An arrancar-girl in Seireitei

Darkangel1910: Ken-chan should be more afraid of Unohana than of two kids in my opinion ;)

Ah, yes, about Nells vocabulary… it's cause I really don't know how she'll turn out. At the beginning her language was VERY dirty for a child (masochist, throat penis…), but in the last chapters there was no comedy, so she wasn't that much involved. I guess I'll stay at the current level, unless you tell me that it's too dirty.

Nothing of Bleach is mine.

A matter of trust

„Let me get this straight" Renji repeated what he had just heard. He still couldn't believe half of it. "First you inhale a bunch of different energies, than you blow up 12th division, after that you cover Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou in your drool –"

"But she was hurt" Nell interrupted, walking next to him and holding his hand. Renji did feel more than slightly uncomfortable, walking around like she was his daughter. He was just glad that Rukia couldn't see him. "I was just healing her!"

" – whatever. Okay, after you get to 4th division you shoot a Cero at Zaraki-taichou –"

"But he was frickin' scary!"

" – yeah, I bet he was. And finally you ask Unohana-taichou, if she fu…" Renji became silent and looked around nervously. There were things in this world nobody should know. Hell, he would be more comfortable himself if he hadn't been told. When he spoke again his voice was strained: "… if she made love to Zaraki-taichou?"

"Nah, I asked her if she fucked him."

Renji looked around frantically. Fortunately, every member of 11th division was at the training grounds right now. They'd have definitely been scarred for life. Much like himself.

"Nell, you DON'T say such things out loud!" he told the little girl who looked at him blinking. She didn't seem to have a clue why he was so upset. If it was possible, he'd have a word with Pesshe right now concerning Nells education. He was quite tempted to go back to Hueco Mundo. It couldn't be more dangerous than facing Zaraki-taichous wrath if he heard about this question… "And ESPECIALLY not with these words!"

"No?" the little arrancar asked puzzled. "How should I have asked ba-san Uno then?"

Renji rubbed his head. Remember never to have kids, he reminded himself. "This is a very private issue, Nell" he tried to explain. "It isn't something you ask people you barely know. Don't do it anymore, okay?" He sighed when Nell nodded. "You really made a lasting impression on Seireitei on your first day."

"Oh? Is that a good thing, Renji-nii?"

"Let's just try to find Yachiru" he evaded the question. "We are late anyway."

"That's right" Nell agreed a little gloomy. "Are you sure the big… her daddy will let her go?"

"Quite sure" Renji replied while remembering his former fukutaichou from his time in 11th division. "Yachiru nearly always gets what she wants. So, they should be in here…"

Renji opened a wooden door and looked into the building. It was biggest training room in the division, so he figured that Zaraki-taichou would be here, Yachiru-chan on his back as usual, but there were only a few 11th division members looking at him and Nell. Wide-eyed. Renji cursed slightly.

"Where's Zaraki-taichou?" he asked with strong voice. "Or Kusajishi-fukutaichou? Here's a visitor for them."

"Taichou will inspect us in a few minutes, Abarai-fukutaichou" a tall muscled guy answered deferentially, but he was eyeing Nell the whole time, which somehow ruined the effect. Renji narrowed his eyes. "He inspects every training group for a few minutes."

"I know that" Renji responded coldly. "I was trained in 11th division." He looked down at Nell. The little girl was trying to hide behind him. No wonder with all the hostile glares fixed on her. "Well, then we'll just wait for them here. Don't let us bother you, continue your training."

"With all due respects, Abarai-fukutaichou, I don't think that is a good idea."

Renji had already made a step into the building. Now he stopped and turned his head back to the guy he had talked to. The man seemed to be a little uncomfortable, but he was still glaring at Nell. Renji slightly gritted his teeth.

"And why is that?" he demanded to know. "Are you afraid of a little girl?"

The big guy turned his view to Renji and for a moment his face looked angry. Then he pulled himself together and answered: "We saw what happened to 12th division, fukutaichou. But that's not the point. This thing shouldn't even be in Seireitei."

"I'm not a thing!" Nell protested weakly. Renji put his hand onto her skull-mask. Truth be told, Renji had been against Urahara-sans decision to bring Nell to Seireitei too. But this guy was ticking him off.

"Damn right she isn't" he affirmed. "The taichou decided to let her stay in Seireitei. Do you want to question them?"

"Of course not" the guy said hastily. "But the taichou decided that she should stay in 12th division and look what has happened. It was crazy to even let her out of Hueco Mundo."

Renji growled slightly. "It was Kurosaki Ichigo who decided to take her with us" he informed the guy. "And from what I heard she had plenty of chances to finish him off in Hueco Mundo, but not only she didn't do that, she even tried to help him!"

"Kurosaki Ichigo is a ryoka" the man replied and shot another dark look at Nell. "He doesn't know Seireitei. AND he attacked us! Only someone as crazy as him can trust an arrancar."

Renji narrowed his eyes again. "AND he helped Soul Society many times! AND he is my friend! AND last but not least I heard that Nell has already made friends with YOUR fukutaichou! You just managed to offend Ichigo, me AND Kusajishi-fukutaichou, buddy! Not bad."

The big guy paled visibly, but before he could say something Nell re-emerged from Renjis shadow and pointed a finger at him accusingly. She was quavering and Renji wasn't sure if she did cause of fear or cause of fury. Maybe both.

"Don't say anything bad about Ichigo or Yachiru-chan!" she threated. "They are my friends!"

The man was obviously intimidated by Renjis speech, but he was too proud to get threatened by a little kid (aside from his fukutaichou), let alone an arrancar. He glared at her.

"Kusajishi-fukutaichou is still a kid" he snarled. "She quite… susceptible. You are an arrancar, one of our enemies. You can't be trusted."

"You're so MEAN!" Nell cried, her finger still pointing at him. "Ichigo and Renji-nii and Nemu-nee and ba-san Uno are grown-ups and they all are nice to me! And Yachiru-chan knows who I am and still wants to be my friend!"

She paused a short moment to swallow. There were tears in her burning eyes. Renji frowned. He wasn't quite sure if it was real, but they really seemed to burn. It wasn't an arrancars reiatsu, but there was something gathering around Nell. He laid his hand onto the hilt of his zanpakatou. Her reiatsu wasn't dangerous right now, so he wouldn't intervene. This guy deserved a lecture.

"Are you even allowed to say such things about her?" Nell continued. "If I had said something like that about an Espada, they'd have ripped me to shreds! Ichigo and Yachiru are my best friends and you are just a big, mean… LAWYER!"

With the last word her reiatsu suddenly exploded. Literally. Renji was too surprised to move immediately, so he was too late to stop the shining blue energy arrow that shot out of Nells fingertip, pierced the man's shoulder and broke through the wooden wall. He was even too late to catch the guy before he fell down hard. He was too busy staring at Nell. A Quincy arrow! Was that what Nell had been talking about? The different reiatsu she had absorbed in 12th division? So that's why he hadn't felt her reiatsu rising very much, Quincy got their energy from the outside world. Still, it had been fast… The girl seemed to be at least as shocked as he was. She was staring at her fingertip like it was a weapon of mass destruction (which was quite possible right now).

In the next moment the doors next to the arrow hole flew open and revealed the two persons Renji had originally wanted to visit and right now didn't want to see: Kenpachi Zaraki, and on his shoulder the grinning Yachiru Kusajishi. Renji swallowed. What would the 11th-division-taichou do? Nell had wounded one of his men. But right now his former taichou was staring at the little girl in disbelief.

"Lawyer?" Zaraki suddenly asked. His voice didn't really sound amused, but it wasn't far from that. "Did you just call him… lawyer?"

"Huh?" Nell made, only now realizing that Yachirus father had entered the room. "Uhh… sorry?"

"Skip that" Zaraki said impatiently. "Did you call this guy 'lawyer'"?

"Uhh… yes" Nell replied shakily. "Dondo Chakker said that lawyers are people who say things that aren't true."

Yachiru giggled and Zaraki snorted. "Che" he made. "Not even completely wrong." Then he looked down at the member of his division who was trying to stop the blood and groaning right now. He looked slightly disgusted. "And you stand up! She merely pierced your shoulder, so buzz off! You can lie down in 4th division!"

"Taichou" another man said cautiously. "This arrancar attacked him."

"You think I'm blind?" Zaraki asked and glared at him. The man flinched. "That's no excuse! In a few months we'll be fighting the real bad guys and you're afraid of a KID? I guess I'll have to tell Ikkaku to intensify the training if you're still that weak!"

"But taichou…" the man on the floor uttered, but was silenced when Zaraki glared at him again.

"You still here?" the 11th division's taichou asked. "You shoulda rather hurry or you'll bleed to death! Sides… I heard what you and the kid were talkin' about." He bowed down. The man on the floor winced. "Who do you think you are, you shrimp? The arrancar brat's got a point, who gave you permission to criticise a superior officer?"

"Yeah, he said I'm susceptible, Ken-chan" Yachiru agreed. "Teach him some manners!"

"Shuttup, brat, you ARE susceptible! But no one but me is allowed to say such things about the fukutaichou, DID YOU GET ME!?"

"Hai!" everyone in the room but the two females shouted. Even Renji caught himself doing so. Yachiru giggled again, not in the least mad at her Ken-chan, she was rather proud that he was defending her. Zaraki growled satisfied and straightened himself.

"Fine. Then scram already, or I'll change my mind and decide that Yachiru earns a little talk with you."

The man paled even more. With a little help from his comrades he was able to get up and leave the training room quite fast. After that Zaraki looked around. "What?" he roared. "Is this a vacation or what? Will ya continue training now ya slackers?" Immediately the men lifted their zanpakatou again. He looked at Nell and Renji. "And you come wit' me. We'll talk outside." Then he left the building. When Nell and Renji followed him, they found him glaring at them. Yachiru grinned at Nell, but said nothing.

"Why the hell did you attack one of my men?" the taichou asked Nell all of a sudden. The girl was a little taken aback and hid behind Renji again. He wished she wouldn't have done that.

"I believe this was an accident, Zaraki-taichou" Renji replied. He grimaced. "Again. I don't think she wanted to shoot…"

"Shuttup" Zaraki said and Renji became silent at once. The taichou was still looking at Nell. Then he addressed her: "If you ever attack one of my men again, accident or not, I'll kill you. Is that clear?"

Nell couldn't say anything, so she just nodded. She pressed herself harder against Renjis legs. Zaraki continued to glare at her for a few seconds, then his gaze suddenly became softer and his lips changed into a grin.

"Still, if you hadn't shot him with this weird arrow of yours, I'd have sent him to 4th division for sure. Asshole, talking about Yachiru disparagingly!"

"Yay! I'll spar with Asshole-san when he gets back from 4th division" Yachiru exclaimed happily. "May I, Ken-chan?"

"Sure" he agreed. "Just don't send him back immediately. Ya know, Unohana doesn't like that."

"Hai" Yachiru said. Then she patted him on the head. "You see, Ken-chan? Skull-chan is a real friend. She even fought for me. I was right!"

"Whatever" he growled. He looked at Nell warningly, but it wasn't as scary as before. "You ever make Yachiru cry and you'll regret it, got that? But for now… you two can go play. Just try not to wreck too much stuff."

"YAY! You're the best, Ken-chan!" Yachiru squealed and briefly hugged her father's neck, before she jumped off of his shoulder and landed in front of Nell. She grinned. "Hi Skull-chan! Too bad I couldn't see your arrow-thingy, Ken-chan was in the way. You have to show me again."

"Of… course" Nell muttered, looking at Zaraki again. But when the taichou didn't react, she became bolder and smiled. She let go of Renjis legs. "I'm glad we are allowed to play, Yachiru-chan. I really want to be your friend."

"I knew from the start that I could trust you" Yachiru claimed smiling. "It was just Ken-chan being pigheaded."

Zaraki snorted and turned his head to Renji. "Abarai, you take care of them. If something happens to Yachiru… no, you don't want anything happen to her."

"What?" Renji started. "But taichou…"

"Tattoo-kun as babysitter?" Yachiru pouted. "You're no fun, Ken-chan."

Zaraki was rather unfazed. "If you stay here then you won't need him, brat. Your choice."

"Maaah" Yachiru sighed. But when she turned her head to Nell she was smiling again. "Can you run really fast, Skull-chan?"

Now Nell was beaming too. "Sure" she affirmed. "I learned Sonido while playing tag with Pesshe, Dondo Chakker and Bawabawa in Hueco Mundo. I'm really waaaay fast!"

"Good!" Yachiru giggled. "Try to catch us, Tattoo-kun!"

Yachiru vanished. A second later Nell was gone too. Renji allowed himself a curse before he took up the chase and shun-poed after them. Zaraki, now left alone, waited a few seconds before he began to grin broadly.

"First 12th division… then she hurls me away with a Cero… and now she's even got non-hollow powers…" He looked at the space where the two girls had been standing. "This lil' arrancar missy may even become interesting…"

For all who want to see Nell duelling Zaraki… don't hold your breath. Yachiru would hurt him.

SPOILER And for those who wanna know… the next chapter will take place in sixth division. /SPOILER