Chapter 9

"I'm back!" Ichigo's voice echoed from one of the hallways.

Isshin took a few seconds to prepare himself for the 'talk' that he and Masaki would be bestowing upon their son.

"Here!" Masaki answered, her mischievous smile clearly plastered on her face.

Isshin gulped. That does not bode well. At least for their son. Though Isshin freely admits it to himself that he has one hell of a twisted sense of humor, that only pales in comparison to his smarmy wife.

Masaki wiggled her eyebrows at him. Isshin could only facepalm.

"Mom? Dad?" Ichigo's voice was inquiring. "Where are you?"

"In here, son!" Masaki called once again.

A second later, the door slid open and Ichigo walked inside the room. His eyes were probing the room until he saw them. His eyebrows immediately raised in question.

"Oookayyy…" he trailed off "Wwwhat's going on?" He tread towards them slowly and tentatively.

"Sit, son," Masaki gestured towards the cushion seat in front of them. Ichigo followed the instructions.

Ichigo scoffed slightly. "Am I going to be grounded? You do realize that I'm a month's time from being an actual eighteen-year old adult?"

Isshin hummed in response. "We have to talk. About Inoue."

Immediately, the room seemed to run cold and the air became heavy. The atmosphere was still and tense. Then, in a voice that promised actual harm, Ichigo said, "What's wrong with Inoue?"

"That's not the way to talk to your parents," Isshin admonished Ichigo.

That seemed to snap him back to reality. Ichigo's shoulders slumped. His eyes focused on the floor, refusing to meet their gaze. He ran his hands through his hair in silent frustration. "I'm…sorry." He turned to look at them. "What is this about Inoue?"

"What is she to you?" Isshin asked promptly.

"Isshin!" Masaki exclaimed in surprise, aghast.

A series of emotions flickered in Ichigo's face: shock, fear, embarrassment and more. Basically, it was an explosive festival of blushing colors before it eventually settled into a carefully crafted poker face. "I-I don't know what you mean."

Isshin could see that his son was about to crack. ' A little more goading, I see,' he remarked to himself with a smirk.

"What your father is saying is that –" Masaki began but Isshin cut her off.

"That's good then," Isshin pretended to agree. "Honestly, I don't like you hanging out with that girl. After she's been healed, you and I are going to return to the World of the Living, and tell your sisters everything about their true ancestry."

"What?" Ichigo's voice was measured yet seething. "What did you say about Inoue?"

Isshin felt shivers run down his spine. But he will not be deterred here. Not now. "You heard me, son. Don't pretend that you don't. That girl has you on a chokehold. She's not good for your health. She's not good enough for you."

"Enough, dad!" Ichigo's voice rose. A dark shadow seemed to have been cast upon his face as his expression was beyond just angry. Ichigo was livid. "Do not ever speak of Inoue like that or so I'll-"

"Or what?" Isshin challenged, his own eyes narrowing "Or what, son?"

"Isshin! Ichigo! Stop it!" Masaki's harsh admonishing tone cut the tension between them.

Ichigo's expression calmed down but Isshin kept his serious disposition the same. He knew Ichigo would respond better if he kept this facade.

"So, Ichigo? What's your answer?"

"It doesn't matter what you think, dad. Inoue is Inoue. She's a good and selfless person," Ichigo explained.

Isshin kept his silence. There was no need to say anything now. At least not yet. Instead, he stared down at his foolish son as if to encourage him to speak. He then put his hand on Masaki's thigh as if to signal her of his thought process– that they should not yet interrupt, and just let Ichigo express everything.

"And I don't care whether you approve of her or not!" Ichigo cried out. "You said that she's not good enough for me, but you're wrong! You got it all wrong! It was me who's not good enough for her! And I'm just lucky enough to be at her mercy! So, how dare you! How dare you say those things about her when she's lying there. She almost died, dad!" Ichigo's expression crumbled to that of a lost young boy. He was on the verge of tears.

Then in a rare show of vulnerability, a sob escaped from Ichigo's lips. "She almost died, dad. She-she wasn't breathing, and I-I had to perform an emergency CPR. And then, whatever we do, nothing happens. And-and it's all my fault. If I had just defeated Yhwach sooner, Inoue wouldn't have had to push herself beyond what she could. How could you say those things about Inoue, when it was my fault that she ended up this way? It was my fault…"

And then Ichigo continued to cry, his hands covering his face, as tremors shook his shoulders. Suddenly, he does not look like the most powerful being in all of the Realms. Instead, Ichigo just looked like the fragile person that he is.

'Did I also look like that when Masaki died?' Isshin asked himself.

'Yes,' a voice inside him answered.

Masaki squeezed the hand that he placed on her thigh. She looked at him meaningfully as if to encourage him to drop the act.

Isshin sighed. He fucked up. He went too far with this one. He only started this as a joke meant to make Ichigo admit his true feelings for the girl, but Isshin did not expect that his son actually blamed himself for what happened to her. He sat up and embraced Ichigo.

"How dare you, dad," Ichigo said weakly as he tried to calm himself down. "Take back what you said about her. Take it back."

"I know, son. I take it back. I'm sorry," Isshin said, patting Ichigo's back. "And it's not your fault. It's not."

"Ichigo," Masaki cooed, walking towards them. She ran her hands against their son's hair to soothe him. "We're sorry."

"-s alright," Ichigo sniffled, wiping his face with the sleeves of his Shinigami robes. "It's alright," he repeated as he sat down.

Isshin took it as a sign that they should resume their seats as well. Now that Ichigo has expressed his insecurities regarding the circumstances surrounding the girl, that does not mean that they were far from done. In fact, they have much to unpack here. Isshin needed Ichigo to admit something that he unconsciously repressed.

"Ichigo," Masaki took the reins this time. "Who is Inoue Orihime?"

Ichigo's eyes widened for a fraction, and a tinge of red flickered for but a moment in his face before it immediately disappeared. He looked away, his brows scrunched in what seemed to be an effort not to appear uncool.

'Foolish kid,' Isshin remarked to himself.

Ichigo cleared his throat for a moment. "Inoue's got this warmth about her that's tough to explain. She's kind of quirky, always spacing out or thinking about things that don't make sense to anyone but her," Ichigo chuckled lightly, shaking his head in amusement. "But honestly, that's what makes her, well…her."

"What about her character?" Masaki asked, her voice beaming with excitement.

Isshin looked over to witness his wife suddenly looking like a teenager giddy at the prospect of talking about love. He chuckled as well.

Ichigo scratched his face for a bit. "She's gentle in a way that just feels natural—like she's always thinking of others before herself."

He paused, as if thinking about what to say next. "Sometimes that worries me, though, 'cause she doesn't realize when she's doing too much. But what really gets me is how strong she is, even if she doesn't show it outright. There's this quiet toughness in her, the way she keeps pushing through no matter what happens."

Then, suddenly, Ichigo's eyes illuminated as if he remembered a particular story. "Did you know, when I first became a Shinigami," Ichigo beamed. "Inoue's brother had transformed into a Hollow. I was hesitating to fight her brother. I think she noticed it as well because even without her powers, Inoue stopped the fight by taking sacrificing herself to end it. Although the whole thing is not something I should be proud of, I was amazed by her guts!" By this time, Ichigo was possibly grinning like an idiot before it shifted into a rueful smile. "No one does that…or at least, at that time, I can only count on my one hand the number of people who would readily put their lives on the line for me."

Something inside Isshin's chest twists, but he decided that this was not the time for his own feelings and sentiments. Their son needed them…him…to listen.

"She always finds some way to stay hopeful, even when things look pretty bad. I admire that about her."

"Would it be alright if you elaborate on this?" Masaki smiled.

"Uh…well…okay. When Rukia had been sentenced to death at Sokyoku Hill, I was confused on what to do. What would be the right thing to do? I am from the Human World and she's from here, Soul Society. Does saving Rukia mean taking her away from the only place she could call home? Those were my thoughts before. I did not know what to do because whatever I chose, it seemed hopeless. But Inoue…she…one day, she came to me and in just a few words, she made me realize that there is hope after all. That saving Rukia was the right answer."

"And…and when Ishida, Chad and Ganju were imprisoned in one of the barracks here," Ichigo laughed at the memory. "It was actually Inoue who found some way to free them. And Dad, Mom, did you know how she did?!" Ichigo was barely containing his laughter.

"H-How?" Isshin asked. Suddenly, he felt like Ichigo became this stranger.

' No,' Isshin contradicted himself. He should be honest to himself. 'This was the true Ichigo, the one who he truly was…is…should have been, before tragedy struck their family…before I failed to become the father that his son deserved.'

"She got Kenpachi Zaraki to free them!" Ichigo burst into laughter. "The Kenpachi ! The Captain of the Eleventh Division known for only bashing skulls! She got him to release my friends! She didn't even fought him. She probably just waltzed in there, and boom, she got him to do what she wanted."

"Everywhere she goes, there is hope. Even when she was taken to Hueco Mundo, she brought light to that miserable place…just because of who she is. Just because of her kindness, something in Hueco Mundo…the Arrancars there changed."

By now, Ichigo was looking at them straight in their eyes, with a smile and a resolute expression. "Inoue's kindness is her strength, and she's a reminder that being soft doesn't mean you're weak. She was always there…she always had my back."

Isshin was taken aback, to the point that he was not able to speak immediately.

"Would you say that you're going to do whatever it takes to protect her?" Masaki asked, her voice slightly more distinct in tone.

"Yes."

"Good. Good," Masaki replied. "Son, if you have resolved that you're going to do whatever it takes to protect her…don't you think that she's resolved to do the same for you?'

"I-"

"You said that she's always there for you. That would also mean that you have always been there for her."

"I-"

"If she has always been your sun, that also means that you have always been her sun. If she is deserving of everything that you can offer, doesn't that also mean that you are also deserving of the same thing from her? And if you are willing to go to great lengths for her, doesn't that also mean she's willing to do whatever it takes for you?"

"I-" Ichigo's expression was stupefied for a moment before it melted into something affectionate. "I guess you're right, Mom."

"So don't blame yourself for what happened to her. That's the same thing as stomping on her pride. Instead, just focus on finding ways to wake her up, okay?" Masaki smiled warmly.

Ichigo's lip curved upwards and his face cleared. "Thanks, Mom."

"Last question, Ichigo," Isshin interjected before the conversation took off in another tangent.

"Yes, Dad?"

"Does this mean that you lo-"

"Kurosaki!" a voice from outside the door echoed loudly. "Come here now. I need you to look over these notes."

"Excuse me, Mom, Dad," Ichigo stood up and began walking towards the door. "Thanks again for the pep talk. I'm feeling a lot better now," Ichigo smiled before turning around and exiting the door.

"Damn," Masaki muttered once they deemed that Ichigo was out of earshot. "We almost got him to admit it."

Isshin looked over at his wife. She was comically biting her fingernails in what appears to be mock frustration. Then she glanced at him and chuckled.

It was contagious, that Isshin also burst into laughter. He wiped a stay tear from his eye. "It's alright, Honey. Maybe this is for the best. That son of ours would have to come to terms with it in his own time."

"I guess talking about the birds and the bees won't be happening anytime soon," Masaki quipped with a snicker.

"Yo, Ishida!" Ichigo called as he entered one of the living spaces inside the Kuchiki Manor. "Why ya hollering?"

Uryuu shot him an annoyed expression. He was beside a large wooden table. On top of the table rests some few scrolls and a neat stack of books. "Buffoon, I found some lead."

That immediately got Ichigo's attention, so much so that he pursed his lips and promptly made a beeline towards their four-eyed friend.

"Here," Uryuu handed him a piece of paper. "Use that bird brain of yours to decode this shitty poem written by one of the Quincies."

Without hesitation, Ichigo took the paper and read its contents. His brows furrowed in concentration and perhaps even frustration. "The fuck is this? Quincies can't even write some decent literature?!"

"You're a Quincy, too, idiot," Uryuu fired back.

"Fuck you too, Ishida," Ichigo commented nonchalantly, his eyes wandering over the poem. "Why ask me to analyze this shit?"

Uryuu's expression showed extreme irritation before he tried and failed to rein in his temper. "For the love of God, Kurosaki! Let's not pretend that you don't have one of the highest scores in our Language Subjects! My God!"

"Wouldn't hurt to hear that from you from time to time, Your Smartiness," Ichigo quipped, basking in this small victory against the smug bastard with a stick so far up his ass.

"Are you high, Kurosaki?!" Uryuu exclaimed, looking at him with a mixture of indignation and disbelief. "Did you smoke one too many Getsuga Tenshous?"

"Nah," Ichigo replied, going over the piece of paper once again. "Okay. I'm done with the preliminary analysis. Let's call the others."

"Let's save that for later," a voice interrupted their conversation. In front of them was Rukia. She was now wearing some bougie purple-colored homewear robes. "Onii-sama, has called for the evening supper. He has invited all of the current guests to the main dining hall. Come on." Rukia then turned around and walked away.

Ichigo and Uryuu followed. "I gotta say, Rukia. I'm kinda creeped out by Byakuya right now. He's too…how can I describe this? He's full of sunshines and rainbows."

Rukia chuckled for a moment before it shifted into a comfortable silence as if she was contemplating some things. "Well, he may not directly show it…but just like me, he's very grateful to Inoue."

Then Rukia turned to face them. They had stopped in the middle of the hallway. Her expression was content laced with some concern. "Inoue gave us back the light in our lives. I may not know the full extent of Onii-sama and Hisana-onee-sama's marriage, but I know that Onii-sama is very thankful for this second chance with the love of his life. His debt of gratitude to Inoue is not something that can never be measured. That is why he is doing whatever it takes to ensure that Inoue recovers even if it's just in the capacity of accommodations."

Rukia shook her head with a light smile. "The same is true for me. Inoue returned my Onee-sama to me without me even asking for it. And for that, I am eternally grateful. I would assume that that is also the same with you two."

"I-" Uryuu began, his eyes refusing to meet theirs. "I agree."

"Ichigo," Rukia turned to him. "I hope you're not blaming yourself for what happened to Inoue."

"I don't," Ichigo answered. "Or not as much anymore…My Mom and Dad already talked to me."

"Good," Rukia smiled, turning back to start walking. "We wouldn't want Inoue to wake up just to see us with large eye bags."

BOOM!

CRASH!

"Now what?" Uryuu exclaimed with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"This Reiatsu?" Ichigo gasped. "Nooo! It's Grimmjow! He's near Inoue." Then, without missing a beat, Ichigo sprinted towards the direction. "Ishida, follow me."

"I'll inform Onii-sama," Rukia called as she ran in the opposite direction.

"Kurosaki," Ishida whispered to him, as he matched his speed. "Isn't Grimmjow one of the…less sleazy of the Arrancars?"

"That's not what I'm worried about," Ichigo said, increasing his pace. "I know that Inoue's going to be safe with Grimmjow. It's just that I took Inoue's big brother to where she was. I don't know what Grimmjow would do to him."

"Oh," Ishida realized. "Oh, fuck."

Ichigo and Ishida made one last turn to the left, and they were greeted with the sight of Inoue's recovery room…that was not entirely decimated to the ground?

"That's weird," Ishida commented. "I didn't think that Grimmjow was capable of restraint. People really do change."

"Change, my ass!" Ichigo cursed as he marched inside the room. Dusts were floating midair, obscuring Ichigo's vision. He then opted to shout. "Oi, Grimmjow! Get the hell out of here! Inoue's recovering, and I am not in the mood to play fetch with you."

"Che!" Grimmjow cursed loudly. "I'll have you know, you self-involved, carrot-haired bastard, that I am not here to fight you."

The smoke cleared to reveal that Grimmjow was having a big stare down with Inoue's big brother. The Sexta Espada was gearing to pounce upon the innocent, defenseless yet defiant Sora-onii-san.

Sora-onii-san. Ichigo just gave up. There were too many Inoue s. He will just have to call the older one with his first name, rude as it may be.

"Stop!" Ichigo made a move to get between the two before.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, although I am grateful for your help, this is my pride as an older brother," Sora-onii-san said in gritted teeth. "I need to protect my sister from that pervert. I will not allow that punk to breathe even the same air as Orihime, let alone touch her!"

"Kurosaki, stay out of this," Grimmjow made a move to unsheathe the sword strapped to one of his belts. "That man is an Arrancar. I can smell faint traces of Hollow Reiatsu from him. Whoever he is, that is not that woman's brother."

"W-What?!" Ichigo exclaimed in confusion.

"GRIND! PANTERA!"

"Grimmjow! Stop!" Ichigo hollered.

"MELT! ÁCIDO!"

Two great bursts of light and explosions of Reiatsu shook the room. Dust flew everywhere, again blocking Ichigo's sight.