There was a prickling sensation that ran up his spine. It was not an unusual feeling, and truthfully he found this particular one comforting and familiar. The feeling tended to occur when a person with a particularly strong spiritual pressure was sparing or fighting. He had become used to it after years of working in the soul society and became even more accustom to it after becoming Tosen's lieutenant.

Unfortunately, Shuhei could not work out why he was so comforted by this particular spiritual pressure. He felt safe around it, yet there was something slightly unnerving within it, something that chilled him to the core. Until that point he honestly did not think such a thing was possible. The person was strong, around lieutenant ranking though there level was steady, meaning they were not pushing themselves to keep the pace they were at. He tried to think of who he knew that was of such strength and had the presence of the person he was sensing.

He knew it was not Renji, who had a wild, beastly presence, and it was not Rangiku, who had an untamable, tempting feel to her spiritual pressure. He thought for a moment that it could be Izuru, whose spiritual pressure had the dark atmosphere to it that this spiritual pressure had, but his was heavy, and often made Shuhei feel as though he should confess to any wrong he may have done. This was different, it was dark, yes, but it was also calm, almost torturously so and made him want to jump at the slightest noise or flicker of light. He mainly found it comforting because he knew, subconsciously, that he could trust this person with his life and that he would die for their happiness, not just their safety.

"It couldn't be," he thought out loud, letting his brush hover over the document he was filling out. He frowned as he thought over his ideas on who it could be. "It can't be, they're not that powerful… are they?"
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The room was warm, bringing a sweat to his forehead, making him wish to drink more. He could feel the heat to his face that meant his cheeks were red much like with Shuhei but he didn't really care.

"So then I hit him on the head with the wooden sword. Seriously, I'm starting to think they don't even train them before they leave the academy." Renji slammed his empty sake cup on the table, sighing in exasperation about one of his subordinates. "And Captain Kuchiki has made it my responsibility to train the kid."

Shuhei laughed boisterously as he refilled Renji's cup. "Man, that sucks, but at least you're not being overworked like Izuru and I am."

Izuru nodded in agreement, only to get the sensation of falling. He straightened up, breathing deep to try and clear his head. It worked though he was thinking he should perhaps order some food.

"Yeah, that must suck," Renji admitted, giving a downcast look. "Do you guys know when you might be getting a captain?"

"No clue," Izuru sighed, trying not to think about it. Part of him did not want a new captain, for it meant that Ichimaru had truly betrayed them and wasn't simply fooling them to help them beat Aizen. Obviously he knew that his captain was now the enemy but part of him had hoped.

"Truthfully it will be good but is there anyone in the soul society that is powerful enough to take the position of a captain?" Shuhei asked, looking from one friend to another, seeing in their expression that they themselves were not sure of the answer either. "I know some people can hide their spiritual pressure well but surely we would have felt something."

The small group decided to get something to eat, at the suggestion of Izuru, who had put a hand on his clearly churning stomach. Shuhei and Izuru decided that it was Renji who had to go retrieve the food, since it was far too busy for them to successfully flag down a waitress.

"You know, I've began to notice that Kaya is good at hiding her spiritual pressure," Shuhei stated as though they had been talking about his little sister the whole time.

"What do you mean?" Izuru asked with a slur to his words.

"My sister has had a spiritual pressure of a fifth seat for a fair few years, but it was always steady, never wavering, and I always thought that she could be a fourth seat, if she wasn't friends with the person who is the fourth seat of squad eight. The other day though, I was certain I felt her spiritual pressure holding steady at a lieutenant's level. If she was straining herself to reach that level than it would have been wavering, dipping low and then spiking to that level, but it wasn't. How is it possible I did not notice my own sister, practically my daughter was the same level in strength as me? Why did she feel the need to hide it from me?"

Izuru thought for a moment as he filled Shuhei's cup, thinking he may need it. "Are you sure it was her?"

"I felt her zanpakuto's presence when it first started to appear, I know it anywhere. Hell, it gave me nightmares after the first time." Shuhei shuttered before gulping down his drink.

"What happened to give you nightmares?" Izuru frowned, knowing that his best friend did not scare easily, and he himself had versed Kaya's zanpakuto and did not think it was powerful enough to shake his friend to the core.

"It was before I entered the academy, and was actually the event that made me finally decide to become a soul reaper. We lived in this dingy little shack and someone broke in to rob us. It wasn't like we had much, but anything in that district was better than nothing. I hadn't been home at the time. I had been at work at this bar that I could never let Kaya set eyes on. On my way home I felt this heavy, dark presence weighing on my shoulders. I knew what spiritual pressure felt like so I ran home. The door was broken and inside was Kaya with one of my practise swords. The robber was on the ground, his real sword next to him, and he wasn't moving, except when Kaya hit him with the practise sword. Turns out she had woken up when he was ransacking the house and attacked him. He was bleeding from the head and he died, not that anyone cared. He was a horrible man, a killer. The atmosphere, the feeling, coming off of Kaya was terrifying and the look in her eyes, so cold, as though she didn't care that she was hurting another human being. That was not the girl I raised, it was the thing that she wields. The feeling was nearly choking me and then Kaya saw me, her face had bits of blood on it from the man and she jumped over the guy's body and ran over to me, tears in her eyes. She kept saying how he scared her and she was worried he was going to hurt me when I got home."

Shuhei took a sip of his drink as Renji sat down with the food.

"Don't get me wrong," he went on, "I'm glad that Kaya was safe, that her zanpakuto's presence was able to save her, I just wish that Kuro Zetsumi was not the sword she wielded. I think that Kazeshini is a better option than hers."

"You know," Renji spoke up, clearly getting the basics of the conversation. "Your sister is a pretty powerful girl. I've known her for a while, though I had no idea that she was your sister. She is the only person besides Captain Kenpachi and his lieutenant who can tell Ikkaku what to do and have him actually do it. I've seen her walk into Squad Eleven to get the bi-monthly reports and have half the members hit on her and before Ikkaku or Yumichika and kill them for it she's put them in their place with a simple kido or even by releasing her sword and leaving them crying in the corner. She's a pretty powerful soul reaper and if you haven't realised that it is because you ever refuse to see it or she doesn't want you to."

Shuhei choked on the food he had been happily chewing. "Excuse me?"

"His right, Shuhei," added Izuru. "Miss Hisagi is a skilled shinigami and you should respect her as one."
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With every step he took his head gave a painful pound in reply. He winced, thinking how he really needed to learn to say no to Renji and Shuhei when they suggest drinking in the middle of the week. It always made work the next day harder. He had thought this very thing numerous times but never seemed to learn for he often repeated his mistake.

A groan escaped his lips as he felt the vibrations of heavy footfalls, signalling that someone was running towards him. Peaking over his shoulder he was surprised to see Kaya Hisagi, looking healthier then she had in a number of weeks. Her long red hair was in a high ponytail, allowing it to sway like a pendulum with the timing of her steps. Her face was coated with a small amount of red that could have been the result of running to catch him, or more likely was a blush of shyness that seemed to always be present with Miss Hisagi when she was not drinking.

As she drew closer to him, she slowed her pace to a walk, smiling at him. "Lieutenant Kira, I... I've been l...l...looking for y...ou." She gave him a bow, something that surprised him.

He had never stopped to truly realise that he was her superior because when it came to any danger within the Soul Society, where the Recovery team was needed, she instantly became his superior. He had to listen to her if her team had to step in. It honestly made him wonder how a fifth seat gained such a position, but then he remembered what Renji and Shuhei had said the night before about her power. How powerful is she? He thought before giving her a small smile. "What is it you need, Miss Hisagi?"

In reply she handed him a folded slip of paper. Upon opening it he discovered it was a request form from Squad Eight's head of Recovery (Kaya Hisagi) to Squad Four, requesting training for the Recovery team in medical kido. Izuru frowned, not understanding what this had to do with him. As though understanding his confusion, Miss Hisagi started to explain.

"Captain Unahana said sh...e didn't have enough p...p...people to spar and s...suggested ex-members of Squad Four to help. Shuie m...mentioned that you were i...i...in Squad Four. Could-you-please-train-a-member-of-my-team?"

The last sentence was said with such speed that it took a moment for Izuru to work out what was said. He realised it was probably the only way she could speak without stuttering though. He tried to think if her request was possible only to have his head pound furiously in retaliation. As he held his head in pain he squinted at Miss Hisagi, who was patiently waiting for an answer. "I will have to see but I will send you an answer within the day, and if it is possible for me to help I will also send you my schedule so you can find the member of your team whose schedule is close enough to mine that we can organise times."

Miss Hisagi smiled widely at his words before bowing again. "Thank you, Lieutenant Kira, I h...hope you have a... a pleasant day."

"You too, Miss Hisagi."

With a wave goodbye Kaya ran off to the old training ground of Squad Eight that she had booked for herself. Although no one really used it since it didn't have the newer equipment and it was badly damaged in parts she still put a booking on it so that no one would decide to go there as she was and get trapped by her zanpakuto.

The grounds smelt different to the newer ones that received a clean every two days. This one had the mixed aroma of dust, dry blood and aged sweat. Since the large grounds were open to the air the smell was not over whelming. Once she got close to the middle of the training grounds, she pulled out her zanpukato, watching as black smoke emanated from the blade, taking form a meter away from her.

"Are you healed?" asked a ghostly voice as the black mist swirled into a black cloak and lank black hair, a pale face appearing.

"Yes, Captain Unahana says I can tr...train a...as long as I stop if I f...f...feel pain in my stomach. You have helped a lot."

"That is good, but I hope you have prepared yourself, for I do not plan to go easy on you."

Kaya nodded, staring at her zanpakuto with determination.

Yeey, I was able to get a chapter of this story done during the 'holidays'. I used the quote marks because it mainly consists of studying. Hope you all like it and the story should be progressing a bit quicker from now on. Hope you like and R and R.