"I realized something today," a girl- or 'young woman', as she preferred to be called- spoke to her pet ferret. "I really don't like people anymore."

The ferret, who was affectionately known as Louis the Third, wriggled in his owners grasp in response. His owner, who was either affectionately or resentfully known as Zakuro, depending on who you're asking, gave a long-suffering sigh.

"Thank you so much for your concern, my dear Louis. But I would rather not talk about it. Wallowing in self-pity seems a lot better at the moment." She nodded solemnly, and flopped back onto her futon with a thud. Louis the ferret scurried away, lest he suffer any more squeezing at the hands of Zakuro.

Truly, Zakuro did want to talk, but it wasn't the same as talking to a real person. And who could she talk to now, anyway? Everyone had become so distant. Most people didn't talk to her unless it was for official business. She was just waiting for someone to attack her outright.

These things she could deal with. It was the isolation from those she was closest to that hurt. Zakuro was a shinigami, it is worth mentioning; she was neither exceptionally strong, nor very weak, but she was a shinigami none the less. She was an officer of the Third Division, and it was a division she enjoyed very much being a part of until recently. Recently, things had gone bad. Even more recently, she found out she was no longer going to be a part of the Third Division.

She had been called to her fukutaicho's office nearly as soon as she had arrived at work that day. Zakuro loved her fukutaicho; he was her best friend. She had known Kira Izuru literally all her life and she took it upon herself to make him "not such a sad little puppy". This lead her to constantly shower him with hugs and nicknames.

"Zu~Ru~Kun!~" she chimed, hugging him from behind. He jumped up, startled, looking at Zakuro with wide eyes.

"Zakuro. Please sit down." She raised her eyebrows, but did as she was told, taking a seat across from him.

"I know you're not going to like this," he began, breaking eye contact, "but we believe that with your talents you would be much more fit for the Second Division. Soi-Fon taicho has already agreed to this transfer. You have a week to get your affairs in-"

She broke him off with a wide, close-eyed grin. Izuru's breath caught in his throat, causing Zakuro to smile wider. "It's okay, 'Zuru." She got out of her chair, put her hands in her pockets and started making her way towards the door. "I get the idea, 'kay?"

After she had left the division grounds, her smile dropped. 'I should have known something was wrong,' she thought, resentfully glaring back at the Third Division. 'He didn't call me Zaki.'

Now, Zaki was a fairly pessimistic person, despite her tendency to smile as a default. Her mother would never know the girl had a negative thought in her mind, however. Ever since her father had left, Zakuro did everything she could to make things seem positive to her mother.

So she told her mother about her 'wondrous' transfer, about how she 'thinks they might even make me a seated officer!' She saw the worry in her Ma's eyes. Really, her mother didn't need to worry, because Zaki already figured everything out. Her biggest strength was in Kido. She was pathetic at hand-to-hand. They only wanted her in the Second to keep an eye on her. If they see any suspicious behavior, they'll just arrest her right there. Still, she kept positive for her Ma. She didn't smile though.

Her Ma couldn't take it when she smiled. She looked too much like her father.

Zakuro looked through the photographs that she kept hidden in her dresser. They were all of her and her father. They were all she had left of him. She was her daddy's little girl, truly. The only clue that she was even related to her mother was the wide orange eyes that they shared. Everything else was exactly like her daddy, from the light gray hair to the fox-faced smile.

It's hard when you're daddy's little girl and your daddy's a traitor. It's even harder when you still love him. It's the worst when you're not even allowed to be his daughter anymore.

She was now Senhou Zakuro. They made her use her mother's surname after her father left. But she liked who she was before. She liked being Ichimaru Zakuro.

And because of that, she will never belong in the Soul Society.

Author's Note: Hey there. Zmija here. I know this chapter is probably boring, but it's needed to set up who Zaki is, and her motivation for the things she'll do in the next two or three chapters. I know I didn't go into much depth with her personality as of yet, but you'll see in the next chapter. This is my first story on this site, so reviews would be really appreciated so I know what I can improve!

Next Chapter: Zaki's final mission as a member of the Third Division: join Histugaya's advance squad and investigate the arrancar in Karakura! Will Zakuro finally snap at the lack of trust? Will Zaki convice that weird girl with the bald fetish to kidnap Ikkaku? And who is that guy with the blue hair?

Find out next time!