Disclaimer: I don't own.

Sorry if this fanfic isn't the best. (It's my first attempt.)

And yes I did gender bend Hisagi Shuuhei, don't like then don't read.

Shuuhei's thoughts – Kazeshini speaking

Hisagi Shuuhei has felt fear many times in her short life. Yet, none of those times had brought about the raw, crippling fear that she feels at this moment.

Daisuke and Hayate who're standing beside her are fairing somewhat better and have managed to scream, but she knows it won't do any good. They're too far away from people for there to be even a slight chance of someone coming to rescue them. Even if someone did hear them they're just some orphans from Rukongai.

The hollow lets out a roar as it swings its huge head around.

If we don't run we'll die.

We have to run!

But I can't scream and my legs won't move.

But-!

It's the stomp that shatters the spell that had kept her from even screaming.

"Go! Run! Run for it! Get going!"

Hayate and Daisuke take off seconds before her and have resumed screaming. She briefly spares a look over her shoulder at the hollow now chasing them.

"Hurry! Hurry up and run!" She urges.

Stopping for some unknown reason, Shuuhei picks up a stick ready to hold off the monster for hopefully a few seconds and give the others more time to get away.

There's a part of her that refuses to just run from it. It's the same part of her that demands she fight tooth and nail to survive.

A tentacle reaches from its back at her. She uses all the strength she can muster to strike it with the stick.

Fight! The spirit urges her on.

Daisuke and Hayate have stopped running to stare at her like she's insane.

"What are you doing? Run already!"

She hits it several more times after they finally start running again, before a second tentacle rushes at her faster than the first and dodges the swing aimed at it. It coils around her making her drop the stick.

"Agggghhhhhh!"

This time she is able to scream.

"Wwaaahhhhhh!"

From her place in the sky she sees a group of Shinigami surrounding the hollow.

The one with the haori is first to unsheathe his zanpaktou, but the others are the first to attack.

It lets out a thundering roar as the zanpakuto draw blood.

Before the shinigami have another chance to attack the hollow pulls her in the direction of its mouth.

Her eyes slam shut flinging tears from eyelashes, she waits for the inevitable.

I'm going to die!

And a miracle happens.

The tentacle holding her is severed by an unseen blade.

Together she and the part of the tentacle fall to the ground. It isn't until they both finally hit the ground that she's thrown free from its grip.

Shuuhei's sent skidding several feet by the impact before coming to a halt. When she looks up its apparent that she's landed before the feet of a man, the one in a haori.

Wow.

This silver haired man standing before her is a warrior. She's in awe of his confidence in front of the thing that had been prepared to eat her a mere moment ago.

His gaze meets hers. Green-gray meets gold. And of all things he smiles.

Her heartbeat is sent into overdrive at this single act. Dumb struck by his smile she manages to stand up with shaky legs and wide eyes.

"Hey get outta here. You don't want to die, do you?"

This manages to get her moving, but from the corner of her eye she still watches.

"Send 'em flying. Tachikaze!"

This time the hollow doesn't even stand a chance. It sends dust flying as it falls decapitated and dismembered by his attack.

He merely sheathes his zanpaktou. "Is everyone all right?"

Her legs buckle as the shock from what just happened becomes clear in her mind. Her breathing becomes heavily now and it's not surprising when sobs tear themselves from her throat. All the fear of the she had experienced fuels tears that trace paths through the dirt on her face. Her hands move up to cover her eyes as her head bows down and shoulders shake.

"Hey, why are you crying? You're still alive, so be happy."

She doesn't stop at his words, opting to cry more instead.

"Smile!"

"Take it easy, Captain."

"I am." The man, no…the captain makes his way over to her. He pulls her to her feet by the arm, not overly rough but demanding none the less.

"C'mon, stand up, kid."

She takes the opportunity to wipe off her face and try to calm down in front of the man that had just saved her life, but her tears were having none of that.

"What's your name?"

"H-Hisagi Shuuhei."

"Shuuhei, huh? That's a good, tough name. Stop crying!"

His tone of voice was one that demanded it makes her gasp. Her head bows as more sobbing follows.

"Why are you crying even more? I said stop crying! Man, what a pain"

His words don't even register with her brain. If they would have she'd have been tempted to kick him instead of cry.

"Kensei!" A woman makes her way into the scene.

"Mashiro, where were you while we were fighting?"

"I found this in the underbrush over there. Look. It's our uniform!"

All of the shinigami gasped at what the woman is showing them.

"There's a whole bunch of them over here. Ten whole sets!"

"Our Shinigami uniforms… And ten of them?"

"Captain, does this mean…?"

"Oi! What's so special about there being ten of them? C'mon!"

"You imbecile! That's how many people we put on our search team!"

"Huh? But it looks like all they did was get naked over there."

"How could they take their clothes off without removing their obi first? And how do you take off your socks while still wearing your sandals? Eishima!" The golden eyed taicho has begun barking out orders to his squad.

"Contact central command. We've suffered our first Shinigami casualties in the missing souls case."

"There's a possibility that this is some sort of strange virus that decomposes souls. Have someone from the 12th Squads research division get over here!"

Shuuhei merely watches the proceedings curiously without really hearing the conversation.

You okay, brat? Yeah. I'll be fine.

"Have everyone we left on alert at base bring over some tents! We're going to spend the night on guard out here!"

Make sure to stay close to the area if anymore of those things come back chances are they'll go for the big fish and not you. 'kay.

"-kid, hurry up and go home already! Get home before sunset! Got that?" His orders had snapped her out of her mental conversation and she saw it. The 69 was inked into his muscled abs. It seared itself into her mind and drew in all of her attention.

Eyes wide she watched her savior and his companions leave. The green haired woman is saying something, but her mind was still too transfixed on the mental image of the 69 to decipher the words.

I always imagine Kazeshini and Shuuhei's old relationship as a very close one. I mean look at how good Kazeshini was with that baby!