His Duty as a Captain
Ichigo recovered completely from his cold and life resumed as usual. He promised his sisters to spend more time with them. Now that he was no longer in school, he had plenty of time to do as he pleased. He took the girls on several small trips and one vacation to America. They did all sorts of things together. They went fishing and camping. He took them to the beach. They built sand castles and played beach volleyball. In America, they stayed in California. They got to see Hollywood, San Diego, and San Francisco. He took them to Disneyland and bought them as many souvenirs as they wanted. His father hosted cookouts and took them to festivals in the area. They spent plenty of time together as promised, but that also meant he neglected to revisit the Soul Society and his other friends.
When he realized how much time had passed and important events that he'd missed, he immediately sent word to his friends to let them know he would be visiting soon. He felt terrible about forgetting such important events. It was getting harder to maintain his life between worlds. In fact, it was exhausting.
He called his human friends and in the end, only Uryu was able to join him. They arrived in the Soul Society as the sun reached its pinnacle in the sky. They approached the large house, grinning at their comrades as they were met half way.
"There he is! Thought you forgot about us."
"Never happen, Kukaku. You and Ganju were a big help when my friends and I needed it most. I'll never be able to repay you for all you did."
"Ichigo's right. You were instrumental to our success...both of you," The Quincy offered.
Kukaku smirked proudly. Ganju clapped his human comrades on the back appreciatively.
"Where's the rest of your crew?"
"Orihime can't travel right now," Uryu grinned like a fool, "She's pregnant."
Ganju shook his hand vigorously, "Congrats, Ishida."
"Your children will be powerful. You will make a wonderful father."
He blushed at Kukaku's praise, "We'll see."
"Send her our congrats as well."
"I will. She told me to say hi to everyone for her and that she misses you."
"And your giant friend?" Ganju asked.
"Chad's got a gig." Ichigo informed them.
They stared at him, unsure of what Ichigo meant.
"Sorry," he chuckled, forgetting that some of their terms didn't translate to this world, "Chad is in a band. They got a paying job to play music for a special event."
"I see. It is important to make a living."
"Yeah. We're excited for him. Everyone's doing really well," then Ichigo grew serious, "I wanted to be back here long before now. Time got away from me."
They gave him a confused look.
"I'm sorry I missed Kaien's memorial day."
Kukaku's eyes softened and Ganju nodded his head in appreciation. It melted her heart that Ichigo wanted to be there for them. It still amazed her how much like Kaien he was, both in looks and character. She always caught herself doing double takes when Ichigo visited.
"Kaien would have liked you."
Ichigo simply smiled, knowing he would have liked Kaien too.
"You have any other plans today?" Ganju asked.
"I was going to go into the Seireitei to visit with Ukitake and Kyoraku. I promised them to join them for drink and conversation a while ago and have yet to live up to my end of the deal. I also thought I would check in with Urahara and Yoruichi before nightfall."
"Mind if I tag along?"Ganju asked, hopeful.
Uryu pulled him into a half hug, "Not at all. The more the merrier."
At that moment, a loud crash and screams of fear and agony ripped through the air, drawing their attention. On alert, the four of them flash stepped to the scene of the commotion.
The Rukon District was in chaos. Buildings burned. People scrambled for safety. Others lie dead in the streets. Masked figures were running rampant through the market square, attacking villagers and destroying everything in sight.
Ichigo ground his teeth, seething with rage. Anger flashed in his honey-brown eyes. He wasted no time and swiped his hand across his face, revealing his hollow mask and vanished from sight.
"Just jump right in, why don't ya?!" Ishida hollered after him, rolling his eyes, "I don't know how many times I have to tell him."
Kukaku and Ganju grinned, knowing full well he would always have to remind the substitute soul reaper to be careful. They fanned out. Ichigo, being faster than any of them, ripped around, slicing through the enemy, completely trusting the others to help the villagers.
Ishida, no stranger to Ichigo's battle techniques, positioned himself so he could see the entire battlefield, which in this case was the shopping district of Rukon. He spent a few minutes assessing the situation. He observed the enemy, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. The masked individuals had no predictable pattern of battle tactics or movements.
When he could learn nothing more, he pulled his newest bow from the bracelet on his wrist. He designed it himself. It was much bigger than the one his father gave him. It was much more powerful. He let loose a net of arrows onto the street, killing their masked enemy easily. Not one villager was hit. His aim and spirit energy control was much better than before as well. The winter war, as terrible as it was, taught him a lot about himself.
Ganju was better at trickery and distraction than battle itself; a truth he was a little reluctant to admit. He used this to get villagers to safety. His sister, Kukaku, grinned manically as she used her power to plow a path through the mass of masked men who flooded the street.
Ichigo couldn't understand what was happening. No matter how many of the masked men he cut down, they just kept coming. It was like were multiplying somehow. He wanted to know who they were and why they were doing this. Shiro didn't seem to care. The winter war provided ample entertainment for him and ever since peace returned to the Soul Society and the World of the Living, he'd been rather bored. Ichigo ignored Shiro's excitement and continued down the street, protected a group of children from being mutilated. After cutting down a few more, he grew impatient. He reached out and tore the mask away from his next opponent. He paused, bewildered. There was no face. They were nothing, but dolls.
"What the hell?"
"What is it, Ichigo?" Uryu asked, dodging an attack.
"They're...they're not real!"
"What do you mean?"
"They're just dolls. They're not alive."
"That's different." Ganju said.
"It explains why they just vanish when we kill them. No blood."
"Uryu, have you ever seen anything like this before?"
"No, Ichigo. Never."
The group carried on, helping each other to defend the Rukon District. In the shadows, another cloaked figure watched as events unfolded. He followed the soul reaper as he attempted to annihilate his small army. He was certainly persistent. He'd expected more of a response from the Seireitei, but all he got was a single, overzealous soul reaper and few brave villagers. Apparently, if he wanted a bigger response, he would have to up his game.
The orange-haired soul reaper had potential. If he didn't hate every last one of them, he might have been interested in befriending him. And that mask...what exactly was he? Was he a hollow? An Arrancar? He was very different from the soul reapers he knew. He was intriguing. It was a shame he wouldn't live to see tomorrow. The cloaked stranger sneered at the group and vanished. He could trust his puppet army to take care of the rest.
Once every last masked figure was defeated, the group gathered.
"What the hell are they?" Kukaku demanded.
"They look like dolls. There is no face beneath the masks. No blood. They just disappear when cut down." Ichigo explained.
Ishida looked seriously at his friend, "If they are just dolls, that means someone is pulling their strings."
The group shared a concerned look.
"We need to warn Old Yamamoto. This can't be their main target. The Seireitei might be in trouble." Ichigo said, wondering if this would eventually bleed over into the World of the Living.
"Good idea. We'll check the other districts just to be sure. Once we're sure there are no more of those things, we'll join you." Kukaku said.
Ichigo and Uryu nodded in agreement. The pair watched as the Shiba siblings hurried off in the other direction. He could trust them to keep him appraised of the situation. They flash stepped as quickly as they could toward the Seireitei. They needed to inform the Gotei Thirteen of what happened. There was a potential threat in the Soul Society.
Entering the Seireitei, they headed straight for the Head Captain's office. They kept their eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. There was no sign of the masked dolls. That is, until they reached the main thoroughfare that led to the Head Captain and Division One. Concealing themselves on the roof of a nearby building, they watched the scene unfold below. Soul Reapers were being herded together by the masked dolls Ichigo and Uryu encountered earlier. They stood guard, keeping the soul reapers trapped within the circle. Just ahead of them was another smaller circle of masked dolls, but that was about all they could see from their vantage point. They moved discreetly to a building roof much closer to what was going on.
"What is going on down there?" Uryu said.
Ichigo and Uryu saw the smaller group was comprised of the Captains and Lieutenants of the Gotei Thirteen. That didn't make any sense. The dolls were mildly strong at best. If Ichigo and Uryu could easily defeat them, it should be child's play for the officers of the Gotei Thirteen.
"How is this even possible? What are they waiting for?"
Ishida hushed his irate friend, "Perhaps they surrendered in order to learn more about the current threat."
A minute later, a figure cloaked in red and wearing an elaborate headdress walked forward. This one wore a mask as well. Was it just another doll? It approached the officers.
"You are probably wondering why I have gathered you all here."
It speaks. This one was human...had to be.
"I was just like you once. I was a soul reaper who, just like you, served in the Gotei Thirteen. In fact, I was a Captain at one point. Incredible, right?"
The officers simply stared at him, unimpressed.
"Just like you, I followed protocol to protect the Soul Society and the World of the Living. I risked my life and the lives of my squad to defend against the evil of the world."
He seemed to be waiting for praise, awe, or, at the very least, recognition. He received none. This seemed to irritate him, because he was pacing back and forth now.
"I made a mistake. One mistake and my life was ruined. I have gathered you here because I have held onto this grudge for over ten years and now I have decided to share my anger with you. I hold it against this man," he pointed to the Head Captain, "and everything the Gotei Thirteen stands for."
Whispers were now starting to circulate through the officers. Assumptions were no doubt being made and solutions were being posited.
"I know you may think this is all hard to believe. I was honestly just like you. I was well respected even. Isn't it amazing that one bad decision could wipe out all the good I've done?"
He pointed at Yamamoto, "You...you stripped me of my rank and my title. You then confiscated my zanpakuto and broke it in half. All I have left are the pieces." He paused, "Then, would you like to know what happened?"
No response.
"Do you want to know what happened?!" he shouted, clearly losing his patience, "I was banished! That's right, banished. I was ordered to leave the Seireitei, leave the Soul Society and live out the rest of my days in the World of the Living!"
Ichigo saw Captain Zaraki stomp his way to the front, "If all you're going to do is bitch and whine about your sad, sorry life, I'm outta here."
He made to walk away, pushing his way through the dolls, only to be blocked by several dozen more. Zaraki lifted an eyebrow in annoyance. One look from Yamamoto and he sighed heavily and backed up a few paces, folded his arms and glared at their captor.
"I'm afraid I can't let you leave. The main event has yet to begin."
Ichigo and Uryu shared a look and listened more closely.
"What is it you intend to do?!" Soi Fon demanded, moving closer to the Head Captain in case she was needed.
"Oh, don't pretend you don't know. I brought you all here to die. It is your misfortune that because of this man, I despise all soul reapers. I wish the destruction of the Seireitei and the death of this man."
Yamamoto never made a move to defend himself or argue the man's accusations. He never said a word.
"I will enjoy ending your life, Captain Yamamoto. I have done nothing but fantasize about this day for ten years. I even figured out a way to use the shards of my broken zanpakuto in order to exact my revenge."
Yamamoto stood his ground, staring his opponent down with the same resolve he always possessed when facing an enemy. Ichigo couldn't take it anymore. As the masked man moved toward the Head Captain, Ichigo and Uryu jumped down from their hiding place and landed between Yamamoto and the intruder. They faced off with him, sword and bow drawn.
"You again." the masked man said, quite surprised to see the orange-haired soul reaper.
Ichigo ignored him, but kept him in his sights, "Nice to see ya, Gramps."
Yamamoto groaned, "Why have you interfered?"
"Couldn't just let this guy do whatever he wants. His dolls have already caused trouble in the Rukon District, I wasn't about to let him pull that same crap here."
Renji and Rukia saw him and joined him, "What do you mean dolls?"
Uryu nodded at the cloaked figures surrounding them, "They aren't real. They are just dolls being controlled by this man."
Ichigo's other friends: Hisagi, Izuru, Rangiku, Ikkaku and Yumichika joined the others. They all stood with Ichigo between the current threat and the Head Captain. The other captains watched, still amazed that he commanded such loyalty and respect with so little effort.
Byakuya had mixed feelings at the moment. He was both happy to see him and annoyed that he showed up. He hadn't seen Ichigo for a while and it made him smile to see his face. However, due to the current circumstances, he would rather have Ichigo safely in the World of the Living than here where the danger was. He'd already been through so much, and it was a miracle that he survived. Now, with the war over, he hoped to keep Ichigo out of as much danger as possible. In truth, he believed Ichigo shouldn't even be consulted on Soul Society business any more than necessary.
Byakuya moved closer discreetly.
"I'm delighted to see you made it, soul reaper. I assumed you'd be dead by now."
"You assume a lot." Ichigo said.
"Delighted? I thought you despised all soul reapers?" Uryu asked.
"Well, you're friend here was quite a sight to behold," he turned to face Ichigo once more, "You don't look as you did then."
"Meaning?"
"You have a mask of your own, which I find fascinating."
They didn't say anything. Renji fell in next to Ichigo, "Ichigo, are you saying you have fought him already?"
He shook his head, "Just the dolls."
"Ichigo? You're Ichigo Kurosaki?" When he received no response accept a curt nod, he stepped closer, "I've heard of you. You're that substitute soul reaper, the human from the World of the Living."
"What of it, pal!?" Renji spat.
"You know my name, but I don't know yours." Ichigo stated, hoping to learn more.
The man laughed, "Kohaku Sugihara, at your service."
Yamamoto's eyes widened at the name. Ukitake and Kyoraku's too.
Kohaku looked around at the Captains, "Since when did the Soul Society require the help of a human?"
"We do not require or need his help," someone voiced from the back.
Ichigo knew that voice. Byakuya. They turned to see the noble making his way gracefully through the crowd.
"Ah, the aristocratic Captain Kuchiki."
"I know of you as well, Kohaku Sugihara, a former Captain of Squad Five."
The masked man bowed with a flourish.
"I know all about your...'mistake'. You fell in love with a human girl in the World of the Living and allowed your emotions to dictate your actions."
"Shut up!"
"She fell victim to a hollow attack in the World of the Living. You went against regulations and brought her to the Soul Society, thinking she would be safer here."
"Stop!"
"She was discovered and returned to the World of the Living where she was killed by the same hollow that attacked her the first time. Angry and beyond the point of rational thought, you traversed the Senkaimon Gate, released your full power and used your Bankai, against the Head Captain's orders, to eliminate the hollow."
"Shut up!"
"In your despair, you destroyed half the city, killing hundreds of humans in the process. All in the name of love and revenge for the love you lost."
"You have no right! You don't know what I went through...or how it felt to lose someone you love. You have no right!"
Kohaku was starting to pace rapidly and the more agitated he got, the more dangerous he might become.
Byakuya looked at the back of Ichigo's head, wishing he could see his face. Then he looked at Kohaku once more, "I know exactly how you feel. I, however, would not behave like an irrational, love sick, teenager. You were a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen. You had responsibilities here. You disregarded all of your training and the rules of the Soul Society, killing hundreds in order to save one. How pathetic."
Ichigo shot him a warning look. He didn't want Byakuya to be the target of this man's rage. A part of him understood how the many outweighed the one, but the other part wished Byakuya would understand the need to keep the one safe. Ichigo could certainly understand how Kohaku must've felt. His eyes softened on Byakuya's face, almost pleading, then turned back to face masked man.
Kohaku lashed out, attacking with one huge blow. His rage created a powerful blast, but Ichigo and his friends blocked the first blow. The second blast was a little more powerful. It hit them and dissipated with a cloud of dust. Ichigo was front and center, protecting his friends, his hollow mask covering his face once more. He could hear Shiro cackling in his head. It was moments like these that Shiro truly enjoyed.
"There he is. The monster from the Rukon District. That is how you looked before."
Ichigo glared at him with his yellow hollow eyes, his voice coming out like a dizzy purr.
"What are you? You wear the clothes of a soul reaper, yet you don the mask of a hollow. So which are you?"
"What he is, is no concern of yours." Rukia snapped.
"Perhaps you're right. I have more than enough time to learn about him after I kill the Head Captain."
He pulled back far enough to send off another one of his attacks, then disappeared. At the same time, the dolls began their attack. Chaos ensued. There were swords glinting in the sun, kidos flying all around them, dolls attacking and disappearing in flashes. Black cloaks made visibility slim. Ichigo stayed with the Head Captain, which was lucky because Kohaku came to exact his revenge in that instant. Ichigo blocked his sword with his own. Kohaku flashed stepped away and tried to get to Yamamoto from a different direction, but came face to face with Ichigo again.
"Why do you protect him? You're human. You have to understand my situation. You, more than any of the others, should understand why I carry such rage for the Head Captain and the Soul Society."
They remained locked hilt to hilt, "Understanding and allowing you to take your revenge are two different things. You were wronged, but this is not the answer."
"Wronged?" He pushed off from Ichigo and attacked again, one of his hands making a strange motion to his right, "I was more than wronged. The Soul Societies law...Head Captain Yamamoto is responsible for her death. She would have been safe here and he sent her to her death. I was more than wronged, my young vizard."
This time when he pushed off of Ichigo's sword, two dolls attempted to impale him from behind. He dodged just in time, then caught Kokahu's strange hand motions again. They met in the middle, Kohaku vanished and three dolls replaced him. Ichigo was forced to fight them instead. Kohaku made his move on Yamamoto only to be flung back by a black getsuga. Ichigo glared at him. He now understood what those hand movements were. It was him controlling his dolls.
He gave Renji a look and the pair stood against Kohaku.
"You want Old Yamamoto...you'll have to go through me."
Dolls got in the way again, pulling Renji away and distracting Ichigo. Four more dolls added more distance between them and Kohaku made his move. He spun, using his spirit energy to spin faster and used his power to expel a powerful blast toward the Head Captain.
Impact. Dust kicked up from the street and the magnitude of the blast shattered windows and roofing tiles of the nearby buildings. When the dust subsided, a single figure was standing alone, panting from the force of the attack. Ichigo. His mask was cracked, but still in one piece.
The battle around them stopped. The dolls fell over as thought the life was sucked out of them. Kohaku stood still, staring at the man who hindered all his plans for revenge.
"I grow tired of your interference! You're attempts to save him are noble, but pointless. He will die."
Just as he prepared for another attack, Ichigo pulled his power and used Zangetsu to end this game.
"Getsuga Tensho!"
The black getsuga was like a razor blade as it ripped through Kohaku with ease. When the threat fell, he leaned over him and removed Kohaku's mask. His jaw dropped.
"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Uryu asked.
"He has no face. It's just another doll."
"You're kidding." Renji demanded, disbelieving.
The shadowed figure in the alley next to the thoroughfare growled and shook with frustration. The orange-haired soul reaper was becoming a pest. He would have his revenge, but that soul reaper gets in his way. He would kill every last one of them, but Ichigo stopped every attempt he made. He would make the Soul Society no more, but Ichigo Kurosaki blocked him at every turn. He needed to go about this a different way. Clearly, this soul reaper was an important person in the Soul Society. Perhaps their personal guardian, their protector. He was certainly different from them, much stronger it seemed. If he was to have his revenge...
Byakuya stopped in his tracks when he felt burning, undeniable rage. He searched the courtyard with his own reiatsu and located the source. There was a man hiding in the shadows. That must Kohaku. The real Kohaku. He was felling extreme hate and it was all currently focused on Ichigo.
"Ichigo Kurosaki." The voice echoed eerily in the alley and cleared once he entered the courtyard. They all turned to look at him.
"You must be Kohaku." Uryu said, taking in his appearance.
Kohaku was not very tall and lacked muscular definition. He was almost built the same as Orihime. If she'd been present, they'd be nearly the same height. He had sandy hair and dead, black eyes. He looked liked he'd been through Hell and back.
"You don't look so good. That why you use your dolls to do all your fighting?" Renji shouted from his spot behind Ichigo.
"Ichigo Kurosaki," He ignored everyone and everything else, his eyes trained on Ichigo's hollow eyes, "Seems that if I want to exact my revenge, I will need to eliminate you first."
Byakuya and Ichigo's friends reacted quickly but to no avail. The dolls descended down on them all at once, hiding Ichigo from view. If Kohaku changed his target from Yamamoto to Ichigo, he needed to hurry. This wasn't Ichigo's problem. He didn't need to fight or protect them again.
He found Ichigo chasing after Kohaku, who fled, probably to separate Ichigo from them and take him on alone. Byakuya gave Renji instructions to take care of the remaining dolls and he took off after Ichigo himself. Byakuya caught up just in time to protect Ichigo. He raised his hand, thrusting his zanpakuto ahead of him, the pink blades dancing around Ichigo, blocking him from view. Turned out, Ichigo had taken several hits and was holding on to what was left of his mask. Ichigo in turn also wounded Kohaku, but something in Byakuya snapped at seeing Ichigo wounded, though the wound was superficial. Shiro had, in fact, done a good job of protecting his king.
Byakuya destroyed the remaining dolls and was about to annihilate Kohaku when the other Captains caught up and surrounded the man. He was detained and taken to lockup. Ichigo's friends came to his side and they congratulated him and were very glad to see he wasn't seriously hurt. They were talking excitedly and Byakuya was forgotten. He stood back, watching the scene before him. He watched with satisfaction as the remainder of Ichigo's mask slid off his face, revealing his honey-brown eyes once more.
Yamamoto sidled up next to the noble, looking on as the friends shook hands and gave hugs to each other.
"That was good work, Captain Kuchiki. In order to react so quickly, you needed to know what he was about to do before he did it. How did you know he would separate the boy from us?"
Byakuya was finding it difficult to admit to himself why he was so in tuned to Ichigo's whereabouts, let alone admit it to the Head Captain. He was feeling so many things at once, he wasn't sure he understood himself. He clasped his hands behind his back and straightened his back.
"It is my duty and a pleasure, as well as an honor, to defend and protect the hero of the winter war. He is a valued asset and, as such, my job to be aware of his safety."
"Hmmm." The Head Captain didn't believe a word of it.
Ichigo smiled victoriously and high-fived Renji one last time. Byakuya felt his heart skip. Ichigo was getting too close...too ingrained in his very being. If he allowed Kurosaki to get much closer, there would be no fighting nor denying how he felt. He wouldn't be able to control the emotions that were threatening to spill out of him. Could he handle that? Could he even allow that?