Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

However: I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

Warning: Spoilers may be present.

A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in nearly a month, but I've been having family issues and other things. I promise I'll try to do better from now on. Review please, they help me get the motivation to continue writing. :D


"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Gin whispered in her ear. She stirred gently, not opening her eyes. "It's time to wake up. We have a meeting today and I doubt the Captain Commander would be happy if you were late."

"Five more minutes, please," Haruka pulled the blanket up over her head, hiding from the cold, and curled up into a ball. Haruka hated to be woken up, especially before noon. "Just give me five more minutes. I'll get up then. I promise."

Gin laughed, knowing that he had no chance at waking her up unless he took drastic measures."Now, Haruka, our captain's meeting is in twenty minutes and you still need to get up and change." She still didn't move. "Don't make me tickle you." He reached out and held his hand above the blanket.

"Don't you dare," she cursed. "If you do I promise to make your life hell for the next week." She drowsily sat up in her bed, still not wanting to let go of the warm blanket. "Hand me my clothes. This meeting better be worth my time. Maybe I'll get a chance to get back in the field."

Gin handed Haruka her clothes and she hid underneath the blanket again. She figured that changing under the warm blanket was better than walking to the cold bathroom to change. When she was finished she slowly stood up and slipped on her sandals, hanging her zanpakuto across her back.

"Let's get going," Haruka stated, still half asleep and gently rubbing her eyes. "But you owe me lunch today. And possibly dinner too because I was planning on sleeping in and you had to go and ruin my plans." She began walking to the door and almost ran into it, too tired to keep her eyes open.

"Want me to carry you there?" Gin offered. She nodded slightly and he picked her up on his back. "Hold on." He used shunpo and headed outside and towards the captains' meeting hall.

Gin set her down just outside the captains' hall door, not daring to cause a scene by carrying her inside. As Gin opened the door he quickly realized that they were the last ones to arrive, most likely late too.

"Good morning, Captain Ichimaru, Captain Kaenbyo," the Captain Commander stated. "I'm glad you could join us. Please take your places so we may begin."Gin and Haruka took their places as their commander continued. "We have urgent matters to deal with. An infestation of hollows has gathered in southern Japan. They must be eliminated quickly before any more menos appear. I fear if we allow this to continue we will be dealing with a Vasto Lorde level menos soon. Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Soifon, and Captain Aizen, I will be sending you three out to eliminate the problem. Any questions?"

"Captain Commander, may I speak?" Haruka asked. He nodded and she went on. "As you may all know, I have been off the field for a while, so I may be out of practice but during that time I was researching a quick and efficient way to take out the menos. It's a type of kidō that can absorb the power of the menos' ceros and send them right back, according to the users will of course. I suggest that since I am currently the only one capable of using such kidō that I, along with one or two others, go out into the field to exterminate the problem. I believe that if I go, we can send not only less of our captains who are needed to run things in Seireitei, but also cut the human lives lost in half."

The Captain Commander thought for a few moments before decided. "Captain Aizen and Captain Soifon, you will be staying behind. Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Kaenbyo will be going alone. I see no need to waste any more time on the topic, you will be leaving tonight. Everyone is dismissed."

Everyone quietly walked out the doors. Haruka and Gin were the last to leave, Hitsugaya quickly passing by them on his way out.

"Haruka, why in the world did you volunteer for such a dangerous mission?" Gin asked, as though he believed that Haruka had gone mad. "Especially when you haven't been in the field in months, not even killing basic hollows. Are you insane? Do you want to be killed?"

"No, Gin, I have not gone insane. I simply volunteered because I believed this would be a good opportunity to put my research to work after spending so much time on it. And I think this is a more accurate reading of its true potential rather than on some week Gillian that was captured and starved of reiatsu for months," Haruka stated. "And there is no need to worry about me so much Gin. You and I both know how strong I am. I'm not some weak little girl. If I was would I be a captain of the Gotei 14?"

"Fine then," Gin laughed. "But if you get hurt it's not my fault, I warned you."

"Now, I need to go and get ready," Haruka stated, walking out the door. "There is a lot of work to be done."


Haruka walked down the hall and headed into her squad's office. She was please to see Umeko already at her desk working away at a giant pile of paperwork.

"Umeko, I'm sorry to have to tell you this but I am going to the human world for a while to take out a small menos problem that we have recently come across," Haruka stated as she sat down in the chair behind her desk. She picked up a piece of paper and glanced over it. "I know that you've been doing not only your share of the paperwork but also a fair share of mine due to my time being spent in the laboratory, but I'm requesting that you keep up the good work while I'm out in the human world. I believe you will be able to look after the squad, right?"

"Of course Captain, I don't mind," Umeko stated, signing a document that was lying on the desk before her. "Just as long as you promise that the moment you get back we're going to the hot springs together."

"You are such a workaholic Umeko," Haruka laughed. "We'll go to the hot springs every day for a week when I get back. And you'll get the following week to yourself."

"Deal," Umeko smiled.

Haruka finished looking over the few documents that needed her attention and headed out the door to her room to get a few things before heading off the gate to the human world.


Haruka walked up to the gate to see Hitsugaya already waiting for her there. She smiled and ran up to him.

"Toshiro," Haruka called as she came to stand beside him. "How have you been? It's been a while since we last met. We've both been so busy since you got out of the hospital. Oh has your headache returned at all?"

"I've been fine, Haruka," Hitsugaya laughed as she rambled on. "And no my headaches haven't come back. I think the medicine that Unohana gave to me has been helping. And how have you been?"

"Busy," Haruka laughed. "Much too busy. I haven't been out in the human world in months. I'm totally out of practice."

"Don't worry, you're still strong even if you haven't attacked a hollow in months," Hitsugaya said. "Come on, it's time to go."


The moment Hitsugaya and Haruka were in the human world they headed to Urahara's shop to get their gigai. Once they were in their gigai they headed south of the town to the location the Captain Commander had told them the hollow infestation had accumulated.

"There's a large amount of reiatsu here," Haruka stated. "But I don't see the hollows. It's as if they were just here though. Maybe they went back to Hueco Mundo already?"

"That's a possibility, but with this much reiatsu in the air I'm sure they'll be back at any time. As for now I think we should rest. Going between the worlds is quite tiring, plus it's already dark out here. There's a hut over there that looks pretty abandoned. We could probably crash there for the night." Hitsugaya replied as he opened a backpack he had slung around his shoulders. He grabbed a piece of metal and shoved it into the lock on the door, twisting it a bit and opening the door to the hut.

Inside the hut was a small cot with a rug beneath it. There was also a stool in one corner and a small table too. The hut looked abandoned on the inside too, for dust had gathered everywhere. Haruka quickly dusted everything off as Hitsugaya set up the beds.

"You can sleep in the cot Haruka," Hitsugaya said as he sat on the floor, pulling a blanket around him.

Haruka looked at him with a thoughtful expression. "But Toshiro, if you sleep on the ground you'll get cold and most likely get sick again. You don't want to end up in the hospital again do you?"

Hitsugaya laughed. "Don't worry about me; I have the medicine Unohana gave me. Besides I don't mind sleeping on the floor, and you don't want a repeat of the last mission we went on together? You getting sick and us nearly getting killed by both the hollows and the Captain Commander for staying in the human world for the maximum amount of time for a shinigami."

Haruka frowned. "I still don't like the idea of you sleeping there."

"I said don't worry about it, now go to sleep you need your rest," Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and laid down, pretending to go to bed.

Haruka walked over to the cot and sat down on the edge, wary to get in. She looked down at it. It was a large bed for one person she thought. And it wasn't like it would be the first time she had shared a place to sleep with him.

"Get over here," Haruka stated.

Hitsugaya looked up her with confusion in his eyes.

She lifted the blanket and got in and motioned for him to join her. He smiled softly and did as she said, laying his blanket over the two of them. They laid there in silence, curled up next to one another. Eventually the two of them drifted into unconsciousness.


Arigato. Reviews welcome.

- Haruka Shinigami