A/N: Wow, thank you all for the reviews! I got more thank I had hoped so I decided to post the next chapter quickly. I got an urge to write fast after noticing all those reviews in my inbox! Thank you so much, they're all greatly appreciated! All faves and follows also got me feeling giddy! I know at least some of you liked what you read.

Hunt for Purpose

a Bleach FanFiction

by:

FluffyDireBunny

"Gah, that tired me out a bit." Yoruichi said whilst stretching her arm above her head as far as they reached, her frame bending slightly backwards. She sat cross legged around the small dining table in Urahara's shop and had just finished her dinner, having devoured at least twenty platefuls of rice and various Japanese dishes. "That hit the spot!" she said as she wiped the last crumbs of rice from the side of her mouth and patted her stomach lightly.

"I'm still amazed every time I see it, your appetite that is." Kisuke smiled slightly. "Even after all these years, I've never seen anyone who could match up to the veracious eater that is Shihouin Yoruichi." he laughed at the look his friend gave her.

"What?" she asked in a slightly defensive tone. "I really like food!"

Urahara nodded. "I am aware" After a small pause, he continued. "So?"

Sipping on the tea she had been served a moment ago, she lifted an eyebrow. "So?"

The candy shop owner rubbed the stubble on his chin, his gaze darkening behind the shadow cast by his ridiculous hat. "I was hoping you brought something for me?"

"Ah." the tan woman nodded and dug out the yellow object from her pocket. "You mean this?"

Urahara snatched it from Yoruichi's hand and inspected the tiny box.

"What is it anyway?"

"This is a container." the man responded. "It houses a unique spiritual energy, which I need in order to complete one of my studies."

Yoruichi sipped calmly on her tea. She looked at her excited friend, slightly worrying what he was up to now. She shrugged mentally, knowing she'd never get a straight answer even should she ask. Urahara didn't like discussing his research, especially projects that were unfinished.

"You run into any trouble?" he asked guardedly.

Yoruichi shrugged and took another sip of her tea. "Nothing major."

"Good, good." Kisuke nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll need to take this downstairs." he said as he stood up and headed for his lab.

The Goddess of Flash finished her drink and took the empty cup to the kitchen. She placed it in the sink with the other dirty dishes and headed for her room. Laying down on her futon, Yoruichi couldn't help but to wonder about her future again. They had received full pardons from Soul Society with Kisuke and Tessai, along with Shinji and his group, so returning there was a very viable option. She wasn't really sure what she would be doing there but at least she'd finally be able to return home. She sighed, all this thinking was making her rather tired. She decided that getting some well earned sleep would be a good idea, as well as a way to clear her head a little. Maybe things would look easier tomorrow.

"Silence!" an authoritative voice commanded forcefully, a loud tap of wood against wood echoing in the grand hall as he struck his cane against the floor. Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai finally got fed up with the bickering of some of his Captains, who were now standing in front of him in their usual rows. "Leave personal arguments outside of these doors, you have time to settle them personally and more privately elsewhere." he said, letting his gaze linger on Kurotsuchi and Kenpachi. The Captains of squads eleven and twelve never seemed to get along, even the previous Captains had trouble being near each other. He wasn't quite sure what their little debate was about but he didn't much care to find out. "As I understand, there was a break in at the Central Lab, Kurotsuchi Mayuri?"

"Yes." the masked man nodded, crossing his arms across his chest. "Nothing major, but the invader managed to steal something quite rare." his tone of voice was unable to mask his growing annoyance. "And the thief managed to escape since the guard were unable to perform their duties correctly." he mocked, pointing his one, largely over length finger nail at Sui Feng.

"The intruder managed to escape, yes." the Captain of the second squad nodded calmly. She had come to expect such accusation from Kurotsuchi. "However, we have recovered some evidence as to the identity.." she continued but hesitated to reveal her information. She wasn't sure how this could effect Yoruichi-sama, would her pardon be withdrawn? Would she be painted a criminal once more? "With a proper investigation I'm sure the guard will manage to get to the bottom of this." she finally said, deciding to withhold the information of Yoruichi's involvement.

"Tch!" Mayuri gritted his teeth and before he was able to continue on with his accusations, the Captain-Commander tapped his walking cane against the floor audibly.

"Enough, the investigation is of low priority." he said calmly. "If nothing important was lost then we have bigger issues to deal with that require the guards attention."

"Yes, sir!" Sui Feng bowed her head.

"Is there anything to suggest that this wasn't an isolated case?" the old, bearded man asked, looking at the petite Captain, adorned in her unique, sleeveless Haori*).

"No. But since I'm denied access to the relevant data by the Research and Developement Institute, I cannot be certain." Sui Feng stated. "I have not been informed as to what it was that actually got stolen, hence I cannot know for certain whether there will be a continuation to the first incident."

"Is this true?" Ukitake asked, turning his attention from Sui Feng and looked at Kurotsuchi in mild shock. "How can you expect the guard to investigate this if you withhold information from them?"

"Some of the information is strictly classified." the researcher said angrily while clenching his teeth.

Hitsugaya Toshiro sighed. "Are you for real?" he asked calmly, his eyes closed. "Why bother us with this if you're not willing to be serious about it yourself?"

"I am very serious when it comes to my research!" Mayuri declared, his tone of voice rising slightly. "I will not sit idly when-"

"Enough!" the Captain-Commander yelled once again, his patience running thin. "There will be no investigation. If the Captain of the twelfth squad sees no reason to inform the guard of relevant data, I see no reason to involve the guard at all. Adjourned." he declared finally, feeling fed up by the constant arguments he had to endure in the room. He turned around and headed for his office, leaving no chance for protest as he vanished from sight.

"Hmph, how pointless!" Kenpachi grumbled under his breath as he exited. The other Captains couldn't help but to agree with him, even if they chose to keep it to themselves.

It wasn't all that unusual to gather the Captains together for a meeting but for something like this, it had been pointless. Kurotsuchi had made such a big deal of the break-in, so the Captain-Commander had seen if fit to notify everyone. Of course now that the facts had been laid bare, he sure regretted his choice. All of them had much better things to do than to listen to the lunatics ravings.

Sui Feng was inwardly glad that the investigation had been deemed unnecessary but her outward appearance didn't betray any emotion. She was stoic like always as she calmly made her way back to the barracks of her squad. A small gust of wind brushed past her which swayed the hem of her coat and the ends of her two braids, the golden circles in their tips clinging together slightly. Feeling rather good about the situation, she decided to indulge herself a little as she made her way towards the open area that served as the training grounds for the second squad. A group of her subordinates were in the middle of some hand-to-hand training exercises, the sounds of flesh impacting on flesh carrying to her ears as she got closer. For a while she merely observed the ongoing battles, taking mental notes on what she should improve on their training.

There was a good and balanced mixture of new and seasoned warriors, the younger ones fought in a group of three, trying to land punches on a single, more experienced opponent. The bouts were simple in structure, ending when one of the group members managed to score a hit on the head of their opponent. This however was not as easy as it first seemed, since many of the older members had served for years, meaning they had a great understanding of martial skills.

Groups three and four were in this joined exercise it seemed, as Sui Feng spotted the team leaders. Nanami Midori and Kogawa Kenta were the said leaders of the groups, in that order. Kogawa was a good officer, skilled and calm, he had reached a respectably lengthy career for a member of the Onmitsukidõ, whose life expectancy was usually and sadly, quite low. Nanami Midori on the other hand was brash, restless and energetic but highly intelligent. She was very committed and followed rules to the letter, though she did have a small rebellious side which surfaced from time to time.

The small Captain observed the fights a moment longer before she finally stepped forward, coming to stand at the centre of the yard. The battles around her ceased and all the soldiers came to form a ring around her, keeping a healthy distance as they knew what her appearance usually meant. "Kogawa, Nanami."

"Yes sir!" the two acknowledged and came to stand at the Captain's side.

"Pick two of the most skilled combatants from your teams."

"Just two?" Kagawa dared to ask, usually the fights were pitted with three on one.

"Yes." Sui Feng stated, her eyes starting to glimmer in anticipation for the fight. A chilling grin spread across her face as she looked towards the group leaders. "You'll be joining them, so pick well."

As the two gathered their teams, the younger generation of soldiers fell back, waiting for the fight to begin. "Well this will be sort." one said, letting out a small laugh.

"What do you mean?" another asked. "She's that good?" he continued, pointing discreetly at their Captain.

"Of course she is, she'll make short work on them."

"But six against one..?" a young warrior asked sceptically. "I mean.. with two group leaders as well."

"Plus, she's missing an arm."

"Like that'll stop her, just watch." the fist one nodded, feeling pride swell in his chest as he watched the small Captain. He was glad to serve under her.

"Shh, we'll get in trouble if we're caught yapping. The fight's about to begin."

Sui Feng stood in the middle of the yard, her six opponents forming a circle around her. They walked carefully around, watching for any signs of openings in her defence. The petite Captain disregarded her Haori, revealing her other uniform, the garment worn by the Commander in Chief of the Special Forces. She waited patiently, wanting her subordinates to make the first move. This didn't take long, as one of the men lunged at her clumsily, going for a fisted strike on her head. She dodged it easily, ducking down and circling a three-hundred and sixty degree turn, sweeping the man off his feet. Another decided to take his chances with the distraction, coming from behind her. He managed to get a vice grip on her torso, holding his arms tightly around her. Kogawa decided to take this opening and bolted towards the Captain, bringing his fist towards her face with incredible speed. She moved her head away just barely before the strike came, making the knuckles crack against her holder. When he stumbled back slightly, Sui Feng bent her knee with force, her calf kicking the man behind her on his groin. He backed away, doubling down whilst holding his hands on the sensitive organ between his legs. It was Kogawa's turn, as the petite woman managed a lightning swift aerial kick to the side of his head, sending him flying a small distance away, effectively knocking him out.

One by one the soldiers fell on the ground, those left conscious were trying their best to alleviate the pain and the ones who were knocked out were mended by other group members. Sui Feng grinned lightly, feeling good after breaking a small sweat. She had only taken one small hit on her side but was ultimately happy with her performance. It took some getting used to, fighting with only one hand, but luckily her state was temporary. Captain Unohana, leader of medical studies and performances in all of Soul Society had teamed up with an unexpected partner, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, to manufacture a prostate arm for her, meaning she'd be in full combat ability soon. She was sceptical as to how efficient the limb would be but Unohana assured her that it would be as good as the old one, if not better. Sui Feng hadn't understood all the small details of the older Captain's explanation but had picked up on it being made from her own blood, meaning it had normal blood circulation and spiritual energy flow.

The soldiers who had been observing the battle came to thank her for the display, most saying that they found it educational. She was sceptical to that fact, not intending it to be real lesson of any sorts. She merely came to work off some stress but was glad if it had helped her soldiers on some degree as well. She picked up her Haori from the ground and tossed it over her shoulder casually, carrying it there while making sure it didn't fall off with one hand.

The courtyard started emptying, most of her subordinates making their way to dinner at the mess hall of their barracks. She considered joining them as she herself felt a bit hungry but decided against it, she had associated with her teams more than enough for today, always maintaining to her belief that personal struggle grows character. She had occasionally heard whispers that some of her men envied the members of other squads, such as the thirteenth, for having such a kind and considerate Captain. Out of respect for her older colleague, she had not said anything on this matter, though she felt he was a bit too lenient in his dealing with his subordinates. Same went to Kyoraku, but for the same reason as Ukitake, she had not mentioned her opinion to him either.

The small Captain made her way to her office, passing by her eyesore of a Vice-Captain. The large man had had his mouth so full of cracker that he hadn't even managed a proper greeting, befitting her status as his superior. She let it slide just this once, still feeling the rush of euphoria which followed her every battle. Sometimes, she had mentally noticed, the feeling she had after a battle was very similar to that of an afterglow she felt when finished with a sexual encounter. The physical struggle, pain and then pleasure as endorphins were released into the blood veins, the climax, an orgasm or the feeling she had when she looked at her defeated opponents. All in all, the feelings were very similar, though battles didn't quite take out the same edge as sex did. Perhaps because she was more used to battling, the thrill had started to settle a bit.

Shrugging such thoughts out of her mind, she decided to have her dinner in the first squads dining hall, where most of the Captains ate if not with their squads or in their homes. The walk there was short, since the second squads barrack were right next to the firsts. The grand building was mostly empty, some lower ranked soldiers were cleaning the hallways, offering her greetings as she passed them by. She paid them no heed and finally arrived at the large hall. She grabbed a wooden tray and picked her food from few of the choices offered, some steamed fish with a side of salad. Spotting Unohana in one of the tables, she made her way to a seat opposite of her. "Good evening."

"Good evening." the kind woman smiled.

The woman next to Unohana sat up a bit more straight after her arrival. "Good evening, Captain Sui Feng." Isane Kotetsu, Unohana's Vice-Captain greeted.

"Has there been any progress?" Sui Feng asked as she calmly nibbled on her food.

The older Captain raised her eyes from her plate and looked at Sui Feng questionably.

"With my arm." she continued, noticing Unohana had not picked up on what she had meant.

"Ah yes." she smiled. "We will have it ready for testing in a few days." the Captain stated. "It's taken more time than I imagined though, Kurotsuchi said something about the arms spirit energy needing time to adjust to the same level as yours."

"I see." the petite Captain nodded. "No matter, though it'll be nice to have two hands again."

Isane and Unohana nodded. "I can imagine, even the most basic things must be challenging now." the Vice-Captain said quietly, luckily for her, she managing to hide the pity in her voice.

"I manage." Sui Feng informed, not appreciating how weak she was made seen.

"Isane." the kinder woman said calmly and looked at her subordinate, reminding her to watch her tongue. Unohana might be the kindest Captain in the Gotei 13, but Isane needed to know her place, she was in the presence of two Captains after all.

"Sorry." the tall woman quickly apologized and returned her attention to her food.

Rest of her dinner, Sui Feng ate in relative silence, only answering questions which were directed at her. After thanking her fellow Captain for the information and her company, the small woman stood up and made her exit. She headed for her office, knowing she still had some time to catch up on paperwork before retiring to bed.

She went past the gates leading to the compound housing her squad, greeting the guards stationed there. They eagerly greeted her back, reporting no incidents had occurred during her absence. The small Captain reached her office after that and she made her way to hear seat. A large stack of papers laid on each end of the desk, the larger pile was her unfinished work and the other was already processed through. She picked up few of the papers from the top of the stack, glancing her eyes quickly over the text. Most were nothing but regular reports from her subordinates, some were mission updates but fortunately none of them described anything critical. She signed the papers, marking them as read and placed them on the finished pile.

After processing through a small stack of papers, the petite woman let go of her pen and stretched her arms. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as the muscles in her arms and shoulders relaxed, the repetitive work taking their toll on her frame. The events of yesterday came to her mind and her posture relaxed instantly. She was glad that the incident had been deemed unimportant and that there would not be an investigation needed. It was for the best, she wasn't sure how she could deal with it, if she had to go and gather evidence against Yoruichi, much less provide the said evidence to the Captain-Commander. She did wonder though, what it was that her former mentor was after in the Institute for Research and Development. She was, without a doubt, gathering something for that damned Urahara Kisuke, the fact making Sui Feng face turn into a scowl. She had never liked the man, he was lazy and a slob, but she had grown to respect him slightly. Urahara was not what he seemed at first glance, he was one, if not the most, intelligent person in Soul Society. Sui Feng's resentment towards him stemmed from the fact that Yoruichi-sama abandoned her over him, her exile was caused because of him.

Deciding not to dwell in the past, the small Captain stood up and stepped before her bookshelf. She lit an incense, it's sweet and spicy aroma filling the room not long after. Having a relaxing effect on Sui Feng, she decided that it was probably time for some rest. She organized her desk quickly but suddenly picked up her pen once more as well as a small piece of clean white paper. She started writing, her hand writing clean and crisp. After finishing with it, she walked to her window and opened it. Not long after, a messenger appeared before her and she passed the enveloped note to him. "For Shihouin Yoruichi." she said calmly, watched him take off and went to bed.

Urahara was in the kitchen of his small housing, cleaning the sink after he was finished with the dirty dishes. He hummed jovially, his body moving according to the imaginary melody in his head. "Ah, as good as new." he smiled, watching his handiwork. A sudden light knock caught him off guard and he almost jumped out of his skin in surprise. Wondering who it could be at this late an hour, he calmly made his way to the door and slid it open. He had not prepared to come face to face with a courier from Seireitei, so all he could do was stare at him in mild shock.

The messenger seemed unaffected by his gaze and simply handed him the letter he was meant to deliver. After Urahara accepted it, he was gone in a blink of an eye.

The candy shop owner inspected the letter, almost opening it before he noticed his friends name written cleanly on the envelope. He flipped it back and forth, trying to see if the name of the sender was attached somewhere. After seeing none, he brought the letter close to his face and sniffed it slightly. It smelled nice, a slight aroma of jasmine and spice lingering on the paper. He smiled widely and made his way to his friends room. Kisuke knocked on her door quietly. "Yoruichi-san? You still awake?"

"Hmm." a muffled grunt echoed behind the shoji.

Urahara chuckled. "I'm coming in, hope you're decent."

Yoruichi was laying down on her futon, a light blanket covering her. She sat up as Kisuke approached her and accepted the small, white envelope he handed her.

"You got a letter." he said wickedly. "No sender but it does smell nice." Kisuke grinned. "Maybe it's a love letter!"

"Please, as if." Yoruichi rolled her eyes but couldn't help but to feel a slight anticipation, she would've been happy to receive a love letter. "Let's see.." she mumbled as she opened it and closed her eyes as the scent wafted to her nose, it did smell very nice. "You going to stay there and watch?" she asked after noticing that Kisuke was not making his exit.

"What, I'm curious!" he stated, lifting his arms defensively.

The tan woman slightly shook her head, an amused smiled on her face. The small letter was quickly revealed and Yoruichi glanced over it.

Dear Yoruichi-sama
of the Great Noble House of Shihouin

A small incident has occurred in Seireitei and I may require your aid
to solve it. I understand you are a busy individual and you have plans
of your own, but should you find the time in your schedule to stop by,
I would greatly appreciate you assistance.

This is by no means an official summon, you are free to decline
my invitation and no written answer is required to be sent.
I will wait a period of three days before finishing my report on
the said incident. Should you not decide to visit me during this time,
I will take your absence as a sign that you are otherwise occupied.

Yours Sincerely
Captain of the Second Squad
Commander in Chief of the Special Forces
Sui Feng

Yoruichi sighed in defeat, her former pupil's letter was so formal it almost made her gag. She knew Sui Feng was strictly professional but this was a letter she had written to her! Her! Sui Feng's former mentor, her sole purpose for existing a century ago, her idol, her Goddess. "Damn she's a stiff one." Yoruichi crossed her arms and handed the letter to Urahara who was dying to know what it said. After reading, the man couldn't help but to laugh, not knowing whether Sui Feng's adamant drive to stay formal was admirable or sad.

"Well, I guess I should go pay her a visit." Yoruichi shrugged.

"She did put up the effort to ask you." Kisuke agreed. "Let's just hope the incident isn't referring to your break-in?"

"All the more reason to go." Yoruichi grinned. "I have to see how good she's become and if I can still weasel my way out of a mess."

*) Haori is the white coat the Captains wear.

Here was the second chapter, hopefully you enjoyed it! It's weird we still haven't had any Yoruichi/Sui Feng interaction but rest assured, it's coming in the next chapter! Hopefully I'll manage to satisfy your standards with it, so that it seems natural and in-character. Anyway, I hope to hear what you thought and the way to do that, is to leave me a review! Bye for now, read ya soon! (Erm...? Huh?)