Chapter 1: The War's Conclusion

The War was finally over. With one last swing of getsuga tensho Aizen was defeated. Then sealed away forever, never to trouble anyone again.

Substitue Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki sat himself down on the closest thing he could. A rock. The battle had torn him to pieces. And it was strange to hear the silence in it's aftermath. Not the clashes of swords like thunder across the sky.

His final tactic had done it's work. Aizen was gone and the Esapda driven away. For the first time in a year everything was as it should be.

"Ichi-Ichigo." A soft voice on the wind said. Slowly he turned around to see who it was.

"Orihime!" he let out. But she wasn't alone. Uryu, Chad, Renji and Rukia. Everyone was there.

"It is you!" Orihime let out on the verge of tears."I saw the long hair and thought it was someone else but it's YOU!" she finished finally starting to cry. Ichigo turned to face them all fully.

"Your all here." He said." How did you get back?"

"We came with Captain Kurotsuchi." Rukia told.

"Rukia?!" Ichigo said as if noticing her for the first time. "You missed it! You missed everything. The Final Battle with Aizen. It's finally over."

"Yea we heard as much." Rukia said." But that'll have to wait for later." Rukia told him. A stern seriousness coming over her voice.

"Wait?" Ichigo repeated.

"The Head-Captain wants to see you personally. He ordered us to come and get you."

"The Head-Captain?" Ichigo asked.

"Yep." Renji said with a pop on the 'p'." So get moving. "He pointed Ichigo in the direction." From what I heard he's not in a good mood." Rukia turned and began leading the way." C'mon." Renji said pointing with an open hand in the direction Rukia was walking.

All across the city there were Soul Reapers hard at work. Working to clear the battlefield. But none Ichigo recognized.

They brought him to a large white tent away from the sight of the previous battles. AT the entrnace there was one man waiting. The Lieutenant of Squad One, Chojiro Sasakibe.

"Thank you." Chojiro said with a nod and a bow to Ichigo." I imagine you've come all this way to hear it from the Head-Captain personally." He blinked and flashed his eyes from Ichigo to Renji then finally Rukia." Follow me." The Lieutenant of Squad One turned and eld the way inside. Lifting the flap above his head and entering. Ichigo followed after him.

Renji and Rukia made an attempt to follow after him but found themselves blocked by the raised hand of Lieuteant Sasakibe.

"Just Kurosaki." Upon finishing his sentence he dropped his hand back to his side. "As you were." He closed the flap behind him.

Rukia looked into the tent for as long as she could before the flap blocked her sight. The last she saw of Ichigo was his bright orange hair.

"Come on Rukia." Renji said putting a hand on her shoulder." Let's go find the others. They-" Suddenly Rukia turned and broke away from him. Running around the side of the big tent. "Rukia? Rukia!" Renji let out as he followed after her.

Ichigo had walked into the tent and turned his head to see Sasakibe taking long strides to catch up with him.

Once he had the Lieutenant abruptly stopped in his tracks, Hunched over in another bow.

"Head-Captain. Captains!" He sounded off. "The Subsitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki."

The room was filled with white coats. Each of the Captains who had participated in the battle against Aizen. Soifon, Kommamura, Kyoraku, Hitsuguya, Kurotsuchi, Ukitake. Each bloodied and bandaged from their battles but all still alive. At first their eyes went to Ichigo as he entered then their gaze shifted across the room. And Ichigo followed them. To see the greatest of their order, the Head-Captain himself. Sat in the center of the room. Hunched over, one hand rested on his cane while the other was gone forever.

"Old Man." Ichigo said when his eyes came to Yamamoto. Shunsui dipped his hat over his eyes to surpress his chuckle.

"Given the circumstances I will overlook that... discrepancy." The Head-Captain strummed his fingers along his cane." We have more important matters to discuss here."

"Important matters?" Ichigo questioned." About what."

"About you" Yamamoto lifted one hand and pointed an index finger at Ichigo. He returned his hand to his place. Ichigo glanced around to see the Captains had lined up in a similar formation to their usual Captain's meeting. Though this would be a very informal one it seemed, given the circumstances." First and foremost you have the utmost thanks of myself and every member of the Thireteen Court Guard Squads. This victory could not be possible if it weren't for you."

"It's no problem." Ichigo said almost as soon as the Head-Captain had finished talking." I was glad to help, don't worry about it."

"That was the first reason for which i have summoned you here." Yamamoto told." There is more to discuss." Ichigo lifted his head to look at the old man once more. "As you might have noticed there are only Captain ranked officers in this tent." As a matter of fact Ichigo hadn't noticed. There had been just as many Lieutenants and lower seated officers who fought in the battles. Matsumoto, Omeada, Kira, Hisagi, Hinamori, even Ikkaku and Yumichicka. And yet none of them were here." That is because the information about to be discussed is for only the highest ranking officers."

Renji continued to wonder around the side of the tent, looking to see where Rukia had gone. He found her, the hard way.

He took one step forward and suddenly found himself face first on the ground.

"OAF!" he let out." Ow, what the- "He picked himself up and turned to see what he had tripped over. It was Rukia." RUKIA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He let out but was quickly silenced when Rukia slapped her hand over his mouth.

"Be Quiet!" she strained in a whisper. "I"m trying to listen." She turned away and back to her original spot. One ear against the tent. Renji turned himself across the dirt and knelt beside her.

"And what is that?" Ichigo asked. But the answer would not come from the Head-Captain. Instead someone else stepped out from the corner of the tent. The flap opening allowing a brief bit of light to shine inside.

Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake stepped aside and allowed him to pass. To walk forward and stand in the center of their make-shift court.

"Hey there sonny. "Isshin let out with a big smile.

"DAD?!" Ichigo let out when he saw him.

"Captain Shiba!" Toshiro let out in as much surprise. As he broke rank to take a step out from between Soifon and Kommamura.

"Captain?!" Ichigo let out abruptly turning to the Captain of Squad Ten. So much information in only ten seconds.

"I can see this meeting is exposing alot of new information." Shunsui whispered to Ukitake with a chuckle.

"What the hell is going on?" Renji commented to Rukia.

"SHH!" she answered him.

"What did you just say, Toshiro?!" Ichigo pointed to him.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya." The little Captain stressed at him. Now it was Isshin's turn to be shocked.

"Captain?!" he let out turning to Toshiro. He marched across the distance between them to stand before him. He looked at the white coat about the little Captain's shoulders." Well I'll be... and" He tilted himself forward so he could see the emblem on the back better. Squad Ten." HaHaHa!" He let out a dry laugh while slapping a hand on Toshiro's shoulder." I always knew you had it in you Toshiro. Always knew it! And that lazy ass Rangiku though that she'd be Captain. HaHa!" Needless to say Ichigo was still confused.

"Wh-Wh-What?" Suddenly the banging of Yamamoto's wooden cane on the ground got their attention.

"Let's get this meeting back on schedule." He said once the banging had ended.

"Of course, Head-Captain." Isshin said with a nod. He turned and walked back to his original place on the other side of the room. Everyone seemed to go along with the change easily enough, all except Ichigo.

"What's going on?!" He let out. "I don't understand any of this."

"I thought as much." Isshin said casually crossing his arms." Stubborness. THick headed. Gets I from my side of the family."

"Dad-" Ichigo began. Yamamoto spoke next.

"Your Father was once the Captain of the Tenth Division. That was almost twenty years ago." He paused a brief moment to let the information sink it. "Furthermore his name is not Kurosaki..."

"What?" Ichigo let out.

"My real name" Isshin broke out." Is Isshin Shiba."

"Shiba?" Ichigo repeated." Just like, just like Ganju. And Kukaku!"

"Exactly." Isshin responded.

"And Shiba" Ichigo continued.

"Is one of the Four Great Noble Families of the Soul Society." Toshiro finished for him." Along with the Shihoin, the Kuchiki and Tsunayashiro." Ichigo turned back to his father. Who had a small, satisfied smile on his face.

"Then" He slowly brought up his hand and pointed at him. "That mean's your, I... we're nobility."

"Minor nobilty son." He answered." I was only the head of the Branch family. But I did manage to rise to Captaincy despite my station."

"Then what about our name? What about Kurosaki." THe smile on Isshin's face dissapeared." What about my mother?"

"Kurosaki was her last name." Isshin told." I changed my own when I fled the Soul Society."

"Fled the Soul Society? Why?" Isshin turned and cast a glance over his shoulder at Yamamoto.

"That's.. not important. "He said turning back to his son. "What's important is here and now."

"Here and now?" Ichigo asked."No. "He shook his head." I want to know everything! Everything! And why you hadn't said any of this before!" Suddenly he let out a cough and the next moment he collapsed to his knees on the ground.

"Ichigo!" Isshin let out as he dived towards him. Toshiro and Chojiro moved to him as well. The other Captains shifted from their places. All except Yamamoto.

"Stand back." Ukitake let out." Give him some air." Toshiro and Chojiro did as instructed although Isshin remained. Shunsui removed his hat from his head and began fanning Ichigo.

"Breath easy, son." Isshin let out as he placed his hands on Ichigo's shoulders. "The effects are taking it's course." Finally Ichigo managed to do something other then cough and gag. He leaned up and looked at his father.

"Effects?"

"The side-effects of the Final Getsuga Tensho. "Yamamoto said. Isshin moved himself allowing the Head-Captain an unrestricted view to his son. "And the withering of your Soul Reaper powers." Ichigo slowly propped himself up." It will continue this way until there is nothing left. In the head you won't even be an enhanced human even capable of seeing spirits. You'll be nothing more then an ordinary human."

"I know. "Ichigo answered resting his elbows on his thigh. "I understood the consequences."

"Hmh." Yamamoto grumbled." But" He finally said. "It does not have to end this way for you Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo pushed himself up so that he could sit upright.

"What do you mean?"

"It would be possible for you to keep your Soul Reaper powers." Yamamoto told. "Which is the real reason I've asked you here." He pasued brieflt once more. "If it were possible for you to keep your powers, would you accept?"

"What's the catch? There's got to be a catch." Indeed there was.

"You would recieve your Soul Reaper powers again." Yamamoto told." But in return you would have to return to the Soul Society with us."

"WHAT?!" Despite his outburst, Yamamoto continued.

"You are anomaly. While Substitue Soul Reapers are not uncommon, one in your position is. As such we cannot allow you to stay station in the World of the Living. Therefore you would return with us. To join our ranks properly. You would be given an appropriate rank. One of the vacant Captain's positions. And" he paused." You would have to discard the name Kurosaki. And would instead take up the name of your father."

"Shiba." Ichigo said.

"Well? "Yamamoto asked. "What do you say?"