Hello everyone! Toasty here, bringing to your computer screen her FIRST EVER Bleach fanfic! Whoo! cheers Um... what to say?

Okay, Sai is an OC, the story's main character are Sai, Isane, Captain Unohana, and Ukitake-taichou. You infer the rest! xD

I'm new to Bleach, so I hope I don't seriously screw up some things. I'm probably going to change things in the chapters every now and again. I'll always say what chapters I've changed and what I've changed so you guys can go back and read them so you don't get confused..

Bleach © Tito Kubo. Anything Bleach in my story is all his! Not mine! Don't sue me!

Iratsuku Sai © ToastWeasl. Meaning she's MINE!! You steal her, I shoot you, like I did my Philip and Jian Muses. Don't make me get my rifle.

Creating a Cure

Chapter 1

Jūshirō Ukitake, Captain of the 13th Company in the Seireitei was in the 4th Company Hospital again. His tuberculosis was slowly worsening, and he visited the hospital at least once a week to get treatment. When Captain Unohana had finished healing him and had given him some medicine, she had started towards the Research Department of the 4th Company.

She knocked on the door, and a muffled, "Come in" came from inside.

The room inside was dark, light only by a computer monitor. A solitary figure sat in front of it, keys clicking as the shinigami entered information into the database. The keys stopped clicking and the figure turned around. The person was female, and wore a bright orange hat.

"Hello Unohana-taichou, how can I help you?" she asked.

"Iratsuku-san," Captain Unohana said quietly, "how's your research on Ukitake-taichou's disease going?"

The girl, named Iratsuku Sai, grimaced. "The information is little and far between. I've managed to glean a few clues and facts from the garbage. I hacked into the human 'Internet' I believe it's called, and I'm looking things up there."

"What else have you found?" Captain Unohana asked.

"Well, for one thing, humans have had the disease for centuries, and they call it 'tuberculosis.' To make matter slightly more complicated, they know how to cure it."

"Really?" The 4th Company captain murmured, "Interesting. You're doing well Iratsuku-san. Keep up the good work."

"I will," Sai nodded. "I heard Ukitake-taichou come in. How is the disease progressing?"

"Slowly," the captain sighed. "We are grateful for that at least."

"Yes, we are," Sai said. "I'm going to try to find how they cure the illness. Maybe we could use it to help cure Ukitake-taichou."

"Indeed," Captain Unohana nodded then turned to leave. "Isane said she'll pick you up when she leaves."

"Alright," the research murmured, but she was already absorbed in her computer screen. Captain Unohana smiled and then left her researcher in the dark room.

-7 HOURS LATER-

Fukutaichou Kotetsu Isane knocked on the door to the research room. Sai usually stayed to examine the information she had unearthed for much longer, usually into the early morning hours. "Hey Iratsuku-san," she said, knocking again, "Let's go."

The door opened and Sai peered out into the bright hallway. "Oh, hello Kotetsu- fukutaichou," she said, nodding. "Is it time to leave already?"

"How many times have I told you to call me Isane, Iratsuku-san?" Isane admonished lightly.

"How many times have I told you to call me Sai, Kotetsu-san?" Sai retorted. "Come on in, just let me clean up."

Isane followed Sai into the room, which had been light with several electric lights. Papers, printouts, and notes where strewn across the floor. "Sorry about the mess," Sai said, bending down to gather the papers, "but it's the best way for me to take notes." She paused for a moment then added, "Did Unohana-taichou go home yet?"

"No, she's finishing up some paperwork in her office," Isane responded. "Man, I wouldn't be able to live in this mess. How do you do it?"

"Lots and lots of practice," Sai grinned. She took off her hat and ruffled the hot pink hair that made Kusajishi Yachiru's own pink hair look tame. "I guess I'm used to it," she shrugged and put the papers on her desk. Then she checked her zanpakuto, which resided in a bright orange scabbard with a brown bag attached to it, obscuring most of the sword's orange wrapped hilt from view. She set her hat on her head, and walked towards the door where she ushered Isane out.

After locking the door, the two female shinigami started towards the main doors. Along the way they were met by Captain Unohana who was leaving herself. The three women left the 4th Company Hospital and started towards the barracks.

"So, Iratsuku-san," Captain Unohana asked as they walked, "what else have you learned about the disease? I believed you called it 'tuberculosis.'"

"I've found out a little bit more," Sai said. "It's nothing major, but I've found that humans use antibiotics to cure their sick. For humans, there is a 67 survival rate. I was thinking if we used healing reiatsu, we could speed the process up a bit."

"I wish we knew if it worked on shinigami," Isane sighed. "I really want to help Ukitake-taichou get better, but if we were only a bit more like humans." Sai stopped dead in the street, a look of dawning comprehension slowly appearing on her face.

"Um, Sai-kun," Isane asked, "you okay?"

"'A bit more like humans,'" Sai murmured, hand to her chin. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Isane asked, confused.

"Have you though of a cure?" the Captain asked.

"Sort of," the researcher said excitedly. "When Isane said 'a bit more like humans' it reminded me of gigai's. Gigai's are rather like human bodies, and if we put Ukitake-taichou into a gigai, then we could treat him as a human, with obvious differences of course," Sai explained.

The 4th Company Captain smiled. "That might work, and once again you prove why you were elected the Head of the 4th Company Research Corp."

"It's a good plan," Isane commented, "but the question is, would Ukitake-taichou still be sick when he came out of the gigai?"

Sai shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'll have to check the records to see if anything like that has ever happened before. Anyways," she stopped again, "this is my room." Sai gave a little salute before opening her room. "Goodnight Unohana-taichou, Kotetsu-fukutaichou."

"'Night Sai," Isane said, waving at her fellow shinigami. "See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Iratsuku-kun," Sai's captain smiled. "Try to get at least six hours of sleep, alright?" Sai had a problem of being a night person, which meant she stayed up way too late every night, and had dark bags under her bright blue eyes as a result.

"I'll try, taichou, but you know me," Sai smiled, "can't promise anything."

Captain Unohana smiled. "Of course; I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow then," Sai smiled then closed the door to her room closed.

XXX

Sai stumbled into the 4th Company Hospital at eight past ten, two hours and eight minutes after opening.

"Morning Sai," a nurse called. The only response the nurse got back was an "Nnngh."

Sai fished the key to the research room out of her backpack and was about to open the Research Room when Captain Unohana appeared in front of it.

"Good morning Iratsuku-san," she said pleasantly, although her voice was hinted with danger.

"'Morning Unohana-taichou," Sai grumbled, "I need to get to work. Please move."

"Iratsuku-san," Captain Unohana asked without moving, "what time did you go to sleep last night?"

"Define night."

"Alright then, when did you fall asleep?"

"Um, I think it was about six in the morning?" Sai winced at her captain's glare.

"What did I tell you last night?" Captain Unohana asked her voice remaining calm.

"Uh, get at least six hours of sleep?"

"Correct; you got about three."

"I was researching!" Sai whined try to get past her captain to open the door to her office. When Captain Unohana didn't move she said irritably, "Unohana-taichou!"

The 4th Company Captain stood firmly in place. "You need to sleep Iratsuku-san. I'm giving you the day off, so I want you to go to your room in the barracks and get some sleep."

"But Unohana-taichou," Sai whined, "I have to get researching on my plausible idea for a cure!"

"Be that as it may," Captain Unohana said, "I'm not going to allow you to work on anything with three hours of sleep. I want you to go home, sleep, and not come back until tomorrow. I'm giving you the day off as a matter of fact. I will not be pleased with you if decide to come back." The threat was clear, and Sai balked.

"Fine," Sai pouted. "I'll go home. I won't like it, but I guess I should get some sleep." The researcher left for the barracks, and true to her word, she did go home for a little while. But no matter how she tossed and turned, her body wouldn't let her go to sleep.

"Argh!" Sai finally growled, after the umpteenth time of rolling over. "Screw this." She got up and dressed in her uniform, a white shitagi, her black kosode and hakama, and the white hakama-himo. She pulled on her tabi socks and her straw sandals then left her room.

She headed for the training areas, where she could train, hopefully without interruption. She pulled her zanpakuto out of its sheath. The blade looked like a standard katana, with a slightly curved blade. The hilt looked to be a six pointed throwing star.

She raised the sword to waist level in front of her and whispered, "Electrocute Erekiteru!" The sword didn't change it length or width, but just glowed with a white-yellow color. She pulled several metal throwing stars out of her pocket and threw them in the air commanding, "Electrocute it Medium Erekiteru!"

The sword gave off a loud cracking noise, and white hot electricity sparked from shuriken to shuriken before incinerating a wooden practice dummy one hundred yards away. Sai sensed movement to her right, and in an instant her sword met the new shinigami's zanpakuto. Sai gave the new Soul Reaper a once over and backtracked rapidly.

The person was definitely a male who had long white hair that flowed freely behind him. Brown eyebrows met at the middle of his forehead and grey eyes graced his pale, sickly looking features. He was wearing a standard shihakushō but what was over it was what had caused her to backpedal so rapidly. He wore a long sleeved white haori; this was a senior captain.

"Good reflexes," the man said, nodding before storing his zanpakuto. "Sorry about that. I heard a loud noise, felt a spiritual presence I didn't recognize, and came to investigate. By the look on your face, I can imagine you're a tad bit shocked at being attacked by a captain out of the blue."

Sai was trying to get her words to form right. "U-uh, y-yeah, I guess I'm a bit shocked, yeah. I mean I wasn't exactly expecting a Senior Captain to come hurtling from nowhere and attack me. I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I was practicing with my zanpakuto."

"What squad are you in?" the captain asked, "Because I don't believe I've seen you in mine."

"I'm the Head Researcher of Fourth Company under Retsu Unohana-taichou sir," Sai said, glad she wasn't shaking in fear.

"Ah, so you're the Soul Reaper Retsu has been telling me about," the man mused. "Oh pardon me, I'm Captain Jūshirō Ukitake of the 13th Company. I'm trying to place where I've seen you before."

"I'm Iratsuku Sai," Sai said, bowing formally to him. "I've think I've seen you before too. . . But I can't place where." She though for a moment then said, "Oh! I remember you know! You helped me out when I was a little girl in the Hokutan district of west Rukongai!"

"Now I remember," Captain Ukitake smiled. "You had been beaten up, and you had said you were going to become a Captain of the Gotei 13. How's that going?"

Sai grimaced. "Not so well. I was put into 4th Company and was soon elected as Chief Researcher. My newest order is to try to find a cure for your disease, Ukitake-taichou."

Captain Ukitake seemed surprised. "I didn't know Retsu had anybody studying my condition. How goes it?"

"Slowly, very, very slowly," Sai sighed. Her zanpakuto, now obviously realizing it wasn't going to be participating in a duel anytime soon, changed from its shikai state to its normal one. She sheathed it and continued talking, "I've been searching through human documents. Apparently, they call your disease 'tuberculosis.'"

Captain Ukitake was about to say something when a figure flashed in front of them. Sai cursed, for it was her captain, Retsu Unohana.

"Ah, Ukitake-taichou, I didn't think I would see you until next week. However," she turned to Sai, "I wasn't expecting to see you, Iratsuku-san, until tomorrow. I thought I told you to go home and rest."

"H-Hey Unohana-taichou," Sai said, slowly edging away from her captain, who was obviously furious. "Technically speaking, you said you were giving me the day off. I couldn't sleep so I came here to train with my zanpakuto. I guess I need to learn how to control Erekiteru's spiritual energy a bit more if you felt him all the way from the hospital."

Captain Unohana sighed. "Can't you follow any orders Iratsuku-kun?"

"Orders are not my forte," Sai said, feeling the anger ebb out of her captain's spiritual presence.

"So this is the researcher you were telling me about Retsu?" Captain Ukitake asked.

"Yes, this is 4th Company's researcher. I assume you're already acquainted?"

"Ah yes," Captain Ukitake nodded, "I met her when she was just a young soul living in the Hokutan district of west Rukongai. She told me she wanted to be a captain of a Gotei 13 Company. She's become a Soul Reaper I see."

"Yes, and she's a great asset to the Soul Reapers too," Captain Unohana nodded.

"Um, Unohana-taichou, can I leave?" Sai asked, looking uncomfortable.

"You may," she said before turning back to Captain Ukitake.

Sai didn't look back as she used flash step to get out of the situation. She ran into Isane as she was going home.

"Hey Isane," Sai said, going from flash step to walking beside the fukutaichou.

"Hm? Oh hi Sai, I thought you were in your room?" Isane looked curious so Sai explained what happened.

"Then, out of nowhere, I get attacked by Ukitake-taichou! And then Unohana-taichou showed up, and everything snowballed," Sai finished. "I got out of there as quick as I could. I don't want to die, especially by the hands of Unohana-taichou."

"She wouldn't kill you," Isane laughed, "you're too important to the company research department. She just might put you out of commission for a bit." The two shinigami laughed.

"Do you want to come to my room?" asked Sai as they turned the corner into the corridor that Sai's room was one.

"Sure," Isane said, and waited for her friend to unlock her apartment door. Once they entered, Isane let out a whistle. "This is much tidier than the research room." The room was simple, two bookcases one on each end of a bed next to a window and a corner desk with two laptops a printer, and a desk lamp pushed into a corner. Filing cabinets lined the walls, some stacked on each other. The floor was polished wood.

"How many files do you have?" asked Isane amazed.

"There's at least one on everyone in Seireitei, more if they have a special disease or something like that." She banged on a file cabinet next to her desk. "This is just for captains." She hit one of the drawers. "This is for everything on Ukitake-taichou. He gets an entire drawer to himself, as does Zurotsuchi-taichou."

"Wow, you've worked hard on all of these," Isane said, impressed. "I don't think I've seen so many files in one place before other then the Research and Development guys, and most of their stuff is all on computer."

"I keep it on paper so that if the system fails, I'll still have everything," Sai explained. "The paper files you see here have an identical set in the Research Room in the hospital."

"Wow," Isane said.

"I know." The two shinigami looked at each other and they both laughed.

"Anyways, Kiyone is coming over to my place so we can have dinner together, so I've gotta get going." Isane sighed. "You're welcome to join us if you wish."

"No thank you," Sai said, shaking her head. "I prefer to dine alone."

"Okay then," said Isane, "but I want you to remember that you're welcome to eat with us." She patted Sai on the shoulder, then left. Sai watched her leave, and wondered why she was blushing.

Did you like it? I've work hard on it! Please review!

Ja ne,

-Toasty and her Magical Myrid of Muses (excluding the shot Philip and Jian, who are in the Intesive Care Unit of the Fourth Company Hospital)