"You're asking us to follow a plan not fully formed?" Yamamoto raised an eyebrow.

"We don't exactly have the luxury of time, here. I've got the beginning down, anyway." I reasoned.

"Then proceed." I nodded and began pacing a small circle in the middle of the room, looking everyone in the eye as I passed them.

"Alright, so the enemy we're preparing for are the Quincy. They are led by a Quincy named Yhwach. Yamamoto fought them 1,000 years ago, and failed to kill him. This should be your first hint that they are a serious threat. Over the past 1,000 years, they have been watching the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, studying our abilities and technology. Quite literally, they are watching us from the shadows. Before any of you start going off about how I'm letting loose my knowledge of them where they can potentially hear it, they only watch select areas. Any and all known training grounds, places with the most foot traffic, and the Academy are all kept under almost constant watch. They don't care about our personal lives, they just want to study our combat abilities. I will inform all of you of places to train without fear of being watched, but make sure to not make it obvious what's going on. If they get suspicious that we're aware of them, they will watch us more. They'll watch our homes, they'll have soldiers tail us, they will find out what we are doing and they will make it their goal to learn how they got found out."

"These guys are ruthless, 'n paranoid." Shiro warned. "They catch wind that King is from the fut're, we're fucked. We never found out all o' their plans, we're planning around what they did ta us, and if they switch it up, we're runnin' in blind again. They got enough of an advantage as is, we can't afford any more."

"Yhwach has hundreds of thousands of foot soldiers, and each of them are trained to match lieutenants. He has 26 elite soldiers, four of which make up his personal guard. This was done on purpose to perfectly outnumber our captains, and each of those elites are stronger than most of you are now. Step One is bridging that gap. Zangetsu and I have begun formulating training regimens tailored specifically to each of you, to at the very least get you to where you were in my time, and hopefully past that."

"The Quincy dominated for most of the war because they took full control almost immediately. Whenever we managed to overcome a disadvantage, they switched tactics, switched soldiers, and changed targeting zones. We were constantly trying to figure them out, while they knew everything about us the entire time. We are working to turn that advantage of knowledge around on them, and shift things so that when they attack, we are the ones in full control."

"I will give everyone knowledge about the enemy, and as the plan comes closer to being fully formed, I will assist each of you in preparing to face specific soldiers. Zangetsu and I will also be going around the Seireitei, personally assisting significant fighters in their training. This will include helping some of you unlock Bankai, helping others learn to utilize their zanpakuto better, helping master certain abilities, and help some of you unlock new forms. Arrancar, I'm sure you caught me saying 'Segunda Etapa' when I recruited you. This is a second stage of Ressurreccion, Ulquiorra has access to a bastardized form of it. I will be helping him unlock the true version of it, as well as helping all of you access yours.

I will eventually go to the World of the Living to recruit Kisuke Urahara and the exiled Shinigami from 100 years ago. They will partake in training just like you, they will be your allies like the arrancar, and you can bitch and moan all you want if you don't like it. We don't have the time to be picky about our allies, neither I nor the Quincy give a shit about how confident you are in your abilities, and if I catch you making a big deal out of it when we're preparing for a war that in my time killed all of you, I'll intensify your training to the point where you won't be able to speak. Understood?" Although everyone nodded, Soi Fon distinctly looked uncomfortable, having clearly understood I was directing all of that on her.

"King, Old Man, and I 're gonna be assignin' ourselves as yer trainers. We won' be there the whole time, we got our own shit ta do and other people ta train, we're jus' gonna be getting' ya started. We will occasionally pop in ta see how it's goin' an' we might drop a pointer or two if ya need it. This is gonna be hell, but we're tryin' ta make up fer a thousand years o' prep time, so deal wit' it." I nodded at his words.

"We'll get to everyone, and for those we can't get to immediately, get your ass in gear because we're gonna be your slave drivers. Like I said, we don't have everyone figured out, but for those we have already planned out: I will take Yamamoto, Renji, Rukia, Yoruichi, Zaraki, Soi Fon, Halibel, and Starrk."

"I'm takin' Momo an' Nel. We've each got others, but they ain't here right now."

"And I shall oversee Toshiro and Byakuya."

"For those of us aware of everyone you're familiar with, who's taking who?" Yoruichi called out.

"Shiro and I will both oversee the Visored, and I'm also taking Kisuke."

"I'm showin' Chad how ta use his shit properly, helpin' out Ulquiorra, an' teaching Grimmjow how ta earn a crown."

"I shall also direct Uryu in how to properly use Quincy techniques."

"If anyone has a problem with that, I don't give a shit. You may not understand it, but everyone's arranged that way for a reason."

"You have left out a lot of names in your 'training regimens'." Kurotsuchi pointed out.

"Some people I either can't help out, or will serve a different purpose. You, for example, will work with Kisuke to counter their tech. The Quincy have devices to travel through shadows, and medallions to steal our Bankais once released." The clown's eyes widened in interest. "Gin, you were dead during the Blood War, so I don't know how to help you. Unohana I already returned to the fight, Komamura, you said something about performing some ritual and you turned…mostly human." The wolfman narrowed his eyes, he seemed to recognize what I was talking about. "Kyoraku, Ukitake, you're pretty much ready. I want you to spar with Unohana regularly to double check that you're not rusty, and if you are, to get back up to par."

"They require no assistance yet I do?" Yamamoto questioned.

"You've been sitting down and doing nothing for so long that you've gotten rusty." I grunted. "Yhwach said as much before he cut you in half." Shouts of shock erupted across the room, but the bearded captain merely gripped his cane.

"You need a warm up. Not some half-assed one like sparring with Kyoraku and Ukitake, but a full on fight where you're trying to kill someone. For your training, we're going to go to Muken, let loose our Bankais and you're gonna try not to die until you can keep up with me." The ancient captain cracked his eyes open, and I could feel how badly Soi Fon wanted to deny what I was saying.

"I…can't help but feel uncomfortable with who your hollow is assigned to." Toshiro announced. I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm gonna assume you're not talking about the three arrancar or single human he's watching over and instead about Momo." I drawled. The icy captain flinched minutely. "Shiro."

"As weird as it might sound, Witch and I 're friends where we come from. We ain't as close as you two, but whenever I ain't with King an' his friends, I'm with 'er."

"You're someone she's trained to kill on sight. Moreover, you're the hollow of the...man…that killed the person she worshipped." The prodigy reasoned. Shiro glanced at me out the corners of his eyes, and I nodded.

"Yeah, an' I wouldn't mind fer a second if she decided she needed a punchin' bag. Bein' betrayed by the person what makes up yer world is somethin' I'm familiar wit'. Contrary ta what ya might think, King an' I didn't always have a perf'ct relationship."

"Shiro, we don't have a perfect relationship."

"Yeah, cause you'll stop yerself from fukkin the brains outta someone cause yer fukkin waitin, an' I'm questionin' yer life decisions." Luckily, everyone's attention was on us, so no one other than me noticed the smirk appear on Unohana's face.

"Ignore that last bit." I demanded to everyone. "Toshiro, you still think Shiro training Momo is a bad decision?" Although the captain's eye twitched at his name, he shook his head.

"I apologize. I underestimated how much thought you put into all of this."

"It's fine." I waved off. "Anyone else want my reasoning explained to them?"

"Yes," Soi Fon immediately spoke up. "Why are you training me?"

"Because deal with it." I shot back automatically.

"That's not an-"

"Anyone else?" I cut her off.

"Why is…'Shiro'…training Sado-kun?" Rukia cautiously asked.

"I'm not gonna explain the intricacies of it, but Chad's and Orihime's powers have hollow origins. Shiro is the best one for that. Orihime isn't being trained because she already has all of her powers unlocked, but Chad is holding himself back. Shiro also happens to be the expert on that particular type of restraint. Is that all?" Everyone shook their heads.

"Alright then, so I'm sure at least most of you think you know what Quincies can do though Uryu. The group that we're preparing for, the Wandenriech, are on a completely different level, and have a much more dangerous bag of tricks. All of them specialize in long-range combat, but most also have close-range weaponry. Yhwach made sure to train all of his elites to get their close-range combat up to par with ours, so don't assume that you have the advantage if you keep them where you want them. The foot soldiers are also trained in close combat, but they were just trained enough to last long enough to get away. You get in their breathing room, and they will lose."

"The foot soldiers wield reishi bows and swords, and each carry tubes of liquefied reishi that power their traps. If their behavior is suspicious in combat, watch them carefully, as they likely are preparing a trap. The main purpose of the foot soldiers is to take out those lieutenant-class and below so the elite soldiers can focus on the captains and other significant threats."

"The elite soldiers are called 'Sternritter'. In addition to the standard weaponry that they share with the foot soldiers, they each have weapons that are tailored specifically for them. Whether those weapons are to channel their powers or enhance them depend on the Sternritter and their power. The power I'm talking about is called a 'schrift'. Upon drinking some of Yhwach's blood, they are granted a letter by him that describes their ability. Some of those abilities are negligible, some start off weak but build up in strength quickly, some are difficult to deal with, and some you will require strategy and allies to combat. Yhwach himself is the 'A' or 'Almighty'. Listen to what I'm about to say well, because this, more than anything else, determines if we win or lose." Everyone grew tense, to the point that even Zaraki seemed worried. "Do not, under any circumstances, give him a reason to activate 'The Almighty'."

"What does it do, for you to give us such a warning?" Byakuya asked, clearly perturbed.

"'The Almighty' allows Yhwach to not only see every possible future, but control which future occurs. The first time I fought him, he broke my Bankai the moment I released it using that ability. Multiple times in our final battle, I killed him, only for him to pull from alternate futures where he didn't die and resurrect himself. He will see every move you make throughout the entirety of a battle before you even enter the battlefield, he will see every opening in every attack you send out before you even draw your sword, and he will know what decisions you will make before you even come across the choice. Worst of all, he will use this ability to completely overwhelm us and erase any chances of victory. According to Ossan, they only reason I managed to beat him was because the attack I sent out was so destructive, there were no futures in which Yhwach could've survived." The room was left stunned.

"So long as you follow our instructions and never give Yhwach reason to use 'The Almighty', you will not have to worry about such power. Focus, for we are not finished in informing you all of the upcoming threat." Most of the people in the meeting snapped out of their shock. Eh, I'll probably have to go through some of these profiles again anyway.

"The four elite guard are the C, D, M, and X Sternritter. The schrift given to them are ''Compulsory', 'Death-Dealing', 'Miracle', and 'X-Axis' respectively. The Compulsory has the ability to control his nerves, as well as spread them across the battlefield to infect his enemies' nerves and control those. He also can replicate most of the traits of those he comes into contact with, being reiatsu level, intelligence, and physical abilities. The Death-Dealing can adjust the immunity levels of both himself and his enemies. If he is exposed to your reiatsu, given enough time, he can become immune to it. If he drinks your blood, he can lower your body's immunity to your own blood so that you are poisoned by your blood. Anything that can be measured in amounts he can fuck with if he's exposed to it. The Miracle is just plain annoying. The more impossible it would be for something to happen, the more likely it's going to happen. For example, if he tried to fight all of the Gotei at once, it would be impossible for him to survive and win, so he would become powerful enough to beat the entire Gotei. The trick is that his actual physical body is functionally immortal, he's pretty similar to a mod soul in that you have to destroy his 'core' to kill him. I did that by accident by vaporizing him with my Bankai. For the X-Axis, he's got a giant gun. When he shoots, he pierces everything between himself and his target, and it's extremely specific, so if you dodge while he shoots, you're fine. He's got a shit-load of weird and complicated abilities that I don't understand, just-just take him out quick and you're fine."

"Next, is the second-in-command. His letter is 'B', obviously, an' it stands for 'Balance.' It's a cheap-ass ability where if his opponent is 'fortunate' enough ta hit him, and he's 'unfortunate' enough ta get hit, he 'balances' the fortune by shovin' his injuries ta you. Basic'lly, he's a bitch. Who's next?" Shiro asked me. I smirked.

"E." Shiro smirked back at me.

"Boombo*! I like Boombo. If only she was on our side." The zanpakuto faced our audience once again. "Boombo's ability is 'Explode', 'n it's a bit special. She controls reishi, and anythin' that her controlled reishi comes inta contact wit' becomes a bomb."

"The 'F' is 'The Fear'. He fires thorns of reishi, and if they come into contact with you, you are forced to become terrified of him. You can easily overcome his ability by simply having great willpower."

"Next is 'The Glutton'. She can extend her mouth from her body, and while doing this, she can eat through anything and everything without resistance. This includes reiatsu, barriers, your zanpakuto, and more. Then is 'The Heat', who can fire beams of intense fire from his fingers. It can match Ryujinn Jakka's flames, be wary of it. Following him is 'The Iron'. He can use reishi to form an iron-like substance along his skin, Zaraki's Shikai easily ignores it."

"Comin' up is 'Jail'. He can make prison's that completely seal ya off from the rest o' the world. Only way ta get out is ta feed it Quincy reiatsu, no amount o' force will so much as scratch it. Then there's tha robot. He's 'The Knight', an' he can make weapons from 'is body."

"The 'L'," It was obvious how angered Ossan was by the Sternritter in question. He had inherited my disgust for those that play with others' emotions. "Is 'The Love'. He can fire a projectile of reishi that induces a feeling of false obsession of him in the victim. Once hit, they will do anything he commands without question. Only those who do not feel love are immune to it."

"'The Necrosis'," I continued for my Quincy spirit. "Can prevent injuries caused by him from healing, as well as causes them to become worse over time. The effect ends with his death. Next is 'The Overkill'. He absorbs the power of those he kills, which sounds really bad, but he's stupid, arrogant, and likes feeling like he's superior. He goes for nameless Shinigami mostly while complaining about how weak they are and denying that he likes it, so if you see him, just take him out."

"The 'P' is 'Power'. She's got some serious physical strength, but ain't got much else. 'Question' makes ya doubt yerself to the point that ya can't fight."

"That sounds worrisome." Ukitake frowned.

"In theory." I grunted. "She went to Zaraki for the purpose of 'questioning' him out of the fight. Neither she nor Yhwach realized that when Zaraki gets confused, he just attacks whatever confused him." The captain in question snorted.

"Ya got that right."

"Moving on, the 'R' is 'The Roar'. He has a supersonic screech, there is little threat to be had so long as you have proper ear protection. The 'S' is 'The Superstar'. Although it appears to be a single person, 'The Superstar' is two people completely unified by the ability. Through cheering the other on, they empower themselves, heal themselves, and even bring the other back from the dead through the ability. The only way to defeat them is to eliminate both at the same time."

"'The Thunderbolt' is able to attack with lightning, simple enough. 'The Underbelly' can analyze reiatsu and find out people's weaknesses by doing so. He prefers to hide out in a corner and watch people like a stalker because his ability becomes more effective the longer he watches someone."

"Next is 'The Visionary'. He's a kid, but don't underestimate 'im. His power is ta make anythin' he thinks up real. Makin' yer bones inta puddin', makin' meteors appear outta nowhere, shit like that's easy for him. All ya gotta do is not let 'im think an' ya got an easy shot at winnin'."

"The 'W' is 'The Wind'. For the most part, the name is inaccurate to the ability. He bends things away from objects and people that he wishes, such as bending swords away from his body before they can cut him, or splitting things by having it bend away from itself. The only limitation is his perception. If he cannot perceive an attack coming, he cannot bend it away from himself."

"'The Yourself' is made up of two people. Unlike 'The Superstar', they are not united together. They are two people with two versions of the same ability. One mimics someones appearance and memory, while the other mimics someones appearance and power. Neither can do both, and that's an easy way to figure out if the person you're talking to is real or not. Finally, is 'The Zombie'." A pit of disgust formed in my stomach, and I felt Zangetsu have a similar reaction.

"Her blood infects anyone that's not a Quincy upon contact, and turns them into a 'zombie' for her to control. If they are a Quincy, she can only turn them once they're dead. She can do this as many times as she likes without limit, and there is no way to resist her control. Kurotsuchi eventually found a way to keep our allies from being controlled by her, but he couldn't find a way to prevent her from reviving other Quincy. Most of the Blood War, she would bring back Sternritter that died, resurrect them, and Yhwach would strengthen them before sending them out to fight again. When we finally managed to get a leg up on the Wandenreich, it was halfway through the fifth year of the war and it was when I finally managed to end her. She hangs around the other female Sternritter, she's utterly disgusting and has no regard for the lives of those around her. If you see her, killing her becomes your priority, regardless of what you were doing until then. You could be delivering us their back-up plans, sneaking around to assassinate Yhwach, hell even transporting an injured ally to a medic. Killing 'The Zombie' will take priority."

"I sense something more than military tactics behind your words." Yamamoto gravely prodded.

"…She took control of multiple of my friends and ordered them to attack me while she sat back and watched. Kurotsuchi hadn't invented the way to turn them back at the time." Through the heavy aura that had manifested at the start of the warning/information dump, I felt the sympathy that nearly everyone felt for me. "Am I forgetting anything?" I asked Zangetsu. Both shook their heads.

"Nothing I can currently recall, outside of going over their tactics and methodology."

"That can be saved for another time. Alright, Halibel, you take Starrk, Lilynette, and Nel with you back to Hueco Mundo, Shiro and I will pop in sometime soon for your training." The blonde nodded before opening a Garganta and having her fellow arrancar enter before her. I turned to the Shinigami around me.

"Like I said at that start, our plan isn't fully formed, but the part of the plan that's requiring the most work is the final step, which is the Opening Assault. However prepared we manage to become, what we do during the Assault determines whether it will be worth it or not. And we have already caught so many ways where things can go horribly wrong. These next three years will not be easy on anyone, but if we do this right, it will all be worth it. Yamamoto, I will be waiting in front of your office tomorrow after sunrise. Be ready." I finished before turning away. I'm sure the bearded captain would've tried to burn me for my leaving without his dismissal had he not been contemplating my words. Zangetsu returned to my Inner World as I opened the massive double doors. I was halfway towards the exit of the 1st Division when Yoruichi, Unohana, and oddly enough, Shuhei caught up to me.

"Shuhei?" I questioned. "You need something from me?" The man chucked nervously.

"Well, kind of. This is gonna be really awkward to ask, and maybe a little insensitive, but please understand I don't mean to offend you if I do!" he ranted with an uneasy smile. "See, I'm part of the Seireitei Bulletin, I'm actually the chief editor, which you probably know, I just realized. I have a lot of duties and responsibilities and-"

"Just spit it out. I promise I won't be offended; as you probably realized, I know you." I commanded.

"Okay, then, um, would you mind if I asked you to tell the events of the time you're from for the Seireitei Bulletin?" That threw me for a loop. I blinked.

"…You…want me turn the wars into bathroom reading material?"

"Ah, that's-making it sound really bad! Since you're from the future and all, and you know all of us more than we might ever know you, and since half the Seireitei is terrified of you, I thought it would be good if there was a way for them to connect with you, you know? Get past the fact that you can go toe-to-toe with the Head Captain in his Bankai and find out who you really are? And you also want us to train for the upcoming war with the Quincies, so I thought: what if there was a way to do both at the same time? And I came up with the idea of you having the Seireitei Bulletin publish your experiences in the war, so Shinigami can both get to know you and get tips about how to get stronger, or learn the enemy's battle strategies."

"Hm, wonderful idea, Hisagi-san!" Unohana praised. The tattooed man turned to the raven haired medic in shock.

"Really? I thought I was kinda stupid, and insensitive to the experiences Kurosaki-san went through."

"Oh, quite the contrary. It would do well in assisting the Seireitei in growing comfortable with Ichigo, and help them understand the weight of what he has done." My eye twitched as I watched my nurse attempt to make my decision for me.

"Hold on, what if I don't want to do it? What if I don't want to burden the Shinigami with the thoughts of what happens if this goes wrong?" She sighed before pouting.

"Then I would have to allow it, as I cannot force you to do something you do not want to do." Shuhei seemed to grow even more nervous at our interaction. He quickly pulled out a something from his shihakusho before thrusting it out towards me. I couldn't help but grab out of reflex.

"If you don't want to do it, or are on the fence about it, at least take this in case you do decide to do it." I glanced down at the black device in my hands.

"Um, why did you give me a camcorder?"

"The Bulletin recently thought to take a new approach to publishing. Videos are much more efficient than magazines, especially to Shinigami! They have something to visually stimulate them while listening to articles, and since they don't have to actually look at it to receive information, Shinigami can listen while filling out paperwork or going on patrols!"

"Uh, alright. I'll give it back within a week, I guess. Probably not gonna do it, though."

"Knowing that you at least gave it some thought is all I need!"

"Thanks, then, Shuhei. See ya!" I waved before turning back to exit the building.

"Goodbye, Kurosaki-san!" The tattooed man responded before I heard him leave in another direction.

"So, are you really not gonna do it?" Yoruichi immediately asked. "Because it's something I would definitely spend money for."

"You can ask me about what happened whenever you want. Nine times out of ten, I'd tell you. It's different, though, having my personal experiences available to the public for them to listen whenever they want. Especially these experiences. I wasn't just talking out of my ass when I mentioned how Shinigami might worry themselves into depression."

"It might also invigorate them like it did you. The want to keep what you love safe is a powerful motivator, and knowing it could all be destroyed if they don't grow stronger could be all they need to grow stronger." The First Kenpachi suggested.

"It's a risk." I frowned. "I'm not sure if I want to take risks in a situation like this. If it goes wrong, I'm not sure I'll be able to fix it in time for us to be ready."

"Kurosaki-san!" The voice of Nanao cut off our conversation. The three of us turned back to see the prim and proper lieutenant jogging up to us with Rangiku at her side.

"What's up? And please don't say it's about recording a video." The women blinked before shaking their heads in unison. I immediately grew suspicious, as those two being so in sync usually meant bad things.

"Can you take off your top for us?" The strawberry blonde asked. Her glasses-wearing partner blushed heavily, but nodded tightly. I blinked.

"…What?"

"We are looking for candidates for this year's calendar. It's mostly bought by the women of the Soul Society, so we've decided to tailor it more to them this year to boost sales." The raven-haired lieutenant explained.

"That doesn't explain why you want me to take off my shirt." Nanao blushed harder.

"Well-"

"The calendar is gonna be full of guys, half-naked at best, and we're trying to find the best looking guys for it!" Rangiku grinned.

"Hell-!" Yoruichi cut my rejection off by pulling down the shoulders of my shihakusho, causing the garment to fall and bunch around my waist. "Goddamn it Yoruichi!" The werecat stuck her tongue out with the smuggest look she could manage, and I was half-tempted to lean forward and grab her tongue with my teeth.

"We found a winner!" The blonde cheered

"Indeed. Kurosaki-san, would you mind posing for our calendar?"

"No way in Hell!"

"Ichigo currently has no source of income." Unohanna supplied. I turned to her with a horrified look.

"We'll give you 10% of the revenue." Rangiku immediately offered.

"5." Nanao lowered.

"7."

"Fine. We'll give you 7% of the revenue if you agree to be in the calendar." I glared at all four women.

"Can you guarantee that I won't be naked?" I asked.

"Yes." The strawberry blonde agreed. I continued glaring for a moment.

"Crank it back up to 10% and you have a deal."

"8." The lieutenant of the 8th division immediately counter-offered

"10."

"9."

"10." I growled.

"10 it is." The proper woman squeaked. "We will contact you when we are taking the pictures. Have a nice day." Having said her piece, Nanao grabbed Rangiku by the arm and pulled her away. I sighed and slipped my top back on, ignoring Yoruichi's whine of complaint. I readjusted my clothes so that everything fit comfortably, and then crossed my arms over my chest.

"Is something wrong?" Unohana asked.

"I'm waiting for the third surprise visitor. They never come in twos."

"Well, Hisagi-san went up to us for the Bulletin, and the girls came for the SWA. I can't think of any other organizations in the-" The werecat was cut off by another voice.

"Excuse me, Kurosaki-san!" The goddess of flash's mouth fell open in shock.

"Told you." I sighed before turning to hopefully the last person to interrupt us. My face dropped into a scowl at the man in obnoxiously expensive-looking clothing that was coming our way.

"You are Kurosaki-san, correct? I apologize for my confusion, you don't completely fit the description I was given." The noble announced.

"Yeah." I grunted. I was only humoring him because I didn't see any bribes on his person.

"Perfect!" The man smiled. "The Tsunayashiro's are inviting you to have dinner with them tonight, they are most excited to meet you!" I vaguely recalled Kyoraku telling me of a noble house with that name a few years back. I didn't remember what he told me about them.

"Why are they inviting me to dinner?" I asked, curious.

"The Tsunayashiro's are one of the Four Great Noble Clans." Yoruichi informed. "They document the history of the Soul Society, and are probably really interested in the fact that you time-traveled."

"Wait, so you mean they don't want to bribe me into being their personal attack dog?"

"Most likely." The purple haired woman shrugged.

"When's the dinner?" I immediately asked the noble.

"7 PM tonight, Kurosaki-san!"

"Great. I'll be there with Unohana and Yoruichi." The man quickly grew nervous.

"A-ah, y-you see, Kurosaki-san, they requested that you only bring a maximum of one guest with you."

"Ah, you see, I don't care. Go on, you better let them know I'm gonna bring two guests so they don't freak out." I shoo'ed the man away, and he left promptly.

"You know, it's pretty ballsy to just ignore a noble's request like that." Yoruichi smirked.

"It was pretty ballsy to invade the Soul Society and stop an execution, too, and I kicked the ass of a noble clan head while at it." I snarked. Both women giggled at my comment. "Come on, we need to pick up our clothes from the cleaners and get some formal wear for me."

"This should be impossible. And that is coming from someone that regularly does the impossible." I mumbled once again as we stood in front of the Tsunayashiro home.

"Yes, you've been repeating that since leaving the store." Unohana sighed.

"Because it should be impossible." I reasoned. What I was referring to were the clothes that they had picked out for me. Which were a near-perfect replica of my Bankai coat from my regained powers after I lost them fighting Aizen, minus the neck guard and the gloves. And the fact that they had demanded I wear it upon it catching their eye. They refused any and all outfits I picked out, which were infinitely more formal than something I linked to battle attire. Their reasoning was that if I broke the mold for everything else, I might as well break the mold for this. After nearly half an hour of arguing and fruitlessly picking different outfits, Unohana won by whispering something in my ear so dirty that Ossan had to manifest to hold me back from taking her then and there.

The medic was currently clad in a mind-numbingly beautiful ankle-length kimono that looked like someone had ripped a sunset out of the sky and plastered it onto the fabric. The bottom was strikingly black, and slowly melted into a myriad of oranges, yellows, reds and purples as it went up. Her hair was pinned up at the back of her head in a series of loops, and it only strengthened the elegant aura she radiated. Yoruichi was the opposite in the best possible way. She wore a short kimono which ended at her mid-thigh that displayed her legs gloriously. It was black, with orange splattered about like someone threw paint on it, and everything about it screamed defiance. Especially with her hair completely undone and tossed over her right shoulder. I noticed that both women wore orange and black, colors that almost seemed synonymous with me. Unohana most likely did it intentionally, and Yoruichi probably still hasn't realized. The door we were waiting in front of opened, and I refocused my attention on who opened it. It was a tall man who looked to be just under six feet tall, with dark green hair kept in a bun, and clad in a green kimono that looked outrageously expensive. He had brown eyes, and a wide smile appeared on his face as soon as he spotted me.

"Kurosaki-san! I'm so happy you accepted my invitation! Please, come in!" The man stepped to the side so we could enter, and shut the door behind us. "The dining room is this way, please follow me."

As we were shown the way to the dining room, I noticed the displays lining the walls, either of items preserved in glass boxes or papers hung in frames with plaques in front of each.

"I see you're noticed our relics!" Pride filled the man's voice. I raised an eyebrow.

"Relics?"

"Throughout the history of the Soul Society, there have been many objects of great importance or significance. We have collected them in our mission to keep record of the history of the Soul Society, and preserve them as best as we can."

"Huh. Neat." We were led to a large room with an equally large table, a large and heavenly buffet atop it. A woman slightly shorter than Yoruichi was waiting for us, with light green hair of a slightly different shade than Lilynette's. The woman wore a similar kimono to the man that had brought us to the room, the only difference being she also wore a green obi. She had green eyes and a small smile that for some reason made me feel like I should raise my guard. I made a mental note to watch her as the man stepped up to the woman and put his arm around her as they faced us.

"Now that everyone is here, allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Donyoku Tsunayashiro, 17th Head of the Tsunayashiro clan. This is my wife, Kyoeikokoro Tsunayashiro." The man greeted.

"It is wonderful to meet you." Kyoeikokoro beamed.

"Ichigo Kurosaki." I responded. No need to be rude, even if they already knew my name.

"Retsu Unohana, Captain of the 4th Division." My nurse bowed.

"Yoruichi Shihoin, Ex-Captain of the 2nd Division and 22nd Head of the Shihoin Clan." The werecat nodded.

"It is truly a pleasure to meet all of you, you all are so significant in the history of the Soul Society! Please, let us sit down and eat." Donyoku ushered. We sat so that Unohana was to my left, and Yoruichi to my right with the Tsunayashiro's across from us. The green haired man sat to the left of his wife. The food was great, and I begrudgingly sent thanks to my dad for teaching me manners.

"Ahem, since I'm sure you're wondering why I invited you, I must admit that I am utterly fascinated by the rumors that you are from the future! Are they true?" The man excitedly asked.

"Yeah. One of my friends made a rock to send me back in time, and I flung myself back 10 years."

"Incredible! And who was it that make the 'rock'?"

"Kisuke Urahara." The green couple gasped.

"Kurosaki-san, you don't mean the man that was exiled from the Soul Society due to Hollowfying his fellow Shinigami?" The woman looked appalled. I shook my head.

"Kisuke didn't do that. That was Aizen, and when Kisuke figured it out, Aizen framed him for it. Actually, Kisuke helped them out as best as he could. He couldn't destroy their hollows, because they were already part of their souls, but he did help them with learning to keep them under control and use them." Yoruichi nodded in confirmation and the man's eyes gleamed.

"Oh, my! I knew you would be able to shine light on some events that were difficult to document, but I didn't know you would be this helpful!" A chuckle popped out of my throat.

"Happy to help."

"From what I've heard, Aizen seemed to be masterminding his betrayal for a long time, it's unbelievable that the signs were so well hidden!"

"Aizen may have believed himself to be untouchable, but he could back up his words, for the most part."

"Yes, like that! There weren't even hints of him having a god-complex!"

"Oh, there were, he just knew how to make sure everyone always looked at something else."

"As a historian, I must ask that you assist me in clearing up the parts of documented history that were muddled by Aizen!" I tossed the thought over in my head with Zangetsu's input.

"When I've got the time, sure. I'm gonna be busy these next three years, so don't expect me all that often."

"You sparing any time to help is already more than enough, Kurosaki-san." Kyoeikokoro dismissed.

"Quite! And if it's not too much to ask, I humbly request that you also assist me in documenting the alternative history you came from!" Donyoku pleaded. Ossan voiced his opinion in my head, with Shiro's agreement.

"Maybe. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, but we need to wipe Aizen's influence out of the Soul Society's history first." I answered.

"Of course!" The green haired man nodded. The rest of the dinner was mostly spent with Donyoku grilling me about events that were vague or wrong through Aizen's manipulation, with the occasional comment from his wife. Shiro brought it to my attention that she only spoke to me, which ticked another box in my head. After finishing desert, we made to leave.

"You are welcome whenever, Ichigo-san!" The Head of the Tsunayashiro Clan announced. I had managed to get it through their heads that I prefer to forgo formalities, but Donyoku still attached –san despite referring to me by my first name.

"Indeed, come as often as you'd like, Ichigo!" On the contrary, his wife had seemed all too eager to comply with my request, which I wouldn't have been suspicious about had she not already ticked an uncomfortable amount of boxes in my head. It was only through my experience deciphering the tells of people like Aizen, Yhwach, Kisuke and Kyoraku that I picked up so many things, and that in of itself ticked a box. Unohana, Yoruichi and I each made our goodbyes before leaving the estate, and a scowl fell upon my face as soon as I was sure the Tsunayashiro's couldn't see it.

"Is something wrong, Ichigo?" Yoruichi picked up instantly.

"There's something about those two that's just…off." I warned.

"Standard noble trickery, perhaps?" Unohana suggested. I shook my head.

"No. Like I said, Kyoraku and Byakuya taught me all the noble tricks. If it was that, I would've had us leave immediately. There's something else. Their behavior, both of them, was suspicious."

"I can maybe see the wife, maybe, as hitting on you or something, but the husband seemed alright, if a little understandably excited." The werecat linked her fingers behind her head.

"I only picked it up because I spent so much time trying to figure out people who perfected the art of manipulating others. Both of them have ulterior motives." My eyes narrowed. "The thing I need to figure out is what those motives are."

An intense horrible feeling manifested in my gut, one that usually warned of something bad coming. It made me worried that I had only ever gotten such an intense gut feeling from Yhwach.

Omake

The Original Blood War, Opening Assault

With a grunt, Kenpachi ripped his blade out of the dark-skinned man he just killed. The Quincy had an annoying scream that made Kenpachi's ears bleed. Probably was one of those Stern-Writer people the fodder screamed about. The captain didn't give a shit.

"Hey!" The eye-patch wearing man looked up to the source of the sound, seeing a woman with mostly pink hair that shifted to purple on one side. She was wearing the same clothes as the other Quincies, and was standing with her hands at her hips a few meters away. "Are you Kenpachi Zaraki?"

"Yeah." The man grunted, before grinning as he lifted his sword. "Wanna fight?" The woman smirked as she raised an eyebrow, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You sure you want to do that?" Now Kenpachi raised an eyebrow, and felt a weird feeling in his head. Maybe it was confusion. He usually chose to ignore confusion. Why be confused about something when you can just cut it up, he reasoned.

"Why wouldn't I want ta fight?"

"We've captured Kurosaki Ichigo, trapped his friends in Hueco Mundo, and are tearing you guys apart like butter. Kurosaki's always beaten you in fights, hasn't he?" The weird feeling intensified. "If we've captured him, and we're beating everyone else, what makes you so sure that you can beat us? You've barely managed to kill one soldier, and that was one of the weak ones, is your strength enough? Already two of your strongest fighters have been taken out, and sooner or later you'll be against all of us, do you really think you can win in this situation?"

Now he knew he was confused. And he didn't get why he was confused, which was making him more confused. He didn't care about half the shit this woman was saying, but now he couldn't stop thinking about it.

"You can't even use your zanpakuto, what can you even-"

"Yer makin' my head hurt. Fuck off." Before the Quincy could get a single more word out, her head slipped off her neck and her body fell to the ground. "Ugh, cutting you up barely did anything. Maybe finding someone strong will make my head stop hurting. Oi, Yachiru! Show me the way to the strong people!"

"Okay, Kenny!" The pink haired girl cheered as she hopped down from wherever she was watching the fight from. Kenpachi stopped caring about where she went as soon as he felt she was out of the blast zone. He didn't know how he could always tell, but he didn't care enough to question it.