Judgment
A/N: It's really hard to write on a laptop lying on the ground. I can't wait until my furniture gets here and I have a desk again! (my back will thank me).
I didn't want to be doing what I was doing but I refused to let anyone else do it.
"Renji!" Ichigo said, happy to see me. Why wouldn't he be? He had no idea what had been happening in his absence. For all he knew I had slipped out for a little alone time with him. I sincerely wished that was the case.
"Ichigo, this is…" he was kissing me. I couldn't help but kiss him back for awhile. When he pulled away I sighed but refused to let him out of my arms. "Ichigo, I'm here on official business," I finally finished.
"Oh yeah? Does that mean you're going to be here for awhile?" Ichigo asked me.
"Actually, I'm taking you back to the Soul Society," I told him.
"You could give me some warning. I have a lot of homework and I made plans this weekend with Chad."
"Bringing you back to the Soul Society is my official business," I explained.
He frowned slightly. "What's up?"
"Captain Kurotsuchi was trying to get you declared to be a hollow, so my captain brought it up to Head Captain Yamamoto to try to control the situation."
"What does that mean?" Ichigo asked me.
"Well, there's never been a hollow in existence that has gotten immunity from the Soul Society. Captain Kurotsuchi has been arguing that you should be turned over to the Research and Development Department for experimentation."
"After all I've done they're just going to…"
"No! Captain Kuchiki, and a bunch of the other captains, they're all fighting for you. They've been arguing all week about it, but now…now it's time for you to come and answer their questions," I told him.
"What if I choose to not go?" Ichigo asked, which was exactly the reason that I insisted it was me that go to the world of the living. The situation was sticky enough without Ichigo taking out whoever was sent to collect him.
"Ichigo, just come and talk to the captains. If things wind up not going our way I already have a plan in place for us to escape."
"Us?" Ichigo asked.
"Of course. I just got you back, do you think I'd really lose you over such a stupid thing?"
"The Soul Society would hunt you for helping me," Ichigo pointed out.
"Don't worry about it. If it comes to that, Kenpachi and his squad are going to throw the whole Seireitei into chaos. We'll have plenty of time to get away. Yoruichi has already set up her family Senkaimon for us to leave through. Kisuke has made me a special gigai in case I need it, one that masks spiritual pressure."
"That's not what I meant. I meant that you'd be giving up your whole life, everything you've worked towards."
"Ichigo, do you think Rukia would ever talk to me again if I sat by and watched you die? Do you think that any of my friends would ever want to be around me again, knowing that I did nothing to save you? My own captain would disown me for it. Discounting all of that, do you think that I could for one second live with myself, ever look in the mirror again and see the person that let the only person he ever loved be taken from him?" I had gone through all of this before with Rukia. Who knows what would have happened to me if she had been executed. For all of the backbone I tried to show when she was locked up, I would have been utterly defeated the second she died. What worth is anyone who abandons their family? On the street, as kids, whomever we could hold close, whomever we loved and counted on, that was our family. Ichigo had become my family the second I entrusted Rukia's rescue to him. I'm not the type of person that asks favors lightly, especially such a hard one. Honestly, even though I didn't love him then, he owned me the second he saved my soul by saving Rukia. The second he beat me he reawakened me, reminded me of who I was and what I was fighting for. When I woke up in my cell, my body was broken but my spirit was remade, reforged back into the person I always wanted to be. A stooge for the Soul Society? That was never in the cards. I had let my own personal ambitions and pride get in the way of my life, and I will never let that happen again. "I hope you don't think I'm the same person that allowed Rukia to be put in the penitence cell," I told Ichigo lowly.
"No…" Ichigo said, still in my arms, drawing his arms around me tightly. "You were confused then. You wouldn't have allowed it to happen in the end."
"I hope from the bottom of my heart you're right, but thankfully I didn't have to face the challenge alone. And nether will you," I assured him.
"Ok," Ichigo said. "I'll let you take me back."
"Please have faith in the captains. I know that our rules seem unfair to you, but I don't doubt that there are a lot of people who will fight for you in the Soul Society." I knew that we could count on Captain Ukitake, even if he hadn't been one of the nicest people ever, Rukia would kill him if he didn't stand up for Ichigo. Captain Kyoraku didn't like violence, liked young people in general, and had a fondness for all of the Ryoka who broke into the Seireitei that day years ago. Even if he didn't, he would have allowed himself to be led by Jushiro. Captain Soifon was tough as nails, but melted like butter in the presence of Yoruichi, and I already know that Yoruichi has been in contact with her former subordinate. Captain Unohana tended towards the humane at all times, and my captain had already shown me his true colors. Although he had been remaining fairly neutral (according to Shuuhei) in the discussions so far, I knew that he was fighting for Ichigo. Oh yeah, Shuuhei. He got made captain not too long after the war. Having to fight against his captain gave him the courage enough to finally face his zanpakuto, and what he feared it said about him. I still remember when he first achieved bankai. It was beautiful to see him get past his hang ups and get some peace. I suppose that if I had allowed myself to be forced to be captain that I could have been in there arguing for Ichigo's sake as well. I'm not regretting my decision though. If I had been made captain then I wouldn't have been able to visit Ichigo all that time when he was spiritually blind. I wouldn't have been able to help him finally see again.
So, Shuuhei would definitely be fighting on our side. Captain Komamura I don't know very well, but he seems like the type that's willing to give someone a chance. I mean, look at him. I heard him once say that he had dedicated his life to Head Captain Yamamoto for believing in him, I'd like to think he'd give Ichigo the same chance. I know that Shuuhei has been talking to him as well. Captain Hitsugaya knows Ichigo very well, having worked with him a lot leading up to the war. I still remember hearing how he went to the world of the living after Ichigo defeated Aizen to thank him. The little captain has a high amount of pride, and I would have liked to see him thanking the kid who always annoyed the hell out of him by calling him by his first name, especially considering that Ichigo couldn't even see him or hear his words of gratitude. Kenpachi would side with Ichigo of course. I think Kenpachi views Ichigo as a good friend, possibly his best friend, which probably would come as a surprise to Ichigo. Captain Kurotsuchi of course is the whole reason for the whole thing.
I think it honestly depends on the old man. What does the Head Captain think about all of this? Both my captain and Shuuhei have told me that he's remained mum during all of the arguments and discussions so far.
"Let's go," I said, leading Ichigo into the senkaimon.
I glared at the guard at the door. "I'm going in with him," I repeated.
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but I can't allow you to proceed."
"Renji," Ichigo said to me. "It's ok."
"It ain't." I looked inside at the waiting captains. "I'm a valuable witness. Out of the people here, I know you the best. Besides Captain Kuchiki, I'm the only one who has seen your hollow side. Unlike him I've seen your hollow side more than once and have talked with him."
"I feel that it would be beneficial for us to have Renji Abarai testify," my captain spoke up.
"I do too," Captain Ukitake agreed.
"Allow him in," Head Captain Yamamoto ordered.
I nodded my head in thanks and followed Ichigo in. I had come up with a plan. It's funny that I've been thinking about what I could say nonstop for a week but it was only just minutes before having to lead Ichigo into the Squad 1 meeting room that I finally think I've figured out something that will really help. It came to my mind from something that Ichigo had told me. He had explained that after being locked up in his own body and having to live like Shiro lived all the time, he had worked out a deal that allowed Shiro to at least be able to see and experience things whenever he wanted to. So far Shiro hadn't pushed Ichigo or anything, enjoying his freedom. Ichigo told me it was like having a conscience in his head, someone he talked to but that no one else saw or heard. Assuming that your conscience gave you really bad advice, was sex starved and violent (Ichigo's words, not mine, but I can believe it).
I stood next to Ichigo as he answered some basic questions. How he got his shinigami powers (all three times), how the mask worked, his training with the vizards. He described his battle with Aizen, which mostly had remained fairly secret. Most of the people in the area were too far away to know what had exactly happened, and Aizen was surprisingly closed mouthed about the whole thing too. I say surprising because he can talk your ear off about all sorts of things, how great he is, how he doesn't care what we're going to do to him, how he's immortal and above us. Ask him why he's bound and in chains and he'll just curse Kisuke Urahara and not mention anything about Ichigo. Hearing the story from Ichigo, I really wanted to see him with longer hair, which is just one of the small little details that somehow came out. Stupid random thing I know, but I just have a thing for hair. I love playing with his hair anyways, I love how soft it is, how it smells, its color. Hm, he'll owe me after this. Maybe I can asked him to stop cutting his hair for a few years and see what it looks like flowing down his back.
They finished with the initial questions and I'm shifting in my feet. I hate standing doing nothing for so long.
"So, do you guys want to see Shiro?" I asked into the pause, deciding now was the time to just jump in and do it.
"What?" Ichigo turned towards me his eyes wide.
"Shiro is the hollow, correct?" Captain Kurotsuchi asked.
"Yes," I confirmed.
"Renji…" I know Ichigo is confused, but I didn't have time to explain things to him before we got in here. I didn't really have the details fined tuned even now, but I had a good feeling about the whole thing.
"Can you just call him out when you want to?" Head Captain Yamamoto asked.
"Only recently…but yes, I can do it," Ichigo admitted.
"I would like to see him then," Yamamoto told him.
"Won't he be violent?" Captain Kyoraku asked.
"No, I'll make him behave," I assured everyone. "It'll be ok," I told Ichigo, putting my hand on his head.
"Aw thanks, Red," Shiro smiled back at me. I could hear the small gasps and other noises from the captains at the sudden change.
"Shiro, you need to really be nice right now," I told him. "A lot rests on this."
"Hmm," he responded, having wrapped his arms around me and buried himself in my chest. "How about we just run away instead?"
"What is the hollow doing?" Head Captain Yamamoto asked me.
"He loves me," I said.
"Loves?" Captain Kurotsuchi repeated. "Ridiculous."
"Yes, it's ridiculous because everyone knows that you have to have a soul to love someone," I said to the assorted captains. "Which is my first piece of evidence that Shiro has a soul."
"Love is abstract, it's not scientifically provable," Mayuri said. "Hollows have baser instincts. It could be lust or the desire to possess."'
"Shiro, could you take off your kimono?" I asked him.
He laughed. "Nice. Did you invite me here just to get naked? Because Ichigo will be jealous and it'll cause my little black heart to fill with joy."
"Just do it," I told him.
"I assume there is a point to this?" Yamamoto asked me.
"I guarantee that I'm doing this for a reason," I answered.
Shiro was now standing in front of me shirtless, his hakama riding low on his hips, leering at me. I had to prevent myself from rolling my eyes at him.
"So, mind showing me where your hollow hole is?" I asked Shiro.
"Oh well, I don't specifically have one, but if ya don't believe me I'll happily prove it to ya," Shiro responded, his hand at the ties of his hakama.
"That won't be necessary," Captain Hitsugaya jumped in.
"I would like a full view and examination of his body," Captain Kurotsuchi disagreed.
"He doesn't have a hollow hole because he has a soul," I said.
"Hollows by definition don't have a soul," Captain Soifon said, frowning at me.
"Well then, I guess Shiro isn't really a hollow by the usual definitions then, because he never separated from Ichigo. They share a soul," I said like I knew I was right. I mean, I assume I'm right, but it's not like I always bat 100 at these types of things. "Tell me, why haven't the alarms gone off?" I asked the captains. I honestly had been a little scared that they would, but silence filled the air.
"The alarms?" Shiro asked.
"The alarms that let us know if we've been breached by a hollow attack," I clarified. "Neither now, or when you fought against Captain Kuchiki have they gone off. I assume they're still working, Captain Kurotsuchi."
"Of course they are," Mayuri said not without a little bit of anger at being doubted.
"Well then, Shiro is certainly hollow like but if your systems don't detect him as a hollow then I'm not sure how you can claim Ichigo is one."
