Chapter 1- The Beginning

The rain poured down all around soaking me to the bone and plastering my long pastel locks to my face and back. I clutched my knees to my chest trying to draw what bit of warmth I could. 'Sasuke isn't fire suppose too be your thing' I wined inside my head shivering on the outside. 'It's raining you idiot what do you expect me to do' he said back to me clearly annoyed with both the situation…..and me 'that still doesn't change the fact that we're freezing out here' I called back to him not paying attention to the people that where walking past me. I knew they wouldn't help no one ever did.

'You think I don't know that we're freezing, when did that suddenly become my problem you're the one in charge here not us'

'Why you little…'

'Come on guys stop fighting'

I was so consumed in the argument going on in my head that I never noticed the man that stopped right in front of me until something warm and thick dropped on my head, I grabbed the edge and pulled it off realizing it was an oversized pink kimono and quickly huddling deeper inside it. I looked up to see a man in a white Captains haori crouch down in front of me.

"Hey kid" he said putting his hand on top of my head "what are you doing out here in the rain" he asked looking at me with a stern expression on his face.

"I…I don't have anywhere else to go" I stuttered out looking at him with wide curious eyes. I wasn't sure why this man was being so kind to me, but it was the first time in a long time that anyone had done anything for me.

"Well that just won't do" he said leaning back and scratching his head "well here" he said rising to his feet" I can at least get you something to eat and you're probably going to need some warmer clothes" I could help but stare as he began walking away mumbling to himself.

"Hey kid" he called looking over his shoulder "what are you still doing on the ground" "Ah..h….sorry" I said jumping up and putting the kimono around my shoulders and rushing after the man stumbling slightly in my haste.

He took me to a little ramen stand that stood less than a mile from where I had been before. We both hurried in to free ourselves of the rain. I hopped up on one of the stools welcoming the warmth that the entire place radiated as a large sense of nostalgia overcame me.

'Don't you remember Sakura-Chan…?' Naruto chirped happily from inside my head. 'We used to eat here all the ti..' he started again but was cut off by Sasuke.

'Shut up you idiot of course she doesn't remember, Sakura you may want to pay more attention it seems the man is speaking' Sasuke cut through gaining the attention of both of us causing me to notice that the man was staring at me expectantly.

"U..umm I'm sorry did you say something" I exclaimed almost falling out of my seat in embarrassment. He stared at me for a second before a lazy grin spread across his face.

"No nothing at all" he said turning back around just in time for a woman to bring two large bowls of steaming ramen. I couldn't help but dig into the food as soon as it was offered to me. Outside of my body I could hear the man chuckling softly at my eagerness while he ate his food at a much slower pace, but on the inside I could hear nothing but Naruto's continuous chanting of ramen, I soon blocked both out. I can truly say in that moment that I found bliss in the warm sustenance that ran down my throat, it was the first time in years since I had warm food that I didn't have to hunt myself.

I was so caught up in my meal that I didn't notice the quick glances that were being tossed my way by the other customers or the even longer look that was being given by the man standing right next to me.

"So how long have you been living on the streets" he asked me without hesitation, therefor I decided to answer him in the same fashion.

"As long as I can remember" I answered nonchalantly not once did I look up from the table as a second bowl of ramen was brought to me. I ate this one slower, taking time to enjoy the taste of it. I knew that I would probably be right back where I started after this. The man would have fulfilled his momentary act of charity and whatever guilty conscious he had would have been subsided and he would leave me to go my own way. With that conclusion in mind I was completely unprepared for what he said next.

"How would you like it if you never had to again" I sat up pin straight and let my chopsticks clatter to the table. What did he mean how would I like it, I would love it but that was impossible. I had no name I could never get a home I could never go anywhere and I could never be anyone. That was the world we lived in, unless you had a family name you could never go anywhere except down.

"What kind of joke is this, what do you mean…"

"It's not a joke you have potential you just need to train it"

"Train it to be what exactly" I asked becoming skeptical of his intentions.

"To become a shinigami" he said with all the finality in the world. I didn't even have time to respond when he stood up paying for both of our meals and beginning to walk out of the shop and into the now sunny street.

"W-wait what-" I began to say jumping out of my seat and starting after him.

"You'll find everything you need in the kimono, you can give me that back later by the way" he said looking over his shoulder at me as he held open the flap before he left walking out into the streets. I ran after him wanting more answers but he disappeared in the blink of an eye. That was the last I saw of him.

~3 months later ~

At first I was skeptical about the words of who I later found out was Captain Shunsui Kyouraku but he was right about one thing when I checked the kimono everything I could need was in there including a signed form saying that I could leave the district to join the academy, a list of instructions on what shops I would need to go into based on his recommendations and directions on how to get to the meet point for the academy students, and a strange badge that I later found was wired directly to the Captains banking account suffice to say I never went hungry after that.

After much argument with Sasuke and Naruto I decided that it was in my best interests to take the captains advice. I wasn't an idiot I knew that on my own I wouldn't survive for very long and I knew that a chance like this only came every once in a while, I didn't intend to waste it. My first step was to follow his advice and get some slightly warmer clothes although with the captain's kimono I didn't have to worry about it too much. I ended up buying a simple red kimono that fell loosely on my shoulders and reached slightly above my knees, the sleeves where long going far past my hands, and it was trimmed simply in black with a black tie. Underneath that I had on a pair of black tights and a tight black sleeveless turtle neck shirt, to top it all off I wore a simple pair of black sandals.

My next stop was to buy an assortment of weapons, this of course is where Sasuke came in. I walked into the expansive shop, my sandals somehow staying silent against the wood flooring. I gazed around me completely unsure of what it was I needed. This meant that I ended up with a very angry Sasuke.

"No not those you idiot…"

"That's way too big for you…."

"You wouldn't even be able to lift that.."

"We are NOT wasting money on that cheap knock-off….."

Let's just say by the time he was done with me I had a weapon pouch full of kunai knives, a katana and a headache the size of the seretei.