It's been about a week since what has been since dubbed 'The Panty Incident'. Glynda had assured Ichigo that he did no wrong and they were all sorry, but the day after it happened, well... Ichigo didn't expect that.

Flashback

The Morning After The Panty Incident

After receiving a strange message from Glynda to meet her in one of the empty classrooms, Ichigo remembers what she had told him last night. Everyone knows that yesterday's incident wasn't his fault, but rather, Yoruichi's, and now wants to apologize to him. Ichigo's usually not the type to need an apology as long as they know, but something about that situation in particular makes him desire it.

Ichigo: "*sigh* Let's get this over with."

He opens the door and is immediately thrown by a torrent of voices.

Everyone: "WE'RE SORRY, ICHIGO!"

He's startled so much that he withdraws himself from the classroom and shuts the door. When he realizes what was actually said, he sighs and reopens it, seeing the nine women who accused him of being a panty thief.

Ichigo: "Jeez, what the hell!? Why are you all shouting at me like that! And all at once too!"

Some of them shrink back at him yelling at them. However, some of them aren't that phased, like Coco and Glynda. Ruby recovers first and hesitantly walks up to him, keeping her head facing downwards, away from him.

Ruby: "Ichigo, I'm... I'm sorry!" She bows in apology while gripping her skirt. "I shouldn't have said those things and- And I shouldn't have slapped you! I'm sorry!"

He somewhat expected this, but Ichigo still can't deal with situations like this. Or rather, he's never wanted to. Bullies, he can handle. But cute girls all apologizing to him at once is throwing him off.

Ichigo: "You know, when you apologize to someone, you should look them in the eye." he mildly scolds.

Her face slowly turns upwards, where Ichigo can see regretful tears forming in her bright, silver eyes.

Ruby: "I-I'm- I'm sorry..." she sniffs while trying to hold back tears. "I should've believed you..."

Likewise, Glynda also approaches, but with a softer, kinder expression than the worried one Ruby has.

Glynda: "No Ruby, we should have believed him." She looks at Ichigo. "Oh, and since I didn't mention it last night, I also apologize for slapping you. I wasn't in my right mind because you saw..." she trails off beet red, not finishing her sentence.

Ichigo pats Ruby's shoulder, not saying a word for right now. He walks further into the room, into the center of the others. Yang's the first to approach him after that, with the others slowly coming closer.

Yang: "Ichigo, I- We messed up. We accused you of something horrible without all the facts and even when you tried telling us, we didn't believe you. I'm sorry."

Pyrrha: "Sorry..." she apologizes, downcast. "It's unbecoming of a Huntress to jump to conclusions, but I also shouldn't have treated my friend so harshly..."

Coco: "Sorry I swore revenge on you and all... You're off the hook this time."

Her mouth may be smart, but the fact that the sunglasses and hat she almost always wears are completely off in favor of looking at his face directly only indicates that she's serious.

Nora: "I TOLD you guys!"

Ichigo: "Huh?"

Weiss: "After you left, Nora figured out and told us you'd have no reason to steal our underwear, but we were blinded by embarrassment and rage over what we thought you'd done..." She blushes slightly. "I'm glad we were wrong."

Blake: "Same here. I'm... ashamed of what I thought."

Velvet: "Ichigo, I-" She can't seem to face him, like Ruby couldn't at first. "I wanted to believe you, but I couldn't. I'm sorry..."

Ichigo expected to feel vindicated. He was in the right all along. They all know they were wrong. Everything should be good for him. So why does he feel like kind of an asshole right now?

Ichigo: "*sigh* Apologies accepted. As long as you know, then everything's fine."

They look at him, astonished.

Pyrrha: "T-That's it!? I-It's fine?"

Velvet: "B-But we nearly ruined your reputation!"

Glynda: "Ichigo, I agree. Surely we must be punished for this, starting with me. After all, I was going to report you to Professor Ozpin and get you in a huge amount of trouble. Please Ichigo, punish us. We'll accept what you see fit."

Seeing Glynda submit like this is kinda... Anyway, Ichigo wouldn't feel right in doing this. If there's anyone who should be punished, it's Yoruichi. She was the one who caused this mess. Besides, they were only acting based on what they saw. Most perverts would deny being perverts, especially if caught in the act, so his declaration of innocence wouldn't have really been worth much due to that context. Still, they worried and angered him a lot for thinking he would do such things.

Ichigo (thoughts): 'If nothing else, I just don't want to deal with that...'

Ichigo: "Alright, I'll punish you." Ruby closes her eyes in fear. "First of all, Glynda." She stiffens at hearing her name called. "I want you to put everyone here through hell."

The girls look at him confused, with Glynda sporting the same look on her own face.

Glynda: "Through 'hell', Ichigo?"

Ichigo: "That's right. Listen up everyone! I am going to train you the way I was trained. Glynda's going to be my assistant during the course of our training. You are going to do everything I tell you. I tell you to run twenty laps around the school, you do it. I tell you fight until you drop, you do it. If I tell you to release all your power at once and do that another ten times, you had better do it. Your training regiment's going to-"

Ruby: "Umm, Ichigo?"

Ichigo: "Yeah, Ruby?"

Ruby: "I thought you were punishing us?"

It makes sense she and probably everyone else is confused. However...

Ichigo: "Heh, this is your punishment. You don't understand yet but give it time. Let me tell you guys a few things: I was once put in the bottom of a deep vertical shaft with my arms bound behind my back and was told to climb my way out. I did it. I once trained for eight days with little rest. I did it. For three days straight, I fought my own limitations and became much stronger. And for three months, I was in constant battle. All of these hellish scenarios made me stronger. Now, since I'm a nice guy, I won't be quite that mean, but just know that I will not be gentle. I won't accept failure, either in the tournament or in your lives as Huntresses. That is your punishment."

The girls look at each other, unsure of what to make of it. Him offering to train them is an unorthodox punishment, but only because they have no idea what they're in store for. His training with Kisuke to awaken his Soul Reaper powers and get ready for the Soul Society, Yoruichi and Zangetsu to practice Shunpo and achieve Bankai, and Tensa Zangetsu to achieve the Final Getsuga Tenshou were all very difficult, but he pulled through. Surely putting them through similar, but not quite as hellish, training will punish them to the point where they'll truly regret accusing him of those misdeeds. Before, he didn't feel like punishing them, but now that he's thought about it and talked it through, this is an apt one that he wants to do.

Glynda: "We'll do it."

The others look at him and nod in agreement. Honestly, Ichigo wasn't expecting them to be so agreeable with it, but that's only because they don't know what they're in for... right?

Glynda: "Alright ladies. You should probably prepare for whatever it is Ichigo has in store for all of you, but his training is not an excuse to fall behind in your classes. If you'll excuse us, Ichigo. I shall write up a schedule for training when I return to my office. After all, I am your assistant now."

She leaves the room first, followed by the others. On her way out, Ruby looks up at Ichigo, wiping the leftover tears from her face. Ichigo pats her on the head with a smile, conveying that everything will be fine. When it's just him and Yang left in the room, she stops just before heading out herself.

Yang: "You know, if you ever actually do try that, I'll beat your head in. But-"

Ichigo: "I would never!" he interrupts.

Yang: "Ask me next time. I might let you see them." she finishes.

Ichigo: "W-What?" he asks, confused.

She leaves the classroom, her hips swaying back and forth seemingly on purpose.

Present

After that, Ruby and Yang disciplined Zwei. Well, they tried. That dog is too smart for his own good, as when they tried to scold him for doing what he did, he gave them the real 'puppy dog eyes', which made them instantly forget what they were mad at him about. Ichigo, however, was not fooled, especially when he remembered Zwei's association with Yoruichi. A dog giving those eyes, Ichigo could resist. He doesn't dislike animals in general, but he doesn't have a special liking towards them. It really depends on the animal. A person giving him those eyes, however... That's a different story. It's most likely due to Yuzu giving him those eyes a lot growing up, but he has a soft spot for certain people doing it to him, like Yuzu or Ruby. That doesn't mean he'll go easy of her in breaking her or the others down and building them from the ground up.

But that's neither here nor there. Right now, Ichigo's just finished class and has been called to Ozpin's office. Ichigo's been meaning to talk to him about the tournament and whether or not his teams will compete. Yoruichi, Sui-Feng, and Tier have all expressed interest in participating, even if they're completely overpower compared to everyone on Remnant.

Ichigo: "I have no idea what they're thinking... Apacci almost destroyed the school a few days ago..."

Flashback

Ichigo had just finished class and was helping some of the girls with their homework, including Apacci, Mila, Sung-Sun, Rukia, and Nel. The Arrancar have needed help since they didn't know English too well. They were able to translate their speech using some tricks taught by Yoruichi and Ichigo, Orihime, and Rukia have done their best teaching them the alphabet as well as the language itself, but they still sometimes need help.

Apacci: "UGH! I AM GETTING SO TIRED OF THIS BULLSHIT!"

Apacci's probably the stupidest of the Tres Bestias, but even she isn't stupid enough to- Wait, scratch that. A red light emerges from the horn on helmet as she loses her temper. This isn't the first time this has happened, and like before, Ichigo has to step in. This time, however, Ichigo can't let her fire it, even into the air.

Ichigo: "CALM DOWN!" he commands as he grabs her from behind, pointing her head away from everyone around them.

As they struggle, Ichigo reaches up and takes the ball of red spirit energy, crushing it in his hand. Apacci stops struggling for a moment immediately following her Cero being crushed, but she resumes not much later.

Apacci: "Let go of me, you bastard!"

Ichigo: "Not until you promise me not to use that again!"

As they're struggling, Ichigo feels himself being smacked on the back of the head, but not by Apacci. Both Ichigo and Apacci stop their struggle as Yoruichi walks around from behind him.

Yoruichi: "I don't know what she's complaining about, but I'm willing to bet it has something to do with that."

She points to Apacci's chest, where Ichigo's hands are currently grabbing her. No wonder why she felt so soft.

Yoruichi: "A young lady's chest is not up for grabs. Neither are her panties, for that matter." she snidely comments.

Ichigo was only JUST cleared as a pervert! Why in the hell is he feeling up this girl who could cause so much devastation and destruction for something so simple as getting an English question wrong!?

Apacci notices and puts her hands on his, ripping them off her body and kicking him back. A standard reaction for most, but with her, he expected something a bit more violent. But right now, Ichigo's more mad at Yoruichi than Apacci; he can deal with her in a minute.

Ichigo: "Do I have to remind you that YOU were the cause of that-"

Apacci: "I'm fine now, so..." She interrupts. "Sorry I overreacted." she apologizes with a slightly red face. "Lady Harribel told us we need to blend in here and not to cause trouble and she told us to listen you, so..." She turns away from him. "Tch, fine, I'll listen to you too." She gathers her stuff. "I'll be back later."

She scuttles away, not looking back at her group of allies. She's not stupid intelligence-wise per se, just... lacking some common sense. It was probably what he did that upset her. Either that, or this entire situation they're in. Ichigo understands that for Hollows and Arrancar, their entire lives, they've had to fight to survive. Could she feel out of place?

He looks to the rest of the Arrancar currently sitting at the table, studying.

Ichigo (thoughts): 'Could they feel that way too?'

Present

Ichigo still hasn't figured out an answer. Actually, the problem's worse than he first thought. For Rukia, Nemu, and Sui-Feng, three Soul Reapers, he realized that they're in a similar boat as the Arrancar, though the change isn't as drastic for them. What can he do to make them more comfortable?

Ichigo: "*sigh* I'll have to think about that later."

He goes up the elevator to Ozpin's office, where he sees the Headmaster waiting for him. Why he's been called, he doesn't know, but this is a good opportunity to talk about the tournament.

Ichigo: "Hey Oz. You wanted to see me?"

Ozpin: "Yes, I did, Ichigo." He gestures to Ichigo to sit opposite him, which Ichigo does. "Now then, I assume you're wondering why you're here."

Ichigo: "Sure, but before that, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Ozpin raises his eyebrow in curiosity while sipping from his mug.

Ichigo: "My teams want to enter the tournament. I know it's pretty late notice, but think you can arrange that?"

Ozpin puts the mug down on his desk, smiling.

Ozpin: "I believe that can be arranged. In fact, we had three open slots left and I was planning on asking you if they wanted to compete. I'm glad to see you beat me to it."

Ichigo: "Alright, cool. Now, why did you want me to come here?"

Oz moves his mug and pushes a few buttons on his desk, pulling up a map of Remnant. He zooms in on the continent Vale sits on, Sanus, and moves the screen to the bottom of the continent.

Ozpin: "There are tales of strange events in Southern Sanus. Sea monsters, strange Grimm, and the like. I was going to send someone to investigate, but they wouldn't be able to get back until the tournament started since it starts in a few days. We need every Huntsman we can to work security, so-"

Ichigo: "So you want me to use my Semblance to get there faster than anyone else could, see what's going on, and come back, again, making it back here in record time?"

He nods in understanding.

Ozpin: "Precisely. With your skill, I imagine these happenings shouldn't be a problem for you. For all we know, it could very well be nothing. However, as a Huntsman, I do not wish to ignore it any longer."

Ichigo: "Hmm... What's in it for me?" he asks nonchalantly.

There's another reason Ozpin's sending him of all people on this mission, he's just not saying. Whatever Ozpin can throw at him, he can handle. However, just because he can handle it doesn't mean he wants to without proper compensation.

Ozpin: "I'll pay you, of course. You'd be completing a mission fit for a true Huntsman, after all. In addition, I'll owe you a favor."

Ichigo thinks on that for a minute. A favor from Ozpin? That could come in very handy, especially if there's any trouble with his allies in the future. If one of them destroys something or otherwise gets in trouble, Ozpin could use his influence to make it go away. Be one less headache for Ichigo.

Ichigo: "Sure, I'll do it. Just give me the details and I'll go now, you know, make a milk run."

Ozpin chuckles at Ichigo's joke about this mission being as easy as grocery shopping. He uses his desk's computer, drags a file over, presses a few buttons, and Ichigo's scroll goes off.

Ozpin: "There you are. All of the mission details have been uploaded to your scroll. I'm counting on you, Ichigo."

Ichigo: "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you later."

He exits the office, going down the elevator, before getting his supplies.

Ozpin's POV

Ozpin (thoughts): 'He accepted the mission, just as I thought he would.'

He pulls out his scroll, dialing Qrow. It rings a few times before Qrow picks up.

Qrow (scroll): "Yeah, Oz?"

Ozpin: "He accepted the mission. Keep an eye on him and see how he behaves, what he does. Find out if he has any more secrets we don't know about, but above all, don't get caught. He has a sharp eye, but he doesn't know what you can do." Qrow hesitates on the other end. "Qrow, did you hear me?"

Qrow (scroll): "...yeah, Oz. Just thinking about how to go about it."

Ozpin: "I leave him in your more than capable hands. He may be your son, but that doesn't mean he can't be an enemy."

Qrow (scroll): "Yeah. Thanks, Oz."

He hangs up the scroll, fully content with the plan he's made for Ichigo. While a simple reconnaissance mission probably won't challenge him or the abilities he's shown thus far, with thinking that nobody's watching him, he might slip up. He's still hiding something about himself, whether it be something in his past or some ability of his that he hasn't shown yet. Ozpin doesn't know what it is, but he intends to find out.

Ichigo's POV

Ichigo returns to his dorm to get prepared. On the way, he notices Yoruichi talking to Glynda about something. Yoruichi's who he was hoping to run into anyway, so this makes things easier.

Ichigo: "Hey, Yoruichi, Glynda."

He catches up to them, where they turn their heads towards him.

Yoruichi: "Good afternoon, Ichigo."

Glynda: "Ichi- I mean, Mr. Kurosaki. What brings you here?"

Ever since The Panty Incident, Glynda's been nicer to him, but she's still usually in what Ichigo calls 'Teacher Mode', being as professional as possible. If they're alone, like when they're grading together or the like, she's somewhat more relaxed, calling Ichigo by his first name and allowing him to call her by hers without getting angry. The training with the students has been going well too. Nora's the only one not completely wiped out afterwards, even with Jaune and Ren participating as well. They asked to be taught too and since Ichigo didn't want Pyrrha and Nora to become disproportionately stronger than them, he obliged, using the same reasoning to include Fox and Yatsuhashi in the training.

Ichigo: "You two, actually. Glynda, how long does it usually take a person to get to the southern end of the continent?"

Glynda: "The southern end? Hmm..." She thinks about it. "By airship, it would take two or three days to get there, depending on the weather. Why?"

Ichigo: "Oz gave me a mission there. With my Semblance, I should be able to get there much faster than an airship, but I still wanted to know how long it usually takes. On that subject, Yoruichi, you're in charge of the others until I get back."

Yoruichi: "Of course. Safe tra-"