Author's note: Hello! This is my first time writing a story for the Bleach fandom. I do hope you enjoy it! I will be perfectly honest; I have not read nor seen all of Bleach. So please, bare with me if any details are misunderstood or are incorrect. Just send me a pm or write about it in your review! Also, my characters may be a little OOC but this is necessary for where I want this to go. It is a romantic story between Kenpachi and Yachiru. I am having her older before anything happens between them, as some people find this pairing a bit disturbing for one reason or another. One last thing, I am posting this on my work computer while at work, so it has not been 100% proofread. Please bare with any mistakes, as I am trying to become a better writer. I know I'm not perfect. :) Enjoy and please review with any criticism, complaints or compliments!

"They nominated Yachiru for that assignment I had previously asked your permission to apply for. I'll admit, I was pretty bummed but she will have fun on earth, she's always talking about all the sweets we bring back for her. Hah. Besides, she will only be gone for six months with Rukia and her skills-"

"No, I did not approve this. Like hell she will be going to the mortal world. She will remain here, in the Soul Society," Kenpachi Zaraki's voice was beginning to take a dangerous tone as he cut off Ikkaku's compliments of the female lieutenant, the two continuing their side by side stride back towards the eleventh barracks.

Ikkaku stopped as Kenpachi continued walking. "With all due respect Captain….she already accepted and plans to leave tonight. I thought she told you…" Ikkaku's voice trailed off as he suddenly felt his captain's Reiatsu start to flare up at his words; his eyes remained focused on his captain's back that suddenly went completely ridged. A low snarl was heard before the captain bolted forward, leaving a stunned third-seat in his wake.

Taking off into the horizon, Kenpachi began racing towards the direction of the Senkaimon portal. 'She didn't even say a word to me about this…is she upset with me? I told her before; I never want her going to the mortal world without me. She would be out of my reach…What the hell, why did no one ask me about this.' He shook his head. Such thoughts would make him weak. She was just his ward, someone and perhaps the only person, he felt solely responsible for. That's what this nagging feeling was…a parental urge to protect her. "Captain!" Kenpachi halted, casting a glare over his shoulder as Ikkaku's voice pulled him from his mind.

A small sweat drop trailed down his bald crown as he spoke, "It's that way…" his thumb rising to point over his shoulder in the opposite direction the eleventh captain had darted. "..err, if you were going to stop Yach-" A blur flashed by him, spiritual pressure radiating irritation in its wake, "-iru."

Glancing behind him briefly, a small took hold of Ikkaku's lips as he turned back and continued heading towards the barracks.

The bathhouse air seemed thicker than normal and almost suffocating to Kenpachi as he sat soaking in its cleansing waters. Even the dimly lit lanterns, which normally brought a calming atmosphere, seemed irritatingly bright. This was his time for relaxation, to let his guard down and just sit being one with the world. Normally, he would be washing away crimson souvenirs from his body that opponents might spew affectionately, soaping his long raven hair to prepare it for its liberty spikes or if he was really lucky, he would be manically laughing from any pain he was feeling as soap seeped into any wounds he had received. But no, the blood lust driven captain was sitting in the calm hot water, hair plastered to the sides of his face and floating around him and he was…sulking? A frustrated sigh passed Kenpachi's lips as he sunk lower, submerging himself into the water until he was engulfed up to his chin.

"Very uncharacteristic of our leader, wouldn't you say Ikkaku?" Kenpachi blew a raspberry into the water at the sound of Yumichika before straightening up in the water to lean his back against the banking of the bath.

Ikkaku walked into view, a towel wrapped around his hips before stepping into the water across from his captain in the wide open bath. "Hmm…I wonder…he is acting strange," Ikkaku raised a hand to rub his jaw but a knowing smirk graced his lips as he seated himself into the water.

Daintily, Yumichika dipped his foot into the warm water as if testing it. A shower cap adorned his head as he clutched the towel that was wrapped up around his whole body; slowly lowering himself in-between the space of his two friends. Silence passed, as the two friends shot knowing looks at one another.

"Could it have something to do with the scolding he received from a certain pink fairy demon who ran off and left him?" a look of faux shock was plastered across Yumichika's painted face as his feathery eyelashes batted as he looked towards Ikkaku who was still smirking at Kenpachi.

Bright pink eyes scanned the crowd once more, searching for any sign of her captain. His spiritual pressure was distant but she could feel it, which gave her a small hope he was coming to wish her well. "Are you ready, Yachiru? We need to get going." Turning away from the crowd, Yachiru looked up into Rukia's violet eyes and smiled sadly, "I'm ready." Rukia stepped forward thrusting her zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki , straight forward into a seemingly invisible keyhole that lay before them. Rukia's eyes widened looking down at the small arm preventing her from turning the zanpakuto key. Yachiru's lips curved up into a big smile as she took off running, "Kenny came to say goodbye! Hold on Rukia!" she called over her shoulder before she flash-stepped away.

"Hey!" "Agh!" "Oomf!" Shinigami were thrown left and right. Some were receiving blows to their heads, others colliding against one another in attempts to scramble out of the war path. "Move out of my way or I'll make you move!" As soon as the words were spoken, an isle was parted instantly; a snarling Kenpachi at one end, and a confused Rukia still clutching her zanpakuto, at the other. "Ehh?" a small sweat drop formed as Rukia's eyes widened at the eleventh captains hostile approach.

"Where is Ya-" Kenpachi's words stopped upon feeling the feather light weight on his shoulder. Irritation radiated through him as he also caught wind of her sweet smell. His right hand reached across his left broad shoulder, plucking the smaller girl by the back of her robes and bringing her around front like a ragdoll.

"Kenny! I'm so glad you came to see me off! Rukia and I were just about to leave!" Yachiru had a huge smile plastered across her face, she knew full well that she had not mentioned the mission nor spoke to Kenpachi that day and he was emitting enough spiritual pressure for all to see how upset he was. He would have told her no, told her that she wasn't allowed to go; regardless if she want to or was qualified for it. She tilted her head to the side as he held her out at arm's length; giving him her brightest smile, "I'll be back before you-"

"You are not going anywhere." His voice was threatening as he cut her off; earning a pout from the pink fairy that was suspended above the ground. "No one cleared this with me. As your captain you should know better than to try and deceive me…and sneaking off to the mortal world no less! No, you are going home with-"Kenpachi stopped talking as soon as he felt the wave of spiritual pressure that hit him dead on like a blast of cold air to his face.

"Put me down, Kenny."

His angular jaw clenched, sharp teeth grinding against one another at her dominate tone. Bright pink eyes stared straight ahead into his visible green narrowed one, her eyes never backing down or showing any fear. Hushed whispers began circulating around them, the spectators not knowing how to act or think about the display in front of them. We're they just teasing? Was this a lover's quarrel? Would Yachiru fight her captain? No one had ever seen Yachiru wield her sword against anyone; let alone her mentor and captain.

Kenpachi's grip on her robes tightened, he pulled her forward still dangling off the ground in his clutches until their faces were inches from touching. Her sweet fragrance, some type of sugar coated flower but with something entirely Yachiru, evaded his nostrils. "I forbid you from leaving." 'I forbid you from leaving…me' his mind countered. Kenpachi's face was stern, eyebrows furrowed, lips snarling but all of that faded away leaving him wide eyed at the contact of her palm on his face.

"I am going, Kenny. You and I both know, you won't and can't stop me if I truly want to go. I have always been your number one supporter," pink tipped fingers gently caressed the scar ridden cheek. "Please be my supporter now. I am not a child anymore. I can do this." Yachiru's eyes bore into his, slowly trailing down his face until they reached his open mouth. Her hand slid underneath his jaw applying small pressure, causing it to close. A small giggle escaped as she began to smile brightly once more. Bringing her index finger to her lips, she placed a small chaste kiss upon its pad and returned it gently to lie upon Kenpachi's chapped frowning lips. "I will be back soon. Take care of cue ball and feathers while I'm gone! Oh, and stay out of trouble till I get back!" She jerked out of his grip, landing softly on the ground without a sound before she flash stepped towards a gawking Rukia. "Now, I'm ready."

Blinking her eyes a few times, Rukia just stared at Yachiru as if she had grown three heads. Yachiru's eyebrow arched as she turned towards Rukia, her gaze instantly cold. "Is there a problem?"

Fumbling, Rukia thrusted her zanpakuto out in front of her once more, only this time turning the key and allowing the door to begin to open to the mortal world.

Yachiru turned her head back, casting a bright smile at her dumb-founded captain before she passed through the senkaimon, following the raven butterflies with Rukia by her side.

"Hmm…well like I said, I tried to get the mission to go back to the mortal world but they wouldn't let me. They said I was even qualified." Ikkaku huffed, swatting away Yumichika's outstretched hand that held on to a bubble covered loofah.

Yumichika pouted and turned away slightly from his friend, and began soaping up his own arm with his creamy bath lotion. "Of course you aren't qualified. Urahara personally asked for Yachiru for this little experiment. It's only supposed to take a few months, if it even works," his feminine voice musically sang back, as he began to massage the loofah on his other arm.

Experiment…Experiment?!

Yumichika's hand instantly stopped, dropping the loofah into the water as his feathery eyes darted towards Ikkaku's widened ones. They both felt the ripple in their captain's spiritual pressure. Without even having time to react, a very naked Kenpachi towered over Yumichika, grabbing him by his towel and hauling him eye to eye with the anger driven leader.

"What experiment?!" Kenpachi roared, sending servants outside the bathhouse doors running in fear.

"It's nothing really!" Yumichika's hands came to grasp his captains much larger ones that held him captive. "Urahara wanted to see why Yachiru wasn't aging or why it was at such a delayed rate. She's far older than most of us but she doesn't grow old at the rate we do-" he continued rambling on as Kenpachi's jaw flexed.

He shook his fifth seat, "But why her?!"

Yumichika's violet eyes dared to look up and meet his captain's raging emerald one. "She wanted to grow up."

Kenpachi stood, stunned and staring into nothing as he released his hold on the younger man. Yumichika flailed about in the water, sputtering and coming up a drenched mess. Ikkaku reached out, pulling the half-drowned man to the side, hitting his back to help him cough up the water. "Captain…" Ikkaku called, looking over his shoulder but realized he was gone.