-]|[-

As the Garganta slammed shut, it was like a tension in the air had vanished. Beside him, Rangiku slumped. “Ran-chan?” Ichigo asked her.

“Mhmmm, I’m tired.” Rangiku moaned, “Urahara’s little trick worked to give me… what did he call it…? A jump start?”

Ichigo snorted, “Yeah, that sounds about right.” He muttered to her.

“Yeah, but now it’s draining away and I’ll need to recover normally. Too much time in that stupid tower.” She grumbled.

He rolled his eyes, “At least you don’t have to wait weeks like you would have without-”

“Kurosaki Ichigo.” A wizened voice called out, forcing both Ichigo and Rangiku to stiffen.

Ichigo turned wary eyes to the Sōtaichō. “Yama-ji.” He greeted the man.

Inwardly, Yamamoto felt his eyebrow start to want to twitch. ‘Another disrespectful brat.’ He lamented mentally.

“Ichi!” Rangiku elbowed him harshly.

Ichigo ignored her, barring a wince from the hit. “…We cool? For now at least?”

“That depends on how your fight with Chōjirō went.” The old man replied, gazing at him sternly.

“Oh! Chōjirō’s a real badass! Can’t believe he’s not a Captain!” Ichigo started to snicker, “He would run circles around most of the others.” Despite himself, Yamamoto allowed the tiniest smile to cross his face. His Lieutenant truly did not get the recognition he deserved. “He should be fine. Our fight kinda ended with him getting flung off the mountain.” Ichigo said, before his eyes went black and golden. Yamamoto’s grip on his cane tightened just a little at the small amount of Hollow Reiatsu he felt. “Yeah, he’s fine. Looks like he’s…” He tilted his head in confusion. “Flying on something? With someone else.”

“That would be Unohana-Taichō.” Rangiku murmured.

“Good.” Yamamoto spoke. “In which case,” He inclined his head towards the young man, “I hereby thank you for your service to the Seireitei.”

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. “He hurt a lot of people I care about. I wasn’t about to let it keep happening.”

“And how is Shiba-Taichō?” Yamamoto asked archly, “I don’t recall approving his twenty-year vacation.”

Ichigo winced, “Recovering his powers.” He said, “Lost them until earlier this year. Long story.”

Yamamoto was slightly mollified by the explanation. “Very well. Do you require healing?”

“Nah, I’m good, thanks.” Ichigo bowed his head to the man respectfully. “I… have somewhere to be…”

“Yes, I suppose you do.” Yamamoto said before turning. “We will be having a meeting before you leave, Kurosaki. I will inform Shihōin Yoruichi of the details. Make sure you and your friends are there. For the moment, you are guests of the Seireitei and will be treated as such.” He told Ichigo before walking away to check on the rest of his men and women.

Ichigo blinked and shared a look with Rangiku. “Why does he want me in the meeting?”

Rangiku twitched as she had a sudden thought. “No clue.” She said, looking away.

He deadpanned at her. “Sus. Fess up!” He poked her in the side, and she responded with a kiss. “Even more sus.” He snorted when she pulled away. “Fine then, keep your secrets.” Ichigo rolled his eyes. “I suppose I’ll just have to wait and find out.”

“Ichigo-sama.” They turned when Nemu walked up. She bowed, “Forgive me, Ichigo-sama! You entrusted Rangiku to me and-”

Ichigo wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in for a hug. “I told you not to call me -sama, Nemu.” He smirked as she fidgeted in his arms. “And that cunt took a whole hit from me when I was trying to take Aizen’s head off. He was tougher than Komamura for sure. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“She took a heavy hit.” Rangiku said, “I thought she was dead for a moment!” She hugged Nemu too, “I’m glad you’re okay, Nemu-chan.”

Ichigo’s eyes narrowed, “Looks like I owe that asswipe a lightning enema.” He said darkly.

Nemu felt unusually emotional and squeezed the two tight with hugs of her own. When they pulled away, she looked up at them. “I took the liberty of contacting my division.” She said quietly. “Last they knew, your mom was safe-” Ichigo let out a shuddering breath. “-following some healing from Orihime-san. They left the division.”

“Go, Ichi.” Rangiku said, pecking him on the underside of his chin. “We’ll be fine here.”

“You sure?” Ichigo asked her gently. She nodded firmly. “Love you.” He said before kissing her. The two made out for a moment as Nemu blushed and continued to stare. He then turned to Nemu and surprised her with a kiss of her own. Rangiku grinned, eager for when they could get the party started.

“I-Ichigo-sama.” Nemu mumbled when he pulled away, blushing rosily.

“Take care of Ran-chan for me, will you Nemu?” He asked, before vanishing in a burst of speed.

“Well, he seems to be in a hurry.” Lisa grumbled as she walked over with Yoruichi.

“Oh!” Rangiku looked at her in surprise. “I think I recognize you! You’re Yadōmaru-senpai, aren’t you?”

Lisa still looked stoic, “So, you do remember me. I wasn’t sure.”

Rangiku chuckled, “Well, you were a Lieutenant when I entered the academy. You were a guest speaker in some of my classes. I’m glad you made it out of that nonsense alright.” She tilted her head as Lisa finally gave her a weak smile, “Also, we won. What’s got you in such a bad mood?”

“Oh, she’s just pissed that she decided to be a fucking idiot.” Yoruichi teased the other woman. Lisa flushed and looked away.

“What happened?” Nemu asked curiously.

Lisa grumbled under her breath. “When the Tenteikūra came on, I paused my fight with Ichimaru just to let Kotetsu-san’s words do my gloating for me. And that gave that fucking Arrancar the chance to save him before I could end the fight.”

Rangiku let out a breath through her nose. “Gin was once my friend… My oldest friend.” Lisa narrowed her eyes in Rangiku’s direction, “Part of me is glad he’s still alive, if only so I can confront him myself.” She looked away, “He came to see me before the execution. I’m… not… a hundred percent certain he’s following Aizen because he wants to.” She shook her head, “But even if that’s true, he’s still a fucking moron and a traitor besides. I would have been sad to attend his funeral, but I wouldn’t exactly have blamed you for it either.”

“I suppose that’ll have to do.” Lisa sighed. “Just really pissed I blew so many of my Zanpakutō’s secrets without even getting the perfect ending because of that pale jackass.”

“How did he get the drop on you anyway?” Yoruichi asked her.

“He had one of the Reiatsu cloaks.” Lisa replied, “The same one that I was wearing. And he was fast. Maybe even faster than you, Yoru.”

Yoruichi’s golden eyes narrowed.

“Let’s not worry about that now.” Rangiku grinned as she threw an arm around the shorter woman’s shoulders. “We’ve got a celebration to worry about!” And that just put a feral smirk on Lisa and Yoruichi’s faces.

-]|[-

The sound barrier was just a suggestion for Kurosaki Ichigo, and one he was gleefully ignoring as he made his way to Kūkaku’s home. He could feel Kenpachi’s monstrous Reiatsu dwarfing everyone else’s but it was, at least, calm. For now.

He landed in the yard and locked eyes with the man. “Kenpachi.”

“Ichigo.” Zaraki stood and walked over.

“I owe you one.” Ichigo said as the two clasped forearms. Just that unleashed a small shockwave. “Thanks.”

“Heh, I’ll be collecting on that next fight real soon.” Zaraki chuckled as they let go and he jerked his head to the doorway.

“Me first!” Ikkaku yelled, “I haven’t even fought him yet!” Ichigo snorted as Kenpachi vanished in a burst of Shunpo with a waving Yachiru over his shoulder. “Also, Kurosaki, I don’t know what the hell you did with the Captain, but I’ve never been so excited.” Ikkaku said, “I look forward to seeing you over at the Eleventh.” He and Yumichika vanished too.

Ichigo entered the Shiba household and made his way down the stairs. As he came to the sliding door, he raised his hand to open it. He froze up. Now that it was actually happening… he felt completely frozen. Like a coward. He could hear laughter inside the room and a hauntingly familiar one too. His hand trembled for a moment.

He felt Thor’s hand on his shoulder. ‘Go on, brat.’ Thor said gently, ‘You know she loves you. Get in there.’

Ichigo’s hand stopped trembling, and he made a fist, before relaxing and opening the door. He locked eyes with her in an instant as the noise in the room stopped. There she was… just like he remembered her. She didn’t look like she had aged a day. When she saw him, a warm, teary smile crossed her face. “Ichigo.” She said softly.

Ichigo drew a shuddering breath. There was something in his throat. He didn’t really remember taking a step into the room, but he must have. He was vaguely aware of Kūkaku gently ushering the rest of the room out. Of Chad and Tatsuki and Orihime patting him on the shoulder as they passed. It was only when the door slid shut behind him and his mom got to her feet that he finally managed to croak, “Mom…” He crossed the distance in an instant and embraced her, burying his face in her chest the way he had years and years ago. She was tearing up as well as she hugged him. “I’m sorry!” He choked out. “I’m so sorry!”

“Oh, you silly boy.” Masaki wiped a tear away from her right eye. She placed her palms on his cheeks and raised his head to face her. “It wasn’t your fault, Ichigo. It never was.”

“But I-” Ichigo choked out as her face started to swim in his vision from all the tears collecting in his eyes.

“It was our fault, baby.” Masaki said gently. “We knew your powers were strong. Stronger than they should have been. We should have taught you from the very moment you could understand what you were seeing.” She hugged him again. “I never blamed you, little love. You were just being a heroic little boy, and a heartless creature took advantage of you.”

Ichigo started to sob as he clutched onto her, “Mom!” He wept in complete and utter catharsis, which just set her off too. Mother and child held each other as they cried their hearts out.

-]|[-

Night had fallen over the Seireitei, and Isane was not sleeping well. “F-FISH SAUSAGE!” She yelped as she almost leapt out of bed. “E-Eh?” She looked around, “Oh… just a dream.” She sighed and got out of bed, walking around the room in a circle. ‘I…I don’t feel like going back to sleep. M-Maybe I should go over to Kiyone’s place? …No, she’ll tell me to buzz off…’ She slumped, “Guess I’ll just go cool off outside.” She said as she left her room and went for a walk.

She froze when she saw her Captain watching the moon in seiza, enjoying a cup of tea. She looked just like the Captain Isane knew and loved. Nothing like that… that… which had seemingly taken her over. “Another bad dream, Isane?” Unohana’s gentle voice rang through the air.

“I…uhm…” Isane stammered for a moment, “W-Welcome back, Captain.”

Unohana smiled gently at her. It was… mystifying. “Come. Relax a bit. We all had quite the day.” Isane flinched and fidgeted for a moment, before going over and sitting next to her Captain. The silence, which was normally so calming, felt… awkward. Unohana eventually sighed, “You have questions.”

“No, I…” Isane fidgeted some more, “I… yes, Taichō.”

Unohana let out a forlorn sigh, “I wasn’t always the healer you’ve known, Isane.” She looked down at her teacup, “Nor was my name Unohana Retsu.”

“I… I don’t understand.” Isane said quietly. “How- How can that be?”

“The early days of the Thirteen Court Guards were not pleasant ones. Hollows invaded the human world and Soul Society alike in numbers that would boggle your minds. We were at war, not only with our natural enemies, but with the Quincy Empire as well.”

“Quincy?” Isane had not been around for either conflict.

“Humans with the ability to fight Hollows.” Retsu replied, “Had things been right and just, they would have been valued allies. Unfortunately, their powers did not purify Hollows. They destroyed them utterly, including all the souls that the Hollow had ever consumed.”

Isane flinched in horror, “That’s-”

“Irresponsible and stupid.” Retsu chuckled humorlessly, “And not all that relevant to my story. But it gives you context for what things were like in the early days.” She said gently, looking up at the moon. “Today, being a Captain is one of the highest honors we possess. A civilized position for a society that hasn’t seen war in centuries. Those like Kenpachi and Kurotsuchi give us a bad name.” She sighed in melancholy, “But a thousand years ago, they would have fit right in with the band of savage killers that made up the Gotei 13. And the most savage and bloodthirsty of them all was Yachiru. The first Kenpachi.” She turned a sad gaze to her subordinate. “Me.”

Isane goggled at her Captain. “K-Kenpachi?!”

“Yes.” Retsu sipped at her tea, which didn’t taste so good anymore. “I first learned to heal only to prolong my fights. It was all I cared about.”

Isane was horrified and sat there dumbly. The silence this time wasn’t just awkward. It was oppressive. In both directions, for different reasons. “W-what changed?” She croaked out.

“The Soul Society did.” Retsu replied evenly. “Crime decreased sharply. Hollows invaded less and less. We truly became defenders of the afterlife and not just a band of criminals who worked together to end the threats we faced. We started finding things we actually wanted to protect and not just enemies we wanted to end. Time passed and the fights which had once so defined me lost their appeal.” She sighed, “I eventually gave up my title as Captain of the Eleventh Division and became the Captain of the Fourth instead, where I dedicated myself to saving lives rather than ending them. It’s been almost a thousand years since then.”

Isane sat there as she digested what she had just learned about the woman she had admired the most in the entire world. And she just didn’t know what to feel. Finally, she just blurted the first thing that came to her mind. “That’s why Zaraki-Taichō never argues with you when he needs healing!”

Retsu started to giggle. ‘Oh, if only you knew, Isane.’ She shook her head fondly. “We were… acquainted before he took his position, yes. Though after I gave up my title, he was the only one ever worthy of wearing it.”

“I see.” Isane said softly. ‘Is… is it really enough to change my opinion of her?’ She thought to herself, ‘She’s… she’s still the same Unohana-Taichō, right? Just… more? A super scary more but…’

Retsu stood, “I’m sorry if learning about the real me has scared you, Isane.”

“Real you?” Isane twitched at the thought and hurried to her feet as well. “N-No!” She came to a decision, “The real you is the one I’ve always known!” She said, “Unohana Retsu has existed for centuries longer than the Shodai Kenpachi.” She fidgeted, “A-And even if Yachiru has to come out occasionally, you’ll always still be Unohana-Taichō!”

Unohana stared at her in surprise for a moment, before smiling. “Thank you, Isane-chan.” She said evenly. ‘I wish that were true but thank you for saying it.’ She patted her subordinate on the shoulder. “Let’s get some rest, shall we?”

“Y-Yes!” Isane agreed, following her Captain to her bedroom.

-]|[-

“How bad was she?” Ichigo asked once he had found a moment alone with Orihime and his other two friends. The two had just been so emotionally exhausted (and Ichigo physically so from all the fighting) that they hadn’t lasted too much longer the previous day. His mom was happily chatting with Kūkaku, Kaien, and Rukia at the moment, so he had slipped away.

Orihime winced, “Kurosaki-kun…”

Tatsuki also looked a little wary, “Maybe you should just let that one lie, Ichigo.”

He shook his head, “I… I know it wasn’t my fault. I understand it wasn’t. I still want to know.”

“He’s already dead, Ichigo.” Sado rumbled, “Don’t sit here wondering if you tormented him enough before doing it.”

Ichigo was silent for a moment. “Now I’m just imagining the worst.”

Orihime sighed, “I had quite a bit to heal.” She said, “Don’t ask me for details, Kurosaki-kun. Please just don’t. Be glad she was strong enough to last a few weeks with just Blut Vene. Kurotsuchi hadn’t gotten much done.”

There was no way Orihime was going to tell him that they had found the woman jumping at shadows and twitching every so often. She had healed the physical damage as best she could. Mental was something only they could work on.

Ichigo stared at her for a moment, before sighing. “Alright.” He closed his eyes.

“So, what happens now?” Sado asked.

“Huh?” Orihime asked, “We bring her home! Easy!”

“It’s not that simple, Hime-chan.” Yoruichi said as she, Nemu, Rangiku, and Lisa arrived. She patted the orange-haired girl on the head. “Masaki-san is known to be dead. We can’t exactly ‘bring her back to life.’”

Ichigo’s fists clenched slightly. He relaxed when Rangiku hugged him, throwing an arm around his shoulder. A bashful Nemu stood there as well, causing him to roll his eyes fondly and draw her in too. She smiled happily.

“Not to mention that she’s a soul.” Lisa chimed in, looking at Ichigo apologetically. “She can’t exactly survive in the human world. She’ll turn into a Hollow almost instantly if she’s dragged out of the afterlife and into the real world.”

“And if she were to be a Shinigami?” Ichigo threw in. “We can grab her an Asauchi, can’t we?”

Yoruichi chuckled, “A Quincy turned into a hollow turned into a Shinigami. Now I’ve seen everything.”

“Making plans without me?” Masaki asked playfully as she strolled in. She flinched just slightly when she saw Nemu but tried to move past it. Ichigo did catch it though, as did the android in his arms. “Hello? When did my dear Ichigo turn into such a Casanova?”

‘I’m in danger.’ Ichigo couldn’t help but think.

“Some time in between punching out his first Hollow and invading the afterlife to save his dead samurai girlfriend.” Tatsuki threw gasoline on the fire with a smirk.

“Oh, is that so?” Masaki leered at her boy with her hands on her hips.

“We are definitely not samurai.” Yoruichi snarked, “Though I suppose you could call me a ninja.”

Ichigo coughed, his cheeks red. “Anyway, think you can get mom an Asauchi, Yoru?” His mom’s face screamed, ‘This isn’t over.’

“Sure.” She shrugged, “I’m pretty sure Yamamoto-Sōtaichō wouldn’t even feel it was worth arguing over.”

“Though that still leaves the problem of a dead woman coming back to life.” Tatsuki deadpanned, “Seriously, half the neighborhood knew Masaki-san. And your stupid dad still has that poster of her.”

Masaki let out a groan, “He does not.” She said, looking at Ichigo pleadingly. Ichigo wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Damn it, Isshin.” She moaned as she facepalmed and shook her head.

Lisa shrugged, “Just have Urahara make some edits to her Gigai. Give her black hair, red eyes, some slight differences in facial features… Not that hard.”

“Would that work?” Ichigo asked hopefully.

“Yeah, probably.” Yoruichi said with a catlike smirk.

Masaki sighed, “Well if you’re going to twist my arm…” She said teasingly and locked eyes with Ichigo. “That does mean I get to show your girlfriends your baby pictures.”

Rangiku, Yoruichi, Nemu, and Lisa’s eyes lit up, and evil smirks crossed Rangiku, Yoruichi, and Lisa’s faces. “I think I’m going to go fight Kenpachi to the death again!” Ichigo yelped and tried to buzz away.

“Oh no you don’t!” Rangiku and Yoruichi yelled gleefully as they snagged his arms. The rest of them erupted into laughter as Ichigo gave them the most betrayed look ever seen.

-]|[-

Everyone had woken up bright and early that day for one reason only: …a boring old meeting with the heads of the Seireitei. Ichigo, his mom, and his friends were now at the Division One headquarters playing meet and greet with the other Captains. Properly, this time.

Komamura stomped up to Ichigo the moment he saw him. “Was it really true?” The wolfman growled out.

Ichigo sighed, “Yeah, it was.” He turned to Lisa.

She rolled her eyes, “He was Kensei’s Fifth Seat a hundred years ago, big guy. When everything went down, he used his Bankai to cut down several of my friends so that their little Hollowfication experiment could get underway with stronger test subjects.” She said bluntly.

Komamura’s knuckles audibly popped as Hisagi walked up to them as well. “I just don’t get it. He was one of the most gentle men in the Seireitei! His personal philosophy was that ‘He who fears not the blade he wields has no right to wield that blade.’ He always proclaimed that he walked the past of least bloodshed! Of Justice! How could he have-”

“I told you before, Hisagi.” Ichigo said bluntly, “His Bankai was a zone in which an enemy’s sight, smell, hearing, and ability to sense Reiatsu was completely sealed away. In other words, a world of his own making in which his enemies would be completely incapable of relying on their senses and he could decapitate them in an instant.” He stared the man down, “So ask yourself this: How did that fight take several minutes? How was I able to not only survive for that long but turn the tables on him?”

“Your regeneration.” Komamura said immediately.

Ichigo snorted, “Maybe I could regenerate from being decapitated, but it’s definitely not something I would ever willingly put to the test.” He said bluntly. Behind him, Masaki blinked and turned a confused gaze to Rangiku as she mouthed the word. “And even if I could, all he would have had to do was destroy my head. So again… how did that fight last several minutes?” Hisagi’s fists clenched, “I’ll tell you exactly what I implied when we fought for the second time, Hisagi. I survived in there because he wasn’t going for my head. The one sense his Bankai didn’t turn off was touch, and he was having an absolute ball carving me up. A Bankai represents who you are at your core, and at the end of the day, Tōsen didn’t want justice. He wanted revenge for whatever slight he experienced in the past. And he wanted it without witnesses or consequences. All he did was hide his true face from everyone around him.”

The sheer fury on Hisagi and Komamura’s faces made several of his friends wary. And then Shunsui came up and clapped a hand on Ichigo’s shoulder. “That’s quite the fun theory you have regarding Bankai, Kurosaki-san.”

Ichigo shrugged, “Seems obvious to me. Take Kurotsuchi Mayuri.” He said, catching almost everyone’s attention. “He was a scientist, for a given value of the word. His Shikai paralyzes a person while still letting their nerves fire. There are surgeries that require the patient to be cognizant and able to feel, so as to ensure everything heals properly. His Shikai therefore technically has some benign uses.” He snorted, “And then he uses Bankai and indiscriminately poisons everyone and everything around him, showing that he was a toxic fuck to everyone around him.”

Several people had to turn snorts into coughs. Even Komamura and Hisagi had to clench their jaws a little to avoid smiling. Kenpachi didn’t even try and started to cackle. And not even his mother had it in her to chide him for his language. Shunsui sweatdropped a little, “I would argue, but…”

Yamamoto fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. ‘A whelp two decades or less and he understands Zanpakutō better than some of my instructors. Perhaps this shakeup was exactly what the Seireitei needed. You must be howling with laughter right about now, Oetsu.’ He clacked his staff on the ground and drew everyone’s attention. “Enough. We will get the full story now. Line up.” The Captains immediately made their way to their positions and formed ranks around the room. Nemu went up and took her place in the twelfth spot, standing in for her deceased creator. Yoruichi led her compatriots to the center, exactly opposite Yamamoto. The old man’s eyebrow did not twitch, but it was a close thing. “Where is Lieutenant Hinamori?” He rumbled.

Tōshirō still looked vaguely injured but was on his feet and on the mend. He bit back a sigh, “Still recovering from Aizen’s betrayal.” He said.

“I was not aware she had been injured.” Soifon said a little snidely. Yoruichi bit back a sigh at how abrasive her Little Bee had become over the years.

“I said nothing about physical injury.” Tōshirō countered archly.

Yamamoto opened his eyes and stared Tōshirō down, “A soldier who cannot overcome such trials is one not meant to hold their rank. If she cannot even make it to a meeting meant to disseminate information to the rest of her Division, then she has no business being a Lieutenant.”

Tōshirō looked like he wanted to argue but decided it wasn’t worth fighting over. “Yes, Sōtaichō. If it is your wish, I will inform her of her demotion.” He said tonelessly. Off to the side, most of her friends winced in sympathy.

“Then let this meeting commence.” Yamamoto looked at Yoruichi and Lisa, “Step forward and tell us the truth of what happened one hundred years ago.”

Ichigo mentally let out a sigh. They were in for a long day.

…

It took over an hour for Yoruichi and Lisa to narrate the events that led up to their exiles. They went over everything. Shinji’s initial suspicions of Aizen and how those suspicions had led him to fall for exactly the trap he had been trying to avoid. How Kensei’s unit had formed a task force to investigate the suspicious disappearances in the Rukongai. How they had then found empty Shihakushō near where the disappearances had been reported, along with an unusual Hollow. How Urahara had sent Hiyori there as well to collect samples. How Tōsen had betrayed his Captain and comrades and gravely injured them with his Bankai in order to proceed with Aizen’s Hollowfication experiment. How the Captains and Lieutenants that were sent out were all infected one by one by the Hollowfication experiment that Aizen had been running. How Urahara had saved them with his Hōgyoku and then been framed by Aizen. How Yoruichi had saved them from their unjust sentences.

When all was said and done, they were very grateful for the cups of water they were provided. Yamamoto was silent for a moment as he considered everything he had been told. “These transformations of yours.” He said, looking at Lisa. “You are in full control of them?”

Lisa raised her hand to her face and donned her mask. “You tell me, Sōtaichō.” Her Reiatsu changed in flavor. Off to the side, Nanao flinched at how different her big sister’s Reiatsu felt.

“Hmph.” Yamamoto harrumphed as Lisa dismissed her mask. “Very well.” He stopped speaking again for a moment, “It has become clear to me how ill equipped the Central 46 have been over the past hundred years, or more. With the body currently deceased, we are in martial law, and as such I am the ultimate voice in Soul Society.” He opened his eyes, “This is a power I do not want. A power I gave away millennia ago, and a power that I long to give away once more.” The strongest man should not also be the most influential one. That way lay arrogance and the foolhardy belief that you alone could make decisions. “I hereby negate all of your sentences from a hundred years ago, and you have my personal apology. Should you and your compatriots wish to rejoin the Seireitei, we will welcome you. And as should be obvious, we are in need of quite a few Captains, so if any of you wish to reclaim your positions, such will be expedited.”

Lisa bowed, “Some of us have dreamed of this day. For others, the hurt ran too deep for us to just come back. It wasn’t just the betrayal after decades and even centuries of loyal service. It was the fact we weren’t even given a chance. We were judged guilty without even being awake and sentenced to die without getting the chance to defend ourselves. And then we had to spend the next century living in fear of our former comrades coming for us.” Shame flashed across some faces in the gallery. “I know some of us will wish to return. I cannot say the same for all of us. All the same, you have my thanks, Sōtaichō.”

There really was nothing more Yamamoto could say to that. “Very well. Moving on to the second order of business.” Yamamoto said, “The events of twenty years ago where Captain Shiba Isshin vanished.”

Some eyebrows raised in surprise while Kaien muttered, “Now this I’ve got to hear.” Under his breath.

Ichigo took a step forward to join Yoruichi, but his mom caught his shoulder. “I think I’m better equipped for this one, Ichigo.” She chuckled dryly.

Ichigo snorted and stepped back and allowed Masaki to step up in his place. Several people looked confused, up until Masaki spoke. “Hello everyone.” She grinned, “I’m sure most of you don’t know me, so allow me to introduce myself. I am Kurosaki Masaki, Ichigo’s mother.”

“Forgive me, but Yamamoto-Sōtaichō wanted to discuss former Captain Shiba.” Soifon looked utterly confused. “What do you or your son have to do with him?”

“Well, seeing as he’s my husband, I’d think I have quite a bit to do with him.” Masaki said dryly as several people choked or coughed in shock. Byakuya’s eyes were very much narrowed as he looked between his sister, Kaien, Masaki, and Ichigo. Masaki snorted slightly at the wroth she could feel from her son as he glared at the short Captain. “So, it started like this…” She began to speak about the events that led to her meeting Isshin. She explained how Isshin had joined his squad on an investigation in the human world, and how he had encountered a Hollow that Aizen had likely created. How it fought more like a Shinigami crossed with a Menos than anything.

She then described how she had broken her caretaker’s rules to go out and help. How Isshin had begun to take the Hollow seriously and unleashed his Shikai, only to be attacked in the back by someone who was invisible. Aizen and his cohorts, obviously. How the Hollow had then chosen to completely ignore Isshin and had gone for her instead. How it had bitten her in exchange for her blowing its brains out. How, after giving his… slightly edited report (Said here with a cheeky smile) Isshin had gone back to the living world to make sure she was alright and to thank her for saving his ass.

How he had instead found her in the process of Hollowfying from the Hollow’s bite and then had accepted Urahara’s help in order to save her. What he had given up with no hesitation in order to do so. And then everything that had come after that decision. By the time she was finished, Rukia had hearts in her eyes and was internally squealing over how cute it all was. Kaien was shaking his head with an amused grin. She continued up until her death, which put a somber note in the air.

Ichigo had then taken up the story, describing how his Zanpakutō had started speaking to him years before Rangiku had ever shown up. How he had slowly increased his own power and started taking out Hollows in Karakura. How he had started training his friends as well and then had eventually met Rangiku. Rangiku explained that she had most certainly not given Ichigo her powers but had been injured instead. She described how Orihime had managed to heal her, but she willingly signed up to be the bait for Aizen and faked having her powers removed. How they had set up their trap for Aizen, and how Ichigo had taken the opportunity present when Tōsen had shown up. “And, well, I think we all know the rest of it by now.” She finished.

There were some questions asked, which they all answered as best they could. Finally, Yamamoto asked a question of his own. “By your own accounting, you were a Quincy of considerable skill. Your powers had returned by the time of your death. How was it that you were slain by a Hollow as weak as the Grand Fisher?”

And here, Masaki’s face went flat. “I died because you didn’t confirm a body a thousand years ago, Sōtaichō.”

The wood of Yamamoto’s cane cracked and splintered beneath his grip. “…Excuse me?” An absolutely volcanic Reiatsu started to emanate from him. Several of the weaker people in the room felt their knees quake. Some even struggled to breathe for a moment before being shielded by the stronger members.

“The Sealed King of the Quincy.” Masaki recited, “Over nine hundred years, he will recover his heartbeat. Over ninety, he will recover his intellect. And over nine, he will recover his power.” Most of the people in the room were struck completely dumb by how utterly flat the faces of the oldest and strongest Captains were. “I suggest you deal with Aizen quickly, Sōtaichō.” She smiled without any humor, “Because even I don’t know what they have planned or what will happen when the fallen Lichtreich declares the start of their Thousand-Year Blood War.”

Shunsui dipped his hat lower on his face as he felt the apoplectic anger surging from his old teacher. Things had just gotten complicated.

…

In the end, the meeting had adjourned for a short recess so that Yamamoto could speak with Retsu, Shunsui, and Jūshirō.

Lisa was pinching the bridge of her nose as Masaki rejoined them. “Have to say…” She said dryly, “I wasn’t expecting two existential threats to emerge in the same decade.”

Yoruichi looked no happier, “Do we know anything about them?”

Masaki shook her head, “I may have been the last of the Echt Clan Kurosaki, but my parents died fairly young. And they weren’t too hot on the idea of getting slaughtered a third time, either.” She said with a low sigh. “They taught me many of my skills, of course, but they didn’t try to fill my head with nonsense either. They were…” She shrugged a little helplessly, “Just good, kind people, you know? Nothing like most Quincy. It’s why I clashed so much with the Ishidas when they took me in. They were much stricter on following the rules.”

“Nothing for it.” Ichigo sighed, “We’ll just have to prepare as best we can.”

“At least we have a timeframe, no?” Nemu asked, “If they plan to fight us as soon as possible, then we can expect them to do so close to nine years past your date of death.”

Masaki nodded, “Yeah. I just hope it’s enough time. Who knows how long this conflict with Aizen will take?”

They were interrupted by the four eldest Captains returning, and everyone hurried to their positions once more. ‘Wonder how much more we really have to go over? I figured we’d be done after mom dropped the mic on them.’ Ichigo wondered, ‘I hope they don’t want the play-by-play of the invasion. That’ll take forever.’

Yamamoto eyed Ichigo objectively, wondering if this would really be for the best. With everything that had happened so far, with Ichigo defeating Chōjirō and all of the other Captains he had gone through, he certainly proved that he had the power and ability. But he was just so young. And certainly foolish, if the way he had flown off the handle when he learned about what was happening to his mother was any indication. Yamamoto also had little doubt that the boy intended on taking said woman back home, which was a headache he wasn’t sure he was keen on having.

But in the end, with the threats they were facing, he had to come to a decision. And Ichigo was holding his gaze evenly. He had the strength of character they needed, not only sheer strength. “Kurosaki Ichigo.” He intoned and Ichigo stepped forward to hear what he had to say. “Are you aware of the three methods of becoming a Captain?”

Ichigo blinked at the seeming non sequitur. ‘Wut?’ He thought to himself for a moment, noticing that Kenpachi had grown a massive grin and Soifon looked incredibly frustrated by something. He could feel that Lisa, Yoruichi, and Rangiku were feeling incredibly amused as well, behind him. “No, I can’t say I am.”

“The first method is the Captain Proficiency test.” Yamamoto responded, “Witnessed by at least three existing Captains and requiring the tester to have Bankai.” …Which… he still didn’t have. Ichigo eyed the old man with narrowed eyes, wondering where he was going with this, “The second method is by personal recommendation. Six sitting Captains vouch for you, and you are then approved by a further three of the remaining seven.”

What Yamamoto was about to propose was so far out there that the correct wires refused to cross within his head. “You going somewhere with this, Yama-ji?” Ichigo asked cluelessly as Kenpachi started to snicker. Yoruichi held back the urge to facepalm and Lisa smirked next to her.

Yamamoto’s eye did not twitch, thank you very much. “The final method…” He stressed the word, “-is to kill a sitting Captain in single combat with at least two hundred witnesses from the division.”

Ichigo’s eyes widened as his brain finally started functioning, “Woah, wait a minute.” He nearly took a step forward, “You’re not saying-” He shook his head, “That doesn’t even make sense. I killed Kurotsuchi and Tōsen, sure, but it definitely wasn’t witnessed by two hundred people.”

“For Tōsen, you’d be right.” Shunsui drew his attention with an easygoing smile, “Though as every other Captain witnessed it, the point is rather moot.”

Ukitake said, “Although we dismissed the result as Tōsen was not at full power. Something I’m sure you were aware of.”

“Yup.” Ichigo nodded, “Honestly, we hadn’t planned on entering the Seireitei with targets that big on our heads, but when he showed up it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

Unohana was the next to speak. “Indeed. You took away one of Aizen’s primary supporters with your actions.” Hisagi and Komamura both clenched their fists where they were standing. “Regardless, even if by the strict letter of the law, you did not meet the requirement with that first fight, that is not the case for your second battle. The Research and Development center in its entirety bore witness to your fight with Kurotsuchi Mayuri through their observation techniques.”

Ichigo stood there in disbelief, fighting the urge to run his fingers through his hair. Off to the side, his human friends were goggling. Masaki was straight up gaping. “So, let me get this straight.” He barely held back an incredulous chuckle, “You want to make a sixteen-year-old, who has never even been through your Academy, a Captain?”

“Well, I doubt you could do a worse job than Kenpachi.” Yoruichi nudged him, smirking.

Even Yamamoto had to fight signs of amusement at that. “The offer is there. It is up to you to accept or decline it.” He held firm, his hands resting atop his gnarled cane.

Ichigo leaned back, considering it. ‘What do you think?’

‘I’d say it’s a big opportunity.’ Thor replied, ‘How long have we either bitched or listened to bitching about how annoying the day to day is in Karakura? Ishida wasn’t wrong when he said that dozens of people die to Hollow attacks.’

‘Plus, 200,000 Kan.’ Ichigo chuckled to himself with a bit of cheek. Thor barked out a laugh. Ichigo held back a smile, knowing his soul blade was right. Time to see if he could get this to go his way. “Before I respond, I’d like to discuss it with you all and ask some questions.”

“Of course.” Shunsui grinned enough for the both of them, “It’s a big decision to make.”

Ichigo nodded, “First, would this be a probationary deal where either side could back out if we feel it is not working out?”

Yamamoto almost relaxed at the question. A boy he might be, but it appeared that Kurosaki at least had a good head on his shoulders, “Indeed. We have done provisionary assignments before, though they are admittedly rare. Most jump at the chance to take and keep their post.”

“Good to hear.” Ichigo responded, “Now, not to toot my own horn here, but I think it’s pretty clear that I’m plenty strong enough for the position. However, even with my strength, I am still a human. A living human specifically. I have my own life in the living world. Family. Friends. And I’m not looking to uproot myself here and abandon everything there. There was no plan to come here and prove myself strong enough to be a Captain. We came here to rescue Rangiku and blow the lid on Aizen’s treachery. The plan was always to go home at the end of the day.” There were several nods from his friends and cohorts.

Shunsui’s smile had turned melancholic, “An optimistic plan for what you were doing. Overly optimistic and naïve, to be frank. Many things could have gone badly for you all at any point.”

“Perhaps, but if we did not believe in ourselves, we could never have succeeded.” Ichigo said, “If we had come here expecting this to be a suicide mission, it very well could have turned into one.”

Ukitake nodded in approval, “Shunsui did not say it was the wrong attitude to have. No doubt, it helped push you forward.” He sighed, “Though I suppose this means you’re rejecting our offer?”

“Not necessarily.” Ichigo responded, “Because frankly, there’s a big topic of discussion to be had here. One that we both could get something we want. You all discovered Rangiku was still alive during that giant Hollow incursion into the living world, correct? Were you aware of what led up to that event?”

“No.” Nemu, took a step forward to address everyone, “While we immediately detected the unusual Hollow activity, the Twelfth Division was unable to determine what exactly led up to it.” Bowing, she took a step back into formation.

“Hmm, looks like the older Captains have an idea, actually.” Ichigo murmured, looking at Retsu in particular.

“Hollow Bait.” She said after a moment.

Ichigo snapped his fingers and pointed at her, “Ayep. Which should make it obvious that there were Quincy in Karakura. One of them was a classmate, and he utterly despised us Shinigami. At first, I thought it was because of the purge two-hundred years ago. That he still carried that grudge despite his grandfather not even being a twinkle in his grandfather’s eye. But that wasn’t it. He actually didn’t give a damn about the massacre two hundred years ago.” He crossed his arms, “Point in fact, he actually agreed with the Shinigami response when his grandfather told him the story.”

There were several furrowed brows in attendance, “He did?” Komamura rumbled, “Then what was his anger for?”

Ichigo sighed, “I interacted with him very little despite us being cousins. Actually, I never knew until a few months ago myself, and he had no idea until I told him. So, when he finally decided to confront me, it was after I had already given him a metaphorical black eye for killing Hollows with his power. And what he had to say was that his hatred of Shinigami stemmed from how useless we were in his eyes.” Several eyes narrowed in anger, Soifon’s most of all, “He told us that before I gained my powers, he was constantly feeling innocent people die to Hollow attacks. That every time someone did die, it was because a Shinigami showed up too late to save them. He complained that several of the stationed Shinigami couldn’t even figure out a Hollow was coming or where it was coming from without getting an order on their Soul Pager.” Ichigo said firmly, “And to be frank, he had a point. I never would have awoken my powers years before Rangiku ever showed up if it hadn’t been for the fact that I kept getting attacked by the damn things.”

He crossed his arms before continuing, “And as for him? He had formal training. He could kill Hollows himself. He could have an arrow in the air before the Hollow even left its Garganta. And yet, because his powers destroyed them, he instead had to sit there and feel dozens of people die because the Shinigami on duty were shit at their jobs.” Ichigo said bluntly.

Masaki stepped forward and sighed, “I can corroborate that.” She looked sad, “When I stayed with the Ishidas, they forbid me from acting unless the Shinigami were already dead. That was the rule of the clan. By Hitomi-san’s accounting, she had been forced to intervene hundreds of times over her life before an injury forced her into retirement, essentially.”

Ichigo sighed as well, “In essence, that moron decided to have that little Hollow slaying contest because he was lashing out in anger that we never did enough. That the Shinigami sent to Karakura were incompetents. That they were lazy.” Several of the Captains looked very irritated, “But most of all, he was furious that his mentor and grandfather died because Shinigami showed up two hours after he had been attacked by a group of Hollows and long after it was too late to save him.”

“Damning statements.” Byakuya stated, closing his eyes.

“Though not without evidence, apparently.” Kaien was grimacing.

Ichigo’s sharp eyes caught something. Nemu looked very uncomfortable about the current topic. “Do you have something to say, Nemu?”

She looked sharply at him, fidgeted slightly, before she stepped forward again, “With my creator dead, there is no reason for me to hold back. While I can say nothing regarding the other incidents, I’m afraid that the Quincy incident you were referring to was not a case of negligence.”

“What?!” Soifon barked out, “What is that supposed to mean?”

Nemu closed her eyes, hands still held submissively in front of her skirt, “My creator held no regard for ethics when it came to his experiments. Many of which were very illegal and would surely have seen him executed. During this time period, he was particularly interested in Quincy and their abilities for reasons unknown to me. And so, he purposefully delayed the calls regarding Hollow attacks whenever Quincy were involved so that he could acquire them as test subjects.”

Ichigo and his entire group felt stunned horror course through them as Nemu spoke. Masaki looked utterly horrified and Orihime had to clap her hands to her mouth and run out so that she could throw up. Tatsuki and Sado looked green themselves and joined her. No one begrudged them their reactions. Isane looked like she wanted to join them, and she wasn’t the only one.

“I…” Ichigo crackled with lightning for a moment. “Did not make him suffer nearly enough.” He hissed out. His eyes narrowed in rage as he considered the possibility that he had done the same for his mother.

“Was it the same for me, Nemu?” Masaki asked quietly.

Nemu shook her head, “Not that I am aware of.” She paused and thought for a minute. “Though it perhaps may have been the incident that led to his interest in the first place. I do not know for sure.”

Well, there was that at least. “Have to say…” Ichigo ground out, “Not exactly feeling the desire to be a part of an organization that would condone that.”

Retsu shook her head, “We condoned nothing. Oh, his attitude was always garbage on the side of the road on a good day, but he got results. He was always careful to never get caught doing something too incriminating. Even still, several Captains have called for his removal and return to the Maggot’s Nest over the years.” She looked a bit tired, “Knowing what we know now, I do wish those voices had been louder.”

“Perhaps the next time you have an obvious sociopath as a Captain, you might act on it before he kills and tortures dozens of innocent people.” Masaki’s voice was as even as Ichigo had ever heard it. So the fact he could feel her rage truly said something.

Yamamoto was seriously just done with the revelations of the day. “Kurotsuchi-Fukutaichō.” He growled out. “You and I are going to have a long discussion about every little crime your former Captain committed over the years.” Nemu bowed in silent agreement.

Ichigo huffed out air through his nose, before taking a deep breath. “Right.” He forced his fists to unclench, “Regardless of… that revelation, the fact of the matter was that my cousin was right. I’ve had my powers for years, and Rangiku’s arrival was the first time I actually sensed a Shinigami worth a damn in my town. Hilarious that it took a Lieutenant getting demoted for it to happen, by the way.” Hilarious wasn’t the right word there. “Maybe there were others before, but they were so weak I couldn’t even feel them. True, I probably just wasn’t paying attention, but it doesn’t really matter. Karakura gets too many Hollows to have just my group, Urahara’s group, and the Vizard taking care of them. If any stronger ones show up, sure, that’s on us. But me and my friends shouldn’t be needing to skip class to go kill garden variety Hollows.”

Yamamoto finally spoke again, “What are you proposing then, Kurosaki?”

“That, if I take the position, I’m going to be pulling an Urahara and restructuring it entirely. We’d be moving operations to the living world as soon as reasonably possible, with the main goal of having a dedicated unit stationed in the Jūreichi, wherever that might be.”

“That is a dangerous position to take.” Shunsui said, scratching his chin, “Having an entire division stationed in the Living World would merely draw Hollows there.”

“Not to mention that the amount of Reiatsu from all of the members stationed there would affect the Living World.” Byakuya argued as well.

“To put it bluntly, neither of those things matter in this situation.” Ichigo said, “If this were a normal town, sure. But it’s not a normal town. It’s the Jūreichi. Hollows are already drawn there in droves. Huge Hollows even. Hell, I’m surprised that the Hollow Contest my idiot cousin dreamed up was the first time I saw a Menos. Half of my classmates can already see them and have been attacked by them. Partly my fault, sure, since I wasn’t exactly a bastion of Reiryoku control for a long time. But even if I exclude my friends, my sisters’ friends, who are in Elementary school, can see them too now. Hell, if it hadn’t been for Chad, Tatsuki, Orihime, and Rangiku, half of them probably would have developed their own powers then and there. I legitimately would not be surprised if I could start shooting Hollows from my classroom. Trying to leave in soul form would just get me seen anyway. Things are just going to get worse. Especially with Aizen to deal with.”

There were several grimaces in the room. “I imagine this is not the only concession you wish to request?” Jūshirō asked quietly.

“Correct.” Ichigo nodded, “The second is that I would like for myself and my officers to either not bother with the Seals, or to have permission to remove them at any time. With how badly we bloodied Aizen’s nose, I have little doubt he’s going to be more aggressive than he otherwise may have been. Plus, we have nearly a dozen Shinigami of Captain or at least Lieutenant class already there, none of whom give a damn about the seal.”

Yamamoto held back a groan. He really was getting too old for this shit. As much as he hated to admit it, the boy had good points. “Very well. We will revisit that particular issue once these wars are over.”

Ichigo would take it. For now, at least. “Third, I would like to take whichever Division was Tōsen’s, not Mayuri’s. I’m not a dumbass, but I’m not a scientist either. If you want an egghead, just recall Urahara. I doubt he’d say no.”

Shunsui chuckled, “Well, won’t this be something.”

“Then I take it you accept with these provisions?” Yamamoto asked, his eyes open and boring into Ichigo’s.

“If we’re in agreement, then yes.” Ichigo nodded.

Yamamoto nodded to his Lieutenant, who stepped forward with a box and held it out to Ichigo. The newly minted Captain grinned slightly as he grabbed the haori, though he just threw it over his shoulder rather than putting it on. His mom looked like she was going to burst from how proud she was. “I’ll have to figure out how to wear this damn thing.” He muttered, “Doesn’t exactly work with my cloak.”

Yamamoto’s eye finally twitched, already regretting everything.

“You may leave it off for regular duty. Just figure something out for Captain’s meetings.” Unohana looked entirely too amused as she prevented the Sōtaichō from blowing a gasket. “Congratulations, Kurosaki-Taichō.”

He smiled as everyone in the room gave him a round of applause, though Kenpachi looked like he was more interested in grabbing his sword. “Thank you.” Before he took his place with his fellow Captains, he said, “If she accepts, I would like to appoint Rangiku as my Lieutenant.”

“Of course!” Rangiku accepted immediately with a smirk.

“What?” Tōshirō stepped up and looked at the two of them, “Rangiku is my Lieutenant.” He protested.

At the same time, Hisagi also stepped up, “Sir, I am already our Division’s Lieutenant. I can assure you; I am still capable of fulfilling my duties.”

Ichigo smirked at Tōshirō first, “No she isn’t. You demoted her, remember?” Tōshirō twitched, remembering that he hadn’t given her back her position yet. “Plus, we’re going to operate out of the Living World. Not only do I trust her and have experience working with her, but she’s already familiar with the Living World.”

Tōshirō sighed, looking to Rangiku, “Is this really what you want?”

“Yes.” Rangiku said, before grinning mischievously and headpatting him, “Don’t worry. You’ll always be my little brother, Captain.”

Tōshirō twitched, before firmly turning around and walking back to his spot, “I only wish you showed up to take her earlier, Kurosaki.” Ichigo laughed at the comically indignant look on his girl’s face.

Ichigo snickered for a few moments more, before turning to the indignant Hisagi, “As for you…” He said, “You heard my reasoning, but there are other reasons I won’t have you as my Lieutenant. Not only are our philosophies essentially completely different, but they’re outright opposed. You’d be better off somewhere else where you’re not going to be butting heads with your Captain.” Hisagi opened his mouth, so he talked over him, “And furthermore, regardless of any talk about duty and him being a traitor, I still killed a man you looked up to. That’s drama I don’t want to deal with. Dismissed.”

“I…” Hisagi slumped, “Yes sir.”

“I will also be inducting Orihime, Tatsuki, and Chad as my officers.” Ichigo turned to Yamamoto.

“Don’t forget about us, Captain.” Lisa and Yoruichi both purred.

Shunsui’s eyes widened, ‘Wait, you’re not coming back here?!’ He eyed Lisa in a small amount of shock. Nanao pouted at her big sister as well.

Soifon settled for glaring absolute daggers at Ichigo at the idea of Yoruichi-sama being this whelp’s subordinate. If looks could kill, he’d have been reduced to atoms already.

Yamamoto waved Ichigo off, “I do not need to know the minutia. I imagine there will be quite a number of transfers both in and out before things settle. How you run your division is up to you.” Ichigo nodded. “Then I hereby call an end to this meeting. Kurosaki-Taichō, I expect you to have detailed plans for the restructuring of the Jūreichi Division within the month. You and your compatriots are free to return to the living world as soon as you wish.”

“Sir!” Everyone chanted before leaving. Ichigo smiled wanly at Nemu once she nervously walked over. “I suppose you’ll be wanting to transfer?”

“Yes, Ichigo-sama.” She said quietly, relieved that her revelations hadn’t ruined anything.

“Alright you lot,” He grinned at his friends and family, “Looks like I’ve got a month to get these plans in order. Not that much time… I hope you enjoy tonight, cuz tomorrow your asses are mine.” He smirked evilly.

“Ugh, paperwork.” Rangiku groaned, “Crap, you’ll actually make me do it too!” She whined before turning to Yoruichi, “Want to swap?”

“Hell no!” Yoruichi cackled, “And don’t worry, we’ll all be too hungover to even think about paperwork when Kūkaku-chan is done with us.”

“Ichigo and the kids are underage.” Masaki protested immediately.

“Tell that to his cast iron liver.” Lisa smirked at her.

Masaki turned her gaze to her son with the mom face in full blast. Ichigo immediately began to sweat, ‘Hahaha… I’m in danger.’

-]|[-

BOOM BOOM BOOM

Everyone cheered as Kūkaku’s fireworks show lit up the Rukongai sky.

“Damn, you’re in rare form today, aren’t you, Kūkaku?” Kaien laughed as the fireworks shaped into an image of Ichigo rocking Aizen with his hammer. Ichigo was howling with laughter at the sight.

“FUCK YOU, AIZEN!” Rangiku, Yoruichi, and Lisa all cheered, holding up their bottles of sake to the sky.

“Damn, Kūkaku’s sure making me look good.” Ichigo couldn’t stop laughing. Unlike the others, he had a whole gourd in hand.

“Ichigo!” Masaki whined despite her flushed cheeks. She had an arm around Rukia, who was the lightest of weights and looked about as sauced as Rangiku even despite only having had half a bottle so far. “When did my precious Ichi-chan turn into a delinquent?!” She bemoaned.

“Oh, relax Mrs. K!” Rangiku giggled from her spot between Ichigo’s legs. “This stuff’s practically water to Ichi!”

“So you’ve said.” Masaki deadpanned, staring as Ichigo drank from the massive gourd. “…Starting to believe it.”

“Fascinating.” Nemu said as she watched curiously. “Is his Reiryoku burning it out before it can affect him?” She asked as Ichigo slammed the gourd on the grass with a smirk.

“Damn, you were right, Ran-chan. This stuff is way better than the crap we got back home.” Masaki deadpanned as Ichigo pecked Rangiku on top of her head.

“Told you!” The redhead cheered as she took another sip of her own bottle.

“And yeah, that’s probably it, Nemu.” Tatsuki chimed in, “His Reiryoku is naturally electric. He had a bitch of a time doing any Kidō, right?”

“Yup!” Lisa confirmed. “Honestly, I’m not sure if I pity him for his inability to get drunk or if I’m jealous that he never has to deal with hangovers.”

“Cheater!” Yoruichi hissed, apparently jealous of that fact, “Gimme that!” She snatched the gourd and took a huge pull from it.

“Oi! Get your own!” Ichigo grabbed at it and the two had a playful tug of war, which caused some of it to spill down Yoruichi’s top. “Ahh! You’re wasting it!” He said as Yoruichi giggled, cupping her arms under her boobs and making it puddle between the valley of her breasts.

Ichigo froze, wanting nothing more than to take the invitation… only to remember his mom was right there.

Rangiku cackled, “Bakudō #26: Kyokkō.” She drew her arm like she was pulling a curtain and she, Ichigo, and Yoruichi vanished.

Masaki rolled her eyes, “Gee, I wonder where they went.” She said dully. She turned away. She hadn’t been in her son’s life in over half a decade. She wasn’t about to do any helicoptering… though that didn’t mean she wasn’t above some teasing.

Ichigo, meanwhile, immediately motorboated Yoruichi, sucking down the sake between her breasts. His hand went down and grabbed her ass, giving it a tight squeeze. Yoruichi tugged on his hair, pulling his head up and kissing him for the first time. “Mhmm…” The two moaned slightly in enjoyment as they explored each other’s lips.

“Mhm… it’s been fair too long…” Her golden eyes were glimmering as they pulled back. “You’re not dropping me in a guest bed this time.” She said with a low purr.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Ichigo said back, his own gaze just as heated.

…

Soon enough, the fireworks ended, and they retreated within the Shiba compound. It was surprisingly huge within with many guest rooms. But that was for later. Now, was time for food. And unlike at the Kuchiki manor where they would have been served the highest-end dishes you almost felt bad about eating, Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko had put together a delicious but much more down-to-earth spread.

“Damn, I need to grab some of these recipes for Yuzu!” Ichigo said in between bites of a delicious pair of ribs.

“Oh, Yuzu-chan likes to cook?” Masaki asked as she took bites of her own dish.

“Oh yeah!” Tatsuki chimed in, “Little Yuzu is amazing in the kitchen.” She grinned and elbowed Ichigo, “If it wasn’t for her, the two male idiots would have starved already.”

“Har har.” Ichigo fake laughed. “I can cook. I just choose not to since it’s Yuzu’s thing.”

Masaki giggled, “And Karin?”

“Oh, she’s definitely going to be a pro football player!” Orihime cheered.

“Yeah, no kidding!” Rangiku called out, “She runs circles around everyone I saw her play.”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Masaki exclaimed, tearing up a bit. “Gosh, I’ve missed so much…” She wiped the tears as Ichigo wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her. ‘Damn you, Yhwach.’ She thought to herself, ‘Damn you!’

Ichigo murmured to her, “I can’t wait to see their faces…”

“I can’t wait to see them.” Masaki put a period on it. “This… this has been a dream.” She said. “Could have done without Kurotsuchi,” She said dryly, and with just a hint of a tremor. “-but I never thought I’d get a chance like this. Not after…”

Ichigo’s grip on her tightened a tad. “I didn’t make him suffer nearly enough.” He said darkly.

“None of that.” She chided him, “He’s dead and gone and can’t hurt anyone else. That’s what’s important.”

Ichigo let out a sigh and forced himself to relax. “I know… But when it comes to friends and family…”

Masaki chortled and hugged her son, “We chose a good name for you.

Ichigo snorted, “If only the girls wouldn’t keep teasing me over it.”

“NEVER!” Rangiku, Lisa, and Yoruichi cackled, having heard the comment even from across the room. “You’ll always be Berry-kun to us!” Rangiku laughed, which caused his mom to start laughing as well. Everyone else joined in.

“Yeah, yeah.” Ichigo rolled his eyes. “That’s Berry-Taichō to you lot!”

Hysterical laughter rang through the room as everyone raised their glasses to toast him once more.

The party continued as the families and friends mingled. Ichigo got to meet Ganju, who was apparently another of his cousins. He was definitely a bit on the weaker side compared to the rest of the family though… though he had the eccentricity on lock seeing as he rode a boar in from the Seireitei.

Eventually, the party wound down when the partygoers started dropping like flies. Sado, Tatsuki, and Orihime went to bed first, finding their guest room once more. No one was surprised to feel a soundproofing Kidō go up. Kaien and Rukia begged off right after and made their way to their room, Kaien carrying a very flushed Rukia to bed.

Masaki had a bit more sake than she had planned, and eventually Ichigo carried her off and tucked her in. When he started walking back, Rangiku, Yoruichi, Lisa, and Nemu were waiting for him and simply yanked him into another room.

The door slammed shut before being locked and sealed off from the rest of the house by Kidō.

-]|[-

And that’s it for the Soul Society arc!

No lemon in this one. Bleach muse is kinda running dry and I’m running out of time to finish this chapter anyway. Really went and let my ass fall behind. Ugh. Might eventually write one as an interlude or something if the mood strikes, but right now I just want to move on.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this closer! Not sure what I’ll write next, but I think I’m leaning Not So Solo Leveling. Legitimately no idea though, and I unfortunately have really fallen behind and don't have anything prepared for next week yet. Wish me luck.

Later!