Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Like Father, Like Son ❯ Mutual Secrets ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Like Father Like Son
By StarbearerTM
Rating T
Warning: Violence and language
Spoilers: Current Bleach chapter 398, and Arrancar Arc
Genre: General, implied romance
Pairing: RukiaxIchigo
Word count: ~4300
Disclaimer: I don’t own Bleach, Tite Kubo created the characters and they are licensed by Shonen Jump. This is a work of fanfiction. I don’t make any money writing it and it is for fan entertainment only.


***

Ichigo and Rukia had visited soul Society to formalize Ichigo's intention on a permanent relationship for the past week. While Byakuya had his reservations he had agreed that a union between his sister and Ichigo would be acceptable provided Ichigo follow the proper decorum. Which meant a formal engagement ceremony. Ichigo endured it with his usual frustration for Rukia's sake.

However Ichigo faced the problem that he hadn't introduced Rukia formally to his family. Just how was he going to do that?

While Byakuya and Rukia shared tea and discussed mutual concerns about marriage between Rukia and Ichigo, Renji kept Ichigo busy on the squad 6 training grounds. However, it was more of a chance to probe Ichigo for how things were going with Rukia in addition to sparring. So far, they had just taken things easy.

“So yer sayin some old suitior of Rukia’s bitchin’ that he got a raw deal, huh?” Renji asked, swinging Zabimaru around his head.

Ichigo brought up Zangetsu to block. “That’s right. This jerk has the balls to interrupt a dinner with Rukia’s captain in public and yell like a jackass till I grabbed his butt to kick him out.”

“Man, why didn’t you tell us! You should have come to Kuchiki Taicho and me!” Renji snapped.

“Rukia wanted to handle it on her own. So did I. We don’t always need your clan coming to the rescue,” Ichigo mumbled, glaring at him.

“You wanna protect Rukia, that’s fine. But you’re forgetting we did that LONG before you showed up,” said Renji angrily, shoving Ichigo back.

“Maybe that is the case, but Rukia wants to show she’s independent!” Ichigo countered, swinging Zangetsu by its bandaged hilt. Renji leapt out of the way, as it crashed towards him.

“You wanna be the big hero and protect her is what you’re saying,” Renji interrupted.

“Maybe that’s the case, it’s just that… I don’t want to hurt her feelings,” Ichigo said suddenly, breaking off his attack. “I don’t want to just protect her physically but… emotionally too.”

“And it didn’t occur to ya t’ ask yer friends for help? What the hell, Ichigo!” Renji snapped, punching him in the side of the head. Ichigo went flying.

“Aww give me a break!” Ichigo growled, pushing up from the crater he had formed with his face. He still clutched Zangetsu in his right hand. “Look, that’s the reason we’re here now…”

Using Zangetsu like a cane Ichigo forced the point into the ground and raised himself up. Renji lowered Zabimaru and strode over to him.

“Well it’s about fucking time,” Renji said, reaching down to drag him to his feet. “But ya shoulda come to us earlier…”

“Okay I screwed up, so sue me,” Ichigo admitted, waved him away. “You know how stubborn she is… you grew up with her. She didn’t want anyone else’s help…”

“Yeah, I know. Her brother’s the only one who can talk sense into her sometimes if she won’t listen to you and me,” Renji chuckled, shaking his head.

“She’d kick my ass,” Ichigo laughed. “Or freeze it.”

Renji rested Zabimaru on his shoulder, so the tines faced up. He rested the other hand on his hip, glaring at Ichigo. “So you finally wanna marry her huh? Yer too damn young.”

“I know. But she said that an engagement works just as well,” Ichigo said with a shrug. “Besides we’ve got plans. She wants to continue the seating trials and I’m going to college a year early…”

“Year early?” Renji asked, watching Ichigo dust off Zangetsu. Holding it up away from him he willed the bandages to sheath it again before putting it on his back.

“I’ve gotten into a program that’s a six year option. You take classes year round as an undergrad then get right into the medical program if you survive the first few years. Ishida told me about it. He is also qualified. Even though I’m a substitute I’ve still kept my grades up to graduate early.”

“How are ya gonna balance being a doctor in the living world and a substitute in this one?” Renji asked.

“Ukitake Taicho said that it may work. If Rukia’s assigned to short-term living world contracts to work with me, it would not be as if she would be living a second life. Then when I die I’ll simply transfer over and go to the academy or something and be a fully fledged Shinigami,” said Ichigo.

“Not much of a way to live, but at least ya did the right thing standin’ up for Rukia,” Renji mumbled, glaring away. He sealed Zabimaru in a flash of energy, then flipped it over to sheath his zanpakuto.

“I know you’re pissed and sore she didn’t pick you. I’m sorry about that,” Ichigo started.

“Way more to it than that. I’ve gotten over that. It’s just that there’s old shit that comes to mind. And the fact you wanted to push me outta helping protect her as a friend is what is pissing me off now,” Renji said, grabbing the front of Ichigo’s robe.

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Ichigo said quietly, glancing at the ground.

“We’re gonna be family, Ichigo. Not sure how this all makes sense but I’d say brothers in law,” Renji said quietly. “You gotta trust me an’ Kuchiki Taicho.”

“The guy hates my guts, Renji,” Ichigo mumbled, rolling his eyes. “I barely tolerate his ass and he barely tolerates mine.”

“Not true,” Renji said quietly. “Look, he’d kill me if he knew I told ya this… but…”

“What?” Ichigo asked, as Renji let go of his kimono. He dusted himself off and saw Renji glancing warily from side to side.

“He doesn’t think yer all that bad. Sure he thinks yer rude, pushy, loud…”

“So are you,” Ichigo said.

“So ya see, that’s my point,” Renji said, slugging him on the back. “You really are a dumbass.”

“Well I’m NOT wearing those tubes in my hair when I get married,” Ichigo said, glaring at him.

“That’s just optional. Ginrei sama didn’t. It’s just one of those older clan traditions that he insists on keeping. Besides yer hair’s too damn short for it anyway,” Renji said, grabbing him around the neck and ruffling his hair.

“Get off me you…” Ichigo snarled, flipping him over his shoulder. “You’re worse than my dad!”

Renji's red eyes widened in horror at the comparison. “Your dad’s freaking CRAZY.”

“He cried when I told him I was going to propose,” Ichigo said. “It was frightening. He hung onto mom’s poster for a whole hour going on and on about how I was finally going to give him grandkids… but he already gave me that line of shit when um… well…”

“When he knew you and Rukia were a couple, huh?” Renji laughed. “He is nuts.”

“Byakuya and him should go bowling,” muttered Ichigo with a mischievous grin. “Let him deal with my dad’s insanity.”

Renji winced. “That wouldn’t be pretty.”

“Ah, my dad’s tough. If he can survive me kicking him in the face… though it’s lucky for him that captains and vice captains have power limiters in the living world, plus he’d be in a gigai…” Ichigo mused, rubbing his chin.

“Are you sure your crazy dad’s even human?” Renji wondered. “Haven’t ya ever once thought about why you had Shinigami powers to begin with? It didn’t just come outta yer ass you know.”

“Didn’t really matter much to me. I just assumed it was like our other friends who had powers. I’ve always been like this. So’s Karin. There are normal people with powers. Like Ishida.”

“Who’s father is a Quincy you idiot. Doncha think yer crazy Dad wouldn’t notice if they were close friends that something was weird about him,” asked Renji.

“My dad’s weird anyway. I’m convinced he must be an alien sometimes,” Ichigo chuckled, though he felt increasingly worried.

“It’s just that… nah…” Renji said shaking his head.

Ichigo's left eye twitched. “Just that WHAT?”

“Forget it,” Renji said dismissively, holding up his hand as if to erase what he just said.

Grabbing the Vice captain's shoulders and spinning him around, Ichigo yelled, “Don’t give me that shit! You can’t just say something and not finish it, dumbass!”

“It’s stupid. It’s just that whenever I’ve mentioned your name around the older guys they do a double take. I assumed it was because they know yer some big-time hero of Soul Society but…”

“But WHAT? Renji you’re not making sense!” Ichigo sighed exasperated.

“Your dad likes that stupid Spirit Hunter show,” said Renji, cocking a tatooed brow.

“Yeah but this is the same man who didn’t even see Rukia when she first freakin showed up in my room!” Ichigo snapped. “He can’t see ghosts!”

“But he isn’t that weirded out that you can, is he?” asked Renji.

“True, but he’s always known that about me. He has the observation powers of a brick when it comes to ghosts and stuff. He believes they exist, and that Karin and I can see them. Hell, he seems fine with that. And if I clobber him, he seems pretty tough. But then again Chad is too and he’s not a Shinigami.”

“I wasn’t suggestin he was, ya idiot, it’s just that…” Renji trailed off as Ichigo flinched.

“What did you say?” Ichigo asked, grabbing the front of the vice captain's kimono again.

Renji grabbed Ichigo's wrist to stop him. “I said that I knew Chad was tough even though he’s not a Shinigami.”

“But you were implying something about my dad when you said that, weren’t you?” Ichigo asked, shaking him.

Renji grabbed onto Ichigo's upper arms, causing the substitute to release him. “Ichigo calm down! I mean that there’s no way your dad could be a Shinigami cause he has no way of seeing ghosts! And there’s no way he could be anyway because he’d have to be in a gigai, an’ Gigai Sure as hell don’t reproduce!” Renji said.

Ichigo was pensive for a moment, biting his lip. Finally he released Renji's garment and stepped back. “But Rukia’s gigai was different. The first one…”

The vice captain snorted, “So?”

“Renji, if she didn’t know about the hogyokou and nobody suspected where she was she would have become… human…” said Ichigo. He spun around, marching towards the gate of the training area.

Renji's footsteps thumped behind him. “Whoa, where are you going?”

“To get some answers from Hat and clogs. If anyone knows about Gigais he does…”

“Ichigo, do you think he’d tell you even if that was the case! He doesn’t give up his secrets without fucking head games!” Renji said, grabbing Ichigo’s arm.

“That’s what worries me. If he made a gigai like that for Rukia… he must have made at least one before… and he was a soul reaper once. I mean shit he has a zanpakuto!”

After he let go of Ichigo, Renji wildly waved his hands in an X. “But yer dad doesn’t. No way could he be one.”

Ichigo shrugged. “Rukia didn’t have her zanpakuto when she was in the living world. Though she stabbed me with it in the first place…”

“This is making my head hurt,” Renji mumbled, rubbing his neck. “Look I told you it was silly.”

“It isn’t Renji. It isn’t at all. Something is weird about all this, and it goes way beyond what Urahara san does or doesn’t know or isn’t willing to share. And the fact that Ishida’s dad was a freaking Quincy and hid it from him…” Ichigo muttered, and frowned.

**
The next day, Ichigo had returned to the living world after Rukia said she needed to stay a bit. He was still worried sick about leaving without her, and knew his father would likely say something. Plus the thoughts that Renji invoked were plaguing him with disturbing possibilities. Just how was he going to explain the whole marriage business to his father?

He almost did not notice the foot plugging into his head. Luckily he dodged at the last minute as his father sailed over his head screaming, “Welcome home!”

“Don’t you ever quit?” Ichigo ranted, leaping to his feet. “Shit, you’re fucking hopeless!”

“Still haven’t lost your touch, son! You had me worried for a minute there!” Isshin teased.

“Whatever,” Ichigo sighed, blocking the punch Isshin threw at his head. He countered with a sharp kick to his father’s gut, noting how easily his dad bounced back.

“So where’s that girlfriend of yours? Where is Rukia? Don’t tell me you two broke up!” Isshin began to rant.

Quickly Ichigo waved his hands in front of him. “No it’s not that it’s just that she’s visiting family and well…”

“Visiting family? Oh, I see… you had to ask permission from her parents hmm. Well I could tell them all about how she’d be welcome in the Kurosaki family with open arms!” Isshin said hugging himself and almost in tears.

“Her… well her brother’s the problem,” Ichigo sighed, sitting down on the front step of the clinic.

Isshin paced dramatically, waggling his finger at his son. He stopped to stand directly in front of Ichigo. “Oh, mom and dad out of the picture. Ichigo, what the hell’s with that face of yours! Didn’t you ask her to marry you, you idiot! After the whole speech I helped you rehearse don’t tell me…”

“Dad SHUT UP and listen to me!” Ichigo shouted back at him. Isshin fell quiet and blinked.

“Something is wrong,” Isshin said as he sat down on the step next to his son. “What’s going on? What haven’t you told your dear dad?”

“Marrying her would be… complicated… she’s… not your usual girl…”

“Of course she isn’t! She’s the girl who you’re going to marry and have lots of lovely grandkids for me to play with!” Isshin said shaking his head.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “That’s not what I’m talking about dad, Focus! Her family’s very well off where… she comes from, and well… something’s come up.”

“What? Ichigo, you should talk to me. I may understand you know,” said Isshin as he looked at Ichigo worriedly.

“I don’t think you’d get it,” Ichigo sighed.

“Try me, son,” Isshin offered, grabbing his son's shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

“An arranged marriage,” Ichigo said. “Some clown who says that I can’t marry her because h was supposed to marry her. Rukia’s brother says that there are no issues because he voided it. But now this guy’s harassing Rukia and me… and well...”

“Let me at him and I’ll kick his ass,” Isshin said with a frown.

“That’s what Byakuya and Renji said,” mumbled Ichigo, squeezing his eyes shut.

Isshin sat up straighter, chuckling in realization. “You mean that redheaded kid with the funny eyebrows who’s always hanging around with your friends? From class? I’d hate to mess with him. Surely the two of you could…”

Ichigo held up a hand. “It’s not just that Dad. After I do marry her… I’m going to medical school and…”

“She could live here with us. I mean she practically already is!” Isshin said patting his back. “Though you two could always get a place together if you have to move…”

Ichigo siezed the front spikes of his orange hair and tugged on them. “She has a job already… dad. One that takes her away for long periods. And it’s just that… agghhh…”

“Ichigo, you know the right thing to do. So just do it,” said Isshin. “Didn’t I teach you anything?”

“It’s not that. I can’t… I can’t explain it. And even if I did you’d think I was nuts,” Ichigo sighed.

A loud howling resounded over the city and Ichigo groaned, grabbing at his belt. “Aww shit… I have to… I’ve got a test I have to…”

“Go do your homework son! It’s important!” Isshin said grabbing him up and shoving him towards the house. Ichigo blinked in surprise at how quickly his father seemed to accept things. Then again he always did.

“All those times Kon was in my body he didn’t’ once think I wasn’t acting like me? Is he fucking blind?” Ichigo wondered as he rushed off.

***


Hollows were pouring out of the woodwork, ringing the four teenagers as they struggled to stem the tide. As soon as they made a dent, more crept out to keep the number constant. Back and forth, the black shihakushoed figure zipped, spinning Zangetsu over his head. Ichigo sweating from head to toe saturated dispatched the 20th hollow.

Close beside him, Ishida fired arrow after arrow as Orihime tried to shield them all. The Quincy’s spider web shaped bow poured out close to its maximum number of arrows yet still missed a good number because they were so fast.

In another part of the circle they cleared out, Chad punched and attacked with all his might. One arm pounded the ground shaking up ripples of earth while the other crossed over to shield Ichigo from a stray hollow cero. Far more hollows then anyone could count and they kept coming.

“Why’s Soul Society not doing anything? Wouldn’t they have sent someone by now?” asked Chad worriedly.

“Those Shinigami have other concerns! We can handle them!” Ishida shouted, firing more arrows as he zipped up using flying screen step.

Orihime warned, “Be careful Kurosaki-kun… Ishida-kun! By the way where’s Rukia…”

“I don’t know…” Ichigo said. “Usually she’d be here by now to back me up, or Renji. Just where the hell is she!”

The huge blue beam slamming into them from the side barely was anticipated. Chad fell to the side, but Ishida and Orhime dodged just in time. Ichigo rolled away, yelling, “Chad!”

“That was a cero!” Ishida shouted, holding Orihime close as he shifted her away.

“Arrancar…” Orihime whispered.

“Go heal Chad, let us deal with it,” Ichigo said. She nodded and moved to cover Chad with a healing field as Ishida and he moved to stand back to back.

Arrows flew and Ichigo realized his swings were only taking out so much. A quick thought later and he invoked Bankai, moving rapidly from place to place. Things were getting out of hand too quickly. He barely blocked the Cero that tore into Ishida and the other that slammed into Orihime’s shield.

“Kurosaki kun!” she screamed.

Ichigo moved quickly, picking up Ishida and moving him to safety as the two Arrancar attacked. He had seen neither before, and the searing pain in his forehead was too great. “Damn it!”

A blinding blue radiance sizzled past, taking out some of the hollows. Ichigo saw Ryuuken Ishida calmly marching from the side, shaking his head. He moved before Orihime and Sado. “Put Ishida down and do your job, Kurosaki!” he shouted.

“Dr. Ishida,” whispered Ichigo.

“Where are your soul reaper friends?” asked Ryuuken, standing to cover Ishida as Ichigo put him down.

Panting Uryuu looked up at his father in frustration. “Why did you come anyway? We were doing just fine…”

“You are hopeless,” said Ryuuken with a dramatic sigh.

Another series of ceros slashed across them, with no sign of retreating. Ichigo’s blade slashed wildly, sending a series of Getsuga Tenshos into them. He complained,“Man they don’t’ freaking stop…”

“Kurosaki look out!” shouted Uryuu, as he managed to form his bow despite his exhaustion.

Ichigo spun around as a cero shot past his head, and a fist crashed into him. He rolled over, feeling as if a mountain had crashed on him. Then as he glanced up, he saw the espada moving to attack his friends. Another punch and a Cero fired directly in his face as he swung up Zangetsu to cover.

Blue radiance stopped. Someone stood between him and the attacker, black Shinigami robes fluttering. Ryuuken still moved, standing as he fired arrow after arrow. Whoever it was swung a zanpakuto, blocking the Arrancar and slicing it to ribbons. Ishida held his hand over his head, staggering to his feet to move behind his father protecting his other two friends.

Staggering to his feet Ichigo moved back to back with the Shinigami who saved him, not bothering to look at his face. The way the white captain’s haori was slung over one shoulder with a strap seemed weird but the attacking Arrancar grabbed his immediate attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the rescuer, though he was mainly in the shadow of the building. Blood spattered from Ichigo’s forehead as he moved as quickly as his Bankai would allow.

Another punch from a fourth Arrancar almost sent him reeling as he moved to summon his visored mask. The next attack that hit him seemed to suck his energy dry.

“Shit…” he cursed, staggering on his feet as he rushed at reduced speed slashing and hacking.

“You’re dead, Visard. You cannot use your hollow powers. What a shame,” laughed the voice of the one he knew to be the Arrancar scientist. Too many espada, and no sign of help from Soul Society save an unknown Soul Reaper who was moving as quickly as he was, slicing into the enemy with relative ease.

Ichigo blocked the downwards swing of the blade of his attack, while the other Shinigami moved and pressed his back to Ichigo’s. “Stand behind me, Shinigami Daiko,” it said in a voice that sounded familiar yet distorted over the blast.

“You got it, whoever you are,” Ichigo said, glancing up at a face in shadow yet again. Ryuuken’s bow and Uryuu's continued to fire, thinning out the hollows far enough away so that Ichigo and his new ally could cut a path through them.

Tiring out Ichigo felt the next punch get through and then tumbled down. “Ichigo!” shouted the Shinigami behind him.

Staggering to his feet Ichigo blocked the next attack, before he sliced through the center of the arrancar’s chest. He panted, blood dripping into his eyes. Falling back against the sturdy figure of his ally and rescuer, he felt the sense of futility. “Can’t… too many of them…”

“Ichigo, get up and fight,” said a familiar voice, though it was muted. “You can do this. Your friends need you.”

Once Ichigo registered the identity of the voice he summoned enough power. “Getsuga Tensho!”

“That’s more like it!” the voice cheered, swinging his weapon as well, a zanpakuto with a hexagonal guard. A long slicing stroke cut a path through the two espada as Ichigo saw it disintegrate into nothing. Ryuuken’s arrows polished off the rest as Ichigo felt his strength abandoning in him.

“Feel weird… what the hell did that ass Szayel hit me with…” Ichigo gasped. He tottered against his ally who wrapped a strong arm around his waist.

“Kurosaki- kun!” cried Orihime.

“Ichigo!” Chad gasped.

“Damn it,” Ryuuken mumbled, lowering his bow. “This was not the best time for them to find out!”

“What the hell is this? You mean his father is one too?” Ishida Uryuu muttered his face in shock as everyone approached, and Ichigo’s head rolled back to see them. Hunching over him the figure sheathed his Zanpakuto and steadied Ichigo on one bent knee.

“Wake up, Ichigo, come on… wake up!” it urged, shaking him. In a daze, Ichigo swore he saw his father hunched over him, frantically shaking him. However, that couldn’t be, could it?

“Can’t move,” Ichigo mumbled thorugh the grayout. All his limbs felt sluggish and weighed down like lumps of lead or a victim of Kira Izuru’s shikai Wabisuke.

“You’re stronger then this!” the voice implored.

"I can heal him," Orihime insisted.

"Looks like he's got it under control. Save your energy to heal the rest of us," Ryuuken's voice insisted.

“Something hit him, a weapon I’ve not seen before,” he heard Uryuu say.

“Kurosaki… san?” Orihime’s voice said in a quite surprised hush. Dozens of fluttering ribbons appeared, dancing before Ichigo’s eye. He saw his own fluttering, tattered and frayed next to another strong red one.

“Well, is he or isn’t he all right? His spirit ribbon’s frayed,’ said Ryuuken, catching ahold of it. The hand of the person supporting Ichigo reached around to take it out of the older Quincy’s hand. Aligning it with the other he brought both side by side. Immediately power surged into Ichigo’s body, restoring his strength.

“Ichigo… hang in there,” Chad’s voice chimed in.

“C’mon, son, stay with me, shake it off,” Isshin’s voice indeed said. Blinking up Ichigo stared into a familiar concerned face, his neck pillowed on his father’s arm. Both Ishidas crouched to the left, while Orihime and Chad crouched to the right.

“Shut up already,” Ichigo growled, pushing against his dad’s chest. Sure enough, it was a shihakusho he wore, with a white cloak slung over one shoulder arranged so he could not see if there were any markings.

To his surprise, part of it was wrapped around Ichigo as if to keep him warm. “Can you sit up?”

“Yeah, my head hurts like hell,” Ichigo mumbled straightening up. As Isshin stood, he reached down to his son. Hooking their hands together, they rose together, fingers in an embrace almost. Then Ichigo put a hand to his head, still clutching Tensa Zangetsu in his hand.

“You’re fine, all systems go?” Isshin asked.

Ichigo suddenly plunged his fist towards Isshin’s jaw, only to have it stopped by his father’s own hand. Fingers encased his son’s fist, squeezing while a look of pride spread from ear to ear. “That’s my boy! You’re still alert enough to deck your old man…”

Ichigo sighed, shaking his head. “I guess I should thank you for saving my ass.”

“You don’t seem that surprised…” Isshin almost pouted.

“What do you expect me to say, Dad?” Ichigo asked, rubbing his neck.

“I didn’t think you’d find out this way,” Isshin muttered.

“When is there a good time to find out, huh?” Ichigo snapped at him.

“Excuse me, but there’s still numerous hollows we need to take care of so save the bickering?” Uryuu interrupted.

“I know. Let’s get our asses in gear and do it already,” Ichigo interrupted holding up his hand.

“I for one want to know why Soul Society hasn’t sent reinforcements,” Chad said, leaning down to whisper in Orihime's ear.

“They must have a major situation if they didn’t notice this,” Orihime said quietly.

“Shingami don’t need an excuse to stay out of things when there are Quincy around,” Ryuuken commented, glancing about the ruined block. “They must have known we could handle it.”

“This isn’t like them at all,” Ichigo said.

“Hell no,” Isshin added. “Something IS wrong… why do you think I showed up, huh?”

“Why didn’t you show up before? Or were you hiding just like Ryuuken?” asked Ishida angrily. “You were giving him the same treatment as…”

“Shut up Uryuu, it’s not our business,” Ryuuken scolded.

“Enough!” Ichigo shouted. “Look, Dad has his reasons for what he does. It’s nobody’s business but his own whom he shows or doesn’t show… that right?”

“Uh of course,” Isshin said quickly, nodding a bit too eagerly.

“You didn’t show up till now because you thought I could handle it. Otherwise, you would have shown your face ages ago. Its how you are,” Ichigo said, looking his dad directly in the eye.

“So proud of him, he’s a chip off the old block!” Isshin mock cried, grabbing Ichigo in a rough hug that turned into a neck lock.

“Goddamn it Dad stop it!” Ichigo growled, resisting the urge to throw him over his shoulder.

Isshin went flying into the nearest building, causing everyone to wince as he crashed and bricks flew everywhere. “Nice job son!” he crowed, giving the thumbs up.

“Are you or your father even REMOTELY… never minding,” Uryuu sighed.

“Shinigami,” Ryuuken added, shaking his head.

“It makes sense. I’m surprised I didn’t see it before now,” Orihime giggled.

“But not telling Ichigo… that sounds very familiar,” Chad added, looking accusingly at Ryuuken.

“What?” both Quincy said defensively.

“You should have at least let Uryuu know,” Orihime said softly.

“I have my reasons young lady. It is not your concern, though I know your affections for my son and do not object to them,” Ryuuken coughed.

“Is that so?” Orihime asked. “I think it was kind of mean, don’t you?”

“My father is not known for being warm and cuddly…” Ishida sighed, moving to wrap his arm around her waist.

“That’s that clown’s job,” Ryuuken pointed in disgust at Isshin.

“Hey, watch what you say about my old man,” Ichigo said angrily.

“I can insult him as much as I want. We were at school together,” Ryuuken argued back.