Ok, so with the end of Bleach, I have a few things to say.
Firstly, I really hate how rushed the ending was.
Secondly, neither of my Bleach stories will be affected by the conclusion of the manga.
Thirdly, Ichigo and Orihime's kid is so ridiculously OP.
Fourthly, the one consequence of the manga ending, is that I am definitely adding Orihime to the harem of this story and maybe my other one as well (for reasons why, see reason number three).
Lastly, I really hope the anime comes back and with, dare I say it, lots of fillers, to fill in all the stuff that was rushed.
That's all, enjoy the chapter!
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan.
Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the Bleach anime/manga. All I own are my original characters and plot twists.
'Talking'
"Thinking"
'Hollow, Inner Hollow or Zanpakutou talking'
"Hollow, Inner Hollow or Zanpakutou thinking"
*expression*
Flashback
Chapter 13 – Trust
'Ugh, what the hell happened?' Asked Ichigo, as he awoke with a throbbing headache.
'Oh, quite a bit if your drunk ramblings are to be believed, Ichigo.' Purred a voice to Ichigo's left.
Turning his head to the left, Ichigo noticed Rangiku sitting on the bed next to him, wearing her Shinigami robes, with the top open a significant amount.
'Gah, what the hell?' Exclaimed Ichigo, leaping off the bed and landing on the floor in a heap.
'Oh my head.' Groaned Ichigo, finding his body was not happy with his loud yell, or his sudden movements.
'Is this the first time you've had a hangover?' Asked Rangiku, with mirth evident in her tone.
'Well I've never drunk alcohol before, so what do you think?' Retorted Ichigo sourly.
'Oh, testy. I guess that constant scowl of yours really does show your personality well.' Commented Rangiku in amusement.
'That's just to try and scare punks away and help me keep my image. I don't like idiots trying to start fights with me all the time.' Grumbled Ichigo.
'Is that so? You probably should have avoided Kenpachi then, since that sounds just like him.' Laughed Rangiku.
'Did you just come here to annoy me?' Asked Ichigo in annoyance.
'Partly. This is also my room, which I graciously let you sleep in, you should be grateful.' Pouted Rangiku, before becoming serious.
'Also, the Captain Commander has requested a meeting with you, so I'm also here as a messenger and guide to take you to the First Division Barracks.' Explained Rangiku.
Ichigo shook his head lightly at this, trying to do away with his hangover.
'When does he want to meet?' Asked Ichigo seriously.
'As soon as possible.' Answered Rangiku.
'Might as well get this over with then.' Muttered Ichigo.
'Follow me then.' Said Rangiku, walking out of the room.
Ichigo followed and found himself being led to an office, with an open door, only to find Toshiro there.
'Morning Captain, I'll be taking Ichigo to see the Captain Commander now.' Said Rangiku chirpily.
'Before you do that, can I have a word with Ichigo?' Requested Toshiro, to which Rangiku nodded.
'Of course.' Replied Rangiku.
'Privately.' Added Toshiro, causing Rangiku to nod and leave, closing the door behind her.
'What is it?' Asked Ichigo, after a moment of silence.
'Kurosaki, I want you to do me a favour. I know my former Captain well and he never did like getting others involved in problems, whether he could solve them by himself or not. I would advise you to not reveal anything about him, to the Captain Commander, if you can help it. Yamamoto is a fair man, but also very strict. What Captain Shiba did, was and is, plain and simple, desertion of duty. If you do not wish for Soul Society to come after him, speak carefully.' Warned Toshiro.
'Got it.' Nodded Ichigo.
'That's all I had to say then. Oh, but perhaps you should abstain from sake in the future, it seemed to addle your brain, on what exactly relationships between clan members entail. You may leave now. Rangiku!' Finished Toshiro, dismissing the confused Ichigo and calling his Lieutenant back.
'Yes, Captain?' Responded Rangiku questioningly, after re-entering the room.
'You make take Kurosaki to see the Captain Commander now. Also, once you have done so, I fully expect you to come back and do the paperwork, which you neglected to do yesterday, seeing as you used Kurosaki as an excuse to not to do it.' Said Toshiro coldly, causing Rangiku to frown in dismay.
'Captain!' Whined Rangiku pitifully, only to get a cold look from Toshiro.
'This is the fourth time this week you have flaked on your duties and it is only Saturday. Get going, Rangiku, the Captain Commander would not want to be kept waiting.' Said Toshiro pointedly, getting the busty woman to huff.
'Fine.' Said Rangiku, before dragging Ichigo out of the room, despite his protests.
'Finally, now I can have some quiet.' Muttered Toshiro to himself.
-line break-
As the duo made their way through the Seireitei, Ichigo looked at Rangiku nervously.
'Uh, didn't Toshiro say not to keep the Captain Commander waiting? We can go faster than this.' Pointed out Ichigo.
'Wait, that's what you took from Captain? What about the fact that I looked after you?' Complained Rangiku.
'Thanks… I guess, I don't remember anything after all.' Said Ichigo uncertainly.
'So you don't remember that you kissed Kukaku? I'm sure she will be quite offended.' Commented Rangiku, freezing Ichigo in place.
'I did what?' Asked Ichigo in shock.
'Oh and I bet you don't even remember what you and I did last night either then, huh?' Hummed Rangiku thoughtfully, causing Ichigo to pale rapidly.
'W-w-what w-we did?' Spluttered Ichigo in shock.
'Haha, got you, we only slept in the same bed, nothing funny happened between us.' Admitted Rangiku.
'Phew, so nothing happened.' Breathed Ichigo in relief.
'Hey! You got to sleep in the same bed as me, right next to me. Doesn't that count for something?' Asked Rangiku indignantly.
'Um, it does?' Replied Ichigo unsurely.
'Hmph, you make it sound like I let just anyone sleep in my bed with me. You should feel special.' Huffed Rangiku.
'Thanks?' Supplied Ichigo uncertainly, but it seemed to work.
'Well, that's good enough for me I suppose.' Smiled Rangiku teasingly.
'Oh, but you really did kiss Kukaku, that part wasn't made up.' Added Rangiku.
Ichigo's eyes widened at this.
"Note to self, no sake!" Thought Ichigo.
'Although, you are right, we better get a move on.' Agreed Rangiku, before leaping up into the air, to land on the roof of a building, with Ichigo following suit, before the two dashed off to the First Division Barracks.
The duo eventually arrived outside a pair of majestic wooden doors, which were easily more than five metres in height.
'Well, here we are, Captain Commander is probably inside. Good luck.' Said Rangiku, before turning to leave.
'Thanks, Rangiku, sorry for the hassle of bringing me here.' Said Ichigo, before heading towards the doors, head held high and thankfully, no longer throbbing.
Rangiku watched the human walk away, noting his confidence.
"You're going to need it, especially with Yamamoto." Thought Rangiku, before reluctantly heading back to her own division's headquarters.
-line break-
As Ichigo approached the doors, they opened by themselves, getting Ichigo to raise an eyebrow in surprise.
'I guess he is expecting me.' Muttered Ichigo.
'Oi, King, before you even start to talk, don't tell him anything about your Hollow or Quincy powers. You do that and you are almost guaranteed to be stuck here, or need to fight your way out. Remember, you are a Shinigami and human only.' Said Zangetsu seriously, getting a mental nod from Ichigo.
"Thanks." Thought Ichigo appreciatively.
'No problem. We can talk about those two Shinigami with ginormous chests later and I have a lot to say on that matter.' Added Zangetsu, before the sounds of a fight breaking out could be heard.
'Don't distract Ichigo now! Although, we will talk about it later.' Chided Masaki, repeatedly thwacking Zangetsu over the head.
Ichigo wisely chose that moment, to block the voices of his inner spirits from his mind, before making his way in, easily spotting Yamamoto standing in front of him, at the back of the room. His eyes closed and hands on a gnarled wooden cane, one would think Yamamoto was a kindly grandfather, but the presence he gave off was frightening. As the door closed behind Ichigo, leaving him alone with the elderly Shinigami, Ichigo noticed that his Reiatsu wasn't leaking out at all, a true testament to the control the wizened Shinigami had. Everything gave off Reiatsu, souls and Shinigami alike. To be able to reduce his output to virtually nothing, was truly a feat worth respecting, but it served to make Ichigo wary.
"If he is hiding his Reiatsu, I have no way of knowing how strong he is." Thought Ichigo, in slight trepidation.
There are many reasons to experience fear. Commonly, a person would fear the evil they could see, but the even more frightening thing, would be the evil you couldn't see. Right now, Ichigo had no idea just how strong Yamamoto was, which was deeply unsettling. It reminded Ichigo of Aizen somewhat, but that man had in fact released his own Reiatsu, not like Yamamoto. The similarity between the two was just how measured the two were. While Yamamoto revealed nothing, Aizen kept a constant output at all times, almost as though he was trying to make other people not fear him. It was high, rightly so for him to become a captain, but it felt as though he was hiding something, beneath that mask of normality. Given what Ichigo knew of him though, that seemed about right.
'I see you have arrived, Ichigo Kurosaki.' Said Yamamoto calmly, cracking his right eye open slightly, to gaze at the human standing before him, in Shinigami attire.
'Yeah, I was told you wanted to speak to me.' Said Ichigo, doing his best to keep his gaze level and tone even.
'Have you recovered well?' Asked Yamamoto, throwing Ichigo.
'Uh yeah, thanks for asking.' Answered Ichigo, only for Yamamoto to nod and close his eye once again.
'That stunt you pulled on Soukyoku Hill should have been impossible. Care to explain how you managed it?' Asked Yamamoto, immediately getting down to business.
'It was because of my Zanpakutou's abilities. I can manipulate energy.' Said Ichigo, causing Yamamoto to crack his eye open once again.
'And how is it that you have a Zanpakutou in the first place? You are a human and should not have any Shinigami powers, if the report from Miss Kuchiki is to be believed. The last she saw of you, you were sent to Hueco Mundo, which by itself suggests you shouldn't even be standing before me right now, yet somehow you are, with Shinigami powers too, even though Miss Kuchiki has regained her full power. Care to explain?' Pressed Yamamoto, keeping his gaze fixed on Ichigo.
Ichigo paused for a minute, mulling over his answer. Saying his father was a Shinigami, was the most logical answer to give, but then it would lead to follow up questions, such as who his father was and why he wasn't in Soul Society. Realising that he had no other alternative, Ichigo decided to say the truth.
'My dad is a Shinigami.' Said Ichigo, dreading the inevitable follow up question.
'I see. That is all then, you may leave now. A gate will be prepared for you and your friends to return to the human world.' Said Yamamoto, dismissing the hybrid.
Ichigo blinked a few times at this in shock. The inevitable question that was sure to come… never did? Ichigo was stunned, but quickly recomposed himself.
'Thank you.' Said Ichigo, before turning on his heel and leaving.
'Do give my regards to Captain Shiba when you return.' Said Yamamoto, just as Ichigo reached the two large doors, which started to open once again.
Ichigo's back stiffened slightly at this, but he didn't say anything else and walked out of there as calmly as he could.
-line break-
Ichigo and his fellow humans gathered outside the gate that would send them back to the human world. While the people in Soul Society had been nice enough, there was an unsaid agreement, that all of them wanted to go back home.
As the group of four waited for the gate to open, Juushirou Ukitake, Rukia's Captain, approached them.
'Ichigo, take this.' Said Juushirou, offering Ichigo, what appeared to be a wooden talisman. There was a black skull design on it, which looked somewhat menacing.
'What's this?' Asked Ichigo curiously.
'It is a Seal of approval for acting Shinigami, or simply, a Seal of approval for short. You see, when Soul Society recognises an acting Shinigami as beneficial to Soul Society, we will give this to that person, that is how the tradition goes. It is a powerful talisman and you should keep it on you at all times. It is also invisible in the eyes of humans, as it is actually quite powerful. Additionally, since I know you have been relying on Rukia's help to separate your soul from your body, this will also do that for you.' Explained Juushirou.
Ichigo gave a small nod at this and accepted the badge, before turning to the gate, which had just opened. After the group of four humans and Yoruichi in her cat form had passed through the barrier, running away from a massive black train that would destroy their souls, the group was then promptly dropped from the sky, before being caught and wrapped up in a massive carpet, before being thwacked away and finally, resting on the carpet, as it flew through the air.
'Welcome back everyone.' Said Urahara, sitting at the front of the carpet, his signature hat being all they could see of him, along with his blond hair.
'Oi, Urahara, look over here for a minute.' Said Ichigo.
'Yes, Kurosaki?' Said Urahara playfully, only to receive a left jab to his check.
'That's all.' Said Ichigo.
Kisuke looked at Ichigo for a moment, before giving a small smile and lowering his hat over his eyes.
'I see. I take it your trip was successful.' Said Kisuke.
'You could say that.' Said Ichigo, confusing the others.
'What do you mean, Ichigo? We saved Rukia, right?' Asked Orihime.
'Yeah, but there was definitely something not right back there.' Said Ichigo.
'So you noticed too, quite astute of you, Ichigo.' Said Kisuke.
'What do you mean?' Asked Uryuu.
'You should understand very well, Uryuu, considering just what you are. Soul Society is not the nice and happy place that people picture the afterlife to be, surely you learnt at least that much?' Questioned Yoruichi.
The three who had gone to Soul Society with Yoruichi, shared a moment of understanding.
'I suppose, but what did Kurosaki notice that we didn't?' Retorted Uryuu.
'Let's just say things are not as black and white as you may think.' Said Ichigo somberly.
One by one, the other three got off the carpet, once it reached their homes, eventually leaving only Ichigo with Yoruichi and Kisuke.
'So, I'm guessing you met with Aizen personally.' Said Kisuke.
'Yeah.' Admitted Ichigo.
'Ichigo, there are a few things I should warn you of. The first, never trust Aizen, he is as slippery as they come. Secondly, everything Aizen says is a lie unless proven otherwise. His Zanpakutou is all about illusions and Aizen is no slouch at manipulating others, even without it.' Warned Kisuke.
Sparing a thought for Aizen's former Lieutenant, Ichigo gave a nod.
'Yeah, I noticed.' Said Ichigo seriously.
'I see, that's all I need to say then, what you do from now on is your choice.' Said Kisuke, before turning back to the front.
'Urahara… you and Aizen… you two are a lot alike.' Commented Ichigo.
'Come now Kurosaki, I am but a humble shopkeeper.' Smiled Urahara, looking back at Ichigo.
-line break-
Finally reaching his home, Ichigo landed on the roof outside his room and saw his body on the bed, animatedly hugging a pillow. With a growl, Ichigo knocked on the window, getting his body to jump up and open the window. Before Ichigo's body could even open its mouth, Ichigo pressed the badge Ukitake had given him on its head and out popped a green pill.
'Not today, Kon.' Muttered Ichigo, placing the pill on his bed, before remerging with his body.
Sitting up, Ichigo grabbed the pill and put it in his desk drawer, before preparing to hop out the window again.
'Ichigooo!' Screamed Isshin, as he jumped into the room, a kick aimed at his son's chest, only to find it caught.
'So you're back.' Commented Isshin happily.
'Yeah, back to this craziness again.' Growled Ichigo, before swinging his father down, slamming him onto his floor, before walking over to his bedroom door and closing it.
'Ah, my son is so cruel, manhandling his father like this!' Whined Isshin pitifully, before Ichigo grabbed his desk chair and sat down on it, with his arms over the back, staring at his dad.
'Sit up, we need to talk.' Said Ichigo seriously.
Isshin read the mood accurately and instantly became serious, sitting on his son's bed.
'So how did it go?' Asked Isshin.
'Well, we saved Rukia at least.' Said Ichigo, getting a nod from Isshin.
'That's good at least, she seemed like a nice girl.' Commented Isshin.
'Yeah. I also fought with a bunch of the captains. Makes it hard to believe you were one, since I can drop you so easily.' Said Ichigo.
'Which ones?' Asked Isshin curiously.
'Soi Fon, Kenpachi Zaraki and Byakuya Kuchiki.' Said Ichigo, getting a whistle from his father.
'And you beat them all?' Asked Isshin.
'Not… really. Each time, I had help. I wasn't strong enough to overwhelm them on my own.' Admitted Ichigo, looking to the side.
'Ichigo, you only just started to learn about your powers, while these people have been training their whole lives. Don't sell yourself short. In time, you will easily surpass all of them. Your potential is practically limitless after all. Even I'm a little jealous.' Said Isshin, cracking a smile towards the end.
'I also met Toshiro and Rangiku, Captain Shiba.' Said Ichigo.
'Ah, that's good to hear, which one is Captain now?' Asked Isshin.
'Toshiro.' Said Ichigo.
'Makes sense, Rangiku flaked off on her duties almost as much as me.' Laughed Isshin.
'I also met Kukaku and Ganju.' Added Ichigo.
'What about Kaien?' Asked Isshin.
'He died a while ago.' Revealed Ichigo, causing Isshin to sober up.
'What happened?' Asked Isshin.
'I'm not too sure on the details, but Kukaku said he was taken over by a special type of Hollow and Rukia was the one to kill him, when he was possessed. She blamed herself for it, which is why she was there apologising to them, after Ganju had helped save her. It makes me wonder if that is why she decided to help me out, since I apparently look a lot like him, but that isn't worth dwelling on.' Recalled Ichigo.
'I see.' Said Isshin quietly.
'Did you perhaps meet with someone named Aizen?' Asked Isshin.
'Yeah, him and Yamamoto. Both of them are so different, but so alike in a lot of things.' Answered Ichigo.
'Does Kisuke know?' Asked Isshin.
'Yeah. Let me guess, you want to say the same thing as him and not trust Aizen?' Queried Ichigo.
'Yeah. Aizen is the reason I had to stop being a Shinigami and the reason you have Hollow powers, but also the reason I married Masaki. I wouldn't call him evil, but he only has his own interests at heart.' Said Isshin.
'A lot like Kisuke if you think about it.' Said Ichigo.
'Perhaps, but Kisuke has helped without asking for anything in return. I'm not trying to say I'm right and you are wrong, but Aizen and Kisuke are both manipulative, but Kisuke is usually manipulative for a good reason. Aizen… only looks out for Aizen, no one else.' Said Isshin.
'Anyway, I'm going to head out for a walk.' Said Ichigo, standing up and walking over to his window.
'Why not go through the door?' Asked Isshin.
'Don't feel like it, besides, I want to get Yuzu and Karin something special before I come back. Oh, and Yamamoto sends his regards to Captain Shiba.' Said Ichigo, before dropping down to the ground.
'Heh, so that old man does know at least a little about what is going on. He definitely doesn't know about Aizen though, otherwise he would have acted years ago. Be careful, Ichigo. Between Aizen and Yamamoto… and even Kisuke, there is a lot you need to be careful of.' Muttered Isshin, before heading downstairs to join his daughters.