(A/N) Thankyou to everyone that read, followed, favourited and reviewed .

Yep, OSR fanatic, you are correct in your assumption. The lost Shinigami arc and the thousand year war will not occur in this fanfiction. Pretend it never happened lol. I'm up to date with the manga so Ichigo will eventually get his powers back in this ff too. ^.^ (A/N over)

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach.

Nothing worth having is ever easy

The sky was bright; there wasn't a cloud in the sky. That was the first thing that Ichigo noriced when he woke up on a dusty road somewhere in soul society. He sat up and yawned with a scratch to his head. He looked around at his surroundings but didn't have a clue where he was. He frowned. Which district am I in? He thought to himself as he got to his feet. His brown eyes widened in shock as he realised that he wasn't in the same clothes as when he had died. He frowned in confusion. He was now wearing a modest brown kimono that most of the souls wore. His shoes had been changed into sandals. He turned around in a small circle, trying to find any hint to his surroundings. As he turned to recognised something in the distance, a town. Ichigo shrugged and decided to walk towards it. He needed to find a place to stay. Ichigo thought about going to soul society, seeing Rukia and Renji but even the thought of it made his stomach clench. He wasn't the same person he was when he knew them. Soul society had no use for someone without any power.

Ichigo started to walk. It felt weird not having a sword by his side even though he was in soul society. He had died, he had really died.

Nobody looked at him as he walked through the town. Everybody was the same as him. They just wondered around without having to do anything. He walked pointlessly around. Talking in his surroundings. Most of the people were dressed the same as him. Children ran around through the legs of adults that ignored them.

"Oi, you little brats! Get back here!" A male voice shouted angrily. Ichigo looked back. A middle aged man was chasing some little kids with a stick in his hand. All the children wore rags and one held a pot of something. Ichigo guessed water. He watched as one of the slower children was suddenly grabbed by the man. Ichigo acted on instinct. One minute he was minding his own business like the rest of the population and the next he was holding the wrist of the middle aged man as he went to strike the child.

"Where I come from we don't hit children." Ichigo stated with dark eyes. The middle aged man wrenched his hand back and glared.

"They stole from me. They deserve to be punished." He snarled.

Ichigo blinked as the child got up and ran away with a scared look on his face. People had started to stare now. "That's not for you to decide. If they need punishing let their parents do it, call the Shinigami and let them deal with it. Hitting them is one thing but attacking them with a weapon is another." Ichigo looked down the street at the man's unattended stall. "You also left the rest of your stock there for anyone to take. You're asking to be robbed." Ichigo shrugged. The man grumbled and walked away.

Ichigo turned to start walking way when a hand was suddenly clamped down on his shouted. "Well that was entertaining. I've never seen you before. Are you new here?" The voice asked. Ichigo turned around to face the man. He was a muscular man with dark hair hidden under a bandana, a portion of his left eyebrow was missing. "I'm changed my mind. You look really familiar." He said and scrutinised Ichigo's face.

"Stop staring at me, you bastard." Ichigo growled and moved Ganju's face further away from him. "You're too close."

Ganju took a step back his eyes widening. "No way! It is you. What the hell us up with your hair?" Ganju shouted.

Ichigo raised a hand and brought a brown lock in front of his eyes. He sighed. "I died having brown hair. Must have stayed this colour." Ichigo explained. Ganju's eyes widened.

"You died?" he asked shocked. Ichigo shrugged. "I thought you might have regained your powers or something."

"Quit acting so surprised. People die every day."

"yeah, but you, well, you don't just die. You get up and give them hell back." Ganju said. Ichigo sighed. "You've changed." Ganju observed.

" I've obviously grown up. It has been six years." Ichigo said frustrated.

Ganju suddenly whistled. "Bonnie-chan!" he shouted. The bore appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Ganju got on and looked at Ichigo expectantly.

"No way in hell am I getting on that." Ichigo said adamantly. Ganju grinned and grabbed the back of Ichigo's kimono and swung his over the front of the bore. "Ganju, you idiot. Put me down!" But it was too late. The bore took off

They came to a stop outside of a funny looking house. Ichigo winced at the elaborate house in the middle of nowhere. It had changed since he had last been here. The fists that once held a sign were now fisted together with the lettering wrote onto the hands like a tattoo.

Ganju was already off Bonnie. He picked Ichigo off like he was a sack of potatoes and started to carry him through the entrance.

"Yo, Sis! I'm home and I brought a friend!" Ganju shouted.

"What the hell are you shouting for you idiot." A woman shouted angrily as she appeared from a side room. Ganju shrunk back a little and held Ichigo out. "Who the hell is this?" She asked. Ichigo looked up and gave a small wave in greeting.

"Yo." He said simply. Kukaku's green eyes widened in surprised. Her heart beat raised for a second as she stared at the dark haired man. She had a brief moment of confusion as she looked into his eyes before she recognised him.

"Ichigo Kurosaki?" She asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, how's it going." Kukaku grinned and out of nowhere hit Ichigo hard on the head.

"How's it going? What the hell kind of greeting it that!" She shouted. Ichigo had been dropped by Ganju and was now rubbing his head.

"Very sorry. It's very nice to see you again. How are you, kukaku?" Ichigo said respectfully. Kukaku grinned.

"That's more like it. I'm good. What are you doing here Ichigo? Did you get you're powers back?" She asked. Ichigo looked away.

"No. I died."

"Oh…" Kukaku said with a frown. "How did you die? When did it happen?"

"I was shot. Through the heart I think. I was dead within second." Ichigo shrugged. "I knew I was coming here so I didn't really panic."

Ganju slapped Ichigo on the back which caused him to fall forwards a little. "You've got one up on all those other souls. So what are you gonna do? Find your Shinigami friends and become a death god again?" Kukaku suddenly whacked Ganju on the head.

"He lost his powers, idiot. He's nowhere near the level of a regular Shinigami anymore. I don't think he could even join the academy with this poor level of reiatsu." Ichigo clenched his fists. " Unless we help him restore his powers." She said with a twinkle in her eyes. Ichigo looked up with hopeful eyes. "Now don't go thinking this will be a walk in the park. It'll be difficult, exhausting and time consuming. You still want to do it."

Ichigo looked at her with a grin. "Of course."

Two days later~

"Hit him harder, Ganju! He needs to learn to dodge faster." Kukaku shouted. Ichigo had been running around for the last two days without stopping. Ganju had been giving breaks to eat but Ichigo was given none because he didn't get hungry. He knew this was because of his reiatsu being non-existent.

Ichigo ducked to the side as Ganju punched the air where his head been only a second ago. Ichigo took a deep breath and started to run in the opposite direction.

"You aren't trying hard enough, Ichigo! You should be hungry by now. Where's your motivation!" She shouted again. Ichigo was starting to get pissed off with her constant orders. Ganju grinned at the opening and slammed a fist into Ichigo's stomach.

"Damnit." Ichigo had to try harder.

One week later~

Ichigo quickly jumped out the way and returned Ganju's sloppy punch with a hit of his own. Ganju struggled back a step and wiped the blood from his cut lip. "You're getting better. But you're still not good enough, Ichigo." Ganju announced as he ran forwards again.

"I'm tired. I've been running around nonstop for the past week. My stomach feels weird." Ichigo breathed out as he ducked under another blow. Ganju froze.

"what did you say?"

"Huh, were you not listening? I said I've been running around for the past week." Ichigo said confused.

"No, you said your stomach felt weird. Are you hungry?" he asked.

Ichigo frowned. "Not really, no."

"That's an improvement from not at all." Ganju said.

"What are you two doing!? Get working!" Kukaku shouted as she took a drag from her pipe.

"Yes, sis" "Yes."

One month~

"heh, sis is a real slave driver." Ganju complained as he and Ichigo took a small breather. Ichigo laughed.

"Maybe so but I appreciate everything she's doing for me. I'm more or less a stranger." Ichigo said. The sudden whack to his head sent him forwards into the dirt.

"You're not a stranger, moron. You've been living here for a month. I'm not training you up for nothing. When people come to Rukongai they make families." Kukaku stated.

"I think what she's trying to say is 'welcome to the family'." Ganju said with a laugh. Ichigo looked at them with wide eyes.

They jokes, talk, spent time together and fought. Ichigo smiled slightly, he guessed this was a family. Ichigo stood up and smiled.

"Thanks, Kukaku." He said when a abrupt wave of dizziness hit him. His vision started to shake and darken around the edges. Ichigo fell forwards. Ganju shot up and caught him and smirked at his sister.

"Guess he's hungry now."

6 months later~

Ichigo laughed into the miso soup he had been served. Ganju was telling them about the adventures that he had had that day.

"-Then she elbowed me in the face." He finished with a sigh. Ichigo couldn't hold it in. He started to laugh more enthusiastic. "Don't laugh, Rangiku hits really hard." Ganju said as he rubbed his cheek.

"Of course she does. She's vice-captain. She's also completely out of your league." Ichigo snorted and picked up with chop sticks. Ganju leapt across the table and put Ichigo in a head lock.

"You little brat. You should respect your older brother." He started to mess up Ichigo's hair which was still a dark brown.

He had washed it countless times but the dye still wouldn't come out. Ichigo now viewed it as sign. He was going to keep his identity a secret when he entered the academy. Make a new name for himself.

"Ganju! This is a dinner table. Stop acting like an animal." Kukaku ordered as she sat across from them. Ganju released Ichigo and backed away. Ichigo patted down his hair and scowled at Ganju.

"Sorry, sis." Ganju apologised respectfully.

"What was the 10th squad vice-captain doing in the Rukongai anyway?" Kukaku asked as she picked at her rice. Ganju shrugged.

"I think they were recruiting for the academy." Ichigo's eyes darted to Kukaku and back to Ganju.

"You're not ready for that yet, Ichigo." Kukaku said. "If you went now you'd bring down shame on the Shiba name."

"I know. I get better, stronger and faster. I won't bring shame to kaien's record." Ichigo said. Kukaku smiled at him, a smile full of threat.

"You better not." She said and continued to eat her dinner.

Ganju picked up his chop sticks and pointed them at Ichigo. "Have you thought on what to call yourself? You aren't going in as Ichigo Kurosaki are you?"

"His last name will be Shiba, obviously." Kukaku said and drank a cup of sake.

" I was thinking something like Kuro or Ichirou, something not too far away from my own name." He explained.

"You can cross that bridge when you come to it. I'm not letting you leave till you can control your spiritual pressure. That'll take you a few years yet."

"Till then I'll just have to live with your beatings, eh sis." Ichigo joked. Ichigo had become light hearted since living with the Shiba's. As the youngest in the family he wasn't expected to protect but be protected. It was a nice change in scenery.

"Good. Then finish your dinner and we'll get back to training!" Kukaku grinned evilly.

14 months later~

Ichigo wiped the sweat off his brow with a fluffy towel. He walked through the house looking for either Ganju or Kukaku. He had been dead for almost two years but he hadn't seen any ages whatsoever in his appearance. If anything he looked more laid back then he ever had. Making him look a little younger. Ichigo walked through the rooms. He could see the flickering of candles coming from the room at the end of the hall. The one room he hadn't been in. Ichigo decided to walk on, his curiosity getting the better of him. He crept forwards and opened the door slightly to peek inside. The room was empty but for a shrine located at the front. Ichigo looked behind him for a second before shaking his head and walking in. He was part of the family now. Kukaku said he could go wherever he wanted as long as he didn't break anything.

Ichigo walked in carefully till he faced the stand. There was a picture enshrined in the middle of candles and incense. Ichigo blinked in surprise at the picture. He shouldn't have really been that surprised, he'd been told by quite a few people that he resembled the late Kaien Shiba but seeing the picture for himself was a bit of a shock.

"That's our older brother Kaien." Ichigo looked behind him and saw Ganju that had just walked in. "You look a little like him."

"Yeah, I've heard that before. You and sis never mentioned it though." Ichigo said looking back at the photo.

"It's kind of a hard topic to talk about." Ganju said. Ichigo nodded in understanding.

"it makes me think about my dad and sisters in the world of the living. I disappeared without telling them anything. I'm not even sure they know I'm dead."

"Don't worry about that. Sis took care of it. She contacted Ishin a few days after you turned up." Ichigo turned in astonishment.

"You know my dad?"

"Yeah, he-"

Ichigo cut him off. "No, don't say anything else. Dad'll tell me when he's ready."

Ganju clapped Ichigo on the shoulder. "How far have you got in your Kido?" He asked.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "Well…"

"Haha, it's okay. We can't all be genius'"

It was a few days after that event that Ichigo was doing shopping in the Rukongai. He had a small basket that was already full of vegetables and rice. He was now on the hurt for Sake, even though he had only brought some yesterday. Kukaku liked to drink.

"Did you see that idiot from the Shiba clan yesterday?"

"yeah. He was riding a bore."

"That Clan's full of idiot. That vice-captain guy, I heard he couldn't even handle one hollow. How weak was he?" The man's voice scoffed and then they started laughing. Ichigo turned around with a glare on his face. He watched two soul reapers laugh and joke about his family.

Ichigo walked forwards. He realised that he wasn't wearing the right clothes to get into a fight but there was no stopping him now. This blue kimono made him look less formidable than he actually was. With its white spots that looked like clouds.

"I couldn't help but overhear. Do you think it's funny to laugh at the dead?" Ichigo asked as he stepped forwards, he lifted his basket into a more comfortable position.

There were two Shinigami. The first was wide and short with short brown hair whilst the other was taller than Ichigo but just as wide.

The taller smirked. "Just laughing at the weak. Someone as weak as you wouldn't understand."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, pulling an arm back and socking the tall Shinigami straight in the face. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

The smaller Shinigami pulled out his zanpakuto and pointed it at Ichigo. "Who the hell do you think you are, scum?"

"Ichirou Shiba."

The Shinigami started laughing. Ichigo's eye twitched. The man was fast with his sword. He slashed at Ichigo and cut open his basket. Fruit and vegetables went rolling as Ichigo dodged.

" You don't even have a weapon." The soul reaper mocked.

"That isn't something to brag about. It just brings more attention to your cowardice."

With Ichigo's eyes on the wide soul reaper he didn't notice his friend getting to his feet. Ichigo's legs were kicked out from under her and his head slammed into the dirt. The souls around him looked like they didn't know what to do. Ichigo didn't want them to get involved. It was better for them if they didn't.

"This is what the Shiba clan is made of. Bunch of weaklings."

Ichigo's vision went red as he got angrier than he had felt in the last eight years.

"I bet that hollow that did Kaien Shiba in was even weaker than we thought."

Ichigo wasn't even listening to them anymore. He was stewing in his rage. That was until a strange calm settled over him. He didn't know when his eyes had closed by when he opened them again he was no longer lying face down in the dirt. He looked up at the blue sky, sky scrapers all around him.

"Can you hear me now, Ichigo?" A deep familiar voice asked. Ichigo turned and came face to face with someone he thought he would never see again.

"Old man….?"

Heehe. I'm really enjoying writing this story. It's a nice change of scenery.

Anyway….Vice-captain or Lieutenant?i wasn't completely sure so I went with vice-captain.