Disclaimer: The day I own Bleach, I swear I'll throw a party for all my friends and reviewers. However, it has obviously not happened yet.
A/N: I was inspired by chapter 224 to make a new chapter…no it doesn't have Unohana or Zaraki, but since Hinamori was Unohana's patient, I thought that it was good way to make chapter. Aren't you glad?
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Unohana quietly put Hinamori on a stretcher, and nodded her thanks to Yamamoto, "Thank you Yamamoto-taichou."
Yamamoto shook his head, "I am simply returning your patient to you…although, what is Hinamori-fukutaichou's condition?"
Unohana placed a hand on Hinamori's forehead, "Physically she will recover with some more rest. Psychologically though…that is hard to say. As it has been demonstrated today, she still believes Aizen innocent of all crimes."
"That is grave indeed…we need all the shinigami we can get at this point, Aizen's Arrancars are extremely powerful. An unstable vice-captain is a liability to all of us…especially if she still believes our main enemy completely innocent of all he has done."
Unohana nodded in agreement, "I will put her through therapy, but it really all depends on Hinamori-fukutaichou herself, to decide whether or not she will continue with her belief. We can not force her to believe anything."
Yamamoto sighed, "The damage Aizen has done…if anyone had told me this fifty years earlier, I would have asked them if they had drank too much."
"None of us would have believed it," replied Unohana.
"Aizen's treachery…how deep it has grown, we still are just finding out."
--
Sighing, Unohana carefully sorted through her boxes of tea leaves. It has been a most stressful day, she thought, examining the jasmine tea leaves, then replaced it back on the shelf, besides tending to everyone else, Hinamori-fukutaichou's condition is the most heart wrenching, strangely enough. The main problem is that the "condition", as I put it, is in her mind.
She had just decided on the customary green tea leaves, when her door slid open. Zaraki was standing there, quickly glancing around the room.
"Zaraki-san?"
"Have you seen Yachiru?" asked Zaraki, looking more ferocious than usual, as he was scowling.
"No, I haven't…is something wrong?"
"Not really," he said, his fingers beating an uneven rhythm on the door, "it's just that usually she's back by now, yelling for a story."
She stood up, putting the box of tea leaves down, "I could help you find her…"
"No, it's fine—"
A member of the 4th division ran up to the door, blanched when he saw Zaraki, and then stood at attention, "Unohana-taichou!"
"Yes?"
"Hinamori-fukutaichou attempted to escape through an open window to, we assume, the 5th division, but she was safely apprehended, and is now under sedation."
"Have you put a barrier on the window and door of the room?"
"Yes we have, Unohana-taichou."
"Who was the person who brought Hinamori-fukutaichou back?"
"Ah…we believe it was Kusajishi-fukutaichou."
Zaraki's scowl became much less defined, "So that's where the brat disappeared to…where is she now?"
The 4th division member quailed at his stare, "S-she's in Hinamori-fukutaichou's room."
Zaraki looked at Unohana, "I can go in, right?"
Unohana nodded, and then rose, "Yes…I want to check on Hinamori-fukutaichou anyway."
As the two captains walked away, the 4th division member breathed a sigh of relief. I'm so glad I wasn't killed by Zaraki-taichou…although it was weird that he asked for Unohana-taichou's permission…I thought he never asked for anything! Maybe he's kind of scared of Unohana-taichou also, since all the other 11th division members are anyway? Or…could those rumors be true? Nah, couldn't happen in a million years…could it? They always say that opposites attract…weirdest couple in all of Soul Society then.
--
When Zaraki walked through the door, and pink blur automatically whizzed past him, and landed on his shoulder, "Hi Ken-chan!"
Zaraki grunted, moving his hand as if to swat Yachiru, "Stupid brat, what were you doing hanging around the 4th division? It's almost your bed time."
Yachiru stuck out her tongue, "Nah, nah, it's not my bed time! I'm not sleepy!"
Unohana quietly interrupted the friendly banter, and asked, "Why were you hanging around the 4th division though, Yachiru?"
"I thought you would give some candy, since Ken-chan banned it for a whole week—"
"Obviously," muttered Zaraki, "last time you got hold of a big bag of candy, you went ahead and painted the entire division pink."
"I was making it pretty! Besides, I was going to add some blood after the paint dried! Anyway, I was going to ask if I could have some candy, when I someone sneaking out the window! Ken-chan always tells me that if you see someone sneaking out of somewhere using the window, you should at least go over there to check it out!"
Zaraki nodded, "Damn right, it's almost always a thief. And when it's not, it's usually Ikkaku sneaking out to see Kurotsuchi's daughter."
"So then," continued Yachiru, waving her hands, "I went over to see who it was. It was Peachy! I thought Peachy was supposed to stay in the 4th division, since the last time I saw her she was asleep like Sleeping Beauty, so I asked why she was sneaking out. She said that she was trying to go back to the 5th division, because Evil Glasses must have left some clues for her there."
Unohana looked at Zaraki, and asked, "Evil Glasses?"
Zaraki nodded, and said, "Well, he's evil, and he used to wear glasses. Perfectly normal nickname, isn't it?"
Yachiru nodded eagerly, "I didn't like him from the beginning anyway! He wouldn't fight anyone, which was really weird…so, I didn't think that Peachy should go back to try and find Evil Glasses, since he's evil, so I told her that. She got really upset, and started yelling that Evil Glasses wasn't evil, and that he must have been tricked by Pointy Fox or something. I told her that I didn't think that would happen, so Peachy started shrieking that it was the only explanation."
Unohana looked at Hinamori's now peaceful sleeping form, You admired Aizen to the point of turning him into a god, didn't you? It must have been earth shattering for you, when you found out he was the traitor.
Yachiru went on with her story, "Peachy shrieks really loud, so I decided that she must be sick. I grabbed her, and ran into the 4th division, and some nurse people took her from me. Will Peachy get better?" she asked Unohana.
"I'm not sure," stated Unohana, "Her worst scars are all in her psyche right now, and those problems are much more difficult to solve than just simple cuts."
Yachiru cocked her head to the left, "Scars in her psyche? What's," she yawned a bit, "that?"
Zaraki patted Yachiru's head, "Time for you to sleep, brat."
Yachiru rubbed her eyes, struggling to stay awake, "No it's not! Besides, Braid lady hasn't answered my question!"
Unohana smiled, "You really should sleep soon though, Yachiru…scars to the psyche is emotional damage. Basically when something traumatic happens, and you can't get over it."
Yachiru pondered this statement as she yawned, "Traumatic? So…like Ninja Lady being all weird if black cats come near her?"
Zaraki added, before Unohana could ask anything, "She's talking about Soi Fong."
Unohana nodded, "Something like that. With Hinamori-fukutaichou however, it goes deeper than that."
Yachiru was nearly asleep on Zaraki's shoulder, but she managed to ask, "Really? …but I think Ice Dragon wants to help Peachy…" Her head slumped, and she began to snore.
Unohana smiled peacefully again, "She's a pretty perceptive girl at times…"
Zaraki snorted, as he opened the door quietly, "Oh sure, when she wants to be that is. Most of the time she's just a hyper pink blob."
"Kids are kids," Unohana said following him out the door, after securing the shield on the room.
"If that's the case, why isn't the little Ice brat running around like Yachiru?"
"Well, he is a prodigy…and I don't believe he is as young as Yachiru. Either ways, he is remarkably mature for his age."
"Little brat was moping around your division before he left to the human world, wasn't he?"
Unohana nodded, sadly, "He is very close friends with Hinamori-fukutaichou, and he blames himself for the fact that she got hurt that way."
Zaraki snorted, "The little pipsqueak's control of his zanpaktou isn't complete yet, is it? Must be pretty bitter for him, since his girl is still obsessed with Aizen."
Unohana put a hand up to her mouth to hide a grin, "His girl, Zaraki-san?"
Zaraki shrugged, careful not to awaken the sleeping Yachiru, "It's kind of obvious. Besides, Yachiru is convinced that her next matchmaking job should be between them."
"Ah, she's still trying that?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Well, I wish her luck…if she can cure Hinamori-fukutaichou of her obsession with Aizen, I swear to the King of the Soul Society that I'll provide her with candy every single day."
Zaraki shuddered, "No. Who knows what she'll do with all that candy…"
"Maybe every week then," they had arrived at the entrance of the 4th division. "Well then, good-bye Zaraki-san."
"See you," he said, waving one hand as he walked out.
--
As Unohana sipped her green tea which she had finally made, she thought back to the conversation between Zaraki and Yachiru.
He does look like a scary guy…but appearances are deceiving, as we've all seen with Aizen. He truly does care for Yachiru as a daughter.
You know that the way you two acted today, you could have been mistaken for a family?
Unohana quickly shook her head, It's the stress that's making me think odd thoughts…
Right. Keep telling yourself that, why don't you?
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A/N: Well, that was an interesting chapter wasn't it? I even managed to include Hitsugaya/Hinamori…please review! And basically, the same drill as before, I'm still waiting for Unohana or Zaraki to reappear in the manga, but if inspiration strikes, I will update.
