So, now we are on to the first actual chapter on the day of the celebration. there is some more deck chair movement beforehand as well as a bit of worldbuilding involving the role of the Shiba clan in the greater ecosystem of the Seireitei.
The morning of the celebration started with a loud crash as the Tenchuren landed in the main courtyard. Those who had been in Soul Society for a while knew that this was happening. It was the entire reason why the courtyard had yet to be fully converted for the event, and the entire reason the celebration was taking place on this day.
The Tenchuren had come down with a full shipment of asauchi. This was standard operating procedure for the Shiba family, and many of those who had returned were already in work clothes and had carts with colored ribbons on them ready to go.
This was the purpose of the Shiba clan, the reception, and distribution of asauchi to those who would need them. Each person in the courtyard immediately sprung into action once the doors of the Tenchuren opened.
Kukaku started directing everyone in what amounted to well-rehearsed chaos. Bundles of swords were respectfully taken from the Tenchuren, each marked by a colored rope holding them together. Orange for the Shihoins, green for the Tsunayashiros, blue for the Kuchikis, purple for the Yayaharas, white for the Gotei 13, and red for the Shiba's own stock, and an assortment of other colors for those who had also requisitioned asauchi.
Each bundle was put in the cart with the corresponding color. Soon, in a mere ten minutes after the unloading had started the first batch of carts were full.
"Alright, movers, get the next set of carts," Ganju directed those who were to be taking the carts to where they would be received to get the next set of empty carts. In spite of being nobles, nobody here was dressed in a way that implied as such. Everyone wore work clothes. Sure, they may be nice by most standards, but they weren't ornate.
The new carts were in position at the exact time the next bundles of asauchi arrived to be placed respectfully into the carts. Every Shiba grew up knowing the importance of these blades and what they represented, and thus, in the entirety of this chaos, there was never a single move made that would ever bring any harm to the virgin blades being handled.
Kukaku observed the whole operation from the top of a pedestal in the courtyard. Carefully directing each and every step of this process while a cousin of hers directed the unloading of the Tenchuren and Ganju directed the loading of the carts. It was good to be doing this again.
Karin awoke to a loud bang and the ground shaking as it felt like something impacted the ground with the force of a missile. She was wide-eyed and in a near panic, but had no idea what happened. So she quickly changed into her workout clothes, grabbed her zanpakuto, and ran to the courtyard. On the way there she ran into her father who was already up and dressed.
"Dad, what in the actual FUCK was that?"
"Oh, that was the Tenchuren landing," Ishin spoke as though she was supposed to know this already.
"That would be useful, if I knew what that meant," Karin all but yelled at her father.
"It's how you go to and from the Soul Palace," Isshin scratched the back of his head, he forgot to tell her about what the Shibas did…
"It's why we have the massive cannon next to the main courtyard isn't it?" Karin's face changed to a face of resigned frustration
"Yeah…" Isshin then looked away from his daughter.
"Can't this family do anything normally!?" Karin yelled into the sky in frustration. Her entire life dealing with her father's shinanigans did not prepare her for the level of fuckery that was father's side of the family.
It was at this moment that Tatsuki, Orihime, and Chad walked up. Keigo and Mizurio were further away from the main courtyard, but they were probably awoken by it as well.
"Does anyone have any idea what the hell that was?" Tatsuki looked as though she was half asleep, as did Orihime and both were still in pajamas. Chad was fully dressed and seemed to be unbothered.
"It was the asauchi shipment that was supposed to arrive today," Chad spoke calmly, as though they had all been told.
"Chad, how do you know that?" Orihime was curious. She didn't remember hearing anything about it.
"Kukaku explained it just after we arrived," While Ichigo, Ginjo, and Tatsuki were yelling at Keigo and Isshin went unsaid. Karin had joined in once she walked through the senkaimon, and Orihime was largely distracted by the situation at large.
It was then Keigo and Mizurio walked in.
"Could someone have warned us about that?" Keigo looked like he fell off his bed. While Mizurio looked perfectly fine.
"You were busy being chased by Ichigo and Tatsuki," Mizurio was also there when Kukaku warned them about the morning arrival, and so woke up before the Tenchuren landed. Kukaku said it was their problem if they missed it and so Chad and Mizurio didn't tell anyone.
"By the way, where's Ichigo?" Tatsuki knew he was close by, so why wasn't he here?
"He's still in his room," Chad responded quietly, His voice in its usual calm tone.
"How he can sleep through that is beyond me," Keigo scratched the back of his head. He lacked his usual energy due to the rude awakening.
Ichigo was in his room practicing some of the less explosive techniques Rukia taught him. The spinning whistle had all but flown apart the first time he tried it, the strings snapping from the sheer violence of the spinning it was subjected to. The 'ball of light" was also similarly off the table as he somehow caused that to explode as well. So this time he was going to do one that was less precise. Which was good as Ginjo kicked down the door to his room.
"Oi, Ichigo, the boss wants you in the courtyard," Ginjo had gone out of his way on several occasions to annoy Ichigo. This time he broke the door to the room right after he had had it replaced after his dad's stunt yesterday.
"What the hell, I just had that replaced!" Ichigo was really not liking how everyone just ignored knocking and just broke in around here.
"Don't care, boss wants you outside," With that Ginjo grabbed Ichigo and started dragging him by his shihakusho. Fortunately, Ichigo was able to break the grip quickly and get up.
"Alright I get the point, just let me get my haori on," Ichigo grabbed the red haori and put it on before walking with Ginjo to the courtyard.
"So, how's your training," While Ginjo had originally planned to use Ichigo as a chump before he died, he had grown to like the kid during his time training him. Sure, he still thought he was a naive dumbass for thinking that the shinigami were good people, but Ichigo himself was a good person. It also helped that Ichigo had demanded that his body be returned to the living world for burial there, so there were some brownie points there for him.
"Not the best, but I learned how to seal Zangetsu, and I have had some success with controlling my reiatsu," Ichigo spoke casually with the person who was now in charge of security for the manor.
"Good, you need to learn how to control all of that without that bullshit tracker Ukitake gave you," Ginjo referred to the substitute badge, which was made for a threefold purpose. To limit the power of the holder, to analyze the reiatsu of the holder, and to spy on the holder.
Ichigo sighed. He was going on about Ukitake again, and he was honestly sick of it.
"I refuse to believe it was Ukitake who was hunting you guys down," It wasn't in the late captain's m.o. to pull that kind of move, and he had even said he wasn't fully aware of the situation back then when it happened.
"You're just saying that because his lieutenant is your girlfriend," Ginjo said that intending to dismiss the point as biased. What he got instead was a blank look as Ichigo's train of thought had derailed entirely.
"We're not dating…" Ginjo now looked at Ichigo after his own thoughts were detailed.
"Wait, you're telling me that you were willing to potentially become a hollow," Ichigo nodded, "face an unknown army of incredible strength and ability to kill you multiple times over," Ichigo could attest to that one, "attain bankai in two days!" Ichigo grimaced, when he said it like that it did make it clear that was a big deal, "all for her, and you aren't an item?" Ginjo had seen the relief on Ichigo's face when Rukia had stabbed him with the blade that gave him back his powers. He had genuinely thought they were a thing.
"When you put it like that it-"
"Makes you sound like a complete idiot," Ginjo looked at Ichigo with a calmer expression. "Do you do this for all of your friends?"
"Uh…" Ichigo was trying to not talk about how he had gone straight into Hueco Mundo against the request of Yamamoto himself to save Orihime and how he had been brought to near death on multiple occasions.
"You do…" Ginjo blinked. "How are you not dead yet?"
Ichigo shrugged. Ignoring the times that Kenpachi, Byakuya, Grimjow, and Ulquiorra all almost killed him.
"Alright, that's it, let's get to the damned courtyard."
Kukaku was still looking over the unloading of the Tenchuren when Ginjo had brought Ichigo as requested.
"Brought the brat as you requested," Ginjo pointed to Ichigo behind him. It looked as though Ichigo was about to protest before Kukaku spoke.
"Good, Ginjo, you are dismissed," She waved with her good arm to dismiss him. Ginjo nodded before leaving the courtyard.
"So, why'd you want me here?" Ichigo looked over at Kukaku as she was standing on a platform looking over the courtyard.
"Look," she pointed to the courtyard. "That there is our purpose, what we do for Soul Society," Ichigo looked at everything happening, the moving of bundles of asauchi from the Tenchuren to the various carts. "When you become head of the clan, looking over this will become your responsibility."
Ichigo looked over the entire thing. It was sobering to know that he would be in charge of what may very well be the most critical logistical act in Soul Society. He also knew that there was another reason for his being here.
"There's something else you want to tell me," Ichigo looked over at Kukaku.
Kukaku sighed as she looked over at him.
"Not here, there are too many people right now," Kukaku resumed looking over the unloading of the Tenchuren.
Aura Michibane stood before a large screen surrounded by specialized biological matter. This device installed deep in the new Xcution base. She had been slowly gathering followers. Fullbringers who had lost someone to the shinigami, or those who had proclaimed she was a saint. She didn't care for any of it, but it was useful, it allowed her to move her plans forward.
Then the screen lit up, the face of one Tokinada Tsunayashiro appearing upon it.
"Aura, it's good to see you again," Tokinada spoke in his usual saccharine tone, one that belied a sharply venomous tongue.
"Indeed, have the other nobles acquiesced?" She was worried about the delays. With the Shiba now in the picture again, they must move with all due haste to ensure they can create their new world before they can be discovered by those who would oppose them prematurely.
"Patience Aura, patience. I have not yet had time to call for the meeting, but I have scoped out those we need to bring on board," Aura sighed. Every day Tokinada delayed is another day they can be discovered.
"You may have the protections afforded to you by nobility, but I do not," The six-month delay in their plans was pushing it in her eyes. Should she be discovered by Soul Society or possibly even Urahara, she wasn't sure if the plan would be able to move forward.
"Please, I intend to call the meeting this week. As for support, I fear that the Kuchiki and Shihoin will be against us," He had spoken with Byakuya and Yushiro before. It was clear that they would never support his plan, and playing to Yoruichi wasn't an option due to her… dislike of him. The Yayaharas were not so clear-cut, as they were in charge of watching hell, their primary concerns rested in hell and hell alone.
"What of the Shiba?" Aura knew that they could be the key to all of this. Their presence allowed for the very foundation of Soul Society's laws to be changed. Not to mention that if they were to cooperate, they could leverage their logistical responsibilities into bringing the other clans around.
"Unknown. Kukaku will most definitely reject the proposal as I am the one making it, but if she sends Ichigo to represent the clan, he may support us when I tell him the truth of our ancestors," Tokinadas face split with a grin, Aura's did not. She had spoken to Yukio about Ichigo, and he was one of the major hurdles in their plan. She knew that he wouldn't play along, and she had a plan all ready to go to isolate him from the situation, but the reinstatement of the Shibas and his being made heir blew that sky high.
"Unlikely. Ichigo has chosen the side of the Shinigami every time after his initial raid on Soul Society," she spoke of his rescue of one Rukia Kuchiki. If the Kuchikis stand against Tokinada, then she will, and if she stands against Tokinada, then Ichigo will. To think otherwise was foolish to her.
"Then we will need to resort to contingencies," Tokinadas face darkened as his smile grew wider. He wanted this to be the case. Putting the screws into Ichigo or Kukaku would be exquisite.
"I see, then we must move with haste," Aura terminated the connection. Her mind already working on ways to remove Ichigo as a factor. Her original plan may not be usable, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be salvaged for other purposes.
Ichigo and Kukaku were now in a quiet room in the manor while the courtyard underwent final preparations for the celebration tonight after the Tenchuren had undergone preparations to be returned to the royal realm.
"What was it you needed to speak to me about," Ichigo looked to Kukaku with a face of concern.
"Oetsu had informed me of a situation in the royal realm when he told me of the shipment for today. A very dangerous relic was stolen during the war, and not by the quincy," The missive was a shock to her. Oetsu rarely corresponded even with the Shiba because he was so engrossed in his work. So for him to alert her meant this was a huge problem.
"What?" Ichigo's mind was trying to put everything together, how and why would someone try to steal such a relic from the royal realm, and what opportunity would they have to do it?
"Apparently someone was able to take advantage of the ocean in Oetsu's realm having been dried up from reforging Zangetsu," Kukaku spoke quietly. She didn't want anyone overhearing.
"Shit…" Ichigo cursed. If he hadn't let Yhwach's words get to him he wouldn't have needed to reforge his zanpakuto.
"Don't beat yourself up. Oetsu said that unless the people who stole it have a soul king candidate we don't have a problem," Kukaku spoke reassuringly.
"That's the problem. I think I saw that weapon. It was on the back of Tokinada's retainer," Ichigo had remembered how the blade's reiatsu had felt wildly different from its wielder's. He also remembered the wielder's own weird reiatsu. "I also felt a patchwork of shinigami, hollow, and quincy reiatsu coming from his retainer as well."
"Well fuck." Kukaku knew who had the relic and that they had a soul king candidate. Tokinada was up to something and she didn't like it one bit.
so. we finally meet Aura Michibane. I'll be honest I think she may be a hard character for me to write, so I hope you like my take on things so far. feedback is always welcome.