It's been an insane week. I haven't been able to write due to all of the insanity. That's life for you. Thankfully, I had a rough draft set up that just needed some improvements. This chapter might seem a bit disjointed, at least that's what it feels like to me, but I felt I needed a time skip before the next events happen.

My absolute favorite episode of Dragonball Super is the Baseball episode. When I need an uplifting moment, I just watch that episode. It just cracks me up everytime I watch it! I HAD to have a moment with the baseball crew! :D By the way, if you haven't guessed it yet…YEP the universe tournament is going to be a big moment for our Kurosaki girl (Grins)

Disclaimer: The Dragonball Franchise and Bleach, their characters, settings, etc., belong to their respective creators. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to ME.

Chapter 16: Frozen Baseballs

For two months, thus was the life of Kira Son. Monday through Friday she was at art school (by then she figured out nearly EVERY student/teacher at that school was a shinigami) while the weekends were spent with Rukia's brutal training regiment. Kira was given no time to complain or react; Rukia explained it was important Kira's schedule was like so.

"Thinking of her situation will cause grief, Kira has grieved long enough." Rukia told Gohan. "With the strict schedule, Kira will realize her life is not as bad as it appears to be."

Logic and training were nearly identical when it came to Piccolo and Rukia. Piccolo promised Gohan he would supervise Kira's harsh training, claiming some of the objectives were too harsh even for him. Goku was there as well, sometimes slipping in and watching, sometimes even begging Rukia to train him. He would always get a glare. Rukai certainly was a harsh task mistress.

Despite Gohan's unease, Kira had greatly improved in such little time. She was faster, stronger, and more focused without the use of pen and paper. She had her unruly teenage moments, of which Rukia snubbed immediately. Gohan rarely saw Kira and when he did, she was exhausted. At times he wanted to speak to Rukia but knew the woman wouldn't hear of it. Kira was still just a child though. Did Rukia have to be so strict?

It was on a particular Saturday when a friendly game of baseball between Universe 6 and 7 was well underway. Gohan suggested to Rukia that since Kira made so much progress in so little time, perhaps she deserved a little break. Rukia just shook her head.

"I see you clearly care for my granddaughter." She smiled then gave a slight bow to him. Gohan quickly observed Rukia had strict manners, when she needed them. "I thank you for that. However, Kira must continue." She gave a slight smirk and the conversation ended. Thus, Gohan, Videl, and Pan went to the baseball game without Kira. Everyone was just having a great day. It was Krillin that first noticed a familiar sixteen year old girl bursting through nearby bushes and Gohan smacked his head, remembering who helped find this area for the baseball game.

"Dad…" He eyed his father who was grinning. "You didn't?"

"Hey! Isn't that Kira-chan?" Bulma shouted and sure enough it was. Dressed in black shorts and a black sports bra, the young teen was carrying a katana. Gohan remembered she had received that weapon two weeks ago.

"Incoming!" She shouted before hitting the dirt.

It was quick, the attack heading towards Kira and it looked like it was made…of ice? She deflected every single sharp icicle as they reamed right for her head. The icicles ricocheted into various areas of the baseball field, many being deflected by the fighters themselves.

"Hey!" Yamuch glared. "We're playing a game here!" He huffed. Kira glared at him.

"It ain't my fault you all decided to come to the ONE PLACE Goku AND Gohan knew I'd be today!" Kira screamed angrily at him all the while playing her own version of baseball with her sword and the ice pleating at her.

"Ah! I forgot!" Goku snapped his fingers. "Kira-chan was train' in around here."

Gohan just shook his head. He had forgotten Kira's trainer had told him they would be in the park today. He eyed his father.

"Do you really expect us to believe you, dad?" Gohan sighed then smiled, Goku just chuckled.

On the other side, Champa was gapping. "What's going on here!? We're playing a game here!"

Out he came; what looked to be a middle school child with white hair and stern green eyes. He looked normal with his jeans and white shirt, but his face said it all. Gohan recognized him as the white and black cloaked shinigami from Kira's birthday party. Apparently this guy had become Kira's 'shadow', but now he seemed to be her current trainer.

Beerus gapped. "Another one!?" He pointed, staring at Whis.

"Well, I can assume so seeing as that Kira-Chan IS the child of a shinigami." Whis shrugged. His words did not get past Champa's ears.

"Sh—Shinigami!?" Champa's jaw hit the ground.

"Ne! Time out on the game!" Goku grinned and promptly sat on the ground, his eyes on the battle before him, giddy as a school kid.

Bulma smacked her head. Goku did this on purpose…He was obsessed with training!

"Could you at least try to NOT freaking kill me!?" She shouted angrily at her attacker, completely ignoring the crowd. Her words granted her a green eyed glare and katanas clashed.

"Wow! That white haired guy is strong!" Goku grinned. "And fast!"

Fast indeed, it was hard for even Vegeta to keep up with the white haired shinigami. Not even a blink and the kid would be somewhere else. His movements were fluid, like snow, and definitely deadly. The white haired one seemed to really want to kill Kira Son.

"Go Kira-chan! Kick his tail ne!"

The women sitting on the sidelines jumped at the voice behind them. A busty strawberry blonde woman was grinning as she cheered Kira on.

"Urusai Matsumoto." The white haired kid barked out in between attacks.

"Hai, hai, Taicho!" Matsumoto chuckled. "Men, what can ya do, ne?"

The battle was fierce, swords and attacks coming at all angles. The spectators were safe by the angels currently holding up protection sheilds.

"This is definitely a rare treat." Vados, Champa's angel, was quite impressed with these developments. "How long have the shinigami revealed themselves?"

"Hmmm…Perhaps three earth months?" Whis shrugged. "Though who is to say for certain?"

"Why don't the shinigami from MY universe show themselves!?" Champa whined.

"Maybe it's because you're a tub of lard!" Beerus barked out, loving this scenario to the fullest. Any day he could one up his brother was a good day!

"Ne! Taicho!" Matsumoto called. "How about a break? Kira-Chan looks like death warmed over!"

Sighing, Taicho (the white haired shinigami), paused his sword. "Fine." Said sword vanished from his hand.

Kira immediately collapsed on the dirt. Sprawled out near home plate, she whined, "Thank you god!" Before taking deep breaths.

"Kira-Chan!" Chi-chi immediately ran over to the girl, worried. Gohan had remembered to tell her of Kira's training, though also adding it did not clash with Kira's school work.

Taicho huffed and turned away from Kira's sprawled form. Folding his arms, he gave a light glare.

"No, I will not clash with you, Kakkorot." He grunted before Goku could even speak a word. "We do not attack the living."

"Awe!" Goku pouted. "Say, my name's Goku!"

"Your death record says otherwise." The kid stated then turned to Matsumoto. "Inform Kuchiki-San. Kurosaki Kira gets the day off."

"Hai, hai Taicho!" Matsumoto grinned then pulled out a black cell phone.

"What the hell did you do to her!?" Chi-chi shouted at Taicho, daggers in her stare.

The kid just brushed her off.

"I'm fine, leave me alone." Kira groaned.

"You need to go to bed young lady!" Chi-chi fretted.

Kira glared at her. Frustration and exhaustion getting the better of her, Kira barked out, "You aren't my mother so back off!"

Her comment made Taicho pause. Matsumoto had Chi-chi in her arms, moving the woman away seconds before ice threw Kira into the fence behind home plate, imprisoning her there up on highest point of the fence.

Taicho was in Kira's face, floating in mid air to greet her imprisoned form. "You will take such things out of your mind immediately." He frowned. "These people have taken you in, given you a home and family. Do NOT disrespect them, is that understood?"

In an act of defiance, Kira just turned her head from him but the guy wasn't having it. He gripped her head, forced brown to stare into green.

"IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?" It came out as an order, one a captain was demanding of a subordinate.

"Understood, Taicho." She huffed and he let her head go. His feet touched the dirt below, leaving her there. "Hey! Let me down!"

"You need to cool off." He said, walking away. "Spend your day off up there, reflecting on your words." He passed Matsumoto. "She stays there until sundown." Then he was gone.

"You can't be serious!" Kira gapped and Matsumoto just shrugged up at her.

"That's what you get when you piss off the Captain of Squad 10!" Matsumoto shook her head. "I've got to say, you Kurosakis sure do have tempers that rival the gods!" She grinned. "Speaking of gods!" She waved at Beerus and Champa "Yoo hoo! Sorry about the disruption! We're all good now! You can continue your little game!"

Champa gapped. "It's…It's waving at me!?"

"What do you mean!? She's waving at me!" Beerus barked out.

The two nearly had a brawl until the two angels broke them apart. It was determined that the game would be postponed at a later time. It was surprising to all that the two destruction gods were arguing about a shinigami.

"Well, it is to be expected." Whis sighed. "Kamis cannot see shinigami; Thus, seeing one in real life well…" He shrugged. "I suppose it would be like seeing a famous celebrity or something, though I can only surmise."

Bidding Universe 6 farewell, Goku promised he would stay with Kira until she could get down, allowing Gohan to take his family home. The girl arrived at the doorstep fifteen minutes after the sun had gone down. She got food and went straight to her room to rest, practically ignoring Gohan until she decided to come out.

"Thank you, for letting me stay with you." She said to them.

Videl just smiled. "Of course."

Gohan just nodded. "Are you okay?"

Kira sighed. "I think so." She frowned at the floor. "Not much of a teenage life is it?"

"I guess not." Gohan gave silent communication to Videl. Nodding, the woman went to take Pan to bed, allowing brother and sister time alone.

"I hate this." Kira finally blurted out. "I feel like, I have no control over my life anymore. I can barely think without Rukia or someone demanding something of me."

Gohan paused. "Well, sometimes, it helps to stay busy." He stared at her. "You had a pretty traumatic birthday. Did you think, that maybe things are this way because-"

"I need to accept who I am and fast." Kira groaned. "Yeah, I've thought about that and been told that MANY times." She collapsed onto the couch. "But, sometimes I just can't help but think…" She wiped a tear from her eye. "I never really cried at my grandfather's funeral. But now…"

Gohan joined her on the couch. "It's okay to be a little sad, Kira-Chan."

She shook her head. "No, I mean…" She took a deep breath. "I thought I knew pain..I mean, I was ostracized for nearly two years…But, My grandfather…" Her form shook. "Everything just makes so much more sense now…Why he was so distant…Why he was so sad…"

The reality hit Gohan hard. Kira now understood her grandfather. He was cold because he needed to be, because he wanted to protect the last of his family. These thoughts must have been going through her mind whilst she dangled on the fence in ice.

Placing a hand around her shoulders, Gohan said nothing as Kira silently cried for her grandfather. Maybe now, she, and her grandfather, could finally heal.

Next Time: Time Traveler