A/N: Thank you for all comments and criticisms for the previous installment. I understand there are some issues that needed further explanations, so hopefully this chapter will make senses in itself without me having to pull the "everything is a part of Aizen's plan" excuse. But since I don't seem to make much sense lately, I'll just leave it up to you all to decide. Till next update.
16. Journey and Homecoming (Part 2)
If he was ever asked whether being a full-fledged Shinigami was something that he had always dreamed of doing, his answer would definitely be no. However, he was sitting there on a wooden bench in the backyard of the Shinō Academy, staring at the Gotei 13's application form.
Time had gone by swiftly that before he knew it, he was already in the last semester of his sixth year in the Shinō Academy, and like most ordinary students who did not have any exceptional talents that would get them scouted to one of the Gotei 13's divisions or the Onmitsukidō or the Kidō Corps before they officially graduated, he had to decide where he would send his application forms and CV to.
After he had been staring at the application for a long time, he sighed and then scribbled down the kanji of his name down on the form. However, he stopped after he wrote down the name "Kurosaki" as if he couldn't decide whether he should continue filling the form.
Although his full name was Kurosaki Ichigo; in the past seven years, he had always introduced himself to everyone just as Kurosaki. Because it was rather common in Rukongai for someone not to know their own full name, no one had ever bothered to ask him to clarify whether the name was his given name or his family name. In fact, since his journey around Rukongai began, the only time he had ever told anyone his full name was at a monastery atop the mountain in the Eightieth District of South Rukongai.
It was by fate that he found his way to said monastery, since it was never a part of his plan to go to any monastery and study some of its teaching in a hope that he would be able to accept his untimely death and find peace within himself.
When he decided to take off into Rukongai on his own seven and a half years ago, he did so because he couldn't stay near to Seireitei when a part of him still blamed the Gotei 13 for his untimely death, for at that time, he was convinced that he would have still been alive had he never been introduced to the Shinigami's world or been given a Shinigami power.
Since he did not know where to go and he felt that trying to reach for someone he knew might have led to someone from the Gotei 13 finding him before he was ready to be found, he simply traveled due south. He had tried to be as discreet as possible and although he still carried Zangetsu with him on his back, he avoided using his power at all costs and would not do anything that could be considered Shinigami's duties. It was not only because he wished to keep a low profile, but it was also because he hadn't been able to make peace with the fact that it was his own power that ended his human life and forced him to come to Soul Society as a wandering soul.
It didn't mean that troubles would not come to find him, however. Wherever he went, there would always be some thugs coming after him. Perhaps it was because of his bright hair color and large sword that made all those thugs wanted a piece of him. But no matter what the reasons really were, Ichigo never stuck around to find out as he would move to a new district right after he got into a brawl with any local hoodlums, which usually meant that he never got to stay at any place for longer than a couple of days.
It took him give or take six months and a big brawl in the Eightieth District of South Rukongai which left him with several bruises, cuts and a few broken ribs that Ichigo finally realized that while the kind of life he had been leading since he arrived in Soul Society might be able to get his mind away from the grief that his death had caused, it was merely a distraction and did not truly solve any problems that he had.
It was dusk when he reached to the Eightieth District. He was greeted by some local mobs who tried to rob him even though all he had on him was just his ragged kimono and his large zanpakutō. Since giving up Zangetsu and marching around in his birthday suit were certainly not his options, Ichigo ended up in yet another brawl that started after the mobs said they would teach Ichigo's a lesson for defying them.
Although there were four men who tried to rob Ichigo at first, the fight escalated quickly after they realized Ichigo wasn't just another easy target that they could just rob and kill for fun and then those thugs called for help from their friends. Soon Ichigo had lost counted on how many thugs had come to gang up on him.
While he couldn't avoid all attacks that were launched at him all at once, Ichigo still managed to defeat all of those thugs. However, since some managed to get away before he could beat them down, Ichigo was certain those who got away would definitely go and gather more people to gang up on him in revenge. Therefore, he decided to retreat to a mountain nearby, hoping that they would not suspect that he would go up there.
Since Ichigo didn't expect to find anything on that mountain but trees, he was quite surprised when he saw a torii gate, which usually signified an entrance of a monastery. As he doubted any monks would be able to live in that district without being constantly harassed by the local gang, Ichigo was quite positive that the monastery would have already been abandoned. Yet even with the thought, he still followed the stone steps up the mountain. At the very least, he would still have a roof over his head as he rested and tended to his injuries.
Since it was quite a long way up to the top, by the time Ichigo reached there, the sun had already set. He wasn't sure if it was due to the distance he had to walk up the mountain or the injuries he received from the earlier fight, but he was almost out of breath when he got there.
Even though he couldn't see clearly in the dark, he could still tell that the place was not deteriorating away like some abandoned place should be. However, he didn't think too much about it as he walked straight to what was supposed to be the main hall of the monastery and sat down on its wooden porch. He then leaned on a wooden pillar and closed his eyes.
He could feel a warm summer breeze blew past his skin while he sat there on the porch. Since his focus was no longer on trying to get away from town, he started to feel throbbing pain in several places. He had certainly taken some beating, which made him wonder what he was really doing out there when he could have saved himself a lot of troubles and stay with Byakuya's ex-nanny where he would get three meals a day and wouldn't have to fight for his life every other day.
'If you are looking for a place to rest, young swordsman, perhaps it would be better for you to come to sleep in the sleeping quarters.'
The suggestion literally made Ichigo jump. He didn't expect anyone to be there, let alone appear just right behind him without any warning. The jump made Ichigo wince and grind his teeth before he subconsciously touched his rib in pain. He then turned around and found an old man whose head was shaved. The old man was wearing a black monk robe, which could only mean that he was a monk there.
'I...err... didn't mean to intrude,' Ichigo quickly said the first thing that came to mind although the monk had more or less invited him to stay in the monastery. 'I mean, aren't you afraid that I might come here with bad intentions?'
'Those with bad intentions wouldn't have asked that question,' said the monk. 'Besides, even if you do have bad intentions, I doubt you could do much in your current condition.'
Ichigo blinked. If anything, he had expected that anyone, even monks, who lived in such a lawless district would place their trusts in no one, much less a total stranger. Therefore, it surprised him that the monk didn't seem to be wary of him at all.
'Come in, young swordsman. I will see if we have anything for you to eat, and we should also do something about your injuries.'
Because he had spent his past six months in the mess that was Rukongai, Ichigo couldn't help being skeptical about the kindness that the monk who turned out to be the abbot of that monastery, Shōsan Ryōkan, had offered. However, his tiredness and his injuries forced him to accept the offer and stay at the monastery.
Initially, he didn't intend to stay there for too long; however, he ended up living there for almost one year. At first, it was because Ryōkan, had convinced him to stay until he was back to his full health. Then it was because Ichigo felt it would be wrong to just leave the monastery without doing anything in return for the kindness all the monks had offered, so he stayed to help them out with some manual labor like chopping wood, carrying water, cleaning the monastery and doing the gardening. And before Ichigo knew it, a month had passed, and because Ichigo could feel at ease there unlike at any other places he had been to in Rukongai; he decided to stay there as a student.
Other than the normal teachings any students would expect to receive from the monastery, Ryōkan also offered to teach Ichigo some lessons in controlling and mastering the power Ichigo had possessed within him. As it turned out, Ryōkan was a former Shinigami. Although the old abbot never said in specific about his rank or when he had served to Gotei 13; Ichigo could tell from the extensive knowledge that the old abbot had on spiritual powers, not only of Shinigami but also of Hollows and Quincy as well, that Ryōkan was not just some rank and file. However, Ichigo was not going to question the monk about it, since Ryōkan had said so himself that it was already in his past. All he needed to focus on was the lesson that the monk had taught him.
Although it had taken him almost a year, Ichigo eventually learned how to cope with his death and he had also learned how to make peace with his powers and even learned how to master it like he had never been able to before. However, since everything was already clear to him, he had to face with a difficult question - how he should proceed with his afterlife.
'Perhaps the only thing you can do now is returning to Seireitei so that you can know for sure whether you truly wish to be away from that world. After all, when you decided to leave that world behind, you made your decision when you were sad, angry and confused. Now, on the other hand, your mind is already clear, so you should be able to see things from a different perspective,' Ryōkan advised he decided to consult the monk after one long meditation session.
'But I'm afraid if I return there, I might not be able to come back here even if I want to, sensei,' Ichigo remembered himself replying to the abbot. 'You should have known better than anyone how the Gotei 13 operates.'
'If here is where your heart truly lies, you would find your way back even if they were to try to stop you,' the monk stated. 'However, if it is not, you would not be able to have a true peace of mind even if you were to stay and enter the monkhood. So go back down there, Ichigo. When you are certain that this is the kind of life that you truly want, you can always come back.'
Although he was somewhat reluctant to leave, Ichigo knew he had to go. While he really liked staying there in the monastery and had been able to feel more peaceful than he had ever felt anywhere in his life or afterlife, Ryōkan was right. He shouldn't keep hiding there because he was afraid to go back to the life that he had left behind.
One could say Ichigo was being cowardly about the way he chose to return to Seireitei, for instead of heading directly back as Kurosaki Ichigo and then announced his arrival to everyone he knew, Ichigo chose to apply to the Shinō Academy and used the lessons he had learned while he was at the monastery to suppress his spiritual power so that it would be in around the same amount as any other ordinary student. He then made use of an old, elaborate and perhaps also forbidden kidō trick, which he also learned from Ryōkan, to disguise the appearance of his zanpakutō and made its black blade appear as if it was his hair.
While he could have used the kidō to give himself any appearance that he wished - such as transforming into a cat like Yoruichi - he decided to keep that look, since he did not want to deceive anyone more than he might already have. At least with that disguise, he appeared like when he wore his spiritual power around himself in the Final Getsuga Tenshō form. It was true that it wasn't his best known appearance, since only Ichigo himself and Aizen Sōsuke had seen it; however, it still lessened the feeling of guilt he felt for deceiving everyone he had met in the Shinō Academy as Kurosaki.
As much as he hoped he could stay true to himself, he still needed some disguise to keep himself out of the limelight for long enough for him to learn what the Shinigami were truly made of and then decide whether he wanted to spend the rest of his life as one. For once, he wanted to learn things from the basic instead of fast forwarding through all lessons like he had done in his time as a Substitute Shinigami. And he doubted he would be able to do so if he were to come back as Kurosaki Ichigo, the hero of the Winter War and the Thousand Years Blood War.
Speaking of Kurosaki Ichigo, it surprised him how no one in the Shinō Academy ever made the connection between him and said hero. At first, he believed it was because Kurosaki wasn't really that unique as a name, but soon afterward he found out it was probably due to the fact Soul Society's history had been somewhat distorted from the truth.
According to Soul Society's history, the hero of those two wars was Shiba Ichigo, an heir to the Shiba Family, which was one of the Five Great Noble Houses. The name Kurosaki and the fact that he was not a full-fledged Shinigami were not recorded anywhere in history although in one occasion the lecturer did mention that people would call Shiba Ichigo by the nickname "Kurosaki" for the fact that his shihakushō looked similar to a black cape when he was in his bankai form.
Still, Ichigo doubted anyone would ever associate him with that Shiba Ichigo despite the nickname Kurosaki, because for all everyone knew, Kurosaki was just some Average Joe from Rukongai who didn't even know his full name, so there was no way that he could be compared to Shiba Ichigo who was a noble and a gifted Shinigami.
As Fujiwara had said after they learned a little about Shiba "Kurosaki" Ichigo, 'It's kinda makes you feel bad, right, Kurosaki? That your name is this Shiba Ichigo's nickname, but you're nowhere as great as he is.'
'I don't feel bad about it at all, Fujiwara,' Ichigo remembered himself replying. 'I wouldn't dream of being a Shiba. Besides, I kinda feel sorry for the guy, you know, for having such a girly name. I wonder what's going on in his parents' heads when they name a son Ichigo.'
'It's funny you should say that,' Fujiwara commented before she looked around and then lower her voiced as if she was about to say something conspiratorial, 'but you know what, Kurosaki? I think this Shiba Ichigo might actually be a girl and the higher-ups can't stand the fact that not only is she not an official member of the Gotei 13 but she's also a woman, so they just covered up the fact that she is a woman and put her name down in history as a man instead.'
Ichigo actually laughed at the comment, but as much as Fujiwara was right about history being rewritten by some higher-ups to cover some embarrassing facts; they did not go as far as to change his gender. They just covered up the fact that Kurosaki Ichigo was human and a Quincy descendant, and recorded his name down in history as Shiba, which was his father's family name before he married into the Kurosaki family.
For three years he had been in the Shinō Academy, never once had anyone suspected that he might be related to Shiba "Kurosaki" Ichigo. He managed to stay under the radar by never being extraordinary good or bad at any lessons. He never picked a class in which a Shinigami was a guest lecturer. To most of his teachers and classmates, he was forgettable like some wall flowers, and because of that he had never been selected to greet and welcome the Shinigami from the Gotei 13 that would come to inspect the teaching in the Shinō Academy from time to time.
He began to think that he would be able to graduate without being recognized. However, the thought was proven wrong on the first week of his fourth year in the Academy.
He and his best friend in the Shinō Academy, Fujiwara Saeko, had finished their advance kidō training and had decided to use the garden as a shortcut to get to the main lecture hall from the dojo they had trained at. Fujiwara had been rambling on about how they should hold a cherry blossom viewing party since the flowers were already in full bloom and she insisted that he had to join.
'I've already told you, Fujiwara, sakura viewing isn't something I enjoy doing,' he said as a way to reject her invitation.
'Yeah, yeah, I remember, but I still don't get why you don't like sakura viewing,' she replied, 'I mean, they're beautiful and they would only bloom for a short period.'
It wasn't that he did not like the cherry blossoms per se. However, ever since he was carved up by those tiny blades of Senbonzakura, he had not been able to look at cherry blossoms without being reminded of all the good and the bad memories that he shared with the wielder of said zanpakutō. And even the worst memory he had of them was still enough to make him question himself what he was doing there in the Shinō Academy when he should have gone to the Kuchiki Mansion and announced his return to the nobleman whether Byakuya would welcome it or not. However, since the reason he left Seireitei in the first place was to figure out what he wanted to do with his afterlife, it would not serve any purpose for him to return when he had yet to make his final decision. Therefore, he kept a low profile and never went to that mansion even though it would be so easy to get there from the Shinō Academy. And for those reasons, Ichigo couldn't find enjoyment in viewing the flowers.
'Let's just say something happened and I could never look at them in the same way ever since,' he replied to his friend.
They then kept on walking through the garden. He did not see Byakuya at first, since he was busy talking to Fujiwara and trying not to think too much about Byakuya. However, even if he had spotted Byakuya before, Ichigo still wouldn't have any other options but to continue walking to Byakuya's general direction, since he couldn't get to the lecture hall that was his destination without getting past the Shinigami, and it was clear to him that Byakuya had already spotted him and it would make the Shinigami suspect if he were to change his direction then.
He thought his feelings for Byakuya had calmed down quite a lot in the five years they had been apart, since he did not think of Byakuya as often as he had done before; however, his stomach still did a somersault at the moment he saw Byakuya standing right in front of him.
Ichigo wasn't sure if he wanted to be recognized by the noble because as much as he wished not to be recognized by anyone who had ever known him, it would certainly hurt if Byakuya truly could not recognize him.
In any case, Ichigo still froze on his spot the moment that his eyes locked with Byakuya's slate ones. His mind had gone completely blank that he couldn't quite keep up his act. He didn't even remember what he had spoken in reply to Fujiwara when she turned and said something to him.
Byakuya still looked the same as how Ichigo remembered him with his fair skin, silky black hair and sharp slate eyes. However, he was missing a certain glow about him. Looking at him then reminded Ichigo of Byakuya when they first met – a man who wore a cold and heartless mask to hide every burden that he bore by himself.
Ichigo wasn't sure what had happened to Byakuya during the five years they had been apart, or if the way he was then was a direct result of how Ichigo had left without a proper goodbye. He wondered how many questions Byakuya had had to answer, and how much trouble his sudden departure might have caused to the captain since Byakuya was the one who was responsible for bringing Ichigo to Soul Society. He didn't think about the consequences of his action or how it might have affected Byakuya. He only left because back then leaving was the only option he could think of.
He didn't have a clue whether Byakuya resented him for taking off without goodbye, and if he were to be honest, it was one of the reasons why he had not announced his return yet. It hadn't been easy to get on Byakuya's good side and he feared he might have destroyed what he had tried so hard to build.
However, all of anxieties and doubts suddenly went away with simple sentences from Byakuya although technically those sentences were spoken to Fujiwara who was also there with him – "I have not seen you in a while. How have you been?" and "I'm glad to see that you are doing well."
Those simple sentences made Ichigo's chest constrict and he felt like someone had tugged at his heartstrings. There were so many things that he wished he had said to Byakuya at that time, and he came so close to blowing his own disguise. However, as the way things were, he couldn't say those words. Not when he was a perfect stranger to Captain Kuchiki. Not when saying something would definitely mean he would break and forget his reasons for entering the Shinō Academy to begin with. It was the same feeling with the one that he had on that day when he left a note at Hanae's place before he set off on his journey, so he knew that if he said anything to Byakuya, he would not be able to keep up his disguise even if Byakuya were to let him.
Therefore, he saved those words in his heart and hoped for the best that Byakuya would understand why all he had done in response to the captain's words was giving Byakuya a small nod to let the man know that he had acknowledged that the words were meant for him. Then he continued on his way and left Byakuya there, not knowing when they would meet again.
It hurt more than it should have; because unlike the time when he left five years earlier, it was harder to let go when Byakuya was right there in front of him. They were so close, and yet still so very far. And once again it was still not the time for them.
After that brief encounter, his path had not crossed with Byakuya's again. He still heard the news about the captain from time to time, mostly from Fujiwara who probably sensed that he was interested in the subject although he never actually said anything about it. Before he knew it, two and a half year had passed and he was on the last semester of his sixth year in the Shinō Academy, making his final decision on whether or not he would join the Gotei 13.
"Hey, Kurosaki, if you really can't make your decision, you can just apply to all divisions and also to the Kidō Corps and the Onimitsukidō as well," said a familiar female voice. Ichigo didn't really need to look up to be able to tell that it was Fujiwara who made that comment. "I mean, we can never have too many options."
Ichigo tilted his head up before he raised an eyebrow at his friend. He didn't want to tell her that to him, it wasn't as difficult to choose which division to apply for as to decide whether or not he really wanted to join the Gotei 13.
"Some of us do have a standard, you know?"
"Well, your standard won't do anything if you aren't picked, Kurosaki," Fujiwara retorted.
"So which divisions have you applied to, Fujiwara?"
"Basically, everywhere aside from the Eleventh and the Twelfth Division," replied the woman.
"I see you're really serious about keeping your options open," Ichigo commented.
Fujiwara shrugged.
"Well, I would be picky if I was one of those top students, but I'm not, so forgive me for not having your so-called standard," she returned. "As it is, I'll be happy if I'm accepted into any of the divisions I've applied to. Anyway, that's enough about me. What about you, Kurosaki? How long are you gonna keep staring at that application form? Do you need to see the recruitment brochures to help you make up your mind which division you'd apply to? I'm sure I have them all somewhere."
"It's fine, Fujiwara. I don't need those brochures," Ichigo replied. He didn't lie. He had seen enough to know what each of the Gotei 13 division was like. "I've already known where I want to be."
Although he had walked that corridor several times before, he had never felt so stressful that he felt like throwing up. A few months had passed since the day he submitted his application form to the Gotei 13 under his full name. He had received an official letter of acceptance in just a few days afterward; however, he was not expected to report to duty until after he officially graduated from the Shinō Academy.
It gave him long enough time to brace himself for all kind of reactions he might receive from everyone who knew him simply as Kurosaki. Because Ichigo had not allowed himself to get too close to anyone in the Shinō Academy, as he expected that there would be the day when Kurosaki would just disappear off the grid, either to return to the monastery in Rukongai or to return to the Gotei 13 as Kurosaki Ichigo; he only needed to explain himself to Fujiwara – who didn't believe him at first and then berated him for having deceived her for the whole time they knew each other. He couldn't blame her for being angry because he understood all too well what it felt like to be kept in the dark. However, it didn't take too long for Fujiwara to forgive him, saying that she had always sensed that there was something strange about him all along.
'At least now I know for sure that Shiba Ichigo really isn't a woman and why he seemed to have fallen off the grid right after the war,' she commented. 'Wait... does this mean I'll have to call you Shiba from now on? I mean, Shiba is your real name, right?'
'Actually, no. Shiba is, what should I call it... my crazy old man's maiden name? He changed his name to Kurosaki when he married my mom, so my family name is always Kurosaki.'
However, if he found it difficult to explain to Fujiwara why he opted to enter the Shinō Academy under a disguise; he didn't want to begin to imagine what kind of reaction he might receive from those who knew him as Kurosaki Ichigo.
While it was good for him to rid his disguise and reappear in his natural appearance with orange hair, brown eyes and a large zanpakutō which always stayed in its shikai form; Ichigo couldn't help feeling apprehensive as it had been a long time since he was truly himself.
He wasn't sure if his friends would have positive reactions upon seeing him again; for he had not made any efforts to contact them even though he had been in Seireitei in the past six years. Therefore, he could feel anxiety rising up with every step that he took closer to the door of the First Division.
Since running was no longer an option, he closed his eyes and took a couple of long deep breaths as a mean to calm his nerves. However, before he could push the double door open, he was greeted by a male voice that almost made him jump out of his skin.
"Ah, you're here already, Ichigo-kun, good, good!"
Ichigo quickly spun around and sighed softly when he realized it was Kyōraku.
Despite his position as the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13; Kyōraku still wore pink, flower-pattern kimono and that straw hat he always wore when he was the Captain of the Eighth Division. The only different in the man's appearance was the eye-patch that he wore over his right eye because he had lost that one eye in the Thousand Year Blood War.
"You scared me there, Kyōraku-san," Ichigo remarked. Then he furrowed his brows slightly and corrected himself, "um... I mean, Kyōraku-sōtaichō."
"That's fine, that's fine. You don't need to worry about formality with me, Ichigo-kun," Kyōraku said while waving his hand to show that he didn't really mind how he was called. "Now, there's really no need to be nervous. Everyone will be happy to see you again, so let's get inside, shall we?"
With that said, Kyōraku pushed the double door open and led Ichigo inside.
All captains and lieutenants had already stood in their respective spots although they were still exchanging a few words. However, as soon as Ichigo and Kyōraku appeared at the meeting room, the room had fallen into a complete silence for two whole seconds before Rukia broke the silence.
"Ichigo?! What the—"
Rukia didn't have a chance to finish her thought as Kyōraku clapped his hands twice, interrupting her and everyone else who might want to say something about Ichigo's sudden return.
"Order please," said Kyōraku as he walked to sit in his seat. Although he might not have the same scary vibe that the former Captain Commander had, he still managed to get everyone to remain quiet. "Now since everyone is already here, let's start with the first order of business today."
Not knowing where he should place himself, Ichigo awkwardly stood at the threshold, knowing that all eyes were on him, curious about the reason he was standing there.
"As all of you are well aware, the positions of the Lieutenant and Captain of the Eighth Division had been vacant because I couldn't find any qualified persons to fill those positions after Nanao-chan and I got transferred to the First Division," Kyōraku continued speaking as if he did not realize that all attentions were on Ichigo rather than on him. "Although Ichigo-kun here applied for a non-seat position in the First Division, I believe that with his skills and abilities, it would be more beneficial to the Gotei 13 if he were to be a seat officer. Therefore, I have appointed him to be the new Lieutenant of the Eighth Division. I hope you all will support my choice."
Everyone silently acknowledged the announcement and said nothing in objection. Not that Ichigo expected anything else, since no one in the room was actually in charge of the Eighth Division. If there were going to be any objections to such appointment at all, it should be from the members of the Eighth Division, since they were the one who actually had to work under his command.
"Well, then, is there anything you wish to say, Ichigo-kun?"
Ichigo blinked once as he didn't think he would be expected to give any speech. However, he still managed to say, "Hi, guys. It's been a long time, but I hope you will continue to treat me well."
With that said, Ichigo bowed his head slightly in form of greeting.
"Well, then, Ichigo-kun, you should go and stand between Renji-kun and Rangiku-chan. It will be your spot when you attend a meeting here from now on," Kyōraku remarked before he motioned his hand to his right, which was Ichigo's left, where the captains and the lieutenants from even-number divisions were standing in line.
Ichigo nodded. Since he didn't think it would be such a good idea to just walk down the aisle and then squeeze himself past the small space between Byakuya and Tōshirō, he just got to his spot by walking behind the line of lieutenants and then waited for Renji and Rangiku to make some space for him to stand. While doing so, Renji just patted him rather hard in the back as if to express his welcome.
Once Kyōraku saw that Ichigo was already at his position, he continued, "Now that that is settled, let's move on to the next order of business..."
If Ichigo hadn't been told before that a captain/lieutenant meeting was held once every two weeks, he would have thought Kyōraku called for the meeting solely to announce about Ichigo's admission to the Eighth Division because the meeting only last for less than an hour due to the fact that Soul Society and the World of the Living had been mostly peaceful.
"...since nobody has anything else to add, I'll close the meeting now. Thank you all for your attendant, and see you all in the next meeting," Kyōraku said, officially closing the meeting.
Seeing that the meeting was adjourned, the Captain and the Lieutenant of the Twelfth Division turned and quietly left the room without bothering to say anything to Ichigo, which was considered a good sign for Ichigo, since if they were to show any interests in him, it meant he would have to be worried about being turned into some sort of test subject.
The second group of people who departed the room without so much as acknowledging Ichigo was the Captain and Lieutenant of the Second Division, which was also expected, as he doubted Suì-Fēng would ever be interested in anyone who wasn't Yoruichi whereas Ōmaeda was probably only interested in himself.
But then again, it wasn't their reaction that got him all anxious. Ichigo was far more apprehensive when it came to the reaction that he might get from the nobleman who was standing right in front of him.
Byakuya turned. However, it was still possible for the man to simply leave without saying a single word to Ichigo, since he only made a ninety-degree turn and did not turn fully around to face Ichigo. Byakuya then turned his head slightly to Ichigo's direction, and for a brief moment there their eyes met. However, the moment ended all too soon when Renji suddenly threw an arm over Ichigo's shoulders in what felt more like a neck lock than anything else, causing Ichigo to turn to him and, as a result, break the eye contact with Byakuya.
The moment he turned his attention back to where Byakuya was, the man had already been on his way out of the room. However, as much as Ichigo wished he could follow Byakuya, he couldn't do so as Tōshirō, Unohana, Kotetsu, Komamura, Iba, Kira, Hinamori, Hisaki and Ukitake came to express their welcome and said their congratulations to him. Then he was being challenged to another death match by Kenpachi who didn't look so intimidating with Yachiru sitting on his shoulder. After that, he was being surrounded by Renji, Rukia, Rangiku, Hirako, Rose and Love who came to ask him where he had been, what he had been doing, why he hadn't tried to make any contact with them at all in the past seven and a half years, and more importantly, why he didn't choose to join their respective divisions.
Although Ichigo had done his best to answer all questions that were being shot at him all at once, his mind wasn't really in it. Because more than explaining himself to all friends who were surrounding him, he wished to explain himself to the man who left as if he didn't care for those explanations.
Ichigo began to think he wouldn't be able to get anywhere that day. However, after what felt like forever; Kyōraku interrupted their reunion and saved Ichigo from being grilled to death by his friends, claiming that he needed to take Ichigo to the Eighth Division and introduced him to everyone there.
It was a little after eleven in the evening when Ichigo was finally left to his own devices.
He had spent the whole day after the meeting being shown around the Eighth Division Compound and then introduced to most, if not all, of the division's members. Then after the work hour ended, he was immediately dragged out to what was dubbed as a welcome dinner by Rukia and Renji although the dinner felt more like an interrogation than a friendly gathering.
He couldn't blame them for wanting to know everything he had been up to. After all, he had disappeared for almost eight years, so it was only fair that they would be curious; and at the very least, they didn't seem angry that he hadn't tried to make any contact with them. If anything, they were a little hurt and very annoyed by the fact that he had chosen to shoulder whatever the troubles he had on his own when he could have come to them.
As Rukia summed it up while they were on their way to the Kuchiki Mansion to see Rukia home: "I don't know what your problems might have been, Ichigo, but even if you think you can't share them it us, you should've at least made a contact and let us know you're fine so we wouldn't have to be worried about you."
'I know, Rukia, and I'm sorry.'
Rukia sighed and rolled her eyes.
'You know what? Never mind. You're fine and that's what really matters. Though now that I think about it, I should've listened to nii-sama when he said we'd just be wasting our time searching for you.'
Ichigo raised an eyebrow and turned to Rukia who was walking between him and Renji.
'He said that?'
'To put it lightly,' was Renji's response. 'Trust me, Ichigo, you don't want to know taichō's exact words.'
Judging from the pity in Renji's red eyes when he looked at him, Ichigo didn't need to imagine how hash Byakuya might have delivered his actual words. However, since he trusted that Byakuya said whatever he had said just to make sure that Ichigo's wish not to be found would be honored, he simply laughed it off.
'Well, it wouldn't be the real Byakuya without his snide remarks, would it?' Ichigo commented. 'Speaking of Byakuya, is he going to be at the Kuchiki Mansion when we walk you there, Rukia?'
Rukia shook her head. 'I don't think so. Nii-sama usually stays at the Sixth Division on weekdays. Why?'
'Just curious,' Ichigo replied and said nothing more that might have given away his disappointment to learn that Byakuya wouldn't be at the Kuchiki Mansion that night because it meant that he wouldn't have a chance to talk to the man after he saw Rukia home just like that one time long ago.
After they saw Rukia home, Ichigo and Renji kept walking together until they reached to the front gate of the Sixth Division. As much as Ichigo wanted to get into the Sixth Division to see Byakuya, he decided not to do so at that time because aside from the fact that it would raise some suspicion from Renji, it was already late and he didn't think Byakuya would appreciate an unexpected visitor at that time of the night. Thus, Ichigo simply waved Renji goodbye and then continued to walk toward the Eighth Division Compound.
It was quiet in the Eighth Division when he got back, as he suspected most of his subordinates had already turned in for the night except for those who were on guard duty. He headed straight to the lieutenant quarters, accepting greetings from one of his subordinates who stood on guard at the front gate.
Because the lieutenant quarters was supposed to be private, he was quite surprised to see an outline of a person standing on the veranda. For a moment, Ichigo furrowed his brows, wondering if he went to the wrong billet, since none of the subordinates he met had mentioned about anyone waiting for him. But then his heart raced as soon as he came to realize just who was standing there.
Although the man had kept his spiritual power at its lowest and did not wear the white haori which would denote his captaincy over his kimono, the man's regal stance and the way the man's dark shoulder-length hair flicked softly in the cool breeze was still enough for Ichigo to identify him as Byakuya.
Before Ichigo knew it, his feet had already brought him to the porch just right in front of Byakuya, who turned to face him. There were so many words that he wished to say to the man; however, he didn't know where to start now that they were standing face to face and there was no other people there to interrupt them. All he managed to do was standing there, staring into the slate eyes which seemed black under the dim moonlight.
Byakuya held his gaze.
After what felt like forever, it was Byakuya who broke the silence.
"I'm sorry for turning up here uninvited. I hope my being here doesn't bother you too much."
"It's not a bother at all. I'm glad to see you, actually," Ichigo responded although he was still unsure of what he could or should expect from Byakuya's visit.
Byakuya wasn't a type of person who would do things on a whim. It was not his style to turn up at someone's place without an appointment, especially when it was in the middle of the night. He had to have some reason for being there. However, no matter how much Ichigo tried to figure out any logical reasons for Byakuya to be there at that time, he could not think of one – or at least not one that would not be just his own wishful thinking.
"Still I've gotta ask what's so important that you have to come all your way here in such an hour," Ichigo continued.
Byakuya had not broken the eye contact when he replied, "You are."
Ichigo blinked once at the answer. There was only one way for him to interpret that reply, and yet a part of him still dared not hope because if he hoped but it did not turn out in the way that he did, his heart would certainly break.
"What do you mean?"
Byakuya still gazed at Ichigo intensely.
"I mean exactly as I said," the captain replied. "I'm here because of you. I'm here because if I didn't, I might have missed my chance. And who knows? Even now it might have already been too late. So tell me, Ichigo, have I waited too long to come and find you?"
Ichigo didn't need any other clarification from Byakuya, since he already knew exactly what the man was talking about. The way Byakuya called his name and delivered his question was more than enough. And though he thought he should have been the one who spoke those lines to Byakuya rather than the other way around, he didn't need to spend any seconds to think before he replied:
"No, Byakuya, you haven't."
"No?" Byakuya repeated as if he wasn't sure if his ears had played a trick on him.
It was hard for Ichigo to believe that Byakuya – a proud man who could have anyone he wanted at his beck and call – had spent more than seven years waiting for his return and then practically dropped his pride to come and find him first, and yet he was still unsure about him.
"No," Ichigo confirmed.
Byakuya closed his eyes and sighed softly. Then he looked at Ichigo again, and for another moment, they held each other's gaze, transfixed.
Byakuya slowly reached his hand out. However, he stopped just before he actually touched the side of Ichigo's face.
"May I?"
Ichigo nodded, and he had given Byakuya a permission to do more than just cupping his cheek.
It would seem Byakuya was also aware of that fact, since he leaned in and pressed his lips against Ichigo's in a gentle kiss, to which Ichigo responded in kind. The kiss tasted like a sweet promise, although of what, Ichigo wasn't too sure.
The kiss broke after a moment although Byakuya's hand still lingered on Ichigo's cheek, and Ichigo didn't really mind.
"Would you like to come in?" Ichigo found himself asking.
"Yes, I'd love to.
And no other words needed to be said, for both of them knew from that moment on, it was finally the time for them.