The Shinigami Academy could not have prepared for the likes of Hatakane Shinya. As he stepped within the courtyard, some stopped and stared at the perfectly poised eerily confident figure. One stare in particular caught and held his unwavering attention. The eyes that bored into his own were those of a very beautiful girl. Her stare infatuated Shinya with its unbelievable strength and supreme confidence. This girl knew no fear.

"What the Hell are you staring at?" she asked with a pompous forceful tone.

"I could ask you the same thing blue-blood."

Her icy glare shattered quickly being replaced with a mask of shock. Shinya threw a condescending smirk her way and strode calmly toward the auditorium, knowing full well that victory was his. Once he was certain the girl could neither see nor hear him, he grabbed the nearest passing student and questioned him,

"Who is that girl?" pointing back in her direction.

"That's Kuchiki Rukia…You been livin' under a rock or something'?"

The student laughed heartily at Shinya's distasteful glare and held out his right hand,

"I'm just havin' some fun with ya. The name's Abarai Renji, I've known Ruklia for a good long time."

Shinya took Renji in a firm handshake,

"Hatakane Shinya, Eleventh Squad."

Renji started.

"You've already been accepted into a squad?" complete disbelief thick in his question.

"I was as well." came a familiarly meek voice.

"Toshiya-kun? You too?"

"Hai, Eleventh Squad as well."

"Nani?" came Renji's disbelieving cry.

Shinya laughed,

"Well, looks like you came out alright eh, ni-chan?"

Man, these guys are for real. Getting accepted into a squad before even setting foot in the Academy. Renji thought.

Shinya looked at Toshiya's left arm hanging heavily, seemingly dead, at his side.

"Still haven't figured it out, huh?"

Toshiya shook his head, looking slightly dejected.

"Don't worry about, it. You'll get the hang of it eventually."

A bell chimed in the distance and the students that filled the courtyard began to file into the massive auditorium. Shinya was the last to enter. He searched for an open seat, and soon found one…next to Rukia.

Oh, great… He thought.

Shinya slid in to the chair; immediately many of the students moved their seats away from the two. The air was thick with something akin to hatred; so thick that it became almost palpable. Subconsciously , Shinya began to increase his output of spiritual power. Rukia followed suit, matching him tit-for-tat. After a very short time, their combined spiritual pressure was practically suffocating the less inclined students.

A gentle voice broke the tension and seemed to pacify the two.

"Now, now, we are here to fight hollows not each other."

It was Lieutenant Aizen of Fifth Squad.

"Although," he continued with the same gentle voice, "I am thoroughly impressed with both of you. Such intense spiritual pressure is hard to come by."

They both bowed their heads.

"Sorry…Aizen-sensei" They said in tandem.

The others stared at Aizen in absolute wonder. He had humbled these two with but a word. He smiled once more, that stunning disarming smile, and the lesson of the day commenced.

Shinya stepped from the lecture hall into the last rays of the rapidly setting sun. He had made it a point to be the last one out.

"Hatakane!"

He turned to find Rukia, yet again, glaring at him. This time was different, though. This time her Zanpakuto was in her hands and her voice was laced with loathing.

"No one disrespects me in front of an officer!"

Shibotsuki came forth from the gathering shadows,

"You don't want to do that, Kuchiki…"

Before either of them could make a move a gentle breeze swept a cascade of cherry blossoms between them; followed by the ground erupting in a hail of flying debris and a cloud of suffocating dust. Shinya whirled Shibotsuki over his head, the resulting vortex swiftly cleared the screen. In the midst of it all stood Kuchiki Byakuya, glaring at him with the coldest of eyes.

"You don't want to do that, Hatakane. And you Rukia…you should be ashamed! Letting some low-life force your hand so easily."

Shinya snorted,

"Don't know who the Hell you are, but I'm obviously outmatched here. We'll finish this another time, Kuchiki."

With that he spun on his heel and strode away with Shibotsuki slung casually over his shoulder and his head high.

"I didn't need your help." Rukia grumbled.

"As it stands, he could have killed you without any great effort. The difference in your powers…"

"Is not that great!" Rukia interjected.

Byakuya turned on her with such terrible fury that she cowed from her defiant posture.

"You did not even see half of his power today! You have no place saying that you are anywhere near a match for him!"

Rukia hung her head,

"Forgive me, Aniki."

As Byakuya watched Shinya depart, Shibotsuki's corporeal form slowly fading into the gathering night, he began to wonder; had he made a mistake? Should he have killed Hatakane? He could not shake the feeling that this decision would soon haunt him.

"Field exam, huh?"

Aizen smiled up at his star pupil,

"It's such a shame; Fifth Squad could use someone as sharp as you. But, yes, in two days time there will be a live exercise. The hollows you will be facing are, by no means, easy prey. So, I want every one to have a partner."

Aizen noticed many locking gazes with close friends; those they fought beside on a regular basis. He decided to change the rules a little.

"However," he continued

"You will have no choice in who it is that you will be trusting to watch your back. That will be my decision."

Nervous glances circulated, as many students began to fidget uncomfortably. Aizen smiled to himself as he began pairing his students with their most unlikely of counterparts. As the pairs were made each member acquainted his or herself with the other. Aizen locked gazes with Shinya and a sly smile spread from ear to ear,

"I think you would work well with Miss Kuchiki, Shin-kun."

The air was sucked from the room with the collective gasp. Shinya and Rukia were hardly surprised, the two had been at odds since day one.

"Understood."

"I hope that you two can put aside your strife, at least long enough to not get killed."

"Hai, Sensei." they said in unison, glaring at each other all the while.

"Well…" Shinya broke the silence, his expression softening as much as could be allowed.

"Since we're stuck together, we might as well acquaint ourselves."

Rukia snorted distastefully, as though associating herself with Shinya was the lowest form of insult. Shinya's tone grew quiet and cold; promising to unleash the demons of Hell at the drop of a pin.

"You may not wanna admit it, but, you and I, we're cut from the same stock. Just a coupla slum prawns that got a lucky break. Now, you kin play nice or you kin die; cuz I aint gonna take a hit for someone who won't do the same fer me!"

Rukia could not believe what she was hearing. She and Shinya had traded insults almost on a daily basis, but never before had he attacked her so personally. And the way he spoke; she had never heard him sound so rough and vulgar. Frankly, it terrified her. Rukia became quiet, almost submissive,

"You're right, so is Aizen-fukutaicho. We need to put this aside. If we can't, we might as well dig our graves now."

A heavy gauntleted hand draped over Rukia's left shoulder,

"Aren't you two just cute as a button."

Shinya narrowed his eyes,

"Toshiya-kuuun…" he growled.

"Huh?"

Shinya turned, as well as he could, in his seat and punched at Toshiya with his right hand. Rukia stared in wide eyed shock; the gauntlet that Toshiya wore could not have weighed less than five kilograms yet he maneuvered it like a thunderbolt. He caught Shinya's punch and playfully taunted his elder brother.

"Now Aniki, you know where this ended up last time…"

"Ahem!"

The bubble around the three popped and they looked around to see the entire room staring at them. All three blushed sheepishly,

"Sorry, Aizen-sensei."