This week's episode comes to you at the request of SecondtoNon, who asked for a follow-up to Volume 15's omake (it's on YouTube if you haven't read it), where Matsumoto convinced Hitsugaya to become a shinigami. Hope you enjoy it!

Title: Transferred Again

Featuring: Matsumoto, Hitsugaya

Time: Pre-series

Matsumoto slouched further down in her seat and sighed. She always hated this. Every time she was transferred between divisions she had to go through this boring process of waiting to meet her new captain and watching the reaction. If the captain was male, this would be staring and drooling, and if female, jealousy and envy.

"I don't even know why Kuchiki-taichou transferred me out," she muttered sullenly. "I mean, it's not like I did anything…"

"Maybe that's why," a voice said dryly.

Matsumoto looked up to see a small white-haired boy enter the office and close the door behind him. "Hey, I know you!" she exclaimed. "You're that kid from Rukongai, the one who kept leaking reiatsu all over the place!"

"I'm not a kid," he said calmly as he sat behind the captain's desk. "To you, I'm Hitsugaya-taichou."

"Hey, that's not funny," she said, frowning. Her frown only deepened as she noticed he was wearing the white haori of a captain. "You're going to get in trouble if you go around telling people you're a full shinigami, and even more if you pretend to be a captain too."

"In future, I expect you to show me more respect," he said, completely ignoring her words. "Now, there is a stack of paperwork here for you to do…"

"Buzz off, kid," Matsumoto said, crossing her arms. "I'm waiting for the real captain, not some snot-nosed brat still in the Academy."

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped, and Matsumoto fought the urge to rub the goose-pimples that sprung up on her arms. "A snot-nosed brat?" Hitsugaya asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

"S-see, this just proves that you have no control yet," Matsumoto answered, her teeth chattering. "You should just go to the Academy and…"

"Matsumoto, come with me," Hitsugaya said abruptly. Without waiting for an answer, he got to his feet and headed for the door.

With nothing better to do, Matsumoto followed him, grumbling.

x

"This is the tenth squad training area," Hitsugaya said, gesturing to the large dojo beyond where he stood.

"We're going on a tour?" she asked sceptically. "The divisions are all fairly similar; I can find my own way around."

"But we're not here for a tour," the boy replied, and stepped forward into the dojo. "Everyone, get out. The new fukutaichou needs proof that I am the captain." All of the shinigami in the room bowed to him and fled, and Matsumoto noticed several of them were either grinning or wincing.

"Prepare yourself, Matsumoto," he said, drawing his zanpakutou.

"You… want to fight?" she asked incredulously. "Are you crazy? No matter how good your grades are at the Academy, you'd never beat me. I'm a fukutaichou!"

"Show me."

x

"All right, I believe you're a captain," Matsumoto said. "And I'm sorry for calling you a snot-nosed brat, and for thinking that you were still at the Academy."

"That's better," Hitsugaya said, a smirk of satisfaction on his face.

"Now will you let me out of here?" she demanded.

The smirk never fading, Hitsugaya waved a hand, and the prison of ice that had nearly completely encased Matsumoto shattered, spilling her unceremoniously onto the floor of the dojo. She picked herself up and brushed down her uniform, pointedly ignoring the boy who had defeated her so easily.

"I expect you at the office at nine o'clock tomorrow morning," he said crisply. "Do not be late." And with that, he was gone.

Looking after him, Matsumoto smiled. "This could be interesting after all…"

A little less ridiculous than usual, but still amusing?