Chapter Four

One night, I woke up screaming like I have been for over a year. Nearly two years now, to be exact. Panting heavily, I looked around myself and realized I was only in the dark training room in the Thirteenth Headquarters. Takiaknto was in her panther form and she was sound asleep right by the door. As I walked past her and out of the training room quietly, Takikanto just shifted her head slightly as she remained curled up and asleep. I had started wandering around in the Soul Society and somehow ended up in the Ninth Division Headquarters. I didn't notice I went into the building, let alone notice someone being right behind me, until I heard a male voice ask, "Are you here to cause Ninth Division trouble, miss?"

When I turned to look to see who it was, it was too dark to see the man's face as I stammered, "N-no, sir. Of c-course not." Starting to shake my head fearfully not too long after, I slowly started to back away from him. Just then, I saw Takikanto jumping over me from behind me in her panther form. Landing in front of me, she bared her sharp teeth as she started to growl at him warningly. Almost too protectively as she got down low as though she was about to pounce on him as well. I quickly got on her back and said with a panic, "Let's go back before the captain finds out we've left the headquarters for awhile!" Takikanto glared at the man for a brief moment before starting to run. When I glanced back, the man didn't even seem as though he was trying to cause any harm, but rather talk. In the moonlight, I thought I even caught glimpse of a lieutenant badge on his arm, but who knows? I was still somewhat tired.

By the time Takikanto and I got back, we found the twelfth seat waiting for us. At our arrival, he quickly told me, "I saw you leaving from the building, Ichimutsu-dono! Is everything alright?"

Nodding, I quietly told him, "Go back to your room and get some sleep. You look tired. And do me a favor by not telling Ukitake taicho about this."

About a month have passed and I finally graduated out of Shinigami Academy. As soon as I was out of the school, Ukitake had me come into his office. Sittin me down across from him at his desk, he asked, "Now that you've graduated out of the academy, have you thought about which squad you would want to join, Ichimutsu?"

I nodded, replying, "I've been looking into several divisions, more Fourth than others not counting the Thirteenth. But the more I think about it, the Thirteenth is my first choice, Ukitake taicho. Always has and always will be."

Ukitake smiled weakly as he told me, "I would love to have you in my division. You know I would. But you have to now goo out on your own. You have great potential, especially with having managed to accomplish bankai."

"Please Ukitake taicho!" I started to beg. "I'm going to be turning 16 next week! At least for my 16th birthday! As a present! You know I don't ask for much! Please let me into your division!"

Sighing, Ukitake muttered, "Why do I have such a weak spot in heart for children when I should be stern with them?" He looked at me with uncertainty, but says, "For a year, I'll be observing you. I know you've done a lot already while I let you stay in the headquarters, but prove yourself worthy within a year. And then I'll talk it over with Genryusai sensei about letting you into my division. Now, of you go back to training."

I quickly left and started to head towards a traininig ground for all divisions. On the way, I bumped into the Eighth Squad's captain, Shunsui Kyoraku, and he immediately stopped me in my tracks. Looking down at me, I didn't give him a chance to get a good look at me or say anything as I quickly lowered my head, mumbling, "Sorry, captain. I'll be on my way for training." With just that, I quickly took off before he could say anything.

It didn't take long for me to get to the training grounds and I heard a voice calling not too far off, "Karaguwa!" When I turned to look, Kyoraku's vice, Ise Nanao, was running up to me.

Bowing with respect, I asked, "Did you need anything, Ise fukutaicho?"

Nodding, she told me, "Have you seen my captain? He has something I need, and which I've been asked to give to someone, but he took off without a warning. I thought you might know where he is right now, because I need to get to my captain as soon as possible."

Looking off in the direction of the Thirteenth Headquarters, I told her, "I actually bumped into him on the way here. By the looks of it, it seemed as though hew as actually heading towards the thirteenth to talk to Ukitake taicho."

"Thanks, Karaguwa," Nanao said quickly. Before running off, she added, "Also, if you decide to turn down offers given to you on joining other squads, please do consider joining the Eighth. We've heard a lot of great things about you. You're quite the surprise for a teenage child."

Once she was gone, I went inside and found two or three people already inside, fighting each other as their training, I began to take notes on each of their fighting skills. Just as I started to finish up not too long after, I heard a voice yelling, "Notes ain't gonna help you with anything! Only experience itself will!"

I saw a blade thrown right at me and I quickly ducked, managing to avoid the attack. Continuing with writing, I said, "This is one of the ways I learn. However, live experiences are different matter for me."

Another blade struck right by my head as the man that had yelled cried out, "Fight instead of writing, you foolish girl!"

I finished up notes before putting my notes and pen away. Getting up, I took out my zanpakuto and said, "I'm done with taking notes, so let's see what you lot got."

A man with extremely shaggy black hair attacked me from my left and I quickly blocked his attack out o fear of having the place that I got shot at giving me an extremely bad injury. Laughing, he told me, "I'm impressed with how sharp you are!"

His voice sounded familiar from somewhere, but I shook off the feeling that I knew him from somewhere. Fighting him back, I said, "I'll take that as a compliment." As I continued on one-on-one fight with him, I managed to get him into the light to get a better look at his face. To my surprise, he looked only about 16 years of age, and his brown eyes were filled with excitement and glee. About the fight perhaps? Who knows, but even I, myself, will never ask. The only thing that got me even more worked up about this fight was that he possibly may also be a wielder of twin zanpakutos. Yet again, he could just be good at fighting with two blades combats for all I knew.

I don't know that if it was because he forgot that we were in middle of a fight or if it was because he was trying to distract me by being flattering, but he leaned in as he cooed, "Now that I take a closer look at you, you actually looked pretty cute."

Quickly jumping back about six feet as a precaution, I asked, "Do you mean that sincerely or do you say that to all girls you fight to distract them about of flattery?"

He seemed a little taken aback as he cried out, "I was telling the truth! I don't throw that comment around carelessly!" Sighing, he muttered something under his breath and his zanpakuto turned into claws around his hands. Suddenly, black portals started to appear everywhere just as he disappeared, and I felt my spiritual energy slowly starting to seep away from me. Quickly holding onto as much energy as I could, I didn't notice that he had gone into a portal and disappeared as his voice began to say, "My zanpakuto allows me to teleport to anywhere I wish, so you had better keep your guards up."

I closed my eyes to keep my focus, not only on keeping my energy to myself, but also to try and protect myself from his attacks when he appeared right by me. But my timing was slightly off, because he appeared in front of me without warning and stabbed me in the stomach with his claws. I lost some of my energy due to shock, but took control of it before I shunpo'd backwards and around him in blink of an eye. Jumping and spinning 360-degrees to kck him in the head several times, I had already started to cough up blood. Standing as best as I could, I told him, "Is that all you have? I can still fight, so let's get going with this!"

Placing a hand over the parat of the head where I had kicked him, he turned to look at me, crying out, "Oh, no! I'm not fighting anyone who's half dead! I'm taking you to the Fourth Division right now!"

Starting to lose energy, I muttered, "Takikanto, your panther form." I let go of the spiritual energy I could no longer hold onto and I started to fall forward. Takikanto appeared in front of me in time as a panther to catch me, and I held onto her as best as possible. Everything started to become blurry and I soon began to cough up blood even more. I sensed Takikanto's worry, but took my focus away from her as I muttered, "Crap. This can't be good if everything's blurry and if I'm keep coughing up blood."

Just then, I felt a hand on my back and the guy I was fighting asked me with tone of slight worry, "Are you alright?"

Nodding weakly, I forced out the words, "Yeah. I'll be okay." Hitting Takikanto on the side, I snapped, "And as for you, stop being so edgy for once! Now let's go to Fourth Division before Ukitake taicho finds out about what happened during the training."

The guy seemed nervous about Takikanto as he quickly told me, "Look. I was the one who put you in this state, so I'll take you there." At first, he didn't seem to be sure about how to carry me, but soon picking me up and holding me in his arms, he called to the other two shinigamis, "Sorry, guys, but I'll have to leave at the moment! I need to take this girl to the Fourth Squad to get her healed up!" As he left with me in his arms and Takikanto following not to far behind, he told me, "My name is," but before he was even able to tell me his name, I had already passed out. Everything around me had gone pitch black and cold.

But it was matter of seconds before I heard my middle school's principal's voice cry out in the P.A. system, "Everyone, please report to the nearest classroom immediately! Everyone report to the nearest classroom immediately! Harin Wong is armed with a gun at the West Wing Hall! Everyone report to the nearest room!"

I opened my eyes and looked around and saw that I was back in my middle school, and when I had looked down at my clothes, iti was my school uniform rather than my shinigami outfit. I even held my martial arts uniform in my hands, and even though I was slightly lost, I immediately started running towards the West Wing Hall. When I reached where Harin, one other student and two teachers were, the first thing I noticed was that Harin was holding a gun as she swung her arms around violently, screeching, "Get away from me! I swear I'll shoot!"

I dropped my martial arts clothes on the ground and slowly started to walk towards Harin. Keeping my voice calm and steady, I said, "Harin, put the gun down. Let's talk this out!"

Turning to me, Harin pointed the gun at me, aiming it directly at my chest, as she screeched, "Stay away from me! I'll shoot you! Stay away!"

I started to panic and my speaking rate increased as I cried out, "Harin! Put the gun down! I just want to talk friend to friend!" Continuing to walk towards her, I added, "Please! I just want to talk this out with – !" The sound of a gunshot went off and I sat up in a bed, screaming with horror. Takikanto, who was still in her panther form, woke up from her sleep at the foot of the bed I was in and just stared at me with curiosity. When I held out my arms towards her, she quickly got off the bed and came over to my right side. As she stood on her hind legs while placing her front paws on the edge of the bed, I hugged her tightly around the neck, Takikanto started to growly quietly with worry and I whispered in shaky tone, "I want the dream to end, Takikanto. I don't want to dream of that day that Harin shot me to my death! I want my fear of what happened to go away!" Suddenly, I felt surge of sharp pain go through my body from my stomach and I muttered through gritted teeth with pain, "Creature of Day and Night, Shinigami form."

Takikanto quickly got into a shinigami form before helping me lie back down. As she soothed my hair, she muttered, "Don't put too much strain in your stomach. Your nerves have been damaged for the time being due to being stabbed there. You were lucky that the male shinigami brought you here in time to get your nerves to go back to normal in matter of days. If not, several weeks with help from the Fourth Division. By the way, Unohana taicho will be working with you more than her memebers will be."

Just then, I realized that the room was dark, with the lights from outside coming through the window being the special exceptions. Holding my stomach, I asked, "Is it night time?" When Takikanto nodded in the darkness, I asked, "How long have I been knocked out cold?"

"About three day and several hours," Takikanto told me as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "And Captain Ukitake came in here every day, every several hours, worried about you. He barely got any sleep past three days by the looks of it. And that guy you fought is asleep outside the door right now. He didn't get any sleep either by the looks of it."

Suddenly, the door opened and lights from the hall came in. We heard a boy's voice say rather nervously, "Is she up yet?"

I turned my head to ace the boy as I weakly told him, "You afraid o me to come all the way in, kid? I can't fight with the state I'm in right now, you know."

The kid flickered on the lights and I saw that he was a young looking child with black hair that came up to his chin. He even looked as though he had bag under his eyes. With slightly startled look on his ace, he cried out, "You're awake!" He soon ran out of the room as he cried out as loud as he could, "Captain Unohana! Captain Unohana! She's awake! She's finally awake! CAPTAIN UNOHANA!" When the boy was gone, Takikanto just shook her head with a small laugh.

Before I could say anything to Takikanto, someone else entered the room. When I took a better look, I realized it was the guy I had fought. As he came over with a smile, I asked, "Did you get any sleep? You look extremely tired."

Chucjling, he said, "Well, you're worried about everyone else before yourself when you're the one that's injured." He picked up something from the bedside table as he asked, "You of the Thirteenth Squad?"

I just stared up at him with a blank look as I replied, "I'm hoping Ukitake taicho would talk it out with Captain Commander to let me in his division, if that's what you actually mean."

I suddenly Ukitake's voice cry out, "Ichimutsu!"

Smiling brightly, I said in cheerful tone, "Hi, dad!" Takikanto quickly got up on her feet and bowed to Ukitake as I told him, "You really shouldn't worry about me, dad! You know yourself that I have strong spirit! Any way, Takikanto always has my back."

Suddenly, the guy quickly turned to leave and shoved soemthing into Ukitake's chest when Ukitake hurried forward. I heard the guy hiss at Ukitake, "Make the choice, captain. IT's either letting her look after herself and have her to try and join the squad I'm in, or actually letting her become one of the higher up ranks in your division. I heard that the Central 46 is even thinking of giving hr even better position. Think about it carefully. The girl's got great potential."

When the guy was gone, I asked, "What does he mean by me being onf the higher ups, dad? As swell as the mention of the Central 46?"

"You were suggested to me continuously during the time period you were passed out that I allow you to be my lieutenant," Ukitake explained. "Ever since, I starated looking after you, Central 46 has been observing you without letting me know either. Even you managing to use bankai in only a year and a half impressed them. They were even pleased with how hard you trained, as well as your dedication. About three days ago, Kyoraku had come to my office to talk to me. Ever since Kaien Shiba died, no one had been able to promoted to replace him as my lieutenant. His sister, Kukaku, met with me after Kuchiki Rukia, Sixth Division captain's little sister, broke the news of Kaien's death to his sister and brother, and Kukaku asked me to ind someone to replace him because that's what he would have wanted when the day of his death came."

"And what does all this have to do with me?" I asked with mixture of slight suspicion, confusion and curiosity.

Ukitake handed me a badge, saying, "The Central 46 has asked me to give you this lieutenant badge. That is, if you were willing to serve as vice captain of my squad."

Taking the badge and staring at it, I asked, "This is a joke, right? I mean, as of now, I'm the least experienced shinigami in Soul Society. Don't I need to serve for a longer period of time beore getting a position such as this? Don't I need more experience?"

"As true as that may be," Ukitake replied, "but the Central 46 now sees you as a shinigmai that is able to be equally ranked as us captains. Even if you have to get tested, for this seat of being my lieutenant, they're willing to let it be looked over and have you take the seat if you're willing."

Putting the badge on the bedside table, I quietly said, "I'll tell you in a few days. I want to think several things out first, even if I do want to be in your squad."

Ukitake merely nodded and started to leave my room to let me rest. Just before he left, however, he told me, "Cihimutsu, that guy you fought, Lutheran, had his heart in the right place. I don't know if he knew, or even knows, that you're the shinigami that's being talked about for graduating only about a year or two after your arrival in Soul Society. He has good heart and has pretty sharp eyes or recognizing that you have great potential. If you decide to trun down the offer to be my vice, at least give a second thought to joining Zaraki's squad, the Eleventh Division, since his division is all about fighting. If not, the squad Lutheran is in, which is the Ninth. Or maybe even the Eighth Division. It would make me feel at more ease that you are under at least the care of Hisagi and his members, or under Kyoraku's care, to say the least, if you don't end up with me in my squad."

A woman with long black hair that had been braided in front of her, who I recognized as Unohana Retsu, the captain of the Fourth Squad, entered the room and exchanged small nods with Ukitake as he left, and Takikanto told me, "Accept the offer, Sixteen. You're always saying how you want to be in the Thirteenth Squad. By taking up the offer that you've been given, you finally can get in so easily."

I closed my eyes as I told her, "I don't know. It just seems unfair to the squad that only a sixteen year old kid is their vice when they have been in the division for so much longer than I have been in Soul Society."

As Unohana started to heal me up, she told me, "Karaguwa, I heard that you might even get promoted to be a captain for Third, Fifth or Ninth Division of your choice. I'm impressed. You're quite the shinigami for your age."

Smiling sweetly as best as posssible up at Unohana, I simply said, "Thank you, captain."

It was matter of days before I completely got healed up and was able to get out of the Fourth Division headquarters. As Takikanto and I started to train in order for me to get back into shape, Takikanto asked me, "Are you going to take the offer or not, Sixteen?"

Sighing, I told her, "I don't know. I imean, really? Me? Become a vice? Let alone a captain! At MY age? It's kind of ridiculous."

"True," Takikanto said and attacked me from my right. As I quickly blocked, she added, "But you really want to join the Thirteenth Division, don't you? This may be your only chance of getting in. And everyone in the division is already adding 'dono' to your name. You already gained so much of their respect, Ichimutsu!" When Takikanto still saw I was indecisive, she sighed, saying, "Fine. How about the division of that guy you fought? You heard Captain Unohana. If you wanted, you can become the captain of that Squad. And with that Shuhei Hisagi guy around, it shouldn't be that hard since he can help you out as your lieutenant. He seems to know what he's doing around the squad, any way. Plus, he knows the members quite well too."

Shaking my head, I replied, "Don't think so. I don't even know exactly what that division is all about, any way. And don't even suggest Third or Fifth Divisions. I mean, that Izuru Kira guy and Hinamori Momo girl both seem as though they're nice lieutenants, but those two division don't really catch my attention. I mean, c'mon. Third seems to be about despair. Fifth is more for those that are extremely good with kido. I may be good with kido, but I want to focus more on swordsmanship."

"Fine. How about the Eleventh Squad, then?" Takikanto said. "They're all about fighting. They're practically all about attacking and offense!"

Shaking my head, I replied, "My passion is not fighting, Takikanto. It's defending."

As Takikanto and I continued with the training, she growled with frustration, "You're making it real hard for me to actually get you to decide on which division to get into then, Sixteen. You're good with healing and medications, but I know you won't go into that. You want to be in the Thirteenth, but you refuse to take the lieutenant seat. You could become a captain for either Third, Fifth or Ninth in the replacement of the traitors, but you think you're not ready for it, even with having achieved bankai. And you don't know which other squads you'd be good for. Make up your mind, won't you?"

"If you think it's that easy, why don't you try it, then?" I snapped.

Takikanto rolled her eyes as she started to attack viciously again, saying, "You've got to choose between the thirteen squad, Sixteten."

"I don't know!" I cried out as I continuously blocked all her attacks. "I want to be in the Thirteenth, but not the easy way in! I don't want to have to be unfair to others!"

"What's so unfair, Sixteen?" Takikanto growled. "You've been working harder than anyone else! Central 46 wouldn't have chosen you otherwise and say that you're worthy to take up even one of the captain rankings! If not the Third or Fifth, at least the Ninth! If no one of those three, at least the vice seat for the Thirtetenth! Captain Ukitake needs a vice as well, and you know it! You know well as the next that he won't admit it to himself either!" When she saw hesitation flicker through my eyes, she sighed. "How about just act as a lieutenant until you're certain, then?"

As we came to a halt, I started to get lost in thoughts, muttering, "Act as a lieutenant? That actually may work."