Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach, not even the kind designed to keep you whites, white
Chapter Seven - Pushed Together
Head Captain Ukitake had decided that the top officers of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had became too dependent on one another and, in an effort to fix this perceived deficiency, had switched around the vice-captains for a month. Rukia left Squad One not in the company of Captain Hisagi, whom she had served under until about fifteen minutes ago, but with Captain Hitsugaya instead.
"I can't believe this is happening," she thought as she followed the stoic young captain across the Seireitei toward the Squad Ten barracks. It was true that the two of them had spent some time together, offering each other comfort after their tragic loses but this was completely different. Now they would have to work together, trapped in the same office for a month. "How am I supposed to survive this?"
Rukia was jarred from her thoughts when she and Captain Hitsugaya arrived at the office in the Squad Ten barracks. Shaking her head in an attempt to return to the present the young Shinigami followed Hitsugaya into the office that he normally shared with Matsumoto.
Rukia's gaze shifted around the room, taking in the sights, and she noticed that the office was completely spotless. Everything was in it's place, all of the books were placed neatly in the bookcases that lined one wall, and there wasn't even any paperwork sitting on the desk.
"So what would you like me to do Captain Hitsugaya?" Rukia asked as the young captain walked over to his desk.
A thoughtful expression appeared in Hitsugaya's teal eyes as he thought about the question that she had posed to him. He had finished up the paperwork that Matsumoto had been neglecting that morning and realized that there wasn't really anything to do. The young man hadn't anticipated the switch in vice-captains and he found that for once he was actually caught up with his work.
"Captain Hitsugaya?"
Jarred from his thoughts by the sound of her voice Hitsugaya glanced toward Rukia and was once again struck by how lovely she was. And it wasn't just physical beauty that had captured the young captain's attention. It was the fact that Rukia had a truly beautiful personality. She was always trying to help other people, no matter what was going on in her own life.
Hitsugaya shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea what you should work on. In anticipation on Matsumoto not doing anything I completed all of the paperwork this morning. I'm used to doing it all myself so I simply went ahead and completed it."
"Well," Rukia said, a thoughtful expression in her violet eyes. "I would offer to clean the office but I think that would be a waste of time. I haven't seen an office this clean since my days with Captain Ukitake in Squad Thirteen." Rubbing her chin with her hand Rukia thought about the situation for a few minutes before turning her attention back to Captain Hitsugaya. "Why don't we go out to the training grounds and practise for a little while? I think we both probably have some pent up emotions that we could release by sparring."
At this point Rukia paused and Hitsugaya contemplated her words. He'd had no reason to unsheath his zanpaktou since the end of the war and as a result an irate Hyourinmaru had been screaming for release. Maybe what she was suggesting wasn't such a bad idea.
Decision made Hitsugaya nodded his head in approval. "Alright then, a sparring match it is."
A smile appeared on Rukia's face as she fell into step behind her temporary captain. She didn't know what had possessed her to actually suggest that the two of them fight, other than the fact that there really was nothing better to do and Sode no Shirayuki had been restless as of late.
Together Hitsugaya and Rukia made their way out to the Squad Ten training grounds and, once there they each drew their zanpaktou. Turning to face one another the two ice wielders both held up their blades. Locking gazes, teal meeting violet, the two combatants launched themselves toward one another.
The sound of steel clashing with steel rang out, shattering the otherwise peaceful atmosphere. Both combatants jumped back after the initial attack in which they had gauged the strength of their opponent. Mere seconds passed before Rukia once again leapt toward Hitsugaya, the blade of Sode no Shirayuki held up, prepared to strike.
Hitsugaya smirked as he blocked the blows that rained down upon him. He had never sparred with Rukia before, had never even really seen her fight, and he had to admit that she was good. Some in the Seireitei had not approved of an unseated officer being given the rank of vice-captain however Hitsugaya could tell that Rukia had more than earned it.
After a couple of minutes during which Rukia kept him on the defensive Hitsugaya took charge. Swinging Hyourinmaru fiercely the young captain took charge of the battle, forcing Rukia to go on the defense. After a barrage of fierce attacks Rukia jumped back a couple of yards and held up her blade. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"
Hitsugaya watched as Rukia's zanpaktou transformed into it's shikai form. Sode no Shirayuki was hailed as being the most beautiful of all zanpaktous and was the pure white of new fallen snow. He thought this somehow seemed fitting to the girl who wielded it.
"First dance, White Moon."
Forcing himself to concentrate on the battle at hand Hitsugaya decided to release his own shikai, if only to get Hyourinmaru to stop his nagging. Holding the blade out in front of him the young captain called out, "Reign over the frosted, frozen sky, Hyourinmaru!"
"Burr," third seat officer, Kin Soma, said as she walked across the courtyard of Squad Ten. Wrapping her arms around her chest to fight off the cold she turned her pale blue eyes in the direction of the training grounds. She could feel her captain's reiatsu radiating from that location, as well as that of someone else, and she could tell by the chill that had reached her from such a distance that a fierce battle was being fought.
"What is going on?" the young officer thought to herself as she shivered.
Deciding that she needed to investigate the situation Kin turned around and began walking in the direction of the training grounds. She was fairly certain that nothing serious was going on out there, the war was over after all, however she was curious as to whom her captain was fighting.
It had to be someone powerful to illicit this much reiatsu from the Squad Ten Captain.
Concealing her own reiatsu so as not to disturb them Kin kept to the edge of the training grounds and kept herself hidden by a row of hedges that grew there. The reiatsu that the two combatants were releasing was immense and as Kin's eyes shifted in that direction she gasped.
Captain Hitsugaya was hovering a couple of feet above the ground, in his Bankai form complete with huge ice wings, and a few yards away from him stood Rukia Kuchiki, the vice-captain of Squad Thirteen. Rukia was holding her zanpaktou with the tip pointed toward the air and Kin's gaze instinctively shifted in that direction. Her eyes widened in further surprise as she saw that there was a huge bird comprised of ice and snow floating in the air above the young vice-captain's head. It strongly resembled a mythological phoenix except for the fact that it was completely white.
"Wow," Kin gasped. "That's awesome! I didn't even know that Vice-captain Kuchiki had Bankai."
Kin's eyes remained locked on to the two combatants for a few seconds and then she turned to leave. Whatever was going on between the two of them was their business and no one elses. With a smile on her face she turned and quietly walked away.
A smile appeared on Rukia's face as she locked gazes with Hitsugaya, now in his Bankai form. Their fight had been progressing slowly and she'd informed the young captain that she didn't appreciate the fact that he was holding back. And she'd told him as much.
Now both of them had unleashed their Bankai and it was time for the real battle to begin.
Swinging her sword out in front of her Rukia sent the ice bird soaring toward her opponent, forcing back a flash of memory from her attempted execution. She had been stunned the first time she called upon her Bankai and saw that it looked like a frozen version of Sokyoku.
As the ice bird flew toward him Hitsugaya launched himself forward with a mighty flap of his wings. He and the bird clashed together in mid air, in a spray of ice and snow.
"So are you sorry that you wanted me to stop holding back?" Hitsugaya asked as he and Rukia sat beneath a tree. The match was over and Rukia had been forced to concede defeat to the young captain, despite the use of her Bankai.
"No," Rukia replied honestly as she gazed over at the young captain. "I didn't want you to go easy on me and you didn't."
Hitsugaya nodded, a new respect forming for the Rukia. "You did really well once you unleashed Bankai."
"Thanks," Rukia said in a quiet voice. "But I haven't quite mastered it yet. That's only the third time that I've ever unleashed it."
Hearing these words only increased his respect for Rukia. She had shown tremendous control of the large ice bird, especially since she was knew to her Bankai. She had asked him to help her work on mastering it at the end of their fight and he had agreed. After all, with the degree of skill that she had already shown, it shouldn't take very long.
Having briefly escaped her incarceration in the Squad Six office, Matsumoto was making her way back with a large bottle of sake in hand. She had told Captain Kuchiki that she needed to run an important errand, which wasn't exactly a lie. This sake was very important to her sanity.
Taking a short cut across the Squad Ten grounds Matsumoto couldn't fail to notice Rukia and her captain sitting under a tree. They were talking to one another and seemed to be enjoying each other's company. A smile appeared on her face as Matsumoto forced herself to continue walking. True she had to go back to Squad Six and deal with Captain Kuchiki however if their plan was working then in her eyes it was a small price to pay.
A/N - and there's chapter seven. Only in Soul Society would fighting be a way to further a relationship. And Rukia's Bankai is the anti-phoenix. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and share your thoughts. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.