I do not own Bleach or any of it's characters, nor am I affiliated with I-Pod's in any way.
The very next day, Katsumi and Kenpachi fell into their usual rhythm. They spent the morning sparing, followed by a quick swim in the near by lake to cool off, which lead to Katsumi trying to teach him something she greatly enjoyed. The warm, earthy tones of music filled the air, it was something she called a Paso Doble.
"This sucks!" Kenpachi grumbled, and she had to stifle her giggles.
"This is the best dance for you. As the male, all you need to concentrate on is mostly footwork; the upper part of your body needs to remain straight most of the time. How can you be such a good fighter with that level of foot work and have such a hard time moving your feet to the music? You almost have it...let's try it again from the top." Both moved back into the starting position.
"Che! This is stupid! Why do I need to know this damn stuff?" Kenpachi began to through the steps of the dance, while he continued to complain. "How do you even make that music? I've never seen a contraption like that before."
"It's called an I-Pod, they seem to be everywhere in the North American Division. Their researchers were able to find a way for it to run on the surrounding reishi, which is great because there are no batteries or electrical plugs here in the Soul Society to connect it to a power source. And you need to learn this if you don't want anyone to laugh at you tonight when you preform it at the SWA dance." Katsumi waited for the explosion, which came shortly after her comment.
Kenpachi stopped dead. "Dance? Tonight? You mean I have to go to that stink-in thing tonight?"
"I'm surprised that Yachiru hasn't already demanded you put in an appearance, she is the president after all. The rest of your squad is going to be there because of her, but don't worry...I have it on good authority that you can buy." He looked slightly mollified at the ideal of drinking till he forgot about the whole situation, but he still felt uneasy about preforming like some freak-in fairy in front of everybody. "With just a little bit more practice...you are going to put all the other shinigami to shame. You know this dance will show all the women just how sensual and commanding you can really be."
A slightly embarrassed look flew across his face. "Why did they throw a dance of all things? They are always looking to find ways of making money, I would think a saki party would make more."
Now it was Katsumi's time to be embarrassed. "Well...that would be my fault, or rather Himitsu Soyokaze's fault. Her conversations are not all one way. She loves music, so she has been sharing it with the others she has been talking to. It is through their zans that shinigami have been infected, is the best word. Surely you have noticed the number of people who have been absent mindedly humming."
Kenpachi nodded at this.
He remembered walking into the office and hearing Ikkaku, who was cleaning his sword, Yumi and Yachiru, who were coloring, singing different parts of the same song. None of them seemed to realize that was what they were doing. "I don't think I've been doing that."
"You wouldn't, not really. Yachiru gave up that kind of communication with you in order to manifest herself to talk to you physically. But a very small part of you seems to be a bit more...lyrical...than normal."
He looked confused, "If I cant speak to my zan that way, then how can it affect me?"
"I've never told a living soul this, and I'll only tell you if you swear never to mention it to anybody..." he nodded gravely. "Himitsu Soyokaze doesn't only talk to zanpakutos."
"She talks to people too?"
"No, never people. Any object that has had large amounts of spiritual pressure forced through it gains a kind of self awareness. The more spiritual pressure...the greater the intelligence...I don't know if that is really the proper term to use. Most can only convey basic emotions: love, hate, hunger, contentment, or anger. Sort of like a pet, one doesn't truly know if they really think like we do, but they can convey basic emotions through signals." She reached up and flicked one of the bells on the tip of his hair. "Now these little buggers are power hungry and only feel content when you are fighting." Zaraki wasn't sure how he felt about her being able to read him so well. It felt odd being betrayed by such tiny objects. The magnitude of her zan's abilities grew and took on a frightening shape. She continued despite his inner turmoil, "There is probably a melody that vaguely returns to your mind now and then; noting concrete, they are not intelligent enough for something like that."
"You are influencing people's minds and thoughts like Aizen's zanpakuto." He was glad his voice was as steady as it was.
"Oh no, never like that. His zan blinded a persons ability to precieve what was truly happening. My zan is a bit more subtle. She can never confuse others like that, they simply want to do what she suggest all on their own. They trust her and believe that she wouldn't betray their wielders, but they are fully capable of making up their own minds. If what she says could hurt them, they can simply ignore it if they want. They could even do the exact opposite if they wanted to. Not her fault if she makes very good sense."
Kenpachi had to let out a bark of laughter. " A zanpakuto is a reflection of it's shinigami's mind, and you do have us all doing pretty much what you want us to do."
"I certainly hope I am making a lot of sense as well." She let out a wild laugh, "I am the despot behind the throne!" She noticed the uneasy look he threw her. "Don't worry...I am fine. In fact, there is no one as sane, both mentally and emotionally, than I am here in the seireitei. Not that I cant get mad or anything, just that I am the most level headed person here in the Soul Society." She chuckled at his doubtful look. "I am the Adjudicator. Every office except those promoted to the Royal Guard are appointed or regulated by the council, the noble families, or old man Yamamoto and you Taichous. The Soul King not only created those post, but he chooses himself who will be promoted or appointed to my position. He would never chose any one like Aizen or even you to fill either of those slots."
Zaraki gave a perturbed look at that, he was sure the Royal Guards must fight wonderfully violent battles. "Back to these self aware items, Shinigami 's objects have a type of power themselves? Like Yumi's feathers or Matsumoto's scarf?"
"Sort of...If the item is from this world, the amount of spiritual pressure has to be at least a Taichou's level to be of any affect. If the item is from the mortal world...that is slightly different. The other evening I was eating out in one of the districts, I became aware of an old woman who had such an item; she wasn't powerful in any way herself."
"Then how did it happen? I thought that item couldn't cross over into soul society from the real world." The ideal of a weakling being able to accomplish more than his 5th seat did not sit well with him.
"When she was a young girl, her fiance gifted her with a comb. She wore it constantly and frequently rubbed it throughout her long life. It became aware enough to cross with her when she died. It was her constant companion here as well. When she died here, her body and the echo of the comb disappeared. Not to long after she was reborn the comb returned to her as a family heirloom; and the circle was complete. They have been through several lifetimes and deaths together. Always finding each other after each rebirth: a gift, an heirloom, or an object she saw in a store and just had to have. After all this time it is close to achieving the same intelligence as an unnamed zan, just another lifetime should do it."
This concept was difficult to understand, but Kenpachi seemed to get a vague idea of what she was talking about. "So if the item started here, it needs at least a Taichous power to awaken it. But if it started in the real world, even a weak power over a long period could do it." He continued after her nod. "And if it can cross over to the soul society it will remain with its owner throughout all of his or her lifetimes and become even more powerful."
"Pretty much, it has been with her for hundreds of years and will probably spend hundreds of more. Now this is guess work on my part...but I wonder if that is where a zanpakuto comes from. Was it actually one of these items waiting for it's owner to become strong enough to be a shinigami. Just a guess...but it would be nice to know. Interestingly, these items are often referred to as being haunted by the spirits of the dead in the real world, while in fact, they waiting for the owners to pass through the Soul Society. The vibes they give off is not supernatural in any way, they come from the items themselves. So sorry, Yumi's feathers are just that...Now Nanao's book is a different matter all together, it started off in the real world and ...well, enough of that." She paused and looked down. "You see...when you are not thinking about it, you are a pretty good dancer!"
He turned slightly red. "We have to stop now anyway, I have just enough time to eat till that meeting with Ikkaku."
A slow smile curved her lips. "Remember I set up a meeting with you and the head Instructor at the Academy at 3o'clock." She watched him role his eyes. "And you will need to talk to your squad about him. No one should lay a finger on him, because he is going to be more important to you than the rest of them." He grunted as her watched her collect her music machine. Then they both headed back to the barracks for lunch.
Ikkaku approached the door to Zaraki Taichou's office, but he could not bring himself to open it. He took a deep breath and tried to make himself try to slide it open again. He took a startle step back when it seemed to open all on it's own. That was when he became aware of the smiling woman standing before him. He wanted to yell at her for causing that reaction when he heard Zaraki's command to enter.
"So, can you guess what this is all about?" Ikkaku looked up at this question from his leader.
"The Taichou's exam?" He hesitantly questioned. "Are you going to be sending me away?" Ikkaku was unsure if he wanted to know the answer to his question.
"You sound like a promotion is a punishment. Squad 3 is not THAT far away, but you are making it to sound like you are being shipped off to the mortal realm, or some place just as far away." Zaraki was a
bit put out over how his subordinate was acting. He had thought Ikkaku had a bit more backbone than that, of course he was one of the few who had even a basic ideal of what family meant to the two boneheads. He had never asked them about their lives prior to joining up with him, but coming from the worst district in Soul Society..he could guess about some of it.
Katsumi laughed, while Yachiru giggled. "What a strange way to congratulate someone for a promotion they deserve."
"Yeah! Baldy! You did a great job. We need to throw a party with lots of food and bunches of candy." Yachiru cheered.
"Leave it to the fukutaichou to see what is really important about this whole mess." Ikkaku felt a mixture of several emotions: fear of the unknown, loneliness of being separated from his family, love of his Taichou, the thrill of what could happen, and pride in his accomplishment.
Zaraki broke into his self introspection, "Do I need to ask just who you would like to be your fukutaichou?"
"Yumichika, of course." He replied without any doubt, but then he hesitated. "Would that be alright with you? He is the one who does most of the work around here; and now that you are allowing the use of kido he might be needed to help train the others."
"Once squad 11...always squad 11, even when you leave it." Kenpachi threw a discouraging look at Katsumi's comment.
"I'm going to be getting in a new recruit for the administrative work, and once squad 5 gets a Taichou..a kido master as well. Kenpachi watched the amazed look blossom on Ikkaku's face.
"You were expecting me to pass? You had faith that I could do it?" He started to feel more certain of the future.
"I did have a hand in training you, didn't I?" He turned to his zan, "Yachiru...run and fetch Yumi, but don't tell him why." He turned back as the little girl almost flew out of the room. "You cant tell anyone yet, at least not till the joint meeting tomorrow where it will be officially announced."
Katsumi cleared her throat, "It will be necessary for you to talk to the men tonight." She knew that Kenpachi wouldn't know how to tell them about the new member. "Just tell them you are both transferring to the 3rd to help get them straighten out, which is the truth. A number of squad members are going to be transferred to help strengthen the 3rd and 5th squads, so volunteers would be helpful. Just remembering that they are coming into your squad...so if you don't like someone..." She left the rest of that statement unsaid. You will have to explain the the 5th seat to them as well." A curious look crossed the bald man's face. "Your squad seats aren't like the rest of the others, so this shouldn't be too difficult a concept for you all to face. The young man doesn't know how to fight." The confused look turned into a dumbfounded one. "He is going to have two jobs. The first is all the paperwork, and you know how important that can be." The look still had not left Ikkaku's face. "So if they want supplies or money from the squad's budget...they will have to go to him. No one had better pick on him, or let anyone from the other squads pick on him either."
"More importantly," Kenpachi interjected, "he has one other job which makes him more important than just about anyone else. With both you and Yumi in another squad, Yachiru needs a new baby sitter to keep her out of trouble. If he does a good job, I am going to take his word over anybody else."
Ikkaku's eyes widened. He hadn't thought of that, but it was a valid concern. After all these years following the little midget around, getting his head gnawed on, he felt a touch of concern for the unknown weakling. But if he can watch after her by himself, as of now it took two people, he would be impressed. At this point Yachiru came bouncing in through the door, dragging a patient Yumichika behind her.
"You wanted to see me Taichou?" After seeing just who was in the room, Yumi felt very cautious.
"Ikkaku has something he needs to ask you." The huge man leaned back to watch the two interact.
"Well..um..you see Yumi..the day before last I sort of took the...Taichou's exam"
A smile of delight appeared on Yumi's face. "And of course you passed! I knew that if you just tried you would make it! I'm happy for you..I just know you will make a beautiful Taichou."
"What I wanted to ask was ...would you be willing to transfer to squad 3 as my fukutaichou? I need someone a lot smarter than me to help get them straightened out."
The grin broadened and the beautiful man positively sparkled. "If it is alright with the Taichou, then of course! There is really no where else I would rather be than at your side in a fight."
"It's alright with me. You guys work great as a team, you always have." An almost gloating smirk crossed his face. "Squad 11 has produced 2 Taichous and 4 fukutaichous. Not to mention the trained men that will be transferring to get the other squads up to strength." He stood and stretched, "Yachiru and I have to go see the head of the academy about the new 5th seat. Ikkaku...you can explain it all to Yumi." They left, which made the room seem much larger by their absence.
"Congratulations you two! Tomorrow after the meeting and announcements we will have to get together and celebrate. Just remember that this squad can now use kido, so don't transfer out all of the kido users. I'll leave it to the both of you to tell the others." The two friends turned to each other as they were left in the office alone.
I had intended to continue this now, but this was so long I decided to break it up into two chapters. Please R&R.