A/N: Yay, update. Sorry for the short length.

Hinamori had cut her hair.

It suited her, Aizen noticed. (The symbolism didn't escape her. He had decided on her – damnit.)

When one is facing imminent death or at least a heck of a lot of pain, it is kind of funny the sort of details the mind picks up.

Momo (and really, Aizen had no business calling her old fukutaichou that) juddered just a bit, ignoring the astonished sort of gaping sound Matsumoto made and the simultaneous movements toward their swords that was the rest of the SWA.

The movement seemed to wash down her, and she straightened, straight-backed and poker-faced. Her hand very firmly gripped her sword, and the words of doom were uttered.

"Snap, Tobuime."

Sousuke was about to run away when Ichigo (really, that boy was a taichou now? And of the Ninth, of all places? At least it wasn't her old squad... Speaking of which, she wondered who her replacement was...) stepped forward. "Please stand down, Hinamori-fukutaichou."

Apparently he had learned manners as well. They worked, thankfully enough, and Hinamori slowly powered down her sword, sliding it back into its sheath with a threatening click.

They left the Seiretei Woman's Association behind with a brisk clip, Momo's eyes boring into the back of Aizen the entire way.

The walk to the soutaichou's office was a long one, full of blatant staring, whispering, and some posturing from the lower ranks of the Shinigami and subtle threats from the upper.

The look in Kyouraku's eye when the pair entered the office was worse. He stood up in a sweep of robes and a heavy weight of reiatsu, a barely hidden threat. He practically throbbed with displeasure. Ichigo, Aizen noticed, had become a little more solemn.

"What are you doing, Ichigo?" Sousuke almost balked at the age in the man's words – he knew that Kyouraku was old, but he had never really let it show in his voice.

What exactly had happened between her death and now?

And speaking of which, where was the old soutaichou? Not that Aizen had been particularly fond of him, but the white beard, gnarly cane, and noticeable aura of heat had kind of been a staple of Seiretei.

Then again, Yamamoto probably would've just fried Sousuke the moment she stepped in the door and then asked questions.

Aizen was so engrossed in her thoughts she didn't even notice that Ichigo had been talking until Kyouraku's rough voice cut into her thoughts. "He-" he faltered, "-she will be your responsibility, then."

Ichigo grinned, put a hand on Aizen's shoulder, and steered her out the door with a "Bye, Shunsui!" and a wave.

He stopped them in front of the Fifth Division, and before Sousuke realized what was going on, he had run away, shouting "He's yours now! Don't kill him!"

And for the second time that day, there was the sound of Tobuime being unsheathed and the sickly-sweet voice of Momo Hinamori.

"Hello, Aizen-Taichou."

The explosions lit up Seireitei through most of the day and a considerable chunk of the night and for one brief instant, Ichigo wondered if he overdone it a little.

Then he shrugged and turned away. After all, Aizen probably deserved it.