The man who looked like the Kenpachi that Ichigo knew turned to him and smiled a bigger smile.

"Hello, Ichigo, it's been a long time since I've seen that face."

"What the hell is going on here?!"

"What do you mean? Ichi-nii, did you hit your head somewhere?"

"Uh, Karin-chan, this is not our Ichigo. He's from the past."

"Oh… I guess that's why you're still wearing that outfit. I was about to ask why you squeezed back into it but you haven't squeezed into anything. Weird…" said, going around Ichigo and analyzing him.

"How is my clothing weird when that guy acting all nice is weird?! Does no one feel the confusion of this guy's presence in such a calm setting?!"

"Kurosaki-kun, Captain Zaraki is the head of Squad 4 now." Orihime said.

Ichigo looked at Zaraki for a moment as Renji walked in.

"Oy, there you are. You walked away from me. Ah, Captain Zaraki, you finally came out."

"Is there a reason why Ichigo is confused as to what my position is now?" he asked, pointing to the still flabbergasted Ichigo.

"He still thinks you are the captain of Squad 11."

Zaraki laughed. "I haven't been the captain of Squad 11 since Yachiru defeated me."

Ichigo came to life at that. "And you're okay with that?"

"She defeated me just like a Kenpachi should, though she should have killed me. Instead, she left me to rot on the ground. I picked myself up to fight again but she flash stepped toward me with her sword at my throat. She said, 'Ken-chan, I am leaving you with your life because I cannot just kill you. Take this defeat that I am the new Kenpachi of Squad 11. Live in shame but do not cowardly take your life or have me take it.' So, after a while, I decided to take up the former Kenpachi's footsteps and became the captain of Squad 4 instead."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Although… I have wanted to spar again for old time's sake." He said, putting his hand under his chin. "I was going to ask Ichigo when he got back from his mission but since you're here…"

"Uh, he's got some things he needs to do, Captain Zaraki." Renji said, pulling Ichigo away from him.

"Hmm. Well, if you want to spar again before you go, I'll take you up on it." he said with the maniacal grin that Ichigo remembered.

"Ichi-nii, let's walk together. Toshi, come on." Karin said, motioning for Toshiro.

Toshiro pulled himself away from Matsumoto, who was again, crying, and left her in Orihime's care.

"I swear, ever since she got pregnant she's been over emotional about everything." Toshiro said, wiping his sleeves off.

"She's pregnant?"

"Uh huh!" Karin said, skipping a little. "Captain Ichimaru is a little concerned for her though."

Ichigo stopped. "Gin?"

"Yeah, him." Toshiro said with a look. "I still hate that guy."

"Wait, Gin is a captain again? How did that happen?"

"After the Sternritter attack, there were a lot of seats left open. Many captain and lieutenant seats were left open with not enough qualifying people to fill them. Squads 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 were left without a captain, a lieutenant, or both. The Head Captain had to fill those positions pretty quickly, although Squad 4 and 7 were left captain-less for a long time. Eventually, the only one that was really qualified for Squad 3 was Ichimaru because he had been the captain before and your Father took up Squad 7 since I took his place as captain of Squad 10."

"Wait, my dad's here?"

"Yeah, he's somewhere around here." Karin said.

"What squad are you in?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm in Squad 5 but I'm not a seated officer yet."

"Where's Yuzu?"

Karin looked away and sighed.

"Yuzu didn't have that much Spiritual Pressure. When you left to join the Soul Society, my Spiritual Pressure increased and I became a Substitute Soul Reaper just like you with Toshiro's help and all. But Yuzu never got enough and so she grew up normally. When I was seventeen I decided that I wanted to be here with you and learn more about my abilities and such. Dad stayed with Yuzu until she got married and then came here. She died a while back but I haven't been able to find her in the Rukon District."

"I see…"

"She married Jinta, if that's any funny consolation." Karin said with a sad smile.

Ichigo did have to admit that that was kind of funny but he felt a pull at his heart for Yuzu's death.

"Did she die peacefully?"

"Yeah. She was an old lady when she went so nothing traumatic like with Orihime- Oops!" she said, holding her hands over her mouth.

Ichigo lifted an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything at all."

"If you ask Orihime-san she will probably gladly tell you. You know her and her weird optimism." Toshiro said with a roll of his eyes.

Ichigo nodded and then looked at Toshiro.

"So are you and Karin together?"

"We're dating at the moment." Karin said as she grabbed Toshiro's arm. "I know we look really different but that's because all of a sudden Toshi went and grew about eight feet."

"It was three feet. And what's wrong with me actually growing? It's a natural part of life just like in the human world. I don't see why you and Matsumoto are so angry about it all."

"I'm angry because now we look odd together. You look all grown and I look like a kid. It's a bit pedophilic."

"Well, I was about 100 years older than you already."

"Didn't you have a crush on that bun haired chick?" Ichigo asked.

Karin glared at her brother as Toshiro looked away.

"You mean Momo? She died during the Sternritter invasion. One of them used her as a zombie to attack me and some others but in the end we couldn't save her. She was already so weak from the attacks during Aizen's rebellion and such. She was just getting back on her feet when the Sternritter came and it all went downhill from there."

"I'm so sorry… It seems a lot of people have died since I… got here?" he said with a confused look, not really understanding everything himself.

"Yeah, it gets a little disheartening after a while. But Toshi helped me when I became a Substitute Soul Reaper and from there we kind of began to like each other."

Ichigo smiled when a voice seemed to ring out loudly.

"Attention all captains and lieutenants of the Soul Society! Attention all captains and lieutenants of the Soul Society! The Head Captain is calling for an emergency meeting of all captains and lieutenants. This summons also includes Past Kurosaki Ichigo to attend!"

Ichigo looked at the two and Toshiro nodded.

"Sorry, Karin, I'll come back later. I hope your wound gets better."

"Captain Zaraki did a good job so I'm sure it will be fine." She said with a smile.

Before Ichigo left, Karin gave him a big hug. Ichigo smiled and hugged her back.

"I kind of miss this Ichigo. You're a lot more lovable… Hurry back and see me!"

Ichigo nodded and left with Toshiro to go to the summons.

Ichigo had never been to a summons before and so he felt a little awkward. It was especially awkward because he could see that everyone knew where to go and there were so many people he knew but didn't know at the same time. It got a little disconcerting when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder.

"You are going to be next to me."

Ichigo looked up and blinked.

"Dad?"

"Never thought I'd see you like this again. Byakuya-san told me all about it."

He pushed Ichigo over to his side and then went about arm's length away from him. Ichigo watched the captains and lieutenants pile in even more when he spotted Renji and Rukia walking in together. They walked closer to him and then separated, Renji going in front of him and Rukia beside him.

"Ichigo, I'm glad you're awake."

"It's good to see you too, Rukia."

"Yichi!"

Ichigo looked as Yachiru ran in and tackled him to the ground, straddling him.

"You left without saying so much as a goodbye. That will cost you a few rounds."

"Yachiru, please get off of him."

Yachiru promptly got off of Ichigo only to spider monkey onto Zaraki.

"Ken-chan! I haven't seen you in ages!"

"You are a disgrace to the kenpachis before you."

Yachiru pouted for a second and then got off of Zaraki, the maniacal grin coming back to her face.

"Me? A disgrace? Take a look at yourself, Zaraki!"

Zaraki just shook his head. "You are still a disgrace to all the kenpachis before you. Get your life together, Yachiru."

"It's Kenpachi!"

"Does this happen often?" Ichigo asked his father, not understanding her wishy-washy attitude.

"Yachiru is naturally charismatic but when it comes to being the kenpachi, her actions are not too convincing at times. But in this case, yes, when those two are in each other's presence they get this way."

"It's so… erratic."

"Yachiru was always erratic. We'll just add sadistic to it now." Isshin said with a laugh.

"You act more like a kenpachi should than her but you refused the title." Rukia said beside him.

"What do you mean?"

"Yachiru did beat Zaraki in the battle for captain but you beat her later on. In all technicality, you are the next kenpachi but you refused the title and stayed with your own squad. Which is why she fell in love with you. Or so I read in a special edition of the Seireitei Communication that featured her article 'A Kenpachi in Love'."

Ichigo blinked a little when he saw Orihime walking in with someone at her side. When Orihime saw him she waved and the other person turned too. Ichigo's eyes widened at seeing the person.

"Hello, Kurosaki-san!"

"Wh- how did Tatsuki get here?!"

Orihime gave a sad smile. "The same way I did… we'll talk later okay?"

"Nice to see you, Ichigo!" Tatsuki said, turning fully to him.

When she turned, he saw that there was a horrid claw mark on her face that went from her hairline to her chin. She smiled and stood next to Renji.

Once everyone was in, Kyoraku stood up and looked over everyone with a concerned look.

"Captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13, I have called you here in regards to a serious situation that has come to my attention. It seems that we will soon be at war with a race long thought to be extinct within the Soul Society: the Cakurahita."

Everyone gasped except those who were new to Soul Society.

"I thought that they were wiped out even before the Quincy were involved?" Joshiro said, stepping out to look at the Head Captain. "I mean, you and I were part of the teams that were involved in taking them down."

"I am aware of that, Captain Ukitake, which is why this discovery is so disconcerting. Bring her in!" he yelled.

The doors opened and someone began to walk in holding a young girl that was flailing miserably in the arms of her captor.

"Let go of me! Let go of me before I unleash my Prasansaka Laharom on everyone in this room! I'll do it! I can!"

The man holding her rolled his eyes and walked up the aisle to the Head Captain. As he walked he suddenly felt an eerie feeling and looked over at his father. He stopped walking for a moment and then shook his head. He delivered the flailing girl to the front and plopped her down in front of Kyoraku.

"Hey! What's the big idea you stoic galoot?!"

The man took out a sword and put it to her neck, which made her calm down and she gulped.

"That's enough now, Captain Kurosaki; you can go to your place as Captain Kurotsuchi explains this girl."

"I would but it seems my place is being occupied by a weird gigai."

Kyoraku blinked and looked over and then looked back at him.

"Uh, Captain Kurosaki, that's not a gigai."

"Whatever it is, it looks nothing like me. It looks like something Urahara or my father would cook up just to piss me off."

Though it wasn't funny at all, the first person to ironically laugh was Byakuya, who tried to hide it behind his sleeve. Captain Kurosaki turned to him.

"Is there something I missed?"

Byakuya stopped laughing as Ichigo got out of line.

"Hey! I don't know what you think you're talking about, but I ain't no gigai! I'm a Substitute Soul Reaper! Turn around when I talk to you!"

Captain Kurosaki turned and Ichigo stopped. They both looked at each other, taking in their completely different looks as Captain Kurosaki turned to Byakuya and Ichigo turned to Isshin.

"That thing looks nothing like me." They both said at the same time.

one: i just call kenpachi, zaraki because apparently (unless i'm wrong) kenpachi's name is really kenpachi.

two: i feel that it hasn't been long enough for zaraki to get over his kenpachi state and thus, still wants to fight. in that instance, i also feel that yachiru's over-charismatic nature has not been controlled enough when it comes to people she likes ie: ichigo, zaraki

three: i think i got the situation with yuzu right. if i'm wrong please RESPECTFULLY tell me. i will redo it if i am wrong, there's no reason to get super pissy :)

four: we will get into orihime and tatsuki's accident later

five: we will also get into why the ichigo's don't look alike in the next chapter

six: toshiro would have grown up in 100 years. look at byakuya

seven: if you haven't read up on the seireitei communication or the woman's association, do so. they are real ss stuff in canon but strange. in that respect, yachiru's article should be of no surprise

eight: i thought it would be a nice touch for yichigo to think that his sub sr title was still important. silly goose.