A/N: I promise it makes more sense the more you read. Enjoy! Request made by Kraziekat on AO3

Ichigo's day begins almost exactly the same as every other day of the last twenty five centuries of his life. His futon is so comfortable, soft and warm that it is such an incredible force of will to even begin moving, but just as every morning before, he grasps at his stubbornness and maneuvers his body into a sitting position. He takes a deep breath and feels his lungs rattle with each intake of air that leaves his chest feeling a dull pain he has grown accustomed to. This is the cost, he tells himself resolutely every day, this is the cost to be paid for existing in a time not his own with a power like his. It should be impossible to even remain as he is, but he has held onto his mortal-ish form for over 2500 years and that is not likely to change now that he is so close.

With slow and careful movements he stands from his seated position and changes into one of his kimono. His steps are measured and each motion he takes is calculated to use the least amount of energy, and just like every day, his door is sliding open before he can even muster the energy to lift his arm and do it himself.

"Good Morning Ichigo-sama." His current retainer has been in his service for the last one hundred and thirty five years. When Daisuke was first assigned to him, he was trained and shadowed the previous one resolutely to memorize Ichigo's habits and needs for over a year before he was assigned full time. Ichigo remembers thinking the brunet was young, in human age, barely out of his teens, but now the boy is a man with a squared jaw and wrinkles touching the edges of his eyes. Daisuke will be at his side for another four to five decades before he starts finding a successor to begin training just as the previous one had done and the one before, and the one before that. Daisuke isn't old, but it is generally agreed that Ichigo's retainer should be in top condition and that usually translates to people reflecting early twenties to mid-forties. He's had fifteen retainers, and even after all these years, each and every one of them starts looking older than Ichigo after only two decades in service.

"Good Morning." He greats back out of habit, and begins making his steady pace to the dining room for breakfast. Last he remembers, Kukaku and Ganju are definitely in, but Kaien had been leaving everyday with the sun since Kuchiki Rukia was brought back in by the sixth division to plea her case. Miyako might or might not have left yet, but little Kaito -Kaien and Miyako's son- would likely barge in late for breakfast like routine demanded.

When he arrived at the room, he was more than a bit perplexed to see a group of teenagers seated around the table and squabbling amongst themselves, Ganju, Kukaku and a familiar black cat. This was a sight for sore eyes. He hadn't realized today would be the day their compound got invaded by the Soul Society Invasion team.

"Ji-sama!" Kukaku greeted him first, her outburst hushing the table momentarily. "Sorry we didn't warn you about the guests, it was a bit unexpected for us too. Come sit?" she gestured to her seat and scooted over at the head of the table to a side pillow so he could take a position at the end closest to the door.

He nodded in thanks at her gesture, and took the helping hand Daisuke automatically extended his way to lower himself onto the pillow. He didn't always need help, but the less of his energy he used, the more 'good' days he had and the more 'great' days he could line up to use as he pleased. "Morning, Kukaku-chan, Ganju-chan and Guests."

Kukaku snorted and Ganju looked a bit mulish at the honorific, but no one said a word. Really, when someone saw you grow from diapers, you could hardly begrudge them the right to always treat you like a child.

"Everyone, this is our many times Great Uncle Ichigo. Ichi-ji, these are some friends of Yoruichi who came for help to enter Soul Society and rescue Rukia." She jerked a thumb at the group and began listing them off. "Karin, Yuzu, Tatsuki, Orihime, Uryuu and Yasutora in that order."

There was a noticeable pause in everyone's movements as they alternated their baffled expressions from Kukaku to him that he found instantly amusing. There were some perks to being so unerringly otherworldly.

"Great Uncle Ichigo?" Karin inquired, her tone absolutely dripping with skepticism.

"There's more than one Great in that title." Ganju added snidely, obviously taking amusement in their confusion. "Ichi-ji is the First Shiba Clan Head's son. Our brother Kaien is the Twenty seventh Clan Head, we'd have to really take out the family tree to calculate exactly how many Greats are in there."

"But you look twenty five, thereabout." Tatsuki pointed out. "At the very least you don't look like an old man."

Yoruichi snickered from her position on the table, and Tatsuki automatically scowled at her. "Souls here age depending on their reiatsu. Remember Rukia-chan is actually 150 years old and she looks about your age."

Everyone swiveled back to look at Ichigo who had been resolutely ignoring the byplay to drink his prescribed ginger tea which would hopefully help with today's pain and inflammation. At the attention directed at him, he rose a brow but did nothing else in the way of conversation.

"How old are you?" Karin blurted out, her tone at odds with her seemingly unbaffled expression.

Kukaku snorted into her rice bowl before putting it down and reaching for the miso. "That's a lost cause girl. Ichi-ji refuses to give an exact number."

"Don't answer for me." He reprimands her, and some of the teens even jump at his unexpected, tired tenor. "I'm at least twenty nine centuries old."

The table quiets again with the exception of chopsticks against bowls and cups being picked up and placed back down. It's a nice change of pace to have a calm breakfast, but Ichigo knows without a fraction of doubt, even after so many eons without seeing these people, that the silence will not stand.

"What?"

The ragtag group of teenagers had left for Sereitei three days ago, and while watching them fly out of the canon had been amusing, remembering his own experience with it had not. Kaien had come home late that night and reprimanded Kukaku for agreeing to send them into hostile territory just because Yoruichi had come a knocking. The 13th division lieutenant hadn't yelled at him, but he had given him a look of disappointment for having not stopped them.

"I am not this Clan's Babysitter, Kaien." He had scolded back lightheartedly while Miyako had handed him a cup of nice tea that warmed his aching joints in ways only heated drinks ever did. "Learning from their mistakes and growing stronger from it is the way of the Shiba."

Kaien almost looked like he was about to burst a vein with how his smile twitched with badly concealed irritation. It was like looking in the mirror and it never stopped being creepy.

"Ichi-ji, first of all, you are the Clan's Keeper. It's pretty much a set fact that you'll be here till the very end of time. Hell, half the kids think you're immortal or something." Ichigo snorted at this, and Kaien's brow spasmed further. "Secondly, while that may be the way of the Shiba, you just let a bunch of kids go into the wolves den. Those brats aren't even Shiba to begin with!"

Ichigo frowned disapprovingly at the younger man, and the mere action made Kaien reel back and straighten to attention. "Did you meet any of them, Kaien-chan?"

The raven head's shoulders slumped at this change of subject but answered anyways. "Some of them. I was asked if I was old as dirt too since we obviously look so much alike. Miyako set them straight of course. Why?"

That made sense. In no way would Miyako want to be considered a grave robber. Ichigo nodded and spared Kukaku a quick glance. The women wasn't smoking, but she was fingering her pipe like she usually did when she wanted to but was avoiding it in Ichigo's presence like she always did even though Ichigo had repeatedly told her it was fine and would not affect his health either way. "Did you sense it, Kukaku?" he asked seriously.

The person in question paused her fiddling and raised a calm brow in question. "Was I supposed to sense something?"

Ichigo nodded as his suspicions were confirmed and he swiped the kiseru from Kukaku's hands faster than anyone thought possible. By the time they realized the pipe was no longer in her hands, he had already lit it up with an imperceptible spark of his fiery reiatsu and taken a drag.

"Karin and Yuzu, the twins," He began somewhat evasively. "Those two girls are Shiba."

Kukaku and Kaien froze in place, but Miyako merely frowned before asking. "Truly? Why would you say so, Ji-sama?"

Ichigo took another drag of smoke before handing the kiseru back to Kukaku who took it with stiff movements. "They are elementals. Real elementals, not just Zanpaktou based elementals like you see on certain souls. We all know that the Shiba are the only ones who have shown elemental abilities outside of a Zanpaktou ability, and you could feel their soul resonating with the world."

Kaien groaned into his hands as if this entire conversation pained him greatly before asking in a muffled voice. "You know only you and Unohana-taicho have the reiatsu sensitivity to notice that. Why would you think either Kukaku or I would realize the two were Shiba?"

Ichigo hummed to himself as he took a last sip of his tea before handing the cup to Daisuke who was there to receive it before Ichigo had even thought to pass it on. "Why else? We're Shiba. Instinct of course."

Kaien hadn't been happy with the outcome of the conversation, but in the end there was nothing that could be done. He and some choice subordinates were clued into what was going on and helped where they could, but in the end it was impossible to keep track of a group that didn't want to be noticed.

Ichigo knew they would be fine, and that had nothing to do with his knowledge of past events, and everything to do with confidence in their abilities and strength. Even then, because after all these centuries he still considered the twins his sisters and the others his friends, on the seventh day of the invasion and the morning after Karin fought Kenpachi, he wakes up with his usual pain and uses his reiatsu to soothe his body just enough to make a trip into Sereitei without keeling over.

When he informs everyone at breakfast, no one is particularly happy with his decision, but in the end no one can really stop him when he sets his mind to do something. Kaien, Miyako and Daisuke walk him into Sereitei like they are guiding someone made of glass. Yes, the amount of reiatsu he has damages his body and makes his joints hurt and his lungs burn but there is a reason why he conserves his energy for instances like these, and it's so he doesn't have to worry about each movement and breath he takes like usual.

Once and only once he had tried to use his reiatsu to take away the pain and strengthen his body to withstand his power for days at a time, but after two consecutive weeks his concentration had wanned, and it all came crashing down on him like a tidal wave of agony that had him choking on his very breath. He had laid unconscious for over five weeks and hadn't been able to leave his bed for another two. Now in days he has learned to limit the amount of strengthening he does to his body for days he needs to run errands like this or strengthens his body further for days he actually needs to fight. He had saved Miyako and Kaien back then using it, and while the hollow hadn't been tough, the speed and precision he had needed to fry all the camera flies Aizen had setup before he intervened had taken a toll on him and he had been bedridden for a whole day. It had been worth it though; so very worth it and he did not regret it for a second. He could let his reiatsu run rampant and free which would limit the amount of power contained to his body which caused his issues, but if he did that he wouldn't be able to even interact with anyone below captain level reiatsu without crushing them and he was not willing to do that. In theory he could also relocate to the Spirit Palace where the King's influence would act as buffer, but that sounded just as lonely as the other alternative.

Physical pain he could withstand, emotional pain was a whole other can of worms.

Once they passed the 13th division, Ichigo was left with only Daisuke for company. He can't say he makes this trip often enough for it to be habit, but every couple months he takes the trek to Sereitei and visits the Captain Commander so they both know the path with perfect precision and no one really stops them. After all these eons, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni is the only person he regularly interacts with which has known him since he crash landed into the past. He remembers the old man as a stubborn brash young man with too much reiatsu on his shoulders, and back then people had put the two side by side and marveled at their equally powerful reiatsu. It wasn't until his power continued to grow and he started to burn from the inside out about three hundred years after his arrival that they noticed just how much more Ichigo was and how terrifying it was is.

"I can't do anything about it." Shigekuni answered preemptively, his tone gravely and old in a way that always awed Ichigo. Yes he was older than him, but when it came down to it, the Captain Commander was likely only two centuries more and yet the two looked like they were on completely different points in their life. Ichigo doesn't know any other three-thousand-year-old people out there, but he's certain Shigekuni has aged superbly since the average old age life span of a Shinigami is nine hundred years old. Once again, it's Ichigo who is the anomaly that has only visibly aged maybe eight years.

"I wasn't going to ask." Ichigo tells the old man. "Besides, it's the Central who gave the order, I know you won't do anything about it."

He's judging him, and Shigekuni knows it. He has told the Captain Commander that he is letting them walk all over him, but all he ever gets is a grumbled reply and a pointed comment about Ichigo taking over -they both know he's not being serious only because Ichigo's health did not permit it.

"What do you want then?" the old man asks, not even bothering with some of their usual sing and dance. He must be absolutely swamped in paperwork what with the invasion force and Aizen's 'death'. Ichigo's not surprised the Captain Commander doesn't want to waste much time and only received him in because it's him.

"A bit of a warning." Ichigo begins in a tone that hushes the wind and makes the world stop and turn to give him his full attention. He doesn't do it often, but if there is one benefit in having this much power, it's the minor connection he has with the universe. "It's what comes after that you need to focus on, and it's not what you think."

Shigekuni reels back a bit at this vague comment, but it's not the first time Ichigo has given him elusive advise and so he knows he won't get anything else if Ichigo has decided to keep quiet. He files it away and promises to remember, because there is no way that Ichigo would make the journey here to give useless information.

"Anything else?" He asks just in case.

Ichigo smiles, slowly and deceptively sweet. "Make sure you don't crisp your little disciples."

Jushiro and Shunsui haven't been Shigekuni's students or subordinates in almost one thousand years and they've been captains for eight hundred. Even then, Ichigo took great joy in always referring to those younger than him -everyone except Shigekuni- as if they were still kids. It was a good feeling, flipping the board on them even if they didn't know it -oh well.

Shigekuni grumbled under his breath, and Ichigo didn't mention it because it didn't matter. He had done what he had come to do.

The day of the execution he woke up like he usually did and pretended to not notice Kaien, Miyako and Kukaku commiserating on what they were going to do with the execution scheduled for noon. He made sure they didn't suspect a thing and turned a blind eye when they all scatter to Spirit King knows where for whatever it was they were plotting.

After eating, he had settled on the engawa in front of the koi pond where he sometimes spent his time, but instead of his usual relaxing, he dove into his inner world and opened the flood gates. Some of his reiatsu was immediately redirected to run through his veins and stabilize his body to top form and the rest built up his reserves so he had power to work with. A good chunk of his immediately accessible reiatsu was used on keeping his existence grounded, and he needed reiatsu at his disposal to work with since stopping mid battle to open his reserves further was just asking for trouble.

As he exited his inner world slowly to make sure all his control didn't suddenly slip, he started noticing out in the distance the clashing of Karin's reiatsu and Byakuya pushing back. Looks like he had timed everything properly, and from the looks of it, the troublesome trio were scattered across Sereitei doing whatever part of the plan they had hashed to help rescue Rukia.

Never mind that, they were alive and soon enough would gather in Sogyoku Hill for the reveal, he could reprimand them then for reckless behavior.

"Daisuke." He called out strongly and was not surprised when the man in question materialized at his side half a second before he finished speaking his name. "I'm going to Sereitei. You can follow, but I'm not waiting for you."

His retainer stiffened, his spine locking with steel as he noticed that glint in Ichigo's eyes that would not budge. He was likely remembering that time he had run off to save Miyako and how he had been unable to keep up and Ichigo had been unwilling to stop an explain.

"Destination Ichigo-sama?" Daisuke asked instead of even trying to dissuade him. He probably thought he could at least catch up if he knew where Ichigo was going.

"Sogoyku hill." Ichigo informed him tersely. "Don't get involved in the fighting."

Daisuke nodded. He was a talented Shiba retainer, and was trained enough to defend himself from low level hollows and keep up with mid-lieutenant speed but that was all. Duty was the only thing motivating the man to follow, and if asked, that would be his answer even though it was not the full truth. Devotion was a more accurate word, and it would guide him into hell itself if that is where the orange head went. Ichigo held his eyes and did not mention it.

As he arrived on the battlefield, he made sure to set himself right besides Kaien as if he had always been there, and as Aizen was monologuing about his diabolical plans, it was a good three minutes before his eyes almost skittered past Ichigo until he did a discrete double take and stopped his speech.

"Oh, and who might you be?" the megalomaniac inquired arrogantly, and his question made everyone -including Kaien who hadn't noticed him- to swivel around to stare at him.

"Just passing by." Ichigo told his audience and he heard Shigekuni groan into his hands and curse his very name. "I'm Shiba Ichigo."

Aizen furrowed his brows slightly, likely trying to identify him as his eyes flittered from his Zanpaktou sealed at his waist and his face which was almost identical to Kaien's.

"So Shiba-fukutaicho had a twin." The brunet began. "What can a non-gotei 13 soul -Shiba trained or not- do against me when everyone else has failed?"

"Oh no." Kaien whined out loud, the sheer pain laced into the two words almost astonishing in the wake of Aizen's conclusion.

"Well," Ichigo began languidly as he unsheathed Zangestu. "this isn't the first time I'm confused as Kaien-chan's twin." Said person twitched at the childish address. "But I think I should make something clear, so there are no misunderstandings. I am the Shiba Ichigo."

Aizen seemed to choke on a laugh as Ichigo took a couple steps forward to where Aizen was still holding Rukia by the red chocker like some sort of misbehaved pet. "The Shiba Ichigo? Don't make me laugh. Shiba Ichigo the first is the Captain Commander's age, there is no way-"

Ichigo's next step blurred and next thing anyone knew he had Aizen pinned to the ground with the tip of his blade resting on his jugular and a hand resting on the megalomaniac's chest to push him down. "Ask him, he'll tell you it's me, it's always been me." He presses his reiatsu further and Aizen starts suffocating under the power of a being who has half a foot on the throne and everything he is. "Bakudō #99, Kin!"

The black straps restrain Aizen, and he grunts at the force with which it ties him to the ground. Ichigo merely watches impassively as it tightens further.

The man is thrashing under the Bakudō, but if there is one thing he can count on, it's the fact that the stronger the reiatsu of the one casting, the stronger the bindings become and there is no one stronger then him besides the Spirit King. Aizen is howling in rage and indigency, and while Tousen and Gin look like they might come to his rescue -Tousen really, Gin is only pretending to care after all- they are being detained by some of the captains and can only watch as Aizen throws around his astronomical reiatsu and still fails.

Ichigo heaves a breath, and while a part of him thought it would be a good idea to leave Aizen alive to pay for his crimes and confess, another bigger part of him knows that will never happen. He twirls his Zanpaktou until he has the hilt in a reverse grip and proclaims in an almost monotonous tone. "Pierce the heavens asunder, Zangetsu."

The hill is awash with his reiatsu, and more than one person is sent to their knees or at the very least clenches their jaw. Ichigo did try to restrain himself, but it's an almost impossible task and would likely tax his body even further.

Killing Aizen is the plan, but destroying the hogyokus on his person are the main goal and why he's expending so much power. Back then, in the future that never was and the desolate wasteland he left behind after a three-way showdown between Aizen and Ywach, he had managed to destroy it with a highly condensed attack and now would be no different.

He raises a finger to the sky as he begins the first part of his planned attacks and knows his eyes have flickered to a molten golden as his black on red reiatsu raises even further and clouds the sky into darkness.

"Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness. Hadō #90. Kurohitsugi!" the eerie black and purple box starts to encase Aizen and his screams begin to fade into the background as he's seemingly sealed into the box.

It may not be enough.

It won't be enough.

Before the power even settles and the Kido is completed, he whispers into the wind. "Ban-kai."

Looks like two weeks of bedrest await his future.

Not to be continued…?

So, four years ago, April 20th 2017 06:31AM CDT to be specific, Kraziekat on AO3 left a review for chapter 16 requesting a physically lame Ichigo and at the time, I thought the idea had merit but didn't know how to make a story out of it and something I would like to write. Years later, I did it. Kraziekat, if by any chance you're still out there reading my fanfiction, this one is for you.

The concept is, because Ichigo is still part human, his growth potential is so insane. Even after all these years his power merely continues to grow little at a time and it's burning him from the inside out. Yes, time travel is involved.

I made up the amount of days the Soul Society invasion team is in Soul Society before Rukia's execution because watching old episodes and reading the Wikia made my math make no sense what so ever so let's pretend they were wrecking havoc for ten days.