Start of a Vacation

The remaining days until Ichigo's vacation passed quickly, which the Substitute Shinigami was very glad for. The knowledge that he would soon be able to relax comfortably on a nice, warm beach, with his closest friends and confidants, made him decidedly eager for the day to arrive. Much to his relief, Soul Society had not initiated any other form of contact with him, and the Hollows that made their way to Karakura were weak enough for even that Kurumadani Zennosuke, the Shinigami that Soul Society had officially stationed in Karakura, to finish off with some effort.

To be honest, Ichigo had anticipated stronger Hollows. He'd only forbidden Menos-class Hollows from entering Karakura, and there were plenty of very strong Hollows that had not reached the level of Gillian. The Grand Fisher was an excellent example; he'd killed humans and Shinigami for half a century prior to his death, and had never reached Gillian.

Ichigo wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Even so, he couldn't help but feel uneasy, as if it were simply the calm before the storm. No matter. Urahara and Yoruichi can take care of anything that happens here. He paused from his packing, took a deep breath and let it out slowly, letting tension drain from his muscles. Yeah. Everything'll be fine. It's ok. I mean, who would attack Karakura while I'm gone? Aizen's dead, and every Hollow strong enough to be a threat to Urahara and Yoruichi are being kept in line by Ulquiorra, Nel and the others. He nodded to himself, slightly reassured, and resumed packing.

Ichigo done the majority of the packing the night before, and was simply double-checking everything. Finishing, he nodded again, satisfied, and picked up his luggage. "Finally!" Kon exclaimed, jumping up from the floor in his lion plush body and landing on Ichigo's bed. "So, what's the plan, Ichigo?"

The Vizard blinked. He'd forgotten to tell Kon exactly what the vacation consisted of. "We meet everyone at the airport in a couple of hours. Urahara's arranged a flight for us to a popular beachside hotel, with three rooms reserved until next Monday," Ichigo summarized. "I'm probably going to be with Renji in one room, with Chad and Ishida in the next room and the girls in the last."

"What about me?" Kon demanded.

"Don't worry, you're coming too," Ichigo reassured the Mod-Soul. "As for what room… Well, I gotta admit, you've been helpful for me in school, and haven't gotten my body beat up in a while," Ichigo conceded. "So, as a thank you, if you can convince Rukia and Inoue, you can stay with them. If you can't, you'll stay in my room. And as an added bonus, as long as you don't do any perverted stunts in front of me, or that in any way can be linked to me, I won't do anything to stop you."

Kon looked at him with comically large, teary grateful eyes. "You're a good person…" he whispered, just before leaping forward and latching onto Ichigo's chest in an unmistakable attempt to hug him.

"Oi, oi!" Ichigo protested. "Off! I'm still using this shirt!"

Meanwhile, Ishida was thinking along similar lines to his Vizard rival. He was double-checking everything one last time, but he too had something more to consider. He'd been thinking about a way to help protect Karakura without his Quincy abilities for days now, and the teenager wanted to tell the others, and hopefully acquire their support.

Ishida could tell that Inoue would want to use her unique restorative abilities to heal those who could not be healed with modern medicine… she had a healer's disposition. Likewise, Kurosaki seemed unable to not help those who needed it. Chad seemed as though he could return to living normally if he so chose, but Ishida thought it unlikely he ever would… he would use his arms, and his powers, to protect someone if they were ever needed.

Ishida had spent his spare time working on the details for his idea, and he was fairly confident that it could work. And if it did, it would provide his comrades the ability to protect Karakura spiritually without inevitably losing their jobs to save someone's life, as well as giving them the ability to quietly use their powers to help.

Ishida's idea was simply this: found a new business that focused on using their abilities in productive ways. Chad and Kurosaki could be used as bodyguards, for example, or as teachers in self-defense – Ishida privately thought that Chad would probably enjoy the latter job. In such a position, Kurosaki could just ingest his Mod-Soul to take his place as bodyguard while out slaying Hollows should the need arise. Inoue's Sōten Kisshun was incredibly versatile, and could theoretically be used for anything from restoring a priceless painting to healing the terminally ill. As for Ishida himself, he would be the one advertising and doing much of the administrative work… while perhaps putting his tailoring talents to good use. He had been complimented many times about the quality of his work…

All said and told, Ishida was certain that if it worked, they would all be content with their lives. The problem was communicating his vision to the others. He'd realized during his time figuring it all out that he didn't really know what the others wanted to do with their lives just yet. For all he knew, Kurosaki might want to put his fighting past behind him and take over his father's clinic. Chad perhaps would choose to be an engineer of some sort. Inoue… Maybe a bakery? Ishida paused to shudder at the thought; Inoue's tastes were extremely strange and anything she cooked was hard for anyone save Inoue herself to swallow.

The ex-Quincy sighed. He'd already resolved to tell the others by the end of the vacation. He just couldn't help but hope that things worked out. Noticing the time, he picked up his luggage, stepped outside, and vanished in a burst of Hirenkyaku. Smirking to himself as he streaked across the sky, Ishida couldn't help but think. Just maintaining my skills, Tou-san… Need to practice, after all.

Several minutes later, Ishida landed in a quiet, secluded place very near the airport, and began walking purposefully towards the entrance when he felt a very familiar presence land just where he'd been a moment ago.

"I see I'm not the only one using their power to get around," Kurosaki observed with a smirk that could be heard quite clearly. "Certainly saves us the cost of gas or a taxi."

"Agreed," Ishida concurred, pausing until Kurosaki reached him before he began making his way towards the airport again. Kurosaki fell in step with him easily. "Of course, we won't be able to do it forever. Society will become suspicious if we are able to travel quickly without a recognized method of doing so."

Kurosaki sighed in lament. "Yeah, that sucks. But at least it's good for emergencies."

"True." They continued walking. After another minute or two, Ishida decided that it was probably best to simply ask the question that was on his mind. "What are your plans for the future, Kurosaki? Aizen's gone, you seem to have handled Soul Society so they won't be bothering us much."

Kurosaki's tilted his head to the sky searchingly, as if asking Kami for the answers. "I haven't decided. I want to finish school, of course. Find a job I can enjoy, have a family. Same as any other guy, I guess."

"Don't you have a job lined up with your father's clinic?" Ishida prodded coolly, keeping his tone carefully neutral.

Kurosaki snorted amusedly. "Could you honestly see me as a doctor or healer or anything?"

"Honestly? Perhaps," Ishida answered truthfully.

"Hmm, well, maybe. What about you?" the Substitute replied. "Your father is the director of the Karakura Hospital, right? You're good at sewing things up quickly, would you want to be a surgeon or something? You're definitely smart enough to get through medical school."

Ishida blinked. He'd never thought about that possibility… Considering it for a few moments, he shook his head negatively. "I don't believe I'd enjoy that kind of work. My abilities with a needle are more crafted towards tailoring."

"Are you thinking about opening a clothing shop then? Custom work?"

"It has crossed my mind," Ishida admitted. "But I have, shall we say, a slightly higher ambition."

The Vizard turned to look at the Quincy quizzically. "Higher than opening and owning your own shop?"

"Yes."

Kurosaki paused for a few moments, waiting for Ishida to continue. When Ishida said nothing more, he pressed on. "Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Not yet."

"Figures." There was no rancor behind the words, merely acceptance, with a hint of amusement.

The two reached the doors to the airport and quietly walked in, seeing everyone already there. "Ishida-kun! Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue greeted enthusiastically, waving. She had donned a sundress for the day, this one an orange-red color, matching her hair nicely.

Chad merely nodded acknowledgment. He had decided on a black sleeveless shirt, and jeans for his trip there, Ichigo observed as he nodded back.

"Hey, Ichigo," Renji commented, raising a hand in hello. He was dressed in a tropical-themed shirt, with palm trees decorating it, and tan shorts. As a result, his tattoos stood out quite prominently, and he was getting a lot of attention from those around him, not all of it good.

Rukia, like Inoue, had chosen a sundress, though hers was a bright yellow. "Ichigo, Ishida," she welcomed with a smile. "Looking forward to the beach?"

"You have no idea," Ichigo agreed.

"Maa, I see everyone's arrived!" Urahara greeted, walking in the doors. "Alright then. Here are your tickets." After passing out the tickets, he passed Ichigo a phone. "Just in case something drastic happens that you'd want to know about, or if you just feel like talking to your family again," he assured the Substitute. "We definitely won't give out your number to anyone."

Ichigo nodded – it was an appreciated gift. "Thanks, Urahara."

Urahara smiled and tipped his head, his hat casting a shadow on the rest of his face. "See you when you get back. Have a safe flight, and do try not to attract any more trouble?"

"Not exactly my fault, you know," the Vizard retorted, but he nodded anyway.

"My work here is done. Ja ne." Urahara turned on his heel and began walking away.

Ishida looked up at the flight boards and coughed lightly, getting everyone's attention. "We don't have much time," he noted. "We should get going."

"Yama-jii!" Kyōraku exclaimed as he walked into the sōtaicho's room. "You're awake!"

Yamamoto turned and looked at him with slightly open, very serious eyes. "Kyōraku-taicho. Report."

"Hai. While you've been incapacitated, there have been a number of events. Gin Ichimaru has been reinstated as taicho, with several restrictions to serve as punishment. Similarly, Tōsen Kaname has also been reinstated."

"What are the restrictions you've implemented?"

"Due to the motives behind his betrayal, it was decided that Gin be given some leniency as he had been working to find Aizen's weakness and kill him. Gin has been placed under house arrest during all times that he is not performing his duties as taicho for the next year. He will be working without pay for the next five years, and his reiatsu will be bound for three years by the 12th Division so that 50% of his power is sealed. Kira will be submitting weekly reports on Gin's actions, to be verified through the Onmitsukidō.

"Tōsen has been vouched for by Komamura-taicho, but as his betrayal did not serve a more noble cause, his restrictions are stricter. He has been placed under house arrest and will be working without pay for the next five years. After that, his pay will resume at a reduced rate. His reiatsu will be bound by 80% for the next decade. All of his decisions will need to be approved by another taicho and Hisagi. Neither Tōsen nor Gin will have the right to vote at the taicho meetings without approval from their fukutaicho as well."

Yamamoto made a noncommittal grunt as acknowledgment. "What of Hinamori-fukutaicho?"

"She has recovered fully, and has resumed her duties as leader of the 5th Division."

"And Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Kyōraku glanced at a nearby clock. "By now… I'd say he's on his way to his vacation."

Yamamoto blinked, before narrowing his eyes to slits. "Explain. In detail, Shunsui."

Kyōraku sighed. "At my request, Kurosaki made an appearance in Soul Society and made a speech concerning Aizen and the causes of his deception and eventual betrayal. I used the opportunity as acting sōtaicho to assign Central 46 the task of creating functional justice systems for each of the Rukongai districts to eliminate the problems that created Aizen to begin with. The Gotei 13 will handle any other critical issues until they have finished, thereby largely eliminating the possibility of conflict between the Central 46 and Kurosaki Ichigo. That completed, Kurosaki decided to take the opportunity to go on a vacation. He invited Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Rukia to go with him, and both of them accepted."

"I see…" Yamamoto murmured as he considered what he'd heard. He truly didn't like the idea of essentially usurping the power from the established government, but he also couldn't fault Kyōraku on attempting to keep the peace… the Central 46 had a history of anti-Vizard tendencies. Simultaneously fixing some of the issues that had caused the problems to begin with was simply icing on the cake.

However, it also meant that Kurosaki remained in political limbo, which was not a position that Yamamoto desired. Still, better that than outright enemies… Mentally nodding to himself, Yamamoto decided that Kyōraku had performed adequately, especially as he had regained Gin and Tōsen as taicho. They would serve as extra power in the event that Kurosaki turned on them, which was entirely possible with the number of strong allies he had thus far acquired.

"Very well," he finally said. "When is Kurosaki Ichigo due to return?"

"Reports indicate one week."

"Have you scouted for candidates for taicho of the 5th Division?"

"Hai," Kyōraku confirmed. "Two fukutaicho have Bankai that we know of: Abarai Renji and Madarame Ikkaku. Madarame refuses to leave Zaraki-taicho's Division. Abarai has expressed no opinion one way or another, but has continued training despite Aizen's recent defeat, so I believe he would be willing. However, Kuchiki-taicho has requested that he not be promoted just yet, claiming that Abarai is not yet ready to handle the full responsibility of a Division.

"I and a few other taicho have approached Kurosaki Ichigo, but he declined in favor of living his human life," the easy-going taicho finished.

Yamamoto nodded, pleased at his student's thoroughness. "Has anything else of note occurred?"

"Kurotsuchi-taicho wants to see you soon, something regarding a rare event and some classified information that he wants you to divulge. Soifon-taicho has had her Onmitsukidō quietly scouring Karakura but they are unable to determine where the Vizard are located. And one other thing that might be interesting… since the day after Aizen's defeat, no Menos of any rank have arrived in Karakura. Kurotsuchi-taicho detected that Kurosaki entered a Garganta to Hueco Mundo that day, and Soifon-taicho believes that Kurosaki went hunting to drastically reduce the Gillian population."

Yamamoto turned the latest piece of news over in his head before deciding he would need to think it over in more detail later. "Good. Now, tell me the details. How did Kurosaki Ichigo defeat Aizen after I was incapacitated?"

Oh boy. Kyōraku knew instantly that he was not going to like this conversation.

Ichigo stepped outside the cab that he and his friends had taken from the airport – which Urahara had thoughtfully paid for – and laid eyes on where they would be staying for the next week. It was an enormous, sandy-white painted hotel with cheerful decorations. The beach and ocean were mere minutes away, and he could see dozens of people there having a good time.

Despite himself, Ichigo felt a smile tugging on his lips – it was a beautiful sight, and best of all, he couldn't sense a single reiatsu signature outside of his group. He could feel himself relaxing by the second. Just what the doctor ordered, he thought happily, allowing his customary scowl to fade into a tiny smile.

Ishida, who was walking beside the Substitute Shinigami and could therefore see his face, was surprised by Kurosaki's uncharacteristically almost-cheerful expression, but said nothing. He couldn't claim to know everything about Kurosaki; perhaps this was a facet Ishida merely hadn't had a chance to view before. It wasn't as though he knew what Kurosaki liked to do in his free time; the Vizard had had precious little time to spend enjoying himself recently.

The six of them approached the front counter inside the hotel, with Ichigo and Ishida at the front; it seemed safest. Chad was too quiet and intimidating, Inoue was too random and tended to drift off into a daydream given a strange thought, and Renji had poor social skills and too many openly-visible tattoos. Rukia would have been a good choice to talk to the attendant, being of a noble house and having lived in the living world for quite some time with Ichigo, but she was too busy being in awe of the beautiful scenery and was sketching in her drawing pad.

"Can I help you?" the attendant, an attractive woman with long blond hair asked politely.

"We should have a reservation here under the name of Urahara," Ishida replied.

The attendant looked at her computer screen and scanned through the list of the day's arrivals. "Ah, yes. Three rooms have been reserved. Have you decided the rooming arrangements?"

Inoue and Rukia were by each other's side in an instant, being the obvious pair as they were the only girls. The males glanced at each other, before Ishida made a swift decision and stood next to Chad, leaving Renji and Ichigo to room together. All in all, it was exactly as Ichigo had predicted earlier that day to Kon.

"Yes," Ishida answered.

The attendant nodded in acceptance. "Very well. In your rooms are guides for the activities that we host on a day to day basis. Urahara-san has also paid for all food and drink while you are here, including unlimited room service. There are menus in your rooms detailing what we have available at any given time, and how to order it. While Urahara-san has additionally purchased unlimited alcoholic drinks, remember that the legal drinking age is 20, and we reserve the right to ask for proof of age. Do you have any questions?" Receiving a round of negative headshakes in return, she nodded. "Should you have questions later, feel free to talk to Information Service over there." She pointed across the hallway, where the desk was clearly labeled, and then turned around. Selecting three keys, she passed them out to the pairs of roomies before another, this time male, attendant walked up to them with a smile.

"I will escort you to your rooms. If you'll follow me?"

Several minutes later… "I call the bed by the window!" Ichigo claimed the instant the attendant had left, jumping over to it and setting his luggage atop the bed before Renji could say anything. He wanted to be able to see the stars as he fell asleep.

"Damn!" Renji cursed; he'd wanted that one.

A room over, Chad and Ishida glanced at each other. "Do you have a preference?" the Quincy asked politely, not much caring which bed he used.

"Not particularly." After a moment's consideration, the gentle giant set his things on the bed closer to the door and began searching for his swim trunks. Shrugging, Ishida did the same.

Across the hall, Inoue had chosen the bed by the window, appreciating the scenery. Rukia didn't mind; it was rather comforting to have the bed closer to the exit; it reminded her fondly of living in Ichigo's closet, as she was just near enough to feel his reiatsu without effort. He's gotten better at controlling it, she thought to herself with a mixture of pride, relief, and a bit of wistfulness. She half-missed the days where his reiatsu washed over her like a protective blanket. "Ichigo's gotten pretty strong, hasn't he?"

Inoue stopped looking through her clothes for the swimsuit she wanted, instead turning to look at Rukia with a smile. "Yes, he has."

"I'm glad things turned out the way they did," the petite Shinigami said earnestly, facing Inoue. "Ichigo's strong enough to protect everyone now, the way he always wanted. And now that Aizen's dead, he can focus on other things." She smirked knowingly. "Like romance."

Inoue's eyes grew wide as saucers, a slight blush staining her cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about," she denied, shoving her face into her clothes as she resumed the search for her swimsuit.

"Right," Rukia acknowledged disbelievingly. "So you don't mind at all that Ichigo has fangirls in Soul Society."

Inoue's efforts grew a touch more aggressive as she began throwing her clothes all over the place. "Ha! Found it!" she crowed.

Rukia took one look and raised an eyebrow. "Right… You're totally not trying to get a man."

Kurosaki Masaki was at her home in the West 1st District, where Urahara had dropped her off after taking her from her still-living family. The nice man had explained all about the varying levels of law and chaos in the Districts, before asking her to stay there.

**Flashback**

"This is one of the houses I own under a false name," Urahara explained sheepishly. "But I want you to have it. It's the least I can do for having you and your family caught in this situation… I'm partly at fault."

"Thank you," Masaki told him sincerely.

"I'll admit, I have ulterior motives. Living here means you'll be very close to the Seireitei, so it won't be hard for you to get ahold of a Shinigami if you need help. It also means it's unlikely you'll get hurt or killed, since Shinigami patrol here frequently, and that means Ichigo won't kill ME," Urahara admitted with a smirk.

Masaki picked up a hint of actual nervousness, but decided not to say anything; Urahara was doing her a favor, after all.

**End Flashback**

The house was actually quite nice, and was already furnished. It was about the size of her home in Karakura, so sometimes Masaki felt as though it was too large for just her, but she knew that when it came time for her children to pass on, it meant they'd always have a place to stay.

Masaki had spent the last few days going around the neighborhood, meeting the people and getting a feel for how life worked after death. Not much had changed, it seemed. People still ate if they felt hungry – which was apparently somewhat uncommon for most – and there were dojos, shrines, blacksmiths… everything Masaki could think of.

She'd had a couple of visitors, mostly other women welcoming her into the community, but she'd kept to herself a lot. Masaki simply wasn't sure what to do with her afterlife. She knew that she couldn't enter the Seireitei and join the Shinigami Academy unless she had spiritual power, and Masaki hadn't felt hungry since she arrived. Thirsty, yes, but not hungry.

In the meantime, Masaki was reading an interesting novel that she'd found in the house, when a knock on the door interrupted her. "I'm coming!" she called out, rising from the couch and moving towards the door.

Opening it, she was greeted by an unfamiliar face. The visitor was male, tall, and well-shaven with short but styled hair. His clothes were somewhat more elegant than most she'd seen, and he carried a sword at his hip. "Kurosaki-san?"

"Yes?"

The man smiled. "My name is Paon Miro. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've been sent by the Berean family to discuss a proposition."

"The Berean family?" Masaki questioned. "I'm sorry, I haven't been in Soul Society very long…"

Paon nodded n understanding. "The Berean family is what is known as a noble house. They play a part in the government and society in general. Sometimes, they can have special roles. For instance, the Kuchiki are charged with maintaining the history of Soul Society, and the Shihoin are responsible for protecting some ancient artifacts, as well as heading a special military unit. The Kasumiōji are masters at forging weapons. You get the idea."

"What does the Berean family do?"

Paon chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I can't really tell you, as I don't know myself. I've asked, but I'm told that it's a secret that only the heads of the family know."

"Is that common?"

"For many noble families, yes," Paon confirmed. "Only the really big-name families have well known duties, as they get called on it frequently enough that it's common knowledge."

"I see… So, you came here with a proposition?" Masaki asked curiously.

"Ah, yes. The Berean family has requested your presence. They need some information from you concerning your son, Kurosaki Ichigo. It has something to do with their role as a noble house, so I wasn't allowed to ask what they want."

"Surely you have some idea," Masaki prodded.

Paon looked both ways and leaned in conspiratorially. "I think it has something to do with how he became so powerful since he started out human. My working theory is that the Berean family is responsible for recording knowledge of new hybrids, so they know what can happen. I've been with them for decades and this is the first thing they've done to fulfill their role that I know of. Your guess is as good as mine."

"Hmm."

"Oh!" Paon exclaimed. "I almost forgot to mention. In exchange for your information, they are offering unlimited access to the Seireitei as well as a list of names and addresses of your son's known contacts, so you can have easier access to your family's lives."

Masaki's eyes widened and focused on Paon intently. "Are you serious?" she asked quietly.

"Perfectly. Between you and me, I'd take it," Paon advised. "It's one hell of an offer."

Ichigo's mother had to agree. Turning over the idea one more time in her head, she couldn't find a reason not to. So she smiled and nodded. "Alright."

Paon smiled back. "Great. Are you busy now? I can come back later…"

"No, now's a good time."

"Then let's be off."