Hello, everyone. ThunderReborn from 2025. This chapter has originally been edited by TM11 when this chapter was originally released. On April 1st, 2020, this chapter was edited again by Darklord331. Finally, in April 2025, this chapter was edited again by my current beta reader, Waroyer123. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story.
The following is a fan-based parody.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, TV Tokyo, Viz Media, Studio Pierrot... and other people.
Highschool DXD is owned by Ichiei Ishibumi, Miyama-Zero, Fuhumishobo, Funimation, ATX, and TNK.
All other references of characters or abilities are not mine.
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"Hello." -Normal talking
'Hello.' –Ichigo's thoughts.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō speaking
"Hello." – Zanpakutō thoughts.
Kon'nichiwa [Translation of Hello]
Chapter 5 – Secrets Revealed
Scene change: Kurosaki Residence
"I'm home," Yuzu announced as she arrived, expecting someone to reply. Hearing no response, she went to the dinner table to check for a note but found nothing. She then looked over at the fridge and saw a piece of paper. Upon closer inspection, Yuzu realized it wasn't a normal note but a letter. She began to read it, and at first, she thought it was a lie. After rereading it, tears began to fall. Grabbing her phone, Yuzu called Ichigo. After numerous calls and texts went unanswered, she called Karin.
"Hello?" Karin answered.
"Karin, where are you right now?" Yuzu asked.
"At Urahara's. Why?" Karin replied.
"Is Dad there as well?" Yuzu asked.
"Yes, he's here. Yuzu, what happened?" Karin asked, beginning to worry.
"Stay there; I'm coming. Also, call everyone. NOW!" Yuzu said before hanging up. She then ran to her room, picked up the other letters, and headed toward Urahara's Shop.
"Karin, was that Yuzu?" Isshin asked.
"Yes. She sounded mad or scared, Goat-Chin. She also told me to get everyone here," Karin informed him.
"Okay, I'll gather everyone," Isshin agreed with a nod.
Ten minutes later, Yuzu arrived at Urahara's Shop, out of breath and with her eyes red from crying.
"Yuzu, why are you crying?" Karin asked worriedly.
"Give this to everyone and tell them to read it," Yuzu said before retreating to a corner to cry. Karin looked at her sister in concern, wanting to comfort her but needing to know what had happened first. Urahara grabbed the original letter, made copies, and passed them around to all those gathered. After everyone finished reading the letter, emotions ran high.
"Everyone, this is me, Ichigo. If you're reading this, then I've already left town. I will return someday, but Karakura Town doesn't feel like home anymore. The people I fought for… the people I sacrificed everything for… have abandoned me. My friends no longer spend time with me. As for family, I haven't seen Goat-Chin since the fall of Aizen. He's been avoiding me for all these years. Whether it's because he doesn't want to talk about his past or for some other reason, he has abandoned me. As for my sisters, I can see that you two are growing older—old enough that your Onii-chan doesn't need to be in the picture. Karin, you're starting to get stronger, able to protect those you love. Yuzu, I know you try not to show it, but I can tell you're worried about me. I just need some time away from everything. My dear sisters, I've written three more letters. Two of them are for you. The other one is for Yama-Jiji. Please give it to Tōshirō or Yoruichi. I trust them to deliver it to Yama-Jiji without opening it.
Please don't look for me, everyone. I need this time to find a reason to live because I don't have one anymore. I will see you all someday. Yuzu and Karin, I don't blame you for this. If you don't wish to return home, you can ask Oji-san for a place to stay."
Everyone reacted differently to the news that Ichigo had left. Karin joined Yuzu in the corner and began to cry, with Tōshirō trying to comfort her. Yuzu paused her own crying to join Tōshirō in comforting Karin. Orihime also broke down, and Chad tried to console her while feeling internally depressed, realizing he had broken his promise to Ichigo. Uryū understood to some extent how Ichigo felt. When he lost his powers the first time, he also felt this way—without purpose. But back then, Ichigo didn't let him feel miserable or alone. Urahara, Yoruichi, Tōshirō, Rukia, and Renji all felt miserable, realizing they had spread the word that Ichigo wanted to be left alone from the spiritual side of the world. Isshin, however, felt horrible. Not only had he failed to notice how his son was feeling, but he was also the one who told the others to spread those lies, thus causing all of this.
"Normally, I would allow all of you to stay in my shop. But I think everyone has overstayed their welcome. Please leave, except for the Kurosaki twins. If you wish to stay here, you are most welcome," Urahara stated, addressing everyone at first and then directing his words to Yuzu and Karin.
"That would be fine until we can contact Oji-san," Yuzu said.
"That won't be a problem, Yuzu-chan. I am happy to host both of my nieces at my home," Ryūken revealed as he stepped into the room.
"And your mother gives her permission," Masaki added as she levitated next to Ryūken.
"Masaki!?" Isshin yelled in shock. He quickly got up and tried to hug her, but she slapped him in the face and began kicking him.
"You stupid, stupid IDIOT!" she yelled. "You thought you were helping Ichigo, Isshin! But you forgot that he doesn't have many friends. The few friends he has all know about the spiritual side, and you told them to avoid him!" Masaki admonished, finally done kicking Isshin. She then looked at the others. "As for all of you, you're all failures as Ichigo's friends!" she yelled before focusing on Chad, Orihime, and Uryū. "You three! You were all with Ichigo during the Invasion of Soul Society and the war with Aizen. Did any of you need to talk to someone about what you witnessed during the war?" Masaki asked.
"Yes," the three replied simultaneously, a bit scared of the Kurosaki matriarch.
"And who was there for Ichigo to talk to?" she asked, but no one answered. "That's right. No one!" Masaki yelled. Taking a deep breath—not that she needed to, being a ghost—she sat down in the corner with Yuzu and Karin.
"I am not sorry for yelling at all of you," Masaki said, holding her chain. Yuzu, Karin, and Ryūken gasped. Masaki's chain was now less than two feet long compared to how it was when they first saw her. "You know what hurts the most?" she asked as another link fell off her chain. "Standing there, watching Ichigo write everything, and then stand outside, ready to leave. I saw him do all of this but couldn't do anything about it because of his ungrateful friends!" she yelled before disappearing.
"MASAKI!" Isshin yelled and was about to chase after her before Ryūken grabbed him. "Let go of me!" he yelled. Urahara sighed and smacked Isshin on the back of the neck, knocking him out. Ryūken then let him drop to the floor.
"Kurosaki and I are related?" Uryū asked once Masaki's rant was over.
"Yes, Uryū. You and Ichigo are related," Ryūken said. "We will talk about this when we get back home."
"Okay…" Uryū replied.
"Well… I need to report all of this to the Sōtaichō," Yoruichi stated as she stood up.
"Must you, Yoruichi?" Urahara asked.
"She must, Urahara. Remember that she was recently reinstated as Taichō of the 2nd Division and Commander of the Onmitsukidō. If the Sōtaichō finds out that this happened and we covered it up, we all might be labeled as traitors," Tōshirō said, though even he didn't want to inform the Sōtaichō either. "Come on, Shihōin-taichō. We need to deliver the letter and report this to the Sōtaichō."
"Yes," Yoruichi replied, and they and the rest of the Soul Reapers went through the Senkaimon after opening it. At this point, Isshin regained consciousness and looked at Urahara.
"Urahara, please help me try and fi—" Isshin began.
"No," Urahara interrupted.
"Why?" Isshin asked as he got up.
"I messed up a lot when it came to Ichigo. I tricked him into doing a lot of things, but he always ended up doing them, no matter what it was. Then, I decided to listen to you, and this is what happened. If Ichigo wishes to be left alone, then why should I go against his wishes?" Urahara said before forcing Isshin out of his shop.
Scene change: Soul Society, Yamamoto's Office
"So, Ichigo Kurosaki left home due to your stupidity," Yamamoto stated more than asked after hearing the summaries of the Shinigami who had been at Urahara's Shop.
"Yes, Sōtaichō," they replied.
"You're dismissed. Shihōin-taichō, standby outside of my office," Yamamoto ordered.
"Hai, Sōtaichō," they all stated before leaving his office. Yamamoto then opened up Ichigo's letter and began to read.
"Hello, Yama-Jiji. If you are reading this letter, then you have more than likely already been briefed on what has happened. The reason why I wrote this letter to you concerns a few things. First, I'm calling in on the various debts that Soul Society owes me. The first debt comes from my involvement in the Winter War. For that, I want you to make it difficult for Soul Society to find me, whether you send your worst Shinigami to search the wrong places, or by not telling Central 46 about my disappearance. The next debt I am calling in concerns the Bounts, Muramasa, Kasumioji, and all of the other messes I had to clean up for you. I request the creation of a special bank account at any bank of your choice, and that you deposit whatever amount you deem worthy of dealing with all the Soul Society's problems that I named above.
Second, I have information about an upcoming war. Yhwach will awaken, and the Quincy War will resume once more. I was told by a trusted source that these Quincies will have some sort of equipment that will allow them to interfere with Bankai. Tell everyone who has a Bankai to figure out other methods to fight. In exchange for this information, I want you to provide my sisters, Yuzu and Karin, protection from this war, whether by placing them in a pocket dimension or by not allowing the war to enter Karakura Town.
Thank you, Yamamoto. Best regards,
Ichigo Kurosaki"
After Yamamoto finished reading the letter, many things went through his mind. Chief among them was that the Quincies would be back and the 1000-Year War would restart. Another was the source of Ichigo's information and the information itself—that the Quincies could interfere with their Bankai is quite a terrifying problem.
'That boy—no. That man seems to provide me with a lot of headaches,' Yamamoto thought.
"Shihōin-taichō, you may enter now!" Sōtaichō ordered. Yoruichi complied and entered the office. "I want you to find the most incompetent members of the Onmitsukidō and have them track Ichigo Kurosaki down."
"Sōtaichō, why the most incompetent members? Shouldn't I order my best to track him down?" Yoruichi asked, perplexed at the order.
"Normally, yes, but this is Ichigo Kurosaki. In his letter to me, he is calling in the debt for defeating Aizen and requests to be left alone. We know that is impossible. We can, however, have our most incompetent people look for him," Yamamoto ordered.
"Of course, Sōtaichō. Anything else?" Yoruichi asked with a small smile.
"In one hour, I will call a Taichō meeting regarding this topic. Make sure those involved show up," Yamamoto ordered.
"Hai, Sōtaichō!" Yoruichi said before leaving with a Shunpō.
Scene change: Main Hall of the First Division
One hour later, all the Taichō and their Fukutaichō gathered for the meeting. Representing the First Division is, of course, Yamamoto and his Fukutaichō, Chōjirō Sasakibe. For the Second Division, the Taichō is Yoruichi, with Suì-Fēng as her Fukutaichō. The Third Division is represented by Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi-taichō, better known as Rose, and his Fukutaichō, Izuru Kira. The ever-smiling Retsu Unohana-taichō and Isane Kotetsu-fukutaichō represent the Fourth Division, while Shinji Hirako and his longtime friend Hiyori Sarugaki represent the Fifth Division. The Sixth Division is represented by the ever-serious Byakuya Kuchiki-taichō and his Fukutaichō, Renji Abarai. Sajin Komamura-taichō and his Fukutaichō, Tetsuzaemon Iba, represent the Seventh Division. The Eighth Division is represented by Shunsui Kyōraku-taichō and, surprisingly, his two Fukutaichō, Nanao Ise and Lisa Yadōmaru. Representing the Ninth Division are Kensei Muguruma-taichō and his Fukutaichō, Mashiro Kuna. The young-looking Tōshirō Hitsugaya-taichō and the top-heavy Rangiku Matsumoto-fukutaichō represent the Tenth Division. Eleventh Division's Kenpachi Zaraki-taichō stands there representing his division with a scowl, his Fukutaichō, Yachiru Kusajishi, atop his shoulder as always. Representing the Twelfth Division are Mayuri Kurotsuchi-taichō and his 'daughter,' Nemu Kurotsuchi-fukutaichō. Finally, Jūshirō Ukitake-taichō represents the Thirteenth Division alongside his Fukutaichō, Rukia Kuchiki. Most of those gathered were questioning the reason for the unscheduled meeting, except for the few who knew about the topic and the impending trouble that was about to happen.
"Order," Yamamoto commanded as he pounded his cane on the floor, attracting the attention of the Taichō and Fukutaichō. "The meeting is now underway. Many of you must be wondering about the reason behind this meeting, so I'll be direct. As of this morning, Ichigo Kurosaki has gone missing. The reason for his disappearance is due to his feeling that everyone he cares about, from his friends here to his family back at home, abandoned him," Yamamoto stated. Immediately, all of the Vizards began shouting at that piece of news, each one remembering being told that Ichigo didn't want to interact with them.
"Order!" Yamamoto yelled, slamming his cane down again to regain their attention. "Can Shihōin-taichō, Hitsugaya-taichō, Kuchiki-fukutaichō, and Abarai-fukutaichō explain to the other Taichō and Fukutaichō here what happened?"
"Um…" Rukia began. "The others and I decided to spread the news that Ichigo did not wish to interact with the Spiritual World anymore."
"We did this under the instructions of his father, Former Tenth Division Taichō, Isshin Shiba," Hitsugaya added. This caused many to become angry at the four for lying and pushing Ichigo away.
"Now then, officially, we have sent some members of the Onmitsukidō to track down Ichigo Kurosaki. Unofficially, we are doing nothing," Yamamoto stated. Many were surprised by this information, knowing Central 46 would order all available forces to hunt Ichigo down. "There are two reasons why I am doing this. The first is the debt we owe to Ichigo Kurosaki from the Winter War. The second is the information that Ichigo Kurosaki reported to me about a potential war in the future," Yamamoto explained, shocking many with the news that another war might start so soon. "From this point forward, I want you all to perform Jinzen and speak to your Zanpakutō to find other ways to fight stronger foes without Bankai. The reason for this is that our future enemies are suspected of having a method to interfere with our Bankai. With that said, this meeting is adjourned. Carry on with your plans for the morning!" Yamamoto slammed his cane down and dismissed everyone. Many were still processing the news of Ichigo's disappearance and the possibility that they might have to fight a war without their Bankai. The five members of the Vizards, however, pushed these thoughts to the back of their minds and quickly went to confront the ones they felt were partly responsible for Ichigo leaving.
"Enough!" Tōshirō yelled after the Vizards called them out on their mistakes for several minutes. "Do you think we need to be constantly reminded of our error? Do you think we didn't try to do something about it? We all want what is best for Ichigo. We didn't handle it correctly the first time, but we will now. He wishes to be left alone, and that is what we will do." Tōshirō promised before leaving the group and returning to his quarters.
Scene Change: Kyoto
A few days after leaving Karakura, Ichigo was wandering through Kyoto. He didn't know why, but something was calling him to this city. Another oddity was that Zangetsu was excited. Not his normal blood-hungry type of excitement, but something else, which made Ichigo very worried and on edge.
While walking down the street, Ichigo heard a girl scream for help. Turning around, he saw a little girl, no older than an elementary school student, being kidnapped by three individuals. Seeing this, Ichigo immediately confronted them. Running at them, he grabbed one of the kidnappers and punched him in the face. The second and third kidnappers saw this and went to attack Ichigo, but he quickly took care of them. The three regrouped and summoned weapons. One summoned an ax, another a sword, and the third a knife. Ichigo drew Yorugetsu and went on the attack.
"Hey, girl! Run and hide. After I finish this, I'll help you get back home!" Ichigo yelled as he slashed the sword-wielding kidnapper in the chest, killing him. The girl heard this and hid behind a dumpster. After seeing the girl hide, Ichigo quickly finished off the other two and used a little hellfire to destroy their bodies.
"Little girl, it's safe to come out now," Ichigo said once the kidnappers were nothing but ash. The girl came out of her hiding spot, and Ichigo took note of her appearance. She had golden blonde hair tied in a ponytail and matching eyes. She also had nine golden foxtails and matching ears. She wore a traditional Miko outfit and a tall geta with a white tabi. The sleeves of her haori featured a giant red star-shaped pentagram, surrounded by five smaller pentagrams between the points.
"Hey, kid. My name is Ichigo. What's your name?" Ichigo asked politely, trying not to scare the child.
"I'm Kunou. Thank you for helping," the newly named Kunou thanked her savior.
"You're welcome, little one. Are you lost?" Ichigo asked.
"A little," she admitted with a cute wince. "Wait! Aren't you scared or surprised that I have fox ears and tails?" she questioned, surprised at how blasé Ichigo was acting after seeing her admittedly odd appearance.
"No. I've seen many things, and something like a person with animal characteristics doesn't faze me," Ichigo answered truthfully. "Hey, are you hungry? Want to go and get something to eat?"
"No, thank y—" Kunou started before her stomach growled, and she blushed in embarrassment.
"Well, it looks like your stomach doesn't agree with you. Come on, let's go find somewhere to eat," Ichigo said and extended his hand for her to hold. She accepted his hand and reapplied an illusion, hiding her inhuman traits.
After walking around for a few minutes, the two found a ramen cart. Ichigo found it amusing when Kunou had issues with using chopsticks and a spoon at the same time. He ended up feeding Kunou, which made many of the other customers comment about how cute they looked together, like a father and his daughter. Ichigo tried to correct them, but then Kunou said, "Papa, more please," wooing many of the females there due to how cute she looked.
When Ichigo went to pay for the meal, the owner told him that the meal was on the house since their presence attracted a lot of customers. Ichigo noticed how crowded the streets were now and decided to have Kunou sit on his shoulders to prevent them from getting separated. She was ecstatic about being on Ichigo's shoulders due to him being 183 cm (6 feet) tall.
"Hey Kunou," Ichigo called for her attention.
"Yes, Papa?" Kunou replied. Ichigo sighed internally at Kunou still calling him that.
"Let's get you back to your home, okay?" Ichigo suggested.
"Okay," she agreed. "I get to show you to Mama," she added happily. Ichigo sighed again, and the two eventually started walking toward the young one's home, with Kunou instructing Ichigo where to go. Twenty minutes later, they approached a big shrine in the forests of Kyoto.
"Is this the right place, Kunou?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes, Papa," Kunou replied.
"All right then," Ichigo said and began to walk towards the gate.
"Halt! Who goes there?" two guards asked as they ran outside the gate to confront Ichigo and Kunou.
"I am here to take her back to her mother," Ichigo told them, tensing his muscles in case anything happened. The two guards looked up at his shoulders and saw Kunou sitting there, waving.
"Hello, Tōdō! Hello, Kasaki!" she greeted the two. The guards of the shrine, Izaemon Tōdō and Heizō Kasaki (1), were quite surprised to see a stranger with their leader's daughter on his shoulders.
"Hime-sama!" they yelled and bowed their heads.
"Hime-sama?" Ichigo questioned.
"Papa, let's go!" she said.
"Okay, Kunou," Ichigo replied and began to walk forward.
"Halt, stranger! We do not know how you have Hime-sama, but you are not allowed to enter," both Tōdō and Kasaki yelled. Annoyed that the shrine's guards were making it difficult for her Papa to meet her Mama, Kunou asked Ichigo to knock them out. Ichigo decided to indulge her and used the handle of Tsuki no Hansha to knock the two guards unconscious. Kunou then guided Ichigo to the main hall of the shrine. As Ichigo arrived, he saw ten other Yokai in battle stances facing him while a woman sat on a throne-like chair.
"WHO ARE YO—" Yasaka started to yell before being interrupted.
"MAMA!" Kunou yelled as she waved at her mother.
"KUNOU!?" The woman shrieked before running to her daughter. Ichigo took a knee to let Kunou down so she could hug her mother. After a few moments, the woman ended the hug and began to scold her daughter.
"Why did you leave the shrine? I told you that you're not allowed to leave the temple without two escorts and my permission!"
"Sorry, Mama! But look! I found Papa!" she said.
"Papa?" Yasaka questioned. She then looked up and noticed Ichigo still standing there. "And you are?" she asked.
"Sorry. My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I found Kunou being kidnapped," Ichigo began, and Yasaka quickly grew angry. "So I killed them and took Kunou to lunch since she was hungry. She couldn't eat the ramen properly, so I fed her, and some people ended up mistaking us for father and daughter. That seems to have stuck in her cute little head, and she has been calling me that since we left the ramen stand," Ichigo explained.
"I see," Yasaka said. She then felt a mental nudge, meaning that her goddess wished to talk to Ichigo. "Everyone but Kurosaki-san, get out!" she yelled, and the Yokai guards obediently and quickly ran out of the main hall, carrying an angry Kunou with them. After the doors were closed and Yasaka made sure that no one was attempting to spy on them, she focused her attention on her guest.
"Ichigo, my mistress wishes to talk to you," Yasaka said.
"Who?" Ichigo asked before Yasaka's body began to float and her eyes started glowing a golden color.
"Hello, Ichigo," Yasaka said in a different tone of voice.
"Who are you?" Ichigo asked.
"The mother of all Nihonjin (Japanese people). The mother of all Shinigami. More importantly, the mother to an Ichigo Kurosaki," Yasaka said, though Ichigo noticed that it wasn't her speaking.
"Amaterasu," Ichigo thought, recalling the legend.
"Yes, my son. And I must say, I am very proud of what you have done to help my oldest son out," Amaterasu said.
"Oldest son?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes. He goes by that stupid title of Soul King," Amaterasu said.
"The Soul King is your son?" Ichigo asked in surprise.
"Yes, he is," Amaterasu confirmed.
"How? All of the legends and lore I've read never mention this," Ichigo inquired.
"Well, all those legends have everything mostly correct. What isn't said is that when my first son refused to become the Emperor of Japan, I allowed him to rule the Balance of Life and Death, and he named himself King of Souls. My second son also refused to become the Emperor of Japan as he desired his brother's position. As you can imagine, my two sons fought each other for many years. Eventually, my eldest son won the battle and inflicted the killing blow on his younger brother. Throughout the battle, my youngest lost many of his limbs or had them damaged. Due to the blessings on my eldest son's blade, all wounds my youngest received can never heal. Then, in his arrogance, my eldest kicked his brother out of Heaven. As my youngest fell, everything except one fragment of his soul was destroyed. That one small fragment held eternal rage and hatred toward his older brother and attached itself to a freshly pregnant couple," Amaterasu explained. This surprised Yhwach, as he had never known about this detail.
"This was why, when I was born, I had almost nothing," Yhwach said as he manifested, with Zangetsu, Kyōka, and Hōgyoku also manifesting after him.
"Yes, my youngest son," Amaterasu replied.
"Hello, mother," both Yhwach and Zangetsu greeted as they bowed.
"Hello, Zangetsu. Hello, Yhwach," Amaterasu replied. "Do you wish to finish the story, or shall I?"
"I can finish it, Mother," Yhwach said before turning to Ichigo. "When I was born, I had nothing. I couldn't see, hear, talk, or touch. I had nothing except for one thing: the desire to live. Due to my small amount of divinity, I was able to heal all who touched me."
"Wait. How could you heal others when you couldn't heal yourself?" Ichigo interrupted.
"As Mother said, my brother's blade cursed me. It prevented any of my wounds from healing. However, the ability to heal others, especially mortals, took little of my energy to do," Yhwach said. "Instead of normal healing, however, I gave those people a small fragment of my soul. That small fragment allowed them to gain something they were missing. It could be something mental, like overcoming loneliness or fear by giving them companionship and courage. Sometimes it was something physical, like a leg or lung. The cost was that the small fragment I gave them copied everything that person had: memories, skills, talents; all were recorded into that soul fragment. Once that person died, that fragment returned to me with the soul of the host. This process allowed my body to heal differently. Before, my body would just will itself to heal. Now, I used the souls of the hosts to rebuild my body. However, the curse still ate away at everything. Even now, my main body requires souls to prevent the curse from destroying it," Yhwach said. "Years later, I had formed a massive society and had my own army to attack my elder brother with. He, however, had also formed an army of his own."
"The Quincies and the Shinigami," Ichigo voiced his realization.
"Correct. The two sides fought, but Yhwach knew he was losing, so he gave his strongest Quincies a special medallion. It allowed their souls to be transported into a pocket dimension that Yhwach himself created. To the soldiers, he told them to fight on, and to the citizens, to scatter, promising he would return someday. After that, Yhwach temporarily died and went to his secret dimension. There, he slept and recovered while the few remaining soldiers slowly recruited more men and women to rebuild his army. During his sleep, to heal from the lack of souls, Yhwach used his powers to heal himself without them. It took longer, but eventually, he finished. Then, June 17th happened," Yhwach explained.
"The day Mom died," Ichigo said, frowning.
"Yes. On July 17th, Yhwach used a technique called Auswählen. It is a technique where all mixed-blood Quincies have their powers stripped and given to Yhwach. Although your mother was considered a pure-blooded Quincy, she had been tainted by Hollow reiatsu. Auswählen, therefore, considered her mixed blood and her powers were stripped. You know the rest."
"So, Yhwach is the main reason Mom is dead?" Ichigo concluded.
"Not entirely," Amaterasu said.
"What? How so?" Ichigo asked, confused.
"My eldest son also had something to do with Masaki's death," Amaterasu revealed.
"How?" Ichigo asked with an angry scowl.
"My eldest knew that sometime in June, Yhwach would use Auswählen. For that entire month, he ordered no Shinigami to be in Karakura Town," Amaterasu said.
"How would you know that?" Ichigo asked.
"My eldest son created a figure to act in his place while he went somewhere else. He is probably in another dimension, hanging out with his foolish uncle," Amaterasu revealed, shaking Yasaka's head in disappointment at her son's actions. "While he was away, I looked at his archives and found his royal decree."
"Why would he do that?" Ichigo asked.
"Well… my eldest knew of Aizen's attempt to test you. He wanted to stage it as an accident to kill you," Amaterasu stated with a sad frown.
"WHAT!? WHY?" Ichigo asked, furious at the Soul King's actions. His spirits were equally outraged.
"Because you are more naturally in tune with the Japanese Balance than he is, Ichigo. Technically, you are more suited to become the one who balances Life and Death than he is. This fact made my eldest paranoid, so he allowed Aizen's experiment to proceed, hoping it would result in your death. Once it was revealed that you survived, he decided to let Fate take its course," Amaterasu explained.
"So Aizen, Yhwach, and the Soul King are all involved in my mother's death?" Ichigo concluded.
"Yes, my son. That would also explain why Yhwach tried to prevent you from becoming a Shinigami at first," Amaterasu said.
"WHAT!" Ichigo exclaimed in shock, then turned to Yhwach. He also noticed Zangetsu glaring at Yhwach with a frown.
"Allow Yhwach to explain himself before you jump to conclusions," Amaterasu advised.
"I... didn't want you to become a Shinigami. That's why I tried to suppress your growing potential...and always tried to be the core of your power," Yhwach revealed.
"Why?" Ichigo questioned.
"Is it strange for me to want to keep you away from fights and danger? If you became a Shinigami, you would inevitably be involved in battles. You would get hurt. You would suffer. And one day… I would have to kill you with my own hands. I couldn't let you become a Shinigami. If you did, I'd have to kill you," Yhwach said sadly. "So I thought. However, you eventually did become a Shinigami. You had a chance, trained hard, and despite getting hurt and suffering, you chose to pursue that path. Whenever I saw you like that… My heart would waver. Eventually, instead of stopping you from becoming a Shinigami, I started to help you along your path."
"Thank you for explaining your reasons, Yhwach," Ichigo said.
"And Zangetsu, thank you for taking care of Ichigo, especially since you had to deal with Yhwach and my son's stubbornness," Amaterasu said.
"No problem, Mom. Thank you for getting Tsukuyomi-sama's blessing for my powers," Zangetsu thanked the goddess.
"No problem, Zangetsu. I saw that Ichigo's life would be tragic, so I gave his soul the strongest blessing I could. That was you," Amaterasu explained. "Now then, Ichigo, I know you went on this journey to get away from your friends and family. But even you must know that at some point, you must return to them."
"I know, Kaa-san," Ichigo sighed. "To think they still need my intervention for their wars. When will it be over, Kaa-san? When will I no longer need to fight their battles?" Ichigo questioned.
"I do not know, my son. But I will tell you this: you will not be alone. You have my sons, Yhwach and Zangetsu. And you also have the Hōgyoku and Kyōka Suigetsu. You are never alone, Ichigo," Amaterasu reassured him. "If fate is a millstone, then we are the grist—"
"There is nothing we can do. So I wish for strength. If I cannot protect them from the wheel, then give me a strong blade, and enough strength... to shatter fate," Ichigo finished. "Thank you, Kaa-san." Ichigo thanked her. Yasaka's body then slowly floated down, and her eyes stopped glowing.
"So, you are Ichigo Kurosaki, Hero of the Winter War," Yasaka stated once she got her bearings back. Letting Amaterasu-sama take over her body was always an odd experience.
"Yes," Ichigo confirmed. "Should we call Kunou back in? I think the guards are having trouble keeping an eye on her." Yasaka laughed a little at that and opened the door, allowing a little blond bullet to run inside and tackle Ichigo. Ichigo caught her and lifted her up.
"PAPA! You didn't get hurt from seeing Mama!" Kunou exclaimed, surprised and happy, making Ichigo chuckle.
"Yes, your mother and I had an… interesting conversation. It's getting late though, so I'd better get going," Ichigo said.
"NO, PAPA!" Kunou cried and grabbed Ichigo's leg.
"Kurosaki-san, I—" Yasaka began.
"Please call me Ichigo, Yasaka-san. I'm not into formalities," Ichigo interrupted.
"I see… Then to be fair, call me Yasaka," Yasaka replied.
"Okay," Ichigo agreed.
"Now, as I was saying, I insist you stay the night, Ichigo," she said.
"Are you sure?" Ichigo asked.
"I am. Based on my daughter's reaction to you, you're welcome here anytime," Yasaka said with a smile.
"All right then," Ichigo agreed.
Later, during dinner, Yasaka explained to Ichigo that she is a priestess at the shrine and has the ability to communicate with Amaterasu-sama. Not only that, but she is also the technical ruler of the Yōkai in Japan. Eventually, Kunou's bedtime arrived, and Ichigo carried her to bed.
"Papa?" Kunou called out to him as Ichigo tucked her in.
"Yes, Kunou?" Ichigo replied.
"Can you please tell me a bedtime story?" Kunou asked.
"Sure," Ichigo agreed with a smile, recalling how his sisters used to ask for the same thing. He looked around to see if there was a book he could read. Unfortunately, there wasn't, so he decided to tell her the story of Romeo and Juliet. As he recounted the story, Kunou eventually fell asleep. Ichigo then left the room and met a maid waiting for him outside. She escorted him to his room, where he changed into some sleeping clothes and went to sleep.
Scene change: Next Morning
The next morning, Ichigo decided it was time to leave. Kunou was sad that her Papa was leaving, but Ichigo assured her that he would come back to visit her and Yasaka.
As he walked out of Kyoto, Ichigo wondered where to go next. According to Yasaka, there are many strange things that will be happening in Japan in the coming months. In the East, something involving Egyptian mythology; in the West, something involving summoning spirits; in the North, something involving God and Devils; and in the Southwest, something involving Wizards and Witches. Honestly, he was amazed at how the Japanese government doesn't get involved with all of this happening right under their noses. His thoughts were then interrupted by Hōgyoku.
"Sorry, Ichigo, but I need to tell you something," Hōgyoku said.
"Yes?" Ichigo asked.
"I detected a similar reiatsu to that of a Sinner just now," she informed him.
"Really?" Ichigo questioned in surprise.
"Yes, Ichigo. Do you not trust my sensing skills?" Hōgyoku questioned in mock anger.
"No, I just wanted to clarify," Ichigo said, not wanting to anger her. "Do you have a lock on that reiatsu?"
"Yes, I do," Hōgyoku confirmed.
"Looks like the next thing to do is find that Sinner," Ichigo said as he ripped open a Garganta in the air and jumped in.
Author's note:
Two characters from Bleach's Ninth Division.