Nanao was hurting, and for the first time in weeks it had absolutely nothing to do with emotional pain. She was actually in vast amounts of physical pain. Which was no surprise really, but the extent of it was shocking. It'd only been a week since she'd sought out the Taichos for their respective help and no one was being kind. Well maybe Hisagi, but the rest seemed to be on a mission to prove to her how out of place she was. She'd been aware that she wasn't exactly fit compared to some division's standards, but she hadn't fully contemplated quite how out of shape she really was.

Kuchiki had had her shunpoing all over the Seireitei and then dodging kido blasts that had left welts all over her body from where she wasn't fast enough. She'd learned quickly not to yelp when they made contact as he only reacted by making the spells harder and faster. She could have sworn the sadistic bastard had even grinned when one onigiri sized spell made direct impact with her ass. She was still avoiding sitting whenever possible.

Then the 11th had been its own mess. Their morning routine consisted of sit-ups, pushups, pull-ups, basically any kind of up you could think of along with obstacle courses and old-fashioned running. In fact, she was pretty sure there had to be a limit where too much running was unhealthy. She'd been left in the division members' dust all week and had completed their rigorous workouts almost an hour after everyone else with their constant heckling riding her for the entire thing. Kenpachi had just snorted when he'd noticed her and said nothing more. Yachiru, on the other hand, took great pleasure in bouncing back and forth between her and the leading group to ask her annoying questions and ramble on and on about candy and SWA events she was scheming. Nanao had contemplated bringing duct tape for the child's mouth.

Soi Fon was also particularly brutal. Nanao was pretty sure she was being deliberately placed with 2nd division members far beyond her ability just so they could use her as a punching bag or throwing dummy. It didn't help that some of the kids in the same class were half her age. If she heard Soi Fon mutter the word pathetic one more time while watching her practice she was seriously going to lace the Taicho's morning coffee with laxatives.

Really Hisagi's lessons were like a vacation after all the others. He was kind and always happy to correct her form without screaming or biting her head off. He was also always considerate of injuries. Of course, that could just be because he was happy to be getting fed though. Men always tended to be nicer when they were getting food out of the deal.

Between all the training and spending some time each day with the Higurashi, Nanao had been completely worn out and had spent most of her weekend sleeping and reapplying pain numbing kido. She figured she might as well get used to not healing smaller injuries, but she was seriously not enjoying it. In fact she was somewhat secretly longing for her days behind a desk with endless stacks of paperwork. Not that she'd admit that to anyone if they asked.

She shifted her weight uncomfortably off the ankle she'd sprained that morning with the 11th and further aggravated with the 2nd. Luckily Hisagi hadn't been able to meet with her today. Great way to start off a new week, she thought sarcastically. She'd have to heal the ankle tonight if she wanted to be able to continue tomorrow. There was no sense in risking potential serious injury just due to pride. Her other wounds would keep her in plenty of pain.

Currently she was waiting for the Taicho meeting to let out so she could talk to the Soutaicho. A hell butterfly had informed her early that morning that he wanted to talk to her in person after the report she'd filed last Friday. More than likely he wanted an explanation on why she was wasting several Taicho's precious time.

She sighed as she caught sight of herself again in a decorative vase in the hallway. She looked almost as awful as she felt. Her now old black eye was turning a disgusting shade of yellow and green, two of her fingers on her left hand were bandaged from taking a direct hit from one of Kuchiki's kido spells and being bent backwards, and she had a huge raspberry on the left side of her face stretching from her forehead to her cheekbone from where she'd eaten gravel this morning when she'd twisted her ankle and fell on an obstacle course. The sad part was this was just the area you could see. She was avoiding looking at herself naked in a mirror at all costs. Nanao blew out an exasperated breath to move her bangs further out of her face and shifted uncomfortably once more. This Taicho meeting better end soon because she was tired and cranky and someone was going to get hell if it didn't.

Jyuushiro watched his friend fidget again and laughed silently to himself. He wondered vaguely if Yamamoto Sensei was dragging out the meeting just to torture Shunsui. It'd been hard not to notice when Shunsui'd suddenly snapped out of his half doze about a half hour ago and started to get anxious. Jyuushiro had quickly scanned the area and realized that Nanao was out in the hall waiting. Considering he'd had to listen to Shunsui whine about not seeing her for the past week, he wasn't surprised that his friend currently looked like he was about to wet himself.

The Soutaicho finally dismissed them and Shunsui whirled on his heel only to be stopped when Yamamoto called out his name. His friend cursed and looked indecisive for a moment before turning and moving towards their old Sensei. Jyuushiro lingered as the other Taichos exited, for one to stop Shunsui from doing anything idiotic, and for another because he himself had been missing the woman recently. He'd never realized how much of Nanao he saw just due to Shunsui's normal antics. Without her having to track Shunsui down daily, he'd been seeing significantly less of her.

Shunsui strode towards him and the door a few minutes later and Jyuushiro asked, "What did he want?"

"Something about a possible new fukutaicho," Shunsui said darkly.

"Well, that'd be good as you don't exactly enjoy paperwork," Jyuushiro said kindly knowing for a fact that, proving hell may have frozen over, Shunsui had been keeping up on his paperwork.

"I'm doing fine," Shunsui grumbled. "I don't need a new fukutaicho. Better than going home and being stalked by my family and an overly sweet, but ultimately very misguided woman."

Shunsui admitting paperwork was better than something? Yep, hell had indeed frozen over. Jyuushiro chuckled and trailed after him, nearly slamming into his friends back when he came to a sudden standstill. Jyuushiro peered around him and felt his own surprise wash over him. Nanao looked liked she'd been put through the wringer and back. Presently Hisagi was standing in front of her talking to her, but it didn't do anything to hide her beat up state. This was not going to end well. "Shun," he cautioned.

"What?" Shunsui growled.

"She's obviously ok or she'd be at the 4th," Jyuushiro said trying to calm him.

"That is not ok," Shunsui stated coldly as he started marching over to the pair. Hisagi said something and motioned to the fresh looking wound on the side of her face and Nanao smiled at him and then winced, as the facial expression must have exacerbated the injury.

Jyuushiro walked closely behind his friend and saw Nanao's eyes darken as she noticed them approaching. Hisagi turned to look at what had caught her attention and paled a bit below his tattoos. Jyuushiro couldn't see Shunsui's expression from this angle, but he had a feeling it didn't look too welcoming.

"Well I should be going," Hisagi said as they came within earshot.

"Yes, of course, see you tomorrow Shuuhei-kun," Nanao said pointedly, and Jyuushiro could almost feel Shunsui's hackles rise. Was she trying to get the boy killed?

"Right tomorrow," he said smiling now that he'd looked away from Kyouraku's approach. They stopped about a foot away, and Hisagi nodded to them politely. "Put some ice on that sucker," Hisagi suggested, pointing to his own head to show her what he was referring too.

"Can't bare to look at it?" Nanao teased lightly.

"Hell no. I think its kind of hot," Hisagi said grinning. Scratch that, the boy was going to get himself killed all on his own. "Almost as good as the shiner."

Nanao quirked a smile at him and said her goodbyes before turning to his impatient friend. "Kyouraku Taicho. Ukitake Taicho."

"What the hell happened to you?" Shunsui exploded. Jyuushiro winced as he saw the anger flit across the dark haired woman's face for a moment before it lost all emotion and became stony.

"Several things," she replied with a shrug. "What's it matter?"

"What's it matter?" Shunsui repeated in a shocked tone. "What's it matter? You look like you survived a hollow stampede."

"It's not that bad," Nanao argued rolling her eyes.

"It damn well is. Who did this? The yakuza? Where the hell was your brother?" Shunsui demanded in rapid succession.

"My brother is none of your damn business," Nanao said flaring on him. "He thinks I'm capable of taking care of myself, and I appreciate that."

"You obviously aren't," Shunsui said riled. Jyuushiro cringed internally and moved quickly to get out of the way as his best friend was blasted back by a kido ball of air pressure the size of a watermelon. Shunsui flew head over feet, losing his hat and pink haori in the process, and regained his footing across the hall glaring.

"What do you know?" she demanded darkly. "I got these injuries from your fellow Taichos, as I've obviously not had adequate training."

"Training for what? War?" he demanded sarcastically. Jyuushiro groaned mentally as he heard it leave his friend's mouth, confident it had just ripped open an old wound.

"Yes," Nanao hissed. "The exact thing you were supposed to be training me for. I'm a shinigami, not a damn secretary. I'm not getting left behind again." Nanao had never totally forgiven Shunsui for forcing her to stay during the Winter War. Given there had been plenty of excuses at the time, someone needs to stay and run everything, someone needs to monitor at a safe distance, someone needs to protect the home turf, but everyone, including Nanao, knew it had boiled down to the fact that Kyouraku was simply not willing to risk her. "I have a meeting with the Soutaicho," she stated stiffly.

Shunsui put a hand on her arm as she went to move past him, and she flinched away from the touch in obvious physical pain. Kyouraku shoved her uniform sleeve up before he probably even thought the whole action through and revealed a whole expanse of pale flesh and angry red welts. She tore the arm from his grasp and slapped him hard, ignoring the discreet but rapt audience they'd attracted. "Don't touch me," she growled.

"Nanao," he said, and everyone present could hear the pain in his voice, which had nothing to do with the recent slap. "What are you doing?"

"Growing up," she said, turning her eyes away from him. "You might consider doing the same. It was nice to see you Ukitake Taicho." That said she went into the meeting room and let the door slam shut behind her.

"Come on, Shun," Jyuushiro said touching his friend's shoulder after collecting the hat and haori off the ground. "Let's go grab a drink, huh?" The remaining Taichos started to move off, and Jyuushiro could have sworn he saw Soi Fon smirking to herself.

"What just happened?" Shunsui asked almost to himself.

"I'd say you pissed her off royally," Jyuushiro said honestly. "Did you really think this was the best place to berate her?"

"I wasn't berating her," Shunsui defended as he let himself be led down the hall. "Kami, did you see all those wounds?"

"Yes, I did and yes you were," Jyuushiro said, hearing the inner turmoil winding its way through his friend's tone.

"What are they doing to her?" Shunsui demanded. "She doesn't need to get the shit beat out of her. She's got kido. It's enough. I wouldn't let anything get close enough to her for it not to be appropriate."

"You won't be around to help her all the time now though," Jyuushiro corrected lightly.

"It's not like they often hold wars in the Rukongai. She should be able to neutralize any threat out there with kido, regardless of whether I'm there or not," Shunsui argued. "I wouldn't have let her go if I believed differently."

Jyuushiro sighed. "Maybe Nanao is tired of being allowed into only the dangerous situations you deem safe enough, Shun. I mean I get why you do it, and I understand you love her and it's a habit now, but you can't control this any longer. Even if you'd stayed together it was bound to happen sooner or later. Her biggest fear has always been that she's unqualified, useless, unworthy. You know that, and we both know it's idiotic, but frankly you've never given her the chance to prove its not true to herself."

"Being good in a fight doesn't make you worthy," Shunsui said fiercely.

"Would you stop being an idiot?" Jyuushiro asked getting fed up. "You know her better than I do. Why the hell am I having to tell you what she's thinking and feeling?"

"You're right," Shunsui said sighing and stopping to stare up at the sky. "This is all my fault. I promised I'd keep her safe."

"Feed a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for his whole life," Jyuushiro recited quietly. "She'll be able to protect herself."

"I want to protect her, regardless of if she needs it. I don't want her to make any more unpleasant memories," Shunsui said with a defeated sigh. "Come on, you promised me a drink."

Jyuushiro watched his friend start to shuffle down the street and severely wanted to lock them both in a room until they sorted things out. He wasn't naïve enough to think that love would get them through, but honestly Shunsui needed to let her fight her own battles and Nanao needed to decide once and for all if he was worth it. Nanao wasn't stupid. She knew she was riling him up with Hisagi and with her blatant disregard for his concern. It was one thing for her to cut Shunsui off, and it was quite another for her to torture him. Jyuushiro moved to catch up with his depressed friend and they walked slowly in silence.

When Shunsui said he'd promised to keep her safe he wasn't being overdramatic. He'd had an infatuation with her safety since Lisa had been gone. Jyuushiro remembered the first time Shunsui'd mentioned Nanao after his first month of depression following the disappearances. Jyuushiro had asked what finally made him get off his ass and regain at least a little sobriety to deal with his squad. Apparently Shunsui'd finally realized he was doing his squad more harm than good by being unresponsive when he'd had the little girl inform him that she'd decided to focus on combat training and give up her intellectual pursuits. Shunsui had taken to reading with the child to keep her from growing up into a man-like 11th division barbarian, as he'd put it, and Jyuushiro had watched the simple interaction heal some of his friend's broken spirit too.

Everyone had quickly learned that the littlest member of the 8th was under Kyouraku's direct supervision and protection. Not that that stopped others from hounding the girl when he wasn't looking. Shunsui tended to be a bit oblivious to the harm his inordinate attentions and favoritisms could provoke. It didn't matter though. The girl would have battled a thousand shinigami to stay at the side of the Taicho she so openly adored as a child. Nanao had always been good about putting up a fight for other people, but seemed less inclined to defend herself, which Jyuushiro had always assumed arose from some of her own personal issues.

She'd been put in the 4th when she was the 8th's 6th seat for being involved in a street brawl. Jyuushiro had been with Shunsui when the Taicho was informed that five of his division members were injured in a spat with the 3rd, and Jyuushiro had gone along to the 4th out of simple curiosity. It hadn't been a big deal until one of the healers had innocently informed Shunsui that 6th seat Ise would not be released until later that night as, unlike the other more minor injuries, she'd also sustained a broken arm.

Shunsui had been down the hall before Jyuushiro could fully react to the news, and he'd finally apologized to the healer and followed after his over reactive friend with a sigh. He'd tracked Shunsui easily enough and stopped at the open door as he felt his friend's reiatsu spike almost imperceptibly. He'd glanced into the room and saw Nanao with a sling on her arm and a few scrapes, but otherwise seeming physically sound.

"What happened, Nanao-chan?" Shunsui had asked the teenage girl quietly, ignoring Jyuushiro's presence.

"We just got in a fight, Taicho," Nanao had said with a shrug.

"Over what? Who started it?"

"I don't know. One minute it was just friendly competition over a game of Mahjong, and then the next everyone was hurling insults, sir," she'd answered. "Someone threw the first punch and it turned into a brawl."

"You're lying," Shunsui'd said after she stopped.

"I am not," the girl huffed, and Jyuushiro had almost chuckled at the childish expression that worked its way onto her maturing face. She'd been trying terribly hard to act the part of an adult recently, and Shunsui had been having quite a bit of fun teasing her and harassing her until she acted silly and young again. His friend was not so interested in playing at the moment though.

"Then you aren't telling the whole truth," Shunsui had stated.

"Sir, it was just a fight," she'd said with a shrug. "It happens all the time."

"Not with you in the middle of it," he'd corrected.

She'd looked up at him with something akin to anger, but had held it back for fear of reprimand. "It was just a fight, sir. Regardless of whether or not I was involved, it wasn't a big deal. Question the others if you don't believe me."

"You're the most injured," he'd replied.

"Only by sheer accident," she'd said. "He wasn't even trying to break my arm, we just got shoved and I fell oddly on it."

"Who's he?" Shunsui'd asked.

"The guy from the 3rd. You'd have to ask them, sir. I don't know anyone's names."

Shunsui'd left after a bit more questioning to see if he could get more answers out of some of the other squad members, and Jyuushiro had slid into the seat next to her happy to not be the one in the bed on this particular occasion.

"He just wants you safe," Jyuushiro had counseled the moody teenager.

"It's a broken arm," she'd said sourly. "Squad members receive worse all the time." He'd reached into his pocket and given her a candy he'd had stashed there. She'd taken it after a moment's hesitation and looked even younger after she popped it into her mouth.

"But all squad members are not you," he'd said after a moment, acknowledging that she was different although the poor thing was obviously torn on how to feel about it. Nanao had forever wavered between soaking up and needing her Taicho's attentions, and wanting him to leave her the hell alone to be like everyone else.

"It's just a broken arm," she'd reiterated stubbornly.

"What started the fight?"

"Like I said before, Ukitake-Taicho," and he'd heard the formality rise in her voice as her defensive method of choice, "It just went bad all of a sudden. Squad rivalries and whatnot."

"Ah, so they insulted the 8th," he'd clarified.

"Yes, sir."

"And Shunsui?"

"Yes, sir," she'd admitted, her expression darkening.

"What'd they say about him?" he'd asked curiously. The girl often put up with verbal attacks without getting aggressive, so he'd been curious as to what set her off.

She blushed violently and fidgeted with the sheets. "Just the usual, that he's a drunk and lazy."

"You've heard all that before though," he'd argued. "So has all of the 8th. What set you all off this time?"

"They said he was screwing her," a voice had answered from the door. Jyuushiro had turned his head to recognize the 4th seat of the 8th standing by the door with a patch on his cheek, but otherwise looking unharmed.

"Hiraga-san," Nanao had hissed looking alarmingly unhappy. "It doesn't matter."

"They said Shunsui was sleeping with you?" Jyuushiro had asked turning back to the girl.

"They may have implied that sir," Nanao had answered.

"Those yellow bellied bastards said that the only reason Taicho kept a no talent whore, their words not mine, like her around was because she must do every perversion he asks for," the 4th seat had elaborated ignoring the woman's glare. "Then they started throwing out suggestions and asking her to demonstrate, most of which are too foul to repeat in polite company. Even recommended a few things she could do to get promoted. It's not like there aren't people in the 8th who think the same, but at least they keep it to themselves. Who cares what the two of them choose to do? Besides that, the 8th's business is the 8th's business. No good, double crossing 3rd squad members don't have the right to say shit like that to us."

Nanao had looked like she was about to die of shame, and Jyuushiro had felt his own anger rise up at the thought. The poor thing hadn't done anything to deserve this kind of loathing within even her own squad. It wasn't her fault Shunsui was so fond of her, and she couldn't seem to help but want to support her Taicho in turn. He'd have to have a word with Shunsui about making his affairs and trysts even more public than usual if only just to give the girl a reprieve. She was barley out of childhood for kami sake.

"Quite right, Hiraga-san, though perhaps a more diplomatic solution should be found next time," Jyuushiro said calmly. "Did you need something else?"

"Just wanted to make sure she was alright," the man had said shaking his head. "I was the highest ranking member of the group so I felt like it was my duty to make sure everyone was ok. Besides Taicho would have had my head if something permanently damaging had happened to the pip squeak."

"I'm fine Hiraga-san, thank you for checking," Nanao had said quietly. The man had nodded and headed off.

"Why didn't you tell Shunsui?"

"Because he'd have thrown a tantrum and made it even worse," she'd answered with a sigh. "If he goes after those men it's just going to seem like what they were saying is true."

"Or he could finally be putting the record straight," Jyuushiro had countered. "Defending your honor is a good enough reason especially if they were implying really scandalous things."

"It doesn't matter if they all think I'm whoring myself for a rank," Nanao had said frustrated. "They're all idiots. If he goes after them it's just going to bring a million more like them. It's not really me they're making fun of anyway. It's him for supposedly wanting me. If he rises to the bait it will never end. I can't help that I look more and more like Yadomaru fukutaicho and that everyone knew they'd slept together."

"You don't care if everyone thinks that about you?" Jyuushiro had asked unbelievingly. "I don't think that's true, Ise-san. It's a nasty thing to be called."

"What's so wrong with whores?" Nanao had demanded suddenly angry. "It's not like they wanted to be that way. They do what they have to to survive and men enjoy it well enough. There wouldn't be any whores if there weren't any demand for them. So why don't you all go insult the men paying the money, instead of the poor women forced to do something they don't want to do? And even if they do want to do it, what's so awful about taking what's offered? Not everyone gets a choice and a comfy life."

The venom in her had taken him by surprise, and for a moment he'd had nothing to say. "I didn't mean to offend you Ise-san," he'd said softly and seen some of the anger leave her expression.

"I'm sorry, Ukitake Taicho," she'd said tiredly. "It's just they shouldn't have said Kyouraku Taicho was the kind of man that would do that to a woman. He isn't. He'd never. I've met men like that and he isn't."

"I know," he'd replied. "Get some rest, Ise-san. I'll make sure Shunsui doesn't do anything stupid.

He'd tracked down his friend and told him the 3rd had made some suggestive comments about Nanao setting off the fight and her embarrassment, but he'd left out the fact that Shunsui'd been implicated too. He'd known Shunsui wouldn't stand for it, and the girl was obviously convinced it wouldn't help anything. Really the best thing Shunsui could do for her was start sleeping with someone else and let it be really common knowledge.

Things had continued on and reverted back to normal in the days and years that had followed, but without fail the only thing that ever landed Nanao in the 4th with serious injuries was the defense of a squad member or of her Taicho. Nothing was scarier than a Nanao that couldn't reach her Taicho.

They'd gotten a distress call on an 8th mission years later that Shunsui had lead out, and Nanao had nearly ripped Sasakibe fukutaicho apart when he'd had trouble getting them clearance for a gate to join the fight. Then she'd charged in without even surveying the fight and kido blasted three hollows out of her way without even looking. Witnesses to that fight would say hollows had exploded almost seemingly before she'd gotten any kido off at all. Even Jyuushiro had felt like there were hollows blowing up from the inside out and the normal flashes of her kido seemed almost invisible until the target was destroyed.

She'd been in one hell of a rage by the time they'd reached Shunsui in the middle of the mess with half of his recruits unconscious and his left arm nearly useless as he tried to hold off the overwhelming force. The squad members had been more of a hindrance than a help. Nanao and Jyuushiro had quickly helped turn the tide, but the woman had somehow managed to get in between Shunsui and a particularly pissed off hollow and taken a barbed tail to the leg protecting him. Jyuushiro could have sworn he'd also seen her take a particular nasty claw hit straight down the chest, but after the fight had discovered happily that he'd been incorrect.

After the way Shunsui freaked out over her leg injury and insisted he assist her back to the new gate, Jyuushiro could only be relieved that she hadn't been slashed open throat to navel as well. Even if it'd been a shallow cut Shunsui would have had her locked up in the 4th for a month, and no one liked how cranky Nanao came out of the 4th.

"She should have come to me," Shunsui said suddenly, startling Jyuushiro out of his memories and back into the present.

"Eh?"

"If she was asking Taichos for additional training, she should have come to me, or to you," he said petulantly.

"She couldn't be sure we wouldn't hold back," Jyuushiro replied, "Whoever she's asked to help probably isn't emotionally attached to her."

"She asked Hisagi," Shunsui muttered. "He's a puppy. What could she possibly learn from him?"

"Notice the way he reacted to her wounds and the way you did," Jyuushiro said rolling his eyes. "Perhaps she didn't care if her teachers were the absolute best as long as they weren't opposed to beating her occasionally. You and I did the same for each other. Nanao-san has never had someone like that before. Rangiku shows no interest in training, and we certainly wouldn't harm her more than a bruise, so what could she possibly learn from us that she hasn't already?"

"It's like you support this," his friend grumbled.

"Shun, the thing Nanao has always needed more than anything else is to find out how to stand up for herself. Not for you, not for the 8th, not for me, not for her brother, but just for her. I don't like the way it came about, but I don't really think it's such a bad thing," he explained with a shrug. "Beyond that it's good for you too. You're always at your best when challenged, and as much as you gripe and moan about how hard she is to talk into this or that or get her to marry you or whatever, you and everybody else knows you've essentially had her hooked for years. Maybe it's time you start actually working at it again. I don't think anything less than your best is going to bring her back around, and so far you've only shown her all the things that drive her absolutely mad about you."

"I guess I could give her some space," Shunsui admitted gruffly after a moment.

"Good," Jyuushiro said. "Because you are driving me crazy as well. Kami, you'd think I was the one involved with this relationship with how much effort I have to put into it, and I never got any of the perks, well besides you being entertained and leaving me in peace."

"Hey!" Shunsui said, getting some of his energy back. "If I didn't know better I'd think you didn't like me. And if you were so upset about being left out, you could have just asked. I didn't know you were that desperate for some action," he announced loudly so that some shingami around them turned to stare. "I'm always more that willing to help a friend in need." Shunsui instantly wrapped himself around him and nuzzled his face into Jyuushiro's neck.

"Would you get off, you stupid idiot?" Jyuushiro demanded pushing at his friend's face, and trying to hide his smile. He'd stopped trying to fight the gay lover rumor years ago when he'd figured out that Shunsui simply could not be deterred from making a fool out of himself in public.

"But Jyuu-chan needs love," Shunsui wailed, trying to get a firmer hold around the thinner man's waist.

"Not from you," Jyuushiro said, wiggling away as Shunsui moved constantly to counteract his attempts at escape.

"Oh come on," Shunsui whined. "I come with good recommendations. You can ask around."

"Gross, get off," Jyuushiro said twisting in a more determined way and finally managed to get a firm hold on Shunsui's wrist to throw him a bit off balance and escape. Then he stuck his tongue out at Shunsui and took off at a high speed shunpo pace.

Seconds later Shunsui was a step or two behind him grinning. "You're on, old man."

"First one to touch Yamamoto-sensei's beard?" Jyuushiro called in challenge, invoking a bet they hadn't used in decades.

"What're the stakes?"

"I win, you can't whine about Nanao-san for a week," Jyuushiro said happily as he bolted over the rooftops. "I'd ask for longer, but that'd be impossible for you."

"Fine," Shunsui said. "But if I win you've got to cover for me with my family and Hayashi-san for a week so I can actually leave the office without them pouncing."

"Deal," Jyuushiro called and then picked up the pace headed back to the 1st. "Prepare to lose!"

A/N: A bit of a longer chapter for you all :) And yes, I promise there will be more interaction with the other Taichos in the future. I'm glad that most of you seem alright with my turtlelyness as it's something I can't seem to avoid, ha.

Ok, I should have been in bed already in order to hate work slightly less in the morning, so I'm just going to say, review please!