"Sit straight, Akahoshi, you are not an elder bending down to sip his tea" ordered Byakuya. The teen sitting on the table next to him tried to do so, but he was so uncomfortable that ended up ruining his position. "You will never be able to be a good clan head if you can´t keep your poise"

"Yeah, sorry…"

"Kuchiki Akahoshi, I told you several times to talk to me in a proper way" lectured his son the noble. Akahoshi was tempted to snort, but he stopped himself in time. He didn´t want any problem with his mother, not after the last one. And his father didn´t help either, Renji was too busy helping the older Kuchiki with the Squad. "Now change yourself into more fit clothes, we have visitors today"

"Yes, I will" he was finally left alone. How he hated his etiquette classes… but his mother was adamant about being necessary. He brushed his red hair before putting on his kenseikan, how much he hated it. He sighed before taking off his shinigami uniform and putting on a rich kimono. His zanpakto called him in that moment.

"Akahoshi-sama doesn´t look like himself!" it said. "He should be allowed to do what he wants, after all he carries on with his duty efficiently"

"You are right, Hoshi no furu (star rain)" he sighed. "But mother and the clan will never allow it"

"Akahoshi-sama" a servant knocked before opening the door. "Byakuya-sama wants to see you in the dinning room right now"

"Alright" he answered and left the room. After a boring meeting with some noble, he was ordered to return to his room where his lessons will continue, but in the middle of the way…

"Byakuya-boy! And Hoshi-chan!" a very known female voice said happily. Yoruichi was there, waving her hand, earning an angered look from his mother. "I hope this one isn´t boring you to death, Hoshi-chan" she patted his head. "You can always come to me if you are feeling bored"

"My son doesn´t need distractions, Shihoin Yoruichi" answered Byakuya. "I will have to ask you to leave"

"Don´t be that stiff, Byakuya-boy, I´m just trying to save your kid from the boring ways of your clan" she made an exaggerate pose, then laughed. "You should stop being so rigid, come and play with me"

"Shiohoin Yoruichi" the woman managed to snatch the scarf away from his mother before running away. The older Kuchiki looked surprised, but finally gave in and chased her just like when he was child. Akahoshi felt like smiling… a hand pulled him away. It was his cousin. When he was still a baby his aunt Rukia married the Shiba heir, Ichigo Kurosaki. Of course the elders were delighted that the "trash" was useful after all, but their alliance with the Shiba was not what they were expecting. Especially the new heir…

"Hey, Hoshi-kun! Did you finally managed to escape from your protocol classes?" asked Shiba Sho. He was a year younger, but very lively. "You look like a girl about to conduct a tea ceremony!"

"Very funny" said the redhead, laughing along. "It´s not far from reality. I was trapped in some meeting with an old fossil asking for something I don't remember. But tell me, tell me! How is everything going in the outside world?! Did Sado-kun compose a new song? And the Quincy? Did you manage to get him?"

"Oh, everything is fine" Sho waved his hand. "I can show you Akira-kun´s new song and my new fireworks, they are the best… oh, and Ishida… well, Ren couldn´t believe what I did and Haruhi couldn´t stop laughing at his brother´s face… I like that one"

"Great to hear that" he listened carefully and heard footsteps approaching, his mother´s. "The joykiller is back, you better leave"

"Awww, but you never saw my fireworks…"

"Next time, say hello to Sado-kun and the twins for me"

"Sure I will"

"Let´s continue with your lessons now" said Byakuya with a cold face. His son nodded and followed him into another room. He just expect his father arrived home sooner…

-The next day-

"There have been some Arrancar presence in a place called Bayville, in America" said Kyoraku, looking at all the captains reunited. Ichigo, who took his place as eight captain, asked for permission to speak. The once Daiko was forced to learn some etiquette after he was revealed as the Shiba heir and took his place as leader. Kukaku and Ganyu weren´t really doing a great job, so he had to wise up quickly. "Yes, Kurosaki-taicho?"

"If there was activity why haven´t you dispatched an unit to investigate? We should be searching now that Aizen disappeared from the prison…" Ichigo made his best effort to stay calm, but he couldn´t. In his time, it has been necessary to make a great sacrifice to defeat the crazy former captain, but now… he didn´t think he could do it again.

"I planned to do so, the bad thing is that Aizen and his forces knew our faces, if we go there they will make sure to hide whatever they are doing and…"

"Why don´t we sent a totally new unit?" proposed Kurotsushi, obviously planning something. "Yes, let´s do that. A unit made of beginners will be perfect for this mission"

"Oh, and I suppose you already have candidates" said the Sutaicho.

"In fact, I have" he answered. "After analyzing the situation, I came to the conclusion that the best for this mission are: Kuchiki Akahoshi, Shiba Sho, Kyoraku Taisei, Hisagi Mio and Madarame Yumiko"

"Why do you think they are the best for this? They are new officers barely out of the academy" Shunsui refrained himself from growling. He was grateful that Jushiro was not there that day or he would have attacked the clown with Sogei no Kotowari. Kurotsushi smiled, of course he had an excuse. After all they were important parts of his investigation. He proceeded to talk…

"And that´s why they should do it" finished the face painted man. "And if they are not enough they could always use the help of their human friends…"

"That´s not the point" tried to argue the Captain commander.

"Then what it is" the scientist turned around to face his boss. "You are not trying to excuse your son from this mission, no, Kyoraku Taicho? Because it´s against the rules to give some recruits special treatment…"

"No…"

-Some hours later-

The meeting was over and Ichigo shunpo towards his Squad. Rukia was busy ruling hers while her captain was obviously sick, so he wouldn´t inform her of their son´s mission now. He called Sho, who entered the place with a ball on his hands.

"Hi, dad, do you want to see my new…"

"You have a mission" he said serious and the boy sat down in front of him confused. After learning the details he was about to scream from happiness. They were finally recognizing his achievements and battle prowess! "Hey, listen to me carefully, this is not a joke. Your life will be in the line and…"

"Yes, yes, don´t worry, dad. I got it. Hanabi and I will be prepared" he said, signaling the zanpakto in his belt. He rushed out of the Squad and nearly collided with his cousin. After a short talk they realized they had the same mission. The Shiba squealed while the Kuchiki smiled. "Eh? I don´t see you were happy, what happened?"

"My mother´s goodbye was don´t disappoint me" answered the redhead. "Dad was a little bit better but…"

"Ah, don´t worry, parents are like that" he said, putting an arm around the other. "Let´s go"

-In the Eleventh Squad-

Kenpachi was returning when Yachiru ran towards him, climbing on his shoulder. He looked around in his training grounds and found the girl he was looking for beating some older men into a bloody pulp and at the same time managing to look elegant and precious. A true daughter of Ikaku and Yumichika, he hast to say. Those two were too occupied seeing their little girl train to notice their superior approaching from behind.

"Yumiko! You have work to do. Come with me now!" called her Zaraki. The girl wiped away the sweat and followed him, putting her zanpakto Maya in her belt. After hearing the new she was excited. She would finally get to slice Arrancar! A real prey to hunt! And she was the best in doing so…

"When do I start?"

-In the Thirteenth-

Ukitake was resting with the door open, seeing his son Taisei in the garden cutting some branches from his bonsais. The boy wanted to make his mother feel better, the white haired man´s cough was getting so worse this few weeks that it made him really worried. Maybe they should consult a doctor… in that moment his father entered with a stern look.

"Shunsui, what happened?" asked Jushiro, trying to get up. His lover pushed him down again, telling him to rest. Kyoraku walked to the yard and sat near his child.

"There is a mission for you" he said seriously.

"I decline that" answered the boy, putting his scissors down. "Mother needs me here, where I can take care of him. If I went away and he has an attack…"

"Taisei, Kurotsuchi nominated you for this, you know what he is capable of for getting what he wants" the older shinigami looked concerned. His son understood, Mayuri Kurotsuchi have always been a malevolent person whose only desire was to gain more knowledge… preferable causing pain to others. "You know that it has been my desire to remove him from captaincy since a long time ago, but I can´t do that without proofs. And now that he has proposed you for this…"

"I know, he wants to experiment with me… or something from the mission" he gave his mother a look. Now the white haired male was sleeping, but he could remember the terrifying way the mad scientist have been looking at him when he started getting sicker. "I will go… to protect the others on the team, but mother…"

"I told Sasakibe to bring all my work here, I won´t let him unprotected for a second" he assured. "Concentrate on your mission and" he started whispering, searching for a blind spot in Kurotsuchi surveillance system. "Find what he is doing. My informants told me that he is bringing some souls to his biology laws that were not schedule to die. I´m afraid of what he is doing or why he is doing this. Do you understand why I´m telling you this?"

"Yes… I will do as you told" Taisei bowed to his father and went to say goodbye to his mother and to pick up his zanpakto, Yata no Kagami. Jushiro held his hands and told him to be careful, that the Arrancar were not like the enemies he has faced before. "Don´t worry, I will"

-In the Ninth Squad-

Hisagi Shuuhei was training with his daughter while Izuru was on a mission when he noticed his captain and role model approaching him with a grim look. At first he thought something had happened to his partner, but Kensei shook his head to calm him down. He signaled for both father and child to come to his office and sit down.

"A mission have been assigned to Mio and a team of beginners… I was proposed by Mayuri Kurotsuchi" the girl clung to her father. She has never liked the clown faced man, not even one bit. And the fukutaicho neither, and Kira… let´s just say that he never let his baby got one feet in the Twelve Division.

"She is not going" he said. "She only has one year as an officer, for the Soul King´s sake, she is not ready to face a hollow on her own, let´s not talk about an Arrancar…"

"But unfortunately the Central 46 approves his choices and wanted her to be sent" Mio looked at Kensei with what she tried to be puppy dog eyes. Kensei was her godfather and loved to spoil her since she was little, but apparently there was nothing he could have done to save her now. Reluctantly took her zanpakto Kamikaze and walked towards the senkaimon.

"Don´t worry, everything is going to be alright" hushed her Shuuhei, putting his arm around his girl one last time. "I am sure the others will protect and guide you. Goodbye, baby" the he lowered his voice. "I will be there as soon as I can" and he left.

"Well, it´s time for…" begin Taisei, but was interrupted by a yell.

"Sho niiiiiiiiiii-chan!" Hisana Shiba, Sho´s little sister, was running towards them with a bento in her hands. "Sho nii, aunt Yuzu sends you this. She says you could share with your friends"

"Good, I have always loved her sweets" he hugged his sister before looking at the senkaimon. "I will be leaving for a mission, so go everyday to uncle Byakuya´s house and teach Hinata-chan a few things about fun" Akahoshi growled, his own younger sister was not a fun lover. Hinata was his mother´s perfect little princess. "She needs to relax from time to time"

"Sure thing, nii-san!"

"Okay, let´s go" Taisei opened the senkaimon and they ran to the human world. Once in Karakura, they went to the high school, where the Ishida twins and Sado were having lunch on the roof. Sho landed near them with a smile and asked for their help on a mission. Haruhi tried to say yes, but his brother glared at him and shut him up.

"Don´t even think about it, our hands are already full without being caught in your shinigami messes" said the older twin. Ren was more like Uryuu, with a touch of Ryuken. He was serious and cold, very good with the Quincy bow and cover his eyes with a pair of glasses. Haruhi, for his part, was more like Orihime, his mother. He showed no interest in the Quincy arts, being natural with the Shun Shurika. Feminine and sweet, the younger twin was more helpful than his brother.

"We can…"

"Absolutely not!" yelled Ren, putting his empty lunch on the ground. "And the exchange program what? We were scheduled to go to America when the semester is over in a month!"

"And even like that you go to classes?" asked the Shiba heir.

"Ren-san, you are a genius" said Akahoshi, earning a look from his companions. "Urahara can make us enter to that exchange program and we would have the perfect excuse to go to America and blend with the natives"

"What? Wait!" tried to stop them the Quincy.

"It´s a great idea" nodded Taisei. "Let´s go to Urahara´s shop for our gigais and ask him that question" the other shinigami nodded and followed him, leaving behind a very enraged Quincy.

-In the shop-

"Hi, there. Oh, young masters Kuchiki-dono and Shiba-dono! And the son of the Soutaicho! How can this humble shopkeeper help you today?" said the sandy blond ex captain, being exaggerated. Taisei glared at the genius before asking him for gigais. "Of, course, I have enough of them for all of you… and they are new. Now you can use your shinigami powers while wearing them."

"Yeah? That´s great" the young shinigamis went inside to pick up the fake bodies the kids that worked in the place offered… everybody but Taisei. "Are you coming?"

"I need to talk to Urahara for a minute, in private" he asked. The Shiba heir shook his shoulders and went after the others. Taisei looked seriously at the former captain, whose smile banished and for only took a serious look. "You know Kurotsuchi Mayuri well, no?"

"I… yes, better than I want. He is smart and lacks the morals to stop when it´s enough. A real mad scientist" answered Urahara. "Why are you asking me that? Do you want me to investigate Mayuri or help you doing that? Because I can go to America too if needed"

"I leave that to you" he answered, then pulled out a bottle. "For the time being, I want you to analyze this"

"This will be?" asked the scientist, taking the bottle in his hands.

"Water from the Gotei, specifically the Thirteenth Squad…"