Chapter 6: Not So Forgetful

"You were faking most of your amnesia?" Soifon roared within the head-captain's office.

Kenshin kept his left arm resting on the hilt of his zanpakutö while rubbing at his neck with his other hand. "Well…if you want to be blunt about it Lady Soifon, yes."

She wasn't sure if she should feel hurt or angry with Kenshin for having lied to her. "For how long?" She asked trying to contain her rage in a balled up fist.

"I recovered pretty much all of my memories after you came to try and retrieve me as well as when Lady Yoruichi showed up to talk with me that same night.

"So why did you lie?"

"If I may correct you, Captain Soifon, Captain Takeda maintained his condition under false pretenses in order to maintain a post for a mission of his."

Soifon felt her eye twitch with annoyance. "Really now?"

Captain Kuchiki nodded idly. "He was handling a mission in investigating attacks within the human world that had become evidently coordinated. We've been suspecting new activity in Hueco Mundo ever since the Winter War but haven't been able to confirm anything. It was our hope to apprehend an adjucha."

Kenshin nodded his agreement while shifting his weight from one foot to the other. With his arms crossed he picked up on what Byakuya had stated. "My mission was going fine until the group of adjuchas appeared. Doing what I had to I drew their attention from my squad members but in doing so I drew the attention of something else and was attacked."

"Something attacked you?" Captain Kuchiki asked. All Kenshin could do was shrug.

"It came from behind and with the confusion going on I wasn't sure what it was." Kenshin happened to notice the glare from his mentor and sighed softly. "Yes?"

"Nothing…if you'll excuse me Head Captain…" With a bow she shot one last glare at her student before leaving the office.

The captain of fifth division waited until he felt Soifon was far enough away before returning his attention to Yamamoto. "This attack was tactical effort on the part of someone above those adjuchas, sir."

"And what brings you to such an assessment Captain Takeda?"

"The amount of coordination displayed in their efforts and the attack itself leads me to believe so, sir. Even though I'm a far more appetizing meal then my squad members, adjuchas wouldn't be stupid enough to waste their efforts on the harder to kill target. The fact they turned their focus on me is evident that they were ordered to do so."

The elder captain stroked at his beard while contemplating the report given to him. In truth it all did point toward a leadership above the adjuchas. Adjuchas did not feed on human souls to sustain themselves so for them to even come to the human world was both foolish and reckless. Even if they were seeking to farm souls that had yet to depart from the human world, they still risked themselves to being attacked by a lieutenant-level shinigami.

"For the time being you will remain within the human world, Captain Takeda. You are to maintain watch should more attacks occur while I have a team sent to investigate the matter from within Hueco Mundo."

Kenshin bowed slightly, "as you command Head Captain."

With a nod from Yamamoto, the captain of fifth division turned and departed from the office, leaving Captain Kuchiki behind. "Something you need to say, Captain Kuchiki?"

"Sir. Should something be done to make sure Captain Soifon does not attempt to confront Captain Takeda?"

The elder captain grunted. "Leave it be, Captain Kuchiki. Matters between sensei and pupil are to be left between them to mend. Even if I felt a need to intervene, Captain Soifon will still find a way to get to Captain Takeda."

"Of course sir."

/\/\/\/\

Surprise tests were never a pleasant thing, but two in the same day? Was fate just looking for a reason to spit on her? Tatsuki sighed softly while walking him. At least her mood for the day was still relatively positive so even with those surprise tests and the teasing from Chizuru, she felt good.

When she got home she kicked off her shoes and walked toward the kitchen, feeling the need for something to drink. Strange…didn't I still have a water bottle in the fridge? She shrugged and decided to just get to her room and start working on her homework. If she got it done quickly she could easily get some time to exercise and maybe even spar with Kenshin.

There she went again, drawing him to the forefront of her thoughts. She felt ashamed that she was thinking that he was just going to be here forever without ever recovering his memories. That's just not right of me…

As she entered her room she noticed a water bottle sitting on her desk and saw Kenshin napping on her bed in just his hakamas once more. It seemed his mode of comfort and it really wasn't a problem with her, but she felt guilty always eyeing over his body. She was just admiring an athletic man, right?

Wait…did Kenshin get her that water bottle from the fridge? She was glad that it was still cold and couldn't help but glance back at her slumbering roommate-of-sorts. "Such a thoughtful guy…goes to find me in the rain and has a bottle of water waiting for me when I get home."

"It's the least I can do."

Shit! Had she woken him with her talking? "I'm sorry…did I wake ya up Kenshin?"

His lids opened idly and he looked toward her, offering only a shrug. "Not really. Seems I'm prone to staying alert even when sleeping. So how was your school…thing…?"

She chuckled and sat next to him, taking a moment to drink from the water bottle. "It was alright. Had two tests today that I wasn't expecting, but I feel comfortable with how I did."

"Oh? What sort of tests?"

"Well I had one in history and another in my chemistry class."

Kenshin's eyes open more now and he winced some. "Glad I don't attend human schooling…"

"Do you remember anything about where you're from? I mean don't you shinigami receive some sort of education?"

"Mmmm…" He could tell her as there was no reason to seem so lost on all his memories that in truth he already had back. Why was he still pretending to have amnesia around this girl? Wouldn't it be better to admit the truth; or…did he not want to chance getting kicked out? It felt comforting having someone to talk to that didn't address him as sir, or captain, or Takeda-sama. It felt good just being a regular individual talking with a friend.

"Well…sort of. I didn't go myself but I remember that there is something for shinigami to train at before becoming well…shinigami."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well…shinigami is really more a term for those of us spiritual beings that possess spiritual powers. Regular spirits don't bother with schooling, but for shinigami it's needed; generally, anyways."

"I see…so did you go?"

"I don't think so…at least I don't recall having gone. I was trained through other methods to become a shinigami I think…something to do with that Shihöin woman. She was both my mentor and…commander or something. In any case, shinigami are taught general education, albeit different from human standards, and four key arts."

"Key arts? Like what?" Tatsuki had long since closed the water bottle and set it aside. She was leaned back over him, propped up on her hands. Why was she finding it so fascinating to learn from and about this man?

"Well…the first is Zanjutsu. As I told you before, all shinigami possess a zanpakutö and all zanpakutö have a name. Swordsmanship is the most fundamental principle to what we do which is purifying Hollows. The next his Hakuda, hand-to-hand combat."

"Ooooh….so that explains why you're so good." She smirked at him and got a chuckle from the scruffy-looking man.

"Perhaps. The third is Hohö, the art of speed and agility."

"I don't get it…"

"It took me a minute to find you when you ran out the other night."

"Really? But I had run for like ten minutes."

"That's Hohö. We employ a technique called Shunpo that allows us to move faster then the eye can perceive. The best of us are able to do so and cover great distances in mere minutes or seconds. The final art is called Kidö. To humans it would be like…ummm….magic if you will."

"Magic?" She arched a brow in disbelief.

"Yeah. There are three types of Kidö. Bakudö, the way of binding, ranges from literal binding techniques to defensive techniques and communicative techniques. The second is called Hadö, the way of destruction. It employs nothing but spells that are offensive in nature and range from projectiles of vary sizes and destructive force to close proximity spells. The final style of Kidö is a healing style that allows grievous wounds to be treated while hastily healing minor injuries as if they never occurred. Though…if I remember correctly, only a certain group of shinigami is trained in the third style of Kidö…"

"Sounds complicated…" Tatsuki trailed off. There was so much to this guy that it was like a book collection. She felt she had not even cracked the tip of the ice-burg with just who this man was, but even so, she was intrigued with him. He looked gruff and yet was gentle and caring. Aside from when she spoke to him he never said a word, but he always greeted her when she came home and even surprised her just now with having set out a water bottle for her. He was charming despite his gruff appearance….

"You're staring again."

"Shut up! It's my room and I'll stare if I want to."

He closed his eyes and shrugged. "True, but with how much you stare I'd think you have some sort of interest in me or something."

It was a good thing he had closed his eyes, because she was red as the bow-tie of her school uniform. "Oh shut up! I got homework to get to, not wasting time talking with your smug ass."

He simply chuckled in reply and shrugged once more. This girl is fun to be around…

As her pen scribbled away, Tatsuki spared a look back at the man appearing to be napping on her bed. Having him around was rather awesome…

She was really starting to silently hope it would never end…

Shorter chapter, I know. But more of a means to move things along. Although, hints of something ahead perhaps?

Next time! Chapter 7: Questions - Lair of the Iron Wolf