First things first, i want to humbly apologise for having taken so long to write this chapter. But the issues this time weren't just related to my personal life which had gotten quite busy in the last months, heck, since November of last year since i had begun a course to become a HealthCare Assistant.
The main reason why it took so long for me to write this chapter was because i genuenely had no idea how to write it and for that matter how to continue the story after this chapter. Which is why i want to thank RyanMK666 for suggesting me to have Ichigo go to see Kukaku and Ganju in the next chapter. Thank you. It's exactly what will happen in the next chapter, among other things.
Again, i apologise for taking so long to write the chapter. Writing isn't easy, ladies and gentlemen. Add that to the various things in your personal life and sometimes you don't get much time. But i'm glad i was able to finally finish this chapter since it took me no less than FOUR months to write.
And i hope you enjoy it :)
Chapter 10: Meeting The Other Lieutenants
To Ichigo's surprise, the first two of days of work in his new position as Lieutenant of Squad Two were quite dull and quiet.
It mostly revolved around taking care and supervising the day-to-day operations of the Patrol Corps and that included of course, lots and lots and lots of paperwork. Luckily, as a model student (used to be ranked 23rd in his class) and as someone who never slacked off, doing the various paperwork, which usually consisted in establishing the salaries of each member of the second branch, making sure that all the equipment was accounted for (such as spare Shihakushos and Asauchis) and granting some of them permission for a few days of after taking into account the days they spent on active duty and so on and so forth, was quite simple. But even someone as levelheaded as Ichigo quickly found out how boring it was. Luckily for him, he had Saido to help him out and advise him on how to manage the second branch and all its members. And for his part, Saido greatly appreciated Ichigo's willingness to listen to advice, in spite of how much experience and power he had gathered: it only showed further more how the newest Lieutenant of Squad Two was still a teenager but a humble one that was more than willing to listen for advice and learn more.
Luckily for him, today was the day of the scheduled Lieutenant Meeting, meaning that not only would he get some much needed relief from all the tedious paperwork but he would also get to meet Rukia, Renji and Isane again and spend some time with them, along with meeting all the other Lieutenants. He already knew Yachiru and Rangiku (Lieutenants of Squad Eleven and Squad Ten) well, but he never got the chance to meet the others, so he was definetely looking forward to this event.
So after walking outside the Barracks of the Patrol Corps he dissappeared in a burst of Flash-Step and began to move in the air faster than the normal eye would see. And as he did, he recalled how, the day after he saved Hanataro from those Squad Eleven thugs and went on to bring Unohana some flowers and even spending the afternoon happily having tea with her and her subordinates and getting to know Isane, his Captain called him to report directly to her in her quarters.
Flashback
"Now then, Kurosaki." Soi-Fon spoke, ever emotionless as she sat on her chair behind her desk, with Ichigo standing in front of her, holding a copy of the Monthly Seireitei Bulletin magazine, the cover clearly showing a photo of the orange haired young man beating up the Squad Eleven members that were shamelessly ganging up on Hanataro, taken by one of the many Soul Reapers that were present. And on the cover it clearly read "FORMER SUBSTITUTE SOUL REAPER IS NOW THE PROTECTOR OF SQUAD FOUR. SQUAD ELEVEN BEWARE."
"According to the latest Monthly Issue of the Seireitei Bulletin, you were clearly seen beating up five members of Squad Eleven who were in the middle of assaulting Squad Four's Seventh Seated Officer, Hanataro Yamada." the Captain explained before scrolling through the pages and adding "And, as written in this page, two of them are still in Squad Four, under medical treatment for the injuries you gave them." she then put the magazine on her desk before folding her arms over her chest and asking "What do you have to say for yourself, "Former Substitute"?" putting emphasis on the last two words just to tease him, while keeping her trademark stone-cold expression, awaiting his response.
Ichigo quickly figured out that she was just being sarcastic and that she was just playing around with him. Thus, with a casual smile, he chuckled and replied "Honestly, Captain….." while tilting his head slightly on the right and putting his left hand on his left hip "I guess i just can't abide bullies, especially if their victim just so happens to be a friend of mine. You'd be surprised to learn just how many people i've sent to the Hospital during my High School years back in Karakura Town."
An equally smug and satisfied smile made its way on the beautiful raven-haired woman's lips and with a smug tone, she complimented "Heh. Not even two days as a fully fledged Soul Reaper and you've already made quite a name for yourself. I guess Lady Yoruichi wasn't wrong when she told me how hot-headed but strong-willed you are. I like that about you." taking Ichigo completely by surprise with her last phrase and causing him to blush ever so slightly. It almost sounded like she was flirting with him. It was in part because of how much satisfaction she felt upon hearing just how much Ichigo had trounced those five thugs's asses with his bare hands, since they belonged to Squad Eleven, the one she looked down upon with so much contempt for their needless savagery in battle, an aspect that extended to their daily lives.
Nonetheless, Ichigo quickly regained his composure and pointed out "Yeah, though i guess you didn't just ask me to come here just to compliment me, right Captain?" with his expression turning into his trademark stoic frown.
With her smug smile turning back into her trademark emotionless expression, Soi-Fon merely resumed signing the various papers she had stacked on her desk before replying "That is correct. I called you here to inform you that tomorrow the Lieutenant Meeting will be taking place-"
"At the barracks of Squad One?" Ichigo beat his Captain to the end of her phrase, taking her by surprise before, with a smile he added "Yeah, i know. Isane already told me yesterday." and after seeing that Soi-Fon was still taken aback after hearing that he had already met a fellow Lieutenant, Ichigo sighed and casually remarked "Guess they didn't write that i also went to Squad Four to bring some flowers to Captain Unohana along with Hanataro, heh?"
The Captain of Squad Two merely sighed at Ichigo's casualness before calmly asking "I suppose she has already told you why you must attend the meeting?" earning a nod from her Lieutenant. She then spoke "Very well then. In that case, i don't have to remind you how important this meeting is for you, Kurosaki. You still have much to learn in order to be a proper Lieutenant. Proving your worth in battle is one thing, leading others under your command is a completely different matter. But i'm sure the other Lieutenants will offer you some good advice and if i were you, i would keep my ears open, for there is no end to things like knowledge and experience. They are exactly what allow you to not only grow as a warrior but as a person."
Ichigo was happy to hear how much encouragement she was giving him, which not only boosted his confidence but made him appreciate Soi-Fon for what she was: a strict and demanding but ultimately kind and fair woman who always encouraged her subordinates to improve themselves as much as they could. He was surprised slightly when she also declared "To that end, i have already instructed Lieutenants Abarai and Kuchiki to guide you to the room the Meeting will take place in, fill you in on the various details and properly introduce you to the other Lieutenants. They will be waiting you tomorrow on the bridge that leads to the barracks of Squad One." having used a Hell Butterfly to relay her orders to both Lieutenants, orders their respective Captains agreed to.
"I see….." Ichigo simply replied in acknowledgement and after doing that, Soi-Fon told him "And after the meeting is done with, head back to the Squad and report back to me. That is all."
The former Substitute nodded once again before turning around and leaving his Captain's chambers.
End Flashback
Ichigo quickly made his way to the aformentioned bridge and not even 10 seconds walking on it, he saw a familiar couple leaning on the red guardrail of the bridge "Morning, guys!" he greeted them as he waved towards them.
With an excited smile, Rukia, replied "Hi there, Ichigo! You seem to be doing just fine!" and began to walk towards him while the redhead Lieutenant of Squad Six folded his arms over his chest, smiled deviously and teased "Heh, Rukia and i thought you woudn't have lasted a day in the Stealth Force due to how harsh even their daily training is. And look at you now, its newest Lieutenant and Commander of the Patrol Corps. Just when i thought i had seen everything."
Ichigo smiled back and casually remarked "Not that it was all that difficult to beat that meatball. I mean, i beat him with a single punch after i threw Rukia towards you from the Sokyoku." while looking at his left hand and clenching it into a fist briefly.
Rukia wasted no time giving Ichigo a death glare, that embarrassing moment still firmly embedded in her mind, startling him slightly "You really were an idiot. What do you think would have happened if, for some reason, Renji woudn't have been able to catch me?" while Renji cringed, not even wanting to imagine what would have happened if he hadn't managed to catch her after Ichigo threw her like a goddamn missile towards him.
The former Substitute sweat-dropped "I mean….." he replied, looking away from the much shorter, purple-eyed girl with his trademark indifferent expression "There were so many other guys fighting and i thought it would have made it faster for you and Renji to get a-"
"DUMBASS!" Rukia yelled furiously while throwing her arms to her sides with her hands balled into fists and her wrists bent at a 90 degree angle, interrupting Ichigo mid-speech and causing him to flinch "YOU COULD HAVE JUST FLASH-STEPPED TOWARDS RENJI INSTEAD OF PULLING THAT STUPID STUNT! AND HAVE YOU EVER BOTHERED TO WONDER JUST HOW UTTERLY HUMILIATING THAT WAS FOR ME?!" while Renji sweat-dropped and chuckled at the same time at his life-long friend's outburst and the way Ichigo was now looking at her in slight fear, his eyes comically wide-open. One of the reasons why Renji loved Rukia so much was her fiery temper and how she usually wasn't afraid to yell back at others. Such qualities were certainly befitting of the strong-willed young woman she was.
"She hasn't changed one bit….." the newest Lieutenant of Squad Two remarked to himself, happy to know that she was still prone to such funny outbursts. So, with an awkward smile he confessed "Yeah, you're right, i probably should have done that instead." initially calming Rukia down. But then, a devious smile crossed his lips and he teased her "Although you did sound absolutely adorable when you were screaming as you flew down towards Renj-"
He coudn't finish his sentence. With her cheeks beet red from Ichigo's teasing as well as Renji chuckling behind her in agreement with his friend's statement, Rukia slammed her left elbow in Ichigo's abdomen in a swift motion, making him wince comically in pain and double over.
"Ugh…..I think you broke some of my ribs….." Ichigo weakly spoke as he clutched his aching abdomen while Renji had to try his hardest not to burst out laughing due to how effortlessly Rukia had put him in his place. She was more than happy to tell him the many, MANY ways in which she punched or kicked Ichigo every time he insulted her drawings. And the readhead coudn't help but laugh every single time since for one, he was one of a handful of people who thought Rukia's drawings were pretty cute.
"Serves you right. You haven't changed one bit…." Rukia scolded him before her purple eyes saw the Badge of Squad Two on his shoulders and her irritation promptly dissappeared, replaced by the happiness she felt in seeing just how far he had come. With a joyful smile, she walked closer to Ichigo and and placed one of her delicate, petite hands on her friend's left one, which he was using to soothe the pain in his abdomen, making the former Substitute look at her and as soon as he did, he was mesmerised by the beautiful smile she was giving him.
"But i'm so proud of you. You were just a stubborn but brave boy on the night i first met you and gave you my powers. And look at you now: a Soul Reaper through and through, the victor of Aizen, the one who saved us all….." she paused as she stared at the badge on his shoulder once more "And a Lieutenant just like me and Renji…...I didn't think i'd ever witness such a moment with my own eyes…"
Ichigo looked at her with a kind smile after seeing her own smile momentarily fading due to a tinge of sadness making its way on her face. He knew that it was because of how much it saddened her to know that he could never be with his friends of the World of the Living anymore. Nonetheless, he rose up to his full height, a good 40 centimeters taller than her before reaching out and caressing her right cheek as he told her sweetly "And i will never be able to thank you enough for that, Rukia. You gave me the power to protect everyone. And that changed my life. Made me discover so many new things…. Made me meet so many new friends…...It was…..The best thing that ever happened in my life…."
Rukia was nearly moved to tears by his heartfelt words and Renji happily smiled, once again witnessing just how strong Ichigo's bond with the young woman who made him a Soul Reaper for the first time, was. With her purple eyes shaking in joy, Rukia called out "Ichigo…" deeply touched to know just how much she meant to him while also in awe to see just what a downright beautiful and strong man he had become. And with that longer hair he looked almost exactly like Kaien…
"And if what they say is true, and death really is just the beginning instead of the end…...Then i suppose it's not all that different from birth. It's just nothing more than a continuation of our souls's journey." Ichigo remarked as his eyes trailed downwards, leaving Rukia's purple ones and causing her to look at him in worry as his doubts came back. She figured out by those words that the fact that he would no longer have been able to be with his family or his living friends for the rest of his existence (if not for some brief amounts of time) still weighed heavily on his heart.
"And you won't be alone in this journey, trust me." Renji chimed in, pulling his friend out of his thoughts. Ichigo looked at the redheaded Lieutenant who had walked closer to him and Rukia "You didn't really think me and Rukia were the only ones who missed you, did you? Yachiru, Ikkaku, Hanataro and even Captain Kuchiki were always wondering how you were doing this last year." he revealed, causing a look of pure disbelief to form on the former Substitute's face.
"Even Byakuya was worried about me? That's a first." Ichigo thought in complete and utter disbelief in his mind, for a moment refusing to believe that even that aloof and arrogant noble had actually come to care about him.
"And i hope you're ready to put up with us for the rest of your life. Especially with Captain Kuchiki, especially with him." Renji teased with a devious grin, making Ichigo's skin crawl. He was definetely not looking forward to meet the noble again, even in spite of how much he had come to respect him. The overly proud and arrogant way he still carried himself still annoyed Ichigo to no end"But at least he won't ask me to fight every single goddamn time i meet him, unlike that Kenpachi psycho." Ichigo mentally sighed before following after his friends after Rukia beckoned him to follow her and fiancé "Come, Ichigo. There's quite a few people who are quite excited to meet you. People you will be working with from here on out." she spoke happily, excited to finally introduce his friend to the other Lieutenants.
"Right." Ichigo simply replied as he followed after them until the trio finally arrived in a room situated on the floor just under the one in which the Captain's Meeting room stood. The door was open and as it turned out, it was already occupied with ten people who were either already sitting on their respective chairs around the table or on their feet, chatting with each other.
And at the head of the table sat a middle-aged, lightly tanned-skinned man with light brown eyes, short silver hair and a small black handlebar moustache. The man wore a white Jinbaori surcoat over the standard Shihakusho, with long white armbands and a turtle-neck under his uniform and, most importantly, the Badge of Squad One on his left arm. And after seeing Rukia and Renji enter the room with Ichigo trailing behind, all of the room's occupants stopped chatting with each other and the middle-aged man formally addressed his two fellow Lieutenants with a slight smile "Good morning, Lieutenants Abarai and Kuchiki. I see that you have brought our newest colleague with you."
Ichigo's eyes widened slightly when he saw the middle-aged man in front of him get up, recognising him as the silver-haired Soul Reaper who, along with Omaeda and Isane, began to chase after Renji, who was taking Rukia away to safety after Ichigo threw her towards him from the Sokyoku, only to be swiftly incapacitated in a single blow, each by the former Substitute. Nonetheless, he remained silent as Rukia greeted her colleague with just as much courtesy "We have, Lieutenant Sasakibe, and he's already been briefed on the purpose of the meetings and on what they typically consist on." she paused before smiling happily, turning towards her orange haired friend and adding "And actually, he was quite eager to meet all of you." as Ichigo came to her right, with Renji flanking him on his left.
And as he did, he was greeted with all sorts of looks, some of surprise, others of awe and others of intrigue even. He was quite happy to recognise Isane among the various Lieutenants sitting on their respective chairs on the table, and the lavender haired young woman gave him a warm smile as soon as she saw him at the entrance of the room, flanked by Rukia and Renji. He then closed his eyes and after bowing slightly, he began to introduce himself "It's an honor to meet all of you. I'm Ichigo Kuros-" but before he could finish doing so…
"ICHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! IT'S REALLY YOU!"
That all too familiar childish and perpetually cheerful voice snapped him out of his introduction and he, along with Rukia and Renji could only watch with comically wide eyes as a small and very happy, pink haired young girl with dark pink eyes and what appeared to be a perpetual blush on her cheeks as well as a crossbone hair-clip on the left side of her hair, dressed in a child-sized Shihakusho, squealed happily and launched herself towards Ichigo, at lightning fast speeds.
"Y-Yachir-" Ichigo didn't even have time to call out the name of Yachiru Kusajishi, Lieutenant of Squad Eleven (Believe it or not) and the orphaned girl Kenpachi adopted and raised like a daughter. She had launched herself towards with so much speed that when she hugged him around his neck and latched herself onto him, she made him fall on the floor on his back, causing him to yelp comically in pain.
Rukia, Renji and the other Lieutenants sweat-dropped when the pink haired girl wrapped her petite arms around Ichigo's neck, hugged him tightly and snuggled closer onto him while squealing more "You have no idea how happy Kenny was when he found out you had returned! It was the first time he had smiled in a whole year! IT BROUGHT ME SO MUCH JOY TO SEE HIM HAPPY AGAIN BECAUSE YOU CAME BACK!" she kept squealing while hugging Ichigo around the neck even more, actually starting to choke him. And deep inside, Ichigo was greatly unnerved by the fact that apparently, Kenpachi hadn't smiled even once for a whole year until he returned to the Soul Society. He was starting to think the savage Captain's obsession on him bordered on downright insanity.
"THAT'S GREAT AND ALL, BUT CAN YOU PLEASE GET OFF ME?! I CAN'T BREATHE!" Ichigo comically yelled, to the amusement of Rukia and Renji and to the embarrassment of most of the other Lieutenants, who, after all this time, still hardly believed that someone as young and as childish as Yachiru had managed to attain such a position within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, as well as to the amusement of Rukia and Renji and, quite surprisingly, a third person, a young woman, to be more precise.
"Careful now, Yachiru! You don't wanna choke him right now that's he's just come back now woudn't you?" the woman in question spoke, with a voice filled with excitement and child-like innocence despite clearly belonging to someone who had just seemingly entered adulthood, thankfully convincing Yachiru to let go of Ichigo's neck. Turning towards the one who called her, the pink haired girl replied to her "Okay, Goggles!" as she got off the former Substitute, and allowed him to get a grip on himself and sit on the floor while she went over to chat with Isane, still seated at the table. And as he heard that voice, he looked up to its owner and promptly recognised her due to her hazel eyes, distinctive lime green shoulder lenght hair, in spite of wearing the standard Shihakusho while keeping a set of goggles atop her hair as well as orange boots and gloves from that admittedly ridiculous bodysuit that resembled a costume worn by all those 1970s japanese superheroes in all those shows back in the day. She even wore a custom made badge with the number and symbol of Squad Nine and even the word "Super" engraved beneath said number and symbol.
"Mashiro? Is that you?" a bewildered Ichigo spoke as he got back on his feet, not believing that in front of him was Mashiro Kuna, one of the Vizards who trained him to control his Inner Hollow. It was kinda weird seeing her in a standard Shihakusho rather than that strange bodysuit but nonetheless, the green haired young woman smiled happily and greeted back while putting her hands behind her back "Of course, Berry Boy! I coudn't just leave Kensei alone now coudn't i? He's always so serious and uptight and he really needs to chill out from time to time! So of course i tagged along when the Head Captain gave him back his position! It's so nice seeing you again, Ichigo!" obviously very happy to see him again.
Rukia then chimed in with her beaming smile "Ah yes, Mashiro, i almost forgot." she called her as she searched through the pockets of her Shihakusho before pulling out what appeared to be a manga "I picked this up in the World of the Living a couple of weeks ago. After hearing how much you loved superheroes i thought i might as well bring you a gift, especially after all the inspirations you've given me for my drawings!" in fact it was the first volume of the recently published series "Kamen Rider Spirits" that she had managed to snag right before she returned to the Soul Society after fulfilling her one-month long mission to guard the city of Yokosuka from a potentially large number of Hollows that had been reported in the region.
Being a massive fan of Superheroes, especially those of 70s japanese programs, Mashiro immediately went star eyed upon seeing the manga her fellow Lieutenant held, put her hands on her cheeks in awe and disbelief, and squealed "OH MY GOD, A NEW KAMEN RIDER SERIES!" then she walked closer to her, took the manga from her hand and as she gave it a quick look she spoke, even more happily "Wow, it takes place after Super-1?! Awesome!" while Rukia watched happily with an amused giggle. Mashiro then came towards her and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug while squealing even more "Thank you so much, Rukia! I'm definetely gonna have plenty of fun reading this! And i have to think of a way to repay you!" while Rukia began to yelp as she felt many of her bones on the verge of breaking. It was a reminder that, in spite of her childish mannerism, the young Vizard was not someone to be taken lightly as her Hollow Powers were so powerful, she could destroy a Gillian with a single kick, as she had demonstrated during the Battle over the Fake Karakura Town.
"W-Well, you could start by letting go of me…" the Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen meekly and weakly let out as she was tightly hugged, while Renji and Ichigo both sweat-dropped "And now she's a Lieutenant too? Good grief, if even one like her can reach this position then…."
"So, you're Ichigo Kurosaki, huh?" a calm and serious voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he turned to see its owner coming towards him, a tall and lean-built man with dark gray eyes, short spiky black hair that fell against his face and came down near his ears, sporting no less than three vertical scars above and down his right eye that ended at his cheek, as well as a number 69 tattooed on his left cheek and a blue-striped tattoo running across his left cheek and over the bridge of his nose. He wore a distinct, sleeveless Shihakusho, a choker around his throat and matching armbands on both upper arms. And on his left arm, the badge of Squad Nine was clearly visible, tied around his bicep.
Ichigo felt slightly intimidated by this man's appearance and tattoos, even more so by his calm and stone-cold expression and the intense way his dark gray eyes looked into his brown ones. Back in Karakura High School, people would have easily mistaken him for a punk. Nonetheless he gave a slightly nervous smile before replying "Y-Yeah. And you are?" asking for the man's name.
In response, the one in front of him simply extended a hand forward and introduced himself "Shuhei Hisagi, Lieutenant of Squad Nine. It's an honour to meet you." while also giving Ichigo a slight smile. Now more at ease by his friendly disposition and realising that he actually bore a slight resemblance to himself with that spiky hair of his, the strawberry returned the smile and shooked his hand while replying "Likewise."
And after letting go of his hand, the newly introduced Shuhei's smile left his lips, replaced by his usual stone-cold expression "I heard that you gave Omaeda quite the humbling a few days ago." he spoke calmly, making Ichigo feel uncomfortable with the way he was now staring at him. Nonetheless, he put a hand behind his head and with a sheepish smile, he replied "Yeah, well….. i wasn't exactly planning to steal his position in the first place, but yeah you could say that."
To his surprise, a much larger smile than the one before, made its way on Shuhei's lips, one of clear amusement and as he crossed his arms over his chest, he stated "Oh, don't feel bad about it. That fatass had that coming to him for a long time, trust me." he then closed his eyes, lowered his head slightly and added "Honestly, i'm kinda surprised it took this long for him to be replaced, given his shortcomings."
"Yeah, this coming from the guy who regularly cashes over at his place to eat the leftovers of his lunches?" Renji suddenly chimed in, coming on Ichigo's left with a wide teasing grin on his lips and his arms folded over his chest. And in a way that took the former Substitute completely by surprise, due to how unusual it was for someone with such an intimidating, punk-like appearance, Shuhei comically gasped, his eyes going wide open in shock as soon as his fellow Lieutenant revealed one of his most shameless habits: that of often coming to Omaeda's or others's houses to eat the leftovers of his lunches in times in which he would be pressed for cash.
"W-Well for one it's all fancy food and it's t-t-totally for free and he doesn't mind either w-" Shuhei comically stuttered, beyond embarrassed, before Mashiro suddenly appeared on his left and teased him "You're so shameless, Shuhei. You're even a good cook and yet you always prefer eating other people's food instead of cooking your own! Plus you really should spend more time actually attending to your duties instead of writing all those boring serial articles when we have a whole team whose whole job is doing exactly that! That's why you're just a Lieutenant and i'm a Super Lieutenant!" while flexing her left arm and putting her right hand on her left bicep to further tease him, displaying her special badge.
Shuhei's comical embarrassment turned into comical irritation, so he balled his hands into fists, put his arms along his sides and yelled "MY ARTICLES ARE NOT BORING! Otherwise, many people woudn't have appreciated my latest ones! And unlike you, i actually know how to write some actual drama!" while Renji chuckled in much amusement and Mashiro simply stuck her tongue at her Co-Lieutenant.
"Is he always this overly dramatic?" Ichigo awkwardly asked his redhead friend, causing him to chuckle even more before he explained "Oh, trust me, he always reacts like that when people criticise his articles, especially since he puts a lot of work and passion into them and sometimes they don't even sell well. In a way it's kinda like Rukia and her drawings."
"Articles? What do you mean?" Ichigo asked Renji with much curiosity, but before he could explain a bit more, Rukia chimed in after coming in between the two men "Shuhei became the Editor in Chief of the Seireitei Bulletin after Captain Tosen defected with Aizen. You see, one of Squad Nine's traditional duties has always been the overseening of the culture and arts in the Seireitei and in fact, they are in charge of the Seireitei Bulletin, and its Editing Department is actually part of their Barracks. Many of us have in fact written several articles that have published on that magazine, myself included." she explained with a smile before turning towards Shuhei, who was still in the process of arguing with Mashiro and adding "It's been real hard for him ever since, not just because he had to shoulder the burden of leading his Squad all by himself after Captain Tosen defected, but because at first, his Articles weren't particularly succesful and as an aspiring writer, that really crushed his heart. But thankfully now that Captain Muguruma and Mashiro have been reinstated, he's been having much more time to focus on his articles. I, for one, am a fan of them and i can only hope he improves with time."
"I see…." Ichigo simply replied in acknowledgement, remembering in fact, who Kaname Tosen, former Captain of Squad Nine was: the last time he saw the rogue Captain was when he was sent by Aizen to stop his first battle with Grimmjow in Karakura Town, since the latter had mobilised his Fracciones against his orders, five Arrancars that had been led to their demises against Renji, Toshiro, Rangiku, Rukia and Ikkaku while accomplishing nothing in return. Of course, that meant that he knew nothing of how Kaname's betrayal deeply affected not just Shuhei but also Komamura, whom he was close friends with. Nor that the dark-skinned man, blind ever since the day he was born, had played a crucial role in the creation of the Vizards, a hundred years ago…..
"Wait a minute…." Ichigo spoke, no longer absorbed in thought, after realising one thing "If this is a Lieutenant Meeting and Shuhei and Mashiro are both in the same Squad…." he paused, pointing at the two Soul Reapers, still in the middle of their argument "Why are they both Lieutenants of the same Squad?" he asked Rukia and Renji while another of the Lieutenants went over to persuade the two Co-Lieutenants of Squad Nine to stop arguing. This one was a youthful and quite attractive man that had blue eyes, short chin-lenght blonde hair, combed in a band that covered his left eye, reaching just below it. And aside from the standard Shihakusho, the man wore the badge of Squad Three on his left arm.
As Ichigo was wondering who exactly that man was the moment he took notice of him, the calm and collected voice of Sasakibe answered "Because although it's rarely done due to it being highly unorthodox, Captains have the right to appoint more than just one Lieutenant at the same time." which caused him to turn towards him, his gaze meeting his brown eyes. The stern but dignified and elegant appearance of Yamamoto's right hand man made quite the impression on the former Substitute….Or at least it would have, had he not been able to beat him with just one palm strike to the chin, even after Sasakibe activated the Shikai of his Zampakuto against him when he faced him along with Omaeda and Isane at Sokyoku Hill.
"I remember you. You were also present at the execution…." Ichigo spoke, being careful with his words for the time being, since he wasn't sure how the silver-haired man would have acted towards him. Rukia felt her stomach twist slightly upon hearing Ichigo mention the planned execution, something that still haunted her even after all this time and even after so many people apologised to her for having been unjustly convicted for giving Ichigo her powers, Aizen's machinations or not.
She put those thoughts aside as she witnessed the Lieutenant of Squad One introducing himself by slightly bowing in a manner similar to the aristocrats of Victorian England "Yes, i was. I am Chojiro Sasakibe, Lieutenant of Squad One and on behalf of all the Lieutenants…." he paused, gathering the attention of everyone as he straightened his posture and extended his left arm towards Ichigo "I welcome you here as our newest comrade. I only hope we can work together well from now on." welcoming him among his fellow and newest comrades with a slight smile.
Taken completely aback by this show of respect, Ichigo shook Sasakibe's hand and replied with a shyness that took most of the other Lieutenants by surprise "Thanks, i guess….." while also averting his gaze from the middle-aged, slightly tanned man, who looked at him in concern "Is there something troubling you?" he asked.
His eyes widening in surprise due to the older man's concern, Ichigo looked back at Sasakibe again while reassuring him "No, it's not that. It's just…." he paused, averting his eyes again before declaring "I wasn't expecting such a warm welcome, especially since i'm the same guy who punched you in the chin a year ago….."
Sasakibe immediately figured out from the look of uncertainty on his face, that the former Substitute had no idea what to say or do since he believed that he would have held some degree of bitterness towards him for having beaten him so easily and made him feel ashamed to a certain extent since, as it turned out, they were never supposed to be enemies to begin with. Thus with a solemn but also compassionate look worthy of none other than the Head Captain's right-hand man, he put his left hand on Ichigo's right shoulder, taking the much younger Soul Reaper completely by surprise before telling him "Young man, you should not worry about the past. What happened a year ago was not your fault but the result of centuries of machinations that were born as a result of the Soul Society's stagnancy and unwillingness to change its flawed culture. If anything, it was your actions last year that opened our centuries-closed eyes and allowed the Soul Society to become what it is today. So don't think so little of your own worth: you have already proved it time and time again."
Ichigo was at a loss of words. He didn't expect the middle aged man to have already forgiven him for hitting him in the chin a year ago. Isane was one thing for sure, but as a shy and good-natured person, it was only natural to expect something like this from her. But from Yamamoto's right-hand man? Not so much. Nonetheless, Ichigo smiled and replied "Thanks for the encouraging words. And i promise i'll do my best as long as i'm here."
Most of the other Lieutenants coudn't help but smile at Ichigo's beaming and confident disposition. Just as Renji and Rukia looked at the exchange between Ichigo and Sasakibe, the blonde haired, blue-eyed youthful man came towards his two fellow Lieutenants and told them "Well, that's a nice surprise. I didn't know he was actually so humble." a faint smile on his lips.
"Oh trust me, Izuru, he wasn't like this last year. Not one bit. Actually, i feel you two could get along quite well now that he's mellowed out. Kinda like you did after you graduated and got assigned to Squad Three." Renji told his fellow Lieutenant and friend Izuru Kira with a friendly smile and with his arms folded over his chest, having met him during his days at Shin'o Academy. The two quickly became friends and even graduated together along with Shuhei and fellow Lieutenant Momo Hinamori: it was also back then that he met then-Captain Aizen along with his then-Lieutenant Gin Ichimaru who would go on to become the Captain of Squad Three, the one of which Izuru eventually become its Lieutenant.
"Yeah. I suppose that's what war does to people, after all. It changes them. Makes them realise just how dark and dreadful it is." the blonde haired Lieutenant stated, his slight smile dissappearing from his lips as he recalled how he went from being a cheerful and slightly cocky kid to a gloomy, hardened officer who came to hate war and violence in general for what it could do to people and their bonds. He quickly came to that rude awakening after witnessing many of his squadmates lose their lives against Hollows and especially during Aizen's plot when he was forced to draw his sword towards his friend Momo when she attacked his then-Captain Gin Ichimaru under the false belief that he was the one who murdered Aizen, an act which, to this day still brought him much self-loathing.
"I agree. But even in war you can find things like camaderie, friendship, love." Rukia chimed in, with an encouraging smile and face "If anything, it makes people truly aware of how important the bonds they can have with each other, can be." she told Izuru before turning towards Renji and tenderly taking hold of his right hand with her petite left one and proclaiming "At least, that's what i've come to believe after all the hardships Ichigo, Renji and i faced together." as she looked at her much taller boyfriend with much affection in her purple eyes, which Renji reciprocated with a soothing smile of his own.
Izuru coudn't help but smile slightly at their display of affection: it made him happy to learn that they had officially begun a romantic relationship after the end of the war with Aizen and that was what allowed them to finally move on from all the pain and suffering they had been through in their lives, chief of which the time they spent away from each other after Byakuya adopted Rukia and made her a noble, someone a mere commoner would have never had any business with back then "I'm happy for them…. At least they moved on with a smile on their faces…. I wish i could have…." the blonde Lieutenant thought, still deeply affected by his former Captain's betrayal and demise. It was one thing to be manipulated and betrayed by the same man he once idolised, to have his loyalty and dedication to duty being used against him. But having to watch Rangiku crying out in grief and despair over Gin's dead body and then having to learn that everything his former Captain did was all to take revenge on Aizen for what he had done to her more than a century ago, having three of his goons beating her up before stealing her Spirit Energy in order to feed it to the Hogyoku in order to activate it, back when she was no more than a little girl? That would haunt him for many months to come.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a calm and professional feminine voice "So, the famous Substitute Soul Reaper has now become the Lieutenant of Squad Two. I don't know if i should feel amased by that remarkable achievement or amused at the fact that a former human was so easily able to take that position away from a nobleman belonging to a well established noble family who served for generations in the Stealth Force." that voice belonged to a beautiful young woman with slightly blue eyes and long black hair kept pinned back, with flat bangs hanging to the right side of her face, tucked behind her right ear. She wore the standard Shihakusho and most distinctively, a pair of slightly oval-shaped glasses along with the badge of Squad Eight around her left upper arm which she was using to carry a large book.
With a smile Rukia greeted her fellow Lieutenant "Well now, Nanao. I take it that Ichigo has caught your interest as well? He has a habit of doing so, guess it comes from the way he carries himself."
The woman, Nanao Ise, Lieutenant of Squad Eight, simply readjusted her glasses with her free hand before replying as professionaly as she almost always would with her colleagues "I'm merely wondering if all the stories they said about him were true. Though from what i've heard, he's far from a professional." her blue eyes then suddenly narrowed in contempt upon seeing another Lieutenant, coming beside Sasakibe, introducing himself and beginning to chat with Ichigo, a man she was frequently at odds with "Especially if he's the kind of man, Lieutenant Iba is." she coldly remarked, referring to said man, Tetzusaemon Iba, Lieutenant of Squad Seven. He had a distinctive, crew-cut-ish hairstyle with three hairless lines running through it, a moustache fuller than the one Sasakibe had and wore a pair of black glasses, much like Nanao did, aside from the standard Shihakusho and the badge of Squad Seven around his left arm.
"So you're the Ryoka who kicked Ikkaku's ass a year ago, heh?" Tetzusaemon asked Ichigo as soon as he came beside his fellow Lieutenant, Sasakibe with his arms folded over his chest, his Yakuza-like appearance and deep, gruff voice making the strawberry a little wary since he would have been right at home with the many thugs he beat up over the years. He had also been surprised to learn that the one in front of him also just so happened to be an acquaintance of Ikkaku.
"Yeah, you're looking at him." Ichigo nonetheless replied, with a slight smile and that, in turn, caused a smug smile to form on Tetzusaemon's lips "You have no idea how much i would have loved to see that. He's still just as stubborn and cocky as he's always been even after all these years, always wanting to do things his own way, even if it means going against his orders. That's what he gets for refusing to be a jack-of-all-trades."
Surprised by the way he described the bald swordsman with such familiarity and yet such derision, Ichigo tilted his head to the left slightly and casually remarked "Way you talk about him makes it sound like you two go a long way back."
"Yeah. We were both in Squad Eleven before i chose to be transferred to Squad Seven." Tetzusaemon replied, surprising Ichigo even more "And boy, i'm so glad i did. I would have never gotten promoted to Lieutenant had i stayed with that group of stubborn asses." he then took his time to glance towards Yachiru, who was now chatting with Mashiro at the table "And knowing Captain Zaraki, i doubt he would have allowed anyone but that girl to be his Lieutenant." he remarked, a hint of jealousy in his voice. And Ichigo coudn't help but smile in amusement at the fact that even that little girl was once ranked above him.
Throught all of this, Isane had watched happily from her seat at the purple table with her cheek resting on her right hand as Ichigo slowly introduced himself to some of her fellow Lieutenants and much like the day before, his kindness, humility and cheerful disposition warmed her heart. She was so eager to work with him from now on and learn more about him as a person for she had a feeling they had quite a bit in common.
She was pulled out of her trance by a familiar, emotionless voice behind her "Is there something wrong, Lieutenant Hinamori?" so she turned around to see two more of her fellow Lieutenants seated behind her. One of them was a beautiful young woman with a slender, curvaceous figure and green, emerald eyes, black hair tied in a braid with slightly parted bangs and an expression so emotionless, she might as well have been an automaton. Her Shihakusho was quite different compared by the one worn by most Soul Reapers: it was a short black kimono that reached mid-thigh, with sleeves that were much more tight-fitting than those of most Soul Reapers, with the upper parts puffed. She also wore a white obi fastened with a red obijime around her waist along with white armbands that covered her lower arms to her elbows, an elaborate white and red chocker around her neck and a pair of white sandals and uniquely, medium heeled shoes along with of course, the badge of her Squad on her left arm. The woman was the Squad Twelve Lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, the so called "daughter" of Mayuri Kurotsuchi, known well among her colleagues for her very shy, introverted nature and for almost always having a melancholic expression, seemingly ever devoid of joy in her green eyes. But despite that, she was clearly showing concern for her colleague between her and Isane, as shown by the caring way she had placed a hand on her fellow Lieutenant's shoulder
Said Lieutenant was what appeared to be a teenage girl with brown eyes, black hair kept in a bob much like Rukia's (but longer than hers) and with a hairclip on the left side aside from the standard Shihakusho and the badge of her Squad on her left forearm. She was looking at Ichigo chatting with her fellow Lieutenants Tetzusaemon and Sasakibe with shaking eyes full of uncertainty and slight angst and with a hand on her chest and for good reason, since she was Momo Hinamori, Lieutenant of Squad Five, the same Momo Hinamori who once harbored profound feelings towards Sosuke Aizen himself since he used to be her Captain, feelings she she developed when, during her time in the Academy, he and Gin rescued her along with Renji, Izuru and Shuhei when a group of Hollows ambushed them during a field exercise in the World of the Living, claiming the lives of several students before Aizen and Gin arrived and slew them all. For that man, she would have done everything, even go up against her own comrades if he so much as asked her to do so. Which was exactly what she did, manipulated as she had been to attack her life-long friend Toshiro Hitsugaya, through that letter Aizen left in the barracks of his Squad and whom Rangiku found and gave it to Momo, blaming the Squad Ten Captain for the conspiracy, even for the very death he had faked with the illusion of him impaled by his own Zampakuto in the East Wall of the Seireitei
And even a year later she could still feel his blade through her chest. The blade of betrayal. The shock, the horror, the pain both physical and psychological she felt upon hearing that he never cared about her and had manipulated her all along left her with so much trauma that for quite a while she refused to believe what had happened. And that was before Aizen tricked Toshiro, her best friend into stabbing her with one of Kyoka Suigetsu's illusions during the battle over the Fake Karakura Town. And now the same man who defeated Aizen was right in front of her. And she should have felt…. Awed, amased by how powerful and handsome he looked on top of being so kind and humble. But she didn't. She felt conflicted, torn. Mainly because he reminded her so much of him with his mannerisms and gentle disposition.
"Momo? Are you alright?" the concerned voice of Isane snapped her out of her trance and with a slight gasp, Momo saw the way both she and Nemu were looking at her. Shaking her head, she replied "I'm fine, don't worry." trying to reassure both women….
Only for Nemu to speak, her voice ever emotionless but filled with worry for her comrade and friend "No, you are not. Your tone and expression says otherwise. It's clear that there is something about Ichigo Kurosaki that troubles you." she then paused and gently placed both of her hands over Momo's left one on the table "It's okay, you can tell me."
Touched by the compassion Nemu was showing her, Momo's eyes drifted downwards before telling her "It's just…. He reminds me a lot of him…. of Captain Aizen before he…..Well, you know." and the moment she spoke those words, a look of sadness and pity formed on Isane's face. It was clear to her that Momo was still suffering from the psychological trauma Aizen gave her and that Ichigo's kind and humble nature reminded her of her former Captain's or rather, the one he had always pretended to have for so many years.
Nonetheless, she gently put one of her hands on her fellow Lieutenant's petite left shoulder and tenderly reassured "Momo, there's nothing to worry about. He did defeat Aizen, remember?" causing Momo to gasp ever so slightly, the reminder of that fact somehow feeling like a dagger through her heart "He was willing to give his life away for our sake despite having been our enemy once. If that isn't enough proof of his kindness and altruism, i don't know what is. He even apologised to me and Lieutenant Sasakibe for hurting us in the abdomen back when we confronted him on Sokyoku Hill after he rescued Rukia, a year ago." she told her, her eyes for a moment filling with affection as she recalled that gesture that warmed her heart, one she would never forget.
Momo was taken completely aback by what Isane told her but part of her was unsure how to feel about Ichigo "I see…." was all she spoke as she looked at him from afar. Aizen may have been a cold-hearted monster all along and Ichigo may have been the one who defeated him but the fact was, she loved the former Captain of Squad Five. He loved him with all of her heart. Ichigo seemed just as kind and gentle as Aizen had always pretended himself to be…..
But what if it was all a facade, like the one her former Captain always had?
A general announcement from Sasakibe, after a few more minutes of chatting pulled her out of her trance "I believe we are almost all accounted for. There's only one last person we have to wait before we can start the meeting." everyone except Ichigo nodded in understanding and then one by one, Renji, Rukia, Izuru, Nanao, Sasakibe and Tetsuzaemon all headed over to the U-shaped table where Mashiro, Shuhei and Yachiru had also taken seat.
But as it turned out they didn't have to wait much longer for that other person to arrive. Ichigo already knew who it was but as soon as he spoke to himself "I wonder how she's doing" and began to head over to the table after all the other Lieutenants had taken their respective seats…..
All of a sudden he found his head in between two very large ball-shaped soft things. And less than a second after that, his cheeks went redder than Renji's hair upon quickly realising that those were in fact, a pair of very large breasts. And then….
"Awwwwww, Ichigo, my boy! It's been so long!" a familiar, cheerful feminine voice squealed in happiness and excitement and then a pair of arms wrapped around him and pulled him into an embrace which, unluckily for him, made his face sink deeper into the valley between those enormous breasts who belonged to none other than Rangiku Matsumoto, Lieutenant of Squad Ten, renowned through all the Seireitei for her beauty, teasing, carefree and provocative personality and especially for her lack of modesty. She had beautiful blue eyes, full lips, a beauty mark located on the right side of her mouth and wavy blond hair, which, unlike the year before, was now shorter, stopping at her shoulders and curling near her chin with the left side hanging over her face. And of course, her famous curvaceous body and large breasts was visible for all to see even underneath her Shihakusho due to how loose she carried her robes and especially due to a split her uniform had over her right leg's length. In addition, she wore a thin golden necklace tucked between her large breasts, a long pink scarf over her shoulders and, as opposed to around the arm, she carried her Lieutenant Badge on her uniform's white sash.
Ichigo quickly found it hard to breathe as Rangiku hugged him tighter and pulled him deeper into her chest and continue to squeal in joy "I missed you so much!" while the other Lieutenants all sweat-dropped.
"Damn him…. Why does he get to have that and i don't?" Shuhei mentally mused to himself with a comical look of envy and frustration, already beginning to view Ichigo with a bit of jealousy since he was one of many people who just so happened to have a crush on the beautiful Rangiku, something even Izuru shared. The Lieutenants of Squad Three, Nine and Ten where in fact close friends but Shuhei and Kira's feelings for Rangiku were one-sided: still that didn't stop them from getting into all sorts of whacky and embarrassing situations with the provocative, bubbly blonde woman including but not limited to, drinking alcoholic beverage together and even modelling sessions in which Shuhei and Kira were the models themselves! Now if only he could get to experience the heaven that is having his head in between those immaculate breasts….
As for the others, Renji, Izuru, Tetzusaemon, Isane, Nanao and Momo where blushing to various degrees upon seeing how shamelessly Rangiku had shoved Ichigo's head in between her big breasts while the men coudn't help but think how sexy it was. Rukia on the other hand, facepalmed while Yachiru and Mashiro were chuckling to each other, finding the moment very amusing.
Ichigo quickly began to yell as much as he could in protest since not only was he having a tough time to breathe, pressed as he was in between Rangiku's breasts "WO….. YOU…... PLEASE ST….. DOING THAT?! I CAN'T BR….. GODDAM….!" while at the same time tapping on the woman's arms, begging her to release him.
And upon yelling those words out, Rangiku chuckled cutely and, to Ichigo's relief, released him from her breasts before replying "Hehehe….Sorry, i got carried away." then she took a good look at him and her breath was taken away. He had become so handsome, so mature….So beautiful. Those sharper eyes, that longer hair, that more muscular phisique even compared to the one he had a year ago…..
"My, look at you. Look how strong and handsome you've become. Hard to believe you're the same boy from a year ago." she spoke in awe and with her smile becoming a gentle one as she tenderly put her hands on his cheeks and looked at him closer. However, the moment Ichigo took a good look at Rangiku after she removed his head from his breast, his initial irritation for that shameless prank she played on him was immediately replaced by a look of shock and disbelief as his eyes went wide and he suddenly began to feel his heart heavy.
"She looks so much like my mother…."
He thought fate was playing some cruel prank to him. But the fact is, with that shorter and messier hair, Rangiku resembled Ichigo's late mother, Masaki Kurosaki a lot. In fact if it weren't for her eyes being that distinct beautiful blue, Ichigo might as well thought that she and Masaki looked almost identical. It certainly helped that the hair was similar in color.
"Ichigo? Are you alright? Did i say something wrong?" Rangiku's concerned voice pulled him out of his trance and he saw that her initial cheerfulness was now replaced with worry and confusion as to why he was looking at her that way. Ichigo had failed to realise that he had been looking at her like that for a good 15 seconds, shocked as he was. Nonetheless after gasping in surprise, he closed his eyes, shook his head and replied "No, you haven't, don't worry." before taking his gaze off her blue eyes and telling her "And it's good to see you again too, Rangiku." trying to muster up a friendly tone and smile, but it was clear from the tone of his voice that he was still troubled. The other Lieutenants were quite perplexed by the reaction he had, especially Renji and Rukia, but nonetheless they watched as he came closer to the table and asked "So, umm….. Where can i sit?" trying to keep a professional tone.
Rukia and Renji gestured him to sit in between the former and Nemu while Rangiku went up to take her seat on the other side of the table. As he did, first he gave Isane a smile, as she was seated right behind Nemu before he formally introduced himself to the latter "Oh, ummm…. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, nice to meet you." as he offered his hand to her with a smile.
"Likewise. I'm Nemu Kurotsuchi, Lieutenant of Squad Twelve." the beautiful woman replied as she shook his hand with hers, her voice ever devoid of any emotion, surprising the former Substitute upon mentioning her surname.
"Kurotsuchi? Are you and that scientist related?" he asked, his eyes slightly wide in surprise. What Nemu told him next sent shivers down his spine "Yes. He is my father. Is there any particular reason why you wanted to ask me that?" she curiously inquired, her tone still devoid of any particular emotion as Ichigo's face went pale, his eyes comically wide open with his pupils comically constricted.
"N-No, none at all." he meekly replied as he turned his head away, unsettled by the mere idea that, apparently, the infamous mad scientist of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had reproduced. Part of him wished to never find out what kind of father he was. Of course, he was oblivious to the fact that Nemu wasn't actually a Soul Reaper but in fact, an enhanced Artificial Soul, created from a combination of Gigai and Gikon tecnologies in a project called "The Nemuri Project" whose objective was to create new souls from a new breed of genetically engineering cells called "Konpaku Cells", aside from finding ways to artificially modify Zampakutos. It took many decades of trial and error to create Nemu, the 7th iteration of that project and the only one to succesfully evolve into a stable soul that could live within a reasonable life-span, albeit, greatly reduced compared to that of most Soul Reapers.
At the same time, Rukia and Renji were whispering to each other as silently as they could to avoid the others's attention "Something's up, Renji. I'm more than willing to bet that he didn't have that reaction by chance." the former whispered to her lover.
"Why not? I mean, for one, you know how beautiful Rangiku is. And you did see how embarrassed he was when she tried to seduce him back when we went at his house with Captain Hitsugaya and the others." Renji replied as he glanced towards Rangiku, seated on the other side of the table and added with a sly smile "Plus, those big boobs of hers have quite an effe-"
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Rukia sharply told him as she shot him one of her death glares, making him wince in shock. She could be very scary when she wanted to.
"N-Nothing, forget i said that." Renji nervously reassured her as he raised both his hands in apology, causing Rukia to scoff at him. After a couple of seconds of awkward silence, the princess of the Kuchiki Clan told her fiancé "We have to talk to him. I know he's been through a lot in these last couple of days but the way he reacted towards Rangiku? There's clearly more to it than meets the eye." earning a nod of understanding from him
But before she could reply, Sasakibe, seated at the head of the table, brought the meeting to order by speaking up "Very well. I believe we can begin the meeting now that we are all accounted for." and the other Lieutenants stopped speaking between each other as he did so. Then he looked at Isane and told her "Lieutenant Kotetsu, you may begin by addressing the first topic in question." Isane nodded and pulled out a notebook where the various monthly developments of each squad had been compiled.
And thus the meeting began.
To Ichigo's surprise, the meeting turned out to be nothing to write home about. The issues brought up mostly consisted of various members and lower seated officers of each squad being assigned to new duties or reassigned to other duties for various reasons, as well as their replacements, which were of Sasakibe to approve or not. Also brought up, were the current budgets of each Squad, the future projects that some of the Squads planned to undertake amongst other things….
As well as Yachiru's childish and often ridiculous proposals, chief of which including candies in food rations.
Needless to say, it was about as tedious and average as one would expect. Which meant that Ichigo was more than happy when Sasakibe eventually announced the meeting's end, allowing the other Lieutenants to leave. And as he left the room, along with the others, he could hear the voice of his Inner Hollow complaining in his mind "That was so boriiiiinnnng! Even watching fucking puppy shows is more entertaining than staying on a chair for God knows how many hours and having to hear each and every single one of those guys blabbering about all that crap, especially that blasted pink-haired girl! Gotta say though, those were all some hot babes." it complained before its voice took on a much more lecherous tone "'Specially that blonde one who shoved your head in between those giant tits of hers. God, she's so sexy." causing Ichigo's cheeks to turn beet red in embarrassment.
"Shut up. She held me so tight, i almost passed out." the Lieutenant of Squad Two snorted back at his Hollow Self, who countered teasingly "Oh, please. I know you enjoyed it deep down. Or did you forget that i'm the embodiment of your depeest, most primal instincts and desires?" making Ichigo blush even more for that was not something he could deny. After all, a Vizard's Inner Hollow was the representation of a Vizard's darkest impulses and desires, since they were after all, Hollows, monsters by nature, guided by evil impulses. Needless to say, it wasn't easy for Ichigo to control his Inner Hollow in the aftermath of his fight with Byakuya. Luckily the Vizards taught him how to do that and for that, he will always be grateful "I just remembered. I'd like to give Shinji and the others a visit someday, maybe even have a drink with him and thank them for everything they've…."
Rukia's voice pulled him out of his thoughts "Well, i'd say for your first meeting, it went quite smoothly." Ichigo turned around and saw her along with Reni come towards him with a smile on their faces. Ichigo merely crossed his arms over his chest and replied casually "I mean, not that there was much to talk about. Is that how these meetings usually go? And does Yachiru always talk about food during these meetings?"
Renji coudn't help but chuckle as he told him "Oh, you don't know half of it. Sometimes, Omaeda had to bring some food just to keep her occupied. She literally eats anything, even flowers if she wants to!" causing Ichigo to sweat-drop in embarrassment.
"Yeah, right…. How is she a Lieutenant again? You'd think Kenpachi would at least know better than to put a spoiled little girl as his second in command. And last time Orihime told me about her, she said she had literally zero sense of direction." Ichigo bluntly told his two friends and fellow Lieutenants as they all began to walk away on the bridge leading to the meeting room, making them chuckle even more "Yeah, try saying that to her face and see what happens." Rukia teased him in between her chuckles.
"Oh trust me, i know." Ichigo nervously replied, recalling all too well how she beat him up with nothing more than her feet when he tried to interfere in Kenpachi's fight with the Fifth Espada, Nnoitra Gilga. True, he was greatly injured as a result of his fight with Grimmjow and the subsequent involvement of Nnoitra and his Fraccion Tesra Lyndocruz who proceeded to nearly torture Ichigo to death, but still, he definetely felt those little kicks back then and that was all he needed to know that although a spoiled brat, Yachiru was not to be taken lightly, as any Squad Eleven member was after all.
The three stopped walking as Isane's beautiful voice came "Excuse me, but….." she shyly spoke as Ichigo turned towards her "Do you have a minute or two, Ichigo? There's someone who wished to meet you."
Ichigo raised an eyebrow inquisitively and replied "Yeah, sure. Shoudn't take too long either w-" only for his eyes to widen as soon as Momo came out from behind Isane and all at once, his mind retreated back to when Aizen had tricked Toshiro into stabbing her. Her hairstyle was different from the one she had a year ago and quite similar to the one Rukia currently had, but there was no mistaking her.
"H-Hello…." Momo shyly spoke, trying to look at Ichigo but failing to do so due to the conflicting feelings she was having at the moment. It took much encouragement from Isane and Nemu to convince her to introduce herself to Ichigo, since both believed it would have helped her come out of the shell her trauma had made her fall into.
"You….I remember you….. Y-You were….." Ichigo hesitantly spoke, the unbridled rage and hatred Toshiro felt upon realising what Aizen had made him done, still etched in his mind, causing Momo to gulp, for she knew exactly what she was referring to.
At the same time, a worried Renji called out "Momo? Are you alright?" while an equally worried Rukia looked at her with shaking eyes. Nonetheless, the Lieutenant of Squad Five gave them a reassuring smile and replied "I am, don't worry. I just wanted to introduce myself to him." then, after mustering enough courage, she finally managed to look at Ichigo and after coming closer to him and shyly putting her hands down, one on top of the other, she proceeded to introduce herself to him with the sweetest voice and expression one could possibly imagine a girl to have "I'm Momo Hinamori, Lieutenant of Squad Five. And it's a real honor to meet you, Ichigo Kurosaki."
Ichigo was left astounded. Not only was she so pretty and sweet but she also looked quite similar to Karin in terms of hairstyle. Yet her personality resembled that of Yuzu and it made Ichigo feel quite amased to see someone who despite looking like his younger sister, who was infamous for being heavily short-tempered and rude, had the sweet and caring personality of his older sister, Yuzu. Thus, Ichigo returned the sweet smile and replied "Nice to meet you too. Guess Renji and the others have already told you about me, right?" assuming that he and Momo went a long way back due to how worried Renji was when he asked if she was okay.
"They have! They told me so much about you! Even your…. Rather peculiar taste in art." Momo happily told him while also sparing a glance to Rukia and Renji which made Ichigo sweat-drop and also look with his trademark comical annoyed scowl towards the both of them who were both chuckling in amusement with a hand over their mouths since it was pretty clear that they had told her of all the times he shamelessly insulted Rukia's drawings "Of course they did. Damn you Rukia….."
Momo's voice pulled him out of his thoughts "I also saw you coming out of the Garganta and attack Captain Aizen." which made him gasp in surprise and look back towards her again due to how her voice had now become shy and hesitant, which in turn also made Ichigo a little uncertain on what to say next "It was…. So brave of you." she added, her beautiful brown eyes drifting away from him "At the time, i had been incapacitated and Izuru was taking his time healing Rangiku and i, but i was able to see it from the streets in the Fake Karakura where we had found momentary refuge from the fighting. Your bravery left me in awe…..How you inspired everyone else to charge Captain Aizen at the same time in order to protect you and give you the opportunity to finish him off…. Of course that was before Toshiro…Well…." the words caught up in her throat and she coudn't finish her sentence. So much pain had now filled every word that left her mouth as she recalled that awful moment.
And all at once, a great wave of sorrow and pity washed over Ichigo. Of course, he didn't know the entire story but what he did know was that she and Toshiro were friends, childhood friends, so the fact that she had been stabbed by the young Captain, by her own friend had brought lots of trauma which only added to the trauma Aizen's betrayal had brought upon her and of which, Ichigo was completely unaware of. It also made him hate Aizen even more and brought him even more satisfaction for the humiliation he put him through before unleashing the Mugetsu upon him, something he survived only thanks to the regenerative abilities the Hogyoku had given him.
Much sadness also filled Rukia, Renji and Isane's faces as they saw Momo recall that horrible event once again. Although her coping and the support she got from many of her friends, including Nemu of all people, did allow her to move on for the past year, there were still many occasions in which the trauma was too much for her to bear, causing her to break down in tears. And right now was turning out to be yet another of those occasions.
"Momo, i….." Ichigo softly but hesitantly spoke, wanting to bring some sort of comfort to her, but the beautiful girl reassured him "It's okay. You did the right thing. I don't blame you for what you did to Captain Aizen. I just…. " she paused, shutting her eyes upon recalling the moment Aizen thanked her before impaling her through the chest with his Zampakuto "Wish that he wasn't what he's always truly been."
Isane coudn't bear to watch anymore so she came towards Momo and pulled her into a hug as it was clear that she was moments away from breaking down in tears "It's okay, i'm here." she tenderly reassured as she caressed her black hair, making Momo bury herself into the much taller lavender haired woman's embrace.
Ichigo watched with his eyes shaking as Momo began to cry and at all once he suddenly began to feel some amount of guilt for having inadvertedly made the young Lieutenant recall those memories. Thus, he lowered his head, turned around and began to walk away, passing in between Rukia and Renji as he did so.
"Ichigo….." they both called out as he walked past them, both their eyes filled with much concern "Sorry. I have to go. The Captain told me to report back to the Squad Barracks once the meeting would be over. I guess we'll have to talk about another day." then without any other word, he dissappeared in a burst of Flash-Step, heading back to the Squad Two Barracks.
Several seconds of silence passed before Momo weakly spoke, having gotten a grip of herself but with tears still falling from her eyes "I…. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…." feeling guilty for having made Ichigo feel like that on their first ever meeting.
This time, it was Renji's turn to console her. He came towards her and gently placed a hand on Momo's left one while she was still in Isane's embrace, making her look into his eyes, filled with nothing but empathy "Momo, there is nothing you have to apologise for. We all know how much you have suffered. Believe me when i say that although we may have gone through different hardships, i know very well how it feels like to be so…. Powerless, vulnerable." he then turned towards Rukia, who had stayed behind and let Renji console Momo since he knew her much better than she did, and added "And so does Rukia." his caring expression warming her fiancé's heart. Hearing the first time from her just how much glee Aaroniero took in torturing her both physically and psychologically by using Kaien Shiba's visage broke his heart.
He then looked back at Momo and with a tender, reassuring smile, told her "But now Ichigo's here too. And if there's one thing he's good at, it's keeping promises. That, and he can quite the stubborn ass sometimes." making Isane and Momo chuckle a bit with this joke of his before he told the latter "And i can guarantee you, if he wants to protect someone, he WILL do it, even if it costs his life. Otherwise, he woudn't have fought the entire Soul Society to save Rukia and nearly get his guts torn out by Captain Zaraki among other things." his voice taking on quite an emotional tone as he recalled everything he and the former Substitute went through: their fight at the base of the Senzaikyu building complex, them putting their differences aside, training to achieve Bankai together and finally, their combined efforts to protect Rukia from Aizen. He still coudn't believe a year had passed and how they had gone from bitter enemies to brothers in arms.
Those words left Momo in awe. Had he really gone as far as facing the entire Thirteen Court Guard Squads on his own and with no more than four other teenagers for a friend? Was his resolve and courage really that powerful?
"I see." Momo replied, managing to regain her sweet smile, to the others's delight, since either way, she had a feeling that in the coming weeks she would find if all the tales about Ichigo were true or not since he was here to stay, forever.