Sorry for the late update. FF was being stupid and didn't let me access my account. Otherwise, here's another chapter.


Shinji was in his office listening to some jazz off of one of his old vinyls he was glad to have discovered had survived his treacherous lieutenant's tenure as captain. He had since moved his music collection from the living world into Soul Society, but this was an original release, and he was sure as hell going to listen to it when he could. It also just happened to make the paperwork go by more easily.

He was upset to have discovered that Aizen had donated his old phonograph to the academy, but he had his stereo set to replace it and that had a turntable, so it wasn't a total loss. His current lieutenant also seemed to like the atmosphere the music provided.

He had quickly learned that certain things made her uncomfortable, and those things often lined up with her former captain. He was sure the change from one to the other was both jarring and welcome. Aizen played like he cared, but in the end, he was a cold and ruthless monster. By contrast, Shinji played the mask of aloof indifference, but he was sure she noticed how slowly, but by bit, any remnant of Aizen's presence in the division was slowly erased.

Shinji had moved the Captain's office back downstairs; many of the old paintings that Shinji had put up were returned to their original place; and finally, the gardens were rearranged to fit the lighter mood that Shinji preferred. He didn't exclusively do this for Lieutenant Hinamori, but she needed someone who actually gave a damn about her to make sure she did well. Fortunately, that was exactly the case. By now any evidence Aizen had ever been captain of the fifth was all but erased.

Good riddance.

Shinji then heard a knock at the door of the office.

"Come in," when the door slid open he saw Hisagi walk in.

Visits like this weren't unusual. He made a point of personally picking up the lieutenant's paperwork, and it was getting about time for Hinamori to turn her's in. or it would have, had a hell butterfly not flown in behind him and perched itself on Shinji's finger.

"Captain Hirako, there had been a disturbance in the outer districts of Western Rukongai, you are to investigate it immediately," the order broached no excuses. He could have sworn that he had heard some of the old man in that order, but he had other things to focus on.

"Hinamori, with me. Hisagi?" he looked at Kensei's junior lieutenant.

"Yes sir," Hisagi replied in the positive.

"Get your zanpakuto and meet us at the western gate," with that Shinji grabbed Sakanade and shunpoed to the west gate. Momo followed shortly after she grabbed Tobiume.


Karin had been asked by her father to go with him to a secluded part of the local forest. He said he was going to teach her a family secret, and that since she had expressed an interest in kido, it was something she may want to know.

"Alright, that should be far enough not to attract attention, and the trees are far enough away not to risk anything," Isshin scratched the back of his head as he checked the surrounding area. Sure, fire kido was usually safe in the living world, but better safe than sorry, after all, this wasn't exactly kido.

"So, why are we doing this here and not at the shop?" Karin sat on a large rock. Her zanpakuto still strapped onto her back for anyone who could see it.

"As much as I trust and respect Kisuke, this isn't something I'd trust him not to eavesdrop on, and there's a reason the Shiba keeps this stuff within the clan," the family magics were closely guarded secrets, and when he and Kaien were kids, Urahara had always tried to get them to divulge the secrets. He didn't trust that curiosity to go away just because he had learned morals since then.

"So I finally get to learn some secret family techniques?" Karin had a smirk on her face as she joked.

"Yes actually," with this Isshin stood in the center of the clearing before holding his hand out in front of him in a manner similar to a palm strike. "Hinote!"

A gout of fire poured forth from his palm. The rolling flame looked almost like a vine of blooming flowers as it moved forward before dissipating. It didn't move far, maybe three feet at most, but it was clear the technique could be quite useful.

"So, that should be a simple technique," it was obvious that Isshin didn't put everything into that spell. Partially because Karin wouldn't be able to match it, partially because as a captain the gout of flame would have been massive and risked starting a fire. "It doesn't have an incantation like some lower-ranked kido. If I were to rank it, I'd say it would be around eight to twelve in power."

So it was in Karin's ability to learn safely. She had started being able to safely cast Sho and Sai, and was now moving on to higher-ranked kido as well as more complicated exercises.

"So what am I supposed to visualize?" that was the catch really. When learning a new spell visualizing how to shape and mold the reiatsu before it was emitted was important.

"That's why I'm teaching it to you first. As like myself you have fire-natured reiyoku, you don't need to change its nature, and there is little shaping needed. All you need to do is imagine flames building up behind your wrist before releasing it." Isshin explained in a manner that indicated that he really didn't expect to be so qualified on the subject, but the simplicity made sense. Hell, it was simpler than even many of the training exercises she had to do. "Just be mindful of the amount of fire you build up. Right now I wouldn't recommend more than a baseball in size."

Karin nodded as she got off the rock and took a stance. Her open palm outstretched as she visualized the reiatsu gathering behind her right wrist.

"Hinote!" Then she forced it out of her hands. A small jet of flame flew out from her hand, reaching about six inches away from her hand as a concentrated jet, with small rings in the tail-like cone.

Isshin whistled. Karin was clearly putting too much force behind it. It was more like an afterburning jet exhaust than a plume of fire, but she did get it on the first try.

"Try again, and don't try to force it out." Isshin watched as she took a deep breath and calmed herself. Focussing on recreating the technique again. He could feel her power moving once more.

"Hinote!" This time, the fire came out properly, only reaching about six inches again, but as a blooming plume of fire. There was only a tiny catch.

"Uh… dad? Is it okay if the fire is blue?"

Isshin had no idea.


Grimmjow was pissed!

Not only does some insolent brat have the gall to challenge one of the only people who can actually beat him, they run away like cowards the moment shit stops going their way!

"Come on out you coward!" how dare they think that they could take him . He wasn't going to let them get away scot-free. When he found that brat, he was going to kill them!

He couldn't sense the brat. They either got away, were hiding themselves, or were dead or dying.

He really hoped it was the last one.

Grimmjow however didn't have much more time to devote to searching as three strong reiatsu signatures were now close to him.

"Oh great, it's this one again," that voice. Grimmjow remembered that voice. When he looked, he found his memory was correct. The indifferent monotone, the bored expression, oh how this man enraged Grimmjow almost as much as Ichigo did.

"You," Grimmjow glared at the visored. The killer gaze being met back with an empty scowl.

"Hinamori, Hisagi, leave him to me, try to locate any survivors," with that the two lieutenants fanned out.

"Aren't you worried about them?" Grimmjow smirked. He could easily kill either of them quickly. The weaklings wouldn't even notice.

"Last time I checked, I didn't even need shikai to beat you," he really hoped this was all bluster. He didn't want to have to kill a hollow this strong while the balance was still unstable.

At that moment a loud boom could be heard next to Grimmjow.

"That will be unnecessary," Grimmjow found himself being encased by a nagacion. It seemed Hallibel didn't like his excursion.

"Bitch," was the only thing he had time to say before the box had fully enclosed him and vanished.

"Well, that's that problem dealt with," Shinji then closed to the green-haired arrancar. "But that still leaves you."

"I mean you and your subordinates no harm," Nelliel spoke softly and professionally as she addressed the captain.

"I hope you don't mind if I'm a bit skeptical at that," after all, there wasn't an existential crisis keeping them from killing each other anymore.

With that Nelliel opened a small garganta by her hand, then closed it as fast as she opened it. The information traveiling along Roka's web quickly.

"Lady Hallibel believes it is best that I stay here, both as a temporary ambassador, and to inform you what happened in Hueco Mundo," this caught the blond captain's attention.

"Alright, but I'll need your sword," Shinji streched his hand out, waiting for the Arrancar's compliance.


As Hisagi was looking for survivors he found a bloodied child on the ground sobbing. As Hisagi approached he recognized the child as Tokinada's retainer.

"Hey… are you okay?" Hisagi spoke quietly so as not to startle him.

Hikone ignored him, continuing to sob. Now however Hisagi could hear what Hikone was saying between sobs.

"I failed," Hikone would go on saying that in some variation in spite of Hisagi's attempts to talk to him.

"Don't touch me," When Hisagi moved to touch him, however, Hikone was quick to bat him away.

"Are you okay?" The wounds looked bad, but he wasn't trained in field medicine, so he had no idea if it was only superficial, or genuinely life-threatening.

"Go away!" Not to mention that Hikone was being very uncooperative.

"Excuse me lieutenant, but I may be of assistance," with that, a tall black-haired shinigami with blank white haori over his shihakusho walked by.

"Hikone, you're injured," Hisagi watched as the taller man started to try to heal Hikone.

"I failed Master Tokinada," Hisagi was puzzled. How did he fail his master? What was he missing? "Let me die."

Those last words from Hikone shocked him. Did he really tie his own self-worth so closely to his ability to be of use to Tokinada?

"Now now, you wouldn't be of any use to Lord Tsunayashiro dead now would you?" Hisagi winced as the taller man set a dislocated joint back in its socket. "After all, a tool is only truly useless if it breaks," the older shinigami's tone and face, that of a family member reassuring a child, simply made the words even more jarring.

Soon, Hikone was walking again, and the taller shinigami turned to look at Hisagi.

"My apologies lieutenant, I do not believe we have met before," his face seemed familiar, but Hisagi truly hadn't met him before.

"Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi, Squad Nine," Hisagi introduced himself quickly.

"Ah, Lieutenant Kuna's colleague, Sinosuke Yamada, if you need me to make a statement," now it clicked for him. Hanataro's older brother and Isane's predecessor. "Now if you'll excuse us, we must be leaving."


It was dark when Ichigo got home. He had spent most of the day training, and then…

Best he not let himself linger on that right now. His hakama wouldn't hide his response to those thoughts well.

He walked into the main foyer as he was on his way to his room so he can finally get some shuteye after that marathon of training.

"Well well, how was the date with Ms. Kuchiki?" He swore Kukaku would have been asleep by now, and her teasing was not helping him avoid thinking about what happened.

Kukaku was shocked when Ichigo instead of denying the accusation just went red as a lobster and started stammering.

"Shit, that was meant to be a joke…" She knew they were going to progress their relationship if left to their own devices but she wasn't expecting it this quickly. "Are you two…?"

Ichigo simply started stammering harder. The mix of affirmations and denials clearly painted a picture of him clearly knowing the complexity of the situation, while also being very embarrassed about it.

"Okay, stop. I can only be so amused at a flopping fish. What did you two do?" Kukaku took a deep inhale of her pipe as Ichigo started to explain the training session.

"Okay, so you two, with the help of a quincy, engaged in a marathon training session to help you awaken more of your abilities," Ichigo nodded.

"So based on what I know, you probably used the training grounds under Sogyoku Hill, secluded, relatively secret, and anybody who knows about either already know about your heritage or won't respond negatively to it," and honestly, what Rukia did to do her end of this charade was none of her business.

"So, did you make out in the hot springs?" Kukaku had that shit-eating grin he had seen on her face as well as his father's before. Ichigo could only look away as he stammered and his face turned beet red again.

"Holy shit you did…" she had thought Ichigo's prudishness would have slowed this whole thing down. Damnit now she owes Isshin money.

"You want me to get the marriage request ready?" At that Ichigo completely fell over in shock.

"What the hell? We-"

"What you two did in that hot spring is none of my business, and frankly I find omiai to be completely bullshit anyway, but that's how everyone else, especially the Kuchiki, do things," Kukaku sighed. The process was unfair to the to-be-wed, and if things weren't going well between the two, or one of them was toxic, they were shit outta luck. "If things aren't working out, let me know and I can call the whole thing off. It won't look nice, but I honestly don't give a damn."

Ichigo was relieved that Kukaku was supportive. Though his nerves persisted.

"Now go get some sleep, I have proposal papers to prepare."


As always, I hoped you enjoyed and feedback is welcome.