Several Notes to reader : This is a slight AU, while reading please forget Kommomara and Iba san ever existed. I hold no grudge against these characters (in fact I find kommomara taichou admirable in many ways) However I also needed a slot empty. Apologies to any fans of these characters.

"kai" means release but as a baby name can also mean "forgiveness"."Kaishirou" means "forgiveness white". A little lame perhaps but the alternative "Shiroukai" "white forgiveness" despite having a better meaning just didn't fit in my minds voice so well.

Disclaimer: I'am quite certain I do not own bleach

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Chapter one- Antagonistic beginnings

2 months before the order for rukia's return is issued

The 2000 year old academy produced soul society's shinigami. Only a couple hundred would rise above rank and file. Even less had that vital strength to embody the rank of vice captain.

And less than one percent would became the elite, the taichous. The process was slow, Waiting for a suitable individual could take decades. Yet now it seemed fate would graciously allow a buy one get one free offer.

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Slowly, with an age old creak the door to the first division crept open. Two figures wearing the white haori of a taichou silently walked in.

The assembled captains waited in two lines on either side. Their eyes took in the new arrivals, gauging them as they came to stand in the centre of the room. The pair now boxed in by the other taichous.

In rare show of punctuality all the taichous had turned up. Even the often absent Ukitake. Soul society ran in familiar cycles. But this was something of a special occasion.

All knew who the pair was before they even entered. No taichou could failed to have heard of the twin prodigies. The white haired phenomenon's graduating from shinigami academy in a year. Who rose to third seat in less than three. Wielding the strongest ice based zanpaktau in existence.

Becoming a taichou so quickly was remarkable. Two at once was unprecedented. Incarnations of heavenly guardians only came once every few centuries and this pair most certainly seemed to fit the role.

The shortest, Hitsugaya Toushirou stood no taller than four ft 5. white spiky hair framed an almost femininely beautiful face. The sword he possessed was almost as tall as hitsugaya, with a jet black sheath strapped diagonally to his back sporting a star shaped hilt. His most distinctive feature was his eyes. Clear Teal eyes that reflected the strength and determination that brought him there.

His face was still a morphic stage between child and adult. No doubt that one day he would acquire an attraction so unique few if any would rival it. His frame was small but suggested a lean wiry strength. His hands were callused by innumerable hours of sword work. The symbol "ten" resided on the back of his haori. He met the gazes of the other taichous steadily.

His twin stood taller by several inches. Hitsugaya Kaishirou's face was the mirror of toushirou's. Only it was as if a sculptor with infinite skill and patience had softened, rounded and chipped away infinitesimal sections. Making them more delicate and effeminate, revealing an extraordinary ethereal beauty. Kaishirou had china white skin. The same achingly beautiful emerald eyes of her twin framed by long eyelashes. Long flowing snow white hair which ran down her back, shimmering in the light.

Her lips were soft looking, complementing cheeks that had a very faint rosy tinge to them. Devoid of calluses her hands looked soft, with slim delicate fingers, yet somehow suggesting a potent strength. Kaishirou's features were more refined, possessing a haunting allure even Toushirou couldn't match. Loveliness that made a heart ache. To be perfected only by a smile. Regrettable because her face was smooth and stern, no tell tale hints of laughter crinkles.

One who smiled rarely.

Unlike her brother who stood confident and relaxed her body was rigid, radiating tension. Her sword, shorter than Hyourinmara was enclosed in a white sheath adorning her back. The guard was reflective silver, fashioned with geometric elegance as a snow flake. The symbol "seven" rested at the back of her haori.

Dissimilar to her twin her eyes challenged the gazes towards her. The twins rietsu, restrained as typical for a taichous had unmistakable coldness enweaved in it. A chill which could refresh or invoke a shiver.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni after a long evaluating pause spoke in the loud raspy voice that had echoed in the room for centuries

"Taichou's of the gotei thirteen. As you well know for the last five years the tenth and seventh squad have been without taichou's"

He gestured to the two obviously new taichous. "Recently two received recommendations. 5th squad taichou Aizen Sousuke put forward his 3rd seat Hitsugaya Toushirou"

His eyes narrowed on Kaishirou

"And the 9th squad taichou Kaname Tousen recommended his 3rd seat, Hitsugaya Kaishirou."

His voice would have held rapt a persons attention. That is if they hadn't heard it for decades or more"I as well as five other taichou's evaluated them in the taichou qualification exam. Both proved their proficiency and character unquestionable. It is unprecedented, but I see no reason not to promote both to the rank of taichou."

With excessive gravity and conviction as if declaring war on the entire world he bellowed "Hitsugaya Toushirou will now command the tenth!"

He turned towards the other twin. "And Hitsugaya Kaishirou will be in command of the seventh!"

A silence greeted his pronouncements. Silences after the Sou taichous utterances were a time-honoured occurrences in Taichou meetings. One meeting made that painfully apparent to the twin prodigies.

Toushirou gave a short but respectful bow "I will serve the gotei thirteen to the best of my ability" he said firmly.

A long awkward pause followed. All waited for Kaishirou to say something. The tension became almost unbearable. He gave a slight sideways glance towards Kaishirou but didn't dare turn completely. His eyes pleaded "Don't be awkward now of all times!"

Another few painful seconds….Kaishirou finally gave the merest approximants of a bow. She didn't lower her eyes. She tried to think of something to say. Nothing sprang to mind.

Haltingly she said "Feel free to call me Kaishirou taichou"

There was another long silence before Yammamoto finally barked out "Dismissed!!" Kaishirou sincerely hoped this was not going to be the norm for taichou meetings

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Kaishirou's friendship with Zaraki was unusual, beginning the day after her and Toushirou's appointment as taichou's. Centred on a primal homicidal instinct more than anything else. They rarely talked if they met anywhere in soul society. They barely acknowledged the others existence in captain meetings.

But once or twice a week Kaishirou showed at the11th division without her captain cloak to spar with Zaraki.

Or more precisely the two tried to kill each other.

Resulting clashes all but destroyed the courtyard of the 11th division. It relocated to a crater marked clearing outside. Typical result….both taichous so battered, bloody and bruised they couldn't stand.

It had began as some unusual friendships do, as an argument. A immature, childish, petty argument unbefitting of their positions. But it happened anyway. She had by chance into him coming from the 7th division.

Neither were amiable individuals. Kenpachi in particular was boorish and had a knack of saying things that grated. Kaishirou had an alarmingly short fuse. Hitsugaya Toushirou and anyone in the 9th division could attest to this if Kenpachi had bothered to ask.

One lone patronising comment from the 11th squad taichou at how snotty little kids thought they could play taichou dress up, set Kaishirou off.

Hed barely finished speaking before her white sheath was empty and the blade arcing towards his throat.

Both Realised quickly that any holding back would result in their own death. It escalated out of control. Killing intent blazing, rietsu charged and blades gripped tightly they'd hacked at each other. Unleashing a savagery that would have daunted even the bravest of fighters. The fight destroyed a whole row of buildings, leaving them so numb, fatigued and injured they physically could not fight by the end. Or for that rate remember the original reason for it

Dying from blood loss in a ruined, frosted over building close by the 4th division was ignoble and stupid. So they'd agreed to temporarily stop cutting each other up and work together getting to the 4th squad, since neither of them could walk unassisted and neither felt like calling for help.

Kenpachi's mammoth weight was draped on her left shoulder. They used their zenpaktau as makeshift crutches, limping their way to Unouhana. It worked out as long as Kenpachi kept her weight off her right leg.

Zaraki's right arm was inoperable as was Kaishirou's left. They had worked out a balance of taking turns, using their uninjured hands to propel themselves forward.

It was awkward, painful, inefficient and the absolute best either of them could think of at that point.

They bickered all the way there with Kaishirou saying he was too heavy and Kenpachi saying she was too short. After the fight however it was half-hearted on both sides. Kaishirou was actually impressed at the joint effort. Considering her inability to get along with people at the best of times, and that a few minutes ago they had wanted each other dead.

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Kaishirou realised there was no getting around that they were a sight. And not one for sore eyes.

Unouhana, the quintessence of calmness and serenity had looked alarmed at exactly how battered they were. They were still heartily dripping blood all over her disinfected floor. A visibly botched use of kido failed quite miserably to stem the bleeding. One glance at the zanpaktau showed how bad things were. The swords were both chipped, battered and had infinitesimal cracks laced around the edges.

A clear sign of dangerously depleted spirit pressure.

The 11th squad taichou's chest was a mass of lacerated flesh bizarrely was laced with frost. Likely the only reason he wasn't bleeding a lot more. Kenpachi's face was covered in scrapes. His eye patch was missing and his hair had reverted to a lustreless black mane. Legs and arms were covered in deep slashes. His right arm was bent in a way suggesting broken bones.

The white haired girl was in better shape. It was only by the slightest measure and still left her worse for the wear. The left side of her visage was darkly bruised. One eye was swollen shut. Multiple slashes and bruises adorned her arms, blood and bruises standing out starkly across flawless pale skin. The left arm was particularly sorry looking. It indicated tendon damage. At least three serious cuts marked her torso as well as a leg wound that made walking an impossibility.

Their uniforms looked like they'd gone through a shredder and both were covered in dirt. Kaishirou's lustrous white hair was matted, tangled and nearly a different colour altogether.

Unouhana ascertained that by some miracle they weren't in life threatening conditions. She attributed that to an incredible tolerance for pain and injury.

What was really scary was how relaxed they were around each other. They had just had a no holds barred, brutal fight. No doubt about it. But if not for the blood you wouldn't have guessed. Zaraki taichou looked happy and even Kaishirou's perpetual tenseness had dissipated somewhat.

Unouhana cautiously asked "Is there a problem I should be aware of?"

The two exchanged a glance. Kaishirou gave the smallest half smile (a rarity in itself) before answering "Not at all Unouhana taichou, me and Zaraki taichou merely had a… theoretical disagreement…on the finer points of zenjutsu."

A humorous spark seemed to dance in Zaraki's steel grey eyes.

"We couldn't agree so we decided a practical demonstration would clear the issue"

Zaraki flashed the type of grin you would expect from a shark "Sounds about right".

"I see" Unouhana said after a significant pause not really seeing at all.

Unouhana decided to go with the approach of taking it in her stride. Even if she didn't know what on earth was going on she had to act as if she did. Professionally She sent for some members to assist in the copiously draining treatment.

Unouhana had seen a lot in her three centuries of service, this was abnormal. Even for her. She just couldn't shake off the whole oddness of the situation.I've just witnessed the birth of a most unusual friendship she thought. It was just one of those things that you never saw coming. One of those things that you still couldn't quite believe even though it was in front of you. Like a bill arriving immediately after you paid the previous one.

She felt it was imperative to discourage anything like this happening again."It would be best if you inform me of these practical demonstrations beforehand. Even taichou's have limits to their endurance"

Whether Unouhana was talking about them or herself she wasn't sure.

"We'll bear that in mind" Kaishirou said. But Unouhana being perceptive as she was could hardly have failed to see the look they exchanged, or the dark premonition that this was going to be one of many such late nights.

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Neither Zaraki or Kaishirou could quantify their reasons for continual killing matches. It was true Zaraki hardly needed excuses to fight a taichou class opponent. But he felt an eagerness to these fights unusual even for him.

After all not every individual came back, fighting him time after time. Most ended up dead. Or they spent the rest of their lives keeping a sharp lookout for him. praying he never found them (Madarame excepted)

Maybe it was just pent up anger, which they could finally take out on someone with no inhibitions.

Maybe they loved the same rush of adrenaline that came from having your life threatened to within an inch.

Maybe it was the joy of being pushed to the brink of your limits and beyond by an opponent of unquestionable worthiness.

Whatever the reason they developed a fondness belaying the occasion. And unasked they reached a unique understanding of each other.

Kenpachi had the trappings of a simple brute but was both highly intelligent and complex. Kaishirou had been impressed at the profound insights Kenpachi could come up with. His brutality often uncovering a surprising amount of truth.

Her favorite one had been Zaraki saying that opponents fighting were in some ways more intimate than lovers.

No attention could more absolute than a person watching you to anticipate your next move. Fighting someone, you came to know them. came to know things rarely learnt in conversation. like...

How they thought.

How they fought.

How they reacted to defeat.

How they reacted to triumph.

Why they fought.

What drove them when their will was all that sustained them.

An opponent you could be cruelly honest with. More so than a lover because you didn't worry about hurting them. In a fight both love and hate could be felt for an opponent. Unlike lovers you had the option of destroying them. If that wasn't intimacy Kenpachi had claimed, than nothing was.

Kaishirou had grinned and asked if he liked the idea of being intimate with her.

He had asked if she did.

Neither replied, both redoubled their efforts to land a finishing blow.

Honestly both felt a little sexual tension just added to the enjoyment. It was secondary to the joy fighting with no restraint. They both understood this and so didn't bother mentioning it. The tension was there, unasked for, unacknowledged but coiled in the background.

Kaishirou had on occasion remarked to herself that she wouldn't have minded kissing Kenpachi. Perhaps in the same dangerous passion that drove their fights. It wasn't as though he was unattractive. Kaishirou would agree with Kenpachi that a kiss was just a brief touching of flesh. Far less intimate than a fight. Not that she was about to tell him that anytime soon…

Kenpachi had likewise been impressed at her transformation to a 4ft 9 killing machine.

Kaishirou could be a cold pinnacle of ruthlessness. Her icy focus matching on par with his most ominous killing intent. Her blade play was matchless. To himself at least he could admit it was in many ways was superior to his own. He knew her speed was astonishing. Hed seen her become a white shadow of death. Seen wounds grace his form before he saw the edge that made them.

Her rietsu was impressive but not the crushing pressure he could exert. Kaishirou's physical strength paled before his own. Kenpachi knew that despite her being the toughest female he knew, he could take yet more punishment. She was also shrewd enough to make these disadvantages mean needed every resource he had and then some to fight toe to toe with her.

Strength vs. speed, skill vs. savagery, cunning vs. fortitude. Most importantly he knew that like him she was a quick thinking, intuitive fighter who fought with her gut instinct rather than logic.

It had been a long time since Kenpachi had been driven to improve so much. He even got to fight her on a regular basis. Kenpachi could safely say he was having more fun now than in at least half a century. It would be a shame if one of them did kill the other.

The fights resulted in massive injuries to both sides. Yet Kaishirou's rietsu even in pain echoed with unmistakable joy. Something matched only by Unouhana's ever increasing despair upon the arrival of the blood-spattered pair.

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As she made her way to the 11th she noticed yachiru at the gate. Kaishirou tossed her a packet of candy Toushirou had practically begged her to take. The thirteenth squad captain in a warm-hearted (and unwanted) gesture to welcome them as fellow captains had lavished the twins with every candy confection known to exist.

Toushirou was partial to watermelon candies and watermelon candies alone. Kaishirou simply loathed candy confections in all shapes and forms. Kaishirou refused to take any dumping them all on her brother. Toushirou's division had become infested with candies. Only the introduction of yachiru to the equation had made his division habitable again.

Watching yachiru rifle through the packet with a squeal of delight made Kaishirou wonder how much simpler things were through the filter of a child's eyes.

She kept an unofficial score in her head. Currently she considered herself one up after last week. Kenpachi, uncharacteristically sullen and nursing his groin area had said she'd had played dirty. A rietsu powered double kick to the groin hurt, humungous rietsu or not. Kaishirou replied that in this sort of fight there was no such thing.

She grinned at the memory.

Even though they both kept an unofficial score, in reality it didn't matter who won. It was about the fighting rather than who actually came out in the end. It certainly didn't stop them trying to win at all costs, but they were usually both so battered by that point that declaring a victor was indeterminate at best.

She remembered one occasion they'd both passed out from blood loss. Waking up at the fourth division Kenpachi claimed hitting the last had suspicions to this day being unable to remember any better had let it slide.

Seeing Kenpachi taking off his eye patch at the very start showed he remembered the last match clearly enough. Widening her stance to take the edge off the overwhelming spirit pressure a feral grin spread across her face.

Kenpachi had an identical grin.

Kaishirou's soul slayer glowed silver. She fed rietsu into the edges, focusing them razor sharp. Things were so much simpler at the 11th division.

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What Kaishirou didn't realise straight away was that (via Yachiru) rumours of the death matches had spread across the seirieti. The mere mention of Kenpachi sent shudders of fear down lower ranking shinigami. But he was at least a known quantity. The newly appointed taichou of the seventh, Kaishirou was an unknown quantity. rumours hastened to blow facts vastly out of proportion.

Kaishirou did not have a friendly disposition. Her face near constantly leaned to a frown. Her eyes, breathtaking and animated, were too often narrowed close to a glare. People sensed the young taichou was always tensed, poised to leap into action (most believed a murderous one) in a flash. Her voice, clear and with a soothing melodious undercurrent was cut off abruptly in conversation and seldom heard.

The only people who could (quite literally in some cases) battle past icy fortifications and lure out a brief smile onto her face would be her brother, Hinamori and surprisingly enough, Zaraki taichou.

It was her eyes above all. Teal eyes burning with a frozen flame. So intense it was quite unreal. It was staring into the eyes of a graceful but fatal predator. You looked into those eyes and saw a glimpse of a spirit so wild, so unrestrained and passionate it both repulsed and captivated you.

It was far too much for most people.

Talking felt out of place. Most peoples comparison was talking to a polar bear sizing them up for dinner. It took a person of exceptional strength to look at the eyes without flinching. It took a person with an unparalleled strength to hold a conversation with those eyes and feel comfortable doing so.

Due to this Kaishirou had few friends. This suited her fine until she became a taichou. Whenever dealing with subordinates, even basic matters like reports and orders, they looked like they would faint from her mere presence. Her fast turning into legend reputation with Kenpachi made people edgy conversing with her. Kaishirou's cold personality did nothing to help.

She was a graceful, ethereally beautiful being that stalked like a predator and enjoyed fighting immortals. Virtually nothing was known about Kaishirou except this. It didn't take long for people to draw the wrong conclusions. Rumours ran rife making her more terrifying with each telling.

Most shinigami probably wouldn't have been surprised if she drank blood. So the 7th squad were more than a little alarmed that she was the taichou assigned to them.

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Kaishirou after a two weeks theorised it was because the 7th squad lacked a vice captain.

An intermediary bridging the gap between cold superior and common soldier.

Kaishirou had originally believed the power gap between a taichou and vice captain was so vast it made them all but irrelevant. But after a week of awkward interaction with her squad…Perhaps Toushirou's busty vice captain wasn't a complete waste of space after all.

She liked to use shunpo to get around quickly in the division, but she had since learned to stop. They could just about deal with passing her in corridors. Subordinates going pale, tensing up and finally in a panic going into a deep bow until she passed.

Materialising soundlessly out of nowhere was far far too much. Eight division members either flinched uncontrollably or fell over. Two screamed and one convinced he was under attack took a swing at her.

A particularly nervous female shinigami came face to face with Kaishirou round a corner and went into such a state of shock. Her lips were trembling. Her eyes wide. Her entire body shook and her breathing froze. She staggered backwards, tripped over before promptly bursting into tears.

Several division members rushed to see what was going. They made motions to go to the crying girl but froze when they saw Kaishirou. Hovering uncertainly, as if scared she might attack them if they got too close to her prey.

The situation was made more awkward by the sobbing shinigami attempting to hiccup out apologies while avoiding the young taichou's eyes. Kaishirou failed utterly to think up any way of cheering her up, or even stopping the goddamned noise without scaring her more.

Realising the best cure was an absence of her presence she ordered her 7th seat (who went rigid when called) to take her to the 4th division. Kaishirou then walked through the crowd which parted with people pushing to get out the way.

She knew it was early days, first impressions as kenpachi had shown could be far from accurate… but it was disheartening nonetheless. Kaishirou did not plan on getting overtly friendly with her subordinates, but she wanted to be able to ask for a damned report without the person holding it counting their last seconds alive.

It was pathetic.

This was a professional military force. They fought soul devouring monsters daily. Kaishirou got the impression that given a choice of facing her or a hollow most in her division would have gone for the hollow hands down.

If only she could make them understand that killing them would just make paperwork more horrendous by adding death certificates to the already ludicrous workload.

Kaishirou decided to see how her twin was doing in his captainship, visiting his confection littered office. Toushirou found it all hilarious and nearly cracked a rib laughing when she told him about it. She had snapped, grabbed one of the sweets (a large rock candy) and flung it at him.

She asked him how hed gone about running his division for the first few weeks. He told her hed gathered them together and released Hyourinmrara. Informing them that if any of them had a problem taking orders from someone so young they could complain to the dragon.

Knowing first hand how dangerous the dragon appeared Kaishirou wasn't surprised that nobody filed a complaint.

Kaishirou felt her problem was of a different nature. She didn't need to convince her squad to obey orders, they were all motivated (rather pathetically so) to do that.

No….her problem was convincing her division that she wasn't going to eat them.

Threatening them with her shikai would obliterate any last shred confidence they had left from the last few weeks. If she was going to avoid commanding a bunch of snivelling wrecks for the foreseeable future Kaishirou was going to have do some spinal surgery, fast.

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Thankyou for reading