Chapter Five

Ukitake seemed relieved about the fact that I didn't want to be a lieutenant, but glad at the same time that I wanted to act as a lieutenant until he was able to find a proper lieutenant to take up the seat when he was ready to replace his old voice. At least I got my own office. It did take awhile to clean the office, but by the time I was done, it seemed worth it. I had to admit that it felt weird having my own office at young age, but it felt great to know there were so many in the Thirteenth who gave me so much respect, but at the same time, I knew they looked down at me as the baby of the family all the same. I soon started to fill the bookcases with books on fighting and defending, as well as medications and how to make them. Before long, I was order all sorts of herbs and bottles, as well as tools to make medications.

Only about after a week, though, two members I heard getting called drunken bastards from time and time again came into my office. Saluting, they cried out in unison, "Lieutenant Karaguwa! Captain Ukitake is feeling ill today and wishes for you to be in charge of the division, ma'am!"

I didn't look up from the medication I was making as I told them in a mutter, "Hold on." As I slowly started to finish up with the medication, I asked, "What about dad not feeling well, again? And don't call me lieutenant, let alone ma'am. I'm only a teenage kid."

"The captain wants you to take over for him today" they cried out.

I quickly finished up with the medicine and put it away in a bottle before putting it inside my desk. Away and locked up. Getting up with a nervous sigh, I said, "Creature of Day and Night, Shinigami form." When Takikanto appeared next to me, we gave one another a slight nod. Turning to the two third seats, I said, "Let's get going to the training room, then, you two."

While we headed down the hall to the training room, Kiyone Kotetsu, the girl and also the sister of the Fourth Squad's lieutenant, quickly asked, "Is there any chance that we could get away with being the only ones helping out with the training while not doing the actual practice itself?"

Takikanto quickly hit her across back of the head, sternly saying, "Just because she's only sixteen year old child and recently got ofered even as far as captain seating doesn't mean she'll go easy on you two just because you asked!"

By that point, we arrived at the training room. As the two third seats ran into the crowd of the Thirteenth Squad members, the ,members just ignored me and Takikanto as they continued with their conversations loudly. I yelled as loud as I could, "Guys! Quiet down so we can start!" When they continued to ignore me, I looked down at Takikanto, who nodded slightly and roared, which immediately got the attention of the all the members, almost as though they thought that there really was a wild animal. Smiling, I said, "Good. At least that got your attention." Starting to pace in front o the room as Takikanto sat down while remaining in her panther form, I told the squad, "I am sure that you have seen me around the headquarters when Captain Ukitake took me in to take care of me after my death two years ago. But I'm not sure how many of you have heard the news that I am acting as your vice captain until an official one is found." As they all started to talk once more, I boomed, "Silence!" The room became sielnt once more and I asked, "Where did Captain Ukitake leave you all last at in terms of your trainings?"

"Attack and defense, ma'am!" one of the members answered. "All we ever practiced on is mainly our defense, though."

Sighing, I muttered, "We have to go all the way to the beginning." Clearing my throat, I asked the division, "How many of you know your zanpakuto's powers? Let alone your zanpakuto's name?"

Another member suddenly shot at me, almost out of hope to try and deraile me away, "Then what's your zanpakuto's element?"

I took out my zanpakuto blade to look at the yin-yang circle on the blade before showing it to the members while glancing down at Takikanto, "My zanpakuto is a special type that does not have a specific element. Mine consists of ground and water. White represents shikai, which controls mainly the ground. Black represents the bankai, which control mainly the water. The yin-yang circle is to represent that 'all is one'. Our captain and Captain Kyoraku of the Eighth Division are the only two shinigamis, and will be the only two as far to our knowledge, to have twin zanpakuto since their zanpakuto were created to go form one to two when zanpakuto of theirs are released into shikai." Putting the blade away, I continued, "And if you have observed other captains and vices, you should have noticed that Captain Yamamoto's element is fire. Captain Kuchiki of the Sixth most likely with flowers. Captain Hitsugaya of the Tenth most likely being ice over other things."

"Do you know of Captain Kuchiki's sister's?" someone quickly asked.

Thinking after awhile, I replied, "I have only observed mostly captains and other vices, but I am tempted to say from what I heard of her from Ukitake taicho is that she works with ice types as well, just like Captain Hitsugaya."

"And we heard that you got hospitalized because you were stabbed during your training," someone cried out. "I thought you said Captain Ukitake and Captain Shunsui were the only ones with twin zanpakutos! If that's so, how come the man you fought with during your training had what appeared to be twin zanpakuto as well? Everyone started to whisper among themselves curiously, and I looked down at Takikanto, who let out a loud roar to quiet everyone down once more.

Crossing my arms, I said, "There are some that are used to fighting with two blades. With him, his shikai seems to be allowing his blades to turn into claws like a wild animal, such as panthers, lions and wolves. So instead of being twin zanpakutos, it may merely be a single zanpakuto with ability to separate itself to create various blades for claws." Looking over to Takikanto, I gave her a small nod as she quickly shifted into her shinigami form as I ordered, "Alright! Now all of you get up on your feet! We're going to start training! All of you grab a partner for today's training session!" As everyone started to team up with someone, I quickly told Takikanto, "You start training them and help them out." I ran out of the room before Takikanto could complain. As I wandered around aimlessly as I quickly tightened the lieutenant badge around my arm, I muttered, "There's gotta be a divsiion I could observe today. First is bit too scary to approach. Second is all about assassination related things. Third has to do with despair. Fourth is all about healing and cleaning the Soul Society. I'm not even interested in Fifth. Sixth is a bit too uneasy for me to approach knwoing their captain may be in. I don't want to ave to bother bumping into Eighth Squad's captain for the time being. I should avoid going into Tenth Squad after hearing about their captain's spiritual energy. I've observed Eleventh a bit too much. Twelfth should be avoided completely if I want to avoid being a lab rat." After awhile, I stopped in front of the Ninth Squad Headquarters and stared up at the building for a moment or two before heading inside to wander around for a little while. When I came across a training room, I slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

"Once in this squad, I will be your lieutenant," I heard a familiar voice say. I recognized that voice and it was the voice of one shinigami that always made my heart skip a beat whenever around him. I quickly went inside as quietly as possible and closed the door behind me, careful not to make a single sound, and sat down against a wall as Shuhei Hisagi, the lieutenant, continued, "The captain may have left with Aizen and Ichimaru, but as long as I'm around, it'll continue as though nothing happened, and as though he was never a captain here to begin with." He continued to talk, but I could have told just by looking at his expression that he didn't entirely believe it himself. Kaname Tosen had been his captain ever since he graduated, so it would naturally be hard for him to fully leave it all behind him by saying Tosen was never his captain to begin with. Or at least that's how it appeared to me. When I realized he had stopped talking, he was looking directly at me, almost as though trying to igure out exactly who I was, as he said, "Take a break! We'll continue with what kind of things I'll be expecting from those that get into this squad when I call you all back in." As the shinigamis got up and started to ile out of the room, I hurriedly got up and went out with them, hoping that he wouldn't get a good hold of me, let alone see my beet red face as I felt my heart pick up and started to pound in my chest.

As I hurried down the hall to try and get out of the Ninth Headquarters, I felt a hand grab me by the arm and, before I knew it, I was being dragged into one of the rooms. When the door closed, Lutheran's voice said, "Now, why would a shinigami as beautiful as yourself be here in the Ninth Division Headquarters?"

Just as I turned to look at him, he had me pinned up against the wall with an arm just above my head as he leaned in slightly as he rested his head against his arm to look down at me. Just looking up at him calmly, I replied, "I just wanted to observe other divisions. This division just happened to be the first that had come into mind, and I wanted to see the style of this squad's fighting techniques." As I ducked slightly to get away, I sad, "But I was actually on my way back to the headquarters. After seeing the lieutenant, I'm not sure if I'll be able to focus well. And I have a feeling you don't want me here for serious reasons."

Lutheran quickly grabbed my wrist as he cried out, "Wait! No! Don't go!" When I turned to look at him, Lutheran quickly withdrew his hand, quietly saying, "I mean, I never sai dI wanted you to just leave like that. I actually want you to stay around the headquarters."

When I saw him blushiing slightly, I muttered to myself, "I have to get out before Hisagi fukutaicho catches me and scolds me for being here for no reason." Looking around, I quickly asked, "I actually have to go, truth be told. Ukitake taicho's actually sick and I left my zanpakuto spirit in charge of training the Thirteenth. I really do have to get back to train them myself."

"I'll come with you and help you train them!" Lutheran cried out rather eagerly.

Sighing, I knew there was no way to get away from him easily. I just didn't have the heart to tell him that it was his lieutenant that I had my heart longed for, while at the same time, I knew I shouldn't be leading him on into thinking that he had a chance. That is, unless if I was able to turn down if I ever ended up confessing my feelings for Hisagi Shuhei directly. Opening the door, I quietly told him, "Fine. But if we bump into Hisagi Shuhei and getting into trouble from him, I'm blaming you." I quickly looked outside before hurrying down the hall once certain that he lieutenant wasn't around, and Lutheran followed right behind me.

When we were almost out, Shuhei stepped in front of us as he said, "Was there something you needed from my squad, miss? Or are you here to join?"

I quickly lowered my head nervously, stammering, "N–No, sir. I w–was j–just on my w–way out." I felt my face burn bright as I rushed past him and ran straight for the Thirteenth Headquarters.

Lutheran quickly followed me out as he snapped, "What was that all about? What's going on?"

Without looking at him, I snapped in return without thinking, "None of your business! I have no problem with Hisagi fukutaicho whatsoever in any way!"

Lutheran sounded confused as he told me, "I never said you had any problems with the lieutenant." Soon , he sounded a bit disappointed as he asked, "Do you have a crush on that guy or something? Is that it?"

As my face grew brigher in the face, I turned to look at him as I yelled without thinking, "That's none of your business, alright? Whether I have a crush on him or not is my business, no one else's, so back off!" He looked slightly surprised and taken aback as I quickly said more calmly, "Sorry. Didn't mean to yell." As I looked up at the Thirteenth Squad Headquarters, I headed inside with Luteran right behind me.

The members all soon came running over as they cried out happily, "Miss Karaguwa! Takikanto said you've told her to tell us that you promised us training when you came back before you took off to observe other squads, so will you train with us now?"

As the members closest to me hugged me, I laughed as I replied with a bright smile, "Yeah, sure. Let's get to training now." Smiling teasingly, I asked all of them, "Is Takikanto not good enough to train with?"

The members shuddered as one of them replied, "She's going a bit too harsh on us again. Scaring us more than you normally do. We don't mind being pushed to doing our best, but you just seem like the better choice when it comes to training. You go easier than she does majority of the time, after all."

Trying hard not to laugh, I said, "Alright, alright. Back in the building! I'll train with you guys!" All the members took off running back inside and it wasn't long before I followed them calmly.

Lutheran followed me as he said, "You seem well liked around here."

"I'm the baby of the family, but one of the strongest at the same time. Only expected, even if I'm just a teenage kid," I said almost as though out of boredom. "And they really haven't seen anyone grow strong so quickly in just two years, getting out o school within a year and a half and becoming a lieutenant in just half a year. They just happen to favor me due to pointers I try to give them. You have problems with any of it? Get out. I have to check up on my captain before training his members."