Disclaimer: No, I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does. Otherwise, Soi Fon would have gotten so much more screen time.


"BAHAHAHAHA! Are you kiddin' me, -uichi?" Kuukaku cackled as Yoruichi rolled her eyes and grabbed the bottle out of her friend's hands. "Hey!"

The Shihouin princess glared and downed the rest of Kuukaku's liquor, forcing herself not to cough the burning liquid out of her mouth.

"Rude," Kuukaku got up and pulled another bottle out of her fridge. "But you have to admit, it's really funny!"

"I don't see what's so amusing about it." Yoruichi studied the glass bottle in her hands. 80 proof. That wasn't good. She could already feel the alcohol ramming into her harder than that sneak-thief's thunder spell.

"C'mon," Kuukaku wrapped an arm around Yoruichi's neck. "Ms. Pride-for-Brains didn't get her perfect victory and ran back to Unohana to get her ears checked?" she cooed.

Lightning raced along Yoruichi's skin, zapping the ravenette away.

Kuukaku yelped.

"I don't want to hear it from you of all people, Kuukaku. What, weren't you in there last week getting your eardrums fixed?" Yoruichi scowled.

"Last Friday actually!" Kuukaku grinned. "Wanted to cook up something special for ya in case you wanted to celebrate your win." She cracked open her new bottle. "Which of course, we still can, if you want."

Yoruichi just sighed, blood burning her cheeks and forehead.

"C'mon! I've got a whole program prepared and everything! Even thought of animations! The Shiba specialty!"

"Do you ever do anything but fireworks?"

"Sure, I've got plenty of gigs. Pots, wands, tokens, charms." Kuukaku shrugged. "We're not like you Shihouins. Doesn't have to be a fancy heaven-sent artifact for us to find a use for it. Maybe you should skip out on those family traditions. It's pretty nice not being caught up in noble politics, y'know."

Yoruichi's scowl returned. "It's not like I actually want to spend my time on that sort of thing." Being the divine armaments' keeper was an awesome responsibility, but it had always chafed at her. It was a role she thought she would never grow into, something too heavy and perfect.

"Nah, but you sure don't mind all the benefits that come with it, yeah?" Kuukaku clinked Yoruichi's empty bottle with her own.

Yoruichi frowned.

"Ah, don't worry about it! You've still got a semester of freedom left before you let 'em have it! No sense getting yourself all worked up over it now," Kuukaku knocked her bottle back. "Besides, if all else fails, you can always say 'fuck it' and leave the family business to your brother."

"Yuushiro?" Yoruichi raised her eyebrow and took a drink from her own bottle, only to realize it was empty.

"Yeah, sure, why not?"

"He'll never make it. It's not in him." Yoruichi chucked her bottle into the corner bin. No, she'd never let Yuushiro become the Shihouin head. He deserved a quiet life, something more peaceful than guarding the treasury's weapons.

"That's probably what you thought of that Soi Fon chick though, isn't it?" Kuukaku pointed at Yoruichi and smirked. For a minute, Yoruichi could see why people always seemed to get angrier whenever she found something amusing. "And look where that got you!"

"I still won, didn't I?"

"That's the spirit!" Kuukaku clapped her on the back. "That's the -ichi I know!"

"Yeah, yeah." Yoruichi shrugged her friend's arm off. "How do you know her name anyway?" Truth be told, Yoruichi hadn't really bothered with remembering Soi Fon's name herself until last Sunday. Asking for her name had been more for effect than anything else. After all, the sneak-thief had offended her by stealing Suzumebachi, why shouldn't she return the favor by dragging her around in public? At least she had been gracious enough to make their actual fight private.

"Are you kidding? She's been making the rounds around school."

"She's already out?" That didn't seem right. Unohana was deadly serious about patients making a full recovery before she discharged them, and even Kenpachi had to submit to the professor when she was serious.

"Nah, the last I heard she hadn't even woken up yet, but y'know, people talk." Kuukaku took another swig. "And they're saying that she beat you so bad, she hospitalized herself!"

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "As if."

"But you have to admit, you came out of there without your familiar."

"And who's the one still walking around? Who's spreading that story anyway?" Yoruichi set her bottle down. Sure, she hadn't taken Suzumebachi back, but she had just let the sneak-thief keep Suzumebachi out of pity. That was all there was to it!

Besides, Suzumebachi had never felt right. Two hits, too bossy, too… free. She represented everything a noble was in excess or maybe everything that a noble wasn't, her technique noncommittal, her attitude ill-matched to her power, her movement unbound but chaotic in a way that betrayed the relaxed confidence they needed to project. It had always bothered her that she had received Suzumebachi. Familiars were supposed to be reflections of their mage, so why hadn't she been able to contract with somebody like Senbonzakura or Katen?

Kuukaku shrugged. "Kisuke probably. Haven't heard anything out of those runts you were training and you said there wasn't anyone else around when you guys faced off."

Yoruichi sighed. That man would be the death of her. She should have known that he was plotting something when he had mentioned who had stolen her familiar so casually. Nothing that man did was accidental. The only problem with that was how did Kisuke know about Soi Fon, and how much did he know about her? Yoruichi frowned.

It didn't add up. When she had left S2, she had just thought that the sneak-thief had managed to pull a fast one on her, but something didn't feel right. She must have made a mistake, underestimated how much air or mana she had left the commoner. But that was ridiculous too. Even if that wretch had a small bit of mana left, it would never have been enough to conjure a full thunder bolt. More than that, Yoruichi had felt more drained sitting down in Retsuo's chair after the fight than she had ever felt before. Had that sneak thief been stealing her mana too? She remembered the erratic sparks leaping off of Soi Fon's body as she charged. There was more to that girl than Yoruichi had guessed. Maybe the fact she hadn't been willing to bow down or give up should have tipped her off, but that thief was different.

"You've got a real murderous look on your face, -ichi."

"It's nothing," Yoruichi waved the matter away. "I just need to talk with Kisuke for a bit."

"Ha, try not to hurt him too bad!"

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "As if I could. Benihime'll just repair everything I do."

"I said hurt, I didn't say kill," Kuukaku smirked. "I already know wonder boy's not going down for the count."


Soi Fon's eyes fluttered before she realized she was awake. It was the sense of color and being way too hot that reached her first. What to do with that information, her brain didn't know.

"Soi?"

Soi Fon's head creaked towards the source of the noise. Something scraggly black creeped into her eyes. "Uhh?..." rolled out of her mouth.

"Soi Fon, are you awake? Hold on, I'll get the professor." The dark mess left her sight and Soi Fon's head crawled back to its previous position.

Something was cradling her body. It was soft, and it was hard to breathe.

In the back of her mind, Soi Fon felt something glitter. Something else was grasping her hand.

"Soi Fon?"

Who was it?

Soi Fon's eyes rolled downwards trying to catch the warmth. "Yuzu?" The word made the connection between itself and the blonde and Soi Fon blinked lazily.

"Soi Fon!" The grip on her hand tightened. "Hang in there! Daddy's getting Professor Unohana!"

"What are you?" Soi Fon slipped back. What? The glittering in the darkness dulled.

The door opened.

"My, my. It seems like you've resurfaced again."

?

"Hold on, let me just stabilize you," the voice dragged her back up. The darkened glitter stopped sparkling, evening out into a golden shape.

Soi Fon opened her eyes.

"Welcome back, Ms. Fēng." Soi Fon squinted at the woman looming over her.

"Unohana?"

"That's Professor Unohana to you, Shāolín." Unohana smiled and leaned back.

Soi Fon groaned, not bothering to correct her healer. "What?"

"Soi Fon!" A pair of small arms wrapped themselves around her neck.

"Yuzu?" Soi Fon blinked. "What's going on? Where am I?" She struggled to sit up as Yuzu loosened her hug. Her body immediately screamed. She might have screamed, she couldn't tell. The pain consumed her, dragging her back down.

"Careful!" Unohana gently removed Yuzu's arms and helped Soi Fon into a sitting position while her patient screamed in protest. "You shouldn't move too much, Soi Fon. You're in no condition for that."

Soi Fon didn't even have the energy to glare at her. Instead, her eyes wandered the room, catching sight of her adoptive father and Karin. Isshin must have corrected the professor for her. "What?..." her voice trailed away.

She closed her eyes. Happened?

She remembered slipping into nothing, but why? Her whole body ached.

"You're quite lucky to have woken up so soon, Soi Fon." Unohana seemed to be flipping through a packet on her clipboard. "When Mr. Kurosaki and Mr. Abarai wheeled you in here, you were in quite the state. Oh, excuse me." She held up two fingers. "Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?"

Soi Fon frowned, squinting. "Two?"

Unohana nodded and wrote something down. "And now?"

"Four?"

"Okay… and can you tell me what color this is?"

"Orange."

"Good. I'll check a few more things later, but for now you seem to have regained basic function."

Soi Fon nodded mutely.

"In the meantime, I'll leave you with your family." Unohana bowed her head and stood up. "Please try to relax for a moment."

Soi Fon watched her go, before swiveling her head towards Yuzu and the others. Isshin was standing by the door and Karin was next to Yuzu. They all seemed to be waiting for her. "What?..." she began again. "What happened?"

"Ichigo said you collapsed during training!" Yuzu yelled. "You were acting really strangely before that too! You spent all Saturday running around the yard!"

"And Renji said you looked pretty beat up," Karin added, voice wavering only slightly.

Soi Fon looked at Isshin who shook his head.

"Hey, Yuzu, Karin, let's give her a little space, okay?" Isshin put a hand on both of the twin's shoulders. "Give your big sister a hug and I'll talk to her about pushing herself."

Both of the sisters glanced at their dad before walking up to Soi Fon. "Alright…" Yuzu wrapped her arms around Soi Fon again.

Soi Fon winced as she tried to raise her arm to pat her sister on the back.

It didn't work.

Karin at least was a lot gentler.

Then it was just her and Isshin in the room. The older man closed the door behind Karin with a soft click.

"What happened?" Soi Fon gazed at her guardian.

He sighed. "Ichigo and Renji brought you into Unohana after your match with Yoruichi."

"Yoruichi?"

"The Shihouin."

Soi Fon felt the skin on her back and neck shiver. A Shihouin? "Why was I?-" The image of golden eyes and purple hair swept across her eyes.

"The boys told me you were fighting over your familiar."

"My familiar?" Soi Fon grimaced. Her whole brain felt like it was being pierced by lightning. "When did I- Where's Suzumebachi?" The shout came out as a whisper.

"She's next to you." Isshin nodded his head at the infirmary bed's nightstand. A miniature bed had been set up on top of it, with a tiny brown-haired girl curled up under its covers.

"So then…" Soi Fon squeezed her eyes shut. She wished she could have raised her arms. Her temples were pounding. "I won?" She didn't remember being able to grab those bells, no matter how much the Shihouin had been dangling them in front of her. But she had grabbed a hold of something. What was it? Soi Fon had the vague memory of something burning the inside of her palms off, like raw energy screaming to escape through her.

"You still have her, if that's what you mean." Isshin sighed. "Soi Fon, I know you don't like the Shihouins, but you didn't have to go this far. I didn't think you were going to destroy your body having your match."

"How bad is it?"

"Bad. You've been out for three days."

Soi Fon grimaced. She'd have to wait for Unohana to chastise her again for the full report then. "Has she woken up as well?" Soi Fon glanced at her familiar.

"No, you're the first." Isshin sighed. "Look, I can't tell you to not do something you've already done, but…"

"I know. It was stupid. I just-" Soi Fon shook her head. "It was stupid," she finished.

"You're damn right it was stupid!" Isshin roared. "But that's not the point! You're supposed to take care of yourself! Do you know how much you worried us?"

"... I'm sorry." It wasn't often that Soi Fon felt like a child again, especially from Isshin.

"Well nevermind. I'm glad that you're back with us. I'm sure Ichigo and Renji will stop by after classes today too, so be ready." Her adoptive father stood up and made for the door.

Soi Fon nodded. "Isshin…"

Isshin stopped and turned around.

"Thank you."

Isshin sighed. "What have I told you? You don't need to say it every time."


Yoruichi growled.

"That's enough, Yoruichi. You've had quite enough fun embarrassing us. Now, it's time for you to step back and fulfill your duties. I think I've been more than fair in accommodating your antics." Chika Shihouin didn't enjoy reprimanding his daughter. In fact, he quite agreed with her attitude most of the time. Life was worth living and that took power, but there were also things worth enduring, and decorum was one of them. It was a sign of their worthiness to bear the heavenly armaments. His forebears had grown up in the wastes, without the comforts of nobility, but they had still borne themselves with the solemnity and manners of the blessed. To not only instigate such a trivial duel but lose it as well meant she was little better than the dirt they had risen above. In losing to a lowborn mage, she had failed to honor herself and fulfill her duties. And despite the fact that he didn't want to admit it, it hurt him more to know that she had let herself down than that she had let their legacy down.

Perhaps he had been too relaxed in his own duties. He had tried to lead by example, to show how to carry herself with fine-tuned perfection in every moment. But perhaps, he had spoiled her in doing so, and now it was time for both of them to receive their just desserts.

Yoruichi quieted.

She was his pride and joy, as strong and fast as a bolt of lightning, and as captivating too. He couldn't have asked for a better heir, which was why it was so hard to discipline her, but that was his duty as a father. "The Kuchikis hosted the Hanami Festival in accordance with the disruptions their heir caused. We will be following precedent. You are to organize the Winter Ball. I want you to plan the guest speakers, the venue, the lights, the food and drink, the invitations, the auction, the advertisements-"

"Dad, you don't honestly think I can run-"

Chika Shihouin glared at his daughter. "Of course, I don't. I said plan. You are not to run a single event. You will not appear in any spotlights during the ball. As a Shihouin, you must carry yourself with the utmost respect and never disgrace our name. But since you cannot manage that, perhaps you should acquaint yourself with the labor of our servants. Maybe then you will learn that your station is above such petty squabbles and that our duties require a higher level of responsibility.

"If you're going to cause trouble, at least make sure you are on the winning side. Do not take the stage if you cannot perform your role. Do I make myself clear?"

"But-"

"Do I make myself clear!" Chika Shihouin bristled. This wasn't just a matter of pride. This was for her safety. Without that kind of ego, the divine armaments would consume her.

Yoruichi shrunk. Her affinity may have been lighting, but her father's was far harsher, the unrelenting blaze of the desert. "…Yes, Father."

"Good." His gaze softened. "Then I have one last request of you as your father, and not as the clan head." He sighed. "You are to personally deliver these letters to the Kurosaki family and ensure their arrival at the ball." He withdrew a set of purple envelopes already addressed to the house. "We've caused quite enough trouble for them. I would like to extend a private apology, if only in letters. They may be a disgraced branch family, but it's only proper we deal with them as true nobles."

Yoruichi bent her head. "I understand."

Chika Shihouin studied his daughter's face. Perhaps she wouldn't deliver them herself. He had after all already addressed them as a test. But it was important for her to remain on those two boys' good sides. He could already tell both of them would make it far after Shin'o and he wasn't about to let those rogue elements destroy his clan.

As for the Fēng girl… Chika felt Yoruichi swipe the envelopes from his hand and stalk out of his study. That was a matter for his daughter to sort through herself. He hadn't realized someone from that clan had survived, but it was of little consequence. Retainer families came and went, and they had faithfully performed their duties testing the boundaries of contracting. He would not insist on the girl's return to service. Perhaps it was a strange twist that she had ended up crossing paths with his daughter anyway. Fate had a sense of humor.


"Now, Ms. Fēng. I'd like to go over some of the more egregious consequences of your little bout so that you understand the severity of your actions."

Soi Fon grimaced. Unohana could make the driest words chilling.

"I'll start with the largest and most basic injuries, so that you can understand what I'm saying." Unohana removed her pen from the clipboard and started checking off each item. "Major fracture in the right femur, near separation between the socket joint connecting it to the hip. Pelvis sustained hairline fractures across the entire region, with the right iliac crest nearly shattered." Unohana glanced up at Soi Fon. "Shall I continue?"

She didn't wait for a response.

"Your upper body was also severely damaged. Right shoulder dislocation, several torn ligaments, shredded muscles, and heavy bruising. Second to third degree burns across your right arm and abdomen. In addition, your entire body sustained multiple sites of blunt force trauma. Most capillaries and a large number of veins were ruptured, leading to mass swelling. And," she looked at Soi Fon again. "The bones in your right hand were almost completely disintegrated.

"Did you know that we use shockwaves to break down kidney stones so that they can pass? If your familiar hadn't been absorbing the impact of your rogue spell, I imagine your right hand would have shared a similar fate. As it was, I still had to regrow your hand from scratch." Unohana glared at Soi Fon.

Then she sighed. "You should know better than any other student at this school not to mess with magic above your level, Shāolín, and as the head of the medical ward and Kaido professor here, I have been negligent in my duties by healing you to the degree I have. If this were a different school, a different era, or you a different person, I would have left more than a few reminders to teach you the importance of caring for your life."

Soi Fon just bent her head, unable to meet Unohana's gaze.

"Do I make myself clear?"

Soi Fon nodded.

"Shāolín Fēng, do I make myself clear? I know I repaired both of your tympanic membranes as well, answer me."

"Yes, Professor Unohana."

"Good, then I will leave you to reflect on your actions." Unohana stood up. "Oh, and I doubt I need to say this, but you had best apologize to your familiar for all of this as well. They are not tools for your vengeance plots."

Soi Fon bit back her retort. Fighting Yoruichi had nothing to do with that part of her life."Yes, professor."


Yoruichi had Kisuke in a headlock before he even realized. Or maybe he had. The Shihouin princess didn't really care.

"Hey, Yoruichi! What's up?" Kisuke laughed.

Yoruichi growled.

"What? The silent treatment? Come on, Yoruichi, that's not like you!" Kisuke waved. He wasn't even trying to free himself. Smart move, Yoruichi thought. If he had, she might have been even more inclined to snap his neck. It wasn't like his familiar couldn't repair him.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do, Kisuke."

"Oh, don't be like that, Yoruichi! I was just trying to help you out!" Yoruichi felt him smirk through the lock.

"Talk. Now."

"About what?" Kisuke shrugged. "Tessai and I started developing a new binding spell. He seems really excited about it."

"About the girl."

"Huh? What girl? Someone else caught your eye? Now, now, you can't just go chasing after every hot- hrk!"

"Kisuke, you're about as dumb as I am patient."

He started gagging and tapping his leg. "Uncle! Uncle! I get it!"

Yoruichi released him. "Well?"

Kisuke dragged in a few gulps of air. "Whew, Yoruichi. Strong as ever, I see!"

"Kisuke…"

"Heheh, alright, alright." Kisuke waved the threat away. "So you want to know about the kid who's still with Suzumebachi, I get it." He grinned. "Though I have to say, I'm surprised you still care. I would have expected you to have blocked her out of your mind by now."

Yoruichi glared. "A bit hard to when it seems like you're so intent on getting our bout into the school's gossip ring."

Kisuke held up his hands in mock self-defense. "Don't look at me! I have nothing to do with it." He laid a hand on his heart.

"How long have we known each other?" Yoruichi folded her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm hurt, Yoruichi," Kisuke laughed. "So what did you want to know? What caught your eye?"

"I should be the one asking that." She raised an eyebrow. "How in the world did you find out she had Suzumebachi?"

"Through Ichigo. I imagine you would have done the same too. They're siblings, remember?" He tapped the tip of his cane to his temple. "Adopted, of course. I just happened to meet her while she was talking with Ichigo. I noticed a homonka on her hand and here we are." He spread his arms out wide.

"And?"

"And what, my dear Yoruichi?"

One day, she would punch that smirk off his face. Yoruichi was seriously starting to reconsider her choice in friends. "Why'd you tell me?"

"Can't I help a friend?"

"For free?"

"Well…" Kisuke grinned and hid his face. "I was interested in seeing what would happen between you two. I haven't heard much about a familiar leaving an active contract."

Yoruichi squinted. "What else aren't you telling me? I know you know more about her."

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"You never talk about things you don't have a stake in, Kisuke."

"Hm? Well maybe I do, maybe I don't. In any case, why don't you ask her yourself if you're so interested in who she is."

Yoruichi snorted. "Yeah right."

"Why not? Too proud?" Kisuke wagged his finger.

One day… "I doubt she has anything to say to me after last Sunday, even if I was inclined to stoop to her level again." Her father's words rang out in her mind. She needed to be better.

"Oh," Kisuke tutted. "That's not the Yoruichi Shihouin I know. Since when did the Goddess of Flash care about what other people think? Letting daddy run your life again?" He glanced at his best friend. "That's a real dangerous look you've got on your face, Yoruichi. You better work on your poker face if you're still planning on inheriting the Shihouin reins."

"Fine," Yoruichi snorted. "Keep your secrets. I've got a semester and then I'm out of here. If she's really all that, she'll come up again." Yoruichi turned on her heel and stalked away.

Kisuke called out to her. "You have to admit though, Yoruichi. You're intrigued by her, aren't you?"

One day, she'd definitely find a way to make him stop smiling.


Soi Fon winced as her brothers lifted her out of the ward bed and onto their shoulders. Unohana's treatment had worked wonders, but even miracles had limits. Or maybe the professor was holding true to her word and purposefully left a few wounds for her to reflect upon.

"Sorry!" Renji readjusted his hold on Soi Fon. "You okay?"

"Doing fine…" Soi Fon groaned and took her first step forward. Her bones screamed in protest, sweat breaking out across her forehead as pain lanced white hot through her flesh. Somehow, it was worse than when she had been fighting Yoruichi. "Adrenaline must be a hell of a drug," she mumbled.

"Need a break?" Ichigo asked.

Soi Fon shook her head. "Doctor's orders. You know the drill." Unohana had told her she needed to move if she didn't want to be an invalid for the rest of her life. Something about the bones fusing or the muscles not healing right if she stayed still. Isane had told her that the professor was just being overly cautious and that her body was actually fully repaired, but just the thought of what Unohana could do to her if she didn't follow her instructions terrified Soi Fon. The professor had even set up appointments for physical therapy later in the month, probably just to keep an eye on the young woman. In any case, it certainly didn't feel like her body was fully repaired.

"Okay…" Ichigo bent down further to keep Soi Fon from having to stretch up onto his shoulder.

"Thanks guys. I really appreciate it."

"Uh-huh," Renji grunted. "Don't worry about it."

"So, do you know how long you're going to be out of class?" Ichigo tried distracting her.

Soi Fon shook her head. "Who knows. Suzumebachi still hasn't woken up…" she trailed off. The sprite had been going on about dying during the match. Soi Fon bit her lip. She had certainly thought it was the end herself when the Shihouin was choking her, but… how much damage had her familiar taken? Soi Fon couldn't even remember how things had ended, but had Suzumebachi really absorbed a rogue spell she had cast out of desperation? "I might not even go back. Without her, I can't declare my specialization, so I'll get booted out at the end of the semester anyway."

It seemed laughable how everything had turned out. First, she was a third year without a contract, then she had to fight a noble to keep Suzumebachi, and now after all that, she was nearly crippled and her familiar was stuck in a coma. It really seemed like the universe was trying to lock her out of Shin'o. Maybe it was a family curse…

She shook her head. Curse or not, it was her fault that she had pushed the two of them so far, and she was the reason Suzumebachi was injured. Soi Fon's stomach clenched. After she had finally found a partner to bond with, she had exploited and abused them to the breaking point. Maybe she was just as bad as the Shihouins. She hadn't treated Suzumebachi like a real person, just a servant, and she had used her to fulfill her own selfish impulses. "I guess I deserve that anyway. It's been a long time coming."

"About that…" Renji glanced at Ichigo. "You've received a couple of letters…"

Soi Fon would have shrugged if her body had let her. "Hate mail? I assume word's gotten out about the fight. Has that Shihouin's fan club gotten a hold of our address?"

"No, they're actually from admin…"

Soi Fon groaned. Admin. That could only mean… "Guess she wasn't kidding when she said she'd drive me out of the school. Geez, couldn't even wait for me to get out of the infirmary."

"One of them's red." Ichigo piped up.

Soi Fon blinked. "What?"

"One of the envelopes is red," Ichigo repeated. "You know what that means."

"What?" Soi Fon didn't believe her brother. "They gave me a red letter?" She closed her eyes. "Oh god…" she moaned. "That means…"

Well, maybe she should have seen it coming. Fighting a noble was bound to cause trouble.

"Is it really?"

"Same as mine," Ichigo nodded.

And the same as his too, Soi Fon groaned internally. That meant she'd be joining Zaraki's class.


A/N: This was mainly an interlude chapter and a small pivot towards Yoruichi as the secondary PoV. I had a lot of fun writing Kuukaku and Urahara. They're a bunch of trolls, but since Yoruichi here is such a stuck up noble (for now), I liked the contrast. Also, according to a 2004 interview with Kubo, Yoruichi is a total lightweight, which makes sense since she's canonically 156 cm and 42 kg. (Excuse me? How small is Soi Fon?)

Now my main problem is getting Yoruichi to not be a toxic person. There's a lot to unpack, but smaller details like her low alcohol tolerance put a chink in that stuck up persona she's developed, though I really screwed myself by being a total YoruSoi writer and making them this abrasive at the start, didn't I? Still, I like the idea of Yoruichi trying to unlearn and reform herself. It's something that could have been at least hinted to in the manga if she had ever apologized to Soi Fon!

If you're wondering about Chika's name, it actually comes from the first Shihouin head! I didn't feel like making an original name, so I just stole his (ignore the other 21 heads that are supposed to be between him and Yoruichi).

As for Soi Fon, ouch, but hey! She's still enrolled, and we're finally going to be taking the plunge with Zaraki too. Wonder who teaches that class… And what about poor Suzumebachi? Don't worry, we'll see her again. For now, she's just taking a much deserved rest.

And if you've enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review. I really enjoy reading them and they remind me to get off my ass and keep writing (definitely feeling the midstory slog right now)! Anyway, see you guys in the next chapter!