Hey! So, I'm back... Sorry it took so long, I just started up school again (uhg, advanced clases...) and I am trying to juggle the two and make time. I will most likely update small (to me anyway...) peices multiple times during the week.
Also, I have found a song for the story! It is called Into the Nothing by Breaking Benjamin, look it up on YouTube, with the lyrics, andyou will see why. Alright, so without further adieu:
A wave of pure, unadulterated power washed across Sereitei, a moving like a shockwave throughout the city. Shinigami young and old alike fell to their knees at the sheer power of the pressure it was settling upon them. Miles away, at the academy, students were gasping for breath as they collapsed on their knees. Even the Captains and Lieutenants were affected, though their responses were drastically reduced.
The twelve lieutenants were doubled over slightly, breathing in quick, shallow pants and gasps. The Captains breath was labored, and they were wincing, but there were no other side effects. Only two out of the hundreds of shinigami were unaffected, Kuchiki Rukia and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. The reiatsu flared once more, sending the Captains stumbling back a few steps, and continued to increase for a moment, before disappearing all together.
On the outskirts of the city two young shinigami stood on thin air, bickering with each other. A short, raven haired woman who looked to be about seventeen had her hand on the chest of a much taller orange-haired man. The two were arguing vehemently, glaring at each other and glowing slightly. A black aura emanated from the man, and a silver-white one around the woman; a single strand of black and silver connected the two by their waists, though neither knew it. It was because of this that when the mans reiatsu grew, causing the whole of Sereitei various levels of pain or discomfort, the woman stood firm.
"For God Sakes, Ichigo! Will you just come on!" Her palm slapped against the top of his chest.
"No, Rukia; I don't really feel like being dragged into a Captains meeting as soon as I get back. I just died, for Kami's sake! Cant they just leave me be?" The shout was pleading, tinged with a bit of genuine anger and a little hurt. Rukia's eyes softened and she sighed, pulling her hand off of his chest and leaning against him instead, her head coming to rest against the curve of his neck. His arms slid around her immediately.
"They are not sending you on a mission, Ichigo. They can't, and to be frank quite a few of us wouldn't let them. Although, I can't promise anything about Renji or some of the more…" a look of slight disgust and amusement washed across her face, "battle-prone lieutenants." A sharp glance on Ichigo's part made her roll her eyes. "Fine, and Captain."
The corners of Ichigo's lips tilted up slightly, not much but just enough, and he let out a sigh of defeat. Rukia grinned and stepped out of his embrace, taking a few steps forward and shunpo'ing away. It was only a few moments later that Ichigo followed.
-First Division Meeting Hall-
"Captains, Lieutenants, I trust you all felt the wave of reiatsu that washed across this place only moments ago?" Various levels of cursing and snarky comments and mumbling broke the otherwise calm attitude of the room, all of its occupants now irritated at either their own weakness (for succumbing to the power) or at the shinigami that just couldn't control his own reiatsu (basically, an attempt to make themselves feel better. It failed miserably.).
A leering red-head lifted his head to stare at the soutaicho standing in front of them all, his captain's hiori fluttering in the slight breeze that was drifting through the room. "Heh, so where is the strawberry?" His voice was taunting, every bit as excited and impatient as his expression suggested. Renji nearly jumped as a voice, low and deep, whispered behind him,
"Right here," As one the captains turned, their lieutenants at their sides, to greet the young shinigami coming up behind them. Ukitake paused long enough to smile at Rukia, something which she returned, before giving his own warm greeting to the boy, man, in front of him. A certain warmth sparkled in his eyes, something which Ichigo did not miss, and something that was returned in kind.
Byakuya cast his sister a glance, but did not attempt to contact her; his greeting was especially forced. Grimmjow, Renji and Kenpachi all came up to Ichigo at once, something which unnerved even him, (I mean really, who would want two rivals and a captain hell-bent on killing him banding together?) and all clapped him a bit to forcefully on his shoulders and, in Kenpachi's case, his back.
Yoruichi, who had replaced Soi Fon after her death in the Hollow Wars, approached with Urahara, who had taken back Twelfth Division after Kurotsuchi's death in the same event, and hugged him. Urahara did as he normally did, he called Ichigo's name with a quite frankly creepy grin on his face. Kyoraku came next, grinning, and shook his hand. He leaned down and whispered something in Ichigo's ear, so low that no other person in the room could decipher it. Ichigo flushed slightly and narrowed his eyes, glancing so swiftly towards Rukia that almost no one caught him. No one except Byakuya, Ukitake, Kyoraku and Rukia herself, that is. In return the man whispered something back, and this time Kyoraku flushed, and his eyes widened.
One by one the remaining Captains and Lieutenants approached, and most were dismissed rather quickly; only Matsumoto and Hitsugaya lasted any long period of time. Once everything was settled once more and Yamamoto had taken his place back in the front of the meeting hall, the real fun began.
"I think you all know why this meeting was called; I wish to welcome Kurosaki Ichigo back into our ranks!" There were no cheers, only small mummers of assent and appreciation; maybe a few appreciative looks on the part of some of the more feminine high-ranks, but nothing too lustful.
"And now, to decide what to do with him…" Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise and horror. "While technically he is a shinigami, he is not certified and there is no way to truly establish him as one of our own until he is. I nominate his attendance to the Shinigami Academy until the time comes that he can sufficiently pass all six of the graduation trials. All in favor?" The meeting hall was deathly silent. Not a soul moved, everyone held their breath in anticipation; that is, until Renji and Grimmjow broke into guffaws. The Captain and Lieutenant of Squad Three were doubled over and clutching their stomachs. Even as the others watched they fell to their knees, bending forward until their foreheads touched the ground before they collapsed onto their backs, still laughing.
"I-Ichigo? In the ac-acaden-academy? Are you mad man? He wi-will kill them all!" Renji managed to choke out. By now, three others had joined in: Kenpachi (of course), Rukia, and Yachiru (Ichi is gonna be surrounded by babies! Heheheh). A glare made Rukia go silent, though her shoulders were still shaking with mirth. The others only laughed harder.
In their own little world, they didn't notice the other coherent Captains vote on the matter, nor did they realize it when the decision was made; at least not until Yamamoto announced it.
"It has been decided. Kurosaki Ichigo shall attend the Shingami academy starting tomorrow until further notice. This Captains meeting is concluded. Good day everyone." Then, before he could protest, the Soutaicho flash stepped away. While Ichigo stood frozen in shock and disbelief all the other ranking officers trickled out of the hall, leaving him alone with Rukia. The dark-haired woman slowly approached him from behind, pausing a few steps away from him and shifting nervously.
"Ichigo?" The single word rang throughout the hall, shattering the frail silence and the emotions that were holding him captive.
"School," Ichigo whispered, sounding horrified. "I just got out of school, and now I have to go back! I don't want to go back, dammit!" His voice had risen during his tirade, and he was practically screaming by the end of it, sounding just a little panicked. In response to her friends distress Rukia stepped forward and rested her hand on his chest, staring up into his eyes. Ichigo relaxed slightly, calming a little at her touch.
"You will be fine, Ichigo. It isn't like regular school; they do have swords you know. All you need to focus on is Kidou and our history." Her lips tilted up into a smile, and she added, "And reiatsu control, you really should learn how to stop leaking. Just, try to be careful; we don't need you killing any potential shinigami, no matter how much they provoke you." Ichigo sighed in defeat, dropping his head so it rested against hers.
"Fine… but I can't promise anything. Now, where will I be staying?" Rukia grinned, and leaned up to whisper in his ear.
"WHAT? I HAVE TO LIVE THERE TOO!" His shout could be heard within a mile radius on every side. Quite a few shinigami got a shock that night.
"Yep; but for tonight, you can stay at the manor. Come on, we need to go before Byakuya gets suspicious of something." She grabbed his wrist, and he followed her out into the night.
-Two Days Later: The Academy-
The next day found Ichigo in an uncomfortable and ridiculous looking blue and white shihakusho, walking down the halls to his first class. Young souls on either side of him were whispering and pointing at him, most likely due to his little performance with Matsumoto the other day. Just the memory made him grin.
Ichigo stood behind the sign-in counter, grinning like a mad man as he snuck up on a distracted Matsumoto. As he approached the soul that she was currently talking to took a step back, shock evident on his face, but of course Matsumoto paid him no attention, having gotten this response multiple times already. He paused just behind her and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Boo!"
She jumped, spinning around to face him with her hand on her zanpakuto. When she saw him her tense form relaxed and she laughed, shaking her head.
"Just what do you think you are up to, Kaien?" Ichigo shook his head, grinning at his friend.
"Why, whatever do you mean Matsumoto? I was simply taking a morning walk, and saw you standing over here, looking ever so bored. I simply wanted to help raise your spirits, is all." She grinned at him, laughing.
"What happened to Rukia? She was supposed to be watching you, to make sure this didn't happen." She waved her hand in a small circle, indicating everything around them, including the openly staring and shocked students.
"Ah, she got a hell butterfly and had to go; something about her captain falling ill again." Matsumoto nodded, murmuring slightly to herself.
"I see, so old Ukitake fell ill again." She closed her eyes, her face going grim. "That has been happening more often lately. At this rate, he will need to retire in five years, max. He is getting to old for all of this, and the disease is more active." She sighed, letting her face relax and opening her eyes. "Well, on a different note, let's get you signed in, shall we?"
A small smile played at the corners of his lips, something which was quickly abolished in light of his surrounds. This was just like high school; he had to keep his bad-ass reputation, especially because to them, he had one.
As he walked he brushed against some sixth year, according to his symbol. The boy spun around, fury burning a fire in his eyes.
"Hey, you, watch it! Don't you know who I am? I could kick your ass with both hands behind my back and my feet tied." Ichigo raised an eyebrow, surveying the boy. He was tall, sure, and muscular, but nowhere near his own size. A sealed zanpakuto was strapped to his hip, the blade surprisingly small. Ichigo snorted, shook his head and walked away. Behind, he heard the boy screaming in rage.
When he reached his classroom he wasn't surprised to find it the size of a college lecture hall; he really was going back to school wasn't he? "This sucks…" A sigh made its way into the air as he slipped into seat, allowing his head to fall down upon the wooden long table in front of him with a thud. The students around him cast him weird looks, but said nothing, preferring to turn back to the teacher.
Ichigo groaned as his instructor cleared his throat and called out, "Well, good day to all of you. As you know I am Hunesi Kirui, and I will be teaching your Sereitei history class. I am delighted to have you all here with me. The first piece we will cover is the creation of Sereitei. Now, Sereitei had been around for millennia, being first created by…." At this point Ichigo zoned out, not really one to get into ancient history; of course he really did know most of this thanks to his conniving father, but still. History was always boring, and that would never change.
The pounding of footsteps woke him from his dozing, startling him slightly. He jumped, rising up from his position on the table and practically sprinting out of the room. Students stumbled as he rushed by them, his momentum causing the slightest of touches to send them stumbling.
"Kidou, kidou, now where is the kidou hall? Come on! I am going to be late if this continues…" He swung around a corner, swerving to avoid a group of fourth years, until he caught sight of the wing he was looking for. "Room 345, come on… 376, 369, 358, 349, 345! Got it!" He managed to slip into an open seat in the back just as the bell rang.
The door at the bottom of the classroom opened a second later; surprised and delighted squeals and shouts rang out, and people started to whisper. Unable to see the cause of their excitement Ichigo did nothing, staying slumped back in his chair and looking blankly ahead of him. Then the kid sitting in front of him moved, granting him access to a sight he never expected to see in a classroom. A flash of orange and black met his eyes and electric lighting glinted off brilliant purple hair.
"Yoruichi!" The exclamation slipped out before he could stop it, and some of the students around his sent him nasty glares. One leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Shut up, Rukongai scum. You may not know this, but that is the taicho of the Second division, leader of the Stealth Force. You will address her as Shihoin-sama, if you know what is good for you."
Ichigo glared back at the boy and responded in kind, "If you know what is good for you, you wouldn't threaten me." The boy looked surprised and furious, and his expression enough to make Ichigo smirk. Then he turned away, moving his attention to his instructor, mentoy and friend.
"As you all should know, I am Yoruichi Shihoin, Captain of Second Division and the Stealth Force. Also known as-" She disappeared, flickering out of sight for only a few seconds before reappearing next to Ichigo in the back of the room. "-the Goddess of Flash. I have been asked to teach you the basics of kidou and shunpo as a favor to Yamamoto-soutaichou. Now, who hear can effectively utilize the art of shunpo?"
Ichigo smirked as the class remained silent. Yoruichi, who was still next to him, shot him a glance out of the corner of her eye. Her lips tilted up in a slightly playful grin, her eyes conveying a silent message; let's show them how it's done. A grin spread across his face, and he stood. She turned to face him, and he spoke: "I can shunpo."
"Very well then; how would you like to play a game of tag? The rules are very simple, the first person to tag the other wins."
"I'm in." Her lips tilted up into a small smile, and even as he jumped forwards she disappeared. The students looked on in awe as the two flickered, ever-moving, never seen in the same place twice. Their laughter rang throughout the room, and they could hear her taunting the 'Rukongai Scum', as he had come to be known by the others. The grin on his face was disconcerting, seeing as they had never seen him do anything but scowl and sneer.
"Come on, you can do better than that!" Ichigo growled at her, leaping forward and shunpo'ing at the very second she did; the two reappeared inches away from each other, but with a wink Yoruichi was gone again, leaving Ichigo standing in place. He scanned the room, looking for any trace of her, but found none. His eyes widened in realization, and he jerked forwards, but he didn't move fast enough to dodge her blow. The heel of her hand slammed into the middle of his back, sending him stumbling.
"Better luck next time, Ichigo. You nearly got me though." The whisper was soft, low enough that no one in the front row could hear. He grinned at her, sliding into a bow as she did,
"You taught me well, Yoruichi; even after all this time I haven't forgotten." He murmured softly as they stood again. She grinned at him, the only thanks she could give while keeping his cover. As he shunpo'ed to his seat she explained that it would be taught during the second semester, and began her lecture on kidou and how to properly utilize it. As the bell rang she called out to him, asking for him to remain behind after the bell. Confused and intrigued, he did as she asked, approaching the front of the room as the others filed out.
"You did well today, all considered." She smiled at him, "You really did nearly get me. If I give you a few years you might even be better than me. Guess I taught you a bit too well, huh?" She chuckled. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know the real reason why I am here. Yamamoto did ask me to come, but to keep an eye on you. We all know how bad your kidou is, I am supposed to keep you from blowing the academy up, and give you help when you need it. Now, about zanjutsu… please be careful Ichigo, you could kill any person here other than me and Kira-san with a single blow."
"Huh, Izuru teaches here?"
"Yes, he teaches an optional class; Haiku I believe…"
Hehehe, I had to do that. He can't show off anything else without breaking his cover, sadly. It would be fun to write, though! We might have a few unexpected visitors throughout his time at the school, *hint hint*.
Anyone who wants a character added to the story, whether friend or foe to Ichigo, should PM me as soon as possible with their: name, characteristics (hair color, hieght, skin color, etc), temperment and so on. I have room for three friends and two enemies, as back-up to the main.
Reveiw! Oh, and I just want to know... did anyone catch something odd about Rukia last chapter?