Okay guys, this is a foreword of sorts. If you want the real meat of this story, continue down to the text that isn't bolded. If you wanna know my reasons for writing this and get a bit of a glimpse for the road ahead, read on.

Mmmmmmkay. Here goes. This is gonna get messy.

I am a huge (HUGE) Bleach fan, and after finishing I was extremely disappointed with the end of Bleach (the manga) That is the why. I am disappointed with Bleach and truly believe it could have been executed much MUCH better. I scoured the internet for the best and brightest stories, headcanons, and conspiracies. I would like to set out a few right now, some of which I may or may not use.

1. The idea that hey, Ichigo is actually already dead.

Yeah, this is a great way to kick it off. But seriously, there are actually a few instances where this would be entirely plausible. I mean come on, Ichigo has legit died a few times. Exhibit A: Byakuya friggin slaughtering him and taking Rukia just before the Soul Society arc (cut soul sleep, anyone?) + Urahara's training after that. Because isn't "death" in Bleach basically just severing the soul chain? Exhibit B: Getting a complementary chest piercing via cero/bala from our darling Ulquiorra. I feel like that would do it, just a personal thought.

(Yes I know Ichigo is like genetically Shinigami, Quincy, Hollow, and human, and I know that he could just be weird to the point of unkillable okay leave me alone)

2. The concept that the reason Ichigo was a total JerkAssBitchTM after losing his Shinigami powers was that he lost part of his soul.

This one I actually found in a Harry Potter crossover! Yay! But seriously, when initially watching it Ichigo was so OOC it gave me whiplash. And, really, if it was anything but this (which in canon I'm sure it is) they just threw away tons of character development! What about the whole dangai ichigo "those are the eyes of a strong man" Gin and "hawly shiite is that ichigo?" Hmm? Where'd that go? Who's that jerk who blackmails kids to be on the highest paying sports team? Hmm? HMMM?

(ahem. sorry.)

3. The widely accepted fact that Ichigo's power is sealed by Zangetsu

Actually that one isn't a conspiracy its literal fact because Quincy Zangetsu is a lil bitch but I just felt the need to point that out for reasons.

4. All of ichigo's powers were simple reishi manipulating moves.

I know! Don't kill me! But hear me out! There have been other characters who've pulled off Getsuga Tensho like attacks (lookin at you Isshin and Urahara) and Mugetsu was obviously a technique that was trained for in Soul Society, at least in Isshin's case, so none of those are specific to Ichigo. (plus, he is part quincy, and what do quincy do? Manipulate reishi)

4 ½. Ichigo has not unlocked his true Zanpakuto

Fact! Again! Excluding the whole new zanpakuto thing in the Thousand Year Blood War arc because honestly I refuse to accept that. (and even then his attack really doesn't change. He still just uses a huge amount of power with no technique. So, even considering canon, my argument still stands) That is not his true Zanpakuto mark my words. Mark them! He still uses his old moves so refer to point 4!

5. Ichigo is gonna have a rain type zanpakuto, or at least something to do with rain associated with his Zanpakuto.

There is actually an amazing youtube video on this which I do not remember the name of but you should totally check out. But I digress. This is gonna be a long one. It's been shown that nobles have element based zanpakutos (isshin=fire, yoruichi=lightning, ganju=earth (sand), an argument can be made for byakuya's petals (earth/nature), and possibly Toshiro and Rukia (ice/water)) Plus! There is actually a TON of foreshadowing built into this one. In a great deal of important, pivotal moments for Ichigo there is RAIN. At his mother's death. When he is basically killed by Byakuya and Renji just before the soul society arc. Being defeated by Ywach. The list goes on. The significance of rain and water in his inner world. Quincy Zangetsu saying he hated rain as well as being determined to keep ichigo away from realizing his full potential as a shinigami (coincidence? I think NOT). And, what I believe to be the crowning evidence that Ichigo's Zanpakuto is, or should be, a water type is that Kaien was a water type! The comparison of Ichigo to Kaien (aka being a carbon coby) never went anywhere even when it really really should have, and this is the missing link, don't you think? (I mean, I know this is shounen anime and so many (so manythat it makes me angry) side characters are introduced, focused on, and thrown away, but in more streamlined works those comparisons actually friggin mean something)

5 ½. What if in the final battle against Ywach, Ichigo's Zanpakuto breaking wasn't a power down, but a power up?

This is just a thought that I myself recently had. As in, what if Ichigo had unlocked his true Zanpakuto (deceptively similar to his original one) in that final swing, when the white edges melted away? Just a thought.

(also, Ichigo really friggin needs a cool release phrase. HMU with ideas y'all I wanna know what you think)

Okay, I'm finished. Thank you for listening to my TED talk.

"Say, Ichigo… Did you really think something of that caliber would be enough to kill me?" Ywach's taunt rang through the shredded battlefield.

"My power… is the power to alter the future itself!"

At those words Ichigo felt an unfamiliar, chilling fear and feeling of defeat spreading icily through his veins.

"I can even rewrite futures in which I have died!"

Well, at least Ywach gave Ichigo the satisfaction that even though all of his actions had been entirely futile, he had actually managed to kill him.

That, however, did not stop Ichigo from madly dashing forward, hoping to land another blow…

Before Zangetsu was blasted from his hand, badly fractured from the power of the blow. Ichigo ran to it, but was blocked by Ywach. A great wave of his power swept up and cut into Ichigo, splattering himself with blood.

Injured, overrun by Ywach's power, Ichigo expected the end. Not just his, but of everything. There was nothing he could do…

Until Ishida, as if sent by the Soul King himself (which was impossible because the bastard was stuck in that damn crystal like a mosquito in amber), shot an arrow through Ywach that stopped his powers.

At that, Ichigo seized his chance. He took up Zangetsu, and rushed to deal a killing blow to the monster before him. He swung the blade…

The white edges of his newly achieved Bankai fell away, seeming as fragile as chalk…

A simple dark blade, identical to his original Zangetsu, remained.

Without a trace of hesitation, he killed Ywach.

It was only later, after the battle, when he finally sat down, gazing around himself at the wreckage Ywach had caused, that he allowed himself to examine the blade.

And realized that the sword he held in his hands was not, exactly, the Zangetsu he had grown familiar with.

At the time, after all the blood and tears, chaos and death, and overall oddity of the Thousand Year Blood War, he didn't pay the subtle change much thought. He simply accepted it, resolved to make a trip to his inner world after he returned to Soul Society and helped repair the damage, and moved on. Whatever additional change his zanpakuto had undergone, it was just one in a long line of similar developments.

… Ichigo really should have learned by then that he in no way had that kind of good luck.

Contrary to the beliefs of some his friends, he did not have romantic feelings for Orihime.

Also contrary to the beliefs of his other friends, he did not have any romantic feelings for Rukia.

And, contrary to what his friends must believe, he did not like it when they tried to play matchmaker!

"Look, Matsumoto, for the last time, no!" Ichigo yelled (futile).

"What? You can't tell me you don't find them at least a little attractive?" Matsumoto returned.

"That's not the point!" Ichigo spat.

"Rukia's cute in an angry rabbit type of way!" Okay, Ichigo did not need that image in his head, even if it did make a scary amount of sense…

"In what way is that appealing? She'd kick my face in before she dated me!" Ichigo knew he spoke the truth. From the contemplative look on Matsumoto's face, he'd say she did too… but that glint in her eye… he didn't like that…

"Well, on the other hand, Orihime's got those huge-"

"DO NOT FINISH THAT SENTENCE!" Ichigo barked, face coloring slightly.

"-brown eyes." Matsumoto finished with a smirk.

"I hate you."

"What do you mean you won't follow in your pappy's foot-steps?" Isshin yelled in all his idiotic glory, even letting out a comical sob or two.

"I never said I wouldn't be a doctor, Goat-face! I'm just not gonna take over the clinic!" Ichigo retorted with a scowl. At his words, Isshin swiftly turned from depressed to overjoyed. "I leave for university tomorrow."

"What? My darling son can't leave me so soon! You're too young!"

… and back again.

Whatever. Goat-face was old, he'd be fine if Ichigo left for a few years.

On the other hand, he'd make sure to text the twins every day.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Ichigo stared deadpan at his new roommate. "I mean, seriously, is my luck this bad?"

"The feeling is mutual, believe me," Ishida pushed his glasses up in that same, know-it-all way that annoyed Ichigo to no end. It wasn't that Ishida wasn't one of his closest friends and most trusted comrades in arms, but, well…

They had some basic ideological differences, to put it one way.

"I do believe it would be prudent to set a few ground rules-" Ishida was cut off by Ichigo.

"I get it. You don't mess with my stuff, I don't mess with yours. Which bed do you want?"

"... the one on the left."

"Okay then."

"... so what are you studying, Ishida?"

"Medicine."

"Well, shit."

"Hm?"

"I'm never gonna get rid of you, am I?"

"Ah. I see. Let's hope at least one of us ends up a respectable doctor.

"You...!"

Ichigo, contrary to popular belief, was smarter than he looked. That being said, he had managed to land himself with a pretty good internship at a fairly prominent hospital.

One day at said hospital he caught the eye of a new nurse, young, just out of school. She had sleek black hair in a long, elegant ponytail and soft eyes which glimmered with intelligence and kindness. She passed him in the hallway with a swing of her hips and the swish of her ponytail.

No, Ichigo did not blush. That was something that battle-hardened war heroes definitely do not do.

The nurse's name was Akiko Ito, and it just so happened they had the same lunch break. That being the case, it would only be good manners to make conversation with her.

…

It was just as well that Ishida, also unlucky enough to intern at the same hospital as Ichigo (seriously, did fate hate them that much?), stayed far away from the two of them. He was anti-social, not stupid.

Well, that in addition to the fact that he already saw far more of Ichigo than he would have liked.

When Ichigo and Akiko started dating, no one was really all that surprised.

When they got engaged, even less so.

When Akiko Ito became Akiko Kurosaki, everyone was relieved. Maybe the ball and chain would mellow Ichigo out?

(It didn't.)

When along came a little girl named Himari Kurosaki, everyone prayed that this may make Ichigo settle into normalcy.

(It did… to some degree. However, his daughter was the same brand of crazy as he was, with the self preservation of her mother in the mix…)

Ishida was only glad that the girl did not show any signs of spiritual power, and that he was warmly called "Uncle Ishida." If not, he would have started to fear for his life.

Or, more likely, his sanity.

(It was a small mercy that Ichigo was nothing like his father when it came to being a parent.)

And, in all that time, Ichigo had not set foot in Soul Society.

That was all as well, because he would return once again. Even if he did not wish it.