We made it to the Ryokyon district in good time, landing in front of one of the best candy stalls in the district, almost giving the poor owner a heart attack.

"Okay, can I please have two bags of that, three bags of that and a bag of that," I rambled quickly, pointing at each thing in turn. The stall owner rushed to get everything, looking flustered as he placed everything on the table.

I handed over the cash and grabbed the bags, handing three of them to Yachiru to hold. With bags in hand, we headed back the way we came, Yachiru mentioning a large tree that overlooked a pond just outside the Squad grounds.

I followed her directions, but didn't get anywhere, so I climbed a tall building to search for it.

"There!" Yachiru cried, pointing to my left.

We headed over there, the tree surpassing what I had originally been imagining. I thought it would be a cherry blossom tree, but instead it was a humongous oak tree, with broad, twisting limbs and lots of coverage.

"Come on!" Yachiru squealed happily, before bounding up into the tree and settling on a branch.

I followed her up and settled down too, opening my bag to gobble down the lollies. Yachiru seemed to almost inhale all the sugar. For a couple of hours, we sat there, just talking about trivial stuff. She was part way through telling me what she had nicknamed everybody in the Seritei when I felt his spiritual pressure.

With my legs draped over the branch tightly, I swung backwards until I was hanging upside down. Grinning, I saw Kenpachi leaning against the tree, looking up.

"Hey Kenny!" Yachiru cried out, joining me, before tipping up her bag and dumping the leftover sugar onto him. She looked at me imploringly.

I followed suit, dumping the sugar, and it floated down to Kenpachi like snow. We giggled.

"I'm hoping you didn't end up here because you got lost," he stated, catching some sugar in the palm of his hand and licking it off.

"Nope," I replied, grabbing the tree and dropping to the ground gracefully.

"Good. Don't follow instructions from Yachiru."

"Done that. I have a good grasp on what the whole Seritei looks like now."

He chuckled while Yachiru squawked in indignation, falling on the tree branch to land on me.

"We better head back in," he stated and from my position on the floor, I noticed that the sun was already past noon. "We'll discuss your ranking if you want?"

Dusting myself off, I followed after Kenpachi and Yachiru to their office. I settled down on a pillow opposite Kenpachi, Yachiru off in the corner playing.

"Now, what level has your zanpakuto reached?"

"I'm proficient in shikai and have just achieved bankai," I answered, keeping it short.

"Hmm, that helps. Considering your fight with Ikkaku and that you managed to hold him back and knock him to the ground, you're quite a strong soul reaper."

"You saw all that?" I was amazed. I hadn't realised he was watching the whole time.

He grinned that famous smirk I had seen from a distance before. "I had known you were coming."

"So that stuff you said about not being impressed that the old man had sent you a girl?"

"I still meant that. Women are a lot weaker," he said, smirking.

Scowling, I stood up and stomped to the door, slamming it behind me. I could hear Kenpachi's booming laughter following me out, but I didn't really feel hurt. Just... angry. A sense of determination settled within me.

Then I'll just have to prove to you, Zaraki, that I am stronger than most here.

"Hey Kera!" Ikkaku called out before appearing beside me, draping his arm over my shoulder. "Whatcha up to?"

My frown got deeper as I slid out from under his arm. "Go away."

"Aw, come on, don't be like that. We're friends now."

I almost fell over when he said that. "Really?" I asked incredulously, a hint of suspicious seeping in my voice.

"Yeah. Anyone who can stop the blade of the Captain's is a friend of mine," Ikkaku replied, ruffling my hair.

I ripped my pony tail out, sick of having to retie it every time someone messed with my hair. "And?" I could tell he had something to add on the end of that.

"And who wouldn't want to be friend with a charming, beautiful woman such as yourself?"

I aimed an elbow at his ribs, forcing the breath out of him. "Call me that again and we'll be enemies for the rest of your short life."

"Understood," he wheezed, bent over.

I half- dragged him along as he recovered, before he led to me to a small, dirty looking building. Raucous laughter came from inside, as well as the sound of jaunty music and something breaking. The windows were grimy and the small sign above the door read some name I couldn't understand.

We were at a bar. "Why are we at a bar?" I asked, looking up at the sun. It had to be close to five o' clock by now. "It's too early to drink and get drunk."

"It isn't just a bar, it's a place to hang out. Come meet some friends." He grinned, pushing open the door for me.

He dragged me over to a large circular table, lots of men seated around it on two long couches. It wasn't that bad inside I realised; in fact, it was very clean, spotless even of a touch of dirt. If only the outside looked like this.

"Hey, Ikkaku! Who's the new lady friend?" a man called out.

"I'm not his lady friend," I snapped.

"This is Kera, guys. Remember?"

"Oh, you're the girl that beat Ikkaku," another said, slightly awed, and they all laughed.

When I turned to Ikkaku, his face was bright red and that included his head as well. My cheeks hurt from trying to keep my laughter in.

"You could say that I did do that," I mused, flicking my hair with a hand, before occupying the spare space two men that created for me.

I didn't feel threatened as I squished down in between a man with feathers on one eyebrow and another with scars like cat whiskers on his face. Most of them, I found out, were from Squad 11.

Instead, I felt welcomed. They were nice, always making jokes or asking questions. They didn't try to impose on me at all and if someone did get a bit iffy, Ikkaku threatened them until they backed down.

One thing I liked the most about these men were the stories they told, especially about a drunk Ikkaku and a girl named Rangiku.

"Stop it guys! Why don't you talk about someone else for a bit?" Ikkaku fumed as we all guffawed at him.

"So Kera," Yumichika, the man with the feathers on his eyebrow, began. He had introduced himself earlier to me. "What rank has the captain given you?"

All eyes turned to me and I tried to remember the conversation the Captain and I had early. Then I realised something.

I had run out before he could give me my rank.

I could feel my cheeks going red as I realised my own stupidity. I had really wanted my rank and now I didn't even know what it was.

"Um, he hasn't said yet," I lied.

"Well, what are your powers like?" Yumichika questioned.

Just like with the Captain, I couldn't tell them the whole truth. If I did, they'd try to kill me possibly. "I have shikai and I've just achieved bankai."

Some of the men whistled, patting me on the back. It wasn't often that a soul reaper fresh out of the academy had already reached shikai, let alone bankai.

Ikkaku protested, "That isn't an explanation!" I bonked him on the head with an empty bottle.

"I don't need to tell you everything. I gave you enough to go on," I answered. Ikkaku grumbled under his breath. "Why? Are you afraid that I'll beat you again so you're trying to find weaknesses?"

We all laughed, Ikkaku trying to talk his way out of that one. We carried on for a while longer, before I glanced out the window. Darkness had fallen.

"I better head back or Yachiru is going to be cranky."

A chorus of see ya later's followed me out of the door as I headed back to the Squad barracks, my hands on my head.

My first day as an actual soul reaper, I thought tiredly. Lot tougher than what-

My train of thought was broken when I heard something shouting out my name, before something or someone smashed into my back.

"Argh!" I cried out, falling to ground. Whoever was on me began to bounce. "Stop... it!" I managed to gasp out as they crushed my lungs.

"Guess what, Kera! We're staying in the same room together!" Yachiru cried happily.

"Yachiru," I mumbled into the ground. At least she had stopped bouncing. My spiritual pressure rose as I growled. "Get off me!"

"Whoops," was her only reply as she allowed me to stand.

I brushed myself off before she jumped onto my back this time, almost knocking me over again. "Quit it!" I snapped at her. "Do you have to keep jumping on me?" I exclaimed angrily as her arms snaked around my neck and her legs tightened around me.

"Don't be so mean Kera," she pouted, before she tapped her heels into my lower abdomen. "To the barracks!" she cried happily, oblivious to my protests.

While I was away, my bags had been delivered and it seemed Yachiru had already unpacked all my stuff into neat little containers. And discovered my stash of chocolate. I changed into more comfortable sleeping clothes before setting up my bed.

I was asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.