Ok, done with school life. MOVING ON! This is...the month that Rukia leaves for the WOTL. Like, two days before she leaves.

-KuroNerd

Never give in.

Never back down.

If you do, defeat is yours

Chapter 5: Banned

Neutral POV

"Kaede Takeshita, Third Seat of Squad Two. Step forward." The Captain-General's voice bounced around the Captain's meeting room. Everyone sighed as the grape-haired girl kneeled in front of the old man. What had the girl done now? She was known for pranks, and not harmless ones. Ukitake's slightly green complexion now matched his green-tinged hair. In her defense, Kaede hadn't known avocados had a long-lasting color on hair.

"It is my understanding that you assaulted Captain Ichimaru yesterday. Am I correct?" All the Captains' ears perked.

"Yes sir." Twenty-six eyes widened. She'd attacked Gin! If anything, she was last person to have violent tendencies.

"Do you have any thing to say for yourself?"

"He threatened my younger sister sir. He promised to skin her." Some of the Captains nodded. That sounded like Gin. They looked around. The third Captain was nowhere in sight.

"Even so, it is a crime. We must punish you accordingly. You are dismissed for the moment."

As she left the room, bursts of conversations erupted in the room. They were still surprised, and some (Tosen) wanted her to receive the death penalty. Hitsugaya, Ukitake, and Kommamura were against this option, while everyone else was pretty neutral. Most were suggesting sending the issue to Central 46.

"Silence! There is no need of Central Forty-six's involvement at this time." Yamammoto's roar shook them into quiet as Aizen stepped forward and bowed.

"Sir, the girl has a good reason. There is no need to punish her. If we have to, we could send her to the World of the Living with Ukitake's squad member." He suggested. For a moment the old man sat there, then huffed and nodded.

"Yes. We'll do that. Send her back in."

Kaede kneeled in a slightly more relaxed manner than before. The non-tense aura that clouded the room loosened her muscles. A cough from Yammamoto signaled her to stand.

"Squad Two-member Kaede Takeshita has been charged with attempted-assault of Captain Gin Ichimaru. You are sentenced to spend three years in the World Of The Living. A month of said sentence will be monitored by Rukia Kuchiki of Squad Thirteen. No changes will be made."

Hitsugaya opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced by the purple-haired girl's glare. The last time he'd tried to soften her punishment, they'd both received retribution.

"You will leave immediately. Dismissed." She nodded and left, followed by the Captains. When Hitsugaya caught up to Kaede, she was exchanging words with Kommamura. He waited patiently and soon, the seventh Captain moved on to walk with Tosen. Toshiro glided beside her.

"That punishment was ridiculous and you know it."

"Three years isn't that long Hitsugaya." Kaede laughed. The girl always made jokes about time, mostly because everyone in the Soul Society would live more than the natural human years. He grunted in response and she nudged him with her shoulder.

"Don't think you'll miss me." She teased. "You have Miss Hinamori and Kaoru and Akane."

"Yeah yeah. But they're no fun." He turned his head and coughed. She giggled at the compliment. Of course, she'd pranked Ukitake because he'd been pestering Hitsugaya with candy. She'd never prank the old Captain without a reason.

"Well you'll just have to live." She replied. She flicked her short, mauve hair and smirked at him. As she joined Soi Fon to go back to the Squad Two Barracks, Hitsugaya remembered what she'd said the day they graduated:

"Captain Yamma is going to do whatever he thinks is right. Trying to get him to do anything else is the act of a fool. Its better just to take it and move on."

Instinctively, he rolled his eyes at his thoughts. He'd done the same action when she'd said it to him. But, on the other hand, even if her pranks became extremely dangerous- on the verge of Kurotsuchi-experiment dangerous who, for some god forsaken reason, she was friends with -she never got seriously punished. Maybe it was because that was her motto for the old man. It worked, even now. Any other subordinate would have been executed; but because of her saying...

And Aizen. He rescued her. He thought. The fifth squad Captain had saved Kaede from Tosen. Perhaps he would thank the man later.

Kaede sighed and packed her things. She didn't have much, and by the time her room was bear of everything but furniture, only two black leather rucksacks made up her luggage. She was about to turn around when she felt her Captain's Suzumebachi at her neck.

"Don't let your emotions cloud your instincts Takeshita." Soi Fon scolded. She released the third seat and smirked. Kaede glared lightly.

"I noticed." She retorted. Soi Fon looked down to find Kaede's sword pointed precariously close to her heart. They both looked at each other and gave toothy smiles.

A man appeared to escort Kaede to the Senkaimon Gate. She rolled her eyes and followed the Squad One member out and past all of Squad Two's buildings; otherwise known as her home. She nodded to her fellow members as the trio moved through the crowd. The few women in the squad sniffled and told her to take care and the men just coughed and said goodbye. A few tears crowded her eyes by the time they reached the gate.

Captain Ukitake, Kyoraku, Kommamura, Hitsugaya, and Unohana were waiting along with Rukia Kuchiki and the other five Captains' Lieutenants. Akane smiled sadly while holding a crying Kaoru. Rukia smiled as the two joined each other.

"Hello Takeshita."

"Good morning Kuchiki."

Ukitake supervised the opening of the gate as the two girls received their Hell Butterflies. Kommamura placed his giant paw of a hand on Kaede's head and looked at her from behind his bucket-helmet-thing.

"Come back safely young one."