AN: Hey guys and welcome to my first Bleach fanfic called "Healing What Is Broken."
This fic will be an AU from the point the anime has ended, but it doesn't mean that there won't manga spoilers in this story so be warned of that!
There will probably be OOCness in some moments but rest assured that I'm doing my best to make these moments as little as possible, but if the plot of the story requires it then I'll have no choice but to make some characters a bit OOC which I hope you'll understand.
The main reason I make stories with weird or as some call it "crack" pairing is because I want to bring a diverse selection to the fandoms I write for which some of you who follows my other stories already know.
I browsed the Bleach fanfic page for any Unohana x Ichigo fics, and I was saddened to find only a very little amount of fics with this pairing and the ones I did find were abandoned and so.
The cover photo for the story is going to be temporary due to the lack of a better pic of Ichigo and Unohana together. If any of you have a pic that involves Ichigo and Unohana together and is willing to allow me to use it as a cover for this fic, I'll appreciate it! :)
I also want to say that I have decided not to use Japanese honorifics in this story, but if I see that most of you want me to include them, then I'll change it. I have grand plans for both this fic and the next Bleach fic (Which will also feature a crack pairing) I'll publish, and I am really excited to show it to all of you, so I hope you'll stick with me during this fic :)
I do want to make a small request from all of you that I hope you'll listen to. I want to ask you that if you dedicate your time to review, which I thank you for, then please keep the review civilized and not reviews like "Shitty story, fuck you and fuck this story."
I believe that's everything I have to say to you all so enjoy the story! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does!
"Talking."
"Zanpakutō spirit talking."
'Thoughts.'
"Quotation."
*Actions, i.e., Yawning and Sighing*
(Flashback and time skips)
"Attacks."
Few weeks had passed since Kurosaki Ichigo has regained his Shinigami powers back.
Right now Ichigo and his friends Orihime, Chad, and Uryū were making their way through the Dangai to visit their Shinigami friends who they haven't seen for seventeen months.
"I wonder how everyone has been," Orihime curiously asked as she thought about the possible changes her Shinigami friends and Soul Society had undergone since they had last seen them.
"Not much had changed I guess, I didn't get to spend much time there last time," Ichigo replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I wonder how Rukia is doing," Orihime changed the subject as her thoughts drifted to a particular raven-haired Shinigami.
While she did catch a small peek at Rukia during the incident with Ginjō and Tsukishima, she wasn't able to talk to her due to how she and Chad were knocked out by Urahara and Isshin after Tsukishima had increased the effect his Fullbring had on their memories that caused them to be pushed to the brink of mental breakdown
But now, they were on their way to the Soul Society where they would meet their friends after all this time and Orihime couldn't wait to catch up with the Kuchiki girl.
It might not look like this but Orihime considered Rukia to a very good friend to her, and she was glad when Rukia had told her that she considered her to be the same to her.
"Meh, the midget is alright," Ichigo answered again as he used the old nickname he gave Rukia while struggling to stifle his laughter with his hand.
"Ichigo! That's not nice," Orihime scolded the orange-haired Shinigami, but she couldn't deny the laugh she stifled upon hearing this nickname.
It brought many old memories to her.
Memories of the time she first obtained her powers and the first time she learned of Rukia being a Shinigami.
Memories of their invasion to Soul Society to rescue the same midget they spoke about.
She remembered the times they all spent time together, the exchanges Ichigo and Rukia had.
But those last memories were not happy.
Each time she saw the orange-haired Shinigami interact with the Kuchiki girl her heart clenched.
The way they spoke, the way they behaved, the things they'll do for each other. It almost looked like they had feelings for one another and the mere thought of it greatly pained Orihime.
Even if Rukia does have feelings for Ichigo, she won't try to interrupt it by competing with her for his affection. She would just step aside and let both her friends to be happy even when her heart clenched just from the mere thought of Ichigo being with another woman; that's how Orihime was.
But at the same time, she couldn't be happier if Ichigo would choose her, but that was something she would keep only to herself.
"Ahh, we're finally here," Ichigo said between his pants as he and his friends had finally emerged out of the Dangai.
Sure, with the Kōtotsu gone after Aizen destroyed it in the war, traveling between the Human world and Soul Society has been much easier, but the long distance they had to run within the Dangai was still proving to be frustrating.
"Well well, if it isn't Ichigo and his friends. How are you all?" A familiar voice greeted the new arrivals at Soul Society; making them all turn around to meet with the source of the voice.
She looked different. Her once long and wavy blonde hair was now stopping short at her shoulders while it curled near her chin with the left side of it hanging over her face.
Her shihakushō now sported a split in it which ran along the length of her right leg.
She was no stranger to the group, but it still took them few seconds to recognize her.
"H-Hey Rangiku," Ichigo nervously stuttered as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
It wasn't that the young Shinigami hated the vice-captain of the tenth squad, it was her... Advances towards him that bothered him.
He wasn't clueless as everyone thought he was. He was just a gentleman, someone who wouldn't ogle at a girl or bring any disrespect towards one. He understood Matsumoto's advances towards him but chose not to succumb to them.
"My my, shy as ever huh Ichigo?" She teased him with a wink sent his way that caused him to blush.
"R-Right... Anyway, have you seen Rukia and Renji?" Ichigo asked, hoping to change the subject before the blonde vice-captain would continue her teasing.
"Rukia and Renji you say? Um... I think they are both with their captains right now, but if you want to see them, then you should join us all at the bar tonight."
"I don't think it's a good idea..." Ichigo hesitated to take her offer.
He knew how Rangiku had behaved when she was sober and if he judged by this, then he wouldn't dare to be near her when she's drunk.
"C'mon Ichigo... Are you afraid that all the girls in the bar will try to kidnap you to themselves?" She asked in a sultry voice that intensified his blush while Orihime now sported a blush of her own as well.
"Thank you for the offer Rangiku, we'll be there," Uryū said while fixing his glasses, hoping to remind the blonde girl and his orange-haired friend that they weren't alone.
After Uryū had interrupted their talk Matsumoto stopped with her advances towards Ichigo and gave them the details of the bar they'll be heading to before leaving, all the while complaining about the paperwork that her captain has stacked up for her.
Seeing there was nothing to do. Ichigo and his friends resorted to traveling around the Seireitei before the time they'll have to head to the bar would come.
(Few Hours Later...)
It has been few hours since Ichigo and his friends had emerged out of the Dangai and met with Rangiku.
After parting ways with the vice-captain Ichigo and the rest had traveled around the Seireitei, all the while Orihime gawked at most of her surrounding.
She never had time to go around and explore Soul Society. Considering how the last time she was there she and the rest were at the risk of being killed by the same Shinigami who they came to visit now. But now things were different, and she finally had time to do a little sighting around.
After they were finished with their sighting around the Seireitei, Ichigo and the rest had decided to go and meet Kūkaku and Ganju, who they haven't seen since their invasion to Soul Society.
It took them quite some time to find the new location Kūkaku and Ganju have moved to, but eventually they found it.
The guards at the entrance instantly recognized them after all this time, much to the surprise of Ichigo and the others.
Once inside, they were not spared of Kūkaku's anger after not bothering to visit her and her brother since the rescue mission; making them feel a bit guilty.
But as quick as her anger came it also left and before Ichigo and the rest knew it Kūkaku was laughing at their expressions before calling Ganju.
When the young Shiba had entered the room and spotted Ichigo the both of them spent no time butting their heads while talking about resolving their fight from last time. But this didn't live for long as well since Kūkaku's rising anger got them to stop instantly.
When the anger had finally subsided, Kūkaku invited them to eat dinner with them; something they didn't dare to refuse to in fear of upsetting the Shiba girl.
And so, they all ate dinner while Ganju and the rest of the people who participated in the invasion to Soul Society had reminisced about it; mostly on Ichigo's fight against Byakuya and Aizen's betrayal.
When they left the Shiba household, it was already night, and quickly Ichigo and the rest made their way to the bar.
The bar was relatively normal;, it wasn't something fancy, but it wasn't bad either. The bar itself was located on the outskirts of the Soul Society.
Once inside, they were surprised from the mass of people that had gathered there. They recognized most of them and those they did were:
Rangiku, Rukia, Renji, Captain Hitsugaya, Shunsui, Ikkaku, Captain Unohana, Shinji and surprisingly enough Yoruichi.
Some of them they were less familiar with like Isane Kotetsu, who Ichigo remembered from Hueco Mundo,
"Yoruichi! What are you doing here?!" Ichigo asked in perplexion when his eyes landed on the dark-skinned Shinigami.
"Aren't you happy to see me, Ichigo?" Yoruichi teased in a seductive voice as she winked at Ichigo; making him blush.
"I thought you were at Urahara's," He replied, still curious as to what his old mentor was doing there.
"I was, but I came here a few days ago to visit Soifon,"
Ichigo didn't respond and instead just nodded before he and the rest took their seats around the table.
"Inoue! It's been a long time," Rukia told the orange-haired girl who smiled in response before saying the same thing to the raven-haired Shinigami.
While Orihime and Rukia caught up with each other Chad and Renji were also catching up with each other, mostly about how their training had been and the improvements they made in their powers since the last time they met each other.
"So Ichigo, how things have been going for you?" Shunsui asked Ichigo after taking a sip of his sake.
"Fine, I suppose, " Ichigo awkwardly replied while he rubbed the back of his head from the awkwardness of the conversation.
Shunsui, who felt that the conversation wouldn't hold merits, had instead resorted to something more... Fun.
"How about a drink? To celebrate the return of your powers," Shunsui didn't wait for the orange-haired reply as he quickly shoved a cup of sake to his hands before making a toast.
"You're just looking for reasons to drink," Ichigo accused the captain of the eighth Division as he eyed him skeptically.
"I don't see what is wrong with that," Shunsui laughed at the boy's remark before replying.
"You never drank before?"
"Well... Not really," Shunsui expected this answer from the Substitute Shinigami, but it didn't stop him to gasp in fake surprise upon hearing it.
"I can't believe you never drank before! You have no idea what you're missing boy, why don't you try one now?"
Ichigo just nodded before he briefly examined the cup in his hands before he decided to listen to the captain's advice.
*cough cough*
"W-What is this!" Ichigo asked Shunsui as he got over his fit of coughs.
While the drink itself didn't taste bad as Ichigo expected, it felt like he swallowed fire which he assumed that it felt that way because he'd never drank before.
The captain of the eighth Division just chuckled at the boy's reaction to the drink before taking another sip from his own cup.
They were all happily conversing with each other when the doors to the bar had violently opened.
"Where is he?" A familiar booming voice bellowed as reiatsu started to flood the bar and cause most of its occupants to cling to their consciousness.
"Here he is Kenny! Hey, Ichi!" Yachiru, the vice-captain of the Eleventh Division, gleefully told her captain when she saw the bundle of orange hair peek from one of the booths.
"Heh, so what brings you here Ichigo?" Kenpachi asked the orange-haired Shinigami as he and Yachiru approached him.
*sigh*
"Well, I came to visit everyone after not seeing them for a long time," Ichigo told Kenpachi.
While the substitute Shinigami had seen Rukia, Renji, and Hitsugaya, who were all present in the bar, he only saw them for a brief time while they were fighting Ginjō and the rest of the Fullbringers, and briefly again when he went to Soul Society to ask for Ginjō to receive a proper burial.
"Well, now that you're here we can finally have our rematch," Kenpachi told Ichigo while he laughed in excitement from the possibility of once again facing the young boy who defeated him once.
"I'm sorry Kenpachi, but I'm not interested," Kenpachi half-expected the boy to say that, but it didn't mean that he'll give up.
"Well, if you won't fight me then I'll just gut your friends instead. Hopefully, they'll be powerful enough for me when I don't hold back," Kenpachi smiled as he directed his gaze at Orihime, Uryū, and Chad while the rest of the people who were at the booth visibly tensed up except Ichigo who growled in anger.
"Don't you dare involve my friends in it Kenpachi!" Ichigo warned the captain who just laughed in return.
"If you want to keep your friends out of it then fight me Ichigo! Fight me without holding back, both of us, or you're afraid that the luck you had in our first fight will not be with you this time?"
"I'll fight you Kenpachi, and hopefully it'll teach you never to threaten my friends," Ichigo told him with gritted teeth as he glared at the towering figure of Kenpachi.
"Heh, come to the Eleventh Division's training ground tomorrow morning if you don't want me to go for your friends instead," Kenpachi told Ichigo before walking to the exit with an ecstatic Yachiru on his shoulder.
But once he arrived at the door he made a brief stop and looked back at Ichigo.
"You should save your anger for tomorrow Ichigo," He advised him before he left.
Just as Kenpachi went through the bar doors, it seemed like everything had returned to how it was before his entrance while the occupants of the bar ceased their shivering.
"Are you sure about this Ichigo? You know how Kenpachi is when he fights," Shinji asked his fellow Vizard in hesitation.
"I know how Kenpachi is when he fights Hirako, but he threatened my friends, and I can't let that slide," Ichigo replied in exasperation.
"As you wish Ichigo, I'm just making sure you know what to expect tomorrow. Kenpachi had been itching for a good fight for a long time now so you should take this very seriously," Shinji warned the orange-haired Shinigami before he dropped the subject.
"I took it seriously the moment he threatened my friends Hirako. I won't hold back, even if it means killing Kenpachi," Ichigo said before he got up from his seat. His statement shocked most of those who were at the table with the exception of his friends who already knew Ichigo good enough.
"I'm going to take some air. I'll see you guys tomorrow," Ichigo bid his friends goodbye before leaving the bar by himself.
Unohana Retsu watched the entire exchange between the young Substitute Shinigami and her fellow captain with interest.
Ever since she met Ichigo at Hueco Mundo when she and her vice-captain, Isane, had come to provide assistance she was greatly intrigued by the mystery called Kurosaki Ichigo.
The amount of reiatsu a young boy like him possessed was something that greatly shocked her, but at the same time made her develop an interest in the orange-haired Shinigami.
Never in the centuries that she lived Unohana had come across someone who picked her interest like he did. Few came close, but not like he did.
But even before Hueco Mundo, when he was nothing more than a mere intruder who tried to save his friend from execution, even back then her interest in him had shown its first signs.
She remembers hearing from Byakuya how Ichigo had achieved his Bankai in only three days, and she couldn't ignore the fact that it was something exceptional. But it just continued to show her how special this Kurosaki Ichigo was.
How he stopped the Sōkyoku whose both defensive and offensive powers were said to be equal to that of a million Zanpakutō; something that should be impossible to do.
But for Unohana, the list just continued to go on. Every single thing about the orange-haired Shinigami just continued to add to her ever-growing interest in him, and the fact that she thought he was a very handsome man also added to her interest in him albeit in quite a different way.
She also knew of the Hollow that resided within him and instead of being scared by it like many other Shinigamis; she was impressed by how someone like him managed to win against his Hollow to the point it gave him his powers.
But when she saw how Ichigo had reacted to Kenpachi's taunting threat towards him she was curious.
She wondered what was it that made the young Shinigami so determined to protect his friends no matter what.
Sure, it was obvious that like any other, he hated seeing someone he cared for die or get hurt.
But when she gazed at the boy's eyes during his confrontation with Kenpachi she saw something. Something beyond the obvious will to defend those he care about from any harm; it was something much deeper.
"Orihime, do you mind if I ask you something about Ichigo?" Unohana question caused the conversation the orange-haired girl currently had with Rukia to get stopped midway.
"Sure, what is it?" Orihime asked as she flashed Unohana a kind smile which she equally returned.
"What is it that cause Ichigo to want to protect everyone he cares about so much?" She asked, not knowing the sensitivity this question held.
Orihime frowned but quickly discarded it for a sad smile as she tried to form an explanation that will both satisfy the captain in front of her while not hurting Ichigo's privacy.
"W-Well... It has something to do with an incident he had in the past. Ever since this incident, he swore to protect everyone he cared for no matter what," Orihime told the curious captain with a big smile as she thought of Ichigo.
"I see. You must be very fond of him am I right?" The question Unohana asked her made Orihime to start blushing profusely.
"I-I think of Ichigo only as a friend," Orihime stammered in embarrassment as she shook her head vigorously to deny any thought her friends had.
"My my, it seems that Inoue has a thing for our Ichigo," Rangiku tease made Orihime's blush to deepen.
"I-I don't! He's just a good friend!"
"Oh c'mon Inoue, you can't lie to us," Rangiku continued to push the orange-haired girl to tell them the truth only to have a smug smirk adorn her face when the girl admitted her defeat by nodding in agreement.
"Y-You're right," Her whisper was barely heard in the ruckus of the bar, but they all heard it.
While most of the girls had smug expressions on their faces for figuring out the true feelings of Orihime, some didn't, like a certain raven-haired girl whose only reaction to the news was a smile that required no expert to know that it was fake while her heart clenched in pain.
She knew of the relationship Ichigo had with Inoue.
They knew each other since childhood and their relationship only continued to strengthen as time continued to pass.
Knowing of Inoue's feelings towards Ichigo made her doubt the chance she had with him.
In the recent past she just assumed that Inoue only thought of Ichigo as a very dear friend, but as time went on she kept realizing that this thought was nothing more than a way to recede her doubt.
But now, when the girl had clearly stated her feelings towards Ichigo, she couldn't lie to herself anymore.
Now, her only solution was to hope that Ichigo will return her feelings instead of Inoue's.
But on the other side, Inoue was her friend, and she didn't want to see her friend get hurt and it made her doubt the way she thought about all of this.
For the first time, Kuchiki Rukia had been utterly clueless about what she should do, and it frustrated her to no end.
But Rukia wasn't the only one who didn't share the rest of the girl's reaction. Another raven-haired girl found herself deep in thoughts.
Unohana Retsu has also found herself experiencing something she had never experienced before; she felt jealous.
Never in her life, Unohana has found herself being jealous at something, and it made her curious as to why exactly was she jealous.
She knew that the feeling had surfaced after hearing Orihime's true feelings, but she didn't find a reason for why Orihime's statement affected her like the way it did.
Surely, she found Ichigo to be a mystery she needed to solve, and except her physical attraction towards him she didn't feel anything towards the boy... Right?
So why her heart told her otherwise? Why did it clench when she heard Orihime's words?
She didn't know, and she was determined to find the answer as soon as possible. But one thing was certain for the captain, and it was that her heart wasn't lying to her, but rather her mind had mistranslated her heart.
With this thought stuck in her head Unohana got up from her seat and bid everyone farewell before leaving the bar.
After both Ichigo and Unohana had left the bar it did not take long for the others to feel that their time to leave has also arrived.
One by one everyone had left the bar so they could get enough sleep in preparation for tomorrow.
But not everyone could get their sleep.
As Inoue and the rest went with Rukia to the Kuchiki manor, the others had parted ways each to his own room.
Meanwhile, Ichigo still wandered around the Seireitei as he tried to cool himself off before he went over to Rukia's as well to get some sleep. All the while hoping that the feeling that something will go horribly wrong will remain only to be a feeling and nothing more.
AN: Please don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review! I'll see you next chapter!