Disclaimer: I do not own any of Tite Kubo's work. If you see a name you do not recognize it is an OC.
Chapter 6
The following fall, as the leaves started to change color and it was getting chillier, two little girls scampered past a room.
"We are ready to relay our report Captain." a girl's voice came over the comm link.
Kedera removed his feet from the desk and grabbing a pen, he dipped it into his ink. Poising it over the paper he placed his hand to his ear, "All right, I am ready for your report Lieutenants."
He heard giggling before a voice came over the comm link. Kedera wrote as quickly as he could as Harumi and Ayame talked to him.
"Is that all Captain?" Ayame asked when they finished.
Kedera blew on the paper to dry it quickly, "Yes, that will be all Lieutenant Ayame. You and Lieutenant Harumi can go home now." He shuffled the papers together. Standing up, he removed his comm link and walked out the door, in his hand was the stack of papers he had been working on. He walked down the road to the Hisagi residence to talk with Yuizoran.
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Harumi and Ayame took off down the road to put the comm links at Kedera's place before taking off to squad four's barracks. After knocking on the door they were to impatient to wait for Isane. Rushing in the searched for Captain Unohana until they found her in a room with Isha.
"Captain Unohana?" Ayame asked as she stood there smiling with her hands behind her back.
Unohana turned to look at the two girls. "Are you here to see Hanatora?" she asked gently. Ever since Hanatora had saved them from the hollow down in the world of the living a year ago, the two girls spent time with him. Even though Renji was the one who technically saved them, Hantora was the one to help them first. They found out he was really a shy person, but once he opened up to somebody, he was their friend for life.
Harumi nodded her head, "Is he finished working?"
Unohana walked to the door and called for Hantora. Hanatora came running and bowing asked, "You wanted me Captain?"
Unohana waved her hand at the two girls, "You may go as soon as your done with your work. Unless you have it finished now?"
Hanatora nervously chuckled, "Not quite. But I'm almost"
Unohana nodded at the girls, "You may go with him."
Ayame and Harumi squealed in delight as they ran over and grabbed his hands. Hanatora smiled as they turned to the room he was working in.
Isha said to Unohana after hearing Hanatora laugh, "I think it was a wise idea to send him to the real world last year."
Unohana turned to Isha, "Yes, he has seemed to brighten up since then. I also think it has to do with Shuhei's twins. They have been the only children to come out of their way to talk or play with him." Unohana said in a motherly tone.
Isha turned back to her work, "It's hard to believe those two are Shuhei and Yuizoran's."
"My somebody sounds jealous." Unohana said as she looked up at Isha from her desk.
Isha turned her nose up and said, "I'm not jealous. I just haven't found the right guy."
"What about that Renji fellow that keeps hanging around here?" Unohana asked innocently.
Isha hmphed, "He thinks he can make every girl fall for him." she turned back to her paperwork as Unohana smiled at Isane.
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Renji stood leaning against the walls of squad four's barracks, waiting for a certain somebody to leave. As he waited Hanatora left with the twins. Watching them walk down the road laughing and smiling, he thought back to the week they had spent in the human world. Hanatora had been severely injured protecting the two girls from a hollow.
Renji smiled as he remembered the two girls had doted on Hanatora as he recuperated. As he was reminiscing Isha walked out and took a deep breath.
"Hey finished working? Renji asked surprising Isha.
Isha pointed and Renji as she glared at him, "What are you doing here?"
Renji grabbed Isha's hand, "I believe I asked you the first question." Isha frowned at him before raising her other hand to slap that silly grin off his face. "Hey I just asked a simple question." Renji asked as he lowered Isha's hands. Leaning closed he asked, "Is that a reason to get feisty?"
Isha huffed before crossing her arms after Renji let her hands go, "Yes, I'm finished, does it really matter?"
Renji stood back up, "I was just wondering if yo wanted to do something special today."
Isha looked up at him in surprise, "Why would I want to do anything special?"
"Because it's your birthday." Renji said as he placed his hand on his forehead, "I can't believe you would forget your own birthday."
A small smile crossed Isha's face. She had forgotten since she had been really busy lately. A small thought crossed her mind, Renji and her closest friends celebrated her birthday. But what surprised her was Renji would even want to remember. Renji took her hand and led her down the road.
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Meanwhile Kedera knocked on the door to Yuizoran's house, hoping she was home. The door opened, revealing Chisaki, Shuhei and Yuizoran's second daughter, he remembered.
Seeing Kedera, Chisaki smiled, "Oh, Kedera what are you doing here?" she asked as she let him in.
Kedera smiled down at her, "I was wondering if your mother was home."
"What do you want me for?" Yuizoran asked as she walked out of the kitchen followed by Yoruichi.
Kedera extended his hand out to her offering the papers he was carrying, "I would like you to look at these."
Yuizoran took the papers and glanced down at them, "I thought you had already tried this."
Kedera shook his head, "This is for Renji."
Yuizoran raised her eyebrow. Kedera seeing it said, "Don't worry, it won't end up like last time."
They were remembering Aang's date. It didn't go well, his date didn't like his playful side and decided to burn him, which also burned the restaurant. Aang had to pay for the damages.
Kedera scratched his head, "That's why I came to talk with you. I had hoped you would help me."
Yoruichi looked over Yuizoran's shoulder, "You, with all this information, would be the perfect match for Soi-Fon. She did the same thing when she tried to change my mind about nominating Kisuke as captain."
Kedera nervously chuckled when Yuizoran looked at him, "Who did you have helping you?" Yuizoran looked at the paper again, "I mean you didn't get all this information by yourself."
Kedera took a step closer to the door, "Well, you see..." Yuizoran looked at him coldly, "ehehehe, I think I should be going now."
He turned around quickly and ran out the door, surprising Shuhei. Shuhei looked up from the papers he was looking at as Kedera bowled him over.
"Sorry Shuhei!" Kedera said as he continued to run, but he didn't get very far before he couldn't fell his feet. Looking down he started to panic. Ice was rapidly climbing up his legs.
Yuizoran stood in front of him as his arms froze, "You used Harumi and Ayame to help you, didn't you?"
Kedera gave her an apologetic look, "Sorry, but I needed help." Yuizoran closed her eyes as she rubbed her forehead, "Are you all right?" Kedera asked in concern.
"Yes, I'll be fine in a moment." Yuizoran said as she stood still.
"Well, you didn't just freeze me," Kedera nodded towards the ground, "you also froze poor Shuhei."
Yuizoran groaned and walked over to the frozen Shuhei. Tapping it she cracked the ice and freed Shuhei, leaving Kedera frozen in the ice. Shuhei stood up and dusting the ice dust off, he picked up the papers he had been carrying. Reaching his hand out he pulled Yuizoran to her feet.
"What about freeing me?" Kedera asked.
Shuhei looked at him puzzled, "What are you doing here and why are you frozen?"
Kedera sheepishly looked at him since he couldn't move, "Well, I came to ask for Yuizoran's help but she got upset about something and that's how I ended up frozen.
Yoruichi handed the papers Kedera had written on to Shuhei, "Yuizoran got upset at him because of how he got this information."
Shuhei looked the papers over, reading it he was shocked, "How did you get this information?"
"Oh, Kedera!" two voices called from down the road. The two girls approached with Hanatora as Kedera sweated beneath the ice. "Why are you frozen in the ice, Kedera?" Ayame giggled.
Kedera chuckled nervously, "Well... you see."
Yuizoran cut him off, looking at the two girls, she asked, "Have you been helping Kedera get information?"
Harumi looked up at her mother before nodding, "Yes, Mama."
Shuhei then asked, knowing his daughters, "And what did he give you to get this information?"
Kedera huriedly spoke up, "Nothing, they helped me all on their own." he would have crossed his arms if he could, but sadly he couldn't.
Harumi and Ayame got excited, and both said, "He gave us candy!"
Yuizoran raised her eyebrows at Kedera. Kedera turned his head, "I didn't give it to them. It was sitting on my desk and they just took it."
Shuhei looked at his daughters and asked, "Is that true?"
"He has it sitting on his desk, but he said we could have it." Ayame said as she looked over at Harumi.
Harumi nodded, "What she said is the truth. The candy was just sitting on his desk and he said we could have it."
Yuizoran sighed as she rubbed her temple with her fingertips. Then remembering that Hanatora was standing there she smiled and said, "Thank you for bringing them back Hanatora."
"It was nothing Hisagi-san. I enjoyed their company." Hanatora turned and waved at them as he left.
Yuizoran turned to walk back into the house. Kedera seeing her leaving asked pleadingly, "What about me?"
Yuizoran turned to look at him coldly, "If I release you will you bribe the twins anymore?"
Kedera shook his head, not wanting to get on Yuizoran's bad side again. Yuizoran looked at him steadily to be sure he was telling the truth. Seeing that he was sincere, she snapped her fingers, causing the ice to crumble and shatter.
"Thanks Yuizoran." Kedera said as he rubbed his cold arms.
"You may come in again and we'll look over your papers real quick." Yuizoran said as she headed back into the house. "I have some papers to give to Captain Hitsugaya."
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After Yuizoran, Shuhei, Yoruichi, and Kedera sorted through the papers, Yuizoran finally picked up the paper on Isha.
"I think out of all the people you have here, she would be the best one for Renji." Yuizoran said looking at the paper.
Shuhei looked at it over her shoulder, "I think you're right. Except you forgot one thing Kedera."
Kedera stood up to look over Yuizoran's other shoulder, "What's that?"
Shuhei picked up a brush and dipping it into the ink pot he wrote, Blind in Left Eye.
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Yuizoran walked down the road holding the stacks of papers she had completed for Toshiro. He had asked her to help Rangiku finish her paperwork. Smiling, she thought about how much Toshiro had grown, he was as tall as Shuhei which meant he was an inch taller than her, whereas Rangiku was still as flitty as a bird. Opening the door to Toshiro's office, she still had that image in her mind.
Seeing her smiling, Toshiro asked as she set the papers down, "What has you in a good mood?"
Yuizoran's eyes twinkled, "Just thinking back over the years."
Toshiro picked the papers up, "I assume it had nothing to do with me?"
Yuizoran laughed, "It was a little bit about you."
"Care to share?" Toshiro asked as he smiled up at Yuizoran, knowing his cold demeanor wouldn't work.
"I was just thinking about how much you have grown these past nine years. Whereas Rangiku is still like a bird, unable to sit still." Yuizoran said, but then turning she waved at him, "I best be getting back. Can't leave Shuhei with the twins for too long."
Toshiro smiled back at her, but when she placed her hand to her head, he asked with concern, "Are you all right, Yuizoran-san?"
Yuizoran turned back to smile at him, "It's nothing to worry about. Not anything a little sleep couldn't cure."
As she turned back towards the door, she swayed. Toshiro flashstepped to her side and caught her before she could fall onto the floor. Feeling her face his eyes opened in shock, she was burning up with a fever. Picking her up he was about to take her to squad four's barracks when he noticed the tattoo on her arm was bigger.