Part One

Lady Yoruichi Shihoin looked down at the wide green eyes of the new recruit that stood in front of her as she handed her, her assignment paperwork. The younger Soul had made quite an improvement over the past six years passing all of her classes with flying colors and had finally managed to graduate the Shin'o Academy.

"Thank you so much for taking my request into consideration, Lady Shihoin." She sweet female replied graciously as her full lips lifted into a smile before she bowed.

"It was nothing. Not every day I get someone interested in joining Squad 12 and I think you meet all the criteria for such a squad." She replied with a grin.

Ayumi kept smiling up at the older woman. She couldn't help the sense of glee that she felt inside. She had managed to make it and would now be on her way to her very own division. She was excited to get started and couldn't help but wonder what her future would bring her being a member of Squad 12. Her admiration for the Squads Captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi had been the main reason her interest had peeked. While other students had their eyes set on the more popular Squads such as six and even eleven, she had her mind set on the one she could be more of an asset to. While she wouldn't label herself a genius by any means she did comprehend more than most and her outlook on life had always been a bit more analytical in nature always seeking out a plausible scientific reason for events.

"I hope that I will not disappoint." Ayumi whispered as Yoruichi's golden cat like gaze studied her soft feminine features and smiled warmly at her.

"Captain Kurotsuchi can be a bit difficult at times but I don't think he'll really give you a hard time. Just be yourself and I am sure you will go far. He's bound to find some form of use for such an educated mind." She replied back.

Ayumi nodded as she gripped her transcripts to her chest as if they were a prized treasure.

"Don't be a stranger, come and visit me sometime." Yoruichi stated right before she turned and headed back into her office.

"Sure thing." Ayumi replied as she too turned and made her way down the hallway of the building.

She had to get her things packed up and ready for her move tomorrow and even though her body hummed with excitement she couldn't help the butterflies that gathered in the pit of her stomach. She would finally be able to meet the man she had read so much about. She had copies of all of his published works on his experiments and the outcomes of each. She looked forward to reading them on a monthly basis. He was filled with so much passion and love for all thing scientific she couldn't help but feel a connection to him, she just hoped she didn't screw up her chances of making a place for herself within the Squad.

She hoped to work closely with him and his Lieutenant if at all possible inside the Research and Development Center. She willed herself to calm her nerves as she turned down another hallway that would lead her to the student housing ward. She had managed to make it six years living with three other women in a communal environment each having their own bed and wardrobe inside the same room. While she gave it her best at attempting to make friends with the other women her awkward behavior always seemed to leave her out in the cold when it came to others and eventually she had just made it a point to stick to her studies and make the most out of her situation. It seemed having such an academic mindset was not the best when mixed with the more outgoing playful personalities that she lived with. Ayumi made it to the door of her room and pulled the key from her pocket unlocking the large grey door and stepped inside the room. Two of her roommates sat inside laughing with one another as she entered. Both women looked up at her and their laughter died down as they watched her.

"Hey Ayumi. I hear you have been deemed worthy enough to enter one of the Divisions." Haru greeted her.

Ayumi smiled at her as she sat her transcripts down on her neatly made bed.

"I have. I will be placed tomorrow actually, so tonight will be my last night here." She informed the two.

"Man, you're lucky. I wish I could be placed so early. I probably have another year before I can join a Squad." Haru contend as Mikka sat silently looking as if she would rather be talking about something else.

"Keep working hard and eventually I am sure they will find a fit for you." Ayumi replied as she opened the wooden doors to her wardrobe.

All she had inside were her uniforms, books and stacks of all the magazines her future Captain published his work in.

"Yeah I guess." Haru replied before turning her attention back to Mikka.

"So what squad did they put you in anyway?" Mikka finally spoke with a bored expression.

"I've been put in Squad 12. Research and Development." She replied happily as she unzipped a large duffelbag and started to pack up her belongings.

"Huh. I guess that would be the perfect place for you." Mikka replied.

Ayumi wasn't sure if the tone in the other woman's voice was mocking or sincere, sometimes she wondered if the other women were making fun of her, but she chose not to dwell on the matter so much. She knew that while these women would one day find a squad of their own they wouldn't be able to make a seated officers rank in any division that they were placed in but Ayumi figured she would at least be able to find a rank within the 12th Division.

"I think so." She replied back as she picked up the stack of magazines and placed them down into the duffel.

She looked up at the Red and white uniforms hanging up on metal hangers and wondered if she should even pack them. She knew that tomorrow she would be given the standard Soul Reaper uniform, a black Shihakusho and the reminder of her change in status made her heart flutter with accomplishment. She decided not to pack the old uniforms after all, she would toss them into the bin to be cleaned and handed out to a new recruit, as of tomorrow she would no longer be a mere student she would be Ayumi Otsuka a Soul Reaper of the 12th Division.

Ayumi woke to the sound of her roommates alarm going off and slowly stretched her body arching her back off the bed as her arms reached out above her head. She slowly sat and yawned loudly as she wiped the sleep from her groggy green eyes. She reached over and grabbed her purple framed glasses and secured them to her face and her vision cleared, other than the damage to her right eye.

She had sustained an injury to it during an accident when she had first arrived in the Soul Society many years ago and it had left her with only partial vision in her right eye but she didn't let that fact slow her down any. If anything the experience had taught her to be more aware of her surroundings and the environment she was in. She had been unlucky to have spent many of her years in the district of Kusajishi were most of the Soul's acted like mindless ruffians causing havoc and spreading unnecessary violence around everywhere they went. The chemical that had been intended for someone else had inadvertently been tossed in her face instead when she had walked in the way of the attack. The burning of her skin had healed without leaving much scarring but her eye had not been so lucky and if it hadn't been for the few kind people around her thinking quickly on their toes laying her down and flushing her wounded eye with water she may have lost the eye completely. Now she was left with an odd marbling inside her right eye and every time she looked in the mirror it reminded her of how lucky she had once been.

Ayumi tossed her blankets aside as she decided it was time to get up even though part of her just wanted to lay back down for a few extra hours but it was already close to seven in the morning and she didn't want to be late for her eight o'clock appointment with her new Lieutenant. Her transcripts had informed her she would be meeting with Akon around that time and she was expected to be prompt. Ayumi stood and watched as her three roommates quickly threw on their Academy Uniforms and tied their hair back into secure pony tails.

"I guess we will see you around sometime." Haru spoke to her just as Mikka and Rei walked out into the hallway.

Ayumi shrugged her shoulders and managed a slight smile.

"I guess so. Good luck." She replied to the woman she still didn't even really know.

Haru smiled before she stepped out of the room into the hall and the door closed behind her.

Ayumi sighed to herself as she lifted her hand into her chestnut brown hair and thread her fingers threw it. Today was going to be the start of her new life and she didn't need the reminder of her awkwardness getting in the way. She rolled her shoulders and took in a deep breath as she grabbed her clothes she had laid out the night before and made her way for the communal bathing room. She wanted to make herself look as presentable as possible for her new Lieutenant and her new Captain.

Twenty minutes later she walked out of the bathing area dressed in her standard Red and white Academy uniform, her hair tied back into a secure pony tail that hung all the way down her back. She gripped the key to her room in her hand and turned the lock on the door securing her shower supplies in the duffle bag she zipped it closed and grasped the arm strap in her hand and lifted it across her shoulder. She took one last glance around the room she had spent so much time in, so many hours of study, so many daydreams about what her future could be if she could just manage to make it into the Gotei 13. With a deep breathe she turned and placed her key on the night stand that sat next to the bed she wouldn't be using anymore and reached out for the door handle. She pulled the heavy grey door open and stepped out into the hall with plenty of time still to make it to her meeting. Her nervousness grew as she made her way outside the doors of the Academy and walked forward towards the main entrance of the Seireitei. She paused as she looked around the scenery and started to feel a bit flustered. It looked like a giant maze of pathways framed by giant white walls. Anxiety filled her as the thought of getting lost and being late plagued her mind. She looked around seeing many other officers walking around and figured her best bet would be to ask someone. She walked forward and tried to decide which person to ask when she felt someone bump into her a bit roughly.

'Oh, Sorry about that." She heard a male voice speak to her.

She turned her gaze and looked up at the man, He had black spiky hair and grey eyes with a couple tattoos running across his face. She smiled to herself wondering what the 69 on his cheek stood for.

"It's okay. Um…Actually…would you be able to point me in the direction of Squad 12?" She asked softly.

The man smiled down at her warmly.

"Sure. Just follow the pathway to your left when you come to the fork take a right it will be straight ahead. You must be the new recruit I heard about." He continued.

She nodded her head as she smiled a bit awkwardly.

"I'm Shuhei Hisagi, the Lieutenant of Squad 9." He introduced himself as he held out his hand for her.

She wiped her palm on her bottoms before she accepted his hand.

"Ayumi Otsuka." She replied.

He let out a small laugh as he seemed to notice her nerves.

"Well, welcome to the Gotei 13 Ayumi." He replied as he pulled his hand back and began to walk away.

She turned and watched him for a minute before her mind remembered she didn't have much more time to waste. She quickly ushered herself forward following the path that the Squad 9 Lieutenant had given her and she managed to let out a sigh of relief when she reached the large doors of the research and development center. She reached out and took a hold of the door but it didn't open like she expected it would. She stepped back a bit confused and that's when she noticed the plaque on the side of the door. "Knock loudly." It read. Ayumi lifted her petite hand in the air and with one final breathe she pounded against the giant metal door.

"Here goes nothing…" She whispered to herself as she waited for the door to open.

(Authors note: For those of you who have not read or did not know about the RenRuki novel ( We do Knot always love you) It states in there that Yoruichi is alive and now teaching at the Academy so I thought it would be a fun way to introduce my OC for this story. I hope everyone enjoys the first chapter. I'll be taking my time with this one so new chapters make take a little while to be posted. Thanks for reading! )