I'm still not Tito Kube. Theme: Hitohira no Hanabira by Stereo Pony.
Children chased each other around the courtyard of the restaurant they chose, a place known for its natto. Saskakibe tried not to look for a flash of pink hair. He and Hitsugaya-kun were overdue for a chat, and the administrative paperwork could wait this early in the semester.
He'd picked Twenty-Sixth as a meeting point to both avoid prying ears, and in hopes that they hadn't gone too far. It was a foolish hope, but it was all he had.
"So, you've learned shikai now?" Saskakibe began.
"Hai," Toshiro agreed, biting his lip. It had cost him dearly, and he wondered what price bankai would come with.
"I know it seems that we are pushing you hard, but consider. The Third still lacks a qualified captain, and its officer's ranks are thin. Shiba-jo was only drafted because of her prowess in kido. Seventh lacks a vice-captain, Sixth's Vice-captain is due to retire, as is Tenth's, and Matsumoto's promotion is overdue. Twelfth's gone through three vice-captains during Kurotsuchi's tenure. And Tenth's captain has vanished which leaves a critical vacancy in our ranks."
"I know all this," Hitsugaya growled. "I'm working on my bankai."
"How long do you think it'll take?"
"A year, maybe more, maybe less. Komamura-taicho's already asked me if I would consider taking a lieutenant's spot in his squad. I asked him to give me more time."
Saskakibe, who knew all about that, smiled. Hitsugaya would make a good lieutenant for Seventh, but with Hyorinmaru, he'd be pushed to captaincy. He personally didn't approve of Yamamoto's plan, but he saw the necessity.
"Hey, give that back!" one of the workers yelled, as a boy ran by with a water pitcher and a bunch of napkins. Saskakibe recalled hearing a childish yelp a few minutes back. Maybe one of the children had gotten hurt.
"Let's follow him," he said, setting some money on the table.
--
"Did ya get the yojimbo?" Johji asked, spilling the water on the ground. Toshihiko tended to the sparkly pieces, chasing Naoko away. The toddler picked up Nobuya, the youngest and scolded him for crawling toward the sparklies. One injured was enough.
"I sent Riyo for him," Kaname said, pressing the napkin to Yachiru's knee. "You okay, Yachiru?"
Yachiru nodded, biting her lip. She was used to blood, just not hers. The cut had been deep, and it hurt.
"What's going on here?" a man asked. It wasn't Ken-chan's voice, but he didn't seem threatening. A boy with white hair was standing behind him, absently examining Kaname's ball. Toshihiko eyed the strangers, but stayed where he was.
"I cut my knee," Yachiru said. "I was playin' with Ame-chan and all the rest, and I tripped on some glass."
The man settled next to her. "If you don't mind, I can heal that. I'll have to get the glass out of there, and that's probably going to hurt. Keep talking to me, that'll take your mind off it."
Yachiru nodded. "Who are you? I'm Yachiru Kusajishi."
Saskakibe was glad that she couldn't see his face. That question hurt.
"'Jiro'll do," he replied. No sense revealing his true name and rank right now. This close, he could tell she had a large amount of reiatsu, but it was only half released. "Kusajishi,eh? I knew a little girl from there. Her name was Nadeshiko and she was about your age. Maybe you knew her too?"
"I don't think so. I don't remember much from there. I was really little when I met Ken-chan, and we've been traveling ever since."
Some part of him had known all along. Nadeshiko was lost to her clan and blood kin, and she'd forgotten the name her parents gave her. The man from Zaraki was the only person who was 'family' to her.
He picked out more glass, chatting all the while.
"So it's just you and 'Ken-chan,' is it?"
"Yep," Yachiru said, cheerfully. "I tried to set him and Pretty up, but it hasn't worked. Ken-chan thinks Pretty is a flirt, and Pretty said Ken-chan is too ugly. I don't think Ken-chan's ugly at all, and I don't think Star-chan does either!"
"Pretty, hm? She must be very beautiful."
"Yep, he is!"
Saskakibe's train of thought momentarily crashed and burned.
"I'm glad Ken-chan has Pretty and Baldy as friends. They're both nice people, even though they scolded me for falling off the roof, and Baldy's grouchy all the time. I didn't break anything, so they shouldn't have made such a fuss. Hey you, Whitey, you'd better give Ame-chan's ball back if you ain't gonna play with it."
"He can keep it," Kaname said crossly. "It's a bad-luck ball, now that he touched it."
"Bad-luck ball, bad-luck ball!" chanted Naoko.
"Keep being mean and I'll beat you up!" Yachiru threatened. Kaname turned pale.
Saskakibe blinked. The older girl was twice Yachiru's size.
"It isn't the size of the dog, it's the size of the fight in the dog," Yachiru said smugly. "And I got a lot of fight in me."
"She's been raised badly," Johji said, cheerfully, collecting the last of the glass. "But don't tell her da I said that. He makes momma bears look gentle. Yachi's a spoiled rotten cub."
Hitsugaya suddenly trembled. What was that? It rasped across his awareness like a desert wind, hot, dry and murderous. It wasn't like Saskakibe's reiatsu- rain and thunder, which jarred in his awareness as Saskakibe performed the healing spell.
A small girl, only a bit older than Yachiru, darted into the alley with a huge man behind her. The man had to be 'Ken-chan.' Calling anything like that 'chan,' in Hitsugaya's opinion, had to be a sign of serious mental instability. ('Kumicho,' 'dono', or 'run!' were much more likely candidates.)
"What happened?" Kenpachi rumbled. Saskakibe stood up, wondering if there was a polite way to say 'I'd like my grand-daughter back, please.' Yachiru got to her feet.
"I tripped and fell on some glass. I'm all healed up now, thanks to Jiro-ji."
Hitsugaya doubled over in a 'coughing' fit. Rangiku Matsumoto would have a field day with that nickname. Kenpachi chose to ignore the student, though he did wonder what he and the shinigami were doing out here.
"Damn it, brat," Kenpachi said, tapping Yachiru's nose. "If I find a gray hair tomorrow, I'll know who ta blame. Way Riyo was goin' on, I'd figured you were bleedin' ta death. Thanks for healin' her up, shinigami. My name's Zaraki, call me out if ya need a favor. Later."
He waved, settling Yachiru on his shoulder and heading off. Saskakibe nearly chased after him, but decided it wouldn't do any good. Starting a brawl in the middle of the Rukon would end very badly. If he won, he'd end up with a traumatized youngster who'd never forgive him. If he lost, he'd wake up with Unohana clucking at him- or he wouldn't wake up at all.
"It's the other way around, Zaraki-sama," Saskakibe murmured to himself. He composed himself.
"Hitsugaya-kun, we should leave as well. You still have afternoon classes. And if you tell Matsumoto about this you'll room with her for the next year."
--
"Saskakibe-fukutaicho?" Hitsugaya asked. "Who was this Nadeshiko you were asking about?"
"My grand-daughter," Saskakibe said, quietly. "I thought Kusajishi-chan would know her, since they grew up in the same district. I'm sure she'll turn up some day at the Academy."
Hitsugaya shut up, horrified. He couldn't imagine Saskakibe having children, much less grand-children.
--
Kenpachi hauled out yet another trunk. Guard? Hah, more like work horse. Trunks, trunks and more trunks as far as the eye could see. He was used to traveling light- in a pinch, all he really needed was The Sword and The Box. The addition of Yachiru had added a lot of stuff in the luggage department, but they still kept it to a pair of packs. Really, how many clothes and costumes could anyone use? Not to mention the props.
The notion of ornamental weapons seemed obscene. He'd already bet one of the actresses that he could take out a hollow with the props.
To make matters worse, Hokuto had gone tearing through half the trunks with a cry of 'I'm sure I saw it in here!' Thankfully, she'd helped him put things right afterward. Yachiru had settled down with an old script to doodle on, and had fallen asleep soon after her return to the inn. Tomorrow'd be their last day here.
--
Dinner was quiet. Most of the women were reading their scripts and writing notes. The Moon-Bridge Marigolds started the season tomorrow, and no one wanted to mess up.
"Yachiru?" Hokuto asked, looking up from her script.
Yachiru looked up from her soup. "Yes, Star-chan?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to learn gymnastics. We lost our gymnast to another troupe, you see."
"What's gymnastys?"
Hokuto pushed her chair away, gestured to the others to clear a space and took a breath. She flipped into a cartwheel.
"Like that," she said, coming up. Kenpachi looked away, coloring very slightly.
"That's so cool!" Yachiru said, delighted. "I'd love to learn!"
"Good. I'll show you how to walk a tight-rope tomorrow. I've got a hakama for you as well. We aren't the kind of troupe that does stuff like that in a kimono."
"You just did," Kenpachi muttered, staring intently at a patch of wall.
"I meant in public," she sniffed. "Aw, is the Watchman shy?"
"Quit calling me that!"
--
"What do you want to hear about tonight?" Kenpachi asked, settling by the bed.
"The first Kenpachi!" Yachiru said.
He sighed. That one was a ten-parter, the longest story he knew.
"All right. Just a second.."
He walked to the door. The hallway had been suspiciously silent.
"I know you're out there, I can hear ya bein' quiet!" he roared.
The hallway was filled with giggling and the sound of running feet.
--
Yachiru'd finally gone to sleep, and Kenpachi left to do rounds. Gods, he wished people wouldn't pester her about the past. It always set her off.
What had her folks been thinking, haring off to a place like Kusajishi and trying to settle there? He tried to think well of 'em; they were the brat's blood kin after all.
That shinigami might've been kin too. There was an echo in the man's features that had reminded Kenpachi of Yachiru. What would he do when they reached the Seireitei? Yachiru wouldn't want to leave, and he wanted to keep her with him. When it came right down to it, Kenpachi'd been there, and her clan hadn't. He sighed heavily and slumped into a chair.
"Ryuu for your thoughts," Hokuto teased, draping herself over his back. "Mm, jasmine? Nabiki didn't seem the type."
"My thoughts ain't worth that much," he murmured. "I borrowed the scent for Yachi- her mother wore it and it calms her down. I mighta used a bit too much."
"That must be rough for both of you. She lost her mother, and you're raising her all alone."
"We've made the best of it."
She pecked his cheek. "You're so sweet. You look rough, but you're quite the romantic, 'Pachi. You don't mind about the lessons, do you?"
"As long as it doesn't interfere with the sword lessons or her playtime, it's fine."
Hokuto chuckled. "I'll make an actress out of her yet!"
--
Saskakibe sat with his back against a cherry tree, ignoring a pair of slightly dented students who were climbing down from the trees.
"Damn Kuchiki-dono. We were only going to eat a couple of fish, so he didn't have to use Senbonzakura on us."
"Don't worry about it, Rikichi," a small black-haired first year said. "I've got some rice balls left in my room."
"Hana, you're a life-saver!"
(It was an Academy-wide saying that the cafeteria made the best ammunition in Soul Society, and many students preferred to hunt or fish their own dinner. If all else failed, they went to Thirteenth, and hung around until Ukitake fed them.)
He'd meant to have a tiny drink, to get over the shock of seeing 'Yachiru.' For some reason, it'd arrived in two bottles. A cherry petal drifted into his cup, and he looked up at the barely blooming trees.
I wonder how many times these trees will bloom before she comes to the Seireitei? he thought. By then, surely, he'd be able to tell her. The prodigal would be welcomed with open arms. He'd even accept the man from Zaraki into the clan. He didn't know why Zaraki'd taken a stranger's child on, but he seemed to treat her well.
Saskakibe's failure to find her as an infant would haunt him for the rest of his life, but at least she hadn't suffered for his mistakes. She was a lively, strong-willed child that any family would be proud of.
We will meet again, I'm sure of it. Until then, Yachiru.
1. Kaname can be a boy or a girl's name. Ages: Kaname's 10, Johji's about 12, Riyo and Toshihiko are 7.
2. Kumicho: a mob boss. Dono: a lord.
3. They set off the parenting radar.
4. Better flung then eaten in other words.
Thanks to one of my reviewers who suggested the name of the troop. Well it's not the chapter I meant to write, but sometimes life is like that.
Heading into the final chapters. Review, unless you don't want to know the end!