Ichigo was on his way home with Chad, Uryuu, and Orhime close on his heels. After the earthquake it started to rain. Ichigo kept cursing as he used his bag to cover himself. They all quickly ran to the Kurosaki Clinic trying to figure out where that strong reiatsu came from.
Ichigo opened the door and everyone quickly walked in. "What the hell is up with this rain?" he asked no one in particular. With a sigh, he led the group to the living room but stopped when he saw a group of people already sitting on his couch. "What's going on?"
His four friends looked into the living room and noticed Isshin sitting with Urahara, Ryuuken, Yoruichi, Shinji and Hiyori, while Tessai, Jinta and Ururu were sitting on the kitchen table with Karin, Yuzu, and Kon.
Isshin looked up to smile at his son. "Okaeri," he softly spoke.
From the fact that his father didn't jump on him to give his usual greeting, Ichigo knew something was wrong. And it could very well be involved with that earthquake.
Ichigo dropped his bag and walked to his father. "Something is going on isn't it?" he asked but got no answer. Ichigo sat next to his father and sighed. "Does this have something to do with that reiatsu that caused the earthquake?"
"So you've noticed?" Shinji asked.
Ichigo nodded. "I know I'm bad at sensing reiatsus but I'm not that much of a klutz."
"Che," Hiyori snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest, "You could have fooled me."
Ichigo only glared but Uryuu snapped him out of it by whacking him behind the head. The Quincy then looked around the quiet room and sighed. "Is it what I think it is?" he asked.
The other's nodded and Uryuu shook his head.
Ichigo looked around and noticed that even Chad, Orihime, and his sisters seemed to be aware of what Uryuu was talking about expect for him. "What's going on? Do you guys know something that I don't?"
Urahara pulled his hat lower and spoke out to the orange head. "Kurosaki-kun, it seems we haven't been completely honest with you lately."
"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked the shopkeeper.
Urahara was about to continue when suddenly everyone became still, feeling great amount of reiatsu coming near the house. And it seemed that the reiatsu was coming from several people.
Just then there was a knock on the door. Yuzu quietly ran up to the door, opened it, and gasped.
Ichigo stood up from his seat followed by everyone else. What he saw next was something unexpected.
Led by Byakuya, several shinigamis entered Ichigo's home and they all looked exhausted.
Okay, something is definitely going on, Ichigo thought to himself. He was about to speak when Isshin walked up and interrupted his train of thought.
"How is she?" Isshin asked Byakuya.
The kenshiken-wearing man shook his head and Isshin sighed. And for some reason Ichigo had a sick feeling in his stomach.
How is SHE?
"Who are you talking about?" Ichigo asked his father.
Isshin slowly looked back at his son and shook his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
Ichigo could feel sweat forming inside his fists. He was starting to breathe hard. "Why?" he asked.
Yoruichi walked towards Ichigo and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ichigo," she quietly called out.
Ichigo only shrugged the hand off and stared at everyone. His patience was running out. "What's going on?" he asked again, "It seems like you guys all know something except for me. Why is this? And who are you talking about?"
Everyone avoided Ichigo's eyes, hoping to not be the one to give the bad news. Ichigo felt like throwing up from the tense atmosphere.
With a sigh Urahara folded his fan and made his way towards Ichigo. "Kurosaki-kun. Allow me to tell you what's going on, but in one condition. Please reframe from speaking or doing anything until after I've finished talking."
Ichigo swallowed hard, already aware that he wasn't going to like what he was going to hear. But he nodded.
"Thank you," Urahara said as he continued, "The reiatsu that caused the earthquake a few hours ago belonged to a newborn child that had just been born in Soul Society."
"But how can a child bear so much reiatsu?" Ichigo asked, already breaking his promise to the shopkeeper.
Urahrara nodded. "That is because the parents are possessors of great reiatsu themselves. But the odd thing is most children inherit a small amount of reiatsu from either one parent or both. But this specific child seemed to have inherited all, if not more reiatsu than the parents. Thus it caused the huge earthquake that traveled into this world."
Ichigo nodded. He thought for a second and asked, "So what stopped this earthquake?"
"The officers of Gotei 13 had to combine their powers to conceal the reiatsu into the child."
"But what does this have anything to do with me?"
Urahara paused, hoping someone would take over to tell Ichigo the next part. "Well—"
"Kisuke," Isshin interrupted, "I think I should tell Ichigo the rest."
Urahara nodded and let out a sigh of relief. He took a step back so Ichigo could look directly at his father.
Isshin fully turned his body to Ichigo and sighed. He cleared his throat to start talking. "Ichigo, that child with the immense reiatsu… well, the child is actually yours and Rukia-chan's."
Silence.
Everything and everyone was still as if time had stopped, waiting for the new father to react.
"W-what?" Ichigo stuttered in a small voice.
Everyone looked away, afraid to see the expression on Ichigo's face. It was full of hurt, anger, pain, sadness and mostly confusion.
"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, the gears in his brains starting to turn really fast.
Isshin stepped forward. "Ichigo—"
"Rukia went to Soul Society to take over for Ukitake. She said she was going to come back this month," he said. Thinking it was some joke Ichigo lightly laughed as he looked around the room with 'panic' written in his eyes, "I don't know what you're saying. Stop bullshitting with me."
Isshin sighed as he looked away.
"Pops," Ichigo looked at his father with a pleading look, "Please tell me you're lying. Please tell me Rukia didn't have a child without me knowing."
"I'm sorry," Isshin said quietly.
Ichigo shook his head. "Why? Why are you sorry? What are you trying to say?"
"Ichigo—"
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Ichigo yelled at his father.
Isshin closed his eyes at the sudden burst of his son's anger. "Rukia-chan had been taken to Soul Society, not to take over for Ukitake, but to give birth—Ichigo!" Isshin cried out as Ichigo walked past him and towards the front door where Byakuya and others were still standing. Isshin grabbed Ichigo's shoulder. "Where are you going?"
Ichigo shoved his father away. "Where else? I'm going to Rukia!"
"You can't," Renji blurted out.
"And why the hell not?" Ichigo asked.
Hitsugaya stepped up when no one responded. "Because she's in critical condition. If anyone is to interrupt Unohana-taicho's concentration right now, Rukia-san could die. And if you're there with your crazy reiatsu, the same consequence will happen."
Ichigo stopped dead in his tracks as Hitsugaya's words sunk in. He looked with wide eyes at the young genius. "What?"
This time Hitsugaya dropped his gaze and didn't say anything.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Ichigo ran up and grabbed Histugaya by the collar, "YOU BETTER TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON OR ELSE—"
"Ichigo!" Isshin shouted as he and the others pried the crazy orange head off of the Tenth Division's taicho, "Calm down—"
"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CAN CALM DOWN?" Ichigo yelled at his father, "First I was told that Rukia left to have my child, and now you're telling me she's dieing? What the fuck is wrong with all of you? How could you have kept this from me?"
Ichigo finally released Hitsugaya but in turn grabbed his father's collar and shoved him against the wall. "You better have a good reason as to why you've kept this from me!"
"Ichigo…I'm sorry," Isshin replied.
But an apology wasn't enough for the enraged orange head. Ichigo shoved his father to the side and was about to hit him when Shinji, Urahara and Yoruichi quickly stood next to him and grabbed him.
"Let go of me!" Ichigo shouted, "You fucking bastards have no right to protect this jackass!"
"Ichigo, enough!" Yoruichi shouted as she pushed Ichigo to the side.
Ichigo bumped into the wall but kept staring at the people around him. "What is wrong with you people? You all kept this from me when I should have been involved in every part of Rukia's pregnancy!"
Urahara tried to talk. "Kurosaki-kun, you need to understand—"
"Rukia might die and I can't even see her," Ichigo whispered then suddenly raised his voice. "WHAT'S THE POINT IN LIVING IF I CAN'T BE WITH HER ANYMORE?"
"You still have your son," Byakuya calmly replied.
Ichigo stopped shaking.
He looked up at the cold man who didn't seem shocked by his outburst.
"Son?"
Byakuya motioned Hinamori to walk up and hand Ichigo the bundle she was carefully carrying. Ichigo looked down and saw a baby. A baby wrapped up in… a white blanket with black butterfly patterns on the corner.
"This blanket… these clothes…" Ichigo whispered.
Byakuya nodded. "Rukia specifically asked me to make sure that the first outfit he wears is the one his father had bought him."
Ichigo lower lips started to tremble as he carefully took the child in his arms. He looked down at a sleeping, relaxed child and could feel the tears forming in his eyes.
Renji looked at his friend and said, "His name is Kurosaki Keitaro"
Ichigo snapped his head up, looking at the red head with disbelief. Renji nodded once their eyes met.
"Rukia also wanted him to have the name that you wanted to give your first son: The 'blessed' one, she said."
At this point Ichigo could no longer contain the tears in his eyes. He fell on his knees and carefully hugged his son to his chest. The orange head started to cry out the tears as much as he had after his mother's death. His voice cracked but he kept screaming in pain and agony as the others watched on, getting a sense of his pain from his cries.
Ichigo didn't care if others were watching.
Ichigo didn't care that his image was breaking.
All Ichigo cared about was that Rukia wasn't here with him and their son, Keitaro.
A/N: A bit sad... but I kinda wanted it to be like this until Rukia comes back (and yes, I'm letting it out there pretty broadly that she'll be back. I'm not into sad fanfics. so I'm fine with letting you guys know what'll happen in the future. Hope this doesn't affect you guys too much... then again, I'm sure many of you guys already suspected this ;D)
The next chapter is hella short and a bit sad. Read and see what i mean!
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