~R&R!!

My mind had been made. I am not going to be a soldier. Why? Why would i want to? The thought of killing actual human beings with lives was just too much for me. And besides, that was not even my dream. It was...Megumi's. I couldn't bear to say her name, it scratched at my heart. If Megumi isn't...alive to see it, what was the point anymore? So, with that decision made, I was standing in front of Mr. Kuchiki telling him I wouldn't want to do the task he had for me.

"But, Kaien! Don't you remember this task? Remember how much you enjoyed it when you first were a trainee?" I tried to protest but he kept on talking, "You were given a sensei and trained by them to get you into the idea of what'd it'd be like to be a soldier! Now, don't you want to be the sensei and have the pupils?"

I rolled my eyes. In a calm steady voice I explained to him what I felt, "I understand...but...I'm sorry, I just don't feel its my place to be a soldier or a captain. I'm sorry..."

Mr. Kuchiki smiled, "Though I truly do feel that you'd like these two students," he said.

I closed my eyes in frustration but kept a calm face, "My heart just doesn't want to fight anymore after Megumi...died." I paused, unable to stutter the word out of my mouth. It pains me too much.

Mr. Kuchiki looked hurt, he knew what I meant. "Don't you want to carry out her dream? So she wouldn't die in vain?"

I shifted my eyes downward to the wooden floorboards. He had a point there, but I just don't think I can. "I'll think about it," I finalized. That was good enough for him.

I was walking home, when, of course I got accompanied by Ichigo.

"Hi..." he said in an abnormal sad voice. It wasn't his usual hyper, chatty voice. "Hey," I replied in the same tone.

"I heard about what happened," he said. My eyes remained on the floor. Already it's spreading around town. The "great" Kaien's only connection to family perished! I could already hear everyone talking about it. "I'm really sorry," he said. I didn't reply.

I arrived at my house and opened the sliding door and stepped in. The house wasn't the same anymore. I could just picture Megumi in an apron in the kitchen cooking ramen. Her usual smile planted on her face. She would greet me with a smile and give me a big hug saying, "How was your day Kaien?"

The house was so empty without her. So gloomy, not the same. It was actually even a little eerie. Knowing that someone I loved died in the same household that I was standing in sent chills down my spine. I put that aside. I couldn't bear to stand in here, so I left.

I started walking around town, trying to get my mind off of everything.

By the time I was done, it was dinner time. I ate out, I didn't know how I could eat homemade food anymore, I can't cook. Because I was "Kaien Shiba" they let me eat free. Another prime reason was because they knew about what happened, and how i needed food. Maybe that's the good side of being me: eating out free.

That night I got no sleep. I couldn't sleep without a traditional "good-night, Kaien, I love you" from Megumi. I starred at the picture of me and her on my bedside table. I flipped it down, hoping it would be easier for me to sleep like that.

The next morning the sunshine on my eyes didn't help the cloudiness that I felt over my head. I didn't feel the sun, I didn't hear the birds, I didn't feel the warmth. I walked over to school, today was the day we would get assigned to trainees. We would have to teach them, get them used to fighting for a while. I remember when I did that, I loved it. I looked up to a man named Eiri. He was my sensei for about a month. Right now, I felt sorry for the trainees that would be assigned to me. Having someone like me, lifeless right now. I'm witnessing a side of me that i don't know.

I arrived at school and stepped into the classroom, the moment i did the entire room got silent in a blink of an eye. I heard muffled whispering among students. "His aunt died!" one student said to another. I wasn't able to make out every conversation going on, but most of them were like the one before.

"Class!" this was the last time we would be spending any time with Mr. Kuchiki. From now on we would be going to the Takeru to get assignment. Takeru was the place that all the soldiers and captains go to. From there, we would be getting assignments, and on rare occasions, missions. Today we were just here to get assigned to two trainees we would be training.

I didn't want to be here, before Mr. Kuchiki could go on any further i ran over to him. "I've made up my mind," i said to him.

He closed his eyes and his voice filled the room again, "One moment everybody." He opened his eyes to stare at me, "Yes?"

I sighed, "I..." I thought about everything everyone has said to me before i went on further. Would i want Megumi to die in vain? Or should i follow my dreams? Even though I am not sure what they are yet, they are most certainly not this. "I...do not want to be a soldier..."

He exhaled, "Are you most certain about that?" I nodded. "Maybe you'll change your mind when you see the two you will be training--"

"That won't change a thing!" I interrupted him. He looked displeased with me and clapped his hands twice.

Like a bell, it was a sign for all the children to come in the room. The kids we would be teaching.

"All kids but two are in this room: the two that Kaien will be teaching are outside, for they will be assigned to him last." All 7 soldiers scanned the 14 kids they would be teaching--well 12 right now. My two were gone.

"As I said: I don't want to have two kids to teach!" Mr. Kuchiki completely ignored me.

"Sora! The two children you will be assigned to you are Harana," A girl with mid-back level hair stepped forth. Her eyes were a beautiful navy blue, and she had a blank look on her face. She looked not much younger than us--in fact--all the kids here looked about three, four years younger than us. Fourteen or thirteen at the least.

"And Yuki," A boy with beautiful dirty blonde hair stepped forth. He had lovely golden eyes. His hair was scattered in his face at places, he had amazing perfect features. Every girl seemed to follow his movements everywhere. I shook my head at that and rolled my eyes. He looked either as old, or a year younger, than us.

Sora seemed to be pleased that she was assigned to him. For some reason, she looked at me and gave me a menacing glance.

Next Ichigo was called forth. He was assigned to one male and one female. A male named Shuichi. He had dark blue hair, nearly black, and jet black eyes. Then next a girl named Misa with blonde hair and light blue perky eyes was assigned to Shinsui.

Many other kids were assigned to the three soldiers when Mr. Kuchiki turned to me. "Are you absolutely sure that you made your decision?"

I nodded for what seemed like the millionth time. "I suppose then," he slammed his hands on the desk and stood up.

"Thank you. So, are you going to give me a degree to go to normal, educational school then?"

Without my knowledge, the "slam" was a signal for two kids to come in the room, yet I didn't know yet.

Mr. Kuchiki had his eyes shut and smirked, "I shall do nothing of that matter." "Why not? I'm out of this school, am I not? I do not wish to be a soldier!" Ignoring my cry, Mr. Kuchiki introduced me to my future, the thing that would change my life forever.

"Kaien, meet Rukia and Hitsugaya."

"What?" I snapped and slowly turned around to see four pair of eyes staring at me. I was only looking at two, though. Right then and there, everything around me seemed to dissolve into nothing. My conversation with Kuchiki meant nothing anymore. I was in my own little world. Standing before me was someone who had the exact same face features as Megumi. The girl--Rukia, was it?--looked like a reincarnation of Megumi. Was she? I highly doubted it, but, at that moment, i changed my mind. I couldn't change the expression on my face: surprised, paralyzed, dumbfounded.

"M-Megumi?" was the only thing i was able to say.

The girl blushed, any girl would if some older, handsome guy was starring at your for about five minutes.

"Megumi? M-my name is Rukia..." I shook my head to snap out of my world.

"So," Mr. Kuchiki said. "Have you changed your mind?"

I smiled, "I guess i could give it a shot."

He smiled, "Take care of this one, she's special…she's also my daughter."

My eyes widened, "Your—your what?"

"Her full name is Rukia Kuchiki. Promise me you'll do well to protect her?"

I smiled and nodded.

We walked outside to our place where we would be conversing and introducing ourselves. Things of that matter. The entire time i was following Rukia with my eyes, she was starring the other way. How could someone resemble a different person so much? She had the same silky black hair that reached her shoulders like Megumi. Her eyes were dark velvet. She had milky skin. Her body was a gorgeous figure.

Hitsugaya, on the other hand, had sliver spiky hair, a strand of it covering the right side of his hair, he had turquoise blue eyes. His face features were kind of young, i would guess fourteen, same with Rukia.

We walked in awkward silence; I finally broke it though by saying "Follow me." They all listened as I jumped up onto a railing and jumped off of it to white concrete leading into a forest. Three steps lead to the elevation of the entrance to the forest.

"Sit on the steps," i said. They did as they were told and i leaned against the railing. "Start with your names," I said.

Hitsugaya looked at Rukia, she looked shy so he thought he should go first, "I am Hitsugaya Toshiro, born on the fifth of July."

(A/N: I don't know the real date, I made them all up) He finished. I smiled at Rukia, "Next."

"Um...I'm Rukia Kuchiki, born on the twenty-ninth of November." I nodded at her, still smiling. Rukia blushed and averted her eyes.

"Ok, my name is--" before I could finish, Hitsugaya interrupted, "Of course we know who you are, Kaien, everyone does!" I smiled and gave a little chuckle, "Thanks..."

I looked at Rukia, why was she being so shy? Well...probably because i keep starring at her. I just couldn't get over how much she looked like Megumi.

"Well I will be training you to be soldiers, like me. The training will take a month. Everyday we will meet up here, OK?" I asked. They both nodded.

"Um...Kaien -sensei?" Rukia asked.

I smiled at her warmly, "Yes, Rukia-chan?"

She blushed at the "chan" comment. "Will we be given swords for training?"

I thought for a moment, "Do you think you're skilled enough to use a sword?" Hitsugaya smiled and smirked, "I am most definitely ready for a sword! In fact i have one at home, and i already have a soldier robe-thing!"

I laughed, then nodded. This could be fun after all, "I guess I could give you a few swords for training. Remember, meet me here at 10:00 a.m." I nodded and jumped over the railing.

The entire way home, Rukia's face was painted in my head. It's just impossible. She looked exactly like Megumi! Now, I don't fell upset or angry whenever I think of Megumi. I feel that she's with me, and I don't have to worry...

Rukia...I couldn't get over it! I shook my head, and then I saw her: Walking across the street. I smiled and ran over to her.

"Rukia, is it?" i asked.

She jumped for a moment and turned her head to see me, "Oh...um...Kaien -sensei, hello."

I smiled, "Hey."

She kept her eyes toward the ground, "Wow..." she mumbled.

I looked at her in confusion, "What?"

"It's just...I'm surprised that the 'Great Kaien-sama' is my sensei..."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah...'great'..." I murmured.

I could see from her face that her ears caught that comment but she didn't take the time to question it.

"Where's Hitsugaya?" i asked.

She looked up at me and blushed, "I--I'm not sure." I chuckled, which made her blush more.

An almost inaudible, "What?" came from her mouth.

I shook my head, "Why are you so shy?" I asked, nearly demanded.

This made her blush even more, "What?"

I shook my head and chuckled once more, "Never mind,"

I reached my house, hesitant to enter, but knew i must, "This is my place...i'll see ya later, Rukia."

She nodded, "Bye Kaien-sensei."

That night the stars seemed to shine brighter than before. The moon light shined on my bed as i crawled into it. The house didn't seem eerie anymore. I could finally get some sleep, with a smile on my face. And I could guess why. Two words: Rukia Kuchiki.

~~YAY!! It's about time Kaien met Rukia!! Sorry for the long wait, been busy lately. Well remember R&R!! And...u know who you are ;)