As soon as the shinigami returned from the world of the living, Head Captain Yamamoto called an emergency captain's meeting. There was a tense silence, buzzing with excitement and confusion as the last lieutenants took their spots behind their respective captains. Yamamoto strode in purposefully, a sense of urgency in his steps as he took his place in front of the other captains.

"Captain Histugaya, Captain Kuchiki, step forward." He ordered, wasting no time. The two captains stood before him respectfully while the others waited in anticipation.

"I want a full report from both of you this evening about the events that transpired tonight, and I want an explanation now." He said, annoyance and disappointment clear in his tone. "Captain Kuchiki, you may go first. Status report." Byakuya nodded professionally, face emotionless.

"Sir." He acknowledged respectfully before he began. "Kurosaki Ichigo attended a fair in the world of the living earlier this evening with a child, the girl's mother, and his granddaughter. He-"

Byakuya was cut off by the sudden exclamations of the other captains. Murmuring broke out amongst their ranks as they marveled over the fact that Ichigo had actually started a family. Many of the captains and lieutenants present were proud of the younger man, happy for him, while others were uninterested. Yamamoto slammed his staff down, and silence reigned. Though, even he had to admit, he was surprised. Pushing the fact aside, he nodded for Byakuya to continue.

"He got through the evening with no injuries, and was about to retire for the night when the explosion went off. By that time, captain Hitsugaya and myself, along with the lieutenants, third seat Madarame, and fifth seat Ayasegawa had already sensed the hollow and were on our way to the fair. By the time we got there, the hollow, which turned out to be the young girls father, was about to kill Kurosaki's granddaughter and the little girl, whose mother had already been killed. Kurosaki, even though he was unable to see the hollow, somehow jumped between the girls and the hollow, taking a fatal blow to the chest and multiple lacerations throughout the rest of his managed to defeat the hollow, but Kurosaki had already passed away. We made sure the girls left the scene, and I gave the word to split up to search for him, with orders for whoever found him to preform konso immediately. Liuetent Rukia Kuchiki was the one who finally found him." Byakuya finished, stepping back respectfully.

There was a profound silence following Byakuya's report. Even Yamamoto was a little shocked. The boy had died protecting others, protecting a child, from a hollow. Even as a human with no reiatsu, he continued to stun them. Ukitake was the first to speak.

"He died, protecting children from a hollow? A hollow he couldn't see?" Ukitake asked, shocked. Byakuya and Toshiro nodded in confirmation. Shunsui sighed, a mixture of sadness and pride.

"Maa. That sounds like something Ichigo would do, huh?" The other captains murmured in agreement, a mixture of pride, shock, and sadness filling the room.

"Captain Hitsugaya, do you have anything to add to Captain Kuchiki's report?" Yamamoto asked, silencing the murmuring around him. Toshiro nodded.

"My report is similar, if not identical to captain Kuchiki's, however, I would like to add that Kurosaki's granddaughter, Sayomi, has apparently inherited Kurosaki's reiatsu." He said, locking eyes with Yamamoto, who nodded in reply, the look in his eyes promising that this wasn't over. Murmurs filled the room, which Yamamoto silenced once more.

"That will be all. Return to your spots." Byakuya and Toshiro nodded before returning to their respective posts. Yamamoto sighed quietly after a moment before continuing the meeting.

"Has anyone located Kurosaki Ichigo yet?" He asked. A tense silence followed, and he growled softly in irritation.

"I want every available squad member of the Gotei 13 to start combing Rukongai. Work the shifts out amongst yourselves. Either way, no one rest until the boy is found. Understood?" He asked sternly. The other occupants of the room nodded quickly, determination blazing in their eyes.

"HAI!" The combined force of their voices, of the determination that resounded within, was practically a shout, and Yamamoto allowed an approving nod.

"Start immediately. Captain Ukitake, Captain Kyoraku, you two will be in charge of the search. Captains Hitsugaya and Kuchiki will assist. DISMISSED." He announced, his staff hitting the hardwood with a resounding bang.

"Hai!"

Ichigo blinked as morning light fell across his face, his hand coming up to block out the harsh rays. Sighing softly, he sat up and glanced around, awareness and recognition bleeding into his eyes the longer he took in the small stream and the clearing behind him. It was early, but he could already hear the tell tale signs of life from the slum beyond the forest. Ichigo cleared his throat, wincing at the dryness, before remembering the stream. He drank his fill before standing, ready to see for himself just how 'dangerous' Inuzuri was.

Ichigo made his way back up the slope and through the clearing, picking his way through the maze of trees until they thinned out and he could walk freely. Within minutes he was once again faced with the dirt and disease of Inuzuri. Ichigo coughed softly, dust and pollution thick in the air. He winced as a gnawing pain in his stomach made itself known.

'...I thought you weren't supposed to get hungry here.' He mused, absently clutching his stomach to ward of the hunger pangs. 'Well whatever, I need to find something to eat.'

Nodding to himself, he set off through the streets, already crowded with people. He could hear vendors shouting their wares at the people passing by, and listened carefully for anything that caught his attention.

"Water! Get'cha water here!"

"-yukata! Lightly used yukata!"

"Fresh fruit! Fresh-"

Ichigo allowed a small smirk to grace his face before slipping through the crowd towards the shouts. He allowed himself to melt into the shadows of a nearby alley as he took in the scene.

The vendor, a sickly old man, was sitting behind the wooden stand, which was situated in front of a blank stretch of wall. There were people, but not many. The man had little business, and appeared to be shouting more habitually than hopefully. A bored, tired expression twisted his face. There were apples, oranges, and an assortment of other fruits at the stall, a rainbow of colors in the otherwise bland stretch of road. Ichigo's stomach growled softly at the sight, and he waited patiently for an opening, Shin's words running across the forefront of his mind.

'The adults around here have no qualms about killing someone, especially a kid.'

Ichigo smirked in response to the warning, and then he took his chance. The crowd had thinned just enough for him to maneuver easily and still remain unseen, and Ichigo bolted through the throng. The elderly man had no chance to react before the fruit disappeared, a blur of orange the only clue he had as to what had just transpired. A few stunned moments passed before he jumped up, grabbing a heavy branch from beside him, and taking off after the kid that had bolted past, shouting threats.

Ichigo rolled his eyes as the vendor's voice faded away, the fruit clutched to his chest as he raced through back alleys towards the clearing. However, the food in his arms soon became far to tempting, and he found a secluded stretch of alley to sit down and eat. Surveying the fruit in his arms, he gave a soft, exuberant whoop of success. An array of vibrant red, yellow, orange, and green as he sorted through his prize. A basket of strawberries, three shiny red apples, a banana, two oranges, and a pear. Pride filled his eyes as he grabbed a strawberry from the basket, popping it into his mouth and chewing happily.

After he finished, Ichigo felt fantastic. No more hunger pangs, and he felt energized. There were still two apples, an orange, half a basket of strawberries, and a pear left, but he knew to save them for later. Loading everything into his little basket, Ichigo set off back down the alleyway, running a hand through his hair as he went. Before he reached the exit, the sound of shouting caught his attention. After a mere moments hesitation, he turned and went back into the alley, following the sound of the voices as he ventured deeper and deeper into the network of alleyways. Turning a corner, he paused as the shouting suddenly got louder, and melted into the shadows behind him to survey the scene.

There were two little kids, maybe seven or eight, cowering against the wall as an older boy, who looked about ten, stood defiantly in front of them, blocking them from view of three older kids. Ichigo frowned as he took in the positions, glancing at the apples the little kids clutched too their chests. The elder kids towered over them, each about sex feet even, and appeared to be roughly sixteen or seventeen.

"What did you say, you little bitch?" One of them asked, taking a half step forward menacingly. The younger boy's hands shook slightly, and as Ichigo watched he tightened his fists to stop the trembling before glaring back at the older kid.

"I said I won't let you hurt them." He announced, his voice unwavering even as his shaking grew more pronounced. Ichigo admired
the kid's courage, if anything. The older boys, not so much.

"Oh, and what're you gonna do to stop us? Those brats don't need that food. They got no reiatsu, so why not hand it over to people who need it, like us?" The guy in the middle replied, cracking his knuckles in an attempt to appear more intimidating. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

'What the fuck does this guy think he is? Pathetic.' He thought sourly, setting his basket down quietly. The older kid continued to speak, self-importance clear in his tone, as Ichigo walked forward and slid between the wanna-be-thugs and the children. A shocked silence echoed as the guy broke off his monologue, staring down at the orange haired kid that had just stepped in.

"He may not be able to do anything, but I will. Who cares if they don't technically need to eat? That doesn't mean they can't, or shouldn't. We're all human, dumbass. So why don't you and your friends back off, and go find someone your own size to fuck with? Sound like a plan?" Ichigo snarked, a scowl marring his features, eyes blazing with a fierce need to protect the unknown kids behind him. The older kids gaped at Ichigo, eyes wide with shock, before the leader turned an ugly red color and snarled in fury, teeth bared in dislike.

"Who the hell-... What the fuck... Do you have any idea who the hell I am?!" He hissed, anger glowing in his muddy brown eyes. "I'm Ryu Shimizu!"

Ichigo stared at him impassively, unimpressed. This gangster-wanna-be expected to scare him? Seriously? Rolling his eyes, he scoffed at Ryu, scowling in annoyance.

"You think I give a fuck what your name is? Just get outta my sight and go harass someone your own size, why don't ya?" He asked rhetorically, glaring at the stunned Ryu and his little entourage. There was dead, tense silence for a moment before Ryu snapped. Howling in rage, he lunged blindly at Ichigo, who immediately shifted unconsciously into a defensive stance. A hand clamped down tightly on Ichigo's shoulder, and he reacted instinctively.

Shifting to his left, he spun around and grabbed Ryu's wrist, hooking his left foot around the older boy's ankle, he knocked his legs out from under him and yanked, using his momentum as leverage, and hurled Ryu over his shoulder. Ryu hit the ground hard, spread eagled, and the air hissed painfully out of his lungs, head throbbing.

Ichigo didn't pause to marvel at the technique, instead pulling back a fist and slamming it into the nearest kid's face. Ichigo felt more than heard his nose break, the cartilage giving way beneath the force of his fist, blood splattering the alleyway and Ichigo himself as the guy started howling in pain. Ichigo kicked him in the stomach, knocking him back into the wall and effectively incapacitating him before turning towards the last guy, who was looking at him with wide, terrified eyes, frozen in shock.

"I told you to get the hell outta here." He said simply, before snapping a roundhouse kick into the kids side. Ichigo heard a few loud snaps as the bones cracked, maybe even broke, and the hiss of air leaving his lungs as the guy fell, but Ichigo ignored it. He took hold of the guy's shoulders as he doubled over, kneeing him in the face before knocking him into an abandoned metal dumpster nearby, knocking him unconscious.

The whole thing took less than two minutes.

Ichigo turned when he heard Ryu's groans of pain. Staring down at the older male, he watched as Ryu struggled to his feet, his tangled black hair sticking to his face and neck, a layer of dust caking his skin and yukata from the alley floor. He had a shallow cut near his hairline, blood running down the left half of his face as it bled profusely. Now that Ichigo got a good look at him, he noticed three thin metal hoops in his left ear, a square jaw, and his nose looked like it had been broken more than once. There were numerous scars, old and new, and three deep slashes across the right half of his face, from his hairline curving down over his right eye and curving down under his ear. Ryu was glaring at him, undisguised hatred in his eyes, mouth twisted in an ugly scowl as he spit a mouthful of blood to the ground below. Ichigo met his glare with a scowl of his own.

"Get the hell outta here." He said simply. Ryu's eyes hardened, his jaw set, before he and the other guy collected their unconscious friend and disappeared into the darkness of the alley, his eyes not leaving Ichigo's, promising revenge.

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo turned to look at the kids cowering against the alley wall.

"You guys alright?" He asked, walking forward and kneeling down in front of the children. Looking at them now, he realized the younger two were obviously siblings. The younger boy was skinny, with a mop of chin length black hair and dark gray eyes. His plain short sleeved white yukata was stained and worn, ending just below his knees, tied with an orange obi. He clung to the older girl, who had angled herself in front of him protectively, glaring at Ichigo in warning. Her shoulder length blonde hair stuck up in all directions, tangled and dull. There was a curious shock of dark magenta in the front, like it had been dyed. Her eyes were a pale green, though sometimes they looked gray like her brothers. She was dressed identically to the younger boy, her yukata ending just above her knees, the three quarter length sleeves ending above her wrists.

"Uhm... We're fine, thanks to you." A small voice broke Ichigo out of his thoughts, and he turned to look at the boy who had spoken. He was obviously older than the other two, like Ichigo had originally thought. His bright blue eyes peered out at Ichigo shyly from a mop of dark brown hair. He, like the other two, was skinny, clad in a short, dark purple yukata that had seen better days.

"It was no problem. I hate people who think they're better than others." Ichigo replied, shrugging. "They didn't take anything, did they?" He asked, glancing around. The three quickly shook their heads. In the silence that followed, Ichigo noticed the kids studying him in a mixture of awe and caution. Smiling reassuringly, he made a snap decision and walked over to retrieve the basket he had previously discarded.

"You guys hungry?" he asked, placing the basket before them. The children gaped in awe, need clear in their eyes, before staring back at Ichigo in disbelief. He nodded encouragingly. "I ate some earlier, and I can get more later. So seriously, go nuts."

Needing no further prompting, the kids wasted no time in devouring the fruit Ichigo had presented them. He waited patiently while they finished off the last of it.

"Uh...Thank you very much, mister...?" The older boy started, trailing off questioningly. Ichigo smirked.

"Name's Ichigo Kurosaki. Nice to meet'cha. And you can just call me Ichigo, I'm not that much older than you three." He added. The children nodded in response.

"Well Ichigo, my name's Tadashi Yoshida. This is Homura," Tadashi said, pointing to the blonde girl. "And Shizuku." He introduced the black haired boy. Ichigo nodded in reply.

"Homura, Shizuku, and Tadashi then." He said, memorizing their names for future reference. "So why was that guy being such an ass?" He asked, curious. Tadashi frowned before replying.

"He thinks he's better than everyone in Inuzuri just because he's got a little bit of reiatsu." He said sourly, face screwed up in distaste. Beside him, Homura and Shizuku perked up noticeably, nodding.

"Reiatsu?" Ichigo asked, a vague sense of recognition filling him at the simple term. He felt like he should know what it was, but couldn't remember. "I keep hearing that, but what exactly is it?" He asked. Tadashi looked up in surprise.

"Are you new here?" He asked, eyes wide. Ichigo nodded.

"Yup. I just got here yesterday afternoon." He said casually, head tilted to the left slightly. Tadashi shook his head in wonder, but didn't comment.

"Well, reiatsu is spiritual pressure. It means that, if you have enough, you can become a shinigami and fight the hollows. You get hungry, but you're also really powerful if you know how to use it. Everyone has a little bit here in Soul Society, but the more you have, the more powerful you are, and the more chance you have to get the hell outta here. You could go to the Academy and everything." Tadashi said, smiling excitedly at the thought.

"Academy?" Ichigo asked, confused. Tadashi nodded in reply.

"Mhm. Shino Academy, or Soul Reaper Academy, depending on who ya ask." He said, smiling. "It's where people with reiatsu go and try to become shinigami. It's really hard to get in, but if you do you have a chance to join the Gotei 13 and protect people." He said, eyes shining with pride. Ichigo looked at him, intrigued.

"How do you know if you have reiatsu?" He asked. Tadashi looked surprised.

"Well, there are a couple of different ways. One way is if you get hungry. If you get hungry really quickly, and need to eat a lot, you have strong reiatsu. There are also people who can sense reiatsu, and have their own already, so you could ask someone. Another way is if the shinigami come through, or if people start feinting around you. Things like that." Tadashi said, shrugging. Ichigo nodded, eyes thoughtful.

"Wait a minute. So far, the people I've talked to seem to think the shinigami are terrible, but you seem to idolize 'em. What's up with that?" He asked, looking at Tadashi curiously. He shrugged in reply.

"A lot of people think the shinigami are bad because a few of the less honorable ones come here and cause trouble, or because they've lost family to hollows. The shinigami aren't all bad." He said simply. Ichigo remained silent.

"Do any of you have reiatsu?" Ichigo asked, glancing between the three. They smiled proudly.

"Mhm! We have quite a bit actually. People like Ryu don't realize it though. We're gonna become shinigami when we get older, and protect people. Right Homura, Shizuku?" The two nodded excitedly beside him. Ichigo smiled softly.

"Well, best of luck to you then. I'm sure you'll succeed." Ichigo said, standing and brushing off his yukata. The kids nodded, determination strengthening their features as they stood as well.

"Anyway, I actually have to get going. I'll see you around?" He asked, staring at the trio curiously. Tadashi nodded in reply.

"Mmm. See you around, Ichigo. And thank you again."

Ichigo nodded in reply and watched them melt into the darkness of the alley, before turning and making his way back towards the clearing, mulling over everything Tadashi had told him. It all sounded so familiar, yet so foreign to him. He winced in pain, one hand clutching his head while the other wrapped around his stomach.

The hunger pangs were back.

New chapter! Things are gonna speed up from here on out. Next chapter without a doubt. If any of you watched the Bleach movie, Fade to Black, you know where Shizuku and Homura are from! (I don't own them! ALl rights to Tite Kubo!)

So, I started writing this at about 10 a.m., and seriously couldn't stop. This is my longest chapter yet, I believe. I hope it was interesting enough! ^^;;

Thank you again for all the support guys! It's really motivated me to write, and given me some great ideas! So R and R, and I'll be updating again tonight or tomorrow, if all goes as planned!