Summary: Kaoru died at the hands of Enishi. Kenshin died a few years later, her loss and a love unfulfilled stained his soul. His heart searched for her even when he lost his memory of her. A collection of interconnected one-shots.
A/N: This storyline occurred after Aizen's defeat but unlike in the canon, Ichigo will no longer come into the picture and the other disturbances will not come upon Seireitei in the next few centuries and as such Soul Society was once again in relative peace, with an exception of a few hollow and arrancar attacks. The newly appointed Lieutenant of the 13th Squad, Rukia Kuchiki and everyone else in Seireitei are settling in on their new lives. A collection of light hearted inter-connecting one-shots. This work was inspired by a story from this site, "Fight One: To Battle" by Anne Camp aka obi-quiet. I hope I do justice to her work.
The 13th Squad's New Seated Officer
When someone dies, their soul is stripped of the memories of their previous life. This removes their pain, their attachment, their prejudice and biases. This act of purification is called konso. This is the way of the spiritual realm. Thus, it should come as no surprise that almost all of the souls that pass through the gates of Soul Society have no knowledge of their previous lives. Souls may change and look different but their essence remains the same. The feeling of love, devotion and loyalty can overwhelm the loss of memory for a rare few.
The Search
He didn't know who she is to him, he didn't know why he's searching or how she looks like and why he's searching but he did nevertheless. The need to look for her sprung up on him the moment he woke up in the 80th District of West Rukongai. The lower districts of Rukongai, it's every man for himself and Kenshin had to fight then but only in defense. He had yet to actually fight someone in Rukongai as he easily defeats them without even drawing his sword. He just had to flare his reiatsu a little if someone gets too much. After learning that he is not one to trifle with, people stayed away. There were times when he felt lonely and sad. But he knew once he finds her, he won't be lonely again. She'll be his friend and he will stay by her side.
For over a hundred years, he searched for her in all the 320 districts of Rukongai but could not find her. He looked for her through every nook and cranny. He searched every street, forests and even water bodies of Rukongai, from the lair of gangsters and mob and even to the brothel houses. It was an extensive search, given that Soul Society is bigger than the living realm.
He was relieved that she had not turned to the trade of selling her flesh. But he knew that even if she had, it would not change his feeling of wanting to stay by her side. To be her companion and her friend, like he knew she had been to him. It was just that, she was so pure, that if she did that, he knew it would destroy her.
After a century and a half of looking for her, he then turned his attention to Seireitei. But the only way he could to get there was to attend the ShinÅreijutsuin and become a shinigami. His determination to find her had not been hampered by the years that passed.
Eventually he finished with the Academy, barely passed the minimum requirements to be a member of the Gotei 13. Thus, he found himself in the worst place someone who vowed not to kill could land, the 11th Squad.