Beta-reader: SymphoniaFreak

Chapter: Four – Promise of New Life

Characters: Haruno Sakura, Yamamoto, Kuchiki Rukia, Ukitake Jushiro, Kyoraku Shunsui, and Kusajishi Yachiru

Word Count: 5,650

Type: Story – Incomplete

Disclaimer: If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

Completed: October 15, 2015

Lasted Edited: February 7, 2016

Note: I don't do this often, I usually keep it in the Review Reply PMs, but the review came from an anonymous who either wasn't signed in or didn't have an account, so I'll just put it here. Thank you to earthchild01, I appreciate the constructive criticism and I hope I have managed to apply your advice.

Also, for those of you who have followed this story since I first posted or updated originally, I am sorry about the temporary (though admitted horrendously long) hiatus that I placed on it, I have no other excuse for that other than that I was trying to lessen the workload I gave myself. I also apologize that this was so late, that had not been my intention, but the years were rockier and busier than I anticipated when I first placed a date on this update all that time ago. I originally planned for a lot more to go on in this chapter, namely Sakura's second test, however, it was suddenly over 5000 words and I realized that if I tried to fit in everything I wanted to it might end up being more like 10,000 and would take even longer to finish and post. In short, I'm breaking this chapter up in to two parts so it's a more manageable size and with any luck, since I already have it all planned out in detail, the next chapter will be soon to follow.

Lastly, as I'm sure it's apparent: I switched back to third person. At some point, I will go back and change both chapters two and three to third person as well. (They'll also get a revamp courtesy of what I now—after years of distance and experience—view as abysmal writing that I scarcely know how to begin cleaning up. Which means that probably won't happen until I've posted the entire story. Maybe early, if I get ambitious enough. Which is a long shot, so apologies to anyone who is exposed to the night-and-day change in writing until then.)

She told herself she was getting the hang of this place. But honestly? All she was doing was getting the hang of getting lost. It had been so long since she was in such a big place that she didn't know like the back of her hand, that she hadn't been in multiple times.

And on the other hand, she had only been here for no more than a few hours, it wasn't even close to sundown yet and she was pretty sure that she came here sometime not long before noon. Mentally, she made the goal of learning the routes she needed to know as well as the layout of the Seireitei in a week or so. Maybe then she'd feel less like she was always getting lost.

Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, she stopped in front of the first division's large double doors. At the very least, she'd only taken a few extensive detours that she could claim as learning experiences. But all in all, she had gotten back to the first division without needing to stop some passerby for directions. Less tentatively then she had when she first stood before the doors, she entered with only a light knock at the seam.

Padding soundlessly, she made her way across the floorboards of the large room without pause. Captain Unohana had been pretty clear about what to do after the end of her test, right down to the last detail. All she had to do was find Captain-Commander Yamamoto, give him the papers she held in her hands and wait for his decree. Simple. Easy. But it would determine whether she progressed onto the next text or if she was sent back to Konoha. And she truly hoped that she would progress. Because she had finally begun to start accepting that she hadn't abandoned her home, but did what she felt necessary for her under the circumstances. She'd worry about consequences and such later, like when she actually needed to cross that bridge.

She forcibly pushed all those thoughts aside; with the man she was looking for in her line of sight, they wouldn't do her any good. Sakura promised herself she would be professional about whatever came next.

With wise eyes set in a face aged by time, he nodded his head slightly in greeting to her after she bowed to him. Straightening out, she held out the documents that had been given to her, "Captain Unohana said that you would wish to see these, sir."

He gazed at her for a few minutes longer, still as intense and piercing as he had been the first time she faced him. She'd found the will not to shy away then, and she most certainly would not do so now. Again he nodded as he accepted the papers.

For a few long moments there was only silence. Even without his gaze trained on her, she still felt she was suffocating under her self-imposed anxiety. She felt like he was still analyzing her through the words written about her on the report. But she'd already resolved not to squirm or shy away; all she could do was hope for the best and take anything less in stride. So she stood as straight as she could and focused her gaze on the ground, willing herself to be still.

It seemed almost an eternity later when he finally turned his hawk-like gaze back on her, setting the papers aside in the process. "Captain Unohana and Captain Kuchiki were both impressed with the demonstrations you gave. It is apparent to them that you have been trained well in both combat and simple healing."

The more he spoke, the lighter she felt; and it became harder to remember that there was going to be negatives in his speech as well. And she wasn't going to get her hopes up too high just to let them feel as though they were crushed. Praises in the beginning did not mean an overall decision to pass her.

"However, neither means that you have the ability to be a shinigami, only that you would be useful as one. You have shown a determination to take this path and that along with your demonstrations will grant you a pass in the first test."

She tried to suck in her sharp breath as quietly as possible, but she had a feeling that he still heard her just as clearly as if she hadn't. She did her best to remain composed and attentive, but the fact was that she had passed. That meant one step closer to grasping this new life that she'd been given the chance to have.

His well-aged countenance sported an almost amused look, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Though he didn't seem inclined to curb her welling excitement, he wasn't finished speaking either. "Do not let this minor success go to your head, the day after next will be the deciding test of whether you stay or return to your village. Until then, dismissed."

Trying not to skip or jump, and definitely not hug the millennia-old soutaichou, she bowed low before turning and heading out of the large doors once more.

Even with his final words still lingering in the back of her mind, all she could feel was bubbling elation. She had passed. Sakura had passed her first test. That meant one down, and two to go. Feeling pumped, she told herself resolutely she could do this. The green-eyed teenager could become a shinigami and reach for greater heights.

Thrilled and unable to help herself, Sakura grinned to herself as she hummed happily. All she could think about was how she was almost halfway there, and really the next step was going to be the hardest. After all, it would be the real test. Did she have it in her to be a full-fledged shinigami? No amount of chakra or skill or experience was going to help her; it all hinged on the amount of reiatsu she had and her ability to put it to use. The worry-prone part of her said that she should be taking this more seriously, doing whatever she could to increase her chance of passing. But the logical part of her knew that there was nothing she could truly do that would improve her chances.

So that left her with simply being optimistic and believing everything happens for a reason. She had to think that she wouldn't have been presented with chance, only to not have what it took to actually reach out and grab it. Getting her hopes up wouldn't be the best idea if it didn't work out, no, but thinking that she wouldn't pass wasn't the best route to take either.

And if she didn't stop thinking about this, she was going to overanalyze it to some absurd conclusion like she was wont to. So she settled for shoving those thoughts into the back of her mind and deciding to focus on the moment. More specifically, where the hell was she going?

Stopping abruptly, Sakura looked around her, but all she saw were the same white walls of the same dark tiled roof buildings and the same sand colored ground. No matter which way she looked, everything looked the same.

So much for not getting lost too much she grumbled to herself. Though, at least it gave her something to focus on. Moving over to the side of the road so that she couldn't be in anyone's way, the teenager started backtracking. Familiar ground was always the best place to find first, before she tried navigating herself further in this maze of white buildings. But soon enough she found herself continually running into cross roads and unsure of which way she came from. Which left her to guess; normally this wasn't a bad thing. The young Haruno had good instincts, they'd been constantly sharpened as a shinobi and therefore she'd come to trust them.

Apparently, trusting them to navigate her way out of this maze wasn't the best idea, though. Because the more she guessed, the more lost she found herself. Finally she simply stopped and huffed.

Now what the hell was she supposed to do? She couldn't wonder around these streets in hopes that she eventually found familiar ground or someone willing to help her out. That could take her all night and she still needed to find a place to sleep and something to eat so that she would be in top form for her next test. Though, it wasn't like she could simply stand right here either.

Which left her with one option: use her chakra to locate someone. Since this place was entirely made up of spiritually pressure particles, she wasn't entirely sure it would work given that chakra had a physical element to it, but it was worth a try. Anything to make sure she at least has somewhere to sleep for the night that wasn't on the side of the road. Of course, searching out people had never been a strength of hers either. She'd never had a need for it because Kakashi-sensei had always been more than capable. However, she refused to be daunted and began to meticulously leak her chakra out in a slowly expanding spiral pattern. This way she had a better chance of picking up on someone else's signature, assuming that she was able to.

After a few minutes of nothing, she told herself to be patient and to start over in a different place. Perhaps she'd missed something, and it wasn't like she couldn't spare a minute or sixty. On her fourth try, she felt like giving up with how hopeless this seemed. Just when she was about to indulge on that whim, she realized something very important. She had taken the Naruto-approach to this situation, with perhaps a touch of Kakashi-approach. What she needed to do was to stop thinking like her team or her friends, and start thinking like herself.

Before she could decide what would be her approach to this situation, she heard a faint female voice calling, as if the unknown person was far away. Surprised, Sakura turned in both directions, but found no one on the ground. Before confusion could set in, she scolded herself for forgetting that, like shinobi, shinigami could move around on rooftops as well. With that in mind she turned her attention to the blue tiles and began scanning for forms of life, and she didn't have to look to notice the lone, small figure that must have been the source of the voice.

Relief washed over her as she waited for the teenage-appearing girl to jump down from the building soundlessly. Without looking the slightest bit winded, curious and speculative eyes looked her over. "You're a human."

Green eyes blinked, clearly not expecting such a blatant remark. "And you must be a shinigami." After a moment she realized that this young woman must be as tactful as Kakashi. The blunt statement had been meant as a 'why are you here' sort of question in a roundabout way. Though, Sakura also thought that the underlying question wasn't as pointed as her jonin sensei's tended to be. By that reasoning, she wondered if the other young woman would see that she'd meant her words in the same way that the stranger had greeted her.

The dark-haired shinigami pursed her lips, seeming to have caught on how to react, and was teetering between polite and instinctive. She settled for cautious, as she shifted into a more straight-backed and squared-shoulder stance. "Who are you and why are you in the Thirteenth Division?"

The rosette opened her mouth to answer with the truth when the last two words registered, and she reflexively shut her mouth only to open it with an involuntary question, "Thirteenth Division? I was trying to find the Eleventh Division." Great. She didn't just get lost; she managed to go right past her destination without even realizing it. She silently told herself that the first thing she did after she figured out if she could stay was scour every nook and cranny of this place until she knew it as well as she knew Konoha's streets. Better even, since this place was so much bigger. Belatedly, she realized that the young woman in front of her was staring at her with a perplexed expression, as if she was less sure of how to handle that then she was about dealing with Sakura. Clearing her throat, the kunoichi took a breath and bowed. "My apologies; that was a horrible first impression. My name is Haruno Sakura; I was brought here under the pretense of being made into a shinigami."

A soft, though definitely not polite, laugh had her jerking up in surprise. Green eyes blinked owlishly as the dark-haired woman across from her tried to stifle her laugh but only managed to make her shoulders shake with mirth instead. "I'm Kuchiki Rukia. I can get you to the Eleventh Division."

A smile spread across her lips, happy that she'd clearly made another acquaintance in this place. In retrospect, she knew that getting friendly might not have been the best thing if she didn't end up staying, but at the same time when she'd gone on missions to far off lands she had made friends as much as she was allowed. It was simply the way she operated because she was a person who needed social interaction to survive. Two months of house arrest had taught her that very well. "That's great, thank you. I'm sure if you hadn't found me I would be wandering around all night." Which was really disconcerting considering she usually didn't have this much trouble with directions. She was never the directionally impaired one of Team Seven; in fact she'd usually had a good idea of where they were going even in foreign territory.

She supposed that meant this really was a whole different place and a whole new start. But she really could do without being unable to find her way around.

Rukia continued to smile at her, looking thoroughly amused despite her still very formal stance. Green eyes grew curious as she noticed that the young woman's stance bespoke ease and tension all at once but not in the same way that fighters and warriors stood. It was much more regal, but not exactly. "You're a noble. But…adopted?" It was only once the quiet observation was past her lips did she realize that she'd spoken the words aloud. The roseate cursed herself quietly; she knew better. She knew better than to go saying things like that. Just because she was an excellent observer didn't mean she should go speaking things that weren't even her business to know. That's not why she'd learned her skills. It seemed two months of isolation had taken their toll on her people skills.

The raven haired woman blinked, the smile falling in tandem with her rising confusion. "How'd you know that?"

Sakura gave her an apologetic smile, instinctively deciding that she might as well come completely clean. Half-truths and lies didn't tend to get her anywhere with new people. Besides, this was a new beginning, one where lying was not an important ability to have and could even be detrimental. "Old observation training. Well, that, and I've known people who were adopted into prestigious families. It's a hard thing to assimilate with, especially when you grow up differently. I'm sorry though, I shouldn't have said anything. It's not my business." It was the best way that she could think of to get her point across.

Thankfully pretty, violet eyes seemed to understand the sincerity in her words. "It's alright; you must be really good at analyzing, though." She motioned for Sakura to start down the walkway, in the exact direction the teen had come from. Of course, she thought dryly. Why wouldn't the right way be in the direction she just came from?

"Yeah, it's been pretty useful over the years." She shrugged in response, more than happy to fall in step with the shorter woman. Anything for a little company and a place to stay for the night, though she wasn't sure what she was going to say to Kenpachi when she found him. But the big man had seemed like the type to not care one way or another if she stayed in his division until she had a verdict and hopefully a permanent place to live in while she was here.

"May I ask why you're headed to the Eleventh Division?"

Sakura was more than obliging to tell the young shinigami not only that she needed a place to stay for the night before taking her test tomorrow, but also why she was in the Soul Society in the first place and how she had met Kenpachi Zaraki. All the while Rukia made faces and comments appropriate to the part of the story she was being told. By the end of it she was laughing her heart out as the two young women walked side-by-side. The kunoichi herself let her arms drop without the need to use them to help to the story any further and proceeded to laugh just as freely, a grin smattered on her face and her green eyes bright with mischievous amusement.

Right then she decided that if she was staying, Kuchiki Rukia would make a wonderful friend and perhaps even a valuable ally.

Once the two had finally settled enough that only giggles remained to disrupt their peaceful walk, Rukia cast the roseate a curious, assessing look, as if weighing an option in her head for a few, long moments. In return, Sakura arched an eyebrow by way of question.

"If staying with Zaraki doesn't work out, I'd be more than happy to let you temporarily stay in the Kuchiki Manor."

She blinked once, then twice just to be sure that she hadn't misheard the invitation before finally smiling happily. "Thank you, Rukia. I appreciate your offer very much."

The petit shinigami shrugged and smiled back, clearly pleased that her invite had been received with so much gratitude. "I like you, and I'm sure you'll pass your tests. After all, if three captains have acknowledged the possibility, then you definitely have potential."

Before the Konoha-nin could thank her companion again for the vote of confidence, a man's voice called Rukia's name faintly, as if there was some type of material in the way. A quick roundabout search informed her that there were two men at least a head taller than two girls several meters away. One of the two, the white haired one, had his arm up and was looking directly at the pair. Sakura quickly surmised that he must have been a soft-spoken individual who knew how to make his voice carry; she'd certainly met her fair share of such people. They tended to speak only when they had something to say, though not always. After all, Neji was capable of small talk every now and again.

The raven-haired young woman beside her had also quickly searched out who had called her name, but her reaction was a bit different than the roseete would have expected. Rukia's widened and she immediately turned her whole body to the men farther down the road, and then she proceeded to bow as a genin would to a jonin. It was only once she saw the tremendous show of respect that a secondary analysis showed her that both men, who had been steadily covering the ground towards them, were wearing the same white haori that she had seen on the five captains she'd met.

She put two and two together easily enough and she too turned and bowed respectfully. Experience had taught her that most superiors liked to be shown the proper respect they deserved; anything more could be taken as brown nosing and anything less could be interpreted as an insult. But that was all dependent on the individual. By the time she had straightened once more, Rukia had waved back to the captains and a smile lit her face. Not a polite or distant smile that was customarily traded between superior and subordinate, but a familiar, warm smile that bespoke more than just required respect and expected adoration.

The roseate wondered idly if that smile was for both men or just one of them; and if so which one had earned such a smile. Logic dictated that chances were one of the two was the Thirteenth Division captain, assuming that Rukia was in said squad, and was the one the smile was meant for. She was also willing to bet that it was the pale-haired man who had waved to them in the first place, and her companion had waved back to.

It didn't take long for both men to close the remaining distance, and Sakura contented herself with observing dynamics rather than truly participating. She watched as Rukia formally greeted both captains and was greeted in turn, and she nodded attentively when she was introduced to them. As she'd guessed, the white haired man, Captain Ukitake Joshiro, was Rukia's captain and the main recipient of her admiration and trust. He was soft spoken and polite though not terribly formal. She was curious about the white hair, however, given that he didn't appear as old as Yamamato, but was also the only other shinigami she'd run into who had white hair, but she figured that was a question for later, if ever. The dark-haired man with him commanded the Eighth Division; Captain Kyoraku Shunsui, gave the overt impression of a drunken flirt, but the subtle way he positioned himself next to Ukitake told her the two were friends, possibly close or longtime friends, at that. The scent of alcohol told her the drunken part wasn't by any means fake, but that the flirty part masked intelligence and a sharp mind.

She wasn't surprised by her findings, given the shining examples she'd seen thus far pertaining to the merits of high ranking individuals. Both captains seemed unsurprised when Rukia informed them she was testing to become a shinigami, and she surmised they'd already heard of the news by other means. Questions on what those means were gave way to the fact that despite the vastness of the Seireitei, those of rank clearly had no trouble staying up to date of the goings-on in and about the city. Even on what Sakura was beginning to think was unconventional induction means.

After she'd been introduced, she fell back into an observing role while the three shinigami continued to speak to each other. The topic didn't seem to stray to idle chitchat any more than it covered anything particularly serious. She knew that was probably due to her presence, but she got the feeling that there were matters that the captains knew that Rukia didn't, either because of a long history between the two or because the matters were above Rukia's pay grade. It didn't take long for the conversation to wrap up and for the captains to shoo the young women on their way, clearly still intent on continuing to their own destination without any real haste.

The roseate shot a smile at her new friend, "They seem like great captains, really competent and unmistakable leader qualities. Are all of the captains like that?"

The other young woman hummed an affirmative, "Yeah, the captain position is earned and other captains have to nominate and agree on the shinigami, so there ars criteria that have to be met, I'm sure. Most captains have held their post for a long time; Captain Ukitake and Kyroku have been captains for well over a century and are two of the oldest in the Gotei Thirteen."

Sakura blinked in surprise, remembering again her encounter with the two amiable men; had she met them in any other context, she would not have guessed they had so much experience under their belts by appearance and demeanor alone. Then she thought of the five captains she'd already met prior to the most recent pair and considered the similarities and differences. Each captain had been competent and confident, had exhibited or implied the capacity for forethought and strength. Even Captain Zaraki had come off as an intelligent opponent and a powerhouse to boot. Given the choice, they were not fighters she would ever face off against, not even Captain Unohana, because the former kunoichi was a shining example of how medics in a combat or leader position were just as formidable as their colleagues.

Before she could chew on such thoughts for any longer, Rukia was already starting a new conversation; this one was lighter and all too easy to fall into as the two young women made their way down their road in what Sakura presumed to be the direction of Squad Eleven. With every step, and every word, the former shinobi barely noticed that Konoha and her way of life as she knew it had ceased to retain any of her attention. Her memories faded into the background, where they'd been before all the changes. She knew that this change would not be like the flip of a switch and she would most likely find herself dwelling on the past in the future. However, the knowledge that she could indeed assimilate to this new world, that she could form new bonds without having them overshadowed by old ones was a gratifying epiphany. Albeit one she didn't have time to analyze and bask until later, preferably after she knew she whether this change was a permanent one.

They continued on like old, very good friends finally catching up after a long separation until Rukia stopped and pronounced them in the Eleventh Division's barracks and that Sakura wouldn't have to go much further to locate Captain Zaraki within the maze of sameness. Sakura hesitated long enough before moving on that Rukia smiled and offered to accompany her to the captain's quarters, just in case other arrangements, namely a sleepover in the Kuchiki manor, needed to be made.

The barracks of each division were large, as Sakura was beginning to grasp, and despite the fact that Rukia knew exactly where to go, it still took a fair amount of time to reach the captain's office where unseated division officers had estimated Captain Zaraki to be. However, before either young lady could approach the door Sakura found herself unexpectedly thrown off-guard due to an ambush her senses had not been able to forewarn her of in anyway. Between one moment and the next she went from walking and speaking animatedly with Rukia to finding herself taken off her feet and well on her way to landing painfully on her ass sans oxygen in her lungs. Surprise was a brief flare with alertness and reflexes quick on its hells as she grasped the thing—a body—that had barreled into her hard enough, quick enough, to take her off her feet. Pink hair covering a small black-attired body was the first thing she noticed.

It was all she had time to notice before the child's head turned up and Sakura was met with big brown eyes and a grin that could not mean anything but trouble. For split second, she wondered if this was what she looked like when she'd been a child and up to no good. Probably. Sakura tried to shift carefully, making sure she hadn't injured anything without realizing it, and hoping in vain that if she moved slowly enough the little kid in her lap would take the hint and settle down some. Or at least not do anything akin to tackling.

No such luck.

The little girl's arms were suddenly around her neck and she was treated to the large grin of a child who'd just realized they had a new play toy. "Are you new? Kenny said there was 'nother pink-haired lady an' tha' I'd like her. Are you her?" Sakura blinked, feeling behind the girl's fast pace and slight slang. It was however easy enough to figure out that 'Kenny' referred to Captain Zaraki, and given her encounter with the man, she could see how he might pass on such an idea to a child who clearly liked him. In fact, she wondered if it wouldn't be too far a leap to categorize this kid as his kid, even if clearly not by blood. She wouldn't be surprised if that was their relationship.

So, slowly, she nodded and hoped that wasn't the wrong course of action. "Yeah, I'm her. My name is Haruno Sakura, what's yours?"

Excitement radiated from the black hakama-clad child, and Sakura noticed for the first time that she was dressed like everybody else. Which meant one of two things: everyone around here wore black hakama, or this girl was a shinigami. As unlikely as it seemed, Sakura was assuming the latter on grounds of the armband on her right arm that had the character for vice-captain etched into it. The idea that this happy little ball of exuberance could be not only a shinigami, but a vice-captain was nearly mind boggling enough to keep her in a stunned stupor for a few moments longer. Long enough that she nearly missed the little girl's proclamation, "I'm Yachiru!"

The former shinobi could not help but feel energized by the child-like shinigami's enthusiasm and bright smile and light laughter. It'd been so long since Sakura had been reminded first hand of the wonders of childhood, the levity of their antics, and the solace of their presence. No matter where she ended up, the teen figured that as long as she was in Soul Society, Yachiru would easily be one of her favorite people. That was probably a good thing, since it seemed the little bundle of energy and the rough and tumble man she'd met not too long ago were a package deal. However, she was beginning to realize that maybe staying in such a place would not be conductive to passing her tests. Perhaps after when she only needed to learn whatever came next.

Right then, she untangled herself from those little arms. Something that ended up being no easy task due to the firmly grasping little hands attached to those arms. But once she was free she looked the other roseate in the eye and promised that they would play together; a fact which seemed to only invigorate her more. Until someone else had, what Sakura would later associate jokingly as, the misfortune to happen along and distract the fuku-taicho.

Freed and forgotten, Sakura turned to her companion. With a bright smile she said, "I think I would like to take you up on your offer, if that's alright."

Rukia grinned back and nodded, clearly delighted at the prospect of becoming a form of roommates. Sakura laughed softly, the warmth in her chest undeniable in both its presence and the fact that the black-haired shinigami beside her was definitely a large part of its source. It had not been long since Sakura had arrived in Soul Society, and she still did not know if she would be here permanently, but right then, with so much promise before her, she hoped like hell she could stay. More than that, she promised herself to push hard and prove she should stay.