Title: Undermining the Peace
Pairings: Aizen/Ichigo and others
Rating: PG13
Warning: Yaoi, some violence. OC alert.
Summary: Consequences don't end after just a few days. After all, people can never be happy when their loyalties are divided by time, space, and worlds.
Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach or anything affiliated with it
Chapter One (Highest of Hopes)
Life had been going great for Kon are far he was able to see. Ever since that whole "winter war" business finished seven years ago, he'd been having a full on rockin' time in Ichigo's body, which was kept in premium shape. Wasn't like the guy was using it anymore right? Given that Urahara had arranged for the Kurosaki family to "die in a freak gas accident" and blow the clinic to kingdom come, Kon had moved out to the islands of America, where no one had ever heard of the name Ichigo Kurosaki.
Except, Sado Yasutora and his gaggle of children who lived only a little ways off from Cancun. Party poopers.
It was creepy though, seeing Sado as man. He'd only filled out a little more but wore his hair shorter and more of his face visible- still had those god awful shirt prints. That and his accent was back stronger than ever.
The two light hair kids, or were they kids? Their bodies said they were like five? Four? He didn't know anything about kids. But then there was an after image of what they would look like as adults.
Especially that dark haired kid, Sousuke Aizen, who just kept staring at him.
"Ichigo?" Sado coughed up his drink and the other two poked at him.
"Sou-kun, he said his name was Kon, right?" Sado had obviously raised them bilingual. After a few minutes of curious staring the light kids went outside to play and the dark one sat in a corner pretending to read. Unless reading upside down was the newest school subject.
"Thinking about returning to Japan, Sado? Or are you afraid of the trouble these there'll get into?" Silent as ever he just nodded and kept staring into space.
Ch'e, figures he'd be the most unsocial host ever.
"Hallie! Great to see you again!" Oh damn, who was that woman? She had it all!
"Sado, I need to-"
"What's your name, girl, what's your sign?" Ouch! Why did glasses hurt that much?! How the hell did she break that mug anyway?
"KUROSAKI?" Out of no where a sword was drawn and up to his throat. Feisty.
"This is not fucking fair, does everybody freaken know this kid?" Sado put a hand over the woman's mouth and shushed him, pointing to his lap. The brown hair kid was curled up in it.
"That's the first time he's slept in weeks. Let him be, Kon." Kon looked between the two and paid more attention to the little brat in his lap. He swore this kid looked familiar some how but… No. It couldn't be?
"Hey, Sado, whatever happened to Ichigo. I mean really. I don't buy that whole cock and bull story Urahara gave to the Shinigami- there's no way a Vasto Lorde would attack a room full of people." The two dark skinned people went completely silent and Kon guessed they were talking. Of all of them, Sado looked the saddest.
"He's in hell Kon." That wasn't the answer he was looking for. He was kinda expecting that he ran off with Rukia-neesan. Though the "hell" was a little more believable.
"Explain, please."
---
Nemu felt that she had adjusted to the human world fairly well and finally felt like she was understand the things her friends had told her all the time. That maybe it wasn't all her fault and maybe she was still a shinigami. She knew that her sword wasn't really like the other zanpakto, it didn't have a spirit or a name but that was probably because she wasn't born, just constructed like the other modsouls.
What worried her the most was Chizuru's blooming reiatsu. Most of the Karakura citizens had some sort of spiritual powers- it was, after all, the most spiritually dense place on earth and a few humans had realized that.
"Baby? What's the matter, I thought you had an Orgo lecture now?" Speaking of the devil, her girlfriend eased herself onto the couch into nothing other that a tee and the beaker printed underwear she had given her.
After the 12th division human biology and chemistry was child's play, and Tokyo University was very…accommodating for her lack of records just to get their hands on her. She had changed a lot in the past years, much more human like. Instead of her hair always being pulled back neatly it hung loose and Ishida had even commented that she seemed much more spirited and alive now. It was the little things, mostly the stuff that Chizuru taught her.
"Chi, you remember how I told you I was different?" Mmm. Chizuru snuggle her face in her stomach and relaxed with the newspaper- typical of the "liberal arts" major without any structure or set classes.
"I'm dead. Or rather I'm an artificial soul that was put into a false body so I looked human. You can ask Tatsuki-chan and Ishida. I need to tell you…"
"Baby shut up. I knew some of that already, you know? Just…just forget about it alright? It's over now and I'm not dying anytime soon." Here she smirked and winked through the glasses, holding onto the arms that were rubbing circles on her stomach.
"Plus if anything does happen I've got my strong superwoman here with me right?"
Nemu had never realized that you could be uncomfortable in skin until you really felt it. Earth was much more heavenly than the Seireitei in all aspects so far.
"That's right Chi. Not going to let anything hurt you." The red head rolled off of the couch and told her to get her ass to class, because someone had to get a job to pay the bills.
---
Uryu wished the disaster of a night was over already. It was awkward to so many degrees that even the waitress was given him sympathetic looks. Having his partner thoroughly discuss his less then stellar hollow fights with Ryuuken, who had quite suddenly remembered the first four years of his life and nothing else.
He was an adult he didn't have to take this.
"Hah! And did he every tell you about the time he missed the hollow's wing and landed face first into a ramen stand?" Or he could flee to the men's room, where even the towel man felt sorry for him. The old man gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder while he gripped the sink tighter.
"Look, at least she's comfortable enough with you and your family to tell these stories. The man seems to like her as well." That did it.
"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" could be heard throughout the restaurant and the stares went to the well watched table.
"You may excuse yourselves back your meals." Tatsuki tsked and Ryuuken poured her a glass of wine.
"You'd think he'd grow up, even a little. We've been living with each other for two years now and he still can't get that I like him."
"To be fair I think he's a little afraid of you." Tatsuki hadn't ignored her life after the whole Winter War business and was now the undisputed female martial arts expert in Japan, with other titles and rankings spread around.
"And you're not?"
"No, I'm not."
"You're not what? Done humiliating me in public?" Ryuuken scoffed at him and motioned for the check before helping Tatsuki out of her seat.
"You do that to yourself. You never really were careful enough about everything around you. It has been a pleasant evening Arisawa-san." The walk to the cars was silent, as was the drive home between the not-couple.
"I don't think you understand how much of a bastard that man is Tatsuki." She hung her arm out of the window and watched the edges of her newest sprained wrist blow around.
"Or maybe you're not just used to giving people the chances they deserve." Uryu's frown deepend and her kept his eyes on the road instead of her.
"It would be best to stay away from him Tatsuki." Tatsuki missed Ichigo. Even when he was off doing his own thing he'd always at least talk to her about whatever was on he mind and knew when she was bothered.
'And he'd probably get where I'm coming from too.'
Chapter Two (Young Lust)
The crowd gave the two of them a wide berth, even the teachers. It wasn't too often that one of the Captains personally came to the graduation of a few students, especially when there wasn't anybody really exceptional in the class.
That, and the 13ths guard dog was there with Captain Hitsugaya. The number of solicitors and "well wishers" going to see Ukitake dropped drastically after they had pissed Karin off a few too many times. They weren't waiting in the celebratory courtyard long when the three they came for ran out, decked in their official uniform.
"We're done! No more school, homework, or stupid matrons!" Yuzu hugged her sister close to her chest and held on for quite a while. While students were allowed to be visited the seven year separation between the twins wasn't a very welcome one. Ururu had missed Karin too and couldn't wait to see if they would be in the same squad.
"So you've already been taken in by a division?" Toshiro knew enough from experience to let the girls have their gibberish said and talked to Jinta, who hopefully had become more stable from the years of school.
"Fuck Yeah!" he took his sword out of its sheath and slammed into the ground with much gusto, leaving little cracks behind. "11th Division Seated officer!" He looked so proud. Toshiro wondered how his guardians were taking that.
"Still don't think it's fair, you know." Ururu was out of the running for seated officer for the time being. Her poor literacy skills kept her out of the advanced classes Yuzu and Jinta were able to get into, even though during the entrance, she overpowered them.
"Don't feel so bad. Jinta only got in because there were gaps from the recent deaths in the 11th. Well catch up in no time." Yuzu pouted at his sister, who was already one the three 14th seats in her own division and towards Toshiro. "But why aren't you two in uniform?" Toshiro looked at their outfits- still nicely styled but colorful in the ways that their uniforms weren't.
"We took the day off and there's no reason to make us look like we could be called on duty." Karin's pager chose that moment to go off. "…because we took the day off that shouldn't be even on."
"Che. You don't have as many emergencies in job. Something goes wrong and Captain Ukitake worries and gets sicker." Jinta had to start talking again.
"And that is why you are the bitch to call." Dimly Toshiro wondered if there were any fourth division members to be in the crowd.
"Oh, I haven't seen him bleed that much since the 7th year cut his stomach open."
"Such a shame really. Well at least Captain Unohana will get to know him." The two girls went over to help Jinta but Toshiro was curious about what Karin was rapidly typing.
"Karin, who are you typing so much to?"
"None of your damn business. Yachiru said she'll be at the party over the Shiba's. Grandma's gunna freak when she find out that Yuzu's joining a division anyway." The trio didn't head immediately back because the posting for the divisions where about to be put up, and well, Jinta was still being healed.
"You know you could just be my Vice Captain." Toshiro didn't think Karin should have laughed that loud- she was his best friend as far as things went.
"Friends don't let Friends have the same office. Besides I'm not replacing anybody."
"That's not fair. I don't know who Matsumoto is anyway…"
"Or much of the battles either." Yuzu came running back, pulling Ururu along with her.
"KARIN! I'm in Captain Madarame's division! And Ururu's with Orihime-chan!"
---
Momo threw the stacks of paper onto her Capatin's desk. No, on Isshin's desk, because he wasn't her captain. It had taken her a while but she had come to terms with the fact that Captain Aizen had been conned but was still guilty until proven innocent. She understood that.
And this son of a bitch demoted her to 3rd seat, leaving the Vice Captaincy Vacant. Her Captain Tanimonban took away everything she had worked for with no apparent reason. His son, the Ryoka, was probably the one who caused the whole winter escapade anyway.
"Eh? Why are you being so mean!" She pointed to where her Vice Captain's badge used to be and glared at him some more, hoping that he gets the point.
"You've got to prove to me you want it back! I can't just give the job away to anybody! Even you're friend, Kira, learned to bend to the will of his captain!" It was true. While not bald, a couple of the third division members held Kira down and cut his hair. Recently there has also been an increase in the lack of shirts in the division- slowly ebbing its way into a male-only one. Well maybe not quite.
"Can't believe your taking that calmly…" Of course she knew that Isshin knew nothing about Yuzu's placement, it had only happened that morning after all and the sisters wanted time with one another.
"What am I taking calmly?" He seemed mildly curious and bugged eyed at the info formation.
"Why little Yuzu being in the third division after all. I'm sure she'll get used to the sight of their bare chests and sweaty work outs soon enough."
Resultingly she might have been deaf in her one ear for a while, but the look of total horror on her supposed Captains face was fun. The screaming not so much.
---
It was all a matter of statistics and numbers. Because of the missing Captains, the 3rd, 5th, 9th, and 12th had less structure and incoming shinigami than the rest. Ergo, for the past few years, they have been given preference to the class of shinigami.
Explaining all this to Isshin Tanimonban was easy if you hit him enough times. But that wasn't what was confusing him- and Izuru for that matter. Yuzu Kurosaki was a Kurosaki and that did not explain her…her behavior.
"Please take good care of me!" She was bowing! She had manners! Izuru watched as his Captain cried. He'd been excited when another Kurosaki was coming around that this demur little girl pretty much left his hopes in the garbage.
"Kira, do we have someplace we can put her? They're going to rip her apart." He felt bad for those little girls, either of the names they could have chosen we both very dangerous. Some of their men didn't easily forgive those that had died when the traitors started their assault on the Seireitei, or her brother's part in murdering the royal guards.
"Our human world rotation is coming up. She grew up in Karakura, right?" Ikkaku's head gleamed when he smiled.
"Perfect! And her family won't have to kill me then too." It was a rapid flurry of paperwork all over the place, somehow getting his signature on all of them. It had to be some sort of 11th division training cause Renji and Iba were able to do the same thing.
"Yes. With your luck she'd get hurt and her brother'll come back from the grave." There was a shudder in the room. Without a doubt is was miraculous how close they were to being annihilated and avoided it.
Chapter Three (Without A Net)
"Okay, lights are good. Makudo, you have the permits and everything right? Okay, we go in seven." Keigo was content with his life; a decent paying job, no wife, and lots of movement. How he'd managed to become the head of stage crew for Ghost Bust and its related shows all had to do with one very simple thing. His Karakura Life. Besides Ghost Bust, several ghost and other world shows knew that Karakura was different, especially the people that lived there. Almost everybody who had been in the town for more than five years had some sort of sensitivity, while faint blurbs of the dead were visible to the lifers there.
Keigo knew why people in Karakura suddenly disappear for no reason and he knew who lived in those houses. It was scarey to think of what was living there but Kanoji said not to disturb them and they might not attack. The lights above the stage creaked and a black robed appeared in front of him
"Excuse me, I will need to speak with Kanoji and yourself." Keigo didn't see this night ending well- this shinigami didn't seem like a fan of the show.
"Err, could you wait until after filming." The nondescript man paused before nodding.
"If its needed for your full attention then yeas, that would be alright. This is a matter of urgency that I do not think you'll over look." Then something struck Keigo as odd, the way his uniform was colored. Where the white undershirt normally was, there was a blue one.
He didn't have any powers like her friends, per say, but years of living with his sister helped him realize when it was about to hit.
---
Erito Takada looked att he boy in front of him and realized that once again the 11th division had picked the single most violent fighter from the graduating class and gave him a seated position. He himself had started at 12th seat and worked his way to the 6th seat, but it was not fun.
For all the misgivings about Captain Zaraki he had the least seated officers of the Seireitei; as in there was no seat sharing. When the painful revelation that maybe Captain Commander Kyouraku did screw up his placement, Erito tried as hard as he could to get out of the division.
And somehow through every single fight he had either won through accident or technical default. He didn't know until the last fight that having pain meds in your system while trying to fight was technical default. Shujin got transferred out instead of himself and Erito didn't think he'd ever forgive him for that.
"OH! Ken-chan JINTA'S HERE!" It was bad enough seeing one kid here, but two? And this 'Jinta' seemed to be on friendly terms with the Vice Captain.
"C'mon, lets go bother Toshiro!"
"Wait, let me get my bat. Is Karin going to be there?" Since this was not a time of war their sword had to be put away for the most part. Of course this kid has a bat to substitute. The former 3rd seat Captain Madarame still carries around his wooden sword too.
"Hope so cause I need to talk to her about something. I've been hearing some no good things."
---
"Good Morning Captain Hime." Orihime smiled at the shinigami passing, trying not to flinch. She hated when people called her that. Almost nobody respected her as a Captain and it was really starting to show. Dealing with that still she had to go and face Captain Unohana now, who disliked her for no explainable reason.
She became a Captain to help people and felt pretty useless right about now.
Even just a few months ago the First Division's living quarters would have been lively and very vibrant but then she wouldn't be there.
"Please enter Captain Inoue. Captain Kyouraku is still in his drugged sleep, so please be quick." It was really sad. Shunsui was dying in the same way as Captain Yamamoto had just the few years before. Ukitake looked so worried and sick himself, sitting in the corner while Unohana waited over Shunsui's bed. She wasn't able to cure or even slow down the disease or whatever it was. It started slow and came as more of a shock then Yamamoto's since he was still so young; well, comparatively. Ukitake sighed and looked at her.
"We really appreciate you keeping so quiet. Lisa and Nanao have suspicions but they don't know yet."
"I understand. I reject, Soten Kisshun." Her fan's blades dissolved into the yellow light and started undoing the damage and strain to Captain Kyouraku. Theoretically it was taking more and more to get rid of the damage and it just kept coming back faster. Lisa only started suspecting something when his sake was replaced with herbal tea and medicine- the others didn't know at all.
"Captain Inoue?" Oh! She blanked out.
"Sorry Captain Unohana, you were saying?" There was a cold look but she didn't shiver or waver. She imagined that Unohana would be like her own mother and not really like her anyway. Orihime wondered if her mother and father were even aware that she was dead.
"You are dismissed." It was a long walk back to the 12th and she didn't feel like flash stepping. Some of the courtyards were very nice as were the people. She wasn't respected but well liked if anything made sense. Seven years and she still couldn't help anybody, was even more alone before, and still felt useless.
---
"Oh, hey, Rukia do you think-"
"Sorry Renji really have to go see you!" Rukia didn't think she could shut the door to the 13th Division any faster. She let out a sigh and wondered if he was going to get the point anytime soon.
"A problem Kuchiki-san or is Renji just being obtuse?" Yumichika smirked passed the closed gateway where Renji would most likely be sulking another missed chance at asking Rukia out. The girl could only fist her hair in frustration.
"Fifty years he doesn't speak to me and now its like he's trying to make up for lost time! Ouch!" Yumichika slapped her hands out of her hair.
"It is most unfortunate that someone like yourself had decided that being as bald as Ikkaku is a good hairstyle. Come on and have some tea with me before your next assignment. Captain Ukitake is making sure the Toshiro Watch is still in full effect and Kiyone and Sentaro are...well they're gettign drunk. Sometime I wonder if there is a real difference between this division and the 11th."
"Thank you Ayesegawa-san. Its just... I can't even wander near the 6th withouth being afraid that he'll well..."
"Say no more Kuchiki-san, it'll be taken care of one way of another. Now tea?"
---
House number seventeen was horrible. It brought to mind picture of the American film Animal House, in both appearance and the people living there.
"Avirama, get your ass back in here!"
"Fuck off Finder, I'm watching people here." Tesla sighed and started sweeping in front of their white house. Apparently they couldn't' quite let go of the whole "white walls and sand" theme from Heuco Mundo. So far the neighbors just thought they were institutional escapees trying to find zen.
Il Forte had been systematically putting together a chain link fence for the better part of two days while Apache bitched from the kitchen.
Tesla wondered if they were ever going to understand Karakura town- or why they weren't even its strangest residents.
Chapter Four (The I in Epic)
Hihati smacked the girl across her cheek before lacing up her shoes for softball.
"I didn't bring you to all these fucking practices for you to sit on the benches, understand me Ami?" Ami didn't look at her mom but nodded before the coach called her in for the pre-game warm up.
"Hikati! Great to see you again, Mina, why don't you run along and warm up with Ami over there?" Deidei skipped over to the other mother in the bleachers waiting for the game to start. "It must make you so excited to see your daughter playing softball like you used to, she's the spitting image of you. Will Mugen be here tonight?"
Hihati probably hated this woman more than she hated the fucking surgeon that decided that her foot was too dead and hacked it off twelve years ago. The bitch's husband died, her kid was barely passing school, and she was nearly jobless but still so happy. It was sickening.
"Maybe if she could hit something I'd be proud but it looks like she's got Mugen's talent." As in none at all. Deidei frowned.
"You should be a little happier for her you know. She's probably just trying to make you happy and be a great player like you used to be. Watch, I'm sure her and Mina will score home runs this time. YOU CAN DO IT MINA BABY!" The blonde spazz screamed at her duaghter when the game started.
"Right, sure she will." 'And I'll get my position of short stop back again.'
---
They were too quiet for him to really appreciate and had that "quiet honor" stuff, but Kensei wanted to know where on earth Captain Komamura and Hisagi were dragging him. They had talked on occasion and it had been odd to think that one of the brats he'd scared away from the hollow on That Night grew up to be good shinigami.
The tattoos needed and explanation though, cause Lisa had literary laughed at the double 69 symbol. He knew that would bite him in the ass someday. It'd been a rough half a year since Love and Hatch both kicked the bucket. Rose and Mashiro were oddly content with living as humans, Rose working in a music store and Mashiro starring in a biweekly segment of Ghost Bust. The furry one spoke first and Hisagi listened with rapt attention.
"You were Kaname's captain according to what Ukitake said. How...well how was he in your division." Tousan, may the traitor rot in hell, was the Komamura's first friend and the other's beloved captain. He had to break this easily.
"Kaname Tousan was self righteous prick who kissed Aizen ass from day one. No one in my damn squad liked the asshole and it was probably only cause the twisted fuck was being used that he was even put in the Captaincy position." Well, maybe not gracefully given but it worked. Mashiro probably would have been laughing at them or hitting him.
"Perhaps it would be best in you left, Muguruma." It wasn't like he wanted to be involved with those two oddballs anyway. Seriously, who tattoos their face because of some random ass person?! The downward slope from the grave was a quiet one and Kensei had his hands stuffed into his khakis- most vizards kept their human clothes- when a lone shinigami was heaving his way back up.
"Just a warning, everybody at the tops in a moody way." Even he couldn't see through the glasses the shinigami in front of him seemed to be downcasted.
"But Shuuhei knows that we've got a meeting in an hour. We're finally getting the new budget."
"Budget?" All weariness disappeared and Kensei swore he saw flames appear behind the shinigami.
"Yes! Finally, the Shinigami Men's Association will have funds to work with and be respected for!" He knew his grin wasn't all that welcoming but he sure as hell was.
"Ignore them, you've got my full attention. Now, Men, as in no spastic chicks?"
---
She was completely bored with this game. Occasionally you'd see a girl that was almost capable of being semi-pro with training but there was absolutely no talent to be seen at this game. Not even from her own duaghter.
You'd think Deidei would realize that.
"COME ON SWING IT GIRL! AMI HIT IT RIGHT OUTTA HERE!" She insisted on screaming loud enough for the both of them.
The universe is a strange place and selective in itself, with irony showing in the cruelest of ways. It was during that pitch that Ami Teuno would hit her first and only home run for her entire life.
That wayward ball would also be the one that shot itself with a crack right into Hihati's head, shattering bone and giving her an almost instant death.
Oddly enough, Deidei was also completely silent for the only time in her life for that moment as well.
---
Chad had a strong imagination for things and knew that he sometimes made something out of nothing. Leon, their lion, was only a small kitten who also pretended to be a big, bad, killing machine. However this time he though that maybe the kids were trying to say something to him.
Cartoons of Japanese food lying around. Gin's emphasis on his native traditions. Rangiku wouldn't talk to him in any manner except Japanese. Only Sousuke had been kinda normal the passed few weeks but even then the map of Japan was being molded out of the arroz rice.
"I think it's time we head back to Japan." Rangiku and Gin cheered but Sousuke had that sly smile on his face.
"That good to hear. Now you won't be so mad when you read these deportment papers." Gin stopped dancing only to poke him in the thigh.
"Said somethin' about child services and neglect." Maybe it was a good thing that Ichigo wasn't exactly here for this. We probably would have bit whoever made this report or kicked him in the face.
Well at least they weren't going to be too upset over the move.
---
"Ami, are you going to be okay?" It might have been strange to see her just looking at the ambulance that was taking her mother away but really she had to wait for Mina's mom to get the car.
She wasn't supposed to be feeling relieved instead of guilty though.
"Mina...I think...I think this was a good thing." Her friend looked shocked for a minute and then smiled. Both of them knew that Ami had hated her mother for forcing so much on her but now she was at least in a better place, annoying other people.
"I don't feel good about it but its like a weight's off my chest." For the first time in about two years Ami smiled as bright as she used to.
Hihati, being chained to the ground of the pitch, could only scream to the unhearing people at what a bitch her daughter was.
---
'Day one back in the home turf. Take no prisoners!' Yuzu gripped her sword and marched up to the Arrancar strong hold. A fairly subdued one in a gigai with light blond hair answered.
"Hey, you! So long as you don't go around eating souls we won't have a problem, alright?" Tesla nodded mutely wondering if they could get the shinigami's name.
There was something oddly familiar about the cute little frown and determined set of her eyes.
Chapter Five (Bits of Bashed Ego)
Tatsuki wasn't vain but for dinners thrown by her sensei an effort was made to look presentable. And to have a date, which she had conned Uryu into the past couple of years. Toothbrush in mouth and hair dryer blowing she could barely make out her roommate's whining about not telling him before hand.
Spagh. "And who said you were invited Uryu? You have that test coming up right?" He appeared to be huffed and went to sit on their couch.
"Then who are you going with?" Thank god he couldn't see the grin on her face- he was already getting jealous! Now just three...two..one...
Ding Dong. 'Perfect'.
It wasn't her normal style but Tatsuki threw on one of the dress Chizuru had forced her into getting over the years, mainly ones that made her look slightly trampy.
"What are you doing here Ryuuken?" She three in a matching clip and slid into the living room where both Ishida's were waiting.
"Sorry to keep you so long, Ryuu, but my zipper kept getting stuck. See you later Uryu." Ryuuken even had a small corsage for her wrist- his son had never done something like that for her. Their exit was halted by Uryu slamming the door, looking very red in the face.
"I'm not even going to start with him, but what are you doing Tatsuki?" Poor guy couldn't seem to understand why she was hanging off of his dad's arm.
"Well he treated us to dinner the other night so it would only be fair to pay him back. Plus sometimes you just want some arm candy for diners like this. C'mon we're going to be late if we stall much longer." Ryuuken smirked at his son while opening the door for her. It wasn't until they were down at the end of the hallway that they started whispering.
'Is he looking?' She was in dreamland. It wasn't as if she were guy crazy but making her "not" boyfriend jealous with someone that treated her like a girl and was suave about it would make anybody smile wide.
'Yes. He's very jealous. He has a good reason to be though you must admit.'
So she did.
---
"We, my dear brothers and sisters, are in deep shit." As should be expected every time Sexta can clearly explain the problem. It's a sign of doom. Aizen was not going to be pleased with them once he returned.
The hogyoku was about to fully release itself under his ministrations but then the vasto lorde had attack on rampage and put a halt to the war. Arrancar and even low hollow numbers dwindled for decades now and they were desperate for new comrades. So they decided to pool their reaistu and transform one of their "brothers or sisters".
This whole experiment ended with Wonderweiss Magara and a fractured hyogyoku. Ulquiorra wondered how they were going to explain wrecking the experiment for Wonderweiss, nothing even close to Espada level. All that were left of them were Syazel, Grimmjow, Himself, Hallibel, Barragan, and Stark. Neliel, if you considered, was still here as well, but taking care of a mission.
"How are we going to fix this?"
"What about that broad that helped Aizen and the others? She seems easy to get and not all that strong to put up a fight either."
"True, her powers were shown to heal or reverse things but we can not be certain of its extent. It is our best shot."
"Ulquiorra you'll take care of this. Stark and Hallibel already have their own missions. Please take care of this without a fuss?" Without warning Grimmjow blasted a cero to the entrance door.
"Get the fuck out, Privions. You ain't getting your numbers back!"
---
"Would you say you had a happy childhood, Vice Captain Kuchiki?" Byakuya glared at the man interrogating his wife needlessly, on her childhood of all things.
"I was happy. Where do you expect my answers to lead you?" The man was starting to shiver, the two in front of him were very compatible in appearance as well as the art of intimidation.
"The Central Forty Six is looking to revise its Shinigami Laws, what with ryoka running amok, the messes in the human world, and one of the topics...is the militarism in children. They will ban it unless proper evidence of good mental health and happiness is proven otherwise." There Byakuya knew he had to step in. It was obvious the foul was going to bait Nanao into saying something like how she missed her surrogate mother and use it.
"May I ask how the interviews with Captain Hitsugaya and Vice Captain Kusajishi?" The man paled and fumbled with the cuffs of his black sleeves. The blue undershirt gave him away as a member of the Central Forty Six's 'personal guard', something they had deemed necessary after the others were killed.
"We were unable to confront Captain Hitsugaya because the bull- uh... Kurosaki-san made it impossible and there have been several...incidents... involving the interview of Vice Captain Kusajishi."
"Well then how about I go ask her myself? I'm sure she'll be thrilled with having another person to play with besides Captain Zaraki." Byakuya smirked and watched his wife stare down the man into leaving.
She certainly wasn't like Hisana but he didn't care as much. Rukia did not mind either, having looked up to Ise in the past. After over a centaury things were finally looking perfect.
---
Nel was poking the bitter woman in the baseball field. The beatsy person was trying to rip off her chain and go after a little girl in the dugout.
"You know lady, we should really just go to Hueco Mundo now. If you turn into a hollow and stay here the shinigami will get you!" She had a very important job- finding hollows and brining them back to Hueco Mundo since the Shinigami have been working double speed lately. The Espada thought she was too little to stay there, so they sent her to earth to find people.
"Back off you little shit!" A final tug of the chain came loose and Hihati broke down into a hollow. Either she was going to Heuco Mundo or Nel would have to try kill her, although that was really the last choice!
'Dis might be betta if I had a sword.'
Chapter Six ( --. .-. --- --- ...- -.-- )
The room was in an uproar, all for good reasons. Strictly speaking at least one incarnation of the Central Forty-Six had ruined, complicated, or downright ruined the lives of everybody in the meeting hall.
It was, sadly, probably the most unifying moment of recent Gotei Thirteen history. Captain Commander Kyouraku had the honors of listing the newest provisions being though of by their esteemed and honored governmental body. Jushiro knew that his friend was very distressed by what was going on and by what those crack pots were thinking. There were very few good times to be had by many. That peace that had been shattered years ago seemed to have reassembled itself without their help or interference. The shinigami had done nothing in the manner other than feebly defend and watch super powers wreck around.
It was becoming more and more obvious that 'peace' was just a very thin varnish, but he didn't have much time to think about that.
Shiro was still recovering and becoming super dependent on his friends, especially Karin. Orihime was having what could best be described as a mid-life crisis. Sajin was trying to fit into any place. Isshin was still trying to piece his family back together- no luck at all.
Kisuke and Karin had been plotting; everybody was worried. Last snippet he'd heard of there conversation involved a 'next disaster' so god knows what those two were doing.
The Central Forty-Six set up their own guard with non-shinigami related missions to the real world. The Vizards were torn between being ostracized and pitied. The Royal Houses were in tizzy, mostly thanks to Isshin, and...
Jushiro took a quick glance over to Byakuya. The man seemed to be blinked 'help me' in morse code? Yorucihi's leer wasn't helping matters.
And the worst? For the first time in his entire life, he wondered if his best friend was going to go before he did.
---
'Jus one more cero and she'll be gone.' Nel wasn't having a tough time with the newly formed hollow, Hatchback, but she didn't want any of the girls playing baseball to get hurt either and one of them was Hatchback's prey.
"Got her!" The hollow screamed again but it was drowned out by the crowd cheering for a hit. "I wanna play..." Maybe the shinigami girl that's been patrolling Karakura would play that with her. The hollow still wasn't going to bits though and that was worrying her. Nel didn't want the deficient creature to suffer but couldn't do much.
"Ah!" What happened next was singularly the most horrifying and happiest moment in her life. She watched as the hell gate that took him away from her and his home appear and began the dismembering pull into the dark void. Vaguely, there was a sound like a voice. Then the sound of footsteps. Then a foot, planted right on the face of the hollow's mask.
The escapee's arms were swung back in a full running motion, sending drops of blood through the air and making the chaffing all along his arms. But more important, was the orange.
"ITSYGO!!"
---
"To be perfectly clear, I'm not jealous. I just can't imagine the reason Tatsuki would take my middle aged, asshole of father on not only one date but several in the past three weeks." Uryu let up on the record button and sighed. It was supposed to be therapeutic to organize thoughts in either journal but voice recordings were much more effective. The verbal confirmations wouldn't leave any confusion over what was really being said. Tatsuki would have found a journal if he had one anyway, so disguising it as "Lecture #23" was much safer.
Uryu continued with his diatribe when he was intruded upon via window.
"Oi, Ishida, open up!" Dead men didn't come back to life after they've died as shinigami. Yet Kurosaki was on his window still holding a small child in his arms.
---
"That's what basically happened." Ichigo normally wouldn't just raid someone else refrigerator but he hadn't really eaten anything in... well he didn't know how long, but long enough for his Quincy friend to develop something of a nervous tick. Neliel was napping on the couch and he left her be there. It would be much easier explaining.
"What were you thinking! You don't even know what happened after you left or did you not care to find out." Nothing had really changed between them.
"I LEFT TO MAKE SURE YUZU, KARIN, AND KARAKURA WAS SAFE!" Ichigo took some deep breaths before downing the glass of water. He never screamed at someone like that. Hell, if nothing else, had given him a lot fo time to think of what he should have done, could have done, and what he should do. "How is everybody now...?"
"Orihime's a Captain. The girl, Nemu, whose father was taken away by Ichimaru is living in the human world with Chizuru, who is starting to become more aware like a lot of other people. Mizuru's off somewhere in the pacific and Keigo's working for Ghost should be back any minute now. You've got some things to explain to, like how betraying everybody was going to save us." Ishida crossed his arms and waited for the answer. Like Ichigo was going to give him one.
"I need to find Chad soon. Do you have any way of reaching the Soul Society?" There was a confused look.
"Kurosaki, why do you think the entire apartment is lined with material that blocks spiritual detection?"
"...it is?" Curiously the glass in Ishida's lens was cracking. "You know your glasses are chipped."
"We're about to be hunted." The forkful of rice dropped before he could swallow it.
"Excuse me?" Ishida pulled a paper out of his pocket and handed it to him, giving a commentary as Ichigo read.
"The Central Forty-Six, you know the murdered ones, reassembled and they've had enough with 'freedoms' as it seems. Every spiritually aware person on the planet is getting these letters, specifically Karakura. They will be coming after us sooner or later and either impressing us or..well you understand the other option. Whatever tolerance they had is now over." Ishida pushed the glasses on top of his nose. "I'll leave you to full digest that and whatever you've been shoving into your mouth."
"You've taken me coming back and going through your place easier then you would have. Why?"
"That is what you're wondering? Only you. I'm used to it at least. Ever since we went to rescue Rukia, remember her right? You've always disappeared on your own and never said anything. Maybe I just don't believe that you're really here. AT least you might be useful now, we're undoubtably going to have to fight again." He left and the only sounds left in the room were Nel's quiet snores. For the first time in many years there was something hopeful and burning inside of Ichigo that made him want to smile. He had a reason again. Now he would take the advice that others gave him (marginally at least).
Karakura still needed to be defended. He has to find his friends and fix everything he left behind, even if it was with the best intentions. He has to get back to Grimmjow and have those dozen rematches, and play with Neliel, and watch after the other kids. He has to somehow get his family back together. He has to help Gin and Rangiku in making the Rukongai a better place.
Ichigo had a lot to think about in Hell. And now he knows that he shouldn't ever go back to the devil. Loving a person doesn't make them any less of a Devil.
'Sousuke, good-bye.'
---
Orihime was super excited. It was vacation time! Well, not a typical vacation but it was something she done as often as she could. All she wanted to do was help people but that was nearly impossible behind the walls, and she was more trapped than ever with Shunsui being sick.
"Right-o Captain Hime!" Mokoto tried, she really did, but she was the most persistent one in calling her Captain Hime.
"I'll be in the upper districts if anybody ever needs to find me. Take care of everything thing Mokoto!"
---
Knock. Knock. KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK!!!!
"SOMEBODY ANSWER THE FUCKING DOOR!" Apache growled and flung it open like it was purposefully ruining her nap time. It was the shinigami girl with puffed out cheeks.
"Have you brought a new arrancar here? I don't care but I've got to know."
"No! Now scram!" Tesla looked over from the couch because he had noticed the odd reaistu as well but it promptly disappeared. It had the same kind of nagging feeling that the girl had.
"But..."
"SCRAM!" Apache slammed the door shut and locked it. "Damnit I hope Hallibel says we can hurt that thing right Tesla. Tesla?" Apache looked at him, a little worried. He had dropped his paper and stared out of focus out of the window. It wasn't anything the two dumbass blondes did since they were out finding a job or something and Aviyama was watching some American game on the television.
"Apache...we need to call them now. Get the phone." That ticked her off.
"Who the hell are you, ya stupid NUMEROUS to-"
"Apache. Get. The. Phone."