-Chapter One-
[In the depths of Seireitei]
In the depths of the night sky, light panting and scurried footsteps could be heard around the perimeter of the Kaneshiro Manor. A woman, young and slim and dressed in servant garb carrying a pouch, with barely a bulge protruding from her belly. Yes. She was carrying a child, but not any child, but the bastard child of Kaneshiro Hideyoshi, the son and heir of the noble house of Kaneshiro. And a mere servant was fleeing from the prosecution of the house. Assassins were sent to dispatch of the servant and the unborn child. The young woman by the name of Kaoru threw glances every which way; making sure no one was following her. She heard shuffling all around her. "Where is he?!? I need to get out of here fast!" Just when she was about to reach the gate, a shrouded figure appeared before her. "Wha- what do you want?!" she stuttered. The panic grew inside of her.
The assassin drew his blade. He snarled through the mask, "To dispose of you and that bastard you have inside of you." Kaoru fell back, paralyzed with fear. He stopped mere centimeters from her face, his blade ready to pierce through her gut. She was sobbing now, afraid for her life and the life she was carrying.
"Please! Let us go! W-we mean no-no harm!" she bawled, "I-I swear I w-will not speak of th-this to anyone." She calmed down to small whimpers now that the assassin had pulled away. An assassin, who thought this was immoral: to take the life of an innocent. What to do? Was he to follow his duty or his morals?
"GO!" he roared. "Go, before I find you again!" Kaoru hastily got to her feet and ran, ran for her life to get out of Seireitei.
[Just outside Seireitei, in the 1st District of West Rukongai]
Several hours having wandered around Seireitei to find a way out, Kaoru finally found a hole through which she could crawl to the other side of the great barrier. Free at last, Kaoru stopped by the riverbed. Panting and out of energy to go any further, laid down, her head resting on the pouch, which was filled with what little belongings she had in the mansion. She was lucky she was able to find a way out of the mansion through the underground waterways. Those were a challenge in itself, but she had managed to escape but not long after did the Kaneshiros's head assassin, Kuroi, chase after her. But when he had her cornered, he hadn't stopped her from escaping? Why? Was he not the heartless rogue that they knew of? Had he let others go before her? She certainly had not had the answer, and she definitely hadn't had the time to contemplate the inner workings of an assassin.
As the night evanesced, for dawn to overcome it, Kaoru found herself tired, no, exhausted, so drained of energy, one could barely sense her reiatsu, however little she had in the first place. Resting an arm on a nearby tree, Kaoru leaned in to catch her breath. It was almost Day, and she hadn't slept a wink the day before planning on the "Great Escape". Too enervated to continue on foot any longer, everything was blurred in her vision and before she knew it, she had collapsed onto the dewy ground.
-Chapter One [FIN]-
A/N: Hoped you enjoyed it, I welcome any comments, questions, and criticisms so feel free to ask. You'll see some Shinigami appear soon, so hold yer horses!
Oh and the little Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in any way, shape or form! ^o^