Disclaimer - I do not own anything from Bleach
Warnings: AU, Time Travel, Ichigo-centric, violence, language
Author's Note: Hey everyone! Here's another chapter! Time skips are a coming. By the boat load. Familiar faces are coming too. Good for that right? More at the bottom, as usual. Hang on to your asses folks. Kaien's training is coming to an end.
Chapter 14: Coming Of Age
Shiro cursed quietly to himself as he hefted several more steel girders over his head. He ducked out of the low hanging opening, only paying half a mind to the jagged glass jutting out at odd angles, and then chucked the annoyance with all his strength down toward the street far below. He suddenly hissed in pain when his arm was sliced open on the glass in his carelessness, and he glared at it angrily, waiting for it to regenerate.
He growled when it didn't start to regenerate as fast as normal.
He hated this job. He wouldn't mind it so much if it was just heavy lifting, but he did mind when the heavy objects he was lifting could cut through his hierro. Ichigo's soul was made of remarkably stern stuff.
He turned and glared up through the pouring rain at the old man who was standing on top of the building he was currently clearing, and he growled up at him.
"Oi! Why do I have to do all this?!"
The glasses sporting mass of darkness glanced down at the hollow zanpakuto, and he deadpanned back, "You did not defeat me in combat. You lost the wager once again, thus it is your job to clean."
Shiro growled even more harshly at that, "But I never fucking beat ya! I always get stuck doing this bullshit! It's not fair!"
Zangetsu didn't even deem to look at him this time. He replied as he once more stared out over the cityscape, entirely straight-faced, "You were the one who came up with the arrangement, not me. You have no one to blame but yourself."
It was quiet for all of two seconds before Shiro roared in defiance. He threw a fit, pissed and annoyed in a thousand ways, and he roughly kicked another steel beam out of the broken window in retribution. He stubbed his toe badly in the process, and then cursed up a storm at the agony that suddenly lanced up his leg. Finally, after a solid minute of straight profanity, the sound of cracking glass and the clang of metal drifted up to Zangetsu's ears as the hollow stalked away, no doubt returning to work.
He allowed himself an infinitesimally smug smile once he was alone before he turned his attention back to his home. It seemed that his hollow companion still couldn't understand that a stronger power with brute force would never a beat a lesser power with skill and finesse.
He might figure it out one day.
The rain fell as it always did. Seemingly eternal, entirely unavoidable, and ice cold. The constant cacophony of the bullet sized droplets pinging off the windows rang throughout the streets, and the wind howled like a beast from hell.
His coat tore around him viciously, but he appeared entirely unperturbed. Zangetsu was used to the environment. He'd spent nearly ten years in it after all, roughly eight from that other lifetime and now 2 in the past.
Of course, just because he was used to it didn't mean he was willing to suffer it further. He truly did hate the rain, but that was neither here nor there he supposed. He alone couldn't stop the rain. He could-and would-always be of help in that regard, but that wasn't really his job. At least, it wasn't anymore. Besides, there wasn't much he could do at this point. All he could offer now were words along with a steady hand. Both only took you so far.
Ichigo was far beyond that point.
It wasn't so much that Ichigo couldn't or wouldn't hear his words. It was that words wouldn't suffice anymore. In the past they'd always worked, but now they weren't nearly enough. The only thing at this point that might stop the rain would be death. Not Ichigo's of course, but another death. One that all three of them craved.
Their time would come…and in the meantime he was resolved to do whatever was needed to help Ichigo.
His trail of thoughts were abruptly interrupted when several more loud clangs broke out beneath him. He leaned forward to glance down at the hole in the side of the sky scraper, checking to see if Shiro was okay, and when he heard nothing more he looked back up at the distant horizon.
It roiled there hundreds of miles away. Seemingly darker there than anywhere else.
He was acutely aware of that as well. There was no safe haven to be had. The storm really did cover every single inch of Ichigo's soul.
His eyes remained fixated on it for several minutes. It was his favorite past time after all, and eventually his thoughts drifted away from him, as was custom. His eyesight lost focus as he looked inward, and as he was preoccupied a change started to happen. He didn't notice for several minutes as the horizon morphed into something else, turning from what was once a raging line of black clouds into a shifting mass of color.
All at once he was aware of the disturbance. It had grown far too obvious to ignore, and he started in surprise. After a millisecond of study he realized what the problem was, and he grunted quietly in annoyance.
His glasses were covered in water.
He reached up to take off his glasses, and he squinted to block out the rain. He bunched up a part of the inside of his coat in his other hand, and he gently cleaned off the lenses before replacing them. Closing his eyes once more, he rolled his shoulders slowly, trying to ease out some of the tension that came from standing still all the time.
Upon opening them again however, he realized that the disturbance wasn't just his glasses.
He froze where he stood, every single muscle locking up in a mixture of surprise and amazement, and he stared.
The sound around him died down from a raging typhoon to the quiet patter of light rain.
The buzz of sonido, and the accompanying 'What the fuck' alerted him to Shiro's arrival.
They both stood side by side, staring out across the world they called home as the cloud cover peeled away like a retreating wave. The black roof that they'd seemingly always known slowly faded into obscurity, and in its place a pale blue now hung, relaxed, welcoming, and pleasant in a very foreign way.
Eventually, the rain died entirely. A silence that neither knew existed took up residence in the vacancy.
The glowing sun stared down at them, freshly woken, screaming with life, and present in a way that it had never been before. The glare lit up the broken city, shining bright light on the windows, and it breathed new life into what was once dead. It burned into their eyes, successfully telling them something that they'd never expected to hear.
It was still there, it always had been, and that it wouldn't allow itself to be forgotten so easily.
The two stood in awed silence together, and that silence remained unbroken for several minutes.
Finally, Zangetsu mumbled quietly, either to himself or to his counterpart, "The eye of the storm perhaps?"
A scoff at his side made him turn to regard the hollow with questioning eyes. The utterly straight face on his white counterpart confused him further.
Shiro didn't look at him, but he slowly shook his head.
"Nope…that aint it."
The hollow didn't elaborate so Zangetsu prodded him further, "Then what is this?"
All at once, Shiro was silent as the grave. Silent in a way that managed to unnerve him. He couldn't explain the sudden feeling that crawled up his spine.
Eventually, Shiro turned away, either trying to ignore the shining sun…or hide his face.
"It means he's ready to start lookin," he answered over his shoulder.
He left it at that, either believing that was enough or because he didn't want to continue. He made to jump back down, but Zangetsu didn't let him.
The old man turned to face the hollow fully, and Shiro no doubt sensed the piercing stare that suddenly bore into his back. He stopped, but he didn't turn back.
The sudden tension in the air could have been cut with a knife.
"You sense something that I cannot…don't you Zangetsu?"
Shiro's shoulders tensed at the mention of his real name.
"Don't call me that."
It sounded almost like a warning, but the old man persevered.
"You do don't you?"
Shiro clenched his fists, and for a moment the Quincy spirit thought the hollow would ignore him. His attention was entirely on him though when Shiro seemingly deflated. He gestured out at the gaping maw that was the drop off in a defeated manner, and he finally turned to face Zangetsu fully.
"Let me tell ya something old man. Something that I honestly really shouldn't have to."
He leaned back against the generator behind him, and he pointed at the old man as he continued.
"Do ya know what that fuckhead out there always has?"
Zangetsu, now thoroughly confused, paused to consider the seemingly unrelated question, but Shiro continued before he could answer.
"I'll tell ya what he's got."
He stood up and took a step in the Quincy spirit's direction.
"He's got people…friends, whatever…and do ya know what that means for him?"
Zangetsu got the feeling he was about to be told.
"That means he's got people to give his life for. He's got people to die for. All he's got to do is look around, and he'll see reasons to die as far as the eye can see. Anyone from those Shiba kids, all of his friends in the future, or some innocent passerby in the street, and you and I both know that he'll do it in a heartbeat. THAT'S what he's got."
He turned and gestured in an encompassing manner at their sudden change in living conditions, "And this…well this just means he's ready to start looking," he pointed out at the horizon next, and Zangetsu's eyes followed him, "But judging by that, he hasn't really found it yet."
As if his words had called it forth the storm rolled in once more. Starting at the very distant horizon it crawled out of hell. It approached rapidly, and everything beneath it was swallowed in darkness. In the meantime however, they still had the sun, if only for a few more minutes.
Zangetsu glanced back at the hollow, "You still haven't told me what he's looking for."
Shiro eyed him in turn, staring at him in a way that the hollow never had. His unnatural black and gold eyes were entirely unreadable as well, something else that the hollow was not known for.
He remained silent for a time, but as the storm finally reached them he spoke, and for the first time in the entire time Zangetsu had known him the hollow sounded completely sane. There wasn't a hint of the double timbre in his voice, and for those few fleeting seconds, he sounded just like his wielder.
"He's ready to look for a reason to live."
The clouds blotted out the sun once more, and the rain fell.
As always.
Ichigo dropped out of shunpo with a soft rustle in the backyard, and he threw off his hood. He flinched and squinted at the suddenly harsh assault from the midday sun, and shielded his eyes with his arm.
He dropped it a moment later however in favor of squatting down, and he spread his arms wide when the children came barreling at him from across the yard.
"ICHI-JI," they both happily cried in unison.
It was at that moment the transcendent visored realized that he'd made a terrible mistake.
A squatting position should not be taken when you are about to be hugged by two Shibas.
The wind blasted out of his lungs as the two rammed his chest cavity, and he found himself seeing stars and staring up at the leaves of the big tree. The mess of limbs never stopped moving, and a second later Ganju's face popped into his field of vision to block out the sun.
"Where have you been Ichi-ji!" he exclaimed excitedly, "We've been here for like a month!"
He had to take a moment to regain the air that had been knocked out of him, and then he replied sheepishly while scratching his head, "Heh…sorry Ganju. I was busy I guess."
Ganju made the most ridiculous pout, "But it's been so long! We haven't seen you for like a year! It's been soooooo boooring without you here!"
He ruffled the kid's hair, and made to answer, but before he could Ganju suddenly toppled sideways. He cried out as he fell, and Kukaku's face appeared in his stead.
She growled over at her still flailing brother, "What the heck Ganju! You were sitting on me!"
She glared daggers at him, and he shied away from her. Once he was sufficiently cowed the only girl in the area turned her wrathful eyes on Ichigo.
He was instantly taken aback. She looked extremely pissed.
"…uhhh….Kukaku?"
She jabbed a finger at his chest, "A whole year."
"Huh?"
At his confusion, her anger visibly fucktupled, "You were gone a WHOLE YEAR Ichi-ji! You didn't visit ONCE, and you didn't even say goodbye! What is wrong with you?!"
He floundered there under her rage, and he said the only thing he could come up with, "Uhhh…sorry?"
She punched him in the face.
Ichigo saw stars for the second time that day, and he worked his jaw as the pain subsided.
Damn. Even as a child she had a strong punch. He'd have to be more careful.
She had her arms crossed now, and her thunderous expression still hadn't subsided. This time though she refused to look at him.
He tentatively poked her in the arm, but she still ignored him. If anything her scowl grew harsher. He did it again, and she huffed quietly.
He did it a third time, and she glanced down at him. Her eyes darted away after a bare second. She was definitely resolute in her anger.
He sighed internally, and then did his best to console her, "I'm very sorry Kukaku. I was busy. I really didn't mean to do that to you and Ganju."
She huffed once more, still refusing to meet his eyes, and he poked her arm again.
"Kukaku."
Finally, she looked down at him with her scowl still in place, "Promise not to do it again?"
He nodded, "I'll try."
She stared at him, and her anger flared, "PROMISE NOT TO DO IT AGAIN?!"
…
"Yes ma'am."
Appeased, she nodded and got off of him. He rose, and he was greeted by the sight of Kaien laughing his ass off on the porch. The teenager was stumbling around and bent double because of how hard he was laughing. Suddenly annoyed, he shunpoed forward and struck him on the back of the head in retribution, and the Shiba heir went down face first into the unforgiving wood.
The sound of the two kids erupting in laughter behind him made him smirk, and Kaien staggered as he regained his footing.
"Sheesh Ichigo, the first thing you do when you see me is hit me?"
His black haired doppelganger rubbed his face and the back of his head respectively, and Ichigo's annoyance diminished at the sight.
"Still damn slow kid. Looks like you haven't been keeping up with your training."
Kaien straightened, and he shared a…conspiratorial?-look with his siblings.
"Well now I wouldn't say that just yet. I might have a few tricks up my sleeve. If you're not careful I might beat you next time we spar."
The cocky way he said it, as if he was entirely sure of himself, made Ichigo quirk an eyebrow.
The words themselves however?
He couldn't quite hold in the snigger, and he coughed as he started laughing. He smiled wide as he cajoled his student, "That's a funny joke Kaien. Practice in the mirror a bit more before you tell it again though."
The backyard was suddenly as silent as the grave.
Ichigo's smile faltered at the sudden shock on Kaien's face. He glanced back at the two children who were also silent, and he was met by two similar faces. He shifted between them, entirely clueless.
"What?"
Kaien seemed to remember himself, and he shut his half open mouth, "Oh-uh-it's nothing. Sorry. You just…seem different," he smiled warmly, "Anyway, it's good to have you back."
He nodded his agreement, a warmth stirring in his chest that he hadn't felt in years. He reached forward to grasp his pupil's hand, and he shook it.
"Yeah," he agreed, and then turned and looked out over the yard. He watched as the leaves blew around in the grass, and the sun shone down to accent the hues of spring. He took a moment to absorb the familiar sight, and a passing awareness noted that everything seemed a lot…greener? His eyes found the kids again, and the children smiled over at him happily. They ran up to join them, and he smiled down at their upturned faces.
"It's good to be back."
"So how was it?"
He glanced sideways as Kaien sat down, and he took a sip of his tea.
"How was what?" he murmured, attention only barely focused on his pupil, and more on the surreal feeling crawling up his back.
Kaien eyed him strangely, "You know what I'm talking about."
The tone made Ichigo shift, and he paused. A second later he realized what the question was obviously about.
Oh.
"I-uh…didn't do much really."
"You can't be serious. You fought right?" Kaien questioned speculatively.
"Well yeah," he nodded, wary of the topic, "But they didn't really give me much for assignments. Didn't know what to do with a freelance like me."
Kaien was quiet for a moment after that, and Ichigo dearly hoped that there wouldn't be anymore. He'd already semi-concocted a lie for this, but he'd rather avoid the conversation all together if given chance. However, that obviously wasn't meant to be. If anything it was just wishful thinking.
"Then what did you do?"
He sighed internally at Kaien's innocent curiosity, and he fought back the knee jerk reaction to crush that same curiosity with brutal force. Kaien really shouldn't be as interested in war as he was.
"I ended up getting stuck with the 8th," he supplied, automatically defaulting to his own mentor's division, "Fought with them off and on, but they didn't really like sending me out."
"The 8th?" Kaien enquired, gaze focused on his face with sudden intensity, "That's with Kyoraku-taichou right?"
He nodded slowly, Kaien's obvious interest in that division making him pause, "Yeah, it is."
The Shiba heir sat forward, suddenly a whole lot more attentive, "Did you meet him? What's he like?"
Somewhat taken aback his cousin's interest, he moved to investigate, "Why so interested?"
Kaien scratched his head and glanced away, obviously trying to hide his sudden spike in interest, "Oh…you know. I hear he's really powerful. Just curious."
He frowned, "Kaien…"
Kaien sighed at Ichigo's obvious lack of approval of his bullshit. He leaned back again and sank into his seat, and he waved his hand in the general direction of the bookshelves for emphasis, "I just-," he stopped and face soured for a moment, and there was an uncertain edge to his voice that Ichigo picked up on, "I've been thinking a lot. About going to the academy."
He cocked an eyebrow, "And?"
Kaien sat forward again, and he ran his hands through his hair almost tiredly, "I just don't really know what I'm going to do is all. Don't know what I want to do."
Ichigo nodded along when Kaien looked at him, but inside he was very confused. If there was anyone out there who Ichigo considered to have it all on lock, then it would have been Kaien. Since the second he'd met his cousin the kid had been vocal about his support of the Shinigami, and that he definitely wanted to be one. He'd never imagined that Kaien could possibly have second thoughts.
"Are you thinking about changing your mind?" he enquired, voicing his concerns even as a panicked dread pooled in his stomach. He hadn't accidentally done something to change his cousin's mind had he?
Kaien did a double take, blinking at him in confusion, and then he adamantly refuted his words, "What? No! That's not what I-," he sighed heavily again, and he scrubbed a hand over his face, "That's not what I mean."
He stood up and started pacing in front of the fire, nervousness lining his shoulders.
"I just…" he stopped and looked at him, "You know that each of the divisions has a unique duty. Obviously you do, but I don't know which division would be right for me. I mean, I'm no scientist so the 12th isn't an option, I don't want to do paperwork all day so the 9th is out too."
Overwhelmingly relieved, Ichigo smirked to himself, and his cousin didn't notice as he was mid-rant. Kaien obviously didn't know that paperwork all day was nonnegotiable. Sure, the 9th did a lot more, but paperwork haunted every division.
Kaien carried on, oblivious to Ichigo's amusement, "I won't be going to the 2nd…their work isn't something I'd want to be associated with. The 11th doesn't sound very appealing either. Besides, from what I hear their chain of command is always in shambles."
He sat down again with a huff, sounding exhausted for some reason, and he draped a depressed hand over his face, "I don't really want to be a healer, so the 4th is out, and there is no way in hell that I'm going to the 1st division."
Ichigo quirked an eyebrow at that last one, "What's wrong with the first?"
Kaien withdrew his hand, "From what I hear, it's impossible to pick up there, not to mention stuffy. I've heard people say that their too strict, and if you want to get rank you'll have to transfer. I don't want to stay a boot for decades."
Ichigo nodded at that, accepting the reasoning. The 1st division had had the same people in their ranks forever supposedly, and no one was ever going to get either the lieutenant spot or the captain's position for obvious reasons.
"Is there a place in particular that you're interested in?"
"That's just it!" Kaien exclaimed, anxiety painted across his face, "I don't know where I'd want to go!"
He sat forward again and started ticking off his fingers, "The only ones that are left are the 13th, the 10th, the 8th, the 7th, the 5th, and the 3rd. That's only half of the divisions!"
"Uh - you forgot the 6th Kaien," he reminded as he took another long sip of his tea.
His cousin chuckled, "No I didn't. That division is Kuchiki run, and they've all got sticks up their asses. I'll pass."
Ichigo chocked on his tea, spilling some to skald his hand as he desperately tried – and failed - to bite back the bark of laughter that threatened to explode out of him. Kaien grinned cheekily.
"You know what I'm talking about then, don't you."
He nodded while whipping his hands off, "I've had a few run-ins with a certain Kuchiki in my time. He was a bit of an asshole."
Kaien quirked an eyebrow, "It wasn't Sojun was it? I thought that guy was pretty nice, all things considered."
He shook his head, "No, don't know him. Different Kuchiki."
"Don't know him?" Kaien asked, looking both puzzled and startled, "He's the lieutenant of the 6th division. Has been for a while actually," his face turned thoughtful though as he tacked on, "But I guess he is a bit of an unknown. He hardly ever shows up for any of the major parties that the other houses put on, what with his illness and stuff. I don't know if that affects his work though."
Ichigo hummed noncommittally, trying to ignore that topic so he didn't reveal his lack of knowledge, and he tried to direct the conversation back.
"So. On which division you want…I can recommend you one. Knowing you I'm pretty certain you'll like it there."
His cousin perked up and turned his suddenly earnest eyes on Ichigo, "Which one?"
He set down his cup, and he folded his hands, "The 13th. With Ukitake-san."
Kaien digested that, seemingly mulling it over in his head for a moment, "Why that one? Was that your division?"
Ichigo shook his head, "No, I wasn't in the 13th, I was in the 8th, but I still think you'll like it there. They're good people. It's honestly one of the best divisions, and Ukitake-san…is a great taichou."
"What's he like?"
"Well uh…," Ichigo faltered as he tried to find the right words, "He's…strong, definitely a powerful shinigami, and he's a good man. Very kind. He's laidback I guess." He waved his hand lackadaisically, "The entire division is really from what I've seen, but he knows where to draw the line and reign it in."
Kaien nodded as he processed the new information, and then shrugged, "Sounds pretty nice…but I'll still be thinking about it."
"Sure," Ichigo agreed, "You don't have to make a decision now, or anytime in the near future either. You have plenty of time."
Kaien shifted in his seat as he got comfortable again, and then jolted slightly as something donned on him. Ichigo's expression froze when his cousin dropped a bomb on him in the next second.
"Oh yeah, speaking of Kuchikis, did you hear about that Koga guy? Holy shit. I never thought I'd hear about a Kuchiki that'd lost it. Guess even they can snap."
Ichigo did his best impression of a wall, "Yeah…crazy."
Kaien glanced at him, either still too young or still too naive to see through Ichigo's façade. Wouldn't have done him any good either way, since his mentor was now practically drowning himself in his tea cup to avoid showing his face.
"Did you hear anything about it? It only happened a few days ago so you would have still been there when they stopped him right?"
He busied himself with pouring another cup of tea, still desperate to hide his face, and he answered with his head down.
"I probably know less than you Kaien. I was kept out of the loop. The only thing I heard was that the Soutaichou was there, so he might have put him down personally."
Kaien nodded at his reasoning, and he turned back to stare into the fire, "Yeah. Maybe…either way the bastard had it coming. He killed innocent people for no reason, and if you ask me, good riddance. If I could meet the guy who killed him, I'd thank him."
'You're welcome,' he murmured into his tea-cup.
Kaien blinked over at him, "Hmm? Did you say something?"
Ichigo shook his head, "I just said that 'on that we can agree'."
Kaien nodded and glanced away. They settled into a companionable silence for a bit before Ichigo spoke up again. He stuck out his foot and nudged Kaien's leg.
"So how about you huh? What's been going on with you and the kids? What did you do?"
Kaien frowned, "We had to stay cooped up in the Seireitei the entire time. We hardly ever got to leave the main compound either." His voice pitched lower as he grumbled, "It was stupid. It was so boring too. I'm just glad it's over with."
"Still, it had to have been nice to see your family again at least, right?" Ichigo insisted.
Kaien smiled at that, "True. It was great. I definitely missed them," a shadowed cast of uncertainty came over him suddenly, "but…"
His eyebrow rose in concern and he leaned forward, "What's wrong?"
Kaien shifted again before crossing his legs, and he scratched his head as he grimaced, "Well…one of our family members went missing. Erin. He up and vanished months ago, and even though we started a search he never turned up. We don't think he ran away or anything, since he seemed pretty happy when he was last seen." He sighed forlornly, "It's not looking good, and…I think my family is starting to give up hope. We think…we're starting to think he might be dead."
Kaien shifted again, and he stared into the fire. Completely oblivious to Ichigo's sudden expression, "All we can do now is hope I guess."
The room was silent as death save for the crackling of the fire and the creaking of Ichigo's wooden arm rests. His fists were threatening to crush them in his white knuckled grip. Everything seemed a lot colder for some reason, but Kaien was entirely unaware.
Eventually Ichigo spoke, and his voice came out in a quiet subdued hush, "Yeah…let's hope so."
Satoru strode down the dimly lit hallway toward the interrogation room, and he couldn't help the growing anxiety that was crawling up his back.
This didn't feel safe. None of it did. He didn't like what he was doing, didn't like what he needed to do, and he knew for a fact that Central 46 wouldn't like it either if they found out.
He had only his most trusted men on this, and he'd try to keep the investigation hidden for as long as he possibly could. He'd frankly wanted to go out and handle their recent search himself, but that wasn't meant to be. He had a ridiculously large amount of stuff on his plate at the moment. His division was in shambles with so many different operations going at once, and he had Tindra to think about. Maintaining a relationship was taxing if nothing else…but the pros would always outweigh the cons.
In the end though, the only thing that was getting to be too much to handle was his own damn family. Not because it took up too much of his time, but because it was sincerely just annoying the shit out of him.
The elders were pushing him again. They'd been doing it for years of course, but with the war now over, and his relationship with Tindra having recently been dragged kicking and screaming into the limelight against their will, they were really starting to kick it up a notch. His calmer thoughts that told him that it was only natural for them to want their clan head to have an heir and get hitched went largely ignored. He wanted to take their relationship at his own pace (as in whatever pace Tindra was comfortable with), but those old folks at the compound kept nagging at him to propose already.
Which was straight bullshit. They'd only really been together officially, at least official between the two of them, for a year and a half. That wasn't nearly enough time, and he wasn't sure if Tindra would be happy with it. He was happy of course, but Tindra's happiness always came first.
So yes. He was being torn in a thousand different bloody directions…and now there was this.
He rounded the corner and laid eyes on two of his Onmitsukido that were guarding the door, and he approached. One came over to him and spoke up in a hushed voice, "Sir. We think we've found who you requested, but we haven't been able to find solid identif-"
Satoru waved a dismissive hand when he laid eyes on just who they'd managed to bring in.
"No…that's her," he nodded at the two guards, "Carry on gentlemen. You're both dismissed."
They both nodded and vanished, and Satoru drew in a fortifying breath to try and calm his fraying nerves now that he was alone. He stared at the woman who was sitting inside the room, and he dreaded the coming conversation.
He knew that Kaname was dead, the word had gotten out a long time ago, but this really wasn't what he'd expected it to come to.
He heaved an explosive sigh.
Best to get it over with.
He quietly pushed the door open, and his eyes met those of his late student's twin.
"Misuzu," he greeted softly, "I'm sorry that we had to bring you in like that."
She blinked at him in confusion, eyeing his captain's haori speculatively, "Who are you?"
He sat down in the opposing chair, and leaned forward over the table, "My name is Satoru Shihouin. I am-er…was your sister's captain."
Sudden realization colored her features, and her eyes narrowed, "Oh. Yes. She told me about you. A great man according to her…at least up until you abandoned her."
He inwardly flinched at that, but took the jab in stride. He reached down and pulled out some paper to start his notes.
"How are you feeling," he continued, trying to maintain as kind an exterior as possible.
She frowned mightily, in the exact same way that her sister always used to, "How do you think? I was sitting at home when I was suddenly attacked, drugged, and kidnapped, for the second time mind you, and when I wake up I'm forced to sit and talk with the one man my sister hated only a little less than the man who kidnapped me the first time." She leaned forward suddenly, getting in his face, "I'm pissed off Shihouin. That's how I'm feeling, and I want to know just what the hell makes you feel like you can do something like that?"
"I apologize," Satoru attempted to console as he leaned away, "It was for your own safe-"
"Pfft-," she interjected, cutting him off while waving a dismissive hand, "Don't feed me bullshit, asshole." She turned reproachful eyes on him again, and tisk'd while shaking her head, "Nobles. Think you can do whatever the fuck you want. Barge into someone's house and kidnap them just because you want to. My sister was always right about you."
He couldn't quite hold back the frown that came from that, "Hey. Don't lump me with those animals. There is nothing that I wanted to do more than help your sister. I really wanted to-"
She interrupted him again, and slammed her palm down on the table, "BUT YOU DIDN'T…It doesn't matter how much you wanted to help. It matters that you didn't fucking help. Don't sit there and try to act like you were her friend because you weren't her friend. Ever."
She dropped her hand, and leaned back into her seat with her arms now crossed. He sat there, unable to retort as his words failed him, and she sighed at the look, "Now, what do you want? I'm tired of sitting here and looking at your face. Get it over with so I can go home already."
He scrubbed a tired hand over his face, and tried to pull himself together.
He'd been right. He knew that this wasn't going to be a good conversation.
"We're uh…looking for the man who rescued you."
She chuckled darkly, "For what? So you can arrest him for doing what you all should have been doing in the first place?"
Satoru shook his head, "Not necessarily, no. We just want to find him."
"That's too bad. I would have loved it if you tried to arrest him. He'd have killed you in a heartbeat."
He blinked owlishly at that comment, "…Excuse me?'
She waved a dismissive hand, "Forget it. What do you want to know?"
"No. Hang on. What did you mean by that?"
She sighed in exasperation, "You're asking a question you already know the answer to idiot. I'm sure you saw what happened at that compound. He did all of that by himself. If you're smart than you'd know not to fuck with someone like that."
He subsided at that. True enough he supposed. Though, he could produce several dozen dead bodies if the situation called for it too.
"Alright…I get it. Now, what can you tell me about him?" he continued as he grasped his pencil and paper again.
"Well. For starters. He killed my sister."
He practically fell out of his chair.
"What?" he strangled out as he straightened, and he completely forgot he was even supposed to be writing anything down.
She nodded as anger colored her features, "Yeah. The bastard rescues me, and then a few months later he kills my sister. Talk about prick with a capital 'P'."
Satoru sat there with his mouth wide open, looking completely dumbfounded, "But…why?"
She shrugged, still looking highly pissed off, "Don't know. Guess you'd have to ask him."
Satoru finished writing down her account, and set down his pencil.
"Thank you Misuzu. Now, is there anything else you can tell me before we take you home?"
She nodded, a lot calmer than she had been at the start, "Yeah. One final thing actually," Satoru nodded and picked up his pencil again, "I told you that the guy never told us his name. I wasn't kidding. Every time my sister tried to weasel it out of him he'd ignore her. However…"
His eyebrows rose in surprise, "What is it?"
She faltered a little, unsure of herself, "I don't know if this is really accurate or not, but there was a boy, an orphan named Tosen that my sister always took care of, and he said that the man's name was Ichigo for some reason. That's how I found out he'd killed Kaname actually. Tosen told me. He'd been hidden, and had heard it all happen. The boy vanished the next day, disappearing into the nearby Rukon district, but before he left he came crying to me claiming that this 'Ichigo' would pay and that he'd have justice."
She leaned back with her arms crossed again, "I found Kaname's body after he left. The guy had been smart. Snuck in and killed her when everyone else was out on the battlefields," her lip curled into a dark grin, "Her whole office was destroyed though. It looked like she went down fighting at least."
He nodded thoughtfully. It was pretty shaky in terms of identification, third hand accounts weren't evidence, but it was something at least. He'd put it in the file.
"Alright," he nodded again, "Thank you Misuzu. This helps a lot," he rose from his seat, "One of my men will escort you home again, and here, this is for you. In payment."
He reached inside his robes and pulled out a thick sealed envelope, and then dropped it on the table in front of her. Her expression soured as she laid eyes on it, and she turned annoyed eyes on him, "I don't want your money Shihouin. Take it back."
He shook his head, and lied with a smile on his face, "That's not my money. It was your sister's. Money that was owed for her services. By right it belongs to you now."
She frowned again, "So you weren't paying her right?"
He shook his head at the accusation, and sighed, "No. She just left before I could give it to her."
He walked away, and looked back at her as he opened the door, "Do what you want with the money, but it isn't the Gotei 13's anymore. Give it away for all I care, but it was your sister's pay, so it will feed you for a while if nothing else."
She nodded, and for a second her expression actually softened. She tucked the envelope into her clothes, "Alright…fine. Thanks."
He nodded in farewell, "One of my men will be here shortly…and take care Misuzu."
He left it at that, and vanished through the door before she could reply. He didn't want their last words to be harsh ones.
He stalked down the hallway, passing his men on the way, and a smile curled at the corners of his mouth at his successful ruse.
That hadn't been Kaname's pay. It wasn't even money from the Gotei 13. It was his money, and the amount he'd managed to stuff in would keep her alive for decades-if not centuries-out there in the districts. She wouldn't know, but he'd also set up a rotation amongst his men to check on her every once in a while. He'd at least try to keep her safe.
Let it never be said that he didn't look out for his friends. He owed it to Kaname's memory if nothing else.
His feet carried him back up to his office, and he collapsed into his chair with a huff. He pulled out the information he'd gained and then fished out the whole file from his desk. It was getting absurd how large the file was, and he was contemplating splitting it between several others.
He laid it all out in front of him, and attempted to piece it all together one last time.
A disturbance in the 78th district occurred two years ago. A massive pulse of reiatsu of a magnitude several leagues higher than an average captain. It, along with the source, vanished before a full investigation could be conducted.
Several days later, a single man, the apparent source of the reiatsu bursts, broke into soul society, assaulted an academy teacher along with the second division taichou before making his escape via a hollow garganta. The trail vanished after the escape for more than a year.
The rebellion occurs, and Erin Shiba, the Oda clan head, and the entirety of his personal guard were all murdered. The crime ring being run by the clan was uncovered and all of the victims were set free. All of the eye witness accounts point to the escaped man as the culprit.
That same man then went on to murder the leader of the rebellion, Seishūin Kaname. The result of that murder was the dissolution of the rebellion, and fighting steadily ceased in the ensuing month.
Now, less than a week ago, the Soutaichou filed a new report into what was once his personal file before he'd turned it over. That same mysterious man had single handedly dispatched Kuchiki Koga without any apparent personal injury. On top of that, he'd supposedly used a form of Quincy power to do so.
He is known for always wearing black, and with his face shrouded by a hood. His appearance is largely unknown aside from supposedly having long black hair and red eyes. He possesses a daisho pair. His reiatsu level is inferred as far higher than that of an average captain. He has extreme skill in at least 3 of the 4 academy taught combat forms, and has bested a captain in battle. He has skills normally reserved for both hollows and the late Quincy race whilst also being a shinigami. Whether he possesses either shikai or bankai remains unrevealed, though shikai is highly likely.
A possible name is Ichigo. No last name. His location is currently unknown.
Satoru sat forward, and rested his head against his steepled fingers.
He had no other leads.
A glint of metal flashed in the noon sunlight, and like a bullet his katana lanced out to nick Kaien in the leg. His student paid it no mind, and he spun to bring his own zanpakuto slicing down in a cross that Ichigo easily deflected.
They danced around one another, metal meeting metal in a dance that sent sparks cascading down to the earth beneath their feet. They didn't stop, and their clothes spun with them as they fought on.
Finally they separated again, both bouncing back to regard one another, and they readied their swords in preparation. Ichigo gripped his loosely, letting it relax as it pointed down, and he spoke in the ensuing quiet.
"This will not be easy. I want to see how much you've improved…do not hold anything back Kaien."
"Hmph," Kaien grunted with a cheeky grin, and he swiped his chin with his thumb, "Don't worry…I'm here to win."
A slight turn at the corner of his mouth was the only sign that Ichigo had smiled, "Good. I'd hate to take you back to your siblings in a body bag."
They sprinted at one another, and once again the screech of metal tore through the air.
Ichigo slashed at his student violently in rapid succession, and with a strong blow sent him skidding across the grass. He turned to regard a slowly retreating Kaien, and with a flourish of his blade he spun into a furious swing.
They met in another crash, his student ducking and weaving around, and the black haired youth lanced out with a thrust. Ichigo caught the blade with his own as he allowed it to pass under his arm, and with a half turn of his body forced himself into Kaien's open guard. He grabbed his student's sword baring hand tightly, trapping it, and he pulled Kaien's front in to meet his back.
His elbow came flying out of nowhere to viciously slam into his pupil's stomach, and his hilt likewise cracked into his skull in a second blow. A now released and reeling Kaien stumbled back blindly, and Ichigo flew into a spinning kick that blasted his student across the grass again.
Kaien caught himself, and he vanished into shunpo as he came at his mentor once more, sword slicing down in a strike. They met as Ichigo spun into a deflection, and Kaien sprinted past to turn towards him. Ichigo ran at him, and Kaien struck again in a slash that Ichigo jumped clean over. He landed behind Kaien, and the Shiba heir spun to strike in a scramble to cover his back, but Ichigo bounced back in another jump. He planted his feet on the tree behind him, and he launched himself like a bullet at his student in a frenzied swing. Kaien narrowly dodged, allowing the blade to pass by his nose, and he dropped to the ground. He brought his blade careening around in a swipe at his teacher's ankles, but the visored flipped away.
They both regained their footing, pausing to catch their breaths, but Ichigo took off in shunpo only seconds later.
He materialized and struck Kaien's blade with his own with incredible strength, and Kaien was sent stumbling away in a hasty retreat. Ichigo gave chase, slashing repeatedly at his student as he tried to put distance between them, but Kaien kept dodging. Finally, Kaien planted his feet and deflected, and Ichigo kicked up and off of his student's planted knee to drive his foot into his jaw.
Kaien stumbled backwards once again into the tree behind him, and Ichigo slashed at him. The blade grazed the Shiba's shoulder, flinging blood across the trunk, and Kaien dropped down to jump and hammer his fist into Ichigo's gut from below. His knuckles popped loudly as they met muscle, and he swiped his leg in an attempt to floor his teacher. Ichigo's light hop foiled that, but his student planted his free hand in the grass to launch his flying foot skyward. His whole body followed, and he flew into a reversed spinning kick that had Ichigo backing away to a safe distance.
He heard more than saw his student growl as he righted himself, and Kaien reared his head and lunged at him once again, katana swinging furiously. Their blades screamed as they resumed, and the clangs echoed amongst the trees of the surrounding forest.
Kaien swung in a bid for Ichigo's throat, but he dodged beneath the swing to spin into a slash aimed for his student's back. Kaien shunpoed away to appear across the small clearing, and Ichigo's ears caught the tail end of a hushed kido spell.
A byakurai blasted into the tree that he had been standing in front of moments later, exploding its trunk in a shower of splinters, and Ichigo dropped out of shunpoed dodge in a downward slash. Kaien deflected the powerful strike away from him, and then started spinning his blade furiously beside him as he retreated.
Ichigo paused, confused and intrigued by what Kaien was doing, and he only noticed the light increase in his student's reiatsu when it was too late.
"Rage through the seas and heavens! Nejibana!"
Water exploded out of Kaien's now changed zanpakuto, and the new gleaming trident lanced out in a bid for Ichigo's gut. He threw himself backwards into a flip, desperate to escape what he could tell was coming, and as soon as he landed he vanished into shunpo. He materialized again poised on a tree branch across the clearing, drenched heat to toe in seawater, and he stared.
Water was absolutely everywhere. The whole clearing was covered in a solid foot of the stuff. It raged around his student, lapping like waves at a beach, and the sun glinted off of its surface in a blinding show of light.
A shining trident now rested in Kaien's hands. Entirely silver, and beautiful in its design. At its bottom tip a deadly twisting spear jutted out, and up around the base of the trident itself a cloth of the richest blue hung, the hue matching the Shiba family's own trademark color perfectly.
Kaien stood tall right in the middle of it all, heaving in massive gulps of air almost desperately. Water flitted and danced in the air around him, and he eyed Ichigo sharply. There was a strong look in his eyes. He was obviously alert, with a sharp eyed focus that only came from heated battle, but there was something else there as well. It was plain to see, even on his face, and Ichigo could recognize it easily.
He was searching for approval. He needed acknowledgement. From his mentor, and no one else.
Ichigo stood, and he didn't sway even slightly on the narrow branch beneath him. He rolled his shoulders slowly, and he grinned down at his pupil.
"Congratulations Kaien. I have to say…that is definitely a beautiful Shikai."
Kaien's shoulders seemed to relax a fraction, and he released an almost imperceptible sigh of relief before smiling back, "Yeah, it took a while, but I got it." He rested the trident against his shoulder almost carelessly, and he admired it in turn, "But it was worth every second, and yeah…it is beautiful isn't it?"
All at once, Ichigo's grin was razor sharp, and in the blink of an eye his wakizashi was drawn and in his hands. A suddenly startled Kaien took a wary step back.
"Indeed…now let's see what it can do."
He blasted off the branch with lightning speed, and they met one final time in an explosion of cascading water and jumping sparks.
Shunsui came to a stop before the massive front doors of the Shihouin mansion, and he smiled over at the guard who was currently arguing with another guest. The guard seemed to notice him a second later, and he hurriedly abandoned the other man in favor of the captain who had just arrived.
"Hello Kyoraku-taichou, here, let me get the door."
He laid his hand on the man's shoulder, and patted him on the back.
"It's alright. I'll get the door. I was just checking to see if it was alright to go in."
The young man nodded and gestured for him to go in, "Of course sir. They're expecting you."
Shunsui nodded kindly at him and breezed by, ignoring the other guest's obnoxious inquiries about why he was allowed to go in but not him. He quietly passed through the halls of the seemingly empty mansion, steadily heading toward where he could sense the rest of his friends congregating, and he soon found himself in a small parlor. The entire room was packed with people, ranging from their close friends from the Gotei to the rest of the Shihouin family that was available. Despite how packed it was his eyes still managed to find both Jushirou and Retsu over to one side, and he approached.
His two friends turned and greeted him, Jushirou inclining his head and Retsu smiling kindly.
"Hey you two. I came as soon as I could. How's she doing?"
Retsu brushed a non-existent speck of dust off of her uniform, and then turned to point at a door at the end of the room, "They are both in there, and she is doing just fine. She's actually already up and about even though she just gave birth last night. I always knew Tindra-chan was made of stern stuff."
He cocked an inquisitive eyebrow, and eyed her speculatively, "You're letting that happen Retsu? I'm surprised."
She waved a dismissive hand, "Oh don't worry. I didn't like it either, to be sure, but she isn't out slaying hollows so I'll let it slide this once. The delivery went perfectly fine anyway."
He nodded at that, Tindra was definitely a tough one, though that had always been obvious.
"And how's Satoru doing?"
Jushirou chuckled quietly beside him, "He's going crazy. Has been these past few weeks of course, but ever since Retsu got called in he hasn't been able to sit down. He's in there with her, but they should be coming out so-"
As if his words had announced it, the back door opened and the two new parents, along with a tiny bundle of cloth, strolled in. Cheers erupted from the mass of friends and family, and a tired looking Satoru and Tindra smiled at the gathering.
"Well. There they are," Jushirou supplied, stating the obvious, and Retsu nodded with a slightly annoyed tick on her brow.
"Indeed…and she does not look well. I will have to have a talk with her about lying to a medical professional."
She marched away, no doubt about to chastise poor Tindra for claiming that she was fine, and Shunsui shared a humorous look with his best friend, "Oh dear."
Jushirou chuckled wryly, "Yep. Looks like she's in for it…come on. Let's grab a seat. It looks like there's a line of people wanting to talk to them."
They both ambled away and took a seat at one of the nearby groupings of couches. Both watched on with slight humor as the new parents colored with embarrassment as Retsu practically forced Tindra into a nearby chair.
"They look happy don't they?" Jushirou pointed out as he lounged on the couch.
"Yes, they do in fact," he verified as he pulled off his sakkat and straightened his hair, "They've been expecting this for a long time…though, I am surprised that they waited for so long."
Jushirou nodded, "True. They've been married for years…a decade now that I think about it. Though, Satoru once told me that Tindra was the one who wanted to wait. She'd wanted to stay with her division for a while longer."
He turned and eyed Jushirou sharply, puzzled by his words, "What do you mean? Is she retiring?"
Jushirou stopped gazing over at the crowd and noticed Shunsui's sudden interest, "Hmm? You didn't know? She's resigning so that she can be with her child. I thought you knew that."
He shook his head, slightly miffed at being kept out of the loop, "Maa…you all never tell me anything. I can't believe you guys."
"Pfft," Jushirou started while waving a hand, and his voice turned teasing, "Don't go there Shunsui. It's not my fault you beat him up all those years ago."
"Hey!" he shot back, fighting back the urge to face palm, "That wasn't my fault. He came to me and asked to spar, not the other way around. Besides, he and I are good friends!"
"Sure," Jushirou said while shrugging, "But now you know. She might come back though once the baby's older and if she has the chance…anyway it looks like they're waiting for us. Come on, let's go give them our congrats."
Shunsui glanced back, and sure enough Tindra was motioning them over from her chair. They ambled over to them, and they both spotted the baby in her arms.
"Hey Tindra-chan. How are you feeling?" Jushirou started kindly, smiling down at the little bundle in her arms. Meanwhile, he shuffled over and approached Satoru, leaving the two in conversation.
"How you doing Satoru?"
The Shihouin clan head released an explosive sigh at the question, and scrubbed a tired hand over his face, "Like I'm about to fall over. I didn't get any sleep last night."
He patted him on the back, "That's understandable, given the situation. Good to have it over with though right?"
Satoru chuckled dryly, "Yeah. You know it. Our elders have been angsting for years over this. Maybe now I'll have some peace and quiet for me and my family."
"Never mind the fact that those elders are your family."
Satoru shrugged, "You know what I mean. I'm sure your own elders have pulled the same stuff with you."
He huffed a dry laugh, "Not for the last several centuries they haven't. My older brother was the one who got most of it, and eventually they just gave up on me. Probably realized that I didn't care."
Satoru smiled, "You're lucky then. They've been bugging me since before I was even the clan head."
He laid a hand on the 2nd division taichou's shoulder, "No Satoru, you're the lucky one." He jabbed a thumb over at Jushirou who was now holding the newborn, and both watched as one of the most powerful captains in Soul society's entire history cooed at the baby's face while playing with its little fingers, "Look there, and remember to count your blessings. Moments like this don't happen all the time."
Satoru did indeed look, and the expression that came over him made Shunsui smile. He looked like the whole world revolved around that little bundle. He nodded slowly, "Yeah. You're right…this is a blessing. One that I will never forget."
He patted him on the shoulder, "Good. You're a good man Satoru, and I know you'll be a good father. They're both counting on you."
Satoru huffed another laugh without looking away, "No pressure right?" He glanced at him questioningly, "Want to hold her? I'm sure she won't mind."
Having not known the gender before that, he made a mental note that the baby was indeed a girl, and then he waved a hand nervously, "Aha, I don't think that's a good idea. Juu-chan's uh…better with kids than me-"
His words went entirely ignored as Satoru gently took the baby from his best friend, and then carefully handed her to him. He fumbled for a moment out of apprehension, terrified that he might accidentally drop the newborn, but then he settled down. In the end, he just sort of stood there with the baby in his outstretched hands looking entirely clueless.
"Uhh…what do I do?" he asked helplessly, and he glanced at his best friend in alarm. The other three shared a laugh, Jushirou completely comfortable with teasing him, and Tindra had to hide her mouth behind her hand in order to cover her giggling. Eventually, Jushirou showed him how to correctly hold a baby, and he settled her into the crook of his arm. He reached up and pulled back the cloth that had fallen to cover the dark skinned baby's face, and he noted the tuft of purple hair that rested on her little head.
He smiled down at her, instantly captured by her golden eyes that stared at him in similar wonder, and he looked up to ask Satoru a question.
"What's her name?"
Satoru and Tindra shared a look, and then Tindra spoke up informatively, "Her name's Yoruichi."
He shared a smile with his best friend, and then stretched out a finger to let her play with. She gurgled happily when she grabbed it, and he shook her little hand in greeting, "Well then…a warm hello to you Yoruichi Shihouin."
The trident spun at a pace far faster than the naked eye could perceive, and with a swing Kaien flung another wave of sea water at his teacher.
Like a charging bull Ichigo blasted through the wall of water, spinning like a tornado of blades as he came flying down. Kaien spun his trident to a stop and blocked the daisho pair desperately before flipping backwards, and midflight he fired off a kido spell from his outstretched palm.
"Hado number 33: Sokatsui!"
The blast rocketed toward Ichigo, but it only ended up tearing through an afterimage along with a stretch of the battlefield. Ichigo barreled into the still airborne Kaien from the side, punting him into the ground below, and then made to dive after him into the dust. A blast of water from within sent him skidding back a second later, and he subtly flipped his wakizashi into a reverse grip in preparation.
Kaien materialized moments later swinging his trident at his exposed back. It grinded across the wakizashi that had been waiting for it, and Ichigo deftly ducked beneath the deadly weapon even as he turned. Like a dart his katana sliced lightly across his opponent's open stomach, and his following knee slammed into the now bent man's temple. Kaien was sent tumbling away, desperately trying to hold onto his zanpakuto, and Ichigo waited calmly for him to climb back out of the bush he'd been sent flying into.
He didn't have to wait long. Kaien came rampaging back again, and in a blurred flurry he sent his trident thrusting over and over at Ichigo's face. The dual wielder skillfully dodged each thrust with slight shifts of his head, and he lanced out with a kick to the stomach. Kaien spun away in an escape, and he swung his trident horizontally in an attempt to decapitate his teacher even as he twisted away. Ichigo dropped again, swinging his leg out to try and trip his student, but his shin rammed painfully into the metal rod of the trident that Kaien used to block.
Now standing precariously on only one leg, the spear tip shot out once more and caught Ichigo's other foot, and he fell down gracelessly onto his back. With a spin the trident suddenly came careening down to impale him, but Ichigo planted his hands behind his head and levered his lower body up. He twisted vertically, and his legs shot out to wrap around Kaien's upper body before throwing him. The Shiba heir was sent tumbling forward, trident now harmlessly impaled in the dirt, and Ichigo shot away when he regained his footing.
He turned around and his katana flashed out to block the recovered trident, but he had to flip away a moment later as a wave of water erupted at his feet. The water gave chase like a striking serpent, and he was forced to shunpo across the clearing. Several more racing tendrils of sea water blasted after him as he appeared, and his katana shot up to point at the approaching water.
"Hado number 54: Haien!"
A blast of purple shot from the tip of his blade, and upon making contact with the deadly spears of water it erupted in flames. The water tendrils were vaporized in milliseconds, and a cloud of steam hung in the air in their place. Kaien tore through the cloud with his trident bared in front of him in preparation, but he froze when he made it through.
Ichigo was gone.
He desperately spun into a deflection when he sensed Ichigo attack from within the cloud a second later, and he had to duck and lunge away when his mentor shunpoed into another attack from his side. In the end it was futile. A foot materialized before him mid lunge, and it crashed into his face.
He thumped to the ground, face roaring with pain, but he had enough sense of mind to flip over and bring his trident up into a guard. He was just in time too, as two blades came screaming down onto the metal rod in a shower of sparks. He struggled desperately as the blades pushed down with ridiculous strength, and he tried with all his might to deflect them away. His fleeting hope died however when the wakizashi retracted, and the katana was still able to keep him pinned even while alone.
"That was damn good Kaien," his mentor stated evenly above him, even as he maneuvered his wakizashi underneath the rod, "But better luck next time."
With a deft twist he was disarmed, and his trident was sent spinning away to impale itself into a nearby tree. In a flash the katana was suddenly at his throat, and a calm question drifted over his head. A question Kaien was very familiar with.
"Yield?"
The two combatants stayed locked in that position for some time after that, and heavy breathing as the adrenaline cooled in their veins was the only sound to be heard.
Finally, Kaien sighed dejectedly from his position on the ground, "But when is there going to be a next time?"
The katana withdrew, and both blades were sheathed moments later. Ichigo shook his head slowly.
"I…I don't know the answer to that."
Kaien sat up and rested against his knee with his back to his mentor, and he thumped a fist against the ground in irritation.
"Damn it!"
He clambered unsteadily to his feet, back still turned, and Ichigo watched him with concern. Kaien's shoulders slumped in despondency. "Not once," he began, tone pitched low with disappointment, "I never beat you. Not even a single time."
Ichigo reached forward after a moment of confusion, trying to grasp his student's shoulder reassuringly, but Kaien shrugged him off. He walked away and his hands gripped his hair in anxiety.
"I knew it. I've been wasting your time. It's fucking hopeless. I'm fucking hopeless."
A solid frown appeared on his face, and he trailed after his student, "What the hell are you talking about?"
Kaien looked back at him, depressed resignation all over his face, "Don't you get it? I've been training with you for all these years, and I can't even beat you once! What does that tell you?"
He waved his hand in a gesture at himself, "I've been trying to be a shinigami for so long, and now when it mattered to me most I still can't do it. I don't know how I'm supposed to manage like this."
Ichigo's straight face hid the humor that welled up in him at that. The kid was being completely stupid. The fight he'd just had was outstanding. He didn't doubt that Kaien was fully prepared to be a high ranking seated officer already, if not a damn lieutenant.
The following thought made him frown though. Kaien didn't know any of that. He had no idea that his own skill level was remarkable by regular shinigami standards. He had no clue that if he went to the academy right now he'd absolutely dominate in every area. The only shinigami Kaien had ever actually fought and trained with was himself…so it stood to reason that he'd see his performance in the face of Ichigo's skill as an accurate indicator. It obviously wasn't. Ichigo was not someone to try and stack up against…but Kaien didn't know. He probably thought that all the other shinigami were as skilled as Ichigo, and that he was weak.
Kaien gestured at himself dejectedly, "What the hell am I supposed to do Ichigo?"
He frowned at his student's continued despair, and he crossed his arms, "Why are you asking me? You don't need to be told what you should do by someone like me Kaien. Besides, what I say shouldn't matter here, it's up to you."
"It does matter."
The instantaneous and straight faced reply off balanced him, and the earnest look on his student's face made him want to sigh in exasperation. He gestured hand at the surrounding forest for emphasis, and then shot back a heated retort.
"You've always dreamed of becoming a shinigami Kaien, and now what? You think your dream is beyond your reach? That's bullshit."
"But you've been training me for 14 damn years! I've got shikai, and I still can't do anything! There are so many other shinigami out there, all of them so far ahead of me, yourself included! How am I supposed to catch up to that?!"
Absurd annoyance suddenly took hold of him, and Ichigo's hands lanced out to snatch the front of his student's robes. He cracked their heads together in a smashing head butt. Kaien yelped in pain, and he fell flat on his ass. The shinigami shunpoed forward, and jabbed a finger at his student's chest.
"Listen to what you're saying Kaien, take a minute to think about what you just said, and then answer my question."
He straightened and crossed his arms, "Tell me. Why did you come to me for training?"
Kaien stared up at him in bewilderment, and he rubbed his aching forehead in obvious pain. Ichigo didn't care in the slightest.
"I-I wanted to be stronger."
He nodded impatiently as he reached down again, ignoring how his student attempted to scurry away, and he hauled the Shiba heir back up onto his feet. He shoved him back, and Kaien stumbled away lightly before standing up straight.
"That's right, but why did you want to become stronger?"
Kaien blinked owlishly at him, "It was…it was so I could protect my family."
"Oh?" Ichigo countered, cocking an eyebrow, "Is that right? Because from what you're saying, you just want strength so that you can be the best."
Kaien spluttered a loose string of denials, but Ichigo didn't let him finish. He smacked him over the head lightly instead. "See what I mean. Is being better than everyone else what you want? Or is it having just enough power protect Kukaku and Ganju?"
Kaien's shoulders slumped again before he turned questioning eyes on Ichigo, "But…I mean I do want power to protect Kukaku and Ganju, but is having just enough to do that alright? What's wrong with wanting more? I don't want to be weak!"
Ichigo resisted the urge to face palm, and instead smacked Kaien a second time. His student glared at him in response, "You still don't get it do you? The power you gained is not for yourself…it is strictly for others. That means anyone from the souls out in the Rukon districts to your own siblings. If you start trying to gain power just to get stronger for no reason…then that's called being power hungry…and if you start being power hungry then you'll become something you don't want to be by the end. It's better to always have just enough…and when the time comes for you to get stronger then that's when it's right. Don't go out at try to become stronger for no reason Kaien. Remember what I told you. Power without direction is uselsess-"
"And power without a worthy goal is wasted," Kaien finished, recalling the words he'd spoken all those years ago when they'd first started his training. It had been a lesson that he'd taught Kaien many times. He nodded slowly, understanding crawling across his face, "Okay…okay. I get it."
Ichigo nodded and slapped Kaien on the back reassuringly, "Good, and besides, the hard parts already over with."
"The hard part?"
Ichigo grunted an affirmative, "Yep. The hard part is getting yourself to actually start, and you've already managed that. You did it years ago, and now all you have to do is keep walking the path you chose. There's no turning back now."
He reached out and snagged his students shoulders to spin him in place, and he nudged him in the direction of the house, "Now if you're done being melodramatic, get back and finish packing. Your family is probably waiting, and I'm not taking the blame if Kukaku gets pissed at you."
Kaien nodded, shooting a tentative smile over his shoulder as he prepared to shunpo away, but he faltered in place before he did. Ichigo cocked another eyebrow, and he silently promised himself that if Kaien was going to start being whiny again then he'd do more than smack him. Those thoughts dissipated though when Kaien turned to face him. There was a resolute line across his shoulders and resolve likewise burned in his eyes.
"Thank you."
Ichigo huffed a laugh in the face of Kaien's seriousness and waved a hand dismissively, "Don't thank me kid. I wasn't the one who-"
"No," Kaien insisted, cutting him off entirely even as his expression remained locked, "Thank you Ichigo. For everything…I owe you, and I don't think I'll ever be able repay you."
Ichigo let his hand drop, and he strode forward to pat him on the back, "I don't think so. You'll be able to help me one day. I promise."
Kaien stilled, slowly craning his head around to stare at his mentor in obvious confusion. Ichigo had sounded very sure that Kaien would be able to help him one day.
"What do you mean?"
Ichigo shrugged as he walked away, and he ambled over to wrench Kaien's seemingly forgotten trident out of the tree it had been impaled in. He tossed it back, and Kaien caught it deftly to spin it beside him. It melted away a moment later, and he sheathed his now sealed zanpakuto.
"There's…something I'm going to have to do one day. I don't know if I'll be needing your help or not…but we'll have to see when the time comes."
Kaien cocked his head in consideration, "What do you need to do?"
Ichigo shrugged again, remaining deceptively vague, "Don't worry about it. You'll find out one day. Anyway. Let's go. The academy is several days from here, and I'm sure your siblings can't wait to go home."
Omake:
The dimly lit establishment roiled as the mass of odd characters caroused. Shouts and laughter blared and blocked out any other sound save for the constant tinkling of glassware. A motley crew of musicians were attempting to play, but any attempt came out feeble and disturbingly off key. They were all as drunk as everyone else. Groups congregated in every dark corner, talking quietly amongst themselves in suspicious ways, but in the center at a broad table, a group of five men sat drinking.
"I knew a bar back in Cardiff a lot like this," Gareth grunted as he downed his drink, "Me and some friends got stupid one night. Long story short, tempers flared, followed by knives. We all got out except by buddy Michael. Places like this are slaughter houses dressed as bars. I shit you not."
Sam huffed a laugh and prodded the Welshman, "What's wrong? You nervous Gareth?"
"What?!" Gareth fired back, and the scars on his grizzled face contorted as he grinned menacingly, "Fuck no. I love it here. Places like this make you feel alive."
Sam and Gareth continued laughing and conversing. Aidan stacked another glass on the table and then rose to stumble away without a word, probably off to grab another drink, and Isaac nudged the Irishman sitting beside him.
"So…what is up with that guy anyway?"
Ian glanced at him even as he drank, and forgetting that he was still drinking mumbled into his glass causing it to spill. He cursed before looking over, "What are you talking about?"
Isaac gestured over at Gareth who at the moment was trying to keep himself from falling off his bench, "Gareth there. Like…what happened to him?"
"You talking about his scars?"
Isaac nodded, and Ian huffed a laugh even as he reached for his cup again, "Got stabbed in the face I think."
Isaac blinked dubiously at his counterpart, "You're joking."
The Irishman shook his head as he took another drink, "No lad. I'm being serious," he set his cup down again and his voice pitched low, "Don't fuck with the guy, ya hear? Gareth isn't someone to piss off," his voice rose back to normal again, "Pretty good guy though, all things considered. Fucking crazy…but who among us isn't?"
"Well…I'm not crazy."
Ian nudged him jovially, "Hang around us for a while longer and you will be."
Isaac made to reply irritably, but both turned their heads suddenly when they heard the front door slam open. A small grouping of Italian soldiers came crashing in hollering and laughing. They made a beeline for the bar, and surprisingly enough they didn't shove everyone in front of them out of the way in order to get to it.
Gareth grunted in apparent dissatisfaction at the sight, "Soldiers…what a life. You couldn't pay me enough to take that job."
Isaac glanced at Sam and Ian in turn, and when neither of them showed any surprise at Gareth's remarks he prodded him curiously, "What do you mean? You're a sword for hire…you're practically a soldier already."
Gareth waved a dismissive hand, and then turned his older eyes on him. He regarded the dark skinned man for a moment before he chuckled darkly, "Regular breaks. Regular pay. Not worth it to me. Killing on salary's too easy," he jabbed a thumb at his chest, "I have to work for every job I get. Makes me really look at the job. Makes me care about who I'm killing. Otherwise it's just another army on a map."
A shout from the bar make them glance over, Sam and Gareth twisting around to see, and Ian cursed loudly beside him, "Damn it Aidan you stupid bloody Scott! You don't even speak Italian!"
Aidan, who had been drinking at an alarming rate compared to the rest of them for the entire night, was currently shoving and shouting at one of the Italian soldiers who had been beside him.
It was starting to look heated.
"Right!" Gareth grunted, as he suddenly jumped to his feet. Sam joined him barely a second later, causing their bench to fall over, "Looks like we've got work to do."
Ian rose as well after practically swallowing an entire pint at once, obviously trying to finish his drink as fast as he could, and Isaac was left to sit there looking completely clueless, "Hey! What are you guys doing?!"
Ian spun to roughly grab him by the back of his neck, and he practically dragged him out of his seat, "Come on lad. Aidan's waiting."
He pulled Isaac along behind him, the Cairo native flailing while still looking lost, and then his eyes widened with fright when he saw Gareth.
Gareth casually stepped up to Aidan and the shouting soldier, and as if he wasn't doing anything wrong grabbed the glass that was in the Italian's hands.
"Excuse me mate, but I'll be taking this."
He took a long swig, and the Italian rounded on him in obvious rage.
Gareth didn't give two shits.
In the blink of an eye he smashed that same glass mug into the Italian's angry face, and the poor bastard went down screaming. Glass, alcohol, and blood went flying everywhere, and the bar was suddenly silent as the grave.
Gareth looked down at the writhing Italian, "And now…you can have it back."
The bar erupted.
Ian cackled madly as he ducked under a thrown bar stool, "Haha! Alright then! You want it? You got it!"
He grabbed a nearby bottle and tossed it to Isaac, who with eyes wide open out of pure terror, watched as the Irishman grabbed another man and slammed his knee straight into his groin. He started throwing punches every which way, and upon seeing Isaac still struck speechless yelled at him over the raging bar fight.
"GET MOVING YOU FUCKING IDIOT!"
Chaos descended.
"You punched me!" Sam growled angrily at the Welshman beside him, and Gareth laughed haughtily.
"No I didn't! You rammed your face into my hand."
Sam's face contorted with anger, and he lunged at the Welshman. They both tumbled away, a mass of limbs once again fighting in the snow, and the others paid it no mind.
Isaac limped as he carried a knocked out Aidan across his shoulders, and Ian backed him up from the other side, "Fun night eh?"
Isaac stared over at the Irishman, so obviously fed up with everything in the entire world that Ian couldn't help but snort violently. He grunted in pain though when his broken ribs shifted at the movement.
Isaac grumbled quietly to himself, but Ian heard him regardless, "I really just want to go home."
"We'll be there soon enou-," he broke off then to stare down at his own waist. A waist that was suddenly a whole lot warmer.
"Damn it Aidan…you're buying me new clothes tomorrow. Sick prick."
Author's note: Hey guys. I'm back, and I just want to tell you that this is the LONGEST chapter I have done yet. Blew my previous record out of the water. As you can see there were timeskips. Yay. And yoruichi appeared as a little baby. We'll be seeing more of those in the next few chapters.
Anyway, first off I'd like to lay down some stuff. I could be wrong here, but I shall state them regardless because they might not fit with canon but they do fit with my fic. Kaien is older than both Yoruichi and Kisuke. I'm pretty sure that is actual canon. Kaien was a lieutenant when kisuke was just made a captain, and Kaien had been a lieutenant for a LONG time. The reason he was is because he intentionally put off bankai so that he could remain Ukitake's lieutenant out of loyalty. He was intentionally being passed over for the captain's promotion for that purpose. Now, Kaien was promoted to lieutenant only a few years after his graduation, and at his graduation it is said that he already had the reiatsu level of most lieutenants. You have to be pretty old as a regular soul to develop that naturally. Now. Since he was a lieutenant for a long time, long enough to be bankai ready, he's definitely older than both of them. Especially since yoruichi was childhood friends with Kaien's younger sister Kukaku.
For all of you ME fans out there, I hope you caught the references. Zaeed is the best.
Also...I just got to say that I don't know what's going on here but I'm almost at 1000 followers and this story has only been out for like 3 months. What is up with that?...I love you all.
Alright now that that's over with, a big thank you to: Rain in March, Rosco Peeko Trane, Kragh50, and Kronus96. You guys are always reviewing and I love it. Thanks so much.
Special note to Foxstar - founder of foxclan: Those were some very kind words. I do not deserve them. I do hope you stick around. Please.
Reminder: My tumbler is linked on my profile. I post excerpts there. The bit above with shiro and zangetsu was there days ago. Just a heads up if you feel like checking it out.
Everyone: Don't ever feel like you can't message me. I know some authors don't like it but I'm fine with it. Even if you just want to talk shoot me a message and I'll try and get back to you as soon as I can.
Alright. That's it. Hope you all enjoyed it. It was fun. Leave a review if you feel like it please! Til next time!