Disclaimer: It's totally not mine.


"So let me understand this. He's just been installed as the captain of the eleventh squad and he's picked a little girl as his vice-captain?"

"That is correct."

"Yamamoto-san. . . why?"

The old man shifted in his chair and raised his eyebrows, a move which never failed to bring all focus to him. "It is his right, you know, to choose his own vice captain."

"It is, sir, but I must say this is highly irregular."

"As is Zaraki."

"Yes, as is Zaraki. But sir, a child. . .with no formal training. She'd be a liability. She needs training. She doesn't even have a soul cutter."

"Che. As I understand it, he defeated the previous captain with that little liability hanging off his back like a barnacle." The old man squinted a little. "And she does have a soul-cutter."

"Did you see it?"

The old man visibly shuddered. "She brought it out to show to me. Zaraki nearly broke his neck scrambling over to make her put it away."

A pause. "What did it look like?"

"Child, there are things in the world which defy explanation. It was like being in a land made of watercolor, where the water is pink lemonade, the air is puppies, kittens, bunnies and ducklings. I can't say I understand how a soul-cutter can work that way, but several people around me immediately collapsed. Even I felt dizzy."

"Are you saying they were nearly killed . . . by cuteness?"

"I'm not saying either way. All I know is I don't want that little pink menace anywhere near the academy."

And that was the end of that.