Secret Student
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I added the part were Ichi thinks back to when he got home. The chapter was too short for my liking so I added stuff to make it longer.
Sorry if there was any confusion about the previous chapter, this is the last one.
Please read the notes on the bottom too (n.n)
Thank you all again! I loved all reviews I got throughout the story and the inspiration I got from them!!
-- Q&A --
Tomoko knows Ukitake is the captain of the 13th, Ichi told her stories and said it without realizing.
The Vaizards (Hirako and the others) can come, but Inoue, Sado and Ishida can't. They're not really hybrids, at least not in this fic (n.n)
Don't worry Pickle, already working on SR5 /evil laugh/
The arena fight wasn't really planned, maybe I'll write is as an omake chapter. (Details on the SeSt-omake after the chapter)
Rukia can become his third seat, but only if she becomes a hybrid.
Inoue, Uryuu and Sado. I personally don't like them, and they won't show up. Sorry.
I just realized I forgot the disclaimer at all chapters /slams head against the wall/
Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, Kubo-sensei does.
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---------- Chapter 23----------
Reunion
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The next day it was the talk of the day; The strange white haired student, Shirosaki Shiji, was the famous war hero Kurosaki Ichigo, already a captain without even finishing one whole year at the academy. Some students saw this as a reason to study even harder, while other just saw it as 'not fair', just because he fought in the war, he was still a student who needed education.
Morita was now quite 'popular' at the academy, a lot of students came to him asking about Ichigo. And he loved every minute of it.
Even Tomoko and Kentarou were asked questions, but Morita just pulled them away and answered all the incoming questions. They didn't mind at all.
During kidou class, Morita didn't pay attention, rambling on about 'Ichigo-sama', as he now called hid idol, was more important to him right now. This got him sent out of the classroom. As the class moved out to the field, Morita managed to find Tomoko.
"Can I copy your notes? I kinda missed out.." He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, trying imitate Ichigo.
"No." She simply stated. "You wouldn't stop blabbing about Ichigo. If you would have kept quiet, there was no problem." She walked further, but he kept following. "Oh, and if you really wanna look like Ichigo-"
"Yes, yes!" He said eagerly.
"You should make your own homework. He did it. And he's a captain now." And started to run towards the field, she didn't want to be late.
--- --- ---
During break after kidou-P they went to the tree out of habit but Tomoko saw there was already a student sitting there with his back against the tree trunk, head hanging forward as if he was sleeping. She came closer. Who would go to 'their' place during break, and who would be able to get here so fast? Class just ended and they were closest to the tree. When she got close enough they saw that the one who sat there had bright orange hair, brighter than Morita's dyed hair.
But Morita and Kentarou didn't notice the stranger. They were busy answering more questions about Ichigo.
Tomoko ran towards the tree, recognizing the person sitting there. "Ichigo- no Kurosaki-taichou. What are you doing here!?"
"Oh, hey Tomoko. I didn't have the key to the room anymore, so I slept outside. And Ichigo is just fine, I don't like it when people call me by that title."
"You slept outside?"
"During the war we slept outside all the time, mostly because we didn't have a place to stay." he scratched the back of his head and stood up, stretching his body. And then both walked over to Morita and Kentarou from their back.
"Oh yes, Ichigo-sama helped me with some of my homework. But there were plenty of times he asked me for help, sometimes even begging to copy my notes."
"I don't remember doing that."
"Yeah, you really did that... Pretty... Often..." Morita turned around, and glomped Ichigo "Ichigo-sama!!"
"Let. Go. Dammit. Let me go!" He said as he half heartily tried to get Morita to let go. He could get the other off quite easily, if he really wanted to.
"Kurosaki-taichou!" and all students bowed, including his friends and Morita who had let go.
"Don't call me that... I hate being called by a title. Just 'Ichigo' is enough. Or 'Shinji' if you prefer." He looked around and saw Ichiro and his brothers trying to hide clumsy behind a few very thin bushes, it made him suppress a smirk. But he ignored them.
The bell rang and they all headed to hakuda class, following Ichigo, not daring to walk in front of him out of respect.
"Alright every one, I'm sure that yesterday's events were quite... Unexpected. But it isn't a reason to get the day off." Someone raised his hand. "Yes?" Katsumi-sensei said absentmindedly as he organized some papers on his desk.
"I kinda lost my books, is that a problem?" Ichigo asked.
"You lost them! How-" He recognized Ichigo, who now had original hair color instead of the dyed white. "Kurosaki-taichou? What are you doing here?"
Ichigo sighed. "Just 'Ichigo' is fine... And as to why I'm here." He used shunpo to get to the front of the class. Earning some mild 'oooh' from some students. "When I got home last night I already missed most the whole year of school there... And I wanted to finish at least one year here."
"But what about your duties as Gotei Captain?" Tomoko asked.
"My division is kinda new. Me and my Vice are the only ones at the moment."
"What is your division's specialty then? If there is just the two of you?" Katsumi-sensei asked interested.
"I'm not sure if I should tell..." Thinking about what to say he came to a conclusion. "But who cares, the higher ups know already." he muttered. "Not just anyone can enter. It's only for hybrids."
"Does that mean you are a..." Katsumi began.
"Yeah."
"But you don't have a.."
"I know. Those are hollows, I'm a shinigami."
"Huh... Oh! Now I see. But I never would have thought that you'd be one."
"What's a hybrid?" Kentarou asked out loud.
"I'm not allowed to tell. Only those who need to know, know what it is."
"That's mean!" Morita suddenly yelled. "I want to know!!" He whined.
"You don't need to. No one at this school needs to know." Ichigo replied. His voice like ice, hoping they would drop the subject. Which seemed worked since the crickets chirped.
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence Katsumi spoke to Ichigo. "Would you like to help me in the -P classes before the end of year exams?"
"I'm not much of a teacher, but I can try."
"Ichigo-sama is gonna help us train!!" Morita practically sang.
"Stop calling me that!" Ichigo yelled back. "I told you that before, and if you call me that one more time I'll... I'll never talk to you again!"
"Whaaaaaaat!"
"Now pipe down, all of you, so class can begin." The class was more silent than ever before. Ichigo could have sworn that the Saito brothers were trying to fade away under their tables. 'This could become fun.' he thought as he suppressed evil smirk appeared on his face.
--- --- ---
During hakuda-P Ichigo was asked to help prepare the students for the end of year exams, if they passed everything; they would go to the next. If they failed they had to redo the entire year, or less, depending on the subject and some other factors.
"Ok class!" Katsumi yelled over the students out of habit, but everyone was already quiet. "As you might have noticed, a Gotei captain is here to help you guys prepare, so show him your best moves." Everyone nodded.
"Sensei, can I do this another way?" Ichigo asked, Katsumi was still the teacher, even though he was a captain.
"What do you have in mind?"
Ichigo walked over to Morita. "Go stand in the start position of the technique discussed during class. And keep quiet." He added, not really wanting to hear the other boast again. Morita did as he was told. "Your hand is too low." He said while raising Morita's hand to the correct hight. "Bend your legs more." and pushed on the others shoulders. "Keep this exact position for about three minutes."
"What are you planning?" Kentarou asked interested, wondering what good it was to be standing in the same position for a long time.
"By keeping the same position for a long time the body, the muscles, remembers the pose. That way you automatically raise your arm or leg to the right hight without thinking."
"I never thought of that..." Katsumi said dumbfounded.
"Most people don't." He turned to face his class. "Now all of you, line up!" He yelled, making them move and form perfect lines. "First position!" He liked this, commanding the class was fun. Watching the class go into the the wanted pose, he turned to face Katsumi. "Now we go and put them the correct way." He walked over the first in line and started correcting them.
'He'll make a good hakuda teacher.' Katsumi thought as he watched Ichigo. 'It's to be expected, with what he's been through.'
"Sensei!" Ichigo yelled back. "A little help.." he said slightly annoyed.
Katsumi laughed a bit and correct the other half of the students, which included all three Saito's. They sighed in relief, Katsumi didn't hear them, Ichigo did.
"Ichiro! Just because our names sound similar doesn't mean you can slack off!" The reaction of the three was as expected; shock and the instant reaction of trying to get to the right pose. He smiled and several other students too when he heard something that sounded like 'Understood Kurosaki-sensei!'
--- --- ---
After class it was break; but no one would leave Ichigo alone. He ran across the grounds hoping to shake them, not really trying hard. But now even students form other, higher classes came looking for him, and of course, ask him questions.
When he looked back to see if they were still following him, he didn't notice the person in front of him. Both fell to the ground after they bumped into each other.
"Ichigo-kun?"
"Ukitake-san?"
When the other students saw Ukitake they stopped dead in their tracks.
"What are you doing here Ichigo-kun?" He asked in his normal tone. "And your hair..."
"Trying to finish school.." He laughed nervously. "But without my 'cover' it's kinda hard, just like you predicted in the beginning of the year."
"Then why?"
"I missed to much of the school back home, Kon has been taking care of that. So I have enough time to finish school here." Ichigo explained as he thought back to the moment he stepped through the gate and arrived home.
--- Flashback ---
Inside the gate he once again saw the tunnel that looked like the inside of human body, which he saw in his textbook during biology class. Sighing he started walking, not really wanting to know how his friends and father will respond when they will find out he's a hybrid. Some rumbling noises behind him made him turn around and look at the collapsing walls .
Knowing what those walls were he started running for the exit. 'I forgot. I don't have a hell butterfly yet. If I had, this wall wouldn't be chasing me...'
Jumping out of the exit he realized he wasn't running at top speed like the fist time he went to Soul Society. Landing soundlessly on the ground he looked where he was and saw that he was close to his home and started walking, hoping he would get used to the white coat he was wearing now. It told every hollows he was strong, shinigami that he has a high rank. But most of all, the number on his back told them what he was.
Halfway home he met with a hollow that looked like a mix between a cow and a scorpion. 'Ahhh.. I can't be helped.' Ichigo complained as he unsheathed Zangetsu and got ready to strike the hollow when the head split in half. Sensing the owner he knew who it was. "That was my hollow!" He yelled, at the shinigami who looked up and recognized his hair color.
"Ichigo!" The short raven haired girl screamed as she ran at him, a few tears welling up in her deep blue eyes. Rukia was happy to see him. Renji had already informed her about Ichigo being a hybrid and about his likely execution. "They didn't kill you." She sounded relieved. He didn't inform her about his new rank, he didn't get a chance to.
"They need more than the Gotei to stop me." He bragged peeling Rukia's tiny arms from his waits. How's life been here?"
She wiped her tears and saw him in a black uniform partly covered by the same white coat her brother wears. "That coat... why are you wearing that?" Her voice sounded confused, as did her eyes. Looking from the coat to his face she waited for a answer.
"Ukitake-san's idea. Throw me in the academy, if I graduate I become a captain. Things went a bit wrong but I still got the coat."
"Even though you're a.." She didn't finish her sentence – both knew what she meant.
He looked at the ground which was suddenly quite interesting. "Yeah, which is the reason I got the 15th. It's for people like me and my vice." Looking up he could see her confusion in her eyes, eyes asking him who his vice was. "Grimmjow."
"What... why him?" She sad as she was reminded of their first encounter. "And why the 15th? Who's 14?" There were so may questions.
"We were, and still are working together since the war, since Inoue was rescued and I got caught. And the 14 is supposed to be a mix between the 4th and the 11th, but they didn't tell me much about it. Let's go home, I don't really feel like explaining everything twice." Throwing a confused Rukia over his shoulder he used shunpo to get home fast, it was starting to get colder. Standing in front of his home he put Rukia back on the ground who kicked his shin.
"I can walk myself!" Meanwhile Ichigo was thinking about how he should enter. Walking in through the front door was a bit strange, so he settled for the window in his room where he found Kon sleeping on the bed. Opening his window he jumped over the bed, landing soundlessly on wooden floor, not waking Kon in the process.
He missed his own room, looking around he saw his bag and other belongings from the academy along with a note from his father. Picking up the note he read it: 'When you come back, get back in your body and come downstairs so Daddy can congratulate you!'
Ichigo sighed and gave the letter to Rukia. "What does he mean?"
"He probably heard from Ukitake-san about this coat." He said as he was searching for his shinigami badge. "Rukia, can you get Kon out of my body? My dad still has the seal." She did what was asked, he was now more than a obnoxious brat, a friend, he was her superior officer. Getting the green pill from the ground she put it back in the plush lion and it jumped at Rukia's chest where the lion kept quiet. Once back in his body Ichigo started to complain how limited he felt, how weak.
Finally going downstairs he evaded his father's flying kick with ease and slammed his father against the ground in one fluid motion. "Ahh my son has returned! That strange mod-soul wasn't even able to block daddy's crazy screwdriver kick!" He said amused.
"That explains my headache." Ichigo couldn't help but laugh a bit; he missed the craziness from here. "What was that note all abou-" he managed to say before his father shoved his soul from his body which fell to the ground with a loud thud. "What was that for!" He yelled at his father but he was already behind Ichigo looking at the cape with interest. When Ichigo turned around he came face to to face with his father.
Isshin's look turned serious as did his voice. "I also heard from Ukitake about your fight against Sousuke and what your divisions specialty is."
Ichigo looked away. Ukitake said he would inform his father about the situation, and so he did. "I uhh.." He began but was unable to talk when there was a onigiri(1) was shoved into his mouth.
"It doesn't matter my son!" Isshin sang as he lifted Rukia onto his shoulders. "As long as you are yourself I don't care what you look like on the inside." He ignored Rukia's request to be put down on the ground, her face redder than Renji's hair. "And I knew about it before Ukitake told me." He added in a less loud tone.
Ichigo's eyes snapped up at his father. "You... knew?" How could he have known. "How?"
"Urahara and I go way back." His tone one again serious, much to Ichigo's annoyance. "He informed me before the war, and told me about the Vaizards." He put Rukia back on the ground and his face became once again dumb looking. "But who would have thought my son could turn into a hollow and back again!"
Ichigo was dumbfounded at his fathers reaction."Why didn't you say anything?" But Isshin didn't listen, he was busy stuffing his mouth with snacks that Yuzu made earlier. "What about school, here in this world?"
"Kon has been going in your place and finials are coming up." Rukia explained. When Ichigo wanted to ask how she would know, she already started explaining. "I had to keep my eye on him or who knows what he would do."
The orange haired captain sweat dropped as he remembered the first time Kon was in his body at school, alone. "So what can I do here? I mean you two, three if you count Kon, are protecting Karakura.."
"So you can go back to the academy and boss around the students some more. But don't release your hollow wrath on them!" Before he could continue he found himself pressed against the floor by his son.
"Don't start..." Ichigo said seriously. He accepted what he was, but joking about it... Not yet.
"You see that Rukia-chan? My son is so violent." He faked tears, as a glint appeared in his eyes when he knew Ichigo was off guard and the roles were turned around, The orange haired one now on his back on the ground when the door opened.
"Ichi-nii?" a black haired girl said unbelievingly as she stared at her brother.
"Ah, Karin." He said before throwing his father off of him. "Long time no see." She ran at him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Where have you been?"
"At a special school, but I'm gonna go back to finish the first year. So wait just a little while longer. Okay?" he used his right hand to stroke her hair.
"Promise?"
"I'll tell what I can during summer vacation on the beach okay?" She nodded and took a step backwards and watched as he lifted his own body and took it back to his room. A strange sight.
Back in his room Rukia caught the plush that jumped at her and removed the little green ball before giving it to Ichgo, who in his turn put the ball in the mouth of soulless body which sprang to life but kept silent seeing Ichigo's serious face, it scared him.
"I'll go back to Urahara-san and ask him to open the gate, I still don't know how." He opened his window and said his goodbye before jumping in the direction of the Urahara Shotren.
--- End Flashback ---
Getting pulled back to the present by Ukitake who was talking to him. "...did you forget that you're a captain with responsibilities now?"
"Me and Grimmjow are the only ones right now, and he's searching Hueco Mundo to see if there any more Aizen followers out there. As long as we hand in out monthly reports everything is fine."
"But why not dye your hair again and come back?"
"They know how I look and I doubt it's good to use 'that thing'(2) even more, maybe it can cause side effects or something. And when I finish here I plan to go to Hueco Mundo to quicken the search. After that I'm going to search a certain group, to expand the division."
"You know more people like yourself?"
"They trained me before the war, before the first Arrancar appeared. But it's gonna be hard to let everyone get along..."
"Why is that?"
"They are like me, and Grimmjow is the opposite of us. But that's a problem I'll have to deal with if they decide to join."
"What do you mean by that Ichigo-kun?"
"It's just that they are like a family, and they like it that way. They probably wouldn't like the idea of being a part of Soul Society after they've been exiled. And one of them wouldn't listen to a word I say." He chuckled at the idea of Hiyori, and the way she would act, if they would agree for some strange reason. "But that's just the way they are." Ichigo got up to his feet and held out his hand, wanting to help Ukitake get back on his feet. Who grabbed his hand pulled himself standing.
"You will have to try anyway." He said as he brushed the sand of his white coat, which looked just like his captain's coat but without the number in his back.
"I know Ukitake-san." Ichigo looked up when he heard the bell ring, it was time for the next class; zanjutsu.
"Better go to class Ichigo-kun, you have to set a good example now." And Ukitake left, heading in the direction of his office.
"Ukitake-san!" Ichigo yelled after the headmaster who looked around to see why he was called back. "You forgot something." He imitated Ukitake's strict-mode and pointed to his face.
It took a few seconds before Ukitake understood what the other meant, but when he did his face changed back into strict-mode before resuming his way, hearing the students trying to hide their laugh. Yes, this is how it's supposed to be; students laughing, and enjoying the academy. Forcing them to study will get the opposite effect.
"Let's race to the class, no shunpo." Ichigo said as he took starting positions, smiling when others did the same. "Go!" And all of them started running for class. All laughing and forgetting that he was a captain, this is how life is supposed to be at the academy. At least according to Kurosaki Ichigo, new captain of the 15th Division.
--- The End ---
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(1) Riceball
(2) Memory modifier, Students are not to know it exists. Or they might try and steal one to erase a teacher's memo or other things.
My Ramblings/Sort of Diary;
(5)I'm happy that it's over!! /drops down on the bed/
(6) Yet I'm sad about it ... I liked this story and I hope other ppl too.
(7) I got extremely giggly when writing the part of Ichi teaching, mainly because I had a idea for the fic 'Strawberry Rose' in my head... /Grins evilly/
(8) This chapter is done, now all that's left is chapter 21...
(9) Maybe a bit selfish to ask, but could everyone who reads this leave a review saying what they liked and hated about this story. That way I can improve myself. And hopefully write better fic's.
(10) Added some extra text.
(11) I was thinking about a separate story, some kind of Omake of this story. Things I didn't use, things that would screw up the time line, weird stuff. Should I? Or just leave it here?
Thanx for staying with me till the end And for all the reviews I got (964 so far O.o")
Please let me know how you think it turned about the twists, who expected Ukitake to do that, stuff like that, let me know!
Thank you all again!!
/Bows deeply/
Please leave a review for the last time!!