I do not know if I was born here, but Kusajishi 78th district of North Rukongai is the only thing I have known. I think I had been there for about 50 years but time flows so slowly here where there is nothing. My hair was short, curly and black so in dark places I could easily hide myself if I ducked behind something. I kept myself hidden for all these years and managed just fine on my own. I witnessed men and women killing each other for no less than short eye contact. People here are ruthless and I believe that it is my luck that saved me from conflict. But knowing where I was and knowing my surroundings I knew I had to gain strength. I found out that if I ran my feet became stronger. If I used my hands to hold heavy objects, they became stronger. I did this routine every day. I would hold big boulders and run around till I could no longer withstand it, whilst avoiding being spotted by the residents. I did this for over twenty years.
I was well aware that I had grown from being a child to be closer to that of an adult. My hair had grown a lot and I had started to use a piece of string to tie it loosely to the side. My stature was stronger and I was able to run a lot longer that when I had started. I decided to bid farewell to this wretched place and set my sights on a better place. In my heart I knew that there had to be a better place for me than this. I had heard back when I was still a child that there were something called the Shinigami, soul reapers, and that they had it good. That is where I wanted to go. But I had no Idea how to go there so I just ran in a direction and hopefully it was the right one.
After a few week's I had started to feel something inside me that I did not recognize. The usual feeling of thirst I had gotten used to but. This was something different. I felt a need.
After a long hot day I came to an area where a small pond was surrounded my small berry bushes. The berries looked delicious and I tasted some but knowing I did not need subsistence such as that I made my way to the pond. I saw my self for the first time in this still pond. I saw I was skinny but I could make out subtle muscles on my arms and I saw my eye's were mostly dark but I couldn't make out any color. Without wasting any time I stuck my head to the bottom drinking to my hearts intent. It was a beautiful feeling. Before long I had submerged myself in the pond completely. I felt as the dust washed away from my hair and rags, I turned on my back and floated in the water. My eye's closed and I could almost feel my need to run slip away.
Then there was a voice. Two to be exact. A child and a grown man. I quickly but quietly made my way out of the pond ant away from the voices until.
"No Let me go!" the child howled. The man had a firm grip on his neck.
"Let you go? hahh" the man raised his right arm and with a clenched fist he punched the child in the chest.
"Fight him, don't let him do this" A voice inside me whispered. Without thinking I ran, jumped and landed with my feet first in the face of the man. He lost his balance and dropped the kid, who ran in the opposite direction. The man did not care he charged at me but luckily I was able to dodge him and I slammed both of my fist's in his sides. Not wasting a moment I kicked his head and rendered him unconscious. As I contemplated what had just happened I stood there dazed. My rags were still drenched and it left the ground around me somewhat darker than it had been. What was that voice I heard. Was it just me not wanting to see more violence. After a moment I shook of my dazed state and began walking away. Making my way further into the heart of sole society without knowing it then.
After walking only for a few hours my stomach started to make the most awful sounds, grumbling and rumbling and it made my head hurt. Then I saw them, two men wearing black kimonos. And they were headed my way. One with a head as shiny as the sun, and one with weird feathers sticking our from his right eye and eyebrow. Such a strange sight. They must have noticed me for there eye's were fixed upon me. Just then my head started to feel heavy as the pain in my stomach only grew. I fell to my knees and could not find the strength in my arms to hold myself up so I fell to the ground.
"Yumichika, you think that kid..?" I did not see them anymore, but I felt there presence getting closer and closer. "Ah that may be, Do you have anything for her?" I soon smelled an incredible smell, this was the first time I had ever smelled something so good in my life. I managed to open my eye's just to see what this might be. "Hey kid, eat this." the shiny head held out to me what I now know to be a rice cake. I opened my mouth to say something but he put the rice cake in my mouth and without a thought my body responded, or well my mouth did. I ate it all up and it was so good. He then gave me another and then another, after five of them I had finally gained the strength to raise myself up to a sitting position. "man I had planned to eat this for launch but you just finished them all up." I was stabbed with a feeling of guilt. I bowed my head as far down as I could but did not know how to say that I was both grateful for this amazing gift and to show how much I was sorry. So I remained silent. "Aww Ikkaku isn't that cute. What is it little one can't talk?" I raised my head and found a hand resting on my shoulder. I looked at the owner who was the one with the feathers, he was quite beautiful and graceful in his movements. He raised me up to my feet and dusted of the grass that had been stuck to my clothes when I fell, he then placed his hand on my head and ruffed up my hair a bit. I felt as if the whole world had been turned upside down and that feeling made me smile. "Oh your smiling, that's a good sight aint it Ikkaku?" Ikkaku? That must me the name of the one with the shiny head. He had given me his launch and was looking at me from bottom to top. "Hey kid, what's your name?"
I wasn't sure if I had ever had a name. So I just shook my head and looked down to my feet. Feeling a bit embarrassed. "hmm no name huh?" I shook my head again and looked at the men who had sat down close to me. "Well you won't get far without a name." Ikkaku gave me a sideways glance as he said that. "Well she seams delicate as a flower and with such bountiful black hair, how about Kurohana" Kurohana... black flower, sounds kinda cool. I ran my hand trough my hair and noticed I had lost the string I had used for so long. The one with the feathers then dug into his pocket and took out a dark red ribbon. He loosely braided my hair to the side and tied it up with the ribbon. "There the color matches your eye's." I looked up in surprise. My eye's are they red?. "Your giving this to me?" I asked as I felt the fabric between my fingers. He just smiled and stood back up. "Come on Ikkaku, best get back to work." I received a another side glance as he stood up. But he hesitated, reached for a small red flower. He then walked over to me and placed the small flower in my braid. "There Kurohana Akane?" he then turned away and caught up to his friend. I was at a loss for words, such presents I had never imagined. I quickly placed my hands on the ground and bowed my head as far as I could and shouted. "Thank you so much for these gifts. How can I ever repay you?!"
The two of them spun around and smiled. "My name is Madarame Ikkaku and this is Ayasegawa Yumichika. Were in the 11th division of the 13 Court Guard Squads. If you ever become a soul reaper, look us up." I couldn't help but smile and bow my head again. "I will! thank you!"