Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, that would be the infamous Tite Kubo. I do own Ryuuka and her ZP, Ryuuzuto Hoshi.
Chapter Two:
The eleventh company was a buzz when they found out that Ryuuka had been attacked by a hollow. They were all talking about it as Kenpachi entered the headquarters. It suddenly fell quiet as he walked through to Ryuuka's room, gathered the paper work, and walked to the captain's quarters. The members of eleventh company looked at each other in disbelief. Was their captain actually doing paperwork? That wasn't like him at all. Ikkaku, third seat officer, and Yumichika, fifth seat officer, were the first ones to ask Kenpachi about what happened.
"I told you once and I'll tell you again, don't ask me. You probably already know what happened anyway. Yachiru must have told you, so leave me alone and let me finish what I'm doing," Kenpachi spat at them. Ikkaku walked to his desk.
"Please, we only want to know the real story, what really happened. You were there, Taicho, so you know better than Yachiru or anyone else here," he explained to Kenpachi. Yumichika sighed.
"Come on, Madarame-san. If Kenpachi-taicho doesn't want to give us the details of the incident, then we shouldn't bother him about it," he said, turning to the door. Ikkaku sighed heavily out of impatience and followed Yumichika out. Kenpachi was glad to be rid of the two of them; they could get annoying at times. He focused on the work at hand and continued to finish it.
On his way back to Ryuuka's room that night, he noticed Yachiru staring out the window. He walked up to her silently.
"Ken-chan," she said without looking. Kenpachi looked at her.
"What is it, Yachiru-chan?" She looked out the window a little longer, holding her knees to her chest.
"What's it like?" she asked, turning to him, "Being strong like you and being able to not cry when bad things happen to people or when you get hurt. I want to know." Kenpachi stared at his little vice. She had never asked a question like that before.
"I... guess it's just really..." He looked up at her and grinned, "Really boring sometimes, and sometimes it can get lonely, being so strong that people are scared of you." Yachiru smiled at him and stood up.
"I'm going to see Brownie-chan. Want to come?" Kenpachi shook his head and smiled at her.
"Nah, I'll go tomorrow. I'll get her zanpakuto and give it to her." Yachiru looked at him.
"Want me to do it?" Kenpachi smiled and again shook his head.
"Nah, I'll get it. You run off now." Yachiru smiled and nodded, then shunpoed off to the fourth division. Kenpachi smiled, then walked to Ryuuka's room, grabbed Ryuuzuto Hoshi, walked back to the captain's quarters, and went to sleep, the most sleep he had had in a long time.
The next day, Kenpachi woke up early and paid a visit to first company to give Yamamoto-soutaicho the work he had done. Yamamoto was surprised to see Kenpachi at the door, for he had only been wondering two minutes ago whether he would remember to send a company member with the paperwork. Yet, here was Zaraki Kenpachi himself. Yamamoto smiled.
"Well, isn't this a surprise," he said, taking the papers from Kenpachi, "Please, come in and have some tea." Kenpachi shook his head politely.
"Gomen nasai, Soutaicho, I'd be more than happy to at another time, but I have to check on something this morning." Yamamoto smiled at him again.
"It's that female of your company, is it not?" he asked. Kenpachi grinned and nodded. Smiling, Yamamoto nodded as well and said, "Well, off you go then, Kenpachi-taicho, and thank you again for remembering." Kenpachi looked down.
"It was Shisona-san that remembered. It was what got her in fourth company in the first place," he stated. Yamamoto smiled at him again.
"Well, at least you did the right thing, Zaraki-san," he told Kenpachi, to which he nodded and smiled. Yamamoto then nodded to him, "Now, off you go. Enjoy your day, or at least try to, anyway." With that, he closed the door on him. Kenpachi turned and shunpoed off to fourth company.
Unohana was again sitting at her desk when Kenpachi decided to drop by and check on Ryuuka. Unohana smiled at him.
"She's up and about if you want to talk to her," she said, pointing to a room where Kenpachi saw Ryuuka eating. Her hair was tied up in its usual half ponytail and her dark forehead was bandaged, at which Kenpachi looked curiously. He noticed that her arms were bandaged as well. He turned to Unohana.
"What happened to her arms and head, Unohana-san?" he asked. Unohana looked at Ryuuka, then at Kenpachi.
"Well, I found out upon closer examination of her person that the hollow had indeed injured her," she started, while he turned to Ryuuka, "He had grabbed her arms from behind and slammed her into the wall, knocking her unconscious." Kenpachi turned back to and looked at her in puzzlement as she picked up a paper on her desk and added, "I also got the test results back for that poison that I sent to twelfth company." She handed it to him. Kenpachi took the paper and looked at it closely, then back at Unohana.
"And?"he asked impatiently. He didn't understand chemistry very much and didn't care for it, until today.
"That poison was supposed to kill her, Zaraki-san." Kenpachi stared at the paper, then looked up at Unohana, shocked. Unohana smiled at him and continued, "So it was a good thing that you got her to me when you did. She would have died within three hours." Kenpachi handed her back the lab result and looked at Ryuuka again. He had almost lost one of his female officers. There was now fire in his eyes. It was then that he decided that he wasn't going to let Ryuuka out of his sites for one minute. He would protect her with his life.
Just as soon as he thought it, he questioned why he had. It wasn't like him to protect anyone other than himself and his squad members from hollows, but this... This was something completely different. He was protecting someone who meant something to him, and this had never happened to him before. He didn't know what he was feeling. He looked up at Ryuuka, who had finished eating and was staring out the window. He grinned his usual grin and started to walk up to her. However, before he took one step, Jushiro Ukitake, captain of thirteenth company, stepped up to him.
"Ohaiyo, Zaraki-san," he said cheerfully. Kenpachi grinned at him.
"Well, nice to see you, too, Ukitake-san. What are you doing here?" he asked. Ukitake smiled at him.
"I came to say hello to your female officer that seems to have gotten injured yesterday," he replied happily, to which Kenpachi just looked at him. They both turned and walked into her room.
Ryuuka turned as she heard two people walk in. She wasn't surprised to see Ukitake-taicho from thirteenth company, however she was surprised to see her captain again. Usually he wouldn't visit more than once if an officer was hurt. She smiled at the both of them anyway.
"Konnichi wa, Zaraki-taicho, Ukitake-taicho," she said, bowing her head to them. Ukitake smiled at her.
"Konnichi wa, Shisona-san. Nice to see that you're up and about finally," he replied, to which Ryuuka smiled shyly.
"Hai, hai..." Kenpachi looked at Ukitake, then looked out the window. Ryuuka noticed that he was fidgeting and smiled. Ukitake nodded to her and smiled.
"Well, I just wanted to make sure that you were alright, and you are, so I will take my leave. Sayonara for now," and with that, he left the room. Kenpachi watched as he left, and as soon as Ukitake was gone, he pulled up at chair next to Ryuuka's bed. Ryuuka looked at him, puzzled.
"Taicho?" Kenpachi looked out the window. He was thinking about what to say now that he was alone with her. Ryuuka just continued to looks at him, then out the window, and finally down at the food she hadn't finished. Kenpachi noticed and grinned.
"Well, Miss I-have-to-finish-everything-before-tomorrow, who doesn't even finish her food." Ryuuka blushed and frowned.
"That's what almost got me killed, you know," she stated flatly. Kenpachi looked down. He knew, all right. He was the one that had saved her. Ryuuka looked back up at him and smiled shyly. "And for that, I thank you, Taicho." Kenpachi looked out the window again.
"Feh, that's what a taicho does for his squad members. It's natural, almost instinctive, animalistic even." Ryuuka looked down. She had thought that her captain might have had a change of heart, but he had save her out of instinct. Kenpachi then remembered why he had wanted to visit in the first place. He reached to his side, grabbed Ryuuzuto Hoshi and handed it to Ryuuka. She looks at him and stared as he handed her the sword. She then turned to him.
"Zaraki-taicho..." Kenpachi looked at her.
"It's yours, isn't it?" he asked, to which Ryuuka smiled and nodded, "Then I think it would be best if you kept it on you from now on. Also, no more overdoing work that others are supposed to be doing. Yesterday was an accident. I don't want a repeat of it today." With that, he stood and walked to the door. Ryuuka looked at him.
"Wait, Taicho!" she exclaimed. Kenpachi turned to look at her and grinned.
"You better not let some weak ass hollow attack you again, or your ass with be mine the next time you see me, got it? Back to work on Monday, Shisona-san!" After that, he exited. Ryuuka wasn't sure whether he was kidding around or serious. It was hard to tell, which meant that Kenpachi was his old self again. Ryuuka sighed. More work, she thought to herself. Looking at her sword, she smiled, laid Ryuuzuto Hoshi down, and laid down on the bed, falling asleep.
Thanks again for reading. Hope you enjoy.^^