Bleach Fanstory: After the War

Bleach Fan story: After the War

By Michael Xu

Initial Comments:

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo

This is purely a fan story and I don't own any of the characters in it, apart from OC I may create.

Summary

Aizen Sousuke has succeeded in creating the King's key, and has taken his place as God of all Dimensions. The Soul Society is in ruins, with Karakura Town completely obliterated. The survivors of Karakura Town and the Gotei 13 have retreated back to the real world, merging into normal society, in the hopes that one day; they may truly overthrow Aizen for good. The story begins four years later, with Ichigo continuing his double life as a substitute Shinigami.

Story so far: Ichigo and his nakama succeeded in finding and bringing back the missing Urahara Kisuke, and have now returned to Soul Society. The preparations have begun for the upcoming war against Aizen, and each division has begun intensive training. As Urahara reveals Yamamoto's last words to Soifon and Yoruichi, Ichigo and Rukia are introduced to their full strength division for the first time. Demonstrating unprecedented leadership skills, Ichigo separates his men into groups and, working alongside Rukia, starts training them in the basics of Shinigami combat. After the first day of training, Rukia approaches Ichigo and asks him to help her achieve Bankai...

Chapter 26: Two Hearts as One

"You want me to teach you Bankai?" Ichigo asked, in a state of astonishment. Rukia nodded numbly. "Gosh, this is quite sudden. I'm not sure if you're ready to achieve Bankai though. When I trained for Bankai I was already capable of materializing Zangetsu on a subconscious level. Don't tell me you've achieved it already?" Rukia was silent for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to respond.

"When I fought the hollow that killed Ashido in the Menos Forest, I was almost defeated by him, but then I saw the image of my Zanpakto, Sode no Shirayuki, appear before me. She dragged me into my inner world and had me do something I don't remember clearly. The next thing I knew I was up on my feet and my reiatsu skyrocketed," Rukia said. Ichigo was stunned at her explanation. It reminded him of the time during his battle with Kenpachi, when Zangetsu appeared before him and sent him to his inner world in order to reforge his sword.

"I see, what you've experienced definitely counts as an unconscious materialization of your Zanpakto spirit," Ichigo thought for a moment. "But, to consciously summon your spirit would take many more years of training. I remember Renji telling me he had started training to summon his Zanpakto the moment he was transferred to the 11th division"

"That was more than thirty years ago!" Rukia exclaimed. "We don't have that long. Please, I want to learn Bankai in a short time." Ichigo had never seen Rukia in this sort of mood before. It was as if she was counting on him as her mentor.

"Alright, I know a way to achieve Bankai quickly, but I have to ask Yoruichi for it," Ichigo said. "Meet me at the base of Sokyoku hill in three days' time." Rukia nodded. They decided to go to sleep and forget about the Bankai training.

Three days later, early in the morning. Ichigo arrived at the gates of the 2nd Division barracks. The Special ops guarding the gate, seeing he was a captain, allowed him inside. Once through the gates Ichigo went straight to the division office, where Soifon, Yoruichi and Urahara were still having breakfast.

"Ichigo, what brings you here?" Yoruichi asked. She froze for a brief moment. "Sorry, I keep forgetting that I should call you captain."

"It doesn't matter Yoruichi-san," Ichigo said. "I need to ask you something."

"Go on, tell me what it is you want from me?"

"Do you know where the Bankai training doll is?" Yoruichi and Urahara were both stunned at Ichigo's request.

"The Bankai training doll, why do you require that device again?" Yoruichi asked. "You know how to materialize your Zanpakto by yourself right?" Ichigo nodded.

"It's not for me. I need it for someone else," he said.

"Ah, you must be training Kuchiki-san!" Urahara laughed. "Well, I happen to have a spare copy with me." He grabbed a scroll from his cloak and placed it on the desk. With a few hand seals he summoned a man-sized wooden doll which fell to the ground. Ichigo grabbed the surprisingly heavy device with both hands and placed it onto his back.

"Thanks Urahara-san, I'll return this to you when I'm done with it," Ichigo said.

"Captain Kurosaki, do you need assistance with carrying it?" Soifon asked.

"No thanks!" Ichigo waved as he stepped outside the office. In a single step he Shunpo-ed right across to the base of the Sokyoku hill, where Rukia was waiting. They had managed to train every member in the division up to a reasonable standard and Ichigo allowed his men three days to train by themselves, leaving he and Rukia enough time to train together.

"Is this the thing you were talking about?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah. Yoruichi used this to help me obtain my Bankai," Ichigo replied. "Come with me. We can talk better inside." Rukia wondered what Ichigo meant by 'inside' as she followed him up the hill. Ichigo stopped beside a cliff halfway up along the hill. He pressed his hand against a seemingly solid section of the cliff. To Rukia's astonishment Ichigo's went through the cliff. He then proceeded to walk right through the wall. A second later his face appeared outside the cliff.

"Come inside Rukia," he said. "Don't be scared, it's just an invisible wall."

"Okay," Rukia said. She hesitantly placed her hand through the cliff. When she was convinced at last that it was safe she walked through. She found herself inside a spacious underground storeroom, with an assortment of tools lying around. Spare swords, bandages, even Gikongan were stacked against shelves.

"Gosh, I never knew a place like this existed," Rukia said.

"You'll be more surprised by what I'm going to show you next," Ichigo said. He motioned Rukia to follow him. After opening a trapdoor on the floor, Ichigo suddenly jumped down. Rukia hesitantly peered over the hole. She almost shrieked when she saw how far down Ichigo had dropped.

"Come on Rukia. You shouldn't be afraid of a fall like this!" Ichigo called out. "You can use the ladder if you're scared!"

"Um, okay," Rukia nodded. She resorted to climbing the step ladder, one step at a time. The going was laboriously slow and at times Rukia felt the ladder shake around. After ten minutes she finally landed on the ground below. When she looked around, she realized they were in a giant underground cavern almost as large as the entire Sokyoku hill. Boulders, rocks and pebbles were strewn about and a few dead trees stuck out of the ground.

"This place looks familiar. It's almost like the old study room under the Urahara Shoten," Rukia said.

"I'm glad you noticed. This was the original training room built by Urahara when he and Yoruichi-san were still young," Ichigo explained. "They played here as kids and when they joined the Gotei 13 they used this place as a training ground." He finally placed the man-sized training doll on the ground, and took a minute to stretch his extremely sore back.

"So, what am I meant to do with this training doll?" Rukia asked as she watched Ichigo lift the doll up and placed it upright.

"It's simple. Just insert your Zanpakto between the slot in the middle of the doll and the doll will forcibly materialize your Zanpakto," Ichigo explained. "Then you must train with your Zanpakto and force it into submission using any means possible. There's one other thing I must tell you: the doll has a limit of three days. I don't know what happens if you keep using it after that. Urahara achieved his Bankai just within the three day time limit, whilst I managed to do it in two days. It's a big risk to take. You might up draining all of your spirit energy. Are you ready for it?" Rukia nodded. She unsheathed her sword and jabbed it straight through the doll. In an instant the doll disappeared and was replaced by the shimmering figure of Sode no Shirayuki. Ichigo gasped in astonishment. He had never seen a woman so beautiful before. It was almost like seeing a goddess in the flesh.

"My gosh, so that's what your spirit looks like," he said. "No wonder your Zanpakto is considered to be the most beautiful in Soul Society." Shirayuki giggled upon Ichigo's comment.

"Thank you for the compliment," she said. Ichigo blushed in embarrassment.

"Um, do you know what to do?" he asked. Shirayuki nodded.

"I will set everything up for Rukia and me to begin."

"That's fine. I'll move a fair distance away and train on my own."

"What? You're leaving me here?" Rukia suddenly panicked. "How am I meant to beat my Zanpakto into submission?" Ichigo looked at her again.

"That's something you'll have to figure out yourself. The only person who can show you the way is your Zanpakto," Ichigo said. "This is a personal test of your own resolve. Nobody can help you out with it." He unsheathed his sword and walked away. "I'm going to train with Zangetsu by myself." With that he Shunpo-ed away. Rukia now stared nervously at Shirayuki, who smiled peacefully at her.

"Shall we begin Rukia?" she asked. "Like your nakama said, this is a personal test of the strength of your soul. You must find it within yourself to overcome the shackles that are holding you down and uncover your true inner power. I've only assisted you when the time was necessarily. Now you must learn to control me forcibly and extract everything from me." Shirayuki placed her right hand against the ground and turned mile-wide patch of dirt into a field of snow and ice. Rukia gasped in astonishment, but she was further surprise when thousands of ice pillars rose from the ground and solidified into actual clones of Shirayuki herself. Rukia was taken aback; her body was quivering all over.

"All of these copies are fragments of your soul. In order to force me into submission, you must find the one true copy of me and cut me down, before we end up killing you," Shirayuki said in a merciless voice. "Get ready, here we come!" Rukia was suddenly given back her sword, whilst each of the Shirayukis now held swords of their own. As a group they swooped down and surrounded Rukia, who was sweating nervously. The greatest test of her life was about to begin.

Ichigo sensed a giant spike in spirit pressure nearby. Clearly Rukia and her Zanpakto had begun their battle. He could see a string of ice and snow rise up to the roof of the cave. He was far enough away to not be safe from whatever happened there. With his sword already unsheathed, he went straight to Shikai without the chant, and then summoned Zangetsu to appear before him.

"Have you called me, Ichigo?" Zangetsu asked. He was standing upon a rock pinnacle.

"Yes, Zangetsu. I need to become stronger," Ichigo said. "I've seen the power of my ultimate nemesis, and I know at my current strength I'd stand no chance against him. Could you teach me a way to fight without using my eyes?" Zangetsu was intrigued by this.

"It appears I have just the technique to teach you. An ability that allows to fight without relying on sight," Zangetsu said. "To master it of course, you'll have to learn how to fight blindfolded first." He summoned a white bandage out of thin air and gave it to Ichigo. Ichigo wrapped it around his eyes and then grasped his sword with both hands. Already, his sense of balance and awareness of changed.

"Are you ready Ichigo? You must try to block all of my attacks and land hits upon me. Remember, use your other senses. Try to hear my movements and sense the direction of my reiatsu," Zangetsu said. Ichigo nodded. Though he couldn't see him, he felt Zangetsu's reiatsu come rapidly towards. A sudden movement in the air in front of him told him a sword strike was coming at his head. Ichigo raised his sword just in time to block it.

"Excellent. Now try blocking this attack!" Zangetsu shouted. Ichigo felt him disappear, and sensed a spiritual pressure behind him. He quickly swivelled around and blocked Zangetsu's blade again.

"Good you're getting the hang of it. Now try to fight in high speed without using your eyes," Zangetsu said. Both Ichigo and Zangetsu switched their swords into Bankai mode.

Rukia scarpered across the slippery surface of the ice, with more than a dozen Shirayuki clones chasing after her. She had already switched her sword to Shikai mode and repeatedly fired Byakurai and Soukatsui spells at them, to little effect.

"Don't bother using Kidou Rukia," A Shirayuki said she appeared in front of her. "Only the power of your own Zanpakto moves can damage us." With that three Shirayuki clones fired nearly instantaneous Hakuren blasts from their swords. Rukia barely managed to jump into the air and avoid the attacks. She countered with her own sword, shouting out "Final Dance, Shirafune!" before swinging her extended blade through multiple Shirayukis. Each one was snap frozen and shattered by Rukia's sword. To her surprise, the clones simply melted into snow and ice.

"Good job Rukia. But you must do better!" A dozen more Shirayukis shouted in unison behind her. Before Rukia could react, she was slashed in the back. She cart-wheeled onto the ground and swung her sword in a semi-circular arc, shouting "First Dance, Tsukishiro!" A white circle appeared on the ice. Rukia directed it around. As each Shirayuki touched the ice they were snap frozen and shattered into pieces. Rukia maintained the Tsukishiro for nearly two whole minutes and froze hundreds of Shirayuki clones. Yet there still seemed like there were thousands more remaining, and Rukia was already panting heavily. Damn, how am I supposed to win this?

Ichigo and Zangetsu flew across the underground training chamber at rapid speed, repeatedly clashing swords. Despite bleeding from two severe cuts to his shoulder and waist, Ichigo had gotten the hang of using his other senses to fight. He could hear Zangetsu's movements and detect the vibrations in the air as he moved around.

"You're doing well Ichigo. You're using your ears and sensing the disturbance in the spirit particles around you," Zangetsu said. "Now you're ready for the next step. I want you to clear your mind of all unnecessary thoughts and emotions and feel the spiritual energy around you. Become one with it. Learn to manipulate it at will. The spiritual pressure you give up is merely a manifestation of your power over your surroundings."

"I know about that, but what good will that do me? I can already move at supersonic speeds, and can sense attacks from anywhere," Ichigo said.

:"Here's the important part. Becoming one with the spirit energy around you will allow to see just as clearly with your mind as with your eyes. In fact, your vision will be even greater, because you will be able to see through illusions and recognise the true shape of other spiritual beings."

"So, I'll be completely unaffected by Aizen's Shikai even if I see it," Ichigo grinned. "Alright then, I'm up for it!"

Rukia gasped for breath, as she struggled to get to her feet. She had been fighting for nearly ten hours, and she was bleeding from countless slashes to her body. In return she had killed hundreds of Shirayukis, but none of them looked like the real thing. There were still hundreds more clones remaining, each one carrying an exact replica of her sword.

"Damn, I'm going to die at this rate," Rukia wheezed. "How am I meant to find the true fragment of my soul?" She braced herself as the swarm of Shirayukis came flying at her again. She gripped her sword tightly with both hands. Having expended nearly all of her spirit energy, she didn't enough strength to fire another special attack. Is Shirayuki going to kill me? Rukia thought. Just the first of the Shirayukis was about to impale Rukia, all of them suddenly disappeared. In their place was the white training doll, which fell to the ground. It already appeared to be worn out and broken in several places. In addition, the sword in Rukia's hand disappeared, and her real sword ended up lying on top of the doll. Before Rukia could even blink, she heard Ichigo walk by.

"Ah darn, the time limit's up," Ichigo said as he inspected the doll. "You've really put this thing through a hammering haven't you?"

"I don't get it. Why did it just fall over like that?" Rukia asked.

"Well, I forgot to mention one thing; there's an individual time limit for how long your Zanpakto can stay materialized for. Twelve hours is roughly the limit each time, and you can repeat it twice."

"So, you're implying that the limit to this doll isn't three days; it's more like thirty-six hours?" Rukia felt confused and angered.

"Yeah, sorry I lied to you," Ichigo said. "The doll takes a few hours to recharge. Besides, I can tell that you're at your absolute limit. If you had gone anything further you might have died. I'm worn out too, so let's both take a break together and have a bath."

"A bath?" Rukia wondered what Ichigo was talking about. But when he led her to a massive natural hot spring, she couldn't contain her excitement. She was about to take off her clothes and jump in and when she saw that Ichigo was also going to get into the sauna. She closed her eyes in embarrassment as Ichigo took off his captain's cloak, his Shishakusho and his inner robes and jumped into the spring.

"Come on Rukia, what are you waiting for?" Ichigo asked. Rukia hesitated. She felt embarrassed at Ichigo seeing her naked.

"Don't be shy. I'm not going to do ogle you like a pervert," Ichigo said.

"Alright, but can you close your eyes until I come in?" Rukia asked. Ichigo nodded. Rukia slowly took off her Shishakusho and inner robes until she was completely naked. Then she slowly stepped into the spring, feet first, followed by the rest of the body. The water felt incredibly warm and relaxing, and Rukia was soon resting her head against the edge of the spring.

"How is it Rukia?" Ichigo asked. He shifted his body until he was only a few inches away from her.

"It feels really good," Rukia said. She closed her eyes and imagined she was lying on a bed. The flowing bubbles gently massaged her body, and she felt all the aches and pain she received during her brutal training disappear. When she opened her eyes again she gasped she realized that all of the wounds she had suffered were gone.

"Amazing isn't it?" Ichigo asked. "This spring has remarkable healing properties. It not only heals your wounds but also restores all of you energy. I'm not sure how Urahara made it but it's certainly is a wonderful piece of architecture." Rukia was said nothing. She raised her shoulders above the water and sat at the edge of the spring. Whether it was instinct or her unconscious thought, Rukia somehow began to stare at Ichigo. She couldn't help but admire his powerful and muscular body. She had felt his well groomed chest once before, when he had rescued her from the Sokyoku execution stand. Every time she saw him up close, she always forgot that she was more than a hundred years older than him; he was the one that seemed older and more experienced. Just then, Ichigo turned his head and noticed Rukia was staring at him.

"Were you staring at me Rukia?" Ichigo asked with a grin on his face. "Admiring my toned muscles?" Rukia's face turned bright red.

"I wasn't!" Rukia stammered. Unfortunately she couldn't hide her embarrassment.
"You're extremely beautiful Rukia," Ichigo said. "Your face, and your hair, even your breasts, are so shaped perfectly." Rukia looked down and realised her chest was bared. She quickly all but her head in the water.

"You were ogling at my breasts!" Rukia shouted. "Pervert!"

"What's wrong with me having a peak at them? We're both alone here. No one's going to look," Ichigo grinned as he moved right next to Rukia.

"Get away from me! I'm so embarrassed." Rukia tried flinging her arms at Ichigo.

"Oh come on! You're a bigger prude than I am. I wish you were more like Yoruichi-san. She'd happily flash her body around." Ichigo grabbed Rukia's arms and tried pushing them apart. He and Rukia ended up in a mini-tug of war, Ichigo trying to get on top of her whilst Rukia tried to push him away. Ichigo's strength proved too strong and he literally fell on top of Rukia.

"You brute!" Rukia shouted. She squirmed as felt Ichigo's chest rub against hers, and closed her eyes tightly. She opened them a few seconds later and saw Ichigo's face barely inches away from hers. On a whim, Ichigo felt like lowering his face closer to Rukia's, but this time instead of resisting, Rukia somehow wanted Ichigo to be closed to her. Ichigo got close enough to press his lips against Rukia's. They locked lips and kissed each other. Rukia felt an unexplainable sensation shudder through her body. She placed her arms around Ichigo's body and held him closer as they continued locking their lips in a passionate embrace. Love, pleasure, sensuality, closeness, Rukia experienced them all at the same time in a kaleidoscope of emotions. She could feel Ichigo's heart beat; it was beating in rhythm with her own. Their hearts and souls were was one, and when they finally parted lips, Rukia had never felt happier in her life.

"That was wonderful Ichigo," Rukia said. Ichigo smiled. He moved alongside her and held her hands tightly.

"Rukia, there's been one thing I've been thinking about for a long time," Ichigo spoke softly. "As I was lay in a coma after my battle with Ishida, I realized there was one thing missing in my life, and that was a moral centre. When I was young, my mother was the centre of my universe. She was my conscience, my support and the person I most admired. When she died, my balance was shattered. I lost my way and became nothing more than a wandering street punk, without a purpose in life. Then I met you. You were different from any of the friends I met before. You cared about me, gave me guidance, and inspired me to become stronger. When you were gone from me, I lost my will and almost my sanity. I couldn't explain why I felt this way until now." Ichigo looked deep into Rukia's eyes. "You're the centre my life Rukia. I don't want you to ever disappear from me. So, I ask you from the bottom of my heart, you will always with me?" Rukia didn't seem all that pleased with Ichigo. She turned her head to the side.

"Baka, you want to marry me, don't you?" she asked. "You could have said it straight away." Ichigo nodded nervously. He was worried that she was going to reject him. But then Rukia kissed him again on the lips and smiled.

"I want to marry you two Ichigo," Rukia said. "I've been having the same thoughts as you did. But, you must promise me one thing in return; will you promise that you'll outlive me and die long after I do? I don't want to see another man I love die before my eyes. I wouldn't know how to live anymore. There's so much of Kaien-dono within you, it's almost as if he's still living inside you." Ichigo felt extraordinarily happy.

"That's an easy promise to make. I have no intention of dying early. I'll be spending the rest of my life living here, and wouldn't want to spend it with anyone but you. And if I remind you of Kaien, then I'll be glad to place his heart within mine and carry on his legacy." Rukia felt extremely happy too. But she suddenly realized something.

"Ichigo, should we tell Nii-sama and your father?" she asked.

"I guess we should," Ichigo said. He pondered for a moment. "I have an idea. We'll keep on training tomorrow, and then the day after I'll speak with Byakuya whilst you ask my father. It's better if we win the trust of our families in law first." Rukia nodded and kissed Ichigo again. They got out of the spring and put on their white robes, before going to sleep.

Two days later Ichigo arrived at the gates of the Kuchiki Manor. He had left the underground chamber early in the morning whilst Rukia was still fighting with her spirit. He however had successfully completed his training.

The Kuchiki Manor was an imposing complex. Covering about nearly a tenth of the entire Seireitei, it was virtually a miniature city in itself. Although Ichigo was now equal in rank to Byakuya, he still felt like a mere commoner standing beneath this towering bastion of nobility. Four Shinigami guards, dressed with in cloaks bearing the emblem of the Kuchiki family, recognised Ichigo and hastily opened the gates. Ichigo strolled through the gates and admired the beautiful scenery. Small streams crisscrossed the outer courtyard, and every second patch of dirt had a Sakura tree growing from it. A trio of middle-aged ladies, possibly belonging to the Kuchiki clan, passed by and greeted him. Ichigo did his best to put on a courtly manner.

He arrived at the doorstep of the main house and knocked.

"Come inside," Ichigo heard Byakuya speak. Ichigo slowly opened the door and saw Byakuya, wearing his noble robes, kneeling beside a table writing calligraphy.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, what business brings you here?" Byakuya asked as he placed down his brush.

"I have a request to make, Byakuya," Ichigo kneeled down and placed his hands on the floor. "I want to ask you if I can…"

"Don't bother trying," Byakuya suddenly interrupted Ichigo's sentence and stood up. "I know what here for. You want my permission to marry Rukia don't you?" Ichigo felt a tinge of nervousness as Byakuya walked right beside him. "Please, stand up. You and I are now equals." Ichigo humbly got onto his feet and looked Byakuya in the eye.

"I've been anticipating this moment for a while now. Ever since Rukia's near death, I've been thinking what her best interests would be," Byakuya started pacing around. "The truth is, Rukia has never fitted in well with the Kuchiki family. The other members of the clan, especially the elders, regard her with as a traitor who has brought shame upon the entire family."

"Seeing what she's been through, I can see why they'd think like that," Ichigo said.

"Indeed. It was a foolish thing for me to uphold two contradictory vows. In trying to keep Rukia safe and yet be a law-abiding role model I inevitably isolated Rukia from her former friends and comrades. In the long run, that caused Rukia far more pain and suffering than she deserved to get. When I first met you, I thought you were a mere human who stole everything from Rukia. But as I watched your determination and will to save her. I realized she meant more to you than she ever did to me. I never had the courage to go against the laws of Seireitei in order to save her, but you did. And when Rukia was sent to the real world again, I saw how happy she felt. At last, she had a place where she belonged. Before I allowed her to go the Hueco Mundo, she told me how you and your father had treated her as part of the family. It was something that I never managed to do during my half-century as her brother-in-law. During the four years that we were apart, I made up my mind that if Rukia chose to leave the Clan, I would not stop her. Apart from the Kuchiki name, I have given her nothing in return. You on the other hand, gave Rukia a life, a home and a family to look forward to. What was more, I sensed the deep bond the two of you had shared with each other. So I told myself that whenever the time was ready, I would accept any decision you make."

"So, that means I'm free to marry Rukia?" Ichigo asked. Byakuya nodded. "Aren't you disappointed, or angry at all about losing her?" Byakuya gave a slight smirk.

"Why should I be disappointed? You are now the heir to the Shiba Clan, the second most powerful noble family after my own, and you are powerful Shinigami in your own right. You've given Rukia a place to live, and the position I had held her back from. I couldn't have wished a happier fate for her."

"Thank you, Byakuya," Ichigo bowed his head humbly. Byakuya then handed him a small lavishly carved wooden box.

"I'm giving you this from the bottom of my heart," Byakuya said. "Please open it." Ichigo opened the lid and gasped. Inside was a sparkling blue diamond, embedded inside a pure gold ring, embossed with the Kuchiki family emblem.

"What is this?" Ichigo asked.

"This was the room I gave Hisana on our wedding day. It was handcrafted by the most skilled jewellers in Soul Society, and is worth billions of Soul Society currency. I want you to keep it safe and when the wedding day finally comes, I want you to place this on Rukia's hand." Ichigo felt awed at the sheer beauty of it, and was amazed that such Byakuya would give him such a priceless gift,

"I'm so grateful to you, Byakuya," Ichigo said. "Words cannot express my appreciation for you."

"Of course not. You wouldn't be capable of expressing it in a decent way," Byakuya turned his back on Ichigo. "Just promise me you'll provide Rukia with the happiness and protection she deserves. If word gets in my ears that you've hurt her or made her sad, I'll personally hunt you down and slay with my own hands."

"Uh, of course," Ichigo bowed with a nervous grin. He had forgotten how strict and stoic Byakuya could be. "I'll be taking my leave now!" Ichigo was about to step out of the house when Byakuya spoke again.

"One last thing to remember: Never speak to me or anyone else about this again until the war is over." Ichigo nodded and Shunpo-ed out of the Kuchiki Manor. He placed the box with the ring firmly inside his robes.

Ichigo proposes to Rukia! How will their respective families view this decision? And what have the other captains and Ichigo's friends been up to? Find out next chapter!

Notes: This was by far the most difficult chapter to work on so far. I had to tread a very fine line in regards to character personality and content. I deliberately made Rukia's Bankai training similar to Ichigo's Bankai training, not only due to the exact same training methods they both used, but to also show the experience and knowledge that Ichigo has gained, demonstrated by the ease by which he learns his new Bankai form.

The love scene between Ichigo and Rukia was the scene I'd been waiting to do. I wanted to show the genuine affection they have for each other, but obviously I had to take care to stay within the boundaries and not show any gratuitness.

Finally, Byakuya's acceptance of Ichigo's proposal completes the character transformation that he's undergone since chapter 3. He's now a more sympathetic character who acknowledges his failings. That's not to say he's arrogance and superiority have dissappeared however.

I really appreciate all of the reviews you've sent in so far. Keep them coming!