Wind's Calling

Hearts and Minds

The roar that left her throat as she pinned Unohana made it throb, (Y/n) quickly pulling back and grabbing at her face. Her Zanpakuto was by the door, held by Shunsui who was watching in an eerie calm. "It's just us, (Y/n)," he stated.
"I'm sorry, Captain," (Y/n) quickly put her head to the floor, aiming herself at Captain Unohana.
"It's okay, raise your head Yamamoto," she smiled softly. (Y/n) looked up at her and felt a shiver go down her spine at the elegant smile on the woman's lips. "You wouldn't have gotten far in your blind rage."
"Unohana," Shunsui laughed. "Take it easy, she's going to pop some stitches open."
"When was I brought back," (Y/n) looked over at him as she slowly sat back. It was brighter in the soul society and it was taking her a bit of adjusting to the different atmosphere. She could feel the wrapping that had been done and she took a minute to look at the work.
"Just yesterday. Whoever got you down continued to beat at you," Shunsui sighed. (Y/n) grit her teeth as Unohana stood up and took her leave, giving a small bow to Shunsui. There was silence for a while before he stood up and walked to (Y/n)'s side. "Did something happen?"
"Yeah," (Y/n) nodded slowly. He sat down next to her, pulling the mask from his sleeve.
"Did it involve this," he hummed. (Y/n) stared at it, taking it from his outstretched hand and staring at the eyes. Grimmjow probably wanted her hollow, not her. He would have killed her to draw it out yet it didn't happen. If it even got that far, he may not have even brought her to death's door just to lose whatever her hollow was to him. He seemed too emotional for something like that.
"I've suppressed the hollow successfully. The arrancar showed and I was useless," she muttered. "He caught me off guard."
"He," Shunsui whistled. "Little (Y/n) out there breaking hearts!"
"I just might have," (Y/n) held no joking tone and it made Shunsui lean forward a bit.
"That was a joke," he whistled. "And here I thought I made myself perfectly clear." (Y/n) turned a bright red, her head snapping to him in her shock. He couldn't be serious about that could he? His kiss ran through her mind and it made the red turn into a scarlet as his face drew closer, "Hey, you didn't think anything of it, did you?"
"I-I thought it was a laps in judgement," she cried.
"Well, whoever's heart you broke might be dangerous considering," he sighed after a moment. "The arrancar were that strong?" (Y/n) stared and gripped the visor in her hands tightly. He was bouncing around subjects, getting her to react and for what?
"Yeah. I heard in a later report permissions had to be given to break power barriers," (Y/n) let go of the mask, rubbing her head.
"If you had permission, would you have won?" The question made her still and she looked to her zanpakuto by the door. She possibly wouldn't have. She wasn't enjoying fighting like her hollow had and of course held reservations about getting hurt. Would it have made a difference if she used the visor while fighting Grimmjow?
"If I used the visor it would be close," she stated. "If I used my zanpakuto to its fullest, maybe."
"Your ability," he followed her gaze, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"Bankai, the reishi drain," she muttered. He tapped his chin before standing up, his hand held out to her as he smiled.
"I am your supervisor of sorts. I'm sure we can figure something out," he nodded.

Yamamoto sat at the table across from (Y/n), the only thing between them the silence that came from tension. The written reports were in his hands and they looked too neat not to have been adjusted in some way. "You've done well," he commented.
"Thank you sir," (Y/n) muttered.
"I would like to see it," he added a bit too slowly for her. She looked up at him as he stared, the tea he held set down gently.
"See it," she asked.
"My granddaughter is a visored as they've been called in the report," he nodded. "I'd like to see it."
"Captain, this isn't-"
"As your guardian," his tone was firm but something she hadn't heard in a long time. The gentleness was there, the type she would hear when she was growing up or was brought home by Jushiro and Shunsui. "Not as your superior or as the commander of the guard squads."
(Y/n) stared and reached into her jacket, her fingers grazing the mask, "I don't trust you not to find a way to use this to your advantage. I don't trust you not to use me as a tool."
"I understand your fears," he nodded. "I won't, on my honor." (Y/n) placed the mask on the table, watching as his eyes fell on it.
"The-the only way to train myself on using it is to use it and prolong the timespan," she muttered. "I have found that I am able to use and deflect cero as well as bulk up my combat capabilities."
"In other words you've broken the ceiling for your soul reaper abilities with this," he chimed. He slowly stood up, tapping his zanpakuto against the table gently, "Come. Let's go head to head like old times." He began walking towards the door to the courtyard, pushing the door open as (Y/n) grit her teeth.
"This isn't a joke," (Y/n) snapped. He stopped, staying as still as a statue as she continued. "None of this is a joke and none of it is a means for you to bolster the sereitei's combat capability. I hate-"
"I said it once and I will say it again," (Y/n) turned and stared at her grandfather, taking in the slack shoulders that had always looked so proud from behind. "I have ignored you as my kin for long enough. I will not make the same mistake again, (Y/n). I forget you are but a young girl under that facade I made you wear." (Y/n) felt defeated, like she had so many times before when he spoke.
This feeling would never go away, would it?
"You really want to spar," she asked quietly.
"I want to see what's happened to the little girl I raised," he confirmed. (Y/n) stood up and followed him, grabbing the mask and tilting her blades forward. He stood in the center of it, his zanpakuto revealed from the staff he's normally seen with. (Y/n) drew her blades and took a breath before launching at him.
"Forgive me if I'm not up to standards. I'm still in recovery," she snapped. Her blades hit sheath as she stuck out with them, the old man proving more active than ever.
"I've already calculated that," he replied. There was a small sense of joy in his voice. (Y/n) dropped a blade and kicked it past his head, blocking his zanpakuto from hitting her side. Her hand was past her head when she caught the other blade, both standing close to one another. "Show me what powers you've gained."
(Y/n) pulled her hand back and over her face, the mask forming.