WEEKS 001

AN: So here it is. The latest chapter in The Lion and The Fox. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope you find it worth the wait. It is much longer than the other chapters have been. WEEKS 002 will probably be about the same as this one, give or take a few paragraphs. I do so love these two insane captains.

Also my apologies for the false start of the story (to those who read it previously). I have no idea what went wonky, but I just figured out how to edit the stories after they've been uploaded. So I hope that this won't happen again.

When Zaraki Kenpachi was sent to the twelfth division as punishment (for Destruction of Gotei 13 Prototype 34RC311, for one) various mutterings could be heard throughout Soul Society.

"I'd hate to be part of the third division right now . . ."

"Poor vice-captain Kira . . ."

"I wonder how long they can keep those two apart?"

"Wanna bet on how long it takes for vice-captain Yachiru to fill the fourth division with the third?"

This last question happened to be uttered within earshot of aforementioned, Yachiru. The speaker was promptly slammed with a reiatsu that sent him to the fourth division himself. Yachiru, satisfied her insulter had been suitably punished, let out a "hmph!" and continued on her way. The person walking behind her shook their head and clucked their tongue.

"Ne, ne. That wasn't very nice, Yachiru."

Yachiru tilted her head back to take in the upside-down smiling face of Ichimaru Gin. She couldn't help but smile in return, even though that rude comment still irked her.

"Ah, Gin-chan, I'm tired of hearing people talk like it's a punishment to be around me!" She pouted and crossed her arms. She kicked at the ground while they walked.

"That's because they don't know ya. They just don't get ya. And they ain't that used to shinigami your age running around. Ya hafta have noticed that Toushiro's the only one even close."

Yachiru waved off Gin's words. "Yeah, yeah. Baldy and Yumichika said all that, too. Even Ken-chan's told me that. He thinks it's funny."

THELIONANDTHEFOX

Yachiru really wasn't all that happy about going to the third division while her Ken-chan worked for the creepy clown-faced captain of the twelfth division. She had demanded that Ken-chan take her with him.

"NO!" He practically roared. His eyes were really angry.

Yachiru was a little shocked at this. He never yelled at her. She bit her lower lip, planted her feet firmly on the ground and met his eyes with a defiant glare of her own. Kenpachi's eyes softened and he went down on one knee before her. He placed his hands lightly on her small shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Yachiru," His gravelly voice was very serious. She shifted nervously but looked right back at him, showing she was listening. "Please go stay with Gin and Kira until I'm finished working at the twelfth division."

"Why do I have to go? Why can't they come here?"

"Because Ikkaku and Yumichika can handle things while we're not here. Gin's division isn't that strong."

"But, I didn't even get to have fun with you and Gin-chan when you went to the mortal world! Why am I getting punished too!?"

Kenpachi pulled her closer and gave her a hug. She could feel him laughing lightly. "Well, brat. The idea is that you're supposed to be Gin's punishment."

Yachiru pushed him away at that. The strength of her shocked reiatsu knocked Kenpachi off balance and he landed on his posterior with an undignified 'oof!'

"Wh-What!? I thought Gin-chan liked me . . ."

Kenpachi pulled himself into a cross-legged sitting position. He waved his hands in the air while shaking his head to indicate 'no.' It was a pity he had already taken his hair down for the night, it would've been even funnier with his bells jingling. The sight and it's corresponding thought made Yachiru stifle a giggle.

"Nah. You see, Gin likes you all right. It's just that the rest of Soul Society thinks you're a little dynamo just waiting to blow. You are my vice-captain after all. We've got a reputation." Kenpachi gave her a toothy lop-sided grin and held a hand out to her. She giggle outright and launched herself into the air, quickly closing the distance between them. She grabbed his hand and settled onto his lap.

She looked up at him. "Yeah, I know. But it still sucks."

Kenpachi responded by ruffling her pink hair. "Che. I'll be too busy at the twelfth division anyway. You wouldn't have any fun. Just go with Gin and Kira and have fun with them. Who cares what the rest of Soul Society thinks? You know what people say about Gin. Do we care?"

Yachiru vigorously shook her head no.

Zaraki gave her a little nudge. "So do what I ask, okay?"

She beamed back up at him with a smile so broad, her eyes were closed. "'Kay!"

They sat in silence for a few moments. Then . . .

"Ken-chaaaan?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you really want me to go to the twelfth division with you?"

Zaraki let out a sigh of the long-suffering.

"Because I can't trust Mayuri to not try and give you some experimental candy or something. And we both know you'd eat it before thinking . . . ."

THELIONANDTHEFOX

"Ah, so that's how it is . . . ." Gin said lazily, as they lounged in the shade of a tree near a pond.

"Yep!" Yachiru chirped happily, as she watched the paper boat float along the water.

"Taichou! Taichou!" Kira came running towards where they were. He stopped to catch his breath, clutching his side. Gin opened one eye a tiny bit to observe his frazzled vice-captain.

"Ne, Izuru. What's wrong?"

"Taichou," Kira began, still clutching his mid-section. "An important document has gone missing and I"

Movement caught his eyes and they widened as they focused on the paper boat with 'Important!' stamped in red ink on its side. His hands moved from clutching his side, to his hair. He stood gaping in disbelief for a moment before . . .

"NOOooo!" He ran into the pond after the paper boat, wailing. "Taichouuu! How could youuu!?"

"My boat!" Yachiru yelled when Kira unfolded the half-soaked paper. She couldn't bring herself to protest more when she saw the utterly forlorn look on the third division vice-captain's face.

Gin sat up and regarded his vice-captain standing mid-thigh in water, pouting over the demise of the document.

"Izuru?"

Kira blinked at the sound of his name. He looked around to find Gin and Yachiru watching him. They looked worried. He turned back to the paper he was holding at arms-length. He carefully refolded it and placed it carefully back on the water's surface. He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"Ano, sorry, Yachiru. I kind of overreacted." He waded over to join them. Gin laid back down, sighing contentedly. Yachiru patted Kira on the knee and they watched the boat meander over the water.

A/N: Er, yay! Now I know how to get the horizontal ruler format in the story! That should be helpful.