Does not own Bleach or any of it's characters, nor do I own sea salt ice cream! (Finally the chapter that actually contains sea salt ice cream =^_^;;=) But I do own Sakura, Tamaki, Ryukuro, and Kurotama. They're mine, so please don't use without my permission ^_^ Thank you all for reading this far! Please stay tuned!

SEA SALT ICE CREAM AND HELL'S BUTTERFLY

The next morning Yachiru led Kenpachi through the barracks, heading straight to Sakura's new room. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! Yachiru pounded on the door. "YUMMY-CHAN! COME WITH US TO GET ICE CREAM?" Kenpachi nudged her. "Oh, PLEASE!" She added, shouting through the door. When Sakura didn't respond, Yachiru opened the door.

"Wait, Yachiru…" Kenpachi started, but the little fukutaicho had already entered and was beside Sakura's bed. Kenpachi sighed and decided against going in, opting to lean against the doorway.

"Yummy-chan?" Yachiru asked inquisitively. Gently she poked Sakura in the side, then a little harder until Sakura started giggling lightly. Yachiru's face spread in a big smile as she hopped onto Sakura's side and began tickling her in earnest. This woke up Sakura as she squirmed and laughed, trying to get away from Yachiru's little fingers.

"Yachiru, I think that's enough…" Kenpachi grumbled. Yachiru stopped her administrations as Sakura scooted to the side of her bed that was against the wall, her face burning red.

"Ah…Hi…" Sakura smiled hesitantly, looking at the ground.

"Ken-chan wanted to take us for ice cream!" Yachiru peeped.

"Oh for crying out loud." Kenpachi said, covering his face with one hand.

"Actually Yachiru…Yachi-chan, I'm not…feeling…well…." Sakura slowed, recognizing the stormy pout Yachiru directed toward her. "O-okay." She said, giving in. Picking at her wrinkled-from-sleep shihakusho, she added "Let me change real quick. Um…if you don't mind?" She asked Kenpachi pointedly. He in turn turned slightly pink and left her room with a slam of the door. Yachiru giggled slightly.

"I'll go after him to make sure he doesn't peek!" she said, and left with a much more gentle closing of the door. Once in the hallway, she found Kenpachi next to the door and jumped onto his shoulder.

"Ken-chan?" she questioned.

"What?" he asked back, slightly grumpy.

"Do you like Sakura-chan?" Yachiru asked directly. Kenpachi's eyes widened slightly at the thought.

"Why would you want to know that?" he grumbled, not knowing the answer himself.

"Cuz I wanna knoooow!" she wiggled a little. Kenpachi didn't know what to think, and chose to stay silent.

"Keeeeen-chaaaaaan!" Yachiru whined slightly after he had been silent for too long.

"You're a brat." He told her as Sakura came out of her room.

"Maybe, but you still love me." Yachiru shot back. At this Sakura giggled slightly.

"What's so funny?" Kenpachi's voice rumbled. Sakura looked at him with a smile that slightly unbalanced him.

"I suppose I'm jealous. You two get along so well." She giggled again as she slid past him in the hallway.

"So you are buying, right?" Sakura asked him impishly.

"Like I have a choice!" Kenpachi retorted, which made both Sakura and Yachiru giggle. 'I'll never understand women.' Kenpachi thought to himself.

Not too far away they found themselves at a small ice cream stand.

"Tama-chi!" Yachiru jumped on the man serving ice cream.

"Ah, Yachiru-fukutaicho!" smiled the young man. "What will it be today? The usual?" Yachiru thought a moment, then asked, "Is there anything new?" Tamaki (for that was his real name) nodded, getting a small spoon and dipping it into the freezer.

"In the human world there's a popular game and in it there is a flavor of ice cream that some people have actually started making. It's called sea salt ice cream, and despite its name it's not bad." He handed Yachiru the small spoon which was now filled with bluish ice cream. Yachiru happily accepted the spoon and stuck it in her mouth. After a moment, her eyes began to sparkle.

"Can I have that today?" she pleaded.

"Of course." Tamaki chuckled. As he began scooping, he noticed Sakura standing slightly behind Kenpachi.

"Oh, hello! Do you want something too?" he asked, as he handed Yachiru the largest ice cream cone Sakura had ever seen.

"Um, I guess I'll try what Yachiru has," Sakura said shyly. "Oh, but in a smaller cone please."

"Will do!" Tamaki said brightly. "So does Kenpachi-taicho finally have a girlfriend?" he asked. Sakura blushed furiously, and even Kenpachi reddened slightly as he covered his face with one hand. 'What is this, mess with Kenpachi day?!' Kenpachi thought to himself.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked Yachiru when no one replied. Yachiru smiled slyly.

"I don't know, no one told me." She grinned evilly.

"No, I'm not his…" Sakura left the word hanging as she accepted her ice cream and took a bite.

"Wow, this ice cream is really good! And the weather is so nice!" She gushed obviously.

"Um…yes it is!" Tamaki smiled uncertainly. "Kenpachi-taicho, your usual?" Kenpachi nodded, reaching for his money pouch, oblivious to his cheeks still having a tint of pink in them.

"How much?" he asked. Tamaki chuckled slightly.

"No charge today." He smiled. To himself he added, 'I've had my fill of entertainment for the day. Then with a sly grin Tamaki asked, "Pretty lady, if you're alone then why don't you date me?" Sakura flushed again, and replied "That's very flattering, but, uh, no, thank you." She bowed and walked to the nearby square, with Yachiru trotting behind her.

Kenpachi, meanwhile, was scowling dangerously at the ice cream man. Tamaki smiled back. "What's the matter, taicho? You look about ready to pop a vein."

"Stay away from Sakura." Kenpachi growled. Tamaki laughed inwardly. 'Overprotective much? I can see right through you tough guy.'

"Why not? She's not yours, right? So I can ask her out if I want to." Tamaki grinned. "Besides, she is very beautiful. What guy in his right mind wouldn't want a girl like that?" This made Kenpachi think. 'She isn't mine…? Why does that bother me…'

Tamaki jolted Kenpachi out of his reverie by handing him his "Death by Chocolate" ice cream. Kenpachi accepted it and walked over to the girls slowly. "Have a nice day!" Tamaki called to them, 'and good luck' he added under his breath. Kenpachi in response flipped him off, which made Tamaki chuckle.

"What was that about?" Sakura asked when he reached them. Kenpachi looked at her intensely. 'Do I want her to be mine?' he wondered as she cocked her head to the side. Feeling slightly left out, Yachiru jumped onto Kenpachi's shoulder and waved her small hand in his face. Like a broken spell, he turned his uncovered eye away. 'Ridiculous.' He scoffed inwardly.

Meanwhile Sakura was busy observing his ice cream. Two scoops of chocolate ice cream, two scoops of chocolate fudge ice cream, smothered in hot fudge, covered in chocolate whipped cream, sprinkled with chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles, and topped with a chocolate covered cherry.

"Enough chocolate, taicho?" Sakura asked, amused. Kenpachi glared at her, but she was distracted by something over his shoulder.

"Kenpachi-taicho…" Sakura said softly. "I think a Hell Butterfly is coming towards us…" Kenpachi shook himself and looked in the direction of Sakura's pointing finger. It was indeed a Hell Butterfly. It swooped down and perched on Sakura's outstretched finger.

"Juuichibantai Taicho, Zaraki Kenpachi. Please report to the Sotaicho's meeting room immediately." With its message delivered, the butterfly took off, floating into the blue sky.

Sakura looked at Kenpachi, troubled. Kenpachi noticed and said, "Sakura, take Yachiru to the barracks."

"Aw but Ken-chan, I wanted to go to the playground!" Yachiru pouted. Kenpachi sighed and said, "Fine. Take her to the playground then, if you wouldn't mind." Yachiru perked up at that.

"Yes, taicho." Sakura acknowledged, and took Yachiru by the hand. "So you're going to show me where it is?" she asked the younger girl.

"This way, this way!" Yachiru chirped, pointing with her free hand. Kenpachi stared after them, wondering what the old man wanted with him. He looked down at his ice cream that he hadn't even touched. Shaking his head, Kenpachi took it to a nearby trash can, then headed towards the Sotaicho's quarters.

Me: NOOOO HOW COULD YOU WASTE ALL THAT CHOCOLATE TT_TT

Kenpachi: Go ask Tamaki for one.

Yachiru: TAMACHIIIIIII! She wants one too!

Me: -_-;; Never mind…