Welcome back readers…can't believe it's already Saturday again. Time sure does fly when you're busy typing and handling daily life, huh? Anyway, before we get into the review responses, I'll give you all the results to the pairing poll. Unfortunately, only two people voted on the poll, and both had voted for Nelliel; which, to be honest, I'm grateful for. As I noted in the poll, poor Nel just doesn't get as much romantic attention that I think she deserves.

Also, another thing to mention before the reviews is that I kinda jinxed myself. This past week while writing, I found a major problem with my storyline that contradicted with where I was currently at. So this goes back to chapter 1 when I mentioned that I keep at least a dozen chapters saved up in advance; in case something like this happens. In the end, I had to go back five chapters to do a thorough scan and readjust the story to where it was supposed to be. But, it's all fixed up now, so crisis averted. Whew.

So, on to some answers to a couple reviews.

xXSpades231Xx: As before, thanks for the input. For the fight with the Captain, Timothy should have lost; he is clearly no match against Komamura in terms of strength and fighting skills. The only thing that saved him was, as he stated in the chapter, was Sajin losing his cool, and his sheer amount of 'dumb luck' to respond at the end to the Captain's trick. To answer your questions; 1: If you think back to Ichigo's and Zaraki's first battle, a messenger approached Yachiru and pestered her about an important message while she was watching…do I need to say further on what the result was on that? 2: I can't answer that because at this point, I'm not sure. I may try to add him in later on in the story. 3: Again, not sure. If there is, I will post it as soon as possible. 4: No offense, but that has got to be a rhetorical question. Personally, I probably would have pissed myself just seeing those two, lol. And 5: Wait and see my friend, wait and see. Thanks for the rating again.

ItsukiSuzuki: Your reviews were from previous chapters, but I'll give ya a bone. For your first one, Timothy 'is' an odd name for Japan; but even in the Bleach world there 'has' to be more than just Japan. So, why not add a bit of variety? For Sui-Fēng, I hadn't thought about having a second relationship added, but I will put some thought into it. Thanks for the review.

Now, with all the admin stuff handled, lets get on to why you fellas are really here, shall we?

(I DO NOT OWN BLEACH; ITS CHARACTORS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, OR STORY! THAT HONOR BELONGS SOLELY TO TITE KUBO AND HIS TEAM! ONLY THE OC, AND RANDOM NAMES NOT MENTIONED IN THE BOOKS OR ANIME ARE MY OWN!)


Chapter 4

(Law and Skill.)

World of the Living, Manassas Texas, August 1989 (12 years ago)

It was a calm and quite night in the back streets of the city. The majority of the citizens were sound asleep in their cozy beds.

But this was not the case for a single, lonely, ghostly couple.

The two spirits currently found themselves running for dear life down the street, trying to hide.

"Quickly Susan! We need to get away from them!" the man yelled.

"I'm trying!" the woman returned.

The couple quickly turned left down the next street and the man glanced behind them to see if their pursuers were still there. When he did not see them come around the corner, he quickly grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her into an alley.

The couple stopped and stood there while trying to catch their breath. The woman leaned her back against the wall while the man was hunched over.

"I think…that we…lost them…" he stated in-between breaths.

The woman simply nodded as they continued to stand there as their breaths returned.

"Tim…who…who was that?! And how did they see us?!" she quickly asked.

Timothy shook his head. "I don't know…but whoever it was, they did not seem friendly."

Susan turned to him. "Tim…it's been five days now since we died. Shouldn't we have like…passed on by now?" she asked in a worried tone.

Timothy shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me Susan, but we can't stay here. I have a feeling that those guys are still looking for us."

Susan nodded and got off the wall. "Alright."

The couple turned back to the street and Timothy took a peek around the corner.

"I don't see them, let's go." he stated.

"And just where do you intend to go?" a low and calm voiced stated.

The couple's eyes went wide, and they quickly turned to look behind them. They then saw the three beings from earlier standing nonchalantly at the end of the alley.

"How did…how did you find us?!" the woman choked, and the middle being chuckled.

"Did you honestly believe that you would be able to hide from me?" he asked, keeping his calm tone.

Timothy quickly turned to Susan.

"Susan, run!" he yelled.

They both quickly turned, but froze when they saw that one on the beings was now blocking the way.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that." the man stated, and the couple turned back to him.

"You have been chosen to become a little test subject of mine." he added and began walking towards them.

Timothy quickly pushed Susan behind him against the wall with him in front of her.

"Get away from us you bastards, or I'll kill you!" he warned, but the man simply chuckled.

"An empty threat. What could you possibly do in your current state?" the man asked as he walked up now be in front of them.

"Now…let's begin." He stated and reached out to them.

A flash of light suddenly erupted from his hand.

Squad 7 Barracks, Seireitei, Present

Timothy quickly sat up in bed with eyes wide in shock and fear. Sweat was pouring from his face and he was breathing erratically. He started feeling himself all over trying to confirm if he was still dreaming. Finally, he realized that he wasn't, and that he was actually awake.

He pulled his knees in and set his face in his hands, massaging the sleep away. He sat there thinking as he tried to slow down his breathing. Tears started forming in his eyes as he thought more and more about the dream.

After a while, his heart rate returned to normal and his breathing slowed. He slowly tossed the covers off of him and sat on the edge of the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath before letting it back out in a depressed sigh.

"That damn dream again." he whispered.

He lowered his head with his arms resting on his knees. He took another deep breath, but stopped when he heard a voice.

"Tumuty…Tumuty!" he heard someone mumble.

He listened for a moment, then it dawned on him where it came from. He got off the bed, turned around, and pulled his sword out from under the mattress.

"You're gonna pay for that!" the sword warned and Timothy let out an annoyed sigh.

"Not right now…please…" he pleaded.

He set the sword down on the bed and returned to sitting on the bed as he was before.

"Tim? Are you alright?" the sword asked with worry in his mind.

Timothy didn't answer.

"…You had the dream again…didn't you?" the sword asked.

Timothy slowly nodded. "Yeah…" he whispered.

"…Are you gonna be ok?" it asked with sincerity.

Timothy ran his fingers through his hair again and started rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah…just…let me sit for a moment." he pleaded, and the sword sighed.

"Tim…it wasn't your fault…there was nothing you could have done." the sword offered.

Timothy didn't answer.

"Tim…talk to me." the sword pleaded.

"I'll be fine…just let me be."

As if on que, he then heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah…who is it?" he moaned.

"It's 5th seat Hetoku. May I come in?" he asked in a calm tone.

Timothy sighed, then rubbed his face. "Yeah…go ahead."

The door slid open and Hetoku stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him.

"Good morning, Timothy." he greeted.

Timothy turned to him with a raised brow.

"Morning? You mean to tell me that it's morning?" he asked in surprise.

Hetoku nodded, confused. "Yes, although it is a little early. I thought it would be best to get started sooner than later. Like you said, you don't like time wasted." he remarked.

Timothy scoffed and nodded. "True, I just didn't expect to end up sleeping this long. I guess I was really tired."

Hetoku chuckled. "That, or the nice, comfy bed caused you to relax too much." he teased.

Timothy snorted and shook his head. "Whatever, Hetoku. Just give me a few minutes to get changed and I'll be right out." Timothy stated.

Hetoku nodded and left the room.

Timothy began stripping the clothes from yesterday and pulled clean ones out of the dresser. It took him a few minutes longer to change than it should have, considering he was still not familiar with the clothes.

But after a while he finished tying the sash around his waist and slipped his two swords into it on his right side, with new one on the bottom He took a quick glance in the small mirror sitting on the dresser and straighten out his hair, then turned to the door. He slid it open and stepped out of the room to find Hetoku standing by the window looking out.

"Hey, you ready?" Timothy asked, and the man turned to him.

"I am if you are. We'll head down to the library to grab a couple books first." he instructed.

Timothy nodded and followed the man left down the hallway.

"So, how was your first night here?" he asked.

Timothy shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, I guess. A bed is a bed." He remarked and Hetoku nodded.

"I see. Well, today we'll go over the squad's rules and regulations. We'll also cover most of the important laws for the soul society. And I think that I have a method of learning them that you will enjoy." he finished in a smile.

"Alright. So, let me ask you something." Timothy started.

Hetoku glanced back. "Go ahead."

"How long have you been here, in the squad?" Timothy asked while looking around.

"I've been with the squad for seventeen years now, but before I was in squad nine. I transferred here to take a position as a seated officer." he answered.

Timothy nodded, then turned back to him. "So, you can transfer to different squads if you wanted to?" Timothy asked.

"You can request it, but it must be approved by both the current Captain, and the receiving Captain. If they both agree, then you're transferred. Why? Thinking of leaving us already?" he teased.

Timothy chuckled. "Well…I was ever since I met Tetsuzaemon."

Hetoku chuckled as well. "He is a little rough around the edges, but he always means well. Just give him time and you'll get used to him. He's a really good Lieutenant, and he's always helping others, he's just gruff is all." Hetoku cleared.

Timothy snorted. "I think 'gruff' is a little bit of an understatement." he mused.

Hetoku glanced back to him. "Reminds me of you." he taunted, gaining a mean look from Timothy.

"You want a fist in the face too?" he threatened.

Hetoku chuckled. "I heard about that, and no, I don't. Ah, here we are." he stated as they entered a large room with multiple bookshelves.

Timothy could see a large number of squad members walking around, or sitting at the many desks around the room.

"Quite the collection you got." he commented.

Hetoku nodded. "Yes, we have just about anything you could need. Combat styles, kidō, history, you name it. We even have some books from the world of the living, but they are in their own section in the back. Mainly stories and cultural books." Hetoku turned back to him. "I hope you can read Japanese, as most of the books here are in Japanese."

Timothy shrugged his shoulders. "For the most part. There wasn't much to read or write back in Fallen Tree, but Albert gave me some lessons. Anything here in English?" he asked.

Hetoku nodded. "A few, but all of them books from the world of the living. We have books that are in most languages."

Hetoku gestured Timothy towards the stairs, and they began walking to the first floor. Once there, Hetoku led Timothy down an aisle and began looking at the book numbers.

"Lets see…53…54…ah, here it is." he stated.

He pulled out and exceedingly thick book and wiped off the front.

"Here you go." he stated, handing the book to Timothy.

Timothy stated wide eyed at the size of it, then read the cover.

"Laws of the Seireitei and Soul Society." he read then turned to Hetoku. "Kinda thick, isn't it?" he asked.

Hetoku nodded. "Yes, that book contains every law of the soul society. As I said, today we'll go over the more important ones. There's one more book we need to find, then we can begin. Please wait here."

Timothy nodded and Hetoku walked away. He opened the large book in the middle and began reading some of the words to himself.

"Lets see… 'It is against the law for any citizen of the Soul Society to create weapons of a dangerous nature that have not been sanctioned by the feudal government. To do so is treason."

"It is against the law for any citizen of the Soul Society to possess weapons of a dangerous nature that have not been sanctioned by the feudal government. To do so is reckless endangerment."

"Any knowledge of creation, or possession of weapons of a dangerous nature that have not been sanctioned by the feudal government by another citizen, must be reported. Refusal to do so is treason."

Timothy continued to read, but was stopped by Hetoku's voice.

"Hey, Timothy."

Timothy looked up from the book to see the man walking towards him carrying another book.

"What's that?" Timothy asked, pointing at the book.

"The rules and regulations for the squad. Nowhere near as much as that one, but just as important. Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Timothy closed his book and nodded.

"Then follow me please." Hetoku instructed.

He led Timothy back down the halls to the rear doors of the barracks. They continued their walk down towards the training grounds and Timothy turned to the officer.

"So, what's this method of yours?" he asked.

Hetoku turned to him. "Simple, we'll study for a bit, then we'll practice your fighting skills."

Timothy rose a brow. "What do you mean?"

Hetoku chuckled. "We'll study for a little while, then I'll ask you some questions regarding what we went over. If you get something wrong, we'll spar for a bit, then try again."

Timothy actually liked the idea and grinned.

"Oh really, and what makes you think I won't get them wrong on purpose just so we can spar?" he asked in a joking tone.

Hetoku turned back to him. "I don't think you'd like that idea. Afterall, it won't be only sparring we'll do. I'll be sure to include some regular exercises as well."

Timothy chuckled. "Fair enough."

They arrived at the field and walked over to the few trees nearby. Timothy could see a few other members practicing and sparring as well. Some of them were off in the distance practicing kidō.

"Alright, have a seat and we'll get started." Hetoku instructed.

Both men sat down and Hetoku grabbed the large book.

"We'll start with the basic ones first. Ready?" he asked, getting a nod from Timothy. "Alright. First, and by far the most important one; 'The ultimate law is to maintain balance.'" He read off.

"This law is pretty straightforward. The job of a soul reaper is to maintain the balance of life between here, being the Soul Society, and the world of the living." he stated.

"What exactly does that mean?" Timothy asked.

"It means that it's up to us to make sure that the balance of souls in the Soul Society and the living world is correct. Have you ever heard of hollows before?" he asked.

Timothy shook his head.

"Alright. Well, to put it simple, hollows are souls that have not been saved and sent to the Soul Society by a soul reaper. Once a person dies, their soul remains in the living world for a time. Still with me?"

Timothy nodded.

"Ok. Well, after some time, the chain of fate will break off of the soul's…" Timothy held up a hand stopping him.

"What's the 'chain of fate'?" he asked.

"Do you still remember back when you passed away?" Hetoku asked, getting a nod from him. "Do you remember the chain attached to your chest?" Timothy nodded again. "That's the chain of fate. It has always been attached to your soul. The chain was attached to your physical body and it's what kept you in your physical body; in other words, kept you alive. Got me so far?"

Timothy again nodded.

"Well, when you died, that chain was severed. The part that was attached to your chest was the other end of it. Now, after a certain amount of time, the chain will begin to corrode away from your chest, taking away any emotions, thoughts, just your overall mind in general. When that happens, a mask will form on your face and you'll transform into a mindless beast, called a hollow. Follow?"

Timothy scratched his head a second, but nodded.

"Alright. Well, a hollow feeds on the souls of the departed, before a soul reaper has had a chance to send them to the Soul Society. Those souls in turn become hollows themselves, disturbing the balance. That's our job, to rescue to the lost souls and send them here before hollows can devour them." Hetoku finished.

"So…what happens if the balance isn't kept?" Timothy asked.

"The boundaries between the Soul Society and the living world would fall apart, most likely destroying both worlds." he instructed.

Timothy thought about it for a moment, but later nodded. "Alright, I think I got it." he stated.

Hetoku nodded then turned back to the book.

"Alright, 'A soul reaper must never refuse to perform the duties bestowed upon him or her. To do so is treason.' Another straightforward one. Simply put, you have your duties and you must adhere to them. We'll go over those more in detail later."

Timothy stopped him.

"Probably a dumb question here, but what if performing those duties would lead to someone getting hurt or killed?" he asked.

"Well, it goes back to the first one, to maintain balance. Something you should know is that our lives are always in danger. The moment we step into the living world, there is always the chance we won't come back. Being a soul reaper, you are already technically dead. So, if you 'die' as a soul or soul reaper, your soul is destroyed." Hetoku cleared.

Timothy rubbed head neck and nodded. "Go on."

"Next, 'A soul reaper must obey any orders given to him or her by any person of higher rank or standing. The only exceptions to this law is if the stated order would cause harm to an innocent soul, or to another soul reaper, or if the said order would result in disobeying another law. To refuse an order without due cause is considered treason.' I'm sure you understand that one, right?" Hetoku asked.

Timothy nodded. "Yeah, sounds simple."

Both men continued their studies with Timothy occasionally stopping Hetoku to ask for clarification. After a while, Hetoku closed the book.

"Alright, time for some questions."

Both men stood up and Hetoku pointed to the grounds.

"For this first set, you must run a lap on the track for each one you get wrong." he ordered

Timothy moaned, then nodded.

"Alright, shoot." he stated.

"What is the ultimate law of the Soul Society?" Hetoku asked.

Timothy thought for a second. "To maintain balance." he answered.

"Good. What is it considered if a soul reaper refuses to do his duty?" Hetoku continued.

Timothy thought back again, but the word slipped his mind.

"I think it was desertion…" he guessed.

Hetoku shook his head. "Close, but it's treason. That's one lap." he stated.

Timothy moaned and shook his, trying to figure out how that slipped his mind.

"Alright, next." he asked.

Hetoku thought about the next one for a second.

"Alright, can you ignore an order?" he asked, trying to trick Timothy.

Timothy caught it though. "Unless it will cause harm to another, or make you break another law, no."

Hetoku chuckled. "Good catch. Alright, get running." he ordered, and Timothy stood up.

"Be right back." he stated and started his run.

Meanwhile, Hetoku began sifting through the book to find his next questions. A short time later, Timothy came back, breathing a little heavier.

"Enjoy your run?" Hetoku asked.

Timothy waved him off as he sat down next to the officer. "Time's wasting, let's move on." he retorted.

Hetoku nodded and turned back to the book.

"Very well… 'It is against the law to commit murder.' I don't think that one needs explaining." he commented, and Timothy shook his head. "Next, 'It is against the law to kill a human that a soul reaper has NOT been ordered to kill.'"

Timothy rose a brow. "And why would you kill a human? Aren't you supposed to protect them?" he asked.

Hetoku took off his glasses. "In theory, no. We are responsible for the 'souls' of the deceased, not the living. And it has to be under extreme circumstances that we would be ordered to kill a human. The best scenario that I can give you would be mass murderers. They could potentially cause too many souls to be in the living world at one time, and that could cause unbalance. It's been many years since that has happened though."

Hetoku rose a finger. "Keep this in mind…we are not the judge and jury. Even if we were to witness a murder, or something along those lines, we cannot interfere; nor can we stop such things from happening. However, hollow attacks that could cause a human to die is an exception."

Timothy started rubbing his temples. "That's sounds immoral." he stated.

Hetoku sighed. "It does, but it's the law. All you can do is hope that you never have to witness it." he offered.

Timothy sighed again and nodded. "Fine…so what's next?" he asked.

Hetoku closed the book and set it down. "Now, we clear our heads. Let's head over to the field."

Both men stood up and began walking to the training grounds. They walked to the center of the field and faced each other.

"Alright, time for a little spar. I'll ask you questions during the fight, that way it will force you to not only concentrate on the fight, but have to use your thinking skills as well. This will help you to not only remember what you just learned, but also improve your mental multitasking." Hetoku instructed.

Timothy nodded and was about to draw his primary sword, but Hetoku stopped him.

"No, use your assigned zanpakutō. That way you'll also build a bond with it." he added.

"Build a bond?" Timothy asked confused.

"Yes, you'll need to build up your bond with your zanpakutō. Meditating and communicating with it is the best way, but combat improves the trust between you the fastest." Hetoku cleared.

Timothy was still confused. "I don't understand what you mean by 'bond'."

Hetoku raised a brow. "What do you mean? You've already developed a bond with your other zanpakutō, haven't you?" he asked, confused himself.

Timothy thought about it for a minute but decided to play dumb.

"Oh, I see now. I just didn't understand what you meant by it. I've got ya now." he returned.

Hetoku nodded and drew his zanpakutō, Timothy followed suit, holding it to his side.

"Simple rules, no kidō, no releases, just a simple fight of skill." he instructed, and Timothy nodded.

"Alright." he answered.

Both men got into a ready stance. "Ready?" Hetoku asked and Timothy nodded.

"Ready."

"Begin." Hetoku announced.

Timothy stood his ground as Hetoku brought his sword low, ready for an uppercut. Timothy then turned slightly and blocked with the backside of his sword. Hetoku's blade caught Timothy's, and both men pushed against each other.

"What was the fourth law I stated?" Hetoku said with a grunt as he pushed harder.

"It's against the law to commit murder." Timothy growled as he kicked at Hetoku.

Hetoku leaped back and came at him again in a side swing. Timothy ducked and turned his blade to cut the man's leg. Hetoku caught it, and quickly backflipped, kicking Timothy in the head as he did. Timothy fell back a few feet and rubbed his head.

"Nice one." he complimented.

Hetoku didn't respond, he simply came back at Timothy, ready with another uppercut.

"What's the result of disobeying a direct order?" Hetoku growled, trying to trick Timothy as he swung up.

Timothy jumped to the side and turned to charge the man's exposed side. As he did, he thought about the question. Hetoku never mentioned what the result would be, so that meant that he was trying to make him think the question over and come to a conclusion.

Timothy swung to the side, but the man slipped just out of reach.

"I'm waiting!" he demanded and disappeared in a flash step, now behind Timothy with his sword high.

Timothy quickly held his sword over his head, catching the blade with his and held it at bay.

"Treason." he hissed in a questing tone.

"Correct!" Hetoku announced as he spun and gave Timothy a roundhouse kick to his shoulder.

Timothy flopped over, but quickly righted himself as he came to a stop.

"If you don't focus, you're going to lose quicker than you think." he instructed as he watched Timothy return to his stance.

Timothy glared at him as the man got ready to charge again. An idea came to Timothy's head, and he instead went after Hetoku. Hetoku raised his sword, ready to block as Timothy went at him in a low stance sprint. Hetoku saw an opening, and quickly readied his sword to attack.

He brought his sword to his right shoulder, then swung as Timothy came in range. But Timothy planned this and quickly shot to the left, against the man's swing and dove forward into a roll, the man's blade missing him by a few inches.

Timothy quickly recovered from the roll as Hetoku turned to face him. At once, Timothy flung his hand to the side, throwing the dirt he had picked up mid roll into the man's face.

Hetoku started coughing and spitting and he tried to get the dirt out of his eyes. He then stopped as he felt Timothy's blade touch his side.

He opened one eye slightly and turned to his opponent.

"Cheater." he stated.

Timothy shook his head. "There is no such thing as fair in combat, sir. One thing I've learned over the years is you fight with your life. Either he dies, or you die. Simple as that."

Hetoku rubbed the rest of the dirt away and smiled. "That is true. Very well, you got me."

Timothy pulled back and held his sword to the side. "Also, it sounds a bit odd for you to talk about fair when you used flash step." he pointed out.

Hetoku rose a brow. "You can't use Shunpo?" he asked, causing Timothy to raise a brow.

"Shunpo?" he asked in return.

"It's the official name for the move. 'Flash step' is just a common term that most use. It looks like that's something else I'll have to teach you. But, that's for another time." Hetoku cleared.

"Is it hard to learn?" Timothy inquired.

"Hmm…not really. It's fairly easy to learn, it just takes a lot of practice to master it." Hetoku stated.

"I see. Well, shall we continue?" Timothy asked.

Hetoku nodded and sheathed his zanpakutō, which Timothy followed suit. "After you." he stated, gesturing towards the tree.

Both men walked back and sat back down to continue the lessons.


For most of the day, Hetoku instructed and Timothy listened. After every few readings, Hetoku would have Timothy run laps, or conduct other exercises. They even had a few more sparring sessions, most of which Hetoku won, in response to Timothy's earlier comment about fairness in fights.

Hetoku was actually impressed with Timothy's willingness to learn. He made a few recalling errors occasionally, but for the most part he was retaining the information at a decent pace.

It was now half past midday, so Hetoku decided that they had done enough and should call it for the day. Hetoku was about to return to the barracks when Timothy stopped him.

"Hetoku, do you have time help me with my sword techniques?" Timothy asked.

Hetoku was about to answer, but a voice cut him off.

"No need, I'm give you a hand."

Both men turned to see Tetsuzaemon walking up. "Oh, good afternoon Lieutenant." Hetoku greeted and bowed, Timothy did as well.

"Afternoon. The Captain has some paperwork he needs for you to look over, so I'll take over here." he stated.

"Actually, we had just finished for the day, sir." Hetoku cleared.

"I see." he returned, then turned to Timothy. "I assume you still want to practice though, right?"

Timothy nodded. "As long as you don't try to kill me." he mocked.

The Lieutenant huffed and crossed his arms. "Don't give me a reason to then." he returned.

Timothy chuckled, then turned to Hetoku. "Thank you for the lessons Hetoku." he stated and slightly bowed, that Hetoku returned.

"Not at all, Timothy. We'll pick this up again tomorrow. Lieutenant." he addressed in a bow and began walking away.

Timothy and Tetsuzaemon stared at each other a moment.

"Well, are you ready for a beating?" the Lieutenant asked.

Timothy chuckled. "I am if you are." he retorted.

Tetsuzaemon gestured with his head and they began walking to the grounds. They walked into the center and faced each other.

"So, how do you want to fight?" he asked.

Timothy waved him off. "Simple rules I guess. No kidō, or releases…and no flash step." Tetsuzaemon raised a brow. "Before you ask, no, I don't know how to do it yet. I just want to improve my fighting skill." Timothy stated.

"Very well. Though I should warn you that I'm not as easy going as 5th seat Hetoku. If you want to fight, it's going to be a fight. So, you better expect to get bruised a bit." he warned.

Timothy shrugged his shoulders. "Wouldn't expect any less from you." he returned.

Both men drew their zanpakutōs and got into their ready stances. "You ready?" the Lieutenant asked.

"Ready." Timothy answered in a nod.

"Then begin." Tetsuzaemon ordered.

He came at Timothy much like Hetoku did in their first fight, sword low, ready for an uppercut. Like before, Timothy blocked it, but Tetsuzaemon immediately gave him a swift kick to his side. Timothy fell back and rolled to his feet.

"Good recovery, but you shouldn't have blocked. Only block if you have no other choice. Instead, try to move out of the way and go back at your opponent as they recover from their attack. Blocking only stops both of you and gives your opponent time to plan his next attack." Tetsuzaemon instructed.

Timothy nodded and got ready for the next attack. The Lieutenant came at him again, sword level with his shoulder. He swung down and across, and Timothy quickly hopped to the side, only to be met with Tetsuzaemon's fist to his face.

Timothy fell onto his back, dazed, then quickly rolled as Tetsuzaemon swung down. He got back to his feet and shook his head to clear it.

"Don't always go for the easy way out of an attack, your opponent could be trying play you into his hands, like I did. Go where the enemy would least expect." he added.

Timothy again shook his head, then nodded in understanding.

"Now attack me." he ordered, and Timothy went at him in a controlled pace. He swung at the man, but he stepped to the side.

Before Timothy could react, Tetsuzaemon rammed the hilt of his zanpakutō into Timothy's gut, causing him to fall back.

Timothy was now hunched over in pain and froze again when the Lieutenant's blade touched his neck.

"Never stop a battle because you're in pain, otherwise you'll quickly die. Fight through the pain and keep your guard. Also, keep in mind that the blade is not the only part of the zanpakutō that you can use. If you find yourself unable to use your blade because of your position, give the guy thrust with the hilt."

Timothy slightly nodded, the man's blade still on his neck. Tetsuzaemon lifted the blade and walked back to the center before turning back to him.

"Again.' he demanded.

Timothy took a breath and pushed the pain aside to stand back straight. He took another breath, then got back into his stance.

"Let me ask you something." Timothy started.

"No, no talking. Now shut up and come at me." he demanded.

Timothy growled, then went at then man. He kept a low stance as he ran and got ready to swing to the side. Tetsuzaemon quickly turned slightly and swung to the side, but Timothy jumped at the last second and thrust his leg out for a kick to his chest.

But the Lieutenant quickly pushed his leg aside as he turned and thrust his elbow into Timothy's side, forcing him to the ground.

Tetsuzaemon held his blade out to Timothy's neck and he froze.

"Never put yourself in a position where the enemy can predict where you will be. I swung low to make you jump, you ending up exactly where I could have swung up and cut you in two. You not only have to predict your opponent, but you must also predict yourself. Know where you are going to end up with every move you make. That way, you can plan your next move from there."

Timothy growled at him, but nodded. Tetsuzaemon let him up and returned to the center of the field.

"Again." he demanded once more.

Timothy yet again returned to his stance. But before he could act, he was immediately assaulted by Tetsuzaemon, swinging at him endlessly.

"You need to be able to think fast, even when under barrage like this! Follow your opponent's moves, look for any patterns, weaknesses, missteps, anything to give you an edge!" he yelled as he continued his barrage of strikes,

Timothy was steadily being pushed along the field to the far end. He tried to find a pattern, but with Tetsuzaemon flailing on him so much, he couldn't concentrate. He was pushed to the end of the field and suddenly tripped when his foot hit the edge of the grass, him falling on his back.

Tetsuzaemon was now standing over him with his blade to his neck again.

"You need to be aware of your surroundings. If possible, use it to your advantage."

He pulled his sword back began walking back to the center.

"Again." he stated as he walked.

Timothy got back up and dusted himself off. He began walking back and stopped in his position, holding a stance.


Meanwhile, Sajin stood by the stands and watched the entire ordeal. He heard footsteps approaching and turned to see his 9th seat.

"Afternoon, Captain. I've finished the reports and set them on your desk." the 9th seat stated.

Sajin nodded and turned back to the pair. "Thank you, I'll look at them later." he responded.

"What is going on here, Captain?" the man asked.

"Skills training. Tetsuzaemon is teaching our new member just how outmatched he is." Sajin commented.

The 9th seat walked up next to Sajin and watched as Tetsuzaemon began putting Timothy on the defensive again.

"Isn't the Lieutenant being a little harsh Captain? I mean, he can't learn any skills if he isn't given the chance to try them." the man asked.

"Tetsuzaemon's not trying to teach him skills, he's trying to push him to the limit. He's trying to break him down and force him to push himself beyond his limits." Sajin clarified.

"I see." the man responded.

"By pushing Timothy's mind and body to its limits, he'll learn that he can fight, even if his body is tired and his mind strained. By learning this, he'll be able concentrate more and react faster." Sajin added.

"So, he's trying to improve Durn's endurance?" he asked.

"In a sense. As you know, when your body becomes tired and your mind stressed, you act slower and your thinking and concentration slow down. By keeping him in such a state, he's forcing Timothy to think and move faster. After a while, his body and mind will become used to it, improving his critical skills."

Sajin then turned to the officer. "I am returning to my office. Would you care to join me?"

The officer bowed and both men walked away.


A couple hours later, Timothy was breathing heavily and was getting ready to pass out. Tetsuzaemon stood in the center of the field.

"Again." he demanded.

Timothy growled and straightened himself.

"Enough of this Lieutenant, I'm done for now." he stated.

"Nonsense! You are done when I say you are done! Now get ready!" he yelled.

Timothy scoffed. "In case you missed it, I'm beat. I can't go on anymore."

"What a load of crap." he remarked. He then stood straight himself.

"You think the enemy will stop because you're tired? Huh? You think that because you call it a day that he's going to stop? You need to learn what it means to be pushed to the edge, to have to fight beyond your capabilities. These is no rest in battle, no breaks. A battle continues until one of you dies. And you need to learn that." the Lieutenant said as he set his sword on his shoulder.

"You need to experience firsthand how it feels to pushed beyond your limit, to force yourself to keep going. You need to learn how to tell yourself that you can't stop, that you will not stop. But more importantly, you need to learn how to fight harder when pushed to that state." he finished in a calm tone.

Timothy simply chuckled. "You also just want payback for that punch."

Tetsuzaemon slightly grinned. "Maybe a little bit of that too. Now, quit your bellyaching and get into your stance." he finished by entering his stance.

Timothy took a breath and got into his stance as well.

"Now come at me with everything you got." he demanded.

Both men continued their fight, always ending with the same results. Timothy with the Lieutenant's blade to his neck or chest. Time after time the Lieutenant pushed Timothy harder and harder to where Timothy finally collapsed on the ground.

"Get up and come at me again, Durn." he demanded.

Timothy laid on the ground close to hyperventilating and slowly struggled to get to his knees.

"Lets go Durn! Get up!" he yelled again.

Timothy struggled more and more, but finally managed to make it to his feet.

"Good, now attack." the Lieutenant instructed.

Timothy managed to get into a stance with his sword held low.

"Attack Durn!" he continued to yell.

Timothy growled and went after him yet again. He came in with a low guard, ready for an uppercut, but as he swung, Tetsuzaemon simply stepped to the side and Timothy ran passed, tripping and falling on the ground.

Tetsuzaemon turned to him.

"Get up Durn." he ordered.

Timothy got to his knees, breathing erratically, then slowly got back to his feet.

"Again, Durn." he repeated.

Timothy slowly turned towards him and stumbled, nearly falling over, but caught himself by propping himself with his zanpakutō. Once he got his balance back, he continued to turn and face him. He got back into a stance and got ready to attack. He then began thinking about his attack.

'Should I come at him low and draw him down, then attack high…no…he'd expect that.'

"Let's go Durn, attack." Tetsuzaemon ordered.

Timothy continued his thought.

'What if I go wide to his left and jump back right at the last second?...no, he'd also expect that.'

"Fine then." the Lieutenant stated, then came at him.

Timothy waited, then jumped to the side as he swung.

'I've gotta think of something…'

Tetsuzaemon turned and swung again, causing Timothy to dodge right and turn back around. Because of how he moved, his sword point dug into the ground and he almost tripped on the blade.

He quickly got his footing back and returned to his stance.

'That's it!' he thought as an idea came to mind. A risky one, but the only one he could think of.

Tetsuzaemon turned to him and came at him again.

'It's now or never.' Timothy concluded.

He charged at the man and got ready to swing. Tetsuzaemon swung first, but Timothy quickly abandoned his charge, stopping just short of the Lieutenant's swing.

He then charged again, but instead of preparing to swing, he quickly reversed his grip and threw his zanpakutō at the man's feet.

Tetsuzaemon lifted his foot, letting the blade pass by, then set it back down. Timothy quickly pushed the man back a few inches, and the man's foot caught the blade, now sticking out of the ground.

The Lieutenant lost his balance and fell back as Timothy quickly ran up, pulling his zanpakutō from the ground as he passed, and ended up over top of Tetsuzaemon with his blade to the man's throat.

Everything stopped as both men froze.

Timothy then felt something, and looked down to see the Lieutenant's blade to his throat as well. He looked back at the man who had an emotionless face.

"Well done, but you just got yourself killed as well." Tetsuzaemon remarked.

Timothy lowered his head and slowly backed off. The Lieutenant slowly got back to his feet and dusted himself off.

"In the end…" Timothy started, but had to take a second to breath.

"...it doesn't…matter if…I fall. As long…as I complete…my mission." he continued between breaths.

"You're wrong." Tetsuzaemon stated, causing Timothy to turn to him.

"There's more to your mission than removing an opponent. You should never sacrifice yourself just to take out an enemy. Such an act is nonsense. If you can defeat an opponent, do so, but not at the expense of your own life."

The Lieutenant then walked up to him.

"Although your tactic did catch me off guard, you had bet everything on that fact that it might work. But what if it didn't? You just tossed your life away on a gamble."

Timothy glared at him.

"Oh yeah? Well it's like Hetoku said, the moment you step out onto the field you take a gamble with your life. Is that not true?" he demanded.

Tetsuzaemon stared at him a moment.

"You really are naïve, aren't you? We may be risking our lives when we step onto the field, but we never gamble with them. You should always fight to accomplish your mission and return home, not give up and stake it all out on one last attempt. There is always a way to come out on top, you just have to find it. And that is half the battle on its own."

Tetsuzaemon then sheathed his sword and set a hand on Timothy's shoulder.

"Regardless, you did very well. Even if the plan was foolish, you still managed to come up with something while under heavy duress. Good job. Now head back and go get some rest." he stated.

Timothy grinned, but shook his head. "I think I'll stay out here for a while longer."

Tetsuzaemon looked at him for a moment.

"If you want to work out for a while longer, be my guest. But don't overdo it. You can't rush things like this. Your body ain't gonna stronger all at once." he advised.

Timothy nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'll be careful."

The Lieutenant nodded back and began walking to the barracks. He glanced behind him to see Timothy to start running on the track.

'That fool is going to end up killing himself.' he mentally concluded.

He turned back and continued his walk.

Squad 7 Barracks, Seireitei, 2 days later

Timothy's training and education were coming at decent pace. His schedule over the past couple of days were basically the same.

He would wake up early in the morning and walk down to the training grounds to start his day with some laps and general exercises. Nothing excessive, just enough to get his body going.

Afterwards, he would return to the barracks to have some breakfast before 5th seat Hetoku came to find him and they would return to their studies.

The method of incorporating learning with fighting practice and exercising had proven to be quite effective.

Timothy would occasionally ask some of the fellow members some questions regarding the squad rules or about any of the laws that he didn't quite understand.

Now he had gone through the entire book of squad rules and was about halfway through the book of laws. By now he had to admit that they left very little out for question.

His fighting skills have improved, but it still left much to be desired. Hetoku would constantly give him pointers during their spars and Timothy took them to heart.

He was very grateful towards the officer and expressed it every day. He even had another fight with Tetsuzaemon the day before, with him again beating Timothy down and forcing him past his limits.

But today Hetoku had a couple tasks to complete that would take him the entire day, so he told Timothy to rest up and study in the barracks.

But unfortunately, Timothy became bored very quickly. He had quickly gotten used to studying and training that sitting in the barracks reading caused him to get very antsy.

He then recalled back to what Hetoku had told him on his first day about meditating to communicate with his zanpakutō. So, he thought it would be a good idea to give it a try. The problem was…he had no idea how to do that. He decided to find someone and ask for help with the matter.

He was currently in the library reading the book on the laws, so he looked up to see if anyone was around. It turned out that the room was empty, besides him. So, he closed the book and walked back to his room to put it away.

As he came to the top of the stairs, he saw another member that looked familiar. He then realized that it was the woman from his first day, but he couldn't remember her name.

Feeling a little embarrassed, he waved at her and stopped her.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry but I can't remember your name, miss…" he started.

The woman smiled and waved him off.

"It's fine. My name's Hinata. It's Timothy, right?" she asked back.

Timothy nodded and returned the smile. "Yeah, that's right. Listen, I was hoping you could help me with something." She smiled again and nodded.

"Of course. What is it you need?" she replied.

Timothy rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I was hoping you could teach me how to meditate so I could try to communicate with my zanpakutō."

Her smile slightly disappeared in confusion. "You don't know how? Didn't they teach you in the academy?" she asked.

Timothy shook his head. "Well…the thing is…I didn't go to your academy."

She rose a brow. "You didn't?" She was now puzzled.

"No, I was inducted straight in from South Rukongai. The Captain gave me a test through combat." Timothy corrected.

"Oh, so that's what the fight was about. To be honest, I thought…" She stopped her statement.

Timothy looked at her, interested in the rest. "Go on…"

"Well…I thought that you had challenged the Captain. Or, that's what I heard anyway." she finished.

Timothy chuckled. "No, I'm not that dumb to challenge a guy as big as him. I'm surprised it ended how it did. I'll admit, I got really lucky. The truth is, Tetsu…I mean the Lieutenant has been beating the crap outta me every time we spar."

She then giggled. "I imagine. Anyway, I'd be glad to help you. Where did you want to go?"

Timothy thought about it, but came up with nothing. "Anywhere is good I'd imagine, so let me put this in my room and I'll meet you somewhere." Timothy suggested.

She then held out her hand to the side. "Why don't we just go to your room? It's as good a place as any." she offered.

Timothy thought it over, then nodded. "Alright." he agreed.

The two of them began walking down the hallway towards Timothy's room. Once there, he slid the door open and let her enter first. He then walked in, but left the door open.

"I see you have yet to decorate." she commented.

"What's there to decorate? Besides, I'm really only ever in here to sleep and that's about it." he remarked.

She shrugged her shoulder. "Well, I guess for your case that's true. So, shall we begin?" she asked.

Timothy nodded and set the book on his dresser while she sat down on one of the pillow seats. Timothy pulled out both of his swords from his sash and sat down opposing her.

"You have two zanpakutōs?" she asked, surprised.

"Uh…long story." Timothy stated, and she nodded.

"Alright. Now, take your zanpakutō and rest it on your lap. It's not necessary, but it does you to communicate better, especially since you are a beginner." she instructed.

Timothy turned to her. "How is it that I'm somehow offended by that title?" he lightly joked, getting a chuckle from her.

"Sorry." she replied, and he waved her off.

He did as she instructed and sat with his legs crossed and his zanpakutō resting on his lap.

"Now, take a deep breath." she started.

Timothy did so.

"Now clear your mind as you let it out."

He slowly let the breath out and tried to clear his thoughts. He then suddenly felt a little lighter all over.

"And again." she instructed, and he did so.

"Now, try to reach out with your mind. Try to reach and call upon the spirit of your zanpakutō." she followed.

Timothy did as instructed. He tried to reach into the darkness and call upon his zanpakutō's spirit.

But he found nothing.

He took another deep breath, and slowly let it out to try again.

But again, he got nothing.

"I don't feel that it's working, Hinata." he stated in a low voice.

"It may take a while on the first try. It took me a while before mine responded to me. It just takes patience." she guided.

Timothy nodded, then tried again, trying not to become agitated. Patience was never a strong suit of his, but he figured that this was not something that you could rush.

He took his time, and every few moments, he would take another deep breath.

After a short while, he heard her stand up. "Just keep practicing and reaching out. Your zanpakutō will respond when it is ready to speak to you. I must leave you now."

She finished in a bow, that he returned from his position.

"Thank you for your help, Hinata." he stated, and she smiled.

"Of course. Don't be afraid to ask if you have anything else. See you later, Timothy." she returned.

She walked over to the doorway, turned and waved before sliding the door shut.

Meanwhile, Timothy took another breath and returned to calling to his zanpakutō.

Minutes passed, then hours. Finally, after a long time his stomach began to growl. Timothy opened his eyes and sighed.

"I guess it must be time for lunch." he stated.

He slowly stood up and tucked both swords back into his sash before walking out of the room.

A while later, he found himself in the squad common area, along with many other members who were sitting down eating and talking.

He walked up to a cart and grabbed one of the box lunches and turned around to see Hinata sitting down with the two men from the other day.

She happened to look up and notice him, so she waved and gestured for him to join them. He decided it wouldn't hurt, so he walked over to them and sat down.

"Hi Timothy." she greeted.

"Hello." he returned, then turned to the two men. "I hope you'll forgive me, but I've forgotten your names." he admitted.

The taller one smiled. "It's fine, it took me a while to learn everyone's name too. I'm Issei." He started.

"And I'm Kenta. Timothy, right?" the other man asked, and Timothy nodded.

"Yeah, that's me. So, you mind if I join you?" Timothy asked.

"Not at all." Kenta answered.

Timothy nodded, then began opening his lunch.

"So, Timothy, how's your meditation going? Did your zanpakutō answer you?" Hinata asked.

Issei and Kenta both turned to her. "He hasn't spoken with his zanpakutō yet?" Issei asked.

Hinata turned to him. "Bit of a story, I'll explain later, Issei." she offered.

The man nodded, then turned to Timothy.

"No…no answer." Timothy answered.

Hinata gave a surprised look. "Your zanpakutō must be a stubborn one." she remarked.

"Like someone else I know." Timothy mumbled under his breath towards a particular sword of his.

"I am not stubborn!"the sword yelled.

"Oh, yes you are! And this conversation is over!" Timothy retorted.

"Well, just give it time, it'll come around." Kenta offered.

"How long does it normally take?" Timothy asked the group.

"Hard to say, really. It's all about trust, there are some people who have graduated from the academy and still haven't spoken with their zanpakutō. But from what Hinata tells me, you didn't go to the academy, so it could possibly be a few years before he or she answers." Issei answered.

"That long? Well, looks like I've got my work cut out for me then. But I've got to get back to reading." Timothy flatly stated.

"Oh yeah, your reading up on the laws, aren't you?" Hinata asked with a curious stare.

"Yeah, it's a lot to take in. I'm about halfway through it." Timothy replied, taking a bite.

"Halfway already? That's a good amount for starting a few days ago." Kenta commented.

"Thanks." Timothy replied and took another bite.

"So how do you like the squad so far Timothy?" Issei asked.

Timothy held up a hand. "First, just call me Tim. As weird as it sounds, it's does get tiring hearing the entire name over and over. And second, I guess it's ok. Haven't really been here long enough to say for sure." He then continued eating.

"I guess that's true. Anyway, us and a few other members are gonna go out tonight and catch a few drinks. Care to join?" Kenta offered.

Timothy slowly turned to him with a glare.

"Boy…you're picking the wrong person to drink with; just a little fore-warning." Timothy taunted.

Issei started laughing. "I don't know Tim, Kenta can hold his liquor pretty well. But not as well as Hinata." he stated, returning the taunt.

Timothy turned to her. "I will let a hollow eat me before I let a woman outdrink me." Timothy retorted.

She simply rose a brow. "Oh really? Care to test that?" she challenged.

Timothy thought about it for a minute.

"Oh…this I gotta see." his sword butted in.

And what is that supposed to mean? Aren't you supposed to root 'for' me?" he asked.

His sword started laughing. "Nothing would make me happier than to see a woman outdrink you."

Timothy turned to his sword. "Shut up!" he whispered, but a little too loud.

"Who are you talking to?" Kenta asked.

Timothy facepalmed and moaned. "I have got to stop falling for that." he stated. He then turned to the group. "I was talking to my swo…other zanpakutō." he admitted.

"You talk to your sword openly?" Hinata asked.

"Why, don't you?" Timothy asked back.

She shook her head. "No, it takes a whole lot of skill and trust to be able to communicate freely like that. So, tell me, what did you zanpakutō say?" she asked.

"I want to kill her for it, but she's rooting for you." Timothy admitted in a depressed manner.

Hinata then laughed. "I like her then. What's your zanpakutō's name, if I may ask?"

Timothy thought it over of whether or not to tell her, but saw no harm in it.

"Moeru Kitsune. It means 'Blazing Fox'. And if she doesn't keep her mouth shut, her name won't be the only thing that's blazing." Timothy stated in a nonchalant tone.

The whole group then started laughing, much to Timothy's dismay.

"I'm starting to hate you all." Timothy moaned.

Kenta put his hand on Timothy's shoulder.

"Calm down man, we don't mean anything by it, it's was just funny is all." he stated.

Timothy turned to him. "Ha ha ha." he returned in a sarcastic voice.

They continued to laugh, but after a while calmed down.

"So, you coming tonight?" Issei asked.

Timothy started rubbing his temples. "Sure…why not." he answered.

They all smiled and nodded.

"Good. We're drinking at one the other member's room, so we'll come get you." Kenta offered.

"Sounds good I guess. Well, I'm gonna head back up and get back to my reading. I guess I'll see you later."

Timothy stood up and nodded to the group as they waved. He put the box in a small bin and began walking back to his room.

Once he returned, he grabbed the book off his bed and sat down at the table to begin reading. However, like earlier that morning, he started to get restless and he found it hard to concentrate. After close to twenty minutes of reading, he lost his patience and closed the book.

"God, I can't think straight…" Timothy mumbled.

He sat there with his head to the ceiling, and began thinking about his time back in Fallen Tree. His thoughts went back to Albert and he sighed.

Although in the past he wouldn't have admitted it, he was actually missing his friend. He was probably worried about him.

Timothy sighed again and got himself into position to try meditating again. He placed his zanpakutō on his lap and began taking deep breaths.

He took one more breath, then began to clear his mind, reaching out to his zanpakutō's spirit.

He sat there, motionless, every few moments taking a deep breath to clear his head again. But time after time his zanpakutō refused to answer.


Hours had passed, but he still had no success in calling out to his zanpakutō.

He was suddenly brought back to his senses with a light knock on his door. He let out a breath and set his zanpakutō to the side.

"Come in." he announced.

The door slid open and Hinata and Kenta both walked in. They both waved and he returned the gesture.

"Hey Tim, you ready?" Kenta asked.

Timothy raised a brow confused.

"It's that late already?" he asked surprised.

"Yeah, Issei's over there now. You're still coming, right?" Hinata returned, her smile never wavering.

"Yeah, I guess so." Timothy slightly moaned.

He stood up and moved the book from the table to the dresser. He then walked over to them and they looked at him with skeptical faces.

"You don't need to bring your zanpakutō, Tim. We're only going down the hall a ways." Kenta advised.

Timothy was about to protest, but he instead thought about it. In the event that he got a little too drunk, he could accidentally do something and ruin everything.

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point." he stated.

He pulled both of his swords from his sash and set them both on his bed.

"Behave." his sword teased.

Timothy rolled his eyes slightly. "I should say the same to you."

He turned and walked over to the others.

"Well, I guess I'm ready now." Timothy stated.

The two members both nodded and the three of them let the room, Timothy closing his door behind him.

"So how many are going to be there?" Timothy asked.

"Including you, seven. But two of them won't be drinking because they have duties tomorrow." Hinata answered.

Timothy nodded and continued to follow the pair as they walked down the hallway. After a few minutes, the group stopped in front of a door and Kenta knocked.

"It's open." they heard a voice holler from inside.

Kenta slid the door open and the three walked inside.

Timothy first noticed Issei sitting at the table with a saucer in his hand. He then turned to see two more females and a man just slightly shorter than him. They looked towards him and waved, that he returned. Hinata set a hand on his shoulder and pointed out the three members he didn't know.

"This is Yuka, Narumi, and the midget is Junya." she stated, getting a mean look from Junya.

"I'm not a midget, I'm just height deprived." he corrected.

"Meaning: midget." Kenta retorted and the group, even Timothy, laughed while the man in question moaned.

"You guy are worse than hollows." he remarked, causing the group to laugh more.

"Alright, enough. Time to enjoy ourselves." Issei stated while holding up his saucer, cheeks a little red.

Timothy began to walk forward, but was stopped by Hinata's hand, still on his shoulder. She then leaned in to his ear.

"Watch out for Narumi, she's a bit of a…pervert when she's drunk." she warned.

Timothy turned to her and gave her a look of disbelief.

"What do you mean?" he whispered back.

"Let's hope you don't find out." she warned further.

Timothy mentally face palmed, then slightly moaned.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he whispered.

The three of them joined the fun as Kenta handed Timothy a saucer and poured him a drink. He sloshed it around the sides for a second, then took a sip.

The alcoholic beverage bit his tongue and his face scrunched up in disgust. The rest of the group started laughing at the funny face he made.

"Bleh, this stuff has got a mean bite to it." Timothy stated.

"I'm sure it's better that the stuff that you've had before, right?" Yuka asked.

"It is, but I'm not much of a sake person. Whiskey is more to my taste." Timothy stated then took another sip.

"I can fix that. Be right back." Junya stated, then left the room.

Narumi walked up and patted Timothy on the back. "Don't just stand there like you're lost, come sit down." she offered with smile that looked more like an evil grin.

She led him over to the table and sat him down next to Issei, then she took a seat opposite of him. He finished his saucer, and was about to refill when Junya walked back in.

"I'm back." he stated and held up a bottle.

Timothy's eye widened a bit as he saw it was a bottle of Glen Garioch English whiskey.

"Where did you get that?" Timothy asked as Junya walked up and set the bottle on the table.

"The world of the living. I try to bring something back every time I go. I got this about three years ago. I've tried it, but can't stand it myself." he answered.

"Too bad we don't have shot glasses, but I guess the saucers will work." Timothy remarked.

He unscrewed the lid and took a whiff from the bottle. The aroma almost sent him to heaven, as it had been years since he had a drink of his favorite type of liquor.

He tilted the bottle and poured a little into his saucer. He set the bottle down, leaving the lid off and drank the entire saucer in one gulp. He tilted his head back and sighed in relaxation as the liquid hit his throat.

"How can you drink that stuff?" Hinata asked.

She had tried it before, but spit it back out from the horrid taste. Timothy turned to her.

"Don't get mad at me cause you lack taste." he taunted.

Issei then started laughing as she walked up and slapped the back of his head. Timothy didn't respond, he simply poured another drink and swung it back.

"Alright, how about we start the fun?" Yuka asked and the rest nodded.

She turned to the dresser and grabbed a tray with seven saucers face down on it.

"What's this?" Timothy asked.

"It's a game we play sometimes. It's 'Kiku No Hana.'" Narumi answered.

"How do you play?" Timothy returned.

"Simple. Five cups, one for each player, they are all turned face down. The person who starts puts a coin under one of the cups, then passes the tray to the person on the left." she started and Timothy nodded to continue.

"That person then picks up on of the cups and turns it over. If the person didn't pick the cup with the coin, he passes the tray to the next person. It goes on until someone picks up the cup with the coin." Timothy nodded.

"If you pick up the cup with the coin, you lose. Any cups that have already been turned over, including the one with the coin, are filled up and the loser drinks all of them." Timothy rose a brow.

"So, the objective to 'not' find the coin?" he asked.

Kenta nodded. "And if the tray makes it all the way around the table and back to the staring person, that person has to drink all of the cups."

Timothy gave a disbelieving look. "Sounds like a fast way to get hammered." he observed.

Hinata leaned down to his ear again. "That's why we don't like to let Narumi play." she warned.

Timothy turned to her. "Do I have to worry about a…guest in my bed?" he teased.

She then blushed, but nodded shortly afterwards. He went wide eyed when a thought came to his head.

"…Don't tell me…?" he started.

She quickly turned to him. "No! But it has led to…embarrassing moments though." She whispered back.

"Hey, what are you two love birds talking about?" Narumi asked.

Timothy and Hinata turned to her. "Don't start Narumi." Hinata plainly stated.

"Alright, whatever. Let's get this show going." Narumi stated.


For the next few hours, they continued to play their game, one after one the players falling out. Eventually, only Timothy, Hinata, and Kenta remained.

Iseei was currently passed out and laying on his back at the table Narumi sat next to Timothy, her body waving back and forth in dizziness. Junya and Yuka stood by the back wall talking as they were the two who were not drinking.

Timothy was starting the next round and hid the coin under the right cup. He passed the tray to Kenta, who sat there for a moment.

It took him a while, half because he was drunk and was trying to sit straight, and half because he really didn't want to lose again.

He picked up the middle cup and relaxed at seeing he passed. He then pushed the tray to Hinata.

Timothy looked at her, and saw that she was a bit wobbly, but holding her ground. She set her hand on the right cub an grabbed it, but didn't lift it.

She glanced at him for a second, then smiled. "Nice try." she stated, then moved her hand over to the left cup and lifted, no coin.

She passed the tray to Timothy, who filled the two turned ones, then flipped over the last one. But he stopped when he saw no coin.

"What the…" he started and Hinata looked at him with anger.

"Are you trying to cheat or something?" she asked.

"No, I put it right here, I swear." he pleaded.

Then both of them turned to Kenta and saw that he had it and was trying, and failing, at rolling the coin along his fingers.

He suddenly dropped the coin and looked down at it.

"Oops." he stated, then suddenly fell onto his back, out cold.

Timothy and Hinata turned to each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"Game over." they stated in unison.

They both chuckled, but Timothy quickly stopped when Narumi fell over and her head landed on his shoulder, snoring.

Timothy looked at her with a rose brow, then turned back to Hinata.

"Awww." she cooed and he glared at her.

"Don't even think about such a thing Hinata." he growled and she giggled.

"I think it's time to call it a night." she stated and Timothy nodded.

"Yeah, let's get this cleaned up first."

He slowly moved Narumi's head and set her down on the seat he was in. He then got up and the group, or at least the ones that were awake, started cleaning up and set the saucers and bottles on the dresser while Hinata wiped off the table.

"Thank god a beer keg wasn't involved." Timothy stated.

"Beer keg?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, it's a large, metal cylinder that contains beer. Normally it's used in bars and restaurants, but you can get them to have large parties at your place. A single keg can support about twenty to thirty people…depending on how crazy things get." he answered.

She rose a brow. "In that case, I'll have to agree with you."

She finished cleaning the table and set all the saucers and bottles were on the dresser.

"You guys are good. I'll get rid of these tomorrow." Junya stated.

Timothy nodded and turned to the three sleeping beauties.

"Now the final problem, getting these fools to their rooms." Timothy stated.

"Just leave Kenta and Issei there, they can stay the night. Just get Narumi back to her room." Junya answered back.

"Ok. Timothy, can you give me a hand?" Hinata asked and he nodded.

"Sure." he answered.

They both walked over to the hammered woman. Timothy grabbed her right arm while Hinata grabbed her left.

"Alright, one, two, three." he counted, then they both pulled Narumi up and held her arms around their necks.

"Alright, see ya guys later." Hinata stated, and the two sober ones waved. "We're taking a left here, Tim." Hinata stated as they walked to the door and he nodded.

They left the room and slowly walked down the halls, somewhat dragging the poor, waisted woman back towards her room.

"I'm a little surprise that she behaved herself tonight." Hinata stated.

Timothy turned to her. "Why do you say that?"

She turned to him and smiled. "Knowing her, she normally would have started flirting with you." she answered in a giggle.

His eyes slightly widened. "Why me?"

She turned back and giggled more. "Cause she thinks you're handsome." she flatly replied.

"Huh?" he deadpanned.

She turned back to him. "She whispered it to me earlier while you were busy drinking all those cups after you lost a game." she finished.

And that's when it had dawned on him and he started thinking back.

'Wait a minute…she only had a few drinks before playing…and I don't recall her ever losing a game…so that means that either she's a lightweight, or…'

His eyes widened as he came to realize what was going on.

He suddenly stopped and turned to Hinata. "I've got her, you rest your shoulder a minute." he stated with a smile.

She smiled back and let the woman's arm slip off her shoulder with Timothy bearing all her weight.

"Ok, game's up." he stated, getting a raised brow from Hinata.

He then let Narumi's arm slip off his shoulder and she fell to the ground. Hinata stared at him shocked as he turned to the woman on the ground.

"Alright, you can stop faking Narumi. I know you're not drunk. You're doing this just so you could have me carry you." Timothy stated and crossed his arms.

Hinata turned to her as she slowly sat up and smiled.

"Darn, and I was so close too." she finished in her 'evil grin' smile.

"Narumi, are you serious?" Hinata asked and she nodded. Hinata then face palmed and turned to the hallway. "I'm going to bed, how about we leave her here?" she asked, and Timothy nodded.

"Agreed." he replied.

"Aw, you're no fun." she whined.

But it was too late as Timothy and Hinata had already started walking.

"I guess you weren't exaggerating, she really is a flirt." Timothy stated.

Hinata chuckled. "She is, but she's a good person. You just have to ignore her sometimes."

"From early estimates, that looks to be impossible." he returned.

She giggled and shook her head. "Maybe."

They continued walking until they got to Timothy's room.

"Well, here's my stop. Thanks for the invite." Timothy stated with a smile.

She smiled back and nodded. "Of course, we should do it again sometime."

He nodded, then frowned. "But next time, can we leave Narumi out? Or at least tie her up?"

She laughed and shook her head. "I think tying her up would only make it worse." she stated.

Timothy thought on her remark for a second. "On second thought…let's just not invite her."

She laughed again, then held her hand out. He took her hand and shook it.

"See you around Tim. Good night." she finished.

Timothy nodded. "Yup. Night."

They both waved, and Timothy entered his room. He walked over and sat on his bed, his head slightly spinning.

"Have fun?" his sword asked.

"I guess, except for the fact that I now have a pervert as a stalker." he answered in a moan.

"…care to explain?" his sword returned in a slightly annoyed tone.

He glanced over to it. "Why?"

"Oh nothing…except I don't like the idea of women hanging all over you." it answered.

Timothy rose a brow. "Jealous much?" he retorted, getting a growl.

"I'm not jealous. I'm just..."it started.

Timothy rose a brow and grinned. "Jealous?" he finished and the sword growled more.

"I'm not going to argue with you! Good night!" it yelled, then went quiet.

Timothy chuckled. 'If that's all it took to shut her up, I'll have to try it more often.'

Timothy let out a yawn and got up to strip down to his under garments. But he stopped when he heard a slight noise.

'Was that…' he started in thought, then turned to his door to see it only very slightly ajar. 'It was.'

He pretended not to notice, then casually walked over to his bed, just out of sight. He then snuck against the wall and stopped next to the door to hear a slight ruffling noise and see the door be pushed open just a hair more.

'Why that little…'

He stepped over to the door and rammed it open, to find the person he figured on her hands and knees .

"Can I help you, Narumi?" he asked through his teeth.

She sat up and rubbed to back of her head, smiling sheepishly.

"I uh…I dropped something is all." she offered in a pathetic excuse, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Yeah, try your brains." he retorted then slammed the door in her face.

He let out a sigh and rubbed his temples. 'Great…I really do have a stalker.' he mentally whined.

He walked back over to his bed and laid down, still in his shihakusho. He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

"And who was that Tim? Your 'stalker'?" his sword asked, keeping the same annoyed tone from before.

"You heard the whole thing yourself, so don't start. I'm gonna have a little chat with Hinata about it tomorrow. Maybe she can fix her friend's stupidity." Timothy moaned back.

"Why? She sounds like a nice woman...so why don't you go stay with her instead?" the sword hissed.

"I'm not listening to this, good night." Timothy growled then turned to his side.

"Yeah, night." the sword hissed back.

Timothy inwardly sighed and turned back around towards the dresser. He was indeed going to have to talk with Hinata, because Narumi just seems like one of those people talk have a hard time taking hints.

He took a deep breath, then slowly closed his eyes as sleep took him.

The next morning

Timothy was woken up by a knock on his door. He rolled over and yawned.

"Who is it?" he mumbled back.

"5th seat Hetoku. May I come in?" the man answered.

"One second." Timothy moaned back and slowly sat up in his bed.

He began rubbing his eyes and looked to see he was still in his uniform.

'Oh, right.' he thought as he recalled the night's events. He then remembered he needed to speak with Hinata about the…incident last night.

"Come in." Timothy instructed his visitor.

The door slid open and Hetoku walked in, closing the door behind him.

"Good morning, Tim. Sleep well?" he asked.

Timothy let out another yawn then nodded. "I guess so. Why?"

Hetoku shrugged. "Well, normally you meet me downstairs in the common area. I waited there for a little bit, but you didn't show up. Everything alright?" he asked with concern.

Timothy facepalmed and sighed. "Sorry about that, I had some drinks with some other members and I guess I overslept."

Timothy started scratching his head in embarrassment, but Hetoku waved him off.

"It's fine, we're not late. In fact, we still have some time. You have fun?" he asked.

Timothy again thought about his encounter, then thought about his answer.

"Eh…for the most part. Found someone that can 'maybe' keep up with me in terms of drinking." Timothy remarked.

"Really? Well I'm glad you're getting to know your fellow squad members. Just don't do anything stupid, alright." he offered.

"I'm not the one you should be telling that to." Timothy mumbled under his breath, then sighed. "Yes sir. I'll be along in just a moment." he replied in a normal voice.

Hetoku nodded, then turned to leave the room. Slid the door open, then stopped.

"By the way, we'll be taking a break from the books. Today I'll teach you shunpo, but I'll still be asking you questions from the books." Hetoku stated, then left the room, closing the door behind him.

Timothy yawned again, then stood up to get changed. Once he finished, he tucked his swords into his sash and left the room to find Hetoku waiting by the window.

"I'm ready." Timothy stated.

The man nodded and gestured for Timothy to lead the way. They walked down the hallway and passed by the common area.

Timothy happened to turn and notice Hinata sitting alone at a table eating and reading a book. He turned back to Hetoku.

"Excuse me sir, but do you mind if I speak with someone for a moment?" Timothy asked.

Hetoku nodded. "Not at all. Meet me on the grounds when you are finished."

Timothy nodded, and the men parted. He then walked over to the table Hinata sat at.

"Morning Hinata." he greeted.

She looked up to him and smiled. "Morning Tim. How's your head?" she asked in a cheerful manner.

"Fine, not as wobbly as last night. You?" he returned.

"I'm fine. I didn't drink all that much, so I'm not that bothered." she insisted.

Timothy nodded, then sat down next to her. "We need to talk." he stated in a serious tone.

She rose a brow, but closed her book and turned to him. "Ok, go ahead."

Timothy looked around to see if anyone was close enough to overhear, but saw no one.

"It's about your friend, Narumi." he stated she tilted her head.

Her face then dropped. "What did she do?" she asked in a moan.

Timothy looked around again, then turned back to her.

"She was kind enough to pay me a…visit." he fought to find the right word.

Hinata crossed her arms.

"What 'kind' of visit?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

"She decided to stop by and peek through my door while I was getting ready to go to bed." Timothy stated and slightly blushed, ashamed to have to tell her.

She then growled and rubbed her temples. "I am going to kill her." she mumbled. She then lowered her hands and slightly bowed. "I am so sorry about that. I will talk to her."

Timothy waved her off. "It's not your fault, it's miss brainless's fault. I just thought that I should warn you about her actions." he cleared.

She lifted her head and nodded. "Thank you. I'll speak with her. Please let me know if she does it again." she insisted.

Timothy nodded then stood up. "Well, I've got to get to my training. Have a good one, Hinata."

She nodded and waved. "You too Tim."

He waved back and walked away. He took a glance back to see her with her head buried in her arms.

'Now I'm starting to feel like the bad guy.' he thought as he turned back and continued his walk towards the training grounds.

67th District, South Rukongai, Fallen Tree, Present

It was a calm and peaceful morning for the residents of Fallen Tree. Their lives had certainly improved ever since 7th squad had taken over.

Crime was still an occasional problem, but nowhere near where it was. The residents were happy that they were finally getting help from the soul reapers.

Albert stepped out of his shack and stretched his limbs for a moment before yawning and looking around. He was amazed with the improvement over the past few days. But he still felt uneasy for his friend, Timothy.

The officer, Hetoku, had told him that he was taken to see the squad's Captain. But that was now four days ago and he was starting to worry.

He closed his eyes and began thinking about the past years with him. Although Timothy likely would say the same, he considered him as his best friend.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching. He turned to see a somewhat tall man walking by. He froze when he saw the squad number on the back of the man's white Captain's coat. The number 11.

The man looked around for a moment, then turned to see Albert staring at him.

"Hey, you!" he addressed in an annoyed tone.

Albert pointed a finger at himself. "Me, sir?" he asked.

"Yeah, you. Come here." the man ordered.

Albert slowly walked up to him and bowed.

"H…how can I help you…Captain?" he asked.

"What district is this?" he asked in a demanding tone.

"D…district 67, sir. Fallen Tree." Albert meekly answered.

The man then grinned, causing Albert to fret.

"Excellent. I'm looking for someone…someone who got into a fight with some of my guys and won." he stated. Albert thought back, then froze when it hit him. The man caught it. "Oh, so you do know who I'm talking about. That's good. Perhaps you could tell me where I can find him." he asked, but more in the lines of a demand.

Albert thought hard about what to tell him. I was obvious that the Captain was here to punish Timothy for fighting the his men.

"I…I don't know…who you're talking about…sir." Albert lied, trying to protect his friend.

"Don't give me that crap. I know that you know who I'm talking about. Timothy Durn. Now, where is he?" Zaraki somewhat yelled.

There was nothing Albert could do, but he couldn't sell out his friend. He started to think of anything he could say to the Captain.

"Captain Zaraki!"

Both men turned to see a soul reaper from the 7th squad run up and bow.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy here?" Zaraki flatly asked.

"Forgive me Captain, but may I ask why you are here? This is Squad 7's sector." The soul reaper asked back.

"Tsk…I'm looking for someone. The guy who fought my guys and won." he answered.

"He was taken to our Captain for questioning, Captain. He is still there." The man responded.

Albert froze as he realized that the man most likely just signed Timothy's death warrant.

Zaraki grinned even more. "Is that right? Thank you for your assistance." he stated.

Zaraki then turned and began walking down the street while Albert dropped to his knees.

Zaraki continued walking down the road as his pink haired Lieutenant hopped up and sat on his shoulder.

"So, you found him?" she asked happily.

"Yeah. The problem now is that he's with that wolf faced bastard. I'll have to find a way to get to him without having to deal with Komamura." he observed.

Yachiru smiled even more. "Does that mean we get to see Bow-Wow?" she asked.

"No, I'd prefer not to deal with him directly. That would only make it harder to find this guy. He's more than likely protecting him." Zaraki stated, then turned to her. "We would have found the guy faster if you hadn't gotten us lost." he pointed out, and she turned to him as well.

"You're the one who can't follow directions, Kenny." she retorted.

He turned back to the front and growled. "I did follow your directions, Yachiru!" he corrected.

"And we found it." she returned, and he turned back to her.

"Four days later!" he yelled back.

"Well you kept making wrong turns." she retorted.

"I did not!" he yelled again, then turned back. "Whatever. Now that I know where this guy is, I can find a way to fight him." he stated with a grin.

"Yay!" she yelled as the pair continued their walk back to the Seireitei.

Ok, so as you can see, Captain Zaraki really has it out for Timothy. Hmm…I wonder how this is going to go for the poor guy, lol. (Of course I already know, but I'm just gonna leave your minds to wonder on that one, mwa ha ha ha!)

Anyway, hope everyone's enjoying the story so far. Work's starting to pick up a bit again, but not as bad as it was when I first posted this story; not to mention the little mishap I had that I mentioned up top.

So, I'll catch ya'll next week, and hope that the week goes good for everyone. Laters.