Title: Another Pink Haired Shinigami
Series: Bleach, Naruto
Parings/Characters: Sakura, Yachiru, a lot of others.
Disclaimer: Bleach comes from the mind of Kubo, Naruto from Kishimoto. This story came from my own warped imagination.
Rating/Warnings: T to PG-13 for language.
Dedication: All the Sakura fans out there! She has great potential.
Summary: Soul Society doesn't just have one pink haired girl to deal with anymore.
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Sakura had gotten used to the looks she gained a long time ago, but that didn't mean that she wasn't affected by them and didn't still find them funny. Extremely so at times.
She, Sakura Haruno, medical ninja extraordinare in the world of the living was currently Sakura Haruno, Fourth Seat of the Eleventh Division,the Gotei Thirteen's Direct Combat division, in the world of the dead, the Soul Society. She was also one of the two only females in the entire division, as well as one of the smallest ones, too. In fact, the only one smaller than her was her Vice Captain and adoptive little sister, Yachiru Kusajisi.
So, she was quite used to getting odd looks from the many, many people in the Soul Society. Or really, and in all honesty, anyone who saw her being escorted by or in close contact with the rather unscrupulous looking individuals who made up most of her division.
The First Division treated her with little indifference, usually holding the same view of her as the rest of the Eleventh, nothing more than a fighting obsessed scour on the board that was the Gotei Thirteen. A few here and there used to cast her worried glances in the norm that someone so innocent looking could be a part of such a division, but that was quickly overlooked when they saw her sparring with the Eleventh's Third Seat, Ikkaku Madarame, the only one lower than Vice Captain to achieve Bankai, and win.
After that, they looked at her with awe and a bit of fear, except for Neji who often looked amused at the antics of his fellow shinigami. He later confided in her that some were afraid to ask her out, for if they said the wrong thing the rumour was that she had the power to glare them into breaking and was teaching it to Yachiru.
They both laughed long and hard over that one, at least until Yachiru heard the rumour too and demanded to be taught the secret glaring technique. After that, Neji was the only one laughing and that was just until Sakura slugged him in the arm and declared that he would play hide-and-seek with the young Vice Captain.
When it came to the Second Division, there was no love lost but a lot of laughs to be had. She could take on their so called OnmitsukidÅ or 'Stealth Forces' with ease and it was the only division that none of her friends from the living world had joined, so she taunted the members of the Second as often as she could. They, in turn, sneered at her whenever the opportunity arose and discretely - or so they thought - spread rumours behind her back.
The Third Division gave her looks ranging from admiration to something between awe and hatred.
Admiration because she had caused their Vice Captain, Izuru Kira, to smile - actually smile! Most of the shinigami had never seen him smile since his academy days! - after a date and it was reported to be the most handsome smile the female shinigami had ever seen. Yumichika didn't speak to her for over a week because of this, a blessing she would say if asked. No one asked for fear of that exact response and Yumichika's wrath.
Awe because, like the First Division, they had seen her spar on many an occasion with Ikkaku and hatred because no newbie shinigami should be that capable of such power. Self discouragement was apparently common for the Third. Sakura mused over lecturing them on such psychological conditions they appeared to be emitting but then Yachiru suggested a game of tag, and that was much more fun.
In the end, those shinigami of the Third division hated her for making them suffer such a monstrous corruption of a childhood game.
Some members of the Fourth Division, including her own old friends such as Hinata and Ino, often looked a bit disappointed that the legendary healing apprentice of the powerful Slug Sannin was not in their division. Most of the, however, more often than not were quite terrified at the idea that someone who had all the right characteristics to be in their division was at the hands of the notorious Eleventh.
She had several high seated officers constantly call her in for consultations, a rather fancy and false term for "Oh, good! You're still alive! They haven't beaten you have they? No bruises? You weren't forced to do anything? Attacked in any way?" interrogations.
That was good enough reason alone for Sakura to actually hold more fear of the Fourth than of her own division. Being in the medical grasps of such obsessive worriers was never a good idea. Add to the fact that most of them were timid around Yachiru, her three foot six inches tall Vice Captain!, was another reason. A doctor could never be called 'good', in her opinion, if they were intimidated by the patient, let alone the disease.
Unlike the Third Division, the general looks Sakura received from the Fifth were of admiration and general friendship. At least until they saw her in the company of her Captain and Vice Captain, then they were torn between those friendly looks and intimidation or out right fear. Such expressions where their mind could not make itself up amused her a great deal.
The members of the Sixth Division treated her as an annoyance. More so when she was with Yachiru, if only because they two of them actually got away with a heck of a lot more than the shinigami of the Sixth themselves were able to.
Kiba and his Vice Captain, Renji, pointed out that their Captain seemed to have a slight interest in the Sakura, his gaze lingering on her more than any others, when she was in his presence. She found the entire thing laughable, if only because his mannerisms reminded her of her old teammate and she knew how well that had gone. Sakura could no longer hold an entirely straight face when seeing Byakuya Kuchiki, despite how handsome she did in fact find him. When Byakuya's more up front fans found out he had a liking for her they took it upon themselves to create situations to drive the two far apart - really, they were in different division and she didn't even like him in that way! How further apart could they be? - which only succeeded in getting Byakuya himself annoyed and Sakura a case of the giggles whenever she saw those particular fans or green jello.
The Sixth Division had little idea how to take Sakura's presence. Here was a woman that needed no manly men to take care of her - any woman who could punch a Hollow into submission and crumble mountains generally didn't - and often would speak out against their general beliefs. Not to mention that she came from the very same Eleventh Division that went against their beliefs in every single way. The shinigami of the Sixth usually gazed at her in confusion, which served as an invitation in her mind to begin a conversation that would leave them only more confused by the end of it.
Including Yachiru in the conversation didn't create any form of stabilization for the confusion, as they had originally hoped, for how could one correctly pin-point the value of life for a unicorn?
The antics of the Eighth Division made Sakura smile, as well as laugh. Here was a captain that reminded her a lot of her Shishou's drinking habits and a Vice Captain that reminded her of her Shishou's work habits. The nostalgia she felt of - and probably showed through her expressions - within this division seemed to amuse them as much as it did her.
Of course, she had the added amusement of Nanao trying to keep her Captain in line and no one dared try the same with Sakura.
As far as the Ninth Division was concerned, Sakura was one of their greatest subjects to deal with in their other responsibility of publishing the Sereitei News. She found the entire idea flattering, questions amusing, and more than a tiny bit annoying during lunch time. Food came first, questions later. Especially when Yachiru was around and could eat both of their lunches within seconds.
Other than her own Division, the Tenth had to be the greatest in eccentricities. She laughs whenever Captain Hitsugaya looks insulted as she explains this, because Yumichika can make the exact same expression. Shortly after that remark, the two usually begin to throw insults back and forth to each other with malicious intent in effort to support their own individual Divisions, at least in the eyes of everyone else, and end the little war of words with a laugh that outsiders look in on as temporary insanity which only serves to make both shinigami laugh even harder.
Sometimes after these little wars, they are both called into the Fourth for a psychiatric exam. Both ignore the summons and the looks on the messengers faces are nothing short of priceless!
Over tea one day, TenTen said that that's the closest relationship her Captain had ever had with another person, as far as she knew and Sakura always treasures that information. As well as uses it to her advantage in their verbal fights. If Hitsugaya can bribe Yachiru for information with candy, then she so can she.
Sakura never gave much mind to the infamous Twelfth Division before she was approached with an inquiry as to if she would willingly submit to be an experiment. After that little episode - really, researchers needed to know how to defend themselves too! Especially if they were to be considered Shinigami! - she began to take every opportunity to make the Twelfth as paranoid as possible over her possible skills and the mysteries she holds.
When she first met the Captain and Third Seats of the Thirteenth, Sakura knew why she could often find Yachiru about. From the Thirteenth came the same feel of the Eighth, nostalgia and warmth.
Their Captain was a rather gentle person who willingly shared stories about an older Soul Society with her when she asked and the two Third Seats kept her incredibly entertained with their desire to best one another, not unlike ways her old teammates used to. Slowly but surely, the other members of the Thirteenth stopped viewing her with uncertainty and accepted her as a frequent visitor with happiness- unless she was with the rest of her division. They did have some survival senses to them, after all.
Yes, she had gotten used to the looks she often received from the many individuals of Soul Society. However, none of those looks could compete to the one's she gained from her own Division on Friday Fight Night. Really, the members of the Eleventh never knew what hit them. At least, not until they saw her smiling face the next day.
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If I can't see Sakura as a Shinigami of the Fourth, I see her as a Shinigami of the Eleventh. Whew, this one came out of nowhere, though! I was going to write some Shinji and Hiyori fics and instead, my mind started wandering to this story. Go figure.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this and I hope you've enjoyed it! Please review, if you would like.