Captain Hitsugaya glanced up as Kaishiro walked into his office. The file in front of him detailed nearly two hundred years of service, and Toshiro was pleased that his new command would soon contain another worthy shinigami. But first...

"Kaishiro Higaonna, I presume?"

"Yes, sir."

"Pleased to meet you. I was wondering about several... issues with this." He waved the closed file in the air vaguely.

"For starters, I want to know why you served with Fourth and Eleventh. Most would shy away from such duality."

"Well, I was assigned to Eleventh arbitrarily, and I wasn't going to argue with my first ever posting. I joined the Fourth because the Second decided I was a liability."

"A liability?" Toshiro pounced on the word.

"I took part in a mission and was badly injured. It took me several months to get back to a state where I could do simple paperwork, let alone an assassination. The Fourth needed workers and I was between jobs, so I joined them."

"I see. And you wish to leave the Fourth because..."

"Because my abilities are no longer improving. I can't get any better if I stay there, and I'm worried that being out of regular action for so long as dulled my edge."

"Right. Last question, then – why Tenth?"

Kaishiro blinked. For the first time, a question he hadn't anticipated. "Because" he said, speaking slowly, "In years to come, Shinigami will say how Tenth went from the shame of the soul society to one of its leading lights. I want to be a part of that."

"Why? Why will do you think Tenth will suddenly turn around?" Toshiro's voice was quiet, as if the answer could jeopardize the entire meeting. Kaishiro picked his words carefully.

"Because it finally has leadership. That's what has been missing for years, now. A few people have tried to turn it around, but no-one qualified for captaincy. A captain makes a division, after all." He cleared his throat and added; "Plus, I've served with Lieutenant Matsumoto before, and she's a fine officer."

"So you think that Matsumoto, you and I would be sufficient to turn this division around?"

"Perhaps. Eventually."

Toshiro snorted. "Very well. You may go, Third Seat Higaonna."

Kaishiro rose from his seat and bowed once, formally. "Thank you, sir." He turned to leave.

"One more thing. In the Tenth, we start early. I need you here at six, rather than eight, tomorrow."

"Aye, sir!"