6 DAYS LATER
A large dark figure sat on the roof of a nearby building, he looked out upon the 11th squad's training ground. He could see Ikkaku sparing with a woman he did not recognize. A corner of his mouth lifted into a semblance of a smile. It looked like his subordinate was enjoying himself, and his opponent was quite skillful. Every time Ikkaku would strike with Hozukimaru, she would counter with her katana. And when he lunged at her, over extending himself, she would shift and flow around the staff and strike from the side. This would cause him to jump back and reposition himself for another attack. They both appeared to be enjoying themselves.
"Kenny-chan! You're back! Did you bring me any candy?" A small shadow appeared and attached herself to Zaracki's shoulder. The giant reached into his shihakusho and drew out a bag, then tossed it to the pink haired child. "If you don't stop eating all that candy your teeth will rot. Then I'll have to put up with baldy, feather face, and toothless.", he chided.
The little girls eyes grew round, "Kenny-chan, you just told a joke! Does that mean it went well?"
"Che, four days wasted." Zaraki muttered with disgust. "If that ryoka boy could talk to his zanpakuto, then I should be able to as well. But tell me Yachiru, who is that woman Ikkaku is training with?" He could not help the interest he felt from showing in his voice.
Looking over at the 11th squad's grounds she smiled. "Do you mean Lady-shi? Her name is Katsumi and she's staying with us now." Her large Taichou grunted in response, so the sprout continued. "Unohana Taichou sent her to live with us and take care of the wounded."
Zaraki looked at her with surprise. "Unohana sent her? That woman fighting Ikkaku is no healer...she is a fighter. Ikkaku is having a difficult time against her...she is no wimp. When did this happen anyway?"
"Well," she raised her small finger to her mouth in concentration, "she gave me some candy and Baldy a letter. Oh, and she let feather face help decorate her rooms. Wait till you see all the things Lady-shi brought back with her from the living world." Counting on her fingers, "She brought candy, really pretty clothes, and a thing called a mp3 player; though I don't like some of her music." This last was said with a small frown. She quickly looked up with excitement, "Oh yeah, you should see all the weapons she owns. I had never ever seen anything like some of them before."
Standing up, Zaraki looked down at Katsumi with interest. "I guess I will just have to meet her. But I think I'll talk to Unohana first."
...
Unohana Retsu was looking through the medical books that 7th seat Yamada Hanataro brought back from the living world after his assignment there was completed. She had done what she could for Ukitake Jushiro, but it was not enough to cure his illness. Unohana hoped the living world would have information to find a cure for him. Jushiro was such a nice, strong, and respected man, and for him to suffer in this way is shame. But maybe it was this illness that had shaped him into the man he was... why he was so respected by everyone around him.
She looked up in consternation when she felt a familiar spirit pressure approach her office. Why is that man here? Could her day get even worse? Unohana plastered a smile on her face, to replace the look of irritation she felt. She stood as she felt Zaraki come closer and closer. A loud knock sounded on her office door. A knock? The animal actually knows how to knock! "Please come in.", she hastened to say after she got over the shock of Zaraki with manners. She watched the mountainous man opened the door, then he had to duck to get through the door frame. "How may I help you?"
"This woman you have assigned to my barracks...what is that all about?" The man certainly got to the point. No small talk from him.
"My letter explained everything." Seeing his confusion she sighed. "You did read the letter did you not?"
"Uh, Ikkaku took the letter. I just got back and decided to talk to you before meeting with her." Zaraki quickly explained himself. "Why would you assign a healer to the 11th squad. It looks like you need help here." He thought back on the overflowing wards he passed on the way to the office.
"Yes we do need help, but with Katsumi stationed in your barracks we hope to prevent new patients coming in. We have assigned healers to all the squads for just that reason. The General Commander Yamoto-Genryusai Shigekuni supports this new policy. I chose Katsumi to go to your squad because she was best suited to your approach to fighting. Yes, she is a healer and excels in the demon arts, but her skills at armed combat surpasses most shinigami. You should feel honored she accepted the position. Her duties as Adjudicator keeps her busy and in great demand."
"Adjudicator? What the hell is that?" Zaraki recognized the word but he could not remember from where or even when he heard it.
Unohana sighed, "When you became captain it was explained to you, remember? There are more than one soul society in the world." Zaraki gave a curt nod. Unohana continued, "We do not interact with each other. The Commander Generals only communicate in matters of great importance; such as Aizen , but the captains can not communicate with anyone outside of the division. Each soul society is autonomous. Each division has one shinigami that can travel between them, the Adjudicator. And Goti 13's Adjudicator is Katsumi. She could easily be named a captain, but she is too important in her current role."
"I had forgotten about that.", he said with embarrassment. "So she is a worth opponent. This could be interesting. But where has she been? I don't remember seeing her before."
"Katsumi has been with Soul Society for considerable time. She has spent the last 75 years with the North American Division, she had only returned 6 days ago. We wont know when she will be called away again for duty, but until that time she agreed to spent the time at the 11th squad." Unohana braced herself for another round of questions and complaints, but to her surprise Zaraki merely nodded, turned, and left without another sound.
...
"Ikkaku! Yumichika! My office. Now!" A loud voice rang out, and it could only belong to one person. Both officers jumped at the sound of their Taichou's voice and used shunpo to reach his rooms immediately.
After entering they both dropped to one knee and said in unison, "What do you want us to do, Sensei?" Zaraki Kenpachi lounged on his pillows and looked over at his two subordinates. Yachiru leaned into his bulk while coloring a picture of a tree under a green sun.
"My time was wasted the last 6 days," he growled, "and I hope you two wont make my day any worse. I understand we have someone staying with us for a time. I believe you have a letter for me Ikkaku."
"I put it on your desk, Sensei. It was right over there..." Looking confused Ikkaku's gaze wandered to the large desk in the corner, at the unfortunately empty desk top. He glanced around him, but his head stopped when he saw the little girl. "You!" ,pointing a finger at Yachiru. "Where did you get that paper?"
"This? Why over on Kenny-chan's desk. Should I color the tree yellow?" the pink midget asked innocently.
"No, no Yachiru-chan." Yumi sank down next to her. "A yellow tree is not beautiful! Why, it would look like it was sick. Pretty trees are green." He picked up the green color stick and started on the picture. "But the sun is green, wouldn't the tree look funny if it was the same color?" Yachiru fukutaichou looked up at feather face with trust. "Have you ever seen a green sun? The sun should always be yellow." Picking up the offending paper, he passed it over his shoulder to his Taichou. Drawing out another piece of paper, Yumi picked up a black color stick. "Here Yachiru-chan, let me help you."
Ikkaku snickered, Yumi always seemed able to handle the squirt. Surprisingly, she allowed Yumi to tell her what to do, the only other person she ever listened to is her Kenny-chan. If she saw Zaraki Taichou as her father...I wonder what that would make Yumi-chan.
Zaraki was looking at his companion's artistic efforts with interest. "What are you using to draw with? It is not paint, but it is not chalk either.", he mused.
The girl looked up from her efforts, "Lady-shi gave them to me. She said they were called crayons, and that they were made from wax. You should see your rooms Kenny-chan. Baldy, Feather Face, and Lady-shi helped me draw pretty pictures on your walls. There are Bya-kun, Gramps, Doggie, Mayurin, Jiggles, Pencil, Ichi, Shun-Shun, Re-Chan, Izurun, and of course Baldy, Feather Face, Lady-shi, and us. And I used what colors I wanted to." She threw a dark look at the man sitting next to her when she said this.
Zaraki turned the paper over and read the letter. It was everything Unohana Retsu said it would be. "Send for this Katsumi woman." Ikkaku passed this order to the guard standing outside of the room.
"Katsumi-san is very smart and has excellent sword skills, especially for a member of the 4th squad." Ikkaku made sure to emphasize these skills. After that first morning in training, Ikkaku has looked forward to sparing with the healer every day. "As 3rd seat of squad 11, I Madarame Ikkaku feel that the healer Katsumi is a good addition to the 11th Division." He carefully looked up to see how Zaraki Senei was taking his statement.
"Don't worry," Zaraki smirked, "I am not going to send your playmate away. I have already talked to Unohana Taichou about this and have decided she could stay."
"Yah! Lady-shi is staying. Now I'll get all sorts of candy and more color sticks too!" Yachiru cried out, dancing around her Ken-chan. "You will like her as well Kenny-chan."
Katsumi knocked on the door and entered the room to her first view of The Zaraki Kenpachi Taichou. He was not quite what she had been expecting of a man who kept a small pink haired child around him. But given all she had heard about him, she was not sure what to she had been assuming.
His spirit pressure alone was staggering. The wide expanse of his chest was crisscrossed with the white scars of old wounds, and some not so old injuries. But beyond his large size, the most distinctive thing about him was his hair. It was drawn up into a series of spikes, similar to the punk rockers she had seen in North America. At the top of each barb was a small golden bell. His face was chiseled into sharp angles, and the shape of his mouth could only be called feral. The patch over his right eye lent him a rough, sinister appearance.
Looking about the room, Katsumi saw Ikkaku standing tall next to his Sensei. Yachiru was lying on her stomach in front of Zaraki Taichou coloring a picture. And Yumi sat next to her advising her on what colors would be the most beautiful to use. All in all, a happy family; if slightly dis functional. Hozukimaru was growling about taking a nap, Ruriiro Kujaku was complaining about the colors his master was using, and Zaraki's zanpakuto hummed to herself off key. For a squad who prided themselves on being so straight forward, who would would guess there would be so many secrets.
Zaraki watched the tall, athletically built young woman enter the room. For the first time in his life he couldn't seem to talk. Her raven hair was swept up into a gentle style that was piled on the top of her head. The face beneath it was smooth of any blemishes, and hinted at a complexion of a faint peach glow of health. Katsumi's lips were a full, lush red; and her green eyes sparkled like the deepest of emeralds. And on her ears, the tinkle of lights off of a pair of delicate earrings.
Bowing formally she spoke, "Zaraki Taichou, my name is Katsumi. Unohana Taichou has assigned me to be your squad's healer." Looking up at the large man, the corners of her lips lifted slightly. "After all 3rd seat Madarame has told me of you, I must say I am looking forward to this appointment. I can rarely find a sparing partner in my own squad."
An answering grin appeared on Zaraki's face. "After what Unohana has told me, I am looking forward to it also."
The eyebrows of the other two men raised as they looked at each other. Ikkaku's in question, and Yumichika's in delight. Ikkaku softly snorted and looked away. Yuchiru looked back and forth between them in confusion. They were always talking to each other like that, she just wished they would use words so she would know what was going on.
"Unohana said you could fight, unlike the rest of the wimps. Tomorrow. You and I. Where do you want me to defeat you?" Zaraki sat back with a satisfied look on his face.
"I spar with the squad in the mornings, but am often called away to attend my healer duties. I have taken to practicing by myself out at the old training grounds in the afternoon. I'm less likely to be interrupted then." Katsumi smiled almost shyly.
"In the afternoon then. I'm sure the squad has already thrown you a welcoming party, they usually don't miss any chance they get to drink saki." He threw a cutting look in Ikkaku's direction, causing the man to flush.
"Yes, Zaraki Taichou, the second night I was here. Given Ikkaku's familiarity with drinking establishments I had been meaning to ask him to show me the way to the Dorinku Saki Bar. I am meeting some old friends there tonight."
Ikkaku flushed at this and told her he would be happy to show her, as he himself was meeting other officers there. Katsumi smiled, bowed, and left the room.
"Things are going to get amusing. I feared that I would get bored after the war was over, and everything will go back to being dull." Zaraki laughed out load. Yachiru jumped up and crawled into his lap, her Kenny-chan was happy.