I LIVE! Sorry it's short.

I don't own Bleach.

Chapter 7: Back in the Soul Society. Rukongai, to be exact. Guess some things don't change.

…Shame.

Hisana looked around the dangai. It…was interesting, at least.

"Sucks, right?" Kaien said sagely, nodding at the truth of his comment. Hisana opened her mouth to protest, but found she couldn't. It really did suck. She nodded in agreement instead, because it really and truly sucked. The floor was littered with animal bones (how did animals get in there? Seriously?), and the walls consisted of purple goo and blackness. Not to mention it was freezing. They continued walking, wincing occasionally when the accidently stepped on a animals skeleton, snapping the fragile bones. Miyako's voice suddenly rang out. "Um…there's something coming up behind us. It's black with a light- OH CRAP IT'S THE CLEANER!" Kaien, Hisana and Yoruichi turned to see, that yes, the cleaner was heading straight towards them. They all stared in horror before,

"…run."

They hauled ass. "AHHHHHHHHH!" Kaien yelled. Miyako was taking the dignified approach and not saying anything. Hisana was just confused. Scared shitless, but confused. "What is that thing?!" She yelled over the 'cleaners' roar. "It's the cleaner!" Yoruichi called back, small cat legs pumping. "Every seven years the cleaner goes through the dangai to clear up the debris! If anyone touches it you're done for!" Oh, well that makes sense. ...Kinda. "Why today?!"

"Bad luck." Damn. Why doesn't anything happen the easy way with us?!

"The exit's just up ahead. Run faster!" Yoruichi ordered. They obliged. They jumped through the light opening and came face to face with clear blue sky and white clouds. Hisana blinked. "Hey, where's the GROOUUUUUNNNNNNDDDDDD?!" She screamed the last past since she was falling from about 20 feet from the ground. Which was pretty terrifying since she hadn't learned how to solidify the spirit particles in the air to fly. So yeah, that sucked. "ARGH!" Hisana crashed on the ground, lying on her back. "Owwww…"She moaned. She turned over to see Yoruchi was fine (she landed on Kaien), Miyako had (smartly, since she's the only smart and experienced one) flown down. Kaien forgot, on the other hand, and crashed landed like Hisana, face in the dirt, twitching. "Uh, are you okay?" Hisana asked hesitantly.

"I phinff I Fivt fy fung." Hisana arched an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"I phink I fite fy founge." Kaien said again, pushing himself up, his lips bloody. Hisana cringed. Ow, that had to hurt. Kaien began to apply healing kidou on himself, and Miyako walked up next to him and patted his back and running her hands through his hair. Hisana, wisely turning away from the nauseating couple (only because she and Kaien were related (genetically)), looked around. "Hey. Where is everyone?" Rukongai was completely empty, which Hisana thought wasn't possible. There was always someone. Crooks selling stolen goods, thieving children laughing, starving elders and mutts moaning, you know, stuff like that. Then she noticed how clean it was. "…And why is it so clean?" She asked confounded. Rukongai wasn't clean. It was the rule of life.

"We're ryoka now." Kaien said thoughtfully, tongue healed. "That means the citizens are probably hiding. Ryoka are considered the main source of all Soul Society's problems." Miyako finished, giving Kaien a kiss, leaving him looking at her like an adoring little puppy dog. "We're probably somewhere near district 5 or 6." She added, explaining the cleanness. Hisana eyes narrowed with understanding. "Hun. Hey, there's the gate!" She exclaimed pointing, running towards it, unaware of the consequence. "Bring it on you Shinigami!"

"WAIT! YOU'LL BE KILLED IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOME TYPE OF PLAN!" Kaien yelled, arms waving frantically. Hisana looked at him over her shoulder. "Huh?" She skidded to a halt as the gate closed just in front of her, nearly crushing her. Instead, it sent her flying back several feet. "Woah!" She landed on her butt and looked up at the closed gate, hands behind her. She stood up, brushing dirt off her hakama. "Uh. My bad." She grinned sheepishly. Yoruichi face palmed. "Come back here, quickly!" Yoruichi ordered and Hisana jogged over to them hurriedly. "Sorry about that." Hisana murmured ashamed, and Yoruchi couldn't bring herself to stay mad at the girl. Didn't mean she couldn't act like she was. She had a reputation, you know. "Next time, don't do something so stupid." She chastised and turned towards Rukongai. "Hmmm…I suppose we'll have to-"

"You know I've always wondered something." Kaien interrupted, finger on his chin in thought. "Couldn't we just blow up part of the wall or something?" Yoruichi glared, veins popping comically. "You idiot. The wall is made up of-"

"Sekki sekki. But it only negates spiritual energy. What if we just blow it up with regular bomb?" Kaien asked confused. He always wondered why no one ever tried such a simple solution.*

Yoruichi stared, mouth open to correct this moron when-

She realized that in all technicalities, that would actually work. You've got to be kidding me.

Reading the map, Miyako led the way towards the home of Shiba Kuukaku, bomb expert. They had gotten directions from the elder of the district, who knew Yoruichi somehow. Kaien practically was giddy with excitement. Hisana was nervous. She was about to meet her older sister and brother (in a weird twisted way). "How will we know when we find it?" Hisana asked. "Kuukaku-san has very…unique taste in houses." Miyako said carefully. Kaien whooped. "That's code for 'Fuck, that's AWESOME!'" Hisana sweatdropped. "Uh…" Miyako stopped and looked ahead. "Ah, we're here." Hisana looked in the direction she was looking at and she was pretty sure sand came out of her mouth in horror, astonishment and disbelief. Two giant samurai statues posed, lunging at each other. One hand was on their waist and the other hand, the one near the other one, was held up in a fist. Grasped within the fist was a string. Together, the two held up a red banner that read "Kuukaku Shiba". It was in front of a quaint house with a giant ass boarded up chimney. Hisana blinked, and let out a sigh of relief. Go figure. Well, it looks like she's as crazy as Kaien. She looked over at Kaien, who was giving the design a thumbs up. Miyako was wearing a "What are you going to do?" smile. Yoruichi was already walking ahead, plowing through the tall grass. The Shibas trotted up after her. They walked up to the front door and Kaien tried the door. It was locked. He put a finger to his lips in thought. "Hmmm. I guess there's only one thing to do."

They walked downstairs to the main floor and Hisana, Yoruichi and Miyako all glared at Kaien, who was in the lead. He turned around, put his hands up in a 'what did I do?' gesture, and said defensively, "Hey, it got us in, didn't it?"

"You kicked the door down." Miyako deadpanned. Kaien blinked. "…So?"

"Couldn't you have just knocked?" Hisana asked obviously. Kaien blinked then shrugged. "Meh." They all face palmed and sighed. There was no hope with this idiot. Kaien cheerfully walked on and ran to a sliding door. Yanking it open, he rushed in. "KUU! I'M BA- ACK!" If you are wondering, this wasn't a long drawn out "back". No. This was 'back' which was interrupted by the sound of the painful choking 'ACK!'.

"ACK! SAVE ME MIYAKKOOOOO!" He wailed from inside the room, the sounds of a painful beating following with the shouts of a woman yelling. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, AND WHY ARE YOU IMPERSONATING MY OLDER, NOT TO MENTION DEAD, BROTHER YOU PRICK?!!!!"

"Kuu! It's me Kai- OH GOD, THAT HURTS!"

"DIE!" They all sweatdropped. "Um…we should probably save him, right?" Hisana asked. Miyako shrugged. "Give it another minute…"

"MY LEG!!!!!!"

"…Yeah, right about now." She strolled into the room and Hisana blinked, looking at Yoruichi. "Am I the only sane one?"

"Technically, yes."

"…That's not good."

"I know." And they walked into the room, half afraid that Kaien would be found dead. Kaien lay on the ground, his leg in a very crooked position and face bleeding. He was clutching Miyako's legs as she stood over him protectively. Kuukaku (Hisana assumed) glared at Miyako and Miyako glared right back. Hisana gave Kuukaku the once over and saw the resemblance between Kaien and her. The same color skin, the same smirk, same hair color and, of course, the aqua blue eyes.

"Um. Hello." Hisana gave a little wave and bow in Kuukaku's direction. Kuukaku focused her glare in her direction, and Miyako took this change of targets as a chance to heal Kaien. Hisana smiled warily. "Uh, my name's Kuchiki Hisana. It's nice to meet you?" To her mortification, it came out as a question then statement. Kuukaku narrowed her eyes and Hisana wanted to crawl into the deepest hole she could find and die in it. "…Hisana…wasn't that Byakuya's wife?" She asked, realization dawning. Turning to the mangled and healing body of Kaien, she awkwardly asked, "…and you're not screwing with me?"

"Urgh."

"…Crap."

"…So you all got reincarnated into the Real World, and thanks to your high spiritual energy and the hollow incident," Kuukaku concluded, "you were reincarnated as your past lives instead of forgetting and becoming different people."

"Yeah."

"Uh huh."

"That about sums it up." Kaien agreed, now no longer mortally wounded. Kuukaku raised an eyebrow. "And you really expect me to believe that?"

"Yup!" Kaien chirped happily. "By the way, the sign outside was AWESOME!" Kuukaku blinked. Nii-san was the only one who liked my designs. Hisana sighed. She was tired of this. Not to mention hungry. Really, really hungry. Screw this. She turned to Kaien. "Hey Kaien, raise your hand." He raised his right hand. "The other one." He obliged. His sleeve fell down and the symbol of the Shiba clan stood stark against his pale skin. Kuukaku gaped, Kaien was confused, and Hisana smirked smugly. Nya. Kuukaku blinked. "Holy shit. It really is you." Kaien blinked and looked at his wrist. "Oh yeah. Forgot about that. My bad." He said sheepishly. Hisana faced palmed. "You are such a moron." Miyako nodded. "Yes. At times like this, it helps to remind yourself that while he is a moron, he is our moron." Hisana did, and realized that, yes, it did help. Just a little bit. "So, Kuukaku-san." Hisana continued, Kuukaku snapping back to her, shock glazing her eyes. "We need bombs. Lots and lots of bombs." Kuukaku blinked. And grinned. "Really?"

"Yes. That's why we came here. Could you create a bomb that has no spiritual pressure?" Yoruichi asked, and Kuukaku stared thoughtfully. "Like a Real World one? Well, sure but why?"

"Because the sekki sekki wall only blocks spiritual pressure attacks. Not non spiritual attacks." Miyako chimed in. Kuukaku blinked. "So I could have blown up that wall pretty much anytime I wanted?"

"Yeah."

"…AND NO ONE TOLD ME THIS?!"

"Well, only Kaien figured it out-"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU IDIOT?!"

"DON'T HURT ME!"

Hisana gobbled her dinner eagerly. It was really good and she was really hungry so this was her own little heaven. Yum. She thought happily, eyes closed with a cheerful smile.

It's very pleasant here. Sakura Nenshou Makai (which the author will from now on shorten to Makai) said tranquilly about the state of their inner world. What is occurring that pleases you so?

Food.

Ah.

Kuukaku was teasing Kaien like the doof he was with Miyako. It was fun. We're like a whole family again. Kuukaku thought as she punched Kaien in the arm and he fell over from the force. Kuukaku laughed, Miyako giggled and Hisana and Yoruichi chuckled as Kaien got up pouting and waving his hands in protest.

So…is this what peace is? Hisana mused and then looked to her side and saw no one there. She could picture Byakuya-sama next to her, shaking his head in amusement and disbelif at the Shiba's antics. Renji would be sitting across from her with Rukia, of course, and they would be laughing their asses -sama would slip his arm around her waist, and lean over to whisper in her ear about what fools the Shibas were. She would smile and laugh and make a teasing comment. Perhaps Byakuya-sama would laugh and give her a kiss.

She snapped back to reality to see Kaien feeding Miyako some of his dinner. Her face flattened into a look of revulsion. Kuukaku glanced towards her and raised her cup. "I feel your pain." Hisana laughed and raised her cup back. "Cheers."

This isn't my peace…but it's pretty damn good.

Two days later, they set off back to Rukongai, dragging a cart of good old' fashioned Real World bombs. Kuukaku watched them walk away from her porch and stared after them sadly. She watched as Kaien's back retreated further and further. Be careful…Nii-san. Kaien smiled and looked back at his baby sister and flashed her a thumbs up. I'll be okay. Just wait and see. Kuukaku blinked then threw back her head and roared with laughter. Kaien smiled that confident Shiba smile.

"Alright, lets go blow that shit up!"

"Hell yeah!"

A/N: Yeah it was short. I'm sorry.

*=When I first watched that episode where they tried to break in, all I kept thinking was "If it only negates spirit energy then why didn't you bring a actual bomb?" 'Cuz in all technicalities it would work. It's just that no one in Rukongai has any non spiritual bombs.