Author's Note: Sorry if this has been popping up and then disappearing. Still trying to get used to the controls. -- I think I finally got a hang of it. More action in this chapter and this time it's not just novelization of the manga. Hope you all enjoy. Standard diclaimers apply.

*Edit*

Just fixing mistakes. Thanks to toushiro1310 for betaing.

Headstrong

The air was unusually warm for this early in the morning. Matsumoto took a deep breath of the air, relishing in the warmth. She had always preferred warmer temperatures. The promise of a comfortable day after the long months of unnaturally cold winter added an extra bounce to her step as she turned down a street to one of the Seireitei's more secluded training grounds.

The Academy's graduating class had joined the Gotei 13's ranks yesterday, and the blond couldn't help but be annoyed at the little buggers. No amount of sake was going to make that pile of paperwork on her desk disappear, she'd tried. If she had known being promoted to third seat also meant more paperwork, she would have stayed as a fourth seat. Arranging training sessions seemed like heaven compared to the detailed assessments awaiting her.

She wound through the maze of streets and buildings, the path memorized centuries ago. The woman let her thoughts wander as her feet followed in their set path. Time seemed to slip away, meaning nothing to the third seat as she walked. Before she realized it, the sun was beginning to chase away the darkness and she had reached the rusted gate that blocked the entrance to the training field. With her mind still drifting, she pushed open the gate without a sound.

Matsumoto could never understand why no one ever came here. It was peaceful and quiet. A bit out of the way, but a shunpo could easily overcome that problem. The area was boxed in by Seireitei's famous marble walls with a small rock formation near the edge surrounded by a radius of five feet of grass. Water trickled down the rock and collected into a deep pool at its base, the water always kept cool by the dark shade of the tree next to it. The hard dirt beneath her feet didn't make any noise as she padded over to the center of the field.

Haineko slid from her sheath with a soft hiss and balanced perfectly in her hands. The hellcat purred in her mind as she took a deep breath. The silver of her zanpakutou caught the first rays of the sun as it finally revealed itself in the horizon. It had become a habit to sneak out here early in the morning to practice her kata. She was fairly sure the vice-captain knew about her morning activity, and the fact that he hadn't reprimanded her for skipping work only encouraged her. Smiling, she started the beginning move of her kata.

Haineko growled a warning before she could even raise her arm.

Freezing, mind working to discover what had set the hellcat on edge, Matsumoto stretched her senses for any sign of reiatsu. Her golden brows furrowed as she felt the small flame of spiritual pressure. The owner had impeccable control over their reiatsu, that much was certain. She wasn't the best at detecting reiatsu, but masking it so much that she wasn't able to sense anything when the person was no more than twenty feet from her was something she had thought only captains capable of doing. Dropping her sword to her side, she turned to face her companion. Haineko mumbled something about 'curiosity killing the cat', but went ignored as Matsumoto carefully walked over to the tree.

In the shade, the comfortable warm weather dropped to the usual cool morning temperature. She shivered from the cold and the eerie feeling that poked at the back of her mind. As her eyes adjusted, the third seat blinked to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her. No, there was no one here. Frowning in frustration, she put her hands on her hips and looked up. Lo and behold, a shadowy figure sat cross-legged on one of the higher branches, back leaning on the thick trunk.

"Hey!" The figure jumped and a muffled yelp cut through the air. There was a scrambling sound and the figure twisted on the branch, falling from their perch. Matsumoto winced as a small body crashed onto the ground with a heavy thud. A second later a sword landed next to the person's head, clanging at the abuse. Groaning, the boy pushed himself onto his elbows and glared at her.

"What was that f..." The boy's mouth opened and closed as he tried to form words. Matsumoto didn't have that particular problem though.

"It... it's you!" The blond had to keep herself from laughing. This is exactly how their last meeting in Rukongai had been nine months ago. His snow-white hair was longer and fell messily into his turquoise eyes. He was still short- the top of his head only mid-chest on her- and lanky, but his thin limbs were entwined with lean muscles. The annoyed scowl, which she had yet to see him without while conscious, reminded her of men twice his age. She would never be able to forget the troublesome, icy child. "Toushirou -kun!" The boy yelped again as the blond bent down and enveloped him in a massive bear hug.

He struggled and thrashed against her hold, pushing at her arms with his small hands. "Get off!" This time, she couldn't keep the laugh from escaping her lips. This was just like that time in Rukongai. "What is wrong with you? Let me go!" Haineko chuckled as she continued to crush the writhing boy against her chest. The kid eventually realized there was no escaping her in the near future, stopped struggling, and settled for folding his arms across his chest and glaring at her over his shoulder.

The temperature dropped another ten degrees with that glare, and the third seat wasn't surprised to find her arms going numb with the cold. The boy really was an ice cube! Distracted with the cold, her gripped loosened and Toushirou slipped from her grasp, getting out of arms' reach before turning to face her, arms still crossed and glare in place. Matsumoto couldn't help but smile. He was absolutely adorable!

"What are doing out here Toushirou -kun? I don't think they let Academy students roam around the divisions." The scowl on the boy's face deepened as he rolled his eyes.

"They don't. I'm not in the Academy idiot." The blond blinked, choosing to forgo anger at being called an idiot by a kid for confusion at his statement.

"What?" Another eye roll and an exasperated sigh came from the boy as he regarded her with calculating eyes.

" I'm not in the Academy anymore. I graduated yesterday." It wasn't until then that she noticed his clothing. He was dressed in the standard shinigami uniform, crisp new black robes and white undergarments. The sheath for his zanpakutou was strapped to his back by a worn cord of rope. Realization dawned on her, her eyes widening as she stared at the boy. He refused to break her gaze, his scowl firmly in place.

"You... You're the one everyone's been talking about? The genius?" His scowl darkened, scorn for the title evident in his clear eyes. It didn't make any sense. He had such a high and unruly spiritual pressure when she had met him and now he had the control of a captain after graduating the Academy in nine months. What else could he but a genius? A smile pulled her lips into a grin. Understanding dawned in his eyes too late for his attempts to escape to make a difference. Her arms latched onto him again, drowning him in her chest. "Oh Toushirou -kun! That's amazing! Why didn't you tell me," she whined, pulling him closer. "What division did you get into? You have to come visit me! I'll teach you everything you need to know. I'll..."

"Matsumoto -san" The sound of her name made her stop her excited rambling, a rush of joy consuming at her as he remembered her name. The scowl hadn't vanished from his face, but his eyes held barely suppressed amusement. "It's Hitsugaya."

A pout formed on her lips as she set him down and watched him re-sheath his sword. "Oh you're no fun Toushirou -kun." She crossed her arms under her chest. The brat just rolled his eyes and walked past her. "You need to lighten up a little." The buxom woman turned and her eyes landed on the zanpakutou strapped to his small back. A feral grin crossed her features as she gripped Haineko in her hand, the cat growling in excitement. Her reiatsu flared as she preformed a shunpo, flashing to just in front of the boy. Her weapon glistened in the sun as she swung it in a wide arc.

There was a clash of metal and teal eyes studied her past the crossed blades. How had he moved so quickly? She had been expecting him to dodge, not meet her attack head on. His lips formed a snarl as he put his weight against his sword. "What are you doing? Are you insane?"

"Come one Toushirou -kun. You need to have some more fun!" The white-haired boy seemed unimpressed with that explanation, clearing still questioning her sanity. "Think of it as a friendly sparring match between new division- mates." His snowy eyebrows quirked at that and his lips twitched with a suppressed smile. Taking that as an affirmative, Matsumoto pushed off his sword and faced the boy when she was ten feet away. Rolling his eyes, Toushirou crouched into a defensive stance, watching her with intelligent green eyes.

"If it will get you to leave me alone." She grinned at him in response, the kid was asking for it now. Time to see just how much of a genius he really was. Haineko growled low in her throat as the third seat followed his movements. The sun sent streaks of light across the dusty ground, and as if waiting for some unknown signal, the two flung themselves at each other. Metal clashed again as he blocked a swipe at his arm, twisting his blade to fend off hers. She backpedaled to avoid his thrust and brought Haineko up to block the overhand strike aimed for her shoulder.

She had to give him credit, he was fast and his strikes were aimed with deadly accuracy. In a few years, his swordsmanship would be top-notch if not unbeatable. But she wasn't about to be beaten by a newly graduated shinigami, even if he was considered a genius. Using her larger height and weight, she threw herself at him, forcing him to hold the sword with both hands as he blocked her swing. His thin arms shook with the task of trying to keep her from breaking through his defenses.

A smirk flashed across his features, and Matsumoto's eyes widened as the reiatsu twisted and the boy in front of her disappeared. A sudden rush of displaced air warned her of his sudden appearance behind her. Throwing herself away from the blow, the blond slid across the dirt, blocking the oncoming attacks. Cursing her lack of speed and flexibility, the third seat ducked beneath a strike and swung at Toushirou's exposed flank. The broadside of Haineko rammed into his ribs, a strangled gasp escaping his lips.

A small foot slammed into her shoulder and she felt her back scraped against the rough ground. Groaning and sitting up, she found her opponent. The white-haired boy was trying to remain standing, but he was slowly curling around the pain in his side, his free hand gripping the offended area as he gasped for air. A smirk pulled at his lips. "You're good." A smile flitted across her face.

"You too." The bruise on her shoulder and raw skin on her back were a testament to that. "I wouldn't expect any less from the Academy's new boy-genius." The smirk transformed into a scowl as the boy straightened, hands grasping the hilt of his sword with white knuckles. She noticed how sweat had begun to form on his brow, but his breathing had never been strained until her hits. Was he that in tuned with his zanpakutou that it had begun to affect his body temperature that drastically? Rising to her feet, the woman shot him a concerned glance.

He noticed and his eyes darkened. Guess that meant he didn't want to stop. Stubborn kid. Haineko mumbled something about dragging the match on long enough, but Matsumoto disregarded it as the hellcat's laziness. The cat had been happy about the current lack of work in the field. The sudden use must be driving her crazy. Swords clashed again, sparks flying from the impact.

The third seat deflected his blade, twirling around the incoming thrust. The boy ducked beneath her wild swing and the sound of cloth tearing resounded throughout the silent arena. Matsumoto frowned as the bottom of her sleeve floated to the ground. Kid was getting closer with his strikes. It wouldn't be long until he landed a hit. Hitsugaya brought this sword in for another hit. Powering reiatsu to her feet, the third seat ducked into a shunpo, the sword missing her arm by inches. A grin crossed her face at the surprised look on the boy's face. He might have excellent control over his reiatsu and his sword, but she had been the best at shunpo in her class, nowhere near as good as Kuchiki- taicho, but enough to make usual shunpo seem slow.

White brows furrowed in confusion and annoyance as Toushirou turned to face her again. He flashed into a shunpo and she barely had time to block and parry. Metal blurred as the speed of his attacks increased and she was pressed to defend. She felt the tip tear through the black cloth of her robes at her shoulder and weight from the sleeve disappeared. Jumping away from a thrust meant to impale his stomach, Toushirou readjusted his grip on his zanpakutou.

Matsumoto couldn't help the sigh of relief that passed through her lips. The boy was definitely no pushover. All for the better. He was going to need that confidence and determination to get past the prejudices he was going to experience for his age and inexperience. She had felt several of those prejudices herself and knew how bad they could get. Fire bubbled up inside the strawberry-blond at the thought of how much harder he was going to have to work to gain the respect he rightly deserved. He was too young to have to deal with the politics involved with the Gotei 13.

She glanced up at her opponent. The boy was watching her with intense, intelligent eyes. His harden expression had been placed over his features again, masking his thoughts. The third seat couldn't help but feel pity slither into her stomach. He had already experienced those biases and overcome them with flying colors. But what had he given in exchange? Her heart clenched as she the answer blatantly presented itself to her. His childhood had been cast aside in order to protect and prove himself to others. He had exchanged all thoughts of carefree afternoons and no responsibilities for the strength to rise above others' expectations. Haineko purred in approval, congratulating her for finally realizing the cat's message that night nine months ago. There was no weak and helpless child before her, but a proud and ageless being.

She stood in the presence of a dragon. A dragon who was yearning for its freedom to fully stretch its wings.

And she would make sure he got the chance.

"Growl Haineko." The hellcat's excited growl resounded throughout the silent morning air as her sword shattered and took on the form of a giant cat. Hitsugaya blinked in surprise but quickly rolled to side as the materialized cat leapt at him. A smirk pulled at his lips as he faced the released zanpakutou. Matsumoto couldn't stop the shiver that ran up her spine. The reiatsu shifted and was replaced with wintry air that had been ingrained into her heart.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens Hyourinmaru!" There was roar like nothing she had ever heard before and dark clouds swirled overhead. The water in the atmosphere collected and twisted into the shape of a lithe dragon circling the boy's head. The wind picked up as the dragon lunged at the cat, freezing water washing away the ash particles of her zanpakutou.

The raging stream of water changed direction with a flick of Hitsugaya's wrist and the dragon moved to circle Matsumoto. The air was displaced as the boy exited a shunpo and stood before her. The blond leveled her gaze to meet blazing turquoise. The cold touch of steel pressed lightly against her neck, but she ignored it.

"Bested by a graduate Rangiku- san? I thought the point of these morning sessions was to improve your swordsmanship." The voice made her start, the tip of Hitsugaya's sword leaving a thin trail of blood on her neck. The boy instantly sheathed the weapon and crossed his arms as the intruder made their presence known. Matsumoto chuckled and grinned up at the newcomer.

"Yet I can probably still beat you." The man laughed as he dropped from the roof and onto the dusty ground.

"That time didn't count. I was hopelessly drunk and could barely see straight." The strawberry-blond laughed as memories of the duel flashed through her head. "Now who's the one who beat my third seat?"

"Hitsugaya Toushirou. I'm sorry. I didn't know I was taking Matsumoto- san from her duties Hohaku- fukutaichou." Hohaku's teeth flashed in the morning sun as the white-haired boy bowed. He was a tall man with slick black hair pulled into a ponytail at the base of his neck. The tenth division's badge was secured to his muscular arm by a white sash and shined in the light. Leave it to Hitsugaya to already know the vice-captains and their names.

"I guess that explains it." The vice-captain placed his hands on his hips and smiled down at the boy. "Hitsugaya Toushirou huh? The Academy's boy-genius." He held out his hand, which Hitsugaya shook hesitantly. "Congratulations on your graduation and promotion. Ukitake- taichou will treat you good. You've got your work cut out for you though, with Ukitake sick and no vice-captain. I think the third seat is the hardest job in the thirteenth division truthfully. In fact, I think Ukitake -taichou is looking for you."

"Thank you Hokaku -fukutaichou. Matsumoto -san" With another bow, the kid shoved off the ground and disappeared over the roof the surrounding building. The vice-captain watched him leave, waiting for his third seat to snap out of her surprise.

"He's quite a find. Lots of potential from what I just saw a second ago." The easy smile disappeared and was replaced with a hardened look. "I didn't come to talk about your little bout though. I'll need you to take charge up here for the next week or so Rangiku." The third seat blinked and frowned. "There has been an influx of mid-level Hollow attacks in the human world. They've already taken out two squads. I'll be leading a group to take care of them. I'll need you to look after things while I'm gone." He turned his gaze on her and quirked an eyebrow.

The strawberry-blond nodded in understanding. "Understood sir. Good luck." The man smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you." His face contorted in thoughtfulness as the black-haired man turned to look in the direction the boy had gone. "Also... take care of the boy. We don't get many like him anymore and it isn't going to be easy for him. He'll need someone watching over him." Matsumoto tensed and nodded, fire burning in her grey eyes.