Chapter 3

11th Squad: the Kurokawa Branch

Disclaimer: don't own bleach. Or the characters. Or naruto. w/e.

"You really saved my ass with that arrow back there Ishida."

"Eh, I can't have you dying to a shinigami. It's going to be myself, the last quincy, who you will fall to Kurosaki." Replied the glasses wearing Ishida Uryu as the two ran away from the insane captain at top speed.

"Tch. Whatever. Thanks. Look let's just get back to class before I miss any more information. I've had poor enough attendance lately as is." Snapped back the orange haired shinigami. They continued on back towards school with hardly another word.

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Apologizing to the teacher as they walked in, Ishida and Ichigo took their seats while trying to act as if Ichigo didn't just have a near death experience. They pulled it off perfectly while managing to give both of their friends, Inoue Orihime and Sado "Chad" Yasutora, rather meaningful glances. Oh yes, there would be questions at lunch.

Now, if only I can just make it through the next hour of school. There's no way I'm gonna fall asleep during lunch or P.E. Soon enough though, the lack of sleep caught up to the exhausted teenage powerhouse and he lost consciousness on his text book snoring away.

Ichigo awoke to the screeching voice of Keigo, who was flying through the air about to tackle the orange haired teenager, shouting: "ICHIGOOOO! Do you want to come eat lunch with meeee?" Asano Keigo's face met the back of Ichigo's fist as he promptly replied: "Naw, that's ok. Me, Uryu, Inoue, and Chad have some important business to discuss in private." Following this statement Keigo became overly-dramatic thinking that everyone was abandoning him. Maybe he's right? Maybe we are ditching him… The guy is just plain creepy always askin' to eat lunch with me… is he gay? thoughtIchigo Dismissing the thoughts as trivial he started heading towards the roof with the rest of the gang in tow.

Once on the roof it was Inoue who asked the first question. "Was it a strong hollow Kurosaki-kun? I was a little worried when I saw Ishida-kun leave the room as well."

"Naw, it wasn't the hollow that was the problem… there was another shinigami there. He attacked me after we collided while trying to kill the same hollow. Did you sense his reiatsu, Ishida? Is that why you came to help me?"

"Of course. How could you not sense a reiatsu presence as large as his? It's excessively huge!" commented the quincy in irritation. A smirk then grew onto his features as he continued, "Though with your level of ability it should be expected. You honestly need to work on that, Kurosaki."

Chad interrupted before Ichigo could start yelling and asked, "He must have been strong in order to give you problems, Ichigo."

"Well, his name is Zaraki Kenpachi and he does happen to be the captain of the 11th division… so yeah he's pretty dang strong…" said Ichigo before being cut off by the nervous Ishida.

"That was a CAPTAIN? I just shot a spirit arrow at a CAPTAIN, Kurosaki?! Why didn't you tell me this little fact earlier?!"

"It's fine. It's fine," said Ichigo with a small wave of his hand, "to a guy like him that was pretty much a cheerful 'good morning' compared to what he does every time he sees me…"

"Wow, it sounds like you two have met before Kurosaki-kun." said big booby insightfully.

"Uh, yeah I guess you could say that," pondered Ichigo as he scratched his head like a monkey, "I faced off against him in a one on one battle back when we were rescuing Rukia. I wouldn't exactly call it a victory because I ended up with his zanpakuto through the left side of my ribcage. It was more like a tie since we both ended up on the floor. But man! I can't see how I freakin' survived that psycho the first time around. He's so insanely powerful and he soaks up damage like a tank."

Everyone was now staring at Ichigo with a mix of shock and amazement.

"Kurosaki, there is something seriously wrong with you if you can talk about a fight with a man like that in such a bored tone," said the Quincy as he delicately pushed his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose with a single finger. Both Chad and Inoue nodded their heads in agreement.

"Ah, lay off guys. So, what did I miss in class? Anything that might come up on a test?" The rest of the conversation was filled with idle banter and the average "he said she said" high school drama until it was time to go to their next class which happened to be P.E. Little did they know, but their lives were about to get more and more interesting.

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Gym class started off quite ordinary with the guys and girls splitting up to their respective locker rooms to dress out. They all met as a group on the basketball/volley ball courts as usual and awaited the arrival of their teachers. Everyone quieted down in respect as their gym teachers approached from the main building.

"All right guys. Give me 6 laps around the track," said the first instructor Uzumaki Naruto. He had to nearly yell above all the groans that followed in order to continue, "Kurosaki-san I need to talk to you in private. Please come here."

"Hai, Hai Uzumaki-sensei," answered Ichigo as he lightly jogged over to stand next to the teachers.

"We've received a new teacher Kurosaki. He wants to head his own class of… 'Real men who depend on their own strength to get shit done.' I believe is how he put it."

…sounds vaguely familiar… thought Ichigo as he nodded his head in understanding.

"Now apparently he says that the two of you have met before, and he specifically requested you to be his…ugh… what did he call it? Oh, that's right his 3rd seated officer in charge of his division," rambled Uzumaki-sensei as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Any way, you should just wait for him here. He should be along shortly."

"Hai sensei. I understand," said the bleach-haired young man formally. As soon as Uzumaki was a safe distance away Ichigo slouched against the wall and slid down to the ground. As he sat with his back to the wall it was only a matter of time before he dozed off for another short nap.

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He was awoken some time later by a dull something prodding him in the chest and a deep gravelly voice saying," Oi, Ichigo! Wake the hell up! You have some explanations to give me."

A completely contrasting voice sent his sluggish and almost unaware brain a query as well, "Yeah, why did ya run from Ken-chan today? Your guys' fight was just getting good!"

Adrenaline immediately shot through his body. There was only one person in all his experience who was referred to as "Ken-chan." Slowly opening his right eye just a tiny bit his worst fear was realized. Zaraki Kenpachi the psychopathic, eye patch wearing, giant of a killer was towering over him while prodding him in the chest with the business end of a wooden practice sword.

'…Wait a minute…where's the pink midget?Thought Ichigo who was now on the verge of hyperventilating.'

"Ichi! Wake up'n play!" came the words a split second before a child sized palm was planted into the completely unaware left side of his face. 'Ah… that's one question down.' Thought Ichigo as tick marks seemed to multiply on his forehead the longer the hand remained.

Finally, temper pushing aside common sense, Ichigo jumped to his feet yelling and pointing his finger in Zaraki's face. "THE HELL?! ARE YOU STALKING ME YOU CYCLOPTIC BASTARD?!"

Kenpachi stared at the offending digit with little to no emotion on his face besides the curving of any eyebrow. The finger was soon removed by Ichigo who was afraid of becoming a 4 fingered freak.

"No dumbass. There is a difference between 'seeking out' and 'stalking.' I'm here to help you so you can help me. How about it? It's like a trade… I help with your combat skills and you help me talk to my zanpakuto? Sounds like a good deal, eh?" explained the giant.

"Ok, let me get this straight. So basically you want to beat the shit out of me on a daily basis and somehow I am supposed to feel some sort of gratitude because of it? I am supposed to be so overjoyed that I'm gonna find a way for you to talk to your abused zanpakuto? BOKI! What kind of a deal is that shit? I get nothing out of it besides more bruises."

Kenpachi's face immediately darkened with a scowl and he leaned forward suddenly and, not so delicately, crashed against Ichigo's head with a sickening thud. The 11th squad captain remained unfazed, while Ichigo nearly ended up on the floor in a state of unconsciousness. "Don't be a little bitch about this and make it harder for me to ask than it already is. This is how I ask for help. You should think of it as a fucken honor. This is the first, and the last time, I have ever asked for anyone's help. And I emphasize anyone. So. Shut. Your. Damn. Mouth."

Ichigo with a gulp replied, "H-hai zaraki…?"

"Cut the ass kissin. It's not becoming of you. Taichou or Zaraki-taichou will do. As of right now you are the 3rd seated officer of the 11th squad's Karakura branch. Congrats."

"Uh, sure thanks, but I kind already have a training offer from the Vizards. I was going to accept so that I can learn to control my inner hollow and all that good stuff. He's been trying to take over a lot lately. Once when I was fighting that Yammy guy, and then again when I fought Grimjaw. I really need to get him taken care of."

"Tch. Are these Vizards strong?" asked Kenpachi.

"Well yeah. They are really strong now that I think about it actually," replied Ichigo after a moment or two of thought.

"Good. Then I can just come along and try to squeeze a few fights out while you learn to suppress your hollow and all."

"Ok that's cool and all, but what about school? We still have like," the substitute shinigami checks his cell phone, "like over an hour left."

Kenpachi with a wolfish grin replies, "I'm a teacher now remember? Shouldn't be a problem at all. Now where is this place we have to go to? I want to get started."

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Author's Notes:

Wow may have been a bit rushed at the end there… my brain doesn't function so well on 1-2 hours of sleep a night. I am just about ready to crash… must answer reviews…..

Seiryuuchan: I have always thought that Kenpachi still wasn't fighting full on with Ichigo even at the end. It is in the good (or is it evil?) captain's personality to lower himself to his opponent's level so that he can prolong the fight. It's just how he likes to fight: the more blood and cutting then the better. I see the two becoming very good friends through their training just because they are both very battle-driven personalities. They basically go fight to fight just to test their power, and if someone manages to beat them and not kill them, then they do all in their power to grow stronger. I mean just look at how Kenpachi went from saying "borrowing power from your zanpakuto is for loser bitches who can't rely on their own power in battle" to finally asking for its name just after his battle with Ichigo. Also, notice how hard Ichigo goes in his training with the vizards just cause he got his ass kicked by grimmjaw…

Ralf Jones: hmm. Pairings I already have a good idea of what I'm gonna do, but I'm open to suggestions as long as you just don't say,"OMG dood. You should make this zarakixmatsumotoxhinamori," I need good cause in order to make it somewhat believable. D so far what I'm gonna do is TatsukixIchigo and KenpachixUnohana. Not set in stone as of yet, but I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna pull this off.

Please leave reviews on anything. Criticism very much welcomed since I need to work on many things…

Just reminder for everyone: I am keeping this yaoi free…. It's just not how I roll :)