A/N: Okay, so I'm putting this disclaimer right here, this fic is mostly therapy for me. My OC will be quite mary-suish, I'm well aware. But sometimes you just need to put yourself in the shoes of a badass to feel better. She won't be the mary-sue to top all mary-sues, I'm not going stupid about it, but she's pretty powerful and all that mess, if you don't like it just don't read. If you do have tips and tricks for my writing though I will greatly appreciate it, and if I got a bit of Bleach information wrong feel free to let me know, I'm no expert after all.
Diclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
The beginning is the most important part of the work.
~Plato
A gentle breeze wafts throughout the Seireitei. Most Shinigami simply ignore it; too bust with their duties to pay mind to such a mundane thing. However, one woman sits serenely atop the fourteenth division barracks, knees pulled up to her chest and her head resting atop them. As the breeze washes over her, ruffling her long burgundy tresses, she inhales deeply, a content smile on her tanned face.
This spot if her own special hideaway; where she can overlook the flower filled courtyard below without prying eyes. It's where she steals away when she needs a moment of peace. To get away from the people and paperwork for a few precious moments; not that she doesn't love her job and the people she has to interact with, she just needs silence for a short while.
The woman stretches out her body to lie down, elongating her limbs and letting out a sigh of pleasure as her joints crack and pop. She relishes in the feeling of the sun's rays on her already tan skin, the warmth that fills her is like a warm hug. The red panda that was previously sleeping wrapped around her shoulders repositions itself curled into a fluffy ball in the middle of its' owners stomach before yawning and falling back to sleep. The tanned woman absentmindedly runs her fingers through the animal's soft, red fur, gazing at the cloud seemingly mindlessly. But nothing she does is every mindlessly.
"If you continue lazing around like this, you'll be late to the captain's meeting Kimiko-sama." A deep, monotone voice comments, causing Kimiko Hamasaki -captain of the fourteenth division- to sigh before curving her lips into a small smile. Her golden eyes flicker upward to see the imposing figure of her lieutenant, Shikima Hashimoto, standing over her, blocking the sun and casting a shadow over the smaller woman. His black hair messily covers his scarred left eye while his right eye, a bright green, gazes down at his captain with hidden adoration.
Shikima is a lower born member of the Hashimoto clan, one of the four noble families. A bastard, born out of wedlock, was given to Kimiko when she was born as a "gift", sent under the pretense as being her personal servant. In reality everyone knew it was simply a cover-up to get rid of the boy they consider a disgrace.
"I can't say I'm surprised you came to find me." The woman says, smiling up at her lieutenant happily. Despite the ugly terms on which the pair was introduced, Kimiko immediately took to the older boy. She considers him her closest confidant and one of her best friends. "You know how much I hate captains' meetings though Shiki."
"Considering I have to convince you to go every time, yes, I am aware of how much you despise them." The amused man replies, the mask that covers the bottom half of his face moving upward slightly.
"It's all arguing. You know how much I loathe arguing. This one will no doubt be especially messy with the whole Gin fiasco. Honestly, why could he be thinking? I'm already in a tizzy trying to sort out the whole Rukia mess and now this?" The captain lets out a frustrated huff, hundreds of thoughts and half-finished solutions running through her head. She laces her fingers together, for some reason it's always helped her think, giving her something to focus on and help filter her thoughts.
Something's been off ever since Byakuya and Renji returned with Rukia, that much is clear. Though there was no way to avoid punishment for the girl's reckless actions, they hardly warrant the death penalty. This alone sets the captain on edge. Kimiko has always been close to Rukia, taking her under her wing when she was adopted into the Kuchiki family, much to Byakuya's indignation. Now Ryoka try to infiltrate the Seireitei, and would have succeeded if not for Gin. Now that brings up the question of why Gin was there at that exact moment, why he didn't report it, and why he let them get away. A captain of his skill level should have had no problem killing a few Ryoka. Kimiko has too many questions and not enough answers for her liking.
The only thing she is sure about at this very moment is that something is wrong. There is a deep sense of foreboding in her gut, and her gut is never wrong.
Gin has always put Kimiko on edge. There is something about him that is…off putting. He's hiding something behind his smile and the woman knows it. It's the same feeling she has about fifth division captain Aizen. His friendly demeanor always seems too much of an act, like he's trying too hard to be the good guy and avoid suspicion. However, Kimiko has never had a good enough reason to move against them. Aizen is loved throughout the Seireitei and though not everyone likes Gin, he's respected.
"Kimiko-sama?" Shikima questions, knowing Kimiko was distracted by her thoughts. Usually he wouldn't interrupt, but she had a meeting to go to.
"I guess I should be going, wouldn't want to be late!" The woman chirps, grabbing her red panda and jumping to her feet, placing the animal around her neck once she's upright. She takes a discreet look around the barracks when she's upright, making sure no one is around before grabbing Shikima's shirt and pulling her ear down to her lips. "Keep a discreet eye on Gin and Aizen, don't be seen."
"Understood."
"Be safe Shiki." Kimiko says, pecking the man affectionately on the cheek before disappearing.
Tomo, the red panda wrapped around her neck, begins digging through her haori with purpose. Laughing, she takes out a few bamboo leaves to feed her companion before getting lost in her thoughts once again.
Though she has confidence in Shikima, she knows he can't possibly spy on both captain's without being seen. Kimiko's reason for sending her lieutenant was as simple as she informed him. Yes, she wants him to keep an eye on the two men, but he was also sent as a warning. The captain's know that Shikima is a lieutenant, and would only be watching them at her command. By sending him, she is sending the message that she is watching them, in hopes of discouraging whatever it is their planning to do. She can only hope it works.
Despite Flash Stepping at an incredibly lazy pace, Kimiko still makes it to the meeting room with time to spare. She sighs unhappily before entering the room and replacing her irate look with a cheerful one. Doing a quick survey, she notes that all the captains are present, save for the thirteenth division captain, Jushiro Ukitake, whom she already knew wouldn't be present, and Gin, which isn't surprising.
Armed with a cheerful smile and Tomo wrapped around her neck like a scarf, Kimiko takes her spot beside the captain of the twelfth division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Just the sight of the man is enough for the woman to feel disgusted. The sadistic scientist is no doubt someone she would mind finishing off should the occasion present itself. His sick experiments on his subordinates have come to her attention more than once, but they're never willing to talk and he does a good job of hiding the evidence. Though, she does intervene when she can, mostly when it comes to his harsh treatment of his "daughter" Nemu.
"Good afternoon Mayuri-san!" Kimiko chirps happily despite the disgust she feels. "How are you today?"
Despite holding no affection for the painted man, it's not necessary to get on his bad side…yet. If anything, it would only cause unneeded problems. Though she has enough confidence in herself that a battle would end in her favor, she wouldn't put it past Mayuri to play dirty. That could lead to potential complications.
"I'm fine." Mayuri replies, completely disinterested, and barely bothering to spare the shorter captain a second glance. He doesn't exactly like her after all. It hasn't escaped his notice that if anyone in the Seireitei could complicate his experiments, it's the woman beside him.
"Eh?!" A playful voice calls from further down the line. "You tell him 'hi' but won't even glance in my direction? I'm utterly heartbroken Kimi-chan!" With a giggle, the woman pokes her head out, briefly glancing at the tenth division captain –Toshiro Hitsugaya- before her eyes land on the eighth division captain, Shunsui Kyoraku, whom was currently pouting at her.
Before Kimiko could respond to her friends teasing, the doors swing open and Gin nonchalantly strolls in. It's no surprise to the captain when Gin's eyes immediately find her. She simply smiles back at him before pulling out the black fan she keeps tucked in her haori and beginning to lazily fan herself. The fan was gifted to her decades ago and it's become an intricate part of her character.
"So you're finally here," the first division captain and captain commander of the Gotei 13, Genryusai Yamamoto begins, his commanding voice capturing everyone's attention. "Third division captain, Gin Ichimaru."
"An unexpected summons. Tell me, should I be appalled or impressed, look at this distinguished crowd. The Captains that control the Soul Society, all here just for me. Or am I mistaken?" Gin begins sauntering towards Yamamoto, the epitome of confidence. His voice alone is enough to make the feeling in Kimiko's gut to return. "I see the Division 13 captain is inconspicuously absent. What's wrong? Did something happen to him?"
Hearing Gin's condescending voice mention Jushiro causes a flash of anger to surge through the woman. The white-haired man was one of Kimiko's closest friends, he was practically family, and her clan put family above all else.
"Jushiro isn't feeling well today." She says, letting ice trickle into her voice. Gin turns towards her, their eyes meeting as she continues to lazily fan herself, eyes flashing dangerously as a warning.
"Oh, not again. I do hope he feels well soon." He replies, fake concern lacing his features.
"I'll let him know you send your best wishes." Kimiko smiles, keeping up her cheerful façade.
"Quit joking around. You know that's not the reason you were summoned here." Eleventh division captain Kenpachi Zaraki intervenes. "It's my understanding that you went play with a Ryoka by yourself didn't you? And I also hear that you failed. Explain yourself. You should have no trouble dealing with four or five Ryoka without backup."
"I see. So they survived then?" Gin asks. It's obvious that he's simply playing coy.
"They what?!" Kenpachi shouts haughtily.
"Well I was under the impression that they were dead, but I guess that my instincts are beginning to fail me." Gin can play it off as nonchalantly as he wants; every single Captain gathered knows he's spouting lies.
"Stop all this monkey business right now. There's absolutely no way that captains such as us could fail to instantly tell whether an opponents' Reiatsu has ceased to exist." Mayuri says, voicing the very thoughts Kimiko was having at that very moment.
"Oh no, not again. Old fools caught up in stupid bickering." Toshiro sighs, his voice oozing boredom.
"Can you not see, your petty accusations seem to imply that I let him go on purpose."
"That's exactly what I'm saying." Mayuri fires back. Though she still holds a hatred for the painted captain, Kimiko appreciates that he's voicing her exact thoughts. She'd say all this herself, but like Kenpachi's lieutenant, she prefers to keep an innocent demeanor. The woman prefers people to think her innocent and ignorant that be let on to the fact that the small captain almost always knows everything that happens within and out of the Soul Society. All of the captain's know her façade is simply that by now, but at this point it's just practice for when someone who isn't familiar with her appears.
"Shut up Kurotsuchi, can't you see that I was the one who was talking to him first?" Kenpachi growls, obviously irate and Kimiko sighs. Mayuri and Kenpachi each take a step towards the other threateningly. "Or perhaps you'd like to be done in by me?"
"What did you say?!"
"So stupid." Second dicision captain Sui-Feng voices.
"Well, whaddaya know. Tempers are running high today." Shunsui remarks, amusement clear in his voice.
"Stop! Enough of this foolishness!" Yamamoto bellows, fed up with the petty arguing. "I think the true reason for why you have been summoned here to stand before your peers have been made abundantly clear. It is the fact that you acted alone. That coupled with the fact that you also permitted the target to escape. So then, how do you defend your actions Ichimaru?"
"I do not."
"What was that?" Yamamoto questions, disbelief lacing his voice.
"I don't have an explanation. It was my absent-minded mistake. I got no excuse. I'll take any punish-"His body language tells the perceptive captain what she needs to know; the he's not only lying, but hiding something. Kimiko is well versed in the art of deception, making it almost impossible to fool her.
"Wait a moment, Ichimaru," Aizen starts, causing Kimiko to pierce him with a slightly confused stare. "Before that, I want to ask you something."
If they were working together, why would Aizen call him out, Kimiko ponders, thousands of thoughts racing through her head. Unless he's simply trying to but time for something, to postpone Gin's sentencing. That's the most logical solution.
Right on cue, the emergency alert system begins to blare, no doubt the Ryoka that Gin "accidentally" allowed to escape earlier. They're being used as a cover for something. Kimiko just had to figure out what was trying to be covered.
The woman absentmindedly hands a few bamboo leaves to Tomo who chirps happily in response.
"Emergency Alert! Intruders in the Seireitei! All squads take defense positions! Emergency Alert!" The alert blares and Kimiko has to fight the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes. She's rarely wrong after all. The other captains look at each other in different variants of shock and disbelief. It's not common for the Seireitei to be invaded after all.
"Intruders?"
"Could it be the Ryoka?"
"It can't be."
Kimiko's gaze flickers from Gin to Aizen, searching for reactions. Noticing her gaze, Gin turns towards her, his jaw clenching almost unnoticeably, but she always notices. A bright smile lights her face and she snaps her fan shut. That clench in his jaw was all the evidence she needs.
"Wait Kenpachi." Aizen insists, but it's too late. The aforementioned captain is already running out of the meeting room, itching for a good fight.
"Tis' unavoidable. The captains' meeting is temporarily dismissed. I will notify you later of Ichimaru's status." Yamamoto states. Plans and calculation run through begin running through Kimiko's plans, attempting to plan out and foresee the actions she must take. "All squads proceed to internal defense measure immediately."
Without giving the other captains a second glance, Kimiko is gone. She immediately flash steps to Shikima and he begins following her without hesitation. Her next destination is her third seat, Akane. The girl isn't hard to find since she's situated at the fourteenth division training grounds were she always is.
"I was just itching for a good fight." The snarky girl remarks when the captain lands next to her, turquoise eyes wide with excitement, she too falling in step with the woman.
On the way to her office, Kimiko makes a detour to find her fourth seat –Tamaki Miyashi-, instructing him to give the command to not engage the Ryoka. Though the boy is surprised by the order, he follows the command, having trust in his captain's reasons.
Once they make it to Kimiko's office, situated in the back corner of the barracks, the woman reinforces the soundproof kido around the room before taking a seat at her desk. Akane sits atop her desk, while Shikima rigidly stands in front of her, a good testament to their personalities.
"As of right now, I have reason to believe Gin and Aizen are conspiring together to betray the Soul Society." Kimiko is able to speak freely in the confines of her office due to the soundproof kido. Akane's eyes widen the slightest bit at the news and Shikima tenses, but neither responds. "These Ryoka are no doubt here to try and save Rukia Kuchiki; Gin and Aizen know this and are using it to their advantage. While everyone's eyes are on the Ryoka, no one will be watching them. That's why I have you two here right now; I need you two to keep your eyes on them. You need to be careful, both of you. If Gin and Aizen believe they have enough power to betray the Soul Society, the must have some sort of secret weapon they plan on using."
"If we know their plan we should just take them head on." Akane growls, furious that not one, but two captains are planning to betray them; loyalty was one of the girl's biggest beliefs.
"Because we don't know what they're capable of and they're alert that I'm on to them, meaning they'll be on their guard. It's best for us to sit and wait, figure out their ultimate goal." Though Akane hardly agrees with the plan, she would never argue with Kimiko, and Shikima will do whatever she commands.
"If my theories are proven correct, the Soul Society will be facing troubling times. It's our job to keep the destruction to a minimum. Rest your bodies tonight, you'll need your strength." With that, Kimiko dismisses Akane and Shikima. Once they're gone, the suddenly exhausted captain sinks into her chair, wishing to call Akane back and bum a cigarette from her, but restraining herself. Tomo crawls into her lap and curls into a ball before dozing off.
Being the captain of a squad that specializes in collecting intelligence and strategizing, Kimiko's theories are very rarely wrong. Though, this time, she can't help but secretly wish they are.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Review/Favorite/Follow, you know the drill!