A/N: Sakura belongs to XxLaBellaNottexX, not me.

I stood in front of the academy, focusing my gaze on the sight before me. The building itself was that of a masterpiece. I was pleased that I had been invited to the academy. Cherry blossom petals filled the air, creating a mesmerizing border. It was the perfect season to showcase its elegance and nobility. I gave a small smile and started to approach the entrance. It had been a while since I had last visited this ancient place and I felt it was long overdue for a visit.

As I passed through the courtyard, my ears started to pick up the voices of the academy's students. I stood for a moment, taking in the sight before me. The students filled the courtyard, some running to their next class; others were taking a break and had decided to engage in conversation. I shook my head slightly. It was difficult to believe that all these students would soon join the ranks of the Shinigami. Although I never attended the academy myself, I felt a twinge of envy. I dismissed the feeling promptly and instead directed my attention to the Zanjutsu Training Hall.

The Training Hall was where I felt the most drawn to. Being able to effectively adopt the Zanjutsu combat style was one of the most basic skills that an aspiring Shinigami could be taught. As I neared the entrance, I realized that a fight was already ongoing. Two girls, both trying to best the other, had drawn a small crowd off to the side of the hall. One girl was a little taller than the other and had just deflected a powerful blow delivered by her opponent. The girl's black hair had been swept back into a long ponytail and was breathing heavily. The other girl demanded much more attention. She was smaller than her opponent but her fast movements and quick reflexes seemed to make up for that weakness. Her hair was only shoulder length with blonde and brown shades. The way she moved around the room, seemingly predicting her quickly tiring opponent's next move, was incredible. She gripped her zanpakutō tightly in her hand and jumped backwards. She adopted a defensive stance as her opponent charged towards her.

I was surprised to see a flicker of a smile before she swung her zanpakutō in a swift uppercut. Her opponent lost her grip and the sword flew out of her hand and landed in front of her. The crowd clapped, showing their admiration for the fight before slowly exiting the hall. The winner extended her hand out to the fallen girl and helped her to her feet. They exchanged a few words before parting in separate directions. I crossed my arms and kept my eyes fixed upon the winner as she slowly began to walk towards the exit of the hall. A student next to me noticed me staring and I met his eye. "What?"

He looked a little embarrassed probably due to the fact that I had addressed him perhaps a little too harshly. He was a little shorter than me with slightly unkempt blonde hair. I recognized him being part of the crowd during the fight. "She's good isn't she?" I looked at him, expressionless. "Her name is Sakura. She's one of our best fighters. She's really skilled with her zanpakutō. She trains nearly every chance she gets; it can't be good for her."

I shrugged. "It wasn't much of a fight. She nearly annihilated that other girl only a few minutes into the fight."

The student smiled and shook his head. "You must've come in a little late. That fight had been going on for about half an hour. The other girl, the one who lost, is another one of the star fighters here at the academy. It wasn't until the last five or so minutes when Sakura started to make some progress. She's very quick on her feet and an experienced fighter."

"I've noticed." That girl had spunk and acquired such passion for fighting that she was impossible to ignore. I started to humour myself by imagining her on the 9th division. Mashiro was the only female in the squad and she was…I struggled to find the right word but I quickly gave up. Not to mention, it was refreshing to see a pupil with such promise. "If I wished to speak with her, where would you recommend I go?"

"She usually has lunch under the big cherry blossom tree in the courtyard. You could probably catch her there."

I gave a firm nod of thanks and felt a sudden surge of anticipation as I left the hall and walked towards the tree.

I leaned against the cherry blossom tree in a standing position. My eyes remained clothes and I took in the sounds of the birds and the gentle breeze that gave the cherry blossom petals such a heavenly appearance.

"Excuse me…"

I opened my eye to see the winning girl from back at the training hall. She looked at me with an expression mixed with amusement and possible annoyance.

"I actually use this tree as a space to eat my lunch every day after my training sessions and I hope you respect my silly, but small tradition." The voice carried a tone of playfulness about it.

"Pardon me; my name is Captain Kensei Muguruma of the 9th Division." Her face gathered some colour. It was cute how she suddenly changed attitudes when she was in the presence of a superior.

"My name is Sakura." She started to gather her things. "My apologies, I can move elsewhere." She started to turn when I reached out and lightly grabbed her arm.

"Wait, the reason I'm here is not to take over your…tree but I came over here to talk to you." Her jade eyes met my brown ones and an expression I couldn't identify flickered upon her face. I was really able to get a good look at her from this proximity. The way her shoulder length hair framed her face really brought out her delicate features. She had long bangs pushed them off to the sides with a few strands down the middle of her nose. Perhaps it was my mind playing tricks on me but I could swear that as soon as I touched her arm, the colour in her cheeks brightened.

"To me?" She turned back to face me and looked at me questionably. "What would a well-respected captain want with a student like me?"

"I saw you in the training hall earlier today. Your style and form was incredible. It could definitely use some work but with enough time put into it, you'll surely become one of the most respected Shinigami. The way that you used your zanpakutō was unlike any student I've seen. It was as though you were partaking in a…dance. It was as though you knew every step by heart and you put all your passion into overcoming your opponent. "

She gave me a warm smile and sat down on the grass. "I've had to fight most of my life so my fighting style is extremely important to me. Please sit." She motioned for me to sit and I reluctantly sat under the shade of the tree. I saw her eyes catch sight of my numeric tattoo on my chest but she quickly averted them before our gaze met. "I'm honoured that you've taken an interest in my fighting form. You are quite well known around the academy. Most students would dream for an opportunity like this." She mused and brushed her hair off to the side. She reached into her bag and pulled out a few small boxes. "Would you like to have some of my lunch? I just realized who rude I'm being." She opened her box to reveal steamed white rice.

I gave her a small smile and raised my hand. "That's very kind of you to offer although I'm going to have to decline." I said firmly.

She nodded and closed the box, returning it to her bag. She pulled out a slightly smaller rectangular box and opened it, displaying the noodles and vegetables. Although hunger wasn't an issue at the Soul Society, it seemed that the students had adapted a more 'Living World' lifestyle which featured food. Since the food couldn't satisfy the non-existent hunger of the Soul Society residents, just the taste seemed to be enough.

She took out her chopsticks and started to eat. My eyes wandered down her body and I involuntarily took note of her bust. I shook the thought away, embarrassed. A gust of wind brushed the petals from the tree and they fell slowly to the ground.

"I love this season." Sakura said, looking up at the tree. Her lips curved into a smile and turned her gaze back to me. "The petals are beautiful. Sitting under this tree is so peaceful; it gives me ample time to reflect." I'm not sure why, but whenever our eyes met, some unidentifiable feeling overcame me. Whether the feeling was positive or negative wasn't clear. Only time would tell.

For the rest of her lunch period, we started to speak more casually. I told her the tales of my squad and how it was formed. I told her of the constant annoyance that was Mashiro and her childish antics. She laughed and oddly enough, seemed amused. I wondered what she found so fascinating by Mashiro but I quickly dismissed this and continued retelling my adventures.

She leaned closer to me and I felt myself feeling a little uncomfortable. Sakura seemed so focused on my stories that it was extremely easy to speak freely with her. Unfortunately, the lunch period ended far too quickly and she started to pack up her things. I felt a sense of disappointment and I brushed back my silver hair. "Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to speak with me." I said in a firmer voice.

She laughed and nodded. "Actually, I should be the one thanking you. It's been an honour listening to your stories and I hope this isn't the last I see of you." She smiled and gave me a quick wink. Before I had a chance to react, she turned on her heel and was already heading back to the academy. I watched her cross the courtyard and enter the building. She was certainly different. My gaze fell and saw something in the grass that caught my eye. I leaned over on my knees and examined the item. It was the box that was filled with white rice. A small note was stuck on it. I inspected it with an air of curiosity.

Captain,

In case you get hungry.

-Sakura

I couldn't contain the smile that spread across my face. Yes, she was definitely different.

Over the next few months, I found myself visiting the academy much more frequently than before. I had decided that I would observe Sakura's training sessions and I would eventually make a judgement on whether she would prove to be a valuable asset to my squad.

We spent her lunch periods together, gradually forming a more casual relationship. The other captains hadn't paid too much notice to my whereabouts and but Mashiro was a different situation entirely. Mashiro noticed my visits and would constantly tease me about them. I hadn't told her about the reason of my visits and she quickly came up with outlandish theories.

"What are you hiding from me, Kenai?" She would ask daily. "Are you forming a secret army with the students? You know that it's against the rules. Oh I know! I bet you're stealing the food that the students eat. Why would you want to do that? We don't experience hunger." She would pester me to no end. It took all my patience and willpower to prevent me from reaching over and strangling her. My main forms of relaxation were the days I visited Sakura. We consistently met underneath the cherry blossom tree and in a way, it became our tradition.

One particular day, I found her waiting for me under the tree. I smiled and approached her. Her green eyes lit up as I walked up to her. We exchanged greetings and I took a seat, leaning against the trunk of the tree. "Sakura, I've been observing you for a few months. I've attended most of your training sessions and I believe that I have a good idea of your fighting capabilities and I am in confident in saying you haven't improved in the past few weeks." She looked at me with a mixed expression and raised an eyebrow in question. She parted her lips to say something but I had already started to speak. "It's not because you haven't been trying to improve but rather," I paused and closed my eyes. "You have nothing left to learn from here."

She looked down at the ground and closed her eyes as well. "That is certainly quite the compliment coming from you. But what would you suggest I do about the situation?"

"I was hoping that you would consider working with my squad in the 9th division. I'll be your fighting mentor from then on, of course. I'll have more private one-on-one sessions that will maximize your potential as a Shinigami. Mashiro will do her best to try and get you accustomed to her ways and if not, I'll try and get someone more competent." I opened my eyes and was surprised to see that she had been staring at me the whole time. She turned head slightly to the side and her eyes danced with excitement. "You don't have to give me an answer right away. You should weigh your decisions out before picking the path you think suits you." I gave a slight cough and perhaps a tiny smile.

"Of course…"She seemed to muse to herself. "I'll give you my answer within a week." She said slowly. I got up from my seat and said my farewell. Now all that was left to do was wait.

A week couldn't have gone by fast enough. Whenever Mashiro got on my nerves, my thoughts seemed to come back to Sakura and her far less irritating personality. I could see myself training Sakura with ease due to her relatively compatible personality. One of the many notes that I made during my observations was how her killer instinct seemed to arise whenever she got into a serious fight. Her personality while fighting versus on the days she spoke with me casually were completely incomparable. With that instinct, I knew I could train a true warrior.

I was always on edge and I constantly wondered if she would say yes or not. The days seemed to trail on at a brutally slow pace and Mashiro was not helping in the least. While our squad completed our assignments, Mashiro had reached a new level of annoying and I had to literally distance myself from the squad every few moments.

It was almost sundown when I reached the academy. We had chosen to meet considerably later on this occasion. I was hardly at the cherry blossom tree when someone tugged my arm. I turned around and I saw Sakura looking at me with a rather sheepish expression.

"I want to let you know how much the last months meant to me. You don't understand how much I appreciated the time you put into observing me train. All the comments and tips you told me, I took them to heart and when you offered me your position last week. I was a little overwhelmed." I nodded and stared at her intently. "I thought about that offer long and hard. I examined my course work and I had decided that it was best for me to stay at the academy." I made a small noise and opened my mouth to object when she raised her hand, mirroring what I had done to her a few months before. "But then I looked beyond the course material and I thought about how much I could benefit at your hands." A flush of color rushed to her cheeks upon realization of how peculiar that sounded. "My answer is yes."

I smiled at the smaller girl and she returned the smile. She then raised an eyebrow and added playfully. "But the moment I feel that you get all lazy on me, I'm out of there." I laughed softly.

"I give you my word that I won't let you down." We turned and stared in awe. The sun had just started to set and flashes of colour danced around the sky. I glanced in her direction. She wore an expression of admiration and wonder. In a way, the sun had set at the perfect time. It was the end of one adventure and the start of another. Sakura, the 7th seat of my division.