"What's been happening?" I asked, a little bit more concerned.
My captain ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "Recently, I sent a small party of Soul Reapers to go look into a hollow problem in the human world. Eighth seat Bokuyo, fifth seat Dai, an unseated officer Chiyo, and lieutenant Saeko."
"I wasn't aware of this, but what does any of this have to do with me?"
"Dai, would you mind giving Miss Hamasaki a brief report of what happened while you were on the field?"
The shaking Soul Reaper nodded and stood up quickly. "We were sent to the World of the Living to look into a hollow problem. The first few days went by with no problems, but on the fourth day we were there, we encountered some of the hollows that have been killing off some of our men. The four of us went in, expecting an easy battle. Since the hollows were attacking pluses, we assumed a sneak attack would get rid of them easily. Taking out two of them was fairly easy, it was the last one that we couldn't beat."
I looked from Dai back to the captain and bit down on my lip as he continued, his voice cracking. "Lieutenant Saeko… lieutenant Saeko sacrificed herself in order for us to get away. If she hadn't… Well I don't think any of us would've come back."
Once Dai finished his report, my eyebrow twitched in realization. "You're sending me, aren't you Captain?"
"You took the words right out of my mouth."
"I get nothing out of this, do I?" Sighing in frustration, I got back on my feet.
"I was considering making you my lieutenant if you return alive."
"You're going to make someone else the lieutenant the second I leave, I already know you."
"Well, think whatever you want, I may or may not make you lieutenant. Anyways, I would like you to leave as soon as you can. Take some lower ranking officers or not, it makes no difference to me. Just make sure you bring everyone back alive."
Without acknowledging him, I turned on my heels and left. At least I was finally going to get to put newly sharpened fighting skills to the test. There wasn't anybody I wanted to take, so I just slung my Zanpakuto over my shoulder and made my way back across the Seireitei and got ready to go. As I crossed by a small river, Jushiro's pure white hair caught my attention and made me turn around.
"Hey." I greeted, plopping myself down next to him.
"Well hello, I haven't seen you in a while." He replied with a small smile.
Grimacing, I thought back to the last time I had seen him. "Sorry about that. Itsuki is just an asshole."
"I had no idea you were married." The white haired captain confessed.
"I wouldn't even call it a marriage."
"Marriage is usually between two people that love each other. Surely you must have loved him at some point?"
Shrugging, I laid down next to him and sighed. "I don't know. It's a really long story. Maybe I'll tell you when I get back."
"You're going somewhere?"
With a small laugh, I said: "I might be moving up in the ranks. Although I know my captain hates it, there's no one else he could give the job of lieutenant to now."
Jushiro's expression got serious in a second. "What's happened?"
"Saeko- my division's lieutenant- was killed by a hollow the other day. The rest of her squad got back because she sacrificed herself for them. Now it's my turn to go to the World of the Living to solve the problem."
The look on the other man's face gave away what he was about to say, so I stopped him. "Don't worry. I'm like 80% sure I'll come back alive."
"Noa!" He protested as I got up.
With a laugh and half genuine smile, I looked down at him and hopefully reassured him when I said: "I'll come back. I promise. No lowlife hollow could kill me. I've been getting stronger every day, nothing could stop me now!"
My reassurance had worked, because Jushiro gave me a true smile and waved me off. I gave him a mock salute as I went on to start my mission. The trip between the Soul Society and the World of the Living was rather short, and of course, uneventful. There weren't any hollows here that I could sense, so I decided to walk around and take a look around the town. People were walking down the sidewalks talking with their friends and enjoying their lives. I couldn't help but feel a small pang of sadness. Of course none of these people would see me watching, nor could they ever see me, but I couldn't help wanted to have friends that would be seen with me in public like that. Groups of different people passed right by me, faces I'd never see again, happy and laughing. I saw it around the Seireitei too, everyone else having the life I couldn't have. Pushing all my thoughts to the back of my mind, I continued to patrol around the area.
Night fell and I still hadn't found the hollow causing so much trouble. A cool breeze blew through my hair and sent it cascading around me. I was currently sitting on the edge of a two-story building, watching over Karakura town, looking for the slightest disturbance. Behind me, the sky was silently torn open and the hollow I was targeting slid out with a bloodcurdling scream. Upon hearing this, I was on my feet in an instant; my hand instinctively falling to my sheathed sword. The hollow was a good distance away from me, but it wasn't attacking. It was letting out scream after scream and thrashing around, as if it was in pain. My sword was pulled out as I cautiously approached the lost soul.
My footsteps weren't quiet enough, because the hollow momentarily stopped its thrashing and was gone in an instant. When sharp claws raked down my left arm and the soft flesh on my belly, my eyes went wide and I nearly fell. I had misjudged the hollow's power by a lot, something I usually don't do. My hand gripped my sword tighter as I swung behind me, missing my opponent. It reappeared in front of me, sharp fingers going directly towards my neck. I had barely enough time to react and sidestep away from it, and slam my elbow into its throat. Another scream was let loose, and I took my opportunity to slash at the hollow. My blade made contact with its side and I forced myself to keep driving it upwards, tearing muscles and anything else in it's way. The hollow slashed at my hips and sides up to my ribs, still screaming it's haunting song.
The blood was pouring out of my body, and I could feel it taking its toll on me, making my arm waiver ever-so-slightly. I couldn't stop the small whimper of pain that left my mouth, but I pressed on, cutting even deeper through the dead soul, my Zanpakuto nearly halfway through its body. With one rash decision, I pressed forward with all my weight, giving the hollow an easier chance to wound me, but giving me the strength I needed to slice through him.
The screaming stopped and I was surrounded by silence. The hollow's soul was cleansed and heading off to the Soul Society by now, and I was left alone, listening to my blood drip on the rooftop. I sighed and looked up at the sky, knowing I would need to get back to the Soul Society before I bled out all over the building. The trip back to the Seireitei was uncomfortable and difficult. My heart was beating hard in my chest, almost painfully, as my body worked to keep itself alive, and my bones ached with every step I took. After what seemed like an eternity, I arrived back home in the same place I had left. Even though I was in immense pain, I tried to straighten up and hide it so I could avoid questions. I just wanted to report into my captain and get to the fourth division to get myself fixed up.
As I made my way down countless paths, I kept close to the walls, for both support and to keep myself hidden. A group of laughing, drunk Soul Reapers walked past me. None of them noticed I was bleeding out right beside them. Along the way, I passed my husband and one of his whores, who didn't bother giving me a second glance. Groaning, I slid down against the wall. The pain was too much for me to take anymore, I was ready to just curl up and die.
I lost track of time curled up in pain with my knees to my chest, but a bit later I found myself looking at a familiar face, Captain of the Thirteenth Division, Jushiro Ukitake.
"Miss Hamasaki?" He asked, concerned upon seeing the blood that had dried on my arm.
"Oh, ahh.. I-I'm okay. You don't have to worry about me." I gave him a weak smile.
"You're hurt." He stated bluntly.
I shook my head. "It's nothing. I'll walk it off, I don't want to disturb your night."
"I think you're in need of help."
"Nahh, I'll walk it off. It's just a scratch." Shit, I was a terrible liar.
"I'll help you get it taken care of. It wouldn't be a bother. I hate to see anyone in pain." Jushiro offered me his hand, and I let myself be pulled up, feeling my wounds rip back open and begin to bleed.
The look of shock on Jushiro's face was immediate when he saw my bloodstained front that had been hidden from you. "See? Just a scratch." I mumbled before darkness took over me.
Sunlight poured in from the window, warming body and waking my body up. Slowly I opened my eyes and looked around. It took me a moment, but I quickly realized I was in the fourth division's recovery room. Still a bit groggy, I pulled my body upright and winced when my
skin tightened around my wounds. The groan of pain I uttered couldn't be stopped when I moved my stiff muscles. Bandages were wrapped tightly around my arm and a majority of my torso, thankfully covering all the damage.
Once both my feet were on the ground, pain was rushing through every section of my body, making it more than difficult to pull on a pair of loose pants. The white bandages covered enough of my body that I figured I'd make it to my house without much question. When I slid the door open, I immediately caught the eyes of Retsu Unohana, the forth division's captain, and Jushiro.
"It was just a scratch." I mumbled with a small smile when they approached.
"That certainly wasn't a scratch. I think you need a lot more time to rest." Unohana suggested as she looked over my current appearance.
Rubbing the back of my neck and stretching a little, I replied; "Nah. I'm not the type of person that can lie around in a bed like that. Give me a few days of sitting at a desk and I'll be back to myself in no time."
"Are you certain you won't stay for at least a few more days?" The female captain asked a tad concerned.
I shook my head. "I'm not too fond of medical things. I'll takes my chances and continue my usual duties." Seeing Jushiro's stay-here look, I added. "But if anything shows up, I'll definitely come back."
She nodded and left me with Jushiro. "I really wish you would stay here and let yourself get better."
"Trust me, I've been through much worse than this. I'll be okay. Besides, I might just become a lieutenant today."
Upon seeing my growing smile, Jushiro's shoulders untensed and he waved me on my way. "We can go out and celebrate tonight if that happens."
"Definitely!" I called out behind me as I turned around and started my walk to the third division barracks.
As I walked, I could feel the pain ebbing away and my muscles relaxing bit by bit. I stopped by the house and slipped into a white tube top before meeting up with my captain.
Once I arrived, I took a seat opposite of him. "You look like hell."
"Thanks, I hadn't noticed."
For the first time since I'd met him, I actually heard my captain laugh. "As much as I don't want too, I will be promoting you to be my lieutenant."
The question I'd been wondering since I began to serve under him finally came out. "Why do you hate me so much?"
His eyes widened a fraction. "What?"
"You treat me like I'm just another unseated officer, making me do nothing but run errands and finish the paperwork you don't want to be bothered with. I just want to know why. Especially if I'll be serving directly under you."
"You really want to know?" My captain sighed.
"No shit." I mumbled.
"It's because I know you can surpass me."
My eyes shot up to meet his, in shock. "Huh? How could I-"
"Whether you know it or not, you are an immensely powerful woman. I can tell one day you will rise up to the power of captain, perhaps even higher."
"There's no way." My mouth was suddenly dry. "I'm really not all that strong, and I certainly wouldn't be fit to lead a whole squad. I couldn't ever surpass you, Captain."
A small smile played on his lips. "One day, something will happen, and you'll unleash your full strength. I know you've been training with those brutes in the 11th division. I also know you go off and train by yourself, for hours at a time." When he say my eyes realize I had been caught, he chuckled. "I know, Miss Hamasaki. I always have. There's something else too, I'm aware you can release a bankai, something that takes many, many years of training."
I was shocked. "What? How, you can't know all that about me.."
"You do have the capabilities of reaching great power. When you find something you truly love, you'll fight for it and you'll return victorious. I can see it in your eyes."
"Captain.." I trailed off, looking for the words I wanted to say. "Thank you. I wasn't aware anyone even thought of me in that way. It truly means a lot to me, especially since I thought you hated me until about ten minutes ago."
After hearing my small laugh, he said; "Well, now that we've gotten this misunderstanding out of the way, take a few days off. Like I said before, you look like hell, lieutenant."
"I'll take you up on that offer, Captain." I laughed, while pushing my injured body up, ignoring the muscles that protested. "I think I'll go get drunk."
"As long as you don't come back to work hung over." He replied, waving me off.
Walking out of the 3rd division's building, I went off to find Jushiro, hoping he was serious about that offer about getting food. I was beyond starved, and my stomach was definitely reminding me.
I walked through the 13th division's workplace and didn't see Jushiro anywhere, so I decided to head over to the 11th division. The courtyard was full of people sparring and arguing, as usual. Hayato noticed me from across the commotion and waved me over.
"Hey!" His greeting was cheerful. "How are you doing? I heard you were hurt on some mission?"
Laying down beside him in the shade, I told him everything that had happened. "So now I've officially moved up to being a lieutenant."
"That's amazing, I wish I was able to become a lieutenant. No one here believes I'm even powerful enough to be the fifth seat."
"I'm sure you'll come to power someday."
Hayato's eyes got bright. "You really think so?"
With a small laugh, I said. "I really do."
"That gives me some motivation!" He smiled broadly.
"I'm hoping one day I'll be able to become captain." I admitted.
"I bet you can, Noa. You're really, really strong."
I shook my head. "All I can do is dream. It's not like I'll ever have a chance to become a captain. Anyways, I need to find Jushiro, we're supposed to go celebrate my change in the ranks."
"Captain Ukitake?" Hayato was clearly puzzled. "Shouldn't you be celebrating with Captain Satoh?"
Just the thought of Itsuki made me upset. "No, it's complicated, but definitely not."
My blonde haired friend shrugged. "Well I hope you have fun tonight. And I really hope we'll be able to start training together again soon."
I couldn't help but to smile a bit. "How about tomorrow? I've been given time off due to my injuries, but I need to keep up with my training."
"I don't want to do anything that'll slow down your healing." Hayato protested.
"Come on," I tempted him. "Nothing too difficult, just some simple sparring to help me stay in shape."
With a sigh, he finally gave in. "I don't like the idea, but if it's what you really want, I can't say no."
"Thank you, Hayato!" I slowly pulled my body up. "But I've got to get going, I'm dying to just get some rest."
"See you later, Noa." He called out as I left, continuing my search for Jushiro.
The Seireitei was like a maze to me, even though I've been here quite a while. Each path looked similar to the one before it, and it was a miracle I could remember my way through any of them. Turning through quite a few paths that would eventually lead to the thirteenth division, I came upon the back of the barracks and found Jushiro. He was sitting on the porch behind his office staring at a small koi pond, absentmindedly sipping tea.
I came up behind him and sat down. "I got promoted."
The white haired captain turned to me and smiled. "That's wonderful, Noa."
"So are we still on for that celebration? I'm starving."
"Well certainly, let me just clean up here. I'll only be a moment." Jushiro excused himself and went inside for a few minutes.
By the time he emerged, I was already up on my feet. I didn't want him to see me in this embarrassing state.
"How are your wounds?"
"I've had much worse." I admitted. "Like I said before, give me a few days and I'll be good as new. My captain gave me a few days off to heal, but I have no idea what I'll be doing. Probably training with my friend from the 11th division."
"But shouldn't you actually be resting?"
Jushiro seemed genuinely worried, but I laughed him off. "It's not like I really have anywhere to stay and rest. Besides, I'm easily bored, I don't know what I'd do without training and work."
The conversation trailed off for a bit, but we continued talking about little random topics to keep it from being silent. It was nice. We ended up deciding on a small restaurant that served a little bit of everything.
"What do you want?" Jushiro asked me, glancing over the foods that were here.
"Wellll…" I trailed off, studying it intensely. "I think I want some soup, and a sandwich. Some alcohol too, of course."
"Whatever you want, this is a night for celebrating."
"Jushiro?" I looked up at him.
"Yes?"
"Thank you." I mumbled quietly. "For believing in me, I mean."
"Well of course I would. I know you'll make a wonderful lieutenant."
He smiled and I couldn't help but to give him a true smile back, as our food and drinks arrived. I dug in instantly, still starving from not eating all day. Across from me, the long haired man was watching me with a glint of humor in his eyes, and eating his own food much slower.
"I was starving." I announced when I finished.
"That's obvious." The white haired man laughed. "I don't believe I've ever seen a woman eat that much food so fast."
I took that as a compliment. "Well, I do pride myself on how much I can eat."
"Well that's quite unique, Miss Hamasaki."
When I was about to respond, I heard a loud group of men come in through the door and sit not far from us, clearly drunk. Startling me, a strong hand slammed down on the table. I looked up to meet the eyes of my so-called husband, Itsuki Satoh. Jushiro looked me in the eyes, and I just shrugged.
"Well, guess you're not too fucked up, now are you?" His words were slurred.
"Guess not."
My smirk must have angered him, because he nearly snapped. "Since you ain't beat to shit, guess you won't mind not coming back for a while. Need some space for myself."
"What a shock!" I pretended to be surprised at his actions, but just ended up laughing. It wasn't the first time he had done this.
"Whatever." Itsuki turned and left to be with his friends, not forgetting to add, "Bitch!" as he left.
"I'm sorry." Jushiro said quietly, once Itsuki was out of earshot.
"It's not a big deal, it happens quite often."
"Where will you go?" He seemed concerned.
"I don't know, I find different places to sleep every time. Sometimes inns, sometimes I'll go back to my old district, occasionally I'll just crash in the grass. It doesn't bother me anymore, I've gotten used to it."
Jushiro's warm eyes looked at me. "You can stay with me, if you need too."
"I wouldn't want to trouble you. It'll be okay if I just stay at an inn." I protested.
"You wouldn't be troubling me. It'd be perfectly fine if you wanted to stay and rest a few days. Unless something happens and my disease acts up, I'll mainly be in my office running my division. If you like to read, I've got a pretty extensive library that could keep you entertained while you're healing."
Although I didn't want to admit it, that sounded pretty good. "But I'd just be a burden. If I did stay with you, I'd insist you at least take all the money I've got. It'd be the least I could do."
"Well," Jushiro stopped and thought for a moment. "I wouldn't feel right taking your money. How about instead, you tell me about your past? Then perhaps I would understand you better."
It was my turn to hesitate, I hadn't had the best past, and I despised talking about it. Eventually, I gave in. "I suppose.."
The man across from me smiled. "We can go whenever you're ready."
I nodded and began to mentally prepare myself, talking about my past could end up making me more upset.