And here's where Ichigo finally bids farewell to his friends and heads to the Soul Society to join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads! But before we go on i thought i might as well answer two questions:
- as for your question reader301, no, Ichigo can no longer return in his body, because as shown in Chapter 1, he died, therefore he now exists as nothing more than a soul and will never be able to return in his human body because said body has died. Also, as shown in Chapter 2, while Orihime can reject reality, her ability to bring back the dead only works on Souls and not on Living Beings because while she can heal the wounds of a living body by rejecting them, she cannot bring the soul of a person back into its deceased body because said person now exists in a different plane of existence, that of a soul.
-Also i got many questions about the main pairing of the story. Well, you will all be quite suprised to hear that it will not be Ichihime, AKA Ichigo x Orihime. But it won't be Ichiruki, AKA Ichigo x Rukia either! No, it will be one which may greatly surprise all of you.
Also i apologise for this chapter being shorter than the others. At one point i wanted it to be part of chapter 3 but then i thought it would have made Chapter 3 too long. Finally as you may have noticed, Ichigo's appearance is the same he had after his training in the Dangai, with the longer and spikier hair. i know his hair should stay mostly the same as his human form but come on, he looks so cool and badass with it. Kubo really should have kept the longer and spikier hair on Ichigo for the rest of the series.
Chapter 4: Setting Off To The Soul Society
Only two hours had passed since Ichigo jumped into the shaft along with Tessai and in those two hours all the people who knew him waited patiently, expecting the procedure to last for hours if not days. In that time, Orihime began to bond with Ichigo's sisters, in particular with Yuzu, seeing a lot of herself in the older of Ichigo's two younger sisters. Like her, she was independent and could easily accomplish things like cooking and cleaning the house and it was because of how the death of her mother forced her to grow up faster than a normal child would much like how the death of Orihime's brother Sora forced her to learn how to look after herself with nobody's help.
"Ehmmm… awkwardly began Karin with an equally awkward face "How exactly are you supposed to make an ice cream ramen?" after hearing one of Orihime's weird recipies. She had sat down on the ground along with Karin and Yuzu and had begun to share her….. unusual experiences in cooking with them.
Smiling at the raven haired girl, Orihime pointed her left index finger upwards and proudly proclaimed "Simple! By putting the cone in the center of the bowl! But the cone must be tall enough in order for the ice cream to not spill into the soup, otherwise the two flavours would mix and the soup would not taste good."
Fascinated by the concept, Yuzu with a joyful smile, put her hands together and replied "I think that's a wonderful idea! That way, you can make a dish that's both sweet, salty and spicy at the same time!" she then looked at Orihime sweetly spoke "I would really love to try your cooking sometime, Orihime!"
The long haired teenage girl smiled sweetly and patted Yuzu in the head while replying tenderly "Anytime, Yuzu. Though i doubt it's gonna be as good as your cooking. " earning a sweet smile from her while Karin sweat-dropped and mused to herself in her mind "Doesn't she know the soup would eventually melt the cone due to how hot it is?"
"Really? D-did you really enjoy my cooking that much?" hesitantly asked a blushing Yuzu not believing what Orihime had just said. The long haired teenage girl looked at her sweetly, nodded and caressed her cheek with her soft, delicate hand while proclaiming tenderly "It was some of the best i've ever had."
Yuzu looked in awe at how beautiful Orihime looked and how angelic her voice was. She looked so heavenly, so kind, so compassionate, just like her mother. Then her awe turned into joy as soon as she caressed her cheek so she closed her eyes and thanked her by saying "I'm so happy to hear that! You're so sweet, Orihime!" which prompted the older girl to pull Yuzu into a hug. Karin coudn't help but notice just how similar Orihime and her sister Yuzu were. They were so cheerful and easygoing in spite of having had to grow up much faster than normal children due to the loss of an important member of their families. She coudn't help but smile upon seeing how it took so little time for them to bond with each other. It was almost like they had known each other for their entire life.
But as she was looking at her sister and Orihime bonding and all the others were chatting with each other…..
BOOOOMMMMM!
Suddenly an enormous pillar of blue energy erupted from the Shattered Shaft, causing everyone to stop chatting with each other and gaze in awe and shock at the massive amount of Spirit Energy coming out of it.
"Woah, what is that?!" Exclaimed an incredolous Keigo, who, along with Mizuiro and Tatsuki, had to shield himself from the shockwaves of the blast, while Chad and Uryu, completely unaffected, looked on in surprise. Likewise, Isshin, Kisuke, with Yoruichi on his left shoulder and Ururu and Jinta at his left, looked at the pillar of blue energy in surprise before it faded away and gave way to a cloud of smoke.
Orihime, Yuzu, Karin immediately rushed towards the others and in surprise at the cloud of smoke that was present where the pillar of Spirit Energy used to be. Then not one, but two shadows began to emerge from the smoke walking towards them.
Their surprise, along with everyone else's turned in awe as they immediately recognised who it was. It was Ichigo, wearing a black kosode and hakama with a white hakama-himo, a pair of white tabi with Waraji wrapped around them and he also had a red rosary-like strap across his chest that held his massive Zampakuto, Zangetsu on his back. He had become a Soul Reaper again. And most, surprisingly, his hair was now longer and spikier just like how it was after he trained in the Dangai to learn the Final Getsuga Tensho. And walking behind him, was Tessai, completely uninjured by the blast of Spirit Energy.
"Ichigo….." called out Orihime in amasement, while Uryu, Chad, Kisuke, Isshin and Yoruichi all smiled happily upon seeing that he had regained his powers. The young man, now considerably more muscular as evidenced by how much his phisique could be seen through his Shihakusho simply lifted his head and looked at all of his friends as an encouraging smile made its way on his lips.
Overjoyed, Yuzu, Karin, Orihime, Keigo, Mizuiro and Tatsuki all exclaimed "Ichigo!" at the same time and they all ran towards him.
"You did it! You got your powers back!" cheered Keigo, ecstatic that his friend had succedeed in such a short amount of time.
"Gotta say, that long hair looks quite good on you." Remarked Tatsuki with a smile while putting her right hand on her hip.
"Yeah, it's not a bad look." added Mizuiro, with an equally radiant smile.
Ichigo merely hummed, readjusted his orange hair slightly and casually replied "Don't know. It's quite a mess really."
"Nonsense! It makes you look so manly!" exclaimed a euphoric Yuzu. Her brother looked at her with a tender smile and gently patted her on the forehead.
"Ichigo….." called out Orihime, looking at him with awe and astonishment as she came behind Yuzu.
"Orihime…..I'm sorry." he replied, his happiness quickly turning into dejection, while reaching out for her left cheek with a hand, caressing it. But the teenage girl simply smiled happily as Ichigo caressed her cheek before placing a hand on Ichigo's own and declaring "Don't be. You're a Soul Reaper again. If anything i'm happy that it has made you happy again." her beautiful voice filled filled with comfort and reassurance.
Ichigo was taken aback by the tone of her voice. While it was filled with joy a tiny part of it was of sadness. He knew at that moment that she will greatly miss him, just like the rest of her friends. Nonetheless, he smiled back and tenderly replied "Thank you….. Orihime…." his voice jouyful but also distant.
At the same time, Kisuke, Yoruichi, Isshin, Uryu and Chad all came towards him and the merchant remarked, with his usual cheerful and easygoing voice "Well now. It seems you've become a Soul Reaper again and in just over two hours to top it off! I have to say, i didn't expect you to reclaim your powers in such a short amount of time."
"Yes, quite the remarkable feat." also remarked Tessai as he folded his arms over his chest "Though it shoudn't be surprising given that he had already gone through the procedure a year ago."
Isshin looked at his son happily a proud smile on his lips as he came towards him, with his right hand on his Zampakuto's holster and asked him "Well, how do you feel, my son?"
In response, Ichigo raised his left hand, looked upon it before he closed it into a fist and replied "I feel as if all this time i didn't stop being a Soul Reaper. I thought i woudn't have become accustomed to my powers again so quickly and yet….." he paused, lowering his hand and looking at his father with an equally joyful smile before remarking "I feel like they're a part of my being now, not just a set of powers i acquired by accident."
"That's because they are." stated Yoruichi, gathering his attention "Have you already forgotten, Ichigo? You are not a human being anymore. You are a Soul Reaper through and through now." causing Ichigo's eyes to widen in surprise.
"I see. So i guess i can't live in this world anymore, even if i were to use a Gigai." he deduced, his voice filled with slight dejection.
"That's correct. You see, your father sacrificed his powers to stop the Hollow White from turning your mother into a Hollow and in the process, his soul entered a special Gigai of mine that i dubbed "The Human Shell Gigai". That Gigai made your father a human and that was why he was able to reproduce and age like one. That was of course, until your Inner Hollow awakened, which caused his powers to return. But yeah, aside from that exception to the rule, all Gigai are not subjected to a human's aging. They merely serve as artificial shells for Soul Reapers to remain in the World of the Living for extended periods of time." explained Kisuke, while everyone along from Ichigo listened in surprise and intrigue.
"I see. That's how Rangiku and the others came to stay here!" deduced Orihime happily. Truthfully she would love to see the Lieutenant of Squad Ten again given how nice the woman had been to her and how she had been one of the few people to actually appreciate her food.
"A Soul Reaper becoming a human by giving away his powers to seal a Hollow within a human woman…." mused Uryu to himself while looking at Ichigo's father in awe, not believing he, of all people had done something so altruistic for a woman he had only just met "And to think he used to be a Captain too…..I guess that's where Ichigo got his desire to protect everyone from…." he coudn't help but smile, now seeing where his best friend got that part of him from. Hearing Isshin's past only served to hammer his newfound belief that Soul Reapers could be just as noble as humans, perhaps even more so.
"I see. So i guess this is goodbye then. I guess the only place i can go to now, is the Soul Society." spoke Ichigo in even more dejection, looking at every single one of his friends and family.
"Yeah. Most likely you will have to join one of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads but knowing you and all your previous accomplishments, it shoudn't be to hard to be assigned to a high ranking position." spoke Isshin, getting the attention of everyone "But before you go there is one last thing i have to teach you." he declared seriously, while everyone looked at him.
"Every single high ranking member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads from Captain, to Lieutenat to lower seated officers, is required to be able to seal their Zampakuto. It's literally one of the requirements of being a Soul Reaper. If your Zampakuto would constantly be in its Shikai it would give others the impression of someone who isn't good at…." he began, only to sweat-drop upon seeing his son looking at him with a comical deadpan "Ehmmm, Ichigo, why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, feeling uncomfortable with his son's expression.
"Is that your way of telling me, i suck at controlling my spiritual pressure?" he asked, still keeping his deadpan expression while everyone else sweat-dropped "You really don't have to remind me, given how nobody ever really taught me how to control it." he continued, while looking in annoyance at Kisuke and Yoruichi.
"Hey don't look at me like that. I coudn't teach you how to do that when you only had three days to achieve Bankai. And even then, it usually takes a Soul Reaper at least a few months of training to learn how to properly manipulate or suppress it, so in the end, not even Kisuke had the time to teach you that." explained the cat, with a fake apologetic tone while Kisuke merely smiled, putting his fan in front of his face. But even though Ichigo knew that they were right, he was still slighly irritated that they coudn't at least tell him how to do so.
Sighing, Ichigo turned to his dad and asked him "So what do i have to do?" Isshin simply answered with a smile "It's pretty simple really. All you have to do is enter your Inner World and ask the spirit of your Zampakuto how to do it and what the Release Command of your Shikai is."
Ichigo did a double take, not believing that it was actually that easy "Really? That's all i have to do?" he awkwardly asked with his wide comically wide open in surprise, earning a nod from his father. He then turned towards Kisuke and Yoruichi and with his trademark scowl he asked in exasperation "And you never really told me this?" actually causing the merchant and the cat to flinch slightly.
"Well, you never asked." was all Kisuke said in justification, causing Ichigo to sweat-drop once more. Sighing once more, the orange haired young man, snorted "Fine, let's get this over with." and promptly closed his eyes.
When he reopened them, he was in his Inner World again. Seeing Zangetsu once more, Ichigo asked "Sorry to bother you again, Old Man but i was wondering if you could tell me how to seal and release you in Shikai."
With his face as emotionless as ever, Zangetsu replied "It's not that difficult. All you have to do is hold me the same way someone would hold a sword when they formally hand it to someone else. Like this." while putting his hands in front of him at the same height with the palm facing upwards "Then think of what you want the sealed form to look like. Please don't make it look stupid. And as for the Release Command, it is "Pierce The Heavens, Zangetsu". Remember it well." Ichigo nodded in acknowledgment to the spirit of his Zampakuto's words, ignoring the awkward tone Zangetsu took as he asked Ichigo to not make him look stupid.
"Thanks, Zangetsu. I'll make sure to remember that very well. Also that Release Command is pretty cool." thanked Ichigo, earning a nod from the spirit who spoke "You're welcome, Ichigo." visibly appreciating his master's gratefulness.
As Ichigo closed his eyes and reopened them once more, finding himself back in the normal world, without saying a word, he grabbed the massive khyber knife that was Zangetsu in its constant Shikai Mode, held it in a so called "bridal position" with his left hand on the blade and his right one on the handle and closed his eyes again. Everyone then watched with looks that ranged from great surprise to amazement as the massive khyber knife was suddenly engulfed by a blue aura before it shrank down and turned into a seemingly normal japanese long sword (or Daito) much like his Bankai, only the blade was silver just like any other sword.
Uryu, Chad and Orihime quickly realised that his spiritual pressure had just decreased by half "Amazing. He was able to learn how to decrease his spiritual pressure in half as soon as they told him how to do so….." remarked the Quincy to himself in astonishment "Ichigo, you never cease to amase me…."
As Ichigo reopened his eyes and saw to his satisfaction that he had managed to seal his sword, his father smiled at him and remarked "See? Wasn't all that hard now was it?"
"Yeah. Thanks for telling me how to do it." he replied with a slight smile, but as he tried to sheathe back his Zampakuto he noticed that his holster was no longer on his back. Rather it was now on his left hip, just like his father's.
"Well then. Guess there's only one last thing to do now" declared Kisuke as he walked past Ichigo with Yoruichi still on his shoulder. He stopped fifteen meters in front of Ichigo before turning towards the others and extending his right arm upwards slightly. He then snapped his fingers and from thin air, a white square materialised. It was the Senkaimon, the gate that would lead to the Soul Society.
(OST: "Here To Stay")
After he finally sheated his Zampakuto on his newfound holster, Ichigo looked at everyone before him. All of them looked at him with looks that ranged from happiness in his father, to Uryu and Chad's case, to worry in Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo's case and finally in sadness in Orihime and his two younger sisters's case.
"So, this is goodbye then." spoke Tatsuki, her voice a mix of worry and sadness at the prospect that she and the others will no longer see him again, or at the very least at least once a month or a year from now on.
"So it seems." remarked Ichigo as he began to bid farewell to every single person he cared about. First he looked at his three normal highschool friends and declared happily "Take care of yourselves, Tatsuki, Mizuiro, Keigo. I'm sure you'll all graduate with flying colors" earning a heartwarming smile from both Tatsuki and Mizuiro while Keigo was shedding so called "Manly Tears"
"You too, Ichigo." replied lovingly Tatsuki while Keigo managed through sobs "I'll never forget you Ichigo! We had so much fun together!" earning an amused hum from the newly reborn Soul Reaper.
Turning towards Uryu and Chad, Ichigo spoke "Uryu, Chad….. I was wrong to shun you away simply because i thought you weren't strong enough. But now i know that there's nobody else better than you that can protect this world. Take care, both of you." his smile even more heartfelt than before.
Heartwarmed by Ichigo's sincere voice, Uryu walked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder before declaring "You don't need to worry about that Ichigo. After all hunting Hollows has always been my job as a Quincy. And i too hope that you'll find what you are looking for in the Soul Society." his voice also joyful in spite of having a hint of dejection at the prospect of possibly never seeing his friend again.
In return, Ichigo pulled Uryu in a hug and declared heartwarmingly "Thanks Uryu." and after staying in the embrace for a few moments, they parted away and Ichigo looked at Chad who simply smiled, gave a thumbs up and declared "Take care, Ichigo."
"You too, Chad." replied the strawberry, wishing him the best of luck for the future. Then his eyes landed on Orihime and his two younger sisters who were right in front of her.
With his smile still on his lips, he kneeled on one knee as Yuzu and Karin both called out "Ichigo….."
With a few tears of joy falling freely on his cheeks, their brother called out "Here….It's okay." and extended both of his arms forward. Not needing to be told twice, Yuzu and Karin hugged Ichigo deeply and soon the strawberry felt their tears wetting his Shihakusho.
"Ichigo….. We…. We'll miss you….." sorrowfully called out Yuzu while Karin managed through sobs "I never thought i would have cried again….. I've made an exception for you my brother…."
Overjoyed by the love his sisters had for him. Ichigo closed his eyes slightly and tenderly reassured "It's okay. It's not like i can't pop over and say hello from time to time." then as he parted away he looked sweetly at both of them while putting his left hand on Karin's right shoulder and his right one on Yuzu's left shoulder and declaring sincerely "I love you both so much. And i swear, there won't be a single moment in which i'll stop thinking about you." earning a nod from both of them.
He then saw that Orihime was also crying tears of joy in part after having seen just how much Yuzu and Karin loved their brother. Rising back up on his feet after his sisters let him go, he called out "Orihime….." his voice full of sadness for having to abandon her due to death having forced him to.
The orange haired teenage girl smiled through her tears and grabbed Ichigo by his left hand. Looking him in his brown eyes with her light grey ones, blurred by joyful tears, she declared "Don't be sad, Ichigo. You're a Soul Reaper again. You have become happy again. And for me that is enough." while giving him one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen, so beautiful it would have been fitting to call it angelic.
Overjoyed to hear those words, Ichigo reached out and caressed the teenage girl's left cheek which served to make her smile even more beautiful. Then just as he called out "Thank you, Orihime." and was about to let her go…...
"GOODBYE MY SON!" shouted Isshin as he delivered a flying kick to his son's face making him fall to the ground. In return, Ichigo kicked his father in the chin as he fell on his back making Isshin fall on the ground too.
"YOU NUTS?! WHAT KIND OF SICK TWISTED FREAK BIDS FAREWELL TO HIS SON BY KICKING HIM IN THE FACE?!" yelled the orange haired Soul Reaper as he sat on the ground while everyone coudn't help but laugh at Ichigo's outburst and at Isshin comically falling on the ground.
As he clutched his chin, Isshin remarked "Well done…. My son…. I trained you well." earning an exapsperated sigh from Ichigo. He then got up, walked to his father and offered his hand to him. With a smile Isshin took it and as Ichigo pulled him back on his feet he remarked "Yeah and i'm definetely gonna miss this routine of yours." with a smile, his voice becoming happy again. After a few moments of looking at each other, father and son embraced, closing their eyes and everyone coudn't help but smile at the tender moment they shared. Ichigo then spoke "Dad…. Please look after Yuzu and Karin while i'm gone….. I can't think of anyone else who could protect them better than you…." confident in his father's strength as he used to be a Captain.
Isshin caressed the back of Ichigo's head and declared happily "I will, i promise." and as they parted away, he placed a hand on his son's left shoulder and spoke "Take care of yourself, my son. I hope you'll find what you're looking for in the Soul Society. But whatever you do, please stay on the Head Captain's good side. Seriously, you do not want to piss him off. Being disrespectful is a good way to do that. So whatever you do, always try to address others properly and treat them with respect. That's all i can say."
Ichigo nodded in acknowledgement and replied "Thanks for telling me that, dad. I'll make sure to keep that in mind when talking to him and the others." and with that he smiled once more and bidded "Goodbye." before he turned away and walked towards the Senkaimon, where Kisuke, Yoruichi and Tessai awaited him, the former two on its right and the former Captain of the Kido Corps on its left.
As he stopped right in front of it, he turned to Kisuke and asked him "So, will i find myself in a random place just like last time we went there?"
The merchant shook his head and replied "No, i had already arranged this passage with the Soul Society with the pretext that it was Yoruichi who was going to go through it. Just wanted to keep it a surprise." while putting the fan in front of his face.
"I see." remarked Ichigo in understanding before Yoruichi after seeing the slight dejection on his face declared "Don't worry Ichigo. I'll still visit you from time to time given how i have been granted permission to return to the Soul Society whenever i please. That way i'll keep you informed on how things are going on here." with a smile on his feline face.
The orange haired Soul Reaper nodded and returned the smile before replying "Thank you, Yoruichi, and even you Kisuke. I don't know how i'll ever be able to repay you for this second chance at life you've given me."
Heartwarmed by the strawberry's gratitude, Kisuke replied "I owe you everything Ichigo, it's the least i can do for you." he then closed his fan, put it away as Yoruichi jumped off his shoulder and stated "Now, if you're gonna give me one sec….."
And all at once, he and Tessai kneeled and placed their hands on the Senkaimon, channeled their energy and all at once the gate begame engulfed in a blue light as it opened "You know the drill, Ichigo. Just run as fast as you can before the Kototsu reaches you." earning a nod from him.
Ichigo then turned backwards one final time and looked at all of his friends and family members and to his contentment, he could see that they were all either cheering him up, smiling at him or just looking at him with joy and encouragement. He smiled at them one final time before bidding them farewell "See you guys."
And with that, he turned away and jumped into the Senkaimon, heading for his new home.
(Soundtrack Ends)
Later, in the evening.
After everyone left, Kisuke and his employees's day proceeded like any other day of work. Only this time, as he closed his shop at the same hour every evening, he was surprised to see someone he knew well, standing outside the entrance. Leaning with his back on the left of the entrance was a pale skinned middle aged man of average height but quite fit for his age that was smoking a cigarette. He had white hair and narrow blue eyes and wore thin, frameless glasses and a plain grey suit with a light blue shirt underneath and a tie.
With his trademark casual smile, Kisuke greeted "Mister Ryuken, what a surprise! If i may ask, what is it that bring you here?"
The man, revealed to be Ryuken Ishida, father of Uryu and Director of the Karakura Hospital, without even looking at the merchant, grabbed his cigarette and pulled it out of his mouth after inhaling and releasing the smoke. He then spoke, his voice cold and devoid of any emotion "I merely wanted to know if you or that buffoon Isshin had actually told his son and Uryu the actual truth about Masaki's past."
The former Captain shook his head and Ryuken glanced at Kisuke slightly and declared "Good, it's better that things stay that way for as long as they can. Uryu and Ichigo are still not ready to learn all of that." while tossing the cigarette away and beginning to take his leave, surprising the merchant slightly. He had heard the slightest hint of worry in Ryuken's voice.
As the man did so, Kisuke warned, his voice going from easygoing and cheerful to serious and solemn "You do know you're only delaying the inevitable just like Isshin did with his son. He did tell Ichigo about most of his past but he did omit the part about his mother's true nature. But it's only a matter of time before he and your son will find out. Truth never stays hidden forever. It always has a way of emerging, no matter how deep it may be buried. And i can't help but think that Isshin did the wrong thing by keeping that part away from Ichigo." causing Ryuken to stop in his tracks.
He then looked towards Kisuke with his face still stone-cold and replied "No, things are better off this way. I can't even imagine what Uryu could get himself into if he were to learn about what truly happened to his mother six years ago. He would begin to get involved with forces beyond his comprehension and that's a risk i am not willing to take."
Kisuke could only look at Uryu's father with great surprise as he left. There was genuine concern in his voice in spite of how cold it was, showing that in his own way, Ryuken deeply cared about his son and would have gone to any lenght imaginable to keep him safe from even his past.
"Heh, he really does care about his son greatly, in spite of that stone face of his." mused Kisuke to himself as he readjusted his hat and walked back into his shop "I just hope we did the right thing by lying to both him and Ichigo about Miss Masaki and Ryuken's wife…."