Chapter 14: Haruki

Winter came and went, taking the snow and ice with it, to Kirara's relief. Spring was soon approaching, taking the chill off the air in the Seireitei.

The mission in the mountains had gone well, even with casualties due to the blizzard and ambush. They had lost a handful of people to the Hollows, but once the blizzard had died out it wasn't difficult to find the last of the Hollows and destroy them.

It was unspoken, but everyone hoped that the weirdness had died with the Hollows, and that no more with strange powers would pop up now that their nest had been destroyed. Kirara in particular was hoping that was the case, as Spring loomed and reminded her of her upcoming duties with the Academy.

Rose sneezed loudly, almost dropping his cup as tea splashed out. Kirara couldn't help but laugh at the delicate sound as Rose sniffed, cursing the weather.

"I would have thought Spring was the perfect time of year for someone like you," Kirara teased him as she set her cup down on the table. She had only meant to pass through - to drop off some paperwork for Lieutenant Iba that she'd promised during their earlier meeting, but Rose had spotted her and invited her in for tea.

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take that," Rose retorted, watching her carefully as her grin widened. There was mischief in her eyes as usual, meaning that it was most likely a teasing comment, but he could never be sure with her.

"Take it however you'd like," Kirara replied simply, leaning back in her seat as he resisted sighing. Rose then sneezed again loudly. "Maybe you should go to Squad 4 and get something for those allergies," she suggested.

"Perhaps I should. Maybe then I can appreciate the beauty of springtime," Rose considered, and didn't miss how Kirara's lips pressed together as an attempt to stop herself from laughing. There was his answer to the unspoken question of her teasing. "So, looking forward to your Hakuda class?" he asked. Instantly the laughter faded.

"Okay, okay," Kirara shook her head, knowing that the Captain could give as good as he got.

"What level will you be teaching?" he asked her, not quite ready to let it drop as he found himself curious about what Kirara would be doing. If she was annoyed, she didn't show it as she reached for her tea again.

"It's a beginner class. If it had been an advanced class, I would have refused," Kirara admitted as she inhaled the minty scent of the tea.

"Really? I would have thought you'd prefer a class that knew more than the basics," Rose was surprised by her words. Kirara shook her head, and took a drink. It was as delicious to taste as it was to smell, and she let out a little satisfied breath.

"Definitely not. The problem with advanced classes is that they think they know what they're doing," she replied. Seeing Rose's confusion, Kirara smiled. "In theory, they know what they're doing. In practice…not so much. They're too used to performing moves in certain ways and patterns. Easy to predict, and easy to take them down," she said, thinking back to the first and only time she'd agreed to teach an advanced class.

"How did you learn to break those habits, then?" Rose asked, amused by how she talked about the students.

"Yoruichi taught me," Kirara answered simply. "Let me tell you, it was painful. But I learned, and here we are now," she grinned, earning a quiet laugh from him.

"You really are here more than your own barracks, huh?" they looked up, and Rose steeled himself as Shinji stepped into the office and looked at the pair.

"How would you know? Go to Squad 2 a lot?" Kirara asked simply, going back to her tea in her hands. Rose's eyes narrowed very slightly at the lack of bite in her words. "It seems you frequent Rose's Squad a lot too," she countered.

"Yes, Shinji, how can I help?" Rose asked slowly, looking from Kirara over to the man.

"I was going to send you a message to say that one of my men brought back that flute you requested," Shinji set a long box down on the desk. "But I figured I'd stop by and see if you actually know how to play the damn thing," he grinned. Rose looked haughty at the accusation.

"Of course I know how to play. I put time and effort into learning whatever instrument that I add to my collection," he said, offended. Kirara's laugh, however, surprised him and caused him to forget that he was even offended by what Shinji had said. He'd never heard her laugh around the other Captain. And judging from the flicker of surprise that crossed Shinji's face, he was just as surprised.

"I'm more curious about where you keep all these things. That's like the fifth instrument I've seen you with," Kirara accused, eyes glittering as she got revenge for him bringing up the Hakuda training class she was trying to forget about. For a moment, Rose just stared at her, unsure of what was going on. Then he quickly cleared his throat.

"We all have our hobbies," he replied. "Thank you for dropping it over, Shinji. Since you've come all this way, would you like some tea?" Rose offered, but it almost felt like a test. For a heartbeat, Shinji didn't respond. Kirara hadn't looked up as she instead studied the plain cup she was drinking from.

"Eh, what the hell. Sosuke is taking care of things right now anyway," Shinji agreed, walking over to join them. Rose was becoming more and more convinced that he'd stepped into some kind of alternate reality.

"Having your Lieutenant do all the work? Seems a common link with you Captains," Kirara sniffed as Shinji fell into the seat by Rose. He arched an eyebrow at her at her words.

"You're sitting here drinking tea and reminiscing about learning Hakuda. Hardly sounds like work," he argued. Rose almost sighed in relief. Finally something normal about the pair. Kirara finally looked up at him.

"For your information, I was dropping off paperwork to Lieutenant Iba, and Rose invited me in for tea. It would be rude for me to refuse a Captain," she said simply. Shinji snorted as Rose couldn't help but look dubious.

"Since when have you ever actually worried about offending a Captain?" Shinji challenged her. Her expression was cool as she held his gaze easily.

"I must agree, Kirara. You-" whatever Rose had been about to say, he was cut off by a sneeze that crept up on him. Instantly Shinji burst out laughing, and Kirara wasn't able to stop herself from joining in. Rose felt his face warm at their laughter. "I don't know what's going on, but I think I prefer you fighting each other," he complained, only to sneeze again. Their laughter grew louder, and Rose slumped, but couldn't stop a faint, hopeful smile that started to cross his face.

To Kirara's dismay, pretending that the class didn't exist didn't magically wipe it from existence, meaning that when the time finally came, she had no choice but to go to the Shin'o Academy to meet her beginner class.

It was a once a week class - they still had their real teacher for everything else. This was a special class that students could sign up for, and Kirara wondered just how many people would actually be interested considering which Squad she was part of.

Kirara ignored the students she walked past, all too aware of their open stares. It was common enough for Shinigami to be around, teaching optional classes if they had the free time. But it was still seemed to be something of a novelty, especially to newer students who were only just starting their six-year course.

"I half expected you to not bother showing up, Yamada," Kirara slowed as she reached the man who was standing with his back to her.

"I always enjoy surprising you, Onobara," she smiled pleasantly, and heard the man give a weary sigh.

"As much of a brat as you were when you attended the Academy yourself. At least that pest of a brother of yours was a little more restrained," the instructor finally turned and looked down at Kirara through his large glasses. Kirara kept her smile up.

"So, did I get any wonderful recruits for my class?" she asked him innocently. He rolled his eyes, knowing her well enough by now. After all, he'd taught her for six years, and also worked with her on the rare occasion that she stopped by to teach a class.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Yamada, but you have a full class," Kirara's smile dropped as surprise flashed across her face. He almost snorted. Still so easy to read.

"Damn. I would have thought being part of Squad 2 would have scared them all away," she said, bringing the cheer back to her voice.

"It didn't stop you from joining Squad 2," Onobara pointed out, turning away before Kirara could reply. "Come on. You can run your mouth to your new students instead of wasting my time," he told her as he walked away. Kirara laughed and followed, hands behind her back as he led her towards one of the many training grounds.

It wasn't a large class by any means - the physical classes were normally made up of smaller groups anyway - but there was still over a dozen students standing chatting to each other, sounding excited.

'Wonder how long that'll last,' Kirara mused idly as the class quickly fell silent at the sight of the two approaching. Kirara gave the class a once over, making quick assessments as she did. One boy was standing tall, arms folded with a smirk on his face. Beside him were two girls whispering to each other as they stared directly at Kirara. Behind them, another boy who was watching her with a nervous look, one eye hidden behind his blue hair.

"Alright class, this is Lieutenant Yamada of Squad 2," Onobara introduced Kirara to the class, and they all bowed to her. Kirara gave a light wave.

"Hey," she said simply. Some of the students exchanged curious looks.

"Make sure to show her respect, and don't embarrass the Academy," with that, their stern teacher vanished, leaving Kirara with a class full of students who were staring at her with a range of expressions.

"Great," Kirara sighed, shaking her head. She took in a deep breath, before crossing her arms over her chest. "Okay! Everyone spread out, and move into a basic stance. I assume you've been taught that much?" she asked. There was no argument as everyone started to move to empty spaces. Except one.

"You're really a Lieutenant?" it was the young man who had been smirking when she arrived. Kirara wasn't even remotely surprised.

"Why? Am I not cute enough to be a Lieutenant?" she cocked her head, and a few giggles were smothered around the class as his smirk dropped just a fraction. Kirara maintained an innocent look. "Shinigami come in all shapes and sizes. If you're happy to point out that I don't look the part, then you're going to struggle if you manage to graduate and join the Gotei 13," she told him.

"And that uniform is allowed?" he pressed. Kirara almost laughed at how bold he was seconds after their teacher had left.

"You're awfully fixated on my looks. I'll tell you now, I don't date students," another laugh rang out, less restrained this time as his cheeks reddened at her rebuttals. "Any questions about Hakuda? No? Great. Shut up and get into a basic stance," Kirara turned away to study how everyone else stood. They all scrambled to do as she said.

"You're part of the Onmitsukido too, aren't you?" the same young man pressed. This question was one that Kirara had been expecting, but she still didn't like it. "Who thought that getting one of you trained killers to teach us Hakuda was a good idea?" he spoke louder, expecting others to agree with him.

"What's your name?" Kirara asked him suddenly.

"Ren Miura," he answered, his chest puffed out as if Kirara should be impressed. She resisted rolling her eyes.

"If you had a problem with my position, you shouldn't have signed up. I'll give you one chance, Miura, to do as I've said. If not, we're going to have a problem. And you won't like how I solve my problems," she flashed a sweet smile that was ice cold.

"Miura, just shut up already," one of the girls hissed, but he ignored her. His eyes had flashed in a challenge, as Kirara knew they would.

"And if I don't?" Ren asked.

"Then I'll give you a challenge," Kirara decided, turning back to him fully. "If you win, you get to stay and ask your stupid questions," she offered.

"And if I lose?" he asked. Kirara's smile was deadly.

"Then you get the hell out of my sight and I let Sensei Onobara know that you'll no longer be attending my classes," she said. Everyone else held their breath, tense. Even Ren seemed to be able to tell that he was out of his depth.

"What do I have to do?" Ren seemed to disregard this, refusing to back down now with so many people watching him. Even now, he was more interested in saving face and playing the big man, than to defer to a woman.

"Since you seem to have decided that you don't need my Hakuda class, you must already be an expert. To win, all you have to do is catch me," Ren's thick black eyebrows furrowed at the challenge.

"That's it?" he asked warily.

"That's it. I won't fight back. You just have to catch me and stop me from moving, using all those magnificent Hakuda skills you have," Kirara smiled brightly at him.

She could practically see the cogs turning in the student's head. He was weighing the cons of her challenge against the potential humiliation of backing down now. It took everything she had not to laugh at him.

But she wasn't going to let him just taunt and mock her and everything she stood for without consequences. If it wasn't her, it was going to be someone else, and if he kept up the shitty, arrogant attitude, she knew exactly where he was going to end up.

Ren Miura didn't give any warning that he had accepted her challenge. Instead, he just launched at her with a yell. Some of the students gave cries, calling his sudden move unfair. He didn't care. Instead, he reached out towards the Lieutenant, who was still watching him with that goofy smile on her face.

"Did you really think you could get me with such an obvious move?" Kirara's voice came from behind him, and Ren's eyes widened as his mind caught up. She had moved far too fast for him to register. Shunpo. With an angry shout, he whirled around and grabbed for her, but Kirara had already used Shunpo again to move several feet away.

"Whoa," their audience breathed in awe at her speed. Kirara's goofy smile was gone as she studied Ren with a bored look. His cheeks were red already, and he was glaring at her.

"Shunpo is cheating," he snarled at her. Kirara shrugged.

"I said I wouldn't fight back. I never said anything about using Shunpo," she told him simply. "A very important rule of Hakuda: speed is crucial," Kirara called out to the other students. Ren's blush grew. She was using this as a lesson to the rest of the class.

"Bitch!" he launched at her again. This time, Kirara didn't use Shunpo as she danced around Ren's obvious, clumsy moves to grab for her. She danced around his grabs and kicks, the bored look never leaving her face.

Then suddenly she changed her movements, as if lunging for him with that cold, calculating look on her face. Panicking, Ren stumbled backwards and tripped over his own feet. He fell on his backside, and a few people winced. "And probably the most important part of Hakuda: footwork," Kirara smiled to the class, earning a couple of laughs.

Ren didn't move from the ground, his head lowered as Kirara shook her head. "It's over. Go find somewhere else to be annoying," she told him coldly. Ren twitched, but didn't move. "As I was saying; basic stances everyone. I want to see what I'm working with," she told the class as she turned away from Ren. The moment she did, she heard Ren move before the class gasped.

Fury blinding him, Ren launched himself at Kirara from the ground as quietly as he could. Yet just as his fingertips almost brushed the back of her Shihakusho, Kirara whirled around and had him by the wrist before he could even blink. "I told you it was over. Do not push your luck," Kirara shoved him so hard that he not only fell from the force, but was forced into a backwards roll.

"I was right not to go far," Onobara's voice made the class jump, and Kirara looked over her shoulder. "Yamada, you attract nothing but chaos, you know that?" he asked as he walked over. Ren was breathing heavily on the ground, his eyes wide.

"Like calls to like, Sensei Onobara," Kirara's sweet smile was back on her face. He just rolled his eyes.

"Miura, with me. We have a lot to talk about. Starting with why you never annoy a Lieutenant," he jerked his head, and Ren scrambled to his feet. He hurried over to Onobara. "But first, I believe you owe Lieutenant Yamada something?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Ren twitched, hesitating, before turning back around.

"My sincerest apologies, Lieutenant Yamada," he said, bowing deeply to her.

"Forget about it," Kirara waved, and when he straightened, confusion on his face, she smirked. "Just hope that you don't even up in Squad 2 when you graduate," the threat was clear and it made him go pale. Without a word, he turned and ran after Onobara, who was already walking away.

"She's incredible."

"Terrifying is more like it."

"I like her."

"Maybe this class will be worthwhile after all…" the whispers carried through the class as Kirara turned back to her students and put her hands on her hips.

"If I have to ask for basic stances one more time, I'm going to have you doing 100 continous Shunpo steps at the start of each class," Kirara's smirk was dark, and everyone quickly scrambled to do so as Kirara made a note to throw something at Yoruichi for signing her up for such a task.

After Ren's departure, Kirara found her class a lot less annoying. In fact, the time flew by as she corrected stances, having them drop them and move back into them to get used to standing in such ways.

Before she'd even realised it, it was lunchtime and everyone looked worn out from the work that she was doing.

"I would complain that this is supposed to be an advanced class, but I'm exhausted," one girl complained to her friend. Kirara laughed, and the girl's eyes widened at being overheard.

"Everyone thinks stances are basic until they try to memorise them. Maybe next week we can start on the fun stuff," Kirara grinned, and there was an excited murmur that ran through the group. "For now, be free. Shower, eat, go for a nap under that big tree behind the Shinigami History building - my favourite spot when I was a student," she winked, and they bowed as they thanked her for the lesson.

When the students dispersed, some talking about going to check out the spot that she meant, Kirara stretched and let a groan slip past her lips. She was worn out just from teaching them, and her own stomach was growling. As she lowered her arms, she hummed. "I did dismiss the class, you know," Kirara said, and heard the young man behind her inhale sharply. "Or did you need something?" she turned to him.

A nervous young man with deep blue hair falling over one hazel eye, the student stood a few feet away as if he'd been debating approaching her. He'd been decent at his stances, Kirara noted - he'd barely needed correcting, but was quiet and unsure in his movements.

"S-sorry, Lieutenant Yamada," he bowed again, and Kirara smiled, finding it oddly endearing just how nervous he was. She waited for him to speak, not pushing him as he seemed to try to find the right words. "Your Shunpo was…incredible," Kirara tilted her head, a little surprised.

"Attending a Hakuda class and commenting on my Shunpo? I guess the lesson was a little boring," she considered, only partly teasing.

"Not at all!" the young man blurted out, blushing even more at his outburst. Especially when she laughed.

"I'm messing. Is there something about my Shunpo you wanted to know?" Kirara asked him curiously.

"Well…" he hesitated, but Kirara just waited patiently. "Could you teach me?" his request took her by surprise. "I know we learn with the academy but…I want to be even better than that," something flashed in his gaze as he spoke. He was nervous, but determined.

Kirara was silent for a moment, processing his request as she kept her arms crossed over her chest. She studied the strange young man, taking in everything she could about him. She was quiet for so long she started to see the hope in his expression fade, and his shoulders started to sag.

"I'll warn you now, I'm a lot harsher when it comes to teaching Shunpo than I am with Hakuda," she warned, watching as his hazel eyes went wide. "It'll have to be in the evenings so it doesn't mess with my work or your studies. You good with that?" Kirara asked, and the young man was so stunned he seemed to forget to breathe.

"Yes, of course!" he coughed, seeming unable to believe that she'd agreed to teach him. "Thank you," he bowed deeply.

"What's your name?" Kirara asked, and he couldn't help but not the difference in how she asked him, compared to Ren earlier.

"Haruki Maeda," he introduced himself with another bow.

"Alright, Haruki," his eyes widened at her informality. "Call me Kirara," she told him, grinning widely as she couldn't help but think that this wouldn't be quite as dull as she had expected.

Haruki is one of my absolute favourite characters to be added into this rewrite, so I hope you like him!

Please review!