'I wonder how Hanatarou-sama is doing,' dishes clattered and a soft sighed escaped her lips as the words rang through her head as if it were just yesterday that they had been spoken to her. Or rather, when she had overheard them being spoken. Harumi put the dishes away, wiped her forehead and then dried her hand on the cloth beside the sink. Making her way out of the room, she slung her bag on her back again, the strap going across her chest. Harumi was going to report back to her captain and then realized that Unohana went to Hueco Mundo and heard the words so clearly again.
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"Seventh seat Yamada Hanatarou, captain Unohana requests to see you immediately!" Harumi looked up from her work and poked her head around the doorframe of the room she was in and into the hallway. She saw the clumsy seventh seat run into the hall and out of the barracks. Harumi wondered what was so important, but never found out. All she knew was that since that day, Hanatarou was nowhere to be found.
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Harumi snapped back into reality and shook her head gently, "though I really do wonder where he went," she said to herself softly. Harumi passed a group of unranked 4th squad members and couldn't help but overhear part of their conversation.
"So you heard that that pansy Flower-boy-"
"That weak 7th seated officer in our division?"
"Yeah! Well anyways, he got sent on some mission with the captain and lieutenant themselves!"
"Why him? He's so easily duped a-"
Harumi couldn't listen any longer and she was far enough away from the group now that all she could hear was some undistinguishable chatter. "Such disrespect for Hanatarou-sama," she muttered between her teeth, "I'll bet he's stronger than all of them combined, stupid unranked members running off at the mouth." The little blonde truly respected Hanatarou greatly and harbored of which could be described as 'puppy love' but she obviously felt it as so much more.
Harumi made it back to the 4th squad barracks and after putting a bit of her hair into partial pigtails on each side of her head, she flopped down backwards onto her bed and closed her eyes.
Upon awakening, Harumi heard a knock on the door. "J-just a second," she called and straightened her shihakushou out and opened the door. She found herself face to face with the 3rd seat, Iemura and stepped back. 'Geez,' she thought to herself, 'this guy sure likes getting in people's faces.' "Good afternoon, Iemura-san," she said and bowed to him, "Is there a problem?" Iemura pushed his glasses up with his right index finger, cleared his throat and read the paper he held in his hand.
"To all seated officers of the 4th squad," he started and looked at her, "You're our 9th seat, right?" he asked and Harumi nodded slowly. She was extremely curious as to why he wouldn't give her the letter to read herself and why he was reading her mail in the first place. As if he could read her mind, Iemura started talking again, "Well, this is derived from the information given to us directly from the 6th captain's brief report in the midst of a battle. Be glad you're getting this information." Harumi nodded quickly and Iemura nodded once, he seemed satisfied with her response. "Anyways, it goes on to say that our 7th seat has been critically injured in the midst of a battle in Hueco Mundo." Harumi was stunned, 'Hanatarou-sama… Critically… injured? Hueco Mundo?' Iemura looked at the letter, "Ugh, why do I have to do this job?" he complained to himself, "Why did they bring him anyways? Everyone knows that I could have done a way better job, but know that shrimp has to get everything!" he was obviously still sore about not being sent to the world of the living. "Just because Unohana-taichou and Isane-fukutaichou are-"
"Thank you, Iemura-san," Harumi interrupted after she snapped out of her daze. Iemura pushed his glasses up again and nodded,
"Yes Ms," he said, turned and started walking down the hall. "Wait… aren't I a higher rank than she is?"
Harumi closed the door softly and walked back to her bed and then sat down on the edge of it. "Hanatarou-sama," she whispered gently and the brought her legs up so that her feet where on the bed in front of her and she hugged her knees. Harumi closed her eyes, 'how could he be critically injured?' she thought to herself, 'it's just not fair!' she thought and started crying. Harumi sniffled and looked up, "I'm going to help him," she whispered and wiped her eyes. Harumi quickly got off her bed and packed some extra medical supplies into her medical bag and tied her zanpakutou to her waist.
Harumi waited until dusk and then quietly snuck out of her room and into the cool air. She made her way to one of the sekai gates and waited until other shinigami tried to pass through it. She hid behind a building, intently listening for any voices that came from that direction. She heard some shinigami passing by, but none of them noticed her. Harumi almost nodded off before she heard the sound of running footsteps heading in the direction of the gate. Harumi quickly stood up and followed behind them as the gates opened and three hell butterflies flew out. "Why three?" one of them asked the other, who shrugged.
"One for you, one for me and one for good luck!" he chuckled, "come on, we have to scout." The other nodded and Harumi slipped through the gate behind them and into the world of the living.
After getting lost a few times, Harumi finally made it to Urahara's shop and, with her story (and some money), managed to bribe Urahara to let her through to Hueco Mundo.
((Whooo, time skip!))
Harumi ran through Hueco Mundo, sensing clashing reiatsus everywhere and then sensed Byakuya's. "He's the one that sent the small report," she whispered and ran in that direction. After 10 minutes of running, she found the area the reiatsus were coming from and clutched the bottom of her sleeves. The espada turned towards her,
"I have no quarrel with you, girl. Begone!" He ordered when he saw her looking at him. The espada didn't do anything to Harumi and turned towards Byakuya, who acted as if no one had entered the room. Harumi was grateful that they both knew that she was too week to be a threat to the espada and therefore left her alone. Harumi then noticed a woman in a binding spell and, what she feared the most, Hanatarou laying on the ground, his eyes wide and blood all ov- Harumi heard a sharp breath and knelt down, he was still alive. "Hanatarou-sama," she said quietly and put her hand on his cheek.
"Ta- Tanaka H- Harumi?" he asked in a whisper and looked at her. Harumi nodded and then heard hurried footsteps approaching. Unohana and Isane appeared and Harumi looked up at them and then backed up. Isane scowled at Harumi,
"What are you doing here?" she asked, "You're supposed to be in Seireitei." Harumi opened her mouth to say something, but Unohana stepped in before she could,
"I'm sure Tanaka-san had gotten the news and was worried about Yamada-kun, right?" she asked and looked at Harumi. Harumi looked down and nodded and then Unohana turned back to Isane, "We'll deal with the punishment for her rash actions later." Unohana took note of the battle and scooped Hanatarou up in her arms as she started running away. Isane and Harumi quickly followed behind her and once they had found and empty room, Unohana put him down again.
"U-Unohana… taichou," all three heads turned towards Hanatarou. "I- I'm sorry," Hanatarou said quietly and his eyes closed slowly. "N-no," Isane said and started to push on Hanatarou's chest, trying to make him breath again. Harumi brought her hand up to cover her mouth, as her eyes widened, 'no,' she thought to herself but she was too shocked to say or do anything else. Unohana noticed that nothing Isane was doing was helping. She gently put he hand on Isane's shoulder and shook her head. Isane understood Unohana's actions and stopped. Both Unohana and Isane looked down sadly and Isane shook her head and then buried her face in her hands.
Harumi felt as if her world was crumbling around her and she brought her knees up to her chest. Not being able to contain it anymore, she started crying and Unohana and Isane nodded to each other and walked to the other side of the room. Harumi got on her knees, eyes still streaming and touched her cheek softly before breaking down again and crying into his shihakushou.
"Harumi…" she heard a soft voice calling to her, "Harumi…" It was a calming female voice, almost ethereal sounding. Harumi felt as if she was weightless and her crying subsided as she found herself face to face with her zanpakutou's spirit who was bending over a bit so that she could look Harumi in the face.
"Ch- Chiyukouseki," Harumi said quietly and her eyes started welling up and overflowing with tears, "Ha… Hana… Hanatarou-sama-" she was cut off when her spirit's pale fingers gently touched her lips.
"I know," she said calmly and redressed herself. Chiyukouseki turned around and all that was visible was her old-fashioned nurse's hat, her long white hair and shimmering long dress. Harumi stared at her, wondering why she suddenly found herself face to face with her spirit. Chiyukouseki turned around, "Harumi," she said and Harumi's attention snapped back to her. "Do you really like that young man?" Harumi nodded and Chiyukouseki shook her head, "I mean more than anything, even your own life." Once again, Harumi nodded, albeit a bit slower but with the same conviction. Chiyukouseki nodded, "I figured so," she said and turned around again. Once again, Harumi looked down in a daze and was awoken by her name being called once more. "Harumi, if you are certain, you have the power to revive that man." Harumi's eyes widened and she looked at Chiyukouseki.
"Really?" she asked and stood up, "how? Please, I'd do anything." Chiyukouseki nodded, "yes, I figured as much. Tanaka Harumi," her voice became stronger,
"in order to revive him, you must sacrifice your own life." Harumi's eyes widened a little bit more and she then looked down as her eyes returned to their normal size.
"I see…" she said and looked back up at Chiyukouseki with a determined look on her face, "Tell me how, I meant it when I said I'd do anything." A gentler expression slowly settled on Chiyukouseki's face as she smiled lightly at Harumi.
"Very well," she said quietly and took Harumi's hand.
"Now you are aware of what you have to do, right Harumi?" Chiyukouseki asked as more of a statement than a question but Harumi nodded anyways. "Alright, here we go," she said and a white light enveloped the two of them.
Harumi opened her eyes and looked around, a little shocked by what she saw and felt. Harumi's appearance had changed a little; she had gained light pink ballet slippers like Chiyukouseki's and she also received Chiyukouseki's white, old style nurse's hat. In addition to the changes in her attire, there was a barely perceivable rainbow aura around her, which extended about a good 2 meters in diameter all around her. A white reiatsu-like force emanated from within her and it seemingly entered Hanatarou. Isane and Unohana were shocked by this sudden change, one moment Harumi was mourning Hanatarou and the next her attire changed slightly and light started emitting seemly from within her. They sat there in shock for a second and then both tried to approach but were repelled by an invisible force. Harumi slowly turned her attention from Hanatarou to them and then back but all the while, the flow of white reiatsu was never interrupted. Harumi knew what she was doing, but she couldn't tell them or let them nearer since she felt like she was almost done anyways and feared that they would stop her. Just before she felt as if she was completely done, Harumi bent down and gently kissed Hanatarou's forehead, "ai… shiteiru…" she whispered and collapsed onto the ground beside him. Harumi's hat and ballet slippers disappeared, leaving her barefoot.
Hanatarou's eyes slowly opened and he tried to sit up. He clutched his chest, "ouch," he said quietly and laid back down, even though Harumi had revived him and healed his wounds, he still hurt a bit. Hanatarou tried once again to sit up and made it successfully this time as he looked around. He was very confused for a second and then remembered where he was and who was around him. He looked to Unohana and Isane and smiled at them and then looked beside him. He looked at Harumi, confused as to how she could sleep at a time like this unless… Hanatarou flipped her over onto her back and gasped. He covered his mouth with his hand and stared at her. Unohana quietly walked up to him, sat behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. "She died to save you," Unohana said softly and rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. Hanatarou continued staring at her, "f- for me?' he stuttered. Isane had joined them and nodded, "Yes, she sacrificed her life to give you back yours." Hanatarou looked down sadly, he hardly knew her but he remembered seeing her around and knew that she was the 9th seated officer. Unohana looked at Harumi's body, "I think that when we saw that pure white force, she was transferring her life force into him somehow." Isane stared in shock,
"it didn't seem like a bankai to me though…" Unohana shook her head,
"no, it was probably just her final form, her 'last resort', in a sense." Hanatarou started crying, he had never dreamed someone would do that for him, even less a person he hadn't talked to very much. Unohana looked over and saw Hanatarou starting to break down. "Isane, please take Tanaka's body back to the soul society, Yamada, you may follow her if you wish." The two of them nodded and started heading back to where they could create a safe portal into the soul society.
((Whooo… another time jump! XD))
Hanatarou laid a single flower on Harumi's grave marking another month had passed since she had and knelt down beside it. The dried flowers of passed months still remained and even though he thought that he could never fully atone for the tremendous sacrifice she had made for him, he felt that by doing this every month and by keeping her memory alive, he might just be able to look her in the face without shame if they met again in one of their next lives.