Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. It is property of Tite Kubo.

Author's Note: So, this is my entry for the IRBB. To be honest, I didn't originally have this idea for this event. Years ago, back in 2012, I had an idea for a one shot titled "Of Family Duties and the Heart." I didn't finish it back then for lack of time. That one-shot later became a multichapter fanfic called "Breaking the Habit", which, again, was never finished. Years passed, the Bleach ending came, and I didn't think I could keep writing IR after that. But this fandom inspired me, and after this event was created, I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to finally complete this fanfic. The original idea was to write a one-shot, because I thought I qouldn't have the time to write, but as it turned out, I ended up writing over 60 pages, and had to split the whole thing in 5 parts. I will be publishing the following parts once a wek, for I don't have much time. If you don't want to wait, you can read them in my tumblr, which you can find under this same name. It's been an honor participating in this event. I hope you enjoy this fanfic as much as I enjoyed writing it.


Warning: If you are an IH fan who likes to leave rude reviews on other people's fanfiction or fanart because you dislike the couple, this is a warning to you. If you dare leave a rude review bitching about my choice of shipping IR, and to "get over it", I'm gonna post it on Tumblr. I'm exposing you for being disrespectful. No, I don't care about your opinion. I'll always ship IR, so don't even bother. And why are you reading a IR fanfiction to begin with? Please, get lost.


Prelude

For fifteen years, Kurosaki Ichigo had lived a relatively normal life. He was born in Karakura, a small town near Tokyo, where life was ever calm. It was an ideal place to raise a family. There were good public schools, and the crime rates were pretty low, except for the occasional hooligan. People in Karakura most certainly ended up following their parents' footsteps, working in the same field, getting married, and then having children of their own in a never-ending cycle. Play. Pause. Repeat. The point was nothing of circumstance ever happened there. Not that Ichigo had ever complained in that aspect. All was well in Karakura Town.

Ichigo lived in a nice home in downtown Karakura along with his family like everyone else. However, his life could be said to be out of ordinary in three different aspects: 1) his house doubled as his father's clinic ─although that in itself wasn't that surprising, many people kept their businesses in the same place as their homes─; 2) his mother had passed away when he was very young, and hence his crazy father had had to raise him along with his sisters all by himself; and 3), and perhaps the thing that defined him the most, he had been born with orange hair. His mother's genes had given him hair with such a shade of orange that it looked like it had been dyed. This had caused him to be singled out as a hooligan from a young age, and had made him get into far too many fights. Yet, that feature was dear to him, and he decided early on to never dye his hair black. After all, his mother had loved his hair.

As for family life goes, it has been said already Ichigo's mother, Masaki, had passed away. The event took place when he had been nine years old. He had never quite forgotten that rainy day in which his mother's life was lost forever. His father, Kurosaki Isshin, had attempted ever since to fill the space left by his mother in his own way, which included a lot of crazy antics, and what Isshin had dubbed as "tough love." This, of course, tended to make Ichigo lose his temper often, which normally ended up with Isshin and Ichigo fighting on the floor. He was lucky that he wasn't an only child, though. His twin sisters, Karin and Yuzu, were there to share the pain that came with having such a crazy father. Karin was more similar to Ichigo. She was as sarcastic and temperamental as her older brother, and they often complained about their father together. Yuzu, though, was like an angel. The girl resembled their mother the most, and had taken upon herself to help with housework, such as cooking for her family. Although, it wasn't unheard of if she also scolded her father for his unorthodox antics. The three siblings were as close as any siblings could be, and they seldom fought between themselves. Ichigo loved his sisters, and they loved him back. Their father was a goof, but a lovable goof nonetheless. And although they all missed Masaki, they lived happily in their little house.

But it needs to be said that things didn't remain the same.

Ichigo was fifteen years old, and he had just started attending high school, when he noticed that his father had started acting weird. His father was always a strange fellow, there was no doubt about it, but his actions were different than they normally were. Isshin looked serious and almost jumpy every time the doorbell rang, as if he had been expecting someone to suddenly come in and murder his family. The three siblings, naturally, had noticed his sudden change in behavior right away, and had sat down to discuss it.

"Do you think dad has finally gone cuckoo?" Karin asked one afternoon in which their father had been busy in his clinic, and thus, was unable to hear them.

"Karin-chan!" Yuzu exclaimed. "Don't talk about dad like that!" The girl scolded her twin. Yuzu had always been the most polite member of the Kurosaki family, and often berated her siblings when they acted rude towards other people.

"I'm sorry, Yuzu, but you've got to admit dad's been acting very weird lately." Karin replied calmly.

"I know, but you can't say things like that! He's a little weird, but he's not crazy!" The girl said, defending her father.

"Whatever. But it still worries me." Karin crossed her arms, and then turned to look at her brother. "Ichi-nii, what do you think?"

Ichigo looked deep in thought. "There's certainly something bothering him." He answered after a few seconds of silence. "And it definitely has to do with that letter he received last week."

The twins nodded and all three siblings shared a worried look.

Last Friday had been a day like any other. Yuzu had cooked Ichigo his favorite meal, for he had been a little stressed out about his oncoming exams. Karin had set the table, while their father complained about the fact the sisters were being so nice to Ichigo, who didn't deserve it, and were never nice to their own father. Tired of listening to his jabbering, Ichigo had knocked him out cold with a punch to his face. However, Isshin had soon retaliated, and father and son had ended up fighting on the floor in a tangle of limbs. The fight ended when Karin decided to throw a dish on Isshin's head.

"Dad, stop making a mess in the kitchen!" Yuzu had scolded him, and that had been the last straw for Isshin.

The head of the family had cried out, and ran towards the poster of his deceased wife, which he had hung on the wall. "Masaki! Our children are being mean to their own father! Oh, Masaki! I try so hard to give them everything in the world, and this is how they repay me! I'm sure it's our delinquent son's fault! Oh, Masaki! I have failed you!"

The three siblings watched their father, sweat-dropping in the background. As the eldest Kurosaki had finished his mournful speech, they heard the doorbell ringing.

"Dad, stop being so embarrassing and go see who's at the door!" Karin yelled.

"Alright, my precious daughter! Don't you worry, daddy will see to it!"

The man happily walked towards the door, but he paused when he peered to see who was out. He hesitated, but opened the door anyway. "Yes?" He asked tentatively as he watched the person outside, who remained unseen by his children. "For you." A gruff voice could be heard. Isshin, then, received a white envelope. The intruder left when Isshin had the envelope in his hands. The father closed the door gently, and then put the envelope inside his doctor's coat. "Well, Yuzu, is dinner ready?" He asked and smiled at the three of them, but they all knew their father was faking it. The hand that had held the envelope shook hard all throughout dinner.

That was just the first of a series of strange behavior exhibited by the patriarch. During dinner, they had all inquired who had been at the door, and what that letter was about, but Isshin refused to tell them anything, and vehemently denied the letter had any importance, dubbing it as "junk mail."

"Dad, you can't seriously expect us to believe there's nothing amiss about that letter." Ichigo complained, and scowled at his father.

"As I've said before, it's nothing but junk mail. Those letters banks sometimes send with promos and the like."

The fifteen year old boy raised his eyebrow disbelievingly. "That sure didn't seem to me as your average mail. And that sure as hell wasn't the mailman."

Somehow, those words had ticked a nerve in Isshin. "Stop questioning me!" The father snapped. "My mail is none of your business, Ichigo! Now, keep quiet and finish your dinner!"

The dinner table had gone quite after that outburst. They all looked shocked at their father, but no one was more shocked than Ichigo. No matter how sarcastic he tended to be, Isshin had never shouted at him like that, not even when he came home covered in mud and bruises from the several fights he often found himself caught into.

"Excuse me." Isshin said, and, just as suddenly, stood up and went to his room. The siblings hadn't seen him until the next day, but his uncharacteristic mood remained. All throughout the week he had been irrationally pissed off, and had even snapped when Yuzu had suggested if there was something he wanted to talk about. Of course, telling Ichigo to shut up was one thing, but speaking so angrily towards Yuzu was unheard of. It sent the girl to tears, and caused her siblings to become mad as well.

"What the hell, dad?!" Ichigo screamed. In the background, Karin had immediately hugged her twin, as she glared at their dad. "Did you really need to shout at Yuzu?!"

Isshin seemed at a loss of words. "Ah… I… I'm sorry, Yuzu." He said, evidently ashamed of himself.

"It… it's okay." Yuzu answered between hiccups.

"No, it's not okay! We know you're angry, but you don't have to take it out on us! We don't know what the hell's going on, so the least you can do is either explain us, or keep your mood to yourself!"

"Onii-chan…" Yuzu quivered behind him, but the teenager was still shaking from his anger-fueled speech.

"Ichigo is right. I'm really sorry Yuzu, Karin, Ichigo. It won't happen again." With that he left the room.

This event had prompted the siblings to discuss the issue at hand the very moment their father had been busy and unable to hear them.

"I'm really worried about dad… Do you think the letter actually came from the bank?" Yuzu asked them after a few moments of silence.

Truth be told, Ichigo had immediately thought his father had received a letter of eviction, or something related. However, that didn't make sense. It was true that Kurosaki Isshin seemed an immature person at first glance, but that wasn't the reality. Isshin was responsible, and Ichigo was sure that their house had been paid off before he was even born. Although the business wasn't exactly thriving, Isshin always made ends meet somehow. They had never wanted for anything. And Ichigo was sure there was no way Isshin would do something that would endanger his family. But what if his father was actually indebted? Would they need to move? Would they need to sell most of their belongings? If that were the case, Ichigo would even start working part-time. He'd help his family too, no matter what. But he needed to know. They needed to know.

But that wasn't something that should worry his eleven year old sisters.

"Don't worry, Yuzu." Ichigo smiled, and tenderly caressed his sister's head. "I'm sure dad will be back to normal soon enough."

"I hope it's sooner rather than later, Ichi-nii. I don't know how long we'll be able to stand this situation."

"Karin…" Ichigo sighed.

"I wish things went back to normal." Karin continued, as she hugged her knees.

"Don't worry, Karin-chan. We're in this together, the three of us!" Yuzu said cheerfully, and gently patted her twin's knee.

Karin smiled crookedly. "That's right. We're in the same boat."

"And if dad keeps bothering you, I might just have to kick his ass until he spills the beans!"

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu exclaimed horrified, while Karin snickered.

"And I'll help you with that, Ichi-nii."

"Not you too, Karin-chan!"

The conversation seemed to lift the siblings' spirits up, and by dinner time they were in a better mood, speaking cheerfully between themselves. However, soon things changed when Isshin entered the room. He was frowning, but his eyes seemed decided, as if he had found the resolve he had been lacking the whole past week. He took his seat at the table and coughed a little, to gain the attention of his children. "After dinner, I wish to speak to the three of you."

This is it. The three siblings thought simultaneously, and eyed each other questioningly. The family ate dinner in silence after that. Yuzu tried to make small talk, but all of her attempts were met with reluctance. All of them were on edge, seemingly preparing for the worst. Yuzu was the only one hoping that whatever his father wanted to tell them wasn't as bad as they were all imagining. Nevertheless, she was as worried as Karin and Ichigo.

After dinner, and once all the dishes were cleaned and stored, they sat in the living room, the siblings sitting right next to each other, and Isshin standing up. They were quiet for a few minutes, all nervous about what their father could possibly tell them. Little did they know that the information their father was about to tell them would change the course of their existence forever.

Isshin sighed, and turned his head to look at his wife's poster. He smiled fondly at it, remembering his dear wife and how much she had meant to him, to them. Then, he turned to look at his children again, finding Masaki's traits in each of them. He smiled gently. "Have I ever told you how your mother and I met?" He said at last.

The siblings turned to look at each other, dumbfounded. This certainly wasn't the way they thought the conversation would start. And now that they thought about it, they found out that neither was exactly sure how their parents had met, and how they had fallen in love. They didn't even know their mother's maiden name, and if they had more family besides their father.

"I don't think you've ever told us, dad." Ichigo spoke.

Isshin chuckled. "No, I don't think we ever did tell you when Masaki was still alive, and then I felt that if I were to look at the past, I wouldn't be able to move forward for you." He answered truthfully.

The children gulped. The wound, whether they liked it or not, was still fresh, no matter how many years had passed. Hearing about their mother was just a reminder of what it could've been, but never was. However, they soon realized they weren't going to be able to escape from this, this time.

"Your mother and I met when I was in college, and she was still in high school." Isshin started saying, catching the kids' attention. "I was trying to find a mall or someplace where I could pass the time, but since I wasn't from here I ended up getting lost, and I almost got mugged by this guy who looked like a gang member. I, of course, would've been able to beat him, if he hadn't caught me off guard. And just when I thought he was going to stab me for being a smart ass ─much like you, Ichigo!─"

"Hey!"

"This girl wearing the local high school's uniform appeared out of nowhere and threw her purse at the guy! I was simply amazed! She told him to leave me alone, and that she was going to call the police. The guy got angry, of course, and tried to lunge at her, but I jumped heroically and stopped him. Too bad I ended up stabbing myself, which scared the guy, who ran away before the police arrived. The girl panicked, and, I don't know how, managed to carry me all the way to the general hospital where her uncle worked at. The man patched me up in no time, while the girl kept apologizing. I, looking rather cool I might add, told her she didn't have anything to worry about, and that it had been my pleasure saving her from that thief. Then, she complained that it was she, in fact, who had helped me to begin with. Her cousin, who was there as well, threw quite the fit when he heard her. It was so funny!" Isshin grinned foolishly.

His children looked expectantly at him.

"That girl was your mother." Isshin smiled nostalgically. "And from that day on, my life as I had known it, changed. There was no turning back."

The siblings looked at each other at a loss of what to say. They didn't know what it had to do with anything, until Karin realized an important bit of information. "Wait… you aren't from Karakura?" All this time, they had all thought both their parents had been born in Karakura.

Isshin grew serious. "No, I'm not from here. I came to Karakura to study medicine after high school. I was in my first semester when I met your mother. She was born here, but her parents died when she was young, so she moved in with her aunt and uncle."

"So where are you from, dad?" Yuzu asked, clearly interested.

"Well, Yuzu, this is what I wanted to talk about. My last name is not Kurosaki. That was your mother's name, which I took when we got married."

"So, if you're not a Kurosaki, who are you, dad?" Ichigo asked, feeling unsettled.

Isshin paused for a second, knowing that what he was going to reveal next would change his children's perception of him forever. "My real name is Shiba Isshin, and I used to be the Head of the Shiba Clan."

Isshin had been born as Shiba Isshin, the eldest son of the Head of the Shiba Clan, a noble house of great importance. From his birth onwards, Isshin was destined to be the next head, and as such, his life had already been decided for him. He was to study everything, from history to politics, as well as kenjutsu and other martial arts. His grades were to always be perfect, no matter what. He attended the best schools in the country. He was meant to study law or commerce to work in the family business, and marry a lady from a noble house to produce a new heir.

"I was never the son my father would have wished to have." Isshin continued explaining. "I never cared for social etiquette or anything of the sort. All I ever wanted was to be free. Free from all responsibility, free from my family. Growing up in a noble house is overbearing. I probably would've been happier had I been born the second son, but, well, I was not, and all responsibility fell on me. I often disappointed my father, and that heavily weighed on me. My younger brother, though, he seemed to be the perfect son. He was disciplined. He could learn anything he wanted within seconds. He was always serious. And although he was younger than me for a year, he was more mature than I was. The only thing against him was that he was the second son. I think he always resented me for being born first.

"When I was in high school, I started seeing my career options. Truth be told, I didn't want to be into politics, law, business, or anything of the sort. Somehow, I found myself interested in medicine, and got into my head that I wanted to be a doctor. At first, my father didn't want me to study medicine, but after a while he relented. His only condition was that I shouldn't study in Tokyo. He didn't want his friends to find out, so he sent me to a small town, which had a great medicine program. As you can imagine, that town was Karakura.

"So I came here, and during the first month of my stay, I met your mother. After feeling guilty for my injury, she offered to show me around, much to her cousin's chagrin. We became friends rather quickly, and soon spent all of our free time together. For the first time in my life, I was happy, and I had a friend who understood. It turns out that Masaki's uncle and aunt, or rather her aunt, wanted her to follow into her uncle's footsteps and become a doctor, thing she didn't want. Masaki wanted to become a lawyer, and defend the innocent. But sadly, it seemed it couldn't be possible. I think this is why we eventually grew closer than we should have.

"And so I spent my first year studying hard, and befriending Masaki. I finally felt at home. However, things soon changed, for just before my third semester started, my father grew ill. It was cancer, but the doctors all said my father would make a speedy recovery. We all hoped he did, since we were paying the best doctors in Japan to cure him. I decided then to become the best student of my year for my father's sake, and so I started studying more than ever. It never really occurred to me that I should also take care of the Clan's affairs. I left that responsibility to my younger brother, who was just starting to study politics at the time.

"A year and a half passed by, and in that time I was tied with Masaki's cousin Ryuuken as best student of the generation. Also, Masaki had convinced her family to allow her to study law. One would think we'd see each other less, but it was just the opposite. We started dating, and we were growing strong. It was in this moment, when my father passed away. No treatment had worked, and he had finally succumbed to cancer. Then, just after his death, I became Head of the Shiba Clan. Duty dictated that I should quit school and remain in Tokyo, where the clan is seated. However, I convinced the elders that I should finish my residence. They agreed, and decided that my brother would help me oversee clan matters during my absence.

"I had really hoped they'd ignore me for the time being, but of course they didn't. Less than six months had gone by, when the elders called me to discuss my marriage. They had already engaged myself to a woman from a noble house, who was barely eighteen. I, of course, refused, which caused a great fight among the clan. I told them I was already very much in love with another woman, and that I didn't want to marry someone I didn't know. The clan and my brother were all furious. They claimed I was incompetent and irresponsible, and that I'd been the reason why my father had died. 'He died from disappointment.' That's what my own brother told me. They also investigated your mother's background behind my back, and said she was no fit to be my wife. That was the last straw. I told them they could either accept I had to keep on studying and would marry Masaki if I wanted, or that I would quit as Head of the clan. They didn't accept my deal, and so I left.

"I took the money my mother had left me in a trust fund, and came to Karakura to live permanently. I used the money to pay for an apartment, my college fees, and later for a house that would also double as my own clinic. When I was 24 and Masaki was 23, and had graduated college, we got married. A year later, Ichigo was born, and the rest is history." Isshin finished speaking after this.

The siblings took a few moments to mull over the new information they had received. Finally, Ichigo decided to speak. "I'm glad that you've taken the time to tell us about your past, since it was always clouded in mystery… but, why now? What happened that would make you tell us about it?"

"Ah, good question my son!" Isshin exclaimed. "You see, after I renounced my position as head, I didn't keep in contact with my family. I knew that my brother had become head a few weeks later, and had married the girl my family wanted me to marry. Together they had three children, and all seemed well for the Shibas. But, beside that, I didn't know anything about the clan. Yet, last week I received a letter which was delivered by one of the butlers I had known since childhood. It came from my nephew, Kaien. In it, he informed me that my brother had passed away a few months ago from a heart attack, and that he was now the Head of the Clan. He also said that now that his father was gone, he wished to mend the ties between the Clan and me. Kaien also said he wants to get to know me, and by extension the three of you. It was implied that he wants us to retake the Shiba name, and form part of the Clan again.

"I got frightened because the past was finally catching up to me, but now it involved all of you. The moment Ichigo was born, I made a vow that I'd never let him, and later Yuzu and Karin, become tangled in the Clan's affairs. And now it seems you becoming Shibas is actually a possibility. I'm sorry for being so distant, and acting so strange for the past week, but I've been trying to make a decision regarding this situation. Finally, I realized that I can't choose for you. I think you're old enough to choose what you want. So, I leave it in your hands. I know where I stand in regards to the Clan, but I want to know what you think."

"Can we ask you something, dad?" Ichigo enquired.

"Anything you want."

"What would happen if we become part of the Shiba Clan?"

"Well, then you'd all be nobles, and as such would have responsibilities. I do think the Clan would want you to study in the best schools of Tokyo, and study business or politics to form part of one of the many branches they have. They'd want you to take etiquette classes and demand you to have the best grades in your year. Maybe they'd even try to arrange marriages for you in hopes of making powerful alliances. But, perhaps due to your mother's lineage, they wouldn't mind you as long as you don't involve yourselves in scandals."

"But why would they want us back?" Karin asked.

"I'm not sure. That's something only your cousin Kaien can tell us."

"If we become part of the Clan, would we have to move to Tokyo?" Yuzu inquired next.

"That'd probably be the wish of the elders, but since I'm not the head anymore, there's no rule to where the rest of the family can live as long as we go to the manor when summoned."

"Do you want to rekindle your relationship with them?" Ichigo finally managed to ask.

"Truthfully, I don't. But, on the other hand, I feel guilty that I was never there for my brother, you know? Kaien said in his letter that his mother died when he was a little kid, just after the birth of his youngest sibling. She died even before Masaki did. And apparently my brother had been sick for a while of various illnesses before finally dying from a heart attack. I wasn't there when he needed me the most, and I was his older brother. I guess that if I could be there for his children, then I'd be able to do right by him, you know?"

The siblings nodded. Their father was a kind soul, after all, and learning about the death of his estranged brother most definitely had a negative effect on his spirits. It was normal that he would like to at least meet his other living relatives, his brother's children, and have a relationship with them in the way he couldn't with his brothers.

"Dad, can I ask you something too?" Yuzu suddenly asked.

"Of course, my dear!"

"If, say, we were to meet our cousin Kaien, ask him all of our questions about the Clan, and his intentions, and then decide if we want to belong to it, would that be alright?"

Isshin mulled over her words for a few moments. "I guess that's the most reasonable thing to do, Yuzu. I, myself, don't know about the state of the Clan right now, and how strict are their rules right now. Maybe they are laxer now than how they were when I was young. I think we can only know asking the head himself."

It was then decided that they would first speak to Shiba Kaien, before making a decision. So Isshin diligently wrote to his nephew, asking him when it was appropriate for them to meet. He instantly received an answer. Kaien was enthusiastic about the prospect of not only meeting his uncle but his cousins as well. He invited all of them to lunch at a restaurant in Karakura the following Friday, and Kaien said his siblings, Kūkaku and Ganju, were also coming.

A whole week passed by, and it was time for them to meet their cousins. The Kurosaki family arrived to the restaurant, one of the few elegant ones in town, and found their cousins sitting on a table.

"Ah, you must be Uncle Isshin. I'm Kaien, nice to meet you." The eldest of the three siblings spoke and shook hands with Isshin.

The older man nodded and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Kaien. These are my children, Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu."

"Nice to meet you, guys!" Kaien said rather cheerfully.

Shiba Kaien was not how they had expected him to be. He was young, twenty at most, and seemed rather jovial, as opposed to the image of the strict and stuck up noble they had thought him to be.

"He looks like you, onii-chan." Yuzu had whispered to Ichigo when Kaien had been introduced.

It was true. Kaien and Ichigo shared many similarities, their face structure was almost the same, and they even had the same body built, although Kaien, who was older than Ichigo, was also taller and had more body muscle than his teen cousin. The similarities were probably due to the fact that Kaien looked remarkably like Isshin when he had been young. The young man had long spiky black hair, tan skin, aquamarine eyes, and a gentle smile. He seemed friendly. The siblings felt like the man radiated warmth. He was also wearing rather informal clothes: dark jeans and a blue shirt with boots.

"This is Kūkaku, my younger sister." Then he introduced the girl who accompanied him.

"Nice to meet you." She said, and more than smiling at them, she smirked at them.

The woman was younger than Kaien but seemed older than Ichigo by a few years. She was rather tall for a girl, and had short black hair, barely reaching her neck. Her eyes were similar to her brother's, but were greener rather than blue. She was wearing a red blouse with a deep v neckline, a white skirt with a brown belt, and sandals. But perhaps the most striking feature on the woman was the fact she had a prosthetic arm. The siblings looked at it, out of curiosity. Kūkaku noticed this. The siblings were about to apologize for being rude when she laughed.

"I lost my arm ages ago in an accident. It's no big deal. I'm alive, which is what matters!" Kaien laughed as well, while the siblings looked at her sheepishly. They apologized, and she dismissed them. "S'okay. A lot of people are surprised when they see it, and it's okay if you have questions. We're family!"

"That's right, Kūkaku!" Kaien nodded. "And this is Ganju, the youngest." He introduced the other guy, who had quietly watched the presentations up until this point.

Ganju blushed and shook hands with Isshin. "I… I'M SHIBA GANJU, PLEASED TO MEET YOU UNCLE!" He shouted, making the other dinner guests stare at them.

"Idiot!" Kūkaku exclaimed, and hit Ganju on the head. "Keep your voice down! We're at a restaurant!" She hissed.

The guy rubbed his head. "I'm sorry, nee-san."

Ganju looked nothing like his siblings and at the same time he did. His appearance was brutish when compared to the natural elegance Kaien and Kūkaku possessed. His nose was prominent, as well as his chin and forehead. He was rather tall and had a well-built body. And as the siblings had come to expect from the Shiba family, he had black hair, and green eyes much like Kūkaku's and Kaien's. He was dressed more casually than his siblings, with jeans, a simple green shirt, and a bandana.

"Well, we better sit." Kaien suggested after the introductions had finished, and conversation soon ensued.

The Shiba siblings were nothing like the Kurosaki siblings had expected. One wouldn't have been able to tell they were in front of the Head of the Shiba Clan with one view. They were rowdy and funny and unapologetically incorrigible, so much that they looked more like Isshin's own children than his stuck up brother's. Isshin was pleasantly surprised and found himself laughing throughout the meal, his initial worries long forgotten. The siblings had soon become comfortable as well, and Karin and Kūkaku found out both liked to make fun of their brothers, and soon joined together to mess with both Ichigo and Ganju, who had become rivals at some point during the evening. Yuzu was perfectly content in observing and laughing, occasionally talking with Kaien about their siblings' antics. They all felt as if they had known each other for ages. It felt like being at home.

They found out a lot about each other during the course of dinner. Kaien was twenty years old, and was studying to become a lawyer, although his late father had wished he had studied politics instead like he had done. Still, it was an honorable job and the clan elders were pleased. Meanwhile, Kūkaku had recently finished high school, but instead of choosing one of the clan's pre-selected majors, she had chosen to study Chemical Engineering, decision which was fully supported by Kaien, who had already been named head of the clan by then. Ganju, who had just turned seventeen, was still in high school, and had an inexplicable fondness for pigs, even owning one named Bonnie. Their mother had died when Ganju had been but a baby, after a complication she had when delivering Ganju. As a result, they had grown close together, and the youngest ones wished to please their older brother. Another tragedy in the family struck when Kūkaku lost her arm during a firework-related accident. Although most members of the clan were horrified, the girl was strong and positive, and had decided to make the most out of her new situation. She declared herself capable of doing many things as if she still had two hands, and refused to be treated like a fragile person. The last tragedy had been their father's death, which had brought a series of change in their lives. Kaien had soon decided that the clan rules needed to change in order for the clan to progress in the new century. Noble clans were already outdated, and their members treated like privileged snobs, who had gotten everything handed in, and thus didn't know the meaning of hard work. Family ties were also important, and the only way to survive was to support each other, now more than ever. All of this was what had pushed Kaien to search for his estranged uncle.

Isshin had been pleased during dinner. His nephews and niece were kind and down-to-earth, admirable members of society. Honestly, they weren't one bit like their father, and seemed to have inherited his own craziness, which probably drove the elders insane. But Isshin was hopeful things would improve soon under Kaien's leadership.

"So Uncle, what do you think, do you want to come back to the clan?" Kaien asked during dessert, making conversation stop.

"I'm happy to have finally met the three of you, but you know my relationship with the elders is very challenging. I never became the kind of person they wanted, and I have led a very different life than I should've had. Coming back would be extremely difficult." Isshin said honestly,

Kaien was not pleased to listen to this words. It wasn't necessarily what he wanted to hear. "I assure you that they want you back, Uncle, as I do." He said earnestly. "But I understand your situation."

"This doesn't mean I don't want to have a relationship with you, Kaien. I only mean to say I don't want to take the Shiba name back."

At this the young man smiled. "Then I tell you what, I will take you into consideration as part of the family, meaning all of you will be invited to family events, such as birthdays and weddings. We won't lose contact with each other again. However, I'll make sure that the elders don't bother you with troublesome things as duty and the like."

The Kurosakis smiled. "That's a great idea, Kaien."

"Then, nii-san," Kūkaku spoke, "you should invite them to that too."

"To what?" Isshin asked to which Kaien groaned.

"My engagement party."


A/N: This was just an introductory chapter, but I had fun writing Isshin, Yuzu, Karin, Kaien and his siblings. I don't usually write about them, and it was cool to revisit them. Next chapter, Ichigo will finally meet Rukia.