A/N: thank you to- (Iana Sabelle, BlackBelt, Kimihaine),and youshallnotpass, you guys are (my Idols) besides Samuraiko. Enjoy.

Someone like any other.

She was like any other Soulreaper, I surmised. Quiet, obedient-or so I heard from Ukitake, and as I soon found out, quite annoying. It all began one evening while I was chasing down Matsumoto. My dimwitted blond haired lieutenant hadn't shown up all day and to show for it mounds of paperwork were stacked on every available space besides my desk chair.

"Damn it!" I cursed for what felt like the thousandth time that day as a carefully organized graphing file crashed to the floor, scattering its contents everywhere. I stared at the sheets of white paper with bar graphs and my neat handwriting explaining the details, a nerve began to twitch,"arrgghh! Well if she isn't going to come on her own...then I'll just have to drag her back here myself!" I tugged my scarf around my neck and set out along the Seireitei.

My first stop was at the third company barracks, Ichimaru was there in the office but Izuru had left a few hours before. 'Probably out drinking with Matsumoto,' I thought sourly, Ichimaru gave me his usual creepy smile, "don't murder my lieutenant when you find him, Hitsugaya-kun!" He cheerfully waved me out the door. ''Sneaky bastard. He obviously knows where Matsu and Izuru are...but do you think he's going to tell me? Hell no!'' I grumbled this to myself.

Someone passed me in the street, a girl with dark hair and blue eyes. I turned around swiftly, she was about to turn left when I called out,"hey!" She stopped and the second I caught sight of her face, her name went right out of my head."Oh!" she gasped,oblivious to my embarrassment," I'm sorry!Good evening,Captain Hitsugaya." Curiously upon seeing her, my irritable mood vanished,' hm,strange...' She straightened from the bow,"was there something you wanted?" I was at a loss for words,''erm..." 'Darn it!Focus!,' I muttered inwardly,"um,yes. Have you seen my lieutenant, Matsumoto?" I asked quite coherently.

She thought a moment,"yes," she answered slowly,"I think I saw her with...Hisagi-san from ninth Squad and Kira-san from third was there also." I looked at her squarely in the face,"where?" I growled. She backed away,"um...I'm so sorry!Please forgive me!" Now I was really confused,"why are (you) apologizing?" She looked down dejectedly,"well you see,they were at the thirteenth division trying to get Kaien-dono to go drinking with them. But when he refused under the grounds that Captain Ukitake was sick...they left," she finished rather meekly.

"So...you think it's your fault...that Kira, Hisagi and Matsumoto's current whereabouts are unknown?" I asked incredulously. She as I now remembered her name-Rukia,hung her head and mumbled,"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more use to you, Captain Hitsugaya.'' "Fool!" I muttered. Her expression registered surprise,"excuse me?"

"Captainnn!!" we both turned. Matsumoto was weaving her way up the street, in one hand she waved a slender necked bottle, in greeting I suppose."Just where have you been all day?" I asked. Matsumoto neared us,"I had things to do...places to go," she said a little slurred. I eyerolled,"well did you at least enjoy yourself?" I asked her blandly. That seemed to catch her off guard,"huh?" "What? I can't even ask my own lieutenant how her day went?" I said dryly. Matsumoto blinked,"Captain...are you feeling alright?" she leaned in my face and felt my forehead."I'm fine!," I snapped and peered around Matsu's er...swinging chest to address Rukia. She was gone. "Where did-?" I didn't finish my sentence.'Just let it go...' advised a voice in my head. 'Hyourin Maru,' I thought.'She'll come around...' he murmured. 'Stupid cryptic ice dragon,' I replied silently, he laughed.

Matsumoto studied my blank expression for a moment and then pulled me into a tight smothering hug against her-er-chest,"oh my poor wittle Captain!" she cried,"don't worry, Matsu's here! When we get back I'll give you a nice big back rub!" My screams were-I hear- heard throughout Seireitei.

A/N:a lot longer than the first one. Anyway review and tell me what you think.