Chapter Forty
Ikkaku's POV
The squad waited in the main dojo for the new captain to meet the squad. I looked over the faces of the other officers most of them looked afraid and rightfully so. Fourth Seat Ukitake looked downright ticked off. Thanks to the previous captain's lack of motivation since she had gotten promoted to her current position, she pretty much had been running the place. Zaraki is going to put her back in her place and shit is going to fly without a doubt. I smiled at the idea that Captain Zaraki was going to lower her pride a peg or two. I noticed a mop of pink hair that looked familiar, it was our new lieutenant. She was walking around waiting for the captain to make his appearance. "Boss Lady!" she greeted on the top of her lungs and ran to Ukitake. The usually commanding stance she carried was gone in an instant as she lowered herself in a deep bow. "Lieutenant." she greeted in a strained voice. Ha! I knew it! She is choking on her pride right now. She never had to answer to anybody. "What are you smirking at, soldier?!" Ukitake snapped as soon as she caught sight of me. I just started this job and she seemed to have it out for me. I did not really care, if I beat her, I would most likely take her position as Fourth Seat or maybe even fill that vacant Third Seat position. Would that put a bitter taste in her mouth! She made her way over to me and Yumichika straightened up slightly. He may have always been my back up, but he was afraid of the Fourth Seat because of how much of a tyrant she was rumored to be. There was no way I was going to take orders from the likes of her. "I'm talking to you, Nineteenth Seat." Ukitake hissed. Bitch pulled rank on me! Unbelievable. "Nothing, ma'am!" I replied straightening up. She looked me over, the judgmental hag was already starting trouble with me.
"You're a ranked member now, boy. Start acting like it: this isn't a 'boy's club' so quit behaving like it is. We behave like a pack not a 'one man show' I don't care what this Kenpachi Zaraki says or how talented you think you are. Strength is in the number we make as a team: aim for the throat as the Captain takes out the heart. So if you want to function as a team I don't need you to like me you don't need me to like you. Mutual respect and loyalty to one another set us apart from the beasts other squads think of us as." she preached, I did not need such pretty speeches from someone like her, the woman who got her rank through her husband's status. So, I just nodded to get her off my back. She frowned as if she knew and turned to my friend. "Ayasegawa." she recognized with a nod. "Lady Ukitake." he replied respectfully. What a kiss ass.
Footsteps thudded on the other side of the door and Lieutenant Kusajishi ran to the frame yelling "Kenny!". The doors slid open with a snap announcing the new Kenpachi's arrival. Others shifted nervously while Yumichika and I relaxed. Ukitake stiffened as if she were less than happy with Zaraki's presence. I am more than happy to see where her pretty speech is going to lead her: with luck, she'll transfer out first thing tomorrow.
"I am the Eleventh's Squad's Captain, Kenpachi Zaraki." Zaraki introduced himself as he made his way through the room, squad members parting to give him leeway. "Listen up!" he ordered sternly to the room's occupants, "I don't care where your from, how old you are or what your previous records look like. I'm not going to force you to stay here, but there's no guarantee that I'll let you stay, either." The squad members looked to each other in fear and confusion, wimps. Zaraki stopped in front of a bench and turned to face them and shouted to regain the room's attention. "I want one thing!" He sat down in front of the men causing me to sit up just a little bit so I could hear him better. "What I want from all of you is…strength!" Heather's frown softened, and began to listen carefully. I figured that he would say as much. Zaraki made it quite clear with me that he was not interested in fighting the weak ones so why would he want to work with weaklings? I turned my head to view the only woman here and frowned, I thought she was supposed to have known he was coming: what gives?! She seemed surprised that he was here.
A/N: Hello to all of my viewers and followers! For starters, I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. A lot of things had come up as well as a few other story ideas keeping me far away from this one. I would also like to take the time to say that I apologize for such a short chapter. I wanted to try for a new perspective when it dawned on me: there is (sadly) not enough back story or enough attention for that matter on Ikkaku for me to do this without being completely OOC. Be that as it may, I have a lot more planned for the upcoming chapters! I hope that you will keep enjoying reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.