Chapter 3! Yay! I love Yachiru, I really do. In fact I kept going to my best friend "She's just TOO cute! It almost hurts to look at her!" While I was reading the manga. And the image of her in a white terry cloth robe with her hair wrapped up as she sits at the bar and kicks her feet... Sooo kawaii!
Yeah, that was kinda off the subject... Well, enjoy! (scampers off.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Spoilers: SS arc, and planning on spoiling the arc after that.
Warnings: Foul language, of course...
Aloha, Kenpachi!
Chapter 3: It's Okay if You Don't
"Yachiru, I don't think—" Unohana reached for the little girl in the bathrobe, pulling her to a bewildered halt.
"But Ken-chan and I always take our baths together!" Yachiru said. "I sit on one side and he sits on the other side, and—"
"But these aren't Japanese style baths."
"Huh?"
"It's meant for only one person." Unohana said. "At a time."
"Well that's boring!" Yachiru muttered, pulling herself up onto one of the bench stools and swinging her legs. She propped her little chin on the heels of her hands and looked up at Unohana for a long moment.
"Are you hungry?" Unohana asked. "You've had a very long day, after all."
"Kinda." Yachiru said. "Do you have any candy?"
"Will soup do?"
"Aww… I guess." Yachiru said with a little pout. "Unohana san…"
"Mmm?"
"Do you like Ken-chan?"
Unohana went still for a mere second before she put the bowl into the microwave and pressed start. "Yachiru chan… I appreciate all of the hard work and effort that the various taicho have put in. I know it isn't an… easy job…"
"It's okay, you know."
"Oh?"
"It's okay if you don't like Ken-chan." Yachiru said with a nod. "He prefers when people are honest about it. Not many people like Ken-chan."
"I didn't say I didn't like him." Unohana said firmly as she placed the soup and spoon in front of the girl. "Zaraki san is a very hard person to deal with, yes. His love for fighting can be a little… troublesome, as well. But he is quite honest about who he is."
"You mean, not like Aizen?" Yachiru asked.
"…Ah."
"Unohana san… did you like Aizen?"
Unohana went still before she put the next bowl of soup into the microwave. "Yachiru chan… sometimes betrayal is very personal. Sometimes it is not. But it is always shocking."
"Not really." Yachiru said as she ate. "There's not many people you can really trust. Ken-chan doesn't trust many of the other captains. Especially the creepy guy."
"Spreading tales, Yachiru?" Kenpachi's question made them both look up as he stepped out of the restroom. His towel was hanging around his hips, and his hair was down, soaking wet and limp against his neck and shoulders.
"Hiya Ken-chan!" Yachiro chirped as she slurped up the rest of her soup. "Unohana san said I couldn't bathe with you. But she fed me soup!"
"Huh." He said. "Is it any good?"
"It's yummy!"
"That's good."
"If you'd like, I can fix you some." Unohana said.
"Ah, thanks." He sat down on the stool next to Yachiru, leaning his elbows on the bar and looking at Yachiru for a moment. Then he took the bowl that Unohana handed him, looking at the microwave for a moment with a strange expression before he sniffed the soup. "What the hell is this?"
"Microwaveable soup." Unohana replied. "It's perfectly fine to eat."
"…" He reluctantly picked up his spoon and took a taste. Then he started to eat, shoveling his soup into his mouth at lightening speed. "Seconds." He said as he put the bowl down.
Unohana handed him hers.
"Kurotsuchi's not trustworthy. I've already said that." Kenpachi grunted as he finished his second bowl and sat back. "I can understand cutting through your men to get to someone, but hell, least you could warn them first."
"Would you take him on a vacation, Unohana san?" Yachiru asked. Her legs were kicking, as if she were about to jump up any moment. Knowing Yachiru, she probably would.
"No." Unohana said simply.
"She's not stupid." Kenpachi muttered. He wasn't surprised when Yachiru bounced off of her stool.
"Bath time!" She said happily. "Unohana san can join me!" She added, grabbing the other female's hand and hauling her towards the restroom.
"Yachiru chan, I said this wasn't a Japanese style bath." Unohana said, although she followed the girl anyway. "But I suppose a bath couldn't hurt." She reluctantly said.
Kenpachi sat there for a moment, staring blindly at the little half kitchen. So she didn't hate him… huh.
He hadn't seen that one coming.
----
The beach at night was beautiful. Unohana sighed as she walked along the beaches, watching as Yachiru searched for seashells. Kenpachi was walking behind her, his shoulders squared, his sword in his hand. She could feel how restless he was through his reiatsu. Even in the gigai it seemed to radiate off of him.
"It's very pretty here, isn't it?" She asked.
"Huh?"
"This island. It's very pretty, isn't it?"
"I guess." He said.
"Ken chan! I found a seashell!" Yachiru called happily as she raced towards them. A sandy, half broken shell was gripped tightly in her hand. "Isn't it pretty? It shines if you hold it up to the light!"
"Sure, brat." He agreed, barely glancing at it.
"I'll go find one for feather brow!" She replied, heading back for the beach to find yet another "pretty" thing.
"Feather brow?" Unohana repeated. A tiny hint of amusement entered her tone.
"Yumichika." He said.
"Ah."
"He likes… pretty things." Kenpachi went on. There was a touch of disgust in his voice.
"I've noticed."
"I'm still not sure why I let him in my division." He added
. A tiny, almost silent laugh escaped her. "He's a very good fighter. And very loyal to you." She said.
"True." He agreed. "Two good things that almost make up for all the times he hogs the restroom in the morning."
This time he was positive he heard her laugh. "It reminds me of one of my own subordinates." She replied.
"That blond bastard?" He asked.
"Iemura san's a very good healer." She replied. "If a bit… vain."
"I've got a whole team like that." He muttered.
"I've noticed that your nails are quite well kept, yourself." She teased gently. "And your hair looks quite well groomed." If a bit strange. But who was she to talk?
"Well…" He started out with a shrug. "It doesn't mean I spend hours in front of the mirror admiring how 'beautiful' I am." Trying to get the bell on the tallest spike of hair, yes, but he wasn't about to admit that.
"Oh?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" He demanded roughly.
"Of all the captains you might be the most rough, but you are by far, not the worst looking." She told him. "I'm a healer, Zaraki san. I notice small things such as good grooming habits."
"Just because I trim my nails once in a while doesn't mean I'm arrogant about my looks." He replied.
"Of course not." She said. "I was just teasing you."
He jerked. "That's awfully brave of you." He said.
"I'm aware of that." She said calmly. "But you are not unattractive. If you were I doubt that Yumichika san would be so willing to work for you." It was glorious. The sand was warm under her feet, the night sky was a dark, encompassing blue that sparkled with a million tiny stars. The wind tugged gently at her hair and robes, and the gentle roar of the sea was the only thing to hear save for their conversation. He had a good voice. Strong and deep, with just a slight accent. She enjoyed listening to it.
"Yeah. Probably." He muttered with reluctant amusement.
"Definitely." She said.
He wasn't used to being so matter-of-factly complimented. It made him uneasy. "Unohana… san." He started out. Very rarely did he use that "San" word.
"Ah?"
"Why did you come with us?"
She fell silent for a moment, staring into the distance before she started to speak again. "With what Aizen has done there will be a war soon." She started out softly. "I have done my best to prepare for it. And when it begins, there will be no time for frivolous trips such as this one."
"True."
"I felt that I should take advantage of this small period of time." She went on. "Because while the fourth division might not be the strongest, we are one of the most necessary during such trying times." She looked at him when he stayed silent. "Do you disagree?"
"Trick question." He replied. "No way in hell am I going to say one way or the other."
"I never knew you for a coward Zaraki san."
"I spent a long time without someone healing my wounds." He said slowly. "Only option I had was to get so good they couldn't cut me. Had a kid to take care of, after all, can't die in a ditch bleeding with a kid on your back. It's just not right."
"You have a good point." She replied calmly. "But you're avoiding the issue."
"Your division's full of pansies." He said bluntly. "Without guys like me fighting they wouldn't be around to heal."
"And?"
"And… fine. Alright. Without your pansy patrol healing them, they wouldn't be around to fight. But don't go telling people I said that."
"Thank you."
"You've got my entire team scared shitless of you, you know that don't you?" He asked. Hell, she even terrified him. Somewhat.
"They seem to think I'm some sort of monster." She replied. "I have no idea where they get that idea from." Then she looked at him.
"Gonna blame it on me, huh?" He asked dryly. "It has nothing to do with your telling them you've got their life and death in your hands."
"That is just a mere statement of fact." She said. "It's good for them to be made aware of such things."
Kenpachi looked at her. "You are scary." He told her.
"Your division is merely easily cowed."
"Ha!" He said. "Only by terrifying women."
"Ken chan! Ken chan! Lookie lookie!" Yachiru said, suddenly appearing on his shoulder as she pointed at the sky. There was something large looming over the beach in the sky. Large and ugly. "It's a hollow!"
"Good." He muttered as he tried to get out of his gigai. He kicked and shoved, but the damn thing just wouldn't come off. Yachiru hopped off of his shoulder and slipped out of her gigai, pulling her zenpaku-to out of its sheath and making quick work of the hollow. "Dammit!" Kenpachi muttered as he finally got shed of his gigai. The hollow was already disappearing in front of him.
"I'm afraid she beat you to it." Unohana said calmly.
"Damn gigai." He muttered, looking down at the fallen body with something close to hatred.
"Humans can't see us in our natural bodies." Unohana said gently. "You know that."
"Who cares if they can see us or not?"
"Those that get paid for our room and board." Unohana replied. "Now back into the gigai, please. This is a vacation. The resident shinigami should take care of the hollows here."
"I don't see him here." He muttered even as he got back into his gigai.
"No doubt they're hiding from the 11th division Taicho."
"Damn weakling." He muttered as he stood and swatted the sand from his shorts. Yachiru was already in her gigai and dancing in the waves again. "Don't see me hiding from anyone."
"I remember quite a few times that I've had to hunt you down for your yearly examination." She replied.
"Other than that." Kenpachi said. "Hell, he's probably hiding from you, not me." She just looked at him. A grin pulled at his lips, wide and almost terrifying. "Yeah. I think that's it."
"Yachiru chan? Are you ready to go back in yet?" Unohana called.
"Can I have candy before bed?"
"No!" Kenpachi yelled back.
"Awww!"
"We'll get you some tomorrow." He muttered.
"Yay!"
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