Hi! Here's the next chapter. Not much more than a little filler before things start to pick up.
Chapter 3
Ichigo's time with Toshiro consisted of a very short conversation.
("We're good enough friends that you can drop the formality, Toshiro."
"Damn it, Kurosaki, it's Hitsugaya-taicho!")
At least the Tenth Captain had dropped the 'dono' and everything was back to normal between them, which was really all that Ichigo had wanted.
He sighed, glanced at his short shadow, then to the position of the sun. "I need to get back to Karakura. See you later, Rukia. And… thanks."
Rukia blinked, but before she could ask why he was thanking her, he had opened a Garganta and disappeared.
She scowled at the air where the Garganta had closed, irritated that he had escaped her question so easily. And she just knew it was going to quickly become very frustrating that he could come and go without anyone the wiser.
xxxx
Ichigo stepped out into the sky above Karakura, as he had quickly learned that the smarter Hollows did for a reason—Garganta were a bit imprecise, and it was real easy to walk out of one into a wall. That tended to draw attention, as most Hollows were large enough that walls crumbled. For Hollows, it meant prey fled.
For Ichigo, it was simply inconvenient. Well, that and embarrassing. Either way, the sky was safer, what with being able to stand on air.
He glanced around, instinctively locating where all the members of his family and nakama were, then huffed.
The majority of them—not Kiego and Mizuiro, who were at the arcade, or Tatsuki, who had karate class—were at the Urahara Shoten.
Undoubtedly grilling Urahara for anything that he might have overlooked in his explanation of the Spirit King's responsibilities.
Ichigo snorted as he flash-stepped towards the shop, using a leisurely (for him) shunpo. What responsibilities? The last Spirit King hadn't gotten involved with Soul Society for millennia. If Ichigo chose not to as well, there was no doubt most of Seireitei would be relieved.
As if. What Ichigo intended to do was find out what was in his power to do, not what he was theoretically supposed to. Seireitei needed to change. And if Yamamoto wasn't going to do it while he still had the power to do so (martial law was still in effect until the Central 46 could be replaced), Ichigo would have to see about doing it himself.
xxxx
As he soon found out, there were effectively no limits placed on him. If he decided to scrap the Central 46 and the Gotei Thirteen and start with an entirely new system of government—including a monarchy with himself in charge—no one would be able to legally stop him.
Or actually stop him, as he was the most powerful being in the known dimensions. No one messed with the Spirit King, and he was even stronger than the one before, as the former Spirit King's power had been added to his own.
And he'd had power enough before then. Not to mention, according to Urahara, his power would continue to grow as long as he lived, although more slowly now that basically nothing could threaten his life.
Ichigo sighed, scrubbing a hand through his hair. He wasn't going to abolish Soul Society's long-standing government without a damn good reason, but it was kind of nice to know he could. In an incredibly stressful, intimidating sort of way, anyway.
"Ichigo?"
He glanced at his uncharacteristically serious father pausing at the doorway after the others had already filed out.
"Are you all right?"
Ichigo considered briefly. He'd been better.
Zangetsu apparently decided that it was finally time to speak up. If you do not tell someone of your troubles, they will only grow.
Wasn't that the truth?
"Tired," he stated after the not-quite-suggestion from his Zanpakto. "Stressed, and I have no idea how I'm going to handle this."
Isshin nodded slowly, "Go home and get some rest. We'll figure out everything else as it comes."
"Yeah," Ichigo sighed, "I'll do that. Anyway, thanks… Dad."
xxxx
The next morning came much too quickly for Ichigo's tastes. He was up and halfway down the stairs before the memories of the day before clicked into place when he realized he was in soul-form.
He huffed and shunpo'd back up the stairs and into his room to change into his Shinigami uniform, which was a significantly less strange thing to be wearing than clothes that would seem to be walking themselves around to ordinary people.
After he was properly attired, he flash-stepped to the kitchen, not even thinking about what he was doing.
Yuzu, whose power had developed to the point that she could see spirits, shrieked.
Ichigo was apologizing well before Karin burst into the room to see what had so frightened her twin, and the black-haired girl wasted no time in swatting her older brother on the back of the head.
"Ichi-nii, don't do things like that!"
"I said I'm sorry!" Ichigo protested, inwardly relaxing a little at the sheer informality of the moment.
The not-at-all tranquil moment was broken by Isshin's usual morning greeting, albeit gigai-less and with shunpo and proper hakuda involved.
The end was the usual, though the fight had lasted slightly longer than usual and been several times more intense, and Ichigo pulled his last blow to send his father into the wall and not through it.
Isshin climbed to his feet and smiled sadly, "I truly have nothing more to teach you, my son."
Ichigo blinked. That had lacked his father's usual lunatic flair—he was serious.
"Maybe not fighting," Ichigo said neutrally, not agreeing.
Isshin shook his head, "Ichigo, you went through an entire war without me. You didn't need my help until the very end, when Aizen fused with the Hogyoku. Even then, you were far beyond any of the rest of us. Others have taught you what it means to be a Shinigami, and you already know what it means to be human. What's left to teach you?"
Ichigo offered a wry smile, "I'll tell you when I find it. I've got to get to Soul Society for those books Ukitake was going to get for me and tell them about the schedule we've worked out."
Isshin nodded once and Yuzu interrupted. "Eat breakfast before you go, Ichi-nii."
Ichigo smiled slightly, sitting at the table at his little sister's urging.
Whatever else was going on, this was still the same.
xxxx
"Juushiro," Ichigo had needed to remind himself to use the man's given name. "Hey."
"K—Ichigo. I have the books you requested here," the Thirteenth Captain gestured to three volumes on his desk, "The History of Seireitei is the Academy history book, but it has enough information to give you a basic understanding of Shinigami history and society. The other two are on the laws of Seireitei and the Gotei Thirteen and a history of the Central 46 rulings."
Ichigo took the offered texts gratefully, "Thanks. Oh, right—I'll be able to come to Soul Society most afternoons and weekends, but I've promised my family that the first weekend of every month will be spent with them, barring emergency."
Juushiro nodded in understanding, "That is more than reasonable. Will you be back tomorrow?"
Ichigo shook his head, "No. I need to get my body back this afternoon. Dad will sign me out of the hospital, but I'll have to catch up on some schoolwork."
"Ah," the white-haired man smiled slightly, "Good luck, then."
Ichigo flashed a wry grin, "Yeah. Let's hope I don't need it."
