Two Hearts, New Soul: Paw Prints

Sasuke sat underneath a tree watching his other squad members practicing. He sighed to himself looking up through the branches to the clouds. He had learned from some of the squad members that Shikamaru was a member of squad two years ago and sat for hours in the tree behind him.

'Well now's a good time as any to take a little nap.' Sasuke thought as he stretched.

Meanwhile everyone else stopped and faced their Lieutant, Omaeda Marechiyo.

"Good morning Lieutant." Everyone greeted him.

"Yeah good morning" He grunted looking over at Sasuke. "Hey what's the deal with the Captain's third seat member?!"

"Save it Lieutant! Sasuke's just being Sasuke." They tried to calm Omaeda down.

"No seat member of squad two should be just lying around napping!" Omaeda yelled as his fist flew towards Sasuke.

Omaeda's fist was only five inches away from Sasuke's face when Sasuke opened up his eyes and sighed. Sasuke stopped Omaeda's fist. Omaeda tried to pull his fist away from Sasuke. Omaeda made the mistake of looking into Sasuke's eyes, which were now red with three commas around the pupil.

"Is this fist of yours a challenge Lieutant?" Sasuke asked.

"You were napping again, Sasuke Uchiha!" Omaeda yelled back at him.

"There's no reason to raise your voice at me after all I'm right here." Sasuke told him.

"Marechiyo! Uchiha!" Sasuke and Omaeda looked to find their Captain walking towards them.

"Captain!" Omaeda pulled his fist away from Sasuke and bowed to the young woman. "Learn your place third seat member Uchiha!"

"No it is you who should learn his place." Soi Fon turned her cold eyes towards Omaeda. "I could send you packing back to your parents giving Sasuke your spot as my Lieutant. He has been here only for a few years and within that time he's moved up to third seat already."

"Yes, Captain." Omaeda said as tried not to whimper.

"Now then Sasuke there have been some rumors about a black cat roaming around the Seireitei. I need you to look into it. Report back to me as soon as you found a lead onto this cat." Soi Fon gave orders to Sasuke.

"Of course Captain." Sasuke nodded his head and grabbed his Zanpakuto.

'You better have not returned now Miss Yoruichi. I'm not ready for your return just yet!' Soi Fon thought as she watched Sasuke leave.

Meanwhile, a black cat made its way towards the squad 12 labs. It looked around the squad 11 barracks. It seemed to smirk at the Captain fighting a young blonde man. It watched the two fight until it spotted the young red head girl sitting next to Ikkaku.

"Well I don't believe it Rika joined squad 11. Hm well at least she looks happy." The cat said to itself. "But I need to find out where Kimiko is."

The cat continued making its rounds in the squad 11 barracks and the squad 12 labs. Its last place to look was the grounds around the squad 13 dojo. She smiled watching a young girl with black hair and purple eyes watching the Lieutant fight another squad member.

'Well at least Lee hasn't changed. Always fighting Kaien.' The cat thought as it turned to jump off of its branch.

"Going somewhere without saying hello Yoruichi." The cat smiled at the voice.

"Ah it seems that you have found me before I could find you, Kimiko." The cat answered the girl standing upside down on the branch.

"What brings you back to the soul society?" Kimiko asked the cat.

"I have a mission for you from Kisuke." Yoruichi told her.

Kimiko was taken back by the name of her former Captain, "What does Kisuke need from me?"

"Ah I knew we could count on you Kimiko."

"You can always count on me Yoruichi after all I know everything about Azien." Kimiko smirked.

"Good because we need you to find someone to hide the Hogyoku in." Yoruichi gave Kimiko her mission.

"What?!" Kimiko asked in shock as she fell from the branch.

Yoruichi hopped off the branch and landed next to the strawberry brown haired soul reaper. "Kisuke and I have tried everything we could think of to destroy the Hogyoku so it wouldn't fall into Azien's hands, but we have only found that it can't be destroyed. So we need you to protect it."

"By hiding it right under Azien's nose." Kimiko nodded her head.

"I have a feeling you already have someone in mind."

"Yes, don't worry Yoruichi the Hogyoku will be safe with me and Lee. You still trust him as well, right?"

"Yes of course you two were the only ones who could ever catch me at tag." Yoruichi laughed as she pulled of the pouch around her neck.

"I thought I smelled something fishy." Kimiko and Yoruichi looked up to find Sasuke looking down at them. "What are you doing Kimiko, feeding that stray cat?"

"Maybe what's it to ya Uchiha?" Kimiko smirked as she pulled the Hogyoku out of the pouch and put it into her pocket.

"Please like that's going to work Kimiko after all we both were ninja once." Sasuke said to her. "So just show me what you just put into your pocket."

"Okay, but its nothing to be so worked up about." Kimiko said as Yoruichi glanced over at her.

Kimiko pulled out her hand and opened it revealing some chunks of dried fish.

Sasuke laughed, "So you are just feeding this cat. But what about the talking I heard earlier about hiding something under Captain Azien's nose?"

"I was just telling this poor cat here about how Momo's been worried about Azien's gift." Kimiko smoothly lied to Sasuke as she pulled out a small gift. "I was hoping that this cat could help me out with hiding it for her."

Sasuke laughed again, "Even here you still have a way with animals Kimi! Don't worry I'll just tell Captain Fon that it was only a rumor about the cat. See ya around!"

Kimiko sighed as Sasuke left, "That was a close on. Actually this is a gift for Kisuke."

"Really?" Yoruichi asked her about it.

"Today is the day I joined squad 12 and was going to sneak to earth to give it to him, but since I have another mission could you give it too him for me Yoruichi." Kimiko explained.

"Of course Kimiko. It's good to know that you are still loyal after all this time." Yoruichi said to her as she took the gift in her mouth and left Kimiko with the Hogyoku.

Kimiko pulled out the Hogyoku and tossed it into the air. "Now to get you into the one person who's not going to be easy to get to, Rukia Kuchiki." Kimiko caught the Hogyoku and walked back to the squad 13 barracks planning out her mission for the night.

Karakua Town

"Ah I see you have returned Yoruichi." Tessai greeted the black cat.

The cat transformed into a woman, "Yes I have and with a little gift for you Kisuke."

"Hm?" the blonde ex-soul reaper caught the gift that Yoruichi tossed at him.

He opened it and pulled out a white with teal stripes bucket hat, "Well how thoughtful of Kimiko." Kisuke smiled as he put it on. "I hope this means the Hogyoku is safe."

"Safely inside Rukia Kuchiki."