Ichigo sat quietly looking at them through the barrier.
"may I write some letters first? it would be a bad idea to just up and leave everything"
momo blinked. that hadn't been the response she was expecting. she glanced over at Toshiro to find him just as calm. now she was starting to get uncomfortable.
"you shouldnt worry so much Hinamori. we were expecting this to happen sooner or later, we don't blame you" Ichigo continued as he reached for brush and paper "though I will take your silence as agreement to the letters. give me a few minutes to write them and seal Zangetsu and I will surrender myself peacefully"
...
people called him the Old Man, but really he wasnt that old, he just looked it. He had set his "business" up in a matter of years because people liked him, well they had. He looked after them and they looked after him. They paid him and his men enforced a level of order, kept crime down...and provided bits and peices such as tobacco, alcahol and a few of the safer recreational drugs. He refused to have anything to do with slavery, he had seen enough of that in the world when he was alive, unprovoked violence was another. HHe didnt like this situation, this sudden war that had sprung up and disrupted their lives. There had been issues true enough but he felt they where on the way to ironing out the very worst of them. Then the Shinigami had attacked. In hindesight he should have known better then to steal from them and flout the few laws they enforced out here, but they just looked to give so little back. Oh he had heard stories, but with how little Rukongai knew for sure about them it was difficult sorting fact from fiction.
This was his first time facing the Shinigami and if he was being honest with himself they scared him. Even the basic mooks took little harm from gunfire and typical blades did nothing, it was unnatural, and then there was those stories again...higher level Shinigami capable of killing whole armies. Before now he had dismissed them, he didn't anymore. He had gotten together a team for the purpose of weapons design and construction, basic guns had been easy enough. He didn't think it would work anymore. So much effort wasted. No, it was worse than wasted. It had cost him dearly.
He wasnt the greatest mind to ever exist but he wasnt stupid, and he had seen much. He saw how the people around him had changed. They were more respectful, less open...and he heard the whispers that would stop when he drew near. They had started to fear him. He had never wanted to be looked at like that again. It all came back to that disaster out in the south 33rd district. That battle, that bloody disaster he had "won". It could be considered phyrric at best in his mind. He had sent every gun he could have put together and have put in hands to fight the Shinigami, and thousands had died. Then the response had hit. More soldiers from Seireitei and a new commander. Most werent Shinigami and they seemed to have many other jobs but every one of them knew how to fight...though they had yet to make a major move. Then the whispers had started. He knew how it looked. It looked like he was no different to that bastard in the north throwing away lives, and on a level the lack of trust hurt but Rokongai had seen all types so he understood.
The question on his mind was...were they right? Was he just clinging to any scrap of power he could get? Had he used them? No matter how unintended it may be? He liked to think he was old and wise enough to at least entertain the thought.
...
Kugo Ginjo and his crew stepped out the other side of the gate to Soul Society and Ginjo himself, leader of the fullbringers, took a deep breath of the spirit rich air. The six of them were a mixed, mismatched group of people. Himself, Tsukashima, Giriko, Yukio, Jakie and Riruka, all fullbringers. They had expected Sado to meet them on the other side as they arrived, instead they had got a message right before they left through their scapped together senkaimon that he wanted them to search him out, that it was importent. Tsukashimas ability "book of the end" let him insert himself in peoples and places history and memories, and they had been using it for nearly a year now to keep Sado on side. It raised the question of what in sados mind could be so importent to him he would refuse to leave it to greet his "old friends".
...
Ichigo sat calmly in the cell Rukia and Hinamori had escorted him to. He had been there less than an hour before new guards arrived to take him before the central chambers. It seemed the 46 did not want to waste time.
"Kurosaki-taicho, if you would put these on please" one of the guards asked stepping forward with sealing cuffs.
Ichigo looked grim for a moment "am I getting a trial?"
"yes Kurosaki-taicho. These are to make sure you follow the ruling regardless of what it is. Please cooperate, you are known to be rebellious at times"
He stepped forward and held out his hands "ok"
Once they locked shut around his wrists Ichigo felt his quincy web collapse into ambient reishi before following his escort through a set of short corridors and into the central underground assembly hall. He could feel the division umongst the council in the air. His gaze went to the six Ottori judges on the highest tier, they would be the ones to make the final judgement. He felt confident enough about the outcome, he had kept close working ties with the other four clans, they knew what he had and had not done already.
"Kurosaki Ichigo-taicho, you stand accused of the mass killing of Rukongai citizens and endangering the balance of souls. How do you plead?" the spokesman called out
"innocent. While its true there has been death and a small number of large battles i have made every effort to maintain the balance. All efforts to advance have been halted as work continue to find safer ways to continue our operations"
"we do not make these accusations against one of your power and position lightly Kurosaki-taicho. We will now present your accusers and their evidence, you may then defend yourself."
the chambers doors swung open and to Ichigo's utter confusion Rukia dressed in Kuchiki robes, Kukaku in similar Shiba dress, Yuka Fujiwara, Ryuta Ottori, Yushiro Shihoin and Hinamori wearing her fukutaicho badge walked in.
Ichigo felt like he had been punched in the gut, like he was struggling to get his breath back. This was a betrayal of his trust on a level he had not experienced. They all knew what he was trying to do, knew the real situation. People were talking but he couldn't hear it over the ringing in his ears and the flipfloping of his gut. He looked at Rukia and she refused to meet his eyes and it hurt so much. So he turned to Hinamori and she too looked away. His gaze went down the line and everything froze when he saw Kukaku. His older cousin was giving him the same look his father wore when the old goat was up to some serious bullshit. Then sound came back
"Kurosaki-taicho, how do you defend these action?"
Ichigo blinked away the shock and hurt. They were up to something.
"I cant. I change my plea to guilty" he called out through the chamber
"then our judgement is clear and this council is unanamous in its verdict" one of the six judges spoke "Kurosaki Ichigo you are sentenced to Muken. your fukutaicho will take over the efforts in Rukongai".
The guards came forward to escort him away and he went without argument. Finally catching her eye he shot a smile at Rukia as they passed. She seemed to almost collapse with relief. A unanimous decision from a deeply divided council and his accusers were dear friends and allies who he had expected to defend him. yeah they were up to something big.
...
Uryu had barely had time for a cup of tea with Orihime before his letter from Ichigo arrived calling him back to the north to take overall command of the Rukongai armies. On one level he was pissed this was even happening, on the other...well on the other he knew there was a plan.
...
The doors shut just as quietly as they opened leaving Ichigo in the absolute dark and silence, till he spoke.
"whats up Aizen? that chair comfortable?"
"not exactly" the answer came from in front of him "the real questions to be asked though is "what are you doing?" and "did you have a plan?" or how about "how goes your study in kido Kurosaki-kun?"
the old enemies stared at each other unseeing through the darkness
"and you have the answers to them already don't you Aizen?"
"of course, given to my by Kuchiki-fukutaicho and Hinamori-fukutaicho. they are, wasting your time, no, and poorly."
Ichigo scoffed "I don't see helping billions of souls as a waste of time"
"of course it was, because you didn't have a plan, or contingency plans. The living have a saying, im sure you are familiar with it. To fail to plan is to plan to fail. Now true plans fall apart as you go, as I learnt the hard way thank you very much for that by the way Kurosaki-kun, but you need the systems and thinking they put in place"
"you're welcome, I greatly enjoyed messing them up, and your my new teacher are you?
"exactly"
"why? what do you get out of this?"
"i think you already know Kurosaki-kun. After all, you know me better then anyone else."
"...when do we start?"
"right now, please enter your inner world"