Chapter one
"Roar Zabimaru"

The darkened office seemed to engulf all of Raika's senses she shivered as she was led into it by none other then Ichigo Kurosaki leader of the Shigami, he was her leader and thats what made her even more frightened. The young nine year old had never fought in her life and now people yelled at her to hold a sword. She watched as the orange haired man fiddled with something and the room seemed to light up from where she wasn't sure.

"Now...Raika was it..." he said slightly as he sat down looking at her.

"P-please sir..." he raised his hand and she became quiet.

"From here on out you will be training with me..." he smirked as he leaned onto his desk looking at her. She was such a gently spoken girl, an odd choice in personality for a soul reaper. He shrugged it off and then looked at a long thin samurai blade on his desk that blade had belonged to someone who had been one of his best friends. "Well...Looks like I only have one sword here...that you could use to practice handling a blade." he pushed the sword to her. It had been someone else's Zanpakto but he was long dead and gone no matter how much Ichigo hated to admit it. Raika looked at the blade and he hand hesitantly took it.

"B-but...I have never fought Kurosaki-sama" she said Ichigo chuckled.

"I just want you to learn how to hold it properly..." she was once again holding it like it might bite her. Then slowly as she looked down at it her hands seemed to move as if being placed in the correct position. Ichigo raised an eyebrow had this girl lied about not knowing how to hold the blade. She looked almost as shocked as he did as she stood there with the sword in her hand. "well...seems like people where not patent enough with you then" he said lightly. Ichigo watched her with brown eyes he then laughed slightly standing up again.

"So Raika...since you seem to be able to hold a sword properly I gusse we should get you training." he chuckled. As he looked at her she put the sword back down on his desk and nodded.

"Yes Kurosaki-sama..." she said still not looking at him. Ichigo sighed as he looked at her and shook his head with slight bemusement.

"Listen...just because I am the leader doesn't mean you have to be so skittish around me..." he said with a kind smile ruffling her hair as he walked past her. "And if you have to call me something Call me Ichigo" he grinned at her. The girl looked up at him and for the first time he saw her eyes. They looked somewhat familiar to the Shigami but he couldn't put his figure on it. She smiled softly at him and then nodded.

"Alright Ichigo-sensi..."she said lightly. Ichigo smiled back at her and then started to walk. They soon got back to the training section and he tossed her a wooden kendo stick when she caught it she held it odd again. Ichigo's face fell as he watched her try to hold it properly the sword fell out of her hand two times before she flopped down on the floor.

"...Raika...why wont you hold it the way you held the sword in my office..." he asked if his hunch was correct he already knew the answer.

"...I-i don't know...Ichigo-sensi" she said looking frustrated. He nodded slowly then put a hand on her shoulder.

"Stay here I will be right back..." he said gently then walked out of the room. His footsteps echoed as he walked back to his office he grabbed one thing off his desk then walked back to the room. He found Raika right where he had left her but she was shaking as she sat there. He walked in and frowned.

"I-I'm never going to be a Shigami..." she said out loud as she cried lightly. Ichigo sighed and then tapped her on the shoulder she suddenly was quieted she turned to see him there where still tears on her cheeks but she was smiling even if it was a sad smile. Ichigo held out the blade she had been holding in his office to her she looked at it and frowned. When she took it again her hands where drawn to the correct placing.

"Now listen Raika what I am doing right now is completely unorthodox...this was another Shigami's Zanpakto...he died carrying this blade..." he said remembering the swords former owner sadly. Renji had no chance that day but he still went into the fight. "Take good care of it while where practicing..." he said softly. the girl nodded slowly then looked at the blade it was still sheathed why hadn't Ichigo taken the sheath off. Her hand went to it and she slowly pulled it off the blade. As she did Ichigo stared at her she wasn't suppose to be able to remove the sheath, unless the sword was letting her. She fully unsheathed the weapon and held it out in front of her. As she did Ichigo picked up a practice sword his own Zanpakto was on his back.

"Alright then Raika...try to strike me with the blade." he said. She looked at him suddenly her eyes wide with fright.

"S-strike you?" she asked as she looked unwillingly at her blade.

"Raika...you cant hesitate if you want to be a Shigami...you will have to fight with your all not matter who is your opponent" she said trying to coax her out of her shell. Raika suddenly charged for the tall Shigami Ichigo blocked but she was quicker then she looked. He watched her as she pulled away and went for another blow. Ichigo blocked this one as well she was fast but not as fast as a full fledged Shigami let alone Ichigo. Slowly the two got into a pattern of fighting Ichigo would block and Raika would try to strike him again. Her sword leading the charge. They didn't stop this until Raika fell to the floor in exhaustion, but she was smiling as she panted on the ground. Ichigo crouched down next to her as she beamed at him.

"Your pretty good for just learning how to hold a sword" he ruffled her hair as he chuckled. "Raika...how did you remove the sheath of that sword?" he asked knowing her replie already.

"I-I just did?" she said questioning him with her voice. Ichigo nodded slowly then picked up the sheath and handed it to her. She put the blade back in and Ichigo took it kindly from her.

"For the time being i want to keep this sword in my office...but i might let you keep it for me later" he said. She looked at him and grinned brightly.

"Ok!..." Ichigo couldn't help but smile as she did. When she finally stood up she felt light headed weather it was her lack of energy or happiness she didn't know. "Ichigo-sensi...when can I get my Zanpakto?" she asked. Ichigo chuckled slightly.

"Well...I'd say soon you've already been here a week most Shigami's have theres by now but then you didn't even know how to hold it so it took awhile. The girl nodded and then walked out of the room. She smiled from over her shoulder.

"When will we train again?" she asked happily. Her happiness was contagious as Ichigo grinned slightly.

"Tomorrow...don't worry about finding me I will find you" he said lightly. She nodded and then walked down the halls towards her room. As she did Ichigo peered down at the sword in his hand. "...So Zabimaru...you must like her" he said to the sword and smirked to himself shaking his head. As he turned to go back to his office when he got there he already had two times more paper work then he had an hour ago. He sweat dropped and placed the sword onto his desk as he got to work.