It's still a mystery why Ichimaru Gin, the ex-captain of the Third Division, joined Aizen Sousuke. Did the conspiracy begin as Ichimaru recruited by the Fifth Division when he entered Gotei13? Or, perhaps it all began long before that. Even before Ichimaru came to Soul Society.
Disclaimer: Bleach isn't mine
Author's note: My first fanfic hasn't completed yet, but I really have to do this, especially because all the talk in a local forum about the reason Ichimaru Gin joined Aizen. I'm using Ichimaru's first name, since that's how Aizen called him (and actually how I always call him also ).
I tried my best to make this a one shot, 'cause I just can't handle two long stories. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you, and please do review. I love to hear what you think about my fic :)
THE FIRST MEETING
A heavy breath, and tired legs; the little boy ran with all his power left, trying not to be caught by that thing that hunted him. Sometimes he stumbled over the underbrush, but managed to escape slightly before the thing swung his big and full of claws hand. He grabbed everything his hand could reach and threw it with all his might to slow down what chased after him. But it's useless. Since his hand was small, what he grabbed obviously around the same size; totally ineffectual against a monster.
He's lucky that this dark forest was familiar to him, or so the boy thought. But for a monster, it's not something to be bothered about, since he could just cut away all those branches and made it through. The monster knew that it wouldn't be long until the boy finally exhausted and unable to run anymore. But if the boy wanted to play around for a while, he'd be happily to join.
And it's here.
The boy fell. This time, both of his legs had run out their power. He turned his back and gazed at the big white creature, with the scary look on his slanting eyes. With a sitting position and knees parallel to his chest, he slowly moved backward; but stopped, as his back hit a tree behind him.
"Don't waste your time," said the monster. "Just be a good boy and surrender. I'll see if I could make this cause you no pain," the evil smirk on his weird face, seemed like a mask, definitely meant no kindness in his last sentence.
The boy opened his mouth, but quickly closed it. What for? It's not like anyone would come. In this dark forest, it's just the two of them.
Is that true?
Just when the monster was ready to grab him, a shadow suddenly appeared and came between the two. A man. A human wore a black kimono and dark wavy hair. That's all the boy could see from the man's figure. And as he spoke, what the boy heard was a calm, but cold, voice. "You think you can just run and live in peace after what you did?"
It's a scene that the boy didn't expect. The monster was definitely a winner, if you looked at their sizes. But he acted exactly as the boy when he's about to be killed by the monster.
"I… I… no… I didn't…," he couldn't even speak properly, "I didn't mean to!"
"What was that? You didn't mean to?" a sarcastic tone. "Right, you didn't mean to screw up my plan and then disappeared the second I found out about it. I know exactly you didn't mean to."
"A-aizen… sama, I…" what he's going to say became a mystery as the man that he called "Aizen" drew out his sword and slashed him into pieces. The boy let out a small scream. And before he's able to close his mouth, those pieces of the monster's body vaporized.
The boy stunned. How? Why? Who are these people? All the possible questions popped out.
It's like the man could hear his thought. He turned to the boy, and smiled. An indescribable smile. The boy felt hard to tell if this glasses man was good or evil. But he remained at where he is right now. He looked directly to the man's eyes. No fear, as what he showed to the monster. And it's not because the fact that the one standing in front of him had a human figures.
Aizen's eyebrow lifted. "Well, since you could see that ugly thing, it's to be expected that you could see me too," said he. "But don't get me wrong. I'm not here to rescue you. I'm not a good person who goes around finding people to be rescued, and I hate it when people thought that I am. I have better things to do."
"What do you mean?" calmly responded the boy while stood up and cleaned dirt from his yukata. His mind stuck to the first statement he just heard, the latter just passed by his ears. "Off course I could see you, Ojii-san."
"Not if you're normal," the man placed back his sword.
"I am normal," argued the boy.
"No, you're not," insisted Aizen as he turned his back and started to walk farther from the boy, who immediately followed him. But the one being followed seemed didn't mind at all. "Because that disgusting thing and I are not normal. So, that makes you not normal."
"So, I'm not… normal?" the whole thing was too confusing for the boy to understand.
"Well, it's not a bad normal," continued the glasses man. "It's a good one. It's special. And exactly the reason that horrible looking monster," he kept changing how he called the monster he just murdered, but none of them referred to something good, "wanted to eat you."
A short silence.
"I'm not sure I understand that."
Aizen laughed. "I don't blame you for that. Okay, I'll make it short," he stopped and then turned to face the boy. "That resent creature was not human. Obvious, right? Having that kind of appearance, and human eating habit; if he were a human, he'll end up in jail. Or some lab. Though it's hard for me too understand why anyone would want to spend some of their valuable time to be with that useless thing."
The boy listened to him cautiously. An expression that made Aizen couldn't help to smile.
"And what about you, Ojii-san? Are you human?"
Aizen smirked. "What do you think?"
If one giving that kind of question, it's easy to interpret. "So, you're not? Then, what are you?" asked the boy enthusiastically. "And what is that guy earlier? You killed him, right? But his body… it's gone! It vaporized and gone! How is that possible?"
"It's possible because he's not human. Well, actually he was. Me too. I was human," Aizen started to move his feet again. "Long ago. Not anymore."
"Exactly how long ago?" the small feet quickly followed Aizen. "And if you two aren't human, what should I call you then?"
Aizen stole a glance at the boy who's now standing besides him. "You're one full of curiosity boy, you know that? Isn't it the time to go back to your home?"
"I don't want to. I don't like it in there. They hate me. And I don't like them either," answered the boy. "If I'm gone, the only thing they worry is that they have to all the chores by themselves."
"Why did your family hate you?"
"They're not my family."
"So you're adopted?"
The boy shook his head. "If I were adopted, hopefully not to that kind of family."
"I see. So, where are your parents? Dead?"
"Maybe. Who knows?"
"But still… you need to go home," Aizen urged him. "It's not safe. You're special. There's might be others like that idiot guy earlier. You'll be a good target for them. It's what they do. Well, they could be useful sometimes," an evil smile showed up, "especially for someone like me."
But the boy's mind only paid attention to the words that he never heard before in his entire life. "When you said special, is it because I could see them? And you? So, you're saying not all people can do that?"
"Exactly," Aizen nodded, and then made an astonished expression when he saw the boy smile. "Why are you smiling? Don't you hear what I just said?"
"Yes, I heard it perfectly. You said I'm special."
There was a silence for a moment.
"I guess not many people call you that, huh?" this new development gave Aizen an idea to make this boy do what he said. "How about this, I'll call you special as much as you want, if you promised to stop following me and go home."
The boy smiled. "Do you really think I would fall for something cheap like that? You're so lame, Ojii-san. I'm not going home. I prefer to hear your story. About you and that guy."
"You call me lame?" Aizen laughed. "Is that how you would address your savior?"
"I thought you're not here to rescue me."
Another laughed. "Ouch, it hit me back! And what makes you think that there would be a story? I don't have time to sit and have a chat with you. Where did you get that thinking?"
"Call it a hunch."
"Call it a dream."
"So you won't tell me? You're so cruel, Ojii-san. After making me curious, now you're gonna leave just like that."
Aizen didn't respond immediately. He carefully watched the sullen boy. "How old are you?"
"I'm eleven."
"You know, a normal eleven year old boy would run and screaming frightened when meeting someone who's not human. You acted well when you're facing that good for nothing guy," first time the boy heard him calling the just-evaporated-monster as a 'guy'. "You scared, you ran, you scream; but look at you now. Pushing me to fill your anxiety instead of being terrify. You're pretty brave for an eleven year old boy."
"I guess you don't hang much around eleven year old kids."
A big laughter embellished the silent forest.
The boy just silently smiled. "Besides, Ojii-san, I don't think you're scary. You look okay," said he. "You killed that guy probably because he pissed you off. Or something like that. You won't kill if it gives you nothing in return."
Aizen watched him carefully. "You're an interesting kid. I don't say much, and yet you get that many? What's your name?"
"Gin."
"Gin? Your parent named you?"
"No. Some guy who sent me to the family where I live now," the boy, Gin, picked up a stick and scratched it to ground all the way. "I don't like it."
"Why not? I do."
Gin saw him in amazed. "You do? Why?"
"A name should tell who you are. I think it describes you well."
"That guy named me that because of my hair."
"I know."
Again, silence.
"But you still like it?" Gin asked.
"Yup."
There's a slight smile out of embarrassment, and a whispered, "Well, maybe it is a good name."
They now have reached outside the forest. Aizen stopped, followed by Gin.
"I have to go," said Aizen. "And you can't follow me."
"Why not?" asked Gin, disappoint.
"Because you're still alive. My place isn't meant to a living person," explained Aizen. "So you have to go home now."
"Will I ever see you again, Ojii-san?"
Aizen smiled, and gave a short cliffhanging answer. "Who knows?"
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Gin heard footsteps coming, and soon passed him by.
"Good evening, Aizen Taichou."
Aizen stopped, turned his back, and slightly smiled. "How long have you been there?"
"Not too long," answered Gin. "How's Hinamori-chan?"
"Asleep. How's the preparation?" Aizen begun to move his feet again.
"All set," Gin followed him. "Don't worry. Kaname and I did exactly as you said."
"Good."
A long silence, as their headed to where they suppose to head.
"I'm thinking," Gin broke the silence. "If I didn't meet you accidentally on the district that time, after our first meeting, I wonder who would walk this alley with you right now."
"Why are you suddenly saying that? Do you regret meeting me?" though the words imply a surprise, but Aizen's expression didn't change much.
"Nope. Just wondering," the memory of their first meeting emerged for no special reason.
"I couldn't answer that question. Probably I'll found someone else. Your childhood friend maybe," Aizen smiled, intended to tease Gin.
"She wouldn't want to do it. Exactly why I always sneaked around when I went to see you," apparently Gin took it seriously. One side of him that he only showed to the man who's walking ahead of him. "Besides, if there wasn't me who asked her to enter the academy along with me, and it's you who told me to enter, probably she would never be here at the first place."
Aizen didn't say anything. Right now he has no interest doing this conversation. They've arrived. "We're here," said he.
Gin stood three meters behind Aizen. He looked around, stuck his sight to the big high wall in front of them. He then stared at Aizen with his trademark smiled. "So, Aizen Taichou, are you ready to die now?"
Aizen smirked, "I'm more than ready," and then drew his Kyouka Suigetsu.
"Should we pray?"
"To who?"
Gin slightly laughed.
"Nothing to be prayed. No one to pray to. Everything will work exactly as I've planned. No doubt. And though something may come up, it's by no means a hesitation, I've prepared the back up." Aizen gazed at Gin, "You and Kaname helped me a lot. Glad I met you."
As Aizen release his zanpakutou, Gin whispered, "Me too, Ojii-san."
The End.