AN: I'm back! It's been so long since I last wrote but I've been working on this story on and off for over a year now and have finally finished it. This is slash (like almost all of my stories) and slow budding Toushiro/Ichigo fluff.

IMPORTANT: This is a rather different story because I jump around between past and present. Italics are the past storyline and regular font is the present.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

He was small—smaller than the other kids his age. Had it not been for the massive amount of reiatsu flowing from him at any given point in time he probably wouldn't have given the boy a second look. But that wasn't the case. His orange hair was obnoxiously bright and his constant self-loathing scowl drew away from his physical appearance but that didn't matter. What mattered was the boy's power. With the right training, he could make that scrawny child into the perfect weapon. He watched from the shadows the nearby birch tree created. The boy was at the park, sitting quietly on a patch of grass, watching his two little sisters play tag with rapt attention.

Urahara smirked. The boy was over protective and family-oriented, with the right incentive he would have the boy eating out of the palm of his hand. Ichigo had already lost his mother two years prior, so Urahara knew the child would do anything from preventing something so catastrophic from happening again. This would be too easy.

It was raining hard, making Ichigo's bright orange bangs stick to his forehead. His mother walked next to him, swinging his hand lightly while he told his mom all about his karate class they had just come from and how the only reason he lost to Tatsuki was because she had cheated.

All of a sudden he stopped and stared down at the river. There was a little girl standing by the edge. His eyes widened as the breeze picked up causing her white dress to flap violently against her sides, threatening to throw her into the raging waters below. "Be careful," Ichigo screamed. "It's dangerous over there!" He ran down the hill, intent on saving the little girl, his mother ran after him, screaming his name as they began to stumble down the steep decline.

As they reached the bottom, the little girl turned into a giant monster. The nine year old Ichigo screamed in terror as the monster tore through his mother's body. Her blood soaked through Ichigo's already rain-soaked clothing causing him to shiver. Her body landed on top of him and he screamed again. The monster began to advance toward the pinned boy when a voice broke though the rain, "Thank you, Grand Fisher. Your services are no longer required. Please return."

Ichigo blinked and the monster was gone. As he closed his eyes, his adrenaline finally receding, he saw the blurry outline of a green and white striped hat.

Too easy.

Urahara smiled cruelly down at the boy sitting on his knees in front of him. Large tears fell down the boy's face. "Please let me go back, Mister," he cried, keeping his eyes trained on the wooden clogs in front of him.

Urahara knelt down in front of him and placed a comforting had on his shoulder, giving him a sympathetic upturn of his lip. "I told you Ichigo, as soon as you help me I will allow you to return to your family. It's very simple."

Ichigo let out another sob, "O-Okay."

Urahara gave him a proud smile and stood up, brushing the invisible dirt off of his pants. "Now, get back out there and fight Jinta again. You aren't nearly strong enough to defeat any of my enemies."

Ichigo nodded and picked up a cleaver almost larger than he was. A red-headed boy standing on the other side of the field gave the new comer a pitying look before raising his oversized bat and swung at the tiny boy again.

Isshin sighed sadly, holding back the tears that threatened to over take him. First his beloved wife and now his only son—what had he done to deserve this kind of cruel treatment? He held his remaining two children close to his sides as they stood over the small casket that held his body. Isshin didn't understand how this even happened.

Ichigo had gone to karate practice, like always, and then walked home with Tatsuki. It wasn't until the car ran a red light that everything changed. Isshin bit his lip. What idiot would just run over a child like that? He looked over to a tear-stained Tatsuki and her mother, he pitied the kid. He could barely hold it together and he hadn't even been there when it happened, he didn't know how she could still be functioning—she was strong, he give her that much.

He hadn't been there. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He hadn't been there. If he had taken over Masaki's job of picking up Ichigo, he wouldn't be standing here in front of his little boy's casket. I was all his fault. Karin let out another loud sob and buried her head into his stomach.

He had to be strong—for his daughters. He wouldn't dwell on this tragedy; he had two other children to think about.

Kurosaki Ichigo was dead.

His name was Hirako Shinji. Urahara had said he and his friends would be taking care of him for awhile. Urahara told him that Hirako and the others were the same as him and wouldn't hesitate to kill him should he disobey orders. To say he was obedient would be putting it lightly.

The first time Shinji met him he was astounded that someone so young had defected. But he couldn't really judge, he decided, on physical appearance because he himself looked nothing like his actual age. Ichigo was quiet. According to Urahara, he had fallen victim to Aizen's hollowification and was forced to cast himself out of the Seireitei because of it.

Urahara placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, "Shinji, I'd like you to meet Ichigo. This is the boy I was telling you about—the one who was attacked by Aizen. He'll need some training in controlling his hollow and any other training you are willing to give him while you're at it. He was just out of the academy so his kido is almost nonexistent but he's got a pretty mean flash-step."

Shinji smirked, "Better than Yoruichi's?"

Urahara laughed, "Maybe one day but not yet." Urahara pushed on Ichigo's back making him stumble forward, "One more thing, Hirako-san—don't ask about his past, it gets him quite upset."

The blonde nodded and took a hold of Ichigo's shoulder and lead the boy into the warehouse. "Welcome to your new temporary home, Kurosaki-kun."

At first, the young boy would jump at every sound and it would take hours to get him to say even one word. Ichigo made Hiyori mad without even try to, therefore, more times than not she made him her unwilling sparring partner. Rose always gave him a sad half-smile whenever they were in the same room which wasn't all that uncharacteristic of him. Neither was Lisa's aloof nature or Mashiro's optimistic, childlike curiosity towards him. What was curious, however, was Kensei's protective nature over the boy. It surprised everyone the first time he stopped Hiyori's sword from clashing with an already bruised and broken Ichigo.

"That's enough," He said, withdrawing his own sword from a wide-eyed Hiyori's neck. "You go at him like that again and you'll kill him." Kensei went over to a heavily breathing Ichigo and lifted him up easily. "Let's go get you healed up, kid." Ichigo nodded and held on tightly to the silver haired man's neck.

The two ascended the stairs and Hachi followed after a pointed look from Kensei. "Well, isn't this a strange turn of events," Shinji stated, resting his hands above his head as he too began walking up the stairs.

Hiyori huffed and crossed her arms, "What was that all about? I thought Kensei didn't like anyone. What makes this Ichigo kid so special?" She growled and stomped her foot like a child. "I don't like that punk. There's something off with him. Like he's not really who he says he is."

Love placed a heavy hand on top of her head, "If he's lying, it's not by his own fault."

Rose nodded in agreement before leaving the room, "He'll tell us the truth when he's ready," He called out over his shoulder. "All we have to do is wait."

News of Aizen's defection had spread like wildfire and Yamamoto-Soutaichou made a formal apology to the visords, inviting them back as high ranking officers. Most of them readily agreed, wanting to get out of the human world, but some took a little more prodding that other—namely Hiyori—to return and help those that cast them out. Eventually, they all did agree to come back and as they were ready to become shinigami again. They packed what little they had accumulated and met Urahara outside of the warehouse.

Ichigo clung to Kensei's arm as they made their way outside. "You'll be fine kid; Kisuke'll take care of ya."

Ichigo rested his head against the older man's lower back and shook his head minutely. He didn't want to go back to Urahara's shop; he liked it with Kensei and Shinji. Over the past few years Ichigo had grown very close to the two men. He had even dared to think of them as father figures before he remembered where he was and who they worked for. Ichigo sighed sadly and gave the silver haired man a hug goodbye before walking over to a glossy-eyed Shinji and doing the same.

"We'll see ya' later, Ichi," Shinji said patting his orange spike affectionately. "This isn't goodbye forever." Ichigo nodded and gave the others small hugs, though steering clear of Hiyori, before walking over to a forever-smiling Urahara.

He was interrupted, however, by Hiyori clearing her throat, "You forgot someone, little strawberry," She said, unfolding her arms in what would be a friendly gesture if it weren't for the angry scowl on her face. Slowly, he made his way over to her and wrapped his tiny arms around her waist. He was surprised when she returned the hug as fiercely and motherly as his own mother used to, nearly making him uncomfortable had he not felt the slight shaking of her shoulders in silent, dry sobs. Finally, she pulled away, "Don't get weak on me, you hear me, strawberry. I plan on sparing with you again. It'd be boring if I defeated you easily."

Ichigo gave her a small smile, knowing that that was her way of showing affection.

He waved sadly as the gate closed behind their retreating backs. As soon as the doors were completely closed, Urahara dropped his smile and smacked the boy upside the head. "I told you to be good, not get attached... Stupid brat," He grabbed Ichigo's arm roughly and began making his way back to the Shōten. "Let's go, there's work to be done."

"Shinji-san," Ichigo asked walking into the room, "Are you here?"

The outlandish blonde popped up from behind the couch, a large stick in his mouth. "Hello Ichi-kun," He said, taking the stick out of his mouth. "What can I do for you?"

Ichigo gave him a weird look and pointed at the stick held loosely in his hand, "What's that for?"

Shinji smiled and threw it over his shoulder, "It's nothing important. Did you need something or did you just want to hang out with the amazingly wonderful Shinji?" He wiggled his eyebrows comically making the small boy laugh.

"I was just wondering what you were doing. I finished all of the dishes so I was wondering what else you wanted me to do."

Shinji walked over to him and picked him up by the waist and swung him around making him laugh, "You can take the rest of the day off—as soon as I tickle you!" He wrapped one arm around Ichigo's slim torso and used the other one to attack his sides mercilessly.

"No," Ichigo squealed. "Please don't tickle me!"

The blonde laughed, "If you want me to stop, you know what I must hear."

Ichigo shook his head, tears of mirth running down his cheeks. "Never!"

"Then prepare to be tickled."

Ichigo giggled as Shinji tickled him more viciously than before. Soon, though, Ichigo began having trouble breathing and he realized that Shinji honestly wouldn't stop until he had said it. "S-Stop!" Ichigo yells in vain, hoping that the blonde would take mercy on him. He didn't. "P-Please stop, Sh-Shinji-sama!"

He ceased his actions making the boy sigh in relief. "Now that wasn't so hard was it, Ichi-kun?"

Ichigo laughed airily, still trying to catch his breath, "You're mean, Shinji-san." Shinji raise his arm menacingly. "Shinji-sama! Shinji-sama!" He yelled.

Shinji laughed, "Come on, Ichi-kun. Let's go see if we can sneak some ice cream out of the kitchen."

Hachi paused in the doorway and stated, "Not happening," before continuing on his way.

It wasn't until ten years later that Urahara decided it was time to carry out his master plan. He gathered the children he had been collecting for the past fifty years in the basement of his store. A large pair of wooden pillars were looming over the children making them on edge.

"Today," Urahara began, spreading his arms in a warm, welcoming gesture. "We will make history. On this day, the Soul Society will pay for what they did to us. They will pay, not with money, but with their lives. Each and every one of them will fall and we will create a new world on top of their ashes." He gave a wide smile and looked down on the children before him (though, most of them couldn't really be considered children anymore). They all nodded their heads robotically and moved into their practiced formation.

Ichigo stood at the front, next to Urahara, ready to give the command when ordered to. He would be leading a small group into the heart of Seireitei; their job was to take out the captain commander and anyone else who stood in their way. Ichigo cringed at the thought of what he would have to do. It's for my family, He thinks, As soon as this is over I will be able to go home and pretend that this never happened.

He unsheathed his zanpakuto at the shop owner's command and motioned for his small group to do the same. The pillars lit up and a rip appeared into the Dangai. Ichigo nodded one last time to the children behind him and jumped through the doorway, the others close behind.

"Urahara-san," Tessai began, bowing lowly before standing again and placing himself slightly behind the storeowner as they gazed out the window at the small children training below. "If I may ask, why did you decide to use children? It seems rather impractical to me to use those who have not yet gained their full shinigami potential or their full body potential. I feel as though we will lose more than we will gain."

Urahara smirked down at the sight below. "Think about it, Tessai-san. Would you willingly attack a small child at full force?"

Tessai looked down for a moment, contemplating. "I suppose that I wouldn't, but that doesn't mean the other captains won't hesitate."

"Ahhh," Urahara sighed happily, "Think harder, Tessai-san. Even if they don't stop themselves from attacking, they will still unconsciously slow down and lessen their blows. It's in human nature to pity the young and weak. These, my friend," Urahara said, pointing down towards the sweating youngsters, "Are the walking definition of that." Tessai nodded and grunted in approval. "The Soul Society will pay for what they did to us. They will regret ever trying to arrest us. And these little kiddies will aid our revenge."

"What will happen to them when this is all over?"

The blonde smirked evilly, "If they aren't already dead by the time this is finished then we will make sure they follow in Jinta and Ururu-chan's footsteps."

AN: Thank you for reading! Please review and the next chapter will be out in the next couple of days.