Wow! This is like "Enchantable updates long lost fics day". Because here's another! Funny story because there was actually a convention in town where I am and I saw a couple dressed up as Kensei and Mashiro and they were making otu and of course I was like "i want to go update Shukra!" So here you go!

Mashiro Kuna was more full than she'd been in some time.

Kensei's sisters were the best cooks she'd ever met, even better than the ones at the Division. For someone who spent most of her early life living on scraps, the food she'd gotten at the Division the first time had seemed like the best in the world. But this, this was so much better. Stuffed so full Mashiro was thinking she'd have to be rolled home, she sat on the porch at the back of the house looking out at the fields that stretched endlessly behind the small house. It was clear that Kensei's sisters--and Kensei too probably--were farmers. He'd told her that a few months ago when he'd cleaned her hands so quickly. For some reason the thought of Kensei coming in all dirty and having to wash up for dinner made her smile. She could see Yuna yelling at him with no problem.

The door behind her swung open. Mashiro turned her head to see Kensei come out onto the porch, two cups of something steaming in his hands. Wordlessly he held one out to her and she took it from his grasp, recognizing the smell of tea. The mug was thick and heavy but barely warm, even though the liquid it held was steaming hot. Mashiro looked down at the tea before looking over at the man she ahad followed. It was so weird to see Kensei without his gloves or any of the authority he wielded so well back at the Division. She'd always thought he belonged in the Division, yelling at people and running it without any credit. But he'd never truly fit, like a puzzle piece that was just a bit off. But here, here he fit. He belonged out here on the farm with his sisters. Here he seemed real and truly happy. But then why the heck was he in Soul Society?

"Why'd you follow me?" he asked after a moment, somehow making the request not seem juvenile at all.

"You were being all secretive," she said looking back at the liquid, "I was curious," she turned her head towards him, "'sides, you heard me following you."

"I didn't think it was you," he said taking a drink from the tea.

"That's so mean!" she cried looking at him, "who'd you think it was?"

"Not you."

Mashiro pouted, turning back to her tea. Beside her, Kensei shifted his weight, obviously uncomfortable with the situation at hand. He was being all secretive still and Mashiro didn't know why. If she had a family like this one she'd show them off to everyone. But Kensei never talked about his sisters or the farm or any of the things he seemed to really care about. In spite of her best efforts, Mashiro felt the prickling of jealousy. She'd fought and killed and done so much by his side in their short time together and yet he'd never breathed a word about this place. Half the division thought that he and Lila were lovers! She'd been so impressed by the unity of Ninth and meanwhile one of their most important members was being all silent and secretive. It wasn't very nice or fair. Still pouting she looked up at Kensei's face, steeling herself to tell him just how mean she thought it was that he kept everyone so far away.

Then she saw his face.

Leaning against the porch he was looking at his tea like he wished that it'd swallow him whole and take him far away. He looked like he fit, he looked like he belonged and yet the expression on his face was one of torture and self-loathing, as if being here was the most painful thing he did. For someone who came here as often as she realized Kensei was coming here, that was very strange. People snuck around for things they liked, for things they enjoyed, not for things that hurt them as much as he looked like this was hurting him. Slowly she recognized the tension in his back and shoulders, the way that he looked when he had too much to do and not enough time in the world to actually do it in. Taking a sip of the tea as quietly as possible, Mashiro inched over until she was leaning next to him before hopping up on to the rail. . His eyes went to her as she balanced herself on the rail of the balcony drawing her legs up and hugging her knees to her chest.

"What's she have?" she asked quietly. Kensei said nothing, " I know Lila's sick--"

"Drop it," he said gruffly.

"Nu-huh!" she shook her head, "I grew up on the streets. I know what being sick looks like!"

"Keep your voice down," he hissed, his honey eyes glaring at her, "you're so loud."

"I'll be louder," she threatened, raising her chin defiantly even though they were at about the same height.

He let out a frustrated breath, shaking his head before he looked at her and then at the tea. For a moment she thought he wouldn't say anything except 'get the hell out' but then his mouth opened. Then it shut. Then it opened again and finally words came out of it.

"She's got some kinda spiritual sickness," he said, fingers tightening on the clay, "its got some stupid ass name, makes no difference," he continued to glare at the tea, "started with nothin big, she was the smaller of us, that's what they thought it was. But she was always cold, always sick, always hungry. And she never grew. We kept her warm and fed and everythin but she was just always--" he trailed off, "always like that," Mashiro looked at him carefully, "and then I started showin Spiritual Power."

Helplessly Mashiro bit her lip. His eyes were distant and she could hear the accent slipping into his voice as his guard came down, just a little bit. She didn't think that he told the story often and she could see it hurt him even to voice it but he pushed himself forward. Mashiro wasn't sure what she had done to deserve that, to deserve the kind of trust he was showing her, but she was glad he was doing it all the same. Exhaling he shook his head, looking around the porch but never at her, like it was hard to look at someone. Like he felt guilty telling the story.

"My family's usually Spiritually aware. Yuna's got some of it, my mom and dad did too, but Lila had none and me--" he shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips, "i had more than anyone. Enough to get me into the Shinigami Academy. Now they're sayin I'm probably gonna have a Bankai too."

"Did you guys try transfers?" Mashiro asked quietly.

"Yeah," he said, "that and everything else under the sun. And sometimes it works, but it doesn't work for long."

"And she's sicker now?" she asked. Slowly he nodded, "I'm sorry," she said finally, looking at her toes.

"Not your fault," he said gruffly, taking a long drink of the tea he was holding as they lapsed into silence.

"Your house is so pretty," she said finally with a smile, "we don't have anything this big where I'm from."

"Where's that?" he asked finally looking over at her.

"Seventy Third District," she said with a grin.

Kensie looked at her curiously. Districts below the Sixtieth had a reputation for being rough and once you hit the Seventies and Eighties it was a free for all. He knew that thieving, prostitution, gambling--all of it was commonplace down there. One time he remembered his father coming home drunk and his mother being upset and loudly telling him he reeked of the Eightieth District. It was a bad place to grow up and a hard place to escape. But it made sense considering Mashiro's agility and speed, she'd have to be fast to survive down there. He also knew that many of the kids who grew up there lived in gangs to help support each other. Prostitutes, gamblers, none of them could keep their kids so children were frequently abandoned.

"You got anyone still down there?" he asked.

"Yep," Mashiro said, "they're all still down there."

"You ever visit them?" he asked.

"Not as much as you visit your family," she said with a smile.

His lips twitched as if he wanted to smile but couldn't bring himself to do it. He seemed more innocent in that moment, more carefree than she thought she'd ever seen him. Even if his hair was grey. They lapsed into silence as they remained on the porch, watching the sunset and drinking the tea. It took a while for the sky to be overtaken by darkness and stars but when it happened it was beautiful. It was never terribly cold in Soul Society and it was still warm enough outside that she didn't feel the least bit chilly when the sun finally went down. Neither she nor Kensei spoke, both seemingly content in the quiet of the evening. It was actually kind of nice, just to be sitting there still full from the most wonderful meal she was sure she'd ever eaten in her life. Kensei seemed content in the silence, or, as content as Kensei ever got. If she could have, Mashiro would've stayed sitting there with him forever.

Kensei looked over at the green haired woman sitting next to him. He'd been angry when she followed him, but the fact was that he had let her follow. Kensei had never been good at lying, especially not to himself and he knew perfectly well why he'd let the footsteps follow him until it was impossible for them not to know where he was going. The fact was that while he wasn't good at lying, he hated doing it even more. His mother and father--and then Yuna--had raised him to be honest and lying to the entire division was something he didn't like doing. Even though he knew he could've argued it wasn't really lying, it was just not telling them everything--or anything really. But not telling them the truth felt just as rotten as lying to them outright. The difference was that he was better at not telling them the truth than at lying to their faces.

He'd been screaming for someone, for anyone to figure it out. To follow him. Selfishly he'd wanted to tell them, wanted someone to share the burden he carried. He had just never thought that it would be Mashiro. He didn't know who he thought it would be, it just never occurred to him that it would be her. Now though that she was there, that she now knew a part of the burden he carried, Kensei didn't know if he should be happy or upset that his prayers had been answered. Mashiro just seemed so, well, so flippant. So carefree. Even if she did grow up in the Seventy Third District. Kensei was fairly sure that no matter how long he lived he was never going to find another woman like the green haired one sitting next to him. He'd been intent on keeping his two lives separate but he had known that any member of the division he brought home his sisters would love. If for nothing else than the fact that he brought a member of the division home.

"What are you two up to?" Yuna asked coming out onto the porch, a dishrag thrown over her shoulder, "its already dark out. Don't you have a Division to run?"

"You know about the Captain?" Mashiro asked, surprised.

"I know my dolt of a brother's more of a Captain than the one they got him taking orders from," Yuna said, her tone business like but edged with the affection of an older sibling talking about her younger, "and I'm guessing that makes you his Lieutenant."

"I guess so!" Mashiro said with a grin.

"Yuna," Kensei said, his tone making it clear this was an old conversation between the two of them.

"I just don't think its right that that man gets the credit for your hard work," she began, "if you'd just--"

Wordlessly Kensei got up and walked inside the house before she could finish her words. The door banged behind him. Mashiro looked at the door as Yuna came over and stood beside her on the porch. Judging from the pictures, Yuna wasn't that much older than her siblings but her face bore the lines of a woman who had lived with too much responsibility all her years. Mashiro didn't move from her spot, even as Yuna leaned against the rail and was silent for a moment. When she began to speak, her tone was gruff but still friendly.

"He blames himself, you know, for what's wrong with Lila. Thinks that just because he's got power and she's got none he's somehow to blame, even though anyone with two brain cells can see that it wasn't up to either of them who got the power and who didn't," she looked over at Mashiro, "you get that, don't you?"

"Uh huh," Mashiro said nodding, "i've been workin with him."

"Listen," Yuna turned towards her, "Kensei'll never tell you this--not in time anyway. Bless him but he's as stubborn as they come," she looked at her hands, "Yuna's getting worse. We know it and we're dealin with it as best we can but Kensei is--" she looked over at the house, "Kensei's not." he's seem to have it in his head that if hes here it'll keep her alive and it won't," Mashiro fought to not bite her lip as she listened, "Lila too, she doesn't want her brother to be like Kensei is now."

"The Division likes Kensei, they listen to him," Mashiro said, feeling the need to reassure her, "but they don't--they don't understand why he's so secretive."

"And why'd you follow him?" Yuna asked.

"I was in the Second Division," Mashiro said, "I like figuring out secrets."

"And how'd you wind up at the Ninth then?"

"I was too loud," she admitted looking at her toes, "not just the hair either."

"Well you must fit right in with the Ninth," Yuna said. Mashiro grinned and nodded as Yuna smiled gruffly in response, "he could be a Captain. Not just as a leader, I've seen him lead since he was a kid. I mean power wise."

"That's what everyone says," Mashiro said.

"But he refuses to train," Yuna said.

"They say that too," she admitted finally.

Yuna let out a breath of air, shaking her head almost sadly as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"You know he never listened to me, even as a kid. That whole "I'm your big sister" thing never worked on him. Kensei's always been good at doing what Kensei wanted to do," she smiled affectionately and absently swiped at her pony tail, "but what Kensei wanted to do was usually what was best for the rest of us. He's a good kid, the kind of good you can't fake or be taught about," she kept her eyes ahead, "this is going to break him."

Mashiro looked at Yuna. She knew that his sister knew Kensei a lot better than she did but she couldn't imagine anything breaking Kensei Muguruma. Then again, until a few hours ago she had not thought that Kensei even had a sister--much less two of them. But as she thought about it Mashiro realized that Kensei was exactly the type of guy she could see breaking down because he lost someone close to him--and it'd be so much worse because she knew he would blame himself. Even though it was no-ones fault that Lila was sick and it certainly wasn't his, Kensei'd never see it that way. And he'd never train to get his bankai until he saw that--much less train to master it. And if he didn't do that, then unless he killed Captain Midorikawa and Lieutenant Kikkawa in front of two hundred people or they both managed to die within a short span of time, then the Ninth would be under the rule forever. Mashiro shuddered a little at the thought, even though she knew now was not the time to be worrying about the Division. But she had a sinking feeling that Yuna was right. That when Lila died Kensei was going to need the Division more than ever--and they already needed him.

"We won't let that happen," Mashiro found herself saying. Yuna looked over at her, "there are other people there, like Eishima and Kasaki and even if they don't know what's wrong with Kensei they'll make sure he's okay. Even if he does keep secrets everyone in the Division really looks up to him and we're a battle division so we're all really good at taking care of each other."

"Emotionally?" Yuna asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, no," Mashiro said, "but they'll get him really drunk and make him fight really hard so he'll just be too tired to do much emotional stuff."

"Well alright," Yuna said with a laugh and a shake of her head, "you two are good for each other," she said, "I can tell."

"We haven't known each other that long," Mashiro began.

"Some things you don't gotta learn," Yuna said with an offhanded smile, "some things you just know. And I know you two are good for each other," she smiled, "and i got a feeling you two are going to get into more trouble than you've got any right to--so you'd best stick together. You'll need each other to get out of it."

"Do you think we'll have adventures?" Mashiro asked enthusiastically, looking at the honey eyed woman.

"Not if you spend all your time around here you won't," Yuna said.

Immediately Mashiro hopped off the balcony and darted into the house to find the errant Kensei. She found him in the living room with Lila, both speaking quietly. Lila was holding onto a handkerchief and Mashiro could see that her features look tight, as if she was holding something back. Yuna's words came back to her and she immediately went over to where the twins were and grabbed Kensei's sleeve, tugging on it.

"We gotta go!" She said dragging him to his feet.

"Go where?" he demanded.

"Go on an adventure!" she said looking like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "and we can't do that if we're sitting around here!"

"Mashiro stop!"

"Nu-huh! I wanna go an adventure!" she said firmly placing her hands on his back and pushing him towards the door.

"Well you heard her," Lila said with a smile, "she's right, there isn't really any adventure here. And besides, its already dark out. You should be getting back to Soul Society."

"Thank you for the food!" Mashiro called over her shoulder.

"Come back any time," Lila said with a smile.

"Mashiro! Damn it! Mashiro would you calm down?!" Kensei demanded angrily as the green haired, hyperactive, surprisingly strong woman pushed him to the door, "Yuna I'll be in touch!"

"Alright you two, get home safe," Yuna said as the door closed behind them.

As soon as the door closed, Lila double over, pressing a hand to her mouth as she coughed violently. Yuna looked at her anxiously,watching as the white handkerchief she'd been holding slowly darkened with blood. When the coughing fit had passed, she lowered the cloth, taking a moment to collect herself before she looked painfully at her sister.

"I didn't--" she stopped, closing her eyes and taking in a horribly rattling breath, "I didn't want him to see."

"I know," Yuna said, running her fingers through Lila's hair, "we're gonna have to thank that Mashiro girl for getting him out of here when she did," Lila gave a tight nod, "come on," Yuna said, "lets get you to bed."

A bit short, I know but these two were more of a "meet Kensei's family" chapter and to find out a bit about him. Don't worry Mashiro's gonna get her own few 'past' chapters. But the few OC's aren't gonna be that big in the story, but they are necessary.

Please review! Seriously people, I've got a bunch of stories and, for better or worse, the ones that see updates are the ones that people review. Because when I check my email and I see a review for a story, that gets me thinking about that story and its a short jump from thinking to writing. So if you want updates you gotta review!

So please review!