This story explores a different view of Hinamori Momo's actions in the manga. I feel that Hinamori isn't as weak and gullible as she seems. Therefore, this fic was born. I hope you enjoy it!
It was the dead of the night. In one of districts far from Seireitei, a scream pierced the silent night. More screams followed, gradually becoming more choked before they vanished altogether. The soft thud of clothing falling to the ground was heard.
A little dark-haired girl was huddled under the roots of a large tree, shivering. The eerie screams had stopped, yet she dared not move from her hiding-place. Suddenly hearing the sound of footsteps treading across the grassy ground, she shrank further into the hole, fearing to be discovered as a witness to that night's gruesome events.
"... I see," said a voice after a moment's observation of the situation. "An ordinary soul cannot contain the prototype..."
One of his companions looked at him. "What should we do? Should we put a halt to the experiment?"
"No. Let's continue a little longer."
The underlying malice of this man's voice sent shivers down the child's spine. Not even daring to breathe, she stayed in the small cave until the sounds of people faded thoroughly, leaving only the natural sounds of the forest. Only then did she crawl up to the surface again. After looking back at the abandoned clothing lying on the floor with horror-filled fascination, she fled as fast as her small form allowed her.
Despite the time that had passed, Momo still remembered the incident as if it were yesterday. Nevertheless, she still determinedly trudged through the forest. There was a certain kind of herb that only blooms at night, and she collected it for a living. Money was hard to find in this district.
Voices could be heard from the edge of the woods. Curious, she headed towards it silently.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!"
Momo bit her lip. Not again! She ducked behind a tree, shivering, clamping her hands over her ears in a futile effort to block out the noise. Suddenly, an enormous pressure descended on her. Her legs gave way, causing her to collapse onto the ground. She had never felt anything like this before. For no apparent reason, her lungs seemed to have trouble working. She took little gasps of air, hoping that she wouldn't be discovered. Luckily, the people present had more important things to deal with than a little girl.
"Let's finish this, Hirako-taichou. You were the perfect captain. Because of your vigilance, you kept me by your side. And because of your vigilance, you kept your distance. By watching me, you thought to control my movements. ...Remember this in the end. The betrayal you see is trivial. What is truly fearsome is the betrayal you don't see, Hirako-taichou. Goodbye."
She finally managed to stand on her feet, shaking all over and sweating profusely. She ran, and ran, and ran. The only thing on her mind was to get as far away from that place as possible.
Momo didn't know how long she had been running, but the sun's first rays were appearing on the horizon by the time she collapsed from exhaustion. She vaguely saw a large white wall in the distance before sinking into blissful oblivion.
Thus, the introduction chapter has ended. Thank you for reading! Please tell me what you think! Should I continue this story? Love it, hate it? Tell me. Please review!