Author's Note: I'm sorry, everyone for not sticking to my promise on updating! A lot has been going on in my life and truly I had every attention on updating, but every time I sat down and tried to write nothing seemed to form in my thoughts. So, after a long hiatus I wanted to sit down with my muse and try my best at writing something. And this was that something. It's not like other chapters but I wanted to get something out in an apology. Please tell me what you all thought and even give me suggestions on what you all want to see in further chapters, thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All rights are reserved.
Here with Me
(Chapter Three Rewrite)
The day had dragged on but Ichigo kept his composure. He had been raised to put his feelings to the side to be the Prince he needed to be, to make his father proud. After he heard the captains report about his suspicions of Aizen he reeled in his obvious thoughts of anger as it wasn't the captain's fault. It was the manipulated bastard of a soul reaper – a seeker of power just like him. He had decreed all captains would be able to carry around their zanpaukto ordering full-time war use of them.
He would also be leading a team of captains to search through Hueco Mundo. It was the obvious option to where he would run off to. From the captain's reports he had been given only one name strong enough to beat the ex-captain – a substitute soul reaper by the name of Ichigo Kurosaki. The name seemed familiar to him. It felt like the strange tug he had before entering the squad one barracks. He had squashed the familiar feeling down and pushed it to the side at the time, but now he was alone in a room that had been offered up by the squad six captain Byakuya Kuchiki.
The captain had led himself to the Kuchiki estate he had been reminded of his father in the strict noble and he also saw himself in the captain. A knock sounded on the sliding door of his room, "enter" he spoke as the door slid open and revealed a red-haired lieutenant by the white slip he had around his shoulder with the kanji for Lieutenant, "speak" he ordered his voice remaining in the tone he had used before with the captains.
The sliding door slides open to reveal Lieutenant Abari, the Lieutenant for Squad Six, "You don't recognize me do you?" The Lieutenant caught his interest. "Should I? I have no memory of this place. I've only known of the Soul Palace. Now, what do you need?" Ichigo never wavers in his gaze leaking his spiritual pressure he noticed the lieutenant wasn't faltering, he was impressed but a little annoyed at how this soul reaper acted in-front of one of royal status.
"The Head Captain has called a hearing involving all captains and of course you, your highness." Ichigo lifted a brow. It was perfect timing and it fit to his purposes he was going to assign each captain, but the familitary didn't go un-noticed. If he was honest to himself Ichigo didn't really like all the formality but still he still expected to see it when he was out of the Soul Palace. If he was expected to act this way at least they should show the same courtesy. It was one thing to be out of the Palace because of the work his father assigned to him and another to be somewhere where he wasn't expected to assassinate at the first encounter.
Leaking out some of his reiryoku to form slithers of light that floated around him as he passed the Lieutenant. He saw the Lieutenant Abari pale in color and struggled to remain on his feet. "Let that be a lesson to show some sort of respect to your betters." Ichigo muttered, passing him and smirking. Knowing he made the Lieutenant collapse from his reiryoku alone.
Unbeknownst to him however, he missed the exchange looks between the Captain of the Sixth squad and his Lieutenant. Both knowing that this wasn't the friend they had known.