Bleach 1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic so please be patient and gentle with me while I work out the kinks.

Chapter 1

It had been so long since anyone had looked her in the eye. Many people even outright ignored her or avoided her. She walked down the street, her long braid of jet black hair swinging against her back, the sun glistening off her pale delicate skin and the flecks in her deep sea green eyes. She clutched a small shopping basket with some fruit and bread in it. On her back was a pack with a long thin object attached to it.

Kana was headed towards the Soul Reaper Academy for her final exam. She had been given several days off to prepare for this exam. If she passed this test, she would be eligible to be placed in one of the 13 Court Guard Squads. Kana's heart leaped at the spark of hope that she was not able to prevent from flaring in her chest. If she got into a squad, then she might finally be able to sleep at night again, and over time she might even find a place to call home.

For so long Kana had been on her own. Ever since she could remember, Kana had been caught in a constant fight just to survive. Born in the 79th district in the North Rukongai, life had always been hard and there was no help from those around her. Because Kana possessed spirit energy, she had to eat on a regular basis to survive. So in order to earn a living, Kana had claimed a little valley in the outermost area of the district for her herb garden. She grew rare and exotic spices that she sold in the markets of nearby districts since her own was not filled with many who bothered with spices and herbs. She carved out a small bit of peace and for a couple of years she was almost happy. But then the hollow attacks started. Drawn by the spiritual pressure that Kana naturally exuded, hollows began to attack her little valley. It was during the second hollow attack that her zampakto Shin Reika had manifested and Kana had begun to learn a little about how to use her spiritual pressure to fight. But it was not enough. Slowly the battles ate away at her little valley till nothing but charred ruins remained. Left with nothing but some money, the few personal possessions she had collected over the years, and her zampakto, she decided it was time to apply to enter the Soul Reaper Academy.

Kana was now walking through the woods in the nethermost part of district 79. The sun was shining overhead and the birds and animals called out to each other in their own way. It was spring so the flowers were in full bloom around her. Kana smiled, despite the hollow attacks only in the woods did she ever feel at ease. There was something about the people in the north Rukongai district that both felt familiar and alien. Like the fighting spirits of the people called out to her but the bodies that contained them repulsed her. She did not like the feeling so she avoided contact when she could. But she was going to have to go through the main part of town if she wanted to make it to her exam on time. She had decided to spend her days given to prepare for the test visiting her old home in the valley and had over slept this morning so she was in a rush now.

She was just entering the out skirts of town when Kana felt the unmistakable presence of a hollow, and a large one at that. She quickly dropped her basket and pack, shoving them under a bush, and drew her sword. '_Crap_' Kana thought, '_did this have to happen just a four hours before I am due to report for my final exam?_' She had just barley finished the thought when a scream ripped through the air to her right.

Kana spun in the direction the sound had originated from and took off running. She pushed her way through a large patch of bushes into a clearing and stopped dead. The hollow was huge! It had to be at least twelve feet tall. It was vaguely humanoid with arms and legs but that is where the comparison ended. Instead of hand and fingers it had huge claws that Kana was sure were razor sharp. It had tentacles sprouting from its back and was coved in thick green skin. It skin emitted a foul odor and it was all Kana could do to not shrink back and run away.

As if sensing her presence, the hollow turned its huge masked head towards Kana. That was when Kana saw the little boy hanging limply from its right claw. The color red coated the world all of the sudden and Kana felt her spiritual pressure spike in preparation for the battle to come. Her blade called out for the blood of this beast that had dared to take the life of an innocent. She lifted her sword and lost track of time as she took pleasure carving the monster up, piece by piece, till it was dead.

In the after math of the battle the man studied the girl with the dark black hair and bloody zampakto. He noticed the faint smile on the girls lift and felt his own echo it. This girl was a spectacular fighter. He had rushed to the scene expecting a bloody massacre but instead found a girl battling on more than equal terms with a hollow that would have overcome many low ranking soul reapers. But it was not just her skill that caught his eye, but the gleam in her eyes that spoke of the joy that she was taking in the battle. He was familiar with that joy, he sought it at every opportunity, flinging himself into battle after battle, relishing the test of steel on steel. It had been a while since he had found a good sparring partner and this girl in the clearing with the bloody sword seemed to fit the bill, despite her youth. He studied her face. Something about it seemed familiar but he could not quite place it. It was then that he noticed her academy uniform and heard her muttering about how she would never get into a squad if she could not even get to her final exam in time. '_So this girl is about to graduate from the academy but still needs to pass her exam, which she is late for?_' the man thought, '_well I just might be able to help her with that. And when she graduates I can get her assigned to my squad. We will see then just how sharp her blade is_'. Kempachi Zaraki, captain of the infamous battle hungry Squad 11, smiled at the thought….

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. It is going to be a bit of a slow start but it will be worth it! Please review, review, review!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kana was surprised when she arrived at the exam center and with only a few cursory questions, was admitted late to take the exam. The exam was taxing and it did not help that captains and lieutenants were wandering in and out of the testing center to watch. By the end of her exam, Kana had quite a crowd of onlookers. As she bowed to the exam instructors, Kana notices the murmurs going through the crowd and flushed with embarrassment. When they released her she practically dashed out of the room.

Kana wandered around in a daze for the rest of the day. She worried about every little detail of the test, reviewing it in her mind, trying to come up with a better way she could have handled things. But she could not think of anything she had done so bad as to earn the comments of the watching soul reapers. That night she could barely sleep. What if she failed the exam? What would she do? Could she go back to her valley? What would become of her? And what was with all the murmuring in the crowd? These questions and more plagued her all night till the ring of her alarm nearly sent her through the roof.

When she was dressed and ready, Kana decided to check her notice slot but there was nothing there. Her anxiety doubled as she checked in periodically throughout the day and it remained empty. Had it ever taken this long before? She tried to think about what the people she talked to had said. Everyone she asked said that they had gotten their exam result the next morning but it was nearly dinner time and there was still nothing in her notice slot.

Kana was headed towards the market to kill some more time when the messenger appeared next to her. He told her to report to a room in a building within the Squad 1 grounds at once then disappeared in a flash step. Kana had mastered flash step months ago and decided to use it now and within moments was standing in front of the designated room. She took a deep breath and pushed open the doors.

The first thing that she noticed was the overwhelming spiritual pressure that pressed down on her after her first step into the room. Fortunately her own spiritual pressure was enough to counter it so that she could still stand straight up and walk but she could tell that it would cause many to fall on their knees immediately. The room was rectangular in shape. One wall was full of huge windows that allowed the light from outside to spill across the bamboo floors while the opposite wall was covered in banners with the emblems of all 13 squads on it. Against the wall opposite to the door was a raised dais with a railing and a row of chairs. Seated in those chairs was none other than the captains from squad 4, 8, 11, and 13. The head captain himself was seated in an almost throne like chair in the middle of them. Kana felt her heat beat faster as she crossed the floor to a circular are in the middle of the room that was slightly higher than the rest. She stood in the center of it, unsure if this was where she was supposed to stand but figured that if she was supposed to be somewhere else someone would have told her so by now. So she stood there, arms by her side, slightly bowed, and waited for someone to speak.

"You have been called here before the council to determine which squad you will be assigned" The head captain thundered, "Your skills have proven to be wide enough so that you would fit in many different squads and based on your records, several different captains requested that you be assigned to their squad. Based on your performance here, I will determine which in which squad you would provide the most benefit." The head thumped his cane on the floor and that seemed to be a signal for the evaluation to begin. Out of nowhere a man attacked Kana from behind. She immediately drew her katana and blocked the man's attack then swung her sword around for an attack of her own. The fight lasted barely a minute before the man was on his back and unconscious, his sword laying yards away. Kana sheathed her sword as she turned back towards the seated captains and bowed.

The expression on the head captains face was one of intense concentration as he looked at the girl in front of him. It had been a long time since he had seen such potential. The big question in his mind right now was what kind of potential was it? Pure power was awakening in the girl and it was crucial at this stage that it be guided into the right channels. The head captain's brows furrowed as he thought about how much she resembled a certain captain who was also in the room right now. '_It couldn't be…..but better to be sure….._' he though with grim determination. He made a mental note to talk to the captain of squad 12 about running some tests. He then refocused on the girl. She had fought well, though she was clearly still a beginner in the finer nuances of battle but she had great instincts. It was time for the next test.

The captain of Squad four, Retsu Unohana, watched Kana work her way through the various tests the head captain had devised to assess her skill. Her heart was beating faster and faster the more she watched. Unohana studies the girls face with an intensity that would have surprised anyone who knew her since she was usually so calm and collected. '_Could it be her?_' she thought, '_could it really be my baby girl? The one I lost so many years ago on the aful night….._' A thousand emotions rolled over her as Unohana thought about that dark july night. She wanted so desperately to believe that the child in front of her was indeed her own, but what if Kana was not? Unohana would die if she gave into the hope and then found it crushed again. This had happened several times over the years, Unohana had found a child that resemble her and gotten her hopes up, only to be crumpled under the weight of disappointment when the tests came back negative. She could not go through that again. So she resolved to not think about it again. It was time she got on with her life. So Unohana sat up straighter and leaned forward to watch the girl more closely.

The captain of Squad 13 was also studying the child with unusual intensity but not the same half formed hope as the captain of squad 4. Jushiro Ukitake watched the girls movements carefully, noting the way she seemed to anticipate her opponents movements and counter them with ease. He watched as Kana skillfully solved any puzzle that the head captain threw at her. She would be an asset to his squad, though the resemblance between Kana and Retsu was quite extraordinary, almost as if they were sister, but Retsu did not have sisters so Ukitake knew this to be impossible. But it did unnerve him quite a bit. But he needed a lieutenant and he needed one soon. This girl had the skill and spiritual pressure to fill the position and with a little guidance and experience, she would have the knowledge to fill the position as well.

The captain of squad 11 was leaning forward in his seat, his fingers itching to wield his sword against this new untried opponent. Kana was handling herself beautify and Kempachi could tell that she was not even using her full potential. He would have given his left arm just to have the chance to jump down off this ridiculous dais and spar with the girl but the head captain told Kempachi that if he could not control himself, the head captain himself would escort Kempachi from the room. So Kempachi Zaraki just forced himself to relax a little and watch.

The captain of squad 8 was not having any inner turmoil that the others were battling. It was true that he wanted the girl for his squad, but after seeing her in action and seeing the other captains reaction to her, Shunsui Kyoraku decided that this was not a battle that he wanted to fight. He would keep an eye on the girl though. He was surprised that he had not already been asked to help train the girl since she was a dual wielder and the only other two people in the soul society that wielded dual zampakuto were Jushiro and himself. But he supposed it might be because in its sealed form, Kana's zampakuto was only one sword. Like Jushiro's, Kana's katana only became two separate blades after its shikai release. '_Mmmmm….speaking of Jushiro, I wonder if he has noticed the resemblance between the two of them…_' Shunsui sat up a little straighter, something tugging on the back of his mind but when he tried to figure out what it was, it kept slipping away.

When the last test had been completed, Kana stood in front of the seated captains sweating and still nervous. She had tried her best at everything but was not totally sure what they were looking for. She had hoped to be assigned to a squad after graduating the academy but had never given any thought as to which of the 13 squads she would want to be assigned to. She had never imagined that she might be sought after by multiple captains. Now that she thought about it, she knew that she did not want to be assigned to squad 4. It was true that her healing abilities were above average and she was interested in the subject, but she wanted to fight. She did not know much about squad 8 but she was not too thrilled about what she had heard about their captain. Squad 11 would not be bad since the captain was a fighter and she would certainly grow stronger in that squad. But now that she was thinking about it, she hoped that she would get assigned to squad 13. The captain was a dual wielder like herself so she would be able to continue her training with someone who would really be able to help her. The captain was also of a more serious nature so that was another plus. But the big draw was the empty lieutenant's seat. If Kana got assigned to that squad then she would be one step closer to being able to attain a higher rank than if she got assigned to another squad. But Kana doubted that she would be given any choice in the matter so she just stood there in front of the dais, waiting for someone to decide on her future.

The head captain was concerned. The girl was going to be hard to place. Kana obviously had talent for both healing and fighting but seemed to have a greater desire to fight so squad 4 was out of the question. Squad 8 was not much of an option either, since Shunsui would not be much of a guide to the child. But should he put her in squad 11 or squad 13. Squad 13 would be a good choice since Jushiro would help the girl develop her skills and guide her along the right path to a steady future, not to mention this girl might make a good lieutenant for him. However, Jushiro was often sick and was forced to leave his squad to the guidance of others and that could be dangerous if Kana was given too much free time to get into trouble. Squad 11 would also be a good option since Kana would be given plenty of opportunity to develop her fighting skills and based on the way that Kempachi was eyeing the girl, he doubted that she would be given too much downtime unless she was too injured to fight. But the thought of giving this frail looking girl over to the blood thirsty squad 11 did not fell right. The head captain knew that the child could handle herself, he had just seen proof, but it still rubbed him the wrong way. '_What should I do with you child? You would do good anywhere but where would you flourish the most?_' the head captain thought with a growing sense that no matter where he put Kana, she might still cause problems down the road. But she would be worth all the trouble she would cause, that was just as obvious…..

**Ok, so after this chapter I am going to transition away from Kana and put more of the focus of the story on Unohana and Ukitake. Hopefully you enjoyed reading this and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this took longer to post than the other chapters, I had to decide which direction I wanted this story to take. But I did write more so this chapter should be longer than the rest. Enjoy!

Chapter 3

"I have reached a decision!" The head captain thundered. "Squad member candidate Kana will be assigned to squad 13 effective immediately. This decision is final!"

Kana wanted to jump up and down in excitement at the news but one did not jump around like a little kid on Christmas morning in front of the head captain so she settled for grinning like a lunatic. This was wonderful news! She was going to be under captain Ukitake and have a chance at the lieutenants seat. But Kana knew it would not be easy. She would have to learn the ways of the 13 Court Guard Squads fast and prove herself to her new captain and squad mates as well as the head captain. Kana bowed to the head captain and the rest of the people sitting up on the dais and quickly left the room. There was so much to do to get ready for her new post!

Retsu Unohana was not so happy. She had been hoping to get the girl assigned to her squad. It was rare for one person to have such a strong affinity for fighting as well as healing. But Retsu knew that the head captain would never have assigned the girl to her squad, not after realizing the resemblance between Retsu and Kana. If Kana was her daughter, then Retsu would constantly be distracted by her and distraction was not allowed in the medical squad. And if Kana was not her daughter, then she would only serve as a constant reminder of the one she had lost and would destroy Retsu. The head captain knew all of this and had wisely decided not to place Kana in Squad 4. But it still stung a little to be overlooked because of such a weakness.

Squad 11's captain was furious. He had found the girl, he was the one to help her pass her exam! He should be the one to have her in _his _squad dammit! Kempachi seethed with pent up tension and it had only gotten worse since he knew that he would not get the chance to test out the girl himself. No matter though, he would find a way to get the girl to fight him. Jushiro was a reasonable man and as long as the girl did not protest too much, Kempachi knew that he could ask to use the girl as a sparring partner. But it was tiresome to have to worry about all this. He hated politics and he had little patience with dealing with people unless a sword was involved. He stomped out of the room bursting with impatience.

Jushiro and Shunsui waited till Kempachi had a large enough lead and got up to leave themselves. Jushiro had to get the rest of the assignment paper work finished up and Shunsui needed a drink. As they left the room Shunsui asked "So are you excited about your new recruit?"

Jushiro laughed, "Of course, I was one of the captains requesting Kana after all. Though I have to admit, I am a little surprised that the head captain gave her to me. After all, her healing abilities were top notch and I figured that Retsu would have priority of the rest of us because of that."

"The head captain could not assign Kana to Squad 4, she is too close in age and appearance to the missing girl that Retsu was so upset about a few years back. If Kana was assigned to the squad, she would just serve as a constant reminder of the incident to Retsu" Shunsui explained reasonably.

"Oh I had not thought about that"

They both walked in silence after that. But before long, Shunsui spoke up again, "So did you notice how much Kana looks like Retsu? Its kind of eerie, they have the same long black hair and pale skin."

"Yeah, but Kana's eyes are totally different from Retsu's though, and her eagerness for battle is certainly not similar to Retsu's." Jushiro and Shunsui both smiled at the thought of peace loving Retsu and the girl who smiled at the sight of another opponent to battle.

"You have a point there Jushiro."

At the entrance to the squad 8 barracks they said there good byes as Shunsui headed inside in search of a bottle of sake and Jushiro headed towards his own barracks to finish up paperwork. As Jushiro walked, he sorted through his emotions. There was excitement and elation at the announcement that Kana would be assigned to his squad. There was a bit of sadness for Retsu since she had lost out on a chance to add a talented healer to her squad just because the girl happened to look a little like her. And there was a faint sense of recognition that kept tugging on the back of his mind but kept slipping away when he tried to nail it down. Jushiro sighed as he entered his squads barracks, already thinking about the long night ahead. He had to finish up the paper work then make sure that Kana's sleeping quarters in the barracks were in a suitable state for her to move in tomorrow. The thought of Kana in his squad made Jushiro smile, he would have fun with that girl.

Retsu lay awake in her bed staring at the ceiling. There were so many emotions boiling inside her that it made it hard to think. She had been through so much in the past few years. It was not fair that she was expected to deal with it all and keep on going like nothing happened. She sighed and closed her eyes as memories sucked her into her own personal nightmare.

_When Retsu found out that she was pregnant, she just stood there in shock for a little bit. "How is this possible?" she asked her reflection, "it was just one night…." But improbable as it was, it was really happening and she had to decide what to do. She paced around her room, all but avoiding the table where the little piece of plastic lay that had told her of her condition. Since she was a captain and she did not dare alert anyone prematurely of her suspicions about her body, Retsu had gone to the world of the living to buy a pregnancy test. The test came back positive._

_She decided to tell the head captain first. That turned out to be a wise decision. After raging at her for a while the head captain calmed down enough to make a decision. It was decided that for the safety of both Retsu and her child, Retsu's pregnancy would remain a secret. Retsu was sent on a leave of absence to the world of the living for a year while she gave birth to her child and recovered. She would be allowed to take one loyal squad member to help her during the pregnancy and the birth. The father was not to be told and when the baby was born, it would be given to a family among the lesser nobility to be raised. The child would eventually be told of her parentage, but only after all the mysterious death threats against the captains of the 13 Court Guard squads was cleared up and the child of a sufficient age to defend herself against anyone who would attempt to do her harm. The thought of having her child ripped from her arms as soon as it was born was more than Retsu could take. Now that most of the shock had worn off, she was looking forward to the birth. But the head captain was right. Retsu had received the most amounts of death threats and any child of hers would be a target for her enemies. It was hard to imagine how she had made those enemies. Yes she was a captain of one of the 13 Court Guard squads, but her squad was the paramedics. They carried zampakto but most of the squad members could barely use them enough to defend themselves from low level hollows. And she had not been out in combat in decades. But the reality was that someone had it out for her and Retsu would do anything to protect the life new growing inside her, even if it meant giving the child up to be raised by someone else. _

Retsu was not sure at what point her memory turned into sleep but the next thing she knew she was being woken up by a knock on the door. '_That will be Isane with breakfast_' Retsu thought. For once, Isane's efforts to care for her captain were a welcome relief. Isane was one of the handful of people who knew about Retsu's pregnancy. The head captain had decided to let Isane in on the secret because he knew that Retsu would need someone close to her to help her through the worst part of the loss. Plus it would be difficult to hide a captain's pregnancy from her lieutenant anyway.

"Good Morning captain" Isane said as she walked into the room. She set down the tray of food on the low coffee table in the middle of the room then bowed to her captain and asked "is there anything else I can take care of for you this morning?"

"No that will be all for now Isane. After doing my rounds this morning though I think I will head up into the mountains to do a little hiking so plan on taking over my duties this afternoon" Retsu replied as she rose from her be and headed to the bathroom. Food held little appeal for Retsu this morning but this was not unusual. Ever since the loss of her daughter, life seemed to have taken on a gray pallor and food and drink stopped tasting like anything special. But Retsu knew, better than most that she needed to eat in order to sustain her life. But she had lost some weight since the incident and it was starting to show. She would have to start eating more if she expected to remain unnoticed by the masses.

After finishing her rounds at the hospital, Retsu headed for the edges of the Rukon district. She headed up into the mountains to the little cabin that she owned near a hidden spring. It was tucked away in a beautiful valley that was covered in flowers in the spring and carpeted by thick plush grass in the summer. The little spring that flowed from the spring bubbled down past the side of the cabin and created a pleasant calming noise that Retsu often used to meditate when she needed to talk to her zampakuto. The cabin itself was modeled after log cabins in the world of the living. It was furnished lightly with only a bed, low table with pillow seats, and a small kitchen that was well stocked with a variety of teas and some basic foods. There was also a large chest in one corner that held a few random objects in it like paper and ink. It was just starting to rain as Retsu reached the cabin so she went inside and started making some tea.

Retsu nearly jumped out of her skin when there was a knock on the door. '_Who could that be? There are only three people who even know about this cabin and of them, only Isane knew I was coming here this afternoon and she should still be working in the hospital right now'._ Retsu quickly grabbed her sword and faced the door. With all the trouble in the recent decade with the death threats and seemingly random incidents that kept popping up in the Seireitei, it did not hurt to be cautious. But then she stiffened and nearly dropped her sword when she heard _his_ voice coming through the door.

"Its just me Retsu, so don't kill me when I walk through that door." Jushiro Ukitake said as he poked his head into the room. As he walked all the way into the cabin and shut the door behind him he explained "it is pouring out there and this was the closest place I could think of. I did not know you would be here until I felt your spiritual pressure a few yards from here. Are you suppressing it or is there something in the walls of this cabin that suppresses it for you?"

"If you expect me to believe that you just happened to be passing by here during a rain storm out here in the mountains with your condition you are going to seriously insult me" Retsu glared at the fellow captain, completely ignoring his last question.

Jushiro had the grace to look sheepish. "Well, I guess that was a pretty lame excuse. The truth is that I wanted to see you and talk to you about the new transfer to my squad and make sure that there are no hard feelings between us."

Retsu had to remind herself that Jushiro did not know about the baby and that any overreaction on her part would seem like insanity to him. So pulling back on her mask of unflappability, Retsu calmed herself enough to respond. "There are no hard feelings. The head captain simply did what he thought was best and he clearly thought that Kana would provide the most help to the soul society in your squad. I can hardly blame you for that. Now that you know this you may leave. I came up here to be alone so I would appreciate it if you left." Retsu walked over to the door and opened it up for him. But after a glance outside at the pouring rain she sighed "I guess you can't travel in the rain. Well I suppose you could stay here until it lightens up enough for you to leave"

Oooooo…..what will happen when Retsu gets rained in with her former lover and father of the child she believes is dead? I hope to update soon! Please Review! The more you review, the more motivated I am to get the next chapters written and uploaded!


	4. Chapter 4

Ok, this is a little short for a chapter but I will update soon. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4

'_It's just like the old days_' Jushiro thought, as he sat across the table from Retsu. They were sitting at the low dining room table sipping on tea that Retsu had just brewed. Outside the wind was howling like a demon possessed while the rain battered against the thatched roof of the cabin. Thunder boomed over head at regular intervals while the fire in the hearth flickered in the wind. Light licked against Retsu's pale skin and Jushiro could not help but think about the other night they had gotten trapped in this cabin together. He looked down at his tea as memories sucked him in.

_It had been a cold hard winter. Snow had covered the ground in a white blanket, up to a foot in places. But this had not stopped Retsu from seeking the solitude of her cabin one winter's night just before a storm hit. Jushiro had been worried about Retsu's tired look lately. The war with Aizen had taken a toll on everyone, but it had taken the most out of the healers of the soul society, Retsu especially. The snow had just begun to fall when Jushiro had finally decided to pay a visit to the hospital to check on Retsu. But she was not there and when he had asked her lieutenant, Isane, he had gotten a vague reply that Retsu had gone up into the mountains to get some rest and would be back in a day or two. Jushiro pressed for more details on where in the mountains but it was not until Isane had gotten a good look at the sky that she relented and gave Jushiro an exact location and description of Retsu's cabin. _

_Jushiro immediately took off for Retsu's cabin. It was a good days hike at a normal pace but only about an hour when using flash step. He was sure that Retsu could take care of herself but if the storm was going to be as bad as he thought it would get, Retsu would be needed in the seireitei to help take care of those who would inevitably get caught in the snow. But by the time that he got close to the cabin, the snow was already coming down so hard that he could no longer use flash step and had to stumble the rest of the way to the cabin blindly using Retsu's lingering spiritual pressure to guide him. When he got to the cabin he knocked once then collapsed on the door step._

_When he woke up next, he was wrapped in a blanket on a chair by the fire. Some tea was pressed into his hand and he looked up into Retsu's worried blue eyes. 'They look like the sea during a storm' Jushiro caught himself thinking. He shook his head to clear it of the odd thought. "Thanks for the blanket and tea. I learned where you were from Isane and was going to come up here to warn you about the storm but obviously it is too late for that"._

_Retsu laughed, "Apparently your timing was off. I saw the storm coming only about fifteen minutes before you got here but decided to stay here since I was not sure that I could get back to the seireitei on time. It is a good thing that I did that or you would have died out there"_

_Jushiro smiled his appreciation and thanks. 'She has a nice laugh' Jushiro frowned at the thought. Where were these thoughts suddenly coming from? It was not that he was not attracted to Retsu, he along with half the soul society were half in love with her, but only in the way that a patient feels for a healer who saved their life. But Retsu had a strict policy about doctor patient behavior and since almost everyone in the 13 Court Guard Squads had been treated by her at some point, he figure that she was not the kind of woman who needed a man in her life. So why was he suddenly imagining Retsu as his woman? If he was honest with himself, he had imagined it before, but had always buried the thoughts in the darkest parts of his mind. But here, on this mountain with a blizzard outside, effectively sealing them off from the rest of the world, Jushiro found himself wanting the impossible: one night with Retsu Unohana, the only woman who could hold his heart. _

_The night worn on with no sign that the storm was going to abate. They sipped tea and talked about everything from Squad affairs to a new restaurant that had opened up in the west Rukong district. They ate dinner with some soup that Retsu cooked over the fire. At some point they found themselves sitting next to each other on the long couch by the fire. They leaned on each other and just sat in comfortable silence. The fire crackled and the storm howled but to Jushiro, it was all background noise. The flickering light gave the room an almost dream like quality as he slowly turned his head towards Retsu. She must have felt the slight change in mood since she turned her head as well. Taking this as a good sign, Jushiro leaned in and time stopped as he pressed his lips against Retsu's. In that small cabin that night they made some memories that would last a life time. Jushiro got his wish but he was wise enough to know that this night would not change anything in the long term. And he was right. In the morning the skies were clear enough to use flash step to return to the seireitei. They never spoke of that night again. They went on with their lives as if nothing had happened._

Jushiro smiled a little at the memory. He had gotten his wish, one night with Retsu Unohana, but he was still not sure if that night had been the best of his life or the worst mistake he had ever made. After that night he was no longer able to look at other women in any kind of romantic way. And while he did not pine for Retsu, neither was he able to let go of his feelings for her.

"What is that smile for?" Retsu asked.

Jushiro shook his head to clear the memories, "Oh nothing much, I was just thinking about last time we were stuck here together". Immediately he wish he had not said that. An uncomfortable silence ensued and they both sipped their tea.

"We have never spoken of that night before have we? And am I correct to assume that Shunsui is the only other person you have talked to?" Retsu asked quietly. Jushiro just nodded. "Well that is probably a good thing, we both knew what happened was a one-time thing and other people knowing would only make the whole thing more complicated." Retsu had the sudden urge to tell Jushiro of their child but the head Captains warning sounded in the back of her head so she stifled the urge and kept her mouth shut. But she wondered why the head captain had been so adamant about her not telling Jushiro. Sure the more people who knew, the better the odds that the secret would get out, but Jushiro was known for his discretion. He would be the first to agree that the secret had to be kept at all costs to them. She opened her mouth again, her resolve firm. "Jushiro, I have something important to tell you, but you must swear first that you will keep it a secret, even from Shunsui, unless it is necessary to tell him."

Jushiro looked up sharply. He had never heard Retsu use this tone before. His curiosity and wariness spiked but he did not reply immediately. What could be so important that not even his best friend and sometimes lover could be told? It had to be big, but why now? Retsu had an usually serious face on that had an edge to it that was almost…..desperate? But how could that be? Jushiro took one more look into Retsu's stormy blue eyes and then nodded his head saying "alright, I swear".

Retsu took a deep breath and on the exhale, she began to tell the story.

Sorry this one was so short. I promise to update soon. I just wanted to set up the story for the moment when Jushiro finally learns about his child and what happened on the night that she went missing. Don't forget to review!


	5. Chapter 5

Ok, I am sorry that this chapter is so short and took a while to write. I have been rather busy in my real life and I have hit a bit of a writers block but here it is at last!

Chapter 5

Retsu took a deep breath. Then on the exhale the secrete came out. She kept her eyes down while she was speaking and when she was done, she continued to study the floor boards of the cabin. She heard nothing from Jushiro and finally she looked up at him. She almost reached out to him at the look of anguish on his face.

Jushiro was stunned. He had a child? One that was either dead or missing? His heart soared at the thought of being a father. He had always wanted children, but had never really dared to hope that he would have kids of his own someday. Now he had a daughter! Then the second part of what Retsu had said sunk in and his heart froze in his chest. How had this happened! Why would someone want to take their child? What was being done to find her? Wait….could it be that easy….

"What about Kana, is she our child?" Jushiro asked hopefully.

Retsu shook her head. "She is not the right age and I just cant think like that anymore. I have met many girls over the past decade or so that could have been the child that was taken from me but every time the tests came back negative. That is why Kana was placed in your squad instead of mine. She would have just been a constant reminder of our child and at some point I would have been tempted enough to get the tests taken but when they come back negative, that would just crush me". Retsu wrapped her arms around herself "I have gotten my hopes up so many times only to have them dashed, I don't think I could go through that again". She whispered the last part of that sentence with such a sad look in her eyes that Jushiro reached out for her.

"Don't worry, I am sure that she is out there somewhere. I mean come one, she is _our_ child. I can't see a child of two captains, even a young one, getting killed by something as simple as that!" Jushiro argued, seeing the despair in Retsu's eyes. But while he knew that his words were probably wrong he could not help the hope blooming in his chest. He wanted a child of his own so badly and to gain and loose one in a matter of minutes was putting him through the ringer as far as emotions went. So much was going on and he still needed to comfort Retsu since she looked like she was a short step away from a full on break down. He soothed her as best he could as she cried. He rubbed her back and rocked her gently. Eventually the tears ran out and Retsu fell asleep in Jushiro's arms. Jushiro just spent the night watching her sleep. His arm eventually went numb but he couldn't bring himself to move it in fear of waking Retsu. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, all soft curves and relaxed features.

Retsu had one of the first peaceful nights since the incident. There were no nightmares and instead there was this sense of satisfaction, as if something had finally been set right. She snuggled deeper into Jushiro's arms. She breathed in his scent and let the warmth of his body seep into her bones. How long had she dreamed of him holding her in just this manner? She had not forgotten a single detail of that amazing night together. It had taken on an almost dream-like quality in her mind. She wondered if he had ever thought again about that night as well. Before she could stop herself she said on a sigh "Have you ever wondered what would have happened if we had decided to not pretend like that night had never happened? If we had decided to try to stay together?"

Jushiro, who had thought often of just that, simply nodded.

Retsu sighed again and turned her face towards him. "A couple of times I found myself outside your room trying to come up with a reason to knock but I always chickened out." Jushiro held his breath as she continued "I wanted so badly to see you again, and when I found out about our baby, I wanted desperately to talk to you but the head captain made me swear to silence. And that was just after the scare with Captain Hitsuguya so I agreed. Now I wonder what would have happened if I had told you about the child and you had been there with me that night….."

" I doubt that I could have made much of a difference" Jushiro admitted, "if you could not keep track of her then I defiantly would not have been able to and would probably have just made things worse."

"You don't know that!" Retsu responded immediately, "now she is gone and its all my fault."

"No its not and I don't want to hear you say that again! Or even think it!"

"And just how do you plan on monitoring my thoughts?" Retsu asked playfully, a smile slowly forming on her face.

"Mmmmm…I am sure that I can think of a way." Jushiro smiled at Retsu, relieved to see her smile again. "So if you wanted to see me again, then why didn't you. I understand why you could not tell me about the baby but surely there were other reasons you wanted to see me."

"Yes, but I was being a coward. Sadly I could not gather the courage to face you. Can you forgive me my lack?"

"Of course I forgive you, for I am just a guilty as you. I also wanted to see you after that night but I was so afraid that you did not feel the same way that I all but avoided you."

They smiled at each other for a heart beat. Then Jushiro leaned in and pressed his lips to Retsu's own and they made more memories that would last a lifetime.

When the morning came she did not want to move but she knew that she had to eventually so she got up and made some tea for breakfast. The rain was gone and the sun was out so there was no real reason to linger in the cabin with Jushiro, but Retsu found herself taking her time preparing the tea and cleaning up the cabin to leave. She dragged out the process as long as she could, but eventually they had to go. Jushiro and Retsu took one more look at each other and Jushiro bent down for a kiss. The kiss was filled with everything that was unsaid between them, their bond that they could never acknowledge, the child that they lost, and the hope that no amount of time could kill. When it was over, they both knew that the fragile peace that they had made in the cabin was over and they flash stepped away.

I hope you are still liking this story. If I get enough reviews I might even be persuaded to add what happened on _that_ night in my next update. Remember more reviews = faster updates


	6. Chapter 6

I forgot to disclaimers on my other chapters and so now I am going to do them for this chapter and all following chapters: I don't own bleach or any of the characters in this story other than Kana but I don't mind if other people use her in their stories…..after all, copying is the sincerest form of flattery. ;-)

Chapter 6

Kana was settling into her new post in squad 13 well. She was named 4th seat, becoming the 4th strongest fighter in the squad. This was unusual but no unheard of for those who had high spiritual pressure. Kana was not experienced as a fighter other than in training but her immense spiritual pressure had so dominated the former 4th seat that he had yielded to her without much of a fight, suspecting he would have his seat back soon as Kana was promoted to Lieutenant. Everyone in the squad seemed to expect Kana to become the new Lieutenant soon, everyone except Kana. She was hoping to someday fill that empty seat but was not expecting it. So while she knew she was treated with respect, she did not act superior to the others just because she was stronger. She treated everyone as an equal and sometimes even as more than her equal because of their greater experience. She listened when people talked and tried to follow most advice when it was given. This endeared her to her new squad and most liked her. The two third seats, Kiyone and Sentaro, soon took her under their wing (at least as best as they could) and taught her what they knew about their captain. They liked her and helped to show Kana the ropes. Kana soon gained enough real fighting experience to be a serious opponent and started sparring with not only members of her squad but high ranking officers from other squads as well.

Kempachi Zaraki watched Kana fight with the fourth seat from squad 8 one day and though "_it's almost time_". He wanted to spar with this girl but wanted to make sure she had gained enough experience to make the fight fun. It was not worth going through all the trouble of challenging her if the fight did not last long enough to be worth it. But it looked like she was quickly progressing and it would not be long before he would challenge her. He frowned slightly as Kana executed a swift twirl to add momentum to the swing of her blade and brought it crashing into the right side of her opponent. As she turned, her braid swing and the sun glinted off her jet black hair. For an instant, Kempachi could have sworn he was watching a younger version of Retsu Unohana. It was a little unnerving just how much this girl resembled her, even in her movements and facial expression. Kempachi just shrugged to himself. It was of no concern how the girl looked, only how she could fight and based on what he was seeing now, he was going to have a good time.

Kana knew that Captain Zaraki was watching her. It added force to her swings and filled her with anticipation. She knew that he had wanted her in his squad and was just waiting till she had enough real fighting experience to challenge her. She could not wait. Kana knew that she was a little different than the peace loving squad 13, and it was soon becoming obvious to other people as well. If it had not been the head captain himself that had assigned her to squad 13 and that empty lieutenants seat, Kana would have considered apply for a transfer. But she knew she was as good as married to the 13th squad unless the head captain said otherwise. But in the end, Kana was fine with that. Every time she thought about it, she ended up imagining herself wearing the lieutenant's badge of the 13th squad and her toes curled in excitement. She swung her sword one more time and knocked her opponent to the ground and held the tip of her sword to his throat till he yielded.

When Kana was done training with her zampakuto for the day she settled it at her hip and headed towards the office. She had a little paper work to finish filling out before she went out drinking that night. And with Rangiku coming along it was looking like a fun time. But the last thing Kana wanted to face in the morning was trying to fill out paper work with a hangover. Man, this was the part of the job that she hated. But it could not be helped so she settled in to get it over with.

Retsu Unohana was just finishing up her rounds at the hospital ward that was in the middle of her squad's grounds. She had just finished putting the final touches on the chart of a patient when she decided to forgo the rest of the mountain of paper work waiting for her in her office and instead head home to her place and have a cup of relaxing tea and read a good book. It had been a while since she had treated herself to a night of relaxation and tonight she was going to make up for that. She walked in the door of her apartment and immediately hung up her captain's haori on the hook by the door. After changing into more comfortable cloths she heated water for her tea. When it was ready she poured herself a cup and walked over to her book self to select a book. She decided to indulge herself in a sappy romance novel and curled up on her couch to read it. She was about halfway through it when the soft crackling of the fire and the soothing tea lulled her into a peaceful sleep. Unfortunately the peace did not last long and she found herself dragged into an all to real and familiar nightmare.

_The night was cool. Retsu lay in her bead enjoying the breeze coming through the open window, rufling the curtains of the cottage she had rented in a town along the coast of the United States know as Cape Hatteras. She smiled at her baby girl that was sleeping in a low bed next to her own. She had just started to learn to run today. Retsu knew her time with her daughter was running out. In just under two weeks she would have to return to the soul society and hand over the child to another family to be raised. While she knew the noble family that would be taking in her daughter, having chosen them from all of the nobility herself along with the head captain, she was still reluctant to part with her green eyed child. She knew she had been lucky to have this much time with her daughter. She had used some of her built up leave time to extend her sabbatical in the world of the living and since she had not taken a vacation in almost a century, no one had asked to many questions. But the head captain was getting impatient. Isane was doing an okay job running everything back in the soul society and holding the squad together but there were duties that Isane could not handle and Retsu needed to do them herself. _

_Retsu sighed as she gazed at the little girl that already had her long black hair and Jushiro's green eyes. She had pale skin just like her parents and her intelligence was already being displayed as she grew and learned things much quicker than other children her age. Retsu saw both of the girl's parents in her daughter in equal parts. Who knew what this girl would grow up to be? Retsu hoped that someday she would join the 13 court guard squads. This was a strong possibility seeing how strong the child was and how much potential she had._

_The cool night breeze suddenly turned hot. What was that smell? Smoke? Retsu's eyes suddenly filled with fear and she lept up from the bed and reached for her sleeping daughter. Just as Retsu's hands were about to close on the child's arm the wall in front of her exploded. Dust filled the room and since Retsu was in her gigai, she could not use flash step to avoid the ruble that fell on top of her. The next hour seemed to be a blur. She remembered people filling the room and arms pulling at her and the area of the wreckage that was where her daughter usually slept. But since her daughter did not sleep in a gigai, the human should not be able to see the child. Retsu finally managed to get free of her gigai and returned to the site only to find any empty bedroom. No matter how she searched, both with her sight and other senses, she could not find her daughter. _

_She wandered around the town in a daze calling out her daughter's name. Eventually the head captain himself had to come to the world of the living along with Kempachi Zaraki to drag her back to the soul society before she could do any more damage to the world of the living with her out of control spiritual pressure. She was confined to her room and until she returned to herself only Isane and the head captain were allowed to see her. They eventually got her to eat and drink and after a week or so, Retsu finally recovered enough to return to her duties. While she appeared normal on the outside, it took much longer to heal the pain on the inside._

Retsu awoke screaming her daughter's name. Isane rushed in and helped Retsu calm down. Isane held Retsu until she stopped sobbing and then heated up some tea. It was a familiar routine, though it had been happening less frequently of late (something that Isane was glad of since she was able to get more sleep). When the tea was ready Isane poured some in a cup and handed it to Retsu and left the room. Retsu sighed. Isane was such a good and loyal lieutenant and Retsu hated that her nightmares always woke up Isane and disrupted her sleep. But Retsu was glad she had Isane. Retsu did not know what she would have done if she had been forced to face the nightmares alone. Retsu decided that just sitting around was not going to solve anything so she got out of bed and walked over to a desk by the fire and lost herself in some paper work.

I hope you like this. I am about to go on a vacation and I have kind of hit a writers block with this story. I know where I want it to go, I am just not sure how to get there. Suggestions for the upcoming chapters are always appreciated. And I am willing to try to get more into the romance between Retsu and Jushiro more if that is what you guys want. Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry about just suddenly stopping, I had some serious health issues that temporarily took over my life but now I am back. I will work to update this now every three days or so. It should go on for about another ten chapters or so and I am debating on whether or not to make it a series or a stand alone story….mmmmm….we will see….Now back to the show!**

It was time for Kana's first solo mission. She was both nervous and excited. Her mission was to dispatch a particularly hard to track hollow in the southern rukogai. Her captain had just finished briefing her on the details and handed her a map showing the various locations that the hollow had been spotted at. So far the hollow had not killed anyone yet but even with high level hollow it was only a matter of time before the hunger overcame the hollows consciousness and it went into a feeding frenzy. The longer the hollow waited to eat, the worse it's frenzy would be. And that is why it was making the higher ups so nervous that they were sending a highly skilled fighter after it. It would also act as a test for Kana. If she successfully completed this mission she would begin her training to be able to lead other soul reapers in battle. The time that she would take her place as squad thirteen's lieutenant was drawing closer and closer. But first Kana had to go kill this hollow.

"Well that's about all we know about this hollow and its location. We still have not received any reports regarding its abilities so be especially cautions at first. Stay back and attack from a distance until you determine its capabilities." Captain Ukitake said worriedly. For some irrational reason he felt the need to protect this girl from any kind of harm. Though when he thought about his last lieutenant, he supposed it was not all that irrational. He attributed the worry to that and did his best to dismiss it from his mind. Kana was poised to fill the lieutenant seat and he needed to be confident in her capabilities. It was natural that he would be concerned but he had to get himself under control.

Jushiro smiled down gently at Kana as she bowed one last time and left. As she walked out the door he noticed again how much she looked like Retsu. A shock of realization and hope suddenly ran through Jushiro like a bolt of lightening. "Wait up a moment Kana, I just remembered something Captain Kurasutchi told me. Mind if I get a quick blood sample? He lent a prototype of one of his new inventions to test out." Jushiro lied with an ease that would have surprised anyone who knew him well. Most people only saw him as a gentle peace loving man but Jushiro was a capatain for a reason. Someone did not achieve the rank of captain because they were powerless. It took a strong willed person to advance so far through the ranks. Kana gave him an odd look but allowed Jushiro to take the blood sample. She left quickly after that. Jushiro cluthed the vial to his chest and took a deep breath before flash stepping over to the 12th.

Kana wondered what the blood sample was all about. She highly doubted that the self absorbed captain of the 12th squad had given her captain a device to help him out. But while she did not trust Captain Kurasuchi, she did trust Captain Ukitake and hoped like hell her blood would not be used in some creepy way. She forced her mind away from the topic and refocused it on her current mission. She used flash step to get to the last know location of the hollow she was to hunt. She found herself deep in the woods in a clearing. Kana took a deep breath to clear her mind then set out to search.

Jushiro wondered yet again what had possessed him to take that blood sample and give it to Myuri. In exchange for running the blood test, Myuri had made Jushiro promise him a boon in the unspecified future. Jyuri had then taken the preciouse vial of blood and disappeared into the lab, leaving Jushiro waiting in Myuri's office for the results. Jushiro was not entiriely sure which result he was most hoping for. It would be wonderful to find the daughter that he had just found out he had but then lost. However, if it was Kana, there were repercussions to be considered. As things stood now, Kana was poised to fill the vacant lieutenants seat in his squad in the near future. Jushiro was pragmatic enough to know that he already had fears about loosing his new soon-to-be lieutenant because of the loss of his previous lieutenant. If Kana turned out to be his long lost daughter it was going to be nearly imposible to treat her like any other soul reaper and a normal lieutenant. He would be so over protective that he would cosset her, and Jushiro did not think that Kana would take well to that. The girl was clearly a fighter, there was no doubt about that. Just one look at that half smile that was always on her face during a battle was enough to determine that.

After 3 hours of searching the various locations where the hollow had been sighted, Kana was no closer to completing her mission than when she had started. It was causing her to become more and more frustrated. Kana had not even detected traces of the hollows spiritual pressure. If she had not received the orders directaly from the head captain she would have suspected some kind of trick or practical joke. As it was, Kana was beginning to wonder if there even was a hollow out there at all, or if this whole mission was going to wind up being a wild goose chase started by a coulple of drunk villagers.

Kana was on the verge of giving up when she heard a faint wimper. She followed the noise to a small cluster of bushed. Kana pushed the bushed aside and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw the hollow mask. Kana's zampacto came to her hand as if called before she even fully processed the sight. She cut away the bushed surrounding the huddling figure to get a better look. "huh?" was all Kana could think for the first few minutes. On the ground before her was a small dog like creature with a hollow mask on its face. It had no hole that Kana could see and did not give off even the faintest traces of a hollow's spiritual pressure. This made her hesitant to attack. The dog barley moved other than to tremble. Kana slowly lowered her blade, though she kept it firmly in her right hand. She reached out her left hand slowly to the creature. The dog stopped trembling and looked up. It saw her hand and hesitantly reached out its nose to sniff at Kana's hand. It started to wag its tail tentatively and licked Kana's hand. Kana smiled down at the dog then frowned slightly when she noticed that what she had assumed was a hollow mask was bobbing around on the dogs face. Following an impulse, she grabbed the edge of the mask and tugged at it. With a sucking sound it peeled away from the dog's head. The dog gave a soft yip the started to franticly lick at kana's hand and face. Kana smiled again and picked up the creature. With a laugh she used flash step to take herself, the dog, and the mask back to the 13th.

It felt like hours to Jushiro before Myuri came back to his office with the results of the tests. There was an interested gleam in his eye and he kept prattling on and on about some blood anomaly but Jushiro was not listening. Myuri had handed him a piece of paper with the results on it and Jushiro was having a hard time processing what was on the piece of paper. When it finnaly sunk in Jushiro had to focus on his breathing so he did not start to hyperventilate.

Positive.

The test was positive.

Kana was the daughter of Jushiro Ukitake and Retsu Unohana.

Kana was his daughter.

Kana was his daughter!

KANA WAS HIS DAUGHTER!

Jushiro wanted to scream the news out to the whole soul society. He just could not believe it. He had gained, lost, then regained a daughter in the space of less than a month and it left Jushiro in a state of emotional whiplash. It was too much and based on the familiar flash of spiritual pressure he had just felt enter his office he would have to get himself under some kind of semblance of control quickly. How was he supposed to face his daughter without revealing what he just learned? He would just have to keep it brief and hope that he could blame any odd behavior on a new bout of his long term illness. This was going to get interesting

**The long awaited fight scene will be in the next chapter. Kana does not find out her parentage for another couple chapters or so due to some story line stuff that needs to get done first.**


	8. Chapter 8

When he arrived at his office, Kana was crouching on the floor with a small animal bouncing and yapping around her. Huh? There was also a mask sitting on his desk that looked suspiciously like a hollow mask. Kana jumped up, scooping up the creature in his chest. He could now see Retsu in the girl. Kana had the same long black hair that was straight as a pin, as if not daring to misbehave by curling. Kana also had that same gentle smile that held a hint of steel behind it. He also could see a bit of himself in Kana. She had his eyes and it took all of his self control not to rush to Kana and hug her. He wanted to hold her and assure himself that this was really happening, that his daughter was alive and safe and well. But instead of giving into the foolish impulse, he forced himself to walk behind his desk and sit down. As he listened to Kana's report, his surprise temporarily made him forget about the blood tests and who Kana really was. It was just so amusing that such a thing had happened. He laughed when Kana begged to be allowed to keep the creature within the squad grounds. He agreed to adopt the dog as a squad pet but made Kana responsible for it. He told her to deliver the mask to the 12th before heading out to shop for pet supplies. It was highly unusual for a hollow mask to stay around after the death of the hollow and Myuri would want to take a look at it. He laughed again when Kana practically ran out of the door as if afraid that he might change his mind at the last minute and make her give up the precious creature.

Kana practically ran to the 12th to deliver the mask. She dropped it off with Akon then headed for the area of the Seireitei where the most shops were to look for supplies. Pets were not common in the soul society, except for fish (they seemed to be in great abundance in rich homes). This made it harder to find the stuff Kana needed. But she managed; it just took a little longer than normal shopping. She was in a shop picking out some colorful rope that she was planning on using for a leash and some ribbon for a collar when Rangiku showed up. When she saw the dog in Kana's arms, she acted like the next big fashion trend had landed in her lap first. She cooed and petted the don and cuddled with it. After Kana explained how she had gotten the dog Rangiku declared that the dog should have a name that related to the 13th squad and should be the new mascot of the squad. Kana sighed but did not argue to try to dissuade Rangiku. It would have been pointless.

By the end of the day the entire Seireitei knew that Squad 13 had a new dog. The dog, name Rio after Captain Jush**RIO **Ukitake, had been personally introduced to each and every available member of the squad by an overly enthusiastic Rangiku who dragged Kana along for this painful process. The dog was beside himself with joy at all the attention given to him. Rio had a tag attached to his collar that identified him as belonging to squad 13 and granted him free reign of the grounds. It was decided that Rio would have to be on a leash when off squad 13's ground but Kana doubted that anyone would pay attention to that rule. The dog usually slept with Kana but though she made a bed for the dog on the floor on the wall of her bedroom, he usually slept on her bed curled up beside her. The dog quickly became a beloved member of the 13th.

Meanwhile Jushiro was trying to figure out how to tell Retsu about their child. It was killing him to know but not be able to share this with her and talk about it. But how was he to break the news? Perhaps it would be a good start to invite her over for dinner and just tell her or give her the test results. Jushiro sent out the invite and awaited Retsu's response.

Kana was in the sparing ring, helping up her fallen opponent (again) when the inevitable happened. A wave of violent spiritual pressure washed over Kana and after recognizing it, she hurried to get her sparing partner out of the ring quickly. When the ring was clear she took a deep breath and prepared herself, opening up every one of her senses and raising her spiritual pressure to full battle mode. Then she whipped up her sword to block a blow meant to cleave her head from its shoulders.

"Hello, Captain Zaraki, hell of a way to greet someone" Kana said, a wicked grin stretching her mouth, looking suspiciously similar to Kempachi's own maniacal smile.

"Well if it bothered you so much why didn't you run away?" Zaraki challenged as he bore down on Kana. Sparks flew from where their swords joined and scrapped against each other.

"Not a chance in hell, I would never give you the satisfaction. Plus, this looks to be a good fight and I would never run from a good fight." Kana disengaged completely and shouted "fly the heavens and strike down your enemies, Shin Rika!" Kana's zampackto glowed as she released her shikai.

As the light faded, the dual swords were revealed. They were identical. Their handles were wrapped green corded cloth with a silvery gold hilt that held a gem the color of freshly spilled blood at the base of each hilt. A shape that resembled a flowering rose was the hilt. Delicate vines with flowers ran up the blades to the tip. But those vines did nothing to diminish the deadly look of the edge. Nothing could dampen the effect of those blades pointed at you. Kana sighed with pleasure as the familiar feeling of her zampacto joining even closer with her filled her soul. The zampacto represented both the blood of death and the life of spring. She loved the duality of her blades as the represented the two sides of her soul. She smiled with a promise to reign all hell on any opening stupid or strong enough to face her now.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you looked at this fight, the captain of squad 11 was just such a man. Zaraki's grin just got wider as Kana's spiritual pressure rose. This was how he liked his fights, no need to force his opponent to get serious or power up, just straight to the good fight full of blood and deadly intent. And Kana came at him filled with all kinds of killing intent. The amount of spiritual pressure she was able to wild was impressive, especially considering how recently she had acquired her powers. Kempachi knew that Kana was a truly worthy opponent to fight with. As the fight continued, blood began to fly from both parties, which was not a common occurrence. He grudgingly admitted to himself that Ukitake had trained the girl well. Kana was truly a dual wielder. His third seat used both his sheath and his sword during a fight but only one of the weapons held any true potential for danger. But with Kana, Kempachi had to watch out for both blades. If he was not carful, Kana might actually pose a threat. Kana was everything Kempachi hoped that she would be.

Jushiro felt the spike of spiritual pressure and felt a jolt of fear lance through his heart. Then he felt the murderous but familiar spiritual pressure clashing with the other and Jushiro just groaned. He sighed and put down what he had been working on. He had known that this was bound to happen sooner or later. Kempachi loved a good fight and Kana was just the kind of person that could promise him one. And if Jushiro was honest with himself, he was surprised this had not happened sooner. Still, he told himself, he should go and watch to make sure things do not get out of hand.

Retsu sighed with the weiriness of the old and tired when she felt the waves of familiar violent spiritual pressure coming off Kepachi wash over her. 'Not again, not now' was all she could think. Why did that man have to get so worked up over his fights? Then again there was a time when she had gotten that worked up but all she could feel now as she got up from her desk was weiriness. When he got this worked up she was always called to do damage control. With resignation she got up and informed her lieutenant she was heading out. Then using flash step she headed in the direction of the fight.

Jushiro met up with Retsu on the edge of the sparing field. On lookers had gathered quickly but only some were able to withstand the spiritual pressure to get closer than a hundred meters. Jushiro should have known Retsu would show up but he was not on top of his game today. It was odd being around her lately and they had both been avoiding each other since that night in the mountains. There was a new awareness between them that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable but defiantly awkward. He avoided eye contact when he greeted her. Fortunately she was more focused on the fight and did not notice his behavior. Jushior shook himself and refocused on the sparing match in front of him. He wanted desperately to rush in and defend his daughter but he knew Kana would never forgive him if he did so. Not only would it offend Kana's honor, it would be interrupting a fight that was clearly being enjoyed by both parties. The made him wonder were Kana's love of battle came from. By all appearances Kana was born of the two most peace loving people in the soul society. Where did she get that crazy grin from? Jushiro eyes the woman next to him and wondered if Retsu soft smile hid a more violent side that was similar to Kempachi's own. He remembered how even squad 11 member were afraid of the captain of squad 4 and a particular smile from Retsu had been know to send even the head captain crawling back into bed. Hmmmm…..


End file.
