5. Consequences

Ichigo woke up. The only thing he was capable of was to stare at the ceiling. He screwed up his final admission test. He will be kicked out of Gotei. His status as a captain will cease to exist.

The orange-haired boy folded his arms underneath his head.

Crap. I sort of liked being a captain. I had my squad of guys I could trust. I had something to keep me going, to push me to better myself.

This was the first time he actually realized how much that post meant to him. The captaincy was made for him. Well it did seem so now at least, when he was about to lose it. There just have to be something….I gotta fix it. But he couldn't figure out how. The depression was growing.

Urahara peaked into the room. "Oh, good morning, Kurosaki-san. How are you feeling today?" He was walking towards Ichigo with some weird things in his hands. They looked like some kind of equipment which someone like Urahara Kisuke could be using for medical purposes or something like that, but the orange-haired boy sure as hell didn't feel like exploring the function of those in person.

Ichigo quickly sat up. "Good morning, Urahara. I am feeling good."

"Is that so? I thought I felt something different. Let me take a closer look." He noticed the slight alarm on Ichigo's face and laughed. "Oh, don't worry about these, Kurosaki-san. These are for my experiments and you are not part of those." And after a little while he added with a grin. "Yet."

The young man was praying to every god, that it really was meant a joke. The blonde sure was a wicked one; you never knew what he might pull next. Meanwhile Urahara reached Ichigo and felt his head. It was normal temperature. He looked him up and down. Apart from the severe bruising there was nothing wrong with the young man.

"The battle is almost finished in case you were wondering. You don't have to feel depressed, Kurosaki-san." He voiced the other possibility he came up with.

Actually, Ichigo wasn't wondering about the battle. He was utterly consumed with self-pity. But that comment snapped him out of it a bit.

"It is? And how is it going?" And where is Byakuya? Did he go to fight again? He probably had to finish what I couldn´t…

"The vast number of Hollows and the fact that they were in a way working together made it a rather challenging experience, but nothing what skilled Shinigami could not handle." Kisuke looked like he was thinking, then nodded and continued. "So it is finished already. The last of Hollows was just moments ago sent back to Huenco Mundo." He was beaming.

"Oh, I see." Ichigo was lying again with hands joined under his head. Thankfully, he hadn't noticed the slight stomp on his pride.

Urahara was on his way out of the room. Though when he reached the doorway, he turned around and said with a smile: "There is some breakfast in the kitchen if you would like. There is nothing like a big breakfast before training." Then winked and disappeared.

It took a while before Ichigo got what he was just told.

Right!

Byakuya just witnessed the last of the invading Hollows being sent back to Huenco Mundo. It was done smoothly. One of the young Shinigami needed just one blow to do so. This one had promise. Byakuya went to him and asked his credentials, making sure he will remember everything. The young man was beaming. It did not happen to you every day that someone like Kuchiki Byakuya would come to talk to you, much less ask for your name and rank.

Right afterwards the captain made everyone gather. "Kurosaki-taicho and I have some more business here to attend to, so we will not be coming back with you." He looked around and then nodded for the Shinigamis to leave. None of the group asked for more details. You simply don't question Kuchiki Byakuya.

When the raven-haired man was left alone, he took a deep breath. Park. He needed to go back to the park. The trees and the vacancy of it calmed him; it was easier to think there. And it was vital for him to come up with a plan.

The weather was not pleasant. It was windy and the sky was dull. Byakuya was leaning against one of the trees again, watching the romance between wind and leaves of trees. The wind would caress them and then leave them dangling, wanting more, only to come back and make it up to them. It seemed like a never ending cycle. The captain of the Sixth division was always fascinated by simple things like that. If you perceive it right, you can find even in the simplest of things a beautiful and breathtaking complexity or poetry (which one of those is simply related to the mood you are in, since they are practically the same thing). Now the problem that currently needed his attention was about the fact that his student, Kurosaki Ichigo, failed the exam he rushed. No one except him knew it though, so that was good. Well, no one has seen it in person. Byakuya was sure that they have felt the spike in reiatsu and the sudden emptiness afterwards, but that could be explained... He should go to look at the orange-haired devil to see how bad he looks. Depending on that he would write the report. The bruising might be troublesome.

No! That is not the real problem here! Once again it was a clash between different types of his pride – his pride as a teacher and his pride as a Shinigami, captain in Gotei. But he never swore anything to Ichigo, did he? No. So, there you go, problem solved. Byakuya sighed.

I have to be getting rather old if it takes me so long to figure out such a trivial thing.

Nature always did help him in tough times and it wasn't any different now. Byakuya had his mind set up and went back to Urahara´s. He would announce his decision, though he will not qualify it as such. There is no need for anyone else to know that there are times when he is uncertain. Besides it would look like he actually cares what happens to that boy and who would want that.

Jinta and Ururu were cleaning outside the shop as usual. The only acknowledgement Kuchiki Byakuya got from them was a nod from Jinta and a look with a quiet greeting from Ururu. Needless to say he was not the most popular guest of the shop. Byakuya didn't mind for it was neither the first time nor the last that people acted like this to him. He preferred to take it as a sign of respect rather than bad feelings towards his person. He did notice when people didn't like him though, but chose not to care.

Byakuya entered the shop only to see Urahara Kisuke at the back, sitting behind his round conference table. The blonde was drinking tea as usual.

"So you did come back. I was wondering whether you would, Kuchiki-sama." His eyes were not visible but you could easily guess what would be in them. Urahara was amused.

"He is my responsibility." Byakuya´s cold voice retorted.

"Why, indeed he is." The singing voice came again.

Byakuya just arched his perfect eyebrow. However that did not do much with Kisuke, who simply kept drinking his tea.

Byakuya was forced to ask aloud, not much to his liking. "Where is he?"

Urahara did not respond. This was fun.

"I asked you a question Urahara." The raven-haired man snarled after a while.

"You don't feel him?" The amusement was clear as a day in Urahara´s voice.

That made Byakuya actually perceive his surroundings. I should not be getting so careless. What is wrong with me? Now that he did, he knew exactly where the youngster is. The older captain was not impressed. He made a threatening step towards Urahara.

"Tell me he is not…" He didn't have it in him to finish the sentence.

Kisuke didn't answer; instead he took another sip of his tea.

There weren't many people that had skills of manipulation and brains to do it comparable to Kuchiki Byakuya, but Urahara Kisuke was for sure one of them. And both of them were well aware of the fact.

Suddenly there was a hand on the conference table. Right next to Kisuke´s tea. Byakuya was leaning in for a whispered threat, but he was stopped dead-still by the blonde´s comment.

"Have I ever told you how much I used to envy you the hair you have." Kisuke even went that far as to touch it. "It´s like black gold. I…"

The addressed one was not taken aback for long. He yanked the blonde's hand away.

"Didn't I tell you to help him?" Byakuya dangerously snarled.

"And I did. Not that I had to in the first place. He is well as you can feel, Byakuya." Kisuke kept drinking his tea. "Go see for yourself if you wish."

Like I need your written consent for that, you idiot. Byakuya thought.

He decided not to dwell on the many things that were wrong with the conversation they just had. He was here for Ichigo.

Finding the underground training grounds was not difficult. He didn't hesitate and went right in. The stupid little boy was indeed training! He had thirty-one blew up in his face not so long ago and he was training. What was he sorry about, then?

Well, this little idea probably didn't come from his own head.

One of these days, Urahara Kisuke, you will feel the loving embrace of Senbonzakura.

However Ichigo didn't seem to have noticed him. He was sitting with his back towards Byakuya, hand outstretched and in not very regular intervals there would be a red halo over his head. The orange hair would look like a fire at those times. This fascinated Byakuya, all the anger forgotten for now. He leaned against one of the rocks, concealed his reiatsu, to be on the safe side, and observed.

Ichigo didn't waste any time and went to the training ground right after breakfast. Byakuya could be back any second now that the battle is over. He had to master the Shakkaho in the meantime. Maybe he could convince him then to go find some other Hollow and finish the exam properly. This might work. Kuchiki Byakuya is a reasonable man... sort of.

When he was down in the training field, Ichigo realized that he actually had no clue as to how to improve himself in such a short time. Doubts began to creep in his mind. Then the savior showed himself.

"Would you be needing any assistance, Kurosaki-san?" came a singing voice from behind Ichigo, startling him.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Urahara laughed. "No, not really."

"Well since you came here anyway…" The young Shinigami was scratching the back of his head. "Do you by any chance know of a way how to learn kido spells real fast?"

"Way of destruction or binding?"

"Shakkaho, actually. I really need to nail this one." Ichigo was looking directly at Urahara now, hope rising within him.

"I see. Well of course. The easiest and quickest would be to try maintaining small red balls of energy while making sure they do not blow up in your face" He winked at the other man. "And then if that works make them bigger and try to throw them on some target – I would suggest an immobile one for the beginning. That is if my assumption, that you want to use it without the incantation, is correct." He was smiling.

"Uhm, yeah. Thanks." Ichigo was still running his hand through the orange hair. He wasn´t a big fan of asking others for help. He liked to be the one giving it.

"Oh my, I am so sorry but I will have to excuse myself I have to go humor a guest, who shall arrive shortly." Urahara didn't even wait for Ichigo to respond in any way and disappeared.

I wouldn´t wanna go against him in a real battle. Ichigo thought.

"Ok." He said out loud in a sarcastic way.

The orange-haired boy then looked around looking for some good spot to sit and practice. The choice was made quickly, after all he should have been practicing already. He sat down in an Indian style, one hand outstretched while the other was resting in his lap.

Deep breath. Concentrate. Feel your reiatsu. Channel it. Breathe out. Ichigo started his small kido-helping mantra in his head.

He would make a little red ball of energy then make it disappear. Then a bigger one and make it disappear again. It was going well. Nothing blew up in his face yet. He kept making the balls bigger and bigger. The larger they were the harder it was to keep them stable and non-exploding. There was sweat running alongside his face. But he kept on going. After three hours his self-confidence reached the point, when he thought it was feasible for him to make a ball of almost all the energy he had. When it didn't go off on him, the ecstasy came.

Yes! Yes! Zangetsu man, did you see that? There was a low humming sound in the back of his head, which was all Zangetsu wanted to share to this topic.

Ichigo stood up, his hand still outstretched and prepared for an attack. He was standing right in front of a nicely carved rock. Well that will change. A relatively big red ball of energy appeared under the palm of his hand. Ichigo aimed and announced: "Shakkaho." For a split second he thought it could work. It didn´t. The whole thing blew up on him again. Luckily it was much smaller than the one, which knocked him out during the battle. Ichigo was lying on the ground cursing loudly, when a voice came from behind him.

"Don´t you think that you have proven well enough the last time that using Shakkaho is a rather inefficient way of suicide?"

Byakuya appeared on the scene.

"That is why you go out in teams - to have someone to finish you off or watch as the foe does that for him." Came the sarcastic answer as the young Shinigami was getting up on his feet again.

Byakuya smiled a little at that comment. After all Ichigo couldn't see him. Meanwhile Ichigo turned around to face the other man.

"Seriously, Byakuya. You came here to gloat or what?"

"The battle is over. We should return and report to the Captain Commander." The raven-haired man was all business now.

"I am not done here." Ichigo announced, meeting Byakuya's eyes.

The other one didn't move a muscle, apparently waiting for the explanation to come. They glared at each other for a while.

Then all of a sudden Byakuya asked: "Why did you say you were sorry?"

Ichigo folded his arms across his chest. Frown deepening. He had thought that Byakuya didn't hear that. He had thought that the other man was already gone when he apologized. And now he wants an explanation? Why? What for?

"What difference does the reason make?"

"Significant one." Was all the answer that Ichigo got. This man, the captain of the Sixth Division was driving him nuts. He changed like a spring weather.

Byakuya was observing the non-verbal reactions Ichigo was showing. His arms were folded on his chest which made it crystal clear that this was not a topic he would like to continue discussing. He would shift his weight from one leg to the other, but both would be positioned so that his weight would be distributed evenly. This was clearly a defensive stance. Now Byakuya wanted to know even more why Ichigo said what he said.

"Are you embarrassed of the reason why? Is that why you don't want to answer my question?" He continued his offensive.

Ichigo suddenly looked up at him. A mix of emotions dancing in his eyes - anger, surprise, weariness and perplexity. At that moment Byakuya felt another presence descending to the training ground. He sighed and turned around and waited for the owner of the shop to reach them.

"Kurosaki-san, how is it going? Any progress?" Urahara asked as soon as he reached the two men, completely ignoring Byakuya.

"Yeah, I guess." Ichigo´s mind was elsewhere. This whole mission was a disaster.

"So what did they tell you, Urahara?" The raven-haired man cut right to the core.

After the Winter war Urahara Kisuke gained status of a something like a pre-position defensive fort. The shop was like a headquarters for all the information and equipment for the Shinigami stationed in the Real world.

"You know, the foreplay is important in many aspects of life, even the conversation." Urahara winked at the other man.

There was no evident response from Byakuya, but a chuckle could be heard from where the orange-haired boy stood.

"But to answer your question, Byakuya, you are to return immediately for you have been given no further mission in here. I came to tell you that and the fact that the Gate is ready for your departure."

"I see." The older captain turned to face the younger one. "We are leaving. Immediately."

"Just like that, huh?" Ichigo snapped. He did not want to go back as a failure, but someone here clearly did not grasp what it means to feel like one. Ichigo addressed the blonde: "Would you mind giving us a second?"

Urahara nodded and disappeared within a heartbeat. Byakuya was standing still, intrigued.

"You wanted to know why I apologized to you? Fine." Ichigo´s stance changed. He was on the offensive now. Clearly following the rule that the best defensive is offensive. He was standing rigidly, fists clenched and glaring at Byakuya.

"I actually, for a brief moment, fell under the impression that you could have feelings, that you cared whether I passed the exam or failed! I was actually sorry for letting you down. I wanted to fix it by learning how to use the fucking Shakkaho without incantation! But apparently I was wrong you are just…" Ichigo did not get to finish.

Byakuya was suddenly on him, pressing him against the rock Ichigo was aiming for moments ago. He was holding the orange-haired man by his throat, their heads right next to each other. They were so close that their breathing became synchronized. Byakuya leaned even closer and whispered dangerously to Ichigo´s ear.

"Think before you speak. My patience has its limitations, too." All the anger and frustration of the two days had made themselves known in the way he spoke. Ichigo apparently hit some soft-spot.

"Get off me." Ichigo snarled.

Byakuya tightened his grip for a second and then let go. Not far enough though. He took a deep breath.

"We should leave. Now." His voice was cold and level. The older captain wondered what made Ichigo snap all of a sudden.

"Whatever." The young man pushed himself from the rock and was leaving.

I am sorry for the delay. Work and school finally caught up to me, which means I will have less time to write. But I will try to update always within a week.

THANK you for all the support, reviews, favs and follows. It means a lot and I will try not to disappoint you. Also criticism would be welcomed ;)