So I'm coming with a HitsuHina fic too! ^^
And sorry for Gin's haters - if there is any - but I like him and I also like GinRan, so I had to make 'a miracle' to save him from death, okay?
I know it's a short chapter, but it's introductive to put it like that and...well, I had to do something to split Momo and Toushiro, otherwise the plot wouldn't work.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Bleach and all its characters belong to Tite Kubo. However, the plot it's mine xD
I. Just like kids
The war against Aizen and his Arrancars was over from two months. The Substitute Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo, had been once again rewarded for his heroic actions during the Winter War, but either way he didn't get his powers back. Karakura Town and its citizens that were involved in the battle had returned to normal while Soul Society had been in a crisis of power. As a consequence of the war, Seireitei had lost hundreds of shinigamis and most of the seated officers or captains were badly injured, leaving Soul Society defenseless than ever. The souls that had been living there were confused and fearful. Captain of the 4th squad, Retsu Unohana, had had herself a hard time with healing so many in such a little time; the barracks of the squad had been full and the patients kept coming over and over. Such a big 'hospital' yet not enough. The infrastructure had been also ruined. Aizen might have been defeated but he left some big woods behind.
Luckily enough and thanks to constant work of the 4th squad, the injured ones had recovered fast and after two month of persistent chaos Soul Society returned to normal, too. And once again the sun was shining high, the birds were flowing around and the dreaming life with no worry, but peace took over the spiritual world.
"Shoot him dead, Shinso!"
"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyorinmaru!"
Forget what I said about the peace…
"Ichimaru-taicho, please, put the sword down. Hitsugaya-taicho!"
"Guys, stop! You'll destroy half of the Seireitei if you keep it like that!"
I guess peace is a relative term. Oh, right, I forgot to mention: Gin was also healed at the annoying insistence of Rangiku; what can I say – Unohana is a kind woman.
Then another bang and another part of a wall down. Another 70 meters away building cut from foundation and another part of the barracks frozen. Another sleeve chopped by a sword and another bunch of hair shorted. A huge fire ball created with kido blocked with another kido. Two lieutenants who desperately kept asking their captains to stop the fight and a 3rd seat of the combat squad who kept encouraging the battle like he'd be a commentator at a football match or a TV presenter who announces the newest tragedy in the town. Definitely a wonderful landscape!
After hours of snores a tall body made his appearance from behind the couch and a disgraceful yawn surrounded the room. The lieutenant didn't even bother to look or dare to hope that he'll help her with the useless papers. She knew he'd just roll on the other side and go back to sleep and probably blabbering something about her plat chest again or maybe he'll drink some sake before the next nap in the middle of the day. As her expectation he rolled on the other side.
"Nanao-chan…" called the sleepy voice "Aren't you tired of those? Come here and sleep a little." He slightly beat the surface of the couch.
"K-Kyoraku-taicho, what you say is totally inappropriate for a captain!"
The man let out an exasperate sigh "The fifth time this week…and it's only Wednesday." Another sigh "You can't even sleep here."
The brunette didn't answer, she just watched as he lazily step up to the door probably going to find some sake, pop-corn and a good place next to Ikkaku to enjoy the fight, or rather – since Captain-Commander instructed him to - make sure there will be no damages – as much as possible. As she guessed, Shunsui easily found the pop-corn, a bit harder the sake because a certainly lieutenant hided it and walked slowly at the battlefield. The day was too beautiful to hurry!
The old man was staring at the gate. The gate wasn't there anymore. He became pissed off. Instead of a beautiful, huge door, which's opening claims respect toward the owner of the office and responsibility was now nothing more than some pieces of wood scattered around the place. And as much as Sasakibe was trying to hide the missing thing, it was impossible to not notice a big hole in the middle of the building. Yamamoto was staring at the former gate trying to regain his calm. Of all squads, of all Seireitei, of all Soul Society, couldn't they hit any other gate? It reminded him of old times, when Shunsui had used to do things for the sake of annoying the Head-Commander. He just hoped it as him this time too.
The silence was awkward! It worried the 1st squad lieutenant even more than a yell.
Genryusai gathered his old baton-Zanpakutou and took a deep breath of air to calm his nerves, then he walked straight to the place where the spiritual pressures came from.
"Damn, that was so close! That was even better! Oh, that building will need a new window…at least. Left, no, left, not right!" Ikkaku was commenting from all his vocal cords and enjoying the fight to the maxim. "I'm so lucky, lucky, lu~cky!"
He had been truthfully lucky to not be hit - or maybe he just had chosen the right place – the luckiest man on Earth. Until things complicated a bit.
"That's it! I'm calling Ukitake-taicho!" Matsumoto proclaimed resting her arms on her hips. "Kyoraku-taicho is probably sleeping and I don't even wanna think how the other captains would react…Oh, or Unohana-taicho!" She explained seeing Kira's confused expression.
The spiritual pressure rose again shattering everything that hadn't been well fixed on the ground. It looked like two tornados preparing to collide with each other and ready to destroy everything on a radius of ten kilometers. The feeling was even worse, all three seated fell on the ground and felt like they weren't able to get up, like the air became irrespirable, like they'd be some bugs in the way of a giant who would crush them in any moment. They practically heard the flow of the two reiatsus screaming like predators that had engaged for the same territory and with the always present rage before the great attack, the captain raised their Zanpakutous and used them in one powerful stroke. The seated officers heard something breaking and all they could see afterwards was a motionless scene. The weapons didn't even touch – though they were inches away. Both of the fighters were standing still, both surprised. In the last attack they used shunpo, yet someone had time to step between them, catch their blades from the handles and keep them so tight that they couldn't pull them of the grip.
"My, my" the newcomer sighed "You made me spill my sake." He took a glimpse at the others two. "Withdraw your swords, would you? And lower your reiatsu." He indicated the officers on the ground.
The adversaries did what the long-haired man had said, still changing deadly glares. Sure, Kyoraku was lazy, a drifter, a pacifist, but under that mask he had always hided a quick mind and strength. Shunsui sighed heavily when he noticed that he had shed the last drop of sake. Then something else caught his attention, an imposing old man, well-known:
"That was training…" he stated a bit like a question, earning a little affirmative shake of a head. "I shall remind you, then, that in a place like this, you - as captains - must know and keep your reiatsu much lower than you did!" the old man emphasized the word 'much'. "It the forth time-"
"Fifth, Yama-jii."
"Fifth. Time this week. Can't you stay one day, one single day without fighting each other? Even children understand when I tell them, but you don't." I'm too old for this. He sighed. "Very well, if you act like kids, you'll be treated like kids. Both of you, starting tomorrow, will attend the Shinigami Academy for…undetermined period."
"Teaching kids?" whispered one of the presented shinigami after the angry man made a step to the 1st squad.
"No, Ichimaru-taicho, not teaching kids. As students. Shunsui, you go too."
"Me? I did nothing! I just-"
"You as a foreman. I need someone to supervise them and keep their Zanpakutous - or any sword for that matter – away from them. As for you, I expect good marks, captains' duty accomplished and most important discipline." Or I'll have to degrade you until the student level. Yes, am too old to be patient with them… "And I want a new gate until tomorrow."
Reviews are very welcome!