Wearing a critical look, Lisa observed the scene she just walked in on.

There was Seventh Seat Hidoshi Aki, a long serving but mediocre officer, sweating nervously as he stood rigidly at attention. Despite physically towering over the boy and the lack of restraints or barriers, he was obviously trapped by the serpentine sneer of his Fourth Seat.

"Ichimaru," the lieutenant interjected before the silver snake could do any more damage to his subordinate's psyche.

Aki was visibly relieved at her arrival, and Gin looked over to her as well, although more casually. "Oh, hey, Yadōmaru-fukutaichō, whatcha need?"

"You're late for sparring with Kyōraku-taichō," she informed him sternly.

"Really? Sorry, seems like time got away from me," Gin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. To the other officer, he said, "Gotta cut our chat short, but we can talk 'gain later. Sound good?"

"O-of course, Fourth Seat Ichimaru," Aki stammered, and the insincerity in his voice only made the snake's grin broaden in amusement.

Turning away with a weary shake of her head, Lisa strode down the hall with Gin at her side. After a while, though, she stated, "You need to tone back on teasing your subordinates."

"Whatcha mean?" he tilted his head at her.

"Messing with people for a little fun is one thing," his commanding officer informed him like an old hand teaching a greenhorn. "But you seemed like you were trying to incite a panic attack."

"I jus' thought it was funny," the trickster put his hands behind his head without any sign of repentance on his part. "He's twice my age and been a shinigami a good few decades longer than I have, but still scared stiff at the sight o' lil' ol me."

"And because you did that, he will be jittery and jumpy the rest of the day, which will decrease his work productivity, which in turn will be detrimental to the overall performance of the Eighth Division," the lieutenant chastised her young subordinate.

"Oh, c'mon, yer exaggeratin'." Though the fox's eyes were not visible, she could hear them roll.

"I am not. Though admittedly this instance will not result in a material difference, this kind of behavior will result in more severe consequences if it goes unchecked. Therefore, you have to be more mindful of how you treat your subordinates."

"I hafta, huh?"

Upon hearing the edge in his voice, Lisa stopped and laid a hand on his shoulder. Gin whipped his head around towards her, smile still in place but with more warning to it. The lieutenant met this fearlessly, and after a few moments, he reluctantly relaxed. She in turn removed her hand.

"Ichimaru, I am not doing this to be a spoilsport," Lisa explained. "I am doing this so that you can become a better shinigami, and try to show you that there are ways to enjoy yourself with other people, instead of at their expense."

"Yeah, sure," Gin acknowledged noncommittedly.

Displeased at the lip service but accepting that more reprimands would be fruitless at this juncture, Lisa merely resumed their trip to the Eighth's training arena.

To be honest, she was growing increasingly concerned at the lack of progress she was making with Gin's social skills. While the boy still seemed to enjoy her and Kyōraku's company, he still eschewed proper healthy relationships with his peers and underlings. At the very least, Gin heeded the letter of her orders if not the spirit. But she knew that was only a temporary solution. The boy only obeyed her because she was his superior officer and would ever seek loopholes or even outright disobedience if he thought he could get away with it.

Sure, Gin was far from the most malicious shinigami the Gotei 13 ever recruited, but Lisa would rather do her utmost to try to prevent any competition emerging on that account.

"Now, switch hands!"

On that cue, Gin tossed Shinsō to his left hand and continued to trade blows with his mentor. With his wakizashi being a single-handed weapon, Kyōraku had impressed on his pupil the need to switch things up after they had covered the basics. Whether it was to throw off an opponent or basic necessity if the right hand was somehow injured or even lost, there were several reasons for the prodigy to become ambidextrous with his weapon. At this point, Gin had gotten good enough that using his non-dominant hand was only slightly less effective than using his primary one.

And of course, he was still no match for his captain, even with the elder master holding back, which led to the boy once again having the point of a sword at his throat.

"Yield," Gin sighed.

"You're getting better at this," the captain complimented him as he sheathed his blades. "It won't be long before you won't notice a difference whichever hand you're using in combat."

"Thanks," the boy grinned in satisfaction, mollified at the appraisal even if he had still lost the bout.

"Now that I'm sure you know how to be ruthless in war, there is a far more difficult lesson I wish to teach you."

"An' what is that?" he tilted his head in curiosity.

Kyōraku took a seat on the ground and pulled out his flask of sake. "How to be kind in peace."

The kit rolled his eyes as the lesson obviously drifted towards what he considered nonessential to life. Playing dumb, he impishly questioned, "…An' what's that?"

"Are you confused about 'kind' or 'peace?'" Yadōmaru asked dryly as she brought a couple jars of water. She handed one to the pupil, pulled the booze gourd out of Kyōraku's hand and replaced it with the tamer beverage, and took a sip of the sake for her own pleasure. If she took note of her captain's devastated and betrayed expression, she ignored it.

"'Kind'…" Gin mused reflectively. "I've heard o' this word, but can't say I know what it means."

"'Having a friendly or generous attitude or nature,'" the bibliophile deadpanned the definition.

"Ah, then that sums me up jus' fine," the antisocial boy smirked as he took another gulp of water and swished it around his mouth. "After all, I'm very friendly."

"Yes, as a cat with a mouse," Yadōmaru remarked.

"We're getting off-topic," Kyōraku chuckled, but grimaced as he drank some of his water, and sent one last pleading look to his lieutenant. After realizing he was being ignored again, he gave up. "The point of this lesson is that you must be willing to not let the conflicts of yesterday affect your feelings today."

"Whatcha mean by that?" Gin sounded honestly curious this time.

"Tell me, what do you think happens after a fight is done?" the captain inquired.

"Ideally, the enemy's dead, an' I'm alive."

"But that's not the way it always happens," Kyōraku set down the flask and placed both hands on his knees, regarding Gin with an uncharacteristically serious expression. "Sometimes, both of you are alive at the end of the day, and sometimes, your enemy will have friends that will want to avenge their fallen comrade. So, what do you do if the war is over, and there are some former enemies still alive?"

"I dunno," the Fourth Seat shrugged carelessly. "But I figure that as long as they don't bother me no more, I don't feel the need to bother 'em either."

"A good attitude to have," the slothful captain praised with just a trace of a smile. "You need to be willing not to hold on feelings of anger, to accept that once a battle is done, it is done."

Despite himself, Gin couldn't help taking an interest in this topic of conversation. "When is that gonna matter? When we fight Hollows, we're working to send 'em to Soul Society, so it don't really matter if they hold a grudge. And from what I've read o' history, the Gotei 13 typically ain't in the habit of sparin' rebels an' other enemies o' the state."

"Oh? And did you know that the Kyōraku and Ukitake clans used to be bitter rivals?" the Eighth's captain asked rhetorically.

"Really?" Gin raised an eyebrow.

"Technically, they're still enemies in the political arena," Yadōmaru reminded him.

"Ah, but we're friendly rivals now, not bitter ones," Kyōraku dismissed her input with a sour grin. "Besides, that's not the point I'm trying to make here. You see, back when Ukitake and I joined the Academy, there had been a feud between our two families going back centuries. So the two of us at first continued that fine tradition of sniping at each other in a passive-aggressive tone only we petty nobles can perfect. And when Yama-jii selected us as his personal pupils, well… we got competitive."

"Competitive how?" the prodigy relished a bit of bloody gossip.

"Attempts at sabotaging each other, snide insults, tripping each other up, that sort of thing. If it weren't for Yama-jii stepping in and whipping both of us for being idiots, I'm pretty sure we would have eventually killed each other."

"Dang," the boy blew out his breath. It never occurred to him those two had been anything but lifelong friends.

"Yep," Kyōraku nodded sagely. "So the moral of the story is be open-minded about who you interact with; you never know when today's enemy will be tomorrow's friend."

"Or vice versa," Gin remarked cynically.

The ancient captain paused, a distant look crossing his face for a moment. "That also happens, but I prefer to be more optimistic. Even in cases where friendships came to a bitter end, I can't say I ever regret making them."

This seemed the ideal moment to bring up the request that had been on his mind for some time now. "Speaking o' friendships I don't regret makin', mind if I ask ya a favor?"

"Quite presumptuous of you to assume such familiarity with a captain," Kyōraku teased his pupil.

"That ain't what I meant," the boy returned playfully.

"Oh, then I'm glad you and Lisa-chan are getting along so well."

"Indeed, we are besties now," the lieutenant deadpanned.

Gin snickered at the banter but redirected the topic of conversation, "Hey c'mon, now, I really do have somethin' I wanna ask ya."

"All right, sorry," Kyōraku chuckled. "So what's this favor you want?"

"How much pull d'ya have on where Academy students get assigned after graduatin'?"

Here the captain regarded him steadily. "What are you up to, Gin?"

"Nothin' bad," their mischievous subordinate claimed, which did little to reassure either of his superiors. But the next words really threw the alcoholic for a loop. "Jus' lookin' to keep a promise."

Kyōraku stared at the Fourth Seat, trying to recall the last time the conniving boy ever given his word to someone. Right then his mind went back to the conversation that cemented his decision to train him.

"Is this the person you said you wanted to protect?" he asked.

For only a second Gin hesitated in instinctive wariness, then forged determinedly ahead. "Yep, she's a friend I made back when we were in the Rukongai. An' she'll be graduatin' soon, so I was hopin' ya could pull some strings to get her assigned to the Eighth."

Bemused, the captain shared a look with his lieutenant as he considered the request. It certainly was not without precedent for a captain to grab a student from the Academy that caught their eye. And it was hardly uncommon for a shinigami to make a similar plea, that a friend or relative from the Academy would be put in the same division. More surprising was how Gin was the one making this request.

In the past three years, the prodigy had shown little interest in forming genuine relationships with his fellow shinigami. Sure, the boy was generally polite to his colleagues when on duty, but his idea of interactions seemed limited to "teasing," pranks, and the occasional deliberate creeping out.

Indeed, the only people Gin showed any inclinations of making connections was with Lisa and himself. To some, that was a sign of trying to brown-nose his way to the top, but Kyōraku had spent enough time with the youth to know that was not the case here; Gin simply felt more comfortable in their company than with anyone else. Most likely because he found kindred spirits in them, the captain thought self-depreciatingly.

And now that antisocial youth was requesting a specific person to be in the same division as him. Interesting…

On the one hand, this filled Kyōraku with a modicum of hope. If Gin had formed a good friendship with one person, perhaps it was not too far-fetched to help him expand his social circle and become better adjusted in the ranks of the Gotei 13.

But on the other hand, Kyōraku could not help but be a little concerned. During the past three years, it had not escaped his notice how the boy shared no few similarities with himself: they were both easy-going, playful, and valued pragmaticism in combat. And unfortunately, another common trait between them was their inclination for having fun at the expense of others.

While he very much hoped it would not be the case, Kyōraku could not discount the possibility that this interest Gin expressed was one-sided, that the boy had his eyes on a girl and wanted her, whether she was agreeable to the idea or not.

It would not be the first time Kyōraku had dealt with an obsessive stalker. But… nothing sending Lisa on a little trip to the Academy could not resolve.

"Well, I don't see why I can't look into it," the pink-clad captain finally answered. "Give me a few days to make some inquiries, and I'll let you know what I find. What's her name?"

"Matsumoto Rangiku," Gin grinned, and for once it accurately represented an expression of happiness. "Thanks, Kyōraku-taichō, I really appreciate it."

Well-honed instincts told him that the request was as innocent as it appeared, and he wondered at what kind of girl would consider Ichimaru Gin a friend.

Lisa decided to go incognito to the Academy, forgoing her trademark skirt in favor of the more traditional hakama, and electing to keep her badge hidden inside her shihakusho. If she was to speak with a young student, she would prefer to do so in a manner that would be more comfortable for her, when the difference in rank was not so apparent. Much like her captain, Lisa was very curious to meet this mystery girl that Gin liked, and hoped to put to rest any fears of more malicious intentions he might have towards her.

"Hello, Matsumoto Rangiku?"

"Yes?" the student in question turned at her name. The shock of strawberry-blonde certainly stood out among the students but was one of the tamer appearances of individuals in the Gotei 13. And certainly one of the more pleasant to look at, Lisa noted clinically. While the girl was still young, the lieutenant could tell that she would blossom into quite the looker.

"Would you please come with me?" Lisa indicated down the hall with one hand.

Rising to her feet, Matsumoto asked nervously, "Am I in trouble?"

"Not at all," she reassured her. "I simply have a few questions I would like to ask you."

"All right…," the trainee was still hesitant, but felt mollified enough to acquiesce.

Lisa led the girl to an office that had been set aside for her meeting and shut the door behind them.

"Please, take a seat." Once both had settled in, she regarded the girl steadily. "Now, I am here on behalf of the Eighth Division…"

"The Eighth?" Rangiku interrupted in surprise, and then asked excitedly, "Do you know my friend, Ichimaru Gin? He's the Fourth Seat there!"

The bespectacled officer blinked once, and understated, "I've run into him, yes."

The student must have misread her tone, for her beautiful face clouded over. "Okay, what did he do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look, whatever he did, I'm sorry," Rangiku sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "If he hasn't apologized to the other person already, just tell me which room in the Fourth they're in, and I'll go…"

Exasperated, but not fearful. That was a good sign.

"There's no need for an apology," Lisa assured her. Then to satisfy her curiosity, she asked, "How do you know him?"

"We've been friends since the Rukongai," Rangiku recalled fondly. "We joined the Academy together, and once I graduate, I'm hoping that we'll be able to serve as shinigami together." Here her expression became eager, and she leaned forward excitedly in her seat. "Gin said he was trying to work it out so I'd get assigned to the Eighth, but I haven't heard him say he's actually been able to do it." She suddenly blinked and looked up at the brunette hopefully. "Wait… are you here because Gin asked you?"

"No, I'm not," Lisa answered, which was technically true. "It came to our attention that you would be graduating from the Academy a year early, so we would like to see if you're interested in adding your talents to our ranks." Here Lisa paused. "May I assume that you are?"

"REALLY?!" Rangiku squealed in pure joy. "Yes! Of course I am!"

Well, that dashed any and all suspicions Lisa had about Gin's relationship with Rangiku. Correction: Lisa now had different suspicions about the nature of their relationship… suspicions that would be much more fun to investigate at a later date.

"Wait," Rangiku suddenly stopped mid-cheer, and then narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the woman in front of her. "How did you know I was planning on graduating a year early?"

Oh, so apparently that plan wasn't common knowledge. Oops.

"I knew it, you are here because of Gin!" Rangiku declared after Lisa failed to reply. "But why deny it earlier? What's he up to?"

"Eh, I suppose there's no point keeping up this farce," the bespectacled brunette shrugged, and pulled out her badge from her shihakusho and returned it to its place on her upper arm. "Allow me to introduce myself: Yadōmaru Lisa, lieutenant of the Eighth Division."

The young girl gaped as she realized she had been speaking with a high-ranking officer.

"And yes, Fourth Seat Ichimaru did submit a request to the captain to see if it would be possible for you to be assigned to the Eighth Division," Lisa explained.

"So… you're here to test me, to make sure I'm good enough?" Rangiku asked nervously.

"No; I'm here to make sure that you joining the Eighth was something you wanted."

Now she wore a frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Best to approach this topic gently… "Ichimaru-kun has demonstrated antisocial behavior with his interactions with other members of the Eighth. Therefore, it was deemed prudent to verify that his interest in you was healthy and reciprocated."

That golden head tilted cluelessly to one side. "Huh?"

Lisa stared at her. "I wanted to make sure he wasn't a creep stalking you," she explained tactlessly. So much for discretion…

"What?!" Rangiku went from confused to affronted in zero seconds flat. "Why do people keep thinking things like that about him?! Gin's no creep, he's my best friend!" Lisa inwardly noted that the two terms were not necessarily exclusive, but chose not to interrupt. "He's the reason I'm doing so well with my classes, the reason I wanted to become a shinigami in the first place! If anything, you should be accusing me of stalking him!"

Well, since the girl gave her permission, Lisa just might do exactly that… later.

"So you can take your accusations of him stalking me and stuff it!" the student belatedly remembered who she was talking to, and quickly added, "Ma'am."

Lisa shrugged. "Okay, I believe you."

"Really?" her young comrade looked up in surprise, and then quickly recovered with a cough, "I mean, good, you should."

"The way Ichimaru-kun talked about you, I doubted he intended any harm towards you; this was just a 'better safe than sorry' measure," the lieutenant explained. "And I would like to say I'm glad to hear he does have a friend; he really needs one."

"What do you mean?" Rangiku sounded concerned for the first time.

There was no need to sugarcoat it. "While Ichimaru-kun is a highly skilled officer, and one of the most talented shinigami I have ever seen, his social skills could use a lot of improvement… as could his ethics." Before the younger girl protest, Lisa held a hand up to stop her, "And yes, I know that the good he's done for you means that he's got a baseline to work off of, but I want you to remember this: Ichimaru Gin may treat you well because you're his friend, but that doesn't mean that he will extend that courtesy to others."

"Gin's not a bad person," the girl insisted with a displeased expression. "I mean, yeah, he likes to play his pranks and doesn't always get along with others, but he's not this psycho you're making him out to be."

"We're getting off-topic," Lisa decided to drop the subject for another time and pressed on with her main goal. "My point is, since you are willing, the Eighth Division would be glad to see you added to our roster after you pass the exams. I expect to see you and a happy Fourth Seat in our office this time next year. Do not disappoint me."

With that, Lieutenant Yadōmaru stood up and left Matsumoto Rangiku to her thoughts.

Gin found his old friend in the mess hall of the Eighth. It was her first day here after entering the division, and being naturally reserved, it made sense she would probably be eating by herself.

The Fourth Seat had not seen as much of Rangiku as he had wanted during the past three years, between his duties in the Eighth and her studies at the Academy. They still met regularly, although weekly get-togethers became biweekly, and then monthly, and so on. He had even been forced to miss her graduation ceremony due to a mission in the world of the living, and only now had been able to find time to talk with her face-to-face.

But as he skimmed the room for a certain strawberry-blonde head, he could not seem to find her. That puzzled him; he knew this was the right place to look for her, and it was lunch hour, but he could not pick out Rangiku among the people who seemed to be sitting alone.

"Please let me fetch your food, milady!"

"Don't! He's a greedy pig who'd eat it before it got here! I'll get it for you!"

"You liar!"

A crowd of young men at one table caught his eye, and he decided to meander over to investigate the commotion.

"I have here an excellent batch of sake! Please have some!"

"I've tasted that swill of yours! Here, this brand is much better!"

"Calm down, boys!" a feminine voice sang, so familiar it also made Gin's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "I'm very grateful for all of your help!"

No doubt about it. That was her. And she had seemingly found new ways to have fun. A brief feeling he would eventually identify as "jealousy" churned his insides. Then he dialed his smile to its Mischievous setting and then cleared his throat very audibly.

The cluster of male shinigami gave a glance over their shoulder at the noise, and promptly went back to the object of their adoration. A second later, belatedly realizing who it was behind them, they all simultaneously stood at attention and faced their superior officer.

"Good morning, Fourth Seat Ichimaru!" they all chorused in identical strident bellows.

The only person who did not get up was the one the men had all been fawning over. She was sitting at the table, and was now looking curiously at what had ripped her fan club away from her. Upon recognizing the reason, Rangiku's face lit up with a sunny smile.

"Gin!" she cried happily, and instantly jumped up to hug him.

The silver-haired teen was not normally the touchy-feely type, but he always made an exception for Rangiku. As he returned his childhood friend's embrace, Gin could see the crestfallen looks on the other men at the sight before them.

"Good to see ya, too," he said as gently released her, never losing his smile. "Mind if I join ya fer breakfast?"

"Of course not!" Rangiku replied brightly.

"You two," the Fourth Seat pointed at the pair of food bearers he had first heard. "Get us some breakfast."

"Yes, sir," they acknowledged before beating a hasty retreat.

"An' you two," he gestured to the alcohol aficionados. "Get us some water."

"Yes, sir." Both disappeared even faster than their cohorts.

The highly ranked officer then flopped down in a seat and turned his back on them. "The rest o' ya, enjoy yer breakfast."

"Thank you, sir." With that the remainder of Rangiku's new fan club bowed sadly and dispersed.

"Water?" Turning back to her, Gin was surprised at the disappointed look Rangiku was giving him. "What about the sake?" she whined.

"This is yer first day at the Eighth; it wouldn't be a good idea fer ya to show up drunk," he informed her pointedly.

"But the captain does!"

"This ain't his first day, though," he countered. "Once you've been captain fer a few centuries, I'll let ya drink sake in the morning."

"Hmph," Rangiku pouted. "If I'm a captain, then I won't need your permission!"

"Ah, but what if I'm the captain-commander?" Gin countered with a grin. A few nearby officers who happened to overhear this conversation froze mid-bite, and shuddered at the idea of such a scenario coming to pass.

"Pfft, yeah right," Rangiku snorted.

Their conscripted waiters brought them breakfast, and Gin dismissed them with an offhand wave. After they had taken their opening bites of their breakfast, Rangiku broached a subject that had been on her mind for several months now. "Gin… you do like it here in the Eighth, right?"

"'Course," he raised an eyebrow at her. "Why would ya think otherwise?"

"Well…," she paused for a moment, and then told him about Yadōmaru's visit to the Academy.

"So she checked up on ya? Good to hear," Gin nodded in approval.

"Didn't you hear me say she thought you were a creep and just as good as called you a psychopath?" Rangiku demanded.

"What I heard was her makin' sure my best friend wasn't bein' harassed," he returned cheerfully.

"She thought you were the harasser!"

"And you set her straight, so it's no big deal."

"Doesn't it bother you that everyone seems to think you're creepy?" she asked, still feeling insulted on his behalf.

"Nope!"

"It bothers me!" Rangiku growled.

"How 'come?" He stole a bite off her plate, causing those sky-blue eyes to narrow.

"Because they're instantly jumping to the wrong conclusion about you!" she snapped. "People are always assuming you're some kind of bad guy when that's not true!"

"Ah, but what if it is?"

His eerie tone did nothing to alleviate her scowl. "It isn't."

"Are ya sure?"

Rangiku grabbed him by the shirt and forced him to face her. His smile dropped in surprise at the fierceness in her glare. Focused as they were on each other, neither noticed how the surrounding shinigami had ceased their own conversations and were ready to either flee the scene or attempt a rescue of the lovely new recruit.

"Gin, if it weren't for you, I would be dead," she uttered without a trace of frivolity. "You saved my life, helped me survive the Rukongai, even gave me a birthday to celebrate! And in return, you've asked for nothing. So pardon me if I find the idea of people thinking badly of you to be infuriating."

The vehemence in his friend's expression made him study her for a moment, and then he smiled. "Ya can't control how people think an' feel 'bout me, so don't let it bother ya so much. After all, yer opinion is the only one that really matters to me."

It was Rangiku's turn to feel surprised, and she flushed a little bit before her expression hardened again. "As nice as that is to hear, you need to keep other people's feelings in mind, too. While you're right that you can't completely control what others think about you, you can manage it somewhat. If you keep acting creepy towards others, they won't have any reason to think of you any other way!"

"So?"

"So…" she gritted her teeth, and one eye twitched, "…why can't you act in such a way that lets other people see you the way I do?"

The smile he wore now was positively Buddha-like in its serenity. "'Cause I don't care what other people think 'bout me."

"Not even Kyōraku-taichō or Yadōmaru-fukutaichō?" Rangiku pressed.

Gin paused as he thought that question over earnestly. Finally, he admitted quietly, "Maybe a lil."

"There, you see?" she smiled. "Having other friends isn't that bad!"

"Yeah, yeah. Now, I gotta head out now, but I want to letcha know before I go…" He gently removed her hands from his shihakusho and then stood up, looked down at her and casually stated, "I only got so much heart, but what I do got is all yers."

Since he was walking away, he failed to notice how Rangiku's face went pinker than their captain's kimono. And both were oblivious to how their interaction had been a spectacle for the other officers in the mess hall, and were now gossiping amongst themselves about what they had learned…

After they had completed their duties for the day, Rangiku raised a brow as she saw Gin head off not towards the barracks, but in a different direction. She caught up to him and asked curiously, "Where you headed?"

"It's time fer me to train with the head honchoes," Gin answered without breaking stride.

"Mind if I tag along?" she asked hopefully.

I don't got no complaints," he nodded. "Maybe if we ask nicely, ya can join in on the lessons."

"You really think they'd let me?" the new recruit practically skipped in excitement at the thought.

"Don't know fer sure, but can't hurt to ask."

A few minutes later, they had arrived at the training grounds with the top two officers waiting for them.

"Gin-kun, good to see you," Kyōraku greeted his pupil with a smile. Upon noticing that the boy was not alone, he remarked, "Ah, I see you brought your friend. Rangiku-chan, was it?"

"Yes, sir, Matsumoto Rangiku," she bowed to her captain.

"Here to watch our boy train?" The big man flashed her a charming grin that caused women of all ages to swoon.

"Actually, if it's not too much to ask, I would like to share lessons with Gin," Rangiku requested politely, utterly unfazed by his charm.

"Really?" Kyōraku seemed surprised by this and glanced over at Lisa, who simply returned his stare without comment.

"Well, when Gin and I joined the Academy, we promised we'd look out for each other," the girl answered guilelessly. "So if you're giving lessons to him, the best way for me to hold up my end of the bargain is to get lessons, too."

"Hm, and why didn't Gin-kun mention this promise when I asked him why I should give him lessons?" the captain glanced over to his silver-haired pupil with a questioning smile.

"Didn't really know ya well 'nough at the time to tell ya somethin' personal," the boy shrugged. "An' the topic never came up until today, so I never bothered to mention it."

"Fair enough," he allowed. "Well, I don't see why she can't join us, so… welcome to the class, Rangiku-chan."

"Thank you, Kyōraku-taichō!" the girl beamed as she bowed again.

"So, how are your combat skills?" the captain inquired. "They must be a cut above the rest if you managed to graduate from the Academy a year early."

"Back when Gin and I sparred, he would be better at zanjutsu, while I beat him at hakuda," Rangiku reported. "And he's gotten faster at shunpo, but I've developed more of a knack at Kidō."

"You two balance each other well," Yadōmaru noted.

"We like to think so, yeah," Gin agreed.

"Okay, then show us," Kyōraku beckoned for the two youths to enter the training circle while he and his lieutenant stood back, giving them a chance to show their stuff. They smiled at each other before taking up their positions.

"This is great!" the blonde chirped happily. "It's been a while since Gin and I last sparred, so I'm excited to show him what I've learned!"

Before they could begin, however, the captain seemed to have a thought. "You two should use bokken."

"How 'come? We don't durin' our practice sessions," Gin pointed out, eyeing the rack of blunt wooden swords nearby with mild disdain.

"That's because of the power and skill gap between us," their sensei explained. "But since it's far smaller between you two, there's a much greater risk of accidentally harming one another, and I don't think you want to put your friend at risk, do you?"

Both shook their heads.

"Glad you agree," Kyōraku smiled, and then gestured to the side. "We do have a wide variety of wooden weapons that are carved in various sizes and shapes. With the myriad of ways a Shikai can take form, it's prudent to have a safe replica around for practice."

Neither saw a reason to dispute this, so they headed over to choose their weapons. While Gin immediately picked up one of the wakizashi-sized bokken, Rangiku looked at the more standard-sized practice swords before finally selecting one that felt right to her. She strode over to the sparring ring and took position opposite her friend. Only then did she notice something that took her aback. "Using your left hand, Gin?"

"Yeah, it's somethin' the cap'n's been training me on," he explained, tossing the knife from one hand to another. "Don't worry, I've gotten good 'nough that switching hands ain't really much of a handicap."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Rangiku remarked. "That going to be one of my lessons, too?"

"Ambidextrous wielding isn't a priority for everyone," Kyōraku answered from his place on the sidelines. "I pushed it for Gin-kun because he wields a one-handed weapon, so if something happens to his right hand, he can use his left hand without issue. But if your Shikai ends up as a two-handed weapon, then losing the use of one hand is going to damage your effectiveness to the point where it's not going to matter much which hand you use. Switching up your positioning might still give you an advantage by disorienting an opponent, but there are other similar tricks with broader applications that you would be better to focus on."

"Got it," she nodded, returning her attention to her designated opponent.

"All right, get ready," the captain announced, and the two youngsters took up defensive postures. "And… begin!"

Rangiku only saw a blur and prepared to parry the strike, but it was too late. In a single move, Gin had bypassed her defenses and held the tip of his bokken at her neck, signifying his victory. She stared down at him in shock, and even the boy seemed surprised at the celerity of his victory.

"May I assume that your prior duels were not this one-sided?" Yadōmaru questioned bluntly.

"Nope," the prodigy answered as he pulled away.

"Then that means your training has paid off," Kyōraku remarked. "So, Rangiku-chan, don't worry, you haven't gotten worse, your friend has just gotten better."

"Yeah, that makes sense," she acknowledged, mostly mollified at the explanation, but still disappointed in herself at the lack of challenge she presented.

"Try again," Yadōmaru interjected this time. "Now that you are aware of the progress Ichimaru has made, perhaps you'll be better prepared to face him."

Three more matches quickly ended soon after, proof while the lieutenant was technically correct in that assessment, it was only by a marginal amount. Gin had always been a natural with a sword, and his lessons and field experience since graduating had only sharpened his skills.

Finally, Kyōraku granted Rangiku some mercy, "Okay, that's enough of that for now. Let's take a quick break, and then switch over to hakuda."

"Sounds good to me," Rangiku grinned at the prospect of turning the tables, and they both took leave of the sparring area to put the bokken back and catch their breaths.

A few minutes later, they were facing each other again, and as Gin assumed a relaxed but prepared posture, he challenged, "Let's see if ya can still take me."

"Oh? Are you sure you remember how to fight without a sword?" Rangiku grinned back.

Before he could retort, the blonde took the initiative to make the first strike. She jabbed a fist at his gut, but though Gin's smiled dropped in surprise, he was still able to jump back to avoid getting hit. Not allowing him any relief, she continued her assault as she threw punch after punch at her opponent, each one narrowly evaded or redirected.

It was quickly evident to Rangiku that while her friend's hakuda skill had not really improved that much since their last bout, the speed and reflexes he developed from training zanjutsu under Kyōraku allowed him much better maneuverability.

But finally, she caught him.

Gin attempted a counterstrike at her, only for the girl to grab his wrist and with one fluid motion, send him over one shoulder and pin him to the ground.

"Nice work, Rangiku-chan," Kyōraku praised her. "Again."

Three subsequent matches ended in a similar fashion. Rangiku emerged the victor, but with greater difficulty than she ever did before Gin graduated.

Noticing her frustration, the scruffy captain inquired of her thoughtfully, "Rangiku-chan, after Gin-kun joined the Eighth, how much extra practice were you able to get with hakuda?"

"Not very much," she admitted with a downcast expression. "Not when I had to spend so much time studying so I could pass the exams and graduate a year early."

"Don't be disheartened, Rangiku-chan," Her pink-clad captain patted the young woman on the head in what she recognized as unintentionally condescending fashion. He probably did that with everyone weaker than him, of which there were many. "If you hadn't, you wouldn't have been able to join us at the Eighth so quickly. And now that you're here, you can once again prioritize the physical training aspect of being a shinigami. Just be patient, work hard, and you'll be a match for Gin-kun again before you know it."

Reassured by his words, she smiled up at him, "Thank you, Kyōraku-taichō."

Kyōraku beamed back down at his new pupil. "Always a pleasure. Now that we see what you've got, let's get to work at getting you back up to speed."

Lisa looked upon the scene before her and almost smiled.

There was Ichimaru sitting together with Matsumoto in one of the gardens of the Eighth Division. Only now, unlike before, they were engaged in a pleasant conversation with three other colleagues. While the charming girl was the driving force of discussion, and the other trio occasionally eyed Ichimaru warily, it still had all the appearances a friendly meeting between shinigami. Even Ichimaru's normally sharp presence was more muted in his friend's company.

This was the most social interaction Lisa had witnessed the prodigy participate in since joining the Eighth, and it was all thanks to the friend he had made in the Rukongai, who was decidedly more adept at interpersonal relationships than he was.

For the first time since the boy came under her command, Lisa felt optimistic about Gin's social future.

Rangiku felt a wind brushing her bangs, and she opened her eyes in surprise. Where was she?

A pine forest surrounded her, with an afternoon sun gently lighting up her surroundings in a warm golden glow. Off in the distance she could see a mountain gradually rise up and mark the otherwise unbroken horizon.

"This… doesn't feel like a dream," Rangiku remarked as she looked around in wonder. "Is this… my inner world? I like it; it's pretty. But where's my zanpakutō spirit?"

"Mew!"

The blonde looked down and could not help but smile at the adorable tiger cub sitting at her feet, looking up at her with big, beautiful forest green eyes.

"Aw, aren't you cute," Rangiku cooed as she knelt down reached out to pet the small animal. The cub leaned into the touch and immediately started purring at the attention it was receiving. Her smile broadened, and she decided she would wait here and spend time with this cutie until her zanpakutō spirit decided to show up.

The tiger cub rolled over on her back, and Rangiku absent-mindedly started to scratch the proffered belly, only to immediately regret that decision as she felt sharp teeth sink into her flesh.

"Ow!" Rangiku snatched her hand back, and glared down at the cub. "That hurt, you…"

She immediately faltered at the sight of the cub staring up at her with the disarming gaze only a baby cat could summon.

"…And that's fine," she weakly finished.

Satisfied, the cub went back to snuggling against Rangiku, and the girl could not help but resume the petting while more mindful of the dangers of tickling cats.

To be continued…

Author's Note: I actually don't have much to say about this chapter; I hope you enjoyed Gin and Rangiku's reunion!

My thanks to LoveGlutton, Black' Victor Cachat, and ElnaKernor for their reviews!

Omake: Shinigami Illustrated Guide

"Hey, did you hear about that new recruit, that Matsumoto girl?"

"What the one that graduated a year early? What about her?"

"Apparently, she's friends with Ichimaru Gin!"

"…What."

"No really! I saw them hanging out at lunch, and they were both smiling… and Ichimaru-san's smile was actually a normal one!"

"She must really have a good heart if she's willing to reach out to him as a friend despite how creepy he is."

"Actually, I heard it was the other way around, that they met when he saved her life in the Rukongai!"

"No way! I can't see that little maniac helping anyone other than himself."

"You didn't see Matsumoto-kun; trust me, if anyone could coax a heart out of that kid, it'd be her."

"Wow, she must be a goddess to be able to be able to befriend a guy like him."

"Yeah, she's amazin'."

The gossipers froze and slowly creaked their heads towards the previously undetected individual who just agreed fondly with their opinions. Ichimaru Gin stood behind them casually as if he had been there all along, and upon realizing their eyes were upon him, he tilted his head in curiosity.

"What?"