NTRODUCTION

Name: Haruka Yamada

Age: 21

Appearance: Long, straight, red hair. Blue eyes. Average bust and figure.

Setting: World War 2, 1944

All history should be explained in the story.

Questions? Message me.

YOU CHOOSE WHO GETS THE GIRL! POSTING POLL AFTER THIS CHAPTER!

Inhale…. Exhale… " How far is it Haruka?" my father murmured quietly.

" 200 maybe 250 meters. 'Bout a mile," I whispered back.

" Conditions?"

" Minimal wind and target isn't moving much either."

" Very well. Take your shot."

Exhale…Inhale. Steady, aim…..bang! I watched as the deer fell. I exhaled and stood up. " Got it. Venison tonight for dinner," I said smiling and my dad came over and gave me an extremely pleased side hug.

" That's my girl! Just like her pop. Could've used you the first time 'round. Hanataro!" My dad called out to my brother.

" Y-yes?" My nervous little brother asked.

" Run ahead and get your sister's kill," dad said.

" Y-yes sir," Hanataro said then immediately sprinted forward to my amusement.

" You going to teach him to shoot anytime soon?" I asked while stretching after lying on my stomach for an hour.

" Your brother is more jittery than a June bug. Think he could hold a rifle steady?" Dad asked.

" Probably not. Thank God he's two years under the age requirement for war," I said.

" He wouldn't last a day."

" Don't say that dad. Kids are dying over there every day."

" I know. I just want this damn war to end. I just want your mom back," dad whispered at the end. I sighed and nodded.

" Don't worry dad. As soon as this war is over they'll let her go I just know it," I said patting his shoulder.

July 15, 1915. That was the day my dad met my mom in Kremmen, Germany. An American soldier saved a German woman for the price of his leg. They fell in love and she followed him to America where they had a family, me and my brother Hanatero. Things were perfect until there had to be another war, World War two to be precise. Nearly ever single German in America has gone from citizen to spy. Mom was forced to enter a German internment camp. That was possibly the hardest day of my life, our entire families life. It's been a year now and all we can hope is that this damn war will end soon. I smiled as Hanataro came running back, well trying to anyways given that he was dragging a deer with him.

" Don't worry I got it," I said stepping over and hauling the deer on my back.

" Thanks sis," Hanataro said ever so happily.

" Come on. Let's get this back and refrigerate it then you can go to school and I can go to work," I said.

Hanataro nodded and ran ahead, my father limping with his cane behind. He still had his other leg he could just barely used it. That cane was his life now. " You two head off and I'll skin and cut the deer," dad said.

Hanataro grabbed his bag and headed for the car. I gave dad a kiss on the cheek and said bye before heading to the truck. In case you couldn't tell we live on a farm, the family car being a truck older than me. After dropping Hanatero off at school I headed to the hospital where I am a nurse. But I want to be more, so much more. I applied to school to become a doctor. It's never been heard of before, I know, but I really think I can do it. I slipped into my stupid uniform then headed in.

The hospital has been so crowded since the war began, many of the man volunteering for war and having to get a check up before heading out. Many more returning injured. " Good morning Nurse Unohana," I said.

" Good morning how are you Haruka?" the head nurse asked.

" I'm doing great! I should get my letter from the college today," I said excited.

" All I can do is wish you luck now. I know everyone is so proud of you," Unohana said.

We talked a bit more before work began. Morning started with assisting the doctors in assessing the boys who wanted to go to war. Measuring height, weight, heart rate, etc. Afternoon was taking care of injured soldiers. This is where I was constantly reminded why I wanted to be a doctor. I was currently rewrapping a wound on a man's arm as he leered at me. " Hey baby what are you doing after work?" he asked.

" I will be picking my little brother up from school and then heading home for dinner," I said doing my best to ignore him.

This is why I want to be a doctor, so I can actually be respected in my field. Men saw nurses as just another woman, nothing more. " Come on girl I don't see a ring on that finger. Why don't you stay the night here and we can-" he began but cried out as I stepped on his foot.

" Whoops"

" You-"

" Nurse Haruka a word please?" Nurse Unohana asked.

I hurriedly followed her out of the room. " I'm sorry I-"

" He was about to hit you, you know? You need to be more careful these men are battle scarred."

" I can handle myself," I mumbled.

Unohana sighed. " Doctor Mayuri has requested that you sign some of his usual forms for him."

That lazy doctor. I had to fake his signature on the check up forms for the new soldiers. I spent my last hour of work fake signing forms and then I could go home. A stack of papers fell and I sighed as I picked them up then grabbed my bag before I left. " Hey Haruka!" A voice called out.

I turned and smiled. " Shuhei what are you doing here?" I asked.

" What do you think?" He asked holding up the form.

I froze. Shuhei has been my best friend since childhood, our farms right next to each other. Now he's going to war? I stepped over slowly and hugged him. " I'm so sorry," I said against his chest.

" Ya well I had to. I've been of age for a while and their forcing you in now. They need men."

" They need men not boys!"

" Hey I'm not a kid we're the same age," Shuhei said laughing.

I pulled back and looked up. " Are you scared?"

" I think everyone needs a little fear."

" When are you going?"

" Now. That's my bus over there," he said and pointed at a school bus full of guys. " I'll see you later Haruka!" Shuhei said and ran off.

He said it so casually like he knew he would see me again. A few minutes later the bus was off. This god damn shitty war! I stormed to my car and sped to pick Hanataro up. We pulled into the house and I nearly stormed inside. " Um hey sis remember your letter?" Hanataro asked slightly frightened of me.

My smile came back and I ran to the mailbox. I ripped open the letter and scanned then sighed. Rejection, of course. Why allow a woman to be a doctor? I trudged inside. This day could not get worse that is until dad was holding a scared Hanataro. " Dad what's wrong?" I asked.

" They lowered the drafting age again. Hanatero is going to be heading off tomorrow," Dad said shakily.

That was it, the final straw. I collapsed onto the couch and remained emotionless through it all. " They… they can't do this he's just a boy," I choked out.

" Haruka-"

" You said so yourself just this morning! He can barely hold a pencil how can he hold a gun. He screams at the drop of a leaf! He-"

" Haruka stop!" Dad shouted.

" I'll go, take me! I'm older than him and-"

" Haruka you are a woman. Women do not fight women stay home and-"

" Well I'm tired of this shit! I'm tired of the war, I'm tired of being a woman, I'm-"

I paused as I felt my brother against me, hugging me tight. " It's ok sis. I-I can do it. I'll fight so I can get mom out," Hanataro said. He was shaking in fear just like usual.

I hugged him to me even tighter then ran upstairs to my room. My little brother who has the courage of a mouse is going to be fighting in a war. My mom is in a camp being treated only God knows how. I'm a woman so I can't do anything about any of my problems. I threw my bag across the room in frustration, clothes and…papers tumbling out. I stepped over and saw the papers were the ones I signed earlier in the hospital.

And then it hit me. I could take Hanataro's place. I have the papers right in front of me, all I have to do is sign Hanataro's name. I looked myself over in the mirror. I'm not especially busty so that will be easy to hide, I'll have to cut my hair, but other than that I think I can pull it off. Well I don't have a dick but as long as no one looks down my pants I'll be ok. Smiling I headed down to dinner to find a large bag at the front door. " I went out and bought supplies for your brother when I got the news. As much as I could with rationing stamps," Dad said.

I simply nodded as I headed to the dining room. The dinner was quiet. Dad sad, Hanataro on the verge of tears, and me happy yet nervous. I can save him, I know I can. I can pull this off. After dinner and once everyone was asleep I took a shower and stepped out. Here it goes. I began chopping at my long hair only cringing slightly. It will grow back eventually. I grabbed dad's electric buzz and now I had only a half inch of hair. Wow I seriously look like a dude. I pumped my muscles in the mirror and laughed at myself.

After a little bit of vocal practice and practicing with gauze to tie down my chest I was done. Knowing there was one last bus leaving for training tonight I knew I had to leave soon. I snuck into Hanatero's room and grabbed some of his clothes throwing them on. " Wh-Who's there?" Hanataro asked now awake.

I turned and saw he was about to pee his pants. I stepped over and covered his mouth. " It's me goofball," I said.

He gazed at me thoughtfully then his eyes widened and I removed my hand. " Wh-what happened to your hair?" Hanatero asked.

" Does it look like a boy?" I asked with a quiet laugh.

" But sis-"

" It's bro. I'm Hanataro Yamada remember?" I asked him.

He looked terribly confused then gasped. " Y-You can't do this! Dad will kill you."

" You're worried about dad killing me?" I asked humorously.

" But sis you can't go for me I-I I'm a man now I can do this," he said in the least confident way possible.

" Look at me," I said sternly. " Who shoots a gun better than I do?"

" No one"

" Who knows how to use a knife better than I do?"

" No one"

" Which of those men has worked as a nurse healing war wounds before?"

" Probably not that many and not as good as you," Hanatero said then paused. He began to tear up and he hugged me. " I'm sorry sis! Please don't go," he said.

" Sorry goofball but I'm not letting you go," I said.

Hanataro finally sighed and nodded. " What about dad?"

" You can give this to him in the morning," I mumbled as I handed Hanatero the letter I wrote then stood up. " I love you goofball"

" Love you too sis"

I gave an air kiss and ran down the stairs, grabbed the bag, and ran down the road to the hospital. I used the exercise to stop me from crying. Bye Hanatero, bye dad. I'm sorry if I don't make it but at least I protected one person, my little brother. I panted once I got to the bus, papers in hand. An officer was at the bus door. " Name?" he asked tiredly.

" Yamada, Hanataro sir," I said.

" Ya, ya your on the list. Got your medical exam papers?" I handed him the papers. He barely looked them over then handed them back and nodded me in. I got on the basically empty bus and sat in the back, pulling the cap down over my face. The less people looked and talked to me the better. The bus lurched forward only a few minutes later and we were off. " Ok we gotta stop in two more towns then we'll head to Fort Leavenworth and from there you'll be shipped to New York for training."

No one responded, a bleak air in the bus. I gazed out at the cornfields as we went speeding by. The first town only had half a dozen guys but the second was jam packed with two dozen now filling the bus. I watched as a guy with bright orange hair hugged his sobbing sisters. A red head patted the orangette's shoulder, telling him to get on the bus. Those two were the last to get on. I looked out the window as the bus began moving again. " This seat taken?" a voice asked. I turned and saw the two guys from a minute ago motioning to the seat across the aisle.

I shook my head no and they sat down. " Damn Ichigo scoot over," the red one hissed.

" This is a child's seat not my fault we're men Renji," the one called Ichigo said.

I watched as they bickered some more, the others around us getting annoyed. " You can sit here," I muttered quietly.

The two stopped mid punch. " What?" Ichigo asked.

" I'm smaller than you two. One of you can sit next to me," I said.

They both blinked. Men are such idiots sometimes. Ichigo rose and scooted over next to me to Renji's satisfaction. " I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. You?" he asked.

" I'm Har- Hanatero Yamada," I fumbled. Come on you have to get that down. It got awkwardly quiet for minute. " Those were your sisters?"

" Ya. Tore them to pieces I had to go."

" Ya I have a little bro-sister too," I said.

" It's hardest for them, the girls"

I frowned at that. " Women can be just as strong as men," I said sternly. I heard a few chuckles all around the bus.

" Ya and what strong woman do you know hm?" Renji asked.

" Well my sister can shoot," I said.

" So?" Renji asked again.

" She hit a deer 628 meters away before," I said.

" Psh ya right"

Damn that was a true story! And it was windy as hell. " You're little sister?" Ichigo asked.

" Did I say little? I meant older," I said with a nervous smile

" Still a woman can't shoot a gun that far it just isn't right," Renji said.

I was seriously beginning to lose my temper. " Shut up Renji. If Hanataro says it's true then it's true. I mean why would he lie?" Ichigo said.

Renji grumbled and leaned back in his seat. I gazed at Ichigo thoughtfully. He stood up for women. Probably because of his little sisters but still. Ichigo noticed me eyeing him and I immediately turned to the window. " I'm going to sleep. Wake me up when we get there," I said.

" No problem Hana," Ichigo said.

I paused and turned. " What did you say?" I asked

" Hana. I thought it was a good nickname. It's short and well you do kind of look like a girl. Just a little though," Ichigo said defensively.

" Fine…Ichi," I said and Ichigo frowned making me smirk.

" Goodnight Hana"

" Goodnight Ichi" I said with a smile. The bus moved on into the night. The entire bus grew quiet and soon everyone was resting. It was as if we all knew what was to come. Sleepless nights, quiet shattered, innocence ripped away. But none of that was on our minds right now. All that we could think about was what we left behind and where we were going.