Hello, all. Here's another chapter of Savage.
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In the aftermath of the traitors' flight, 4th Division was working overtime.
"I'm alright." Sajin Komamura assured the healers fussing over him; his pride was, by far, the most serious injury he had. "Take care of the others."
"Sir? Where should we start?" Two new arrivals, Greenhorns of Squad 4, asked the seated officer in charge of giving assignments on the Sokyoku hill.
"I want you to heal that Ryoka. If you are unable, come and find me and I will assign some of the senior healers to assist you."
"But sir..."
"You have been made aware of the situation, haven't you? He, apparently, is the one that came closest to stopping the traitors! We owe this much, at least, to him; obviously he is not our enemy." As the two ran off in search, the man spotted a sight for sore eyes. "Excellent!" He ran to great his captain, who was arriving on her manta-ray like Shikai.
"Captain Unohana, I am glad to see you. What is the status of Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Hinamori?"
"They have escaped Death's door. From here on out, they just need time to recover. What is the situation here?"
"The most gravely injured appears to be Captain Kuchiki, Ma'am. The Ryoka was seriously wounded, too, but we cannot seem to find hi-" He was cut off by an annoyed yell.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! I wake up and find you two rubbing stuff on me?! Who are you?!" A pair of panicked yells came in response to the angered voice, and dust was kicked up in the distance as the Greenhorns ran to find sanctuary with their kind captain. They arrived, and hid behind the calm-faced woman as an orange-haired man appeared in front of her in a blur.
"Oi! I asked you a question! You better have a good reason for rubbing shit on me while I was sleeping!' His hand rested on Nejibana; visible because he would soon enough be meeting people that would know her far better than any of the other three, sealed form as he glared threateningly at the cowering Shinigami.
"I believe, Kurosaki-san, that they though you unconscious from your injuries." Unohana responded for her subordinates, with a small smile. Ichigo, surprisingly, did not notice the sinister glint in her eyes, preoccupied as he was.
"Eh? You see any injuries?" Ichigo gestured at his bare torso, and the captain was surprised at what she found. Granted, the burned away clothing showed clearly that the man had recently been in a fight, but there was no evidence of any wound. Well, that wasn't quite true. There was a pair of inch long, pink scars; each indicating one of the serious injuries, yet those signs were very minor, considering Retsu had been informed that Ichigo Kurosaki had been run through by Gin and his Shinso.
How could that be possible?
The Captain would have asked had her, currently sporting a bloated sense of self worth, subordinate not interrupted the beginning conversation.
"Hey! Who do you think you are?! Talking to Unohana-taicho like that?!" The seated officer barked at the man he had, just moments ago, defended. He did, at least, have the intelligence to give a scared whimper as Ichigo laid a hand on Nejibana's hilt and turned his glare onto the man that had now taken a place further towards the top of the Ryoka's shit list. Fortunately, Ichigo then processed what had been so rudely shouted at him.
"Hmm? You're Captain Unohana?" He asked, turning a far more pleasant expression to the softly smiling woman.
"Yes, that is me."
"Ah. Sorry, Ma'am. I didn't realise it was you. I apologize for my actions towards your subordinates, I had yet to come down from the high I get in combat. It tends to render me much... ruder, than I would normally act." He explained, with a sheepish expression.
"No apologies are necessary, Kurosaki-san. I am sure that that would have been a very shocking manner in which to wake up. And I assure you that I have seen people far more brass than you even on your worst day. I do regularly have to deal with Captain-Zaraki and his squad, after all." The captain smiled kindly, finding slight humour in the comparison.
"Still, I feel bad. I will do my best not to let it happen again." He bowed his head in apology before looking up with interest. "Say... Do you know where Captain Ukitake is?"
"Hmm?" Retsu was slightly confused as to what the man would want with her friend, but knew that Jushiro had been wanting to talk to Ichigo himself, once the invader woke. "I believe that he and Captain Kyoraku headed to First Dividision with Captain-Commander Yamamoto. They did make a request of me, via Hell-Butterfly, to inform you, once you resurfaced, that they would like you to head over in that direction to familiarise yourself with the area. You're going to need to attend a Captain's meeting, I'm afraid."
"Joy." From what Ichigo knew, based on Yoruichi's stories, those sessions were tedious, to say the least. "That way?" He asked, pointing.
"That's right." Retsu nodded, with a yet another kind smile.
"Arigato." Ichigo dipped his head once again and vanished in a blur of Flash Step.
-()-()-()-
4 hours later, after losing his way Kami knows how many times, Ichigo knew exactly why he had been told to come here so much earlier than he had thought necessary. He was stood in the Captains' Hall in the First Division barracks, as the Haori-wearing Shinigami were in two lines, odd facing even. They seemed to be waiting for the Head-Captain to show up, and Ichigo was just hoping that he was doing the right thing by standing at the back of the room, since nobody had told him where else he was supposed to wait.
'Boooooooored!' His Hollow whined, as... well, as nothing happened. While Ichigo, and the other spirits residing inside his mindscape, had plenty of patience, his Hollow was lacking in this aspect. 'Hey, see if the bell-guy wants to have another fight!' The violent spirit suggested.
'That would be the worst thing Ichicgo could do. We need to make an effort to repair the damage of our first impression; most of these Soul Reapers will be far from fond of us.' The old man interjected, his tone reflecting the endless patience he possessed.
'Agreed.' Nejibana contributed, knowing that the calm headed Zangetsu's idea was far superior. It wouldn't do to anger the Soul Reapers further; they were guests in the Seiretei, after all.
Any further debate was prevented as Ichigo's attention was grabbed by a strange, clunking boom approaching from outside the meeting hall. It sounded... like a cane? Or, at least, a cane amplified to an unreasonable volume. His guess was proven correct soon enough, as the Captain-Commander strode in to the room.
For some reason, the old man had donned his disguise once again; pretending to be as frail as a human of his appearance. Ichigo assumed this was a tactic that came in handy, as any enemies of the Soul Society would dismiss the head captain as a non-threat. Effective.
Idly, Ichigo wondered whether Yamamoto had reached the stage Aizen had been speaking of; the mastery of all 4 fighting styles. Not that the Hybrid-Shinigami ever expected to find out; the Old Man hadn't fought anywhere near him, and was unlikely to do so in the future. From what the Human-Shinigami knew, the oldest Soul Reaper very rarely participated in combat.
Regardless of that, the oldest Shinigami commanded respect as he strode down the aisle created by his subordinates. The thrum of power that accompanied each thud of his sealed Zanpakuto striking the ground was impressive, if unnecessary. The Reaper, walking at a slow pace, reached his seat; the only one in the hall, and each captain, along with their Lieutenants, turned their attention to the old man.
"The matter at hand is of vital importance!" The Shinigami boomed, to make sure he had their undivided attention, before continuing his speech. "The discovery of a traitor in our midst would be no matter what, but for three captains to be working hand in hand with Hollows has previously been unthinkable!"
'I resent that!' Hollow Zangetsu announced. 'There's nothing wrong with Hollows! Look at me; I'm fine!'
'Other than being sadistic, psychotic and having no morals, you mean?'
'Exactly!'
"In light of this, I have approached many of you in the short time since Sosuke Aize, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen revealed themselves. Quick, decisive action is vital in this trying time, but we must remain united! Without Central 46, this council is the highest authority in the Sereitei, and so we are all expected to contribute to the path we must take!" That was all well and good, but why was Ichigo here?
"Of course, we will be increasing the intensity of training, for each and every Shinigami, to allow them the best chance to survive the upcoming war. This means that your suggestion, Soi Fon-Taicho, is to be fulfilled. You have permission to oversee your own squad members' training, though I hope you refrain from overworking Division 4 too frequently. The same is true for you, Captain Zaraki." Soi Fon maintained her determined expression, while Zaraki gained a bloodthirsty grin; one that was even more extreme than his typical shark's smile.
"I'm afraid that there is little we can do for Fourth Division other than this; I ask any of you who have members you believe would be better suited in Unohana-Taicho's division than your own, please do not hesitate to reassign them. We have not the time to waste on training our unranked members in combat if they appear to be a lost cause." The kind faced, intimidating captain nodded solemnly; there was little else that could be done to decrease the workload the average healer would have to shoulder. Seeing this, Yamamoto continued.
"Captain Kuchiki," Genryusai continued. "I assure you that the treasonous behaviour of the now ex-Captains will be punished appropriately. I am unsure whether you meant only Captains Aizen, Ichimaru and Tosen, but the actions of Kuchiki Rukia, Ichigo Kurosaki and their accomplices require further examination. I, personally, am under the impression that their actions were justified due to the positive effect provided to the Soul Society, but I would like to hear opinions in the matter later in this meeting.
"Likewise, I assure you, Captain Kommamura, that those who have betrayed us will be dealt with properly once the opportunity presents itself.
"I agree that, if they are willing, having Senior Captain train lower ranked officers would be beneficial. I fail, however, to see the logic in you only training females, Kyoraku-Taicho." The pink-wearing captain pouted, before flinching under the gaze of his Lieutenant.
"The sudden absence of captains is another issue I intend to seek council on from the gathered captains at a later date, Hitsugaya-Taicho.
"Captain Kurotsuchi; I am afraid I cannot condone experimenting on Ichigo Kurosaki at this time. It is doubtful that you can replicate his ability to wield multiple Zanpakuto, as it has previously been theorised impossible." The clown-faced captain scowled, and shot a... hungry look at Ichigo. That was... disconcerting. Behind him, his daughter-Lieutenant maintained her robotic expression.
"And, Captain Ukitake, I agree that it is logical to send scouts, in the form of ranked members, to the academy to search for potential early-graduates. This will help us in a war-time scenario, I am sure most of you will agree." The white haired captain appeared content with this outcome.
"Are there any objections?"
"YES!" A certain, extremely creepy captain exclaimed.
"On what grounds?"
"Kurosaki will best serve the Soul Society in my lab!"
"Do any agree?" No hands raised. "Then the notion is dismissed."
None of the other Captains felt the need to raise issues, as they were all certain the Sou-Taicho had given this plenty of thought, and most of the suggestions were beneficial to them, as well as the captain that had suggested it.
'This does not explain why we are here.' Old Man Zangetsu pointed out to his wielder.
"Yamamoto... Sama?" Ichigo asked, remembering to use the honorifics he so often didn't bother with.
"Yes, Ichigo Kurosaki?" The Old Soul Reaper responded.
"This is all well and good, but why am I here?" He glanced around at the rest of the other occupants. "From what I understand, only captains and their second in command are allowed in these... meetings."
"You are right, but I believe that, since we need to settle on what needs to be done with you, it was best for you to simply sit in on our discussion. As no objections were raised, there was no need to remove you." To the room as a whole, Genryusai continued. "What suggestions do we have on how to deal with Kurosaki-Ichigo?" The makeup-wearing captain opened his mouth. "Other than experimenting on him!"
"I'll fight him!" Zaraki suggested, enthusiastically.
'Good idea!' Hichigo agreed.
"Does anyone agree with this course of action for Kurosaki-Ichigo?" The Captain-Commander asked wearily. Nobody did.
"Hold on, Sou-Taicho" Ukitake interjected, a thought occurring to him. "Are you only asking in regards to punishment, or is the matter of whether he deserves to be punished still up for debate?"
"A good point, Ukitake-Taicho." The oldest occupant nodded. "Who believes that Kurosaki Ichigo deserves to be shown leniency for the beneficial consequences his actions have had for our society? By a show of hands."
As was customary, Yamamoto would not vote unless there was a need for a tie-break.
The others present were rather surprised to see Soi Fon raise her hand; not knowing that she and the Ryoka were, at the very least, not on bad terms. The strict captain would usually have been one of those firmly in the punishment camp. Her Lieutenant, barely managing to stand on his own, looked as though he felt betrayed by his Captain at that moment.
Unohana, likewise, raised her hand. She did not think that Ichigo deserved any real punishment for rescuing one of his friends from such a horrid fate. Particularly since most of the captains had made reached the conclusion that Aizen was behind Rukia's 'crimes'.
Byakuya did not raise his hand. Not altogether surprisingly, he believed that, since Ichigo broke the rules, the Human-turned-Shinigami deserved some form of punishment, even if that suggested by the least sane of their number was not what he had in mind.
Kommamura raised his hand for the reason that he blamed Kaname for whatever wrongs Ichigo was forced to commit.
Shunsui was lenient, anyway, and so did not wish to see Ichigo punished unnecessarily.
Toshiro was conflicted on the matter but, eventually, chose to stay as he was; the invader's actions, though justified, had done serious damage to his division's compound and hurt a couple of his subordinates. It wouldn't do to be overly forgiving.
As Ichigo watched the small, white haired captain contemplate what he aught to do, it became apparent that it was miraculous the prodigy was standing, let alone present. He was pale from blood loss, or Reiryoku depletion, and a good portion of Hitsugaya was wrapped in bandages.
Zaraki was still hoping Ichigo would have to fight him for punishment, and so did not raise his hand.
Kurotsuchi, likewise, was hoping for the Ryoka's punishment to be beneficial to him and his research.
Finally, and showing that Ichigo's actions were appreciated, Ukitake raised his hand rather quickly. The sickly Taicho was grateful that Ichigo had helped save Rukia, and saw no reason to punish him for doing what was right. That made it 5-4 in favour of leniency, and Ichigo was glad. It would've been unfortunate if he had to leg it out of the Soul Society, just like he did coming in.
"Very well!" The Head Captain boomed once again. "Kurosaki Ichigo is to be pardoned for his crimes as they were in the interest of the greater good!"The old man announced, before his tone became slightly less formal. "And, if we are not to punish you, Ichigo Kurosaki, how do you believe we should proceed?"
"Me? Why're you asking me? Shouldn't that be up to you?" Ichigo suggested, none too subtly, with surprise obvious in his tone.
"Yes, the final say will stay with we Captains, but first we need to be aware of what you intend to do next." The Sou-Taicho replied.
"Oh... Well, I'm going back to the living world. My friends and family are there, after all."
"Hmm..." The Head Captain, and the others, fell silent as the senior most of their number pondered this. "And do you intend to return to the Soul Society? More specifically; can we count on you as an ally?"
"You mean against the traitor-guys?" Yamamoto nodded. "Sure. I'm still a human, and everything, but I'm involved in this fight now; whether I like it or not. And I'm sure as hell not siding with that arrogant bastard."
"Okay, then why are you choosing not to remain in the Soul Society? In this environment, you are certain to grow stronger." Why was the old man arguing this point? It seemed... strange to Ichigo.
"Well, yeah, but I'd have to give up my life in the Living World, right?"
"Most likely parts of it would no longer be available to you, yes." The Sou-Taicho admitted.
"Then I'm not going to do that. No offense to you all, but the only person living here that I have an actual bond with is Rukia and... well, she doesn't seem to be treated well around these parts, does she? In the Human World, I've got plenty of friends and, more importantly, my family, namely my sisters, are there. I ain't going to tell them that I'm suddenly abandoning them." Ichigo stated, firmly. He meant no disrespect, but it was true he had ties to the living world. For his sisters to lose a brother, while they still mourned their mother, would be horrible.
Even if he was kind of dreading his return, and the reunion with his unhappy friends.
Before the Head Captain could speak again, one of his most trusted fellows spoke up.
"If I might suggest something," Retsu Unohana said, in a calm tone; continuing as she got permission from her elder in the form of a nod. "I believe that Ichigo would still like to grow stronger, but, as a human, he has other commitments. Perhaps he could return on certain days; such as the weekends, and train then. It would be a healthy compromise, would it not?"
"I can do that," Ichigo nodded. He did want to grow stronger after all, but that should give him freedom to train... other parts of his power. Most of which would be ill advised near Soul Reapers.
The Captain Commander simply nodded his agreement, but the three captains, and one Lieutenant, that knew him best sensed he was irritated about... something. Unfortunately, none of the four were sure what.
-()-()-()-
After the meeting, which consisted of some more technical talk, about how the squads would arrange their duties in the war time, that Ichigo didn't pay attention to, the Human-Soul Reaper was stood outside the meeting hall. Other than Zaraki, who, shockingly, challenged him to a fight, and Soi Fon who gave him a strange, strained smile; one that seemed characteristic of someone who had long forgotten how to use the necessary muscles, none of the captains had said goodbye. The Lieutenants, likewise, had all vanished as a unit. Ichigo assumed they had another meeting, or had to deliver news of this one to their Division members.
The lack of communication wasn't surprising, however, since the Taicho Ichigo was waiting to speak to had, along with Unohana and Kyoraku, hung back to ask the Captain-Commander about something. As the door swung open again, Ichigo started, and turned to face the emerging Shinigami.
Retsu didn't blink upon seeing Ichigo, but instead smiled at him before vanishing in a burst of Shunpo; off to take care of something at her Division. Evidently Yamamoto had stayed in the hall, or possibly exited elsewhere as this was his Division, since he was not accompanying his three apprentices out of the room.
"Ah, Ichigo!" The easy-going Captain of Squad 8 exclaimed, with a grin, as he and his best friend caught sight of the Human-Shinigami. Shunsui felt the need to do this as Jushiro had stumbled slightly, not for the first time, upon seeing the katana resting on the 'Ryoka's' hip. "It's good to see you again!" The kimono-wearing captain called to the younger man.
"Uh... You mean since 10 minutes ago?" It was an overly enthusiastic reaction, from Ichigo's point of view, but the captain seemed the type to get excited easily.
"Of course!" The man grinned, before looking around the area. The subsequent frown surprised Ichigo, and he tensed up, expecting something serious as Shunsui continued. "Hey, have you seen my Nanao-Chan?" Though he may have been wrong...
"I'm not sure who that is..." Ichigo dead-panned, forming an opinion of this man based on the information he'd gleaned from Nejibana, the suggestion he had made to the Head Captain, and this brief conversation.
Let's just say Ichigo was very glad he was male. He imagined that, for those of the fairer sex, this man may be very... irritating.
"Oh! She's my adorable Lieutenant!" Yep, Ichigo was right. "About yay high; always looking stern; brown hair that, no matter how much I plead with her, she never lets flow free; oval glasses, and usually a big, big book!" He smiled brightly at being afforded the opportunity to describe her in such detail without the risk of being whacked for doing so.
"Oh, right," Ichigo nodded, with only a fraction of his discomfort showing. "She, ah, went with the rest of the Lieutenants. I'm not sure where..."
"Okay, thanks! She must be at one of their meetings; that explains why she would leave me behind." Adjusting his straw hat, Kyoraku nodded to the two as a goodbye, and vanished in an impressive show of Shunpo.
"Forgive Shunsui; he has a tenancy to get... over-enthused when discussing females. Or alcohol. Or parties..." Jushiro commented, amused at his old friend's actions.
"I noticed." Ichigo smirked, before realising his mistake. "Ah, I'm sorry, Captain Ukitake, I forgot my manners-"
"There's no need to apologise, Kurosaki-san. If I am correct in my assumption, we are already well acquainted." Ichigo's hand came to rest on Nejibana's Pommel, and Ukitake continued with hope he was correct. "I have to ask; are you Kaien?"
"That is... a difficult question." Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to respond. "Is it okay if we go and sit somewhere? I need a moment to get the facts clear, myself, enough to tell them, and I know that it's best for you to avoid standing for too long."
"Of course, of course," Joshiro nodded. "But, if we are doing that, would you not rather wait for everyone to be able to hear it at once? Or, at the very least, want to tell Kukkaku and Ganju first?"
"Oh, sorry," Ichigo apologised. "I meant to sit at the Shiba house. I'm pretty sure that they're waiting for me, since Yoruichi had to drag Kukkaku off to stop her from confronting me on my 'deathbed'. If you know where to find Rukia, it might be best to pick her up on the way, too." The girl hadn't had time to process the Ichigo-Kaien situation during the chaos, but would definitely want to know.
"A good idea," Ukitake nodded. "So; to the Shiba household, via 4th division?" That was where Rukia was currently being checked over.
"Hai; that sounds right to me."
-()-()-()-()-
Well, that seemed like the best place to end the chapter.
I appreciate reviews! (Hint, hint)
I hope to see you next time!
Ah! One more thing! Any suggestions regarding pairings is appreciated! I've constantly forgotten to mention that here!