Deadlines, deadlines! I have so much stuff to do! And worst of all...sob...school's coming back! This is horrible, between what few friends I have, work, and martial arts, and school I have little time to work on this fic nor any other! So expect very slow updates, sorry!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach
Chapter 12- To the Real World, We're one short!
"This sucks!" Hana snapped from her bed in the hospital.
Her room was well kept furnished with a comfy chair for a visitor, a table with freshly picked flowers and a white bed with white sheets and a white pillow, along with white walls.
Hana hated the color white.
She threw an empty bucket next to the door just as Shinn walked in carrying a tray of food.
"Hana-san," Shinn sighed, "You have to calm down,"
"Shut up," Hana snapped, "What are you? My brother!"
"He's right though," Rei commented as she stepped in, "You are in no condition to join us given our injuries,"
"Screw that, I'm going!" Hana snapped back.
"Hana-san, please be more respectful," Shinn remarked as he set the tray of food down next to her bed.
Hana merely mumbled something they couldn't hear and then leaned back onto her pillow.
"I'm sorry that you can't go but you shouldn't look forward to danger so eagerly," Shinn commented.
Hana glared at him with a murderous intent.
"Sorry," Shinn mumbled as he stepped back.
"I can't believe this!" Hana cried, "Our first major mission and now I'm going to miss out on it!"
Shinn sighed again then he walked to the door, bowed as he stepped out of her room and walked down the hallway and Rei followed shortly after.
"Why does anyone look forward to having to fight?" Shinn thought.
Back inside patient room Hana swore as she punched the side of her bed.
"Frustrated aren't you?" A voice sighed.
She looked up to see Renji-dono standing next to her bed.
"Sorry sir," Hana mumbled.
"Whatever," He sighed, "You should be able to leave the medical centre in maybe around two weeks,"
She regarded him curiously wondering what he was getting at.
"When you're out I want you to meet me at the following location," He explained tossing her a slip of paper, "Take is easy till then,"
He started to leave the room when Hana grabbed hold of his coat.
"Wait, what is this?" She asked, "Why do you want me out of here as soon as possible,"
Renji smiled confidently, "Why to teach you how to unleash your shikai of course,"
With that he walked away from Hana's startled form.
Elsewhere Shinn hurried down the street dashing madly towards the rendevous point.
"Crap!" Shinn thought frustrated, "I'm gonna be late!"
He jumped over a few fences then weaved through a network of alleyways like a cockroach on steroids.
He arrived at the meeting point with his uniform rumpled, his sword in its sheathe hanging loose, and his hair completely messed.
Though only two seated officers along with two low-class patrols were going a crowd had gathered to watch the event take place.
"Hey, you look uglier than usual," Saito remarked.
"Ohhh, ah burn," Koji snickered.
"The other patrol is already here," Cho remarked, "And I see plenty of cute girls!"
He winced as if in expectation but then after a few seconds his shoulders slumped.
"It's not the same anymore without Hana-chan to beat me up," Cho sighed.
Saito nodded and almost decided not to talk to the two asian chicks who were serving as an escort for Vice-captain Hinamori.
Miho regarded the two with an amused expression.
"They're right, without Hana-chan life just doesn't seem normal," She sighed.
"I'm sure she'll be alright Miho-san," Shinn replied trying to lighten her mood.
She smiled then walked off to join the rest.
"Please, everyone lineup in your respective groups!" Hinamori ordered, "Hurry up people, will all seated officers step forward and state your name and position!"
A tall bald headed man walked up to the vice-captain first.
"Madarame Ikkaku, 3rd seat of the 11th Squad," He stated.
The next was a short wimpy looking black haired boy.
"Um...Yamada Hanataro," He whispered, "I'm 7th seat of 4th squadron.
"Tch, 4th squadron trash," Someone muttered from the crowd.
Hanataro immediatly hanged his head in embarassment.
"Hey!" Saito yelled angrily to the offensive officer, "Why don't you shut the hell up?"
"Or else what?" The shinigami sneered.
"Or else what? Hehe, you just made a big mistake! I'll..." He whispered as he grinned confidently, "...Get him to fight you!"
He pointed to a confused Shinn who was trying to dust his uniform off.
The crowd laughed until someone made a remark.
"Hey, isn't he the guy who destroyed that Menos hybrid?" Koji remarked innocently.
"Hmmm?" The brash shinigami murmured as he looked closer.
His eyes popped open to triple there original size.
"Holy crap!" The shinigami screamed, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Hanataro smiled somewhat nervously as the once arrogant shinigami literally groveled beneath his feet.
Shinn finally managed to clean up his uniform somewhat and was confused at all the scared looks he recieved when he looked up.
"Um...moving on," Hinamori declared trying to get the group back on track, "Now 13th's Division's Patrol 20, when I call your name step forward,"
She breathed in then looked into the crowd and began calling out the names that made up the patrol.
"Chobito Zanza," She called out.
A tall handsome pale skinned teen stepped forward and bowed. He had long black hair which seemed smoother than silk, and he had piercing green eyes that seemed to hold be cut from the most pure emerald.
"Wow," One of the escorts whispered, "So cute!"
He bowed again then walked back to his position with his other teammates.
"Yusuke Nanu," Hinamori continued.
An attractive girl with deep red hair, that was let loose around her shoulder, smiled confidently as she walked up. Her hair reminded Shinn of the autumn leaves that came in fall. Her eyes were a bright blue that seemed to contain the sea itself within them. She grinned wiedly and where her teammate had bowed respectfully she waved happily at the vice-captain.
Cho made a comment about watermelons while Saito grudgingly admitted she was attractive, for a non-asian chick and Koji merely drooled.
"Fujimara Yakito," Hinarmori called out.
A boy stepped forward swiftly. Where the previous two shinigami had been attractive this one was shrouded in mystery. He was covered from head to toe in bandages that only allowed dark blue eyes to peep out along with a mouth drawn in grim line. Tufts of brown hair could be seen from his head.
"Wow, he must be butt ugly under all that," Koji remarked.
"Hmmm," Miho murmured, "He seems sad,"
Shinn regarded his perceptive friend thoughtfully then turned to regard the shinigami himself.
The shinigami stepped back silently with his patrol.
"Umezawa Ryu," Hinarmoi continued.
A short green haired kid stepped forward bearing a large smirk across his face. One ear was pieced and was decorated with a single silver ring. He had deep green eyes that matched his hair. His zanpak-to was worn across his back rather than at his side due to his short height. He bowed almost mockingly then strode back to his teammates.
"I didn't know they allowed children to become shinigami," Shinn remarked.
"Don't you know who that is?" Koji asked incredously.
"Umezawa Ryu?" Shinn asked.
"Idiot!" Saito sighed, "That's THE Umezawa Ryu!"
"Eh?" Shinn asked, "Wasn't that what I just said?"
"He's a child prodigy," Saito explained, "He's one of the youngest shinigami to ever graduate, they call him a genius!"
"Nope, never heard of him," Shinn replied cheerfully.
"And finally Harajime Sakura," Hinamori called out.
An indigo haired girl nervously walked up and saluted clumsily. She had pale white skin along with baby blue eyes that constantly would glance up, only to sink back down to her feet.
"She's so cute!" Miho squealed, "I just want to hug her!"
"Don't be stupid...ack!" Saito cried, "Where'd she go!"
Miho had already ran up and wrapped the nervous girl in a hug.
The background turned pink and hearts surrounded Miho's head forming a small halo while her teammates looked on nervously.
"She's a complete moron sometimes," Saito remarked.
"Definetly," Koji replied.
When Miho had been finally pulled away from the girl who had by now been blushing furiosuly in embarrasment while Shinn apologized to her cheerfully for his friend's conduct.
Patrol 18 was quickly called forward without much incident, save when Saito blew Hinamori a kiss and Cho tried to propose to the red haired girl on the other patrol.
Soon the two groups had formed up and awaitied for further instructions.
A raven-haired women dressed in a shinigami outfit stepped forward and greeted the shinigami officers. She was short for her age but bore a sincere smile when she greeted everyone.
"Ohayo, Rukia-san!" Hanataro called out cheerfully.
"Is that who I think it is?" Shinn asked.
"Yeah, that's Kuchiki Rukia," Saito replied excitedly, "She's really hot and is from the Kuchiki noble's house!"
"Oh, I thought she was Kurenade-sensei from the academy," Shinn replied chuckling, "My bad!"
"I wish Hana was here to hit you," Koji sighed.
She walked up to the podium to adress the group.
"As of now I will officially be leading this squadron, you will follow my orders to the letter," SHe declared.
"Hey, you're not even a seated officer!" Ryu remarked angrily, "Why do we have to listen to you?"
"Because, of all of us, I have the most experience in the material world," She explained, "And I know several contacts that I can use to obtain information on Aizen's whereabouts,"
"This is so stupid," Ryu muttered but a quick piercing look from Zanza silenced him.
"So when do we all leave?" Nanu asked impatiently.
"Right now," Rukia replied raising her zanpak-to(), "Kaijo...release!"
Her sword plunged into the air in front of hir as though she was parting a curtain and the seams were splitting. Then the very matter surrounding the cut twisted and swirled as though a painter was mixing his pallet of paints into one colour until it had peeled away revealing a pair of sliding doors behind it. The doors slowly slid open and a few black swallowtail butterflies slipped out and fluttered around.
"Let's go," She declared as the doors slid open completely and a beam of light shone through.
()Note: In this fic Rukia obtains her zanpak-to again, whether she'll actually get around to using it we'll see how things roll