BLEACH: To Save & Protect

Chapter Eight: Death and the Strawberry

 "In my quest to find strength, I always ended up losing myself in despair but each time-you saved me! I am grateful for that, thank you for never losing hope in me, Rukia"-Chapter Eight synopsis.
 

In the next five years, Rukia did not talk to Byakuya even once. Ichigo was not seen since that day when he was hit with Byakuya's Gokei and she held him responsible for his disappearance. Each time a strange event was reported at the senkaimon or one of the gates, she rushed over to see if he had returned and she was always disappointed for all of five years! It was largely believed by everyone else that Ichigo had died that day but Rukia remained hopeful. More than five years after Yhwach's defeat, a ceremony was organised to officially install Rukia as the captain of squad thirteen. A contingent from Karakura town arrived through the official senkaimon and Rukia rushed over to welcome them. Orihime and Uryu came along with Tatsuki, Mizuiro, Keigo and Yuzu using the passes Kyoraku had given them. She looked at them with a smile on her face...

"Where is Ichigo? Is he coming later?!" She asked them. They were very surprised by her question! It was something they had put behind them a few years back.

 "Kurosaki is not coming, Kuchiki-san..." Uryu said to her, "He is gone."

She turned away her big sad eyes...

"I see." She said. That's what everyone had been telling her for the past five years but she knew they were all wrong-she had never stopped feeling his presence.

At the same time, Byakuya was in the cemetery staring at a gravestone in a very massive shrine. Kurosaki Ichigo, the characters on the stone read. It was a monument of his regret; something he still believed he had done for the sake of the soul society. Given another chance, he would have done it all over again. In the same area there were shrines for head captain Yamamoto Genryusai, Captains; Komamura Sajin, Ukitake Juushirou and Unohana Retsu.

"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself, Byakuya." Someone said to him from nearby, "That's exactly what Ukitake would have told you...and Ichigo too-I am sure."

It was the new head captain Kyoraku Shunsui who was just returning from visiting Ukitake's shrine. Nanao was following him closely behind.

"Captain, we're running late for the new captain's ceremony!" She reminded him.

"Come down, Nanao-chan! I'm moving as fast I can!!" Kyoraku said to her.

"Let us go, Byakuya...maybe this ceremony will cheer you up." He said to Byakuya.

All the captains gathered in the first division building for the ceremony. Kyoraku Shunsui of squad one, Soifon of squad two, Rose of squad three, Isane of squad four, Hirako Shinji of squad five, Byakuya Kuchiki of squad six, Renji Abarai of squad seven, Lisa Yadumura of squad eight, Kensei of squad nine, Toushiro Hitsugaya of squad ten and Zaraki Kenpachi of squad eleven-all captains were present except Kurotsuchi Mayuri who had ran to western gate. Just as the ceremony was about to begin, Rukia ran off to the western gate as well! Several minutes later, all the captains felt a very massive reiatsu and there was no doubt about its origin.