"Whoa! Hold on! Your alias when you confronted Kenpachi was Yachiru?!" Ichigo exclaimed in shock. Everyone else around him was also surprised.

"Hush and let me tell the story." Kaichou said with a smirk.



Flashback…
110 Years Ago…
Zaraki District…

"My alias is…Yachiru." Kaichou said as Zaraki grinned.

"Yachiru…an interesting name, I'll have to remember that." Zaraki said as he immediately raised his Zanpakuto. Kaichou immediately whirled around with her twin swords and blocked his blow with both blades crossed in an X shape.

"Not bad but using two swords has its disadvantages." Zaraki said as he continued to push down on her two swords.

"Good thing I'm ambidextrous then huh?" Kaichou replied with a smirk as she launched his blade up and whirled around again, delivering a cut across Zaraki's chest, causing blood to spray from the fresh cut.

"Ooh you might be worth my time after ALL!!!" Zaraki yelled as he swung his sword back down towards her. The battle managed to wage for a long time, spilling out into the forests of Rukongai with neither seeming to gain the other hand.

"You need to work on your back hand!" Kaichou shouted as Zaraki grinned and laughed.

"Thanks! I'll remember that too!" Zaraki replied as he took another swing at her but missed as she delivered a cut across his stomach.

"This guy just doesn't quit! No matter how many times I cut him, he just doesn't go down! What is he?!" Kaichou thought as she continued to fight.

Zaraki was still grinning as he suddenly grasped his sword with both hands and raised the blade over his head before bringing it back down. Kaichou raised both of her swords to block. She didn't expect both of her blades to suddenly shatter like glass as Zaraki's blade cut clean through them and dealt a deep long cut down her left side. There was a brief burst of blood from her wound before she toppled over onto her back.

Zaraki sheathed his sword and stood over her for a moment but curiously lacking his grin.

"Good…fight." Kaichou grimaced as Zaraki silently picked her up under the arms and carried her over to sit beneath the shade of a nearby tree.

"You were the most fun I've had in ages. You almost had me there for a moment." Zaraki said as he sat down next to her in exhaustion.

"Kaichou Kurosaki."

"Huh?"

"My name…is Kaichou Kurosaki. I'm the clan head of the Kurosaki Clan." Kaichou said softly.

"A noble? What were you doing out here blue blood?" Zaraki asked.

"I was looking for ancient pieces of history. But I found nothing…except you." Kaichou said as Zaraki grinned again.

"Heh, a curious statement from a noble. I would have thought you would've had a high and mighty attitude towards a commoner like me." Zaraki said as Kaichou chuckled weakly.

"I'm not your stereotypical nobleman Zaraki. I show everyone as much respect as they show me. Sometimes that's not the case. But you're different Zaraki, you've got potential. I believe that you could very well achieve the title of Kenpachi…though you would have to fight my brother's Lieutenant to achieve it." Kaichou said.

"Kenpachi? Huh, an interesting thought. I had never thought about becoming a Soul Reaper before." Zaraki said thoughtfully.

"My brother's Lieutenant is a wuss when compared to my brother or even you for that matter. He's off on this tangent about justice and such. He's nothing like a true Captain of Squad Eleven." Kaichou said as Kenpachi chuckled.

"Did he kill your brother?" Kenpachi asked as Kaichou smirked.

"No…actually he holds the record of the longest lasting Squad Eleven Captain in the history of the Soul Society. He actually retired last month, to the World of the Living. He said that he had gotten bored with fighting and felt like there was something missing in his life and he didn't know what. Central 46 allowed him to retire to the World of the Living and that's where he is now." Kaichou explained.

They could then hear the sounds of shouting men and women as they rushed through the woods.

"You probably should make yourself scarce Zaraki. I can tell that those are Squad Four medics coming." Kaichou said as Zaraki stood up and turned towards her with a solemn look.

"You're not like any noble I've met before. You took your defeat gracefully and you're not just bloodthirsty for revenge. What's more you treated me like a normal person and not like something that's not even worth your attention. I have to say that I admire that…and I've never admired anyone before in my life until now." Zaraki said as he picked up the bladeless hilts of Kaichou's swords and placed them by her hands.

"Thanks for the fight…Yachiru." Zaraki said with his usual grin before running off into the woods.

"After that I suppose he found a certain pink haired girl in the forest. It took me two weeks to recuperate from my injuries and I was back on the job immediately after that. But then…that fateful day came. Yoruichi and I had been invited to the Kuchiki manor by Ginrei Kuchiki to help tutor slash play his grandson…one Byakuya Kuchiki…poor guy never had anyone to play with. Yoruichi had gotten there first and had stolen the boy's hair ribbon, leading him into a game of flash tag. He lost so many hair ribbons to her because he could never catch her…"

110 Years Ago…
Kuchiki Manor…

Kaichou was walking through the halls of the manor until she reached an empty open area. She then saw something flutter down in front of her. She quickly snatched it from the air and saw that it was a red ribbon. Suddenly she found herself being shoved into the ground on her right side unexpectedly.

"Ha! I finally caught you Shihoin!" a young male voice said triumphantly.

"Guess again little Byakuya!" Yoruichi's voice called from the top of a nearby wall. Kaichou proceeded to prop her head on her right hand and placed her left hand on her thigh.

"Well, Byakuya…I would never have guessed that you would be this forceful with women." Kaichou chuckled teasingly.

"Captain Wrangler! What are you doing here?!" Byakuya asked as he quickly attempted to snatch the ribbon from Kaichou's hand but she kept it away.

"Same reason as Yoruichi…I'm here to play." Kaichou chuckled as Byakuya's eye twitched in annoyance.

"I don't need anyone to "play" with me! Especially not that Were-cat!" Byakuya yelled as Kaichou quickly leapt up onto her feet and flash stepped up with Yoruichi, while dangling the ribbon between her fingers.

"Oh but Byakuya, it's not every day you get two beautiful women to come over and play with you. Lighten up kiddo, and enjoy the moment." Kaichou replied tauntingly.

"I would rather practice my skills than "play!" I am the next clan head of the Kuchiki clan! I don't have time to "play!" Byakuya yelled.

Kaichou was about to say something else when she heard someone shouting.

"Captain Wrangler! Captain Wrangler!"

"Kukaku?!" Kaichou asked as she turned around and saw Kukaku racing up along the outside wall.

"I'll be just a sec." Kaichou said as she leapt down to join Kukaku on the ground.

"What's the matter Lieutenant?" Kaichou asked.

"You've just been summoned by Central 46 to their chambers. It seems they got your that message of yours that you sent earlier." Kukaku replied.

"So they have. It's time to see if they'll come clean about the Bounts now. Let's go." Kaichou said as she and Kukaku ran off towards the Central 46 chambers as Yoruichi watched from the top of the wall with intrigue.

"When I arrived that the Central 46 chambers, I had hoped that they were going to submit to my demand that they come clean about the Bounts being a result of a Soul Reaper accident but instead they start accusing me of…"

110 Years ago…
Central 46 Chambers…

"Treason?!" Kaichou asked in a mixture of shock and rage.

"You dared to challenge the authority of the Central 46! Attempting to blackmail us into saying something that is false can, has been, and is considered treason!" one of the forty six unseen members said from the shadows.

"False? FALSE?! The Bounts were created by Soul Reapers! We cannot just sweep something under the rug when that something cannot die! The evidence is out there! I've found it! Why else would you create a squad whose sole purpose was to research the past if you didn't want us to do just that?!" Kaichou asked angrily.

"It is not your place to question our actions! We cannot allow the Bount issue to resurface after nearly one thousand years. For this, we hereby sentence you to permanent exile from the Seireitei and the removal of your Soul Reaper abilities!" another member said as Kaichou's eyes widened in disbelief. She lowered her head in disbelief, allowing her raven hair to cover her face. She then heard the guards approaching from behind.

"So be it." She whispered as she raised her hands.

"Bakudo twenty one: SEKIENTON!!!" Kaichou shouted as she thrust her hand downward as if throwing something and instantly a massive burst of smoke erupted from beneath her. When the smoke cleared, she was gone.

Later at the Squad Fourteen Barracks…

It was nighttime as Soul Reapers raced through the streets of the Seireitei. Kukaku was watching from the window of the barracks with confusion. There were mixed reports going around that there was a fugitive Soul Reaper loose along with a number of Soul Reapers who gained illegal Hollow Powers. The latest report was that a masked figure attacked the Central 46 and aided in the escape of two other fugitive Soul Reapers. The Shiroganehiko and Koganehiko were standing quietly against one wall as they waited for news.

"This is getting ridiculous. Where's the Captain and why haven't we heard anything?" Kukaku asked confused with a hint of frustration in her voice.

"I wish I knew." Jushiro Ukitake said as he entered through the front door.

"Captain Ukitake! What's going on out there?!" Kukaku asked as Jushiro sighed.

"Captain Wrangler was found guilty of treason several hours ago. They were going to have her exiled and stripped of her Soul Reaper abilities but she escaped and is on the run. I'm not sure what the other reports are about but I know they involve Twelfth Squad Captain, Kisuke Urahara and Kido Corps Captain, Tessai Tsukabishi. Something is going on and I can't make any sense of it." Jushiro said as he sat down in a chair by the door.

"Perhaps I can shed some light on the subject." A familiar voice said from the doorway and a hooded figure in black robes appeared. The figure quickly closed the door and shut the windows before pulling back the hood. It was Kaichou.

"Captain!" the twins and Kukaku exclaimed but Kaichou shushed them and headed for her desk.

"I don't have much time. The guards are already searching my estate and so I must leave everything there that I have of value. My research is all that I have left." Kaichou said as she started piling scrolls and stacks of papers from her desk into a large white bag.

"What happened Kaichou?" Kisuke asked as Kaichou sighed.

"Remember that "sensitive subject" I only said I was researching Jushiro? Well Central 46 wants it to stay buried. I threatened to tell others about it and they banish me. The other situation is that somehow, Captains Hirako, Aikawa, Muguruma, and Otoribashi along with Lieutenants Kuna, Sarugaki, Ushoda, and Yadomaru have somehow gained Hollow powers. Central 46 believes that Captains Urahara and Tsukabishi are responsible for this. Kisuke supposedly helped them to take control of their hollow forms using a device he invented known as the Hogyoku, don't ask me what it is. Yoruichi Shihoin is the one who helped them escape from Central 46. She's helping me escape too." Kaichou explained as she slung the bag over her shoulder.

"Escape?! To where?!" Kukaku asked.

"The World of the Living. I'm going to live in exile yes but mark my words that I will return one day." Kaichou said as she turned to the twin third seats.

"Consider these my last orders. Shiroganehiko, Koganehiko, I want you to follow Kukaku's orders as if they were my own." Kaichou said as the twins bowed in silence.

"Kukaku, I want you to leave the Seireitei. I want you to work on a way to make the Flower Crane Cannon work. I know it will come in handy in the future." Kaichou said as Kukaku nodded as a tear ran down her cheek.

"And Jushiro…my love…I want you to take this." Kaichou said as she handed a scroll to the saddened Ukitake. Jushiro unrolled it and blinked in surprise.

"Your estate?! But it belongs to the Kurosaki clan!" Jushiro exclaimed.

"Not anymore. The Kurosaki's, along with the Shihoin's, are no longer members of the four great noble families. I want you to have it and keep it close." Kaichou said as she kissed him on the cheek.

"We'll do what you say…and we'll await your return as long as we can." Jushiro said as Kaichou smiled and quickly headed out the door, not to return for a full one hundred and ten years.



End Flashback…

"After that…Yoruichi and I chose to travel around the world for a few decades. We had to avoid detection by other Soul Reapers and having trained with every Squad Two Captain that lived during my time as a Soul Reaper, I became pretty good at hiding my spiritual pressure." Kaichou explained.

"Wow." Ichigo said after a moment of stunned silence.

"There's one thing that bothers me." Rukia said as all eyes turned towards her.

"What's that Rukia?" Kaichou asked.

"Why would Central 46 order the creation of a squad that specialized in historical research when they knew that the Bount issue would inevitably be brought up?" Rukia asked.

"I've thought about that question long and hard and I have yet to come up with an answer. Stupidity seems to be a common prerequisite with politics but I doubt that even Central 46 was that dumb when it came to forming Squad Fourteen." Kaichou replied.

"Look to the past to see the future. That's what you would normally say. But in this case I'd say forget about it. What's done is done and everything turned out for the best in a way. The sole exception is Yuzu's kidnapping but that's going to be set right soon anyway." Yoruichi said as Kaichou chuckled.

"Pretty damn low of you to use something I said against me Shihoin. But you're right. Let's go get Yuzu back!" Kaichou said as the others nodded. Immediately the Reishihenkanki activated.

"Here's your ride!" Kisuke said as everyone ran through as fast as they could.



End Chapter 49.

The Black Wrangler: Behind the Scenes…

In Women's dressing room B, a camera clicked on. Holding the camera was Rangiku.

"Hyah, I thought I should record this moment for posterity. See Captain Hitsugaya told me he was slashing my makeup budget and so some of us women decided to get him back. How you ask, well simple…we hid his make up while he was shooting a scene for the next chapter so let's go see how he reacts." Rangiku giggled as she, Yachiru, Rukia, Orihime, Tatsuki, and Yoruichi snuck out of the room and headed down the hall, as the Captains filed in from the set and headed for their respective dressing rooms. They then spotted Toshiro heading towards Men's Dressing Room A.

"Oh Captain!" Rangiku said in a sing song voice.

"Yes Rangiku?" Toshiro asked impatiently.

"Are you getting ready for another shooting soon?" Rangiku asked with a grin clear in her voice.

"Ugh don't remind me. One of Kenpachi's bells fell off during the scene and then Shunsui slipped on it and tore his kimono. We've got to wait until the backup kimono is brought out of storage." Toshiro said as Kaichou popped her head into the frame.

"It was very dramatic." She said before Unohana popped her head into the frame beneath Kaichou.

"Very." She added before both disappeared from view, giggling as they headed down the hall. Orihime, Tatsuki, Rukia, Yoruichi, and even Toshiro had expressions that read roughly as, "WTH?!?!"

Toshiro then shrugged and went into the dressing room that he shared with Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, Isshin, Ryuken, and curiously, Aizen. Isshin was getting the snot beat out of him by Ichigo while Chad, Uryu, and Ryuken kept to themselves. Aizen was watching the fight with amusement. Aizen then noticed the women with the camera.

"Ah, am I finally getting my close up?" Aizen asked with a swish of his hair. (Somewhere in the world billions of fangirls entered a Squieee frenzy).

"Not now Aizen." Rukia said casually as Rangiku followed after Toshiro who had reached his makeup table where he found the stool he sat on was placed upside down on top of the mysteriously empty table.

"What's this? Where's the makeup? Someone call Luppi or Szayel and tell them my makeup is missing." Toshiro said as he ran a hand through his hair in minor frustration.

"Something wrong Captain?" Rangiku's voice asked from off camera. Toshiro's face in the mirror was one of increasing frustration as he took a deep breath while rolling his eyes up towards the ceiling.

"Matsumoto! What have you done?!" Toshiro asked angrily as there was a chorus of snickers from the doorway.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Captain." Rangiku snorted as Toshiro gave her an icy glare before storming off towards and out the door. Rangiku and her accomplices hurry after him down the hall where he stops Mayuri in the hallway.

"Kurotsuchi you set up the security monitors, do you know where-." Toshiro said but was interrupted by Mayuri pointing his thumb down the hall towards the practice hall. Toshiro then started storming off again with the girls in hot pursuit. Toshiro entered the practice hall where several of the characters were slacking off between takes. Gin and Urahara were teaching Yuzu, Karin, Jinta, Uluru, Halibel, Apache, Mila-Rose, Sun-Sun, Momo, Omaeda, Nemu, Mashiro, Lisa, and Wonderweiss the Hona Sayonara dance from the Bleach Rock Musicals. Renji, Shuhei, Izuru, Ikkaku, and Yumichika were having a heated argument over some unknown subject while Kaname sat to himself sipping some tea.

"Hey! Has anyone seen what this bunch did with my makeup?!" Toshiro asked as the dance lesson, argument, and tea drinking suddenly stopped all at once.

"Why Captain Hitsugaya, I was not aware that you were into makeup. Is there something you want to tell us?" Gin asked as Toshiro rolled his eyes and reached for Hyorinmaru.

"Stage makeup you bastard!" Toshiro growled.

"I saw them." Kaname said as everyone turned towards him in shock. He then grinned with a laugh as he waved his hand over his eyes causing everyone to groan.

"Ugh, punked by the creepy blind justice guy!" Apache groaned.

"You might want to look up there." Tessai said as he walked in with a large box of props. He was pointing to a set of scaffolding that the director/author would use to watch the practice. Toshiro groaned loudly as he climbed the steps and let out an even louder groan as he glared down at Rangiku, his shoulders rising and falling with each breath. He was royally pissed off. The girls however were dying with laughter.

"They gotcha Shiro!" Momo squealed.

"Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro yelled as all the women suddenly froze in place…literally. Toshiro proceeded to swat the camera out of Rangiku's frozen hands but fortunately Gin caught it.

"Bye-Bye." He said as he switched the camera off.

End