Ch 14: Spiritual Battles
-AFT-AFT-AFT-
Rukia, Renji, and the Captains had been discussing the current situation with Soi-Fon, Jushiro, and surprisingly, Shinji was there as well. Though the traitors had been expecting a fight, the Captains had only wanted to talk with them. Apparently, the Head Captain was willing to negotiate, they only needed to come back to Soul Society and not cause any more trouble. At first, they had adamantly refused, but Jushiro had managed to convince them, and stopped Rukia as she was about to go find Ichigo.
"Another Captain has already gone to retrieve him. They will be meeting up with us back in Soul Society." None of them could find it in them to mistrust the kind Captain, except for one.
"Alright, I'll come." Rukia agreed.
"What about everyone else?" Jushiro asked. One by one the rest agreed, except Aizen.
"I have nothing to say to Soul Society. It has already been made known that you and I will never reach an understanding." Aizen turned and walked away, leaving to find Ichigo. He was the only one that Aizen considered an ally right now, knowing full well that the others still hated him. He trusted the boy, and was grateful that he had given him another chance. He would make sure he did not disappoint Ichigo.
Doing a quick search for signatures, he found that both Ichigo and Shirogetsu's reiatsus were very low. Now concerned, he vanished in a burst of shunpo, reappearing seconds later where he had sensed them. There was no sign of either part of Ichigo, but he did see the two Captains climbing aboard a giant manta ray. He immediately confronted them.
"Judging from the absence of Ichigo and the presence of Captain Unohana's shikai, would I be correct in assuming that Minazuki currently has the boy and his Hollow?" The Captains looked at him but did not move from their positions.
"Yes, that would be correct." Unohana confirmed.
"For what reason could you need it? Surely you did not get into a fight, seeing how both of you are completely unharmed."
"Nope, there wasn't any fight. At least, not on our part. Both of 'em were already pretty beat up by the time we got here." Shunsui informed him. "They must've had a pretty nasty go at each other."
"I see. Are you on your way back to Soul Society?"
"Yes, we are." Unohana replied.
"I shall accompany you. I wish to remain by Ichigo's side." Aizen said.
"Alright then." Shunsui pulled out a communicator and requested a portal be opened. A few moments later a garganta appeared. Aizen ran beside them as they flew through the black void, heading back to Soul Society.
-AFT-AFT-AFT-
Unohana, Minazuki, and Aizen landed in front of the Squad Four barracks. Minazuki released the two souls it had been carrying, and the observers were surprised at how tightly Shirogetsu held Ichigo to himself, even when both of them were unconscious. Unohana recalled her Zanpakuto as Isane came running out with a small team trailing behind her, having sensed her Captain return with her Shikai. The medic team seemed nervous around Aizen, but chose not to say anything about Unohana's decision as they went to work.
When they attempted to move the boys to stretchers, they were not able to because Shirogetsu kept a death grip on Ichigo's arm. Working around the inconvenience, the healers managed to move them to a private room, and set them on futons placed side by side on the floor. Aizen moved to sit off to the side as Unohana and Isane sat by Ichigo and the Hollow's sides, respectively, and began working. Finally able to see the extent of the damage on both fighters as their shirts were removed to reach the wounds, Aizen and Unohana were left to wonder just what happened between them.
-AFT-AFT-AFT-
After about an hour of working on the young Shinigami and his pale twin, Shirogetsu was the first to wake up. It was slow, his thoughts still hazy as the effects of the Kaido wore off. He didn't recognize the silver haired person next to him, but saw Unohana and a nurse working on Ichigo as he looked over.
She noticed him watching her, and greeted him. "Hello, Shiro-san was it?"
He nodded, then requested. "No need fer honorifics with us."
"Very well. Shiro then. How are you feeling?" She asked.
Shirogetsu scowled. "I'm fine. How's Ichigo?" He sat up, ignoring the bandages wrapped around him, focusing instead on Ichigo as he finally released his grip on his wielder. Unohana was finishing a healing Kaido on Ichigo, while the nurse was adjusting a bag of fluids connected to the young Shinigami's arm.
"Ichigo is stabilized now, but he was quite seriously hurt. Would you mind telling us what happened?"
"That's none of yer business." Shiro instantly replied.
"Oh, but it is. We did just finish healing both of you after all." Shirogetsu flinched as Unohana's smile became chilling. He reluctantly told her what happened, noting the disapproval of everyone in the room.
"I realized after, that I had nearly killed him because I'd been to harsh. That's why I wanted to heal him myself." He finished.
"I see. You felt guilty and wanted to take responsibility for what happened." Unohana was starting to understand him, even if just a little.
"Yeah, pretty much." Shirogetsu replied dejectedly. "The other 'Getsu already chewed me out fer letting my frustration get the better of me. Maybe I wouldn't have hurt him so bad if I wasn't a Hollow. Zanpakuto are supposed to protect their wielder, which I clearly didn't do." He finished bitterly.
"Pardon me, but did you just say you are his Zanpakuto?" Unohana inquired, curious now.
"Yeah. Me and the other spirit are both his Zanpakuto. I'm just the Hollow half, which is why I don't have two swords like he does." He gestured to the Zanpakuto laying off to the side on the floor, the one white sword and two black ones easily distinguishable.
"I take it your other half is the smaller blade then."
"Yeah." The conversation fell silent for a moment before Unohana spoke again.
"Just because you are a Hollow, I don't think that makes you something bad. If anything, I think you are lost and at war with yourself. The raw instinct of a Hollow constantly fighting with the Zanpakuto's desire to protect. You simply have not found a balance between the two natures yet. Am I wrong?" Unohana asked.
Shirogetsu was shocked that she had seen through him so clearly, though he didn't let it show. Wanting to be done with the conversation, he lay on his side and pulled the blanket up over his head. Acknowledging that Shirogetsu was done talking, Unohana finished before standing up to leave.
"I will be back to check on you both shortly." The Captain left, Isane and the nurse following close behind. As soon as Shirogetsu was sure they were gone, he threw the blanket off and sat up again, his eyes meeting Aizen's, who he had forgotten was there.
"I don't suppose you'd like to ask questions too?" He asked. His tone made it clear he was not going to be giving any answers.
"No. I gather more than enough information just by listening and observing." Aizen replied. Shiro pulled his legs close to his chest and rested his head on crossed arms, glaring at nothing in particular.
'The only reason I agreed to come was because we weren't in a position to argue, but now I really just want to leave.' He absently reached up and pulled at the collar, wishing he could break it. Ichigo had been fitted with a collar as well, so he wouldn't be able to break it either. That left one other immediate option, though it was not one he was happy about.
"How can I get these off?" Shirogetsu asked.
"Unfortunately, you cannot. They are a stronger type of suppressor than you might have seen before. It cannot simply be broken by force, only removed by a kido key, which I do not have. The bracelets appear to have been made the same way." Aizen replied.
"Ah. Okay then. By the way, I meant to ask. Why are you here anyway, instead of with everyone else? It was just me and King when the Captains showed up."
"I found you as they were leaving, and came along." Aizen replied.
"Why?" Shirogetsu didn't trust any motives Aizen might have.
Aizen was silent for a moment. "I do not wish to lose the only person I currently trust and consider an ally. I lost everyone and everything I cared about when I left the Soul Society, and do not want to lose it all again. I suppose I am trying to start again from nothing, and Ichigo is the first one who has tried to understand me, even after all that has happened."
Shirogetsu gave Aizen his full attention. "What exactly happened between Ichigo being knocked out after the meeting and you returning my sword form to him?"
So Aizen told him about Ichigo being thrown into Muken, how they had talked about why Aizen did what he did, their talk of changing Soul Society and rebuilding the corrupt system, Ichigo deciding to give him another chance and breaking his bindings, and finally how the two of them worked together to escape.
"He risked and lost first his powers, trying to stop me, and now he has lost his human life because he has joined forces with me. The least I can do to show I'm making an effort to change is to assist and watch out for him." Aizen explained.
Anger burned in Shirogetsu at hearing the reply, though it was not directed at Aizen. As a Zanpakuto spirit, it was his job to take care of Ichigo. But he hadn't, and it was his fault they were in this situation in the first place. Ichigo wouldn't have let himself been captured so easily, and he shouldn't have either, especially after he had been the one to put Ichigo out of commission. And now they were being taken care of by Aizen and the Shinigami, who he considered enemies.
"Just so ya know, I don't trust you or your intentions, and neither does Ichigo. So don't think I'll let him rely on you for anything. He may be trying to understand you, but he doesn't completely trust you yet. After everything that's happened, it's going to take a lot for ya ta get ta that point with him." Shirogetsu informed him.
"Of course. That's completely understandable." Aizen agreed.
Silence settled in the room again as the conversation died, though it was not entirely uncomfortable. Shirogetsu's mind wondered as he started to doze off, tired from being healed.
'I can only imagine how things are going to go now that we're back here. The last meeting with the Shinigami was supposed to be just a talk, and it ended in chaos. It's probably wishful thinking to hope it goes any better this time.'
He opened his eyes and looked up as the door opened again, and Unohana returned with three sets of Shihakusho to replace their ruined clothing. She handed a set to Aizen, and tried to give one to Shirogetsu who hesitated, then refused, even though his shirt had been thrown away and his hakama were torn.
"What's wrong?" Unohana inquired as she placed the remaining set next to Ichigo.
"I don't wear black. I hate it." Shirogetsu sounded agitated.
"Unfortunately, I don't believe we have anything white like what you had."
"Do you have anything else at all?" He asked.
"I can let you take a look through some extra clothing we have, and you can see if there is anything you like." Unohana replied. "In the meantime, at least put this on." She separated the white undershirt and dropped it in his lap. He put it on, but left it hanging open.
"That would be great." Shirogetsu stood and followed her out of the room, throwing a warning look over his shoulder as he walked out. He still didn't like Aizen, but after their conversation, he trusted him not to do anything to Ichigo. Unohana led him down the hall to a small storage room, and pointed out a box of clothes in the back.
"Many of the pieces are odds and ends, but feel free to try on anything you want." Unohana stated.
"Thanks."
Shirogetsu pulled out the box and began sifting through it as Unohana waited outside the door. It was only a short while later that he came out, satisfied with what he had found. He was wearing the white shitagi under a deep purple kosode that had a white crescent moon and bright stars on it, resembling a night sky, and dark blue hakama with a black sash.
"Very nice." Unohana complimented. She was going to say more, but stopped when she saw Ichigo coming down the hall, with Aizen close behind. They had both changed into the new clothes, and Ichigo was carrying his and Shirogetsu's swords. A look of relief crossed his face when he saw his Zanpakuto, but it quickly changed to anger.
"Where were you?!" Ichigo demanded. "And why was I left alone with him?!" He pointed behind him at Aizen, who hung back and remained silent.
"Hold on…" Shirogetsu began, but fell silent as Ichigo crossed his arms and glared at him.
"Well?" He pressed.
"She brought me to find new clothes." Shirogetsu gestured towards Unohana. "I thought you'd still be out for a while. As for why we're here, can that wait for a bit?"
Several seconds passed before Ichigo nodded his head. "Fine. As long as you make sure to tell me later."
"I am actually curious, Ichigo-san, why you are up already. As Shiro has already said, you should not have been awake for quite some time." Unohana stated.
Ichigo glanced at her, acknowledging her question, before returning his focus to Shirogetsu. "You left. How could I not notice you were gone? I had to come look for you."
Shirogetsu was stunned at Ichigo's explanation. 'He sensed me leave? And woke up just to come find me?'
"Now, if that's everything, someone mind explaining these?" Ichigo held up a hand, displaying the bracelet, and pointed to the collar with the other.
"That actually related to the reason we're here." Shirogetsu pulled at his own collar absently, his sleeve slipping down to show his bracelet.
Ichigo suddenly grabbed Shirogetsu's collar and pulled him close. Shirogetsu reached up and held Ichigo's wrist, startled by the action.
"Forget what I said about talking later. You owe me an explanation NOW, as to why we're here, and why we have no powers. You weren't knocked out after our fight. That means you know what happened. You're the only one I can trust to give me the truth, so you had better be honest. Got it?" Ichigo's tone was harsh.
Shirogetsu barely managed a 'Yes', Ichigo's tight grip on the already snug collar making it difficult to speak. He let go of Ichigo as his collar was released and took a step back, only to move forward again to catch Ichigo as he lost his balance. The little bit of Ichigo's reiatsu that could be sensed began to fluctuate madly, and he swayed on his feet as his vision blurred.
"You should not over exert yourself. You've only just recovered, and should not even be up yet. I noticed you have also removed your IV, which was keeping your reiatsu and vitals stable. You can have your discussion later, right now you need to rest." Unohana was clearly not pleased with Ichigo as she moved to support him, and Shirogetsu took his sword so Ichigo wasn't carrying so much weight on his back.
'My sword feels so heavy without any powers. How was he carrying all three swords by himself?' He wondered. Ichigo was silent as they started walking back to the room, trying not to trip with his lack of balance. They were only part way to their destination when they saw Nanao approaching them.
"Looks like resting will have to wait." Aizen commented as the Lieutenant made her way over to them.
"Hello Nanao. What can I do for you?" Unohana greeted.
"I was to inform you that there will be a meeting at Squad one in a half hour. Kurosaki and his allies are to all be there." Nanao told her.
"Thank you. We will be there." Unohana confirmed. Nanao left, and they continued to their room.
"We'll need to leave shortly, but first we must stabilize you again." Unohana told Ichigo as she sat him on the floor and had him pull his sleeve up. "You should not have removed your IV line."
Ichigo reluctantly had to agree, relieved to be lowered to the floor where he could not fall again. Working quickly and efficiently, Unohana reattached the line where it had been pulled out. She tied a bandage around his upper arm and shoulder, attached the bag to it, then wound a bandage down the length of his arm to hold the line in place. It would also serve to prevent Ichigo from messing with it again. It only took a few minutes for Ichigo's equilibrium to return and for him to start feeling much better.
"If I find out you tried to take this off again without my permission, I can assure you that you will find yourself tranquilized until you are completely healed. Am I clear?" Unohana questioned.
Ichigo nodded nervously under her stern look. "Yeah. Sorry, it won't happen again." He knew perfectly well that she was serious, and did not want to find himself in that situation when he didn't even know the details about his current one.
Satisfied, Unohana stood, and gestured for Ichigo to do the same. He did so with no problem, and adjusted his sleeve to hide most of the bandages.
Unohana spoke again. "It is time to leave, or we will be late. Should I expect there to be any problems at the meeting this time?" She asked.
Shirogetsu cut in. "There better not be! I don't wanna deal with any more crap today, King." Ichigo, who had been about to answer, closed his mouth, not sure how to respond to the interruption.
He finally settled with, "I'll try to play nice, but I don't guarantee that everything'll go smoothly."
"Try not to cause any conflict, if you can help it. Things are tense as it is, and we are down yet another Captain from your and Aizen's escape. Komamura did survive, but is no longer able to fill the role of Captain." She informed them.
"What? How is he not a Captain if he survived?" Ichigo voiced his confusion, as well as the confusion of everyone else.
"You will understand once we are at the meeting hall. I'm sure he will be there." Unohana replied. "Currently, we have no explanation as to what exactly happened, though it's likely he knows and is simply not telling us."
Much of the rest of the walk was in silence, and it was not long before they reached the meeting hall.
"Mind yourself and everything should be just fine." Unohana advised. She led the way in, Ichigo, Shirogetsu, and Aizen following close behind. They moved to join the rest of their group standing as Unohana stood next to Shunsui and Jushiro. Strangely, they and the eldest Captains were the only ones there, as well as a large wolf-like dog sitting next to Yamamoto.
"Where have you been?" Rukia quietly asked him as the meeting started.
"Squad 4. Had some stuff to take care of." Ichigo replied shortly, trying to pay attention. He turned his focus to Yamamoto, who had started speaking.
"This meeting has been called so that current issues may be discussed, and hopefully resolved. Thus the reason most of the Captains are absent, I wish to keep this relatively quiet. Now, I wish to know what it is that you have against Gotei and the Soul Society."
Ichigo was surprised at how different the tone of the conversation was, compared to the previous time. Nonetheless, he answered. "I have no issue with either one, my problem is with the way things are done around here. From what I've been told, Soul Society is managed by the Gotei, who in turn is governed by the Central 46. Above the Central 46 is the Soul King, who's in charge of pretty much anything. My problem is with the Central 46 and the Soul King. As far as I'm concerned, the Central 46 are a bunch of idiots who refuse to accept anything they don't like, and don't accept anything different.
"They're holding the Soul Society back, and are not allowing for any positive progress to be made. The Soul King is the one at the top, and even he isn't doing anything to help. He could make things change, but he hasn't done anything either. All I want is to change the way things work, and everyone who has joined me, did so because they support me and what I'm trying to do. I'm making a rift in the Soul Society to find out who will join me in my cause, and who will stand in our way.
"I didn't want this to turn into something huge, but that option's clearly come and gone. Especially since I know exactly what you did to me and why you did it. You killed me, and are trying to force me to assimilate to your ways, all because that's what you were told to do. It's just something else that's happened because of the way things work around here. Sometimes authority needs to be challenged, and clearly nobody's taken that position. So me and my friends are doing us all a favor and starting something ourselves." Ichigo finished. It had taken a great amount of control on his part to stay as calm as he did, and it paid off when there was no explosive reactions. If anything, Shunsui and Jushiro looked impressed with his speech.
"I see." Yamamoto's annoyance was barely noticeable, but Ichigo caught something else in his eyes, though he couldn't tell what it was.
"Your reason for doing this is understandable, though I am still obligated to prevent you from causing any further trouble. You cannot change an entire organization with just a handful of people. Surely you can see that this will get you nowhere except into deeper trouble. Though there is likely nothing I can say that will change your mind, I'm sure you realize how difficult such a thing would be." Yamamoto said.
Ichigo was about to bite back a sharp reply, when Byakuya leaned over and whispered something to him. "Listen carefully to how he speaks. Everything he is saying holds a double meaning."
Ichigo thought about this as he repeated the Head Captain's words in his mind, changing the words to fit their other meaning. 'I understand why you are doing this. I will not stop you even though I am obligated to do so. You cannot do this with just a few people, you will need more allies. You will be in more danger the farther you go with this, though I know the danger and difficulty will not stop you.'
'Is it possible he supports me on this? Is he indirectly giving me permission to do whatever I want in order to achieve my goal?' Ichigo wondered. He gave Byakuya a curious look, to which he replied with a small nod. Ichigo fought to keep the sadistic grin off his face. 'He has no idea what he's just done, giving me free reign. I am so going to take full advantage of this freedom he's just given me.'
"I know exactly what I'm doing. And no, I will not be changing my mind or backing down on this. We started it, and we intend to see it all the way through. Isn't that right?" Ichigo asked his friends and allies. A genuine smile formed as they all agreed with him, displaying the same determination and resolve to finish what they started.
So fast that it could have been his imagination, he thought he saw the smallest twitch of a smile on Yamamoto's face before his expression smoothed out again.
"Very well. If you insist on following through with this, then we are at an impasse. For the time being, you are all to be escorted to Squad 1 barracks and placed under house arrest there. You are free to go anywhere within the division, but are not to leave the Squads grounds." He commanded.
"I shall take them." Unohana volunteered. Head Captain nodded in agreement.
"Captain Unohana, you may take Kurosaki and his friends to the barracks. Aizen Sosuke, if you would stay behind for a minute."
Ichigo stepped forward, ready to protest, but stopped when Aizen put a hand in front of him. "Go on. I'll be just a moment."
Ichigo hesitated, then nodded and stepped back. "Let's go, Unohana." He turned and led the way out of the meeting hall. Yamamoto beckoned Unohana over and whispered something to her, before sending her to catch up to Ichigo. He turned to Aizen as they left.
"Let's have a talk, shall we?"
-AFT-AFT-AFT-
Toshiro turned to look at Ichigo as they followed Unohana to the barracks. It was a short walk, but long enough to have a decent conversation.
"So I assume you were at Squad 4 before the meeting, seeing how you, Aizen, and your Zanpakuto arrived with Unohana. Mind explaining why you didn't meet up with us until just now?" The little Shinigami asked.
Shirogetsu answered, saying, "Crap happened. We had to spend some time there to get things sorted out."
"What could you have needed to take care of at the Fourth?" Renji asked.
"Can I make a don't ask don't tell policy? Meaning you don't ask so I don't have to answer anything?" Shirogetsu asked.
"No." Rukia replied. "Those sorts of things only breed distrust, something none of us need right now."
"Rukia is correct. So, Ichigo, tell us, why did you not join us right away in Soul Society?" Byakuya pressed. Unohana intervened before Ichigo was forced to respond.
"What happened is something I would appreciate only being kept between Ichigo and Shiro. Please do not make them talk if they do not want to."
"..." A momentary silence fell over them as they walked.
"Sorry, Ichigo." Ichigo wasn't sure who said it, but he responded anyway.
"Don't worry about it. I'd just appreciate it if you could give us some time before asking again. It was some personal issues between me and 'Getsu that got out of hand."
"Ah." Now they were extremely sorry that they had pressed him. Issues between a Shinigami and his Zanpakuto were a very personal and serious thing.
"But we're all together now, and I won't be disappearing like that again." Ichigo said, but his small smile was forced.
Now he turned to Unohana to ask a question. "Hey, Unohana?"
"Yes, Ichigo?"
"That dog in the meeting hall…"
"Ah, yes, that was Captain Komamura. As I had mentioned before, we do not know the details of what happened, but that is how we found him. For whatever reason, he has almost completely transformed into a wolf. Even his reikoru has changed. He has been recovering since the incident, and has been staying with Head Captain, helping out however he can in his new form."
"..." Ichigo wasn't sure how to respond, but by now they had made it to the barracks and were standing in front of the living quarters as Unohana addressed the whole group.
"You will be staying here. There are only two available rooms, so you will need to decide who will be sharing." Unohana stated. There was a chorus of agreement, and the group dispersed to go check out the rooms.
She stopped Ichigo before he walked away. "A moment, if you don't mind."
Ichigo and Shirogetsu stopped and turned back to face her. "Sure."
"Can I trust that you will not do anything rash if your suppressor is removed?"
Ichigo looked at her in surprise, but responded. "Yeah. I won't do anything stupid."
"Are you certain?" She was studying his reaction, seeing if this was the right decision.
Ichigo returned her steady gaze, unfazed by the questioning. "I promise I won't cause trouble for you or the Gotei. As for everyone else, I'll make no such promise."
Unohana smiled. "I appreciate your honesty. Allow me to remove your bindings." She stepped closer and lightly touched his collar with glowing fingers. A moment later the clasp popped open and the collar was removed, followed closely by Unohana doing the same thing to his bracelets. Ichigo's reiatsu flared slightly at the sudden release, then settled back down to a comfortable level.
She turned to Shirogetsu, and held a hand out. "Let me see your bracelets."
Shirogetsu hesitated, then slowly held out his own wrists. His bindings were also removed, but the collar remained.
"What about this?" Shirogetsu pulled at the collar uncomfortably.
"Unfortunately, I do not have permission to remove your supressor. I am only able to take Ichigo's bindings off and allow you to return to your inner world."
"Won't it just go away once I dematerialize though?"
"No. It is a soul bound object, meaning it will remain bound to you regardless what form you take. It will be ineffective in your inner world, but it will have full effect when you are manifested."
"..." Shirogetsu wasn't sure what to say to that, but his annoyed look expressed his thoughts well enough. He looked away with an irritated huff and let his form dissipate, wanting to be left alone in Ichigo's mind for a bit. Ichigo felt Shirogetsu's influence fade in a manner he recognized as his power going to sleep.
"One more thing." Unohana requested. "Pull your sleeve up for me."
Ichigo complied, and she unwound the bandages around his arm, then removed the IV.
"There is no more need for this. Your reiatsu will stabilize you now that it is no longer sealed." She wrapped a thin bandage around where the line had been inserted, then packed everything away in her Squad 4 medical bag.
"Hey Unohana?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes?"
"Why did you take those bindings off? Aren't we supposed to be kept under control and all that, since we're clearly not getting along with Soul Society right now?" Ichigo seemed reluctant to ask this, but clearly wanted to know the answer.
"No part of what I'm going to say is to be told to anyone else. As part of the Gotei, all Captains are to follow the Central 46, and we have very little say in what they decide. However, it did not used to be that way. The Gotei and Central 46 used to work side by side, but over time, the 46 gained more power and eventually assumed control. Ichigo, despite what it may seem, some of us do actually support you. Head Captain, Jushiro, Shunsui and I all wish for things to change, to go back to the way we remember them. It could be considered traitorous, but we are hoping for you to be the one to bring about this much needed change.
"The other Captains are all much younger, and do not know anything different then the way things are now, so many of them blindly follow orders. Sometimes we will try to intercept these orders, and change or occasionally completely nullify them, but we cannot always do this. The most recent example being that we were unable to intercept the order for you to be killed before it reached Soi-Fon. Yes, we found out, but only after the message had already been delivered and the task completed.
"So we are trying to help you, even if it is only indirectly. Anything we do to help you is in secret, behind the backs of those higher up. If you are asked about any of this, you don't know anything, and you are not receiving any assistance from anyone other than the allies you currently have by your side. Alright?"
Ichigo wasn't really that surprised to know that others supported him, but to hear it from a Captain of Unohana's status was a bit of a shock. Nonetheless, he replied. "Of course."
Unohana seemed to relax a fraction at hearing his agreement and her expression softened. "Thank you."
She turned to leave, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll do everything I can. I promise."
There was no response, but none was needed as the Healer shunpo'd away, and Ichigo was left by himself. That silent reply had been all that he needed to know.
-AFT-AFT-AFT-
Aizen stood before the Captains, watching Unohana lead the others out. When they were gone, he turned to Head Captain.
"So what might this be about?" He asked.
"We have established that Kurosaki will not be a problem, but I want to know your motives. I know neither you or him are submissive to other's wills, but you are much quieter with your thoughts. Are you going to be causing a disaster within Seireitei again?" Yamamoto questioned.
"Now, why would I answer something like that if I was going to? But I'll be honest, no, I will not. At least, not anything that Kurosaki wouldn't do. I'll try to contain myself this time." Aizen answered.
Jushiro spoke up, saying, "Even if you will not be causing trouble for Soul Society, how can we be sure that Kurosaki is safe with you? You are not exactly someone that we trust."
"I assure you, I have no ill intent with Ichigo. We are working together now, and I will be doing what I can to help and protect him. He is a valuable person to me right now, because he is helping me start over again from nothing. So there is no need to worry about me doing anything to harm him." He replied.
Shunsui joined the conversation. "Just curious, have you done any training with him? His reiatsu seemed a bit less wild than usual when we came to get him."
Aizen looked at him. "Yes, actually. We were working on reiatsu control."
"Seems to me that that is evidence of him wanting to help the boy." Jushiro commented to Shunsui, who nodded in agreement.
"And I will continue to teach him, seeing how much of this situation is being left to him. He will need all the training he can get, for when he stirs things up and it gets nasty." Aizen remarked.
"The kid's a dual wielder, isn't he?" Shunsui asked. Aizen nodded, and the pink Captain made note of this information.
"Getting back on topic," Jushiro began, "I believe Aizen has shown through his commitment to Kurosaki that he truly has no bad intentions."
A snarl from the wolf beside Yamamoto caught everyone's attention. Aizen turned his attention to him, not knowing what to make of the large dog. Noticing his reiatsu, a quick analysis answered his question.
"Komamura?" Aizen seemed somewhat bewildered to find the wolf was the former Captain.
Komamura's reply was in a rough, almost growling voice. "Yes. This is the result of your attempt to kill me."
"... Care to explain? I had not thought anything like this would have resulted from my actions."
"This is part of a curse that was meant to be kept hidden. I will not tell you anything more." Komamura replied, then stood and walked out of the room.
"..." There was a long silence from everyone in the room. Aizen turned back to Yamamoto.
"If that is all, I'd like to regroup with Ichigo and the others." Aizen requested.
"You may leave." Yamamoto dismissed him. Aizen left the meeting hall and started in the direction of the First's barracks. Distracted by his own thoughts, he didn't notice a certain person until he practically ran into them. He cursed his carelessness as they turned and dropped the stack of paperwork they had been carrying, a look of shock on their face. She was one of the last people he wanted to see right now.
"Is… Is that you, Captain Aizen?" Momo managed to say. He was silent for a moment, then nodded. When she seemed to recover from her shock, the threw herself at him and held onto him in a tight hug.
"It really is you!" She cried. Internally, Aizen sighed as he held her. His day just got a lot more difficult.
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