A/N: Ohla everyone. Sorry I haven't been on in forever. I'll be uploading a complete Batman story. Not completely kannon too the movie, mind you. And an almost-done Naruto story, AU about Sasuke's leaving Konoha American Military style. Whoot! And I'll actually be finishing all of my stories, making my one-shot compilations one-shot-single-stories again... and yeah. So I was watching the new Bleach (english, aired on Adult Swim) today, and then went too read the manga online, and realized... all of the Yamamoto-adopts-someone stories are very... unlike him. He's strict on the law, but isn't completely about power. And he loves kids. He's very grandfatherly/fatherly. I decided I'd try too fix that. There'll be romance later, maybe. This will be very tragic, and I'm trying a new POV style, so we'll see how this works out. I apologize if my tenses change throughout the story, try not too be too confused, I just can't find them all and fix them (a beta would be awesome for this!).

Anywho, enough rants.

I don't own anything associated with bleach. I do own my character. She's a doosy. And she's mine, all mine too cuddle and sell off at will (wow, I feel really dirty. That came out so wrong).

Enjoy!

Justify

Chapter One: "I Do"

I ran.

I couldn't stop.

I closed my eyes, but I did not trip, I did not fall.

I kept running.

I opened my eyes again, tears blurring them, but I could still see… something. A figure. A tree? No… It's moving.

A person.

I withheld a sob, but I pressed harder. Harder.

And I ran.

I had found my target.

That bastard's going too die!

"I'LL KILL YOU!! FACE ME YOU MONSTER!!!" I screamed.

Maybe I shouldn't have revealed my presence. Any sensible fighter would have gone in with surprise.

I probably should have.

If he killed them, he could kill me, couldn't he?

My stupid honor.

Oh well, it's too late now. I bowed my head, reaching for the dagger I had crafted. With what little spiritual pressure I had left, I zeroed in on him, targeting him. I raised my blade to strike—

And suddenly, everything was hot.

Terribly, terribly hot.

My eyes went white. I couldn't see anything. But I still had my target…

But something was off.

I wrapped my pressure around his, molding mine too his…

And he wasn't my target. Before I had time too stop my body, I moved instinctually too strike again. I screamed at myself too stop, but I didn't.

And it got hot again, and this time it hurt.

I stopped screaming at myself, and screamed in pain. I burned. Everything burned. Everything hurt. Even screaming. But it hurt too much, I had lost control. I had let go of control a long time ago.

Suddenly, the pain was gone.

A soothing feeling spread through my body.

I tried too open my eyes, and I could. I was onslaughted by light. I closed them again.

I listened instead. The voice was muffled at first.

"Get up kid. I know you're not dead. Get up, child!" It was an old voice, stern, but… fatherly. My heart clenched.

My father was dead. My soul father was dead. That's why I had attacked this man.

Guilt clenched my heart, and it burned more than whatever raging heat had hit me earlier. I forced my pained body too my knees. I bowed. I knew it was in the right direction. I could hear his gasp.

"M-my apologies," I forced out. "I had-d the wrong ma-" I couldn't take the pain. My voice cracked, and I cried out, collapsing onto the ground. Dirt rubbed in my wounds. I withheld a scream, I tried not to writhe… but it hurt.

It was a while before everything stopped hurting. I felt a pressure, a spiritual pressure wrap around me, I tried too fight it off, but it was too strong, and the pain was still there. My powers had been numbed. I felt my body slowly stitch itself together like torn clothing. Someone was healing me. The healing stung, but I endured.

It was all I had left, too endure.

When the healing stopped, I could open my eyes. I had been rolled onto my back. Everything was still white, but black shadows disrupted the blaring white. I quickly shut my eyes. It was too bright. I forced myself too sit up, and I felt hands remove themselves from my stomach. Someone scooted back. I opened my eyes again, and blinked, fast.

Soon, I could see.

A beautiful, peaceful looking woman was kneeled beside me, smiling softly. Behind her, a powerful, fatherly old man stood, leaning on his cane. I instantly knew it was him who I had attacked. I moved too fast, attempting too bow, and I grit my teeth, shrieking past them, but I got my body too bow in front of him, my forehead resting on the ground.

"I am sorry, sir. I have no excuse for attacking you like that. There was no reason for it, I have nothing with you. I will do anything for forgiveness."

The man knelt in front of me, and I felt his wrinkled, but never-the-less strong, hand pat my hair, rubbing it comfortingly. He reminded me of my daddy.

I repressed my tears, for now that is.

"Never fear child. Are you all right?"

I nodded, but winced. I could still re-injure myself so soon after healing.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked. I thought for a moment, but there was nothing.

I shook my head, getting dirt on my nose.

"Who did you mean too attack?" He asked. "How do you know it was not me?" He was accusing.

I whimpered.

"Y-you have a different… aura. Pressure. It's not you." My lips brushed the ground as I spoke, but I didn't move. I had done a great disrespect, and I meant too right it. I was falling behind on my target… but he was long gone now. It would take me another four weeks too find him again.

He nodded.

"You can sense these pressures?" I nodded. "Is it you I felt?" I nodded again. He sighed. "Lift your head, look at me when you speak, child." I nodded, slowing sitting up, my hands resting on my knees. I used my dirtied sleeve too wipe the dirt from my face, but it merely smeared it more. I sneezed. The old man handed me a hanky. I wiped my face, apologized, and then returned it.

"Who are you after?" I looked down, but he lifted my face. "Answer me."

"I-I don't know his n-name. Only his aura." I said, surprised my speech was even legible. This man did not scare me, but he did intimidate me in a way that felt very akin too fear.

"Why do you want too kill him?" He asked. I began too feel suspicious, but I owed this man very much for sparing my life. Many would not do the same kindness too a stupid girl with raging killing intent who had just attacked them.

"H-He…" I couldn't say it. I still hadn't even said it too myself. It had been five months now. I looked down, taking my face from his hand. He narrowed his eyes.

"Answer me." His presence was so commanding… I did as he said without thinking.

"He killed my family. My father, my brothers, my sister, my mother… he raped them all after they were dead, too. He defiled them, destroyed them!" I couldn't keep my voice calm. It cracked and raised and rage. I clenched my fists, tears rolling down my cheeks. I bowed my head, my shoulders shaking, but I refused too sob in front of these people.

I heard a gasp. The beautiful woman who had healed me. It was her. I winced.

Pity stung like bees. A guilty poison that leaked through your body. As if you could not have done anything. But if I had been there… I could have.

The man's hand brushed through my matted, green-gone-black hair, but there was no pity. Merely comfort. Companionship. I leaned into the touch, silently grateful. My crying stopped, and I looked up with red eyes, and a strained voice.

"How did you do it? How did you burn me? How are you so powerful?" I asked softly in awe and grief… and jealousy. The man smiled.

"I could teach you, child. It is rare one finds a child with as much honor and determination as you. I am Head Captain Yamamoto of the Gotei Thirteen." I couldn't withhold a gasp. Everyone in Rukongai knew that name. I bowed, apologies streaming from my mouth. He cut me off. "Enough. Do you wish too learn both law and power? Do you wish too learn true justice?" I nodded, looking up with glittering eyes.

"I do."

And those were the most powerful words ever spoken in my entire life.