Author's Note: This is written for a certain friend of mine. She knows who. I hope that she, and anyone else who reads this, enjoys it. Bleach does not belong to me.
Chapter 1
Ikkaku was already locked into a serious fight. Yumichika could see this evidently even as he cut through enemies of his own. The two were separated by more than fifty allies and opponents but Yumichika would have sworn that he could still see Ikkaku's grin. The Captains were nowhere to be seen but Yumichika could feel their reiatsu as they fought elsewhere.
Yumichika sighed and wondered if he was really needed here. Couldn't he just go back to the barracks to have a relaxing tea? Strenuous activity that wasn't really required was bad for his skin. It wasn't that Yumichika didn't like fighting. He was a member of Squad 11 after all. Fighting was life. The problem was fighting when there was no need to. Ikkaku and Captain Zaraki could have cleared up these wimps on their own. Unfortunately it was orders from the top.
The mission had been sudden but simple. There had been a reported break in the outer barriers of one of the smaller cities. Hollows had invaded and someone needed to stop them. Thus, Squad 11 was ordered out. Yumichika didn't know why the higher ups though they would need the entire squad. There were only two hundred or so minor Hollows. It could have been a bit of practice for their twenty or so rookies and there would have been no casualties on their side. Yumichika sighed again. This was no fun at all.
One of the Hollows apparently agreed with him. Yumichika almost swore as he saw one of the fast but weak Hollows run off into the undergrowth. Grinning with the thrill of a potential chase, Yumichika disengaged his current opponent and ran after it. The Hollow was fast but absolutely no match for Yumichika's Shunpo. The creature was also no match for Fuji Kujaku. Yumichika was almost regretting having called his sword by its nickname. He could have gotten rid of the Hollow even without the damn sword's help. Now Yumichika had a headache.
Ruri-Iro Kujaku wouldn't shut up about Yumichika's use of its nickname. He kept complaining and Yumichika felt the urge to snap it on a strong rock but that would only require more effort. Yumichika was more than halfway back to the battlefield by the time the annoying indignation of his sword died down. Yumichika gently massaged his temples and the bridge of his nose in an attempt to get rid of the headache. He couldn't wait until the next training session. He would exact his revenge then. Anyone who dared to give him such an undignified headache deserved one themselves, even if the perpetrator was his own sword.
Yumichika had only just grinned at this thought of retribution when a shadow fell upon him. It wasn't a Hollow.