Chapter Four: Meet and Greet 1/2

Author's Notes: All right, another chapter up! Like I said before, I am slowing up the release schedule from here on out. Can't spoil you guys too much, after all!

Enjoy!

Chapter Four: Meet and Greet

"How does that feel?" asked Unohana as she pressed her hand against his bare chest.

Itachi closed his eyes for a moment before responding. "Fine. I'm not feeling any residual pain from the night before."

The Captain of Squad Four smiled. "That's wonderful news. I was afraid that the rigors of the exams might exacerbate your wounds from last night, but it would seem that I was worried for nothing."

"I have you to thank for that," said Itachi as he put his shirt back on, "The way you healed me last night was very impressive. I don't think I'm any worse for the wear."

Unohana nodded. "You're too kind. Still, it never hurts to take precautions."

That was a sentiment that Itachi could wholeheartedly agree with. Sitting in the Academy infirmary with the Soul Society's premier healer, he had patiently cooperated with her as she had conducted her examination. It was a very educational experience for him; while he had occasionally been treated by the Leaf Village's medical ninja during his time with the Anbu Black Ops, he actually had never gained as great a comprehension of their healing methods as he had of other jutsu. Being under the treatment of a healer who used spiritual energy as opposed to chakra for her medical arts was quite fascinating, and when he'd asked Unohana about her methods she had described them as a subset of the spell casting powers known collectively as Kidō; in this case, Kidō for healing was known as Kaidō, and the members of Squad Four were all trained in it due to the unit's function as the medical corps of the Soul Society.

"Well," said Unohana with a smile, "I'm most pleased to give you a clean bill of health, Itachi."

Itachi nodded. "Thank you. Was it the same for Jiraiya?"

Unohana laughed. "Yes, although his examination session didn't go quite as smoothly as yours. His behavior forced me to use less gentle means of treatment."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Less gentle?"

"I suppose there's no harm in telling you," said Unohana with a smirk, "While I was examining his shoulder I could not help but notice one of his hands had begun to, shall we say, wander. It became a little too adventurous for its own good, so I decided to teach it a lesson by demonstrating just how easily what was healed the night before could become damaged again without the proper care."

Itachi suppressed a chuckle; he had a pretty good idea what had taken place given Jiraiya's reputation. "I see. I'm sure it was a very valuable learning experience."

"I'd like to think so," Unohana replied, "Is there anything else that I can do for you, Itachi?"

"If you don't mind," he said, "I actually had a question. It's regarding your powers as a healer."

Unohana smiled. "I'm always willing to educate others on the ways of Kaidō. Ask away, Itachi."

"Is the utilization of Kaidō taught at Shin'ō Academy?" asked Itachi.

Unohana nodded. "There are introductory courses offered, and members of Squad Four frequently act as guest teachers. Those who show particular promise in this field are typically recruited into my division upon graduation."

Itachi leaned forward. "Isn't it unwise to have all of the Soul Society's healers concentrated into a single group? I can understand the organizational benefits, but wouldn't it be more prudent to have healers assigned to multiple divisions in order to improve first response times?"

"You are not the first person to raise that concern, and it is a valid one," said Unohana, "Within my division are rapid response and relief teams that are assigned to work with the rest of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, but I'll be the first to admit that the current system could use some work. We are particularly hamstrung by a certain regulation from the Central Forty-Six; Squad Four members, with the exception of the Lieutenant and Captain, are not allowed to journey to the Realms of the Living without the prior authorization of the Head Captain."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Why? That doesn't make any sense."

"Healers are a valuable resource," Unohana replied, "Our protection is given considerable priority. Without the members of Squad Four, the rest of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads would not be able to function cohesively and effectively."

"Perhaps," said Itachi, "but your hands are needlessly tied by this regulation. More to the point, from what I saw the night before it would seem that you personally require very little in terms of protection."

Unohana smiled. "Well, I'm the Captain for more than just my skills as a healer. Other members of Squad Four are capable of engaging in battle as well, but that is not their primary field of expertise. To specialize in the healing arts is no small thing; expert Kaidō practitioners devote many long hours to maintain and improve their medical skills, and this unfortunately means that they have far less time than others to devote to combat training. My gifts make me one of the few exceptions. I am very proud of the members of my division, Itachi, but one of the requirements bestowed upon me as Captain is to recognize their strengths and weaknesses. If the time ever comes when members of Squad Four must fight on the front lines, then it means we would be faced with a truly dire situation."

Itachi nodded. "I understand. I apologize for questioning you in such a manner."

Unohana gave him a warm smile. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Itachi. That you would ask such questions and argue against the current system in the desire to improve it speaks highly of your intellect. If anything, I should be thanking you for it; I've rather enjoyed this conversation of ours. I'd very much like for it to continue further, but I'm afraid that will have to be at another time; I do have other patients to see, after all."

"Of course," said Itachi as he stood up, "I've taken up enough of your time as it is."

"Think nothing of it," Unohana replied, "Oh, could you do me a favor?"

"Name it," said Itachi.

Unohana smiled again, but there was a shadow behind it that nearly made Itachi bolt for the door right there and then. "Please tell Jiraiya that he'd best mind his wandering hands… lest he misplace them altogether."

Itachi got the message loud and clear; he could only hope that Jiraiya would heed it. "I'll do so."

"I'd greatly appreciate it," said Unohana, the warmth returning to her expression as if nothing had happened, "Take care of yourself, Itachi, and best of luck with your upcoming classes."

It didn't take long for Itachi to return to the meal hall. Jiraiya was setting at a table munching on what looked like dried fruit, and Itachi joined him after grabbing some water. He saw the sage rub his left shoulder; no doubt Unohana's 'lesson' from earlier still hadn't completely worn off.

"Your skirt chasing is going to be the death of you," said Itachi as he joined the Sannin.

Jiraiya chuckled. "Well, I can think of worse ways to go."

"I'm not so sure about that," said Itachi, recalling the chill he'd gotten from Unohana, "If you try to cop a feel on the Squad Four Captain again, your afterlife could prove to be a short one."

Jiraiya smirked. "Is that the message she wanted you to give to me?"

"More or less," Itachi replied as he looked around, "Where's Yoruichi?"

Jiraiya shrugged. "She hasn't come by yet. I'm sure she'll show up sooner or later. She did seem pretty eager to introduce us to her fellow Captains, after all."

That was certainly true, and Itachi wondered just how many they'd end up meeting before the day was out. Yoruichi and Unohana had been very impressive in their own right, and he couldn't even begin to imagine what the other Captains would be like. If they were all as powerful as the two he'd already met, though, then he would be very thankful for the fact that they seemed to limit their activities to managing Hollows and other affairs of the afterlife; Yoruichi and Unohana alone could do tremendous damage should they decide to turn their attentions towards the ninja world.

Can Soul Reapers even interact with those who are still alive?, he mused, I suppose that's one of the many things I'll learn once my new education begins.

"By the way," said Jiraiya, his expression more serious now, "We need to talk later."

"About what?" asked Itachi.

"You know what," Jiraiya replied, his eyes narrowing, "Naruto, the Akatsuki, your clan; all of it. I was originally going to put this on hold for a little longer, but now that we're through the entrance exams it's a different matter. The student body here has no idea who you were when you were alive, so if you're going to be attending class with them I need to be sure that you're not a threat."

Ever the protective teacher, he thought, even though the students here are not under his tutelage. It's a little sooner that I had hoped for, but I can certainly understand his desire to move forward quickly with this.

"Very well," he said after a moment, "Once we're settled in later, we can begin whenever you're ready."

Jiraiya nodded. "All right, then. You've got a little bit of goodwill thanks to that fight with the Hollows last night, but that goes out the window if you try to bail out on this, you got that?"

"Understood," said Itachi.

It was at that moment Yoruichi walked in, and from the look on her face she could already detect that something was brewing between Itachi and Jiraiya. "Hey, what's up? You guys passed the exams, so why the sour vibes towards each other? Don't tell me you've already become rivals!"

Itachi shook his head. "It's nothing like that."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Well, maybe not entirely like that. There's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition between men, after all. Isn't that right, Itachi?"

"Whether you wish to compete with me in anything is entirely up to you," Itachi replied as he stood up, "I'm here only to learn and to train. Is it time, Yoruichi?"

She nodded. "Yes. I was going over test results with some of the other Captains, and I think they're ready to meet you now."

"Sounds good to me," said Jiraiya with a grin as he rose to join them, "This should be fun."

"Oh, yes," Yoruichi replied, "but before we go, afraid I got to set a ground rule. I don't mind you guys being informal with me; I'm not really one for titles myself. That being said, some Soul Reapers are pickier about that than others, so it's better to be on the safe side."

Itachi knew what she was getting at. "Of course. What should we call you, then? We may not be full-fledged Soul Reapers, but we're no longer mere candidates for Academy enrollment, either. What do students call Captains or other officers in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads?"

"Soi-Fon's a big stickler for my title of nobility," said Yoruichi, "but I'd rather avoid that. If we're in front of Soul Reapers on duty, or teachers and their assistants here at the Academy, call me Captain Yoruichi; I prefer that to my last name, and with the rank in front it's still formal enough that some of the stricter Captains will let it slide if they hear you addressing me that way. Otherwise, if I'm just paying you a friendly visit, feel free to call me Yoruichi. Simple enough?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes."

Jiraiya shrugged. "Fine by me. I was never really big on titles myself, so I get where you're coming from there."

Yoruichi nodded. "Good. Follow me, then."

She led them down a corridor, and a few minutes later they came to what looked like a staff conference room. The Captain of Squad Two opened the door and ushered them in, and they were immediately confronted with an… interesting variety of Soul Reapers.

The first one to greet them was a tall, light-skinned man with grey eyes and wavy brown hair tied in a long ponytail. He wore a Sugegasa straw hat and a long and flowing flowery pink kimono over his white Captain's haori. Tied at his waist were not one but two swords, a traditional daisho pairing of a tachi and wakizashi. Both weapons had rectangular guards with the corners cut off, were decorated by patterns of lines and cherry blossoms, and each sported a dark blue handle. There was a decent amount of stubble on his jawline, and Itachi could detect a hint of sake on his breath.

"Well, now, who do we have here?" he said with an easygoing smile, "Are these the gifted new students you were boasting about earlier, Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi smiled. "You got it! This is Itachi Uchiha and Jiraiya. Itachi, Jiraiya, meet Shunsui Kyōraku, Captain of Squad Eight."

"Nice to meet you," said Itachi as he bowed his head.

"Good to make your acquaintance," said Jiraiya before looking over the Captain's shoulder and grinning, "And who might your lovely companion be?"

Shunsui chuckled, and from the look on his face Itachi knew that the Captain had already sensed a kindred spirit in Jiraiya. "That would be my Lieutenant. Come on, now, Lisa; it's impolite to withhold a proper introduction."

Itachi regarded the Squad Eight Captain's second-in-command. She was a slender woman with turquoise eyes, red-rimmed oval glasses and raven hair that was braided into two pigtails. Her attire was a shortened variation of the standard black Soul Reaper robes, with her hakama resembling a skirt. The sword at her hip appeared to be a nodachi with a dark blue hilt and a square tsuba with two rectangular attachments on two ends, while a badge was tied to her left arm. She turned to face both of them, but after a moment Itachi could tell that she was more focused on him than Jiraiya.

"My name is Lisa Yadōmaru, Lieutenant of Squad Eight," she said, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

A tall man with long-white hair and a friendly light in his green eyes leaned forward. His white haori identified him as another Captain, but unlike Shunsui his physique actually struck Itachi as slightly emaciated. His skin was slightly paler as well, and while there was a warm energy about him he did seem to be a little under the weather. A single katana with a rectangular bronze cross guard and a dark red handle was tied to the sash of his robes.

"Captain Shihōin has told us quite a bit about the two of you," he said, "I'm Jūshiro Ukitake, the Captain of Squad Thirteen. Well met, my friends."

"So you two are Captain Shihōin's amateur Hollow killers, eh?" said another man from across the table, "It's not every day we get applicants with your kind of potential coming through the Academy entrance exams."

The speaker had very long blond hair that flowed over his Captain's haori. There was a sharp, evaluating look in his brown eyes even as he had an amused smirk on his face that revealed some of his teeth. A katana with a red hilt and sheath hung at his side, and its guard was shaped like an hourglass.

"Oh, sorry," the man continued, "where are my manners? I'm Shinji Hirako, Squad Five's Captain. Congrats on making it through the exams."

"Indeed!" said a woman not too far down from him, "Your results were absolutely splendid!"

Taking a closer look at the new speaker, Itachi saw that she was a slender but very well-endowed woman. She let her long violet hair flow wild and freely over her Captain's haori, and she had a very warm and cheerful aura. Itachi saw Jiraiya's smile grow as the Sannin feasted his eyes on the lady's ample bosom, and he could only hope that the sage didn't do anything that might get the two of them on this woman's bad side, especially since her katana was no doubt as sharp as that of everyone else's at this gathering.

"Hearing you say that is music to my ears, miss…" Jiraiya began.

"Oh, forgive me!" said the woman with a friendly smile, "My name's Kirio Hikifune, Captain of Squad Twelve. Captain Shihōin won't stop singing your praises, and I can see why!"

"As can I," said a deep-voiced man on the other side of the table, "Written test, the Pillar Run, and the Crystal Lens; you guys soared through on all three."

It was another Captain, and this one sported sunglasses and a round afro. He was definitely on the taller side and looked very well-built as well. The katana at his side had a white hilt and a heart-shaped tsuba.

"You're too kind, Captain…" said Itachi, waiting for the man to fill in the gap in his knowledge.

"Love," the man replied, "Love Aikawa, Squad Seven's Captain. It's always nice to meet the new talent coming into the Academy."

"The prowess the two of you showed in the exams is impressive for new recruits," said another man, his voice much gruffer in contrast to Love's smooth basso, "Killing a Hollow without Soul Reaper training even more so. Who scored the final blow against the beast?"

The new speaker was a Captain as well, and the way he carried himself strongly reminded Itachi of a Chūnin drill master. A tall and muscular man with sharp features, his silver hair gave him a rather frosty look, which was further accented by the steely glint in his brown eyes. Despite the much more military air about him when compared to his colleagues, he actually sported a handful of piercings, with one on his left eyebrow and three on his left ear. As if that weren't enough, through the opening in his robes Itachi could spot what looked like the uppermost portion of a tattoo on his torso, and he was curious as to what the full design was. His weapon appeared to be a wakizashi with an H-shaped tsuba and white hilt.

"That would be me," said Jiraiya, "although I couldn't have taken it out were it not for Itachi drawing its attention, plus he got a few good hits on it in his own right. So overall it was a team effort, Captain…"

"Muguruma," the man finished for him, "Kensei Muguruma, Captain of Squad Nine. I'm glad to see that you know how to share credit when it's due; that's important for maintaining good teamwork and comradery."

"Are you really that strong already?" came a female voice from behind Kensei, "I wanna see you two fight!"

A second later a petite woman with wavy lime-green hair popped up over Kensei's shoulder. In addition to her robes and the badge on her left arm, she also wore a pink scarf and a pair of glasses atop her hair. The sword at her side was an average-length katana with a green hilt and rectangular guard which had circles on each corner. Contrary to the Captain she was lurking behind, Itachi's first impression of her was that she was rather perky.

Kensei rolled his eyes. "Mashiro, first of all, it's rude to tell two people to fight like that. Second of all, you should introduce yourself properly; it's polite!"

The woman nodded and smiled. "Oh, okay! I'm Mashiro Kuna, Lieutenant of Squad Nine. Nice to meet you!"

"Likewise," said Itachi.

Jiraiya gave her a friendly smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. If I'd known the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had so many lively women in them, I would've applied for the Academy as soon as I arrived here."

"Which was barely over two weeks ago," Itachi quipped, "So you still would've wound up taking the entrance exams today anyway."

"You got a point there," said Yoruichi as she sat down at the table before motioning for Itachi and Jiraiya to join her and the others, "Then again, if Unohana and I hadn't found you when we did then you wouldn't be here at all. Talk about good timing, huh?"

"About that," said Jūshiro, "Captain Shihōin, which part of the Rukon District did you say you encountered them in again?"

"West Rukon 37," Yoruichi replied.

Shunsui stroked his chin. "West 37… that's not good."

Lisa's eyes narrowed. "When was the last time Hollows made it that far into the Rukon District?"

"Years at the very least," Shinji answered, "Usually the closest they get these days are the 60s or mid-50s. I think our patrols are getting sloppy again."

"Or the Hollows may be getting smarter," Kirio countered, "At the very least, they do seem to be getting bolder."

Love sighed. "Lucky for us they were just common Hollows this time. Can you imagine the damage a Menos Grande could've done had it gotten that far inside the Rukon District?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Menos Grande? What's that?"

"Trust me," said Kensei grimly, "if you saw one, you'd know; each one's taller than a palace. You get a Menos when Hollows become cannibalistic, which is rather common with them. A bunch of the cannibal Hollows try to devour each other, and they end up merging into a Menos Grande. They're not the smartest Hollows out there, but they make up for it with brute force."

Yoruichi shook her head. "You're only describing Gillians, Kensei. One of those alone would be a mess, but one that we could dispatch relatively quickly. An Adjuchas, on the other hand, would be much more problematic."

Jiraiya leaned forward. "Adjuchas? Can anyone explain that to us new guys?"

"Oh, I know! I know!" chirped Mashiro, bouncing up and down in her seat, "Kensei, can I answer? Can I? Can I?"

Kensei folded his arms. "You don't need my permission to answer a question, you goofball!"

Shunsui chuckled. "Looks like someone got more than her usual amount of sugar today."

"Adjuchas are the second classification of Menos Grande," said Lisa, "They're much smarter and stronger than Gillians, but fortunately are fewer in number. They are also smaller than Gillians, although one could argue that that particular quality may actually make them even more dangerous due to their increased mobility."

"Hey, no fair, Lisa!" pouted Mashiro, "I wanted to give the answer!"

Lisa shrugged. "Then you should've given it right from the start."

Mashiro sighed. "Oh, man, it's just like the Academy all over again."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "If Gillians are formed from Hollow cannibalism, then are Adjuchas formed from Gillians eating each other?"

Kirio smiled. "You catch on quickly, don't you? My, my… you definitely found a sharp one here, Yoruichi."

Yoruichi grinned. "What can I say? I got an eye for talent!"

"In truth, you may only be partially right, Itachi," said Jūshiro, "While cannibalism is a component of Hollow evolution, we believe that other factors come into play when Gillians evolve into Adjuchas, although at this stage these are only theories."

"What sort of factors?" asked Jiraiya.

"From what little we've been able to observe," Shinji chimed in, "we think that the creation of an Adjuchas is at least in part determined by which of the many Hollows that made up the original Gillian is the dominant one."

Love sighed. "In truth, there's a ton we don't know about the Adjuchas. The Soul Society's never really done an in-depth field study of them. Squad Twelve's supposed to hold most of the archived reports on them, though."

Kirio nodded. "Indeed, although even then our knowledge is far from complete. Studying even Gillians is difficult when one recalls how rare it is to encounter one in the field. They typically remain in Hueco Mundo, something that the rest of us should be very grateful for."

"Hueco Mundo?" said Itachi, "Is that their home?"

Kensei nodded. "It's a dimension that exists between the Soul Society and the Realms of the Living. Hollows are able to travel freely between worlds thanks to their ability to create spiritual pathways called Garganta. Unfortunately, the only way to get to Hueco Mundo is through a Garganta, something the Soul Society has never been able to replicate."

"So let me get this straight," said Jiraiya, "Hollows can pop up in any world they want, snack on some human souls, and then run right back home without anyone being able to chase them? Man, that's just not fair."

"No kidding," groaned Yoruichi, "It's actually possible for Soul Reapers to go after them if they're able to make it through the Garganta before it closes, but only a few have ever managed to pull it off… and none of them have ever returned to tell the tale. As far as Hueco Mundo goes, we're unfortunately flying blind."

"That's a major disadvantage," said Itachi as his brow furrowed in thought, "Especially if the same is not true for the Hollows. The ones that we encountered the night before seemed to be little more than primal beasts, but if what you say about these Adjuchas is true then it is entirely possible that they've conducted advanced reconnaissance of the Soul Society. That's a potentially staggering information gap."

Jūshiro smiled. "I think you're overreacting, Itachi. It is true that Adjuchas are much more clever than other Hollows, but from what we've seen in the field their intellectual prowess is merely on the tactical level. They are strong enough and smart enough to command Gillians as foot soldiers, but aspects of long-term strategy such as detailed intelligence work and analysis is beyond them."

"Jūshirō's right," said Shunsui, "Above all, Adjuchas are driven by the same urge as other Hollows; the desire to feed. In addition to them attacking lesser Hollows, we've also spotted them on rare occasions trying to devour one of their fellow Adjuchas. They may possess the capacity to cooperate for short-term gains, but their predatory and cannibalistic natures make them incapable of acting strategically."

"With all due respect, Captain," Lisa protested, "that strikes me as an idea based more in wishful thinking and circumstantial evidence than anything else. Anecdotes and the occasional field report aren't enough for us to make conclusive statements on the nature of the higher orders of Menos Grande. I'm with Itachi on this matter; the idea that the Hollows have far more information on us that we do of them is an alarming prospect, especially if they prove capable of effectively organizing to take advantage of it."

Shunsui winked at Itachi. "Well, well; it seems you already have a fan in my Lieutenant, Itachi. I bet you're pretty popular with the ladies in general, aren't you?"

"Well, he's definitely not lacking in the looks department," said Yoruichi with a playful smirk, "I caught more than a few of the female applicants eyeing him during the exams, and I can't say I blame 'em!"

"He is pretty cute!" chirped Mashiro.

"That he is," said Kirio with a grin, "I think I could find a place for him in my division once he graduates."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Well that's typical."

"My appreciation of Itachi is based on the intelligence he has displayed here," said Lisa, although Itachi was keenly aware of her looking him over from head to toe, "although I am not above admiring his physical qualities. I am a curious woman with healthy interests, after all."

Shunsui smiled. "That you are, Lisa."

"We're getting sidetracked," said Itachi, quite eager to steer the conversation back towards its original course, "Lieutenant Yadōmaru, a few seconds ago you mentioned 'higher orders' of Menos Grande; are you implying that there is another classification that goes beyond that of Adjuchas?"

Lisa nodded. "Yes… although evidence for their existence at this point beyond anecdotal reports is rather slim. Still, they cannot simply be dismissed out of hand."

"Indeed," said Kirio somberly, "Not when the potential threat they could pose if conclusively proven to be real is so grave."

Itachi saw Jiraiya's eyes narrow. "So what is it? What's out there that could be worse than an Adjuchas?"

"The Vasto Lordes," Shinji answered, "There have supposedly been a few sightings of them, but those reports came from survivors of teams that were almost entirely wiped out, and the witnesses were so badly shaken that it was almost impossible to get solid information out of them."

Love sighed. "If the ravings of a few badly wounded and severely traumatized Soul Reapers are to be believed, these Menos Grande are about the size of normal humans. However, supposedly they're both smarter and far more powerful than those of the Adjuchas rank."

"How much more powerful?" asked Itachi, his gut telling him that he wouldn't like the answer.

Kensei scowled. "If the fear mongers' are correct, their strength surpasses that of a Soul Reaper Captain."

Itachi was floored. From what he and Jiraiya had witnessed the night before, the barest glimpses of Yoruichi and Unohana's abilities had indicated that the powers of Soul Reaper Captains were in a league of their own. Was there truly a level of Hollow out there capable of surpassing that?

Jiraiya shook his head. "Well… shit."

Itachi nodded after a moment. "Yes… I suppose that's as good a way to put it as any."

Shunsui raised his hands. "Now, now, there's no need to panic. Sightings of these things have been extremely rare. From what we can tell, if they do exist they hardly ever leave Hueco Mundo."

Jūshiro gave what Itachi guessed was supposed to be a reassuring smile. "Let me put it this way; you have a far greater chance of being struck by lightning than encountering a Vasto Lorde. Besides, us Captains aren't exactly pushovers. A Vasto Lorde may sound like a truly daunting foe, but no enemy is invincible."

Yoruichi nodded. "True, but that being said, if they do exist then they should be handled with extreme caution. I actually spoke to the Head Captain about them a while back, and he was thinking of issuing a decree regarding them; any sighting of a Vasto Lorde is to be reported directly to him, and they are not to be engaged until at least two Captains and their Lieutenants have arrived on the scene."

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "The Head Captain actually said that?"

"First I've heard of it," said Shinji.

Love's eyes narrowed. "Something like this should've come up at the last Captains' meeting."

"He's right," said Kensei, "If this is true, then why has it been kept from us, Yoruichi?"

"Because it was an informal conversation that I had with him," Yoruichi replied, "If the Head Captain decides to make it official policy, he'll announce it accordingly."

Lisa shuddered. "I hope the likes of the Vasto Lordes remain in Hueco Mundo. Fighting one of those does not sound fun."

"Now, now, Lisa, there's no need worry," said Shunsui as he patted his Lieutenant on the back, "If we have to go up against one, you can just leave the heavy lifting to me."

Lisa scowled. "With all due respect, Captain, as your Lieutenant I will do my duty in battle no matter what the nature of our opponent may be. I will not allow you to take on a powerful enemy by yourself out of some misguided sense of chivalry."

Shunsui chuckled. "As feisty as ever. There's just no arguing with you when you get like this."

"I wanna fight one!" chirped Mashiro, "Kensei, we can take one, right?"

Kensei glared at his Lieutenant. "Mashiro, were you not paying attention to the others at all? We should hope that we never have to face one of these Vasto Lordes at all!"