New soul.
With Matsumoto gone for the day I begin to think, think about when I first
Arrived in soul society. Many people that I associate with on a day to day basis only know the story of the genius who, at first, lived with Hinamori Momo in the first district of rukongai, spending lazy days a heavy heap under the sun, eating refreshing watermelons and humming no-nonsense tunes to himself. Then they talk about how I was the
Youngest student to enroll in the academy, also youngest AND first to pass 5 years and advance to 6th year advance class, tensai, that's what everyone whispered. Shinigami are cowards, in the sense that, everything that is different they box it up, and wrap it in pretty little wrapping because it easier to explain something that makes you nervous in a category.
But the truth is these people our sadly misinformed. I know my life in soul society is a short one, only 150 years, dare I say a mere child. 90 years prior to all this shinigami business and even prior to life with hinamori, there was a much darker and pain filled life,
With ravenous behavior and deadly intents. Before my life in the 1st district rukongia I lived in the tough, brutal and down right crude 57th district. This district was well known for being run by young children ranging from 2 at the youngest to 18 and 19 being the oldest. Anyone above these age limits knew to keep their fair distance away from this district. Elderly who would ever come around would kindly offer food and money to the young citizens, in fear of being murdered, as for adults, no sympathy, they would be
Beaten, stripped of dignity and murdered. If they were lucky they would at least have their drawers by the end of a raid.
Body's rotted on that street and no one took head to them, stray cats and dogs would pick at their remains, crazed and sick souls would also eat these bodies, in our district that was the first sign of hollowfacation. The district of 57 was called to ookami district. The district of wolves. That was our equivalent lone, rabid starving wolves; our district was so bad shinigami even avoided it, for some shinigami had gone into ookami district and had never come out.
I remember this district very well, I can even remember the smell of the bloody dew in the grass and the smoke filled air as I opened my eyes the first time in soul society ever…
I remember….
In the past.
Everything was very dark, every part of my limbs tingled. I wriggled my toes; I dug them into the fresh morning grass, feeling the soil fill the spaces between my toes. I repeat this action with my fingers. There is something off, the smell of blood and dew…the smell of cigars, I could've sworn I was somewhere else, before…before. Wait, where exactly was I before? I ponder for a few more minutes, there is a painful welling in my chest, I furrow my eyebrows.
I guess…I've always been here…I suppose. I decide to open my eyes, cautiously I open one, I look out and see trees, a lot of trees a small stream about 25 feet away from me and a grassy plain across the stream. I open my other eye and begin to take in everything in a more full attentive state.
I push my feet up, pulling my body up awkwardly; I work out my limbs taking a long stretch. I drag myself over to the tiny stream and take in my features. Oddly I look the same as always, snow white hair, teal eyes and a pale complexion. I splash the water onto my face its absolutely freezing, but oddly it feels very calming and natural, I doesn't phase me at all. I spin in a full circle looking once again at my current surroundings. Trying to decide which direction to go, when I hear screams.
The screams are coming straight from the forest in front of me, it sounds like a young man is screaming. Admits the screaming I hear crazy battle cries coming from someone who sounded about my age, scratch that many kids that sound my age.
The cries become closer and closer when a man, no older that 20 I'd say emerged from the bushes; he had cuts and bruises encasing his body. I'm frozen, I cant exactly explain why but I guess the whole hype of battle cries and screaming, and of course this half dead man in front of me clouded my judgment.
The man is absolutely livid, but not with anger with fear. He stalks over to me and grabs hold of my frail and tiny shoulders and begins to beg.
"Please…please young boy save me, reason with these ookami please they'll listen to you, I, I…please come on I have a family I have a …" he goes to continue when he spurts blood all across my face. He folds and for me its all in slow motion. His body encases itself right onto my right shoulder, bleeding away, when I examined his body I notice a simple piece of wood with a sharp point is protruding from his stomach.
The boys begin to cheer and whoop happily. Then for what seems like the first time, they notice me.
"Oi who the hell are you?" asked one of the boys. I cant respond I stare dumbfounded.
"Hey check him out he's so wired looking White hair? What the hell" another boy whispers.
"Ara, he's notin but a rat eh, looks like we got's us a new one boys, buh look hes so scrawny, lets do em a favour and kill em off and who knows maybe he's got something valuable." Say the oldest boy I could pick out of them, in total I'd say there was about six boys. I look pensively. Taking in sharp breaths as they began to enclose on my space. As they draw closer and closer, I feel my body temperature drop, 1 degree, 2 degrees, 5 degrees. They're breathing right down my neck when I shot up and then it all begins.
The oldest boy screams out in a rage filled bliss and the other boys join them. They all attack at once, but I was too quick for them. I slid under one particularly burly boy right towards the dead mans body. I slide into his blood and when I'm close enough I grab the stake and as the boys come at me I stab one square in the eye. He screams out and crumples to the floor, I know for an instant it must have pierced his brain and killed him.
I though at the death of a comrade they would ease up, but they picked up their intensity. This goes on for a good 5 minutes, I'm now thoroughly battered and bruised. There is old blood and new blood all around. I get ready for another round about when the oldest boy speaks up.
"You're pretty good boy! Eh where'd ya come from? Seein as this aint goin nowhere how bout we have a one on one battle eh the winner walks away with their life k?" the boy spits out with a full blown smile. I shake my head and grit my teeth. He understands and advances. I quickly asses the situation, im too battered to move, the boy is bigger and stronger but hes heavy…if I can just…
He moves in closer running blindly towards me, I rest my hand in a blood puddle as he goes to do me in I splash the crimson blood into his eyes. He cries out in pain, I jab him with the stake right into his left side, his cries become more intense and he rubs his eyes furiously. While he stumbles forward I stick my leg out and he tripped hitting his head off a particularly pointy rock and rolling into the stream. Everyone is dead silent, all of us frozen, when a minute passes and nobody emerges from the stream I turn my head, starring death glares to the remaining four boys.
"Anyone else" I say icily. They all shake their head and run, run far and fast screaming "monster" and "demon". I look to where they are running and follow the narrow path through the woods, when I come to the end there is a village not to far off. I advance.
When I get to the village I see a young boy sitting at the front, smoking and sharpening a rock. When he sees me he screams out. A few other boys come out and when I reach the gate they all stare me down.
"What's your buisness here boy?" ask the kid smoking.
"Nothing" I reply simply.
"You getting smart with me? I'll have you murdered faster than you can blink." He says all to cockily.
"What just like the boys before? I'll just do the same to you as I did to them" I say putting my hand to the stake, into a ready position crouching ever so slightly.
"Wait…you're the monster that sentaro and the others were screaming about?" he ask's quizzically.
"I suppose" I reply modestly. He then proceeds to let out an amused laugh.
"You killed off irkua? Good for you boy, good riddance that fat piece of shit he was always running around acting like he owned everyone, finally POW! Take that, good on you shorty" he says he goes to reach for my shoulder but I pace back one step.
"Oh, icy icy, I like you how about you join me and my boys?" he ask's I look at him starring daggers.
"No thank you" I bite out.
"Oh, lone ookami than? Oh well your choice. Kazuka let him through." A tough looking boy opens a plank in the wooden wall and I slip through. My name was lone ookami for many years, but one day I was stripped of my title and washed down stream to first district where I met Hinamori momo, but this is another story all in itself.
Current.
While I was reminiscing I was writing away at my paperwork furiously, almost violently. When a knock on the door brought me back to my full senses.
"Who knocks" I ask sternly, taking on my authoritative stature.
"Kozna semaruto, 1st division 4th seat" she replies.
"Sate your buisness." I reply in monotone.
" Yamato Sou-taichou wishes for your presence for a very pressing matter." She states.
"Detailed prep?" I pursue, I hate going to the Sou-taichou unprepared.
"Buisness concerning the real world, Hitsugaya Taichou, something about a small cell of 4 going down to the material world…" she goes to continue but I slam my fists down.
I hear her tiny yelp, I grit my teeth and then I bite out.
"I'll be there soon" and with that she vanishes.
Honestly I'm getting sick of the material world. Plus at such pressing times when I keep remembering all these insignificant nothings of memories that don't even belong to me?
And Ichigo…don't even get me started. I begin to process everything and then it clicks.
A taichou can only be sent to the material world upon great praise and recommendation…the hazy ness began to become even more clear…only one person so
Evil and devious would set him up for this.
I rise up from my chair and swivel around, slam my window open and scream to the frozen heavens.
"MATSUMOTOO!"
"Achoooo" a female sneezes out.
"Rangiku-san are you ok?" renji asks calmly.
"Oh no Renji I'm fine, just caught a bit of a chill coming my way, oh renji don't worry keep packing! We have to win the packing contest between the formidable tag team yumichka and ikkaku" she replies out lazily flopping her hand around.
Somehow Renji had the feeling that breeze was Hitsugaya's wrath licking its cold breathe on all their necks. This was definitely going to be an uncomfortable journey to the material world.