Once a year, the elders of the Kuchiki clan and head are to gather at the estate's great hall to discuss any matters that pertain to both the clan as well as their role as the historians of soul society. Internally Byakuya didn't enjoy these meetings, he'd rather spend time grooming one of the numerous bonsai trees he kept around his estate. The primary reason why he detested such meetings is because nothing ever got done. For the past few decades the elders have become insistent on either him remarrying or marrying off Rukia to one of the other clans. They knew full well that he was still grieving the loss of his wife, but it has been 70 years since she passed but he knew he had a role to play in the Kuchiki clan, since he was the eldest male and the heir of his grandfather Ginrei. With both his parents and his grandfather now having passed, he was the head of the clan. He could name Rukia his successor as head of the clan, but that decision might go just as poorly as his initial decision to marry Hisana in the first place.

"The reinstatement of the corrupted shinigami as well as the deserter captain will need to be noted in the scrolls." One of the elders, an old woman named Hama says not bothering to hide the distain for the vizards in her voice.

"They may have hollow powers, however they have my respect and I recommend you give them that respect as well." Byakuya retorts, sitting at the head of the large table in the great hall. "Captain Isshin Shiba, had completed the oath that all shinigami swear at their entrance into the Gotei. To protect and preserve the lives and souls of the human world at any means necessary. He sacrificed his soul reaper powers so that Masaki Kurosaki could live, as he explained to me."

"Speaking of the Shibas, it seems that Yamamoto has reinstated them as a great noble house and with that reinstatement, Kukaku Shiba named her nephew Kurosaki Ichigo the heir of the Shiba clan. The half breed power thief is now of noble blood." Byakuya's uncle Komoda practically growled at both the names of Shiba and Kurosaki Ichigo.

"He did what was necessary to save his family, and Rukia did her duty as a shinigami that night. I was blind to see it, however I will not have my clan speaking poorly of the man who saved my sister." Byakuya's patience was beginning to wear thin. "I have selected a suitor for Rukia, however I myself will not be looking for a new bride for the foreseeable future."

"It's about time you allowed that street rat to actually become useful to the clan, who did you select for her suitor?" Another elder says. Byakuya disregards the insult to Rukia, but a slight smirk grows on his lip as he prepares his answer.

"Shiba Kurosaki Ichigo." Byakuya answers firmly, "Thanks to Aizen's experiments, Rukia has fallen victim to an inner hollow of her own. Kurosaki Ichigo seems to have one as well and almost killed me during our duel the day she was to be executed." The elders gasp in horror at this revelation.

"Rukia Kuchiki should be expelled from the clan! We never should have allowed that disgusting street rat into the Kuchiki cla-" Hama shouts but she immediately goes silent when a sakura petal manifests right before her face and drifts slowly to the table in front of her.

"The next person to speak ill of my sister will be dragged out of here on a corpse wagon." Byakuya says darkly, his reishi now flooding the room threatening to crush the other nobles in the room. "Her power with hollowfication was enough to wound the traitor captain Aizen, the traitor managed to dispose of multiple captains with barely any movement. Komamura, captain class Lieutenant Kurosaki, myself, Captain Soi-Fong and ex captain Yoruichi were all powerless against him. Her hollow injured him, and demonstrated the ability to use Kurosaki's bankai. The only two of us that could face Aizen are her and Kurosaki."

"Was this what drove your decision to have your sister and Kurosaki Ichigo court?" One of the more level headed but still as stuffy, elders asks.

"While an offspring between them would be a natural born prodigy, with potentially the highest natural reishi to ever occur in the history of soul society" He begins, "That isn't why I decided on them courting one another. It was my failure to uphold the last wish of Hisana that drove this decision. I feel that I am unfit to protect her like Hisana asked. I may have been overzealous in my attempts to keep her from danger and stifled her growth as a soul reaper and as her own woman. I will speak to Kukaku Shiba and Isshin Shiba about having them married, however until the war with Aizen is over they will continue to court. Additionally, Kisuke Urahara and Mayuri Kurotsuchi have made a breakthrough with a secret weapon that can be used against the traitor captains." Byakuya pauses to take a slow sip of the hot sake a servant had brought to him. "I have agreed to take part in this experiment with the assistance of the Vizards."

"And what, pray tell, would that be?" Komoda asks, the wrinkles on the old bald man's head furrowing at this statement.

"Hollowfication." Byakuya says firmly. "Captain Hitsugaya, Shunsui and Isshin have also agreed to take part in this project. Kisuke Urahara himself is also doing so." This time the room falls completely silent. "This concludes the meeting, if you have any last questions now's the time to ask."

"Do you know the risks of this? It could tarnish the name of the kuchiki clan, and at worst make you a hollow hell bent on annihilating your own family." Hama asks, the threat of Senbonzakura now having passed.

"I know what the risks are and what to do. I have to enter the world within my soul and slay the hollow version of myself. He will be the opposite of me in every sense of the word. However this decision is for the best of Soul Society, I will also inform Kurosaki and Rukia of this decision and that they are formally recognized as a couple courting to marriage by our clan." Byakuya says.

"I trust your decision my nephew, and should Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia defeat the traitor captain, having the heroes of the soul society as members of our clan will be a strategic move on the political side." Another elder says.

"It's best that we forget about any inter-clan politics for the foreseeable future. There is a war looming on the horizon." Byakuya finishes the meeting, standing behind his chair and bowing to the elders before him. "I will hold a ball in the coming weeks to introduce the new couple to the entire clan and the rest of the seireitei. Be warned, Kurosaki doesn't care for nobles despite his nobility. He also has a far shorter fuse than I do when it comes to anyone insulting his family or Rukia."

Across the seireitei, Ichigo and Rukia are laying in the medical cot watching an anime that Rukia had become obsessed with in the world of the living. Isshin had brought the Kurosaki family television for their stay in the soul society. While most of the seireitei had electricity it was only for running water and lighting as well as powering the fourth division hospital as well as R&D department. Unohana had permitted them to plug in said television in their medical room as neither are in critical condition and just need to relax and heal. In the medical cot, Rukia is situated as the little spoon laying on her side with Ichigo curled behind her. Her left hand over his arm that is wrapped around her midsection and resting near her chest. His other arm she is using as a pillow with her right hand firmly clutching the television remote.

"Heyyyy Rukia!" The singsong exclamation from the busty Rangiku Matsumoto rings out as she slides the door to the hospital room open. "I brought goodies!" She says with delight, holding up a bottle of sake almost as large as her captain. "Oh, Hi Ichigo, looks like you and Rukia are nice and cozy." She greets.

"Sup." Renji says as he slides in behind Rangiku, Shuhei and Ikkaku nodding as they follow the two redheads into the room. "We interrupt some alone time?" He asks, pulling a cushion to the side of the cot that lays on the floor.

"Not really, we're just watching a show Rukia got into when we were in the human world. It's Naruto Shippuden." Ichigo explains, gesturing to the blonde ninja on the television behind them. "You sure Captain Unohana will let us drink Sake?"

"She said you'll be able to leave tomorrow, besides it's healthy." Ikkaku responds, though Ichigo doesn't exactly believe the part about sake being healthy. "When you're ship shape, what's say you and I have a rematch? I wanna see how much stronger you are with that new mask of yours."

"I don't want to end up back in here," Ichigo responds but Ikkaku just scoffs.

"Sounds like you're chicken. What about you Kuchiki? Wanna spar?"

"You're not going to leave me alone until I say yes, so fine just give me a week or two to get a hang of my new powers." She responds, now shifting up so that she's seated with Ichigo shortly following.

"Oh good, you haven't started without me." Kensei says as he slides the door open, inviting himself, Lisa and Mashiro in. "I brought another bottle. I asked Shinji if he wanted to join but he's disciplining Hiyori right now so it's just us today."

"Let's get started!" Rangiku declares before unscrewing the top of the sake bottle off and pouring it into a saucer. The size of which Ichigo thinks is probably better for Miso soup rather than Sake. "Drink up Ichi! It's your first drink as a lieutenant." She cheers, handing him the bowl.

"Hey." Rukia interrupts. "Only I can call him Ichi." She says sternly, swiping the sake from her before giving it to Ichigo. Rangiku stares wide-eyed at her for a moment, the outburst from Rukia a bit out of place for the noble. Though the busty lieutenant chalks it up to her being defensive of her man. "Drink up." She smirks.

"I bet you won't last more than three of those carrot-top." Renji jives, just as Ichigo places the bowl of sake to his mouth. "What type of drunk do you think he is, Rukia? The I love you guy, I hate you guy, The 'mere guy or the hungry guy?"

"I... don't know actually." Rukia says as Ichigo takes the first sip of the sakura flavored rice wine. While the alcohol doesn't burn as much as he thought it would, the liquid actually tastes quite nice. It has a subtle hint of cherry blossoms and cherries themselves and warms his stomach as he finishes the bowl. "He's normally pretty grumpy but he has a soft side when around me and his sisters. Don't you Ichi?" Rukia teases causing him to blush slightly.

"Oh, you have to tell us how you met!" Mashiro declares excitedly. "Gimme some Rangiku!" she shouts. Kensei just chuckles to himself hearing her enthusiasm before handing bowls to everyone.

"Normally the youngest person would serve the others," Kensei begins, "But since you kicked my ass and are pretty banged up I'll cut you some slack and do it myself." the millitant captain says, easily lifting the bottle and filling the rest of the bowls for those around.

"Kanpai!" They cheer before raising the bowls and chugging down the sake, this being the second bowl for Ichigo.

"That's 2 down Ichigo. Let's see if you can get past 5." Renji says.

"So, Rukia, how did you and Ichigo meet?" Lisa asks, taking off her glasses and rubbing the lenses with her shirt.

"I kicked her on the butt because she walked through my wall and started talking to herself." Ichigo says causing Rukia to blush slightly, the other soul reapers both look on in shock as well as chuckle with amusement. "I could see spirits all my life but I had never seen a shinigami before, low and behold one walked through my wall."

"I was chasing a hollow near his home." Rukia clarifies, giving Ichigo a side eye glare. "I was reporting it in on my soul pager and didn't think he could see me. However he did see a hollow earlier that day and purposefully avoided it. It attacked Ichigo's home shortly after and when I tried to defend them, he stepped in and threw an oxygen tank at it."

"You all know the rest from there, she stabbed me, I absorbed her spiritual pressure and awakened my own in the process." Ichigo sums up.

"Love how your relationship started with you planting your foot in her backside." Renji says sarcastically. "I met her about a century ago when we were running around Izanuri. I fell down a flight of stairs and ended up at her feet."

"I thought it would be more romantic than just that." Rangiku wines as another round of sake is passed about. With another rousing cheer the next bowl of sake is downed by them. "Have you even gone on a date yet?"

"Technically yes, we went to a live showing of Don Kanoji, a spiritualist human who has a pretty popular television show. It was ruined when he forced a demi hollow to become a true hollow and Ichigo had to go fight it... he destroyed a building in the process." Ichigo rubs the back of his neck bashfully at this, his face beginning to flush with the effects of the sake starting to take hold.

"She practically begged me to go to it. Thought it was going to be cool that I'd get to meet another spiritually aware human. Instead I got licked by a massive frog hollow." The others burst out laughing when he says this. "Yeah... I'm not proud of that one."

"You also fought a menos without a shikai as well as took a cero to the face." Rukia reminds him, prompting the other soul reapers to laugh even harder.

"Oof, I remember my first Cero. Don't think anyone decided to take it head on. What were you thinking anyways? If you were thinking at all." Shuhei asks but Ichigo just glares at him.

"I thought that if I chopped at his legs enough I could cut it down like a tree then hit him in the head." Ichigo responds though the laughter of the others, now including Rukia, is starting to annoy him, but he can't help but laugh. "Almost worked too."

"Almost he says," Renji laughs. "I think that deserves another drink on your end, Strawberry." Renji says, handing Ichigo another bowl of Sake. This one being number four. "I remember you caused it to leave, you didn't kill it."

"I didn't," Ichigo confirms, "I did make it leave after damaging it. According to my zanpakuto that was the first time I ever used the Getsuga Tensho, though I d-didn't know it at the time." He explains, stuttering slightly as the alcohol starts to affect him.

"What about you Renji? How about you tell us about the first time you tried to fight a menos." Rukia retorts, now siding with Ichigo. The petite soul reaper grabbing the bowl of Sake Renji had poured for himself and downs it in a single go.

"I'd rather not." he says in an embarrassed fashion.

"I'll tell it anyways." Rukia responds, turning to Ichigo and giving him a silly grin. "Renji tried shooting it in the eye with Hado number 4, then tried with 31 and then 33. When that didn't work he tried to stab it but broke his sword. He then got stepped on." This time it was Ichigo's turn to laugh at the expense of the 6th squad lieutenant.

"You two need to go on a real date." Rangiku says changing subjects. "I think you two are perfect together! Your masked knight in shining armor, the man that attacked the entire soul society just to save you! It's like one of my fantasy books!"

"I d-don't sink anyone has wrw-ritten a book about a teenager that declared war on heaven because they ssstole the girl that lived in his closet." Ichigo slurs it now being evident that he is sloshed.

"Wait, she lived in your closet?!" Renji exclaims, Rukia herself hiding her face in her hands. "Why didn't she stay with Kisuke?"

"Y-you know e-exactly why Renju." The substitute lieutenant slurs. "You and Byakuya c-came and fricken s-stole my Rukia." His words become standoffish and possessive as he angrily points his finger at the tattoo sporting shinigami.

"I didn't want to stay in his sister's room when I was stuck in that gigai." Rukia responds, tilting her head into Ichigo's shoulder. "I find it flattering that he went through all that trouble to save little ol' me." She coos before leaning up and kissing him on the cheek. "His closet had a loft that I put a futon mattress on and slept there."

"How did you get together then?" Mashiro asks, noticing Ichigo pour a bowl of sake for himself, this being number five. Rukia grabs the bowl from him and drinks from it first before allowing him to gulp down the rest of the sake.

"I... don't think I should tell you that one." Rukia says.

"She crawled into my bed topless. Sh-shee was all s-soft and w-warm too~." Ichigo says, causing the rest of the soul reapers to gape at him in bewilderment. His slurred speech accented with him wrapping his arms around her waist pulling her to his lap before nuzzling his face into her hair. "H-her hollow took over and did it."

"Ichigooo." Rukia wines, "Why did you go and say that?!"

"L-lying is bad." He responds.

"Oooohhh. Here I thought you were all innocent and proper Rukia." Renji says, he pauses for a moment and drinks another bowl of sake. A smirk grows on his face before asking the next question. "You two do it?"

"RENJI!!!" Rukia yells but Ichigo lifts his head up from Rukia's hair and scowls at Renji.

"No." He says firmly before raising his hand and pointing his index and ring finger at the red haired man. A brief moment of confusion is instantly evaporated as deep red and black reishi begins to collect on Ichigo's fingers. "D-don't t-talk about dat stuff about m-my Rukia." He threatens, his drunken speech slightly derailing the threat but the clear and present charging cero at the tip of Ichigo's hand is a definitive warning.

"I believe youve had enough to drink Shiba Ichigo." The calm and smooth voice of Captain Unohana causes all of them to freeze upon hearing it. "Please refrain from firing Ceros in my hospital." She warns and immedatly, despite him being completely drunk he complies.

"Yes Mommy." the drunk soul reaper says causing Captain Unohana to giggle to herself for a brief moment.

"Thank you, as for the rest of you, visitation hours are now over so I ask that you let them rest and recuperate. Ichigo, Rukia come to me in the morning if you have a hangover and I'll help you with it." She says in all her sinister politeness. "After that you'll be free to return to your duties."

"Well that was fun while it lasted. Didn't think you'd be so quick to figure out how to shoot a cero without hollowfying." Kensei says as he stands and stretches his legs. "I'll tell shinji tha-" He stops when he notices Ichigo has passed out, now draped over Rukia and snoring loudly. "Nevermind, come on we have a couple sake bottles to finish." He says inviting the rest of the visitors to continue the party elsewhere.

"What am I gonna do with you Ichigo?" Rukia asks rhetorically, laying back down and turning off both the lights and the television after the others leave.

"I love you Rukia." Ichigo drunkenly says, causing a smile to grow on the petite woman's lips.

"You dummy." She responds before kissing him on the forehead. "I love you too."