A/N: How many times did I have to rewrite this? Hmm… about three… ah, the irony… So this is my Bleach fic… yeah… what's there to say about it? Well, the first chapter is clean (unless you take things the wrong way like me…) and the fic may go lime but I am unsure as to whether or not it will go lemon. I would like to thank my beta KimikoRinSohmaHyuuga for editing this while it was still on paper. Ah, the hours I spent memorizing how to spell and get these names to correspond to the Squads… many that I should have been spending doing my homework actually… but, that's me! An OCD procrastinator! Hmm... Let's see, I've also postponed posting this fic by reading yaoi lemons and watching many an anime that we started in my school's anime club… a big thanks goes out to my new junior friends for introducing me to Hellsing Ultimate! :D

In this chapter starts the fic that is… well… that just is. I don't know what else to say about it other than that. I hope you all find this as funny as my beta did ;)

Please R&R!

Please also note that this story takes place about 40 years before the main Bleach Story line but it will fast forward to include the main Bleach story line at some point.

Life, Love, Loss, and Lies

Chapter 1: Bya-kun!

"Renji! You're going to be late!" Ah, damn Renji awoke to Rangiku yelling outside his house… and he was hung over (not to mention still slightly drunk) again.

"There's a meeting requiring all Captains, Lieutenants, and Third Seats. You're as good as dead if you don't go!"

"I'll be there in a minute!" God, did he hate meetings.

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Renji had made it just in time, although he was last again, it didn't bother him. As he walked over to Byakuya and the Third Seat, whose name he never cared to learn nor remember, he couldn't help but notice the 'don't make this a habit, it'll tarnish the reputation of Squad Six' look from Byakuya, which he responded to with a roll of his eyes.

Surveying the room, he noticed the only one missing was Old Man Yama. He sighed; this was going to be a long day.

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"I don't know about this… can't you just introduce me to my Captain and Lieutenant and be done with it? There are already thirty-seven people in there, not including us, so when we go in that'll make thirty-nine… that's a lot of people!" Yeah, a lot of people I know and have to lie to… and I don't think I'm the best liar in the world. Great… just great…

"No, I'm afraid you have to meet them all, to associate your name with your face. " Yeah, and figure out who I really am… They all knew who she really was, technically speaking, and she knew at least two people would know who she really was, possibly four. So, out of the maximum number of people who she thought could possibly remember her, there were three Captains and one Lieutenant. She hoped that would be all.

The panic attack wasn't far off, and the reiatsu radiating from the room didn't help her at all. All she had to do was remember not to smile, but try to look happy, while praying that her breath wouldn't catch in her throat.

"Are you ready?"

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath in the hopes of calming herself down (it didn't work), and opened up her eyes again, "yes, I'm ready."

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Everyone fell silent as the double doors at the end of the hall opened. Standing in the entryway was Old Man Yama with a girl who looked to be no older than 21, no taller than 5' 3", and probably weighted about 75 pounds. She had long, thick black hair that fell in sheets to her waist. When his eyes traveled up to her face, she wasn't smiling… what was it with people in the Gotei 13 and their smiles anyway?... and her eyes, they were dark magenta! While this was all very interesting, the thing he couldn't help but notice was the sadness in her eyes. Clearly this one had an interesting past, but then again, who didn't?

Old Man Yama entered the room and gestured for her to follow.

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"I see that everyone has finally found their way here." Yamamoto started, his head turning in the direction of Squad Six. Renji flushed profusely, Byakuya remained indifferent, and a few of the others sniggered.

"Squad Three," he looked in the direction of Gin and Izuru. "Now has a Third Seat, Sakura An'ya from District 33." He looked back for confirmation and she nodded once, to confirm that he was correct and giving him permission to continue. Shigekuni simply smiled in return before turning back around to address the Captains. "Any questions?"

Trying to hide her surprise, she looked around the room to see what Captains were there. Yamamoto sōtaichō, Soi Fon taichō, Ichimaru taichō, Unohana taichō, Aizen taichō, Kuchiki taichō, Komomura taichō, Kyōraku taichō, Tōsen taichō, Hitsugaya taichō, Zaraki taichō, Kurotsuchi taichō, and even Ukitake taichō was there. She also specifically noticed Kira fukutaichō, Hinamori fukutaichō, Abarai fukutaichō, Hisagi fukutaichō, Kusajishi fukutaichō, Kurotsuchi fukutaichō, and Shiba fukutaichō.

"Actually, I have one, Yamamoto sōtaichō." It was Ukitake who spoke. Captain Yamamoto looked at Sakura, who bowed really low, "Yes, Ukitake taichō?" Everyone was taken aback by her politeness, even Byakuya, though he didn't show it. He had only met one other person that polite in his lifetime…

"Kuchiki taichō?" He turned around; she was in a low bow.

"Yes Ichimaru-san?" It sounded weird to him, as if he was insulting Gin.

She raised her head and looked him in the eye, "I'm sorry for your loss, Kuchiki-sama."

He shook the memory from his mind, no need to be thinking about Gin's sister when he was standing not even five feet away.

Ukitake looked at her, as if debating on whether or not he should ask his question. "You remind me of someone… have we met before?"

Sakura felt her eyes go wide, she decided to just play it cool. So, she laughed nervously. "No, but I'm sure you knew my late brother, Inochi An'ya."

There was a general murmuring about the Captains, no doubt as they remembered who Inochi was, so she took the moment to glance over at Gin and Kira. Gin merely smiled his usual smile in her general direction, while Izuru made eye-contact, smiled reassuringly, and nodded as if to tell her she was doing a good job. She had enough time to nod back before the attention turned back to her.

"Yes, we did met Inochi-kun, he was well on his way to a seated position on Squad Eleven before he…"

"Died?" Sakura supplied.

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way, but yes, before he died."

Kenpachi cleared his throat, "Which begs the question, do you know anything about the whereabouts of Shi Ichimaru?" She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of her own name.

Once again, she was going to have to lie her way through it, she saw Gin and Kira watching her out of the corner of her eye. "No, I'm afraid I've never heard that name before, Zaraki taichō," She bowed, "I'm sorry."

Renji raised a tattooed eyebrow, "There's no need to be sorry Sakura. And there's no need to be so formal! You're a Third Seat for God's sake!"

"Abarai," Byakuya said in a strong commanding voice, as if daring his Lieutenant to continue.

"What Bya-kun? I just wanted an input on this conversation."

Sakura had to resist the urge to laugh. Until it got serious. Byakuya pulled his sword out of it's sheath, turning on Renji. "Scatter, Senbon-"

"NOOOO!" Hisagi and Rangiku yelled, stopping the Kuchiki noble from releasing his zanpakutō.

"We'll just take him and go," Rangiku said as they both walked over to take him away.

As they were dragging him out the door (against his will of course), Sakura (and everyone else for that matter) heard Hisagi say, "Damn, Renji, how long were you at the sake bar after we left?" The doors slammed shut behind them.

Byakuya regained his composure rather quickly and re-sheathed his sword.

"That was certainly a show." Shunsui stated to no one in particular.

Old Man Yama called them all back to order. "Alright, I'll leave you all to mingle while I see to it that Abarai fukutaichō is taken care of." With that, he left the room.

Needless to say, Sakura felt pretty stupid just standing there but didn't know what else to do. It wasn't like she could talk with the people she knew. It would be too obvious, especially if she slipped up and started talking about things that she shouldn't know. And the people she didn't know were the people who scared her, particularly Sajin, the Captain of Squad Seven. Left with nothing but improvisation, she simply started studying an interesting pattern in the floor boards… which really wasn't interesting at all.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up into the face of her Captain, "An'ya-san, there is much paperwork to be done."

Sakura nodded and followed Gin and Izuru out the door; she paused in the doorway and looked back at Kenpachi and Mayuri (an action that didn't go unnoticed by the other Captains, Lieutenants, and Third Seats) for only a second before following her superiors out the door. It clicked shut behind them.

"I don't know why, but I get the feeling that somehow their relationship is more than that of Captain and Third Seat…" Tōshirō mused.

"Now, now, Hitsugaya, what Gin and Sakura do in their free time is none of our business." Mayuri scolded, earning stared from all the others in the room.

"Meeting adjourned." Unohana said, walking out the door. Soi Fon sighed and followed suit. Soon Byakuya was the only one in the room. Left to dwell on the events of the past…

"Kuchiki taichō?" He turned around; she was in a low bow.

"Yes Ichimaru-san?" It sounded weird to him, as if he was insulting Gin.

She raised her head and looked him in the eye, "I'm sorry for your loss, Kuchiki-sama."

Damn, why when ever he was left alone to think did he think of Gin's younger sister?

A/N: Well? What did you think? Good huh? I thought so… anyway I'll try to have the next chapter up soon!

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!