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Chapter 3
She didn't know the relevance of what she had dreamt in that dream, other than it felt comforting. But then again she always had dreams and learned never to take them too seriously. She had harshly drilled that into her mind set the minute a dream of Itachi would appear. In the two years she hadn't seen him, she still yearned for his love. In her dreams she could feel him and love him, the only problem was that, he-it wasn't real. The him in her dreams were merely a figment of her overactive imagination. She knew that she would probably never see him again. Not after finding out that the shinigami in fact separated and sorted souls into their respective places.
She had found out that the Soul Society was heaven, something that fell short of her ideals. Hell, that's where the others went, she was surprised she hadn't been sent to hell though; then again she couldn't ever remember a shinigami coming to bring her here. All she could remember was dying then waking up here. She wondered if Itachi would be so lucky to escape that fate. She though back though to his past, he had killed many, although it was for his own purposes, she knew that along the way… he had lost himself. She knew it sounded corny when she said it but there was no denying fact that it was true when he began to change and regain his senses when they fell in love.
She shook her head; there was no use in reminiscing about the past. She didn't want to go down a road of thought that could potentially reduce her to tears. She over looked the city from her perch on her window sill, at the moment she didn't have any pressing matters to take care of. She had made the town itself able to run efficiently without her help, at this point she was just head of the police force here. Even that could run just fine without her, and at the moment she found herself unexpectedly free.
Easily she slid out of the window and landed on the street without any problem, used to her antics no one stopped and stared at her above average abilities. Deciding quickly she decided to visit the orphanage and see how they were doing, after all she had promised a handful of them how to use sleight of hand…. Although she was sure that it wasn't the best thing to teach them, she would teach them the right morals to use them by. You could say that she was creating a generation of Robin Hoods.
They had a hard life, and she didn't doubt the fact that some of them would continue to have one even after the orphanage care. Living without parents is a hard thing to do. So, Sakura had made a child friendly institute. She had handpicked the staff, and had a back ground check on each of them; she always told the kids too that if they were being abused then they were to come to her directly. She would allow no child to leave that institute with horrible memories. She wanted to make upstanding citizens out of them not criminals. That was also the reason why at a certain age they could find themselves a master, they chose and always got a recommendation from Sakura to help things along.
You could say that she thought of them as her own children in a way. She was thankful that a lot of them had helped her through those first few hard days in that god forsaken place at the time. Leisurely she walked down the street, purchasing the random treat, for the kids. She made sure that every time she came she would give them a bag of candy since the orphanage couldn't afford such things yet. At the moment they were only trying to let them be free, as she had instructed, she didn't believe in raising children with strict rules other than a coming home time and set dinner times. Although Sakura did enforce that they learn something if they did not have a master to learn from.
After all they were all originally free children, much more mature than those who had lived under a rule of mother and father. It would be torture to conform them to strict rules. She walked to ward the structure somewhere on the edge of town; she had placed it next to the police task force. Although she knew that some of the older more mischievous ones didn't like that so much, she had explained to them why she had done so. If there were any chance of a raid than the children could hide in the police task force headquarters, and be safe. Most having their own little groups to care for, they appreciated the protection that they provided.
Sakura looked at the structure, then abruptly halted noticing that she was being followed, sighing she ducked into an alley way and into an empty little part of the town that no one went to anymore, she approached the fountain and set the bag of confectionary sweets gently down on the lipped edge. "I know you're there. I can feel you." She told the several shinigami who had been following her for a little while. Originally she had wanted to ignore them, but she didn't want them to know about the orphanage just yet. She turned to see three of them standing in a military order, she was glad to know that they at least had the respect to do that without screwing it up.
Gently she sat down, looking at them, "Well? What do you want?" she asked. The one in the front stepped forward. He was quite noticeable with his flaming red hair that was put up in a samurai-like fashion. "We have been sent to observe this town of yours to make sure that an incident like yesterday won't happen again." She raised a lofty brow, "While following me?" she asked, not seeing the logic to his obvious lie. He choked for a moment, he wasn't used to lying. Quickly she did a profile of him. The red hair signified how hot headed he was, the proud shoulders indicated that he was confident in his skills, and the way his eyes glinted when he was caught lying reminded her much of the children in the orphanage who were caught lying.
She knew she was seeing a success story before her eyes. He used to be a street rat. Great, something she could work with, she wondered how she could twist him to her side. Sighing, and seeing that they meant no harm, she knew that she could probably win them over easily, they just had to see how relied on she was. Her walking down the street with them might explain it. Just as he was going to open his mouth she waved the words away and asked, "Can you just assure me that you won't harm any of the citizens of this town? Or the structures? The people worked hard to build all of that you know." She watched as he conceded in a nod, reassure-although only slightly- she then got up picking up the bag of candy.
"In that case you may follow me, but I advise that you do nothing that seems threatening to my presence or you might have a mob of angry people on your hands. It seems that my people don't like it when I interact with people they do not know." It was the truth, so they stuck close, although she wasn't very sure that was a good idea from the way they were being glared at, although the citizens continued to show her their good graces, as she greeted each and every one of them by first name.
"How's, Rumi-chan, Maika?" she asked the Laundromat owner who looked suspiciously upon the shinigami who walked behind her. She smiled brightly at Sakura in great contrast. "Great, Miss Sakura, she's fine." The older woman put her arms around her neck and pulled her in close, to talk to her, glancing at the shinigami for good measure a sign to stay clear away. "Are these guys bother'n ya Miss?" she asked, with equal solemnity she replied, "Don't worry about me Maika, I'll be fine, you know I can protect myself just fine." Sakura gave her a reassuring wink before pulling gently out of the older woman's embrace.
Maika nodded, then flashed her great smile, "Well if they bother ya any Miss, remember that all o' us ar' willin' ta take up arms for ya." Sakura gave her a superior smile, a shared joke she had running with the community that said, 'Like they could ever take us all on!' Sakura waved good bye to the older woman before making her way down the path, conversing with the other shop owners assuring them that she was fine. She didn't want a riot to break out, after the 5th reassurance one of the shinigami leaned in to ask her, "Did we do something wrong? I don't believe that we've done anything particularly threatening."
She looked at him her brow slightly raised, he was young looking, blonde hair with some of it covering his left eye, and split in half at the back. "Well, you have to remember that they don't have that good of an impression of shinigami as a whole, rumors travel fast in a town such as this, and the fact that our would-be protectors tried to attack me is not looked upon favorably, I'm afraid that unless you do something spectacular in their favor they will not take to you easily. Humans-people are very impressionable after all."
She looked at the orphanage gate, and pushed it open, hesitating slightly, she really didn't want them near the children, not for the children's sake but for theirs, children were after all much harsher than adults. Then again, it might be good for them to bring back to their base, t hat not all shinigami are looked upon in reverence; it might bring them down a few notches and into the realm of reality. N a way she wanted to give them a warning to be kind, before she remembered clearly the events before, she then decided that they would either sink or swim in this situation.
She opened the gate, and began to walk in and not a moment later she found herself on the ground, being greeted than more than two dozen children. "I'm home." She told them all. And all in one instant the other shinigami were forgotten as she was headed toward the housing structure to see their latest work on the place.
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Sakura looked out from the café she was seated at, she liked this restaurant in particular, and a seat was always open for her. Here she could overlook the entire town, where her policing senses still kicked in, only this time she was seated with three other very uncomfortable guests. Although they had been giving decent seating, they weren't treated as well as customers, and that resulted in their awkward feeling atmosphere.
She sipped at her usual iced tea, "Do you have any questions?" she asked, looking out to the lighted town as the sun began its usual trek down, and the street lamps were lighted. She knew that they were curious, and she knew that they were tired, might s well let them ask and then get the hell out of here. She knew that her citizens wouldn't stand another day patiently watching her being escorted by a bunch of shinigami. She knew that to them, the shinigami were trying to interfere with their personal business and people, and was something you didn't do to such a close knit town such as this one.
Sakura liked to think that this was a sort of big family. The girl situated in a bun, whose name was Momo asked, "May I ask why you're such a revered figure here? And why is it that we as shinigami don't get respect?" she asked, shyly, but her authority was still there. But she was clearly not the interrogative type. Sakura looked out to the town almost lovingly. "When I first came, here around two years ago, this place was just some place in the dumps, no better than some slum. At first my efforts were useless as I tried to bring the economy up, but that persistence with them finally kicked the people into gear. Then as you see today, this town had made a wonderful recovery, and since starting the policing forces here there aren't as many problems with customers.
"So, why wouldn't they revere me? Although I've tried to make them drop the whole 'Miss' thing and just call me Sakura… but you know, whatever makes them happy you know? As for the reason why they don't like you… well, first impressions are everything aren't they?" She turned her green gaze on them, this might be her last chance to draw a line, and make sure they know their place in her town.
"The first impression we have of you is someone trying eat and run. Although I'm aware that you aren't really that way and every person is different. But look at it from their point of view, they've lived lives all based on sort of biased, if they didn't have that they wouldn't know who they should and shouldn't avoid. Then, you claim to fight off 'hollow' but from what I gather from the townsmen here you haven't been protecting them from anything, from the moment of when I came here, do you know how many of those monstrosities I've had to destroy?
"So, if you have anyone to blame for their animosity against you, blame yourselves. Not me, and not them, this is a purely a give and take society, and since you haven't given anything, and come strutting in here like peacocks who own the world, isn't it only natural that well… They don't like you?" She let them mill on her words as she drank her tea, if she guessed this hierarchy right, they would tell their superiors every word that she had said, and maybe, the shinigami would tread a bit more carefully although she doubted it. From what she had gathered the place was full of biased pig headed people who didn't know what the hell they were doing.
She saw knowing in the one called 'Renji', she had guessed right in her profiling. She saw the sympathy in his eyes the moment he entered the orphanage and saw dozens of happy children living their short childhood to its fullest. She knew she could turn him into a 'friend' if only on the feelings that she had created an ideal environment for the children. As for the 'Kira' person he seemed like he was easily manipulated as well, although she knew that he was more calm thinking than he looked, the one by the name 'Hinamori' as well. She knew that she might want to tread more carefully around them.
Although she could see the potential friend in them as well, she had a feeling that they had been betrayed before. Sakura looked out to the town, she watched as the police force she had made settle a matter to peace. She wasn't needed anymore was she? The only reason she was needed here anymore was the fact the stray hollow show up, free days like this were becoming more and more, common and since she had taken a few kids under her wings and showed them the importance of business they filled in nicely for those duties. Fuyukusen after all was a good kid, and he was well liked among the people, and his little group that he led supported him from behind the scenes.
"Won't you consider becoming a shinigami?" the question caught her a bit off guard, it had come from the one called 'Kira'. Sakura ffelt a smirk come into her face, so that had been thei intention all along, someone as powerful as her shouldn't be 'wasted' on these people here. Then again, Lady Tsunade would have done the same thing it was a safety issue. Not bad, not bad at all, if they were able to put those two things together then maybe the shinigami had hope after all. She held the glass in her hands, contemplating what she could learn in that society, it might give her a better insight on the nobility and the 'oh so great' policing force of the shinigami, although she was a bit worried about what would happen if she left this place.
Although she was sure that the former small town villagers wouldn't have any qualms in going if she explained why she was going. Only, she was afraid of 'hollow' attacks, she had already been unable to protect a few people, and she was unsteady about leaving them, alone. On the flip side she could ask that she leave a shinigami here in exchange for her fighting force and use that as a bargaining tool. She knew that she would have an eyes kept on her, for what she had done to their citadel already, the three in front of her were proof enough.
She tapped her fingers considering and turning the idea in her head. But she already knew the answer, she wasn't needed here anymore, although she would always be welcome, she had already taught local first aid how to heal, and the police force to fight for themselves, she had even instilled evaluation exams to make sure that none of the corrupt got into any of those systems, although if they did, she was sure that the townsmen would have no qualms for kicking them out.
Under the care of her little trainees to take over for her she was sure that they would do fine, she trusted their judgment, and they knew who was good and who was bad. Not only that, but she had from the start made it so that the evaluations were through many people. She hated to admit but she had plenty of time on her hands, and she wasn't too sure she liked it. Sakura was after all a hands on person, and couldn't stand it if she weren't busy, as someone who died at the age 21 she had a long life ahead of her. And considering the life span here, she had a lot longer than she wanted of doing nothing here.
In the shinigami stronghold she knew she could instill so many reforms, and still find adventure, like she used to do under the wings of Konoha. In the end though she didn't give them a straight answer, she did after all need to talk it over with the townsmen. Biting her lip, a habit she had taken up since arriving here. All she could say was, "I'll think about it."
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Yay! Done, sorry for the wait folks!!! I got a lot out of my head in this one go… and man does it feel great!!!!
Thanks for reading!!!
To my anonymous
To Who...me:
Hi! Wow enthusiastic review and thanks! So we'll answer this in order.
1 Uhhh… not too sure about the couple thing, I haven't decided but it seems that there a lot of Byasaku people out there waiting for this story to go that way seeing as Byakuya has senbonzakura. XD so it might just turn out that way.
2 Power, yes she is strong but then again it wouldn't be any fun if she were weak right? XD Although as strong as Aizen, I'm not too sure how that'll work, but we'll see… I don't even know the end result of this story after all XD.
3 I'm pretty sure Ichigo and gang will be in this or else it wouldn't be a complete Bleach fanfic right?
4 I think I'll put her in a division without a captain *hint hint*
5 I don't think that anyone from Naruto will be in this one…. To many characters in one story… and I can only write so much XD
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To nessa671: Will do!
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To spider_qween: Wow another Byasaku fan XD We'll see, but I think this story might lean in that direction.
