When Ichigo next woke up, all he saw was the clear blue sky.
He sat up and looked around him, seeing a town not too far away from himself. 'Zangestu? Shiro? You still there?' Ichigo asked his Zanpakuto spirits.
'Che. Of course, we are still here. If we leave you alone then who knows what you would do.' Shiro responded making Zangetsu snort. 'That is you, I believe.' Shiro just scowled and looked away.
'Well, it seems like we are here to stay. Thankfully Geta-boshi managed to send us to the town closest to the Shiba family compound.' Ichigo said to his spirits while getting up.
After a while of walking to the town, he felt his stomach growl. He placed his hand on his stomach and frowned. "This is going to suck," Ichigo said to himself before continuing his walk.
Unknown to Ichigo, someone saw this and, noticing that he looks very similar to one of his clan, started to follow him.
After getting himself to the town, Ichigo looked for a place to sleep for the night. He saw a tall tree on the side of the road and started to climb. Once he thought he was high enough, he sat on one of the branches and looked at the moon. 'Hey, Zangetsu, do you think we are doing the right thing?' Zangetsu thought about it for a minute before answering.
'Ichigo, your friends, and family sent us here so you can live a little. Don't worry about Aizen just yet. You may be able to set him on the right path, just remember to continue to go forward.' Ichigo nodded slightly before drifting off to sleep.
The man, hidden in the shadows, quietly stepped out and towards the young boy. When he got closer, he saw the uncanny resemblance to his own son, only the boy has strawberry-blond hair and his son has black.
Making a decision that will change the future, not that the man knows it, he picked up the young boy and took him home.
When Ichigo woke up, he knew something was off. For one, he was laying on a futon, not the tree he fell asleep on. For two, he could hear people talking in the room next to where he was. And three, they were arguing.
"Why did you bring the rat here?! If any of the other families find out about him I will be considered a laughing stock. I don't care if he does have spiritual pressure, you are going to get rid of him or I am leaving!" Ichigo heard a woman scream, waking him up completely.
"He is family Aimi! He may not be your child but he is my clan member!" A man yelled back.
"How can you even tell Toshiaki?! Just because he looks like my son does not mean he is family!" The woman, Aimi, yelled back.
'OOH! You are causing chaos even when you are asleep!' Shiro laughed out.
"I know he is a Shiba because, unlike you, I am a born Shiba! You can ask any born Shiba and within five seconds they will tell you that he is a Shiba!" The man, Toshiaki, yelled back. All that was heard afterward was a "Hmph" and someone stomping away.
A few minutes later, a man walked in and saw Ichigo. "Ah...You heard all of that didn't you?" Ichigo just nodded and looked him up and down before smirking. "Nice getup." The man just started to laugh and walked over.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Shiba Toshiaki, the Head of the Shiba clan. I'm sorry for bringing you here without your permission, but you were sleeping in a tree. Can you tell me how old you are and what your name is?" Toshiaki asked while sitting.
"Oh. Umm, I am Kurosaki Ichigo, I am about 32 years old I think." Ichigo said making Toshiaki blink. "Really? Only 32 and already with so much spiritual pressure, my what a monster you will be." 'You have no idea, old man.' Shiro said with a cackle.
Ichigo just smiled slightly. "So...I'm sorry about making you get into a fight with your wife?" This made Toshiaki freeze for a minute before he sighed.
"It was not your fault. She comes from one of the noble clans of the Seireitei, my father had a marriage contract with that clan that he needed to get rid of." Toshiaki said. Ichigo, thinking of the nobles of his time could sympathize.
"Anyways. Tell me about yourself. I know your age and name, but what about your family? They must be worried about you." At this Ichigo remembered that he never got the name of the Shiba that died.
"Ah, I lived with my mother in the 54th district until she died not too long ago. I don't know who my father is, my mother told me it was a one-night thing. I know he had spiritual pressure because I have needed to eat ever since I was little, but other than that, nothing." Ichigo said, making things up as he goes. But it seems like Toshiaki believes him.
"Alright. If you don't mind me asking, would you like to be part of my family?" At this Ichigo froze. Yeah, he knew that he would have to somehow get into the family but he never wanted to forget his past.
'King, the past will always be there. Just look at your wrist, but this is your new life, one where you can be a prodigy or the dead last, the hero or the villain. It is all up to you.' Shiro said surprising everyone that could hear him. 'Are you alright Shiro? You are not acting like yourself.' Zangetsu asked. 'Humph, this is what I get when I try and comfort you, king? Remind me never to do so again.'
Ichigo taking so long to respond made Toshiaki a little sad. "You don't have to answer right now, but know I would love to have you as my son." When Ichigo heard this he smiled in thanks.
"Now, up! Let us go meet my children, get you acquainted.