When Ichigo arrived at Urahara's shop, he saw Isshin already there in his Shinigami form. Isshin was waiting out front, arms crossed but in a patiently-waiting sort of way, his head turned to gaze distractedly off up at the sky.

"Where's Kisuke?" Ichigo asked.

Isshin blinked and turned to his son. "He said he had one more thing to take care of before we went inside."

Ichigo nodded. He stood a few meters away from Isshin and waited. Shiro stared at Ichigo, who was staring at Isshin.

"What is it?" Isshin asked after a minute of silence.

Ichigo glanced away. "Oh, nothing, just… I guess I'm still not used to seeing you in a Shinigami uniform."

Isshin smirked. "Well, I could certainly say the same to you."

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "I guess so…" He sighed. "It's been a while since that fight against Aizen… and Ginjo."

"Yeah. Even then, I didn't really think about you wearing Shinigami robes…" Isshin scratched his chin. "You were just my only son, who puts way too much weight on his shoulders."

As if on queue, Shiro slid his hands over Ichigo's shoulders, easing the tension he could sense was building up in his King. Ichigo hummed his appreciation before adding, "Yeah, we didn't really talk much about any of that afterwards. That was kinda my fault, though, since I ended up pushing you away when I was powerless."

Isshin shrugged. "Can't say I didn't do the same. I knew you were seeing spirits and I knew why, but I couldn't find the right way or time to explain any of it."

"And you know I don't blame you for that, and I'm not mad or anything." Ichigo felt guilt eat at him. "Still, it… doesn't bother you?"

Isshin blinked. "What doesn't?"

"Lying to Yuzu and Karin?"

Isshin frowned and said with a sigh, "I can't say I'm proud of it, lying to my family, but we each do things to keep the people closest to us safe, and to keep them from worrying."

Ichigo scowled. "I just… wish I could tell them."

Isshin nodded. "Ichigo, your power was strong even as a kid, but it was woken up by Rukia's power and when you needed it most to save your sisters. Karin has had a few moments like that, and her power is slowly waking up. Yuzu's will soon too. When that happens, I'd… I'd like your help to tell them the truth and to train them in what they need to know."

Ichigo blinked and nodded. "Of course!"

"And until then, you and I will look after them, right?"

Ichigo nodded.

Isshin turned his gaze to Shiro. "And you'll watch after my son, yeah?"

Shiro's eyes narrowed. "I won't let anything happen to him."

Isshin, who was all too aware (thanks to Kisuke) of all the times Shiro had taken over Ichigo to protect him (and had even brought him back from the dead), said with a small smirk, "Yeah, I know you'll protect him well. But you also have my permission to kick his ass when he needs it."

"Hey!"

Shiro grinned. "Oh, trust me, I've been kicking his ass for a while now."

"Oi!"

"Good."

"I didn't agree to this!"

Shiro laughed and stole a kiss from Ichigo before the orange-head turned away.

Ichigo pouted. "Great, my dad and my Zanpakuto teaming up against me, it couldn't possibly get any worse."

"So, Ichigo finally got laid, huh?"

Ichigo wanted to slap himself for jinxing it as Yoruichi appeared.

"What do you mean, I finally got laid!?"

"Oh please, Ichigo, I can tell by that way you and Zangetsu are-"

"NEVERMIND."

Yoruichi smirked. "C'mon you three, Kisuke says it's all good to go."

Ichigo grumbled but stopped himself from saying anything. Oh, he was plotting revenge on everyone now, for all the teasing and poking and just, it was so cruel, why did he have to be the target of everyone's jokes today?

They followed Yoruichi through the shop and into the backroom where the hidden entrance to the training grounds was. Ichigo blinked as Isshin started to climb down.

"Wait," Ichigo said, "are we training?"

Isshin smirked and Ichigo had the feeling that this was just not going to be his day. "Yes, so you'd better leave your body up here."

Ichigo glanced at Shiro. Then, he glanced back at Isshin only to find that he was already far down the ladder. Ichigo sighed and took his Shinigami badge off his belt. Then he pressed it against his chest. That familiar burst of power filled Ichigo as he was separated from his body and he sighed at the relief and freedom he felt.

He turned to Shiro and held out his badge.

"Oh, right…" Shiro looked down at the gigai he was currently wearing. "Finally, I get to get outta this thing. It's been itching at me all day."

Ichigo kept his laugh quiet at Shiro freed himself.

Shiro sighed as his limbs felt free at last! He grinned and wrapped his arms around Ichigo's waist. The Shinigami hummed, oh so eagerly giving in to the contact, smiling happily as their lips touched. Ichigo groaned a little as the kiss deepened, but then he slowly pulled away.

Ichigo stared at Shiro's lips, then blinked and looked up into his eyes. "What was that for?"

Shiro licked his lips. "What? I'm not allowed to kiss ya?"

"It's not that…" Ichigo shook his head. "Just… the way you hold me and the way you kiss me, it's…"

Shiro brought a hand up to run his fingers through Ichigo's hair, savouring the soft feeling between his fingers. "I can tone it down if it makes you feel uncomfortable."

"No," Ichigo said. "It's the opposite, actually. It feels like this is how everything is meant to be."

Shiro smirked. "Feeling's mutual, King."

"YOOHOO!" Kisuke called, his voice echoing out of the 'secret' entrance. "Are you two going to need a bed and an hour alone, or are you coming, Kurosaki-san~?"

Ichigo scowled and Shiro cackled.

"Sorry things took so long to get ready, Isshin!" Kisuke said, waving from the bottom of a cliff. He tapped the stone beside him. "It's been a while since this place has been cleaned up, yanno? Last time Ichigo and I fought here, there were massive craters, and if you're going to be doing battle with him at his current level, then I needed to up the protective barriers on the rocks and walls!"

Ichigo gulped and turned to Isshin. "Wait, you never said that we were fighting!"

Kisuke chuckled. "Oh? You didn't tell him?"

Isshin folded his arms again and stuck his nose in the air. "Of course, I didn't tell him! He wouldn't have come."

"Well, duh… I don't need to fight my own dad! What's the point in-?"

Shiro cleared his throat.

Ichigo clenched his jaw and his expression flattened with displeasure. Slowly, he turned to see his Zanpakuto grinning from ear to ear. Ichigo narrowed his eyes, "Don't you dare start."

"Don't make me start, then," Shiro replied.

"Whatever," Ichigo waved him off. "Seeking out battle is part of my instinct, right?"

Shiro cackled to himself.

Isshin slowly raised a brow.

Ichigo sighed and shook his head. "It's a long story."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Shiro muttered.

"Well, it wasn't exactly a pleasant conversation at the time," Ichigo added.

"Yeah, yeah," Shiro shrugged. "I ain' sorry 'bout kicking yer ass, Ichigo."

"Fine, then I'm not sorry about stabbing you," Ichigo huffed.

The two of them shared a soft glare, and then their glares melted into a grin. They both laughed.

Isshin narrowed his eyes. "Normal boyfriends don't bicker about trying to kill each other, you know...?"

"ISSHIIIIIIIIIN!" someone bellowed.

Ichigo jumped back as a sudden burst of flames surrounded his father.

"Engetsu, no- GAH!" Isshin yelped when he was tackled to the ground. "You're going to catch me on fire- OUCH!"

Ichigo blinked. The being sitting on his father wasn't what he had expected at all. For one, it took Ichigo a moment to remind himself that his father was a Shinigami and therefore had a Zanpakuto. Then, Ichigo had to remind himself that Muramasa's effect was still lingering in the air, and therefore it should've been natural for Engetsu to materialize. And lastly, besides a Getsuga Tenshou, Ichigo had never actually seen any of his father's techniques, so the fact that Engetsu seemed to be made of ashes with flames for clothes, it just wasn't at all what Ichigo had imagined.

Glowing, embers-for-eyes, turned to look at Ichigo. "Well, well, so this is your son, huh?" Engetsu sneered. "He's weak as shit, Isshin, you've been slacking in your fatherly duties!"

Ichigo scowled. "I'm not weak!"

"Yeah, say that again," Shiro snarled.

Engetsu climbed off Isshin and took a few steps towards the Substitute Shinigami. "You're. Weak. As. Shit." He turned towards Shiro. "And so are you. I'll prove it."

Ichigo could feel rage spark in Shiro's Spiritual Pressure, and he honestly didn't blame his Zanpakuto at all for it.

Hours passed. It was clear that Engetsu had absolutely no intentions of going easy on Ichigo or his Zangetsu, and Isshin shared the same resolve as his Zanpakuto.

What the hell? Ichigo had defeated many powerful enemies in the past, so why was this battle so taxing on his Spiritual Pressure? Ichigo felt his knees shaking. They gave way and he dropped to the ground, chest heaving.

"Good," Isshin said, "you've finally used enough…"

Ichigo forced his eyes open a little wider. "Finally… used enough?"

"Reiatsu..."

Ichigo raised a brow.

Shiro wobbled and dropped near Ichigo, blood dripping from where Engetsu had managed to nick his cheek. Ichigo frowned, wanting to suggest that Shiro use their power to heal himself, but his father spoke before he could.

"Remember the last time you meditated to enter your Inner World... when you were training for the Final Getsuga Tenshou?"

Shiro growled. "Say that name again…"

"Not now, Zangetsu…" Ichigo mumbled, and then leaned against the other. Shiro blinked and brushed Ichigo's hair from his face.

Isshin continued, "You both are going to have to meditate. I can tell you're both very much alike, and you've acquired your power through training your bodies. You must train your mind too, Ichigo, just like that time before you fought Aizen."

Ichigo glanced at Shiro, who nodded.

Ichigo melted against Shiro's hands as his Zanpakuto idly drew a pattern on his scalp. "Your father is right, Ichigo… unfortunately. I hate meditation."

The Substitute Shinigami chuckled to himself. "C'mon, I'm sure it won't be so bad."

"This is how Shinigami usually obtain their Bankai," Isshin added.

Kisuke nodded, appearing between the father and his son. "It's true. We forced Ichigo's Bankai out last time, but that was because we were under the pressure of a short deadline. Now that there's time, Ichigo, you and your Zanpakuto should use it to train properly. And we made it easier for you to pass out now that most of your Spiritual pressure has been drained!"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Wait, don't tell me you planned all of this, somehow?"

Kisuke kicked the ground below him. "We positioned you to fight about Sekkiseki stone, to drain you of reiatsu faster!"

Ichigo's eye twitched. He wasn't certain what he was more agitated about: the fact that they didn't have faith in him to be able to stay calm and meditate without being exhausted or the fact that they hadn't been straightforward with their intentions this entire time.

Ichigo felt Shiro move to sit behind him – they were back to back. Ichigo sighed and slowly pulled his legs into the proper position to meditate.

Isshin approached and then chuckled. "What's the matter, Zangetsu? I promise I'm not teaching Ichigo any ultimate techniques this time."

Ichigo turned to see Shiro sticking his tongue out at his old man. Ichigo snorted to himself.

"I'll have you know, bringing that up isn't exactly putting me in a relaxed state," Shiro muttered.

Beside Isshin, they heard Engetsu growl too. Isshin scratched the back of his head nervously as Engetsu spoke, "Yeah, I'm not exactly fond of you bringing up bad memories either, master."

"I'm sorry. I thought it might help Ichigo remember…"

"For the record," Shiro spat. "I didn't want to teach Ichigo shit."

"Hey!"

Shiro turned his gaze to meet Ichigo's. "Well, it was true… but that's not the point. I didn't want to teach you the technique, but you needed it to save what was important to you. The Old Man knew that too. So, we trained with you for three months. Together, he and I had an understanding, that it was what you wanted, and we couldn't go against that. After all, how could we turn down such a pretty face?"

Ichigo's awe-filled eyes quickly sharpened, and his cheeks flushed pink. "Sh-Shut up."

Shiro cackled to himself and leaned back against Ichigo once more.

"Well, with how tired you must be feeling, you should both be able to focus your attention on yourselves and drifting into your Inner World," Kisuke added. "Start with learning more about your inner resolve."

"Sure, that makes sense," Ichigo muttered. He sighed and adjusted his position once more. He did, sort of, understand – or at least he had a vague theory – about what Kisuke was getting at. He wasn't just one mind… there were three pieces to himself. Himself, Shiro, and the Old Man, and Ichigo knew that accepting all pieces of himself – just like he'd done in the Final Getsuga Tenshou training – would be a proper first step to achieving his true Bankai.

Shiro sighed and closed his eyes, imitating Ichigo's form. "King, when we get in there… the Old Man is gonna be waiting."

"I know."

"Are you ready to talk to him?"

"I think so."

Whew, I'm tellin' ya, I really wanted to have some Isshin and Engetsu action in here, but the fight scenes just weren't working for me… so instead, I'm focusing on the real goal here: Ichigo needs to make peace with himself and the Old Man~

This was a really important bridge chapter, so I can hop towards the next important piece of development for our favourite Strawberry Shinigami!