This was it, his last day in the world of the living for at least a while. Just about everyone who was aware of what he did was here. Even Shino had shown up.
Shino and Kukaku didn't bother with Gigais, not like they did yesterday. Ichigo sighed as he thought of that day. It was jubilant, they were celebrating him getting accepted to a foreign school, and saying goodbye before Kukaku took him there. It was a lie that needed to be told. While Ichigo had a small group of friends, there were a lot of people who wanted the chance to say goodbye, so they had a going away party at the clinic yesterday.
There were members of his old soccer team there at the clinic. Ikumi was there, even Moe and Riruka were there, even if the probably knew what was going on. The vibe of the whole thing was supposed to be happy, but he just didn't like the lie. He sighed as his thoughts came back to his family. They had decided to keep Yuzu in the dark. He hated that because he hated having it done to him all of those years, but she still couldn't see spirits. His father told him that Soul Society had a doctrine of secrecy and that anybody who knew about them was in grave danger just by knowing they existed. Whether that was from those who wanted to know the truth, or from Soul Society itself, his father didn't elaborate.
But here, everyone already knew. Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizurio told him of their run-in with Aizen and Gin, and how they had awoken early from a kido that should have kept them down for the whole day. That told him the three of them were on the precipice of showing powers themselves. Ichigo wouldn't be surprised if they were on the candidate list for this pilot program that Karin had joined.
"Hey," Tatsuki sat next to Ichigo. Much like how Shino and Kukaku didn't bother with their gigais today, Ichigo had already handed over his body to Urahara for cold storage as his being able to stay in the living world was still in the cards for now.
"Hey," his reply was short. He and Tatsuki never really needed many words. Growing up with each other did that.
"You okay?" Whenever Tatsuki asked that question she almost always got a bogus answer. He always hid his pain from others. He always wanted to keep others from being hurt, and not be protected himself, and she was one of the few who tangibly knew why.
"No," however, this was one of the few times Ichigo was honest with her, which was damning in and of itself. "There's a chance I can't come back for more than visits, there's a chance that…" Ichigo couldn't say it. He couldn't bring himself to say he might not be able to come back at all. Kyoraku had talked to him about this after the blood war, how he may have become so strong that he may no longer be allowed to live in the world of the living, and how he was going to try to allow him to do so for as long as he could.
"I know, when I… encountered Aizen, it felt like I couldn't breathe. It was like there was a weight on my chest squeezing the air out of me…" Tatsuki never really could bring herself to fully comprehend what she saw that day. Aizen had already implanted the Hogyoku, and was at that time insanely powerful. "The concept that that could kill someone… doesn't surprise me," she turned to look at her former sparring partner and long-time friend with a reassuring grin as she put a hand on the shoulder of his shihakusho. "Knowing you, you wouldn't forgive yourself if you accidentally killed someone because of how strong you are," Tatsuki turned to look at him and grinned. She always knew what to say to keep him going, to go one more rep, one more hour, one more day. He was glad he didn't have to lie to her anymore, he didn't know if he could have told her this one.
"No, I wouldn't," Ichigo wanted to make a joke about this situation, but he couldn't find the words. Fortunately one of his newfound friends in Shino came to the rescue.
"Stop moping, you're making this feel like a funeral," Madarame was always a lively one. It was one of the things she had in common with her older brother Ikkaku. Shino had pretended to be a woman he saved from a mugging yesterday, mainly because she wanted to try out alcohol in the living world, but over the last year they had worked together he had come to respect her. He had also helped her train as well. Shino wasn't shooting for captain, said that that was higher than she was comfortable with, but she did want a high-seated position. He never asked why, but from what he knew it was probably something to do with Ikkaku picking on her for being the weaker sibling.
"Come on Ichigo, we're celebrating your accomplishment, you've gotten so strong the bureaucrats are pissing themselves," with that Kukaku slammed back another drink. She had put her prosthetic on and was wearing the same clothes he remembered seeing her in the first time they met.
"I certainly see the family resemblance," Uryu had decided to take time off from his 'job' to join them. That was one lie he had told to all but the closest of his friends. They didn't need to know he was leading a group of super-powerful humans who had fought a war of extermination against Soul Society a year ago.
"Fuck you," Ichigo had elicited laughs from the others there, even Chad. Well, Orihime tried to laugh. She had been on the verge of tears all day. He had an idea why, and didn't like that he still, even now, couldn't find the words to let her down gently. He probably never would at this rate, she was always someone ruled by her emotions.
It was then that he heard the tell-tale sound of a senkaimon opening, and the light footsteps of a shinigami coming into the shop. He had gotten up expecting to be whisked away immediately. What he didn't expect was to see the one reason he felt as okay as he did with current events.
"I'm wounded you didn't invite me Ichigo," Rukia Kuchiki, the whole reason he was in this position to begin with, and he couldn't find himself caring about that detail. "Sit down you idiot, I have until the end of the day before I have to drag you back," Ichigo sat down smiling as Rukia spoke with her standard humor.
"Lieutenant Kuchiki," Shino was caught off guard, however. She was probably expecting to be admonished for not being on patrol, or mingling with mortals.
"At ease Madarame, do you not have orders to familiarize yourself with Karin?" Rukia spoke with a relaxed but formal tone with her subordinate as she sat down with the rest of them.
"Y-yes, I do…" she sat back down and exhaled as she tried to relax. "But I have a question."
Rukia raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Did you really sleep in Ichigo's closet?" Rukia spat out her drink as she was caught having some sake.
"WHO TOLD YOU THAT!" Karin tried and failed, to suppress her laughter.
One by one everyone started leaving. First Shino left to begin her patrol of Karakura. Then Uryu left as his 'job' had an urgent situation that required his attention. Then Tatsuki and Orihime left, with Orihime crying at him leaving in an overly dramatic and very Orihime way. Then Chad left with Mizurio. That left him, Rukia, his father, Kukaku, and Karin, as Urahara was tending to something Rukia gave him earlier.
"Ichigo," his father spoke in a seldom used serious tone. "Whatever happens, just know that I'm proud of you," Isshin said that often, but this time it was different. His father often said that in one of his comedic rants that would be funny if it wasn't his father doing it to him, but this time it was different. This time it was just said with a warm smile as he took another sip from his sake.
"Don't get yourselves killed okay?" Karin smirked as she gave her farewell.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he stays in one piece for you," Kukaku stood up, taking a final drag from her pipe before snuffing it out. "Come on you two. Let's get out of here before you start a scandal."
Ichigo and Rukia both just looked at her like she grew another head. Little did they know she noticed the glances they were throwing each other's way when they thought the other wasn't looking. It was honestly cute.
Isshin did his usual overdramatic goodbye as Kukaku, Ichigo, and Rukia prepared to enter the senkaimon and leave for Soul Society proper. Ichigo and Rukia sighed at the same time before they finally left. The senkaimon gate closed behind them as Rukia summoned the hell butterfly that was to guide them.
Kyoraku hated it when people had to get wrapped up in his schemes. In this case, however, these schemes were being made to keep Ichigo safe. The Central 46 were absolutely terrified of him, and he understood why. Ichigo was a sharp man. If anyone could figure out how not to die while in Karamatsu Shinju, it's him. Though Katen vehemently disagreed with him.
His main plan was the one he and the old man had discussed shortly before the blood war began. It was the last real conversation he had with his old mentor before he died. There they had discussed how Ichigo was an issue that needed resolving. However, Kyoraku made some edits to the plan. First was reinstating the Shibas and informing Kukaku that Isshin was his father. That had involved him conspiring with Byakuya to lean on the other noble houses to move to have Central 46 revoke their punitive actions levied against the clan as part of Isshin's 'betrayal.' That was pretty easy as the houses were currently in another deadlock. He had correctly predicted Kukaku would choose Ichigo as her heir, thus giving Ichigo the protections befitting the position, and thus restricting the Central 46's options in dealing with him.
He knew exactly why they had appointed him head captain. While he was the strongest remaining captain, they also thought he would be politically disinterested and would just mindlessly follow their orders so he could go back to drinking and womanizing once peace fell upon Soul Society again. His disguise had worked too well in this case, but that also meant that the 46 had underestimated him. No matter how they play this he comes out on top.
"You don't have that stupid grin on your face. Is something troubling you Shunsui?" Katen looked down upon him from above. Kyoraku was resting his head on her lap, as he usually did. He and his zanpakuto had an interesting arrangement. While he slept, he would be here, in his inner world. The reason for that was complicated. He had fallen in love with Katen, and her with him.
"I feel sorry for Ichigo. He had to be wrapped up in all this," Katen stroked his hair as he spoke. Their relationship was complicated, it always had been. It was a miracle that they could even tolerate each other enough to work together, let alone have a romantic attraction.
"He was too powerful to just leave alone in the living world, as much as I am sure you would have wanted to," Katen was right ultimately. He would have had to do something, this gave Ichigo the most freedom in as many outcomes as possible. As a member of a great noble house, he was almost untouchable, as the murder of Kakyo had proven. The thought of that case was acidic in his mouth, but it set a precedent that he was now exploiting. "You're doing as much as you can for him while still executing your duties as head captain. That's the best you can do."
He smiled at his zanpakuto. "I guess you're right, I've done all I can for the boy, let's just hope Central doesn't screw him over," Kyoraku, reassured that he did what he could, closed his eyes, and went back to enjoying his rest.