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Chapter Text

Kukaku Shiba was in a mood. Not only had Shunsui finessed the central 46 to establish the Shiba clan as one of the great clans again, he foisted upon her the responsibility to tell Ichigo and his family what the bastard had planned for him.

She really wished Kisuke could have made the other arm work so she could have a smoke from her pipe. Why couldn't they have solved the whole replacing limbs issue before she got her arm bitten off on a patrol? Kukaku sighed. Carefully unfurling the directions with her only remaining hand. She was at the right place. She didn't need to look at Kisuke's handwritten directions to know that. "Kurosaki Clinic" was emblazoned on a sign above the front door. So she knocked.

The door opened almost immediately “Hello, I'm…” Isshin stopped almost immediately. 

"Been a long time, hasn't it Isshin?" Kukaku grinned. It was like the old times were back again. When she still had both arms, Kaien was head of the house, and they all were still in the noble district. 

"It has, please, come in, I think the kids would love a visit from their aunt," Isshin had quickly waved her in but was far more quiet than usual. Probably knowing this wasn't a simple family visit, but fuck it, she hasn't seen her brother in decades, she'll indulge herself. 

"Kids? Plural, damn, you and Masaki must have enjoyed each other," she almost immediately regretted saying that as Isshin immediately ran over and prostrated before a giant poster of his late wife and wailed like an idiot. 

She snapped him out of it with a swift blow to the back of the head with her left arm. "You haven't changed at all you fucking oaf. I think we should catch up before Ichigo shows up and I have to do what I came here to do."

Catching up was apparently the right idea. Isshin was entirely in the dark about what happened to the clan after he left. As far as he knew, they were still big shots in politics, and that the clan was still doing well in spite of having three heads in less than a decade. 

It was rough. Now though he had patients. While Ichigo had come back, he was busy helping his father. He had apparently been informed by Kisuke to put his life on hold until they heard from the seireitei. Urahara had either been aware of, or suspected, what was going on. 

She slammed back her beer while sitting in the kitchen. It was far enough away from the clinic that she couldn't really hear what was going on. She hated doing this to the kid. He's a mortal who isn't even twenty yet, he should be worried about whatever mortals do at that age. Not about what some assholes over ten times his age were doing, but she didn't really have a choice. She doesn't have nor want any children of her own, not to mention marriage is basically off the table for her due to her reputation. Ganju is too dumb and even blunter than she is, and while Isshin had his sentence from the Gotei commuted, the central 46 hadn't reinstated his noble titles. Ichigo however, Yamamoto and the 46 had given him a full pardon once they learned Ichigo used the final getsuga fucking tensho to beat Aizen, and while his father was unpersoned, he was a damned hero. Not to mention he had enough of a head on his shoulders to actually run the damn clan when she either finally steps down or croaks. He wasn't just the only option, but by any other metric, the best option, and she hated it.

The door opened that connected the house and the clinic, her brother and nephew. Apparently, Isshin only said there was a visitor, not that it was her.

"So, how's my nephew doing?" She had a shit-eating grin. Messing with Ichigo was always fun. 

"What the hell are yo- wait? Nephew!? " Apparently, Isshin played his old game of half-truths again and was just as shit at it as ever. This was going to be fun. "You said you were the head of a branch family! Not the whole damned clan!"

"To be fair the main branch is a branch," Isshin was flustered and kept up his classic idiot mask he always wore. Oh, how she missed this. But she had work to do. 

Kukaku cleared her throat. "As much as I'd love to see you kick his ass, I'm not exactly here just for a family visit," now came the meat and potatoes. 

Ichigo immediately snapped all of his attention to her. "Is something wrong?" Good guess, since Soul Society didn't really involve him unless it was a crisis situation. 

"No, actually, in most circles this would be considered good news," Ichigo let himself relax, but his scowl deepened.

"Implying that it isn't here," Ichigo was quick on the pickup as always.

"There are a few details I don't think you'll like, but the Shiba clan has been reinstated as a great house," she didn't know what to make of it herself. One part was elated, the arrogant little girl that she was before she got her arm bitten off, and the other part, the old woman who just wanted to be left alone, dreaded losing her privacy, the peace and quiet, and the freedom she had wandering the rukon when the only responsibility she had was to the soul palace. 

Ichigo walked over to the table, sat down, put his head in his hands, and sighed, "What's the catch?"

"I needed to formally select and declare an heir," Kukaku didn't feel the need to say he was the heir, her being here said that in and of itself. 

Ichigo groaned loudly as he contemplated who cursed him with this luck so that he could beat the shit out of them. 

Kukaku finished her beer in one final gulp, then flashed Ichigo a grin, "There are other details that need to be covered, but I'm also genuinely here to visit an extended family that I didn't know I had."

The visit was largely going well. Yuzu was an absolute darling and was prone to her family's more theatrical tendencies. Though it was clear her quincy heritage ran more strongly in her than her Shiba blood. Karin on the other hand was pretty much the opposite. She was quiet, wore a scowl similar to Ichigo's, and also joined him in ganging up on their father for being an idiot. This showed she was of the more reasonable variety of Shiba, but Karin was suspicious of her, probably for good reason. Kisuke said she knew Ichigo was involved with something to do with hollows, especially since she could see them, and now was even capable of hi-spec manipulation of her spiritual energy. She sighed, she needed to talk to her too. Hopefully, she could just get this out of the way, finish visiting family, and get to work on rebuilding her clan's long-atrophied political connections. 

She and Isshin decided to keep Yuzu out of the loop for now. She had no need to know what was happening and so they had gone out to get more food and beer. Enough time to get to business.

"You're not actually our aunt, are you?" Karin swung for the fences, and she was damned close too.

"Worse, she is," Ichigo's response surprised Karin. As far as she knew her parents were normal, if weird. This, however, was a surprise that caught her off guard and threw her off balance.

“Your father is my older brother, a former noble in Soul Society, and the former captain of the tenth division," this got Ichigo's attention.

"You mean Toshiro's?" Kukaku nodded at Ichigo’s inquiry. Karin was stunned into silence. Her father wasn't just a shinigami but was one of the strongest. A scary thought began creeping into her mind. 

"Correct. But let's not burn time here. The head captain has concerns and plans," Kukaku didn't want to waste time. The smaller details could be gone over later. "Kyoraku is worried you are becoming too powerful to be allowed to live in the living world without refining your spiritual control, if at all."

Ichigo sighed at this. Karin was about to say something in protest but her brother stopped her. "I don't like this, but I understand it. Hat-n-clogs warned me this could happen, and I figure I don't really have a say in it anyway."

"Yeah. 46 wants you up there on a permanent basis. Probably so they can finally put a leash on you. Kyoraku was able to talk them down to you being able to return once your reiatsu is better controlled if they deem it safe. Unless you decide to stay anyway," Kukaku ran her hand through her messy hair as she broke the bad news, she knew the 46’s bullshit all too well. That was a big if... This is why she hated Seireitei politics. Way too messy.

"Will I be allowed to make visits?" Ichigo's question was expected. Hell, she had whole plans to make sure he could. 

"The 46 would probably say no, but Kyoraku and I will deal with that when it comes to it. Just let us know in advance so we can cover for you if necessary," Ichigo didn't like the answer, but he could live with it. 

"Now for the part you really won't like," this was going to be an argument, she knew it. "Kyoraku convinced the 46 to revive the substitute shinigami program in a trial run, and Karin, you are at the top of the list."

"What the hell?!" Ichigo all but exploded. Shinigami work was extremely dangerous and like hell was he going to take this lying down.

At least until Kukaku gave him her signature glare. Even as perhaps the strongest being alive, that glare was enough to stop him in his tracks.

Karin was floored. So much so she had entirely missed the exchange that had happened while she was processing what was said.

“The choice is yours, but I'd recommend taking it," Karin silently acknowledged her aunt. She never thought she'd get involved like this. She was apprehensive. Ichigo rarely talked about the work he did. He'd talk about his patrols, but he never shared 'war stories.' Given what little she heard, she really didn't know if she wanted that life. 

"Thanks, but I… I don't know," Karin was unusually meek about this. 

Kukaku sighed. "You don't need to answer now, but with your powers developing as they are, you eventually are going to run into some of the issues your brother did, and are going to need it anyway. So as far as I see it, why not?" Kukaku gave her a reassuring look. One an older sibling or parent would give an uncertain child. Karin guessed she kind of was one given Kukaku was probably centuries old at least. 

"I'll think about it," Kukaku smiled faintly at her niece's reply. Her caution was actually reassuring. She was worried she'd jump at the chance. However, it seemed that Ichigo had done enough to inform her how dangerous shinigami work is. 

At this Isshin and Yuzu finally returned from their trip. Forcing Karin to shelve her many questions until later as focus returned to family, and the mask they had all chosen to use to hide from Yuzu this world of spirits and monsters fell again. 

The next day was tense. Isshin could feel it. Then again his side of the family had a reputation for being chaos incarnate so that was to be expected. However, he knew he needed to have a talk with Karin. Ichigo was still trying to figure out how to say goodbye to his friends, especially those who had no idea about the spirit world, so it fell to him to help his daughter make an informed decision. 

Fortunately, Yuzu was going to be hanging out with friends. So soon she would be leaving the house and doing that. Karin usually didn't go on these journeys as she generally preferred solitude over company. Granted, Karin was the easy part. Ichigo… he had his entire world uprooted in a single night. Isshin knew the Central 46, they wouldn't let him come back. Once he left for Soul Society, he wasn't coming back for anything longer than visits. They just won't let him walk away without a leash to pull on. He had told Ichigo as much, he knew Kyoraku and Kukaku likely knew this as well. 

Ichigo had figured that as well. Thankfully since he had his sentences commuted, he could at least visit his son, and if Karin takes up the offer, she could as well. 

"Bye everyone, I'll be back tonight," and that was Yuzu leaving. He replied back with his usual overdramatic theater, mainly because he found it fun to do so, but once the door closed, he could feel the weight on his shoulders increase as he heard Karin come down from upstairs. 

"So dad, you wanted to talk?" She looked like she hadn't slept last night. It made sense. She didn't really like her world-shaking that much. 

"I just wanted to expand on a few things Kukaku said," expand was close, but there really wasn't a word for 'your mother was a quincy and her getting bit by a hollow similar to the one that killed my older brother (who I harassed to the point of him moving out of the compound) and thus was doomed to oblivion if I didn't give her my power,' didn't really have a word for it. So ‘expand’ was good enough. 

"I'm starting to hate our family's tendency to keep secrets," she had a point. He was bad about that. He probably should have come clean to Ichigo when he came back from Soul Society, him learning he was Uryu's cousin back then would have been hilarious, but he had the opportunity to make sure Karin didn't jump in blind as Ichigo did. So he dropped his mask and stared at one of the two final gifts his lovely wife gave him. 

 "Do you understand it though, why Ichigo and I didn't tell you?" Karin glanced off to the side, then sighed. 

"Yes," she was agreeing to keep Yuzu in the dark. She hated it, but she got it. 

"Alright. What I am telling you, I probably should have told Ichigo the moment he came back from Soul Society the first time," he'll let Ichigo tell her that story, after all, he was there. 

He told the story almost exactly the same as he did for Ichigo, the only changes were explaining what a quincy was, and why telling anyone outside of a specific group what he told her was a very bad idea, and not hiding any of what Kukaku had already told her.

Karin had absorbed it all. She didn't like what she was hearing, but she trusted that her father was finally coming clean. 

"So. That hollow is what everyone is worried about," Karin's sharp inference surprised Isshin. 

"Yes, your brother developed powers that seem to have come from it," he had spoken to Uryu after the war with Aizen concluded, and he had informed him of Ichigo's battle against Ulquiorra. He still didn't know for certain, but he had a strong hunch that it was from White. 

The gears were turning in Karin's head, and it was beginning to look to her as if she practically had no option but to accept. "I'm assuming bad things happen if those awaken without any training."

Isshin sighed. "We have no idea. If you don't awaken your shinigami powers you could very well never face this, but if that's not the case, and they don't activate under controlled circumstances, yes. It could be very bad," he didn't want to elaborate further. Losing one of his daughters to this was simply a gut-wrenching thought. One he didn't want to linger on. 

Karin's scowl deepened. "Then yeah, I guess there is really no option," Karin was beginning to see why her father was such a massive buffoon. This was depressing. "When do I start?"

Chapter Text

Lieutenant and acting captain of the Thirteenth, Rukia Kuchiki, didn’t know what to make of this news. The Shibas had been reinstated, and as part of the legal requirements to do so, Kukaku had publicly declared her heir. That didn’t surprise her, that was just clan politics. What did surprise her was who. 

Apparently, Ichigo Kurosaki was the son of Isshin Shiba, the deserter captain who ran off with a mortal. She didn’t believe for a second that that was the sole reason a captain would abandon his post, but given what she knew of the man, she didn’t discount it. The irony was sickening, the boy she had dragged into this mess, who had stupidly walked back into the fray after she gave him an out and then had saved Soul Society twice, was the nephew of her late mentor. 

She had gotten over that, however. Ichigo was Ichigo, and honestly, she liked it that way. He was the reason she even tried for bankai. She was tired of being left behind, and now she probably had a bankai too strong for her own body to take. 

A part of her wanted to show Ichigo. To show him that she had finally done it. It hurt, not being able to see him over the past year, but it became an impossibility as she had to cover for the now-vacant position of captain of the Thirteenth. A vacancy that was obviously being reserved for her. She simply didn’t have the time even to consider leave, let alone enough leave for a stay in the living world. What little time she did have to herself now was spent training. 

Since the end of the blood war, Rukia had been working on extending the duration she can spend in suspended animation. Carefully chipping away at the limits of what she can do, primarily so she can safely use Hakka no Togame. It was a grueling, lonely process, spent meditating while her shikai was active, and just dropping her body temperature. It felt like she had gained little. Sode no Shirayuki seemed to disagree, stating that she could now hold absolute zero for 10 seconds, and had raised the starting temperature of her bankai. Small, incremental improvements. Another year and she might be able to actually start practicing with her bankai safely. Until then, she only had this, and her inner world to work with. 

She felt the head captain’s shadowy spiritual pressure long before she had heard him, and slowly raised her body temperature as though she were resealing her bankai, addressing another of its flaws. The head captain walked next to her position, opposite from her now sealed zanpakuto on her left.

“Lieutenant Kuchiki, I apologize if I’m interrupting something,” he rubbed the back of his head while flashing a sheepish grin. Rukia knew this was a mask, but also knew the politeness was genuine. He had been made aware of the state of her bankai by her brother, and why it was ill-suited for use currently. 

“I was close to finishing for today, head captain, do you need something of me?” she kept her eyes closed as she kept herself relaxed. She had kept a formal air about her still, even though she had been working herself to near exhaustion.

“Lady Shiba will be returning with Ichigo in a few days. I feel it may help him if a familiar face greets him," the head captain's reasoning was sound. She and Ichigo had a history, seeing her may soften the blow of what has happened. "Also, as I am concerned for your well-being, I'm giving you leave until you have to fetch them," the thinly veiled order was clear, and she knew that included her training. 

"Thank you," she kept up decorum as Kyoraku left, but she was a little frustrated. She had been close to something, but she couldn't stay upset for long, as when she stood up, she felt the aches of her exhausted body. Okay, maybe he had a point. 

Tatsuki was walking home with Orihime. The two had just left the Kurosaki house where Ichigo just… spilled everything. It was almost too much to believe, but it made sense. Rukia being a noble from the land of the dead, his father being one as well, his mother being a quincy, he spilled it all to her. It seemed some of the group already knew this, and others didn't. The part that hit hardest though was that he was leaving for Soul Society and that it was likely that this was going to become a permanent arrangement. He said he'd try to visit, and that he may actually have a slim chance of being able to return, but everyone in the room, even her, could see that this 'Central 46' wouldn't just let him walk free. 

The part that got to her though was Ichigo apologizing for keeping her in the dark for as long as he did. He had known that this was a likely outcome the moment he had been allowed to walk free after he rescued Rukia. Apparently, she had hammered it into his thick skull just by bitching at him hard enough. 

Tatsuki sighed. Keigo and Mizuiro were going to be told as well, but Ichigo said that his room was too small for them as well. She knew the real reason was that Keigo would just go into theatrics and that Ichigo didn't want to damage his stuff due to the inevitable reprisal he'd have to deliver. Fortunately, Keigo was busy getting into a culinary school, so he wouldn't be able to make it. Tatsuki had kept herself local, she was just too attached to Karakura to go to the bigger universities closer to the heart of Tokyo. Orihime and Uryu were going to the same one, but that made sense given that they were part of Ichigo's team when on patrol. 

"So…" Tatsuki was trying to break the ice. Orihime had been weirdly silent the whole walk. Normally they'd be talking about random things that popped into her mind.

"It's okay," Orihime's reply was unenthused. She had been nursing feelings for him for a long time, and this news hurt. She knew he could visit, but she couldn't reasonably expect him to maintain a long-distance relationship separated by planes of existence. She took it in stride as she always did, however. That was something Tatsuki admired about her. Her stubborn optimism was simply too strong. 

"Let's get you something sweet, take your mind off of this," Tatsuki wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders and took them on a detour to the closest donut place. She'd have to work it off later, but her friend needed the pick-me-up.

Kisuke Urahara was working on closing up his shop for the night. Kukaku was using one of the spare rooms he kept for shinigami on long-term deployment. It had been a long time since he had seen her. 

Last time he saw her, it was to help her and her clan in weathering the political shitstorm Isshin had unleashed. Yamamoto and the Central 46 were harsh, the Shiba were stripped of everything that could be stripped from them. Leaving only Kakaku Taiho in their possession. However, in a ploy to take even that by one of the other clans, they hadn't been given enough time to move it off the premises before anything left there would be forfeited. 

Kisuke checked the inventory as he reminisced. As he noted he would need to make some more soul candy soon. He remembered his ploy, they could only seize the property of the Shiba clan that was left behind, so he worked with one of the more loyal subordinate houses to transfer the cannon, semi-legally, to their possession. Thus preventing it from being seized. 

This also allowed the Shiba clan the time needed to remove it, as those who were working on moving it originally were now contracted by said house to move it to a location of their choosing. Squad Zero would then void the purchase as such a sale would be Illegal without their prior approval, but by that point, the cannon was already off the grounds. 

It really was a really stupid plan, requiring Central 46 and the other houses to play by their own rules, as opposed to just taking it anyway, but it had worked. Due to that, Kukaku was eternally grateful, to the point where she was one of his most reliable connections to the Soul Society, and smuggled a lot out for him, well, back before his name was cleared. 

Now he had the full support of the First's logistics arm, to the point he could now requisition asauchi. A perk he had taken advantage of earlier in the day when one of his new employees had taken over the counter. 

He had requisitioned one of each type of standard asauchi the moment he heard Karin was going to take up the offer of replacing her brother. The first had informed him that the requisition would be sourced from this month's batch, so it would maybe come along with whoever was collecting Ichigo. Though he wasn't entirely sure, he believed that the academy had finished zanpakuto selection for the year, but they could have changed the date. 

He caught a flip-flop out of the air as it flew at his face mid-thought. "My my, accurate as ever Hiyori."

"Shove it up your ass,” it seems Hiyori hadn’t changed a bit. Most of the Visoreds returned to Soul Society once the war ended, reprising their old roles, or in the case of Lisa, taking over from her captain. Urahara wanted to see what Kyoraku did to convince her to do that. 

Hiyori on the other hand still held a grudge. Thus the blonde was left in the living world with no other real option than to take up employment from her former captain. She played like she hated it, but in reality, it was good and simple work. Her boss was annoying as all hell, but he paid well, and since he was the reason she was here at all, there wasn’t the same issue with identification she had with other places. 

What she didn’t like was getting the responsibility of training Ichigo’s sister dropped on her. 

“What seems to be the issue?” Urahara hid his face behind his fan as he playfully pretended to play ignorant.

“You know what my issue is! You’re having me train that Idiot’s little sister, and you didn’t even tell me!” she had been asked by Jinta what she thought about that at dinner. She had immediately excused herself to, in her words, ‘Give that smug ass a piece of my mind.’

“I don’t know what you mean, this is just a quaint little shop, we don’t have the facilities to train anyone in anything,” Hiyori walked by Urahara as, again, he played stupid. He knew she knew everything, but it did rile her up. So she walked up, grabbed her sandal from Urahara, and then did what she would have done to Shinji if he did something like this to her, forgetting one crucial detail. This wasn’t Shinji.

“Ow! Ow! Ow! Fuck! Ow!” Hiyori went for a kick to the jewels, completely forgetting that the last time she tried that he had put on some sort of armor that bruised her shin for a week. 

“What the hell is going on out there?” Kukaku had walked in, and the scene before her caused her to burst out laughing. 

Urahara dropped the mask of an innocent shopkeep and simply looked at Hiyori with a smirk. “If you looked at the shift scheduling you would have noticed,” Urahara walked away. He felt nostalgic about the old dynamic, but it was getting late, Karin was going to start training tomorrow, and then he was hosting a goodbye party for Ichigo and the friends who knew about what was going on two days after that. 

He heard Kukaku close the door to the guest room, prompting a sigh as he looked back at the guest room. 'I hope you know what you’re doing.'

Ichigo had told Karin that he wanted to talk to her privately. So here she was, on the riverbank their mother’s body was found. The sun had set and there was nobody around. Karakura was one of the more quiet parts of the larger Tokyo area, so everyone was in their homes and unlikely to hear their conversation. 

“You’re getting into something pretty dangerous,” Ichigo stated the obvious, but this talk was to inform her about who she was going to be working with. 

“I know, dad made that pretty clear himself,” Karin continued to look out at the water. This place was the physical manifestation of the deep emotional scar they both shared. They both felt useless, Ichigo because he was the one their mother died protecting, and Karin because she had no useful skills to help cover for their mother’s absence. Ichigo became a protector, refusing to allow others to feel pain if he could stop it. Karin, she bottled herself up, put her emotions in a box, locked them away, and tried to throw away the key, to try not to be burdensome. But here, that box couldn’t hold forever. She had been told that Grand Fisher was dead by her father and that if her mother’s soul had survived being consumed, she was in Soul Society, but she could feel the tears beginning to form. 

“You’ll probably be working with the Thirteenth, that’s who patrols here. The current shinigami in charge of patrolling here should know who you are, so she should be able to help you familiarize yourself with the job,” he looked forward onto the water. So far he had worked with four shinigami, first Rukia, then Afro-san once he had actually confirmed Ichigo was a legitimate substitute, and finally, Shion and Ryunosuke. 

“You’re not going to try and stop me?” Karin was expecting a lecture on why this was a stupid idea, on the horrors Ichigo faced, or something else to convince her. 

“No, you made your decision, I might not like it, but I respect it,” Ichigo never wanted his family to be dragged into this. Soul Society was not a pleasant afterlife, and nor was it run by benevolent people. A lot of evil happened in Soul Society for the sake of the greater good. The worst part is that he found himself gritting his teeth as he agreed with a lot of it. 

“Urahara said he’s going to take things more slowly with my training if that helps you out any,” Karin saying that did help him a bit. Ichigo did in a few days what took some shinigami years, then did in two days what took only the most powerful and most determined decades. Yeah, not being put on that pace was reassuring. 

“Yeah, just don’t have him throw you in a hole okay?” Ichigo hoped Urahara didn’t use the shattered shaft on her, that thing was playing with fire. 

“Long story?” Karin turned her head to look at her brother. 

“Yeah,” Ichigo half sighed as he said that. He then took a look at his substitute shinigami badge that Ukitake gave him. Then he handed it to Karin. “Take good care of it. It’ll help you out, and it’s the last thing I have to remember a good man.”

Karin took the badge. It was a weighty thing and barely fit in her hand. “I will,” Karin pocketed the badge, as Ichigo started telling stories that could be relevant to her training, or what she may need to look out for once she actually starts patrolling herself. In the end, it was a rare night when Ichigo actually opened up. It helped to know he had made mistakes, that they all did, it lessened the pressure of what she was taking on. She simply hoped that for once, she wouldn’t be a burden.  

Chapter Text

Karin could barely sleep last night. She was to start her shinigami training today. She was both apprehensive and excited. 

While Urahara said the point of no return wasn't for a while, she still felt that there was no going back. There was no unlearning what she learned in this process. 

So she got the breakfast Yuzu made for the day, which was delicious as always, and focused on the normal day-to-day stuff before walking to Urahara's. 

He had created a cover story where she was working part-time at his shop for the hours she was training. She was even being paid for it to keep up appearances. Granted her training wouldn't be all she was doing there, she would also genuinely be working there, but that was probably going to be a breeze compared to whatever Urahara had in store for her. 

The walk to the store was surprisingly short. She had thought he'd be further away when she had first learned of it last year, but it made sense now. Urahara was the whole reason her family had that place, hell, he was the reason the family even existed. Of course, he would want them close by in case anything popped up. It also made the 'job' story believable. As she walked up to the shopfront she knocked on the door. 

"It's open," came Urahara's sing-song reply. Urahara was a perplexing individual to her. He acted like a total idiot, but with what little she had for her ability to sense reiatsu, she could tell he was strong, very strong. 

She opened the door and walked in, and was greeted by a flip-flop flying at her face at what seemed to be mach one, given that it had hit her with enough force to knock her flat on her ass. 

"What the hell was that for!" Karin shot back up as she yelled at whoever threw the sandal at her. 

What she was looking at was a girl who couldn't be any older than she was. She had blond hair in pigtails, wearing a red tracksuit, and one of her upper canines poking beyond her lips. 

"To wake you up fully, now come on, we have training to do," her trainer turned to walk away, and in an action that Karin wouldn't have done under any other circumstances, she grabbed the sandal.

"You forgot something," and she threw the sandal as hard as she could. 

She caught it right out of the air. Karin was expecting a glare, a dressing down, anything to remind her not to do what she just did. What she got was a manic grin and a glow in her teacher's eyes that scared her.

"Oh I like you," and with that, she learned that Hiyori Sarugaki, former lieutenant of the Twelfth Division under captains Kirio Hikifune and Kisuke Urahara, was one mean bitch. 

When Hiyori told her that she was going to evict her soul from her body, she thought that was a turn of phrase meaning that she was going to be run into the ground this session. Not literally having her literal soul evicted from her literal body. 

It felt like she was moving through molasses while her limbs were made of lead. Hell, it seemed Hiyori was impressed that she was moving at all.

She blocked two powerful punches from Ururu. She had never figured her classmate was so strong to begin with, let alone that she was apparently holding back. It felt like each blow could knock her out.

Suddenly Ururu went for a roundhouse. Karin was too slow to dodge and so she had to block it. The kick sent her tumbling for a bit. 

“Sorry,” Ururu meekly waited for Karin to get back up. 

“Don’t be," Karin took a moment to collect herself, "I signed up for this,” Once she caught her breath and she went into a ready stance, Ururu was on her almost immediately. Throwing punches, jabs, and kicks. Though this time Karin could bob and weave around some of the harder attacks.

"Good movement. Though you're still sluggish," Hiyori walked up, carefully watching her as she boxed with Ururu. 

"Sluggish? It feels like I'm made of lead!" She yelled back at her 'sensei' as she dodged one of Ururu's monstrous punches. 

"That's why we're doing this in the first place you idiot, the longer we do this the easier it will be for you to move around," Hiyori was sitting next to Karin's body, her chain of fate still connected. Ururu came at her with a couple of jabs which she dodged. 

Maybe Hiyori had a point. The longer this went on, the lighter her body felt. She now was able to start to lean back on her karate to dodge and deflect Ururu's blows, which she did as she hopped back to avoid a roundhouse from her sparing partner.  

Unfortunately, Ururu took that as a signal to ramp up the intensity. The next blow came out faster and harder, barely dodging an axe kick that left a crater in the training area. 

Every time her body felt light enough she could start fighting back, Ururu turned up the heat, forcing her back on the defensive. She was now throwing blows Karin couldn't afford to even think of blocking. She had to dodge each and every hit. Such action demanded the entirety of her focus, to the point she failed to notice that the weight on her body was entirely gone. 

"Alright, stop!" Hiyori could see it clearly. She was moving as fast as she would without actual dedicated training. Training Karin wasn't ready for. 

Ururu stopped mid-haymaker, leaving Karin to stare at the boxing glove and inch from her face for the few moments it took for Ururu to pull the punch back. 

Hiyori walked up and put her hand on the taller girl's shoulder. "You did pretty well for your first out-of-body experience," Hiyori's tone sounded unimpressed. "Now get back in your body, Tessai is going to bore you to death with kido lessons."

"I get why I had to be out of my body, but did you have to punch me so hard you probably broke something," Hiyori walked away, putting both hands behind her head.

"Yup."

"Why,"

"I have misplaced aggression against your brother."

Hiyori was beginning to get on Karin's nerves.

Karin was now doing her shift in the shop after her kido 'training.' Tessai lectured her on kido theory as she didn't have the control nor the knowledge to cast spells safely yet. 

She had already finished some of her homework, even helping Jinta and Ururu with theirs, during her break. 

Tessai's lecture was easy to follow, and his enthusiasm was helpful in memorizing the lesson. He had even given her a 'toy' to practice kido control with. It was called a spinning whistle, a small three-piece sphere with holes in it similar to a flute or well, a whistle. It was made out of a material that would spin when introduced to spiritual energy. The more energy, the faster it spins. The idea is to spin it fast enough to get it whistling without spinning it so fast that it flies apart. It was a clever little thing really. 

It was also vexatious as all hell. Apparently, the window between whistling and flying apart was very narrow, and she had to pick up the pieces on several occasions when she was using it on break. 

She heard the door open to the shop, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Welcome to the Urahara shop, how can I help you," When Karin looked up from the counter she recognized the individual who came in as Shino Madarame. One of the 'regulars' who patrolled the town. She and Ryunoske had been patrolling Karakura and the neighboring towns on and off for the past year. 

"Huh, you're one of Ichigo's sisters right," Shino looked at Karin. All she remembered of her was that one time she and Ryunoske were at Ichigo's place recovering from that hollow attack before… she shook her head. She didn't want her mind to wander to that hell again. 

"Yeah, what of it?" Karin was still an outsider to a lot of this, so she was surprised that she was recognized.

"Well, I received orders from Lieutenant Kuchiki to familiarize myself with the person training to cover for your brother while he's in Soul Society," Shino pointed to her phone as she said so, referring to how she received her orders. 

"Wait. Lieutenant Kuchiki? You mean Rukia?" She had inferred Rukia was a member of the Thirteenth when Ichigo told her that that was the division that covered Karakura yesterday in their short talk about what the hell Soul Society was. So hearing she was a lieutenant, a rank second only to the captains, was a surprise considering that two years ago she was patrolling this very town. 

"You know her?" Shino knew Ichigo and Lieutenant Kuchiki had a history, but she didn't know how many people met her during said history. 

"Yeah, she lived in my brother's closet for a while," Karin chuckled slightly at that. It was a ridiculous thought when you let it linger in your head for a bit, but it was true.

Shino wasn't buying it for a second. "No, no no no no, you're joking, she wouldn't," her face was incredulous as she shook her head at the thought. The lieutenant was a Kuchiki, in Shino’s mind she wouldn’t have allowed herself to be debased like that. 

"Ask her yourself when you can," Karin grinned slightly, the whole thing was really funny to her. She had learned that Rukia was adopted into one of the major clans, a peer to the one she was apparently a part of, and likely had maintained the appearance expected of her while in Soul Society. 

Shino looked at her like she grew a second head for a moment before regaining her composure. "How much do you know of our patrol patterns?" Shino was told by Urahara that the person working the counter at this time today was the person training to cover for Ichigo, so yeah, it was his sister. It made sense, she was also of Shiba blood. 

"Honestly, not that much. You here to go over that with me?" Karin's ignorance of the patrol patterns was because they were primarally run at night while she was either asleep or working on homework. 

"Yeah, are you free to look them over with me?" Karin looked at the clock. Ururu should be here any second…

"Karin, you can go on your break now," the meek little voice showing up behind her with no sound or warning startled her, almost causing her to fall over. 

"Yeah… we can go over them," Karin's voice was a little shaky after being startled like that. 

Kukaku and Isshin had walked to the town's graveyard. There was one last family member she wanted to meet before she left for whatever hell she and Ichigo would have to weather. The woman who had actually gotten her brother to settle down. 

Her brother handed her a cigarette, she accepted it and put it in her mouth before her brother lit it for her. "Normally I only smoke these once a year, but given you might not be here for that, I think I'll do it an extra time this year," Isshin lit his cigarette as Kukaku took a drag of her own. 

They were sitting before the grave of Masaki Kurosaki. A woman Kukaku would have loved to meet herself, even if her foolhardiness was directly responsible for her clan having been disgraced. 

"So, you're the woman who managed to get my idiot brother to settle down," speaking with the dead. It was an old Shiba tradition. It didn't do much of anything, but it was cathartic. She had done it a few times with Kaien after his death, and it helped her grieve. "You're a troublesome one you know. Your little stunt saving his ass almost cost you your life, and absolutely set the clan on fire," she chuckled before taking another drag. "And before you ask, no. I don't blame you. You did what I would have done, and what any self-respecting Shiba worth the name would have done," She looked at the inanimate grave, smiling slightly. "Thanks for taking care of this idiot for me, and quincy or not, you're family to me."

All Karin could feel was pain. Her entire body was sore even though she had spent the entirety of her training outside of her body. So her physical body was fine, but her soul wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the nearest comfortable surface, which in this case was the living room couch. 

"You okay?" Her brother had gotten home from the 'normal' going away party with all of his friends, including those who didn't know about Soul Society. 

"No," Karin's groan was that of a person who had just gotten their ass whooped by someone with close to 200 years of practical sword fighting experience in kendo without any protective equipment, ‘because you don’t forget pain’ being her operative excuse

Ichigo grimaced. He knew how hard Urahara's training could be. "By the way, who's training you?" Ichigo was curious. Urahara oversaw his training, but never got directly involved until he had gotten out of the pit. 

"Do you know someone by the name of Hiyori Sarugaki?" Karin's question immediately drew a groan out of Ichigo. 

"Snaggletooth, he has Snaggletooth training you, great," Ichigo had sat on the stairs and put both of his hands into his face before letting out a groan. Hiyori was a nasty instructor and was probably going to beat the ever-living crap out of his sister. He got why, but he didn’t like that it was the only visored he didn’t like that was training her. 

"I'll take that as a yes," Karin was unsurprised he knew her given her connection to Urahara. What she didn't expect was the warning he gave her. 

"If she ever puts on her mask, run," Karin's eyes widened. Hiyori was a visored. That meant all kinds of hell when she got to that level of training. 

"Oh no…" Karin was starting to regret this decision. 

Chapter Text

This was it, his last day in the world of the living for at least a while. Just about everyone who was aware of what he did was here.  Even Shino had shown up.

Shino and Kukaku didn't bother with Gigais, not like they did yesterday. Ichigo sighed as he thought of that day. It was jubilant, they were celebrating him getting accepted to a foreign school, and saying goodbye before Kukaku took him there. It was all a lie that needed to be told. While Ichigo had a small group of friends, there were a lot of people who wanted the chance to say goodbye, so they had a going away party at the clinic yesterday.

There were members of his old soccer team there at the clinic. Ikumi was there, even Moe and Riruka were there, even if they probably knew what was going on.

The vibe of the whole thing was supposed to be happy, but the lie soured the whole thing for him.

He sighed as his thoughts came back to his family. They had decided to keep Yuzu in the dark. He hated keeping her in the dark, but she still couldn't see spirits. His father told him that Soul Society had a doctrine of secrecy and that anybody who knew about them was in grave danger just by knowing they existed. Whether that was from those who wanted to know the truth, or from Soul Society itself, his father didn't elaborate.

But here, everyone already knew. Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizurio told him of their run-in with Aizen and Gin, and how they had awoken early from a kido that should have kept them down for the whole day. That told him the three of them were on the precipice of showing powers themselves. Ichigo wouldn't be surprised if they were on the candidate list for this pilot program that Karin had joined.

"Hey," Tatsuki sat next to Ichigo. Much like how Shino and Kukaku didn't bother with their gigais today, Ichigo had already handed over his body to Urahara for cold storage as his being able to stay in the living world was still in the cards for now.

"Hey," his reply was short. He and Tatsuki never really needed many words. Growing up with each other did that.

"You okay?" Whenever Tatsuki asked that question she almost always got a bogus answer. He always hid his pain from others. He always wanted to keep others from being hurt, and not be protected himself, and she was one of the few who tangibly knew why.

"No," however, this was one of the few times Ichigo was honest with her, which was damning in and of itself. "There's a chance I can't come back for more than visits, there's a chance that…" Ichigo couldn't say it. He couldn't bring himself to say he might not be able to come back at all. Kyoraku had talked to him about this after the blood war, how he may have become so strong that he may no longer be allowed to live in the world of the living, and how he was going to try to allow him to do so for as long as he could. 

"I know, when I… encountered Aizen, it felt like I couldn't breathe. It was like there was a weight on my chest squeezing the air out of me…" Tatsuki never really could bring herself to fully comprehend what she saw that day. Aizen had already implanted the Hogyoku, and was at that time insanely powerful. "The concept that could kill someone… doesn't surprise me," she turned to look at her former sparring partner and long-time friend with a reassuring grin as she put a hand on the shoulder of his shihakusho. "Knowing you, you wouldn't forgive yourself if you accidentally killed someone because of how strong you are," Tatsuki didn't know what to say. This could very well be the last time she sees her old sparing partner for a very long time.

"No, I wouldn't," Ichigo's thoughts went back to the guilt and shame he felt due to his mother's death. It would destroy him.

"Stop moping, you're making this feel like a funeral," Madarame was always a lively one. It was one of the things she had in common with her older brother Ikkaku. Shino had pretended to be a woman he saved from a mugging yesterday, mainly because she wanted to try out alcohol in the living world, but over the last year they had worked together he had come to respect her. He had also helped her train as well. Shino wasn't shooting for captain, said that that was higher than she was comfortable with, but she did want a high-seated position. He never asked why, but from what he knew it was probably something to do with Ikkaku picking on her for being the weaker sibling.

"Come on Ichigo, we're celebrating your accomplishment, you've gotten so strong the bureaucrats are pissing themselves," with that Kukaku slammed back another drink. She had put her prosthetic on and was wearing the same clothes he remembered seeing her in the first time they met.

"I certainly see the family resemblance," Uryu had decided to take time off from his 'job' to join them. That was one lie he had told to all but the closest of his friends. They didn't need to know he was leading a group of super-powerful humans who had fought a war of extermination against Soul Society a year ago.

"Fuck you," Ichigo had elicited laughs from the others there, even Chad. Well, Orihime tried to laugh. She had been on the verge of tears all day. He had an idea why, and didn't like that he still, even now, couldn't find the words to let her down gently. He probably never would at this rate, she was always someone ruled by her emotions.

It was then that he heard the tell-tale sound of a senkaimon opening, and the light footsteps of a shinigami coming into the shop. He had gotten up expecting to be whisked away immediately. What he didn't expect was to see the one reason he felt as okay as he did with current events.

"I'm wounded you didn't invite me Ichigo," Rukia Kuchiki, the whole reason he was in this position to begin with, and he couldn't find himself caring about that detail. "Sit down you idiot, I have until the end of the day before I have to drag you back," Ichigo sat down smiling as Rukia spoke with her standard humor.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki," Shino was caught off guard, however. She was probably expecting to be admonished for not being on patrol, or mingling with mortals.

"At ease Madarame, do you not have orders to familiarize yourself with Karin?" Rukia spoke with a relaxed but formal tone with her subordinate as she sat down with the rest of them.

"Y-yes, I do…" she sat back down and exhaled as she tried to relax. "But I have a question."

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Did you really sleep in Ichigo's closet?" Rukia spat out her drink as she was caught having some sake.

"WHO TOLD YOU THAT!" Karin tried and failed, to suppress her laughter. 

One by one everyone started leaving. First Shino left to begin her patrol of Karakura. Then Uryu left as his 'job' had an urgent situation that required his attention. Then Tatsuki and Orihime left, with Orihime crying at him leaving in an overly dramatic and very Orihime way. Then Chad left with Mizurio as he dragged away an overly dramatic Keigo. That left him, Rukia, his father, Kukaku, and Karin, as Urahara was tending to something Rukia gave him earlier.

"Ichigo," his father spoke in a seldom used serious tone. "Whatever happens, just know that I'm proud of you," Isshin said that often, but this time it was different. His father often said that in one of his comedic rants that would be funny if it wasn't his father doing it to him, but this time it was different. This time it was just said with a warm smile as he took another sip from his sake.

"Don't get yourselves killed okay?" Karin smirked as she gave her farewell.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he stays in one piece for you," Kukaku stood up, taking a final drag from her pipe before snuffing it out. "Come on you two. Let's get out of here before you start a scandal."

Ichigo and Rukia both just looked at her like she grew another head. Little did they know she noticed the glances they were throwing each other's way when they thought the other wasn't looking. It was honestly cute.

Isshin did his usual overdramatic goodbye as Kukaku, Ichigo, and Rukia prepared to enter the senkaimon and leave for Soul Society proper. Ichigo and Rukia sighed at the same time before they finally left. The senkaimon gate closed behind them as Rukia summoned the hell butterfly that was to guide them.

Kyoraku hated it when people had to get wrapped up in his schemes. In this case, however, these schemes were being made to keep Ichigo safe. The Central 46 were absolutely terrified of him, and he understood why. Ichigo was a sharp man. If anyone could figure out how not to die while in Karamatsu Shinju, it's him. Though Katen vehemently disagreed with him.

His main plan was the one he and the old man had discussed shortly before the blood war began. It was the last real conversation he had with his old mentor before he died. There they had discussed how Ichigo was an issue that needed resolving. However, Kyoraku made some edits to the plan. First was reinstating the Shibas and informing Kukaku that Isshin was his father. That had involved him conspiring with Byakuya to lean on the other noble houses to move to have Central 46 revoke their punitive actions levied against the clan as part of Isshin’s ‘betrayal.’ That was pretty easy as the houses were currently in another deadlock. He had correctly predicted Kukaku would choose Ichigo as her heir, thus giving Ichigo the protections befitting the position, and thus restricting the Central 46's options in dealing with him.

He knew exactly why they had appointed him head captain. While he was the strongest remaining captain, they also thought he would be politically disinterested and would just mindlessly follow their orders so he could go back to drinking and womanizing once peace fell upon Soul Society again. His disguise had worked too well in this case, but that also meant that the 46 had underestimated him. No matter how they play this he comes out on top.

"You don't have that stupid grin on your face. Is something troubling you Shunsui?" Katen looked down upon him from above. Kyoraku was resting his head on her lap, as he usually did. He and his zanpakuto had an interesting arrangement. While he slept, he would be here, in his inner world. The reason for that was complicated. He had fallen in love with Katen, and her with him.

"I feel sorry for Ichigo. He had to be wrapped up in all this," Katen stroked his hair as he spoke. Their relationship was complicated, it always had been. It was a miracle that they could even tolerate each other enough to work together, let alone have a romantic attraction.

"He was too powerful to just leave alone in the living world, as much as I am sure you would have wanted to,” Katen was right ultimately. He would have had to do something, this gave Ichigo the most freedom in as many outcomes as possible. As a member of a great noble house, he was almost untouchable, as the murder of Kakyo had proven. The thought of that case was acidic in his mouth, but it set a precedent that he was now exploiting. “You’re doing as much as you can for him while still executing your duties as head captain. That’s the best you can do.”

He smiled at his zanpakuto. “I guess you’re right, I’ve done all I can for the boy, let's just hope Central doesn’t screw him over,” Kyoraku, reassured that he did what he could, closed his eyes, and went back to enjoying his rest.

Chapter Text

If you said that Byakuya Kuchiki, head of one of the now five noble houses, and head of the family in charge of recording and, unknown to many, policing, Soul Society’s history, he’d be playing go with Kukaku Shiba one hundred years ago, he’d probably laugh at you. Now though, here he was, playing go, and winning hard. From what he could see he was on pace to control sixty percent of the board soon. This is why Kukaku was taking so long to find a good place to put down her piece. Eventually, she simply put the piece back in its jar before calmly tipping the table on its side, and dumping the pieces into a collecting tray, formally resigning the match. 

“I never said I was good at this,” Kukaku shrugged. Kaien was far better at this kind of thing than she was. She was a daughter born after the heir, she never was meant to lead the clan, she was meant to be married off to create a political alliance, or strengthen current ones. It’s why she became a shinigami in the first place. A lot of nobles don’t like the idea of having a wife who held authority greater than theirs, even if it wasn’t in the same power structure. So that would have significantly reduced interest. Then she simply didn’t hide what she was, explosive. Still, there were attempts. Fortunately, Shiba courting practices had several differences from the other clans. First, they tried to make sure that the two people could tolerate each other at worst, though usually aimed for like or even love in the best cases. 

“Then you need to practice,” Byakuya was using go as a way to help Kukaku develop better long-term strategic planning. The Shiba, as a rule, were a very passionate family, but Kukaku was fiery even by their standards. He had learned that the hard way. Because of this, the Shiba had been played on multiple occasions in their history. Sure, the Shiba usually had the last laugh, but by then the damage had already been done. All it took was a run of rotten luck and the clan was finally dispossessed. 

“I know,” the Kuchiki servants collected the tray to be sorted later and then quietly put the table back into its normal position. Kukaku was more dressed up than she usually was. This wasn’t the Shiba estate where she could get away with her usual attire. “I’m not daft enough to fall for something stupid like Ganju.”

Byakuya moved his hand, dismissing the servants still present from the room, waiting until they left before continuing. “It isn’t falling for something stupid that’s the issue,” When Kyoraku suggested that maybe the Shiba clan should be reinstated, Byakuya knew the head captain was playing games. He initially didn’t know what the plan was, but the idea did serve to solve the issue of the power blocs in clan politics being, once again, deadlocked. “It’s falling for something clever," and then Kukaku revealed that Ichigo was the son of Isshin Shiba by naming him her heir and it all made sense.

“Like what? Bating me to make a bad move, you did that fifteen times,” Kukaku crossed her arms. Byakuya had noticed the prosthetic. The last time he had seen her she still had her right arm. 

He shook his head. “Like naming Ichigo your heir when his freedom in the living world was next on the docket for Central 46 this session,” Kukaku frowned as the considered what her peer was saying. 

“You mean that Kyoraku wanted me to do that?” Byakuya simply nodded. She knew her old captain was a crafty one, you don’t spend time with him as your boss and not learn that, but this was especially crafty for him. He needed a connection, however, someone who could lean on the four remaining houses to reinstate the clan. “He put the idea in your head didn’t he.”

“He was the one who suggested the idea to me,” Byakuya had always thought his fellow captain was oafish and was simply kept around because he was a major contributor to the strategic power of the Gotei. It wasn’t until the war with the Wandenreich that he realized that was a mask. He was impressed with how Kyoraku had conducted himself in that war. He disagreed with many of his decisions, sacrificing Unohana and allowing Aizen to be freed for the final stages of the war. He would have never made those decisions, Yamamoto would have never made those decisions. However, he wasn’t head captain, and Yamamoto was lying in state awaiting his konso reisai alongside Ukitake and Unohana. 

“I always knew that bastard was hiding a devious streak,” Byakuya ignored the vulgar language. He had enough time as head dealing with Kaien, and then Isshin, to know the Shiba didn’t have the same rules of decorum as the Kuchiki. He was also aware of how Kukaku had served for a short time in the eighth division, now headed by a former lieutenant of the head captain’s, Lisa Yadomaru. “Why do you think he did it?” 

Byakuya had little idea as to what was going on inside the head captain’s mind, but he did know his goal was always to do the most good. He had said that in essence when he berated the shinigami criticizing his decision to free Aizen. “Most likely to limit the actions that Central 46 can take against Ichigo,” it made the most sense. The main judicial body of Soul Society is given its powers by the consent of the five clans. The clans didn’t have a lot of hard political power outside their direct responsibilities, most of it was delegated to Central 46, but due to that, they had a lot of sway in its chambers, and now, the ability to overrule them. They generally let the clans deal with internal matters as they see fit, including crimes committed by the nobles, as long as those crimes didn’t affect nobles outside of their own house or subordinate houses and didn’t otherwise violate any of the major laws of Soul Society as set by the 46.  

Kukaku breathed in smoke from her pipe, blowing the smoke she exhaled away from herself and Byakuya. “That makes sense. He can be a scary one, but everything he does has a reason,” if Kyoraku did all of that, he probably had his own plans for Ichigo, but he wouldn’t take Ichigo’s ability to choose away from him. She had been in the chambers when he had talked the Central 46 down by mentioning how he may react violently to being forced to abandon his friends. It was an over-exaggeration, especially the part where he didn’t know if Kenpachi could take Ichigo in his current state, highlighting their battle during the lead-up to Rukia’s sham of an execution. 

“Indeed,” If Byakuya had to guess, the 46 knew what he was doing, but since Ichigo was declared a clan heir, there was nothing they could do about it. It was likely that they were regretting putting Kyoraku in the head captain position now. Not that he cared, it wasn’t his job to worry about the politics of another clan, nor the plans of his superior when his loyalties were known to him. “My main concern, however, is the uncharacteristic support I received from the Tsunayashiro clan in submitting the request to Central 46.”

Ichigo found himself going through a primer for what would eventually be a crash course in Seireitei politics. To say he didn’t like what he saw would be an understatement. 

Soul Society was organized into 4 stratified groups. The Great Houses, which he and Byakuya were in; the lower nobility, which included the Ukitake and Kyoraku clans; shinigami, those who lived in the Seireitei but were not otherwise part of any clan; and everyone else, those who lived outside of Seireitei, and the soldats and support personnel of the Wandenreich who had surrendered after the war and now lived in what amounted to a well-furnished pow camp.

This stratification was in and of itself enough to unsettle Ichigo. He knew Soul Society was not exactly a nice place to live, but this and the knowledge that each of these groups was waging what amounted to a class cold war against each other that occasionally went hot did not help matters. Right now was a time of relative peace, yes, but that was because everyone was still recovering from the hell that was the blood war, once everyone was done rebuilding it would be back to that uneasy status quo.

Unless someone wanted to upend that status quo. Ichigo had taken advantage of the fact that the Kuchiki were the ones in charge of recording history, monumental or banal, to request the meeting minutes from the clan meeting that led to the reinstatement of the Shiba, and he did not like what he saw. 

The Shiohin were both an unsurprising and welcome ally. While like every other clan, they were mostly patriarchal they were also meritocratic and stood against any of the more oppressive acts of Soul Society if they interfered with Soul Society’s ability to act militarily. The Kuchiki were much the same. While they may have proposed many of the oppressive policies in place, it was clear Byakuya was looking to remove those that were unnecessary. Combine that with the fact that apparently, Byakuya’s mother was a Shiba, and the Kuchiki were allies, enough so that Byakuya was the one to propose the reinstatement. 

What troubled Ichigo was the uncharacteristic support from the Tsunayashiro clan. They were the ones in charge of surveillance and intelligence of the living world and were the ones that proposed many of the more draconian policies. It didn’t surprise Ichigo that he heard rumors that the Tsunayashiro also used the Visuals Department to spy on pretty much everyone who could be considered a threat to the ‘natural order of things,’ which Ichigo translated as ‘anyone and everyone.’ This obviously led to the Shiba and Tsunayashiro being historic enemies politically and most likely led to the severity of the actions taken against the clan when his father stayed in the living world to look after his mother. 

This meant Tokinada’s support came because either he or the Tsunayashiro got something out of bringing the Shiba back into the fold, and staring at the documents he was able to pull from the Shiba library, the answer to that was power. 

When the Central 46 voted to take punitive actions on the Shiba at the behest of the Tsunayashiro, they pulled a fast one. They had moved faster than the Tsunayashiro had expected so as to prevent them from changing the rules to adapt to one of the houses being disgraced. This meant that all five of the houses had to be in agreement to overrule the 46, as opposed to all houses being in unanimous agreement. A clerical error, but one that basically gave the Central 46 the run of the Seireitei for twenty years. That meant whatever Tokinada wanted to do required the consent of all of the Great Houses, or for the Shiba to be within arms reach, and neither make Ichigo feel at ease. 

He wasn’t here a day and he already smelled trouble, great.  

Rukia Kuchiki was looking over the command center from which the Thirteenth coordinated its patrols of the living world. With the Seireitei having been seriously damaged, many of the divisions had their bases of operation remodeled completely. Most of the equipment was identical to the equipment in the Twelfth’s own nerve center, though optimized for the smaller scope of the Thirteenth’s mission parameters. It was smaller than the Twelfth’s own command center, and was far less industrial, using the whites and browns that were in the rest of the division’s barracks and offices. 

While her body was present, and she was ready to give guidance should something come up, her mind was elsewhere. Ichigo was here. The man that she roped into this insane world of death gods, hollows, and spirits, was here. She was beginning to feel feelings she hadn’t felt since…

She shook her head. That was a road that led to dark places. She didn’t need that distraction at the moment. While she wasn’t expecting anything to go wrong, her life had taught her to be ready for exactly that. Fortunately, the reports coming in from the patrolling shinigami had been clean for the past few days. Hollow activity was within expected parameters provided by the Twelfth. Karakura was as clear as it had been before she had gone on leave. Kyoraku had also told her to visit the Fourth to check for any potential issues. She had come back with a clean bill of health, but she had been scolded by Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu for overworking herself. Ironic since Isanae was herself busting her ass to refine her bankai as well in order to fill the vacant seat left by Yachiru Unohana. 

“Are you okay Lieutenant Kuchiki?” Rukia jumped as she finally noticed Kiyone snuck up on her. Rukia cleared her throat as she regained her composure, pretending she didn’t just get spooked by one of her own third seats. 

“Yes, I’m fine,” Kiyone saw through it. Rukia had been acting captain for little over a year now and had been lieutenant longer than that. Kiyone knew Rukia had a tendency to burn herself out, especially if she had something she didn’t want to think about on her mind. 

“You’ve been overworking yourself again,” Kiyone sighed. She’d been like this since Ukitake’s death. She threw herself into her work to avoid her grief, she had been forced to go to counseling by Sentaro and her, notifying the head captain of the situation. Rukia had come back and a few weeks later had thrown herself into her work again. 

Rukia was tempted to pull rank but knew that Kiyone was only doing this because she didn’t want to see her burn herself out again. 

“Alright. I’ll take my leave,” she had been scheduled to be off duty an hour ago. Her paperwork was filed, organized, and collected, with sensitive notices being disposed of according to procedure, which was still finding the nearest fire zanpakuto to light the papers on fire. So Rukia walked out of the command center and began walking to her quarters in the thirteenth.

Being a high-seated officer had its perks, first among them were private quarters. Not that she ever had to bunk in the standard barracks, but the Kuchiki compound was, surprise surprise, closer to the sixth's barracks than the thirteenth's, so she did anyway out of simple practicality. While the unseated barracks were fun, she had gotten many a favor from playing cards, they were not the best to sleep in. There was a reason she learned how to sleep anywhere, and why as a senior unseated she occasionally had to take part in the infamous act of shaming. It wasn't that she didn't want to be told to do something that led her to sham back then, but that she simply needed the rest sometimes. 

Being a lieutenant fixed all of that. She had her own personal quarters, her own personal washroom, and a small kitchenette. She had full intention of keeping this room for herself as she had grown used to it, and partially because she couldn't bring herself to take Ukitake's old room even if she could. 

When she opened the sliding door to her quarters she quickly put Sode no Shirayuki in its place on her sword rack above her desk. It was as she did that that she had noticed an envelope on her personal desk. She absentmindedly picked it up, then opened the envelope. 

That was a decision she regretted immediately as pink glitter went everywhere. When she looked at the letter again, she found the part that launched the glitter, and it bore the image of the Wakame Ambassador. 

Her eyes narrowed as she contemplated her next move in her ongoing prank war with her brother. She will have vengeance.

Chapter Text

Captain Shinji Hirako had always kept a good eye on the Shino Academy. You never know when another Hitsugya or Ichimaru will show up. He also did so to look out for another Aizen. In this case, however, he was working with the academy on finding an appropriate teacher to teach Ichigo the needed reiatsu control to safely live and use his powers in the living world. He worked through the psychological profiles, teaching methods, as well as available time slots. Nothing lined up. 

Now Shinji was on plan B, find someone who had issues with control in their time as a student, but now do so at an expert level. When Shinji looked at the list Hinamori gave him, one name stuck out, someone who was decidedly average to below average at everything at the time of her entering the academy, but was now a captain candidate, one Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki. Sure, her control was never below average, but now she had near-perfect control. He grinned, if anyone could teach someone as stubborn as Ichigo, it was her. 

"Hinamori, inform the head captain that I have someone who may be able to teach Ichigo," Shinji mulled over other candidates, but Rukia made the most sense. Lieutenants were in charge of making sure their divisions were in fighting shape and assisting the captain in administrative duties and thus were in charge of training their divisions in anything they were deemed lacking in upon exiting the academy

"Yes captain," Hinamori was a textbook example. She was well respected by the fifth, powerful enough to compliment Shinji's own combat ability, and the trait that got her into trouble, loyal. She would have been one in a long line of great but unnoteworthy lieutenants in the history of the Gotei, but her first captain was Sosuke Aizen. 

She was barely keeping herself and the division together when he had been given his old posting back. He had forced her on leave for a month to get help and work out whatever bends and twists Aizen put her mind through. She still has a pair of scars from the two times she was run through. Once by Kyoka Suigetsu, and the other by Hyorinmaru. This echoed the situation Rukia was in now. She had been running the thirteenth as acting captain since Ukitake’s death and was likely still grieving. He had heard from the unseated rumor mill that she had been forced to take leave before she went to recover Ichigo. It checked out. The thirteenth was a challenging division to run. It had numerous demands on its captain and lieutenant. While the eleventh may be the big stick of the squads, the thirteenth had the most deployments on average, and most of those were to the living world, which were bureaucratic nightmares, and Rukia had to effectively be both the captain and the lieutenant.

He had seen the circles under her eyes recently from the last few meetings. Maybe this would help her out. Though he'd have to convince the head captain to take on the paperwork to make it work. 

Byakuya Kuchiki was walking from his office. He was trying to keep a straight face, but if one stepped into his office, one would see, or more appropriately smell, why he left. As a former senior unseated herself before becoming a lieutenant, Rukia had connections to what some called the unseated underground.

These were shinigami who had mastered the art of doing nothing, or doing what they were told as fast and efficiently as possible so that they could go back to doing nothing, known to some as 'shaming.' This was largely tolerated as their only responsibility was to do as they were told, thus, if they had no standing orders, they were being paid to do nothing. That and these individuals could pull miracles of acquisition and ingenuity that even he was impressed by. 

The thirteenth was the main patrolling force in the living world, augmented by a rotating standby roster from the tenth, eighth, and seventh. This meant their unseated shinigami could get just about anything into the Seireitei from the living world, as long as it could fit in a shihakusho or field bag. He had even gotten some things this way. Not that he would ever admit it. And someone had used their connections to said group to plant a Chappy-branded stink bomb in his desk, with the release tied to the back of the drawer above it, where he kept his pens to sign his paperwork with. 

"Hey captain, why are you out here? Shouldn't you be in…" Renji moved to open the door to the office. Byakuya knew there wasn't any time to say anything. 

Renji opened the door to the office, retched loudly at the smell, and slammed the office door shut. "What the hell was that?!"

"I sent Rukia a glitter bomb several days ago," Byakuya calmly replied, hiding his disgust at the smell beneath his stoic mask. 

"What does that have to do with… oh no, not this again!" Renji knew where this was going. Rukia and Byakuya had been in a low-intensity prank war since Byakuya had mended his relationship with Rukia. It usually was restricted to the manor, but since Rukia became a lieutenant it had winded down, and his captain decided now was the time to start it back up. "What did she use?"

"A Chappy branded ‘Shiba Special’," the Shiba Special was a new pranking stink bomb to the Seireitei, one that had a reputation in the Rukongai for having one of the most repugnant smells imaginable, yet not leaving any residual smell and it also only lasted 30 minutes. This meant that it just barely met the stringent requirements for the rules of a 'Kuchiki prank.'

That this was happening the day of a captain's meeting was no coincidence. Since Kyoraku became head captain he had changed some things. First, all squads would be represented. This meant that Isane Kotetsu and his sister were representing the fourth and thirteenth respectively, this meant she would be in the same room as him after she had severely inconvenienced, but not disrupted, him in his duties. It was resourceful, as her pranks had always been, but there was an item on the docket today that he could weaponize. 

The matter of who taught Ichigo how to control his reiatsu. 

Rukia was walking to the first division barracks, specifically to the captain's meeting room. Normally she wouldn't be allowed to join in the meeting, but the head captain had changed the rule slightly such that in the event of the death of a captain, the highest ranking officer was given the title of 'acting captain' which came with a provisional security clearance and all of the responsibilities of a captain. 

This meant that she and Lieutenant Kotetsu were expected to represent their divisions. This had been the status quo for the past year, and honestly, she liked it. This allowed the other divisions to coordinate with the ones that lacked captains without using the lieutenant's meeting. 

This also meant that she was going to have a say in who trained Ichigo. She simply hoped they would actually explain why when he asked questions because he could be infuriatingly stubborn. 

She walked up to the doors to the meeting room and stopped as she waited for the guards to open the door. She had spent hours cleaning her shihakusho of glitter for today after her brother's prank. She simply hoped that her gift would have frazzled him. 

"Lieutenant Kuchiki, you're early," Captain Hirako had looked at her with his normal disinterested expression. He was one of only two other captains present, Captain Yadomaru and Captain Hitsugaya. The fellow ice wielder gave her a nod as she took her place. It almost felt wrong standing where her captain once stood.

The other captains filed in one by one, leaving her dwarfed by Captain Zaraki and across from Captain Kurotsuchi. When her brother walked in he had not seemed phased by her present earlier today. He probably already had started work on his reprisal. 

Once all the captains had entered Head Captain Kyoraku officially started the meeting. The first part of the meeting was uneventful. It was the time when the statuses of each division were relayed. For the most part, there was simply nothing new to report, they were still recovering from the war, and were heavily undermanned, but there was also a relative peace, she had relayed information on the pilot program for whatever the hell the head captain cooked up and slapped the ‘substitute shinigami’ title onto, and as crazy as it was, the training methods were working. Karin was on schedule to receive her asauchi at the end of the week, and then begin the process of allowing her soul to operate separately from her body, assuming that the asauchi didn’t force the issue. Though she had brought up concerns about infrastructure. Right now there was only one place equipped to train people for this, and they needed this type of training available within a reasonable distance of areas of need. Put simply, it was working now, but she was unsure of how well it would scale. 

Kyoraku had noted and appreciated her input, then they had moved on to their main subject of the day. Training Ichigo so he could resume his human life, and so Captain Hirako, who had been assigned to find a suitable instructor, stepped forward.

“As you all may be aware, Captains Aikawa, Magamura, Otoribashi, Yadomaru, and I were involved in training Ichigo to use his abilities as a visored. We learned from that that he doesn’t respond well to indirect training,” that was an understatement. From what she had heard, they had him doing chores non-stop, then put him on a ski trainer Hiyori had made without telling him the goal of any of it. “Because of that, I had narrowed the search pool to those who were more direct. However, I ran into issues with scheduling as most of the teachers from the Shino academy were booked out this year,” that was good news in a way. It meant the recruiting drives were working. “So I looked through our own ranks, and I had made a good list of candidates who were both good teachers and had difficulty with their own reiatsu control initially, but now are proficient or better,” Shinji pulled up a piece of paper, probably a list with the names of suitable individuals to train Ichigo on it. “Then one name floated to the top, I formally recommend that Ichigo’s training be looked over by Lieutenant Kuchiki.”

Rukia’s train of thought had been sent into the sky by what could be best described as the equivalent of a large explosion, then, after a long time in the air, rolled down the hill into a body of water while dragging the cars behind with it. Thus Shinji’s further explanation faded into the background, that was until she heard her brother speak. 

“I second this recommendation,” no. He didn’t. She stared at her brother, who had the subtlest of smirks on his face, daring her to speak up, daring her to break decorum, daring her to give him the win in this round of their prank war, and it was working. She breathed deeply, trying to keep her cool. 

“Lieutenant Kuchiki, do you have any objections?” the head captain gave her the opportunity to speak. 

“As much as I agree with Captain Hirako, I simply have too much to do to be able to free up time to train him and fulfill my duties to the thirteenth as acting captain,” Rukia was right. She had a double stack of paperwork every day, she had to assist in organizing patrols months in advance so that Central 46 could approve them. Then she had to-

“Then I shall take on whatever you cannot delegate to your subordinates in order to free up the time needed,” the head captain’s response caught her mid-thought and caused her to do a double take. 

“I’m sorry head captain, can you say that again?” Rukia did not believe her own ears. The head captain was offering to take up her work to make sure Ichigo got trained. Sure she was good at reiatsu control, and she knew how to train Ichigo, the methods she had done to do so now formed the basis of her training regime for the thirteenth, but she can’t be the best available. 

“If Captain Hirako says you’re the best one to train him, you’re the best one to train him,” Kyoraku knew that Shinji was a strong judge of character as well as an extremely observant individual. He had correctly predicted that Aizen was going to be a problem. Combining that with his own experience with training Ichigo, and that the other visoreds had also seconded his recommendation meant that she had to be the best option. “Anything that stops you from being able to do that needs to be removed. Next week you will begin teaching Ichigo how to control his reiatsu, and that will become your main priority,” Rukia was at a loss for words. She had a responsibility to her division.

“What of my responsibility in training my own division?” she failed to notice Byakuya’s smirk grow. 

“You have two third seats no?” The head captain’s question was an answer to hers but was also said to remind her of her responsibilities to the larger Gotei 13, as well as… she cursed at herself internally. She had ever so slightly broken decorum. Her brother’s little trick had worked. 

“I shall begin preparations,” she stepped back, as was normal when yielding the floor. She then glared at her brother once again as the more menial closing items were addressed. This was a simple meeting between divisions, not a meeting meant to address an emergency. 

As the captains began filing out, her brother walked up beside her. “That would be six,” six times he got her to break. It was never big, but it still counted. 

This prank war started after Rukia found it hard to break the frost around their relationship after Ichigo had rescued her. Thus she had resorted to something she had done in her time in the Rukon and had observed in her time in the Kurosaki household, a prank. It had escalated since then mainly due to his own pride, and they had agreed on the rules after the second exchange. The goal was to cause the other to break decorum in whatever environment they were in or going to be in. Byakuya's goal was to make it harder for those who would seek to remove her from the clan to fabricate a cause to do so. It had actually been entertaining and had achieved his original objective. Now he was doing it to distract her from running herself ragged, though he had not expected Captain Hirako to suggest that she train Ichigo, he was simply going to bring her name up as a joke. 

The fact the other visored captains backed him and Captain Hirako was unsurprising, they also had experience with training Ichigo, and his other mentors were simply unavailable, thus, his little sister was the best option. 

He simply hoped that she didn't cause any trouble between the Kuchikis and the newly ascended Shibas. 

Chapter Text

Kukaku had figured now was the time to get Ichigo something to wear to formal events. He can't just wear his shihakusho everywhere now, can he? Thus, Kukaku had brought Ichigo with her to a place where they could get some of that made for him. 

"Do we really need to do this?" Ichigo however, didn't want any of this. He never really gelled with being nobility. The idea that he was above someone simply by birth was not an idea he was comfortable with. 

"As a noble, you'll be expected to look the part," she could see Ichigo's scowl deepen. "Yeah I know, I hated it too, it's kind of our thing to not like being nobles," Kukaku however understood the point of it. They were the clan that made sure whatever hair-brained draconian bullshit the other clans came up with actually passed some sort of muster. They were the voice of sanity a lot of the time among the great houses, the ones who had to remind everyone that what they decide to do, or what they lean on the 46 to do, can have lasting ramifications to more than just them. 

"Fine. What am I getting fitted for?" Ichigo felt like he was already giving up on going home. He already knew the likelihood of going home was slim, especially after he returned to the level of power he had when he fought Aizen, but this solidified it.

"First, something to wear over your shihakusho that makes it so you don't look like some grunt," Not that she had any disrespect for the average shinigami, it's just that Ichigo wasn't one. "And don't worry, you'll only have to wear it to events where you would be allowed to wear your shihakusho. It's to differentiate you from a member of the Gotei," wearing garb over a shihakusho had become the standard way of saying 'I'm a shinigami but I'm not Gotei' since the Gotei became a thing. Most of the time a simple haori was fine, the only rule being that it couldn't be white. 

"And?" Ichigo was perfectly fine with his shihakusho and really wasn't liking this whole 'hey I'm a noble' shit, but now it made sense. It allowed people to tell who was an active part of the Gotei and who wasn't. He was more concerned with the other thing he'd have to get. 

"A kimono for more formal events, something simple for now, there's nothing extravagant for a while, and we'll deal with that when we get there," Ichigo was actually fine with that. A simple kimono way not a bad thing, he was honestly more worried about there being some sort of style that he didn't know about. 

"Okay, so a haori and a couple of kimonos, that's it right?" Ichigo looked over at Kukaku. 

"Yup, just getting measured, picking colors and materials. In and out," Kukaku was wondering why he was so resistant to it. Her guess was probably due to him identifying strongly with the unseated as he was basically a nobody who became someone purely by achievement, an everyman. Finding out he was a Shiba kind of broke that, and well, it was basically saying he wasn’t going home. Granted if he did end up going home, he’d be coming back here anyway so she figured it best to do it now rather than later. 

"It better be," Ichigo hoped it would be quick. He didn't want to have to stand around forever getting measured and then having to pick out every last detail.

Chad was making himself some food, basic spicy ramen made with a few twists his abuelo taught him. It wasn't much, but it was good and easy to make. 

In the year since the Blood War Chad found himself returning to a semi-normal life. Hollow attacks were on the rise, but that was to be expected given the casualties sustained. Fortunately, Isshin had picked up the slack left by Ichigo as Karin trained when he and Orihime weren't enough. 

Today though there were no emergencies. Just a nice quiet day. 

It was just after he had finished pouring the ramen into a bowl that his phone rang. He pulled it out to look at the number before answering. 

It was Riruka. Why would she be calling? Chad flipped open the phone. 

"Hello?" Chad spoke cautiously. To say he had a rocky relationship with the other fullbringers would be an understatement.

"Hey, Chad, there's a situation… I got a message from Yukio," Chad hummed in acknowledgment as Riruka spoke. "Xcution's back, and not in a good way."

"What?" Chad spoke in response. While it may have been understated for most, Chad was slightly shocked. Were there more fullbringers than they realized?

"Yeah, my response too," Riruka continued. "Apparently some bitch by the name of Aura Michibane took over after you guys killed Ginjo and Tsukishima and turned the whole thing into a damned religious cult."

"Why?" Chad was puzzled. What would someone gain from doing all of that? Sure there were your usual answers for cults, control, money, sex, power, but why limit their reach to a group who wouldn't fall for that?

"To blow Soul Society's cover. Apparently, we weren't the only fullbringers that were hunted by the shinigami," Chad swore internally, a vendetta. If word of Soul Society reached the general public with quantifiable evidence, it would be pandemonium, and just after the Blood War? This could actually threaten the delicate post-war balance of souls if things got too out of hand. 

"I'll let them know next time I can see them," he was referring to the Gotei 13. Riruka knew he had an in with the current head captain, and he could inform them of the situation. "Do you have any information to give them?"

"I'll email it to you, just… make sure it doesn't get out of hand. We don't need them treating us like the quincy," Riruka hung up. She probably would have called Ichigo directly if he were still here, but he wasn't. So he had to tell Soul Society. 

Chad sighed. He quickly dialed Urahara’s number. He needed to arrange for passage to Soul Society. Fortunately, Ichigo had left some of his stuff behind to be given to him at a later date. That would be the perfect cover in case he was being watched. 

To say that Hisagi's day was going well would be inaccurate. Sure it wasn't a bad day, that usually included Lieutenant Kuna going full tokusatsu and absolutely beating the shit out of him in a spar with stupidly named attacks. No, today was just average. So to alleviate his boredom on this slow day he was working on one of his motorcycles, specifically the motorcycle Lieutenant Kuchiki had somehow managed to get smuggled in. It was honestly impressive. He knew the thirteenth could get just about anything into the Seireitei, but he thought an entire motorcycle was beyond their abilities. Rukia and the thirteenth's unseated underground must have taken that as a challenge as within the week they had gotten a Harley Davidson into the ninth's barracks unnoticed. The only sign of their involvement was a note saying 'you're welcome' with a smug-looking rabbit on it left on the motorcycle itself. 

The shit they could do was simply impressive. 

His mind however was not fully focused on the machine he was working on. He was primarily focused on the fact that the world of nobility had been shaken up by the reinstatement of the Shiba clan. While what happened to cause this stayed behind closed doors, the revelation that Ichigo Kurosaki was the son of the former tenth division captain and previous head of the Shiba clan Isshin Shiba made things pretty clear. Central 46, for some reason, deemed that the actions of Ichigo cleared the Shibas of his father’s sins, and frankly, he agreed. Hisagi wasn’t one of those shinigami that worshiped the very ground the members of the (once again) five houses walked on, but Ichigo had earned his respect in both the Winter War, and the Blood War. 

Ichigo put his life on the line for Soul Society for no other reason than it being the right thing to do. Sure, he was a prodigy. Most likely one Soul Society had never seen before, and would never see again, but he didn't have that upbringing that made a lot of nobles detest the lower social strata. 

He really wanted to get an interview with Ichigo. Sure, he would be a useful primary source for his work on both wars, and a major issue seller in his own right. But now? The issues would fly off the newsstands and the magazine would regain the momentum it had before Tosen went on his misguided crusade.

Once again his mind returned to that of his former captain. After Tosen’s betrayal, Hisagi was at a loss. He was wondering why his captain would do such a thing. Then Captain Kommamura pulled the lid off of the whole thing. Tosen had a great friend and mentor in one Kakkyo Shiba. She was the one who pushed him to become a shinigami, she was the one who imparted upon him the very values he would come to mantle, and she would die at the hands of one Tokinada Tsunayashiro, her own husband. Once he had been told all of that it all clicked. His closest friend, his inspiration, died at the hands of a psychopath and received no justice. He could feel his blood boil thinking about it. 

He shook his head. Though he now knew why his former captain and mentor went astray, he also now knew Aizen had played that sense of justice against him. To manipulate him and use him for his own ends. He was only happy that he got Tosen to see the error in his ways before his death. 

Clearing his head of those thoughts, Hisagi returned to tensioning the drive belt on the motorcycle. It probably wasn’t going to be running for a week at least, but he had a friend in the twelfth working on that. Something about an artificial gasoline substitute if he remembered correctly. He just hoped it didn’t blow up like the rest of the twelfth’s side projects.

Bazz-B should be dead. He shouldn’t have survived his battle against Hachwalth. Hell, he knew he was going to die, Hachwalth still had his Volstandig while he didn’t. Yet he woke up in a high-security intensive care ward in the fourth. Apparently, he got prompt medical attention from someone who was highly proficient in kaido before he bled out and was transferred to a fourth-division battle hospital before being moved down from the Soul Palace to the fourth’s own hospital. 

So, once he had been cleared to be discharged, he found himself among what was now known as the ‘quincy quarter’ of the Seireitei, where all of the quincy who were captured, surrendered, or turned coat in the latter stages of the war were housed. The quincy there had a different name for it though, Camp Sedlytz, after a Lichtenreich sternritter who had had the pleasure of facing off against Yamamoto in the last invasion. They all knew why they were here, the shinigami can’t just let them run off and do their own thing. So, for the wisdom of surrendering, or because the medics of the fourth had standards, they were allowed to live in what could be best described as a well-furnished holding camp. 

Bazz didn’t know why they just didn’t finish the job already and kill them. It was clear to any quincy who actually did the math that there was no peaceful resolution to this conflict. As long as quincy lived they would be a threat to Soul Society’s precious balance. Though he wasn’t going to argue with being kept alive, he just hoped that a shinigami with a grudge didn't decide he should die. He knew the Thirteenth’s lieutenant could be a cold bitch when she wanted to be, and he had personally put a large chunk of the division in body bags if there was a body left that was. 

The little slice of hell they found themselves in, while being almost entirely improvised, was both effective and quite comfortable for a prison camp. It followed the usual building plan of many of the Gotei’s temporary barracks. A semi-ridged tent with rows of bunks that were air-conditioned, a large mess tent with decent enough food, and good showers. The only differences were the guards and the fact that the occupants had to wear a special suppression device cooked up by the twelfth. Said device worn as a collar created an amped-up effect similar to the old sanrei gloves that prevented a quincy from controlling the local reishi. 

Of course, as the highest ranking quincy in the camp, most of the residents looked to him for some sort of leadership. He tried but he was never really a leader, that was always Hachwalth’s specialty. He just made sure nobody gave the guards a reason to come in and clean house. 

Of course, there was the issue that until recently members of the camp have gone missing in the middle of the night. It was only a few, and it was the ones most likely to attempt an escape, but the guards couldn’t find anyone, nor could they find any evidence of them having escaped. 

Someone had been kidnapping quincy over the course of the past year. His money was on the twelfth, but some had said that Captain Kurotsuchi had lost interest in the quincy. While he didn’t buy it, he had brought this to the attention of the guards. It’s really all he could do. It’s not like he could do detective work from a prison camp after all.

Chapter Text

Rukia had spent the entirety of the week looking over control exercises she was familiar with, trying to find one that could actually get Ichigo's control to a desirable level. It was a difficult proposition. Nobody had bothered with Captain Zaraki, and Aizen already had superb control when he entered the academy. So she was going in blind. 

As she worked through this problem an idea came to her. The spinning whistle. It would be a good practice tool for him. Lightweight, compact, and could be tied together with a string in the middle to prevent a more violent deconstruction. 

There were other issues to contend with as well. His shikai was constantly released, and thus, his spiritual pressure was being expressed through it as well. If he could truly seal his zanpakuto, that could lower his reiatsu enough for the training to be more effective. 

The issue was now finding a training area. Problem was that there simply wasn't one that had enough room to allow Ichigo to do what he needed to do to learn how to control himself without his immense reiatsu causing issues in the areas surrounding the training areas. There was also the matter that many of the training fields were under extensive use by Shinigami seeking to fill gaps in the command structure left by the war. Especially the thirteenth, as Haschwalth and Menias McAllon had done a number on a large majority of the division. 

Rukia sighed. When she looked at the after-action reports that her late captain gave her after Ichigo rescued her. It was found that Ichigo and Renji were able to attain bankai completely undetected while still within the Seireitei. She guessed she would have to ask Ichigo directly. Rukia gathered what she would need to begin training Ichigo, and then sent a hell butterfly forward to inform Kukaku of her arrival. As she was leaving she grabbed Sode no Shirayuki, mainly to help demonstrate the process of resealing a zanpakuto if it ended up being necessary. As a captain-class shinigami she technically shouldn’t have Sode no Shirayuki with her at all right now without approval from the head captain. However, as she was still a lieutenant it also technically didn’t apply to her, thus her stark white zanpakuto was taken from its lonely place on the office’s holding rack, and put once more by her side.

Her thoughts momentarily wandered to what was supposed to be next to blade on the rack, and who she was supposed to be sharing the office with, but she didn’t let them linger. She didn’t have time for those thoughts.

Rukia walked through the thirteenth, slowly taking stock of the division as she did so. Nothing had really changed. The thirteenth was severely undermaned, and was just barely combat effective at only just above half strength. The sternritter had slaughtered much of the thirteenth and had sent two more just to pin her and Ukitake down to allow it. The fact that only half of the suffered casualties of that day became fatalities was a statement to the fourth's prowess in the healing arts. 

As she exited the division through the large gates that led into one of the main causeways, she came across someone she never wanted to see, Tokinada Tsunayashiro.

“Ah, Lieutenant Kuchiki, a pleasure to finally meet you,” Tokinada was an individual Rukia had only seen a few times, and she never allowed herself to be found alone with him, following her brother’s advice from decades ago. 

“Hello Lord Tunayashiro, while I am honored by your presence, I have matters to attend to assigned to me by the head captain,” she lied through her teeth as she bowed slightly. While she knew he was weaker than her, his presence gave her a feeling only one other person ever had, Gin Ichimaru.

“Ah, I have heard the news, you are to train Ichigo Shiba so that he may better control his power,” he intentionally used his current legal name in Soul Society to get under her skin. She didn’t show any reaction, keeping her face stoic, but underneath she was beginning to want to hurt him. “Fortunately I have business with Lady Shiba herself today. Let us go together.”

Rukia nodded and walked at a pace to match the taller man’s own stride. She simply hoped that he wouldn’t talk on the way there, as refusing a clan head like him would be considered rude. 

Tokinada was going to have fun with this. Rukia was just a delightful ball of trauma and insecurities, he had options on what to pick at her with. There was Kaien Shiba, her being tricked by Kisuke Urahara into carrying his hogyoku, there was being abandoned by her sister, oh, and there was Ichigo himself. Making a Kuchiki squirm was always fun. However, that reminded him of another fun topic. 

"I have heard rumors lieutenant, that your zanpakuto is considered the most beautiful, I can see that even when sealed that the rumors seem true," Rukia felt the swell of pride at the acknowledgment, but knew he was going to say something that would send her crashing back down. "A shame it belongs to someone only pretending to be a Kuchiki."

There it was. Rukia knew this was an attempt to get at her. That didn't stop it from working however. She had always felt like she needed to prove that she was worthy of her adoptive family's name, that she needed to work twice as hard for half the recognition. The only people who she didn't feel this pressure around were Byakuya, Renji, and Ichigo.

"I believe I have proven myself worthy of that name," her reply was curt and to the point. She really wanted this to end, but sadly the Shiba estate was a long way from the thirteenth barracks. So she'd have to deal with this living refuse pretending to be a shinigami for a while longer. 

"Yes, yes, your feats are quite impressive. Especially Areoneiro, I heard he wore the face of your departed mentor," he took the opportunity to pick at that scab. "That is an impressive feat, especially for someone of your pedigree." 

He had moved on to backhanded compliments and picked at her late mentor and predecessor. He wanted to get a rise out of her badly. 

"I take it you find enjoyment in the suffering of others, Lord Tsunayashiro?" She hated having to say the title. It was beginning to feel like ash in her mouth, but she was in the presence of one of the only people who could actually hurt her with no repercussions, and now that was beginning to become scary. 

"Me? A sadist? Why make such an insinuation?" He so obviously feigned having been insulted. 

"You are in charge of the family who is supposed to monitor the world of the living and ensure that they do not learn of Soul Society. You have authority over even the Central 46. Thus, over me. Why else?" She tried desperately to keep a lid on her emotions. Especially as they were far from anyone who could vouch for her. 

"Ah, you caught me, though you did prove tougher than most. Sometimes I like having to work for my fun," the dark-haired man simply gave her a satisfied grin. "I wish you luck in training your student."

She hoped the rest of the walk would be quiet. She was mistaken.

Ichigo had been informed of the training to come. Zangetsu was wrapped up and ready to. He had been catching up with Chad who had delivered the last of his personal possessions that he wanted with him. 

Ichigo wanted to believe he would be able to go home after all of this. Based on what he had been told, Central 46 would consider it based on his control at the time. He had no Illusions about this not taking a long time. He had immense reiatsu, he simply was too strong for it to be that quick, and he would probably need a limiter like the captains and lieutenants, or possibly even something like Kenpachi's eyepach. 

It was especially concerning that Xcution was back in action again. This time as a religious cult seeking to spread the word about Soul Society. Chad then went to deliver this info to Kyoraku before he returned home. 

So when the time can for Rukia to pick him up he hadn't expected his friend to just open his door, walk in, close it, and stare at him like she had been holding back her unbridled rage. 

"Ichigo, pillow, now," she all but ordered him. He grabbed his pillow and tossed it to her. 

When she snatched it out of the air she immediately buried her face in it and screamed. This was a scream of rage. Of someone who had been poked and prodded at, and had to take it all with a smile on her face. 

"What happened," Ichigo was concerned. Not much would cause her to break her noble mask. Sure, he had seen her without it before, and it always seemed she took it off when it was just him and his friends. But he had never seen it shatter while it was on. 

"That bastard Tokinada," Oh no. He and Kukaku had a meeting today, and the path from the Tsunayashiro manor to the Shiba manor just happened to take one by the thirteenth. 

"What did he do?" Ichigo knew the guy was a colossal asshole. Kukaku was probably going to explode at him at least once if he lived up to his reputation. 

"What didn't he do," Rukia let herself lay flat on the floor as she tried to calm herself. "He went after everything. My adoption, Kaien, my sister, Ukitake, Urahara, you," she rarely let her mask down. She rarely could find anyone she could let her mask down in front of. With Ichigo, she could never put it on. 

Fortunately, Ichigo hated that shit anyway, so she could allow herself to slip around him. After all, the Rukia Kuchiki he first met was a lot closer to the real Rukia than the Rukia she had to be around nobles, or even to her subordinates. 

"Wait, me?" Ichigo did not like the sound of this. 

"He asked how it felt taking the life from a Shiba without killing them," she wanted to avoid the lead-up to that question. Mainly because he compared his murder of Kakyo Shiba, his own wife, to Kaien's death, and then complimented her for having one more to her name than he did. She hated Tokinada. 

"That bastard," Ichigo knew that Rukia had initially blamed herself for dragging him into this world. It had taken a long heart-to-heart to convince her that this was what he wanted all along and that he would never hate her for giving him the power to protect not just his family but everyone. 

"We should get going before rumors start," Rukia started standing up, then patted down the hakama of her shikakusho, then grabbed the bag she came in with. 

"Didn't the rumors start after I saved you?" Ichigo remembers having been bitched at by Rukia over the issue, and then Byakuya giving him the older brother talk before he said that that was just a rumor and they weren't a thing. Not that he minded the idea. It just seemed infeasible at the time. Now however, he broke that train of thought. He and Rukia were nobles. There was a process, politics, and tradition, and he was still unsure if he was going to be staying or not. Rukia thought much the same. She wanted to keep him out of this situation. Not drag him further in. He deserved to be able to live a normal life. Not get dragged into this hell. 

"Where did you and Renji attain bankai without the entirety of the Seireitei knowing?" Rukia stood by the sliding door as Ichigo collected his wrapped zanpakuto and connected it however it was supposed to be connected to that red string around his torso. 

"Urahara made a training area under Sogyoku Hill when he and Yoruichi were younger, she showed me, then Renji. I can take you there if you want," Ichigo figured it was the best place anyway. No one really knew it existed, it had decent privacy, and it had the hot springs of healing. Oh god, this wasn't going to help the rumors if anyone found out. 

Renji was training with his bankai. Sure, Soo Zabimaru was his true bankai, but he still had to learn what it could do, he still had to get used to it, and unfortunately, there really was only one place to safely practice a bankai that he knew of. Sogyoku Hill, or specifically, beneath Sogyoku Hill. The place where he and Ichigo attained bankai for the sake of ensuring Rukia didn't die. 

His thoughts ran back to her more often than he was comfortable with. Sure he had apologized to her, sure, she accepted it after she smacked him for it, but that and the forty years of radio silence made things ice up between them. Especially as she wouldn't drop her mask in front of him. 

The Rukia he knew was still Rukia, he could tell that just from what he and Ichigo shared over drinks, but she wasn't comfortable showing him that side of her anymore. It hurt, but he understood. Even though they were souls, forty years was a long time, and then the first time seeing each other was a rescue mission that turned out to be an arrest, it just made things complicated, and nobody really taught them how to deal with that. 

Speaking of the devil, he could feel Ichigo and Rukia come into the training area. He didn't bother to drop his bankai. It wasn't like Rukia's. It didn't have a splash radius so he didn't need to worry about that. 

"Hey Ichigo, Rukia, sup," he waved at them with his free hand, and thus with his bankai's massive arm. 

"Wondering why you didn't tell me about this place sooner," Rukia looked at Renji with a look similar to when he and their friends would keep her in the dark about a heist back in Inuzuri. Well, less of a heist and more of a case of pantry burglary. 

"Not my place to tell. This is technically the property of the Shihoins,” Renji was right. The door bore the Shihoin crest. Though since Ichigo allowed her in, and it was clear that Yoruichi didn’t write down that this existed given the lack of guards and the state of the seal on the entrance being weathered, she figured there wouldn’t be complaints. 

"You know I can keep a secret Renji," Rukia had that trademark glint in her eye when she knows she's got you. 

"What do you mea-" Renji hitched, and it seems the color drained from his face. "point taken," 

"Do I even want to know?" Ichigo looked at the two like they were idiot kids just out of middle school, not almost ten times his age and in possession of incredible power. 

“Let’s just say we were short on beds back in Inuzuri,” Rukia grinned mischievously. 

“You’re evil,” Ichigo knew what would happen if she said that in just the right way. Byakuya would go ballistic. The thought of Renji being chased by a storm of pink petals came to mind. It was both scary and hilarious.

Renji coughed. Grabbing the attention of the other two.  “Anyway, what are you two doing here, I figure it has to do with Ichigo’s training.”

“Yes, I am trying to help Ichigo learn how to reseal his zanpakuto. I’m hoping that will reduce his power enough to allow him to actually control it,” Rukia politely responded. Her mask was once again firmly in place. 

“Good luck, The area by the springs should be far enough away that he can focus,” Renji pointed with Soo Zabimaru’s sword. 

They walk to an area just past the healing springs. Rukia noted that they looked quite relaxing, and she was tempted to take a dip, but she had a job to do. 

"Ichigo, did Zangetsu ever tell you his release command?" Rukia asked. Unaware of the complicated situation around his relationship with his zanpakuto. 

"About that," Rukia looked at him incredulously, but let Ichigo continue after a short pause. "My relationship with Zangetsu was… complicated until about a year ago."

"How so?" Rukia raised an eyebrow at his response. Then her eyes widened when he produced something from his pocket.

"This…" he held out a Quincy cross, like Uryu's, save for the slight patina that showed that it was older. "Was my mother’s."

"Your mother… you…" Rukia stammered. The five-point mark was burned into her mind. Her brother's near death, the war so utterly brutal that they had used all of their last resorts. But this pentacle was held by the one who killed that monster, the one who finalized his fate worse than death. Who forced him to uphold all that he wished to dismantle. Then she remembered the stories about Masaki. 

“Was that what you were hiding then… did… did He tell you?” Rukia remembered Ichigo’s face after the first invasion. She knew back then something was wrong, something had shaken Ichigo to his very core. And Ichigo confirmed that with a short nod of his head

"He was why she died wasn't he?” The name didn't need to be spoken. Uryu had explained auswahlan, and how it had killed his own mother. Ichigo's mother must have also been a victim of it. She was now even more pleased he had been condemned to the fate that had been chosen for him. 

Ichigo simply nodded. He put the cross back in his hakama pocket, and then began explaining. "What I thought was Zangetsu turned out to be the manifestation of my powers as a quincy, and that my inner hollow was my zanpakuto, at least that's how it had been originally," he then explained everything he learned about the Old Man, then about his mother. Rukia was simply surprised Ichigo trusted her with all of this.

"Why tell me this?" This information would be damming. It could very well doom the Shibas again. 

"Three reasons," Ichigo held the same number of fingers to visualize this point. "First, you're someone I can trust to keep it secret. As you said, you're a Kuchiki," his ring finger went down. And while she felt happy that he trusted her with this information, she felt it was too risky to tell her at all. "Second, to tell you that no matter what happened, I was going to get roped into this world. The only thing that would have changed is whose side I might have been on," Rukia paled as she thought about that. She forgot that Uryu joined the Wandenrich, and that he now technically rules over its shattered corpse. The thought of Ichigo as a sternritter terrified her. "You made sure I was on the side that does the most good."

"I…" Rukia was floored. She had beaten herself up for a long time over taking away a normal life from him. He was showing her now that a normal life simply wasn't in the cards. While him saying he didn't care made her feel less guilty about it, the weight was still there. Now? It was like it vanished. He was telling her she did the right thing, and she was glad he did that. It made her feel slightly better about herself. Though they still have business to attend to. "How does this tie in with Zangetsu?"

"That's the third reason. What I had initially though was the manifestation of my powers as a Shinigami, the Old Man, was the one who told me the name of my Zanpakuto, and gave me my bankai. He was holding me back because he saw my reason for fighting as suicidal," That made a lot more sense. If it wasn't Ichigo's zanpakuto that told him Zangetsu's name, then the resulting shikai and bankai would be false, and if the release command wasn't told to him, he would be unable to reseal it. 

"I see. I recommend getting that from Zangetsu then, meditate with your zanpakuto and let me know when you're done," Rukia began walking over to another part of the room to begin training with her own zanpakuto in her inner world. 

Ichigo nodded, and then sat down before placing Zangetsu in his lap. He allowed himself to fade into the calm of meditation as he focused on his sword. Then, he was pulled into his inner world.

Chapter Text

Ichigo once again found himself in the sideways skyline of his inner world, the sky overcast, but no rain was falling.

“So, King, you’ve finally come around to talk,” Zangetsu wasn’t standing far from where he came into his inner world. 

“I guess that means you know why I’m here?” Ichigo’s relationship with Zangetsu had improved, but he still had a ways to go. The negative connotation his zanpakuto had gained with him wasn’t so easily overcome. 

“Yes, though there are some other matters we need to attend to first,” Zangetsu stuck his version of his shikai into the ground, taking a seat on a raised part of the building’s facade. “First being that when I let the old man give you the name of my bankai, we skipped a few steps, steps the old man skipped intentionally.” 

“Like what?” Ichigo looked over at his zanpakuto.

“The Old Man sought to keep your full power away from you in order to protect you, probably from Mr. God Complex,” Zangetsu was referring to Yhwach, as he spoke. “Because of that, when describing to you my nature and abilities he only told you half-truths, leaving you with an incomplete picture of my power, and thus, a false Bankai,” Zangetsu readied his blade as he walked toward his wielder. “So I ask you this King, what is my form, ability, and power?”

"I guess you're going to beat the shit out of me until I figure it out?" Ichigo knew this song and dance. Zangetsu was a fan of 'live fire training.' Honestly, it worked and it worked well.

"Look at that, you're learning already," Zangetsu grinned wildly and then flashed before Ichigo with a burst of sonido, blade raised high to bisect Ichigo. 

Ichigo attempted to block the strike, it was then he noticed red flames of reverse colored bringer light coming off of the back of it, and when their blades clashed, the thunderous blow created a crater beneath Ichigo. Zangetsu used a combination of bringer light and blut arterie to enhance the power of the swing, turning a powerful strike into one capable of immense destruction, and this was just his shikai!

Ichigo flashed away from his foe to observe the damage, but Zangetsu didn’t give him the opportunity as he threw his reverse-colored blade at him. Ichigo moved to dodge but as he did so he noticed red reiatsu coming off of the blade in jets, redirecting it as though it were a missile. This forced Ichigo to block the strike, which was exactly what Zangetsu wanted as he used Sonido to go to Ichigo’s back with a charged white ball in his offhand.

“Cero,” the white flash consumed Ichigo before he could dodge. Before the energy could dissipate Ichigo had pounced on Zangetsu with shunpo, blitzing through the cero, his skin now crisscrossed by the blue lines of blut vene.

Zangetsu blocked the strike with his recalled blade. His grin wide as ever. He disappeared in another flash. Whether it was shunpo, sonido, or hirenkyaku, Ichigo was beyond caring, allowing his instinct to guide him. 

This was helpful when he cut a large piece of rubble Zangetsu threw at him in twain, instinctually pushing his reiatsu through his blade, causing a blast of bringer light to spout from the back of the blade, as well as coat the cutting edge in rapidly oscillating reishi, splitting the large chunk of facing in half as if it were the air itself. 

“There you go,” Zangetsu spoke, Breaking the silence of the exchange once again. “You used it.”

“Used what?” Ichigo was perplexed.

“My ability,” Zangetsu appeared before Ichigo again, a bit away, but not too far. “You poured your reiatsu into your blade, allowing it to cut what I threw at you using both your quincy and fullbring abilities, enhancing the cutting power of my blade to the point where what you were cutting may as well not even have been there.”

“So you’re sharp, That’s it?” Ichigo was slightly perplexed. He would have thought his zanpakuto was more… spectacular.

Zangetsu sighed.

“No, I am not simply sharp you idiot,” Zangetsu then picked up a rock from the rubble of their fight. “As a quincy you can shape the reishi around you into whatever you want, the only limit being your willpower to rip the reishi away from whatever it is constituting at the time, and your own imagination,” he then threw the rock into the air. “while your fulbring abilities allow you to cause the soul of an object to act based on your will,” he then lightly slashed the air with the rock in the path. The rock fell to the ground, cleanly cut in half without so much as even a sound. 

“So you manifest my powers in an ability to cut, you actually are a combat type?” Ichigo was surprised at that. He had thought that that was another thing that was hidden from Ichigo.

“Indeed, I said the Old Man only spoke half-truths, had he lied about my nature, you would be unable to attain even a false bankai,” Zangetsu looked at Ichigo, waiting for him to realize the rest of his abilities.

“Then what about our Getsuga Tensho?” Ichigo looked at his zanpakuto.

“You know my nature, and your nature, how about you tell me for once,” Zangetsu was testing him. Seeing if he truly understood his power.

“My guess is that it is a projection of my reiatsu in something similar to a cero, allowing you to cut things you aren’t in direct contact with,” Ichigo had guessed based on what his father told him about Getsuga Tensho and how a zanpakuto’s abilities and nature changed it from user to user. “So what about my hollowfication that I used against Yhwach?” 

“Shinigami of sufficient power and with a strong enough relationship with their zanpakuto can use weaker versions of their bankai’s abilities while in shikai,” a dark glint showed in Zangetsu’s eyes as Ichigo’s own eyes widened in realization. Zangetsu's smile widened. "Good. I await for you to call upon me to savage your enemies."

And with that Zangetsu faded away.

Rukia had been defeated by Sode no Shirayuki again. She couldn’t get why she couldn’t use her bankai fully even here. She was supposed to be safe from the shattering, from the fragility It forced on her body.

“You did well,” Shirayuki had returned her blade back to its sealed state before allowing it to vanish. 

“Well? I practically shattered again,” Rukia was frustrated. She was subjecting herself to immense pressure. If only she knew that she was one bad day away from completely shattering herself. 

Side no Shirayuki shook her head. Her master had lost her focus, once again throwing herself on the pyre for the sake of others. This was a trait she hated about her master, she had all but screamed at her for accepting her execution for the sake of Ichigo’s safety.

“You are putting yourself under too much stress, not allowing yourself to flow from one move to the next,” Sode no Shirayuki looked upon her wielder with a concerned look. “Your brother was correct when he said our bankai would be difficult to perfect. It requires a natural grace that escapes you in your current state of mind.”

“I’m fine, ” Rukia denied it, of course she did. She thought that everything she was doing was expected of her, required of her, not knowing the only person setting the bar that high was herself.

“You most certainly are not! ” Shirayuki almost shouted at her wielder. Rukia’s inner world had been stuck in a perpetual gloom since Ukitake’s death, and she was rushing herself to fill the void left behind by him.  “You have always put everything on yourself. Kaien’s death was never your fault, and it took you decades and almost dying to realize that. When you manifested me in the Royal Palace to attain bankai, what did I tell you you had to do to attain Hakka no Togame?”

Rukia remembered the training she underwent to attain bankai. The realm she and Renji trained in was thick with reatsu to the point where they could barely breathe, but her zanpakuto’s words were clear. 

“That I need to stop lying to myself,” Ever since she was adopted into the Kuchikis she had wanted to be accepted by them. In her mind, she finally had a family, but she was shocked at their refusal to accept her. She had thought there was something wrong with her, that she was blemished or broken, and so she sought to prove herself worthy to them. 

The lie was that she could convince them. That if she did this or that she would be able to prove she was worthy. Shirayuki had literally forced her to strangle that notion to death as part of her test  in order to attain bankai. To realize that they refused to accept her for reasons outside her control and things she could never change as the life faded from its eyes. 

“Your bankai remains imperfect because while you may have stopped lying to yourself, you have not acted like it,” Shirayuki spoke more calmly. “You are still trying to prove yourself when you have nothing left to prove. You are taking everything on yourself and refusing to take offered help. And that was all before you started running from your grief.”

Rukia grimaced. She had learned long ago to listen when her zanpakuto spoke. Kaien had outright stated that a zanpakuto always wanted the best for its weilder, and that if they dress them down it was because they were doing something monumentally stupid. That didn’t prepare her though for the biting cold of Shirayuki’s words every time she did it. There were no niceties, no platitudes, and barely any empathy. 

“You will never perfect our bankai as long as you operate as if that lie didn’t die by your very own hands,” Shirayuki turned to walk away. “Your charge seems to have finished.”

Ichigo watched Rukia as she exited her meditative trance. The blade that changed his life rested in her lap. 

"Yo," Ichigo was sitting on a nearby rock, holding on to a nodachi in a dark maroon saya. 

"I see you were able to learn Zangetsu's release command," Rukia then reached out to sense if Ichigo's reiatsu had lowered, and it had, by a large margin. However, he was still clearly way too powerful to be allowed to return without improvements to his control.

“Yup, and finalized some things Zangetsu can do,” Ichigo cocked a sly grin, as though he had found a new way to win at a game. 

"Is there anything else?" Rukia knew that there were usually some in-between moments before learning the true power of a zanpakuto. Each a hint to the true power of their zanpakuto. 

"Well, Zangetsu is also my bow now among other things," with his current shikai, the Old Man and his hollow inhabited one blade, he could do a lot of things. 

Rukia sighed. This would make the report complicated, and probably very classified. "Does the head captain already know about your mother?" 

Ichigo nodded. This prompted Rukia to expand her senses to see if Renji was still in the training area. When she noticed he wasn’t there she stood up. 

“Then let’s see these new tricks of yours before I give you homework,” she smirked before the walked off.

Ichigo was relaxing in the healing springs. His sparring match with Rukia was surprising. He had expected her to be stronger, but being able to suspend her own life, in effect killing herself for a duration, was not something he expected. 

Something else he wasn't expecting was the sound of someone else joining him in the spring. When Ichigo opened his eyes wondering what was making the splashing noise he saw a fully nude Rukia entering the hot spring.

“RUKIA WHAT THE HELL?” Ichigo Imideately shielded his eyes as his face went beat red. He could not believe that this was happening to him for a second time, in the same place even. 

“What, have you never seen a woman nude before?” Rukia took the opportunity to mess with Ichigo. She found his prudishness funny, it’s not like she was going to try to have sex with him.

“That’s not the point,” Ichigo was still covering his eyes. Drawing a chuckle from Rukia. 

“You can open your eyes now,” Rukia had submerged herself up to her neck as she let the springs relax her body and begin healing her. She could feel her muscles relax and the stress of not just today, but entire months of overworking herself just melt away. She needed to come back here.

“Why did you do that?” Ichigo was staring daggers at Rukia. 

“Because I wanted to get in,” Rukia spoke matter-of-factly. Nudity wasn’t really anything special to her. She had to use communal showers as an unseated, and before that, she had to bathe in rivers in the Rukon. The fact that there didn’t seem to be any issues from other Shinigami in similar situations seemed to imply that this was just a cultural difference. One Rukia was going to exploit for her own amusement. 

“Couldn’t you have waited until I was done?” Ichigo was not exactly happy to be subjected to her shenanigans again, especially this particular way. Rukia however was greatly amused. 

“Nope,” Rukia then submerged herself temporarily, wetting her hair and allowing her face to momentarily benefit from the effects of the spring water. 

Ichigo sighed. This was going to be a day. 

Ichigo was waiting by the exit for Rukia. While he knew she could defend herself, he didn’t exactly feel comfortable risking an encounter with Tokinada at the moment. Unless he was kicked out by Kukaku for antagonizing her, which considering who was involved, was likely. They should still be talking about inter-clan matters. He had learned that while the Kakaku Taiho was their main responsibility, the Shibas were a big player in Soul Society’s manufacture of support equipment, equipment that only the Shiba clan was able to produce. That equipment wasn’t ready to be produced yet, but the Tsunayashiros claimed to have connections that could help them get production going faster than if Kukaku tried to do it herself. 

It checked out for Ichigo. The asshole was in charge of Soul Society’s intelligence arm. It wouldn’t be surprising if they also kept an eye on the home front as well. Though it was still uneasing that the head of the clan that used to be the biggest antagonist to the Shibas, and was responsible for killing one, would want to help them. 

The thought left his mind as Rukia had come out of the training area. Her skin was glowing compared to when they had come in. 

“You feel better?” Ichigo looked as she walked into view. The faint dark circles she had under her eyes were gone. 

“Yes, I’m definitely coming back here,” She stretched her arms again, she didn’t like that Renji kept this from her, and her mind was running through various ideas for retribution. 

“I think lord asshole is still speaking with Kukaku, would you like to hang out until we know he’s gone?” Ichigo had hit the nail on the head with that nickname, and Rukia agreed with Ichigo’s wish to avoid him. Even if it would spin up the rumor mill faster than she could if she tried. 

“Yeah, there’s an ice cream place by the thirteenth I used to go to. I heard they reopened recently,” it was an old favorite of hers,  she hadn’t been able to go to the reopening because of her pulling double duty for the thirteenth, but if the head captain is willing to cover for her paperwork, she may as well take advantage occasionally. 

“Alright, let’s go,” Ichigo opened the door leading into the fake cave that hid the entrance to the training grounds. Ichigo covered his eyes as he adjusted to the light outside of Sogyoku Hill. He might be fine with staying here for a while. 

Kyoraku was done with the paperwork that he had gotten from the thirteenth. Most of it was inane things that still required someone with a captain's clearance due to it pertaining to classified information or equipment, and because the thirteenth was a ‘workhorse’ division as his late friend once put it, there was a lot of that. Rukia still did the majority of the paperwork that required someone with a close eye on the division itself, but anything that was not really worthy of her direct attention was passed on to him by his own orders. 

Now that he was done however, he had other matters to attend to. Mainly how the resurgent Xcution was able to avoid detection by Soul Society’s Visuals Department. He had a few theories, ranging from clever planning and concealment to treachery. He couldn’t rule out ideas anymore based on practical feasibility, so now he actually had to deploy assets, get eyes on this now religious cult that was intent on breaking the carefully maintained masquerade Soul Society kept. The leader of the best people for that job had just now entered his office.

“Captain Sui-Feng, please, have a seat,” he motioned to the chair in front of his desk. His office was still the one the old man used, and the garden was still well-maintained in honor of Kyoraku’s old mentor. Sui-Feng ignored the offer, preferring to stand up in the presence of the head captain. 

“The concerns you bring are not to be taken lightly,” Sui-Feng was right. Deploying the Onmitsukido for ground-level recon had… implications. Chief among them being that what they were looking for had evaded the detection of the Visuals Department. 

“I am not. Xcution has reformed without us detecting them. I’m hoping that this is just them being clever at avoiding detection, but I fear that someone may be running interference for them,” Kyoraku’s tone darkened, his hat shading his face as he let the assassin take in his information. 

“You believe someone within the Visuals Department is keeping us blind to them,” her brain immediately started running suspects through her mind. Many believe the Onmitsukido, and by extension, the second division at large, to be Soul Society’s scouts. This is a mistake, in reality, they are a secret police organization, rarely acting in the world of the living save for their limited patrol responsibilities. 

“I fear so,” the Visuals Department completely refuted that Xcution could have reformed without them knowing, and he believed it. He believed that the information pointing to that simply wasn’t where it was supposed to be. 

Sui-Feng hated when someone decided to get cute with intel like this. Some of her best were killed because of poor intel, or by people within the Visuals Department who thought that mission-critical information wasn’t as important as it actually was. The thought that an entire organization that knew about Soul Society could be allowed to reform without any notice from the Visuals Department was infuriating. 

“I’ll dispatch members of the Executive Militia to assess the situation,” If what Kyoraku was saying was true, it is likely that either Xcution, or the Visuals Department themselves, had people patrolling for potential reconnaissance assets. She needed people who weren’t simply the best, she also needed people who were unquestionably loyal to her, and only her own core bodyguard would suffice. 

“I hope that this is simply us chasing ghosts,” The irony of the idiom wasn’t lost on the head captain, but he simply didn’t have the energy to find it funny. If this was treachery, he likely knew the exact person orchestrating the whole thing, Tokinada Tsunayashiro.

Chapter Text

Ichigo and Rukia found themselves in a commercial area close to the thirteenth squad barracks. It was clear the place had spillover damage from the war, and only a few of the shops were open. Among the open storefronts was a plaza with several storefronts that sold various food stuffs. Among those was a place with a simple sign that said something about ice cream, it was clear this was the place Rukia was talking about when they left the training area. Ichigo and Rukia had left their zanpakuto on a holding rack used for people coming back from training as it was frowned upon to be armed in a time of peace. 

“Take a seat, I’ll go put our orders in,” Rukia moved to the short line that had formed in front of the small storefront. As he was alone for a short time he considered what was around him. Seireitei had weathered one hell of a storm. He could still see much of the damage, but here everyone was, taking back what bits of normal they could. 

“Here,” Ichigo didn’t need to look to see it was Rukia, especially since what ended up in his hand was a popsicle shaped like a cartoonish rabbit. 

“Really?’ Ichigo looked over at Rukia. The more things changed the more they stayed the same. “I thought you were going to order ice cream mochi or something.”

Rukia gave him a look before responding,

“I was, but then I saw that they had these, and I had to buy them,” Ichigo wasn’t surprised. It seemed that she had an obsession with rabbits. 

"Figured that much," Ichigo had gotten used to Rukia's antics from his time working as her substitute. Her ability to switch from deathly serious to her more playful attitude was something that no longer caught him off guard.

There was a silence as they ate the confections. Rukia wanted this to be as normal a moment as could be, but there was a thought that she couldn’t let go of. A concern that was eating at her mind.

“Are you okay with…” she didn’t need to say the second part. He was ripped away from his human life. Even if it was only temporary.

Ichigo sighed as he looked back at his first friend in Soul Society. 

“You’d look right through me if I said yes,” They could do that with each other. He knew Rukia was still beating herself up over past mistakes. He could see the outward signs of her own self-loathing, he’d been there himself for years, and he knew what it was like. “But it isn’t as bad as it could be. Seems the insanity is a family trait.”

“Indeed,” Rukia let out a light chuckle as her mind wandered back to the good memories she had with her mentor and predecessor as lieutenant of the thirteenth. He had his moments, but she knew that was because the Shibas wore their hearts on their sleeves, Ichigo was no exception. 

“You don’t need to hate yourself about it,” Ichigo’s response puzzled her for a moment.

“What?” Rukia looked over after she swallowed a bite from her popsicle.

“Kukaku told me about Kaien. You did the right thing,” Ichigo’s words stunned her into silence. “You don’t need to keep beating yourself up over it,” Ichigo then took a bite out of his own popsicle. He knew what feeling responsible for a loved one’s death was like. He blamed himself for his mother’s death right until he learned that she died because her powers were taken away when she needed them most. Because of that, he also knew the relief he felt when you finally know it wasn't your fault. "

“Thank you.” Rukia smiled faintly. She had heard it from just about everyone who knew. Her captain, her brother, and even Kukaku. Hearing it from Ichigo though was different for some reason. For some reason hearing it from him helped her believe it. Most of the trauma was done and gone after her fight with the ninth espada, but the wound was still there, and probably would be for a long time. “I think we should finish up before we talk anymore.”

“Yeah, you have a point,” Ichigo smiled lightly before moving to finish his own popsicle.

Kukaku loathed Tokinada, and that loathing was justified. The man acted like a colossal asshole, but he was more than that. He was a heartless sociopath that enjoyed nothing more than to cause pain and suffering. So when Tokinada came to talk about assisting the Shibas in expediting their resuming of production of various key support equipment that Soul Society had been conserving for the past twenty years, she knew there was something else to the game, but she listened. 

This is why Kugo Ginjo was leading the ignoble asshole into her meeting room as she inhaled some smoke through her pipe. Once Tokinada had sat down, and Ginjo along with the child that was clearly Tokinada’s retainer took their places Kukaku laid down the law.

“I will not tolerate any of your bullshit. You so much as try to pick at me or anyone else here, you’re out,” Kukaku stared daggers at Tokinada. She recognized the zanpakuto on his hip. It was one of the ancestral zanpakuto given to the great houses, and would only answer to someone of Tsunayashiro blood. The fact he wore it here meant either he counted on her being too stupid to recognize it, or he wanted her to know. Kukaku bet on the latter, he would know that as a Shiba the importance of the zanpakuto and its history were hammered into her head, including the names and abilities of every one of the great families’ ancestral zanpakuto. This was an implicit threat.

“I thought this was supposed to be a fresh start for relations between our clans, are you truly going to bring up old grudges?” Tokinada’s face broke away from the default grin he had on. He was trying to take control of the situation, but it was clear Kukaku wasn’t going to let him have it. 

“I will forgive the Tsunayashiro clan of their past slights against the Shiba clan, but I will not forgive you for killing Kakyo. Shibas do not forgive those with our family’s blood on their hands, no matter how dried it may be,” Kukaku drew her zanpakuto and stabbed it into the table in front of her. Tokinada's bodyguard was ready to spring into action before Tokinada stayed them. “However, for the sake of cooperation, I am willing to tolerate your continued existence.”

Tokinada’s smile returned to his face. “I see, then let us get down to business shall we?”

Ichigo was walking back to the Shiba manor after hanging out with Rukia after his training. Rukia had to go and look after the thirteenth again, and Ichigo figured that Tokinada had returned to the Tsunayashiro manor now, and so had also left. He was on his way past the ninth when his eyes caught Hisagi walking back to his division.

“Hey, Hisagi, how are Kensei and Mashiro treating you?” Hisagi looked over at Ichigo. He wasn’t wearing anything over his shihakuso and his normal sword that was on his back was instead replaced by a nodachi on his hip. 

“Well enough, though Lieutenant Kuna is being her usual self,” Hisagi remembered that Ichigo knew his current captain and fellow co-lieutenant and had trained with them to control his own hollow abilities. 

“Bouncing off the walls like she’s made of rubber?” Ichigo had seen what Mashiro gets up to. She is an expert hand-to-hand fighter, and he figured that she could beat the shit out of him, but she fancied herself a tokusatsu a bit too much. 

“Yeah… there’s a reason she has been in charge of hand-to-hand and physical conditioning for the division,” Lieutenant Kuna was great at training the division and the more physically demanding duties, but outside of that she was almost useless. That left Hisagi with all of the things she deemed boring. Mainly the paperwork and running the Seiretei Magazine, and the processing of all of the lieutenant reports for presentation to the head captain. He didn’t mind this though as he found he was more in his element there, especially as a journalist.

“Figured. She damn near kicked my ass a few times when training me,” when she was his sparing partner during his time with the visoreds she had left him in a crater a few times.

“Really?” Hisagi was somewhat surprised. Though it was likely due to a combination of Ichigo holding back for the sake of sparing and Lieutenant Kuna getting carried away as she usually does when sparing with a strong partner. He had learned that the hard way. “Well, Ichigo, I have a question?”

“Yeah?” Ichigo looked over at the lieutenant. 

“Would you mind if I interviewed you for an issue of Seireitei Magazine? I’m trying to write a couple of articles I think you would be able to contribute to,” Hisagi didn’t want to waste the opportunity to ask, even if Ichigo said no, at least he got that far.

“Sure, do you have the questions on you right now?” Hisagi was surprised at that. It usually took a few days, maybe even a week to get an interview with a noble, and here was Ichigo asking if he was ready to go right now.

“Hold on, I’ll get them,” Hisagi flash stepped to his shared office with Captain Magamura and his fellow lieutenant. 

As Hisagi opened the door he noticed Mashiro being her usual self, and Captain Muguruma was at his desk doing paperwork.

“So, finally got that interview with Ichigo?” Kensei looked at his co-lieutenant with a grin. He had been trying to get one for a while. 

“Yeah, just here to get my notes and recorder,” Hisagi walked over to his desk and opened the top drawer, taking a notepad and a small voice recorder.

“Good luck, Ichigo is a blunt individual,” Kensei knew Ichigo was going to say things that may not be entirely popular with the rest of Soul Society, but he knew that Soul Society needed a shock to its system. It needs to change.

Ichigo and Hisagi had walked to the Shiba manor. He had thrown out a few sounding questions, a little bit of his life story, things that while he may not be quoted saying would help the readers understand exactly who Ichigo was. 

This was when they caught Tokinada Tsunayashiro walking out from his meeting with Kukaku. What perplexed him was the kid following him. His reiatsu was weird. It felt like some sort of patch job, like someone took soul pieces from a bin of spare parts and threw them all together. At the same time however, it was clear this kid was strong, very strong. 

“Ah, Ichigo Shiba, it is good to finally meet the hero who killed Yhwach,” Tokinada spoke to Ichigo with a saccharine tone and an unreadable expression. He seemed to just be leaving, making Ichigo sure that going with Rukia to that ice cream place was a good idea, even if the only thing she got were Chappy popsicles. 

“You must be Lord Tsunayashiro,” Ichigo bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment. He feigned respect if only to not draw ire. His attention however was on the small child next to him. His soul itself seemed to be patchwork, but now Ichigo was trying to see if he could sense the individual parts, and he was having some success. He could sense bits of shinigami, and even a bit of what felt like fullbringers, however, what really got his attention what the oh-so-familiar tinge of quincy reiatsu. Whatever they were, someone wanted the abilities of a quincy in the mix. Ichigo then moved to look at the person of interest, a small dark-skinned child of indeterminate gender. “And who might you be?”

“My name is Hikone Ubuginu, retainer and bodyguard to Lord Tsunayashiro,” Hikone spoke with a chipper tone. Their body language conveyed a sense of energy and youth that implied that they were both mentally and physically immature. Ichigo couldn’t help but be unsettled by the child. It was clear they were powerful, likely even strong enough to take on a captain. 

“Well, it was nice to meet you, but Hisagi and I have some business to attend to,” Ichigo wanted out now. There was something in the air that made him feel uneasy, but he couldn't sense what. 

“Well, I guess this is farewell for now then. Come Hikone, we have other matters to attend to,” with that Hikone moved to follow their master with a bounce in their step, something that contrasted greatly with Tokinada’s own measured pace. 

Ichigo however found himself staring at the zanpakuto on the back of the retainer. He could now tell what that feeling was. Whatever was the case with that zanpakuto, something was simply wrong about it. 

“You feel something off about that kid Hisagi?” Ichigo asked the lieutenant, but his eyes were fixed on the double-edged straight sword on the kid’s back as he walked away.

“Yeah… it feels like he’s…” 

“Made of pieces parts?” Ichigo finished Hisagi’s sentence. That all but confirmed his suspicions, Hikone was an artificial soul.

Seinosuke Yamada was a scientist. He was a medical scientist, primarily focussed on the healing arts and how to better improve the methods by which casualties returned to the battlefield, but he was still a scientist, and to call oneself such in the Seireitei was to admit to being a monster. 

Right now he was under the patronage of Tokinada Tsunayashiro. It was a lucrative deal, it allowed him the resources to work on some of his pet projects, especially looking into how to replicate the regenerative abilities seen in hollows, even if only temporarily. 

Fortunately the thing he was commissioned to do was helpful in this regard. Tokinada wanted him to create an artificial soul from the fragments of shinigami, hollow, human, and quincy souls. 

He didn’t ask about where he got those from, nor why he needed them, especially since there was something odd about the human souls. The rules of patronage though were simple, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Especially if it is the mouth of someone who showed up with a brain in a jar that just happened to complete the project you were asked to work on. The former lieutenant of the fourth division knew which side his bread was buttered on.

Chapter Text

Kisuke was watching as Hiyori trained Karin. She had been progressing well, and Isshin was reporting that her reiatsu was now flowing out of her wrists. Her soul sleep had awakened. 

The creation of a substitute shinigami had such a high mortality rate because it was rare for a human to possess the resilience needed to withstand their soul sleep waking up so violently. Because of this Urahara sought a more gradual means of awakening one’s soul sleep, a method that had worked with Karin. 

Urahara sighed as he contemplated his next action. While Karin was much stronger than she was before she started training, she could only do so much with just her soul sleep. Today was the day, the point of no return. 

Urahara stood up, hefting the bundle of asauchi Rukia had delivered two weeks ago. He wanted to test something, to make sure he didn’t have to do what he feared he must. He would hate having to explain her death to Isshin, the man had lost enough people close to him already.

“Well well, Karin you’ve done well.” Urahara walked forward, interrupting Hiyori’s training. “But I fear you’ve gotten as far as you can go and still be able to turn back,” His face darkened under the shadow cast by his hat, and his tone became grave.

“Urahara, are you sure you want to try this now?” Hiyori had been briefed on the plan. While she was initially annoyed at his interruption, the bundle of asauchi on his back changed it to worry instead.

“It’s the only way forward for her,” he then looked at Karin, the mask of the humble shopkeep was gone. In its place was the true Kisuke, the resolute man able to become captain of the twelfth, and the once warden of the maggot's nest. “So I ask you this once and once only, why are you doing this,” Karin had told him why when he confirmed her interest, but he wanted to know, to know if she had the resolve needed to go this far.

“I can’t stand sitting on the sidelines when I can do something. If Ichigo is going to be forced to leave, someone has to take his place. Someone has to protect the city, the people, the souls,” she remembered some of the stories Ichigo told her of his early days as a substitute, about Fishbone D, about Shrieker, about Grand Fisher. Karakura was a magnet for spiritual activity, and one shinigami wasn’t enough.

Urahara nodded, she had the resolve, the heart . Isshin raised them well.

“And you don’t have to be that shinigami. There is no going back after today, you can only move forward from here. For your sake, for sake of those you love, and for the sake of those who you will be asked to protect, if you feel any hesitation, I ask that you return to your body now, and never return,” She could not afford to hesitate in the world she was about to enter. Hesitation meant someone died. It could be her, it could be someone she was trying to protect or even both. 

Karin let a smirk form on her face. One reminiscent of Ichigo’s when he asked him the same question. 

“Dad and Ichigo were pretty clear about that. I know what I’m getting into. So what do we do now?” there was no hesitation. She felt like she could finally do something. Ever since her mother’s death, she had been consumed by this feeling of uselessness. Then there were the hollow attacks. Fishbone, Grand Fisher, the poor boy that was being chased by Shrieker. She couldn’t do anything then, and often was a liability or even taken hostage. Now though, now she can do something.

Urahara gently lay the bundle on the ground. He then slowly untied the knot on the ropes that held the swords together. Then, carefully, he unrolled the bundle, revealing an assortment of Identical, featureless, katanas. Each with a plain brown saya, and a blank tsuba in the shape of an oval.

“Do you sense any that draw your attention?” Urahara hoped that she did. That he didn’t need to kill her to allow her to pick up a blade. 

“No,” Karin shook her head. She didn’t sense anything from the featureless blades. In fact, it almost felt as if they didn’t want her like she was missing something.

“I guess that was wishful thinking,” With that Urahara drew Benihime, and with a single swift slash, cut Karin’s chain of fate. 

In that singular moment, everything faded away. Urahara, Hiyori, the training ground, everything faded from her focus. Except for a row of featureless figures standing before her. When she examined them she could only notice that their eyes weren’t eyes.  

The figures looked her over as if they only just noticed her. She could feel as each one peered into the depths of her soul. One by one each of the figures snarled at her. All except one.

In the middle of the line of figures, one reached out its hand, and she felt drawn to it. So she walked to it, paying no mind to the other blades as they gnashed teeth and growled. When she grabbed the hand of the figure reality suddenly came back into focus, but she now had a katana resting reverently in her hands.

“What… happened?” Karin couldn’t explain what happened. It almost felt like a dream, but also more.

“You were chosen,” Urahara took a big risk in that moment. If they had all rejected her he would have had to make a very embarrassing call to Orihime. 

Urahara noticed though that Karin’s chain of fate had vanished. The asauchi must have caused her soul to finish the process of transforming into a shinigami, preventing the need to use the shattered shaft. 

“What happened to…” Karin had just remembered that Urahara had just killed her by many definitions.

“I confirmed a suspicion of mine. Only the dead can become shinigami,” Urahara sheathed his blade as he turned to face Karin. “Your soul chain is being used by your soul sleep to supercharge your reiatsu, a critical process in the anatomy of a shinigami,” Urahara left out that that process is also what causes a soul to become hungry while in Soul Society, as the chain needs to be replenished as it is consumed. Fortunately, Isshin was already buying foods rich in reishi, so that wouldn’t be a concern. 

“So I’m dead,” Karin wasn’t surprised, “So now what?”

“Hiyori, Is she good to continue?” Urahara looked to his former lieutenant. 

“Yeah, and kid, don’t worry,” Hiyori looked over at Karin. “We’re not yet at the point for training with real steel yet.”

Isshin was waiting for Karin to come home from Urahara's. It was another one of those days where Hiyori would make sure the lessons she taught Karin stuck. It was a once-a-week occurrence, and he was dreading it. He had bitched out Urahara about it once, but he had reminded him that the academy's own zanjutsu training wasn’t the best when it came to practical exercises and that it is often the higher seated officers who have to pick up the slack. Isshin was proof of that, he coasted through the academy on his name and talent. Because of that inadequacy, there were often unneeded casualties, especially among patroling shinigami. He hated that. He hated that the way to give Karin the best chance of survival was to allow Hiyori to beat the crap out of her every week.

When Karin came through the door he noticed the change in her reiatsu. There was a new, ever so subtle addition to it, one that seemed to compliment her own. She had gotten her zanpakuto. It was a weak presence, like a faint flickering flame, but it was there. She had committed to this course of action.

Isshin sighed. He never wanted this for any of their kids. He wanted them to live out their lives in peace, away from all of this. Masaki was the first to mention that it was wishful thinking. To mention that they would be dragged into this eventually. She was ultimately right. Uryu had confirmed that Yhwach had wanted to capture Ichigo and turn him to his side. There was no escaping their lineage.  

"Hey dad, has Yuzu started dinner yet?" Karin walked in and looked at her father with an exhausted expression. She had been through the wringer again, and it hurt something fierce. Each failure to defend herself was a sore spot on her body. She just wanted to eat, take a hot shower, and sleep. 

“Yes, and it's your favorite," Isshin responded in his usual over-dramatic fashion, though it wasn't enough to provoke Karin in her current state. 

"Alright," that usually meant Yuzu broke out mom's old cookbook. She didn't really have a favorite meal, but if she did, it would be from that book. 

The recipes were a mix of Japanese and European origin, probably quincy stuff now that she thought about it. She'd have to ask Uryu if he had similar recipes or if it was their mother just being a great cook. 

When she sat down she almost melted into her chair. To have the weight taken off of her legs was helpful. Fortunately, preseason camps for soccer weren't until the end of summer break, and that's when Hiyori planned on backing off on the intensity of training. There was also the added benefit that while the sensations of spiritual exhaustion carry over, physical exhaustion doesn't carry over at all. Of course, it's going to feel like she did double reps on the more physical days, but that was predicted to taper off as she became more able to tap into her reiyoku. 

"Karin, are you okay?" She wanted to tell Yuzu the truth, she wanted to so badly, but she couldn't. 

"Yeah, it was delivery day," that wasn't wrong per se . Urahara had gotten restocked on the supplies sold to patrolling shinigami. Well, sold wasn't exactly the right word. The shinigami would pick up the supplies and he'd charge their division, though he did have commodities that he sold that would have to come out of the shinigami's pocket as well as legitimate goods sold to humans. All of that came in on the same day. Stock day was a nightmare, but she was training when that happened today. 

"Ah," Yuzu bought the lie. She had helped Soul Society with her and her father in the past, but none of them save their father knew what they were actually doing or why. Karin knew now that they were preventing the discovery of the anchors that the twelfth made to swap Karakura with an exact replica in Soul Society.

Dinner was surprisingly quiet. No Ichigo or Rukia meant no bickering or 'future daughter-in-law' theatrics nor any ambushes so far. She didn't know how long that was going to last until she was the one being ambushed. 

When Ichigo had heard she was getting his room after he left he had made a point to tell her about their father's favorite ambush tactics and how to counter them. There were far too many utterances of 'if you're fast enough' to make her feel comfortable about thwarting her father's wake-up calls if he does start ambushing her. 

She had finished her dinner rather quickly as her father and Yuzu were chatting a decent amount. So she excused herself to go get ready to turn in. 

Her first stop was going into her room and putting her bag down. It had most of her stuff in it since someone thought it would be funny for girl's and women's clothing to have shitty pockets. Her modified phone, courtesy of Urahara, some useful odds and ends, some spare clothing, and her brother's substitute badge. 

Ichigo had instructed her on how to use it, and how it could remove her soul from her body. As she put away most of the stuff from her bag she left the badge out on the bed before getting her bed clothes out for her to change into. She then grabbed a towel and then went into the bathroom. 

The sound of water very quickly filled the room as she quickly got ready to clean herself and get rid of what little physical soreness there was in her physical body. 

Isshin was waiting down in the clinic, his specialty gigai was up in the master bedroom in bed. He was expecting Karin to do much the same. This was something he recommended to her after her first day of training with Urahara's former lieutenant. Hiyori was a legendarily hard-assed lieutenant. Of her many legendary ideas, and as far as he could tell the only one that caught on, was 'smoke the rookies day.' So to know that she was training one of his daughters, well, it just made him want to look over Karin’s spirit body and help her recover, after all, he may have flaked through most of his lectures, but kaido was something that had always had his attention. 

When Karin came down the stairs his suspicions were correct. She showed up in her bed clothes but entirely lacked a soul chain, and her zanpakuto, a relatively plain katana in a dark blue saya, was on her hip. He had been told by Urahara that this may happen if she was allowed to bond with a zanpakuto. Her spiritual pressure was weak compared to his or Urahara’s, but for the intent of the project, she is capable to do the lighter work of a shinigami in the world of the living once she was ready.

“How bad is it dad?” Karin had always used dry humor, especially after Masaki’s death. She and Ichigo were always more fond of her than their father, no surprise her death caused them to completely change their outlook and personalities. Karin laid down on one of the small beds they have in the attached clinic, and he started looking over her.

“Nothing serious, just minor bruising and muscle soreness. Here,” he started using kaido on the bruising areas, accelerating the healing process and helping relieve the soreness in those areas. Karin watched as her father hovered his hands over the sore spots as they glowed with a soft green. 

“How does that work?” Karin was interested in kaido. The ability to heal using magic was something she was familiar with from stories shows and games, but to actually see it, even if it was just the effect of giving her a painkiller was interesting. 

“That would take a while to explain and require you to finish learning kido theory. It’s not as straightforward as you’d initially think,” the glow around his hands changed into a soft blue as moved his hands around her as if he was scanning for anything else. “You’re good, now go to sleep, I’ll guide you on how to meditate with your zanpakuto tomorrow.”

Karin nodded as she got back up. Tomorrow was a rest day, she would be allowed 2 days of rest after every ‘stress test’ Hiyori put her under, so that would be a good time to learn that part. While her father alleviated the pain from the day, it didn’t get rid of the exhaustion. 

“Night, and please don’t do anything stupid,” Karin looked at her father before heading back up to her room. She hoped tomorrow wouldn’t start the shenanigans. She failed to see the grin on her father’s face that did confirm that no, he would start them tomorrow, after all, he had to make up for lost time.

Chapter Text

Kukaku sighed as she looked over the plans for the coming week's celebration. One of Byakuya's suggestions again. She'd hate how much she was listening to him if it weren't for the fact that he was right most of the time. 

The point of the celebration was to celebrate the reinstatement of the Shiba clan. The invitation list was pretty much a who's who of the Seireitei. There were captains, lieutenants, nobles of varying pedigree, and family. Isshin had told Kukaku that Karin would be able to come to Soul Society that day, which made sense since she had chosen a day that Ichigo's friends could visit. 

She sighed. This would be the first time three of Ichigo's friends have ever seen Soul Society, let alone the Seireitei, and they'd be in the same courtyard as some of the most important people in it. Fortunately, Kukaku was not a fan of purely formal affairs, the Kuchiki's did that better anyway. She wanted to remind everyone how the Shibas did a celebration, food, alcohol, and fireworks. 

There were also going to be some interesting guest interactions. Uryu had declined, citing lingering political tensions between quincy and shinigami, and he had a point. Isshin had recommended inviting Rangiku, Kukaku had initially tried to get her brother to rethink inviting a person who had every reason to deck him, but he had cut her off, so she just decided to sit back and watch on that one. Rukia and Byakuya were givens as they were Kuchiki and knew Ichigo. Rukia had even offered to help organize the event, an offer Kukaku took up because she had no idea where to start when the planning phase began. 

Now she had a list of people in front of her. Many were individuals she barely knew. She never really interacted with the Yayahara clan that much, they were a watchdog family like the Tsunayashiro, but instead of watching the living world, they monitored hell, or tried to . Hell being hell meant it was a pain in the ass to actually look at, and expeditions were expressly forbidden due to the risk of losing people down there permanently. So they just looked at a bunch of screens making sure the lines stayed where they should. Not inviting them would be rude so she had little choice. Tokinada on the other hand, he had given her every reason to snub him. When he had visited proposing a political alliance, he had done just about everything to get kicked out. She wasn't a fan of getting cozy with someone who had killed a Shiba in the past, but she had mistakenly given him a chance to make his case. It had become quickly apparent why he supported reinstating the Shibas, power. 

The documents which codify the order of Soul Society in the current era say that Central 46 can only be overruled by decree of the Soul King. What that actually meant was that all five clans had to vote unanimously to tell the old coots to go fuck themselves. However, since the Shibas were disinherited, the conditions of the original legal framework couldn't be reached. It's why the 46 came down on the Shibas like a ton of bricks after her brother ran off with Masaki. 

In current events however, the arguments brought forward to the 46 for reinstatement were more or less unchallengeable. Ichigo wiped clean the family name, and as the single strongest Shinigami since at least Yoruichi, pretty much made it impossible to say no. 

So yeah. A lot of people were coming to a semi-formal event where there was going to be beer, sake, food, and fireworks. Honestly, it sounded like fun so far. She just hoped that Ganju and Isshin wouldn't embarrass the family, but then there were matters of some rumors surrounding Ichigo and Rukia. Kukaku grinned at the thought. 

Yuyu Yayahara was not a happy girl. She was a first daughter in a branch of a noble clan. In the eyes of her clan, she was political capital, not a person, and so she was treated as such. She was raised to be a submissive wallflower. Look pretty, be silent unless spoken to, and respect the men of the family. 

She played along but she hated it. She hated it so much that she joined the Shino Academy against her family's wishes. Then she joined the eighth division, then under now Head Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, and now under his former lieutenant Lisa Yadomaru. Her father was livid. It was well known that the Gotei 13 would not deny a shinigami candidate once they had shown potential, especially a member of one of the great houses, no matter the political situation surrounding them. They simply couldn't afford to be picky when it was hard to get good shinigami, especially now as they were still recovering from the war with the quincies.

Her path to the eighth was not direct. She had first joined the sixth under Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. Her idea being that her father couldn't conceivably pressure him into doing anything. While she was right, the sixth was too regimented, too structured, and thus reminded her of her home too much. She had brought these concerns to her former captain directly, and ironically he was the one to recommend the transfer to the eighth. 

So when the letter from her father wasn't an idiotic plea for her to retire or a demand that she marry some well-to-do nobody asshole, she was surprised. It was even more surprising when it had stated that their family, including her, were to be part of the Yayahara delegation to the celebration being thrown by the recently reinstated Shiba clan. 

She would have declined out of hand if it weren't for one thing. The heir of said clan was Ichigo Shiba, formerly Kurosaki. The man who had looked at the sentence given to the one who gave him his powers said fuck that, invaded Soul Society, breached the sekiseki barrier with a reiatsu cannonball, beat Kenpachi Zaraki, achieved bankai in two days , and then blocked the Sogyoku . The single greatest rebel against the status quo in the history of Soul Society. 

Yeah. She was going. She began writing her response. She was still using the noble calligraphy she had been taught, not for decorum or respect for her family, but simply because that was just how she wrote. She hated that but it was drilled into her, and right now she really didn't care. 

Once she had finished writing her response she waited for the ink to dry and got an envelope before looking in the mirror. Her straight black hair in a long hime cut framed her pale face as it should have. She hated that she looked like the perfect noblewoman her father tried to make her, but that was the Kuchiki genes expressing themselves. Her mother was a distant cousin to Byakuya, an outer branch of the family. She could tell her mother grated under her father's iron fist, but like the good Kuchiki she was raised to be, she kept her displeasure off of her face, and only said anything once the order of the house couldn't be disturbed, and then only vented to her daughter. She loved her mother, she was the only reason she played along as long as she did. When she told her family she had been accepted into the academy, while her father was livid, her mother was proud and gave her a small, imperceptible smile. 

And so for the sake of her mother, and to meet her hero, she would go. 

Byakuya Kuchiki was both pleased and annoyed. Since his sister began training Ichigo rumors had started surrounding the two. While this did lower the amount of paper he fed to Senbonzakura every week, to both his and his zanpakuto's relief, it also caused the elders to have a conniption, and whenever they had a conniption they were doom driven to make it his problem, especially if it involved his sister. In their mind the fact that she hadn't been married off yet was an insult, and whenever marriage popped up someone would inevitably ask why hasn't he remarried yet, and then the meeting just went to shit. 

This had been exacerbated further by rumors surrounding Rukia and Ichigo popping up again. When he had first confronted the boy about the matter before his departure to the living world, he had said that they weren’t courting. He noted Ichigo’s choice of words there. He didn’t deny any feelings of attraction, only that he hadn’t acted on them if they were there. Two years ago? He would have seen Ichigo as wholly unworthy of Rukia in every way. Now, however, he found himself putting Ichigo's name on his incredibly short ‘ maybe’ list. 

That maybe was very conditional maybe though. First and foremost, Ichigo would have to either decide to stay in Soul Society or be barred from returning to the living world on a long-term basis by Central 46. Most expected him to simply ignore them after such a ruling, but Byakuya knew better. He had crossed blades with the boy’s bankai , his very reason for gaining such power wouldn’t stand for putting people at risk unnecessarily. If they said he had to stay for the safety of those in the living world, he would comply, if begrudgingly. Only if those events transpired would he consider the possibility of marriage, and only if Rukia reciprocated the feelings that Ichigo so clearly harbored. 

Then it came back to his sister. She had been overworking herself prior to their little prank war making it into a captain's meeting. It was fitting revenge, though he partially hoped that Rukia was suitably distracted with training Ichigo to come up with a suitable reprisal. He may have been better at resisting her pranks, but his sister had always been the more clever sibling, and him keeping her in the unseated rank for so long was beginning to lightly bite him in the ass. He simply hoped that she didn't pull anything at the celebration, as due to it being a Shiba event, it was Shiba rules of decorum, meaning Shiba pranks were on the table. 

Oh no… Shiba… Isshin Shiba …

Ichigo was in the foyer checking in on the entrance display Rukia had insisted on making for the event. The arrangements so far had proven to be something else. Rukia had an eye for them, probably something she picked up in her time with the Kuchiki. The arrangements for the Shihoin, Kuchiki, and Yayahara delegations were already done. They were quite understated, and while Ichigo didn’t pretend to know what they individually meant, he was sure Rukia had done everything with the utmost attention to detail. It was beautiful. The division arrangements were also impressive. Though Ichigo glossed over them for the most part. 

That was until he saw Rukia working on what was supposed to be the arrangement for her division. She was slowly putting in a combination of what he recognized as the division’s flower, the snowdrop, and another flower he couldn't quite name off the top of his head. Though the arrangement was different, it was similar to the fourth’s. Then it dawned on Ichigo, this was an arrangement done in memory of Ukitake. 

“Hey,” he announced his presence. He kept his space and maintained a quiet tone. 

“It’s fine,” Rukia deflected what she thought was an offer of aid. Ichigo was considering offering to help finish, but he was more concerned that it looked like she was about to break down. 

“I’m more worried about you,” Ichigo could tell Ukitake meant a lot to her. He was the kind to care for his own men like a father would, and while she had Byakuya as a steadfast part of her life, Ukitake had predictably become a father-like figure for her, especially after she became lieutenant. The news of his death had hurt everyone who knew him, especially those under his command. 

"I… I can do this," Grief wasn't a new feeling for Rukia. She knew of her own mortality long before she even considered being a part of what facilitates the cycle of transmigration. She had lost close friends before she and Renji even knew why they were going hungry, but Ukitake was different. 

Many captains, her brother included, demanded respect due to their rank as a captain, and the duty of their subordinates to the Seireitei. They still led, they still charged forward, but Ukitake, he would go out of his way to earn your respect. He would give you an ear on a bad day, and do your work so you could get that much-needed rest. He was a different type of leader. 

"Let me help," Ichigo put a hand on her shoulder. He rarely interacted with Ukitake, but his first memory of the late captain was when he visited him in the fourth and thanked him for rescuing his subordinate. That one moment had told Ichigo everything he ever needed to know about him. 

"Alright," Rukia slowly guided Ichigo through the process. Each flower was placed with the utmost care. Before the hour was up they were done. It was then that Rukia finally let the dam burst. A full year of suppressed grief came out as quiet sobs. Ichigo simply found a place to sit down and let her cry into him, not caring if she stained his clothing. 

“You know this won’t help the rumors right?” Ichigo looked over at the shorter woman with a light smirk.

“Shut up.” Rukia spoke quietly. But they both knew that there was an entirely different meaning to the exchange.

Chapter Text

It was just before dawn and Uryu was standing in the warehouse that once belonged to the visoreds. He was currently supposed to be in charge of what was left of the Wandenrich, and that meant that he was a major target for anyone who knew. Fortunately for him, the fanatics were put in Olpie's Jadgarmees, and thus were fighting against Halibel's forces in Hueco Mundo. He was meeting today with one of the few Quincy who actually followed him. 

"So, we're still meeting in this old dump?" Candice Catnip was his main liaison with the bambis, who formed the bulk of the strategic capability of his little cut of the now-divided Wadenreich. With Yhwach now the Soul King, the Wandenreich fractured along preset lines, those most fanatical to the former king, and unaware of his current status, were trying to continue the fight, then there were those who simply wanted the power of the king of the Wandenreich for themselves. Uryu wanted peace, and not a peace that was a pretense to war later, he wanted true peace between Soul Society and the quincy. 

"My home is not exactly a secure place for us to meet about this," While his father may be sympathetic to any seeking to leave their former king behind, it was still in the single most heavily monitored part of the world by Soul Society, and if he was going to do what Chad relayed Kyoraku wanted them to do, he had to give his orders out of sight of the Visuals Department. 

“Yeah, I figured those assholes would be looking at you with a microscope,” Candice rubbed the back of her head. She as well as the other bambis basically owed Uryu their lives, literally in Bambietta’s case.

That was when their guest arrived. A member of the Onmitsukido executive militia. She was a smaller woman, shorter than both Uryu and Candice. Her zanpakuto had yellow highlights and was kept on her back by a yellow obi, this likely marked her as the squad leader for this mission. 

"I assume our mutual contact informed you of the situation?" The woman spoke with a voice that commanded authority but was completely sanitized of any accent or verbal tics. Combined with her fully obscured face save for a pair of steel gray eyes that conveyed likely centuries of experience, it made it impossible to identify her. 

"Yes, we are aware of the situation," Uryu didn't dare say what that was in case they were tailed. This was a sensitive operation and he didn't want to see firsthand how the executive militia handled loose ends. 

"Good, do you have the preliminary reconnaissance done?" The ninja looked over at Candice. It was clear she didn't like working with quincy, but was too pragmatic to refuse help from them in this regard. 

"Yeah, it was hard to find, it's at site bravo," The former sternritter was referring to the site of the Xcution base. Site bravo was a place not too far from the original Xcution base, but far enough to not be obvious. 

"Understood," the ninja mulled over this in her mind. Site bravo was not one they wanted to have to plan for. It was in a closely packed financial district, meaning that the distracting force would have to be rethought. "Suboptimal, but doable, I assume that you have restructured your vanguard?" 

"Yes," Uryu pushed up his glasses. "The need for more precise fighting ability means I have reassigned assets Echo and Papa. Instead myself, Tango, Golf, and Sigma will be in the vanguard," he refused to give over the names of his allies out of due diligence. He was speaking to someone trained to kill at a moment's notice, informing them that Bambietta was alive was not a good move.

"I expect you to be in position at the agreed upon time," with that the ninja shunpoed away faster than either quincy could follow with their eyes. 

"I feel like I stared a terminator in the eyes," Candice did not like their current allies. She had read the brief on Soul Society's Stealth Corps before the invasion when the Wandenreich was still a singular entity. 

"You very well may have," Uryu knew them by reputation and knew that their current head, Sui-Feng, was a hot-headed, but calculating commander. The Executive Militia, however, there was nothing on them save urban myth. Whatever they did outside of protecting the commander of the Onmitsukido, Soul Society didn’t want people to know.  

Karin was just waking up. Her mind was still stuck in that early morning fog that caught the mind. Or at least she was until she heard stampeding footsteps heading for her room.

“GOOOOOOD MORNING KARIN!” her father burst through the door. Ichigo had warned her of this and so she quickly jumped out of bed, grabbed her father by the head, and slammed him into the floor. 

"Why in the actual fuck do you think this is a good way to wake someone up!" Karin was livid. Her father had actually started doing this shit to her. 

"Good, your reactions were sharper today, given enough time and I think you'll be able to match Ichigo's reflexes," that meant he'd continue doing it. And she wanted to sleep in today. 

"Cool, get out of my room," Karin threw her father out of the room before slamming and locking the door before getting changed. As she took off her pajamas she was reminded about the most annoying part of her age and liniage. 

She was growing out. She had already had her first period, which honestly wasn't as bad as she feared, but if her rate of growth was anything to go by, she was getting it with both barrels genetically. She could tell as she adjusted her bra for comfort and she basically hit the max of what she could adjust.

"Great, I'm going to need to get new bras again," she put on her shirt and a pair of gym shorts and started downstairs. 

Yuzu had made breakfast already and her father was already stuffing his face. Yuzu however continued to cook, making lunch and dinner for that day. The reason was that she and her father were going to be making an extended trip to Soul Society. There were multiple reasons for this. First was that there was a celebration of the clan's reinstatement in a few days. The cover was that Isshin was going to a medical conference in the northern part of the main Island. So she was making lunch and dinner so that they didn't need to worry about eating on the train ride they were supposedly taking. She hated that she was lying to her sister like this, but if anyone deserved a normal life in this train wreck that was her family, it was her sister. So she played along. 

When they were done eating, she and her dad got their bags, grabbed the food Yuzu made for them, and left for the Urahara shop. 

"Are you sure she's safe on her own?" Karin was worried. Hollows didn't mess with the clinic anymore because the reiatsu around the area felt more like predator than prey, but Yuzu wasn't that strong. She was strong enough to be an attractive target for a hollow, and that's it. 

"I called in a favor. She'll be safe," Isshin did not screw around when it came to the safety of his children. He had arranged for Urahara to send someone to help Yuzu look after the house and possibly fend off any hollows that got any ideas. 

"If you say so…" Karin continued to walk. She just couldn't shake the feeling something was going to happen while they were gone. 

Tatsuki was at the Urahara Shop with Orihime, Keigo, and Mizurio, waiting for the others who were going to go to Soul Society with them. Uryu said he had other obligations, which frankly sounded like bullshit, but she didn't press the issue. 

They all had enough stuff packed for a week-long trip, though she suspected that clothing would be provided as Soul Society was more like feudal Japan than the Japan she grew up with. 

That was when she heard people show up in the underground training area that she could swear violated every building code she could think of. 

"I don't know if taking mortals through the Dangai is a good idea," the first voice sounded like that of a meek man, probably no older than her.

"Ryunoske, they can all see spirits, and two of them were part of the ryoka that rescued Lieutenant Kuchiki." the other voice was familiar, Shino if she remembered correctly. "Not to mention that Lady Shiba probably already got hell butterflies for them. So your point is dumb anyway."

As the two shinigami approached it was clear they weren't in gigais as they were in the black uniforms that were a signature of the shinigami. 

"Hey Tatsuki, I'm assuming the new guy is Keigo?" Shino pointed at Keigo as she asked. It was clear that they were going to be guiding them through the Dangai for their visit. 

"Yeah. Did you see Karin and Isshin on your way here?" Tatsuki and everyone else were waiting on them so Urahara could do the reishi conversion ritual and get them all ready to go. 

"Yeah, they should be here soon," Shino had heard that Karin had gotten her asauchi already. It wasn't surprising as that didn't really require much special training, just having enough power to have the sword accept you as its master. 

The sound of footsteps were heard as Isshin and Karin had finally arrived and put their bags in the area for conversion. 

"Hey Karin, looks like you didn't wake up well," Shino teased Karin as she looked to have the enthusiasm of a bear. 

"Blame him," she pointed her finger back at her father, who had just popped a soul candy into his mouth, causing his gigai to fall away, revealing his soul form, including the captain's haroi wrapped around his right shoulder. 

Ryunoske was sputtering. He was not fully briefed on who the patriarch of the Kurosaki family was. Both he and Shino had become Shinigami after Hitsugaya had become captain.

"Yeah, my dad was a captain, yay me," with that sarcastic remark Karin slammed the substitute badge into her chest, causing her body to fall over limp. While her father had his shihakusho, Karin was still wearing an echo of what she was wearing before, but instead with her zanpakuto under her left arm with a strap going over her right shoulder. 

The artificial soul now in her father's body simply picked up her body and walked over to the area where they entered, probably to go to cold storage. 

"So, that explains how you and your brother are so strong," Shino remarked. Karin wanted to mention that it came from both sides before she remembered that mentioning she was a quincy was a bad idea. 

"Yeah, kind of removes your chance at having a normal life," Karin was not really too fussed about it. Being able to see spirits meant she was likely to become a shinigami anyway, in this life or the next, she just figured it was best to get it over with. 

"You could have said no," Ryunoske was from the inner Rukon, and grew up on stories of shinigami, failing to realize how scary the job actually could be. Nobody told him he'd be at war with the quincy within a decade of graduation.

"And leave you with no backup? You'd probably die from a stiff breeze," Ryunoske just had a terrifying realization as his head darted between Shino and Karin. 

"Oh no there's two of you,"

Ichigo was sitting outside the Shiba family Senkaimon which he and his father now had access to. The gate had been locked pretty much since his father met his mother, and was just now finally cleared for use. 

His father along with Shino and Ryunoske were guiding his friends through the dangai, though Uryu wouldn't be coming as he had 'pressing issues.' Most likely some other Wandenreich splinter giving him some trouble, or Xcution, so it would just be Orihime and Chad that would be coming from the original group that came with him to Soul Society four years ago. 

Four years. Four years since he met Rukia, four years since that fateful night, four years since storming an unknown enemy to save a friend who had resigned herself to her fate. Four years since Aizen was defeated. Four years since the start of the darkest year and a half of his life started. 

Ichigo sighed. He thought for the whole of that year that he could simply put down Zangetsu whenever he wanted. Hang up his shihakusho and go back to a somewhat normal life. Those 17 months shot that down hard . Not being able to do anything, not being able to protect his friends, not being able to see Rukia. It all hurt so badly that when Ginjo attempted to play him he fell for it hook line and sinker. 

"You're moping again," Ginjo spoke out as he leaned on one of the pillars in the room with the senkaimon. 

"Shut up," Ichigo had a rocky relationship with the now head of family security. Kukaku had explained how she had protected the three dead Xcution members from Miyuri and gave them shelter in the family, and while he was willing to give Ginjo that chance, he still didn't like him one bit. 

"Look kid, I get it. Those seventeen months were hell. I've been there, and I'm not going to spoil the good favor I've earned with your aunt," He had several reasons for doing that. First was that she was the only one standing between him and a dissection table, and second, she scared the piss out of him. 

Ichigo forgot Ginjo was a substitute as well, and was probably consulted by Kyoraku or another member of the Gotei on the training his sister is now going through. 

"I still don't exactly trust you," Ichigo had been betrayed by him after all. 

"You don't have to. I'm in charge of protecting those who haven't developed their powers," Gingo had a point. He wasn't there to ensure his safety. Ichigo had that well enough in hand. He was meant to protect the slowly increasing number of branch Shiba and subordinate families that were trickling into the compound as the news permeated across the Rukon. 

The thing that grabbed Ichigo’s interest was that some soldats had applied for subordinate status. Apparently most of the lower echelon forces suffered low to minimal casualties before Yahwach made for the Soul Palace, and once he had abandoned the forces left in the Seireitei proper, most if not all of then surrendered when all of the Sternritter other than his personal guard were hit by auswahlen. 

This led to entire quincy families being in the holding camp, and their family heads probably saw the writing on the wall and hoped to preempt any attempt at execution by seeking the protection of the Shiba clan. The irony of the situation simply served to highlight how dire the situation could become for them. It was likely that many of these quincy may become shinigami if things went well, and that these abilities may permeate throughout the Seireitei's various families over time, but for now they were second class at best . 

It was then the senkaimon opened, ripping Ichigo from his thoughts. Especially as two familiar voices cried out. 

"ICHIGO!!!" Keigo and Isshin charged out of the senkaimon at full sprint. 

Ichigo instinctually used shunpo to get out of the path of the attempted tackle-hug by his father and friend, putting Ginjo in the path of two adults who had already lunged in their direction. 

“Oh shit,” Ginjo, Keigo, and Isshin crashed into a pile with the volume befitting the speed at which Isshin and Keigo flew out of the senkaimon at. 

“Of course you idiots had to do that,” both Karin and Tatsuki spoke in stereo as they walked out to collect Isshin and Keigo respectively.

Shunsui was at the memorial for those lost in the war against Yhwach. If there was one thing he hated about war above all other things, it was how it never gave you time to grieve the lost, and the head captain lost a lot. First his mentor, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the man who founded the Gotei 13, brought the roving armies of the Rukon to heel and turned them into a force for the protection of the Seireitei, the man who created the very infrastructure that the Seireitei now uses to build its forces, and his father in all but name. 

Then fresh off of the heels of his death, with bearly a moment to cry, he was given his mentor’s position and responsibilities and expected to do what the old man couldn’t. It was a surprise he held himself together in the face of all of that alone. 

Then he sacrificed one of the remaining pillars of the Gotei, Unohana, so that Zaraki could be at his strongest. The last of the original Gotei, the last of the captains with any experience fighting Yhawach’s forces. He still wasn’t sure if that was the right call, but he couldn’t afford to hesitate, not when the next day could have heralded the next invasion. 

Then Ukitake. His brother in all but blood. The man who helped him achieve shikai, and the one who had been by his side almost the entirety of their lives. His loss hurt more than the others. It was the result of a situation he couldn’t have accounted for. One that neither he nor Urahara foresaw, and he hated it. 

“I see the head captain is mourning the dead again,” an oh-so-familiar voice spoke from the side of Shunsui’s blind spot. 

“What do you want Tokinada?” he didn’t dare speak his title, that would only validate him.

“I am simply checking up on a former classmate and peer of mine, and also to mourn a friend,” Tokinada spoke calmly, though there was a light, unsettling sweetness to the tone as he spoke. 

“Whatever mask you tricked Jushiro with never fooled me. You’re here to rub in that he never figured you out,” Kyoraku was in a lose-lose situation. Tokinada knew Shunsui was in an emotionally vulnerable moment, it was why he was alone. But to leave would confirm to Tokinada that he had gotten under his skin. 

“Jushiro was the kind of naive soul who sees the best in people, even when they are reprehensible monsters. He probably saw the kid who picked the wings off flies as a project, someone to save from their inevitable fall to darkness,” Tokinada chuckled darkly. “The fool never understood that some people want to be evil.”

“Why are you here?” Kyoraku turned to look at Tokinada.

“First, to remind you of your friend’s greatest failure,” his hand raised to point at Ukitake’s body laying in state, “And to remind you that you are watched,” then Tokinada left. Leaving the head captain in peace as his steps echoed further and further away.

Chapter Text

To say Soul Society was something else would be an understatement. It was as though Tatsuki walked through a time machine back into feudal Japan, granted there were also massive differences, among them being the massive cannon in the main courtyard. Other than the Kakaku Taiho however, the Seireitei was a place that had unnerved her. The main reason was in the name. You dig around the meaning long enough and you come across 'stagnant water' and while she may not be religious, the association with death is there. It was clear that the Seireitei, at least until recently, had been exactly that, stagnant.

Now, however, it was clearly abuzz with workers clearing out damage and working to rebuild damaged structures. Whatever happened here was… Tatsuki didn’t want to think about it. Thankfully whoever caused the damage was focused primarily on the military districts, leaving the various noble and residential districts alone. That was clear enough based on the condition of the Shiba compound. It looked as though it had seen better days, but was otherwise in good condition. There were still workers and servants moving around the compound doing final renovations, moving furniture, repainting walls, and clearing out dust and debris from the more intensive renovations. 

Most of the work was in the main courtyard for the upcoming gathering. The whole reason why she, Keigo, and Mizurio were here. Thankfully while it seemed everything around the compound seemed to impose a cold and uncaring feeling, the Shiba manor felt alive. The warm colors, the servants moving to and fro, she felt as though if she were to go to the Kuchiki or Yayahara manors she’d find the deathly stillness continued in the halls. Of course, part of that liveliness came from the inhabitants. 

Tatsuki had woken up early in the morning, mainly a habit from her morning runs, but because of that, she finally witnessed how Isshin woke up Ichigo every morning as Isshin ran past her in a near-full sprint for the door at the end of the hallway.

“GOOOOOOOOOOD MOOOORNING-” when five strides away from the door Isshin jumped and turned sideways to drop-kick the door. The problem, however, was that in twenty years away from the manor, he had in part forgotten some of the floor plan. Like how the room he was charging into was Kaien's a long time ago, and Kaien had chosen that room for the exact same reason Ichigo had.

There was a large window perfectly in line with the door, and Ichigo had left it wide open. 

“ICHIGOOOOOAAHHHHHHH!” Isshin’s voice trailed off as he flew through. Afterwards, Ichigo walked out of the room through its now-destroyed panel door.  

“Hey,” Ichigo casually greeted her as though he didn’t just have someone just fly through their room yelling their name. 

"Is that normal?" Tatsuki had heard stories of his father's antics from Ichigo, but had thought he was exaggerating. 

"Yup," Ichigo nodded as he said this."Karin would use that in place of an alarm." Yuzu ran on a different clock since she made breakfast, and as he and Karin didn't really have any morning chores they only needed enough time to shower, get dressed, and eat breakfast. So his dad would wake him up exactly at the right time to do all of that and still have time to walk to school. 

Tatsuki shook her head at this. "You say this is normal for the clan?" Tatsuki found it hard to believe that this was one of the great houses of the afterlife, they were too… normal . Crazy yeah, but from what she saw of Kukaku, she was a down-to-earth, if short-tempered woman. 

"Unfortunately," Ichigo simply hoped that Ganju wouldn't be up to his usual fuckery.

"I can see how you fit right in," as much as Ichigo wouldn't admit it, he could fall into the same ridiculous mannerisms, though usually only if someone drew his ire. 

"Damnit not you too." Ichigo’s exasperation could be heard throughout the wing.

Ichigo was at a training field in the thirteenth. With Zangetsu sealed, Rukia figured it was safe to have him train in the open. So he was in one of the larger training fields of the thirteenth that Rukia had cleared out at the end of the day. Most of the shinigami of the thirteenth were either off-duty or performing other responsibilities to the division. 

After their first session beneath Sogyoku Hill, she had given him a bunch of reading on kido theory. She figured due to his grades in the living world he’d study them. She wasn’t wrong. When he wasn’t learning about what was expected of him now that he was a noble he was pouring over those books. 

The practical side of the homework had proven to be complicated however. The spinning whistle shattered on the first day, and Kukaku had told him to not try to create the ball of light on the estate grounds after he blew himself up for the third time. 

“You’re telling me that the simplest practical exercise, one specifically designed to not explode under any circumstances, not only did exactly that but did so spectacularly,” Rukia was stunned at that news. She expected it was bad, but she wasn’t expecting him to be worse than Renji!

“Yes,” Ichigo rubbed the back of his head. He found this somewhat embarrassing. 

“Wait, Ichigo blew himself up and I missed it!” Karin responded from the edge of the training ground. As Rukia was nominally in charge of the program Karin was a part of, she also wanted to assess Karin’s progress herself. 

“And how are you doing with your kido training?” Rukia turned to look at the younger of her two present charges. With that Karin held her hand out and tried to create a ball of light. 

The exercise was to have someone make a ball of spiritual energy the size of a marble. If one didn’t have the necessary control it was simply supposed to fizzle out or diffuse. Just like what happened to the one Karin made almost immediately after creating it, causing her to look at Rukia with a slightly embarrassed expression. 

“My point exactly,” Rukia then turned back to Ichigo. “Demonstrate to me what you were doing.” 

As Ichigo focussed on doing the exercise, Rukia prepared herself to possibly have to cast a barrier kido in case things did actually get explosive.

Ichigo took a slow breath. Focussing on his own reiatsu, then grabbed as small of a part of it as he could, less than even the recommended amount as he tried the previous times, and then tried to manifest it in his hand. Soon a blue haze surrounded his hand as the air around it became thick with his reiatsu. Then he as slowly and carefully as possible tried to compress it into shape. 

That was when Rukia noticed what was wrong, and she immediately responded. Casting a barrier in front of her. It wasn’t the best barrier she cast, and was likely overkill for the situation, but it’s one of the ones she could cast on short notice as time was not a luxury she had at the moment.

Suddenly a loud thoomp filled the air as the ball Ichigo was trying to make broke out of its confinement and filled the air with dust. Fortunately no rocks were thrown up and Rukia’s barrier was not necessary. 

Rukia was again stunned. The smallest amount of reiatsu Ichigo could manifest was the amount she would use to cast a high level hado like Soren Sokatsui! No wonder it blew up in his face. 

Karin meanwhile was stunned. Ichigo had exerted the minimum possible for him, and in doing so exerted more than she had ever felt. There was also something unsettling about her brother’s spiritual pressure. A savage and discordant note to it. Was that?

“Ichigo, what’s your Zanpakuto’s type?” Karin’s question surprised Rukia. It was rare for someone to be able to sense the zanpakuto within the wilder’s reiatsu this early into their training.

“Combat,” Ichigo said what was at best a half-truth. He wasn’t trying to lie, it was just too complicated and too sensitive to fully explain.

“And Rukia, yours is ice?” Rukia nodded. The fact Karin could differentiate the zanpakuto from wielder at this stage in her development was… it was like when Ichigo manifested soul ribbons from pure instinct. 

“Ichigo,” Rukia tried to return to the matter at hand. “Was that the absolute minimum you could manifest?”

“Yeah, I don’t know how to manifest any less,” Ichigo’s response confirmed her suspicions. He had outgrown his ability to control his reiatsu. Even at the level he was at when she first gave him his powers it was likely he wouldn’t have been able to do much in the way of kido as was evidenced by Karin’s own troubles. Karin though would be able to learn how to control her power at this stage. Ichigo though… the outlook was bleak. They would need to use seals akin to the ones used on Aizen to even think about sending him home, and that was a non-starter. They needed a breakthrough.

“Ichigo, we’re done for now. I’ll try to think of something. Karin, I want to see how well your zanjutsu has progressed,” Karin picked up her boken at Rukia’s request and took a ready stance.

The resulting bout could be less described as a spar and more like a systematic disassembly of everything Karin attempted to do to her. Rukia was the exact opposite of Hiyori in terms of swordsmanship. While Hiyori was aggressive and up-tempo with her style, Rukia was patient and deliberate. She waited for Karin to make a mistake as opposed to forcing the errors with brute force like her mentor. Once mistakes were made Rukia then punished them with cold efficiency and blinding swiftness. There were several times Rukia was able to get a hit on her wrists and make her drop her boken. One of these occurrences prompted Rukia to call the bout over. It was a quick bout, but it told the lieutenant everything she needed to know. 

“You have a long way to go, but you are moving along well. However, you have much to learn before I’d say you are ready for patrols,” Rukia then moved to put the boken away in the rack next to the exit to the training area. “Now how about we get something to eat?” Rukia’s face almost immediately changed from that of the cold and analytical face of the acting captain of the thirteenth to that of the Rukia they had both gotten to know during her time in the living world. 

Toshiro Hitsugaya was in a bind. He, in his capacity as captain of the tenth division of the Gotei 13, had been invited to the celebration of the Shibas being reinstated. 

He was honestly happy for them. They didn't deserve getting disgraced for the actions of his former captain. The problem for him was that his former captain would also be there, and his lieutenant was also going. 

Rangiku was normally a very relaxed and untroubled person, usually too much so in Hitsugaya's opinion, but he could see she was contemplating how she was going to get back at Isshin for leaving her with a double stack of paperwork until he could replace him. 

Granted in Hitsugaya's personal opinion he deserved every bit of it, but he wanted to avoid an incident with the Shibas so soon after their reinstatement. 

That was when Ichigo showed up in the window of his office. 

"Hey, To- I mean Captain Hitsugaya, mind if I crash here for a little bit?" Ichigo looked panicked like he was running from something. 

"Fine, just don't distract me, I still have some paperwork I need to finish," Toshiro had been glad that Ichigo was working on how he spoke to everyone. When he was on the outside it was okay to refer to them casually as he was new to the idea of Soul Society. Now though, if he was going to be a major player, he had to get used to the decorum. 

"Thanks," Ichigo settled into one of the couches in the shared office of the division's two highest-ranking members. As Ichigo sat down he thought for a moment about how this was once his father's division. 

"How was my dad, as a captain?" Toshiro sighed at the question. It was a hard one to answer. 

"Difficult," That was the best he could come up with after mulling over it. "Your father was in many respects worse about paperwork than Lieutenant Matsumoto, who yes, was also your father's lieutenant," Ichigo nodded, it checked out for him. His father really hated the managerial and administrative sides of running the clinic. "He was a poor leader, blowing off responsibilities similar to what the Head Captain used to do when he was captain of the eighth," Ichigo nodded again, his father's shenanigans were probably not a new thing, so he kind of expected that. "But he was also the closest thing I had to a father," Which surprised Ichigo. He knew he shouldn't be, and it made a lot of sense, but having it outright stated by someone who couldn't be more opposite, was surprising.

"Did he wake you up by trying to attack you in the morning?"

"Yes."

"Attack you when you were late to anything while he was there?"

"Yes."

"Overdramatic when he so much as caught you talking to a girl?"

"Yes."

"And yet you don't find yourself hating him in spite of all of that?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Hitsugaya sighed as he finished the last of his paperwork. 

"Well shit, guess he does have a tendency to adopt people in all but name" His father had basically adopted him in all but name. It also seems Toshiro prototyped his dad's parenting strategy. 

"It seems so, but may I ask what brings you here?" Toshiro was wondering about that, and now that he had finished his paperwork, saw an opportunity to ask.

“Yeah, about that…”

Moments earlier

Ichigo was walking to the eleventh from the thirteenth after finishing the day's training. Apparently Ikkaku had sent a hell butterfly to Kukaku about wanting to talk to him about something. So Ichigo found himself walking into the barracks of the Gotei Thirteen's 'big stick.' There he found the now Lieutenant Madarame, apparently Yachiru went MIA during the war. It was just another scar left by the Wandenreich on the Seireitei. 

"Hey Ichigo," Ikkaku was waiting for him in the front courtyard of the division. He had just finished pt for the day if the groaning of the other shinigami was anything to go by. 

"Sup Ikkaku," he had tried to call him by rank the last time they spoke as he was trying to get into the habit of, but Ikkaku had hit him with a boken when he did that and said that just Ikkaku was fine, so he kept the informality. 

"Just smoking the new recruits, the assholes actually think we're all fighting all the time, pft." Ikkaku was a harsh teacher from what he remembered from his time in Soul Society after rescuing Rukia. 

"I can see, you wanted to talk to me about something?" Ichigo kind of felt sorry for the new shinigami, it was clear to him that they were going to need a proper ice bath or they would be sore the whole week. 

"Yeah Ichigo, would you be interested in joining the shini-" it was then a massive shadow covered both Ichigo and Ikkaku, and before Ikkaku could finish, a slow menacing chuckle rumbled from behind him.

"So, Ichigo," the low growl of the captain of the eleventh was distinctive to both Ichigo and Ikkaku. "Wanna fight?"

"Excuse me Ikkaku, we'll have to talk about this later," before Ikkaku could protest, Ichigo had all but vanished, flash stepping away at a ridiculous speed Ikkaku couldn't track.

"GET BACK HERE ICHIGO!" And Captain Kenpachi Zaraki sprinted after him before flash-stepping himself. 

Ikkaku sighed. He hoped Tetsuzaimon or Renji would have better luck.

In the present

"You mean to tell me that you are hiding from Captain Zaraki, in my office? " Toshiro was not pleased.

"Well, when you put it like that it makes it seem like he's going to bust through a wall at any moment," Ichigo scratched the back of his head nervously. "He has a crappy sense of direction if I remember correctly."

Toshiro sighed. He was right. The likelihood Zaraki would figure out how to get to him before someone stopped him was high. Though he had arrived on time to the monthly captain’s meetings on-time more often than not.

"Then would you mind explaining why he is currently on his way here?" Toshiro looked at Ichigo with a raised eyebrow.

"... Shit." Suddenly Ichigo disappeared again. His shunpo too fast for Toshiro to track.

Toshiro chuckled lightly, he had lied to Ichigo, knowing that he wasn't going to take the chance to sense for the monstrous captain. 

"Ah, peace and quiet," that was true until Rangiku burst in drunk, and then fell face first on the floor.

"MATSUMOTO!"

—

Bambietta Basterbine and Meninas McAllon were at the Kurosaki Clinic looking after Yuzu. While Bambi hated the idea of babysitting, Uryu had a point. With her father gone, hollows may think she would be a prime meal, combine that with the fact he was the one who got Orihime to reject her death at the hands of that bitch Giselle, and she really didn’t have the room to refuse. 

So, here she was, babysitting one of Ichigo’s little sisters. 

“Bambi, Meni, food’s ready,” At least she was a damn good cook. Shit, she’d have to save some for Lil. 

"Alright, I'm on my way," Bambi turned off the TV and went into the kitchen. She had to admit that the Kurosaki house was a pretty good setup, even if it shared its floor space with the attached clinic. 

As she was walking her phone started ringing, Bambi groaned. "Hold on," Bambi checked her phone to see who it was. 

Fuck, it was Uryu. Didn't she tell him not to call her unless it was urgent. She flipped her phone open before accepting the call.

"What is it this time," Uryu was making a habit of calling her when a problem could vaguely benefit from things blowing up. It was starting to get on her nerves. 

"There's a situation at my place. I would like it if you came post haste," Bambi sighed. If this was another of his damned sewing supply runs she was going to throw him out the fucking window.

"What is it?" She all but growled into the phone.

"It's about the Jagdarmees in Hueco Mundo," Oh fuck. Those assholes. If they started shit they might just provoke the Gotei into finishing the job. 

"I'll be right there," As much as she really didn't like his late majesty declaring Uryu his heir, she was starting to get what he saw in him. He was an impeccable organizer and knew his limitations. His little corner of the shattered Wandenreich was run more by committee than from a strict top-down hierarchy. It fit her more to have lateral freedom. Not being a zombie was a plus, and as a result of her dying before all of the other sternritter got auswalened she currently was the only other former sternritter able to use her volstandig, she'd have to thank Orihime for doing that.

"Meni, stay here, Uryu needs me for something," Meni nodded.

"Oh, we're low on butter, could you get some on the way back?" Bambi almost groaned, but if it meant more good food she'll make the run back. 

"Fine," she walked out the door after grabbing a snack and putting some extra in a handbag Uryu made for her. 

After she left she made for the Ishida residence in a burst of hirenkyaku. 

Uryu was in a bit of a bind. He only had five other former sternritter, and only one other still capable of using volstandig among his number. His splinter of the Wandenreich was by far the smallest. There were simply too many people out for blood against Soul Society to really make peace look reasonable. 

However, the fact that he had two volstandigs on his side, his and that of the resurrected Bambietta, meant that he was in command of what was probably also one of the stronger splinter factions. Many, like the Jagdarmmees roaming Hueco Mundo were almost all soldats and support personnel led by the occasional former sternritter or high-ranking officer. 

The fact that Hallibel was petitioning him for aid though meant that there was something up. 

“So, you want my help? Even though I am a quincy, and am leading quincies, and have had little to no reason to help you in the past?” Uryu stared at the messenger. She was a small woman with half of her face covered by her mask fragment, with the other half showing a blank expression and well-groomed straight black hair that went down to chin level. 

“Yes, Lady Hallibel has already petitioned the shinigami for aid, but was rebuffed as their priorities are focussed on internal matters,” Roka Peramia had little to worry about from the quincies present. Based on the information she was able to gather from the memories of the world surrounding her, even if he said no, Uryu’s honor would allow her to leave. 

Uryu knew what these ‘internal matters’ were, but he doesn’t dare say what they are, though he couldn’t help but curse at the shinigami being useless yet again. 

“What is the situation?” Uryu wanted to know what was happening so that he could plan a response. Most of his forces were spoken for, especially the day of the raid in Naraki. 

"Lady Hallibel is facing pressure from both the Jagdarmees that once were under command of Quige Olpie, and a coalition of her rivals. We have the forces to deal with one or the other, but not both. Roka spoke calmly, her expression remaining largely unchanged. 

"You're hoping that I can reign in the Jagdarmees and have them not attack you," Uryu raised an eyebrow. The forces sent to Hueco Mundo were considered by Yhwach too fanatical to be useful to him. Which either said something about how fanatical they were given Lille Barro, or said something about Lille Barro's own power, most likely the latter. 

"Yes, though failing that, we hope you can neutralize them as a threat to Lady Hallibel," Roka knew that if the Jagdarmees caused too much death that the shinigami may be forced to exterminate the surviving quincy. Based on the memories she was gathering from the surrounding room, it seemed to be a concern all but the most fanatical of quincy splinter factions were concerned about. 

"Let me make a call."

—

When Bami knocked on the door of the Ishida residence she was greeted by Uryu's father Ryuken.

"I see, my son called for one of his misfits," Ryuken didn't like her, and to be fair, she didn't like him. But they kept it cordial for Uryu's sake. 

"Any idea why?" Bambi ignored the misfit argument. It was largely accurate anyway. She and the other bambis became a clique for a reason, they just didn't get along with the other sternritter much, and had a stronger loyalty to each other than to Yhwach, so they became the sternritter's little misfit brigade. 

"He is speaking with an arrancar in the library," Ryuken didn't elaborate. He had left the library once it was clear that they weren't under attack. Though Uryu kept Lampard around just in case. 

"Anyone else with him?" Bambi knew Lil hung out around her sometimes and may have been called in as a security measure. 

"Only Miss Lampard. She seems to be complaining about being hungry," Ryuken didn't want to think about how a woman that small could have an appetite that large.

"Alright. Good thing I brought some of Yuzu's cooking," Bambi sighed. Lil's appetite was one of the reasons she had ended up joining the bambis, it caused her to ask for food at the weirdest times. Combine that with her blunt nature and she quickly found herself outside of the usual social circles within Silbern. 

Bambietta walked down the large hallway leading to the library. When she opened the door she saw Uryu sitting at a table in the center with an arrancar she didn't recognise across from him. 

"Hey, Bambi, you have something to eat?" Lil kept her voice down, but otherwise spoke with the same time and cadence she usually did. 

"Yeah, here, got some extra from Yuzu," Bambi handed over the extra food wrapped up in tin foil. Lil grabbed it and quickly unwrapped it before scarfing down some of the food. Bambi didn't stick around to check to see if she liked it, Lil could and would eat anything that could be eaten, as that was her power.

"So boss, you called?" Bambi walked down the staircase to the library towards Uryu and Roka.

"Ah, Miss Basterbine, a pleasure to meet you," Bambi was off put by how the arrancar knew her name. Uryu was always tight-lipped about who exactly was on his side. Causally telling everyone you had four-fifths of the bambis and Mr. Unkillable was not a good idea. 

"How do you know my name?" Bambie stared into the one eye she could see as she closed the distance, her face mere inches from the arrancar's.

"Ah, my mistake, your name is remembered by the world around you. I am able to access those memories," Roka didn't back away from Bambi in spite of her apology. 

“Whatever, why are you here?” Bambi sat down and started eating at the table.

Uryu glared at her for eating in his father’s library, but this kind of behavior is what he signed up for when he let the bambis join him. 

“Hallibel is facing a two-front war with both the remaining jagdarmees and opportunistic rivals that came out of the woodwork after Ichigo defeated Olpie,” Uryu pushed up his glasses as he spoke. This was a troubling situation. Hallibel, Nelliel, and Grimjow would be able to handle either on their own with ease, but both at the same time poses a strategic issue. She simply doesn’t have enough firepower to split her forces like that. 

“And what do we get from playing nice with hollows?” Bambi really didn’t like hollows. Granted that was true of all quincies, but she had always found them to be abominations worthy of the name her homeland gave them, demoni. 

“If the jagdarmees kill too many hollows, the head captain may be forced to act in a manner that is not to your benefit,” Roka spoke before Uryu could explain the situation. While some would interpret it as a threat, it was a statement of fact. Even a year after the blood war the balance between the Living World, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo was precarious, it had been what forced squad zero to let Hallibel and her forces return to Hueco Mundo freely. 

“Shit,” Bambi really didn’t like that the hollow was right, but she hit the nail on the head. The jagdarmees were an aggressive force, in hostile territory, consisting of the most fanatical quincy the Wandenreich had. They would see the disruption of the balance of souls as part of their divine duty, uncaring as to how this would affect the rest of the surviving quincy. 

“Bambietta, you and Candice are to go to Hueco Mundo after we have concluded our other operations,” Uryu wasn’t going to refer to the Naraki mission openly, though he guessed Roka already knew of it. “I cannot spare forces Immediately, but I can provide aid. Inform Hallibel to be ready to receive the aid of at least two former sternritter.”

“I will,” Roka nodded. Bambietta’s aid would be especially welcome if the memories she has extracted were accurate. Her ability to deal damage to large swaths of the battlefield along with her being the only other sternritter with access to her volstandig are valuable to their current situation. “I look forward to further cooperation.” Roka curtsied as she left. The distinctive sound of a garganta opening signaled the departure of Hallibel’s emissary. 

Chapter Text

The morning of the celebration started with a loud crash as the Tenchuren landed in the main courtyard. Those who had been in Soul Society for a while knew that this was happening. It was the entire reason why the courtyard had yet to be fully converted for the event, and the entire reason the celebration was taking place on this day.

The Tenchuren had come down with a full shipment of asauchi. This was standard operating procedure for the Shiba family, and many of those who had returned were already in work clothes and had carts with colored ribbons on them ready to go.

This was the purpose of the Shiba clan, the reception, and distribution of asauchi to those who would need them. Each person in the courtyard immediately sprung into action once the doors of the Tenchuren opened.

Kukaku started directing everyone in what amounted to well-rehearsed chaos. Bundles of swords were respectfully taken from the Tenchuren, each marked by a colored rope holding them together. Orange for the Shihoins, green for the Tsunayashiros, blue for the Kuchikis, purple for the Yayaharas, white for the Gotei 13, and red for the Shiba's own stock, and an assortment of other colors for those who had also requisitioned asauchi.

Each bundle was put in the cart with the corresponding color. Soon, in a mere ten minutes after the unloading had started the first batch of carts were full.

"Alright, movers, get the next set of carts," Ganju directed those who were to be taking the carts to where they would be received to get the next set of empty carts. In spite of being nobles, nobody here was dressed in a way that implied as such. Everyone wore work clothes. Sure, they may be nice by most standards, but they weren't ornate.

The new carts were in position at the exact time the next bundles of asauchi arrived to be placed respectfully into the carts. Every Shiba grew up knowing the importance of these blades and what they represented, and thus, in the entirety of this chaos, there was never a single move made that would ever bring any harm to the virgin blades being handled.

Kukaku observed the whole operation from the top of a pedestal in the courtyard. Carefully directing each and every step of this process while a cousin of hers directed the unloading of the Tenchuren and Ganju directed the loading of the carts. It was good to be doing this again.

Karin awoke to a loud bang and the ground shaking as it felt like something impacted the ground with the force of a missile. She was wide-eyed and in a near panic, but had no idea what happened. So she quickly changed into her workout clothes, grabbed her zanpakuto, and ran to the courtyard. On the way there she ran into her father who was already up and dressed.

"Dad, what in the actual FUCK was that?"

"Oh, that was the Tenchuren landing," Ishin spoke as though she was supposed to know this already.

"That would be useful, if I knew what that meant," Karin all but yelled at her father.

"It's how you go to and from the Soul Palace," Isshin scratched the back of his head, he forgot to tell her about what the Shibas did…

"It's why we have the massive cannon next to the main courtyard isn't it?" Karin's face changed to a face of resigned frustration

"Yeah…" Isshin then looked away from his daughter.

"Can't this family do anything normally!?" Karin yelled into the sky in frustration. Her entire life dealing with her father's shinanigans did not prepare her for the level of fuckery that was father's side of the family.

It was at this moment that Tatsuki, Orihime, and Chad walked up. Keigo and Mizurio were further away from the main courtyard, but they were probably awoken by it as well.

"Does anyone have any idea what the hell that was?" Tatsuki looked as though she was half asleep, as did Orihime and both were still in pajamas. Chad was fully dressed and seemed to be unbothered.

"It was the asauchi shipment that was supposed to arrive today," Chad spoke calmly, as though they had all been told.

"Chad, how do you know that?" Orihime was curious. She didn't remember hearing anything about it.

"Kukaku explained it just after we arrived," While Ichigo, Ginjo, and Tatsuki were yelling at Keigo and Isshin went unsaid. Karin had joined in once she walked through the senkaimon, and Orihime was largely distracted by the situation at large.

It was then Keigo and Mizurio walked in.

"Could someone have warned us about that?" Keigo looked like he fell off his bed. While Mizurio looked perfectly fine.

"You were busy being chased by Ichigo and Tatsuki," Mizurio was also there when Kukaku warned them about the morning arrival, and so woke up before the Tenchuren landed. Kukaku said it was their problem if they missed it and so Chad and Mizurio didn't tell anyone.

"By the way, where's Ichigo?" Tatsuki knew he was close by, so why wasn't he here?

"He's still in his room," Chad responded quietly, His voice in its usual calm tone.

"How he can sleep through that is beyond me," Keigo scratched the back of his head. He lacked his usual energy due to the rude awakening.

Ichigo was in his room practicing some of the less explosive techniques Rukia taught him. The spinning whistle had all but flown apart the first time he tried it, the strings snapping from the sheer violence of the spinning it was subjected to. The 'ball of light" was also similarly off the table as he somehow caused that to explode as well. So this time he was going to do one that was less precise. Which was good as Ginjo kicked down the door to his room.

"Oi, Ichigo, the boss wants you in the courtyard," Ginjo had gone out of his way on several occasions to annoy Ichigo. This time he broke the door to the room right after he had had it replaced after his dad's stunt yesterday.

"What the hell, I just had that replaced!" Ichigo was really not liking how everyone just ignored knocking and just broke in around here.

"Don't care, boss wants you outside," With that Ginjo grabbed Ichigo and started dragging him by his shihakusho. Fortunately, Ichigo was able to break the grip quickly and get up.

"Alright I get the point, just let me get my haori on," Ichigo grabbed the red haori and put it on before walking with Ginjo to the courtyard.

"So, how's your training," While Ginjo had originally planned to use Ichigo as a chump before he died, he had grown to like the kid during his time training him. Sure, he still thought he was a naive dumbass for thinking that the shinigami were good people, but Ichigo himself was a good person. It also helped that Ichigo had demanded that his body be returned to the living world for burial there, so there were some brownie points there for him.

"Not the best, but I learned how to seal Zangetsu, and I have had some success with controlling my reiatsu," Ichigo spoke casually with the person who was now in charge of security for the manor.

"Good, you need to learn how to control all of that without that bullshit tracker Ukitake gave you," Ginjo referred to the substitute badge, which was made for a threefold purpose. To limit the power of the holder, to analyze the reiatsu of the holder, and to spy on the holder.

Ichigo sighed. He was going on about Ukitake again, and he was honestly sick of it.

"I refuse to believe it was Ukitake who was hunting you guys down," It wasn't in the late captain's m.o. to pull that kind of move, and he had even said he wasn't fully aware of the situation back then when it happened.

"You're just saying that because his lieutenant is your girlfriend," Ginjo said that intending to dismiss the point as biased. What he got instead was a blank look as Ichigo's train of thought had derailed entirely.

"We're not dating…" Ginjo now looked at Ichigo after his own thoughts were detailed.

"Wait, you're telling me that you were willing to potentially become a hollow," Ichigo nodded, "face an unknown army of incredible strength and ability to kill you multiple times over," Ichigo could attest to that one, "attain bankai in two days!" Ichigo grimaced, when he said it like that it did make it clear that was a big deal, "all for her, and you aren't an item?" Ginjo had seen the relief on Ichigo's face when Rukia had stabbed him with the blade that gave him back his powers. He had genuinely thought they were a thing.

"When you put it like that it-"

"Makes you sound like a complete idiot," Ginjo looked at Ichigo with a calmer expression. "Do you do this for all of your friends?"

"Uh…" Ichigo was trying to not talk about how he had gone straight into Hueco Mundo against the request of Yamamoto himself to save Orihime and how he had been brought to near death on multiple occasions.

"You do…" Ginjo blinked. "How are you not dead yet?"

Ichigo shrugged. Ignoring the times that Kenpachi, Byakuya, Grimjow, and Ulquiorra all almost killed him.

"Alright, that's it, let's get to the damned courtyard."

Kukaku was still looking over the unloading of the Tenchuren when Ginjo had brought Ichigo as requested.

"Brought the brat as you requested," Ginjo pointed to Ichigo behind him. It looked as though Ichigo was about to protest before Kukaku spoke.

"Good, Ginjo, you are dismissed," She waved with her good arm to dismiss him. Ginjo nodded before leaving the courtyard.

"So, why'd you want me here?" Ichigo looked over at Kukaku as she was standing on a platform looking over the courtyard.

"Look," she pointed to the courtyard. "That there is our purpose, what we do for Soul Society," Ichigo looked at everything happening, the moving of bundles of asauchi from the Tenchuren to the various carts. "When you become head of the clan, looking over this will become your responsibility."

Ichigo looked over the entire thing. It was sobering to know that he would be in charge of what may very well be the most critical logistical act in Soul Society. He also knew that there was another reason for his being here.

"There's something else you want to tell me," Ichigo looked over at Kukaku.

Kukaku sighed as she looked over at him.

"Not here, there are too many people right now," Kukaku resumed looking over the unloading of the Tenchuren.

Aura Michibane stood before a large screen surrounded by specialized biological matter. This device installed deep in the new Xcution base. She had been slowly gathering followers. Fullbringers who had lost someone to the shinigami, or those who had proclaimed she was a saint. She didn't care for any of it, but it was useful, it allowed her to move her plans forward.

Then the screen lit up, the face of one Tokinada Tsunayashiro appearing upon it.

"Aura, it's good to see you again," Tokinada spoke in his usual saccharine tone, one that belied a sharply venomous tongue.

"Indeed, have the other nobles acquiesced?" She was worried about the delays. With the Shiba now in the picture again, they must move with all due haste to ensure they can create their new world before they can be discovered by those who would oppose them prematurely.

"Patience Aura, patience. I have not yet had time to call for the meeting, but I have scoped out those we need to bring on board," Aura sighed. Every day Tokinada delayed is another day they can be discovered.

"You may have the protections afforded to you by nobility, but I do not," The six-month delay in their plans was pushing it in her eyes. Should she be discovered by Soul Society or possibly even Urahara, she wasn't sure if the plan would be able to move forward.

"Please, I intend to call the meeting this week. As for support, I fear that the Kuchiki and Shihoin will be against us," He had spoken with Byakuya and Yushiro before. It was clear that they would never support his plan, and playing to Yoruichi wasn't an option due to her… dislike of him. The Yayaharas were not so clear-cut, as they were in charge of watching hell, their primary concerns rested in hell and hell alone.

"What of the Shiba?" Aura knew that they could be the key to all of this. Their presence allowed for the very foundation of Soul Society's laws to be changed. Not to mention that if they were to cooperate, they could leverage their logistical responsibilities into bringing the other clans around.

"Unknown. Kukaku will most definitely reject the proposal as I am the one making it, but if she sends Ichigo to represent the clan, he may support us when I tell him the truth of our ancestors," Tokinadas face split with a grin, Aura's did not. She had spoken to Yukio about Ichigo, and he was one of the major hurdles in their plan. She knew that he wouldn't play along, and she had a plan all ready to go to isolate him from the situation, but the reinstatement of the Shibas and his being made heir blew that sky high.

"Unlikely. Ichigo has chosen the side of the Shinigami every time after his initial raid on Soul Society," she spoke of his rescue of one Rukia Kuchiki. If the Kuchikis stand against Tokinada, then she will, and if she stands against Tokinada, then Ichigo will. To think otherwise was foolish to her.

"Then we will need to resort to contingencies," Tokinadas face darkened as his smile grew wider. He wanted this to be the case. Putting the screws into Ichigo or Kukaku would be exquisite.

"I see, then we must move with haste," Aura terminated the connection. Her mind already working on ways to remove Ichigo as a factor. Her original plan may not be usable, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be salvaged for other purposes.

Ichigo and Kukaku were now in a quiet room in the manor while the courtyard underwent final preparations for the celebration tonight after the Tenchuren had undergone preparations to be returned to the royal realm.

"What was it you needed to speak to me about," Ichigo looked to Kukaku with a face of concern.

"Oetsu had informed me of a situation in the royal realm when he told me of the shipment for today. A very dangerous relic was stolen during the war, and not by the quincy," The missive was a shock to her. Oetsu rarely corresponded even with the Shiba because he was so engrossed in his work. So for him to alert her meant this was a huge problem.

"What?" Ichigo's mind was trying to put everything together, how and why would someone try to steal such a relic from the royal realm, and what opportunity would they have to do it?

"Apparently someone was able to take advantage of the ocean in Oetsu's realm having been dried up from reforging Zangetsu," Kukaku spoke quietly. She didn't want anyone overhearing.

"Shit…" Ichigo cursed. If he hadn't let Yhwach's words get to him he wouldn't have needed to reforge his zanpakuto.

"Don't beat yourself up. Oetsu said that unless the people who stole it have a soul king candidate we don't have a problem," Kukaku spoke reassuringly.

"That's the problem. I think I saw that weapon. It was on the back of Tokinada's retainer," Ichigo had remembered how the blade's reiatsu had felt wildly different from its wielder's. He also remembered the wielder's own weird reiatsu. "I also felt a patchwork of shinigami, hollow, and quincy reiatsu coming from his retainer as well."

"Well fuck." Kukaku knew who had the relic and that they had a soul king candidate. Tokinada was up to something and she didn't like it one bit.

Chapter Text

Rukia was getting prepared for the day's event. It wasn't too big a deal, it was an event where her attire as a lieutenant of the Gotei 13 was permissible, and she was also representing the 13th. However the Kuchiki had a reputation for tastefully overdressing, and she had to deliver. So she had a yukata commissioned for today, a light blue one adorned with the snowdrop to symbolize her role as the 13th's current ranking officer. The obi was also adorned in the traditional maroon of the division, another tie to her post.

Her brother had no such worries for today. As he was a captain, his uniform was considered appropriate in even the most formal of environments. Though he had taken liberties in commissioning a replacement for the haori As Nodt had almost destroyed, which itself was a replacement for one that, as far as she remembered, he had lost in Hueco Mundo. 

She shook her head to prevent herself from letting her mind linger. Today was supposed to be a good day, not one to fall into bad memories. Kukaku had invited a large chunk of Ichigo’s friends as well. Rukia paused in thought. She hadn’t seen Chad and Orihime in over a year, she hadn’t seen Tatsuki in over two years! To think that such a short time with a bunch of mortals would have such an impact on her, but then, Ichigo had that effect on people. 

Rukia paused for a moment after she finished tying her obi. Ichigo, for once she actually allowed her mind to linger on him. Ichigo was many things, brash, kind, idiotic, loud, it really was a surprise that nobody figured out he was a Shiba. She had her suspicions he may have been one in a past life as it seemed to stem from his very nature, but him actually being one wasn't even on her radar. He was a lot like Kaien, down to the way he made her feel. She knew what she felt. It wasn't some simple crush like it was with her late predecessor, it was real. It was what drove her to sacrifice herself for him and his family. However, she had thought that just like last time, it wasn't meant to be. A part of her so badly wanted to confess, but another reminded her that he still had a chance to return home to his life as a human, and she didn't want to take that away from him too. Why was it that every time she fell in love that love brought pain?

She was startled by a knock at her door. 

"What is it?" Rukia turned to look at the sliding door to her room in the Kuchiki manor. 

"Lady Kuchiki, your brother would like to know when you'll be ready to depart," It was one of the house servants, one of the ones she actually had a good friendship with if she remembered correctly. 

“Tell him I’ll be ready shortly,” Rukia then moved to put on her gloves and socks before moving to put on her tabi. As she went through the process of tying her sandals on, she reminisced, allowing her mind to wander to memories she’d otherwise avoid. The memory that came up was the time shortly after her rescue when Ichigo was helping her look after Byakuya. 

Three years ago

“You know they aren’t just going to let you walk away,” Rukia looked over at Ichigo as she washed some of the kitchenware used to make her brother’s food. 

“What do you mean?” Ichigo looked over at Rukia. He had been given a guest room in the Kuchiki manor, primarily because he had agreed to help Rukia take care of her brother while he was injured. He did it mainly because she asked, he felt that Byakuya wasn’t deserving of this, an opinion that would change as time went on.

“You have a bankai,” the fact he attained it in two days, the fact he did it for her, and the fact he used it to put her brother in this state to begin with all went unmentioned. “That means you now have the power of a captain. Captains rarely are allowed to enter the living world, and when they are they are they are restricted to one-fifth of their power due to their potential to cause harm to the world around them. There may come a time when you will be forced to come to Soul Society for that exact reason.”

“Then it happens,” Ichigo didn’t consider how he would feel in that situation, primarily because he didn’t want to. 

“You’ll be forced to say goodbye, lie to your closest friends, and would be lucky to even be able to visit them, and that’s the best-case scenario,” the threat of him simply being erased from everyone’s memory was implied. It would be easy. Selective memory erasure on everyone who ever knew him and have the Visuals Department pull a few strings in the Japanese government and suddenly Ichigo Kurosaki never existed. 

“And if it happens there’s nothing I can do about it,” Ichigo reiterated the point, and he was right. He was only just released from the fourth and was on close watch by medical personnel. If Byakuya and Kenpachi could almost kill him, then certainly there were other captains capable of subduing him far more easily. “All I can do is hope it never comes to that.”

Rukia agreed. She didn’t know what she would do with herself if her decision ended up taking away a human’s right to a normal life. 

Yuyu was working on getting ready for the day’s events. ‘Working on’ being the operative term. As she was to join her parents in the Yayahara “delegation” to this party she had to look the part, however, this was a Shiba celebration, and those almost always were as casual as you could get the Kuchiki to consider suitable for nobles. She was tempted to just go in her shihakusho as that would be appropriate, but she had instaid gone for a casual pinkish kimono. 

“Ahhh damnit! Not again!” the only problem was that in order to maintain her ‘noble image’ she had hair that reached down to the back of her knees, and it had gotten caught in her obi again as she tied it. 

“Are you okay?” the concerned voice of one of the servants spoke through the door to her room.

“I’m fine. Just a minor inconvenience,” She could hear the servant take the unspoken cue to leave her be. She hated being pampered, it all just reminded her of her father’s iron grip.

Yuyu had finally gotten her hair out of the obi, again , when she heard a light tapping at her door.

“May I come in?” Yuyu relaxed at the voice of her mother, and honestly, she could probably use the help.

“Yes mother,” Yuyu spoke politely. In the eighth she was far more casual, however, her mother was a different context, but not an uncomfortable one.

Fukuro Yayahara, formally Fukuro Kuchiki, was a comforting figure in Yuyu’s life. This was why Yuyu didn’t mind her grabbing her hairbrush and running it through her hair. 

“You got your hair caught in your obi again didn’t you?” Fukuro asked in a calming tone. She was already dressed for the day’s events. She was dressed plainly, but the kimono was made of higher end materials. 

“Yes,” Yuyu spoke in a defeated tone. 

Fukuro loved her daughter dearly, but she also wondered where she picked up her bad luck. Granted it may be due to her tying her hair back when on duty, meaning she doesn’t have practice with how to tie an obi around it like she does, but she decided to ignore it.

“How have things been in the eighth division for you?” When Fukuro heard that the quincy hit the eighth she was worried sick, but was glad to find that the sternritter sent there only cared about the eventual head captain, leaving the division mostly in tact. 

“Good. Captain Yadomaru is unconventional, but she has been doing a good job with familiarizing herself with the division,” the fact that she had a leg up having been Nanao’s predecessor as the lieutenant of said division went unsaid. 

“And how is she treating you? ” Her mother asked the core question. How is she doing?

“Great,” Lisa had done well by the division. She still didn’t have a lieutenant, but she had reorganized the division from the chaos of having both its captain and lieutenant removed from their operational and organizational structure. The avalanche of paperwork down the ranks was apocalyptic. 

Fukuro casually kept brushing her daughter’s hair, straightening out any kinks, and clearing any tangles, careful not to pull too hard. 

“Good,” Fukuro had mixed opinions on Captain Yadomaru. It was clear she was a competent and effective captain, which is all that truly mattered, but her creative interpretation of uniform regulations was… unbecoming. However, she was willing to overlook that if it meant her daughter had a captain that actually cared about their subordinates. “Done, we should get going,” Fukuro put the brush down and walked to the door. She simply hoped her husband wouldn’t cause a scene. 

Byakuya was standing before a trio of graves. One was his wife’s, the other two belonged to his parents. His father died in the line of duty as lieutenant of the sixth division when he was still a child. However, he at least was able to see his father. His mother, however, she died bringing him into this world. He never got to know her, to see her face. When he was young he was angry at himself for killing her, and the problem with anger directed at the self was that it had nowhere to go. Eventually, he was able to forgive himself after a long conversation with his grandfather, a conversation that led to the two gaining a mutual respect for each other. 

“I figured you’d be out here,” The aged voice of the man who raised him in the absence of his parents was unmistakable to Byakuya. 

“What would she think?” Ginrei knew who Byakuya was asking about. 

“Your mother would probably be elated. Granted she may have also wanted to give Isshin a piece of her mind as well,” Ginrei leaned on his walking stick as he spoke. He was no Yamamoto, his body had betrayed him to the point where he couldn’t continue in his duties as a captain long ago, so he passed leadership of both the clan and the sixth division to his grandson, one who he had to raise as a son of his own. 

“He will be at the gathering,” Byakuya never knew what to make of the former head of the Shiba clan. It was clear he was never expected to lead the clan, and so developed a lazy personality with a lackadaisical take on life. 

“Of course he is, it’s his family. But I have the feeling that there is much more on your mind than what you are saying,” Ginrei had raised him, he knew the subble mannerisms he emoted with enough to tell when he was uncertain of what to do. 

Byakuya didn’t know what to say. Since the end of the war with the quincy he had been reevaluating much in his life, chief among these being his responsibilities to the clan. While there was a clear line of succession going back generations, it wouldn’t prevent a power struggle in the event of his death, something that very narrowly came to pass. However, he still hadn’t found someone who could fill the void in his heart that came to be after Hisana’s death. 

“You don’t need to say anything. I understand,” Ginrei’s own wife died shortly after giving birth to his second son. While it was often that noble marriages were solely political, he and Byakuya’s father had gotten lucky and actually had more than just a good relationship with their spouses.

“How did you move on?” Byakuya showed a side of himself that he could only ever show around two people. Hisana, and his grandfather.

“Even after so long, I still haven’t. I only hope that you know she would have never wanted you to suffer because of her absence,” Ginrei was one of the only members of the clan that accepted the marriage. He had a long talk with Byakuya over the matter, one that ended with him fully understanding the depth of his love for her. As much as the noble in him saw the political damage that marriage had the potential to cause, as a grandfather, he wanted the best for his grandson and knew she made him happy. 

Byakuya let out a soft chuckle in response.

“Yes, she wouldn’t have,” Hisana was selfless to a fault. It was why he helped her in trying to find Rukia, it was why he continued the search even after her death. It was why he would move mountains for his sister. It made the memory of Rukia’s sentencing all the more sickening. Fortunately, Ichigo happened, and thus allowed him to avoid a lose-lose situation,

“Let’s not focus on the bad things that happened. I’ve found that to be a path not worth treading,” Ginrei spoke with the words of a man who had outlived his grandson many times over, having made the same mistakes many times over. “Let us not keep Rukia waiting, after all, she isn’t only representing the family.”

Hitsugaya was walking to the Shiba manor with Matsumoto. While the celebration wasn’t to start for a while, he and Rangiku had a history with some members of the clan, particularly Isshin. Of course, legally Isshin had been disowned, but such a term never existed for the Shiba clan. Isshin simply didn’t have access to the absurd resources the clan had built up over the many millennia of its history. 

“Do you think he knows how much chaos he threw the division into?” Rangiku was walking beside her captain. She had been named acting captain for the time window between Isshin’s desertion and Hitsugaya being named his successor. 

“I’m sure, and I would prefer it if you didn’t cause a scene,” He knew the request was in vain. Knowing her, she was probably going to do something in retribution for the massive piles of paperwork she had been left with that she was unable to pass off to him due to clearance issues. He had never seen Matsumoto that drunk before or since. 

It was then that they reached the gates to the Shiba manor. Even though both Hitsugaya and Matsumoto had worked under Isshin for a fair amount of his captaincy, neither had actually been to the Shiba manor. They were expecting something similar to the gate to the Shihoin or Kuchiki gates. Something that conveyed the importance of the inhabitants. 

The Gate to the Shiba manor, while large, was understated. Right before Hitsugaya could knock on the gate a sliding block in the gate opened, showing the eyes of a servant.

“Captain Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Matsumoto, we were not expecting you for another hour. Let me open the gate for you,” then a few loud clacks happened and a smaller section of the gate opened and the head of the servant poped out of the smaller entrance. The servant in question was probably no older than Hinamori or Abari, though clearly was used to the more casual environment fostered by the Shiba clan. “Come in.”

They followed the servant into the manor. The first thing they saw was an impressive arrangement of flowers. First for the three great houses that were invited, Kuchiki, Shihoin, and Yayahara, then one for each division of the Gotei 13, as well as displays for the Kido Corps and Onmitsukido. The Visuals Department was not represented for the same reason the Tsunayashiro clan was not, they clearly were not invited.

It was as he was exiting what was clearly the reception area that he heard something that he dreaded. The loud footsteps of a fully grown man in a dead sprint. 

“TO-SHI-RO!!!!” Isshin was running at a full sprint toward his former third seat and successor. Toshiro was getting ready to dodge but the missile that was his former commanding officer was intercepted by a fist powered by twenty years of pent-up retribution.

“THAT WAS FOR ALL THE PAPERWORK I HAD TO DO!” one Lieutenant Matsumoto had begun her vengeance upon her delinquent former captain.

Toshiro put his face into his hands and groaned as Rangiku did exactly what he told her not to do.

That was when Ichigo and a girl that he recognized to be Karin arrived at the scene,

“I apologize for-” Hitsugaya’s attempted apology was interrupted.

“Don’t, he probably deserved it,” that was the voice of Karin Kurosaki, or as she would be known here, Karin Shiba. 

“Let me guess, dad had a reputation for not doing his job?” Ichigo’s question only caused Toshiro to nod while still holding his head. 

“Why am I not surprised?” Karin’s tone was indicative of her disappointment in her father.

“Ichigo! Karin! Why do you betray me so?” Isshin had somehow broken away from Rangiku long enough for him to lament how his children were most definitely not going to bail him out of this.

“GET BACK HERE YOU LAZY ASS!” of course that only caused his former lieutenant to begin chasing him. 

“Because you deserve every bruise,” Ichigo grabbed his father by the collar of his yukata before throwing him back at the angry lion that is his former lieutenant.

Chapter Text

Yoruichi Shihoin was a busy woman. After the end of the Blood War, or as it was officially called 'the War in Protection of the Soul King' Shunsui had given her two choices, become captain of the eighth division, or become a part-time lecturer at the Shino Academy. It was an obvious ploy to allow Lisa to become captain of the eighth with minimal political blowback. She would have complimented the head captain on the move if she wasn't forced to waste her abilities in such a way. She was a virtuoso in hoho, too much of her ability is instinctual for her to impart it through lectures. This was compounded by the fact that she wasn't the best teacher. Shunsui would have known this. No, he wanted her in the Shino Academy for something else.

It was well known that the Shihoin clan was the best armed and best trained of the five clans. What is now the responsibility of the Gotei 13 used to be the responsibility of her clan. That meant tens of thousands of years of refinement in training, teaching, and cultivating soldiers of incredible strength. She was a prime example of this, Shunsui wanted to tap into that. Most of the clan would have laughed him out of the room, and once upon a time, she would have as well. Now, however, the Seireitei needed to change, and the Gotei couldn't afford to be what it was under Yamamoto anymore, and the shinigami it produced couldn't be as weak as they were anymore. Shunsui knew she was aware of this and knew from her own history that she would be driven to optimize the academy as much as she could. Over the past year, she had seen everything she had wanted to change, everything that needed to change. She could see those who had the bright sparks of potential fail to be engaged, and fail to become members of the various corps that a shinigami can serve in. The Seireitei could not afford that, and thus she was genuinely considering full-time work at the academy.

The only downside would be that as she gained more power within the halls of military academia, she would have less free time. She already hadn't been to the living world in months, and the more time spent in Soul Society, the more time she was exposed to the possibility of interacting with her father.

It was clear he mellowed out from what she saw of her little brother, but her childhood was not happy or fun. It was because of this that she turned down the invitation to be a part of the Shihoin delegation to the event planned by Kukaku, it was also why her attire, save for her obi, had no hints of her connection to the larger clan. She was attending as a friend of the Shibas, and as faculty of the Shino Academy.

It was also why she arrived early. She had already heard Isshin getting his comeuppance from his former lieutenant and was sharing some time with Kukaku before she was expected to greet the other nobles.

"Wish I was there to see that," Kukaku was commenting on the ongoing commotion. As much as Yoruichi had reservations about how Isshin did things as a captain, she had to respect the loyalty he fostered when he led the tenth. He treated the division as if they were family, and they responded in kind. It was unsurprising for her when he instilled the same values that she had learned from Kaien into his actual children.

"He's probably just playing it up because he knows he earned it," Isshin was almost as strong as her. He could have ended it if he wanted to but didn't.

"That explains why he insisted on inviting her, he definitely always had a weird way of apologizing," Kukaku took a drag from her pipe. Her attire was more modest than usual today. Though Yoruichi knew she had about as much shame as she did.

"So, how goes clan business?" Yoruichi was glad to see her old friend again, they were in the same age cohort, and were roommates in their time in the academy. Granted that was not for a long time as for a Shihoin the academy is usually only a formality.

"I don't know, how goes teaching a bunch of kids who care more about gossip than their own classes?" Kukaku's quip caused Yoruichi to groan. She felt wasted teaching those brats.

"Point taken," Yoruichi looked away from her old friend. Someone like her with such an explosive personality and who wore her heart on her sleeve must find the world of politics just as frustrating.

"By the way, there's something concerning about that," Kukaku closed her eyes. Yoruichi was one of the only people she could trust to be discreet about this.

Yoruichi perked up at that. Kukaku was not someone who often was worried about much. She had a rather blase approach to life.

"What?" Yoruichi allowed concern to show on her face.

"I don't think Tokinada became head of the Tsunayashiro by accident," Kukaku said what had been troubling Yoruichi since the news of his ascension over six months ago. Most of the family dying overnight from a mass assassination leaving him and a scant few survivors was too convenient.

"You believe he orchestrated the whole thing," Yoruichi knew that was what she was insinuating. Byakuya wouldn't tolerate such an insinuation, in his mind the matters of the great houses were their own. Not surprising as that was case law from Central 46 that had been held up time and time again.

"You believe that too then," Kukaku had noticed how her old friend didn't correct her or debunk her hunch. That usually meant she had the same suspicions.

"The pattern follows. Kill everyone in front of you for the position, kill a few behind, then kill the ones you hired to do the job. Did you check his study for Machiavelli?" Yoruichi had spent her time studying philosophy in the living world, and she was sure 'The Prince' would have been popular reading in the Seireitei.

"I'd never let myself be caught dead in the Tsunayashiro estate. So no, I haven't," Kukaku knew of her old friend's philosophical interests. She knew the name was western, but she really didn't bother much with that, it was definitely more Kaien's wheelhouse.

"Well, enough about him, how's Ichigo doing?" She was concerned for his sake. The Seireitei was not the living world, rights were reserved only for the most 'important' of individuals.

"Well enough, it seems Hisagi got an interview with him recently," Kukaku chuckled, his very human views had caused a pleasant bit of chaos in political circles. She'd have to get him press training eventually, but he didn't cause a controversy.

"Oh, that must have ruffled some feathers," Yoruichi chuckled.

Rukia was walking with the rest of the Kuchiki delegation to the event. Though to say it was solely the Kuchiki delegation would be reductive. Due to her and her brother being the ranking officers of the sixth and thirteenth respectively, they had made stops to pick up those who would be representing said divisions alongside them.

That meant Renji, Sentaro, and Kiyone were all in the same group, and since Kiyone was in their little group, they had rendezvoused with the fourth's delegation as well. Byakuya seemed to be unhappy about the delay, but he had acquiesced, and Ginrei seemed to find Kiyone's enthusiasm entertaining, so that was good.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki, you seem stressed," Isane spoke quietly. The two acting captains had filtered away from the main body of the Kuchiki delegation. Most did so as they were not actually a part of it, Rukia did so as many in said delegation were not fans of her, and she didn't want to hear them complain about how she ran an understaffed division that was still using mostly temporary barracks.

"You could say that," she and Isane had formed a good friendship since Rukia became a lieutenant. This was mostly through Kiyone as it was clear the two sisters were close, she even had the transfer paperwork ready to have Kiyone become Isane's lieutenant once she finally ascended to the captaincy of the fourth. Though Isane was definitely more of a wallflower than her younger sister, an issue she would have to deal with if she was to be respected as a captain in the future.

"Are you worried about how the rest of your family would criticize how you run your division?" Isane was clear with her wording. In Isane's mind, she no longer belonged to the thirteenth, but the thirteenth belonged to her. Rukia held a similar opinion with the fourth and Isane herself.

"Yes," Rukia spoke in a hushed whisper. The Ukitake clan was a subordinate house to the Kuchiki, but Jushiro had run the thirteenth for longer than many could remember. He was seen as one of the 'four pillars' of the Gotei 13. Now only Kyoraku remained from that esteemed number. Her late captain would be a hard act to follow to many, let alone eyes as critical as the Kuchiki.

Isane simply nodded. Isane understood the anxiety. The imposter syndrome that would consume you. Turning to the desk next to you to ask a question on instinct, only to look over and be reminded by the empty desk that they were no longer there. Unohana had become a pillar in Isane's own life, she could understand how Rukia felt. Though Rukia didn't have to deal with her captain giving her what in effect was their suicide note before leaving to die. That hurt, much more than when she found out about Unohana's past.

"How do you do it?" Rukia asked the more experienced lieutenant for guidance.

"I feel I should be asking you the same," but Isane had none to give.

"You're both doing great, don't let anyone else say otherwise," Renji couldn't let two of the strongest women he knew fall into their pit of self-doubts any longer. Frankly, he was impressed they weren't doing worse. The thirteenth was running on just below half strength, and the fourth was an administrative nightmare, especially as the base workload of the fourth had increased due to the sheer amount of construction going on. "I wouldn't be able to do half of what either of you have done."

Both the tallest and shortest of the lieutenants in the Gotei looked at their peer in shock. Renji had begun to be seen as the model lieutenant over the past few years. He had even turned down the captaincy of the seventh division in spite of having a bankai, something that had never happened in the Gotei's history. He was the strongest of the lieutenants and was probably stronger than some of the remaining captains, and he was telling them they were doing fine. Not only that, but he couldn't do what they were doing.

"What? You both have seen how Hisagi has to ride me to turn my paperwork in on time, doing a captain's paperwork on top of that would already be pushing it," Renji scratched the back of his neck. He really didn't like the administrative parts of his job, they were boring as hell. "Then having to manage a hospital or a massive amount of living world patrols on top of that? No thank you."

Renji's response garnered a chuckle from Rukia and Kiyone. He really was a piece of work.

Ichigo was in the foyer where Rukia had set up the flower displays. Under the lighting that had been set up prior to the event, it was quite stunning. Rukia truly did have an eye for details like this.

"I owe Rukia after this…" Kukaku mused. They were in the foyer greeting the guests and the arrangement had gotten positive reactions as the guests slowly came in, which was good because Kukaku never really focused on being 'ladylike' when she was growing up.

"Don't worry, she won't hold it against you," Ichigo didn't mention the why as they both could connect the dots. He wasn't going to hold it against her either. If she still needed to work through her guilt he would let her.

"It's the principle of the matter," Kukaku didn't like not rewarding someone who did something for her. Not to mention that regardless of her status she had become a friend of the family through being a friend of Ichigo's.

"Fair enough," Ichigo looked around the crowd that had gathered. They were in a lull in the arrivals. He was surprised to learn that he had a following among the younger shinigami when some of the division delegations arrived.

It was at that moment the Kuckiki finally arrived with members of the thirteenth and sixth divisions. Though Ichigo was surprised to see that members of the fourth were also in the group.

Byakuya had moved to meet with Kukaku to be welcomed, as had Rukia and Isane. Some of the others however had come to speak with him. Unsurprising as many wanted to speak with the heir to the Shiba clan.

"So, you're actually nobility. Explains how you were able to kick my ass back then," Renji verbally jabbed at him. He knew how strong a member of the five houses could be as his captain was one himself.

"Please, your zanpakuto has an exploitable weakness and it was clear you never trained to cover for it," Ichigo had started out as a street fighter, and a damn good one. His form may generally be somewhat sloppy, but he was good at finding and exploiting openings.

"And you have the swordsmanship of a wild animal," Renji shot back. Ichigo was rough and unrefined. It's a wonder to Renji how he won so many swordfights.

"Idiots the both of you," Rukia proceeded to slap the both of them for letting their egos momentarily get the better of them. "We're here at an event celebrating a great house's reinstatement and you two are bickering. Way to make yourselves look like children."

"Rukia, is this your work?" an old voice spoke from behind Rukia.

Rukia jolted in surprise.

"Yes Lord Ginrei, Lady Kukaku needed help planning the event so I offered my assistance," Rukia very quickly switched from berating Ichigo and Renji to her polite tone and cadence as though she hadn't just slapped a blood heir of a noble house.

"Superb work," Ginrei knew that Rukia wore a mask when in noble company. He wished she didn't around him, but it was likely that she would continue to use it even if he asked her not to. He then turned to Ichigo.

"You must be Isshin's son, and the one who helped my grandson to see reason," Ginrei looked over Ichigo. He is very much a Shiba. It's surprising nobody considered the possibility given it was known Isshin ran off with a human.

"Yeah, and I guess I did do that," Ichigo rubbed the back of his head. He knew who Ginrei was, though he had never met him in his time helping Rukia with taking care of Byakuya.

"It is good to finally meet you in person, and it is also good to see the Shibas return to their rightful place," Ginrei was appalled at what Central 46 did in the wake of Isshin's desertion. It was a blatant power grab disguised as a punitive act.

"Yeah, though I was caught off guard to learn that," Ichigo scratched the back of his head. He had no idea what to make of the older Kuchiki.

"I can imagine, and I am sorry you had to become involved in the first place," Ginrei knew the way things were supposed to be. He was also old enough however to realize that the world rarely conformed to whatever sense of 'order' you impose on it. "Now then, I think I took up too much of your time already, I have some old friends I want to speak with before the celebration begins," with that Ginrei nodded and left Ichigo to his business.

"Yeah, guess I should be going as well. Need to stick with the captain for now," Renji walked off to go to where Byakuya was, following a half step behind Ginrei. Rukia followed as well, but not after a moment's hesitation.

"Have to say, that was the nicest I've ever seen the old man," Kukaku remarked quietly. She had been listening in after she had finished greeting Byakuya and Isane.

"Huh?" Ichigo looked over at Kukaku.

"Ginrei was Byakuya's predecessor both as head of the Kuchiki and captain of the sixth. He goes all the way back to the original Gotei, he's almost as old as the late head captain," Kukaku's remark caught Ichigo by surprise.

"Former captain?" Ichigo found that confusing. He thought that you maintained your power even as you age.

"As you get older you're supposed to lose power gradually. Yamamoto of course said screw that and only got stronger," she was impressed really. For someone to be that old, yet so powerful that even Yhawach had to plan around him. "Probably trained his ass off to do it though."

"Probably," Ichigo found the lack of Yamamoto's burning presence to be uncomfortable. Without him, the Seireitei, Soul Society even, felt colder.

Then, the final group that they were waiting for arrived.

"Hey, sorry we're late, lost track of time," Shunsui had arrived along with Nanao and Lisa.

"He was distracted by a pretty lady," Lisa said nonchalantly.

"You were looking too," Shunsui responded, feigning a betrayed tone.

"And I didn't stand there drooling," Lisa responded dismissively, then moved to be seated.

"Get seated you old man, then we'll get started," Kukaku knew she could get away with the remark given Kyoraku's normally relaxed attitude.

The beginning of the event was… very Shiba. Byakuya shouldn't have been surprised given that Kukaku was given the role of master of the Kakaku Taiho before Kaien's death and Isshin's desertion. She had set up a frankly obscene amount of fireworks and set them off in sequence. It was a stunning display of pyrotechnical ability, but it was also obscenely loud.

Fortunately, the display was not overly long, and soon the crowds had dispersed to begin socialization. Byakuya had plans to get absolutely smashed today, but he did have some matters to attend to. First of which was observing the interactions between his sister and Ichigo.

It was plainly obvious that the two knew each other on a level rarely seen even among lovers. Rukia was far more relaxed and open with him than he had seen her the entire time he has known her. There were also moments where he could tell that the two harbored feelings for each other. It was plain as day, but it seemed that had too much respect, or were too nervous, to ask for that kind of commitment. Thus, he wouldn't force it upon them.

"Observing your sister?" His grandfather had insisted on following him along. Perhaps he guessed what his plans for the night entailed. "You know, the boy reminds me of you when you were younger," Ginrei subtly teased his grandson. Taking a drink from his own saucer.

"I was nowhere near as foolish," Byakuya retorted calmly.

"Oh? I seem to remember how a particular captain found her way under your skin every time she visited," Ginrei smirked as he recollected Yoruichi's intrusions on his grandson's training.

"I will not entertain this line of conversation any further," with that Byakuya took a deep drink from his saucer.

"Suit yourself," Ginrei sighed. "Do you notice anything strange about the boy's reiatsu?" Ginrei really didn't want to be right about this.

"What do you mean?" Byakuya looked at his grandfather with a raised eyebrow.

"It's nothing," Ginrei shook his head. The topic would cause undue strife if it were overheard. And either way, the boy's loyalties were clear. "Just an old man's wandering mind."

Byakuya nodded. It was clear that his grandfather didn't want to talk about it here.

Chapter Text

Tatsuki was hovering around her friend group. She meant no offense to the others there, but outside of the servants who helped her get settled in and Rukia she really didn't know any of them well. 

Sure. She recognized many of the lieutenants, especially Rangiku, but she didn't know them well at all. 

"Hey, Tatsuki, are you sure Ichigo is going to be okay?" Keigo pointed over to Ichigo who was talking with some other people, probably nobles. "I don't know, but it would probably be rude to bail him out," Tatsuki figured they were talking about official business or something. 

"Yeah, you're probably right," then an idea came to Keigo's mind. "Wait… these people have no idea about the living world," a mischievous smile grew on Keigo's face. 

"Don't. If you cause Ichigo trouble I'm going to kick your ass," she knew that any trouble they caused would blow back onto Ichigo as he was the reason they were there. 

"Aw, you're no fun…" Keigo slumped over before going to get some food for himself. That was when she noticed someone walk over. 

He was a rather tall individual with hair reaching his mid back and wore a distinctive captain's haori.

"Hey, you are?"Tatsuki spoke respectfully as she knew he was an important person, but she didn't know who he was. 

"I am Byakuya Kuchiki, head of the Kuchiki clan and captain of the sixth division," he spoke calmly. He didn't expect her to know him by name. She was new to this after all.

"Tatsuki Arisawa," she introduced herself before giving a respectful nod. "You're Rukia's brother right?"

"Yes, and I wish to speak with you about her," this surprised Tatsuki, but she nodded in response. 

"When she was in the living world, how did she and Kurosaki interact with each other?" It was a suitably vague question. He also asked her as she was Ichigo's oldest friend. 

"Honestly?" Tatsuki had to think for a bit to filter through all of those memories to form a response. Those few months with Rukia were some of the most eventful of her life. Everything seemed to change in a few days. And when she left, it was like there was a void where she used to be. "It always seemed they could cut right through each other's acts," Tatsuki could do the same to Ichigo's, but not Rukia. She was a puzzle she didn't quite have all of the pieces to. "I can't say much other than that as I don't know Rukia well enough to read her the same way."

Byakuya nodded. Rukia could be that way to people. Shelled away behind mask after mask, and switching between them so rapidly you barely have enough time to read it. Not even he was able to see what lay underneath. He feared that there may only have been two people who have ever seen who his sister really is. 

"Thank you for your input," he didn't need the parts of the puzzle Tatsuki lacked, as he had most of them already. Ichigo did as well if the assessment of his childhood friend and classmate was accurate. It was even likely perhaps that he had more of the puzzle than he did. 

"Yeah…" Tatsuki rubbed the back of her head. The cold air around the noble captain was off putting, and she found that the air seemed slightly thicker in his presence. 

Then, suddenly, a woman appeared between the two of them. She was about Tatsuki's height, though she had far darker skin and golden eyes.

"So, what's little Byakuya doing talking to a human hm?" She spoke in a playful voice. It was clear the two knew each other. The look on the captain’s face confirmed that, and it was clear that it was not an acquaintance he liked. 

"I shall be leaving," he spoke to Tatsuki as though the other woman weren't there as he then turned to his own cluster of people. The slight pressure suddenly vanished. The air returning to normal.

"Aw, I was hoping to have some more fun," the woman then looked over to Tatsuki. "Yoruichi Shihoin, I'm an old friend of Kukaku's." 

Tatsuki noticed how she had avoided lingering on herself. Not even giving a single title. 

"Yeah, I think I've seen you around," the fact that a member of an entirely different clan was given access to the manor had said as much about her friendship with the current Shiba head. 

"Did Karin mention anything about where she was going?" Yoruichi changed the subject and did so with practiced grace. The kind that unsettled Tatsuki slightly. 

"Yeah, she said she was going to keep Isshin from doing anything stupid," Tatsuki pointed in the general direction of where they went.

"I wish her luck, he's been like that for as long as I've known him," then with a quick wave of goodbye she vanished. 

"What…" Tatsuki was kind of surprised at that. 

"Yeah, she tends to do that," Tatsuki turned to see Kukaku with a drink in her left hand. 

"Huh?" Tatsuki was surprised at the sudden appearance of the host for the event.

"Yoruichi, despite all of her capabilities in social situations, is not exactly the type to let a conversation linger on herself. Took me decades to get her to open up about herself," Kukaku handed her some food.

"Is she shy or something?" Tatsuki was confused, Yoruichi seemed almost disarming with how casual she was. 

"No, you spoke to the single most lethal assassin in Soul Society's history," Kukaku took a swig of her drink as she let Tatsuki process precisely what that meant. "She was trained to specifically avoid talking about herself. She still sucks at it."

"Oh…" that explained a lot. Yoruichi was manipulating the conversation to avoid talking about herself, probably even out of reflex. And then the disarming charisma of hers suddenly took on a darker meaning. 

"Yeah, took me two full jugs of sake to get her to talk, though dealing with her while she has a hangover is not something I recommend," Kukaku chuckled at the memory. Yoruichi with a hangover was something that amused Kukaku, but her temper in that state almost rivaled her own. 

"What's Ichigo doing?" Tatsuki looked over at her friend and he was still surrounded by those she guessed were nobility.

"He's speaking with some clans who wish to make themselves subordinate to us. In some cases again," Kukaku hated this part of politics. The assuaging of concerns, the dancing around points of disagreement, and the making of concessions. It bored her to death. "They want to 'be sure of the clan's future stability,'" Kukaku pantomimed. She got why they were concerned with that. The clan head position had changed twice in a rapid span. Once due to death, and the second time due to desertion. 

"Your take?" Tatsuki felt like Kukaku didn't buy it. 

"They're sizing him up. He has quite the reputation here, and now that he's my heir? They're probably going to try to have him marry one of their clan members," Kukaku hated saying that. And she could see from Tatsuki's face that she did too. 

"And the women they will try to have him marry, will they have a say in the matter?" Right to the heart of the matter. Tatsuki knew her history. This kind of political structure was rarely kind to the disadvantaged. 

"Nope. Which is why I hate this whole song and dance," Kukaku simply refused to be a part of that game. And she had promised Ichigo that she wouldn't force it upon him. 

At that Tatsuki nodded. Then she remembered something that Kukaku might want to know. 

"Byakuya asked me about how Ichigo and Rukia interacted when they were in the living world," Kukaku grinned. She knew exactly why he did that. 

Isane Kotetsu was hanging out with her fellow lieutenants. She wasn't partaking much in the provided drinks as she wasn't much for alcohol herself. A hangover was simply something she couldn't afford right now. Though she was listening to the banter. 

At least until a hand grasped her shoulder and the other lieutenants went quiet. 

"Now now, don't mind me, I just want to speak with Lieutenant Kotetsu," the head captain spoke with a relaxed tone as he then signaled Isane to follow him. 

When they were in a relatively secluded part of the main courtyard they stopped. 

"Head captain, is something wrong?" Isane was confused. Why speak with her here like this?

"No, no. Not at all. I just figured it would be best to give you some space given the subject matter," he then turned to face her. "What is the status of your bankai? Do you feel that it is in a usable state?"

Isane nodded. She knew what was happening. It was something that Unohana said she was confident would happen. She said in her letter that she was confident in Isane's ability to succeed her. Her bankai was hardly mastered, but it wasn't in the state Rukia's was in, she could use it if she had to. 

Kyoraku nodded. He then reached into a pocket in his haori and produced a letter. 

'I, Shunsui Kyoraku, head captain of the Goteijusanbantai, hereby appoint Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu of the Fourth Division to fill the vacancy of the captain of the Fourth Division.'

This was it. The piece of paper she was waiting for with both dread and anticipation. She was being called upon to replace Unohana. Yet she felt like she didn't deserve it one bit. Unohana was a goddess of the battlefield, with complete mastery over the arts of battle, including the treatment of casualties. Isane was simply a doctor, a skilled one, capable of performing various emergency treatments and even most surgeries with high proficiency, but Ichigo had taken her out with a simple palm strike to the gut. She wasn't the shield the Fourth needed.

"I spoke with Unohana when I gave the order. I asked if you were ready to succeed her," Kyoraku spoke with a hint of guilt in his voice. There were so many things going on in his head at that moment. If Unohana had indicated anything less than total readiness, he would have called the whole thing off. "She said you were more than ready for this."

Isane looked at the head captain as he nodded and then turned away. He figured she would need time to herself given the responsibilities he had just dropped on her. He simply hoped she had had enough time to process her grief.

Ichigo had just finished talking with the nobles who were speaking with him, and honestly, he was quite happy that was done. He knew they were sizing him up for possible marriages. It was deeply uncomfortable for him. So being able to return to his friend group was a relief. 

"Ichigo! You’ve returned!" Of course, Keigo had to make a show of it. 

"Can it! Remember what I said?" Tatsuki quickly put him in his place, leaving a welt on his head. 

"Ow ow ow ow! Fine," Keigo then sulked off, "You're both horrible!"

"What got into him?" Ichigo's thumb pointed back to Keigo as he sulked in a corner. 

"My guess? Sake." Mizurio was sitting down partaking in the drink himself.

"And what are you doing?" Ichigo knew that Mizurio would have a field day here with the number of women to his taste. 

"Observing," he then took another sip.

"Kukaku threatened him with something, I don't know what as he won't say," Tatsuki didn't mind, however. He was more level-headed anyway. 

"Where's Orihime?" He had noticed a distinct lack of Orihime's weird musings.

"Rangiku took her and Rukia," Chad spoke in his usual stoic and reserved way as he ate some fried rice that was prepared for the event. 

"Oh…" Ichigo wondered if he should grab Hanataro and find them just in case they were undergoing alcohol poisoning. 

Most people think that when Rangiku grabs someone out of nowhere, it's to get them shitfaced drunk. While that is usually the case, and she was going to get Rukia and Orihime drunk off their asses, there was something else. 

"So, both of you sent me messages about wanting advice with guys," she wasn't surprised. She had a reputation as a massive flirt. 

Both Rukia and Orihime nodded. 

"And does it have to do with our heartthrob noble heir?" They both looked away from each other. Their aversion to each other’s gazes also confirmed that they were somewhat aware of the other’s feelings

"Oh boy," If the two women before her weren't the nicest and most pure souls she had ever had the pleasure of meeting, she was sure that there would have been a fight of some sort. They both knew it too based on the tense and awkward silence. 

“So, how about we start with a question, why?” That one word was such a massive question. Why had they fallen for him? Why did they want to be with him?

Rukia’s mind flashed back to a long time ago. Long before she had become lieutenant, long before she even had shikai, to the one other person in her life she had similar feelings for. Kaien. How he was the first to treat her as a person. Not a noble, not a rukon rat claiming an unearned name, but a person . 

Orihime remembered her years before meeting Tatsuki. How bad they had been. How she had been bullied and alone. Ichigo was always at the edge of her immediate circle of friends, but the way he cared for those friends, the way he would fight for them, she wanted that. 

“You don’t need to give me an answer. You just need it for yourself,” Rangiku knew of Rukia’s crush on Kaien. She had overheard a conversation involving that between her captain and his older brother. 

“No, I think I have to say it,” Rukia piped up. She wanted to deny these feelings for so long. To bury them, hide them away, and pretend they never existed. This was because she thought she would be taking away the normal life she thought he deserved, but now knew he would never have had. “He was the first person since Kaien’s death to treat me as… me ,” Ichigo didn’t know what the Kuchiki name meant when they first met, and when he did learn he didn’t care. His similarities to her late mentor were more than skin deep. It was clear they had the same heart, the same values. 

Rangiku hmmed at that. She never kept track of what happened after his death. Primarily because she had assumed Rukia had a support structure she could fall back on. Now it was clear that was never the case. Kaien was her support structure. 

Orihime understood. Ichigo had never treated her poorly, even when she thought she was being nothing more than dead weight, especially during his rescue attempt. He had taken on Grimjow, Nnoitra, and… Her mind shuttered at the memory of Ulquiorra. The scars he left in her mind were deep, and the memory of Ichigo’s battle with him still scared her to this day. That was the moment her image of Ichigo as a knight in shining armor shattered. 

“What about you?” Rangiku looked at her former housemate. 

“I…” she didn’t know how to put it into words. It was a difficult thing for her to say.

“The way he’s willing to fight, and possibly even die for someone he bearly knows,” Rukia knew what Orihime was trying to say. After all, he had done the same for her. 

“Yes,” Orihime nodded as she spoke quietly. That was exactly it. His selfless drive to protect. His willingness to move the very heavens for those he called friends. 

“Now how about how you make him feel?” Rangiku looked at both of them. This was the hard question. One that dictated the appropriate response for both of them to all of this. And the one that she knew could lead to an uncomfortable answer.

Orihime remembered the 17 months he had without powers. He couldn’t see anything, not even normal spirits. She could see his pain, how he suffered without being able to do anything. How he let his grades slip, how he always seemed to be going through the motions day by day, the subtle shift in his posture when Uryu, Chad, or herself left to deal with a particularly close hollow. 

No matter what she tried, she couldn’t cheer him up. She had even floated the idea of rejecting the loss of his powers by him, but he politely declined, saying he didn’t want to be a burden. 

She didn’t know what to do. 

Then she remembered how Rukia could motivate him. Assert herself in a way to remind him what he was fighting for, to get him out of his funk, and… she could never find a way to do that. 

“He…" Orihime took a short breath to collect herself, "He loves you,” the words hurt coming out of her mouth, but she couldn’t deny it. Those five months when he had his powers were the happiest Tatsuki had ever seen Ichigo. She had outright said that to her. And she didn’t need any confirmation about how bad that year and a half was for him. 

Rukia though was stunned. 

“Me?” Rukia at her friend quizzically. Orihime simply nodded in response. At that moment Rukia was overcome with a strongly familiar feeling. Like she had been in this situation before. Then it came to her. This was another parallel between them. Their first loves both loved someone else. For Kaien it was Miyako, for Orihime it was… her.

“You weren’t there for the time he didn’t have his powers,” Rukia’s eyes widened in realization. Orihime was there for almost all of it. “It was almost like the fire he had in him died out. Like he was simply waiting to… to die.”

“I see…” Rukia remembered the face Ichigo had when he saw her again. It was as if his life had started again. Like he was whole again. 

“No, I don’t think you do,” Orihime could feel tears welling, but she needed to tell her friend just how much she meant to him. “You gave him everything he had ever wanted in life. He was broken without it, without you .”

Rukia was speechless. She then realized she had never met Ichigo before that fateful day. She had never gotten to know what his life was like before she changed it forever. To hear she had such an effect on him was… she didn’t know what to feel about it. 

“Well, I’ll leave the rest to you, how about a drink to lighten the mood?” Rangiku produced her sake set. “And with Lisa back I might finally have some competition again.”

Yoruichi was walking about the grounds. Most of the official business was over with, and the revelry began. What was initially just tasteful drinking to make the talks less boring now led into proper celebration. 

There were however a lot of people like herself who simply didn’t like being drunk. It could be due to many reasons, though in the case of Yoruichi, her training was the reason. When she was drunk she got sloppy, and a part of her simply hated that. So she went to find kindred spirits until she found the son of her second-in-command and his successor under Sui-Feng.

“Lady Shihoin!” Marechiyo Omaeda quickly bowed once he noticed the approach of the former clan head and Onmitisukido commander. 

“Relax, relax,” Yoruichi dismissed the bow. “We’re here for the Shiba’s, not me. I lost a lot of my prestige a long time ago anyway.”

“You’re still Shihoin and you still have your title as tenshiheisoban!” Yoruichi sighed at the mention of her formal title. It was technically a ceremonial title, but it was still a major statement due to what it meant. 

“And I’m telling you to relax.” Yoruichi then noticed something, or more specifically a lack of someone. “Where’s Sui-Feng?” She normally wouldn’t have missed an opportunity to shadow her. Her absence was… odd.

“Captain Sui-Feng had other matters to attend to,” Yoruichi was surprised at that. To pull Sui-Feng away must mean it was a major issue. The Onmituskido and by extension the second division doesn’t have any formal recordkeeping or paperwork due to its nature. She set that up. 

“Does the head captain know?” Omaeda’s nod confirmed her suspicion. There was something afoot and the head captain was using the celebration as a convenient smoke screen. 

In a moment she shunpoed away to the location of the head captain. He was sitting alone overlooking the rest of the party from a second-floor balcony.

“My my, what brings the great Yoruichi here?” Kyoraku was surprisingly not drunk. That already raised a few flags in her head. 

“Where’s Sui-Feng,” she asked curtly. Sui-Feng was the last main branch member of her family, and Yoruichi is supposed to look after her and ensure her survival. 

“Are you so unsure of your student?” Shunsui motioned for her to sit next to him as he spoke. He was trying to de-escalate the situation. Yoruichi declined. 

“That is beside the point, I was charged with her well-being, and by extension that of her clan,” the head captain sighed. 

“I have her deployed, that’s all I can tell you,” Yoruichi quickly translated that into what it actually meant. ‘I can’t risk telling you, so stop asking.’ She lightly chuckled as that was the same response she gave Yushiro way too often. 

Yoruichi quickly cast a kido spell to mask their conversation. 

"You can trust my discretion," Yoruichi then decided to sit down, but her face was still stern and her posture tense. 

"It's the Visuals Department. Someone was able to rebuild Xcution and as a far more problematic organization this time," The fact they were undetected long before Ichigo found them was troubling, but their existence as they were could be tolerated. Michibane's cult however threatened the secrecy of Soul Society. 

"So you want to know whose head has to roll and why," Yammamoto would have probably dealt with the problem directly. Send a task force, clear out the cult, then use that for an 'audit' of the department, probably a fiery one at that. Right now though? A more surgical approach was needed. 

"Pretty much," The head captain closed his good eye as he relaxed. "Nothing to do except to hurry up and wait."

Chapter Text

Ichigo had found Orihime and Rukia among Rangiku and a group of other women, one of them being now Captain Lisa Yadomaru. 

Everyone but her was absolutely sloshed. 

"-hic- 'Hime, you have such -hic- nice hair," Rukia was on her back behind Orihime playing with her long auburn hair. Her speech was much slower than normal and slightly slurred, along with the occasional hiccup. 

"Thank you," Orihime was also showing an indicative blush on her face. Though it was clear that she wasn't as far along as Rukia. 

"I guess you're here to rescue your girlfriend and her bestie again," Rangiku let out a slight chuckle as she spoke. Her plain kimono falling down one of her shoulders. Ichigo noted how Rangiku didn't specify who was which as he had pulled both of their asses out of the fire. 

"Orihime, Rukia, can you both still walk?" Ichigo asked mainly to ascertain whether or not they should be cut off or not. 

"Yeah," Orihime responded with only slightly slurred speech. Rukia however…

"I can… -hic- I can get up…" Rukia could in fact, not get back up on her feet. The moment she did she stumbled a little before Ichigo caught her. 

"Apparently not," Ichigo looked her over. She was absolutely hammered. "How much have you had to drink?" 

"Seven *hic* saic… say… saucers," Rukia had trouble saying what she meant. 

"Only seven… Lisa, how big are the saucers?" At Ichigo's question, Lisa simply raised hers up. Ichigo was surprised at how big it was. "Wha… you could damn near pour out half a bottle into that!"

"They're Rangiku's," Lisa was clearly nowhere near as drunk as anyone else was. 

"Lisa baited Rukia into joining our little contest," Rangiku, however, was hammered herself. 

Ichigo looked over at Lisa accusingly. In response, Lisa simply shrugged. 

“Whatever,” Ichigo then looked back over at Rukia and Orihime. “Since you can’t walk yourself,” Ichigo then picked up Rukia so she could ride on his back like the times they were patrolling together.

Ichigo then started walking back over to where Tatsuki and the others were. Rukia being as drunk as she was would probably not want to be near the rest of the Kuchikis until she at least started to sober up. 

“So, why did Rangiku abscond with you two and didn’t bring Tatsuki along?” Ichigo found that weird. 

“Rangiku didn’t know her as well and…” Orihime started to form a cover story as she didn’t want to have to explain a private conversation.

“We asked -hic- her for advice…” Rukia however, in her inebriated state shattered that plan.

“You know what? I’ll leave it there,” Ichigo figured since Orihime had tried to lie about it that it wasn’t exactly something she wanted to talk about. That was fine in his book. Whatever they wanted advice over wasn’t his business.

“Are you sure you don’t want to know?” Rukia’s slurred speech wasn’t interrupted by a hiccup this time, but it was clear that she was still as drunk as she was before. 

“Nope,”

“Fine,”

The silent treatment Rukia decided to give him persisted until they got back to the part of the main courtyard where his friends were, only occasionally interrupted by the stray hiccup.

“Oi, Kukaku, can you make sure Rukia stays hydrated? She got dragged into a drinking contest with Lisa and Rangiku,” Ichigo sat Rukia down at the table in an open seat that they left in case she decided to drop by. 

“Oh, playing knight in shining armor Ichigo?” Kukaku teased him. He did carry Rukia all this way after all. Though it probably wouldn’t have fanned the rumors as much as if he had done with a bridal carry. 

“I’m just trying to make sure she doesn’t have a shitty hangover,” he didn’t know how much she had had to eat prior and she also didn’t have much mass for the alcohol to diffuse through. Tolerance be damned anyone of her stature would be smashed.

“It’s fine, I’ll make sure she’s taken care of,” Kukaku then took a drag from her pipe. “By the way, the Yayahara head would like to speak with you.”

Ichigo groaned as he turned to go speak with another noble. Kukaku looked over at Orihime. Yes, the Yayahara head did want to meet Ichigo, but she also wanted to get him away from them as it was clear that Orihime was not exactly enjoying herself. 

“You doing okay there?” Kukaku looked over at Orihime. She had been holding a poor posture and had her arms closer to herself than one normally would. Usually a sign of fear or anxiety. 

“I… no,” Orihime was not okay, but she did have clarity. 

“You caught feelings for him,” Kukaku knew the situation. She had seen it many times in her days in the academy. 

Orihime only nodded. Rukia was passed out and the others were engrossed in their own conversations. 

“And Rangiku helped you realize he doesn't return those feelings?” Kukaku knew that hurt a lot. She didn't know much about the young woman, but she knew she was a bleeding heart. Almost like another young woman who laid passed out nearby. 

“Yes,” Orihime said quietly. It hurt so much, but it made sense in her mind. Ichigo was at his happiest in those five months, and Rukia gave that to him. How she wished for a simpler situation, where the one who competed with her for Ichigo's attention wasn't also her best friend and someone she deeply admired. 

“And Rukia has feelings for him as well?” Kukaku peeced the situation together from Orihime’s body language. 

Orihime’s silence was all the answer she needed. Kukaku sighed, there were better ways to receive news like this. A love triangle was a shitshow on its own, but one between friends can very quickly lead to hurt feelings and there no longer being a friendship, though she didn’t think Rukia would go there. No, she would sooner sacrifice her own happiness to nip the whole situation in the bud. 

“So, what are you going to try to do?” Kukaku looked over at the auburn-haired woman. She was young, way too young in Kukaku’s mind for the world she was thrown into. 

“I don’t know,” Orihime’s reply was again said quietly. 

Kukaku simply nodded along. 

Karin had been following her father around the entire event. It’s not like she had anything better to do after all. She barely knew anyone here, and her father would probably embarrass the entire family if left on his own. 

Fortunately, she wasn’t alone in that sentiment. Alongside her was her father’s successor as captain of the tenth and his former third seat Toshiro Hitsugaya. 

“I take it dad hasn’t changed much,” Karin looked at the shorter captain as they shadowed Isshin.

“No, not at all,” Toshiro was able to observe Isshin in his time in the living world. They had even spoken in private on several occasions. 

“Figured. Kukaku shared a few stories with me,” the fact she was related to the explosive woman was still something she had to get used to. Fortunately, she hadn’t had to deal with Ganju yet.

It was at that moment that Isshin got tackled out of nowhere by a man who could at best be described as a younger version of himself. It seems Karin’s luck had run out. 

Both Karin and Toshiro sighed in stereo as they moved to stop the Shiba brand of roughhousing the two would inevitably get involved in.

“Hey you old man, you think you can just vanish for twenty years and not get a good old welcome from me when you get back?” Ganju had Isshin in a one-armed headlock as he noogied him. 

“Oh ho ho, so we’re playing that game now,” before Isshin could begin wrestling Ganju both he and Ganju got a fist in each of their faces. 

“You two are not starting that shit in the middle of a celebration full of nobles,” she then grabbed her father by his collar and pulled him away from her idiot uncle. 

Toshiro on the other hand was surprised. Most of what happened up to that point was normal for Isshin. However, Karin hit her father with a force that was, while negligible for a captain-grade shinigami such as Isshin, much more than he was expecting out of her. 

“Hey, shorty, you coming along?” that remark immediately shut off Toshiro’s brain and caused the temperature to drop by a few degrees.

“You called him short,” Isshin looked at his daughter, “you shouldn’t’ve done that.” 

“What, is he sensitive about it?” Karin had let the moniker slip out by instinct.

“You could say that,” Isshin scratched the back of his neck, remembering the time he had made a similar mistake. 

Toshiro collected himself before he did something stupid, then turned to look at Karin. 

“I have a name, and I would prefer you call me by it,” It was clear the comment got under his skin.

“Fine, ‘Shiro, you coming?” Karin then started to drag her father again. Toshiro simply grumbled while following as she called him by his nickname entirely by accident. “Wow, becoming captain must have really caused you to calm down,” Isshin remarked, entirely ignoring the fact he was being dragged by his daughter. 

“It’s simple really, I just think about what you would do,” Isshin started to brighten up at that, “Then not do that.” Isshin then deflated rapidly. 

“Why must my children be so cruel to me,” Isshin quietly lamented. 

Aura Michibane was walking through the area she was currently set up. The air was as usual laced with the smells of gasoline and street food. She really didn’t like the city, but Naraki provided her with good positioning and an easy recruiting pool. Recent events made things uncertain in Japan. The deployment of the JSDF in Iraq, the rising cost of living, and if someone looks at the greater economic picture, the world is sitting on a slowly growing property bubble. A few words here, a little fullbring use there, and she has a person thinking she’s a saint, or an avatar, or even a messiah. It all means nothing to her. 

All that matters is the creation of a new world. One where the world will know its true place in the order of things, no more lies, no more delusion, truth . But that wasn’t why she was outside. No, one of her followers reported a strange black object embedded in the pavement of a parking garage near her base of operations, and so she was here to investigate. 

And there it was. In the pavement of the third floor of the parking garage she was in was an obsidian black knife. The curious bit was the blue five-pointed cross sticking out of the blade where a tang or handle would otherwise be. She didn’t think Uryu would be a player in her game, unless? She pulled her blackberry out of her pocket and then texted a message. 

‘Yukio, we’ve been discovered. Begin packing up and get everything to the safehouse.’

Once she hit send, she vanished in a blur of bringer light. If Soul Society were using Uryu and his cell as proxies, then they were expecting her to defend her ‘base’. All she had to do was exactly that once things hit zero-hour. Invaders Must Die would simplify the extraction of any incriminating material as well as any critical assets. 

All she had to do was wait for the quincy to strike.

A starless night had fallen over Naraki city a while ago. The lights of the larger Tokyo metro area drowned out the light of those distant stellar furnaces. 

Uryu was waiting in a staging area in Naraki. Candice, Littoro, and Shaz were also with him. They were all wearing reiatsu cloaking shrouds reverse-engineered from Urahara's own cloaks by one of the Wandenreich scientists who were now loyal to him. 

"Your Majesty, we have a problem," Shaz Domino spoke. He had always insisted on calling him as such. Uryu didn't like it. For once he found himself preferring the informality of the Bambis. 

"What is it?" Any complication to this plan could be catastrophic given the surrounding area. He did not want to have to face prepared defenders in a dense urban environment. 

"The VIP discovered one of our listening devices. We may have to accelerate our plan," Domino's response was exactly what Uryu didn't want to hear. Michibane would be alert to their presence, and every second they waited was a second that she had to deny them their objective. 

"Then we act now," the stern voice of the Onmitsukido commander was clear as day. There really was only one action they could take. Act. So act they did. 

"Tango, Golf, with me. Sigma, work with the shinigami to catch any runners," if anyone ran from the hideout, they had to assume they could be carrying critical information. Shaz was best suited for covering a wide area like this. 

Uryu needed to pin down Aura, however. Make sure she couldn't interfere with the Onmitsukido objective. And so the operation began.

Chapter Text

Aura Michibane was waiting, her mind going over possible patterns of engagement. It is likely the quincy would leverage their superior range and accuracy. Thus she was inside the building they once called their public base of operations. Yukio had already thrown everything inside Invaders Must Die and was on his way to the safe house in the forests further west in the prefecture. 

Suddenly she felt three large flares of reiatsu. 

"So, you've finally come out to play Uryu Ishida," Aura motioned for several of the masked figures around her to intercept the quincy. Suddenly and without a word, a dozen of them vanished in the green flash of bringer light as they moved to engage. 

Aura didn't commit all of them, however. Their shinigami allies were yet to be seen. That most likely confirmed her suspicion that they were Onmitsukido. That also narrowed down their objectives. They would either be here to kill her, or to find out how she evaded detection for so long. 

Given that she didn’t hear anything from Tokinada about this operation, it was likely that it would only be to ascertain how she evaded detection. The Central 46 wouldn’t like the head captain ordering the death of a human without their explicit permission. 

So Aura simply waited. 

Sui-Feng was not amused. The quincy before her was not as careful as he should have been when placing his listening devices. At least he was quick to figure out that they were discovered and was working with her Onmitsukido forces to cast a search net for anyone who could possibly be absconding with valuable intel. 

"My apologies for my sloppiness earlier. I did not properly account for members of her cult being able to see spirits," Shaz Domino spoke apologetically. Though still focused on what his arrows were sensing.

"Then make up for it by finding our target," Sui-Feng didn't care much for apologies. Words did little to mend the situation. She also considered the fact that they hadn't been found out until this point quite fortunate. Though with the cult spooked they would likely go to ground, but that would have happened anyway. If there is one thing she learned in her centuries of service, it's that plans never survived contact with the enemy. This is why stealth is so important to an assassin. 

So here they were, in the staging area, waiting for the quincy to point them in the direction of their target. 

"It seems the target moved west," Domino couldn't sense where the target was. But he could sense where they were. That was not a good sign. 

"Seems?" Most of Sui-Feng's face was obscured by her mask, but the quizzical look could still be seen in her eyes. 

"I fear that they were able to pack up much faster than we expected," the former sternritter's statement was troublesome. It meant that they had blown their chance already. 

“Very well. Then we will wait for the others to engage the target and scour the main base for anything left behind,” this complication annoyed Sui-Feng immensely, but now was not the time for emotions. 

Shaz Domino nodded. His Majesty asked him to be careful in the placement of his arrows around the city, but in a lapse of judgment, he thought he could hide one of them in plain sight to get better coverage over the target area. That lapse could very well have cost them the mission and he knew it. 

So he redoubled his efforts. If he couldn’t catch the runner. Maybe he could identify the route they took through the net cast by his arrows so that he could trail them to where they went. Though that was a multi-day effort at least, and something he didn’t have the time to act on currently. He needed to focus on any further potential runners. 

Litorro Lampard was not exactly keen on working with shinigami, let alone those of the infamous Onmitsukido. Uryu may not have been there 200 years ago when the Gotei was given the order to exterminate them, but she was. How she survived still eluded her, when she woke up in the rubble of her home, she could only see death and rubble. It was a crushing scene. 

One she hoped no quincy would have to live through again. That is why she supported Uryu, and why she found herself embattled with a bunch of masked goons straight out of a tokusatsu show. 

“Uryu, the more of these guys we fight the more I think we’re in a damned tv show!” that was Candi running her mouth as usual as she knocked down a couple of the mooks. 

“You’re telling me,” Uryu’s strained reply came as he had to punch a mook away from him. They had been jumped by over a dozen of them as soon as they removed their concealment cloaks. Normally they wouldn’t be an issue, but Uryu didn’t want to risk pissing off the shinigami by needlessly killing humans. 

The vanguard force had found themselves ambushed. Whoever this Aura Michibane was, she was a smart one. The information that had received on fullbrings from the shinigami indicated that they would have the range advantage, and their foes completely erased that.

As they had fought Lil noticed how even though punching their blut should feel like punching a brick wall, she didn’t notice any smashed knuckles, no blood, nothing to indicate injury even though it was clear they were hitting at full force. This can’t be normal. 

Lil however was having a thought. 

“Something isn’t right here…” and with that she used her shrift to take a huge bite out of one of the mooks, biting off the entire torso above the hips. The loud chomp caught everyone off guard. The mooks started to back away from them. As if to process what just happened. 

Uryu however, was not as reserved.

“What did I say about eating people!” Uryu had found the Bambis to be a source of constant vexation. Bambietta was a violent psychopath who loved to blow shit up, Candice didn’t understand the word ‘modesty’ and Lil would eat literally anything, Menias was honestly the least problematic of them, and he still had to remind her to not use her inhuman strength in public. 

Lil held her finger up as she could be heard loudly chewing on the poor mook before swallowing. 

“They’re not human,” Litorro’s response caught everyone off guard.

“What?” Uryu looked at her in utter befuddlement. 

“People aren’t so crunchy,” Lil spoke matter-of-factly. 

“Then what the hell are they?” Uryu was really not in the mood for this right now.

“I don’t know, mannequins?” Lil really didn’t know. It’s not like she was a toddler who put anything into her mouth after all. 

“How the hell would mannequins be able to just stand around and fight huh?” Candice was not believing this. She was fine with Lil eating people as she usually only reserved it for combat or people who really deserve it, but this talk about animated mannequins was nuts,

Uryu though was contemplating things while the mooks stood and stared at the exchange that was happening before them in utter confusion.

“Aura is a fullbringer. Animating dolls or mannequins isn’t out of scope for them,” though the skill required to control so many… 

“So we can just kill ‘em?” Candice asked in an almost eager way. 

As if to answer Uryu quietly walked up to one of the mannequins, activating a Seele Schneider from his belt. And in one quick motion bisected it from shoulder to hip. Then all of the other mannequins suffered the same damage as he used his shrift to apply that state to all of the others. 

“Yes.” Uryu then turned off the Seele Schnider and hooked it back into its place on his belt. 

Aura felt the moment the mannequins she sent to intercept Uryu and his vanguard fell silent. Somehow he had an ability that could take them all down in one blow. 

Aura's interest was piqued. The mechanics of such an ability, especially given how he only hit one of them, were intriguing, and just dangerous enough that she didn't fancy further confrontation. 

"I believe now is the time to leave before we become committed," she spoke to a shinigami beside her. His shihakusho bearing no distinctive markings. 

"Yes ma'am," with a single fluid motion, he opened a senkaimon and two hell butterflies flew out. 

Aura had gotten as close to the enemy as she felt comfortable with in this early stage of the plan. She needn't risk herself nor the nature of her abilities recklessly. She could win Uryu over later. After all, he had as much of a bone to pick with Soul Society as many of her followers, perhaps even more so. 

When the senkaimon closed, the other animated mannequins fell onto the floor. The power that rendered their bodies able to move having departed. 

Yuyu was sticking to the outskirts of where her family had set up camp in the courtyard. She had used any excuse to stay out of her father’s field of view. Fortunately, he was busy talking shop with some other nobles for business deals and the like. 

So caught up in her own thoughts Yuyu didn’t notice that there was someone in front of her going in the opposite direction who was similarly distracted. Causing the two to bump into each other, and Yuyu being the smaller of the two, falling over from the impact. 

“Shit, are you okay?” Yuyu heard a concerned voice. 

“Yeah I’m fine, sor-” that was when Yuyu looked up and say just who she had bumped into, “-ry…” her mind practically froze. She had bumped into Ichigo Kurosaki! The twice savior of Soul Society. 

“OhmygodI’msosorryletmegetoutofyourway!” She had moved to go to some hidden corner of the courtyard and sulk, preferably making herself forgettable enough to not be complained about. 

Much to her anxiety Ichigo stopped her. 

“Are you okay?” the look in his eyes showed genuine concern. He did just knock her flat on her ass after all. 

“Uh… yeah…” she didn’t know how to respond to this. She had gathered that he was nice, but he was so far above her in every way that mattered that she was expecting a more familiar reaction like indifference. 

“Are you really?” Ichigo could sense something was up. He didn’t know what, but his initial impressions of the Yayahara were not exactly flattering. While most had kept their mouths shut about eyeing him for potential political marriages, the Yayahara were not so subtle. It was as if the worst parts of what he dreaded were shoved in his face. 

“I… no,” she didn’t know exactly why she felt safe around him, but she did. 

“Yuyu!” that was when a voice that she dreaded seemingly boomed over the noise of the party. A Yayahara man walked over, presumably her father, and tried to collect his daughter. “I apologize if she has inconvenienced you in any way Lord Shiba.”

Emphasis on tried, as Ichigo put himself between the man and his daughter. 

“Sorry for what?” Ichigo stared at the man with a glare that could peer into his very soul, and Ichigo didn’t like what he saw. 

“She got in your way, she has issues knowing her place sometimes” he then tried to grab his daughter but Ichigo grabbed his wrist before he could even lay a hand on him.  

“It seems she isn’t the one who has issues knowing their place,” Ichigo spoke darkly. This was the Shiba manor, and he was a guest. The threat was clear, were he to so much as lay a finger on her wrong, he could have him thrown out. Such a reprimand would reflect poorly on the Yayahara and his status in the clan would suffer. 

“Pardon me, but she is my daughter,” he glared at the Shiba heir. He was interceding in family matters. He had no business getting between him and his daughter in such a way. 

“Seems to me that you don’t understand the first thing about being a father,” Ichigo could just sense something wrong with this man. The way he moved to grab his own daughter, who was a fully grown young woman, like a small child spoke volumes. 

“Please don’t…” Yuyu could feel her father's anger from here. This wasn’t going to end well. 

“Oi oi, what’s going on here?” the familiar voice of Ginjo could be heard clearly over the crowd that had gathered around Ichigo and Yuyu’s father. 

“This boy is keeping me from reprimanding my own daughter,” Yuyu’s father turned to Ginjo, hoping to get the head bodyguard of the Shiba on his side. 

“Did I ask you?” The former substitute glared at the man, causing him to shut up. “Ichigo, what happened?”

“I ran into this girl and then he came over and tried to grab her,” Ichigo’s answer caused Ginjo to sigh. 

“You, what’s your name?” he pointed at Yuyu, who was standing behind Ichigo and very much not wanting to be seen. 

“Yu- Yuyu Yayahara,” Her answer caused Ginjo to groan. 

“You,” Ginjo pointed at Yuyu’s father. “You seem to forget the rules around here, I don’t care if she’s your daughter, you don’t go around manhandling people like that. Now get out of my sight before I throw you out.”

“But-”

“Don’t care. Shiba’s house, Shiba’s rules. If you have a problem, take it up with Kukaku.” with that Ginjo turned to leave. 

“I would recommend listening to him,” the voice of an older woman could be heard after Ginjo made his statement. When Ichigo looked over to her he saw a woman of much fairer skin than the other Yayahara and spoke with an unmistakable grace. 

The man across from Ichigo stared daggers at her and then left while grumbling under his breath. 

“I apologize for the actions of my husband,” the woman then bowed lightly. The thanks for interceding went unsaid. 

“I take it you’re her mother?” Ichigo looked at the woman. The way she spoke, the way she carried herself with an almost ethereal grace, and her near-blank expression and measured formal tone told him everything he needed to know to make a fair guess as to her ancestry. 

“Yes, Lord Shiba. I also apologize if my daughter did cause you any inconvenience,” Her formality itched on Ichigo, though he knew he would have to get used to it. 

“Please, Just Ichigo is fine. What was going to happen?” Ichigo really wanted to know if he actually read the situation right. 

“I fear your initial assessment was correct,” Ichigo grimaced at the woman’s words. Then looked over to Yuyu. 

“Are you a member of any of the divisions?” Ichigo asked as he knew that many of the captains would go to bat for their subordinates. 

“Eighth,” Yuyu kept herself quiet. 

“Then maybe you should stick with Lisa,” when he said that Yuyu’s face lit up, and her mother’s flashed subtle shock. 

“You know Captain Yadomaru?” Yuyu didn’t know much about Lisa, but if Ichigo knew her on a first-name basis that could mean all kinds of things. 

"Yeah, Lisa helped in my visored training," Ichigo casually scratched the back of his head. The fact that she used him to do her chores didn’t really need to be said. 

"Why do you refer to Captain Yadomaru so casually?" Fukuro found Ichigo's disregard for rank and titles irksome. 

"Oh, yeah, I kinda met them when they were exiled, so they didn't really have any titles…" Ichigo grinned sheepishly. "By the way, I didn't get your name."

"Fukuro Yayahara," she responded formally. 

"Nice to meet you. Do you think Yuuu would be safer with her division than here?" Ichigo didn't want to just take her to Lisa without anyone in her family knowing. It would be a bad look. 

"Yes," Fukuro looked at Ichigo. "And thank you."

With that, she left to return to the Yayahara delegation. Confident in her daughter's safety. 

"Well, lets go, I'm sure you'll be safer with Lisa," and with that he walked over to where he figured Lisa was smashed and Rangiku was probably asleep. After all, it couldn't be any worse for her than where she was now, was it?

Chapter Text

While Yuyu was expecting that her captain was going to partake in drinking, she wasn’t expecting her to be drunk off of her ass after having drunk several lieutenants under the table. In some cases literally. 

“You know… I think you’d look good if you bleach your hair,” the loose speech of the only other person conscious outside of Yuyu and Lisa spoke up. That being of one Rangiku Matsumoto. 

“Uh…” Yuyu didn’t know how to react to that. She had considered changing her style on several occasions, but there was an anxiety about how it would be taken. She had already been reprimanded for how her zanjutsu training started to form calluses on her hands. Something that her father said was unbecoming of a lady like herself. 

If she suddenly came home blond? Oh, the explosion would be massive.

And hilarious.

“You know… I might just consider that,” a mischievous grin showed itself on Yuyu’s face. 

“You did it now Rangiku. She’s going to be turning her quarters into a laboratory now,” Her captain’s own speech was slurred, but it was clear she wasn’t as flirty as Rangiku. “You know… I think there are some styles you may be able to pull off,” oh boy. Something told her that this was either going to go horribly wrong, or oh so horribly right. “You can borrow any of the magazines I brought with me from the living world if you want, and I can get some more through some… connections I have.”

Yuyu stoped for a moment. She always had a fascination with the living world. Ichigo doing what he did only served to strengthen that interest as it was clear there was a massive cultural divergence as shown in his interview with Hisagi. 

She was just going to ignore the fact that she may have gotten her hands on one of the first copies of that issue to come off the presses. 

“I think she’s interested~” Rangiku’s sing-song voice couldn’t be more accurate. 

Ichigo was walking back to his little corner in the courtyard, again, to actually spend time with his friends and family. 

“Oi, Ichigo,” Or at least he was trying before Renji called out to him. 

“What is it?” Ichigo turned to look over at the red-haired lieutenant and once rival of his. 

“Just wanted to chat,” Renji pointed along to show that they could continue moving to where he was going. 

Ichigo nodded. Moving to his friends again. 

“How are you adjusting?” Renji asked a question that he had been dancing around for the times they had hung out together. 

“As well as I think I can be,” Ichigo’s answer was not the most comforting to him. Sure they weren’t exactly friends really, but Renji had grown to respect him over the years. 

He also knew that any pain he felt would be felt by Rukia just as much. The level of concern they had for each other, it was what inspired him to save her as well. 

“If you need any help, just let me know,” he also knew Ichigo needed a friend group up here. Sure he had Rukia, but outside of her, he didn’t really have anyone. “If you want, you could join the-”

“ICHIGO!!!” the voice of Keigo Asano preluded the attempted tackle-hug by Ichigo’s ‘friend’.

Of course, Ichigo just used shunpo to doge him on instinct. This caused Keigo to fly into a fountain that they had just passed. 

“So cruel,” Keigo was soaking wet now in the surprisingly durable fountain. 

“Sorry, he tends to do that a lot,” Renji chuckled at Ichigo’s apology. Ikkaku had told him stories of the shenanigans that happened at the Asano household, and how he never wanted to go there again. 

“I can see they’re both a bit too enthusiastic for their own good,” Renji’s response caught Ichigo off guard. 

“Huh?”

“Ikkaku told me about how his sister has a thing for shaved men,” Renji’s answer put a shockingly amusing image in Ichigo’s mind of Ikkaku being chased around by Keigo’s sister. 

“You know what, yeah that checks out,” Ichigo then remembered something. “Wait, where’s the eleventh? Weren’t they invited?”

“They mostly opted out, Kenpachi and Ikkaku cited how getting a bunch of members of the eleventh in the same area as alcohol is not exactly a good idea,” Renji wasn’t wrong either. The idea of a belligerently drunk Kenpachi made Ichigo shudder. 

“Honestly… good call…” he did not want to have to run from Zaraki for the entire night. “By the way, weren’t you going to ask me something?”

Renji sat there for a few moments, trying to remember why he wanted to speak with him in the first place.

“I forget…” Renji’s response elicited a groan from Ichigo. 

“Forget it. I’ll be with my friends if you want to hang out,” Unless Kukaku wanted him to do some more noble meetups that is. 

Karin was sitting on a rooftop overlooking the courtyard. The star-filled night was stunning. With no light pollution, she could see all of the stars. She couldn’t even make out any constellations. Though she wasn’t sure if they would be the same or not. Her father had decided to mellow out, so she could actually go and enjoy the party. Then she realized she didn’t know anyone save her bother, Rukia, and Chad. she had no rapport with anyone, and so she found herself enjoying a night sky that she wouldn’t be able to see unless she went out into the ocean. 

“There you are,” the voice of Toshiro Hitsuguya appeared next to her with the telltale swish of shunpo. 

“And why did you follow me?” Karin was more curious than anything. He had peers and friends. Hell, she had been introduced to Lieutenant Hinamori who was a childhood friend of his, and Lieutenant Matsumoto, who was her father’s lieutenant and the one who recruited Toshiro. 

“If I know Isshin as well as I think I do, he would probably want someone to look after you,” Toshiro being that person seemed natural to him. Sure, he was representing the tenth, but parties weren’t really his forte. The only reason he even came was that it would be the first time he had propperly seen his former captain in twenty years, well, officially. He had fully planed to catch up, then fade into the outskirts. The fact Karin gave him a convenient excuse to do so was something he took full advantage of. 

“Yeesh, just say you wanted to get away from the crowds,” Karin saw through all of that. It was likely that Ginjo had kept tabs on her from a distance. So there was no reason her father or Toshiro couldn’t do the same. 

“A coincidental benefit,” Toshiro then sat down on the roof next to her, careful to not let his haori get dirty. 

They then sat there in silence, looking at the sky. 

“One of the benefits of not having modern technology,” Karin pointed to the sky. “You can actually see the sky properly.”

Toshiro chuckled. She had a point. It was one of the issues he had with his long-term deployment to Karakura in the lead-up to the winter war. The lights of the Tokyo metro area drowned out all but the brightest stars, leaving only an inky blackness in the sky. 

“I understand, I missed this when I was stationed in the living world,” Toshiro closed his eyes as he let himself relax, letting out a deep breath. 

“So that was you back then. I thought you looked familiar,” Karin had remembered seeing someone who vaguely looked like Toshiro around the house back before winter break a few years ago. 

“Yes, I was in charge of protecting Karakura from any potential incursion by Aizen’s forces before we were ready to confront him,” the fact that such an incursion happened was not something he liked to think about. 

“Ah, take any opportunities to catch up with dad back then?” the fact that he recognized him was safely assumed. 

“Yes, though not often. I had a task force to be responsible for,” the complication brought on by the fact that he was still wanted by Soul Society at the time and it being found out he was Ichigo’s father was something he didn’t want to see play out. 

“That’s a lot of responsibility,” she didn’t comment about it being such for someone his age. She was certain she may be potentially an order of magnitude younger than him, so she’d be one to talk in that situation. 

“It’s what happens when you are the youngest shinigami to have attained bankai until a few years ago,” the fact that Ichigo smashed both the record for the fastest time for attaining bankai, and the youngest to ever do so was unsaid. 

“Yeah, don’t need to tell me who took that trophy from you,” her brother’s strength kind of scared her. He could just flatten her by accident if he wasn’t careful. Granted her father and every other captain present, including the one seated next to her, could probably do the same. 

“Indeed, though finding out he’s a Shiba does diminish the achievement for some,” not for those who have actually attained it, however. Many think Bankai is simply a matter of strength. In reality, it is a matter of self. One materializes their zanpakuto, who presents them with a test that is representative of their largest grievance with their master. Only by overcoming that test can one attain bankai. 

“I assume that means you’re not one of them?” Karin was interested. Here she was at the beginning of her journey as a shinigami, talking to someone who stood atop that very mountain. 

“Not one person who has actually attained bankai would dare diminish the gravity of attaining it. Let alone doing so at his age or the speed at which he did it,” He knew the cultural impact of it, but he really didn’t care about that. It was the single hardest technique to attain, and mastering it was even harder. 

“You have any pointers for me,” Karin spoke half-sarcastically, she didn’t know if what he was going to say was actually going to help or not. 

“When your zanpakuto speaks, listen,” Toshiro spoke those words with grave seriousness. His close relationship with Hiyorinmaru was the true source of his strength. 

Karin was silent as she contemplated the captain’s words, looking into the night sky as though it held further answers.

Uryu and Sui-Feng were in the now abandoned Xcution base. It was clear they were able to pack up quickly and efficiently. How they were able to do so stumped Sui-Feng. Even if they had help from a splinter faction from within the Visuals Department such a feat would have taken hours, not minutes. 

“Do you have any ideas on how they were able to do this?” she spoke curtly to the quincy leader. She hadn’t revealed who she was to him, nor had he acted in any way that indicated him realized it. Granted with how Aura had behaved, it was possible she was able to put everything together. Why else would quincy act against her? 

Granted that all ran on the assumption that she was properly informed and wasn’t simply a catspaw for some larger operation. It wasn’t exactly an assumption she couldn’t afford to not at least respect. If whoever she was working with was aware of the executive militia being involved, things could go in a whole manner of ways. 

“My only guess is that Michibane has managed to recruit Yukio Hans Vorarlberna or someone with a similar fullbring,” Uryu’s guess did check out with the information Uryu’s tracker gave. 

“I see, what about how Michibane escaped?” the fact that she was able to do so was a sign of both tactical acumen and a potential confirmation of her being backed by someone.

“My only guess is a gate able to transform keishi into reishi and vice versa,” Uryu knew of only one person who had that technology. But Urahara didn’t claim to have invented it, and such technology was key to the Gate of the Sun, both the one in Silbern, and the one now in the basement of his own home. 

“That confirms outside support,” Sui-Feng’s subordinates had reported no stragglers, and Domino had yet to begin his own search for the bug-out location. Sui-Feng had to consider recommendations to the head captain. 

“I know the nature of the mission remains sensitive, but who are we suspecting of backing her?” Uryu found the whole thing weird. Who would back a cult aimed at revealing the truth about the afterlife to the world?

“I am not a liberty to discuss that,” the ninja’s response killed that thread of conversation immediately.

“I see,” Uryu figured that he would get that as an answer. Information security was going to be a big deal here. If they were going to the lengths of using him and his quincy as what was in effect fall men, he wasn’t going to expect them to trust him with that information. Though that didn’t mean he was going to be untrusting toward her. 

“I would like to inform soul society beforehand that I was asked by the Queen of Hueco Mundo to help her deal with the Jagdarmees still there. You may receive intelligence about my forces acting there. I simply wish to inform you beforehand to prevent an incident,” Sui-Feng raised an eyebrow. 

“Why are you telling me?” Sui-feng was a ninja, not a diplomat. Uryu could probably just have contacted the head captain directly with this information. 

“Because I am mobilizing those assets tomorrow, there may not be time to formally contact the head captain beforehand,” Uryu also didn’t want to risk whoever they were hunting down finding out and taking the opportunity to hit him while in a relatively weakened state. 

“Noted, your intent?” Sui-Feng then turned to the quincy and looked at her with ice cold glare. 

“I hope to dissuade them from continuing the war,” Uryu knew that that was a slim hope. But he truly wanted to end this situation without bloodshed.

“And if they refuse?” Sui-Feng however knew what this actually was. The Jagdarmees were the most radical forces of the Wandenreich. Ichigo’s account of their commanding officer, sternritter Quilge Olpie, indicated as much.

“Then they must be annihilated,” Uryu’s answer was what Sui-Feng expected. To do any less would risk invoking the wrath of the Gotei. While they may be weakened, the quincy were worse off, having lost a majority of their captain-class combatants, and those that remained losing the one thing they could use to match bankai. 

“I will inform my superiors upon debriefing,” Sui-Feng kept up the mask of simply being a member of the Onmitsukido, not the one in command of it. After all, to do any less would be an unnecessary risk. 

Chapter Text

Rukia awoke with a nasty headache. She was glad that whoever had left her in her room had made an effort to block out as much light as possible from coming into the room. 

Wait.  

She was in her room. In the Kuchiki estate. 

Last thing she remembered was Captain Yadomaru… goading her into a drinking competition.

Rukia groaned at the thought. She had gotten blackout drunk. And she either didn't remember if she walked home or was carried home. 

Given her state of dress, being in proper sleepwear and the knot of her yukata being in good shape, she guessed she was carried and a servant had changed her into her current dress. 

"Lady Kuchiki, you're awake," the soft voice of one of the servants could be heard near the door. 

"Why are you here?" Rukia asked in a groggy and slightly pained voice. She really wanted to go back to bed. 

"Lord Ginrei wanted to make sure nothing happened while you slept," right, she was asleep while still intoxicated. There were risks associated with that. 

"Thank you. Could you get me some water?" Rukia had a bad case of cottonmouth. Why did she do something so dumb? She then remembered what Orihime had said. 

Ichigo quite possibly was in love with her. 

She had wanted to delay processing that for as long as possible. 

Rukia had sat up in her bed by the time the servant returned with the glass. A silent nod as thanks and a slight bow were all that needed to be said before the servant left her to herself. 

The boy she dragged into this hell, the nephew of her mentor and predecessor, had fallen in love with her.  

A part of her wished that the glass before her was more sake. She quickly dismissed the foolish wish from her mind. It would ease her hangover, but it would only delay the worst of it. So Rukia drank her water, moved to her wardrobe, and got ready to put on her shihakusho and head to the thirteenth. 

That was when she noticed a note tied to the front of one of her uniforms. She took the note and read it. 

'Lieutenant Kuchiki, Sentaro and I figured you would be having a nasty hangover after last night. Whatever caused you to drink that much, we figured you needed it. Take the day off, don't worry about the division. -Kyone'

She smiled at the note. The two of them were great subordinates and had done a lot to curb her worse tendencies over the year since Ukitake’s death. 

This was something she was glad she had now. Her first few decades with the Kuchiki were not nice. She didn't even have an emotional support structure until she had met Kaien. Then after his death, she again had no one until Ichigo. 

She sighed. Ichigo really was a turning point in her life. Before him everything was simple. She was going day by day simply waiting for the day fate would finally punish her for her sins and end her solitary existence. 

After Ichigo? She knew someone valued her, that someone thought she deserved to live, deserved to be happy. Her life had changed in three short months. 

A part of her though felt like she didn't deserve any of it. She may have very well robbed him of his human life. 

Why did that idiot have to fall in love with her of all people?

Candice didn’t like her new combat outfit. 

Because Uryu was the only one skilled at tailoring out of all of them he basically had veto power on the outfits they wore in combat. Granted the Naraki op was mostly in plainclothes so that they could blend it, but this op into Hueco Mundo actually required that they be distinct from the other former Wandenreich quincy they were facing. So that ment they had to use the uniforms Uryu had made. 

Fortunately, they weren’t some archaic shit from before the genocide, but she didn’t like wearing a full coat, let alone with a cloak over it. It was just too damned restrictive. She liked wearing clothes that breathed damnit. 

“Hey, Candy, stop complaining about your damned uniform and get to the gate already,” Bambi was getting tired of Candy’s complaining. 

“I wasn’t complaining,” Candice’s protest was met with a skeptical glare from Bambieta.

“Not verbally,” Bambi was used to calling her friend on her bullshit. The two had a friendship that was far more in line with what was seen among the rank-and-file quincy of the Wandenreich than was would be called as such among the sternritter. 

“How can you tell?” Candice looked at her long-time friend with a skeptical look of her own.

“You had that look on your face,” Bambi then got up to move for the sun gate that Uryu had set up in the basement of his house. 

“Fuck you,” Candice yelled out in response to Bambi’s astute observation. 

“I don’t take offers,” with that Bambi left the changing room.

Candice was soon to follow. Uryu’s cell was an eclectic mix of people, as shown by the inclusion of the so-called ‘Bambis.’ Candice and the rest of the bambis joined out of pragmatism. Uryu was the only one with a claim to the throne actually concerned with the long-term survival of the quincy. Candice and the others didn’t care about the promised vengeance against the shinigami, nor did they care about trying to finish a war they clearly lost. There was no way they were ever going to achieve their original objectives now. So why risk retaliation from the shinigami over what is at best a pipe dream?

Others joined for different reasons, however. Shaz Domino joined because of his loyalty to Yhwach, and Yhwach declared Uryu his rightful heir, thus his loyalty to the late god-king demanded he declares his loyalty to Uryu. 

Then there was the aide of Jugram who pulled her and the other Bambis out from Warwelt in the aftermath of the war. He joined for a similar reason. Hachwalth was unflinchingly loyal to Yhwach as well. Thus had Hachwalth survived, he probably would have joined Uryu as well. Regardless if he disagreed with how he wanted to deal with the post-war aftermath. 

Helping the Queen of Hueco Mundo however… she didn’t like this one bit. Hollows were monsters and were responsible for the deaths of countless humans over the millennia. It was the stance of the quincy at large that they didn’t deserve the mercy given to them by the shinigami. 

The eventual collapse of the barrier between worlds if that had their way however was not something she liked to think about. The amount of death that would arise from that. 

It was chilling.

So for both the continued survival of the quincy and for the continuation of the status quo, Candice and Bambi walked down the hallway into the room containing their new Gate of the Sun. 

Hallibel was anticipating the arrival of her promised reinforcements today. 

The Queen of Hueco Mundo had reestablished Las Noches as the seat of power for her regency, as her last base of operations had been all but leveled by the Wandenreich invasion. Leaving the old castle of Barragan and Aizen as the best place to project her power from. 

The irony caused her to smile slightly beneath her mask fragment. What was once a monument to ego, was now a refuge for those who wished to escape the ruthless life outside the walls of the fortress. 

Under the guidance of her and a fully restored Nelliel, Las Noches became a refuge for the weary, and arrancarification a means to free those who could not achieve the level of vasto lorde of the pressures their hunger put upon them. 

This was what Hallibel wants to protect so desperately to the point of potentially appearing weak to her rivals. 

But weakness was not the image shown by her visage. 

The Queen wore a high-collared shirt that bared her midriff. Unlike her attire as an Espada however, the collar didn't hide her mask fragment. The striking visage of her shark’s teeth serving as a means to remind those who challenge her that she is still a hollow. 

A small cutout over the middle of her cleavage served to reinforce this as well as her claim to the throne. Prominently showing the three that indicated her strength among the Espada, and her legitimacy as queen. 

This was capped off with golden tabi and her own take on the cloak Barrigan had worn during his time on the throne she now sat upon. 

She sat upon her throne waiting for her guests to arrive when the oh-so-familiar sound of the very shadows becoming a gate between worlds indicated the arrival of her petitioned aid. 

"Welcome quincy,” Halibel spoke. The regality of the immediate hall of her throne room was understated. She wasn’t an egotistical person like Barrigan or Aizen, and the only reason the throne was above the reception area was that it was once Aizen’s. She considered moving the throne itself but they had found it was fixed to the floor. So here she was elevated above where the quincy had arrived, with Nelliel and Grimjow standing on either side of her. 

“Hey,” Bambietta replied in a manner that, if she were Barrigan or Aizen, would have gotten her killed on the spot. “I know you probably have a big song and dance for guests, but I’ll be honest. I really don’t want to be here. Just point me at the problem so I can make it disappear and I can go home.”

“Bambi,” Candice face palmed. Her flippancy was going to get the both killed at this rate. 

“How dare you speak to Lady Hallibel like that!” Appaci all but roared through the room. She was even about to launch herself at the quincy before Hallibel motioned to stop her. 

“Pardon my subordinate’s overzealous response,” Hallibel then leaned forward in her throne, putting her elbows on her knees and steepling her hands. “I agree with your… distaste for the situation. I would have preferred to deal with this situation myself, and having to turn to the ones who tore down everything I built previously for help is a bitter pill,” Halibel then stood up from her throne. Turning to face another of her subordinates. “Gantenbainne, take our guests to the war room and brief them on the threat. I would also like you to guide them through Hueco Mundo for the duration of their stay.”

“Alright,” and with the loud boom of sonido the former espada was among the two quincy. “Are we expecting any more or are you it?” the orange-haired arrancar towered over the two quincy as he spoke. 

“Yeah, we’re it. ‘His majesty’ couldn’t spare anyone else,” Uryu’s title was spoken in a mocking tone. 

“I take it you don’t like that he’s king?” Mosqueda was carefully judging his supposed ally. 

“No, more that I don’t like that the quincy have to have a king. Uryu is probably the only one of us with both his head on straight enough to see the writing on the wall, and the conviction to make sure we don’t get ourselves exterminated,” The idea of a monarch was really begining to leave a bad taste in Bambietta’s mouth. She had lived during the tail end of feudalism in Europe, and had thought that Yhawach was better than the others that claimed the title of king. Now after his failure, she was finding old sentiments rising once again. 

“Ah,” Gantenbainne understood. He had wondered why Halibel felt it necessary to take up the title of queen as well. Though now with the challenges she faced, it made sense. Someone needed to keep the secrets of arrancarification out of the hands of those who would simply use it to cause more needless destruction. “Follow me, 

Ichigo found himself eating breakfast in the Kuchiki Estate after carrying Rukia home.

“I thank you for your consideration of Rukia’s well being young Shiba,” Ginrei thanked Ichigo. There was no obligation nor expectation for him to do so. In fact some circles could consider his action to be somewhat problematic. Though the former captain could tell that Ichigo’s intent was pure. 

“Please, just Ichigo is fine, and don’t worry about it,” Ichigo was finished with his food, though Ginrei wanted to take the opportunity to know Ichigo better as he never had the opportunity to meet him last time he was here. 

“I hope you don’t mind if I don’t heed that. There are certain expectations that a Kuchiki is expected to follow young Shiba, even as an old man I find it hard to deviate from them,” Ginrei took a sip of his tea. They had both finished eating a short while ago. Though Ginrei had insisted on waiting for Rukia to arrive and have her breakfast for some reason. 

“Fair enough, hell I’m still getting used to things myself,” Ichigo scratched the back of his head. This nobility business was beginning to become a pain for him. 

“That is to be expected. Your father tried to make sure you and your sisters had as normal a life as he could provide,” Ginrei may have his issues with the exact decisions Isshin chose to make, but he dare not imply that he did anything less than his best when raising his own. 

“If that was his best then I don’t know whether to be disappointed or impressed,” Ichigo though could take whatever potshots he wanted at his father. After all, he lived it. 

“Perhaps both would be appropriate,” not that Ginrei could resist getting his own licks in. he was too old to not have a sense of humor. 

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” after Ichigo’s response, the sliding door to the room opened to reveal an only slightly disheveled and very hung-over Rukia. “Ah, Lady Rukia, glad to see you’re awake.” 

“Glad to know someone is Lord Ginrei,” Rukia then sat down across from Ichigo to await a servant to deliver her breakfast without realizing it. Then she realized.

“Ichigo, what are you doing here?” Rukia stared at him in mild shock. 

“I was the one who carried you here…” Ichigo had thought she had figured that out already.

“... I thought that it was a servant or Lord Byakuya,” Rukia was contemplating the potential for gossip, oh this was going to suck.

“Your brother was in a similar state and needed to be carried back himself,” Rukia looked at her adoptive grandfather with a look of shock, asking why without saying it. “The elders brought up marriage again, specifically starting with you this time.”

“Shit, you too?” Ichigo said sympathetically almost without thinking.

“Ichigo!” Rukia spoke out indignantly. Did he not know where he was?

“It’s fine. My ears aren’t made of porcelain. I’ve heard much worse in my time as a member of the Gotei,” Ginrei spoke with a small smile upon his face. He knew Rukia had heard much worse, if not said much worse herself.

“I apologize Lord Ginrei,” Rukia then sat down again after apologizing and then shot Ichigo an icy glare. 

“No need, he does need to be reminded that most of the family would have a meltdown if they heard half the things we have in our careers,” Ginrei then looked at Ichigo. “Would you mind if I asked you a personal question with Rukia here?”

“Yeah,” Ichigo really didn’t think that there would be much that he would ask about that he would care about Rukia knowing, or didn’t know already.

“Was your mother a quincy?”

Silence. 

Both Rukia and Ichigo looked at each other as though an invasion alarm had just gone off. 

Ginrei interpreted their stunned silence as a yes. 

“Don’t worry. I do not doubt your loyalty. And as Rukia shared your reaction, I assumed you told her,” at the old man’s response Ichigo and Rukia let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding. 

Then the door opened again as Byakuya entered the room. 

“Could anyone explain why the servants were acting unusual today?” Byakuya’s question caused Ichigo to look at him.

What Ichigo saw was a cartoonish mustache drawn on his face with black marker.

The sight of such a thing after such a tense moment caused Ichigo to erupt in laughter, and Rukia to let a small smirk show on her face.

Chapter Text

Sui-Feng was unamused. 

The Naraki city operation was a total disaster. 

Not only did they fail to apprehend Michibane, but due to her advanced warning she was able to completely scour her hideout of critical information. 

The only thing they managed to achieve was confirming that she had outside help and that this outside help had a senkaimon with a reishi converter. 

Due to this, Sui-Feng was speed walking to the head captain's office to deliver this news. 

The first division barracks still held the familiar air of Yammamoto's imposing authority, but instead of the burning wrathful presence of the Gotei's founder, it was the shadowy, almost coy presence of Kyoraku. It didn't sit right with her. 

Sui-Feng respected Kyoraku as a senior, and as a peer, but this was Yamamoto's division. 

Soon the assassin found herself standing before Okikiba as he managed the paperwork of the division's supplies. 

"Captain Feng, we were not expecting you," Sui-Feng glared at the use of her surname, but let it slide for now. 

"I wish to speak with the head captain, he should have an opening in his schedule currently," Sui-Feng's voice conveyed her usual intense professionalism, but an observant individual could pick up on her displeasure from the subtle edge in her tone. 

"You are correct. Lieutenant Ise had informed me as such earlier today," Okikiba raised his eyebrow at the coincidence, and how the second division captain knew this, but figured that it was above his pay grade. The veteran shinigami knew when to keep his head out of clearly clandestine business.

From there Sui-Feng walked to the head captain's office. 

The First was the single hardest-hit division from the war. Yhawach's destruction of the majority of the Great Underground Prison caused foundational damage to the structure that became the First's barracks, and the resulting pillar of reishi vaporized vast portions of the monolith that was built around the penance tower, including the tower itself, the gap in the Seireitei’s skyline an open wound left by the war. 

Thus Kyoraku's office was not where the previous head captain's office was. Instead, it was an enclosed room with little in the way of a view. So she was expecting the rather plain setting of their meeting.  

What surprised her though was the presence of Yoruichi.

"Lady Yoruichi, I was not expecting you to be here," Sui-Feng's face did a rare deviation from her usual stern mask to one of genuine surprise. 

"Don't mind me, just here to provide relevant insight," Yoruichi dismissed her student's shock. 

"’ Don't mind you?’ How did you even find out I would be here?" Sui-Feng was incensed at her flippancy with the situation. This represented a major issue with security. 

"Kyoraku told me of your little mission after I pressed him about your absence at the celebration yesterday. Don't worry, I observed proper procedure, speaking of which," Yoruichi wordlessly went through the motions as she cast the signature silencing kido used by the Onmituskido. 

"I had a solid alibi," Sui-Feng calmed herself. 

Yoruichi gave her a look. 

"Right up until I become a known attendee. Anyone who takes their time to study you would learn you wouldn't miss your chance to shadow me," Yoruichi knew Sui-Feng had a bad case of hero worship. It was something she tried to wean her off of for a long time specifically for this reason. It made her predictable.

Sui-Feng found herself unable to reply. Hopefully, the suspects wouldn't connect her absence to the mission. 

"Let's start the debriefing. Sui-Feng?" Shunsui lightly asserted himself. He had no issues with Yoruichi admonishing her former student, but they had business to attend to. 

"The mission was a near-total failure. Our quincy allies were sloppy with the placement of their listening devices and one of them was spotted. Allowing Michibane to escape and for any incriminating evidence to be destroyed or removed," this utter failure was infuriating to Sui-Feng. To not only be the head of the Onmitsukido while such a failure happened under her watch but also to be the one overseeing the mission, was a mark of shame. 

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow at 'escape.' 

"What was their mode of escape?" Yoruichi knew Sui-Feng held herself to an unreasonably high standard, a holdover of the standards the Feng clan holds all of their own to. The secondary objectives were things that would be nice to have, not critical to obtain. 

"From what Ishida and I could deduce one site, a senkaimon equipped with a reishi converter," Sui-Feng relayed the only good news she had about the mission. She had confirmed that she had collaborators in the Seireitei. 

"Well,” the head captain clapped his hands together as a large grin showed itself on his face, “that's great news. Not many have the means nor the need for such a thing," Kyoraku was pleased. 

"How is this great news? We have no documentation, no prisoners, and Michibane is still a threat!" Sui-Feng didn’t get how this could be a success. She came back empty-handed, and tracking down Xcution for a second time would be much harder. 

"This wasn't about securing documents, prisoners, or assassinating Michibane. This was about forcing her to tip her hand. You achieved your primary objective," Yoruichi observed. This was a probing action. Kyoraku wasn’t expecting any of the secondary objectives to be achieved, but he shot for them anyway as getting those things would be a massive boon. She would have to talk to him about how to work with Sui-Feng. 

"Indeed. Now we know she evaded detection because someone within the Visuals Department prevented us from getting that information. We can act on that." and Kyoraku had a very strong idea as to just who that was. 

Aura Michibane found herself enjoying the hospitality of the Tsunayashiro estate. She was in a sequestered corner, away from any servants who Tokinada had not personally vetted for loyalty, as well as from the prying eyes of the Onmitsukido. 

“Your escape plan was risky,” Tokinada spoke plainly. His voice was free from the usual cheerfulness. No, this was too serious a matter for him to let himself find enjoyment from. 

“As was delaying the plan,” Aura didn’t try to explain herself. Tokinada already knew why she made the call. With the limited time they had before the raid hit, she had to cover for Yukio so that the Executive Militia members couldn’t shadow them by tracking her reiatsu. 

“Yes, it was,” Tokinada scowled. This was a direct consequence of his choice to delay the plan. He created an opportunity for Aura to be discovered and she was. It was too soon for everyone to find out. 

More importantly, Sui-Feng’s absence at the event yesterday was no coincidence. He was certain that she was the one heading the shinigami contingent of the strike. 

“Did you directly face them?” it was important that Aura’s abilities remained a mystery. If they were found out it would be likely that her vulnerabilities could be sussed out and leave her at a disadvantage. She may have an intellect only matched by Sosuke Aizen, but she did not have the raw power nor the reckless ambition that truly made him a threat. Not that Tokinada hated him, quite the contrary, he respected Aizen. He had the gumption to try to make the world his, to bend it to his will. Even if he was just a low-born shinigami it was rare for someone to see the truth of this world, much less act on it. Tricking Tosen into joining him was just the cherry on top. 

“No. I avoided direct confrontation. Uryu is an unknown, and the risk wasn’t worth understanding his power,” Aura spoke coldly. She was correct. The shrift of the emergent king was unknown, and given what they saw of shrifts in the war, it was too risky to try to unveil that secret. 

“Good. I want you to return to your followers and lay low. I will need to navigate things more carefully on this end,” Sui-Feng’s involvement complicated matters for one reason. 

Yoruichi.

Karin found herself training with her father. 

Tomorrow they would be going home and she would begin the first of several patrols shadowing a shinigami, but her father wanted to help in his daughter's training. Something he should have done with Ichigo.

Isshin was glad that his son had inherited his mother's kindness, even if it manifested through the typical hot-headed Shiba attitude. Ichigo deserved to know what was going on the moment his mother died. Hell, he and Masaki had spoken about this, nay argued about this on occasion, but only when the kids were asleep, and only after he had set up a silencing kido with what little of his own power he had at the time. 

Isshin had relented and agreed to tell him once he was in high school, but when that time came, he got cold feet. By the time he was able to come to his senses and talk Ichigo had left in the night before he could even say anything. 

He was going to do it right this time. 

Isshin slowly observed Karin as she worked on her kido exercise. Her control was just as raw as Ichigo's, but without his immense reiatsu, she could slowly practice and refine that control safely. He did not envy Rukia's assignment. 

"So, that's all there is to this exercise?" Karin sat there, slowly focusing on her breathing as a dense ball of her reiatsu floated in front of her. 

"No. This is simply the start. Once you can hold that for a little while longer then we can start on the second part," he wanted to be sure she could maintain the ball for the amount of time she would need to learn how to mold her reiatsu into shape. He could sense it now, her natural element was fire like himself, and so he would start with that once she was ready.

Which wasn’t now as the ball of reiatsu fizzled out only after half a minute. The deep sigh from his daughter showed her displeasure at the development. 

“Don’t worry, it took me a while to get it down myself,” he wasn’t lying. Kido was the hardest of the combat arts to pick up. Even to the point that not many captains had expertise, let alone mastery of the form. 

“Why do I need to learn this?” Karin was beginning to be frustrated by her lack of progress. Wasn’t kido part of her family’s schtick?

“Several reasons. First, so you have reiatsu control if you ever get as strong as Ichigo or I,” Karin winced slightly at that. She had tacitly acknowledged that she could become as monstrously strong as her brother and could face the same dilemma as he did now one day. “And, you did say you wanted to learn kaido right?” Her father’s second reason got her back on task. The art was an interesting one. It was why he had found himself actually paying attention to his kaido lectures. 

"Alright fine, just let me have a break," Karin took a breath. She wanted to get her mind back on track and away from its current thoughts before returning to the exercise. 

"Is there something wrong?" Isshin looked at his daughter with a concerned look. Emotions could interfere with how one can manifest their reiatsu. 

“It just doesn’t feel right,” Karin looked down at the ground as she spoke in a hushed voice. 

“What doesn’t?” Isshin knelt down next to his daughter, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

“Keeping this all from Yuzu. She deserves to know,” Karin had found herself asking that question throughout her time in Soul Society. Everything she learned, and the fact that it was just a fraction of what there was to this place, all put into perspective the enormity of the secret she was asked to keep.

“Maybe she does, but how would you feel if you knew there was a world like this that you couldn’t see, with monsters like hollows, that your very existence attracted them to you, and there was nothing you could do to stop them from coming?” Her father’s answer shocked her. But it also made so much sense. Karin would throw herself into a self-sacrificial isolation. She would avoid friends and family in the hope that they wouldn’t be harmed when she was inevitably attacked. Ichigo’s stories about how Orihime was attacked, her memories of Chad awakening his fullbring, and her memories of grand fisher all drove that point home. 

Sometimes, ignorance was bliss. 

Kukaku found herself entertaining an unexpected guest today. One Byakuya Kuchiki. 

"You know, after the amount you drank I thought you'd be out for a couple more days," Kukaku took a drag from her pipe. The far more casual environment of the Shiba manor clashing with her guest's high-end kimono. 

"We both know that the best remedy for a hangover is water," Byakuya didn't say what type of water, nor how it was administered. He knew she was well aware of the typical saline shots the medical staff available to each division had on hand. 

"I take it you got a pick-me-up from a nurse?" Kukaku grinned at how that could be taken wrong, but anyone who was an active shinigami would know what she meant. "Never thought you'd need that."

Byakuya glared at the older woman. 

"You know why I'm here," Byakuya didn't want to be here any longer than he had to. The noise of the manor was already beginning to pick up to the levels he remembered. 

"You want to send out feelers for a potential marriage between your sister and my nephew," Kukaku gathered that they were going to have this talk eventually. Especially after he spoke with Tatsuki.

"Yes," Bakuya knew how the Shiba's did things, especially in regards to marriages, and how they differed from the other clans. 

"You know we won't be the ones to decide that right? Also, we don’t know if he’s even going to stay" Kukaku took another puff from her pipe. The smoke dissipated as it rose through the air. 

"I am aware of the Shiba traditions, and I know you are aware that I would never force my sister to marry someone she did not trust with her life," He would never risk Rukia coming to a similar fate as Kakyo. The very thought almost caused him to shiver. “As for Ichigo, I feel he may decide to stay.”

Kukaku was surprised at Byakuya’s observation, but it made sense. Ichigo may have issues with not knowing everyone or everything he needs to know, but he was settling in rapidly. He had even begun helping with the ongoing renovations to the manor. 

"Good, just making sure we're clear on that," Kukaku looked over at her fellow clan head. "However, I will make back channel preparations."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow at that. The quizzical expression did not go unnoticed as Kukaku took another drag from her pipe. 

"It just means I'll make sure Ichigo's schedule is… more open than usual," Kukaku's mischievous grin was something that made Byakuya almost regret bringing this up. 

Rukia had invited Orihime over to talk. She and the rest of Ichigo's friends were leaving tomorrow and she wanted to have this conversation sooner rather than later. 

"Orihime, thanks for coming over," Rukia was sat down in front of a low table with a tea set in front of her. As this was a private conversation the servants had been dismissed and Rukia was minding the tea herself. 

"You said you wanted to talk about yesterday?" Orihime was still reeling from the revelation yesterday, but the shock had subsided, only the dull pain of her unrequited feelings was left. 

"I know how you feel," Rukia's response caught the taller woman's attention. "I once loved someone who was like Ichigo in many ways, from his reckless selflessness to his casual demeanor-"

"Only to find he loved someone else," Orihime spoke softly as she finished Rukia's story. 

"I had found he was married already, and to someone who had become a role model to me. Someone who I could never bring myself to hate," Rukia recounted Myako. She didn't want to linger, not on these memories, especially due to the painful conclusion they led to, but Orihime needed to know that she understood her pain. 

"That man was Kaien Shiba, my predecessor as lieutenant to the thirteenth, and my mentor," that name caught Orihime's attention. Kukaku's older brother, Ichigo's uncle.

"I see…" Orihime stared off into a corner as Rukia poured her some tea. The silence fell over the room being free from tension but still had a tinge of sorrow. 

Orihime considered her friend’s words. The comparisons were eerie. It was clear that her relationship with Rukia echoed that of her relationship with Myako. 

“I felt envy, then I got angry at myself for feeling that envy,” Rukia took a sip of her tea. “I don't know how to navigate those emotions, and I can’t tell you how, but I know how it feels.”

“Thank you,” Orihime had begun to think poorly of herself for feeling jealous, for envying the attention Ichigo gave Rukia, but to hear that she had been in the same place? It was as though a weight was lifted. These feelings were as normal as they could be in this unenviable situation. That made her feel so much better about herself. 

Chapter Text

Rukia found herself resuming her duties. It was only two days after the celebration, but with the thirteenth the way it was, she still felt she needed to keep a close eye on it. Fortunately, much of her lieutenant work was already done by her third seats as they still had their security clearances from before she became their superior. 

It was an awkward thing to consider. Kiyone was older than her, and more experienced as a shinigami, as was Sentaro, yet she was chosen to replace her late mentor. It was something that made her wish she could ask her late captain, but that wasn’t possible. 

Instead, she found herself walking to the training grounds she and Ichigo had been using. They didn’t need to go to Sogyoku Hill again yet, and honestly, Rukia wanted to avoid that place as much as possible. 

“Yo,” Ichigo had already arrived at the training ground, in fact, he was earlier than expected. Rukia usually arrived a good thirty minutes early to get some training herself before teaching Ichigo. 

“You’re… early,” Rukia was quite confused by his early arrival. He usually had quite a busy schedule. 

“Yeah, I know, didn’t think I’d have so much free time, thought I’d be swamped,” Ichigo was going through some stretches, and if the pell’s beaten-up state was anything to go by, he had been working on his zanjutsu. 

He was also shirtless. 

Rukia didn’t notice at first, but now that she did, she noticed the scars all over his body, most earned trying to protect her. 

The gashes on each shoulder from Zabimaru, a stab wound through the gut from Byakuya striking his soul sleep, a small and faint circle on his right pectoral, most likely from a byakurai, most likely also from her brother, a large slash that clearly demarcated the line between his upper and lower torso from Aizen, and a large scar on his sternum, where she had stabbed him with Sode no Shirayuki on that fateful night. 

“You okay?” Ichigo looked over at her. His question snapped her out of her trance as she realized she was staring. 

"Yes, I'm fine," Rukia responded quickly after clearing her throat, trying to distract herself from the various momentos of his battles. 

"If it's about the scars it's fine, I bet you even have a few of your own," Ichigo's remark couldn't be more accurate. She found herself rubbing her left shoulder, a pale bite mark traced out where she had caught an attack by Fishbone D meant for Ichigo. The three puncture scars from her battle with Aaroniero on her abdomen, one on her torso from her fight in the initial invasion and the resulting thin crisscross of surgical scars proved as such. 

"I do," her response was low, he didn't understand how she felt about his scars. Even now, a part of her finds his rescue attempt reckless, and the scars prove that. 

"Is something wrong?" Ichigo noticed Rukia was deep in thought, and of her resting expression was anything to go by, whatever she was thinking about wasn't exactly pleasant. 

Rukia took a deep breath, then exhaled. 

"No," Rukia tried to move forward, she had to help Ichigo learn to control his power. 

"You sure?" Ichigo could tell that something was eating Rukia up. 

Rukia was silent as she considered how to answer. 

"Do you intend on staying, even if you are allowed to return home?" Rukia's question caught Ichigo off guard, falling into thought for a few seconds. 

"Honestly, I planed on leaving Karakura if I didn’t get my powers back," Ichigo’s response surprised Rukia. Karakura was his home, his friends were there, his family was there. 

“Why?” Rukia looked puzzled. 

“Because Japan hasn’t changed in any meaningful way since 1854,” sure, the buildings changed, the leader’s title changed, and now the Japanese people had far more say then they did under either the shogunates or the Meji-era constitutional monarchy, but the culture hadn’t changed one bit. "Why do you ask, you want me to stay?" Ichigo didn’t want to have that talk quite yet. It was long, involved, and he probably needed a history textbook to properly explain it. 

"At the celebration, Orihime and I talked about you with Rangiku," Rukia slowly walked her way through the conversation, unsure of the proverbial ground she was walking upon. "Orihime said that you may have fallen in love with me."

Ichigo chuckled lightly at that. If she had said that after he rescued her, he would have denied it, primarily because he didn't know it yet. Only after losing his powers did he realize how much her absence in his life hurt. 

She was the one who turned his life around, taking it from the melancholy world it had been after his mother's death, and making it so much more vibrant. There was never a boring moment with her around, and if he ever stumbled, she was there to pick him back up and tell him to get back to it. 

She made the rain stop.

"Yeah, guess I did," Ichigo scratched the back of his neck as he sat on the ground. Being around her like this, her being the one to usher him here, it almost made the feeling of being uprooted go away almost entirely. 

"Listen to you, 'you guess,' you either have or you haven't," Rukia half-heartedly admonished him, but his statement brought relief to her. 

"Oi, you're the one who asked," Ichigo retorted. "And who asks that kind of question anyway? 'Have you fallen in love with me?' You sound like someone out of those soap opras Yuzu watches," Ichigo pantomimed Rukia's question as he poked at the way she started the exchange. 

Normally Rukia would have responded to Ichigo's prodding, but this time she just found herself laughing. Laughing at how naturally this came to them, laughing at how normal this felt, laughing at how she feels so comfortable around him. 

"What's so funny? You fall in love with me?" Ichigo said that not knowing the full scope of the situation. 

Rukia paused, her mind lingering on the many ways her life changed after meeting him. She had grown more in these last few years than she ever has in the past fifty. She had actual friends now, both in the living world and Soul Society; she found herself seeing a reason to pursue power, to become stronger, and to attain Bankai herself; but perhaps most importantly, she knew she was loved now. She no longer saw herself as a pariah unworthy of love. She knew she was loved, by her brother, by her friends, and by Ichigo.

"Yes," Ichigo's thought process came to a screeching halt. Those around him would probably swear they heard dial-up noises coming from his head, if they even knew what dial-up sounded like that is. 

"Excuse me what?" Ichigo needed to confirm what he heard.

"I have fallen for you as well," Rukia was still finding the situation quite amusing. They were confessing in a training area of all places. 

"Oh…" Ichigo didn't really think about this happening. And the thought scared him. Sure there were the usual butterflies of finding out there was mutual interest, but there was also something else.

I shall single out your happiest moment in the coming future…

And kill you then.

Rukia noticed how Ichigo’s reaction was dour. How the familiar gloom returned to his face.

“You’re not supposed to get depressed at that, it makes a girl feel bad,” Rukia tried coaxing it out of him initially by being coy. Mainly as a litmus test for the severity of the situation

“It’s fine,” Ichigo was very much not fine. But he didn’t know how to explain the threat him simply being happy could pose. 

Rukia’s gaze cut through that lie like a foglamp. She knew something was deeply wrong.

“Ichigo, you’re not fine,” she walked over and sat next to him. 

“No, I’m not,” but there was nothing she could do. Nothing she should do. 

“Then what’s wrong,” Rukia wasn’t going to let this die. She never did.

The moment stewed as Ichigo delayed. Hoping for Rukia to drop the topic. She didn’t, but she also didn’t push further. Sitting close to him, allowing her presence to comfort him, but not changing the topic. 

Ichigo relented. 

“Yhwach said he was going to find the moment I was at my happiest and return to kill me,” Ichigo sighed. The only real way for everyone to be safe, to protect everyone, was to be miserable for the rest of his life. He had to be miserable, for everyone’s sake.

Rukia wasn’t having any of it. She stood up and slapped him across the face. 

“And you’re going to let him dictate how you live your life?” she stood before him with a face of defiance. The face that always dragged him back from the brink. The face that stopped the rain. “You are going to let him force you to live a life of misery? What happened to the man who would break fate for the sake of saving the ones he loved?”

Ichigo found himself staring into her eyes as she said this. It was like a fire had been lit inside him again.

“You defeated him once, you can do it again,” the small woman all but yelled. “Live in defiance of him. Be happy in spite of him. Dare him to return!”

Ichigo smirked.

“You know, this would be the part where I say that the Seireitei can’t handle his return right now,” Ichigo found himself disagreeing entirely with his counterargument before he could even say it. That was the power Rukia had over him. The ability to stop the rain simply by existing.

“And I would say that your happiest moments lay far beyond today,” Rukia smiled as she saw the fire in Ichigo’s eyes relit. The very fire that outshone the Sogyoku on the day she had resigned herself to death. The fire that caused her to fall in love with him. 

To say Shino Madarame was bored was an understatement. Due to current rules and regulations surrounding the living world, patrolling shinigami had to be rotated out every once and a while, and with the thirteenth as undermanned as it was currently, that meant that sometimes, there had to be gaps in the patrol net. 

Shino took a sip of some coffee as she woke up. She had been granted leave for her stay in Soul Society until she had to go back out on patrol. As a junior unseated, she really didn’t have much to do at the barracks anyway. So she found herself actually sleeping in her room at home for once. Hell, she even slept in today. 

Normally she wouldn’t argue with being given leave, but as much wizardry as the lieutenant could pull, with a half-strength division it was inevitable that a district, or a few, would have to go without being patrolled. This reality had been compensated for by shuffling active patrols to cover for priority districts, but eventually, that was going to fail. 

In spite of all of her prior planing, right now, Karakura didn’t have a shinigami to patrol it. This wasn’t a disaster due to the presence of Kisuke Urahara and his eclectic group of shinigami, but it proved to be a problematic statement of how badly the Gotei needed replenishment. 

Shino wasn’t privy to much of the managerial side of the division, but some simple back-of-the-napkin math could easily tell her that this reality was likely to persist for the foreseeable future unless there was a massive shift in how shinigami were trained and recruited. 

And that meant back-to-back deployments. 

Fortunately, if the brief was correct, she wouldn’t be flying solo this deployment as she was to teach Karin how to do the required fieldwork of a shinigami. Everything from hollow tracking to konso. 

Shino was already in her Shihakusho, and getting ready to walk to where she was going to enter the living world. Normally this would be the thirteenth’s senkaimon, but given the circumstances, she was instead going to be leaving through the Shiba senkaimon. 

After she finished her coffee, she started her walk to the Shiba manor. 

The walk over to the Shiba manor itself was uneventful. While it was in the noble district, many of the “transit restrictions” within the seireitei were dropped to facilitate rebuilding. Many of those working on the reconstruction weren’t even shinigami. Most were from the Rukon, everyone from skilled laborers such as masons and carpenters all the way down to the grunt workers putting everything in place. It would still be a long time before the Seireitei looked anything like it was before the war, but the fact that there were this many people working on it was a good sign that they may be back to normal operations within the decade. 

The added benefit of being able to scout out more people for the academy was a bonus. 

Shion knocked on the imposing, yet plain gate to the manor, following a servant in when a small door to the side opened and a servant ushered her in. 

The Shiba were an enigmatic family. On one hand, just like the other nobles, they were loaded. Thousands of years of wealth accumulation did that, but they didn't act like they were above those they were above.

Most families try to hide the servants from view. False walls, staff-only hallways and floor plans, the works. The Shiba did no such thing. Shino could see the servants busying themselves with the still ongoing renovations to the manor, they were carrying planks of wood, tools, and other relevant items, though were mindful of her and gave her space as they moved on by. The thing she was most surprised to see though was Shiba members, distinguished by the family crest on their clothing, also assisting. 

Shino kept walking though, and soon she found herself in the wing that had the family senkaimon. It was already finished for the most part and she could tell that it was probably the more inhabited part based solely on the noise of conversation. 

Soon she found herself among familiar company. 

"Hey, Shino, you're coming with us?" That was the voice of Karin calling from down the hallway. 

"I'm supposed to be the one teaching you how to do your job aren't I?" Shino's response coincided with her walking up to who was going to be, for lack of a better term, her apprentice. 

"Yeah, but can't you just go through the thirteenth's senkaimon?" Karin asked as she led her to the room where everyone was waiting. 

Karin was wearing a shihakusho now. She had been given one by the Shiba during her stay, and the slightly shorter girl looked natural in it. 

"If you intend to replace Ichigo you need to be familiarized with what we do out there, and my orders are to-"

"Begin your patrol as soon as posible," the voice of Shino's commanding officer startled her. She was not expecting her to be here. 

"Lieutenant Kuchiki! I wasn't expecting you to be here," Shino jolted into a quick bow before giving the shorter woman her undivided attention. Rukia slightly chuckled. 

"Remember that many of the humans you see here are friends of mine. It would be rude to not be there to send them off, no?" Rukia's soft yet commanding presence stood in stark contrast to her small stature. She then turned to look at Karin. "I know stupidity runs in the family, but please do try to not give Shino as much trouble as Ichigo gave me," Rukia grinned slightly at her own jab. 

Karin was preparing to respond when suddenly,

"Hey, I wasn't that bad," Ichigo retorted from across the hall. 

"You thought taking a cero to the face was a legitimate way to fight a gillian!" Rukia playfully brought up what she thought was probably the dumbest idea he had at the time. 

"It left, didn't it?" Ichigo's retort left Shino speechless. Ichigo, at the very beginning of his work as a shinigami, fought a gillian, and survived . That would put him at high third seat level from the start.

"Quit bickering like a married couple before I start arranging something," Kukaku all but yelled at them to shut up. Though she was quite amused at her choice of words, after all, wasn't she doing that already?

Ichigo and Rukia however, due to the day's conversation, were mortified. 

They knew they had caught feeling for each other now, but the thought of acting on them that was implanted by Kukaku's joke? That was something they weren't quite ready to process. As shown by how both of their faces flushed red. 

Shino however was aghast at the sheer chaos of it all. This was the residence of a noble clan and everyone acted like it was a madhouse!

Fortunately, the madness ebbed after Isshin made a comment about Lieutenant Kuchiki being his third daughter and provoking Karin and Ichigo. Everyone here really was mad. 

Tokinada found himself looking over the horizon as the sun set. The past month had been interesting, to say the least. 

He found himself contemplating several major obstacles to his plan. 

First and foremost was the delay caused by Kyoraku’s little stunt. Of course, there was nothing pointing to his old ‘friend’ being the one to order the operation, as after all, the Central 46 would have to approve of such an operation. Combine that with heavy visuals department surveillance over the area, the Onmitsukido were really the only group capable of getting the drop on them. 

It was impressive and problematic all at once. He wanted to admire Shunsui’s clever wit in the situation. Forcing Aura to play her hand in such a manner was inspired, but using the quincy? That was simply masterful!  

As the Onmitsukido don’t keep any official records of their operations for informational security, any evidence of the corps’ involvement would be suspect at best. Throw in the quincy as a catspaw and you have almost ironclad plausible deniability. 

The problem was that his old classmate would look at him first. Sure, he could lie to him, he’s done it countless times before, but therein lay the problem. The head captain knew how to read him. 

Fortunately, until it was proven he was acting against the interests of Soul Society at large, he was still untouchable. 

The more pressing problem however was Ichigo. 

Sure, bringing him here allowed Aura a lot more flexibility in how she operated. Without Ichigo present, she could focus more on prepping Karakura for the final crescendo of their plan without much more interference as long as she could keep Ishida on the sidelines. 

Ichigo represented a much larger problem for him now. In moving him to Soul Society, he placed him within reach of Shunsui and Yoruichi. He needed to insure that the young Shiba stayed out of his way, or else there was no chance of success. 

Fortunately, all Shiba had an exploitable, and predictable weakness. 

Family.

Chapter Text

Shunsui was for once at his family’s manor. 

He was the head of the Kyoraku clan and had been so since the death of his older brother. 

Those rough few years after his brother’s death was when he had cut his teeth politically. Carefully navigating the minefield that was the politics of the lesser houses. It was where he turned his lackadaisical attitude toward most things into a weapon. One that both helped him in his responsibilities and made it so he wouldn’t be given more. 

Well. he had thought that.

Then the old man died. 

At that point his means of avoiding more responsibility made him look like the best possible choice to replace his mentor and surrogate father to a Central 46 that sought to capitalize on the opportunity to install a competent doormat as head-captain. 

The reaction once they found out what they had done had given him some slight amusement at the time. 

They had installed someone who had a backbone about as strong as the old man, and the wit to run circles around them. 

However, not all of the Central 46 were power-hungry individuals seeking to grow their own power. Some were actually competent and wished to actually do their job. 

One such individual was Nayura Amakado, one of the sitting sages in the current Central 46, and whom he was supposed to meet with about his plans regarding how to deal with the manpower bottleneck they were currently facing. 

“Head-Captain, thank you for inviting me,” The smaller woman walked into the courtyard escorted by a contingent of shinigami bodyguards. 

“Please, have a seat, feel at home,” Shunsui motioned to the tea set he had set up prior to her arrival. 

One of the bodyguards looked over the teapot before pouring himself a small amount into a third cup and tasing it. Once he was certain the drink was safe he then allowed things to proceed. 

“I apologize for the precautions my bodyguards take. They are rather insistent,” Nayura then sat down and allowed the head captain to pour them their tea.

“No need, I can understand where they’re coming from,” Shunsui replied with a smile on his face. He knew the bodyguards cared about her safety almost to a fault. It was always better to be safe than sorry. 

“Good,” The sage then looked over the garden in the courtyard as she stoically considered her surroundings before looking back at Shunsui. “You said you wished to speak about a pressing matter?”

“Yes,” Shunsui’s jovial demeanor deflated as he considered the reality of the situation. “Casualties among all combat organizations, not only the Gotei, were staggering,” there were many units that were reporting that they were combat ineffective, and others still reported that in effect they only existed on paper. “I fear that the academy may not be enough to replenish our numbers at an acceptable pace.” 

Nayura hmmed that that. She was once the chief librarian of the great archive on the Central 46 grounds. She knew the average size of the graduating classes of the Shino Academy. Some quick mental math gave her a figure at least a few decades for total replenishment. 

“Yes, I assume you have a proposal?” The head captain was rather cavalier in his approach in dealing with solving problems. His substitute proposal was met with stiff resistance from the judicial body, but she saw the prudence of it. Her proposal of the now-running pilot program as a compromise was received well by the judges.

“I may have shoe-horned in my idea into the pilot program I have Lieutenant Kuchiki running,” the small woman looked at the one-eyed shinigami waiting for him to elaborate. “An apprentice program. Allow shinigami of sufficient experience to take on someone they feel has talent, have them train and teach them how to perform the duties required, and once done, have them take the aptitude test like graduates or privately trained nobles,” that last bit was the key precedent for the program. Often nobles, especially those of the greater houses, aren’t admitted to the Shino academy or have additional training and tutoring outside of the academy’s curriculum. Extending that to anyone would be a boon in their efforts to rebuild militarily. 

“You tend to play fast and loose with our rulings,” Nayura took a sip of her tea. “While I am certain some would disapprove, I commend the foresight. We need to consider all aspects to our current problems, and all solutions available, even if we are to find none are acceptable,” Nayura was a pragmatic individual and also sought a more holistic perspective on the issues the 46 were often called to rule on. It was due to this that she quickly came to lead the more progressive sages in the 46, and was the one who proposed the lifing of the travel restrictions to allow more manpower into the Seireitei to facilitate rebuilding.

“What can I say? I’ve learned just as much from the old man’s failures as I have his successes,” Kyoraku shrugged before sipping his own tea. 

“If only the same could be said of my colleagues,” many of her colleagues were not so flexible in their perspective, and as far as she saw it, it was that inflexibility that prevented a stronger Seireitei from existing, and them from being more able to resist the Wandenreich invasion. 

To think that they had planned to discard the one who would eventually save them

“I wish to receive updates on the young Shiba’s progress, perhaps even meet her,” A living human could provide a unique perspective, one that could potentially be invaluable to the decisions that Central 46 makes. 

“I’ll see what I can do,” Kyoraku nodded as he took another sip of his tea. “Also, speaking of young Shiba, I think there’s something about Ichigo you may like to know.”

Yoruichi was lecturing at the Shino Academy again. Today she was lecturing about how to guide oneself through the technique and thus control their exit point. 

"Alright, how many of you can actually execute shunpo?" Yoruichi looked over the class and was actually quite happy that no one raised their hands.

"Good, nobody's formed any bad habits yet," she then walked to the chalkboard before asking the next question, "how does one guide themselves through shunpo and control their exit point?" Yoruichi waited for an answer. However no one was answering. However, she did hear a particularly problematic student quietly speaking about her. 

Quickly she threw a stick of chalk at the boy's head, waiting until it was just about to impact his head before flash stepping to where it was to catch it. 

The boy, she dare not call him a man, not yet, stared at her in cold shock as she stood in front of him, one knee on his desk, as she held the chalk a centimeter from his face. 

"As much as I'm flattered that you think that I'm attractive, I'm not here to be window dressing," she gave the student a playful smirk. "Now, how do you think I precisely guided my shunpo to exit right here, and not anywhere else?"

"Uh… visually?" The boy stammered out. 

Yoruichi sighed in disappointment before seemingly teleporting back to the front of the class. 

"While effective at slower speeds, guiding your steps visually, especially when executing more complex motions, is a horrible habit to get into,” Yoruichi began writing out several things on the chalk board. “First, the human mind is slower to react to visual stimuli than for any of the other senses, and second,” She then wrote up the number 30 trailed by an Hz. Only those who took foreign language courses or the electives in science and engineering would know the abbreviation. “Our eyes process information at a rate close to thirty times per second. After a certain point you are effectively blind while in motion. So how does one take note of their surroundings?"

A tense silence passed before Yoruichi let a small pulse of her reiatsu out, though significantly more than she would ever dare let out for an actual shunpo.

"That's how, you utilize your spirit sense. Your eyes may not be able to see, but you should never rely on them in battle anyway, they can be tricked, there are very few things that can trick your sense of reiatsu," she then looked over the students present, "and those few things that can, can already trick your sight."

The students were actually giving her their undivided attention for once. Probably because she just established a threat entirely by accident. 

"That is the first mistake anyone makes when learning hoho, using their eyes to guide them when they really shouldn't, any questions?" The rest of the lecture passed by uneventfully. Though the students were far more attentive due to her response to having her looks commented on. She didn't mind being called attractive, but there was a time and a place, and that certainly wasn't it, not to mention the boy could very well have been a tenth her age. He needed to be reminded he was there to learn, not find women. 

Yoruichi began her walk home after that as it was the final lecture of the day for her. 

Despite her noble pedigree allowing her permanent residence in the Seireitei's noble district, Yoruichi elected to have a relatively modest home in the normal residential district. Of course, modest by her standards was a large two-story home with more rooms than she would ever need for herself, but then, old habits tended to die hard. 

As she entered her home she noticed she had a guest.

"Yoruichi, how was the lecture?" The voice of her old friend Kukaku was a surprise, though not unwelcome.

"The kids actually paid attention this time," Yoruichi sat down across from her old friend.

"I want to see what you did to do that," Kukaku chuckled as she considered how she could have done that. 

"It wasn't much, but I don't think you're here for small talk," Yoruichi could see how Kukaku was tense. There was something on her mind. 

“It’s about a suspicion I have,” Kukaku took a draw of her pipe, then blew the smoke away as she let out a long sigh.

“Let me guess, it’s about our dear friend Tokinada,” Yoruichi spoke sarcastically. As much as she hated letting him live rent-free in her head, the man was dangerous and worthy of caution.

“Yes and no, more about the Tsunayashiro at large,” Kukaku really didn’t like where her brain was going. “Ginjo was complaining about Ukitake…”

“Again,” Yoruichi was starting to get tired of it. Yeah, she didn’t really like him either. Letting Kaien die kind of burned that bridge for her, but he would never do what Ginjo claimed.

“Yes, well, I was thinking, what if it wasn’t the thirteenth that killed those fulbringers,” the gears started turning in Yoruichi’s head, and her investigative experience from her time before leading the Onmitsukido kicked in.

“You’re implying someone else killed them while wearing shihakusho with squad thirteen markings,” Yoruichi had already concluded where this went, and she really didn’t like where this was going.

“Yup, and there aren’t many people who can just do that,” Kukaku then just the unsaid question stew. 

Whoever did this would need to be able to procure a large number of squad thirteen shihakuso, either legitimately or illegitimately, Yoruichi bet on the latter, have near unfettered access to the living world, and able to hide all of this from any prospective investigation by either the ninth division or the Onmitsukido. That only left one suspect.

“You think the Tsunayashiro did it via the Visuals Department,” another skeleton in the clan’s closet was discovered. Though there was a lack of corroborating evidence. This was all guesswork.

“That’s my guess. It smells like their wetwork,” Kukaku’s statement wasn’t wrong. The Tsunayashiro were the most politically influential of the five houses, and their willingness to play dirty was why. Blackmail, bribery, coercion, and assassination were just as much tools to them as negotiation and diplomacy were. Yoruichi had tried to uproot many such acts in the past, but every time she was thwarted by the Tsunayashiro’s vast network of catspaws, liaisons, and go-betweens, all covered with a thick smattering of plausible deniability. It was honestly frustrating how the family had created such a large and dense network beneath the nose of the Onmitsukido. 

“You’re probably right, though you need something more concrete first,” Yoruichi’s response caused Kukaku to sigh. This was always the last layer of defense between the Tsunayashiro and any attempt to stick something to them. There was never any hard evidence. Only speculation and deduction. It was honestly insane. 

“I know, I just hate how this has always been a pattern with them,” Kukaku was drained. The political landscape of the Seireitei was rife with such seedy dealings. It was why Yoruichi was more than happy to cast off her responsibilities for a century-long sabbatical. 

"I'll see what I can do, I'm not sure if I can find anything, but I'll try," the Visuals Department was airtight. It would take a master of infiltration to even think about doing this, but she would try. 

Karin considered herself lucky that today was a slow day. 

She had been shadowing Shino all day during her patrol, slowly learning how to do the job of a shinigami. Thankfully there haven't been any hollows today, and most of what they were doing was performing konso and flagging the locations of bound spirits like the one they have just checked in on. 

"Is there anything we can do for them?" Karin asked Shino, her voice colored with concern. 

"Sadly no, since they're bound to the world around them we need for those bonds to break first," Shino's answer left out how that happened, but Karin filled in the blanks. 

"So wait for them to become a hollow, or to be eaten by one… shit," Karin really didn't like that answer.

"Not always, but most of the time yeah, that's what happens," Shino sighed. Living world patrols were not easy affairs.

"So, is it normal for there to just be no hollows some days?" Karin was curious. The telltale howl had yet to be heard. 

"Yeah, hollows aren't rare, but they're not the norm,” the past year has been relatively quiet. A hollow here and there, but nothing like the deluge of activity that marked the lieutenant's last deployment here, nor Shino's first. 

"Ah. That's good I guess," Karin was only slightly disappointed at that news. She had wanted to get her first hollow kill as a way to settle her nerves on the matter, and to put away the traumatic memories of her close encounters.

Shino sighed.

"I get how you feel, but hollow hunting is not our primary objective," Shino looked back at her charge, only to see her staring off into the distance.

"I know," Karin's reply seemed distant. 

"You have a score to settle?" Shino asked. It would make sense to her. Often hollows hunted spiritually aware humans due to their rich souls. 

Karin seemed to silently contemplate the question. 

"Not against any particular hollow," no. That hollow was long dead, and her mother's soul was long at rest.

Suddenly before Shino could respond, a reverberating roar could be heard echoing over the calm skies of Karakura.

"Well, I just had to jinx us didn't I?" Shino sighed as she flipped open her soul phone to receive the tracking information command that was about to shunt her way. With an authoritative beep, the map screen showed her exactly where the hollow was relative to her position. “Alright, stick with me, and try not to die,” Shino and Karin vanished in the flash of shunpo.

Chapter Text

Karin wondered if her family’s luck was just plain rotten at this point. Her first day shadowing Shino and not only did they come across a hollow, it just had to be one that preferred shinigami as its prey. 

Fortunately, it wasn’t subtle. 

Unfortunately, it was fast  and had blades on its forearms that were much longer than they had any right to be. The blades were easily as long as the hollow itself was tall, which was massive as the damned thing was at least one story tall!

Karin had narrowly dodged one of the scythe-like blades as it struck down at her, leaving a clean puncture through the asphalt and into the ground below. 

“What the hell is this thing’s deal?” Karin shouted over to Shino. 

“No idea,” Shino dodged a wide-sweeping strike meant for her that cut down a telephone pole. 

“Now now, there’s no use in resisting, you’ll only die tired,” the deranged voice of the hollow spoke as the mantis-like hollow readied itself to strike again. 

Suddenly the hollow came at Karin with a sweeping blow that cleaved through several shopfronts. The strike was too fast to dodge, and she couldn’t block it head-on, the hollow was too strong. Karin’s only options were to deflect or parry the blow. 

Karin quickly changed her stance, then right as the hollow was about to strike her, she moved to parry the blow. She didn't notice her reiatsu building up as she prepared to deflect the blow.

The loud and shrill clang of sharpened claws and zanpakuto rang through the night air. 

The failed blow threw the hollow off balance, causing it to stumble, this created an opening for Shino, who lept in the air and in one clean slash cleaved the mask in two. The beast faded to dust mere seconds later, and the stench or the hollow’s reiatsu began to fade. 

“Gotta say, you’re pretty good with that sword,” Shino was breathing heavily. She wasn’t sure how long she could have held out without Karin giving the hollow a second target. 

“It was just the basics… Hiyori literally beat them into me,” Karin was significantly less winded. Shion surmised that it had something to do with her noble blood. Whenever she reached out to sense her reiatsu, it was almost like staring into the damned sun. Then a thought captured her mind.

“Wait. Hiyori? That girl who occasionally works the counter at the shop?” Shino had known many in Urahara’s group were not exactly normal, but Hiyori seemed… too normal.

“Yeah, turns out she was Urahara's lieutenant when he was captain of the twelfth,” Shion’s face was simply blank with shock. 

Rukia had let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as she let go of the railing on the platform that overlooked the thirteenth’s nerve center. Her white-knuckle grip had left minor indentations in the wood. Karin facing a hollow like that on her first patrol was something that scared her. If a member of Ichigo’s family go hurt on her watch, she didn’t know what she would do with herself. She had been ready to make a full sprint, possibly even shunpo over to her division’s senkaimon. 

But none of that was necessary. 

Shion and Karin were able to handle it together and take it down. Now came the matter of payout, as that hollow had quite the bounty on it. 

“Lieutenant Kuchiki, take a rest. I’ll handle the rest of the day,” Rukia wasn’t going to argue with Sentaro about this. No, after that hair-rasing experience, she was going to rest. The thoughts that were going through her head then were not ones she wanted to remember. 

As Rukia stood off to the side as she let Sentaro take over the rest of her shift her mind wandered. Over the years of knowing Ichigo she had come to see Karin and Yuzu as family. Much the same way she saw Byakuya now, and more so before he had revealed to her that Hisana was her sister. 

She sighed. That family had caused too much change in her life, but that seemed to be the effect the Shiba had on the world around them. They were a stone thrown into a glass-still pond, they can’t help but make ripples in the world around them. Kaien and Ichigo had proven that to her. 

A small smile crept to her as she thought about her time in the living world. It helped give her perspective on things. The world to her before meeting Ichigo seemed stagnant and dour, with only a short bright spot during her time learning from Kaien. 

Once it was clear she was no longer needed she began walking back to her quarters. The modest room was all she needed for herself. At least for now. 

The stuffed chappy by her bed was a guilty pleasure of hers, but entirely necessary. 

Her eyes however fell on a photo that now lay on her personal desk. It was a photo of her, Ichigo, and the few friends that were allowed to know the reality of Soul Society. 

It was nice seeing them again. 

But her eyes fell on Ichigo. He had stood behind her due to her diminutive stature with subtle hand on her shoulder. Ironically the very shoulder that was mangled the night they first met, she still didn't know how to process it. 

They knew they loved each other, but Rukia couldn't bring herself to take the leap. Not yet. An absolute hurricane of reasons flew through her head as to why.

She was an acting captain, she was a noblewoman, her mind went on and on with reasons why she couldn’t, shouldn’t , pursue a relationship with him. 

In reality, she was anxious. In all her time as a shinigami, as a person even, she had never once been in a genuine romantic relationship. She hadn’t even entertained the idea since she had learned her late mentor had been married, and the depression she had suffered since Kaien’s death had convinced her she was unworthy of it.

She looked into the mirror of her private restroom, another benefit of her rank, and what she saw wasn’t the accomplished lieutenant of squad 13, one of only two shinigami to kill an espada without Bankai, a feat only matched by the current head captain. 

She didn’t even see Rukia Kuchiki, the esteemed noblewoman who was the sister of one Byakuya Kuchiki. 

What she saw, what she always saw, was Rukia. The street rat from Inuzuri who was the only other survivor of a friend group whose faces she had already long forgotten. 

She knew her own strength, she had Bankai, but the feeling of unworthiness remained. 

Rukia took deep breaths. She had nothing to prove. Not to anyone, even herself. 

If she really didn’t deserve the position she was in, her late captain wouldn’t have given it to her. 

The anxiety slowly melted away, and Rukia slowly prepared herself for her off hours. 

Nayura had to admit that even she had underestimated the head-captain's political acumen. 

His sponsoring of the reinstatement of the Shiba clan so that it would be earlier on the docket for the 46 had seemed to be a way to restrict how they would deal with Ichigo through their own case law. While that was true, a new angle was now revealed to her. 

Ichigo Shiba was a quincy. 

That opened a whole can of worms that made the entire process of dealing with the quincy as a whole far more complicated. 

The Central 46 had several restrictions in dealing with the great houses. First among these was that they could not make a ruling that would needlessly harm a member of one of those houses else they are likely to be overruled by them. 

This had not happened with the punitive measures with the Shiba as the Tsunayashiro had voted to uphold the decision. 

Now, however, Tokinada was not likely to make the same mistake. Due to this, as a sage, and knowing that Ichigo was a quincy, she cannot allow the body to rule on dealing with the quincy in a way that would harm the Shiba clan, and since a major branch of that family were all quincy, the quincy were safe from wholesale extermination. 

She had to commend Kyoraku. He had even chosen to tell a sage who took her job so seriously that she would never consider just not divulging this information to be an option. No, the situation from that was far too likely to bite them later. 

Their solution for how to deal with the quincy now required much more nuance. 

The fact he had said this after they had talked about his apprentice program was no coincidence. If she were to make a guess, it would be that Kyoraku was considering tapping into the captive population of quincy to replenish the ranks of shinigami. 

She was unsure about this, but from a pragmatic perspective, it made sense, but that was for another time. Her job was to prepare to submit the head-captain's proposal and her own arguments on the matter. After that began her own political games of getting the Judges to agree to it. 

Isane had just gotten home from a long day at the fourth. 

There wasn't anything unusual, and they weren't undermanned. Yammamoto's final order saw to that. 

No, Isane had begun training for her captain's examination. 

She had bankai yes, Unohana had assisted her with that. She bared no scars from that training due to the capabilities of Unohana as a healer, but it was her capabilities as a swordsman that made her feel inadequate. 

That wasn't training. Unohana had simply butchered her over and over and over until she had finally achieved it. 

The worst part? 

With every clash, with every cut, with every fatal strike, she could feel her mentor's feelings plainly. 

Boredom, apathy, disappointment. 

She had spent a week being trained like this. Only taking breaks to eat so that her captain could replenish her reiatsu. 

She understood why she was so hesitant to help her initially. 

It took her four days to fully realize the ability of her shikai. Then that disappointment turned into something far far more terrifying. 

Excitement. 

The last three days of her training were relentless. No breaks, no rest, nothing. Only death after blood-soaked death. She never thought she would have borne witness to her captain's bankai, let alone have it pointed at her, and it was not what she was expecting. 

Then, after countless deaths, she had it. She attained bankai. Then suddenly Unohana had hidden away her bloodthirsty self once again, a nd Isane learned what it meant to be the captain of squad four.  To be the one so strong, so vicious, so ruthless, that none dare cross blades with you, a nd she had to become that!

She brewed herself a late tea to calm her nerves. The test was the easy part. She knew she would pass. Her bankai was simple, her kido mastery had only grown, and those seven days had done well for her swordsmanship. 

But she lacked the killer edge she saw in Unohana. 

How could she be the shield the fourth so desperately needed?

“Isane, you’re home late,” Kiyone had noticed her sister’s arrival. 

“Just another long day,” she had yet to inform Kiyone of the appointment. Such matters were traditionally confidential due to the very political ramifications of an appointment. It was often best to keep things quiet until after the position had been officially filled, and Isane didn’t even know if she was going to accept at this rate. However, who else could be the captain? She was the defacto best healer in the Seireitei. 

“Just make sure you get some rest. I have enough to worry about already with keeping Lieutenant Kuchiki from working herself to death. Don’t make me have to have Iemura keep an eye on you,” Kiyone only half joked. She could see the same thoughts go through her sister’s mind that went through her superior’s. The same self-doubt, the same feeling of inadequacy, but she didn’t say anything outright, because she didn’t know where to start. 

“I’ll be fine,” Isane spoke in attempt to reassure her younger sister, but her voice faltered slightly. She didn’t know if she would be.

Chapter Text

Ichigo didn't know what to do next. 

He and Rukia had acknowledged that they had fallen for each other. She had told him to live his life in spite of Yhwach, and he had confirmed that he was likely to remain in Soul Society long term. 

But now what?

If this were the living world this would have been so much simpler. He would ask her out on a date. They would hang out more. Eventually they would start a romantic relationship. 

But this wasn't the living world. 

So Ichigo found himself reading up on noble procedure more than he did before. 

It was honestly dry reading. Whomever wrote those records was clinical and to the point, but they had almost no voice to their writing and Ichigo found the dense material difficult for even himself to read. 

So he had taken a break and found himself in a small merchants plaza in the Seireitei. He didn't know what he was looking for, he'll, he had only left for a walk around the noble district to clear his head. 

"Hey Ichigo, what are you doing here?" The familiar voice of the ninth squad lieutenant called out across the plaza. 

"Could ask the same of you," Ichigo snarked. 

"Fair enough, I was getting things prepared for a small vigil today," today was the day of Kakyo's death. A day his former captain had never forgotten, nor a day that Kommamura had forgotten. 

"Who for?" Ichigo asked. He had grown used to the hint of somberness that constantly hung in the air. For many, now that the war was over, and the process of rebuilding had begun, so too had the grieving of those lost in it. 

"An old friend of my former captain," Hisagi looked forward at nothing. Today was the day, all those centuries ago, where Tosen had started treading the path that doomed him to Aizen's manipulations. "She was a relative of yours, Kakyo."

Ichigo had heard the name a few times before, and that it was connected to the ancestral grudge with the Tsunayashiro, but not much else. 

"Who was she?" Ichigo asked. Looking over at Hisagi.

"I'm not sure how to explain it. I never heard the story from Tosen. It was Kommamura who told me," Hisagi's mind went back to the former captain. Tetsuzaimon loyally saw to his care, but while his mind remained intact, Kommamura had forfeit his humanoid form and speech along with his strength. 

"What happened to him?" Ichigo had expected the sight of the large captain when he had come to stay in the Seireitei. To see Love instead was concerning. 

"He sacrificed his powers in an attempt to avenge Yamamoto," Hisagi didn't know what more to say, but he was alive, and he was coming to the vigil. 

"Shit…" Ichigo knew how much the old man meant to everyone. How his death had shaken everyone, even himself. He also knew what that kind of sacrifice was like. He had made it to stop Aizen. 

Hisagi let the moment linger. He didn't know what to say, or what to do. Then he had an idea. 

"Hey, would you mind helping me out with getting some of the things for the vigil?" He turned to face Ichigo. 

"Sure, what do you need?"

Komamura did not exactly like his new existence. 

Sure. He was alive, he had all of his faculties and was living a relatively comfortable retirement. 

But being stuck as a mere dog was a dent upon his pride. 

He could not speak, he could not write, and he now stood on for legs instead of two. 

But he was alive.  

And as long as he lived, he could remember. 

He could remember his friend, and how he had accepted him when no one else had. 

He could remember his mentor, who had personally taught him when the academy had rejected him out of hand. 

And he could remember Kakyo, even though he had never seen her in his life. 

Komamura walked about the seventh's barracks. Since his forced retirement he had embarrassingly become the squad's mascot. His predecessor, who had come in to replace him for the time being, had even gone about getting him a collar marked with the squad's heraldry so that he wouldn't be confused for a wild dog. 

How shameful. 

Fortunately, he was still respected, and his once lieutenant loyally saw to his well-being.

And how bad is it really to be slightly pampered in one’s retirement? 

But he could indulge later. He had a place to be today. 

He walked up to a sliding door to the current captain’s/lieutenant’s office and belted out an authoritative bark before sitting patiently. Tetsuzaimon would know what today was. He had often cleared the schedule for him when he was captain to allow him this day of vigil. 

Now, he required his once subordinate so as not to be shooed off by the grounds keeper. 

He could wait for Hisagi, but he wished to be there sooner rather than later. 

He could hear the sounds of his former lieutenant asking for an early dismissal, and soon the door slid open to reveal perhaps one of the most loyal men he had the pleasure of working with. 

"Komamura, sir,” Tetsuzaimon gave a slight nod of his head. 

Komamura noded to his former lieutenant and caretaker, and turned to depart for the Shiba plot. 

Ichigo and Hisagi had finished getting the things that were needed for the yearly vigil that was held for Kakyo and were now on their way to the Shiba family graveyard. 

Something Ichigo had learned was that Soul Society did graves different. 

There wasn't a burial per se as a body will naturally dissolve into reishi quite rapidly depending on the relative power of the individual. The only exception being those of captain level. They required a special ritual known as Konso Reisai to force the body to dissolve. 

So what everyone was calling a grave was more a monument to his late relative as she wasn't buried there. 

"So, what happened to Kakyo?" Ichigo didn't really know the story, but given her ties to Tosen it probably wasn't good. 

"You'll probably have to speak to Lady Kukaku to get the details, but Kakyo was a close friend of my former captain," Hisagi sighed, this story was infuriating, and was a demonstration of the deep flaws of the Seiretei's laws, "She had shared her dream of becoming a shinigami with him, as well as her want to make this world a better place."

"Sounds like she was a good person," Ichigo looked forward into the distance. If there was one thing he had learned about this world, it was that the most pure souls went through the greatest suffering, "So what happened?"

"She had agreed to be married off to a Tsunayashiro. From what I was able to gather, it seems to have been as an attempt to ease tensions," Ichigo sighed deeply. It made sense, but it also reminded him of the politics behind marriages. At least she had been willing. "Several years later she was then murdered by her husband in a seeming fit of rage after he thought he had caught her cheating."

Ichigo raised his eyebrow at this. It just seemed off to him. No there was something more to this. 

"What happened to the murderer?" Ichigo figured he knew where this went, but he didn't want to assume. A part of himself also hoped he was wrong. 

"He was thrown into the upper levels of the great underground prison for minimal sentence and had his zanpakuto confiscated," Hisagi's answer was infuriating. Now he understood why Tosen was so pissed. This was a murder. Aggravated or not, someone was dead!

"Who was it?" Ichigo almost didn’t want to know. However his want to know who had snuffed out such a pure flame won.

"Tokinada." Hisagi’s answer couldn’t have been any worse. Now Ichigo knew that story was a lie. Tokinada was a sadistic bastard. He probably enjoyed every second of it. 

Ichigo had calmed himself by the time he had met up with Tetsuzaimon and Komamura. 

He was surprised to see the former captain had lost more than just his powers, but a knowing glance between the two conveyed all that needed to be said between the two. 

Ichigo didn't need to think about how the former captain felt. He knew it . He knew it deep into his very bones. 

The insult of losing his ability to speak was just an added cruelty. 

And yet the nobility of character that he had come to expect from the once towering captain was still there. Sajin Komamura may be powerless, but he was unbroken. 

"I didn't know you were coming by Ichigo," the squad seven lieutenant spoke quietly. 

"Hisagi invited me," Ichigo motioned to the other lieutenant. "She was a relative of mine, and so I figured I'd drop by."

He didn't need to know how her death motivated Tosen to try to burn the Seiretei to ash, Hisagi told him. He didn't need to know how much his deceased enemy had hurt after her death, because he had nightmares of Rukia befalling a similar fate. 

Tosen was a broken man. One who had never had someone to stop him, to help him process his grief. So grief became anger, anger stewed into hatred, and that hatred left him vulnerable to Aizen. 

Hisagi had finished decorating the shrine with what they had bought. It was a meger display, but he had insisted that he pay for everything. 

They all continued in silence in the memory of someone they had never met.

Tokinada looked over the sunset from a balcony. 

Today was a day he fondly remembered. 

It was the day he had killed the purest soul he had ever seen. 

The beauty that his late wife had walked with was one befitting such a selflessly kind soul. 

It was why he had chosen to kill her from the moment he had first laid eyes on her. 

He wanted to gain her trust, gain her love even, and then betray all of that and see her face when he did it. 

The friend she was speaking with simply gave him an excuse to do it. 

He sighed happily as he remembered seeing the life leave the man's eyes as he strangled him, and the feeling of his trachea collapsing beneath his thumbs. 

The only stain on that was Kakyo's words. 

No. She did not beg for mercy for herself. Never herself.

She begged that he spare her friend, which was why he killed him. When his violent gaze turned to her, however, there was no begging to be spared. There was no disgust in her being betrayed. She didn't even fight back unlike her friend.

No, she had done the only thing that could have possibly soured what should have been a moment of ecstasy. 

She apologized!  

They both knew she hadn't committed adultery. He knew she was too pure for that, and she knew he was too smart to make such a dumb assumption. 

No, she apologized for something else. 

Failing to fix him!

She had knowingly walked into the den of a monster hoping to teach it love, and when presented with her failure she apologized!

The rage at such a pathetic act almost ruined the moment. 

It was then he flew into the rage that he had claimed he was in for the entire act. 

The only joy she had given him came with her final silence, but the moment was tainted. 

Fortunately her friends and family weren't so pathetic. 

The Shiba were enraged. The tense but easing relations between the two clans was broken overnight. 

The desperate pleading of a then powerless Tosen as he begged to be let in, only for him to explain the order of things, how the world worked, how it was only to the benefit of the great houses. 

The way Tosen's face twisted to anger and hatred so easily. 

He thought that was the last he was ever going to see of the blind man. 

To learn he had become a captain and betrayed Soul Society? 

He had laughed uproariously that day. The betrayal of everything Kakyo stood for was so delicately sweet. 

Not even burning the Seiretei to the ground and building something ‘just’ in its place would truly be just. 

Soul Society's existence could never be just. Thus was the very nature of its foundation. 

Soul Society was built on sin. Trying to make it ‘just’ was a fool's errand. 

What was the point of being just when your entire existence was built on sin? 

What was the point of being kind when your very existence benefits from a system built to insulate you from that very sin?

There is no point in mercy when your very existence is an act of violence against your inferiors. 

Chapter Text

Rukia had a problem. 

Ichigo, while moving at an okay pace, was moving at a pace that was okay for shinigami. For the time constraints they were working under such a pace was potentially unacceptable given the fine control he needed due to his relative power. 

She needed a faster training method, and that caused her to look around for methods that achieved similar results to what she needed on the timetable that she needed. 

There was only one conclusion she came to after scouring the Kuchiki and academy archives. 

She would need the help of a quincy. 

From a pragmatic point of view, it made sense. The quincy were able to train combatants of great strength and control within human timescales. While they may not entirely work, they could accelerate the timetable by years at least. 

The problem was that all the quincy in Seiretei were under the lock and key of the Onmitsukido in a detention camp. 

Thus she needed the approval of both the head captain, and Captain Sui-Feng. Because of this she had requested a meeting with the head captain and requested that Sui-Feng be present as well in her capacity as commander of the Onmitsukido. 

She was nervous. As far as she could tell, Ichigo being a quincy was need-to-know information, and she had not disclosed her knowledge of this information prior. This was also complicated by the fact that she didn't know if Sui-Feng knew. She was a known hardliner politically, and it was likely that she supported the execution of the remaining quincy, though stayed her hand due to standing orders not to as captain of the second, and what sense of professional honor she had prevented her from circumventing these orders by invoking her rank as commander on the Onmitsukido, a position outside of the Gotei's command structure.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki. Head Captain Kyoraku is expecting you," the voice of Okikiba drew her out of her thoughts. 

"Thank you," she nodded respectfully before moving to the head Captain's office. 

The small office was nowhere near as grand as the one of Yamamoto, but that was to be expected given the sheer damage the first division's barracks had taken in the opening salvo of the war. 

In the back of the room, she could see the form of the head captain, and standing next to him, Captain Sui-Feng. 

"Lieutenant Kuchiki, I wasn't expecting you to deliver your progress report personally," Kyoraku spoke jovially. Likely to ease the tension in the room.

"As you can likely surmise, that isn't exactly the case," Rukia spoke formally. She was in the presence of her commanding officer and a senior. 

"Good. If that were the case this would have been a waste of my time," Sui-Feng spoke with her usual almost contemptuous tone. 

"Ichigo is not progressing at the needed rate for him to be allowed passage to the living world within the decade," she of course needed to cite her current progress report in order to give context as to why she would be asking what she is asking for. 

“You mentioned this previously, and it is troubling,” the head captain rubbed his chin. “At this rate, Central 46 will bar him from returning,” Kyoraku sighed. He wants to give the kid a fighting chance, but his duties come first, and if they say Ichigo cannot return to the living world, his hands were tied. 

“Pardon my impatience, but I fail to see how this concerns the Onmitsukido,” Sui-Feng’s apology was purely for decorum. The training of Ichigo was purely a Gotei matter and was Lieutenant Kuchiki’s chief responsibility. 

“Yes,” Rukia cleared her throat before speaking again. “At the start of his training, Ichigo informed me of relevant need-to-know information. Information I am unsure if you have been informed of Captain Sui-Feng.”

Both the Head captain and the supreme commander of the Onmitsukido raised an eyebrow at this. 

“‘Relevant information,' Could this be…?” Kyoraku trailed off. He didn’t want to compromise this information himself. Especially not in the presence of Sui-Feng. 

“Yes, Ichigo Kurosaki is a quincy,” Sui-Feng’s eyes shot wide at this revelation, speaking only after recollecting herself.

“Since I was not informed earlier I assume you do not wish for me to detain him,” Sui-Feng already didn’t like the boy. He was a loose cannon as far as she was concerned, and she fully agreed with the Central 46 trying to leash him, even if it was for blatantly political reasons. 

"No," Rukia replied, confirming Sui-Feng's statement. "I am saying this because I have reason to believe that the quincy have access to training that can get us the desired results within a reasonable time frame," Rukia simply hoped that the hardliner captain would be willing to play ball. 

"So you want Ichigo to be trained by a quincy so that he at least has a fighting chance to be able to go home," Kyoraku was looking at the big ask she was making. He knew he didn't have the real final say here. 

"That is correct, head captain," Rukia nodded in affirmation. 

"I can approve the measure, but as I am sure you're already aware, Commander Sui-Feng is the one with the final say here," she was the one who ultimately decided if Rukia had the type of access to the camp that she needed, and if anyone could leave it, even if only temporarily. 

"My orders are to ensure that the quincy within the camp do not pose a threat to the Seiretei. If you can come up with a way for you to have a quincy train him without threatening the Seiretei in any way, I'll allow it," the Onmitsukido commander looked sternly at Rukia. "Otherwise my answer is no."

Ichigo was walking home from 'Camp Seidlytz' after speaking with a family of quincy that sought the protection of the Shiba clan.

It was awkward speaking to a former enemy in such a capacity, but their request made sense. 

They were unsure of the survival of the wider Wandenreich and if they would be allowed to live. By pledging themselves to a great house and aligning politically with Seiretei they hoped to be freed sooner and be exempt from any potential extermination orders. 

That last part was uncomfortable to think about. 

While Ichigo was certain that Kyoraku had a plan to keep things from getting to that point, he didn't know what that plan was, and as such didn't know anything about it; a nd well, as a quincy himself, he found that he had a very vested interest in Central 46's plans for them. The problem was that they had yet to deliberate over the situation since the camp had been set up. 

Fortunately, today's talks resulted in an idea. Zanpakuto should allow quincy to purify souls as opposed to destroying them like Zangetsu allowed him to do. The only problem is creating a situation where they can become shinigami, and that any who are allowed to return to the living world are granted entry into the substitute program. 

But that was something Ichigo would have to deal with later. 

With his training on hold for now until Rukia can come up with a faster way to get his powers at a tolerable level of control, he found himself in the shopping district.

He didn't really have a reason to be here. Most of what he needed was provided by the manor staff and clan servants. However, he is facing an awkward situation.

With him and Rukia acknowledging their mutual feelings he now found himself in the weird not-quite-dating phase. 

This was primarily due to their mutual status as nobles and how an unsanctioned relationship could cause… issues.  

First and foremost of those issues were that both he and Rukia were next in line to lead their respective clans if something happened to either Byakuya or Kukaku. 

Not to mention Ichigo still wasn't entirely sure if he was staying. Sure, he wanted to leave Karakura, possibly even Japan as a whole, but what would he do?

He didn't really have much of a plan other than leaving, and him getting his powers back and then the subsequent war with the Wandenreich threw a brick through what little planning he had done. 

Then there was the fact that he wouldn't dare ask her to come with him. He knows her answer, especially now, but it would just be demanding too much of her. 

As Ichigo was consumed by his thoughts over the tricky matter, he saw something of interest. 

Apparently, someone figured out how to make decent stuffed animals, because what he saw was a stuffed chappy that was definitely bigger than Rukia. 

It was dumb, over the top, overpriced, probably a pain in the ass to walk around with subtly…

It was perfect.

Sure, he thought Rukia's obsession with Cappy was a bit over the top, but… he knew she'd like it… and the mental image of her walking around with it was frankly hilarious.

How Ichigo walked away from the market district with a massive ruck, he dare not say, only that it needed to go to the thirteenth. 

Rukia's work was particularly intense today. Not only did she have to work through her paperwork, but she also needed to come up with a secure and discreet way to get a quincy over to a training ground nobody would be anywhere near. 

The training ground was obvious enough. The one beneath Sogyoku Hill was perfect, as the longer the quincy was in transit, the higher likelihood of being discovered. But as for the matter of security, she'd need a way to keep a handle on their power. 

Before Rukia could start thinking that over a knock could be heard.

"Yes?" Rukia took a pause from her reading of several security briefs.

The door opened and Kyone popped her head into the office.

"Ichigo would like to meet with you Lieutenant Kuchiki," she was somewhat surprised at this. Ichigo made a point of not getting in the way of her work. 

"Tell him he can come in," she wasn't handling anything so sensitive that he can't be in the room with her, and she knew that if she had to, she could trust him to not say anything if he saw something he shouldn't. So if he wanted to visit he could come in. 

When he did though the massive bag on his back caught her by surprise. 

"What is that on your back?" She looked quizzically at Ichigo, not quite able to make out what was in the massive bag he brought with him. 

"Well… I was walking around the markets and saw something that made me think about you and…" he then unceremoniously dumped out the bag's sole occupant. 

A five-foot-tall Chappy plushie. 

"..." Rukia didn't know what to say. She had been eyeing that exact plushie since she saw it in the market yesterday and Ichigo just walked in to gift it to her. 

"Are you okay?" Ichigo was confused by Rukia's silence as she rebooted from the surprise. 

"What… you didn't…" Rukia stopped herself from sputtering, cleared her throat, walked over to pick up the massive stuffed animal, and walked back to her desk. "Thank you."

Ichigo simply smiled back and left her to her own devices. 

Karin had once again been out on patrol with Shino. 

Nothing as eventful as what happened last time occurred, and she was honestly thankful for that. Her fight against that hollow reminded her of how dangerous they could be. Even if she could actually fight back now. 

So far the patrol was much the same. Shino taught her what her responsibilities would be as a substitute, how to do this or that, and practice with konso. 

It felt nice to be able to do something. 

Karin knew her brother was listless since losing his powers, and how much he had liked this 'job.' Now however she understood why. Helping souls move on was rewarding in a way, and the occasional adrenaline rush of taking down a weaker hollow was a little cherry on top. 

"Liking the job so far?" Shino had noticed this slowly building enthusiasm. It helped that she was a quick study. She even was okay at comforting the souls she was sending to Soul Society. 

"Honestly, I can see why my brother loved this," She knew how rewarding helping people could be. She often was at her happiest when helping patients in the clinic. This was simply an extension of that. 

"The 'helping souls move on' bit is always nice," Shino understood where Karin was coming from.

While Shino had different reasons for becoming a shinigami, she understood both the appeal of helping others, and the appeal of testing yourself in combat. 

"Yeah, it is," Karin looked over at the setting sun as she let herself contemplate her future.

She had always intended to become a nurse of some sort. She had experience, genuinely liked the job, and it paid well. However, this new career choice was definitely giving that a run for its money. 

Shino had so far been impressed by her charge. Karin was strong, very strong, but it wasn't just that. It was clear in spite of her cold exterior she genuinely wanted to help people. She had anger, a lot of it, she could sense it rolling off of her zanpakuto as though it was smoke coming from a fire, but fire didn't just burn, it provided warmth, it gave a means to safely prepare food, and cast light to guide oneself in the dark. Shino had learned this as she both got to know Karin as she worked at the Urahara shop and now as an apprentice.

"I gotta say. You seem to have most of this down already. I'll give it a few weeks to be sure, but you might already be good for a substitute evaluation," Shino wasn't lying. It was clear that Karin understood much about the world she was thrust into, and Hiyori's lessons created a strong sword fighter. She had a lot to learn still. She was nowhere near as skilled as either Ikkaku or Ichigo, but the foundation had been laid well. 

"If you say so, I still can't use kido" Karin disagreed, she still was in the practice phase of her kido training. It would be a while still before Tessai would even let her cast an actual spell. 

"I'll be honest with you, most people in the gotei don't use it. It's handy to have, but you don't need it," Kido was a discipline that required far more patience than zanjitsu, hoho, or hakuda. Most graduates had some level of kido skill, but it was by no means a requirement for the gotei save for the fourth.

"I'd rather have the skill than not," Karin was of the opinion that it was better to have and not need, then need and not have. Not to mention that she was genuinely interested in learning kaido. 

"Fair," Shino had come to the same opinion after the war. Quincy blut had proven to be quite effective against zanpakuto, but some kido spells had shown success in putting down soldats. The problem was that it was the more complicated spells that were the most effective. So she had started picking up kido herself, much to her brother's chagrin. "I think you should go home for the night. I can handle things from here."

Karin nodded in response before vanishing away in shunpo to return to the shop. Shino didn't want to overwork the kid. She had a life outside of this, and soon school would start back up for her and she would have other obligations. 

It was best she get to live her life with minimal interruption from the world of the dead, even if she chose to get involved.

Chapter Text

Aura Michibane had been very busy. 

The joint quincy-onmitsukido raid was unexpected and she had to take great pains to ensure it didn't happen again. 

The first of these steps had been going to ground. She needed to lay low and get off of the radar of whoever found her. The problem was that she couldn't easily relocate.

Karakura was a key location due to both its high relative reishi density, allowing for spiritual techniques to work more effectively, and its proximity to Tokyo proper. 

They had to make sure that when they blew the lid off of the secrets of the world, it was in a way that made sure they couldn't be suppressed. 

That meant more than just cultish religious talk, that meant more than billing herself as a holy figure. 

She needed to set up tenkai kecchu around Karakura for the plan to work. 

Tokinada bought her some freedom to maneuver through reinstating the Shiba, but there was more to it than just covertly placing them around Karakura. 

There were other factors. Chiefly, Ichigo's human friends.

While Aura was confident she could handle Orihime and Yasutora, Uryu was the primary concern now. Her attempt to find out his shrift had been fruitless, and so any direct confrontation with him bore an unknowable risk to it; then he also had command over a small collection of former sternritter who, while known, possess quite a lot of combined firepower. 

There were ways to isolate Ichigo before, especially with the help of the visuals department, but Uryu would not fall for such bait due to his hesitancy to endanger himself and his fellow quincy, but therein lay the key. Hesitancy can be exploited, and she had the ability to make some powerful threats. 

Yes. This would work nicely. 

Rukia found herself at the quincy detention camp. She had managed to get Captain Sui-Feng's approval for her proposal, and now she had to choose a candidate. 

Sui-Feng had provided her with dossiers on many of the quincy in the camp for the purposes of picking a candidate to train Ichigo. While there were several good candidates among the regular soldats, they wouldn't have the experience of working with such a powerful student. This was also before she considered flight risk. No, there was only one candidate on that list, and she was going to speak with him now. 

Rukia nodded to one of the detention corps guards standing guard at the entrance to the interrogation room. While she didn't like the choice of room, she also appreciated the need for it. The matter she was about to speak of was highly sensitive and required great discretion. 

So much so that as soon as she entered the room she cast a silencing kido within the room as a precaution. 

"So, the Kuchiki ice princess is the one who they dragged my ass all the way out here for, that's surprising," Bazz B was to be her chosen assistant in attempting to help Ichigo reign in his power. 

"I would prefer it if you would refer to me by my rank and name," While Rukia had been called much worse in her career as a shinigami, she didn't like the way it hit close to one of her other nicknames. 

"Alright, mind if I ask why I was brought here?" Bazz B didn't mind the disruption, it's not like he had much else to do, but the detention corps were assholes about it and that had soured his mood. 

"I assume you are aware of the heritage of one Ichigo Shiba?" the name felt weird coming out of her mouth, but that was his legal name in Soul Society, and since it was now known to her Kurosaki was a quincy family name, she wasn't going to risk dropping that hint. 

"Yup, gemischt quincy of the Kurosaki bloodline. What about him?" Granted gemischt didn't fully encompass what Ichigo actually was, but if there was a term for it he didn't know it. 

"I have been given the task of training him to better control his reiatsu, and while progress is being made, it is slow," Rukia got straight to the point. There was no point in doing otherwise. 

"Too slow, and you want to pick my brain for quincy training techniques to speed the process up," Bazz B sighed. It wasn't as bad as what he thought it was, but this meant that there would be more of this, because the answer was not conducive to him not getting run around places with a bag over his head. "We do, hell, Hashwalth had a whole training regimen ready to go for him, not that he ever got to use it." 

Rukia shuddered at the thought of Ichigo fighting alongside the Wandenreich before collecting herself. 

"Good. I do not expect that I will be able to implement these techniques on my own, especially after being informed as to how his quincy powers had awakened, as such, tomorrow you will be escorted to an undisclosed location to assist in training Ichigo," Rukia's answer was not what Bazz B wanted to hear. He would be shuffled around like a damned criminal all over the Seiretei when all he wanted was to relax until they finally decided to do something with them. 

Before Bazz B could respond Rukia had already left. 

"Bitch." 

Byakuya had an interesting development on his hands. 

Ichigo had given Rukia a gift. 

Normally this wasn't a big deal. Friends got each other stuff from time to time. No, what made this different was what the gift was. 

An absurdly large Chappy plush. 

His sister had often explained how she didn't understand why Ichigo didn't like the rabbit. Frankly he found himself agreeing. Rabbits were good luck and they made his sister happy, so he had little reason to dislike them. The fact that Ichigo got her one in spite of that meant something, especially when the reason he told Rukia was 'he thought of her' when he saw it. 

There were… implications of such an act. He wanted to ask either Rukia of Ichigo about that, but he felt it was prying. His sister deserved what privacy she could get. 

This did mean however that Kukaku's 'plan,' if he could call it that, was working. 

He knew Ichigo cared deeply for Rukia, he had felt it in his blade almost three years ago. At that moment there was nothing more that Ichigo cared about than Rukia's safety. 

The passion Byakuya felt behind that blade, he could only remember one time he had ever felt a passion that deep.

It was when he had fallen in love with Hisana. 

As much as he would deny it openly, he and Ichigo were quite similar in many ways. 

It seemed the depth of their hearts was another commonality. 

He would have to begin making preparations for a possible marriage agreement. Nothing concrete, but it would speed up the process. 

He hoped that the elders wouldn't be too sour when things started actually moving that way. After all, while Ichigo may be a Shiba, he was also born human, and if his interview with Lieutenant Hisagi was anything to go by, he certainly had some… progressive opinions. This observation was reinforced if the incident between him and one Goro Yayahara was anything to go by. 

Byakuya figured that the elders would want him to marry Rukia off to reinforce their current alliances, or as a means to bring one of the independent lesser houses into the Kuchiki fold. Not to reforge bonds with a great house that in their eyes have proven volatile. 

The real challenge was going to be finding the most eloquent and polite way to tell them where they can shove those opinions. 

Isane was busy once again.

Apparently, an all-out fight broke out in the eleventh again. Isane didn’t care about the details but for the fact that she now had multiple belligerent patients in various trauma wards based on wound severity. Fortunately nothing bad enough to require her direct attention, but she had to authorize the use of sedatives for each patient for the safety of her own subordinates. 

And now had to speak with Captain Zaraki about their status. 

“So, how are the whelps?” Kenpachi had explained that he had ultimately broken up the fight himself. This explained some of the more… over-the-top injuries. 

“Beligerant, but stable,” Recent events had not been kind to Isane. The looming anxiety of her captaincy evaluation was adding on to the average day-to-day stress of running the fourth, which had included reasserting the division’s specialization and refusing to do the menial tasks that had been forced upon her subordinates previously. 

“Sounds like they’re doing fine then, I’ll make sure to dock the cost of the sedatives from their pay,” Isane didn’t comment. They were his men, he was free to punish them as he wished as long as it remained reasonable. Then Kenpachi noticed Isane was clearly fatigued, possibly stressed even. He knew what it looked like when he had an enemy on the ropes, and he saw something similar in the fourth’s acting captain. “How have you been holding up?”

Isane was surprised at the question. She didn’t expect Zaraki to even notice her fatigue, let alone care about her well-being. 

“I’m fine,” it wasn’t stress she was unused to. One doesn’t enter the field of medicine for stress free work.

“Bullshit, something’s eating at you,” Kenpachi had learned how to read people as a part of his duty as captain. When he realized that he was supposed to lead people he had asked himself how he would want to be led, and tried to be that. Eventually, he learned how to listen to his men, and to care for their emotional states as best he could. He was no psychologist, but that often wasn’t the case. Some people just needed someone to listen, and this seemed to be one of those times. 

“Am I worthy of being Unohana’s Successor?” the question caught him off-guard. He had never once in his life cared if he was worthy of anything. Yet at the same time, he understood the emotions behind the question very well. 

Yachiru cast a long shadow, and he wasn’t the only one who had to fill the void she left behind.

“She chose to train me didn’t she?” Kenpachi knew that when the head captain said she would train him what it actually meant. He knew that either he or Yachiru were going to die, and she had made sure it was her life that ended. 

“Yes,” Isane’s reply was quiet, understated, almost inaudible.

“Then that’s all the proof you need. I doubt she would leave the fourth in incapable hands,” Unohana had been many things. Murderer, warrior, healer, teacher, but most importantly she was a woman of ideals. She had built the eleventh in the image of what she called the perfect fighting force. Kenpachi imagined that she did much the same with the fourth, and had imagined that he would only select an individual as capable of replacing her has he was. 

“I know I’m a capable healer, but I'm not a fighter,” Now he understood. Unohana’s role as captain was two-fold. Not only was she supposed to be a healer, but also the one to defend her subordinates in the case of an attack. “Can I truly succeed her?” 

“Did you fight her too?” it was the only way she could know Unohana’s true potential. She had to have fought her. 

“She helped me attain bankai,” Isane’s voice was still quiet, still uncertain. 

“All the more reason to believe she thought you were ready,” She would have known Isane’s capabilities, and had a fair grasp of her limitations. 

“I…”

“Unohana wasn’t a true healer. She never was,” Kenpachi probably knew her true self better than anyone left alive. They had crossed blades, twice! He had even fought against her bankai, the true expression of who she was. “She had always been, and would always have been a killer at heart. You aren’t that. You aren’t a warrior or a killer, you’re a healer,” Unohana would never truly have had the perspective that Isane has. Everything Unohana did she did because it challenged her, pushed her to her limits, even if her intent was to heal. That was not the motivation a healer should have. 

A healer needed to care about their charges. And while Kenpachi knew she cared on some level, it wasn’t from the heart. It was more professional pride than anything, selfish motivation. A flawed approach that he was sure she would have been aware of. 

“If you’re worried about you being unable to stop some gutless sack of shit from killing your patients, then I’m always open to sparing,” He grinned as he left the office. 

Isane was left alone to mull over the words Zaraki had told her. They were, as per usual for him, gruff and crass, but they had been accurate. She was a trauma surgeon, and before that had done just about every posting in the fourth that ‘trauma nurse’ covered. 

Every death hurt.

Even now, after so long working in this field, having a patient die on her still hurt. Many of her couleagues had said that eventually you’ll stop being hurt by it, but she never was. She had wondered why Unohanna had chosen someone who still felt that point to be her Lieutenant, but now, knowing her past as Yachiru, knowing how death was common to her to the point of lives being almost worthless… maybe her still feeling that pain was why she was chosen.

Isane started walking back to her desk. She had more work to do. 

The sands of Hueco Mundo were not a forgiving place. Bambietta knew this. She and Candice had been treking to the Jagdarmee camp with Gantenbainne leading them. 

The tall arrancar didn't make much conversation. Not that she minded, the less he spoke the better his chances of not pissing her off, and since she was in mission mode, she was close to a hair trigger. 

Candice though, she was also unusually quiet. She kept her gaze fixed on the arrancar, almost as if she was anticipating a betrayal. 

"There it is," the privaron espada pointed forward at the mass of tents and campfires. "Now do us all a favor and get rid of them," Gantenbainne did not care much for quincy, those of the jagdarmees especially. 

"Candice, stay here with our guide, I'll handle the assholes," and without waiting for an affirmative she began walking toward the camp before vanishing in a burst of hirenkyaku.

"Are you sure about letting her wander off?" The arrancar looked over at his charge for the time being. Bambietta could do a lot on her own, including putting a knife in Her Majesty's back. 

"If she's going in alone, it's because she doesn't want us in the blast radius," Candice then sat looking over the camp. If Bambi was worried about killing them, then she was certain that it would be necessary to kill them. 

This was going to be one hell of a show.

Chapter Text

Bambietta Basterbine hated the Jagdarmees. 

If she had her way she would have used vollstandig and erased the entire camp from existence. However, Uryu in his infinite naivety, decided to give them a chance to swear fealty to him and abandon the war. 

Though if she were honest, she had to guess that he put the chances of that happening at a similar probability to actually find water in this endless expanse of pure desolation. After all, he sent her to deal with them. If he was actually serious about recruiting them he probably would have sent Domino. The unkillable sycophant would probably be able to strike a chord with them and convince them to join. 

She was absolutely not the one you send to resolve a situation diplomatically. Her order to give them a chance was clearly an attempt to clear his conscience of the fact that they will need to die. 

She had no such qualms. She was a sternritter. 

As she walked to the camp she was greeted by a pair of lookouts. Their uniforms clearly showed signs of disrepair. Unsurprising given the fact that they have been operating in Hueco Mundo for over a year. 

"So, where's your boss?" Bambi knew the guards probably recognized her. She had a reputation for being a black widow back in Silbern.

"He is planning our attack on Las Noches as we speak, he has instructed us that he isn't to be interrupted," the guards were painfully loyal. Fortunately, she had a few cards to play. 

"His Majesty has requested that I speak to him post haste, I have an urgent message and it must be delivered now!" The first card being that they probably didn't know Yhwach was dead. Thus, a clever lie of omission would allow her to get this over with quickly. 

"We will take you to his tent, he will speak with you after he's done with his meeting," she groaned at that, but it meant she got let into the camp. 

What she saw as she traversed the camp was unflattering. It was clear even when they were deployed that the jagdarmees were meant to be abandoned. A sacrificial pawn to isolate Ichigo from Soul Society. It almost worked too, but the kid defied any attempt to gauge his limitations and awoke his quincy abilities through pure instinct and the plan went downhill from there. 

But because they were never meant to be legitimately supported long-term, the conditions the members lived in slowly deteriorated over the past year. Starvation was a non-issue due to their ability to absorb reishi from the natural environment to sustain them, but few quincy had the precision needed to create or repair clothing with gathered reishi, and nobody here could based on the varying conditions of the soldat's uniforms.

When she got to the tent that was clearly the tent belonging to their commanding officer she continued into the tent as opposed to waiting. When one of the guards tried to stop her, he found himself knocked flat on his ass due to a precise explosion knocking him over. 

When she entered the tent, the commanding officer was still going over the map of suspected enemy deployments, turning around when he heard Bambietta enter.

“I thought I said I wasn’t to be interrupted…” he trailed off once he saw who had entered. “I see my calls for reinforcements were finally answered.”

Bambietta resisted the urge to facepalm. The war was only supposed to last nine days. The fact that it’s a year on and the world hasn’t collapsed yet should have made it clear what happened. 

“Sorry, I’m not reinforcements. The war’s over, we lost, and His Majesty Yhwach is dead,” the look of absolute shock on the commander was priceless. Sadly, she had to convince this ass to leave.

"I am here under orders of his appointed successor, Uryu Ishida, to inform you of this and that you are to terminate operations immediately," She doubted that he would listen. This war was supposed to be their moment. Vengeance for both the failed war a millennia ago and for the attempted genocide.

"And give up?! " The commander's voice was filled with indignation. "What of all those Soul Society slaughtered? What of the innocents dead because they served His Majesty and not that corpse-god they call king!" The words he spat were willed with venomous hate. Hate which would never allow for mercy to be shown to Soul Society, hate that would drive him to achieve the goals the war set out to achieve, and thus endanger all other quincy. 

"I do not have time for your bullshit. You either stand down or I deal with you and your men as a threat to the quincy," She hoped he thought that was a bluff. She wanted to let loose and turn this camp into a smoking crater. 

The silence in the tent became tense. The commander knew this wasn't a bluff. Bambietta wouldn't hesitate to destroy him and his men. He was surprised that she had shown him this much mercy even. 

"If Uryu would deem us doing the noble thing, the honorable thing, the right thing, as a threat, then I do not wish to serve such a coward."

Bambietta grinned. 

Gantenbaine was unamused. 

He understood why Lady Hallibel had him escort the quincy. He was the strongest non-critical arrancar at her disposal. However, that also meant that he was basically babysitting while the others were doing the actual fighting. He only hoped that it would be over quickly. 

Suddenly a bright flash illuminated the dark skies of Hueco Mundo coming from the direction of the Jagdarmee camp. 

"What the hell?" The tall arrancar had no idea what was going on. 

"Really Bambi? You just had to show off," Candice was unsurprised at the outcome. Bambi was getting antsy and she really needed to let out an explosion like this for a while. "By the way, you might want to sit down."

"Why?" Gantenbaine rapidly received his answer in the form of a massive shockwave that almost knocked him down. "Shit… what the hell is she?" 

"Sternritter E, the explosion. She can turn anything in direct contact with her reiatsu into a bomb. Including the air itself," Candice knew the intricate details of her friend's shrift, as it was shared with her to foster the ability to cooperate with each other. 

"Will there be…"

"No. They're total write-offs. Not like we lost anything of value, those assholes would probably eat babies if Yhwach told them too," Candice did some disturbing shit in the name of the Wandenreich, but the Jagdarmees were something else. Not to mention hiding them in the living world would probably take years just to get them to act normally. 

"Good, if I knew you could do that I would have kept my mouth shut when the idea was brought up by Nelliel," Petitioning for aid looked a lot like weakness to him, but he didn't complain because the reality was plain as day. No, it was the petitioning of the quincy that he disagreed with. 

But that crater where a camp full of them once was made everything he said then look foolish. 

"If you knew then you probably would have disagreed even harder," Candice knew the kind of threat Bambi could pose. Around her 'safe' was a very relative term. 

"Whatever, those sick bastards are all dead, that's what matters," He genuinely couldn't care less for the loss of those assholes. Their fanaticism was just wrong.

"Ah, been a while since I set one off that big," Bambi could be seen several feet in front of them, between them and the massive smoking crater. She looked as though she had come out of a spa with how relaxed she was. 

"So, I take it the answer was a no?" Candice could make a reasonable guess, but she wanted to make sure that Bambi at least asked before atomizing them.

"He called what they were doing here just ," Bambi hated that. Yeah, she did some horrible shit, but she didn't pretend that it wasn't horrible because a god-king told her to do it. Uryu was probably not going to like it, but it was more important that they were stopped and he knew that. 

"Lady Hallibel will be relieved, now we can safely commit to dealing with our own problems," Gantenbaine started walking to the rendezvous point, the queen would like to finally hear some good news for once. 

Rukia had asked that Ichigo come to the Sogyoku training grounds. That in and of itself was weird. She had outright stated her distaste for the execution grounds on several occasions. Hell, Ichigo was sure he could still see the gash he had cut into it with a Getsuga Tensho. But the site of this lesson wasn't the weirdest part. It was that it was after sunset and that he had been asked to be discreet. 

While he was certain that it had nothing to do with the awkward situation they found themselves in, it still made this feel charged in a way. Here he was, sneaking into a secret location few people knew about, with the person he loved. 

To say he felt weird would be an understatement. 

But Rukia had made it clear that this training session was unorthodox and was using resources that were not regularly available. 

As he came up to the first entrance he saw Rukia. 

"Good, you're here," Rukia was clearly waiting for him as was usual for these sessions. "Come inside. We need to wait for someone else."

"Who?" Ichigo was confused. Why would Rukia be having someone else join them?

"The person who will be training you to use your abilities as a quincy," that floored Ichigo. He never thought anyone who knew about his heritage would be open to the idea because of the war. Not to mention he had little interest as his blended visored and fullbring powers did most of what he needed. He only really made common use of blut due to its defense and offensive benefits. 

"Rukia, why are you doing this?" He didn't know what kind of risks Rukia was taking with this. Any potential instructor would have to come from the prison camp. Without official sanctioning, she could be risking her entire career. 

"Because you at least deserve the opportunity to choose whether you stay or not," he did. He really did. Not only for what he did for Soul Society but for what he did for her. He didn't just save her life, he had convinced her it was worth living. Much as she knew she did the same for him. "And don't worry, I got the head captain and Captain Sui-Feng to agree," she did not want to have to explain the pages of security protocols she had to read through and the very long write-up she had to send to the Onmitsukido commander. 

"You didn't have to do this," Ichigo sighed. At this rate, he fully planned on staying. Soul Society somehow felt more alive than Karakura, and he could probably help more from here than back in Tokyo. 

"No, I didn't," Rukia was acknowledging that she had already done all that was expected of her. That this was going above her assigned responsibility to train him. "Yet I felt that I must."

Then Ichigo heard the sound of several shinigami exiting shunpo with a tagalong. 

"Lieutenant Kuchiki, Lord Shiba," the leader of the security team escorting Ichigo's new instructor walked forward and gave Rukia a small box. "This is for the device sealing the subject's reiatsu, if he becomes belligerent, seal his power and let us know Immediately." 

"Understood, you are dismissed," Rukia waved them away. After they left she removed the bag from the quincy's head, revealing a pink head of hair. 

"I really hate having to wear a bag over my head," Bazz B complained as he felt the smaller woman undoing the restraints on his hands and legs, allowing him free movement. The collar sealing his power however remained. 

"If you hate it so much, we can simply not stop the training until Ichigo reaches the level we need him to be at," Rukia suggested sarcastically. This was a necessary measure to ensure secrecy.

"That was the plan," Rukia was flabbergasted at the quincy's response. 

"What?" She looked at him, surprised at his response.

"I'll explain when we get inside. Let's just say it will take a while," The three then began the climb down the ladder. The large open space of the training ground opened up almost immediately, with only a short tunnel though the structural reinforcement that keeps the hill from collapsing.

After they got inside the training area properly, and their feet on solid ground, Bazz B began his lecture. 

"So, quincy are humans who have a fragment of Yhwach's soul in them," That much Ichigo and Rukia already knew, though this confirmed it. "This fragment cannot be destroyed or removed, the holder can only lose the ability to use or access it. This is why many of the sternritter survived auswahlen with their powers relatively intact," he then turned and sat down, looking at both his minder and his student. "When a quincy dies that fragment returns to Yhwach. This is my guess as to why he didn't give a shit if we lived or died." 

Ichigo could attest to that. Knowing that Yhwach was the one who condemned his mother to death made that fight especially personal for him. 

"However, this also means that all of Yhwach's fragments know what he knows, including techniques. All that is needed is for them to remember," of course, Yhwach could police what fragments knew what, but that was irrelevant given both the context and his current vegetative state, "When Olpie trapped you in his 'jail,' and you started to try and break it, you inadvertently created the very conditions used to awaken one's quincy powers." He let that sink in. He knew the kid was smart enough to fill in the blanks. 

"So we're going to battle to the point of exhaustion while you fill the environment with your reiatsu?" And Ichigo was spot on. Bazz B grinned. 

"Exactly, now miss, I know you have the controller for my collar," he looked at Rukia while tugging on the red choker. "I'll need this off completely in order to do this."

Rukia glared shards of ice at him. "I have a name."

"Yeah and I didn't care to read it in the Intel booklet," Rukia continued her glare, but she did turn off the restraint. 

Bazz B could feel his power being allowed to flow again. It was good to be back, even if only for a short time. 

"By the way kid, one catch to all of this, no sword," Bazz B watched as Ichigo put down his sealed zanpakuto and did some initial stretches to make himself limber before getting into a fighting stance. 

This was going to be fun.

Hallibel was walking among the sands of Hueco Mundo along with her fraccion, as well as Grimmjow and Nelliel.  

The queen of the endless desert had a fondness for the former trecera. Partially as she was the first fellow arrancar she had met, and help with onboarding her to Aizen's forces. Unfortunately, it was not long after that Nnoitra made his move and caused permanent damage to her mask. If it wasn't for Orihime, Nell's mask would still be broken. 

"Any idea where these upstarts are boss?" Grimmjow was getting impatient. 

Hallibel extended her pesquilla, and what it saw was surprising. 

"Odd, this was where Roka said they were gathering," she could only see one source of reiatsu in the distance. One that seemed somehow familiar. 

"Apacce, Sun Sun, Mila, return to Las Noches," they didn't like the order. 

"What the hell?" Apacce replied almost immediately. Normally her hot-headed aggression would be tolerated, but not now.

"It is not safe for you. Return to Las Noches now! " Hallibel used a far more pointed tone. This caused Milla Rose to grab Apacce by the collar of her shirt before she and Sun Sun disappeared in the flash of sonido. 

"So, it's bad enough you dismissed your brats, what is it?" Grimmjow looked over at Hallibel. It was rare for her to dismiss them, especially so pointedly. 

"There is a single unknown reiatsu signature over that sand dune. Exactly where Roka said our opposition was gathering," it didn't take Grimmjow long to put two and two together. 

"Whoever is over that crest killed the entire army on their own," Nelliel's soft-spoken words were not reassuring. Not soon after saying that the sound of Gamuza being drawn could be heard. Tiberon and Pantera stayed in their scabbards, but Hallibel's hand instinctively hovered over her zanpakuto's hilt.

When they finally crested the dune, the sight before them was gruesome. 

The entire desert before them was soaked red with the blood of hollows, and the air thick with the stench of death. 

In the center of this field of blood and gore was a single child of indeterminate gender. Hallibel cleared her throat before making her presence known. 

"Child, what is your name and why are you here?" Her voice boomed authoritatively over the open desert. 

The child, covered in the viscera of his fallen foes turned and looked at her with curiosity before smiling. 

"I'm Hikone Ubuginu, and I'll become king of Hueco Mundo."

Chapter Text

Ichigo was surrounded by flames. As far as he could tell he had been ‘sparring’ with Bazz B for the better part of the day. While he was sure he could beat him even without Zangetsu, that wasn’t the point of the exercise. He would only stop the training for a rest once Ichigo could hit him with a quincy technique. 

The problem was he didn’t know how to use them. He had heard his lecture and understood that the information was already in his soul. It already knew how to use those abilities, but it hadn't given that information to his subconscious mind yet, let alone his conscious mind. So for now he was stuck dodging gouts of fire as the training grounds became saturated with Bazz B’s reiatsu. 

"Come on, hit me!" The fiery quincy all but dared him to attack. Ichigo obliged. 

With a quick shunpo he was in front of Bazz B and delivered a devastating blut enhanced gut punch. Problem was, Bazz B was expecting that and had already hardened his body to take the hit. 

While blut had the disadvantage of being an active ability, as a defense technique it outperformed even arrancar hierro in capability. While hierro and the shinigami equivalent put a barrier of reiatsu between the blow and the skin, if it failed it may as well have never existed. Blut instead hardened the flesh, increasing the physical resistance of the body. 

So when Ichigo saw his hand was bleeding he wasn't surprised. 

"Good hit kid, almost felt that," it was clear the quincy had more than just felt it, but his ability to harden more than just his external flesh allowed him to survive the blow. 

Bazz B then quickly used his shrift to create space again between him and Ichigo. 

"Glad to know that you can fight efficiently, but that's not gonna help you, go crazy, come at me with everything you have!" Bazz B was liking this. Sure, if this were an actual fight he knew he was out-classed, but with the power disparity between them this was actually kinda fun. 

"You sure about that?" Ichigo asked with a cocky grin. He knew a few things that could chew through his reiyoku, though the question was if the training grounds could survive. 

"Hell yeah, we need you exhausted for this to work," The Flame had a manic grin on his face, but he didn't forget why he was doing this. 

A red ball started to form in Ichigo's right hand.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," and with that, a massive cero was loosed.

The clang of steel could be heard echoing across the empty sands of Hueco Mundo. At the center of the cacophony of clanging soulsteel and the bassy sounds of sonido was the Shark Queen of Hueco Mundo, and her androgynous challenger. 

Hallibel largely had the advantage for now, but she could feel that she was the weaker of the two of them. Hikone's smaller stature and inexperience were the only things holding them back.

The smaller combatant struck with a thunderous blow, obviously backed by blut as she sensed the telltale stench of quincy reiatsu on this child. 

Hallibel was able to dodge the blow, but the space was all the child needed to change tactics. 

"Orbit the stars, Ikomikidomoe!" Suddenly the white and black mottled broadsword became a large bone white arm. 

If Hallibel had not seen worse she would have been disturbed. No, she was only alarmed as seemingly without any input from its wielder the arm swung at her. Fortunately this was when Grimmjow took his shot to sonido behind the child and delivered a swift kick to the back of his head sending him flying. 

"If you want to keep that throne of yours, this isn't how you do it," Grimmjow had long positioned himself as a competitor to Hallibel, his only reason for playing along was that she was, for now, the strongest, and if he was going to serve anyone, it would be the strongest. 

Hikone had quickly regained his footing however, and came at the blue-haired arrancar, only momentarily forgetting the other opponents on the field. 

Nelliel took the opportunity to grab them but the leg and again throw them away, however instead of wasting time talking, Nell kept up the pressure. 

She used a combination of swordsmanship and sonido to keep herself inside of the arm's unpredictable striking zone, limiting damage should the arm manage to strike her. With Hikone entirely focused on Nell, Hallibel took her opportunity to land a crushing backhand blow, once again sending the child flying like a ragdoll. She then aimed her zanpakuto at the crater in the sand where her foe landed. 

"Ola Azul," a golden burst of reiatsu flew at the location. She didn't expect it to kill them, she just wanted to keep up the pressure so as to allow Grimmjow and Nelliel to continue the three-part assault they were doing upon the stronger foe. 

She charged up another Ola Azul, this time however she kept the charged attack in her blade, waiting for an opportunity to capitalize upon. 

What she wasn't expecting was for Hikone to charge directly at her in a burst of sonido. 

She deflected the blow from the large arm, and then with a flick of her blade created a ribbon of razor-sharp reiatsu from the stored Ola Azul, causing the arm to be ripped to pieces. However, Hikone was able to back off before the golden ribbon could lacerate him. 

"Three-on-one is hardly fair," Hikone sounded dejected, like a child who was being ganged up on. "Oh, I have an idea, I'll call a friend."

Hallibel didn't like the sound of that, and neither did Nell or Grimmjow. 

"Hatch out and bring ruin, Ikomikidomoe!"

The release kicked up the sand beneath them, creating a smoke screen the three arrancar had to back off from. 

When the dust settled, the sight was disconcerting. Behind Hikone stood a large frog-like hollow that was the size of a large house, obviously an adjudcas. However, his power was far far greater. Greater than even Hallibel herself, only dwarfed by its master. 

"Finally, I walk the sands of this desolate world again, now tell me, where is Barrigan?"

The mock battle between Ichigo and Bazz B was intense. While Rukia could tell Ichigo was still in his first wind Bazz B was reaching his limit. This was a problem she had foreseen but didn't have an answer for. How did you tire someone who's almost a juggernaut?

This led to Bazz B taking a break while he had Ichigo do an exertive exercise.

"Holy shit… Kid's insane…" The former sternritter was exhausted, but he had a grin on his face. "Most fun I had in a while. Not going to lie. You have any ideas on how to tire him out?"

Rukia looked at her former enemy and now partner in training Ichigo. 

"I have one," Rukia walked over to Zangetsu and picked up the nodachi. The fact it felt light in her hands and didn't try to resist her was surprising but currently unimportant. "Rest, I'll try to tire him out some more."

"I don't want him to fall back on his shinigami powers, they'll override what we're trying to do," Bazz needed Ichigo to not have his shinigami powers to ensure the effectiveness of the training. 

"It's clear that he's not exhausted enough for that to be an issue. Once he's there, or you're ready to continue I'll have him relinquish his zanpakuto," Rukia then moved toward the edge of the cliff she was observing things from. "There should be some hot springs towards the back of the grounds, they'll help you recover your energy," and with a slight flicker she was gone to continue to train Ichigo. 

Ichigo was hardly gassed at all. Hell, he felt like he just finished warming up. Then Bazz B hit his limit and now he's doing jumping jacks. Or at least was until he heard a very familiar voice. 

"Catch!"

Ichigo instinctively caught Zangetsu out of the air. He already knew who had thrown it. 

"Thought using Zangetsu undermined the entire point of the training," Ichigo smirked at Rukia as he said this.

"I'm not Quincy, I'm simply aiming to exhaust you further," Rukia drew Sode no Shirayuki, the blade turning stark white without so much as a word. Ichigo did the same, the saya and nodachi becoming the two blades of Zangetsu. "And don't think of holding back, I'm not made of porcelain."

Ichigo probably would still hold back against her, but he'll try not to, for her sake. 

"I find it hard to believe you deposed Barrigan," the nameless beast spoke once more. 

"I didn't," Hallibel believed the monster before her would believe the one who actually killed the former king even less believable than her, but she was too pissed off to care at the moment. 

"Then who did, and why are you claiming the throne?" The monster was not amused. He woke up millenia after being sealed away into that blasted sword to find himself the servant of a damned child! The only thing redeemable to him about the child was his strength, and now he found that the throne of his once rival was filled by someone barely worthy of being one of his concubines!  

"I have claimed the throne as is my right as the strongest remaining Espada," Hallibel could see the disdain in her opponent's eye and feel it roiling in his reiatsu. 

"Then prove it."

She had nothing to prove to him, but if he insisted on thinking she was unworthy of her station, then she would strike him down for his insolence. 

"Hunt," she pointed her zanpakuto at him.

"Tiberon,"

Water erupted from nowhere and engulfed her. Her reiatsu spiked massively, reaching beyond that of even most captains and beyond what she had been when she had fought for Aizen. 

"So this is the power of the queen of Hueco Mundo," the beast smirked. "It's almost impressive."

Hallibel had no time for this creature's arrogance. She sonidoed to right in front of him before slashing the air in Infront of him. 

"Cero."

A deluge of golden reiatsu consumed the world before her, devastating the dunes where the golden beam touched them. 

The frog-like hollow was still standing there as the beam dissipated, burn marks on his bone-white flesh, but were dissipating rapidly. 

"Fast too, you actually might be some fun," the monster with the name Ikomikidomoe grinned. 

Grimmjow was pissed. 

This brat thinks they can claim the throne as theirs!

That throne belongs to him! Not some upstart shinigami!

Grimmjow dove for the insolent brat, aiming to deliver a beatdown the likes of which would only be rivaled by the first pummeling he gave Ichigo three years ago. 

However, when he landed the punch he hit something he wasn't expecting. 

"Damnit, the kid has hierro," Grimmjow sent Hikone flying back, but the hierro would prevent any serious damage. 

"His reiatsu is oddly familiar," Nell spoke under her breath as she stood near her more boisterous peer. Hikone had an odd scent about him. There was the obvious mix of shinigami and hollow, but the final, third scent was more subtle, one that she really only recognized from one other individual, Ichigo. 

"Yeah, it's giving me a sense of deja vu," Grimmjow found himself remembering his fights against Ichigo again. How he had a clear mix of shinigami and hollow scents, but there was always this third unknown scent that he couldn't quite parse.

And this kid had that same third scent. 

"You're fun, too bad you have to die," Hikone showed up in front of them with the deafening boom of sonido. Their blade dug into the sand after being dodged by the two arrancar. 

Before he could reorient himself Nell quickly went about leveraging her speed and swordsmanship. She popped up attacking at an odd angle for the smaller fighter with a thrust.

Hikone bearly deflected the attack, but Nell was quickly able to turn the momentum from the deflection into a quick slash that Hikone only barely dodged. Hikone may be the stronger of the fighters here, but they were also the least experienced, and while their hierro made it tough to actually damage him, both she and Grimmjow could still feasibly damage them. 

A fact Grimmjow exploited by kidney-punching them from behind after they had zoned in on Nell, and when they turned to counterattack their ambusher, Nell punished him with a deft slash across their back. 

Hikone screamed in pain, the gash wasn't serious, but it was painful. 

Grimmjow took advantage of the distraction to grab them by the face and chuck them into a dune. 

"You hurt me?" Hikone was confused. They were supposed to be Master Tokinada's invincible champion. They were meant to become king! What was this searing pain? They would pay.

Hikone's reiatsu flared up as they screamed in bloodied rage. Except where a normal shinigami their apparent age would top out, Hikone's reiatsu kept growing in power. Soon they had surpassed both of their opponent's power, prompting them to escalate. 

"Declare, Gamuza."

"Grind, Pantera."

Hikone suddenly found themselves under assault by two very powerful arrancar. 

Grimmjow and Nelliel had already increased their power to the point of being the equivalents of lesser vasto lorde, this being the primary benefit of becoming an arrancar, the ability to grow in power without consuming souls. 

The two of them pressured Hikone, Grimmjow hitting him with blow after blow, and when Hikone pushes him back Nell comes in with her lance, keeping the smaller hybrid off balance, never giving him a moment to breathe. 

Or that was the case until they had to doge a literal Tsunami.

The Shark Empress looked down upon the dry sands of Hueco Mundo. She had exchanged blows with the beast before her for long enough to understand its strength.

“Is that all the queen of Hueco Mundo has to offer? Because while impressive, it still won’t be enough,” the beast began charging a cero from its eye, but Hallibel didn’t give it the time to fire before she answered the insult the only way a monarch should.

She drew the massive bone-white blade of her resurreccion above her head before it and she started glowing gold.

“Cascada.”

The torrent flooded the local area, washing away anything that didn’t dodge it, and the white monster didn’t have a chance to even dodge it as he was directly in the path of the massive wrathful column. 

This was actually beginning to be fun!

He jumped through the water until he reached the surface, laughing all the way. 

"It seems I was mistaken, you are worthy of being on top, not even Barrigan gave me this much trouble," the beast was clearly enjoying himself.

"La Gota," Hallibel however cared little for his enjoyment. The blast of high-pressure water slammed into the beast, knocking him back into the ground as follow-up shots pummeled him. 

However, no matter how much damage the Shark Queen could do, the beast simply regenerated too quickly for it to mean anything. 

So she motioned for another Cascada. Before the torrent of water could be formed however, the beast had sonidoed in front of her and delivered a crippling blow, ripping her sword arm clean off.

"Unfortunately I'm here on business." before the beast could close in and attempt a coup de grace, however, the voice of a woman yelling could be heard. 

"Licht Spurfeuer!"

Suddenly the beast could hear nothing and see less. 

Chapter Text

Rukia was hard-pressed to actually tire Ichigo. Even as a now captain-class shinigami Ichigo still dwarfed her to a level that would have been frankly terrifying if it weren't for her knowledge that he wouldn't dare harm her. 

Fortunately while tiring Ichigo may not be working, he was absorbing the dense quincy reiatsu that now filled the air. 

She could feel Ichigo's power beginning to feel more and more like that of a quincy, as of a hidden part of himself was waking up.

Soon Rukia had found herself tired out after what was probably an hour at most of sparing. 

Unable to keep up she sat down and had Ichigo continue the previous exerting activities until Bazz B could continue. 

"So…" Ichigo spoke up before whatever he was thinking to say died in his throat. 

"So?" Rukia turned her head over to look at Ichigo from her position laying down on the ground, ignoring the feelings that seeing the muscles of Ichigo's bare back gave her. 

"I… what do we do?" Ichigo stopped. It was clear he hadn't been all there during their sparring session. She had been able to get a few nicks in. They may have bounced harmlessly off of his blut, but they got past his guard. 

"About?" Rukia knew what he was talking about, but she wanted to be sure. 

"Us…" Ichigo had sat on a nearby rock. Sweat had long since drenched the top of his shihakusho, so he had forgone the top and went bare-chested. Not that Rukia was arguing. 

Rukia sighed. 

"I won't force you to race ahead into something you aren't comfortable with," Rukia sat up, looking over her shoulder at her not-quite boyfriend. "But if you want to make things official, and if you want to do this, you would have to ask Kukaku to submit a marriage request to my brother. After that, the process will move forward on its own."

Ichigo looked at Rukia. In some ways things were moving quickly, in others, it felt like this was being built up to since that fateful summer night. 

"Are you okay with it?" Ichigo didn't want to force her into anything either. 

"If I wasn't we wouldn't be having this conversation, idiot," she shot him that half-hearted glare of hers. An attempt to mimic the stern expressions that she had given him before. 

"But are you ready?" Ichigo wasn't quite ready to take that next step, but he wanted to know if she was, just to be sure.

"I don't know," Rukia stared off into nothing. Her face looked sullen, but not sad. Almost as if she was remembering a happy time that was spoiled by pain. "You are the first person in a long time to make me feel happy," her memories had fallen to the last person to do so, and how they were so similar, yet so very different. 

Ichigo was shocked at that. He knew that she had blamed herself for Kaien's death, but was her life before they met so colorless?

"When you asked me to go back to the living world with you, I wanted to go. I wanted to run away so badly, to not let myself fall back into that trap I had been in before," Rukia sighed. 

"What stopped you?" Ichigo remembers that time. He figured that she would stay, but everything that he had learned had made that decision weirder and weirder. 

Rukia didn't know how to answer that question. She was torn in two directions, as though she had two places she belonged that were mutually exclusive. 

"My brother and I had repaired our strained relationship, my oldest friend was back in my life, and I had known then that more cared about me than I thought." Rukia smiled. It wasn't enough that Ichigo gave her a home, he also just had to go and force the home that had hurt her to become comfortable as well. 

"In hindsight, I don't think it was a fair question to ask," Rukia almost scoffed at that. Ichigo had risked his life for her, but he had a point. As she was exonerated, her subsequent discharge had been revoked, and her oaths reinstated. It was ultimately why she chose to stay in Soul Society. Even if that meant the next time he saw him would be after his demise. 

"Perhaps not," she stood up, walking over to Ichigo. "But I considered it all the same," she then sat down next to him. Letting her hand fall on his. 

"I know a good sparring match can get the blood pumping, but please at least save it for the hot springs before you start acting like Cupid hit you both with the same arrow," Bazz B was done recuperating and he had just walked in on the sappiest sight he had ever seen. "sheesh, kids."

The beast found himself fuming. 

Right when he had that shark bitch on the ropes quincy just had to show up to make everything harder. 

He was currently engaging the black-haired brat who tried to turn him into a crater, attempting to return the favor with hammer blow after hammer blow. 

She simply dodged each of the wild swings or deflected them with her summoned blade. 

He had enough. He charged a cero and quickly fired it point blank. There's no way she could dodge that. 

"And I thought I had an explosive temper," she was next to him now, as though she had easily glided out of the way of his attack. 

Before he could retaliate, however, he heard the call of another attack.

"Cascada."

Another deluge of water, this time bigger than the last hit. Leaving the area looking more like a small shoal than a desert. 

At this moment the beast also noticed its master also struggling against its foes. So instead of testing its luck, it decided to cut and run.

With a burst of sonido, It had grabbed its master and opened a garganta, rushing through it back to where they came from.

Hallibel and the others elected not to pursue it. The threat had been dealt with, and there was no reason to overextend. Either way, the child showed no signs of being an arancar, and was likely affiliated in some way to a faction in Soul Society. No one wanted to deal with the consequences of pursuing them.

Everyone except Grimmjow. 

“Get back here, I wasn’t done with you!” Grimmjow flew through the garganta as it closed, intent on finishing the fight. 

Hallibel was too tired to be pissed. She had worked on sealing Tiberon, her form returning to that of her regal garb, and her mask fragment once again covering her face. 

“Nelliel, retrieve him,” with that, Nell had sealed Gamuza and did a horizontal slash through the air, opening a garganta of her own before walking through it.

“So… Jagdarmmes are dead…” Bambietta tried to break the ice in this awkward situation. 

Hallibel nodded. Grasping her right arm as she considered her next move. Roka’s ability to spread her regenerative abilities across her ‘web’ had proven useful. Once again justifying Hallibel’s efforts to recruit her. 

“I may require you to extend your stay,” the question went unsaid. If they weren’t okay with that, or if Uryu wasn’t, she wouldn’t force the issue. Without Nelliel or Grimmjow though, she was significantly weakened. 

“As much as I hate to admit he’s right, we can’t risk the balance right now,” Bambietta hated not being able to act on her more violent tendencies, but her desire to not incur the wrath of the Gotei, even in its weakened state, outweighed her frustration.  

The empress nodded silently. Looking out over the now-flooded region of Hueco Mundo as the shadows opened to take the quincy back to the living world. The water would dissipate, as it always did, but it was a rare sight to see the moon reflected the way it was, and she sought to enjoy the fleeting sight as she slowly caught her breath. 

“Lady Hallibel,” Gantenbaine looked over the battlefield. The lack of Grimmjow and Nelliel told him all he needed to know. “Grimmjow run off again?” 

“Yes,” Hallibel wanted to go back to Las Noches. The fight was exhausting and Grimmjow’s behavior was more so. 

The basement of the Ishida household was dark. It was clear that they had returned late into the night. 

"You're back," The voice of Ryuken was colored with ambivalence. He cared little for Bambietta and Candice as it was clear they were the more violent of the sternritter that joined his son.

"The Jagdarmees are dead," Bambietta didn't like Ryuken either. While she respected his talents as a surgeon, he had abandoned his pride as a quincy.  

"Good," Ryuken moved to leave. "Now, if that's all I would rather not have a live wire and a living bomb in my home."

Bambi knew Ryuken had little love for the company his son kept, but she still hated that he didn't even try to play nice. 

"Would it kill you to not be an ass for once?" Candice glared at the Ishida patriarch. The sound of sparks arcing could be heard coming from her hair. 

"Father, I'll take it from here," Uryu spoke before his father could prove that he could be quite the smartass. "How was the mission?"

"Completed, but there was a complication," describing whatever the hell they fought Hallibel as a complication was an understatement. Whoever the hell they were were very powerful.

"What kind of complication?" Uryu was worried. If his ace in the sleeve considered something a complication it was usually pretty bad.

"We felt the presence of two combatants who could keep up with three vasto lorde class arrancar," Candice's report was unnerving. An unknown combatant of that strength was hard to believe enough, but two beggared belief. 

"Ideas?" Uryu needed something to go off here. Two people of that strength didn't just escape notice without something concealing them. 

"One of them was a hollow of indeterminate class, the other was a child of unidentifiable gender. They both retreated before we could get a good idea of who they were or who they served,” That was… odd. Sure, a Hollow of that power could be challenging Hallibel for her throne, but the child threw that completely out of the window. 

“Get some rest, you’ve earned it. I’ll need to speak with some contacts,” Bambi nodded. The sooner she got to her apartment the sooner she could take a shower and get something to eat. Just because she couldn’t starve didn’t mean she didn’t want something good to eat after all of that. As far as she was concerned, this stopped being her problem when the two assailants retreated. 

Ichigo was breathing heavily, his arm outstretched as if it had just thrown something, and that something was lodged in the ground behind Bazz B. 

"Well kid, for a first arrow that wasn't half bad," Bazz B was smirking slightly. He didn't think he'd be able to do the job, but here he was, having helped the kid finally awaken his abilities as a quincy. "It's a bit brittle, and would shatter against anything with actual defenses, but now you know what it's supposed to look like."

The arrow was less of an arrow and more a haphazardly formed shard of reishi. It was solid, and quite sharp. As Bazz B walked over to it however, he quickly showed its fragility. Stepping on it and snapping it in half with a glassy crack. 

"So now what?" Ichigo could feel his power was more awake now, there were techniques that were just at the edge of his memory, but not quite tangible. 

"Practice, hell, maybe even meditate with your zanpakuto, your fragment should be in your inner world," Bazz-B didn't know how right he was. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think my job is done now." 

With that Rukia pressed a button. The collar suddenly slammed down on his reiatsu, sealing it away completely and preventing him from using his abilities. 

Bazz B shuddered. "I hate that part." He turned to leave, waiting for the detention corps agents to throw him back into Camp Seydlitz. 

Rukia considered the sudden sealing of Bazz B's powers just revenge for interrupting a rather personal conversation. Especially one as intimately sensitive as the one they had. The politics of Soul Society just had to make things complicated in her life once again. 

"So, are we done here?" Ichigo looked over at Rukia. His face showed a quizzical expression. He didn't expect all of that for whatever the hell that was. 

"Yes," they had been here for so long that she had lost track of time. At best it was very late that same day, at worst, the sun was probably close to rising and she would have to take the day off to rest. 

"Alright, I'll be taking a dip in the hot springs," Ichigo walked over to the healing springs, seeking to recuperate before returning to the Shiba estate. The exertion was enough to make his muscles sore and he needed to wash the sweat off of himself anywa. 

"May I join you?" Rukia spoke before thinking. She was exhausted, wanting to take a dip as well. Seeing Ichigo without the top of his shihakusho again however also caused her to feel other things. 

The two of them sat in awkward silence for a moment. 

"Uh… sure?" Ichigo didn't know why he said yes. Seeing her nude again was a thought that was causing him to burn up, but at the same time, he wanted to be close to her. The thought of holding her small body was one he found himself often returning to. 

Rukia blushed. Before, the thought of seeing Ichigo nude didn't bother her. Now though? It was enough to cause her face to turn a light pink. 

Soon, after some awkward silence, and wrestling with their shihakusho, they were in the hot springs. 

For a while, the two sat opposite each other in the springs. The awkward silence was almost unbearable, but neither knew what to say. 

After a while, either from gathering enough courage or her desire exceeding her better judgment, she moved from her side of the springs to Ichigo's, sitting herself across his lap so that she could look at his face. 

Words weren't exchanged, not only because the feelings at that moment couldn't be expressed in words, but because words were unneeded as amber met amethyst, and lips touched. 

Chapter Text

Shinji was in his office listening to some jazz off of one of his old vinyls he was glad to have discovered had survived his treacherous lieutenant's tenure as captain. He had since moved his music collection from the living world into Soul Society, but this was an original release, and he was sure as hell going to listen to it when he could. It also just happened to make the paperwork go by more easily. 

He was upset to have discovered that Aizen had donated his old phonograph to the academy, but he had his stereo set to replace it and that had a turntable, so it wasn't a total loss. His current lieutenant also seemed to like the atmosphere the music provided. 

He had quickly learned that certain things made her uncomfortable, and those things often lined up with her former captain. He was sure the change from one to the other was both jarring and welcome. Aizen played like he cared, but in the end, he was a cold and ruthless monster. By contrast, Shinji played the mask of aloof indifference, but he was sure she noticed how slowly, but by bit, any remnant of Aizen's presence in the division was slowly erased. 

Shinji had moved the Captain's office back downstairs; many of the old paintings that Shinji had put up were returned to their original place; and finally, the gardens were rearranged to fit the lighter mood that Shinji preferred. He didn't exclusively do this for Lieutenant Hinamori, but she needed someone who actually gave a damn about her to make sure she did well. Fortunately, that was exactly the case. By now any evidence Aizen had ever been captain of the fifth was all but erased. 

Good riddance. 

Shinji then heard a knock at the door of the office. 

"Come in," when the door slid open he saw Hisagi walk in. 

Visits like this weren’t unusual. He made a point of personally picking up the lieutenant’s paperwork, and it was getting about time for Hinamori to turn her’s in. or it would have, had a hell butterfly not flown in behind him and perched itself on Shinji’s finger. 

“Captain Hirako, there had been a disturbance in the outer districts of Western Rukongai, you are to investigate it immediately,” the order broached no excuses. He could have sworn that he had heard some of the old man in that order, but he had other things to focus on. 

“Hinamori, with me. Hisagi?” he looked at Kensei’s junior lieutenant. 

“Yes sir,” Hisagi replied in the positive. 

“Get your zanpakuto and meet us at the western gate,” with that Shinji grabbed Sakanade and shunpoed to the west gate. Momo followed shortly after she grabbed Tobiume. 

Karin had been asked by her father to go with him to a secluded part of the local forest. He said he was going to teach her a family secret, and that since she had expressed an interest in kido, it was something she may want to know. 

"Alright, that should be far enough not to attract attention, and the trees are far enough away not to risk anything," Isshin scratched the back of his head as he checked the surrounding area. Sure, fire kido was usually safe in the living world, but better safe than sorry, after all, this wasn't exactly kido.

"So, why are we doing this here and not at the shop?" Karin sat on a large rock. Her zanpakuto still strapped onto her back for anyone who could see it. 

"As much as I trust and respect Kisuke, this isn't something I'd trust him not to eavesdrop on, and there's a reason the Shiba keeps this stuff within the clan," the family magics were closely guarded secrets, and when he and Kaien were kids, Urahara had always tried to get them to divulge the secrets. He didn't trust that curiosity to go away just because he had learned morals since then. 

"So I finally get to learn some secret family techniques?" Karin had a smirk on her face as she joked. 

“Yes actually,” with this Isshin stood in the center of the clearing before holding his hand out in front of him in a manner similar to a palm strike. “Hinote!”

A gout of fire poured forth from his palm. The rolling flame looked almost like a vine of blooming flowers as it moved forward before dissipating. It didn't move far, maybe three feet at most, but it was clear the technique could be quite useful. 

“So, that should be a simple technique,” it was obvious that Isshin didn’t put everything into that spell. Partially because Karin wouldn’t be able to match it, partially because as a captain the gout of flame would have been massive and risked starting a fire. “It doesn’t have an incantation like some lower-ranked kido. If I were to rank it, I’d say it would be around eight to twelve in power.”

So it was in Karin’s ability to learn safely. She had started being able to safely cast Sho and Sai, and was now moving on to higher-ranked kido as well as more complicated exercises. 

“So what am I supposed to visualize?” that was the catch really. When learning a new spell visualizing how to shape and mold the reiatsu before it was emitted was important. 

“That’s why I’m teaching it to you first. As like myself you have fire-natured reiyoku, you don’t need to change its nature, and there is little shaping needed. All you need to do is imagine flames building up behind your wrist before releasing it.” Isshin explained in a manner that indicated that he really didn’t expect to be so qualified on the subject, but the simplicity made sense. Hell, it was simpler than even many of the training exercises she had to do. “Just be mindful of the amount of fire you build up. Right now I wouldn’t recommend more than a baseball in size.”

Karin nodded as she got off the rock and took a stance. Her open palm outstretched as she visualized the reiatsu gathering behind her right wrist. 

"Hinote!" Then she forced it out of her hands. A small jet of flame flew out from her hand, reaching about six inches away from her hand as a concentrated jet, with small rings in the tail-like cone. 

Isshin whistled. Karin was clearly putting too much force behind it. It was more like an afterburning jet exhaust than a plume of fire, but she did get it on the first try. 

"Try again, and don't try to force it out." Isshin watched as she took a deep breath and calmed herself. Focussing on recreating the technique again. He could feel her power moving once more. 

"Hinote!" This time, the fire came out properly, only reaching about six inches again, but as a blooming plume of fire. There was only a tiny catch. 

"Uh… dad? Is it okay if the fire is blue?"

Isshin had no idea.

Grimmjow was pissed!

Not only does some insolent brat have the gall to challenge one of the only people who can actually beat him, they run away like cowards the moment shit stops going their way!

“Come on out you coward!” how dare they think that they could take him . He wasn't going to let them get away scot-free. When he found that brat, he was going to kill them! 

He couldn’t sense the brat. They either got away, were hiding themselves, or were dead or dying. 

He really hoped it was the last one. 

Grimmjow however didn't have much more time to devote to searching as three strong reiatsu signatures were now close to him. 

"Oh great, it's this one again," that voice. Grimmjow remembered that voice. When he looked, he found his memory was correct. The indifferent monotone, the bored expression, oh how this man enraged Grimmjow almost as much as Ichigo did. 

"You," Grimmjow glared at the visored. The killer gaze being met back with an empty scowl. 

"Hinamori, Hisagi, leave him to me, try to locate any survivors," with that the two lieutenants fanned out.

"Aren't you worried about them?" Grimmjow smirked. He could easily kill either of them quickly. The weaklings wouldn't even notice. 

"Last time I checked, I didn't even need shikai to beat you," he really hoped this was all bluster. He didn't want to have to kill a hollow this strong while the balance was still unstable. 

At that moment a loud boom could be heard next to Grimmjow. 

"That will be unnecessary," Grimmjow found himself being encased by a nagacion. It seemed Hallibel didn't like his excursion.

"Bitch," was the only thing he had time to say before the box had fully enclosed him and vanished. 

"Well, that's that problem dealt with," Shinji then closed to the green-haired arrancar. "But that still leaves you."

"I mean you and your subordinates no harm," Nelliel spoke softly and professionally as she addressed the captain. 

"I hope you don't mind if I'm a bit skeptical at that," after all, there wasn't an existential crisis keeping them from killing each other anymore. 

With that Nelliel opened a small garganta by her hand, then closed it as fast as she opened it. The information traveiling along Roka's web quickly. 

"Lady Hallibel believes it is best that I stay here, both as a temporary ambassador, and to inform you what happened in Hueco Mundo," this caught the blond captain's attention. 

"Alright, but I'll need your sword," Shinji streched his hand out, waiting for the Arrancar’s compliance. 

As Hisagi was looking for survivors he found a bloodied child on the ground sobbing. As Hisagi approached he recognized the child as Tokinada's retainer. 

"Hey… are you okay?" Hisagi spoke quietly so as not to startle him. 

Hikone ignored him, continuing to sob. Now however Hisagi could hear what Hikone was saying between sobs. 

"I failed," Hikone would go on saying that in some variation in spite of Hisagi's attempts to talk to him. 

"Don't touch me," When Hisagi moved to touch him, however, Hikone was quick to bat him away. 

"Are you okay?" The wounds looked bad, but he wasn't trained in field medicine, so he had no idea if it was only superficial, or genuinely life-threatening. 

"Go away!" Not to mention that Hikone was being very uncooperative. 

"Excuse me lieutenant, but I may be of assistance," with that, a tall black-haired shinigami with blank white haori over his shihakusho walked by. 

"Hikone, you're injured," Hisagi watched as the taller man started to try to heal Hikone. 

"I failed Master Tokinada," Hisagi was puzzled. How did he fail his master? What was he missing? "Let me die."

Those last words from Hikone shocked him. Did he really tie his own self-worth so closely to his ability to be of use to Tokinada?

"Now now, you wouldn't be of any use to Lord Tsunayashiro dead now would you?" Hisagi winced as the taller man set a dislocated joint back in its socket. "After all, a tool is only truly useless if it breaks," the older shinigami's tone and face, that of a family member reassuring a child, simply made the words even more jarring. 

Soon, Hikone was walking again, and the taller shinigami turned to look at Hisagi. 

"My apologies lieutenant, I do not believe we have met before," his face seemed familiar, but Hisagi truly hadn't met him before. 

"Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi, Squad Nine," Hisagi introduced himself quickly.

"Ah, Lieutenant Kuna's colleague, Sinosuke Yamada, if you need me to make a statement," now it clicked for him. Hanataro's older brother and Isane's predecessor. "Now if you'll excuse us, we must be leaving."

It was dark when Ichigo got home. He had spent most of the day training, and then…

Best he not let himself linger on that right now. His hakama wouldn't hide his response to those thoughts well. 

He walked into the main foyer as he was on his way to his room so he can finally get some shuteye after that marathon of training. 

"Well well, how was the date with Ms. Kuchiki?" He swore Kukaku would have been asleep by now, and her teasing was not helping him avoid thinking about what happened. 

Kukaku was shocked when Ichigo instead of denying the accusation just went red as a lobster and started stammering.

"Shit, that was meant to be a joke…" She knew they were going to progress their relationship if left to their own devices but she wasn't expecting it this quickly. "Are you two…?"

Ichigo simply started stammering harder. The mix of affirmations and denials clearly painted a picture of him clearly knowing the complexity of the situation, while also being very embarrassed about it. 

"Okay, stop. I can only be so amused at a flopping fish. What did you two do?" Kukaku took a deep inhale of her pipe as Ichigo started to explain the training session. 

"Okay, so you two, with the help of a quincy, engaged in a marathon training session to help you awaken more of your abilities," Ichigo nodded. 

"So based on what I know, you probably used the training grounds under Sogyoku Hill, secluded, relatively secret, and anybody who knows about either already know about your heritage or won't respond negatively to it," and honestly, what Rukia did to do her end of this charade was none of her business. 

"So, did you make out in the hot springs?" Kukaku had that shit-eating grin he had seen on her face as well as his father's before. Ichigo could only look away as he stammered and his face turned beet red again. 

"Holy shit you did…" she had thought Ichigo's prudishness would have slowed this whole thing down. Damnit now she owes Isshin money. 

"You want me to get the marriage request ready?" At that Ichigo completely fell over in shock. 

"What the hell? We-" 

"What you two did in that hot spring is none of my business, and frankly I find omiai to be completely bullshit anyway, but that's how everyone else, especially the Kuchiki, do things," Kukaku sighed. The process was unfair to the to-be-wed, and if things weren't going well between the two, or one of them was toxic, they were shit outta luck. "If things aren't working out, let me know and I can call the whole thing off. It won't look nice, but I honestly don't give a damn."

Ichigo was relieved that Kukaku was supportive. Though his nerves persisted. 

"Now go get some sleep, I have proposal papers to prepare."

Chapter Text

Shunsui was in his office speaking with a very unexpected guest. One Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, the chief lieutenant to the queen of Hueco Mundo herself. 

"So I have your word that Grimmjow's little 'excursion' wasn't authorized in any way?" Kyoraku was discussing matters related to the surprise appearance of the former Espada in Soul Society. 

"Correct, Lady Hallibel has no interest in hostilities, and allowing Grimmjow to act unsupervised would be a detriment," Nell took a sip of her tea as she shared this. Grimmjow was useful as a means to deal with problems that required a violent solution, but due to his nature, not much else. 

"Alright, but that doesn't explain why he came here," Shinji had heard of the appearance of a heavily injured Hikone Ubuginu, and how he was tended to, and taken away by, Sinosuke Yamada. It just was too convenient for them not to be connected. 

"He was pursuing a hostile who had retreated to Soul Society by the name of Hikone," Nell placed the saucer and teacup back on the desk as she had finished her tea. "Are you aware of who this individual is?"

Shunsui sighed. 

"Unfortunately yes, I assume you are referring to Hikone Ubuginu, the bodyguard and retainer to Tokinada Tsunayashiro," with that Shunsui placed an image of a small dark-skinned child on the table. 

"Yes, that would be who attacked us," Shunsui sighed at Nell's answer. While this proved that Tokinada was up to something as Hueco Mundo was not a part of his assigned responsibilities, his actions inadvertently strengthened Hallibel's position, and he could spin that to cover for whatever he actually planned for. 

"I would like for you to stay, at least until this blows over," he considered his options, having her stay, even if it was a controversial decision, would allow de-escalation channels between Hallibel and the Gotei. 

"I would require a place to stay, and I doubt many would acquiesce," Nelliel had a point. The entire idea of being a shinigami was built on the purification of hollows. Nelliel's very existence ran against that. 

"I'll see what I can do."

Yoruichi hated being in one place for an extended period of time. Not in the sense that she couldn't sit still, but in the sense that she didn't like setting down roots. The closest thing she's had to a 'home' for the past century was the shoten, and even then, she would often spend months, sometimes even years away from it. 

Yoruichi wasn't entirely sure what drove this aspect of her, but it was certainly not liking the responsibilities given to her by Kyoraku. It felt like an anchor, like she was leashed to a pole in the ground that had been set into concrete. So here she was in Soul Society, choking under the responsibility as though it were a tightening collar around her neck. 

Surprise surprise, being raised from birth to be the defender of Soul Society gave someone serious responsibility issues. 

Yoruichi heard a knock at the door to her home. She quickly flashed to the door and opened it. "Yeah?"

In the door was Tsukishima, dressed in his usual immaculate way. "May I come in?" The taller man asked politely. 

Yoruichi let him in. She had been expecting him for a while. As Ginjo was Kukaku's right hand and chief of security, Tsukishima was her left.

"So, you said you wanted to talk?" Kukaku used Tsukishima as her gopher when it came to less-than-ethical actions. Primarily because of his ability to erase any memory of his presence. It wasn't something Kukaku liked to do, as the Shiba largely preferred to play above board, but it was naive to pretend that the under-the-table game wasn't important. 

"I have had little luck extracting information from the visuals department members about Xcution prior to the alleged interference of the thirteenth," Tsukishima largely found himself agreeing with the assessments of both his lady and Lady Shihoin. After he was given a psych profile on the late captain he had found Ginjo's accusations seeming less accurate than before. 

"Figured working that end wasn't going to work, you find anything else though?" Yoruichi was unphased. Casing out the department's informational security would be a good way to figure out the internal clearance structure of the department. 

"I did get confirmation that the department is in possession of uniforms for all forces except the Onmitsukido," Yoruichi grinned slightly at that. Seems that her decision to separate uniform production for the corps was a good idea after all. She'd love to shove that in Senjumaru's face. 

"That's more than we had before," Yoruichi didn't like Tsukishima per se, he was a sociopath who was only really loyal to Ginjo. Fortunately, that did mean that he largely behaved, and since this mission was to find out who was actually responsible for the deaths of the original Xcution, he agreed to help. Combine that with his fullbring giving him the ability to both find out everything about a person through memory insertion, and then have them entirely forget about him, it made for some really good detective work. 

The only problem was that everyone they had tagged so far was not inside Tokinada's inner circle. Hell, at this rate, given the family was largely purged, the only one left who knew probably was Tokinada. 

"Keep up the work, keep it low risk. We don't want Tokinada finding out," This little investigation was entirely off the books, and due to what they were doing, in theory, put the entire operation of the department at risk. Things he would not hesitate to leverage against them. Especially as one clan interfering in the operations of another could escalate to a civil war, and thus invoke the wrath of the Gotei. 

With a subtle nod from her guest, he then moved to leave. 

Now Yoruichi had to find out who was left of the Tsunayashiro who would know what happened, and that required a cross-referencing of the entire list of the dead from that day, and who were living members that day. 

That meant a visit to Byakuya.

Rukia found herself once again distracting herself by throwing herself into her work. However, it wasn't because of pressure, stress, or unprocessed trauma or grief, but nerves. 

She and Ichigo had…

It was best not to linger on that. The controversy alone should that little secret come out would probably upend any privacy they still had. Overnight they would become the SWA's darling couple, and merely contemplating that made her feel remorseful of all of the times she involved them in her and her brother's prank war. 

She had taken necessary precautions to make sure there weren't any unwelcome surprises, but she still found herself entirely embarrassed by what happened. It shouldn't have happened, but not only did it happen, she liked it. Feeling herself being embraced by him, held close, and feeling the warmth of his body and the calm envelopment of his presence around her's, and then…

Rukia shook her head and got herself back on task. Those kinds of thoughts could cause her to be reckless like that again. 

She needed a little space, at least for now. Ichigo would probably have some more success with his exercises. She would probably need to do another check-up soon and may need Bazz B's help again, but she'll cross that bridge when she doesn't feel like she's going to explode from embarrassment from even thinking about Ichigo. 

Damnit why did he have to be so hot!

Ichigo was in a bit of a fog. He didn't know what to do next. Everything that happened at the hot springs was… 

Why did he let it happen? He knew she was concerned about their relationship progressing without official proceedings. So what did he…?

The thoughts had been distracting him for the day. 

"Oi! Ichigo!" Or they were until Ginjo had grabbed his attention with the force of a vice. "the head captain wants to speak with you!"

"Let the messenger know I'll be there soon," he moved to grab his red haori from his room after a sigh. 

"No, he's here ," that stopped Ichigo's train of thought with the screech of a pneumatic break. 

He quickly ran to his room, grabbed the haori, and ran to the front foyer while putting it on in a frankly comical manor that almost made Ginjo laugh. 

Ichigo stopped to catch his breath once he entered the foyer. 

"No need to tire yourself out on my behalf Ichigo," the head captain played coy. Lightening the situation. 

"With all due respect, bullshit. You came here, so what's the issue?" Ichigo stood up straight as he finally caught his breath. 

"Just the matter of a guest I have nowhere to put," and with that Shunsui took a wide step to the side. Revealing a woman with long wavy green hair that Ichigo felt he should recognize…

They locked eyes and then he remembered.

"ICHIGO!"

"OH GODDAM-" Ichigo was then hit with the force of a human-sized missile moving at high speed. His own blut and the sturdy wood the foyer was made of preventing any damage. 

"Damnit old man, you could have…" when Ichigo got up and looked to stared daggers at the head captain he found that he had vanished. 

"Damnit."

"So you're telling me that the head captain oh so graciously decided to have us be the hosts for the ambassador from Hueco Mundo until further notice?" Ichigo and Nell nodding in unison just further soured Kukaku's mood. 

"Great. Just great," Kukaku took a long drag from her pipe. She then looked over at her new guest 

"Is there anything you need?" Kukaku figured there was no good way out, and blaming Nell was a dick move. 

"May I have my companions accompany me during my stay?" Kukaku looked at Ichigo, who was seemingly in thought as if trying to remember something.

"Ichigo, is that going to be okay?" Kukaku had no idea about Nell's companions nor the company she kept in general. So this call was entirely on Ichigo. 

"It should be fine, as long as they don't summon that large sa-" Ichigo suddenly found Nell's hand covering his mouth. 

"I can assure you that they will behave," Kukaku gave Nell a side eye at her reassurance, but since Ichigo endorsed them she ignored it. Though she swore Ichigo was going to say 'large sand worm.' it was probably nothing. Yoruichi did get her to finally start reading Dune, so it was probably just her imagination. 

Karin had just finished her patrol for the day and was meditating with her zanpakuto as her father had instructed her to do. 

So far nothing came of it. Just formless silence and the inky black of her own eyelids. No inner world, no zanpakuto spirit. 

Karin thought today would be the same. Do her nightly routine, meditate with her zanpakuto until she's too tired to continue, then go to bed. 

Tonight was different. 

Tonight she noticed a subtle shift in her immediate surroundings and opened her eyes. She noticed how now she was outside in a forest. Specifically in a clearing of the very forest around the town cemetery, where she had encountered Grand Fisher.

"You have arrived. Good," before her stood a moderately tall young man with messy black hair that reached to his chin wearing a black robe or cape. She couldn't tell. His face was illuminated by a blue campfire that sat between them. 

"Well, didn't plan on this today," Karin shot a smirk at the boyish figure. Not noticing the other being behind them. "So, what's your name?"

"I have none," Karin looked him over. She now remembered how Ichigo had described the manifestation of his quincy powers. This was probably her's.

"I like the gumption kid, but if you want my name, you'll have to earn it," A masked figure, shorter than her fragment, walked forward. She was wearing a mask reminiscent of a predatory bird, and from it came a plume of blue feathers that covered her entire upper body. Only her smaller frame and her voice hinted at her gender. 

"So I take it you are my zanpakuto," the figure's golden eyes narrowed as if they were smiling as she tilted her head to the side and raised a hand, revealing her bone-white skin. 

"Guilty as charged," she then sat down, her golden eyes focusing on Karin. "Good to finally meet you," Karin noticed the white hakama pants and the pitch-black nails. 

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" Karin was hoping to make progress with her zanpakuto if she was able to make contact with it. 

The bird skull tilted and eyes smiled again.

"Nope."

And Karin awoke sitting in her room again.

Karin sighed in light frustration. It seemed she was going to be difficult. 

Chapter Text

"Alright you two, I'm going to need to take any weapons you have on you?" Ginjo looked at the two arrancar before him. One was lanky with blond hair with a mask fragment that reminded him of a beetle. The other one was more portly with slightly darker skin, and had a fragment that was too vague for him to recognize, though if he had to guess, it seemed oni-adjacent. 

"I refuse to relinquish my ability to protect master Nelliel," the blond one took a fighting stance. Yet seemingly didn't draw their zanpakuto. 

Then there was a loud thud as something hid the floor boards enough to crater them. 

"There ya go," in front of the larger arrancar was a comically huge kanabo about as large as the one who was supposed to hold it. 

Ginjo ignored the blond one admonishing his partner for complying as he processed exactly how they were able to bring that with them without him even seeing it. 

"What?" Ginjo still flatly stared at the kanabo. It seemed reality had left him at the bus stop as it ran for the hills. 

"Oh, that's my katana," Ginjo once again stared. That’s a damned kanabo!

Ginjo shook his head. Screw it, what it is doesn’t matter. 

“Where were you keeping it?"

"In my stomach," the larger arrancar pointed to his belly. Ginjo groaned as he palmed his face. 

"Is there anything else in there I should know about?" 

"Oh! There's this," he proceeded to pull out a large object that looked like a piece of industrial equipment. "I use that to fire ceros, and then," he then opened his mouth, and the inside of it started to glow. 

"WAIT DONDACHAKA DON'T!" The blond arrancar's warning came too late as suddenly a large worm-like hollow spawned forth from his mouth.

Kukaku was reading over some correspondences from some of the now subordinate clans and independent clans that were considering fealty, but were otherwise on the fence over a few issues. Typical nobility bullshit. 

While this would be a problem normally, it was particularly acute due to Ichigo's status as a political wild card, even for a Shiba.

Normally nobles are raised to be nobles. Hell, even though she didn't exactly like being a noble, there was a sort of unwelcome comfort she felt in the role. Ichigo was raised not only as a commoner but as a human. This means human perspectives, human values, and human opinions. If Yoruichi's assessments were right, and she was inclined to believe they were, the living world had long since abandoned the idea of feudalism, and the ideas of nobility and aristocracy had mutated greatly. 

The traditions of many clans would be appalling to many in the living world, hell, even Ichigo had said a few things when reading through some primers. Ichigo was going to stir some shit up, and frankly, she was with Yoruichi and Kisuke, the Seiretei needed that right about now. 

What it didn't need was whatever caused that loud crash by the front of the central courtyard!

"What the hell is it this time?" Kukaku took a deep toke of her pipe before getting up and looking out the window to see what happened. She swore if Ganju blew himself up again…

Kukaku's train of thought suffered a catastrophic derailment after she laid eyes upon what could at best be described as a very very happy sandworm. 

"What in the hell… Ginjo!"

Rukia was minding her own business and working on the division paperwork as well as trying to move past the unclean thoughts she was having for the one she was supposed to train, that was until a hell butterfly came in through the window and informed her of a hollow presence in the noble district!

She swore, whoever the hell decided to pick today to make her life just that much more complicated was going to find that her anger was very very cold. 

Or would have had said creature not have been one she had met before, and had the temperament of an overly enthusiastic golden retriever. 

"Oi, Rukia, everything's fine," she could hear Ichigo's voice from below the room she was standing on. 

Fine? Fine?

"How is this fine? Better question, how did Bawa-Bawa even get here?" Rukia glared in accusation at the creature. 

The creature was now a little too close for comfort. Before she could react Bawa-Bawa had moved to lick her with its massive tongue. 

Bawa-Bawa in all his enthusiasm, was overzealous in his greeting of Rukia and sent her tumbling down the angled roof of the building she was on. Before she could hit the ground however she found herself enveloped by a very familiar presence. 

"Hey," and there it was again. Ichigo's cocky smirk. The same smirk he wore on the day he saved her, and the same smirk so many of his foes had seen right when he figured them out. It was almost enough to distract her from the slimy dampness that covered her. 

"Uh, thanks," Rukia awkwardly choked out her gratitude as Ichigo gently put her down as though she were a porcelain doll. 

"Good, you're both okay," the voice of one Tsukishima spoke up behind them. 

"Yes, great, could you do me a favor and send a hell butterfly to the head captain and let him know that this was a false alarm?" Rukia didn't pay attention to see if he had said yes or no. Frankly, she had more distracting problems to deal with. 

"You need a shower? Change of clothes?" one of whom was the doting not-boyfriend who was trying his best to be of assistance. He did have a point though. She did need a shower. 

"That would be nice."

"Alright, what the hell is going on here?" Kukaku was unamused. Sure, the manor was still being renovated, but dammit it was the place she grew up, and having a giant sandworm tear the place up was not something she liked. 

"He asked if I had anything else in my stomach," Dondachakka pointed at the former Xcution leader. Entirely oblivious as to how he could have simply not done that.

"He really should have known better than to ask that question," Pesche crossed his arms accordingly. As if Ginjo should have known that would happen  

"How the hell was I supposed to know that, " He motioned with his arms to Bawa-Bawa "was in there! " He then pointed at Dondachakka's stomach. 

"You know what? I don't care anymore. Just put it back," Kukaku just had enough of this. At this point, she just wanted to forget this. 

"Alrighty, Bawa-Bawa, come here boy!" Dondachakka opened his mouth wide, allowing the large sandworm to leap into the hammer-space of his stomach. 

Now Kukaku only needed to secure the funds to rebuild the foyer. Oh she was billing Shunsui for this. 

Rukia had just come out of the shower. Her shihakusho was being washed, and so she was wearing a white yukata she had borrowed to wear until her uniform had been cleaned. 

Rukia had sent a hell butterfly to her division to inform her subordinates that she may be late returning due to complications around resolving the situation. Kiyone had gotten back to her almost immediately that she could take the rest of the day off if needed. She was going to miss her when she had her transferred. Rukia was then drawn out of her thoughts when she almost ran into Ichigo. 

"Oh… Hey," Ichigo didn't quite expect to run into her, and what she was wearing… didn't feel right to him. 

"Hey…" Rukia however, was still hung up on the last time they had liaised. Her face shows the uncertainty of her thoughts. 

"Are you okay?" Ichigo's face flashed concern as he looked at her. His hands hovering almost as if touching her would break some sacred rule. 

"Yes, I…" The words hung in Rukia's throat as she considered what to say next, "I'm sorry for what happened…" she trailed off. Her embarrassment stopped her from finishing the sentence. 

"Are you sure you want this?" Ichigo spoke quietly. He knows she said that then, but things can change, and if she didn't want to…

"Are you?" the question stopped him. Rukia was a captain by any other measure, only lacking the pay and haori. She couldn't leave Soul Society anymore, not like she could back when he had saved her. Was he sure about staying? Was he okay with leaving the living world behind entirely for her? Ichigo closed his eyes in thought. 

"Yes," he smiled as he looked at her. The one who brought color back into his world. Rukia grabbed his hand and pulled him closer, resting her head on his chest as they stood. 

"Thank you."

Aura looked upon the floating form of Hikone Ubuginu as he was unconscious in a healing tank. Apparently, two vasto lorde class arrancar had caused many major injuries, and had Yamada not found them when he did, they might have died. 

Aura felt distressed by that. She had grown attached to the child over the course of her cooperation with Tokinada. The young artificial soul had even taken to calling her mother. It was not something she had expected nor welcomed at first, but they had insisted, and soon, she found herself caring about them in a way she couldn't recognize. She still didn't know what this feeling was, but she had simply stopped caring. Whatever it was, she liked it. Even if Hikone only existed as a vehicle for their plans, she found herself appreciating the retainer's presence in her life.  

"Hikone should be mobile again within the week, and fully recovered not too long after," Yamada spoke from behind one of his terminals. Probably monitoring his patient's health through the many sensors and monitors he had hooked up to them prior. 

"How bad was it?" Aura found herself uncharacteristically dreading the answer. 

"Three broken ribs, a punctured lung, a dislocated shoulder, several herniated discs,  impacted vertebrae, and a burst kidney," she she clentched her fists as he spoke. Pain wasn't something that bothered her, but almost killing Hikone? The only thing stopping her from running off to Hueco Mundo to kill the one who did this was the knowledge that if they could do this to them in the first place, her chances weren't the best. "I was able to replace the kidney and the lung, as well as repair the discs through kaido. Fortunately, the vertebrae didn't have any major damage." 

Yamada's prognosis was a testament to his ability as a healer, as to be expected from a student of the late Kenpachi Yachiru. 

"Thank you," Aura didn't know what she cared so much about Hikone, but to know they would live, it brought her relief. 

"I am simply doing as I was instructed. Nothing more, nothing less," Yamada was simply providing his services as agreed upon with Tokinada. After all, he had promised him the perfect retainer, and the maintenance and care that they would need to continue to be of use. Why would she expect anything else from him? 

Hikone's mission to Hueco Mundo was nominally a failure. If he had been able to defeat Hallibel and establish dominion over Hueco Mundo it would have made things a whole lot easier for his plan. He did however come out of this with a proper appraisal of Hikone and Ikkomikidomoe's power. Hikone, as he feared, was unable to face Ichigo and win. He felt this was the case, but the inability to kill Hallibel proved it. 

That meant he had to stick with the isolation plan. He knew the risks associated with it, but due to Kukaku's social proximity to both Shinsui and Yoruichi, he had to assume that if he did nothing Ichigo would get involved on their behalf. Doing nothing about that was simply not an option. He would need to talk with the boy. He simply hoped that he would acquiesce once he played his cards. 

As Tokinada thought about it, however, there was a third option. While it may not necessarily be critical to the plan, there was one man who could shift the entire thing. 

Kisuke Urahara.

Yes. If he could be convinced to help, even as unlikely as it was, his knowledge could shift everything. Not to mention how it may even shift Yoruichi to neutrality. Then there was the true game changer. Tokinada laughed, if he could get that, it might just make Hikone strong enough to match the young Shiba. 

It was a long shot by all means, but it could potentially avoid the other idea's disastrous potential to backfire horribly. 

Yes, he'll talk it over with Aura. She had pointed out how his plans with Ichigo would backfire, and so perhaps some conversation could help sand out the finer detail of this one. 

Chapter Text

Karin was out on a day patrol with Shino. As it was a weekend the daily activities that usually punctuate the environment were quiet today. 

They were standing on a rooftop after conducting a konso on a recently deceased man. This was Karin's first time doing it herself. Previously Shino had done it while walking her through the process. 

"You did well for your first time," the taller woman was perched on the very apex of the roof while Karin sat. 

"Thanks," Karin smirked slightly, though something bothered her. "Hey, does your zanpakuto deal with you?"

Shino chuckled. "I can't get it to shut up, damn thing keeps ripping on me over dumb shit, yells my damn ear off while they're at it too," Shino's statement told Karin that they were at similar stages. So that meant she might be getting everything formalized soon, but it didn't help her. 

"At least yours is telling you something . Mine just toys with me like a kid," Karin reclined slightly, allowing herself to relax. 

"You are only fourteen," Shino was still shocked that Ichigo was only one year older when he had attained bankai and he had only had as much experience as Karin did now. Speaks to the effectiveness of Urahara's training. 

"She could at least give me a hint ," Shino raised an eyebrow at that. It felt like she was missing something. 

"A hint for what?" She remembered her older brother giving her some tips, but most of those were faded memories as she had in part ignored him. 

"Why she doesn't want to give me her name," at that moment something seems to have clicked. 

"Maybe their childish behavior is the hint?" Shino didn't know much about this process. At best, she could guess based on context, but that was a shot in the dark. 

"I guess I'll talk to my father about it." Karin stood up before they then moved on with their patrol. The afternoon sun slowly descended towards the horizon.

Yoruichi didn't like what she was going to do today. She had to get Byakuya's approval to read the Kuchiki copies of both the Tsunayashiro census report and the list of confirmed dead from the massacre. Byakuya was a staunch believer in the right of a clan to not have their internal affairs meddled with. 

Yoruichi used to agree with that opinion herself once, and it makes sense. The Central 46 only serves to settle inter-clan disputes, and the Gotei serves as a non-affiliated force independent of any house specifically to ensure that even if a major house was to be non-compliant, they could be brought to heel. However, that meant that when it came to matters within a clan, they had, by their own case law, no jurisdiction. A key concession to get their ancestors to agree to cead them power at the time. 

The other problem was that they had also ruled, justifiably, that it was illegal for one clan to interfere in the internal matters of another non-subordinate clan. This created a very dangerous combination that meant that any interference like that was a major offense, and against a major house was dire. 

And between two major houses? 

The five houses had erupted into civil war over less in the past. 

Yoruichi sighed as she waited to be summoned into Byakuya's study. She didn't like not having the power here. One hundred years ago she could have sent a formal request to the head of the library as head of the Onmitsukido and she would have had copies on her desk the next day, but now she was as close to a civilian as she could get. Her still being a titled Shiohin once again actually made her life harder. 

"Lord Kuchiki will see you now," Yoruichi nodded before getting up and thanking the servant. The servant then led her down a pastel hallway until they stopped and opened a door for her. 

Yoruichi walked in and sat down. Not waiting to be invited to sit down. She frankly wanted this over with. 

"I read your formal request," Byakuya looked up from his paperwork, an icy glare the likes of which clearly stated his thoughts on the matter. 

"The fact you invited me here to justify it to you instead of outright denying it means you know there's a damn good reason," Yoruichi was unphased. She had stared down men far scarier than him before and didn't so much as flinch. 

"I know you are aware of the rules surrounding this, I want to know if I should deny your request, or outright bar you from the library altogether," Yoruichi sighed, casting a barrier to silence their conversation, causing Byakuya to raise an eyebrow. 

"I have reason to believe that the Tsunayashiro knew about Xcution long before we fought them, and used the Visuals Department to not only conceal that information but also hunt them for reasons to be determined," Byakuya's eyes widened. It was known that the Tsunayashiro had used their responsibility over the living world to enrich themselves. This was only tolerated as this had created infrastructure to help conceal their presence from those who do not need to know and extended that infrastructure to be usable by Soul Society at large. However, Yoruichi was making an accusation that they abused their power for their own gain in a way that led to them acting against the interests of Soul Society and their assigned duties. 

"I will need more than that," Such an accusation needed something to back it up, something to establish probable cause for…

"The head captain had Captain Sui-Feng conduct a raid in the loving world on a resurgent Xcution that had been hidden from us, and had discovered that they had some form of outside support," Yoruichi didn't bother with the irrelevant details. This should be enough to convince Byakuya. "I need to know why they did this, and to do that I need to know who I can talk to about this."

Byakuya sighed. It was clear that they had abused their power, and thus did not enjoy the projections against interference they would otherwise have. Not only that, this looked like an 'unofficial' investigation into this abuse, which meant there were deeper implications, ones that Yoruichi was not being forthcoming with. 

"Pending confirmation from the head captain, you are allowed access. I will notify you when he responds," Yoruichi sighed. This was likely to be the best it could have gone. 

Rukia was back in the thirteenth again after yesterday's situation with Pesche and Dondachakka. 

The refurbishment of the barracks had been going well, but it would still be years at best until they weren't using tents for communal sleeping quarters. Given this was summer, however, that came with complications. 

"Lieutenant Kuchiki!" Rukia immediately spun around to see Zenosuke running up. Fortunately, he was able to stop in front of her. 

"What is it?" Rukia had to crane her neck up to look at the taller shinigami. 

"The air conditioner for tent 5 just died," Rukia swore internally. They had been burning through those units all summer. She wasn't quite sure why, she had neither the knowledge or expertise to really tell, but right now they didn't have any spares. With tonight's forecast, it was also going to take too long to properly requisition one. 

"I'll take care of it," Fortunately she had a plan B. 

Zenosuke did a slight bow and returned to whatever he was doing. He had been promoted to a seated officer shortly before the blood war, and in its wake had become one of the major members of that part of the division. However, they were bound by the rules and their responsibilities, and she needed someone who didn't care about either. If Rukia's suspicions were correct, one should be pretty easy to find. She knocked on the door of a nearby supply closet, the particular way she did so being important. 

"What is it?" The voice was groggy and clearly annoyed at the interruption of their nap. 

"I will ignore you napping on duty if you tell your friends that anyone who can get me an air conditioner to my office by curfew, and doesn't get caught, can have a 4-day leave," Rukia didn't wait for a response before turning to leave. Conveniently ignoring the unseated officer that just bolted out of the supply closet. Now all she had to do was write out the passes and wait. 

As Rukia entered her office, however, she was greeted by Sentaro. 

"Lieutenant Kuchiki," Sentaro's tone was more informal, primarily due to their long-spanning acquaintance and the fact that her tenure as lieutenant could be counted on one hand. 

"What is it?"

"There's something on the sensors. It seems to be a hollow," 

"I'll be right there," Rukia turned to leave but stopped herself. "Stay here, if some unseated show up with an air conditioner, give them leave passes,"

Sentaro just stood there in confusion as his commanding officer sprinted to the command center. 

Rukia was thankful that the command center wasn't far away from her office as while she ran as fast as she could, you could only run so fast when you were short. As she stopped at the entrance she could hear it was abuz. That meant one thing. There was a significant increase in hollow activity. 

Karin was starting to get ready to go home as her patrol drew to a close. Soon she wouldn't be able to do as many patrols as she would have to get ready for preseason camp for soccer. It'd be her last season before she'd play at the varsity level, and as the team's star striker, she really couldn't take as much time away from her normal life to live this new second life of hers. 

Before she could leave, however, Shino put an arm in front of her. 

"Do you feel that?" Shino's voice spoke with a hint of trepidation. As if she didn't want to be correct. 

As Karin extended her senses she could feel it. A sense of dread washed over her. As if she were being stalked by something as if she were prey. 

The problem was, she couldn't pinpoint what it was that made her feel like that, not where it was. 

Unbenounced to them, within the shadows lurked a dangerous foe.

There was something very wrong here. Hollows normally would announce themselves. Their roar would often intimidate prey, causing souls to deal shelter and hide. Often that lead to their doom. 

However, this was different. It was as if whatever was here wasn't interested in the pluses, but them.

Karin's hand hovered around her zanpakuto. With her and Shino back to back it would be hard for whatever it was to get the drop on them. 

"Behind you," a gruff voice spoke. Before Karin could notice anything she was sent flying. 

When Karin could collect herself, she noticed she was a good one to two hundred feet away from where she was, and she was on the street. This was bad. Whatever this hollow could do, it allowed them to hide themselves and attack them without them being able to react. 

"Hm. You smell so tasty," the voice sounded as though it was coming from all directions. "Shinigami are much better morsels than other souls. And you, I don't know why, but you smell so much tastier than your friend over there," the hollow then started laughing. 

Karin pushed to draw her zanpakuto, but before she could it sent her flying again. This time the blow was targeted, dislocating the shoulder of her sword arm and embedding her into a wall. Whatever this thing was, it was strong as hell, and fast. 

"Can't let you do that. Too risky," the hollow tisked. However, this time it stood in front of her. Its form was shimmering in the dusk light, and the black form with white splotches was reminiscent of an orca. However the hell it was hiding itself, it would make it difficult to deal with. Suddenly it looked behind it. "Let's see how your friend reacts," it then vanished as it chuckled. 

"Karin, are you okay?"

"Damnit Shino, behind you!" Before she could react, Shino had been picked up by an invisible force that very quickly revealed itself to be the hollow that was hunting them.

"And this is why I toy with my prey. Often they bring friends, and it's a shame to break those up, wouldn't you agree?" The hollow started laughing darkly as it slammed Shino into the ground.

Karin had to think of something. Her hinote was too weak, and any of the larger kido spells were still beyond her grasp. Then she remembered something, a technique Tessai had taught her to help her focus her reiatsu into a spell. 

She stuck her good arm out, aiming her palm at the now fully visible hollow. She imagined that she were pouring her reiyoku not into her wrist, but a large dark hole. She could feel the pressure build beyond anything she thought was safe, but this wasn't a time to care about that. It was do or die, and she'd rather do than die. 

"Hinote!" Suddenly a conflagration of blue flame shot out of her hand and engulfed the hollow. But she couldn't see what happened next as the pain caused by the burns across her arms made her pass out. 

Karin woke up in her inner world, once again before a blue-flamed campfire. 

"Didn't expect you back so soon kid," The bird-masked figure of her zanpakuto was opposite her once again. This time however with a much more serious expression in her eyes. 

"Didn't expect to be here," Karin all but coughed out. She was leaned against a rock with two bad arms. One burned, one dislocated. 

"At least you gave the bastard hell, not like you can do much now other than wait," Her zanpakuto poked at the fire with a stick. Blue embers flew from it as a piece of wood was moved. 

"What the hell is your problem with me anyway?" Karin was unamused with the unnamed creature. Its dismissive look encapsulated everything that gave her grief about it. 

“You’re not worth my time yet,” The zanpakuto answered frankly, its gaze looking back at the small fire in front of them. 

“What do you mean ‘not worth your time?’ If that gamble didn’t pay off I’d be dead!”

“And your sword arm was dislocated, you would have been unable to use me properly,” The yellow-eyed spirit stared deeply into her eyes. As if she were vivisecting Karin just by looking at her. “You may know what you are, but right now you’re only focussing on one part of yourself. We’ll talk again when that changes,” The zanpakuto spirit then snapped her fingers. 

"Damnit Karin, wake up!" Karin slowly came to, and as she did, she not only heard Shino's voice, but she also smelled something akin to the morning frost in winter. 

"What'd I miss?" Karin half-joked. Her body was alight with pain, though it seems her shoulder had been relocated. Most of the pain seemed to be coming from her left arm, which upon a quick glance was covered in an off-color substance, probably meant to prevent bleeding. 

"I was able to finish off the hollow," a very familiar voice spoke, a deep alto that one would not expect to come from such a small frame. 

"Thanks for the save,"

"No, thank you. Your actions saved the life of one of my subordinates," Rukia looked back at Karin. The black-haired girl was someone who she was beginning to see as a younger sister of sorts. To see her in such a poor state was frankly quite alarming, but the risk she took saved Shion's life. 

"Lieutenant," Shino turned to look at her commanding officer

"Yes?" Rukia listened to her subordinate. 

"Uh, just don't tell my brother I used the ointment he gave me…" Shino was scratching the back of her head in slight embarrassment. If Ikkaku were to find out there would be no world in which he didn’t say he told her so. 

"Sure," Rukia smiled as she turned to look out into the night sky, thankful that she had shown up just in time.

Chapter Text

Yoruichi was given the approval she needed to access the lower archives. The Kuchiki archives were organized based on the sensitivity of the information contained within. The upper archives were public, requiring only to be able to enter the Seireitei to access. While this already limited access to a rather small number of people, those people could access the materials contained within. 

The Lower archives were a different story. Oftentimes information sent to the lower archives was only of the legally privileged variety. Deeds, declarations of inheritance, papers of adoption. Information that while not necessarily classified, shouldn’t simply be available to the public without the express permission of the parties involved. There was classified information down here, and Yoruichi still had her old security clearances, but that wasn’t the kind of information she was looking for. 

She was looking for census papers for the Tsunayashiro clan. Such papers were often deemed privileged due to the thousands of years where disputes were only settled in blood. This made all five clans wary of disclosing their numbers openly. While the formation of the Gotei and the Central 46 ended the necessity for such a practice, the information was still considered privileged for other reasons, mainly centering around privacy of the family members. 

"Here you go Lady Shihoin. The materials you requested," The librarian who had accompanied her placed two binders onto the table she was sitting at. 

Yoruichi nodded in thanks and then got to work. Pulling out a small notebook and then opening the census record. 

She wrote down each name, creating a small checklist that she would run through when she started going through the list of the dead. Though as she did so, a name stood out to her. 

'Yugure.'

The name itself wasn't a big deal, but the claimed parentage was. 

'Mother: Kakyo (deceased)'

'Father: Tokinada (dispossessed)'

Yoruichi hadn't known that they had a child before she was murdered. The entry then proceeded to detail how guardianship was transferred to her uncle. It was interesting, but right now it wasn't relevant. 

Yoruichi kept going through the census. She carefully transcribed names and ages as she went along, carefully marking each point when the initial letter changed. The process took her a while, but it would be fruitful. 

Yoruichi sighed. This would be the part that would test her stomach. She had okayed the deaths of a lot of people in her time as commander of the Onmitsukido. The weight of that didn't weigh down on her as heavily as she thought it should. 

As she opened the records of the death toll her stomach sank. She was greeted with the images of the grisly slaughter. 

The pictures of dead men and women weren't enough to phase her. She had seen enough of that, both investigating them and being the cause. 

No, what got her were the children. She had to get up and pace for a moment to collect herself. The cold rage aimed at Tokinada was beginning to test her finely tuned emotional control. The desecration of innocence was a common theme for Tokinada, but this was a new low. 

After a few moments, Yoruichi had wrangled control of her emotions again. She then sat down and continued going through the accounts of the butchery, this time with the dusty old mask of Onmitsukido commander in place. The cold distance gave her what she needed to power through the record of the butchery, crossing off names as they appeared one by one. 

Overall it was an hour to get through both records, and the task overall was emotionally very draining. She didn't even want to look at her notebook at this point, the image of every crossed-out name burned into her memory, each one associated with a dead body soaked in blood. 

She would find them justice, even if they didn't deserve it.

Hisagi was working on his motorcycles again. This time it was the Kawasaki he got from the items confiscated from new arrivals. It wasn't unusual for souls to come into Soul Society with items connected to their past lives and it was often procedure to confiscate them. A motorcycle however had beggard belief for many. One of his colleagues had given him it since the original owner had asked it to be given to someone who would take care of it. 

Thus over the past year, he had learned a lot about motorcycles and had even taken a liking to them. Something the presence of the larger Harley attested to. He had taken to keeping the bikes in running condition simply as a means to keep his nerves. With the exchange between Hikone and the older Yamada still haunting him, he found that this was an effective way of distracting himself. 

It was troubling to him. It seemed that Tokinada had created events such that Hikone would become dependent on his approval. It was a troubling realization to him. While it was clear that it was Hikone whom Grimmjow was chasing, whatever Hikone had tried to do ended in abject failure. That failure had made Hikone want to die. Perhaps the only reason why he had found Hikone alive was because their injuries prevented them from killing themselves. It was haunting. 

It reminded him of what lengths Tokinada had driven Tosen to. Here he was again, creating another monster, another victim of his cruelty. 

He wanted to help the kid. He didn't know how, but he wanted to help. 

Yoruichi began walking back to her 'home' if she could call it that. She honestly wanted to end the day early at this point. The depths of Tokinada's inhumanity were not something she wanted to think about. She was glad that she was born after this kind of thing stopped happening. As she was walking however she heard a voice she didn't want to hear ever, but especially today. 

"Well well, if it isn't the shining beacon of the Shihoin," Tokinada's voice spoke from behind her. 

"I am really not in the mood right now," Yoruichi began walking away. 

"Now now, is that a way to treat an equal?" Yoruichi was suddenly mere inches from his face. Her golden eyes stared into his with a smoldering hatred. 

"You are not my equal," Yoruichi spoke in a tone that conveyed exactly how frayed her composure was. Tokinada smiled, this was a rare opportunity. 

"I think you're forgetting exactly what you've done over your life Yoruichi," Tokinada grinned. The former clan head had more blood on her hands than even him. 

"What I've done has nothing to do with this," She practically growled. Muscles tensing as though both readying to strike and holding herself back. 

"Does it? We're both monsters Yoruichi," Tokinada's grin then vanished, "I just happen to accept that, instead of hiding behind the morals of a dead man."

"How dare you…" He brought Kaien into this. Yoruichi was doing everything in her power not to kill him here and now. 

"You were supposed to be the best of us, a monster unseen since before the Gotei. Generations of selective breeding and thousands of years of careful study into how best to train warriors, all to make you. The perfect monster," Tokinada closed the distance, his own green eyes reflecting in Yoruichi's. "How dare you squander that."

Tokinada turned to leave. Yoruichi wanted to wring his neck. It would be simple. She was too fast for him to react, one precise shunpo and she could snap his neck. 

But she didn't. Not only did she not have anything to back up any such action, it would be against everything she stood for, against everything Kaien taught her. Tokinada knew that. 

She let him walk away. She needed to bide her time. 

Ichigo was hanging out with Renji. Well, hanging out wasn't exactly the right word. While he and Renji were good acquaintances and close allies, the two had never really become friends yet. Ichigo chalked this up to the two of them never really getting the opportunity to move past their first meeting. Sure, he and Renji had long since cleared the air from that day, but since then they never really had time to sit down and talk.

They had decided to go to a relatively upmarket restaurant with closed booths. Both because Ichigo figured he needed something to take the edge off of his nerves and because he wanted privacy due to the topic of conversation. 

"So, you said you wanted to talk?" Renji had noticed the nerves Ichigo had. It was unusual for him to be so nervous, but then again, he was often overly concerned about things so maybe this was just an extension of that. 

"Yeah," Ichigo swirled his drink. Whatever it was, it was eating him up. 

"Well? Are you going to talk about it or not?" Renji prodded. Ichigo did ask for him to talk to. 

"It's about Rukia," Renji's brain went through several hundred possible scenarios and multiple different reactions before stopping himself. 

"What do you mean 'It's about Rukia'?" Renji knew he was probably overblowing it. 

"She suggested I send a request in," Renji knew exactly what Ichigo meant by request. He had heard his captain grumble about them enough when he thought Renji wasn't listening. There was a sting at that realization, but he moved past that. 

"So she asked you to marry her?" Renji rephrased the statement. He figured Ichigo would have issues about the omai process, but given they had already completed many of the preliminary steps it really wasn't truly an arranged marriage. 

Ichigo stared blankly at Renji for a moment as he processed that. She in a roundabout way she did in fact propose to him. 

"Yeah, I guess she did," Ichigo then finally took a swig of the sake he had ordered. "It just… doesn't feel right. It feels…"

"Let me stop you right there because I know what you're going to say. Your relationship with Rukia was never going to follow a normal precedent. You're both extraordinary people who met under extraordinary circumstances," Renji had grown to respect Ichigo, their rematch, where he had broken down and begged Ichigo to save her was the moment he realized the kind of person Ichigo was. 

"No, I guess it wasn't," Ichigo chuckled. Ordinary was something that Ichigo's life seemed to abhor. "So you're saying send it?"

"Damn right I am, you almost got yourself killed several times over for her sake. I should know," Renji was sure as hell not going to let Ichigo get cold feet now of all times. "Do you know how much she talks about you? I knew she was smitten the first time we actually managed to sit down and talk."

Ichigo looked over at his once rival as he then grabbed his sake and downed the whole thing. Almost as if he needed the boost to say what he was going to say next. Renji then put the cup down and sighed. 

"I've never seen her as happy as she was when she got to recount those three months with you," Renji was one of the only two people alive who knew Rukia. Not Lieutenant Kuchiki, not Rukia Kuchiki, but Rukia. "You brought a smile to her face that I hadn't seen in almost a hundred years Ichigo." 

That almost floored the carrot-top. He knew she had brought color into his life like she was a new sunrise, but to hear he had done the same for her. It was surprising. 

"I did?" Ichigo wasn't used to that. He had always seen himself as trying to be the silent workhorse who tried to do everything he could to make everyone else happy. He had done all of the chores around the house, he had taken over cooking when he was 10 until Yuzu insisted. He never thought about how that made others feel. To him he was just doing the right thing, no big deal. But for Rukia, what he did for her was a big deal. 

"Yeah, you were the best thing to ever happen to her, and I'm not going to let you fuck that up," Renji brought a smile to Ichigo's face. Not a smirk, not a grin, but a genuine smile, an expression his face had almost forgotten how to do. 

"Thanks."

Isane took a deep breath to calm herself. She sat before three captains in a small training arena. It wasn't often a captain's exam was made open to even select audiences, especially after Aizen used his to get as many people as possible to see his shikai, but she had insisted. Her reason was simple, the fourth needed to know that she could be the bulwark Unohana was. 

"Begin!" The voice of the head captain could be heard, and at that moment she drew Itegumo, wordlessly releasing it, proving she had bankai, and then attacked three of the targets with a rapid display of shunpo and swordsmanship. The tatami mats cut cleanly, and the edges of where she cut bore the subtlest traces of frost. 

The last mat she had taken out had caused Rose to raise an eyebrow. It had been given a boken to represent a sword guard. In no way a realistic obstacle, but when he had observed her zanpakuto seemingly phase through the boken and cut the target behind it he was impressed. 

"So her blade can become mist," Kenpachi was unusually observant. He had personally requested to be a judge for this when he had learned of her appointment. His argument was he had the best idea of what Unohana had wanted both of her successors to be. Granted he had little idea of what being a judge for this entailed, or that it was just confirming that her bankai was in fact a bankai, but the symbology was enough to convince Kyoraku. 

"Now, show it to us," What 'it' was was obvious, and in reply Isane raised her blade to eye level, holding it parallel to the ground as the ambient temperature plummeted, and the smell of biting frost filled the air.

"Bankai, Koroshi Itegumo." 

The entire area was blanketed in a thick chilling fog, completely obscuring Isane from view. When Rose extended his senses to see where she was he was shocked to find that the answer was everywhere and nowhere. The haze of her bankai concealed her presence utterly. 

Kenpachi started laughing. When Shunsui turned to see why, they found Isane standing in front of him with her index and middle fingers pointed at his throat as if casting a high level hado. 

"Have to say, that's quite the bankai," In the past, he would have found such a bankai to be insulting. You faced your enemies head-on and gave them the name of their killer. However, Isane wasn't a killer, she was a surgeon. Her focus would never be on the foe in front of her, but on those behind her who depended on her to protect them. A bankai like this was from someone who abhorred fighting and sought to end it as soon as possible. 

"Well, that proves it," Shunsui spoke casually, clapping his hands together. In response, the fog flowed into Isane's blade as it transformed into its sealed form, after which she then sheathed her blade. She had passed. 

Shunsui was hiding the many thoughts going through his mind at how unsettling her bankai was. He had already made several conclusions about its capabilities based on the very limited showing. 

The fog didn’t hide Isane, the fog was Isane.

Tokinada had to admit, Isane's shikai and bankai were impressive. She would amount to a decent captain. Nothing close to Byakuya or Yoruichi, but adequate for her role. 

Tokinada stopped, putting his hand on his chest. He could have sworn that he felt something slash at him, what however he wasn't sure. After rummaging through his thoughts for a moment he shrugged and then moved on. He didn't sense any looming threat, and he was uninjured. Perhaps it was just a flash of paranoia. 

Had Tokinada looked a little longer, he would have noticed a figure in a black hooded cloak placing a bookmark in a small novel before vanishing. 

Chapter Text

Karin had to take some time away from patrolling for a while. She understood why but at the same time the mundane world around her felt slightly greyer because of it. Her left arm had fully healed but the internal structures of her soul which allowed for the conversion of reiyoku to reiatsu were still slightly damaged. It certainly beat the gnarly state her arm was in after her father removed the ointment Shino put on it though. 

The crazy thing was seeing her arm miraculously heal as her father applied kaido to it. As someone who had often worked to help her father around the clinic, she had seen plenty of injuries. Burns like the ones she had would have taken skin grafts, weeks in a cast, and then months of rehab to deal with any nerve damage. Kaido reduced that to a few minutes with a relatively non-invasive procedure. 

To say she was impressed would be an understatement. If kaido could do that, what else could it do? 

She would have to wait for that, however. Tessai had put her kido lessons on hold until she had fully healed, and until then she was limited to zanjutsu and hoho practice. 

While Hiyori was her zanjutsu trainer, teaching her hoho fell to the only qualified individual in the shoten, Kisuke himself. It was clear that he understood how to teach, and how to make sure she learned the best she could. It was also clear that he was an unforgiving instructor. She couldn't argue with the results, however. She was already eclipsing Shino in speed, having to slow herself down so as not to lose her. 

In the few spars she and Shino had however, it was clear that she was still the better sword fighter, using a similarly aggressive style as Hiyori. Though the gap was far smaller than the one between her and the shorter vizard. 

She had heard from Shino that when she's fully recovered Rukia would assess her for independent operations. In other words, her apprenticeship would end and she would officially be a substitute. She would likely continue her joint patrols with Shino and her training under Urahara, but that would also mean that if Shino had to be rotated out and there wasn't a replacement ready then she had to take on the patrols. 

She only hoped she was up to the task when the time came. 

Aura found herself visiting the Tsunayashiro estate again. Once again for the same reason she had been for a while. To check in on the health of Hikone. 

The fact that Hikone survived against two vasto lorde class arrancar was impressive, but his failure to defeat them hammered home the martial imbalance between them and those they sought to oppose. 

As she looked at Hikone undergo a physical to ascertain his recovery, she remembered the pieces in play. 

Kisuke Urahara was a significant threat. Information on him was scarce, but what was even worse was his ability to process information and then act on it with both alarming speed and precision. However, that intelligence could also serve to help them. Urahara was the only free man who knew how to make a hogyoku, and that could give Hikone the push needed to serve as a meaningful deterrent for Head Captain Kyoraku's involvement. 

Granted said involvement was entirely conditional on the houses not supporting Tokinada's plan. If he got the support of the great houses then the Gotei couldn't get involved as it would technically be a lawful act. However she found this to be less and less likely as time went on. The math simply wasn't there. Yoruichi despised the system as it was, and Tokinada's vision was a move in the opposite direction from where she wanted to take things. The Kuchiki's staunch legalism would at best translate into neutrality, but would more than likely translate into hostility as well. The Shiba were out altogether. Unless Tokinada could work a miracle they would never support him. 

Thus the entire Gotei was a threat. 

However, there was a threat that eclipsed all of them. 

Ichigo. 

Sure. Uryu was a wild card, Yoruichi was incredibly powerful, and Zaraki was Zaraki, but Ichigo was incomprehensibly strong. Measurements failed to help in conceptualizing his capabilities, and the abilities of his shikai and bankai were unknowns as well.

Put simply, if Ichigo became involved, she couldn't think of a way to ensure a victory that wasn't a gamble. While others may have been fine with that, Aura didn't like to gamble when there were meaningful stakes. 

Tokinada said he had a plan but she found it suspect. It risked turning him against them entirely. However, Toknada insisted that the plan had a form of insurance that would make it so that if Ichigo were to get involved, he was defetable. It was better than nothing, but she found it hard to believe that it would work. 

Aura shook her head. Doubt was unbecoming of her. She couldn't control Ichigo's response, and normally she wouldn't give such a matter thought. If it failed she would just improvise, but her thoughts drifted to the young artificial soul. They wouldn't stand a chance against Ichigo. Not only that but it seemed that Tokinada was reluctant to share the details on how Hikone fits into the plan. 

Somehow that made her worry, something that Aura normally didn't do. Whatever was causing these new feelings in her, she wasn't sure if she hated it or loved it. 

Yoruichi finally got over the many discomforting feelings given to her by Tokinada’s handiwork. Well, supposed handiwork. That was the problem with all of this. Nothing pointed back to the current Tsunayashiro head other than his survival. 

That and the thoroughness of it all. Almost every name in her notepad was crossed off. It was likely that the clan had so few members now that she could count them on her fingers. 

But then an uncrossed name caught her eye. Apparently, Yugure wasn’t found in the carnage. While Yoruichi didn’t rule out her having been killed in a different manner, her survival seemed odd as Tokinada definitely had no mercy for kin, and she doubted that his own blood was exempt. It was a lead, however, one where there were few others. It seemed Yugure went missing a few months before the massacre. 

Yourichi began looking through some old news media she kept for a quick and dirty bit of detective work. It wouldn’t give her anything concrete, but it would give her a place to start. Apparently, Yugure went AWOL a month before the massacre. Not MIA, not KIA, AWOL. That piqued her curiosity. If Tokinada had killed her he would have marked her with something that wouldn’t arouse suspicion. No this was not his MO. AWOL meant that it was likely that she had slipped through Tokinada’s grasp, likely having a hunch about the coming slaughter. 

That raised another question though, where would she hide? Yoruichi pulled out some notes from her investigation, these being about the internal structuring of the Visuals department. 

What she found was surprising. Yugure was the previous head of the ‘Relations Office.’ The Relations Office, or just Relations was one of the less secret organizations within the visuals department, primarily working to network with the many mortal polities in the living world so that they can keep the masquerade up by coopting their ability to more successfully cover up the damage from hollow attacks. 

If this meant what Yoruichi thought it did, then it was likely that she had taken advantage of her connections in the living world to escape her father’s notice. Given comments Tsukishima had recorded about how the new head was ‘more hands-off,’ that likely meant that she regularly took trips to the living world with her family’s senkaimon. 

No, she wouldn’t use it for this trip though. Senkaimon tracked usage automatically. If she had used it her father would have been able to find her. So now what? How would she be able to leave without notice? 

Unless…

Yoruichi palmed her face for not thinking about this sooner. Each family senkaimon was made bespoke to the requirements of the user. When the one used by the Onmitsukido was made, it was requested that it not have that particular feature. That ment that the Tsunayashiro one likely also had that feature removed for the same reasons. 

Yoruichi quickly grabbed her phone, flipping it open before she called up Urahara.

The phone rang once.

Twice.

“Moshi moshi?” Urahara picked up before the third ring. 

“Kisuke, I need you to do me a favor,” Yoruichi was happy for Urahara’s prompt response.

“Aw, you never seem to just want to chat anymore,” She sighed at her long-time friend’s antics.

“Not the time, I need you to find someone for me,” She spoke with slightly more authority this time. This was a business call. 

“Who?” All of Kisuke’s playfulness melted in a moment. Yoruichi needed his help, and he was sure as hell going to give it. 

“Yugure Tsunayashiro, daughter of Tokinada. She’s the most prominent survivor of the clan’s massacre six months ago,” Yoruichi glossed over the details she had. 

“I’m going to need more to go off of.” Urahara was good at finding people, but he didn’t know where to start.

“She was the head of Relations, took a hands-on approach, and would speak with world leaders and business magnates. Most likely uses an alias.” Yoruichi then hung up and started sending a text with more details. 

Urahara sighed. Looking for Yugure was going to be hard. Right now, if someone didn’t want to be found, they could avoid being found. 

Then an idea crept through Urahara’s head. Yugure was blood Tsunayashiro. Not only that, but she had the blood of two great houses. That meant her passive reiatsu would be massive. Even if she sealed herself, she would trip sensors all over, and lucky for Kisuke, he had a backdoor into the Visuals Department’s sensor network. 

Urahara then went to work. He could likely create a list of likely locations very quickly, and then eliminate them one-by-one.

This wouldn’t be easy, but if he could outsmart Aizen, then this would be child’s play.

Yugure Tsunayashiro was out on her balcony. Indianapolis was abuzz this time of year. The United States Grand Prix was going to be happening this weekend. Not that Yugure cared. From what she had seen, the utter disaster that was practice and qualifying had resulted in only four cars taking the grid. The new pavement was definitely to blame. 

The living astonished her with how short-sighted they could be and how rarely they test things completely. None of this was her concern though. The reason she found herself in the midwestern United States was to avoid her father’s gaze. She would likely move back to a city more befitting her tastes after this weekend, but for now, she had to tolerate the meager suite that the hotel they were staying at could provide. 

“Lady Yugure, are you sure this is the right decision,” One of her retainers asked. She had known he was harboring doubts about the ‘plan’ for a while. None of her retainers were ones to run away from a fight.

“Discretion is the better part of valor, I believe the saying goes,” Yugure took a sip of her champagne. “It is likely my father has already started whatever he has planned, and that means most of the clan is probably dead,” Yugure had long suspected her father of having greater ambitions, and his unhinged yet calculating nature meant that it was likely any who stayed had no chance of survival. 

“We could have defended you fro-” Yugure raised her hand, silencing her retainer. 

“From untrained thugs that call themselves assassins? Yes. From the real assassins my family has in their employ? I am not one to make such foolish gambles,” And that was to say nothing of her father’s abomination of a retainer. The margins were simply too close to ensure her own survival. She was between her father and whatever he wanted to achieve. It was best to move out of the way and capitalize on the power vacuum that resulted from his inevitable failure. 

Yugure was nothing like her father. She was cunning, yes, she could dissect a person like a scalpel when creating a profile, yes, but she had a distaste for violence. Her father did not share this distaste. The murder of her own mother proved that. She had no memories of her mother, she was too young to really know for certain, though if she had to guess, based on the stories she heard, she and her mother shared their abhorrence for violence. 

Yugure wondered what could have been more often than she would like to admit. Her life being raised by an uncle was uneventful, but the stories she heard about her mother really made her wonder. What did her psychopath of a father deny her when he killed his own wife? 

She sighed before taking another sip. It was no use getting mired in what-ifs. With things escalating and balance still unstable, she simply hoped that whatever her father had planned didn't involve accidentally collapsing reality. 

Chapter Text

The late summer sun bore down upon the barracks of the Thirteenth as the sounds of construction filled the air. 

Rukia was looking over her itinerary for the next month. It was largely dominated by her functions as acting captain, such as the coming captain's meeting and assessing Karin's progress in the substitute program. 

It was largely light work, which she was thankful for. Since the head captain took off some of the load for her she had found herself much less stressed. 

Thankfully the issue involving one of the tents losing its AC was resolved and the paperwork for requisitioning more had been submitted. 

It was these little things that Rukia had learned long ago that made the biggest difference in morale. Her subordinates needed to know she cared about their wellbeing, that she was one of them. It certainly helped that many of her subordinates had actually served longer than her and knew of her time as an unseated, but eventually, that would no longer be the case. After a while, the relationship between her and her division would degrade to that of a normal captain-division dynamic if she wasn't careful. 

Rukia then looked at Shino's progress report. Shino was a shinigami she was paying close attention to. She had potential, and could probably make lieutenant eventually. However, that wasn't the focus of the report. The focus was Ichigo's little sister Karin. 

Shino's report basically stated that Karin had reached an 'acceptable level of proficiency.' Meaning she could be trusted for solo patrols should Rukia need to divert resources away from Karakura. While this was good news, Rukia needed to assess for herself. 

Rukia was beginning to understand her brother's attempts to prevent her from becoming a seated officer. She had begun to see the twins as family during her stay with them during the arrancar crisis, and the thought of one of them coming to harm because of her decisions filled her with dread. So Rukia decided to assess Karin's readiness herself. Ichigo was at the level of a low-seated officer only after three months, meaning that it was possible she was at a similar level. She hoped that a personal assessment would stay her nerves. 

Rukia then changed her attention to the rebuilding of the division. The spring batch of new recruits had settled in nicely, but soon she'd have to start looking over candidates for autumn. 

This was where the pain of being in effect both the captain and the lieutenant was most felt. Not only did she have to oversee the drilling of her division as its lieutenant, she also had to work on assessing candidates for the division as its acting captain. 

The process was normally extremely competitive. The number of potential candidates was always quite high, but the aptitude tests, both written and practical, were difficult by design. They demanded highly of the ones being examined, and if you didn't make muster, you had to wait six months to try again. The good news was the test was free to take, but the bad news was that the Gotei only accepted the very top percentage of those who took the test as applicants. This created a very small pool of individuals that came into the Gotei every year. 

Rukia was lucky to get 50 shinigami into the division a year. Given that the expected strength was about a thousand? At this rate, it would take a decade at best to get the Thirteenth back to full strength. 

This was where the vacuum left by Ukitake's passing was felt the most. Both training and selecting recruits required a deep understanding of the division and its running to do properly, and thus the responsibility for both fell to her. In this way, the division was already hers. 

To say that Urahara had trouble tracking Yugure down would be an understatement. It was very clear that she didn't want to be found, avoiding cameras like the plague, but he had found her. 

His back door into the monitoring network told him of a large burst of reiatsu that arrived in Seoul yesterday. Tracking the flights he tagged a private jet that had just flown in from the United States. The composition of the reiatsu also matched that of a shinigami, adding credence to the idea. Issue was he couldn't confirm this for himself. Seoul was too far to get to normally, and his responsibilities prevented a day trip. So he sent the information to Yoruichi and hoped that she could make more of the information than him. 

Urahara changed his attention to the goings-on of the living world. 

One thing that took Urahara some getting used to was how small the world was becoming. He had long ago gotten a tv, and it had really gone to show how connected the world was now. 

Urahara could still remember 100 years ago when he first arrived when most of Japan was still mostly rural land. Since then much has changed. 

When he first laid eyes on a steam locomotive he was impressed, now the fact the nearby train station allowed him access to the entire island chain in a timely manner was an afterthought. 

Though the part that truly fascinated him though was the internet. It was an entirely new frontier. He was slowly beginning to sus out what the mortals were going to use it for, but that was not the thing he was focusing on. 

No, today he found himself on the website for the Xcution cult. The rise of cults in Japan was something that Urahara had not expected, at least not initially. The secularization of the Japanese government as imposed by their terms of surrender after the Second World War had the benefit of increasing personal freedoms, but that had the negative side effect of allowing secret societies and cults to form. Most of the time these cults were thankfully quite harmless, or at worst simply gate-kept the higher echelons of society. 

The worst case however?

Aum Sinrikyo came to mind. 

Xcution at first glance seemed to be one of the more benign cults. Being more about collective benefit and social access than anything else, but they also claimed that Aura was an 'enlightened individual.' 

Urahara didn't refute that claim, it was clear she was want for little. What footage he could get of her 'sermons' showed she was an eloquent individual and had genuine advice to give. What really caught Urahara's eye though were her 'miracles.' It was clear she was a fullbringer. The problem was that as he tried to track down what the focus of her fulbring was, he couldn't find it. 

She had a consistent appearance, a suit jacket, slacks, and a pin, but it was clear that was out of personal preference. There were images of her in dresses, kimono, and other attire. There was no item she wasn't willing to be without. It was also clear she had little attachment if any to the world around her. Thing is, that's what fullbring needed to function, unless…

Yes, that could be the case. 

Uryu was working on sewing together some of the uniforms that the bambis wore. Many of the requests for adjustments were reasonable. Meninas has complained about the top getting tight around the chest when moving her arms at certain angles. Bambietta had similarly complained about the pants not allowing her full range of motion with her legs. Given she was very kick-heavy in combat, that was kind of important. Litorrio had little to complain about. Her smaller frame was easy to work with and she didn't really strain her clothing that much. 

Candice on the other hand… It was clear she had preferences in attire that he did not agree with. He had no issue with what she chose to wear, that wasn't his circus, but he would not make an outfit more fit for an adult video than a combat uniform. However, he did agree that the materials he was using could be more breathable. He'd have to look into finding different materials for use in their uniforms. 

"Your majesty," Shaz Domino came into the room where Uryu was going over these requests and making quick adjustments to the current uniforms. 

"Yes?" Uryu turned to look at the slightly taller quincy. 

"There's someone on the phone," That surprised Uryu. Most calls were for his father, either due to business or due to him being needed at the hospital for emergency surgeries. Since his father was currently at the hospital right now…

Uryu picked up the phone that was nearby. "Hello?"

"Am I now speaking with Uryu Ishida?" the reserved voice was clearly that of a woman. 

"And who are you?" The fact she knew his name, and went to lengths to contact him put him on edge. He was a nobody as far as the rest of the world was concerned. 

"Aura Michibane, I believe you may have heard of me," That he did. She knew he took part in the raid on their old location. they had since set up elsewhere, but that inconvenience obviously didn't rule diplomacy out for her. 

"If the shinigami found out we talked, it could put me in a compromised position," He didn't want to risk the Gotei's wrath. Not while the quincy were so freshly into their interregnum. 

"They won't find out," That did not ease his concerns, but he didn't press the matter further. It would be better to just end the conversation as quickly as possible. 

"What do you want?" 

"Your neutrality," Neutrality? What did she have planned thar needed him firmly off the board?

"I don't understand," He tried running through ideas but he came up with nothing  

"Allies of mine seek to make a play, a play that may create an opportunity to ingratiate yourself to Soul Society," Aura was clearly careful not to tip as to who that ally was. After all, he still had contacts within Soul Society. 

Uryu hmmed at that. He would not put himself above making a move like that anymore should the opportunity present itself. He needed every inch he could take when it came to ensuring his people's survival. If that meant coming in as the cavalry for a fight that wasn't theirs, then so be it. 

"And what do I gain for not taking the chance should it present itself?" A simple question. She was attempting to buy his neutrality, it was only fair to ask her price. 

"An assurance of the quincy's continued survival in the new order," Uryu's blood ran cold as the line went dead.

Isshin had just finished another day at the clinic. 

It was a slow day, and he only needed Yuzu's help occasionally. As much as he loved his daughter, he couldn't help but notice that she was more Kurosaki than Shiba. 

In many regards, Yuzu was a dead ringer for her mother. The brown hair, the eyes, and even how she dressed herself. However he did have to admit that Karin was the one that took after Masaki the most personality-wise. Yuzu definitely had the demeanor of a Shiba. The absolute hijinks he and Yuzu got up to almost reminded him of his time with Kaien. 

Isshin sighed at that. 

Kaien was a loss he felt almost as hard as Masaki. 

While at first glance Kaien might live up to the oafish reputation of the Shiba, he was a person who was almost as deep as the ocean his nature invoked. 

He remembered the hours he and Kaien spoke about subjects as inane as how to make dango to as deep as the responsibilities the strong had to the weak. 

Kaien would be the first to admit that Soul Society was screwed up, but he also held hope that it could change for the better. 

The fact that Aizen made the monster that killed him was something that could make his blood boil on a bad day. 

Isshin was never as unbothered as Kaien. He was a man of passion. He lived to enjoy life much as a flame burned. Responsibility was something he always struggled with when he was younger. Becoming a father helped with that, but he still longed for the leisure he enjoyed as a second son of a noble house. 

Sometimes he hated that the world was so apathetic to what went on in it. 

Byakuya stood in the family garden. The sakura trees and assorted flora providing a calming atmosphere for him to indulge in. 

Being both a captain and the head of a great house was tiring, and often gave little time for relaxation. Thus Byakuya had to find ways to work while relaxing, or how to relax while working. This was one of his preferred strategies. 

Thankfully the topic of the day wasn't stressful for once. He sought to speak with the family's head matchmaker about Ichigo's marriage request. 

"Ah, Lord Byakuya, pardon my tardiness. The grandkids were simply rambunctious today," An old man, Shomei, walked up to Byakuya before sitting down on the bench. The head matchmaker was an old but cheerful man. 

"The topic is not urgent, I simply seek your opinion," Byakuya understood the need to cherish the fleeting moments of life, even as he neared over two centuries, his short time with his wife taught him that life was still an ephemeral thing. 

"Good good, so, what matter do you seek my opinion on? You are often quick to dismiss us," Shomei had a point. Byakuya was often quick to shoo the matchmakers off once business was done primarily to avoid uncomfortable topics. 

"I do not do so out of disrespect, I simply prefer to avoid certain topics. Though as for why I called you here," Byakuya handed the elderly matchmaker a burnt-red envelope with a black flame on it. clearly a missive from the recently reinstated Shiba clan. 

Shomei opened the envelope and then read its contents. It was clear whoever wrote it was very well versed in language, though not quite to the degree a scribe would. That implication, especially combined with the perspective of the writing was unusual. 

"It is not often I see the request written by the one to be married," Shomei hmmed. The Caligraphy, while not done with a brush, was impressive, especially if it was written by who he thought it was. "This was the one who invaded to save her from her execution, yes?"

Byakuya gave affirmation, quick to move past that memory.

"I assume you have already done some of my work for me then, talking to friends, observing their interactions?" Shomei knew how Byakuya could be quite picky, and often wanted to personally assess the groom to be for any marriage, let alone for his own sister. 

"Yes," Byakuya's stoic answer was contrasted by his relatively serene posture. 

"Well, I'm sure the fact that he has gotten this far is a good indication of compatibility," Byakuya was quick to reject requests, seamingly on a whim at times. 

"It simply means he meets my standards, compatibility is a different matter," Those were two very different things, and Byakuya didn't pretend otherwise. 

"Finally recognizing my expertise, hm?" The older man teased the younger clan head. 

Byakuya chuckled lightly. Normally such teasing would not be in decorum, but he had personally asked for a more relaxed meeting, again to keep the stress away. 

"I will speak with the other matchmakers, as well as get some second opinions, but frankly, if you wouldn't have shouted me out of the room I probably would have recommended this myself," Byakuya silently conceded the point. Ichigo was an obvious choice for many reasons, and many of them weren't reasons he liked. However, he had felt his resolve to save her, he had witnessed the lengths he would go, and his nobility nor his upbringing as a human were relevant to the situation anymore. 

He only hoped that the elders would see it that way. 

Chapter Text

Yoruichi found herself walking through the upscale parts of Seoul, South Korea. Such a trip wasn't unusual for her, but doing so on business was. Contacting Yugure was off the table. She would go to the ground, no, Yoruichi would have to play a few cards to make it clear that she wasn't here to kill her. 

Yoruichi knew what Yugure's pseudonym was, and knew that if she dropped her actual name, Yugure would probably not be spooked. Her hatred of Tokinada was infamous and was one of the only things that could be predicted of her. 

Yoruichi was dressed in a subtle but upscale dress, stitched to allow her full freedom of movement while also taking full advantage of her body to make it so that any who did notice her wouldn't be able to make out any defining features. After all, when you looked stunning, people often didn't notice any identifying features. 

"Ah, how may I help you miss?" The receptionist spoke politely. The etiquette was immaculate, as was expected of an upscale hotel in Seoul's Gangnam district. 

"Is there a Miss Ryuboku here?" Driftwood. probably one of the most meaningless pseudonyms she has seen, but quite fitting. here one moment, then gone the next, taken by the flow of the river, perfect for a woman in hiding. 

After looking through the guest list the receptionist then looked up at Yoruichi. "She has asked not to be disturbed." 

"Could you make a call for me? Tell her that Yoruichi wants to speak with her," The veteran assassin played coy as she often did. leaning on the desk and flashing a mirthful grin. 

"I'll call, please wait here," Yoruichi grinned as she took a seat in the lobby, careful not to sit on her own hair. It was likely that Yugure had her own bodyguard with her, and they would come to assess if she was a threat. Granted, due to who she was, she was always a threat. 

Yoruichi had taken great care to not look like a threat, however. Her choice of dress minimized the chance for concealed weapons due to its slim fit, having her hair down created an actual impediment in combat, and her small handbag only had enough room for a compact firearm, not that it would ever do any meaningful damage anyway. 

Granted this was all complicated by the fact she was born and raised as a living weapon as all Shihoin were, and the fact that until Yushiro surpassed her, she was the absolute apex of the clan.

It's the thought that counts. 

Yugure was watching the news again, it was always best to remain informed. Especially on matters you had a direct hand in starting. 

The Iraq war was progressing as predicted. A strong initial flashpoint with a long and slow burn which should help balance out the number of souls between the three worlds. 

Amazing what damage one small rumor of weapons of mass destruction can do. As much as Yugure hated putting her fingers on the scales like this, it had to be done for the sake of maintaining the balance of souls. Yhwach's little war simply forced her to take drastic measures to ensure the balance was stable. 

She was sure that would be of little consolation for the numerous victims of this war. Their deaths were the entire point of what she did. 

The Visuals Department rarely took such drastic measures. It was messy, it was obvious, and it risked drawing suspicion. No, this was an act of desperation taken because if it wasn't, then their hard-fought victory would have been for naught. 

As she watched the news and heard of how the war had opened the door for non-state actors to infiltrate Iraq she sighed. That was exactly why they chose to light off that powder keg over any other. Not only did it have a minimal risk of vertically escalating, but it also was going to be a slow-burning conflict with a relatively low but consistent casualty rate. 

She didn't know which part of herself to hate more, her ability to make these sorts of decisions without hesitation in the moment, or her empathy which was twisting her stomach. 

This was when the door to her suite opened, allowing the admittance of her unexpected guest. Yugure muted the television as it turned away from the war in Iraq and to more benign topics. She had more important matters to focus on. 

"Sorry to drop in unannounced," Yoruichi sat down in the chair across from Yugure. the shorter Shihoin playing coy as she always did. As she sat down Yugure noticed Yoruichi's choice of attire. It was clear she was trying to come off as non-hostile.  

"How did you find me?" Yugure was not amused. Yoruichi and her father were of similar intelect, If she could find her, he could. 

"I cross-referenced the list of the dead with the most recent clan census, you're the highest-ranking member of your clan still alive," Those words sent chills down her spine. Her father actually did it. 

"I see…" That news stung. It meant that the only surviving family of any note she had left was the one man she hated most. She took a breath and moved on. "I doubt you'd come all this way to find me just to break that news. Unless you've already killed my father and seek to ensure the continuity of the Tsunayashiro."

Yoruichi wished that was the case. She was examining Yugure and noticed that her long hair was more unkempt than someone like her would allow. She would have chalked that up to coming in during her off hours, but Yoruichi's gut told her something else was up. 

"Sadly no, your father is still very much alive. I'm here to ask some questions regarding an investigation I'm conducting privately," Yoruichi really hated that Tokinada was allowed to continue living like that. He sickened her. 

"What would this investigation be about?” Yugure knew of plenty that could incriminate many members of the Tsunayashiro, herself included. No member of the five houses had clean hands. 

"Your clan's concealment of fulbringers, and why you decided to do it," Yugure was surprised, if they decided to conceal those activities… She weighed her options. She could play diplomacy, secure concessions in her favor, or even… no. That was the Tsunayashiro way, the way of her father. No, she'd cooperate. 

"I didn't know we were concealing them from the rest of Seireitei. As far as I could tell we were operating within acceptable parameters. Collecting souls of interest to codify their properties and create a profile on their nature. If we were concealing them…" Yugure didn't like this. "I wasn't part of that wing of the Visuals Department, so I was not privy to the details."

Yoruichi wasn't surprised. Yugure was a 'diplomat,' her job was to manage the living part of the living world and facilitate the operations of other shinigami in it. R&D and capabilities testing would be outside her purview. 

"Is there any way I can get that information? or is there anything you can tell me that you do know?" Yoruichi was close, she just needed the smoking gun. 

"Any documentation would be inaccessible. If I return to Soul Society my father will kill me. All I can say is that my family was conducting experiments on fulbringers, and that I was told not to divulge any of this information outside of the 'proper channels.'" Yugure knew that the family had an extremely tight grip on the internal flow of information. "It was likely a conspiracy by the elders and clan head to conduct this in secret."

Yoruichi processed that information. This was what she and Kyoraku needed to open a formal investigation. The problem is that Tokinada had conveniently disposed of anyone who could flip. 

It was as Yoruichi was considering her next move that she noticed Yugure staring into the television. The images of the Iraq war flashed on it once again as the news loop progressed, the burnt-out husks of tanks, trucks, and APCs filled the screen. 

"I know the look of a guilty conscience when I see it," She could see that Yugure's emerald eyes were transfixed in horrified awe, not at the on-screen images, but at the implied happenings. The highway to Baghdad was particularly haunting. 

"All of that death… one stroke of my pen…" Yoruichi knew that feeling well. When she was the Onmitsukido commander she had killed many with less than a word. 

"That twisting in your gut? That means you're still human. Hold on to that feeling for dear life. Else you let yourself become a monster." She knew what it felt like to slowly become numb to the suffering one can cause. To disassociate away your humanity and make decisions solely based on the cruel calculus of their responsibilities to the rest of humanity, for the sake of keeping the balance. 

Had she and Kisuke not met Kaien? She dared not entertain that line of thought further. 

Ichigo was helping around the manor. Kukaku was insistent that he become acquainted with his many cousins of varying distances, but also the other things the clan did. 

For example, he had just learned that the storehouse on the grounds that was weirdly far away from everything was actually full of explosives of varying volatility. 

That was an experience. Now though he was helping with the renovations. Chiefly rebuilding the foyer that Bawa-Bawa had smashed. 

What Ichigo had quickly found was that his stamina was directly proportional to the amount of spiritual energy he had. Which was a lot. 

he often found himself running lumber from the carpenters, some of whom were family, others being tradesmen from the Rukon, over to the workers who were putting them in place. 

The only reason he wasn't running them alone was because the frame pieces were huge and one person couldn't manage the bulk alone. 

By now the open frame of the new foyer was almost done, and the process of putting everything on would begin shortly.

"Lord Ichigo," the voice of a servant caused Ichigo to turn around from the small gathering he and the workers had formed while on break. 

"Yeah?" Ichigo had long since given up on getting them to stop calling him that. It helped that the clan at large generally looked after those who made themselves subordinate, but the noble title still didn't sit well with him. 

"Someone would like to speak with you," The young servant relayed the information. Ichigo chuckled internally at the irony. she was probably close to a hundred, he was the young one. 

"I'll see them right away," With that he wordlessly dismissed her. Ichigo could clearly see an older man he had never seen before on the outskirts of the courtyard. That was likely who came to see him. 

Ichigo got there it became clear the older man wanted to see him as he addressed him with a smile. 

"You must be Ichigo," The older man smiled as he addressed the Shiba heir. 

“Uh… yeah, you are?” Ichigo looked away while rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn’t used to being asked for by name. So this was unusual for him. 

“Ah, my apologies, I’m Shomei, Head matchmaker for the Kuchiki,” The old man stretched his hand out for a handshake. 

Ichigo however paled. He wasn’t expecting this at all today.

“Please, there’s nothing to worry about,” The older man spoke in reassurance. "I would have recommended you myself if Byakuya wouldn't shoo me out of the room for it."

The old man's reassurance did not stay Ichigo's nerves.

"Do you mind if we take this to a more private location?" While Ichigo was sure about his desire to go through with this, he didn't want to screw this up. 

"Sure sure, lead the way," The old man accommodated Ichigo. He had centuries of experience in dealing with people, this was not out of the ordinary. 

Ichigo began to lead the older man to a room where they could talk in relative privacy. 

Ichigo had chosen a small tea room, mainly for its seclusion and the fact that this one had chairs. He then moved to help the matchmaker sit down before being waved off. 

"I may be old but I'm not made of glass," Shomei then sat down, resting his cane on the table. 

Ichigo then followed suit, resting his red haori on the chair. 

"So, what do we do?" Ichigo spoke, trying to hide his nerves. The older man simply chuckled. 

"I take it you don't know how omai works here?" He knew the answer but asking helped him gauge how little the young Shiba actually knew. 

"Not at all no," Ichigo sort of knew how it worked back home, but that was the world of the living, and this was Soul Society. 

"That's okay, honestly you two are quite far along in the process," He smiled as he spoke. The process, while very traditional, was also quite flexible in its wording. Sure the Kuchiki elders may have a few things to say about his loose interpretation of some of the steps, but there was a reason he was a matchmaker and they weren't. "Normally the request would be written by a scribe, though I will say your calligraphy was impressive, and your choice of words was also quite earnest."

"Did I do something wrong?" Ichigo was still new to this nobility thing. He didn't want to screw up, not this early. 

"Not at all, though I do recommend leaving the writing of future correspondences to the scribes," The boy's nerves spoke loudly about how much he cared about this. He had to give Ichigo credit, it was clear that Rukia mattered to him on a personal level. 

"Yeah… I probably should do that…" Ichigo looked away again, scratching the back of his neck. A pacifying behavior. 

"Now to business, I'm simply here to gauge your personality as part of determining if you and Lady Rukia are compatible," Shomei didn't want to string Ichigo along. It was best to get this over with before he started taking time off of his life. 

"I… okay?" Ichigo didn't know what this process entailed. 

"It's an excuse to go for a walkabout and to check in on how the Shiba are settling in, but this is an important step. Often two people may think they will get along fine, but extended periods can turn minor annoyances into a spawning ground for resentment," Shomei spoke gravely. One missed detail and they could potentially have a repeat of the disaster that was Fukuro's marriage. He wouldn't allow himself to make such a mistake again. 

"I assure you-" The matchmaker raised his hand. Politely cutting Ichigo off. 

"I have heard that more times than I can count. Don't worry though, your first impression has been very good. I only need to ask a few questions." He looked kindly at the Shiba heir, hoping to steady his nerves. 

"Sure, go ahead," Ichigo accommodated the old man. If he had to play this game then he would. 

"Are you aware of Lady Rukia's past?" A seemingly innocuous question, but could easily bait out some bad traits.

"Yes," He and Rukia had talked about it on occasion since he came here. Not that any of it diminished her in his eyes. 

"How much?" What he knew would inform his next questions. 

"She's from the Rukon, she and Renji have known each other for over a hundred years, she was mentored by my uncle, anything I'm missing?" Ichigo counted on his fingers as he went through the list. He omitted a lot, but those were the important details. 

"I don't think so. What about your past? I don't know about you," Ichigo clearly had no issues with the first two things he mentioned. His wording and how casually he brought them up made that clear, so his idea of Rukia is probably accurate and he has no issues with jealousy.

"Me? I'm nothing special," Ichigo dismissed the line of questioning. His life was uninteresting until recently. 

"Humor me," Humility, a good start, though Shomei still needed more. 

"Alright," Ichigo took a breath, "My mother died when I was five, I spent most of my life so far blaming myself for her death. Because of this, I decided to protect those closest to me. I did what I could in this regard for a while until I met her. Everything after that is pretty well known at this point."

Shomei processed all of that. Selfless, family-orientated, this was looking good so far. The worst thing he could find so far were known quantities. Bullishness and a disregard for authority, neither of which Rukia would have any problems with. Rukia had proven herself a capable officer and strong motivator, not to mention her prior rapport with him meant she already knew about them herself. it seems he could just go straight for that question. 

"Do you have any complaints about Rukia?" This question was itself seemingly benign, but the answer could be very telling. 

"I wish she would take better care of herself," Ichigo had seen how she worked herself, even if only a glimpse. She needs more rest, hell, maybe even a few self-indulgences could go a long way for her. 

"How so?" Shomei had heard this answer spun in so many ways, it could mean anything. 

"She works herself hard. I understand her commitments, and I respect them, but she doesn't allow any time for her to enjoy herself, and she's too hard on herself when she fails to meet her own expectations," Ichigo had begun to see how hard Rukia works, and how she was burning herself out. 

Shomei was impressed. While it could be the case that Ichigo could just have been very well coached, he was willing to bet this was genuine. The Shiba didn't play that game, and Ichigo's body language would have indicated a lie. He was honest through and through. 

"Well, that concludes my questioning, would you mind accompanying me for some tea?" Shomei was done for the day and wanted to take some time to quench his thirst and enjoy some good tea. 

Chapter Text

Rukia sighed as she looked ahead at the senkaimon of the thirteenth division. 

Today was the day. Karin was evaluated to be fully recovered from her injuries, and as promised, Rukia was going to see if she was ready to be a proper substitute shinigami. 

She could feel her nerves. The memory of her horribly burned arm reminded her of the risks that came with this job. Rukia was perfectly fine when it was her life on the line, and she respected the decisions of her subordinates to do the same. Karin though… Karin was family, she was a younger sister and every fiber of her being wanted to keep her out of this. 

That would disrespect her decision, however. Karin chose the life of a shinigami, and it would be an insult to both Karin and herself if she got in the way. Her job was to ensure she was ready for the perilous road ahead. 

"Lieutenant, your departure has been logged," Rukia nodded as the technician for the senkaimon spoke. Soon a hell butterfly fluttered into view.

Rukia stretched out her hand and let it perch on her finger. The black and red creature resting on her hand. 

Soon the senkaimon opened, and the butterfly fluttered away into the gate, and Rukia followed. 

Yoruichi was back in Soul Society, her unofficial excursion into the living world had thankfully gone unnoticed. 

"You're finally back, how was the vacation?" Or at least so she had thought. The coy voice of the head captain came from the kitchen where he was helping himself to some of her spirits. 

"Good enough, Seoul is quite the place, has enough booze to keep you satisfied that's for sure," Yoruichi spoke with a venomous bite in her voice. This was her home, and he was in it without invitation. 

"Well, I guess I'll have to see that for myself eventually," He then took a sip of the drink in front of him. It was a clear drink and she didn't see the bottle before he put it away. 

"Mind if I ask why you're here, head captain?" Yoruichi made her displeasure known with her backhanded deference. 

"Tsk, so acerbic, I just want to hear about your unsanctioned jaunt. I know you don't like being cooped up, but you wouldn't leave unannounced without good reason," The head captain spoke playfully, making the sting of his words that much sharper. 

"I found a lead, and I didn't want Tokinada to know," Yoruichi relented. They were supposed to be working together, and she did flaunt some of the rules she agreed with to chase this lead. 

"So Yugure is still alive," This didn't surprise Shunsui. He had seen the MIA report and Tokinada's subsequent appointment of her replacement. She was a clever girl, just as clever as her father. 

"Yes, she was aware of the Tsunayashiro conducting experiments on fullbringers, but had assumed it was all above board," Yoruichi relayed her findings. taking a seat at the table. 

"Convenient, but I won't question good fortune," The one eyed captain considered everything. Anonymous testimony of foul play would be enough to get Central 46 to back a search of the visuals department. Shunsui didn't doubt her innocence, he had always kept a close eye on her from a distance, and to say Soul Society never did such things officially would be a massive lie. 

“The fact that they were conducting experiments on humans though…” That was damning. It could lead to the entire house being disgraced, not that it mattered since most of the clan was dead anyway. 

“Yup, and remember Ginjo?”

Shunsui nodded in affirmation. How couldn’t he, his crimes were well recorded. 

“The thirteenth weren’t the ones who attacked him that day,” Yoruichi gave him a moment to pause and consider that. 

“How do you know?”

“Inference based on gathered evidence,” Yoruichi changed her posture. “Tsukishima and I have been casing out the Visuals Department security structure, we found out that they maintain duplicate uniforms of every organization in the Seireitei except the Onmitsukido.”

Shunsui didn’t need her to explain the rest. The pieces were all there and were plain to see. Combine that with Ukitake’s denials that he had sanctioned such an attack… It seems the Tsunayashiro had intended to kill the original Xcution to take their souls in for experimentation. 

“How does this connect Tokinada to the current iteration of Xcution though?” Shunsui looked at this and saw how it all contradicted the current evidence. 

“Don’t know, but we have something substantial now," They had the clan nailed to the wall, but not Tokinada. If he cooperated while also conveniently hiding his deeds in the living world, the clan would be sanctioned but he would face no punishment, as in Soul Society, following orders was a legitimate, and effective, defense. 

"Keep me updated, we're now in the phase where we need to be careful, now more than ever," Whatever it was Tokinada was doing, they were getting close. One wrong move and everything would spiral out of control. 

Karin had just finished another day of pre-season practice. it surprised her how quickly the summer went by, one day she had just found out that due to her oaf of a father she was nobility, the next she had been a substitute shinigami in training for the better part of three months. 

Time just seems to fly sometimes. Now she was going to the Urahara Shoten to undergo an exam to see if she was ready to drop the 'in training' bit of her current title. 

Karin wasn't entirely sure if she was ready. Sure, her father had been teaching her the clan fire magics, Tessai had been teaching her kido, and her swordwork was being refined by a teacher with the temperament of a feral chainsaw, but the last hollow really hammered home the dangers of the job. 

She winced at the memory of her left arm being absolutely torched . Apparently, kido didn't do that and this was a unique 'feature' of Shiba clan fire magic. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to do that ever again. 

Thankfully the pay was really good. 

Karin soon found herself in the tucked-away alcove that the Urahara Shoten was located in. After a short walk up to it she knocked on the door and then opened it. 

"Hey, it's me," Karin announced her entrance as she walked in. As she did so she noticed a familiar short silhouette by the counter. 

"Good to see that you're here, we'll begin your exam shortly," The grinning face of the woman whom Karin had come to see as an older sister finally came into focus as her familiar alto spoke. 

"Rukia! I Thought Shino or…" Rukia raised her hand to stay Karin's words.

"It wouldn't sit well for me to have you tested by anyone else, I would trust their judgement, but I wouldn't know for certain if you were ready," She then turned to move to the ladder to the training ground beneath the shop. "This way I know you're ready."

Urahara was minding the shop as Rukia went about her testing of Karin's abilities. He wanted to give the lieutenant her space, even though she insisted he was welcome to observe. 

Kisuke sighed. He didn't know if he was really doing it for her sake or his at this point. Rukia was the final student of his late friend and mentor, the reason he still had something resembling a conscience. 

To be a scientist among the shinigami is to be a monster, and no man was more painfully aware of that than Kisuke Urahara. 

He'd be the first to admit he did some terrible things, hell, you don't make a hogyoku without some blood on your hands. 

And yet the one thing he can't forgive himself for doing was dragging his friend's protege into his and Aizen's personal war. 

Rukia was too pure, she had forgiven him almost out of hand as if he wasn't the reason she almost died, almost lost her powers permanently, and had become a target for Aizen in the first place. 

Kisuke chuckled sardonically. What good was someone else's forgiveness if one couldn't forgive themselves? 

That was when the phone started ringing. it wasn't the phone for calls from Soul Society, that was in the back rooms. No, this was his landline. Who would call him at this hour?

He let the call ring out and go to the answering machine. He wasn't going to indicate that he was here, just in case. 

When the answering machine beeped and started its playback he was shocked to hear the voice that came over the speeker. 

"Kisuke Urahara, It is Aura Michibane of Xcution. I would appreciate it if you got back to me about setting up a time we could chat in person. I feel we may be of use to each other," The beep signifying the end of the message almost went unnoticed. He hadn't been reached out to like this since before he made his hogyoku. This was highly unusual, and risky.

He considered his options carefully. Why would Michibane reach out to him of all people? Sui-Feng had used his shop as a headquarters for the raid on her previous headquarters, and while he didn't know what motivated the strike, it was clear she had gotten the attention of Soul Society. 

He also remembered Yoruichi investigating Tokinada. He intentionally avoided asking any questions and kept himself in the dark about what was going on as he knew he was watched closely by the Visuals Department. 

The likelihood of them being connected was high enough to be considered. 

How much did Michibane know about him?

Karin was panting heavily. Once again Rukia had dismantled her in a spar, hell, she even pulled out her saya like Shino would on occasion in the hopes a second weapon would help. None of that mattered however. Rukia's cold and calculating style, her precise defense and swift offense was simply too deft for her to weather. 

"You did much better than last time," While to Karin it may have seemed she had made no progress in her zanjutsu, Rukia noticed the subtle improvements. Her edge alignment was more proper now, her swings were swifter, and that little wrinkle of using her saya, a mark of Ikkaku Madarame's style, was entirely out of left field for her. 

"Doesn't feel like it," Karin was also absolutely gassed. They had spent the entire spar moving at Karin's full speed, it still exhausted her quite quickly. 

"That's because I'm ahead of you by over fifty years. You've only just started, and you're still growing at an impressive rate," Almost as quickly as Ichigo, though Rukia kept that thought to herself. Was such growth in power this rapid normal for them? Was it because they were quincy? Or is it the combination of all of their traits?

"Really?" Karin sat down, then laid down, allowing her body to relax. 

"In three months you have reached a level where I'm confident in your ability to handle solo patrols. That takes years for even the best shinigami to reach," Three months. That was how long it took Ichigo to reach a similar level. She wondered if Karin's explosive growth would continue, or if it would plateau as she became stronger than everything she would be reasonably expected to deal with. 

"So I passed?" Karin was cautiously optimistic. 

“Yes, though you are still to continue your training and your joint patrols with Shino,” Rukia sheathed Sode no Shirayuki with practiced grace as she finished her duties as a commanding officer. "However, you should rest until then," Rukia smiled lightly, proud of Karin's progress. 

"No arguments here," Karin spoke hoarsely as she raised a thumbs up into the air before letting her arm comically fall limp. 

Rukia chuckled at the display. She really wished she could hang around with her and Yuzu more often. She liked being an older sister, but she had her obligations, and she was expected back soon. 

No, not before she sent Karin off. 

Aura Michibane was waiting for Urahara to return her call. She didn't expect this to work out. Kisuke, while a wildcard, was not one in the way Tokinada hoped. He could not be easily swayed and trying to deceive him would never work. 

She had carefully poured over his files. History, phyche, skills, and associations. 

The only wedge she could find was his open admission of how Soul Society was rigged. 

That wasn't good enough. His opposition against Aizen, his continued support of the same broken status quo, it did not point to a man who was uncertain of the math of changing that system. It spoke to him being a man who has done the math over and over again, and finding that the broken status quo was the best option from his perspective. 

And then there was Hikone. 

Aura chuckled. She didn't know what Tokinada's plans for the child was, but every time she asked he gave her an unsettling smile and a sing-song 'you'll see' that only made her assumptions worse each time. 

At this point she was certain he saw them as an expendable tool. Her only question being why did that bother her? Hikone was a tool at the end of it all. A mouthpiece for their new order. That's all they were ever supposed to be. 

The ringing of her cell phone shook her out of her thoughts. She smiled as she checked the number. It seemed that Urahara wished to parlay after all. 

Chapter Text

The August heat was bearing down on the Seireitei, the only saving grace being that the entire fortress was largely lighter colors, and most of the important buildings had air conditioning restored early on in the rebuilding process.

This was something Yoruichi was glad for as her cat form was not as adept at heat regulation as her normal body, but she needed to speak with the head captain now and it was likely she was watched. Thus she had to deal with the August heat as the fur of her feline form did its job a little too well. 

Fortunately, she had found her way into the office of the head captain unnoticed before the heat got too bad.

A sigh could be heard as the head captain noticed her entry.

"Seems one of the second's pets got loose," Sui-Féng was a great leader and peer, but her obsession with cats was something that puzzled him.

"I will forgive the mistake given the circumstances, but I am not one of the mere simpletons that my former student lets wander the halls," The baritone of Yorichi's cat form caught Shunsui entirely off guard, almost causing him to jump out of his chair. The surprise faded quickly as it became clear who the cat before him was.

"Well, that's a neat parlor trick, though I doubt you came all this way just to show me," Shunsui neatly put down his pen as he prepared for whatever Yoruichi had to say.

"I received a call from Urahara today asking me for everything I knew about Michibane," The statement caused the atmosphere in the room to chill suddenly. "She called him in an attempt to arrange a meeting."

"I hope he has no intention of joining them," Urahara was a dangerous sort of man, his intelligence was on par with Aizen and he was far far less predictable. It was only his continued support of the Gotei that kept him free.

"I would bet my life on it," Yoruichi however knew Urahara far better. Not only that, but they had talked over and over on the nature of the status quo, and how any radical change to it would probably do more harm than good. 

He would never take part in whatever Michibane had planned. 

Kisuke Urahara had taken a jaunt to a nearby park. It was hardly frequented and provided a nice place to speak in private. He wanted to hear Michibane out, find out what she wanted from him, and hopefully, get a glimpse of her plan.

That was when he felt the fullbringer's reiatsu. She was strong for a fullbringer, probably topping out at high lieutenant level, strong enough for him to seriously have to think about engaging her. Not for his sake, but for the sake of everyone around them.

"Kisuke Urahara, a pleasure to finally meet you," Michibane's voice was professional, almost too much so. It was as if she was disconnected from the world around her.

"Please, I'm not that big of a deal, I'm just a humble shopkeep," Urahara lied coyly, he needed to gauge how much she knew, and playing dumb was the best way to do that.

"You sell yourself short Urahara. A former captain such as yourself will always have the power to shape the world," She knew a lot. This was bad, very bad.

"I left for a reason," Urahara's voice became grim, the joviality and coyness fading rapidly.

"Yes, you were used by Aizen as a catspaw to cover his experiments with hollowfication. A shame that they fell for something like that," Urahara frowned at her response. That was way too much information to have for someone like her. Her connection must run deeper than just being allied with someone inside the Visuals Department, no that was top-level information, things that would only be recorded in the deepest recesses of the Kuchiki archives.

"I wonder, how did you get that information?" Urahara tried prodding for that info. He wasn’t expecting a straight answer, she’d never give that to him without him joining them.

“I'll leave it at having friends in high places. You'll find out if you decide to help us," Aura's tone was measured and calm. She felt as if she was in control of the situation. However, Urahara had already figured out why she called him.

"You want me to make you a hogyoku, yes?" Aura smiled faintly at Urahara's question.

"Indeed. While I go to great lengths to avoid being predictable, I have my limits," Aura dare not think she'd be able to hide her intentions from him.

"Then my answer is no. Making mine the first time was a mistake, one I do not intend to repeat," Urahara turned to leave.

His response perplexed Michibane. He had the keys to everything! Why sit idly by?

"You've seen how humanity acts!" Aura's composure broke, "How we are doomed to self-destruction! How could you stand by and let us do this to ourselves?" It didn't make any sense! He's seen the worst of humanity! He should know better than anyone that the Five Houses are best equipped to end this farce!

"Do you think we are any better?" Urahara turned to look back at the fullbringer.

"You've-"

"Lived for hundreds of years. I know, but those centuries have given me a better perspective on things," Urahara sighed.

"A Hogyoku is made from ripping apart the souls of fulbringers like yourself," shadow covered the scientist's face. "at the core of many fulbringers is an infinitesimally small fragment of the Soul King, a being I'm sure you've heard of.”

Urahara turned to look at the cult leader. his eyes empty of mirth, the same empty look he gave Aizen upon sealing him.

"While you may be special by comparison, the same logic applies to you. This small fragment attracts hollows to attack the gestating soul as it is bonding to its new body, causing the hollow's reiyoku to alter that of the yet-to-be-born, allowing them the power to speak with the souls of the world around them," He stepped closer, staring her in the eyes.

"While fulbringers can result without the need for this stray viscera, it is far more common for them to have this, and collecting this viscera is key to making a Hogyoku. It is a painful process," Urahara could still smell the blood of his victims. He put them under anesthetic, he tried to be as minimally invasive as possible, and he always tried to ensure their survival, not because he was kind, but simply because to not do so would be recklessly endangering the balance. Only now, long removed from his crimes, and after finally realizing what Kaien was trying to teach him, had he begun to feel remorse.

"You are asking a people who see you as nothing more than livestock to be herded to lead those they barely understand. We are no better than you we are far far worse. This way is best for all involved." Urahara then vanished soundlessly.

This was not optimal, but Aura had grown to expect this, and soon Soul Society would have a glimpse of their goal.

It was time to act. 

Ichigo was speaking with one of his older cousins about clan matters. Things were going well baring the incident with Bawa-Bawa. He was going to see how the repairs were going to that section of the manor.

Neliel had offered the assistance of herself and her fraccion, which Ichigo and Kukaku agreed to decline. All bets were off with Pesche and Dondachakka, and it was probably best they remain as guests.

As for the front part of the manor, it was all normal. Until Ichigo noticed a new feature.

“No, no she did not get that approved!” Ichigo saw that where once was a normal mounting of the family crest, there were now two pillars shaped like muscular arms holding up a banner saying ‘ Welcome to the Shiba Estate’ baring the family’s flaming crest on either side.

“Honestly I don’t see the issue,” The voice of the one heading the renovation chuckled. “I’ve seen worse over the years.”

Ichigo simply stared incredulously at his cousin before responding.

“How do you not see any issue with this? It’s ridiculous!” He practically yelled as he outstretched his arms in the direction of the offending display of his aunt’s aesthetic sense.

“Exactly, and that makes it funny to watch the reactions of all of the snobs who have failed to remove the rods they have up their asses,” Ichigo cut his losses and turned to leave. This family was just a bunch of people who were just as crazy as his father. There was never a boring day with the Shiba and he was starting to hate it.

That was when one of the servants ran up to him.

“Lord Ichigo, Lady Kukaku wants to speak with you,” That snapped Ichigo out of his frustration as he vanished in a loud burst almost instinctively. 

Kukaku was waiting for Ichigo alone in the main meeting room of the manor.

It was a moderately sized room where she could hold large family meetings with the branch heads and subordinate houses, but today it was just her, the family zanpakuto displayed above her head and a hell butterfly that had just given her a message from the Kuchiki.

She had just sent a servant to get Ichigo, due to Ichigo’s speed and his tendency to react as though something is on fire whenever someone calls for him, he should be here right about…

Now.

The thoomp of his sonido appearing before her was entirely ignored. She had called for him expecting this and she had frankly gotten used to it with Nelliel as a diplomatic guest.

“What is it?” Ichigo was not panicking like she would have expected him to a while ago, but he still thought it was urgent.

“Don’t worry, nothing’s on fire,” As much as she liked how prompt he was, and how he took his newfound role seriously, not everything was so dreadfully serious.

“Yet,” Ichigo didn’t see it that way. At least not yet. The family had just been reinstated, most of the clan was still outside of the compound and was slowly trickling in, meaning that they would need to move in and get situated, not to mention that trying to do anything that involved coordination between the branches was like herding cats!

“Ichigo, we take fire safety quite seriously,” as was to be expected with the only clan in the Seireitei that manufactured gunpowder. sure they still made black powder, but they had since also diversified into the manufacture of various low and high explosives. Though fireworks were what got them into becoming the experts on explosives.

“You might, but I don’t trust Ganju around the powder barn,” Kukaku sighed. Ichigo still needed to get used to how the Shiba did things. That would come with time, however.

“Anyway, I called you over to tell you that Byakuya sent a hell butterfly over,” That got Ichigo’s attention.

“What was it about?” If it was sent by hell butterfly it had to be important.

“The Kuchiki elders want to meet with you at the start of next week,” Kukaku was surprised that they were willing to skip straight to this step. usually, there was an intensive leadup before this. She didn’t know if this was good or bad.

“Seems rather trivial to be sent by hell butterfly…” Hell butterflies were priority mesengers. Using them for this seemed rather wasteful to him.

“If it was between lesser clans then yes it would be, but this is between two great houses,” By the very nature of how Soul Society was structured, the Great Houses were exempt from many of the Seireitei’s rules. This included free use of hell butterflies. “Welcome to nobility.”

Ichigo sighed, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Any tips?” Ichigo didn’t know how to handle elders.

“Keep your mouth shut and only speak when spoken to, and if possible, let Byakuya do the talking.” Kukaku knew that it would be hard for him, but if he wanted to get past this phase he needed to play their game. While they had no actual ability to halt the proceedings, going against the elders would burn a lot of political capital. Something Byakuya doesn’t have to spare, not that Kukaku thought that would stop him.

“Great…” Just what Ichigo needed to worry about. Some old farts deciding he shouldn’t be able to be with the person whom he loves, and who loves him.

“Marriages are political here. I hate it just as much as you do, but if you want to marry her you need to put up with the bullshit,” She knew this all too well. She also knew that the Kuchiki were of split opinions on the Shiba. She hated politics. 

Chapter Text

Tokinada was not happy. The meeting with Urahara went about as well as expected, he totally refused to join them, and they had tipped their hand. The clock was now ticking, and so they had to act before Kyoraku or Yoruichi could get Central 46 to allow them to intervene.

That ment they had to go with the emergency meeting and fast.

It would take a few days to get an emergency session of the Central 46 ready, possibly even a week. All Tokinada needed to do was to get the meeting with Ichigo, and then the meeting with the others that knew the true nature of the Soul King. Given that Ichigo had a meeting at the Kuchiki estate today, that meant he could get him immediately.

He had already sent a trusted retainer to fetch Ichigo once he was done convincing the Kuchiki elders that they should allow him to marry their pet pessant.

Hikone was not the one he sent. Too heavy-handed. No, This was a member of a subordinate house who ate up his story about the clan being attacked by a third party. Useful as he had ordered the deaths of her close cousins.

He was disappointed a being of such pedigree as Ichigo would slum it out, but he didn’t fault him. Ichigo wasn’t raised as a noble and so had yet to learn how things worked.

And he honestly could have chosen worse. 

To say Rukia was nervous would be an understatement.

She was well aware of the proceedings going on. They were the talk of the manor, and a lot of the gossip wasn’t flattering. This was why she spent most of her time away from the Kuchiki estate, but that didn’t free her from the rumors, instead only making them more bearable.

Thankfully today’s captains meeting pushed off the hell that was inevitably going to happen as Ichigo met the elders. It was another routine meeting.

All of the captains had arrived, though Lieutenant Kotetsu’s absence was odd, especially considering her absence from the earlier Lieutenant’s meeting. The taller lieutenant would always be here on time, and Isane would never delegate her duties like she did today, giving Hanataro the duty of reporting to the lieutenants meeting.

“Now that everyone’s here, I’d like to bring attention to the first matter of the day,” Rukia was thrown off by the Head-Captain’s decision to move forward with the meeting.

“As was made clear, after the war with the quincy we had multiple vacancies in the captaincy. While many were filled quickly thanks to our colleagues Captains Aikawa and Yadomaru,” both Visored nodded, “A crucial vacancy was that left by the loss of one Yachiru Unohana.”

They filled the vacancy in the fourth. Rukia didn’t know what to think. So quickly after the war as well. Though the name Kyoraku used was odd. It almost reminded her of the late Kusajishi…

“Thankfully the first Kenpachi ensured she had proper successors ready for both of her roles,” Zaraki nodded, and Rukia was shocked. The greatest healer she had ever seen was Soul Society’s most prolific serial killer?

“She has demonstrated her qualifications before myself, Captain Orotobashi, and Captain Zaraki, and so I introduce Captain Isane Kotetsu.”

She did it. Rukia was momentarily scared that the head-captain had gone and gotten someone else, but as the doors opened and Isane walked in with the long white haori of a captain. She smiled, knowing her colleague had done well to earn that title.

Isane then walked until she stood at the end of the two rows, in front of both Rukia and Captain Kurotsuchi.

“I thank you for this opportunity, head captain, and will execute my duties to the best of my abilities,” Isane then bowed before taking her spot between Captain Sui-Feng and Byakuya.

Now only the thirteenth lacked a captain.

“You’ve already been doing that,” The head-captain’s affirmation ended the topic and then they moved on with the meeting. 

Ichigo was waiting nervously in a waiting area in the Kuchiki estate. He knew about the captain’s meeting today, and so was aware the meeting with the elders wouldn’t happen for a while, but the nerves were getting to him.

It rapidly became clear that the Shiba and Kuchiki were organized radically differently.

The Shiba were surprisingly far more rigidly structured. Whatever Kukaku said happened, however, the Shiba were far more open about criticizing the clan head and showing ideas openly. While Kukaku was the ultimate executive authority of the clan, it was largely run by committee.

The Kuchiki couldn’t be any further from that.

What the outside saw as one cohesive house, was in reality several smaller houses loosely organized into one cohesive entity. Byakuya was simply the head of the “main” branch.

Because of this, Byakuya’s authority over them was far weaker than Kukaku’s over the Shiba. No surprise then that he had heard stories of Byakuya facing threats from them of demoting his branch and promoting another.

Ichigo figured it was some parliamentary bullshit that they would never actually go through with, but it effectively kept Byakuya on a leash. Especially as it seemed that the other branches were the ones with the actual power in the clan as while Byakuya was in charge of maintaining the family archives, everyone else was free to pursue business ventures as long as they paid back a percentage of it to the main branch to fund the archives.

It was as Ichigo was reviewing his thoughts that Byakuya walked in.

“Good, you’re early,” Byakuya’s voice was as stoic as ever, but Ichigo swore he could hear relief coming from it. “follow me.”

Ichigo quickly started following Byakuya, taking a second to catch up due to the noble captain not slowing down.

“Understand that this is not the unstructured chaos of a Shiba clan meeting. Do not speak unless spoken to, do not use informal language when you do, and do not let your temper get the better of you,” Ichigo nodded. He had seen how Kukaku ran the family meeting, largely unstructured and stream-of-consciousness, but concise and open. It was clear that this was not how the Kuchiki worked.

“Were these the…”

“Yes, but now is not the time,” Byakuya knew the question before he even asked. They were the ones who in effect forced him to push for Rukia’s execution. Something that oh so cathartically splashed mud on all of their faces and bought Byakuya back some of his political capital and freed him from his agreement to them.

Ichigo understood. Bringing that up would be an attempt to undermine them, creating hostility. Not something he wanted.

They then got to the meeting room and a servant slid open the door. Once Ichigo walked through, they slid the door shut.

Byakuya moved to sit at the front of the two lines of the elders, with Ichigo moving to sit behind him and to his right. He was the subject of today’s meeting, but he was a guest all the same.

As soon as Byakuya and Ichigo had sat down on their knees like the others, Byakuya spoke.

“We may begin,” At the call of Byakuya’s voice the silence that filled the room broke.

“What makes this boy better than any of the other suitors, whom I should mention, you dismissed out of hand,” One of the older men spoke aggressively, prompting a momentary glare from Byakuya.

“My reasons are my own, but if you desire a reason, it is because he has earned my trust and respect,” Ichigo had long known that that was the case. Hell, seeing him plead to him to save Soul Society at the start of the war all but confirmed that. But hearing him say it outright was something else.

“That much is true, it had become a running joke that someone would have to become legend to meet your standards, so I assume he has at least cleared that bar,” It was becoming clear to Ichigo exactly how little power over the clan Byakuya had at the moment. They weren’t exactly disrespecting him, but they were skirting that line very closely.

“Young Shiba, do you have any questions?” one of the other elders spoke to him directly. Probably hoping for him to screw up. He wasn’t going to give him that.

Ichigo deliberated for a moment, thinking of how best to word this question.

“I understand wanting to meet me in person, but what is the exact purpose of this meeting?” Ichigo figured it was some sort of Kuchiki procedure, something that he hadn’t exactly read up on.

“Since you are requesting to marry a member of the main branch, your children will be in line to head the clan should something happen to Byakuya. We simply want to ensure you don’t have any ulterior motives,” Ichigo wasn’t buying that bullshit for a second, but the between-the-lines reading was simple enough. ‘We’re looking for any legitimate reason to reject you.’

“Thank you for the clarification,” Ichigo nodded. Byakuya looked to the side from his raised position. Ichigo was conducting himself well. This was good.

Then the next elder spoke.

“Lord Byakuya, I understand that he is blood Shiba, and thus one of us, but the boy was a ryoka once. How can we be certain he will respect our laws and traditions? He was never raised in them and only just realized the part he plays in this world.” Ichigo was impressed by the question. It was an attack on his character, but not in a baseless way. Law and tradition were things the Kuchiki valued dearly, and his first trip to Soul Society was hardly a good first impression in that regard.

“I believe it would be best he answer that question himself,” Byakuya then looked at Ichigo, surprising him.

“I came here under extenuating circumstances, Ru-” Ichigo caught himself and cleared his throat, “ Lady Rukia had saved my life and the lives of my sisters when she made me a substitute. Breaking the rules or not, I owed her my life. I wasn’t going to just sit by and let her be executed,” Many of the elders nodded thoughtfully as Ichigo took a breath. he showed them he was a man of honor, now for the next part. “I’ve also learned that in this world, each part has a reason to be where it is. That there is a way things work, and that everything around that was carefully chosen for a reason,” Ichigo was vague, especially on saying if he agreed with any of it, because he honestly didn’t agree with all of it. Demonstrating awareness of the delicate balance, both of power between the noble clans, and of the balance of souls, should be enough for them to hear what they think he should have said.

“Eloquently put. He’s a little rough around the edges, but that’s to be expected for a Shiba.” The youngest of the elders spoke. A man who looked only slightly older than Byakuya. probably someone who’s inherited their father’s position in the clan.

“I almost feel like he’s too good for her,” Ichigo’s eyes shot wide as he stared daggers at the perpetrator.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I quite heard you. Could you say that again?” Ichigo spoke with a cold and thinly veiled menace. He damn well knew what he heard, and knew that it was a clear insult to Rukia.

Their shocked face told Ichigo that they fully expected to get away with that comment. Ichigo had no such intention, and Byakuya’s own glare reinforced that as a tense silence filled the room.

“Well? He asked you to repeat yourself,” Byakuya knew damn well what Ichigo was doing. It really pushed the limits of decorum, but the statement was clear, and honestly? He didn’t care.

‘I dare you to say that again’ and its various iterations were very much a trap. Byakuya was fully expecting this to go to shit if his asshole of a cousin in fact did repeat himself, but at that point both he and Ichigo would have good reason to.

“I apologize, I must have let my thoughts slip. The young Shiba is a living legend, and with how he has conducted himself I can’t help but feel we may be getting more out of this than they are,” Prostration. He knew he got caught and was trying to save face. Both Ichigo and Byakuya knew what he was saying was bullshit. Ichigo was willing to let it go as it would hopefully be the last time he’d deal with them. Byakuya however was fit to make an example of him.

“After Lord Shiba is dismissed the elders and I will discuss how to reprimand you for your lapse in judgment, until then you are to remain silent” Byakuya was careful in his wording. His choice of using ‘lord’ a deliberate act to remind them that Ichigo is no mere child, not anymore.

“Of course Lord Byakuya, your word is final,” Those words were spoken with disdain, but there was little he could do in the face of his censure. So he simply took his cue to shut up.

After that the meeting became far less hostile. It was clear the other elders held a similar opinion of Rukia, and if the ‘almost’ was any indication, they also held him in similar regard.

The questions for both him and Byakuya flew by and soon he was dismissed.

Ichigo didn’t care to stay and see the carnage that was about to be unleashed.

He was about to leave when he noticed a servant girl calling for him.

“Lord Shiba! Lord Shiba!” The servant was nondescript, but from the green on her outfit it was clear she was a Tsunayashiro servant.

Ichigo dreaded what she could possibly be calling him for, but whatever it was it wasn’t her fault, and it would be rude to not at least hear her out. So he walked over to her..

“Yeah?” The servant let out a visible sigh as it was clear she was waiting for a while.

“Lord Tsunayashiro would like to meet with you today, I hope you don’t mind?”

Chapter Text

The cicadas chirped as the afternoon started to give way to evening. Ichigo thanked his luck that he missed the hottest part of the day. Even in Soul Society, the August heat was no joke.

That would have made the long walk to the Tsunayashiro estate both tense and unbearable. Instead, Ichigo only had to deal with the discomfort of playing nice to a servant who served someone who he most definitely didn’t like.

There really wasn’t anything wrong with her. She was nice, maybe a bit energetic, and she definitely talked a bit much, but she did point out some fun things that he didn’t know.

For example, apparently, the sakura trees the Kuchiki have are a unique strain that doesn’t exist in the living world. Or that the Shihoin gardens have at least one example of each of the one hundred and thirty-two varieties of maple.

Honestly interesting stuff, but the green on her outfit definitely made things awkward. Especially as they finally got to the gates of the Tsunayashiro estate.

The gates of the Tsunayashiro estate were nothing like the rugged simplicity of the Shiba estate’s gate nor like the elegant gates to the Kuchiki estate. These gates were imposing. each standing twice Ichigo’s height, and fixed upon them in solid and polished gold was the seal of the Tsunayashiro clan.

with a simple knock, the gates began to swing wide. There was no smaller door like the Shiba estate, and so as Ichigo walked through the path to the main compound, he was subjected to a walk through a forested road until he came to the actual residency.

The compound was lavish. The floors were tiled with jade and black marble with gold inlay separating them.

It was clear that the Tsunayashiro were wont to flaunt their wealth and power. Why else build such a lavish estate furnished with symbols of wealth?

The part that unnerved Ichigo the most however was the silence. The Shiba estate was absolutely bustling with people, and even the Kuchiki estate was abuzz with activity even though the planners took every chance to isolate the servants and the guests from each other.

Here, there were only the echoes of Ichigo’s own footsteps as the servant guided him to Tokkinada’s study.

Soon they were before a large mahogany door. When Ichigo looked for the servant he found he was alone, with only the click of a false wall to give him any idea of what happened.

After a few moments of looking at the door, Ichigo decided to knock with a polite one-two.

After a few moments, Ichigo was greeted by one Tokkinada Tsunayashiro.

“Ah, Ichigo! I’m glad to see that my servant was able to find you. I hope the Kuchiki didn’t grill you too hard,” Tokkinada grinned ear-to-ear. “Oh, where are my manners? Come in, take a seat!” With that Tokkinada guided Ichigo into his study, a moderately large room with wall-to-wall bookshelves, each filled with books of varying ages and languages as well as subject matter.

Once they got to a pair of couches by Tokkinada’s desk he motioned for Ichigo to take a seat before taking a seat as well across from him.

“I do apologize for not having tea ready, I wasn’t sure when you were going to arrive, any preferences?” Tokkinada awaited Ichigo’s reply.

“I uh… don’t really have a preference, I’m more partial to coffee,” Ichigo scratched the back of his head. He hoped to not offend as it was clear Tokkinada was a very fickle individual if his reputation was anything to go by.

“Hm, shame, the coffee machines are down for cleaning. I could have the servants pull an espresso if you want,” The kitchen was well-equipped to meet the whims any guests or family members may have. While the Kuchiki held strongly to tradition, the Tsunayashiro’s exposure to the living world made them far more modern in terms of taste.

“No no, tea is fine” Ichigo was somewhat overwhelmed by the offer. He was just coming off of a tense meeting and Tokkinada was just dropping all of this into his lap immediately.

“Alright, how does nilgiri sound?” Tokkinada himself was partial to the creamy texture.

“Uh, fine I guess,” Ichigo had little idea of what that was and was perfectly fine to go with the flow.

“Nilgiri it is then,” Tokkinada smiled. The servants observing them should probably have the tea ready soon. “How did the Kuchiki treat you? I heard you sent a request to marry Lieutenant Kuchiki.”

“Yeah, the matchmaker spoke with me a while ago,” Ichigo wasn’t sure why Tokkinada was interested in his personal life, though at this point he had found the buzz around him and Rukia to be a bit much. “The elders though were a bit rough.”

“I understand, you are a relative unknown to them. Not to mention you have… unorthodox opinions,” Tokkinada chose his words carefully. Ichigo’s opinions were largely the product of his life in the living world, a place where life was measured in decades not centuries. His views were a result of that perspective, just as Tokkinada’s were a result of his perspective.

“Yeah… I get that a lot,” Ichigo wasn’t exactly a fan of the fact that his opinions, which were largely just things he was taught growing up or were told were basic standards, were suddenly seen as out of left field and ‘unorthodox.’

“It’s to be expected. You were raised in a world that left the ideas of feudalism behind centuries ago. The last person who was able to enact meaningful change in Soul Society was my teacher Yamamoto, and sadly he’s dead,” The late founder of the Gotei was the only person in the past thousand years who has ever truly posed a threat to the way Soul Society did things. He respected him for that, for seeing what needed to be done and doing it. No talk, no deliberation, no grandiose posturing. It was a shame that Yamamoto died long before Yhwach’s return.

“Yeah, I wish I could have done something to save him,” Ichigo sighed. That was a rough day for him. He had fought tooth and nail to escape that cage, only to discover he had been too late. Byakuya was dying, Yamamoto was dead, the Wandenreich picking at the bones of what was left… and Rukia… The shape she was in when he found her…

“That’s in the past, the war is over,” Tokkinada spoke softly. He had seen the mayhem the quincy caused, all in the name of avenging Soul Society’s ‘Original Sin.’ He was impressed. They had finally found a way to bring them low. Even if the rightful order of things was ultimately reestablished, they had come ever-so-close to usurping it.

“Yeah…” Ichigo was still weary of Tokkinada. He had stolen Ikkomikidomoe, and he had attacked Nell and Halibel. The weight of the situation he was in finally landed. He was in the lion’s den now, he only hoped that Tokkinada wasn’t asking for something ridiculous.

“So, how has your training with Lieutenant Kuchiki been?” Tokkinada probed for information. An idea of how well he is now able to control his power would be invaluable. He has long had an accurate picture of his strength, but his control is what will dictate the efficacy of his plan should Ichigo choose to move against him.

“Okay, but progress has been slow,” Ichigo was intentionally vague. There was a lot he didn’t want to tell him, and anything he said could be used against him in the future.

“I’m sure you’ll find your pace soon enough. Though with recent developments between you and the Lieutenant, I imagine that you intend to stay?” Tokkinada filed away that information in his head. Now it was time to find more.

“Yeah…” Ichigo was starting to feel uncomfortable. Tokkinada’s interest in his personal life was beginning to be uncanny. “Why are you so interested in me?”

“Well, would you look at that! It seems our tea has arrived,” Tokkinada drew the attention away from the question. Not that he didn’t want to answer it, but now was not the time to show his hand.

Ichigo saw through the attempt to dodge the question, but at the same time a servant had just arrived with stuff that needed to be set up, and so the conversation would have to stop anyway. That was quite convenient for Tokkinada. Especially as Ichigo didn’t notice the servant until Tokkinada had pointed them out.

He didn’t know if his senses were being dulled, or if he was simply too distracted by the man in front of him to notice the world beyond their ‘conversation.’

Soon after they had arrived they had finished putting down the tea set and had poured them some of the tea inside the pot before placing it between them and leaving. The subtle hint of terror from them as Tokkinada shifted one of the things on the table into its proper place did not go unnoticed. Tokkinada however acted as though nothing had happened, and that it was always in its correct position.

“I do apologize for my interruption, but the answer to your question cannot be given in the presence of… unworthy ears,” At that Ichigo could feel the slight specks of spiritual power at the edges of his attention vanish, and soon after Tokkinada used a few hand-signs to cast a silencing kido. It was clear now, Ichigo was alone with the beast.

“Has Kukaku told you the story of the founding of Soul Society?” Tokkinada’s question surprised Ichigo. He had never seen anything about the founding. It was as if the texts he read assumed Soul Society had always existed for as long as there were souls to occupy it, and that the Soul King had always been.

Ichigo knew it was all bullshit. Soul Society had to have come from somewhere, but he had assumed that it was either something he would learn in due time, or just not important.

“Your face of bemusement says everything. Don’t worry, my father did the same. Hiding information like this from me,” Tokkinada smiled. “The world wasn’t originally like this. Split into realms for the living and dead. Almost a hundred thousand years ago the living and the dead coexisted side by side. A world without death as we currently understand it.”

Ichigo’s mind raced back to Yhwach’s words. Was this what he sought to do all along? To return the world to its original form?

“Now, things were fine for a while, Humanity had only just risen above its peers in the animal kingdom. As such our souls weren’t much, but soon, over generations we became much stronger. Discovering that we had powers that could only be best described as magic. Esoteric and mysterious,” Tokkinada weaved his tale like a master orator, keeping Ichigo’s attention.

“Soon, new creatures began to manifest. Malevolent spirits who only hungered for human souls, living or dead. They would gain many names, bekataro, demons, ghouls, windigo, I could go on, but we both know of what I speak,”

“Hollows,” Ichigo was not surprised that hollows and humans came about around the same time.

“Unlike today they were popping up spontaneously. Fully formed and with no preceding soul. At first, they were small, but as time went on, eventually we had menos grade and above just popping into existence, quite the problem, don't you agree?” Tokkinada’s story now was starting to become scary to think about. Hollows as strong as Grimmjow or Ulquiorra in a time when humanity hadn’t yet even mastered fire… With no shinigami that would be a death sentence. Ichigo nodded. This world without death… it was clearly untenable.

“So what happened?” Ichigo was fully invested. He was skeptical and would fact-check this with Kukaku, but he still listened.

“A creature stronger than anything ever seen before started hunting the hollows. Protecting the paleolithic tribes of humanity. A being you have seen before,” Tokkinada grinned.

“The Soul King,” The fact he laid eyes on a being almost as old as humanity. A relic of a time unrecorded except here. It was a sublime realization. His entire life was but a moment to the Soul King.

“Precisely. It wielded power unlike anything ever seen, and soon after appearing, taught these tribes how to defend themselves. What was once untouchable, now was beatable. However, soon it was clear the situation had become unsustainable as hollows began rapidly outnumbering humans. Thus, Five chiefs and a sage all gathered and spoke, and a plan was hatched. They parlayed with the Soul King and well… Let’s just say there’s a reason he was the way he was when you saw him,” Tokkinada made another unsettling smile as he took a sip of his tea.

Ichigo processed that for a moment.

“Are you saying…”

“That our ancestors mutilated a god? Yes,” Now Tokkinada could see the horror being processed in Ichigo’s face. An attack under false pretense has always been dishonorable. “But not only that, they also cast a ritual that almost brought humanity to extinction in the act of creating the order we know today. Burying this secret deep, and not telling anyone what happened,” Tokkinada now prepared his pitch. Ichigo was a volatile individual. Delivering his pitch, and ensuring the threat was conveyed in a way that didn’t immediately anger him was important.

“So not only did they do this, they hid it from the rest of Soul Society?” More secrets? More lies? The only good news was he wasn't the only one in the dark here.

“Not just the rest of Soul Society. I doubt many in the other houses know either. As far as I am aware, we are the only ones who know of this deceit, and I seek to correct it. I only know because my family has records of our own that go back far enough,” Tokinada spoke half-truths. He didn't know for certain if any of the other clan heads knew, but he did know that Kyoraku and Yoruichi did. It was best if Ichigo didn't try to confirm what he is being told. They would only poison his mind with their fear of the power they should have rightfully claimed.

“Wait wait wait, this would predate writing!” How could there be records of this!

“In your world. Trust me, translating from a dead tongue took some work,” Tokinada laughed. The effort it took to translate the ‘document’ was ridiculous, and the fact that he had to hide it from his clan just made it more complicated. Ah, to be young and ambitious.

“So who was the sage?” Ichigo noticed how the sage didn't trace to the modern reality of Soul Society. There were only five great houses, and the Central 46 only came about because of Yamamoto.

“You would know him as leader of the Royal Guard, quite the character he is.” Tokinada smiled. His grin an unsettling visage.

Ichigo hmed at that. Ichibe had always given him a bad feeling. This explained at least part of that.

“Why tell me this?” Ichigo was suspicious. He didn't figure Tokinada would tell him this for the sole sake of informing him.

“Because I want to change a few things. I feel that people, even in the living world, deserve to know the truth of this world,” Tokkinada played on Ichigo’s own experience of having been lied to, and having his own heritage hidden from him.

“And you want my help,” Ichigo was sure there were details that he wasn’t telling him. There had to be.

“Hardly, while I would appreciate your assistance, it is not required. All I am asking for is for you to allow me to try,” Tokinada’s request was surprising, but that just made it more suspicious.

“And if I don’t?” Ichigo narrowed his gaze, there had to be a catch.

“Do understand that as part of my job as head of the Visuals Department that I have had to come up with countermeasures should you go rogue,” and with that Tokkinada put his tea down and pointed to a sigil above his desk. That of a hexagonal seal with a stylized skull sitting on a black x. The very same sigil emblazoned on every substitute shinigami badge. “And well, the badge was my invention.”

“You sick fuck!” Ichigo was almost at a boiling point. He was threatening Karin!

“Now now, Ichigo. I’m just the type who takes precautions, nothing more. It would pain me to possibly bring a fellow noble to harm, so I would only do it as a last resort, and don’t worry, the lives of your loved ones will not be taken. After all, any physical harm could cause a civil war. Something nobody is interested in starting,” Tokkinada played off the threat, but secretly Tokkinada was beyond amused, he had gotten a rise out of Ichigo.

“Now, I have finished what I needed to tell you, you are free to leave,” Ichigo stormed out of the room. He was beyond pissed, hell, he was probably going to grab Zangetsu and come right back to kill him, civil war be damned!

Tokkinada would have hell to pay!

Chapter Text

Kukaku was not happy. Tokkinada was finally making his move and had predictably used his underhanded means to try and secure what he wanted. She had to calm down a furious Ichigo from starting a civil war and had just now received news that a closed-door meeting was being organized and Ichigo was invited directly to represent the Shiba. 

“So he doesn’t think he can win you over?”

“Of course not, Kakyo’s murder is something none of us who were alive when it happened will ever forgive,” Kukaku was only a little girl when it happened, when she, Kaien, and Isshin were nothing more than little terrors running amok. 

To know such a monster got off with basically a slap on the wrist compared to his crimes? Her blood boiled thinking about it, even hundreds of years removed. 

“Do you…”

“Think he’ll make good on his threat?” Kukaku took a drag from her pipe, the acrid smoke filled the air as she tried to calm her nerves. “Damn right, he will. Tsunayashiro don’t make empty threats, and Tokkinada is the worst of them all. Hell, I think he wants you to call his bluff.”

Anyone with half a brain could tell that Tokkinada didn’t actually want Ichigo to involve himself. It was why the threat was made in the first place. However, Tokkinada was a sadistic bastard, and so he’d probably enjoy the anguish his act would cause. 

Tokkinada always loved inflicting pain, but he also was very intelligent. There had to be something about this, something that Ichigo would disrupt heavily by being involved. 

“What did he tell you he wanted to do?” This was a big deal. Not only would it give Kukaku a glimpse into what Tokkinada had planned but also likely how he intended to do it. 

“Reveal the existence of Soul Society to the living world,” That was what Ichigo interpreted, however, “But that wasn’t all he told me,” Ichigo didn’t know what to make of it. The fact that he and the rest of Soul Society were lied to about the origins of the Soul King? About how the world came to its present order? And that it was Tokkinada that revealed this to him? It twisted his stomach. 

“What else did he say?” Kukaku didn’t know what to expect. Tokkinada knew a lot, probably just about every dirty secret in Soul Society. 

“He told me how Soul Society was founded,” Ichigo didn’t know how else to describe it. Tokkinada’s use of ‘original sin’ seemed fitting. Such a mutilation done under false pretense was damning, even if what came of it was what needed to happen. 

Kukaku took a draw of her pipe before sighing. She understood the distress he felt. Learning about such a thing was never easy to take, especially when you were raised to understand the intrinsic value of life. However, Tokkinada could have left out important details. 

“Did he mention each family’s deal to join the conspiracy? Or who was the one to butcher the Soul King?” Ichigo’s face said it all. His look of utter befuddlement. By omitting those details Tokkinada had painted their ancestors as selfish and cruel when that was hardly the case. 

Ichigo sighed. Tokkinada was telling the truth, but not the whole truth, of course, he wouldn’t!

“What did he leave out?” Ichigo was frustrated. He got lied to again, and this time it was clearly meant to undermine his trust in those around him. At least it didn’t work. 

Kukaku didn’t know how to answer. Each bargain their ancestors made were Faustian in some way shape or form. Sure, they had thousands of years of generational wealth, as well as responsibilities befitting their station, but they had to uphold the current order at all costs. 

“I don’t really know how to explain it. There was a lot he left out, but do know that the founder of the Shiba created the Final Getsuga as a way to hopefully relieve the Soul King of his burden,” Kukaku knew what he wanted to know, and it really wasn’t something she could explain easily. How do you explain that the reason shinigami are sacrificed on the altar of Oetsu’s forge is because that was the term for your ancestor joining a world-shattering conspiracy? Or that they didn’t know that’s what it would take to purify hollows. 

“Tell me straight, It can’t be worse than what Tokkinada said,” Ichigo’s words were correct in a way, but it was very close. 

Kukaku sighed as she collected herself. 

“Each family cut a deal with the man who would become the leader of the Royal Guard. The Kuchiki ancestors wanted there to be order to the primordial chaos. This would be fulfilled by the cycle of transmigration, The Shihoin ancestor wanted the cycle to include nature spirits and what you would call yokai.”

“Like Komamura?”

“Yes. The Yayahara meanwhile, were concerned with the newly formed realm that would eventually be called hell, and the Tsunayashiro were scared of the Soul King turning on the fledgling humanity,” Kukaku recounted the story as she was told by the clan’s historian upon her ascension to clan head. 

“In exchange for their terms, they would also have to give something in return. The Kuchiki would become historians, keeping the record of what happened, the Shihoin became the ones to protect the realm as its chief military force, the Yayahara would monitor hell, and the Tsunayashiro would monitor the living world. All roles each clan still fills to this day,” Kukaku took another deep drag of her pipe, coughing slightly as she exhaled the smoke. She wasn’t one for long-winded stories like this, but this wasn’t something she could just skim over. This was the very foundation of the world she grew up in, and that Ichigo was now a part of whether he liked it or not. 

“And us?” Ichigo noticed the absence of the Shiba in her explanation. He wasn’t suspecting anything, it was clear she was building up to that. He just wasn’t sure why she was delaying. 

“Our ancestor noticed the fact that human souls and the souls of hollows were only superficially different, how they were two sides of the same coin. They wanted a way to purify hollows so that they could partake in the cycle as well,” Kukaku let Ichigo fill in the blanks. It wasn’t hard to figure out the rest. 

“We’re the reason zanpakuto exist…” Kukaku’s nod simply confirmed Ichigo’s realization. The subsequent responsibility, being the logistical connection between the Royal Realm and Soul Society so that the zanpakuto could be distributed, was not hard to figure out afterward. 

“Yup, And I also assume Tokkinada told you about how the Soul King was mutilated,” Kukaku noticed Ichigo’s confirmation. She already knew that’s what happened, as that would paint every family in the same shade of guilt. “That wasn’t the plan.”

Ichigo was surprised that such information survived tens of thousands of years, and the fact that each clan had agreed to hide this, the math playing out in Ichigo’s head was making him uncomfortable. 

“Then what was?”

“They would parlay with the Soul King, pitch the plan to him, and have him agree. From what I could gather from speaking with Yoruichi, the plan to force the Soul King into this was a contingency, a last resort,” 

“That the Tsunayashiro ancestor did without waiting…” Because of course, they did. 

“Yep, and one our ancestor was entirely unaware of from what I was able to figure out. This coincides with the earliest records I could find on the Final Getsuga as well, so that was probably our plan,” A plan that would never be used, and was quickly repurposed.

Ichigo braced himself against the wall as he considered this. This was a lot of information to process, and Ichigo didn’t know how to respond. 

Was this what the Soul King was trying to tell him when he was training? Was he trying to tell him this history so he understood what he was fighting for?

Or was he warning him?

“Did the Soul King fight back?” Ichigo didn’t know what caused him to ask that question, but something in him felt it was important. 

“From what I could gather, no, he didn’t.”

A benevolent creature, one who would gladly help, mutilated for the sake of humanity. 

What a cruel joke. 

Rukia was nervous. 

She had put into motion events that would forever change her life, and at this very moment what happened to her was out of her control. 

It was not a comforting feeling. 

At this very moment a bunch of old men who she hardly knew and most definitely didn’t care about her were deciding if allowing her to marry the man she loved was politically beneficial to the clan. 

She had elected to sleep in her officer’s quarters in the thirteenth. While she usually slept there it was not for the reasons she did so now. The clan would be abuzz with gossip and speculation. She had heard many opinions on Ichigo, and how many of them flipped the moment it became known he was blood Shiba. 

Now that it was known Ichigo was looking to marry her? The estate was likely to be a viper’s nest. 

She was already disliked heavily by many of her so-called family, with only Byakuya and Ginrei being comfortable faces. 

No. The less spent on that the better. 

She would hear if they would be allowed to properly begin courting soon. 

The thought of that made her feel something she hadn’t felt in a long time. It was hard to put into words, it was something she had almost never felt in her fifty years as a shinigami, something beyond just the monetary happiness she felt every now and then, and even beyond what she normally felt when around Ichigo. The thought of being together for a lifetime… Was this joy? 

Even as the nagging fear of this being denied to her crept around in the shadows of her mind, the thought of that potential future was like a beacon. 

The fact she had become like this was surprising. She was always a career-focused woman. Even though she knew that this would eventually happen, or perhaps because of it, she had never taken pleasure in the thought of marriage. Often the idea scared her, to lose the autonomy she had now was a scary thought, but Ichigo would never take that from her. He respected her too much to make such demands. 

It was ironic. The very thing she once dreaded, was now the very thing she looked forward to the most. The irony of it all caused her to chuckle lightly as she tried to slip into slumber. 

Yoruichi found it hard to sleep as usual. There was simply too much on her mind. Tokkinada was making his move and she didn’t know what it was. Hell, they had hardly found out what he even wanted. 

The meeting tomorrow was probably going to fix that issue, but it was going to be on his terms. 

Even if they could get the Central 46 to agree to a search, they wouldn’t be in session again until after the meeting Tokinada had. 

They were so close to exposing them, but they weren’t fast enough. 

So Yourichi broke a rule of these meetings. She informed Shunsui that this meeting was happening, and who was invited, she had also informed Kisuke. 

If they were going to stop whatever Tokkinada had planned, they needed to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. 

She sighed as she considered what was happening. So soon after the bloodiest war in the history of Soul Society and they were right back on the brink of a civil war. She hated all of this, the planning, the scheming, the knives hidden behind every corner, she was thankful that the Central 46 and the Gotei Thirteen largely put this in the past, but they were still there. Adversary houses waiting to strike at the slightest misstep. 

Why was the only way to ensure peace to point a knife at every throat?

Chapter Text

All she could feel were the weights on her ankles and wrists, the bite of the concrete floor, and the pain of hunger ripping through her. 

Papa hadn’t come down to feed her since he left to speak with the group he always spoke to her about. 

Had he forgotten about her? No! He would never!

Then why hadn’t he come down?

The myriad of reasons why cycled through her head one after another as panic started to set in. 

She had no idea how long Papa had been gone for. He had kept her down here for her own safety. He chained her to the wall so she wouldn’t wander into the dangerous world outside. He had to come back, he always did!

Her mouth was painfully dry, and she could hardly get the energy to move. 

Was she going to die here?

No, it hadn’t been that long! He’d come back, he always did!

Suddenly, the girl could see the door before her open, and the light blinded her.

Aura woke up suddenly, she immediately appraised her surroundings. 

It was all a dream. 

A dream, no, a nightmare of the time before Tokinada found her. 

Her father was a demented individual who saw her more as a thing than a daughter, and put her in a situation where she was entirely reliant on him. 

A decision that almost killed her after his death. 

Tokkinada saved her that day. She had eaten all things in reach, and she had run out of water. 

To be left in such squalor due to obsession.

Once she was freed, and she finally ate in what felt like days, she remembered everything being… bland.

It was as if existence had lost all of its color. Food had no flavor, no texture, no art could bring out feeling, nothing gave her joy or dispair. 

She simply… existed . 

She went on like that for a while. Doing well in school, slowly building up her own success, but it all felt empty and meaningless.

She floated aimlessly in a world that had no meaning, and worst of all she was fine with it. She was alive after all. 

Then she met Tokinada again, and he gave her a purpose. He had a plan, but he needed her to do it. 

Due to her trauma, she was never able to attach herself to anyone or anything. She had no focus, no special ability granted to her through a connection to an object. Instead, the world itself moved as though it was listening to her. As she got out of bed the blinds opened with a thought alone, allowing her to see that it was morning. 

As she moved to the closet, the door opened without her so much as touching it, and the clothing she decided to wear flew to her as requested. 

Soon she was fully dressed and ready to go about her day, one she hoped would not end with her having to take action to mitigate Ichigo Kurosaki’s threat to the plan. 

Ichigo was walking to the secret meeting hall where they will be discussing “The future of humanity” as Tokinada so eloquently put it. 

Ichigo’s mind was in turmoil, not even a day after having Karin’s well-being threatened he had to make a critical decision as a noble for the first time. No doubt the uncertainty he felt was all part of Tokkinada’s plan. Tokkinada needed to be stopped, but if Ichigo moved against him, his family would be hurt. 

Ichigo wanted to punch a hole in something, preferably Tokkinada. Ichigo was thrown into a bind masterfully. His ethics demanded he do everything to stop Tokkinada, but the threat to his family loomed over him like a roiling storm cloud. 

Combine that with how quickly this all came up on him, he had no time to sort himself out, even after the talk with Kukaku yesterday. 

As he was walking he heard the sound of another come alongside. 

“So you are representing the Shiba today,” The voice of Byakuya Kuchiki. One he wished he could talk with in a much better mood. 

“Tokkinada specifically asked for me to represent the Shiba,” Ichigo’s response elicited a sigh from Byakuya. 

“He believes you are easier to sway,” Byakuya was correct. His grandfather had warned him about the shrewd man that was now the head of the Tsunayashiro. The clan never acted without contingencies or leverage. If Tokinada requested Ichigo over Kukaku, then it was because he believed he had leverage. 

“Figured, any news from your family’s elders?” Ichigo really didn’t want to dwell on the subject any longer. The thought of what might happen to his sisters was disquieting. 

“No, they are still deliberating, it is likely they are looking for any possible reason to deny you,” Byakuya still had his misgivings about Ichigo, but they were all cultural and had nothing to do with his opinions on his trustworthiness or honor. Ichigo was the best of them, even if he was unconventional even by Shiba standards. 

“Figures,” Ichigo sighed as they walked along the white causeways of the Seireitei. “I’m honestly surprised they didn’t approve it then and there if they want to be rid of her that bad.”

“It isn’t just that they want her gone, they want something out of it as well,” That was always the catch with the elders. She is a tarnished bartering chip in their eyes, the very thing they hate about her making her valuable to their own machinations. It revolted him. 

“And they won’t care what she has to say about it,” Ichigo really didn’t look forward to looking through the offers for his cousins and potentially even his sisters. The thought of using family as political capital like this was disgusting to him. No one should have that kind of power over someone, especially family. 

The walk quickly went to silence as neither of them had anything more to say. 

Soon they were at the meeting hall. The secure and largely secretive location where the heads of the five great houses met was on the same campus as the Central 46 and its various support structures, though it was clear this building was much much older. 

Byakuya looked to the guards and soon the door was open and they were both ushered in. 

“I thought the guards would be more chatty…” Ichigo spoke quietly as the door closed behind them. 

“The guards could potentially overhear sensitive information, and so they are sworn to silence,” Byakuya spoke calmly. The guards who protected the grounds of the meeting hall were a group steeped in tradition and joining their ranks was seen as a great honor. The vow of silence was enforced by a kido spell, taking away their voice without otherwise harming them. A measure his grandfather proposed over the previous method. 

“Sounds a little excessive if you ask me,” Ichigo rubbed the back of his head as he looked at the guards lining the hallway, each 

unflinching in their vigil. 

“They all volunteered knowing they would give up their voice,” And any titles they would have had otherwise. The guards needed to be impartial, and so all political ties were cut. Ichigo and Byakuya could both individually overpower them, but guarding against the actions of the other great houses wasn’t their only purpose. 

When all five house heads were present it posed an opportunity to attack them all at once. So they were primarily meant to protect them from such attacks. 

It wasn’t long before they were at the door of the central meeting chamber and without either Ichigo or Byakuya motioning for it the guards by the door opened it and ushered them inside. 

the first thing Ichigo noticed about the meeting hall was the oppressive atmosphere and how it made it deeply uncomfortable to be in. It almost reminded him of…

“Is this?”

“Seki-seki? Why indeed it is,” The saccharine tone of Tokinada pierced through the air and brought focus to the Tsunayashiro head. “Our ancestors had this place built after a bloody civil war in order to speak upon matters that concerned the Great Houses and to potentially de-escalate conflicts before they became lethal. Hence making this place so that it would disperse the power of any who walked in. I doubt even Lady Shihoin herself could use her power to its fullest here.”

Tokinada was standing at the table in the middle of the room, and behind him was the green banner of the Tsunayashiro, the crest emblazoned on it boldly. That was when Ichigo noticed the other banners as well. The orange of the Shihoin, the white of the Kuchiki, the lavender of the Yayahara, and the burnt red of the Shiba. 

“I’m right here,” Ichigo’s attention was then drawn to Yoruichi, who was sitting cross-legged in the seat reserved for her family, one elbow resting on the table as she impatiently tapped it with the fingers of her other hand. It was clear she didn’t want to be here. 

“Unfortunately,” Tokkinada’s venomous reply juxtaposed his previously playful tone. It was clear they had history and one neither liked. “Now that we are all here, why don’t we take our seats and begin proceedings.”

“I have a question,” Ichigo spoke up

“Hm?” Tokinada looked over at Ichigo.

“Where is the Yayahara representative?”

“Ah, yes, about that,” Tokinada leaned forward in his seat, resting his chin on his steepled hands. “See, since we are the only ones that know the truth about the Soul King’s status after the war, I was forced to exclude them from the proceedings, unfortunate really.”

“You could have easily asked the Royal Guard for permission to inform the head of the Yayahara clan about that,” Yoruichi knew why he didn’t do that. Whatever the hell he was planning would have them on his ass in no time. No, he wanted this to be a backroom deal cut without Squad Zero’s knowledge. 

“It would have taken too much time, and they are too fond of the status quo. One that has so clearly failed time and time again, both for us, and the living world,” Yoruichi grit her teeth at Tokinada’s response. He was right and she hated it. Tokinada’s plan was inevitably going to be the exact opposite of what he was implying. 

“How exactly has it failed?” Byakuya spoke next, one cannot upset the status quo lightly, as there could be unforeseen and potentially harmful consequences, and not just for the nobility.

“Humanity has proven itself to be unable to decide its own future. I could regale you with tale after tale of the mortals prioritizing their own short-term gains, blind to the consequences at best and recklessly ambivalent to them at worst,” Tokinada spoke with authority. He had seen their decision-making process up close. “The peons are all fools.”

“I doubt they are all so foolish,” Byakuya spoke up. He was suspicious of Tokinada’s statement. Even if he is right, there’s an angle to this he must be hiding. 

“Are you so sure? After all, your late wife was surely foolish to trust you with her sister’s well-being,” Tokinada grinned. He loved to pick at the scabs of those around him, and he already wrote off a civil war as an inevitability. Might as well have some fun about it.

“Damnit! Tokinada you-” Yoruichi stood up out of her chair just about ready to punch him out, consequences be damned, until Byakuya held his hand up to stop her.

“Yes, it is true that I mistakenly supported Rukia’s execution, and I do not mind being held to account over that,” Byakuya then raised his eyes up to give Tokinada a piercing glare, “But that was my mistake alone, not Hisana’s.”

“Oh please, don’t look at me like that, it’s not like I came here to pick a fight,” Tokinada kept up his infuriatingly jovial demeanor. 

“So if you think we can’t be trusted to lead ourselves then what’s your plan?” Ichigo spoke up. He wanted to get this over with. 

“Ah Ichigo. You still mistakenly see yourself as one of them. Your unconventional ancestry aside, you are one of us, a higher order of being.” Tokinada gazed at Ichigo in an attempt to make him uncomfortable. While he gained nothing from revealing his quincy heritage, as Byakuya was the only one who was likely to be unaware, the prod itself was entertaining, “As for my plan, we all know the Soul King is otherwise… unable to directly lead, and as such, I hoped to provide a… useful mouthpiece to a new order, one that will openly rule all worlds.”

With that Tokinada motioned for someone to come out of the shadows, and Ichigo immediately recognized the androgynous form of Tokinada’s retainer, Hikone Ubuginu. 

“So you want to crown a new ‘Soul King’ and rule the living world that way? Do you honestly think they’ll just lay down and take it?” The living world had no active monarchs with any real power left, Bhutan notwithstanding. The idea that they would just submit to a new one? Especially as the world’s leading superpower literally fought a war to free themselves of one at their inception?

“I have many contacts who would stand to gain from this new order. After all, the quincy question has yet to be resolved by Central 46, and our firm but just guidance would be certain to keep the rest of the rabble from ruining things for themselves in the long term,” Tokinada grinned again. He knew Yoruichi and Ichigo both had an interest in not continuing the genocide of the quincy. Especially since Ichigo himself was one. Byakuya was neutral on the subject but was not one for needless cruelty. 

“So that’s what this vote is about, taking over the living world?” Ichigo spoke up again, this time his voice was heavier, as though something was weighing him down. 

“No, it's about no longer pretending that we aren’t the ones in control of it,” Tokinada this time was not as tolerant of Ichigo’s ignorance on the matter. “Immediately after the war, a decision was made in this chamber to authorize the Visuals Department to do something it hadn’t done since the advent of modern warfare in the living world, orchestrate a conflict to balance the souls between the three worlds. My daughter, who I am very proud of for this, chose to direct the world’s preeminent superpower to a Middle Eastern country called Iraq. I believe you are familiar with this Ichigo.”

Ichigo was stunned. Was this how much power Soul Society already had over humanity? That he had over humanity?

“That decision was made in extenuating circumstances,” Byakuya spoke up. 

“And? We are still the ones who decide the fate of humanity! Not some self-important plebeians who we let play pretend!” Tokinada was now clearly furious. His anger at his contemporaries's refusal to take responsibility for the power they held, to guide the weak and unfit to the future, was palpable. 

“And what makes you think we have the right to do that!” Yoruichi stood up as she yelled. Her one hundred years in the living world had given her perspective on the matter, and how there were many in the living world that valued their ability to determine their own fates. 

“Because it is our divine responsibility to do so!” Tokinada all but shouted at Yoruichi. They were all raised to be leaders, to guide the masses to the future. That was the responsibility that came with their privilege. 

Silence followed as tension filled the air. 

Soon, after a few moments, Yoruichi spoke again. 

“The Shohoin refuse to support this resolution,” With that Yoruichi got up and left. 

“As do the Kuchiki,” Byakuya followed shortly. 

This left Ichigo alone with Tokinada. 

Ichigo stared at Tokinada before he spoke. 

“Like hell I’ll let this happen,” Ichigo then left, hoping Tokinada would realize the futility of his plan and give up. 

“Cowards, the lot of you.”

Karin was enjoying an off day from patrols. Her father had opted to take up the night patrol so she could get some rest and not go to soccer practice tired in the morning. Shino also benefited as since a captain was doing the patrol she didn’t need to be present. 

In the free time she had Karin was reading one of her manga that she personally enjoyed on her bed. She had hardly changed the room any since Ichigo left, the bed was still next to the window largely for convenience, and hell, she swore she could still feel some trace amounts of Rukia’s spiritual energy in the closet, but it was her room now, especially as many of the things that were Ichigo’s were now in his room in Soul Society. 

Karin had a gut feeling that he wasn’t going to be coming back for much more than visits. The way he looked at Rukia, the way he ran into certain death to save her, there really isn’t much reason for him to not stay there. She didn’t blame him. 

Karin had finished the volume she was reading and put it down before getting up. she was in her pajamas and had done most of the prep work to go to bed, but she fancied herself a snack first, so she left the room and began to go downstairs. 

What was waiting for her as she opened the door to the common area, however, was not a welcome sight.

“Glad to see you’re still awake Karin,” The cold monotone startled her. Karin hadn’t sensed the intruder nor did she hear anything that would have indicated her entry. 

Karin was frozen as though she was standing before a predator, every instinct in her body telling her this woman in front of her was very dangerous. 

“What the hell is going on here?” Karin could barely get the words out. It was like the air was thicker somehow, and she knew it was coming from this woman.

“Introductions first. I am Aura Michibane, your brother has become a problem for a colleague of mine and we seek… insurance that he will not cause… further complications ,” Aura twirled a letter opener between her fingers as she flatly waited for Karin to respond. 

“Like hell you are,” Karin’s voice was shaky, her fists balled, but she could feel it in her bones, she stood no chance. No, she needed to get to her badge in her room. The moment her body even flinched in the direction of her room the pressure increased. Karin quickly faltered, dropping to a knee for a moment as she braced herself against the doorsill. 

“I would rather not have to force you to comply before I even get to explain things,” Karin was as stubborn as her intelligence seemed to indicate. If she was already this uncooperative this may get complicated.

“There’s not much to explain, you’re kidnapping me as a hostage,” Karin grit her teeth as she fought against the pressure bearing down on her.

“That would be correct. Though I have no intention of harming you,” Aura looked coldly at the girl before her.

That’s when Karin could hear coughing from upstairs.

“Karin, what’s happening-” Karin flew into a panic

“Yuzu don’t come down!” She all but screamed up the stairs, they were both in danger.

“What?” Yuzu was confused, she was almost on the verge of falling asleep when she could hear the commotion from downstairs. Now the air was almost unbreathable to her and she could barely stand up, bracing herself against the far wall. 

“Stay there!”

She could see Yuzu’s startled realization at what was happening once she heard 

“I have no intention of repeating myself. You have no choice, it would be best if you complied,” Aura spoke more sternly this time. her eyes somehow even colder than before. 

“There’s no way in-” Karin felt the pressure rise, and not suddenly saw herself being attacked in multiple different ways simultaneously, each one subduing her almost instantly, using the very home she grew up in as a weapon against her. Right as she came out of it she then heard a loud thud at the top of the staircase. 

“Yuzu!” It was at that moment as she moved to assess her unconscious sister that Aura struck, throwing the letter opener with perfect accuracy and with enough force that the hit with the handle knocked her out. 

Chapter Text

Uryu Ishida was in a bind. Aura Michibane had 'incentivized' him to stay neutral with a promise of their survival in whatever vague new order she had planned.

The threat was unsaid but obvious. Should he get involved with assisting Soul Society against them, the quincy would be enemies of this new order, and their subsequent eradication was all but guaranteed.

However, the status quo wasn't much better. Kyoraku, while a man of good intentions, was himself almost as much of a monster as his mentor. There was no doubt in Uryu's mind that he would slaughter the quincy to the last if that was what was needed to protected the balance. Staying on the sidelines would thus undermine his goal of eventual peaceful coexistence with the shinigami. Something that was his entire reason for initially helping them against her in the first place.

The sharp ringing of Uryu's phone snapped him out of his thoughts. He checked the number after fishing it out of his pocket.

"Isshin?" Ichigo's father was not someone he would have expected to be called by, especially since the end of the war. He flipped the phone open and answered. "Hello?"

"Ah, great, the number Urahara gave me is still good," Uryu sighed, he simply wanted to get this over with.

"What do you want?" Uryu was not in the mood to entertain the antics of the utter buffoon that was Isshin, even if he and his father were surprisingly close colleagues.

"Oh, yeah, so the hollow situation I was responding to is taking a lot longer to resolve than I was expecting. Could you drop by the clinic and make sure the girls are okay? I could swear I felt something coming from there," Uryu was surprised. He thought that the flare in reiatsu was Isshin. The clinic was too far away for him to identify one flare from another, only its general location, but the fact it wasn't him was alarming.

"I felt it too, I would check it out but I don't have a way in," This could be troublesome. Sure, Karin was capable of defending herself and Yuzu from most threats, but she still was nowhere near as strong as Ichigo was when they stormed Soul Society. There was still a lot that could get the better of her.

"Your father should have a spare Masaki gave him after we built the clinic. Should still work for the house," Uryu almost facepalmed. Of course his father would have a spare.

"Alright, I'll check it out and call you when I get there," Uryu flipped the phone shut and prepared to leave.

"So Isshin asked you to do a wellness check on Karin and Yuzu?" Ryuken had heard his son's side of the conversation and deduced what was going on.

"Yes, he said you have a spare key?"

"Yes, Masaki had given it to me should I ever need to help them for whatever reason," Ryuken had tried to maintain a close friendship with her, as she was family, but his own work combined with having to raise Uryu complicated that. "here," Ryuken then pulled out a lone key.

Uryu took the key before turning to leave.

The walk to the clinic was largely quiet. While Tokyo rivaled New York for collective insomnia, Karakura was on the very outskirts of the prefecture and was relatively sleepy compared to the other towns within the city. Thus Uryu only had his own thoughts and the streetlights to accompany him.

The past year had been a lot for him. He made a mistake, and that mistake has had lasting repercussions. He was largely no longer welcome in Soul Society even though he ultimately was instrumental in stopping Yhwach.

He had gained the trust of many in the Gotei over his time assisting Ichigo, and Rukia had come to call him a friend even.

His choice to join the Wandenreich burned all of that away. He had killed many shinigami in the war as a member of Yhwach's own bodyguard.