Chapter 04

Can't Come Close

- Previously -

"Zangetsu as in his zanpakuto Zangetsu?" Uryuu scowled at the boy with confusion.

His eyes rolled mentally. "Shinigami can materialize their zanpakuto."

"Zangetsu looks like Ichigo's bankai…" Yasutora commented.

Toushirou sighed at this, 'why am I explaining? Their not shinigami.'

"Kurosaki-kun… seems upset," Orihime called out quietly, and they all looked at him.

Ichigo felt their eyes on him and he glanced in their direction for the moment as Zangetsu told him something that seemed a little important. He replied to the older man though, saying that it was nothing that he should worry about and that there was no need to panic. The orange-haired boy allowed the man to vanish as he turned away in the direction of the others and rubbed his head in annoyance. Everything was so much easier when Rukia had given him her shinigami powers, but because he had his own, he could go farther—he could become stronger. His anger slowly rose as he mentally questioned himself about who he was and what he was, but the thought was cut off just as he quickly questioned himself and regained his stability and looked at the others.

"I think I'm going to leave a little early today." Ichigo stated as he was headed to the staircase.

Orihime turned to Toushirou once he was gone, "can you go see what's wrong with him?"

"Me?" Toushirou blinked in annoyed confusion—why him; he didn't know much about Ichigo.

"You're a shinigami." Uryuu pointed out as if it would help the case somehow.

Yasutora then added as he pointed to the boy's tray, "plus you finished eating."

"He seems to talk to you anyone," Tatsuki snorted, "that bastard doesn't tell me anything."

"I doubt anyone would if you continued to yell at them continuously." Toushirou retorted.

She scowled at the captain, "you don't know anything."

The boy snorted and got up, "I'll take my leave then," he then added mentally, 'if only to get away from this annoying woman. She would make a good partner for Kurosaki Ichigo because they can be so obnoxious.' After he started to walked down the staircase, he corrected himself, 'Kurosaki is different from that now—he's more centered somehow, what is the cause of that.'

After he finished the staircase and went to the first floor, a voice called out, "what are you doing?"

Toushirou stopped in place with his eyes widened, 'K-Kurosaki?!' He regained his composure and turned to the side to look at him, "I was elected to see what was 'wrong' with you, Kurosaki."

"Is that so?" He hummed with dissatisfaction. "Well, whatever, you should know I might not talk."

"That much I figured, yet I made my absence due to that girl." The captain retorted sternly.

"Tatsuki means well, I guess…" Ichigo started to walk off, "when we were kids, I was a baby."

Toushirou didn't reply to this—not because he didn't want to, he just didn't know how.

"Since I could remember I was picked on, then Tatsuki appeared and ended up protecting me and cheering me up." Ichigo stated contentedly as they left the school. "I think I became a bit of an ass after my mother died, but she understood. Until I became a shinigami, things were fine." He then quietly sighed as they walked down the street. "Now more than ever she's insecure of who I am because I'm stronger, but not… at least, not as a human."

"That girl said that upset that you said to not be involved with you." Toushirou stopped in place to prove he would be serious. "Why should you state otherwise for others if you quest for the same?"

"That was two years ago," Ichigo whispered, "I know better now."

- Now -

Toushirou stared at the stars quietly as he laid back against the rooftop because there was no moon out tonight and it was midnight. He did not want to be inside with those two girls; so immature and ditzy—it was amazing how he could put up with one of them. His eyes dropped for some well deserved sleep, but something stirred him out of his sleep stage; a powerful reiatsu. The captain growled in annoyance when recognizing the reiatsu and wondered why the teen would be awake.

No sleep was going to be received with the orange-haired substitute shinigami being powered up.

Suddenly his cell phone beeped to signal out that there was a hollow present and he growled even more as he stood up—then the signal died. Was the hollow already taken care of? His cell phone beeped once again to signal him that there was another hollow—and again the signal died. What was going on then if everything was going to start and stop so suddenly, but speaking of sudden. His cell phone then went crazy, saying that there was over fifty hollow presented in the human world instantaneously. Enough was enough and he took in his green pill and told the soul to stay out of harms way while he went to fight off the hollows. As he glanced at his phone for the nearest one, he watched as at least ten or twenty disappeared at the same time. Angered by all of this, he hurried by using flash step, and just as a hollow appeared in front of him, it was cut in two before he even had a chance to blink and grasp his zanpakuto.

Then he saw him, 'K-Kurosaki.'

The orange-haired teen was blindfolded for some reason and was gone before Toushirou could even ask what he was doing. His head shifted upwards in the direction of the white-haired captain and lifted his zanpakuto, which startled the boy. He was gone in a flash step, which made the boy relax, but then felt the presence of a hollow behind him and turned around, and it was already cut.

Ichigo stood there blindfolded, "you shouldn't interfere like that Toushirou."

He glared at the teen and retorted. "What are you trying to accomplish?"

"Just training," his hand came up and untied the blindfold, "their all gone, right?"

Toushirou's brows fused together and he looked at his phone, "…their gone."

"So there were sixty-seven hollows that time… hmm." He hummed calmly.

"You're the one who brought them here?" Questioned the now angrily boy.

Ichigo looked at him emotionless for the moment, "yes, I did."

"Do you know the damage you could've done?!" He glared.

The teen sighed. "What are you going to do about it, Toushirou?"

Was a trick question? He could only reply. "What's done is done."

"What are you doing out here?" Asked the orange-haired teen.

Toushirou scowled, "multiple hollows, everyone's asleep."

"Everyone but you?" He pondered with amusement.

"I was about to sleep until your reiatsu appeared."

His head nodded once, "I see… I'm sorry."

As he turned away to leave the captain, the captain called out, "why do you call out the hollow?"

"I said yesterday that I might not talk about it," he jumped down to the ground, followed by him.

Toushirou retorted after he touched the ground, "I don't want to report that you're a threat."

The teen chuckled at this as he walked off, "I thought you were a genius," he teased.

His scowl grew at this taunt, "are you trying to imply something, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo stopped in place, "when a person dies, they go to Soul Society." He then glanced up at the stars, "but when I die, I won't be allowed in Soul Society because I have a hollow within me, and it doesn't even matter if I have control over it." The teen laughed. "It doesn't matter though, huh?"

"You have helped Soul Society with numerous things including the war, you would be at least given a chance to start over." Toushirou stated, wondering what he was worried about.

"No, I don't expect to be treated different from the others that were cast away." He replied.

"You can be," the captain replied firmly, "and I'm sure you would be made a taichou."

"Taichou… huh?" Ichigo looked at the boy, "you know that I'm not cut out for that."

"At least I wouldn't have to continuously correct you on my title." He retorted.

"Ukitake-san calls you 'Shiro-chan,' doesn't he?" Snorted the teen, trying not to laugh.

His attention went elsewhere, "he's my superior in whom I have no reason to correct him."

"Jeez you're a kid." Ichigo received a violent scowl for of that. "You should be happy about it."

"You're the child because even I'm older than you, Kurosaki." The captain was angry.

'Defensive,' he sighed softly and scratched the back of his to find an explanation. "In Soul Society, you're still a kid despite your maturity, but that's a good thing," the teen smiled at the boy with a content expression, "you can grasp your power at this time and even reached a bankai, so when you get to be Byakuya's age, you'll be stronger than a lot of the other taichou."

Toushirou just stared at him in disbelief from the lecture.

"I'm not trying to talk down to you—we're allies and such," he bent down to squat in front of the boy so they could look eye to eye, "for instance, I know just how powerful you are, and I could kill you easily—especially in the real world where your power is limited." His finger came up and gently poked at the boy's chest where his heart is, "but with each passing decade, you'll get stronger and might be able to kill me instead." Ichigo then grinned, "I'd take pride in that advantage you have."

Toushirou took some time for this to sink in his mind.

He was aware that even though his mind has matured to a powerful degree, he was not the only one who had done such a thing; Ichimaru Gin had done practically the same thing. But Toushirou, he was still young by appearance—and no matter how you looked at him, he was just a kid, for now. In about five decades he would at least become similar to an adult, and so he would become very strong in time indeed. Having a bankai at his age made him a genius, and he was on equal grounds as the other captains as of right now. The captains did not train at all because they were already the best of the best, but Toushirou was still young, and he still had no limit. His attention went to Ichigo eye to eye finally, wondering why his speech was different from all the others. Then he recognized that he was squatting down before him; motioning that they were equals right now.

Toushirou growled and kicked the man in the chest, "I didn't give you permission to touch me."

Chuckling—after being kicked by the small captain, the orange-haired substitute was chuckling, it was possible that the teen had finally lost his mind. Ichigo settled down and sighed contentedly as he sat up and looked at Toushirou; probably the first time the captain had a chance to look down at someone instead of looking up. The small captain scowled at the fallen teen when seeing him smiling, and so he came over and placed a foot on his chest to send him back on the ground.

"I'm you're superior, Kurosaki, even if you are stronger than me." Toushirou stated sternly.

"Do you think I care who's superior and inferior?" He asked curiously. "Because I really don't."

That was true and he knew it already so he didn't bother to retort, "indeed," he moved his foot.

The teen sat up once again and looked at the boy, "so, you're probably tired, right Toushirou?"

"How many times must I remind you to address me as Hitsugaya taichou?" Growled the boy.

"As many times until you realize that I ain't gonna call you by that title." Ichigo chuckled and looked to the ground, "I ain't an official shinigami, so I don't have to listen to your rules… besides…"

This made the captain cross his arms and took the bait willingly, "besides, what?"

"You're the only one that seems to care about that title, everyone else doesn't mind." Ichigo stated as he finally stood up on his two legs and dusted himself and looked up at the sky and then quietly decided to explain himself, "I was out here training, so I knew that I had myself in control." He then placed his hand on his hips as looked down at the boy, "by having a hollow presence within, they will try to take over your body and soul to their use," his eyes closed, "hey idiot, get out of here."

'Idiot? He can't possible by addressing me as 'idiot' right now.' Toushirou glared at him.

"OH! I'VE BEEN SPOTTED BY MY NUMBER ONE STUDENT!" A voice screeched happily.

Ichigo growled and kicked him in the head, "I ain't your student Kanonji. What're you doing here?"

Toushirou stared at the psychotic man and placed a hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto, "…"

"No," the teen called to the boy, "he's not a threat," then explained, "he's just a human."

"ICHIGO! I NEED YOUR HELP! I SENSED ALL THESE BAD SPIRITS AND THEY VANISHED!" Kanonji, the psychotic television showman, had cried desperately and clung to Ichigo's leg.

"What are you talking about, I alright took care of them all," Ichigo shoved him off, "go away."

His attention went to the white-haired boy, "you must be his subordinate, are you willing to join—"

"He has no intention of bothering himself with unnecessary humans," retorted the teen instantly.

"SO MEAN! HERE I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU AND YOU WEREN'T AT HOME!"

Ichigo sighed at this, "I can't take this anymore," he used a flash step to appear behind him, "hey, Toushirou. Let's get out of here, otherwise you'll get a headache just by listening to him…"

"I'm already receiving a headache," Toushirou growled in annoyance, "humans are weird."

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT!" Kanonji yelled in completely surprise. "CAN YOUR SISTERS—"

Ichigo's reiatsu then flared furiously. "You will leave my sisters out of your silly imagination, and don't you dare put them in trouble, or I will hunt you down," he summoned the spirit threads and grabbed Kanonji's, "and I'll make that you regret having them involved." With that, he vanished.

Toushirou snorted and followed Ichigo.

"Careless weren't you?" The boy asked. "Were you trying to scare that man?"

"I wanted to make my point clear that I don't want him to be around my family." Ichigo sighed.

He crossed his arms at this, "and so by scaring him, you think you have got it through his head."

"No," his reply was quiet, "I know my statement won't reach his skull and pass by on it as usual."

"Then what was the point of threatening him with your reiatsu and tone?" The captain scowled.

"Oh? You do the same when you're angry, like yesterday when I said Aizen's name." He replied.

That was the truth, so he sighed at this, "well, whatever, I should return to Inoue Orihime's."

"Ichigo!" A girl's voice whined.

The teen's eyes widened at name and looked down, "R-Ririn, what are you doing here?"

"You're causing such a commotion that I got worried!" The girl in the gigai called worriedly.

He sighed and rubbed her head, "everything's okay," he grumbled. "You'll worry the others."

"Wah! But you were the one worrying me so I had to come check on you!" Ririn sobbed.

"Okay, okay," he knelt down to the girl, "calm down though, I'm sorry I worried you."

The girl wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, sniffling. "…"

Ichigo sighed and lifted her in one arm. "its way past your bedtime."

"I don't have a bedtime you jerk!" Sobbed Ririn. "Don't pick on me either!"

"Oh yeah? I'm gonna tell Kon that you were crying like a baby then." He grinned.

Toushirou watched as the modified soul clung to Kurosaki as if they were best friends and sobbed about his safety, why was that? Now the teen was trying to embarrass the one who is crying out of complete worry for him—why would he do that? Looking at the two, he notice that the two were smiling and laughing together; what they hell did the small captain just miss? His eyes widened when he felt a hand on his head and looked up to see that it was Ichigo who had his hand on him.

"What's the matter Toushirou?" Ichigo asked curiously. "Are you that tired?"

Immediately he smacked his hand away, "mind your own business Kurosaki."

Ririn frowned at this, "he's so mean to you Ichigo, I should beat him up!"

"Why? Aren't you just as tired ya brat?" Ichigo asked confusedly.

"I want to sleep at Ichigo's house, the shop is so boring." She huffed.

"Alright, alright, you got your stuffed animal thing though, right?"

"Of course I do! Let's go, let's go!" Ririn whined obnoxiously.

"Alright already!" He growled in annoyance. "We're going."

Toushirou snorted, "so I don't have to be escorted this time?"

Ichigo turned to look at him, "you're invisible to the human eye so I don't have to worry about guys trying to mess with you," he blinked confusedly. After a moment though he spoke again, "if you want me to take you over to Inoue's apartment first though, that's fine," he looked to Ririn, "you don't mind us taking him home first right? It's not far from here after all—"

"I didn't say I needed to be escorted Kurosaki!" Toushirou fumed angrily.

He looked at the little guy and sighed, "how about you go back to the shop for tonight? You might've worried the others by leaving unannounced, but you can come tomorrow."

"What?! But you just said—!" Ririn was interrupted by teen who placed her down.

"Just do this for me, 'kay?" Ichigo smiled warmly and rustled her hair again, "tomorrow, I promise."

"Humph! I don't even want to go to your place anymore!" She pouted and left instantly.

"Girls," he sighed and scratched the back of his head, "Toushirou, how are you holding it up?"

The captain raised and eyebrow, "excuse me?"

"Your eyes are drooping." He explained easily.

"I don't need an escort." His mouth opened to yawn.

"Keh, you're gonna be a brat too?" Ichigo came over to him.

Suspicious of his approach, he grabbed the hilt of his sword, "Kurosaki…"

"You aren't going to cut me, are you?" He knelt down, "am I really a threat?"

Toushirou released the hilt slowly as he eyed at him, "…not necessarily."

"All right then, what am I to you then?" The teen asked rather seriously.

He did not know what he truly meant by this. Wondering if it had anything to do with yesterday so he looked to the ground with his arms crossed again from after the girl left, "if this is at all about yesterday… I'll have you know that it wasn't my fault that your friends accused you of being a homosexual—if anything it was your own fault for whatever the reason was."

"What, you mean that's on your mind still?" Ichigo snorted. "They were joking."

"Then why are you asking what you are to me?" He glared. "I have no opinion."

"You're a stubborn kid, aren't you." The teen chuckled, "am I friend or foe?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo is a substitute shinigami and an important ally to Soul Society."

"I ain't asking a taichou, I'm asking Toushirou if I'm a friend or foe." He replied casually.

The captain turned to him with a tired glare, "I said you were an ally, what more do you need?"

Ichigo dipped his head and chuckled, "that's all I am to you, huh? Just an ally?"

"I don't see it necessary to call one, such as yourself, a 'friend' when I don't know you."

"That's a shame," he then grabbed the small captain and carried him against his chest easily.

"K-Kurosaki you bastard!" Toushirou yelled furiously at the demoted position as Ichigo walked off.

"Shut up or you'll draw Hollow." He stated seriously. "You're tired aren't you? Just rest…"

The small captain growled and gritted through his teeth, "release me right now or so help me…"

"Having more than one friend ain't that bad, Toushirou." His voice softened. "They give strength."

For the moment, he stopped fidgeting at this, 'strength,' didn't the girls say that yesterday at noon?

Ichigo shifted the boy to a more comfortable position for them both, "do you understand that?"

"Your strength…" the small white-haired captain called out, "it comes from your friends…?"

"That Hinamori girl, she's your friend right? You would do anything for her?" He waited for the little one to reply, but he did not and so he continued anyway. "A person can be strong, a person who is together with their zanpakuto is stronger, but a person who wants to protect another is immortal." A soft breeze crossed their path through the starry sky. "I was able to stop Rukia's execution only because I was immortal—I had my friends there to support me, if I died, they would die, so I could never stop until the job was done. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"That you're an idiot that doesn't give up easily?" Toushirou grumbled against Ichigo's chest.

"Chad won't fight for himself, but he'll fight for me, and so I fight for him." The orange-haired teen stated. "I think you have that similar way of living, but you go through orders by that old guy."

"Don't disrespect your elders, especially towards Yamamoto sotaichou," he growled in annoyance.

His head shook at this, but continued, "why do you fight? Why are you a taichou?"

"Those answers," the small one paused tiredly, "are none of your business."

"What is your strength?" Ichigo finally asked quietly to the captain.

His eyes closed in thought but gave no answer. "…"

"To become strong, I fight to protect others that need me, and the more friends I make means that I have to become stronger to protect them all." Ichigo looked at the boy. "If you can get close to others—enough to call them a friend, enough to know them and protect them with your life…"

"…I'll be stronger," Toushirou grumbled.

The small captain had tried to resist against the orange-haired teenager but had to quiet down or else his reiatsu could attract some Hollow, so he had stopped yelling. He stopped fidgeting when he submitted to learn what his strength was and how he would obtain it from his friends. His ears listened to every word spoken to him as his eyes grew tired and his body grew heavy against the other's chest. Toushirou mentally told himself that he was going to refuse falling asleep on the chest of Kurosaki Ichigo, but he could feel the shared warmth. How many hours had he been out after sensing his reiatsu and then the Hollow—it had to be at least two or three. Every part of his body was heavy, even his eyes and head as it head casually until given in, and his mind drowsy.

'Stay awake… damn it…' Toushirou tried to think.

He began losing his conscious awareness of where he was—the fact that Kurosaki Ichigo was the one carrying in a comfortable position was all that was barely registered now. Soon though, his mind gave up, and he fell fast asleep against the chest of the substitute shinigami instantly. His arms fell from their resistant perch on Ichigo's shoulder; one fell to the side and the other lowered to Ichigo's chest. The orange-haired teen looked at the boy to see that he had given in to sleep, but it was no wonder because it was around four in the morning. Jeez, how was he supposed to go to school tomorrow and try to drag this guy along—they needed at least five or six hours of well needed sleep, not two or three. Ichigo's attention went forth to see an orange-haired woman rushing towards them, and he mentally begged that she would stir the sleeper awake immediately.

"Don't worry Rangiku-san, he's just asleep." Ichigo whispered.

She frowned, "he had me worried, and all this time he was with you."

"I was finishing off the Hollow a few hours ago when he came to kill them."

Rangiku looked at the sleeping boy, "I've never seen him sleep so peacefully."

"Anyway," the teen called out, "should I bring him into Inoue's place?"

She frowned softly, "he might wake up if you leave, can you take him?"

The orange-haired teen thought about it for the moment and sighed, "sure, but I'll need that faux body to come with me or else we would have to make a trip here tomorrow."

"I'll go get him then," Rangiku replied as she turned around to get the—

"Before you do that, can you slip his arm over my shoulder so I can balance him?"

Smiling, she turned back around and placed Toushirou's arm over Ichigo's shoulder, "there."

After she left to get the faux body with the soul in his, he looked down to the captain, '…brat.'