I did a double take when I first saw my captain. There was so much resemblance between him and my Saimitsu. Their voices, hair and eyes. And that happy smile they have.

Kyouraku Shunsui, taicho of the 8th division. It sounds somewhat regal. But he certainly didn't dress the part. He wore a really big pink haori over his white captain's haori. And his sea green obi faded into white near the ends. And he wore a straw hat on his head and two little blue pinwheels in his hair. I'm surprised a captain could be so easy going and disregard uniform protocols.

But his attire really seemed to fit him though. Kyouraku Taicho smiled and laughed as he joked with some of the division seats there. He paid special attention to Yadamaru Fukutaicho but she didn't seem like she cared too much about that, I wonder what that was about.

After he introduced himself to the new recruits, he came over to each of us and chatted amiably with everyone. Sometimes he would comfort someone who was still shivering due to him massive amount of reiatsu. He really tried his best to keep it under control though. I think I shivered at one point. But I was fine when he came over and talked with me. I half expected him to stay standing as a superior would to his new subordinate, but he crouched down so he could see me more eye to eye. Part of me felt like he was patronizing me, but I really think he was just treating me as an equal. I was a fellow shinigami, with just eons of age and experience was difference between the two of us. But I don't think it mattered to him. I still remember our conversation:

"Hi little shinigami-chan! What's your name?"

"Ise Nanao, Kyouraku-Taicho sir!"

He grinned wider "How old are you, little Ise Nanao"

"I'm not exactly sure, sir. I finished the academy fairly quickly and I was really young when I started. Logically I can't be much more than 10 by those factors and my appearance."

He cocked his head to the side thinking, but then he noticed the book I was holding. It was a gift from my kido instructor from the academy. He was very proud of my accomplishments over the years and thought that this might help me in my assignment to the 8th.

"Whatcha reading, there?"

"Advanced kido techniques, sir."

"Really? Is that for fun?"

"Well, sort of, sir… I'd like to become really strong shinigami someday."

He smiled, "Well, I bet if you're reading books like that at this age, I'm sure you will be soon Ise Nanao-chan."

"Hai, Kyouraku Taicho!" I nodded and I'm pretty sure my eyes were big. It was encouraging to hear something like that from a captain, especially my new captain. He really did know how to put others at ease.

"Work hard Ise Nanao-chan." He waved as he got up and moved over to some other new recruits that he hadn't spoken to yet.

Saimitsu and I will really have to work much harder now. Kyouraku Taicho thinks we can do this too.