Binding Contract

Prologue: Like Clockwork

Unohana Retsu cleared her throat softly. It was loud enough for the other taichos to hear. They immediately began quieting their individual conversations. Eventually, she had their attention.

"The King has made a few requests," she said.

Kyoraku snorted. "That's putting it lightly, Unohana-taicho," he said.

Unohana nodded. "Given our situation in the war and where we stand militaristically, he thought it best to suggest..."

"... or demand..." Hitsugaya murmured.

"... a few things. One has to do with Hirako Shinji. The King wants him and the others brought back to Soul Society and reinstated in the Gotei Thirteen," Unohana said.

"Unohana-taicho, that'll be mighty hard. I think Hirako and the others rather like being the outcasts," Kyoraku said.

Unohana nodded. "I'm afraid that the King didn't leave it up for discussion. The next request he made concerned Yamamoto-soutaicho's successor." Unohana took a deep breath. "The King believes the successor is best suited for taking up the reigns in the second half of this battle."

"Wouldn't power just pass on to you, Unohana-taicho?" Soifon asked.

Unohana shook her head. "In another situation, perhaps it would. However, the King desires another to lead the Gotei Thirteen," Unohana said.

For a moment, the taichos all looked around at one another. They were a little stunned that one of their most competent and powerful had been turned away from the job by the King himself.

Mayuri sighed. "Well do not leave us in suspense, Unohana-taicho. Arrangements must be made and such," he said impatiently.

Unohana shot the scientist a kind, yet irksome eye. "In a moment, Kurotsuchi-taicho. I'm not even entirely sure she will accept the job. She is a stubborn one."

Here, Kyoraku glanced up. "SHE? Surely you don't mean..." He stopped when Unohana nodded. "Oh dear me..."

In the world of the living, in spirit particle-rich Karakura Town, Soifon and the Onmitsukido appeared outside the warehouse where the Vizards were known to reside. The tiny woman waltzed up to the door and rapped firmly on it. Kuna Mashiro appeared at the door and gazed down at the short woman. She now sported an eye patch over her right eye.

"Soifon-taicho, what are you doing here?" she asked. She sounded way too happy for Soifon's liking.

"I'm looking for Hirako Shinji. It's urgent," Soifon said.

Shinji looked up at the sound of his name. He saw Soifon looming at the doorway and stood up. Somehow, he already knew what she was there for. He could see in her eyes that she knew he knew.

Mashiro turned and looked up at Shinji. "What's going on?"

Shinji stared defiantly back at Soifon for a good thirty seconds. Then he shook his head and looked away. "Not happening," he said.

"You have to. You all have to," she said, stepping inside the warehouse. Shinji looked back at her. "The King commands it."

Love and Rose came out from the back. "Who commands what? What's going on?" Love asked.

"The Spirit King COMMANDS our return to Soul Society," Shinji spat.

Love, Rose, and Mashiro exchanged bewildered looks. They said nothing for the longest. Mashiro was finally the one who spoke. "Why?" She looked at Soifon. "Why should we go back? Why do we HAVE to go back?"

Soifon sighed. "I don't know the King's reasoning for this. He just reque-demanded it. He also made another peculiar demand regarding the new soutaicho. Listen," she looked back at Shinji, "I don't make the rules. I just abide by them. Please don't make my job any harder than it needs to be. At least come talk to Unohana-taicho and the others."

Shinji stared at Soifon. He could feel the others looking at him. They considered him the de facto leader of their group. They looked to him to make the "important" decisions regarding the group. That's how it had always been. He sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Fine. Just answer me one question." He watched Soifon nod. "Who is going to replace the old man?" he asked.

Soifon stiffened. She looked away towards the wall. "Someone I've never heard of. Someone named..."

Shinji's eyebrows rose at the name. Then he started laughing. He doubled over, holding his abdomen. Everyone looked at him as tears started falling from his eyes. He leaned against the wall, beating his fist against it. Pretty soon, he was on his knees and still laughing. Finally, his laughter quelled and looked back at Soifon.

"I fail to see how this is funny," she said. "Is something wrong with this choice?"

Shinji's signature grin appeared on his face. "Good luck," he said cryptically.

"These gigai things are uncomfortable. I don't know how the others do it," Kyoraku said as he fidgeted next to Nanao.

"Taicho, please compose yourself. We've arrived," Nanao said. She glanced up at the building before them.

They were in the world of the living, on the outskirts of Karakura Town. Before them stood a little shop. In the shop's windows were a number of clocks. Nanao looked around at them before heading for the door. She went inside with Kyoraku following closely behind. Supposedly, there was someone very special that worked and resided in the little shop.

"Just a moment! I'll be right with you!" a female's voice said from the front of the cluttered clock shop.

Nanao was amazed at the amount of clocks that were around. There were even sundials and hourglasses. She looked up at her taicho. He did not seem surprised at all by the clutter or the content of the shop. In fact, he seemed impressed; he was examining some of them. Nanao pulled him along towards the front of the shop. Nanao paused when a woman came out from the back of the shop, wiping her hands on an apron. There was oil on them. It appeared as though she had been tampering with something.

"How may I he..." She stopped when her eyes met Kyoraku's. They widened slightly before narrowing almost to the point of slits. She wore her thick sandy blonde hair up in a sloppy knot. Her brown eyes were behind square glasses. She was about Nanao's height and she looked very young even though Nanao guessed she was at least as old as Kyoraku.

"Hello, Midori-chan," Kyoraku said, tipping his hat.

She folded her arms across her chest and frowned. "Shunsui." Her eyes fell on Nanao for a split second before returning back to Kyoraku. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"I need you to come with us," he said.

She stared at him with a bland expression. "That's it? You want me to come back to Soul Society? For what? I no longer have a life there," she said.

Kyoraku smiled. "Now why would you say that? You're a shinigami and one of the best, if I remember correctly. Besides, there's something we need you to do," he said. He looked down at Nanao.

Nanao's eyes widened a bit. She looked back at the woman. She looked down at the small paper that had the woman's name on it. Then she looked back at her. "Satoru-san, the Gotei Thirteen asks that you become the new soutaicho," she said quickly.

Satoru Midori unfolded her arms. She looked from Kyoraku to Nanao and back to Kyoraku again. Then she laughed. "Soutaicho? That's a good one! That's the best joke I've heard in years! Centuries, even!" she said.

"We're serious. The King himself has requested that you become..." Nanao stopped when Kyoraku touched her shoulder. She looked up at him. He motioned for her to back down a bit. Nanao silently obeyed and looked back at Satoru. She had crossed her arms again.

"Where is your zanpakuto? It has to be somewhere among all this disorder," Kyoraku said, looking around the shop.

Satoru shrugged. "I haven't seen that thing in decades. Even if I took the time to find it, I doubt I could communicate with it," she said. She turned away from him. "So I suppose the job is out of the question if I don't have a zanpakuto."

"You'll find they're very persuasive, Satoru-san," a new voice said. They all turned to see Shinji walking into the shop. He glanced around for a moment before looking at the woman behind the counter. A grin spread across his face and he tipped his paperboy hat at her. "Long time no see."

"Shinji, you never call me Satoru or use an honorific to address me. Why, after so many years, would you start now?" she asked.

"Well, I heard about your newly-appointed position and I couldn't help but show you the proper respect." He gave her a lazy eye. "They're making me go back as well. I suppose they'll have to drag you back kicking and screaming, eh?"

Satoru frowned. She looked at Kyoraku and Nanao. "They'll have to kill me. Besides, I've already stated that I don't have a zanpakuto. I haven't even taken the form of a shinigami in about a hundred years. I'm not even sure my powers still exist within me," she said.

Kyoraku smirked. "From the feel of it, you haven't lost your powers, Midori-chan. You still can't control those emotions of yours. You're like an open book," he said.

Satoru pursed her lips. She knew he was right; she was emanating reiatsu through her gigai like the sun emanated light. She heard Shinji snicker and glared at him.

"He's right, ya know? Outside of a battle, your reiatsu management is piss-poor," he said. "You could energize a power plant single-handedly."

"I didn't ask your opinion on my reiatsu management skills, Shinji. You either, Shunsui. As far as I'm concerned, the Spirit King can shove his offer right back up his..." Satoru stopped as Kyoraku placed a finger on her lips. She glared at him through her glasses. "Why me?"

Kyoraku sighed. "If I were to be frank about it, I suppose the Spirit King thinks your ability is the most useful. Out of all of us, you're the most powerful, too," he said.

Shinji scoffed and crossed his arms. "You mean the most hax," he mumbled. Everyone looked at him. "Aw come on. You have to admit your ability is pretty unfair."

Satoru squeezed her fists together. "And yours isn't? Shunsui and Juushiro, too?"

"But yours trumps us all!" Shinji argued back.

"Does not!"

"Does to!"

"Does not!"

Nanao looked between the two she had been told were once two of the most respected taichos in all of the Gotei 13. They were arguing childishly. This is who the Spirit King expects us to appoint as our soutaicho? She's more powerful the Kyoraku-taicho? Even Unohana-taicho? Nanao squinted at Satoru as she continued to argue with Shinji about the "hax-ness" of their zanpakuto abilities. That... I truly find hard to believe...

"Are you sure she's the one, taicho?" Nanao asked.

Kyoraku simply nodded as he listened to Shinji and Satoru's argument. As far as he was concerned, it was just like old times. "Absolutely. It'll be nice having the old group back together; especially when Juushiro is better."

This got Satoru's attention. "What has happened to Juushiro?" she asked. She looked from Shinji to Kyoraku. "Well? Out with it, one of you," she said.

"Some Arrancar kid put a hand through his chest. He'll make a recovery, but it'll be a while," Kyoraku said.

Satoru frowned. "Out."

"But..." Nanao began. She stopped when she saw the look on Satoru's face. Kyoraku touched Nanao's shoulder and they turned to leave. They all left the woman alone with her clocks.

Outside the shop, Shinji leaned against the wall. "She never changes. Still scary as hell," he said. "Probably why the Spirit King wants her as soutaicho."

Kyoraku smiled. "Just like Unohana. It's no wonder they were best friends. They're both so frightening."

"There is a slight difference in their fear factor, though." Shinji leaned up off of the wall. "With Retsu, you had no idea why you were frightened. Sweet lady like her? Why the hell would you be scared of her? But, Midori's a different story," he said.

"How so?" Nanao asked.

Shinji smiled and looked down at Nanao. "With Midori, you know EXACTLY why you're afraid," he said mysteriously.

Satoru looked around at her massive collection of clocks. She did not want to go back to being a shinigami. She sold clocks for a living. She was a timekeeper. She had not been lying when she said that it had been a century since she'd last taken the form of a shinigami. However, she had been lying when she said she had not communicated with her zanpakuto.

Stupid thing won't leave me alone, she thought as she headed to the back of the store where she lived in a small apartment. The sheathed object was leaning against the wall, looking harmless as ever. And it's not hax. Just... different.

I take it Hirako called me hax, the spirit said to her.

Satoru smiled as she examined the marigold sheath. He always thought you were just because he couldn't get around you. He's such a sore loser. Are you ready for war? Do you want to go into battle?

Aren't those questions I should be asking you? the spirit countered. Do you wish to lead an entire army into battle? You've heard of this enemy they are facing...

Satoru unsheathed her zanpakuto. She looked up and down the blade. "Aizen Sosuke. Never met him, but I'm sure Retsu and the others will tell me all about him."

So you will do it?

Satoru sheathed her zanpakuto again with a sigh. "I don't believe I was given much of a choice. The Spirit King IS the Spirit King." She walked to the bathroom and opened a drawer. She pulled out a pair of scissors while simultaneously taking her hair down. The wavy sandy locks fell past her shoulders. Satoru held the scissors up and then held up a lock of hair. She then snipped it off, beginning her transformation back into her old, shinigami self.

AN: A little info before I get started. I normally don't make... hax characters. However, this new character is intentionally... hax. If you don't know what that word means, it means that she will seemingly have an ability that gives her an unfair advantage over her opponent. And she will be ridiculously powerful. Remember, she's hax. But fear not. It isn't going to be "I am going to win every fight because I'm stronger than you" type hax. There's a reason she left Soul Society and it has to do with her... hax-ness. So just stick around for the reason. Pretty please...