Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder

Author's Note: I don't know how he does it, but there are a lot of characters in Bleach to keep up with. This has not been seen by a beta, so please excuse the mess! Eh, whoops. I made a mistake regarding divisions. Should be fixed now. Too many supporting characters... XD

* * * *

Inoue was gone. He had watched as she had blown herself up, or whatever, along with the fourth espada. His heart wrenched painfully as he remembered how he had just stood there doing nothing. Of course he blamed himself. There must have been something he could have done to save her, contrary to what everyone told him.

Five years later, and the painful memories were still fresh, as if Ichigo had just witnessed the events.

Tilting his head back, he stared at the ceiling. For some reason, the shinigami had decided he should attend one captains' meeting every month. A headache was coming, and he stifled a groan.

“As you know, we are still short a captain in the Fifth Division, and now vice-captain Hinamori has asked to step down for personal reasons,” the Commander-General prattled on.

“Ugh, not this again,” he muttered to himself. This earned him an elbow in the ribs from Ukitake. Luckily he stood at the back of the group. Somehow the Commander-General still heard him, but he only furrowed his eyebrows in response. No one else seemed to have heard, or maybe they just felt the same way.

Yamamoto's gruff voice carried on, “It has been suggested to me, that Ichimaru Gin,” Ichigo's head shot up at the mention of the name, “be removed from the watch of the Detention Unit, and put through the trials.”

“He's still alive?” Ichigo exhaled in disbelief. He could feel his hollow reveling in his rising fury. “Rukia had done nothing more than her job, and you were prepared to execute her! That fox-faced bastard helped try to destroy everything you know, and he's simply in confinement?!” A shadow passed in front of Ichigo's vision and he tried to regain control of his hollow as it threatened to overtake him.

Yamamoto sighed and retorted, “Kurosaki-san, please keep your tongue civil. Yes, we have made mistakes in the past, and we have tried to rectify them. If you would let me....”

“I do not agree with this course of action,” Hitsugaya calmly interrupted, “There is no reason to trust that man.” There was restraint the young captain's voice, but he did not press any further.

Objections and endorsements began to fly, and Ichigo's eyes bounced between each of the captains as they voiced their opinion. Soon they were talking over each other and the Commander-General began to twitch. Yamamoto raised his hands for peace, but no one paid him any heed.

“Silence!” his voiced resounded throughout the hall. “This is not up for discussion. I have thought long and hard about this, but there is no indication that Ichimaru Gin was responsible for his own actions.”

Angry chatter filled the room. He spoke over their voices, and they became quiet, “Knowing what we do about Aizen's power, we can assume Ichimaru was used. Ichimaru states himself that while he does recall his actions, he can't remember why he did them. Captains Soi Fon and Kurotsuchi have not been able to find anything to contest his claim.”

Kurotsuchi piped up, “His memory does not appear to have physically been tampered with, much like those that were affected by Aizen's shikai prior to his...defection.”

“I was not able to make him speak about it either, and not from my lack of trying. If I ever hear about cats, the color green, or strawberries again....” sighed Soi Fon.

The mention of his frequent nickname caught his attention. His hollow began to poke fun at him. Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to tune it out, but the hollow only rattled the bars of his mental cage more fiercely. Looking up, he countered, “How does any of this support your decision to let him live, much less return to a position of power?”

The room filled with the reiatsu of the Commander-General, and every captain suddenly had something interesting to look at other than the two figures standing at either end of the room. “I will not tolerate such insubordination from you, Kurosaki-san,” he warned, “Do not think I lack an understanding of the risks involved.”

Silence fell across the hall, and Ichigo's hollow became still.

“You will be assigned to the Fifth squad as Ichimaru's warden. Congratulations, you have also been promoted from substitute shinigami to substitute vice-captain,” Yamamoto continued. Ichigo tried to cut in, but a glare from the older man rendered him mute as he finished, “By the end of the week, he will be your superior officer. If at any time Ichimaru steps out of line though, you will be held accountable. If he turns to villainy, deal with him. I expect you to keep me informed.”

“But....” Ichigo tried. Words failed him. Inoue flashed through his mind and he growled his frustration.

“If there is nothing further, you are all dismissed,” Yamamoto concluded, his words more of an order than an invitation.

His anger was escalating and his hollow cackled maniacally. As Kenpachi walked past, Ichigo let the control on his temper slip his. He tapped the bigger man on the shoulder. The captain of the Eleventh squad stopped and slowly turned. Ichigo clenched his fist, and slugged the man square in the jaw. His hollow howled with laughter as Kenpachi wiped blood away from the corner of his smirking mouth.

Anyone remaining fled the room as their reiastu started playing angrily off one another.

“Wanna take this outside?” Ichigo taunted; he needed to let off some steam something fierce.

* * * *

“Yachiru, move back,” Kenpachi ordered his vice-captain as he removed his eye patch. He tossed it to her and turned to face the troubled young man. “What's got your panties in such a twist anyway?” he probed.

Ichigo glowered at Kenpachi, and lunged forward. The captain of the Eleventh side-stepped the attack, and countered with a downward blow. He chuckled as Ichigo blocked, the sound of metal clashing against metal ringing through the air.

“You, of all people, wanna have a heart-to-heart,” Ichigo growled. He stepped around Kenpachi and slammed the man in the back with the hilt of Zangetsu. His zanpakuto thrummed with unbridled energy, and he aimed for the winded captain. “Getsuga tensho!” he vented.

Kenpachi propelled himself around the attack and rained blows down upon the substitute shinigami. Ichigo weathered the tirade, but then took a fist to the face. “He saved your sorry ass,” Kenpachi prompted with a feral smile.

Ichigo dashed forward and opined in an exasperated tone, “He got in the way while trying to mock me!” In a flurry of black and silver, he launched into his own attack. Their swords locked once more, and Kenpachi tried to punch Ichigo again. This time he caught the incoming fist.

“That fox demon wants only to save his own skin. I'll bet he positioned himself between you and Tousen so he had a better shot,” amended the battle-fiend. He snickered and mulled out loud, “I bet that's why he was all touchy-feely with you: to throw Tousen off his scheme.”

Ichigo felt a flush spread across his cheeks. So they had noticed. He shivered at the memory of Gin's dwindling breath across his neck, and how the man had twined fingers through his hair before pulling in close.

“Oh, we all saw,” the captain crowed. “We were right behind you until you attacked that shit head, Aizen. What I'd like to know is why you didn't just drop Ichimaru. Why,” he pressed, “did you save his sorry ass?” The bells in his hair jingled delicately with his repressed mirth.

Ichigo tried to throw the larger man. Kenpachi held his ground and wrenched his hand free.

Suddenly he felt exposed, and he called forth his hollow. Glaring up at the captain, he countered with the only thing he had left, “He killed Inoue!”

The captain of the Eleventh Squad was not known for his restraint. He clenched his fist in the front of Ichigo's kosode and slammed him none to gently into the ground. Kenpachi was eerily composed as he spoke, “No, he didn't. That espada killed her when she decided to take matters into her own hands. She wanted to spare you. You were trying to do the same for her.” As if to prove his point, he flicked the mask the red-head was shielded behind.

“We're done.” He released Ichigo and turned to leave. “You're in no condition to fight right now,” he tossed over his shoulder. “Come over to the Eleventh if you want. They're breaking out the sake.”

“Yay!” Yachiru squealed as she placed the eye patch over her hair, “I love it when they drink that stuff. Everyone starts acting funny!”

His mask melted away as he watched the pair leave. He didn't want to think about this anymore. Alcohol sounded like an excellent solution. Sighing, he retrieved Zangetsu and followed after the captain.