Disclaimer: BLEACH belongs to Tite Kubo. The story belongs to me. America belongs to the people.
Isshin stood in front of Urahara's shop. He was still anxious His kid was back after being gone for what felt like an eternity. He couldn't help but wonder... how had Ichigo changed? Would he hate him now? After all he had been unable to storm Los Nochas
for his son, like son had done for Inoue. That was something he wouldn't forgive himself for anytime soon. He hoped Ichigo wouldn't hold it against him. After a moments thought Isshin decided to suck it up and entered the store.
When he opened the door he was treated to the view of Kisuke Urahara sitting way in the back at the dining area behind the store. It was clear to Isshin that he had been expecting him, judging by the way he was waving his around stupid fan.
"Aaah! Kurosaki-san! My, my you sure arrived quick." said Kisuke in his annoying cheerful voice, well Isshin found it annoying right now. "Oh! Would you like some tea or breakfast? I know it's a little late for breakfast but you---" Urahara was quickly by one well placed kick to the face from an aggravated Yoruichi. "OW! Why would you do something like that Yoru---" and like that he was silenced for a second time by a kick to the face delivered by Isshin who during Kisuke's little act had stormed right to the table. Kisuke was rubbing the side of his face where both kicks had connected mumbling to himself something that to Isshin sounded suspiciously like 'hmph like father like daughter'.
"Maa maa, Isshin calm down a little can't have you waking Ichigo" said Kisuke while he picked himself up from his spot on the floor. "Poor kid needs all the rest---" In hindsight Kisuke thought he should have expected what happened next while he had expected another kick or punch from Isshin instead the other placed both his hands on Urahara's shoulders and stared him straight in the eye. "Then Ichigo's really back?" There was somewhat more than a hint of desperation in his eye's. Urahara decided to drop his cheerful persona.
"Yes. Ichigo Kurosaki your... child has apparently escaped Hueco Mindo and Los Nochas and is currently resting up and healing. " Urahara struggled with the wording for a moment before deciding on 'child' as opposed to son or daughter. After all that in itself would be a lot to take in for anyone let alone her father. Taking out his trusty fan Urahara decided to continue. "So please don't worry and join us for tea while we wait for the others to arrive" he finished with a wave and a smile. "Others?" Isshin asked.
This sucks thought one Tatsuki Arisawa. With a sigh she surveyed the classroom. Her stopped on an empty desk. The desk belonged to Ichigo and it had been empty for almost a year. She had to turn away to prevent her self from crying. Baka Ichigo she thought burying her head in her arms. Why did you have to go and get yourself captured? She felt awful. Awful at the fact she hadn't been there for him like he always seemed to be for her. Her mind kept replaying moments from their childhood, like the first time she made him cry, the time when he finally grew bigger than her and the last time he called her 'Suki-chan'. There it is again... she thought. That stupid annoying feeling that wasn't real. She felt Ichigo's spiritual pressure. Of course she thought she'd felt it so many before after he was captured only to have Urahara shoot them down as her wishful dreaming that this she failed to notice that unlike those many times before it wasn't going away. Feels kinda different too...
Orihime glanced at her friend from behind her book. She's nearly crying she thought absently. Truthfully Orihime was about to cry herself. Ichgio had risked so much to save her from Aizen and yet even now she was still to weak to protect him or even try and rescue him. She knew if it was her or his friend that had been taken he would've took again in a heartbeat. But she wasn't Ichigo she wasn't strong and she wouldn't be able to rescue him... yet. She finihshed her thought's with that silent vow. She then sniffed the air noticing a peculiar scent. That... smells like... Kurosaki-kun! Only sweeter... She dropped her head down with a content yet slightly pained sigh.
Orihime and Tatsuki's moods didn't go unnoticed by Ishida. He too was feeling unusually depressed. While he would never admit it to anyone especially him, Ichigo was his closest friend. Sure he was stubborn, reckless, and in Uryū's opinion an idiot, he never abandoned his friends or backed away from helping others even when everybody else did. That was the kind of man Ishida was glad to call a friend. Ishida on the other hand felt like he'd betrayed him. He'd helped storm the lair of the traitorous captain and his impressive hollow army for Inoue, but when the time came to do the same for Ichigo had he gone? Had he risked his life for him? No. He hadn't unable or not he had cast away his best friend to rot in the no doubt torturous existence he was currently living in, and for that Uryū felt that Ichigo could never forgive him for such a betrayal.
Sado Yatsura was fairing no better than his friends. Ichigo had trusted him with his back and Chad had not been there to get it. What good are these fists? he mused. What good are they if they can't help a man I'd be proud to call a brother? After Hueco Mundo Ichigo had flat out told him he'd know Chad always has his back. Now how would he face his friend? Abuelo... he thought. Would he be angry with him too? Ever since Ichigo had been kidnapped Chad had been training almost nonstop in order to rescue his friend. He wouldn't fail his frined again by leaving him to rot in the care of the enemy. After all a promise between friends was worth risking your life for in his opinion. Chad blinked a few times. He could swear he heard his Abuelo tell him not to worry.
Rukis felt awful. She'd stayed in school and Karakura town along with Captain Hitsugaya's team in order serve as a first line against any potential invasions or Arrancar attacks. Atleast that was what she claimed in her request citing her familiarity with the town an it's spiritually strong inhabitants as proof. Whether they actually believed the request or nor she was allowed to stay to 'monitor' Chad and the others. But right she'd like nothing more than to see Ichigo and beat him into every shade of black and blue imaginable for getting himself captured worrying his friends. Of course she'd probably hug him or something if eh ever saw him again. No... not if she told herself. When. Ichigo was known for his last minute miracles. You only had to look at what he's done to see it. He held the record for, well, breaking damn near all of them. Youngest to reach his level of power in such a short amount of time. Youngest to become captain, youngest to achieve bankai and quickest too at only two days. He mastered that about a week later. She was pulled from her thoughts by the teacher.
"Miss Kuchiki?" called Miss Oichi. "Would you please come up to the black board try and solve these equations please?" Rukia rumbled something along the lines of 'not really' even as she went up to the board. As she was writing the solution to the first one her cellphone went off. She recognized the personalized tone of the 'Urahara Shoten' theme 'given' to her by Urahara. She never could figure out how to get rid of the damn thing.
"Ahem." the teacher called. "Miss Kuchiki for the last time no phones or other electronic devices are to be turned on during class" she said tapping her foot and with out another word she held out her hand for Rukia to give her the phone which she grudgingly complied. "Now lets see what was so important you it cloudn't wait." She flipped it open and read the message. "'Kurosaki-san found'... huh?" Oichi along with all of Ichigo's friends did a double take. Rukia quickly snatched it back and even as Orihime and the other's crowded her she re-read the message over and over. Then she turned on her heel and raced out of the school with the other hot on her trail.
Tatsuki watched as Rukis, Chad, Ishida and Orih9me raced out. Glancing over her shoulder at the stunned teacher she called out "Hey teach! wre gonna excuse ourselves for the rest of the day 'kay?" She than took off after her wayward friends grabbing a confused and stunned Mizuiro and Keigo as she passed them by the hallway. "Huh? Tatsuki-san?" asked a confused Mizuiro. "Um...? Your excused?" said a dumbfounded Oichi to no one in particular.
Matsumoto was currently staring in disbelief at her phone. She had been stareing at it for a good 5 minutes from her little perch on the roof of the biulding she was standing on while the others finished of the last batch of hollows. "MATSUMOTO!" she heard her captain shout. She was ignoring him. Which was probably why he was yelling. "Hey! Ikkaku! Yumichika! Come with me! The old shopkepper says he found Ichigo!" her face was lit up as she shouted down at them. Ikkaku's grin said more than she cared to want to know about what he thought of that Yumichika merely smirked. Renji merely scoffed "About damn time he showed up!" he gave a slightly less sadistic version of Ikakku's grin. In ten seconds flat they were all on there way to Urahara's store.
Isshin was pacing impatiently in front of Urahara and Yoruichi. "Really Isshin-san you should relax a bit. Have some tea!" KIsuke offered. Isshin's growl quickly put that matter to rest. "How much longer are we going to have to wait?" "until they get here of course." Kisuke replied in his (in Isshins opinion severely overused) cheerful demeanor. Before Isshin could reply a commotion was heard on front of the store, followed by a exhausted Rukia and friend who in turn were followed by the Karakura patrol team.
'Where's Ichigo" she shouted. "Sleeping" came Urahara's reply. "But I"ll explain what I can if you'll just calm down!" he hastily added when they made to end his life. "Well get started Urahara" said Isshins sitting once again but not any less threatening than before. "Yes" started Uryu, "please do" he finished narrowing his eyes.
Five minutes later everyone was sitting or standing with a cup of tea. "Um... why are we here?" asked a confused Keigo, "Eh? You don't now Asano-san?" said Kisuke. "Well, no not really. Tatsuki-san drug us here from school without saying a word." "I did too. Are you saying you don't want to see Ichigo?" same Tatsuki's heated reply Grabbing him by the shirt collar for emphasis. "Nononono, I didn't say that." "Tatsuki-san" started Orihime. "Alright I won't kill him" glaring at Keigo she finished "yet." He gulped and nearly fainted. Mizuiro whispered in to Keigo's ear that Tatsuki had indeed told them the reason. He just hadn't listened.
"Now if I may explain now?" "Yeah. and make it good." Tatusuki made it clear she wanted an explaintion now. Something that the others shared right now. With a sigh and a sip of his tea He started. "Last night Ichigo apparently escaped Aizen." "Who?" asked Keigo. "Thee enemy. now shutup." snarled Ikkaku. With a whimper Keigo complied. "While under Aizen's...care" he struggled with the last aord before continuing with a sigh. "Ichigo under went severe physiological changes. Especially in terms of reaitsu composition." "How so?" "Well... you know how Vaizards are part hollow and Arrancar are part shinigami right?" Most of the room nodded except for Ikkaku who looked bored and Tatsuki and Isshin who're just glaring at him for not letting them see Ichigo. "Well Ichigo is a perfect mixture of Hollow and Shinigami." he finished with a wave of his fan.
"Wait..." said Renji. " So your saying Ichigo's power is half hollow and half shinigami?" "Hmm, not quite." "Whata do you mean 'not quite'" snapped Rukia. "Well if Ichigo power was half, whatever" he said with a wave."Than he'd only be able to use one half at any one time." He received a collective blank stare. "Maybe a visual would help." Rukia's eyes lit up as she retrieved her trusty drawing pad. "I think he meant 'visual's people can understand." Renji said with a smirk and promptly received a kick to the head from a very pissed off Rukia. It quickly degenerated into a brawl with Ikkaku cheering them on until Hitsugaya stopped it.
Kisuke suddenly held up a diagram with five circles stretched across. "Now let's say this blue circle on the left is shingami power while the red one on the right end is hollow. Now next too the shinigami circle is the vizards circle see?" he said gesturing to the blue circle with a big red dot in the middle. "And on the other side arrancar" motioning to the red circle with a blue dot in the middle left of the 'hollow circle'. "With me so far?" Everyone nodded. "Now here's Ichigo." he said pointing to the purple circle dead center. "See? A perfect mixture and not half of either." he completed taking out his fan. "I still don't get it. How's that any different than what Renji said?" groaned out Ikkaku.
"Because technically Ichigo was pretty much half hollow already" he replied with a grin. This got a another collective confused stare and smack from Isshin."Ouch" he said rubbing the side of his face. "What I mean is Ichigo was already pretty already half hollow. That's why his hollow was able to use Zangetsu when it took over and---" "WHO CARES!!" roared Tatsuki slamming her palm down on the table knocking over a few empty tea cups and cutting off any further explanations from Kisuke. Leaning in real close to the poor shopkeeper she slowly hissed out "When. Can. We. See. Ichigo." she was full out glaring. Urahara looked around the room taking note that most of the people in the room held the same opinion. Then JInta, Tessai and Ururu came back. "Oh!" exclaimed Tessai "We have guests." He quickly ran to the kitchen intent on preparing tea not noticeing that no one paritcular wanted any.
"What are you doing here?" demanded Jinta. When everyone replied they were here to see Ichigo Jinta could only blink in confusion. "What? That berry-headed loser is here?" Kisuke nodded. "J-J-J-Jinta you be so rude about K-K-K-Kurosaki-san if he just escaped from Aizen." JInta was going to smack Ururu when Keigo suddenly charged with an energetic cry of "Miss that robe is violation of the rules!!". Everyone Immediately turned their heads to see what he was charging at. Standing in the door way was a beautiful young woman with long strawberry colored hair and ample chest, shapely hips and wearing a white robe the hung so loosely it barely covered anything. She was yawning and leaning against the door frame for support. She was covered in bandages and was scratching the back of her head.
Tatsuki was about to leap up to defend the poor girl from Keigo when the 'poor girl' step to the side and quickly brought her hand from scratching her head to hitting Keigo's. "Oi! Keigo" she said in a annoyed and all to familiar tone. "I-Ichigo?" he stammered in disbelief as he crumpled in a heap on the floor. Ichigo blinked looking around the room. "What's everyone doing here?"
Behold! Chapter 3! A little longer than what I usually do. I just wanted to get the through the feelings and thoughts and the regrouping and the little explanation's quickly and get to meeting the new Ichigo. Also I wanna do a little extra for next chapter one is a brief info thing on Ichigo as she is now and the other is relationships with a few charators although they will be a little ambiguous. Vote on poll . Please review.