Moon Princess

by romeoraiden

Ichigo Kurosaki was born destined for greatness but has had to suffer as he grows to embrace his destiny. Naturally, he will not endure this burden alone as he will have many allies to help him along the way. But only one of them can help him go beyond as his ever-faithful sword of the moon. (M for Violence and bad language)

17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Old Predator

"I must admit, the amount of energy you've brought for me is more than I calculated you'd be able to bring. I hope this does not mean the end for Kyōgoku. I have always found that place to be very interesting," Arturo commented, regarding the role his subordinates played in the Battle of Kyōgoku.

"You have nothing to worry about, Lord Arturo, I monitored the amount of Reimyaku being siphoned by both Roka and Ganryū Ryōdoji. That dimension is in a crippling state but it will not perish. Like Hueco Mundo, it is more formidable than the Soul Society and Human World put together," Ulquiorra assured his master.

"I am glad to hear that. Now, about your other mission, tell us what you have seen in front of our family," Arturo requested.

"Of course, sir. Although, because both I and Yammy were engaged in combat with the Shinigami I could not observe everything going on in that world, so it fell to Roka to monitor everything while we kept the Shinigami from noticing her presence,"

"I'm not surprised to learn of you partaking in battle, the presence of more than one Captain was to be expected," Arturo said.

"Yes, but they only sent two of them. Roka," Ulquiorra said before addressing the timid girl who stood on her feet and proceeded to grab her only good eye out of its socket. A moment later Roka grabbed her eye and outstretched her hand.

"This is everything I have to report revolving around the battle in Kyōgoku," Roka said as she crushed the eye in her hand, spreading slight amounts of Reiatsu in the form of bright dust across the room, granting those exposed to it to see everything she has seen.

All those in the room witness the Shinigami being assaulted by the horrific Titan monster and how it overwhelmed them while they tried to focus on saving their Goddess. Ulquiorra and Yammy's arrival had worsened things for them and the battle was as bleak as they expected. Isshin fighting Ganryū alone, the two Arrancars practically mutilating the Shinigami, Ichigo, and Tōshirō struggling to kill the Titan, and Ichigo unleashing the power he used to destroy the Sōkyoku, the rescuing of the Shinenju and Getsuhime helping Senna purify the Blanks.

As these images were seen, everyone in the room, including Arturo, was amazed, and even in awe of the epic battles, especially about the Kurosaki men and their powers. Based on what they have been informed of initially, Ganryū Ryōdoji was powerful enough to earn their respect and his defeat at the hands of Isshin Kurosaki was a spectacular show. They were most amazed by the strength of Getsuhime and how she killed the Titan in such a brutal way that some of them clutched their chests with a slight fear of such a thing happening to any one of them. To say nothing of her being able to repel the strength of an Espada who released his Zanpakutō and compelled Ulquiorra to retreat.

"What amazing battles. The boy hasn't improved after the chaos he wrought to Soul Society but that does not diminish his efforts," Arturo said, having witnessed the Kurosaki Invasion from its beginning to its end. "The Dragons in Reverse London can't compete with young Kurosaki's."

"By my estimates, the Shinigami who reside in the Human World bring a bigger concern than the majority in Soul Society, and as you warned us, this Ichigo Kurosaki may be our biggest obstacle thus far," Ulquiorra claimed. "Eliminating the Spirituals within Karakura swiftly is in our best interest in the near future."

"You say that and yet you ran away!" Shouted an irritated Arrancar sitting down on the closest rock formation to the three below them all.

"Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said as he shifted his gaze to the blue-haired arrancar that had interrupted him.

"If this kid is such a threat to us then why not simply kill him and be done with it?!" Grimmjow chided in a mocking tone.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez is a tall, muscular man with light blue spiky hair and light blue eyes, the latter including green lines below them, similar to the eye markings on the Panthera genus of cats. His attire consists of a white hakama, a black sash, and a ragged white jacket with an upturned collar. The inner lining of his jacket is black and Grimmjow wears it with the sleeves rolled up and leaving it open to expose his muscular chest. The remains of his Hollow mask consist of the right jawbone and his Hollow hole is located on his abdomen. He has a number 6 tattoo located on his back, near the right side of his Hollow hole.

"It's pretty obvious that he should've been tossed into the dirt the moment you laid eyes on him. Yammy may be a loser but he is still an Espada, and anyone who can blow one of us away without him even realizing what was happening has to have their skull collected to be used as a mug," Grimmjow added, his comment angering Yammy.

"Shut your mouth, Grimmjow! You wouldn't have fared any better!" Yammy roared.

"Tch, at least I would have done more than throw a sucker punch like a coward," Grimmjow taunted, only adding more fire to the short fuse on Yammy's temper.

"Why you…" Yammy began, about to enter a shouting match with Grimmjow until Ulquiorra interfered.

"What have I told you both about arguing in front of our Lord," He warned the two to be silent.

"There's no need for you to be so impatient, Grimmjow. There will be much to do in the coming days," Arturo said calmly. "And as Ulquiorra said, the Shinigami and spiritual humans in Karakura shouldn't be taken lightly. Strange as it sounds, the achievement of our goals can only succeed if we eliminate them, the unfortunate loss of Ganryū and that old fossil is one of many examples."

"I am concerned if the Shinigami will tie us to that abomination's arrival," Ulquiorra said.

"They'd be fools if they didn't but until the time has come, it is imperative that they believe that the Titans have no connection to Hueco Mundo, which brings us to my new assignment for all of the Espada," Arturo said, perking up all the Arrancars he is referring to. "Until our key to victory is ready to destroy the Royal Guard we must stall for time and to accomplish that we may need to cause more havoc in the Soul Society."

This earned him a sadistic grin from some of the Arrancars, including Yammy and Grimmjow.

"So we are to create a few bloodbaths without being seen. Not sure I would call that fun," Grimmjow snickered but still intrigued. This is the first time Hueco Mundo's elite group was given the same assignment to undertake together.

"If we're caught we just have to kill everyone before they have a chance to be a snitch. I'll take that bet," Yammy laughed.

"Yes, yes, I promise that you will all find enjoyment in this assignment but I do exercise caution. Inferior or not, the Gotei 13 are tenacious enough to warren some level of respect," Arturo insisted. "Oh, and Ulquiorra, would you kindly help Roka with her missing eye. I can't stand to see her looking so helpless."

"Yes sir," The Espada complied while Roka remained quiet as always unbothered by the fact that she just blinded herself just to give a report.

'And for those who can't exercise caution, they are excluded, then I am all in,' Starrk thought as he lay down, trying to get some sleep even if the rock formation is uncomfortable, and hoping he could skip out on whatever the Espada are meant to do in the future.

Starrk would be denied his sleep by someone who sneaks up on him and kicks him in his butt. He nearly yelps in pain, getting on his knees while clutching where he was hit.

"Would it kill you to pay better attention? I'm getting tired of needing to memorize everything to fill you in later when you can do it yourself," Scolded a young girl.

"Dammit, Lilynette, why do you have to kick so hard," Starrk growled.

"Because I don't deserve to be stuck with such a useless partner and so you owe it to me to quit being slothful and start being diligent," She hissed.

Lilynette Gingerbuck is a young-looking female Arrancar. Her outfit consists of white-colored briefs with a black line positioned in the middle, arm-warmers, a revealing vest with a high collar, and thigh-high, fur-lined boots. Her Hollow hole is positioned in the center of her stomach. The remainder of her Hollow mask is the form of a helmet, with two horns on the top of her head. The left horn looks as if it has been cut off and the left half of the mask covers her left eye. Her right eye is light pink, with the left eye covered by her Hollow mask and a flame design over the eye socket and she also has light green hair arranged in a very basic manner.

"Give me a break. If you're so bored then go and bother someone else instead," Starrk insisted.

"And get killed by freaks like Nnoitra and Baraggan, or experimented on by Szayelaporro? No, thank you," Lilynette pouted. "Hell, Harribel isn't available either, and I don't want to be around Emilou, Franceska, and Cyan any more than I already do."

"What are you talking about? Harribel is here like all of the Espada. She's impossible to miss," Starrk argued, looking around to look at all of his comrades doing their own thing or listening to Arturo talk. Did not take him long to find who he was searching for, Tier Harribel, standing tall and imposingly with her arms folded as always and her loyal subordinates at her beck and call.

She is a tall female Arrancar of curvaceous and well-endowed frame. She has olive skin, aqua green eyes, thick eyelashes, and short golden blonde hair, which she usually keeps messy with three braided locks. She wears a variation of the Arrancar jacket with a high collar, which covers the lower part of her face downward while baring a good portion of the lower half of her large breasts. The jacket has a zipper running along its entire length, which is opened from the bottom upwards. It has a beige air filter on either side just below the trim. The jacket's sleeves completely envelop her arms, terminating in black glove-like extensions at her extremities, resembling the appearance of a cat's paw.

"You didn't see what I saw when Roka was showing us that crazy fight. I have never seen her be so expressive before, I think her Reiatsu rose to predatory levels for a millisecond that even Barragan cringed," Lilynette whispered, desperately hoping that no one could hear her.

"Wait, that was her doing. I could've sworn it was Grimmjow getting excited over finding a new prey," Starrk said riddled with so many questions. "I admit the fights we saw were impressive but not enough to garner any anticipation."

"Speak for yourself, those rogue Shinigami are badass,"

---

"I won't deny that orange kid is kind of cute for a punk ass bitch," Said one of Harribel's subordinates, commenting on Ichigo and his strength.

"Planning on consorting with the enemy, Emilou? Honestly, I pegged you for a lot of things, slut was never one of them," Mocked another woman.

"Screw you Franceska. I totally caught you getting aroused when he blew Yammy away like he was a ragdoll,"

"If you two keep talking like that then all of Las Noches will start to treat you like the sluts they've always known you two to be, and that would reflect poorly on me and Lady Harribel," Cautioned another female Arrancar.

"Shut the fuck up, Cyan!" Emilou and Franceska said at once and would've yelled but did not want to drag too much attention while under Arturo's presence.

Emilou Apacci is a tomboyish Arrancar with heterochromia: her right eye is ice blue, while her left eye is amber with a blue outline around it. She has black, jaw-length hair, and her mask fragment is on the top of her head with a horn in the middle. She wears the standard Arrancar uniform but has shoulder-length sleeves with black cuffs with a v-neck, and gloves and collars over her wrists.

Franceska Mila Rose is a tall, dark-skinned, green-eyed Arrancar with long, thick, wavy brown hair and large breasts. Her Hollow hole is positioned mid-way between her navel and breasts. Her mask fragments form a three-sectioned crown around her head and a thick necklace. Her Arrancar attire was heavily modified: it matched the attire belonging to an Amazon warrior, with multiple armor covering her breasts and upper arms, gauntlets on her forearms, and a white skirt.

Lastly, Cyan Sung-Sun is a slender female Arrancar with long, flowing, olive-green hair, long eyelashes, and lavender eyes, with three pink dots just below her right eye. Her mask remnants create three hair clip-like extensions on the right side of her bangs. She wears a furry black necklace around her neck. Her outfit consists of a long white dress with long sleeves, which extend well past her hands, with a single slit in each one, and two thin belts criss-crossing around her waist.

"Why worry so much about trying to preserve your images? Everyone in and out of the cities knows that no one in Las Noches is remotely sane," Harribel said in passing, being among the first to leave the throne room once debriefing was over and her subordinates were quick to follow her while struggling not to laugh about what their mistress just said.

"I'm sorry, milady but was that a joke," Emilou snickered.

"Don't even," Franceska mused.

"These two buffoons aside, things have turned out to be quite interesting," Cyan said.

"Indeed. The moment we've been waiting for is soon to arrive and the obstacles before us may not turn out to be the Gotei 13 after all," Harribel said stoically.

"You really think the Karakura residents in the Human World are going to be more of a problem than the entirety of Soul Society?"

"His Majesty seems to think so. He speaks highly of Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin more than he does about the Head Captain of the Gotei. But it's the Kurosakis that he is more intrigued by," The Espada said with narrowed eyes.

'He's not the only one, though,' Cyan thought but chose to not say that out loud. For some reason, Harribel got riled up during Roka's report but the random spike in her Reiatsu was so sudden that only those with the better usage of Pesquisa like herself noticed it. Something, or rather someone got her attention and she can't tell if she's angry or excited since neither are emotions that her mistress has ever really displayed, making her worry for her.

"Even if that's the case, Lord Arturo isn't really concerned, so why should we?" Emilou said cockily.

"He isn't worried because he's either planning or already has a plan in motion to deal with them but that's no excuse for you to be careless," Harribel advised. "We've been preparing for this war for years, ladies. So don't you dare die on me."

"Yes, ma'am!" The trio said at once with superb conviction.

'Still alive and on with your tomfoolery, Isshin,' Harribel thought while clenching her hands into fists, her thoughts focused mainly on Isshin during the report and his son Ichigo. 'It seems that our reunion is finally at hand, and this time the shark will finish what she's started.'

---

"MAHANA!" Ichigo yelled in a panic as he kicked open the door to his high school homeroom, said room was in shambles as the students who had been there an hour ago ran out in a panic. In the corner at the far left, hides a lone school girl and one of Ichigo's classmates, Mahana has short curly brown hair and brown eyes. She wears the standard Karakura High School uniform, which is slightly more unbuttoned than most female students.

"Ichigo…" Mahana Natsui sobbed while in complete terror from the crisis.

"You're all right," Ichigo said, rushing to her, who immediately jumped on him while crying frantically.

"I can't believe this! Why is this happening?" She cried, more scared than she'd ever been in her life.

"Don't worry. Whatever happens, you're going to be okay," Ichigo assures her while helping her to her feet, then picks up one of the school seats and with the inhumane strength she knows he possesses, effortlessly throws it with one hand into one of the windows, smashing it open.

"What are you—" Mahana tried to ask but Ichigo didn't give her time to finish when he picked her up bridal style. "But you're hurt!" She protested as Ichigo has a serious wound located on the left side of his neck caused by a bite and it looked like there is a poison spreading from it.

"No time!" Ichigo protested, and just in the nick of time, a wall of the classroom was smashed through, and from it, a swarm of snakes come out. It's like watching a scene from those American adventure horror movies Ichigo dislikes in real life and he is not sticking around for it.

Wasting no time, Ichigo jumps off the window he forcefully opened from the back of the school where no one is around to see them, Mahana screams since they are on the third floor of the school so if the snakes don't kill them the fall will, and the snakes would prefer it if they were the ones to kill them, jumping down after their prey.

---

Elsewhere, Uryū shouts in pain being tossed straight into a water tower with enough force to dent where he crashed into. Once he hits the ground, he forces himself to get back up to evade multiple small metallic balls thrown at him by a dangerous assailant, whom he retaliates by shooting arrows at her but the metallic balls proved to be the superior projectiles, and none of his effective so he must evade again with Hirenkyaku.

"What's the matter with you, Quincy boy? Can't hold your own in a fight without your Shinigami leader holding your hand?!" Laughed and taunted a maniacal creature composed entirely of dark gray metal with a feminine design, and both her arms and legs are serrated blades with the tips being very smooth looking.

"You and my dad would get along greatly. All the both of you are good for is getting under my skin. Comparing me to that damn Ichigo," Uryū growled.

"That's good to hear, you're old man is very handsome. I'll have to try my luck with him once I've had my fill with your mother's flesh!" The crazed woman roared, attacking Uryū faster than he can escape and is forced to make several dodges against his foe's rapid fast swings from her arms and legs, until eventually he manages to get a short opening to shoot an arrow at her face but little does he realize that this was intentional on her part, as she transforms her left arm into multiple small spheres and sends them right at Uryū's chest, knocking him harshly to the ground.

Ishida groans in pain, now unable to fight with his bow vanishing and his consciousness fading slowly.

"That's it? How boring," The Metal Woman sneered while her left arm reformed. "Oh well, I suppose the mission is more important." She said, as she means to apprehend Uryū but is stopped, needing to leap out of the way from a large fireball coming at her.

Another creature appears on this vicious night. One that takes the form of a large muscular humanoid golem composed of an unknown substance that is filled with intense flames; his body is marked with thin, smooth lines tracing the outlines of a human's upper-body muscular system, specifically his abdomen, pectoral, and upper arm "muscles", as well as the joints of his fingers on each hand, effectively linking separate segments that make up his body. However, it is not completely symmetrical, with a crack-like marking covering his left pectoral and a marking on his face resembling a reversed lowercase lambda that emits a long trail of fire at the top where his left eye would be and can emit a jet of flame from the center, functioning as his mouth. The legs are unmarked and end at the knees, where powerful jets of flames constantly surge out to keep him aloft, and he has an otherwise smooth body.

"What! Do you want to tag in? Party pooper," The Metal Woman teased. The fire creature ignores her taunts and attacks by shooting a massive fireball that incinerates the rooftop they are standing in.

—

"Run faster!" A man shouted in terror as he ran along with his family. The night is already bad enough because of the harsh rain but now it's become a nightmare for them as they run for their lives in an unoccupied park as they are being chased by black and blue mosquitos that are many times bigger than the norm and they are gaining on them fast. Noticing that his wife and son weren't going fast enough and would get attacked first, the man acts quickly and tosses the two to the ground, getting the attention of the mosquitos to focus on him as he had intended, and runs in the other direction.

"Darling, no!" His wife cried out while she held on to her weeping son tightly.

"GO! SAVE YOURSELVES!" He demanded while hopelessly trying to fight off the four creatures who overwhelmed him and each stabbed his body, one from the back of his neck, another in his stomach, and the last two stab each of his shoulders. His family is left watching in complete horror as the mosquitos begin to suck the life out of him and so much more until he is a pile of gray sand. Their screams can be heard almost a block away as the mosquitos go for them next.

---

At a construction site, a large explosion tore the incomplete building down, bringing mass panic to those in the immediate area. From the explosion, a few people were there when it blew up and were sent flying as a result, among them are Chad and Renji who do not land gracefully, left on the ground soundly defeated. Beside them who also got blown is Fujimaru Kudō as the only one left standing.

"Dammit… at this rate we'll lose all of Karakura to the enemy," The Lieutenant cursed their luck as they were simply unprepared for the machinations of their heartless foes.

"This can't be happening…" Chad managed to utter through all the pain and anguish.

"Don't let them toy with you like this, you bastard," Renji whispered before passing out.

"Chad! Renji!" Orihime cried as she rushed over to her friends to heal them.

"No! Stay back!" Fujimaru yelled. But it's too late as the enemy strikes again and goes for her next, grabbing her by the neck, quickly choking, and raising her up in the air.

"P-Please… don't do this," She begged while shedding tears, not because of her life being in danger but because someone else more important than herself is going through a darker fate and the only thing that could be seen of her soon-to-be killer is the large four-petaled yellow-red flower on his chest…

---

In the Soul Society, things are even worse with massive twisters forming everywhere. So great and mighty that they threaten to consume everything in sight and from these twisters, bolts of lightning burst out to destroy whatever managed to evade the mighty vacuums.

The focal point of these tornados seems to be right in the Sōkyoku Hill where a man stands there, watching the chaos unfold, his vision obscured because of all the wind the only thing that can be seen is his malevolent grin as he laughs with diabolical joy as the end has come.

Throughout the Seireitei, a series of explosions are triggered, annihilating everyone and everything in sight with no possibility of there being survivors, even among the Gotei Captains.

---

Matsuri gasps in terror after the intense nightmare she just experienced, witnessing so much carnage and death. She takes a few deep breaths to calm herself down, which took a while before she finally regained some semblance of serenity.

"At least it wasn't Mayuri. So If nothing else, the end won't be too bad for me," She sighed, getting out of her bed, and one made of water that she acquired from the Human World. Soul Society may be stuck in the past in way too many areas but that doesn't mean they aren't too far removed from Humanity's advances, and this invention is too much for the young lieutenant to ignore when she first learned about it.

She spent more than half an hour getting ready to head out, first breakfast, then dressing up. Adjusting her hair the way she likes it always takes the longest because of her need for precision. She has her own style that she'll hopefully never outgrow.

"Okay, time to go," She declared, reaching for the door of her home to open and the first thing she sees is Renji Abarai who was just about to call for her. "Always nice to see you on time instead of late as you prefer."

"How do you always do that?" He mused, referring to how she can predict where and when people will do something and is never behind anyone.

"I'm dedicated, you should try it once and a while," She teased, closing her door, and leaving with Renji following.

"Very funny," He scowled with indignity.

"You ready to do this?" She asked him.

"Damn right. I'm glad to be given more time to be away from the Seireitei. Almost everything here still feels awkward," He sighed while rubbing the back of his head, which he does constantly and seems unaware of how predictable he is.

"Relax, your Division loves you, they don't hold anything against you," She assured him.

"I know that. Things between me and my men are great. The thing is there is a lot of… I don't want to say ''tension'' with my Captain. He's still himself but he is trying to be a tiny bit more open with us. It's wonderful but we're so used to him holding himself on a pedestal above us and never acknowledging our existence that seeing him among us is overwhelming. The problem is not him but us who don't know what to say. I can handle speaking to him during duty without trouble but outside of work, I'm scared of saying anything that will push him away and put us back to square one and we can't have that."

"On the bright side, you both reconciled after trying to kill one another,"

"Yeah, my lifelong goal was never to kill him but to prove to Rukia and myself that I am the better man. It was nice for him to compliment me and find common ground," Renji blushed. "I'm not ashamed to admit my heart skipped a beat when he praised the strength of my Bankai."

"So cute," She teased again, getting a kick out of his blush.

"Stop that," He groaned in embarrassment, regretting telling her anything but it's become a habit of his to confide in Matsuri who is the one fellow Lieutenant he frequently converses with more than the rest. "So… how are things with Fujimaru?"

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"Just curious, I have been seeing you both act normally around others but I can't help but wonder how Fujimaru feels about the crap with Aizen," Renji said worried about how Matsuri's past choice has impacted all of her relationships. "I mean, did you patch things up with Captain Komamura?"

"My Captain is reasonable and prefers to see things from multiple perspectives. Fujimaru is my brother. I'm grateful for your concerns, Renji, but trust me when I say there are no tensions with me and Fuji. He's just an overthinker," She smiled.

"Well, it is a scary thing to know that someone you're close to was being spied on by dangerous people with them never telling you, so as a longtime friend of you twins I can empathize with whatever turmoil he might be having but I don't know what it's like to have siblings so I can't do much except make sure you two don't fall apart in the long run," Renji said.

"Which is basically what you'll be doing throughout this mission?" She questioned.

"Pretty much, and in the worst-case scenario, that damn Kurosaki will suffer with me," He mused.

"You're looking forward to that way too much, aren't you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Gotta savor the little things," He smirked. "That, and I want to see that idiot flirt with you without ever realizing what he's doing again."

"It wasn't like that!" Matsuri protested while flustered.

"Who are you kidding? The kid talks without thinking and everything he says riles everyone up for either the right or wrong reasons, and you're both each other's type," Now it's Renji's turn to tease.

"My type of guy is the househusband sort. Responsible, can look after the house while I work, and is always there to greet me when I get back home," Matsuri whined. "And his type of girl is someone sweet, supportive, understandable, and doesn't reprimand him every five seconds for his shortcomings because that's all everyone does, even when he does nothing to warrant it."

"Totally described yourself with him. Also, have you seen his face? He is just begging to get punched and the only way that he'll get us to stop is to put the fear into everyone that he truly is someone who shouldn't be messed with," Renji stated. "That'll have the negative reaction of him being treated as the bad guy in spite of his many accomplishments but still, he has to really fight for his dignity."

'You jest but what'll be funny is how everyone will be unable to comprehend how could Ichigo possibly go dark side if it does happen,' Matsuri thought more troubled than Renji could ever realize by his poor choice of words.

---

"By noon, my mom and sisters will finally be returning," Ichigo announced, a glimmer of hope in his voice, though a shadow of exhaustion still clung to his eyes.

Ichigo's voice resonated through the air, drawing the attention of his closest companions as they gathered for breakfast at a modest fast-food restaurant. They had not returned to their homes since the tumultuous events of the Kyōgoku Incident, choosing instead to remain at Urahara's place, determined to stay informed about any new developments.

Orihime, Chad, and Uryū, though absent from the epic battle, had been deeply affected by the sight of the battered Shinigami. The gravity of their injuries left them aghast. Ichigo, for his part, preferred not to dwell on the memory of the colossal Titan and the menacing Arrancars. The former still haunted his thoughts, while the latter stoked a smoldering anger within him.

Sleep had eluded them all, yet they exhibited remarkable energy, allowing them to endure a sleepless night.

"That's wonderful news, Ichigo," Orihime cheered, her enthusiasm undiminished as she savored a plate of delectable pancakes.

"Perhaps now your neighbors will think twice before dialing the police on you and your father with them acting as your Great Wall again," Uryū chimed in with a wry smile.

"Sure, until my mother inevitably does something that reignites the chaos," Ichigo's response was tinged with a hint of resignation.

Uryū suspected that Ichigo's bitterness was rooted in something deeper than the Arrancar incident, but he refrained from prying. Orihime and Chad, sensitive to Ichigo's unspoken troubles, chose not to broach the subject. They understood that bringing it up could further darken his mood and complicate his relationship with his mother.

"Glad they took their time coming back. It could have been much worse for my dad and me," Ichigo reflected somberly.

Orihime, ever the optimist, offered a reassuring perspective, "I'm sure your mom can handle a memory lapse. She's not as forgetful as me, but she does have her moments of absentmindedness. Remember when she forgot Yuzu and Karin's twelfth birthday?"

"That was a different kind of mess. I know it's a selfish wish, but I'd rather shield my sisters from all of this a little while longer," Ichigo dismissed that memory with a hint of defensiveness.

"You mean until Aizen is dealt with," Chad deduced.

"Yeah," Ichigo admitted, "Them finding out during wartime just doesn't sit right with me. If everything could go smoothly, we could tell them once things settle down, and they can adapt to their "other selves" more safely."

Uryū, however, brought up a pressing concern that Ichigo had been avoiding: "In the best-case scenario, you might be able to keep Yuzu in the dark. But Karin… I'm afraid it's far too late for her."

"He's right. Don't forget that she helped me in my fight with the second Hollow I'd encountered," Chad concurred.

"Well, a guy can dream, can't he?" Ichigo couldn't help but reply with a hint of sarcasm.

"I'm sure you and your parents will find a way. Yuzu and Karin are strong girls in their own right." Chad offered words of encouragement.

Orihime's radiant smile conveyed her unwavering support.

Though Ichigo still harbored a sense of melancholy, the presence of his friends brought him some solace. He concealed his inner sadness more effectively, but it couldn't completely mask the ache left by Senna's departure.

Ichigo is snapped out of his dark mood when he and his friends start to sense a surge of unfamiliar Reiatsu from a distance. The Reiatsu is hostile but feels aimless with no clear destination but due to all four of them being able to sense the user's bloodlust, they know it is dangerous.

"What is that?" Orihime asked, now feeling dread over yet another fight occurring so soon after the previous one.

"Not a Hollow. A Shinigami?" Chad surmised.

"Yes, but it feels different, abnormal from what we're accustomed to," Uryū said, his ever-analytical mind rapidly trying to process the situation before turning to Ichigo for confirmation. "Could this be an Arrancar?"

Having yet to meet one, the Quincy can only speculate.

"No. Although they felt different from Hollows, the power those two exuded couldn't be compared to a Shinigami's, except for the fact that they were wielding Zanpakutōs," Ichigo corrected.

Although Arrancars have been called hybrids of both Hollow and Shinigami, the comparison to the latter is virtually nonexistent as they are ultimately just a subspecies of Hollows who've retained a fraction of the humanity they lost.

"Whatever the case we better take care of it, and go home," Ichigo said, with a sliver of his previously suppressed anger scratching the surface of his mind, getting up from his seat to exit.

"You need help?" Orihime asked, visibly concerned but also eager to be more of use to Ichigo than last time.

"Come if you wish, if you can keep up, that is," He replied, showing a small trace of vanity from the great speed shared between him and Getsuhime. Orihime was not offended by his words, instead fighting the urge to giggle since watching him act all smug is always preferable to watching him behave somberly.

He exits the restaurant and makes his way to a bus stop nearby that is currently empty, making it the ideal spot to hide his Gigai, quickly lies down and places his Combat Badge on his chest, separating his Soul from it.

'Let's see what this tough guy is made of,' Ichigo mused, making his way to his target with shunpo, reaching the outskirts of the town where he quickly found who he was looking for, and the bloodlust he felt before worsened.

Standing before him is a Shinigami who looks intimidating enough to make even Ichigo feel a little startled. A middle-aged, grey-haired man with a beard and blades growing out of his shoulders. Two red marks on his forehead. And a samurai-like armor over his shihakushō.

"Let me guess, are you the actual guy that's supposed to replace Rukia, or more accurately, me," Ichigo said, a previous surge of annoyance also resurfacing as he questioned Ukitake if rather or not another member of the 13th Division will come to replace Rukia despite him being the Shinigami Agent living in Karakura, and the Captain confirmed that despite being deputized as an ally of Soul Society he's not an official member of the Gotei 13 so the Soul Society can't allow for anyone who's not an official Shinigami to take up guardianship of a human city.

That said, Ichigo has yet to meet the "true" Guardian of Karakura since he and his crew have been handling all the Hollows so his scowls have been getting worse. He feels like a street punk in a gang, livid about some unknown showing up on his turf and challenging his authority.

Everything sucks.

"There is no way this man is one of Ukitake's unreliable subordinates," Getsuhime warned, being familiar to an extent with the 13th Division during their brief time in the Seireitei once the fighting had ended and quickly judge them to be the weakest Shinigami besides the 4th, and this strange man gives off a thirst for violent suited for the 11th but even that feels wrong because Kenpachi's people, while destructive and rude, have a sense of honor to them that makes them more tamed than one would initially believe.

"You," The unnamed Shinigami turned his direction to face the Agent, a malicious grin plastered on him that made it obvious that he was looking for a fight. "You're the one I've been sensing. The one with the purest Reiryoku in this filthy world."

"Wait, you could sense me?" Ichigo questioned in disbelief, certain that his training with Reiatsu Control had consistently improved, enough so that Uryū stopped criticizing him about his power leaking out and getting Hollow attention.

The Stranger makes no response and starts a mad cackle before rushing in for an attack. Ichigo responded quickly by unsheathing Getsuhime to block the man thrusting his arm at him, and upon clashing, not only was the Stranger's blow strong enough to push Ichigo a few feet away but he did not feel his blade countering flesh but rather it felt like Getsuhime collided with a bigger sword.

Ichigo retaliates by thrusting Getsuhime forward, aiming for his face that the Stranger protects by only using his right palm, and again, Ichigo and Getsuhime did not feel flesh but the brunt of a katana.

"What, think you're so tough that you don't need a blade?" He questioned, demanding answers but is at the moment more interested in why his foe doesn't wield a Zanpakutō.

"I am the Blade!" He declared loudly, swinging his left hand towards Ichigo, forcing the Agent to jump away from him but one of his fingers did manage to touch his right shoulder, causing a small gash to open up on his shihakushō but no blood.

'His flesh is as dense and sharp as a Zanpakutō,' Ichigo realized.

"That's not a good sign," Getsuhime bemused, troubled by what this could imply, and the only conclusion she can come up with is by far the most unlikely to be true.

The Stranger kept coming, attacking with his arms, Ichigo was now extra careful to block and parry each blow with countering becoming difficult since he is so fast that he may need to use his Shikai.

He soon gets an opening when he parries his left hand so hard that he forces it up above his head, the Stranger is not deterred and proceeds to try a decapitation with his right arm. Ichigo evades this by swiftly lowering his body down and moves forward, horizontally swinging Getsuhime to cleave him in two but unfortunately, it's not just the Stranger's arms that are as dense as a blade but his whole body because nothing came about with his attack and more unfortunate, the Stranger stood his ground so he also couldn't knock him away.

The Stranger decides to take Ichigo more seriously, unveiling more of his power as a katana protrudes out of his right abdomen, aiming for Ichigo's right eye with him unable to react in time to evade it. Getsuhime on the other hand, reacted quicker than her master, activating her Shikai form by herself and transferring the power that comes with it to Ichigo.

"You've gotten faster," The Stranger commented, turning around to see Ichigo at his knees while covering his right eye with his free hand, breathing heavily all the while because of the newfound stress that came from the shock of almost losing an eye that was thankfully avoided. If Getsuhime had been a picosecond slower then he would've lost his eye, or perhaps his life.

"Don't tell me one little spook was all it took to call it quits already, boy. I was just starting to enjoy this," He snickered, greatly amused by Ichigo's current position but truly wanted to continue their fight.

"What was that…? What the hell did you do!" Ichigo demanded, getting his bearings in order while staring at the blade still protruding on his abdomen before getting reabsorbed into his body.

"I told you, I am the Blade!" He shouted, swinging his arm again and this time, four katanas that lack hilts, leaving their bare blades visible are thrown as projectiles. Ichigo parries all four of them easily enough, shattering them instantly.

"I'll show you a blade! Jingetsu!" Ichigo roared, summoning dozens of light swords and throwing them all at the Stranger who retaliated by releasing his own swarm of blades that countered each other violently, the clash of swords, caused more damage to the forest with trees and the ground being torn asunder.

After releasing a secondary swarm of swords, the Stranger runs forward alongside his blades as they block every blow of Jingetsu to get closer to Ichigo who lies still and ready for him, having activated Gengetsu prior so the Stranger ended up touching nothing but air, to his confusion, having never fought a foe who could make himself intangible.

"Got you now!" Ichigo declared, thrusting Getsuhime forward and with enough force to finally penetrate his body, and protruding through his back. The Stranger gasps in pain and disbelief, certain that no one could harm him to this extent.

"Not so tough now, eh!" Ichigo taunted before he started running, pushing the Stranger to ram him through a tree that broke apart upon contact and he doesn't stop with just one and rams him into six more before throwing him to the ground. The Shinigami groans in more pain and anguish.

"Had enough?" Ichigo said with vindictiveness as he pulled Getsuhime from the Stranger, however, the enemy was not done yet, quickly grabbing the blade of Getsuhime that is the only thing that Ichigo didn't make intangible to hurt him, shocking him.

"I can go a few more rounds," The Stranger said with smug satisfaction, his grip on Getsuhime so tight that Ichigo couldn't pull her away, and that was the least of their problems as the worst occurred with Ichigo's Reiryoku beginning to leak out of him as luminously white mist through Getsuhime and into himself.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo uttered in horror, experiencing greater pain as it felt like his Soul was being skinned alive and his strength was fading.

"He's… absorbing our power," Getsuhime exclaimed, alarmed by this new disaster escalating beyond their control.

"Let go!" Ichigo yelled, beginning to use Gengetsu again to teleport away from him but it failed, accomplishing only in releasing more of his light-based spirit energy that the Stranger ended up absorbing before he could use it. "No way…"

The Stranger laughs maniacally as he gets back up and grabs Ichigo by the neck to restrain him as well, leaving both Shinigami Agent and Zanpakutō locked in a critical situation.

"Good! This is exactly what I need. You are a truly powerful being, boy. With your power I will finally be free," The Stranger declared, becoming hysterical and drunk with the power he is stealing.

"If using our techniques runs the risk of him absorbing more of our power then I'll seal all of it," Getsuhime declared, making a bold move going beyond to conceal all of Ichigo's spiritual power from being absorbed any further, as she gathers everything that has yet to be taken and places it all in the Inner World before putting it all in lockdown, canceling the Stranger's absorption.

"What happened? Ran out of power already," He said in confusion as he no longer sensed a single drop of power in Ichigo and his Zanpakutō has returned to its sealed state.

Taking advantage of his confusion, Ichigo musters all his physical strength to break himself and Getsuhime free from his hold on them, then delivers a sucker kick to his face to push a few steps back.

Ichigo collapses, feeling drained, and the absence of his Reiryoku while his soul remains separate from his body weighing him down. His hands are shaking so much that he can't keep his grip on Getsuhime.

"I see. You managed to put a wall between your Inner World and yourself to keep your Reiryoku from being usable, especially to external forces. That's a very bold move, lad, but ultimately suicidal," The Stranger smirked, again amused by Ichigo's vulnerable state.

"I don't need Reiryoku to break every bone in your body," Ichigo growled, forcing himself back on his feet despite his body being unable to bear the agony.

"I don't have bones. I am a Blade!" The Stranger boasted while his left arm morphed into a mismatch of multiple katanas that he would use to mutilate Ichigo.

"A terrible one at that," Getsuhime retorted, returning to her Shikai state now that she removed the wall she created, and at once all of Ichigo's power was released, and he reveled at the chance to use it all, unleashing a devastating blast that strikes at the Stranger before he can react and screams again as he is blown away into the sky, and as far as Ichigo can tell, he blew him to the stratosphere.

"That feels so much better," Ichigo sighed, feeling lively again.

"We took him too lightly," Getsuhime frowned, feeling detestable.

"Sorry. I guess we needed the gang with us after all," Ichigo muttered now feeling ashamed.

"Don't apologize. I too couldn't make sense of that man and misjudged our odds, and now 30% of our power has been siphoned. Complete rejuvenation will take a week at most because of how damaging the absorption was to your Soul, and he will doubtlessly come back for the rest,"

"Wonderful. But on the bright side, no Rukia to criticize me for mishandling the whole thing,"

"Honestly, you really can't stay out of trouble, can you," Kisuke mused, arriving at the aftermath of the battle.

"Hat-and-Clogs," Ichigo gulped, startled to see him here.

"Of course, he'd show up at the worst time," Getsuhime seethed, now it being her whose anger scratches the surface. Ichigo doesn't quite believe that he was just sitting on the sidelines all this time but won't dwell on it just yet.

"Let's just skip the usual ominous crap of yours and get to the point. Who was that?" Ichigo demanded.

"The Legendary Baishin. He was an incredible Shinigami who was renowned as one of the greatest masters of Zanjutsu. Could've been one of the greatest Captains in history if not for his passion to teach new pupils how to be the best Shinigami they could be so he was more known for being a Professor in the Shinōreijutsuin," Kisuke explained.

"That guy was a teacher. The Soul Society really has low standards for the education of their younglings, don't they," Ichigo mocked.

"Believe it or not, he was a much nicer guy. Stern and tough, sure, but nicer. But then all of a sudden he went crazy and became the monster you just fought. Massacred half the student body, which marked him as the most wanted man ever in Soul Society, especially wanted by the Head Captain who founded the Academy so learning that so many of the children who attended his school were murdered by one of the teachers almost made him unleash his Bankai due to how furious he was," Kisuke grew more forlorn and Ichigo became uncomfortable with this terrible tale.

"Baishin escaped to the Human World where six Gotei Captains hunted him down but only two of them made it back. They imprisoned him with a powerful Kidō that fused him with the very land of this place, and as a percussion, the Shinigami built a shrine here meant to serve as a disguised prison, one invisible to the humans. It's been four hundred years since that nightmare,"

"And he just so happened to escape now of all times,"

"I'm afraid our dear Senna may be to blame for this breakout. The Seal keeping Baishin trapped kept weakening due to him trying to get out so the members of the Kidō Corps watching him had to be paying attention at all times. Their memories must've gotten siphoned by Senna, causing them to lose track of time," Kisuke frowned. "Tessai informed me an hour ago that the Shrine was set ablaze with everyone there slaughtered."

Once again Ichigo felt his heartache at the mention of Senna, and hearing that more harm was caused because of what Ganryū had done to her just adds salt to the wound.

"Baishin… he could somehow forcefully absorb Reiryoku from me and seemed to have been looking for me somehow, even though I hid my power fairly well,"

"That's not too surprising. While your performance in training is superb you still have a long way to go. I don't need my gadgets to track you down so I doubt any of my seniors will have trouble finding someone who isn't as well hidden as yours truly," Kisuke replied. "You've blown him away for now and I'm certain that he'll be licking his wounds for a while so for now you can focus on your family."

"Hopefully. Though, knowing my luck those three and dad are going to make me beg for more pain," Ichigo sighed in exhaustion.

---

"MASAKI! My beloved!" Isshin rushed into the front door as soon as he saw his wife enter the house once she and their daughters returned home at noon and wasted no time embracing her like there was no tomorrow, and if he could he'd never let her go.

Things have settled in Karakura for the better after Ganryū, but not so much for Soul Society. They haven't heard back from them but Ichigo considers that a good sign that things should turn out better for his group, at least once Baishin has been dealt with.

"You've both come back safely," She whispered into his ear after having been worried for so long. She was informed a head by Kisuke that her husband and son came back safely and successfully, even spoke to the two on the phone but seeing them is a whole other matter.

"Of course. When have you ever known me to go back on my word? I am the man you married after all," Isshin replied confidently to her, conveying the love between them.

"So good to be back home," Kon cheered with him and the twins entering the house, Yuzu sharing her happiness while Karin as usual acted disinterested. Granted, there is a good reason why she would be displeased about coming home.

"MY BABIES! DADDY MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Isshin cried with more joy, wrapping his daughters in a bearhug that Yuzu embraced, overjoyed to see her father again after so long apart, while Karin desperately tried to break free.

He's not holding them so tight that they're in pain, Karin just finds this humiliating. She wants people to see her the same way they see her brother.

Kon gets ignored, not that anyone would be surprised by Isshin's indifference to his son but the reason is known only to Kon himself and Masaki. Speaking of which, Kon notices Ichigo in spirit form hiding in the corner as he doesn't want to risk being seen by his sisters, specifically Karin, and signals the Mod-Soul to come to him so that he can finally reclaim his body.

'If Ichigo is back then that means…' Kon beamed, immediately assuming that Rukia was back since he had yet to be informed of her decision, and ran passed the Kurosakis with the hopes of embracing the petite girl who won his heart. Instead of the girl whose name he was going to scream for, he receives Ichigo's Shinigami Agent Badge that he harshly places on his forehead, triggering Kon's pill form to exit Ichigo's body which grabs and quickly enters after so long.

"Finally," Ichigo sighed in relief. "This is so much better than that blasted Gigai."

"What's the difference between a real body and an artificial one?" Orihime asked who was standing beside him and the rest of their group.

"I felt heavier. Maybe it just takes some getting used to but I am never getting in one of those things again," Ichigo hissed.

"The contractions of Shinigami never fail to intrigue and yet remain fundamentally flawed," Uryū said.

"Whatever happened to that Gigai you were using?" Chad asked.

"Returned it to Urahara after blowing Baishin into outer space," Ichigo sighed as he stared at the pill form of the Mod-Soul. "Now then, what were you doing in all that time with my body, you little bastard."

"Well, this is a surprise, I never expected to see you three here once we came back," Masaki said as she walked by and noticed the trio with her son.

"Hello again, Mrs. Kurosaki! When we learned that you, Kon, and the girls were coming back we wanted to come and welcome you back," Orihime greeted the other woman she admires besides Tatsuki, and who is also her boss.

"Aww, how thoughtful of you three. Such wonderful friends you have," Masaki smiled as she went to give her son a loving hug. "Welcome back."

"Yeah, you too Mom," He whispered, really glad to see her and his sisters again.

"This is such a wonderful day," Isshin cried. "A cause for celebration now that the Kurosakis are back together. Let's go over to Shinkuryū!"

"Oh? Great idea Dad!" Yuzu cheered.

"Like I always say, that place is way too fancy for the likes of you, Goat-Chin but I won't say no to good food," Karin complied.

"That's the spirit, my dear. Make yourselves comfy in your precious home before—KYA!" Isshin's boast turns into a cry of pain as he gets kicked in the back so hard that he crashes into a wall with his head bashed through.

"DADDY!" Yuzu cried frantically to him while Karin turned around to the door to see who did that.

"So these are the aunt and cousins you've been hiding from us, you old bastard. They all seem way too good for you," Insulted Kūkaku Shiba while she is in a Gigai and wearing modern-day casual clothes. Joining her are Ganju and Hanatarō.

"This place also functions as a clinic? At least this is the ideal home for the old goat," Ganju mused.

"Wow, they look so cute. I'm nervous now," Hanatarō smiled, excited to meet Isshin's family.

"Who the hell are you clowns?!" Karin demanded.

"Ah… Isshin, Ichigo. Something you forgot to mention to us when last we talked?" Masaki asked looking curious.

"Right… sorry about this. We skipped out on a lot because there was too much happening," Ichigo muttered, having forgotten to inform his mother that relatives whom she and the twins haven't met will be staying over in Karakura for a long while.

Isshin whales in agony while his niece roars, grabbing him by the front of his shirt before raising him and butting heads with him, sending him smashing back into the wall. Yuzu cries frantically as the brutal woman continues to berate and beat her father.

"This will teach you not to contact us for more than twenty years! This will teach you to run off and get married without another word to us! This will teach you to stop being such an idiot!" Kūkaku continued to roar before her arm was grabbed by Yuzu who attempted to pull her away.

"Huh? You want something?" Kūkaku questioned turning to the youngest Kurosaki.

"Please stop beating him! Sure he's a bit childish at times, but that's no reason to attack him," Yuzu told her, tears in her eyes making Kūkaku sigh.

"You must get that pacifistic nature from your mother, you sure as hell didn't get it from this bastard," Kūkaku stated taking another draw of her pipe and blowing it into Isshin's face who coughed as the smoke clouded around him.

'I question that sometimes,' Ichigo, Karin, Orihime, Uryū, and Chad all thought at once concerning Yuzu's delicate nature considering Masaki is just as crazy as her husband.

"Doesn't her attack on your dad feel like a repeat of her exact reaction when he reunited with her?" Orihime whispered.

"No, her outburst was much more brutal the first time," Uryū recalled the near bloodbath that occurred when Isshin returned to the Shiba Clan.

"You just don't remember because Ichigo was covering your eyes the whole time," Chad reminded. "It was so bad that even I covered my eyes."

"I swear I saw his spine protrude off his chest. Not that I can remember much of it myself since she came for me next," Ichigo gulped, recalling the brutal beating that Orihime had to heal him for a whole day and she could barely keep him conscious. How could Kūkaku be scarier than Aizen? He's put up with his mother for years.

"Um… uh…" Kūkaku raised an eyebrow at the timid girl. "Who are you?" Yuzu questioned as she released the woman's arm.

"She's your…" Isshin mumbled.

"Like hell! I'm not letting you tell them anything, you bastard! I'll inform them myself! You had your chance!" Kūkaku roared slamming a sandaled foot into her uncle's face before he could even respond making Yuzu let out an 'eep' of surprise. Kūkaku sighed before taking her pipe from her mouth and turning to Yuzu before smiling at her. "Names Kūkaku Shiba and I'm family," Yuzu's eyes widened at the statement.

"This moron here," She said grabbing the near-unconscious Isshin by the hair and raising him to show him to Yuzu. "Is my uncle, which in turn makes me, my brother Ganju, you, and your siblings cousins."

"Say what?!" Karin questioned with wide eyes.

"Dad never told us that we had cousins!" Yuzu said excitedly.

"Yeah, I bet he left out a lot of things," Ganju sighed, scratching his right cheek while staring at the twin cousins he never met until now. "This is uncomfortable. Never could get along with the other relatives myself so I'm not sure how to approach this."

"Typical Kūkaku, always a bowl of sunshine," Hanatarō said while dropping a sweat.

"And who are you supposed to be, exactly?" Masaki asked, still trying to register that Isshin's family had come to visit. She did expect that once Isshin affirmed that he would go with Ichigo to Soul Society she might finally meet her in laws.

"Hello. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Masaki Kurosaki. I'm Hanatarō Yamada, Isshin's half-brother, so that makes me your brother-in-law," Hanatarō introduced himself.

"Are you kidding me!" Karin shouted, refusing to believe who this pipsqueak claimed himself to be.

"We have an uncle!" Yuzu again has the opposite reaction to her twin.

"Do you not see the issue here?!" Karin criticized her twin.

"Now, now. Karin, my dear, I know this is a lot to take in, and believe me, this is spontaneous but really, this is a moment of celebration," Isshin stated while getting back on his feet. "Ah, my loving family, what a joy it was to see you all again, welcome to my home. How long has it been."

"You got brain damage again? Over twenty-two years!" She snapped at him, making him chuckle slightly as he rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin on his face. "Damn fool." She muttered taking another draw of her pipe and blowing smoke out of her mouth.

"That's a bad habit," Isshin stated.

"Who got me into it!" Kūkaku glared making Isshin laugh as he remembered all the times he teased Kūkaku about how she wasn't cool enough to smoke back when he was in the Soul Society.

"Ichigo, what do you make of this?" Karin turned to her brother to help her make sense of this madness.

"Karin, at this point you're the only one here who's insane for not being used to all the crap that comes out of this old bastard," Ichigo said while hiding where he previously was when Kon saw him, desperately hoping to avoid Kūkaku's wrath but unfortunately, his older cousin came for him next, grabbing him by his forehead.

"Hey there, brat. Don't think I forgot about you," She said to him with a sinister grin.

"I know that look, and come on. You're a guest here. Can't we be civilized?" Ichigo muttered while dropping so much sweat.

"No," She simply replied before slamming his face on the floor.

"My expectations…" He sobbed.

"This is so exciting. I always wanted new family members," Yuzu cheered. "I'm so happy I could cook for a whole army."

"I guess it can't be helped, and the Shinkuryū is off the menu," Masaki sighed before turning to her son's friends. "Orihime. Be a dear and buy groceries for us to prepare dinner."

"Yes, ma'am!" She immediately complied, even saluting like a soldier.

"Wait! What?" Ichigo protested, instantly getting back up and confronting his mother. "Are you stupid or something? You can't just order her to buy groceries for you, she's a guest too."

"Of course I can, I'm her boss. And I can't go, I have to stay and meet Isshin's brother and my niblings," Masaki justified.

"Kūkaku will be too busy trying to kill Dad to spend any time with you, so you go get groceries," Ichigo argued.

"Well, maybe not my niece but my brother-in-law looks so adorable," Masaki mused.

"Don't make lousy excuses!" Ichigo stood his ground.

"It's okay Ichigo, this is an important moment for your family and I want to contribute," Orihime assured.

"You've been in this household long enough to not want to be a part of this madness in any conceivable way," Ichigo pleaded.

"She clearly does," Getsuhime replied.

'If you're not going to help me, then focus solely on your garden,' He growled.

"Don't be rude, Ichigo. If Hime wants to support this family then let her do the right thing. Don't be overbearing like your uncle Ryūken is with sweet Kairi," Masaki lectured while placing a hand on Orihime's shoulder.

"I'M OVERBEARING?! Have you looked in a mirror lately!" Ichigo shouted.

"For someone who's against her son dating, she sure makes a habit of being a bossy mother-in-law," Uryū muttered perplexed by how dysfunctional the Kurosakis are.

"If you're worried about her going alone then there is a simple solution to that," Masaki smirked as she kicked, but not literally, Orihime, Chad, and Uryū out of the house with a list of things to buy and money to buy the things on the orange girl's hands. "All of your friends can go together."

"Well, that happened," Chad mumbled dumbfounded.

"That woman can sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo," Uryū muttered and knows it to be unwise to just go home and not get tangled up with the Kurosakis.

"All right, we have a job to do, so let's do our best," Orihime cheered, the only one enthusiastic about being bossed around like this.

"You know you guys don't have to do this, right? You can just go home and get away from this household, and never come back," Ichigo offered them while he only slightly opened the front door to show his head to them.

"We rather not take any chances with your mother," Uryū retorted.

"All right but just remember that if you feel anything out of the ordinary, ANYTHING at all, give me a call or raise your Reiatsu to the max and I'll be there faster than lightning," Ichigo declared. "By an extra 30,000 mph, if any of you are curious."

"Don't worry. We'll be back before anything bad happens to us. You just focus on your family," Chad assured him.

"Yeah, focus on preserving my life while you three get off scot-free regardless," Ichigo whispered as he closed the Gates of Hell behind them.

"Well, I can't say it was too unpleasant knowing him," Uryū half-joked, sharing the sentiment that Ichigo might be killed by the time they get back. The trio leaves while Ichigo begins his much-needed bonding with his relatives and has a proper get-together with his sisters without coming off as someone who hasn't seen them in a while due to Kon inhabiting his body throughout the whole summer with the twins.

At least with Karin who is too perceptive for her own good, while Yuzu will accept any kind of affection from her brother, no matter how clinging, not that Ichigo ever was clingy with his sisters but if he actually starts doing that, Yuzu will be too happy to notice how uncharacteristic her beloved brother is being with his affection.

"Aww, there's no wasabi on this list. I don't get it, why doesn't anyone in that house like Wasabi? It's the greatest ingredient in the world," Orihime pouted as she examined the list of all things she was instructed to buy.

"Masaki has an odd allergic reaction to wasabi that gives her a really bad rash on her skin so that clinic is a wasabi-free home," Uryū explained, making Orihime gasp in horror.

"I never knew that!" She cried frantically. "No wonder I wasn't allowed to have dinner there for a whole month last year."

"You've been working at her bakery for three years, how are you only learning this now?" Chad asked. "Also, I thought she was allergic to dogs."

"She is, and it's not pretty, that's why they don't own a pet even though Ichigo and his sisters wanted one growing up," Uryū added. "Yuzu was the only one who's ever been interested in owning a cat. I'd question how can one person have more than one bad allergy but then I remember whom I'm talking about, then it all makes sense."

Eventually, the trio came back with the groceries and before long dinner began for the Kurosakis and their distant relatives with Orihime, Chad, and Uryū invited to eat for bringing the food.

Dinner itself is going very well with Kūkaku, Ganju, and Hanatarō enjoying the meal made by Yuzu and praising her as a master chef. They've left an impression on Ichigo's mother and sisters, and as he and Isshin dreaded, Karin gets along so well with her oldest cousin that they fear her turning out like Kūkaku in the future.

Similarly, Yuzu and Hanatarō have the perfect uncle-niece relationship already, they're both equally so gentle and compassionate that Ichigo is in denial about finding the scene cute with his face flustered for a bit, and thankfully only Masaki and Orihime notice, causing them to giggle. Speaking of Orihime, her dynamic with the Kurosakis is so concrete that Kūkaku jokingly asked how come she isn't Ichigo's wife already, which is when things got out of hand but miraculously, Masaki decided not to be herself for once and let the two orange heads be the bottle of everyone's joke for the moment.

The only one who feels out of place is Ganju who just doesn't know how to interact with his relatives. Yuzu keeps trying to include him and Karin thinks he's cool in his own way but he just keeps feeling awkward so he instead stays close to Ichigo's friends whom he knows so no one is without someone to talk to.

"So, what is it that you do for a living, when not being a delinquent, Ichigo?" Kūkaku asked.

"When I'm not studying, you mean? I have a part-time job for this woman named Ikumi Unagiya," Ichigo explained. "The job in question is practically everything, except making Unagi eels. I keep telling her that she should change the name of the business that isn't Unagiya Shop but she is so damn stubborn. She has a good partnership with Mom and her bakery."

"Yep, I own the best bakery in Karakura. Love me or hate me, everyone's always looking to have a taste of what I have," Masaki said proudly.

"That sounded wrong," Ganju whispered while Ichigo rubbed his forehead in irritation, thinking the same thing.

"And I work at her bakery," Orihime beamed.

"Ah, so you're a regular in this household," Hanatarō guessed.

"We keep a spare room for her in case she is low on her rent," Isshin commented.

"So, why aren't you working for either of your parents instead?" Hanatarō asked his nephew.

"Working for Ikumi was her idea," Ichigo replied.

"To strengthen business relationships!" Masaki decreed.

"Still weird that you send off your own son to work for the woman who used to bully you in high school," Karin said with a grin.

"Water under the bridge, Karin!" Masaki snapped at her daughter. Why does she keep bringing that up?

"What a coincidence. I'm friends with someone who used to bully me in my youth too," Kūkaku joked.

"Really? Who would bully you?" Ichigo asked intrigued.

"A certain cat demon who's had the worst of life coming to her for a long time," She shrugged.

'Yoruichi harassed you too,' Ichigo muttered. 'Judging by his reaction, she must've bullied Byakuya as well.'

"Another reason why I weep for his declining Sakura," Getsuhime said out of the blue with venom.

"How did you fight back?" Karin asked curious to know more about Kūkaku.

"I tricked her into thinking her irritating boyfriend was cheating on her with me when in reality I kidnapped him and tried to feed his eyeballs to a pet cobra I used to own," Kūkaku explained, getting collective gasps from everyone who didn't know this, those who knew being Isshin and Ganju.

"That's evil!" Yuzu cried in horror.

"And kind of cool," Karin whispered. "And then what?"

"And then I got her in trouble with her parents who didn't even know she was dating anyone and said boyfriend sooo didn't reach their impossibly high standards and you can bet that her life was screwed for a very long time," Kūkaku smirked, recalling good times.

'Did Kisuke get out of that horrific crisis unscathed, or are the eyes he has new ones he made for himself artificially?' Ichigo wondered. 'Don't say anything nefarious, you've made your contempt for the Hat and clogs unbearably clear.' He interrupted Getsuhime before she could make another harsh comment.

"Okay. Now you're officially awesome," Karin smirked, making her parents and brother drop nervous sweats.

"I knew we'd get along," Kūkaku grinned evilly.

"That escalated quickly," Uryū whispered, just as scared as Ichigo is for Karin becoming another Kūkaku to terrorize them.

"At least men will be too scared to approach her," Chad pointed out.

"For some sick twist of fate this new bond makes me wish for the contrary," Ichigo groaned.

"Speaking of family, what about yours, Uryū? you won't be able to have dinner when you get home," Orihime said concerned.

"That's not an issue. My folks know I'd be out all day so no one is readying any food for me," Uryū shrugged, never really looking forward to family dinner at the Ishida residence due to his less-than-stellar relationship with his dad always causing one problem or another.

Just then, they hear the sound of the doorbell.

"Oh? Now, who could that be at this hour?" Masaki wondered.

"I'll answer the door, I already finished eating," Ichigo volunteered, walking to the door after washing his hands at a rapid pace. Once he makes it to the door, he hesitates to open it upon realizing that he senses no one on the other side. He's made an effort to be more efficient with his Spiritual Awareness and not just hide his presence that he's sure that unless it's his dad, Kisuke, or Yoruichi, he shouldn't have any difficulty knowing who and how many are before him. Paranoia getting the better of him, Ichigo quickly reaches for his Combat Badge and exits his body, leaving it lying on the floor, unsheathes Getsuhime and opens the door, expecting to be attacked.

And that's exactly what happens but not by whom he expected.

"FIGHT ME, SHINIGAMI!" Screamed the assailant who leaped at Ichigo with surprising speed and force that he is caught off enough and pushed to the far wall, even after easily blocking the incoming attack.

"What the…" Ichigo gasped in disbelief as he looked at his assailant to be neither an Arrancar nor Baishin but an eight-year-old girl wearing a simple white dress, with long, disheveled white hair with messy bangs along and lapis blue eyes with long lashes. She is so pretty that her beauty can make adults falter. "Kairi?!"

"I will defeat you, Shinigami! And reclaim my brother!" The girl shouted as she continued to attack Ichigo with her weapon, a falchion blade fit for her young size and is beautifully silver from the blade to its hilt like Getsuhime, except that the pentacle-shaped crossguard had five sapphires embedded in them that seemed to churn with unreleased power.

"What's with this sword?" Ichigo desperately asked while reflexively pushing her off him and thankfully she gracefully landed on her feet.

"Is that the best you got? Your kind is nothing!" She taunted him despite being clearly outmatched.

"Is someone attacking Ichigo?!" Orihime gasped in horror.

"I recognize that voice anywhere," Uryū looked the most alarmed. "What is she doing here?"

Ichigo uses Shunpo to take Kairi outside and gently puts her down despite trying to cut him with her blade.

"Kairi, what are you doing here, and what's with the sword?" Ichigo demanded, though not at all harshly.

"That blade of hers gives off a similar spirit energy to Uryū's bow," Getsuhime examined the sword she blocked with interest.

"What does it look like? I'm challenging you to battle. Quincy vs Shinigami. And since a bow doesn't cut it, I'll cut you with my hero sword," Kairi declared, pointing her blade menacingly at her prey.

"That is sadly a thousand times more intelligent than anything I've ever heard your brother say," Ichigo mused.

"Kairi, that's enough," Her mother, Kanae scolded as she grabbed her by her waist to lift her in the air to restrain her.

"But Mama! I have to fight the bad guy!" Kairi cried, struggling to free herself.

"That is your cousin, not the enemy. And you know better than to take your father's Kreuz (Cross), he'll be very unhappy when he comes home," Kanae scolded as she took the sword from her daughter's hand, causing it to change shape, becoming a palm-sized silver pentacle.

"What in the blazes is going on here?!" Uryū protested as he, Orihime, Chad, Hanatarō, Isshin, and Masaki came to see what was going on. The twins are being kept inside in case it is something serious with Kūkaku and Ganju looking out for them.

"Brother! I've come to rescue you," Kairi sobbed a bit frantically. If she wasn't cute already, her cries made everyone skip a beat more than once at how adorable she's been.

"That never gets old," Masaki giggled.

"That bastard Ryūken has no idea how lucky he is to have such an angel," Isshin sobbed as well. It kills him inside to admit that his daughters aren't nearly as cute as Kairi Ishida.

"Wait… rescue me, from what? I'm fine," Uryū said confused.

"No, you're not! You're surrounded by Shinigami who kidnapped you," She protested, somehow perceptive enough to know that Ichigo was a Shinigami before she saw him in his shihakushō, same with Isshin and Hanatarō.

"Kidnapped? Aww, Kairi," Ichigo muttered, now feeling bad, returning to his body before approaching the girl again. "Don't be like that. You know me. Just because I wear their kimono—"

"—Out-of-style kimono," Uryū whispered.

"—Doesn't mean anything. I'm still your cooler older brother," Ichigo insisted pleadingly.

"Watch it!" Uryū warned furiously and sorely tempted to fire a storm of arrows at Ichigo's face. He hates seeing his sister near Ichigo.

"Y-You… pinky promise," Kairi sniffed, calming down a little.

"Have I ever broken a promise?" Ichigo smiled at her.

"You really want someone to answer that," Isshin bemused.

"Shut up," Ichigo whispered with suppressed irritation.

"I'm very sorry about this. We were passing by her in my car to deliver some medicine to a coworker of Ryūken when all the sudden she felt Uryū in your house with all of you, and… let's just say Uryū was never one to sugarcoat his negative opinions, which is sad when he's become a hypocrite," Kanae apologized for her daughter's behavior.

"I know it seems like I have some double standards but really, Ichigo here could hardly be considered a Shinigami, especially after what he did this summer," Uryū said innocently.

"The day I actually turn evil your name will be the first I write on my Death Note," Ichigo groaned.

"I knew you were a fan," Orihime cheered.

"I can't believe you are," Ichigo mused.

"You don't have to worry about a thing, Kanae, you know you and your adorable angel are always welcome here, no matter the circumstance," Masaki greeted.

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel too inviting," Kanae sighed.

"It shouldn't," Ichigo replied before whispering to Uryū. "She's going to cry all day unless you go with her."

"Yeah…" Uryū sighed, knowing how dramatic his baby sister could be. "Sorry to leave so abruptly and the fuzz caused by my sister but she'll continue to behave this way if I stay."

"Call us if something crazy occurs," Ichigo said.

"I'll watch out for her on the way," Uryū insisted to his mother as he carried Kairi who wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. Her cries cease and are replaced with a bright smile that again makes Ichigo, his parents, uncle, and friends skip another beat.

'Cute…' They all mused.

"Do you two have to make a scene every time we're outdoors?" Kanae sighed. "It's a wonder your father is the way he is."

"Don't blame your husband's bad attitude on us," Uryū scowled indignantly.

"Don't mimic your cousin's scowl," His mother retorted, making him gasp in horror.

"So… who were those two again?" Hanatarō asked seeing the Ishidas off.

"The Ishidas are relatives of mine. Uryū's dad is my first cousin and apart from his wife Kanae and daughter Kairi we don't always get along," Masaki explained.

"And apparently the Ishidas are also dishonest pricks. All that talk about Uryū being the ''Last Quincy'' was a load of bull crap because Kairi is certainly packing some real force. And her taste in weapons is more ideal," Ichigo huffed.

"Kairi's a Quincy? I certainly felt a familiar sensation from her that instantly reminded me of Uryū," Orihime said.

"Well, with my bloodline no longer truly a part of the Quincy Legacy and Ryūken being too condescending for his good, I doubt he'll sit back and allow Kairi to embrace her lineage so Uryū is essentially the only one willing to keep our people alive," Masaki explained.

"That's a shame because Kairi definitely left a bigger impression on me than Uryū ever could," Ichigo mused. "Sure, she caught me off guard but the way she rammed me to the wall inside the house gave me goosebumps. Hell, even Getsuhime was baffled by the experience, and it takes a lot to impress her. Also, I thought Quincy only used Bows."

"It's mandatory for them to be proficient archers as it is a key part of their culture but Quincy is a tribe of warriors, and a warrior who lacks versatility is no warrior at all," Isshin explained. "They can essentially use Reishi to make anything they want but I don't think Uryū ever got the memo."

"HA! Leave it up to Kairi to show him off. Nothing we ever heard before, am I right," Ichigo smirked.

"Ichigo. Don't be rude, Uryū is a serious hard worker," Orihime scolded with a pout.

"Since when are you a mood killer," Ichigo groaned, growing agitated by her defending Uryū.

"Ooh, a lover spat. Why don't you two take this elsewhere more comfortably," Isshin insisted, getting between the two orange heads, earning him a kick on the chin by his wife who is far stronger than people realize as she sent Isshin to the rooftop where he lands, completely out cold.

"Let's get back inside and entertain the relatives," Masaki stated, with them all getting back inside, except for Hanatarō who was shocked to see his brother on the roof.

"Isshin, are you okay?!" He cried.

---

"Yesterday sure was something…" Ichigo sighed as he took a stroll around Karakura and pondered everything that had happened. Yesterday was a fun experience for a big family reunion, getting to know others who are just as nuts as his parents wasn't as bad as he feared. It was all refreshing compared to everything else he went through because of the spiritual.

He is relieved to know that Kūkaku and Ganju won't be staying at his house, that would've been like being roommates with the Devil for Ichigo and Isshin since they both made plans to crash at Kisuke's. He would like to know how that goes down, predicting a certain amount of damage that the Shopkeeper will never be bold enough to demand payment for repairs.

Hanatarō, he has no problem with him staying in the Kurosaki Household. He can stay for as long as he wants without argument. He insisted otherwise, not wanting to be a moocher but settled for looking for a part-time job somewhere in the city for the duration of his time in the Human World. How long do those three plan to stay, they never specified but Ichigo won't ponder on that.

Right now he wants to enjoy his last day of summer before school starts, which is a can of worms all its own but not so bad. He can say with certainty that his life is a damn good one despite the multitude of hiccups, the question now is how long does he have before disaster strikes again.

"You don't want to admit it, but you are eager to fight again," Getsuhime said, interrupting his troubled train of thought.

"What? Don't compare me to Kenpachi," Ichigo argued, now feeling flustered.

"I'm not, but you can't deny forever that ever since Aizen the only times that your mind remains focused is when you are wielding me to slay your enemies. The silence of peace, the pounding of the wind, the sensation of the common man living their lives with blissful ignorance serve only to aggravate you. Your heart is everywhere but where you needed to be," She declared.

"And where exactly is my heart supposed to be?" He questioned while intrigued by where she might be going with this lecture.

"Where do you want it to be?" She dodged the question with another one, or rather that is what it seemed to Ichigo but he knows what she's like now. She's not one to be completely vague and give half-baked answers, especially when she is certain that the answer should be obvious to him. The problem is that the answer isn't easy for him to spit out.

Ichigo groans in frustration as he lies down on a bench in the park he is at.

"I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm feeling. I don't know why I can't be straight,"

"That's okay, take your time,"

"My heart… eh," Ichigo muttered with forlorn written all over his face, subsequently he also thinks back on his talk on his final moments with Senna and how that wounded his heart.

(Flashback)

"Senna?" Ichigo said softly as he watched the Shinenju who was back in her Gigai, standing in front of a small gravestone that she stared at with sadness.

After they left Kyōgoku, Senna's was so focused on checking up on everyone who was injured in the battle, feeling responsible for their pain since they were there to protect her. Convincing her otherwise was a fruitless task and the Shinigami making a quick recovery changed nothing for her heart.

In this moment, Senna can only contemplate her fate, somehow the depths of her true nature haven't sunken in yet like Ukitake thought, the memories of the humans within her still overpower the knowledge of her identity.

"I thought that this was where I was buried. At least the version of me that I am right now but I mixed this visage with another woman," Senna said somberly. "Her name was Roselyn Newman, she was born in America in the forties, ran away from home to escape her abusive parents, and found new meaning in Japan. Met the right guy who taught her everything about this country's culture so that she would thrive. They had three kids together and they managed to live happily ever after. She died just last month. You gave her a Konsō but she did not pass on correctly, as it is for most weak human souls."

"Even before all this happened, you identified yourself as every soul you merged with, as a way to connect with them and give them comfort from the pain they felt," Ichigo realized.

"You're only half right. It's a superbly ridiculous process for me. Blanks gather in Kyōgoku that absorbs their memories and energy, and at the same time, they're absorbed into me. It used to be so easy to tell them all apart from myself but now it's hard to accept which is real. The weirdest part is that I prefer it this way," Senna confessed.

"I did my job for millennia, giving hope to those who've forgotten it. My presence held them together but I never truly cared for them because I didn't know them at all. But now, I realize just how shallow I was and how wonderful this world truly is despite its flaws. I got to understand humanity through all these precious memories. I remember my dad. And that dad. And a bunch of other dads. I also remember getting married with one faithful husband after the next."

"Sounds like you've had a RICH life with more miracles than disappointments," Ichigo gave her a brighter smile to show how glad he was for her.

"That's one way to look at it," Senna turned around to face him with a smile of her own. "As catastrophic as this whole event was, I can't help but feel grateful that it happened. You and Ganryū opened my eyes to how "hollow" my life has always been, and now I question if I and Reiō are really family or if I'm just a tool to keep his flawed Creation together. At the end of the day, I'm just a collection of discarded memories that couldn't pass on properly."

"Senna—"

"—I know what you're going to say, and you're right. But I also have to acknowledge the facts of why I exist," She countered his protests. "Soul Society worships me as some goddess but they don't really know me at all, same with everyone that is given such a bothersome title but I don't fault them. Everyone needs help making it through in their lives, be it a friend, a relative, or a god. What I have always been is someone who helps. Maybe I was given this task against my will, I don't know if I ever knew the answer to this fact but what I know without a shadow of a doubt is that the I of now am proud of what I am. Not a Goddess but a Protector to those who've lost their way."

"A Protector…?" Ichigo repeated, the word somehow foreign and familiar at the same time. The answer to this feeling is a twisted one that he'd feel shame talking about with anyone, even Getsuhime.

"Yeah, just like you," She beamed at him while her hands were locked behind her back. "I have to go now to my home in the Palace that floats above all worlds."

"A castle in the sky. Where all the things that seem confusing or messed up suddenly become clear," Ichigo mused.

"Pretty much,"

"Will we ever see each other again?" Ichigo asked nervous for the answer.

"No. I don't think we will," She confessed, and her hero's heart sank by her dark words. "Though you can become a Shinigami, you are still bound to this world and cannot be permitted to go beyond my own. But that's okay. Don't take the life you have now for granted. Live it to the fullest and make more wonderful memories. That's what I would do if I were in your shoes."

"Hold on to this life, despite there being a new one that calls to me," Ichigo questioned, his sadness more visible than ever. His tough front was again exposed as a façade.

"You're not sure what you want to be anymore, do you?"

"What am I supposed to be? My life has changed so much, so quickly. I have seen and experienced things that no normal man can shrug off easily. All of us have, and we know there is still more to come. I was born into two worlds, no matter what I decide, I know what I will feel most of all is regret, always thinking of what could've been," Ichigo said sadly with clenched fists.

Listening to his troubles diligently, Senna walks to him.

"I feel that—I know that I'm going to lose my mind one day, that if I stray away I will become something devoid of humanity. And if I, as that ''thing'' were to hurt anyone, my friends and family. It would… It would be more than I could take," His hands are now shaking with his fists loosening due to him losing strength because of his growing honesty. "That's why I don't want to lose anyone I call a friend. Not ever."

"I don't either," Senna replied, becoming sad herself to see Ichigo of all people look like this.

'Especially since I never had a friend before I met you, and never will,' Senna whispered in her thoughts but she would never say that to him.

"Ichigo, can you make me a promise?"

"A promise?" He uttered caught off guard.

"Even if we never see each other again, that doesn't mean we should be sad. We can find happiness without replacing one another," She said with a bit more enthusiasm. "So then, can you promise me that no matter what happens, you will always hold me in your heart but still achieve greater happiness with others. If you do that, I can do the same knowing you're not sad anymore."

"Senna…"

(End of Flashback)

"The Heart… the source of a Soul's corruption into a Hollow. Will it be my downfall as well?" He wondered as his heart still ached. It always aches. No matter how much happiness he finds it always aches.

"I know that you are talking with your Zanpakutō but you do realize that your fellow humans are woefully ignorant to a monologue like that, right?" Ichigo turns around to the sound of someone who should be in the Afterlife, but not necessarily dead.

"Matsuri?" He uttered in surprise, seeing the Gotei Lieutenant wearing more casual clothing fit for the human world, a white tube top with black trims that exposed her abdomen and a crimson leather jacket, really short blue pants that leave much to the imagination, and black boots.

Ichigo did not picture her as the sort of girl to be THIS casual while they were hanging out in the Seireitei.

"What is she doing here?!" Getsuhime questioned, lethal venom lacing her mouth. Ichigo doesn't approve but she has been directing the antagonism she has for Kisuke toward the Kudō twins but all he can do is make sure she doesn't levitate her sword self and charge at Matsuri.

"That's not the most pleasant look I'd ever expect to be given by a friendly face," She said humored by his expression.

"Well, most people in my position don't expect someone from your place to show up here like it's no big deal," He muttered. "Even though we're on the same side, I don't really expect to see you people all that often, and aside from you, your brother, Hanatarō, and Rukia, I was really hoping that be the case."

"I get what you mean, but remember that we have Shinigami patrolling anywhere in the world where Hollows may show up so just because you don't see us, even under a Gigai doesn't mean we're never around," She said almost sagely.

"You got me there, but if they were planning to replace Rukia with another Guardian of Karakura, I would've never expected it to be someone like you," Ichigo said curiously before a bad thought came to him. "Wait, don't tell me that old fart demoted you?"

"No, thankfully I'm still a Lieutenant but I have been assigned a new mission here that was previously put on hold because of your Invasion, followed by the Kyōgoku Incident, and now I can get to work on it," She explained.

"And it has nothing to do with Baishin, I take it?"

"He is on the menu, yes, but he is only a recent addition, and if we don't deal with him soon, the Head Captain will do it himself,"

"The old fart, coming to this world to settle a four-hundred-year-old grudge? This whole Town will get crisped into nuggets,"

"And not the good ones. I hear he's a terrible cook,"

"Okay, so what's your actual mission?" Ichigo asked concerned that Karakura might be in danger again.

"I really shouldn't get you involved, but I know what you're like and Rukia mentioned that you're pretty zealous about looking after this town so I'll humor you," Matsuri relented. "But I am pretty hungry so food is on you."

"Fair enough," Ichigo complied with a half-smile that hid his amusement with the prettier twin. In all honesty, he's glad that she showed up when she did, otherwise, his whole day might've been ruined because of his mood.

Inwardly, however, he gulps, hearing something huge collapse in his Inner World, probably a building.

'What was that?' He asked his Zanpakutō.

"Nothing worth your time. Just go, have fun with your date!" Getsuhime said obviously agitated by her master agreeing to take Matsuri out to eat and demolish a skyscraper in a fit of anger.

'I know that's what it sounds like but mature people would see it for what it is,' Ichigo muttered.

"There is no one in your life who's mature," She hit him with the hard truth, and he can only lament in bitterness of that fact.

---

This took way longer than I intended but sadly I have not been having a good time, feeling like a failure in life. What's my problem? The truth is I plan to be a Novelist. I write Fanfictions to practice my writing skills, admittedly earn some attention, and because I enjoy rewriting stories I love and make them more to my liking. My first book has been finished for months but I've been having trouble publishing it, mainly because I'm getting cold feet, new ideas popping up and driving me crazy that I might as well write seven books now, and for the ideas that don't belong in a book I add them to different fanficts I keep in my laptop in case I ever feel like publishing them.

Nowadays, most people would rather be a self-publisher. My brother and one of my oldest cousins suggested the same, my grandfather on the other hand, who is my main supporter suggested publishing the old-fashioned way but we can't seem to find anyone in Puerto Rico to help me. The longer this drags out the more I feel I'm letting my Gramps down, and that's what hurts the most.

That's all for now, folks, I can't promise any faster updates but this story isn't dead yet. I'm still a lover of Bleach and that keeps me optimistic.