Chapter 1: New Directions

Chapter 1 – New Directions

Yachiru Kusajishi smiled at the group of female Shinigami gathered before her, all seated at a wooden table. To many, the pint-sized vice-captain was as irritating as she was adorable.

It was her initial idea to make a "club", a little something she called the Shinigami Woman's Association. No one outside of the group really knew exactly what they did in meetings, but the mission statement as (as written by one Nanao Ise) –"to advance the betterment of female Shinigami".

Naturally the members were a paltry 10:

Nanao Ise, Nemu Kurotsuchi, Isane Kotetsu, Rangiku Matsumoto, Kiyone Kotetsu, Soi Fon, Rukia Kuchiki, Momo Hinamori, Retsu Unohana, and Yachiru herself.

Yachiru was all about increasing the size of the group, but the other female Shinigami were either turned off by the cheeky girl leading it, too busy (like anyone bought that excuse), or just not interested.

But today was a very very special meeting. And it wouldn't be the last….

"Good afternoon, everyone! Man, that was a crazy day a while back, wasn't it?"

Everyone in the room stiffened. To say that day was "crazy" was very grossly understating the severity, not that it bothered the president.

Fact 1: Ichigo Kurosaki and company had broken into the Seireitei to stop Rukia's execution.

Fact 2: Many Shinigami had been attacked.

Fact 3: Sosuke Aizen revealed himself to be a traitor and mastermind of Rukia's execution, having just left with fellow traitors Kaname Tousen and Gin Ichimaru with a swarm of Hollows under negacion.

But again, that really didn't bother Yachiru. After all, she had more important things to care about.

"Yes…." Nanao coughed and adjusted her glasses. "It is. Was an emergency meeting really needed, Madame President?"

"Yes! Sooo much stuff has happened!"

Nanao frowned, as did the other members of the group. They were out 3 members for very important reasons.

Fact 4: Momo Hinamori had been brutally stabbed by Sosuke Aizen, and was currently at the 4th for treatment. The appropriate officers were there.

"Um…so…..what happens now?" Kiyone asked, her voice nervous.

"Huh? Duh, it's so simple. We make sure we visit Peaches every day!"

Everyone in five seconds of Yachiru's presence knew that she always gave people nicknames, save for a select few. In her eyes, no nickname either meant you were really memorable or really not.

"But that's later! You're skipped around, Blondie!"

Kiyone flinched and bowed her head in apology.

"Today…a member promotes!"

Heads turned to face Rukia, who looked very stunned.

On top of her head was a ratty headband with the word "Rookie" in kanji. She was the most recent member, and with the current size of 10, Yachiru felt tiers were in order.

The rookie position meant you always had to wear the headband in meetings, and do other boring stuff like collecting donations and whatnot. Rukia hated it, but then again, who wouldn't?

"Me…..?"

"Yep! You're no longer the rookie, Ruki-Ruki! Felt it was right, y'know?."

A few days earlier, Yamamoto was about to kill her, then Aizen, then Gin…..it was a painful experience. But she did have Ichigo, Renji, and Byakuya as meatshields, if that's how Yachiru remembered it.

Or how she remembered Retsu explaining it. What did it matter?

"…President, I…..thank you. Wait! This isn't a demotion to super-rookie, or something like that?"

"Nah! We've got too few members for the super-rookie class!"

"Excuse me!"

Soi Fon of the 2nd Division was not in a good mood, and for good reason. Her old mentor Yoruichi had reappeared (read: totally not her secret love interest nope sir), brought up a ton of other issues, and worst of all, three traitors had escaped. Unforgivable!

"Please don't tell me you just called this meeting to promote Kuchiki!"

Yachiru liked Bee-chan. She liked pushing her buttons, but generally, she thought she was really really cool. She considered her to be the muscle of the group.

"Nope~"

"Then…..why, Madame President?"

Nemu Kurotsuchi was a rare example of no nickname; she was just "Nemu-chan", because Yachiru couldn't think of a good adjective or trait to fit her. She always looked sad. Yachiru hated when people were sad.

"Because!"

Yachiru stood up and raised her hands.

"We need to expand, girls! Our club is way too small! And based on what just happened….the possibilities are endless!"

"Please explain yourself." Nanao groaned.

Nanao Ise was considered to be the "right-hand woman" of the group, but really she felt like she was the sanest. She was a very diligent worker, and Yachiru liked that.

"Hello! Ichi brought a very important candidate! Boobies!"

"Inoue?" Rukia asked, removing the headband.

"Yeah her!"

"She isn't a Shinigami." Nanao pointed out.

"…yeah, so?"

Nanao shoved the name of the club in front of Yachiru's face. "Read this out loud, President."

"Now now, Vice-President. You don't want to be rookie, right?"

"Stop! So you called this just to promote Kuchiki and scout Orihime Inoue?" Soi snapped.

Yachiru looked thoughtful.

"Nah. I think…nah, forget it."

"Spit it out!"

The other members were curious, but also very worried. When Madame President has that look on her face, there's trouble….for someone.

Yachiru stood up and drew a picture on the blackboard.

"Who is this?"

The other women squinted at the board.

"A…..goat?" Kiyone asked.

"Looks like a monster." Rangiku Matsumoto chimed in.

Rangiku had joined the club initially to have fun and get away from work. And naturally, that is exactly what the case was. She also found it much more fun to listen to Yachiru than Captain Hitsugaya himself (don't tell Captain I said that!)

Rukia was a master of people shunted by art critics.

"…..Hinamori."

"Yeah."

Yachiru drew another picture: an evil face with glasses.

"And HE hurt Peaches."

Part of Rangiku wanted to speak up that technically, Gin had hurt her as well. Then she mentally slapped herself, as Gin didn't lie to her face AND drive his sword through her chest.

Yachiru was not smiling as she turned around. To the club, a not smiling Yachiru was 100x more dangerous than a smiling Kenpachi Zaraki.

"No one is allowed to hurt those in the club."

Nemu looked down in shame and uncertainty. Everyone knew Mayuri Kurotsuchi was very cruel and sadistic, but no one outside the 12th ever saw him physically beat Nemu. Verbally, sure. Words were words, but slaps and punches hurt.

The skirted Shinigami served her captain well, but she feared him, what he could do. She wasn't willing to endanger herself and the ones she considered "friends".

It was still a foreign concept to her, but the only time she ever smiled was with Yachiru and the gang. They were rare, but the positive feelings she experienced – as odd they were to her – were worth staying with the club.

Now Soi crossed her arms.

"So you want to declare war against Aizen now? At least we're thinking on the same page, President, but his ambitions are much more involved than our….group."

"Declare war? Bee-chan, you're silly."

Soi growled. She wished the President wasn't in earshot of Yoruichi's addressing her by her old nickname, but then again, it was catchier than "Braid-chan".

"That sounds like a warning. Why give him that?"

An eerie silence creeped over the room.

What now?

"Are you saying you wish you to redirect the club activities to training and preparation for future war against Aizen? Interesting….." Nanao wrote some things down in her log of each meeting.

"Nope! That sounds really boring!"

Collective face-vaults.

"That's it, I'm done!"

The short captain of the group got up and headed for the door.

"Wait! Bring azaleas tomorrow!"

Soi turned to ask what the hell she was talking about, but she remembered Hinamori. She wasn't super friendly with the girl, but a member was a member, and no one deserved Aizen's sword through them.

"Understood."

A flash-step signified her departure, and the other members turned to stare at Yachiru.

"Hmm that it's for today I guess! But I've got some stuff to say when we talk to Peaches, so don't be late!"

Yachiru assigned them their flowers, and the group was off.

Before she went to turn the lights off and leave herself, the pink-haired captain stared intently at the drawings on the board.

No one…..hurts my friends.

Yachiru erased the board and quickly left, realizing it was dinner time at the 11th Division barracks.

FIN