AN – Naruto and Bleach creative rights are owned by their respective authors, Kishimoto Masashi and Kubo Tite. What you read here is for the readers' and author's personal enjoyment, not monetary gain.

Thoughts

'zanpakuto'

"speech"

Chapter 1: Death and Crow

-60 years before the present time-

It was evening, and one lone shinigami stood atop of the ninth division sleeping chambers. The moon shone brightly in the summer air, a cool breeze coming from west Rukongai*. To the night guard, all seemed to be at peace. It was quite, the small wind barely even moving the black robes of his standard uniform. There were no suspicious beings roaming about, none who were up to mischievous acts. The occasional drunk officer stumbled down the corridors, or else a captain sitting out on their porch, admiring the clear sky. All appeared to be at peace.

But this was no normal night guard, and he saw more than most would on this midsummer night. He squinted his eyes, searching off into the distance. There was no object upon his gaze, only the moon and the starless sky. To his unwavering stare, the evening was not at all peaceful. There was a very dangerous act being committed this very night, at this very moment. Only one thought went through his focused mind.

Where are you hiding?

'How can you find what you do not know? Come, let's go. There is nothing to worry about. This is foolishness.' The shinigami scoffed internally while softly sighing.

Stop. We must keep looking and continue the search. I know that not everything is right within Seretei*. Strange things have been happening lately, and I suspect it's coming from the Gotei 13*.

'If you continue investigating, then one day you will be struck down. If there truly is someone who wishes to avoid being caught, they will not let you live long if you are discovered. Your power is still young. It's too early to be doing this alone.'

If they are not captain class, then there's nothing to worry about. Besides, you forget my own promotion.

'Give up this foolish arrogance! That has already killed you once.'

The young man paused, a painful, old memory surfacing from the depths. Brother…

Looking to the moon, he stared deeply, thinking about the past. It was not often that a shinigami's life memories surfaced. But in this case, it was something else entirely. Why is it that I have these memories, these dreams? I can't make sense of them, and I feel that a part of me is missing…

'It is still too early for you. Someday, you will understand. '

As minutes passed, the wind picked up. His dark bangs crossing in front of his eyes, he laid down upon the roof tiles. Though hard and slightly uncomfortable (there always seemed to be an odd spot between his shoulder blades), he enjoyed the quite atmosphere. He had been diligently searching for the source of his foreboding itch, this small voice whispering to him. Something wasn't right.

Rumors of people disappearing, shinigami dying within Soul Society, were scattered among the people. While the Gotei 13 was not too concerned, they were peculiar enough to warrant his own singlehanded investigation. There were unsolved mysteries in his mind, questions that even the captains would refuse to answer.

For example, people would disappear from Rukongai with nothing but their clothes left. Clothes were normal enough, but there was always an absence of blood. Didn't hollows enjoy the slaughter of the souls? Could they not resist the inherent brutal nature that cursed them all? It just didn't seem to fit together well.

A faint, sweet odor caught his attention. After a couple deep sniffs, he identified it as a sleeping incense. Sleeping incense? Is someone having trouble sleeping? Or rather…

As he looked down below, he noticed Tousen Kaname moving briskly out into the night air. The ninth division captain did not maintain his white haori* and carried his zanpakuto* at his side. The observer squinted his eyes, and watched silently as he walked toward the edge of Seretei.

What do you think? Is Tousen-taicho* also suspicious of something? Let's follow him. Maybe he will have the answers.

'…Perhaps.'

As Kaname distanced himself further, the soon to be lieutenant silently dropped from the roof, concealing his reitsu. There was no need to complicate things by letting his captain be worried with his presence. Minutes passed, and the unknown chase led the shinigami to a place on the outskirts of Rukongai. He believed he recognized it as the 72nd district of the north.

With soul society in deep slumber, the darker man stopped, after his decent stroll, and stood still. The shorter man kept his distance, not wishing to be discovered. Seconds passed, turning to minutes, as Kaname stood still. Nothing else stirred besides the blades of grass in the gentle wind. The follower thought he heard a sole cricket in the distance.

Sweat began to form on the hidden shingami's face as he continued to hide his reitsu. Can he feel my presence here? All became quiet as he contemplated the possibilities of discovery. Thoughts of a trap leaked into his mind but were quickly rebuked. If there was a trap, it would have been done already. I'm not foolish enough to be led into something like that. What is Kaname-taicho waiting for?

As if in answer, Tousen turned his head slightly. Suddenly, a crease in the sky appeared, causing the spying officer to widen his eyes in shock. As it pinched together, dark folds appeared like square teeth, grinding together before finally opening wide to reveal the dark beyond that was Hueco Mundo, the world of the hollows. Right before his eyes, a portal to the hollow world had opened.

As much as that had shocked him, what stood in the garganta astounded him even more. There, standing confidently, was Aizen Sousuke, captain of the fifth division of the Gotei 13, and his fukutaicho*, Ichimaru Gin. As he made his slow dissent down to the waving grass, the hiding man narrowed his eyes and calmed his gaze. Fierceness began to grow in his eyes, as well as determination. Whatever it was the Aizen and his lieutenant were doing in Hueco Mundo, the General Commander should know about it.

As the captain and his fox looking adjutant touched the ground, the shinigami turned to make his escape back towards Seretei, a conversation began to float through his ears.

"Ah, Tousen. I'm glad you could greet us. I assume you had no trouble?"

"No, none at all."

"Then I'm sure you will take care of the sneaking crow lurking in the shadows?"

The lone shinigami's eyes slowly widened in surprise, and then horror as his captain answered, "of course."

…! Shit!

The shinigami shunpoed away, disappearing from there instantly. His heart racing, he retraced his steps, flash stepping through the deserted field. He pushed himself, the wind racing by him, a waterfall inside his ears. Though he couldn't hear much around him, he dared himself not to look back; there was too much to risk, even for a glance. He needed to escape from them and tell the so-taicho* what he had seen. Shinigami were not to enter Hueco Mundo under any circumstances. There, hollows freely roamed. Gillian's* could be considered small fry in that place, and no shinigami was ever recorded returning alive. That is, until he saw the soft spoken fifth division captain appear out of a garganta* only minutes before.

Had he created the garganta by himself? Or was there a device of some sort that was pre-arranged to open at that time? Or, even more grim, had a hollow opened the rift for Aizen? He hoped the latter was not the case.

Now racing through the 72nd district of north rukongai, buildings blurred past him and underneath him as he went from the street to the rooftops. Already he could begin to hear the rapid succession of flash steps behind him, warning him of the shinigami following him.

'They have already caught up to you. What do you plan to do?'

"…"

'There are three captain class shinigami behind you. Even with your ability, they would quickly overcome you.'

"…"

'Do you mean to call my name? I am sure that they will not escape without injuries. It will be quite…an educating experience for them. But doing so would also be certain death. In a manner of speaking…'

"Shut up," he muttered. We will make our escape into Seretei, where I will raise my reitsu* to awaken someone. If anything, the other captains will become suspicious.

'It is not like you to think so nobly.'

Would a crow fight the eagle for its prey? No, I'm not confident against the three of them. I may have to defeat one and then flee.

'Are you so afraid to stand and fight?'

They are not worth the time to fight, he thought darkly. An amused yet pleased laugh answered in reply.

'Oh, yes. There it is, that attitude of superiority. Your arrogance rival's your own brother's.'

"Don't talk to me about-"

The image of one Aizen Sousuke appeared in front of him, causing the shinigami to curse before sidestepping to go around the higher officer. As he brushed past the captain, something caught his foot, causing him to stumble. Grunting in exasperation, he expertly placed his hands to the roof tile and whipped his body around, his feet digging up dirt and loose tiles from the sliding.

As he brought his eyes to the captain, he noted the other two standing to the side and behind him. A perfect trap. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see the tall building of Seretei standing not too far from him. He must have been within 400 meters of the wall. Damn, so close.

"Ah, so it was crow-kun after all," commented Ichimaru. His ever present grin seemed to increase, if possible. "How delightful."

"Now, now, Ichimaru, we wouldn't want to be too hasty with our young shinigami friend here." Aizen took several steps towards him, stopping just out of his reach.

"What are you doing, Aizen-taicho," he said dangerously. "I saw you come from a garganta. Are you going to explain yourself here before I alert the other captains?" Aizen smiled calmly, gently pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose.

"I am truly sorry that you had to see that. You see, to further protect soul society from being invaded by the more powerful hollows, I have taken great care to understand garganta's and how they work. Surely you can see the effect such research will have on defeating hollows and improving our response time."

"Shut it, Aizen! You know this is illegal, and yet here you are! What do you think this would accomplish?! Yamamoto-sotaicho will here of this."

"Hm, that is problematic, isn't it? I guess that means," the captain continued, unleashing his reitsu and blade, "that I must have to kill you."

Eyes widening, he drew his blade. Sweat form on his face from the pressure, the weight of his opponent's reitsu. With his left hand, he formed a hand seal, while whispering an incantation. The three others watched passively even as the lone shinigami commanded, "Awaken!"

For a brief moment, the fifth division captain stared into his eyes. "Those are some…unique eyes you have there. Have you been hiding this ability for long?"

"Long enough."

"How interesting." Suddenly, the shinigami lowered his sword. Aizen continued smiling. "Have you now decided to continue our conversation?"

The young shinigami's eyes narrowed before answering. "There is no need to raise a sword to one that is not correctly held."

The captain smile faded slightly, but the change was barely noticeable. "Oh? And why do you say that? I haven't even drawn my sword."

"Do play games with me, Aizen! I can see through your trick. Your sword is drawn and pointing harmlessly towards the ground."

For the first time, the shinigami saw the fox faced captain open his eyes. If his own did not deceive him, a pale blue shown in the moonlight. Aizen's smile was gone; in its place was one of passivity. "I see. So that is what you meant, Tousen."

"…What?!"

Tousen explained. "Since you have entered my division, I have kept careful track of your… unique abilities. There were rumors of you possessing a dangerous technique, one that could counteract any attack, and even see the unseen. One officer in particular swore you could predict what kido he would perform before he even began."

…Byakuya…

"Is it true, then, Sasuke? You can see my zanpakuto clearly?"

"…Let me pass, Aizen. I don't want to have to kill you."

"Those are harsh words, especially for one who is about to become a fukutaicho."

"I won't waste any more time with this!" The younger shinigami dashed forward, flash stepping straight towards the captain. Sword held back at his hip, he prepared for a quick strike. There will only be one chance…

At the last instant, he swung his sword across the body, intending to only nick the tip of the taller man's nose. His hand?!

As the blade swung across, Aizen caught it bare handed. As his body continued forward, the higher officer's eyes noticed the grip on the sword. "Backhanded…" he muttered to himself. Pivoting from the sword block, he spun from his right wrist, stepping around him before finally yanking his sword blade out of Aizen's grip. He did not take the time to even sheath his sword as he prepared to flee.

"How naïve." The instant he sprung ahead, a sharp pain entered his chest, followed by one directly below his sternum. With strength leaving him, he fell unceremoniously to the street below. Blood appeared on the packed dirt beneath him, his lungs gasping for air. Trembling with effort, he forced his head up to see the feet of the traitorous captain. He retched, blood coming out of his mouth.

He used senka…!

"It seems," commented the captain, as if critiquing a work of art, "you were able to avoid the critical strike." He looked down into the fallen one's eyes. "Now I see. Your doujutsu requires a small channeling of reiryoku* that travels through your eyes, altering the pupils and color. It seems there is a sight conversion that is connected to your brain, a technique that is solely unique to you, perhaps. I wonder if your brother could-"

"Don't!..." The shinigami grabbed the bottom of his haori, fist trembling weakly. "Don't…speak…his name…in front…of…me…" After the last word he coughed up another spurt of blood. His life was slowly ebbing away.

'You will only remain conscious for another hour at this rate of blood loss. If you do not find help soon…'

I know…shit. This wasn't supposed to happen. I need to do more! I won't fall like this!

'What is it you want most? What is the greatest desire of your heart? Do you want to defeat your enemy, or live to warn the others about what you have seen?'

…I want to avenge!

'Then so be it. I will lend you my strength, and this is what you will do.'

Don't waste time. Speak!

"It is truly a shame," Aizen continued. "I had hoped to completely rid you of your spiritual powers, but your sudden movement caused me to slightly misjudge. It appears I have only grazed your hakusui and saketsu, but it is still enough to kill you. I am afraid, my friend, that you will not be able to be a shinigami much longer."

The bleeding shinigami glared for all he was worth, loathing etched upon his face. As his vision began to blur, he refocused on his captain.

"W…why?" he staggered out. "I…don't understand…Tousen!" The ninth division captain did not change his firm expression.

"It is all for the path of righteous judgment. I follow the path with the least bloodshed. I am sorry it had to come to this…Sasuke."

Sasuke scowled as best he could in his condition, blood slowly rolling down his chin before dripping to the ground.

"Come, Tousen, Gin. Let's depart from our once future fukutaicho. There is no need to trouble him further. Let him be; he will be dead soon enough." He turned back to the bleeding shinigami, a small smile upon his face, looking the same as he did in light conversation. "It was interesting, Sasuke-kun. You have some very dangerous eyes, but it seems they were not enough. Perhaps, in another life, you would have been able to challenge me. Farewell."

"Aw, Captain Aizen, so scary, no?" Ichimaru Gin kicked Sasuke's hand from his superior's haori. He knelt down, whispering to the dying shinigami. "It is too bad. Those eyes of yours are really somethin', Sasuke-kun." He playfully patted his head, before saying, "Take care now!"

The mocking smile and slit eyes only added to his inner fury. Still wearing a scowl, the two captains and lieutenant made their way back to Seretei, leaving the younger noble to die. It was not long before they disappeared from his sight.

Tsukitaka (Moon Hawk)…help me!

"…No. We must wait a little longer."

Any longer and I'll be dead! Now, Tsukitaka!

"…Very well. As you wish."

With effort he kept his head up, as the trees began to stir. Soon, all motion stopped, as hundreds of black crows began to storm around him. Their flapping filled his ears, violently reacting with the air above him. In a few seconds, all he could see was a black blur. 'I will take you to that place.'

In a blink, Sasuke was in his inner world. No longer injured, he stood and glanced around. His inner soul was very familiar to him, the grass field spread out before him. There were three wooden stumps behind him, while a small lake lay calmly to his left. Outstretched in front to the right was a set of woods. In this place, he had always thought of training. The training grounds of my soul...

"Sasuke."

He turned around, the true form of his zanpakuto standing before him. He stood almost a whole head above him, his left eye hidden by a headband. His silver hair stood out to the side, as if a stiff wind had permanently put it that way. Numerous crows flew about him, often hiding him from complete view. Yet, his odd hair still made him very visible. Looking up, he noted the dark clouds swirling overhead. An ominous thunderclap snapped in the distance. He frowned as the wind began to whip around him, but it unaffected the many birds that flew around Tsukitaka.

"So this place still exists…good," he muttered. "Oi, Tsukitaka. Aizen used senka on me, damaging my shinigami powers. Shouldn't my inner soul be in danger of collapse?"

Even as he said this, thunder roared once again, closer this time. He could feel the loud rumble tremble through his body.

"This place is already beginning to break. Can't you sense your end in the coming storm? If we don't act soon, this will be the last time we will speak to each other."

They stood in silence for a moment, the wind continuing to pick up. It began to rain, the drops cooling his skin.

"What must I do, Tsukitaka? How can I survive this?"

The taller one lowered his head. "I am going to heal your hakusui, your sleeping soul. Your shinigami powers will be sustained through this. Then, I must seal your booster so it can also heal properly. When we do this, your reiryoku will sustain itself in time. When the fifth division captain attempted to destroy your powers, he barely missed his target. But the strike was severe enough to cause…complications."

"Complications? Will I live or not?"

"You will live, but-"

"Then don't waste time! Tsukitaka, tell me what I have to do."

The zanpukuto nodded his head, numerous crows still in flight around him. "Very well." He began to walk his way towards Sasuke, his face unreadable through the many flapping birds. "We will begin by mending that crack upon your hakusui. Aizen's strike managed to graze it, and there is a small leak in your ability as a shinigami. I will insert a 'stitch', sealing the opening." He now stood mere feet away from Sasuke. "This will hurt," he warned. "Ready yourself."

The younger soul stiffened. "Just do it," he said.

No sooner had he finished speaking, the swirling mass of birds flew away revealing the full form of the zanpakuto, but he did not have time to observe as Tsukitaka lunged forward, impaling him with a sharp, black blade. A searing hot pain shot through his body, causing him to shout out.

In an instant, it was over, and he lay panting on the ground. The wind continued to increase around him, his hair now violently waving past his face. His chest ached where Tsukitaka had struck him.

Sasuke glared at him. "You worthless –"

"Are you bleeding?" he asked, the countless crows returning to their original venture of circles. He placed a quick hand over his chest, coming back with beads of sweat, but no blood.

"…No," he said softly.

"Then stand. We are only half done." So he stood, knees shaking from exertion, until he finally arose to his full height. "Your inner world is still under violent attack," he said. Trees shook and croaked in protest from the rushing wind that swirled passed them. Indeed, he could barely hear their speech now, the wind overpowering all other sound. While the crows remained unaffected, Sasuke had to lean sharply against it to stand properly.

"I thought you said your healed my spiritual power." He was almost yelling now. "Why is this storm still here?"

"Your spiritual booster is too damaged to heal properly. I am going to have to seal it with another method."

When Tsukitaka did not continue, Sasuke spoke up. "What? What is it?"

"Sasuke," he answered, his voice saddened. "If I do the next procedure, we will not be able to speak with each other for some time. I am not sure if we would ever speak again."

"Hn? What are you saying? That doesn't make any sense; you are a part of my soul. If I wasn't able to speak with you, then that means…"

"It means that you will no longer be a mature shinigami. You must reawaken me, somehow. I…am not sure what will happen once I do this, but I know that a great change must take place, and that I must depart from you."

Sasuke's face softened. He folded his arms, head tilted in thought. After a moment, he asked, "What will happen? How will I know what to do?"

"You will know when the time comes. Just remember, Sasuke, there is always a way to awaken your soul." Trees croaked angrily in protest; the storm was not letting up. Spray from violent waves upon the lake began to spray them in the face. Sasuke closed one eye to prevent water from entering.

"Now is the time! We must act soon! Are you ready for your seal?"

The shinigami took a deep breath before solemnly nodding.

"Then I will warn you now. I am not sure what will happen once I do this. Try not to scream from the pain." Again, before he could even react, the taller man was gone from sight, the black birds dispersing into the waving trees. A torrent of wind attacked him, ripping at his robes. Staggering to maintain his balance, a sheet of rain struck at his face. The wet, piercing needles of water droplets stung him, the tempest continuing to grow evermore around him. Where did he go?

A rough hand grabbed his shoulder, turning him around with a jerk. Streaks of a black blur crossed his vision, behind them a throw of sliver air. In an instant the image was gone, replaced by a slight prick in a small of his back. Turning around, the top part of his shinigami attire became loose, revealing the his pale skin. He cut my robes?!

Thunder cracked loudly, causing Sasuke to jump, startled. Lightning struck once again, only a mere hundred yards away. In that flash of light, he caught his first good glimpse of Tsukitaka. The spirit was garbed in all black, with the lower half of his face covered by a tight cloth. A head band, usually covering one eye, was lifted up to properly reveal both. However, he could observe no more. The sound of a thousand chirping birds overcame his senses. His eyes widened in shock, the static charge of electricity in Tsukitaka's right hand coming straight for him. N-NO!

Too fast for him to react, Tsukitaka struck him square in the chest with his free hand, causing to fall back. As he fell, though, the lightning attack struck his abdomen. A searing fire shot through his body, every muscle and fiber screaming at him. After an instant, it became condensed to his abdomen. Now lying against the wet, muddy ground, his body began to convulse. Tsukitaka still stood above him, his face set in concentration.

Despite the cold rain, he began to feel hotter and hotter, an internal heat emanating from where Tsukitaka applied the attack. His muscles constricted even more, so much so that he was even unable to breathe or scream from the pain. Sasuke closed his eyes, unable to think coherently except for one thought: when will it end?!

After what seemed like an eternity of hell, his senses faded out. Numbness overcame his body, and he felt as if he was in a dream. Blackness surrounded him, and the small sounds of a soft rain encompassed him. However, soon the sound decrescendo'd to nothingness. All that encompassed him now was the blissful silence and cool feeling from within his body. As if preparing for sleep, he felt himself begin to slip away, one thought going through his bind before finally submitting to the lull.

Brother…

-Three days later-

Koutetsu Isane sat up with a start. Sweat rolled down her cheeks, her breathing coming in pants as she tried to come to her senses. Another nightmare…

She looked out her window, placed too close to the ceiling, revealing the dark shade of the evening. One or two others in the fourth division compound stirred, but no one else awakened from her sudden movement.

Knowing that she would not be able to return to her slumber, Isane regretfully climbed out of bed, her bare feet making a soft pat as she walked across the barracks. Quickly dressing, she left not a moment later, leaving all those who slept within. The night was warm; perhaps she could return once she calmed down from her ferocious nightmare. Baka, she thought to herself. Like they would ever stop serving porridge!

Cursing herself for having such a terrible dream, one that included the ban on her favorite food, she strolled briskly onto the fourth division grounds. There was no wind this evening, and the corridors within Seretei were silent. While she couldn't see them, she was sure that the night guards were fast asleep by this hour of the night. Little took place in the early hours of the morning, before the sun even rose. It was not uncommon for the tired nightly patrol to doze off every now and then. Indeed, soon enough, there was a young man in shinigami robes, slumped against the side of a building, his staff clutched within his grasp; it was like his little teddy bear.

Internally laughing at the image of a shinigami holding a teddy bear, she walked as quickly as she could without making too much noise, preparing to reprimand him for his slumber. As she approached the sitting figure, however, something told her that something was seriously wrong. The young women noticed the dishevelment of his robes, the roughness of his hair, as if someone had grabbed and yanked at it. Also, there seemed to be a large tear down the side of his uniform.

Now standing in front of the man, she frowned at his appearance. A deeper inspection of his face brought a shock to her senses. There, in the corner of his mouth and the tips of his ears, was blood. His own blood. Quickly kneeling down, she applied two fingers to his neck, checking for a pulse. While his chest barely rose and fell (she couldn't notice given the moonlight), there was a steady beat at the ends of her fingertips. Whoever had done this to him had given his head a good thrashing. Who would attack a shinigami at this time? Who is sneaking around at this hour, and why are they in the fourth division?

A sudden cough came from behind her, and Isane quickly turned around, her hand coming to her waist. She soon cursed herself for not grabbing her zanpakuto when she left; she never suspected she would be in this kind of situation. "Who's there? Show yourself!" Leaning onto the balls of her feet, she prepared to dash forward at any moment. Squinting her eyes intently, she peered into the darkness of the shadows. Left, right, left again; she focused her senses, hoping to catch any noise or movement that the person might make. There was nothing, though, to indicate someone lurking in the shadows.

Glancing down, she saw a thin drop of blood. Inspecting further, she noticed a small cluster before it led into the shadows in one, neat line, a line that led to the shadows where she heard someone's cough. If they don't want to come out, then…

"Bakudo 29!" she declared, placing her hands in front of her, pointing into the shadows. A shift in the darkness revealed a hidden figure. Found you!

Adjusting her aim, she activated the kido spell. "Sai!" The kido hit its intended target, resulting in a loud thump as a body hit the street. She ran forward to get a better look at her perpetrator. As she grabbed the being, however, she began to be taken aback and then consequently horrified. The person was awfully light, perhaps only thirty kilograms. The robe they wore was loose fitting, causing the body to sag in the extra room. Finally dragging them into the light, she got her first glimpse of who she had abducted.

There before her was a child, completely stiff from her bakudo. He could have been no older than nine, his hair ruffled and skin dirty. There was blood coming from a wound on his temple, as if a sword had just barely cut him. His eyes were wide in terror, the obsidian orbs staring at her in fear. The white robe he wore was several sizes too large, and sagged greatly against his thin body. The sleeves were rolled up to allow his arms free movement.

Horrified that she had used a kido spell on a child, she quickly undid it and helped him to his feet. His hands and feet were shaking, probably from the shock of a full body paralysis. "Are you ok? What are you doing in here?" she asked, trying to be gentle with him. He shook his head, looking down at his feet.

"Did you see someone else here?" she pressed, but softly. "Did you see who did this? Did they do this to you also?" Again he shook his head, not looking up to her. "Do you have a name?" she whispered down to him. Finally looking up to her, his mouth quivered. Taking a breath to speak, he barely managed a syllable before breaking into a coughing fit. Leaning forward dangerously, she placed a hand on his shoulder to steady the boy. Curious, she put a hand to his sweaty forehead before quickly retracting it. Hot…

Picking him up as a mother would her own son, she carried him to the nearest division building. Medical supplies and chemicals of some kind were located in every fourth division building inside the compound. Viruses like colds and fevers where common ailments, so the fourth division always had a simple supply of shinigmai aid kits stored in every building. This way they would never be running to grab something from one building or another. The closest building to them was the Department of Blood Examination and Testing. Cracking the door to check for anything suspicious (she didn't want him seeing a test examination lying about), she decided everything was in order and proceeded to the nearest crate of material. Setting him down, she looked around for the nearest aid kit.

That's a very weird tattoo he has, especially for one so young, she thought. As she had carried him in from the street, his loose clothing had revealed an odd tattoo on his left shoulder. It was three tomoe encircled by a scribbled line marking. Much like a mitsudomoe*.

After a moment of weaving in and out of the various tables set through the hall, she found a spare stack of medical supplies. Grabbing the tonic, she walked back to the boy. His dark hair was caked with dirt, she found, and his eyes were still as wide as ever. He was staring at a table that lay off the side of her, a single pair of shinigami robes.

"Oh, those. Don't worry about those," she said. "They're just a pair that we found in rukongai. We're running tests to see who they belong too." In short, what she had said was true. One of the future fukutaicho's had gone missing, and they were trying to confirm that this was indeed his blood on the uniform (which was thankfully hidden from the boy's view). If that were true…

The boy shook his head, instead pointing to the far wall and then back to the robes. Glancing back, she saw several asauchi's mounted on the wall.

"The shinigami's zanpakuto? Oh, you mean this person's soul cutter. No, we haven't found this one's yet. The robes were found just yesterday, but his zanpakuto has yet to be found. I'm sure once we find it, we will be able to reconfirm his identity." She handed him the tonic, unscrewing the cap for him. "Take a mouthful or two. This will help you feel better." Raising the bottle to his mouth slowly, he sniffed once before throwing the open bottle back at her. Catching the bottle before too much spilled, she gave him a fierce look.

"Listen, you aren't well at all! Do you want to get better, or should I bring you to the captain, who is sleeping right now?" Eyes widening ever more, he gulped once and straightened his back. Handing him the tonic once again, he made a sour face before taking a large mouthful and swallowing. Coughing once more, he set the bottle down, body shaking with every breath. At least he sounds a little better now, she thought.

Grabbing the bottle and returning it to the supplies, she noticed a hell butterfly resting in the corner. Must have escaped a recruit's pursuit, she chuckeld to herself. Giving it a flick with her finger, it flew in the boy's direction. That should cheer him up.

As she turned, however, the pale child was standing next to the shinigami uniform, the inside robe folded over to reveal the division's insignia. A confused look glazed over her features. The blood stain was revealed, and yet his face did not show shock or fear. Instead, it displayed one single emotion: pained contemplation. She gave him a puzzled look.

"What are you doing?" she whispered. "Why are you looking at the insignia? Who are you?"

He looked at her with a pained look as the hell butterfly flew towards him. With a sudden flick of his wrist, he summoned a portal to the Senkaimon*. He shook his head while mouthing to her, "I'm sorry." He hell butterfly led him into the waiting room.

"No, wait! Stop!" She dashed forward, but it was too late. The mysterious boy was gone, and all that was left were the disheveled shinigami robes, the dried blood stain plainly evident in the lit room.

Rukongai = the area in Soul Society to which souls are sent by shinigami. Divided into four areas (North, South, East, West)

Seretei = place in Soul Society where shinigami reside.

Taicho = captain

Fukutaicho = vice-captain, or lieutenant

Mitsudomoe = that weird curse seal tattoo on Sasuke's neck

Senkaimon = the space between the physical world and Soul Society

AN – Thank you for reading! I hope you find it interesting. Please read and review. Also, I'm still looking for a beta reader (or two), so if you are interested, please pm me. I would be very interested in some help and advice. Thanks! ~AR