Welcome, all who are fans of Bleach. I've decided to post this after a moment of inspiration, so it may be a bit underdeveloped, but bear with me. As the title stated, OC x Soi Fon will be the pairing in later chapters, so read on.

Also, Soi may seem somewhat OOC, but I don't think she's as cold as her demeanor suggests.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Anyone who thinks so is obviously high on laundry detergent.

Chapter 1: Fight for Life, Embracing Death

Some people in the Soul Society think that the Rukon Districts beyond 70 are hellholes.

If that's the case, District 80, Zaraki, is literally Hell.

The people, if you can even call them that, kill anything that crosses their path, men rape women in the streets and the women bear children they do not want, throwing them away like pieces of garbage.

I was one of those children. At a very young age, I learned that the only way to survive was to kill everyone around you until no one was left to hurt you. Then you would find a half-decent place to sleep, always with one eye open, and repeat the process in the morning. This was my life for ten years.

As I aged, I slowly began to notice that people eventually would stop attacking you, once enough of them had been killed by you. This allowed me to kill fewer people, giving those who didn't want to die a chance to learn from their mistakes. Most did not learn, but a few began to follow a similar path to me. Most weren't as strong as I was, though, and they didn't last long. Eventually, enough began to live that we banded together, a surrogate family of bastards left to die and beyond help. Once I had companions, I learned that strength of a leader meant strength of the group, and when people feared you, they feared your group as well. I could use that to protect my companions, for it was the only thing close to protection we had.

This way of living never lasted long either. A man who people, even in our district, called a monster descended on our group one day and killed them all. All except me. I knew his name, for it bore a more brutal connotation than District 80 itself did. He was Kenpachi Zaraki.

He did not spare my life, he left, thinking all of us were dead. Somehow, I survived, and I was free of the district at the cost of the only cohorts I knew. I left, and, after seven more years, made my way into the Seireitei. I joined the Shinigami Academy, training to become a Shinigami myself and stand on my own two feet with my own name to be called by.

That name was Seijuro Arashi.

Captain Soi Fon sighed as she walked out to the 2nd Squad training grounds, the courtyard inside the barracks. He short-cropped black hair was tied into twin braids behind her head, and her white Captain's haori flapped listlessly in the evening breeze. She looked young, only about 19, but her demeanor suggested that she was far older, and very irritable. Her annoyance and distress were centered around one thing. Her Lieutenant, Machyrio Omeada, had been killed over Karakura Town one month prior, interfering with the battle between Ichigo Kurosaki and Gin Ichimaru. He had died an assassin's death, trying to kill Ichimaru with a surprise attack, and as much as Soi disliked the fool, she respected his decision and his sacrifice.

However, this left her squad without a second-in-command, and she had to replace him quickly. In the aftermath of the Winter War, three Captain's positions were empty and one Lieutenant had been killed in the fighting. The Soul Society could not afford to be weakened any further now. "Alright, listen up," she called to the row of black-clad assassins lined up before her, their posture straight and their eyes forward. All she could see were their eyes, for the rest of their bodies were clothed in black assassin's garb, leaving only a thin strip over their eyes uncovered. "The purpose of this exercise is to select my new Lieutenant, and the whole squad, no matter how inexperienced, is eligible for the position. You will fight each other hand-to-hand, and judging from your tactics, ability, and technique, I will select the best fit to be my second-in-command." She snapped her fingers and shouted the order for pandemonium. "Commence the exercise!"

In an instant, most of the assassins turned on each other, throwing kicks and punches in an attempt to best one another at this test. However, one of them surprised her. As the Shinigami nearest him snapped a kick at his midsection, he leapt high into the air and flipped over to the roof of the barracks, hiding himself in the shadow of a nearby tower. His assailant tried to follow, but he was engaged and quickly dispatched by another opponent, leaving the first assassin unnoticed by the combatants below.

Soi glanced at the shadow of the tower, noting the man's position as he peered around the masonry of the wall, waiting for a moment to strike. Impressive that he chose to remove himself from the battle until the end so he can claim victory, taking his opponent by surprise, as any good assassin should.

She turned her attention back to the battle. The ranks of her underlings gradually thinned, until only three were left standing, all of them panting heavily for breath. He'll make his move soon.

Sure enough, in a flicker of shadow above her, the hidden killer struck. He flew down from the sky, slamming into the back of one of the three, driving him into the ground with a brutal crunch of flesh on stone. The other two rushed at him, but he swerved in a blur of motion, Soi's brain lagging behind her eyes as he moved.

As the first opponent rushed at him, the assassin smacked his right hand on his opponent's fist, driving it aside as he spun counterclockwise into a crouch, driving his left elbow into his opponent's left knee. He stood and brought his right knee up, slamming it into the back of the man's head as he fell, instantly knocking him unconscious. The shadow warrior caught the blow of the second assailant, snapping his bent leg out into his opponent's side, knocking the wind from the man's diaphragm and simply watching as he passed out from asphyxiation.

Soi nodded her approval, and was about to ask the soldier's name when something unexpected happened.

One of the "defeated" assassins hurled himself from the ground at the victorious soldier, throwing a punch out inches from his face. The man turned as the blow neared him, his eyes widening a fraction as he saw his predicament. The fist was only an inch away from his face when the inexplicable happened. He flew backwards as the blow hit home, but suddenly all that fluttered through the air was his black mask and bandanna, the rest of him having seemingly vanished. In almost the same instant, a black and silver blur appeared behind the attacker, whipping a black appendage out and smacking into the man's neck. The possum-player's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fell to the ground without so much as a whisper. Soi's eyes widened as the discarded headgear fell to the ground. That was Utsusemi, Yoruichi-sama's technique! How on earth did he learn that?

The now unmasked fighter also dropped down, sitting with one hand on his knee as Soi took in his appearance. He wasn't tall, under two meters in height, and he was slim and wiry, muscles clinging tightly to his frame like ivy vines to a tree. His hair was black around the edges, but the majority of it was a dark silvery grey, the color of an unpolished sword. The hair was spiked over his left eye, but most of it was tied behind his head in a short, thorny ponytail that jutted out over the back of his neck. His eyes were the most mystifying thing about him; they were cobalt blue, at once burning with strength and frozen with the calculating demeanor of a born killer.

"Captain," he spoke quietly in a velvet tone, making her jump from surprise. "Is that all for this test?"

Soi shook herself out of her daze. "Yes, that will be all." She glared into his eyes again as he stood, keeping him in regard that he was the Alpha. "What's your name, soldier?"

"You can call me Seijuro," he said, his lips barely moving, but his voice still carrying clearly to her ears. "Seijuro Arashi."

Arashi, the storm… Soi mused silently. It suits him, somehow. "Very well, Arashi-san. Starting tomorrow, you will fill the position as my Lieutenant." She turned away, walking into the barracks. "Follow me."

The young man nodded, trailing slightly behind her as she led him through the hallways. The twisting corridors intertwined endlessly into a massive matrix, and yet she never broke her stride as she led her new Lieutenant through the base.

After a fashion, the hallway ended abruptly, a door ajar on the right hand side. Soi Fon turned to her charge. "Your room is here. It's empty except for the bed, but it's got plenty of room."

Seijuro shrugged. "The bed is all I'll need, really," he said with an air of indifference. "Thank you, Captain."

Soi nodded without responding verbally, walking past him before glancing back over her shoulder. "If you need anything, I'll be in my room. It's just up the hall from here, and there's a cat carved into the doorframe. You can't miss it."

"Alright," was all he said before he slipped into his room, closing the door behind him.

Soi sighed, some of the tension that had been weighing down on her was now gone. It's almost reassuring to have a new Lieutenant now, but he still sets me on edge for some reason. She resumed her trek down the hall, turning into her room, flicking on the lights as she did so. Looking up his file might provide some answers as to why. She sat down at the Reiha Terminal on her desk, logging in with the username of KuroNeko-2, her username for the chat and archive access.

She brought up the archive of Shinigami profiles and scrolled down the list until she found Seijuro's name. Hm, let's see… Seijuro Arashi, former resident of District 80. Jeez, no wonder he's so good at fighting, he's probably been killing people to survive for his whole life. Parents Unknown. No surprise there, District 80 rarely has documented parents. Seireitei military involvement: Unseated Shinigami, currently in Squad 2.Member of 4th Platoon of the Onmitsukidou. Need to update that. Shinigami Academy Graduation Date: June 14, 2009. She stopped reading, blinking several times to make sure she had read that last bit correctly. He's a recent graduate of the Academy, and yet he's that skilled? I think he's the first Shinigami since Hisagi who's been accepted as an officer in his first year of service. She opened a new file from the link of his graduation date. His grades should be a hint as to what it is about his abilities that makes me so uneasy. Kidou: High, 85%. Hohou: Top, 97%. Zanjutsu: Standard, 79%. Reiatsu: Top, 92%. Hakuda: Top, 100%. Top in three areas and above average for all of them, impressive.

As she scrolled down the list,something clicked in her brain, a synapse firing a jolt of realization to her curiosity. I still need to look up his psychological profile. She clicked the link, watching as the page uploaded. Psychological Diagnosis: Socially Uncaring. Otherwise Normal in all areas. Soi chuckled quietly at the irony. When I first joined, I was classified as Socially Uncaring as well. Now my squad is doomed to be anti-social, according to the experts.

Soi logged off, accessing the Officer's Chatroom to tell her fellow Captains the good news.

KuroNeko-2: Good News everyone, I have a new Lieutenant for my Squad.

FrostKing-10: Alright, now you can finally stop being hassled by Yama.

GrumpyOlderMan-1: Am I really that much of a naggard, Soi?

KN-2: No sir, not usually.

GOM-1: Fair enough. Tell him to be at the Lieutenant's meeting tomorrow at 0900 hours.

[GrumpyOlderMan-1 has left the room]

FK-10: I'm amazed he knows how to use this. He's over 100 years old, for Kami's sake.

KN-2: Haha, that's so true. Is Moto sleeping on the couch in your office again?

FK-10: Of course she is. You seem to be in a really good mood, Soi. It's almost creeping me out.

KN-2: Really? I hadn't noticed. I'd better inform Arashi-san about the meeting. Later, Shiro-san.

Soi Fon disconnected her terminal, shutting it off as she left the room, walking back down to Seijuro's quarters. As she neared the room, she noticed that the door was completely ajar. Strange, I remember him closing it. She peered inside the room, finding the sheets rumpled, but the bed empty. Ice flowed through her veins and she rushed out of the barracks, barreling down the empty corridors like a madwoman. She entered the courtyard, barely noticing that the downed assassins had returned to their quarters. "Arashi-san!" she shouted, her voice bordering on panic.

"Up here, Captain," his soft voice called from atop the highest tower in the courtyard.

Soi used shunpou to ascend, landing atop the tower. The silver haired Onmitsu lay at her feet, his hands tucked behind his head as he gazed up at the starlit night sky. "Why are you out here?" she asked, more curious than upset.

"I came out to collect my mask and bandana," he said, quiet and serious as always. "Also, I was uncomfortable sleeping indoors. Before I joined the Shinigami Academy, I'd slept outside since I was a child. It's hard to get used to the change of scenery."

Soi's expression softened and her posture relaxed after his explanation. "Fine," she told him shortly. "You have a Lieutenant's meeting tomorrow at 0900 hours in the Squad 1 Barracks, so don't be late."

"That's under the Senzaikyu, right?" he asked. Soi nodded, and he closed his eyes. "Thank you, Captain Soi Fon. I'll make sure not to be late."

Soi Fon shook her head as she leapt down from the roof and strutted indoors. Seijuro Arashi… looks like there will never be a dull moment with him as my Lieutenant. Interesting, to say the least.

So? How was it? Please read and review!