"Wake up." Oni hissed angrily.
The woman didn't budge an inch. He growled again, taking another set closer to her. Oni had been trying to wake the woman for a long time. He didn't really know how long but it had felt like a decade had passed. He glanced around him, taking in the darkness. He could no longer tell the difference between the sky and the ground. Everything was a swirling grey and black mass.
"WAKE UP!" He shouted, gripping her arm tightly to shake her, "Is this all you have? Are you ready to die already?"
Still nothing.
Oni dropped her arm, sighing. He sat next to the beaten woman's body, taking in what their world had become. Desolate. He had thought it had been desolate before. He had thought the red sky and black land was the worst he would ever see their world. How gravely he had mistaken. This was a whole new level of despair. Oni clenched his jaw tightly, nails biting into his palm. Everything they had done. Everything they had fought for. Everything had come crashing back down in one single fight. Oni's body shook in anger. He utterly refused for that to happen. His master was strong. And if she wasn't he would give her the strength to carry on. To complete her goals.
Oni turned to look at the woman, brushing strands of black hair from her face. He sighed again, moving closer as he placed her head in his lap. His fingertip's brushed over her temples, letting them rest there. The reiastu around them picked up speed like a gentle breeze. Oni stared down at the woman, watching, waiting.
For a long time nothing happened. Her eyes remained closed and her body remained slack.
"Come on." Oni urged quietly.
The woman's arm shot out quickly, fingers clenched tightly around someone's throat. The person squeaked, their own hands grabbing at her fingers. She slowly pulled herself into a seated position, dark eyes opening tentatively. She blinked, dropping her hand and growled lightly. The small man in front of her gasped, wincing.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He yelled quickly, bowing low.
"Where am I?" She asked, ignoring him.
"Ahh haha. You don't remember anything Miss...?" He asked, chuckling nervously.
She regarded him for a long moment, eyes training on the bruise already forming around his neck. She sighed, shaking her head lightly.
"Tsubaki."
"And I'm Hanataro, 7th seat in the 4th Division! I've been looking after you!" He said, smiling at her brightly.
Tsubaki frowned, eyes still on the young mans neck. She flexed her fingers a few times before sighing again.
"Sorry," She mumbled, "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Hanataro laughed slightly, hand rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's okay! I didn't mean to startle you Tsubaki-san. Ahh! I'm sorry! You asked where you are!" He said quickly, bowing again.
"You don't have to do that." Tsubaki said, glancing down at the man.
"Ahh, right! Sorry!" Hanataro laughed, "Umm, to answer your question. You're in Seirseitei. You're in the 4th Division. You had a pretty bad fight with Zaraki Taicho. He and Ikkaku-san and Yumichika-san brought you here."
Tsubaki nodded slightly, remembering the fight with the large man. Her fists clenched tightly, head hung in shame. She had lost. That was obvious enough. But she didn't understand why they would help her. She had attacked him after all. It was embarrassing. The thought of her getting his help. He should have left her to die.
"Don't worry!" Hanataro quipped.
Tsubaki turned to stare at him, dark eyes searching his. He was chuckling nervously again, rubbing his hand against the back of his head. She suddenly swung her legs over the edge of the bed, pulling herself into a seated position. Hanataro called out in surprise, pushing his hand against her shoulder.
"You shouldn't be up yet! You're still not completely healed!" He said exasperatedly, attempting to push her back down.
"I don't feel pain." Tsubaki said simply, ignoring his cries to stop as she stood.
"Even so!" Hanataro sighed, giving another soft push, "You shouldn't be up yet! If you keep moving, you'll open your stitches!"
Tsubaki stared down at the fresh bandages wrapped around her arms. The clothes she had been previously wearing were gone, replaced by a light blue gown used for patients. She took a deep breath, feeling more bandages wrapped around her entire body. She knew she was in a bad state but she still couldn't feel it. She looked back at Hanataro, a dark gleam in her eyes.
"Take me." She said simply, pushing past him.
"Huh?" He asked, turning around to stare at the woman.
"Take me to Kenpachi." She said, walking towards the door and opening it.
Hanataro stared, surprised before quickly rushing after her.
"Wa-wait up! Tsubaki-san!"
"Kenn-chaaan!" Yachiru chipped happily, jumping on her Taicho's shoulder, "Ken-chaan!"
Kenpachi turned to her, giving a grunt before turning back around. She beamed happily, jumping away from him to land next to Ikkaku. The bald man frowned slightly, staring at his Taicho.
"You've been awfully quiet Taicho, more so then usual." Yumichika stated.
Kenpachi turned to look at him and the 5th seat raised his hands in a joking manner.
"I was just saying."
"Heh." Kenpachi turned away, going back to his mount of paperwork.
Yumichika sighed, scratching his head lightly. He had never really seen Kenpachi voluntarily do paperwork before. Usually Yumichika was the one to do it. That or Kenpachi threw half of it away, claiming it was lost. He seemed particularly intent on find one specific document but before Yumichika could question him about it he sensed a familiar reiatsu heading their way. Ikkaku must have felt it too because he reached for his own zanpakuto.
"Wa-wait Tsubaki-san! You can't just rush into a Taicho's office!" A voiced shouted.
Yumichika recognized it as Hanataro immediately. He was in charge of the woman Kenpachi had beaten and if that were the case then Tsubaki must be-
The door suddenly burst open wide, revealing the crazed woman from before, Hanataro panting behind her.
"I'm sorry!" He shouted quickly, bowing low, "I tried to stop her but-"
"Kenpachi." The woman said quickly.
Ikkaku noticed her sheathed zanpakuto clutched tightly in her left hand. Her dirty shorts from before hung low on her hips and the fresh bandages around her body were stained red in some places. The stupid woman had strained herself to reach them.
Kenpachi watched her intently, visible eye gleaming. Her hand tightened even more over her zanpakuto as she took another step into the room. She wouldn't be able to do much if she came here to fight him again and an easy smirk covered his lips.
"What do you want, Onna?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.
The woman reached for her zanpakuto, drawing it in her right hand. Ikkaku and Yumichika stepped closer, hands resting on the hilt of their own zanpakuto. What happened next surprised them all as she drove the tip of her zanpakuto into the wooden floor, dropping herself low into a bow. Her black hair hung around her face, keeping them from seeing her serious expression.
"I want to kill you for embarrassing me." She stated simply.
She looked up from the floor, a large grin plastered across her face. Ikkaku growled slightly, drawing his zanpakuto.
"I want to kill you," She continued, "But for me to do that, I need to be stronger."
Kenpachi's own smirk grew larger, teeth bared.
"And for me to get stronger, I need you to teach me. I need you to teach me to become Kenpachi." She said, grin never fading.
"That's an interesting request, Onna," Kenpachi laughed, "Teach you so you can beat me?"
"My name's Tsubaki." The woman said easily, pulling herself to stand.
She removed her blade from the floor and sheathed it, continuing to stare at Kenpachi. He looked half thoughtful for a moment, looking back to the stack of paperwork on the desk. He shuffled through them once more, finally coming to a stop as he pulled one of the papers up. His grin returned, extending an arm for her to take it. She walked across the room, brushing past Ikkaku and Yumichika who turned to watch her. She took the paper, staring at it for a moment before looking back at him.
"What's it say?" She asked, cocking her head to the side, grinning.
Ikkaku and Yumichika frowned. Couldn't she read?
Kenpachi laughed again, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I figured ya'd say something like this. I requested to have to put into my Division. That Old Man approved."
Ikkaku eye's widened, spluttering.
"Nani! When did you do this!" He shouted.
"When we got back." Kenpachi shrugged.
"Yay yay!" Yachiru cheered, jumping on the desk, "'Baki-chaan!"
"Welcome to Division Eleven, Onna." Kenpachi said, matching her grin.
The moment was ruined however when Hanataro cleared his throat nervously. They all turned to look at him and he shrunk back.
"Ano, That's great news Tsubaki-san! But can you please allow me to heal you now?"
"And this is where we bathe," Ikkaku said, turning to face the woman, "We've never really had a woman in the Division for longer than a day or two so there has never been a need for a separate bathing area. Sorry but we don't do special treatment here."
"That's fine," Tsubaki said, "It doesn't bother me. I wasn't expecting any."
Ikkaku frowned slightly but shrugged his shoulders.
"Yer definitively an interesting person Onna."
"My names Tsubaki." She said, turning to stare at him.
Ikkaku laughed, "And when I first met you, you said your name was Kenpachi. Onna works just fine."
"Kenpachi will be my name one day." Tsubaki said, shrugging her shoulders as well.
Ikkaku laughed again, leading her away from the bath house.
"Yer pretty confidante for someone who got beaten so badly, Onna."
"You're pretty confidante for a bald man." She replied easily.
"Tch."
Yumichika chuckled as he followed behind them. Tsubaki was easily going to get along with Ikkaku but he wasn't so sure how the rest of the men would take her being there.
"Maybe we should introduce her to the Division?" Yumichika spoke up.
Ikkaku looked back at his friend, sighing slightly.
"Yeah, I just don't know how they're going to take the news. We've never had a girl besides Yachiru in the Division. They're gunna to give you hell."
Tsubaki just grinned.
"I can take care of myself."
Ikkaku sighed again, hoping she was right.
"I-Ikkaku-dono! Yumichika-dono!" A man shouted, causing all of the men to give a deep bow.
"Yo," Ikkaku smirked, "Ya know I don't care if you slack off in cleaning but ya shouldn't let your guard down. If I had been Taicho you'd all be in trouble."
"Ha-Hai! Ikkaku-dono!" They shouted together.
When they looked up from their bow, all eyes quickly zero'd in on the woman standing next to them. She grinned easily, standing in a relaxed position.
"I'm here to introduce your new Division mate, Tsubaki."
The response was immediate. All around them cries of indigence rang out.
"Nani!"
"A woman!"
"What's Taicho thinking!"
"Women are weak!"
"She wont last a day."
"Shut up!" Ikkaku shouted, 'tch' mark forming above his eye.
"Zaraki Taicho chose her specifically to be in this Division. You won't question him."
"B-But Ikkaku-dono! Women are weak! The Eleventh Division is a strict combatant unit!"
"It also seems like the Division of the stupidest men." Tsubaki spoke up, standing to her full height.
Ikkaku rolled his eyes.
Several of the men reached for their zanpakuto, growling angrily.
"You're going to insult us!" One of them hissed, stepping forward.
"I already did." Tsubaki grinned, reaching for her own zanpakuto.
"She does have a point." Yumichika chuckled.
"I challenge you here and now!" The man who stepped forward said, pulling out his zanpakuto.
"Hey! Wait a sec-!"
"I accept!" Tsubaki said, cutting Ikkaku off.
"Hey wait! Stop it!" Ikkaku shouted, jumping between them.
Yumichika smiled to himself. Maybe she would fit in here after all.
"Itaaa." Ikkaku mumbled, holding his head.
"You didn't have to hit me as well!" He yelled at Tsubaki.
She grinned easily, "You were in the way."
"Yeah but you also didn't have to send three of our men to Division Four! Unohana-Taicho is going to be so pissed!"
Tsubaki laughed, brushing his statement off, "It's not my fault they were weak. I didn't even need to use my Shikai."
"Speaking of Shikai," Yumichika spoke up, "What is your zanpakuto's power?"
A dark look passed over the woman's face but it was gone as quickly as it had come.
"I don't really know." She answered after a moment.
"Really?" Yumichika asked, confused, "I thought it would have something to do with you not feeling pain. You said something like that when you fought Zaraki Taicho."
Tsubaki staid quiet for a moment, taking a sip of the tea they were drinking. Ikkaku leaned back against the wall, watching her.
"Nah, even without my zanpakuto being released I don't feel pain." She said simply.
She removed her zanpakuto from it's sheath and brought it close to herself. She rested her hand along the blade, clutching it tightly.
"He-Hey wait!" Ikkaku said, leaning forward as she pulled the blade along her hand.
Blood seeped from the wound and she laid her blade on her lap. She turned her hand to face them, so they could see the gash across her palm. Yumichika made a disgusted face, leaning away.
"What the hell are you doing!" Ikkaku asked, "Are you stupid!"
"I told you, I don't feel pain. I can't even feel this right now," Tsubaki said, closed her fist and laying it on her lap, "I haven't been able to feel pain for as long as I can remember."
"Then how do you not know what your zanpakuto does?" Yumichika asked, "You can release it into Shikai by just calling it's name."
"Ahaha, Oni-sama?" Tsubaki chuckled, "That's not my zanpakuto's name. That's just what I've always called him. I've known Oni-sama since I was a child."
"A kid?" Ikkaku asked, clearly confused.
"Yeah," Tsubaki said, "I've had my zanpakuto since I was a kid. His name isn't Oni. But when I was a kid that's what he looked like to me, I've always called him that. I guess I would say I don't really know his real name. I've never asked. I never needed it to go into Shikai. He's always released himself."
Ikkaku turned to look at Yumichika but his friend was staring at the woman intently. Yumichika suddenly smiled at the woman.
"You're an interesting person, Tsubaki-san." He said, smiling wider.
"Thanks Yumichika-san."
Ikkaku chuckled, "Yeah, I guess I'll agree with Yumichika on that, Onna."
