A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait again. I know, it's been long but I've been really busy with university and never got the chance to flesh it out. Well as promised, here is the latest installment of Ichigo's Resolve. Advice, you may want to get something to eat as you read this because it's quite long. I would like to thank Aletheya for being my beta reader as she helped immensely to make this story as good as it is right now. As always, feel free to PM or leave your ideas in a review for how to make this story better, or if there is something you want to see between characters.

Nievedrop, you're right that there is some darkness underneath Ichigo. He experiences conflict as he chooses whether to follow the right path or a darker path in order to achieve. Remember, it's all about resolve :)

Guest, you said a lot in that review pointing out all that awkwardness. I've tried to fix it up the best I can in this chapter. What do you think?

Quick-n-Popular, this chapter should answer your question of what Hinamori's impression of him will be :)

Corey, well finally here's the chapter. Orihime is going to be good, you'll see in this chapter!

SwordsmanofS, I like your input. Unohana and Hinamori will interact with Ichigo in this story. But the main pairing is still IchiRuki. I'll do my best to make sure that the interaction with Unohana and Hinamori don't go over the top.

DinieLuvYunho, Ichigo will interact with Hinamori, but not like the way he does with Rukia. I'll make sure the interaction with Hinamori doesn't go over the top.

Thunder Claw03, thanks! Sorry for the long wait :D

Damaio The End, yeah I didn't update this soon at all. Sorry! ^_^

Basil to Blithe, thanks for the review. It's good to know people who appreciate the story.

Chapter 4 – Rukia

"What's wrong, Rukia?"

It was Sode no Shirayuki, the manifestation of her zanpakuto. She calmly glanced at Rukia with a solemn complexion that contained many thoughts.

Sode no Shirayuki had long, platinum hair that smoothly extended down to her waistline. That was its natural form whether she was walking around, in battle, or conversing with Rukia like she was right now. She wore a traditional, white furisode kimono befitting a high class individual. With smooth, white skin that gave her a natural beauty, her cold touch was deep with care and love and her movements were natural and graceful. She usually wore an emotionless mask on her face but with Rukia, she could reveal her true emotions such as worry, guilt, and sorrow. Right now, it was sorrow. She could tell how her owner was suffering on the inside, and it pained her as well. Although she could move and think independently, her emotions deeply mirrored her owner, Rukia.

Calm, graceful, cerulean-blue eyes moved from admiring the moon's beauty and instead glanced down on Rukia. It was a calm, cool night that both ice-type users would often relish for and come into the open night for a period of relaxation. The sound of silence filled the air as the wind was the only occupant in their immediate area. Night had finally descended, and the activity in Soul Society had noticeably died down as many Shinigami began to head back indoors. As always, this gave the two occupants currently on the rooftop of the thirteenth division a privacy that complemented the calmness of the night. Rukia was sitting with her legs hanging from the roof, and Sode no Shirayuki was standing close behind her to the side.

Not getting a reply, Sode no Shirayuki looked back up to admire the beauty of the moon again before sitting down next to Rukia. Trying to clear the depressing thoughts and tension, she swung her legs playfully and looked at Rukia expectantly. It was a rare show of childishness that caught even her raven hair owner by surprise.

Calming down her emotions once more, Rukia let out a long sigh. She knew that she couldn't hide her problems, try as she might, from her zanpakuto spirit. If it were anyone else, there was a good chance she would be able to outwardly deceive them, including her closest friends. Now that she thought about it, she didn't have any close friends with whom she could share her deep secrets with. Not even with Renji, who was a friend ever since her childhood days in Rukongai. This wasn't the first time she had to come clean with her zanpakuto, but over the many years, she still didn't like how she had to share everything with her zanpakuto just because it shared her thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. Conceding, she turned to Sode no Shirayuki.

Sensing Rukia was about to talk, Sode no Shirayuki put an arm over her to show her support.

"I…" Rukia started out lamely before coming out more confidently, "I don't know how he'll react." She turned back to stare towards the moon that was now shining brightly in the crisp, night air.

Sode no Shirayuki wasn't pleased.

"Rukia, there is nothing to hide from me. You of all people should understand that." She hoped to lighten her owner's burden for the better.

"Weren't you ready to tell him that time?"

She paused to allow Rukia time to understand her implication before continuing, "Indeed you loved him and were ready to tell him at that time, but what happened?" Seeing that Rukia's full attention was on her, she continued once again, "You buried them didn't you? During his recovery, you buried them and acted as if nothing happened. So that now, even when you want to tell him, you find that you can't. Am I correct, Rukia?" She gave a small stifle of laughter when she saw Rukia's eyes widen. Her eyes gleamed in amusement for a split second, something that wasn't unnoticed by her raven haired owner.

"How…" was all Rukia managed to say before Sode no Shirayuki gracefully stood up and stared into the night sky. A small smile graced her features. "Rukia…do you forget who I am?"

Rukia was stunned at the realization of her zanpakuto spirit's insight into her own mind, something so deep on a scale she had never experienced before.

Deciding it was time to reveal another helpful side to her dear owner, Sode no Shirayuki drew back her long platinum hair such that it appeared less wrinkled in the cool, night wind. It was a habit of hers to appear more organized when she presented herself. Only this time, she was presenting her owner with knowledge which wasn't shared before.

"I was and still am the most beautiful ice-type zanpakuto in Soul Society." Seeing realization in Rukia's purple eyes encouraged her to continue. "Do you not think that I was once chased after because of my beauty? Or have never harboured deep feelings and conflict with a loved one? Rukia, I know how you feel about this," Sode no Shirayuki finished and regarded her again.

"What do you think I should do?" Rukia asked nonchalantly, all previous thoughts of concern washed away. Deep down, she felt better that she was able to talk about her feelings with someone. Thinking about it more, she realized how lucky she was to have a zanpakuto such as Sode no Shirayuki at her side.

"Just be yourself. Don't think about it too much, you'll know when you're ready to tell him. Besides, Rukia, I don't want to see you like this. This isn't you," Sode no Shirayuki gave a short yawn. She continued to gaze out at the night sky while she waited patiently for Rukia's response. She could feel her owner's emotions were becoming less foggy and some of her characteristic attitude was starting to show itself again. She wondered if all zanpakutos were able to sense and mirror their owner's emotions and attitudes.

Rukia didn't know how to respond to those words of advice, it seemed too easy and direct. But then again, it wasn't the first time she had placed her faith in her zanpakuto spirit. That, plus the fact that Sode no Shirayuki had never let her down, even in tough situations, made her feel more at ease with placing her trust in her zanpakuto spirit. It would be in a new area because this conflict wasn't a physical battle, but a battle of the mind. Nevertheless, she truly believed in Sode no Shirayuki.

"Thanks. I'll think about it," Rukia gave a friendly smile, to which her zanpakuto spirit eagerly returned with one as graceful as her owner. Yes, she was sure now, she was sure that Rukia was starting to turn back into her old self. A self that she hadn't seen since Ichigo's last battle. She snapped out of her senses when she heard Rukia's voice.

Rukia still wasn't convinced. But she decided to lighten it up a bit, maybe she was indeed taking it too seriously. "So why didn't you tell me?" Rukia smirked at her platinum-haired zanpakuto who was caught staring at the unexpected question. "I never knew you had a side that was like this."

The platinum-haired zanpakuto smirked back as equally vicious. "Well, you never asked," she said before giggling. "Rukia, there is a lot that you still don't know about me. I was once a human as well. And so, I have my own set of talent, knowledge, and experience. I'm not just a tactician or fighter," she gave another yawn. "But ask me another time, I believe it's time to head back. We have that event coming up," she said with a wink.

Rukia's lips curled up into a soft smile, turning away from Sode. "I suppose so..."

Rukia thought silently to herself as she jumped down the rooftop with Sode following suit. She felt much lighter and less stressed. A feeling of gladness swept over her and with the wind gently blowing across her black kimono, she began to slowly walk at a relaxing pace to the barracks.

5th Division

Time seemed to stop for Ichigo as he heard the female Shinigami introduce herself. H-Hina…mori? But how? This…can't be. In shock, he grabbed her by the shoulders roughly. "Hinamori? Hinamori? Hinamori Is it really you?" he shouted, as if she was still a far way apart from him. Wide-eyed chocolate-orange orbs stared down at the female Shinigami, unable to believe the sight in front of it.

She was dreary white, much too pale to be considered healthy. Tired dark brown eyes indicated long, sleepless nights. A figure that had skinny arms and legs, it seemed like she hadn't eaten well either. He noticed her black hair was badly kept in a manner unfitting for a lieutenant. This wasn't the Hinamori he remembered. If she hadn't said her name, he would've overlooked her without a second thought. As this fact dawned on him, Ichigo couldn't help but keep his eyes fastened on her in surprise.

Hinamori nervously looked down and tried to pull away from Ichigo's grasp. But to no avail, his hands were too tight on her shoulders. It was certainly an awkward situation that was now the centre of attention within the fifth division.

Realizing his mistake, Ichigo quickly let go and she took a few nervous steps back. "I-I'm sorry Hinamori, I don't know what came over me," said Ichigo trying to make it sound natural. It wasn't exactly the truth but that was all he could say at the moment to try and remove the thick tension in the air.

"That's alright, Ichigo. Follow me, I'll lead the way," said Hinamori softly, who already had her back turned and was ready to lead the way. To Ichigo, it sounded like she viewed him with so much respect that she tolerated the awkward situation he had just placed her in. He didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. He didn't want her to be a pushover to those with more power, plus it seemed like she didn't value her life at all.

The walk to the sleeping quarters wasn't that far off as he imagined it would be. They crossed courtyards, small wooden bridges over river streams, and walked beside many garden trees. In the cool night air, it was a calm, peaceful walk. The two hadn't said anything to each other since, as Ichigo just followed Hinamori's footsteps.

Finally reaching the area that housed the sleeping quarters for the entire division, Ichigo was led to the one at the very end. It was also the largest. As he followed Hinamori up the steps to the entrance of his quarters, he wondered if he was feeling what Aizen felt like while walking up the stairs. The ascension of power. If he remembered correctly, the former captain Aizen had lived on the second floor.

"Kurosaki-taichou."

Shaken out of his thoughts, Ichigo refocused ahead and saw that Hinamori had opened the front sliding door, waiting for him to enter. He noticed the look of sorrow on her face and her hesitance to look directly at him but rather more at his feet. He wondered what he could do. He thought of her as a friend, but they weren't really friends. At least, not like him, Orihime, and the others. In fact, they barely knew each other, which complicated things much more. That plus the fact he wasn't good with complications in relationships, something his open and direct behaviour had always prevented from occurring in the first place. Quickly thinking on the spot, and brushing aside the snicker of his inner hollow, he came up with an idea.

Ichigo calmly walked forward towards the entrance. Sorry Hinamori, but there's no way you're going to leave here easy.

With that, he quickly brought forth his zanpakuto and for a quick instant before its wrappings came loose, passed it to an unsuspecting Hinamori who barely registered his actions before she caught it with her bare arms.

"We'll meet in an hour by the squad entrance and don't forget to bring that," he ordered, hoping it sounded like a captain's command. The trick seemed to work because Hinamori had snapped out of her thoughts.

With a surprised look on her face, and cradling his large zanpakuto against her chest with both arms, she looked up at Ichigo incredulously.

"W-why are you giving me this?" she asked, believing her captain was completely out of his mind.

"You need to lighten up, Hinamori, that's all." Giving her a reassuring smile, he then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Just... trust me on this." Not getting an immediately reply, he decided to leave it at that.

He was stopped short when she suddenly looked up at him, something he didn't expect. Her eyes glowered with genuine concern and a plead for help, but that was quickly replaced by a blank expression. "So Kurosaki-taichou... What will we be doing later tonight?"

Ichigo wasn't really prepared for her question. He didn't even think she might come out of her stupor to ask him a question like that. He wondered what look he saw in her eyes momentarily. Looking left and right, Ichigo made sure no one could hear his next words. "Well, I'm still new to this captain role, so I need you to show me around and teach me how to do things properly around here," he said a bit embarrassed.

"Oh, I see. Well, I could certainly help with that. Thank you, taichou," bowed Hinamori once more, grateful to help with a request she thought was simple.

Her unexpected subtle smile wasn't missed by Ichigo, who unprepared for it as he might, easily caught it with his trained vision. Now he was the one who was surprised. Did she really just smile, he wondered to himself. Filing the thought for later, he came back to his senses. "Please, it's Ichigo. Also there's no need to bow to me, honestly it makes me feel old. See you later." Waving her off, he stepped inside and smoothly slid the door shut behind him, leaving his zanpakuto in her care. He didn't have a moment before his private thoughts were invaded once again.

What the hell Ichigo! What are you doing, giving her your zanpakuto. Do you know how dangerous that is! Hichigo yelled into his mindspace.

Relax a bit, geez. It's only for an hour. I think that surprised her and brought her out of her thoughts a bit which is a good thing at this point. Other than that, I couldn't really give her a choice. As you can see, she's been rejecting all the help that everyone has tried to give her.

So you think refreshing her thoughts by giving her your zanpakuto, no matter how dangerous, is actually a good idea?

No, that was only the beginning. It'll also force her to come out tonight and there we can finally have a conversation face to face.

Hichigo was silent for a moment which made Ichigo feel that something was amiss. So what do you think, huh? He brought up a finger and scratched his face as he waited for a reply.

He wasn't surprised when Hichigo's response was howling with laughter. Ichigo, I don't see how this will work at all! You must be kidding me! You're a rock when it comes to people's feelings! If I were in control, I would've... but Ichigo tuned him off right there and then.

As expected, thought Ichigo. Hichigo rarely supported his decisions and always liked to joke around, make jabs, and of course insult his abilities. At least he offered good advice during battle. Ichigo sighed as he continued walking down the corridor from the entrance that led to the living room.

It wasn't a fancy living room. In fact, it was quite simplistic with a small square wooden table and four wooden chairs. There was a Japanese calligraphy painting pinned to the wall that read "Gaze into the Sun". He wondered what that meant, but shifted his attention when he saw a waterbrush painting of Shinigami fighting one giant Hollow. Drawing closer, he noted the detail was accurate and the brushstrokes were even, as if whoever had painted the picture had excellent control of their brush. That was until he saw the signature, Aizen. He almost threw up and felt his insides churn upon reading it. You think they'd have removed this by now, he said to his inner hollow. All he got back was a smirk but that was good enough for him. That was when he realized the floor he was standing on. It was some kind of hardwood floor that was laminated, very unlike the natural wooden cabin-like floors he had during his stay with the fourth squad. Maybe Soul Society had personalized it for him, trying to make it look like his home back in the real world. It made him think about his hometown, Karakura Town. He stopped to reminisce about his family back in the real world. Dad, Yuzu, Karin. I never even said goodbye to you guys, he thought to himself. He realized the cost he had paid in rushing to become a Captain without consulting his family first. Such a fool, he said to himself. His knuckles tightened as he continued to think about that decision. Seconds drew unto minutes until the pain dug from his nails reminded him of his present situation.

Wiping a tear that threatened to cloud his vision, he turned around from the wall that had the painting on it and scanned around the living room. There was a sofa and the lighting was done by light bulbs. That confirmed it, he was sure someone had tinkered with his living quarters to make him feel at home as much as possible. He couldn't think of anyone, but his best guess was Rukia. After all, she had stayed at his place many times before when she had missions in the real world. Rukia, he wondered what she was up to right now. If it was her, he really didn't know how to thank her for her kindness. Not just for making his new home feel like home, but now that he thought about it, it was her all along. It was her who taught him how to fight, it was her who teamed up with him and fought against Hollows back home, and it was also her who was involved in some way or form in every fight of his. Thinking back, he tried to remember if he had ever thanked her for anything or let her know he was grateful for her help all these years. Damn it, I was too arrogant at the time, he swore to himself. At the same time, he recognized that his spunk and courage were responsible for his rapid growth as a Shinigami. Well time to turn down the spunk and grow up a bit, he figured.

At that moment, he heard sounds of commotion outside. What the heck, trouble already? Everything was quiet just a moment ago, he thought to himself

With a sense of impatience he quickly hustled to the door and opened it.

"Damn Ichigo you actually look cut out for that uniform." Ichigo was stunned. "R-Renji? Why are you here? How did you even know I was a-"

"Captain?" Renji finished for him, not bothering to hide his all-knowing smirk. Checking both ways for any potential eavesdroppers, he quickly leaned in and whispered, "Well, the old man was willing to let us in on the secret. You know, before it becomes all official and all of Soul Society finds out. But damn Ichigo, you actually beat me to becoming Captain-"

"Renji, don't. You know I wasn't in going to, the old man just asked and I just felt I had to accept."

"Yeah I know already, Ichigo. Well anyways, we're having dinner to celebrate, so let's get going"

Ichigo slightly stiffened up as he remembered he already had something with Hinamori planned. Well, a change of plans wouldn't hurt, he said to himself. He quickly ran back inside to make sure he didn't leave anything before running outside to meet Renji.

"So uhm... how's Hinamori doing?" asked Renji, careful to lower his voice in case Hinamori was actually nearby. After all, everyone knew that the ill-famed lieutenant of fifth division was Hinamori.

Ichigo caught note of Renji's lowered tone. "Not good, I'll need to work with her to get her back to normal. Let's talk about this later."

Renji could see that although Ichigo was speaking casually, he had a serious expression. He got the meaning to save it for later. The two nodded and started walking.

It wasn't long until they exited the gates of the fifth division. Seeing Hinamori waiting patiently some distance away, Ichigo called out to her.

"Hinamori, over here!" he waved to her. He thought about whether to tell her about the change of plans, but decided not to do so. After all, it wasn't necessary considering how she didn't know what he had originally planned.

"Kurosaki-taichou, Renji," said Hinamori giving them a questioning glaze. "Is something the matter?" she asked, wondering why the two were together.

"Is something the matter, huh? Why do you have Ichigo's zanpakuto with you?" asked Renji cluelessly.

"You mean this?" replied Hinamori, cutely pointing to the huge sword that strapped across her back. "Uhm... it's for..."

"She was just taking care of it for me for a while," said Ichigo, trying hard to hide is embarrassment of not having his zanpakuto by his side. "Here, I'll take it back."

Hinamori silently obliged and began taking off the strap that allowed her to carry the sword on her back, much like how Ichigo also carried it. Ichigo watched in amazement. He couldn't believe she actually made a makeshift strap in such a short period of time, and how she easily carried his huge zanpakuto with her. But that wasn't all, she effortlessly in one single-handed swooping motion handed back his zanpakuto.

Hinamori shifted her glances between Ichigo and Renji, wondering what was going to happen next.

"Hinamori, are you ready?" said Ichigo. He wondered if it was normal for a Captain to say such words, but his doubts were cleared when he saw Hinamori nod her head. "Where are we going again, Renji?"

"It's located in Rukongai. Can't risk letting others see you before the official announcement, so Rukongai it is. Not like any Shinigami will trust the rumours that come from there anyway."

In a flash the three Shinigami disappeared with Renji leading the way.

The three of them landed in the middle of a busy street that was surrounded by the street-side houses and shops. They were in the most popular district in Rukongai that was famous for its nightlife and usually had a lot of people out at this time. It was inevitable for the group to appear out of nowhere and with their combined strong spiritual pressure, especially Ichigo's, they were instantly the centre of attention. Within a three hundred and sixty degree radius, everyone in the nearby vicinity was looking at them as if time had stopped. There were mixed expressions of surprise and fear, but the remaining held a confused expression. It wasn't long until they recognized the sacred, traditional Captain's white uniform flowing pleasantly with the hot night wind. Not only that, but this Captain was flanked by two vice-captains, something that no one had seen before.

The crowd suddenly moved back a few steps, their eyes on the orange-haired Captain who radiated strength, confidence, but most surprisingly a kind expression. But they weren't convinced. After all, they all knew too well the former captains of Soul Society, Aizen Sousuke and Ichimaru Gin, were masters at deception. They had paid dearly for that. Some wounds take more than just time to heal, and these people were a perfect example of that.

Normally, Ichigo wouldn't have cared. But with his new responsibilities and rank, he knew that he couldn't be the rash and impulsive Shinigami he once was. He was a leader now, that would soon be giving directions, and not plainly a warrior who obeyed commands. Turning to Renji, he asked, "What do we do?"

Renji shrugged, "Just keep walking, they'll know."

Taking the first step and with Renji closely following his left and Hinamori his right, Ichigo slowly walked forward. Renji was right. The crowd was relenting and with each step, they pushed back to make more room for him, dividing the crowd into two.

"Do you really know where you're going, Ichigo?" asked Renji.

"Must be somewhere here, I can feel their reiatsu," replied Ichigo, not bothering to look back at Renji. What he didn't say was that he could only feel Rukia's. His reiatsu-sensing capabilities were still not yet developed and lacking in tracking and perception. He wondered why it was always like that. Maybe it was due to Rukia transferring her powers to him that fateful night, many years ago. It was the event that started everything.

"Heh, let me show the way. The way you're going, we'll be there by midnight," snorted Renji.

Ichigo looked back to see how Hinamori was doing, but her expression was blank. He inwardly sighed. This wasn't the Hinamori that he had heard about.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was eccentric. Like most places in Rukongai, the buildings were old and run down. Inside, the place itself looked much older than it did with its poor lighting, and worn out wooden tables and chairs. Taking a glance, one might even conclude that the place was dirty and unkempt. In fact, there wasn't even a front door, the front entrance was plainly open with a patterned drape hung to mid-shoulder level from the top of the door-frame. That didn't stop them from making great business every night though. This was the epitome of nightlife in Rukongai for the middle-class, which wasn't saying much because Rukongai was a single class altogether by itself. It didn't matter, though, people knew how to enjoy themselves and in the company of others regardless of the surrounding environment. One could also say that the run-down environment contributed to the feeling of being in Rukongai. Also, the raucous spirit and night fever of the people were more than infectious. Simply put, this was the perfect place to be casual, hang out, have fun, and enjoy the scenes and sounds of the night. This was also the reason why a certain raven haired Shinigami had chosen the place to celebrate Ichigo's captaincy.

It happened again once the three of them stepped into the restaurant. The chatter almost died down as everyone began staring at the three Shinigami. A fair amount also rose up from eating and stared down hard at the three of them with arms crossed. Again, Shinigami were not very welcome in Rukongai. To have three suddenly come in, not to mention one in a captain's haori together with two lieutenants became a sudden cause of concern for everyone. They knew that Shinigami rarely came, and if it did, it was mainly due to bad news.

"Settle down, settle down. Please, there's nothing to worry about," came the smooth voice of a woman who was obviously trying to deflect attention from the group. Her voice was clear and friendly, but there was a feeling of authority and control behind those words. She instantly caught Ichigo's attention. She had long red hair that framed a beautiful clean face and went down to her shoulders. She seemed to be around their age due to her height. Her kimono dress was revealing but that wasn't all. From that, Ichigo saw that she was well-built and was definitely a fighter, unlike the many people that he had seen on the streets. He wondered who she could be but couldn't quite place her at the moment.

"My my, if it isn't Renji Abarai. Coming to visit me again?" she cooed as she came closer to the group and stopping before Renji. She eyed Renji curiously before turning to the others. "I see you brought a captain with you today too."

Renji plain ignored her before turning to his friends. "That's the owner and an old friend," he deadpanned to Ichigo and Hinamori.

"Renji! You spoiled my entrance," she laughed.

"You have an old friend?" asked Ichigo looking like a "dumbass" anime-style as he shakily pointed his finger between Renji and her. On the other hand, Hinamori stifled a laugh. "Not many people know about her, Kurosaki-taichou. Renji hopes to keep her safe by keeping his relationships hidden."

"Alright, we have some business to get to," excused Renji as he led the group away from her and towards the back of the restaurant. Ichigo and Hinamori both gave her a small smile as they passed her, which she only too happily returned.

As they made their way to their table, Ichigo's eyes were focused on Rukia. She wasn't dressed any differently, but she had a pleasant, clean look about her that he liked.

"Wait, where are you headed Renji?" asked Ichigo as they suddenly veered around a corner and out of sight of everyone. Hinamori looked confused as well, but she patiently held in her questions and instead chose to see where this was headed.

"Well, I figured we'd give them a surprise. You know, make this a bit more interesting," explained Renji.

"And how are we going to do that?" asked Ichigo. The smirk in Renji's eyes made him have a bad feeling about this.

"Simple, we're going to shunpo to our seats from here," said Renji with amusement gleaming in his eyes. Hinamori suddenly spoke up with interest, surprising them both. "Renji, do you remember the last time we did this while we were in the Academy?"

"Yeah, we scared the heck out of Kira. We're going to do the same here." They both turned to Ichigo to see his reaction to all of this. He seemed to be in deep thought. Unknown to both, he was trying to think of a way to surprise Rukia. That would definitely get back at her for all those times she stayed at his home and all those silly arguments, he figured. "Let's do this," said Ichigo feigning a smile.

On the count of three, the three of them flashed themselves into existence at the table, surprising all of the participants. But none so more than Rukia.

"Ichigo!" A shocked Rukia quickly gasped in awe at the orange-haired figure sitting across her in a captain's haori. His body posture was confident and relaxed, and he was giving her a warm smile. She couldn't help but notice how natural the haori looked on him. It cleanly accentuated his lean and fit body because the folds were in all the right places from his shoulders to his elbows, and she was sure if she looked, near the waist as well. She could sense an aura of maturity, responsibility, and authority that wasn't there before. It was faint but it was definitely there. Thinking to herself, Rukia wondered if somehow the fight with Aizen had smoothed out Ichigo's character by softening his roughness. His impulsive decision-making that came from his desire to protect, his behaviour that looked beyond rules, and his easygoing nature which often meant things weren't given full attention until they manifested into danger. Was that all starting to change? What would become of the Ichigo that she knew? Rukia shook the thoughts from her head as she gathered herself.

Taking a napkin to wipe her mouth before proceeding, Rukia regarded Ichigo calmly. But her obsidian eyes beamed with interest that wasn't missed by Ichigo. "Ichigo, or should I say Kurosaki-taichou?" she said with an all-knowing smile.

Deciding to play along, Ichigo rested his head to the side on one hand as if he was contemplating his thoughts before answering. "Surprised?" he smirked.

"Heh, barely!" Rukia folded her arms and looked to her left trying to feign disinterest. If anything, she was. But there was no way she was going to let the success get up to his head if she could help it.

"Well, then I guess you don't want to see this," said Ichigo, taking out a piece of folded paper and drawing everyone's attention. He carefully unwrapped it before showing it off, giving everyone a chance to look at it. In short, it was a chibi drawing that depicted him giving out orders arrogantly while Rukia was blindly obeying. It didn't take long for Rukia to put away her admiring thoughts and react to that.

"Give me that!" Rukia protested, trying to rip the sheet of paper away from Ichigo's fingers.

"Oh no, you don't," said Ichigo gleefully just barely keeping the paper away from her grasp. Meanwhile, everyone else at the table which included Renji, Hinamori, Orihime, Uryuu, Chad, and Ganyu just looked on with sweatdrops.

"Ichigo," voiced Orihime worriedly. Under the dim lighting, her orange hair appeared a dark brown to Ichigo, which caught him by surprise. "What's up, Orihime?" asked Ichigo. It was at that moment that Rukia grabbed the sheet of paper from him and began to look at the Chibi drawings. "Not bad Ichigo, but not as good as mine" she chuckled lightly before putting it away.

Orihime continued while looking down, "Are you feeling alright?" The question drew everyone by surprise. "I mean... you just became a captain and all," she paused and looked up at Ichigo, allowing him to see her worry swirl around in her eyes.

Ichigo relaxed at her question, fearing it was something much worse. "I'm fine, Orihime, there's nothing to worry about. Besides, I have Rukia and Hinamori here to help me along the way." Hearing his praise, Rukia couldn't help but feel proud. To hear that from Ichigo meant a lot to her. Sure it wasn't much, but Ichigo rarely gave credit or words of thankfulness. Though it was true that his behaviour wasn't a suck-up type where he would thank everyone for everything, she found it admirable for him to say that. Hinamori didn't show much though, but she did drift out of daydreaming upon hearing her name being called.

"In that case, I'm happy that you're happy," smiled Orihime, doing a complete one-eighty on her emotions. She was trying to please everyone although deep down she couldn't help but feel worried for Ichigo. She was smart enough to know that big changes rarely came without any problems.

"Well, Ichigo, here's a gift for you from all of us," said Uryuu, adjusting his glasses for a better fit as he spoke. "Chad?"

Chad reached down and came up a small box. "Congratulations, Ichigo," he said while handing it over to Ichigo.

Taking the small box, Ichigo noted that it was so small that he could hold it in one hand. It wasn't taped so he was able to open it with ease, which revealed a silver ring. "Huh what's this?" asked Ichigo. He curiously examined the ring as he tried to figure out its purpose.

"It's a reiatsu-container," explained Rukia. "It takes any excess reiatsu from you and stores it for use later on." Leaning in, she asked, "Are you going to try it on?"

"I'll put it on later," said Ichigo a bit uncomfortably. After that there was an awkward silence followed by multiple stomach growlings that caused everyone to laugh. It was Chad who was gentlemanly enough to place the orders.

It didn't take long for the food to come, before they all began to eat.

"So how does it feel... to be a captain now," asked Uryuu in his analytical voice. Not once did he look up at Ichigo, but instead concentrating on cutting his food.

The attention was now shifted to Ichigo. Everyone had wanted to ask that question. Looking up at Uryuu, Ichigo saw that he looked a bit stressed. Or rather, it seemed his mind was preoccupied on some other matter. "It's different, I guess," said Ichigo with a full mouth. Seeing the intrigued look on their faces, he continued, "I have to think about everyone else now and with the fifth squad the way it is right now, there'll be a lot of changes." He turned to Hinamori and saw her sad expression, causing him to sigh inwardly.

"I see..." said Uryuu. "So have you got anything planned yet, Ichigo?"

Ichigo shifted a bit and his eyes wavered. He knew he couldn't lie to Uryuu but at the same time he didn't want to let Hinamori know. Some of his plans involved her and it was very important that she did not find out for the time being. "Yeah, but I haven't really thought them out yet." The look he got from Uryuu told him everything. He knew Ichigo wasn't telling the whole truth, but he would accept that for now.

"In any case, we still have some time before we leave," said Uryuu, "We want to help you, Ichigo."

Those words surprised Ichigo, not expecting such kind heartfelt words from his friend. From their glances, he could see that they all shared the same opinion. A swell of emotion suddenly surged up inside Ichigo and he felt his eyes get teary.

"Woah, Ichigo you aren't getting all teary, are you?" asked Ganju who was eating messily. Ichigo grinned at him as he wiped the little tears away with his forearm, "Not even."

"There's something I want to ask you," said Rukia, to which Ichigo nodded. "What is it?"

"That form you were in when you defeated Aizen. Just what in the world was that?" Ichigo winced on the inside and suddenly felt all the warmth leave him. She could have asked anything else but that question. That was one question that he did not want to answer, and certainly not right now. Her obsidian eyes focused straight into him, not begging but demanding an answer.

Ichigo started slowly, "Well, the thing is, I...", he paused to rephrase his words for a lesser effect but decided to let it out entirely to his friends. "That was my complete Hollow transformation." There was no way he was going to hide in the shadows now that he had accomplished so much. If they had any objections and wanted to challenge him on this issue, he would gladly face them head on. There were a few shocks and gasps around the table, mostly coming from Ganju and Hinamori. The rest had an idea that Ichigo was tapping into his hollow powers, but this was the first time that he confirmed it. Not only that, but it was a complete transformation, surpassing their expectations. Deciding to lessen the tension, he added calmly, "I have full control over my powers, so there's nothing to worry about."

"I hope you do, Ichigo," said Rukia, heaving a sigh. She still had some reservations about Ichigo's unholy power, but for now she was satisfied with his answer. At least he came clean about it, she thought to herself.

There was a brief moment of silence after which a hell butterfly sudddenly popped into view and landed softly on Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo looked at it curiously but didn't dare to move, the first time being so up close to it.

A large group of Menos Grande have been detected outside the West Gate. The fifth squad is to respond immediately. Count fifty and rising, please take caution. -Y.

"It can't be," gasped Orihime.

"Wait, that's strange, the second squad is usually the first response to any threats both internal and external," explained Rukia.

"Well then why is..."

Looks of shock and horror grew on their faces as they realized the implications. Ichigo suddenly stood up. "Hinamori! I want you to gather the second division. The rest can come with me."

"But why not-"

"There's no time!" Ichigo hissed impatiently, involuntarily flashing his immense reiatsu and surprising everyone. Hinamori was quickly put into her place as she left at once via shunpo. Ichigo instantly regretted his impulsive behaviour, but quickly focused on his group again.

"We're going, now," he stared hard at them, more frustrated with himself than with the others.

They couldn't believe their eyes when they got there. Bodies were strewn over the wasteland, and the ground was sprayed with crimson blood. Shinigami blood. The battlefield, or what was left of it, was silent as the wind blew without any thought. A lot of bodies laid flat on the ground, with some slumped against trees, and others on the ground in awkward positions, probably how they looked at their time of death.

"Impossible..." muttered Rukia as she worriedly scanned the dead. They were from the second squad, with both Onmitsukidō and regular second squad members among the dead, judging by their uniforms.

A sudden movement caught their eyes, whom they easily identified from the purple collar. Omaeda!

They quickly ran up to him. "What happened here?" said Ichigo loudly, trying his best to not shout under the stressful circumstance.

Orihime knelt down to inspect his injuries. "Sōten Kisshun!"

Omaeda was hurt badly. His uniform was roughed up and dirt lightly covered his face. He couldn't even lift himself up as much as he strained. His limbs were probably all broken. It disgusted Ichigo. Not his ugly face, but his painful condition. "Ichigo..." he mouthed, his voice barely as it whisper. "Tell me me what happened," said Ichigo immediately. "They, they..." started Omaeda but he began breathing harder and harder. "I need to know, please!" pleaded Ichigo. "They're here," said Omaeda using his last strength to push away the pain so that he could pronounce the words Ichigo needed to hear. "Here? What do you mean?" shouted Ichigo.

"Orihime!" Ichigo looked at Orihime.

"I know, I know, I'm doing my best already," she patiently responded. "He's passed out, that's all."

"What does he mean they're here?" said a frustrated Ichigo, turning to the group. But they were just as stumped as he was.

Ichigo suddenly jumped back, his battle instincts telling him there was danger. Chunks of dirt flew into the air as a footmark suddenly appeared on the ground. The group took a circular defensive position as each person guarded against an attack from one direction.

"They're invisible!" shouted Ichigo. He quickly looked over his shoulder and saw that the others had avoided the unseen attack. Could it be possible that they timed their simultaneous invisible attacks to wipe them out at once? A sudden surge in reiatsu forced him to refocus ahead, he could see it! "Cero!" he cried. Leaping out of harm's way and turning to face the group, he noticed that there six charged ceros. One for each of them which included Orihime, Rukia, Renji, Chad, Uryu, and Ganju. Luckily enough, each of them were able to take notice and leaped out at the last possible second.

"Guys, out of the way, I'll take care of this," shouted Uryuu. To emphasize his point, he drew out Ginrei Kojaku, his Quincy bow that was radiant blue.

Perfect, thought Ichigo. They wouldn't need to be able to see them, they just needed to hit them. With Uryuu's bow that could fire twelve hundred arrows per second, it should be easy.

A massive wave of blue energized arrows shot through the air. Left, centre, and right the Menos Grande lost their invisibility shield as they were struck down. A clean sweep. It was a relentless attack, with efficiency at its highest point as almost all arrows struck the massed Menos Grande. At the end of the barrage, they counted almost a hundred dead.

"Kurosaki-taichou!" came a shout. It was Hinamori, and she had the rest of the fifth division behind her. There were only five others behind her.

"Looks like we're done here," said Renji as he bent down to examine the corpses.

"Umm… Hinamori?" Ichigo asked politely.

"Yes, taichou?"

"Why are there only five members of the squad behind you? Where are the others?" he pointed out.

"I'm sorry, but these were the five who were ready to come at a moment's notice," replied Hinamori. She looked down to hide her shame.

"Hate to break it to you Ichigo, but your squad is plain out of shape," noted Rukia. Walking up to Ichigo, she looked up to see his reaction and was surprised to see anger on his face.

"And why were the others not battle ready?" asked Ichigo. He sounded pissed and everyone who looked up in surprise saw it. His right hand which was still holding his zanpakuto clenched hard, which didn't go unnoticed by the others.

"They… they don't think I have the authority anymore," said Hinamori. If Ichigo had looked at her, he would've seen tears falling down her face. But he wasn't. He was staring hard at the ground as anger grew inside him.

Hinamori couldn't take it anymore. "Ichigo, I-," but it was too late.

"We're done here, let's move," said Ichigo as he began walking back to the main gate of Sereitei leaving behind Hinamori and the others.

"Ichigo, wait!" called Rukia as she ran after him.