Although, I wish I possessed the genius of Tite Kubo, I am but a mere follower, with simply a fraction of the imagination and talent. Bleach and its affiliated people places and thing, is and sadly, will never be mine.

If you come across a Japanese word that you do not know, then you can check out my profile, and I should have them there. If you come across one I've forgotten, go ahead and give me a heads up. I'll be happy to add it for you.

"Are you ready?" Hisagi asked, he waited next to the Senkai Gate for her.

This was her first mission in the real world and she almost felt like she should be nervous, but reminded herself that she was from the real world and to stop being such a wuss. Besides, she wouldn't be doing anything more then konsohs and playing follow the leader.

"Yeah, let's go," she waited for him to enter the gate first, then followed closely. As they rushed through the Severed World, she wondering if he was angry with the situation. "Shuuhei?"

"Yeah?" he asked, not looking back.

"I wondered," she told him, "are you mad? Mad that you are being forced to walk me to the Real World? About having to watch me?"

It was a few moments before he answered, "I was mad at first," he told her, "but the more I thought about it, I really don't mind. I just don't have as much free time, you're going to have to find someone else to help you train."

"Oh," she said quietly, "I see. I'm sorry."

He didn't say anything to her apology, instead he exited out the Senkai Gate into the Real World. He used shunpo to jump across rooftops, Hana falling further behind. She didn't ask him to slow down though, she knew it was because she understood that she must push herself in order to train. For her, for a human, to be thought of as good as a shinigami, they'd have to be twice as strong as the majority of shinigami.

Suddenly he stopped, at the edge of a rooftop, across the street from a park. He waited for Hana to catch up, and when she did he made no promises to not leave her behind again.

"We're to meet them down there," he pointed near a corner of the park, "Rukia Kuchiki of the Thirteenth Squad, your senpai, and Ichigo Kurosaki, the Substitute Shinigami."

Hana only nodded, she looked around the park, she wasn't familiar with Kurakara, or even with much of Japan, but she understood a lot of things.

"Come on," he dropped from the roof and made his way across the street, he just walked as if it were normal for a man dressed in black robes, carrying a katana, to be walking across the street. But then again, few people could see them, and even fewer knew what they were.

As they entered the park Hana could feel the other's coming. She looked to the sky, wondering if they'd come that way. There was a strong reiatsu coming from one of them, like an unstopped river flowing without control. The other seemed to feel more controlled, contained even.

"Hey, Hisagi," it was the orange-haired shinigami from that night, the image flashed in Hana's mind. She remembered what Abarai had told her about a the man who had her body, he fit perfectly. Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Lieutenant Hisagi," a short young woman greeted, "thank you for coming."

"It's nothing," he told her, "is there anything nearby?"

"Yes," she told him, "someone just down the road."

"Good," he said, his tone pleased, "Hana Chiba, this is Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki."

Hana bowed in respect.

"Welcome to the Gotei Thirteen, and to the Thirteenth Squad," Rukia nodded at her showing her status.

"You look like you're doing a lot better then the last time I saw you," Ichigo told her with a strange smile.

Hana gave him a half-smile, not sure what to say to him.

"Let's go," Rukia said leading the way.

"Right," Ichigo agreed.

The four of them moved swiftly in the direction that Rukia had specified. When they stopped, they were standing in an alley, an old lady with some bright clothes looked scared as they approached her. Her Chain of Fate was broken and she looked as if she'd been searching for something.

"Take your zanpakuto out," Hisagi instructed, "place the end of your hilt on her forehead."

Hana watched the old lady as she drew her zanpakuto from it's sheath, she seemed to become frightened of her as she did so. Hana could understand, she lifted the zanpakuto up so that the hilt was facing the old woman and placed it on her forehead. It began to glow and the woman seemed to evaporate quickly.

"Wow," Hana said surprised, "that was pretty cool."

She was impressed with her own abilities, even though every shinigami possessed the ability it still seemed like something to be in awe over.

"That's all there is," Hisagi told her.

"Really?" she looked a little surprised, "That's it? Huh? Not bad."

They returned to the empty park and waited for the next assignment to pop up on Rukia's phone-like device.

"Ichigo, can I ask you something?" Hana braved.

"Shoot," he told her, surprised. She'd barely said two things to him since she'd arrived.

"What exactly did you do with my body?" she asked.

"You're body?" he asked at first before the memories came to the surface, "Oh! I left it with Kisuke Urahara. Don't worry, he can take better care of it then I can."

"Nothing personal," Hana said as she tilted her head down and looked at him from under her eyebrows, "but that doesn't exactly instill a lot of confidence."

"Oh," he gave a little laugh, "sorry, but it was the best I could do."

Hana sighed and softened her expression. There was nothing she could do about it anyway.

Hisagi gave Ichigo a look, he wasn't sure it was a good idea leaving her body behind with the ex-Captain of Squad Twelve, but he didn't want to startle Hana with the lack of trust he had for the scientist.

"Hana, how did you come to have your powers awakened?" Rukia asked her, "none of us lent you our power."

"What do you mean?" Hana asked confused on all fronts of the question.

"Ichigo had a normal human soul until I lent him my power to protect his family," she explained, "but it is illegal. And temporary. You're soul is like his now, I'm asking who lent you their power."

"I don't know," Hana said honestly, "in fact until that one night, I'm pretty sure my soul had never been separated from my body."

"Could it have happened when you were a child?" Ichigo asked, "and maybe you just forgot it?"

"That would explain why she didn't have a zanpakuto," Rukia continued, "if it happened years ago, then there's a good possibility that the power someone lent you had run out. Leaving behind only your awakened soul."

Hana was trying to grasp all the things they were saying. "But what makes someone do something illegal like that? Why would they knowingly break the law?"

"In my case," Ichigo said cutting Rukia off, "my family was in danger and Rukia was seriously hurt. She did it to protect the lives and souls of humans."

"To protect is our purpose," Hisagi said, "that is what we are here for. By sending souls to Soul Society you are protecting them from being eaten, by slaying hollows you are freeing all those who have been eaten by that hollow and protecting future souls from being eaten."

Hana knew all that, she'd spent some time in the Soul Academy, there were a lot of things she knew, but it seemed there were more things that she did not know.

Rukia's phone went off again, she looked down at the screen and then looked at Ichigo. "It's a hollow," she said, "a big one, we're needed as back up."

"Hana," Hisagi said sternly, "stay here. Do not leave until I come back."

Hana nodded and watched as the three of them rushed off into the dark to help protect people. She sighed, she'd thought that maybe she'd at least be able to watch from the sidelines, but it seemed like that wasn't an option anymore.

Ten minutes passed, she began to wonder how far out the hollow was, or how tough it was. She thought about how she might be able to sneak a peek without getting in trouble. Then it came to her, she would try to see the reiraku. It will be good for me to practice, she reminded herself.

She concentrated. At first she could only feel the people nearby, but the more she tried the easier it came. She could feel people further and further out. But still no ribbons, she could feel the people, but at a point it all stopped.

No one learned it in a day, she told herself, I can do this if I keep concentrating.

As she felt people out, she could feel something else. It was strange, not quite human, but not shinigami or hollow. It was strange, so she felt it out closer, taking in and memorizing the feeling. After a few moments it began to come to her, the reiraku were becoming visible.

She could feel them, they were pretty far off, she wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but it was something that caused their reiatsu to fluctuate. She tried to feel out the other creatures around them. Hollows, seven of them, and they were giving Hisagi and the others a had time. She was surprised by the massive amount of strength that each hollow displayed.

It wasn't long before the hollows disappeared from her feeling, and the three of them began to return. She opened her eyes and waited patiently, having let the reiraku slip from her mind.

"Ms. Chiba," came the voice of a man behind her, "I was surprised that they let you return to the Real World."

Hana turned, a tall black man in white clothing stood facing her. He wore glasses but didn't really look at her. Hana's hand went to the hilt of her zanpakuto. She hadn't felt his approach, nor could she feel much of any reiatsu coming from him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his tone remained the same as he spoke.

"You might say that," she said cautiously, "where did you come from?"

"That's not important," he informed her, "I came here with a message from Aizen."

"Aizen?" Hana asked, the man hadn't made any move towards her, but she held her zanpakuto just in case.

"He has asked that I bring you this offer myself," he told Hana, "he has said that if you come to him willingly, and alone, he will allow you to return to your body in the real world, as well as tell you about your mother."

"What?" Hana asked narrowing her eyes at him, "What does this 'Aizen' know of my mother?"

"He knows what happened to her," the man told her, "she had a lot of secrets, and Aizen knows most of them."

Hana watched, she was certain the man in front of her was blind, but there was no way to tell for sure. She didn't like the way the offer rubbed on her. It seemed like there was something missing, "and what does he want from me in return?"

"He simply wants you to stay away from the shinigamis and Soul Society all together. It's not much," he said casually, "but it will help him, and it would be good for your safety as well.

"Not interested," she said after some deliberation, "I'm passing on his offer."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" the man asked her, "after all, his offer comes with something in return. And he is the first person to offer to tell you about your mother."

Hana crossed her arms, she didn't want them to hold that over her. But what would she do if they really did know something about her mother? She still said nothing.

"You didn't know that the shinigami's knew your mother, did you?" he asked, he was not surprised, "they knew her well."

"I don't care," she told him before he could say more, before he could say something that might actually sway her opinion, "I decline."

They could both feel Hisagi, Kuchiki and Kurosaki approach. They would be there soon, Hana watched the man in front of her. It was strange but she could feel his reiatsu, it was faint, but it was there.

"We'll be in touch," he told her as a hole ripped open the air behind him and he stepped in, "I hope that next time you'll have a more favorable answer."

The gap closed behind him, and Hana stared at the nothing that was left behind. She could feel her body relaxing a little, it was a disturbing thing. Her body was still very tense and she wondered if she should tell Hisagi. It wasn't exactly like anything had really happened, but she didn't want to do anything without fully thinking about it.

"Hana," Hisagi drew her attention as he arrived.

She turned, nearly jumping when she saw he was standing a few inches away from her. She didn't say anything.

"It's time to go," he didn't look like he'd even been fighting, he was calm, he showed no sign of physical stress.

She was extremely quiet as they waited for the senkai gate to open. Hisagi noted it and watched her closely. As they began to pass through he wondered what had happened while he was gone.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice stiff.

"What?" Hana looked up to him.

"You've been uncharacteristically quiet," he told her, "and you're tense."

"No," she said, "I've just been thinking and I dunno. Sorry." She wasn't sure it was a good idea to tell him about the strange man who'd come from seemingly no where.

The next day, Hana went to the Sixth Squad Headquarters, she'd asked to see Lieutenant Abarai and fidgeted nervously as she waited. The halls were familiar, it had only been a couple quick weeks since she'd run out of the building, she never imagined at the time she'd return here willingly, let alone requesting to see Abarai.

"Hey," Abarai greeted as he approached, "what are you doing here?"

She looked at him nervously, then reminded herself that she can show no fear, she couldn't afford to show hesitance. He would surely shoot her down immediately if she showed any weakness of determination.

"Lieutenant Abarai," she greeted standing up straight, "I have a request."

Abarai looked at her a little surprised, he waved her into his office, and offered a seat.

She didn't take it, instead she bowed at her waist. "Please," she began, her hair covered her face, "I want you to help me train. If you will, I would be very grateful."

"What?" he asked, "why are you here? Wasn't Lieutenant Hisagi training you?"

"Well," Hana stood up straight again, "he's already done so many things for me, and now he has to baby-sit me on missions. Plus he's still doing his own work, I can no longer ask him to do anything more for me."

He watched her for a moment, he remembered the first time she'd been there, it was an amazing leap in standing. She stood before him now, with an understanding of how things are. He watched, searching her face for anything. But her expression never changed.

"I know that I don't have any standing in this place," she said slowly, "there's a reason that I am a Shinigami, I don't know what it is yet, but if I do nothing, I will never learn the truth. The only path is to keep moving forward. I want to be able to keep up, and hold my own in a battle."

"You intend on running into battle anytime soon?" his tone hinted of mockery.

"No, but I can't stand being useless," she told him, "I need to know what I can do. As I am, I couldn't accomplish much."

Abarai let a grin creep up his cheek. "Fine," he said, he was amused by her surprised look, "but don't think I'll go easy on you. If you want training, it will be hard."

"I was hoping for nothing less," she said wondering if she really knew what she was getting into, "Thank you."

"I want you back here tomorrow morning," he told her, "I have some duties I have to finish up tonight. Be here early."

Hana gave a quick nod, she was excited, but she couldn't let it show.

The next morning, before the sun had even come up Hana waited outside the Sixth Squad headquarters. She leaned against the wall and waited. She wished that she would have asked what time Abarai wanted her to meet him.

"How long you going to stand there?" Abarai asked closer to the gate of the Sixth Squad, "let's go all ready."

Hana rushed over to him, "Why are we leaving? Are we training in the Sixth Squad's dojo?"

"We can't have you training in there, you're not part of the Sixth Squad," he told her as they walked, "besides, there's a better place. Somewhere with more room."

They walked up to the execution hill, Hana gave Abarai a startled look.

"There is a place under the hill," he told her, "We'll be going there, no one else in Seireitei know about it."

She nodded in understanding.

They made their way inside the cavernous training ground. It was massive inside, Hana couldn't see everything, it stretch out a good distance.

Abarai started by testing her current levels, he wanted to evaluate her abilities and see how far they'd have to go. He struck quickly, she barely had the time to react. Pulling her zanpakuto out just in time the block his strike.

He struck again, swinging hard, fast. And again, and again. She could only react, he didn't give her a chance to strike out first, every move was defensive. She missed his movement, and he stopped short of cutting her head off.

Hana started up at him wide-eyed, breathing heavy as she stared at him past his zanpakuto.

"Not too bad," he told her.

"Not bad?" she demanded, "that was terrible! I could barely see you move!"

"Heh," he smiled at her, she was right, but it was amusing to see her evaluate herself with such strictness, "at least you saw it at all."

Hana stared, she hadn't realized it at first, but he was right, she had seen him.

He struck again, quickly without warning, Hana dodge it. He was fast, it was a lot harder to compensate for his movement. Hisagi hadn't been this tough on her, but Abarai had warned her he wouldn't go easy on her.

They sparred for three hours, Hana was sore and weak by the end, barely able to stand up. He'd been rough on her. But as much as she hurt she felt good. He'd been pushing her way past her own limits. She laid on a large boulder, sprawled out.

"How do you feel?" he asked wiping sweat from his brow.

"Like someone took one of my lungs and my arm recently died," she gave him a half-smile, her eyes were closed as she rested her body and tried to calm her breathing.

"There's a stream over there that you can wash up in," he told her, "it'll be good for you."

"Thanks Lieutenant," she said, "ya know, for not going easy on me."

"Heh," he smiled down at her, "stop calling me Lieutenant, you're not a member of my squad, and we aren't in a formal setting."

"What should I call you then?" she asked opening her eyes and looking up at him.

"Just Renji," he told her.

"All right, Renji," she said sitting up.

She made it back to her squad's headquarters by nine, and started her work on the Records and Reports Department. She'd made some leeway on the mess and as it turned out it was easier the second time around then it was the first time.

The next morning she met up with Abarai again, she was stiff and sore, but she wouldn't let that stop her. She returned with renewed confidence, she would have to at least fight back.

If I could see him yesterday, then that means I have a chance to act before he does, maybe, she thought trying to psych herself up. If I see it, that means that I might even be able to act, I'm slower, but not so much that it's slaughter.

"Are you ready, Hana?" he asked as they readied themselves, "today will be harder then yesterday."

Hana gave a quick nod, she pulled her zanpakuto out and readied herself for his attack. "As ready as I'll ever be."

He smiled briefly, "Howl! Zabimaru!" he ran his hand over the blade and as he did it changed. It became wider, with long tooth like spots that protruded.

He struck, his swing was more powerful, Hana thought he was trying to take her arm off. He was moving faster, she couldn't see half his steps, and she was having trouble defending against his strikes.

Abarai had cut hard and harder, she was unable to defend, soon she would push past her limits and either cave and loose or, as he hoped, attain her zanpakuto's shikai form. Abarai jumped away and whipped his zanpakuto about, making it separate into a whip.

It took Hana by surprise and she could see it coming at her.

"Hana!" Kaminari said, she stood in front of her, katana in hand.

"Kaminari?" Hana was startled, she'd seen Zabimaru's strike coming, but now everything was gone. Hana was in the open, the static filled the cool air, like the calm before the storm.

"What are you doing?" Kaminari asked her, "you're too weak."

"I'm trying to get better," Hana told her, "I'm still training."

"It's not good enough," Kaminari told her as she stepped closer to Hana, stopping only a foot from her. There was a devilish look in her eyes, "at this rate he'll cut you to ribbons."

"I can't see him," Hana objected, "he's moving too fast."

"You just think he is," Kaminari told her, "really you are as fast as he is, you just have to move." As she spoke she swiftly cut the air in front of her, Hana had jumped away in time.

"What are you doing?" Hana demanded

"If you are not strong enough to defeat him, the I will make you strong enough," Kaminari said, "if you are unable to learn then I will kill you, and in your stead I will defeat him."

"That's not going to happen," Hana told her raising the katana in front of her face horizontally as Hisagi had the first time they'd sparred. She was ready to meet Kaminari's challenge.

Kaminari struck first, her attacks were in rapid succession, she reacted. Kaminari didn't hold back, nor did she curve her attacks to prevent harm from coming to Hana. Several near misses flew past, cutting her robes and creating shallow cuts on her arms and barely missing her face.

Hana watched the next strike come at her, she moved out of the way just in time, the blade cutting her free arm as she ducked down, cutting Kaminari's dress and drawing blood.

Kaminari looked down at her stomach, blood stained the blue dress dark. She smiled triumphantly, "finally you make your move." She picked a piece of Hana robes from the edge of her katana, "your guts are impressive. Finally we can move on, I was tired of waiting for you."

Hana watched cautiously as Kaminari whipped the katana to the side then back. When she brought it back in front of her it looked different, it was no longer a katana at all, but a short staff, maybe five feet in length, blue with silver trim engraved like ribbons down it's length.

She watched as Kaminari spun it around in a flashy manor, "And now you."

Hana looked down at the katana in her hand, she whipped it out and back and it returned in the same fashion that Kaminari's had. She copied the woman's moves and stood in the exact same position Kaminari was in.

The queen smiled and came rushing at her, they clashed the ends of their staffs together, Hana couldn't help but think to herself that the staff was too heavy. It was quick, but it was heavy and awkward almost.

Kaminari smiled and pulled the ends of her staff in opposite directions, the center of it split open revealing two separate blades hidden inside. The staff was in actuality two concealed swords that sheathed into each other to create the staff. That was why it was so heavy, Hana realized.

Hana mimicked the action and found herself holding one properly in her right hand and the other backwards in her left. Kaminari didn't adjust the blades, so Hana was sure that she was supposed to hold them like that as well.

The Queen rushed at her and they clashed blades. Right first then Kaminari pulled her left up, dragging the blade in a swiping fashion. "Speed," she told Hana, "strength, power."

"Strike! Kaminari!" Hana yelled as Zabimaru rushed in at her. Not a second had passed while Kaminari had sparred with her. Hana dodged the Baboon Snake and jumped hitting Abarai by surprise in the shoulder with the staff. She jumped away quickly and when she landed she spun Kaminari around in a flashy style.

Abarai smiled.

Hana grinned back with excitement. Then she rushed at him. Zabimaru had come back and wasn't ready to move out like that again, it would be a close contact battle. He slashed at her, he'd cut the back should of her robes open and bit harshly at her flesh, but Hana didn't react to it.

She blocked the next swing, his movements seemed slower then they were only moments ago. She hit him in the shoulder and he brought Zabimaru in for another attack. Hana drew the swords, she used her left to block and her right to strike.

Abarai jumped away just in time, barely making it out of her striking range. She'd even caught the edges of his shirt as he moved, but didn't touch his flesh. She came in for a second fierce attack, and Abarai was ready this time, and was able to compensate for the duo of blades. He blocked one with Zabimaru and the other he'd used the length of her handle against her, holding it in place.

There was an exchange of looks and it was decided that training was over for the day. Each moved just enough to un-clash their blades, Abarai put Zabimaru away and looked in wonder at Hana's zanpakuto.

"That's really amazing," he told her as she looked at it in wonder, herself. "two independent blades, maybe Hisagi should be training you."

"What? Why?" Hana asked confused.

"He's one of the best fighters, and he also has a dual zanpakuto release," Abarai informed her, "you make four."

"Four?"

"There's Hisagi, Captain Ukitake, and Captain Kyoraku," he told her, "and now there's you. Makes four."

Hana hadn't even seen her own Captain's zanpakuto and wondered why she'd never thought to ask about it before. She looked down at Kaminari, she sheathed it into itself, and she released the amount of power if took to hold the zanpakuto in shikai form. Suddenly she felt lightheaded and put her hand to her head.

"Whoa," Abarai said as he put his hand out to her, trying to be sure that she wouldn't fall down, "the first few times you use shikai can drain you pretty quick. Come on, sit over here." He ushered her to the boulder she'd laid on the day before.

With the adrenaline still flowing in her veins and no use for it she began to shake, her hands were unsteady, and her legs felt as though they might give way. Abarai had helped walked her over to the boulder, and she realized he was being nice to her. He had been nice to her before, but it felt different this time, there was something else there, maybe his behavior was a reflection of the way he saw her. By seeing her zanpakuto and by her rushing in to attack, maybe that was what it took to let him know she was serious about training.

She groaned a little and looked up to see him watching her. He looked away when she looked up at him.

"Come on," he told her moving away already, "there's a hot spring over here."

Hana followed, it sounded good, hot water on her now aching muscles. It was far off, the edge of the cavern, and it was in it's own enclosure, as if someone had build it onto the area last, or they wanted that impression.

The hot spring itself was a small pool big enough for only a few people, Abarai began to undress and Hana turned away embarrassed.

"It's all right," he told her from right behind her, and she was sure her face would give away her embarrassment. He turned her around and she thought she'd never been so happy to see a man in his underwear, "you need to soak your shoulder, it'll feel better after that."

"Yeah," she smiled.

Abarai walked over and climbed into the water, Hana turned, still not sure she felt comfortable being nearly naked in front of him. She shrugged it off and undressed, leaving only her under garments on and went over to climb into the water too, she unhooked her necklace and laid it on a rock near the water.

For a little while they sat, enjoying the water in awkward silence. Hana traced his tattoos with her eyes, they were above his eyes and on his neck, down his arms, chest and back. His body was well sculpted from years of training hard. She began to understand why she felt so shy around him, and the more they sat in the water, nearly naked the more she understood her attraction to him.

"Something wrong?" he asked noticing how she stared at him.

"N-no, just thinking," she covered quickly.

He smiled and put his hand behind his head, looking up at the top of the rocks.

Hana took in a deep breathe and sunk down a little, trying not to watch him too closely. It's from all the adrenaline, she told herself, I wouldn't feel the same if I hadn't just achieved shikai.

"Renji," she asked, trying to distract herself.

"Hm?"

"Why are you training me?" she asked then added, "I know I asked you to, but you could've said no, why didn't you?"

"I don't know," he started, "if you'd have asked me to help you train a few years ago I'd have laughed at you. But since I met Ichigo, I've realized that humans are incredibly stubborn. I figured that if you were wasting my time, I'd scare you into leaving me alone or you'd prove me wrong."

Hana raised an eyebrow, and watched confused.

Abarai smiled big and stood up to get out, splashing water everywhere and walking over to his robes. "Um," he began, "I forgot, we don't have any towels. Looks like it's air drying."

Hana sighed heavily and pulled herself out of the water, it had looked so easy for Abarai but then again he was almost nine inches taller then she was. She slipped in the puddle of water he'd made all over the ground and fell hard.

"Ow," she groaned rubbing her butt as she tried to stand up.

"Sorry," he told her coming over to help, he took her hand and pulled her easily to her feet. But as they stepped away he slipped on the water taking both of them down in one fowl swoop. They both laid on the ground, side-by-side.

Hana began to laugh, it was silly, she couldn't believe this is how they were.

"What?" he asked confused as he sat up, "what's so funny?"

"You, me, all of this," she said referring to their relationship to each other, "to think only two short months ago you terrified me. You always looked like you wanted to kill me, and here we are, soaked, half naked on the floor." she laughed whole heartedly, "it's so strange that so much can change so quickly."

He looked at her with his head to the side, she had a glow about her when she laughed and he'd caught himself smiling at her and watching her more and more as they interacted. "Well, I probably wouldn't have even given you a chance to play cards with us at the Eleventh Squad if there hadn't been sake involved."

"I know," she smiled big at him, mischief in her smile, "and you probably still wouldn't have given me a chance if I hadn't stacked the deck and counted cards."

"What?" he looked shocked and indignant, "you were cheating?"

"Well, truth be told I suck at card games unless I cheat," she informed him, "and I knew that you wouldn't give me any kind of chance if I weren't at least kind of a challenge. But anyway, it got more difficult to kick your ass the more I drank."

"Light weight," he laughed.

Hana laughed, knowing that he was joking, but that it was also the truth. In America, where she'd been raised, they didn't allow you to drink until you were twenty-one, but in Japan it was legal to drink at eighteen. At Eighteen she didn't have much experience in drinking and was easily outdone.

"When is your next mission?" he asked her, leaning back on his hands.

"Tonight," she told him, "but they're only allowing me to do konsohs. I guess that's better then nothing."

"Before you leave, you should tell Captain Ukitake about revealing your shikai form. That's something he needs to know," Abarai told her.

"Yeah, I guess," she said somewhat unenthusiastic.

"What?"

"Well, it's just that I don't understand him," she admitted, "the other captains seem very straightforward, but I've barely seen him, and it feels as though he's avoiding me. I could be imagining it, but I don't think so."

"Go talk to him," Abarai suggested, "it can't make things too much worse, right?"

"I guess."

When Hana returned to the Thirteenth Squad headquarters she headed for the captains office. Sentaro stood outside, he gave Hana a look of annoyance. "What?" he demanded.

"I came to see the Captain," she said, "is he in?"

"Yeah, he's in," Sentaro told her, his attitude was terrible, the normally jovial and competitive Third Seat was out of character, "he's busy."

"I see," she said quietly, "I really need to talk to him."

"I said he's busy," he told her again.

"Yes, but when he has time," Hana continued, she still wasn't being very firm, "I have something very important I need to talk to him about."

"Yeah, yeah," he brushed her off, "I'll tell him."

Hana grit her teeth, she felt very disrespected, and his behavior was irritating, he always seemed to dislike her anyway, but this was pushing her patience. "Listen," she said suddenly very serious as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pointed her finger in his face, "did you hear me? I said it was very important, I must talk to him soon. Do you understand?"

Sentaro stared at her wide-eyed, unbelieving that the normally quiet and meek Hana could be so demanding and straightforward.

"Do you understand?" she asked again.

He nodded slowly.

"Don't forget, this is very important," she told him, letting go of his shirt. Then she gave a small innocent laugh and straightened his collar for him before leaving.

What the Hell was that? What is happening to me? Her thoughts swirled, I would never have done something like that before. It couldn't be PMS, but then why would I be so harsh on someone?

"Royalty demands respect," she could hear Kaminari echo through her mind, she smiled realizing that it was her zanpakuto. Kaminari Kisaki, the Queen of Heavenly Noise. She was giving Hana confidence and strength. It was amazing how quickly she was becoming accustom to hearing voices and how 'normal' it seemed for others.

"Chiba?" it was Ukitake, he'd come out of his office.

"Sir," Hana turned and bowed respectfully.

"Did you need something?" he asked.

"Actually, sir, I need to talk to you," she told him, then noting Sentaro's presence added, "in private."

"Sure," he told her, "please, come in my office."

Hana sat down on one side of his desk, she was afraid to tell him. He knew that she had continued training, but how would he feel knowing that she'd achieved shikai. But Abarai had been insistent that she tell Captain Ukitake.

"Well?" he asked gently, "what can I help you with?"

"Sir," she gripped the tops of her pant legs, squeezing and letting go of them in nervousness. What if it makes him angry? Will they have to deliberate on the topic? "I've attained the level of shikai in my training, sir."

He was taken aback some, "Already?"

"Yes, sir," Hana told him, "I've been training hard. When I realized I had nothing for me in the Real World I decided to make the best of it all. I wanted- I want to be an asset. So, I asked Lieutenant Abarai to help me train."

"I'm surprised and touched by your initiative," he told her, "you are improving at a surprising rate."

"Thank you sir," she leaned over in a bow from her seated position.

"I would like to see it when you return tomorrow," he told her. He wondered a few things before he voiced them, "I thought you were training with Lieutenant Hisagi?"

"Well, I was, sir," she began, a twinge of guilt filled her, "but I understand that he is busy with his own missions and duties, on top of that, he is required to accompany me on my missions. I felt that I might be asking too much of him. I already owe him a lot, I couldn't bring myself to inconvenience him more."

Ukitake raised an eyebrow and watched her for a moment longer. Then he smiled gently at her.

Hana wondered if he wanted to talk to her about anything else, and sat patiently and quietly, waiting for him to say something more.

"Chiba," he began, Hana felt as if someone was allowing air into her lungs once again. "thank you for coming to tell me, I wasn't sure you felt you could be open around me. It makes me feel better about your being here, knowing that you would tell me these things."

"I-" she wasn't sure what she was supposed to say to that, "thank you, sir."