Ichigo sighed, watching the antics of his father. There was no obvious reason for Ichigo to sigh, but, if he told you what he was thinking, you'd wonder why he hadn't gone into mental care.
One of the foremost reasons for his tired sigh was the sheer amount of responsibility dealt on Ichigo. He was, after all, the new Commander of the Gotei 13, having wrested it from Yamamoto (whose burial had not been that sad). He was in charge of at least a thousand Shinigami, all with very different views on just about everything, with very different personalities, Ichigo added wryly, watching Nanao whack her taicho around the head.
That in itself was difficult enough, but it was also nearly impossible to manage the Shinigami Academy. Upon taking the position, Ichigo discovered, at the Captains' Meeting, that Yamamoto took care of everything himself, and dealt only the necessary paperwork out.
Ichigo, to say the least, was not happy. Growling with anger, and struggling to maintain his reiatsu at a level where no one around him would faint, he announced an overhaul of that system. The next meeting, he'd dealt out everything to the divisions. Twelfth was still in charge of research and whatever else it did. Fourth was still in charge of healing and cleaning. Thirteenth was in charge of the Academy. Eleventh was in charge of patrols. Tenth was in charge of managing the paperwork, they dealt it out, collected it and returned it to the First, where it was checked over and returned to whichever division needed it. Ninth, Seventh and Fifth were all in charge of patrols in the human world. Each of those divisions was in charge of a particular area – they were the only ones who went there, and the only ones who dealt with the hollows, and whatever else needed attention. Third was in charge of patrols in Soul Society itself, and the cleansing of hollows there. Second was still in charge of ... whatever it did. Eighth was in charge of events in Soul Society, and for helping Shinigami Women's Association organise any events. Sixth was in charge of social relations, meaning they had to improve the feelings towards the Gotei 13.
Ichigo chuckled as he remembered the reactions towards that announcement. Many of the allocations of jobs were influenced by the captains of the divisions, he'd said that himself. Everyone stared as Byakuya got handed the task of improving social relations. After all, Byakuya was cold. Stoic. How was he meant to handle that sort of task? Everyone decided that it was Renji who had been the deciding factor.
Of course, it had actually been Byakuya who had been the deciding factor.
Ichigo raced through the 20th district, trying to find Byakuya. He was no where in Seretei, but what was the stoic captain doing in Rukongai? Why was his reiatsu hidden?
Ichigo stumbled into a clearing, looking around as he left the trees. Inside, a group of children were clustered around, or sitting on a man in the middle. This man, Byakuya from the faint reiatsu, was dressed in shabby clothes, hair under a hat. He had a girl on his lap, one hugging him from the back, and one perched on his shoulders. Another was sitting at his feet, and two were on either side of him, he had an arm wrapped around both. Children payed in the grass around him, all babbling.
They all fell quiet at the approach of Ichigo.
"ARGH!" yelled the girl on Byakuya's lap. "It's the scary soutaicho!"
"Scary soutaicho?" asked Ichigo incredulously. "I'm scary?"
"Well.. you killed Yama-jii."
"That makes me scary?"
"Umm.. I suppose so."
"Listen, girl, I have two sisters—"
"I feel sorry for them."
"They say I'm a weird, insane brother, who is greedy."
She laughed. "Can I meet your sisters?"
"Sure ... err what's your name?"
"Tari."
"Sure,Tari-chan."
"Can I go too?" asked another girl, with wide brown eyes and black hair.
"Yep --?
"Suzu."
"Suzu-chan, you can come as well."
"Me?" asked another girl, dark blonde. "Enri, by the way."
"Yep, Enri-chan."
"Yay!" yelled Tari. "You're not so scary, Kurosaki-kun."
"Thanks. I wanted to talk to the man with you, but how about we play?"
"Yay! And Benito-chan can play as well."
"Benito? Nice name," said Ichigo to Byakuya, who smiled at him. Ichigo mentally sweat dropped at the smiling Byakuya.
"Thank you, Kurosaki-soutaicho."
That was how Byakuya and Ichigo ended up playing Tag with a group of children much younger than either of them. Ichigo was surprised, he'd never thought that Byakuya knew how to play Tag, let alone would play the childish game.
After about an hour, they all flopped onto the ground, many laying on Ichigo or Benito's laps or hugging them.
"That was FUN!" exclaimed Enri happily. Ichigo laughed, and messed up her hair affectionately. 'Hey!" she said, pouting. She redid her hair, grumbling.
"Yep, sorry Enri-chan," apologised Ichigo.
"I never thought Shinigami would apologise," said a little boy. Ichigo turned incredulous eyes on him.
"Hey! We apologise!"
Benito coughed.
"Shut up," grumbled Ichigo.
"Apologise!" demanded Suzu.
"Why?" asked Ichigo, smiling. Benito glared at Ichigo, daring him to continue. "I mean," continued Ichigo, grinning, "for all you know, he might be a Shinigami taicho, thinking of his fukutaicho."
All the little kids turned thoughtful eyes onto Benito, who glared at Ichigo, promising a release of sakura flower petals in the near future.
"Of course, he might not be," said Ichigo smiling. "Come on, Benito. I'm going home, and I want to think of presents for these kids," the children cheered, "and you might be able to help me."
"Of course, Kurosaki-soutaicho," said Benito, rising slowly – he did have to pry children off him, after all. Ichigo rose as Benito did, and together they walked out of the clearing.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Byakuya turned on Ichigo.
"Did you have to tell them about the entire Taicho thing?" he asked.
"Of course, Byakuya."
"Honestly! Why we let you be soutaichi, it completely surprises me sometimes."
"It's because you all know I could whack your asses into next century without going to Ban Kai," replied Ichigo matter-of-factly. Byakuya rolled his eyes.
"Your language is as bad as Abarai's. How did you find me, anyway?"
"Reiatsu. You didn't completely mask it."
"Oh.
"Speak of the devil, and, poof, he'll appear," remarked Ichigo as Renji approached. "Hey, Renji.Look who I found in Rukongai, with children around him, and on him."
"Who? Oh. My. God. Byakuya?! Taicho!"
"At last, a title," remarked Byakuya, ignoring the underlying question – what in Soul Society are you doing here?!
"Byakuya," said Ichigo. "Explanation, please, or I will put up a huge flyer declaring your appearance in Rukongai, with children you know quite well," at this Ichigo held up a camera, with a clear picture of Byakuya surrounded by children.
Byakuya growled. Blackmail. The soutaicho was blackmailing him. How dare he...
"Fine," growled Bakuya. "I was told I was far too stressed, by Abarai here, who added that children were, often, a good way to de-stress. I, for once, took up his idea," Renji's mouth dropped open, "Close you mouth, Abarai, it is not a pleasing sight inside," Renji's mouth closed, "and met the group of children you found me with earlier."
Ichigo nodded, an idea for Sixth division's new job forming.
"Why did you want us, anyway?" asked Renji.
"Oh don't worry, you've solved it for me." Byakuya grew worried.
Later, when Ichigo gave out the jobs, Byakuya glared at him when Ichigo placed him in charge of Social Relations. After the meeting, he stormed to the soutaicho.
"Kurosaki. Why. Did. You. Place. Me. In. Charge. Of . Social. Relations?"
"You do a fine job at it," said Ichigo, smiling. "Why else did you think I wanted to talk to you? I wasn't sure what to do with you. But you gave me the idea that night."
Byakuya growled, but left. Ichigo grinned. He loved being soutaicho.
Ichigo made a note to check on Twelfth and Second – especially their activities.
He watched as the captains and vice captains filed in. The Gotei 13 Society, he thought, had run much smoother since he'd made those changes, and it was easier to pinpoint the blame, if something went wrong, it didn't need a complicated tracking down to find who'd made the mistake. Now, if something went wrong, it was far easier to find the division responsible. Some would not be happy with that, but it was easier for Ichigo.
"Reports?" he asked at the start, after the usual casual greeting. Reports went as expected. There were a few hollows around, nothing too major, only one major one which had been dispatched of easily, thanks to Yachiru, who'd grown scarily stronger. She, so far, had had plenty of suitors, all of whom who had been scared away by Kenpachi.
"Ukitake?" asked Ichigo. Usually, the white-haired made his report automatically after Twelfth did, as Ichigo had instructed. However, today, Ukitake appeared preoccupied.
"Oh, gomen," he said hurriedly, to Ichigo, who rolled his eyes, and dismissed it with a wave of his hand.
"I was thinking of the Academy students," said Ukitake. He paused, and glanced up. "We have some rebellious ones who don't believe in your strength. They seem to believe that your defeat of Yamamoto was a joke."
Ichigo rolled his eyes. He knew he would face this problem frequently, the disrespect now arising not because of his 'weakness' but because of his age, or rather the lack of it. He was young, far younger than anyone else, and many felt too young. Ichigo's excellent overhauling of the old system had done the trick, many of the Gotei 13 now believed he was strong enough, and that his age didn't matter. With the Shinigami students, however...
"I'll teach them a lesson," said Ichigo, smiling almost sadistically. Ukitake raise an eyebrow.
"Don't kill them," he cautioned.
"Why would I do that?" asked Ichigo innocently, too innocently. Everyone laughed.
"Anyway," he said, smiling. "Eighth, any events planned?"
"Nanao-chan here can tell you!" crowed Shunsui, hugging, or attempting to, Nanao. "She organises everything, my lovely Nanao-chan is so organized!"
"Get of me, taicho, and the only reason I do, is because you don't!" she snapped, whacking him around the head with the plans. Everyone sweat dropped, as Shunsui fell to the floor, sobbing. Nanao stepped on his head, with her foot, and stomped on it.
"How thick a skull he must have, to put up with that daily," said Isshin. Smirking broke out.
"Um, Ise? Stop please, before Shunsui receives a broken skull, and just report," said Ichigo weakly.
"Sorry, soutaicho," said Nanao calmly, looking like she hadn't stomped on her taicho's head a few seconds ago. She straightened up, and reported.
"I was thinking of a fundraiser," she said.
Everyone there widened their eyes, shaking their heads furiously.
"Why not?" said Ichigo, missing that completely. "Should be good. I give my support." He noticed the head shaking. "What's wrong?"
"We had a fundraiser just before you broke in," said Nanao. "A mini fair. Went alright."
"If you miss the Winter Wonderland aspect. It was in bloody summer!" Renji exclaimed, shivering from the memory, "Oh sure, the kids loved it, and Chappy the Bunny, but otherwise!" he glared at Hitsugaya.
"Do. Not. Talk. To. Me. About. Chappy. The. Bunny," said Hitsugaya, twitching with each word. The temperature dropped considerably, giving the Meeting Hall the Winter Wonderland aspect.
"Toushiro," said Ichigo, "As much as I would like to redo this hall, do not do it for me, and do not give it an ice makeover. Please."
"Gomen, soutaicho," said Hitsugaya.
"What's wrong with the Chappy the Bunny thing anyway. Apart from the overall cuteness."
Hitsugaya didn't answer, so Matsumoto did.
"We were doing a Chappy the Bunny stall, so I got the costume. But there was only one size, and that size would only fit on taicho here," she gestured to Hitsugaya, who shuddered at the memory, "so I made him dress up, with Hinamori and Ukitake-taicho's help, of course," Ichigo could imagine it, the candy bribery, the puppy dog eyes that Hinamori was famous for, "and needless to say, he wasn't happy. But the kids loved him!"
Ichigo sniggered. Hitsugaya death glared him.
"Umm, Ise?" asked Ichigo. "No Mini Fairs, this time, ne?"
"Of course not, we're having a concert!"
"A what!?" was the general shout.
"A concert," repeated Nanao calmly, after Ichigo used his reiatsu to silence them, "where all the captains and vice captains shall sing, including myself. I shall review all the songs, make sure there are no ... inappropriate ones," she glared at her taicho, "but that is the general idea."
"Why not?" shrugged Ichigo, not realising he fell under 'captains included'. "My support."
"Excellent, no backing out, ne?"
"Of course not. Why?"
"Because you're included in taichos. You'll have to sing."
Ichigo let his head fall into his hands, groaning. Renji laughed at him.
A/N: cheerful grin I need help with the songs for them to sing, esp. Iba, Rukia, Kiyone, Isane and Omaeda. Please help!!
And review. Song ideas can be included in review.