Reformation

by Chiera

Disclaimer: I acknowledge that I own no rights to the world and the characters featured in this story: they belong to the creator of Bleach, Kubo Tite. I am not making any profit by writing this, and neither is that my intention. I am simply a fan writing for fans.

Chie: I've had this particular idea brimming at the back of my mind for around 4 years now. I originally planned to do a regular chapter story, 4 years have gone by with absolutely no progressed, I've changed my mind.

This story will be a series of (related) one-shots!

However, I warn you already here and now, that my motivation is very fickle indeed, and that I have other on-going stories that will have priority. Do NOT expect frequent updates!

Orders from above

The flames were scorching. The smoke was getting thicker and it was hard to breathe. The heat was unbearable and his limbs were growing weak, but still he pushed forward. He had to reach her. He had to …

He took in a deep breath. The air was clean and brisk and his eyes shot open. He stared into the blue of the sky spreading wide above him.

'What the hell happened?' the teenager thought to himself. He sat up and took in the field of grass lazily undulating in the light wind. 'What the heck?'

He still felt weak and a little hungry on top of that, too. He got on his feet and started walking.

0oOo0

The hell butterfly fluttered and landed on the back of Kuchiki Byakuya's hand. The captain of the sixth division looked at the messenger briefly, and then straightened himself. The captain commander had called all captains to an urgent meeting, so Kuchiki Byakuya left the 6th division's headquarters and headed to the main hall of 1st division. He was among the first to arrive, only captain Hitsugaya and captain Unohana were there before him. After a while the rest of the captains started to arrive, one by one. They took their usual assigned places under captain commander Yamamoto's watchful gaze.

"Everyone, we have a matter of great urgency on our hands," started captain commander Yamamoto in his booming voice. "The Central 46 have issued a strong request for Gotei 13 to fill the vacant captain positions as soon as possible."

Captain Kyouraku adjusted his straw hat in a habitual gesture.

"Well, it was going to happen eventually," he murmured softly.

"What do the Central 46 mean 'as soon as possible'?" Inquired captain Unohana calmly.

"They have set us a deadline of 10 days." captain commander Yamamoto replied.

"10 days?"

"That's impossible!"

"What are they thinking?"

"Silence!" Yamamoto bellowed and the murmurs immediately ceded. "Instead of that useless banter, we should consider our choices."

"What about appointing vice captain Hisagi as the captain of ninth division?" captain Komamura suggested.

"He does not have a bankai, does he?" objected 2nd division captain Soi Fong.

"Vice captain Hisagi showed a lot of promise already when he was a student at the academy," captain Unohana remarked. "And he has in effect been acting as the ninth division's captain ever since Aizen's betrayal."

"He is a hard-working man. I am sure he will learn to command bankai eventually." Komamura stated matter-of-factly.

"But we cannot select him by the proficiency exam, if he does not already possess a bankai," captain Hitsugaya argued.
"Trial by combat," Zaraki Kenpachi muttered.

"Defeating the former captain in a one-on-one fight in front of 200 witnesses?" Soi Fong asked incredulously.

"It was not a one-on-one fight, and there were not 200 witnesses either… But Hisagi Shuuhei did deal the fatal blow on Tousen and saved my life," captain Komamura insisted.

"Do we have other candidates for captains of Gotei 13?" the captain commander cut in.

"6th division vice captain Abarai Renji." spoke 6th division captain Kuchiki Byakuya. "He has achieved a bankai."

"Abarai's not half bad," Zaraki conceded.

"You might want to consider making him the captain of the 3rd division," suggested captain Hitsugaya. "Abarai and Kira were good friends already back in their academy days. From the stories Hinamori told me, they seemed quite close."

"Assuming he will pass the exam," reminded Soi Fong.

"There are now 2 candidates to consider. However there are 3 vacancies to be filled," reminded captain Unohana.

Silence fell, as everyone pondered in silence of the shinigami that might have potential to become captains.

After the silence has continued for several moments, captain Kuchiki cleared his throat. He spoke his following words reluctantly.
"For a few days now, I have been feeling a familiar spirit pressure from somewhere in Rukongai."

Ukitake glanced at the aristocrat sharply.

"I thought I was imagining things," the 13th division captain confessed quietly. "But I've felt his reiatsu as well."

"That is impossible. Didn't he lose his powers?" captain Hitsugaya argued.

"Maybe he regained them?" suggested captain Kyoraku mildly.

"But if he had somehow regained his powers… Why would he be in Rukongai and not visiting the people he knows in Seireitei?" captain Unohana pondered out loud.

"You can't seriously be considering him as captain!" Soi Fong protested, feeling outraged.

"It is highly unconventional," captain Ukitake admitted. "But we are short on both time and proficient candidates. He is talented, strong and he has proven himself in a battle."

Ukitake turned to look at the old captain of the first division.

"I suggest we look into this matter immediately, captain commander."

Yamamoto stayed silent for a while, but then nodded slowly.

"Go, Ukitake. Take captain Hitsugaya and captain Kuchiki with you."

0oOo0

The place was an absolute dump. The houses were in horrible shape, and the people weren't much better. Food was scarce, which really troubled him because he was almost constantly hungry. He prowled along the dirt streets. A bunch of street kids ran by him and he watched them go with mixed feelings. It was a tough enough place for adults to try to live in, let alone children. Strolling out of the town, he headed towards the small hill where he had found himself the day when…

The words still got caught up in his throat sometimes. It was hard to come to terms with the situation, but it was the only logical explanation he could come up with.

The day when he had died.

He snorted to himself. It all still sounded so hard to believe. Not to even mention ridiculous. He was not having a good year – first losing his powers and then actually getting himself killed.

Well, it had been a stupid idea to run into a building that was on fire. Even if it was the apartment building Orihime lived in. In the end, he hadn't even been able to save her.

He plopped down to the grass and stared at the river that streamed sluggishly before him.

He had tried to look for her right when he had arrived. But there were a lot of people in Rukongai, even in the one district he had ended up living in. It was not easy to find a single person out there.

His head rose up sharply when he felt a familiar tingling. A sensation the kind of which he had not felt in a while.

Reiatsu.

His eyes widened.

But his powers had been lost! So why…?

Three figures were approaching him, dressed in their shinigami uniforms and the white overcoat that signalled their high status to everyone.

He stared at them in surprise.

"Good day, Kurosaki-san," greeted the white haired man who was smiling amiably down at him.

"Ukitake! Byakuya! Toushirou!"

Captain Kuchiki huffed exasperatedly while Hitsugaya's expression immediately grew more irked. Neither of the captains were too thrilled by Ichigo's casual address.

"I did not expect to see you here any time soon," the 13th division captain continued pleasantly.

"Yeah, well… Neither did I," Ichigo said, a slight sneer playing on his lips for a split second.

"When did you get you powers back?" captain Hitsugaya questioned

"I didn't. I didn't even realise they had returned until I felt your reiatsu a moment ago."

There was a glimmer of curiosity in Ukitake's eyes.

"Have you at any point felt hungry?"

"All the time." Ichigo grumbled.

Ukitake and Byakuya shared a meaningful look.

"Well I suppose that is validation enough," the white-haired man said with a smile.

"Perhaps the returning of his powers had something to do with his death?" Hitsugaya suggested.

"But does his strength remain on the same level it was before?" Byakuya asked pointedly.

"I don't know." Ichigo frowned. "I haven't even tested them out yet."

"Well then, we can find out when you do the exam and thus kill two birds with one stone." Ukitake said enthusiastically.
"Exam?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"The captain proficiency exam," Kuchiki Byakuya explained curtly.

"Come again?" Kurosaki Ichigo's frown was deeper than ever and his voice was full of confusion.

"Gotei 13 is still short of 3 captains, and now we must urgently fill in these vacancies. We think you should try out the captain proficiency exam," the man with long white hair said patiently

"Captain? Me? Why me?"

"Because your powers were the level of a captain, you have a lot of experience in combat, and your father is a former captain." listed the captain of the thirteenth division, with a slight small on his lips.

"And because there was no one else at hand," added captain Kuchiki of the 6th division coldly. "It is unheard of even letting anyone who has not even been to the academy to be a shinigami, let alone a captain." the aristocrat snorted.

"Now now, Kuchiki-taichou! You know we are badly shorthanded," captain Ukitake said amiably.

"Besides the orders came from above," reminded the captain of 10th division simply. The white haired boy-genius had his arms crossed across his chest.

"Although you still have faults," Kuchiki Byakuya said haughtily.

"You are not aware of the customs of Soul Society," Ukitake admitted.

"And as for kidou, you have no experience or skill whatsoever," the black-haired aristocrat said with a slight sneer.

"However, it is no time for Soul Society to be picky," Ukitake said. "You've shown quite a talent and that is something we come across so rarely."

"Of course, you have to take the proficiency exam first, so we can be certain you have what it takes," Byakuya reminded pointedly.

Ichigo sighed in defeat. How come he always somehow found himself in situations like these? All of a sudden having to face something he was not prepared to tackle. Time after time, he kept getting casually tossed into the middle of someone else's mess.

And how come no one ever bothered to ask his opinion before throwing him to the lions?

Life – even the one after his death – was so unfair.