Sup everyone, I've been switched to yet another department since I last posted! I've been much happier since the change, though it is a significantly busier and more exhausting position. In a good way, of course! I'm loving where I am at work once more, but that doesn't change that it is quite the demanding position. Tacking this on really quickly, I've gotten a resurgence of comments about a potential harem since I posted the last chapter, as well as a couple of people spewing hate on *ahem* certain characters joining this theoretical harem. I didn't think I'd need to clarify this, but allow me to set it in stone that the only people Ichigo will be getting with are Yoruichi and Unohana. He is only romantically interested in them and vice versa. The bit with Soi Fon at the end of the previous chapter was a gag, both to display some realism in that Soi Fon won't just drop her obsession over Yoruichi after a short talking-to, and as an indicator that the ice between Ichigo and Soi Fon has finally been broken. Ichigo will not sleep with Soi Fon, nor anyone else that isn't named Unohana or Yoruichi. In an attempt to pre-emptively nip any future comments in the bud, I will joke in the future about Soi Fon trying to get either herself or someone else into Ichigo's bed, this is intended to be a running gag and nothing more. With that in mind, enjoy the show!

Byakuya Kuchiki was…quite rudely awakened by the shouts of the Kuchiki clan servants. Irritation and protective rage broiled beneath his unfaltering mask of nobility as he rushed out of bed, flinging on the closest robe on his way to the source of the noise. In the same manner, Senbonzakura found its way into his grasp, the sheath left behind.

The rage melted into further irritation as he stepped into the main dining hall and found his servants, all wielding kitchenware threateningly towards the man in the black cloak that rippled with nonexistent winds.

"The zanpakuto of Kurosaki Ichigo." He had to put forth all his many years of lessons to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "A request in regard to my training would have been much appreciated."

"I had not expected Hitsugaya-taicho to reach a point where he need not be guided so quickly." The spirit explained. "Because of my incorrect prediction, I could not give a formal request as I would have preferred."

"You could not have used the extra time to arrange a formal request?" He had to stop his eye from twitching, though he was confident that his servants, having known him for decades, were able to notice.

"As we established during the captains meetings, time is a luxury we do not possess. The plan was always to immediately move onto the next in need of training the moment direct guidance was no longer required on the previous. As Ichigo has lamented, multiple times, the training for many of those that require it differs greatly. To the point of it being more efficient to focus on one individual at a time. As such, spending the least amount of time between individuals possible is paramount."

"I see." Luckily, Kurosaki seemed to have the foresight of selecting his most logical and levelheaded spirit to oversee his training. His methodical way of speaking soothed the noble's irritation. "It is fortunate, then, that I had no prior arrangements on this day. I ask that you wait here while my servants prepare a meal for the two of us. I will join you once I am proper."

"I am not rejecting your offer, though I feel it is necessary to inform you that, as a manifested spirit, I do not require sustenance." Byakuya nodded in gratefulness and acknowledgment.

"I am appreciative of your politeness, and as such would be grateful if you accepted my offer." The spirit bowed lightly.

"Then I humbly accept. However, before you leave to dress, I must give you this." The brunet's right arm appeared out of the blackness of his cloak, a set of clothes clasped within his hand. The noble wondered if he was seeing things after a moment to analyze what was within the spirit's hold. "It would be important for your training to wear these instead of your Shinigami robes or noble dress." As much as he tried, the bearer of Senbonzakura couldn't reign in his words.

"What could my training possibly consist of that would necessitate being clothed in Rukongai rags?"

"To know in advance would hinder your growth." He, once again, suppressed the desire to narrow his eyes.

"I see. So be it." The noble head relented, for now, as he stepped forward and accepted the offering of the clothes. As much as he wanted to throw the stained and torn mis-matched robes into the nearest fire, he understood that the spirit before him at least wasn't one to play pranks. "I shall return. Please, in my absence, seat yourself." The being whose robes perpetually fluttered in nonexistent winds nodded silently and lowered himself on one of the mats surrounding the table.

In an effort to not waste time, the noble quickly made his way back to his room, a pair of servants keeping pace with him. Once they reached their destination, he mutely handed the rags over to the servants as he sheathed his zanpakuto. The duo stepped up to his sides and the three of them fell into their usual routine, the clan head wordlessly going through the motions of his servants undressing him. There was only a single lapse in the routine, where the three of them almost in unison stopped to awkwardly stare at the ensemble that the zanpakuto spirit had given Byakuya to wear. The pair of servants turned to him in silent question, wondering if they really were going to clothe the clan head of one of the Four Great Noble Clans in tattered, stained, frayed rags that rubbed against their fingers roughly. With a single intake and exhale of air to calm himself, the man closed his eyes and nodded in confirmation. The cloth was coarse against his skin, almost like sandpaper, he could feel a few spots where his skin remained bare, and one pant leg was longer than the other. A single, irritated glance at the offending piece of clothing proved that the issue spawned from the fact that, from the knee down, the right pant leg was from a different source and was sewn on in a clear attempt to remain a complete piece of clothing.

He was going to hate whatever this training was supposed to be, Byakuya decided. He was already sure of it.

The finishing piece was a dirtied cloak that the clan head was half-sure was a repurposed bedsheet. It almost completely covered him, stopping at his ankles and leaving only the bottom half of his face free from shadow. He immediately pulled pack the hood, feeling the grease inside of it sticking to his hair. He almost snorted at the disappointed sigh one of the servants couldn't keep in. He suppressed it, however. A noble clan head wasn't supposed to be seen doing such immature things, even by their closest servants. The three of them quickly returned to the dining room, the impatience to get whatever this was done with so he could blast the clothes with a potent Byakurai palpable.

There was the saving grace that the food was ready, as perfectly made as always. The zanpakuto spirit had a simple plate of rice and eggs before him, with a cup of tea to the side. Upon Byakuya's plate was a spicy curry, just as his servants knew he favored, his own tea close to it. With the spirit having already stated that he would not inform the clan head of what his training would consist of, the wielder of Senbonzakura felt no need to break the silence as he sat down to eat. At least as usual for Byakuya, this meant that breakfast was a quiet affair.

The servants took their plates once they finished, which brought the sunglasses-wearing man before him to a stand. Of course, the raven haired man mimicked the action. In as much time as it took Byakuya to blink, a tattered cloak in similar condition to Byakuya's own appeared over the Quincy spirit's form. Unlike the one given to him, the garment covering the spirit completely hid his face, wrapping around his mouth and nose with his eyes being hidden by shadow. It also fell completely to the ground, even dragging slightly.

"Come, we are to journey to the Rukongai." Was all the spirit stated before he turned and began walking, his 'student' for the day coming up to walk side-by-side with him. While it still left Byakuya completely lost as to what his training possibly could consist of, it did at least answer the question of why he was to be dressed in rags. It was obviously to blend in with the other residents, with the manifestation bearing the more concealing cloak so as not to risk his identity being revealed.

The trip to the Rukongai being one made in silence allowed the clan head to ponder what was going to happen. What could the Rukongai offer in terms of increasing his strength that the Seireitei could not? Unlike some of the other captains, it hadn't taken him long to accept that Kurosaki Ichigo was from the future. Once the Head Captain accepted the boy's words as truth, Byakuya felt that it would be illogical to be of a different opinion. He wouldn't deny that it hadn't been the easiest thing to come to terms with, but there wouldn't have been a point in refusing. When the boy mentioned that he knew methods to increase the strength of the Gotei 13, and was going to help them all reach the levels of power he had been accustomed to seeing from them, the noble simply accepted it and waited for his turn. As curious as he may be as to what his training would be, considering how vastly different it appeared that Hitsugaya's and Kenpachi's routine's were from each other, he was not skeptical over it being in the Rukongai. The boy had a reason, he was sure. Kurosaki seemed too desperate to achieve his goal of not having anyone die to play tricks, and as such, Byakuya trusted he was not being led astray.

Now that he thought of his newfound trust in the boy, the noble realized that he may have very well been the first, outside of the damnable werecat, to uncover the truth before the time traveler revealed it. As well as the boy played the part of the overconfident naïve brat during their fight, Byakuya had been able to tell clear as day that he was merely pretending. The noble of course could never have made the connection on his own, but it was obvious the whole time that something was 'off' during their final bout. The fire of defiance in his eyes had been closer to stained glass than a caged inferno. The rate at which he had acclimated to Byakuya's fighting style was too sharp, as if he had been part of a thousand battles rather than a dozen. The rage in his eyes when the captain commented on the boy's 'Getsuga Tensho' had seared into him with a genuine hatred, that in hindsight, seemed oddly aimed more at the boy himself rather than his opponent. As much as he was sure the boy believed otherwise, he hadn't missed the fact that the orange haired invader had been intentionally slowing down. For someone as highly trained as him, the random drops in agility were hard to misinterpret as exhaustion. He had of course been insulted at first by the intentional drops in ability. But then, when he had pinned the boy in place and was able to properly look him in the eye, he had been able to see past the projected emotions Kurosaki wanted him to see. And what he had seen behind the wall of fakery, were embers. Bright, powerful, and unable to ignite on their own, but embers of passion, determination, fearlessness and protectiveness that promised to become a great blaze if able to catch fire. Byakuya wasn't one to give respect unto criminals, as a Kuchiki he should never in any fashion promote the breaking of the law. But he couldn't help himself in the face of the embers he had witnessed in the time traveler's eyes. As much as he wasn't allowed to advocate such actions, how could he not be in awe of someone who fought against an army practically by themselves because of their beliefs? Kurosaki's tale of going against impossible odds so many times without an ounce of hesitation was sure to inspire anyone.

In all honesty, it made Byakuya wonder what the orange haired hybrid was like when he wasn't beleaguered by his trauma. The clan head knew he had glimpsed such an image earlier in the boy's invasion of the Seireitei. Though he would never admit it out loud, the stoic man had been left breathless by the boy's unwavering confidence during their skirmish on the bridge towards Rukia's cell. Mere hours after Kurosaki's encounter with the barbaric Kenpachi, covered in bloodied bandages and skin pale from blood loss. Yet, standing tall, proud, with a grin on his face as if his victory had been all but guaranteed. The noble's train of thought halted when the spirit with him did.

They were in the Rukongai, several districts deep. No earlier than district 10. The houses weren't the half-standing shacks he had heard of in the latter districts, yet neither were they the relatively well-kept structures from the earlier districts. The wear and tear was obvious, but not so bad as to be unsalvageable. A damaged wall here and there, a couple of patched roofs, he spotted a building that had been repurposed into a shop due to the front wall having collapsed. Speaking of which, shops and stalls of all sorts lined the street, ranging from food, to clothes, to rugs. Some came close to proper businesses, with well-organized lineups of product, a few souls standing as security, and multiple merchants discussing sales with potential buyers. Others, however, were nothing more than a soul sitting atop a worn rug, a haphazardly arranged pile of items in front of them as they practically begged passing residents to purchase some of their wares. Souls constantly bustled around, the street filled with people in some sort of unspoken order. Every which way people came and went, the highly trained noble barely capable of keeping track of the shadier looking individuals.

"Am I to learn why we are here now?" Byakuya struggled to keep the distain in his voice. Yet, the spirit leading him still seemed to catch it, from the flash of a side eye.

"As I said, knowing in advance would hinder your growth. I'm sure you will become aware of our purpose here soon." The quincy manifestation vaguely informed. "Stay close to me." He tasked before ghosting forward, silent despite his cloak fluttering along the ground. The noble did as asked, searching for anything that could be indicative of some hidden objective. His eyes kept finding the hooded individuals that skirted along the edges of the crowds, wearing loose clothing that could easily hide weapons. The zanpakuto spirit appeared to ignore them entirely, though the clan head couldn't be sure if that was because the quincy reasonably didn't register them as a threat or if it was an indicator that he was looking in the wrong direction.

Not a word was spoken between the two men as they passed through the crowds. Mild irritation bubbled within Byakuya as his guide appeared to treat the excursion as a shopping trip, stopping at stalls to gaze at merchandise. He would've believed that the spirit was subtly hinting at what Byakuya was supposed to do, had the spirit not exclusively looked over teas and tea sets. He decided that Zangetsu was leaving Byakuya to himself and had only requested for them to stick together so as to keep an eye on his progress. Following that belief, the noble ignored the actions of his guide and focused more on their surroundings. The hooded figures moved along with the crowds, likely to not draw as much attention, but remained at the edges. There were only four, which made it easy to keep track of them. A flash of silken black caught the noble's eye, and his sight snapped to it. The man found relief at finding a Shinigami amongst the crowd, browsing wares. He couldn't tell what division the Shinigami was from, but the simple fact that one was here meant that he needn't worry about drawing attention to himself and disturbing the exercise.

An overjoyed 'thank you' sounded close enough to the noble to bring curiosity, and he discovered the quincy spirit nodding silently to a sobbing soul dressed in sewn together rags holding a sack of coins, a clay kettle held within the manifestation's right hand. His guide returned to his side, and he couldn't help but appraise the newly acquired item.

"That kettle won't last more than a few uses." The noble warned.

"I'm aware." Came the unexpected response. "While I am using this time to purchase something to facilitate my interests, I am mostly analyzing the merchants. Learning who needs it the most." The spirits voice rung in his head for a moment, the noble confident it was spoken with purpose.

"I see." He finished the short discussion as he returned to investigating for potential reasons for his current situation. A sharp movement narrowed his focus to a wooden cart stacked with fruit. The captain of the 6th further noticed a man animatedly flaunting his merchandise to a soul, holding an apple in his hand as he attempted to convince the soul to purchase something. Then he caught the source of the sharp movement: a boy no taller than his waist dressed in an exceedingly oversized brown shihakusho tied together in several places to keep it from falling off. The boy's pale legs were all that he could see other than his matted and filthy black hair. With the exception of an orange in his left hand that he was sliding into his sleeve.

A quick glance around. The Shinigami wasn't even facing this direction, attempting to seduce a woman from the looks of it. A couple shopkeepers appeared to have noticed the boy's act, yet seemed impassive as if it weren't their problem. The hooded figures ignored the child entirely. Which left the task to the noble. He quickly walked up to the child, and before the boy could catch on, he snatched his wrist in his hand.

"Hey! Let go of me!" The boy immediately fought back, drawing the attention of a few of the closest in the crowd.

"You were attempting to steal from this merchant." Byakuya stoically stated, holding up the boy's hand and displaying the orange. The merchant in question immediately abandoned his potential customer and stomped over, his face boiling to red as it twisted in rage. The clan head couldn't help but notice the shudder that rattled the boy's body.

"You again?! This is the second time this week, you fucking brat!" The merchant roared.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" The child pleaded.

"Don't fucking lie to me, I know you stole my bread the other day! I haven't had anyone else try to steal from me, it could only have been you!"

"I didn't-You weren't going to sell it all anyway! It would've gone bad, and you would've just thrown it out!" The boy tried to squirm out of his grip, but it did nothing but bring attention to how thin his arm was. His gaze flicked down to look over his body, before his eyes narrowed slightly at how easily he could pick out the bones in the child's body.

"How the fuck would you know, you thieving shit?! Even if I did throw something away, it's better than some stealing brat making me lose money!" It was then that the noble noticed the bruises dotted around the form of the child.

"It's just one thing! So what if you lose a piece of bread once a week?!"

"I'll fucking show you what, you bastard! Thanks for catching this punk, I'll let you have whatever you want, half off!" The merchant reached down for the boy, only for Byakuya to pull the child behind him slightly.

"…What is the worth of the items this boy has stolen?" The merchant sneered.

"Kid's probably cost me twelve silver from all the shit he's taken from my cart."

"And the orange he holds?"

"Five bronze." He pondered for a moment, his training and studies from birth clashing with something he couldn't recognize. The captain spared a glance to the boy once more, finding something within the child's gaze that was distantly familiar. He kept his gaze onto the boy as he slipped his hand into the rags the quincy had given him.

"Thirteen silver. Another orange." He stated simply as he held out his hand.

"Wait, are you paying for the shit that brat's stolen?! He needs to be punished, or else he's just gonna keep stealing!"

"Then I will deal with it." There was a long moment of hesitation on the merchant's part, before he grabbed another orange from his cart and held it out. The noble dropped the coins into the shop keeper's hand before gracefully accepting the fruit. Once the exchange was completed, the clan head rose his gaze to the crowds.

The Shinigami had switched his attention to a different woman. The hooded figures still didn't appear to care about what just occurred. Byakuya narrowed his eyes. He returned to the quincy spirit's side, the boy's hand still held within his own.

"We're going somewhere quieter." He ordered his guide. There was a gleam in the zanpakuto's gaze the noble could just barely spot before he turned and walked down a side street. The now trio remained silent as they journeyed through the streets and alleys until they were in an empty dead-end alley.

Byakuya gently pulled the boy forward so that he and Zangetsu blocked off the entrance before letting go and holding out the second orange for the child to take. The dark haired child glanced at him warily.

"I bought it for you, it is alright to take it." He explained. A moment of hesitation from the child, then he snatched it quickly and retreated several steps. Once the boy deemed himself a safe distance, he ripped the fruit open with his bare hands and scarfed it down as if they could be taken at any moment from him. Something within the noble didn't like that image. There was no question that the knowing look from the manifestation was tied to that displeasure.

"Why did you steal from that merchant?" He instead questioned the boy. The immediate glare threw him off guard.

"Oji-san never sells everything he brings out, there's always a lot that goes bad that he just throws out. He knows who gets hungry, but he won't give anyone anything unless they pay him for it. If he catches someone stealing, he'll beat them, but he's really bad at paying attention."

"You don't have money?" The child scoffed at that.

"The only people here who have money are the Shinigami, the shop keepers, and the lords." He furrowed his eyebrows.

"The lords?"

"As long as people give them their stuff, the hooded people don't hurt you. I heard somewhere that the hooded people are dropouts from the Shinigami Academy, so there's no way to fight back." That was…disgraceful.

"There was a Shinigami amongst the crowds. Does he not stop that from happening?"

"Are you kidding? Shinigami-san is worse!" The bad feeling worsened. "He orders all the shopkeepers to give him free stuff and if someone catches his eye, they don't have a choice but to let him into their home. If anyone refuses him, he just uses his sword to cut them."

"Are there no other Shinigami in this area?"

"Most of them aren't as bad, but they do similar stuff." But…

"Take this and you may go." Byakuya grabbed a sack of fifty silver and gave it to the child, whose eyes widened before he pulled it close to his chest like the noble might take it back. The boy met his eyes for a moment, tears of endless gratefulness building, before bolting out of the alley. He remained where he was, silently staring at where the boy once stood.

"This is not justice."

"It is not." The quincy agreed.

"I will learn the names of all the Shinigami in this area, and have their zanpakuto's confiscated."

"That won't solve the problem."

"How?"

"More would simply take their place."

"But the law-"

"Is whatever the Central 46 decides." The spirit cut off. "And they do not care for anyone beyond themselves. So long as it does not disturb their positions of power, anything that occurs within the Rukongai is of no concern to them."

"The laws were put in place to keep the citizens safe."

"Yet they are governed by those who have never experienced the struggles those citizens go through." Byakuya stalled for a moment at that, before his head craned down so he could glance upon the stained and ripped rags that were currently upon his body. He thought about his visceral disgust when he was told to put them on. His fists clenched.

"…The Central 46 should be seated by those who look out for the good of the people."

"Indeed. It should be."

"…Are you so sure that it is not? Can't they simply be unaware of what occurs here like I have been?"

"In our time, Ichigo was gifted a home by the Central 46 in one of the First Districts as an act of gratitude. Through the assistance of Yoruichi, they removed nearly a dozen pieces of surveillance equipment that were in the walls and ceilings."

"…When did this occur?"

"A year into the Blood War, six months into the implementation of the Front Liners."

"…Then it couldn't have been because of a lack of trust."

"You recall that the Central 46 is made up of nobles? In our time, you were the one to teach Ichigo in deciphering the more self-interested acts of nobility. You believe they are different because they hold an even higher position of power?" He remained silent, eyes narrowed. His lessons in why not to trust other nobles passed through his mind. It clashed against his lessons in law, and the purpose of the Kuchiki clan.

"…What could I do? If those who dictate the law service only themselves, how do I uphold the justice that is ignored in favor of greed?"

"You are the clan head of one of the Four Great Noble Houses. Specifically the House that governs the law."

"Kurosaki Ichigo mentioned that to me. But I cannot change the law. I cannot force those more powerful than myself to uphold the law where they do not."

"Can you really not change the law? Are they really more powerful?"

"The Kuchiki's are supposed to be the example to follow. If we do what we wish, how are we supposed to tell others that they cannot?" He reasoned. "And the Central 46 govern the Soul Society. They could remove the Kuchiki's from nobility like they did the Shiba's."

"If the Kuchiki's are supposed to uphold the law no matter the situation, then why did you allow that boy to go unpunished from stealing?" Once again, Byakuya froze at the zanpakuto's words. "They are supposed to be the example of what is right. As a noble, you are given the responsibility of recognizing what is wrong and the power to correct it. The Central 46 holds dominion because people believe they cannot be contested. But if you gather enough people behind you, they cannot stop you." He shook his head in rejection.

"I could gather the entire Rukongai to contest the Central 46. They would simply gather the rest of the Gotei 13 in response."

"Not if you gather the Gotei 13." This spirit had an unnatural knack for knowing what to say to stop the clan head in his tracks. "If they possess no one to enact their will, what will do they possess? They are not Shinigami."

"That…that is mutiny."

"The Gotei 13 and Central 46 were founded upon mutiny." He finally looked upon the face of his guide. He found the fire hidden in the embers of Kurosaki's eyes. Unyielding, defiant, powerful, confident. The unbreakable guardian. The unstoppable protector. The inexhaustible defender. He found the blaze of a man willing to stand on his own against an army. To fend off an assault that never ended. To refuse to allow anything to stand in his way. He found the phantom that he had given respect to in their battle. The ghost of someone who could do the impossible. The specter of someone who could help others do the same.

"…Then…" As soon as that first word was spoken, that first step taken down the path, he felt the tongues of that same fire warm his body. "…A mutiny we shall enact."

"I thought you said something was off with these two?" Yoruichi drawled, hands clasped behind her head as she walked backwards to my right.

"I'm trying to find out what." I answered. "I'm not dumb enough to just bust their doors down and demand answers at sword point."

"You had us recruit the arrancar by killing over half their elite members." Unohana deadpanned.

"That's different, hollows respect power. These are nobles. The only way to get them to open up is to make them believe you're on their side."

"Well, would ya look at that, our little berry boy's using his head!"

"Oh, shut up. Ossan isn't the only part of me that can think." The werecat laughed in response. I rolled my eyes and knocked on the door before stepping back to wait. After a few moments, a servant opened the door and stiffened as soon as their eyes landed upon us.

"Kurosaki-sama, Unohana-taicho, Shihoin-sama! I didn't know you three were coming!"

"I had some free time," A complete lie, "and figured I'd help Donyoku with ripping Aizen's influence out of the Soul Society's history."

"A-ah, Tsunayashiro-sama is off on business, but his wife is in!" I shrugged.

"Fine by me, no point in wasting a trip."

"U-uh, come-come in! I'll lead you to one of the sitting rooms, and then fetch Tsunayashiro-sama!" I nodded in acceptance, which caused the servant to breathe a sigh of relief at probably not offending me before opening the door fully to grant us entry. We followed him inside, where he directed us to a room that had a nice garden view with a low table and some mats to sit on. The servant wasted no time placing cups on the table around a jug of something before bolting off to find…Donyoku's wife. I tilted my head.

"It's Donyoku and…Kamakoko, right?" A snort came from Yoruichi a moment before she began giggling, which of course evolved into laughter. "I'm gonna take that as a no."

"Her name is Kyoeikokoro." Unohana hid behind her hand.

"I knew there was a 'koko' somewhere." I took as a win.

"That's what you're proud of?" Yoruichi guffawed.

"Oi, I'm shit with names. Look at Kon." That only got her to laugh harder.

"Who is Kon?" The captain of the 4th asked.

"A konpaku Kisuke gave me when I first became a Shinigami." She raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"A konpaku, that you named Kon."

"Hey, I already admitted that I'm shit with names." I defended. Before the two could continue to joke about one of my more hilarious failings, the sliding door opened. Yoruichi held a hand over her mouth as she started to collect herself while Unohana and I turned to the green haired noblewoman. She was dressed similarly to when we first met, only she forewent the obi. Her hair was in an elegant braided ponytail that went over her shoulder, which sent warning signals off in my mind that I couldn't place the origin of.

"Ichigo! It's lovely to see you again!"

"Sup." I responded. There was no missing her pointedly not greeting Yoruichi or Unohana, something the two of them definitely noticed, from their half-second glance at each other.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" The noble questioned as she stepped around the table to sit across from me.

"Eh, Toshiro got his training down faster than expected, so I ended up having some unexpected free time." I reasoned. "Figured I'd help out your husband with the thing he asked me to do. One of your servants mentioned he was off on business?"

"Oh, yes, he discovered some artifact and he's off to get it to join the Tsunayashiro collection. It's nothing to care much about, in my opinion. All those things are old and worn, I say it's better to focus on the young and vibrant." Yoruichi twitched at the 'subtle' flirt. I placed a hand on her thigh to calm her.

"Well, I'd say the past is kind of important. The entire reason I'm here is to fix the past, after all." I faked a smile as the verdette straightened her back.

"Oh, I didn't mean to insult you, Ichigo, I simply…don't have the same interest in history as Donyoku."

"Ah, no harm done," I didn't give a shit anyway. "So when's he supposed to be back?"

"Oh, a couple of days. It's a bit far."

"Damn, I was planning on returning to the World of the Living later today, it's unfortunate that I'll be missing him."

"Oh, there's nothing to worry about! I'm sure you and I can work together to have some notes ready for him when he comes back, Ichigo!" I shrugged.

"Why not? You don't mind Yoruichi and Unohana being here, right?" My hollow hearing caught the soft gulp from Kyoeikokoro.

"Actually, I was curious as to why the three of you are always seen together."

"We're together." Yoruichi didn't hesitate. The verdette tilted her head stiffly.

"The-the three of you?"

"Indeed." Unohana confirmed.

"I see…" After a moment where she seemed to be lost in her thoughts, a gleam appeared in her eyes. "You certainly aren't shy about having multiple lovers, aren't you?"

"Yeah, these two really have a big space in my heart, almost me worry I won't have enough left to love anyone else." I gently warned.

"Someone who time traveled to save everyone they've ever met surely has a larger heart than he believes, right?"

'As much as this bitch pisses me off, remember that we're trying to figure out what her game is.'

'I think her game is trying to get in my pants.'

'And if she's hunting for something else?'

'And if she's not?'

'Only one way to be sure.' I couldn't help the twitch in my eye as the logic filtered through my mind. After a moment where I couldn't find the fault, I rested my other hand on Unohana's thigh.

"…I never thought of it like that. You just might be right." I tried to not make it obvious how forced the words were.

"Being a noble means vast knowledge." The woman grinned. I didn't bother listing all the examples I knew of that being horrifically wrong. "I could educate you on any subject whenever you'd like." She likely took my swallowing my desire to throw the table at her face as a gulp of anticipation, given the saucy glint that appeared in her eye.

"You know, I'm finding it kind of difficult to think of the stuff Aizen did in the past. I was mostly focused on the in-the-moment stuff, you know? I might have to come back again when I can recall it." The noblewoman placed her hand on the table and leaned forward, clearly trying to show off some cleavage. I made a show of glancing down, when in reality I was focusing on the fact that her ring was miraculously missing.

"You can come back whenever, and I really do mean whenever. I'll be happy to accommodate, Ichigo."

"Thank you for the offer. We've got to be on our way, free time doesn't exactly come often for me."

"Oh, of course, of course. Let me show you out." She stood at the same time we did, stepping forward to open the door for us to go through. Kyoeikokoro walked in front of mostly me, clearly exaggerating the sway of her hips in an attempt to draw my attention. Since she wasn't looking, I was free to have my disgust on my face. We turned down the final hall that lead towards the front doors, and found a man talking with one of the servants. The man was slightly taller than average, around Uryu's height, and had two-toned green hair. Which matched the hair colors of Donyoku and Kyoeikokoro perfectly. His hair was medium length, and wasn't really cared for outside of a braid along the left side of his head. The man wore a loose green kimono and turned when we entered the hallway, revealing green eyes. The man blinked at us in surprise for a moment before an easy smile appeared on his face.

"Hello there, I didn't know we had guests over. Mother, do you mind introducing me?"

"I didn't know you were home, I apologize for not mentioning you. Ichigo, this is my son, Tokinada Tsunayashiro." I waved my hand in greeting.

"Yo, Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm sure you've heard of me."

"It's hard not to. A real time traveler, how fascinating. It's a pleasure to meet you in person, though I hope you don't mind my wondering why we're being blessed by your presence?"

"Ah, there's no need to treat me like someone stuck up. I hate all that stuffy crap. Your father contacted me in hopes that I could help him learn about my version of history. Turns out, he's not here when I've got the time for it."

"Yes, he's an oddly busy man for someone who just keeps track of what happened thousands of years ago. I apologize on his behalf for not being available."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll get the chance again somewhere down the line."

"I'm sure. Ah, you were leaving, right? I don't mean to hold you up."

"No harm done. It was nice meeting you." I waved goodbye.

"Likewise." Tokinada bowed lightly. We stepped out the door promptly, the Tsunayashiro's waving politely as we walked through the courtyard.

"I don't like her." Yoruichi firmly stated.

"I agree wholeheartedly." Unohana didn't hide an ounce of distaste. I remained silent, my thoughts stuck on the two-toned man. It didn't take them long to notice.

"You that put off by her advances?" The werecat questioned.

"Something's up with Tokinada." I could feel the confusion from both.

"I'm not gonna correct your judgement, you were clearly right about the wife, but I didn't get anything from the son."

"Indeed, I at least felt something wasn't completely innocent with the other two, but I can't say the same about the next in line." That…that struck me for a second.

"He's the next in line?" I asked. They exchanged a contemplative look.

"I'd assume so. His father is the head."

"Well, there are weird circumstances around nobility and clan heads. It might not be the case. Why do you ask, Ichi-kun?" Hearing the affectionate nickname helped to wash out the disgust from Kyoeikokoro's use of my name.

"I don't know why, but his status is messing with me." I frowned. "Kyoraku mentioned the Tsunayashiro's to me at some point, I need to talk to him eventually about that."

"But not now." Unohana stated. I rolled my eyes.

"Not now. I agreed to go to the World of the Living, I'm not gonna go back on that."

"Good. Then I wont have to paralyze you with Kido." Yoruichi hummed cheerfully.

"You say that like it would stop me." Her hum stopped, then switched to a whine.

"Dammit, how am I supposed to do kinky shit with you if Kido doesn't work?" This time I was the one laughing.

CHAPTER DONE! This might just be me being in a bad headspace while writing it, but if the end of this chapter feels rushed, I'm sorry. I hope y'all are getting that hype from all the shit I'm setting up. I'm particularly proud about that sneaky Tokinada intro, though I might not have put it to paper as well as I could have. But we've also got BYAKUYA DECIDING TO OVERTHROW THE CENTRAL 46! FUCK YEAH BOIS! I was really excited to put Byakuya's chapter out, it was actually the fact that every previous version just didn't feel right that made it take so long. And I definitely didn't give a proper set-up to what is actually one of the biggest things in this chapter, being Ichigo returning to the World of the Living. But I'll try to make up for that my amping up the emotional value of the actual return.

Next Chapter: Road to Recovery