Bleach
"that way Ken Chan!" Yachiru happily clinging to the huge mans shoulder peering through his spiked black hair the man paused for half a moment at the cross roads and then was directed by his lieutenant to the left when his real destination was to the right. "yosh!" he shouted cheerfully and turned the way without a complain they both had a poor sense of direction but she always knew witch way to go. After all even if he did come late did it really matter?
Neither of the two charging down the pathway notice the small shadow following them at a distance but some one did.
"yo!" the bald man said the shadow jumped and shrank back "now that's no way to speak to it... your scaring with your non elegant words!" the man with a feather in his eyebrow with a bob hair cut said from around another corner " yeah…" the bald man said rolling his eyes almost "come on out!"
The shadow paused then scurried away "Hoy!" the bald man said "see what did I tell you!" the other man said with a sniff "shut up!" the bald one said chasing the shadow that currently was racing crossed the roof he jumped up and raced after the man with the bob running too "please wait up" the shadow did not even pause and jumped up landed on his head and bounced away vanishing three houses down.
"where the freak did it go?" the bald one asked looking around "where did what go?" a feminine voice asked and tall blonde walked around the corner "there was something following taicho, and we tried stopping it and it bounced on his head and then vanished over here." "it was such an ugly escape….it mussed up my hair." the one with a feather in his eye brow said "should we report it?" a girl with short black hair said from behind the tall lady "I don't know." the bald man said
"hey, Rukia hello Rangiku, whats up Ikkaku and Yumichika?" a tall man with red hair and tattoos on his face said
they all turned were about to talk when the shadow landed on his head "ah! Renji!" Ikkaku shouted "what is That?!" Rukia asked trying to knock it off and hit Renji on the head trying "ow Watch it!" Renji said trying to pull it off it clung to his head then pulled away and smacked him in the face and got away again it crouched on the roof then bounded away like an animal and disappeared on the other side of the building they followed and it was gone once more.
"Where the heck did it go?" Renji asked then turned to Ikkaku (the bald man) "what the hell was that thing anyway?" they all shrugged "we don't know" Ikkaku said "Renji growled "If I see it it is personally getting an ass kicking."
the shadow ducked into a building and into a room and slipped around and found it empty and pulled a few papers off the desk that had huge stacks of them piled on top of it and around it creating a small maze to the couch the shadow picked up a pile and found an ink and a quill on the floor and slid under the couch pushing undrinken and drinken sake bottles out from under it and shoved them out of the way and crawled in and started to read the paper when the door opened and a voice sighed and foot steps walked over to the couch. "masamoto…" the voice sighed the shadow backed up rustling the paper the one that had walked in knelt 'mastamono!" the shadow shoved the papers at the voice and crawled backwards knocking over a sake bottle and it rolled away "Mastamono!" the voice said again "wake up!" the shadow backed up more knocking over more bottles and they rolled away and a few broke but the shadow managed to get out the other side of the couch and make it away when the room suddenly became incredibly cold and the shadow froze in place unable to move due to the ice around its feet. "Masa—who are you?" the shadow turned shakily and looked at the sword at its neck "why are you here?"
the shadow backed up a step slipping slightly and the captain scowled the temperature
dropping rapidly making the already cold room colder "who are you?" the shadow clutched its cloak closer and disappeared and reappeared behind him jumping once more when it realized the sword was suddenly coming at him. The one wielding the sword was no amateur the paper work flew in every direction and the shadow kept dogging never hitting even though the sword hit the cloth of its clothes several times tearing it finally the one wielding managed to pin the shadow to the floor and the shadow could finally see his face rather then focus on his actions and nearly gasped at the white hair and fiery green eyes glaring at him "who sent you?" the taico growled.
"Hisuga-" the door slid open and both the shadow and taicho looked over at the tall burnett the shadow growled it was the same from earlier and jumped away the sword tearing the coat in two and the shadow hid behind a pile of papers and the brunets sword came out as well and both started searching for it.
the shadow slid backwards to the wall then stopped and clutched his head and whimpered and moaned and started to coughed, both appeared at his side swords drawn. by that time the shadow could have cared less its whole body was shaking as it coughed its mouth was covered by its hands but even then the blood was dripping between its fingers onto the floor.
the lady touched a droplet and looked at it "its blood…" she said and looked up at the taico the white haired man shook his head "I did not get any hits on it."
"then..?" the shadow stopped coughing and rolled over making both grab their weapons it sat up then its whole body wracked again and it fell back down and groaned "who are you whats happening to you?" the lady asked pulling back the torn cloak then gasping "your…your" the taicho took a step back "a child…so, whats your name and what are you doing here?"
the shadow moaned softly then sat up slowly "me names….owww" the child clutched its head its voice revealing it as a male "taicho… Unohana should see him." the lady said gathering the child up in her arms the child struggled slightly then coughed again and just whimpered and stopped resisting "your right…she can hold him and we can question him later." he said standing up and leading the way out the child wiggled and muttered "its Jakie. Me names Jakie." the lady looked down at him and smiled slightly worried about the blood around his mouth and the fact that he seemed to be unable to look at her directly with out flinching.
They walked out side and both started running using shimmpoe the child clung to her and squeaked in fright every time digging his bloodied hands into her sleeve of her uniform .
Matsumoto san! Hitsugaya taicho!" the medics said running to meet them out side the child hissed and clung to Matsumoto even tighter the captain and her lieutenant ran out as well "taicho, matsumoto san!" her lieutenant it said in shock "whats wrong?" Unohana asked in her soft voice Jakie started coughing as if on que his body shaking heavily this time he did not mange to get his hands up in time and blood splattered on the ground and on his clouthing.
suddenly Masumoto was not holding him and he was on a bed and he was laying on the bed with a cloth on his fore head and the medics talking in hushed tones. "Jakie kun, how did you get in here?" Unohana asked standing next to his bed He smiled his teeth glinting slightly even though his fronts ones were pinkish with blood "I out ran a sweeper" he said with a grin she wrote something on her clip board then nodded for him to go on "I jumped the gate, sense they would not open it and hid…and trailed around a guy with huge spikey black hair and little girl with pink hair…when…they showed up" he said motioning to Ikkaku and Yumichika that had just walked in they walked over and up Yumichika knelt and smiled at the child Jakie moved the cloth over his face more and turned his back on them. "hey!" Yumichika said with a pout the child turned slightly and made a face at him up Ikkaku poked his fore head then turned to Unohana "ah, Hisugaya taicho asked us to come here and see if this kid he found was the one that we were tailing…"
Jakie laughed then scowled and was about to say something and had a coughing fit and curled up into a ball whimpering in pain.
"My lungs are deteriorating." the child said softly surprising all three of them "how do you know that Jakie kun?" Unohana asked "easy, I can't breath…I cough and I cough up blood that was blocking my air passage way something is making my blood get in the way of my air way and that means something is defiantly wrong…at least that's what I think…I'm not getting enough oxygen for my head either that's why it hurts." Unohana looked at the two other who were shaking their heads completely lost "how would you learn how that works Jakie kun?" Unohana asked Jakie pointed at her lieutenant "she has an open mind unlike the others here…it is comforting to read her medical thoughts." Unohana frowned "so you can read peoples thoughts?" she inquired Jakie laughed and coughed again "no, just… their small thoughts…your guys have some block thing on your mind…its comes form your sword I think…it is interesting."
"how?" the doctor whispered to her self mostly
"….thats interesting…your swords don't like me." jake said with a hoarse cough
"Jakie don't bugg them they are not meant to be played with okay?" the doctor quicly hissed
Jakie nodded slightly "okay." then scowled at Ikkaku "Your sword is mean, it threatened to rip my head off!"
"what did I just say? They are not to be played with!" the doctor scolded
Jakie gave her a small apologetic grin "sorry." he coughed again
"I miss mine." he said sadly
"you have one?" baldy san asked kneeling
"I did…she…" cough hack cough "would have fought yours gladly…"he basically puked blood onto the sheets as his body shook and jake was propped up more. "but they took her away…when this started." the boy muttered through his gasps of air.
Unohana shooed them away asking for them to bring Ukitake to the hospitial and started a examination.
"what are thease on your wrists?"
"umm…scars..?" jakie replied peering down at them as if he had just noticed
"do you know how you got thease?" she asked
"from a knife…" he said with more coughes
"from who?" she persisted
"……..me….." Jake whispered hanging his head slightly but certainly not in shame.
"your self?" she asked trying to get him to look at her.
"…." small nodd came from jake in confirmation and hie eyes darted far away from her as possible and he flinched when she moved her arm to turn the page of her clip board as if waiting for her to strike him.
"I see…" she said softly as she jotted down her observations and what she though could be causing his reactions.
She then pulled off his coated in blood shirt and listened to his heart beat on his chest and marked something down.
before she asked him to sit up more and turn around. As he did so she gave a stifled gasp not only was the Childs back bruised scarred and a mess underneath was a tattoo of a rattle snake with his fangs in the childs neck with blood dripping down his back
"sorry its not a nice tattoo" Jake said
"its not that…." Unohana said softly "its all the scars…why have they not healed?"
Jake pulled away from her turning back so he was facing her "….I don't need them be healed." he said in disgust
Unohana tilted her head "and why is that?"
"if scars don't go away on their own they don't need to be healed." Jake hissed "and I'm not sick other then my coughing"
"who told you that?" Unohana asked
Jakie said nothing and ducked his head slightly tapping his chest with his hand
"is see, what if I a doctor told you can keep your scars if you wanted but I should see if they are infected or not?"
Jake paused then looked up at her "will it hurt to heal them?" he asked softly tilting his head
"I shouldn't" she said just as softly back
"can I keep the scars if you can fix my lungs?" he asked
"maybe." she said
he titlted his head
"is that a grown ups way of saying no?" he asked
"maybe" she said making him smile before coughing again.
she ran several more tests then asked several question about his past.
Ukitake arrived a few moments later and stared at the boy who stared back then whispered something only Ukitake seemed to have heard before another round of coughing started.
"please give him some tea…with some milk in it." Ukitake said softly to one of his lultinets who for once did not argue---at least not there—before dashing away.
Ukitake knelt by the boys bed and the child talked to him softly before the luntaint appeared and handed the child his requested tea that he sipped until it was nearly gone before pressing it into one of the nurses hands and throwing all the tea up he just drank mixed with blood.
Ukitake handed him back the tea and waited until he drank the rest of it…before standing. the child did not throw it up but relaxed and manged to fall a sleep thanks to the teas properties.
the next day Ukitake was pleading the concile to add the child to the people in his ranks.
this was denied by half the Captain saying he would do nothing but weaken the force and besides the 1st pointed out he still hasn't passed the academy.
"he would have graduated this year, he was skipped several classes ahead for his skill. only the sickness got him pulled back!"
"Unkitake…the sickness might be the thing that gets you all killed." sofong warned "It might weaken him at the wrong moment."
"I still ask for hin to take the test…" Ukitake said in his quiet but powerful way "to see if that would be true or not, he does not have the same sickness as me…he is healing while I am not in the next year he could be completely recovered."
"this true?" the 1st asked Unohana who nodded "only one of his lungs is damaged and it is trying to heal its self…the child has a good chance of recovery."
The test then could not be denyed for all had a chance at the test…it was just the matter if they could even pass the test was the problem.
~~~~ The testing begins~~~
"Jake."
Jake stopped and turned a sword was at his throat he looked at it then at the owner the huge spiky hair captain he had trailed in the beginning
"Hello Kenpachi san." Jake said back every one around them that was not a captain (and even some who were) flinched, "Kenpachi" was notorious for fighting any one that stood up to him.
To every ones surprise the tall man just laughed it off and putting his zembokzo away and slapped the childs shoulder. Every one then covered their mouths in silent gasps amd winced because a "THUD" was heard and the child walked forword several steps. Jake however just smiled back and whacked him back on the arm before being yanked up by Yachiru to cling to his other shoulder.
"nice bells" Jake said the 11th divition captain grinned in thanks and Yachiru went on about how she helped put them in.
Jake pulled chocolate out of nowhere and handed it to her before covering his mouth and coughing into his sleeve, this surprised the big man for the small boy lost his grip and fell; yurichu caught him quickly but the lads sleeve was coated in blood.
"You okay?" Yachirue asked Jake nodded "nothing that I can't handle." he said and grabbed kempatches shoulder again and pulled him self up. "Of course, you could handle this with ten times the ease." he whispered to the pick haired girl who beamed at that "of course!" she claimed. Making Kempatchi grin then look at jake "you better not give it to her" he thought Jake smiled weakly at her then shook his head slightly at the big man as if reading his thoughts…because he had.
Ukitake came out then and jake slid off of kimpatchi's back as he explained that Jake was going to take the test.
"the first test will be my stamina then fighting…more of a race. The next test will be sparring and the third will be magic."
Jake nodded slowly his hand clentching air where his zimbakzo should have been for comfort and looked down sadly as it wasn't there. Ukitate smiled at the motion and reached out and touched the younger males shoulder.
" I manged to get this back for you." Unitake said handing jake his sword.
"Kit chan!" Jake said happily hugging the sword to his chest as if it was a dear play fellow who had moved away. Ukitake smiled it was the first time he had seen Jake smile that wide or have his eyes sparkle as much.
"You'll need her, as you Jake are going to race the Kempatchi ticho across the barracks and back dogging the traps and other captains on the way."
Kempatchi grinned at the challage "just me and the little guy?" he asked ukitake with a grin
Ukitake nodded and jake looked up at kempatchi and coughed- hideing a laugh as if he was the one looming over not the one being shadowed by the mans tall figure.
Kempatchie gave him a evil grin at that "was that a challenge?"
"What racing you? Please…" jake muttered loud enough for kempatchie to hear but no others
"I'll race you!" kempatchie declaired
Jake gave him self a thumbs up in his sleeve that no one saw charming the little one and goading the big one…he was on a roll.
the 1st came out then and explained that to finish the race both runners had to reach mastamono, have her switch one of the two flags to one with their name on it then race back past the tree they were standing under.
after asking both of the competors if they knew what they were doing and most of the captains shipoeing away to the "track" and the 1st explaining the rules once more
at his command the race begain.
to kempatchies happy surprise and utter surprise to half the captains that were still there and men under them.
Jake was faster then the bigger man, he pumped his arms and he was nearly flying acrossed the ground almost a blurr of color
Kempatchie did not let that get him down and ran after him as shimpoe was against the rules and the man could not anyway he just tried to run faster.
Jake slowed as soon as he was out of eye sight of kempatchie and jumped off the high road of the roofs and ran down the streets. He had been paired off with Kempatchie for fairness more then opposition because Kempatchie did not know the streets like the other captains did and neither did jake.
Jake manged to avoid most of the traps however he ran smack into Ikkaku's chest "hoy!" the bald man said with annoyance. Jake grinned the rules stated the runner either had to fight the captain or out run him/her, so he quickly slipped through Ikkaku's knees not only shoving him foreward to fall on his face but running the opposite way. the bald man came after him rather quickly and jake jumped on a roof ran the length of it and jumped down on top of Ikkaku who had stayed on the ground and kept running by the time Jake had lost Ikkaku and found Mastsamono who held two flags that she turned over one that held the one runer had gotten to her. Jake glanced at the flag that she held in her other hand Kempatchi had not gotten there yet. a loud holler changed that as the tall man cleared the last wall and ran past the line and Matsamono switched his flag over jake took off again. This time the small lad did not bother with the roofs that held the traps and just took the route kempatchie had come and ran past the either shoved down captain or the one still in the wreak of the building. the only captain still standing that Jake incountered was the white haired one that had found jake in his office. "so we meet again…jake" the captain said with a nonchalance manner
Jake clutched his sword and drew her. He had no time for chatter. The captain followed suit then they circled Jake realized something then, he was shorter then the white haired captain but taller then the pink haired girl. "are yout taunted too?" Jake asked the captain gave him a look of curiosity but jake could not read his mind. "do the same jeering words rain form their lips on you as well? the labels like child…boy…baby." Jake persisted "or do they accept you here?" the other had stopped and so had jake. "well?" jake asked
"they tease…" he white haired captain said softly. Jake sighed then and sheifted his sword. "your not going to fight?" the captain asked "no." Jake said with a sigh then turned slightly "then what?" the captain asked jake smiled suddenly and took off before he could stopp him "I'm running!"
by the time jake cleared the buildings kenpatchie was already almost to the tree that marked the finish line Jake gritted his teeth and sped up going past kenpatchie…and right into Yurchue he could not stop him self so he turned running almost side ways and turned again doing a front roll standing and running pass the tree and stoped stopped yurichi hardly even noticed the fact that she nearly had been run down other then the fact jake had won and not kempatchi.
the 1st declaired jake winner but Jake whispered to yurichue he only did that because jake was younger and the 1st thought jake would be upset and cry.
Of course he wasn't going too because he was nice like that and he could have let kempatchi won if the 1st wanted to but he wasn't even on the lowest rung of ranks yet and would proubly insult the 1st if he said anything.
So while Ukitake quietly congragulated jake Yurichue held a drinking party for kempatchie because he had won—and graciously invited jake as well but jake declined saying he had to catch up on his dreams as the running had made his lose track of them.
this puzzled the other captains but Yurichue nodded happily and skipped away.
secen'ts later jake collapsed ontot he ground his body twitching as he coughed up blood.
they took him to the nearest house and gave him some sleeping tea.
~~~~~~~~past test one two more to go.~~~~
Jake sat on the porch he was supposed to be sleeping…in fact if he was found out side the probability that he would be hurried into bed by a servent was most likely…but he was not a sleep…he was looking up at the sky and holding his sword in his lap.
a soft cough made him turn slightly and look at the man that who owned the house. his long black hair framed his face while an odd hair pinn kept his bangs out of his eyes. "you should be sleeping." he said simply his voice sounding almost amused. Jake shrugged then turned back "what I should be and what I can do are two different things, Kuchiki Byakuya sama" jake said softly almost whisper like.
the tall man sat besides him "Oh? and why can't you sleep?" he asked his deep voice soothing the boys metal fears. "I am used to sleeping with some one in the room with me not alone…" Jake confessed the tall man looked at him then Jake looked up at him at the same time and their eyes locked. "would you mind if you shared my quarters then?"
"not at all…thank you kind sir." Jake whispered back the tall man stood and walked off the younger trailing behind him. the man pulled out an extra sleeping mat and pushed a pillow onto it before beckoning the child to lay down before sleeping on his own. Jake whispered another thank you before falling a sleep.
Byakuya woke to the soft sound of crying and sat up the lad was huddled on his knees the blanket over his head and some what of his back. "Jake?" he asked finding that he had no last name for the child and shook his slightly the lump of a child sat up and the crying stopped when the blanket came off his head. "sorry." the child whispered his eyes red and his cheeks wet. "I woke you."
"its fine, are you okay?" the usually quiet man asked Jake nodded "fine." the man did not dispute him but stared at the Jake until he looked away and muttered "no."
the same look and the child whispered something softly. "speak up." the man said Jake halted then sighed and shook his head "it would make no sense to you to hear a commoners fears…" Jake coughed then violently into his sleeve by the time he stoped his sleeve was dripping blood onto the floor. "I'm sorry.." Jake hissed "I did not mean.." the man used the blanket to wipe the lads face that was coated in blood and shook his head "don't worry about it young one."
"ohnii chan?" a voice asked from the door Jake startled looked up at the girl he had seen when he had jumped on the red haired guys head.
"I'm intruding…" Jake whispered panic sweeping through him the moment it did he froze. the moment he froze his body demanded air…but his lungs were frozen. so they needed to clear them—so his body demanded he cough unable to resist his bodys command he did so making his sleeve even worse.
when he was done coughing he was trembling and did not even notice who was holding him or even that some one was until they spoke. "Onni chan, he needs a drink…" Jake blinked then and looked up at the girls wide innocent looking eyes and how they were pleading with her brother. "I—can get one my self…" Jake whispered but he was not heard under the sudden commotion of five people bringing in a cup a pitcher and another blanket and kimono.
he grew dizzy trying to sort out what happened next all he remembered was feelings of his wet sleeve being tugged off and a new on being tugged on and a hot liquid being put inside his mouth and feeling it trickle down his throat.
when he awoke that morning he found him self in a strange room in a even stranger contraption…a bed. he tried sitting up and found that doing do made the bed sink in startled he rolled out of it just as the door opened and the girl walked in and blinked.
"you okay?" she asked as he tired standing and could not get his footing. "hold on.." she said setting down the tea tray and helping him up he refused to get back into the bed and instead curled up in the chair…an nice wooden chair that did not sink when sat in.
"you kind of surprised me…" jake whispered she grinned then handed him a drink. "I'm rukia, his adopted sister." Jake took the drink and smiled faintly "then both of us are orphans." Rukia looked at him wide eyed "your family---"Jake shook his head "I don't wish to talk about them right now." "are you adopted?" rukia asked Jake nodded "by who?' jake pointed to his sword laying besides the chair. "Kit, song and ronyo adopted me when I was very little…I don't need anyone else."
rukias eyes narrowed. "those are your brothers names aren't they?" Jake looked away comfirming that. rukia glared at him "I did that too, but you can't keep it up, it hurts worse then perhaps your lungs do when you realize your fooling your self."
"I'm not fooling my self!" Jake nearly shouted "Kit gave it to me with the promises he would take care of me and ronyo and Song promised they would stay with me…." Jake paused and took a shuttering breath. "They haven't died…I was taken away."
when Ukitate came in Rukia was comforting the lad who was sobbing the man paused then coughed slightly and both of them looked at him. Jake instantly looked away a look of shame and something else crossing his face while rukia met his eyes and looked tearfully back at jake.
He knew why, he had read jakes recorded…the poor lad was alone in the world.
but it was time if he wanted any training at all before the next test to train the lad. "Rukia if you could bring him to the training field…" Ukitate asked her softly Rukia stood and bowed "hai ticho." he turned his lutinets instantly ready. "please guide rukia and jake to the training field." he said quietly then walked away they started to argue and something stopped them then some one tugged on his captains robe making him turn back. the lad bowed "Thank you for doing this for me." he nearly whispered
Ukitate caught his chin. "No need to thank me, it wasn't I who out ran a sweeper to see if you could get your zambaczue back, while injured." The lad gave him a faint smile then bowed again as Ukitate turned and walked away.
a small smile flitted onto to the older mans face as he walked the lad was very promising not only did he managed to shut every one up but knew how to win some one over with tear stained eyes.
Jake however fast he was at running found it hard pressed to keep up with the three as they led him to the training area and he had to rest several times.
"why don't you shimpoe?" rukia asked as she realized jake was only running. "I can't." Jake replied.
the two lutianits halted "what?" they both asked Jake offered then a half grin "what do you mean what?" he asked
"well..why not?" rukia asked Jake shrugged "it makes me dizzy, and I can't fight dizzy."
"but you can run dizzy." one of the lutianits hissed "no you can't!" the other argued. Jake started to reply and fell to his knees coughing. "sorry." he hissed whipping his mouth with the hankie in his pocket that turned crimson with blood stopping the two from arguing and rukia helped him up. "I could carry you." Jake shook his head "no thanks." the lutianets grinned and scooped him up one holing his head the other his feet and both started shimpoeing rukia came after them. the lutainest suddenly realized Jake wasn't in their arms anymore and stopped Jake was behind them holding his head his flesh pale. "I told you no." Jake said and stood wobbly before jogging slightly to catch up with them. "lets just get to the field." rukia said halting the two lutiants argument before it started.
when they got their Jake was surprised to see other people were there as well as some of the captains. Ukiate momtioned slightly and jake took a startled breath as Shunsui Kyōraku stood up from laying down with his hat over his head his pink flowery flowing robes on rather then his captain attire.
rukia excused her self and waved good bye to jake because she had duitys but the two lutianits wanted to see how this would play out and knelt behind their captain.
"so you're the young whippersnapper that defeated kimpatchi in a race." the man said Jake nodded slightly. "well then will you spar with me?" he asked Jake paused his hand fingering his zembackso "I would rather talk, but I supposed we might do that as we spar." Jake replied Shunsui glanced at Ukitate he had been right the lad acted as if he was ten times his age and he was not afraid of anything. "alright…just a friendly sparring match, no blood." Shunsui said in reply Jake gave him a nod in reply. Ukitate said "move." and both swords clashed together. Shunsui pulled back Jake was faster then he thought but the younger did not let him just pull back. He followed him his sword swirling around the elders hands forcing him step back more before letting up quite suddenly and coming down on the side. Shunsui manged to block only because of his honed reflexes. Jake stepped back then and coughed no blood this time but his body still shook. Shunsui halted "you okay?" Jake nodded as he took ragged breaths. "you sure?" ukitate asked standing jake nodded and once the fit passed he put his hand down. "sorry." he whispered "for pausing." he added and he charged at Shunsui who luckily had seen this coming and blocked his sword but was not prepared to the upper cut grazing his cheek and the sudden kick pushing him back. "good job" Ukitate said with a clap ending the sparing session jake sat in sezia with the two captains he kept his head up but his eyes constastly were making contact with the ground only when the captains asked him a dreicet question did he even respond to them.
that changed when a lady appeared and coughed behind shunsui who turned and started up an excuse why he wasn't doing his job and Jake coughed and said a short excuse and walked away halting the lady in her tracks. "is he the one who is doing the test?" "hai, hes also a very quiet child…" ukitae said watching the retreating figure halt every so often to pick a flower off the ground and make a chain of them.
Jake kept walking and slid down a hill onto a path where other shigami walked by. Jake walked as if he knew what he was doing and managed to get by. He knew where he was going- slightly- and it wasn't long before he got there either. he sat out side the door and waited. The vice captain came out shortly saying something about a short break and skipped away giggling to her self. Jake entered then and a grumpy voice asked if she had forgotten something.
Jake peered around the huge stacks of papers. "my manners." he replied softly making the tiacho to glance up almost startled.
"what are you doing here?" He asked as Jake took a stack of papers off the desk scanned through them saw that they were not done and pulled out a pin. "helping you out…as your vice has just committed her self to some bar party."
"but-" the taico started Jake looked at him "yes?"
the ticho sighed and handed him a ink well "nothing…just thanks."
"no, thank you…I'm bored out of my skull and they want me to train while I'm sick."
"mmm." the ticho said thinking he was in for an earful and paused a moment when no more words were said and looked at jake who was laying on the floor slowly filling out the paper work humming slightly but quiet.
the tiahco allowed him self a small smile…finaly a coworker who did not demand constatent blather from him.
he returned to his work and only glanced up once the door opened and foot steps came in "holy cow—can you see in the dark or something or had you not realized it is dark yet?" renjies annoying voice cut the slience
but another glance around made the ticho that it was dark…and the piles on the table were done.
"shut it" Histuga said and stood streaching his legs and they bumped into something warm and looked down jake had three stacks of papper around him at the top had the yellow paper saying they were finished. but that's not what made the "ice" captain smile it was the fact jake was curled up in a ball snoring softly the pin making lazy tens on the ground.
Histuga knelt whule the red haired man lit the lamps and shook Jake awake. "hey!" rengji shouted as the kid stood "they have been looking for you every where!"
Jake looked around and swallowed "oops…I just wanted to finish…the last…report." he said each word punctuated by a racking cough.
rengji picked him up "they had just sent me to get you….it appears that jake was every where today."
Jake smiled faintly "I got lost once or twice trying to find this place…sue me."
"renji, please inform the others he is here..and safe."
rengji nodded and left it took moments and soon ukitate was there trying not to scold Jake while not praise him either.
in the end while the captains talked Jake fell back to sleep standing with his eyes open.
Jake woke with renji shaking him and waving his hand in his face jake reached up and grabbed his hand and twisted it painfully renji let out a moan pain and jake let it go and looked around he had been moved onto a couch and only the white haired captain and rengji was still there. "what happened?" Jake asked "well, you just nearly broke my hand," renjgi complained
Jake shrugged "It was in front of my face and I did not break it." renji gaped at him but jake ingnored his expresstion and dove over the back of the couch and tumbled onto the floor and sat crouched like a frog. "so other then that, what did happen..I was standing…then I wake up?"
"you had a coughing fit." Hisutga said looking at him almost interested "afterward you fell asleep."
"oh." Jake said and crawled over to the window and looked out at the sky with a yawn it was nearing dawn. "did you two go to sleep?" he asked turning the red head nodded "that's good…" Jake said and landed on his feet and walked out the door "HEY!" the red haired man said blocking his way Jake sat back on his heels "what?" he asked annoyed "I'm supposed to keep an eye on you."
"oh." Jake said his voice dropping in disappointment and annoyance then turned back to the captain who nodded agreement Jake sighed "fine…not my problem when people mistake me for your brother…your explaining."
"eh?" rengji nearly shouted matsomono walked in then "Your early" the captain said The burnett grinned "of course! I hardly could sleep I wanted to see the child when he woke up!"
The "child" sighed softly then looked at her with a evil grin "your going to help rengji watch me?" he asked she nodded and giggled Jakes eyes flashed and he turned back to the ticho. "Can I borrow your vice captain….I kinda left all my clouthing where I stayed…"
the ticho had seen the look on jake face and nodded it was better then having mastamono bothering him as well in the office...besides the paper work was done for now.
"Thank you." jake said and padded out the door Matsamono hugged the ticho before skiping after jake renji waved and muttered a short good bye before following.
for basicly galloping along like a dog on four legs jake manged to stay in forn of the lady and renji until they came to the street where jake suddenly became a skirt hugging child.
renji sighed it was still early dawn and he had been assigned to watch the child by his tihco for the day…but with mastamono it might not be so hard…he manged a smile before he realized jake was clinging to him to. "hey!" he said pulling away then realized jake was freezing his shirt the healers had given him had been too big so they cut off the sleaves to make it fit and now in the early dawn with the wind blowing cold wind the child was freezing.
Mastamono tried fixing this by stuffing him into her arms but jake would not stay more the a few minutes because she kept squishing him. rengji glanced around and pulled off his shirt and wrapped it around the child, to him the cold was just a pleasant breeze.
they came apon some of the 11ths squad sweeping and rengji smiled as they walked past then woundered why they whispered as they walked past rengji looked at jake who had his shirt warpped around him then at mastamono then shrugged figuring it was because he was walking with no shirt on next to her.
then they met baldy san. "hey, I did not know you had a brother…" the bald man said rengji gaped "what?"
"what? he isn't?" the bald man asked looking back from jake to rengji "you guys have the same color hair."
rengji stopped short jake had something about this back in the office…he looked at jake who had his shirt slleves tied around his neck and trying to scramble ontot he roof with mastasmono pulling him down and blinked slowly. Jake did have the same shade of hair color. "if hes not your brother…is he your son?" bald san whispered renji turned red "NO!" Jake turned "hey, Ikkaku simpai." he said calmly hanging from matsamonos grasps.
"oh its jake….I though it was some one else…"
rengi stawked away annoyed and matasomono carrying jake ran after him letting jake down after a while.
Jake scurried in front of them then stopped and sniffed "my clothes are this way." he said turning rengji followed him relived hopefully he would not have to run into any one…he swallowed as two of the captains were standing in the way talking.
"ohio." Jake chirped as he skipped past Tousen and (bucket head) who turned to renji "I did not know you had a brother Arbie" Tousen commented Jake smirked as rengji turned red. "hes's not my brother…hes just a firend."
"oh?" Tosoun turning to look at jake who was crouched meters away from a bird on the ground. "his voice sounds almost like yours."
Jake turned "that's because I like his voice." Jake said in tousons deep voice. (bucket head) coughed "lad…" Jake sighed and bit his lip "sorry, I just wanted to see renji make that face again."
(bucket head) and touson turned rengji was twitchingy and masamono was holding in a laugh behind her hand. (bucket) "its not nice to take avatantges over some one."
" I know…" Jake said then ducked his head "hypocite.." Jake muttered tosoun coughed "he is a captain." he warned. "exactly…which is why it gives him all the perfectly good rite to scare heck out of new students just to see their faces."
touson turned to (bucket) who coughed and looked away renji looked at both of them then swallowed "umm jake…about your clouthes…"
Jake blinked "oh yeah…catch you guys later." he said before bounding away scrambling up onto the roof tops sending rengji and mastamono scramble after him barely catching him as he fell. "ow!" Jake hissed his and rengjis head colliding. "you know, I was fine until you grabbed me." rengji laughed "sure…" he said "I'm sure the---" he paused as he realized jake had a sack "how—when?"
Jake poked his nose and untied rengjis shirt and pulled on one of his own renji blinked Jake with his own shirt on looked ten times skinnyer and even—slightly less childish.
"we can go back now." Jake said matsamono however grabbed the sack and pulled out the shiny thing sticking out of it and held it up to the light. "whats this?" Jake held out his hand and she dropped it into his hand.
jake did something then that nearly made rengji scream like a baby he folded up his fox ears and put the shiny object that turned out to be an earring back in. then sighed happily "thanks I forgot how unhappy I am without out this in." mastamono tilted her head then smiled "your welcome!" rengji stuttered and pointed to his ears "hes—"
Jake looked at him strangely "is something wrong?"
Renji growled "you have ears!! like (bucket)" Jake tilted his head mastamono smiled "rengji," she said gently "have you been drinking?" rengji blinked and jake had normal ears like all the rest of them only the ear ring now adorn one of them.
"its alright mastamono…its my hair and the shadows." jake said then yawned as his stomach grumbled moments before rengjis did.
"ah, that's what I was forgetting," mastamono said "getting you breakfast!"
before rengji or jake could protest they found them selves at a bar like place. The lady served them all dumplings even when they asked for something different Jake just ate not complaining but rengji did complain—only to get hit with the back of a wooden spoon.
"when complaining its good to duck….twice" Jake commented as the lady smacked rengji again then turned to the lady and said how wonderful the dumplings tasted and how they reminded him of his late grandmothers. The old woman smiled and gave him another plate and promised him a free lunch if he ever came back while rengjis sake cup was not filled all the way and the dumplings he got were burnt.
mastamono smiled through this all finding it real amusing. "you got some talent there." she commented as they walked out Jake still holding a "doggy" bag of dumplings. "hunger is the best motive to learn something quickly." Jake said softly both vice captains halted and jake kept walking then stoped and turned "what?" he asked "tell me you were joking." rengji pleaded jake titled his head "why would I joke?" he asked then his expression grew angry and he looked away. "never mind…go back to your perfect little world in your head where people starving and freezing don't exsist." he hissed
"that's not—" rengji started but had no time to finish because jake was running. at first the vices thought it was because he was upset and started calling him back when the reaitsue hit them. it was a hollow!
jake bounced along the roofs then stopped making the two vices skid to a halt. "uhho." rengji said and swallowed it wasn't just one hallow…it was ten---thirty---now fourty---
"one of you get back up." Jake said dodging one of the hollows fists. rengji nabbed him "good idea, you get back up."
Jake sighed "fine, but if either of you…" he did not finished and shoved him self and rengji backwards avoiding another hallows blade "get hurt…so help me when you get healed…" he growled then turned and fled faster then when he was racing kimpatchi.
it did not take long to locate of the squads and hurriedly inform them of the hallows before he was leading more people then he thought possible to count back to where he had left mastamono and renji just in time to snatch rengji out of the way of six blades.
"how come mastamono is doing better then you" he hissed at rengji with a smirk. "you better…" rengji hissed then gave him a smile as he realizes the tenths and 11th squad was there to help.
jake jumoed away and joined the frey, by the time they had killed all the hallows jake had found his way next to kempatchi and yurichi. jake gave them a short smile then started coughing he coulden't stop either fruitlessly he tried drawling a breath.
the last thing he saw was rengjis hand on his shoulder before he fell into a peaceful black place that was extreamly comforting.
"get up" a voice urged "oh go away" jake in his head hissed "I'm tired."
"you got to get up, your going to be missing a lot of fun stuff."
"kit?" jake muttered groggily and suddenly he was lookinging up at ukatites face who lit up the moment he realized it was he that spoke and smiled.
"jake!" rengjis voice made his head swim and jake groaned "not so loud." ukatitae socdled softly rengji wans't disturped he hugged jake gently and ruffled his hair. "your not hurt are you?" jake asked his voice surprising him self as it sounded childish and kind of like a tinkling bell. " just scared you woulden't wake up." rengji muttered the drew away and said in his normal voicenot the one that was craking and threatening to squeak "of course I'm not hurt—how could I when after you rescued me the rest of the squads thought it was okay to do so as well." Jake grinned then glanced around "wheres mastamono."
"here." she said rengji moved so he could see the woman on the next bed. "your hurt." jake said guiltly "no, I'm just laying down…I was watching you for a while."
jakes eyes grew wide and he blushed. "sorry." he whispered
"naw, it was nothing kiddo…" rengji said with a lopsided grin. "you have an odd way of…" Jake started then coughed again his small body shaking and when he finaly stopped an laid down the world was spinning "it hurts.." he hissed rubbing his head then faded into darkness again.
when he did awake once more he was tied down to the bed and a very odd person was muttering to him self Jake fringed sleep and waited until he walked over still muttering to snap open his eyes and say "boo" unfroutunatly all that really happened was he slowly opened his eyes and coughed.
"oh dear." the strange man said a lady came to him arm and moved to jakes side and felt his forehead. "he still has a fever, but its gone down some."
Jake tried saying something and coughed again. "mustn't talk…focus on breathing" the odd man said to him jake scowled slightly and did as he said he couldn't breath very well but he could breath.
after a bit though he grew bored focusing on his ragged breath and looked at the man who was wearing some odd hat and his face was black and white jake knew he was a captain but his name had flown out of his head so he tried remembering it as he watched him walk around the room fiddling with different insterments suddenly jake found he could breath better and he took a deep breath and let it out with a content sigh. the man turned and looked at him startled.
Jake shrugged savoring each breath he had unhindered. "what did you do?" Jake asked softly
"nothing yet" the man snapped in his odd voice—"I stopped your blood flow from a spot on your arm and you could breath."
Jake looked at his arms he could move one but the other he could not. "Oh." he said it had never acurred to him that it would do something to deveirt his blood flow into his lungs. "may I have a knife…" he asked "and something that blocks the pain?" the man looked at him strangly "why?" "because---theres something in my arm that I need to get out…and that's cuasing my blood to flow up into my lungs."
"impossible…I did an scan on you nothing is there."
"exactly. Nothing is there…now can I have a knife?"
"it would better for me to do it…where is this thing exactly?" Jake reached with his other arm and turned his left arm over and padded down his arm almost to his elbow and stopped "here." the strange man ingected something inside of him and jake passed out.
when he awoke his arm stung but he could move it and he was in a hospital cot not tied down and the man was nowhere to be seen.
he looked around he was alone in a room a vase was by the window holding a few flowers the vase was clear and it made rainbows on the wall. cautiously he sat up and yawned….he could breath!" he slid off the bed onto the floor and looked down at him self he was wearing his nighttime clouthing witch ment some one had changed him some where between the fight and now. he walked wobbly to the window and looked out into the garden with a pool and rocks and smiled. the door opened rather suddenly and he nearly jumped and turned to look at the intruder.
"oh! Ohio." the slightly taller boy with black hair stuttered. jake looked out side then back at the boy and whispered "ohio" back.
"you shoulden't be--- up." he stuttered jake titled his head "why?"
"because…" the other said "you have been sick for a while."
Jake shrugged "I'm fine now."
"you should lay down though…" the other insisted
"I don't want too." the smaller hissed back then opened the window.
"what are you doing?" the other asked scared.
"I'm going to go flying." jake said as if it was perfectly normal to do so.
"no!" the taller boy said and grabbed him "sorry!" he hised and hit jake on the back of the head knocking him out.
when jake awoke again he wasn't happy--- and judging by the way Ukatite was frowning he wasn't either. "why did you not listen to him?" Ukatite asked jake did not look or even reply satisfying his small amount of pride on the fact that he could stay quiet for as long as he liked and no one could make him talk. "Jake?" ukitie asked making the boy look at him with his hand. Jake gazed past him into the wall and covered his mouth as he yawned. "jake?" rengjis voice asked peering into the room. Jake did not look at him and moved his eyes every time the view of the wall was obscured by either them or their faces.
"I brought dumplings jake…" rengji said putting them in his lap jake shoved them away and muttered something about how dumplings could talk they would be smarted then either of them under his breath.
finally rengji was shooed out of the room and ukatite left slowly shaking his head at the child sitting crosslegged on the bed. By orders of the 1st the room was now being watched and the window was locked with reaistue.
Jake did not move until a few minutes after they left and then all he did was push the dumplings out of the way and curl up his eyes remaining open though.
"I don't under stand it." masamono muttered…he seemed happy when he got up…"
Jake rolled over with a sigh onto his back and yawned and the screens of the things watching him went blank.
quickly they rushed to his room but the door was opened and jake was gone.
the serch was called up but no one had any luck for hours.
Jake sat in a weedy field he knew they were searching for him but did not care he just wanted to be left alone…being confined to a room just because he had been sick was not sitting well with him. "oh!" a voie said surpised jake blinked and turned it was a girl with blondish orange like hair "are you lost?" Jake shook his head and put his finger over his lips "oh sorry" she whispered "do you mind if I sit next to you?" Jake asked as she was sitting on a blanket "Oh, of course not!" she said cheerfully patting next to her with her hand Jake crawled over to her and sat down. "my name is Orahima whats yours?" she asked Jake blinked then shrugged "I dunno." he muttered "oh?" she asked surprised. "why not?" Jake shrugged "I don't need one." "why?" Jake blinked slowly
"it doesn't matter"
"Well you can always stay here" Orihime said cheerfully "I have lunch are you hungry?"
Jake nodded he sat while they ate a "sandwich" as she called them, with rice and jelly on the blanket. He stood suddenly and made to leave when two lutainents appeared, neither of them looking happy.
"Jake, we are going to escort you back to your room further attempts to escape and we have permission to fight you if you resist." Rengji said sternly not seeing Orahime who grabbed jake and yanked him into her arms. Jake looked completely shocked as much as the other two and struggled to get away.
"What is wrong with the child?! He is just sitting here not harming anything and you threaten him?!"
Jake stopped struggling then and looked up at her.
"It's not their fault Miss, its mine. I ran away."
She looked down at him.
"Why?"
Jake looked away.
"Because I was bored."
Rengi hissed; "you brat everyone was concerned when you tried jumping out a window and you run off because your bored and scare us thinking you gone and went to try kill your self?"
Jake blinked.
"Why the heck would I do that? I wanted go fly to start with when some kid knocked me out- then both Tacho and you act as if it never happened and I wanted to get rid of some pent up energy and you locked everything down."
Suddenly the field was covered in Shegami as Rengji had not reported in the last five minutes the signal that he found Jake.
Jake took a deep breath then sighed "sorry for making you worry" he muttered rengji was about to snapp that wasn't good enough when Ukiate walked up to jake and made him look at him "don't do it again, and you can be forgiven." Jake nodded "hai ticho sama" He muttered one of ukitate lutainates took jakes hand and shimpoed to the hospital with him leaving Ukitate and Orhime alone.
"What did he do?" she asked softly.
Ukitate sighed.
"He merely wanted to walk and I'm afraid I went a little over protective on him." "But then…" she started. "You only cared for his health… he should understand that."
"He would not understand. We have only known one another for a week at least and most of the time he had been unconscious."
"oh."
Jake sat in the room that rengji herded him into and he picked up a dumpling and munched on it watching the shegami that were watching him tired of endless silence he spoke "you know you most likely all know my name and I only know some of you…"
"Actually" rengji said, "we only know your first name." Jake tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear and smiled "alright its Rattlesnake hunter."
"your that kid?" one of the shigami gasped "you're the top student in the academy" "was." Jake said firmly "WAS the top student."
"you were only held back because you were sick" the same shigami protested" all you have to do is complete the last semester and your free to join here." Jake flinched "I don't want to become a shigami." he said they stared at him "what?" they asked surprised "I just wanted to learn the sword…I never wanted this." he said gestureing to the bed with the uniform laid out neatly waiting for him to put it on.
"then why did you come here?" rengji asked,"I told you, to get kit." Jake explained "then I got my clouthing and was aboutto leave when the stupid hallows showed up and this all happened. "you're a bit late, they already said you paased the test." rengji said Jke shrugged "they won't let me join they think me suicidal"
"whos fault is that you tried jumping out the window." rengji pointed out Jake snorted "that's why I have wings."