Still don't own them except Yoshie and Akira

/

"Alright, third seat Kawauso, you are released." Retsu Unohana looked at the blonde who still had bandages wrapped around her chest where the damage had been the worst. Unohana sighed, "Try not to overdo it for a while."

"Arigato, Unohana-taicho!" Yoshie gave a cheerful wave as she left the fourth squad barracks to search for her best friend.

"And where do you think you're going, Yoshie-baka?" Akira's dry voice floated down from one of the rooftops.

"Hello to you too, Akira-chan. Unohana-taicho released me today, so I thought I'd take a L. o. L. trip to pick up some stuff." She looked up, hand shading her bright blue eyes. "Where are you anyway?"

"Here." Akira's voice was in her ear.

"Aiee! Ouch… Akira, don't do that, I'm still sore and bandaged up." Yoshie rubbed her chest with a hand that was wrapped in a pale blue cloth.

Akira blocked her way as Yoshie tried to duck pass. "Then why were you going on this L. o. L. trip, whatever that is?"

"Land of Living. L. o. L. And I told you, I need to pick some stuff up for my next mission for Soifon-taicho."

"What?" Akira placed one hand on her Zanpakuto as Yoshie tried to duck around her again.

"I need a special type of marker that writes in a permanent ink."

"Isn't all ink permanent?"

"Well, yeeah, but this is more so. Normal ink comes off skin fairly easily. This ink doesn't."

"And what use would you have for something like that?"

"Heheh. You'll see if you come with me."

"I think I'm going to pass." She turns to leave.

"The man I'm going to see to get my merchandise owns a candy shop as well." Yoshie smirked a little. "That means as much chocolate as you can afford."

Akira paused mid step. "What kind of chocolate?"

"Any kind you want. Kisuke-kun makes sure I always have something to treat you with."

"Urahara-baka-san?" Akira paled. "I have things to do. Don't waste my time." She turned to leave again.

Yoshie grabbed Akira's arm. "I'll buy you a pound of Swiss chocolate."

Akira's left eye twitched, and she let out a sigh. "Fine, I'll go."

"Arigato, Akira-chan. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Soifon-taicho about a Senkaimon gate."

Akira watched the blonde leave, putting her palm to her forehead. "You really are a pain."

/

"YOSHIE-CHA~N!" chimed a messy looking blonde man. Yoshie looked up with a big grin and –much to Akira's disgust- took off toward the man.

"I thought you were still sore, baka," Akira remarked dryly as she backed up against the far wall.

Hearing her best friend, the blonde slowed then stopped. "Oh, yeah." She looked at the man. "Kisuke-kun, I have a list of supplies I need for my next mission for Hachi-taicho." She slipped a piece of paper out of her blue haori and handed it to him. "Also I need 6 12-bar packages of Camille Bloch - Ragusa Jubilee chocolates and a bag of Yuki no Ami pops."

"Alright, well it will take a couple of days to get the chocolate so why don't go down to the Kurosaki's place and see if you can't spend a couple of nights. I'll have Yoru take you down there. First though I need to issue you two gigais and clothing."

"Actually, Kisuke-kun, can I get you to phone Kurosaki and get his permission while Yoruichi-sama gets our gigais and clothing." She looked at her friend then continued in a theatrical whisper, "Akira-chan doesn't much care for you." The blonde man looked put out for a moment.

Akira sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, that's the understatement of the century," she said in her usual cool, sarcastic tone.

Kisuke laughed and headed into the shoten. Yoshie grabbed Akira's hand, and then followed the scruffy man into the quaint little shop. "Yoru-chan!" he hollered as he passed through the shelves of candy. A dark-skinned woman appeared at the back of the shop.

"Yoruichi-sama," Yoshie murmured, bowing to her.

She sighed, putting her pointer finger to her forehead, "You work under Soifon, don't you?"

"Yes, ma'am. But don't worry, I did that just so when Hachi-taicho asked, I can say that yes, I paid my respects. I don't actually act like that." Baby blue eyes sparkled as she rose from her submissive position.

Yoruichi surveyed the pair critically. "You." She pointed at Akira, who stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Please, don't bow. We are all equals here. I have a question for you, child."

"Yes, Shihōin-sama?" Akira acknowledged.

"What is your name?"

"Tsukihisa Akira, ma'am."

"Would you happen to be the last living child of Yuuto and Kimiko?"

Akira looked down for a moment before responding with a small, "Yes, I am, Shihōin-sama."

Yoruichi frowned, looking down at the petite sable-haired woman in front of her. She opened her mouth to offer her condolences when Kisuke popped back in. Waving his fan in his usual manner, Kisuke proudly announced, "Kurosaki agreed. Let's go get your stuff now."

Yoruichi laughed, "He means, Kurosaki reluctantly agreed to let you stay under penalty of pain."

Yoshie glanced at her friend, and wrapping her arm around her stoic partner, she followed after the ex-shinigamis.

/

Fitted with gigais and clothing they liked, the two followed Yoruichi's cat form from the shop. Yoshie, being ever curious, looked at the buildings around her with wide-eyed enthusiasm. "I kind of recognize this area… This is where my parents lived before I died. Tori and Shio Kawauso. I don't remember what they were like, but every year on my birthday, Izumi - okasan would bring me here to sit by their graves and have a little party so they could celebrate my birthday with me. I miss Izumi-okasan though. For the past six years I've come by myself to celebrate." She spun on the curb, but slipped, falling into the street. "Owwwww… that was definitely not a good idea."

"Baka." Akira looked down at the blonde laying on the road. "Get up, and stop your antics."

Yoshie rolled over and climbed to her feet. "Yes, Akira-chan."

"We're here." Yoruichi stopped in front of a small clinic and Yoshie tripped over her, landing on Akira.

"Off. Now." The slight woman pushed her busty companion off of herself. Yoshie stayed on the ground, slightly dazed and sore from her second introduction to the hard asphalt. Akira was about to say something when two teen girls came from the clinic. The darker haired girl cocked her head and in a dry voice shouted, "Hey, Dad! There's a dead girl in the street!"