Chapter 9

Rukia opened her eyes to nothing but whiteness. Was she blind? She sat up quickly and realized that she was on top of a snowy hill that stretched for miles. To her left and to her right. There was snow everywhere. Where am I?

"Rukia," said a low voice behind her.

Turning around, she saw a lady in a white kimono with a pale yellow obi. Her zanpakto, Sode no Shirayuki.

"Are you alright?" the ice zanpakto inquired.

Rukia nodded and stood up. "This is my inner world? Kinda depressing."

"It is not that bad right now. When you are sad, it rains warm water and the snow gets mushy."

Rukia picked up some of the snow and let its coldness seep through her skin. The first few years as a Kuchiki had not been her best. She had been sad and lonely. For forty years, her only close nakam had been Kaien-Dono, who she killed herself.

"When you are worried it is like this and when you are happy the sun comes out."

Rukia looked at Shirayuki confused. "Won't that melt the snow?"

"No, because you are happy. In this world, the snow won't melt unless it rains."

Rukia made the 'o' shape with her mouth and let the snow fall from her fingertips. "You taught me Bankai that day. Thank you."

"That was not Bankai to its fullest. You have much more to learn."

"Will you teach me my true Bankai, then?"

"No."

Rukia was taken aback by this answer. "Why?"

"Your Bankai is different from others. It goes by stages- four to be exact. For each stage, you learn more dances. You are currently in Stage One in which you mastered three moves. For Stage Two, you only learn one.

"How do I get to Stage Two?"

Shirayuki smirked and extended her hand. Immediately, her sword appeared. "Train till you're half dead."

Rukia's eyes widened as a blast of snow was sent at her. Shirayuki was going to batter her like a ball if she didn't run.

Unohana Taicho had been busy the whole night healing the injured. Shinigamis were coming back from the World of the Living rapidly now that the gate was fixed. Some were alright but many were severely injured. The Hollows were spreading throughout the World of the Living, harming anyone who'd try to purify them. What surprised her was that they did not kill anyone. They would just disappear after they'd mercilessly play with a Shinigami. She sighed and walked out of the infirmary. There was Kurosaki Ichigo. He had been waiting all morning to see either Abarai Renji or Kuchiki Rukia.

"How are they?" he asked gruffly.

She looked at him. "You can visit Abarai-Fukutaicho but not Kuchiki-Fukutaicho. I will be checking on her right now."

Ichigo nodded and entered the infirmary, which had a strong metallic odor. He walked ove to Renji's bed.

"Oi, Ichigo," said the red head as he sat up. "How's Rukia?"

"They are going to check on her right now." Ichigo stared at Renji. His stomach was bandaged but other than that he looked fine. "You mind telling me how the hell you were knocked out by one stab in the stomach."

Renji felt steam come out of his ear. The idiot had done it. The infirmary was going to become a battle field. "Whatcha say right now?"

"Well I asked in anice way but lemme rephrase that. When did you become so weak?"

"Ichigo, you die today."

"Oh yeah. What's the worst you can do?"

Neither of the two boys had noticed that Unohana Taicho had come back and was smiling at them in a very creepy way. "Abarai-Fukutaicho and Kurosaki-San, please do not forget you two are in an infirmary. Please keep your voices low."

Both friends, visually paled. Unohana Taicho's smile would seem gentle if there wasn't a creepy voice in the back of their mind prodding them to shut up and obey her. Heck that smile of hers scared them shitless!

Turning back to Renji, Ichigo smirked. "So you going to tell me how it feels to be knocked out with one wound?"

Twitching, Renji made a even harder glare at his nakama. "That wasn't one wound Ichigo."

"Hm?!"

"It felt like many internally."

"That's because of Hokaitsu's zanpakto," said Unohana Taicho. Both boys jumped. They hadn't realized that she had been helping the patient next to Renji's bed. "He wears it like a bracelet and when his arm is inside a person, he summons it."

"That's why I felt like crap."

She nodded. "You may leave now, Abarai-Fukutaicho. Please come back if there is more pain."

Renji nodded as he got out of bed. Ichigo looked at the floor. "Can Renji and I see Rukia?"

Unohana observed both boys and sighed. "By all means."

Rukia was running for her dear life. Shirayuki and her had been at it for an hour without a single break. She dodged another blast of snow but tripped on her own foot. Shirayuki made a small smile. "Get up before I strike again."

Rukia painfully got up, panting. "How strong am I?"

"Want the truth?" inquired Shirayuki in a mocking tone.

Rukia looked at her straight at her zanpakto for a while and nodded.

"You are pathetically weak."

Frowning, Rukia clenched her hand. "Here I come." Snow flew around them as they continued. They were now battling fist on fist. Shirayuki hit Rukia's nose and Rukia kicked Shirayuki's shin. Hand against foot. Foot against nose. Arm connected to stomach.

Rukia stumbled backward after a punch on the jaw. "I would have never thought you were good at hand to hand combat."

Shirayuki summoned her sword again. "I am not but for Stage Two, you need to excel in both physical combat and sword fighting."

Rukia took out her sword and swung it to Shirayuki's. Metal met metal in a loud clash. "Sp if I beat you right now, you'll teach it to me?"

Shirayuki's sword sword went up, causing Rukia to go backward again, and sliced downwards. It met with Rukia's again. "Correct."

Rukia could feel her knees bending. Shirayuki was using so much force that she was sinking into the snow. "Good," she said and kicked her zanpakto in the stomach. This time, Shirayuki went backward but she quickly regained her composure just to meet with a fist. This time she fell on the floor. Rukia attempted to slice her, but Shirayuki rolled to toward another side, dodging the blade my inches. Shirayuki got her sword again and slashed it against Rukia's. The metallic sound got louder as both females began using more force.

"You are getting impatient."

"How can you tell?"

Another loud clash and snow was flying around them. A fist met with Shirayuki's mouth as she punched Rukia's nose. Shirayukitasted blood while Rukia smelled its metallic aroma. A long pause as the two looked into each others eyes. Shirayuki saw fear. Rukia saw amusement.

"Why are you scared, Rukia?"

Metal against metal.

"Scared you can't achieve Stage Two?"

Knee against stomach.

"Scared your friends are in danger?"

Fist meets fist.

"Scared you'll be another burden?"

Foot meets chest.

"Or maybe you are always going to be on the sidelines."

Rukia's eyes widened as Shiryauki delivered another powerful blow. She fell on the ground, her heart beating furiously against her ribcage.

"Maybe you will always be weak. Even with Bankai. Maybe you'll never be able to save yourself. Maybe you'll disappoint everyone you care about."

Rukia's hand released her sword as Shirayuki stepped on her wrist.

"Your Nii-Sama, who went against the law just to adopt you."

Rukia winced as she got kicked on the stomach and tumbled through the snow.

"Abarai Renji, who is your only childhood friend alive."

Rukia attempted to stand just to feel cold metal against her neck.

"And we van absolutely never forget Kurosaki Ichigo, the boy who is always saving you."

Another kick in the stomach and Shirayuki lifted her up. "What's wrong?" She threw Rukia on the ground. "Waiting for someone to save you?" Lifted her up again. "Kurosaki isn't near by." A slap on the face.

Rukia's eyes were blurry. Her body hurt and there was a lump on her throat. Flashbacks of her life were passing through her. Always being saved. Always hurting those who she cared for. Always disappointing them. She had never felt greed for strength. She thought it would come on its own. She still thought that. She just felt so useless now. Become stronger. She was thrown on the ground again. Summon your Bankai.

Shirayuki watched as Rukia stood up, her whole body trembling. Rukia looked at Shirayuki straight into the eye and said the one word she had been waiting to hear. "Ban-KAI!"

Ichigo and Renji gazed at Rukia, whose stomach had been bandaged and body had been healed. She seemed so small and fragile to plain sight but both boys knew that she wasn't. To Renji, she was that strong and naive childhood friend that he loved. To Ichigo, she was his ray of light. Powerful enough to stop the rain. Brave enough to risk her life for anyone. Brutal enough to bring him back to sense. When he lost hope, she had come. Wacked him around till he remembered who he really was. Rukia was so much more than meets the eye.

"You know," Renji broke the silence but then paused.

Ichigo observed as his pinapple nakam extended his hand to touch Rukia's hair. Ichigo didn't know what got into him but before Renji could even feel a strand of her hair, he grabbed his hand. Ichigo released his hand. Renji layed his hand on the white sheets of e bed. An awkward silence filled the room

"Rukia doesn't like being treated like a child. You know she would wack you senseless."

Renji scratched the back of his head. "Ch. That's true." A longer pause. "Damn it! when is she gonna wake up?!"

Ichigo shrugged and continued staring at her. Why had he grabbed Renji's hand? Why had he felt his heart pump faster at the thought of Renji touching Rukia's face? Shit. He felt his hand gripped. When was the damn midget going to wake up? Suddenly a thought passed his mind. It was that damn Hokaitsu's fault that she was like that. He was going to make sure that he payed dearly. With that in mind he stood up. "C'mon Renji. Let's go train. That Hokaitsu is hella strong."

Renji smirked. "Yeah. Let's go get freakin' stronger."

Yamamoto Sou-Taicho drank another cup of sake. "Hokaitsu," he grumbled maliciously.

"Yama-Jii," said Kyoraku Shunsui. "You needa take it easy."

Jushiro Ukitake nodded. "Hokaitsu has gotten much more stronger. I think he finally figured out how to use his zanpakto."

Yamamoto wolfed down another cup and motioned for his servant to pour him another one. "I should have killed him instead of exile."

Shunsui laughed. "We never did reveal why we exiled him did we?"

Ukitake glanced at Shunsui and gave him a warning look as Yamamoto's face stiffened. "There is no need to, Shunsui."

Yamamoto got up and looked at the servant next to them. "We are having a captain's meeting in an hour. Tell the rest."

Shunsui smiled at Ukitake. Perhaps it was time for everyone to know the real reason why Genryuusai Hokaitsu had been exiled from the Soul Society.

(A/N Okay, my reaction yesterday when I checked my reviews:- HOLY CRAP! I had truthfully not expected more than two reviews again. Thank you: Iamnumberfour, Hisana, Byaxhisa4eva125, Chappyishappy, Kuchiki fukotai, Bleachfanatic, MuslimWarrior, Ichiru Kiryu, Sayablood, Phantom Claire, TomoMee, pinkpoison22, and Taichichaser2000. If I get more reviews, there will be a chapter either tomorrow or Sunday. If not, I'll upload next Friday. Did you guys like this chapter? Anything I should add? Suggestions are welcomed. Also please check out my sister's story, The Difference Between a Noble and a Shinigami, and my other story, Five Things. Once aain thank you, my reviewers!)