Brief: With his Soul Reaper powers restored, and his hollow finally subdued once and for all, Ichigo Kurosaki thinks his life can finally go back to normal. However, a visit to Seireitei soon changes that theory for the young Substitute. Can Ichigo adjust to his new life, or will he give in and return to how it was before?
Warnings: Contains some aggressive language, possible violence and romance throughout. Reader discretion is advised if any of the above offend you.
Pairings: IchiRuki, may contain smaller pairings such as ByaHis or HitsuHina
SPOILERS from the Fullbring Arc and previous
Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Tite Kubo, not me. If I owned Bleach, Ichigo would already be with Rukia ;)
Bleach: Bonds Beyond Dimensions
Chapter 3: Saying Goodbye
To say that Ichigo was nervous and apprehensive about what was about to be done would have been the biggest understatement of Seireitei since Aizen had been rated the Soul Reaper least likely to betray the Seireitei. The orange-haired Captain was pacing around the main Senkeimon entrance, as he had done for the last half an hour, waiting for Rukia to arrive and for the gateway to open. He sighed again, wondering where the Lieutenant was. Just before five to nine, Rukia appeared in a flurry of Shunpo, catching Ichigo's attention and falling under his glare.
"Where the hell were you?" he snapped. Rukia frowned back; she had never seen Ichigo like this.
"Its not even nine," she replied. "I know you're worried about this, Ichigo, but there's no need to be this uptight." Ichigo snorted.
"That's rich, considering who your brother is," he scoffed, folding his arms and looking away. Shortly after, he felt something slam into his shin hard. "Ow! What the hell, Rukia?!"
"Don't talk so loosely about Nii-sama, bakamono!" she snapped back. "In case you have forgotten, Nii-sama supported your appeal to become a Captain!" Ichigo was about to retort, but held his tongue; she made a good point. He exhaled sharply and stood still, waiting for the gates once more. Silence fell briefly, before Rukia looked over to him once more. "Nervous?"
Ichigo looked down, gazing into her eyes. Rukia looked genuinely concerned for him, or possibly for his family; it was hard to tell. The underlying emotions in her amethyst orbs told the man that she was worried and nervous herself; she had practically been taken in by the Kurosaki family, after all, and it would no doubt be difficult for her to say goodbye to them as well.
"Yeah," he replied with a soft smile. "But it's alright; I'm sure we can do it." Rukia smiled back.
"I know we can," she agreed. "There's nothing we can't do together." They smiled at one another for a moment before the mighty doors creaked open, bathing the area in vibrant white light as two darkly-coloured butterflies emerged, floating beside the shoulders of both Soul Reapers. "Come on, let's go, Ichigo." She dashed forwards, the butterfly behind her. Ichigo watched her disappear into the light.
"Yeah," he said solemnly. "Let's go." And then he followed Rukia's lead, the light consuming his figure as quickly as it had Rukia's.
The early-morning air struck Ichigo as he passed through the doors at the end of the Dongai, stepping out into the misty, dimly lit town once again. The air was damp from the night before, and the sun was lazily lapping at the horizon as it began its ascent into the sky. The newly-promoted Captain looked around, but found no one on the river-side path where Rukia and he stood. He breathed in deeply, taking in the sweet air one more time, before turning to Rukia. Wordlessly, she nodded and followed his suit as he used his Shunpo to head for the Kurosaki Clinic as quickly as possible; he had many people he wanted to see before he could go back. Once he was there, he reunited himself with his body, Ichigo hurriedly got dressed and quietly crept out of the house, making sure not to wake Isshin, Yuzu or Karin as he did so. Rukia was stood outside in the road, still in her spirit body.
"Ok," Ichigo said in a low voice, making sure he was not heard by his family. "Now let's get your Gigai from Urahara." Rukia nodded and walked beside Ichigo. The teenager walked calmly with his hands in his pockets, noticing Rukia's quizzical glances every so often. With a sigh, he turned his head to the Lieutenant. "What's wrong, Rukia?" She jumped a little at his question, but remained as composed as ever.
"I'm just trying to work out what Kisuke has in mind for..." She faltered, unsure how to phrase the point delicately. "For tonight."
"Oh, that's right," Ichigo nodded. "You never did see the plan Jii-san gave me." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper which had been folded and scruffily kept. "Here."
He handed the folded panel of white to Rukia and allowed her to read the plan the old shop-keeper had in mind, and watched with a solemn look as her expression shifted to one of shock and bemusement. Finally, after rereading it for the third time, she handed the paper back to Ichigo.
"You can really tell it was Kisuke's idea," she said grimly. "I'm sorry it has to be like that, Ichigo."
"Yeah," he replied. "I'm not particularly thrilled about it myself. But I swear, if Urahara tries to make light of this situation, I'm going to knock that stupid hat off his head." Rukia understood the reference, having been told of Ichigo's training on one of their days doing nothing much; and she took a sense of pleasure in what Ichigo himself had planned.
They reached the small shop in good time, and were greeted by two young teenagers, whom were cleaning up out in front of the building. Since what had become known as 'Ichigo's incident' between the shop-keeper and his work colleagues, the Urahara Shoten had become a more modernised shop in looks, though it was still unnoticed in the alley of the district, and it still used the cover of being a sweet shop, a cover the young Captain had never understood. The two young humans looked up from their work and nodded to Ichigo and Rukia as they walked over to the shop front. The large, bespectacled form of Tessai unlocking the door filled the window there before stepping aside, allowing them through.
Urahara sat on the usual place in the shop, hat low over his eyes and a cup of steaming tea in his hand. Unlike his usual self, however, the blonde man was wearing a pair of green slippers and pyjamas under the black robe-like overcoat he wore. His cane also sat at his side, though it seemed to be being ignored by its owner.
"Hm?" Urahara murmured as Ichigo and Rukia walked inside. "Oh, it's you two. I wondered when you would be here." He groaned as he stood, drawing Ichigo's attention to the dark rings beneath his eyes. "When Yamamoto-soutaicho told me you would be here about seven," he explained, "but he never told me whether it was seven here or there; that two hours difference changes everything, after all."
"Sorry, Kisuke," Ichigo replied, but the older man waved it off.
"Don't worry; it happens," he shrugged. He turned to Rukia and smiled softly. "Your Gigai is waiting in the back room, Kuchiki-san. I made the alterations you requested last week while you were in Soul Society; speak to Tessai if there are any other malfunctions or problems you can detect." Rukia nodded and left the room, heading into the back to test the Gigai before she headed out with Ichigo. "I'm sorry for what is to happen tonight, Kurosaki-taicho." Ichigo gazed into Urahara's eyes, but saw that he was not about to make light of the situation at all; contrary to his usual actions, Urahara was being completely sincere.
"Thanks, Kisuke," Ichigo replied with a nod. "Can I ask why you decided to make this the plan?" He held up the folded paper from his pocket as he spoke. Urahara visibly grimaced.
"I did not take pleasure in arranging such a plan, Kurosaki-taicho," Urahara replied. "Despite what you may think of me, I have come to think of you as a friend, not just a colleague. Even so, I had to ensure it was comprehensive enough to withstand scrutiny; after all, it would need to be a viable reason for your demise to happen, and it would also have to hide the true outcome from prying eyes."
"I understand," Ichigo nodded. "Thank you for your honesty."
"Of course," Urahara nodded. The door slid open behind the man, revealing Rukia in her Gigai. "Ah, Kuchiki-san. I take it the Gigai is to your satisfaction?"
"Yes, it doesn't have the nervous tick it did last time," Rukia confirmed, rotating the body's shoulder.
"Yes, the upgrade to reflexes clearly wasn't calibrated correctly," the shop-keeper agreed. "My sincerest apologies."
"Don't worry about it, Kisuke," Rukia shrugged it off. "Nobody's perfect, after all." A small sensation washed over them. "It seems Ishida is near."
"Yeah," Ichigo nodded. "And Sado's with him too. That's perfect. We have to go, Kisuke; need to say goodbye to many people before we do that." Kisuke nodded, understanding. "Let's go, Rukia." The short Lieutenant nodded and began to head for the door. Ichigo reached it and turned around. "Oh, and Kisuke?"
"Hm?" the shop-keeper asked groggily.
"I consider you," he replied, "to be my friend as well. So do me a favour, and call me Ichigo." And with that, he disappeared through the door, Rukia hot on his heels. Urahara smiled and pulled his hat down, sitting down once again.
"Sure, Ichigo," he smirked, taking a swig of tea.
Two figures ran down the streets after the lanky being, the left arm little more than a stump after meeting a blast of blue energy, burning most of the limb away. A small cluster of arrows protruded from the creature's back, none of the wounds proving fatal. The darker-skinned of the two turned to the other as they ran.
"Can you feel that?" he asked. The bespectacled man nodded, the bow in his right hand swinging back and forth as he ran.
"Yes, it's Ichigo's reiatsu," the Quincy nodded. "And Rukia's with him." Uryu glanced at Sado. "Let's finish this off quickly; he seems to be heading this way." Sado nodded, blue energy wreathing his armoured right arm like flames, while Uryu used Hirenkyaku to move around the hollow they were pursuing. The hollow skidded to a halt and stepped backward a bit as Uryu took aim. "Now, Sado! Licht Regen!"
"El Directo!" Sado shouted as he loosed his pent-up energy in one great blast.
As the hollow moved to dodge the blast, Uryu's arrows swarmed and fired out in mass, the twin energies consuming the creature completely, turning it into a cloud of black reshi. No sooner had they finished the beast off did Ichigo and Rukia appear down the street. The two humans sealed their abilities and walked over to the two Soul Reapers.
"You're back then, Kurosaki," Uryu stated with a playful smirk. "We thought you had left us." Ichigo scowled back.
"Shut up, Ishida," he glowered. "I would at least tell everyone before I left."
"I know, Kurosaki, I'm messing with you," the Quincy replied smugly. "What brings you two out here this early? It's certainly not like you to be awake at eight o'clock, Kurosaki."
"Hey! I've only been late three times this term!" Ichigo snapped irately. He sighed, trying to recompose himself, then looked up at the Quincy and the giant. His serious look took Uryu by surprise. "Ishida, Sado, I've got something I need to tell you." He took a breath to ease his nerves, then spoke again. "I've been made Captain of Fifth Squad, but because of that, I need to stay in Seireitei." Sado remained neutral in expression, though Uryu seemed to look crestfallen at this.
"When?" the archer asked bluntly.
"Tonight," Ichigo replied. "Urahara has a plan for making my promotion official; I have to die here for that to happen." Sado's expression changed to one of shock, his eyes widening at this news.
"It's sudden, isn't it?" he asked. Ichigo smiled meekly.
"Apparently they've had this thought out since I lost my powers," Ichigo replied. "It's only now I can take them up on it." His smile faltered. "I need you to do me a favour while I'm in Soul Society; can I trust both of you to protect Karakura with everything you have?"
"You don't have to ask us to," Uryu replied with a soft smile. "We'll keep everyone safe."
"Thanks, Ishida," Ichigo smiled back. He shook hands with both the Quincy and the Hispanic giant beside him. "We need to be going; I still need to say goodbye to a few more people before tonight." Uryu and Sado nodded, understanding. "Take care, Ishida, Sado."
"Good luck, Ichigo," Sado gave the Captain a thumbs up as he spoke.
"Well done on your promotion, Kurosaki," Uryu nodded. "See you around."
"Yeah, see you around," Ichigo agreed, waving them off as he and Rukia walked away. He pulled out his phone as they rounded the corner and started clicking away as he typed.
"What are you doing?" Rukia asked curiously, eyeing the mobile closely. Ichigo glanced at her briefly before resuming his typing.
"I'm sending a message to Orihime, Tatsuki and the others," he replied. "Telling them to meet us at the Plaza at ten o'clock." Rukia looked at the watch Urahara had placed on the Gigai's left wrist and frowned.
"Ichigo, that's not for almost two hours," she said bluntly. Ichigo's phone snapped shut as he smiled at Rukia, pocketing it as he did.
"I know that," he replied. "Fancy a coffee?" Rukia looked stunned at first, then grinned with a chuckle.
"Sure," she replied nonchalantly. "Looks like we have time to."
Rukia took a sip of her drink as Ichigo juggled a steaming white mug and a plate with a few biscuits on it, making a beeline for a small table near the corner, right up against the window. Her mind cast back to her early days with Ichigo, remembering the mangas she had read where a man would ask his crush to a coffee shop just like the one they were in, and this would spark off their romance. As she thought of this, her mind drifted back to the night Ichigo had lost control; the night she had kissed him. Just thinking of it made her lips tingle again, despite how long it had been since then, and a sense of longing to repeat the simple but intoxicating action overcame her.
This could be it, she thought as they neared the table. This could be the perfect chance to tell him how I feel. The thought made sense, but Rukia felt conflicted; despite her desire to tell Ichigo how she felt for him, there was a big problem for her plan; Ichigo was saying goodbye to his friends and family before going back to Soul Society, and having her spring on him that she had feelings for him would only make him more uncomfortable in her eyes. He doesn't need that, Rukia decided with a silent sigh. I'll be able to tell him when he is in Soul Society. That will be better.
"Hey, Rukia?" Ichigo's voice said as he poked her in the forehead. "Are you even listening to me?" She ground her teeth and swatted Ichigo's hand away.
"Shut up," she grunted, biting back her tongue. "It's not my fault if you're making no sense."
"Excuse me?" Ichigo asked angrily. "It makes no sense that I want to spend time with my friends and family before I have to leave them?!" Rukia shrank back a little, realising how hurtful her words had been, and stared at Ichigo for a moment.
"Sorry," she sighed. "I guess I was a little distracted. I didn't mean-"
"It's fine," Ichigo cut her off, picking up a biscuit and biting into it. "Just keep your head out of the clouds." Rukia puffed up her chest a little indignantly.
"What makes you so high and mighty?" she asked. Ichigo closed his eyes, took a gulp of his drink and set the cup aside.
"Rukia, can we not do this now?" he asked softly, startling the Lieutenant. "I don't want to argue with you today of all days." Rukia nodded, understanding, and drank from her own cup, a biscuit balanced on her knee with a bite missing.
"Ok, Ichigo," she replied. "For today."
They drank their drinks while reminiscing of the times they had had before the Aizen fiasco. Both had finished a biscuit each, and were laughing about the repair work Uryu had done for Kon when he ran away from the Kurosaki household, reaching for the third and final biscuit on the plate. Their fingers grazed each other's, drawing them out of their laughter. Both pairs of eyes fell on their hands, realising that their fingers were intertwined, then up to the other's irises, purest chocolate pouring into deep amethyst pools as they locked stares. Neither realised that their heads were moving until they were a few inches from one another, at which point both were rotating slightly to accept the other. Their hearts pounded in the prisons of their ribs and their breath laced the other's nasal cavities. Rukia smiled softly at the scent of coffee and chocolate, while Ichigo found himself intoxicated by the peppermint overpowering his nostrils. In that moment, each wondered if they would taste as they smelled.
"IIICHIIIGOOOOO!"
They never found out. As abruptly as ever, none other than Asano Keigo shot towards them, making both jump backward in the blink of an eye, Ichigo standing up and laying his fist into Keigo's path, allowing the dark-haired teenager to ram into his outstretched extremity in full stride. Keigo crumpled under the strike, falling to the floor and moaning in pain. Ichigo sighed, rolling his eyes, and got Keigo under the arms.
"Rukia," he said. "Let's go."
"Right," Rukia nodded, standing. As she was about to follow Ichigo, she looked back to the plate on the table and scooped up the biscuit, popping the edge into her mouth to hold as she pulled her jacket on.
Outside, Ichigo dumped Keigo's limp body on the path, shaking his head. Mizuiro, Orihime and Tatsuki stood a little way from the floored Neanderthal, a mixture of looks of shock, anger and indifference as they regarded Keigo.
"Baka," Tatsuki practically spat. "I told you it was a bad idea."
"Why... Ichigo?" Keigo whimpered.
"Because you just tried to jump him, Asano-san," Mizuiro filled in for Ichigo, typing on his phone all the while. Keigo jumped up and gripped the dark-haired young man by the upper arms.
"Mizuiro~!" he whined. "Don't call me that! It's weird!"
"Matches you perfectly, Keigo," Ichigo replied mockingly. "I might start using it myself."
"Gah! You people hate me, don't you?!" Keigo shouted melodramatically. Tatsuki, by now severely pissed off by his whining and shouting, brought her fist down upon his skull with a satisfying crunch.
"Knock it off, baka!" she shouted at him before looking up to Ichigo with a grinned. "So, what's the occasion, Ichigo?" Ichigo frowned.
"Does there need to be an occasion?" he asked. Tatsuki's expression said it all. "Alright, fine, maybe there is an occasion behind this."
"Well, spit it out then," Tatsuki folded her arms. Ichigo rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"It's not that easy, alright?" he said, trying to calm his nerves. Finally, with a deep breath, he told his friends. "You remember that I had the abilities of a Soul Reaper a few years ago?" The question was aimed more at Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro, none of whom seemed to be unable to remember this. "Well, I got my powers back last week, which is why half of Karakura Downtown got wrecked."
"You mean that gas main explosion was your doing?" Mizuiro asked. Ichigo nodded before going on.
"Anyway, now that my powers are stable again," he went on. "I've been promoted to Captain of Fifth Squad in Seireitei."
"Hey, that's great, Ichigo!" Keigo offered supportively, but Ichigo's expression made his words and smile falter. "That's good, isn't it?"
"Sort of," he replied. "It means that I'm going to have to go for a while."
"How long is a while?" Orihime asked.
"I'll almost always be needed in Seireitei," Ichigo replied solemnly. "I probably will only be back to visit briefly or on missions." The four crestfallen humans exchanged looks of worry, but Ichigo went on all the same; he had built up momentum which he could not afford to lose. "I want you all to know that I am going before it happens, so here it is..."
He told the group Urahara's plan, relaying what the piece of paper said. They stood in silence as he foretold his own demise to his closest friends, their expressions and bodies frozen by shock. When he had finished, Ichigo turned to Tatsuki.
"You've known my family for almost my entire life, Tatsuki," he said with a slight smile. "Could you look out for Yuzu and Karin while I'm not here?" The martial arts instructor smiled softly, touched by the request.
"Of course," she replied. "I'll look out for them like they're my own sisters."
"Thanks," Ichigo bowed slightly into a nod before turning to Keigo and Mizuiro. "I won't forget about you guys, so don't you dare change."
"You got it, Ichigo," Mizuiro smiled a little. "Congratulations on your promotion." Keigo just looked as if he had been punched in the stomach, though this was not far from the truth. Ichigo placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll visit you whenever I can," he said. "I promise." Keigo smiled a little.
"I know," he replied. "Just stay safe; you have to come back here."
"I will," Ichigo smiled, patting Keigo's shoulder. He turned to Orihime, who seemed to be choking back tears. "Hey, don't cry, Orihime. I won't leave you guys." She sniffled, tears brimming her large eyes.
"But Kurosaki-kun," she whimpered. "You're going to... die."
"Only in physical body," he replied. "I'm not actually going to die; I've got too much to do." He held her in a friendly, comforting hug. "I'm sorry I never matched up to the person you thought I am, but I'm glad you have someone who can make you feel how you deserve to feel; don't let Ishida do anything stupid."
"I won't," she whispered, hugging him back. "And you're wrong; you're so much more than I thought you were, Kurosaki-kun." He patted her back and they separated.
"I'm sorry, guys," he said. "But there's one more group I have to say goodbye to. Then I have to go." He waved goodbye to his friends, all of whom still looked anxious and saddened by the news of his impending doom, and headed down the roads, Rukia a step behind him as they headed for Ichigo's final stop before Urahara's plan came into effect.
The Kurosaki Clinic seemed quiet as they approached. It was a little after one in the afternoon by the time they reached the building, and the sun was high in the blue sky as they opened the door and stepped inside. Almost instantly, a mouse-brown blur flew from the lounge area and slammed into Ichigo's torso.
"There you are, Onii-chan!" Yuzu beamed up at her brother. "We were so worried about you when you weren't in bed!"
"Sorry, Yuzu," he smiled, ruffling her hair. Yuzu looked up at him, bemused. "Are Karin and Otousan home?"
"Y- Yeah, Karin is in the lounge and Otousan is in the kitchen," she replied. "Onii-chan, what's wrong?"
"Don't worry about it," he smiled at his sister. "I'm going to go talk to Otousan, ok? Just wait in the lounge for a minute."
The orange-haired young man walked on into the kitchen area, where Isshin stood with his back to Ichigo. Had it been any other time, Ichigo would have considered kicking the older man in the head for his 'morning bonding' for the last several years, but not then. Instead he cleared his throat.
"Otousan," he started. Isshin turned to his son, his eyes glistening and slightly reddened, and Ichigo realised the older man had been crying. "What's wrong?"
"I heard from Kisuke," he replied. "About your promotion." Ichigo nodded, his eyes not wanting to meet his father's. "I'm proud of how strong you have become, my son, and I know that this is the right path for you." Ichigo smiled a little, trying to maintain his integrity. "I have not told your sisters; I felt it was you duty to, not mine."
"Thank you," Ichigo managed. "Could you help me?" Isshin nodded, understanding what his son meant. "Let's get this done quickly, before I lose my nerve."
He filed into the lounge, where Yuzu and Karin sat on the couch, the television blaring out the news. Ichigo turned it off, much to Karin's annoyance, but he ignored her and sat between the twins. Rukia stood off to the side, ready to offer support if anyone needed it, while Isshin stood at the arm of the couch.
"Yuzu, Karin," Ichigo started shakily. "I haven't been honest with you two. The night a truck drove through our house, it wasn't a truck..."
Ichigo retold his story to his sisters, from the night he met Rukia, to his rescuing her from execution, to his hollowfication, from Aizen's betrayal to his defeat at his hand and his consequent loss of powers. They listened intently, transfixed by his tale, grateful he was telling them at last. After almost two hours, he reached the present day.
"And then I got promoted to be Captain of Fifth Squad," he finished. "But now I have to go to Seireitei."
They sat in silence, then Yuzu grinned.
"Wow, onii-chan!" she beamed. "That's incredible! You're going to be a great Captain!"
"Thanks, Yuzu," Ichigo smiled softly, his arms around the twins' shoulders. "So, what do you think, Karin?"
"I kind of knew," she murmured. "I talked to that Toshiro kid a lot when he was around; he told me about you being a Soul Reaper."
"You never told me, Karin," Yuzu pouted.
"It didn't seem necessary," the dark-haired girl replied. She paused. "Wait, how can you be a Captain if you're still here, Ichi-nii?"
Damn, Ichigo thought. She always was sharp.
"That's why I'm telling you both this," Ichigo replied. "Since I'm now a Captain, I have to live in Soul Society." Yuzu's mouth opened in a look of hurt shock. "I need to appear to be dead here."
"No... onii-chan," Yuzu whimpered, tears filling her eyes. "You can't leave us like this!" The teenager broke down into tears without any regard for dignity. Ichigo tightened his grip on his sisters as Karin's eyes threatened to repeat Yuzu's.
"Ssh," he whispered softly to them as they held their brother close, heads resting on his chest. "It's ok, I won't leave you forever. I may not be able to be here all the time, but I will come back whenever I can. I promise you both that much."
The two sisters cried in their brother's arms until their tears ran dry in their ducts and only the choked moans and sniffles remained. Yuzu looked up from Ichigo and turned her puffy, reddened gaze upon Rukia.
"Rukia," the brown-haired girl said softly. "Please make sure Ichigo stays safe." Rukia looked startled for a moment, then nodded an affirmative.
"Of course," she replied. The twins stood and hugged Rukia tightly.
"And take care of yourself too," Yuzu whispered into the Soul Reaper's ear. "You're like our sister."
"And you are like mine," Rukia smiled, holding them close. "We will visit whenever we can."
As the girls embraced, Isshin turned to Ichigo, having a quiet conversation with his son.
"Are you certain this is what you want, Ichigo?" he asked. "Once you go through with this, there will be no going back."
"I know," Ichigo replied calmly. "But this is the only route which makes sense to me; I have to do this, otousan." Isshin nodded and reached into his pocket.
"I thought as much," he said, pulling his hand out of his pocket. "Misaki gave this to me the night she was lost; she knew that my past would eventually catch up to you, and she made me promise to give it to you when the time came." He handed Ichigo the object, a fairly weighty circular medallion of bronzed gold on a red ribbon. Engraved into the medallion were two crescent moons on either side of the kanji for 'one who protects'. On the back was a short message, which read;
'Ichigo,
I may be gone when you receive this, but I will always be with you. This medallion will keep you safe in your darkest hour. You are destined for great things, my son. I know you will make us all very proud of you.
Love Misaki.'
Tears pricked at Ichigo's eyes as he read this, but he refused to break down even then. He looked back to Isshin and smiled.
"Thanks, otousan," he said, before hugging his father with his right arm. "Take care of Karin and Yuzu."
"And you take care of Rukia," he replied. "I won't forgive you if something happens to my third daughter." The joking brought a chuckle to Ichigo's throat, but he suppressed it, worried it might release his pent up emotions.
"Rukia," he said, glancing at his watch. "It's time." Rukia nodded, hugged the girls one last time, and headed towards the door. Ichigo opened the door and smiled softly to his family. "Goodbye, guys. I'll see you soon."
And then he was gone into the cold of the approaching evening.
"Where the hell is he?" Ichigo's angry mutterings fell upon deaf ears in the crowded evening streets.
He had gone to the Urahara Shoten once more to organise the last factors of his life, giving the measurements for his Gigai and running through the plan for that night once more with Urahara. With the specifics cleared up, he had headed out for the point where he would begin the end of his life as a human. He looked around in the crowd once more and spotted him; a red-haired man in a hooded coat and a facial mask, only his eyes, the top of his nose and some stray locks of hair visible. The man nodded and headed to the east while Ichigo took a breath to prepare himself.
"Hey!" he heard someone shout. Here we go, he thought. "Somebody help! That guy stole my bag!"
He looked up to where the woman was pointing, spotting the man running with a purple handbag clutched within his left hand. Instantly, he took off after the man, sprinting to catch up to him.
"Hey!" he roared. "Get back here!"
He gave chase for a while, gaining on the bag-snatcher. If anyone had been watching, they would have assumed he was determined to catch the man, and that was the reason most took for what happened next.
With a screech of rubber on tarmac, Ichigo came to the realisation that he was in the middle of the road with a rather large blue truck heading at him too fast to stop. Before he could even blink, the truck's grill slammed into his chest at a good fifty miles an hour. He practically felt his ribs buckle under the force and knew almost instantly that his lungs and possibly his heart had been punctured, his chest cavity torn up and haemorrhaging. He watched as his body went head-over-heels a few times before slamming into a hard shoulder with a sickening crunch, coming to a standstill slumped over the metal bar. Ichigo grimaced at the sight; he had barely gotten out of the way in time to evade the damage. He looked down at the piece of paper in his pocket and read the plan once more. It read;
'At six thirty exactly, Noba will pose as a thief and steal Yoruichi's bag. You will have to give chase until you reach 37th Street, where Kurodo will pose as a truck driver and will run you over. Do not worry about this; the Gigai Release Seal will be integrated in the vehicle badge on the front of the truck; so long as you make contact with this, you will be released from your body. Once your spirit is released, use Shunpo to get away from the area; the empty body will do the work for you from there.'
He looked up from the paper, gazing at the commotion as paramedics and police began to flock into the area. He sighed a little and looked to his left, where Rukia stood beside him in the air. She gave him a reassuring smile.
"I think that's our cue to leave," he said, unsheathing his sword. The belt holding the scabbard to his back now held the medallion about the centre of his chest. He thrust the sword, willing it to enter the rend in the dimension, and was surprised when the tip of the blade disappeared into the air and hit something. "Now, unlock." With a turn of his hand, the Senkaimon appeared and slid effortlessly open. "Come on, let's get back to Soul Society."
"Right," Rukia nodded in agreement as two Hell Butterflies flew out to greet them as Ichigo sheathed his blade and stepped into the white light.
Moments after Rukia cleared the threshold, the Senkaimon vanished, just as a medical examiner on the ground removed his stethoscope from his ears and sighed.
"He's gone," he said solemnly.
Yep, that's what I had planned; a car accident. I'm sorry if people thought it was unoriginal or anything like that, but that's just how it goes sometimes.
Anyway, read and review, and I'll post again when I can.
Next time, Ichigo starts to learn what a day in the life of a Captain is like!