Despite the war ending, Hollows could still be found from time to time throughout Karakura Town. On few instances, there would be a Gillian come through, which would require the assistance of the Captain or Lieutenant patrolling. For the most part, however, Hueco Mundo relatively quiet since the end of the war due to the former Espada Neliel. With the help of the Captain-Commander, she regained her adult form and volunteered to stay there to ensure that no other Hollows could become Arrancar and abuse their powers. Yamamoto had also wanted a constant patrol over Karakura Town as it was a city overflowing with spiritual energy. The 11th Division had been divided into eight different squadrons and each was responsible for patrolling a specific region of Karakura. Ikkaku and his squad were given the region that had included Karakura High. His mind wandered back to the missions he had been sent on here, and his experiences in the human world.
He had came down here initially with Matsumoto, Hitsugaya, Renji and Yumichika, and he had forced one of Ichigo's classmates to let him and Yumichika live with him. Ikkaku couldn't remember the kid's name, but he remembered that the kid has this sister who was obsessed with his shaved head. It was so annoying how she would always follow them around, cook for them, clean their clothes or throw herself over him. Looking back, he felt guilty about just leaving without saying anything to the two of them, he just sent his mod soul into his gigai and disappeared. Shortly after the war the gigai was returned to Urahara and he had simply left for Soul Society, so he never got a chance to thank them. But when that girl's time came, he had been the one to go down and perform her soul burial, figuring it was the least he could do. She had been an old woman when he came to her then, but she remembered still remembered him, or rather, his shaven head.
Ikkaku sighed and looked at the town below him, wondering if any of them could sense their presence. Most of the kids from when he came to Karakura had gone on, living out their lives and dying in peace. Only those who came to the Soul Society permanently remained of Ichigo's friends from that time.
"Che, this is troublesome," he muttered, pulling out his phone. The radar showed there was no Hollow present in the area. "I hate patrol duty…it's always so boring."
One of the other subordinates nudged his side, snickering. "Yeah, but the view isn't bad from here. All those high school girls with low cut shirts," he said, still elbowing Ikkaku in the side. "It would be nice to see Taichou like that, a low cut shirt exposing her nice brea-"
Ikkaku glowered, rubbing his hand after he had punched the man in his face, sending him flying backwards. His phone rang and he jumped, startled by the sound. Checking it, he noticed two dots had appeared on the radar, moving towards his group. "Shit, there's some coming," he said, smiling as he drew his zanpakuto. The others followed his lead, drawing their swords and they moved in the direction of the two Hollows. "Hell, it's been a while since I had some fun! Too bad it never lasts long enough!"
Ikkaku ran ahead of the group, the adrenaline pumping through his veins at the prospect of a good fight for once. Up ahead he caught a glimpse of one of the Hollows tearing through a park where young couples often gathered. Ikkaku laughed maniacally as he jumped onto the Hollow's back, stabbing his sword into its neck and letting the black blood spray across the ground. Swinging his sword again, he cut through the Hollows mask, destroying the creature. Ikkaku jumped down from its body, watching as the pure soul was free to enter the Soul Society. He flicked the blood from his sword and looked for the second Hollow.
"Hey Baldy! Stop slacking off and move it!" Yachiru yelled as she ran past him, grasping her sword in her hand.
"I am not bald, damn it! It's shaven!" Ikkaku shouted as he ran after her.
In the distance he could make out the shape of the second Hollow, hunched over as it was attempting to capture a human to devour. Yachiru cursed under her breathe and jumped into the air, slicing through the Hollow's arm as she did. The arm fell to the ground, dropping the young girl that the Hollow held to the ground. Ikkaku grabbed the girl and moved her to safety, watching as Yachiru continued to fight the Hollow. Though his back was turned, he could easily identify her reiatsu flaring up and holding the Hollow in place.
"What an idiot. Get the hell out of here, you bastard and move on already," she said coolly, her eyes meeting the empty pits of the Hollow's. She charged at the Hollow and jumped onto its face, burying her sword into its mask. Yachiru dragged her blade behind her as she ran the Hollow's back, before turning and watching as the mask shattered and disappeared. Brushing the stray hairs from her face, she looked upwards to the sky and sighed. "Go rest now in peace in a better place," she said, turning to look back at her subordinates.
"What the hell are all of you standing around for? Pachinko Ball, put that girl where someone will find her easily. We're going back now," Yachiru said, sheathing her sword.
Ikkaku laid the girl down on a nearby bench before joining the subordinates near Yachiru. A tiny black butterfly was flying near her head and landed in her hair. Yachiru placed her hand under the butterfly and removed it from her head. She held it out in front of her so that it could take flight again, and as she did, her eyes met those of Ikkaku, who glanced away as the butterfly opened the pathway to the Senkaimon.
Though it was small, the tiny creature somehow made Yachiru look different, somehow, but Ikkaku wasn't sure what it was. There was something tranquil and composed about the butterfly resting on the 11th Division's hand, but there was still something more, something he wanted to figure out.
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The sun had barely risen and yet Ikkaku was laying in bed awake, his mind wandering back to last week's patrol over Karakura. Yachiru had been so quick to come in and dispose of the Hollow that had appeared and had made it look so effortless, so easy, so graceful. He couldn't remember when she had become that way, that poised and elegant in battle. For the longest time, he could only see her as a child who he had to watch over and now, he could tell she had indeed grown up. He sat up and looked outside at the courtyard. His eyes caught the movement of someone in the training grounds, and wanting to put his mind on something else, he decided to join whoever was out there.
He throw on his hakama and grabbed his Zanpakuto, wandering over to the training area. He was about to call out to them when he recognized the flowing pink hair. He stopped dead in his tracks and jumped into a nearby tree, hoping that she hadn't seen him walking. But her movements were unbroken and he sighed in relief that he hadn't be noticed. Looking back down, he watched in awe as Yachiru went through the kendo movements that Kenpachi has taught her.
Ikkaku had to respect that man for teaching her so well, for raising her the way he did. Everything Yachiru knew now was as result of Kenpachi's care for her from her attitude, her fighting style, to her command of the Division. If Ikkaku didn't know any better, he would have said the two were actually blood related and that Kenpachi was her biological father. But even though they weren't related, Yachiru had been like a daughter to Kenpachi, and he had been like her father. Loving, caring, and overprotective.
Ikkaku wondered what Kenpachi would say if he knew that he had feelings for Yachiru. He tried to imagine the situation, him confronting the former Captain and trying to explain that he was interested in his ward. When he was greeted with the idea of his gruesome, bloody death, Ikkaku then tried to imagine a secret love with Yachiru in which Kenpachi wouldn't have known about. But knowing his luck, Yachiru would say something to Kenpachi, and again, it resulted in his brutal murder at Kenpachi's bare hands. He sighed, thankful that these were all hypothetical situations and not actually possible.
Below, Yachiru was standing still and Ikkaku's breath caught in his throat, fearful that his thoughts had reached her and that she was aware of his presence. But he realized that while she was still, she was actually releasing some of her reiatsu and directing it to her zanpakuto. The blade was glowing a faint pink color with the slightest hint of yellow around the edges, and after a minute the color faded. Her grip tightened on the hilt as she moved the sword above her head. The corner of her mouth curled slightly as her lips spoke something that Ikkaku couldn't hear, but as she did, her zanpakuto faded.
It was stunning and Ikkaku thought that even Yumichika would agree that it was beautiful. The 11th Division Captain stood there, the sun casting light across the grey and white patched wolf fur that was now wrapped around her shoulders and arms. In one hand, she held a long scythe attached to a smaller kusarigama by a chain that was hovering over her shoulder. The blade of the scythe itself was grey in color, about 4 feet in length but Yachiru easily held it with one hand. At the top of the scythe where the blade met the staff was a strip of fur hanging down the side.
Yachiru swung the scythe, her eyes focus on the movement of the weapon. The weight and feel was much different than what she was used to but she could feel the reiatsu coursing throughout the blade, a blade capable of severing the spiritual power of an enemy. As she played with putting more or less of reiatsu into the weapon, the blade would change it's size and shape as it did so. As for the smaller weapon, it moved as she wished it to, wavering over her head like a tail, ready to attack or defend if needed.
Loosening her grip on the handle, she released her Bankai and the zanpakuto took it's normal shape before she sheathed her sword and turned back to the barracks. Ikkaku watched her leave, his eyes following her body's movements. He really wished Kenpachi was still here to see the stunning woman he had raised. Strong, intelligent, and absolutely breathtaking and Ikkaku realized that he really was attracted to her more than he had thought. He realized that if he were to ever hurt her, Kenpachi would somehow come back and find a way to kill him a million times over. But Ikkaku finally knew how much he wanted to be with her, how much he loved her.
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"Alright everyone! Tonight's Sake Club meeting has begun! Let's all drink, okay?" Matsumoto said, holding four bottles of plum rice sake in either hand. The other members cheered as she began to serve each of them in turn, hitting their glasses together as they gulped down the warm, bitter liquor.
Renji flopped down on the floor next to Ikkaku, throwing his arm over his shoulder. "Yo, Ikkaku, drink up! We gotta beat our record of 28 bottles of sake!" Ikkaku drank his glass of sake and stood up, letting Renji fall to the floor with his sudden movement. Grabbing a new bottle, he walked outside and sat on the edge of the porch. "Oi, Ikkaku! Make sure ya drink it all! We gotta get through 25 more bottles!" Renji yelled from inside. "President! President! More sake!"
Matsumoto smiled as she served another glass to Renji, who was now yelling loudly with Hisagi. She glanced outside and noticed Ikkaku's back to them, a slight frown forming across her face. She was about to go outside with him when Hisagi grabbed her wrist and pulled her down. She could feel the warmth radiating from his face and the slight pink tint already lining his cheeks. "Matsu, I love you…."
She smiled, kissing him on the nose. "Yes, yes…I know. Here, finish this bottle while I go get another, 'kay?" He took the bottle and drank heavily from it as Matsumoto used the opportunity to escape outside.
"Yo, Ikkaku-san! It's not like you to be so cold!" she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. The weight of her body fell rested on his back and he could feel her chest brushing against his arm. Ikkaku sighed as he pulled her arms away from his neck, leaning away from her.
"Say, don't be like that," she said as she sat next to him. "You're never this quiet at the Sake Club meetings. Normally you're too busy trying to drink everyone else under the table, myself included."
"Heh, you're the only one I can't beat," Ikkaku replied, drinking from the bottle and offering it to her. "Dunno why, but I've been thinking 'bout the past a lot. About Kenpachi and Yumichika…"
"Oh? What makes you think about them all of a sudden?"
There was a sudden crash and a bunch of obscenities flying from inside the room, and both Ikkaku and Matsumoto looked back inside to see what had happened. Kira was being pinned to the ground by Iba, who was yelling something incoherently but the words 'glasses' and 'broken' were involved, while Renji and Hisagi were laughing hysterically on floor. Matsumoto shook her head and turned back to Ikkaku.
He sighed and leaned back on one arm, drinking from the bottle. "I was thinking' 'bout how everyone used to be. Yachiru-san hasn't been the same since the- what're ya staring at me like that for?!"
Matsumoto was leaning towards him, her face far too close to his with her devious smile. Her eyes were filled with an excited look and she moved closer. "Aww, Ikkaku! It's so cute that you like little Yachiru-chan!"
Ikkaku slid back a bit, trying to put some space between him and Matsumoto but the wall was behind him. "It-it-it's not like that!"
Matsumoto pouted slightly, one finger pressed to her cheek as she pondered something, occasionally glancing in Ikkaku' direction. "I've got it! I know how you can win over Yachi-chan! You gotta grab her by the shoulders, tell her you love her, and kiss her passionately!"
"Eh?! Like hell I would do that! And it's not like that, damn it!" Ikkaku yelled back, trying to stand up. Dots of sweat lined his brow as Matsumoto's chest had been right in his face a moment ago, and he could feel the redness in his face, of which he was blaming the sake for.
The 10th Division Lieutenant laughed as she too stood up. "Don't worry, Ikkaku. I'm not interested in you, Hisagi keeps me well satisfied ," she said, winking as she patting him on the shoulder. "But you should tell Yachiru-chan. Otherwise, I will, 'kay?"
"Goddamn it woman, it's not like that!"
"Right, right, now come on in and drink up, Ikkaku! We got to beat the club record!" Matsumoto pulled him back inside the barracks, handing him another bottle of sake. He watched as she bounded off, and sighed, looking down at the bottle. He shrugged and chugged, his mind wandering out into random thoughts.
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Hitsugaya looked at the living room, and the six bodies sprawled out across the floor, arms and legs sticking out in random directions. The room was littered with empty bottles, glasses, random uniform pieces, and his head throbbed in frustration. "Damn it, Matsumoto…," he muttered under his breath.
