It took Arata a day and a half to come to a certain realization: He had no life.

Other than working, training, fighting, killing, and T.V-watching, he didn't really have much in terms of hobbies. Reading manga was growing, but it was still in its infancy.

The day after his meeting with the Visoreds, he called into work to see if he could have some time off. He expected to be turned down but to his surprise, the school gave him the rest of the week off. The principal explained that Arata's return the prior day really cemented in the students that if they misbehaved, Arata will return, which apparently was enough of a threat to force the more rowdy bunch to keep their noses clean.

A day and a half passed by. In that time, Arata already blasted through the first volumes of each manga he bought. Arata found the new form of literature entertaining, but did not want to spend most of his time reading manga. Perhaps it was due to his time wandering from town to town and constantly being active, but his legs were restless. They desired to do something than just sitting on his ass.

It was hard to relax when you're a long time workaholic.

He looked at the clock and saw it was twelve in the afternoon. Orihime, Ichigo, and the rest were still at school meaning he was by himself. Arata groaned, wishing to do something rather than watch T.V or reread manga.

With his mind settled, he got up and got dressed, putting on a blue tank top and black basket ball short with his black sneakers. He grabs Orihime's spare keys - which she gifted to Arata - and his wallet, and went out to alleviate his dreadful boredom. He was so in need of a distraction, he started walking in random directions,

As he walked the streets of Karakura, passing by housewives, some children, and elderly, he thought back to the Visoreds. They settled on a mutually beneficial deal where both parties get what they want, but Arata felt he had little to give. They wanted his knowledge, that he understood, but he barely knew Hitokiri - his inner hollow personified - long enough to understand her. And if he was being more general, he barely scratched the surface of his own power.

'Any idea?' he thought.

Honestly, not much.

Arata sighed. 'If what they said was true, that they had to fight to control their inner hollows, then that already outlies us from them. We're a soul reaper with a hollow mask, but I feel like we are far from being a Visored'.

It might be because we have a good connection with one another. You understand me just as I understand you, and you know know my wants just as I know yours.

'Perhaps...' he thought, but was it really as simple as comprehending one another?

He was so lost in his thoughts, Arata failed to make light of the fact his walk took him down near a canal underneath a bridge. His thoughts also did not take notice of the shady man sitting underneath the bridge, grinning at him with greedy and harmful intent. Arata kept walking until he was under the bridge, looking down in thought.

He frowned as all this pondering was doing anything but relax him. He actually felt agitated, in need of something to break his aching and bored head.

It wasn't until felt a pistol plant itself at his back did he find the answer to his pleas. "Turn around slowly, freak" a gravelly voice commanded. Arata followed, but not out of fear. The man anything but nice. He was shorter than Arata, with a black hoodie and grey sweatpants. His shit-eating grin was buffered with his patchy stubble. The gun he held gave him the confidence to smile like that.

If he only knew.

"Give me your money, or I'll shoot" he threatened.

The hitokiri clicked his tongue in displeasure as he allowed himself to think too much and now he was held gunpoint. The fact he was being mugged did not bother him, but it was the fact he was caught off guard was what made him frown.

He wasted no time, and grabbed the mugger's wrist in a painful grip, shaking it to force him to drop the weapon. The mugger painfully gasped and attempted to shoot, but Arata angled his gun upward to shoot up at the bridge. He was squeezing his wrist so bad, he broke it. The man screamed and dropped the gun. Arata kicked it away and let the mugger go by throwing him to the ground.

"Al-Alright, man. I got it! I-I'm sorry! I won't do it again, I swear!" the mugger then began pleading.

Why was it that people always began apologizing when they were about to get punished? How pathetic must one be to think a simple 'I'm sorry' would solve everything and get them out of trouble?

Arata punched him, knocking out a tooth before he grabbed his arm and held it straight behind him. The discomfort the mugger felt disappeared because he soon felt intense pain as his arm was snapped, a loud cracking underneath the bridge. Arata then did the same with the other arm before letting the man flop to the ground.

The mugger didn't speak. Instead he cried like a little girl. Seeing as he didn't want to walk around publicly sporting blood on his clothes, Arata grabbed the man by the back of his head, and dragged him to the water to drown him. Other than the men who were harassing Akane, this man actually threatened him with a weapon and held harm over him if he did not comply with his wishes. He was free range to do whatever he pleased.

As he shoved his head into the clear water and flailed like a fish out of water, Arata took satisfaction at his work. It was always jarring to him to realize that he once hated the sight of a dead body when he was younger. However, as he grew, he learned to live it until he actual felt at home with a room of corpses.

It was always a sight to behold someone's life drain from their body. To see the last fires within them slowly get snuffed out until nothing was left. This morbid fascination was why he liked killing so much. That, or his upbringing with Sakura taught him the pleasure of taking a life. Or perhaps it was both.

Either way, as the mugger's body slowly stilled, Arata felt relaxed.

Before leaving the area, Arata searched his pockets to find the mugger's wallet and took all his cash. To victor go the spoils.

Later...

As the day went on and got hotter, Arata found himself at the park. He sat on the bench he always sat at and lazily watched the few people that came and went. Now that he had his much needed bloodshed, he felt more at ease, and contented himself to lazing in the park until another fun idea crosses his mind.

"Give me back my ball!"

"Fat chance, squirt! No beat it before I get mad"

The shouting match brought Arata to a group of boys and a few girls at the basketball court. There were two distinct group of boys. One were slightly bigger than the other and looked more mature. They also consisted of mainly guys. Most likely college students. The other group was slightly smaller, but more importantly, familiar. Arata recalled these boys and girls were the same he busted skipping class in the equipment shed. Even the girl who wetted herself was there.

The groups seemed to be arguing over the fact that the college students stole the high school students basketball. While he frowned at them for obviously playing hooky, he did not act on his security guard duties because he was off work. Plus, their problem with those college brats was their own. There was no need to intervene.

The head of the high-school students was an average sized teen boy with short brown hair and gold piercings on his nose and ears. Eito was his name. Eito and the rest of his friends didn't bother changing, and continue to walk around in their uniform. The leader of the college boys was muscular boy with short black hair in an all white outfit of a tank top, shorts, and shoes. He and his buddies laughed as the high schooler tried to intimidate them. In their eyes, it was like a pup trying to scare off a pack of wolves.

"Awwww. Is the wittle baby gonna cry?" one of the college boys mocked.

"You're gonna be the one crying if you don't give me back my ball!" the high schooler snarled in response.

The college students only laughed at him. While they laughed, the boy's group was trying to dissuade him from pushing any further. "Eito, let's just drop it. We can buy another ball" the girl who wetted herself said, but the leader, Eito, wasn't hearing it.

"Alright, alright. Here," and the college leader presented the ball to the boy. "Take it"

'It's a trap' Arata thought. The boy, however, did not take the hint and went to take the ball. Before Eito grabbed it though, he was swiftly kicked in the balls and crumbled to the floor, whimpering as his friends came to his side and the college brats laughed at the boy's pain.

"What a joke! High school kids really are gullible!" the leader laughed. As he continued laughing at the boy's pain, his pals began to harassing the other students of Karakura high, pushing the guys around while the others were touching the two girl present inappropriately against their protest.

With all the commotion, you would've thought the police would be here by now. They were not though. With little to no people present, and with the college brats taking things too far, it gave Arata the green light to act. "How vexing..." Arata sighed.

The college boys prospered in their created mayhem, but stopped when Arata grabbed the leader by the back of his neck and slammed his head into the pavement nose first. The boys turn to see their leader out cold, and in response, immediately rushed Arata with killing intent.

There were five of them in total, and with the leader out of commission, it left Arata with four more brats to break. The first once tried to assault him with a flurry of punches. Arata allowed him to push him back a bit until Arata dodge and grabbed his arm before snapping it. The boy screamed, but it only lasted a second until Arata uppercutted him and downed him.

The second boy attempted to tackle him from behind, but Arata say this coming and back kicked his chest, winding him. The executioner then grabbed his arm, and using his inhuman strength, hefted him behind him and slammed him to the ground on his back. He then knocked him out with a stomp to the nose.

The third tried to stab his head with a hidden knife, but failed as Arata dodged him. Arata grabbed his outstretched wrist before elbowing the college boy's face. Dazed, the boy dropped his weapon and stumbled back, allowing Arata to go ham on him. Arata slugged him a couple times across the face before he delivered a spinning kick to his head, sending him crashing to the floor. To add more fuel to the fire, Arata then stomped the boy's genitals so hard, Arata though he actually crushed it into paste.

As the third was crying on the floor, the fourth and final did nothing but stand there as he witnessed his mates get laid out in front of him so easily. Arata spots him, and as the executioner approached him like tiger to his prey, he pissed himself and fainted on the hard basketball court floor. What a anticlimactic end, Arata thought.

The leader though was able to get back to his feet and glared swords at the stranger. "YOU!" he shouted, gaining Arata's attention. "DO YOU REALIZE WHO YOU'RE FUCKING MESSING WITH?!"

"No," Arata answered calmly. "And honestly, I could not care less" he said as he started making his way to the leader of the college boys.

Despite his anger, he was frozen on the stop as Arata walked to him until he was a few inches in front of him. "You are lucky I am in a... relaxed mood so,". Arata then grabbed the leader's dislocated and bleeding nose. "I will give you ten seconds to get you and your ilk out of here, or my generosity will run dry" and he snapped the leader's nose back in place, inciting a scream of pain from the now fearful college student.

He and his buddies started picking themselves up to leave. The leader and the third - despite the intense groin pain - carried their knocked out friends away as they all went to escape the hitokiri.

'What a relaxing day this has been' Arata thought as he saw the third still weeping from his crushing stomp. 'I wonder what else today has in store'.

"M-M-M-Mr. Ta-Ta-Takahashi..." Eito stammered. Arata turned to them to see them huddled on the floor quivering from the hitokiri's brutal dispatch of the college students. "We were... uh... we're excused! Yeah! We're allowed to be here!" the leader of the delinquents. dumbly stated to his group's disbelief.

Arata considered himself more mature, but to that, he called bullshit. "Mmhm, I see... Tell me, what do you take me for? An idiot? Or a simpleton?"

"Well, I-"

"Do NOT answer that!". One of the girls reprimanded the leader. She was dressed in a female Karakura High uniform and had long bleach-blonde hair.

Arata sighed. Judging from the weather, he could determine it was close to the end of the school day so there was no point dragging them to the high school. He'll have to let them go with a glare unfortunately. "Regardless, what is that ball you were fighting for? Why is it so important?" asked Arata.

"Heh?" they all sounded in surprise.

"You're... joking, are you?" the leader chuckled.

"Do I look like I make jokes?"

"Well-" the leader began, but was smacked upside the head by one his male friends.

"It's a basketball. Like, what you use to play BASKETBALL with?" Eito explained.

"What's basketball?"

In response, the group of delinquents couldn't help but snicker at the man's ignorance. "What the fuck? What kinda town did you grow up in, Mr. Takahashi?" the bleach-blonde girl laughed. Ami, Arata recalled what her name was.

"A vastly different town than Karakura" answered Arata. Arata could remember vague memories of tag, hide-and-seek, and sword-playing of when he was a child, but after he ran away and met Sakura, he no longer had a use for those time wasters of games.

Seeing that he saved their asses, Eito's snickering lessened until a small smile was plastered there instead. "Say, Mr. Takahashi, want us to teach ya?'. The proposition caused his group to gape at him. Inviting the scary security guard to play? What the hell was he thinking?!

Arata also tilted his head in confusion. He thought about it for a moment, but saw that as he had nothing better to do, why not educate him in the sport? He nodded at Eito, who despite being the one who offered Arata the lesson, was still surprised Arata agreed. "A-Alright! Let's start with dribbling"

Later...

After a couple hours, Arata and the boys were playing in the court while the girls sat by and cheered them on. The first hour was dedicated to teaching Arata everything he needed to know such as the rules, dribbling, passing, shooting, points, and even the court layout.

Arata and the boys were playing two on two, Eito with Arata against the two other boys. Eiji and Akio, Arata remembered. Eito passed to Arata who dribble while he charged towards the hoop. Eiji tried to stop him while Eito was was guarding Akio. Eito was impressed, though he wouldn't admit it. In just an hour, Arata, who has never even heard of the sport, was thriving.

Arata tricked Eiji by making him think he was gonna go left but turned right when he was distracted. He charges forth, nearing the hoop. Eiji quickly gathered back his baring and turned to stop Arata, but it was all in vain. The hitokiri jumped up, sending the ball through the hoop, and dunked on Eiji.

"Wow. Mr. Takahashi sure is a quick learner" the wetter, Ai, stated.

"And he's actually pretty chill. Other than the times he catches students messin' up that is" Ami added.

Unbeknownst to all of them, a new figure arrives, sitting next to the two school girls. It was a woman, and she wore a casual black dress with white trim along with black heels. She was beautiful, but the real eye-catcher was her long black braid in front of her body. "He is quite the patient prodigy, isn't he?" she smiled.

The girls immediately turn to her, and were stunned by her refined beauty. They were so laid out by her appearance, they neglected to say anything. Eventually, her appearance caught the attention of Eito, who in his moment of shock at seeing the woman, did nothing as the ball shot at his head, knocking him back some. The boys follow his gaze and their jaws drop at the bombshell before them. Except Arata.

"Oh. Unohana"

"Good afternoon, Arata" greeted the captain.

"You know her?!" the delinquents all gaped in unison.

"Oh?" Ami grinned. "Is she your girlfriend, Mr. Takahashi? Never knew you were into mature women". However, just by looking at Unohana, she could see why.

Now that he knew what a girlfriend was, he shook his head. "No, she's...". he knew the blunt answer wouldn't work so Arata thought about it for the moment.

Luckily, Unohana beat him to the punch. "Oh no," she giggled at the girl. Though she could not fight the blush that currently stained her cheeks. "Me and Arata are simply friends. Nothing untoward is happening between us".

"What are you doing here?" Arata bluntly questioned. "Do you not have your work to do? I doubt your division would not like their boss skipping out on them".

"While my presence would be greatly beneficial for my squad, I've made it a point to have one day off every week or so. Today just so happened to be my day off, and I've come to Karakura to spend it with you, if you would allow me" she smiled.

"Mr. Takahashi..." Eito said solemnly as he grabbed his shoulder. "You cannot, under no circumstance, deny this lady her wish"

He had no intention to begin with to deny Unohana as being her companion. He was about to agree when he realized he still had the basketball in his hands. An idea then crossed his mind. "Catch" Arata then passed the ball to a surprised Unohana. "Shoot some hoops first. Then we'll go and explore"

Her surprise lasted for a moment until she smiled at him. "Why not?". She took her heels off as the delinquents stood on the side, watching with anticipation. She walked inside the court and stood at the free throw line. She tossed the ball up at the hoop, but merely bounced off the rim. Arata caught the ball and passed it to her again. Unohana tried again, but using a different form more akin to that used in basketball but she neglected to jump and her posture was off, at least from what Eito taught him. The ball though bounced off the board. Unohana did not look down though, as the drive to make a single shot drove her.

It appears he wasn't the only one to have lacked the knowledge of the popular sport, Arata noticed. Instead of passing the ball to her. Arata came to her side and placed the ball in her hands before readjusting her form. "Keep your feet no further than shoulder width apart, be sure to flex your knees slightly just before you jump, position your elbow in line with your shoulder, and position your shooting hand underneath the ball with your non-shooting hand at the side to act as a guide".

The red on the medic's face deepened when Arata touched her, but she processed his word thoroughly, and focused on the the basket. Her eyes narrow and she breathes in and out slowly. She jumps and shoots the ball. And to her delight it lands inside.

She clapped her hands as she smiled brightly. "I did it! Your instructions were very helpful, Arata. Thank you"

He simply nods at her. "Well, those instructions were given to me by that boy over there, Eito" he said pointing at the boy. "So the thanks belong to him actually".

"Is that so" she smiled at the boy, who blushed madly in her gaze. "You must be truly skilled in this sport. You have my thanks as well, Eito"

"No-No-No p-p-problem" he stammered, to which Unohana giggled at. "I wouldn't be the captain of the Karakura basketball team if I was trash!" he then boasted.

"Huh. Didn't know we had a basketball team. And you say you're the captain?" Arata questioned.

"Sure am!" Eito proudly stated.

"Then what are you doing skipping school?"

"Pffft! Please" Eito and the rest of his crew passed off. "Our grades are alright. Plus, what's grades gonna do for me when I go to America and become an NBA star?" Eito then smirked.

Arata studied him and the delinquents for a moment until he gently nodded. "Fine then. Do whatever you wish. A word of warning however". His gaze melted into the group lava though ice. "The fact you all go to school is privilege. Do not squander your opportunities, otherwise you are impeding on only yourselves. Unless you wish to end up as a lowly security guard like me or worse, I suggest you all reevaluate your wants and needs before you decide to skip school". His head shifts to Eito. "Do you wish to end up as a janitor than an NBA star?"

The seriousness in his voice alone was crippling. They had no idea what Mr. Takahashi went through, but that didn't matter; He was here now because of the choices in his life. "We-... We understand, Mr. Takahashi. T-Thank you" Eito stammered for them all.

Arata and Unohana turned to leave, leaving to delinquents to do as Arata said.

A little while latter...

"You gave those children quite the scare. And wake up call it seems" Unohana comments. "But it was a sight of tough love. You should be proud, Arata" she smiled.

Arata shrugged with his hands pocketed. "I was just telling them what they needed. Nothing more, nothing less. And what this about love? I guard those kids at school, but they matter little to me".

"Then why did you gave them that pep talk?"

Arata's back straightened just a little bit. "It's irritating to see people waste away when they carry so much potential, and those kids, especially Eito, has potential; he was just stupidly wasting an opportunity to learn and grow"

"I see...". From the corner of his eye, Arata saw Unohan'a eyes drupe, as if she suddenly entered a state of sadness. He had no idea what brought about this, but... it bothered him.

"Well, what do you wanna do now? It's your day off; you choose"

The captain shook away her sadness for the time being and smiled up at Arata. "I'm fine with whatever you choose. This is your town so I would think you would know any fun spots to spend a day at"

A light groan was Arata's response. "Ugh. I say whatever you want, then you say whatever I want; we are not getting anywhere at this state"

Unohana laughed. "Well then, let me make a proposal: We do whatever, whenever we feel like, and the other has to follow along. That way both of us can enjoy the day. How does that sound?"

To be honest, all Arata wanted to do with the woman was fight. He wanted to enter that thrilling state of danger against her, to see more of the warrior she had been burying deep inside her

Later...

True to the captain's words, the two spent the most of the day in each other's company doing whatever came to mind. The first thing they did was watch a movie, which was Unohana proposed; They watched a gory horror film. They then went on to do many other things like play at the arcade, laser tag, shop browsing, sight see at the museum, etc.

It was an eventful day for the hitokiri but that didn't bother him. It was relaxing to spend time with Unohana. Even when she acted like a teacher, she always gave off this warm aura to her that no matter who was around her, they always feel at ease. If Arata had to make a comparison, it was close to that of his mother or Sakura; they were the only people to ever make him feel that way with just their presence.

At least, until he came here. He didn't kow how to explain it, but Arata felt more at ease here than he ever had back in Healthmoor. Perhaps it had to do with all the familiar faces he has come to know.

It was night by the time the duo finished walking around a nearby mall. Neither had an idea what to do next, which was worrying because their time was nearing its end until Unohana had to return to the Soul Society. At least by a few hours.

"I have an idea" Arata suddenly said.

"Oh? Please, do tell"

Arata said nothing as he began leading Unohana somewhere in particular. Confused but also intrigued, Unohana followed along with Arata's idea. It lead both him and her to Kisuke Urahara's shop, to Unohana's surprise.

He knocks on the door three times and waited for a response. It came in the form of the shop owner himself with a cookie in hand. "Arata? Captain Unohana? What can I help you two with?".

"Good afternoon, Kisuke Urahara. And Arata, please do tell what you plan for us to do here"

"Let us use your training area" Arata bluntly requested.

Kisuke was well aware of how active the executioner was and agreed with Yoruichi that he should take it easy for a few day. He crossed his arms and frowned. "Aren't you suppose to be mellowing out?".

Just as he said that, Yoruichi in her cat form walked into the room, and stilled when she saw Arata. She was unsure how her last approach was affecting the man and did not want to reopen old scars. Although, even that in mind, a part of her was telling her to just go to him and talk about it. If there was one thing Yoruichi hated, it was to be out of the loop of thing, especially when it involved people she personally knew; she just wanted to check up on her latest student.

"This is not for training. I plan to spar with Unohana for fun"

His statement made Yoruichi and Kisuke both pale in surprise and stiffen like statues, not believing the words that just came out of his mouth. As ex-captains, of the R & D and Stealth force respectively, they knew of medical captain's more... darker history, and because of this, thought Arata was out of his mind. Unohana on the other hand smiled lightly, though it could not speak justice to her glee at the moment.

"A-Arata, I don't think that's a good idea. You might not be fully aware, but Captain Unohana here is more experienced than you think" Yoruichi warned.

"Trust me; I'm fully aware. Yet I do not care"

Unohana saw the worry on the exiles faces and reassured them all was good. "Don't worry you two. Should Arata find himself hurt, I will patch him up good as new" she said warmly.

Kisuke and Yoruichi thought for a moment until gave in, settling that with Unohana's vast healing knowledge, Arata should be fine. Kisuke nodded to Arata satisfaction. "Thank you. Now, do you happen to have training swords?"

"They're in the training room. C'mon you two"

The group moved to the underground area. When Arata passed Yoruichi, he saw on her cat feature the discomfort she was feeling. Arata was not gonna lie: he felt it too. All because of some nudity. He had to live with it though if he wanted to continue training under the flash goddess.

Once the group climbed down to the rocky undergrounds of Kisuke's shop, the ex-captain tossed Arata and Unohana wooden katana swords. The warriors stretched a little before standing many feet from each other. "Captain Unohana, you want to spar like this or in our soul reaper forms?" Arata asked.

"No. This way is fine. I am curious though; I wonder whether the odds will be in your or my favor considering I'm in a 'human' form. I hope this is fine for you"

"Doesn't matter either way. I still intend to fight you"

"Oh! I almost forgot". With that, Unohana removed her heels and placed them near Yoruichi, who was sitting with Kisuke on the sidelines. "Those are Lieutenant Matsumoto's shoes. I would've hated to tell her I scuffed up one of her belongings" she smiled.

"You sure you can fight effectively like that?" Arata questioned eyeing her bare feet on the craggy landscape.

"Oh please," Unohana laughed. "I've fought in more compromising situations before, Arata. This is simply child's play for me"

Arata nodded. "I see. I can empathize" he said as he walked towards her. "One time I was taking a piss in the woods and this vagabond nearly took my head when I wasn't looking. I think it was similar to this" and he swung as her neck.

Unohana pushed the wooden blade aside with her own sword before palm striking Arata in the chin. He stumbles back and gathered back his senses before Unohana nearly stabbed his gut. The medic went on the offense and pressed Arata down with precisely aimed attacks. He blocked her a handful of times but got hit in the arms more times than he could count.

"I've never seen Unohana this aggressive before" Kisuke noted.

"I've never seen her aggressive. Period". Yoruichi was aware of the wolf underneath those clothes of sheep but to witness a glimpse of it was mesmerizing.

Using his enhanced skin, Arata deflected Unohana before pushing her back with a punch. It could've been more damaging if she hadn't blocked it with her sword. He starts swinging at her, mimicking her precise attacks with a little more punch, causing the medic captain to buckle slightly. For most of his attacks, she deflected, but some she blocked. If she was in her regular soul form, such attacks wouldn't be as impactful but as she was at the moment, restricted in a gigai, her strength was adjust to fit a human version of her.

Yet she liked- no, loved this. She loved that feeling of being pushed, of being challenged. She was actually thankful for Arata for allowing her to fight in this weaker version of herself. That way, she could enjoy the fight against him even more. The thought of him reaching higher forms of power lingered in her mind, and she cursed fate for being so slow with them.

He went in to stab her but she jumps, landing swiftly on his forearm for milliseconds before she kicked his chin, backflipping and landing a few feet away. Arata stumbles back, dazed, but otherwise fine. He stares at the woman in front of him and saw in her eyes that same fire she had the first time they went against each other coupled with a small yet hungry grin. She wanted more, and Arata wanted nothing more than to give it to her.

He spat blood out his mouth hole and took off his tank top. He reengaged with her, putting more force in his swing than before. They locked blades for only a moment until Arata was punched in gut. He spat out spit before he was pushed off again. Unohana then jumped in the air and spun before kicking Arata in the head. Before she could back kick him, he grabbed her foot and round housed her in the side. He tossed her foot, making her lose her footing just as Arata pressed onto her.

Forced to go defensive again, Unohana deflected Arata's heavy swings. Upon closer inspection, the captain noticed something she hadn't before: Arata was ambidextrous. He used his left and right hand respectfully and without rhythm. It made his fighting even more powerful and added more reason for Unohana to hope the man cultivates his skills and power. What a fight it would be.

Arata put both his hands on the handle and sent a powerful attack so great, it snapped his sword in half while breaking Unohana's, leaving half of the half of the wooden blade dangling.

Arata immediately threw his weapon away but the adrenaline in his blood refused to cease. And from the look on Unohana's face, she felt the same as she too threw her weapon to the ground and stood firm. He noticed the balling of her hands and asked, "So you still wanna go?"

"Only if you want to gets handsy with me" Unohana teasingly chuckled.

Arata took the invitation with a passion as he immediate round housed her. She did the same and their legs smacked against each other. Unohana closed in on the hitokiri, rocketing punch after punch so fast he though he was fighting Yoruichi. He somehow caught one of her punches, and gut punched her. She did not react as much as Arata did but she felt it. He pressed on her this starting with a side kick before jabbing at her. She didn't block them though; she countered by pushing his fist away every time he punched.

She retaliated by side stepping. She then kicked his gut before she jumped up and kicked his head. Dazed, Unohana attempted to strike his head again, but Arata stopped her by catching her fist and tackled her, carrying her on his shoulder to a nearby rock. He had to thank the viking raiders for giving this idea.

Arata pinned her her and tried to knee her jaw but the captain caught his knee is a tight grip. He looked down, and for the first time in a long time, shivered from the look in her eyes. It wasn't angry; far from it. She looked like she was in bliss, determined to continue fighting Arata to her heart's content. Yet her eyes held such a battle hungry stare that she looked starving.

Arata never feared when he left Sakura and began his travels as a hitokiri. Every opponent, every challenge, every mission, he never had fear. What use was it anyway? he had his training and his knowledge, and that gave him enough confidence; and even if a mission resulted in his inevitable end, it is what it is. He was gonna die eventually. If the situation looked like it was his time, he had no fear. It was just his time.

Yet the flaming fire inside the woman's blue eyes stirred that primitivize feeling of fear. Yet that fear came with another yet contradicting emotion: joy. The sheer challenge this woman imposed was exhilarating. He wanted to witness everything this captain had to offer and so much more.

Arata actually cursed his slow growing process. He wanted to unleash hell on his woman and vice versa. Yet he knew that should that happen, in his current state, he wouldn't even kneel beside her.

With more force than he wan anticipating, Unohana pushed him off her. Arata stood ready, yet he was not prepared when the woman rocket herself to him, kicking him in the chest before hammering him with quick but powerful jabs. Arata caught one of her hands but she kicked his side hard enough to forced him to let go. The hitokiri's defense couldn't keep up and she wasn't allowing him any time to retaliate.

She jabbed his stomach a few times before she straightened her hand, and stabbed his gut. It was only when she felt warm liquid between her fingers did she stop her assault.

"Ah... Damn..." said Arata looking at the newly made hole in his gut by Unohana. It was where he was stabbed before he was transported. Her fingers dug deep, with half her hand inside the man's insides.

"Oh god... Arata, at ease" Unohana instructed, her aura returning to normal. She gently laid the man down on the floor and slowly retracted her bloody hand.

Kisuke and Yoruichi hurried when Unohana stabbed him, rushing to the man's side. "Looks like you weren't run through. That's good at least. That and you got Captain Unohana healing you. You'll manage" Kisuke said.

"Still, that was quite to scene, Captain Unohana. Never thought I'd see you of all people spill blood" Yoruichi added with a small frown. She smiled at the hitokiri though; he was able to combat Unohana and lived to tell it. That and his hakuda training was paying off it seems.

"I was just following Arata's advice" the captain smiled warily. She let the buried warrior within her loose for this spar and for the most part, she did not regret it. It was hard not to when all the pleasure and adrenaline was still coursing through her. Yet as she looked down at Arata's watching eyes, a small part of her was becoming remorseful.

Arata's next words soothed her mind. "That... was amazing" he breathed, "Heal this hole, but let it scar. I want to keep a reminder of you".

His words made her laugh in disbelief. No matter how much he suffered, he would always have fun in fights. "Of course" she agreed.

Both Kisuke and Yoruichi felt the atmosphere change around them and made themselves scare, saying they had business to do upstairs, giving the medic and hitokiri time alone. Before they left though, Yoruichi stopped to look at the two. She didn't know what it was but... the sight of them in bliss together caused a sort of... tugging within her. She shrugged it off and left.

The wound was easy work for the vastly experienced captain. By the time she was done, she laid Arata's head on her lap and the two just... talked. Unohana ran her hand over Arata's shaved head while Arata rubbed his new stomach scar.

"I think we went too far in our duel don't you think?" Unohana chuckled.

Arata shrugged. "Maybe, yeah. But neither of us minded, did we?"

"That we did not" the captain laughed. She remembered the fun they had and couldn't fully say she regretted it. "You were even able to get me a number times there. You truly are a skilled warrior, Arata" she then complimented.

The man on her lap though passed the statement. "You were restricted. Were this a real fight, no inhibitions or limits, you would have decimated me". It still awed Arata that even as a regular human, Unohana could still kick ass with the best of them.

"True, but that doesn't change the fact you lasted long and hard against me" Unohana countered. "Your power has yet to reach higher levels, so do not fret. Perhaps one day you will be stronger than me"

"Hehe... sure" Arata chuckled. He did it again, chuckling, and it was towards Unohana, again. He stared up at the woman with admiration in his eyes, akin to those he always gave Sakura. "You know, I am still surprised you are not the captain of the eleventh division. You are more powerful than Kenpachi".

Though she still smiled at him, it shrunk, turning sorrowful. "I appreciate the comment, Arata, but... you couldn't be more wrong".

"What... do you mean?" Arata questioned in confusion.

"I was the captain of squad eleven a thousand years ago, around the time the thirteen court guard squads were established, and was the first Kenpachi." she started, shocking Arata she was that old and that Kenpachi's name was also a title. "I was known as the most infamous criminal in the Soul Society when Head-Captain Yamamoto sought for me. Even now, I'm still feared as the most diabolical criminal in all the history of the Soul Society. I possess the knowledge of every sword style known to man, and so, I named myself Yachiru". Arata quickly remembered that was the name of Kenpachi's second. Was Kenpachi and Yachiru related? She continued on. "I learned the healing arts to the point of mastery so that I could fight longer. Yet despite all my experience, power, and skill, a child bested me, and his name was Kenpachi Zaraki"

The revelation shocked Arata to the core. He did not doubt she was telling the truth, but it still felt the hitokiri bewildered. "How can that be? I fought Kenpachi and won. His strength is monstrous but he was nowhere near your level"

"That is because he had handcuffed himself" she retorts, confusing Arata ore until she explained. "He handcuffs himself so that he could savor fighting more. And... that was because of me"

Her eyes followed her sad grin as she mindlessly continued stroking Arata's head. There was a deep sense of regret in her eyes from what Arata saw, and he understood why. Knowing that you are the reason someone couldn't reach their full potential was a heart-churning realization.

"Then... why don't you fix it?"

"Head-Captain Yamamoto prohibits infighting between captains" she answered.

"But-"

"Arata," she stopped him. "I will always put my duties before my own wishes and desires. And I will always follow Head-Captain Yamamoto's rules. Nothing will change that" she explained.

Reluctantly, he nodded. He understood her desire to be dutiful to her cause, but he didn't like what it cost. "Then what happens now? It's clear you're still despairing over the fact Kenpachi is weaker than you"

"We let time do its work. Me and Captain Zaraki may not fight today, tomorrow, next year, or in the next decade, but I know we will cross blades again, and when that happens... I will rectify my sin. No matter what".

Her last words lingered in Arata's mind until it clicked. "You... don't expect return from that fight, do you?".

A simply nod was all he received. She stared off into the distance, a determined glare in her eyes. She was dead set on fulfilling this task, even if it meant losing her life. He felt impressed with her spirit, but then he felt an uncomfortable tugging inside him that shocked him for a moment. He understood this was something only Unohana had to do and was her greatest wish, yet the knowledge he will lose her... burned him. Badly. He held his tongue and nodded, the tugging becoming more bothersome.

The tugging actually got so bad, he turned the conversation. "So you learned kaido so that you could fight longer, huh? It's the same as me"

Unohana mirthfully laughed. "Yes. I must say, it quite nostalgic when you explained your reasoning; it was like I was facing a younger me"

"And you even learned every sword style known to man. Simply marvelous" he stated to Unohana's pleasure. "We are quite similar, you and I"

"Oh?" Unohana smiled. "Please explain"

He said only three word, but those word spoke volumes.

"Battle is everything"

To Arata, his life revolved around battling. It defined him as much as person as much as being a hitokiri defined him. It brought him so much enjoyment and thrill, it was only in battle did he feel alive. From the moment he met Sakura, almost everyday was training, learning how to fight using different types of weapons, learning medical procedures so that he could heal himself and continue fighting, learning martial arts so that he could be effective fighting bare-handed. Even down to the simplest things like his tattoos came from and were made for battle, for intimidation. To Arata, a life without crossing blades was not a life he wanted to live.

The statement made Unohana gasp as she understood his words immediately. Her case was similar to his as she learned every fighting type and every healing technique just so that she could fight more. To say she liked fighting would not do justice; she was infatuated with fighting.

Unohana brought her other hand and soothingly rubbed it on Arata's pecks. He felt a drop of water land on his mask, though it was soft, almost nonexistent. He looked up and was surprised to see Unohana... crying.

"Yes..." she softly chuckled. "Battle is everything"

Later...

After a nice soak in the hot springs (separately) and a generous dinner from Tessai, it eventually came to the time when Unohana had to leave. The captain was in her soul form dressed in her captain's uniform with her gigai standing by. She vertically cut the air and a senkaimon opened up, shining brightly at the front of Urahara's shop and lighting up the dark.

Before she left, she turned to see Arata sending her off. She smiled at the man. "Come to see me off?"

"Yeah, but that isn't the only thing I came here for?"

"Oh?"

"Unohana," he started. The sound of her own name from his lips sent a shiver down her spine. "You said... your final fight will be with Kenpachi, correct?"

"Hopefully, yes. If you're going to try and talk me out of it, I'm sorry to say-"

"No. I understand completely why it should be you and only you. I won't stand in your way" Arata stated. "It just means I'll have to get stronger and learn my bankai quickly".

Confused, the captain said, "W-What? I don't understand"

Arata walked closer to her and stood firm. "If Kenpachi will be your final supper, then I will be your final appetizer"

Eyes wide and heart racing, Unohana's mind finally clicked in understanding: he was planning to be her second to last fight. "A-Arata, you don't need to do that. What if I kill you?"

His eye never left hers as he replied, "I could count the amount of regrets I have made on only one hand. But if you died and I wasn't able to face you in a serious battle, I could never live with myself".

The shock soon bleed into excitement and happiness, and Unohana smiled deviously. "Arata, I hope you fully understand the scope of what you're asking"

"I do, but I don't intend to back down".

And with that, she hugged him tightly. Arata was caught off guard until he slowly returned it with his own. The last time he hugged someone was when he and shinobi companion parted, and that was a heart-retching moment. Now, however, it was anything but heart-retching. It was relaxing, caring, and exciting.

For someone so cold, Arata's body and arms gave off a deadly yet calming warmth. Unohana snuggled deeper and the two hugged for a full minute until the captain ended it. "I look forward to our battle, Arata Takahashi" she smiled as she left.

The senkaimon closed, the light disappearing with it. Arata took a deep breathe and looked up at the endless night sky, content.

More comfortable than he has ever been, he sighed. "What a relaxing day"

1.) Omake: Honored Warriors Illustrated Picture Book

Before heading to two started their adventure, Unohana and Arata stopped by a convenient store for some water. Arata was strangely against it, but Unohana assured him everything was well as one of her squad members was working there. "You'll like Hanataro, Arata. He's a gentle boy"

"Whatever..."

The two enter the store and Arata went to get a couple bottles of water while Unohana went to the counter to talk to the currently tired seventh seat. Upon seeing the smiling visage of his captain, the boy immediately straightened up in attention. "Captain Unohana! W-What brings you to the world of the living?"

"Oh, I'm just spending my day off with a friend?"

"A friend? Are you hanging out with Lady Yoruichi?" he asked as he knew the friendship his captain and the ex-captain had.

"No, it's someone else. He's the new deputy of Karakura actually"

The only deputy Hanataro knew around town was Ichigo so he was about to ask if he was the companion until a dark figure was creeping up behind Unohana. "C-C-Ca-Captain! Beh-Behind you!" he stammered fearfully.

When she looked back however, all she saw was Arata with their water. "Oh, Arata, this is Hanataro Yamada. Hanataro, this is Arata Takahashi, the new deputy working besides Ichigo"

"We already met" Arata stated.

"Really?"

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the boy suddenly shrieked before passing out... again.

"I assume he did when you two met?" Unohana asked.

"Yep"

2.) Omake: Honored Warriors Illustrated Picture Book

"Arata, I have a question" Orihime asked as she and Arata watched T.V

"Shoot"

"Did you always shave your head?" the teen asked as she noticed the man shave his head once a week even when his hair wasn't long.

"Actually no". He then began listing off the short list of hair styles he had with Orihime envisioning them in her head. "I only started fully shaving my head when I turned twenty. Up until I was ten, I kept my hair at medium length and shaggy. From eleven to sixteen, I shaved my hair on the back and sides but kept the top short. Then from seventeen to nineteen, I shaved most of my head leaving a mohawk"

(A/N: Think of highlander's default haircut. Just without the the long braided ponytail and in black)

"Eh?! A mohawk?!". All the previously mentioned hair styles were just about what she expected from someone like Arata, but the mohawk was so out there. "I... uh... why?"

Arata took a deep breathe before speaking. "I thought it looked cool"

"I'm sure it did!" laughed Orihime.