Author's Notes:
Aaand here we go! A shorter wait time than last between the previous updates, buuut also a shorter chapter in exchange. Still probably beats having to wait another five months or so before an update, though. . .

Isshin, having finally finished his story, had a look on his face that was somewhere in between sombrely regretful and a little excited.

Ichigo, for his part, was frowning even harder than usual.

"So..." He began. "You're telling me that... I'm related to this guy?" He gestured with his thumb to Uryu.

"Yes, I know, it's shocking. I'm so very sorry-" Isshin began. "Wait, what? I tell you this long, dramatic story full of revelations, and that is what you take with you from it? You heartless ingrate!"

"Shaddap." Ichigo grunted, looking at Uryu like he was some form of alien.

"Don't give me that look." Uryu said, looking mildly revolted. "I didn't ask for being related to an ape like you."

"Uryu-kun, that's mean!" Orihime exclaimed, lightly smacking him on the shoulder. "This is amazing- both of you just got a bigger family! And Kurosaki-kun, you finally know why your dad had to leave. Doesn't it make you feel better to know he didn't want to leave you?"

"Calm down, Orihime." Tatsuki said. "This was... enlightening, though. Ichigo?"

"Whatever." Ichigo murmured. He looked his father in the eyes. "So you had no choice. Fantastic. That don't make mom's heart less broken, or my sisters any more fatherless. Do you even know about them? Do you know that you also left two daughters behind?"

"I kept an eye on you all, I swear." Isshin said, all merriment dropped from his face in an instant. "Urahara told me about Yuzu and Karin... and knowing that I would never get to meet them made going back that much worse. But I watched you as much as I could without letting anyone know. I had Urahara pull some strings, get your mom a good job. I did whatever I could, and..."

"It wasn't enough, was it?"

"No." Isshin shook his head. "It wasn't enough. But I couldn't do any more, and it broke my heart."

"You know, I thought I'd be really angry right now." Ichigo said, shaking his head. "But I just don't feel much of anything about you. Want me to call you dad, go out on camping trips together? Maybe teach me how to swing a sword, or pick up girls? It's a bit late for that."

"Not too late for the girls thing..." Tatsuki murmured quietly. Ichigo gave her a mean look.

"You want to be a dad?" He continued. "The cat's outta the bag now that I'm here- and if it's not, somebody's gonna put the pieces together sooner or later. So when the secret's out, what are you gonna do as a father?"

"I..." Isshin said, looking a bit perplexed. "Anything I can. Anything."

"Good." Ichigo said, standing up. He turned around, and took a step towards the door. "Right now, I don't have a father."

"Ichigo!" Tatsuki shouted out.

"But maybe some day I will. Who the fuck knows?"

And with that, he walked out.

"He's a huge moron." Tatsuki growled. "Give me one minute, and I'll pummel him and drag him back-"

"No, Arisawa." Uryu said calmly. "He was rude. He tends to be. But right now, I don't think he needs a pummelling."

Tatsuki looked at him incredulously. "You're taking his side now?"

"Did you listen to what he said? He is giving him a chance." Uryu turned to Isshin. "A chance. I cannot say I am old or experienced enough to advise a shinigami or your venerable age-" -the sarcasm was almost undetectable- "-but if I were in your shoes, taichou, I would not waste that."

Isshin sank back in his seat. "He really is a chip off the old block, isn't he? Thick-headed, stubborn, strong, doesn't know when to quit... makes you proud, doesn't it?"

Not knowing what to say to that, the three of them excused themselves, leaving Isshin to his pondering.

oOo

"You wanted to see me?" Yoruichi asked, as she cautiously entered the captain's meeting hall. Inside, she could see that head captain Yamamoto himself, Unohana Retsu, Ukitake Jushiro and Kyoraku Shunsui – the four oldest captains of the Gotei – were all waiting for her, making it obvious enough that the reason she had been called was not a light matter.

On the other hand, though, that this meeting was going to be an important matter had already been clear to Yoruichi right from the moment that she had received the invitation: There was no way that the head captain would call her to his office for a light-hearted chat, and then send his vice-captain Sasakibe in the early hours of the morning to deliver the invitation as he had.

And of course, this invitation was not unexpected, either. Unexpected ally against Aizen's machinations or not, the fact still remained that Yoruichi was an exile, a criminal wanted for aiding the traitor Urahara Kisuke in his escape from Soul Society. While by now, Aizen had revealed himself for what he was- and thereby practically invalidated all accusations against them- it still remained to be seen what the Gotei would choose to do with this knowledge.

"So we did, Shihoin Yoruichi." Yamamoto spoke, keeping a neutral and polite tone. "As you undoubtedly know, the recent events involving the traitor Aizen Sousuke have shed new light on the circumstances that have led both you and Urahara Kisuke to go into exile. Due to this, we have decided to re-investigate the incident..."

Here it comes, Kisuke, Yoruichi thought to herself. The moment of truth.

"...and have come to the conclusion that both of you were wrongly accused. And as I currently am the highest authority of the Gotei, I hereby declare you, Shihoin Yoruichi as well as your fellow exile Urahara Kisuke, to be free of all charges."

"...I see." Yoruichi said calmly after a short pause, hoping that none of the senior captains picked up on how surprised she really was. All things considered, this probably really shouldn't be that shocking. There currently was no Central Forty-Six, meaning that all the important decisions were made by Yamamoto himself, as he had just said, which in turn meant that any decisions were bound to be a good bit more pragmatic and direct than any of those that the Central Forty-Six would have made- but even knowing all this, Yoruichi could not help but feel very surprised.

For as far as she could remember, the Gotei leadership had always acted the same way; like a bunch of oppressive, arbitrary tyrants, not once reconsidering any decision that they had made. But now, under Yamamoto, the judgement was not just reconsidered, but outright revoked. That the head captain himself would make decisions different from those of the Central Forty-Six had always been clear to Yoruichi, but it seemed like she had underestimated just how drastically different they would be.

"Ah, and furthermore..." Ukitake spoke up. "In addition to this, we senior captains have agreed that in consideration of both of your innocence, and the current threat of Aizen Sosuke, we need every ally that we can get- which is why we are offering both you and Urahara-san to be reinstated into the Gotei as captains."

Had Yoruichi previously still been able to barely hide her surprise, she had no such luck this time: Her eyes grew wide, as all she could do was stare at the senior captains in disbelief.

This was beyond revoking a sentence passed by a corrupt, prideful administration. This was beyond making a statement of new rulership. This was... almost desperate, actually. The Gotei had been humbled, and though Yamamoto showed no sign of humility, taking in the two of them without question so quickly after a short investigation... they were losing face. Not quite so badly as losing three captains all at once, who had conspired for god knows how long, but it was an act far humbler than she would ever have expected.

It was a practical decision, of course. After centuries of facing no genuine threat, of being the unopposed superpower of the afterlife, the Gotei had received a firm reminder that power could shift quickly, that what they took for granted could be taken away from them, and they would need everything they could get their hands on to protect this millennia old institution from the usurper, Aizen Sousuke.

Did she want to be in their hands, though? Once, she had sworn fealty to Yamamoto Genryuusai and all he stood for; an oath she would have once died for. She had never been one for formality, but once she had taken duty seriously. And in the end, that oath had meant less than the life of her friend...

Kisuke would never go for this. He kept much to himself, and rarely- if ever- spoke of what led to his exile, but she was his oldest and closest friend, and she could read him like nobody else could, and he absolutely loathed the Gotei Thirteen. But she herself? Thinking back to the old days, she remembered captaincy. The duties had been annoying to deal with, her nobility more a burden than an asset, but there had been good times. She had had friends, she had protected people, done what she could to make her division a good place to be in... it hadn't been all bad. If she accepted this, what could she do? She could probably avoid the nobility thing- her house was not likely to have forgotten her crimes. And she could make a difference for a lot of people. She could reconnect with Soifon... oh, what a woman she had grown up to be!

But Kisuke had his own designs, and she had chosen him over the Gotei a long time ago- and without her, he might be lost. And deep down, she was quite unsure she really wanted to. How long before a new Central Forty-Six came into power, equally as arrogant and prideful? How long before corruption took root again?

"...I will tell Kisuke." She said after a while. "We'll definitely think about it."

Yamamoto nodded. "We understand you were deeply wronged, and the anger you both must feel is understandable. But do understand, more is at stake than either of your feelings, or even my own life. Should Aizen Sousuke succeed..."

Yoruichi almost laughed. Angry? She had lost a lot, but the freedom it had brought... oh, if only they knew how well life on the run had suited her...

"We're well past 'angry'." She said, smirking lightly. "And believe me, Kisuke is far more cross with Aizen than with you. At the very least, count on the two of us to be your allies in the upcoming fight."

"That will do... for now." Yamamoto nodded sagely. The 'for now' and its implications did not escape Yoruichi- the Gotei did not like rogue elements, and their gratitude was limited. Eventually, she- and Kisuke too- would likely have to face an ultimatum.

Well, she'd deal with that when the time came.

oOo

"If you continue like this, this training of yours will have little benefit, Ichigo." Zangetsu spoke, just as Ichigo was taking another swing with the untransformed zanpakutou.

"Doesn't matter... it's not like I'm doing this for training, anyway..." Ichigo responded in his thoughts, making it clear in his "tone" that he did not want to continue the conversation. Even though Ichigo could clearly sense the spirit's disapproval, he still seemed to comply, as only silence followed. Ichigo welcomed it.

After having left Isshin's office, Ichigo had spent some time just wandering around aimlessly the Squad Ten barracks, uncertain on what to do, before finally deciding to stay in what seemed to be one of the Seireitei's hundreds of gardens. With the exception of a few shinigami that were too busy with their own breaks to pay any attention to him, the garden was completely empty, making it a good enough place to think about everything... and after everything that his father had told him, there was definitely enough to think about.

Before long however, Ichigo realized that simply sitting down under a tree to think wasn't really his thing- and so he had gotten up, drawn his zanpakutou, and started making practice swings. By now, that was at least an hour ago.

Even now, Ichigo simply wasn't sure on what to think of everything that Isshin had told him. His father had had no choice but to leave him, his mother was a Quincy, and in addition to the Shiba clan, there was yet another branch of his family that he never knew of... it all just felt unreal to him. When he had asked Isshin to tell him everything, he certainly had not expected this.

His family just kept on turning out to be bigger than he imagined, with all these... things being kept secret from him for one reason or another... and he just felt empty. His life at home was already difficult enough as it was, and now he just seemed to learn new things about his life and family every day...

You know nothing, Kurosaki Ichigo, he thought.

He didn't know for how long he had been standing there, doing practice swing after practice swing, when he suddenly noticed Kukaku standing next to him- all he knew that since his thoughts kept going in circles around the same thing, he did not notice her until she started talking.

"Heey, Ichigo! You're heading home tomorrow, and yet you're spending your time training here, when you could be visiting your favourite cousin?"

Startled, Ichigo interrupted his swing, and turned his head to look at Kukaku, not even bothering to make an expression that would make it seem like everything was fine- which Kukaku promptly picked up on.

"Ah... should I come back later? Your frown is worse than usual- I guess this means you're not really interested in company right now." Kukaku said, giving Ichigo a slightly surprised look.

Ichigo shook his head. "No... it's all right, I think."

"Well, it's your call to make." The head of the Shiba clan said, sighing. "Not wanting to pry, but do you wanna tell me what's going on?"

Ichigo hesitated. Family or not, the fact remained that he barely knew Kukaku- he had no way of knowing how she would react to him baring his thoughts to her. But then again... there wasn't much of a reason to distrust her, either.

"Isshin... he told me everything. About why he had to leave my family. Why he was banished to begin with."

"Ah." Kukaku noted flatly. "Yeah... I figured he'd tell you sooner or later..."

Ichigo glared at her. He knew her already well enough to not expect any sort of overly emotional response, but he had least expected a bit more than that. "Did you know about it?"

Kukaku scratched her head, feeling clearly rather awkward. "Weeeell... yeah. T'was kinda hard not to ask him when he returned from what-do-I-know-how-many years of banishment- especially when for a while after his return he insisted to go by the surname "Kurosaki" before the Gotei forbid it."

Ichigo slowly sheathed his zanpakutou. He took a deep breath, rubbed the back of his head, and stared out into space, into nowhere.

"He really cared, did he?"

"He was pretty destroyed." Kukaku said, nodding eagerly. "He's a big idiot, but he takes family seriously, and... well, you were his family. You might as well have cut off an arm and a leg. He was beside himself when he got here- I'm surprised he lasted through the first month..."

"No need to big him up." Ichigo said flatly.

"It's true, though!" Kukaku cried. "Egads, you're both idiots- it really does run in the family!" She sighed, and walked a little closer to Ichigo.

"There's a bottom line here. And that is, your father never lost more than he did that day, fifteen years ago. He's still hurtin', though he won't show it- think that jolly idiot thing's all he is? That he's happy when he goes to sleep at night?"

"So what?!" Ichigo snapped. "So fucking what, Kukaku? We went our entire lives without him- me, my sisters, and mom... he left her behind, and she never got over it. You think she is happy when she goes to sleep? This is some- this is some bullshit! This is all bullshit, and- and-"

He stopped to breathe, not sure what to say. He had felt so empty just a second ago, and now it had burst into anger- at his father, at himself for not understanding, at everything, at this unfair state of affairs...

"I know." Kukaku said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It is some bullshit. But it ain't his fault. A lotta things are his fault, and he's man enough to own up to those things. But this one's all on the old man, on this whole rotten society. It's on the whole world. I don't know the exact details of what went down- but I know he didn't have a choice about it."

"Fuck, man..." Ichigo mumbled, hanging his head a little. "A couple of months ago, everything was fuckin' normal. And now, I'm... this," he said, gesturing to his shihakusho, "and that seems less... fucked up than actually having somebody be my dad. I mean, what... what the hell do you do? Just... what?"

Kukaku wrapped her one arm around him, and pulled him into a surprisingly strong hug.

"It'll be okay, you hear?" She said quietly. "I ain't gonna pretend to understand what you feel like, 'cause I honestly ain't been there, but you'll figure it out. You got family to help you on the way. You hear?"

"...yeah." Ichigo mumbled, awkwardly returning the hug.

"There you go." Kukaku said cheerily, and they broke away. She grinned, punched him in the shoulder, in a loving and rather painful kind of way, and said,

"And if that big idiot does something really stupid, let me know- I'll punt him good and proper for you."

"All right." Ichigo said, smiling and rubbing his shoulder. "But... there's one thing. You said we're family, right?"

"Sure!" Kukaku said, nodding and giving him a pat on the back.

"I got two sisters." Ichigo mumbled.

"Yeah, I heard. They gotta be doing well, with a big brother like you looking after them. How old are they now? What're their names? What-"

"Yuzu's dead." Ichigo spat out, and took a deep breath. He hadn't really said it before, not really acknowledged it like this. He had almost managed to forget, with the tumultuous events of these last few weeks- but it had always been there, in the back of his head...

Kukaku's cheery mood dropped. "I'm so sorry."

"No hugs needed." Ichigo said, and grimaced. "I think the dad thing's enough emotion for one day. She's dead, but... she's still a plus. Down there, in our house. I couldn't- I couldn't make myself... send her on."

"Her chain?" Kukaku asked immediately.

"It happened recently- there's no risk of her turning any time soon. But... I'm gonna have to do it soon, after I get back. And when I do... she'll need a place to stay. I've seen the rukon, and-"

"Well no shit she can stay with us, cousin!" Kukaku exclaimed cheerily. "Your dad'll be all over that- once she's passed, we'll find her and give her a place. Hell, she'll have her own room, and a damn good one- I'll make sure she gets whatever she needs myself."

Ichigo smiled, and nodded. "Thanks. She'll be very lonely. Everyone she knew will be gone, and..."

Kukaku nodded. "I know. We'll look after her. And unlike most people who lost loved ones, you'll be able to visit. Don't you worry- we'll take care of this." She lit her pipe, and took a puff. "And don't you worry about Isshin- he'll be fussy, but I'll make sure not to let him get too overbearing."

"Good."

"Hell, I look forward to it- it'll be like having a little sister. God knows I could use somebody around that ain't an idiot."

"She's a sweetheart." Ichigo said quietly. "And... I'm sure she'll be in good hands here."

"Count on it."

oOo

Uryu was pacing back and forth. He made sure that it was a restrained, not-at-all-frantic kind of pacing, because frantic just wasn't him. At least the living conditions had been improved- after being released from Squad Four, they had been housed in the Shiba clan's house in the Gotei, although under supervision. Not that the better furnishing, the rugs or paintings on the wall made him feel less... irritable.

Shiba Isshin's story had been quite a surprise to him. At first, he had just felt mildly irritated- the notion of actually being related to an oaf like Kurosaki Ichigo- however dependable he might be- was pretty annoying.

And then, it sort of started to sink in. His father had a cousin- who had children, a family, all of it, and he'd never said a word to Uryu about it.

And it wasn't that he wanted to be closer with the likes of Kurosaki. Why would he? He was brash, stupid, and it was dumb luck that they weren't all dead, following him in like this.

And yet, a small corner of his mind said, you followed that brash, stupid boy, knowing full well how brash and stupid it was...

Brushing those thoughts aside, Uryu kept pacing. His father had not exactly lied- but he'd kept the truth from him. He'd been alone for most of his childhood- his mother long dead, it had been him, his father, and no real friends to speak of. To think that all this time, he'd had relatives...

His father had some explaining to do.

"Uryu-kun?"

It was Orihime. She was wearing a new kimono, he noticed; one borrowed from the Shiba, it seemed- not that he really cared what kind of clothes she wore.

"Yes?" He grumbled, probably sounding more rude than he intended.

"I... was just wondering if you were all right." She said, entering the room, and closing the door behind her. "You left me and Tatsuki-chan pretty quickly earlier, so I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Me?" Uryu asked, trying and probably failing, to sound surprised. Quickly- perhaps a bit too quickly?- he added, "Of course I'm fine. Absolutely fine. Why shouldn't I be? I mean, what Shiba-taichou has told us barely concerns me, so there is no reason for me to be upset."

Orihime gave him a sceptical look- she was obviously less than convinced. "It barely concerns you? Kurosaki-san is your cousin. You are family. This isn't really important to you?"

Uryu sighed. One of the reasons why he had left the others behind earlier was because he had not wanted to have a conversation like this... but now that it seemed inevitable, he didn't want to deny Orihime an explanation, either. "Well..." He began reluctantly "To somebody like Kurosaki, or most people, family would mean a lot. But me... for most of my life, my family has only really consisted of my father, and he's not very affectionate- so finding out that there is more to this family of mine than I thought doesn't really make that much of a difference to me."

For a moment, Orihime remained silent, giving him a look that was impossible for him to interpret. Then she nodded. "Yes... I suppose I can understand that. It is hard to care for a family that you don't even know."

"You understand?" Uryu asked, feeling something close to incredulous. He'd expected a great number of things; being chided for not valuing family, for being too weird, too cold, too detached. Orihime had always struck him as being a bit on the emotional side- and she was, too. But... she once again did the unexpected thing.

She shrugged, smiling weakly. "I would actually be lying if I said that I didn't kinda know the feeling... I mean, I haven't really seen my own parents in years. My older brother left them years ago, when I was still very young, and took me with him since they were- are... not good people. I know I should probably at least somewhat care about them, but... I just don't really know them. So I suppose it must be a bit similar to you. You just don't know Kurosaki-san's family."

Uryu just nodded, feeling a bit taken aback by what Orihime had just told him. He had known for a while now that Orihime did live on her own, but he would not have expected a story like this to behind it. What could he even say to that? She was always so cheerful- and she had been alone, like him, for so long?

Thankfully for him though, Orihime relieved him of the need to answer by continuing to talk just a moment later. "But even so- you do know Kurosaki-san, and now you know that he's your cousin! Isn't that a good thing?"

"It's because I know him that I care even less." Uryu said, making a face. "Being related to that idiot is not really good. But I suppose that's how it is... you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family."

"...But you did pick him. You knew that him letting Kuchiki-san go was a bad thing to do, so you made sure that he changed his mind. You could have let him come here to prevent her execution alone, but you still came along. You could have stayed out of his fight with Kuchiki-san's brother, and yet you chose to fight alongside him, together with me and Tatsuki-chan – as friends."

And for the second time in a few minutes, Uryu found himself to be a little speechless, completely taken aback by Orihime's words. For what seemed like ages, he just stood there and stared at her, opening his mouth several times to say something, only to shut it again when he knew that he didn't know what to say.

She was right, wasn't she? He had come on his own volition, fought alongside Orihime, Arisawa, and Kurosaki as team-mates, even... comrades. He knew part of it had been wanting to take a stand against the callous indifference of his father, prove that he was different- but that was just one reason; there had been more, and right now... well, he wasn't the kind to risk his life on a principle. That was the kind of stupid thing Kurosaki might do, and he was definitely not like him.

So why had he done it? Why had he kept going? To save Rukia? Partly, but he didn't care overmuch about her- that she lived was good, but she was Kurosaki's fixation, not his. One of the reasons, he knew, was standing right in front of him, and he realized he was getting strangely affectionate- if only in his mind- about her. But aside from that...

Well, what would they have done without him? They were just kids, stupid normal humans who suddenly got empowered, with no experience. They had needed somebody who knew at least partly what he was doing. He'd done it because they needed him. Maybe it was an arrogant way of thinking, but he'd done it in no small part for their sake. It was a strange realization- what kind of person did it make him, caring about others like this, for no rhyme or reason?

Well, maybe a happier one.

"Uryu-kun?" Orihime said, breaking the silence.

Uryu took a deep breath, and shrugged off these thoughts. The shrugging wasn't quite successful, but at the very least Uryu decided that this did not make him friends with a fool like Kurosaki. But maybe...

"I just... I don't really know what to make of this..." He mumbled, his voice far from that dispassionate, always in control tone he liked to use. "I know that just because I don't get along that well with Kurosaki, it doesn't mean that his family is going to be the same for me. But... it's still a lot to take in. It's strange to me, this whole, ah, 'not being alone' thing..."

"You'll figure it out." Orihime said, smiling and putting an arm on his shoulder. The way she said it made him actually believe it. Sort of.

oOo

Ukitake carefully picked out the two freshly made badges. Twelfth division was run by a madman to be sure, but they did deliver quality goods if you needed them to- like these two substitute shinigami badges, for the two human-turned-shinigami. Kurosaki Ichigo and Arisawa Tatsuki... they'd need a way to quickly exit their bodies if they were to take up the role of protectors for Karakura, and the Gotei would need an easy way to monitor them.

He sighed to himself. This attitude, this idea that they were potential enemies just because they weren't sworn to the Gotei, had always bothered him. There were good people, in the Soul Society and the world of the living alike, and from what he had seen, those two could be counted among the goodly. But being good had never seemed to matter to the Gotei, just allegiance- and if they were deemed a threat at some point, then god help them. For now, they were to be monitored through these badges- they were both exceptional, he had been told, and it would be a shame not to make use of the data they carried.

Scientists...

Well, there was nothing to be done about it. He believed in Genryuusai-sensei and his leadership, but some things admittedly got difficult. But that was leadership- to make the difficult decisions for the greater good, to endure the repugnant things that came with it for the sake of order, stability and, just perhaps, a better future.

And in all fairness, given previous experiences that the Gotei made with substitute shinigami, it was only reasonable to be wary of humans with shinigami powers- in fact, it was probably a small miracle that Kurosaki Ichigo and Arisawa Tatsuki were made officially acknowledged substitute shinigami, the second and third to ever exist, respectively.

While the possibility of a shinigami temporarily"borrowing" their powers to a living human was something already known to the Gotei since its beginnings, its laws and rules never actually concerned themselves with them, making substitute shinigami something that only very rarely occurred, and never actually extended beyond what was normal for the process.

That was, until a few years ago.

Ukitake sighed. He still vividly remembered the events that had transpired... a young man from the world of the living, who, like several others before him, had received the powers of a shinigami from a member of the Gotei during an emergency- with the small but noteworthy difference that unlike other substitute shinigami, this man proved himself to be far more capable than any previous substitute, and after his powers returned to the shinigami that they were borrowed from, even expressed interest in continuing to help the Gotei. While initially surprised, Ukitake had been quick to accept the idea, and after some talks with his fellow captains, the man became the first substitute shinigami to officially be acknowledged by the Gotei, receiving a substitute shinigami badge as both a proof of his status, and as a means to keep an eye on him.

But of course, things had not been quite that simple. After the man served the Gotei for a while, an incident happened for which he was to be judged by the Central Forty-Six - but rather than to accept this and face the consequences of the incident, he ran away, and was not seen since that day. Even today, Ukitake regretted how things had turned out, seeing as how the incident had not been the man's fault in the slightest, but rather the result of several complications in the Gotei.

Ukitake pushed the thought of the first official substitute shinigami aside. There was no use thinking about it now. He would have to hurry to still hand the new badges over to Kurosaki Ichigo and Arisawa Tatsuki.

oOo

Walking slowly, Ichigo took a look around, completely overwhelmed by the sheer size of the plaza. He definitely had expected that the Gotei's own gate to the world of the living was a bit more impressive than the one that Urahara had down in his basement, but he had not expected it to be on a plaza this big.

The plaza they were walking down was probably about as big as the grounds of the Shiba manor- with the slight difference that since the plaza was almost empty, it seemed even more massive

"Why is this place so big? At this rate, it'll be night time before we arrive at the actual gates!" Ichigo exclaimed, feeling a little awed.

"You're forgetting that the Gotei is a military organization. The main purpose of these gates is to get shinigami to the world of the living for missions as soon possible, so it would only be counter-productive to keep it any smaller." Isshin explained, unable to keep himself from grinning over Ichigo's reaction. Together with Kukaku and Rukia, they were the only ones that had come to see Ichigo, Tatsuki, Uryu, Orihime and Yoruichi off- though Ichigo hardly minded that. The last thing he'd need right now was more company.

"Pah, if you think that this is big, you really should have explored the grounds of the Shiba manor a bit more, Ichigo!" Kukaku said, sounding dismissive.

"Maybe next time." Ichigo said, smiling slightly. "I wasn't exactly in the mood to go wandering and gawking at how marvellous the architecture was."

"You make sure to visit, you hear?" Kukaku said, lighting her pipe. "Don't be a stranger."

"I'll have reason to." Ichigo said sombrely. Tatsuki gave him a look, but he said nothing more.

For the rest of the way, they all walked in silence, until at last, they were finally almost at the gates... which turned out to be less like gates, and more like sliding doors.

"Well, that's a bit anti-climatic..." Tatsuki muttered, putting into words what Ichigo and the others were thinking. "With how big this plaza is, I would've thought that the gates were a bit more... impressive-looking."

"As long as it gets us home, I honestly couldn't care less about the design." Ichigo said. "I just hope we don't have to deal with any more crazy cleaner-monsters that will kill us if we stay too long..."

Rukia smiled. "There's no need to worry about that. As far as I know, these gates are designed to quickly bring shinigami to the world of the living as safely and quickly as possible- you won't have to worry about a thing."

"Didn't know that you were an expert on these things, Rukia..." Ichigo noted, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm just remembering the things that I was told over and over again before the mission that started this all... it was my first in the world of the living, after all."

"...Ah." Ichigo said flatly. Things just became a bit more awkward.

"So, uh, I suppose this is goodbye?" He quickly continued, hoping to change subject- which thankfully seemed to work out well enough.

"Goodbye." She said, nodding. "For now."

"But you don't think that'll be for very long."

"Would you want it to be?"

Ichigo paused. "...No. I mean, you'll probably be busy with duty and such, and I'll have school, but... yeah, I think somehow, we'll see each other again sooner or later."

"And that includes us!" Orihime said cheerfully. Rukia smiled at her, and nodded.

"Well..." Ichigo said awkwardly, "...I don't know what to say. I'm shit at goodbyes."

"I don't either." Rukia said. "But I guess there's one thing to say." Looking serious, she continued. "Ichigo, I am alive now because of you. Remember that if you feel down some time- you, all four of you, you made a difference."

Ichigo just nodded. "Uh, yeah. No problem. Or something."

"That's enough for now, lovebirds." Isshin said cheerily. "We don't got much time- I have to be back at the division soon, and so does Rukia. So... well, next time we meet, I hope you feel better about having a dad."

"We'll see." Ichigo said.

"And tell your mother-" Isshin began, but he stopped himself, an emotional look crossing his face. "No... I think you'll know better what to say. Just... just don't keep it to yourself that we met, okay?"

"I'll talk to her." Ichigo said, nodding. "But if you want her to know what happened, it should be you telling her."

Isshin nodded. "One day, sooner or later, I'll do that. Egads... well, I'll leave now. You have a nice trip, you hear? Be safe, and all that."

With that, the captain of division ten- his dad- turned around and walked off, and through his resentment Ichigo felt a pang of pity.

"He's a sad man." Tatsuki said.

"Same goes for my family." Ichigo muttered, but without much conviction.

"Well, off you go then." Kukaku said. "I think that's Ukitake coming now- and I don't like long good-byes, so I'll make myself scarce."

"Hey, Kukaku?" Ichigo said.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Oh, shut up, you moron." Kukaku said affectionately, punching Ichigo in the shoulder in a manner that, Ichigo was sure, was what she thought was friendly. Still, no reason to make a fuss. He smiled lightly, and Kukaku turned her back on them, walking off.

"Bye, Shiba-san!" Orihime cried happily. "Bye, and take care!" She gestured at Tatsuki and Uryu, who joined her with a few good-byes of their own. Kukaku gave them a wave, not turning around.

And as she walked off, a white-haired man walked up. He looked friendly, which was a better first impression than most captains had given them so far.

"You're Ukitake?" Ichigo said.

"Yes." The man said, smiling. "I am Ukitake Jushiro, captain of division thirteen. I'm here to see you off."

Ichigo nodded. "All right."

"And I wanted to give you these." He said, pulling two items from out his coat. They were small, hexagonal things, maybe five centimetres across, with a stylized skull symbol on them. "For yourself, and Arisawa-san."

"What're these?" Tatsuki said, frowning suspiciously.

"With your official status as shinigami not under our jurisdiction, you have both been granted the title of shinigami substitute. This is a token of our acknowledging you- and a quick and easy way to leave your body, should you need it."

"How does that work?" Ichigo asked.

"You press it against your chest. It'll throw your soul out of it, while your body rests. You know the rest, I believe."

Ichigo took the token, weighing it in his hand. It was a bit heavier than it looked, but it could come in handy. He looked at it for a bit, then stuffed it in a pocket. Hesitantly, Tatsuki followed his lead.

"Thanks, I guess." He said.

"I wanted to say the same, actually." Ukitake said. "You four played a pivotal role on rescuing Rukia. She is my subordinate, and... well, I noticed something was wrong as much as you did, but I was unable to do much for her. Thank you, Kurosaki Ichigo, Arisawa Tatsuki, Uryu Ishida, Inoue Orihime- thank you all."

"Don't mention it." Ichigo mumbled.

"Yeah." Tatsuki said, sounding like she felt just as awkward.

"It was no bother!" Orihime chirped. "Well, aside from the parts where we almost died. But it was totally worth it."

Uryu said nothing, looking perhaps the most awkward of them all.

"...well, let's head back then, shall we?" Ichigo said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Certainly." Ukitake said, pulling his sword out, using it as a key on the gate. It began to open, and before them were a bird's eye view of Karakura town itself. They were going home.

oOo

Elsewhere, in Tokyo, in a dank, run-down place, two people sat, pondering things that were a good bit grander than their surroundings. Which, of course, did not say much.

"So, where are we going next?"

"Some place nearby called "Karakura Town". From what I've heard, there seems to be an unusually high amount of spiritual activity there... we already have a house rented for us there."

"That honestly sounds like the last place we'd want to be... what exactly are we supposed to be doing there?"

"Oh, you'll see. Believe me, there are going to be plenty of things that we need to take care of..."