Well, We've caught up to my live journal now and we're in the final stretch of it.
Title: Undermining the Mission Pairings: Aizen/Ichigo and othersRating: PG13Warning: Yaoi, some violence Summary: Not one day into the Soul Society and Ichigo breaks Urahara's plans. Neglecting to tell information has long and strange consequences. Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach or anything affiliated with it
Chapter Fourteen (Boogieman)
Sometimes Ichigo really hated his luck. Yesterday(or what he assumed as yesterday, since there was no day/night in the desert) he admits that he wasn't exactly… sane. Quite the opposite really and the screw ups were just now coming to him in the form of a pale shadow.
"You've killed them King. There ain't any way they're gunna let the friends of traitors live. HAHA all that's shit for the midget just went to waste, like their lives. How long do ya think the little princess is gunna last?" SHUT UP ALREADY!" From his near death experience and the fight with Byakuya Ichigo was still heavily wounded and extremely tired. For a few moments when he first woke up it seemed as if the hollow really was going to take control. He wasn't in his inner world but the sand around him was very dim and unclear as well.
"
He must have looked like shit.
"Hey! Don't go back to sleep yet. I'm nearly done ficksing yous. Pesche, Dondochakka help me pick him up!" Ichigo felt the strange arms lifting him as well as something went being wiped across his chest.
The tallest one seemed bug like and fretful while a tiki masked hollow stood nearby. On his chest was a small girl with a mask almost too large for her head. Hollows weren't supposed to be human like…right?
"What are you?" Her cheeks puffed making it difficult for him to think anything other then "cute".
"Now isn't that rwude. Can't you see my beautiful mask and markings? I'm an arrancar, like you!" 'Like me?'
"Come to think of it, where's your mask?" She was wiping her drool all over him?! It seemed to be closing the wounds so he let it go. He was used to the crazy by now. The tiny girl with big eyes had to go. She reminded him way too much of Yuzu and how he had let her down.
'She and Karin might be dead for all I know…'
"HEY! STOP THAT!" It had gone far enough- he wasn't letting a kid into his hakama.
"b-but you won't show me your mask. That's even rwuder then before!"
"I'm not an arrancar."
"Yous right. You look kinda like a…" Okay, it was very amusing. He didn't want to terrify the child, but apparently she knew about shinigami. Reiatsu poured out of her mouth while she screamed but years of Yuzu and Karin's fights had made him all but immune to tantrums.
"A SHIIINNIIIIIGAAAAMMMMIIIII!"
---
"We'll find him so don't worry so much!" It had been a week since Sado came to Hueco Mundo with Ichigo and a week since they "accidentally" lost him in the desert. He had been welcomes with open arms, in a way. Most of them just introduced themselves and left with the exception of a few of them- one was rather lazy, the only female of the lot, and the blue haired one. He started first.
"Hey. I was promised a good fight from one of those shinigami assholes. And he better not be it!"
"Grimmjow you should know by now to be more respectful. The other one, Kuro-" She was cut off by a feminine screech.
"Gin! You didn't…" The fox like man smiled even wider before dragging them all down the all and beyond The Door into horror.
"Ohh! I haven't been to a disco in years! I can't believe Captain Aizen let you do this." As they would all come to understand later, Gin had a fetish of sorts. For about sixty years he had been following the social trends of America and fell in love with the disco. Among other things.
'What is he doing?' Gin led Matsumoto to the middle of the- oh god his steps were glowing. The lights went from annoying to pink and red as Ichimaru cued to the music coming from somewhere. Something in Sado's heart stopped for a second. He'd heard this song, as well as many other American ones, while living in Mexico and it shouldn't be in a disco.
The familiar beats started playing against some absurd synthesizer.
"Stop it. MAKE IT STOP!" The blue haired one, Grimmjow, kept looking between him and the other arrancar, Hallibel looking ready to cut his ears off. Then Ichimaru started singing.
"I think I love ya so what am I so afraid of!" God bless her soul, Matsumoto actually looked like she was about to cry. Maybe that would get the madness to stop.
"So Let me ask you to your face- do you think you love me?!" Of course not. She sang along.
"Run." Hallibel dragged them both out and saw Stark, the lazy one, at the other end of the hallway. As they approached he woke up a little.
"Be glad."
"Be glad for what you mother fucker?! That Luppi and that pink haired freak show aren't in their making it worse?" Grimmjow was…he was like Ichigo and Keigo. He could deal.
"You weren't there for his solo performances." The sounds of "Ugga Chugga" filled the air as the next song came on.
"I don't think Aizen is going to appreciate this." Ichigo wouldn't either.
"KEEP IT UP GIRL, YEAH YOU TURN ME ON!"
'Abuelo, is this it? Is this the punishment for going against my word?' Grimmjow whimpered.
---
"And now I'm here. Happy Nel?" Ichigo couldn't believe that he just unloaded all of his problems on a little kid- arrancar or not. It disturbed him a little that Aizen was this messed up but for the sake of his very strained mental health he wasn't going to think about Aizen for a while- else he'd end up like the goat.
"Well tha way I see it is that yous gotta get along wif your hollow. Be civilized or you won't be anything but a deranged animal. You don't seem like that." He noticed that every now and then the child would lapse out of her lisp and into a more mature was of speaking but thought nothing of it. It was probably a hollow thing cause his was surely as insane. Ichigo weakly smiled at the girl.
"I don't we'll be unified on any decision anything soon. Nel?" The girl paled so quickly Ichigo worried about her health. He felt that reiatsu and stiffened without turning around.
'Maybe this is karma's way of giving me that chance to kill it.'
"Children are always the tastiest, aren't they Kurosaki?"
Grand Fisher appeared out of the sands against the dark sky, never in the light just like those monsters under the bed. Horrifyingly enough this was the boogieman.
'KILL KING. KILL IT EAT IT.' Ichigo didn't even have to reached for the mask to pull it on.
---
The Captain's meeting in the Seireitei was very informative. Even Shunsui was-
"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" His hat was askew, the pink haori off of one shoulder and even the little pinwheels were on the floor from his friend's flip out.
"I won't accept it I won't" Time to stop this rant. On a good day he can go on for hours.
"Shunsui, I think you're missing the point." Crack. The floorboards creaked as his long time friend whipped around to yell at him. Lil' Shiro looked somewhat shocked. Adorable really.
"Missing the point?! The Kuchiki brat took my Nanao away, Gin took my drinking buddy, Nemu's locked up, and now this brat has twins?!" The current topic was of course, the Kurosaki family. What Shunsui focused on were the twins daughters around Toshiro's age.
"Shunsui Kyouraku, pull yourself together." He saw Toshiro smirk and dreaded it immediately.
"You know, one of them was blonde." The cry on anguish could be heard til the 54th district.
'Shiro, you are soo not getting candy for a week. Or maybe…'
"CAPTAIN YAMMAMOTO!" Woke those morons up. How someone Sajin's size slept while standing up was beyond him.
"In light of Rangiku Matsumoto's …leave of absence" be evil, not mean. The poor kid was still suffering. What many people forgot was that Matsumoto was a women, not a girl, and over the past two decades seemed to have earned the spot of "maternal figure" in the little captain's heart. Too bad he didn't realize it until about a week ago.
"In light of that, I suggest that my third seats take over the 10th Vice Captain and after a time" Years. YEARS. "have one of them transfer over to the 13th again." Damn you Isshin. You lost that bet and were supposed to give me a Vice Captain. Why couldn't you have just come back?
'Its not like they wouldn't have accepted your children. And your son is as foolish and loving as you.'
"Granted. Finally." Retsu smirked and him and he fought down the desire to whoop. She was planning something and it would not be good. Not at all.
Chapter Fifteen (Warmth)
Despite the conditions, Momo was having the time of her life. Her captain was really amazing- he was always doing things to help the underappreciated and the ignored. While Nemu's trial did not end well for her, he execution wasn't scheduled for months now- only because they had not yet figured out how to kill her. She and the rest of the women's association wanted to get her out badly and her Captain Aizen figured out how to do it.
Apparently he had some free lancing friends in the real world that would be more then happy to hide her from the main body the shinigami. They smuggled her out just a few hours ago and he left her to patrol Karakura town with Renji and Izuru. She did think his friends were actually legal, but they had to be nice- else why would he associated with them?
"I don't know what's worse. Captain Kuchiki's taunting that I'm stupid or Kyouraku's demands that I get a sex change operation." All the Vice Captains(except Rangiku) had been returned to their divisions as well as Captain Madrame's promotion ceremony. Apparently Unohana was still fixing some of the damaged members of the eleventh division.
"At least they have some sort of acknowledgement towards you. Madarame just ignores me most of the time." Izuru wasn't having a good time either since Ichimaru left but she didn't see a real problem.
"But Izuru, isn't he personally training everybody in his division?" He was a bit course but he seemed dedicated enough to his job. Unlike some people. Her blond friends snorted.
"Hardly. It's more like a ticket straight to the infirmary. Hey, do you guys feel that?" they did. Someone- presumably a ghost or shinigami- just died if the spiritual pressure drop meant anything. Every since the Ryoka went to Hueco Mundo, its as if all the reiashi had started disappearing from the city.
"Stop dawdling guys, there was a fight and someone just lost. Let's go!" Yeah, Captain Aizen really knew what he was doing. Renji went from being nearly useless in the 5th, to the 4th seat in the 11th, and now Vice Captain of the 6th! His growth really should in times like. They quickly flash stepped off towards the school, of all places, and caught the end of the fight.
'No! This isn't happening!' Momo felt Izuru pick her up and she watched Renji dive after the blond haired man.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"Watch ya words you kid. I'm finishing it off now!" The man fired a cero, like a hollow, at Aizen's dead body.
"NO STOP IT! STOP IT!" Another figure this time a man with an odd afro came next to the murderer.
"Shinji.. Is that?"
"No clue. We need to get out of her though." With a careless ease Shinji kicked Renji into the ground and they both disappeared. Momo was aware of Izuru letting her go and help Renji but it all seemed sort of distant. There was something under her legs though. Picking it up, Momo dropped it with a stunned look on her face. All that was left of her kind, caring Captain was a bloody hand and she screamed.
---
"Seriously now, why are we not looking for Ichigo?" Sado was coming to the end of his patience. After the horrendous disco accident, Gin gave him and Rangiku white clothes like all the others in Hueco Mundo- his had black while hers had the pink accents. Gin only shrugged.
"Didn' know ya were comin. S'it okay with ya?" Apparently having a color made you above the arrancar and hollows but he didn't mind.
"Ya don't need at worry about Ichi-berry though. He's purple! Hehe, the color of royalty, if ya didn' know." Rangiku was the first to actually answer him.
"You don't have to worry. Gin sent scouts out days ago and they're still looking for him. He worries just doesn't show it like the rest of us do. Bhaa!" Gin kept behind her and started tickling her sides.
"Don't make me sound all fluffy, Ran-chan. Ichi-berry's in the best hands he could be. I know these things."
Creep.
"Creep." Glad to know there was someone else sane here. Even if she didn't actually dress herself in clothes.
Why was she following him anyway?
'Ichigo, please get back here. I can't understand the dead like you do.'
---
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Grand Fisher was different now, an arrancar like Nel but his appetites hadn't changed at all.
'KING, LET ME MAKE IT SUFFER.' He let go on his control on the voice for a minutes and felt his body move without his control and red hate flew out of his arm, hitting the hollow on its back. Then he knew to dodge the counter and took control of himself and dived Zangetsu into its neck.
It didn't break through but it did bleed.
"GRAAAH!" He was feeling those other senses again. Everything around him had that taste and it was very different from humans. Defiantly not as bland but not the deliciousness of a shinigami either. It was like…
'Like a diet soda. Its not real and is just bad for you.' Grand Fisher was afraid and so were Pesche and Dondochakka. Nel stood there, transfixed. His body had been fighting on automatic while he was thinking- neither he or his hollow were in control and at the same time they both were.
If Ichigo thought about it later, he'd have noticed that when he finally sliced through his monster, happily, that the voice never came back. He won but it wasn't without damaged. Nothing to serious though.
"I-Ichigo?" Why was she scared? Was she scared of him?
'She thinks I'm going to kill her!' His insanity was gone now but he still felt, smelled, and tasted things like before. Ichigo couldn't remember a time when he had felt so good.
Nel was practically trembling by the time he kneeled down in front of her and carried her onto her shoulder.
"NO NO NO DON'T EAT ME. NEL TASTE BAD!" Her brothers looked like they were going to fight him too. Like he was going to hurt a defenseless little girl.
"Nel, I'm not going to hurt you. This is no place for a little girl, even if she does have her brothers. We're all going to Las Noches, alright?" he left her blow her nose in his shirt.
If anybody like Renji or Ikkaku found out he did this, he'd never live it down.
Ichigo started trodding the sand, looking like an idiot, and called for the others.
"Hey why aren't you coming along?" Nel clapped furiously from his shoulder.
"BAWABAWA!!!"
---
Underneath the Quincy hospital were three Kurosakis, one Inoue, One Arisawa, two Ishida, and four full time workers at the Urahara Shoten. And Yoruichi Shihouin who didn't want to be grouped with the morons and babies.
"We're not the ones slurping milk." Karin quick tongue reminded them all of Ichigo. After a week everybody was caught up with everything. Tatsuki wasn't allowed to leave now either, since Hitsugaya spotted her.
"But why? Why couldn't my son find a nice shinigami girl and give me grandchildren?!" Isshin's only care was the lack of grandchildren he'd get.
"Oh shut up already! Ichigo's gay you morons!" That brought another stunned silence in the room when Tatsuki started beating Isshin's head.
"It does make sense…Isshin, the Kurosaki names ends with you. Started with you two now that I think about it. Can't fail much more then that." Yuzu couldn't understand the strange hostility between he dad and Shihouin-san, so she asked.
"Oh-ho oh. So you haven't told them everything. C'mon Tanimonban, fess up." The girls were told of their shinigami heritage, but not of what Tanimonban really meant.
"Uhh…Kisuke will you?"
"Fine. Way to fan to see you suffer but I'd rather not smell your blood tonight. You goat." Kisuke Urahara was an instant favorite for the girls. He seemed to know the perfect insults and when to say them.
"You see, about two hundred years ago, Somebody named Tanimonban was supposed to marry someone named Shihouin. Coincidently, they were both two of the five royal families in the Seireitei and it was a very good match- two captains, the kids would have been strong. But Isshin left Yoruichi at the alter and the families have been fighting since. Isn't that about the time you "accidentally" made Shaolin a lesbian?" Quite murmurs went around, most of them insulting to Isshin.
"Oh! Does that mean Ichigo has to wear those funny head things like Kuchiki-san?" Orihime couldn't imagine Ichigo doing something so ridiculous. His hair wasn't nearly long enough for that.
"Yoruichi, why don't you marry Ichigo?! You can probably make him straight again!"
"DAMN IT ISSHIN ICHIGO'S ALREADY WITH SOMEBODY. Kinda." A week without karate gave Tatsuki little to do in order to vent but Karin showed her therapeutic Isshin hitting. It was like hitting Ichigo without the guilt.
Thoughts turned somber again as Isshin tried to figure out who his son liked- he was the only one not really aware of his son's affection for Aizen. Except maybe Ichigo. Dumbasses, both of them.
"Hey, she's starting to wake up." Earlier in the morning to all their surprise they found Nemu Kurotsuki unconsciousness laying on their doormat. Time to find out what was going on in the Seireitei.
---
The trip from Nowhere, Hueco Mundo went by much quickly on the giant black worm. One tall arrancar stood against the top of the wall right in front of him and Nel looked as if she knew him.
From his lap she tried hiding in his shirt and he wasn't going to fight her. She looked more scared then around the child eating hollow.
"Who are you and why did you bring that weak shit back here?" Ah. An Asshole. Amazing how quickly their population grew in the past eight months.
"Oh just get out of the way already. Do you really have to pick on a little kid?" A double crescent blade swung around him and Ichigo got really mad. If he wanted a fight then he'd better be ready to die. He was on a roll tonight. But before he could reach for Zangetsu they were interrupted.
"Nnoitra, please do explain to me how you knew what happened to Neliel, won't you? And it may be best for you to remember Ichigo Kurosaki, as he is your better."
Out of no where Sousuke Aizen appeared and walked over to Ichigo, stopping only to smile at the arrancar in his arms.
"So that's what happened to you. Gin will be glad to have this little mystery solved. Well Nnoitra?"
Chapter Sixteen (Cruel Words)
Kenpachi was confused. Earlier that day there was the funeral service for Aizen, the moron who died without even giving a good fight. Kido-loving ponce.
That wasn't the problem though.
"Where the hell are my officers?!" They just disappeared. Sure Ikkaku was the 3rd Captain now- he made the bald bastard leave- and Renji worked under Kuchiki- he thought it'd be "cute" to have Yachiru dress up like a bunny for the Kuchiki chick he had a crush on. Well, he got a Kuchiki for his troubles alright. One of the new graduates answered. Little prick tested into 12th seat.
"Uhh..ah… uh. Ayasegawa is in the process of being transferred." Kenpachi sighed and hoped no body would pay attention to this shit. Seriously with all of the dip-shits in his service heading to Vice-Captain and Captain positions they might think he was doing a good job or something.
"Do I even want to know where?"
"To Captain Ukitake, sir." Captain Tuberculosis. Well at least Yumi'll being charg- oh fuck. The 13th squad doesn't know what's about to happen to it. Fruitcakes.
"An' what about Yachiru?"
"With the Shinigami Women's Association."
"At least she's not the one attacking people tonight then. What are ya doing here anyway?"
"Captain Unohana told me to tell you that Hanataro had better turn up in the next forty-eight hours or Yachiru gets another check up."
'The hell is going through the dip-shit's heads?! The only person stupid enough to kidnap a member of the 4th was..the ryok.. Oh.' Hehe. The small officer looked scared at Kenpachi's laugh and wondered not for the first time if there was an error in the paperwork.
Doubtful though. Surely Captain Kyouraku stayed on top of these matters, right?
---
"I'VE BEEN INCLINED…TO BELIEVE THEY NEVER WOULD!" The patrons at the bar, normally dirty and filled with less then polite men, were now huddled in one corner of the place trying slowly to exit the place. Earlier in the evening one of the Gotei 13 Captains, a woman, strolled in with some rather meek looking shinigami all armed with buckets and rags and they started cleaning the place. There were booze stains more then sixty years old there but they had it sparkling clean. They left and the other women came in, already partially drunk.
They were probably shinigami but they were all wearing normal clothes. Then the singing started when the palest and second most drunk one- Momo Hinamori- suggested they sing some of Rangiku's favorite songs. Three hours later and two small dark haired girls, Nanao Ise and Soi Fong, were still singing the strange songs. By far those three were the most drunk in the entire place and they were there until about 2 am but the barkeep wasn't about to tell armed women to leave their booze.
"I'M GOING TO KILL THOSE FUCKING VIZARDS!" The girls pinned down Hinamori and dragged her out of the bar.
Whoever these Vizards were, he kind of pitied them.
---
Nnoitra was spending some quality time in Szayel for what he confessed doing to Neliel. He would have to find ways to fix the arrancar immediately in order to replace him- Neliel was one of their best.
And still wrapped up in Ichigo's shirt. For someone as standoffish as him he had an awfully tender side for children.
"You look like a nurse." Ah, there's that scowl.
"And you look as cold and evil as you really are." It was true. With his glasses gone and his hair slicked back Sousuke knew he didn't look anything like the "kind" Captain he had been.
"Hmm. Not up to your usual standard today, are we? A bit tired?"
"Nearly dieing does that to you."
"Yes it is very stressful- but it works." The two fraccion of Neliel came by then to take the girl back to her former quarters- after sharing a few words with Ichigo first. As curious as it was it was slightly disturbing to see a gentle smile on Ichigo's face for the girl. They continued walking towards nowhere- but he wasn't going to tell Ichigo that. For the first time in days he seemed calm and normal again.
"What are those markings on your face?" Ichigo felt his cheeks and looked confused.
"Marking? I don't have anything on my face." Sousuke sighed and grazed over the red pattern like brush stroke slashes with his finger tips. 'Now or never a I guess.'
"I think you're wrong, you know. I can be remarkably warm to people." He didn't bring his hand down and kept it on Ichigo's cheek. The only response he got was a confused "huh?". He tried again.
"I am happy that you brought yourself to Hueco Mundo. It'll give us both something to look foreword to, together." Still nothing. If Sousuke were any other person it'd be disheartening.
"If you left leg is Christmas and your right leg is New Years, can I visit between the holidays?" He honestly couldn't believe what he just said, but it couldn't be confused, right?
"You're Christian? And where will you be visiting, we're both in this pale desert!" Ichigo swatted his hand away and wiped his cheek- apparently his hands were sweaty.
"…If I said you had a great body would you hold it against me?" There was a pause while Ichigo looked at him.
"Are you high?" Not affection, concern. At this point Sousuke was taking what he could get.
"You are astoundingly dense at times, you know that?" 'Lets give Ichigo something else to think about.'
Sousuke grabbed Ichigo's shoulder in a hug to force them chest to chest and kissed him without hesitation.
"AH FUCK. It's just as bad out here!" Ichigo somehow jumped out of his arms and to the other side of the room completely red in the face.
When all of this was over Sousuke was going to kill Grimmjow. And possibly Hallibel, whose smirk he could see above her collar.
---
It was a sad state of affairs and Orihime didn't know what she was going to do about it. Aizen was a cruel man but he helped them for Ichigo. Urahara caused all of this trouble for them but he was helping them now. Even the Soul Society had kind people trying to do the right thing, but still kind of misguided. They needed a new perspective.
And by Golly, she was going to do it!
Orihime marched right up to where Urahara was sitting with Yoruichi and Kurosaki-san and bowed her head low.
"Please teach me to be a shinigami!" Ishida's glasses cracked. The girls were off with Nemu in a rare trip to the city to teach her how to be humanlike.
"Great idea! Where's your weapon?" Isshin looked very happy. He used to help the new kids all the time. Orihime pointed to her Barrettes while his friends snickered.
"Good luck with that Isshin. Good luck." Both of them looked affronted. And their cheeks were puffy to.
Ishida was still trying to get the broken glass out of his cheek.
---
"Oh Shunsui stop mumbling. You haven't had sex in seven years and that not going to change any time soon." Really Jushiro wasn't normally that crass but his best friend had been in a rut for a few weeks now. Contrary to what all people believed Shunsui didn't think of Ise in a sexual manner at all. Nope, she was like his daughter with the woman that the really did love.
'And probably will never see again, unless dead.' The Vizards who were outcasted a century ago killed Sousuke Aizen. And now his little Nanao-chan was getting serious with a boy. Put all of his years as a girl chaser in perspective.
"Stop it Jushiro. How would you feel if..if.. If Rukia was getting married to some punk!"
"I'd be happy that someone could calm her down." Yama-jiji entered the private room then and the business started. Unohana should have been there but she was with the SWA and none of them wanted to annoy the girls.
"I don't supposed either or you would like to be a part of the Royal Guard?" They had both been asked many time but denied it. It was a very lonely life and not one many wanted to take. "Of course not. Then who?"
The pickings were really slim and it showed. The Seireitei was in a dangerous position with the lack of Captains and Vices to take over duties. All that was really left were Yamamoto, Soi Fong, Retsu, Byakuya, Kommamura, Shunsui, Kaname, Toshiro, Kenpachi, and himself.
Soi Fong couldn't go, Byakuya and Toshiro were too inexperienced, as was Kommamura. They didn't even consider Kenpachi- while the royal family would be safe the other members of the royal guard wouldn't.
"So it's agreed then. Kaname Tousan of the Ninth Division will be promoted to the Royal Guards."
---
"AH! Captain Hitsugaya I finished all your paperwork and mine!"
"Wah don't listen to him. I finished all the transfer stuff and the management papers, a much much more harder job."
Toshiro just stared at his desk letting his new "Vice Captains" argue over which one was the most helpful. He had absolutely nothing to do. Most of his day was spent doing his and Matsumoto's paperwork and yelling at her and getting her off the couch.
"Ugh, this thing stinks like sake. We're going to get it cleaned!" Something inside of his ticked off then.
"BOTH OF YOU GET YOUR MISERABLE SQUABBLING SELVES OUT OF MY OFFICE NOW!" The room went frigid and he could see their breathe and pale faces. It was silent as they slowly crept out and back to their barracks. Toshiro felt exhausted for no apparent reason so he decided to crash on the couch. The table in front of it still had a half full bottle of Matsumoto's sake and the dish.
Without even thinking he finished it off and went to the next bottle in her stash all around their office.
Chapter Seventeen ( Thistle Down)
The cool night was something both Ichigo and Chad appreciated, especially now that they could finally talk to one another alone. No Arrancar hopping around, No Gin and Rangiku, and no Sousuke practically staring him down.
"If you stayed behind I would have understood, you know?" Ichigo broke into conversation first. A white sand dune shifted reveling an alabaster dead tree, much like in Urahara's playground and training room.
"My Abuelo was very wise and brought me up well. I can't think that he would be disappointed in me for this. There would be no point in staying on the sidelines if I have to watch my friends suffer." Out of the corner of his eye Ichigo saw Chad hold out both of his arms and one hand holding the chain that his coin used to be on.
"Do you really believe that?" Without asking Chad knew he was talking about the coin.
"Ichigo even after Aizen and Soul Society I'm going to help take care of you. I don't care that you're the way you are either." The rest of what they assumed was night passed in silence. As warm as Sousuke was, Ichigo was glad to have his friend with him. Maybe he didn't screw up as bad as he thought he did.
---
Sousuke did not understand what was wrong. He'd taken care to not force anything onto the boy that he didn't want, but this was too confusing for even Ichigo's normal behavior. It took two weeks for him to be calm enough just to share a bed.
It was cozy.
And then he decided to surprise Ichigo with something he probably missed. A television. Looking back, that's where it went down hill. Apparently the boy was odd no matter the social ring he was with.
But to have such a violent reaction at Ghost Bust was juts unbelievable. And it really wasn't fair at all either. None of his marks stayed on Ichigo's skin for long that's to his hollow powers but that bruise will be there for at least a week.
"Ichigo. I think you're being a little ridiculous." Sousuke was not about to have a serious discussion with his mate in the middle of a room with stuffed centaurs and unicorns.
'If Gin ever manages to get Zaraki here, Yachiru will be in heaven.' His Quinta Espada wasn't supposed to be treating Ichigo like a mother either. It was quite pleasing to see that a pink tiara didn't clash too badly with Ichigo's hair. A small hand tugged at his sleeve and Nellie held out a blue paper crown with not so dry glue and sparkles.
"Aizen-sama, yous gots at marry the princess!" The choking sound only made him smirk.
'So no Ghost Bust… with him.'
"No arguments Ichigo?" Sure he could admit to baiting him but his lover couldn't seem to form a response and just gaped at Neliel who was putting together a make-shift alter.
'Enjoy your last night as a princess, Ichigo.'
Two hours later, for no explicable reason, Isshin Kurosaki fainted.
---
"Get a move on you five! Yuzu, Karin, Ururu, Jinta, get your asses to the Middle School now! Uryu, Nemu, we've got to get to High now! MOVE IT PEOPLE!" Tatsuki was a tyrant.
"Yes'm" The four children ran away as fast as they could and Uryu wished he could have joined them. It was three days into the spring semester and they were finally allowed to return to school. Without Kurosaki, Sado, and without Orihime. The walk from the Kurosaki Clinic- where they were all staying- was slow and Nemu asked the ticking time bomb known as Tatsuki The Question.
"Arisawa-san, are you not upset about Inoue-san's leaving?" Uryu remembered the months of training they all went though but none more then Orihime. She went through everything just so she could have the powers of a shinigami, of all things. It took her three weeks to materialized a sword but at the cost of her barrettes. The Hibiscus design was her hilt and otherwise her powers remained the same. Objectively he knew that Inoue had released her sword but Yoruichi and the others were keeping quite about whether or not she had bankai.
It was true she was no prodigy like Kurosaki, but it didn't stop her or her crazy ideas.
"I'm fine with it. Really. She said good-bye last night and promised to contact us as much as possible. I just hope that crazy girl doesn't get into much trouble." He and Nemu shared a look. Something definitely wasn't right with Tatsuki.
"…Arisawa-san, do you have a zanpakto?" At the end of the block the early bell for school rang and Tatsuki smirked.
"What on Earth would make you say that?" She proceeded to laugh and stomp to the main office, awaiting with their paperwork.
"Ishida-san, I think the direct negligence of her answer implies that-" he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"yes, Kurotsuki-san, she has a zanpakto like a shinigami. Always like the shinigami."
---
Over five hundred Shinigami wondered why they were summoned to the largest open felid in the Seireitei, along with Captain Ukitake, Kyouraku, and Unohana and their Vices.
"Umph!" Two blurs landed in the center of the area, one carrying Captain Akon. Yoruichi Shihouin dropped him to the ground and walked over to the Captains.
"GO get him Orihime!" Retsu cocked one eyebrow up and looked at the former Captain.
"Hello Captain Kyouraku! Ah umm." She watched the girl with long brown hair unsheathed a small sword, about the size of a tanto, and point it at Akon who was standing.
"Captain Akon of the Twelfth Division, I challenge you for you spot!"
---
Orihime felt herself get exhausted from running away from Akon's blade. Both of them had released their swords at the start of the fight and to her unfortunate luck he had a melee type of sword. Her own release didn't produce blades of any kind, but rather a tessan fan for each hand with the fairies inscribed in the coverings.
Her left side was a little numb- Urahara-sensei warned her that many in the 12th used poisoned swords even if it wasn't their ability.
"Tsubaki!" She loved her fans. Every time she went to attack it felt like a dance that only she and her fairies could do and it was none stop. She couldn't even think about the last time she paused in either attacking or healing herself and that was how she was going to win. The past 5 months were spent building up stamina. She'd never had Sado's strength , Uryu's talent, or Ichigo's ability, but she could learn to outlast her opponent. Akon was in even worse shape then she was. The higher ups in that division spent more of their time experimenting rather then training with their swords. They rarely ever saw combat, according to her teachers.
'Nearly there!'
In a last burst of speed Orihime dashed foreword and used her fans to pin Akon's arms to the wall.
"Super Orihime Cerebral Slam!" She head the bone crack a little while she head butted her opponent into unconsciousness. That one even made her feel a little dizzy. The crowd has really quiet.
'Wonder why?' Like Yoruichi said to do she took the beat up white haori and put it on, swimming in it. Orihime turned around and paled in shock.
She didn't think the Captain Commander would be there this soon.
---
"Shunsui, do something." His friend prodded him in the side but he wasn't sure what to do exactly. The sweet Ryoka girl he helped hide came back to fight for a Captain's seat and won.
She won. Now Yama-jiji was probably going to kill her.
"Ryoka Orihime Inoue, what gave you the right to presume you could earn a seat of the Gotei 13?" She looked thoughtful for a minute and bopped a finger against her lips.
"Well… I think I can help. And Captain Kyouraku was just so nice I figured you guys would be friendly" Shunsui practically felt every pair of eyes turn to look at him. He knew he heard Nanao muttering something. In his peripheral vision he saw Yoruichi motioning something to Orihime-chan.
"Oh! and I can do lots of paperwork." Yama-jiji bright his cane up-
And turned around give a half-hearted toss over his shoulder.
"Shunsui, you take care of this. I expect any messes to be dealt with by you as well."
"Oh course, why wouldn't I want to help such a lovely young thing?" Even Nanao-chan's book didn't help him shake off the feeling of wrongness.
---
While Shunsui was helping the girl introduce herself, Jushiro went to find Retsu.
"Restu-sempai, what on earth? He was ready to kill the girl, we all felt it." She sighed into her cup.
"He wants new blood. Hitsugaya alone would have been fine in handling change but… you do know, right?" Since Matsumoto's betrayal, Toshiro had been getting drunk more and more often. About as bad as his Vice had been on her good days.
"One of his friends will help him soon I'm sure of that. But?"
"Jushiro, its been over two thousand and five hundred years for him. Yammamoto isn't going to last forever."
"You- he's not."
"Soon. And He's hoping that there will be at least one or two captains to keep this the Seireitei together. It is looking like our fate is in the hands of two nobles, a Ryoka, and a Demon."
"Be fair Retsu. Kenpachi isn't a demon."
"I wasn't speaking about Zaraki."
Chapter Eighteen (Friends Help Shatter the Fourth Wall)
'I should just change my name to Daihana or something, cause 'Kenpachi' and 'Zaraki' don't mean shit anymore.'
Kenpachi didn't understand a lot of things and he admits it. Why the hell he was suddenly the go-to didn't make any sort of sense. Missing an Officer? To the 11th! You're 7th seat's been kidnapped by former nobles? Zaraki'll do it!
He wasn't sure who he was helping that last one with- The woman, Kukaku, spent the afternoon beating her brother and the puny kid from the forth for not reporting his absence. She was fun. Unfortunately it just got worse from there. Cause of Karakura's status of constant threat, two Captains and Vice Captains had to be in the city at all times.
"Oh oh! I get to spend time with Captain Hitsugaya!"
"Shut up! I'm the one that gets to do a solo mission!" They were at it again. It was a shame that he didn't have a real reason to accidentally hit them too hard. S'not like their Captain was gunna right out the forms.
He looked over at the couch that Toshiro Hitsugaya was slumped on, quite possible still drunk from his drink binge…that started about three days ago. Yeah, the kid was sober when they left, right?
Ukitake wanted him to fix that too. What did he look like, a pansy?
"Ken-chan, does my skirt look nice?" Kenpachi sighed and kicked them all out of the house. Kotetsu, Hitsugaya, and Yachiru were all going to middle school, while Kotsubaki took the high school. And he had to be there the first day.
'What the hell is a PTA?' Death certificates didn't have this much shit to fill out- and that includes the 'pology letter to the family.
"So your name is Kenpachi? Aww, Ken-kun! It's so amazing that you've brought up such wonderful children with your wife…" Out of no where a blonde thing popped over his elbow and looked at the paper.
"They're isn't any missus." Snort. End of story. Like those spazzs from the 10th were his kids. Why was there a hand on his arm? Shit, the woman could reach that high?
"That's terrible.. Let me know if you ever need anything, it's Deidei." The broad had the same look that Yumi got when he cornered his...prey.
This shit was not happening. Smooches.
"See you, Ken-kun"
Unohana was never hearing about this. Or Kuchiki-hime. Or Gin or Ran.
'Fuck it, I've got to kill her now.' Kenpachis don't hold scented cards. They just don't.
---
Sentaro thought his day started out well- fought with Kiyone, got a good lunch, and made it to the high school earlier then he thought he would without shunpu. He walked into his sophomore class and greeted them cheerfully, only to black out a moment later. Now he was on the roof of the high school tied down with one of the missing Ryoka in front of him, a girl who looked like she could seriously hurt him, and… Vice Captain Kurotsuki?
"Lets talk, Shinigami." Sentaro gulped and hoped that Kiyone was having as bad of a time as he was.
---
Ayaka-san was very proud of her first year students. Her class had many transfers and returning students, but she could still see some of the friendships forming. Especially from them. Since this was only her second year as a teacher, her older coworkers warned her about the Kurosakis and how strange and stand offish they were.
'Okay, they are a bit… Odd, but they have friends already!' It was like magic. During recess Karin and Jinta went for the soccer field and Yachiru and Toshiro went as well, though Toshiro seemed a little too sick for the game. He looked…very sickly and lethargic, but the others were still forcing him to play. She'd better watch out for that.
Yuzu and Ururu on the other hand went for jumping rope with little Kiyone, she was probably the oldest one in the class. They were all getting along so well!
"SHUT UP YOU WHITE HAIRED DWARF!"
"GO TO HELL!"
"AT LEAST WE'RE NOT HUNGOVER!"
"Haha, they got you Snowy!" Ayaka blinked and blew the whistle for recess to be over. She'd never seen a group fight before, but she was almost certain that Yachiru wasn't supposed to dance around proclaiming them her best friends.
She also didn't think one girl could break someone's nose so fast.
"NOO CAPTAIN!" What? The peaceful girls ran up to them and Kiyone appeared to be trying to stop the rumble, but got caught in as did the other girls.
More whistling. Still nothing.
"Pl-please stop!"
"KUROSAKI?! You traitors!" There was blood now. Ayaka would have given them all detention…
…except that she was running it today.
"EVERYBODY INSIDE, leave those monsters alone!" When the bells rang, she looked for the demons, only to find broken equipment, rustled dirt, and gratuitous amounts of blood on the concrete. But they were gone. A soft clunk was heard form her desk.
"You need it more then I do." Sake. Perfect.
---
If anyone heard Sousuke muttering 'interesting' they were very adept at ignoring Ichigo's moans. It just wasn't fair at all. Sou's body pressed him heavily into the wall and made quick work to the open color of his clothes- his lover was never too happy that all the bites healed soon after he spent so much time and effort into making them. Ichigo smirked as he licked the scar on Sou's earlobe.
During one of their more daring nights, Sousuke decided to taunt him with his reiatsu. Rangiku was able to reconnect the earlobe just fine, but the scar stayed there, like most hollow wounds do.
Ichigo nibbled the ear again and inhaled the reiatsu. If he thought it was addicting before it only got worse after is first real taste of it. It was like a hot salsa- cool to touch but burns and leaves and aftertaste.
"Ugh…" Sousuke's thigh found itself against his groin as the weight on his chest lessened.
He hoped no one would come down the hallway. He was tired of getting interrupted like this.
---
"What are they doing in there?"
"No idea. Rukia used to mention what the Shinigami Women's Association did to bully the government into letting them have their way. Think Sousuke will listen?"
"Ran does whatever she likes, approval or not. As does Hallibel. And Nel…"
"Doesn't explain why the fuck Syazel's in there." Ichigo and Gin looked over at their partners, Grimmjow, as he just stared at the sealed door. "His brother Ill forte told me. Charlotte Coolhorn's in there too." Gin balked a little while Ichigo turned green.
"Yeah, I know" Rangiku thought it was a good idea to start the Hueco Mundo chapter of Women's groups. For the better part of the day Grimmjow, Ichigo, and Gin had sat in front of the doors wondering what was going on inside of them. It was an unlikely trio but it worked itself out unusually. At least one of them were always ready for a fight and the results were interesting.
Ichigo was happy to find someone to vent on without worrying. Grimmjow screamed how it was better then the fruitcake Tousan(Ichigo wondered if in the distant part Grimmjow and Kenpachi were related somehow). Gin just enjoyed messing with both of their heads. Just as Ichigo and Grimmjow were going to go for their 4th fight of the day loud giggles broke out from the doors along with several squeals.
"…fuck that shit. I'm nobody's whipping bitch, but I'm getting out of here." fearing for their safety the trio hide themselves in the deepest parts of Las Noches until the next day.
Before Aizen's mentally checked out he wondered about where Gin and Ichigo were. The make-overs given the Syazel and Coolhorn wiped all coherent thought out. Sado was kind enough to get him away with his dignity intact.
---
Orihime knew before she would be accepted by everybody she would have to prove herself, so it came a shock to her when she found two presents sitting on her new desk. Well, new to her anyway.
In one box signed "from the 8th XOXO" was an obi with a similar pattern to Captain Kyouraku's beautiful haori but it was green and had sharper flowers then his. Shun Shun Rikka fit in perfectly at her side. When her sword first materialized she felt the loss of something- her barrettes. It was like the last memories of her brother were gone but now there was a second present. It was probably cheaper then most would expect from a member of the Kuchiki clan, but Rukia knew her.
It was a large hair clip, pure black with the hibiscus engraved and painted in. Orihime had been wearing it since she got there this morning.
"Come in! Oh, hello Captain Kyouraku!" He was easily her favorite person in the Soul Society- he was unconditionally nice.
"How are you settling in, Orihime-chan?" Small talk went on for a while and she saw that he was starting to look troubled.
"Is something wrong?" She didn't do anything wrong, at least Yoruichi would have said something by now. He paused for a minute before hiding under his straw hat.
"You already mentioned that your doing this to help your friends. Why? They betrayed you to death."
"No, they didn't. They did the best that they could. We're…we're like sea glass! We get broken from a bottle and are all sharp and jagged. Then we just keep getting chipped and scraped until all of our edges are eaten away. And one day someone sees all the colorful pieces of glass that are safe to handle and we're put into a jar- just because we're nice together. We're all just worn pieces of sea glass Captain Kyouraku."
---
They're her Best Friends EVER! They even got Toshiro to lighten up, but that might have been all the painkillers they shoved down his throat- Karin kicked him in the head.
So far Karin was her favorite, but Yuzu and Ururu loved cute things as much as she did! Kiyone was passed out on the couch- she wasn't fun at all. Honestly, why would someone want to stop a fight.
Thunk! 'This is so nice…' Yachiru jumped on Snowy's lap and put her head on Karin's Yuzu was asleep too, slumped over the edge of the couch with Jinta next to her. Only Ururu stood up( Kiyone was in the arm chair cuase she was a big girl).
"Whasss now is it?"
"Shut up Toshiro."
Best Friends EVER.
Chapter Nineteen (Assembling the Board)
It had taken Aiko weeks to finish the dolls but it was entirely worth it. Since the shinigami didn't offer any clear pictures on what any of the Ryoka looked like except for stupid things like reiatsu levels and bankai and nonsense like that. But some of the descriptions were enough to make an Ichigo Kurosaki doll, along with one of her own. Playing with the dolls along with others that she made over the years kept her occupied during the most boring of days.
Even the guards knew not to interrupt the Princess when she was planning her wedding-to-be. Eventually.
'If only I could met him soon…' The Ryoka Kurosaki was so awesome and perfect. He stormed the barracks of the Seireitei and help bring to light the one who murdered the Central Forty-Six and then he just became even cooler when he joined with the traitor. She could have any crimes against his record taken away- he didn't need the Shinigami and they'd see how much they needed someone as cool as him.
Ichigo wasn't just a bad-ass. No, what Aiko loved about him was his hair. It was supposed to be like it was bleached, but all natural. She giggled while playing with her own waist long rosy hair. It was fun being the different one.
"Playing with dolls again I see, Aiko-hime." Naruhito, her older brother walked into her playroom looking very tense.
Truthfully he wasn't her older brother, more like her 4th cousin removed. And he was only twenty years old compared to her 1300, although their physical appearances would make other think differently. It was probably an ironic twist of fate that the most powerful spiritual person in existence had decedents with little more reiatsu then humans, and age just as quickly. Everyone except her, that is. And right now the only two family members alive were herself and her "brother" Naruhito. There had been worries about succession and everybody was waiting for a male to be born with even enough reiatsu to compete with a low seated officer but none yet.
The idiot have the nerve to put a hand on his sword. 'As if he even could hold it properly.' Another little known fact about the royal family was that they all had zanpakto, though mostly useless. Hers would disagree.
"Idiot, are you honestly going to try to kill me? I have to control my reiatsu just to make sure you aren't stunned still." Her brother looked a little like her though. He had the same pale skin but his hair was a much darker pink, almost red but that wasn't uncommon. She'd once had a cousin with bright blonde hair, somehow. Come to think of it, Reiki might have been her mother. Ah well, she was long dead.
"Shut up. We don't have to fight for the throne, you can have it."
"…Aiko-hime do not fool around in times like this. Act your age for once! Our king is dying, as is his General Yammamoto. We need a strong leader and a fight is the only way to tell who would win!" All it took was a moment of release and a glare from her eye before Naruhito was drooling on the floor.
"You be King. In thirty years at most you'll be dead anyway and I'll be in charge. The only condition is that I can marry whomever I choose, understand that?" The guards helped him out and she went back to her dolls.
Aiko almost wished that Kurosaki were interested in the royal politics. She could imagine him slicing through Naruhito without a thought and turn to her.
'Keep having fun Kurosaki-kun and don't worry about a think. Kill the Central Forty-Six again and I'll clear everything for you.' But first she had to get rid of that Tousan. It wouldn't do to have him hand over her position to whomever he was serving. She was sure that it wasn't her family as much as he insisted.
---
Kasak relived that night everyday for a hundred years now. Unlike what the others in his group and even those bastards Aizen and Tousan thought he didn't die and survived thanks to the tender hands of the 4th division, only to be thrown into the Maggot's Nest for insanity. His captain took the fall for Aizen after he made them all into monsters and Tousan killed his other comrades. The door to his cell creaked open- odd. Usually people tried to forget about the shinigami and civilians down here.
The figure had to be a girl and a petite one at that wrapped nicely in a cloak that hide reiatsu, from what he could tell at least.
"Former Shinigami Kasak, you were involved with the Vizard Incident a centaury ago, weren't you? Tell me everything." Without him noticing there was a blade to his neck and the girls arm was viable. She was a Vice Captain and would have outranked him if he were in office.
"Bah. What would a girl like you care." He spat at her feet. There was no reason for him to like his former compatriots. She didn't even seem to be fazed about the conditions of his imprisonment either. Selfish thing.
"You'll tell me, or I'll drag your body outside and let them find you." That was enough. Staying here was hell, but escape attempts were a one way ticket to a lab to be dissected and experimented on.
Kasak told her everything he knew.
---
Several weeks passed since she told Jushiro about Genryusai dying and it was finally happening. His body was old and his reiatsu was great- it was a catch-22. If they didn't bind some of his reiatsu, the force eventually would crush his bones and organs to death and if they did he'd die from shock and withdrawal. The only captains she allowed in the man's house (she knew he wanted privacy) were Shunsui and Jushiro. Three more coughs were heard from the bed room and they all felt his life fading more and more.
They'd all spoken to him and thought about his last request. Shunsui was they're new Captain Commander.
Retsu felt a little frightened. As did Jushiro, but he was too busy halving the sake that Shunsui brought with him, she had her own bottle carefully hidden.
"Well Captain-Commander Kyouraku, what is your first order?" Jushiro couldn't believe he just slurred that out. His best friend tilted his hat downwards and looked out of the window.
"We're all sea glass, huh? Well Jushiro, I believe it's time that we bring some of our old friends back. Get Kenpachi and Hitsugaya's squad back here. Send an envoy to Urahara and the rest and… I'll be sending Nanao-chan to collect the Vizards. We'll deal with the problems in the morning. Til then, we drink!"
And there went the jug in his hand. If this was his last night free of responsibilities, by god it was going to be a good one.
---
Sentaro couldn't believe what on earth was happening. General Yammamoto dies out of no where and suddenly Captain Hitsugaya isn't a Shinigami anymore?
Karakura had been doing good things for his captain, for one the drinking stopped and he seemed like a much nicer and care free person. He and Yachiru spent most of their time with a bunch of human kids (though he suspected there was more to them then that.)
"What on earth is the Gotei-13! Stop saying such ridiculous things, I've got an essay to write." It was him but he…just forget everything about Shinigami or him even being dead.
"Cut the crap kid we don't have time for this shit. Get the hell outta ya gigai and get your ass into the sekaimon." Captain Zaraki had it with it too. Kiyone stayed unusually silent- after all what could you do? There was a clatter outside and Yachiru popped in.
"I brought help." She was somber too. Captain Hitsugaya's friends ran in, three girls and one boy. The light haired girl went first.
"Toshiro! We're all going to the Soul Society! They're not trying to kill us anymore." She and the one in the skirt kept going on about the academy while the boy complained about school in general. The last girl looked at his captain oddly.
"Toshiro? What's wrong?
"…What on Earth is the social society?" The other girls stopped gossiping and paused.
"I think we should go get dad. And Urahara-san."
---
Luppi was not pleased at all with his latest assignment. Go looking for a Vasto Lorde, indeed. It was a joke really. All the arrancar had this mission at some point in time but no success. It was more like hazing then an actual job, but irritating none the less.
"Oh where are you, you imaginary thing? Here you stupid Vasto Lorde!" Luppi felt the reiatsu before the red light blasted the side of his face off.
He should be happy. He was the first one to find one. His last thoughts were about cursing Grimmjow, however, since he gave him the mission instead of going himself.
'Cheating death never pays'
Chapter Twenty (Empty Courage)
Sajin really didn't have too much trouble accepting the exiles back into the Soul Society. Captain Shihouin helped during Ichimaru and Kurotsuki's defection, whilst Captain Urahara helped and Tanimonban seemed generally nice- he didn't mind the fur at all and his daughters were delightful. As for the vizards, well, everybody deserved the second chance like he has and the Vizard Corp was being headed by Shinji Hirako, the former 5th division captain.
Strangely he wasn't too upset over the loss of his former lieutenant. That was all that Sajin believed and he payed no mind to the rumors going around. He wasn't going to let himself mourn the loss of his own Captain Commander anymore especially not when the Soul Society was in such disarray.
'They are like infants...' The older captains felt the loss of Yamamoto much worse then those like Soi Fong, Kuchiki, Inoue, Zaraki, and Hitsugaya. The poor kid apparently blocked all of his memories of being a shinigami away while in the human world. The four kids he'd been keeping company with seemed to be helping him but everyone in the room could feel the loss from Matsumoto.
"Oi, attention please." Kyouraku was nothing like Yamamoto but it worked well anyway.
"I know there's been a lot said about what I did recently and a lot of rumors, as there normally is. So I'm going set ya'll straight." Did he have to drink even at the meetings?
"The Vizards are not responsible for the deaths of te Central Forty-Six, any member of the Royal Guard, nor the death of Captain Sousuke Aizen. As it stands our only enemies are Gin Ichimaru, Mayuri Kurotsuki, Rangiku Matsumoto, and Ichigo ...Kurosaki. I know some of you 're going to fight that until the day someone dies, but that's the stance we're taking. If you choose to believe something different, by all means just make sure it doesn't come back to me." They were dismissed with mixed responses. Any fool would have noticed that Kyouraku didn't say that was the truth, just that was what they wanted to believe. Tanimonban seemed unusually reserved.
"Is there something wrong Captain Tanimonban?"
"Its just Isshin. Haven't used the name Tanimonban in ages, so its weird." Indeed, when the three Captains, Shihouin, Urahara, and Tanimonban were instated (for the 3rd,8th, and 5th respectfully) the last lady Tanimonban came and scolded the family. It was amusing beyond all the levels in should have been. It might ave had something to do with the shadow puppet show occurring behind it.
"Well Isshin, something seems to be wrong. You're not as jubilant as usual." The man tensed even through the steps out of the First Division and was silent for a few more minutes.
"How are you supposed to fight your son to death?"
"What brought that question? Even if your daughters were out of school enough to fight they wouldn't have access to betray the Seireitei, or am I missing something?"
"For sixty years I lived in the human world two decades ago I took a name and got married and everything. For twenty two years I was Kurosaki, like my son Ichigo is, and like my daughters used to me."
"Ichigo is your son?!" There was a wide grin on his face and the excited nature came back.
"Yeah. As off track that boy is he is 100% Tanimonban and my son. Though I can't say I blame him for leaving like he did..."
That night Sajin knew what he was going to write to Kaname about. His friend would be sickened by what this war was doing to families in both worlds.
---
For the first time in ages, Rukia felt like she was actually helping somebody. Ever since Ichigo had left she didn't quite know what the do. He was one of her best friends and he was clearly in the right but at the same time she couldn't betray her home. He probably understood that though.
Now, however, she could help his sisters. Though technically both Karin and Yuzu were not heirs apparent, Karin was more likely to enter the ranks fo the shinigami while Yuzu acted like a lady, though with a sword.
"Yes, thank you very much for inviting me to tea Rukia-san." Yuzu always had more manners then her family and used these tea sessions to practice even more social etiquette that was being drilled in. The Kuchiki' s were the same level so some informality was allowed.
"It is no trouble at all Yuzu-chan. I was in your position a while ago too." The next day She was planning on stopping by the Academy for Karin's free period and spar with her.
From what she could understand, the girls knew they're brother became a shinigami to save a dear friend of his. Neither of them realized that it was for her and thanks to her brother that she was alive.
They'd probably figure it out eventually but until then she'll be the girl who somehow knew they're favorite foods and activities without even asking.
'Ichigo, I'm sorry, but I'll help them, alright you big lug?'
---
Soi Fong's day was full of irritants. First she had to go to the funeral of her former Vice Captain, who never really recovered from Ichimaru's attack even with Unohana's help. Then Yoruichi-sama was somewhere not to be found. And now there was a letter from the Maggot's Nest that needed her immediate attention.
Prisoner 57 had been killed in his cell by a shinigami that was not one of her wardens. And she knew who it was.
The means of entry, the murder itself, and the fact that Kasak was the last non-vizard to have been around for the incident a centaury ago.
Rather then make a fuss she crumpled the orders up and trashed them. So, fine, Momo killed someone basically in a hell anyway. The needed to get anger out anyway and that was behavior that she could understand.
What she couldn't get though, was Retsu's apparent dislike for the Ryoka Inoue. She was kind and respectful enough and the girl actually cleaned some of the ...messiness from Kurotsuki's captaincy that Akon didn't even bother to correct.
'Ah well. These matters will be decided during the next SWA meeting and we'll see if Inoue makes it in.'
Soi Fong looked through some of the applications on her desk since she needed a vice captain and soon. She wasn't as crazy as Ukitake was and try to do all the work on her own.
But where would she find a suitable enough minion?
---
"Tatsuki?" Unlike the others Nemu decided to stay in the Human world in the apartment with Ishida and try to be as human like as possible.
"Yeah Nemu-chan?"
"I think I am a lez bean. Or is it a carpet cleaner? I'm not sure." The other girl had no idea what to say or wonder how Nemu picked up those words.
"Oh, and Ishida-kun, Chizuru-chan said that we'll both " be coming" after school, but she didn't say where. Is that her house or my room?"
Was that blood? Neither Tatsuki nor Uryu were capable of giving her a single answer.
'Ah well. Maybe Ms. Ochi will be able to answer this question as well. She constantly demands answers from us, so its only fair.'
Life was just so much more fun without her father.
---
He looked down the table and saw the Ten Espada seated and the Privions standing along the wall, as well as Gin, Ichigo, Rangiku and Sado in his side vision.
"Wonderful news, members of Las Noches. The Shinigami Commander and the Spirit King are dead." There was some gasping and rustling around but quite a few people in the hall already knew about it.
"And as it is the successor has barely enough reaitsu to combat a Menos. The Vizards have joined with the Seireitei as the Vizards Crop and several high ranked exiles have taken the post back as Captain." He had told Ichigo this last night so he would be calm by the meeting. Sousuke didn't mind, the Soul Society's blunder made everything all the better for him.
"And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, we begin the fight. Stark, Hallibel, Barragan , Ulquiorra, and Sado, you will be invading and attacking the Shinigami of the Seireitei. I will be joining you at some point. Your prime objective is not to kill, but to cause all the havoc you can- take any Numerous or Fraccion that are needed."
"Gin, Ichigo. You will enter the Royal Palace once Tousan opens the gate. Kill whomever you need but secure the throne. The rest fo you wait if back up is needed or to defend Las Noches. Who knows, the Shinigami might actually cross through. Good night and rest well for the morning."
---
"ARGH!" The last gurgle of blood was heard from the barracks. Not a single Guard expected to have a traitor among them- some one would have noticed in the close quaters. Kaname locked the bodies in one room and made a note from them to be cleaned.
In Five minutes he was going to open the door to Las Noches and let the two fighting helots have their fun. He didn't see the small smirking girl hiding behind a pillar in a way that would make even Shihouin jealous or the Kurosaki doll in her hand.
---
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP YOU FUCKTARDS!" Izuru groaned and rolled over.
'Please don't let this be an "emergency" training morning...'
"KIRA YOUR ASS OUT OF BED NOW! We're under attack from your old Captain." And that was when Izuru heard the noise and scuttering outside as well as the pressure of hollows. Madarame's face was in front of his in seconds by the window.
"What are they?"
"Apparently the Hollows have been becoming like Shinigami. We've got to move! Get the newbies to 4th Division and let Unohana direct them through he sewers. Get the seated officers to the gates now! Go!" Dimly he hard his Captain yell at the 3rd seat to get a squad of five and get to the Academy.
'These..these monsters are human?!'