AN: Here's chapter three, hope you like it. It's a bit shorter than the first two but yeah, it kinda seemed like the place to wrap this part up so. I'll try to make up for it in the coming chapters.

Hunt for Purpose

a Bleach FanFiction

by:

FluffyDireBunny

Two days later, Sui Feng still hadn't heard a word from her former mentor so she was starting to get a little suspicious that she wasn't going to show up. It was not like she actually needed Yoruichi to come and help with an investigation, seeing that none was actually ordered, but it would have been nice to see her again after so long. She occasionally missed her, always having enjoyed the company of her former commanding officer. Most of the time their personalities conflicted, Yoruichi's carefree and easygoing outlook heavily contrasting with her own professional and serious nature. Somehow still, Sui Feng never felt more relaxed as she did with Yoruichi.

It was afternoon, the sun having reached its highest point in the sky. Today was a rather warm day, so the small woman had decided to leave her haori unworn for now, in stead having it lie on the edge of her desk in a neatly folded pile. She had also decided to leave out the small, white under-wrap she occasionally wore beneath her uniform so she was now only adorned on the Ruling Commander's backless suit. The rays of sun peering through the window behind her warmed her exposed back and shoulders, making them glow and take a slight red hue. Sui Feng was yet again working on some papers and hated the fact that she was stuck indoors during such a lovely weather. As she thought about leaving her paperwork and joining in some physical exercises outside, there was a faint knock on her door. "Come in." she answered calmly, not taking her eyes off the papers before her. The knocking persisted even after she voiced her permission again, so she stood up and took the few steps necessary to reach the shoji, feeling rather annoyed by now. As she slid the door open, she noticed the hallway to be empty. Sui Feng scowled, perhaps she had just imagined it. She went back to her seat and picked up a new paper. Another knock echoed. "It's open." she stated loudly, her growing irritation clearly evident in her tone of voice. As another knock sounded from the door, Sui Feng bolted up and almost ran to the door. She quickly opened it and found herself staring at an empty hallway again. "What the hell?!"

"My, my!" a familiar voice called behind her. "You're rather cute when you're flustered."

Sui Feng spun around towards the voice, her eyes landing on a black cat, now stretching itself on her desk. The small Captain rolled her eyes and let a small grin crawl up to her lips. "Enjoy your little game?" she asked as she came to sit on her seat once more.

"Yes." the cat answered honestly, always having liked to play pranks on others, especially to some with short a short temper. "I got your letter."

"I figured." Sui Feng said and waited her former mentor to sit up straight. "You came to help then?"

The cat nodded. "I figured I might as well, your letter was so official it would've been rude to decline." her tone was filled with mirth.

"I see." the smaller woman closed her eyes. "Well, as I said in the letter, there was a small incident a few nights ago in the Institute for Research and Development. Apparently a break-in and Kurotsuchi informed us other Captains that something was stolen."

"Alright." Yoruichi nodded, her tone amused and masculine as she was still retaining her cat form. "So, what do you need my help for?"

Sui Feng's eyes darkened dangerously and she brought her face a little closer to the small, black cat sitting on her desk. "Like you don't know."

Seeing this as a perfect opportunity to morph back into her human form, Yoruichi did just that, a small puff of smoke suddenly blinding the woman before her.

After instinctively closing her eyes to cover them from the smoke, Sui Feng opened her eyelids only to find her face almost buried in the chasm of Yoruichi's breasts. Her mouth went agape at the sight and she leaned backwards a little too abruptly, the shock preventing her from correctly moving her body. She applied a little too much force on her retreat and suddenly found herself staring at the ceiling, having fallen on her back from the velocity, the laughter of her former mentor filling her office. "Yoruichi-sama!" she yelled, not enjoying the tan woman's antics very much at the moment. "H-here, put this on!" she quickly offered her the haori which had laid on the table, averting her gaze from the very naked body of Yoruichi Shihouin.

"Aw, do I have to?" the woman pouted, though she knew her former pupil couldn't see it since she had taken a sudden interest on the window at the end of the room. "Clothes are so confining."

"Please?" Sui Feng begged almost timidly. It was not the first time something like this had occurred, she had witnessed the gorgeous tan body on numerous occasions but usually in a whole different set of circumstances. Normally right before a battle where Yoruichi had deemed it necessary to change back to her real form and once in a trip to an outdoor bath, but never like this. And never with such close proximity. It felt as though all the blood on her body had suddenly elevated to her face, the pressure threatening to release through her nostrils and she knew she was probably blushing furiously.

"Alright." Yoruichi sighed. "You can turn around now, I'm decent."

Sui Feng stood up from the floor and came to take her seat. Yoruichi sat on the pillow on the other side of the desk, trying her best to adjust to the uncomfortable seating. "As I was saying.." the small Captain coughed slightly, trying her best to prevent another blush from rising to her cheeks as she got a view of the sly grin on her senpai's lips. "I'm quite sure you know why I asked you here."

"In all honesty, I have no idea what you're talking about." the woman stated without skipping a beat, her tone sounding very convincing as she shrugged her hands.

"So could you explain how there was a thief as skilled in stealth as you are, who happened to fit the exact description of your appearance, rummaging through Seireitei three nights ago?"

"Coincidence?" Yoruichi tried, her tone not as confident as before.

"Alright." Sui Feng nodded, feeling like she was not going to get answers this way. "No matter, the Captain-Commander didn't see the event as important enough to root out an investigation anyway." she shrugged, liking the mildly shocked look on Yoruichi's face.

The tan woman blinked firmly a few times. "Then, why did you ask me here?" she asked, honestly feeling rather curious now.

"I just wanted to make sure it wasn't you. I wouldn't want to investigate your actions now, especially since you've just received your pardon." the gray eyed woman answered honestly. "However I do not believe Kurotsuchi will leave the matter be.."

"Oh?" Yoruichi lifted an eyebrow. "You think he'll turn up with anything?"

"I honestly can't say." Sui Feng shrugged. "He did put a small wrench to my preliminary investigation by denying me access to relevant data.. So perhaps I'm not that inclined to help him in his." the smaller woman smirked, her voice taking a wicked tone. "That means I might be persuaded to 'misplace' any and all evidence my team managed to gather before the investigation was nullified." she finished, placing the piece of fabric torn from Yoruichi's scarf on the table.

Yoruichi grinned, she liked this new playful side of Sui Feng. Their little banter was relaxing and fun, a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. "Heh, you had that this whole time? I'm not saying it's mine but.."

"You don't have to." the Captain shook her head and smiled, not believing how hard Yoruichi was trying not to admit defeat. "It's got more than enough of your spiritual energy residue to trace your family's lineage back five generations at least."

The Goddess of Flash sighed heavily in defeat, it seemed Sui Feng had indeed outmatched her. "Alright, you win." she admitted. "So, what is it you want in exchange for.. misplacing this?" the tan woman asked as she picked up the small piece of cloth from the table.

"Nothing." Sui Feng said calmly. "Let's just say you owe me one?"

"I don't like the sound of that.. but I really have no choice, do I?"

"No."

"Great." Yoruichi groaned. "You've really grown, you know." she stated suddenly.

The comment caught Sui Feng off guard, a blush seeing it's chance to rise to her cheeks. "Perhaps." she conceded. "I believe time changes us all.. and it has been more than a century since we've really had a chance to sit down and talk."

"True." the former Captain nodded in agreement. "This is nice though." she smiled warmly, recalling the times she used to spent with the woman before her. "We should do this again."

"Do what?" Sui Feng asked guardedly. "Dispose of evidence against your heinous crimes?" she grinned.

"No." Yoruichi laughed. "Just sit down and.. talk." she said a bit more quietly, an unnatural nervousness gripping her guts. She had no idea how Sui Feng saw her anymore, as a colleague? A former mentor still owning her respect? A friend..?

"I'd like that." the Captain smiled genuinely.

"Great!"

"But for now, I'm sorry but I need to excuse myself." her tone of voice was filled with honest regret, wishing they'd have more time to catch up.

"Hot date lined up?" Yoruichi teased and was happy to see a flush on Sui Feng's cheeks.

"Hardly." she scoffed. "I'm going for a refitting of my arm, actually."

"Alright." the former mentor nodded and rose to her feet. "I'll stop by again some day." she said as she made her way towards the door. "It was good seeing you, bye!"

"Good bye, Yoruichi-sama." Sui Feng bowed respectfully and showed her out of the room.

Few hours later, Yoruichi was still wandering around Seireitei. She didn't feel like returning to the world of the living yet so she just paced around the streets, taking in the sights. It was rather warm, so she had removed her orange jacket and had tied its sleeves around her waist, the garment swaying from side to side with her hips. The streets were surprisingly empty with such a weather but she reasoned that people were still probably at work.

After a few more moments of aimless wandering, she decided to heed her stomach's growling, trying to spot a place were she could grab something to eat. It had been a while since she last ate in Seireitei but she did recall a restaurant which was close by, remembering that they served food there which was to her satisfactory. Grinning slightly, Yoruichi turned round on her heels and started her search. It didn't take long to spot the building, a relatively small, wooden structure which was slightly elevated from the ground in a usual Japanese style. She made her way inside and ordered some ramen, deciding to go with something relatively spice-less as she was hot enough as it was. She sat down around one of the tables and soon after, her food arrived.

"Yoruichi-dono?" a man suddenly appeared before her, confusion written all over his facial features. He was a tall man, handsome and had the same distinctive features of a Shihouin as Yoruichi did, tan skin and golden eyes. "It is you, isn't it?" he asked, his eyes seeming to gleam in recognition.

"Yeah?" the Goddess of Flash nodded, unsure of whom she was speaking to. "Can I help you?"

The man sighed heavily, his demeanor changing significantly from before. "You don't remember me, do you?"

Yoruichi's beautiful face turned to a scowl, her mind trying to process the sight before her. She had noticed his skin color and eyes, so she reasoned him to be somehow related to her, but was unable to name him. If he was from the main branch of her family, she was in trouble, as she was supposed to know all of them by name and rank. The smaller and lower branches of the Shihouin family had never been really associated with her, she had only seen them in large family gatherings and such. The young man before her sighed again and looked down, his long hair fell over his shoulder, revealing a scarred ear. "Wait." Yoruichi stated, a memory creeping up from the depths of her mind. "Akihiko..?"

"That's right!" he stood up straight, a smile on his face. "I really thought you'd forgotten me."

In all honesty, she really had, but decided to leave that small fact unvoiced. "It's just that.. well, you've grown." Yoruichi stated, remembering the small rascal he had been before her exile. "It took a while to recognize you." The young man before her was a second cousin, relatively low in their family's lineage but she remembered his. Time had indeed changed him, back before she left he'd been an adolescent, a quite rebellious one at that.

"Yeah." he nodded. "Sorry, it's just that you haven't changed at all." Akihiko said sheepishly, a small blush rising to his round cheeks. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Here?" Yoruichi looked around. "I'm eating."

"Funny." he made a face and chuckled. "In Seireitei." the man said a bit more seriously. "You going to visit the family? I'm sure they would be glad to see you."

The tan woman shook her head. "Nah, not today I think. I'm in such a good mood so I'd rather not waste it."

"My apologies." Akihiko bowed respectfully. "I am sorry to have disturbed you."

Yoruichi waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it." She gulped down the remains of her food and placed the deep plate on the table. Sighing contently, she rose up. "Well, see ya around!"

"Yoruichi-dono." the man bowed again in her direction.

"Thanks for the food!" Yoruichi yelled over her shoulder, grinning at the man as she made her exit.

A small tug of his sleeve caught Akihiko off guard and he turned around slightly, coming face to face with a small man, an irate expression on his old face. "Huh?"

"The bill." the small man said and handed it to the Shihouin.

"Eh?" Akihiko managed to stutter in his confusion. "Eh?!" he gasped again as he looked at the receipt and turned around to glance at the table where Yoruichi had sat. It was filled with piles of empty bowls, the china threatening to keel over with the slightest of nudges. "Yoruichi-dono.." Akihiko whined sadly, unable to believe that she'd just left him with the bill.

Evening had begun to show its signs as the sun started its descent, coloring the sky in a mixture of orange and red, the shiny orb merely a small white dot in the horizon. Evening was still warm but the temperature had dropped a few degrees from before, making moisture condense on trees and other plants. The small Captain of the second squad was returning from her trip to the Institute of Research and Development, feeling rather content at the moment. She was surprised at how well she was already adapting to her new arm. Although it was still a prototype, it almost felt like she'd never lost an arm in the first place. Almost. It moved normally and reacted to stimuli as quickly as her real arm but there were still some problems with channeling her spiritual energy, this becoming evident as she attempted performing shunko, despite Unohana's and Kurotsuchi's recommendations. They had said she'd need more time adjusting to the prostate and it would take time for it to fully settle on her blood circulation and such. Unfortunately, Sui Feng lacked such patience. She wanted to start training now more than ever, since she finally had two (relatively) functioning arms again.

She walked the streets of Seireitei calmly, reveling on the feeling of the cool evening breeze on her skin. There were still people outside, quite busily preparing for the upcoming summer festival. The Captain scowled inwardly, she wasn't sure that such a distraction would be good for the people of Soul Society now, especially since it hadn't been that long since the so called winter war. Majority of the Captains had agreed that people needed this sort of distraction, to remind them that life would go on but Sui Feng hadn't been in the majority. Unohana, Ukitake and Kyoraku had supported the idea, Unohana had actually been the one to suggest it and as the elders of the Captains, their opinion carried a lot of weight. Only the Captains of the tenth and twelfth had agreed with Sui Feng, Kurotsuchi seeing the festival as an unnecessary distraction to his research and Hitsugaya seeing it as an opportunity for another attack. Kenpachi had said nothing, neither did Byakuya and Komamura had only voiced his agreeing opinion after the Captain-Commander had decided to allow the festival. "Ever the faithful lapdog" Sui Feng mused as she recalled the meeting. She sighed heavily, contending to the decision as there really was no other choice.

The petite woman reached her barracks but instead of going to her office, she made her way to the large, open area that served as their training grounds. She wanted to calm herself a little, still feeling a little aggravated by the situation and the small argument that had taken place in the Captains meeting. Bringing herself to the center of the yard, she began her graceful dance of martial art blows and kick, jumps and rolls. The courtyard was empty, her underlings having retreated to their living quarters by now and Sui Feng preferred it this way. She unsheathed her zanpakutou and made a quick horizontal slash and followed it with an equally swift aerial kick. As she landed, she felt a presence approaching her. The Captain turned around calmly, looking for the person interrupting her meditative moment. Her eyes landed on emerald green ones, watching her calmly, a small gleam of appreciation and affection flashing in them momentarily. Sui Feng placed her katana back to its sheathe on her back and stood up straight to properly greet the person approaching her.

"Good evening, Sui Feng-sama." the tall woman bowed respectfully.

"Good evening, Midori." the Captain nodded calmly. "What brings you out here?" she asked in a friendly tone, indicating this was not an order but a genuine inquiry.

Midori Nanami, the leader of group three, stood before the much shorter Captain. She was towering the Captain, Sui Feng's head barely reaching her shoulder but she couldn't help but to feel slightly intimidated by her Captain's presence. The ever present scowl had dissipated from her face but Sui Feng's body language was still rigid so Midori brought her arm across her chest to hold her bicep, unconsciously comforting herself with the action. "I uh.. " she started a bit hesitantly and looked at the small woman before her. "You seemed kind of.. tense. So I.."

"If there's something on your mind, I suggest you come out and say it." Sui Feng said sternly, not appreciating the sight of a back-boneless subordinate. "Otherwise, you're wasting my time." she continued harshly, noticing the visible flinch on Midori's behavior. She was closer to Midori than to any other of her men and appreciated her concern but right now, she wasn't in the mood for trivial conversations.

The tall woman sighed audibly, her long, shiny crimson hair falling before her face to cover her saddened eyes as she looked at the ground beneath her feet. Midori knew Sui Feng was a hard woman to socialize with but that hadn't stopped her before and she knew the Captain wasn't angry at her, she was merely taking it out on the closest person available. Mustering up her courage, Midori reached out her hand and gently placed it on the shoulder of her fleeting Captain.

Sui Feng turned around as she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. Midori looked away in shame yet didn't remove her hand, instead she squeezed it slightly, massaging the tight muscle in her palm. "Midori?" the small Captain asked in an unsure tone.

"I was wondering.." the redhead whispered and looked up to the steely gray eyes of her commanding officer. "If you needed a hand.. in order to relax?" she finished, a huge blush rising to her cheeks.

An equal blush found its way to Sui Feng's cheeks as well and she looked away shyly. It was unusual for her to feel this way, a bit timid and awkward but the feeling in the pit of her stomach and the slight tingle all over her body was not unpleasant nor unwelcome. It wasn't the first time Midori had offered this sort of relaxation, though usually Sui Feng had been the one to approach the redhead after their first time. "Perhaps." the Captain answered finally, looking back to those emerald green pools.

A smile found its way to Midori's mouth and she removed her hand from the Captain's shoulder. "Lead the way."

A/N: I know, Sui Feng sleeping with someone other than Yoruichi, shocking! This is an outrage, blasphemy! Burn witch! Heh, but it was still funny though.

Why am I flooding this story with OC's? Dunno, but I kinda wanted you readers to know that there are other people in their lives as well, not just the ones we see in the show. So yeah, live with it!

Why oh why can't we just see Yorusoi happily together?! Don't worry, it's coming.. or is it? Kyah hah haa!

And where did Yoruichi suddenly produce her clothing for the second part..? Magic!

Thanks for reading and leave the flames of your burning rage with the review button! Until next time kids, behave yourselves!