Ichigo followed Yoruichi out the room, but not before Rukia quickly whispered in his ear.
"I really pity Soifon at times..."
It didn't take that long to reach the First Division barracks at all, mostly because Yoruichi was determined to test exactly how good Ichigo flash steps technique was. However as they stood before the doors, Yoruichi stopped and placed one hand on his shoulder.
"Ichigo." She said seriously. "By the end of today you be a full member of the Gotei 13, in fact its safe to say you be a seated officer of some rank to boot whoever squad you end up in. Whoever ends up being your captain you be expect to follow to the very gates of hell if necessary and follow there orders regardless of your view on them."
Ichigo stared at her in the eyes, she was clearly very serous indeed.
"Its for theses reason I recommender that which ever part of your heart you decided to follow, that you don't join Capitan Hitsugaya in the Tenth Devision. He's far too young for to take seriously as a superior and you must be willing to accept your captain as your captain, its vital for the smooth running of any squad."
Ichigo stared into her eyes a few moments as he considered the wisdom in her words.
"Thanks Yoruichi-sensei" Ichigo said with a slight bow of his head. She grinned in reply and messed his hair.
"Just follow your heart Ichigo and you be fine." She said playfully. And with that and a fair bit of trepidation in his heart, Ichigo pushed open the doors that led to his future.