Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is set a week or so after the Vizards are created.
Renewing
Nanao Ise might be extremely young for a shinigami, but she wasn't stupid. So despite what those around her told her, she knew that something was wrong with Captain Kyoraku. Nanao was well aware that things were wrong in the Seireitei in general right now, but those troubles were of less importance to her. Nanao was more concerned about her own division. Things had not been right here since Lieutenant Yadomaru had gone out on that mission and hadn't come back.
She pushed back the wave of sadness that threatened to overwhelm her every time she had that thought. Nanao would miss Lisa. She had been the only one to really to take an interest in the young shinigami, and Nanao had finally felt not so alone. Some mornings it was hard to get up and go about her duties it hurt so much. Nanao frowned at that idea. Was that what was wrong with Captain Kyoraku?
After all Lieutenant Yadomaru was his friend too. Maybe that was why he'd been holed up in his office for the past week. Nanao had overheard people saying that it wasn't his fault and that he couldn't have known what would happen, but had anyone offered him sympathy for losing his friend or acknowledged that she would be missed? Nanao wasn't sure, but she thought that she would get sick of people saying it wasn't her fault if all she wanted to do was mourn her loss.
With that on her mind, Nanao made her way towards the captain's office. While she had only met the man a handful of times, there seemed something wrong about the division when he wasn't in a jovial, teasing mood. He had always been kind to her when they had met, and that was more than Nanao could say of many shinigami. She didn't quite approve of his lackadaisical habits, but he seemed to be a good man and a good captain.
It was easy enough for her to slip into the captain's office. Most people didn't pay any attention to her, and Nanao had learned how to move silently early on in her education as a shinigami. The office was dark, and it took her a moment to locate Captain Kyoraku in the gloom. He was sitting on the floor over by the far wall. There were a great number of sake bottles lying around as well. He didn't appear to have noticed her.
Nanao carefully made her way across the floor and over to her captain. She knelt beside him.
"Captain Kyoraku?" her voice was soft. She didn't really get a response. Nanao gently reached out and touched his arm. "Captain?"
"What do you want?" His response was gruff, but Nanao could see the pain in his eyes.
She bit her lip. "I wanted to tell you that I miss Lieutenant Yadomaru too. And it's okay to be sad about it. We just don't want to lose you too."
To Nanao's horror she had started crying. Simply saying those words had brought back all the hurt and grief over losing Lisa, and now she couldn't stop crying. A pair of strong arms wrapped around, and she was lifted into her captain's lap. He made soft, soothing noises and called her 'Nanao-chan', and she wasn't the only one crying anymore.
Jyuushiro quietly entered the office of the Eighth Division to once more try and pull Shunsui out of the funk he was in. He blinked and then started to smile. For the first time since all of this had happened, Shunsui was asleep on the couch instead on passed out on the floor. Sprawled across his chest, also asleep, was a little girl dressed as a shinigami. Jyuushiro vaguely remembered seeing her tagging after Lisa on several occasions. Shunsui had one arm holding the girl in place, and they were both covered with Shunsui's pink haori. Jyuushiro smiled and took his leave, letting them both sleep. Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about Shunsui after all.