2"Die, hollow!" a tall man with raven spiked hair slashed down the middle of an overgrown masked creature. He landed softly amongst his comrades, all of which didn't seem too banged up. One violet-eyed woman stared in muted awe as the tanned male sheathed his weapon.
"Well done, lieutenant!" one man praised as the rest gathered around as well, giving just as much praise as the first man.
"Alright, mission accomplished!" Lieutenant Kaien Shiba announced as cheers were given by the rest of the group.
It was not much later when the black clad group were found closer to the, so you could say, "headquarters": a place called the Seireitei, home to the protectors of the Soul Society known as Soul Reapers.
Violet orbs winced in pain as Rukia Kuchiki lightly touched one of the few scrapes she had gotten from the earlier mission. "I've hurt myself," she hissed out before a tissue was wiped against her face to soothe one of the other scrapes. The black-haired female turned to find a woman with hair nearly as dark as her own and a small child that gripped at the woman's hakama. "Mrs. Miyako," Rukia greeted before looking to the raven-haired child. "Hello to you as well, Daiki."
Miyako smiled at the adopted noble. She was of average height and had kind grey eyes with her hair pulled back in a bunned ponytail. The girl at her side was her daughter Daiki, who was her father made over with wavy shoulder length hair and a round face with the typical baby fat. Daiki's name, though meant for a boy, resonated with her parents; however, the meanings varied between the mother and father.
Miyako preferred the meaning of "grand radiance" to signify how important her daughter was in her life while Daiki's father preferred "great tree". He had a strong gut feeling that his daughter would turn out to be strong and independent, able to withstand whatever would be thrown her way.
Daiki waved to the short female, an excited gleam in her sea green eyes, "Hi, Auntie Ruki!" Whenever the young child's parents had to go on missions, she was left with either their squad captain or the Kuchiki female and had grown quite close to her, seeing Rukia as that of an aunt figure.
Miyako smiled softly at her daughter then looked back to the ebonette, "Are you all right?"
Rukia blinked at the older woman before turning her seated position to face Miyako, "Uh, yes! Yes, it was nothing! Thank you." Daiki giggled from her mother's side at how flustered Rukia sounded.
"Oh, good I was worried for a second."
"Mom," the little girl called, tugging at Miyako's hakama, "when can I see Dad?"
"Hey! Who's that?! Is that you, Miyako?!" the voice of Kaien called as he ran towards the group of three. The Shiba male's face brightened even more when he noticed the raven-haired child, "And Daiki, too?!" He gave a laugh and shortly reached them, scooping up the tanned child, "I wasn't expecting you guys; how long have ya been here?"
"Oh, we've been here for a little while," Miyako replied to her husband. She glanced her eyes to the girl in his arms, "Daiki really wanted to see you so I decided to bring her along."
"Yeah! We saw you take care o' that big ole' monster!" Daiki cried in excitement, fisting her little hands into Kaien's kosode.
"Really now?"
"Mhm," the dark-haired woman hummed, "I just came in to see if you messed it up and needed me to save you."
"I would'a helped save you, too, Dad!" Daiki cried, puffing up her chest heroically at Kaien.
The raven-haired Shiba laughed heartily at his family, "Well, at least it's nice to know you two have my back!" He unwrapped one of his hands around Daiki and ruffled the child's hair, "However, you, on the other hand, won't have to worry about helping me for a long time." Miyako laughed lightly at the antics of the father and daughter. Kaien turned his attention to the onlooking Kuchiki, "Rukia, go alert the squad, have Sentaro and Kiyone help. Tell them that we're heading back."
"Yes, sir." Rukia turned the taller female, "And thank you for helping me, Mrs. Miyako."
"You take care of yourself now."
"Yes, I will!"
"Bye, Auntie Ruki! See ya later!" Daiki exclaimed, waving her small hand frantically to the adopted noble. Rukia smiled at her, bowed to the two adults, and took off to fulfill her given orders.
Sea green eyes opened to see two framed pictures of Miyako and Kaien Shiba, the owner's parents that have been dead for over two decades. Their daughter Daiki takes the time after she wakes up everyday to sit and think back on the old, happy memories the three used to share. A common question that plagued Daiki's mind was if her father had been reborn into the World of the Living, no longer having the responsibility of exterminating hollows hanging over his head and finally living a peaceful life.
The Shiba teen tussled her cropped and layered hair, the voluminous waves moving as she ran her sleeve-covered hand through it, "Ya always did wanna see my hair short, Dad. Hope ya like it 'cause it's sure grown on me." Next, Daiki ran a finger along the purple wing that arched at the corner of her eye, an exact replica on the other, "And, Mom, ya always wanted me to be my own person, not just another face in a crowd of black." The raven-haired teen thought of her altered shihakusho, she being one of a small group with an altered uniform. Things like the kosode and hakama were kept the same, but Daiki ties back the kosode's sleeves with a lilac ribbon and wraps it around her neck in the fashion of a choker. Her zanpakuto is kept horizontally on her back within the ribbon. The white shitagi was traded out after the tanned girl found a replacement for it in the human world: a straight collared, white long-sleeved shirt that covered her hands but left her fingers exposed, a black trim surrounding the edge of the sleeve. The only other altered section of Daiki's uniform was the customary sash around the waist; the teenager's was longer than the typical ones and loosely tied but tight enough to keep her uniform together.
Daiki always strived above and beyond for the things her parents would tell her when they were alive: don't pick on the weak, show kindness whenever you can or when it's deserved, and don't show special treatment to those of higher nobility and lineage unless it's respect. That's why her appearance was so different from some of the other soul reapers, she took what her parents said when she was younger to heart. From this mindset, Daiki always followed the things they believed in because everyone in the squad would always tell her how great a person both her parents were, and she wanted to be just like them.
The door to the female's barracks was slammed open while she heard two loud voices yell, "Fourth Seat Shiba! The captain wishes to see you, ma'am!"
Daiki turn to the squad's residential loudmouths with a blank glare, "I get that ye're followin' orders but do ya really feel the need to just barge inta my barracks so unannounced, I mean c'mon."
"A thousand pardons, ma'am!" Sentaro cried in a bow. After the tragedy that struck Squad Thirteen, the third seat duo turned their respect from Daiki's parents and sent it towards the teenage Shiba, regardless of the fact that she was ranked lower than the pair.
"We were just following Captain Ukitake's request!" Kiyone cried in the same position.
"Please forgive us!" Sea green eyes darkened in annoyance as the teenager's expression grew increasingly blank as the third seat duo decided to get into their usual fighting about copying the other. A vein began to grow on Daiki's forehead with each second that went by of their fighting until finally-
SNAP
"WOULD THE BOTH OF YA JUST SHUT THE HELL UP?!" the fourth seat cried in anger, winding her leg back into an expert soccer kick that she had seen from her missions in the World of the Living, sending the loudmouth morons flying into the distance and becoming nothing but a twinkle in the sky. Daiki sighed and turned to look at the pictures, "Ever since the incident, Kiyone and Sentaro've become total rivals; it's drivin' me up the wall." Her lips parted as she breathed out, "Guess I'll talk ta ya'll tomorro' then." With that, Daiki left her barracks and headed to Captain Ukitake's office.
"What the hell do ya mean 'accompany Rukia to the World o' the Living'," the raven-haired female deadpanned at the only father figure she had after the real one's death.
The sickly captain sighed, "I believe it would be wise to send a seated officer with Rukia as she deals with her mission."
"But that's just dumb." Now, don't let her attitude fool you; Daiki highly respects and looks up to Juushiro Ukitake. She only speaks this freely to him because their relationship had always been a close one, even when Daiki was a child; not just the captain, but the whole squad was like family to the Shiba child, having grown up surrounded by Squad Thirteen's members. "We both know how capable Rukia is. Just 'cause she's not a seated officer like me doesn' mean she can't handle a mission as simple as this." Daiki gave a huff and crossed her arms, "Besides I plan on visitin' Aunt Kuukaku and Uncle Ganju soon. Ya know how long it's been since I went and saw them."
Ukitake chuckled, "Indeed, it has been awhile since your last visit." The white-haired man grew serious again as he stared at his fourth seat, "I thought maybe a seated officer would help ease Byakuya's mind about her going on this mission. He hasn't been told yet officially, but I know he will throw a bit of a fit." Byakuya Kuchiki, Rukia's adopted older brother, was the captain of Squad Six and an often cold man. To most, it would seem as if he did not truly worry over his sister's well-being, but he always found a way to cancel the missions Rukia was given. Daiki and Juushiro theorized that Captain Kuchiki was trying to keep Rukia safe.
"That man would throw a fit regardless if a lieutenant went with her on her mission," Kaien's daughter commented, closing her eyes. "Sending me with her wouldn' do anythin' ta ease him."
"How about this then," brown eyes stared into sea green, "when I tell him about the mission, we'll let him decide which he would prefer. That way, if he would truly be eased about you going with her, he can be the deciding factor. Deal?" A pale hand was held in front of Daiki.
The teen pouted at her captain, "Oh, c'mon, ya know what he's gonna say!" Daiki smoothed her face into an expression of neutrality and deepened her voice, "'Do what you please, it makes no difference to me.' He wouldn' directly tell ya no about sendin' her on a mission and ye're just takin' advantage of his indifference ta send me with her!"
"Now, now, we don't know if that's what'll happen," despite these words, Ukitake had a pleased expression as flowers swirled around him.
"BULLSHIT!"
Daiki stood beside her shorter companion at the Senkaimon Gate, arms crossed and an annoyed expression on her visage.
"Good luck on the mission, you two," Ukitake spoke with a smile, ruffling the tanned teen's fluffy, black hair.
"No comment," she muttered, still annoyed that the exact scenario she talked about happened, costing the girl her visit to see her aunt and uncle.
"Thank you, Captain Ukitake," Rukia thanked with a smile.
"This mission will be over before you know it. All you need to do is take care of the Hollows then come back."
"Of course, Captain," the adopted Kuchiki spoke for the both of them, seeing as Daiki was giving the ill man the silent treatment. Violet eyes turned to the younger reaper, "Come along, Daiki. The sooner this gets done the sooner you can do what you originally planned to."
Said girl huffed before replying, "Fine, let's get a move on." The Shiba child decided to stop being difficult and looked to Ukitake with a small grin, "See ya later, Capt'n."
He gave a happy nod, "Yes, I'll see you both soon."
With that. Rukia and her fourth seat walked through the Senkaimon to get to the human world. "Hopef'ly this mission'll be done with quickly," Daiki thought begrudgingly.
The doors to the Senkaimon closed as the two walked through.
A/N: This is an older story of mine from last year, so it's gonna have some inconsistencies with recent information from the newest chapters. I contemplated just scrapping the story altogether, but I quite like Daiki as she is despite what little information I know about the Shiba Clan as a whole.
I plan on revising the entire story once Bleach's manga is finished off because by then the clan's history SHOULD be more than just mere speculation like the fandom's been doing ((though I will admit that there are some pretty interesting theories on the entire clan's story))
So if you see something in the story and decide to review "AY THE RECENT BLEACH ARC DISPROVES THIS" or something along those lines, just know that anything like that in this will be fixed once the Shiba clan's story is actually confirmed.