Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.

"All right wimps, listen up! The name's Ryou, but you can call me Commander. I'll be your leader during this war; you listen to me, don't do anything without asking my permission, and follow my every instruction, or I'll have you punished for insubordination. Got it?"

"Y-yes, sir," the cadets answered weakly, terrified of the prospect of serving under this new commander. He was frowning deeply, a look of disapproval and contempt on his face as he eyed the line up of newly arrived soldiers.

Which is why it was such a surprise when he suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hey, come on, guys. No need to look like you're about to piss yourselves; I was just joking!"

There was a dead silent pause, before someone gave a cough, and some men chuckled halfheartedly.

"Okay, okay," Ryou muttered, rolling his eyes and running his hand through his sandy hair. "So you didn't appreciate it. I was just trying to lighten the mood. Good grief, this is gonna be a long three months."

He put his fist in front of his mouth, and cleared his throat.

"Okay, I'll start over. The name's Ryou – I wasn't joking about that part. There's no need to call me Commander, though I am your leader – I wasn't lying about that either. Seriously though, if you call me Commander, I probably won't answer, so just call me Ryou, okay? Any questions so far?"

He was met with blank stares and incredulous looks, and tried to suppress a chuckle. However, he did let out a sigh; now he had to get serious.

"Alright, I know I look young – that's because I'm probably younger than a lot of you actually – but I've had extensive military training. I joined the army right after I graduated high school, and the higher-ups think I'm skilled enough to teach newcomers, so that should tell you not to treat me lightly.

"I meant what I said earlier; any form of insubordination will not be taken lightly. I expect your full cooperation at all times. We are in a war now, gentlemen. Every day of training is crucial to your survival in battle. Treat every moment seriously, as if you could be attacked at any second, and treat every stranger like an enemy; we do not know anything about this new planet, and do not know what they are capable of.

"That being said, do not, under any circumstances, wander away from the campsite without a partner, or permission from a superior officer, such as myself. Despite what the government tells you, our first priority is not to win this war, but to get you home to your families safely. In order to do that, we need everyone working together as a team, and following rules."

And he suddenly gave a goofy grin.

"So I hope I get to know you all well. Despite the jokes, I'm a pretty laid-back, cool guy, and when we're not training, that time is yours, so you can socialize however you want, provided we don't have any major fires, or anyone breaking laws. Get to know each other well gentlemen, because you are each others' allies in battle. Which is why, to help you guys get a head start on getting to know one another, we've already made the boarding assignments. Please find your cabin number, and pray that you get a nice roommate, because we do not change rooms for anyone, for any reason."

The men slightly grumbled under their breath as they headed over to the posted list to find out where they would be staying for the next twelve weeks.

Ryou watched them cheerfully, probably because as the commander, he got a room to himself. However, there was one person who caught his eye.

It was a young boy, who looked too little and fragile to be of age, let alone be part of a war. Ryou, overcome with curiosity, approached him.

"Hey, little man," he said, and the young lad turned to face him.

Ryou was amused to see that the boy not only looked delicate in body, but in face. He had very fragile features, and...feminine qualities, such as a small nose and full mouth. However, his eyes were sharp and focused.

"Yes, Ryou-sempai?" he replied, an eyebrow raised in a questioning look.

Sempai? Ryou raised his own eyebrow.

"What's your name, little man?"

"...Hikaru."

"Sounds girly."

"It's a unisex name. Sorry that it's not up to your standards." The boy looked highly offended, and Ryou chuckled.

"Hey, I was just making an observation. So, how old are you Hikaru?"

"...eighteen."

That was just too incredulous to believe. Perhaps Hikaru realized that too, because he flushed and looked away.

"Uh-huh," Ryou remarked, his tone implying that he did not believe him one bit. "And tell me Hikaru-the-eighteen-year-old, do you have your draft letter?"

"Right here."

And to Ryou's immense surprise, Hikaru pulled a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket. The young army man took it from him curiously, and stared at it. It was perfect; every word was accurate, it had the government's official stamp, and even the President's signature on the bottom.

"Huh, who would have thought. It's legit." Hikaru snorted.

"And I'm here because...?" he sneered, and then added, as an afterthought, "sir."

Ryou laughed.

"I like you, little man. You've got spunk. Alright, it's decided; you're my new best friend!"

"What?!"

..ღ..

"Come on, little man! We're all waiting on you. If you were in real battle, you'd be dead by now."

"Your pep talks suck."

Ryou laughed loudly.

"This is the army, little man. We don't give pep talks, only Hell."

"Oh please. I saw you slip Satou an extra piece of bread during breakfast so he could actually finish his morning run without taking an hour. What do you call that?"

"Bribery," Ryou replied, grinning, and without a trace of shame.

"Well, let's hope his team'll carry around a piece of bread with them on their missions. Otherwise, Kami be with him."

"Hey! The reason he's managed to keep up with his team is because I've been coaching him. The bread was just a little...motivation, on the side."

"I'm sure when he has a heart attack from a heavy diet and lack of exercise, he'll be real thankful for your motivation."

And with that sarcastic remark, Hikaru reached the top of the wall, flung himself over it, and landed on the ground on the other side. Being the shortest of his team, his arms and legs were not terribly long, and it took him longer than everyone else to climb.

Ryou ran around the propped up barrier they used for climbing, beaming as he reached his "best friend."

"And you said my pep talks sucked."

"They do."

"You made it over the wall, didn't you?"

"By sheer determination."

The older teen shook his head, clucking his tongue in disapproval.

"A good soldier knows when to be modest."

"And a good Commander knows when he's being a hypocrite."

"You calling me immodest, little man?"

"Well, you do keep trying to take credit for a piece of bread's hard work."

Ryou laughed and clapped Hikaru on the back.

"I really like you, little man."

Hikaru rolled his eyes.

"You say that every day. Sorry, but I don't swing that way."

"Insubordination? You know, I could write you up for this."

"So you're saying it's my duty to like you?"

"I meant the sarcasm."

"You wouldn't turn me in. Then you wouldn't have anyone's room to sneak into every night so you can hug the life out of them because of a scary nightmare."

"There are plenty of other soldiers here besides you."

"You wouldn't ever go to them. They still respect you."

"...that's true."

..ღ..

"Hikaru, you sure you don't want a drink? It tastes good."

"Yes, I'm sure, Ryou-sempai."

"Kami, you're such a prude. Do you come from some sort of devout family? I mean, no sex, no alcohol. You sure you're a man?"

There was no way for Ryou to know he was offering alcohol to a minor, or that he had dragged one to a rowdy bar along with the rest of the men in their training camp. Although Hikaru knew this, Ryou still received a glare.

"Yes, I'm sure. How many times do I have to say no before it sticks in your head?"

Ryou was too busy taking a large swig of his beer to answer.

"Hey, Ryou! Hikaru!"

Both looked over to see Satou, his large belly hanging over his pants despite the hours of exercise he put in along with his team, waving at them with a sly look on his face. He was obviously taking full advantage of the small break the troops were taking in the town nearby, because his face was very red with intoxication, and his eyes were out of focus already, although they had only been here for an hour.

"I think someone wants your attention."

The two looked over to where he was pointing, and noticed two girls watching them from across the room. They were dressed in handkerchiefs. Or at least, that's what their dresses looked like in Hikaru's opinion; they were so short and didn't cover anything that should be covered. Not to mention, the amount of makeup on their faces made them look like plastic dolls.

Ryou didn't seem to mind their appearance at all. In fact, he sent the two of them a nod, not at all hiding the pleasure in his brown eyes as he took them in. They giggled and batted their eyes in what they thought was a seductive manner when they noticed the objects of their attentions were looking back at them.

"What do you say, little man? You up for some fun?"

"No thanks, Ryou-sempai. I have enough dignity not to go for some drunk whore waving at me from across a bar. But you go knock yourself out."

His superior officer didn't need telling twice. Not taking any offense to the implication that he had no dignity, he set down his large mug and sauntered across the room. Hikaru turned away with a look of disgust.

..ღ..

"Ryou-sempai, what's your family like?"

"Hmmm? That's a pretty random question."

The two had strolled away from the campsite after their training, and were now lying in the soft grass in an open valley near the training site. Both had their hands tucked under their heads, and their eyes were closed in peace.

"Well, I noticed that you never seem to talk about them, and you always find some excuse to leave a conversation when the talk of family comes up."

"Seems you've been watching me pretty closely," Ryou said, slyly. "And you said you didn't swing that way."

Hikaru punched his arm.

"Leave the sarcasm to me and just answer the question!"

"Well, I have a pretty normal family. A mother, a father, a little sister. She turned six this year." Hikaru opened his eyes to see that a small smile had made its way to his friend's lips. "My mom's a kindergarten teacher, and dad's a mechanic."

"That sounds nice."

"...yeah. They're my foster family."

Hikaru untucked his hands from under his head and looked at Ryou in shock.

"Foster family?"

"Mm-hmm. I lived with them for a few years before joining the army. Nice people."

"...what...happened to your real family?"

Ryou shrugged in a non-committal fashion.

"Don't know. I suppose they died or something."

Hikaru processed this very carefully. How could Ryou be so uncaring about the whole situation? Didn't he care that his real family was possibly dead?

Ryou must have seen the look on his friend's face, because he sighed.

"Don't worry so much over it. I don't really care."

Although Hikaru looked uneasy, he nodded in affirmation. If his friend didn't want to tell him right now, he could wait.

..ღ..

"Ryou-sempai?! What's going on?!"

"Hikaru! We're in trouble! There's a small army of Leoans down by the river."

Hikaru gasped, his eyes wide in terror.

"How did they get so close without getting detected?"

"We don't know. I think they used their special magic to mess with our sensors."

"You mean the weird trick you're always showing me? That's a Leoan technique?! Why do you know it?"

Ryou looked a little uncomfortable.

"Look, that's not important right now. What's important is that we've fixed our sensors, and the readings say the band of Leoans is heading straight for us!"

The frightened new soldier inhaled sharply at the news.

"B-but...we're not ready. There's no way our soldiers could all survive an attack right now."

"I know. That's why I'm leading my team down to meet them and hold them off."

"No!"

"Look, Hikaru. This is going to need a little cooperation from you. I need you to take all the men to the bomb shelters by the town we go to for a drink. We showed them to you your first week of training, in case of an emergency, remember?"

Hikaru nodded quickly, but still looked petrified. Ryou smiled, trying to seem cheerful, but still looking rather sad. He put a hand on Hikaru's head and ruffled his hair.

"Hey, relax, little man. You've seen what I can do. There's no way I'm going to let anyone beat me today, so you just make sure you keep yourself safe and don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Hikaru nodded slowly. Ryou grinned.

"Good." He moved to the door of Hikaru's cabin quickly. Before he exited to where his team was waiting for him, he looked back and beamed at his best friend, giving him a thumbs up sign. "You know me best, Hikaru. You know I always keep my promises, and I promise I'll come back to you."

..ღ..

Ryou kept his promise.

"Make way! We've got injured!"

The relief Hikaru had felt when Ryou's team had returned to the bomb shelters vanished as he took in the sight of him.

He was sweating heavily, his face dirty and his breathing ragged. His shirt was also covered in dirt, torn in many places. But what caught his attention was his leg; someone had ripped one of his pant legs clean off, up to his knee, and everyone got a good look at the gapingly large wound on his calf, the blood trickling down, gushing so badly that no one could see the color of his flesh below the red.

He was quickly moved to a private room. The group's healers hurried to his leg, trying to stem the blood flow and treat him. Hikaru moved towards his head, sitting down in the chair next to it and chewing his lip in worry.

"Ryou-sempai!"

At the familiar call, Ryou's eyes fluttered open very slowly. They looked very hazy, as if he wasn't exactly all there.

"Hikaru?" And then he smiled widely. "See? I told you I would keep my promises. I came back."

"Idiot," Hikaru whispered, but a relieved laugh escaped his lips as he gazed happily down at his best friend. "You still let someone beat you, and you said that wouldn't happen either."

Ryou laughed.

"Yeah, well, the guy only cut my leg, and I killed him, so I'll call this one a victory."

..ღ..

"What is this?" she asks, fascinated by the display of weapons before her. Though she knows quite a bit about many of them, there is still information she does not know, and she is eager to learn it.

He chuckles, wrapping his arm around her from behind, as she picks up the one closest to her and stares at it in awe.

"This one is a special blade. Not very effective for cutting, as you can see by how dull it is, but it is used as a tool to pick at locks. Any kind of lock, whether it be a warded lock or a padlock. The blade is infused with a special spell that allows it to shift shape to fit the lock it is opening. It is useful if you are on a special mission to retrieve information."

"Amazing," she breathes. "And this one?"

"Just a simple sword."

"I have seen the swords you use in battle, and they are never just simple."

He chuckles, amused by her matter-of-fact expression.

"Well, you are correct. This one duplicates itself if the wielder is powerful enough to handle the spell required to create a copy."

"How does a weapon maker even think of such clever ideas?" There is admiration in her voice.

"Each of our weapons is designed by a very special military expert; he has to be very experienced with battle, and the tools and ideas that are most needed by a soldier in battle. Then, a blacksmith will create the weapon, and finally, a sorcerer will infuse it with his magic, based on the designs provided, so it can perform "tricks" on the battlefield to give us the upper hand."

"Wow! Who would have thought creating weapons could be so complicated?!"

He laughs along with her.

"Well, our people are initially very peaceful, and so we prefer to focus on intellect, which is why even something as simple as creating weapons can turn into a labyrinth of ideas. And it is effective in battle, as you know."

"Do I!"

She sets down the sword in her hand, and picks up the next weapon. It is another small knife, but its blade is very sharp, and it feels rather heavy, despite its small size.

"What about this one?" she asks in a whisper, strangely feeling chills as she fingers it.

His face also turns solemn, eying the blade with distaste and pressed lips.

"Ah, well, this one is a rather gruesome one. Small but deadly. The blade itself is sharp enough to pierce even the toughest skin with one swipe, but the edge holds a very deadly poison, created by one of our herb specialists a long time ago. The victim of an attack from this knife is not expected to last more than seven days, if not from the wound, then from the poison."

..ღ..

Ryou was dead within the week.

Ugh! I felt so horrbile killing Ryou. I really liked him, even though he hasn't shown up much. But, I'm not through with him yet! There are still a few shocking secrets coming up!

No one mentioned him in the last chapter when he was first introduced, so I dont know if you guys liked him or not. Even if l liked him, is anyone actually happy that he died?