Chapter 10 ready!

I do not own Bleach

The Shinigami Child -10-

"Hey, I heard she's actually the niece of the sixth division captain, Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Is that true? That Kuchiki Byakuya, the leader of the Kuchiki clan?"

"No wonder someone as young as her got into the academy, her uncle is a noble!"

"But I heard that she's an orphan. Do you think she might actually be adopted?"

"They really look alike, but I never heard of Kuchiki-taichou having siblings."

"She's always sent out to the library by the teachers, does that mean she's a genius? Or is she a troublemaker?"

Whispers came about from the students of the academy as Yuki walks through the corridor, holding onto a thick book, trying to return it back to the library. Yuki had told herself to block everything that everyone said about her, but she couldn't help but think, why is it such a fuss that she is the niece of the sixth division captain.

'Perhaps it is because of his status as a noble family member, I know I used to tell you to show them off, I still think the same. But you were right about not letting them get into you, but if you need someone to talk to, I'm always waiting.' Her zanpakuto told her as she entered the quiet escape that the library provided. Yuki then sat on one of the chairs after she had picked some books to read.

'Kido again? You've read at least a dozen books already on them, Yuki.'

"This is one about healing kido. I need to know more about them so I won't have to go to the fourth division so often. You know how scary Unohana-taichou can be."

'You know, students are staring at you again. You might try not talking to me… or at least ignore me when I'm talking like last time.'

"It's not like I'm talking to myself, Kazeyomi. Let them be, you're not doing anything by trying to manipulate the air."

'I have the right to protect you, Yuki'

"But you don't have the right to kill others on your own. A zanpakuto works together with its master, not works for its master."

'I have my reasons right now'

"You might need to consult yourself to Unohana-taichou. You've been acting strange. Graduation is almost here, hold on for a while longer." Yuki said, closing the book she is reading before she placed it back on the shelf and walked out from the library before shunpo-ing towards the empty training field.

'… You are not trying to cut yourself to test the book you've just read, are you?'

"I'm not going to cut anything, Kazeyomi. I don't need to bleed to test something like that." Yuki said before she lifted her hand up and bit her hand, drawing a little blood from it. Before Kazeyomi could worry about her suddenly biting herself, Yuki placed her other hand on top of the small bite wound, before her hand emitted a blue-ish glow. As her wound closed slowly, Yuki smiled in triumph at what she had done and decided that perhaps playing with her zanpakuto might not be so bad.

"See? I can do it just fine."

'Young lady, I am not going to leave your mind alone until you explained to me what you just did to yourself!'

"I bit myself, draw a little blood out and then I tried to heal myself. That went quite well, I didn't think I could bleed just by biting myself."

'I am never going to leave your mind alone after this!'

"Sure. It's fun having you around anyway."

'Kurosaki Kuchiki Yuki!' Yuki then winced when Kazeyomi yelled in her mind as she shunpo-ed back into the academy and sat on the rooftop. Yuki then looked towards her vibrating bracelet and sighed.

"Kazeyomi, you're making a rattle…"

'I told you I wouldn't leave your mind alone now, did I not?' Kazeyomi retord and Yuki could clearly picture her zanpakuto crossing her arms and glared at her from her mind. Her zanpakuto's red eyes piercing the layers of her mind, clearly stating that she won't back off no matter what Yuki told her.

"… Just please don't cut the flowers off."

"What flowers?" Yuki then stiffened and turned her head around to see the white-haired captain she got to know well standing on top of she roof she's on.

"Toushiro-taichou? How did you get here?"

"Do you think a captain doesn't have permission to enter the academy? I was also a graduate here if you have forgotten." Hitsugaya said, taking a seat next to the black haired girl. Both Hitsugaya and Yuki then sat in silence, looking towards the scenery they can see from the rooftop before Yuki decided to break the silence.

"How is Matsumoto-san and Momo-san, Toushiro-taichou?" Yuki decided to ask.

"Gin as been permitted to go around Soul Society as long as someone watches over him, and Matsumoto volunteered."

"And you agreed with her?"

"Matsumoto is the only one who is not afraid of him… and I hate myself to think this way, but Gin would never harm Matsumoto, no matter how annoying she is."

"Both of them have been friends for a long time after all… and Gin-san has his reasons to follow Aizen-san, and one of them is to protect Matsumoto-san. You made the right choice of letting Matsumoto-san watch Gin, Toushiro-taichou."

"I hope you're right…"

"It's alright to worry, but Matsumoto-san made her choice, didn't she? And I'm sure she wouldn't let you down. And what about Momo-san? I haven't heard much about her."

"She's finished her organ regeneration at the twelfth division and is now resting at the fourth division, she asked about you when she woke up before."

"I see… I'll be graduating soon, so I'll go and see her as soon as I can get out."

"Graduation… I thought you'd want to be in Kuchiki's division, but which division do you think you'd end up in?"

"It doesn't really matter which division, but whichever it is, I hope I'll do fine. I can't have Byaku ji-chan protect me all the time."

"And if you ended up not in the sixth?"

"I'll do the work I'm told to do, I'll work hard. If you can do it, so do I, Toushiro-taichou." Hitsugaya then noticed that the sun is starting to set and Yuki doesn't seem to be in a hurry for class.

"Were you sent out from the class again?"

"Well… yes. The teacher had me mostly sent out from class except for kido class. I guess it's alright, I can spend more time inside the library. I can't help myself anyway, Byaku ji-chan had told me to study even before I enter the academy… shouldn't you be getting back to your division, Toushiro-taichou?" Yuki said as both her and Hitsugaya stood up and jumped to the ground.

"I thought you ought to need someone to talk to."

"If you meet Karin-chan again, can you tell her I'm doing alright? And thank you, Toushiro-taichou." Hitsugaya then nodded and both of them shunpo-ed away from each other, the captain going back to his division while Yuki went back to her dorm.

'Yuki…'

"Yes, Kazeyomi?"

'What do you think of that Hitsugaya boy?'

"He's a really good person, a good friend, and Momo-san's childhood friend that she likes to tease about. But Byaku ji-chan seem to be suspicious of him, no matter what his reasons are."

'Don't you think he's been acting strange lately? Lately he's been coming over just to talk to you.'

"Toushiro-taichou is a person who always curt to the point. I'm sure he has his own reasons; perhaps he just wanted someone to talk to. After all, Toushiro-taichou did say Matsumoto-san is watching Gin-san and Mom-san is still in the fourth division."

'You're right, that boy seemed pretty lonely without those two around… and he's pretty mature for someone his age.'

"Toushiro-taichou was a genius, and he graduated from the academy within a year. That's what Ukitake-taichou told me, as well as the youngest one to ever graduate within a year. Before, Gin-san holds that record."

'I see… for someone that age to enter the academy, he must have gone through a lot. Is that why you've been trying to talk to him more often?'

"Well, Toushiro-taichou has always looks so lonely… and Ichi nii told me that he needed a friend, so I thought I'd get to know him better."

'Is that your only reason, Yuki? I sense something else you're not telling me'

"Kazeyomi, why are emotions so complicated to explain? It's not that I'm not telling you, but I don't know how."

'I see… it's about that boy, isn't it?'

"I think so… It's just that whenever I saw Toushiro-taichou, I wanted to help him. Or at least give him someone to talk to since he always looks so stressed out. He's always worrying about Momo-san and Matsumoto-san, they are the people he's closest to. It must have scared him to think if anything happened to them. Like last time with Momo-san…"

'You are right. But if it's you, I'm sure you'll know the answer. And remember, I'm always here'

"Thank you, Kazeyomi…"

'Well, you are my mistress. I'll always be your friend, someone you can always talk to. And remember, I'm not going to leave your mind alone when there's something troubling you'

"You felt like a mother instead of a friend, Kazeyomi." Yuki said, smiling up towards the rising moon from the window.

'You can think of me as a mother, a friend, or a sister. As long as you don't call me grandmother' Yuki then laughed and shook her head, wondering how did her zanpakuto got her sense of humor.

'Living with you and seeing through your eyes made me like this. Especially when you were with the Kurosaki'

"Isshin ji-chan and Ichi nii-chan have always argued in the morning, after all. I hope they're doing alright… but I know they're fine, Ichi nii is there, after all."

'Well, as long as he's alive from whatever his father gave him, I'm sure they'll be fine. Come on now, it's time for you to go to sleep'

"Yes, yes." Back with Hitsugaya, the boy is back in his division, sitting in his office, going through some of the paperworks he had left before he went to the shinigami academy. Hitsugaya then sensed his zanpakuto calling him and closed his eyes, in a state of jinzen. Hitsugaya then open his eyes to see his zanpakuto standing tall in front of him.

'You are worried she might went through the same treatment you did when you were in the academy, aren't you?' The ice dragon said to him, his voice echoing.

"She told me she is capable of protecting herself, and she doesn't seem like she's in trouble."

'But you are still worried, I know you, child' Hyorinmaru said, lowering its snout so its red eyes are on the same level as Hitsugaya's.

"Can you tell me what I am felling now, Hyourinmaru?"

'Child, I cannot tell you what it is. But there is one thing I can tell you'

"What is it?"

'All of this concerns your heart. Living through the years, I've seen emotions as very complicated things, but emotions are what make human humans'

"Are you telling me that this is the love your were talking about before?"

'There are many kinds of love in this world. Either you love her as a friend, as a sibling, or as someone very important to you. Even if you were considered as a genius, you are still a child. You will understand sooner or later'

Hitsugaya then woke up still in his office and sighed before placing a hand on his forehead.

"It's not like I wanted to know about this either…"

Tada~