Hello, new story, and sorry if it's a bit slow at the beginning. It works like my Kakashi one, new character added into the storyline with as little alteration to it as possible (this one starts just before Ichigo enters SS.) I don't like deviating from the original plot cos I love the storylines! This is for the lovely Hisagi Shuuhei whose shikai (I've been told) may be revealed soon in the manga, woot! Unfortunately, I have to read 100 or so chapters before I get to the current manga chapter, darn it! The story may also contain a new character for Ashido (I know he isn't in the manga, but he was meant to be) cos he's cool and I also want to make another friend for Nel. The numbers are just footnotes, scroll down the page to see them...

A woman lay in a bed resting her weary head.1

"Hiroko-chan..."

She mumbled into her pillow and ignored the beckoning sound.

"Oi, Hiroko-chan, get up and stop being a lazy pig." He thumped Hiroko hard in the arm.

"Jinta-kun, don't be rude to Hiroko-chan."

"Shut up!"

She knew it was time to get up, before Jinta-kun started to torture his poor companion. Snapping her eyes open and gingerly raising her body into a sitting position, she lazily looked at the two catching their attention. "How are you feeling Hiroko-chan?" asked a timid Ururu. The woman didn't reply straight away, but took a moment to check how she felt. Her head was pounding slightly and her body ached, but overall she better than had done in the past 7 months. "I'm fine, Ururu-chan, feeling much better." She gave the little girl a small smile and patted her on the head and gave the red-headed boy a look of pure evil, Jinta cowered in the corner. She stood up shakily and walked toward the door sliding it open into the living area, she ran a hand through her lank hair, 'Ugh, I really need a wash,' she thought scrutinising her smelly kimono. Grabbing some living world clothes, she headed for the shower.

Hiroko felt much better as a clean woman, being practically confined to one bed had not done well to her personal hygiene. She was a pretty woman, with deep green eyes and a curvy figure similar to that of Orihime's. She ran a hand through her now clean hair, which glimmered a dark red and fell around her shoulders in loose curls, 'Cutting it might be a good idea,' She thought absentmindedly, 'It's gotten so long I keep accidently sitting on it.' A lot had changed for Hiroko in the past seven months. Seven months ago, she was happily living in Soul Society. Seven months ago, she was merrily doing her shinigami duties. Seven months ago, she was betrayed by one of the people she thought she could trust the most and left for dead, the scars that decorated her skin on her thighs and middle were proof of this. That horrid night Hiroko was sure she would die, if it had not been for Urahara she would have. She was a kind man, even if he was a little manipulative, and had managed to nurse her back to health the best he could with the help of his companions. Of course, she had already known who he was and had met him in Soul Society before. She had only been a small youngster back then, he had seemed like a giant to her. As she was thinking, a sneeze sounded through the door leading to the shop.

"Wooooo, some girl must be thinking about me!"

"Don't you mean talking, Urahara-sama?"

"I don't care, as long as it includes a cute girl!"

She giggled, sliding the door open and smiling at the shop keeper.

"You're up early Hiroko-chan..."

"Which is probably your doing, did you set Jinta-kun on me?"

"Maybe, maybe..."

"How's our guest then Urahara-sama?"

Last week, Urahara had brought in a badly damaged carrot-top 'substitue' shinigami and had begun to train them in the room under the shop. Hiroko had known everything that had happened to Ichigo, Rukia and their friends, but she had never met them. Sure she had glimpsed the blue-blooded, or blue-adopted, Rukia a few times before in Soul Society. She knew everything that happened between poor Rukia and the Shiba family, but she had never really talked to her, got to know her. She was sure that if Rukia ever saw her she wouldn't recognise her face, but Urahara had taken many precautions to make sure nobody from Soul Society knew that she was here, or alive for that matter.

"Our Guest is resting; he managed to pass my three tests." Urahara replied

"Resting or fainted through exhaustion."

"I'll let you decide." Urahara's ambiguous answers were getting on her nerves...

"Answer straight dammit!" She clobbered his arm,

"Ouch! Sometimes you're so mean, Hiroko-chan. My answers are always easy to understand." Hiroko sighed at his feint innocence and decided to change the subject.

"When will 'the plan' be in action?"

"The Plan?"

"You know what I mean..."

"Entering Soul Society will be in the next few days."

"Urahara-sama..."

"Yes, Hiroko-chan."

"Let me go, I want to go back." Urahara smiled,

"I never expected anything else."

Time had passed quickly and before she knew it, it was time to proceed to Soul Society. Hiroko joined the group after all explanations of how to enter were finished. She had tried to dress in living world clothes, a pair of jeans and a purple hoodie with a beautiful flower pattern decorating the back. The hoodie could also be used to hide her face if needed. Her zanpakto was attached to the belt of her jeans. When Hiroko had not summoned its real form, it took on the appearance of a small dagger so it was well-hidden. Of course, Hiroko's sudden appearance to the rest (except Urahara and Yoruichi) caused a few disruptions;

"Who the hell are you?" She got from the carrot-top,

"Can we really trust her?" She got from the quincy,

"..." Is all she got from the tall, over-bearing man (or boy?)

"Nice to meet you!" The girl happily smiled.

Hiroko ran her fingers through her fringe2 (she had to tie her hair into a plait to tame its length) and sighed in annoyance,

"You can trust me fine, I'm Kita Hiroko, and I'm here to help. Be grateful!"

"I'll never be grateful to you, dumbass!"

"Obnoxious-"

"Now, now children!" Urahara butted in, "You all need to get along."

"Yeah" Hiroko meekly replied, embarrassed by her hot-headedness, "Sorry Ichigo-kun, excuse my behaviour..."

"Hn!"

"Are you ready to go?" Urahara started, "Remember to dash the moment it's opened."

"Got it."

Everyone gathered around the entrance, ready to go.

The journey back had begun...

Notes:

I really didn't mean for that to partly rhyme

Fringe, bangs...whatever. You may have gathered that I like to focus on hair, it's a wonderful thing!