Sorry if my updates seem random. I will try to upload a chapter a week, maybe two depending on the chapter.
Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach, I do not.
Soi Fong was still pondering what lady Yoruichi said before she left.
Flashback:
"One more thing, no matter the circumstance, I do not want you to attack or lash out at any of your subordinates."
"But lady Yoruichi, what if"
"I mean it, Soi Fong. No 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts.' Understood?"
"Yes, lady Yoruichi."
End Flashback:
The door opened to the third division captain's office, and Soi Fong nearly jumped out of her seat when she saw the man that came through the door. She had the compulsion to rush over and squeeze him to death, but it took every fiber of her being and many curses towards herself to stay in place. Frowning as always, she sounded indifferent to her captain's return, which he shrugged off.
After a few seconds, she saw what was on his back, and was surprised. "What in the world is that? What happened to your Zanpakuto?"
"This is my Zanpakuto, in its sealed state. I've learned to control my reiatsu. Don't ask me how, but it was thanks to one of hat-n-clog's crazy inventions." Getting back to the matter at hand, Ichigo chose to speak. "Soi Fong, I noticed you were busy today. I never did get around to doing my fair share of paperwork today, so I'll do some later." Giving him a puzzled look, said woman didn't know why he had said "later."
"Why would you need to it later? You have the rest of the day to pick up your slack for your division. What could possibly be more important?" The petite woman in the room was hoping that lady Yoruichi was wrong, but after the response she got, she couldn't believe her ears.
"I need… you, Soi Fong. I love you, and I cannot live without you." The orange-haired man stepped on one knee in front of her, clasping her right hand in his. "I want to never leave your side, and I must know, will you marry me, Soi Fong? Soi Fong? Soi Fong!"
Immediately, she had snapped back into reality, cursing herself, and the fact that she knew that lady Yoruichi was right. Noting that he was standing on both feet, Ichigo repeated what she missed. "Soi Fong, I need your help in drilling the men. Seeing as you do the best job, I'd appreciate it if you were assisting me."
The raven-haired lieutenant was filled with different thoughts at that statement. The little "schoolgirl" inside of her was overjoyed at the fact of him wanting her company, the perfectionist was doing a victory dance at the fact that he acknowledged that she was superior to him in one regard, and the killjoy was suspicious as to why he needed her help. Finally choosing one thought to go on, she proceeded to ask what was on her mind. "Why do you need my help? Surely you could do it yourself, while I work like your secretary. I don't see the point."
Soi Fong turned around, but felt a hand on her shoulder. "I'm challenging Kenpachi Zaraki and the lunatics that call themselves the eleventh division in the upcoming tournament." Her blood froze; he was in over his head. Yes, he had fought and lived against the sadist at full power once, before he achieved Bankai, but his squad wasn't filled with decent Shinigami. She had barley had enough faith to let Ichigo fight that madman alone, but the slaughter of an entire division of the Gotei 13 was something she couldn't let happen.
"You can't do this, Ichigo. There's no way that the men will be prepared in a week."
"I have faith in you, Soi Fong." Letting out a sigh, he turned to leave. "Oh, one more thing: there have been rumors circulating about our current relationship. I'm not sure exactly who it was that started the whole thing, but I'm positive it was some of our hooligans. What's worse is that Rangiku has caught wind of it."
Before he knew what happened, his lieutenant immediately flash stepped to his side. "I don't know who the bastard was either, but I don't care: those brats are going to get drilled like there's no tomorrow." In her mind, she made a mental note. 'Scratch killing Kira: lieutenant Matsumoto is dead.'
The entirety of the third division had congregated in their recreation center, as per their captain's orders. As to be expected, rumors were circulating through the crowd. Some were referencing the outburst the good captain had made in reaction to the propaganda. Others were discussing Kenpachi Zaraki's newfound control over his reiatsu. The noise intensified when the two leading members of their division stepped in front of them. After signaling for them to simmer down, the young Vizard spoke.
"It is good that you have all come. There is something I want to address…" Before he could continue, Ichigo was cut off by an unexpected surprise. Suddenly, various figures that he recognized as the captains of the Gotei 13 fell in. Answering the question on his mind, the Head-Captain spoke up.
"Greetings, captain Kurosaki. Captain Unohana has informed me that you have accepted the challenge set by Squad 11 in the tournament, and I have come to gain confirmation." After Yamamoto was finished speaking, the third division exploded into a noisy mess, which was twice as bad as before. The elderly Shinigami raised his reiatsu to make them shut up.
"I have indeed accepted the challenge of the eleventh division, Head-Captain." Ichigo spoke calmly, which sent mixed messages to his men. He was as surprised as his division when he heard what was next.
"Very well, however, you must prove your strength to that of your subordinates. Captain Abarai, captain Hitsugaya, you, along with captain Kurosaki, have the permission to use any and all of your abilities, but if any casualties turn up, it will be on your heads." Needing no more confirmation, Renji and Toshiro moved towards their opponent, who was looking at his division.
"Before we begin, I must tell my Squad something important. If you don't know already, I'm what's called a Vizard: a Shinigami that has obtained hollow powers. Don't worry: I'm not going to go rampaging throughout the Seireitei because of my unique condition." The orange-haired captain attempted to console the mass, and turned to his opponents.
"Howl, Zabimaru!" Renji spoke first, releasing his Zanpakuto knowing that he couldn't afford to hold back.
"Sit over the Frozen Heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro followed in suit. Despite surpassing him in seniority, he knew from experience that age didn't matter.
Seeing as they meant business, Ichigo prepared for the fight at hand. "Protect, Zangetsu!" After seeing the rest of the captains, save Kenpachi, prepare some sort of Kido barrier around the spectators, the captain of the third division waited for his foes to make the first move.
Renji lashed Zabimaru at him, which was quickly parried. Noting Hyorinmaru approaching from his rear, the Vizard unlatched Zangetsu and fired a Getsuga Tenshou, his Shikai's special ability, to cancel the blow. An exchange between the three soon followed, with Ichigo not getting a scratch on him; while Renji and Toshiro could barley keep up.
Looking down at the captains of the Gotei 13, he noted that Yoruichi was absent. What amused him more was that Soi Fong was also missing. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was up. The young captain couldn't dwell on it for too long, as he didn't expect the fight to reach new heights.
"Bankai!" His foes shouted in unison. A large serpent coiled around the captain of the fifth division, who had what appeared to be fur on his shoulders. The commanding officer of the tenth division, however, had a pair of frozen wings extending from his back. Hihio Zabimaru, and Daiguren Hyorinmaru, resceptively.
'It's a good thing that there's a lot of room,' Ichigo thought to himself. Fighting two captains at full power is not something that can take place in any normal building. The spectators, too, were thankful that there was much open room for their captain to "kick ass and take names," as one put it.
"Bankai!" Ichigo, remembering that his Squad had yet to see his Bankai in person, saw how awe-struck they were at seeing a small katana and black overcoat appear on the hero of the Winter War. "Tensa Zangetsu." Before he lunged into the fray once more, the carrot-top donned his hollow mask, if only to assure those currently watching him that there wasn't a disaster whenever someone sensed hollow reiatsu. Most, if not all of the spectators below the rank of captain, were intimidated by the sudden burst of spirit energy. Moving at a speed much faster than flash steps, he charged into the fray once more.
A fight between two released Zanpakuto was not something a Shinigami saw every day. A fight between two captains was even rarer. One could imagine the spectacle of not two, but three captains, in their Bankai no less, fighting in a 2-on-1 battle. If there were any reservations on the ability of their captain before, the third division left them after seeing him fend off two captains at 100% without breaking a sweat. After a good exchange of blows, Yamamoto chose to end it.
"Stand down, captains. The preliminary ceremony has finished." After all three Zanpakuto reverted to their sealed state; the barrier protecting the crowd had disappeared. The third division was cheering hard for their captain, who gave them a sense of pride, and bragging rights with the other divisions.
Ichigo was straight to the point as soon as he sheathed Zangetsu. "Where's lieutenant Soi Fong? Or captain Shihoin?"
Right on cue, both women appeared through a hole in the wall, both in battered Onmitsukido uniforms. What was surprising was that the goddess of flash appeared to be unconscious and had an arm over her protégée's shoulder, who was barley able to move. "I… did it… Ichigo." Soi Fong promptly collapsed. Immediately her captain rushed to her side and picked her up in his arms.
The crowd broke into conversation once again. At least half of the Shinigami thought that they were hard of hearing, due to the fact that Ms. Manners called their captain by his first name. Others were snickering at the fact that said captain picked her up in his arms, and was so eager to do so. All of the rumors met the same fate when Yamamoto spoke once more.
"Congratulations, captain Kurosaki. You have proven yourself and your division worthy of participating in the tournament." The Head-Captain explained that it was merely a formality that was required of the event. He also told of the requirement that a lieutenant must also go through which was on comparable difficulty. "So that you know what to expect, the tournament theme is picked by a random captain or lieutenant. This year, my lieutenant is granted that privilege. I cannot discern what exactly you will be fighting in, but it will be divided into two parts."
'I wonder if it has anything to do with my book on world history he borrowed a few weeks ago and hadn't returned. I shouldn't dwell on it too long.' After giving a heavy sigh, Ichigo spoke up. "It's getting late; I should probably let my lieutenant rest. She earned it, after all."
"That is a wise decision, captain Kurosaki." A tall man with long, white hair, who was identified as Jushiro Ukitake, spoke. "I think we all need some rest, tomorrow is another day, as they say." All other captains followed him, with Kenpachi leaving last to give his orange-haired "buddy" the eye(s) before he left.
The door to Ichigo's quarters had shut, and after nudging his lieutenant, he realized that she was merely sleeping. He placed her in his bed and moved over to his desk. He figured that tonight would be one long night, and he'd rather be sleeping like Soi Fong. He noticed that she had done most of his paperwork, and what was left, he thought, was being done when he came in. Looking over at her sleeping form, the Vizard couldn't help but smile.
'She looks so peaceful in her sleep,' he thought. 'I wonder what she's dreaming about. It must be Yoruichi.'
However, the woman would rather refer to it as a nightmare.
Soi Fong's Dream:
The leader of the Onmitsukido was looking over her men, who were being drilled like they always did. On this particular occasion, she chose to leave the Seireitei and into the wide open fields of Rukongai. As she looked towards the sky, a depressed expression crossed her features.
"It's been 10 years, and lady Yoruichi is still gone…" The new captain of the second division had been so devastated by her mentor's disappearance that she desired to become strong enough to arrest the woman herself. However, what broke her out of that funk was something she didn't expect.
Suddenly a katana was heading straight for her head. As leader of one of the most elite forces in Soul Society, she easily dodged it. When she attempted to grab it, the blade heated up and almost singed her hand before flying off to its origin. Infuriated, she gave chase and followed it into a dense forest. The katana had stopped fleeing, and rested in the hands of an unrecognized figure.
The figure in front of her was a tall man with ruffled red hair, amber eyes with a hint of red, clothing that told anyone that he was obviously from the 1st district, and a smug grin.
"What do I have here? I send my Zanpakuto out for a little fun and I reel in a beautiful young woman, a captain no less?" The man was now laughing at her, which angered her even more.
"A Zanpakuto? Impossible! It goes against the laws of Soul Society!" Attempting to arrest the man, she charged head-long towards him, but he managed to outmaneuver her.
"I thought you captains were supposed to excel at flash steps, hmm? Or maybe, it's the fact that I'm so much better than you!" Cackling once more at the last part, the unknown fugitive easily evaded her.
"This is not right! I'm a master of Hoho, and the leader of the Onmitsukido! There's no way you can move this fast! Who are you?"
"I'm Ryuu Takeshi, and it's a pleasure to meet you!" He suddenly grew serious and stopped moving.
"How do you know so much about the Gotei 13, and how are you able to escape a captain-level Shinigami? This is madness!" Soi Fong stopped as well, ready to unload a barrage of questions.
"Well, I have to be, if I want to escape the authorities. But you look like someone I wouldn't want to run from." At that last statement, the captain blushed and looked away.
"And what do you mean by that? I could completely take you down immediately!"
"Well, for starters, you have yet to lay a finger on me and," he suddenly appeared behind her. "I could lay my fingers all over you..."
As if those words were a password, the petite Shinigami jumped and looked at him with anger. "You perverted outlaw! I'm going to kill you!"
The man, never losing his smirk, calmly replied. "Well, it would be a shame if I had to harm a pretty face like yours."
"Your arrogance will be your undoing, Ryuu Takeshi. Sting all Enemies to Death, Suzumebachi!" Furious at the man in front of her, she charged once again at him in a vain attempt to bring justice to the man.
Noting after quite a while that she was out of breath, he smirked even more. "Out of breath already, are you?"
"Damn you, you bastard!" Soi Fong still had enough energy to curse, even if she couldn't move.
All she could hear was the maddening laughter that drove her nuts, and she would be damned if she wasn't here tomorrow.
Soi Fong was moving uncontrollably in the bed. She wanted this nightmare to stop, but couldn't.
Ichigo was also worried for her. He had finished his paperwork and prepared to sleep, but he couldn't ignore her. Slowly, as to not wake her up, he went over to her side and hoped that she would be alright.
"It's been a year, Ryuu, and I still can't believe that we're together."
"Well, Soi Fong, you're a lovely woman, and who could resist my unrivaled charm?" Ryuu spoke in the sarcastic tone that Soi Fong had grown used to.
"If anyone ever found out about us, then our heads would be on a silver platter." She suddenly grew serious. To comfort her, he snaked a hand around her and pulled her close.
"Don't worry my bee. This is our little secret." She tried to kiss him, but he pulled back. "I just remembered something; could you go fetch my belongings? I forgot to bring them with me. I'll whip up a special surprise just for you."
Not needing another word, the petite Shinigami dashed off to find his parcel. After a good amount of searching, she couldn't find anything. The leader of the Onmitsukido chose to explain to the drifter that his things couldn't be found, and if he did bring them, she would need a nudge in the right direction.
Upon returning to their secret location, she saw her beloved, but he wasn't alone. Flanked on his left and right, two beautiful women were by his side, with one of his arms wrapped around each of them. Shock and confusion rushed through Soi Fong, and she tried to deny the obvious.
"Ryuu I'm sorry but I couldn't find your belongings, but who are these two women that you are with?" The response she got was a grin and a cackle.
"Well, my bee, I feel I should introduce you to Ayumi and Kiyoru, the only two women I actually love. Don't get me wrong: you're services were appreciated, but in the end, you were just a friend with benefits!" Now the two women that flanked him were laughing at her misfortune. "It was amusing to make you crazy about me, and became my personal slave, but I've grown bored with you. If you ask nicely, I might even let you have a goodbye kiss!"
The captain was now furious. After all she did, she was just a toy for that bastard. With every fiber of her being, she charged at him with the intent to kill. He effortlessly dodged and knocked her into the ground. After her humiliating defeat, she drifted back to the Seireitei with a broken heart.
She vowed that no man would ever come close to penetrating her heart after that incident. This was upheld for over 90 years, until…
End Soi Fong's Dream:
A loud scream filled the room. After the speech given by their captain earlier that day, the third division shrugged it off. Ichigo, however, was right next to the source of it. After seeing Soi Fong shoot up, he jumped back slightly in confusion.
"Soi Fong, are you alright? You seemed like you were having a good dream, so I didn't want to wake you, but I got worried when you were tossing and turning." He defended his proximity to her, and hoped for minimal damage to his body.
The response he got was enough to warrant a visit to a specialist to see if he was insane. He saw Soi Fong, the same woman who was leader of the Onmitsukido when she wasn't in trouble with the law, the same stoic, stubborn captain of the second division, tearing up in front of him. Instinctively she lunged for him and squeezed the life out of him.
If tonight wasn't out of the ordinary, then nothing was. Sure, the night before was unusual, due to Shaolin "cold-killer" Fong wanted him to jump into bed with her. But that was nothing compared to right now, which she was acting like a normal person. Ichigo thought that the only person she was willing to open up to was Yoruichi, and didn't know how to react.
As she cried in his chest, the young captain couldn't help but sigh. He patted her back and pulled her closer. "Let it all out, Soi Fong." Indeed she did. The Vizard let her cry all night long. He judged that either she was crying about everything that went wrong in her life, or that her nightmare was incredibly terrible on a whole new level.
After a good few hours, the lieutenant stopped crying and relaxed.
"Thanks, Ichigo. I hope it isn't too much to ask, but could we stay like this a little bit longer?" Indeed she felt safe in his embrace, and didn't want to leave. However, the man she was holding close was fast asleep. 'He must have been up all night. He's doing so much for me, maybe…'
Soi Fong reluctantly pried herself from his grasp, and before preparing for the morning, she was inches away from his face. "I'm impressed, my little bee. I didn't think you had it in you."
Out of the corner of her eye, Yoruichi was sitting on the window left open for her, as per request, with a wide grin. Her protégée immediately turned red.
"L-lady Yoruichi, how long were you there? It isn't what it looks like." This only caused her feline form to grin even more.
"It isn't? I stopped by just in time to see you leave his grasp. If we didn't have such an intense fight, I may have been over earlier. Was there something I missed?"
This caused the lieutenant to blush even more. Yoruichi chuckled.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, he obviously cares about you. Just don't make the same mistakes that some of his friends did. If you never take a chance when it comes by, it might never come again." The goddess of flash noted her biggest fan looking down at Ichigo's sleeping form. "What have you got to lose? I can tell that you've been trying to push him away, and if he doesn't feel the same way, then that settles that."
Noticing that the object of their conversation was stirring, the feline took off. 'I thought that this would take longer to reach this stage. I wonder what she was dreaming about. From what she tells me, she's never been in a relationship with another person. I'm going to guess that it was her memories of me leaving her again.'
The third division captain yawned. 'I had the strangest dream. Soi Fong was crying on my shoulder and telling me to hold her. I was probably more tired than I thought.' After preparing for the day, Kiyomi entered and dropped off the paperwork. The pile was noticeably smaller, and his lieutenant sprung after it.
"I'll handle this Ichigo. You should go over to captain Unohana so you can learn Kido." She spoke sternly and didn't look up from her paperwork. 'Also, so you can come back to me sooner.'
He left his office, but before departing the third division grounds, he called for Kiyomi.
"Yes, captain Kurosaki?" She was as enthusiastic as ever.
"I have already told Soi Fong about this, but I want you to make sure that the division is being drilled as to prepare for our engagement with the crazy hair hierarchy. By the way, how many in this division have learned the name of their Zanpakuto?"
"Well, besides you and lieutenant Soi Fong, there's nobody, well except for me, but I just achieved Shikai recently."
"I'll keep that in mind. Anyways, before I go, I want you and anyone that can help to wage war against lieutenant Matsumoto and her cronies. I don't want this reaching Seireitei Communication."
"It will be done, captain." After he departed, Kiyomi told the rest of the division what she learned.
Sensing for the hardest to find reiatsus so that she was sure she wasn't followed, Yoruichi made her way into the secret training ground beneath Sokyoku Hill. Waiting for her was a man in green.
"Well, Yoruichi, how is the operation so far? Do we need to up the ante?" Suddenly, a fan spawned from the man's hand, covering the lower half of his face.
"It's only been two days since they were made to work together, and from what I can tell, my little bee is coming to terms with her emotions. I think we should speed things up a bit."
"Will I need to schedule a confrontation with captain Kurosaki?" Sarcasm, as always, snaked its way into his word patterns.
"Give me a bit more time with her. I'm sure that she's mentally unbalanced enough as it is. I got a great idea; in fact, I have a great idea about a great idea, Kisuke."
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter like the others.