Ichigo's Fortune?

Ichigo was sitting where he had last battled Byakuya. It was the place that he had nearly seen Rukia's demise. It was the same place that he had barely stopped her execution. Not to mention that this was the very same hilltop on which Ichigo realized that he very much liked how Byakuya looked as they fought.

With his eyes squinted in concentration and his biceps flexing as he held his sword in both hands... Even the memory of how he looked was enough to send Ichigo's blood rushing to parts that it had no business going to. He kept trying to tell himself that what he felt was admiration for his fighting skills, that the little leap in his pulse was from anticipation of the next attack. 'But how do I explain away the fact that I still get hard thinking about him?' Ichigo sat pondering this question for a good half an hour before noticing another riatsu coming up the hill. 'Zaraki,' he thought to himself, 'If anyone can take my mind off of this, you can. You never leave me alone until you can pick a fight out of me anyway...'

Zaraki knew that Ichigo was up on the hill and he couldn't wait to meet up with him. There was something about Ichigo but try as hard as he could he just couldn't quite put his finger on it. When he topped the hill Ichigo was sitting on the far side looking over all of Soul Society. The wind had just shifted and was now blowing back against him making his golden orange hair sway and making his clothes pull tight across his muscled chest. 'Now see if only...' Zaraki started to himself but was cut short by Ichigo's welcome, if you could call it that.

"Kenpachi Zaraki, captain of the 11th squad. To what do I owe this honor? Last I saw of you, you were lying face down and with all of your blood soaking my clothes. Well it's easy to see that I didn't kill you so, what? You back for round two?" Ichigo finished his little speech and started to doubt whether he should have taunted like that. With his luck Zaraki would get ruffled and he wouldn't take the bait.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. Substitute Soul Reaper turned legit. Do you really think that you got what it takes to beat me for good? Ya got balls kid, I'll give you that much credit. However I'm not here to settle the score, not yet anyway. I'm here to offer you a chance of a lifetime and one that's never before been heard of. I'm here to give you the choice of being great... of becoming my lieutenent!" Zaraki finished this with a hauty smirk on his face and knew that with the way he phrased it Ichigo would not refuse.

"Well, Zaraki, don't you think the higher-ups would be extremely angry should I actually become part of the fold?" Ichigo knew it ercked Zaraki to have to admit to asking for permission for anything, so why pass up the chance. "I mean you would be in serious trouble should they find out that I'm your lieutenent..." Ichigo was fit to burst with laughter but somehow held it in. The look on Zaraki's face was almost murderous, almost.

"You know damn well that I asked the General if I could have you as my lieutenent. He agreed only on the condition that I have never been tied for strength and you somehow managed to pull it off. I'm going to be training you myself and if he likes how everything is going you will be a permanent Soul Reaper!"

Ichigo squinted his eyes, glaring at Zaraki. "So in other words if I do take the position, I'll be like your pup who must obey your every command, right? Think again, Zaraki, I don't do commands very well. Sorry for your loss."

"Think about this Kurosaki! If you take this position, all of the jerks you've been wanting to get at for picking on you, you can with no consequences. Anyone who comes after you and claims foul play claims it on all of Squad 11. No Soul Reaper here is that stupid Ichigo." Zaraki took a breath and reached up to scratch on his head, making his bells jingle as he did so. "Ah, well, whatever you decide I'm going back to Squad 11 headquarters. When you've got your answer, find me there." And with that Zaraki was gone.

Ichigo sat back down and started to think about the offer. He sat there for another half hour because anything besides what had previously been on his mind was a good thing. But then, if he did become a lieutenent he could stay and train, become stronger, and see what in the world was going on with his body when he was around Byakuya.

A second later Ichigo was no longer sitting on the ground anymore but flash-stepping to Squad 11 headquarters. When he arrived the other residents were already getting drunk and starting to have a good time. Ichigo went in search for Zaraki's rooms and when he found them (with big ol' letters saying CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS-STAY OUT) he slammed the door open. What he wasn't prepared for was how he was going to react after just barging in...