I'M BACK! My flash drive has been found and is never leaving my person again.

NEXT! Poor Migoto.

--

Migoto grounded her teeth as she crawled through the streets. She used Mizukaru to help drag herself. Five days. Five fucking days. It took her that long just to get her sword back, much less learn some fighting. The high sun was beating down, despite that it was early winter, on her as she ignored the stares. Of course it was even worse than that.

Flashback:

Her bare feet lightly hit the dusty ground as she chased down her beloved sword. This was taking forever. Well at least she really was improving. Anyone who actually cared about her predicament would be able to notice. She could see him. That pretty boy narcissist, Yumichika. He looked over his shoulder and his widened in surprise when he saw her. The distance between them increased as he ran faster. Well Migoto couldn't let that happen so she pumped her legs harder. In a single attempt she began jumping between the walls (partly because it was fun and it was crowded) until she slammed into Yumichika's back. This should count as a success right? Wrong, because he hadn't been giving it his all since he wasn't sweating or even panting.

Bastard.

"Got ya," she breathed, taking a moment to just lie on top of him. She was exhausted. Ikkaku and Yumichika have been getting her out earlier and keeping her out later each day and the bruises under her eyes proved it. She grabbed her zanpakto so tightly that her knuckles started to turn white. "Mine."

Yumichika started twisting around and Migoto was so unfocused that she rolled right off. Yumi-chan freaked out and began complaining about his dirty clothes and stalked off, but not before tossing a folded up piece of paper onto her face. Migoto continued to stay still until the paper made her nose itch. Sitting up, she wiped the sweat off her brow and read the scratchy writing through bleary eyes:

If you haven't improved your fighting by the end of the week you're gone.

It was signed with a chibi of the captain and Yachiru.

Migoto stared at the message and blinked. After a moment of silence passed she screamed.

"WHAT THE HELL!

Flashback over.

Migoto stopped dragging herself once she reached the Squad 11 barracks. She wanted sleep and dammit she was going to sleep. She hadn't seen Captain Zaraki ever since they, and Yachiru, had walked around for an entire night looking for their squad…of course that was probably for the best considering she hasn't even gotten to start on fighting practice. The note was starting to worry her. Was he serious? One week…wait…if a week is 7 days long and this is day 5…TWO DAYS LEFT?! SHIT!

Quietly whimpering she forced herself to stand and run towards the training grounds. Her mood was quickly worsening and that wasn't a good thing considering her current condition. Her hand was numbing as she stalked between all the sparring battles.

"What the hell is this?" she demanded, holding the note between her index and middle finger as she glared evilly at him.

"That's a piece of paper." Ikkaku was totally mocking her. Migoto threw it at the ground and seeing as its paper it just fluttered to the ground, completely ruining the effect.

"I know that dammit! Why didn't you give it to me before?!"

"Well you should have said that." At her glare he sighed and, clearly bored, responded, "You never caught up to us so we never had a chance to give it to you."

"Fuck. You," she said through gritted teeth. Ikkaku rolled his eyes and suddenly called out for anyone who wanted to fight Migoto which made her eye twitch. All she wanted was to sleep but apparently that wasn't going to happen. With a half sigh/half yawn she pulled off the red ribbon she kept on Mizukaru's hilt and tied her hair up, some of it still framing her face.

Ikkaku picked someone out and she turned to face him. It was that Aramaki guy she used her shikai on her first day. At least he didn't seem all that strong. Migoto gulped and unsheathed her zanpakto, moving into a position slightly different than they taught at the academy. Her sensei's would frequently scold her for it but even when she tried her body just fell into this position. Most of her weight was on her toes, right foot forward, and her right hand had a tighter hold on Mizukaru's hilt while the fingers of her left hand barely touched it. Her hand was slightly twisted to the right. Everyone watching raised a curious eyebrow…although they all knew she would fail…even against someone as weak as Aramaki.

She narrowed her eyes which only made the dark bruises under her eyes more profound. She waited. Running at the opponent wasn't something she approved of, she preferred to wait and let them come to her, which of course he did. This Aramaki guy didn't seem the kind to exert lots of energy by choice but he seemed determined, probably because Ikkaku, the third seat, was right there. Migoto brought her sword up, her left hand sliding along the flat side of her sword while her opponent's zanpakto hit against her's. There was the clinging of steel as she continued to block his attacks.

He didn't seem to have a strategy other than keep attacking and hope he got a hit in, which could actually happen pretty soon. Migoto could feel her bones getting heavier with each movement. She wouldn't be able to last much longer. Besides she couldn't hope to win if she was stuck on the defensive.

Her feet slid against the ground as she tried to hold her position, watching Aramaki land several feet away. Her breath came in short pants as sweat slid down her skin. They were gathering a crowd, all shouting jibes at Aramaki who was clearly getting desperate.

"Don't worry, guys, I'll show this girl how a true warrior fights," he called nervously, gaining a few cheers from it which frankly pissed Migoto off. That sounded sexist to her, as if a girl couldn't be a true warrior, and if he didn't mean it that way, well, sucks to be him.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" she hissed, slowly walking towards him, spiritual pressure leaking out of every pore on her body. A lot more than anyone thought she had, even herself (though less than, say, a captain or lieutenant). Aramaki's stance faltered a bit before she used shunpo to appear in front of him, slamming her foot into the side of his head. He went a few feet before landing on his back in the dust. "Let me make you understand something," she began, going over and planting a foot on his stomach. "I have eating nothing but rice for the past week. I have barely slept for the past week. These things tend to make me very irritable! If that isn't clear enough for you: Don't. Fuck. With. Me." She accented her words with a foot to his ribs.

Migoto lifted her foot off and simply walked away, long hair swaying after her. She had sheathed her zanpakto and as she sensed him running up to her, she did a back flip over him at the last second, the swishing of steel beneath her. Migoto twisted around, her hand reaching for her sword when her eyes widened at what she saw.

Strands of brown hair falling to the ground.

With a slow hand, her face covered with shock, she reached back and grabbed the ribbon from her hair. Pulling a few strands in front she noticed, with a small twitch, that it barely reached her breast now. Nearly a foot had gotten cut off. She didn't realize how her breathing faltered. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but no words came. After all, what could she say? Her large blue-gray eyes stared up at Aramaki. Shock turned to confusion. Confusion turned to sadness. Sadness turned to anger. Anger turned to fury.

Aramaki ran like his life depended on it (which it did) and Migoto literally snarled before chasing after him. Her spiritual pressure became stronger as she easily gained on him, but as she ran her vision blurred. Her breathing was short and shallow and eventually everything went dark.

She was unconscious before she hit the ground.

--

Migoto's eyes opened and the first thing she noticed was that she wasn't dead. Nice, huh? She did, however, have a killer migraine. Grabbing her head as she forced herself to get up, she realized that she was in her own room. I wonder who brought me here, she thought. Ignoring her aching muscles she went to the door and just before she opened it she heard voices.

"So she gets to stay?" That sounded like Ikkaku.

"I must admit that I am also surprised, Captain." And that was Yumichika.

"She's got potential and a deadly temper. That's the only reason." Footsteps. I guess the captain left.

"You don't think the captain might be…" Ikkaku's question trailed off.

"Impossible. She's quite lovely, I'll give her that, but her skills are clearly that of a beginner. There's simply no way he would." Was I just insulted? Wait, what are they talking about?! Never mind. I don't want to know.

She finally got the guts to open the door and walk in, rubbing her eyes sleepily, seeing several other Squad 11 members watch her with wary looks on their faces. She saw the retreating form of Captain Zaraki, Yachiru on his back, and saw Ikkaku and Yumichika with slightly creepy smiles on their faces.

"So you finally woke up," Ikkaku grinned.

"I hope we didn't wake you, but then that seemed impossible since you didn't even flinch when I fixed your hair," Yumichika added. How long have I been asleep…WAIT! WHAT DOES HE MEAN FIXED?! After a moment Migoto remembered how her hair got cut off. Her face was slightly dejected until Yumichika pulled a handheld mirror out of his haori. Taking a deep breath she looked and surprisingly it looked good.

"You know…I kind of like it…" she mused, oblivious to the sweat drops around her. She had tried to kill Aramaki for accidentally slicing her hair. It was thicker and the ends were straighter than they were before. "Anyway, that's not important. How long have I been out?"

It was Ikkaku that answered since Yumichika started mumbling angrily about how it was important and other stupid things like that. "About a day."

"A day, huh. Hmm." She thought for a moment before bowing to everyone, her face red in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! I can't believe I acted that way yesterday, please forgive me. I, um, react badly with little sleep." A few of the men that weren't too surprised to speak, murmured that it was alright, and Migoto straightened back up and smiled softly at them. Dammit, I shouldn't apologize. That guy had it coming. I just wish I could have finished the job. After a moment of awkward silence (gay baby) she moaned and stretched her arms. "So did I hear right? I'm can stay?"

The two looked at each other and nodded. Migoto held back a cheerful grin, keeping herself calm and composed. Her mind went to the retreating form of her captain and lieutenant.

"Welcome to Squad 11, Migoto," Yumichika said.

--

I know this isn't much, I was rushed to get it out, for how long it's been, but it's better than nothing right?

I have several stories and I'm trying to work on them all at the same time so I'm getting a little crazed here.

I'm doing my best to update though, already working on the next chapter.

Review.