Time Skips!!!! haha, thanks for all the reviews, my motto, as long as one person at least reads the story, i'm fine with it! Thanks!
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Bleach, only Keiyori
"Kei?… Kei?!… KEI!!!"
Keiyori's eyes opened and she sat up, rubbing her eyes, as the light hit her. She stood from her futon, wearing an oversized shirt and short shorts and walked to her door. Opening it, she saw third seats Kiyone and Sentaro. "Ohayo, what do you two want now?" She muttered as she yawned.
Kiyone bowed, "Gomensai, but Ukitake-taichou wanted to see you." She looked up at Keiyori, who nodded and then let the two leave.
Keiyori sighed as she closed the door. Quickly and quietly she got dressed. Her shinigami had altered over the years, and now she wore her attire with sleeves longer than her hands, short shorts, knee high black boots and she had a dark green obi stash tied around her waist which held her sword. She tied her long waist hair into a loose bun, and her now dyed white bangs still scattered over her ice blue eyes. Before she left, she tied her otokooya's fukoutaichou insignia to her left arm, and then walked out.
She used the light path, crossing her hands within her long sleeves and seemed to arrive to Jushiro's office in no time. She entered, bowing a bit, "Ohayo, Ukitake-taichou, Kiyone-chan told me you wanted to see me?"
Jushiro looked over to her, smiling a bit, "Shiba-fukoutaichou! Ohayo as well! I'm sorry to get you up so early."
She gave a small smiled but shook her head, "Oh no, no, Ukitake-taichou, I've been lazy for the past few weeks, Rukia's leave for the month has taken it's toll I suppose." She spoke with a light chuckle.
Jushiro nodded, "I'm to inform you that you're going t0 be accompanying me to a meeting today." He paused seeing her confused face, and chuckled, "Oh don't worry, the other fukoutaichou's are going to be there as well, it's one of those 'we're too lazy to have two separate meetings'"
There was a slight pause before the two started to laugh. Keiyori wiped a few tears away, "Ukitake-taichou, you really do need to stop making up excuses on why we sometimes have only one meeting." She spoke with a smile, before he lead her out.
"Gomensai, Shiba-fukoutaichou, I just couldn't resist." He spoke as they started off for the 1st division.
Keiyori had rose in the ranks, and pretty fast, she was an unseated officer 20 years after Kaien's death and then she was fukoutaichou for the last 30 years. She had shocked a lot of the taichou's, including her own, and even fukoutaichou's. She had made a promise to herself, Kaien had always told her to become a strong shinigami, and she would, for his sake, and to follow his foot steps she too would become fukoutaichou of his squad, and here she was today.
She then blinked, "Oi, Ukitake-taichou," She spoke a bit childishly, "I thought I asked you not to call me Shiba-fukoutaichou? Kei will do, I don't need a fancy title." She spoke with a slight smile.
He patted her head, "Forgive me, Kei, you should know by now that I usually stick with formalities."
She chuckled, and stopped, looking to the side, and waved, "Ohayo Kyoraku-taichou, Ise-fukoutaichou!" She spoke with a smile.
Shunsui Kyoraku was Taichou of the 8th division and fukoutaichou was Nanao Ise, whom Keiyori had become great friends with considering that Jushiro and Shunsui were friends since their academy years some odd centuries ago.
Shunsui ruffled Keiyori's hair, "Ohayo Kei." he paused, "Oi, why is it when ever I see you and Nanao-chan you both keep getting younger?!" He looked at Jushiro, "We're getting old aren't we Jushiro?"
Jushiro only gave a slight chuckle as he and Shunsui moved on, talking as they went. Nanao and Keiyori followed behind, chatting away.
Nanao looked over to the girl, "So Kei, I haven't seen you up this early for a while."
"Yeah, well.." She spoke laughing a bit, and scratching her head, "Usually Rukia wakes me up to do some morning training, but she's been away for a while, so I'm out of the routine."
She felt her hair fall down from the bun and she saw the young fukoutaichou run ahead, "Pretty slow today Kei!"
She growled, "SHUUHEI HISAGI!!!" She screamed running past Nanao, Shunsui and Jushiro, and chasing after the idiot.
Shunsui laughed, "So much energy in the morning," He looked over to Jushiro, "At least she hasn't lost that."
Jushiro nodded a bit, and the three heard someone scream. They rushed forward then Nanao started laughing. Keiyori sat on Shuuhei, whom was laying on his stomach, and she had her foot on the back of his head, while she was tying her hair back up in her bun.
"Hey! Get your fat ass off me!" Shuuhei yelled.
"What was that?!" She screeched, jamming her heel into his head, "You want to repeat that Shuuhei?!"
"Ow! OW!" He yelled, "Just get off! You're breaking my head open!"
"Good! You deserve it!" She yelled at him.
"Now, Keiyori, why don't you get off of Shuuhei?" Jushiro spoke, trying to calm the girl down.
She looked up at him, then to Shuuhei, and got off, "Next time, don't steal my hair tie!" She spoke walking off.
Jushiro sighed a bit, she was short tempered at times, yet it was only her natural state, something he believed that she had 'inherited' from Kaien. Sighing, he followed the girl, and looked at her, "Keiyori, you really should control that nasty temper of yours."
She looked back at him, slight frown, "Nasty? Ukitake-taichou, that's mean, I don't have a nasty temper, I have a short temper." She spoke smiling at the end.
"Yes, we can tell." Shunsui spoke, laughing a bit.
She slightly glared at the taichou, then moved forward. She stopped though, letting Ukitake-taichou and Shunsui-taichou. The one thing Keiyori didn't like, was the 1st division. It seemed uptight, and more or less, intimidating.
As the taichou's lined up, the fukoutaichou's knelt behind their taichou's, showing their respect towards not only their own taichou's but to the others, especially Yamamoto, Genryuusai. Genryuusai was an old man, the one who started the Gotei Thirteen and the academy.
He stood at the very top, "We've found Rukia Kuchiki." He started, "I need two volunteers to search for her and bring her back to receive her punishment."
Keiyori was taken back, 'Rukia? What is her crime? Why..'
'-Shin'ai naru, please, calm down. If you rush into this situation, you'll only confuse others, and you might jeopardize Rukia's fate as well.-'
'But Ansatsu, what has she done?' She thought, now looking down at the ground, 'Rukia isn't the type to commit a crime, that's not her, I've taught her well, taught her the same philosophies Kaien taught me… it doesn't make sense for this to happen to Rukia..'
She could hear Ansatsu sigh, '-I know, I know. Yet this is the time to be patient, keep your head at a level place, if you lose it, you're more likely to get yourself hurt.-' he seemed to pause, '-please, shin'ai naru, be careful, the future seems a bit, wary.-'
Keiyori was a bit taken back, but nodded to herself, 'I understand Ansatsu, thank you for the warning.'
"Shiba-fukoutaichou, it's time to go." Jushiro spoke softly, noticing the girl slightly zone out.
She nodded and got up, "all right Taichou." She spoke as they walked off.
He could see the worry, "You weren't listening were you?"
Her face went red from embarrassment, "G-Gomensai, Ukitake-taichou, I… I didn't hear anything after they wanted to retrieve her for her punishment."
Jushiro nodded, "It's all right Keiyori. From the report, Rukia gave her shinigami powers to a human."
Some relief washed over her, "Then that means her punishment wont be so sever, she'll probably get a few weeks of probation right?"
Jushiro nodded, "Of course." He spoke then stopped, making Keiyori a bit confused, but seeing Sosuke Aizen, she paused.
Aizen was one of the most loved taichou's the Gotei 13 could ask for. Yet, to Keiyori, something seemed, off. Sure Aizen was a kind man, very caring, but something seemed to be hiding underneath that mask…
Jushiro smiled, "Ohayo, Aizen-taichou."
Aizen smiled, "Ohayo, Ukitake-senpai, Keiyori-dono."
Keiyori's face went red, "Um, A-Aizen-taichou… you don't have to add 'dono' at the end.."
Aizen's smile never left, "Gomensai, Keiyori-dono, oh, there I go again." He gave a slight chuckle, then looked at Jushiro, "Ukitake-senpai, would it be all right to borrow your fukoutaichou?"
Jushiro looked at Keiyori, then slightly patted her head, then looked at Aizen, "If it's all right with Keiyori, that's fine."
She looked up at Jushiro, "I don't have any paper work?"
"No." he spoke.
Keiyori looked at Aizen, "I guess so.." She spoke as Aizen gently lead her away. She didn't know what he wanted from her, she was just some random fukoutaichou..
He opened his office door, he had a low sitting table and he sat down, "Come join me Keiyori-chan, I wanted to discuss a few things with you."
She nodded, and sat down, the only available seat was at the end of the table, next to Aizen who sat on the corner. She glanced over to him, the hesitant and unsettling feeling she had started to rise up.
He noticed her glance, then looked at her, a warm smile on his face, "Would you like any tea, Keiyori?"
"Um…"
"I'll be having some, I wouldn't feel comfortable if you didn't have any."
She nodded, "Um, thank you, Aizen-taichou." She spoke, now looking down at the table. There was silence as they waited, and she was slightly fed up with it, 'If he wants to ask me something, he should just ask it.' She noticed the tea in front of her, "Oh, thank you." She spoke softly.
Aizen took a sip of tea before looking at her, "Keiyori-chan, how have you been?"
'I hope he really didn't just pull me aside just to chit chat..' She thought but nodded, "I've been fine, taichou, and you?"
"So respectful." He lightly spoke, but nodded as well, "I've been fine, Keiyori-chan, I've been concerned."
"About what taichou?" She spoke before taking a seat, "It's a peaceful time in the Seireitei, no hints of war or anything, the only problem we have is hollows and directing souls here."
"Oh, but peacefulness can never last too long."
"True."
"I've been concerned for you Keiyori."
"Me?" She said, raising an eyebrow and looking at him.
"Yes." He paused, taking a sip of tea, then looked at her, "I've been hearing talk, I mean no disrespect or untrustworthiness from you or your zanpakuto, but well, that's the thing. No one's seen your zanpakuto, so there has been rumor that you don't even know shikai, does Ukitake-senpai even know?"
She sighed, and hesitated, but took a sip, "Of course I have a shikai, that's one of the ways to become a fukoutaichou, and no. Ukitake-taichou hasn't seen it, I've had no reason to show him the shikai for any reason, and he's never asked." She looked at him, "I don't see your concern, although I do thank you for the heads up Aizen-taichou."
"My concern is, is that some aren't very happy that you've rose in rank so vastly in speed. Although, Kaien-sama and Miyako-dono would be very pleased and proud of your accomplishments." He paused, noticing her slightly tense, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to, I've forgotten that it's so close to their deaths.."
She shook her head, "No no, Aizen-taichou." She looked up, seeing the sun high in the sky, then looked at the taichou, "I thank you for the tea, and the heads up, very much." She spoke, then stood, "If there isn't anything more you need to discuss, I'd very much like to go." She said, looking at him.
Aizen gave a seemingly playful frown, "Aw, Keiyori-chan, I sometimes get the feeling that you don't like spending time with me."
She faked a laugh, "Oh no, I very much enjoy your company, I just want to keep up with anything that happens in my division."
"Please, come visit me again soon. You seem… very different from others."
She noticed something changed in his voice, but ignored it, and simply bowed and left the 5th division. Keiyori shivered a bit, that man gave her the most uneasy feeling. Hinamori always spoke of him, how he was a perfect taichou.
Bull.
No one could be the perfect taichou, Keiyori knew Jushiro was a taichou, yet he wasn't perfect, he could mess up, and the fact that he had tuberculosis that would cause her to run the division, but she didn't hate the man for those factors, she was only reasoning that he was a normal shinigami. Aizen, on the other hand, was too good to be true, she never said anything, because no one ever had a bad word about him. She was afraid that if she spoke a bad word, everyone would instantly turn on her, so instead, she was the good girl.
"Well hey there Kei."
Her blood froze, another one… she turned and looked at the man, Gin Ichimaru. He walked up to her, "Not going to greet a taichou?"
She bowed, "Gomensai, Ichimaru-taichou, ohayo."
He placed his hand on her head, sending a slight shiver down her, "I was only kiddin Kei. Ya too up tight."
She looked up, "O-Of course, Ichimaru-taichou." She whispered.
His fox grin widen, "You're kinda cute when you're scared."
Her face turned red, and she looked, and he placed a hand on her head again, and leaned down, "Kinda, not enough for anyone to want ya though." He spoke as he walked away.
Her eyes slightly widen, 'What kind of threat was that?!' she thought turning to look at him walking away.
