AN: Ummmm... I lied? apparently all the rewrites /won't/ necessarily break 3k... seeing as this one doesn't. lol. anyway, it's probably cuz i didn't need to change much. just little bits here and there mostly. all right, i think i'm gonna go sleep now, but hopefully you guys will stick around to enjoy the rest! also, i /do/ love reviews... so any given would be so welcomely received! (loves you all) until next time! (gah, ten pages!(shudders)).
Chapter Four Assignments and Important Steps
Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryuusai sat calmly in his soutaichou's chair, continually steepling his fingers together in a wave motion, contemplating the disasters that had befallen his Soul Society. Three captains had deserted. What was worse was that they now turned against Soul Society. The powers of Aizen, due to his nefarious deception, were virtually unknown and obviously of superior strength than most captains. He held some doubt that the other two were quite as skilled at hiding their true abilities but one could never be too sure, especially in the case of such villains. Nine captains, not including himself, against the three deserters did not bode well to him, especially considering the additional hollows they would have to face. He would have his hands full facing the Gillian, allowing no room for him to assist the others. And could they even truly work together, the way that would be necessary in this war? Hopefully it wouldn't get that far.
Quite possibly the worst loss, however, was the loss of Central Room 46. Despite his own position as figurehead of the Gotei 13, he himself did not handle most of the major decisions in government. The body existed in order to counteract that very idea; that he could act as a dictator over Soul Society. Also, it would have been nearly impossible for him to handle the incredible workload of both Central 46 and his own, which was already immense. It was a logical way to split the power and govern not only Seireitei but the whole of Rukongai. Now the entire group was gone, murdered.
This left Genryuusai with two problems, the first of which was that, in the interim, he was expected to act in their place, creating exactly the overwork they had tried to avoid. For the moment, he had very nearly absolute power in the afterlife.
The second problem was the immediate need to replace Central Room 46. New members needed to be chosen in an unbiased way that would guarantee fairness and legality in the future. Usually, as a council member reached the end of his soul span, whether to be reincarnated or reach a final rest, he would choose an appropriate successor who would also be appointed for life. However, seeing as how none of the former members had had a chance to select a successor, how were they to arrange a new council? New rules were needed, at the very least to jump start the council once more, to which end a committee had been formed.
In the meantime, it was up to Genryuusai to make all major decisions and approve motions. Which was why, instead of doing something more productive, he was now listening to the recent discoveries of Hitsugaya Toushirou, something that normally would have gone to the Central Room.
"Yamamoto-dono, all of the papers regarding Aizen's schooling and ascendancy to captainship have disappeared! I don't know how many could have known where they were located, but what if it was one of his spies, left behind to wrap up his loose ends? I think it's important to investigate the matter further, to find out where the papers are and who took them—"
"Calm yourself, Hitsugaya-Taichou. Certainly such a matter would be of grave importance if it were unknown. However, they were not removed, they were simply confiscated. I do not think Aizen would have left anything important in them, but I would not leave such a possibility to chance. I myself have hidden them away in a location unknown to others. They are most likely worthless, but I will not take that chance."
Had he been alone, Hitsugaya would have been tempted to slap his forehead, cursing his own stupidity. Being in the presence of the lead captain, he didn't even consider it, but all the same, he knew he should have considered the possibility that the papers had been confiscated. The instant conclusion is not necessarily the accurate one. However, more curious than that...
"Ah, you are wondering why I explained it to you so easily if I suspect that there may be spies. It is because, despite Aizen's defection, I still know who would not be a spy. I have watched you from your very first entrance to the shinigami academy as you climbed all the way to captain. Though you may not like to hear it, you are still a child and therefore, easy for me to understand. I know you are not the spy. Actually, you were the only one looking for the true answers before, which is why I believe you'd be an excellent asset. I would like it if you, on a confidential level, would investigate this matter in detail. I am unable to, simply because of the current hole in Central Room 46. If convenience hadn't sent you down here today, I would have summoned you in to get your confidential assignment."
Yamamoto-soutaichou gestured to a folder resting on his desk, indicating that Hitsugaya should take it with him.
Now more puzzled than ever, Hitsugaya took the proffered folder, surprised that he was apparently held in such high regard, particularly in view of such an important task. It didn't really make sense, given his youth and inexperience, though his tensai status may seem to cancel out those disadvantages, he didn't particularly think they would. Or perhaps he was simply doubting that he was the best choice. He gave himself a firm mental shake, instructing his psyche to pay attention.
"The absolute need for secrecy is paramount in the extreme. No one must know what you are doing, or that your assignment exists. Not Hinamori-fukutaichou, nor your own vice-captain. Do you understand?"
"You want me to determine what Aizen's plans are now that he has obtained Hougyoku, is that it? In absolute secrecy, of course..."
"Good. For now, you must leave so as to avoid suspicion."
Hitsugaya nodded absently and slid the weighty folder into his shihakushou, out of plain sight, exiting the office. What did Genryuusai-dono suspect? He didn't know, not yet, but he had a feeling if he didn't find out soon, things were going to deteriorate before he even realized why. There was too much that Yamamoto wasn't telling him. At the very least, his next step in this mystery was quite clear. He must make sense of the strangely unfinished paperwork that had started this whole debacle, resulting in his sudden new duty. He tried to shrug off the feeling of foreboding hanging over him, but was brilliantly unsuccessful in said endeavor.
Still, it was too late to investigate any further tonight, if the dawning twilight was any indication. Too dark to give the area a thorough inspection and too dangerous considering an unknown hollow was likely hidden there. He stared up at the night sky from his room's balcony. The stars...
They shone beautifully, a guiding star to those lost in the darkness of Rukongai. With a sharp stab of anguish, he suddenly felt his own need for his personal guiding light.
Hinamori... He missed her. In a strange way, he had been missing her from the moment she had joined the shinigami academy. From that point on, she had never been the same. She had become this… this giddy school girl who no longer even looked at him. She didn't look at him with true eyes, she simply glanced in his direction, mind always elsewhere. In reality, he was practically invisible to her; Aizen had become her whole world. And now the situation had only worsened. Despite everything, Aizen was still dominating her. The thought burned and smoldered inside him, smoking hot and angry. My star, his mind raged. No one can have her but me!
He knew, inexplicably, that he needed to see her. Right then, in that very instant, his heart cried out, the call impossible to ignore. His mind tried to fight the sudden intensity of the need with inescapable logic. He needed sleep. He hadn't slept in the two weeks since she'd been stabbed. He needed to be ready and prepared for the investigation suddenly looming on his horizon. But his heart overrode all his accurate objections, and he found himself standing outside of the building where her room resided before he'd even realized he'd moved at all. Because she was awake now, she wouldn't want to see him, so he was definitely barred from his typical nightly visits. A mere hint of his reiatsu would surely rouse her from whatever sleep she had managed to find. He would have to settle for a farther away view of her moonlit beauty.
The window, he decided. It wouldn't be quite far enough, but he, too, was skilled at hiding his reiatsu. And he was a captain. It was the only real option available out of the remaining possibilities. His quick flash step brought him immediately to her precious windowsill, her curtains drawn wide to let in the starlight.
Her breathing was deep and even, chest rising and falling in a calm and peaceful sleep. Her whole body lay still in easy relaxation, dreaming good dreams. He felt an unfulfilled longing rising deep inside him, yearning to reach out, to be a part of her dream. His body did not move, locked in a stasis, fearing movement may ruin the moment, but wishing more than anything that he was part of her pleasant dreams. She stirred briefly, moaning slightly. Hitsugaya jerked involuntarily, allowing his mind wander, just momentarily, imagining that it was he she dreamed of. But his bitter self-recriminations informed him rationally that it was more likely she dreamt of the "good old days," when her Aizen-Taichou was no traitor. In these moments, with no one watching, his face surrendered unconsciously to the agony inside him, twisting into unutterable longing. This time she would be safe! He was determined that she be safe, in body and in heart. He could care for her in so many more ways than she had ever let him. He couldn't help but relive his failures over and over in his mind. He stared at her now, weak, malnourished and gravely injured, thinking only of how if he had acted differently, perhaps everything would be different now.
If he had been honest from the very beginning, told her how he felt and protected her... His mind drifted at the possibilities. But no, he had been a child then, as had she. She would not have understood his intentions. It was just so unfortunate that she had to idolize the worst shinigami she could have found. Why couldn't she have chosen Ukitake? Now there was a good man who would never have betrayed her that way, if his attitude towards only a minor subordinate was any indication. He sighed to himself, knowing that this line of thought was pointless. Rather, he should be considering how best to counter his errors from before. He must foresee Aizen's actions as Aizen had done for them, in order to avoid both the same mistakes and new ones. He struggled to think, to concentrate.
He needed to be stronger, to train and develop his secret techniques that none had seen save Hyourinmaru. Certainly, other circumstances had interfered with his fight with Aizen, but, assuming he could remove them in the future, he would need his own unexpected advantages. Thinking along those lines, he would also need allies. In the same way that Aizen had had surprising helpers and he had been alone, so would he need to be the next time. This assignment from Yamamoto-dono was already turning out to be far more complex than he had originally thought. Even if such ideas were not directly related to the original purpose, he knew that the course he was following would eventually lead to such needs.
The most immediate action he would take would be to more closely uncover the results of the unfinished patrol report. He had already reached a dead-end in the paper trail. His next choice would obviously need to be going to the site of the patrol itself. However, his new assignment complicated that a bit. Because nothing was known about the hollow—ergo, it's abilities and power level—it was best that he have back-up, or, at the very least, a reconnaissance patrol as an initial step. However, he was forced to forego these possible essentials because of the soutaichou's special conditions. He was not allowed to discuss his mission with anyone. At minimum, he would have liked to take Matsumoto, but even that was specifically denied him. The need for secrecy was far too high.
Hinamori whimpered in her sleep, the sound deafened by the intermediary window, but her resulting movement catching Hitsugaya's eye. He stared as the corners of her eyes crinkled in sudden distress, her limbs writhing in agitation under the sheets. She cried out, the sound barely registering in his ear through the window, yet crystal clear in its emotional torment. Her sweet dream had turned sour. He watched her with helpless teal eyes locked onto her tortured face as she began to twist and turn more urgently. She was tangled in the sheets, constraining her movements more and more while trying to flail wilder in some dream-inspired attempt at escaping an unknown horror. She screamed again, louder this time, and the piercing terror in it ate at his very soul. He was forced to shunpo very quickly away as Hinamori finally screamed herself into consciousness.
It took him only three flashsteps to reach his room. His night had been cut short by dreams. His muse... He closed his eyes to the memories. It was time he got some sleep of his own. And perhaps he would dream of the days he had left behind, the only pleasant days he could remember for some time. Now that Hinamori was awake, everything had changed. He could no longer see her, no longer watch her sleeping peace. She blamed him for what was Aizen's doing and therefore, left him alone, lost without the comfort of her presence. Hinamori, how long before I can call you mine?
