Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ BLEACHed Blitzkrieg ❯ Political Manuevering ( Chapter 2 )

Title: BLEACHed Blitzkrieg
Author(s): SanadaSayuri & Deragonmaji
Disclaimer: No money is made off this work of fiction. Bleach is not mine. If it was, I would be rich and I wouldn’t be writing this, now would I?
Summary: In a world where Kurosaki Masaki survived and is a world renowned political power, can her firstborn, Kurosaki Ichigo step up to the plate? What if he were to put his mother's teachings to use? AU
Pairing:
Note: Just another case of plot bunnies gone wild. Sorta AUish and crackish. Collab with Deragonmaji.

Chapter 2

“No! You can’t expect me to tell him that!”

Shunsui stared hard at the man in front of him and said firmly, “Listen to reason, Isshin. He’s spoken with the voice of a politician once at a time when doing so could get him killed. There’s no guarantee that he won’t do it a second time at just as inopportune a moment, and likewise, there is no way to guarantee that he won’t get killed because of it. Little brother, you didn’t see Aizen’s face after Ichigo convinced Tousen to stay in Seireitei. Aizen was furious that he had been thwarted and deprived of an ally, Isshin. If Tousen and Komamura had not moved in between Aizen and Ichigo, and if other members of the Gotei 13 had not been so close, the child would be dead now.”

“He is his mother’s heir! They have been working for years to cultivate this sort of political instinct in him! You’re asking me to crush my son’s dream of succeeding his mother as a politician!” Isshin barked.

“No, Isshin,” Shunsui said, “I’m not telling you to stop his political endeavors. I’m telling you to tell him to stop doing it in Seireitei. You have already practically yelled that he’s your son to the world in the fourth division headquarters. There are plenty of shinigami in Seireitei old enough to know that you are my brother. It won’t be long before scuttlebutt gets around, and then there won’t be any place in Seireitei that is safe for him, except perhaps in the Kyouraku Estate.”

“Shunsui, brother,” Isshin said quietly, “You know that he’ll have to deal with politics in Seireitei once his heritage becomes common knowledge.”

“And I’m trying to see that he need not deal with it while he still has a life to live in the transient world!” Shunsui hissed.

“He needs to learn,” Isshin said, “And where better than here?”

“I have no problems with him learning here,” Shunsui said, “but I am worried as to the repercussions of his actions. In the transient world, he is the son of a well known politician, yes, but his actions are, in the eyes of the living, insignificant, at least as long as he remains out of the public eye. He has no such luxury in Seireitei. Here, his every movement will be monitored and picked apart by various nobility and elders by simply being born in a noble house. Not even his position, child of the third son, will keep the nobility from trying to use him against us, you know this. And even if we can protect him from our own people, then think about it. He demonstrated that he is good at convincing people to see things as he sees it, showed that he is knowledgeable enough about human nature that he could accurately deduce Aizen’s intentions and plans from the barest minimum of information that Aizen gave him. He infuriated Aizen by costing him an ally, but at the same time, impressed him with his speaking and deductive abilities. Aizen will want him for those powers alone.”

“Then what do you want me to do about it?” Isshin asked, “He wants to succeed his mother in her work, and goodness only knows how many diplomatic messes shinigami get into on a daily basis. I think it will be good for him, brother, if he can learn to act under duress.”

“Not when he has the eyes of the enemy on him!”

“Ah, I thought I would find the both of you here,” an aged voice said.

“Ah! Sotaichou!” Isshin cried, leaping to his feet.

“Yama-jiji!” Shunsui said, turning to look lazily at his former teacher now commander.

Yamamoto-Genryusei Shigekuni studied Shunsui and Isshin, his eyes easily discerning the tension between the two brothers. He had no doubt as to why the tension was there and the identity of the person who was the cause of it.

“The two of you should not argue,” the older shinigami said, “not even if your ideas as to how to protect your own flesh and blood differ. But both of you brought up good points. As such, I suggest we give both sides what they want. As long as he has a life in the transient world, Kurosaki-kun does not use his political power in Seireitei unless allowed to do so by his family or a ranked member of the Gotei 13, and in the meantime, Kurosaki-kun learn all he can about Seireitei and study the arts of strategy and diplomacy under the Captains of the Gotei 13 for as long as he is in Seireitei. He will form bonds and allies, and at the same time, he will not be so easily reached by Aizen.” Silence fell as the two men contemplated the commander general’s words. “If he is given a bit of background understanding, he may well become an invaluable asset to Seireitei. Consider it. It is easily the best option you have at the moment.”

With that said, the commander general left.

Several minutes passed and then there was the sound of something breaking.

“What the hell was that?!” Isshin snarled. “I’m not letting my son become a tool for Soul Society! Damn that senile old man!”

Shunsui frowned at the door through which his former teacher had left. He only vaguely registered his younger brother’s indignant ranting. Now, exactly what had that been? Surely the Commander General would not come all this way just to add his own two cents into the discussion, especially not to put so bluntly that he wished them to mold Ichigo into a political tool for Seireitei…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ichigo blinked at Yoruichi and his father as they entered his room in the visitor’s barracks in the fourth division with a stack of books.

“Yo,” Yoruichi grinned.

“Um, what’s all this?” Ichigo asked.

“Books, boy,” Isshin said.

“Gee, I’d have never figured,” Ichigo retorted sarcastically. “What I’m asking is what those are for.”

“Well,” Yoruichi said, “after your father’s little stunt in front of the fourth division, practically all of Seireitei is going to know that you’re nobility. We’re adding to your education of course, so you can deal with the stuff that goes on in Seireitei as well if the situation calls for it.”

“Joy,” Ichigo muttered, “More studying.”

“Don’t worry, Ichigo,” Isshin smiled, “Not everything you’re learning will be book work. You’ll learn tactics and strategy, with Ukitake-san, hone your zanjutsu with me, practice your footwork and hakuda with Yoruichi and Soi Fong, and you’ll learn to control your reiatsu from Unohana-taichou, and if you wish, Nii-san would be more than happy to help you with kido.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes and wondered why his life always had to be so complicated.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was many hours later after that first day of training when Ichigo collapsed into his bed. He weakly rolled over and placed his hands over his eyes.

"That woman.... Is the devil...." he groaned. He shuddered as the day's training with Yoruichi and the Ninja Woman replayed itself in his head. While the studying with Ukitake had gone rather smoothly, as had the reiatsu control with the kindly fourth division taicho, the physical training had his muscles quivering like overcooked noodles.

Ichigo's brow twitched as he imagined Yoruichi laughing and having a wonderful time thinking up new ways to put him through hell. He rolled to his side and drifted into an exhausted slumber.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Morning saw Ichigo rising and nearly doubling over from the various shooting pains up and down his limbs that spoke of what he had gone through the day before.

The deathberry groaned and stretched on his way to the bathroom, and the nice relaxing soak that awaited him there.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After the bath, Ichigo was surprised to find that with the combination of stretching, and the heated water soothing his battered body, his muscles didn't hurt quite so much.

"I wonder how long it will last..." Ichigo scowled as he envisioned the training that was scheduled for that day in 'Damn Cat/Ninja's Boot Camp' as he aptly named it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

While Ichigo was suffering through Yoruichi and Soi Fong’s training and applying his considerable intellect in Ukitake’s and Unohana’s teaching, Isshin had received a private summons from the sotaichou.

Yamamoto-Genryusei Shigekuni had not been surprised to find out that Kurosaki Ichigo was actually the former Kyouraku Isshin’s son. The boy resembled his father in personality from back when Isshin was still a shinigami of the Gotei 13. No, to tell the truth, he had been incredibly surprised.But it had opened his eyes to how weak Seireitei actually was, and how strong a child born of a union between humans and Shinigami could be. To be raised in the human world with the belief that one was human and had the specter that was death hovering over his shoulder had brought the boy to throw his all into everything he did, resulting in incredible strength of will that could change Seireitei to its very core if only all its Shinigami could possess it. His only worry was how far that will could lead the boy. No, better if Kurosaki Ichigo was bought under the control of Seireitei as much as possible before he could decide that he did not wish to follow the ways of Soul Society. Such power could not go anywhere but in Soul Society, and Yamamoto-Genryuusei Shigekuni had every intention of putting the boy’s power to good use. Now if only he could convince the boy’s father to stay, so the boy would have incentive to return to Seireitei every now and again…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Isshin took a steadying breath as he pushed open the doors to the first division. His eyes locked onto those of the Soutaicho.

Yamamoto looked up as the former-taicho walked in. "Ah, Kurosaki-san, welcome. Sasakibe-fukutaicho, bring refreshments, if you would." The first division vice captain nodded once and trotted out of the office. Yamamoto gestured to the chair in front of his desk.

Isshin sat himself in the chair and looked straight ahead.

"You may be wondering why I asked you to be here today." Yamamoto nodded his thanks to Sasakibe as he accepted the offered tea, Isshin doing the same. Sasakibe smiled and took a seat at his own desk to resume work.

Yamamoto took a drink and regarded Isshin. "I'll be rather frank with you, Kurosaki-san. Seireitei needs your help."

Isshin raised an eyebrow, lightly setting the cup of untouched tea down on the table. "My help? Why would you need this when you have many fine and established Taichos'?"

"While this is true, it may also be said that Aizen is still powerful. The 3 traitors left a gap in the ranks of the Gotei 13. The slack from those 3 divisions has been taken up by a few of the others, the 10th in perticular. This is causing a strain on the entirety of Soul Society. I fear that all of it may be too much for them to handle. We need Taichos to fill the positions."

"Basically, you want me to become a taicho?"

Yamamoto nodded gravely. "I implore you to consider it. We are in dire need of leaders right now."

“But what about Tousen? To my understanding, he did not leave.”

“He considered it. While he was swayed to remain instead of defecting, he was, if for a brief time, an enemy. That must be taken into consideration. Tousen is currently under suspension.”

“I hate to say it,” Isshin said, “but I refuse. I have a family to think of, and a son to train. My wife is almost never home, and if I am a captain, even as an acting captain, I too, will rarely be home. If that is the case, then who will care for my two daughters? It would be unfair to expect Ichigo to care for both of his sisters while juggling schoolwork and his shinigami and political training.” He stood up and bowed, and left.

Yamamoto’s eyes followed the man out the door and narrowed. This would not do. Not at all. “Sasakibe,” he said quietly.

“Sotaicho?”

“At the next Vice-Captain’s meeting tomorrow, kindly mention this conversation to Matsumoto-fukutaicho.”

“Yes, sotaicho.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“No, Rangiku,” Isshin said. “I don’t know where you heard this from…”

“Sasakibe-fukutaicho told me,” Matsumoto whined, “besides, you can oversee Ichigo’s training all the more easily this way, right?”

“Nii-san can do that,” Isshin said, “and Ukitake-san and Unohana-taicho are willing to help out as well.”

“But we need the help! Hinamori is too broken to do anything! I’m already helping out Shuuhei! Renji is pulling most of Kira’s workload, and taichou is taking care of Hinamori’s work while pulling his own! We can’t keep this up, taichou!”

Isshin sighed. “I’m not you taichou anymore, Rangiku. But I’ll consider it.”

Rangiku smiled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“What article in the Shinigami Accords describes the amount of permissible interaction between a human and shinigami?” Shunsui asked.

“It is Article 124, Clause 7, Paragraph B of the Shinigami Accords,” Ichigo answered.

“Good,” Ukitake nodded, “The description of action to be taken concerning the memories of a spiritually aware human who has come into prolonged contact with a shinigami is noted where?”

“It is Article 27, Clauses 1, 3, and 4,” Ichigo said.

“You forgot Clause 6, Paragraph C and Clause 10, Paragraph H,” an icy voice said from behind them.

Ichigo jumped and twisted round. “Toushiro!”

“It’s Hitsugaya-taicho to you!”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Ichigo.& #8221;

Ichigo turned and blinked at his unusually grim looking father. “Dad?”

“We need to talk.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So basically, you’re going to become a captain, and you want me to take care of the girls while you’re in Seireitei and mom’s not home?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

“I’m going to go tell Masaki about this. You and your friends will come after us when they get the Senkaimon stabilized in about a week or so, alright?”

“Right.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC…