Bleach: No Longer A Substitute

by Nanto99

One year has passed since Ichigo Kurosaki, former Substitute Soul Reaper defeated Aizen at the cost of his Soul Reaper powers. It seemed that his life would have continued just like that of any other normal human. Yet, in its unpredictability, fate will play its cards again, truths hidden for decades will come out and Ichigo will finally become what he was destined to be.

6. Chapter 5

Well, you got me, thetimvh2 XD. I wanted to keep it a secret at least for the next chapter, but yes, the main pairing of this story will in fact be IchiSoi (AKA, Ichigo x Soi-Fon). I find it interesting how they are so similar to each other and yet, they only got to interact, like, only once in the anime (excluding the various fillers and movies). I also find it funny how, there used to be a time in which after IchiHime and IchiRuki, it was the third most popular Bleach pairing with Ichigo.

Also, if anyone of you would like to do some art based on my story, feel free to do so! I would be honored to have both of my stories brought to life by wonderful drawings!

Anyway, i hope you enjoy the chapter! It certainly wasn't easy to write!

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Chapter 5: Reunion

The Soul Society.

The plane of the Afterlife in which all souls are sent after they die and where they continue to live until they reincarnate in the World of the Living again with no memory of their previous lives. A wide blue sunny sky with few clouds loomed over the Seiretei, the main city of the Soul Society and home of the Soul Reapers, surrounded by its gigantic emerald colored walls and housing the many houses and districts, all appearing to be based on feudal Japan in terms of general architecture. Scattered all around were twelve of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and at the center of it, stood a towering building complex consisting of a cluster of white buildings, one larger than the other, that housed the massive Senzaikyu, the tower in which prisoners awaiting execution were being held which was connected with a long bridge to the iconic Sokyoku Hill, a large rocky mesa where the Sokyoku, the large Halberd that housed a fiery phoenix that would have executed all Soul Reapers who had severely broken the law, used to be. It was also the site of the final battle between Ichigo and Byakuya which ended in a draw.

But most importantly, within that cluster of buildings, stood the Headquarters and the Barracks of Squad One, the highest ranked of all the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, led by none other than the Head Captain Genryusai Shigekumi Yamamoto, which also housed the Assembly Halls of both all the Captains and Lieutenants of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

Said Headquarters also housed a gigantic room with a light brown wooden floor, with only a modest blue chair and yellow desk in front of an orange wall that appeared to have a sun engraved into it. Said room also had a ceiling supported by many red columns and it also offered a wide view of all of the Seiretei, as on its left there was a balcony with a red guardrail.

And right in the middle of the balcony stood a fair skinned bald, elderly man that had deep wrinkles, a hooked nose, pronounced cheekbones, light red eyes that were half-way closed, long white eyebrows matched in color by a long moustache and a hip-length beard secured by a purple band crossing over it. Two prominent scars were present above his right eye. He was in fact, the Head Captain himself, Yamamoto, as always, donned with his slightly oversized long sleeved white Coat with the emblem of the Squad One embedded onto its back, as well as the standard black Shihakusho. Aside from having lost his left arm in his confrontation against Aizen, he had not changed much over the course of the year and once more, as custom after doing today's paperwork, the old man was quietly observing the entirety of the Seireitei while leaning on his cane with just his right arm, his usual way of passing his free time aside from having tea with his protegees Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake, Captains of Squad Eight and Squad Thirteen respectively, whom he had come to care deeply as if they were his sons, or with his Lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe.

Only today, in spite of the sky being as sunny as it had been for quite some time, the old man coudn't help but feel that something was different.

"Mmmm, how strange…. For some reason the wind feels different today…." he mused to himself in his mind as the wind gently flew by, his uniform and his beard flowing with it "Could be this be a premonition of a new change?" he asked to himself, curious to see what the future would have brought. The scars of the Winter War were still quite fresh, even a year later. It wasn't just him who now missed his left arm that had been affected. Many of his subordinates, especially the Lieutenants still had much pain to cope with, not just physical but also psychological. Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya in particular had been deeply affected by how Aizen had tricked him into stabbing Lieutenant Momo Hinamori of Squad Five, whom he was close friends with. And he was only one of the many people who had been traumatised by Aizen's actions and a lot of time would have passed before he would get over it. Deep down, Yamamoto wished he could have done more to ease the young Captain's pain but he had no right to meddle in Toshiro's coping. It was a trial that was his and only his to overcome.

The sound of someone flash-stepping on his left pulled the Head Captain out of his thoughts. A member of the Inner Court Troop, the Fifth Branch of the Special Forces, a young man clad in a uniform consisting of a red shihakusho, black pants and sandals, with a pyramid shaped hat that covered his eyes and carrying a purple backpack on his shoulders, kneeled in front of the Head Captain as soon as he had appeared and immediately stated "Captain. I'm here to report quite an unexpected event directly to you, sir. The other Squads are being informed as we speak."

Without even turning towards him, Yamamoto asked formally but with much seriousness in his voice "And why have you come to report directly to me? What can be so important right now that must be of so much concern to me, let alone all of the Squads?"

With an uncomfortable look the messenger, after hesitating slightly, reported "Sir…. It's…. It's Ichigo Kurosaki. He has returned."

And as soon as those words were spoken, for the first time in a year, Yamamoto's eyes widened in utter disbelief and astonishment and he momentarily stopped breathing.

Earlier at the Senkaimon Gate

The massive red gate, held at the far end of a circular courtyard, surrounded by a yellow ring of columns at the top of a large tower situated right on the left of the Headquarters of Squad Six, had just been opened by several members of the Kido Corps. A white light shone from the door and extended upwards into the sky of the Soul Society as the various members of the Kido Corps once again waited for what was supposed to be the arrival of the former Captain of Squad Two, who had developed a habit of visiting the Soul Society at least once a week.

Instead, the Kido Corps Members, clad in white face coverings that enveloped their entire head, aside from their eyes as well as the standard Shihakusho could only look in utter shock and disbelief as out of the gate came out the hero of the Winter War, Ichigo Kurosaki, once again clad in his Soul Reaper uniform, now looking much more like a young man that had just entered adulthood as evidenced by his more muscularly defined phisique, more mature facal features and longer, spikier hair.

(OST: "Here to stay" )

As soon as he came out of the gate, Ichigo took the time to close his eyes and inhale the air around him. He had forgotten just how wonderful the air in the Soul Society felt. Given that everything here was comprised of Spirit Particles, it all felt much more soothing and warm than the World of the Living.

"It feels so nice….. I had forgotten just how wonderful the air felt around here….." he mused to himself with a smile but he was soon pulled out of his thoughts by the many shocked gasps and looks of pure disbelief on all the Kido Corps Members that stood in a line on the left and right of the green path on the ground that extended from the Senkaimon.

"I-Ichigo Kurosaki…" called out many of them, not believing that the victor of Sosuke Aizen was now standing before them. The strawberry simply gave them a warm and cheerful smile, expecting that many others today would have had the same reaction. As he began to take his leave after casually greeting "Good morning guys." one of the many members commanded to the rest of his comrades "Don't just stand there! Spread the word! Ichigo Kurosaki has returned!" his voice clearly filled with excitement and elation.

And indeed as he left the tower where the Senkaimon was and began to make his way towards the towering building complex at the center of the Seireitei in one of the four main streets of the Soul Society, several minutes later, hundreds of Soul Reapers, both men and women, stopped doing whatever activities they were doing and simply gazed with wide eyes and their mouths agape as Ichigo walked in the middle of said street with utter nonchalance, his left hand rested on the new holster of his newly sealed Zampakuto.

"I-It's him…"

"It's Ichigo Kurosaki…"

"He's returned….. But how?"

"Oh my….. He looks completely different from last time!"

"Wait…. Where has that huge sword of his dissappeared to?"

Mused dozens and dozens of Soul Reapers in awe and amasement as their hero continued to walk with a slight smile on his lips, having taken notice of how all those people were staring at him. Since he didn't remember much of the Seireitei's actual layout, his instincts told him that it would have been a good idea to just head towards the Senzaikyu Building Complex.

That was until for the first time in a whole year ever since he lost his powers….. He heard that voice again.

"Ichigo….."

He promptly froze in his tracks and gasped as soon as his ears picked up that voice, his eyes widening along with his lips. He turned towards where he had heard it and as soon as he did, his eyes began to shake uncontrollably.

"Rukia….. Renji…." he called out in joy, not believing his eyes. But right before him, right at the end of what appeared to be one of the many forests of the Soul Society, flanked on its left by what appeared to be a large manor, stood none other than the same short and petite girl with light skin, purple eyes and black hair that gave him the strength to protect everyone on that fateful night more than a year ago, looking at him with a look of pure astonishment and wonder. In spite of her black hair now being shorter and cropped into a bob that hanged about her face, and the fact that she was now wearing a fingerless white tekko that extended from above her elbows similar to her brother Byakuya, besides her usual outfit, she was still easily recognizable as Rukia Kuchiki, the girl he had went through hell and back to rescue when he set off in the Soul Society, leading nothing more than a small band of teenagers. And right besides her, stood none other than Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad Six, and another of Ichigo's many friends that he had made here in the Soul Society, who even fought at his side in Hueco Mundo in his quest to save Orihime. His crimson hair was now much longer than it was a year ago, kept in a much longer and more elaborate pony tail and he was now wearing a maroon bandana that covered all of the tattoos on his forehead as well as long dark straps on his wrists with bandages over his arms. And he was just as shocked and stupefied as Rukia was, his brown eyes wide open in bewilderment, not believing that Ichigo had returned.

The orange haired Soul Reaper still coudn't believe what he was seeing, but as soon as Rukia called out once more in disbelief "Ichigo…." every doubt left his mind, and his heart all at once was overcome by unfathomable joy and affection. A tender and warming smile made its way on his lips and his eyes began to shake in happiness as he nodded, taking away what little doubt the raven haired girl had.

"Ichigo…." Called out once more Rukia as her eyes began to shake in joy and affection, tears soon beginning to fall from them on her cheeks, beyond heartwarmed to see her friend again. Finally, as the happiness in her heart reached its climax, she cried out "ICHIGOOOOO!" and promptly ran towards him, as all the people around them watched at the heartwarming reunion.

Ichigo soon embraced Rukia in his arms and the moment he felt her tears of joy landing on his Shihakusho, her head being buried in his chest and her cries of affection, he thought his heart would just melt due to how unfathomably overjoyed he was to see her again. Renji could only watch with a heartwarming smile as Ichigo firmly but gently held Rukia in his arms, crying tears of unbridled happiness upon seeing his friend again as they both fell on their knees and held each other tenderly.

After a few seconds, she removed her head from Ichigo's chest, gazed upon his face and eyes and to her awe she saw that in spite of looking more like a young man, due to his longer hair and more mature facial features, he was still easily recognisable as the same boy she had given her powers to and who had faced the entirety of the Soul Society, leading just a small group of spiritually aware human teenagers just to rescue her.

"It's you….. It really is you….." she spoke affectionately, amased by how good he looked, while caressing his left cheek with her soft right hand.

"Rukia….." called out Ichigo, heartwarmed to finally hear her voice again after so much time and looking at her in intrigue. He had never thought he would see her with such short hair, but she looked so beautiful with it.

"Never thought you would look so good with short hair." he stated cheerfully, causing Rukia to smile even more. She then replied happily "Thanks. And that long hair suits you well, Ichigo. Makes you look so mature…." while taking her hand off before her face filled with worry and she asked "But why, Ichigo? We thought you'd lost your powers forever."

With his smile leaving his lips, Ichigo got up and replied "Yeah, i know. It's a long story…" his voice taking on a distand and dry tone somewhat, which surprised Rukia due to how melancholic his voice had become.

"One i'm sure you'll have plenty of time telling us." chimed in Renji, with his arms crossed over his chest, having come towards them, causing Ichigo to gasp and look towards him.

His smile soon made its way back on his lips and he called out jokingly "Renji…..Just when i thought i would have never seen that ugly face of yours again." but with clear heartfelt contentment in his voice.

The Lieutenant of Squad Six laughed and replied "Hehehe….. And i see that even after a year, that smart mouth of yours hasn't changed in the slightest." while giving him a devious grin.

Rukia initially giggled upon seeing the two young men greeting each other in such a casual way but then smiled happily as Ichigo and Renji both laughed, shooked hands in a manly manner and embraced each other after a year of not seeing each other. They may have started with the wrong foot due to how Renji initially blamed Ichigo for what happened to Rukia when she lost her powers but deep down their friendship truly was a strong one, forged through many battles as Renji first recognised that he was wrong to blame him for that, and later on Ichigo forgiving him and accepting his help to save Rukia. And their camaderie began from there.

(Soundtrack Ends)

After removing each other from their embrace and with both their hands on each other's shoulders, Ichigo remarked "You look good. Love that wild hairstyle too." with his jovial grin stamped on his lips.

"You too, Ichigo. And i sure hope you keep that long hair of yours too, since it makes you look so manly." remarked Renji as well, noting how much more mature he looked, causing Ichigo to smile even more. Then his cheerfulness turned into curiosity and puzzlement upon seeing that Zangetsu wasn't strapped on his back, so he asked "But now that i think about it, where has that huge blade of yours gone to?" while Rukia looked on with an equally curious and confused expression, having also realised that Zangetsu wasn't on his back.

With another smile, Ichigo put his left arm on his holster and casually replied "Oh, you mean this?" before he gripped Zangetsu's handle with his right hand and drew it out, causing both Renji and Rukia's eyes to widen in pure shock.

"You learned how to seal your Zampakuto! But how?!" was all the purple eyed girl could mutter in pure disbelief, her mouth agape while Renji simply looked in utter astonishment.

"Wasn't all that hard. Just had to go to my Inner World and ask Zangetsu how to do it. Now if only my dad, Kisuke or Yoruichi had told me how to do so earlier…" replied the orange haired Soul Reaper, first looking at his sword with a casual expression, which then turned into slight annoyance at all three of his teachers having not taught him something so simple. However, what he said only caused Rukia and Renji's faces to fill with even more disbelief and incredulity.

"What do you mean, your dad? Is he a Soul Reaper too?" asked the even more dumbfounded redhaired lieutenant, causing all of Ichigo's cheerfulness to fade away, replaced by a look of seriousness and even….. dejection.

A worried look made its way on both Renji and Rukia's faces as Ichigo sheated back his Zampakuto and looked downwards in melancholy before replying "It's a long story….. Perhaps it's better if we talk about it somewhere else." taking the latter completely by surprise by how quickly his cheerfulness had left his voice, replaced by dejection.

Reaching out for his left hand with her own, the raven haired female Soul Reaper called out "Ichigo….. What happened?" but as he looked at her with a gaze full of sadness and sorrow and before he could reply….

The sound of someone flash-stepping just behind Ichigo grabbed all three's attention. It was another one of those messengers clad in red and black with that strange pyramid shaped hat covering the top half of his face. Said messenenger, quickly bowed in front of all three Soul Reapers and reported "Lieutenant Abarai. Lieutenant Kuchiki. I have come to relate orders from the Head Captain to you. As soon as the news of Ichigo Kurosaki's return reached his ears, he called for all the Captains to assemble for a meeting. You are hereby requested to bring Ichigo Kurosaki to said meeting." greatly surprising all three Soul Reapers.

Nonetheless, Renji nodded and replied "Understood. We'll bring him to the Meeting Hall as soon as possible. You're dismissed." and without uttering a word, the messenger nodded and flash-stepped away.

"They called for a Meeting already?" spoke Rukia out loud, surprised by how quick the word had spread.

"Well, i did come out from the Senkaimon so i guess it shoudn't come off as a surprise." stated Ichigo with a slightly awkward tone before looking at Rukia with a mix of surprise and amasement as soon as he noticed the badge on her right arm "You're a Lieutenant now?"

Rukia turned back towards him and with a proud smile declared "Yeah. I got promoted by Captain Ukitake in the immediate aftermath of the war for courage and valour on the battlefield. Though i must admit even i coudn't believe it when i got promoted."

Ichigo immediately gave her a heartwarming smile and placed a hand on her left shoulder while tenderly saying "I'm happy for you, Rukia. I know it must have meant a lot to you." surprising her by how mature he sounded instead of his usual casual attitude. She coudn't believe he had actually changed this much. And the way he looked at her and gave her such a warming smile reminded her so much of her former Lieutenant.

"He looks so much like Kaien… but why?" She coudn't help but smile tenderly at him at that moment which didn't last long, as Renji placed a hand on Ichigo's right shoulder and proclaimed seriously "Ichigo, Rukia, i know we have a lot to catch up to but right now, we have a meeting to attend to. Follow me." earning a nod from both Soul Reapers. And with that all three turned towards the inner court of the Seireitei and began to flash-step towards it.

Not a word passed between the three as they travelled through the air faster than the eye could see. At first Ichigo had some trouble keeping up with Rukia and Renji due to being a year out of practice, but soon his body became accustomed to the flash-step again and all three soon reached the bridge that would lead to the Headquarters of Squad One in a few minutes, traveling through a distance that would have taken a few days by foot. And as the three Soul Reapers walked into the room just before the one in which the meeting would take place two voices soon came, a strict and serious one that seemed to belong to a hardened military sergeant and a gentle, laid-back one.

"Well now, look who it is."

"What a wonderful surprise. It's a pleasure to see you again, Ichigo."

The strawberry's eyes immediately widened in shock upon seeing who was talking to him. Right on his left as soon as he entered the massive white room adorned by red columns, stood two tall men, clad in the standard Soul Reaper attire and with the sleeveless Captain's Coat. The taller of the two was quite slender and handsome, with slightly long blonde wavy hair slicked backwards with a single lock faling into his face and purple eyes and had a laid-back an cheerful smile on his soft, elegant face. In many ways he resembled an aristocrat from the 19th Century. The other one, slightly shorter, was much more muscular and had sharp features, silver hair, mussed upwards and brown eyes. He wore a sleveless Shihakusho, opened at the front which exposed his muscular chest and a tattoo of the number 69 right in the middle of said chest and tied with a metallic belt as well as a pair of fingerless black gloves that covered most of his forearms. He had quite a devious smile on his face upon seeing the look of pure shock and bewilderment on Ichigo's face.

"Rose? Kensei? What are you doing here?" asked the bewildered strawberry, immediately recognising the music lover Rojuro Otoribashi, more commonly known just as "Rose" by his friends and the hot-heated and serious Kensei Muguruma, two of the Vizards who trained him into mastering Hollowfication. He coudn't believe that he was now seeing them again in front of him and as Captains, no less.

With a sigh, Rose replied with his usual laid-back, distant face "Why, we've been reinstated as Captains not too long after the war ended." while Kensei scoffed, closed his eyes and remarked in slight annoyance "As i thought. That buffoon Urahara still hasn't told you, hasn't he?"

Ichigo was even more shocked "You used to be Captains?!" he asked in utter disbelief.

"Why are you so surprised, Ichigo? The fact that we all carried a Zampakuto shoudn't have left you much room for doubt." came another familiar voice from behind, this time, a flippant one, followed by another one "Mmph. Clearly your power isn't matched by your intellect, Ichigo Kurosaki." that was filled with mockery and amusement. Gasping in even more astonishment, Ichigo turned around and promptly recognised the one who had just spoken to him, a youthful looking man with brown eyes, jaw-length blonde hair with an asymettrycal cut, with the left side being longer than the right, wearing the standard Shihakusho with a long-sleeved Coat. Walking besides him at his left, was another man whose whole appearance was quite unsettling: most of his face was painted in black with white lines going up his face, with a white nose, with his forearms matched by the same white color. He had golden eyes and teeth, stubbed golden cones instead of ears and he wore a long, golden headdress which curved back to his mid back. Underneath his chin there were two opposite strands from the mask and rather disturbingly he had blue fingernails with the one on his right middle finger being very long compared to the others but apart from that he wore the standard Shihakusho with a Coat above it, a purple fluffy collar and he held his Zampakuto sheated on the front wrapped with a sash around another blue sash on his chest

Turning towards the two men, Rukia and Renji both gasped, addressed "Captain Kurotsuchi! Captain Hirako!" and promptly bowed out of respect.

"Shinji? You too?" was all Ichigo could say, shocked to see the Leader of the Vizards in front of him, flanked by the Captain of Squad Twelve, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Admittedly he thought that the scientist's makeup was quite stupid but he decided to keep it to himself given that apparently Mayuri was renowned for having quite the bad temper for such trivial things.

With a smile, Shinji came on Ichigo's right, stopped right in front of him and casually proclaimed "Yeah. The Head Captain offered our positions back after the War ended and you know what? Rose, Kensei and i did kinda get bored of the World of the Living after staying there for more than a 100 years so we thought: why not return here for a change?" while Mayuri kept walking forward, taking the time to spare Ichigo a glance and a disturbingly happy grin, which made him slightly uncomfortable.

"Yeah, except your reason for doing so was for no longer wanting to put up with Hiyori's shit." pointed out teasingly Kensei with a grin from behind Ichigo which caused Shinji to gasp and his eyes to widen comically and Rose to chuckle in amusement.

"Shut up! At least i got one load off my back, unlike you!" yelled an embarrassed Shinji towards Kensei, referring to his fellow Vizard Mashiro Kuna, who often annoyed the silver haired man to no end with her childish antics, while Ichigo, Rukia and Renji all sweat-dropped. The latter two, coudn't believe how Shinji Hirako used to be a Captain when he was prone to have such childish outbursts. Then again even the late Gin Ichimaru was known for always being care-free no matter the situation, so it wasn't like this type of behaviour was unprecedented.

Despite being blown away by the revelation that Shinji and the Vizards stayed in the World of the Living for more than a 100 years, Ichigo smiled cheerfully and remarked "Heh…. I see that you haven't changed at all, Shinji. You're still the same carefree guy who doesn't give a crap about anything. Truth be told you were one of the guys i missed the most." earning an equally cheerful and laid-back smile from the former Vizard, now a Captain.

"And i see that you still haven't learned how to properly address others, Ichigo Kurosaki." came another familiar, deep voice, causing Ichigo and Shinji to turn towards where it came from. Coming towards them was a handsome man that looked to be in his late twenties, that had slate grey eyes and long black hair kept up in four hairpieces on the back of his head. Wearing a variation of the Captain's Coat, featuring a high collar with light gold edges and small, light gold tassels attached to the corners and a fingerless white Tekko which only covered the back of his hands, on top of the standard Shihakusho, was none other than Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of Squad Six and head of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Families of the Soul Society, looking a bit different from the last time Ichigo saw him, no longer wearing his white scarf and intricate white headpieces, but with that same calm, apathetic and cold look on his face, matched by the same ever serious, ever stoic voice that he had a year earlier during their climatic battle on the Sokyoku Hill.

Rukia and Renji gasped once more and wasted no time bowing and addressing "Brother!" and "Captain Kuchiki!" respectively.

"Byakuya… It's good to see you again." greeted Ichigo politely as a smile returned on his lips, only for the noble to let out an annoyed sigh and close his eyes. But before he could admonish the orange haired young man for not addressing him properly once more, Shinji, having taken notice of Byakuya's reaction, sighed and stated jokingly "Always the formal one heh, Captain Kuchiki? You really are the same as your grandfather. Why is it so hard for you to just chill out and enjoy your life once in a while?" with his usual carefree and flippant voice. Ever since he was reinstated as Captain, Shinji coudn't believe just how much Byakuya had become like his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki, who was the former Head of the Kuchiki Clan and the former Captain of Squad Six, more than a 100 years ago. At the time, Byakuya was known to be much more easygoing and cheerful on top of being quite hot-heated and quick to anger, as evidenced by how much Yoruichi liked to tease him. And for his part, Ichigo wondered how Byakuya's grandfather must have been if he ended up the same way as him.

Shinji's words, spoken without a care in the word, caused Byakuya to open his eyes again. Looking at the blonde Captain in annoyance and slight disdain, he began "As if you're one to talk, Captain Hirako. Someone like you, who carries itself with such a lack of formality and elegance and who doesn't know of the responsibilities a noble has to fulfill along with those of a Captain, has no right to lecture m-"

Only for a soft, slender hand to touch his left shoulder and for a feminine, sweet and angelic voice to cut him off "He isn't entirely wrong, Captain Kuchiki." causing him to gasp slightly in surprise and turn towards the owner of said voice, who proceeded to lecture him by stating "You really are too uptight at times. You should definetely smile more often and show others that you're not just an apathetic aristocrat who thinks only about himself. Suppressing your softer side can be bad for your health. Besides, Captain Hirako was only greeting a friend he hadn't seen in a year." giving advice in the same way a doctor would to his patients. Ichigo found himself entranced as soon as he recognised the owner of the enchanting voice. An utterly beautiful, youthful woman with blue eyes and long, black hair worn in a large braid down the front of her body. She wore the standard black Shihakusho and white, long sleeved Coat as well as an Obi instead of the normal sash and unlike most Soul Reapers, the woman had a large string attached to the sheath of her Zampakuto which allowed her to carry it over her shoulder.

And as soon as the heavenly woman finished lecturing Byakuya, she let go of the noble's shoulder, turned towards Ichigo and smiled tenderly, the same way a mother would towards her child before greeting sweetly "Ichigo….. It warms my heart to see you again."

Soothed by her gentle voice and smile, Ichigo returned the gentle smile and greeted back "Captain Unohana…" his voice filled with much happiness upon seeing the relatively unchanged Captain of Squad Four, Retsu Unohana once more, while Byakuya sighed at the fact that he didn't address him properly unlike his fellow Captain.. Ever since she escorted him as he returned back from Hueco Mundo to the Fake Karakura Town to face Aizen, he coudn't help but fondly look back to how sweet and kind she was towards him. Hence why she was one of the few people whom Ichigo had no problem addressing by her title. In many ways she reminded him a lot of his mother, Masaki due to how unbelieavably kind and sweet she was among many other kind people. He still could not bring himself to address Byakuya properly though because while he considered him a friend, he really was still way too arrogant for Ichigo's liking.

Coming towards him, with her hands clasped together in the front and hidden by the long sleeves, Unohana noted "I see that you have learned how to seal your Zampakuto." after noticing that the young man no longer held Zangetsu on his back in its constant Shikai mode, earning a surprised look from Byakuya, Shinji, Kensei and Rose, who up until now, didn't notice it. Looking at him in the eyes with her blue ones, she happily spoke "It pleases me greatly to see how far you have come in controlling your spirit energy. To be honest, you were kinda lacking in that regard the last time i saw you." while closing her eyes.

An embarrassed blush made its way on Ichigo's face as Unohana teased him, while Rukia and Renji, having overheard from afar, coudn't help but giggle at his reaction with a hand close to their mouths "Trust me, i still am. And the fact that nobody ever taught me how to control it, until a few hours ago, certainly doesn't help." he spoke awkwardly while looking away, with his awkward scowl plastered all over his face, remembering too well how Unohana wasted no time pointing that out to him when she guided him back from Hueco Mundo to the Fake Karakura Town.

A worried look made its way on Unohana's face and she reopened her azure eyes as Ichigo spoke those words "What do you mean "until a few hours ago"? And while we are on the subject, why is it that you are a Soul Reaper again? From what i was told, that last attack you used to defeat Aizen did cause you to lose your powers." she asked him in an equally worried voice, causing him to gasp slightly and for a look of dejection to once again form on his face, taking the motherly Captain aback even more, along with Shinji, who had walked besides Rose and Kensei, and Byakuya, who did not expect this sudden change of mood.

Looking downwards in sadness, Ichigo replied "It's a long story….. I'll explain everything to you and the others once the meeting starts." with a voice so full of sadness that Unohana found it hard to believe that he used to be happy and cheerful only a few seconds ago.

At that moment, two more people flashstepped into the room behind Ichigo, earning all the other Captains's as well as Rukia and Renji's attention. He turned towards them and saw that one of them was a tall, light skinned man with high cheekbones, long wavy brown hair tied in a ponytail that had red pinwheel hairpins, with long bangs that framed the left side of his face, which had thin facial hair around the mouth and cheeks. He wore a straw hat and a pink flowered lady's kimono draped across his shoulders and over his shihakusho and Coat and rather uniquely, he wore a sash that faded from aquamarine green to white and no tabi, unlike the other Captains. Besides him, stood a tall, slender, but handsome man that had long white hair that almost reached his waist behind him, parted on the left side with one long piece that hanged in front of his right eye. He had brown eyes and he wore a long sleeved Coat with a crimson lining above his Shihakusho and a narrow white obi that secured his Zampakuto.

"Well now, it seems we arrived just in time. Old Man Yama probably hasn't begun yet." stated the brown haired man casually with a smile as he readjusted his straw hat.

His lifetime friend, after closing his eyes and coughing with a hand close to his mouth to cover it, reopened his eyes and stated "It would seem so, Shunsui." before he turned towards Ichigo and, with a gentle smile, greeted "Welcome back, Ichigo. It's been a while."

But while Ichigo smiled, a worried Rukia called out "Captain Ukitake!" and promptly flashstepped from where she was, to right in front of her Captain, that of Squad Thirteen, Jushiro Ukitake and asked worriedly "Are you alright, sir?" with a hand on her chest. She was worried that he was going to cough up blood due to his illness once more.

In response, the white haired man, smiled sweetly at his Lieutenant and replied "I'm fine. Really, Rukia, i am." while gently patting her in the head, causing her to blush. Ukitake was always known to be one of the kindest and most honorable of all the Captains and that only served to solidify his subordinates's respect and loyalty towards him. Truly, his honor commanded the respect from both allies and enemies.

Ichigo coudn't help but smile even more at the sheer kindness and tenderness in Ukitake's voice. Yet he could hear that it was a bit gruff and hoarse. From what he heard, the Captain had been suffering from an illness which caused his hair to turn white from a young age. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the other Captain, Shunsui Kyoraku of Squad Eight, coming towards him with a casual smile and greeting "I believe we've never been truly acquainted before. Name's Shunsui Kyoraku, Captain of Squad Eight." while extending his hand towards Ichigo "But you can just call me Shunsui if you'd prefer to."

Taken completely aback by the utter casualness and lack of formality, Ichigo could only smile awkwardly, shake Shunsui's hand and reply hesitantly "Sure, nice to meet you." while in his mind, he coudn't help but muse to himself "I bet he and Kisuke used to be friends….He's even got his same hat!" after seeing that he was just as affable, laid-back and easygoing as the former Captain of Squad Twelve, not to mention the flamboyant way in which he dressed.

Ukitake, Unohana, Renji and Rukia coudn't help but smile at Ichigo's awkward reaction and Shunsui replied with a chuckle "Fufufu…..No need to be shy, young man. After all, you're the one who beat Aizen himself. We owe you everything so feel free to talk to us as if we're your friends!" he encouraged with his trademark casual smile on his lips.

An even more uneasy Ichigo, looked away and began "It's not that i'm shy. It's just….."

"That you didn't expect a Captain to act so casually?" finished Unohana, causing him to turn towards her, after gasping slightly. With her gentle smile still on her lips, she stated "Captain Kyoraku is one of the oldest Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. He's also renowned for his humility and carefree attitude, even more so than any other Captain, so don't feel ashamed to speak to him in a more casual and friendly manner."

Pleased by his fellow Captain's compliments, Shunsui added "Not all of us are like Captain Kuchiki, you know. True, many of us did come from aristocratic families, myself included, but i believe that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of power or status." while glancing at said Captain of Squad Six who had overheard what he had said and had closed his eyes and let out an annoyed sigh.

Amused by Byakuya's reaction, along with Shinji, Kensei and Rose, and encouraged by Unohana, Ichigo happily replied "I see. Then i think you and i will get along just fine, Shunsui." while closing his eyes and smiling at him, charming the brown haired Captain in front of him, while Ukitake who stood behind Shunsui by a few meters with Rukia at his side coudn't help but smile and remark to himself in his mind "For some reason, he reminds me a lot of Kaien….. And not just because of the way he looks….. But because of how humble and cheerful he is at the same time." he paused, looking at Rukia before musing "Then again, he did face the entirety of the Soul Society just to save Rukia, so i guess she wasn't wrong for seeing a lot of her former Lieutenant in him." He knew very well just how much Rukia looked up to Kaien and how much his death scarred her. She wasn't the only one: Kaien Shiba's death still haunted Ukitake to this day, and he still largely blamed himself for not interfering in his fight against that powerful Hollow, Metastacia. He may have not wanted to sully his honor, but was it really worth it in the end? That question still haunted him, many years later and it was one of the many regrets the Captain of Squad Thirteen still had.

Then another voice came, that of a young man "And what makes you think you're a good model to follow for that, Captain Kyoraku? From what i've heard you always prefer to spend more time drinking and taking naps instead of attending to your duties." who lectured the older man for his casual behaviour. Ichigo gasped, upon hearing that voice, the one of the young man who he had learned just the day before, that he used to work under his father as a Third Seated Officer. Said young man, who had just walked into the room, was short, with turquoise eyes, white short and spiked hair. Wearing a standard sleveless white coat with a thin chain around his shoulders, held together by a round star clip which also held his Zampakuto's sheath in place on his back, tied to it on either end, above the usual Shihakusho, was none other than Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of Squad Ten, who had not changed much ever since the last time Ichigo saw him, except for his hair, which was not quite as spiky as before and he now wore a green scarf around his neck.

Shifting his gaze towards the orange haired young man, the white haired teen declared "That being said, it's nice to see you again, Ichigo Kurosaki." with a rare smile on his lips. Returning the smile, Ichigo called out "Hi there, Toshiro!" before walking towards him, while Unohana, Shunsui, Ukitake and the others watched with a smile on their lips "It's been a while now, hasn't it?" he asked the young man as he stopped before him.

With his smile leaving his lips, the youngest of all the Captains sighed, closed his eyes before reopening them and replying in annoyance "How many times do i have to remind you? It's not Toshiro, it's Captain Hitsugaya, alright?." taking Ichigo aback and causing his smile to dissappear for a moment.

Having remembered that Toshiro, much like Byakuya, didn't like being referred by his first name, Ichigo put a hand behind his head and sheepishly apologised "Yeah, right, sorry about that. I had completely forgotten that you didn't like being called by your first name." with his smile making its way back on his lips, while Shunsui, Unohana and Ukitake all giggled in amusement with a hand in front of their lips.

Toshiro returned the smile after hearing the cheerfulness in Ichigo's voice, as well as his genuine apology, and spoke "Apologies accepted, Kurosaki. But please, do try to address me properly from now on. I worked very hard for my title and as such, i would prefer others to treat me like an adult and not like some kind of kid." and with that he began to walk past Ichigo…..

Only for Ukitake to casually point out "Except that you too, often forget to address others by their rank first." causing Toshiro to stop in his tracks and an embarrassed look to make its way on his face. Shunsui then teased, with a playful grin "And if memory serves me right, you also tend to sleep a lot after finishing your paperwork since you believe that sleeping a lot, makes you taller. Am i right?"

With his face as red as a tomato in embarrassment at his fellow Captains's teasing, Toshiro, without even turning around, muttered "Shut up….." and walked forward, as Shunsui, Ukitake, Unohana and even Rukia and Ichigo all chuckled in amusement at his funny and unprofessional reaction, while Byakuya once again, sighed "How unbecoming for Captains….." he mused to himself, displeased to see how unprofessional Shunsui and Ukitake were for the upteenth time. Truthfully, the noble sometimes struggled to believed that those two had held their posts for more than a thousand years.

"I guess he doesn't like the fact that he's short." mused Ichigo to himself before looking at Rukia, who was chatting with Ukitake "Then again, even Rukia isn't particularly fond of her short height, so i guess it's not-"

He was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts when a deep and menacing chuckle came from behind him "Ichigo…...So it's true then. You've really come back." followed by a powerful hand grabbing him by his right shoulder. The orange haired young man immediately froze in a mix of shock and dread as he recognised that voice and all at once all the painful memories of that gruesome battle came back. And as soon as he turned around, it genuinely took all of his strength to not begin to tremble the moment he saw that same wide, psychotic grin, with pronounced canines that belonged to a massive, two meter tall beast of a man that had a very muscular phisique, a long face with high cheekbones, a green left eye with a black eyepatch without straps, long black hair that reached to the mid of his back, a thin, long scar that ran down his left eye. Wearing the standard Shihakusho with white bandaes across his midsection and a short-sleeved Coat with ragged ends on the sleeves and back flap, was none other than Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the infamous Squad Eleven, who nearly tore out Ichigo's guts with his Zampakuto during their climatic battle. Never would Ichigo ever have imagined how much more scarier he would look with that long wild hair, that resembled that of Renji slightly.

Managing to retain his composure, if only barely, Ichigo hesitantly greeted back "Y-Yeah…. Nice to see you again too, Kenpachi…." which only served to make the grin on the aggressive Captain's mouth even wider. Inching his face closer to Ichigo, Kenpachi spoke "Do you have any idea how long i've waited for this? Now that you've got your powers back and now that you've also achieved Bankai, we can finally fight again!" chilling Ichigo to the core due to the sheer bloodlust in his voice.

But then an even larger hand grabbed Kenpachi by his right shoulder. Ichigo could only watch in awe as an even deeper, animalistic but calm and collected voice came "You never change, Captain Zaraki. That is no way to greet an old friend whom you have not seen in a year." admonishing the aggressive Captain of Squad Eleven. It belonged to an absolutely massive, almost three meter tall, male anthropomorphic wolf that had light brown fur, on the top half of his head which transitioned into a creamy white color on the lower half, dark yellow eyes and comparatively short but pointed wolf ears. Aside from wearing the standard Shihakusho and a sleveless Coat, he also wore a red armored collar, shoulder pads and boots lined with a gold trim along with gloves that matched his fur in color.

Annoyed by his fellow Captain interfering, Kenpachi gave him an annoyed glare, remarked "Whatever, wolf-face." and began to walk away, while Ichigo greeted with a smile "Captain Komamura…. I still haven't thanked you for what you taught me that day: that the desire of protecting others is stronger than any kind of hatred." fondly remembering how the massive captain strenghtened his resolve during the climatic battle against Aizen by telling him that his desire to protect everyone would have been more powerful than any hatred he might have held towards the madman.

With a gentle smile, Komamura came closer to Ichigo and placed a hand on his left shoulder before declaring warmingly "It is i, who am in your debt, young man. Had you not arrived the moment you did, i would have simply lunged towards Aizen in a fit of uncontrolled rage and had i been so foolish as to give in to my fury at that moment, i would have died, and for that you have my gratitude." with a hint of dejection in his voice, recalling how mere seconds before that moment, he witnessed his former friend and fellow Captain, Kaname Tosen die after being mortally wounded by his former Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi.

Ichigo was heartwarmed at how, in spite of how deep and inhuman it was, the massive Captain's voice was so calm and gentle, filled with gratitude even. He didn't really get to know the wolfman much but judging merely by the wise advice he gave him during the battle with Aizen and by how kindly he welcomed him back, the strawberry was slowly beginning to realise what a heart of gold Komamura must have had, which starkly contrasted with his imposing appearance. With his cheerful, laid-back smile growing even more, he spoke "I'm glad to hear that." charming the wolfman even more.

And after all the other Captains (minus Kenpachi, who had come towards Kensei to chat with him) along with Rukia and Renji watched at the display of kindness from the massive Captain of Squad Seven, Shunsui declared "Well now, i believe we are almost all accounted for." grabbing Ichigo's attention and causing him to turn back towards him "There's only one last person we have to wait f-"

He coudn't finish, for at that moment, someone else suddenly appeared in a burst of flash-step behind Ichigo and in front of Komamura, surprising Ichigo and to a much lesser extent, even the massive wolfman. Then as soon as Ichigo turned around slightly, his breath was taken away. Clad in the traditional uniform with a sleeveless Coat that was orange on the inside and a yellow sash around the waist, was a beautiful and somewhat petite young woman, slightly taller than Rukia, that had black hair that reached at about her chin which flared slightly outwards near the end of it, with some of it being held in two long braids bound in white cloth and each ending in a golden ring. She also wore long black arm bands and quite uniquely among all the people seen so far, traditional chinese shoes with ordinary white socks instead of the standard Soul Reaper sandals.

The woman, who up until then had her eyes closed, reopened them as she began to speak, revealing them to be a beautiful gray, that resembled that of Orihime's eyes "So the rumors were true then. You have indeed returned, Ichigo Kurosak-" her voice mostly emotionless and stern but as soon as her eyes saw the one in front of her, she stopped and her soft lips, along with her eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise and slight awe. Instead of the same hesitant boy she had met on the battlefield and whom she had to tell him to not hesitate and that they weren't fighting to save the world, but merely to survive, her beautiful eyes saw a strong young man who looked like he had been through unspeakable hardships. With his more mature facial features, longer hair, more muscular phisique and eyes that seemed to be filled with an unshakable calm and wisdom but also genuine surprise, he hardly resembled the same boy who faced all the Soul Society by himself, leading just a group of teenagers. Now, he looked much more mature, much more proud, much more powerful….. much more attractive.

Ichigo's breath was taken completely away. He never got that woman's name, he never saw her face this close, and he only remembered her giving him the advice of not hesitating when she vowed with the other Captains to protect him, but he found himself utterly bewitched. She was so beautiful. Everything about her appearance, from her soft, raven hair, beautiful grey eyes that reminded him of those of Orihime in spite of lacking the human girl's kindness almost entirely, to her slightly pale skin, intrigued him. For some reason he wanted to learn more about her. She wasn't just beautiful, she looked powerful and wise at the same time, in spite of being only slightly taller than Rukia, attributes that he had only seen in another woman, Yoruichi, the one who taught him the flash-step and how to achieve Bankai in just three days.

Komamura, who had witnessed this occurence from start to finish, was quite puzzled. The woman in front of him was known for barely ever changing the scowl that would almost always be present on her face and yet, she now found herself looking at Ichigo's eyes in awe. Resolving to snap her out of it, he bent down slightly and asked politely "Umm…. Is there anything wrong, Captain Soi-Fon?" which caused both the woman, now known simply as Soi-Fon and Ichigo to gasp again.

"Soi-Fon... So that's her name….." mused the strawberry to himself, not believing that even her name was so beautiful. The raven haired woman, having realised what she was doing, looked towards Komamura, replied simply "Nothing at all. I was merely….." she paused, looking back at Ichigo with a scowl that matched the strawberry's trademark ones "Noting how much he had changed." her voice becoming cold and apathetic, which caused Ichigo to do a double take.

"Did she really have to be so pissy about it? It's not my fault i look like this." he mused to himself with a sweat-drop as she closed her eyes and uncaringly walked past him, not understanding why her mood had gone through such a 180 turn.

"What did just happen? I could have sworn to have seen a faint blush on Captain Soi-Fon's cheeks." mused an astonished Renji to himself, not believing what his eyes had witnessed, much like the rest of the Captains. The Captain of Squad Two, The Stealth Force, renowned for her mostly cold and reserved personality, finding herself looking at Ichigo in awe. He knew Ichigo had become quite the looker but even still, Soi-Fon was not someone who was easily impressed.

The Lieutenant was pulled out of his thoughts by the massive door beginning to open up, revealing another massive room with a brown wooden floor, red walls that had a long set of barred windows in the middle and a single chair that stood before what appeared to be a scroll hid behind a glass window. Said room was the main hall of Squad One and the room in which all the Captains would usually assemble for their meetings.

As soon as all of the Captains began to make their way into the room, Renji came at Rukia's side and told her "Rukia, i think we should-"

"Lieutenant Abarai and Kuchiki. Take a seat in the back." came the gruff and commanding voice of Yamamoto which caused them to stop in their tracks, bow before him, by getting on their left knee and their right hand on the ground and greet formally "Sir!" before lowering their heads down in respect.

(OST: "Yamamoto Theme/Captain's Meeting Theme" = Unreleased soundtrack)

And as all of the Captains quietly assembled into two lines, standing in front of each other, with Soi-Fon, Unohana, Byakuya, Shunsui, Toshiro and Mayuri on the left and Rose, Shinji, Komamura, Kensei, Ukitake and Kenpachi on the right, a serious and solemn look made its way on Ichigo's face as he bagan to walk towards where Yamamoto was, the old man having his eyes half closed and leaning on his cane just with his left arm, as usual.

Then as soon as he stopped right before Toshiro and Kenpachi who were the first in line at his left and right, respectively, Ichigo glanced back at Rukia and Renji, who were on their knees just behind him, seeing how they had bowed. Remembering what his father had told him about the Head Captain, Ichigo closed his eyes and bowed before the Head Captain the same way Rukia and Renji did, all the while formally greeting "Head Captain Yamamoto."

The old man was taken completely aback, his eyes momentarily widening in surprise. He did not expect the young man to not only address him properly but to also bow before him. Nearly all of the other Captains, with the exception of Mayuri and Kenpachi, had similar looks that ranged from pure shock and amasement in Renji, Rukia, Byakuya, Unohana, Toshiro and Soi-Fon's case, to a mix of amusement and pleasant surprise in Shunsui, Ukitake and the former Vizard's cases, to a mix of both in Komamura's case

"I can't believe it….. He actually bowed before the Head Captain." mused an utterly shocked Byakuya to himself in his mind, his eyes wide open in disbelief,. He was finding it hard to believe that the same hot-heated young man he fought with had actually showed this much respect for once, and his Lieutenant, who stood on his left knee on the ground on Rukia's right, was having the same thoughts in his head.

"Well now, this is a surprise. Didn't expect him to actually do that before the Old Man." remarked an amused Shunsui to himself in his mind.

"That look in his eyes….. It's as if he's a completely different person…." realised Toshiro in awe, upon seeing the solemn and resoluted look in his face and the lack of hesitation as he bowed before the Leader of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

"Ichigo Kurosaki….." was all Soi-Fon could think in her mind, her face filled with awe. She had no idea that he could be capable of such formality. From what she had heard from her fellow Captain Byakuya, who stood at her right after Unohana, showing respect to others was a quality he was severely lacking and yet, right in front of her eyes, he had just disproven himself. And in his eyes she could see no hint of hesitation or doubt. Whatever kind of man he might have been a year ago, he definetely was not the same now.

"Ichigo… What happened to you?" mused Unohana to herself in great concern. Her trained eyes of a nurse had noticed that beneath his calm and composed exterior, there was….. sadness, dejection, pain. What could he possibly have gone through to gain such a powerful yet sorrowful look in his eyes?

"I wasn't wrong. He really is one of the bravest men i've ever seen. And to think he wasn't even an adult by the World of the Living's standards." remarked Komamura to himself, his respect towards Ichigo growing even more, due to how surprisingly polite and respectful he had shown himself to be and by the total abscence of worry or

"Ichigo…" muttered Rukia under her breath in a barely audible voice, astonished to see what he had just done.

After a few more moments of just looking at the orange haired Soul Reaper in front of him, in great surprise, Yamamoto regained his calm and solemn composure before greeting back "Ichigo Kurosaki, you have fought valiantly for our cause. As the Head Captain and on behalf of all the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, we extend our gratitude to you once more." with genuine gratefulness in his voice, something he was not known to do quite often.

Ichigo got up on his feet and, after reopening his eyes, simply replied "Your gratitude humbles me, Head Captain. And i'm honored to speak to you once more." after carefully considering his next words, surprising the rest of the Captains, as well as Rukia and Renji even more. He definetely would not have spoken like this a year ago, with such formality and humbleness.

"That being said, your return to the Soul Society was quite unexpected. Even more unexpected, is the fact that you are now standing before us as a Soul Reaper once more, when the last attack you used to defeat Sosuke Aizen made you lose all of your powers, a year ago. Would you like to explain to all of us why that is the case? Surely there must be quite an important reason why you have come here, given that you reside in the World of the Living." spoke once more Yamamoto and all at once the Captains looked at Ichigo, awaiting his reply. The orange haired young man braced himself. He had to tell to all those people what had happened. But for now he coudn't tell them that he was the son of the man who once used to be a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, let alone the head of one of the Five Great Noble Families. He had to play his cards safe if he wanted to join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, thus revealing too much of what he had learned would lead to many rumors spreading about him and he would have attracted too much attention. He wanted to keep a low profile for a while as he would adapt to his new life, not risk attracting the attention of people who, as Isshin described, were "smug-ass, arrogant dickheads who acted like they owed everything around them.".

(Soundtrack Ends)

Finally, after finally mustering the will to speak, Ichigo lowered his head slightly and hesitantly began "Well…. I know that this may come off as weird to all of you, especially since your main job is to guide the souls of the dead here, but….." while closing his eyes, earning a puzzled and inquisitive look on all of the Captains's faces before….

"I died." he finally proclaimed dryily after he reopened his eyes.

And with those two words, a deafening silence settled in into the room and all of the Captains along with Rukia and Renji, yes, even Kenpachi and Mayuri, all gasped in shock and their eyes widened in pure disbelief once more.