98 Comeuppance

After relocating to a lavishly decorated study, something Ohta had never put to use, Ichigo kicked things off by scratching his head and saying, "I wanted to thank you. Not just for bringing Karin back, but-"

"Stop it," said Ohta, shaking his head as he added, "I confronted Aizen to protect the things I cared about. Everything that happened afterward was a result of that decision. I don't need your gratitude."

Exhaling a tired sigh, Ichigo remarked, "You never change, do you? What's so difficult about accepting someone's gratitude?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta replied, "I don't like owing people or having them feel 'indebted' to me without clarifying what I expect from them. It's that simple."

"Besides..." said Ohta, smiling as he grabbed a bottle of whiskey from a cabinet, adding, "I'm not using this place at the moment, so letting your sister and others use it as a training facility doesn't affect me adversely. You and your friends can also choose rooms and use the facilities here. Just don't be too surprised if you stay long-term, and I put you to work..."

"Is that why you're letting the Visored stay here?" asked Ichigo. "Are they going to be working for you from now on...?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead," admitted Ohta. "It's only been a month since Aizen was imprisoned, and I have...other shit going on. I just didn't want Orihime staying here by herself, so I asked that pink-haired giant to teach her how to use Bakudu up to the 90s. The rest are residing here on their Captains' salaries."

With Ohta mentioning 'other shit,' Ichigo couldn't help remarking, "I heard you also lost your power..." with an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, but I'm still alive, aren't I?" contended Ohta. "I might have lost my power, but everything that allowed me to gain that power is right here..."

Pointing to his head and then his heart, Ohta added, "If anything, I view this as an opportunity. I allowed the power I possessed to go to my head and nearly paid the price for it. Now, I have the opportunity to start anew, shore up my foundation, and ultimately become even stronger. Unless you intend to live the rest of your life as a normal human, I suggest you do the same..."

"But how...?" asked Ichigo. "I heard from Orihime that not even her power could stabilize and restore my Reiatsu. And no-"

Interrupting Ichigo's lamenting, Ohta said, "It doesn't matter how. The only thing that matters is that there is 'always' a way to obtain what you desire, so long as you put in the effort. If you can't figure out something alone, bug that asshat Urahara or reach out to your Grand Aunt, Kukaku. 'Someone' will have the answers you're searching for, and you more than deserve them."

"What about you?" asked Ichigo. "Even though we're the same age, you seem to have your nose in everything..."

"That's the difference between you and me," replied Ohta. "We both stick our noses into things, but you do so to help people while I primarily seek to help myself and those I've chosen to care about..."

Handing Ichigo a shallow glass of whiskey, Ohta added, "You're the kind of guy that can save the world and not expect anything in return, even if the event traumatizes you for the rest of your life. I'm not so charitable..."

Accepting the glass Ohta presented him, Ichigo gave it a tentative whiff before scrunching his brows and muttering, "This is alcohol..."

"Yeah, and?" asked Ohta, taking a sip from his glass before adding, "We just saved the world, and most of the people who pretend to rule over it will never know that. Why should I give a damn about the rules and laws of people wholly unrelated to me? Trust me, those at the top sure as hell don't..."

"..."

Though he was tempted to ask what made Ohta the way he was, Ichigo remained silent, staring at the contents of his glass before taking a small sip. The flavor wasn't like he expected, but it felt surprisingly good going down, his throat and body filling with warmth.

Nodding his head in approval, Ohta said, "That's good. Keep in mind that as you regain your power, you become an entity capable of leveling cities or destroying entire countries. Having that kind of power and 'not' using it is just irresponsible. Those in power will force you to take sides, so if you truly wish to protect your family, you must choose your allies carefully and understand who your enemies are..."

Furrowing his brows, Ichigo remarked, "Sounds like you're trying to recruit me..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta replied, "Not really. I do, however, have a personal connection with the main branch of the Shiba Clan. Also, thanks to your idiot of a father, your sister has developed unrealistic expectations about the future. Because of that, I don't 'need' to recruit you. So long as you care about your family, you'll work with me regardless."

"What kind of expectations?" asked Ichigo, unamused by the implication of Ohta's words.

Shaking his head, Ohta contended, "That's something you need to work out with your family. I've more than made my intentions clear, so if Karin continues to follow and pursue me, it will be because she chose to do so, not because I goaded or manipulated her into doing it."

"You...!" began Ichigo. However, before he could approach or utter a second word, Ohta sent him back with a psychic push, stating, "All I did was tell her the truth and teach her the basics of developing her mental, spiritual, and physical energies. If you want to blame anyone, find a mirror or take it up with your father. I did nothing wrong."

While he couldn't completely absolve himself of guilt, Ohta had made it clear fairly early on that he had no intentions toward Karin. If Ishin hadn't fucked things up by encouraging her to pursue him, she would have given up as a matter of course. Now she was training with Ayame and Hiyori to familiarize herself with her Gigai and learn what it took to be a member of the Onmitsukido and a Visored...

Releasing his hold on Ichigo, Ohta said, "Anyways, since we've moved on to arguing over random shit, I assume we're about done. We can continue this discussion once you've caught up with your studies and acclimated to your new life. I plan to stick around until the end of Winter Break, but you can always ask Orihime to text me if I'm not here."

Though he wasn't happy about being manhandled by Ohta's telekinesis, Ichigo responded with a curt "Whatever..." before setting his glass on the nearby desk and turning to leave. In his wake, Ohta shook his head and filled his glass before moving around the desk to sit in the comfortable leather chair. He was an introvert at his core, so with a dozen people gathered in his living room, he would rather go another round with Aizen than go outside and socialize...

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"So you came..." muttered Ohta, opening his eyes as Tatsuki entered the study with a conflicted look on her face.

"What? Are you so much of a coward that you can't even look me in the eye anymore...?" asked Tatsuki.

"If not your eyes, where am I looking right now...?" countered Ohta, staring the short-haired tomboy down with a neutral expression as he poured himself another drink.

"..."

Making her way over to the desk, Tatsuki grabbed Ichigo's glass and said, "Pour me a drink..." in a firm, huffy tone.

Complying with Tatsuki's demand, Ohta casually filled her glass about a quarter before setting the bottle aside, allowing a fairly awkward silence to permeate the room.

As there were no other chairs present, Tatsuki sat on the edge of Ohta's desk, wearing a frown as she sniffed the contents of her glass and took a very tentative sip. Then, after nearly a full minute of silence, she revealed, "I'm thinking about becoming a Shinigami..." while staring at him from the corner of her eyes.

Before Ohta could respond, Tatsuki said, "Just shut up and listen..." Then, after downing the contents of her glass, she added, "I heard from Orihime what happened. You and Ichigo basically saved the world, right?"

"Something like that..." replied Ohta.

"Something like that..." parrotted Tatsuki, exhaling a contemptuous snort before staring at Ohta with a pouty expression as she said, "That's one of the things I hated about you...you're always leaping head-first into danger and never once asked for mine or anyone else's help..."

Slamming her glass on the table, Tatsuki shouted, "Just who do you think you are!? Why do you try and tackle everything on your own...!?"

Understanding that Tatsuki wasn't expecting an answer, Ohta remained silent, holding her gaze until she eventually deflated and exhaled a tired sigh. What he didn't expect was her to immediately follow up by asking, "I like you...you know that, don't you?"

After a brief moment of hesitation, Ohta nodded, replying, "I've known for a long time..."

"I know..." replied Tatsuki, furrowing her brows as she muttered, "I also know you were planning to ask me out when we started High School. But then all this crazy shit happened, and you felt you needed to create some distance to 'protect' me. Sound about right...?"

Without waiting for Ohta's response, Tatsuki firmly asserted, "Well, I don't 'need' nor do I 'want' your protection. I'm going to get stronger to protect Orihime and live how I please from now on..."

Punctuating her statement, Tatsuki adjusted her position so that she was seated right in front of Ohta with her feet on the chair's armrest, providing a clear view of the contents of her skirt...

After several seconds of silence, Tatsuki muttered, "Say something..." with a pouty expression, emphasized by the rosy hue coloring her cheeks and spreading through her neck and ears.

Instead of responding with words, Ohta caused Tatsuki's heart to skip a beat as he took advantage of her position to push up against the back of her knees, forcing her onto her back as he towered over her with a neutral expression but fiery eyes. Fortunately, a lifetime of karate and a few years of dance had made Tatsuki 'very' flexible, allowing Ohta to push her knees up to her shoulders as he warned, "If we go through with this, there's no going back..."

Though the blush coloring her cheeks deepened considerably, Tatsuki proved her 'determination' by grabbing her well-developed ass cheeks and willfully spreading her legs with a serious expression as she stated, "There's no way I'm leaving Orihime alone with someone like you, so just shut up and get on with it..."

"And what about my Doppelganger...?" asked Ohta, even as he tore the fabric of Tatsuki's spats, exposing her white, visibly damp panties.

"We broke up weeks ago..." revealed Tatsuki, averting her eyes as she added, "I told Orihime and Rukia to keep it a secret so I could confront you myself..."

"You picked a hell of a timing..." said Ohta, causing Tatsuki's body to tense as he dropped his trousers, pulled aside her panties, and placed the tip of his dick against her pussy, rubbing it between her folds. In truth, he had suspected that something like this might happen since Orihime kept trying to convince him to speak with Tatsuki in private. It also annoyed him that she had started dating his Doppelganger, so Ohta pushed against her last line of defense the moment his dick was properly lubricated...

Gritting her teeth and furrowing her brows, Tatsuki groaned, "Don't be in such a rush...this is my first time, and you're not exactly packing a pencil dick..."

Seeing the blood leaking from Tatsuki's crotch, Ohta didn't bother to ask why she was still a virgin. Instead, he leaned over her, staring intently at her with his hands flanking her head. His actions confused her initially, but as the distance between their faces gradually lessened, she realized what he was after, forcing a smile through her pain and discomfort as she said, "Just kiss me, you asshole..."

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(A/N: Who said the childhood friend always loses...?)