Bleach: No Longer A Substitute

by Nanto99

One year has passed since Ichigo Kurosaki, former Substitute Soul Reaper defeated Aizen at the cost of his Soul Reaper powers. It seemed that his life would have continued just like that of any other normal human. Yet, in its unpredictability, fate will play its cards again, truths hidden for decades will come out and Ichigo will finally become what he was destined to be.

10. Chapter 9

I do apologise for the long time it took to write this chapter but my life suddenly got very busy and i won't bore you with the details.

This chapter is the first in a series in which Ichigo will take his time exploring the Seireitei and the Soul Society in general, bond with the other Captains and Lieutenants and undertake missions in his new position as Lieutenant of Squad Two. If any of you wants to give me any idea for chapters i could write (such as the missions Ichigo could undertake), please let me know.

With that out of the way, enjoy the chapte and please let me know if it has some rough edges and i'll fix em!

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Chapter 9: Squad Eleven Beware: The Deathberry is Back

The following morning once again, Soi-Fon was surprised.

She expected Ichigo to ask a few questions about what he had read the night before given how shaken he appeared to be upon learning that one of his duties would be to punish, or even in some cases, execute those who broke the law. Instead he had not spoken a single word aside from "Morning, Captain." from the moment he met up with her, right until the Captain of Squad Two led him to the barracks of the Patrol Corps which stood not too far away from the main building of the Squad. As expected from its previous commander, it resembled a temple decorated with all sorts of red and gold ornamentations, likely as a result of Omaeda spending the money of his family to make it look as prestigious as possible.

"This is the main compound of the Patrol Corps. As you can see, Omaeda was pretty thorough with his decorations. To his credit, he does have a good taste in architecture." she remarked emotionlessly.

"It's not all that bad. Actually, red is one of my favorite colors." stated Ichigo as he stared at said decorations, his voice even more dry and aloof than that of his Captain. Having noticed this, Soi-Fon looked at him with concern, recalling his reaction to what she told him the day before. While she would never admit it out loud, she did feel a bit guilty in having revealed him one of the harsh realities of the Stealth-Force, the fact that should the order ever come, one could be expected to execute his own comrades for severely breaking the law.

"Kurosaki." she called out, earning his attention "I apologise for what i told you last night. I failed to take into account that up until yesterday, you didn't even know what the duties of the Stealth Force were." Ichigo's lips parted away slightly in surprise upon seeing her looking away in slight shame, a shame that could be heard clearly in her voice as well "I was too harsh. It's true that most of the time i prefer to keep some tension between me and my subordinates in order to encourage them to always improve themselves as much as they-"

"It's alright, Captain. I knew the moment i swore my oath to the Head Captain that sooner or later i will have to make that choice." spoke Ichigo after letting out a sigh, causing Soi-Fon to gasp slightly in surprise. Her beautiful gray eyes turned towards him and, just like the day before, her heartbeat increased slightly upon seeing that there was not a shred of doubt in Ichigo's face "Byakuya went through the same struggle before. He wanted to set a standard for all Soul Reapers as his Clan had done so for many generations but at the same time, he wanted to protect Rukia, the only family he had left. And that inner conflict brought him much self-loathing."

The raven haired woman's eyes widened once Ichigo continued his speech, recalling what the head of the Kuchiki Clan had told him on that fateful day "He said feelings and emotions have no value compared to the law but i knew that he didn't truly mean it. However, he was right on one thing: we can't enforce the law if we ourselves are unwilling to obey it. At the same time though, the law must be fair, just, devoid of corruption. If anything, it must be guided by feelings and emotions, otherwise, how can a world be a good place to live in if the laws that rule it, are unjust and unfair?"

Soi-Fon's breath caught up in her throat. She coudn't even reply to those words. They were so wise, so powerful….. so heartfelt. But at the same time, Ichigo's inner turmoil was in plain sight right in front of her. No matter the tough and wise facade he put up, he was still a teenager….. he was still afraid and unsure of what he would have done, should he ever be faced with the choice of doing what was right or upholding the law, a choice that ultimately will never be an easy one to make, not even if your name is Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekumi.

However, Ichigo turned towards his Captain and with a look of determination, declared "Captain, i know that sooner or later i will be forced to choose between those i care about and the law but until that moment arrives, i can promise you this much: i will do my utmost best, no matter what. I may not be able to protect everyone, but i'll still try to protect as many as i can. And if it comes down to it, i'll be more than happy to give my life away for their sake."

Soi-Fon found herself entranced by the sheer resolve in the former Substitute's face. It was so powerful and genuine that it warmed her heart, even if he still hadn't done anything in his new position as a Lieutenant. She still struggled to believe that he was the same hesitant boy she had met on the battlefield for the first time during the battle over the Fake Karakura Town. But what really made the lasting impression was his intense gaze…. Those were the eyes of a warrior, of a resoluted man who would have faced the Gods themselves to protect those he cared about. However, in spite of the fact that he had defeated Aizen, she still hadn't seen for herself how powerful he and his resolve was when faced with great obstacles to overcome. After all, everyone can be a paper tiger, all bark and no bite until proven otherwise. Therefore, Soi-Fon quickly replaced the awe in her face and eyes with her trademark emotionless look before stating "We'll see about that, Kurosaki. And remember, don't get too assured of yourself just because you defeated Aizen. Fighting on your own is one thing, leading others in battle is a completely different matter altogether. When you have such a responsibility, you must be the rock your men can rely upon and when you are that rock, you can't be allowed to show weakness for their sake. That, is the burden of leadership. You will soon learn that."

Ichigo nodded solemnly, having finally put aside his doubts on whatever he may be forced to do in the future and ignoring the tiny bit of hesitation in his Captain's voice….. or was it pain? He coudn't quite put his finger on it. When she said "The burden of leadership"….. was it more than what she said it to be? Was it actually what made her like this and was this her way of telling him that she wasn't always the way she is now?

"Come. It's time for you to meet your men." beckoned Soi-Fon, pulling the former Substitute out of his thoughts. Ichigo wasted no time following her into the compound and after passing through the main door, a second sliding door opened, revealing a large room in which all members of the Patrol Corps, some 60+ men and women, had gathered and were now standing at attention, arranged in several horizontal lines, one in front of the other.

"Good morning, Captain, Ma'am!" they all greeted as they stood proud with their heads up and their chest puffed up as the raven haired woman walked towards the center of the room with Ichigo following after her.

"At ease, troops." calmly ordered Soi-Fon and at once all the members of the second highest ranked branch relaxed their postures. But when Ichigo came besides her, the eyes of many widened slightly in astonishment, having seen just two days ago how easily the former Substitute had defeated their previous Commander in combat and knowing full well that he was also the victor of Sosuke Aizen and the one who would have led them from now on. Clearing her throat, the Captain of Squad Two began to speak "As you may all know and as some of you may have witnessed two days ago, Ichigo Kurosaki has replaced Marechiyo Omaeda as Commander of the Patrol Corps. The Head Captain himself had nominated him for the position out of gratitude for everything he has done for us upon learning that his life as a human had come to an end and that he had regained his powers. I trust that all of you will place your unconditioned loyalty and faith in him since from now on, he will be the one who will lead you all in battle." she then paused, glanced towards Ichigo and asked him "Now, Kurosaki, do you wish to say a few words to your new subordinates?" as all of them looked at him in a mix of awe and fascination not just because of how powerful he looked, but also due to how mature and handsome his appearance was, to some of the female members's delight.

Ichigo nodded and after taking a few steps forward, casually scratched the back of his head, closed his eyes and and spoke "Honestly, i don't even know what to tell you." causing several surprised murmurs to break out among the men and women of the Patrol Corps and even Soi-Fon was at first a little dumbfounded by how casually he had addressed them. But then, the former Substitute reopened his eyes and continued "I mean, you were all trained how to fight for six whole years while i used to be no more than a human, who lived its simple and shallow life just like any other, no more than three days ago. You got where you are now by sheer force of will and perseverance while i just so happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." he paused again, letting the words sink in while Soi-Fon's puzzlement began to fade away upon hearing the slightest hint of sadness in his voice.

"The first time i saw a Hollow, i was concerned only with protecting my family. After that night, the night in which i became a Soul Reaper for the first time, i thought "Why should i keep risking my neck fighting those things?" " all the Patrol Corps members kept looking at him in confusion and Soi-Fon saw a glimpse of the same scared and hesitant boy Ichigo once was upon hearing those words. However, their confusion turned into awe the moment the orange haired young man's face filled itself with his staunch resolve "But that all changed when i began to save other souls from Hollows. It was then that i realised what it truly means to be a Soul Reaper. It's about using your power to protect those who can't protect themselves, to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, not to force others into acknowledging your power." he spoke as he looked at all the men and women in front of him before finally declaring "I know that i have no right to ask you all to follow me from now on, but i want to let you know this: i have always only fought to protect the lives of others out of the promise i made to myself after my mother died. All i ask, is for you to do the same from now on, whether you had previously done so under your former Commander or not. That is all."

Soi-Fon coudn't help but smile at his heartfelt words and how they had touched many of the Patrol Corps members in front of him. Nearly all of them were looking at him in admiration not just from his past accomplishments but from the lack of hesitation on his face. Some of the women were even blushing, entranced by his strong will coupled with his handsome and beautiful appearance. They all remained silent until one of them spoke up "Truer words were never spoken." causing the others along with Ichigo and Soi-Fon to turn their gaze towards the owner of that voice. The other members stepped away to make him visible to his Captain and their newly appointed Lieutenant. A tall, fair-skinned man with a somewhat angular face and pronounced chin that had dark brown eyes with small pupils and short black hair, with two bangs of different lengths falling on the right side of his face. In addition to his standard Shihakusho, this Soul Reaper was wearing a tan straw hat engraved with a four-petal flower design on its tip that was kept attached to his head with strings of cord which wrapped around his chin and the back of his ears.

"Protecting the innocent must always be our top priority." spoke the man as he adjusted his hat before looking towards Ichigo, with a smile and remarking casually "You've really come a long way, you know that, kid? Never would i have imagined that one day, you would be the one to lead us!" causing the strawberry's eyes to widen slightly, recognising the same man that had been sent in the first attempt to bring Rukia back to the Soul Society after it was discovered that she had remained in the World of the Living for too long. The same Soul Reaper who almost gave away his own life to save his sister, Karin from Grand Fisher by taking a blow that was meant for her.

With her professional and emotionless look making its way back on her face, Soi-Fon formally addressed the eccentric man "Ensign Saido, i take it that you are already acquainted with Kurosaki?" while crossing her arms over her chest and hiding her surprise at the fact that one of Omaeda's men had met Ichigo in the past. His face filling up with realisation, Ichigo thought "Ah yes, now i remember his name!" before scowling awkwardly "And i also remember that he was quite the pervert…."

"That's right, Captain. I met him when i was sent in the World of the Living to find Rukia Kuchiki and bring her back to the Soul Society. We even fought the Hollow Grand Fisher together!" fondly recalled the eccentric Soul Reaper known as Eikichiro Saido, renowned among his fellow squad members for his love of children. The other members gasped in astonishment, not wanting to believe that Saido had faced the dreaded Grand Fisher, a Hollow that managed to evade Soul Reapers for more than 50 years due to its unique abilities and lived to tell the tale, something he had failed to report when he returned to the Soul Society barehanded. Ichigo on the other hand, frowned and gulped, the memories of that fateful battle coming back with full force. That day, Grand Fisher mocked him with he image of his dead mother and even after turning the tables against him, Ichigo coudn't even defeat him. That day, he didn't just face that monstrous Hollow, he faced his grief and his inability to move past it. But that only strengthened his resolve to protect everyone and the events of that night shaped him into the warrior he was today.

Soi-Fon immediately noticed her newest Lieutenant's face turn into a frown as soon as Saido spoke that name, but then scowled upon hearing Saido's next words "He was only an inexperienced kid back then who could only swing that oversized blade of his around left an' right without any style and finesse, and look at him now, a fully fledged Lieutenant! Man, how times can change." he cheerfully and jokingly remarked…..

….only to flinch, along with the other squad-mates as Soi-Fon rounded her gray eyes onto his own, clearly filled with displeasure at how he spoke about Ichigo, not addressing him with proper respect "I'd watch my mouth if i were you, Ensign Saido." she threatened, making no effort to hide her disdain "The same "inexperienced kid" you're talking about is the same man who defeated Sosuke Aizen. Were it not for him, the Soul Society might have been destroyed, and from this day on, he will be your superior, so i expect you, along with the rest of your comrades to treat him with due respect. I will not tolerate such indiscipline, is that understood?" her voice was so venomous and terrifying that many other Squad Members hurriedly resumed their "at attention pose" and replied "Yes, Captain, Ma'am!" Saido included.

Ichigo cringed and sweat-dropped at how his Captain disciplined Saido. It was pretty much Tatsuki all over again "Yep, just what i thought she would do. I guess she's not a Captain for nothing." he thought in exasperation, not even wanting to imagine what her punishments would be for those who grossly stepped out of line. Still, he did appreciate how Soi-Fon stood up for him and went her way to defend him from some tiny and unlikely preconceptions that might nonetheless be made based only on who he once was.

"Kurosaki." called out the raven haired woman, earning his attention "Ensign Saido will show you the rest of the compound and the training field of the Patrol Corps and how the branch is organised in general. After which, you'll be free to do whatever you want for the rest of the day. That is all." Ichigo looked at her in bewilderment as she began to walk outside the compound. She stopped as she felt his eyes upon her before glancing towards him and declaring "I look forward to working with you from now on. I'm sure you'll be a worthy commander to all these valiant men." and with those words and the hint of a smile, she took her leave.

An awkward silence settled in for a few moments, before Ichigo turned towards Saido with an awkward expression and asked "Is she always like that?" earning a laugh from the older man who replied casually "Yep. But don't worry, she may always have that scowl on her face and she always expects the best of us, but she deeply cares about us and never mistreats us, unless of course, we step out of line." he then paused, and with his expression going from cheerful to nervous, he added "Just pray that you don't catch her in a bad mood. You do NOT wanna mess around with her when she's like that. Just ask our former Commander. She's trounced that fat ass of his so many times, it's a miracle he survived every time!" referring to Omaeda and the many, MANY occassions in which she wiped the floor with him. Literally.

Ichigo sweat-dropped again, immediately realising that he was referring to Omaeda, before saying "From the way you're talking about him, you make it sound like he's far from a pleasant person." upon hearing that Saido made no effort to bad-mouth the former commander of the Patrol Corps, therefore, his former superior.

To his surprise, Saido's cheerfulness dissappeared from his face and most of the other members of the Second Branch scowled at the mention of his name. Then another man, slightly younger than Saido, with short black hair and glasses that hid a pair of brown eyes spoke up "Lieutenant Omaeda treated us like crap. He always bossed us around, made us do his paperwork for him under threat of expelling us, while he either spent the day gorging himself on his goddamn rice crackers or being away with his family and almost never gave us permission to leave, not even for a full day unless we were on his good side. Truth be told, i cheered up when i found out that he had been replaced." making no effort to hide his disdain for his former commander.

Taken completely aback by what he heard, Ichigo frowned in anger when a young woman with white hair, grey eyes and a scar that ran from her nose to her left cheek, added "That's right. I guess it must have been because he's a high ranking noble and in his eyes, we're nothing more than "lowly commoners"." while she looked downwards with dejection, followed by many of her comrades doing the same.

Ichigo had never thought much about Omaeda. In his eyes he was nothing but a lazy, cowardly and sluggish fatass who, as Yoruichi had revealed him the day before, had only gotten his position because he came from a high-ranking noble family, and the fact that he beat him with a single punch when he faced him for the first time not too long after arriving just in time to save Rukia from the Sokyoku, along with two other Lieutenants, showed. But now he fully understood why Soi-Fon despised him. As it turned out, his father wasn't wrong at all: some Nobles were arrogant, vile scumbags who acted like they owned everything and everyone around them and looked down upon those who lacked their luxury simply because everything was handed to them on a silver plate since the day they were born. And at the same time, there were thousands of homeless children in the Rukongai, who lived in a state of utter poverty, and who, like Rukia and Renji before them, had to fight, steal and, in some cases, even kill just to survive.

"And i thought Byakuya was a prick sometimes…." was what Ichigo thought, disgusted by what he had heard. For all his endless pride and arrogance, Byakuya at heart, was a good man and he would never stoop as low as actively mistreating those who served him (or at least Ichigo thought so since, aside from Renji and Rukia, he had never once seen how he treated his men and his servants), which was the one thing Ichigo could never tolerate. And with that in mind, he resolved to do one thing.

"Alright guys, listen up." he spoke up, earning everyone's attention "If you think i'm the same as that meatball, you're dead wrong. In fact, people who treat their allies like trash make me sick." every single Patrol Corps member, including Saido and the other two that had spoken up gasped upon hearing those words and how they were filled with resolve "You all now how strong i am. However, i would have never managed to defeat Aizen without all the help my friends gave me. They all guided me to become stronger and yes, that includes Lieutenants Abarai and Kuchiki. They went as far as abandon their post in the Soul Society to join me and my friends as we journeyed in Hueco Mundo in our quest to infiltrate Las Noches and free my friend, Orihime. Do you know why they did that?" he asked all the men and women before him, who were looking at him with wide eyes, filled with great astonishment.

With his eyes softening, he smiled and declared "Because that's what friends are for. To lend a hand when you need it, to be the shoulder you can lean on to, people who will return the favor for every time you helped them." and all at once, realisation dawned on all the Patrol Corps Members's faces and their astonishment was replaced by awe and admiration the moment Ichigo added, his smile now gone, but his face filled with his staunch resolve "Rukia nearly gave her life away to save me and my family from a Hollow the night i first met her. And all my friends followed me and put their lives in danger without a moment of hesitation because they believed in me, the same way i believed in them. I'm not some fat punk who will sit back and do nothing while someone is going to die for his sake, hell for the sake of countless people!"

Saido smiled, heartwarmed to see how far he had come. If there ever was a strong leader to follow, it was right in front of him. If someone had told him that one day, the same inexperienced kid he met more than a year ago, would have one day have become his commanding officer, he would have laughed but with those words alone, Ichigo had proven himself worthy of being it. The other members all smiled the moment Ichigo began to smile again and proclaimed encouragingly "All i ask of you is one thing: don't fight for yourselves. Fight for me or for the sake of others and i will fight for you. Should you ever put your life on the line to protect something or someone, then i'll do the same. That, is a promise."

And at once, the heartwarmed Patrol Corps members bowed before him, won over by his kindness and resolve. He was the complete opposite of their former commander and to a lesser extent, even of their Captain. He genuenely showed concern for them and promised to protect all of them. And for his part, Ichigo was heartwarmed by how they had reacted to those words: he knew they had touched all the men and women in front of him.

"Thank you, Lieutenant! We'll do our best!" they all replied happily, pleasing him even more, while Saido approached him with his arms folded over his chest, straw-hat still on his head and spoke "Ya sure know how to get everyone fired up, Lieutenant. Looking forward to working with you."

Turning towards him, Ichigo replied "Yeah, me too. And please, just call me Ichigo. I'm still not used at being referred to as "Lieutenant" or "Lieutenant Kurosaki." " surprising him and all the others even more at how humble he was. Then an idea popped up in his mind "Actually, there is something you could do for me." he added, while scratching the back of his head and looking away in slight shyness "Could you please show me the rest of the compound around here? I kinda just got there and i have no-"

(OST: "K.O" = Bleach Soundtrack)

Immediately, he was swarmed by four young women who all gathered around him and exclaimed "Of course, Lieutenant! You didn't even need to ask!" Follow us and we'll show you the rest of our barracks!"

With an uncomfortable smile, Ichigo replied "S-Sure, i mean… please, lead the way." his face beet red as all the beautiful women began to drag him throgh the rest of their compound while Saido and several other Members sweat-dropped "Well what would you know, he's a chick magnet too." he thought as he began, along with the others to follow after him and all the women who had gathered around him, minus the one with the white hair and the scar on her face, who looked at her fellow Squad Members with exasperation "Don't they have any sense of dignity?"she thought as she followed after them. And so, Ichigo was given a tour of the compound, during which he was shown the training grounds of the Patrol Corps and the armory which held many hundreds spare Shihakushos, and just as many Asauchi, nameless Zampakuto which all Soul Reapers of low rank wield until they eventually imprint their essence of their souls into it, thus molding them into a unique Zampakuto which has a unique name, ability and spirit distinct from all the other nameless ones.

After which, he was also shown the large room where all the members slept, filled with more than 35 bunk beds, which allowed for a capacity of more than 70 people. Ichigo was surprised to see that many of the doors were actually automatic and that the floor was actually heated, a level of technology and luxury that felt completely out of place in a realm in which the general architecture resembled that of Feudal Japan. But not even that would prepare him for what he saw next, close to the room that housed all the Squad Members's beds….

"Wow! There's even a hot spring in here!" he exclaimed in utter disbelief and pleasant surprise, the same way a teenager would, which greatly charmed all the women who had led him there. And what a big hot spring pool it was, too. It looked like it could have housed more than 20 people.

"Yeah, let's just say that Lieutenant Omaeda knew how to spend his money well." commented Saido, having stopped close by "Now, if only he would ever allow us to bathe in that pool instead of keeping it all for himself….."

Ichigo looked at the eccentric man in comical disbelief "You're kidding, right? What's the point of building such a large pool if only one person is going to use it?" he asked in bewilderment.

Saido shrugged and replied "Hell if i know." then Ichigo paused to think for a few seconds before announcing "A'right boys and girls, listen up." gathering the attention of everyone. With a casual smile, he proclaimed "Since your former Lieutenant went through the trouble of building this pool in the middle of our Squad, i think it's only fair that everybody is allowed to use it at any time."

Immediately, the four women who took the initiative to show him the compound, erupted in an elated chorus "YAAAAAAYYYYYYY! THANK YOU SO MUCH, LIEUTENANT!" while several of the men grinned to various degrees at the prospect of possibly oogling their female comrades's….. assets through several holes and openings, something that, as members of the stealthiest of all the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, were very capable of doing, without being detected.

But unfortunately for them, Ichigo had already noticed their grins and thus, he scowled, lifted his left pointer finger and added "But on one condition. It will not be occupied by men and women at the same time." he then shot a death glare to the members who looked forward to oogle their female comrades, startling them before pointing towards them and threatening "And if i so much as catch even one of you spying on the ladies, you better hope that you'll still be able to walk by the time i'll be finished whooping your sorry little asses to the ground. You're Soul Reapers first and foremost, not a bunch of lowly perverts! As such, you're duty bound to set a standard of discipline to others, is that understood?"

Saido sweat-dropped upon seeing those men who had a wide grin stamped all over their lips at the prospect of spying on their female comrades, flinch, stand at attention and cry out "Yes, Lieutenant, Sir!" while the women chuckled in amusement, their liking of Ichigo growing even more "Well, he sure knows how to put others in their place, too. He's starting to sound an awful lot like our Captain, man." he thought, hiding his amusement at how easily he had put his comrades in their place. Umberknownst to him and the others, Ichigo was a man who greatly cared about dignity and self-restraint and as such perverts like Kon or even Lisa Yadomaru, one of the Vizards who trained him in mastering Hollowfication, a young woman whose hobby of reading erotic manga and making no effort to hide it, got on his nerves. Of course even he would be a fool to deny that Yoruichi was drop-dead gorgeous, especially since he got the chance to see her naked, but he would do anything to keep his more….. passionate feelings to himself.

(Soundtrack ends)

That being said, as the women once again gathered around him and proceeded to show him more of their compound, Saido coudn't help but smile at how friendly Ichigo acted towards them. As it turned out acting that way and building up friendly relationships can make all the difference instead of just bossing others around. He was definetely looking forward to work for him in the future.

---

Later on in the afternoon

After having lunch, Ichigo decided to take a walk around the streets of the Seireitei, since Soi-Fon had given him the day off, unless of course, an emergency situation would pop out of nowhere which require an immediate deployment. To his surprise, the streets were quite lively, filled with all sorts of men and women each coming from one of the various Thirteen Court Guard Squads and, to top it all off, there were all kinds of shops around, much like in the World of the Living where any Soul Reaper could find anything needed for their everyday lives: food, all kinds of clothes, chairs, furnitures, gadgets, hell, even some high-tech stuff. To top it all off, there were even several barbers, beauty centers and a lot of restaurants.

"Man, it sure feels like i'm back in Karakura Town. Karin and Yuzu would have loved this place." he remarked to himself, with a smile. And along the way, many people smiled at him and even saluted him cheerfully as he was their hero, the one who had saved them all. And every time, Ichigo returned the smile, waved back and greeted them back.

That was until he heard a commotion close by. Turning towards where the sounds came from, he spotted a large group of people who appeared to be gathered around something of interest "Mmm… i wonder what's all that ruckus about?" he thought.

But as soon as he made his way through the crowd, what he saw made his blood boil.

"HA! That all you got, ya little shit?!" sadistically exclaimed a large, bald, muscular but also quite ugly and brutish man with black eyes as he kicked in the abdomen what appeared to be a short, very young male Soul Reaper with blue eyes, chin-length black hair, with bangs framing the sides of his face. Aside from the standard Shihakusho, he wore what appeared to be a medical kit worn over his shoulder. Said young Soul Reaper was lying on the ground, trying to cover his small body with his arms and legs to protect his chest and abdomen but, unfortunately for him, the brute wasn't alone. Along with him were four more shorter men of similar, but slightly slimmer build, one with brown spiky hair, one with glasses and a blonde mohawk, another with black hair and a scar below his eye and another one with a black hair styed in a pompadour.

"Hanataro?!" he almost exclaimed, his eyes wide open in shock upon recognising Hanataro Yamada, 7th Seated Officer of Squad Four, the same young Soul Reaper who, against his orders, aided him and Ganju during their quest to reach the tower in which Rukia was held. He was the one who healed Ichigo's injuries after his fights with both Ikkaku and Renji and thus without him, he would have never been able to fight Kenpachi at top form. Ichigo was also aghast to see that although, there were more than 20 people gathered around the horrible event, none of them moved a finger to help the helpless young teenager. So, he turned towards the nearest Soul Reaper he could find, grabbed him by his Shihakusho and demanded "How can you just stand there and do nothing?! That little guy is getting the crap beaten out of him!" while all the others gasped at his sudden appearance, with some of them calling out "I-Ichigo Kurosaki….." or "I-It's him….."

Looking at him nervously, the brown haired man, replied "And risk getting my ass kicked by those Squad Eleven brutes?! You're crazy!" which earned a venomous scowl at his cowardice. But before Ichigo could voice his displeasure at his and all the others's unwillingness to step in, he heard Hanataro cry out in pain "PLEASE, NO MORE! I DIDN'T DO IT ON PURPOSE!" Gasping at that desperate plead, Ichigo saw all those five brutish Soul Reapers of Squad Eleven stop and laugh at how pathetic he looked "Ha! You Squad Four punks are so worthless! Ya can't even do something as simple as fight back!" mocked the guy with the glasses and the blonde mohawk.

Ichigo then remembered how, when he and Ganju kidnapped Hanataro and tried to use him as a hostage to get away while being chased by many Squad Eleven Members, said members laughed at them for doing that and even encouraged them to kill him because, as it turned out, they greatly looked down on Squad Four, dismissing it as nothing more than a "weak medical team". Wanting some answers, Ichigo rounded his eyes towards the man he seized by the collar of his Shihakusho and demanded "What happened here?" his voice so venomous and seething with rage that it terrified him. Wasting no time, the brown haired Soul Reaper answered "See that vase over there?" while also pointing at a vase with yellow flowers that now laid on the ground nearby Hanataro and his assailants, broken and with the flowers spilled all over "Apparently that kid accidentally bumped onto one of those Squad Eleven brutes and while, they normally would just yell at anybody else from wetting their robe, that poor guy just so happens to be the 7th Seated Officer of Squad Four. And needless to say, they are greatly looked down upon by Squad Eleven." he explained, while trying to and failing to keep a composed face, due to the intense glare Ichigo was giving him. And as soon as the young man finished his explanation, Ichigo's face went from being contorted in anger to his trademark casual "i don't give a crap" scowl. Without another word, he procedeed to walk straight towards the five Squad Eleven members while all the other Soul Reapers either gasped or looked upon with disbelief.

"You Squad Four pussies make me sick. You act like you're the most valuable asset around here." spitefully spoke the largest of the five Squad Eleven members as he pressed his foot on Hanataro's head "You're not worth shit! In fact, you're even lower than d-"

He coudn't finish. A hand suddenly grabbed him by the left shoulder, which caused him to stop as soon as he felt a powerful grip on his shoulder. And as soon as he turned around and began "What the fu-"

He coudn't finish as Ichigo's right fist slammed into his face with so much force that it broke his nose and even knocked out some teeth. The two meter tall brute was knocked unconscious with a single punch and sent flying some good ten meters away, crashing rather unceremoniously towards a neaby tree, knocking it down right on top of him. The crowd fell silent, every single one being left astounded by what had just happened.

"Bakken!" cried out the four remaining Squad Eleven members, before, as they turned towards the culprit, the one with the brown spiky hair yelled "You're gonna pay for that, ya lit-" only to gasp mid-speech upon seeing who the one before him was.

Although quite beaten up, with bruises all over his face, Hanataro immediately recognised who the one that had saved him was and as soon as his blue eyes saw Squad Two's newest Lieutenant, they were immediately filled with awe as he hesitantly called out "I-Ichigo?"

Immediately rounding his furious brown eyes on the four thugs before him, he demanded venomously "Tell me, what were you bastards doing just now?" which caused them to cower and shake in fear. They knew very well that the one before them wasn't just the victor of Sosuke Aizen, but also the first man who defeated their Captain in battle.

The thug with the spiky brown hair, tried his luck and, with every inch of his face filled with fear, put his hands up in an apologetic manner and began nervously "I-i can explain…. See, it was a nice day and me and my pals were just taking a stroll around here wh-"

He was interrupted by Ichigo slamming his left foot in his face and the man immediately fell on the ground beneath the former Substitute who then began to stomp on the back of his head with so much force that the thug's face actually buried itself in the ground while the others cowered in even more in fear and Hanataro and the other Soul Reapers that had previously gathered to witness the poor boy being beaten up by thugs ten times his size, were now watching in awe as Ichigo effortlessly manhalded two of them and gave them a well deserved beating.

"Crap, Hokushin is literally getting his head buried in the concrete! We've gotta help him!" spoke the Squad Eleven member with the ridiculous pompadour while the guy with the glasses and mohawk replied nervously "Against that monster?! You're crazy!" and just as he said those words, Ichigo stopped stomping on their comrade's head and rounded his eyes towards them, paralising them with fear once more.

"You dirty little scumbags! Do you see that?!" he furiously demanded while holding his clenched fist up and then pointing at the vase they had broken and the flowers spilled all over the ground.

(OST: "Comical World" Bleach Soundtrack)

"First question: what do you think those are? You, the one with the mohawk! Answer!" venomously called out Ichigo and immediately the two Squad Eleven thugs on the left and right parted away from their colleague with the shades and mohawk as well as from Hanataro. The flamboyant thug panicked, awkwardly pointed to himself and replied fearfully "Y-You talkin' to me? I g-guess those are some flowers that little kid bought at a nearby store….."

Ichigo immediately flash-stepped towards him and kicked him in the face before he could even react while roaring "CORRECT!" breaking his shades and making him fall back-first on the ground while his other two comrades flinched in terror upon seeing just how fast their friend was kicked "Question number two." called out Ichigo, as he rounded his eyes on the last two standing Soul Reapers, paralising them with fear "Why is that vase broken and why are all its flowers spilled on the ground?"

"I-I guess…. o-one of us knocked it over and stomped on it while we were beating this Squad Four wimp. W-We didn't mean to-" was all the guy with the pompadour stammered as he tried to escape Ichigo's wrath, to no avail as the former Substitute sent them flying away with a barrage of kicks "You guys catch on quick." noted mockingly Ichigo before finally roaring "NOW GET LOST AND APOLOGISE OR ELSE NEXT TIME, THE FLOWERS ARE GONNA BE FOR YOUR GRAVES!" his face filled with so much fury and murderous instinct, he looked even scarier than their Captain.

Immediately, those two Soul Reapers, held each other and screamed like little girls before, along with the punk with the mohawk, all hurriedly apologised "WE'RE SO SORRYYYYYY! PLEASE FORGIVE US!" turned around and ran away for their lives like there was no tomorrow.

(Soundtrack ends)

The entire crowd was silent and, much like Hanataro, who was now sitting on the ground, all the Soul Reapers that had gathered were looking at Ichigo in awe and admiration. Squad Eleven was by far, the most feared of all the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, to the point one of their members could enter a shop or restaurant at will and take away whatever he wanted or eat whatever he wanted for free, if he so much as felt like it. And now, all the Soul Reapers that had gathered had witnessed the impossible: five of its members, brutally beaten up and scared away by just one man, who just so happened to be one of only a handful of people who had defeated Kenpachi Zaraki in battle.

"Ichigo….." thought Hanataro, blown away by what had come to pass. He tensed up slightly when Ichigo turned towards him, but then, to his surprise as soon as the strawberry walked towards him, looked at him in concern, knelt down and called out "Are you alright, Hanataro? Can you walk?"

Taken completely by surprise by the concern in his friends's voice, the meek Soul Reaper could only hesitantly reply "Y-Yeah, i think so…." earning a relieved sigh from Ichigo, who then proceeded to help him back on his feet. It was at this point that Hanataro finally saw up close how much the same man he helped in his quest to save Rukia, had changed. He looked so much more powerful and mature with that longer hair, more muscular phisique and to top it all off, he had even learned how to seal his Zampakuto, something that blew the small 7th Seat away.

"Wow….. i can't believe how much you've changed. You almost look like a completely different person…." spoke Hanataro, in awe, before his blue eyes saw the Lieutenant Badge on his right shoulder "So it's true then…. You're one of us now, and a Lieutenant to boot!"

Ichigo smiled gently, surprising the 7th Seat even more "Yeah. Wasn't planning on joining you guys, but you know what they say….." he paused, averting his eyes and lowering them, his smile dissappearing "You don't always get to choose your destiny."

Hanataro gulped, his face filling itself with sadness upon seeing his friend going from happy to dejected in a matter of seconds. The news that Ichigo had ceased living as a human being had quickly spread throught all of the Seireitei in the last two days and while there was much jubilation at the news that the Hero of the Winter War had become a permanent resident of the Soul Society, many of the people who got to know Ichigo well, were left saddened by the revelation that he had to abandon all the friends and loved ones he had in the World of the Living.

"Ichigo…. I don't know what to say….. I'm sorry." called out the young black-haired Soul Reaper, saddened by what his friend had gone through. Ichigo looked back towards him and, with his smile coming back, he put a hand on his petite shoulder and declared "It's alright. It's not like i can pop up from time to time and say hello to my friends back in Karakura." and at once, Hanataro's sadness dissappeared upon seeing the kind and cheerful smile on the former Substitute's lips. A smile that the Ichigo from a year ago, the same Ichigo who went as far as mock him for having a lame name and even beat him up for his clumsy nature, would have never given him. Had he really matured that much?

"You sure you're okay though? Your face kinda looks like a prune." casually noted Ichigo, causing Hanataro to gasp slightly before a confident look made its way on the 7th Seath's face "Don't worry. This is nothing!" and promptly put his hands on his face. Ichigo watched in interest with his arms folded as Hanataro's hands began to glow with green Spirit Energy and after the glow faded away, the young Soul Reaper removed his hands from his face and happily proclaimed "Ta-Da! As good as new!" revealing that his face was now completely healed. He had in fact used Kaido, a type of Kido specifically designed to heal a person's body.

With a smile, Ichigo remarked "Heh, i guess that does come in handy a lot." before his eyes then saw the broken vase and the scattered flowers. With a perplexed look he added "By the way, sorry about the flowers. Hope they weren't too important." which caused Hanataro to gasp and he immediately screamed comically upon seeing the broken vase and the trashed flowers.

"Oh no! I bought those flowers for the upcoming Ikebana class!" he lamented as walked towards them, knelt and held the crushed yellow flowers. Ichigo sweat-dropped and asked "You guys do that here too?" having also heard of the art, which was basically the japanese equivalent of Flower Arrangement, the art of using flowers and other plant material to create eye-catching and balanced compositions or displays "Y-Yeah…. It's Captain Unohana's favorite hobby. She taught everyone of us how to do it and once every month, she holds a session in which all Squad Four members present one of their own creations. She even owns an Ikebana Club which includes other members from other Squads….." replied Hanataro as he began to cry "I wanted to use these flowers for the upcoming session, but now…"

Ichigo immediately felt bad for the young, clumsy but good natured 7th Seat. All he wanted was to make his Captain happy but those Squad Eleven brutes had ruined everything. Plus he was in debt with him for having healed him after his battle with Renji, thus allowing him to fight Kenpachi in top form. And so, after taking a look around, he spotted the same flower shop where Hanataro had brought the flowers. He walked towards it and through the other Soul Reapers who parted away to let him pass. Soon, he found the owner, an elderly man with white hair, a pair of glasses and a beard and asked him "How much does a vase of flowers cost? My friend right there needs a new one and i would also like to buy one for myself." while putting a hand in his pocket and searching for his money. Luckily for him, he had learned the day before from the book Soi-Fon gave him, that the Soul Society's currency was called Khan and that each coin equalled 5 yen.

Hanataro and the other Soul Reapers gasped in amazement, not believing what he was doing and Ichigo himself was in for an even greater surprise when the elderly man, smiled kindly and replied "You needn't worry about that, young man. You can have them for free!" causing the former Substitute, to go wide-eyed at his response.

"I…. I do?" he asked, dumbfounded "But i haven't done anything to…." the old man stopped him with a hand "You already did us a favor by putting those Squad Eleven punks in their place. They always show up to steal my flowers for themselves without so much as paying even one Khan. You, on the other hand….." he paused while searching for two vases of flowers and coming back with one filled with beautiful pot marigolds and another with cherry bossoms "Are fully deserving of such beautiful flowers. It is often said that for every person there is a flower that represents their souls. And what better flower to represent your courage and kindness than the Marigold itself?"

(OST: "Peaceful Afternoon" = Bleach Soundtrack )

Heartwarmed, Ichigo returned the kind smile and replied "Thank you so much. I'll never forget that." as it turned out, one gesture, no matter how big or small, was more than enough to make a difference. He then turned towards Hanataro and called out encouragingly "Come on, Hanataro. Let's bring these flowers to Captain Unohana."

Hanataro and the other Soul Reapers, touched by Ichigo's kindness all smiled back soothingly at him before the young 7th Seat got up and replied happily "You got it!" he then went to pick up the vase with the Cherry Bossom flowers and along with the former Substitute, began to walk away from the crowd, heading towards the barracks of Squad Four while all the other Soul Reapers watched happily, heartwarmed to know that their saviour was also a man of the utmost kindness. Ichigo and Hanataro took the time to talk with each other and share their latest life experiences as they carried the vases full of flowers to the Headquarters of Squad Four which surprisingly, weren't too far away from those of Squad Two.

"They put you in the Second Squad?! That's crazy!" exclaimed the disbelieved 7th Seat while Ichigo chuckled and remarked "Yeah…. Thank goodness the Old Man didn't put me in Squad Eleven. That way, i would have to deal with that goddamn Kenpachi asking me to fight him every single fucking day." with his trademark scowl, not even wanting to imagine how many times that brute would have asked him to fight.

Hanataro laughed sheepishly "You can say that again! Only a psycopath would want to get assigned there! But you're not like those jerks. You have a heart of gold, Ichigo. Always knew you had one." he spoke cheerfully, causing Ichigo to look back at him "I believe a person's true character always comes out during times of trial. You stepped in to give me a hand when nobody else did." he paused, smiling warmingly at him "If that doesn't make you a kind person, i don't know what does!" Ichigo returned the smile, having realised that Hanataro greatly resembled his sister Yuzu in the way he carried himself. He may have been clumsy and a bit spineless at times, but he was one of the kindest Soul Reapers he had ever met. Otherwise, he would have never gone as far as going against his Captain's orders to help Ichigo and Ganju rescue Rukia "Yuzu would have liked him a lot…" he thought.

But then Hanataro's voice pulled him out of his thoughts "Oh, we're here. Follow me." and Ichigo stopped for a few seconds to look at the entrance of Squad Four's Headquarters which looked like a classical temple with a triangular shrine-like roof in the midst of a broad outer wall with a green roof and several windows, where most of the members of the Squad actually resided. Ichigo followed after Hanataro through the complex and soon ended up in a massive rectangular main courtyard which had a main stone pathway in the center and two rows of trees one on the left and one on the right.

"Wow…. And i thought Squad Two's courtyard was big….." spoke an amased Ichigo as he looked around left and right, admiring how clean and pristine it looked. Hanataro chuckled, pleased to see how impressed his friend was by the architecture of his Squad "Yeah, Captain Unohana always makes sure it's as clean as possible. We always want our Squad to be as pleasing and comforting as possible and the utmost level of cleaning goes a long way, trust me." he explained, intriguing Ichigo even more. And of course, being the son of a doctor and having sometimes worked with his dad and his sisters to help others, Ichigo knew a thing or two about nursing.

"Actually, believe it or not, my dad is also a doctor, so trust me i do know a thing or two about this." he spoke, catching Hanataro completely by surprise "Your dad's a doctor?!" he asked in pure bewilderment to which Ichigo replied as they continued to walk towards another structure that resembled the entrance of the Squad, only with several red outlines "Yeah, he actually owns a private clinic that is quite known throught all of Karakura Town. Me and my sisters helped him many times to treat people who came there for all sorts of treatments: bruises, fractures, dislocations, you name it. The only thing he can't perform is major surgeries."

Hanataro was blown away. Never in his life would he have ever expected Ichigo, of all people, was to actually well acquainted with nursing and medical care in general "Wow…. I didn't know that. Captain Unohana will be quite pleased to hear that!" he exclaimed, excited to tell this to her. And so Hanataro led Ichigo through the green-colored halls of the Squad and greeted the many Squad Members that saluted him. For his part, Ichigo did the same but unfortunately for him, he just so happened to be so handsome that a few of the nurses of the Coordinated Relief Station (the primary medical facility of the Seireitei), who wore special pink Shihakushos with hats reminiscent of nurse uniforms of the World of the Living, could only gaze at the former Substitute with pure awe and admiration. And needless to say, quite a few of them had their cheeks beet red due to how infatuated they were with his handsomeness.

"Oh my… It's Ichigo Kurosaki….."

"What brings him here, i wonder…."

"Ahhh… He's so beautiful…."

Hanataro coudn't help but chuckle upon seeing how uncomfortable Ichigo was, with so many beautiful women gazing towards him. Trying to keep his head down, the former Substitute asked him very shyily with a blush "Ehm.. Hanataro? Doesn't it feel uncomfortable to work around so many women?"

With a smile, the diminutive 7th Seat replied "Not when you're as boring and unremarkable as i am. I guess that's just one of the perks." causing Ichigo to sweat-drop "He sure has self-esteem issues." he noted to himself in his mind.

Finally, they came out in a clearing which had a small pond with several bushes all around, each housing several different species of plants with a wooden hut in front of it that had an orange roof. And sitting right in front of it was the motherly Unohana garbed in her Shihakusho and Coat as always, gazing at the sky of the middle to late afternoon, admiring the sun that was beginning to set which painted the sky in orange slightly. The door of the hut behind her was suddenly opened and out of it, came a tall, voluptous and utterly beautiful young woman with brown eyes, short, messy light lavender hair, with shoulder-length strands on the right side of her face, styled as two thin braids, with two more on the back of her head. Wearing a thin dangling red earring on each ear, the standard Shihakusho and a Lieutenant badge on her left arm, the woman, Isane Kotetsu, Lieutenant of the Squad, was carrying several documents, mainly check-lists with her left hand that she wanted to show her Captain.

"Captain, here are the check-lists you asked for." she called out, earning Unohana's attention. Without even getting up, she turned towards her Lieutenant and, after picking them up and reading them, she remarked "Well, all the medical equipment seems to be accounted for. Hopefully we should get the new beds next week." earning a nod from Isane. It had been decided to order a new type of beds since a few patients complained about them not being comfortable enough. It should also be noted that those who complained just so happened to be Squad Eleven members who ALWAYS found newer and newer ways to voice their dislike of Squad Four. But the more comforting the environment was, the better the patient would feel during its hospital stay. And a sanitary system worthy of its name should always strive to improve its standards of comfort above everything else.

Just as she finished read the check-lists, Hanataro's voice soon came "Captain, i brought the flowers as you requested!" Unohana then turned towards the 7th Seat and with a smile, began "Thanks, Hanataro. I really apprec-"

Only to stop and gasp slightly, her beautiful blue eyes widening slightly in surprise upon seeing that besides him, there was also Ichigo, carrying a vase of orange pot marigolds. However, as surprised she was, her Lieutenant was downright astonished. Her Captain had made no effort to hide her joy that Ichigo had become a permanent resident of the Soul Society to be sure, but never would Isane have expected that he would have visited them so soon.

"Good afternoon, Captain Unohana." greeted Ichigo with a kind and warm smile. Pleasantly surprised, Unohana returned the sweet smile, got up and greeted kindly "Why, hello there Ichigo. I certainly wasn't expecting you to visit us today." and as she walked towards him, she looked at his flowers and added, her voice taking on an excited tone "And i see that you've brought some flowers too! Some very beautiful flowers i might add." she then closed her blue eyes and asked him "I take it you chose them because their color match that fiery, beautiful hair of yours?" and Hanataro had to fight the urge to chuckle upon seeing Ichigo visibly blush from her compliment, proving that he was still a teenager.

But before Ichigo could reply, he spotted Isane, who was still beneath the roof of the hut, looking at the former Substitute with awe. She remembered it like it was yesterday, the day during Rukia's planned execution when he beat her with a single palm strike to her abdomen after felling her fellow Lieutenants Sasakibe and Omaeda. She could not believe what she had seen with her own eyes but her astonishment that day would only grow even more when she learned that Ichigo managed to defeat Byakuya Kuchiki, one of the most powerful warriors in the entirety of the Soul Society. After that day, she never saw him again and as the months passed which soon turned into a year, Unohana would often tell her beloved Lieutenant tales of Ichigo Kurosaki, of how he, no more than a 16 year old human teenager with Soul Reaper powers, got stronger and stronger, fought one grueling battle after the other, until at the very end, he triumphed against Sosuke Aizen.

And now, the brave and selfless Ichigo Kurosaki, the one her Captain had told her so many tales about his bravery and kindness, was right in front of her, now looking like a young man that had just entered adulthood, with a much more broad, muscular phisique, a more mature face and longer hair that completed his image, one of both power and confidence but also of kindness and friendliness "Oh my God… It's him…..He's right in front of me….." thought Isane with a hand over her heart, which was beating faster due to the amazement she was experiencing. Hearing so many stories about the Saviour of the Soul Society was one thing. Seeing him up close was a completely different matter.

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly. He remembered that woman. She, along with two other Lieutenants chased after Renji, who was in the process of carrying Rukia to safety when Ichigo stopped them and knocked them out with a single blow before he went on to confront Byakuya "I remember her…. So, she's Captain Unohana's Lieutenant…. She's beautiful…..And very tall as well!" he thought after seeing the badge on her left arm, his breath taken away. Her lavender colored hair, her beautiful face, framed by such soft lips and brown eyes filled with both shyness and fascination and her well-endowed, curvaceous body were all so entrancing to him "Man, why are all the women so good-looking here?" he thought, his cheeks even redder.

Unohana's voice snapped both of them out of their trance "Well now, Isane. I take it that Ichigo is just as handsome as you imagined him to be?" she asked her Lieutenant with a smile, after turning towards her and noticing that she hadn't moved an inch from where she stood ever since both Ichigo and Hanataro had arrived. Blushing even more, Isane squealed "C-Captain! I-It's not what you think!" and began to comically wave her arms around in denial, and likewise, Ichigo blushed even more at Unohana casually praising his looks, while Hanataro sweat-dropped. Still, the former Substitute thought Isane looked so adorable when blushing and squealing and quickly realised that she was one of the shy ones, a bit like Orihime.

With an amused but tender chuckle, Unohana added "Awww…. Don't be shy, Isane. I saw how you were looking at him. Besides….." she paused, turning back towards the former Substitute and declaring "Anyone would kill for having such a strong and kind man as a boyfriend." causing Ichigo to blush even more, even if her voice was sweet and motherly.

He chuckled awkwardly in response and after closing his eyes he spoke "Please Captain. You give me way too much credit." causing Isane to look at him in surprise at how soft-spoken and shy he was. She didn't know he was like that. Ichigo then reopened his eyes and asked "By the way, would you be so kind as to tell us where we can put these?" referring to the flowers.

With her trademark motherly smile, Unohana replied "Just give them to Isane for now. She'll bring them to my quarters and prepare them for the upcoming Ikebana Session." not needing to be told twice, Isane came at her Captain's side and as Ichigo and Hanataro handed over the vases full of flowers, Isane took the time to sniff them and, pleased by their smell, she remarked "Such beautiful flowers….." before turning towards Ichigo and declaring with a smile "Thank you so much for this gift. Captain Unohana really loves orange flowers in particular." her dark brown eyes bristling with happiness.

Pleased, Ichigo replied warmly "You're welcome." while Isane noticed, to her surprise, the Lieutenant Badge of Squad Two "He's a Lieutenant, just like me…..He DID replace Omaeda after all. I just hope that poor guy didn't take it too personally….." she thought first in awe, then in concern, since Omaeda had been so nice to her, even showing her some of the best restaurants of the Seireitei. She hoped he wasn't too upset for having lost his position, which to be frank, was bound to happen sooner or later given his many, MANY shortcomings.

As Isane took the vases full of flowers within the hut, which just so happend to be Unohana's quarters, the motherly Captain looked at Hanataro and began by sweetly congratulating him "I must admit, Hanataro, it was quite the wonderful choice on your part to get Cherry Blossoms for the upcoming session since i do think they are among the most beautiful of all flowers…" before pausing and asking him "But didn't you say they were too expensive for your budget? If you don't mind me asking, what is it that made you change your mind?"

With a shy smile, Hanataro replied "Actually we got them for free." taking Unohana by surprise. He quickly added to make sure his Captain didn't get the idea that they had stolen them "I did initially buy yellow tulips but emmmm…" he stopped and looked away, too ashamed to tell her what happened.

However Unohana, being sweet and motherly as always, came closer to him and gently spoke "It's okay, Hanataro, you can tell me. I promise you that i won't get mad at y-"

"He accidentally bumped into some Squad Eleven jerks and they beat him up." stated Ichigo bluntly, interrupting her mid-speech and causing her eyes to widen in shock, while Hanataro gasped and looked towards him with an equally surprised look "I just so happened to be at the right place at the right time. I got angry at how nobody even so much as lifted a finger to help him, so i stepped in and beat all those five bastards up." he declared and as Unohana looked at her 7th seated officer in worry, Ichigo reassured her by saying "Don't worry about him, he healed his injuries with Kido. The flowerist Hanataro brought his flowers from, gave me those vases as a token of gratitude for teaching those punks a lesson."

Unohana's heart was overcome by happiness. She had only met him when she guided him to the Fake Karakura Town from Hueco Mundo, during which she healed his injuries and revealed him the secret of Kyoka Suigetsu, Aizen's Zampakuto. She knew he was a kind and altruistic man, but to selflessly go as far as beating up five men of the most feared of all the Thirteen Court Guard Squads to save a friend…..

The motherly Captain immediately smiled warmingly upon seeing the somewhat shy and dejected look on Ichigo's face, so she walked closer and placed a soft, delicate hand on his left shoulder while sweetly telling him "Ichigo… That was so brave of you." causing him to look back into Unohana's beautiful blue eyes, with his lips slightly apart "Unfortunately, there are some people in the Seireitei who look down on us because they believe that just because Healing is what we do best, we are weak fighters. What they fail to understand is that without us, some of them would not be alive today and because of that, many of my comrades are often picked on for their perceived weakness."

Ichigo listened, dismayed to learn that what happened to Hanataro before wasn't just an isolated case but only the latest of many instances in which Squad Four Members were being bullied by those of Squad Eleven. But his heart began to fill itself with joy when Unohana added "But you're not like those people. You are a kind, honorable man who always treats everyone as they should be, and while your manners are far from elegant, you know what they say: actions speak louder than words. Your parents would be so proud of you."

Ichigo was heartwarmed by Unohana's gentle words. His eyes shaked in warmth, due to how much the motherly Captain reminded her of his late mother Masaki. But apart from that, her beauty took his breath away, from her black hair elegantly tied to a braid to her beautiful azure eyes, she was the personification of kindness itself . Thus, he returned the smile and jokingly proclaimed "Well, i guess i just can't stand bullies in general. Hehehe…...You'd be surprised to find out how many times i got into fights back at school." while chuckling in amusement upon recalling all the time he beat up all those smug-ass thugs who acted like they owned the place, just like those Squad Eleven punks from earlier.

Unohana closed her eyes, let go of Ichigo's shoulder and joined in the chuckle, along with Hanataro before she reopened them and proposed "I suppose a way of repaying you for what you did for Hanataro is in order. Would you like to join us for some tea?" while pointing her hand towards the hut. In response, Ichigo shrugged and replied "Don't see why not." earning a happy smile from Hanataro.

(Soundtrack ends)

Thus, the 7th Seat and the former Substitute followed the motherly Captain of Squad Four into her quarters after removing their sandals. She led them onto the second floor of the hut, where Isane put the flowers they had brought her, close to many more vases full of beautiful flowers that would soon be used for the upcoming Ikebana session. The four Soul Reapers soon sat on cushions on the balcony of the hut and Isane proceeded to serve the tea to others. While she was in the process of doing so, Unohana filled her in on why Ichigo was also present. She almost dropped her tea due to the shock she had when she was told that Ichigo beat up five Squad Eleven members to rescue Hanataro, who was their latest punching bag.

"Wow….. You really did that for him? I guess you two must go quite a long way back." she spoke happily as she poured the tea into Hanataro and Ichigo's cup. With a smile, the strawberry replied "Yeah, you can say that. Guess it was my way of paying him back for helping me and Ganju free Rukia." while looking warmingly at the black haired young healer seated besides him.

Unohana, seated right in front of them, smiled and spoke "Hanataro may be quite clumsy, but his heart is purer than gold. He went against our orders to do what was right." while Isane came towards her, poured the tea in her Captain's cup as well as hers and took a seat besides her Captain. Unohana then looked at the 7th seath sweetly and declared sincerely "The more i look back at it, the more i realise how brave you were on that day, a year ago. You did what all of us should have done. Under Aizen's illusions or not, Rukia Kuchiki had been treated unfairly. All she did was giving Ichigo the power to protect those he cared about. Truth be told, i don't understand why there is such a rule in the first place." warming Hanataro's heart and to a lesser extent even Ichigo. What she spoke just now, was enough to let him know that she was against her execution and that only served to further consolidate his respect and admiration for her.

With a chuckle, Hanataro smiled happily, his expressive eyes filled with admiration as well "Actually, you were the brave one, Captain Unohana. You were the one you figured out Aizen's plot and thanks to you and Lieutenant Kotetsu, everyone was informed of the betrayal and as a result all of the fighting stopped." causing Ichigo to gasp slightly.

"So it was them….." he realised, recalling when Isane somehow managed to speak to every single person within the Seireitei and inform them of Aizen's betrayal, an act which caused all of the fighting to stop. And in a way, if she hadn't done so, he and his friends would inevitably have been killed because in the end, no matter how powerful they had become, had they gone up against Yamamoto or even one of the other Captains, they woudn't have stood a chance.

With a pleased chuckle, Unohana replied "I only did what i had to. But enough reminiscing the past." before taking her cup in her soft hands and proclaim "Let us enjoy some nice warm tea." Ichigo, Isane and Hanataro did the same and thus, all four Soul Reapers took a sip from their cups.

Ichigo's eyes widened as soon as he drank the tea. As he pulled his lips away from the cup he exclaimed happily "Wow, it's so sweet! It might even be better than Yuzu's!" while looking at the cup incredolously. Isane, Hanataro and Unohana watched with a heartwarming smile at his reaction. For all his might and handsomeness Ichigo Kurosaki was after all, still a teenager and as such the disparity between his looks and behaviour was quite amusing to say the least.

"I'm happy to hear that. Hojicha Tea is Captain Unohana's favorite tea and while i'm more of a Gobocha girl, i can't deny that it's pretty good too." declared proudly Isane, happy to see how much Ichigo enjoyed it. Her Captain then asked him "And if you may excuse my curiosity, who is that Yuzu you speak of? Someone close to you?" her voice filled with interest, wanting to know more about Ichigo.

The strawberry casually replied as he put his cup on the floor "Yeah, she's my sister. I actually have two younger sisters, one's Yuzu and the other is Karin. They just began high school this year." intriguing the Captain, Lieutenant and 7Th Seat of Squad Four even more.

Her face filled with even more excitement, Isane happily spoke up "I have a younger sister too! Her name's Kiyone, she's the Third Seat of Squad Thirteen and she's got quite the temper! She's always cheerful and excitable but oh boy she'll do everything in her power to impress her Captain! The more i think about, the more i believe that she's in love with him!" while Unohana giggled cutely, amused to see that she had connected with Ichigo.

"I see. She's in the same Squad as Rukia." noted Ichigo, earning a nod "The way you describe her makes her sound like a combination of both Karin and Yuzu. Seriously though, you do not wanna mess with Karin. Last time somebody tried to propose to her, she kicked the dumbass straight in the nuts." casually stated Ichigo, causing Isane and Hanataro to laugh in amusement while Unohana watched happily as her shy Lieutenant came out of her shell.

"And believe it or not, Ichigo's dad is actually a doctor who owns a clinic in Karakura Town! He and his sisters often gave him a hand to treat others in need!" exclaimed Hanataro after stopping laughing, causing Unohana and Isane to gasp in surprise.

"Oh, really? Well, that's interesting to know. I didn't know you practiced the art of healing too, Ichigo." spoke an intrigued Unohana, blown away by the reveal that Ichigo for a time had also worked in her same field.

With a chuckle, the strawberry replied "Well, if by healing you mean cleaning all sorts of equipment and tables and helping others to sit or walk, then yeah, you could say that but dad's always been the one doing the hard work: bruises, fractures, dislocations, small to medium sized wounds, you name it. Yuzu, Karin and i assisted as much as we could but he was the real deal." praising his dad's skills but downplaying his role in assisting the injured.

"And what is it that makes you think your role was any less important than that of your sisters and your father's?" asked Unohana, wanting to know why Ichigo had praised his father and his sisters but seemed to downplay himself. The former Substitute looked at the motherly Captain in surprise as she stated "Nursing is a very complicated process and healing the injuries is only a small part of it. What really matters in it, is the empathetic relationship you must establish with your patients in order to make them feel comfortable in an environment they are not familiar with. Something as simple as offering them some water, or accompaning them for a walk around their surroundings is enough to go a long way. Nobody who takes part in this process is more important than the other, no matter how different their expertices, roles or knowledges are, just as no man or woman's life is worth more than another. Never forget that, Ichigo and you too, Hanataro." she paused, her voice becoming more emotional the more she spoke, warming Ichigo and Hanataro's heart. The former realised that it was her way of saying him that he should not doubt himself after everything he's accomplished and the black haired young 7th Seat realised that it was her way of saying that he's just as important as everybody else and thus he should have such a low self-esteem.

"Thanks, Captain. I just feel healers don't get enough credit. I mean, guys like us get hurt all the time and if not for them we'd be dead. I mean, i lost count of how many times i had to be healed everytime i fought. Had it not been for Orihime, Hanataro and even you, Captain, i would most definetely not have come this far." proclaimed Ichigo as he took another sip from his tea, warming Unohana and her two younger subordinates's hearts even more.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that, Ichigo." softly spoke Unohana, deeply touched by the young man's words. Now she was really bummed that he wasn't assigned to her Squad: Ichigo had all the kindness, loyalty, resolve and all the other noble attributes and ideals her Squad upheld. She would have loved to have such a strong and kind man in her Squad but as it turned out, fate had other plans.

And thus, the sun gave away to the evening as the four Soul Reapers happily talked for another hour, happily sharing many of their previous life experiences before Unohana decided that Ichigo had been in their company a bit too long and thus, he may be required to report back to his Captain. While Isane and Hanataro led Ichigo back to the entrance of their Squad, the Lieutenant of Squad Four informed Ichigo of a particular event that was scheduled in two days.

"There's a Lieutenant Meeting the day after tomorrow?" asked Ichigo, visibly surprised by what Isane had told him.

"You weren't informed?" she asked him, equally as surpised as he was and Ichigo shooked his head "Oh, i guess Captain Soi-Fon was about to tell you tomorrow but either way, we're all due to report at the Barracks of Squad One. There's a room that's exclusively reserved for us and Lieutenant Sasakibe always gathers us at least once a month to have us all report on how things are going on in our respective Squads." Ichigo nodded, for some reason looking forward to that event since some of his other friends were also fellow Lieutenants and since Rukia and Renji would also be there, he figured they'd be quick to fill him in on how the meetings usually go.

"I see." he simply replied. And as soon as the three Soul Reapers came just outside the entrance of Squad Four, Ichigo turned towards Hanataro and Isane and spoke "Thanks for the tea, i really appreciated it." earning a smile from both of them. Then after sparing a look towards Isane, he remembered one thing he owed her.

"And Isane, about last year…." he began, earning her attention before he closed his eyes, lowered his head sightly and epressed his regret for hitting her in order to allow Renji to carry Rukia away to safety "I apologise for hitting you in the stomach."

Isane blushed, her eyes widening slightly and she put a hand over her heart upon hearing that heartfelt apology "How sweet of him….He's apologising for hitting me….." she thought, disbelieved and heartwarmed at the same time to hear those words, much like Hanataro, once again happy to see just how much kinder his friend had become.

"I know back then we were enemies but that still doesn't….." he continued, only for Isane to smile sweetly, grab his left hand with her soft ones, which caused Ichigo to look back into her beautiful brown eyes, now less than a dozen centimeters away.

"It's okay. We weren't even supposed to be enemies to begin with." she gently spoke, her brown eyes filled with happiness staring right into Ichigo's, entrancing him slightly. He still coudn't believe how beautiful she was. Hanataro watched with a smile as Isane happily continued "Captain Unohana told me so much about you, Ichigo, of your bravery, of your kindness and most importantly, of your desire to protect everyone. I was in awe everytime she spoke of you. Seeing you before me and hearing what you did earlier for Hanataro was enough for me to know that my Captain was right all along. I can't wait to work with you from now on."

Ichigo had to genuenely fight the urge to blush, the tall, tender and gentle young woman in front of him reassuring him and quickly forgiving him for what happened in the past, while also expressing her admiration for him, for the man who was willing to give his own life away to defeat Aizen himself, despite not being a member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads in the first place. With his sweet smile making its way back on his lips, Ichigo replied "Yeah, me too." before Isane finally let go of him and watched along with Hanataro as the former Substitute, now Lieutenant of Squad Two, turned away, took a few steps before sparing one final glance at the seated officers of Squad Four and bidding farewell for now "See ya, guys. And take care, Hanataro. If any of those Squad Eleven punks ever mess with you again, just tell em that they'll be messin' with me." while pointing at himself with a grin. Isane and Hanataro smiled and then Ichigo turned around and, after beginning to run away, jumped and dissappeared in a burst of Flash-Step, heading back to his Squad.

The two healers stood there for a few seconds, their gaze shifting from where Ichigo was, to the beautiful evening sky above the Seireitei. Deeply touched by the events of the day, Isane thought to herself "I still can't believe that i got to meet him…. He was so strong….. so kind….. so beautiful….and he's even got younger sisters just like i do!" overjoyed to find out that all the tales her Captain told her about Ichigo were all true.

"Ehmm…. Lieutenant? Are you alright?" asked a worried Hanataro after seeing the blush she had on her cheeks, causing Isane to squeal and blush even more.

"Y-Yeah! Sorry about that! It's just….." she squealed while shyily putting her left hand behind her back and her right pointer finger on her lips. The 7th Seated Officer immediately realised that it was because of the strong impression Ichigo had left on her.

"I know. Ichigo is such a wonderful guy. He tends to have that effect on people. And he's very stubborn too, trust me. Once he gets his sights on something it's almost impossible to make him change his mind." remarked Hanataro with a smile and Isane had to chuckle at her comrade's words.

From the second floor of her Hut however, Unohana was staring at the night sky, for the most part overjoyed to have spent some time with Ichigo, the once shy and hesitant boy having matured into a brave and fearless young man. But her trained eyes of a nurse had seen that his cheerfulness and casualness, hid a deeply concealed sadness. She could tell from his eyes and how he often preferred to hold himself not in as much high regard as he should after everything he was able to accomplish.

"I wonder if it is because he misses the people he used to call friends back in the World of the Living? Or is there more to it than that?" inquisitively spoke the deep but feminine voice of her Zampakuto, Minazuki, its spirit having manifested and sitting right besides her master. It took the form of a slim, humanoid figure covered in white bandages and garbed in a very long light green tunic that ended in a hood that completely concealed its face in shadows.

"He did mention that his mother died before he swore his oath to Captain Yamamoto, but still, it would obviously not be appropriate to ask Ichigo to recall such a traumatic event of his past." stoically replied Unohana before turning towards the spirit of her Zampakuto and adding, with a smile "That being said, it is very nice of you to worry about him, Minazuki."

"He seems such a kind and strong man. I can see why you've taken such a liking to him. I only hope he will find what he's looking for, here in the Soul Society. But it will take a long time for him to get past the pain of having lost what once made him human." replied the Spirit of her Zampakuto, clearly expressing her hope that Ichigo will eventually adapt to his new life before adding "Just like how it took you to become the gentle healer you are now and relinquish what you once were."

With a solemn look forming on her face, Unohana gazed upon the beautiful night sky and remarked "Yes. Let us hope so, Minazuki." before she retreated to silence along with the Spirit of her Zampakuto and drifted back to her thoughts.