Elsewhere in the Seireitei, Byakuya sneezed as he stood outside of Senkaimon waiting for Rukia. He didn't have to wait long as the gates opened and his sister stepped out.
"Nii-sama, it's good to see you again." Rukia said as she bowed respectfully.
"The same to you Rukia." Byakuya replied as his eyes landed on the Vice-captain badge that Rukia wore around her arm. "Make sure you file your report soon as you can." He knew Rukia knew the protocols after coming back from a mission, but old habits die hard.
"Hai Nii-sama." Rukia said and looked her brother over. "Nii-sama, if you don't have plans for the night, I have something to tell you."
"I have no plans Rukia. We may discuss it over dinner tonight." Byakuya said as he turned to walk away, now curious about what Rukia had that she wanted to tell him.
Rukia watched her brother leave before turning on her heels and heading for squad 13 in order to file her report and to make sure Jūshirō was still feeling well.
Shiori opened her eyes after she heard a few wolves howling in the distance and sat up. She noticed that she was in a field of flowers and was surrounded on all sides by a misty forest and what looked like wolves made from mist running between the trees. It took her a couple of seconds, but the scent of burning wood reached her nose and she looked around in a panic.
"It's alright." A voice said from her left and she turned. "The fire only affects the furthest trees." He finished while Shiori got a proper look at him. His platinum white hair was the first thing she noticed and that it was short and combined a sweep and spiked style at the same time. He wore a brown wolf pelt with a brown wolf fur head band complete with silver and black armor.
"Who are you?" Shiori asked and noticed a white tail swishing lazily behind him.
"Dear girl, I have been trying to tell you for a long time." He said as wolf ears perked up, the fur matching his hair color. "But I think at last you're ready to hear my name. I am…."
Outside in the real world, Shiori felt Sky's blade run through her before she turned into a log. "Nice try Sky, but I'm over here now." Shiori said from Sky's right. "And right now you're in trouble."
"Why? Are you going to release your Shikai now?" Sky asked with a smirk. "I know your release command by heart; you'll never say it before I reach you."
Shiori only smiled and invited Sky to attack and after a second, he dashed for Shiori. "Break apart, Kinaru Gisei!" She called out and threw her Zanpakutō towards Sky while it glowed brightly while splitting apart into two chakrams. They passed Sky before spinning back around and coming to rest in Shiori's hands. She crouched into a battle pose with one chakram above and behind her head while the other one was in front of her and more towards the ground. The light faded to reveal silver chakrams but the eight blades soon erupted in fire that seemed to burn with her anger.
"But… but… how is that possible?" Sky asked as he looked at the released Zanpakutō.
"Because I just learned the real name. All the other times I was able to trick most of you." Shiori replied before she threw one of the chakrams at Sky and shunpoed in close with the other. The two battled for a while, but Shiori ultimately gained the upper hand due to knowing all about Sky's Zanpakutō and him not knowing anything about hers. The battle ended too quickly once she pinned Sky to the ground and straddled him.
"Wow, I didn't realize you were that into me." Sky smirked as he tried to thrust his hips upwards a little. "Had I known that, I would have…" What Sky was about to say he never finished for Shiori slashed a chakram across his throat just deep enough to sever his trachea and she was immediately showered with a spray of blood.
"You monster, I hope you rot in Hell." Shiori growled as she got off Sky and turned to walk away ignoring Sky's slow and painful death but she didn't get far because Soifon was standing in the clearing.
"I would normally have stopped and arrest you, but with your Zanpakutō and the challenge, I declare you to the third seat of squad two." She explained and noticed the chakrams merged into one sword and had to catch her new third seat as she collapsed due to the exhaustion.
Shiori opened her eyes and found herself starring at a white ceiling. She didn't know how long she had been out for, but she was content just replaying the battle against that bastard Sky and was glad she finally was able to release her Zanpakutō. Presently, she heard a soft knock on the door and a man with swept back, blonde hair and glasses came into the room.
"Sorry, I wasn't sure if you would be awake or not. I'm Yasochika Iemura." He introduced as he came into the room and took a seat next to the bed. "You're in squad four at the moment, after you collapsed fighting for the third seat. In total, you've been out for four days."
Shiori only looked at him dumbfounded as she tried to figure out which thought she wanted to give the most attention to first.
"Usually those are the first couple of questions people ask when they come to." Yasochika explained while looking over her chart. "I would like to keep you here another day but your captain has requested you back the moment you can walk." He stood up and motioned to the closet. "You'll find a Shihakushō in there. If you need any help, press the button on the remote next to the bed. With that, I shall leave you for now." He left and slid the door shut behind him and Shiori sighed.
"Finally he leaves." She muttered and sat up. Glancing out the window, she noticed that there were flowers of all different colors and shapes planted not too far from her room. A skinny male ruined her moment of peace as he watered the very flowers she was looking at. Suddenly he tripped which caused the watering can to fly upwards before coming back down and drenching him, this caused Shiori to giggle a little. After having some lunch, she carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed and after testing her strength, she stood up although she wobbled a bit at first she made it to the window and closed the curtains. Once they were closed, she stripped from the hospital gown to the Shihakushō before leaving the room.
"Captain Ukitake, Captain Kyouraku." Rukia announced as she entered the room where the two oldest captains were enjoying some sake.
"Welcome back Rukia." Jūshirō replied. "What can I do for you?" He asked her and waved the offer sake away for the moment.
"Well, in the human world, there's this event on October 31st where the humans of all age ranges dress up in costumes and bob for apples." Rukia said, fidgeting her Vice Captain badge nervously.
"Dressing up and bobbing for apples?" Shunsui stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Do they do anything other than those two events?"
"Yes, there are numerous things we can do. Humans usually hold costume contests and trick-or-treating for the young ones."
"Do I detect that you wish to do that here?"
"If that would be alright with you Captain."
"Let us talk about it for a moment and if my illness doesn't act up, then we'll see."
"Thank you Captain. I shall take my leave before Kiyone and Sentarō come by and bother you." Rukia spoke quickly, already able to hear the two of them shouting and their footsteps getting louder. With a nod of their heads, Rukia stepped out and dragged the two away before they could disturb the captains.
Shiori entered the squad grounds and immediately went for the office but found no one there, so she left and continued her search all around the squad grounds but found no traces of her Captain or even the Vice Captain pig. With a sigh, she noticed that the sun was starting to go down so she made her way back to her barracks. Just as she was about to make the final turn, she sensed a very faint trace of spirit energy that led away from her barrack so she followed it instead and it led her into the woods. After walking for a while, she heard the sound of water and cautiously approached the hot spring that was there. Seeing no one around and not sensing the spirit energy, Shiori stripped out of the Shihakushō and setting her Zanpakutō at the edge before she stepped into the hot water. At first it was a little too hot for her, but she got used to it and found it relaxing the more she slid into the water until it was up to her neck. "I wonder why I never knew this was here?" She asked herself since no one was around.
Closing her eyes, she relaxed all her muscles but that feeling of peacefulness didn't last long. Snapping her eyes opened, she grabbed her Zanpakutō and rolled to the side as she gained her footing to put some distance between her and the spot she had just been sitting in a second before. Her assailant hit the water hard enough to create a wall that separated both of them for a good two seconds and when the water did fall, Soifon stood there.
"Good. You can sheathed your Zanpakutō now." Soifon said as she walked a couple paces away from Shiori's spot. "I wanted to make sure you still weren't going to let your guard down." She said with a ghost of a smile after turning to face Shiori.
Usually when Shiori saw Soifon, it was when she was clothed but this time she had the full view of Soifon's petite body. The B-cup size breast stood proudly in front of her and a smooth pelvis glistened from the water. Her hair shone with the moonlight and reflected it with the water droplets. If Shiori hadn't been going for Byakuya and was a lesbian, she honestly probably would have made a move on Soifon then and there but she didn't. She's practically a Goddess. Shiori thought despite herself and it was then that she noticed Soifon's stump of an arm. "Your arm…" She muttered softly but the quiet air allowed Soifon to hear her.
"It's nothing." She said and quickly sat in the water before motioning Shiori to sit in her spot again. "The day after tomorrow I'm going to the fourth squad to have them heal my arm."
"That's great to hear Captain." Shiori replied politely. "Although, I think that's what makes you unique." They fell quiet for several minutes. "Um Captain, you don't mind me being the third seat do you?"
"No. I've been watching you and Sky…" She pretended not to notice that Shiori flinched "…and honestly you are better than he was." She paused for a moment as a shooting star passed through the night sky and both girls made a wish. "But, now you'll have to train in a different style of fighting."
"Because of the chakrams?"
"Exactly. I will be busy the next few days so I advise you to seek out Vice Captain Hisagi after your duties tomorrow. After I get back with my arm healed, I'll show you the other side of your duties as well." Soifon stood up and let the water flow off her. "One more thing. Don't tell anyone about this place as I would prefer not to have the males contaminating it." She didn't reveal that this was the same place where she tried to get the nude picture of Yoruichi but that plan backfired on her so badly that she preferred not to think about it.
"I promise I won't Captain." Shiori said and soon Soifon disappeared. She sighed and felt someone next to her.
"She likes you." Kinaru said.
"How can you tell?"
"The Zanpakutō spirits talk to each other every now and then. Suzumebachi told me that the last time Soifon relaxed, it was when she had Yoruichi's head in her lap as they viewed the cherry blossoms together."
Shiori pondered the thought for a few minutes but ultimately decided not to comment on it as she got up and made her way back to her room.