"If you will please sign here Rukia-chan."

Rukia bent down and signed name across the line, officially bringing her into the Kuchiki family.

Byakuya signed his name one final time next to hers before allowing the official to take them away. Once he was gone the captain turned to his new sister.

"I will now show you around the house," said Byakuya, leading the girl off to different parts of the enormous building they were currently in. Rukia just nodded her head in response.

Izuru nervously walked up to the door and knocked. A soft 'Enter' came from the other side allowing him entrance.

He walked into the office to find a man standing up from his desk. "Welcome, Izuru-kun, to the third division."

Izuru took a closer look at his new captain now that he was closer. The man was tall and lean with light hair that hung just above his small, squinty eyes.

"I am Gin Ichimaru," the man continued, now standing directly in front of his new subordinate. "And I am the captain of this division."

The taicho gave off an eerie feeling, as well as his voice and Izuru had the sudden urge to shudder. But, luckily he was able to resist.

Orihime entered the room with a cheery smile on her face, excited on her first day. If she wasn't in such a serious place, she would have skipped.

The captain looked up and returned to girl's bright smile. He was tall and with glasses and hair braided back into an interesting style. In addition, he wore a long cape and held a staff in his hand.

"Hello, you must be Orihime Inoue." Said person nodded enthusiastically. "I am Tsukabishi Tessai, your captain. And may I welcome you to the Kido Corps."

After finally showing her around the house, they walked to the front and Byakuya turned to Rukia. "Now if you'll excuse me I have matters that I must see to." Rukia suddenly became nervous, wondering what she was supposed to do. Byakuya noticed this.

"Now would be a good time for you to meet your new captain. The barracks is that way." Byakuya pointed out the direction. "There you will meet the captain of the thirteenth division."

Then leaving no room for questions he turned around and head towards his own destination.

Rukia looked toward the direction that she was suppose to go, trying to look for a way through the maze of buildings.

Damn it! Why am I so nervous?

Renji was waiting in the white office that he had been shown to. He started fidgeting.

Just as he was wondering where the hell his captain could be, the door opened to reveal the captain of the sixth division that he had seen only a week before.

Renji found himself freezing up at the intimidating presence of the captain.

The taicho past Renji hardly giving him a second look as he walked towards his desk where he started working on a pile of papers before finally addressing the red-head standing in his office.

He looked up at Renji. "I am Byakuya Kuchiki of the sixth company and if you exit from here and go to door on your immediate left you will find the fukutaicho. He will fill you in on what your duties will be."

Renji, finally starting to come around bowed to the captain, who had already gone back to his papers, turned around and left the room.

"So…what do you think our captain will be like?" said Tatsuki, trying to make some sort of conversation.

Chad just shrugged, he really had no idea. Tatsuki sighed. Typical Chad, always taking the easy way out of talking.

After sitting there for a few more minutes, a small woman with short dark hair approached them. "Are you Tatsuki Arisawa and Yasutora Sado?" They nodded. "Then follow me."

As they followed, the two observed their guide as she spoke. Her hair was short with the exception of the two long braids handing in the back holding a ring on the end of each and was wearing the standard Special Force uniform. Her eyes were piercing and critical and when she spoke, she demanded attention.

"I am Soi Fon, fukutaicho of the second company and the Special Forces. You two will be part of the Special Forces, but understand that the captain is head of both groups and you are to do whatever she says. Got it?" Chad and Tatsuki nodded. "Good."

She opened the double doors to a comfortable room where a woman was sitting at a small messy desk. The woman looked up from her work when the trio entered. She had golden skin and her dark purple hair was pulled back into a pony tail.

"Thank you for bringing them Soi Fon," she said as she stood up and walked around her desk. The fukutaicho bowed and left the room leaving Chad and Tatsuki alone with the captain.

"Welcome, I am Yoruichi Shihoin taicho of the second company and Special Forces." She flashed them a cat-like grin.

Momo was shaking with excitement as she knocked on the door of her new captain. After getting permission, she opened the door and walked in.

When she entered the room, Momo was greeted with a warm smile from her new captain who was standing there to greet her.

Aizen-taicho walked over to the girl. "We meet again Momo-chan." Momo blushed. He remembered her name! "Welcome to the fifth company. Would you like to sit?"

Momo allowed him to lead her over to the chair that was sitting in front of his desk, before he walked around to the other side to take his own seat.

"I hope you have been well, Momo-chan. We haven't run into anymore trouble have we?" he chuckled at his own joke.

Momo's face went a few shades darker. "No, sir."

"I am very glad to hear it," said Aizen. "Now let's go over your new job."

Ichigo was waiting outside the captain's office of his new division, waiting to be allowed entrance. He glanced at the door again where he heard muffled talking coming from inside.

His frown deepened as his annoyance grew. It had been over an hour since he came and he really wanted to get this done so he could go and try to find out which company Rukia was in.

Finally, the talking stopped and a weird robotic-like man emerged from the office. Ichigo's face turned from annoyed to puzzled. Hadn't he seen this guy before? He had never been very good with names and faces.

"Ah! Kurosaki-san, please come in! Sorry about the wait!" Ichigo turned to see his captain standing in the doorway ushering him in. Ichigo followed him into the office.

"Welcome to the twelfth company!" said the taicho. "As you might remember from when I visited your class, I am Kisuke Urahara."

"Umm…nice to see you…again." He sort of remembered the man standing in front of him.

"It's a pleasure to see you again too!" Okay this guy was already starting to get on his nerves. "How is the mod soul of yours doing?"

Oh! So that's where he was from! "You're the guy who gave me that stupid substitute soul!" Ichigo accused.

"I'll take it that he is still acting up?" The captain looked like he was about to start laughing.

"Yeah," Ichigo growled as several instances popped into his head.

"Well then, enough about that." Urahara didn't like the look that kid was giving and wanted to veer away from the connection that he could be the source of that problem. "Now, just to let you know, the twelfth company sometimes works along with the Department of Research and Development and even though I am no longer the head, Kurotsuchi-san does a good job- uh…he is the man you saw exit before."

"Oh…," replied Ichigo. "Uh…may I ask why you aren't the head of the department any more? You were the founder right?"

Urahara raised his eyebrows. "Yes, I was the founder and head, but do to an incident some number of years ago; I was forced to step down from the position." Urahara saw the questioning look in his eyes. "But, we'll save that story for another day, shall we?"

Ichigo was still a little curious, but Urahara continue on. "We are very busy hear at the twelfth division, because we have some work that comes from the research department and also we currently do not have a fukutaicho, but their work still needs to get done. But, since you will start off in the lower ranks that may not concern you as much."

"Okay," said Ichigo. Urahara looked at the boy who was fidgeting where he stood. He felt bad that he had made the boy wait so long.

"Alright," said Urahara with a small smile. "You may go; I have some work that I need to get to." Ichigo's face immediately brightened at the news. "Just come back later so that we can so over what it is that you need to do."

"Thanks, Urahara-taicho." Urahara watched Ichigo quickly bow and leave. Once he was gone, Urahara turned towards his desk where he summoned a hell butterfly.

The black butterfly landed on his outstretched hand. "I want you to deliver a message for me in the world of the living to a man named Isshin Kurosaki. Tell him that his son has been accepted into the twelfth company."

Urahara then watched the butterfly take off and fly away.

The man led her into the office. "Please wait here. The fukutaicho will be with you soon."

"Um…" Rukia stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.

Her guide spoke again. "Do you need help with anything?" He gave her a little bow.

Rukia had been afraid of this. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before answering. "I'm just a new officer." I'm not really a noble. "Please treat me like anyone else."

"Of course," the man replied, but Rukia could tell that he was just saying that.

He left and Rukia was forced to wait there by herself. After a few minutes she heard whispers coming from the cracked door.

"Who's she?"

"She's from the Kuchiki family."

"Hah! A new pet?"

"What rich families do for fun."

"I bet she'll be assigned a top seat."

"Humph. They have no idea how had we've worked to get here!"

Every comment felt like a dagger. These people immediately though she was some stuck up noble who had never worked a day in her life. Her posture slackened as her shoulders sunk inward and her eyes became heavy. She so desperately wanted to be strong and act like their loud comments meant nothing, but each one hurt more than the next.

She sighed. I wish Ichigo was here-

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a much louder voice spoke. "Hey! What all of you doing here?! This isn't a show!! Get back to work!"

Surprised, Rukia turned towards the door. That had sounded a lot like her old partner. Was it possible that he was in the thirteenth company too? Her heart started to pick up speed.

Rukia was even more shocked when the speaker entered the room. "Ichigo?" she asked, now completely confused. Well, he looked a lot like Ichigo excepted for the dark hair and his face which was absent of a frown.

"Huh? Strawberry?" asked the man who was not Ichigo. "I am Kaien Shiba fukutaicho of the thirteenth company. Pleased to meet you!" the fukutaicho gave her a big welcoming smile.

"Um…Hello," said a still out of it Rukia.

"Huh?" His face immediately fell. "What kind of greeting is that?!" Rukia let out a small yelp when he reached forward and grabbed the top of her head and looked at her in the eye. "I am your superior! You're supposed to say, 'Pleased to meet you, sir!' What's your name?"

"Ah…uh…R-Rukia Kuchiki…" She looked at her new assistant captain with nervousness.

"And?" he said, prompting her to continue.

"P-Pleased to meet you, sir!" Rukia said as she remembered what he had said before.

Rukia was surprised then see him step back, letting go of her head and giving her a smile that would have never been found on his 'twin's' face.

"Good!" he said. "You're okay Rukia! Welcome to the thirteenth company. Our captain's in poor health, so I basically run the show!" The smile on his face only seemed to grow as he pointed to himself. "So it's okay to call me Kaien-taicho by mistake now and again."

"Alright," said Rukia giving him an odd look. It really was strange to see that face smiling so much. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Great!" Kaien said as he led Rukia from the room. "Now if you'll follow me we'll discuss what it is that you will be required to do."

They walked around the barracks as Kaien talked nonstop and not just about the thirteenth company but his family too.

At first Rukia was a little intimidated, but the more he talked the more relaxed she became and thought less and less about the others who had commented on her.

Finally, they reached the door and Rukia turned to bow to the fukutaicho. "Thank you for the tour, sir."

"Not a problem!" Kaien replied happily.

Rukia stood up and was just about to leave when she heard her name coming being called.

"RUKIA!" Kaien, looked up to see where the voice was coming from as Rukia spun around to see Ichigo appear right in front of her.

"Hey!" Ichigo looked out of breath. "I knew I'd find you!"

"Ichigo!" She was surprised to see him hear. Maybe he was better at sensing spiritual pressure than she gave him credit for.

"So this is the strawberry huh?" said Kaien from behind her.

Ichigo looked up to see who had dared call him that. When he looked up the two finally got to look at the other.

"Who the hell are you?!" They shouted in unison. Rukia just looked between the two as they stared the other down.

Kaien was the first to answer. "Kaien Shiba, fukutaicho of the thirteenth company. Who are you?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki, just accepted into the twelfth company."

"Ichigo?" Ichigo knew what was coming next. "Isn't that a girl's name?"

Ichigo glared at the fukutaicho. "It is not just a girl's name."

"Okay, okay," said Kaien defensively. He glanced over towards his newest subordinate. "So you know Rukia?"

Rukia thought she should be the one to speak since Ichigo still looked annoyed. "Ichigo and I just graduated from the academy where we were partnered together."

Kaien's face turned back into a smile. "Really? So you were partnered together for school?" Ichigo and Rukia nodded.

"That's how my wife and I met! You should've told me you had a boyfriend Rukia!" Kaien's smile widened enthusiastically as he looked as the 'couple'.

Ichigo and Rukia both went red as they both spoke at the same time. "We're not together!" They turned to look at each other. Kaien started laughing.

"Um…I'm sorry Kaien-fukutaicho, but Ichigo is not…my boyfriend." Kaien gave Rukia a disbelieving look. "We're just friends."

"Whatever you say," said Kaien looking at their bright red faces. Oh he was going to have a lot of fun teasing them in the future.

Finished for now though, Kaien turned around headed back inside leaving Ichigo and Rukia alone.

They stood there quietly for a few seconds before Rukia spoke up. "So…um…you're in the twelfth company?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah."

"So…uh, was there something you wanted to ask me?" Rukia was looking down at her feet still embarrassed.

"No. Not really, I just wanted to find out what company you –and everyone else- had joined."

"What company is everyone else in?" Rukia asked.

"Well I came to see you first, and then I was going to find everyone else," replied Ichigo.

"Can I come with you," said Rukia finally looking up.

Ichigo's face brightened. "Sure. Let's go."

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Sorry for any typos!

1-Okay, I know that really Rukia was supposed to graduate early, but I kind of wanted everyone together so I changed it around a little.

2-Also, I know that these weren't the first companies that everyone was assigned to, but for simpiliciy's sake (and I wasn't sure about some) I just put them in the companies that we know them to be in.

THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!!!

PLEASE REVIEW!! I really want to know what you think about this chapter

~StrawberryShinigami