The latest installment is here. Sorry for the wait, but I'm behind on a lot of other stuff. I am playing catch up with other stories in addition to this one. Two weeks isn't so bad for an update at least to me. I want to thank everyone for the reviews. I surprised you guys not only liked the fights, but were a bit sad they were over for now. I was worried people were starting to read it and think OMG aren't these fights over yet. Fan reaction was not very good when the fights in FKT arc dragged on message boards if my memory is serving me well. I was pleasantly surprised with the positive reaction I received. There will be more fights in the future. At the moment I cannot tell you exactly when that happens. I have planned it out in detail yet.
N.N.T.L: I am still trying to figure out the Uryu and Tatsuki deal. Right now I am playing with the idea, but haven't made any decisions yet. As for Histugaya entering the story at the moment I would say no. I have nothing against the character, but I am not sure if I want captains to get involved. The captains already took down the Espada in canon, so the weaker Privaron Espada probably wouldn't pose much of a challenge to them. One of the reasons I chose to expand on the Privaron Espada idea is because they were powerful enough to give Ichigo's friends some trouble, but they weren't so strong that they could only be defeated by the captains. Don't worry the leader of the Privaron is not stronger than Isshin. Isshin was stronger than Aizen lol. If I had one of his men be that strong it throws the entire thing out of whack.
Nypsy: Don't worry Ryuken didn't cut things close on purpose. He got there as fast as he could. If things aren't close then there is no suspense.
People keep asking me if Ichigo will regain his power. I have finally decided on what I am going to do. The answer is at the end of this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All of the characters belong to Tite Kubo, expect for my own original characters.
Something was wrong. He knew something was up the moment he woke up. First of all his loud mouth annoying father did not kick his door in and jump at him with the glee and actions of unbalanced and possibly deranged man. He woke up thanks to loud ring of his alarm clock for a change. He thought his father wasn't feeling well, but when he went down stairs he saw his father was drinking his morning coffee. The dark haired middle-aged man wore an earnest solemn mask. He had seen this face a few times in his life-time. The first time was the day of his mother's funeral. The other times were on the anniversary of her death. Ichigo disliked seeing that expression on his father's face. His father was known for being excessively happy, energetic much to his and Karin's dismay. He would boast to all of them about how awesome of a father he was. No matter what mood any of them were in his wide smile and lively eyes always sparked with the same love of life. He tried his best to get his children to feel that same way even if they were not always appreciative of it. This gloomy scowl he wore now was not like Kurosaki Isshin at all. It was not his father. But then again how much did he really know about his father?
He never had an inkling that the man who had raised him his entire life was in reality a shinigami. Despite six months passing since the final battle with Aizen he still was no closer to learning of his father's former life. There was more to it than he originally thought. Rukia never showed any signs of recognizing the name Kurosaki at all during her stays in the Human World. In fact she seemed to be surprised that Ichigo had as much spiritual power as he did when they first met. Ukitake gave him his Substitute Badge to make him an official substitute shinigami when they left the Soul Society. Surely he would have mentioned something about a shinigami that held the name Kurosaki. Shouldn't someone in the Soul Society have recognized his name and asked if he was related to Isshin? Hell when he told Ikkaku that Urahara trained him the guy was in awe, revealing his master was indeed a noteworthy shinigami in the Gotei 13. Why was his father not held in the same regard? Why did none of them seem to recognize the Kurosaki name? He had seen his father battle and felt his monstrous reiatsu that dwarfed his own before his training in Dangai. He overpowered Aizen something none of the current captains except for Yamamoto could do. If his father was that powerful he had to be well known. Yet, all the shinigami he met, Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, Ukitake, Toshiro, Rangiku, Kenpachi, or Ikkaku seemed to not know the name Kurosaki. Who exactly was the shinigami known as Kurosaki Isshin?
What did his father possibly do in the Soul Society that warranted his very existence being unknown by so many? The only two people who knew anything about the senior Kurosaki were Urahara and Aizen. Ichigo was not surprised that they knew of him. Both men had their hands in everything. They made it a business to discover the secrets of everyone around them and put them away to use later. Ichigo never questioned him no matter how badly he yearned to know. He was still set on following his original intent and wait for his father to tell him the story. Despite Ichigo and his father's disputes (both verbal and physical) he never once doubted in his entire life that his father had the best intentions for him and his sisters. If his father felt it was necessary to keep his former life as a shinigami unknown then he had a reason for it. It sounded nice to say, but when he stared at his father wearing that mask of solitude he couldn't help wondering if this was the expression often worn by Kurosaki Isshin the shinigami or Kurosaki Isshin the man.
Finally his father took notice to his presence. Within the blink of an eye the deadly serious gloom mask was broken and replaced by his usual energetic joyous expression. He greeted Ichigo not with a punch or kick as usual, but with pat on the shoulder. Damn his father was easy to read when he was worried about something. Why didn't he speak up and demand answers? Ichigo knew the reason why. It didn't concern him, right. He was a human not a shinigami. He had no more place in their world or their problems than Keigo or Mizuiro did. Ichigo watched helplessly as his father walked out of the room with his shoulders weighed down by unknown worries. Even his father's pep was robbed from him. With no more reason to remain in the living room Ichigo returned upstairs, took a shower (managing to beat Karin or Yuzu for once) and got dressed. When he went down stairs again he heard the voice of his father. The middle-aged man was talking to someone. Curious Ichigo crept his way down. In an ironic twist his lack of reiatsu helped him conceal him. Isshin was on the phone. His father mentioned something about an incident that happened the previous night. Apparently he had come in on the tell end of the conversation because his father muttered something about keeping watch and hung up the phone. The dark haired man said nothing about the conversation during breakfast. When Orihime came over he returned to his old usual jubilant annoying self. The deception was flawless. Karin, Yuzu, and Orihime had no idea that their father was concealing something from them. Hell he wouldn't even know if he hadn't heard the secret phone conversation.
Isshin oversaw their departure to school making the same idiotic gestures and giving them bear hugs or in Ichigo's case a sneak attack. Naturally he responded with a classic kick to the rips. He made the usual "well done my son" comment and closed the door on them as they left. He couldn't help, but notice just how quickly his father had hurried them out. Did that mean his father was going to see whoever was on the other end of the phone? A part of him wanted to go back to the clinic to observe his father. The larger more responsible part of him scolded him on invading his father's privacy when he hated when his own privacy was invaded. There was also the fact that he had school to attend. The term was nearing its ends in two short weeks. He had to worry about finals. If he wanted to move on to junior year with the rest of his friends he could not afford for any distractions. He was no longer a shinigami, so whatever his father was involved in no longer concerned him. Ichigo just needed to worry about his normal life. That's what he told himself, but this gnawing feeling at the pit of his stomach kept him from dropping it. The hairs on the back of neck were standing up and that was usually a bad omen. For the past six months everything felt so clear, peaceful, and so normal. Life had returned to the way it was before he met Rukia and became a shinigami, with a few exceptions. However, now there was this heavy ominous cloud setting in on him. The rays of normality were blanketed out. His very soul pulsed as if to warn him of a coming storm. This was the same feeling he had when he met Hirako and the arrancar started to show up. Was that it? Was another battle approaching them? Was his father working to prevent that battle from taking place in Karakura Town? If that was the case he should be doing something. There was no way he could be sitting by and do nothing. This could affect all of them, Yuzu, Karin, Keigo, Mizuiro, Tatsuki, Chad, Ishida, and…
"Kurosaki-kun," called out a small worried filled voice.
He shook his head slightly before looking to his right. A beautiful angelic face ravaged by apprehension was staring right at him. The doe like hazel eyes swelled with concern and fear. The plush pink lips had fallen into a frown. His lips curved upside in their own frown at this sight. She did not look right at all when she frowned. It was too much of a departure from his Inoue. They had been walking to school, but they were stopped now. The ex-substitute pondered when he actually stopped moving. The healer continued to stare at him with that sorrowful expression, silently asking him what was wrong. Instinct told him to protect her. There was no need to worry Inoue with any of this when he had no evidence as to what his father was doing. Besides he was causing her worry enough with the worrisome expression he was no doubt wearing. He shoved down the questions and concerns about his father into the deepest pits of his mind. He mustered his best happy, no worries smile. "What's with that look?" he asked.
Orihime still wearing her apprehension on her face narrowed her eyes. It was her way of trying to discern something that was hidden within that smile Kurosaki-kun wore. That smile that was much too happy, that fake smile she despised so much. The chocolate eyes that she adored were murky with insincere joy. The mirthful aura he gave off was forced at best. He was hiding something from her. "You look really tense about something," she explained. She cleared her throat. "Is there something on your mind?" she asked timidly.
Ichigo closed his eyelids and widened his smile. He looked like he had no care in the world. It was a striking contrast from the usual scowling or intense serious expression the carrot top man was known for. "I am just thinking about finals. I am still a little worried about them."
He was lying through his teeth. She could easily see through him. Orihime felt a miffed. He was lying to her. He promised her that he would let her in more. Why was it that he had trouble letting her in? All she wanted to do was comfort him and ease his worries. What made it worse was that he tried to play it off with that false smile that she hated so much. She folded her arms. "If you don't want to talk about it I'll leave you be, but please don't use that fake smile. I truly despise it," she said truthfully. Kurosaki-kun did not wish to speak about what was bothering him than it would do no good to badger him about it, not yet at least. He would eventually open up to her. She would trust he would do that like he did in the past. Orihime could bear to wait for him to come to her, but she would not tolerate that smile.
Surprised by her statement Ichigo opened his mouth slightly. She had seen through his act. Was he that transparent or did she just know him so well she could tell when he was hiding something from her? The young woman started walking away. Stunned Ichigo stood there for a moment before he followed her. He was in trouble. She did not like when he kept things from her. When he lied to her she would frown at him with a glare of disapproval that could only be compared to the one a mother wore with her child. He was an idiot. The day right after White Day and he evoked the ire within his Hime. It was no use grumbling about it. He was going to have to ask forgiveness and hope for the best. "Inoue, I…."
"I am not angry," she interrupted. She heard his small gasp of surprise. She turned around and flashed him her sun inducing smile complete with her loving gleam.
"Wait you aren't angry, but why?" he asked dumbly.
"Yesterday was one of the best days of my entire life! I got to eat ice cream and go to the parlor with my boyfriend! He gave me an amazing and sweet gift and even took me out to a fancy restaurant to show me how much he cherishes me!" Orihime put her hands on her hip and spun around. Universe seeing an opening to play a trick on her caused her to lose her balance and fall on her butt.
"Inoue!" called a fearful Ichigo. He tended to her with the swiftness of a cheetah. He helped her back to her feet, while Orihime rubbed her poor aching backside. "Are you alright?"
"Ow, ow, ow, ow," she sang. She continued to nurse her bottom. "I am fine. It is just my butt hurts, but it will pass."
He sighed in exhaust. What was he going to do with her? "You are way too clumsy. Inoue, you need to be more careful," he lectured. His protective nature engulfed him.
Rubbing the back of her head Orihime let out a small embarrassed laugh. "You are right." The bashfulness abandoned her. Orihime straightened her face. She met his dark brown orbs. Immediately Ichigo matched her expression. "While I am not angry it still frustrates me that you are keeping something from me. I want to ask you what it is or why you feel the need to keep it from me, but I understand why you feel the need to do it." She had no right to tell him to be honest or open with her when she was keeping the arrancar attack from last night from him. Perhaps it was that secret that made Orihime appreciate that Ichigo's reasoning for remaining silent had merit. She wanted to keep him safe and he no doubt wanted to do the same for her. She would trust his judgment. Her Kurosaki-kun always had her best intentions in mind, even if his actions were not always correct. "Kurosaki-kun, I know you will tell me when you are ready and feel the need to do so. Until you do I'll just wait."
Her words echoed. Ichigo was taken to the time he heard Rukia recite the same message to him with similar words and how he told his father that he would wait for the older man to confide in him. Life was a cruel unforgiving bitch. He was dwelling on how his father still had not shared his secret with him and now Inoue was doing the same with him. He felt like an ass. He wanted to tell her, but how could he? Ichigo did not want Orihime to get involved in whatever his father was plotting. She had been through enough with Aizen. Knowing her she would try to aid in any way she could. She had no place in the battlefield. Not because she was weak, but because her pure and innocent soul should not have to be dirtied with the cruelty, unforgiving, and harshness of battles. The thought of Inoue in tears as she was when he battled Ulquiorra was something he never wanted to see again. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. Things are complicated." The frown returned to his lips. He was such a hypocrite. He wanted his father to tell him what was going on, but kept Inoue in the dark.
The red-orange haired woman gave him a smile small. "I understand. I'll respect your decision, so I won't ask again until you tell me."
When his sights fell upon the round doe like spheres he found understanding. She wasn't entirely fine with his choice to withhold this from her, but she would not pester him to tell her either. This woman seemed to truly understand him. She didn't wish to change him, but accepted him for who he was. A weak chuckle escaped his lips and he smiled. "I must have really stored some credit up yesterday for you to give me a pass like this," he joked.
Her smile widened to its giddy form. "You definitely stored up credit!" She wrapped an arm around his and nudged him forward to his amusement. The healer surveyed the area quickly. No one from their school appeared to be around, only people heading to work or teenagers from other schools were up and about. Assured that they were safe Orihime rested her head on his shoulder. The minute they spotted a Karakura High student she would stop like she always did. But did she have to? Yesterday her relationship with Ichigo had been exposed to their class and was most likely known to their entire school by now. The two orange haired teens were now a public couple. The giddy smile emerged from her pink lips once more. They didn't have to hide anymore. They could be open! Hand holding and public displays of affection! Well perhaps not public displays of affection. The incident with Tatsuki was still fresh in her mind. Orihime did not wish to welcome that teasing on a daily basis. Hand holding would be enough. "Um, Kurosaki-kun," she summoned.
Ichigo turned to her. "Yeah, what is it?" She cleared her throat then took a deep breath. Confusion set in. He watched her with perplexity. What could get her so worked up? Ok there were a number of things, asking him out on a date could be one. It still amazed him how she would get so flustered whenever she was the one to pose the date question. She was embarrassed to ask him to do something for her or ask him to do something he found embarrassing like modeling for her for a sweater she was sewing. No matter how much he cherished her there was no way in hell was he going to model for her in the Crafts Club. Ishida was in it and if he saw him wearing some pink flowery or sunshine creation it would be forever held against him. The thought of it made his eyebrows twitch in annoyance.
Orihime continued, "Since we are um exposed as a couple I was wondering…."
"Yes, go on," he encouraged. He was genuinely intrigued by her question. Last night they had not made any mention on how their newly public relationship would affect them.
She kept her head on his shoulder, but wrinkled her nose as if it would help her to find her words and courage. "Well you see….I was just wondering since um….we are basically known as a couple at school if that meant we could….um you know hold hands and stuff at school. I mean we do that already, but we keep holding hands when we walk through the school gate. If that is alright with you of course!" she hastily spat out the last part.
Ichigo shook his head. "You worry about the littlest things," he declared drawing her attention. "Of course we can hold hands. If you want you can even stay like this. I have no problems with that." She threw her arms around him, bringing him into a very strong bear hug. His cheeks flared into a violent red.
"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun!" she exclaimed. She brushed her cheek against his chest. Orihime didn't realize her own strength. She failed to notice that Ichigo squirm in her grasp. To say that she was happy would be a gross understatement. Orihime was ecstatic at her boyfriend.
"Inoue….can you let go of me….right now!" he urged in a mix of embarrassment and discomfort. The young woman was stronger than he realized. Her hugs could be a lethal weapon. Finally she loosened her grip and allowed him to breakaway. "Man you have a tight grip." He rubbed his arms to sooth the stinging shooting them.
She gave him an apologetic expression, while rubbing the back of her head. "I am sorry. I guess I am stronger than I realize." She laughed nervously.
The stinging subsided in his arms. The pair continued their journey to their school. Orihime had opted to hold his hand rather than rest her head on his shoulder. True to his word Ichigo did not break their hold even when more schoolmates started to appear. There was one group of friends or two that gawked at them, but he found himself not caring in the slightest. He found pleasure in holding Inoue's smaller hand, feeling her slender fingers curled around his knuckles. The warmth produced by her hand brushed against the skin of his hand, putting him at ease. The worry of his father and the secret operation he was working on was becoming forgotten. Being in Orihime's presence gave him a much needed solace.
"Are you going to wear the necklace over your shirt now that we are public?" he asked. When Inoue had come to the clinic in the morning she was wearing the crescent moon shaped necklace proudly over her uniform. Yuzu got all excited that was expected, but when even Karin took an interest (albeit a minimum one) Ichigo had choked on his breakfast. His father had gotten interested enough to weep. He went to the giant sized picture of his mother, dragging Inoue over there, and spouted out some non-sense about how he had become a man. He went on to mention how Inoue was officially their fourth daughter (the third being Rukia of course). God bless Orihime because she indulged his father and even started a conversation with the picture of his mother. She fit in with his bizarre family.
"I don't think so," she answered. "Please don't be upset. I love it, but I am afraid if I wear it out in the open at school that someone might try to take it."
He didn't need convincing. Despite being a strict rule against stealing there was a surprising string of thefts going on. Ishida was bitching about it one time during lunch and how the student council was working hard to put a stop to it. Ichigo agreed with Inoue's decision full heartedly. If her necklace was stolen he would turn that entire school upside to find it. It belonged to two women that held great importance in his life and he would unleash unrelenting, agonizing, brutal pain on the thief. "You don't have to convince me. I would say keep it hidden at school at all times; at least until all the stealing business is sorted out."
"Well I did want to show it to Tatsuki-chan at lunch."
Figures she would want to show Tatsuki. They were best friends. He understood her need to divulge her feelings and going ons in her life to the black belt. It wasn't a practice he did often with his own friends, but he understood it. "It is fine, but just make sure you show it to her when you two are alone. It is not worth a whole lot, but it might still catch someone's eye," he warned.
"Ai, I'll be extra, extra careful," she said in her serious playful voice. This brought another smile to his face. "This is my precious gift." Her hand went to the sliver band around her neck. "It contains the love of Kurosaki-kun and Masaki-san as well. This is a mother's love. I can't help, but feel she is watching over me right. That probably seems silly to you, especially since I haven't met her."
"No, it doesn't seem silly at all." He squeezed her hand lovingly. "I think mom is watching over you to," he said quietly.
Feeling heat rising in her chest Orihime decided to change the subject. "Did you want to study at my apartment today after school?"
Ichigo nodded. "That sounds good. Hey, I can't do it afterschool today. I have to go into work an hour after school ends. After I get off I'll head to your place." He felt her body become rigid. He turned his head and saw that her face had become colorless.
"Y-You are going to work today," Orihime said slowly. It didn't sound like she was talking to him, but rather she was talking to herself. "You had yesterday off, but you have to go back to work today."
Even he understood where the goddess of Karakura High was going. It had been two days since Masaoka had kissed him. He told Orihime as soon as it happened. After she told him that their relationship was not ruined and how his honesty had strengthened it Ichigo had not thought about it. However, now he could see that was perhaps a mistake. She made no mention of it that he just assumed everything was ok. Judging by the less than thrilled expression Inoue was wearing that his assumption was very misplaced. "Inoue, do you not want me to go to work?" There was no need to be subtle. Not in this situation. The kiss incident was something he wanted to put behind.
Orihime laughed rather awkwardly. This did little to ease Ichigo. "What? How could you ask such a silly thing? Of course I don't want you to miss work."
Doubt was thrown at her by the former vizard's disbelieving glare. "If you are bothered by it you know you can tell me, right?" They took a big step forward yesterday. He would hate for them to take two steps back.
Orihime shook her head. "No, no, I mean it does feel funny because Masaoka-chan kissed you and she'll be there, but I trust you. You told me that she kissed you as soon as you could. I have nothing to worry about. Why should I want you to not go to work?"
He could recognize that her tone had risen just a little. Her smile was strained at best. Even the joyful gleam in her hazel eyes had faded. Obviously Inoue had a problem with his attending work with Masaoka there. She just did not want to tell him because this was his job. "Masaoka feels bad you know. She wanted to apologize to you. She even offered to come with me that night, but I thought it would be better if I did it alone."
That was the wise choice. If she saw Masaoka that night after he told her about the kiss she might have closed the door on them. "Oh really," she stated. Why did her voice sound all weird? For that matter why did she feel bothered by the fact that Ichigo was going to his job? Masaoka had kissed him two days ago, but that was it. He didn't even enjoy it. She assumed he didn't. No, she wasn't going to start freaking out over something like that. Her beloved Kurosaki-kun was very honest. She had nothing to worry about with him being there with Masaoka for hours… Why couldn't she just let this go? There was no reason to be jealous at all. Yesterday they had spent the entire day together, went for ice cream, went to dinner, and even snuggled on her couch. He spent White Day with her not Masaoka. According to Kurosaki-kun she felt bad. There was nothing to worry about. These feelings of distressing emotions would pass. "Really there is no need to feel concerned, Kurosaki-kun. I trust you and Masaoka-chan feels bad too. I do feel bothered a little, but it will pass. I have faith in our bond." She squeezed his hand gently before flashing him with her personal smile for him to assure him things between them were good. "This is your job. I'll get over this fast since you'll be over there a lot."
How come her words did not match what she was feeling? Ichigo could hear the distress with every word she said. No matter how she tried to mask it from both herself and from him the fact was she felt uneasy about him going to his job today. Instead of telling him that she would be more comfortable if he didn't go in today she told him to go and not worry about her. For Inoue there was a battle going on within, a battle involving reason and emotion. She seemed to be champion reason which told her that he could be trusted and how strong their bond was that it could endure Masaoka's kiss. Ichigo was not a fool. No matter how much Inoue wanted to be she was not fine with him going back to work with Masaoka so soon. He could understand because if their positions were reversed he would not be fine with Inoue going to a place where she would spend hours with a guy that kissed her. Could he expect Inoue to endure such an awkward situation? Should he call in sick? Should he keep the job at all? He had offered to quit his job before when she revealed she was bothered by how Masaoka was over him on his first day, but she insisted he keep it. The circumstances were quite different now. Inoue had to recognize that as well.
"I'll call in and tell them I can't make it," he finally said breaking the unsettling silence that fallen on them. The red-orange haired woman did not seem to find relief. On the contrary she seemed to be more anxious.
"But if you do that you could get in trouble. What if they fire you?"
"If they fire me then they fire," he said nonchalantly.
"Please don't do this for me. I am fine with it. Really I am. You need this job. I don't want to be the reason you lose it."
"Inoue…."
"Kurosaki-kun, I am fine. I understand that this is your job. I really do trust you and our bond. I am not just saying it. I won't be mad or upset with you for going to your job. I am not going to be some insecure girl who needs you to do things for her all the time. I don't want to be that person anymore. I just want you to be happy."
She was so stubborn. It wasn't a matter of being insecure or not. It was an emotion that she couldn't help, but feel. He loved that she was trying to look out for him. Didn't she understand that he it went both ways? If she wanted him to be happy then he wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to not feel uneasy.
"Go in today. Promise me you'll do that, please," she pleaded.
He groaned. She was giving him that lost puppy look. She knew he couldn't deny her when she used that face on him.
"Kurosaki-kun, please do this for me." Her tone was almost like hypnotic melody. Inoue was a siren enchanting him to follow her will. Damn it all to hell if it wasn't working.
"Ha," he sighed in frustration. "Alright you win. I'll go in today." Oddly enough this brought the elated smile that he cherished so much.
"Oh thank you, Kurosaki-kun! I promise I will be fine when you get off. It will feel really weird at first, but you'll see we will get past it!"
The cynic in him told him not to hold his breath. Inoue was fooling herself if she thought it would be a simple matter of turning off her emotions. Not wishing to argue about it anymore at the moment he let it go. The rest of their walk was not only peaceful, but enjoyable. Aside from the occasional gasp or whisper from someone nobody they ran into made a big deal about their holding hands. Karakura High had accepted that "bleached haired punk" Kurosaki Ichigo was dating the goddess of Karakura High Inoue Orihime. The pairing made no sense to them and they no doubt thought Hime could do much better than him. Ichigo couldn't care less. His only concern was that Inoue thought he deserved her. That was good enough for him. That was not entirely true. Inoue may have been willing to put him above her, but he wasn't. He planned on protecting her from herself.
The school day had ended a testimony to this the students of Karakura High combined their shouts of joy. It was unfortunate that it was tainted by the extra work load their teachers had set for them to prepare them for finals. Many went straight to the library to begin their torture, others shuffled off to their clubs and teams and the remaining ones either went home or to their afterschool jobs. Uryu did not fit into any of those categories. He stood on top of the school roof, watching his schoolmates rushing away from the building. Normally he would be at a student council meeting, but he called it off under the guise that they could use the time to study for finals. Once he mentioned that he found little resistance from his fellow council members. Their fears of finals had consumed them. Everyone seemed to be concerned about failing. He wasn't of course, but not every student studied as thoroughly as he did. If he was truthful with himself he would acknowledge his hollow exterminating was starting to affect his study habits. He may have to see Urahara-san about taking some time off next week. Immediately he dismissed that idea. Leaving Kurumadani to deal with hollows on his own was just asking for trouble.
He could see that smiling afro idiot now as he tried to keep up with all the hollows as they came to Karakura Town. That guy was way too slow for his own good. "Ha," sighed the exhausted Quincy. He would just have to juggle the hollow extermination with his studying. The good thing was with finals afterschool activities would be put on hold for studying. He would worry about finals later. Right now he was waiting for Sado-kun and Inoue-san to appear. After the battles from the previous night had ended they met up along with Urahara-san, Kurosaki's father, and his own to discuss the threat the Privaron Espada.
Start of Flashback
"Ishida-kun!" cried a very upset Orihime. She frantically ran over to him as fast as her legs could carry her. Isshin in his full shinigami attire stood in place and watched as his potential daughter rushed over to the fallen Quincy. Beside him was the familiar faces of the former 12th division captain, Urahara Kisuke and the hollow powered him, Sado Yasutora. Sado-kun looked to be in perfect condition. He must have already been healed by their healer. Ryuken stood some distance away from him smoking on one of his disgusting cigarettes. She came up to him. Her hands went over her mouth. She gasped indicating that his injuries were as bad as they felt.
To put her at ease he mustered up a small reassuring smile. "It is not as bad as it looks I am sure, Inoue-san." That was a bold faced lie and they both knew it. However, he still said so as not to have her worry over him. She had fought her own difficult battle. "Inoue-san, how do you feel? You aren't injured are you?"
She shook her head no. "I am alright. Isshin-san saved me."
The battle weary raven haired man stole a glance at the elder Kurosaki. Isshin had his arms crossed in a relaxed demeanor. It still shook Uryu to know that Kurosaki's father was such a powerful shinigami and that he hadn't sensed it at all. "I see. I am glad you are uninjured." He heard snort of contempt. Both he and Inoue-san turned to their right to see his father standing. He had put out the cigarette. A spiteful frown materialized on Uryu's face.
"You shouldn't concern yourself with her. It is obvious just by looking at the two of you that you are the one who is seriously wounded. She on the other hand does not have scratch on her," Ryuken stated.
Uryu growled unaware that he startled Orihime. "I have to make sure Inoue-san is safe. Her wellbeing is more important than my own. That is something someone like you wouldn't understand."
Ryuken chuckled to his son's ire. "Such words are for someone who is strong enough to defend themselves. As it is you were defeated by the enemy easily. Your allies on the other hand forced their opponents to take them seriously. Did you not sense that the arrancar that they fought had released their zanpakuto unlike the one you battled?" he asked mockingly. His condescending smirk formed. "As always you talk too big and show little for it; so worried about this woman that you did not even realize that she won her battle. Perhaps the one who does not understand her is you?"
He clenched his hand into a fist. Uryu's rage was boiling. Where did that man get off in lecturing him? He understood Inoue-san more than he ever would. Of that he was certain. He opened his mouth to tell him just that when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. It was Inoue she was holding him in front of all of them. His face became very red. Ryuken's smirk widened. "I-Inoue-san," he stuttered out.
"Ishida-kun, please don't agitate yourself. It will only make your injuries worse," she pleaded.
Still very red and not desiring to upset Inoue-san anymore the Quincy gave her a nod of agreement. She let go of him. Instantly a golden dome was encased around him. The sharp pain throbbing all over his body was lessening. The golden rays of the sun themselves felt as though they had been transferred straight into his body, rejuvenating him.
Ryuken observed the young woman heal his son with mild interest. He had heard of her abilities, but this was the first time he had seen them. At first glance it appeared to be like shinigami Kido, but it wasn't accelerating Uryu's healing process as Kido did. It was actually undoing the wounds altogether. It was fascinating event. "How long does it usually take for you to heal?" he questioned genuinely intrigued. She tore her gaze away from his son and gave it to him. He could see that she nervous. Considering she had never met him before it was understandable.
"It depends on how serious the wounds are and how thick and powerful the reiatsu left in wounds are. I can typically heal serious wounds quickly, but if the remnant of the reiatsu left over is very thick or powerful it can take me up to five to fifteen minutes."
Ryuken acknowledged her with a nonchalant nod of the head. "I see."
Orihime couldn't shake this familiar aura she picked up from this man. He knew Ishida-kun judging by the way they talked to one another. It was also obvious that they did not get along well. She wanted to ask the elder man what his relationship to Ishida-kun was, but did not want to be rude. Her question would be answered without her having to word.
"Yo, Ishida!" called out Isshin. He had walked up to them. His lips had widened into a huge teeth revealing grin. At first Orihime thought he was referring to Ishida-kun, but he walked right past them and stopped right in front of the white gray suit wearing man. The glasses cladded man rolled his eyes before sighing.
Isshin continued to grin proudly. "I see you made it after all! I was wondering if you would show up or not!" He patted the shorter man on the shoulder roughly. "There isn't much that will get you out that hospital of yours and jump into action!" He gave another rough pat.
"I had no choice. The shinigami in charge of this town is so incompetent that he cannot properly protect this town. I had no choice, but to get involved," Ryuken said coolly.
Isshin let out a hearty laugh. He patted the man identified as Ishida on the shoulder a third time. "You haven't changed one bit, Ishida."
"You are one to talk, Kurosaki. I am more surprised you are here. As usual you were much too rowdy. I could feel your coarse reiatsu overflowing from here despite the distance. Exposing the inhabitants of this town with even more spiritual power after your son had already done that. I suppose he inherited that quality from you."
The dark haired shinigami pouted. "Don't lump me in the same boat as Ichigo. I was never as clumsy as that kid was."
The white haired man scoffed. "Your memory is faltering, Kurosaki," he mused.
"You are the one who is getting senile, Ishida."
As the two middle aged men started to bicker Orihime couldn't help, but be reminded of Ichigo and Uryu's arguments. It was unsettling at how similar these two behaved. That is when it hit her. This man was named Ishida. Did that mean…. "You are Ishida-kun's father!" she cried.
The two men stopped their bickering and turned to the healer. They gave her odd looks that made her shrink from embarrassment at her outburst. Isshin's odd expression soon faded away into his usual glee. "I guess we forget to introduce you two to him." The second person was referring to being Sado.
"So you are Ishida's father." The silent giant had spoken the first time since they arrived to the roof. "You are the man who restored his Quincy powers and trained him for the war?"
The elder Ishida responded with a silent nod.
"Ryuken-san, it has been a long time!" Kisuke cried in his cherry tone. Like Isshin he wore a smile; however his was more childlike and disarming than the dark haired shinigami's. "How are you doing? I am glad you came here tonight. I was unsure who I should aid first Ishida-san or Sado-san, but when I felt your reiatsu going for Ishida-san I felt very relieved that allowed me to go to Sado-san's aid! You were a big help!"
The Quincy groaned in annoyance. Between Kurosaki and Urahara he was going to lose his sanity. "Must you always behave as such?"
The former shinigami captain sighed in depression and he slunk down. "Ryuken-san is always so mean," he pouted. Sweat fell from both Ryuken and Isshin's heads.
Surprised by the three elder men interactions with each other Sado widened his eyes in surprise. "Hold on, the three of you know each other?"
"Yeah," replied Isshin.
Orihime and Sado suppressed their surprise. They knew this news shouldn't have come to a shock. Urahara did seem to know just about everything and everyone. His knowing Ichigo and Uryu's fathers came as no surprise. Neither of them knew that the two fathers would be acquainted with each other. Neither Ichigo nor Uryu mentioned anything. Did that mean they were in the dark about their fathers' acquaintance? Soten Kisshun finished restoring Uryu to full health. All of his injuries had become non-existent and his uniform was returned to its full glory. The younger Quincy got to his feet.
"Thank you, Inoue-san." To show his gratitude he smiled at her.
"Ai, it is no problem at all, Ishida-kun." She returned the smile.
Now that Ishida-san was healed it was time to get things going. The overly innocent mask was broken. The intense and no nonsense face that people rarely saw to him had finally appeared on Kisuke's face. "The arrancar have regrouped and are now carrying on without Aizen. I suspected as much with the information Ishida-san gave me, but tonight has proven that. There were four of them in total."
"Four?" Sado said questioningly.
Isshin answered, "Yes, a fourth one appeared after Orihime defeated her opponent. He came after her, but I got involved."
"The arrancar I fought confirmed that they were all comrades," Uryu stated.
"The one I fought, Gild also said the same thing," Sado said. "He was a part of a group called the Privaron Espada, arrancar who were demoted from the Espada. I ran into one when we went to Hueco Mundo." Inoue squealed urgently drawing attention to her.
"That is what the arrancar I fought said too! He also said his number was 110. Their numbers correspond to the rank they had when they were Espada. Salvador was originally number 10. The way he talked it sounded like they weren't going after Kurosaki-kun. It was more of an afterthought."
Uryu pushed his glasses up. "That fits with what my opponent said. They were testing our abilities, Sado-kun, Inoue-san, and my abilities. This battle was reconnaissance for them. Now they have everything they need to access our battle strategies and our abilities. The next time they appear we will be at a serious disadvantage. We still do not know how many members are in their group."
"I doubt it is no more than ten. The Privaron Espada is modeled after the original Espada then there should only be ten. We defeated some of them when we went to rescue Inoue," Sado pointed out.
"One of them is dead. That guy Orihime fought killed his comrade after she beat him. The number is least nine."
"Their numbers aren't the problem," Ryuken spoke up. "The bigger concern is what their object is and why they are here in the first place." He focused his stare on the ever annoying Urahara. "Surely you must have some idea."
"The only thing of importance that is here in Karakura Town that I can think of is the Spirit Keystone."
Isshin and Ryuken's faces fell in horror, while Uryu, Sado, and Orihime were puzzled by what the Spirit Keystone was.
Isshin's eyebrows twitched. He tightened the grip on his sheathed sword. "That can't be. For them to be interested in the Spirit Keystones…."
The trio of human teenagers wanted to know what the Spirit Keystones were, but it was ultimately Orihime who voiced the question aloud. "Urahara-san, what are the Spirit Keystones exactly?"
He didn't answer right away. He casted his gaze below and sighed, looking very old and tired in that moment. "The Spirit Keystones play a crucial part in keeping the balance between the worlds. One of them is located here in Karakura Town, but in order to protect them the Soul Society has kept their locations an up most secret. The only person who knows the locations to all of them is the Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
"If their location is unknown how can you be sure one of them is here?" Sado was quick to question.
Kisuke replied, "It was only by chance that I discovered one here and even then it led to complications."
Unsure what the keystones were about Orihime had imaginary question marks form around her head. "Urahara-san, what will happen if someone finds the Spirit Keystones?"
"Nothing will happen if they are discovered. The problem arises if someone were to try to destroy them. You see the worlds, the Human World, the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and even Hell are each in their own space, separated from each other, but they are also connected. When a human dies their soul usually passes on to the Soul Society. Hollows instinctively find their way to Hueco Mundo. Small rifts or tears in the fabric of this reality allow for them to crossover to the other worlds. Imagine a string or chain that connects the Human World to the Soul Society. This chain is what allows deceased souls use to travel to the Soul Society when they pass. Of course with souls that possess regrets they linger in this world until a shinigami sends them off or they become hollows. The chain is what the pathways connecting the world, like Dangai are essentially. The Spirit Keystones are set up in a way that keeps the worlds locked into their space and away from the space of other worlds. They maintain a balance. However, that balance is gone if the Keystones are destroyed. Without the Keystones the worlds would go wondering around and crash into each other. If the worlds touch they will combined. There is no telling what that will do to the worlds. It could very well kill all those who inhabit them and end all life as we know it." He was stopped by horrified gasps.
"If the Privaron Espada's objective is the Spirit Keystone they could cause just as much damage or even more so than Aizen's plan to kill the Spirit King."
"But how would they know that one of the Spirit Keystones is?" Orihime questioned.
"Aizen no doubt," Isshin said bitterly. That man was locked away and he was still causing them so much grief.
"What is the probability that they know the exact location of the Spirit Keystone here in Karakura?" asked Uryu.
"I am unsure. I am more concerned about is if they know the location to any of the other keystones." Kisuke put a hand on his chin. The mad scientist was already contemplating the equation. "Anything at this point is mere speculation. We've gathered as much information as we can for now."
Isshin turned to the trio. "You kids have school tomorrow anyway. Just get some rest for now."
Kisuke agreed with him. "I'll contact all of you when we obtain more information, but for now be on guard. We have no idea when the arrancar will return."
End of Flashback
Before they dismissed he, Sado-kun, and Inoue-san all agreed to meet up at the roof afterschool. It was the perfect time. Kurosaki had to get to his job when school ended, so he wouldn't suspect anything. Inoue-san told him that she was meeting up with him after school today at lunch. It was the truth, so they did not need to worry about Inoue-san's poor lying skills give them away. The three of them needed to have their own discussion. The unmistakable cricking of the door brought Uryu out of his thoughts. He turned around to see the dark skinned giant and the beautiful young woman emerge from the door. They were alone.
"Inoue-san, Sado-kun," he greeted. They exchanged their own hellos than quickly went into their discussion. "I've contacted Urahara-san, but he hasn't gathered any new information on Privaron Espada."
"It is hasn't even been 24 hours. I am sure Urahara-san will be able to gain more information once he has more time," suggested the red-orange haired woman.
Sado nodded in agreement. "Inoue and I have been talking. The arrancar we faced were numbers 106 and 110. They were the former 6 and 10 of the Espada respectively. Ishida, what was the number of the arrancar you faced?"
"He never told me his number or his name. However, I suspect because of his battle strength and skill that he would be one of the four strongest. In Hueco Mundo I fought a woman named, Cirucci Sanderwicci. She was a Privaron Espada. Her number was 105, which means she was rank 5 when she was an Espada. The arrancar I battled was much stronger than her. He hadn't even released his zanpakuto last night. His strength was overwhelming."
Sado and Orihime were silent and absorbed his words. They both knew how strong Uryu was. If he had such a challenging time that meant the enemy was powerful. They had battled weaker members and had difficulties. There was no telling how terrifying the stronger ones were. Sado knew that he just inflicted wounds to Gild, but only after his body had sustained so much damage from the arrancar. He was not confident in his ability to win with his final attack before Urahara-san intervened.
Uryu continued, "The arrancar referred to someone above him. It is highly unlikely that the one I fought is the strongest. That means there is one for sure who is even stronger than him. If he was 103 than there could be two more that are stronger."
"The arrancar that Isshin-san saved me from yesterday moved so fast that I couldn't even react. His aura made feel sad and afraid, but his emotions felt all wrong."
"What do you mean?" Uryu asked.
"I am not sure myself, but it felt wrong. He seemed very happy, but it wasn't genuine. Something was off and it made me feel sad and afraid."
"That man sounds different from the one you managed to defeat," Sado said.
"He was very different. He killed his own ally in cold blood and with a smile on his face." She shivered at that thought of that man. "The way he moved was unsettling. Thankfully Isshin-san came to my rescue."
Understanding where Orihime was coming from Sado furrowed his brow. "You think that guy is one of the four strongest." She responded with a nod. "The Privaron Espada is much stronger than I originally thought. If we were to battle with the four strongest as we are now we would lose."
"No, we can't lose," Orihime muttered. "We can't lose! We have to defend Karakura Town, defend the peace that Kurosaki-kun fought so hard for. We have to get stronger."
"Inoue-san is right. If we are going to survive the next battle we have to grow stronger." He may have disagreed with his father on a lot, but one thing he could not disagree with him on was his performance against the arrancar. He was no match for him at all. He had to get stronger than this. He was a Quincy to be defeated by a hollow was unforgivable. "Staring today I will intensify my training."
"Ishida-kun," Orihime called politely. The raven haired young man gave her his full attention. "Sado-kun and I were discussing training together. If you want you can train with us."
"Thank you for the offer, Inoue-san, but I must decline. I have my own method for training. I am afraid I am the only one who can do it."
"Ok if you are sure."
"Ishida, just what are you planning on doing?" Sado voiced his curiosity.
"Hmm, I would rather not say. This is method of training meant for a Quincy."
"Training meant for a Quincy," Sado repeated slowly. 'Is he planning on doing that?' he wondered.
"What about you two? Where exactly do you plan on training?"
"We were going to use Urahara-san's place," Orihime answered.
"I see. Good luck with your training." Uryu made his leave.
"Ah, wait, Ishida-kun!" Orihime cried. He stopped in his tracks. His face conveyed worry. She had alarmed him. Laughing nervously Orihime blushed slightly ashamed of her uncalled for outburst. "Please do not miss any days of school. If you do Kurosaki-kun will get suspicious," she warned.
"I understand. You are right. It would be wise to keep attending school as well as train. We want to keep Kurosaki out of this."
Orihime closed her hand into a fist. 'This time we are fighting to protect you, Kurosaki-kun. We'll get stronger so we can fight without you and protect you.' An unwavering and hard look materialized on her face. She wasn't going to be a victim this time. That arrancar that was interested in her, she would not run from him nor would she depend on someone else to save her from him. She was going to defeat him on her own.
'Ichigo needs us to protect Karakura now. I'll move forward with Inoue.' His eyes fell on his right arm. 'I can get much stronger than this. The next time I run into Gild I will be ready for him,' he mentally promised to himself.
The silent vow was made. They would grow stronger. In order to protect the peace that Ichigo had brought them. They were going to give everything they had to stop the Privaron Espada and keep all of their loved ones safe on their own.
"How pissed is Orihime at me?" Shiori asked. She was behind the counter watching Ichigo was getting ready to leave. His shift was about to end in a few minutes. Today had been beyond awkward. Ichigo was afraid to get near her and she tried to keep her distance from him, just in case Orihime decided to visit him during his shift. She had already caused enough trouble. The golden haired woman just wanted to steer clear from anymore drama she unwittingly created.
Ichigo retrieved his school bag from the back of the store. He was wearing his school uniform. He was so concerned about his father that he forgot to bring a change of clothes. "Honestly I have no idea."
"That is great," Shiori said sarcastically. She put her head on the counter. "Ha, hopefully when she gets here I can apologize and things will blow over."
He hoped so too. It wasn't like Inoue was going to give Masaoka the cold shoulder. His cherished girlfriend just did not have it within her nature to be so cruel. It was uncharacteristic of her. "You will get your chance soon enough. Inoue said she would meet me here when I got off. She should be here any minute now."
"Ichi-kun, you still call Orihime by her surname?" she half asked and half laughed. "She is your girlfriend. Don't you think it is about time you start using her given name?"
Red faced from Shiori's teasing Ichigo turned his back to her. He had to admit that there was some truth to what she said. After all this time and becoming romantically involved he still referred to her as Inoue not Orihime. He didn't know why it just felt unnatural. All this time he referred to her as Inoue. Using her given name felt so personal and intimate. Before when they were acquaints through Tatsuki, so calling her Inoue was fine, but thinking about it now that sounded stupid. Inoue was now one if his best friends and his girlfriend. They were intimate in the emotional sense. It wasn't just him. Inoue still called him Kurosaki-kun. Before he could give the matter anymore thought the princess made her appearance. Already she greeted him with a smile.
"Kurosaki-kun!" she practically cheered as she waved.
He waved back at her. "Inoue," he said simply.
"Hello, Orihime," Shiori said meekly.
The healer smiled at the golden haired beauty, although it was obviously forced. "Hi, Masaoka-chan," Orihime said just as meekly as Shiori. She stroked her arm anxiously. The atmosphere had become very tense. Orihime tried to look Masaoka in the eye, but when she did she thought of the kiss between her Kurosaki-kun and this woman. She turned away in discomfort. Why did this still bother her so much? Nothing was going on between them she knew that. She trusted Kurosaki-kun with all her heart, so why did that little kiss bother her so much? Couldn't she just get over this already?
Noticing that the hazel eyed woman could not hold her gaze on her Shiori slunk a little. This was going to be harder than she thought. "Listen, Orihime. I didn't know that you and Ichigo were together when I kissed him. Believe me if I knew I wouldn't have done it! I don't want screw things up for you two. I just want to apologize to you for kissing Ichigo. He and I are co-workers. It was unprofessional. Please accept me apology. I can promise that it will not happen again. Can we put this behind us?" She put her hand out and smiled weakly.
She stared at the hand for half a second before she accepted it. "Of course, Masaoka-chan. We will put the whole thing behind us. Kurosaki-kun likes working here, so I want us to try and be friends." That was true. Despite her mixed emotions about Masaoka she did want to try and be friends with the woman.
Shiori's smile became stronger. The pressure she was feeling had let up. "I am glad to hear that. I have been stressing about what you were going to say." The handshake ended.
Orihime kept her forced smile up. She twiddled her fingers to ease her nerves. Things still felt so tense. Her discomfort was not alleviated as she was hoping. Ichigo took notice to this. His lips fell into an upside down U-shape. He could tell she was trying very hard to befriend Masaoka and forget about the kiss. It brought him pity to see her fight a losing battle. She was trying to make discomfort go away rather than let it pass naturally.
"Inoue, we should get going." Ichigo couldn't bear to see this any longer. Inoue didn't need to force herself to get over this in one day for him. She pushing her guilt and dissatisfaction down her into her stomach was not good.
"Alright, Kurosaki-kun," she called. The healer gave Shiori a light wave. "Bye, Masaoka-chan." She ran to Ichigo and did not look back. She was afraid of what she might say or do if she was stayed there any longer. The carrot top pair left the store.
"Did that feel as awkward for you as it was for me?" he asked.
"Yeah," Orihime said sadly. She let him down. She promised him that she would be over this by the time she came there and she wasn't. Her head fell. "Kurosaki-kun, I am sorry. I tried to be alright, but…."
"There is no need for you to apologize. I didn't expect you to just get over that so fast. Give yourself a break. It will take some time before you feel fine with Masaoka after what happened." He lifted her head up to meet those dazzling hazel orbs he loved. "You are a wonderful person. One of your best qualities is your kind heart, but don't force yourself to get over this. When it happens it will happen. Don't be ashamed to feel this way. You can't help the way you feel. If you don't want me to go into work because you are bothered just tell me." He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
"How can you say that though? I was so awful to Masaoka-chan in there. She is your co-worker."
"Like I said go easy on yourself. You are worried about being this selfish girlfriend, but you are so far from that. You are always putting me before you and I don't like that. Do you remember when you told me that you wanted to protect me from myself?" She nodded. "It is my turn to protect you from yourself. Inoue, I do not want you to make yourself miserably by doing something that bothers you just to please me. I hated seeing you trying to force yourself to be fine when you aren't. I don't want you to drive yourself crazy thinking about me and Masaoka in that store for hours, then berated yourself for feeling jealous or upset. That's why I am going to look for another job."
"No, don't do that. I'll get over it," she cried in a panic.
"Calm down. I am not quitting just yet. I am going to keep working at Nakamura Electronics and in few weeks if you are still bothered I will quit. No you aren't making me quit. I am not being a martyr this time. You are the one making yourself into one," he jested. "This isn't a career. I can get another part time job. I want you to be happy too." His small sincere smile formed. "We give it a few weeks and see where you are at. Does that sound good?" Unable to say anything Orihime just nodded bashfully. "You have to promise me you won't lie. You have tell me how you honestly feel in a few weeks from now."
"I promise." She finally started hug him back. The two of them stood there enjoying their embrace. "I am so lucky to have you, Kurosaki-kun."
"That's my line. I am lucky to have you, Orihime."
Her eyes bulged out of their sockets. He called her Orihime. He called her Orihime. He called her Orihime! He released her. He took her hand and started pulling her forward. The megawatt smile of hers worked its wonders on him a smile graced his lips. They strolled through the lively town.
"Kurosaki-kun…Ichigo-kun, thank you for protecting me," she said. He said nothing, but his grip on her hand tightened. His warmth and soothing touch made her heart aflutter. She was still bothered by Masaoka, but Ichigo found a way to make her feel like a triple layer bean paste flavored ice cream with pickles and relish.
This chapter brought back the IchiHime fluff. They are going to start trying to use their given names more. It is going to be something they work at since they have referred to each other by their surnames for so long. The gesture is supposed to show how far they have come along. The possibility of Ichigo quitting his job to get a new one is my attempt to tie things back to the series. Speaking of the series I am disappointed with the last few chapters of Bleach. Orihime and Chad got robbed and the fights have been a little dull for my tastes so far.
That reminds me I wrote a side story that fellows this one called Flowers and Strawberry. It is about Ichigo and Orihime's first time. Obviously it is rated M for the lemon. It is set just a little into the future from where we are at now. I was thinking about making it canon with this story. Don't worry it is not essential to read Flowers and Strawberry. Truth be told you don't need to read it at all to follow this story. I just wanted to mention it to people in case they are interested.
Oh yes I was supposed to be answering something. The question that has been asked frequently is will Ichigo get his power back into this story and the answer is that Ichigo will not get his powers back…..
…permanently, but he will get them back temporarily. Did I make anyone sweat? Yes Ichigo will become a shinigami again for a little while, but he will ultimately lose his powers again to fellow the storyline in manga, the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc. I do plan on writing a sequel fic of sorts revolving around that arc. I will add my own twists and ideas into it of course, so it will be different from the manga. A big change will be Ichigo and Orihime being together. I think that answers all the questions. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter please review.