Lethal Hornet, Timid Healer

Disclaimer:

I don't own the rights to anything related to the anime Bleach

The rights to that anime belong to…other people…


Chapter 6: There's This Voice I Hear

(April 2nd, Day 1)

It was very faint, but Hanataro could tell that someone had been in his room last night, someone whose spiritual pressure was oddly familiar to him. He shook the thought away, marking it as unimportant when compared to what he was supposed to do now.

With a sigh of both excitement and nervousness, Hanataro hopped out of bed. He paused for a moment and flexed his biceps, staring at them curiously as he did so. For some reason, he felt different, stronger different. It felt like he could actually fight now and win!

"HanataBro…" a voice whispered in his ear, startling him. Nervously, he scanned the room in hopes of finding the voice's source. "Uh…it was just my imagination, I guess…" he nodded, exiting his hospital room.

"Hello, Hanataro," Isane greeted the healer as soon as she saw him, a worried look on her face.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Kotetsu," Hanataro replied, skipping his usual bow, something Isane found to be strange, "Is there something wrong? You look worried."

"Oh, I was just concerned about what happened to you yesterday. When I saw you cradled in Captain Soifon's arms like that, I assumed you were…a-anyways," she nervously laughed, "I'm glad to see you're okay, but are you sure you feel okay enough to be walking around right now?"

"I feel perfectly fi-okay…I-I feel okay," Hanataro replied, covering his mouth when he realized the strange tone in his voice, "Besides, Captain Unohana cleared me yesterday…"

"I know, but…"

"And Captain Soifon wants me to go see her today for a meeting with Head-Captain Yamamoto."

"Oh, well I'm sorry for delaying you," Isane nodded, giving him a worried smile before taking her leave, "Just be careful, okay?"

Hanataro gave her a slight nod, quietly watching as she left. He felt suspicious of her for some reason, oddly believing she were hiding something from him. It didn't matter anyways, especially since he had more important things to worry about right now. He soon found himself out in the early morning sunlight, a strange feeling of relaxation filling him as he took in the cool morning air.

His body twitched slightly as he closed his eyesand his spiritual pressure slowly began to rise.

"As I watch them…look, there! That's how they do it? Just a slight flex of their leg muscles and some concentration…and then…"

Hanataro opened his eyes to find himself in an alley and began to frantically look around, wondering how he got there, before regaining his composure as he realized where he was.

"That's all it took?"

"I must've been so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn't pay attention to where I was walking," he nervously laughed, "The 2nd Squad HQ is just a few more minutes…" Hanataro let out an irritated groan when, after glancing over his shoulder, he spotted a few familiar 11th Squad members.

"He's probably still sleeping after what happened yesterday," Soifon sighed, absentmindedly twirling the pen in her hand, "But he said he was fine, and Unohana did clear him for release today, so I suppose there's really no reason to be worrying about…?"

Soifon paused for a moment when she heard a familiar, but faint, voice and glanced out of her office's window. She heard gruff laughing and, with her curiosity piqued, moved closer to the window. What she saw did not please her, and neither did what she heard.

"Heheh, so it's true about you and Captain Soifon," one man of three asked Hanataro as they walked after him, "I don't know why she'd waste time on a pathetic runt like you."

Hanataro didn't say anything, reflexively taking a step back to keep some distance between him and the men. His eyes narrowed on them and he balled his hands. "I can take them, we can take them, HanataBro," that same voice from before growled. Hanataro wrote it off as his newfound determination and he couldn't agree more.

Soifon's frown deepened when one of the men grabbed Hanataro by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against a nearby wall, holding him there.

"Geez, you're awfully quiet today," another man chuckled, "Usually you'd be squealing like a girl and pleading with us to go away or something like that by now."

"I have nothing to say to you," Hanataro quietly growled, his spiritual pressure rising slightly. The men gave the boy a surprised look and nervously laughed, obviously intimidated, until one of them called Hanataro out on his newfound boldness.

"Oh, so now you're acting all high and mighty just because a babe like Soifon decided to show pity on you, huh?"

Hanataro growled in response, his frown deepening as a small crackle of electricity squirmed at the tip of his index finger. "Let's put them in their pla...ce?"

"How annoying it is for me to have to work with such obnoxious voices as yours blaring outside of my office," Soifon angrily groaned, drawing the, surprised and nervous, attention of the men surrounding Hanataro. They stammered, making useless excuses that only irritated Soifon, and she narrowed her eyes on them, effectively shutting them up as she then proceeded to chew them out for being a nuisance.

"Now, put him down and leave," she growled, scaring the men off. She watched their fleeing forms with some amusement, smiling slightly as she turned her attention to Hanataro. Her smile turned into a look of curiosity when she realized he was frowning in the direction the men had ran, his eyes holding a strange yellow tint.

"Hanataro?"

He didn't respond as he continued to angrily stare in the direction the men had ran off in, that strange yellow tint intensifying until she gently grabbed his shoulder. As if he'd been daydreaming, Hanataro gave her a confused look and quickly reverted to his usual countenance.

"Oh, hello, Captain Soifon," he bowed, as if nothing had just happened, "I'm sorry for taking so long."

"That's…fine…" the Captain responded, examining the healer before her. He gave her a confused look as she continued to examine him, blushing slightly when she pressed the back of her hand against his forehead. "You don't have a fever," she mumbled, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"Why would I," Hanataro asked, checking his own temperature, "D-do I look sick or something? B-because I feel fine…"

"No, I was just…never mind," Soifon sighed, smiling slightly before quickly wiping it away and clearing her throat, "Anyways, we should be leaving now, as I'm sure Head-Captain Yamamoto would like to hear any information we can offer him about what happened yesterday."

Hanataro nodded and followed after her as she led the way. With a slight pause in her movements, Soifon glanced over her shoulder when she sensed a familiar spiritual pressure, spotting a smiling woman waving at her.

"You're back," she mumbled, frowning at the woman before returning her attention to the path before her.

"The Head Captain will see you now," a receptionist bowed to Captain Soifon.

She returned a nod and motioned for Hanataro to follow her. Within five or so minutes they arrived at an average looking door with "Head Captain" carved into it.

"Enter," a powerful and old voice boomed in response to Soifon's knocking.

"W-what do I say," Hanataro stammered as Soifon opened the door.

Soifon paused for a moment before glancing over her shoulder at the boy, smiling slightly, "Don't worry about that. I'll be doing the reporting and any questions the Head Captain might have will most likely be directed towards me. However, if the Head Captain does ask you a question just do your be-"

"Captain Soifon, it is impolite to keep an old man waiting," Yamamoto sighed.

"I-I apologize, Head Captain," Soifon bowed as she entered the dimly lit room the Head Captain was located in, "We've come to give you the report you requested, Head Captain."

"Then inform me of the events that transpired yesterday during your trip to the world of the living, Captain Soifon."

"While exploring the Human World, Squad 4's Seventh Seat, Hanataro Yamada, and I were attacked by two Arrancar," Soifon began, relaying whatever relevant information she had learned about April to the Head Captain, "The other Arrancar attacked Hanataro, forcing him to consume a strange apple. I heard April yelling 'Apache' as she tackled the other Arrancar through some strange portal, but I do not know 'Apache's' abilities."

"The Arrancar forced the boy next to you to consume an apple? Has he been examined for any abnormal changes and has the apple been recovered for examination?"

"Y-yes sir, Captain Unohana has examined Hanataro and the apple has been sent to Captain Kurotsuchi for examination," Soifon replied, glancing over at Hanataro who trembled slightly as the General stared at him.

"…Yamada…" the Head Captain hummed, feeling somewhat nostalgic, "Hanataro Yamada, do you have anything to say?"

"Uh, w-well, I'm not really sure what to say, uh, H-Head Captain Yamamoto, sir," Hanataro stammered.

The General hummed, scratching his long white beard, and scrutinized Hanataro's looks. "Yamada," he began, drawing the boy's attention, "Would you kindly allow me to speak with Captain Soifon alone?"

Hanataro nodded slightly, bowing before leaving the room. Captain Soifon gave the General a confused look, attempting to speak before being immediately stopped by the General's raised hand.

"Why exactly did you decide to bring a member of Squad 4 with you to the world of the living, Captain Soifon?"

"I was just conducting simple reconnaissance, so I didn't feel the need to bring…uh…I…I don't really have much of a reason, I suppose," Soifon lied, "M-may I ask why you'd like to know, sir?"

"The boy seems ill-suited for 'simple reconnaissance,' doesn't he?"

"Well, yes…but…" Soifon paused for a moment, quickly going through every possible excuse she could think of at the moment. Her eyes widened slightly and a small, quickly suppressed, smile appeared on her face, "I merely brought him along for healing purposes. In case I were injured if I encountered an Arrancar."

"Could not someone else from Captain Unohana's Squad fulfill that purpose?"

"They could, but Captain Unohana recommended Yamada to me, so I had no real reason to doubt that he would be a good choice for the mission I was going to conduct."

"Hmmm," the old man mumbled, sighing before tapping the floor with his cane, "I suppose it doesn't matter, you're dismissed."

"Yes sir, Head Captain…" Soifon bowed before exiting the room, coming upon an anxiously pacing Hanataro.

"Oh, Captain Soifon," Hanataro greeted the woman, "Um, is there anything wrong?"

"No, everything's fine…" Soifon replied. She paused for a moment, shifting her eyes between Hanataro and the ceiling, before clearing her throat, "Hanataro, I would like to…um…escort you to the 4th Squad HQ."

"R-really, why, I mean it's not that I really mind you doing it," Hanataro blushed, trying his best to casually hide it, "But, I just thought that you'd like to get back to work as soon as possible and-"

"Hanataro," Soifon calmly interrupted him, her voice somewhat quieter than usual, "I am merely doing this as a mutual convenience, if that makes sense, since I'm already going to be walking past the 4th Squad HQ on my way to see Captain Kurotsuchi, and my presence will prevent you from being harassed."

"Oh, I understand," Hanataro nodded.

-1-

"Don't be so nervous," Soifon sighed, glancing over at the nervous healer who was, unbeknownst to himself, walking closer to her than she'd expect him to, "And stop stepping on my toes."

"A-ah! I'm sorry, Captain," he stammered, obviously not catching her joke.

"Don't be, I was just kidding," Soifon sighed as she casually led the boy to a street she knew few people used. The boy eased up noticeably, blushing and quickly moving away when he realized how close he had gotten to the Captain. "Are you afraid of me," Soifon asked, half-seriously, half-jokingly with a slight smile.

"Ah, no-no, I'm not afraid of you, Captain."

"Well, you should be," Soifon sternly replied, stunning Hanataro before she softened her looks again, "It means I'm doing a good job as a Captain…but, if you don't that's fine…since you're not in my Squad."

"What would you do if I was in your Squad," Hanataro calmly asked.

Soifon smiled slightly, hidden from Hanataro's view, and glanced over her shoulder, "I woul-"

"There you are! I guess what Ichigo said was true, though I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it for myself," a familiar voice exclaimed, greatly surprising Soifon. The two Soul Reapers turned their sights to the dark-skinned smiling woman perched on a nearby wall. She casually hopped off, landing gracefully on the tiled streets below.

"Lady Yo-I mean, uh, Yoruichi," Soifon corrected herself with a cough, causing the dark-skinned woman's smile to widen, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just escorting Rukia and Orihime back to the Soul Society, and I was curious about something Ichigo had told me. It had something to do with you having a boyfriend of sorts," Yoruichi grinned as her former student blushed, stammering as she came up with a, rather unconvincing, response.

"I do not," she shouted, attempting to suppress the blush on her face, "Kurosaki is a pathological liar and his assumptions are not to be trusted at all!"

"Calm down, Soifon, there's no need to get so worked up," Yoruichi laughed, pointing at a blushing Hanataro, "You're embarrassing your boyfriend."

"He is NOT…" Soifon paused for a moment, glancing over her shoulder at the blushing medic behind her, and calmed herself, "He is not my boyfriend…he's my medic…"

"Any intimate healing?"

"No…" Soifon bluntly replied, as if in response to another question she assumed Yoruichi would ask. She frowned slightly, examining with more scrutiny what Yoruichi had just said, "Oh…ohOH! N-no, no, no, no, no!"

"You're usually faster than that, Soifon," Yoruichi laughed, before turning her full attention to Hanataro. Soifon watched with curiosity as her mentor approached to boy, leaning in to get a better look at his blushing face. "Hmmm…yep, just like him…" Yoruichi mumbled, rubbing her chin in a thoughtful manner, "Hairstyle's different, but, other than that, you look just like him…"

"Like who," Hanataro asked as the dark-skinned woman pulled away from him, smirking.

"Oh, just an old friend of mine," Yoruichi answered, stretching her arms and yawning, "Huuhmm….Anyways, do you remember me?"

"She's that lady who kidnapped-"

"Saved Ichigoooo…"

"You rescued Ichigo from Captain Kuchiki, uh, Ms. Yoruichi, right?"

"Yeah," Yoruichi smiled, though her somewhat sad tone betrayed it, "Well, I guess I better go and supervise Rukia and Orihime's training, you two take care now."

"Bye, Ms. Yoruichi," Hanataro bowed, receiving a nod from the woman as she turned to leave.

Soifon gave her mentor a nod as she walked past her, becoming startled as she felt the woman's hand firmly grasp her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Yoruichi's, narrowed and serious, as if she were upset about something.

"You do remember 'him', right," she asked, her voice softer than a whisper. Soifon shifted her eyes, setting them briefly on the clueless Hanataro before returning them to Yoruichi.

"Vaguely…" Soifon softly replied, yelping when Yoruichi suddenly slapped her on the back.

"See ya later, Soifon, and try to go easy on your boyfr-I mean, 'medic'," Yoruichi laughed before Flash Stepping away.

Soifon resisted the urge to loudly deny Yoruichi's 'accidental' slip up, finding herself in deep thought. Hanataro quietly watched her, his worry for her increasing with the widening gap of silence between them.

"She was talking about…ah…" Soifon sighed, sadly frowning at the pale-white tiles beneath her, "That was so long ago…"

"Captain Soifon, are you okay," Hanataro cautiously asked, not wanting to upset her if he had interrupted her thinking.

"…Yes…" she bluntly replied, not even sparing him a glance as she began to, once again, lead him through this little detour they'd taken.

The rest of their walk was in silence, save for the distant voices they heard. Hanataro wondered whether this detour was driven by the shame/embarrassment she felt at having to be seen with him or if this was just her personal preference.

His head suddenly throbbed with pain and he clutched it, letting out a small groan that didn't go unnoticed by the Captain in front of him. She abruptly stopped and turned, narrowing her eyes on him as she scrutinized his looks.

"…Are you okay," she finally asked after several tense seconds, "You sounded like you were in pain."

"Uh, yes, I-I'm fine, Captain, it was just a brief headache," he laughed, scratching his head in embarrassment. Soifon continued to stare at him, her eyes softening for a moment before she turned around and resumed leading Hanataro through her detours.

The silence made the ten to fifteen minutes trip seem like an eternity had passed when they finally arrived t the Fourth Squad HQ. Hanataro, as Soifon came to a stop, wondered what he should say, other than "Thank you, Captain Soifon."

"We're here," Soifon stated, interrupting Hanataro's thinking process, "…Have a good day at work…"

"Y-you too, Captain Soifon," Hanataro nodded, giving the woman a reluctant wave as she took her leave. Once she was out of sight, Hanataro dropped his wave and slapped himself on the forehead, "What a stupid thing to say, 'You too'? That's the best I could come up with? Ugh!"

He let out an exasperated sigh and entered the building before him, sulking as he did so. His moment of angst was promptly interrupted by the pink ray of adorable sunshine that little Yachiru radiated as she hopped around the 4th Squad lobby.

"Hmnmmm? Oh, Taro," Yachiru giggled as she took notice of the boy, bouncing over to him in an instant. The boy let out a small yelp as he caught the girl's jumping hug, her suddenly added weight nearly throwing him off balance, "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, I work here, remember," Hanataro replied, smiling slightly as he gently set the girl on the floor.

"Oh, I forgot, sorry," she giggled.

"That's okay, anyways, what are you doing here?"

"I was just-"

"There you are, Yamada…"

Hanataro's eyes widened with surprise and he quickly spun around. "Ms. S-Seta," he stammered, giving the woman a quick bow, "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, you're slacking off," the woman frowned, adjusting her glasses, "I don't know where you've been all morning and, frankly, I don't care. Right now I want you to go to the west wing, tend to the patient in W27, and then sweep the northern halls until further instruction. Understood?"

"Y-yes, Ms. Seta…Bye, Yachiru…"

"Bye, Taro," the girl happily waved as the boy skulked away.

-Secluded part of the Rukon District, a few minutes earlier-

"April, take this with you during your trip…" Ulquiorra had told her, handing her one of his eyes.

"Ewwwww-why?"

"I want to observe this boy Lord Aizen has shown interest in as well. Because of my spiritual pressure I'm afraid I won't be able to do so in person, but my eye will record whatever it observes and allow me to view its contents later."

"Fine, but I am not carrying that thing…"

April sighed as she stepped out of the Garganta she had created, quickly closing it out of fear of being spotted. She relaxed when she realized no one who could pose a threat to her was within a mile of her location, allowing her to transform into May without fear of any witnesses.

She glanced at her side when she heard the soft flapping of wings, spotting the vessel she had stored Ulquiorra's eye in: a black crow with a green and yellow eye. She whistled for the animal, granting it permission to perch on her shoulder and promptly Sonido'd towards the Seireitei.

"I wonder if he'll remember 'me'…it's been so long since we last saw each other," May mentally paused for a moment as she passed through one of the Seireitei's gates, "Well, since he and 'May' last saw each other…and I hope he's okay after what that bitch Apache did to him…"

Her fists tightened at the thought of what she would do to the aforementioned girl if something bad had happened to Hanataro, pulling her away from the reality around her. The crow on her shoulder let out a fear filled 'CAW' before the girl casually jumped over the wall they were about to crash into.

"I'm not that far gone," she growled at the crow before gracefully landing on the other side of the wall. She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts, leaning against the wall for comfort. "Where was it again…" May mumbled, activating her Pesquisa, "…Ah!"

The crow yelped as May suddenly jerked away from the wall and returned to running, making various sharp turns with her Sonido, until they arrived at a large, white building.

"Here we are…" May stated to no one in particular, taking in a deep breath before casually walking into the building, "Now, you just keep quiet, alright?"

The crow nodded, flapping its wings to further show its compliance. May smiled at it before scanning the lobby they found themselves in, finding that no one was paying much attention to them. "So far so good," May sighed as she walked through the lobby, her Pesquisa activated.

May sighed again, this time with relief as she pinpointed Hanataro's Spiritual Pressure, finding that it had returned to normal. It didn't take her long to reach the boy, finding him sweeping the northern halls by himself.

"…Okay, May…" the blonde girl stammered as she peered at the boy from behind a corner, mentally preparing herself, "Just go and say 'hi' or something…"

Hanataro paused his sweeping and slowly scanned the area, tensing up. "Uh, is anyone there," he nervously asked, the grip he had on his broom tightening, "Hello?" He eased up when the strange Spiritual Pressure he felt immediately disappeared, followed by the appearance of a familiar looking girl.

"May," Hanataro asked in a surprised tone, drawing the girl's attention to him.

"Hanataro," the girl exclaimed as if she hadn't planned this, rushing over to give the boy a hug, "It's been so long since I've seen you! How've ya been?"

"Oh, I've been fine," Hanataro blushed as the girl released him, "What about you?"

"I'm fine, a little tired, though," May replied, smiling as she gave Hanataro a thumb up. She leaned back a bit, shrugging her shoulders as if they were stiff, and let out a long yawn, "Well, since I'm here, is there anything you need help with?"

"Uh-oh, no, I was just sweeping the halls, that's all…Ms. Seta told me to do this until I receive new orders," Hanataro replied, resuming his sweeping, "And I-wait...Is…is that a bird on your shoulder?"

The crow proudly flapped its wings and cawed, receiving a glare from May as a result. "Yeah, um, I kinda lost a bet, so I have to carry this around for awhile," May nervously laughed, followed by the crow.

"Oh, right, okay," Hanataro nodded, "Well, it looks really cool on you."

"Thanks," May blushed, "Why don't I take over sweeping for you? You look like you could use a break and it's not like I have anything better to do."

"Thanks, but I…O-oh, hello Ms. Seta."

May glanced over her shoulder to see the aforementioned woman giving her a strange look. "…Cifer…May Cifer, right," she slowly asked, ignoring Hanataro's greeting. May gave her a slight nod and she thoughtfully scratched her chin, "Um…hmmm…Where have you been? It's been weeks since I've seen you."

"Oh, I had to visit my family for awhile. Something…happened…and Captain Unohana told me to stay with them as long as I needed until the issue was resolved," May lied through her teeth, faking a sad smile.

"Oh, well, as long as Captain Unohana gave you permission to do so…" Yukiko shrugged, causing May's 'sad' smile to widen ever-so slightly, "…But…why do you have a-

"I lost a bet," May quickly replied, followed by the crow letting out a proud 'CAW!'

Yukiko stared at the girl with confusion, shaking her head as if it would help get rid of her shock, before continuing, "…Anyways, uh, Yamada…what was I going to say? Um-oh, Yamada, go and collect blood sample, uhh, April 1st. It's the most recent one and it should have your name on it, unless someone else was slacking off…"

"Where do I go find it?"

"Huh? Oh, right, just head over to the lab down the hall and then bring it to Captain Unohana…She wants you to take it to her, for some reason, so don't mess up…" Yukiko sighed before leaving.

"Alright, looks like we've got something to do," May stated, nudging Hanataro, "Lead the way, okay?"

"Sure…"

"So, we just take this to Captain Unohana, right," May asked Hanataro as she examined the red liquid filled vial her hands gently held.

"Yep," Hanataro nodded, pausing while May gently handed him the vial, "What are you…"

"It's your blood, right? I thought you might want to be responsible for its safety, unless you want me to carry it."

"Oh, no, I was just wondering why you gave it to me," Hanataro blushed, staring at the vial as he led May to Unohana's office, "I don't mind carrying it, I just thought you wanted to do so."

"Nah…But, there's something I want to know…"

"What is it?"

May paused for a moment, shaking slightly and clenching her fist in anger, before continuing, "Why'd you get your blood drawn yesterday? Were you…hurt or something?"

"Oh, well…Do you know what Arrancar are?"

"Kinda…" May lied.

"Well, yesterday Captain Soifon and I went to the world of the living and we were attacked by two Arrancar."

"That's terrible, were you hurt," May asked, 'forgetting' the Captain.

"No, but one of them forced me to eat this strange apple. After I ate it I started feeling sick and, eventually, passed out. When I woke up, I found myself in one of the hospital beds here."

"Are you okay," May asked, contemplating what she would do to Apache if he said anything but 'yes'.

"Yeah, Captain Unohana said nothing was wrong with me, but suggested that I get some rest."

"T-that's good," May smiled, relieved at the news. Her smile faded when, further down the hallway, they heard the clattering of plates against the tiled floors and some laughing. The two Soul Reapers made their way towards the sound, with May leading the way, and found a young nurse picking up the aforementioned plates with a bandaged Squad 11 member laughing at her.

"Clumsy little bitch, aren't ya," he smirked, "You should watch where you're going!"

"Yes, I'm sorry, I-ah!"

May watched with surprise and anger as the man pressed his foot against the nurse's back, digging his heel into her spine. She angrily glanced at the Squad 4 members around her, muttering to each other from the doorframes of the rooms they were standing in how they never seem to "get a break from those 11th Squad jerks."

Before she could intervene or even say anything, Hanataro spoke up with irritation lacing every word he spoke.

"Help her pick those up…"

The man looked up at Hanataro, shooting him a look that said he was an idiot for interrupting his fun, and removed his foot from the woman's back. "What did you just say, kid," the man asked, growling.

"I didn't say anything," Hanataro replied, his eyes briefly flashing yellow as he calmly approached the man, "I commandedyou to help her pick those plates up."

May, along with everyone else, stared at the boy with astonishment and was hardly able to contain the smile that had stretched across her face.

"Ha! Coming from little 'Hanako'? Why the hell should I listen to you," the man growled.

"Because, when a seated or unseated mutt like you enters the HQ of another Squad you are under the authority of anyone of a higher rank there, such as myself," Hanataro calmly replied, taking another step towards the man, "Now, I can't ask you to perform any Squad duties, such as healing a patient, but I can order you to help pick up those plates…"

The man growled, clenching his bandaged fists and grinding his teeth, "Oh, I'll help pick something up, you little brat!" The woman yelped as the man forcefully pulled her from the ground, throwing her at Hanataro.

"Don't worry HanataBro, I-ugh!"

Hanataro suddenly clutched his aching head, resulting in him falling to the floor with the woman as she collided with him. His eyes widened when he heard the vial shatter against the floor, its liquid content creating a red blotch on the floor. He stared at the blotch for awhile before shakily getting to his knees, accidentally touching it. A strange feeling began to bubble inside Hanataro as he stared at his reddened palm; it was a mixture between disbelief and quiet rage.

"…Are you…okay…" Hanataro quietly asked the girl next to him.

"Y-yes, thank you, Hanataro," the girl nodded, watching as the boy silently got to his feet.

"You jerk," May exclaimed, "Instead of being such an ass, you should have helped her! That's the least you could have done for someone who'd eventually end up saving your sorry life!"

"Shut the hell up," the man barked, raising his fist, "You little bitch!"

May watched this with slight amusement, casually raising her arm as the man brought his fist down. He'd break his arm the second he made contact with her, but that second never came. In front of her with his reddened hand tightly clenched on the man's wrist, was Hanataro, to her eternal surprise. The man struggled to free his wrist from the boy, the desperateness of which increased when he stared into Hanataro's piercing yellow eyes.

"What an ass you are…" Hanataro growled as he tightened his grip, causing the man to cringe in pain.

"Hey, leave Hanataro alone!"

"Wha…" Hanataro mumbled, his eyes returning to their usual color and his bold attitude disappearing. He looked over the man, whose wrist he still gripped, to see Yachiru perched on Perry's shoulder, frowning at the 11th Squad man before Hanataro. "Is he bothering you, Taro," the girl asked as she hopped off the gray-haired man's shoulder, quickly moving to Hanataro's side, "Because if he was I'll make sure he gets beat up real good!"

"Huh, oh, no, he wasn't bothering me," Hanataro nervously laughed, releasing the man, "He was just busy telling me how much he'd like to help clean up this mess he made, right?"

"What? But, I, uh, I…" the man stammered as he rubbed his pained wrist.

"That's quite a mess you made, pal," Perry casually chimed in, scanning the plates on the floor along with the blotch of blood, "I'm glad to see you're so willing to help clean it up…now…"

"Y-yeah, of course," the man nervously laughed, quickly getting to his knees and placing the plates in the tray he'd caused the woman to drop.

"Thank you, Perry, and you too, Yachiru," Hanataro bowed, receiving a giggle from the girl and a nod from the man, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go see Captain Unohana…"

"No problem, I'll just stay here to make sure our 'good Samaritan' does what he's supposed to."

"Bye, Taro," Yachiru exclaimed, waving to the boy as he left with May.

"Come in," Unohana chimed, smiling as her office door opened, "Ah, Hanataro, how are you do…Hmmm? Wasn't there someone with you?"

"Oh…yes, she had to go to the bathroom," Hanataro replied as he entered the room. He paused for a moment before shifting his eyes away from Unohana to the young woman standing next to her desk, "Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, what brings you here? I mean, if you don't mind me asking…"

"I am here to retrieve the blood sample Captain Kurotsuchi requested," Nemu replied, "I trust that you have it, correct?"

"…I did, but the vial broke and…" Hanataro muttered, slowly raising his bloody hand.

"Hanataro, did you cut yourself," Unohana worriedly asked, getting from her seat to approach the boy.

"N-no, I accidentally touched the blood after the vial broke," he answered, blushing as the woman looked his hand over, "I'm sorry, I…"

"It's okay, we can get another sample right now," Unohana smiled, "But I want you to wash your hands first, alright?"

"Yes, okay…"

"M-May Cifer, Captain Unohana," May timidly replied, suppressing as much of her spiritual pressure as she could and praying that Unohana wouldn't figure out who/what she was.

"It's nice to meet a friend of Hanataro's," Unohana smiled at the girl, glancing at the bird on her shoulder, "I see you lost a bet."

"No, I…wait, y-yes, I did…"

"Oh well, you win some, you lose some…But are you sure you don't want to wait outside? I ask because some people get a bit squeamish when they see blood."

"Oh, no, I'm fine and trust me when I say I've had my fill of blood."

Unohana nodded and grabbed the needle she had set aside after preparing Hanataro for the extraction. He cringed when the needle poked through his flesh, as he never really liked needles, and sighed with relief when it withdrew.

"There," Unohana sighed, examining the blood filled syringe, "Let me just place this in a vial for you, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi. You're free to go, Hanataro…Is something wrong?"

Hanataro woozily shook his head, almost stumbling out of the seat he was in. Unohana placed her hand on his forehead, frowning slightly, "You should rest for awhile and drink some water, okay?"

"O-okay, Captain…" Hanataro nodded, woozily attempting to remain standing before May helped to steady him. He clutched his head, as if that would help sooth his dizziness, leaning against May for support as she led him out of the room.

"Do people normally act so 'woozy' after getting their blood drawn by you, Captain Unohana," Nemu asked, watching as the woman transferred the blood into a vial, "And, for clarification, is one's blood usually that dark?"

"No," Unohana replied, staring at the dark red liquid before handing the vial to Nemu, "Please, whatever your Captain finds out will you report it to me? Oh, and will you tell Captain Soifon as well? I'm sure she'd like that."

"Yes, she made that very clear when she visited Captain Kurotsuchi and myself earlier today day," Nemu replied, giving the smiling Captain a slight bow before leaving.

-Later that evening, around 4:17, in a small garden-

"This is nice, isn't it," May smiled as she glanced at Hanataro, "No more work for the rest of the day, no noise, and it's just the two of us…"

"Yeah, it is really ni…ugh…" Hanataro groaned, clutching his head.

"Have some more water."

"Thank you," Hanataro nodded as he took a bottle from the girl. After taking a sip, Hanataro set the bottle down and began to stare absentmindedly at the sky, frowning slightly.

"Is something wrong," May asked, scooting a little closer to the boy, "Do you feel like getting something to eat?"

"No…well…maybe…"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Dumplings, I mean, if that's okay with you."

"Sure, like last time," May asked, receiving a nod from the boy, "Alright then, just let me go and get them."

"Wait, maybe I should go," Hanataro suggested as the blonde girl hopped to her feet, causing her to frown.

"Why, because you think I forgot where that dumpling shop you took me to was?"

"No, I…never mind," Hanataro sighed, turning his sights to the grass at his feet.

"Then it's settled…I'll be back in a little bit," May sighed, giving Hanataro a worried look before turning to the crow on her shoulders, "Stay here with Hanataro, okay?"

"Caw…" it responded, hopping off the girl's shoulder and over to Hanataro's side. Hanataro, noticing she had left, scanned his surroundings as if he was in a foreign land. He sighed with relief that he was in familiar territory and turned his sights towards the sky again.

"You know…I can't really believe I did that…" Hanataro stated, letting out a small laugh as he raised his once bloody hand. He glanced over at the crow, staring into its dark green eye as if hypnotized by it, "You saw it too, right; when I stood up to that guy?"

The crow flapped its wings, cawing.

"Yeah…but, I still can't believe I did that…Me, the weakest Soul Reaper in the Gotei 13…"

"That's not true, HanataBro…"

"A-and this voice; what is it," he mumbled, clenching his hair in frustration, "I keep hearing this whisper in the back of my head, but I can't hear it very well…But I know what it wants me to do…"

"Because you know you want to, right?"

"…I don't want to do what it wants me to…I…I…"

"Hanataro, what's wrong?"

Hanataro paused for a moment before glancing up at May, holding the dumplings he'd asked her for. He shook his head and reached for a dumpling, but May quickly pulled them out of his reach with a frown on her face. "You didn't answer my question, Hanataro," she grumbled, taking a seat next to the boy, "What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking about what happened earlier…" Hanataro replied, finally being allowed to grab a dumpling.

"You mean when you had to deal with that jerk," she asked, receiving a nod from the boy, "Well, if you're trying to say you feel bad for what you did don't, that guy deserved it! And it was pretty ho-I mean, impressive how you dealt with him. I never knew you could move that fast."

"Thank you," Hanataro blushed, shifting his eyes to the dark blue sky, "But, it was like I wasn't doing anything, you know? It was like someone else was talking and I was just the means for them to do so. I was just watching, alongside everyone else there, what they were doing."

"Speaking of 'everyone else there'," May frowned, taking a bite of her dumpling, "Why was everyone just standing around, watching that jerk do what he did to that girl...That really pisses me off…"

"They would have stepped in if he crossed the line…But, that rarely happens and in fact the other squads are usually just jerks to us…At least to most of us…" he sighed.

"Hanataro..." May whispered as she scooted closer to the sad boy. She raised her and to his face and brushed back his bangs, an action that made him blush, so she could see his eyes better.

He turned away to hide his reddened face from her and began to stammer, "May, do you…do you think that I'm…weak?"

"No, I think you're one of the strongest people I know," May smiled, gently resting her head on his shoulder.

"Strength-wise, physically, am I strong or weak?"

"Hanataro," May sighed, shifting her head slightly and closing her eyes, "You may not be able to bench 250 or anything, but you don't need to be! What makes you strong isn't your brawn, it's your heart and your Kido!"

"So, that's a 'no', right," Hanataro sadly joked.

"Oh, why do you want my opinion anyways?"

"I just trust you, that's all," Hanataro replied, surprising the girl, "I always trust my friends."

"H-Hanataro, that's so sweet…Thank you," May blushed before looking away. She felt her stomach tighten with guilt as the crow cawed, inadvertently helping to remind her of the fact that her very existence was one big lie to the boy, "But, maybe I can tell him…When the time's right…"

"Anyways, I should get going," Hanataro said, getting to his feet.

"Wha-why? We haven't finished eating the dumplings," May stammered, showing the half empty basket she brought as proof, "Stay for just a little while longer, okay?"

"Thank you, May, but…I have a lot of thinking to do…It was nice seeing you again…" Hanataro replied, waving the girl goodbye before leaving.

"You too, Hanataro…"

-An hour or so later, in a forest located within the Rukon district-

"This brings memories…doesn't iiiiittt?"

"Yes," Hanataro replied as he placed his hand against a nearby tree, tracing with his index finger the 'Yamada' kanji it held, "Dad used to take me here for some one-on-one training …Then he'd take me to Zenith Hill, just up ahead, and we'd stare out at the Seireitei and Rukon District…Until he…"

"I know, I share all your memories, remembeeerrr…"

"Yeah…" Hanataro sighed, unsheathing his zanpakuto.

"Why do you wish to start training all of a sudden, Hanataroooo?"

"What happened earlier today, I lost my mind, I-I was using someone else's authority-not mine…" Hanataro replied, his grip on Hisagomaru becoming shaky, "I want to get stronger so something like that never happens again…So I can do those things by my own will, not by some voice in the back of my head…"

"I understand…" Hisagomaru replied, sounding somewhat happy, "I'm glad we'll be able to spend some time together, growing stronger as a team, riiiight?"

"Yeah," Hanataro smiled.

"That hurts, HanataBroooo…But I guess it doesn't matter, since the power I have to offer is too good for you to pass up…You'll come around, eventually…"

Report #1 of Hanataro Yamada:

Lord Aizen, my trip to the Soul Society to observe Hanataro revealed something interesting. While he retained his timid and quiet nature during most of my observation, one instance caused his personality to change rather dramatically. He became deathly serious, his voice calm like a breeze yet powerful like a thunderstorm, his eyes narrowing on the man who had offended him like a hawk bearing down on hi-

"Oh get on with it, April…Or should I say, May Cifer?"

Hush, Ulquiorra! Now, where was-oh, right! Anyways, Hanataro became deathly serious and his eyes flashed a brief golden-yellow color. Then he grabbed the man's arm when he tried to hit me. He moved so fast that I could hardly see him do it. When his friends, a small girl named 'Yachiru' and a young man named 'Perry', showed up he reverted back to his usual nature. For the rest of my observation he was rather quiet and distracted. That's all I have to report for now.

"Interesting…His reaction to my experiment is different than that of those Arrancar wannabes Shinji's leading…" Aizen smirked, giving April and Ulquiorra a dismissive wave, "Thank you for the information, April, you and Ulquiorra are dismissed now."

"Yes, my Lord."