Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Kuukaku found Zaraki after half a day of searching. More accurately, she found Zaraki's reiatsu after half a day of searching the area around the 10th district. Focusing her own reiatsu, Kuukaku was able to follow the ebb and flow of the invisible yellow cloud to its centre, where the man lay sprawled under a discarded awning in an old alleyway. Sighing, Kuukaku sat at the mouth of the alley, content to wait until he woke, confident in Yoruichi's ability to watch over Yachiru in Sereitei. For now, she needed to make sure the Kenpachi wouldn't get himself killed before Yoruichi could negotiate this disaster.
While she waited, Kuukaku looked at the man appraisingly. He had several shallow wounds running up both arms, but they had already scabbed over: his sword was still in his tightly-closed fist. He was surprisingly unharmed, for having been ambushed by a vice-captain and a sizeable squad: Kuukaku put it down to the increased intensity of his reiatsu, which pulsed wildly, flickering like chain-lighting around his body. And that was with the effect of one of the Shiba reiatsu-dampeners: Kuukaku had brought the small stone along with her, yet still ended up having to consciously maintain her reiatsu on the offensive to withstand the enormous pressure of the Kenpachi's spiritual energy. He looked no less threatening when asleep, she noted; many people looked younger when in the grips of unconsciousness, but it seemed as if Zaraki had had no youth to speak of, and therefore was denied an unthreatening visage. Kuukaku felt a sort of grim appreciation for that.
It was late in the afternoon when Zaraki awoke. Kuukaku watched with a shadowed face, her form silhouetted by the dying rays of the sun, as the man sat up, blinking and looking around.
"Ya-" he stopped, and Kuukaku felt his reiatsu - which had been unfocused and cloudy before - sharpen and harden with purpose as he caught sight of her, eyes narrowed.
"Hoi, Kenpachi," she said, getting up. "You're injured."
"Doesn't matter," he said, nevertheless taking stock of his arms, then using his sword to lever himself up until he stood, towering over Kuukaku once again. "Stand aside, woman."
"I have a name," Kuukaku ground out, "and you're not going anywhere until you're healed."
The Kenpachi took a few steps forward, until she was glaring at his chest, and looked down at her. "This ain't your house anymore, Shiba, and I'm healing already. Now get out of my way; I don't need your hospitality."
Kuukaku, refusing to be intimidated, gripped her sword hilt, tilting her head back to stare into Zaraki's face. "You wanna live to see Yachiru again? You're going to Sereitei, pal: those shinigami you fought were a fraction of one squad. And there are thirteen squads, all of whom will see you as a trespassing enemy if you just barge in there."
"Che." He turned his head sideways with a bored expression. Kuukaku fought back the urge to slap him with the flat of her sword.
"You're right; this ain't my property, so you're free to take my advice or leave it," she said, "but I know people who can help you, Kenpachi. And you'd be a fool to throw that away." She took her hand off of her sword, and turned to lean against the mouth of the alley.
He looked directly at her again, this time searchingly. "And what do you get out of this?" he asked. "What d'you gain by helping me and Yachiru? You said yourself you ain't the type for charity, Shiba."
"Maybe I'm the type for a good time when I see one," Kuukaku shrugged. "Maybe I like a little excitement in my life." Maybe I care. She didn't say that out loud.
He didn't seem to buy her answer, but Kuukaku wasn't about to say anything else, and remained staring up at him challengingly.
"All right," he said finally. "How far is it from here to Sereitei?"
"Running? It's another day. But with shunpo we can get there before morning."
"Shunpo?" Zaraki said, with a dry look. "Is this more of that kidou crap?"
"In a way," Kuukaku grinned. "Watch." And she disappeared.
Dawn was breaking when Kuukaku halted just outside of Jidanbou's gate. A moment later, Zaraki blurred into view, a few paces to her left. He wasn't panting, exactly, but Kuukaku could tell that the newly-learned shunpo had taken its toll on him. He stood, looking up at the high, white walls of Sereitei: the gate was closed. Kuukaku wasn't sure whether this was a bad sign or not; surely Yoruichi had managed to do something about this mess?
"Wait here," she told the Kenpachi. "I think we'll be able to get in."
She began walking forward, and stopped a few paces from where she approximated the gate to be. "Oi! Jidanbou!" she hollered, to nowhere in particular, her voice sounding particularly loud in the early-morning silence. "It's Kuukaku! Get out here!"
There was a moment where nothing happened, and then the next the earth was rocking with the impact of Jidanbou's arrival. Kuukaku windmilled her left arm frantically, having lost her balance, and was about to fall on her ass when she was caught from behind by Jidanbou's enormous hand. Bracing herself, she grinned into the giant's concerned face.
"Long time no see, Jidanbou. How're things in Sereitei?"
"Ahhh, Kuukaku-san," the gatekeeper shook his head, a tragic look on his face as he set her gently upright. "Things aren't going very well, no not at all." He sighed.
"What is it?" Kuukaku demanded, "Is it about Yoruichi? How is the eleventh division? What's happening?"
"I am only the gatekeeper, Kuukaku-san," Jidanbou rumbled, "so I do not know perhaps as much as you would like. For certain, the only thing I know is -" he stopped suddenly and frowned. "Kuukaku-san," he said slowly, "what happened to your arm?"
"I had an accident," she said shortly. She didn't feel like discussing it, especially not now, as the Kenpachi had walked forwards after her once Jidanbou had landed, in order to better hear the conversation. "What do you know, Jidanbou?"
"Oh," the giant switched gears again. "I am not to open the gate for Kuukaku-san, as long as she keeps company with the ryoka," he said, as if reading it from a slate, and looked at her apologetically.
Kuukaku's eyes narrowed. "On whose orders?"
"I can't tell you that, Kuukaku-san," Jidanbou said, then put up his hands hastily, "Following orders, Kuukaku-san! I can let you pass...but not the man. He has to stay."
"Well then I'll fight you for it," Kuukaku started as Zaraki's voice came from just behind her shoulder. "If I win, you have to open the gate. I think it's only fair."
Kuukaku turned around to face Zaraki. "You're not fighting Jidanbou," she said firmly; "he's my friend, and it'll waste time."
Jidanbou was looking at Zaraki. "I may fight you, ryoka," said the giant, "but what happens if you lose? You haven't mentioned that."
A dangerous gleam entered Zaraki's eye, and Kuukaku gathered her reiatsu instinctively. "I won't lose, giant," Zaraki said with a half-smile, gripping his sword hilt and dropping in to a fighting stnace.
Kuukaku looked between the two in irritation. "Did you not just hear what I said? There will be no fighting!" She walked towards Jidanbou. "Alright, you're bound by your duty not to let us through the gate. Would you help us over the wall?"
"K-Kuukaku-san!" Jidanbou said, distracted from his impending confrontation with Zaraki. "I could help you to stand on the parapet, but it will do you no good: the walls are made of SekiSeki; the dome of reiatsu is impenetrable!"
"But you don't have a problem with lifting us up there, do you?" Kuukaku said, grinning. "It's not like you're opening the gate. And if it's impenetrable, you don't have to worry about us getting in at all."
Jidanbou shook his head, looking mournful. "You have something up your sleeve, Kuukaku-san, I know it. And you will get into trouble again. But you are right: I would not be going against my orders." He lowered his hand to the ground, and Kuukaku hopped on to it.
"Zaraki, follow me," she instructed, and his frown deepened.
"Friend ryoka, our battle is interrupted," Jidanbou rumbled, "But perhaps later we may meet for a rematch."
Zaraki nodded a grudging assent, sheathed his sword, and climbed on to Jidanbou's palm. The giant, careful to keep his hand steady, lifted them high into the air over his head and deposited the two on top of Sereitei's wall.
"Thank you, Jidanbou," Kuukaku said, looking down at the giant. "We'll just move along down the wall now,"
"Good-bye, Kuukaku-san," Jidanbou said. "I didn't see you."
A/N: For those wondering about Yumichika and/or Ikkaku...the manga and anime don't really say how or when they got in to Sereitei, just that once Ikkaku heard Zaraki was captain of the eleventh, he wanted to join that squad. They may be making an appearance; they may not be. Time will tell.