Ascension

by darklover

Set up to Ch 382. Amidst the raging Winter War, a Shinigami appears claiming to be Ichigo's daughter from the future. Is she telling the truth or is it merely a distraction orchestrated by Aizen? Hints of Ichi/Ruki & other pairings.

38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo and Shueisha Inc. I merely own my original characters. No copyright infringement or financial gain intended. I write for the love of the Bleach-verse and its characters.

Feedback: Reviews are welcome and encouraged, flames are not. Thank you to everyone who reads. Your support is very much appreciated.

Kristofferr97: Thank you so much for your review! It has kept me striving to finish this story. It has been a lot of work.

Hope: It means a lot that you have liked my story enough to re-read it. This story is supposed to be make more sense after re-reading it.

Hello there! Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out, but some parts were just challenging for me to write. This chapter will give insight into the divisions I didn't talk about in the previous chapter. I had wanted to avoid off screening some characters during Aizen's siege, but in the end, I couldn't avoid it. I humbly admit that despite my best efforts, I failed at giving all characters decent closure. I would've liked to have done a better job. My apologies.

---

Warmth cascaded down her throat and into her chest.

She allowed herself to relish it for a moment.

Drinking tea had always helped calm her, but nowadays, she felt twinges of guilt being able to drink it when so many had perished.

The last few days had been a blur…a part of her almost felt that it hadn't been true that she had survived along with Hitsugaya-kun and the others.

She almost felt as though their unexpected victory would be revealed a lie…an illusion….

He had left them alive yet powerless to do anything….

His victory had seemed inevitable…

Though she had put on a brave face as she tried to heal herself despite her desire to heal her childhood friend first, dread had filled her. She had known it was only a matter of time before he would return and finish them off. She had known his words were false.

It had felt like torture knowing that if she could heal herself and her friend, she was merely postponing the inevitable. That no matter what she had failed to protect those she cared about from him….

She had forced herself to carry on, preferring to die knowing she had done what she could to save her friend.

Miraculously Inoue Orihime appeared soon after she had been on the verge of finishing healing her injuries and restored Hitsugaya-kun and the others to health before leaving for the Royal Realm.

It had felt surreal that this unbelievably gifted Human girl had come to their rescue and had even assisted in stopping him from annihilating the world when the Gotei 13 had failed…

It truly seemed like maybe she was living in a false world…that would be shattered by him any moment now…

It would be the perfect punishment for daring to stop him….

Their survival had merely been for him to gloat.

She had never imagined he was an arrogant man at heart, but it was the unbridled truth.

It was strange to think that this is what had allowed them to be saved.

Though she knew she should count herself blessed that she hadn't met the fate of her fallen comrades, the sorrow and guilt swarming her heart made her feel underserving. She had known her efforts to stop him could never make up for her past blindness, for the lives lost, but somehow knowing he had chosen to spare her as a potential chastisement for her rebellion made her feel unworthy of being alive.

She had been doing her best to push aside these feelings and focus on her duty, but they seem to resurface whenever she had time to herself.

She wasn't quite sure she would ever get over these feelings.

Perhaps, she would have to discuss these feelings with Unohana-taichō at some point. She knew she would eventually have to see her since the medic had told her she wanted to see from time to time. Her talks along with her medicine are what had helped her recover from her emotional breakdown and had allowed her to accept the truth regarding her former taichō. Unohana-taichō had told her acceptance of the truth was but the start of her recovery.

She wasn't wrong.

The Fourth Division taichō had told her it would take time for her to fully heal but that it could happen. She'd assured her that she'd seen many Shinigami overcome their mental trauma.

Could she ever overcome all the guilt and anguish weighing her shattered heart? It seemed difficult to imagine that she would ever feel peace and happiness, but she couldn't succumb to her negative emotions. She had to carry on for what was left of the Fifth Division.

There was a sharp rapping on the door. "Hinamori?"

"Come in," she replied.

Tōshirō pulled the door open and stepped through.

The severity of the dark bags lining his eyes made her feel sick. She knew she looked worse for wear, but he looked far worse than her. His normally piercing gaze radiated a terrible dullness that tore at her heart. She had never seen him looking so deflated. Not even when he had lost his taichō.

"Do you want some tea?" she inquired softly, as he ambled over towards her.

He nodded, and she poured him a cup.

She took a sip of hers as he took one of his own.

"How are you?"

She shrugged.

"You?"

He remained quiet for a moment.

"I just saw Kira."

"How is he?"

"He's getting by…I told him about…Ichimaru." His lips curled in disdain.

Momo frowned.

"Are you okay?" she wondered, knowing it must not have been easy for him to talk about the man that had slain his fukutaichō.

He nodded. "He needed to know the truth about who he was…"

She gave an understanding nod.

"Kira-kun's probably been blaming himself for not seeing who he really was," Momo mused quietly.

She recalled the prominent remorse in his eyes when he had apologized to her in the artificial Karakura for his past actions against her. He had not been allowed to visit her during her time at the Fourth due to the possibility of resetting her progress. Seeing the depth of his guilt within his gaze had made her realize he had been wanting to apologize to her for some time, which was why he had seized the opportunity when he had a moment alone with her. She had been surprised to see he had felt so bad when it was she who had needed to apologize to him.

"I told him not to."

"Even so, it's going to be he hard for him not to," Momo said knowingly.

Teal eyes glanced at her.

"I know, but he has to try. He can't let it hold him back from moving forward for his division. He's not to blame for what happened. Neither are you," he added after a moment.

"This war would've never happened if I had caught on sooner to what Ichimaru and Aizen had been planning instead of being played by them. I should've been strong enough to kill Ichimaru…and Aizen to make up for my mistake…but…I wasn't… I let them get away…"

Momo stared at him for a long moment. "You can't blame yourself either. You tried your best…It's amazing you found out the truth…"

Tōshirō shook his head. "I failed again…and this time Matsumoto is dead because of my weakness…"

Momo gazed at him with sympathy and sadness.

"It's an honor for a fukutaichō to die for their taichō," she said gently. "You shouldn't blame yourself for her sacrifice. Rangiku-san died putting her duty first rather than protecting a former comrade. Unlike me or Kira-kun, she was always prepared to face the truth. I wish I could've been as brave and strong as she was. I-I let my emotions affect my judgment." Her expression grew somber as shame flashed in her eyes.

"If I had had a taichō like you, I wouldn't have minded dying either. Dying for him would've been a waste. I was a fool to believe in him. He was never worthy of being a taichō. You truly are worthy of the title, Hitsugaya-taichō." Momo smiled faintly.

Tōshirō silently gazed at her.

It had always irked him that she tended to forget to address him by his title. It had felt as though she didn't consider him worthy of the title. She had only began addressing him as "Hitsugaya-kun" after he had achieved Shikai and had graduated from the Academy. Her lack of formality with him had often felt as though she didn't consider him to be on par with the man whom she had considered the perfect taichō.

Her words now did little to comfort him. As much as he loathed to admit, he really hadn't been in the same league as him or Ichimaru. Despite all his efforts, he still was the most immature taichō. His powers still needed to be developed.

Matsumoto shouldn't have needed to die for him. He should've killed Ichimaru. Her heart would've broken but she would've gotten over it.

Before their battle against the Arrancars in Fake Karakura, he had wanted to ask if there was doubt in her heart about what they would have to do, but he had decided against it. Despite all her flaws, Matsumoto had always done what she needed to do for the Gotei 13's sake.

She did prove her loyalty until the very end.

Matsumoto, lazy by nature, had only been inspired to rise up the ranks due to her comrade's rapid ascension through the ranks. She hadn't wanted to be left behind. He had understood this all too well himself.

He'd always found her friendship with Ichimaru odd, but it reminded him of his own with Hinamori. People had often found it strange that someone as sweet and kind as Hinamori could be friends with someone as aloof as him. He had supposed there was something to their friendship that he just didn't understand just like people didn't understand his connection with Hinamori. He'd given Ichimaru the benefit of the doubt when Matsumoto had mentioned there was more to him than met the eye.

He knew what it felt like to be misunderstood, misjudged…

He doubted anyone had ever mistrusted him as much as Ichimaru though. He doubted his coldness could compare to Ichimaru's off-putting behavior at times.

It was a damn shame he turned out to be genuine snake.

He hadn't deserved Matsumoto's affection.

Matsumoto Rangiku's loyalty and friendship were priceless.

Power and the freedom Ichimaru had sought were insignificant compared to them.

Knowing Ichimaru had permanently perished assuaged his pain marginally because he deserved that fate for what he had done. Since his remains weren't found in the Royal Dimension, Urahara Kisuke had theorized he had likely been absorbed by the Hōgyoku.

"I don't feel worthy of it," Tōshirō admitted quietly. "I need to get stronger…I couldn't protect you either…" He dropped his gaze.

He curled his hands, his mind flashing back to how was Momo was slashed even though she had been within his protective embrace. He'd been useless.

"You mustn't say that. You are worthy," Momo said, indignant. "A good taichō always strives to get stronger. You should keep getting stronger. It's not your fault that I got hurt. Aizen had the Hōgyoku, remember? You said it yourself that that's the only reason he beat us."

"I'm really sorry I wasn't of better use. I wanted to protect you since it's my fault you ended up sick."

"It wasn't your fault," he said at once.

"Yes, it was. It should've been me who got sick, but because you came to visit me you were targeted. Without meaning to, I ended up putting you in harm's way again. You've been trying to protect me since you suspected something was happening in the Seireitei. I'm the fool who didn't listen to you…I just made things worse…I tried to kill you…"

"I told you to forget it."

"I know, but I can't…Truth is I'm the one who doesn't deserve my title," Momo acknowledged.

"T-That isn't true. You worked hard to obtain it."

"I did…but he didn't choose me because of it," Momo said, her expression solemn. "He chose me because I was weak and blind. I know he made the choice to do what he did, but I could've stopped him if I hadn't been blindly following him."

"Hinamori, I'm sure Aizen knew that as well. Loyalty wouldn't have been enough for you to overlook all the signs of his treachery…You were willing to attack me because you thought I had committed a murder. You would never attack someone without just cause. He obviously used his Zanpakutō to keep you from catching on.

"If he had really considered you weak, he would've made you one of his lackeys, but he didn't. He probably thought it would be too much work to brainwash you. You've always been too headstrong. That's why he resorted to manipulating you the way he did…when he did make his move.

"No one blames you for what happened with Aizen. We all failed to see his true self. Look, it doesn't matter why Aizen chose you. The point is you are the fukutaichō of the Fifth Division. No one else embodies sacrifice and humbleness the way you do. You are a true Fifth Division officer unlike Aizen…or any of the others that followed him."

Momo stared at him.

"Thank you…Hitsugaya-taichō. You should take your own advice. It doesn't matter if you don't feel like you deserve your title, you are the Tenth Division taichō because no one else was qualified to be taichō. You need to live up to your title by continuing to get stronger."

"I'd like to get stronger too…Maybe we can train…together…someday," she added after a beat.

"Maybe…if that's what you want…" he agreed.

---

Kotetsu Isane watched as Shirogane Mihane, the ninth seat of the Sixth Division, slept. The young woman's condition was improving though it wasn't as fast as she would like it to be.

Aizen's virus was a real piece of work.

She'd never seen anything like it.

She could not believe he had formulated such a terrible pathogen.

She didn't think the Fourth Division would ever be placed in a situation where they couldn't heal all those that needed their assistance.

She hated thinking about the multitude of Souls that had succumbed to the virus in Rukongai because they didn't get the cure in time…and the Shinigami who had died at the hands of Hollows because of their wounds…

How many Souls were out there still trying to recover like Mihane and the others?

She wished she could attend to them…. but she knew the best she could hope for was that they recovered on their own.

It'd be nice if her Fourth Division comrades could help them out if they were still alive….

She hoped with all her heart that they had managed to fend off the Hollows despite knowing that much skilled Shinigami had fallen.

Contrary to popular belief, the members of the Fourth Division did know how to fight. Unohana-taichō had always been adamant that everyone trained to keep their fighting skills sharp in case they were needed to battle. It was true that not everyone was as an apt fighter as those in other squads since they weren't used to constant combat, and many had Zanpakutō that were more suited for healing than battle.

However, they had been trained to fight defensively with Kidō and their sealed sword.

She stepped out of the room, sighing.

She had found it agonizing that she had been limited to tending to those residing within the Fourth Division during Aizen's siege. She had wanted to do her part to treat and even protect those that had been harmed by the Hollows that had descended upon the Seireitei. She knew Unohana-taichō was right that she had to remain here, but it had been torture.

She'd never imagined that the Fourth Division would be placed in such an impossible situation.

She knew Yasutora Sado had also felt the same. He'd wanted to leave the Fourth Division even though he no longer had any superhuman abilities to assist his friends and he was still recuperating. She had warned him that she would use Kidō or her Zanpakutō to knock him out if he didn't listen to her. Itegumo could produce a gas that could paralyze.

He'd reluctantly settled in his bed though she could tell he'd wanted to break through the windows and the barrier surrounding the Fourth Division and die trying to help the Shinigami. He was kindhearted just like Inoue Orihime.

It was very admirable that he'd wanted to fight even though he was powerless.

She, on the other hand, had the power to fight, but had to focus on healing.

She'd been relieved that Unohana-taichō had returned alive and that the Soul Society was still intact.

The death of the sōtaichō had made her fear the worst.

Many of the Gotei 13's elite had perished alongside him due to Aizen's shrewdness.

Aizen had left the Soul Society in a critical state.

She couldn't even begin to fathom how long the Soul Society would remain in this state. She knew it would be a long road to recovery and that she and the Fourth Division would be doing their best to heal everyone.

The ramifications of Aizen's virus were difficult to quantify but the Fourth Division would be at the heart of figuring them out.

---

"Damn her. That brat gave me another bruise," Ikkaku grumbled, slamming his hands on a desk.

A red patch gleamed brightly against the backdrop of darker bruises and cuts at the top of his bald head. Bandages covered his exposed torso.

"She still doesn't want to eat. All she moves for is to whack me."

Yumichika stood across from him, his expression solemn. His countenance was also marred with bruises. He wore a new uniform with his familiar orange turtleneck. He sighed heavily. "We'll never get anywhere with her. I've called Unohana-taichō. She's the only one…that can make her listen…now." He lowered his gaze.

Ikkaku scowled. "Damn it."

The wood beneath his hands began to crack as he leaned against the desk, his head bowed.

"Ikkaku…" Yumichika said warningly.

Ikkaku reluctantly tore his hands away and raised them in the air, balling them into fists.

"Damn it…it's not fair…Why the hell did he have to die? Damn that Aizen bastard to hell."

Yumichika merely stared at him, his expression somber.

He remembered all too well the moment he had sensed Zaraki Kenpachi's Reiatsu vanish. He and Ikkaku had been locked in combat with Hollows as they had continuously been since the Shakonmaku had been destroyed.

The abrupt loss of Zaraki Kenpachi's Reiatsu had felt jarring…like the way Yamamoto-sōtaichō's loss had felt….

They hadn't wanted to believe the old man's demise but the hasty disappearance of such a powerful Reiatsu that could even be felt amidst the other Reiatsu clouding the atmosphere could only mean such a fate.

Their shock had led them to suffer some injuries before they managed to dispose of their enemies.

They had attempted to rush as much as they could towards Sōkyoku Hill to try and put an end to Aizen's siege, but their progress had been hampered by an annoying Arrancar called Rudbornn Chelute. He had claimed he'd been restored to full health by Aizen to execute all Shinigami who stood in his way.

He had an incredibly powerful ability in his Resurrección to create an endless army. Knowing the situation was dire and that brute force wouldn't necessarily give them an edge even if Ikkaku stopped being stubborn about not using his Bankai, Yumichika had had no choice but to use the true power of his Shikai to drain the Arrancar's Reiryoku thus ending his life.

Losing the taichō was a brutal reminder that no one was safe from death. He'd seen countless Eleventh Division members fall in a horrible, unbecoming manner. They had been powerless to fight back.

He'd always known Ikkaku wanted to die fighting under their taichō's command and had been prepared to see him die someday but allowing himself to be killed due to his emotions and pride in such a dreadful situation was not something he could allow. It was something the Gotei 13 couldn't afford.

He couldn't help but be distressed when Ikkaku had lost against his opponent in the fake Karakura because he'd believed Ikkaku would know better than to hold back against an opponent when the fate of the Soul Society was on the line.

He'd seen Ikkaku's willingness to use his Bankai against the Thirteenth Arrancar as a sign that Ikkaku had matured about putting his duty first rather than his own pride, that he had been willing to admit he had a Bankai…

Ikkaku had dispelled the latter notion when he had Akon cover up his energy use so that it wouldn't be reported that he had used Bankai. He understood then why Ikkaku hadn't minded resorting to Bankai. Akon was on good terms with him and didn't mind hiding his secret. It was similar to how he had been willing to use Shikai against Hisagi Shūhei because he knew he would keep his mouth shut.

This time secrets could only be hidden in death.

Ikkaku hadn't said anything after Rudbornn had been dealt with. He had silently listened to his words that Aizen had to be defeated at all costs. He hastily took the petal he had offered him to recover some of his Reiryoku before they had hurried over to Sōkyoku Hill to discover they had missed Aizen and that they had another task they had to accomplish.

It had been nonstop work. They hadn't had a chance to process their taichō's death.

"I wish I could've killed that bastard myself…Damn him…I was supposed to die under Zaraki-taichō's command…He took that away…"

"Ikkaku, I know that's what you wanted," Yumichika acknowledged quietly, "but things are the way they are…whether we like them or not…I doubt Zaraki-taichō would've wanted us to fall apart without him. Remember, he always said we should consider ourselves lucky if we survived a fight…."

There was a beat.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to take over for Zaraki-taichō."

A flicker of surprise shone Ikkaku's eyes before they glared at him with disgust and outrage.

"I-I can't do that! It wouldn't be right…I never defeated him…I can't call myself taichō of the Eleventh…"

"Would you rather the fukutaichō take over? She's strong…but I doubt even she's capable of attaining Bankai by instinct alone, and, well, you know how she is…. Central 46 has been willing to let divisions be without an official taichō for years, but not indefinitely. Are you gonna be okay with the taichō that they chose whenever there's a suitable candidate? I don't think they'll care about honoring the Eleventh's traditions with the way things are."

Ikkaku stared at him a long moment. "They wouldn't choose someone…Not when I'm around…"

Yumichika smiled faintly. "Good. Zaraki-taichō wouldn't have wanted some noble to take over his position."

A silence befell them.

"Ikkaku…I understand that you will need to transfer me to another division now that you know the true nature of my Zanpakutō. I'd like to at least stay here until the Eleventh Division is in a better place."

Yumichika stared at Ikkaku, whose face suddenly looked blank.

The feathers in his eyebrows swayed as he crinkled his eyebrows slightly as Ikkaku remained impassive.

"Y-You damn idiot!" Ikkaku suddenly yelled. "Why the hell would I do that? You've been fighting without it all this time…It means you're stronger than I thought. That's all the taichō has ever cared about…You know damn well the fukutaichō ain't got a combat type Zanpakutō!"

Yumichika gazed at him, looking mildly surprised. "But, Ikkaku, you know, she's the only exception…"

"She ain't an exception. She's shown us why she's the fukutaichō, remember? Zaraki-taichō didn't hand her the title like we thought."

Yumichika nodded, recalling how the fukutaichō had been incensed enough to release her Shikai on Ikkaku one day. They'd never imagined that she could be so vicious and that her Zanpakutō caused her to age just to channel her power properly. She demonstrated that she was the second strongest in the division though Ikkaku was the second strongest man after Zaraki-taichō.

'Sides, we'd be dead right now if you hadn't used it…. You were right…We couldn't afford to shirk our duty…not when everything was on the line…Even if I had used Bankai, it would've taken time to take him down…"

Yumichika stared at him with a fusion of incredulity and relief.

---

Unohana gazed at the bereaved pink-haired child. Her lips drawn into a flat line contrasted sharply with the lively perpetual blush adorning her cheeks. There was nothing but pain etched in the furrows of her lips and eyebrows. Her eyes normally bright with joy, glimmered with a deep, sorrowful dullness. She exhibited a lifeless air that was unlike the spunky child she had known.

Over the course of her tenure in the Gotei 13 she had seen countless soldiers besieged by grief, but she didn't think she would ever see Kusajishi Yachiru afflicted by it. Raised surrounded by death and mayhem, the young Shinigami had never looked so broken at the loss of any of her Eleventh Division comrades. Her level of grief had always ranged from non-existent to moderate depending on how well she knew the individual.

Her deepest attachment was, of course, to her adoptive father, Zaraki Kenpachi.

Her current state reflected this loss.

He was the only one she had ever exhibited worry for though she had believed him to be nearly invincible. She'd always been cognizant of his potential to die from his wounds even when he dismissed them. Though she had loved seeing him enjoy himself, she had often chided him if he pushed himself too far. She had witnessed this often enough as she healed Zaraki after their sparring sessions.

When she had received Yachiru's message that Zaraki Kenpachi needed medical assistance after fighting Kurosaki Ichigo, she had known immediately his wounds were serious enough for Yachiru to call her. Quite frankly, she had been surprised that Zaraki Kenpachi had been dealt such wounds. She didn't think a Ryoka would ever be a threat to him.

She had believed the day that would happen would be the day a Soul worthy of becoming his successor had arrived. However, the thought of him being dethroned seemed like an unlikely event since none of his predecessors had ever had such enormous Reiryoku. Most Souls could not contend with it, even if they were more skilled. Many had foolishly perished in their challenge. This had always been Zaraki Kenpachi's ace in the hole.

His immense Reiryoku had always given him incredible strength and stamina without the need for reliance on additional abilities.

The eyepatch he'd commissioned the Shinigami Research and Development Department to make him had aided him to hold back his Reiryoku to genuinely enjoy the challenges he was met with. Otherwise, his fights would've ended without much effort.

He truly had been the Kenpachi, the Shinigami who had won the most battles and slain the most opponents.

The Eleventh Division had evolved into a division composed predominantly of battle hungry Rukongai Souls since her transfer to the Fourth Division. The Eleventh Division's rule regarding its captaincy began due to the bloodthirsty taichō from Rukongai that slayed the taichō that followed her. Since then, Rukongai Souls that dared to face off against the Eleventh Division taichō for the Kenpachi title were permitted to enter the Seireitei. Central 46 had allowed this so that the Gotei 13 could harness their power instead of executing them. Or rather, it was a way to let them kill themselves without using the Onmitsukidō.

She'd known since she had crossed blades with him that he'd be a good successor to the title of Kenpachi.

He had aptly named himself.

When she had inquired about his battle with Ichigo, Yachiru had been adamant that Ichigo had cheated by teaming up with his Zanpakutō. She had found this notion rather amusing since Yachiru from her arrival had developed her bond with her Zanpakutō without any trouble. It had been natural for her to take command over it despite not forging a bond with it the conventional way. It was as though her sword had been a natural extension of herself that she didn't even acknowledge the existence of a Zanpakutō spirit.

She had been the opposite in that regard to Zaraki Kenpachi. He had never been able to form any kind of relationship with his blade despite it being in constant Shikai. She had been the one to oversee Yachiru's battle prowess thus permitting her to be a fukutaichō without the need for any tests. Kusajishi Yachiru had proved herself to be quite an instinctual fighter like her adoptive father.

Kusajishi Yachiru and Zaraki Kenpachi had been an unconventional and inseparable duo ever since they set foot in the Seireitei.

Yachiru had always been by his side, encouraging him and training with him to get stronger. Yachiru had wanted to help Kenpachi learn the name of his Zanpakutō though she couldn't offer much help herself because that's what he wanted. Ever his supporter, she had enlisted her to help, but Kenpachi had easily lost himself to frustration and boredom with her advice. As far as she knew they hadn't accomplished this by the time they had been tasked to Hueco Mundo.

Zaraki Kenpachi would've been quite a force to be reckoned with if he'd able to communicate with his blade. However, it wouldn't have spared him from the Hōgyoku. His fate would've been the same.

Truth be told, she wasn't sure it would've suited him to know his Shikai's true abilities. The blatant disharmony between him and his Zanpakutō had made her wonder if perhaps would've been a blade that would've gone against his fighting style. She had always understood his love to fight with his blade because she had always enjoyed clashing with her unreleased blade.

She had found it painful to discover that her blade possessed healing abilities in Shikai and guaranteed death in Bankai because it prevented her from sparring with it. This had spurred her to become proficient with her sealed blade in combat earning her the moniker "Yachiru," the swordswoman of the eight thousand flows because of her knowledge of diverse sword fighting styles. Her preferred sword style was Kendo. Her passion and drive for swordplay led her to form the Eleventh Division as a combat-oriented division. Unfortunately, her rare, innate healing abilities had made it so that she was transferred to the Fourth when the former Fourth Division taichō had been killed.

She doubted he would've been happy to discover he had a sword that was cumbersome to wield in battle.

He'd always seen her as an example of how it was pointless to know Shikai or Bankai since her Zanjutsu skills were lethal enough. He'd never cared about trying to communicate with his Zanpakutō.

The mere fact that he'd even want to learn more about his Zanpakutō after his encounter with Kurosaki Ichigo had been shocking to her. Apparently, he'd been intrigued by how the boy had managed to keep going even when he was at death's door. She hadn't bothered to let him know that the boy hadn't relied solely on his Zanpakutō's power. She had sensed Hollow Reiryoku when she had healed his injuries. She understood then why a dual attack like that had caught Kenpachi off guard.

Kenpachi had ended up learning in a taichō's meeting that Ichigo possessed more than Shinigami powers when the Research Department detected his Hollow Reiryoku when he fought against an Arrancar. He'd been intrigued by this.

It was a shame he would not get to fight ever again.

Having another taichō level fighter to spar against would've brought him much joy.

No other taichō apart from her had been allowed to spar with him. Not that they had even been interested in doing such a thing. They had never wanted to spar with someone that was as bloodthirsty as him.

Zaraki Kenpachi had only joined the Gotei 13 because he had paid heed to her words.

He had joined to fight her again.

She had obliged many times, but she knew he would've relished the chance to fight someone else apart from her or her subordinates.

She hadn't been entirely sure that the vicious fighter she had met in Rukongai all those years ago would learn to restrain from killing his opponents and be content with fights that merely approximated death, but he had proved he could. He had loved fighting too much to want to be executed. He also had an adoptive daughter to live for.

Battling a Shinigami-Hollow hybrid would've been the unusual delicacy he had been craving for.

Kusajishi Yachiru would've loved to have cheered him on in a rematch against Kurosaki Ichigo.

Looking at the despondent Shinigami, she wondered if she would ever exude excitement and glee again.

Overcoming sorrow was not easy. She knew that quite well.

Somehow Kusajishi Yachiru would have to get past her grief.

"Yachiru-chan," she said gently.

The little girl did not stir.

"Yachiru-chan," she tried again.

Her expression remained blank.

"Yachiru-chan, please you must eat something. It has been quite a while from what Madarame-san said. I know you must not feel like it, but it would do your body good to keep nourishing it." She paused, before adding, "Zaraki-taichō wouldn't have wanted you to waste away."

There was a slight tautening of Yachiru's lips and eyebrows.

"Yachiru-chan, please eat something."

Yachiru remained still.

"Yachiru-chan, I understand your pain…I feel it too. I knew Zaraki Kenpachi very well, though, perhaps, not as well you." She smiled sadly. "He was a dear colleague…and friend. I very much enjoyed our sparring sessions. As you know, he lived to battle. It was his life's joy…. He never cared about his Shinigami duties. He became a Shinigami because otherwise he'd never be allowed to battle again…. However, there was one thing that he did care about apart from satiating his battle lust. It was you."

Unohana gazed at her for a moment. "I think a bloodthirsty man like him chose to have you by his side because he saw a kindred spirit in you. He knew instinctively you were like him…A survivor…"

"You must've felt the same way too because you were drawn to him. You proved him right when you demonstrated that you had Reiryoku. He realized then you naturally had the instinct to survive and that you likely killed those who attacked you with your Reiryoku. Normal Souls never stood a chance against you even though you lived in a brutal area of Rukongai. I suppose he knew you could never fit in with others just like he couldn't and that is why he took you in."

She paused.

"Zaraki-taichō has always valued your life. Please do not disregard it. He willingly stepped in to protect you from Aizen."

Unohana reached for the plate on the table near Yachiru and offered it to her with an unyielding expression.

"Ken-chan shouldn't have done it…It was my turn to protect him," Yachiru finally spoke. Her voice sounded uncharacteristically sad.

"You did your best, Yachiru-chan, as did he but I'm afraid none of us had the power to stop Aizen. The Hōgyoku proved to be quite a powerful weapon."

"He cheated," Yachiru declared angrily, scowling.

"He did," Unohana agreed solemnly.

"Zaraki-taichō will always hold the title of the only undefeated Kenpachi," she added after a moment.

Yachiru perked up at this. "That's right. Ken-chan would never lose…in a fair fight."

Unohana merely nodded, indulging the young Shinigami in her steadfast belief that Zaraki Kenpachi was invincible in a so-called fair fight. The countless losses he had endured in their sparring sessions had never counted for Yachiru since they weren't official fights. As far as Yachiru was concerned, Kenpachi had never endured any real losses.

---

Golden eyes took in the shabby state of the once pristine grounds of the Second Division. She hadn't bothered coming here before because she had been too busy transporting the injured to the emergency treatment stations that had been set up.

Her heart felt heavy with the pain of losing her former apprentice.

Sui-Feng had believed they would be able to train and fight like in the old days after the war ended.

Sui-Feng hadn't been pleased that she had been allowed to return to the World of the Living. It was technically a breach in protocol, but the sōtaichō had allowed it due to the situation with Aizen. She had made various trips to the Soul Society since then, but Sui Feng had always been displeased whenever she would leave.

Sui-Feng had wanted to kill Aizen and retrieve the Hōgyoku alongside her, but the sōtaichō had preferred to wait and see how Aizen would move rather than risk them in enemy territory.

After the sōtaichō understood Aizen's goal, he had asked Kisuke, Tessai, and her to reinforce the real Karakura's defense team while the Gotei 13 fought in the artificial Karakura (this is the reason Kisuke had regained clearance to enter the Soul Society). It didn't seem like she would get a chance to fight beside Sui-Feng, but Aizen's deviation from attempting to reach the real Karakura by force had granted them that opportunity.

She'd been waiting for the moment she would reach the Seireitei and put an end to Aizen's plans. She, Kisuke, and Tessai had been residing with Kūkaku after Kisuke had concluded that Aizen would not be attacking the real Karakura directly. Kisuke and Tessai had created additional various barriers to fortify it before leaving Karakura in the care of the Shinigami. Kisuke had instructed her to analyze any unusual activity in Rukongai upon noticing the difference in the Hollows there and that is how she came across the virus. He had given the Gotei 13 a warning about the Hōgyoku being ready in two weeks because he had presumed that Aizen had stooped down to using a virus.

Sui-Feng's eyes had shone with approval when she had come to collect her as she made her way towards Sōkyoku Hill. She'd been eager to take Aizen down with her by her side because she now knew the role he had played in her departure. Not that that had stopped her from blaming Urahara Kisuke.

Now all she could think about was the look of apology and disappointment Sui-Feng had at being unable to fulfill her mission as she collapsed to her death.

Even in death, her protégé could not suppress her feelings of disappointment at failing to complete her task for her. She knew it hadn't been mere frustration that she had failed to do her duty. Sui-Feng had always wanted to do her best to serve her.

The poor woman hadn't realized that she had always appreciated it. That she had felt proud of her.

She had never felt competent enough. She had always been too hard on herself.

She had been pleased to hear that it had been Sui-Feng that had succeeded her as the Second Division taichō and Commander of the Onmitsukidō. She had been proud that Sui-Feng had managed to become strong enough to attain the leadership of both organizations. It had given her a sense of peace about leaving her behind.

She had known that she wouldn't take it well, but she had had to do it.

Despite all her efforts to find evidence of Aizen's misdeeds, he had been the one to corner her.

She had been pissed that she had been unable to find anything on him. The Shihōin family's soul transformation technique had been useless. She had found out about the power of Aizen's Zanpakutō sometime after Kisuke and the others had fled to the World of the Living, but she didn't think it would help him cover up all his evidence. She had felt confident her cat form would uncover it easily. However, snooping around his office or quarters when he wasn't around yielded no proof of his misdeeds. Unfortunately, even her efforts to trail him in cat form had resulted in nothing.

She didn't understand how he could evade her efforts.

Kisuke didn't quite understand how Aizen's abilities worked either since its effect seemed to be long lasting. Hirako had said it was called "Kaizen Saimin" and it definitely seemed like it was a complete hypnosis that didn't have limits as an ordinary Shikai technique had.

She had made it a point to investigate the Twelfth Division as the ones who were responsible for aiding Kisuke escape his sentencing and had never given any indication that Aizen was on her radar, but Aizen had been cautious enough to believe she was observing him. Kisuke believed that Aizen suspected that she knew of his role in the Hollowfication incident because of their relationship and that she was likely the one that had actually helped Kisuke escape.

She knew it had to have been him that had helped convince Central 46 that her inability to find Kisuke and the others was because she was covering for them and not just that they were hard to track down due to Kidō or untraceable Gigai.

She had managed to keep them off her back for a year. She had had a solid alibi. She had made sure that she had been viewed at the time she had gone to rescue Kisuke, so that she they couldn't place the blame on her due to her connection with them. It hadn't been the first time she had faked her presence. Kisuke had long ago made her a double to help her play hooky whenever the clan's demands had been too much for her and she needed to take a "sick" day (this had been the prototype of the inflatable Gigai).

Unfortunately, Central 46 grew unsatisfied with her lack of progress in finding Urahara Kisuke and his allies and had grown to suspect her.

She had had no choice but to leave the Soul Society when she heard rumblings that she would be arrested due to a recent unearthing of evidence against her. She had supposed Aizen had made his move to eliminate her from probing any further.

She had left behind her Zanpakutō as a means to show that she was renouncing her titles of head of the Onmitsukidō and Second Division taichō rather than evading arrest. Of course, she knew Central 46 would likely still view it as desertion and evading arrest, but to her relief, Central 46 didn't officially exile her. She had been banking on her status as a Shihōin to avoid such a fate and it seemed that had given them pause. Unlike common Shinigami, she had the right to retire if she desired.

She hadn't wanted to drag Sui-Feng into this mess. She knew it had been for the best that she had never confided in her anything regarding Urahara Kisuke and the truth behind his arrest.

Aizen had been the one mouse she couldn't sink her claws into.

She had never wanted to assassinate someone so much, yet he had been the target she could not execute. Without a valid reason for his assassination, she would've been branded as a murderer.

So much death could've been avoided if she had killed him….

As a Shihōin, her duty was to protect the realm created by the Soul King.

Quite frankly, this is the only duty taught by her heritage that she had ever cared for.

She'd never cared about the rigid expectations of her clan.

Joining the ranks of the Onmitsukidō and eventually the Gotei 13 had given her the power to be free from their bothersome beliefs and rituals. She had always preferred grueling training than playing the part of the princess. She had known from a young age that power was the only way to gain respect and to push back against their desire for her to simply produce more Shihōin progeny.

The clan hadn't been happy that she had wanted to join the Onmitsukidō, but she hadn't given them a choice. Though Shihōin women like the other women of the other clans had been trained to fight since their clan's inception, their most valued asset was their ability to have children so that the Shinigami would continue to live onto the next generation. If possible, the clans had sought to limit women's involvement in fighting Hollows to ensure the Shinigami thrived since the early days of the Soul Society had been challenging and unstable. Kidō had been developed for women to play a supportive role. As time went on and life in Soul Society became stable, women were encouraged to merely play the role of wife and child bearers rather than join the military.

She had had no interest in living the frivolous life of a lady of the aristocratic court. The only noblewoman she'd been able to stand was Kūkaku who like her had always been a free spirit at heart. They had been both asserted their commitment to their respective clans through taking up the ancient role their clans had been entrusted with.

The Shihōin Clan had been nervous about her decision, but her unrivalled strength and skill had eventually relaxed them and given them pride. Her success in the Onmitsukidō had allowed her to become the first female clan head in her clan's history.

However, they had still been concerned about the fulfillment of her duty to produce at least one heir if not more. They had feared her dying without an heir.

She had always rebuffed their attempts to convince her to settle down.

She wasn't sure if she would be able to do indefinitely, but if there's one reason, she had to be grateful to Aizen was that he had given her unrestrained freedom from all responsibility. For a century, she had been free to do as she wanted without answering to anyone.

However, this illusion of freedom, had come at a cost.

She would've gladly given it up if she could've stopped him sooner.

"Shihōin Yoruichi," growled a voice with barely contained disdain.

Yoruichi stared at the man she recognized as Marechiyo Ōmaeda, the son of her former fukutaichō. The resemblance was remarkable though it was unfortunate he hadn't inherited his father's full head of hair. His visage sported several nasty bruises and cuts. Bandages covered his right hand.

He stared at her with an impressive, hardened gaze, but she didn't allow herself to falter under it.

"What are you doing here? You have no right to be here."

"I don't," she agreed," but I just wanted to check on things…"

"Things are fine," he grunted.

She knew things were far from fine. How could they be with the loss of Sui-Feng and the current state of the Soul Society? She knew the surviving members of the Second Division and the Onmitsukidō were in a frenzy all over Soul Society. Things in Rukongai were nasty…

"I see. Well, I trust that you are doing your best to handle things like Sui-Feng would've wanted."

His jaw tautened. "O-Of course."

"If there's anything I could do to help, I'd be glad to help you out."

He glowered at her for a moment. "I-I don't want help from the likes of you! S-She should be here…it's your fault she's gone."

"I can't say I blame you for blaming me. Perhaps, she would've been alive if she hadn't assisted me, but you know as I well as I do, that she took her duty seriously. As a Gotei 13 taichō, it was her duty to fight against Aizen. She died doing her duty."

Yoruichi's gaze lowered for a moment.

"If I could've saved her, I would've. I barely survived along with the others. Aizen bested us thanks to the Hōgyoku and his Zanpakutō."

Marechiyo stared at her, taking in her words.

The Onmitsukidō's motto revolved finishing their duty regardless of the losses.

If his taichō could see him now, she would've kicked him for showing a sign of grief.

She would've also punched him for showing disrespect to her precious Shihōin Yoruichi.

It was unusual that Shihōin Yoruichi was even showing regret.

He knew things were going south after he and his taichō felt the loss of the sōtaichō. He and his taichō were trying to head towards Sōkyoku Hill to assist those that had gathered there but unfortunately had to deal with constant Hollow and Arrancar attacks. He'd been upset that Sui Feng-taichō had left him behind and hadn't wanted him alongside her to fight Aizen because Shihōin Yoruichi had appeared.

"Wait for me, Sui-Feng-taichō."

"Ōmaeda, stay here. You'll only get in the way."

"B-But, taichō, I'm your fukutaichō…"

"I'm ordering you as your taichō to stay behind. Take care of these Hollows. We need the Seireitei to still be standing once we're through with Aizen."

He'd begrudgingly done as he'd been told. Though he knew it was true that he likely would've been useless against Aizen, it had bothered him that he wouldn't at least die fighting beside his taichō. He had resolved himself to such a fate with the way things were going…

He simply couldn't believe he had survived and his taichō hadn't.

It wasn't even fair that Shihōin Yoruichi, a defector, had survived.

It had annoyed him that his taichō had been welcoming to her after Aizen's true nature had been revealed. He'd never seen his taichō look at anyone with such admiration and respect. He'd found it disgusting. He didn't understand why she found her worthy of it. His taichō had never looked at him with anything close to admiration despite his efforts to serve her the best he could.

He had even spent countless amounts of his family's money on renovations for the Second Division but that had barely impressed her. The most positive reaction he'd garnered from her was nearly that of appreciation when she had finally conceded to his long-standing offer to buy her anything she wanted. She had ordered him to install floor heating, automatic doors and cooling and heating systems in the Second Division. He ended up finding out it was for Yoruichi-sama's sake whenever she would make her return to the Soul Society. He'd been upset that her real joy was the prospect of Shihōin Yoruichi returning.

Sui-Feng-taichō hadn't bothered giving him the details about why Shihōin Yoruichi wasn't a traitor, but as far as he was concerned it wasn't enough that she had just shown up and had helped stopped Aizen. He didn't understand how his taichō could be forgiving of someone who had broken the rules. Rules had been everything to her.

He'd been relieved that Yoruichi hadn't shown up in the artificial Karakura. He hadn't wanted to be sidelined because of her, but it had happened after all.

Perhaps, there was more to Shihōin Yoruichi than he knew…

It didn't seem like Sui-Feng-taichō hadn't meant anything to her…

He'd never heard his father badmouth her, but he'd always thought it was because he didn't want to talk about what had happened.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, bowing. "Please forgive my rudeness, Yoruichi-sama."

"Don't worry about it, Ōmaeda."

---

He never imagined the Seventh Division would ever be all but exterminated. Hell, he almost didn't believe he wasn't among the dead. He felt as though he was living in a horrific nightmare that couldn't possibly be real. However, he knew this harsh reality was genuine.

His physical pain was a constant reminder he was on the mend.

He'd managed to find his second pair of sunglasses to cover up his bruised nose and eyes. The Seventh Division hadn't been heavily attacked due to the lack of personnel. It seemed the Hollows had decided to focus on destroying areas with higher concentrations of Shinigami.

He was beyond fortunate to still be up and about. The Seventh Division survivors' count should have been eleven alive rather than twelve. He would've been killed by that blue-haired Arrancar if he hadn't been saved by the future daughter of Kurosaki Ichigo. All his comrades would've been dead alongside him. That Arrancar bastard had been too much for them.

It had even managed to take her out too….

It was strange to think that he'd been saved by a future member of his division.

Yet it was oddly comforting to know that her existence meant that the division would flourish in the future.

She wasn't the kind of Shinigami he'd want in his division or that he'd even want by his side. He'd understood that as the daughter of Kurosaki Ichigo she likely had the Reiryoku worthy of a fukutaichō.

Now he knew she was definitely stronger than her appearance suggested, or that he had even suspected.

His understanding of why she had been chosen was different now.

The loss of so many Shinigami meant that it was going to take the Gotei 13 some time to rebuild its ranks. He knew the noble families were going to have to enlist their family members to replace the fallen. Those privileged brats were going to be in for a rude awakening. Even if they had Reiryoku, it didn't mean they were cut out to be Shinigami let alone reach taichō class. He could see that the Gotei 13 was going to have it rough for years.

In the past, nobles had been handed down their position, but he sure as hell didn't want the Gotei 13 to regress to that. He'd been raised to fight for respect and recognition of his family by demonstrating their loyalty to the Gotei 13. The Iba family was one of the few commoner families that have thrived in the Soul Society thanks to their ambitions of ranking among the Gotei 13 elites. It was the only way to rival the status of a noble family.

This was the real reason he sought to become a fukutaichō. It wasn't merely to please his mother as his former Eleventh Division colleagues had speculated. It was to honor his family. His comrades from the Eleventh Division could never understand such a thing. They only lived to fight. Most had been Human born but they seemed to have forgotten what it meant to fulfill honor and obligation towards one's family (they barely even understood their duty to the Gotei 13).

He'd been raised with high expectations which is why he trained as hard as he could. Iba Chikane could make any Eleventh Division member cry with her harsh trainings. She'd raised him to withstand the grueling Eleventh Division and to be an asset to the Gotei 13. She didn't want him to shame the family. Plus, she wanted him to be able to reach retirement. She had revealed to him that she'd only been able to reach retirement due to her work in the Gotei 13 and having made connections with the nobility. Her former taichō, the one that had retired, had been the one to disclose to her that commoners could not truly retire, or even resign for that matter. Only distinguished Shinigami could potentially be granted an opportunity to retire from the Gotei 13.

Kuchiki Ginrei and other nobles had been willing to vouch for his mother's retirement from active Gotei 13 duty to the Central 46. She was granted the position of being a self-defense instructor to nobles and a part time instructor at the Academy. His father, the former Tenth Division taichō, hadn't been so lucky. He'd died in combat.

He personally wouldn't mind dying in the line of duty like his old man, but his old lady had delusions of him settling down and enjoying his time with his kids. She didn't want her grandchildren to worry about their parents if it could be helped.

He had no interest in reaching retirement or having kids, especially now that the only woman he'd ever considered birthing his children, Matsumoto Rangiku, was dead.

He just wanted to fulfill his duties the best he could to honor both his division and his family.

Reaching the rank of taichō had never been his goal per se, but now that Komamura-taichō was dead, he was currently saddled with that responsibility. He could see now that he needed to prepare himself to become a full-fledged taichō.

Kurosaki Masaki hadn't been willing to reveal who her taichō was, but she had been resolute in affirming that she wasn't handed her title. She'd gazed at him unflinchingly as though she knew he was measuring her toughness. She was familiar with him that much was clear.

There's no way he'd settle for picking a weak fukutaichō. He must've waited until a worthy candidate came along and she happened to be the one.

It's a damn shame she wasn't a male, but he had to give her credit for her willingness to fight for their sake, even if it would mean her death. She truly had a strong sense of duty as desired for those seeking entry into the Seventh Division.

---

Solemn, weary grey eyes gazed at the image of a woman who resembled Rukia.

Those violet orbs had held much trust in him.

His heart clenched painfully as he thought of Aizen's revelations.

He had failed to protect her from the clan.

The clan had allowed him his audacious desire to take a commoner for a wife only for them to take her away.

He never had the slightest suspicion they would ever attempt such a devious maneuver to murder her. The elders had known they should not cross him. His talent had surpassed that of his forebears. They had known if they dared to act against Hisana, he would seek the perpetrator and the highest punishment possible under the law.

Sabotage, backstabbing, and assassination were common acts in clan politics. He could not say that the Kuchiki Clan was exempt from such things, but he'd been told that the most recent generations of the Kuchiki Clan had been savvy enough to keep familial conflicts to a minimum to preserve the main branch of the family. It had been impressed upon him that a good clan head kept family members, including those from the branch clans, in line. The Kuchiki Clan as a great noble family could not afford to sully its name with scandals.

A clan head had to strategize and plan to ensure he got what he wanted. He had thought he had done his due diligence to ensure that his marriage to Hisana would occur and that she would be safe.

It made him sick to think that Aizen had offered his clan a method of assassination that could only be considered a natural death. Of course, the clan wouldn't have minded such a method to dispose of the woman whom they had considered a blemish upon the Kuchiki Clan.

It had been the perfect solution.

Great shame filled him that his efforts to unknowingly stop their ploy had not saved her.

He could not help but feel responsible for her death.

Even before becoming his wife, Hisana had suffered much abuse from the Kuchiki family. She had endured it for his sake, but she had been willing to walk away from him because she saw the strife their engagement was bringing upon his family. She had felt terrible that she was putting him in a difficult position because she knew how important his clan and honor were to him. However, he had assured her that he was firm in his resolve to face his clan and that he would protect her no matter what.

He had made a promise that he could not keep.

Hisana had felt terrible that she had failed to live by his side, but it was his selfish desire to have her by his side that had cost her life.

He hated to think of it in those terms, but he found it difficult to curb the terrible sense of guilt at failing to shield his wife from the treacherous clutches of his clan. He had known they would make life difficult for her, but he had been determined to defend her as much as possible.

Logically he knew her death was attributed to Aizen, but he could not help but share some of the blame.

He felt ashamed to tell Rukia about his failure. He hadn't been sure that he'd even wanted to tell her this unfortunate truth. He didn't think he could bear seeing her disappointment or anger.

However, he knew he had to.

He wasn't entirely sure Renji would keep his lips sealed. He had instructed his fukutaichō not to say anything after their return from the World of the Living and their assessment of their division's situation. Renji had promised he wouldn't say anything, but he wasn't convinced that the man wouldn't eventually say something.

He had extended him an invitation to his manor out of courtesy for the friendship he apparently had renewed with Rukia after her near execution. He knew Renji had been anxious to see if she was alright just as he had been. He might've merely agreed to his terms to see her.

He didn't know a whole lot about his fukutaichō, but he knew he was willing to defy him when it came to Rukia.

The redhead cared a great deal about her. He'd proven it with his foolhardy attempt to prevent her execution.

He'd always cared for her, but he hadn't known this until the night they had arrested her.

Looking back at it, Renji had been overzealous in his attempt to apprehend Rukia to showcase his commitment to his first mission with his taichō, but he had also been careful not to gravely harm Rukia. He had sensed that Renji had been nervous about the mission (as he had been himself; he had forgotten his haori because of this), but he did not know that he had been troubled about arresting an old friend until he had revealed his familiarity with her (he hadn't been pleased to hear him address Rukia with her given name). His fukutaichō had not mentioned anything since he had been transferred to his division two months prior to Rukia's arrest. Not that he had ever bothered to inquire about personal matters. He had never had any interest in knowing about the personal matters of his subordinates.

Renji's familiarity was the first time he had been genuinely curious to know more, but he didn't allow himself to dwell too much on his fukutaichō's past relationship with Rukia due to her impending execution. He had learned from Rukia that he had been a childhood friend sometime after Aizen's departure.

He could envision Renji telling Rukia the terrible truth about her sister to perhaps convince her to leave the clan. He wouldn't blame him if he did, considering her adoption was what had separated them in the first place and because he had not protected her from her execution.

He knew his fukutaichō had forgiven him for the latter since he had protected Rukia in the end, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to do what he thought was best for Rukia.

He hadn't been able to tell Rukia because of the current state of the Soul Society and her future daughter's state.

The idea of Rukia leaving the clan was something that did not sit well with him. He was supposed to treat her as his sister. Leaving the clan would be a betrayal to such a bond. Her departure was what the clan wanted. He could not allow them to dictate the shots. He would protect her from them.

He had to.

He'd been thinking of his imouto's future daughter's words.

She had admitted she was both a Kuchiki and a Kurosaki, yet she had been adamant to press the point that the Kuchiki name shouldn't be more important than Rukia herself.

He had surmised that perhaps she felt that the burden of upholding the Kuchiki name had been too much on Rukia. That it had caused her more harm than it was worth. He had understood this up to a certain point as he knew the burden of bearing the Kuchiki name was great, but he had believed Rukia could endure it.

He had found Kurosaki Masaki's words odd when she had told him to never let his guard with the clan. She should know that as the clan head he would know how to deal with his clan. Was this her way of voicing her displeasure with the way the clan had treated her mother? Had she been trying to say she felt his efforts to shield her from the clan's scorn had not been good enough?

He'd known she had restrained herself from speaking. There was a part of him that had considered that there was a warning within those words.

However, he hadn't seriously believed that the clan would consider harming Rukia beyond their usual repertoire of mistreatment. He supposed it might've worsened since they would be ashamed for the Kuchiki Clan to have ties with a defunct clan, but he hadn't considered that they would ever stoop to physically harming Rukia until now.

He would have to keep a watchful eye on them.

He would not allow them to try anything against Rukia.

He found the notion of the clan being upset to try such a thing ridiculous considering they would be aligning themselves with the savior of the Soul Society. Both Rukia and Kurosaki Ichigo had proven their worth to the Soul Society by stopping the greatest threat to its existence and the balance.

He knew the greatest opposition would be from those determined to maintain the Kuchiki pride as Kurosaki Ichigo was not even a shinketsu, a true blood or pure-blooded Soul. He was only halfblooded. The restoration of his clan would not change that.

The Kuchiki Clan along with the other Great Noble Families had always prided themselves on maintaining a pure lineage. That is the true reason marriage against commoners, ordinary Souls from the World of the Living, were forbidden. Only lesser clans had ever considered mixing themselves. They had done so to avoid their clan dying out since greater clans had no interest in brokering alliances with them.

The history of the Soul Society was complex, but at the heart of it, strength was what meant survival. The Kuchiki Clan and the other founding families of the Soul Society had always eliminated ties with those they considered deadweight. As founding families, they had to do whatever it took to survive. Their unrivalled strength had always been a symbol that their pure blood was superior to those that were not descendants of the Soul King. Even though that notion was eventually tested by the appearance of commoners and mixed breeds that had the power to rival those of the Great Noble Families, they had never considered diluting their bloodline.

He would've been the first of the Great Noble Families to have broken this sacred tradition had he sired a child with Hisana.

He had never believed her genetics would result in their child being inferior. Hisana had had high Reiryoku. He had been certain his own genes would mesh well with hers to produce an heir worthy of the Kuchiki name.

Rukia's future child was proof that Hisana could've produced a powerful Kuchiki child herself.

Kurosaki Ichigo himself was the strangest proof that those born from pureblood would not produce a weak child even if the mother was a Human.

Kurosaki Masaki would be the first quarter pureblood in the Kuchiki family.

The purists would hate it, but those within the clan who were wise enough to recognize that their family would continue to have a strong lineage and honor would be willing to accept such a union.

The former was likely those that had wanted Hisana dead.

They were the ones that would likely dare try something against Rukia if they truly wanted to keep the clan from being aligned with an impure family.

He would have to hunt down those responsible for Hisana's murder.

It was the least he could do.

Hisana had given him Rukia rather than a child.

He owed it to her to do everything he could to protect her and her family.

He could not fail her again.

---

"My, my, don't tell me the entire Shinigami Research and Development Department got wiped out too," Shinji said as he strolled into the nearly empty room, eyes roving all over the various screens that were lit.

"Hirako-san." Kisuke, the only inhabitant in the room, looked up from the computer to glance at Shinji. "Fortunately, that is not the case. I merely forced everyone to take a break. They've been working nonstop these past three days."

"You sure look comfortable 'round here. It almost seems like you never left," Shinji noted as he drew closer to Kisuke.

"I'm merely assisting as things are rather difficult at the moment. Kurotsuchi-taichō and a good number of soldiers were lost."

"Of course, they wouldn't mind yer help. How does it feel to be back here again?"

"Under the circumstances, I haven't quite thought about it. What about you? How do you feel about being in the Soul Society again?"

"Definitely feels strange under the circumstances. Never imagined things would turn out this way…"

"I know," Kisuke said solemnly. "I'm sorry."

"Not yer fault."

Kisuke bowed his head as he typed away on the computer.

"Don't tell me yer blamin' yerself. Ya did the best ya could to stop 'im, but he was too damn slippery. Really is a shame that the Gotei 13 let him get away."

"Hirako-san, my gamble cost more lives than I anticipated including that of Hiyori-san and the others. You are certainly within your rights to blame me for their loss."

Shinji looked forlorn for a moment.

He briefly closed his eyes.

"Damn it, Kisuke. Ya really love ta blame yerself. Nothin's ever been yer fault. She and the others knew what they'd signed up for…She was actually glad your plan failed…She wanted a crack at him, if possible…She died doing just that." A mirthless grin appeared on his face.

"Yer gamble didn't pay off exactly the way you wanted, but in the end, Aizen got what was comin' to him. I'm sure she's happy wherever she is that Ichigo didn't fail, that her time trainin' him wasn't a waste."

"I'm certain Hiyori-san wanted him dead, but deep down what she really craved was what he had taken from her. She would've been content had she been able to get her life back even if he hadn't perished. I truly am sorry she didn't get that chance."

"Look at this way, she's got a new lease on life now." A faint smile tugged at Shinji's lips.

There was a moment of silence.

"I suppose you're right," Kisuke said softly.

"You know, she would've been pissed at you for lettin' the Research Department in on our hideout. She would've seen it as a betrayal rather than you trying to give her back her old life."

A brief smile appeared on Kisuke's lips. "I know."

"Did you do it because of her? You know, as insurance that she'd be forced to return to the Soul Society in case she resisted."

"Not at all. Truth be told, they had no idea it was your place. I just slipped the schematics in there. Looks like it proved useful while you were temporarily stationed at the artificial Karakura."

"Yeah…can't complain about that. But you were gonna fill them in on our location, if need be, weren't ya?"

"I'm afraid so," Kisuke admitted quietly. "You've known from the beginning that Aizen's unveiling and capture would mean your exile would be over. Souls are not supposed to live amongst the living after all. I was unable to give you back your former existence, the least I could do was return you to a semblance of your old life."

"Idiot, we wouldn't have survived without you. You did more than enough."

The men merely looked at each for a long moment.

"Your plan might not have worked out, but I am going to see it through. Even if they're not around, they still deserve getting back what he stole from them."

---

Of all the times he'd seen Kurotsuchi Nemu beaten and battered, he'd never actually seen the light fade from her vermillion gaze. She'd grown up enduring physical pain. It was a familiar companion to her. Kurotsuchi Mayuri hadn't wasted any time introducing her to it. She'd become conditioned to expect it, so it wasn't a surprise she'd grown to become emotionless and reticent. Yet no matter what her eyes had never lost their luster.

Now though, it felt as though he was peering into empty green pools. The blankness of her stare was remarkably disturbing. It seemed as though her consciousness had faded from her body.

It was a rather odd thought.

Could an artificial Soul like her truly have a consciousness?

Kurotsuchi Mayuri had created her from Gigai and Gikon technology using his own blood. In some ways, she was nearly his clone, but at the heart of it she was a quasi-Soul. He had built her to be a resilient Shinigami that could withstand whatever he needed her for. He had considered her a masterpiece that had surpassed Urahara's previous inventions and the Modified Souls from Project Spearhead.

He had created a green hilted Zanpakutō at an attempt to make her seem more like a genuine Shinigami, but Nemu had always preferred physical attacks. She had been engineered for them.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri had done his best for her to resemble a Soul as much as possible, but Akon didn't think he'd ever consider allowing her to go into a catatonic state. He couldn't think of a reason why he would think that would be useful for her to have. He had always wanted her to feel his experiments, or anger.

Akon had spent the last ten minutes trying to rouse her, but she remained immobile. He suspected that she must've been seated in Kurotsuchi-taichō's office since she had returned to the Research Department three days ago. Physically she was fine, as though she hadn't even seen battle. Urahara Kisuke had mentioned that she been healed by Inoue Orihime along with the others at Sōkyoku Hill.

With the chaos in Soul Society, it hadn't occurred to him that he should check on her. It wasn't unusual not to see the fukutaichō as she was usually with the taichō conducting experiments. Nemu had never acted a fukutaichō would. He'd always been the true second in command for the Twelfth Division. He'd often acted as the taichō as well since Kurotsuchi-taichō preferred to research over actual division business. However, he'd never felt the weight of everything to the degree he felt it now.

"C'mon, Nemu…" he muttered, as he raked his hair in frustration. "You gotta snap out of it. This can't be something that Kurotsuchi-taichō programmed. There's no way he'd want you to shut down like this. You're supposed to be near invincible."

He dropped his hand to his side and sighed. "Damn, I guess…I've got no other choice."

He raised his right hand, drew it slightly backwards and then forward, giving Nemu a strong slap across her cheek. "Kurotsuchi-taichō wouldn't like this…He's the only that's supposed to hurt you, but with him gone, it can't be helped…"

He slapped her again hard, causing her face to twist the other way.

As he prepared to slap her again, her eyes flashed.

"Mayuri-sama would not be pleased with you, Akon-san." Her quiet voice was somewhat gravelly from disuse.

"It's your fault for not listening to me when I called you. Why didn't you snap out of it? I wonder if this is some kind of side effect from the virus."

"It's not," she said. "Mayuri-sama made sure I was ready to assist him in battle. He…wanted me to assist him taking on Aizen Sōsuke and Ichimaru Gin. He had assessed that dealing with Aizen Sōsuke would be difficult enough if he fought him directly though he had prepared for such an outcome by preparing goggles that would prevent him from witnessing his Shikai again. Inoue Orihime negated its effects on our brains when she came by."

"I see."

"It's a shame he couldn't prepare a counter for the Hōgyoku," Akon said, after a moment. "But then again, neither could Urahara Kisuke. Even he admitted there was nothing Kurotsuchi-taichō could've done against the Hōgyoku."

"I disagree. It is my incompetence that ruined Mayuri-sama's plan to take the Hōgyoku from Sosuke Aizen. It is my failure to eliminate Ichimaru Gin quickly and protect him that cost him his life."

"Tch. You can't blame yourself…There's nothing you could've done either. Aizen would've killed you as well if you had attempted him to protect him."

Nemu lips twitched into a slight frown. "There was a possibility that I could've saved him had I taken the Hōgyoku before he could've used it. My speed was greater than Mayuri-sama's."

"There's no point in thinking about what you could've done…What's done is done. Now that the taichō is gone, you must fulfill your responsibilities as the fukutaichō of the Twelfth Division. You need to leave this room and—"

"I can't.

"What do you mean you can't?"

She furrowed her brows slightly.

"I-I do not feel capable of such a task," she said quietly.

"Huh? Of course, you can do it…."

"I could do it, but I do not feel like doing it," she clarified, lowering her gaze to the floor. "I have never felt this way before…It feels as though I have no motivation…or desire to do anything…My heart feels pain though I have no wounds…"

"Y-You're grieving," he stated, realization dawning on his face.

He found the notion rather bizarre as he'd never imagined she'd ever be impacted by grief let alone to such a degree. Kurotsuchi Mayuri had been her father figure, but he didn't think she had cared about him so much. Kurotsuchi Mayuri's idea of affection was entrenched in abuse and nothing more. She hadn't been taught to care about him, only to serve him.

Perhaps, it wasn't so much that she cared about him, but rather that her deeply ingrained loyalty to him was affecting her.

He was by no means an expert in emotions, but that seemed like a much more logical explanation to him. She'd known Kurotsuchi-taichō didn't care about her. He'd merely seen her as his creation, not his actual daughter.

Love and affection were not things he had ever spoke of. The only way she'd learned about such emotions was through her interactions with the female Shinigami in the Shinigami Women's Association. He doubted she had understood these concepts. If she had ever brought up this topic to Kurotsuchi-taichō, he had surely punished her for bringing up such nonsense. All she had ever known was that her sole purpose was to serve Kurotsuchi-taichō as he saw fit regardless of the danger she would face.

He supposed she must be grieving because she would no longer be serving her role.

"Nemu…I wish the taichō were here as well, but he's never coming back," Akon began, unsure of how to approach this situation. "You and I…and the whole division must carry on without him. He wouldn't have wanted you to shut down the way you have…He made you as the ideal Shinigami. He made you so you wouldn't be held back by emotions. You must do your duty regardless of how you're feeling. Your duty is solely to the Twelfth Division and the Gotei 13 now, not Kurotsuchi-taichō. You'd be proving he failed to make the perfect Shinigami with your behavior."

He stared at her for a minute. Nemu's expression was unreadable.

"I'm going to give you twenty minutes to pull yourself together. I expect you to help me with the division, Kurotsuchi-fukutaichō." He gave her a stern look before turning towards the exit.

Nemu remained immobile.

Akon was wrong.

Kurotsuchi-taichō had never considered her perfect.

More often than not he'd always been displeased that she hadn't done as he'd wanted.

As much as she tried to please him, her efforts had never seemed good enough.

Praise had been a rarity for her.

It was only in the Shinigami Women's Association that she'd receive praise for her work. All the women had been quite pleased with the construction of their headquarters in the Kuchiki Manor. Kusajishi Yachiru in particular was quite fond of her work.

She'd learned through them that her relationship with her taichō was not typical. Their punishments for failure were not the same.

Despite this, she'd always sought to be the best fukutaichō she could be for her taichō.

She'd known for a long time it was futile to please him, but she could not help but try anyway.

She hadn't understood that her taichō had abhorred perfection until she'd heard him say it to the Eighth Espada. Though she was very weakened thanks to his infestation of her, she had managed to hear her taichō's words about perfection.

It had made her feel that better that perhaps her failures weren't as terrible as she'd thought…that perhaps it was her taichō's way of making her improve…

After enduring the terrible virus created by Aizen, she'd felt gratified that Mayuri had wanted her to assist in battle in a way that was comparable to how other fukutaichō assisted their taichō. She was finally going to fight an opponent on her own.

Never in her mind had she ever believed Mayuri-sama would fail.

She had planned to be there to make sure he succeeded like he had wanted, but she'd been unsuccessful to dispatch Ichimaru Gin.

She had failed to serve her taichō in his greatest need.

He would've been furious with her.

Her duty was to die for him if necessary.

It should've been her that died.

She had never envisioned this scenario.

Her mind couldn't grasp the idea of being in the division without Mayuri-sama.

What would he think of what Akon-san had ordered her to do?

She felt no desire to leave this room. This was the place that she'd spent countless hours assisting Mayuri-sama engineer his creations. She felt as though she had no reason to step out beyond the doors now that her creator would no longer grace the halls of the Twelfth Division and the Research Department.

Serving him had been her existence.

Minutes passed as she contemplated what she should do.

Sensing approaching presences, she stood and swiftly hunkered down behind some drapes, extinguishing her presence.

---

She'd undone countless injuries, but her powers were useless against the pain deep within all those she had healed. The sorrow reflected in their eyes reminded her of the grief filling her own heart.

She'd been trying not think about it but now that she was resting in the tent pitched for her it came at her at full force.

Tatsuki Arisawa, the girl that had always stood by her, had died during the great earthquake that had hit Karakura.

She'd known it was a possibility when she had heard Urahara Kisuke describe what had happened to Karakura, but she hadn't allowed herself to think it. She had focused on what she could do for those that were suffering in the Soul Society. She knew if Tatsuki had perished it would be up to the Shinigami to help her pass on.

She'd refrained from being overcome with emotion when Kurosaki-kun had told her. She'd only allowed her eyes to water and her throat to seize a little. She had forced herself to stay as calm as possible because it was merely a confirmation of the fear she had had. Moreover, she hadn't wanted to make Kurosaki-kun feel any worse than he was feeling.

He'd been reluctant to reveal this information. She almost felt as though he had felt it was his obligation to tell her after she had revealed Ishida-kun had left for the World of the Living. He'd been so reticent and subdued that she almost felt like she'd been speaking to a forlorn statue because he had barely reacted to her information. He had solemnly announced that Tatsuki was in the Soul Society thanks to Renji. The flash of grief and pain in his gaze had been the indicator that he felt terrible.

She knew he likely felt as though he had failed to keep his promise to stop Aizen and protect everyone.

He hadn't failed in the slightest, but she understood his feelings.

She had been determined to do whatever she could to prevent Karakura's destruction, but her efforts hadn't averted it.

Tatsuki dying was not something she had wanted to believe would happen.

She had wanted to say goodbye to her when Ulquiorra-kun had given her a chance to see a friend, but she had opted for Kurosaki-kun since she wasn't sure if she would ever get the chance to see him again…She simply hadn't wanted to relinquish the chance to see him one last time to share her feelings in case she couldn't ever see him again. She'd felt okay not saying goodbye to Tatsuki-chan because she'd expressed her feelings to her many times. It felt surreal to think that Tatsuki-chan would not be there when she would return home.

It made her feel guilty that she was still alive.

She wouldn't have minded dying for her friends. She'd imagined she might when she had decided to venture into the lion's den.

It was strange to think that she'd survived while her friends had died.

She knew their deaths had helped the Soul Society and the World of the Living remain intact, but if she could've spared them, she would've gladly done it. As disturbed as she was with Urahara's revelations, she could see why her death and everyone's deaths wouldn't have been a bad thing. So much death could've been avoided. It was unfair that Aizen had robbed them of the opportunity to protect Karakura despite all their efforts.

It almost made her wish she had attempted to reject his very existence instead of merely rejecting his immortal state. Not that that would've solved anything…or that she could even do it. Rejecting specific things rather than mere injuries required a lot of concentration from her, so she doubted she could've rejected his existence into oblivion. Unohana-taichō had probably deduced correctly that her abilities did not extend that far.

From what Urahara Kisuke had said, he had essentially received this punishment for trying to eradicate the existence of others. It was a small comfort to know he had received his due punishment.

She'd always known life was fragile and uncertain since her brother's death. She had often dreamed of being able to reject death, but she'd never imagined that the true elimination of death would involve the destruction of so much life.

She now knew it was best for death to exist, even if was painful.

It pained her to think that she could no longer see and talk to Tatsuki on a regular basis.

She could only hope that she'd see her again someday since she did have the ability to see ghosts. She could see Tatsuki-chan as a Shinigami….

The thought warmed her heart. She wanted Tatsuki to be happy in the afterlife.

She knew Tatsuki-chan wouldn't want her to wallow in grief.

She would do her best, though she wasn't sure how she could get past the feelings of loneliness she knew she was going to feel now that most of the people she knew had died or might be dead.

She'd felt happy thinking she had finally formed a friendship with Kurosaki-kun. She'd been hopeful it would be the start of something more…Becoming friends with Sado-kun and Ishida-kun due to their unique abilities had been an unexpected bonus.

She'd felt as though their experience in Soul Society had bonded them. She'd been hopeful that it would be the start of a lifelong bond, but now that the war against Aizen had ended, it seemed that everyone was going to walk a different path…

Kurosaki-kun and Sado-kun were now going to live in the Soul Society.

She supposed Ishida-kun was going to live his life like before.

He apparently wasn't even bothered by the news. He seemed to have foreseen it.

"Ishida-kun?" she called out, as she watched him approach her. She had just finished tending to some Shinigami.

"I found my father. He's okay."

"Thank goodness."

"We're going back to the World of the Living as soon as possible. We're going to help the people in Karakura. My father's the director of Karakura Hospital."

"Oh, I see…"

"You can come with us if you'd like to," Uryū suggested.

She hesitated. "I'd like to…but I think it's best that I stay…There's many Shinigami that still need help, and, well, Soul Society has to be okay for those that come here, right?

"I suppose you're right," he said after a moment. "Please don't overexert yourself. You've already done so much for the Soul Society and the World of the Living."

"Please tell Kurosaki that I'm leaving."

"You aren't going to tell Kurosaki-kun yourself?"

"There's no need. You should just let him know in case he asks."

Orihime wrinkled her brow. "Why wouldn't he ask about you? You're his friend."

"Inoue-san, Kurosaki and I are not friends," he said after a beat.

"He clearly confused my assistance for friendship. The only reason I went to Hueco Mundo was to rescue you. I was going to do it without him since I had promised my father I wouldn't align myself with the Shinigami. I only accompanied him because he wasn't acting in official capacity with the Shinigami. And the reason I stuck around after returning from Hueco Mundo was solely to protect Karakura. There was no way I could stand back and depend on the Shinigami to protect Karakura from Aizen."

"I see. Thank you, Ishida-kun for…everything. I'm glad you stuck around, Ishida-kun. We couldn't have defeated Aizen without you. It was your plan after all." She smiled at him.

Uryū shook his head. "You were the key to the plan. I'm sure you would've figured it out even if I hadn't been there. You knew what you had to do it as soon I mentioned we had to reverse his immortal state. Without you, we'd be doomed."

"My powers wouldn't have worked if he hadn't been immobilized. I'm glad Kurosaki-kun gave us that unexpected opening. It made things easier, but your abilities and cleverness could've helped us out if it hadn't worked out."

"Inoue-san, you always underestimate yourself. You're cleverer than you give yourself credit for. It seems you've forgotten it was you who came up with a plan to navigate the Soul Society the first time we were here. I am standing here because you found the resolve to fight in your own way. I'm certain you, Kuchiki-san, and Ganju-kun could've come up with a plan without me."

"Ishida-kun, maybe you're right. Maybe I do underestimate myself. I've always felt that I've never done enough to help unlike everyone else, that I've only ever gotten in the way…but I'm glad I was able to be useful this time around. You know, it seems to me like you're undervaluing yourself as well. I just know things wouldn't have been the same without you and that you needed to be there. You weren't wrong in thinking the Shinigami could stop Aizen-san themselves. It wasn't my power that defeated Aizen-san for good, it was your power and Kurosaki-kun's power that defeated Aizen-san for good."

"Inoue-san, I am glad I was able to help stop him and show the strength of the Quincy," Uryū admitted. "My attack alone would've been enough to stop Aizen, but Kurosaki had to steal my thunder."

Orihime giggled. "Well, if Kurosaki-kun had known you were sealing his power, I doubt he would've attacked him. He doesn't like to kill if he can help it."

"You know, I've always thought you and Kurosaki-kun made a good team since I saw you fighting those Hollows. You're opposites in the way you do things, but you get things done."

"Now that the war is over, there's no need for us to join forces," he pointed out quietly.

She had always thought of his refusal to admit he considered Kurosaki-kun a friend a mere front, but she had to wonder if he truly felt that way. She couldn't understand how he could seem so indifferent…Didn't he ever feel sad or…lonely? She knew he was a loner by nature, but she'd thought he'd been enjoying being in Kurosaki-kun's company and everyone else's…He had acted differently when in the company of the Handicraft Club, so that's why she had believed he had connected with everyone….

A part of her envied his unemotional demeanor because she didn't want to feel burdened by her emotions. However, she knew from personal experience it wasn't right to keep yourself closed off all the time. He was a nice guy…but his stubborn Quincy pride was frustrating.

What was so wrong about acknowledging that Kurosaki-kun wasn't simply a circumstantial ally? That he would miss seeing him?

It was hard for her to understand why he would rather pretend that wasn't the case. She thought it was a wonderful thing that a Quincy and Shinigami could be friends….

She doubted he was doing this to appease his father.

He'd never really displayed the same attitude with Kuchiki-san.

He had in fact called her a friend in front of Aramaki-san though he hadn't said to her directly….

As she recalled him saying this, a realization hit her….

She'd forgotten about her suspicions that Ishida-kun likely had feelings for Kuchiki-san.

It seemed like long ago when she had thought Ishida-kun's true motivation for deciding to rescue Kuchiki-san was because he liked her…. The dress he'd made her had been the proof that had inspired this notion…

She'd never stopped to consider how Ishida-kun might feel about learning about Kuchiki-san's future…. She'd been too absorbed by her own feelings.

He hadn't acted as though he'd been affected, but deep down he must be hurt…What if he preferred to not consider Kurosaki-kun a friend to distance himself from him and Kuchiki-san as a way to deal with his feelings….

She could understand this reasoning better, but was it truly a good idea for him to distance himself from Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san permanently?

She understood this distancing would help his ailing heart…that it would even help her own…but the concept somehow made her sadder than just the mere thought of her friends living the life she had wanted…

Perhaps, their hearts could not be united with those they cared about in the way they wanted, but the connection that was there could keep them linked despite their diverged paths.

There had to be some good in that.

Despite the pain, she knew she'd like to maintain the bond she had forged with Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san. They were both such kind individuals.

They had been willing to put their lives on the line for her.

She would always be grateful to them.

If she couldn't be the one beside Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san was certainly worthy.

All she had ever wanted was for Kurosaki-kun to be safe and happy.

Severing their connection would be the true end of their friendship rather than death.

It'd be nice to maintain for them to be in touch whenever they could come to the World of Living.

Tatsuki-chan had taught her to find happiness in life again after her brother's death through her friendship.

She supposed it was her turn to teach Ishida-kun the value of friendship.

She wasn't sure whether he'd want to remain friends with her, but she would try.

If she was successful, she'd try to convince him to keep in touch with Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san.

She didn't want him to cut himself off from everyone.

He didn't have to be alone if he didn't want to be.

---

He'd been pleased to discover his third seats had survived. He'd left them behind to go to Sōkyoku Hill.

Every person that had endured Aizen's siege was a blessing.

He was beyond repulsed that Aizen's machinations had almost resulted in the complete annihilation of the Gotei 13 and the world as they knew it.

The depths of his planning were nauseating.

His elaborate plans had been illusions within illusions.

His hubris was more shameless that he had ever realized.

Aizen had never needed to go to the lengths he had gone to, but he had done it to showcase his cleverness and superiority. For him, it had been nothing but a spectacle at the expense of the Gotei 13. He could've ruled the Central 46 and they wouldn't have been the wiser, but he had wanted his rebellion and rise to power to be known.

He had realized that Aizen could've taken the Hōgyoku at any time from Rukia if he had wanted when he had learned about the device Aizen had used to remove the Hōgyoku from Rukia and the true nature of Aizen's Zanpakutō. However, he had never understood how Aizen could proclaim he would stand atop the heavens when that would mean the world they knew would have to be destroyed.

No being, whether dead or alive, was exempt from death itself.

They were all ruled by it.

Even the Soul King was not immune from it. He had tied his existence to the balance of Souls so that his existence would end if the balance was ever destroyed. The energy required to sustain the flow of Souls required his entire focus and he had willingly given up his consciousness to become the lynchpin that regulated the flow of Souls so that there could be an actual afterlife for Pluses and Hollows.

He had never entertained the idea that Aizen had found a way to subvert the way the world worked and that would potentially grant him the possibility of becoming a king in a new world.

It had been an unconceivable thought.

It had been disturbing to discover that Aizen intended to destroy the world they knew for his own selfishness through his Hollow army and terrible virus, but he had never considered that he had an ace up his sleeve to prevent the actual destruction of the world with the Hōgyoku.

He felt foolish for not recognizing that he hadn't coveted the Hōgyoku merely for creating the Espada, or to remove all beings endowed with Reiryoku from existence.

He'd been oblivious to its central purpose in Aizen's plans.

Now he understood why Aizen had believed he could become an actual ruler that would stand in the heavens.

The Hōgyoku's terrifying power to eliminate the balance and the boundaries of all the realms of existence would have allowed him to become a ruler of everything.

Urahara Kisuke had revealed this grim secret during the meeting the taichō had had sometime after their work in the World of the Living.

He'd been ashamed to explain this when he had revealed the status of the Soul King.

Urahara plainly felt responsible that this war had occurred due to his creation, but he knew that he would've destroyed it if he could've. Urahara Kisuke's ambitions had always lied in improving things for the Shinigami, not in destroying the world the Shinigami defended.

It was unfortunate his creation had been used for the extermination of the Shinigami, but it had also saved them.

He could not begrudge him this.

Aizen was the only one to blame as far as he was concerned.

He had never imagined that he possessed such great ambition to become the absolute ruler of the world.

He knew that that there had always been those that sought freedom from the Gotei 13 and the way things worked in the Seireitei, but Aizen had surpassed all those who have ever attempted to dismantle the status quo.

Power struggles had occurred amongst the descendants of the Soul King since the beginning of the Soul Society. They had happened amongst the Five Great Noble Families and within their own brethren. The multitude of clans that existed now were due to various conflicts that had emerged. The Great Noble Families had been the ones to wield the most control up until the formation of the Central 46 which diluted their absolute power and spread it amongst the other clans. That is not to say their influence was truly diminished. He knew quite well that their prestige had an influence over the other clans. The way they wielded their power was simply no longer discernible. He'd never been fond of politics, but from what he knew of history, the Great Noble Families' power was tempered compared to the past.

Physical strength had been the only means to enforce power in the past, but the evolution of Soul Society into a more civilized society meant that peace had to be enforced through other means. No one wanted the progress that had been made to destroyed by rogue Shinigami.

Central 46 became the channel through which Shinigami were held accountable for any attempts to use their power to sabotage the peace. No Shinigami had ever been allowed to become a part of it to maintain impartiality.

The Onmitsukidō had been formed to eliminate potential threats per the Central 46. The Shihōin Clan, the proclaimed defenders of the realm, had been the ones to take the mantle of leading it.

Many Shinigami, noble and commoners, had been punished for their attempts to undermine the Gotei 13 for their own selfish reasons.

Personally, he'd never understood this need to dominate others through sheer power. He'd always seen the power he'd been born with as a way to help others and preserve the world. He had always considered himself lucky that he had been born with great Reiryoku otherwise he would've succumbed to the illness that had plagued him since he was a child.

He'd never understood why a noble Shinigami would dare rebel against their birthright to be a balancer. It was a misuse of their power. Unlike in the past, they had the option to leave the Gotei 13 and live a comfortable life.

He could understand why those from Rukongai would be tempted to rebel, but it was a misguided action. They would not gain actual freedom or power.

All rebels were misunderstanding what their power was meant for.

Aizen had accused the Gotei 13 of being selfish, but the truth was their duty did not give them political power. They were merely maintaining the spiritual balance so that others could live their lives.

He knew it was a common misconception in Rukongai that Shinigami only cared about ruling the Soul Society, but they were simply soldiers subject to the nobility heading the Central 46. Only nobles who weren't Shinigami were free to do as they liked in the Seireitei.

Shinigami had not been born to rule per se. The Soul King had entrusted them to build this world for the departed souls and that admittedly made them the de facto rulers, but the truth is the descendants of the Soul King didn't particularly care for having control over the entire Soul Society.

They had stopped caring centuries ago since they had developed the Soul Society enough to gain wealth and comfort.

Many had even stopped caring about becoming Shinigami since there were enough soldiers unlike in the past.

He had become a Shinigami to honor his family and to support them financially. His family being of a lesser house wasn't as wealthy as those of higher ranks. He'd wanted to be useful to his family despite his illness and spare them from taking the path of a Shinigami.

In Aizen's eyes, Shinigami were likely selfish due to holding onto the role bestowed upon them by the Soul King.

He must've been referring to how the Gotei 13's duty limited true progress for everyone but the Shinigami within its ranks.

He supposed he couldn't blame him for thinking this.

It was true that only those from Rukongai with Reiryoku could improve their lives by joining the Gotei 13.

Shinigami, that is noble born or true-blooded Shinigami, were failing those from the furthest Rukongai districts.

Shiba Kaien had felt that many noble families including the Four Great Noble Clans had lost sight of what the Soul King had wanted them to do and had become selfish and complacent.

The Shimizu Clan and Miyazaki Clans had long stopped enlisting their family members in the Gotei 13, preferring to focus on advancing the Soul Society's societal framework. The Shimizu Clan had turned their attention to building the education system for future sages leading the Central 46 since they had lost the sole authority to regulate the laws of Soul Society due to the formation of Central 46. They had even expanded it to Rukongai to the areas that were developed enough for it, but they hadn't bothered to pursue improving past those districts. The Miyazaki Clan since losing its role as the enforcer of judicial decisions had developed a tax code and a law enforcement system. They too eventually stopped worrying about ameliorating the living conditions in the outer Rukongai districts. Both clans had preferred to concentrate on increasing their own wealth.

The Shihōin Clan had always taken their title seriously as Defenders of the Realm by affiliating themselves with clans that supported this responsibility. The Ōmaeda and Feng Clans for instance supported the Onmitsukidō while the Tsukabishi Clan among several other noble houses enlisted in the Kidō Corps. Though it was true that the Soul King had handed the Shihōin Clan weaponry long ago, most of the armaments produced for the Onmitsukidō and the Kidō Corps had been constructed by the clans aligned with them. The Urahara Clan served as one of those clans. For the first time in its history, the Shihōin had allowed someone from a lower house attached to them lead the Onmitsukidō rather than someone from the main Shihōin family branch since the desertion of Shihōin Yoruichi had left them without a capable replacement. It had been a testament to how the clan had grown complacent about their own duty. They too had stopped caring about ensuring that life in Rukongai was decent and only focused on projects that improved their finances.

The Kuchiki Clan had always had someone in the Gotei 13, but they had never cared much for those in the undeveloped regions of Rukongai. Their focus was more on their age-old investments in the developed areas of Rukongai. He had thought this would change when Byakuya had married a commoner who'd hailed from a far-flung district.

The Shiba Clan, on the other hand, had always been strongly interested in developing Rukongai since the beginning of the Soul Society. They became vendors of fireworks to help Rukongai dwellers have some protection against Hollows.

Even after losing their Great Noble Clan status, they remained committed to helping those in Rukongai.

The Shiba Clan had lost their Great Noble Clan Status due to financial issues rather than dishonoring their Shinigami obligations, which had been the traditional reason for losing noble status. This unusual reason denoted the change in priorities amongst the nobility.

They had been allowed to keep the Royal cannon since they had argued that they would always be noble due to their connection to the Soul King, not because of wealth.

The Shiba Clan eventually improved their financial situation though they decided to continue residing in Rukongai. Kaien's promotion to fukutaichō in the Gotei 13 had somewhat improved the Shiba Clan's standing, but his unrefined ways had prevented his family from being viewed as a noble clan and thus they were not offered their previous status. He'd always made it a point to remind the clans that being noble had nothing to do with wealth or social etiquette, but they had never cared for his words. They viewed the Shiba Clan as a disgrace because they had become common. Kaien, on the other hand, felt that his clan's fall had made them remember their roots.

It gave them the opportunity to connect with the people they were supposed to protect.

Sadly, the Shiba Clan had stopped being part of the Gotei 13 with his death though they maintained their roles of caretakers of the Royal cannon. Kaien had believed his younger brother would likely join in the future, but that never happened. From what Shiba Kūkaku had told him whenever he saw her in Rukongai, her younger brother had no interest in joining the organization that had led to his brother's death.

Kūkaku had once been part of the Gotei 13 until she lost her arm. She'd been a Shinigami before her older brother since she hadn't been much for the noblewoman life. Her desire for excitement had led her to jump at the chance to become a Shinigami. Kaien had been training her so that she would be able to defend herself against Hollows, but she had jumped the gun and actually joined the Gotei 13.

From what Kaien had said, her love for the Gotei 13 had diminished when she'd been forced to step down due to her injury.

It had likely only faded with her uncle's arrest.

After Kurosaki Isshin's revelations, he now understood why Kūkaku hadn't encouraged her younger brother to join the Gotei 13 and why she had decided to sell the Shiba mansion and live like a nomad. She had done it to protect her brother and canon in case it was targeted because she had known there was a bad agent within the Gotei 13.

No wonder she hadn't hesitated to send her brother to rescue Kuchiki Rukia.

It made more sense to him now. He'd been surprised to learn he'd breached the Seireitei alongside the others.

He'd always known Shiba Kūkaku had always taken her clan responsibilities seriously and wouldn't risk the canon for a facetious reason.

She'd even shown up herself to try and thwart Aizen's escape.

He knew she hadn't lost her touch.

Kaien had said he had always trained with her to keep her skills sharp despite the loss of her arm. Living in Rukongai was risky for those with high Reiryoku. They needed to be capable of fighting off Hollows in case they were attacked due to their high Reiryoku.

Central 46 had allowed the Shiba Clan to train and even wield Zanpakutō within Rukongai due to their former noble status.

The Shiba Clan were in essence one of the few potential threats outside of the Seireitei since they had the means to fight.

Of course, they had never been viewed as a genuine threat.

The Gotei 13 had always instilled in its soldiers that they had to fight to protect the Seireitei, but the truth was there weren't any viable threats within Rukongai (apart from Hollows that is).

At least there hadn't been any for quite some time since the Quincy.

The real threat to the Seireitei had always been from within, but no one had ever imagined that the system to prevent its destruction could be exploited by someone capable of hiding their tracks the way Aizen did.

Aizen had been incredibly shrewd to exploit the system to his advantage to prevent his detection and to bring it to ruin. It was shameful that they had been oblivious.

Genryūsai-sensei must've felt great shame that he hadn't been able to stop Aizen.

He knew he'd been upset to have been betrayed by Aizen. As the sōtaichō, he knew he would've liked to have been the one to stop him rather than Kurosaki Ichigo to make up for not realizing he had been the one behind many terrible schemes.

He hadn't wanted to rely on Kurosaki Ichigo and his allies, but he had understood their inclusion in the war could prove vital.

He doubted he'd ever believed Kurosaki Ichigo and his allies would be the ones to save the Soul Society from complete destruction rather than him or the Gotei 13.

It was a rather strange turn of events.

No one had ever expected the war against Aizen to finish the way it did.

Aizen in a sense had brought forth the end of an era with the loss of so many Shinigami.

However, he knew his sensei would be content that all the worlds would continue to thrive.

Preserving the balance was the most important thing after all.

---

Rukia knew Ichigo likely had only gotten an hour or two of sleep like she had, which was more than he'd gotten since Aizen had been defeated, but it seemed as though he had been revitalized. Purpose now shone in his eyes. As soon as he had gotten up, he had promptly reminded Rukia to ask her brother for Urahara Kisuke's location. She had done so after they had breakfast and they had set off shortly thereafter.

She knew Ichigo's swift steps were fueled by his desire to ensure that Urahara Kisuke knew of Masaki's situation as soon as possible.

She couldn't believe that the time traveling device had been destroyed. Such a possibility had never crossed her mind when she had realized it had been missing from Masaki's neck. She'd just been so focused on tending to her….

In her mind, if Masaki awoke, things would be fine.

Just like Ichigo she'd always considered that Masaki's life was what mattered.

The concept of how time functioned was difficult for her mind to wrap around, but she'd intuitively felt that her death would have a terrible effect on the present as well as her Masaki's own time.

Masaki had stated that her death wouldn't matter if she wasn't born to begin with.

She was right, of course.

However, that is the exact situation she felt would've been generated by her death.

Masaki had made a mistake assuming that she and Ichigo would not be affected by it and that things would happen as they were supposed to occur (unless she had actually meant that her life didn't matter as long as the people that should've been her parents were alive). But, how they could they? If she had died, it would hurt Ichigo and her terribly. She would feel responsible for Ichigo's guilt for not being able to save Masaki because she'd been the one to thrust that responsibility upon him. How could they ever form a relationship like that? She didn't want Ichigo to be with her because of what they knew about the future rather than how things were supposed to naturally occur.

She'd ascertained his conviction to be a Shinigami for that reason.

She didn't think she would feel comfortable with the idea of conceiving Masaki to ensure her life.

It would change things…

Masaki was supposed to be a child born out of love, not obligation as was common in noble households.

She hadn't wanted to believe that Masaki's appearance could have terrible effects, but the regrettable destruction of her time travel device could provoke many changes because of her continued presence in this time just like her death would've.

It unnerved her.

She now understood Masaki's fear about potential changes.

She didn't want the future to be altered if it meant Masaki's life was at risk.

Ichigo's urgency was likely related to this same conclusion.

She'd reminded him that neither he nor Masaki were at a hundred percent and shouldn't push themselves, but this had only slowed him down temporarily. Consciously or unconsciously, his pace tended to increase. Masaki didn't seem to mind the brisk pace, but Rukia knew she shouldn't be overexerting herself so soon. Masaki had acknowledged that her rest of three days and nearly two nights and a half was an improvement as in the past her recovery had been longer. Rukia supposed she should be content that they held back from using Shunpo.

Ichigo and Masaki had gotten various stares from the Shinigami they had encountered due to their civilian attire. Civilians were generally not permitted to enter the territory that belonged to the Gotei 13. Shinigami on occasion dressed in civilian attire whenever they ventured out, but no Shinigami was expected to have free time due to the crisis afflicting the Soul Society. Their appearance looked out of place.

She did find the sight of Ichigo without his uniform rather unusual, but it couldn't be helped. Inoue hadn't restored Ichigo's uniform since she had not healed him; she'd been too worn out which is why she had healed Ichigo instead. She'd never really questioned it, but she suspected his uniform had always restored itself whenever he returned to his body because his body had acted in the same manner as a Gigai would for a recovering Shinigami (the SRDI had made it so that Shinigami didn't need to carry multiple uniforms on missions). Now that he wouldn't be returning to his real or faux body, he would need official uniforms.

Masaki was wearing a simple navy-blue and white checkered kimono that she had managed to procure for her. She had offered her a hairpin so she could wear her hair as she normally did, but Masaki had refused it. She could tell that Masaki was hurt by the loss of the hairpin given to her by her father. It disgusted her how vicious Grimmjow had been.

The Twelfth Division was in sight.

As they neared the gate, a familiar blond man dressed in clothing from the World of the Living waltzed out.

"Ichigo, fancy meeting you here. It's been a while." Shinji grinned.

"Hirako," Ichigo said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to pay Kisuke a visit."

"So, he's here?" Ichigo perked up at this.

"Yep. He's got his work cut out for him."

"I'm sure he does…" Ichigo stepped forward, intent on walking past Hirako.

"Where do ya think yer goin'? Hang on a minute." Shinji blocked him.

"We'll talk later, Hirako."

"Oh, c'mon, now. There's no need to rush. He won't be leavin' anytime soon. 'Sides doubt there's anythin' urgent you got to discuss with 'im. He's dealin' with all the important stuff."

Ichigo frowned. "Well, you'd be wrong."

"It seems to me yer always thinkin' yer problems are such a big deal. Relax. The war is over."

Ichigo stared at him.

"It's okay, Ichigo, we can spare some time," Rukia said. "We can go on without you, if you'd like…"

"We've met before, haven't we?" Shinji glanced at her. "What was yer name again?

"I'm Kuchiki Rukia, officer of the Thirteenth Division."

"Oh, that's right. Yer the Shinigami that gave Ichigo Shinigami powers," Shinji noted.

Rukia looked at him amazed. "You knew about me?"

"Didn't introduce myself properly last time, but yeah…Name's Hirako Shinji."

As much as she had wanted to ask this man questions when he had helped Ichigo get medical assistance from his comrade after his fight with Grimmjow, she had known, even without his warning that she couldn't say anything to the Shinigami, that she wouldn't get any answers. His demeanor had turned business like the moment Grimmjow had vanished. He had knocked out Ichigo and essentially ignored her after her introduction. Knowing she should consider herself lucky that he saved Ichigo and her, she had no choice but to agree to his terms.

She had known he could've killed her if he had wanted to keep his existence a secret, but now she had to wonder if he'd allowed her to accompany Ichigo because of her identity and not merely out of respect for Ichigo. He had probably figured she could keep a secret about rogue Shinigami since she'd done it before.

Urahara must've told him about her.

He must've known about him and his comrades and that's why he hadn't offered Ichigo any help with his Hollow.

She hadn't understood how he could be behind Ichigo's transformation and yet have no idea how to manage it…It had upset her to think that Ichigo had been nothing but an experiment for him. She had been tempted to get involved and find out why he wasn't providing any assistance, but she had refrained from doing so out of respect for Ichigo. She knew she had to wait for him to tell her about how he had obtained his Hollow himself. It seems Urahara had had a plan in place after all to help Ichigo manage his Hollow.

She'd been the one to inform Urahara that Ichigo was training before she had left for the Soul Society to train with Inoue.

"I'm returning to the Soul Society to train. Karakura should be in good hands with the Advance Guard."

"I see. Has Kurosaki-san gone ahead? I've lost track of his presence…"

"No…He's off training somewhere on his own…" she replied, her brow furrowing slightly.

"I see. I imagine you and the Gotei 13 know of his Hollowfied status now. He's been having difficulty with it. The patterns on his Hollow mask have been changing…it seems as though the Hollow within him is growing stronger…I hope he succeeds in controlling it."

"As do I."

This had been the only tidbit Urahara had offered her regarding Ichigo's Hollowfication. She had ended up engaging in a brief argument with him afterwards regarding her decision to take Inoue with her to train.

"Haven't seen you before. Who are you?" Shinji wondered as his gaze flitted to Masaki.

Ichigo and Rukia exchanged a look full of uncertainty and hesitation.

Before Ichigo could say anything, Shinji exclaimed, "Oh, I know!"

He Shunpoed past Ichigo and Rukia and appeared before Masaki.

"You must be Ichigo's sister. I'm Hirako Shinji. Pleased to meet you." He bowed.

As he rose, he reached out and swiftly grabbed Masaki's hand.

She stared at him.

"Would you do me the honor of telling me your name?" he asked, gazing into her eyes.

"It's…Kurosaki Masaki."

"What a lovely name. Ichigo never mentioned he had such a pretty sister. It's quite an honor to make your acquaintance."

A faint blush emerged on Masaki's cheeks.

Shinji dipped his head, intending to press his lips against her knuckles when his head jerked backwards.

"Let go of my hair!" he cried out as he felt fingers digging into his skull.

"Let go of her," Ichigo retorted as he reached out with his free hand to encircle Shinji's wrist and gave it a squeeze.

A wincing Shinji released his hold. "Let go of my hair already…"

Within seconds of his head being freed, Shinji found himself being dragged by the back of his shirt away from Masaki a short distance away.

"Ichigo…aren't you going a bit overboard?" Rukia watched in bewilderment as Ichigo swung his fist into Shinji's face a couple of minutes later.

"My father would've broken his hand," Masaki said quietly.

Rukia stared at her, surprised.

"I guess, it's always been in his nature to be protective," Masaki said, more to herself than to Rukia.

"His father must've raised him like that. He seems to be very protective of his daughters."

---

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ichigo demanded, holding Shinji by the front of his shirt.

"Geez, Ichigo…I see you're the overprotective brother type… I was just greeting her," Shinji said innocently.

"You didn't greet Rukia like that!"

"Well, I wasn't tryin' to impress her."

Amber eyes bore into his. "Stay away from her."

"Ichigo, you owe me for helpin' ya out with yer Hollow. You didn't think I did it all for free, did ya? A date with yer sister would be adequate payment—"

Ichigo punched his nose.

"Oww!" Shinji cried out, as blood spurted from his nose.

"O-Okay…I-I deserved that," Shinji muttered as he raised a hand towards his bloody nose. Ichigo looked at him unsympathetically. "I think you would've made Hiyori proud. She probably would've smacked me, too. Sorry. It was just a joke…Defeating Aizen was enough payment for my—well, our assistance."

Ichigo's glare abated.

"They would've been proud of ya. Ya weren't a waste of time after all." He grinned faintly.

"Would've been…do you mean…?" Ichigo said, loosening his grip on Shinji's shirt.

"Mashiro and Kensei are the only survivors apart from me," Shinji explained, his expression suddenly grim. "Aizen got the better of us with his Zanpakutō and the Hōgyoku…Left me alive to witness his rise to power. Mashiro and Kensei nearly got swallowed by the Hōgyoku but were saved by Mayuri's fukutaichō and treated by Orihime-chan. She healed me too."

Ichigo let go of Shinji's shirt, his expression somber.

"I'm sorry…Hirako…I lost friends, too."

"We didn't lose them," Shinji said quietly after a moment. "Death can never break our bonds. That's the thing Aizen didn't get…He thought he was destroying my bond by killing them…Joke's on him. He never had the power to do that."

"You're right," Ichigo said quietly.

"I'm glad you stopped him. It almost seemed like the bastard was gonna get away with everything."

"I didn't do it by myself. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my friends."

"Well, I'm glad all the same. We'd be goners without ya. You should be proud of yourself and them."

Ichigo stayed silent.

"Ya really don't feel an inkling of pride," Shinji remarked.

"Why would I? Too many people died. I should've stopped him before…"

"Don't beat yourself up. It wasn't yer responsibility." Shinji narrowed his eyes. "Shoulda been mine…Knew the bastard was up to no good before ya were even born…but I failed…."

He halted for a moment. "Look, there's no use talkin' 'bout the past…it can't be changed…. Ya should be proud you managed to pull through when it was all or nothin'. Ya saved a lot more lives than ya think. Thanks to ya and yer friends everyone that died will have a chance to live another life."

Ichigo glanced at Rukia and Masaki, who were waiting for him to end his conversation.

"Listen, Hirako, I have to go now. There's something I gotta take care of. I'm glad you made it."

"Fine but try to relax, will ya?"

Shinji watched Ichigo, Rukia, and Masaki proceed into the Twelfth Division grounds.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Masaki-san was Ichigo and Kuchiki-san's daughter…rather than Ichigo's sister," he muttered to himself.

---

The Shinigami Research and Development Department had resumed its typical cacophony of sounds, signaling that everyone was back at work. Kisuke tapped away at his computer, seemingly oblivious to the clacking of keyboard keys, the beeping of the computers, and the chatter amongst the researchers.

Engrossed in his work, he only lifted his eyes from his screen when a shadow suddenly fell upon him.

He glanced up and blinked.

"Kurosaki-san, what brings you here?" he queried, the surprise in his tone evident.

"We need to speak in private." Ichigo's tone was clipped.

"Very well," he said, his eyes flitting to Rukia, whom he spotted behind Ichigo and another female Shinigami with bright orange hair.

"To what do I owe your visit?" Kisuke wondered, once they were away from everyone. "Quite frankly, I wasn't expecting to hear from you anytime soon."

"I'm not here because I want to be," Ichigo admitted. "I've come here to collect the debt you owe Rukia and me."

"Is that so?" Kisuke gazed at him solemnly. "And how exactly can I repay you?"

Ichigo drew a deep breath, steadying himself for what he had to say.

He'd thought of this moment many times last night, but he wasn't quite sure how to best explain the unusual situation. He could feel his heart beating a little harder.

Talking to Urahara Kisuke was not something he was particularly in the mood for, but it was a necessity. He'd never imagined he would have to make this request, but then again, the only reason he needed to make it in the first place was because the bastard had created a time travel device.

It was a terrible notion to think that perhaps his arrival could've potentially disrupted the future he now knew awaited him…

Even, without him being here, it could still potentially be affected due to Masaki being here in his stead.

Unintentionally or not, Urahara always seemed to be meddling with his life.

He didn't like it in the least.

He had no interest in being his pawn ever again, and he sure as hell didn't want his loved ones to be put in danger because of him.

He had to brace himself for the man's impending amusement. He would surely find this information entertaining.

"This is probably going to sound strange, but it's the truth. You can ask the taichō or my dad for confirmation if you want to." He turned towards Masaki and held out his hand in her direction. "This is…Masaki…. she is Rukia and I's daughter from the future."

Kisuke simply stared at Masaki.

Ichigo, Rukia, and Masaki looked at him expectantly, but he remained quiet.

"Urahara-san?" Masaki prodded.

"You're the Shinigami Isshin-san healed, aren't you?" he finally spoke in a quiet tone.

"That's right."

"I was surprised to see another Shinigami with orange hair apart from Kurosaki-san, but I suspected it must've been dyed. It's amazing that your eyes are nearly identical to Kuchiki-san's…. You can definitely pass for their daughter…"

"I'm not passing as their daughter. I am their daughter," Masaki corrected. "Believe it or not, I am from the future."

"We aren't trying to pull off an elaborate prank if that's what you're thinking," Ichigo said.

"We'd gain nothing from doing something like that," Rukia said.

"So you say, but I can think of several reasons of why'd you resort to this as a "repayment" to the debt I owe the both of you."

"Listen, we aren't like you. We don't resort to tricks," Ichigo said, glaring at him. "You can ask Unohana-taichō for the DNA test that she did if you want proof, but her Reiryoku alone should be enough proof. Just let me explain what it is we need from you."

"I'll do it," Masaki said. "Urahara-san, I understand your skepticism, but this isn't a trick. I used a time traveling device that you invented in the future to come here by accident."

Kisuke's eyes glimmered with astonishment.

"Kurotsuchi-taichō was unable to fix it so I could return, and I was told to wait until after the war to speak with you. Unfortunately, it broke in battle and now I need you to create another one so that I can return to my time. I know that there's many things that you need to attend to, but the present I know can be ruined if I can't get back."

"I understand your predicament, Kurosaki Masaki-san," Kisuke said after several moments.

He inclined his head, shielding his eyes. "What you're asking me to do goes against the very laws of nature and physics—"

"That isn't something new to you, Urahara," Rukia pointed out, glaring at Kisuke.

"That's right," Ichigo chimed in. "I don't care what you have to do to make it happen, you must do it. She can't stay here. She needs to go back."

Ichigo was suddenly in front of Kisuke. He reached out and gripped the lapels of his kimono.

Ichigo spoke in a low, terse voice. "You can't refuse, you bastard. You need to pay us back for using us to do your dirty work. You've messed with our lives enough as it is, I won't allow you to ruin our future as well. That is something I will never forgive you for."

Amber eyes fiercely regarded Kisuke for a long moment.

"I never said I wasn't going to do it, Kurosaki-san." Kisuke smiled somberly. "I do owe you and Kuchiki-san an immense debt. What you're asking me to do, however, isn't something that is simple by any means. The current situation doesn't change that. It will take time for me to figure out how to engineer a functional time travel device and I'm afraid I can't give you a timeframe. All I can say is that I will do my best."

"Then you better get stared as soon as you can. Failure is not an option."

"I understand."

Ichigo released him.

He turned and walked towards Rukia and Masaki.

"Don't worry, Masaki. He agreed to do it."

"Thank you." Masaki glanced at Urahara and bowed. "Thank you, Urahara-san."

"No need to thank me…Kurosaki Masaki-san. I haven't done anything yet."

"You don't have to say my full name. It's okay if you call me by my first name."

"Very well, Masaki-san."

Kisuke studied her for a moment.

"My, my, Kurosaki-san, I didn't think your relationship with Kuchiki-san would progress past friendship," Kisuke said, generating blushes on Ichigo's and Rukia's faces.

"It seems I now owe your father. He predicted that you'd likely end up with Kuchiki-san if you ever noticed her. I thought the possibility of such a thing was slim based on what Yoruichi-san told me about you."

"What did she say about me?" Ichigo asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

As if by magic, Kisuke's trusty fan appeared, covering the lower half of his face.

"I'm not sure I should you tell you. I don't think you'll be happy to hear what she had to say."

"Would you just tell me?"

"I don't know…I'd rather not upset you…"

"Just say it."

"Well, if you insist, Kurosaki-san," Kisuke agreed after hesitating for a moment. "Yoruichi-san was certain after your time together that she was the only woman you'd ever see naked."

Ichigo flushed a deep crimson.

"T-That's n-not what it sounds like," Ichigo sputtered, half-glancing at Rukia and Masaki. "J-Just what the hell did she tell you?" He directed his gaze towards Kisuke.

He was itching to wipe away the huge grin the blond man likely sported behind his fan.

Kisuke responded in a light and airy tone. "Oh, just that you acted like a prude when she showed you her true form…and that you likely had no interest in women."

"S-She shouldn't be saying stuff like that! She should be happy I didn't behave like a pervert!"

"Well, she's used to men ogling her even as they're dying. She tends to forgo clothing when she's in cat form. You're one of the lucky few who've witnessed it without being at death's door."

"She should've known better than to transform like that out of the blue then!"

"She's used to being practical."

"Clothing is practical!"

"Not for cats. Or certain missions. Yoruichi-san is all about getting her mission done. Besides, she enjoys surprising people with her transformation."

"She has issues just like you do," Ichigo grumbled, glaring at him. "I'm going to kill you after you make the device and Masaki gets back."

"But, Kurosaki-san, I'm supposed to be alive in the future."

"So? I don't care about that…"

"You should go for it, Kurosaki-san," Masaki said, smirking slightly. "I doubt my parents would mind if you weren't around, Urahara-san. They've never liked you or Yoruichi-san teasing them. You didn't say anything that I haven't heard from Yoruichi-san herself. I'd rather not have known that she exposed herself to my father."

"Masaki-san! Are you saying Yoruichi-san should be killed, too? That's so horrible. How about I just wipe your memory instead?"

"That wouldn't help. You need to stop her and yourself from wanting to embarrass my parents."

"Well, now that I know this, I'll try to make sure we don't do such a thing, so that your life and your parents' life improves."

"Tch. I doubt that's possible. I think I'd rather ensure that it happens," Ichigo said.

"I think that's a good idea, Ichigo," Rukia said.

"I wouldn't mind dying by your hand, Kurosaki-san, but I would prefer that you spare Yoruichi-san. How about I wipe her memory about that incident?"

"That would be for the best because I'd rather not have to kill Yoruichi-san," Ichigo admitted.

"Well, now that that's settled. Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?"

"We only came to due to Masaki's situation. We'll take our leave now. I'm going to head to my division, Ichigo. Masaki should be able to lead you back to the Kuchiki Manor in case you forgot how to get there."

"Go on, Rukia. I need to speak with Urahara alone. Please wait for me outside, Masaki."

Ichigo waited until the women had left before addressing Kisuke. "There are answers that I still need from you."

"What is it that you want to know, Kurosaki-san?"

"My Hollowfication. There's something that's been bothering me about it. Why didn't you ever say anything about it before I left for the Soul Society? Did you think I would blame you?"

"Do you blame me, Kurosaki-san?" The blonde man peered at him solemnly.

Surprise flickered in Ichigo's eyes.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did considering you now know I manipulated you into becoming a Shinigami. I presume Aizen-san must've discussed your Hollowfication status. Your distinctive nature is what intrigued him after all. Did he attempt to ask you how is it that you developed those powers?"

"He didn't though I guess he wanted to keep me around to figure it out. I know you didn't do it on purpose, but you never mentioned it could be a side effect either. You only acknowledged it as a side effect when I told you about it after my fight with that Yammy guy. Why is that? Did you think I wouldn't try hard to find my Shinigami powers if I knew I couldn't end up as an actual Hollow?"

"Kurosaki-san, I didn't know if this third option could happen though I did consider it a possibility given that Arrancar existed."

"What do you mean?

"Haven't you ever thought it was odd that there could be natural Arrancar? Or did Kuchiki-san and the others not inform you of this?"

Ichigo stared at him. "They…did."

"Natural Arrancar have been few and in between and they have rarely achieved the strength and stability of those enhanced by Aizen-san. Given my research of Souls, I had long theorized that the possibility of Arrancars stemmed from the fact they likely had Shinigami abilities hidden within them as a Plus. In other words, they would've been Rukongai Souls with Reiryoku. Their Hollow state corrupted their power making their Shinigami abilities a warped version of them. It's a rather unnatural combination which is why few have every managed to exist naturally."

He'd never given much thought about what it meant that natural Arrancar existed, but Urahara's theory made sense. He'd always thought of the Arrancar as the opposite of him, but he could've been one himself if he hadn't found his Shinigami powers.

No wonder he had struggled with landing the final blow.

Unconsciously he had seen himself in them just like Rukia had said. Truthfully, he'd been afraid to become like his enemies by killing them, but this had also been the reason he'd refused to kill…

His mind flashbacked to Ulquiorra.

He'd been too upset to even think about it but had he acquiesced to Ulquiorra's demand he would've given him a second chance at life instead of letting him turn to mere ash.

Had Ulquiorra's second release been equivalent to that of a Bankai? An Arrancar's Resurrección was supposed to be their full Hollow power, but perhaps he had two releases because it had somehow been related to his underlying Shinigami abilities. Perhaps, his Shinigami abilities had caused his Hollow abilities to be transformed into a twisted version of a Shikai and Bankai…

"Truth be told, I was surprised to see you that you proved my theory correct when you survived Encroachment. The Shinigami powers hidden within you proved to be strong enough to counteract the Hollowfication allowing you to remain a natural hybrid of sorts. I wasn't certain what that would entail exactly. From what I could tell from our training, your Shinigami powers were dominant though you did seem to be developing rapidly. I wasn't sure then if it was somehow related to your Hollowfication or just that you were a prodigy. You hail from a high-ranking noble family which has a greater capacity for developing more rapidly than others. I didn't think it was necessary to tell you that you likely might have Hollow like powers. I felt it was more important for you to focus on your Shinigami powers."

"Yoruichi-san brought me pictures of the mask she found on you after your battle with Zaraki-taichō. I noticed it was different than the mask you had on when you regained your Shinigami powers. It was then that I realized how your Hollowfication helped you survive and how it was developing alongside your Shinigami abilities. I suspected that it likely was helping you grow faster than you would've without it and that your growth was something akin to Hollow evolution. Evolution is what separates Shinigami and Hollows. Shinigami can only refine their techniques whereas Hollows can develop new ones though evolution. This ability is what Hollows much more adaptive than Shinigami. Hirako-san's observations further bolstered my suspicions when you trained with him."

"Hirako came after me because you sent him, right? That's the reason you didn't bother offering any help with my Hollowfication when I told you about it after the fight with that Yammy guy."

"That's right. I had no means to help you myself. I anticipated your Hollow would trouble you as you grew which is why I told him about you after your return from the Soul Society. I'm not sure how much Hirako-san told you, but his Hollowfication was induced by artificial means. Aizen created a special pathogen that Hollowfied a Soul. Unfortunately, Hollowfication is unnatural and corrupts a Soul to the point of destruction. I tried to undo the Hollowfication of the Visored with the Hōgyoku, but I realized undoing the barrier between their Hollowfication would mean the destruction of their soul since the pathogen had altered their bodies. Stabilizing their soul was the only way I could overcome the limitations of their body and help them safety crossover to become a Shinigami-Hollow hybrid. For many years I tried to find another way to undo their Hollowfication, but none of my attempts at a cure worked."

A rueful look came over Kisuke.

"It wasn't easy for them to gain control over their Hollow abilities. I'm glad you managed to control your Hollowfication given what they taught you. I know you couldn't help but cut your training short to rescue Inoue-san.

"Their Hollowfication shared similar traits to yours, but I knew that your natural one would surpass theirs based on your growth rate. Hirako-san and the others had masks that never changed. From what I can tell, you did surpass them. You gained a stronger form due to your excursion to Hueco Mundo. It's quite impressive that you managed to rein in your Hollow instincts."

"I only survived Hueco Mundo because of my Hollow," Ichigo admitted, his expression grim. "I-I…made the mistake of believing I had beaten my Hollow and that he wouldn't be a problem because of the training I had received. That wasn't the case…I did need more training…I ended up realizing I had no choice but to come to terms with my Hollow and his abilities…I needed his power to stand a chance against Aizen. I can't say that I've fully mastered it but what I learned helped me enough to survive."

"I would daresay it was more than enough to defeat Aizen-san. Your power certainly exceeded that of a Shinigami…"

"It would've been enough if he hadn't gone and made himself immortal."

"That was rather underhanded of him…but he was quite right in believing that would be his only means of survival…the only way for him to surpass Shinigami and Hollows…and become the god he sought to be….

"I had always believed that the weakness of his Shikai was continuous use in battle…that it would be draining for him to maintain his illusions against multiple opponents. That is why I believed there was no way he could best the Gotei 13.

"After experiencing his illusions, I must say that it was difficult not to be taken in by them…I underestimated how effortlessly he could activate his illusions. I hadn't counted on him to use the Hōgyoku on himself to bypass this weakness though I had expected he might try to use it against his opponents."

"His Zanpakutō was unlike any that I've fought against…I understand why everyone feared its abilities…His illusions were very realistic…I overcame his Bankai with my Hollow's help…His abilities couldn't affect someone who wasn't conscious."

"I see."

"I guess, it's a good thing I took too long to find my Shinigami powers."

There was a beat.

"You may not have Hollowfied me on purpose, but I am here because of you. Someone like me…or my sisters…shouldn't even exist."

"I suppose I did have a hand in that…"

"Why would you help my dad have kids? I mean, aren't Shinigami not supposed to be in the World of the Living?"

"Your father lost his family due to Aizen-san. I merely gave him the possibility of building a new one should he desire it. I thought the likelihood of Human children developing substantial Reiryoku was likely low. You, of course, proved me wrong when your Reiryoku started to increase upon reaching puberty."

A silence fell between them as Ichigo pondered his words.

"What did you to my Human body?"

"Oh, I dumped it in the middle of the river."

"W-What? I'm going to kill you…."

"I'm kidding, Kurosaki-san. As I would be that foolish to dump your body there. It would've caused unnecessary attention. I buried it in your family grave."

Ichigo looked startled. "You mean…you buried it next to my…mother…?"

"That's right," Kisuke said quietly.

"I pray that she can forgive me. I didn't intend to protect her child only to lead him to death."

"What are you talking about?"

"Kurosaki-san, I think by now you're aware of how your mother died."

At Ichigo's stare, Kisuke continued, "Didn't you wonder how you managed to survive? Your mother's instinctual sacrifice was remarkable, but forgive me for saying so, your mother's soul wouldn't have satisfied a Hollow like Grand Fisher. I arrived in time to scare him from consuming your soul. Grand Fisher has always preferred to save himself rather than engage in unnecessary combat. It's how he's managed to evade death all these years. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to arrive sooner."

"I see," Ichigo murmured.

He had pondered about how he had survived since he found out it had been a Hollow that had attempted to kill him all those years ago. He'd imagined some Shinigami must've appeared before he regained consciousness and realized his mother had been killed, but he had never thought it had been Urahara Kisuke.

"My mother wouldn't blame you for my choice to become a Shinigami like my dad. She'd be mad you put me in unnecessary danger with your plans."

"Fair enough."

"Whether I like it or not, it seems I wouldn't be here without you, but it doesn't change how I feel about you. I'm still pissed at you. You shouldn't have used Rukia in that way."

"Kurosaki-san, you should continue to be upset. What I did was unforgiveable. I don't ever expect your forgiveness. I will always be indebted to you because of my actions against you and Kuchiki-san. Providing you the truth and assistance with returning your daughter to her time is but the start of repaying you. I will do all that I can so that your future self is reunited with his daughter. A child shouldn't be separated from their parents if it can be helped."

"Well, hope you can do it sooner rather than later."

"As do I," Kisuke said. "If you don't have any further questions, I'd like to have a word with Masaki-san."

Masaki reentered the room a couple of minutes later.

"What is it that you want to talk about, Urahara-san?"

"Masaki-san, I'd like to have an idea of how long I have to build the device. When were you born?"

"Well, I was born about twenty years from now on February 15th. I'm from the year 2141."

"I see. Glad to know I do have some time but rest assured I will assemble it as soon as I can."

"As long as I can undo my time here…things should be fine…I need to return to the time before I used the device…"

"That would certainly eliminate the risk of deviations from the timeline you know," Kisuke said.

"You need to get rid of the device data after I return. That's the only way to eliminate any risks of deviations." Violet eyes gazed at him pointedly. "I don't know why your future self wanted to come back to the past to change things but doing such a thing will only put my time at risk. You have no guarantee that changing the past will make everything better. I won't pretend like things are perfect, but Soul Society will eventually get past this…devastation."

"Attempting to change things would be akin to throwing a pebble in a river and hoping it only causes the smallest of ripples rather than larger ones. Quite frankly, there's no telling whether the ripples would be positive or negative.

"Considering the current state of things…I can see why I created the device. The Soul Society has a long, difficult road to recovery with the loss of so many Shinigami…and civilians…. It would seem there could only be a better future if things hadn't come to this."

"Perhaps, the Soul Society would've been in a better state if the virus had been stopped sooner, but the threat of Aizen's Hollow army would still be there. Things could've still played out the same. The war was barely won," Masaki pointed out. "What if trying to make things better somehow leads to worse things than now? Such as Aizen winning or the loss of people that should've survived like my parents?"

"Aizen Sosuke was a brilliant tactician. He stacked the deck in his favor with his planning. He certainly proved he could use any situation to his advantage. It would be difficult to estimate the probability of a successful outcome against him."

"And yet you still wanted to somehow try to undo what he has done?" Masaki's narrowed her eyes. "It sounds to me like a massive risk."

"Well, when you put things that way, I can see why'd you allow your father to kill me. You consider me a threat." Kisuke gazed at Masaki solemnly.

She remained silent.

"It seems my future self was misjudging the probability of success in improving the past and its effect on the future. I'm certainly relieved to know the Soul Society will recover and that I didn't undo its progress by trying to alter the past. That surely would've been my greatest mistake. You have my thanks, Masaki-san."

"Don't thank me. I'm only here by pure chance. I doubt you ever believed anyone would use your device instead of you. It was a lapse of judgment on my part to have touched it…" She frowned. "I don't understand why your future self thought it would be a good idea to create such a device. It isn't his job to fix everything…It's best to let the past go and let things be. It isn't worth the risk…I definitely have no interest in bearing the responsibility for ruining everyone's lives. I would've returned to my time if I could've."

"Trust me, Masaki-san, you won't be responsible for it. My future self appears to have been presumptuous. I'd rather not be responsible for the destruction of your timeline either. I'll see to it that you get back." He gave her a reassuring smile.

Masaki merely nodded.

Kisuke watched as Masaki left.

"It would've been a mistake for me to come," Kisuke murmured, a pondering expression coming over his face.

He stood there for a few minutes.

Kisuke heard the slightest shuffling. He turned around and spotted Nemu standing before the canvas covered area.

"Kurotsuchi-san? Were you in here this whole time? Your ability to hide your presence is rather remarkable."

"Urahara Kisuke, you shouldn't have entered Mayuri-sama's lab."

"Forgive me, Kurotsuchi-san. I didn't mean to intrude. I certainly didn't want to use this room, but I needed a private meeting space and thought this would be my best option. Not to worry, I'll see myself out."

Kisuke waved and headed towards the exit.

"Wait," she called out.

"What is it Kurotsuchi-san?" Kisuke glanced over his shoulder.

"I can help you, Urahara Kisuke."

"Help me?" he queried. "I don't need your help, but I'm sure Akon-san could use it."

"I can help you construct the time travel device. I can give you access to Mayuri-sama's notes on the device that Kurosaki Ichigo's future daughter used."

"Is that so?"

Nemu nodded.

"I would certainly welcome your assistance, but why would you want to help me?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Because I agree with what you said. A child shouldn't be separated from their parents if it can be helped."

Understanding flickered in Kisuke's gaze.

"Kurotsuchi-san, I know it must be difficult to not have Kurotsuchi-taichō around. The Twelfth Division will not be the same without him. He was quite an extraordinary man. However, his brilliance lives on in you. A child is supposed to be a parent's greatest accomplishment, or so I've heard. It seems to be the case from what Akon-san has told me." He gave her a kind smile.

Nemu simply gazed at him.

"It would've been a pleasure to consult with Kurotsuchi-taichō if he had been here, but since he's not, I'm grateful that you are here. Kurotsuchi-san, once again I offer you my apologies for intruding upon your space. If I had known you were here, I wouldn't have entered."

Kisuke surveyed the room with a curious air.

"I must say Kurotsuchi-taichō has gathered a rather impressive collection of things in his lab."

Kisuke's gaze drifted to the hem of the canvas on the far right that had risen due to Nemu venturing out from her hiding place, revealing a glassy surface.

"If I may ask, what exactly does he behind here?" He pointed behind her.

"Those are the Arrancar corpses he collected from Hueco Mundo," Nemu responded.

"Of course, he wouldn't leave Hueco Mundo without specimens." He smiled, his eyes flashing with curiosity.

---

Glossary:

Reiryoku-Spirit energy/Spiritual power

Reiatsu-Spiritual pressure

Shinkonpaku (New Soul) -Soul born in Soul Society

Shinketsu- true blood

Chapter notes:

Byakuya saying that it had been a hundred years since Yoruichi disappeared has stayed in mind. Rather than seeing it as an approximation of the time she has been away, or an inconsistency (if she had left soon after Kisuke left), I prefer to think that she did spend a year in the Soul Society as explained in my story, especially since she did tell Urahara and Tessai that she would find a way to leave. I realized though that I had overlooked in chapter 159 that Yoruichi had been charged with desertion, helping Urahara Kisuke escape and eluding arrest. I find this interesting considering that Kubo didn't actually plan Kisuke's exile story. The out of universe reason for why Aizen only focused Urahara being exiled because of his Gigais is because Kubo didn't actually plan Aizen's villainous role or the Vizards. Shinji appeared in the backdrop of the title page of the first chapter, but Kubo hadn't planned the Visoreds then (Interview in Masked). I did my best to give further insight on Yoruichi's desertion. While it's great that she was willing to believe in Urahara's innocence, she was smart enough not to do it without a disguise so that she wouldn't be putting herself or her family name in danger. Yoruichi deserting her post should've been a valid reason for her clan's status to be revoked but it wasn't, so hence my writing a reason for it.

I realized I made a mistake in chapter 35 by saying that the Soul King decreed that the Shihōin Clan were to form the Onmitsukidō. I had to change it to their tile of defenders of the realm. Makes more sense for the institution to have arisen later.

For some reason Kubo forgot the Sui Feng/Yoruichi relationship within the manga, but he didn't forget it within the omakes. Per Bleach Color Bootleg, Sui Feng wanted to try and snap a picture of Yoruichi naked alongside Kiyone. These omakes seem to be taking place after Aizen's rebellion, which is why I made a point to say that Sui-Feng and Yoruichi had interacted even after she returned to the World of the Living.

Per the Bleach Color Bootleg, Marechiyo funded the revamping of the Second Division per Sui Feng's request. It was done to accommodate Yoruichi. He isn't too fond of her.

At the end of Bleach Volume 17, there is a Radio-Kon interview with Urahara Kisuke. Urahara is asked if he has ever seen Yoruichi naked and he says that he and Yoruichi are very close and that he has seen her beyond naked. Yoruichi arrives and is upset that he says he has seen her beyond naked. It's interesting how she has been shown to tease Ichigo and Byakuya making it seem like she's comfortable flaunting her body, but she is upset at the thought of Urahara saying she has seen her naked or at Sui-Feng trying to snap a picture of her naked.

I didn't think it was ever necessary for Kenpachi to gain Shikai let alone Bankai. I thought it was great that he was the only captain without any special abilities. Since Kubo didn't bother showing that Kenpachi had actually done some progress with his sword's relationship in his battle against Nnotira, I didn't think he would actually have him learning anything. Not a fan of what Kubo did though I give him credit for his attempt at trying to give Kenpachi some development. I don't think his explanation regarding his power level makes sense and he only makes Kenpachi seem more overpowered than he already was. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think it would've been nice if Kubo had focused on exploring Kenpachi's depth to give him genuine development. I liked how he showed with his fight against Tōsen that there was more to him than just being a hack and slash guy. He is smart. I think it would've been interesting for him to show his growth through exploring his relationship with Yachiru. Kubo could've done this in the Nnoitra fight. Kenpachi unlike Nnoitra does value women. This could've been the moment Kubo revealed who was the person he admired. I think there was potential there to draft a better story for Kenpachi and Yachiru. Honestly, I think the Nnoitra fight should've been finished by Nel.

Per chapter 104, Hanatarō says that the name Kenpachi means the one who loves to fight the most and has slain the most.

By the way, it doesn't make sense to say that Unohana merely learned healing to prolong her fights when it's obvious that is her natural power. Not all Shinigami are capable of healing. I liked how her Bankai reflects her deadly nature. I felt like the nature of her Zanpakutō was a good reason to explain why she enjoys kendo and other fighting styles.

Per the Bleach All Colour but Black lieutenants drawing, Nemu Kurotsuchi has a green Zanpakutō.

I know Chikane already had the appearance of an older woman 110 years ago. Aging is weird in Soul Society and there's no way to predict when Iba was born.

In Chapter 214, Ichigo mentions that Urahara already knows about his Hollowfication, but he didn't offer any help. Ichigo doesn't elaborate on how that discussion came about, but I'd like to think that it happened after his first fight with Yammy. It makes sense that that situation would force him to talk about it with Urahara. Honestly, it annoys me how Kubo brushes over important details such as this. There's no reason for him to be vague with this. Rukia shows surprise that Kisuke doesn't know of a solution for Ichigo's Hollowfication.

It seems like an inconsistency that Yumichika freaks out when Ikkaku loses against Poww but in chapter 204 was okay with the possibility of Ikkaku dying. Even when Ikkaku lost against Ichigo he didn't freak out too much. At any rate, I tried to rationalize it. In chapter 204, Ikkaku says he'll have Akon make him new teeth. It kinda seems like he's paid Akon quite a few visits, so that's why I decided to make him chummy enough with him that he'll keep his secret.

I thought it was a good assumption that Rudbornn Chelute was killed when Yammy attacked him. Bleach Wiki lists his status as unknown because his fate wasn't confirmed and that he was alive in the light novels. I decided to give him a role in my story.

In chapter 306, Nemu seemed out, but in chapter 305 she was breathing heavily and even spoke so I'm taking a bit of liberty by saying she did manage to hear Mayuri's perfection speech despite her condition.

In Japanese culture, people only address significant others, close friends, and children by first names. Honorifics are used to with people who are not close. Not using honorifics is not polite.

I've always found it weird how Kūkaku acted as though Kaien had been killed by Shinigami when she was by herself in chapter 80 if she knew the truth regarding Rukia. I suppose it's supposed to be a misleading type of scene, but it reads weird. Kūkaku clearly withheld the truth from Ganju.

The Shiba Clan history is confusing. Kubo never defined when the clan lost its status, or why they lost their status. Per Bleach Color Bootleg, the two Shiba gatekeepers were Kaien and Kūkaku's instructors when the Shiba were still part of the Great Noble Families. After the fall, they were the only two who continued to serve the clan. Kaien found Bonnie the piglet when his family was still part of the Great Noble families. It's hard to judge when that might have been since aging doesn't work like it does in the World of the Living. 110 years from the current storyline, Kaien declined to be a lieutenant. Per chapter 83, he became a lieutenant five years after graduating. Not sure how long after that point. He was residing in a nice home rather than in Kūkaku's home. Ganju was shown to be a kid when Kaien was killed (found this weird, but let's just say his parents decided to have a kid late in life).

These facts led me to write that the Shiba Clan lost their status while they were kids, before Ganju was born. I wrote that it happened about two hundred years ago. I'll be honest, I didn't have Kūkaku 's history defined in my head, but I felt like I had to say she became a Shinigami before Kaien because I feel like she and Yoruichi must've spent some time together while Yoruichi was in the Gotei 13. I feel like they went way back, even before Urahara did something for her (it has to be the reason why Aizen knew Urahara would team up with Kūkaku). I feel like both women were united by their need to be themselves and not be a traditional noblewoman, yet they still adhered to their clan duties in their own way.

Historically, samurai women were trained to fight but not expected to fight unless the castle was breached. It seems like this ideology is woven into Bleach to a certain extent. The Gotei 13 is dominated by men. Rukia noted it was unexpected for a woman to reach a high rank when discussing Shiba Miyako. Yoruichi's abilities were also unprecedented. Unohana is considered the ideal Japanese woman, strong yet beautiful per the Bleach Color Bootleg. The Fourth Division is considered ideal for the Shinigami that wants to hone their Shinigami skills yet be more feminine according to the Shinigami Women's Association (not sure why this matters since any gender can display compassion if that's what they're getting at). Unohana denotes her strength in a subtle matter in the way she commands respect from her colleagues but is in a role where she is not supposed to engage in battle directly. However, she's always been listed as the second strongest in the data books after Yama. Kubo subverts this trope with his revelations.

The famous Ryoguku River Fireworks Festival in Japan began as means to ward off evil spirits and to pay respect to deceased famine victims. This is what inspired me to write that the Shiba got involved in selling fireworks to protect Rukongai citizens.

Japanese graves are for families. The tombstone is for the entire family. The name of the deceased can be inscribed on the sides of the tombstones. Living member names are usually colored a different color to denote their living status.

In the data book "Unmasked," Kubo includes the manga short story "Not be,but be" which features Ulquiorra's backstory. It shows his birth as a Hollow. I think Kubo is being poetic when he says that he was born in a dark hole and not that he literally was born in some dark pit in Hueco Mundo. Kubo in his fan forum has recently said Hollows can procreate, but I'd rather not consider that canon. It ruins the concept of Hollows. I would only make the exception for Arrancar.