(Ducks hail of rotten tomatoes…)Hey you guys, sorry I haven't updated as soon as u'd all have liked but my laptop got stolen and I'd just gone to college….things just kinda took a backburner.

I would like to thank Sacchiance for favouriting this story together with susysucredorge and thatguywholikesanime for putting out an alert For those I haven't mentioned, I'll dedicate the next chap to u (swear it on me grave. I got no time on my hands right now). Now that that's over with… on with the plot!

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The next day Yachiru was the most sought after being in all of Seireitei. The Shinigami Women's Association had just gotten wind of her sudden popularity and wanted to get a photo-shoot with her. (What? It would boost their funds.) Her squad members wanted to train with her for her big match with Koru, maybe even ogle at her if they had the chance. Zaraki wanted another go-round with the pink Shinigami and Hisagi was hounding everyone he knew for her whereabouts so that he could get an inside scoop for his paper…but Yachiru Kusajishi just could not be found.

By now, her match with Koru was blown wa-a-a-ay out of proportion (no thanks to her squad members), and instead of it being a simple standoff, it had quickly evolved into a tournament of epic proportions. The 11thsquad had really put their all into pumping it up. Bets were going round, and the excitable fever seemed to infect everyone. It even somehow managed to worm its way into the next Captain's meeting.

After the business of the day had just been concluded, and everybody was filing out, the Captain-commander called them back.

"Just one moment," he said in that deep gruff voice of his. "Zaraki-taichou, what is this scruple between fukutaichou Nakumashi and Kusajishi eh?"

Zaraki winced. Damn. He had almost made it out of the door. Almost. And now all thoughts of praying that the old turd wouldn't hear of it flew straight out of the proverbial window. Better face the bull by the-ahem, Commander upfront. He turned slowly on his heel.

"Koru accepted a match with his title as fukutaichou on the line. I got no problems with the idea," he replied shortly, attempting to make quick work of whole damned thing. He didn't enjoy this grilling session in the slightest.

The Captain-commander gave him a sharp piercing look.

"Hmm…Kusajishi…ave heard that name before," Shunsui remarked, rubbing the end of his chin thoughtfully.

"Isn't that Yachiru?" Ukitake asked doubtfully, "last I heard of her, she was still in the REAL WORLD doing re-con work. Her contract should still be valid, right?"

"She got bored," Zaraki offered with a smirk.

"So it's true?" Hitsugaya asked out of sheer boredom. It would explain a lot about Matsumoto's sudden preoccupation with that Shinigami Women's stuff she kept on yapping about. It was especially hard to get a hold of her now since she seemed to be stalking someone; (it occurred to him at that moment who it might be) with a camera.

"Hai," Unohona replied, "Yachiru-san just came back the day before last."

"That monstrous terror?" Mayuri gave a manly squeal absolute horror. "I'll never forget the day she snuck raspberry juice in my lab and used it to completely ruin ALL my computers. All that precious data was lost, and it took me MONTHS just to get it back!"

Most of the Captains' sighed at the blatant exaggeration.

"Aren't you the one who actually snatched it out of her hand's and… well, caused your own misfortunes with it? Shunsui asked slyly, I seem to have heard that turn of events." Of course he was referring to the more believable rumor of those sensational events. Apparently, in a fit of annoyance, the 12th squad had flung Yachiru's favourite drink away and smacked it into his own computers, causing a chain reaction of pure chaos… not that he'd ever admitted it.

Mayuri's face scrunched up in an ugly scowl. "How would a senile old man like you know anything? Besides, the incident would not have occurred if she hadn't brought those dreadful beverages with her!"

Ukitake gave his friend a sharp jab to the ribs to stop him from chuckling as he was so obviously dying to do. It would be very bad idea to let the incensed Captain know that he was being mocked. He had no inclination to save his friend from Mayuri's wrath, if worst came to the worst; better just warn the trouble maker now…

"What do you think of it?" Soi-fon asked the 6th division captain suddenly. He had been following the proceedings with his usual detached sense of air, and for that reason alone, he was suddenly startled to find himself drawn into this particular conversation, prompting him to spout the first fully formed thought that run through his head:

"I agree with Kurotuchi-taichou's sentiments fully on the matter."

"Ahh, don't be like that Kuchiki," Ukitake chided, "She's always been a rather delightful child, besides, weren't you the one who always fed her pork buns during the Annual General Meetings?"

Byakuya's eyes twitched at the insinuation.

"I did it to keep her quiet. She always disrupted it if I did not occupy her with something", he replied by way of explanation.

Soi-fon interrupted with an amused snort. "Ukitake, seeing as you haven't taken a good look at her for awhile, I don't think you should be calling her a 'child.' "

"ENOUGH!" the sotaichou roared in annoyance, causing everyone to jump at the barely veiled threat. "Zaraki…" he started, giving him a stony look, "do you realize the consequences of these actions?"

The captain in question scratched the back of his head in dull bemusement, "Eh….?" What the hell was that, a trick question?

"If you had thought of this earlier, I would have sanctioned this…thing of yours much sooner."

Zaraki's head scratching abruptly stopped. Wait a sec, was the old turd actually agreeing to this fight? He could feel the beginnings of his trade mark maniacal grin coming on; but it was quickly nipped in the bad with the Captain-commanders next words as he finished their meeting: "Since all of this is on very short notice, I want you to write up a contract with the head librarian making the match valid. I don't want the Nakumashi clan hounding me in case their heir actually loses his seat."

Zaraki groaned. Write up a contract? It was hard enough writing up the occasional report; but this latest chore promised him long long hours of unnatural bending postures in that musty smelling place they called the library. And how was he going to find this place anyway? He thought darkly.

"Cheer up Kenpachi," Ukitake said in that happy voice of his, "at least it's sanctioned."

Zaraki merely grunted in disgust and stalked off.

"Ah, when is this match again?" Shunsui asked aloud.

"Tomorrow," someone answered.

"Well, I might take a peek, if there's time; am always interested in young pretty girls if Soi-fon's sarcasm is anything to go by."

Soi-fon, who wasn't quite out of ear-shot shot him an icy glare and turned her nose up at him in answer.

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Tired to the bone, Yachiru turned to the corner of the cage and fell into a forlorn heap; paws over her head. All day long, there was nothing she hadn't tried if it gave even the slightest inkling if escape, but nothing seemed to work. Those damn sixth squanders kept hovering over her cage all day long, forcing her to bid her time until those few moments she was alone. Byakuya was still at his desk when Renji burst through the door with a harassed look on his face. He had sent him a little while ago to the Technological Department with the previous nights' intriguing find, but judging from his quick reappearance, it seemed that he had not accomplished anything worthwhile.

"Well," he prompted, with a raised eyebrow.

Renji furrowed his brow and took on the look of extreme distaste. "I did as you asked Kuchiki-taichou, but that man- I mean, Kurotuchi-taichou was very busy and asked me to see him later.

Byakuya suppressed a smirk. "He chased you out didn't he?"

Renji winced and grumbled something awfully close to the word; 'yes'.

"Very well, you may take your leave." Renji couldn't be happier; relieving the memories of whatever had just happened in the 12th division, (however vaguely he tried to put it) was embarrassing enough without having his Captain knowing about it too.

Once he was gone, it came as a small surprise to him that he was actually finished for the day, and decided to have an early night. He gave a last look to the captured creature and pondered silently… how on earth it had gotten wrapped up in this latest mystery. Hopefully, he wouldn't be saddled with it for very long.

It let out a pitiful whine and felt a sudden pang of guilt for locking it up the way he had, but there was no help for it. He suddenly remembered the torn shinigami uniform he held in his hands last night and the overpowering sense of nostalgia swam over him at once. The reiatsu on it had been faint and oddly familiar… yet he just couldn't put it in his mind who it belonged to. Sighing quietly, he filed it away for later scrutiny and swiftly shunpoed home. Perhaps it was the fact that he hadn't been on an active mission for so long that his skilled intuition had begun to fail him, either way, he would not let this matter fail him.

I don't know if the ending of this chapter fit well or it was too abrupt. Anyway it was months ago when I wrote it, so I beg for your forgiveness. Most of this hasn't been beta-read, so bare with misspells that happened to catch your eye. Anyone out there is still interested in beta-ing 4 me, drop me a line. Until nxt chappie- ciao!

S.s