Chapter 4

"Shin, who is this?" He stood there struggling how to explain who this person is to Masashi. The orange haired male stood and towered over both of them. He was covered from head to toe in bandages. Very literally. Right down to his finger tips and toes were covered in bandages. His beige yukata hid most of it from sight, but he could tell there was more underneath. His bright orange hair hanging over his unseen eyes, but he didn't seem to care if they got in the way. A sliding door opened right next to them.

"What is all of this ruckus? Shin didn't I tell you to play farther in the garden? I need to get my paperwork done…" His father's words dropped off as soon as he saw their guest. "You're up." It took his father a moment to register what he had said. "Kami-sama! You're up." His father grasped the upper arm of the boy and dragged him inside, leaving the door open for both of them to follow. He looked at Masashi, who looked at him with his grey eyes. Whom shrugged. Curiosity got the best of them, and they ran to catch up.

His father had dragged the male through the house and into the dining area, all the while talking animatedly. About how glad that he was awake and moving, that there were so many questions to ask. The orange head hadn't been able to put a single word in yet. He could only stumble along and follow his father to where he wanted to go. He almost pitied him.

The dining area had a nice long oak table with six chairs on either side and one at each end. A fancy decorative table piece sat in the middle of the table. Plates were set up and ready for any family member that wished to eat.

His very old grandmother sat near the end of the table opposite of them. She was wearing her traditional red and gold kimono with her grey hair pulled up in an intricate bun and decorative hair pins. Wrinkles adorned her skin, but did not detract from the obvious beauty of when she was young. She was eating sasomichi with nicely manicured hands. Looking up from her meal she spotted their guest. Her dark eyes were harsh and critical of the strange orange haired male. She may look nice, but her strictness with those around her made her seem very mean and harsh. Besides no one would disregard her order because she is the last of the very first members of our family.

The orange head was waving his hands around, almost as if he couldn't see. He should be able to see, right? As the male's hand neared the back of one of the dining chairs the bird gave a chirp from his shoulder. The bird was a beautiful royal blue color with tints of green mixing in the ends of it's feathers. The male grasped the top of the chair shortly after.

Masashi stared wide eyed at the guest. He then remembered that that bird was Masashi's. Now why did the orange haired guest have Toshi?

"Sora." His father called for his assistant. Grandmother then interrupted his father. The orange haired male jumped at the sudden interruption.

"He will dine with me alone and in private." His father stared at grandmother with his mouth hanging open.

"Grandmother Chiyo! Whatever you are planning I will not let it play out. We all will dine together." His grandmother gave his father a hard glare.

"You will do as I say young man." His father grew pale. Everyone knew not to mess with Grandmother. "Now leave me and our guest to eat in peace. You have work to do don't you." Her tone was so harsh that it caused all of them but their guest to gulp in fear of her possible rath. His father nodded and ushered us out of the dining room.

"You two best go play out in the garden or around the stables." He gave both of us an encouraging push away from the room. "When grandmother demands something that much you can hardly refuse her, now go." Him and Masashi dashed out of the house and away from the room.


He stood there in the utter silence of the room. He knew there was someone across from him. One named Grandmother Chiyo. He didn't know what to do. She had apparently wanted to dine with him.

But why? Why would she want to dine with him alone? There had to be some reason for all of this.

"Sit down." He jumped again. Cursing himself silently at his lack of attention to his surroundings. He slowly worked his way into the wooden chair. Painfully aware of his still existing injuries. Zangetsu urged him to be careful. There was another long silent pause. The female across from him gave a long weary sigh.

"I'm too old for this." She muttered to herself. "You are a long way from home aren't you?" Her lightheartedness was unexpected to what she had spoken before. He didn't know what to say. She continued on nevertheless. "You may call me Chiyo, but many here call me Grandmother and you may also do the same if you wish." The manners that had been hammered into him from a young age rushed up.

"My name is Ichigo, ma'am." His voice still barely a whisper. Chiyo gave a hum in thought.

"The one who protects, huh? A very nice name. One that probably fits you very well." He flinched at her words. They stung and weighed heavily on his chest. He struggled to get the words out.

"No. I deserve no such name." Chiyo was silent for a moment.

"You are very lost. I can see that." He tried to look at her as accurately as possible. "And I don't mean that because you can't see." He flinched again. The bird gave an unhappy tweet. "Ichigo if there is anything that you wish to ask, I will answer them as best as I can." Someone entered the room before he could.

"I apologize Chiyo-sama for interrupting your conversation but the meal is ready for you and your guest."

"Thank you Sora. You may go back to your regular duties. Have the kitchen staff bring out the dishes." Chiyo ordered. "Also go get Akihiko. I wish for him to join us."

"Of course, I shall fetch him immediately."

"Thank you Sora." He didn't know what she looked, but he could tell that she was very old. People bustled about the room in tense silence. Once all the dishes had been set out, they hastily retreated back to the kitchen possibly. He could here the snap of chopsticks against dish ware as Chiyo ate her meal. He did not attempt to eat. His stomach was tied in knots and was still aching from the head butt earlier. Possibly noticing his reluctance to eat, the sound of eating stopped.

"Don't stand on ceremony for me. You are a Shiba are you not? Speak however you like. We do not judge." He didn't know what to say. How did she know that he was a Shiba? This is the Shiba clan? "You are probably wondering how I know that you are a Shiba." He might get his answer. "You look like my late son. Of course he didn't have that shocking hair color that you have. Something brought you here. I will not pry, but since you are a Shiba, you are welcome to stay here as a family member. We will provide a home you can come back to."

Hearing those words made is heart ache with pain at the reminder that he doesn't have a home to go back to. Zangetsu consoled him, giving their sympathy and understanding.

"Thank you for the kind offer but I cannot burden your family any longer." Something smacked the middle of his forehead, and he reeled back in surprise and out of reflex. His hand snapped up to his forehead.

What just happened? Did she just throw something at him?

"I will hear no such thing from you." She chided him. "You are hurt, and a Shiba. Us Shiba's take care of our own, even when they kick and scream in defiance."

"What did you throw at me?" He demanded with a scowl and his hand still covering his forehead.

"A chopstick." He blinked at her sudden confession.

He was hit with a chopstick. A chopstick. He sighed and let his hand slip down and cover his sightless eyes. Why did he expect anything different from the Shiba's now and the Shiba's he had known? They have always been stubborn and protective of those in their family. The door behind him suddenly slammed open.

"Grandmother! What is it with sending me away only to call me back ten minutes later?" He could hear her humphed at the male behind him.

"Sit down Akihiko. We need to discuss things with our guest." Akihiko moved up beside him and pulled out the chair on his right. Turning his sightless eyes to seemingly watch as Akihiko sat beside him.

"Good morning…" Akihiko trailed off. He jumped in at the man's pause.

"Ichigo."

"Good morning, Ichigo. My name is Shiba Akihiko. You can just call me Akihiko." He felt the gaze of the two of them waiting for any reaction from him. He shifted in his seat and the bird gave a chirp. "Why do you have Toshi with you?" He guessed that Toshi was probably the bird on his shoulder. Moving his head he tried to look at the bird. Reaching a hand up to the bird, it hopped onto his fingers and gave another chirp.

"He appeared in the room that I was in." He offered the bird to the male beside him. "I did't mean to take him from you. He has been a great help though." The male beside him was silent.

"Hold onto him dear. You can hand him over to his owner Masashi when our conversation is over." He gently replaced the bird back onto his shoulder. She seemed to turn to the male. "Akihiko. Ichigo is going to stay with us. Is that all right?" She seemed hesitant. Which did not seem to fit her personality and the male beside him seemed to agree with him.

"Grandmother there is no need for you to ask for permission. If you wish for him to stay then he may."

"Just because I say so doesn't mean that you have to follow everything that I say. You are the Head of the Shiba clan. I am only an old family member." She was pouting, he realized. Chiyo was a sly one, he would have to be careful around her. He then blinked as he realized that he was with thread of the Shiba clan. But he had never heard of him before. He must be farther back then he thought. This might be a problem. Zangetsu agreed.

"Grandmother! You are more than that." Akihito protested. "I decided that if he wishes to, he may stay here with us." Now it was Chiyo that was protesting. He was not going to be able to talk for a while, wasn't he.

"Are you seriously thinking of letting this young man leave?"

"I have no right to stop him."

"Even if he was a Shiba?"

"Of course… wait a Shiba?" He felt the male wheel around in his chair to look at him. "You are a Shiba? Well you do look like one. Why didn't you say anything? Why were you so hurt?" He opened his mouth but was interrupted instead.

"Leave the boy alone. He doesn't have to talk about it if he doesn't want to."

"Grandmother, you can't expect me to just let him in the family without at least some explanations as to how he got here and what happened to him." Akihito gave a deep sigh that made him sound as if he had aged by many years. This might be a good time to interrupt.

"Akihiko-san…"

"Akihiko." The male interrupted.

"There is no need for you to accept me into your home. I have imposed on you long enough. Thank you for all that you have done for me. Once I am done here I will leave. You do not need to be concerned with me." He scratched at the bandages around his left wrist.

"No." He stopped his scratching. "I will not accept that. You will remain here as a Shiba. Maybe even become the heir." He blinked then realized what he said.

"I can't be the heir. I'm an outsider. You know nothing about me. I could be a serial killer for all you know." He tried to protest.

"No you're not." He snapped his mouth shut. "I can tell that you would never hurt anyone without reason. And a very good reason at that. I noticed how you handled Toshi." The bird gave a little chirp at his name. "I may not know you very well, but you will remain here so I can. I know that sounds selfish, and it is, but I know that you have a dark past and you won't tell me until you are ready. That is fine. I won't pry, but you are a Shiba and I want to help you. Will you allow me to do so?" He sighed. Then turned to the man and frowned.

"I don't seem to have a choice do I." These Shiba's are so stubborn. Might as well go along till he can escape from here. He could almost feel the grin that broke out onto Akihiko's face.

"That's great! Welcome to the family, Ichigo."


A shout out to Ice Salmons, amazinglion29 and netherhunter75.

Ice Salmons; We are so pleased that this story is so appealing to you. We hope that enjoy the rest of the story and thank you for your support.

amazinlion29; We thank you for being here from the very beginning and we hope that you will be there for the very end of this story. All of us are really great friends, that some people believed we were related. That is how in tune we are with each other. All of us from the crew thank you for your continuous support.

netherhunter75; We know what you mean that there are so few stories that takes Ichigo back to the very beginning. This story is one that we hope would encourage writers to write their own stories where they break away from the stereotypical and do something that few ever try to do.

We also thank all of our readers for their silent support by reading this story. Thank you.

- The Crew

P.S. We do not own bleach, Kubo Tite does