Two pairs of eyes watched her, measuring her, her face, her intelligence, her determination. The captain of the second squad was still interred in the Reiatsu negation chambers, where she had been placed in, since her arrival at the place. They watched coolly, as the woman did everything possible within her powers to try to escape from the predicament that she found herself in currently.

"She is a tough one, she will not break," the figure at the right spoke quietly. He was a tall thin man with pale skin and shaggy, dark brown hair, with two bangs dropping and crossing over the bridge of his nose. He had turquoise-colored eyes circled by purple marks similar to the color of the Tsuba of his zanpakuto and the design of his clothes. His most prominent features were his long fingernails, which were longer than even his fingers. He wore a long white robe-like coat, somewhat reminiscent of an Arrancar's. The collar of his robe was covered with a thick fur, featuring a purple ascot fastened by a ruby brooch coupled with a wide sash at his waist, decorated by a purple stripe.

Ichigo did not deign to reply. He was far too busy observing Soifon, who was attempting to break through the Reiatsu negation barriers by resorting to use forbidden Kido, which backfired as expected. Despite all that, he could not help but think that she was the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen.

A petite, lithe frame supported by long legs hidden beneath a thick, black hakama ; a yellow obi tied about her waist, contrasting with the shadowy black of her kimono; porcelain white skin, from the end of her elbow-length gloves to the generous amount of bare back, gleamed under the scant moonlight; the muscles he saw were wiry and taut, perfect examples of a martial artist; her short, ebon black hair was attached by two body-length braids wrapped in white cloth; high cheekbones were accented by angular eyes and small lips; an azure and gold sheath hung sideways at the back of her waist.

Capturing her had not been an impulsive action on his part, as he had led everybody else around him to believe. This woman was probably the only one in existence, who could give him the precious knowledge he needed, about his family's hidden past, the one that his father, grandmother, and grandfather had striven so hard to keep secret, and he intended to make full use of it.

"No," he replied after a while, as he looked at his companion, "I remain convinced that she is the doorway to what I seek. It remains only to find the proper key. And once it is done, nothing will stand in my way," he concluded softly as he turned around.

"Perhaps if you allowed me to use my skills, we could…," his accomplice began, only to be cut off as Ichigo glared at him.

"Do not mistake me for my uncle, Muramasa. Do not think I will allow you liberties he would allow. I will not make the same mistakes as him, nor will I allow you to do so. Remember, you came to me; I did not come to you. If you wish to be my zanpakuto, you must abide by the rules I set for you."

Muramasa, the zanpakuto of the late Kuchiki Kouga, stiffened as he heard the tone of his new wielder.

"My apologies, I just wished to help… I did not mean to overstep my boundaries," he retorted softly, while Ichigo shook his head.

"You mistake me, my friend. I am not cross with you. There is a reason why I have withheld using your powers, but rest assured, soon the entire soul society will be quaking in fear at your return. All I ask is for your patience, now come; we have much work to do."

As busy as they were, the two of them did not notice one tiny thing.

Tia Harribel, the princess of Hueco Mundo, was on her way to the chambers in which Captain Soifon had been kept imprisoned.

Soifon was near her wit's end. She had tried everything remotely possible in her power to break through the wards on this place, anything that would allow her to unseal her Reiatsu, but it was to no avail. If only, her Reiatsu had been available to her, then she would show that damn hollow a thing or two! So lost was she in her thoughts, that she did not notice that somebody had entered her chambers.

She turned around, only to pause as words failed her when she noticed, whom it was, that had entered her chambers.

Standing in front of her was a female, a hollow no doubt, but definitely a female. Hell, the only one she had seen remotely coming close to matching this woman's beauty and voluptuous figure was Rangiku Matsumoto, the lieutenant of the tenth squad.

Harribel had dark skin, green eyes, blonde eyelashes, and messy short blonde hair, which had three braided locks. She wore a variation of the Arrancar jacket that covered the lower part of her face downward, while baring a good portion of the lower half of her large breasts. The jacket, unlike that of other Arrancar, had a zipper running along its entire length that is opened from the bottom upwards. The jacket's sleeves completely enveloped her arms, terminating in black glove-like extensions at her extremities, resembling the appearance of a cat's paw. Harribel carried her Zanpakuto horizontally across her back (similar to what Soifon herself did). The sword itself was notably broad and short compared to others, completely hollow in the middle, and had a western-style guard.

"So, you are the one that Ezekiel has captured," Harribel muttered, even as she stepped forward and looked at Soifon in an appraising manner. "I wonder what he saw in you, as worthless as you are, you must have something in you that made him interested in you of all people," she concluded even as she circled around the apprehensive looking captain of the second squad.

However, Soifon was not one to take insults to her person well, and as such, she gazed at the female hollow coolly.

Harribel was taken aback as she saw the female shinigami gaze back at her with smoldering defiance in her eyes.

"Easy for you to pass judgment on me as worthless, considering the fact that your ruler had to go to the trouble of sealing up my powers, and had to assign one of his top generals as my personal jailor," Soifon quipped back, while Harribel's eyes narrowed, even as the shinigami continued, "At least, it shows that as worthless as I am, he still fears what I could have done, if my powers were not sealed. However, seeing that you, whoever you are, are roaming free, without any such restraints must mean that you are not even worth his notice, as he has clearly not taken even the precaution to seal your abilities, if you have any in the first place, that is," Soifon snorted disdainfully, and turned her back on Harribel, clearly dismissing her from her presence.

Harribel saw red. In an instant, her hand went to her back, as her zanpakuto slid effortlessly out of its sheath. Just as she was about to make her way towards Soifon, who had by then withdrawn her own blade, and was holding it in a defensive stance, a voice came out, "That's enough, Harribel."

Both women turned around, only to see Ichigo standing there looking livid.

Soifon, who had not yet seen Ichigo's true appearance, was stunned into silence.

Ichigo looked like a normal teenage boy; the one exception to that was his spiky orange hair, which was considerably long. He was a fairly tall, lean-built person, was noticeably muscular, and had peach colored skin and brown eyes.

For her part, the woman felt nothing short of absolute shock as she became lost in the fiery brown orbs of the boy. They were blazing with an unrealized potential and underlying passion, which she had never seen in any other male she had ever encountered before.

Harribel on the other hand, was livid. She was so angry that she could have screamed, cried, and cursed as she noticed Ezekiel look at that … that... Shinigami whore! As she noticed what was going on, Harribel honestly didn't know what to do. All she could do for now, was to try to control her rage, and hide the shaking of her hands.

Harribel wasn't stupid - she'd never deny a competitor's good points just to ease her own jealousy. Moreover, she knew that the other girl's unusual coloring and almost magical charm was as alluring as her own dark, doll-like beauty. However, there was a major difference between the two. Ezekiel had never looked at Harribel the way he was looking at that shinigami girl. It was as if he had found a missing piece, something precious that he had lost. That look was unnatural in his eyes, it didn't fit him. That look of need.

"Harribel … leave …," Ichigo commanded curtly as he looked at the woman who had become quite a pain in his neck, in the last few months.

"Ezekiel, who is she … and what is she doing here?" Harribel asked curtly, even as she shot Soifon a filthy look, which was returned by the said woman in spades.

"That does not concern you, it is my own affair, and just because I give you leeway to come and visit my place as you wish, does not give you the right to interfere in my affairs. Furthermore, it is no concern of yours on how I decide to deal with my prisoners," Ichigo retorted sharply as he gazed at the woman, who stiffened.

"My father will hear of this …," she threatened, as she looked at Ichigo, playing the last card left in her hand, while Ezekiel remained as unflappable as ever.

"Be my guest," was all he said, even as Harribel glared at him in a huff, and left after throwing a contemptuous glare at Soifon, who was looking bewildered at the current turn of events.

"What … is going on here? Who exactly are yo…," Soifon began, only to fall unconscious, as Ichigo suddenly appeared behind her, and knocked her out before she could realize what was happening.

"Troublesome, but this at least gives me a valid excuse to get you out of here, and begin the next stage of my plan," Ichigo muttered, even as he motioned Ulquiorra to come in.

"Take her to Szayel's laboratory, and tell him to wait until I arrive," he ordered, while Ulquiorra quietly picked up the unconscious captain of the second squad and made his way out.

Meanwhile, around the same time in Karakura Town, at Kurosaki Residence,

Kurosaki Yuzu was busy in cooking the dinner for her family, as she usually did, even as her father lounged about in the living room, when suddenly she heard the sound of the doorbell go off. Quickly, she made her way to the door and ofpened it, only to be taken aback as she noticed who it was, that was standing in front of her.

It was a woman, but unlike any, that she had ever seen.

The woman had a very youthful appearance, and was wearing a large white overcoat, over a black kimono, and Yuzu would have almost suspected her for being a doctor of some sort (which she was), if not for the fact that the woman was holding a ridiculously large and sheathed samurai sword in her hand. She had extremely lengthy black hair, which was worn as a large braid in front of her.

For a second, she wondered if this was someone who had come to take revenge against her father, because of his ridiculous antics.

As distracted as she was, she could not help but notice that the woman was quite beautiful.

"Excuse me," the woman spoke in a kind, gentle voice, even as she looked at Yuzu, with an inscrutable look on her face.

"Is this the residence of Kuchiki Isshin?"

"I …," Yuzu paused, as she looked at the woman, with confusion rife in her tone, "I am sorry, but there is no one with that name here, this is the residence of Kurosaki Isshin," she replied in a polite tone, while the woman paused, with a shocked look on her face.

He wouldn't dare take that name, would he? But then again, he was never one for subtlety or …

"Yuzu-chan, my darling daughter, who is it?" the boisterous voice of her father came out, even as he came behind her, only to stop mid-tirade as he saw who it was, standing in front of the door.

"Unohana–san, this … is a surprise," he muttered gruffly, as he looked at Unohana Retsu, who was staring at him, with the same unflappable manner.

"Just … Unohana-san, is it? Is that how you address your mother? You never change, do you … Isshin?" the woman asked quietly even as she looked at the decidedly uncomfortable looking head of the Kurosaki family, while Yuzu gave a horrified squeak at that revelation.

Meanwhile, in the Seiretei, around the same time,

In the solitude of his personal chambers, Sosuke Aizen sat behind his desk, ashen pale in the dim light. As he recalled the events that had taken place the previous week, he began to shrink by the minute, as he considered the ramifications of the events. His former icy control seeped away; the unhesitating decisiveness appeared to bleed out of him. He realized it, and hated it, for allowing this weakness to cripple him.

Things were falling apart; the days of words were over. His own hour had come. Inside his own world, Aizen sat maundering over the catastrophe that had overtaken him in such a short time. He literally could not understand the transformation, though he could just perceive how, systematically, it had come about.

At the onset, after gaining the knowledge about the location of Urahara Kisuke's Hogyoku, coupled with the knowledge that he would soon be subjugating the third king of Hueco Mundo, Ezekiel Nefarria, it had seemed that nothing in existence could prevent him from ascending to the transcendent stage beyond that of a soul reaper and a hollow. His main opponents had been in disarray, as they had been exiled from the soul society by his ministrations more than a century ago, which had denied them the ability to counter his moves, simply because of the fact that they could no longer gain any intelligence about him.

Then, like a bolt out of blue, that hollow had derailed him, so completely that he had shattered his plans in a single swoop. How did he manage to kidnap a captain of the Gotei 13 so casually? In addition, even more importantly, how could he have underestimated this hollow so cavalierly? Had he been so focused on conquering that hollow that he had turned blind to everything else…?

That was it! That damn Urahara! He had deliberately baited him! He had made him keep his attention focused solely upon that annoying hollow, while others, that annoying pervert of a student of Yamamoto's no doubt, had used that time to persuade the Sotaicho to recall the thrice damned Urahara back into the Seiretei once more!

But that again, gave rise to another far more serious avenue of thought. Was it; was it really possible that Urahara was aware of what he was up to in Hueco Mundo? No, that was not possible … but still, he had managed to suborn and gain the allegiance of two of the three kings of Hueco Mundo, it was not completely inconceivable to think that Urahara could have done the same; surely, it couldn't be …

Suddenly, he jerked upright as a wave of realization hit him. The ferocity with which the hollow Ezekiel had refused to deal with him… how he had never been able to approach that hollow despite all his efforts, how that hollow had shrugged off the subtle threats that he had managed to deliver by using the other two rulers of Hueco Mundo… surely, as powerful as he was, even a hollow of his caliber would not be so brazen enough to so brutally reject the offers made by Barragan Luisenbarn and Coyote Stark, not unless he was stronger than both of them combined, which Aizen seriously doubted, or unless he had the backing of someone powerful, someone who that hollow believed to be strong enough to come to his aid, which enabled him to stand up against the two elder kings of the hollow world.

Slowly, he began to analyze the events that had taken place over the week. The brutal, but unexpected maneuver in which that hollow had managed to kidnap a captain from within the Seiretei, from under the nose of every captain in existence, including him and the Sotaicho no less… that had been a sore blow to Aizen's ego. Loath though he was to admit it, he knew that even he had failed to detect that hollow's presence, and that had severely rankled him.

He had truly believed that he had nearly reached the pinnacle of his abilities, but that brutally casual way in which that hollow had shattered the defenses of the soul society, including that of its captains, had for the first time in nearly a century, caused Aizen to doubt his own abilities of all things.

Nor did he fail to ignore the fact that Kisuke Urahara had been hastily summoned back to the soul society in the immediate aftermath, to help the soul society deal with the fallout.

Then again, it could have been a coincidence, but Aizen scoffed at that. The chances of that happening were a million to one in his estimation.

No, somehow, it began to make sense; somehow, Urahara too, had managed to gain the allegiance of one of the three kings of Hueco Mundo, and was now using that creature to his biddings, and to turn the tide against him. He was now certain of it.

Aizen knew that he couldn't do a thing, take any initiative until he gained the knowledge of what Urahara was up to. In that sense, the man had outdone himself. He had elected to keep Aizen guessing. By forcing that damned hollow to act in his stead, Urahara had ensured that his hands remained clean completely, and no one in soul society was the wiser for it. Even his motivations were unknown, even to the core group of allies he had created around himself. Urahara was denying him that information, undermining the self – confidence of the man he had challenged to defy him.

He is giving me ample time to learn of the disaster, but not the terms; letting me evaluate the scale of catastrophe that will befall me, should the soul society accept his terms, which they have no choice but to accept; in which case, my capacity to influence the authorities of soul society will be severely curtailed.

He realized with impotent rage, that Kisuke Urahara had completely boxed him in, with no way out, without even having to lift a finger to do so.

He was wrong, he was very wrong.

Meanwhile, at the Kurosaki Residence, in the real world,

In the Soul Society, the highest administrative decree that can be issued is an order from the Central 46 chambers. They are habitually made public, for they can hardly be obeyed if they are not, but directives issued from the Captain Commander can be completely secret, known simply as orders. And using that loophole, Unohana Retsu had hurried to the real world to deliver her son a directive from the captain-commander. It was simply a ruse, for the woman had something far more important to accomplish than that.

After learning from her old friend & colleague, Kyoraku Shunsui, that her son was still alive in the living world, that knowledge had given new hope to the woman, who had until now believed that her son had perished. However, that new feeling of hope had turned downright into fear, when she had learned that her son had married the daughter of Urahara Kisuke & Shihoin Yoruichi.

Above all else, if Unohana Retsu was anything, it was pragmatic. She knew that the only reason that the Central 46 was currently tolerating the humiliating conditions imposed by Urahara, was because they needed him & his expertise. Nevertheless, once the need for that was past, she knew without a doubt that there was going to be a forceful reckoning between the exiles led by Urahara, and between the forces of the Gotei 13.

Above all else, she refused to let her son suffer for the mistakes of another man. Regardless of the fact that whether Urahara was innocent or not, by default, anybody associated with him would be deemed as enemies by the Soul Society.

Moreover, a millennia of existence in Soul Society had shown to her exactly how its leaders dealt with those whom they deemed as their enemies. In addition, being Kisuke Urahara's son-in-law was not going to help her son when the time for reckoning was nigh.

No, she would have to take steps to insure his safety, before that happened, even if Isshin would hate her for it, even more than he already did. She owed him that much, considering how badly she had failed before.

As she walked in, she subtly noticed the various pictures around the house, which provided her with a wealth of information about her son's family. Pictures of all sorts, adorned the house, of a man, with two beautiful little girls, her granddaughters no doubt, a wall sized portrait of a young woman, most possibly her deceased daughter-in-law, and just a few pictures of a young teenager. So, she had a grandson as well, it certainly seemed that her son had built a happy little family for himself, despite the losses that he had suffered.

As her eyes casually glanced over the picture of her grandson, her heart nearly jumped to her mouth, as she observed his face. His hair was a fierce orange, but those eyes, the same jawbone, that straight angular face, the boy was clearly a carbon copy of his dead uncle, sans the hair. It was almost as if he was the reincarnation of his … no, it could not, it definitely couldn't be …

"Observed it, have you?" a guttural voice came behind her, and she turned around, only to see her son sitting at a table and observing her. A casual flaring of her Reiatsu later, she realized what had happened, "You placed your daughter under Hakufuku, and sent her into a forced sleep," she observed, even as she went ahead and sat down opposite her son.

"She doesn't know a thing about Soul Society, she doesn't even realize what she is, and I see no need to change that," Isshin replied, while Unohana became quiet.

"You will not be able to keep it that way for long, Isshin, Soul Society is now aware of your family, you must be careful from now on," she warned, while her son scoffed disdainfully.

"If you are talking about the ego match between Urahara & old man Yamamoto, then you need not worry, it is no concern of mine, I have never involved myself into Urahara's affairs," he snorted, while Retsu let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

"Do you really think that Soul Society will care for that, when they come after Urahara and his associates? They are tolerating him now, because they need him, but once it is done … anyone and everyone who is with him will be targeted, Isshin. You need to return to Soul Society before that; it is your only chance," she argued, while Isshin's face acquired a stony look.

"I am not returning to Soul Society," he replied stonily, even as Unohana sighed at the stubbornness of her son.

"Isshin, Urahara has burnt himself up completely. He is no longer sane … all he cares about is getting revenge over soul society for what happened a century ago! He will go down, if he keeps on antagonizing the soul society like this, him, and everyone associated with him, will be hunted down! Think about your children!" she spoke quietly, in a measured tone, while the temperature in the room got noticeably colder.

"I will not return to the place which betrayed my brother and hunted him down like a dog!" he snarled as he banged his fist on the table, even as Unohana flinched.

"Isshin, please…," she whispered, even as she looked at her son, "Kouga was out of control, it had to be done," she tried to reason with him, even as Isshin snarled in anger.

"He was not out of control; you people forced him to be! Ginrei-jiisama and I could have helped him, but you people were too afraid of him, afraid of his powers, afraid of his ideas, and you framed him, and had him murdered!" Isshin snarled, even as he looked at his mother, who looked ashen.

"You know it is not true, Kouga was my son as well, I loved him!" she protested, "but he was out of control, he let his zanpakuto control him too much, he was destabilizing the entire soul society, he had to be stopped!" she spoke forcibly, while Isshin glared at her.

"He was not beyond helping yet," Isshin retorted softly, "he could have been saved, but no, you and all the captains had to decide to sacrifice him, for the greater good," he scoffed, while Unohana glared at her younger son.

"And so, you decided to take the name of Kurosaki once again, in defiance of Soul Society again, what is it with you, Isshin? Why are you so antagonistic towards your own home, your own people? What is it about them that you hate so much?" she asked softly, while Isshin softened his tone, as he noticed the look of anguish on his mother's face.

"Honestly, mother," Isshin replied softly, as he poured himself a cup of tea and looked at her face as he continued, "I see no reason for me to be a Shinigami anymore, as I have lost all hope for our race, and as such, I wish to distance myself from all of this as much as possible," he concluded, while Unohana stifled a gasp of horror.

"How can you say that, Isshin? That is close to … heresy," she stuttered while her son continued, "It no longer surprises me," he spoke softly, as he looked at his mother, "The smell of blood is as common as the smell of white plums, our kind lives in the hell of being killed by our own selves, and we have been reduced to becoming nothing but slaves to an establishment," he concluded darkly, while Unohana shook her head in sorrow.

"It is well that you speak these words in front of me, my son, but speak such words in the soul society, and you will condemn not only yourself, but your family as well. Take care never to speak such words again, even in the sanctity of your own mind," she warned him, while Isshin sighed.

"Enough of this," Isshin sighed, "What brings you here, mother?" he asked, while Unohana looked at him with something akin to pity in her eyes.

"You may be under the impression that I may not care for anything, my son, but I have done what I must, to protect you, and your children, from the inevitable fallout that will occur once Soul Society decides to deal with Urahara and his band of exiles," she concluded grimly, while Isshin narrowed his eyes.

"What have you done?" he asked gutturally, as he looked at his mother, who drew two official looking envelopes from within the folds of her kimono.

As he looked at them, Isshin could not help but roar in anger, "Are you insane?"

"If you are to blame someone, blame both me and Yoruichi equally," Unohana replied stiffly, as she looked at her son, who gnashed his teeth in anger.

In front of him, were two envelopes, each of them bearing the symbol of two of the four noble clans of the Soul Society, the Shihoin, & the Kuchiki.

"The Shihoin & The Kuchiki Clans are now aware that there are three children in existence, who by birthright are the heirs of the Kuchiki & Shihoin Clans. As we speak, the elders of both clans are meeting with each other, to decide which child shall belong to which clan; it was inevitable, Isshin. The moment Urahara returned to Seiretei, the central 46 began a thorough investigation of anyone who was associated with him, and your name was the first on the list," Unohana replied sadly, while Isshin exploded in anger.

"Have you any idea of what you have done?" he roared in anger, while Unohana remained as unflappable as ever.

"I have saved your life, and the lives of your children. The only way your children can survive the aftermath of this incident, when Urahara's faction will inevitably collide with the Gotei 13, is if they have the backing and the patronage of two of the most powerful clans in Seiretei. If your children, were to become the heirs of the Kuchiki and the Shihoin Clans, the central 46 will be assured of their loyalty, and they will no longer be marked as enemies. Yoruichi & I, are in complete agreement with this. You are free to remain allied with Urahara if you wish, but we will not allow our grandchildren into becoming pawns in a war, for something that they are not even aware of," Unohana replied stiffly, while Isshin could only watch with his jaws wide open at the sheer effrontery of the woman.

"And you think that jackass nephew of mine, will allow them to become a part of the Kuchiki? Byakuya hates his father, mother, he will never allow anyone related to Kouga to become part of the Kuchiki, I know that for a fact," Isshin replied stubbornly, while Unohana just smiled.

"That will not happen, Isshin," she replied quietly, even as he looked at her in surprise, "I have already spoken with Ginrei-dono, and he is most eager to meet his great-grandchildren. Kouga was his son-in-law, and you know that you too are his grandson, just like Byakuya, despite the fact that he adopted you … and he loves you, Isshin, you know that. Byakuya cannot do a thing, he may the head, but Ginrei-dono still outranks him, and even the Shihoin are involved in this. His hands are effectively tied," she concluded, while Isshin just gazed at her, with the same reluctant look of admiration in his eyes at her thoroughness.

"How will I explain this to my children?" he spoke softly, at which Unohana smiled. She had nor reason to worry now, she had won.

"Do not worry, Yoruichi and myself will take care of it, just bring them all here, and we can start," Unohana began, when Isshin suddenly paled.

"My son, he doesn't have any Reiatsu at all! How will he survive out there … he can't…," Isshin began to hyperventilate, when Unohana grabbed hold of him, and steadied him, "Isshin, who do you think I am?"

As he looked at his mother, Isshin Kurosaki could not help but berate himself for his foolishness. His mother was the greatest healer in the history of the Soul Society, how could he have forgotten? If anybody could help Ichigo regain his spiritual powers, it was her, but … could he really go back to Soul Society, and introduce his children to that nightmarish world… all his life, he had striven to protect his children from that place … and yet, it seemed that they would never be free of that place… he sighed in despair, maybe it was for the best.

"Very well, maybe it is for the best, I will call my son here, and we can then discuss a means by which we can break the news to them, but know this, mother, I am doing this only for the sake of my children and under extreme protest," he finished, and left abruptly, even as a beautiful smile spread across Unohana Retsu's face.

It was almost a myth in Seiretei, and once again it had been proven right. You could never win in an argument with Unohana Retsu.

As he watched the events that transpired inside his house from his hidden vantage point, Ichigo could not help but smile in victory. His gamble had paid off.

"Looks like your plan worked, Ichigo," Muramasa spoke softly, as he materialized behind the boy.

"The love that a grandparent has for their grandchild is immeasurable, Muramasa, you know that. All I needed to do, was provide her the right motivation," Ichigo concluded softly, while Muramasa looked at the boy in reluctant admiration.

The plan was so simple, yet brilliant.

Ichigo had known all along that his grandparents, Kisuke Urahara, & Shihoin Yoruichi had been exiled from the Seiretei, and that his own father, Kurosaki Isshin, was also a shinigami who lived in self-exile. Knowing that they would never divulge the truth, Ichigo had gone to the only place that would give him the answers. The Soul Society.

Single-handedly, he had snuck into the Soul Society, and had infiltrated the archives of the Kuchiki Clan, who were the historians of Soul Society. It was also there, that the zanpakuto Muramasa fell into his hands. After the death of Kouga Kuchiki, his zanpakuto had been confiscated by the Kuchiki clan, and had been stored away in the deepest and darkest corner of their archives. As soon as Muramasa had sensed Ichigo, he had appeared before him, and after recognizing that the boy-hollow was in fact, his former wielder's nephew, he had instantly sworn allegiance to him.

Muramasa had been a virtual treasure trove of intelligence to Ichigo, who had learned a great deal about the structure & the history of Soul Society from him, and therefore he had begun to plan on a method, by which the soul society itself would have no choice but to beg his family to come to their aid.

In a way, Aizen Sosuke had helped Ichigo to achieve the one thing that Aizen himself, ironically, feared the most. The return of Ichigo's family to the soul society.

He knew that by so brazenly kidnapping a captain, he had shattered the morale of the soul society to smithereens. He also knew, that the only person in existence, who could possibly help soul society at that juncture was his grandfather, Urahara Kisuke.

As expected, the Soul Society had come running to his grandfather for aid, and his grandfather no doubt, would take things forward from there.

He also knew that Soul Society would look for any sort of leverage over his grandfather, and in doing so, he knew that they would stumble across his family. But he also knew, that there were people in the Seiretei, who if they were to become aware of his family's existence, would go to any lengths to protect them from the rulers of the Seiretei.

And as expected, his gamble had paid off. Both of his grandmothers, Yoruichi & Unohana, had instantly approached their clans for assistance, and now, his family was virtually guaranteed the patronage of two of the noble clans of soul society, and their safety was assured.

But above all else, he, the third king of hollows, would now receive a personal invitation from the soul society itself to come and reside within the walls of the Seiretei along with his family.

He idly wondered what the shinigami would do, if they ever realized that they had invited the king of hollows himself to reside within their walls.

Whatever their reaction, it was sure to be quite amusing.

Authors notes:

# As I said, this is gonna be vastly different from Canon.

# As you can see, I made Kouga & Isshin into brothers, and instead of Ichigo resembling Kaien Shiba in canon, here he will be resembling Kouga a lot. And yes, I know, that in canon, Byakuya's father was Sojun Kuchiki, the son of Ginrei Kuchiki, but in my story, he is going to be the son of Kouga, Sojun will not even be in this story.

# I also made it so, that Unohana would become the mother of Isshin & Kouga, and become the grandmother of Ichigo in a way. I feel that she is one of the captains whom Kubo has under-utilized the most, and the potential for her character is immense.

# As for the dynamics between Soifon & Ichigo, I made it so that rather than a 'love at first sight' scenario between them, I have tried to emphasize an "attraction at first sight" dynamic. I only hope that I was able to maintain Soifon's disciplined & aloof personality.

# In the next chapter, there is going to be a literal bloodbath between the Kuchiki and Shihoin clans to claim the Kurosaki children, especially when Karin manifests a zanpakuto of the likes never seen before. And yes, Soifon will be returned to Soul Society, and Ichigo will come there as well, and things are going to blow up spectacularly.

# And yes, Byakuya is going to get pawned by his uncle, Isshin, big time.