User blog comment:Xilinoc/Ch. 545 - Blue Stripes/@comment-5657895-20130709152835/@comment-5398287-20130709153921

When you think about it, there's not much point in staying in Soul Society. Ichigo's good at his job as a Substitute Shinigami, and he still ages at the same rate as a Human in all of his forms, so he wouldn't really make for a good captain or anything.