Set Adrift on Memories so Bliss

"Yuri-chan… Yuri-chan, pay attention or you'll not learn anything that could one day save your life!"

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Gomen nasai Ginhei-sama! I was… I mean… I just…"

Yuri looked down at her feet as she shuffled them in the dirt. She didn't know how to finish her sentence and felt quite embarrassed at having to be told to pay attention to her lesson at hand. Ginhei huffed, standing over her and looking at her with his slitted eyes, sternly. She'd been daydreaming again while staring at his long, silver locks of hair. He shook his head at her as she lifted her tiny, oval face back up at him and peered sheepishly.

He just couldn't comprehend what fascinated the girl so with his hair. Sure, it was an uncommon color but there was nothing special about it. It was just hair. Why the hell did she space out every time she stared at it? What in the world was going through her head? He shook his head again, pushing away the thought then moved back from Yuri and took an attack posture with his shinai in hand.

"Shall we begin again?"

"Hai!"

Yuri lifted her own shinai then took a defensive stance. In one swift motion, Ginhei advanced and attacked the little girl. He didn't hold back either but he really didn't have to. Though she was just a small child, Yuri possessed instinct and skill that was just unheard of in even the greatest of swordsmen. She was incredible and made Ginhei very proud to be her teacher.

The bamboo practice swords clashed loudly and the distinct crack of each precise hit could be heard clear across the arena they were in all the way to the 11th division. The session lasted for hours but no matter how hard or how many times Ginhei assaulted the child, she remained unfazed and energetic. It was as if she had an infinite supply of stamina and concentration, unlike her brothers whom Ginhei also taught. Yes, unlike her brothers, Yuri couldn't be distracted and had a very keen eye. She was so good that much of the time she could anticipate what kind of attack was going to be commenced before it was even executed simply by watching her opponent's body postures. Ginhei was highly impressed. Yuri not only possessed amazing skill but she also adapted and learned with lightning-fast speed. She was sure to become the greatest warrior in all of the Soul Society's history.

The two were now engaged in a series of calculated blows. Ginhei slashed with an over head cross cut from the left and Yuri parried then he came back with another quick cross cut from the right, which she easily parried again. He cross slashed horizontally twice then lunged, she blocked then dodged and then Yuri went on the offensive, backing him up. As much as Ginhei was enjoying his match with Yuri, unlike her, he was growing quite tired. He made up his mind to end the session with a special technique, trying to catch little Yuri off guard so that she wouldn't grow overconfident. He allowed her to push him back to the center of the arena then waited until she slashed at him with a lateral cut to his right.

As Yuri's blade closed in fast, Ginhei quickly blocked the strike then came under her blade with his, pulling it back to the left. In the same fluid motion, he looped his blade back around and slid it in front of Yuri's, pushing hard to the right and downward while reaching out with his left hand and grabbing her upper arm to lock her sword arm in place. He then rapidly spun to the right, extending his shinai out, intending to bring it to Yuri's throat to show the finishing blow. Yuri, on the other hand, merely stepped back as he began to spin then brought her blade up vertically, effectively blocking his attack. She quickly enveloped his shinai with her own and disarmed him then brought her blade up to his neck.

"I believe I win Sensei." she giggled.

Ginhei could scarcely believe that he was disarmed so easily. Instead of catching Yuri off guard, Yuri had turned the tables and caught him off guard! He looked down at Yuri, not bothering to hide his surprise, then began to laugh heartily. This child was truly amazing.

"Hai. I too believe you did. Come, let us end your training for the day. Tomorrow you shall begin training in a different art. There is nothing more for me to teach you in swordplay."

"Huh? Wha? Does… Does that mean that you won't be my sensei anymore Ginhei-sama?"

Yuri looked at Ginhei with an expression of both dread and disappointment. She began to fear losing her teacher to which she'd both grown quite attached and loved. She didn't want to leave him and have to go to another. Ginhei grinned at her and opened his slitted eyes just enough to reveal his ice-blue irises. He looked at her fondly then began to chuckle.

"Hahaha, fear not little one. I'm not going anywhere. I've been especially assigned as your instructor and no one else can take my place. As it stands, you're ready to graduate from the academy and you're strong enough to challenge whomever you wish for a fairly high seat in the Gotei, though I don't believe that'll be necessary. I believe that upon graduation you'll be assigned a very significant seat as an officer. But before then I wish to further your skills in kidou to round out your abilities."

"Oh… Kidou huh? I thought I already learned everything I need to know for that? I mean… Well, my kidou sensei already said I'm the best in the whole class. What else is there to learn?"

"That" Ginhei said with a mischievous grin, "is a secret…"

oOoOoOoOo

Gin looked at Yuri with worry as he caressed her hair ever so lightly, watching her sleep. He was deeply concerned and didn't quite know what to do. She was twitching and moving about restlessly, no doubt dreaming, but of what he couldn't be sure. She periodically mumbled things he didn't understand and it wasn't long before she woke. Her eyes flutter momentarily before they slowly opened and she looked at Gin, who was kneeling by her side with his usual grin.

"Ginhei-sama? Why did you cut your hair?"

Gin looked at her in surprise. Ginhei-sama? He knew that name well. After all, how could he not? It was his grandfather's name. A man that not many knew he was close to. But if Yuri knew that name then could it be that she actually knew his grand father? Could she be…? No. It couldn't be. If Yuri was who he was now thinking her to be then that meant she was in more danger than he originally thought. Gin sighed softly then began to speak quietly to Yuri, who was peering up at him like a curious small child.

"I am not Ginhei little nezumi. I am Gin. Ichimaru Gin."

Yuri blinked at him then realization slowly dawned on her and she sat up. She was no longer a small child. She was a grown adult. She was in Hueco Mundo, in her room… with Gin, the man she loved. Her face became twisted in a ball of confusion as she tried to figure out what was going on. She was still caught up in the illusion of the dream but it was fading fast as she began to remember the present.

The dream, once so vivid, was now dissolved into fragments and Yuri couldn't pull back it's lost details from the void. She was sure that the dream had something to do with what Gin was saying but she just couldn't recapture it's essence. She then looked down at her hands which were folded on her lap. She felt lost and didn't quite know what to say. Gin tilted his head to the side in curiosity. It appeared that her dream was more than just an ordinary dream. He decided to test his theory.

"Who is Ginhei little nezumi?"

Yuri thought hard. Ginhei was… well, he was someone in the dream. But she felt like he was more than that. She felt like she knew this person. A sense of déjà vu passed over her and she shivered, hugging herself. After a moment she looked up at Gin and began to answer as best she could.

"I… I don't really know. I mean, he was in my dream but I feel like he was real, like I've known him for a long time. But that… just can't be, right? It was just a dream after all. My brain probably just made him up because I was thinking of you. I mean, he looked a lot like you but he wasn't you. So…"

Gin began to frown as he considered her words. It was possible that it was a coincidence but the fact that she called him by his grandfather's name told him otherwise. No one knew much of anything concerning his background and he'd never mentioned Ginhei's name before. No. She knew him and her dream wasn't a dream. It was a suppressed memory trying to surface. Gin rose to his feet then sat on the bed next to Yuri. Taking her delicate hand in his, he began to speak again.

"Little nezumi tell me who you are? Where do you come from? Who are your parents?"

"I'm Sasaki Yuri. I come from the Kantou region and I lived in the city of Saitama. I grew up there but I don't know where I was born really. See, I grew up in an orphanage. I was found when I was young. They said I was in an accident or something cause I had amnesia. No one ever came to claim me so they think that maybe my parents were killed and I somehow survived then wandered away from the wreak. I don't really know any more than that."

"Sou ka? Hmm…"

"Why do you ask Ichimaru-sama?"

"Because I am curious and because I may know how to find out the things you don't know about yourself. Listen to me little nezumi, you must not tell anyone of this conversation or your dream. It's very important that you never speak of it. Now promise me you won't."

Yuri looked at Gin with her innocent eyes. She didn't quite know what he was going on about but if he felt she mustn't say anything about what they'd discussed then she wouldn't. She sat up straighter on the bed then nodded. Clasping her hands in front of her, she professed her promise to Gin.

"I promise Ichimaru-sama."

Gin smiled then reached out and brushed the side her face with the back of his hand. It was then that Chiyo burst through the door in a frantic state. As soon as she saw Yuri and Gin sitting there, she stopped in her tracks and began to sob with round, fat tears falling freely down her chubby cheeks. She then flew in front of the two, dropping to the floor in a kneeling bow with her head on it in the most sincerest of apologies. Both Gin and Yuri looked at her with identical surprised expressions.

"Ichimaru-sama! Sasaki-samaaaaaaaaa! Oh! Oh! Chiyo is so very sorry! Chiyo tried very hard to protect Sasaki-sama but Chiyo just wasn't strong enough! Chiyo doesn't deserve to live!"

Yuri smiled then got up from the bed. She moved to the floor and knelt beside the little arrancar, pulling Chiyo up gently to face her. Gin watched in silence with a grin on his face and Chiyo stared in awe at her mistress. Yuri then wiped away her tears and began to speak in earnest.

"You did perfectly fine. There's nothing to be sorry for."

"But-But Chiyo failed to keep Sasaki-sama safe from Grimmjow-sama and Kamisuke-san. Sasaki-sama got hurt because Chiyo is so weak…"

"Iie. I got hurt because I didn't think and I angered Grimmjow-sama. If I had just apologized then left, I wouldn't have gotten us both into trouble and you wouldn't have gotten hurt either. If anyone is to be blamed for what happened it would be me. It was all my fault."

Chiyo began to shed fresh tears. Her tiny body trembled with emotion. No one had ever taken blame for her before and she didn't know what to say. Instead, she simply hugged Yuri, burying her head in her torso like a small child would. Yuri placed an arm around her shoulders and petted her burgundy hair with her free hand. She looked to Gin and smiled. He returned her smile with thoughts of what it'll be like with her becoming a mother floating around his head.

oOoOoOoOo

Kamisuke looked at Grimmjow uncertain. He wasn't sure just how Grimmjow was going to manage exacting revenge when they were both in so much trouble at the moment. He decided to just keep quiet about it and trust in his master's words. Grimmjow's cocky expression returned to his face as he mind raced with thoughts of tearing both Yuri and Chiyo apart. He was going to get them both and he was going to enjoy listening to them scream as he ripped them to shreds slowly but that meant going back to Las Noches. He wasn't looking forward to it but he knew he had no choice, revenge or no revenge. He either returned to face the music or he'd be hunted down and executed. Going back for a chance to kill Yuri and Chiyo was a plus so it made taking the chance worth it in his book. He began to smirk then looked at Kamisuke.

"Come on dumbass. Now that you're healed enough to move we gotta get you hid somewhere safe till I can straighten this mess out."

Grimmjow then began moving through the menos forest with lightning speed. Kamisuke followed jumping from limb to limb after him. He was a bit confused as to what Grimmjow meant by 'hiding' him but he did as he was told nonetheless. When the reached the edge of the forest Grimmjow opened a garganta. Kamisuke was still confused and the look on his face relayed that confusion. Grimmjow scowled as he had to explain.

"I'm sending you to the material world for awhile. I'll come for you when it's safe for you to come back."

"But… Grimmy-sama, I don't want to go there. I wanna stay with you and fight."

"Goddammit! I said you're going to hide in the material world for awhile and you're going to do it whether you want to or not!"

Kamisuke's ears flattened out to the sides in sadness and he looked to the ground. Grimmjow's eyes narrowed as he looked at him. He gritted his teeth then smacked him upside his head. Kamisuke winced in pain but stood his ground. He was then taken completely surprised as Grimmjow wrapped his arm around his neck and pulled him in for a hug.

"You pathetic lil bastard. I'm doing this for your own good. Now stop acting like a bitch and go already. I'll be back for you soon."

Kamisuke's shock wore off quickly and he smiled as he snuggled against his beloved master. "He really does care about me," he thought as he stood there in the one-armed embrace. Grimmjow promptly let go, pushing Kamisuke away from him. Kamisuke could see the cocky expression on his face mixed with frustration which told him he'd better get going. He bowed low then turned and entered the garganta. Grimmjow scowled again as Kamisuke retreated inside, yelling to him just before it was fully closed, "Don't get yourself fucking killed before I get back either!" He then turned toward the direction of Las Noches and slowly made his way back home.

oOoOoOoOo

Aizen stared at the pulsing zanpakutou for a long time before Szayel interrupted his thoughts. He too had been watching the phenomena with great interest but at a discreet distance. He was quite intrigued by the blade as many thoughts twirled around his brain. He wanted to touch it, to study it, to find out what made it tick so badly. He chanced speaking to Aizen in the hopes that he'd be allowed to opportunity to.

"My lord, you have many more important things to attend to, ne? If I may be so bold, I could study this for you and give you a full report of my findings when it's complete?"

"No," Aizen said flatly. He looked at Szayel with a disdained expression as he placed Yuri's zanpaktou back in it's sheath then next to his own at his side. Szayel couldn't suppress his disappointment. He remained silent as Aizen moved past him toward the door. He thought for sure that Aizen would allow him to study the blade and began to frown as he sulked.

Tousen too remained silent and followed Aizen as he exited the lab. There was nothing he could really say. Aizen's word was law and everyone knew what Szayel would've done if get got his grubby hands on the blade. From the beginning, there was no doubt in Tousen's mind that the zanpakutou would be off-limits. It's why he stopped him from touching it in the first place. Tousen moved up beside Aizen and began to speak.

"Aizen-dono, what is it you wish for me to do now with the girl? Surely in her condition she shouldn't be training anymore with swords?"

"Iie. She'll be fine so long as she's not overexerted. I'll need you to train her to commune with her zanpakutou spirit. She needs to be able to unseal her zanpakutou to progress and I don't foresee any problems for her with that. In fact, I'm thinking she should be able to accomplish this task fairly quickly."

"I understand. I will commence the training in the morning in place of her regular regimen."

"Very well then."

Aizen began to smile an enigmatic smile as he walked along the dimly lit hallway. His head was filled with thoughts of Yuri. He wondered exactly who this woman was. She seemed vaguely familiar now that he'd seen her zanpakutou. Where had he seen a blade like this before? He knew he had. It was different, unique. He soon parted ways with Tousen and headed toward his personal archives. Somewhere within the vast shelves of books and scrolls he stole from the Central 46 Chambers he knew the answer lay to his question. He just had to be patient until he found it.

~Author's Note~

1. Shinai - A Japanese practice sword made of bamboo.