A/N: The song that inspired this was 'Everytime We Touch' by Cascada. Please read Retrograde Modelling if you haven't to understand this. Enjoy part 2!
[I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me.
I still feel your touch in my dreams.
Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why
Without you it's hard to survive.]
Everything felt so fucking heavy.
There were days when he didn't know why he was doing this in the first place. Emotions were stacking up and he felt so useless depressed burdened. And yet, without them he wouldn't feel alive. He was holding on, but there was always the thought that he was just one step away from being set free.
He just needed the resolve to let go and stop hanging on.
Memories swamped him, but new decisions slowly made them disappear.
On one hand he felt like he held the future of the universe in his palm, on the other hand he felt he had no control over everything and time was slowly slipping through his fingers.
There were days he forgot whowhatwherewhenhow-
"Shopkeeper-san! Are you there?"
Kisuke's call pulled him out of the depths.
"Aibou, get back in." Ichigo spoke out loud, forgetting he didn't need to. Days like these blurred the lines between reality and reality. The one in his mind and the one out there.
"It's always fucking raining." Zangetsu commented more than complained. At this point, it was the norm for them anyway. Life dragged on. They held on. Zangetsu retreated and Ichigo stepped out of his basement made from Sekkiseki stone. Stepping back into the real world where no one knew who he was, knew who he had been.
He took a breath to steady himself and dragged that smile back onto his face.
There, standing in the foyer of his shop stood the manifestation of his nightmares.
"Okaerinasai, Kisuke." Ichigo beamed, and heard Zangetsu's maniac cackling in his mind.
"Tadaima." Came the automatic reply before Kisuke's natural curiosity came back on. "Where were you? I searched the rooms and couldn't feel your reiatsu anywhere."
Ichigo wanted to say a whole bunch of things including 'you don't even know my reiatsu' and 'you're not strong enough to feel my reiatsu yet'. Instead, he remembered his Kisuke and channeled that instead:
"And yet Kisuke-chan still called out for me. That is so cute of you, Kisuke!" Ichigo pulled out his paper fan to cover his natural frown that was trying to crawl back out onto his face.
Kisuke glared. Ichigo forced a chuckle. This Kisuke was so easy to rile up. This must have been how his Kisuke felt watching Ichigo grow into the man he was.
This Kisuke wasn't his Kisuke.
Not yet. But one day. It's been getting harder to tell his Kisuke and this Kisuke apart recently too. This Kisuke reminded him of everything and yet he wasn't everything and would never be everything his Kisuke was. It's just been getting so damn hard to tell them apart. At times, this Kisuke was all he was living for now.
But this Kisuke would never be his Kisuke. His Kisuke and him had gone through so much together and Ichigo wouldn't want this Kisuke to ever go through that.
Not on his watch.
Times like this Ichigo hated the fact that he would be the one to choose if his Kisuke gets to live or die. Change the timeline and his Kisuke would never exist. Don't change the timeline and his Kisuke would die anyway.
But Ichigo was a selfish man with a strong resolve.
Today was a bad day though.
Why was everything feeling so fucking difficult to do?
Ichigo kept a sigh in. He really didn't want to think about this today. It was already so hard to keep his head above water and it was raining way too much already.
"Shopkeeper-san, I need your help."
Alrighty then. Back to business.
"What can I help you with, Kisuke-chan?"
The young man seemed to contemplate his decision before speaking. "I need you to teach me hand to hand combat."
"Sure." Ah. That's right. Kisuke had worked in the Maggot's nest and needed to learn hand to hand because weapons weren't allowed.
"You're not even going to ask me why?"
"I don't have to. You know I'd give you anything you ask for. You're my favourite after all, Kisuke." Ichigo gave the other an affectionate pat on the head. Times like this he didn't know if he was being sincere or if everything was a façade. Did he really mean that? Kisuke was his favourite but was this Kisuke a favourite? His memories were so fucking messy.
"We look forward, Ichigo. We faced the past and now we face forward. The only thing we can change is the now."
"That's the only way, Ossan. Keep reminding me." Replied internally, ever grateful for the two who have stuck with him through this mess.
So Ichigo taught Kisuke hand-to-hand the way his Yoruichi taught him, loving every moment of it.
His Kisuke was has always been a force to be reckoned with. This Kisuke will be one too.
-'`OOOoooOOOoooOOOooo'`-
Ichigo decides to attend the test that Kisuke takes for the position as a guard in the Maggot's nest.
This Kisuke fights the same way his does:
The stupid smirk when the man knows he's gotten the better of someone. The calculating gaze as he contemplates how much force is being directed at him and what the best outcome would be. Kisuke and the lines down his neck and back as he shifts his body to dodge. His hands and how they move to parry. The way his feet scrunch as he changes direction. The fucking colour of his blood and the singing of Benihime by his side.
Kisuke's rough hands caressing the inside of his thighs, past his abdominal area, up his chest and warmwarmwarm heat and blood rushing down to his cock as he moaned for Kisuke to fucking hurry it upr-
His fucking hands stained in blood, weak and frail and fucking lifeless as Benihime screeched one final time then turned silent as she slipped out of his palms onto the snow and everything turns blurry from the tears flowing freely out his eyes and his heart feeling dread and the end-
"I see the way you look at him." Yoruichi settled down next to him to watch the match, almost startling him.
Ichigo took a breath and held it for a moment to prepare himself for the conversation. This particular conversation. He let it out.
"And how do I look at him?" he asked warily.
"In a way a mentor should never look at his student." She smirked back at him.
Ichigo smiled. If only she knew what he was actually thinking of.
"He's growing up well. He hardly needs me anymore." Ichigo dodges her implications.
"I was actually referring to how you look like you want him in your bed." Wow she was really not letting this go.
"Are you sure you're not just displacing your feelings onto me?"
"You got to get a reality check if you really think that." Yoruichi scoffed. "He looks at you with stars in his eyes."
"And that's a look he should never have." Ichigo replies. It was strange, that look on Kisuke. His Kisuke never looked like that. His Kisuke looked at him with pride in his eyes. This one looked to him for affirmation and answers.
And yet, he finds this Kisuke so very endearing. "Move forward" Ossan reminds.
Kisuke ended the match effortlessly and they all politely applauded.
"One day, he'll be captain. I'll make it happen." Yoruichi declared.
Ichigo hummed in response.
"He'll make you proud, Ichigo."
"I don't need him to." Ichigo replied as Yoruichi continued to tease him. Deep down, the expectations from his Kisuke and this Kisuke mashed around and caused him to feel so confused regarding his affections for this and his Kisuke.
This Kisuke? His Kisuke? Maybe it didn't matter which Kisuke it was. Today, Kisuke makes him feel weightless and hopeful.
Maybe today's a good day.
Ossan reminds him again.
-'`OOOoooOOOoooOOOooo'`-
He relies on Kisuke more than he should and this feeling is something familiar.
"I can't believe you sent a packet of peach candies to Kisuke even though you knew it's my favourite flavor." Kyouraku-san whined after taking a shot of sake. "He taunted me with those for an entire week and wouldn't let me try a single one!"
"Sorry Kyouraku-san, it's a new product and it has to go through Kisuke's approval first." Ichigo tried to explain to the young version of his sensei. They would occasionally go drinking at the bar and tonight was one such night.
"I told you to start calling me Shunsui, please."
"Tell me how else I can make it up to you, Kyouraku-san." Ichigo smiled apologetically. He needed to make that distinction between his real sensei and this younger one. "I have some peach jam in stock. Would that suffice?"
"Fine fine. You're lucky I like you, Ichigo-san." The captain sighed.
"You're making Shun-chan so jealous, Ichigo-san." Ukitake-san added.
"Juu-chan! You can't tell Ichigo-san things like that!" Kyouraku-san whispers harshly as if Ichigo can't hear them.
"Speaking of which, I can't believe that little boy of yours is captain now. You've taught him well. And he's taken after you as well! First president of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute! You must be proud." Shinji joined in the conversation as he gestured for Ukitake-san to cut off Kyouraku-san's supply to the sake. Ichigo quickly glanced to Kisuke, who was having a whispered conversation with Yoruichi and Tessai at the far corner of the bar, just to check that they were doing fine. Just checking. In case.
"Just passing on the favour and keeping my Mentor's legacy alive. Kisuke's amazing and a genius. All credit goes to him." Ichigo added, looking away from the trio.
"One day you'll have to introduce me to your sensei. I would love to meet the man who groomed you to who you are today." Shinji leaned forward trying to gleam some secret by gazing into Ichigo's eyes. Ichigo just snorted and made sure to keep his gaze away from the three busybodies at his table. They have been rather suspicious of him as of late. Ichigo wouldn't be surprised if they had a bet going on to see who could get him to reveal some information on his past first.
They continued to enjoy the ambience of the bar and that was when he suddenly felt it.
Fucking disgusting. Unforgettable.
It stirred up every hateful fiber of Ichigo's soul.
"Ichigo-san?"
Aizen Fucking Sousuke's Reiatsu was something Ichigo knew he would always be attuned to. He was practically trained to. It wasn't something he would forget - the deaths.
"Ichigo-san?!"
"Don't let him find us. Clamp everything down, King, you're showing your reiatsu."
"You don't have to tell me twice, Aibou."
"Urahara-taichou! Get over here! There's something wrong with Ichigo-san!"
"Did you feel that? What the fuck was that reiatsu? Was that Ichigo?"
"It disappeared suddenly. Stay alert."
"What the fuck? Kisuke get the fuck here already!"
He really could kill the fucker. It would be so easy. He could do it for them. The fucker that destroyed so much and hurt so many. Aizen wouldn't think himself a god if Ichigo would just go there and fucking slit his face into half.
"Shopkeeper-san? Shopkeeper-san!"
For KisukeYuzuKarinTousanShinjiRukiaRenjiInoueIshidaYoruichiByakuyaToushiro-
"Ichigo."
Kisuke called and Ichigo breathed, snapping out of it. That voice, the way his name was called. He was home! He was safe and warm and Kisuke was here and warm and alive and loving. Kisuke's reiatsu embraced him and it felt so warm and home and familiar but why wasn't Kisuke hugging him or holding him?
"Huh?" Ichigo turned to Kisuke and realized it was this Kisuke. But he was so fucking familiar and nostalgic and everything Ichigo wantedneeded-
"Are you ok, Shopkeeper-san?" Kisuke asked and oh right he was drinking with the others.
He was just 'Shopkeeper-san'.
Reality snapped back with a force that hurt and almost made Ichigo whine from the torture that his heart was suffering.
"Come on Aibou get your head in order."
"Not now, Ichigo. You can suffer later."
He felt his soul being shoved back out into reality and as if Zangetsu managed to physically pull the edges of his mouth upwards, he grinned.
"Oh ho? Did you just call me by my name, Kisuke-chan?" Ichigo tried for humour. "I think that's the first time! My Kisuke-chan has really grown up."
Nobody laughed. Kisuke had that look on his face, the one that Ichigo was so familiar with during the war - all seriousness and the intensity of a torrent.
"What happened?" Kisuke pushed.
Ichigo laugh sounded so hollow even to his own ears but he pushed on and fanned their concerns away. "Just an old man dazing off."
"We felt a spike in your reiatsu." Yoruichi continued the questioning.
"First time we've felt your reiatsu actually." Shinji added. Why was everyone being so damned persistent? "Thought ya didn't even have any. Turns out you had hell'a lot of it and it was fucking intense. Tessai had to put up a shield." The blond gestured to Tessai who was standing quietly in concentration to keep their conversation private.
"Who are you, Ichigo-san?"Ukitake-san had a look of suspicion, all of them were staring at Ichigo in that same way as if they had to be on guard. "We have no idea where you were from, you look like someone from the Shiba family but they've never heard of you, you always know strange things and you refer to people that none of us have heard of before. Now your reiatsu is off the charts and you were triggered by something none of us are aware of."
Kyouraku nudged Ukitake. "Juu-chan, let him breath."
"We knew of his existence and didn't report it to the Soutaicho. I think we deserve some answers." Ukitake persisted.
Ahh. This really reminded him of the time when he first invaded soul society. Or that time when he was first introduced to the vizards. Or that time when he told everyone about his hollow half.
"Ichigo? What happened?" There this Kisuke goes again, addressing him in a way that was so fucking familiar and so very confusing.
Ichigo steeled himself because he just couldn't deny Kisuke (whichever it was) when he was like that. Ossan was telling him to stand firm. Zangetsu was telling him to fuck everyone up if he had to.
"Kisuke." Ichigo started, knowing that he had everyone's attention. "Shinji, Yoruichi, Shunsui, Juushiro, Tessai." He paused, thinking. This time, he would speak to them as his friends, no longer strangers in an old world. "You don't know me all that well and you have no reason to listen to these words but I plead for you to do so. There will come a time when you'll be unsure of who's an enemy and who's an ally. I know I'm asking a lot when I ask of you to trust me, and trust one another. The illusions put up by others will test you all one day. But know that there are those who are loyal and true that you can call comrades.
"I have seen war. And I know it is coming. I will make sure each one of you get through this alive. That is my promise. I apologise that I cannot tell you more at this point in time but I will some day. Please understand. I mean no harm and I will always be on your side no matter what." Ichigo finished and allowed the voices in his head to cheer him on. The others were silent but he knew them, trusted them. This version or that one didn't matter. Fundamentally, Ichigo knew there were the same. He hoped.
Suddenly, Shinji sniggered. "Yeah sure, whatever Ichigo. What I want to know is why the hell have ya been holding back and what the heck is up with your reiatsu!"
"You're right. I didn't even feel that when he was training me. Did you know that Shopkeeper-san once sliced a freaking oak tree in half with a wooden bokken?" Kisuke jabbed a finger at him.
"Seriously? Oh is that why there's a huge stump at the back of the shop?" Ukitake continued.
"That's the one." Kisuke nodded.
"Oya? We spar and he doesn't even do much. Just runs away and taunts me. I've never even seen him with a weapon!" Yoruichi emphasized by throwing her hands around in gesture.
"Eh? He always practices with us with two bokkens. He's never used a weapon with you, Yoruichi-san?" Kyoraku-san asked.
"Nope!" She replied.
"Hmmm. I feel the potential for a bet in the making here." Shinji brought his head lower to the table and gestured for everyone to do the same as if they were in the midst of a big conspiracy. "Alright gents and the beautiful lady! Whoever gets Ichigo to use his reiatsu first wins."
"Eh? Another bet?" Kyouraku asked and it was Ukitake's turn to nudge him this time.
"What do we win, Shinji-ya?" Yoruichi actually giggled excitedly.
"The rights to test Ichigo-san's new products first!"
"I apologise, Kyoraku-san." There was a smile on Kisuke's face but Ichigo recognized it easily as the 'I-would-love-to-murder-you' smile the young boy must have picked up from him (which was something he actually picked up from his Kisuke but this was getting confusing). "But that job's already taken. Perhaps you'd take care to mind your own business?"
"Why? Afraid of a little competition?" Kyoraku taunted back.
"I think it's a good idea! I approve!" Shinji raised a hand. Ukitake followed.
"Now, wait just a moment." Ichigo interjected. "I'm pretty sure I'm the one that needs to approve of this deal. And I say no. Kisuke is the only one who should taste the original."
"Noooo!"
"But why!"
"Yes! That's just too bad, Kyoraku."
"Ehhhh!? Did you just address me without the suffix, Mr Newest Captain-kun?"
"Why yes. Yes I did."
"Wahahahahaha! Kisuke-chan has grown some balls after becoming a captain!"
"I'm pretty sure you should be the last person making a 'balls' statement, Yoruichi-san." Shinji nudged her then continued with a: "BUT I CAN! WOOOOOOOOO KISUKE HAS BALLS! EAT THAT KYORAKU!"
"YOU TOO, SHINJI-SAN? WHERE'S YOUR MANNERS? Youngsters these days…"
"Shun-chan! You're making too much noise! The lieutenants are looking over…"
"Fuckkkkk, Kisuke I swear your lieutenant is hella weird man."
"She's going to hear you, Shinji-san."
"Okay that's it. I'm cutting off the sake supply." Ichigo insisted and tried pulling the bottles away from Yoruichi and Shinji but they protested even louder.
"FIGHT ME FOR IT ICHIGO!" Yoruichi bellowed and Ichigo couldn't help but rub at his temples.
"OI! DON'T YOU THINK YOU'RE BEING TOO OBVIOUS? YOU WON'T WIN THE BET THIS WAY YOU KITTY CAT!"
"DID YOU JUST CALL ME A KITTY CAT YOU FUCKING BANGS FOR HAIR SHOJO!?"
"SHOJO?! YOU F-"
"Fuck. Help me." Ichigo muttered knowing no one was listening to him anymore. Tessai exchanged a look of long suffering with him. Shinji and Yoruichi started a brawl sending several patrons running off while the bunch of lieutenants tried to rein them in. Kisuke was jeering at Shinji, Kyoraku was in hysterics, and Ukitake was trying to get Kyoraku off the floor.
Ichigo knew that Shinji had changed the topic on purpose but he definitely caught the serious gaze Shinji sent his way prior to that. He smiled knowing his message was received. Kisuke caught his eye just then and Ichigo couldn't help but send the blond a salute with his sake cup. Kisuke actually winked at him before sending the loudest "BOOOOOO SHOJO BOOOOOOO!" Shinji's way.
Ichigo laughed.
That was the last time Ichigo remembered the bunch of them being happy together.
-'`OOOoooOOOoooOOOooo'`-
[Your arms are my castle; your heart is my sky.
They wipe away tears that I cry.
The good and the bad times we've been through them all.
You make me rise when I fall.]
Things had fallen in place and there was a period of peace before the killings in Rukongai started.
People were scared to come out of their homes and the streets were empty once it turned dark. It really affected business and Ichigo found it hard to scrape by. Food was scarce and tension high. Kisuke made sure to send him a portion of his pay every month as he did since he worked at the Shihouin household. Ichigo tried to share what he could with his neighbours whom businesses had been affected as well.
Ichigo, however, was more affected by the future he knew was coming.
It's been a couple of years since he'd seen most of his captain friends but their squad members would drop by sometimes to pick up candy. Kisuke too hadn't been back for a long time now because of the increase in workload.
This reprieve from all the captains snooping around his life allowed Ichigo to start preparing for things to come. Opening a garganta behind sekkiseki stones in his basement allowed him to head back to the living world without anyone the wiser. Karakura was highly undeveloped in this time but the main factory areas were built already. With the living world money he had exchanged with Yoruichi, he did the necessary paper work, bought the warehouse that had used to house the vizards in his timeline, and started to make it more livable.
In his time, the one before he came here, Karakura had been largely destroyed. He remembered the bodies lying on the streets, both in the black garb of his Shinigami comrades and the colourful getup of his living world friends. He remembered the dust and grey skies.
Walking along the river, he chose to remember the happier times instead of the bad ones. He remembered Tatsuki and Chad chilling by the river with him every now and then. He remembered how shy Orihime used to be before she found out about him and Kisuke. Ishida would banter with him all the way until they split ways back home. This was the place Kisuke would always find him at if Ichigo wanted to calm his mind.
Towards the end of the river, he came across an empty plot of land. It was nostalgic. It was painful. But it was his second home as well. (The shop was obviously his first home now.) Memories of his sisters and father were something he made himself to never think about ever again. He couldn't handle it. So Ichigo hurried along, deciding that he wasn't ready to face this particular demon that haunted him.
Further along the streets, he remembered where the hospital used to be. He remembered the shopping streets and the arcade. It was a bunch of wooden houses now with some peddlers selling goods along the street. He continued on, walking past the people knowing none of them could see him.
Turning right, he came to the end of the row of shops. Wilderness and empty land spanned ahead. This was the place Ichigo was looking for. He knew he had to purchase it now.
In the future, or Ichigo's past, Urahara Shoten had stood between a row of low-rise traditional shop houses and a plot of developed high-rise office buildings. He had heard Tessai's constant complains about how the developers wanted to buy over the Shoten's plot of land to continue the development of their high-rise buildings but Kisuke had refused to give in. The developers hounded the shop so very often but Kisuke made sure to fight back. In the end, there stood the Shoten, blocking the continuation of the development of the more modern buildings.
Kisuke had called the Shoten a historical monument jokingly.
Ichigo would make that a reality now.
Applying for the land through similar means, he started the building process of the shoten as he remembered it. It took up a lot of his time, sweat, tears, and memories.
Fucking damn it.
His Kisuke used to drink tea with him in this room. The kids use to tease Renji in the room next to this one. Tessai used to cook in his silly apron right here in the kitchen, and Yoruichi used sleep on top of him as a cat just over there by the windows. Rukia and Orihime would share this room while he, Chad and Ishida would take the other room next to this one. The one at the far back was where Ururu and Jinta would sleep in. Kisuke would make a mess of this room and Tessai always had to clean up after the genius finished his crazy researches.
Later, the shoten was one of the last bases left in the war against Aizen in the human world. The wards held strong and Aizen never could breach their home. They used to have war meetings right here in this room. They would all cramp in to sleep in the other room over there. Ichigo remembered how Byakuya had looked when he had to share a sleeping space with Renji, Chad, Ishida, and Toushiro. By then, Ichigo had moved in to sleep with Kisuke, Yoruichi and Tessai. There just wasn't enough space for privacy but it was home.
All up until Tessai was killed and the wards came down. All up until Kisuke was murdered and Ichigo left his world behind.
Fuck.
Today was a bad day.
-'`OOOoooOOOoooOOOooo'`-
Shinji drops by all of a sudden one day.
"Tell me more about what triggered you that day at the bar." He commands.
"Wow. Not even a hello? Where are your manners, Hirako Taicho?" Ichigo's eyes sparkled with mirth as a fan comes up to cover his face.
"I'm serious Ichigo. We gave you your space, we didn't pry. But shit's going down in Seireitei right now, and I need some answers." Shinji was nervous, Ichigo could tell after knowing the other for so long.
He sighed. "There is someone you're suspicious of. He shouldn't be trusted. He was the one I reacted to that night."
"There's a lot of people I'm suspicious of and most of them are close to me." Shinji accused and Ichigo flinched even though he knew he had no excuse for himself.
"Shinji, I cannot tell you anything."
"Ichigo. Now isn't the time for secrets! People are dying and I don't want the next one to be someone we know!"
"I know, Shinji, I know." Ichigo had to hold himself back from spilling the whole story and changing the timeline. Shinji looked frightened and this was probably the first time Ichigo had seen the look on the blond's face. Shinji in the future was too jaded and had gone through so much that there was little he feared.
"Please, Ichigo. Give me a hint." Shinji was desperate. "Is it Aizen? Or the creepy kid he just adopted?"
Ichigo took some time to think about how he could assure his friend. "Shinji, just know that even if everything seems hopeless, it'll be alright. I will be there to back you up when the time is right."
Shinji gave a snort in disbelief. "That's all you can give me? Not even a yes or no to my questions?"
Ichigo kept quiet. Shit. This was how Kisuke must have felt when Kisuke was plotting Ichigo's very own hollowfication. He prayed that Shinji would forgive him. Fuck. Did Kisuke really harbour this much guilt? Ichigo needed this to happen. Their hollowfied versions made a huge difference against Aizen's army. This had to happen.
Fanning himself even harder, Ichigo grinned and replied with "All in good time, Shinji. Don't worry, it'll be all fine."
"Fine. You don't know what you're asking of me Ichigo." Shinji stood to leave. "Goodbye Ichigo. I hope we do meet again in better times."
Ichigo didn't say that the next time they would meet, Shinji would be going through the worst experience of his life.
Fuck.
"Shinji," Ichigo called out just before the captain left the shop. Shinji turned around with that familiar frown on his face.
"I'm sorry." For everything.
Shinji didn't reply and left.
Today was another bad day.
Which led to more bad days.
-'`OOOoooOOOoooOOOooo'`-
There was shriek, followed by a spike in hollow reiatsu.
Ah. Kensei and Mashiro. They finally feel familiar.
"King, do we really have to sit here?"
"What's the use of you being here to watch and torture yourself, Ichigo?"
"Yeah you're just making it flood in here! Listen to the old man! We can head to the Twelfth barracks first."
"No. I need to monitor this. Anything could go wrong considering Aizen's here."
"Fucker." Ichigo nodded in agreement.
Tonight, he was dressed in a garb similar to the one he wore when he stormed Seireitei the first time but in all black. He had left his straw hat back at the shop along with his fan. For the first time in a long time, he had his Kyber knife strapped to the back of his waist, and his longer blade strapped behind his back. Zangetsu couldn't be happier that he could come out to play. They had trained a lot in the privacy of the candy shop's basement over the years but this was the first time he would properly fight with his blades.
Another reiatsu spiked and Ichigo recognised it as Hiyori's. Ah… anytime now, Shinji will arrive. Ichigo double checked his reiatsu to make sure nothing was leaking. He knew Aizen was nearby too and didn't want to give anything away.
It was some time later when a group of new reiatsu joined the ones fighting away in the forest. He wanted to make himself watch this. He owed it to Shinji.
"You're a dumbass."
Ichigo ignored Zangetsu and focused on the fight. Aizen and his dog had arrived. He could see them all from where he was hiding. When Tousen and Aizen started to take over the fight, when it seems like Shinji and him team was losing, Ichigo saw Shinji's gaze continuously looking around for something or rather someone.
He could practically hear Shinji's accusation. Ichigo did promise he would be there to back them up after all.
Then Ichigo felt as Shinji's reiatsu changed into the one that he knew. Ahhh… that was rather nostalgic. Shinji's scream of agony rang out and Ichigo forced himself to listen and account for all the sins he needed to repay.
"You're a fucking idiot." Zangetsu's voice rang loud and clear.
Next, Ichigo saw a black cloaked figure arrive with Tessai, who was dressed in his formal attire. Ichigo knew it was Kisuke because of how in tuned he was with the other's reiatsu. He heard the helplessness in Kisuke's voice when the other saw Shinji's body mutated on the ground.
Tessai launched an attack at Aizen who blocked it effortlessly thus finally showing the fucker's true colours. Good, so far everything had gone according to plan. When Tessai teleported Kisuke and the vizards back to the twelfth, Ichigo started to move as well.
First, he needed to hunt Yoruichi down so that she could help him with extraction. Then he needed to find Juushiro and Shunsui to explain things.
Before he could leave, a spike in reiatsu to his right had him drawing out his Kyber knife to block. Another attack came from the left which had him pulling out the other blade to defend again.
Ah fuck.
"Oh who do we have here? If it isn't the candy shopkeeper that Hirako Taicho always hangs out with. Now, what are you doing here and why do you have two zanpaktous?" Aizen's syrupy voice cause his blood to boil and his carefully hidden reiatsu to burst forth. He didn't need to answer this fucker.
Ichigo easily shoved Tousen away, parried with Aizen, and dodged the little Gin.
"Now now, no matter how stupid you are, you can't believe that a poor shopkeeper like you could fight the three of us and win?" Aizen taunted.
Ichigo barely heard him, too focused, too resolved.
"Remember what you have to do, Ichigo. It's not the time to kill Aizen." The old man warned
"But nobody said you can't cut off his legs or something." Zangetsu urged.
Ichigo deflected a strike aimed for his back and swatted a high level kido spell from Aizen away. Gracefully, he spun around and jabbed his Kyber knife upwards aiming at Tousen's stomach but was blocked. Another effortless swing with his longer knife sent a Getsuga Tenshou towards Aizen who had to put but a barrier last minute. Ichigo smirked when he saw the attack hit and Aizen spat out some blood.
A quick shunpo sideways and a lunge set his blade in the middle of Tousen's torso.
"Fuck yeah."
"Gin, take Tousen and go." Aizen sure knew how to cut his losses. "You are a surprise, Shopkeeper-san."
And just for calling him that, Ichigo sent another Getsuga Tenshou at Aizen. Blood spilled and how glorious that was.
Aizen's disgusting reiatsu started to pick up again and Ichigo wasn't going to give the fucker a chance to release his shikai. With a step, Ichigo shunpoed forward. His left hand found the cold metal of Aizen's sword, while his right hand had plunged Zangetsu into Aizen's stomach.
Aizen's fearful wide eyes were just so satisfying.
"Remember what you have to do, Ichigo."
Gin's blade came zooming towards him and he dodged, throwing Aizen's body off his knife towards the sliver haired boy's direction.
"Fuck off. I've got more important things to do today." Ichigo addressed the little Gin who gave him a nod then disappeared with Aizen and Tousen's body. Fuck. Ichigo hoped that wouldn't change the timeline too much. He needed things to happen before he could finally kill Aizen.
Ichigo rid the dirty blood off his blades with a swing each and kept his blades behind him once again. Right. Back to business.
He needed to find Yoruichi. Ichigo headed towards Seireitei knowing that the Omitsukido commander-in-chief would be snooping around Seireitei now.
Ichigo spreaded his reiatsu thin, sending it out to feel for Yoruichi's familiar aura like she had taught him a lifetime ago. She must have recognised his reiatsu somehow and started heading towards him as he was nearing the Eighth Division barracks.
"What the fuck are you doing here dressed like that, Ichigo? It's a bad time for you to be here." She casted suspicious eyes onto him.
"Come. I'll explain everything to you with Kyouraku-san and Ukitake-san." He started moving to the Eighth, a place he was once so familiar with and Yoruichi must have noticed that as well.
"Hang in there, Ichigo. Stand firm."
"What about Shinji, Tessai, and Kisuke?" Yoruichi's tone showed she was really worried.
"They're in trouble at the moment. I have to explain everything to you three now before moving on with the plan."
"So there is a plan?"
"There has always been." Ichigo directed her to Kyouraku's usual guest foyer after avoiding all the security. Just as he gestured for her to sit, Kyouraku joined them in the room and looked really surprised but a little wary to see them.
"Ichigo? I thought that reiatsu felt quite familiar."
"Get Juushiro." Ichigo commanded, he really needed to do this quick. Kyouraku paused for a moment before following through. In a few moments, Ukitake had joined them and all four of them had settled on the tatami mats around a table. No tea was served and the tension was high.
"Ichigo-san, what's going on?" Kyouraku started. It was time.
"I'm not from this time." Silence followed but it wasn't as if Ichigo expected them to reply him. "Just listen to me. I'm going to briefly go through the timeline that you guys told me about in the future before I came back in time. Everything I know about what's going on now came from Kisuke and you, Shunsui.
You guys probably had a meeting with the Soutaichou earlier today. Prior to that, Kensei and Mashiro were sent out to deal with the disappearance of people from the Rukongai area. They were turned into hollows by Aizen Sousuke who was using something called a Hogyoku. It's a rip off of the one Kisuke created. Anyway, it's a powerful artifact that make things happen. I shall not go into it but it was what turned Kensei and Mashiro into hollows.
Following that, a bunch of captains and vice-captains were sent out to investigate the situation, right? Among them, Shinji and your lieutenant, Lisa."
"Is Lisa-chan ok? What happened?" Kyouraku finally interjected. Ichigo shook his head, apologetic.
"Aizen attacked them too, and they've been turned into hollows as well."
"Fuck." Yoruichi cursed.
Kyouraku slammed the table and vaulted forward to grab at Ichigo's collar. Ichigo allowed it. "Why didn't you save them?! You said you knew it would happen!"
"I'm sorry. But I needed this to happen."
"What? Why?!"
"Because I need the things that follow to happen. Will you allow me to finish before you pass your judgement?" Ichigo calmly asked.
Kyouraku cursed but settled down at Ukitake's insistence.
Ichigo continued. "After that, Kisuke and Tessai stumbled onto the scene. They couldn't apprehend Aizen but they managed to take the hollowfied captains and vice-captains back to the Twelfth. At this point in time, Kisuke is probably trying to reverse the hollowfication but he won't be able to.
Also, Aizen caught me snooping after Tessai and Kisuke had left. I fought his group of three and managed to wound both him and his partner Tousen. They will probably use this to further their claims to frame Kisuke and Tessai."
"What? Frame?" it was now Yoruichi's turn to freak out.
"Tomorrow, Kisuke and Tessai will be brought to Central 46 to be judged for everything Aizen has done. They will be deemed guilty." Ichigo concluded.
"This is possibly the worse scenario, Ichigo-san. You say you're from the future but you're not making things any better." Ukitake accused. "Why did you not do anything to stop this?"
Ichigo looked down, guilty. "I need to stick as close to the timeline as possible to ensure I will exist in the future to support the past like I am doing now. It's complicated but seeing how I'm still around, I believe we're still following the right flow of time." Ichigo explained. "Only recently while I was writing out the plans did I realise that the Kisuke who sent me back must have planned for all this to happen as well." Ichigo shook his head fondly. "Only his genius mind could plan for this to happen."
"What do you mean? Why were you sent back in the first place?" Yoruichi asked.
"For one, everyone had died to Aizen in the future. He slaughtered everyone. Kisuke soon followed but he left one of his new inventions in my hands to send me back in time. He didn't give me any instructions but I'm starting to understand his reasoning now.
I wasn't strong enough to defeat Aizen in my timeline. I had just bonded with my zanpaktou and wasn't familiar with it enough to fight against Aizen. Kisuke must have planned for me to grow in this time period so that I'm finally prepared for it." Ichigo refused to admit that his main motivation for doing this was so that the events that shaped the people he knew would actually happen and all the friends he knew would be returned to him. Yes, it was fucking selfish. But it was one selfish request that kept Ichigo afloat through all these years of suffering.
"And why should we go along with what Urahara-taichou planned instead of acting immediately? We have all the information we need to get rid of Aizen now."
Ichigo shook his head. "Nobody will believe you. Aizen has the whole of Seireitei seeing what he wants them to see. His zanpaktou's ability is to create illusions and anyone who has seen him release his shikai will be under his spell."
"Shit! We've all seen his release when he took the test to be vice-captain. He told us his abilities were water-based!"
Ichigo nodded. "He has Central 46 under his control. Nobody will believe you if you accuse him. If you attack him now, he will manipulate Central 46 against you."
"So what's your plan then, Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked again.
"I plan to follow my original timeline. For all I know, you guys knew about all this in the original timeline, kept it from me and were merely waiting for the right time to strike. I've prepared accommodations for Shinji and the others who have been hollowfied and they will be trained to understand their new powers. In the original timeline, Yoruichi breaks Tessai and Kisuke out of Central 46 and escapes to the living world. You'll all be exiled and we plan from there. Kyouraku-san and Ukitake-san can continue operating from here and observe Aizen's motions."
Kyouraku finally asked the question on everyone's mind. "Why should we trust you? For all we know you were the one who attacked Shinji and Lisa and the rest, and now you're just conveniently tossing the blame onto a well-mannered vice-captain." Kyouraku accused, still worried about his lieutenant.
Ichigo's gaze locked onto Kyouraku's, determined to convey his intensions. "Because if you've seen my hat and my dual-blade sword style, you'd know who my sensei was."
Fuck. He's right. And his shunpo style was something so fucking familiar I should have deduced who taught it to him much earlier." Yoruichi rubbed at her temples. "What Ichigo shared sounds totally unbelievable but knowing Kisuke for this long, I really believe that he would create such a device to send someone like Ichigo back to do something like this. This has Kisuke written all over it. "
Kyouraku too seemed convinced now and Ichigo felt the tension slowly seeped away. He had his comrads back on his side.
"You're really a Shiba, aren't you?" Ukitake asked and Ichigo nodded.
"My father was from the Shiba family. I will not say anymore regarding this matter."
Ukitake nodded in understanding.
"Fine then, Ichigo-san, or should I just call you Ichigo since I was your sensei?" Kyouraku's grin reappeared. "What should we do next?"
"Okay, so here's the plan…" Ichigo explained, thankful that in whatever timeline, he could trust his friends.
-'`OOOoooOOOoooOOOooo'`-
Aizen was a fucker.
Ichigo couldn't believe how much of a manipulative fucker that asshole was.
The plan was going well and it was rather simple. Yoruichi just had to tie up some loose ends before going ahead with the extraction and exile. Kyouraku and Ukitake just had to act as if they didn't know what was going on and communicate information back to Ichigo. Ichigo also told them to touch Aizen's sword if they could and that he'd already gotten the chance to do it.
But Aizen fucking Sousuke was always one step ahead of him even after being beat up with a fucking hole through his torso.
Moments after their meeting ended, Central 46's guards swamped the Eighth Division barracks asking for them to turn Kyouraku Taichou in for questioning because of his relationship with a suspicious candy shopkeeper.
Fuck this didn't happen the last time!
"Just deny you know me alright? Just deny everything. I will lead them away and Yoruichi will go ahead with the extraction. They might have moved the questioning forward to prevent us from escaping." Ichigo directed for Yoruichi to leave first, and she did.
"Shit. Aizen's really got Central 46 in his pocket. He's trying to frame you and anyone who has connections with you too!" Ukitake grit his teeth in frustration and a similar look was found on Kyouraku's face.
"Follow my lead ok? Whatever it is, deny you know anything and that I had gone crazy and tried to attack you." Ichigo had a plan. It was stupid but it would work. He released his hollow reiatsu and pulled out his blades.
"What? What the fuck Ichigo?!"
"What is that reiatsu?!"
Ichigo pulled his hollow mask on and got ready to attack.
"I've got this, King."
"I know. I trust you."
It was as if he was sparring with his senseis again. Ichigo made sure to move slower, give them time pull out their own zanpaktous and defend. By then, the guards from Central 46 had surrounded them, ready to attack.
"Oh you've called for back up? You shinigamis are all so weak! Die!" Ichigo called out dramatically in his dual-toned voice and continued to attack Kyouraku and Ukitake. Once in awhile, he'd turn to attack a guard only for one of the captains to step in to defend them. It was the perfect picture of the innocent captains being betrayed by someone they had once called a friend.
"I will have my revenge one day! But now, I have to rescue my other hollow friends. Farewell!" Really, his hollow was so freaking dramatic that Ichigo could cringe. He left Kyouraku and Ukitake with a cheeky wink and sonido-ed away towards the Twelfth. He prayed that Yoruichi had no trouble with her end of the plan.
The Twelfth was a mess of headless chickens running about trying to contain the situation while their captain was being condemned by the law, and their lieutenant was out of commission. Ichigo managed to sneak into Kisuke's lab with no problem and was greeted to the sight of his vizard friends strewed across the floor, unconscious.
Really, Kisuke in any timeline had no consideration towards other people's comfort.
Ichigo hadn't bothered to remove his mask and that was when Yoruichi entered with Kisuke and Tessai in her arms.
"What the fuck, Ichigo?!" it was the first time Ichigo had heard her shriek.
"Yeah that's what Shunsui and Juushiro said too." Ichigo waved her off and took some time to appreciate the gob smacked look on all three of their faces. "In short, I'm like them." He pointed towards the vizards on the ground.
"Shopkeeper-san? Thank god you're alright." Kisuke's voice shook, obviously still shaken from how quick Central 46 was to condemn them all. Next thing Ichigo knew, Kisuke had fallen into his arms, hugging life out of him. "They told me they were going to apprehend you as well. They said you were a conspirator and they were going to capture you and execute you too. Thank god you are ok. How did you get away?"
Ichigo smiled softly. Even with his mask, this Kisuke didn't shy away and accepted him.
He really, really loved this man.
"I'm alright, Kisuke. Thank god you are alright too." Ichigo gave in to his desires and returned the hug, smooshing his face into Kisuke's hair to breathe in the scent that he was so very familiar with. Kisuke was Kisuke and he was so very, immensely grateful for having a Kisuke in his arms again.
"It's good to see that everyone's fine but how are we going to get out of here?" Tessai interrupted and Kisuke sprung away from his embrace. Ichigo swear he wasn't pouting. It had been too long since he had some Kisuke damn it.
"Yeah, Shopkeeper-san. How are we getting out of here?"
Ichigo, with a smug smirk on his face that was all Zangetsu's doing, snapped up a garganta in the middle of Kisuke's lab causing the trio to drop their jaws again. There on the other side of the garganta stood a wooden shop big enough to house them. Ichigo bowed and gestured towards it like the gentleman he was.
"This way, please. Welcome to Urahara's Shoten."
Today was turning out to be a good day after all.
"And no more calling me Shopkeeper-san. This shop is under your name after all. Please call me Ichigo."
Hopefully, there will be more good days to come.
A/N: I have plans for part 3 because i had to end part 2 so abruptly in order to change POV. Part 3 will exists! and it will be in Kisuke's POV and our favourite genius will slowly get to fall in love with our dear Ichigo.
I also received a review asking about Kaien and why nobody suspects anything. Well, not many people have seen Ichigo and his friends are rather protective of anyone else hording him. Also, they respect him enough to give him space and not question things until now. Hope that makes sense! If the timeline is out of whack, well, AU. 3