Have more Ichigo angst. This stuff is addictive.


One Hundred and Twenty-Five Years Ago

Ichigo was sitting in a tatami room, fists on his knees, back perfectly straight, surrounded by other recruits in the exact same position. Many of them looked nervous, intimidated, maybe even scared, but not him. He refused to let anything show, face immovable as he knelt in the front row.

Then, Captain Jūshirō Ukitake walked through those sliding doors, and any thoughts of composure went out the window. The Captain was the very picture of grace, a gentle smile on his face that sent a wave of calm through the room. Ichigo felt his fists unclench, staring up in awe. He'd never seen a Captain this close before.

Well, he'd seen one, his dad, but he was hardly intimidating. This man, this legend before him, was not his dad. He was an original Captain, a title that held an incredible amount of weight.

His uncle, however, was just his uncle.

"Ichigo!" he called with a grin. "Hey! It's me!"

His fists clenched again. His head went down. Great. He said nothing. Kaien didn't seem to mind.

"You know, kids, he could have gone to the First if he wanted, but he chose to go here. That should tell you a thing or two about our Division and my nephew."

Ichigo would have shrunk further into himself if he could. Whispers spread through the group. As if he needed another reason to be alienated from his former classmates.

"Lieutenant…" Captain Ukitake said with a tired smile. His uncle had the good sense to be bashful, here, finally.

"Oops, sorry Captain."

The Captain nodded patiently, the absolute saint, clearing his throat before stepping forward, front and center. He happened to be right in front of Ichigo, which did nothing to clear his nerves.

"I would like to start off, as always, with a few words. Welcome to the Thirteenth Division. We are pleased to have each and every one of you.

"When I built this Division, I did so with two words in mind, kindness and duty. It's my belief that these two words go hand in hand. It is our Division's way to perform our solemn duty as Shinigami of the Gotei Thirteen not with airs of importance but with smiles on our faces.

"We are a Division that believes in… Lieutenant Shiba, what did that book from the Human World say again?"

"All for one, and one for all!" he recited with a grin.

"Yes, that!" Captain Ukitake chuckled to himself. "What a delightful phrase, and it's meaning is a simple one. Help one another, and we will succeed." He gave a bow to the group, who bowed deeply back.

"Well said, Captain," Uncle Kaien agreed. "And with that, I believe it's time for Squad assignments. Everyone, step up when you hear your name."

Ichigo sat patiently as names were called one at a time, his uncle handing out scrolls to each eager recruit. They all left the room in turn, sent out to their respective Squad leaders until Ichigo was the only one left.

"Ichigo Shiba!"

Warily, he stepped forward, taking the scroll, and rolling it open.

"You're with me!" his uncle said excitedly. He didn't even have time to read it!

"What?" Ichigo snapped. "Y-you can't just play favorites like that. I know I'm family, but putting me into the first squad right off the bat–"

The Captain cleared his throat, and suddenly Ichigo remembered they weren't alone. He wondered if it was too late to run away. "No one is playing favorites, I assure you," the man said. "Actually, I was the one that placed you with the Lieutenant."

"I… wait, really?"

The Captain nodded, an amused smile on his face. "Your grades and the words of your professors more than justified it. You were top of your class, the only new recruit that's on track to form a Shikai. Given a few more years of experience, I'd see you running a squad of your own."

"That's…" Ichigo was speechless. That was about as high of praise one could get. His uncle swatted him on the back of the neck with a scroll.

"Ow!"

"Say, 'Thank you, Captain.'"

Ichigo scowled, before turning to Ukitake. "Th-thank you Captain Ukitake. Y-you flatter me."

"Also say that you're sorry for giving me a hard time."

"Okay, now you're pushing it."

The Captain let out another chuckle. "I must admit, the fact that you're both family certainly helped my decision."

"Yeah, but…" Ichigo cut off his protest. He didn't want to kick off his career mouthing off to his Captain. But Auntie Miyako would have been way more bearable.

"Well!" His Uncle dragged him into a rough headlock. "We better get moving! Hollows to kill, papers to file, you know how it is. Come on, I'll give you the tour."

He was dragged to the door, Ukitake smiling at their backs. Yep, Auntie Miyako would have been better.

Ichigo settled in well enough. A few days in and he got used to the new schedule, the new rooms, and even the new workload. What took a bit more time were the people.

Squad Thirteen was laid back, like really laid back. He remembered the Academy having a certain solemnity to it, a veneer of competition that made it hard to talk to anyone outside of Chad and his own teammates. Everyone here, though, was so… friendly.

They all said good morning, do a good job today, please, thank you. They all talked to each other, went out for drinks on Saturdays, and maybe he was just socially inept, but he had a hard time adjusting to it all.

Even now, eating lunch in the mess hall, he was forced to listen to idle chatter, having every other person greet him, but still being allowed his personal space because they were just that kind and perceptive.

Basically, he was surrounded by identical copies of his uncle, who was possibly one of the nicest people he'd ever met, and somehow, he still managed to find a way to complain about it. Great job, Ichigo.

Speak of the devil…

"Hey, Ichigo!"

He resisted the urge to throw out his tray and leave. His uncle was sitting next to him in a moment, arm slung across his shoulders, dragging him close.

"I was thinking we could spar out in the training grounds today, just you and me. It'd be just like old times!"

Ichigo looked him dead in the eye, unamused. "Don't you have other responsibilities. You are a Lieutenant, aren't you?"

"Aw, don't be like that. Just think of it as spending your break with your family. You did finish all your desk work for the week already, didn't you?"

"Did you?"

His uncle paled, averting his eyes. That was what he thought. "Fine," he groaned. Then, he flashed a smirk, a mischievous look in his eye. "Consider it an order, then, from your superior officer."

The group next to them giggled, one averting her eyes the second he glanced over. He let out a growl. "Okay! We'll have your dumb spar, but if Auntie comes by, I'm selling you out."

Kaien barked out a laugh.

His uncle proceeded to beat the snot out of him for an hour straight, not that Ichigo had expected much else. By the end he was panting, leaning against a tree and feeling like he could throw up from exertion alone. The man just patted him on the back, saying, "There, there."

He'd curse at the man if he had any breath. Without a hint of self-consciousness, he collapsed to the ground, staring up at the clouds. He did curse when his uncle dropped a towel right on his face. He shoved it off him, before thinking twice a grabbing it again.

"So… that Shikai," his uncle said.

"It's a work in progress."

Kaien scoffed. "So? You were what, one of the five in your class that spoke to your Zanpakuto Spirit. I don't think you know how impressive that is."

"I…" he trailed off, shoving the towel over his face. His uncle let out a laugh.

"I swear, you kids are getting better and better with each generation. You're keeping us old timers on our toes."

"Yeah, well you can keep your job for a bit longer, old timer. I didn't actually speak to him. I just heard a voice, is all."

His uncle rolled his eyes, settling down next to him. "You know, when we heard about it from your teachers Big Bro was over the moon. Sis cracked open the good Sake before they even finished giving the message. We were hoping you'd come by during one of your breaks to celebrate, but…"

Ichigo's face fell. But he didn't go back for that break. He never went back, actually, hiding away from the old estate like he was afraid of it. It hurt, knowing that they held out for him all the way to his last year.

His uncle cuffed him over the ear.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"To teach you a lesson! We're Shiba, kid. We don't run out on family. I wish you damn youngsters would remember that!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

"And as your family I promise that I'll get that Zanpakuto of yours to show its face. We'll work day and night if we have to!"

Ichigo let out a sigh, head resting on the grass. That was his uncle, alright, stubborn to the end.

A few months into his new job and Ichigo was introduced to a new aspect of Squad Thirteen, and that was their favorite pastime.

This Squad wasn't one to have impromptu fights break out. They had no other branches with separate duties. So, when things got slow, they did one thing and one thing alone. They gossiped.

"I heard they went home together!" a female squad member whispered excitedly to her friend over her desk.

"What?" she drawled. "I was there, and all I saw was a drunken kiss, nothing more. I would have known if…" Her eyebrow raised. "Well, I guess it's possible."

The former turned to Ichigo, waving his down. "Hey, you're in their squad, right? Senatro and Kiyone, is there really something going on between them?"

Ichigo let out a huff, turning. "They bicker like an old married couple. So, maybe?"

"That's not an answer," the latter said with a frown. "But maybe if we ask Haruka…"

"I like where your head's at," her friend said with a grin. "But while we're at it… Shiba, we heard the Lieutenant is going to be promoted to Captain, soon."

"He did just get his Bankai," Ichigo reasoned. "They made a big deal about it and everything, but if he is going to be a Captain, then he hasn't said anything about it." Neither had Auntie, either. To be honest, he was expecting a promotion after that.

"That's too bad," she pouted. "We kind of thought he'd tell you, since…" she looked to her friend, eyes pleading.

"Promise not to be mad," she led with, "but we also thought that with him being a Captain, you'd be the next Lieutenant. I mean, for a while, we were thinking Mrs. Shiba, but with how he's been treating you like his protégé and all…"

Protégé? "I…" he stumbled. "I mean, me a Lieutenant, really?"

"Hey, you're probably the most hardworking person I know! We all thought you were a shoe in for a seated position, at least. It wasn't that much of a stretch."

"It was maybe a bit of a stretch," the other said sheepishly.

And just when he thought he'd gotten used to their antics; he was thrown for a loop yet again. He buried himself in his work, ignoring their apologies. He also ignored the loud laughter of his uncle who just happened to be strolling by.

Thankfully, his uncle didn't acknowledge the conversation when they went to train later. They'd switched over to a quiet area in the forest some time ago, when some of the nosier squad members caught wind of their sessions and started attending the spars like they were a spectator sport.

It was around then that the rumor started, probably.

"Take a deep breath!" his uncle said, stretching. "Take in that forest air!"

"Do we have to do this every time?"

"Yes!" he snapped. "We didn't hike out here just to lose the fanboys. This place clears the mind!"

"And you think that'll help me with my Zanpakuto."

"I dunno, maybe. Don't worry about it," he waved off. "You should be more concerned about getting in shape for that away mission of yours."

Ichigo stared him down. "I was in the advanced class, as you keep reminding me. I've been on missions."

"Yeah, but this one's different," his uncle insisted. "There's no teacher there to hold your hand, just you, your instincts, and your friends against the world! So, tell me all about it. What are the details?"

"You…" he was about to say you were the one that assigned it, but he couldn't, not with the excited-puppy look the man was giving him. He let out a sigh. "Sentaro's nice enough, especially when you separate him from Kiyone. He's got a bit of a temper, but he's reliable. Haruka seems to know her stuff, at least. She's the studious type, good with Kidō and knows a lot about Hollows. They'll work well together, I think."

His uncle hummed, smiling in a way that made Ichigo feel self-conscious.

"What?" he asked with a frown. The man kept on smiling.

"I gotta admit, I was worried," he finally said. "I saw how you kept to yourself, but here you are, making friends and getting to know your squadmates! I'm so proud!" He dragged his nephew into something between a hug and a chokehold.

"Let go of me, old man!" he struggled. Yeah, he'd forced himself to go to a few bar nights and be the minimum level of social. So, what?

"Right, right," he said, dropping him all at once. Then, he winked, adding, "Team leader."

"Die."

And, that's what Ichigo's life was like for a while. He'd work, train with his uncle, make a conscious effort to be social, and then go back to work. Occasionally this would be broken up with missions, none very notable, and progress with his Zanpakuto as well as his career would be made.

That being said, he was one that found it difficult to acknowledge his own achievements. Even as a real officer, one with a rank and a Zanpakuto that he talked with on a semi-regular basis, he had a hard time thinking of himself as anything more than the stiff kid that first arrived at the Division.

What he was able to acknowledge, though, was that for the first time ever, he was responsible for other people, more than just his small team, anyway, and as a result he understood a little why Kaien acted the way he did, even if he still thought he was crazy.

People were a lot more likely to listen to you, to trust you when you were nice to them, when you understood them. People were hesitant to answer to the Ninth Member of Division Thirteen, but they'd answer to Ichigo. They liked Ichigo, despite how much he tried to talk himself down, to convince himself otherwise.

That realization made him feel a certain way. It forced him to take a good look at the way others would lead, to find something to aspire to.

His uncle was the clear first example, though he would never tell him that. His dad and his aunts were right behind, Miyako being the gentler of the two. She was quite similar to Captain Ukitake, actually, another that he considered a role model of sorts.

Outside of his Division, if he were to pick a Captain that he admired, it would be Captain Aizen, hands down. He'd gotten the chance to work with a few from his Division in the past, and he doesn't think he'd heard a single poor word spoken about the man. He was always available to talk with his subordinates, no matter the rank, no matter the problem. He would like to be a leader like that, someday.

Of course, striving to be that kind of person came at a cost. He was a person that enjoyed solitude, and suddenly he found himself without an ounce of privacy or alone time. It seemed like he was always getting dragged around to different Squad events, and his aunt and uncle refused to leave him be when something happened at the manor, nowadays.

It was exhausting.

As it turned out, being a friendly ear meant hearing enough gossip for ten lifetimes, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it somewhat. A lot of it was harmless, wholesome, even.

"Kiyone's sister made Lieutenant, Squad four! Sentaro's roommate told me the other day. I'm pretty sure she'll be breaking the news soon, so make sure to act surprised."

That one was true, too. Someone dragged the poor Lieutenant all the way to the Thirteenth's favorite bar. To celebrate his new coworker his uncle ordered so many rounds, that Ichigo was surprised he didn't end up black out drunk.

"I hear Mr. and Mrs. Shiba are planning on having a baby. I mean nothing's official, yet, but doesn't it just make sense?"

Innocent enough, but not true. His aunt was set on staying on the field for a while longer, from what he knew.

"…I hate to say it, but what else could he be doing, sneaking around like that. I don't want to believe our Lieutenant would do such a thing, but let's face it, he's having an affair–"

"What?!"

The man that had spoken shut his mouth in an instant, eyes wide as he stared back at Ichigo. "I… Shit, sorry," he said sheepishly. "That's a little personal, right?"

His buddy smacked him over the head, his drink sloshing in his hand. "You think?"

"Where did you hear that from?" Ichigo hissed.

The gossiper took another sip, steeling himself. "Just around. You know how these things are."

"That's not an answer."

His friend spoke for him. "It's nothing, really. A few people claimed to see him wandering around outside the Squad at a weird time. I don't think anything of it. He's our superior officer. We don't have to know everything he does."

"Hey, that was kind of shitty of me, Ichigo," the first one said. "Let me buy you another round or something, to make up for it."

He massaged his forehead, already feeling a headache coming on. "It's fine. I think I need to go home, anyway."

He couldn't stop thinking about it, long after it had become old news, but he never mustered up the courage to talk to anyone else about it, ask around and see if there was any credence to all this. He did notice that his uncle would seemingly disappear at certain times of the day, but that didn't necessarily mean anything… he hoped.

A distraction eventually came, and boy was he grateful for it.

"You mean you turned them down?" he asked venomously.

"Yeah," his uncle said, as if he hadn't just told Ichigo the most shocking thing he'd heard all year. "They were between me and someone else. I thought about taking it, but there are more important things, you know."

"M-more important than the biggest promotion of your life?!" Ichigo sputtered.

"Hush."

"Don't hush me! We're not done here!"

"No, I mean the event's starting."

Ichigo's mouth closed immediately, eyes going down to the court. A procession of guards was filing in. He flushed with embarrassment.

He could still hear the whispers of others in attendance, even as they quieted down as the ceremony began. This was the first Captain to be promoted in fifty years. It was no wonder they were excited.

The double doors of the court were opened by two decorated guards, a man that Ichigo recognized instantly walking through. He'd never met this man personally, but he'd heard of him, and it was pretty hard to mistake a Kuchiki for anything else.

Third Seat Byakuya Kuchiki, the heir to the Kuchiki clan walked down the aisle. The clan heads had to be pretty happy about this one, not that Ichigo saw any other Kuchiki in attendance.

He stopped in front of the Captain Commander, bowing twice. Ichigo could hear murmurs in the seats above him; Central Forty-Six must have been feeling chatty today. The Captain Commander struck his cane on the ground twice, the court going dead silent.

He cleared his throat. "We have gathered here today to bestow upon Byakuya Kuchiki one of the highest honors imaginable. His record as a Shinigami has been exemplary, his talents unmatched. It is through careful examination of this record that the court has seen fit to promote Third Seat Byakuya Kuchiki to Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of the Sixth Division.

"Before we begin, I must ask, are there any in attendance that object to this motion?"

Ichigo begun to raise his hand, his uncle smacking it down. "I was kidding!" he whispered.

The Commanders eyes swept across the room. He nodded, turning back to Kuchiki. "Very well. Do you swear to uphold your duties as a Captain, leading your Division with wisdom and strength?"

"I do," he answered, so solemn he sounded flat.

"Do you swear to act in accordance with the will of the Gotei Thirteen, leaving behind all personal desires and ambitions?"

"I do."

"Do you swear to uphold the tradition of the cloth as well as the two thousand years of history and honor behind it?"

"I do."

With that, Lieutenant Saskibe stepped forward, a Captain's haori carefully folded in his hands. He faced Kuchiki, the two bowing once to each other before handing off the cloth. In front of the entire crowd, the jacket was donned.

"I declare you, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of the Sixth Division of this Gotei Thirteen. Everyone rise."

Everyone did, and in unison everyone bowed, the Captain walking down the court and through the doors.

"What, no speech?" Ichigo asked, still facing the ground.

"He doesn't technically have to give one," his uncle reminded him.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, standing back up. Others were already leaving their seats, he noticed. He followed is uncle out.

"You're dead set on defending him, aren't you?" Ichigo asked, miffed.

"What can I say, we were in the same class," he said with a grin. "He was a little stiff, but he was a hard worker. I think he deserves this." He shrugged. "Reminds me of you, actually."

Ichigo jerked to a stop. "I resent that."

And that was all it took to get the Captain to stick in Ichigo's mind. Not in a good way, either. At his core, though, Ichigo was sure he was yet another overly stiff Kuchiki, one that his uncle insisted on defending for whatever reason.

It was through him that he managed to push his uncle's continuing disappearances to the back of his mind, though, him and his increasing workload.

Today he had the honor of acting as delivery boy to other Squad Leaders, passing along paperwork and information about various missions. It seemed like Hollow sightings had about doubled since last year.

The final one he had to visit was his aunt. He knocked once on her door out of politeness before simply shoving it open.

"I got some profiles of the new recruits," he said, not looking up. "There's also a mission for your squad in here somewhere…" He trailed off, finally noticing the state of her room.

She was near buried in paperwork, her window just about blocked off by the stuff. She gave him a disarming smile, saying, "Just put it over there. I'll get to it today, I promise."

"What the… Why's your desk like this? You're always on time with your paperwork. It's looking more like Uncle's."

"Actually…" Miyako trailed off.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "This is his, isn't it?"

The fact that she couldn't even look at him spoke volumes.

"Of all the–!" He just about slammed the paperwork on her desk. "You don't have to take this from him, you know! He has his own responsibilities. Why, I should march right down to his office and teach him a lesson!"

"Don't," she pleaded. "I have it handled. He's just going through a difficult time, is all."

"Oh, is that what we're calling it now, disappearing in the middle of the godsdamned day? Do you even know where he's going?" She said nothing once more, and his temper rose another notch. "What part's his?"

"That's really not necessary."

He walked up to her desk, glancing over the piles. He spotted them immediately, recognizing the forms he usually carried to his uncle, and sometimes the Captain himself. He scooped those up. "Doesn't matter. I'm not going to pry, okay, but he needs to do his damn job."

She seemed to have given up, letting out a sigh. "Don't be too hard on him."

"No promises."

He stalked out.

First, he checked his uncle's offices. He wasn't there. That wasn't unusual, especially as of late. He popped into the Captain's quarters, also empty. Then, he asked around a bit, and then he wondered if his uncle was avoiding him on purpose. His lunch break long wasted he decided to check Kaien's office one last time.

When he saw his uncle at the door, looking as if all was right with the world, two other officers trailing behind. He nearly blew a gasket.

"There you are!" He shoved the pile into the man's unsuspecting arms. "I've been looking for you all godsdamned day!"

"Hello to you, too, Ichigo," he answered with a strained smile. Ichigo was having none of it. He didn't care if he embarrassed his uncle in front of these people, not today.

"Don't give me any of that. I found out what you've been doing to poor Auntie Miyako. You're doing this paperwork yourself. No handing it off to her or so help me–!"

"Okay, okay!" He raised his hands defensively. "But I, uh, kinda have guests here so I'll need at least an hour before–"

Oh no, he was not weaseling his way out of this one. "I am not afraid to tell Captain Ukitake on you." It was then when his uncle looked properly scared straight, that Ichigo backed off, and finally noticed who his uncle was with. It was a good thing he was still angry, or else he would have been pretty embarrassed. "Good afternoon Captain Kuchiki, Lieutenant Ichimaru. I hope this one hasn't been too much of a bother." He capped it all off with another well-timed glare.

"No, not at all," the Lieutenant said with that creepy ass smile of his. He still didn't understand how a guy as nice as Captain Aizen had a man like this as his Lieutenant. "Actually, he was just about to treat us to tea."

"Speaking of which," his uncle said, and Ichigo was already groaning internally. "Ichigo, if you would…"

He let out a sigh, counted to ten, and tried to remember that refusing his uncle in front of his coworkers was bad form. "Give me ten minutes."

Kaien let out a laugh, just a little more strained than usual. He let his guests inside leaving Ichigo to do his grunt work.

He brewed tea. He gathered snacks, throwing in a bowl of Ukitake's special mint candies that tasted great, but lingered in your mouth for an entire day. He did all this while trying not to wonder just what his uncle had gotten himself into hanging around those two.

It wasn't lost on him that he'd just gotten closer than anyone else to the truth of what his uncle had been doing every day. He wasn't comforted by what he found. It was Gin and the same Captain that he hadn't liked from the beginning. He tried to reason to himself that this wasn't as bad as he was making it out to be.

Kaien was, as a Lieutenant, having tea with two coworkers, nothing suspicious there. Ichigo's feelings really didn't matter, here. It was not his business what higher ranked officers did.

Still, a part of him felt hurt. Uncle Kaien was not just another higher ranked officer. He was family

He dropped off the tea, unable to meet his uncle's eyes before returning to work.

Ichigo was awoken gently by the feeling of something landing on his forehead, lighter than a feather. His eyes snapped open in an instant.

He plucked the Jigokuchō from his face, bolting upright. "Ichigo Shiba, what's…" he stumbled, still not quite awake.

"Come to the infirmary. Something has happened." It was Captain Ukitake. That alone sent a jolt of alarm through him, never mind the ominous words.

In a flurry he got up, shrugging on his kimono and tying it as best he could in as little time as possible. He tore through the door and down the hall with little regard for those sleeping, mind racing as he went through about ten different scenarios in his head.

Almost all of them circled back to one thing. Whatever his uncle was doing had managed to bite him in the ass.

He reached the infirmary in in record time, nearly running headfirst into Kaien when he wrenched open the door. He was still standing, still there, even if he was breathing a little funny. Ichigo opened his mouth to give him a piece of his mind–

And stopped abruptly when he saw what else was in the room.

There was one occupied bed in the infirmary, Ukitake standing over with a drawn expression. The figure in the bed's face was covered, but he'd recognize his aunt anywhere.

"What happened?" he gasped out. "She… shit is she gonna be alright?"

His uncle's fist clenched. The Captain shook his head.

"The hell does that mean?!" Ichigo yelled. "The mission, it was just one Hollow, right? Where's her team?"

Eventually the Captain spoke up. "…Her entire squad was obliterated. We recovered her, but… She stopped breathing a while ago."

"That's impossible! She's still there! Obviously, she's alive! We should be calling Captain Unohana, not standing around here and moping like she's… she…"

The Captain said nothing, just looked away. Ichigo turned on his uncle, next.

"And you! Why aren't you–?" He silenced himself immediately, taking a half-step back. The look on his uncle's face right now. It was something beyond rage, beyond grief. For a moment Ichigo was frightened of him.

"Where was it?" the man asked quietly. "Where did it happen?"

Captain Ukitake let out a sigh. "Kaien, we don't know anything about this enemy. I won't let you rush headfirst into this fight."

"If you won't tell me I'll go find it myself."

The Captain's face pinched. His uncle remained steadfast. Ichigo was stuck between the two, stuck in the middle of this tension. It took him but a moment to make his decision.

"The caves," Ichigo said, and the Captain closed his eyes. "It was the caves outside of the Twentieth District. I handed off the paperwork myself."

"Thanks, Ichi," he said, patting his head as he moved towards the door.

"Don't you 'thanks, Ichi,' me. I'm going with you."

"That's out of the question," Captain Ukitake snapped. "Kaien, if you would just take a moment and think."

"Oh, I'm thinking, alright," he said, scarily calm. "I'm thinking of how I'm going to take that thing down and end this for good."

"And I'm going with you," Ichigo declared. "She hasn't dissolved yet. There's still a chance, and just because you can't see it doesn't mean I'm letting it go."

They had a three-way standoff. Eventually one of them had to break.

Ukitake let out a sigh. "Shiba…"

Their travel was quick, Ukitake summoning a Senkaimon with a vague promise to file the paperwork for it after the fact. They landed right outside of the District, walking quickly and silently to the location, Ukitake in the lead. He stopped right at the edge of a cliff, an arm darting in front of Ichigo.

"Fresh meat… I smell… Fresh meat…"

Ichigo gagged at the stench that wafted up, a large creature crawling out of the cave below. It had tentacles writhing out of its back like a disease, and walked on …four? Six…? He counted a few too many limbs, despite their eerily human looking appearance.

Its mask swiveled up to meet them, its mouth stuck in a grin.

"…Don't smell too bright… Should be tasty…" It laughed, a sound like grinding rusty metal, its tongue lolling out as it walked over dark stains on the ground.

Blood, his brain helpfully supplied. That was blood.

His uncle had his sword out immediately. "Permission to fight it alone?"

"What?!" Ichigo yelped. "That's crazy! Tell him, Captain!"

"…Granted," Ukitake said, instead. Ichigo was left gaping as his uncle jumped off the cliff. He moved to follow him, only to be stopped by the look Captain Ukitake gave him.

The Hollow giggled, "…So, you're the first… brat…"

His uncle faced the beast, back straight without a hint of emotion on his face. "Before we get started, I need to ask you something. Just how many Shinigami have you eaten?"

"…How many?" It asked this as if it were genuinely taken off guard. "Sorry, I don't keep track of… things like that."

"Then you don't feel any remorse for what you've done?"

"…I have a heart… Shinigami. There are times I feel regret. Even now… I'm sorry I only managed to eat that Shinigami's legs before she escaped!"

Something in the atmosphere shifted, at that. The Captain let out a gasp. Ichigo felt his stomach turn. Kaien approached the monster, rage rolling off him in waves. It all felt horribly wrong to Ichigo.

"Come! Come! I'll swallow you whole!"

Blood splattered across the dirt ground, adding to the existing stains, the Hollow stunned into silence as its arm fell to the ground. His uncle was on top of the thing, yanking at a tentacle on its face, forcing it to the ground. It seemed that this would end quickly. For a second Ichigo felt relief.

"You're fast, but I was right. You're not very smart."

"Surge, Water and Heavens, Nejibana!"

Before his sword could even transform it disintegrated. Ichigo was left dumbfounded.

"How do you think I've gotten this far? I can absorb Zanpakuto, and I believe this one will make a fine addition to my power."

Kaien lunged back, a tentacle snapping forward and slicing open his side.

"Uncle!" Ichigo cried. He moved to jump.

"Don't you dare!" Kaien yelled. He lunged ahead once more, bare hands digging into the offending tentacle, a whispered spell being all he needed to cleave it in two. Then, another lashed out, slicing across the man's back.

"What happened to Shiba sticking together?!"

For a moment, his uncle froze, expression conflicted before it hardened once more. He muttered another spell, scoring a hit off the side of the Hollow's mask, cracking it down to the eye socket. "You let anything happen to that boy and there'll be hell to pay, Jūshirō!"

"Understood," the Captain said solemnly. Ichigo just looked on in horror.

"I wasn't planning to use this," the Hollow said slowly, visibly weakened, "but you leave me no choice." With a pained screech it launched its tentacles right off its back, embedding into his uncle's arm, crawling in as the man let out a yell of alarm. The rest of the Hollow clattered to the ground like misplaced doll parts.

Just as quickly as it began, his uncle's yell stopped. For a moment he stood there, swaying in place.

Ichigo moved forward. "…Uncle?"

Kaien's head snapped back, an unnatural grin on his face. "You called?"

Ukitake was the first to move, hand clamped on Ichigo's shoulder, pulling the boy back. Ichigo struggled against him.

"What did you do to my uncle?!"

The figure clambered closer, reaching the cliff face. "Don't worry about it, kid…" He looked up at them, eyes hollow. "I'm still here." He lunged.

Ichigo was shoved back, Ukitake's sword meeting that thing's teeth. "Run, Ichigo!" The Captain was visibly struggling, trying to hold it back. Ichigo just stared uselessly at his uncle's corpse. "Do you want to die?" the Captain roared. "Run!"

Before he had time to process it, he was running, stumbling through the forest unsure of where he was even going. The image of his uncle burned in his mind, overlaid by the image of another that he'd lost in an all too similar way.

All these years, and he was still the same useless little kid.

No! I'm not! I'm a team leader, a ranked officer! People look up to me! …I can't just leave someone to suffer like this… Not again.

He stopped, drew his sword, and turned around, just barely able to keep himself from shaking. He couldn't move forward or back, so he stayed still.

The fight came to him, the Captain stumbling in, blood running down his chin and staining his collar. From the looks of things, he wasn't doing so good. His illness during the Captain's promotion was a bad one. It seemed he still hadn't fully recovered.

Still, in between the Captain and his uncle Ichigo wondered what chance he had.

"What are you doing here?" Ukitake croaked. "Don't worry about me! Leave! I'll hold him off!"

Ichigo remained still, sword pointed at the Hollow.

"Go!"

The Captain stumbled once more, the monster weaving past him.

"Now!"

Its hand was extended, clawing towards him. Tentacles were writhing out of its eyes and mouth. Ichigo screwed his eyes shut, unable to look for another minute. He charged blindly ahead.

He was genuinely shocked when he felt no pain, just the feeling of a body slumping against him. He opened his eyes to see his sword sticking out of its back. That was too easy, he realized. He dropped his sword, lowering his uncle to the ground as gently as he could.

"Hey! Stay with me!" Ichigo cried. Kaien's eyes were closed. Ichigo wasn't even sure if he had eyes anymore.

"…Sorry…" he whispered roughly. "I… wasn't strong enough… you… the Captain…"

"You idiot! That's what we're for. We're supposed to be there to help you."

"…I guess… I'm just… a stubborn… Shi… ba…"

He breathed in, breathed out… and that was it. Parts of him crumbled to dust, though he stayed mostly intact in a horrible sort of limbo. For a while Ichigo stared, unable to move, unable to think. He was still clutching his uncle, but he didn't think he was shaking anymore. His face was wet, but he didn't think it was raining.

It wasn't until a bloody hand rested on his shoulder that he snapped out of it, looking up at the heartbroken face of Captain Ukitake. He turned away, burying his face into his uncle's chest and he screamed.

When he was promoted to Lieutenant, it was not entirely a happy day.

He still got congratulations from the clan, and he made sure he was there when his dad brought out the good Sake. He would have liked to celebrate with his Aunt, too, but… she disappeared a while ago.

His sisters were impressed, which was always a plus. Yuzu asked about a million questions a minute. Karin said nothing, but still looked at him like he hung the moon in the sky.

When he was alone, though, away from the celebrations and in his room, the day before active duty began, he was stuck with his thoughts.

He was stuck thinking about his mother, about his uncle, and then he was thinking about the type of Lieutenant that he would be, of the type his uncle was, and thought that maybe his uncle would be proud.


Okay, it's break time for me. I've had one hell of a month, and am starting classes in like a week so I need a bit of R&R before I can continue, as well as some time to write the last few chapters, here.

Next chapter is coming November 1. I'd say we have about ten chapters left in this story, so keep your eye out for that. There will be an epilogue, and possibly room for a sequel covering the last two arcs if I feel so inclined, but that's a ways off.

I'll catch you later. Leave me a review. They really do help motivate me to get this stuff done on time.