I'm afraid my old habits made the first chapter slightly confusing. Gomen, gomen. This time I'll make sure the sectional lines show up before I post. I'm still getting used to all the changes made (feels like a noob again.)

And thanks for pointing the Karaki thing out, Tenshi, I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. Good question, though. Is it Taicho or Taichou? And Unohana is wearing a one pice, a very sedate soft yellow one piece, not a bikini. (nods.)

Please feel free to review! And thank you everybody, for your comments so far!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. (Forgot to mention that, as well.)

Spoilers: SS arc, and planning on spoiling the arc after that.

Warnings: This chapter includesa bit ofnudity. And foul language. Like the last chapter and the ones to come.

Aloha, Kenpachi!

Chapter 2: Zippers and Sharks

He was befuddled by zippers. He stared down at the shorts she had handed him, fingering the tab of the zipper and imagining the horror that such a thing could wrought. "You're kidding me, right?" He demanded, even though she was obviously no longer in the room. The idea of closing that thing right over his privates was more than even a violence loving psychopath like he could think of.

"Ken-chaaann! Hurry up! I want to go to the beach!" Yachiru called through the door.

"Hold your horses, Yachiru!" He shouted right back. "These pants are defective."

"Oh?" The sound of Unohana's voice made him stiffen.

"Yeah! You really think I'm going to wear these things?" He demanded. "And what the fuck is this metal thing?"

"Metal thing?" Unohana asked. "The zipper? You've never dealt with a zipper before?"

Kenpachi felt a slight flush cross his cheeks, but he stood his ground. "Yeah. That thing."

"I wanna see!" Yachiru said.

"Perhaps I should handle this." Unohana said, gently pulling Yachiru back from the door. "Zaraki san, I'm coming in now!"

"Whatever." He muttered. It wasn't as if she had never seen him naked before. She had patched him up more times than he could count. Hell, only Yachiru knew more about where his various scars came from. He glanced up as she walked in, motioning down. "You really think I'm going to close this thing over my balls?"

"No. I think you're going to wear the boxers I got you under them."

"Boxers?" He repeated.

"Yes, boxers." She sighed and passed him, heading for the bed and picking up the pair of knit shorts he had ignored. They were too short for his taste. "You wear these under those." She told him, motioning calmly to the pants he was in. They fit a little more tightly than she had thought they would. He had been working out more, it seemed. "Although you should really be wearing those swimming shorts I bought you."

"The net thing chafes." He muttered as he let the shorts fall and reached for the boxers in her hand. And he stood there, naked as the day he was born, examining the shorts with a strange look. Unohana discreetly looked away.

"Kennn chaaaan! I want to go to the beach!" Yachiru called through the door. "What's taking you so long?"

"The button goes in front." Unohana said calmly as she walked past him and out of the room. "Zaraki is getting dressed, Yachiru chan. It shouldn't be too long now."

The door behind her opened and Kenpachi stepped out, wearing a pair of jean shorts, a sleeveless vest, and a pair of leather sandals. But Unohana didn't remember that being sleeveless… or a vest for that matter. She didn't say a word.

Yachiru hopped onto his shoulder, kicking her little feet against his back to try and get him moving. "Come ON Ken chan! It's going to get dark!"

"…Your point?"

"I wanna find a shark!" Yachiru replied.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go." He muttered, grabbing his blade and slipping it into his belt. He missed his zenpaku-to, even though he had it with him, he missed the weight in his hand, or the feel if it gently hitting his leg as he moved, reminding him of just what and who he was. This cheap imitation just wasn't doing it for him.

"Well, then shall we?" Unohana asked calmly. He grunted. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered, just how in the hell had he been talked into this? He couldn't go around killing humans. Well, he could, but what would be the fun in that? Humans were even weaker than most of the shinigami. And Unohana would probably yell at him for it.

Yeah, this vacation was going to bite. His reiatsu rose and Unohana glanced over at him, smiling ever so slightly with a hint of steel in her eyes. His reiatsu went down again. Then his eyes narrowed on her, irritated that she could cow him so easily.

"Ooooh… pretty!" Yachiru cooed as they reached the soft golden sand of the beach. It was almost completelydevoid of life, only the long strip of sand met by the gentle roar of the sea, and a few scattered beach chairs. "Come on, Ken chan! Let's go swimming!"

He dropped down on one of the beach chairs, propping his blade up beside him and almost leaning back on the little girl before she jumped away. "You go. I'm staying here." He said.

"Okay!" Yachiru said before she ran off to play in the surf. He watched her for a moment, the barest hint of a smile pulling at his lips as she danced in and out of the waves. She was wearing a…

"She looks very cute in her new swimming suit, doesn't she, Zaraki san?" Unohana said as she let the robe she was wearing fall away. He glanced up, blinking slightly at the sight of her bare arms and legs. Then he stared blankly as she started to unbraid her hair, watching as she tucked it up and under a large sun hat before sitting in the chair next to his.

"Unohana… san." He muttered. "What the fuck are you wearing?"

"It's a swimsuit." She replied. "You haven't been to the beach before, have you?"

"…" He fell silent, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes. "I shouldn't have come on this damn trip." He muttered.

"Zaraki… san." Unohana started out. "I've been meaning to speak with you… about this problem you've been having lately. Ever since the Ryoka left?"

"Ichigo." He muttered.

"Hai, Ichigo."

"Little bastard could have at least given me another fight, dammit."

"Is that what's put you in this… mood?" She asked softly. His expression went cold.

"It's…" He stopped, shaking his head. "Stupid." He finished.

"Zaraki san, I am not going to believe that whatever sends several dozen men to my medical wards on a daily basis is merely something… stupid." She replied firmly. "Please tell me what the problem seems to be."

"You…" He stopped, shaking his head and sending the tinkle of bells through the air. "I don't know the name of my zenpaku-to."

"Yes. I am aware of that fact."

"I didn't think it was that big of a problem…" He went on with a shrug. "Hell, I was stronger than everyone around me. I didn't need some help from a tool." She stayed silent, even as he waited for her to yell at him. A snort escaped him. "Then I got my ass kicked by a kid."

"Yachiru-chan said it was a tie."

"That's what she likes to believe." He stared out at the little pink haired female dancing in the waves. "She really looks up to me." He said softly. "Dumbass."

"It seems to me that there's much to admire in you, Zaraki san." Unohana said, looking at him seriously. It made him feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah, like being able to chop down an entire building." He replied. "I'm a better old man than that creepy bastard Kurotsuchi, at least." He muttered, as if justifying himself. "You ever see what he does to that girl of his?"

"More often than you do, actually." She said softly. "I agree. You are a much better father figure than he is."

"Yeah… alright…" He muttered. He had half been hoping for an argument.

"Ken-channnn! Look! I found a shark!" Yachiru shouted from the shore. She had a full grown great white over her shoulder. It was still thrashing. "Can I keep it?"

"No!" He shouted back. "It's probably got fleas."

"Awww…" Yachiru said with a pout as she threw it back. She was giggling again within a few moments.

Unohana debated on mentioning that sharks didn't get fleas, but she shook her head slightly. This wasn't the time to distract him from the subject at hand. "Zaraki san… You were saying something about not knowing your zenpaku-to's name?"

"Ah…" He muttered, running a hand over his face. His finger absently traced the bridge of his nose where there would have been ascar, had Unohana not healed him. "I want to be stronger. And not having a name… It's a bitch, you know?"

"Have you tried speaking to your zenpaku-to?" She asked softly. She felt a twinge of sympathy for both this massive killer and his oft-abused blade.

"You think I haven't tried?" He demanded irritably. "I've been trying. Dammit, I've been trying daily. I just can't… I can't hear it, okay?" He breathed out, as if admitting it was a relief. "I can't hear the damn thing, and I'm starting to think I'll never be able to."

"And that's why you've been taking it out on your men." She replied. He stayed stubbornly silent. "Zaraki san… I think you need this vacation more than you're willing to admit."

"You really think sitting on a beach and watching Yachiru torment sharks is going to get a name out of my zenpaku-to?" He asked incredulously.

"No. I think learning to listen will." She told him.

It made him twitch.

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