A/N: hi everyone. Sorry it took so long. You see, first my computer crashed, then I lost my flash drive. Well either way here's the chapter. Enjoy. Oh yeah and I've be watching this cool zanpakutou filler online, so when they talk to their swords and the sword has person form and sword form, that's where I got the idea. Also, I'd like to thank president Pikachu from my school's Anime club, and my editor/boyfriend, Kuro-neko kun for ideas on the uryuu brawl.

Disclaimer: I don't own bleach

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Chapter 2: The lieutenant and the brawl

It didn't take long for the four friends to pass through the Dangai, nor was it long after that they were greeted and escorted by Captain Ukitake. "It's nice to see you again Kurosaki kun, Inoue chan, Ishida kun. Rukia, thank you for getting them here." He said quietly toward the end.

"I really wish it hadn't had to be so soon." She said, only loud enough for her captain to hear. (A/N: idea from yu yu hakushou, you know how Botan said Yusuke wasn't "supposed" to die yet. Well Rukia is saying she wishes they weren't "supposed to die yet.)

He nodded at her just before looking up and smiling at Ichigo and the young couple, "In any case, I have a surprise for you three. Orihime, Uryuu, I've enrolled you both in the shinigami academy, you start tomorrow. Alongside that, your squad have already been chosen, so you can stay in the barracks."

Orihime was in a mix between happiness, joy, and confusion, and therefore so dizzy she was speechless. Uryuu on the other hand was more of a combination of frustration, intrignition (he's intrigued), annoyance, and humiliation, but of course he was also interested. Moreover however, he was mostly confused. "I don't quite seem understand, I'm a quincy, is it even allowed for me to join the academy?" he asked in a confused tone.

"Well normally it wouldn't be, however, do to certain past events, you could say you've been recruited." Juushiro replied with his usual cheery tone and smile. Uryuu just nodded in agreement.

"Wait a minute!" Ichigo said suddenly. "You said the *three* of us! What about…" he was cut off when Rukia's fist hit his jaw.

"Maybe if you'd shut up he'll tell you!" she said in that normal "put Ichigo in line" tone.

"Fine, but you didn't have to hit me." He said rubbing his jaw.

"Ichigo," Ukitake started,"you have already mastered Kendo, you have more experience and knowledge about various hollow and in konso then the average shinigami, not to mention necessary You once defeated one third seated officer, two captains, and four lieutenants. You have more spiritual pressure than most captains, and all your missing is kidou. You have been assigned to immediately become my new lieutenant do too the fact that the three empty captain positions have been filled." He explained as Ichigo fell into awe.

"That's amazing! I mean, sure I thought I'd be lieutenant at least, but just because there's no captain positions, wow!" shocked, but above all, pretty psyched.

"That's great Ichigo, I mean really amazing. You'll make a great lieutenant, I just know it." Orihime chimed as she glomped him.

"Yeah, congratulations Kurosaki." Uryuu complied as he saved him from his girlfriend's glompage.

It then seemed to be Rukia's turn to say something but not only did she look stunned, but she was staring at Ichigo I am very peculiar way. Like she had seen a ghost or something. (No pun intended) "Hmm? Rukia, what's wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost or something." Ichigo questioned with concern.

"Ichigo, do you have any idea what was wrong with that question. I mean really, what is the job for a 'shinigami' again?" Uryuu stated at his idiotic rival.

"Oh shut up! It's a figure of speech!" countered Ichigo.

Rukia snapped out of her little, let's call it a memory, and sighed," It's nothing Ichigo, congratulations." She said quietly with her head to the ground. She then walked off toward the Kuchiki manner.

"Something's wrong with her." Ichigo thought aloud.

Ukitake sighed, "Don't worry about it Ichigo, I'll talk to her."

The next day, Orihime and Uryuu began their training at the academy and Ichigo had received his lieutenants' badge.

Ichigo sat under a tree in the squad 13 training ground, admiring his badge.

"You seem pretty proud of yourself there Ichigo, I guess our rivalry is on equal terms now eh?" a familiar voice said from behind him.

"Tch, don't get cocky Renji. We were equal, before the espada that is." Ichigo challenged in an "oo. Burn!" sorta way.

"Why you…! Ugh, forget it. I'm here to deliver a message, well make that two." He said, I bit agitated for a regularly arrogant lieutenant. "Captain Commander Yamamoto requested you be trained in kidou…" Ichigo cut him off

"I already know that you baka."

Renji's left eyebrow twitched slightly, "I wasn't finished! He wants you to be trained by a true kidou master, someone your familiar with, and to top it off someone whose spiritual pressure is in your range." Renji explained, annoyed at his own words. "This brings me to my second message. Captain Kuchiki would like you to know, that since the arrencar war 3 years ago, he's come to respect you as an equal as far as officers go. (as in, he sees him as another captain but still not nobility) He said if slip up during Kidou training though You'll go right back to square one."

"Let me guess, Byakuya's gonna train me in kidou right? I was wondering why you seemed so pissed. We're definitely not on equal terms of a rivalry now." Ichigo joked as he stood up and stretched. "So when do I start?"

"Noon, every other day, starting tomorrow." Renji replied with irritation in his voice. "Well aside from that, congrates on the lieutenant thing. Hey I better be headed back, tell Rukia I said hey alright." He said as he gave a casual wave and walked off.

"Yeah, I'll tell her." He said in a quiet tone, thinking how she'd been acting around him since yesterday.

Meanwhile, with Rukia—

-"Try to get a hold of yourself Rukia, nothing you do is going to change anything. It's like Captain Ukitake said, you've known him long enough to be able to tell the difference, what makes this any different?"- Sode no Shirayuki said, trying to calm her partner.

"The difference is that now he's a lieutenant, just like him, and not only that, but he's my lieutenant. It's just too much." She sobbed, responding to her zanpakutou's question. Captain Ukitake had recently spoken with her about the situation, about how Ichigo was not Kaien, no matter the similarities, but the memories were too deep. To painful, and now that Ichigo had filled his position, literally, it hurt just to think of him, much less see him. Now she sat in her room in the barracks of squad 13, crying her eyes out as her battle partner, Sode no Shirayuki, tried to reason with and calm her.

-"Rukia, you're stronger than this. You can perform kidou nearly as well as your brother, you can hold your own against an arrencar, you even overcame the illusions of an espada whom posed as Kaien, and beat him. If you can do that, then I know you get through some small similarities."- Sode no Shirayuki encouraged with a hint of disappointment.

Rukia wiped her tears as she let the words sink in, "That's true, but they aren't small similarities, they're… pretty much all but hair color, age, name, and sword. It's impossible."

-"That's enough! Rukia, I'm trying to help you, but it seems your memories are getting the better of you. You want Ichigo to be him. I've done all I can to help you Rukia. Now this is all I have left. Until you confront him, you go ahead and rely on a plain sword and kidou for battle, because I've had it. That goes for conversation too."- and with those words, Sode no Shirayuki retreated back to her sword form and the room was silent.

Rukia stood up and sighed as she grabbed her sword and returned it to its sheath, "This is going to be difficult."

That same day at the academy:

Uyruu had just finished his first kendo and kidou classes. It really payed off when you base your fighting skills around gathering raitsu, It's pretty much kidou itself. Do to this he was placed in the advanced class. He still couldn't get over the fact however, that he, a quincy, was training to be a shinigami. This was just too much all at once.

Uryuu finally stood up and took out his bow, aiming it at a target he had carved into the seiki-seiki stone wall. What could a bit of target practice to relive stress going to hurt?

After about 50 shots he had to make a new target. In the process he overheard a couple of his classmates passing by.

"Who does he think he is, enrolling in the academy, when it's obvious he doesn't belong here?" one boy murmured to the other as they stood there shooting death glares at him.

"I know, why is he even here? Aren't quincys supposed to hate shinigami?" The younger one said in a rather stuck up tone.

"Hey I know! He's confused! He doesn't know what he is! Do you, Quincy-gami!" the older boy stated rather loudly, as he intended to be sure Uryuu heard him.

Now Uryuu may have been able to cast aside the first two comments, but no one hurts his quincy pride and gets away with it. "If you've got something to say about me or quincies, say to my face!" He said as stomped over to them and grabbed the older of the two by the collar.

"Oh please, do you honestly think a little quincy-gami like you could take us on." The boy challenged as he went to knee Uryuu in the gut.

Uryuu jumped back quickly just before jumping back at him at light speed and landing one strong punch to the jaw. "You might want to rethink that."

The older boy, whom was now bleeding on one side of his face, held one hand out to the side and the younger slapped. "tag team time." He stated as he stepped forward.

Uryuu instantly had a small sweat drop moment, "Do have any idea how cheesy that was?" he questioned.

The older slapped himself in his face. He couldn't help but agree, it was terribly cheesy.

"Tch, who cares, I'm so gonna kick your ass!" the boy said as he went for an uppercut. As he did this Uryuu stepped sideways and went for his ribs.

"Souten keshun!" shouted a familiar high pitched voice as an orange, triangular barrier appeared between them.

Uryuu turned to look at Orihime, "Uryuu, stop. We haven't been here a whole day and your already fighting." She said as she marched over to him, trying to look angry.

Uryuu sighed and lowered his fist. "Yeah, I gauss your right. I just lost my cool for a bit."

As he rubbed the blood from his cheek, the older boy just laughed "Oh wow, the poor little quincy-gami has his girlfriend fighting his battles for him." Unfortunately for him Orihime had just brought down her shield and with Uryuu's speed and reflexes he landed another punch right to the now broken nose.

"you might want to rethink that. The barrier was the only thing holding me back." And with that he walked of with Orihime to their next lesson.

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A/N: well I hope you liked it. I also hope there isn't to much OOCness. Sorry if there is. Please give feedback and reviews of all types. PS. I already started brainstorming chapter 3 & 4. If you have any ideas let me in. if I use them you shall get credit.

Arigato

Chuu~ 3