Ah…wanted to do a second part to heal my Deathberry loving soul.

I got inspired by my thoughts going on a train and…here we are.

"Explain."

The stern voice of Soutaicho Yamamoto knocked Ichigo out of his reverie. After the fiasco where Rukia had used Zangetsu and a Getsuga Tensho to deal with a hollow, (adjuchas-class he'd find out later), everyone had been on their asses.

"Look, Gramps-"

Kyoraku snorted under his hat while Ukitake sighed and the other captains bristled.

Yamamoto idly wondered if they'd ever manage to get Kurosaki to show some proper decorum.

'Probably not.'

"-I don't see what the problem is here, I got my ass kicked, lost my zanpakuto, and believe me, Zangetsu is still not letting up on that one-'

A snort from Renji, which in turn was received by a glare.

"-And Rukia, who got hurt, managed to convince him to be used so that she could kill the hollow. Zangetsu's back with me, Rukia's is fixed. All's well that ends well, so what's the matter?" Ichigo explained with frustration lacing his voice.

"The matter, Kurosaki Ichigo, is not that this has never happened before." Yamamoto explained.

"Huh?"

"In the history of Soul Society, no Shinigami has ever been able to use another's zanpakuto."

"W-wait, what about that blind guy? Isn't he using his friend's zanpakuto or something?" Ichigo asked.

"Tosen only began using his friend's zanpakuto after her death and subsequent separation from it. Although, more than likely, it is the case of his own zanpakuto taking on the attributes of hers." Komamura gently explained, a part of him still hurting at Tosen's betrayal.

"Kurosaki, what Kuchiki did was an anomaly, quite simply it shouldn't have been possible." Ukitake tried to explain. "At most, she should have been able to lift Zangetsu and cut with the blade. For her to use your Getsuga Tensho…"

"I…I still don't get it." Ichigo fumbled, still confused.

"Let me put it like this, kid." Kyoraku cut in. "I've known Jushiro for over a thousand years. We've fought side by side in more battles than some Captains have been alive in numeric years combined."

Kyoraku took a step forward and took out one of his blades.

"Katen Kyokotsu however, is my zanpakuto. Jushiro would barely even be able to perform its release command were I to give them to him sealed, let alone play some games."

"The same would be said with Sogyo no Kotowari. I trust Shunsui with my life, and have trusted him with it across our entire careers. He would still be unable to wield Sogyo no Kotowari to its fullest potential as I do." Jushiro continued.

"The fact that you and Kuchiki have known each other for less than half a year, and yet she was able to use Zangetsu, and according to her report, have him manifest to her before using your signature attack, is nothing short of impossible." Kyoraku finished.

Ichigo gulped, the…severity of the situation somewhat being fully realized to him. He took a glance at Rukia, who had yet to say a word, though he could feel her nervousness.

"So…what does that mean?"

"Could it be a side effect of Kuchiki giving him her powers?" Hitsugaya asked. "A byproduct of them sharing power?"

"Possible, but unlikely, they'd have to have…fully merged souls or something of a similar nature for this to be possible. I, of course, am fully willing to conduct the necessary experiments." Kurotsuchi said with a grin as a heavy pressure began to fill the room from…opposers.

"Denied." Yamamoto said.

"So then what? What's wrong?" Ichigo asked.

"Kurosaki, the truth of the matter is that a zanpakuto is a reflection of yourself. An extension of your very soul. A zanpakuto is a part of you and is you. For Kuchiki Rukia to have wielded Zangetsu, implies that you have given her permission to use your soul. Such a thing requires a level of trust quite simply unseen before."

"Which is why there must be another explanation-" Byakuya began.

"But I do." Ichigo interrupted, making the Captains and Lieutenants all pause.

"I do trust her. Rukia is the one who gave me her powers so that I could save my family. She saved my family. She taught me how to be a shinigami, how to defeat hollows, and taught me all these things...I faced down my mother's killer thanks to her, and even though the bastard got away, it's because of her that I know that I can find him, kill him, and free my mother's soul. I met Zangetsu and got my true powers for her. I stormed the Seireitei with my friends for her, fought your forces, Renji, Kenpachi, achieved bankai and faced Byakuya for her."

He took a deep breath and swallowed thickly as he remembered his most recent struggle.

"When my inner hollow started acting up," he hesitantly began, as he remembered the fear of losing control, "she's the one who kicked my ass into gear so that I could face the bastard head on and rein him in. "

He looked straight into the Head Captain's eyes.

"If you're so disbelieving that Rukia was able to wield Zangetsu because of a lack of trust on my part, then I'll make it clear right now. I trust Rukia with my life and my blade. There's no one else that I'd trust with my soul, no one else I'd trust to wield Zangetsu." Ichigo finished defiantly.

All those attending the meeting were honestly struck dumb by the intensity of Ichigo's speech, though he noticed that they seemed to be hiding something.

"Snort."

"Abarai."

"Snrk…I'm sorry, Captain!" Renji said as he tried to hide his laughter, much to Ichigo's increasing irritation. "But I can't-pahahahahahaha!"

"Damn it, Renji! What's wrong with you!?" Ichigo roared, flushing in embarrassment. Come on, he was baring his soul here.

The only reason he wasn't beaning Renji over the head with Zangetsu was because of the fact that everyone else was here, but if things continued, it was on.

Renji laughed even louder, and Ichigo noticed that even some of the other Captains and Lieutenants were hiding some chuckles.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY!?"

"Kurosaki." Byakuya huffed, sounding even more annoyed than usual.

"Oh my- what now damn it? Can someone explain to me what's going on here? Rukia?" Ichigo turned to the girl, only to find her covering her face with both her hands, her skin flushed red.

"Oi! Rukia! Say something!" Ichigo said.

"...you…dumbass…"

"WHAT DID I DO!?" Ichigo exclaimed in exasperation before a cough got his attention.

"Sorry, sorry, Kurosaki-kun," Kyoraku said, lifting his hat up. "It's nothing against you really…nice speech by the way, it's just that…well, you might have accidentally said part of a Seireitei traditional wedding vow."

"HUH!?" Ichigo cried out, becoming as red as his…otherwise interpreted namesake.

"Oh yes, you see, when two souls are wed in the Seireitei, particularly Shinigami, part of the ceremony is the entrustment of the soul. In the ceremony, shinigami will give to each other their zanpakuto, thereby symbolically entrusting their soul in the hands of their spouses." Ukitake explained much to Ichigo's growing embarrassment.

"I-I…"

"In some cases, with a shinigami and non-shinigami, the ceremony is quite beautiful, as it implies the trust to one unable to manifest a zanpakuto, and is that much more meaningful," Kyoraku continued, a side glance to Byakuya, who huffed and looked away. "Though we're getting off topic."

"Well, in either case…I do suppose this answer's that question…after all, we've heard it straight from Kurosaki's mouth." Ukitake said with a small grin.

Ichigo could not find it within himself to say anything, hell, even the hollow seemed to be dumbstruck before it started to just laugh.

'Shut up! Zangetsu, can't you help me here!?'

"...I apologize, Ichigo, but I cannot."

'Of course…'

A slam of a cane caught everyone's attention.

"If we are finished here, then I suppose this meeting will be adjourned." The Soutaicho said. "A word of advice, Kurosaki Ichigo. You would be wise to be more…careful with your words, lest they betray your sentiments. Dismissed!"

'Damn it, even Gramps is making fun of me too! I swear he's smirking.'

And the hollow was still laughing.

'Zangetsu…can you please shut him up?'

THWAP!

"OW! HEY!"

THWAP!

Silence.

'Thank you.'

"You're welcome."

Ichigo sighed, realizing that too much was going on right now and that he really needed a break.

"You know what…I'm done with this, I'm grabbing lunch. Rukia, when you're done being a red statue, you can join me. Renji, you're a dumbass." Ichigo said before leaving.

Renji had finally managed to gather himself, though he was increasingly amused by his captain's worsening mood.

Walking over to Rukia, he couldn't help but open his mouth.

"So! You think Ichigo can use Sode no Shirayuki, too?"

Rukia punched him in the balls.

And yeah, I may or may not add more to this, if only to soothe my soul.

Thanks to the people who liked and reviewed this though!