Characters: Yamamoto and Orihime, brief Sasakibe

Genre: Drama

Setting: Soul Society, shortly after the defeat of Aizen.

Word Count: 452

"Yamamoto-sotaicho," said Sasakibe Chojiro as he entered his superior's office, "Inoue Orihime wishes to see you."

Although the old general was surprised by this, he did not let it show on his face.

"Very well, let her in."

Sasakibe nodded and allowed the human girl into the room.

"Uh, sorry for taking up your time," she nervously said, "But I heard that you lost your arm fighting Aizen, and I wanted to heal it for you."

"So you are saying that your healing abilities can restore lost limbs," said Yamamoto. He knew that Inoue's abilities acted on a different scale and dimension than normal healing kido, but he had not heard the full extent of her power.

"Yeah, Aizen figured out that my powers reject reality, so it's not really healing, but forcing your arm back into existence."

"Have you visited the other captains yet?"

"Yes, I just came from healing them."

Yamamoto was silent for a moment.

"Inoue Orihime," he finally said, "I am grateful for your offer, but I must decline."

She let out a quick gasp of surprise.

"Why? Don't you want to have your arm back?"

"What I wish is a reminder for my failure."

"Your…"

"I was a fool to not think that Aizen would prepare himself against my strength. It never occurred to me that he would find a way to contain my power and use it against me. Instead, I focused only on a method to bypass his Complete Hypnosis, believing it would be the only technique he would attempt to use."

"It's not your fault, sotaicho! Aizen is really smart, so there's no way you could plan for everything he did."

"It was my responsibility to stop that man, and I failed in that task. The only reason Aizen did not replace the Soul King was because of Kurosaki Ichigo's power and Urahara Kisuke's own plans. And we were lucky that the Hogyoku decided to abandon its master instead of attempting to heal him again.

"But what will happen, should Kurosaki Ichigo not be present, and Urahara Kisuke unable to be at a needed battlefield? Luck is a fickle mistress, Inoue Orihime. My missing arm will teach me not to underestimate my foes in the future."

"But, won't you fight better if I healed it?"

"A reminder of not underestimating my enemies is worth far more than my arm, Inoue Orihime," he replied, "I repeat my gratitude to your offer, but my decision stands. Is there anything else you wished to discuss with me?"

Inoue looked like she wanted to protest further, but reluctantly kept her silence.

"No, there isn't," she said softly.

"Then you are dismissed."

"Hai, Yamamoto-sotaicho," she said, bowing and leaving.

Author's Note: Just my theory on why Soifon and pretty much everyone else got put back into one piece, but Yamamoto did not. Since Orihime is not the type to hold a grudge, I doubt that she would withhold her healing from him just because he did not approve a rescue of her. Especially since Yamamoto was the only one who actually did what she wanted in that scenario.

"I go with Ulquiorra to save my friends' lives, and what happens? They almost get themselves killed trying to rescue me!"

"I told them not to."