Before we begin i have to make one clarification. In this story Kukaku and Ganju will be Isshin's sister and brother, thus Ichigo's aunt and uncle. This was an intended change because i never really liked how Kubo made them "A separate branch of the Shiba Clan". Having them being Ichigo's uncle and aunt makes much more sense, at least as far as i'm concerned.
As always i hope you enjoy the chapter and please let me know if it has some problems or inconsistencies with the source material.
Chapter 3: It Begins, Once More
It didn't take long for the news of Ichigo's death to reach all of the people who knew him. The next morning, the rain of last night had given away to another beautiful, sunny day with few to no clouds in the sky, a far cry from the thundery weather of the day before.
Thus, our focus now shifts from the house of the Kurosaki family to what appeared to be a simple, two store shop located in the Mitsumiya District of Karakura Town. Two teenage boys were playing baseball right in front of it as it was Sunday, therefore they didn't have to go to school.
One of them with black spiky hair, a red shirt and short black pants, holding a baseball bat in his left hand and a ball on his right one, held the the ball up slightly and declared "Jinta Home Run!" with a smile before letting it go and hitting it with his bat, propelling it towards his friend with the glove, a slightly overweight teen that wore a black shirt with a green jacket above and brown short pants who replied "Got it"…
Only for another hand to stop the ball in its tracks mid-flight before said teen could catch it, surprising both of them. Then an annoyed voice, that of another teenage boy came "Quit hitting the baseball….."
The kid with the red shirt had only had time for his eyes to widen as the one who caught the ball yelled "IN FRONT OF SOMEONE'S HOUSE!" and threw the ball back at him in less than a second with shocking speed, hitting him square in the stomach with it, knocking the air out of him and causing the teen to fall on the ground with his arms clutching his stomach. Then a shadow loomed over the teen as he was still clutching his poor stomach, so he turned his head to the right and saw the one responsible for throwing the ball back into his stomach "Oh, hey Jinta….." he managed after gathering some air.
Looming over him was Jinta Hanakari, one of the three employees of the Urahara Shop, the shop that actually caters to all Soul Reaper needs, but that was also open to all clients who were spiritually aware. The redhead had grown considerably in a year, now standing a good 1,5 meters tall with his hair slicked back and he now wore a sleveless blue shirt above his white t-shirt, edged with white and grey pants and no shoes, which left his feet bare.
"And the only one allowed to hit a Jinta Home Run is me!" he proclaimed, looking at the kid he had just struck in the stomach with disdain and annoyance, only to be struck in the head by a karate chop. The redhead teenager immediately froze in place upon being struck, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he comically fell down on the ground, unconscious. The one responsible for this was an incredibly tall and muscular, lightly tan skinned man that had cornrowed black hair and a large handlebar moustache connected to his sideburns. He wore a pair of rectangular-shaped glasses and a white muscle shirt with a blue apron above, olive green pants and brown shoes. He was in fact Tessai Tsukabishi, former Captain of the Kido Corps, now living as a human in the World of the Living in a Reiatsu Concealing Gigai after being exiled from the Soul Society due to being framed by Aizen along with Kisuke Urahara for what happened to the Vizards more than a century ago. He hadn't changed at all ever since Ichigo and his friends met him along with Kisuke for the first time, more than a year ago.
"It is not right to throw a baseball that hard at someone who doesn't even have a mitt." he spoke, chastisizing the now unconscious Jinta as he picked him up by his armpits and easily put him up on his left shoulder. At the same time, out of the newly opened door of the shop, came an utterly beautiful girl with long black hair with a purple tint, divided into two long pigtails and short strands between her blue eyes. She wore a brown school uniform as well as white socks and brown school shoes. In spite of now looking like a young woman, she was in fact Ururu Tsumugiya, one of the other two owners of the shop along with her superior Tessai. It was almost unbeliavable how much she had grown in just a year, how her body had changed from that of a cute young girl, to the voluptous and attractive one of a young woman.
Putting her soft hands on her thighs and kneeling slightly towards the two teens, Ururu, with her usual gloomy and sad expression on her face apologised by saying "We're sorry. Is your stomach okay?" she then turned towards Jinta and remarked "I know that Jinta can act so juvenile….." before turning towards the two teens again and giving them a soft, radiant smile "But would you still be willing to play with him sometime?" she asked them, her voice so beautiful, enchanting and soothing in spite of her somewhat gloomy expression that, coupled with the beauty of her body, it entranced the two teens, yes, even the one that was still lying on the ground clutching his stomach.
"Yeah…. Why…. We'd love too." proclaimed the two teens with a blush on their cheeks, ammaliated by Ururu's beauty. To them it was like seeing and hearing an angel. And with that they got up and left.
And while Ururu and Tessai with the unconscious Jinta still on his shoulder, returned to the door of the shop, now opening it fully, thus opening the shop to its clientele like every day, a familiar voice interrupted them "Is Mister Urahara home?" causing them to turn towards where it came from.
Before they could answer, the owner of the shop cheerfully replied "Yes, here i am." and sure enough, out of the shop walked out the former captain of Squad Twelve, Kisuke Urahara, the tall, lean man with light skin, gray eyes, messy, light-blond hair with strands framing the sides of his face and hanging between his eyes and with chin stubble, not having changed in the slightest in the course of the year, still wearing the same dark green samue with a black haori above, traditional geta sandals and his trademark striped dark green and white bucket hat.
With his fan in his hand and with his usual laid-back smile, he greeted "Well, i didn't expect you to come here so soon, Mister Ishida." greeting none other than Uryu, flanked by Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro.
"We all came as soon as we heard the news of what happened." stated the Quincy, wearing a white shirt and grey jeans.
"Yeah, we thought you and your employees would already know and since we know Ichigo's not actually gone yet, we figured out he might have come to your place." added Tatsuki who wore a black shirt with a red jacket above as well as black pants and shoes. Kisuke and Tessai were surprised of how relatively calm Ichigo's friends were and how well they had taken the news of his death. Then again, they had already filled them out on what Ichigo and his spiritually aware friends had been doing all along, so they knew that he still existed, albeit as a soul.
His smile leaving his lips, Kisuke looked at the teens seriously before stating dryily "You're right about that, Miss Arisawa. Although he didn't come here yet." he then paused, his gaze wandering towards the ground "He probably had some talk he needed to have with his father." earning a puzzled look from all four teenagers.
"What do you mean, Mister Urahara? You talk as if you're involved in all of this." asked Mizuiro, who was wearing a red shirt with a white sweater on top as well as light grey jeans and black shoes, not understanding why he sounded so worried.
"That's because he actually is. There is still much we haven't told you." came another voice from within the shop, a slightly deep, masculine one. Everyone turned towards where it came and Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo were surprised to see a black cat with yellow eyes coming out of it.
"Oh, hi there, Yoruichi. Seems you've decided to join us on this meeting too." greeted casually Kisuke with a smile while putting his fan in front of his face. Uryu, already acquainted with the cat, due to it having accompanied him and his friends to the Soul Society, simply bowed down and greeted, more politely "Mister Yoruichi." having never seen… its true side.
"Can it, Kisuke. This whole thing is a lot more serious than what you think. We have no time for jok-" replied the cat, now known as Yoruichi, only to stop upon noticing Ichigo's highschool friends, people it never had the chance to be introduced to "Ah, you must be Ichigo's classmates. We never got the chance to introduce ourselves. I'm Yoruichi and i….." began the cat again, only for a puzzled look to make its way on his face as soon as he saw the dumbfounded looks on Tatsuki, Mizuiro and especially Keigo. Yoruichi then asked "Ehmmm….. Why are you staring at me like that?" with an awkward tone.
A few moments of silence that seemed like an eternity passed before…..
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH! NO WAY! THAT CAT CAN TALK!" comically shouted Keigo, while putting his hands in front of him in a scared and defensive posture. Uryu, Tatsuki, Mizuiro and even Yoruichi all sweat-dropped at the sight of the 17 year old freaking out at a talking cat after all the supernatural stuff he had seen.
"And i thought i overreacted when i first met him….." mused an embarrassed Uryu in his mind, recalling how he had pretty much the exact same reaction when he met Yoruichi for the first time when the cat, Orihime and Chad went to visit him while he was training in a favorite secluded spot of his that was near a waterfall.
"Really? That's how you react to a talking cat after all the crazy and scary stuff you and your friends have seen?" sighed Yoruichi, not expecting the same reaction he got when he met Uryu for the first time. "Honestly, don't be such a wuss." he admonished, expecting a more mature reaction for once.
"And they still haven't seen everything." mused Kisuke to himself in amusement. If this was that kid's reaction of seeing a talking cat, he wondered how he would have reacted if said black cat would have…..
He was pulled out of his lecherous thoughts by another familiar, deep voice "If it makes you feel any better Keigo, i had a similar reaction when i first met him." causing Uryu, Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro to all gasp in shock. As they turned around they were greeted by the sight of a muscular, nearly two meter tall, dark skinned young man with pronounced cheek bones and wavy brown hair than hung over his brown eyes. He wore a dark green long sleeved shirt, blue jeans and white shoes and in spite of his stoic and somewhat menacing appearance, he was someone they all knew very well.
"Chad?" they all called out in surprise, not believing that their friend Yasutora Sado, more commonly known as "Chad" due to being half mexican and half japanese, had also come. He hadn't changed much in the last year ever since the defeat of Aizen, except for a small goatee having grown on his chin.
"Ah, Mister Sado! So you've come too." greeted Kisuke, fan still in front of his face, while Mizuiro asked "You too, Chad? Have you heard about what happened?" in a worried tone.
"Yeah. I was at work yesterday when i found out." he answered, surprising Uryu and Tatsuki slightly. Lately he had begun to skip school, thus they didn't see him as often as they usually did. Keigo and Mizuiro were the only people he had talked with of his recent job.
"So that's why you were skipping school lately. Was it because of a new job you've found?" asked the purple haired tomboy while folding her arms over her chest, looking at the massive young man with an inquisitive look.
"Yeah. I needed some money, so i got employed as a bartender at a local bar in Naruki City." simply stated Chad, surprising Uyu and Tatsuki.
"You, a bartender?" asked Tatsuki in disbelief, pointing at him with a finger "Seriously, how do even fit in a suit?" she asked, not believing what she was hearing.
Adjusting his glasses, Uryu remarked "I see. As surprising as it is to hear that, it's a job i can see you doing very well." he then paused, looking at his friend in seriousness before asking "But how do you plan to combine it with your studies? You're at your last year of high school and you've already skipped several days. You're not actually planning to leave school now that you only have a year left before you graduate, right?"
Chad sighed and replied "Look, it's complicated. A lot has happened in the last few weeks, but it's best if we talk about it another time. Right now we have to….."
Only to be interrupted by a familiar voice "Hi there guys! And good morning to you too, Chad! Been a while since the last time i saw you."
All five teenagers turned towards where the voice came from and promptly spotted Ichigo, Orihime, his dad and his sisters, walking towards them. Normally, nothing would have been out of the ordinary, except for the fact that the orange haired strawberry was now a ghost.
"Ichigo….." called out Tatsuki, Uryu and Chad at the same time, while Mizuiro and Keigo could only look in shock and bewilderment. Kisuke, on the other hand, smiled upon seeing the soul of the young man whom he had taught how to fight in ten days before he and his friends set off to the Soul Society in their quest to save Rukia and with the fan still in front of his face, he jovially greeted "Ichigo, my boy, it's been a while! You really should have come here more often and see all the cool new gadgets we've gotten this year just like your sisters did!
Slightly annoyed at his cheerful behaviour in spite of what had happened, Ichigo sweat-dropped and with an awkward look and voice, he snorted "Really, Kisuke? That's how you greet a guy that only died yesterday?" it was only because he had grown more mature that he didn't immediately punch the buffoon in the face or call him "Hat'n Clogs" as that attitude of his often got him on his nerves, especially with all the ridiculous item gimmicks and training techniques. He may owe him everything for teaching him how to fight and allowing him to go to the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo but that childish side of his still annoyed the crap out of him to no end.
At the same time, the five teens, Uryu and Tatsuki in particular were surprised to see Orihime besides Ichigo and his family. The long purple haired tomboy went to her best friend and greeted "Orihime, you're here too?" with a worried look and tone.
With a saddened look, the orange haired teenage girl replied "Yes. Ichigo was walking me home when we saw this little kid playing football on the sidewalk when he mistakenly threw his ball in the middle of the road. He saw that a car was coming straight towards the poor kid and without a second of hesitation, he jumped in and pushed him away." her voice beaming up slightly, her admiration towards Ichigo made perfectly clear from her tone "But unfortunately he coudn't save himself…"
Uryu, Chad, Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo all looked at Ichigo in awe and admiration. The former two knew him very well, having fought at his side when they went to the Soul Society and to Hueco Mundo but even they had no idea that he actually was this selfless. And of course the three other teens were so blown away by what they had heard that they even had to rethink their entire image of him yes, even Tatsuki.
"Ichigo….." called out a saddened Mizuiro, heartbroken that his life had been cut short so soon.
(OST: "BL_995" funny soundtrack)
"But it doesn't matter, for Ichigo is now a soul and thus isn't completely gone!" declared Orihime, her voice now cheerful, causing the five teens to do a double take "Afterwards we went to his family's house, we had dinner with his dad and sisters and Ichigo even allowed me to sleep with him in his bed!"
Karin and Yuzu sweat-dropped. How could she be so cheerful after all that's happened and all the shocking revelations she had heard last night?
Uryu, Chad and Mizuiro looked at Orihime awkwardly, a little unnerved by how happy she sounded in spite of what happened the day before. However that paled in comparison to Keigo and Tatsuki's reactions.
"HE DID WHAAAATTTT?!" they both yelled at the same time, Keigo in comical shock and Tatsuki in outrage and disbelief. Raising his hands in defense, Ichigo tried to tell them how things really went "Look, i can explain….." while Uryu and Chad sweat-dropped.
Only for Yoruichi to interject "Ichigo, you never cease to amase me." his voice filled with glee and delight at what he heard, causing the spirit of the teen's eyes to widen comically and to turn towards the black cat whom he had not seen for a whole year, who was walking towards him "Y-Yoruichi?!" he called out, caught completely off-guard.
"Literally the first thing you do after dying and becoming a ghost is sleeping with a girl. I didn't know what a skirt-chaser you were beneath all that shy, tough guy exterior of yours." he teased in delight, causing Ichigo's cheeks to turn even redder than a tomato. He had forgotten how much that blasted cat liked to tease him, after all Ichigo was still a teenager and so Yoruichi loved to play with his more….. shy and sensitive side.
He quickly lost it and yelled in embarassment, his arms comically facing the ground parallel to his body and his fists clenched "THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS WENT! I MERELY LET HER SLEEP IN MY BED! BESIDES, HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO MAKE LOVE WITH A LIVING PERSON IF I'M DEAD?!" causing Yoruichi and Kisuke to laugh in amusement and even Isshin had to visibly strain himself in order to not bust out laughing at his son's outburst, while Yuzu gasped in disbelief at the sight of the talking black cat. An ecstatic smile made its way on her lips before she grabbed her cheeks with her hands and exclaimed cutely "Awwww….. A talking cat! So adorable!"
Noticing the joyful look on Ichigo's younger sister, Yoruichi decided to play along and so, he went to Yuzu and rubbed his head on her legs while purring. Yuzu wasted no time and began to pet the black cat, overcome by such cuteness, while Karin could only look in awkward confusion and muse to herself in her mind "This just keeps getting better and better….."
Orihime, with an awkward smile and a blush on her cheeks then chimed in "Really guys we didn't do anything. We merely shared his bed together! That's not the same as making love!"while putting her hands in front of her and waving them left and right in an attempt to deny what happened earning an embarrassed look on both Tatsuki and Uryu.
"Actually, that's exactly what sharing a bed means." bluntly and awkwardly pointed out the Quincy while Tatsuki sighed at the orange haired girl's naivety. Even at this age, she was still as naive and innocent about many things as ever.
Ashamed and with her blush growing even more, Orihime covered her face with her hands in guilt and spoke, her voice abashed "I knew it, i should have slept on the floor! But he was so sweet! I coudn't just say no to him!" and turned away, too embarrassed to look at her friends.
With a sigh, Tatsuki walked to her and gently patted her on the head while reassuring "Don't worry, Orihime. As long as he was nice to you, that's all that matters." while smiling at her. Inside though, a part of her was seething in annoyance "Ichigo, you really are an idiot sometimes. Why didn't you share her bed with her earlier this year?" while looking at the teen, who was still blushing heavily from Yoruichi's teasing, with exasperation.
(Soundtrack Ends)
Turning towards Isshin, Kisuke greeted "Good to see you too, Isshin. I take it from the way things are, that you've told your family everything, right?" his voice still carefree but with a hint of seriousness, gathering the attention of everyone. Ichigo's father, returning the smile, replied "Yeah. And actually, they took it quite well, way better than what i was expecting." while folding his arms over his chest. A look of confusion made its way on the faces of Uryu, Chad, Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo all at once.
Noticing said confusion on all teens's faces, Isshin sighed and remarked "Not sure how these guys will handle the whole story though." feeling a little uncomfortable due to the looks they were giving him. At the same time, Yoruichi walked back towards Kisuke and jumped on his left shoulder.
As the cat climbed onto the top of his bucket hat, the merchant declared stoically "Perhaps it's better if we talk about it over some tea. It's gonna take a while." and motioned everyone to follow him inside his shop. Thus one by one, Ichigo, Isshin, Karin, Yuzu, Orihime, Uryu, Chad, Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo followed Kisuke, Yoruichi, Tessai (with the still unconscious Jinta on his shoulder) into the shop while Ururu closed the door.
Thus, all fourteen people gathered in the hall of the shop were Kisuke would usually have lunch or dinner, removed their shoes out of respect (with the exception of Ichigo since he was a soul) and they all took a place in the room. And after some tea, the merchant as well as Ichigo's father began to retell the events that happened more than 17 years ago.
And needless to say, Ichigo's friends were in for one shocking revelation after another. From learning that Isshin was a Soul Reaper all along (which in particular, shocked Uryu), to learning how he met Masaki for the first time, to how Ichigo actually had his Hollow powers from birth, his Shiba lineage and so on and so forth.
( OST: "Will Of The Heart" )
Uryu coudn't believe all of this. Not only was Ichigo's father a Soul Reaper all along, but he was actually related to Kukaku and Ganju all this time. Most shockingly of all, was the reveal that his friend had inherited his Hollow powers from birth and that the moment he fully lost control of himself when Orihime tried to heal him from the mortal injury Ulquiorra had inflicted on his body, he took on the Hollow White's appearance. And given that he was right there when it happened and that when he lost control, Ichigo threw his sword straight into the Quincy's abdomen when Uryu tried to bring him back to reason and was even about to obliterate him with a Cero where it not for the Fourth Espada managing to cut one of the horns of his mask, thus returning him back to normal, he was by far the most shocked of all those who heard that revelation.
Chad, Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo on the other hand were left speechless by what they heard. All four teenagers, with Chad's exception, found it hard to believe that Ichigo had powers similar to that of a Hollow. Not only that, but they laid dormant within him ever since he was born, locked away by a seal placed on his mother years before he was even conceived.
"Ichigo….." called out the purple haired tomboy seathed near to him, now understanding why he tried to keep her and his friends out of all the mess he had gotten himself into. How even after witnessing him as a Soul Reaper, he still tried to keep her out of harm's way. She coudn't really blame him for that though, after hearing the horrors of what he, Uryu, Orihime and Chad went through and of all the extremely powerful people and monsters they had gone up against. There simply wasn't anything she could have done, if all of them were even a fraction as powerful as the then-godly Aizen who hunted her down along with Keigo, Mizuiro, Chizuru and even Don Kanonji just to test his newfound powers. And she shuddered to think that he had almost turned into a monster, one similar to the jellyfish looking one that almost took control of her and Chizuru and claimed their soul.
Ichigo then turned towards Tatsuki as the long haired girl began to apologise "I'm sorry for how i treated you. Had i known the entire story from the beginning i…." she coudn't finish as the orange haired soul, with a smile, replied "No, it's okay. Even if you came to hate me but were safe and happy, i woudn't have cared. I would have done everything to ensure others were kept safe." causing her to look in his eyes with happiness as he then declared "In fact, if it was up to me, i would have kept even Orihime, Uryu and Chad out of this. But, then i realised that it was never my choice to make, just as it was never my choice to keep you, Mizuiro and Keigo out of all this since sooner or later, you would have all been thrown in the mix no matter what i did and for that i apologise, Tatsuki." his voice earnest and apologetic as well.
"No, Ichigo. You have nothing to apologise for." suddenly proclaimed Keigo who sat on his left, causing everyone to look at him in bewilderement and surprise upon seeing him acting mature instead of freaking out. With a solemn look on his face he added "There was nothing Mizuiro, Tatsuki and i could have done. And considering how both Uryu and Chad even lost an arm at one point, it's only a miracle that we came out of it in one piece after that lunatic Aizen chased us down." earning a nod from the two aformentioned teenagers while Yuzu and Karin, who sat on Ichigo's left and right respectively, shuddered, not even imagining how horrifying it must have been to have experienced such pain while you weren't even a fully grown adult. Uryu and Chad who were seated besides Kisuke, simply took a deep breath, remembering all too well they pain they felt on both occasions.
"It's just like what i said yesterday to my family. Children should not be risking their lives on a daily basis, they should enjoy life, make friends and explore the world. Putting their lives on the line is a choice they should never be…" began Isshin, who sat on Ichigo's right, besides Karin dressed in his Shihakusho, trying to reinforce Keigo's point and reassure Ichigo's frends that what he did was for the better.
Only for Uryu to abrubtly get up and interject "You can stop right there, Mister Kurosaki, if your aim is to lecture us for making our own choices without anyone having to decide for us." visibly ticked off slightly by those words. With everyone greatly surprised by his reaction, Ichigo and Orihime called out "Uryu….."
"I am a Quincy. I have been taught how to fight more than nine years ago by my grandfather Soken Ishida, but he never forced me to make that choice. I made the choice to honor the ways of the Quincy and to fight for no other reason than to protect the weak all by myself." he spoke sternly, rounding his blue eyes towards those of Ichigo's father "We all put our lives on the line to save Rukia and Orihime, because they were our friends. That's all there was to it. That was enough reason for us to fight."
Deep inside, Isshin coudn't help but smile as Uryu's voice softened the more he spoke as he recalled all the memories of his friendships "Heh, he really is the carbon copy of his father…. Still, i'm glad he was able to put aside his hatred of the Soul Reapers and become friends with my son." he mused to himself, making a mental note to himself to be a lot more nicer to him in the future. Ichigo and Orihime were also heartwarmed that Uryu had even come to view Rukia, a Soul Reaper, one of his supposed sworn enemies, a friend.
"That's right." chimed in Chad, his voice ever composed and calm "I put my faith in Ichigo because just as he risked his life to protect me time and time again from various thugs, he was going to do the same for Rukia and Orihime." earning a smile from Keigo and Mizuiro, knowing far too well how deep their friendship was and how far back it went. Chad really was the definition of a gentle giant: he only ever fought back to protect his friends, even going as far as to never retaliate when the various thugs he confronted over the years beat him up.
"Chad….." called out Ichigo, suddenly remembering how he tried to keep even him and Uryu out from his quest to save Orihime, believing that by being with him at a time in which he still coudn't fully control his Hollow Side, they would have been hurt.
"I'm sorry….. For not believing in you and Uryu back then. I just….. I was afraid that by being around me, you would have….." he began, apologising for trying to shun them away at the time, something he had no right to do.
Kisuke, seated right in front of him with Tessai behind him, was the one who interrupted him before he could continue "What did i always tell you, Ichigo?" he asked him seriously, earning the strawberry's attention "Nothing can be born out of fear. Chad and Mister Ishida followed you through hell and back because they believed in you. Did you really think that them knowing how your Hollow powers worked would have shaken their resolve?" he asked him, causing Ichigo to look in the merchant's eyes in realisation, upon recalling everything he taught him.
"And why do you think Orihime, a girl so gentle and sweet she would never hurt even a fly, followed you and your friends without a single moment of hesitation into the Soul Society, knowing full well that she would have faced people who woudn't have thought twice about cutting her down if she was their enemy? For that matter, why is it that she endured all the psychological and physical torture she had to put up with while she was imprisoned inside Las Noches?" asked Yoruichi as well, seated on Kisuke's right shoulder, causing Orihime's lips to part away slightly and her eyes to widen. Tatsuki looked at her friend with commiseration, placing a hand on Orihime's. The first time the orange haired girl told her what she had been through, the tomboy was a few inches away from crying. Tatsuki coudn't even imagine how utterly terrible it must have been for her friend to be tortured psychologically, forced to eat and having her belief that her friends would eventually come to rescue her being berated every single time she expressed it. But in spite of how horrible it was, Orihime surprisingly moved on from the ordeal with a smile on her lips, thanks to her friends and many months of comfort from them.
"Let me tell you why. For the same exact reason Uryu and Chad followed you. She fully believed that you and your friends would have saved her and that's exactly what happened." declared the cat, while Orihime looked away, still a bit ashamed that she coudn't have done more to prevent her from being captured. Ichigo's eyes shaked in realisation while Uryu and Chad looked downwards.
"Ichigo, you should know by now, that no man or woman, no matter how powerful they think they are, is an island. Trying to push everyone you care about away, will only leave you alone. You would have never managed to save Orihime if you charged into Hueco Mundo all alone. Think of it like this: sometimes we need a bridge and other times we are that bridge. No one can truly escape from troubled waters, rough seas and challenging days. There will always be times in our lives when we are given the chance to be the help others need and times when we could use a little help from others. Taking a hand is just as important as offering one. Never forget that." finally proclaimed Isshin as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder, while everyone watched in awe and contemplation. Looking at his father in the eyes, Ichigo soon felt his own eyes blurry with tears of both happiness and sadness as those words hit him deeply. Happiness for hearing just how much gratitude all his friends had for everything he had done for them. And sadness for having died, possibly not ever getting the chance to see some of them again.
"Dad….. Guys…." he managed as he got up, his voice filled with both joy and sorrow "Thank you….. For everything…. I…. I'm sorry….. If only i hadn't thrown myself in the middle of the road to push that kid away i….." looking downwards in shame and regret.
He coudn't finish. One by one, Uryu, Chad, Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo all hugged him deeply in a circle. Isshin, his daughters, Kisuke, Yoruichi and Tessai all watched with a heartwarmed smile as one by one Ichigo's friends voiced their affection towards him all in the same order in which they hugged him.
"Ichigo, you made me realise that i was wrong to assume that all Soul Reapers were selfish bastards. You and i may have gotten off with a rocky start, but you're probably the greatest friend i have ever made in my entire life and for that i thank you."
"Without even knowing me, you faced an entire gang of thugs just to protect me. I will never forget what you did for me that day, for you only affirmed the most important thing my abuelo taught me: you should always fight only to protect those you care about."
"Ichigo, i have known you ever since you were four. Ever since your mother died you were never truly happy. Then Rukia came and by making you a Soul Reaper, little by little, i saw that happiness return to you. Now that you are just a soul, you can finally return to being one again."
"You taught me that you should never judge someone by their looks alone. You and Chad were not the "Hoodlum Bullies from Hell" others made you out. You were a kind and altruistic young man who never tolerated those who picked on those weaker than themselves and who never betrayed the principles you set to yourself. By saving that kid from being run over by a car, you upheld them. And i think that means a lot."
"You know why i tried to cheer you up all this years? I may be a goofy-ass idiot but even i recognise when someone is suffering. When you lost your powers and could never see Rukia again, you were even more depressed than before she entered our lives. You didn't just miss her: you missed being a Soul Reaper in general, having the strength to protect everyone. Well, now you have the chance to get your powers back. And i want you to know that even if we won't see each other again, i'll be happy to know that being a Soul Reaper again will finally bring your happiness back."
Ichigo could only stand still as all of his friends, minus Orihime professed their affection and bond for him, from Uryu declaring that he was his best friend, Chad declaring his admiration for him and his courage, Tatsuki expressing her happiness that he will finally become a Soul Reaper again, Mizuiro being proud of him for saving that kid and finally Keigo declaring that all this time, he acted like an idiot to try and cheer him up because he wanted to see him happy.
Thus, with a joyful smile, he hugged all of his friends back, tears of joy still falling out of his closed eyes, overjowed to have heard just how much they cared about him once more. Deep down, he was heartbroken that he would have probably never be with them again, but he didn't care. They loved him the same.
"Guys….. Thank you….. For everything….." he proclaimed tenderly before as they all broke out of the embrace, he looked at Keigo and remarked "And i was wrong about you too, Keigo. I had no idea you could be this mature." while putting a hand on the brown haired teenager's shoulder, earning a soothing smile from him. Kisuke, Yoruichi, Orihime, Isshin and his daughters all watched happily as the display of friendship with a heartwarmed smile. They were all happy that even after what happened the day before, his friends still supported him, even after he had died.
(Soundtrack Ends)
Then Ichigo's face filled itself with resolve as he looked at the owner of the shop and spoke "Kisuke, i've made up my mind. I want to get my powers back. Let's do that thing with that pit again." earning a serious look from everyone, including his father.
"Are you sure, my son? I could just use Konso and send you directly to the Soul Society. That way…." asked a worried Isshin, seeing his proposal as the safest one. While it would take him at least six years to become a Soul Reaper again, at least this way he woudn't risk turning into a Hollow while becoming one.
"No, dad, this time it will be different. This time i know what i have to do. And this time i don't have to get back my Spirit Energy. I feel it flowing through every inch of my body." Isshin could only watch in awe at the look of pure resolution on his son's face. He really was willing to go through the same process through which he almost became a Hollow again. Once again he had seen just how powerful Ichigo's resolve was.
"I see. You're really willing to go through the Shattered Shaft again, aren't you Ichigo?" asked Kisuke, wanting to hear the answer from him as he knew far too well how painful it was to him the first time. But after Ichigo, without a second of hesitation, nodded, the merchant finally got up and with a smile, he casually spoke "Alright then. If there are no more objections, you may all follow me." while adjusting his hat.
Thus, Kisuke led everyone back towards the main hall of the shop before he removed part of the floor at the center, revealing an astonishingly deep hole and a yellow ladder. One by one they all went down the hole through the ladder which led them to an absolutely massive chamber that was almost as big as an entire city block. It housed what appeared to be a desert-like landscape with many small rocky formations that were at least fifty meters tall and with the ceiling and walls painted to resemble a blue, cloudy sky. It was in fact, Kisuke's Underground Training Room that he had built in just a single day by using technology from the Soul Society.
Yuzu and Karin were in awe at what they were seeing. So much space, in one enormous room underground, so large, it was even bigger than a city block.
"Wow….. This place is huge!" exclaimed the light brown haired sister of Ichigo, while looking around in amazement, while her raven haired sister remarked "Just when i thought i had seen everything…. How the hell did that guy build all of that?"
"It wasn't all that difficult. Mister Urahara simply used his knowledge of the technology of the Soul Society to construct this training ground." pointed out Tessai as he walked besides the two girls, with Ururu on his left surprising them even more, with Jinta, still on his shoulder, who was regaining consciousness.
As soon as he did and realised that he was being carried by the same guy who hit him squarely in the head with a karate chop, he immediately clenched his teeth in anger and yelled "WHAT THE HELL TESSAI! YOU ALMOST SPLIT MY HEAD IN HALF! WHAT IF I GET BRAIN DAMAGE, DAMMIT!" while pounding the tall and muscular man's back with his hands which had absolutely no effect on the former Captain of the Kido Corps.
Without uttering a word, Tessai procedeed to throw Jinta to the ground before he sat on him, while folding his arms over his chest. He then asked admonishingly "And what if you broke that kid's ribcage with that ball you threw at him? You need to be taught some respect, Jinta." as Ururu, with her face emotionless procedeed to grab her left pigtail and use it to tickle Jinta's right foot.
Which, rather predictably caused the redhead to laugh and cry out "GYAHAHAHA! URURU STOP THAT!" and in response Yuzu laughed cutely at how Jinta was being disciplined and even Karin coudn't help but chuckle, agreeing with Tessai that the redhead was way too much of a smug-ass and a slacker at the same time.
Taking a look around, Chad fondly recalled the time in which he trained with Renji in preparation for the war with Aizen and his Arrancar Army and became friends with the Lieutenant of Squad Six "I wonder how he's doing nowadays….." he mused to himself, recalling how he pitted his Brazo Derecho del Diablo against his Zampakuto Zabimaru who, in both its Shikai and Bankai, could extend itself almost without limit, essentially becoming a bladed whip, perfect from both striking enemies from afar and keeping them away from its user.
Everyone then looked in silence as Kisuke stopped walking right in front of Ichigo, with his father besides him.
(OST: "Nothing Can Be Explained" )
"Know this, Ichigo. Once you become a Soul Reaper again, there will be no turning back. You will never be human again. And as you may already know, Soul Reapers can live for much, much longer than humans can. For example, Head Captain Yamamoto, one of the oldest Soul Reapers in existence, is over 1000 years old. I'm sorry for telling it to you like this, but….." began Kisuke, his voice completely devoid of his carefree spirit, sorrowful to tell this to the teen who he was indebted with.
"I'll outlast every single one of my friends….. I'll still be a man in my late twenties to early thirties when they will either be dead or in their old age….." finished Ichigo, having already realised what the merchant meant, while looking towards the ground in dejection. He knew very well that ten years of human life are equivalent to a hundred to that of a Soul Reaper as Rukia revealed to him when he met her for the first time.
Having overheard his and Kisuke's words, his friends and his sisters all looked at him in sadness while all at once, Ichigo's mind was clouded by uncertainty and fear. He didn't know if he could live with such pain and regrets. The pain of living to see his friends grow old while he would remain a youthful man in his late twenties or early thirties by the time they would pass away. But then, Isshin gently placed a hand on his son's left shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. As Ichigo looked at his father, dressed in his Shihakusho, he saw that there was nothing but an encouraging smile on his lips.
"Whatever decision you may make, my son, know that all of us will always be there for you. All we wish for is for you to be happy." he spoke, looking at his son happily. Ichigo then turned backwards and saw that in spite of their sadness, all of the people he cared about were smiling encouragingly at him as well as nodding towards him.
Having made up his mind, Ichigo smiled and nodded back at his friends before turning back towards Kisuke and declaring without hesitation "Let's do it."
Kisuke simply nodded and turned towards Tessai and Ururu who were still disciplining Jinta and called out "Ururu would you be so kind to dig a deep hole? And Tessai, the axe." The mountain of muscles and moustache with the glasses and the young girl immediately procured themselves the axe and the shovel respectively.
And as Ururu proceeded to dig the hole close by at astonighing speeds, surprising everyone in the room, Tessai walked towards Ichigo, Isshin and Kisuke with the axe rested on his left shoulder. He then stopped in front of all three, looked at Ichigo and asked "Are you sure you want to go through this process again, young man? Not to be disrespectful, but the last time you came dangerously close to becoming a Hollow and it seemed to be quite painful." with a concerned tone, wanting to see if the strawberry was truly willing to go through it again.
"Believe me, compared to all the fierce and gruesome battles i went through afterwards, it was nothing. I'm ready." resolutely replied Ichigo, not even bothering to get in detail of all the violent and gruesome ways he nearly lost his life on multiple occasions, chief of which, Kenpachi nearly tearing his guts out with his Zampakuto, Ulquiorra blasting a Cero right in the middle of his chest not once but twice, Byakuya slashing him across the chest faster than his eyes could track in their first encounter and so on and so forth.
As he then extended his chain by throwing most of it on the ground, Tessai simply nodded after seeing the unwavering resolve on Ichigo's face and replied "Very well then. Let us proceed." and with that as soon as Isshin and Kisuke took a step backwards, the former Captain of the Kido Corps swiftly brought down the axe on Ichigo's Chain of Fate, immediately severing it in half. An impressed Kisuke looked at how Ichigo simply stood there motionlessly, his face not twisting in surprise at all as Tessai cut his chain. He had really come a long way.
Just like it happened the first time, Ichigo felt his body growing weak due to the Encroachment progress beginning to take effect but he did his best to ignore the slight pain he felt. At the same time Ururu had finished digging the 60 meter deep hole and declared, with the shovel still in her soft, petite hands "There, it's all finished. You're good to go." her face still gloomy but in spite of that she managed a faint, encouraging smile towards Ichigo.
After exchanging one last look with his father and his first teacher, Ichigo went to the rim of the hole before, without hesitation, he jumped onto it, followed by Tessai while Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, Yuzu, Karin and Orihime all looked in concern as he jumped into the hole, his face devoid of any doubt or hesitation.
"Ichigo.. .. Please, be okay…." mused Orihime to herself, hoping that he would be alright.
As they both landed on the ground harmlessly, sixty meters below, Tessai wasted no time and promptly held his palms away from each other with his arms extended to the sides. He then clasped his hands together, intertwined his fingers intricately and chanted "Bakudo Number 99 Part 1, Kin." and all at once Ichigo's arms were bound to his back by spiritual fabric and iron shafts.
This time Ichigo knew what the muscular man did and thus remained calm as his hands were forcefully bound to his back. Nonetheless, he asked "Is this really necessary? I know how to do it this time."
"Sorry Ichigo, but considering how you almost turned into a Hollow the last time, we can't afford to take any chances. Your arms will remain bound until you have reacquired your powers. And should the worst case scenario happen, i'll use the stronger version of Kin to restrain you before you fully turn into a Hollow. It might kill you in the process, but it would be a far more merciful fate than turning into a creature that lives only to feed on others's souls. Nonetheless, it shoudn't take you as much time as it did last time, given how much your knowledge has expanded." replied truthfully Tessai, pulling no punches in explaining the young man what will happen to him, should he fail to get his Soul Reaper powers back.
Understanding everything, Ichigo nodded and replied "I see. Well, let's get down to it then. And Tessai…" he paused, while the former Captain of the Kido Corps raised a brow "Should you kill me if i'll become a Hollow, i just want to say thanks, to both you, Kisuke and Yoruichi. If it weren't for the three of you, i would have never managed to become strong enough to save Rukia. So whatever happens, i just wanna say thank you. For everything." his voice sincere and full of gratitude.
A smile crossed Tessai's lips, obscured slightly by his thick moustache, and he hummed approvingly, heartwarmed to see how far the young man had matured. Just a year ago, he would be quick to snort at others and be irritated for the slightest of provocations or for Kisuke's more childish antics. And with that, he sat down and retreated to his silence while Ichigo got on his knees and closed his eyes, trying to awaken in his Inner World. Having already practiced how to do so, by using Jinzen, the tecnique Soul Reapers used to comunicate with the spirits of their Zampakuto, Ichigo cleared his mind and began to reach out for his Inner World. It took him quite some time, perhaps even some hours but eventually….
After he reopened them, he saw a clouded sky and many skyscrapers. As he got up, he noticed that he was standing on the side of one. With a dry voice, he spoke "It's almost the same as it was the last time i've been to it. It's cloudy. It's almost like it's about….." Noting how, in spite of not being submerged in water, the sky of his Inner World was still clouded. That meant…..
"Ichigo….." Called out a familiar deep, masculine voice and the strawberry soon turned towards where it came from. And just like the first time, more than a year ago, a lean-built, middle aged man with pale skin, high cheekbones, stubble and long ragged black hair with brown highlights, stood on a flagpole. The man wore a tattered white dress shirt with an upturned collar and cuffs, black pants, low-heeled boots and a long amorphous black overcoat with a burgundy highlight that flared out into ragged ends. The man's hair and coat seemed to be moving as if wind was blowing towards him.
The orange haired teen with a slight smile, greeted "Zangetsu…..It's been a while…." upon recognising the spirit of his Zampakuto, standing on a flagpole just like the first time he met him.
Looking at him without any emotion, the spirit replied "You haven't changed in the slightest. Your heart is just as full of sadness and despair as it was on that day, a year ago before i taught you the Final Getsuga Tensho." admonishing Ichigo for still harboring such feelings in his heart after saving all of his friends at the cost of his powers.
Those words wiped the smile off Ichigo's face. With a dumbfounded expression, he asked "You….. You were here all this time, even after i had lost my powers?"
"Of course i was. You simply coudn't access your Inner World because the moment you lost your powers, you could never access your soul form, until now." replied Zangetsu, narrowing his blue eyes towards his master in disdain "But it didn't take long for the rain to fall in this world again. And as i told you, when you are sad, it rains in this world. So tell me Ichigo, why did sadness still linger in your heart even after you managed to save everyone you cared about? Was it because you missed having your powers?"
Ichigo for a moment, stopped breathing as soon as Zangetsu asked him those questions. He knew. He knew from the start. It was unsurprising given that as the manifestation of his Zampakuto, he was a part of his soul. Looking downwards he declared "Yes. As much as it pains me to admit it, i did want to have my powers back. Time and time again i told myself that the life of a normal human was the one i always wanted. Making a living out of helping the souls of the dead was never something i had planned."
Zangetsu simply listened, his expression not changing in the slightest, but he was surprised to hear just how much self-loathing could be heard from Ichigo's voice "But the truth is, once i became a Soul Reaper, i never felt happier in my whole life. I obtained the power to protect everyone. I made so many friends in the Soul Society and i missed all of them. Now i can finally become one again, but….." he stopped for a brief moment, not managing to find the strength to speak.
"You are not sure if you can live with the pain of leaving all the people of the World of the Living you cared about. The thought of you outlasting almost everyone of them brings you nothing but sorrow." finished Zangetsu, his face softening, having already figured out the conflict Ichigo had found himself in. That was why it wasn't raining in spite of the sky being cloudy. On one hand, Ichigo was overjoyed to become a Soul Reaper again. On the other hand, the thought of leaving all the living people he cared about, saddened him greatly. Ichigo could only nod, his face filling itself with even more sadness. He coudn't even look Zangetsu in his eyes, because he had him figured out already. He coudn't imagine how the Old Man must have felt, enduring so much rain for so much time, so much sadness….
"Then let me ask you this, Ichigo: why did you choose to become a Soul Reaper in the first place?" asked Zangetsu, snapping Ichigo out of his inner conflict and causing him to look at the spirit of his Zampakuto with wide eyes "Was it not for your desire to protect everyone? It was through that desire that you overcame your fear. It was because of that oath you made to yourself that you looked forward, moved forward and never stopped. Was that not your greatest desire, ever since your mother died on that fateful night?"
And all at once Ichigo understood everything. He had come this far becaue of the oath he made to himself, to never let anyone die, and the faith he had placed in both himself and his friends. If he were to go back on that oath now, to let go of it, it would all have been for nothing.
With sadness leaving his face completely, he looked at Zangetsu with determination and declared "Yes. I swore to myself that i would never let anyone die after that night. And through that desire, i came this far. To go back on it right now, would betray everything i've always stood for." his voice now filled with the same unshakable resolve, the same resolve that ultimately led to his victories over Kenpachi, Byakuya, Ulquiorra and finally, Aizen himself.
Having finally made his decision and remembering everything Zangetsu taught him, Ichigo declared "I'm ready, Zangetsu. Whatever may happen i will not look back, i will not hesitate and i will not run!" his voice completely devoid of fear and hesitation.
And as he let himself fall down the height of the skyscraper, a slight smile formed on Zangetsu's lips and he declared "Then i will lend you my strength to you once more, Ichigo. Believe in yourself and your resolve will never betray you. Remember, you are not fighting alone. You never were." heartwarmed to see the same young man he had watched grow again. The same young man he wanted to protect.
As he fell down for what seemed like forever, the skyscrapers began to dissolve into countless boxes, just like on that day a year ago. Knowing full well that if he wound't find the one that contained his Zampakuto, he would have become a Hollow, Ichigo simply closed his eyes as he fell into a fissure in the ground which led him into water.
He reopened them and saw himself surrounded by hundreds of those white boxes. As soon as he remembered that the Soul Ribbon of a Soul Reaper was red, a white ribbon of energy sprouted from every single one of those boxes. And sure enough, Ichigo immediately saw that one of them was red.
He grabbed it, pulled it and just like a year ago, in front of him, the box opened and the red hilt of his Zampakuto with the golden tip and the blue sash around said tip was there.
Behind him, Zangetsu spoke "Remember what i told you, Ichigo: Cast off your fear. Look forward and go forward. Never stand still. Retreat and you will age. Hesitate and you will die. Shout my name…." saying the same words he said to Ichigo when he trained with Kisuke.
Without hesitation, the orange haired teen shouted "ZANGETSU!" and drew the Zampakuto from the box.
(Soundtrack Ends)
And with that it began once more.