EDIT: fixed something that was pointed out to me...those silly captains! and as a reminder, if you see something wrong that should be fixed, don't be afraid to tell me. I'm not gonna bite your head off, pinky-swear.
Ok, so I hit a road block with Jefferson Airplane, so that's on haitus, and I had this ready since two days ago, but FF wouldn't let me on, something about the login malfunctioning....but anywho, here it is! Just so ya know, I'll refer to the captains as taicho and the vice-cap's as fukutaicho (? tell me if I'm wrong) and everyone will be addressed as the Japanese do it, last name first and first name last. I will also be captalizing the squads names, because I feel like it. Also, the time is after the Winter war, -but that's not important- and Ichigo's nineteen and in college. They haven't replaced the captain's yet, because I was too lazy to come up with some.
Anyway, this one was projected to be six chapters, but now its probably going to be double that, so stay tuned! (and review!)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!! nothing at all!!! it all belongs to the genius that is Tite Kubo.... but if your reading this, Tite Kubo, could I like, be your apprentice or something???
Something snapped in the dark. Matsumoto whirled towards the unexpected sound, her hand resting lightly on Haineko's hilt. When no further noise emanated from the black alley, she chided herself for being so paranoid and continued on her way.
Sighing heavily, she cursed her captain for volunteering their squad for this ridiculous guard duty. Figures; he was the one who signed them up and who gets stuck running the whole operation? Not only was it night, it was in the creepiest part of the whole of Seireitei. She stuck out her lip in a pout; they didn't even know what it was they were risking their lives for. Matsumoto continued to grumble and bemoan her ill-fated vice-captain position as she approached the first guard post, which was lit by a small campfire. The men stood up quickly as she entered the fire-lit circle, their game of mahjong set flying to the ground.
Matsumoto inspected the area with a bored look, giving the toppled game a cursory glance before she turned to the eight men on guard. She could tell just from their countenances that nothing excited or noteworthy had happened, but she was instructed to ask anyway.
"Anything to report?" she inquired. The leader of the small group stepped forward to inform the vice-captain of the night's activities.
"As of midnight," he began, "there have been no incidents to report. The night has been quiet."
Matsumoto sighed. This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so boring. In her mind she could see an eternal night of mind-numbing post-checking. She kept reminding herself of the alternative: paperwork.
One of the men cleared his throat to get her attention. "Fuku-taicho? What is it we're guarding, exactly?"
Sighing heavily, she shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? It was made by the Technological Department, though, so it really could be anything," she told them. The men chuckled uneasily, recalling the last endeavors of the Twelfth Squad, and how it had almost annihilated Soul Society. "But even though they made it, we have to be on our guard all the same, and protect it with our lives." Taking a quick glance at the sky, Matsumoto calculated the time – something she wasn't very adept at – and decided it best to keep moving. There were six other guard post stationed around the large warehouse, and she had to check in with each of them before the next shift. Once more she reminded the men to stay alert and then headed off into the darkness.
-
Five guard posts and a few hours later, Matsumoto approached the last station. It was now three in the morning, and she was bored, tired, hungry, and in need of a few drinks. For possibly the umpteenth time she mumbled curses at Hitsugaya, imagining ways she could get him back. Every single guard post had reported the exact same thing: nothing.
Even though nothing of interest had been reported, though, the night was silent, almost eerily so. From far away, an owl hooted, causing Matsumoto to jump. She admonished herself for being so paranoid and skittish. The last post was coming up and once she heard their report – which would consist of a whole lot of nothing – she could go home, take a bath, and go out for a couple drinks with Hisagi and Kira. Apparently, she thought to herself as she turned the corner, Hitsugaya-taicho's warning to be super careful was unneeded.
Matsumoto clapped a hand over her mouth, as if she had said the words out loud, and cursed herself inwardly. Those careless words had most likely just jinxed the whole operation. Quickly, she knocked on the nearest piece of wood she could find and walked just a little faster towards the last post.
In the distance, the warm, welcoming glow of a fire caught her eye. Breathing a sigh of relief, she decided to just go ahead and used shunpo – against her taicho's wishes; don't want to miss anything, do we? – to cover the rest of the ground between her and the last station.
"Jinxing," she muttered to herself. "What am I, eight?"
The closer Matsumoto drew to the last post, the acrid smell of smoke grew strong in her nose, growing proportionally with her unease. The once small campfire grew to a roaring blaze as she reached the station, devouring the post and the surrounding buildings. Matsumoto raised a hand to her face, shielding herself from the waves of searing heat emanating from the raging fire. She scanned the area for any sign of the men that were assigned there, wondering if any would still be alive.
Soon enough, she found them. With their throats slit and their bodies viciously stabbed.
"Whatcha lookin at?"
Instinctively, Matsumoto drew her sword, blocking the blow aimed for her back. She felt hot breath on her neck.
"You're faster than expected," the attacker sneered. She spun around to attack only to find her attacker gone.
"Over here!"
Matsumoto turned to her right, bringing Haineko up just in time to keep the intruder's sword from slicing through her. All she caught of his face was a leering grin before the night wind blew the smoke from the fire over them, effectively blocking him from her sight. Not wanting to be blindsided, Matsumoto used shunpo to evacuate the smoke-filled area. Once in the clear, she searched for the enemy's reiatsu, Haineko still in her hand.
"Who are you?" she called into the night, sensing her attacker off to her left. Suddenly, she heard him behind her, his quiet footsteps approaching her slowly. He was fast, much too fast for her. Cautiously, she turned to face him, Haineko held out in front of her protectively.
Her attacker was a man, but she already knew that. He wore a shinigami's shihakusho, although the cut was not one she'd seen anywhere in the Thirteen Squads. It was still familiar though, and Matsumoto racked her brain for where she had seen him before.
The man grinned mockingly at her. "Remember me?" he asked, still stepping closer to her. "It hasn't been that long, has it?"
Matsumoto stepped back a pace. How had she not seen it before? It took her all of two seconds to recognize the man standing in front of her. The hair, the sword. Had it really been that long ago that they'd seen each other that she'd forgotten what he looked like?
"Did you kill them?" she asked, her fingers tightening on Haineko's hilt in anticipation of his answer. He chuckled darkly, jerking his head in the direction of the fire.
"What, those nobodies?" he said scornfully. "They barely even knew how to hold a katana; they deserved to die."
His words were shocking. How could he say that? She wondered if for a minute her eyes were deceiving her, that this wasn't who she thought it was. Still in denial about her attacker's identity, she took another step back.
"Why are you here? What do you want?" she asked, trying to draw attention away from her movements. Perhaps if she got far away enough, she could try something.
He laughed, twirling his sword between his fingers lazily. "Why am I here? What do I want? I'm trying to steal whatever it is you're guarding, of course," he replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. He stopped spinning his sword, grasping it by the hilt firmly.
Matsumoto stalled for more time. "But why would you do this? I don't under-" He disappeared, reappearing in front of her. Matsumoto looked down only to see his sword sticking out of her stomach, crimson blood running down its pitch black blade. Haineko fell from her hands, clattering on the roof-tiles. Her eyes widened in shock; she hadn't even seen him move. Could he really be this powerful?
His mouth moved close to her head, until his lips were almost pressed against her ear. "Don't worry your pretty little head over those small, insignificant details," he whispered. "Let's just say that the Soul Society and I haven't always been on good terms, and it's time for a little payback." Slowly, he pulled his sword out, the blade leaving a dark red stain where it had been, more blood blossoming out from the hole it created. Matsumoto cried out in pain. She fell to her knees, hands clutching at the wound in her gut.
As he wiped his bloody sword on the sleeve of her shihakusho, he tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something far away.
"Your friends are coming," he informed her, resting his now cleaned blade on his shoulders. "Tell you what; I'll let you live," he said acting like he was doing her a big favor. He knelt down in front of her, resting his hand on her shoulder. "I was going to kill you, but I think it would be much better if you just passed along a message to the higher-ups. All you have to do is tell them who did this, okay?" He patted her roughly on the shoulder; Matsumoto bit her tongue to keep from screaming out in pain. He stood up and walked to the edge of the roof, then turned back to her as an afterthought.
"Catch ya later!" he called back to her. He then began jumping from rooftop to rooftop, using shunpo to quicken his escape.
Matsumoto collapsed to her side, her breath coming in heaving, ragged gasps. His reiatsu grew faint, until it was gone completely, as if he had gone back to the real world. A new reiatsu approached, this one a familiar, and it enveloped her like a large, soft blanket. Voices and multiple footsteps reached her ears, but she paid them no mind. She kept staring at the spot where he had been standing, still mute with disbelief.
How could he do this?
Consciousness began to slip from her grasp. Matsumoto fought back to dispel the black spots swimming in front of her eyes, hanging onto that last sliver of awareness with all she had left. She needed to stay awake, so she could tell them, she needed to tell them that….
Someone rolled her onto her back. Forcing all her remaining energy to bend to her will, she managed to open her eyes. The faces of those around her came into her blurred view.
"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya yelled as the medical team began emergency treatment. "Matsumoto, what happened? Who did this?" Her mouth moved soundlessly, forming a single phrase over and over. Quickly, he leaned down, his ear almost pressed to his mouth, straining to hear what she was saying.
"Kurosaki," she was saying. "It was Kurosaki Ichigo."
Hitsugaya sat back, shocked. There was no way…was there? As the rest of the rescue squad finally caught up with him, he pushed his disbelief to the back of his mind and began barking out orders. As the men rushed to do his bidding, the Tenth Squad's third seat came up to him, unanswered questions written all over his face.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Take Matsumoto to the Fourth Squad," Hitsugaya instructed him, ignoring his question. He himself was having trouble understanding what had happened. The third seat didn't move, still shocked by the sight of the aftermath. "Now!" Hitsugaya snarled, sending him into a panicked rush. "Tell them she is top priority." He hurried to do his taicho's bidding, not sure why he was being so testy, besides the obvious.
"Hitsugaya-taicho, what happened?"
Hitsugaya turned to find Kuchiki Byakuya and Abarai Renji, along with a dozen or so other Sixth Squad members, standing behind him.
He eyed them coldly, still trying to process everything that had just happened. "Why were you sent?"
Byakuya ignored Hitsugaya, who was apparently out of sorts, or he would never have addressed a fellow captain so rudely. "Abarai, begin putting out the fire and collecting any evidence that you can find."
"Hai," Renji replied, hurrying off to put out what was left of the fire, the rest of the squad following him. Byakuya then returned his attention to the white-haired captain, eyeing him coolly.
"Captain General Yamamoto sent us," he said, answering Hitsugaya's previous question. "We are to collect anything left behind by the intruder." Byakuya walked over to where Matsumoto had been laying. "What did she say to you?"
Hitsugaya crossed his arms across his chest, eyes clouded with emotion. "She told me who did this."
"And you do not believe her?"
"I don't know what to believe," Hitsugaya answered truthfully. Byakuya could sense the confusion and disbelief warring inside him; it was playing out all across his countenance. "She said…she told me it was Kurosaki. Kurosaki Ichigo."
For a split second, Byakuya's eyes widened in shock, and then he returned to his normal stone cold façade. He knew the boy was a rebel, but…could he do this? Before he could reply, however, Renji appeared beside them.
"Taicho, we've identified the reiatsu of the intruder," he said quietly. "It's Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo."
That did it for Hitsugaya. The evidence was undeniable; in his mind, it was clear who the murderer was.
Kurosaki Ichigo.
-
The doors of the large room where the captains met were slammed open. Hitsugaya stormed into the chamber, Byakuya following him at a somewhat calmer pace. The ten captains – Unohana-taicho was busy healing Matsumoto – already assembled watched as the two walked in, somewhat disturbed by the look of fiery rage in the younger captain. Hitsugaya didn't bother with the pompous formalities as he addressed the Captain General.
"Kill him," he said, his voice thick with anger. No reaction came from the General. Around them, the rest of the captains looked on in surprise at Hitsugaya's statement. Captain General Yamamoto fixed his attention on Byakuya, ignoring Hitsugaya for the moment.
"Kuchiki-taicho," he said, his deep voice rumbling throughout the chamber like a peal of thunder. "Please enlighten us on the details Hitsugaya-taicho has so thoughtfully left out."
Hitsugaya glared at him, his emotions running unchecked. "How can you sit there calmly, as if nothing has happened? Matsumoto is dying and the man who did it is getting away! We need to-" A large, padded hand covered Hitsugaya's mouth, effectively gagging him. Looking up, his eyes met the beast-like eyes of Komamura-taicho. He struggled to get free, but Komamura just held him tighter.
"My apologies, General. Kuchiki-taicho, please continue."
Byakuya stepped forward. "Last night," he began, "the Tenth Squad was put in charge of guarding a technological instrument developed by the Twelfth Squad."
Mayuri crossed his arms sullenly. "Technological instrument," he snorted. "Trying to place all the blame on me…" Byakuya glared at him, and Mayuri's anger slowly withered away. The stoical captain returned to his previous recounting.
"At around one in the morning, Vice-captain Matsumoto Rangiku approached the seventh guard station in order to receive their report. Upon arrival, she found the post and the surrounding buildings engulfed in flames. The eight men stationed there were dead." He paused. "From what my squad discovered, they had all been brutally murdered."
Uneasy glances passed between the captains and hushed conversations sprung up around the room. Nothing like this had happened within the walls of Seireitei since Aizen's betrayal, and these occurrences worried them all. Yamamoto motioned for silence, once again giving Byakuya the floor.
"Please continue," he said. Byakuya nodded and picked up where he left off in his narrative.
"As far as we can tell, without asking Vice-captain Matsumoto herself, she was attacked shortly upon arrival at the station. A battle ensued, during which she was seriously wounded and incapacitated, allowing the attacker to get away. At this point, Hitsugaya-taicho, Abarai fuku-taicho and I arrived. We managed to put out the fire before it could spread into the surrounding areas and gave Matsumoto fuku-taicho emergency care."
Soi Fon spoke up before the rest of the captains could break out into conversation. "Has the attacker been identified?" she inquired.
Byakuya motioned towards the door. Renji entered, bowing respectfully as he reached where his captain was standing. "Abarai was in charge of checking the area for the enemy reiatsu. I have requested that he give you his report, so as for nothing to be misunderstood," Byakuya informed the others. Renji, still on his hands and knees, then related what he knew.
"As directed by Kuchiki-taicho, I and four seated officers examined the crime scene. We recovered the bodies of the eight men posted there, each killed by multiple stab wounds and by having their throats slit. We then used a device developed by the Technology department that can identify minute particles of reiatsu and were able to verify the identity of the attacker. It was," Renji swallowed his throat dry. "The reiatsu was identified as belonging to Kurosaki Ichigo."
There was an audible intake of breath, the captains both shocked and confused. Then the room was in uproar, some voicing their own opinion as to why Kurosaki would do such a thing, a few were in silent contemplation of the implications of such news; Mayuri was already talking about his execution, and the interrogation to come before that. Renji clenched his hands into fists, his own emotions still raging inside him. Everything he knew about Ichigo told him there was no way he could have done it; it went against everything Ichigo believed in and stood for. He searched for anything that would clear the name of his friend, but he came up empty; the evidence was undeniable.
Yamamoto pounded his staff into the ground, attempting to reclaim order. Slowly, the captains fell silent, still mulling over the information that had been presented to them. When all was once again still, the General addressed Renji.
"Abarai fuku-taicho, you said verify earlier," he recalled. "What exactly did you mean by that?"
Renji pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind for a moment. "Just before she was taken to receive medical care, Matsumoto fuku-taicho was able to relate one thing to Hitsugaya-taicho, and that was the identity of her attacker. She told him that it was Kurosaki Ichigo."
Yet again, the captains began yelling, the whole assembly in an uproar. The Captain General beat his staff upon the floor, striving to once again reclaim order. AS they settled down and peace was once again restored, each captain looked to the General for his verdict.
"Our first priority," he began after a brief pause. "Is to increase the shinigami guarding that device that Kurosaki Ichigo was attempting to steal." Mayuri voiced his agreement loudly, causing the other captains to glower at him.
"It's your fault we're in this mess in the first place," Soi Fon reminded him. Mayuri took the hint and shut up, allowing the General to continue.
"In accordance with that, each squad will assign a score of men, a third of which must be seated officers-"
"What is it we're guarding, exactly?" Koyraku asked, the General getting interrupted once again.
"Kurostuchi-taicho has requested that the identity of his device be kept confidential. Any more question?" The room was silent, the captains finally noticing how annoyed the Captain General was getting. "Good. Is the previous order understood?" Nine heads nodded. "Good. That order is in effect at the end of this meeting. Our second priority is the apprehension and trying of the accused, Kurosaki Ichigo."
For once, no shouting or errant comments accompanied his words; Yamamoto sighed in relief. Seeing no protests, he went on.
"Captains Soi Fon and Komamura with go to the real world along with a dozen Special Ops to retrieve Kurosaki. Use force if necessary, but do not kill him," he told them, looking at Soi Fon pointedly. He was not unaware of the captain's extreme dislike for the boy.
The two captains in question nodded, showing their acceptance of the order. "Also," Yamamoto went on, "we must assume that he is not working alone."
Ukitake made the connection immediately. "You can't be serious!" he exclaimed, forgetting for a moment who he was addressing. "We can't just arrest his whole family!"
"Not arrest, and not just his whole family," the Captain General said, ignoring Ukitake's disrespectful tone. "We are to put under house arrest his family and everyone in the real world associated with him and familiar with the Soul Society."
The captains waited patiently as he read off the list of names, even though they were all familiar. "Kurosaki Isshin, Kurosaki Karin, Kurosaki Yuzu, Ishida Uryu, Inoue Orihime, Sado Yasutora, and Kuchiki Rukia are to be put under house arrest until the situation at hand is resolved."
Renji stood up, incredulous. "That's ridiculous!" he yelled. "Rukia would never-"
"Silence!" Yamamoto thundered, causing everyone to step back. "Do not forget who it is you are talking to. My word is final!" Renji bowed, shocked he had addressed the Captain General in such a brash manner. He was certain that Rukia had nothing to do with this, but his opinion was not worth making an enemy of the General.
"If there are to be no more interruptions," the Captain General growled, glaring at all present. "As well as the aforementioned, we must place a watch at the residence of Urahara Kisuke. I am sure you all understand why." The captains nodded obediently, not wanting to invoke the General's rage. "Vice-captains Hisagi and Kira will accompany the captains to the real world along with three dozen of the Special Ops forces. They will be in charge of watching those under house arrest. Soi Fon-taicho, Komamura-taicho, you are dismissed to go inform and gather your forces."
The two captains bowed, and then exited the chamber swiftly, Komamura dropping Hitsugaya to the ground roughly. The remaining seven captains looked to Yamamoto for any further commands. Hitsugaya, having been freed by Komamura, glared at the Captain General, angry with him for not letting him be the one to capture Kurosaki.
This stare did not go unnoticed by Yamamoto. "Hitsugaya-taicho, when Kurosaki is retrieved, you are to be the one in charge of the interrogation process."
Ukitake, always the voice of reason, stepped up before the other captain could reply. "Are you positive this is a wise decision, considering it was his squad that was attacked?"
Yamamoto closed his eyes briefly, imagining a perfect world where his subordinates did not question his every word. Was it so hard to realize he actually did know what he was doing?
After a brief pause, he spoke. "I trust Hitsugaya-taicho's judgment inexplicably. I know he will not let his emotions control his decision making." The Captain General locked eyes with Hitsugaya, wordlessly telling the white-haired captain not to make a liar out of him, or there will be serious consequences. Hitsugaya understood the gravity of this decision, nodding his head slightly in understanding.
Yamamoto now addressed all present. "You are dismissed. The first guard shift begins immediately." The captains all filed out of the meeting room, each heading towards their respective squads.
Hitsugaya watched the others leave, lost in his own thoughts. The evidence had convinced him fully. He hoped he was wrong, but if Kurosaki had indeed done it, there would be hell to pay.
How intense!! Oh, by the by, IchiRuki s the only couple I'm shipping, but if you read into it and see others, fine by me. Oh, and I'm having issues with two things : 1- what it is the vice-cap's are called 2- how to properly name the Captain General. I might end up calling him commander or something.....
that's it, I guess, just don't forget to review!! and I updated my profile like everyday or so, so check in for story information
p.s.- if anyone has a good evil sounding Japanese name, I am taking suggestions!
p.p.s.- this story is sort of based off of the song "Your Call" by Secondhand Serenade (which I do not own). I got the idea for this story from the first lines, "waiting for your call, call I'm sick, call I'm angry" and this one phrase that popped into my head "I miss you". Hope I didn't give anything away, cuz that was pretty general.