I have searched for her.

I have searched for over a month.

Hiki is currently running Soul Society while I am gone, gone searching for the woman that has passed the captains exam.

The woman's name is Ai Ukitake.

"Ukitake-san! Are you there?" I kept calling out, searching for her reiatsu, until I finally found her. Collapsed by a stream, shaking, and yelling something I was not able to make out.

"Mmm… No… NOOO!" Startled awake and started looking around, finding nothing. "Hmm… I must have dreamed that dream again. I guess I should head home."

Getting up, and brushing herself off, she started off east, towards what has to be her house, me in pursuit.

Walking into her house, I finally decided to make my presence known, Ryo no Tsume and Ulquiorra right behind me as I did so.

But, she still did not sense us. I guess it must have been Ulquiorra's doing, who moments earlier said he sensed another reiatsu inside of Ai's house.

"Hmm… Morning Ai. Where ya' been?" In stumbled a half-asleep black-haired purple-eyed beauty.

"Oh, hi Haruko. I thought you would have left."

"Why would I leave? I like it here, and besides, the squad 13's barracks are full! That and I just got word that my parent's died. Your place is the only place I can stay."

"Oh. Sorry to hear that. You are welcome to stay here as long as you want."

"Thank you! Although it is a very long walk to get to the Soul Society from here. Almost a month's travel by Shunpo."

Ulquiorra, release us. It is time to make ourselves known to the two inhabitants of this house. And they are both in the kitchen, with me. Ryo no Tsume, you should appear here as well. Haruko-san knows who I am, but Ai does not. Come by my side, then Ulquiorra, release the shield you out on us.

Yes ma'am. We are next to you. Should I release the shield now?

Not quite yet. Let me say something then release the shield. Ryon, do you still have my haori?

Yes, yes I do. Here it is. Saying that, Ryon handed me my haori which I put on.

"Well then, if you wish to have easier access to Squad 13's barracks, why don't you live in my barracks. We would love to have you."

Ulquiorra, now.

Shocked at hearing a voice come out all of a sudden, they both turned around, to see myself, Ryo no Tsume, and Ulquiorra standing in front of the doorway.

"Wha—who the fuck are you?" Ai wasn't taking to kindly to my presence in her home, in fact she was reaching for her zanpakuto.

"Uchiha-san, what are you doing here?"

"I have come to ask Ukitake-san to become a captain. Squad 3 still needs one. She took the captains exam a couple years before I became captain. I noticed that her results were still in our records, and I came here to find her, and ask her to take Gin's place."

"Wait just a damn minute!" Ai was furious by now, probably wondering why the captain-commander was in her home.

"Ai! Ai, calm down! That's the captian-commander you are yelling at!"

"The… THE CAPTAIN COMMANDER? I thought Yamamoto-san was the Captain-Commander! And, besides, isn't it against Soul Society law to have a female Captain-Commander?"

Sigh… "You know what? You are just like Renji. He said the exact same thing to me when I first became Captain-Commander. But, I froze him, letting him regret what he said. It turned out wonderfully."

"Kisuke-san."

"Yes Ryon?"

"Maybe we should move this little meeting of ours to your room. It is more private, and besides, everyone is becoming suspicious of Hiki right now."

"Yeah, it would be best. I've been gone a month searching for her. Now then, why don't we continue this back at my place?"

And then, holding hands, off we went to my quarters in Squad one's barracks.