"You disobeyed a direct order from your commanding officer, recklessly endangering both your life and the life of your squad members."

Hisana listened to Byakuya reprimand her with an odd mix of emotions. In all the impossible scenarios her position would put her in, sitting there being reprimanded by him like a naughty child was not one she had imagined. His voice was cool but firm as he scolded her for her disobedience. She doubted anyone had made him genuinely furious in years. Even so, being reprimanded by a voice that sometimes it seemed only yesterday had told her he loved her was unpleasant.

Unohana's herbs, on the other hand, were nothing short of a Godsend.

As it turned out Kakyoku was a fire based Zanpakto. And while using any shikai before one was ready was foolish, using an elemental one before one was ready was a special kind of stupid. As it stood the only thing Hisana would be doing with her right hand for the next week or so was waving. The bandages on her hand had turned it into a virtual mitten. She had caught sight of the dark burn across her palm where she had gripped her sword and pain seared through her before herbs were applied and her hand was bandaged. According to Unohana she had a burn that was almost impossible to heal thanks to the fact it was done by Zanpakto. Accompanying her mitten she had a thick blanket wrapped around her. The heat had left, her insides feeling like they had been in a warm bath and then thrust out into a cold winter night. Her unbound hand was gripping the blanket as she tried to keep her shivers down to a minimum.

"And by further disregarding orders to stay in the Fourth Division you've endangered yourself even more," Byakuya finished.

"With all due respect sir," she began.

"Respect has proven a difficult concept for you to understand," he cut in, his voice sharp as a blade.

"The last time I was in the Fourth Division I suffered a panic attack that incapacitated me for a day," she looked at him quickly and then back at the floor, "I have already shamed myself enough for one day."

"You have shamed yourself for much longer than that," he said, "your hot headed, foolish behavior almost cost many their lives--"

"Lieutenant Abarai could have been killed!" she cried, "those men in the trees were about to shoot him! What was I supposed to do? Just stand there?!"

"You were supposed to listen to your commanding officer, as all members of the Division are expected to do," he said, giving her a look that would have withered anyone else.

Unfortunately she was not anyone else and the look only incited her to jump to her feet.

"So the next time I see archers point bows at someone with a weapon that can't deflect them all, I should just let them get shot?! As the Commanding Officer, tell me, what would you call that? Operation Human Shield?!"

Shock was painted all over his features and Hisana realized just how bad this must have looked to him. She was, after all, an injured, unseated officer who needed special training as it was. She also had just disobeyed a direct order and gotten herself seriously injured in the process. She heard the distinct sound of Kakyoku smacking his head into the palm of his hand at her outburst. Unexpectedly she felt tears sting at her eyes. It wasn't that she cried often it was just, the day had been so trying and now Byakuya was yelling at her and all she wanted to do was go and crawl under the covers and sleep.

"Sit down before you collapse," he said, his features calm once more. Miserably Hisana nodded and sat down, tugging the blanket a bit higher on her shoulders, "you actions have been exceptionally foolish," he said. "this kind of hot headed behavior will not be tolerated, is that understood?" she nodded miserably, bracing herself to be thrown out of the Division. It was for the best--, "you will be on standard probation from this point forward."

"Probation?!" her head flew up, her eyes wide.

She should be thrown in prison for her disobedience. Or out of the Sixth Division. Being put on probation, that was--that was hardly punishment at all. Especially because the standard probationary sentence was usually two weeks and for those she would be healing. Hisana looked at her hand and then at her Captain and back to her hand once again.

"But why?" she asked, her eyes raising to his before darting back to the ground.

"I have no doubt those archers would have fired on Lieutenant Abrai," he said, "he stated that before you arrived he heard them draw their strings. Though Lieutenant Abarai is a more than adequate combatant from what we've recovered those arrows were tipped in a lethal poison," he looked up at her, "despite the insubordination you did save his life," his eyes hardened, "do not make this a habit, Chiba."

"Yes sir," Hisana said bowing her head, knowing better than to push her luck.

"And Chiba," he continued, "I suggest you find a way to resolve your issues with the Fourth Division. To think you will not need to go there during your time here is foolish."

"I'm afraid its not that easy, Captain," she muttered.

"Yes, Lieutenant Abrai told me he overheard you telling your Zanpakto you had died before."

Hisana's eyes widened as she opened her mouth. She forgot Renji was just barely out of physical contact, he wasn't deaf.

"I can only assume this means you carry some memories from your time in the Transient world," he said cooly. Hisana nodded, unable to speak, "I suggest you speak to Unohana about this. She may be able to help you," he turned back to the papers on his desk, "get some rest."

Hisana nodded, a tremor racing through her that had little to do with the affects of her Zanpakto. Quickly she stood and bowed to him.

"T-thank you, Captain Kuchiki," she got out before she hurried to the door. Her foot paused, "Captain Kuchiki?" he raised his eyes, "never mind," she said quickly, "goodnight," she hurried out of his office.

"I did warn you," Kakyoku said lightly.

"Warn me? Warn me?!" Hisana demanded, "you told me it was a bad idea! You didn't tell me this would happen!" she snapped glaring at her hand.

"You were the one so determined to 'protect' as you said," he replied.

Muttering all kinds of pain for stupid, haughty Zanpakto spirit under her breath Hisana trudged back to her room. Ayumi jumped up the moment she entered.

"How'd it go? WHat happened? Are you still in the Division? How long are you in jail for because my uncle was in jail once and he said it wasn't really that bad as long as you can make a weapon out of anything. I think he made one out of his toothbrush once--"

"I'm on standard probation," Hisana cut in.

"That's it?!" she demanded. Hisana nodded, "that's like--thats like nothing! You're lucky you got hurt protecting someone. Though I guess it'd be stupid not to protect someone and just get hurt for the heck of it," she frowned before smiling brightly, "and you got your Zanpakto to manifest!"

"Yeah and burned myself in the process," Hisana said raising her mittened hand in a lame sort of wave.

"Well its a fire based one so I guess that makes sense," Ayumi said sitting on her bed and crossing her legs, "that was weird though huh? I mean I thought we'd get to see a Hollow or something cool but they were just people."

"Yeah, it was--" Hisana trailed off, "you wanted to see a Hollow," she turned her head to face Ayumi.

"Of course!" her eyes lit up, "it'd be so cool! Especially one with big claws, and fangs and it would come snarl and try to kill us!"

"I don't think we're supposed to want that," Hisana began.

"And then you could set it on fire!" Ayumi burst out brandishing an imaginary sword.

Hisana tilted her head, just catching a glimpse of Ayumi's real sword lying on the bed next to her. She looked up at the girl who was too busy waving her imaginary one to notice her real one.

"Ayumi have you talked to your Zanpakto yet?" she ventured.

"Oh her? Yeah, of course," she said with a smile, "she's not ready to come out though, I though it'd be best to listen to her."

"You're way smarter than me," Hisana said with a sigh.

"But you just saved a Lieutenant," Ayumi protested.

Hisana said nothing. She had just saved a Lieutenant but that was not why she had done it. He had saved the people she had been unable to. He had helped Rukia when she had abandoned her and Byakuya when she had died. It if came down to it Hisana knew that she would have taken the arrows for him on the basis of that alone. It was sheer dumb luck that she happened to grasp her Zanpakto's abilities in the nick of time.

While she was glad for it, she did not think that relying on luck was going to get her terribly far.

Back in his office Byakuya continued to work through the papers he had to get finished. He was torn between anger and amusement at the girl who had yelled at him. Apparently Renji was wrong in thinking his Division was still largely afraid of him. If anything the girl looked angry with him. Lowering his brush he reached for the file on his desk that contained her information. He had it brought to him to put the order for her probation inside.

It was a nondescript file. She had not been there long enough to have it full of reports and such. Renji had an entire filing cabinet dedicated to him in the archives. Inside the folder was her picture along with her basic information. He looked at the picture. Though she was not crying in the photograph he did not think he had seen such sad eyes before. It was odd, when she was yelling at him her eyes were anything but. However the girl looking back at him seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"She is rather strange."

Byakuya glanced over his shoulder. It seemed the night of surprises was not over.

"You have decided to speak to me then?" he looked at Senbonzakura, "I was beginning to feel rather like Urahara."

Apparently Senbonzakura had no problem acting like Benihime when she crossed her arms and looked away. Inwardly Byakuya sighed. His Zanpakto Spirit was a tempermental one, he had known that for a very long time and usually he had no problem with it. But there was a fine line between temperamental and downright mean and Senbonzakura was toeing it very closely.

Senbonzakura wanted her Shingiami to be happy, truly she did. But she did not like this Yoshiko Konno. She may have been nice and sweet and everything Byakuya needed but there was something, something that Senbonzakura did not like. Though for the life of her she could not figure it out. Maybe it was the whole 'Princess-thing' she had going on. Though nothing short of a princess herself, Senobonzakura had never enjoyed dealing with the stuffy nobles Byakuya had to. Especially not when he was marrying a woman who didn't know the meaning of getting her hands dirty. She was definitely on Rukia's side in the matter of tolerating the woman for the sake of Byakuya. But she was not going to go out of her way to be nice to her.

"Captain?"

Byakuya looked up to see Renji standing in the doorway. He gave a nod and his Lieutenant stepped into the room, coming over to his desk.

"So what'd you give her?"

"I gave her standard probation," he said cooly.

"Good call," Renji said.

"I'm glad you feel so," Byakuya said, the barest not of sarcasm in his voice, "I assume your training is going well then."

"Oh yeah, training someone who doesn't even know how to swing a sword is great fun," he said with a roll of his eyes, "you Kido masters," he muttered but quickly cut himself off when Byakuya arched an eyebrow.

"As part of Chiba's healing, she's going to the Fourth to discuss this memory problem with Unohana."

"Yeah," Renji said, "that's weird huh? Remembering enough to make you afraid of the Fourth," he gave an inward shudder, "Rukia's lucky."

Byakuya nodded. Given the abilities of his late wife to remember, it was only assumed that Rukia had the same talent. But given the fact she was an infant when she died, there was nothing to remember. People with even slightly uninterrupted memories were rare but those who remembered enough to have flashbacks or react to things from the lives they had lost, they were exceedingly rare.

"Is there something else, Abarai?" he asked.

"Oh, right," Renji said, "Rukia said that she made dinner and if you weren't home in the next hour she'd come and get you herself."

In the wake of the Winter War something inexplicable had changed in the dynamic between Renji, Rukia and Byakuya once again. In the wake of the fighting the three of them had been injured heavily enough to be suspended from active duty and put on paperwork duty in the Kuchiki Manor for a good long while. It had been an odd sort of bonding experience for the three of them, especially for Rukia and Byakuya. There was something to be said for a big brother who would slice his own tendons to save you. Knowing her brother's love for spicy food Rukia had found the spiciest thing she could and spent hours in the kitchen learning to make curry before, bright red, she presented it to her brother as a thank you.

As it turned out some things were too spicy even for Byakuya Kuchiki.

Oh and that Renji had a garbage disposal for a stomach and would eat anything.

Somehow in the midst of bandages, paperwork and curry the three of them found themselves liking the other for who they were as a a person rather than what they had meant to each other a long time ago. As it turned out the two men were suddenly not in charge. The one who had changed the most was, as it turned out, Rukia. Both Renji and Byakuya had quickly learned that in the strange new world left behind by the Winter War Rukia was the one in charge. Both men had long felt the need to protect her but suddenly Rukia was protecting them right back.

It didn't take long for her to become the Lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division, calmly overriding every single one of Byakuya's objections until he was forced to rescind his decision.

From the way the Kuchiki head's eyes softened ever so slightly, Renji had a feeling Rukia was reminding him of someone else, someone he had lost long ago.

She was reminding him of his late wife.

Of Hisana.