YAY FOR MORE REVIEWS! Here's a new chapter. :)
Blood of Spring: Special Girl
Chapter Eleven
Captain Suì-Fēng walked to the Emergency Head Officials meeting, relieving herself of her pain of a vice-captain. By all technicality, she should have dragged his ass out of bed for the meeting, but she didn't feel like it. If the fat bastard got himself in trouble for sleeping in, by all means, she had no problem helping him do it. Especially when the idiot was late getting up for a meeting involving Karakura. She didn't know the specifics, but she'd bet even money that it had to do with what Yoruichi came to her about two months prior.
Yoruichi had finished informing her pupil what happened in the World of the Living. Suì-Fēng was sat there, eyes wide for a few moments before her gaze hardened and her signature scowl came to form. She repressed the urge to growl in front of her teacher. "This guy was quick, and he left barely any trace that he was there," Yoruichi told her, crossing her arms and frowning. "I'm looking for similar incidents. I figured the best place to look would be in the Stealth Squad's records."
Suì-Fēng nodded at her and picked her folder back up. "My men would definitely report incidents like this one," she said, a fiery determination sparking new flames as she flipped through the pages. This guy has a lot of nerve, she thought as she skimmed the pages.
Usually a chuckle, snort or content sigh would rise from Yoruichi at the sight of her student's reaction. But there was only silence. And after a few moments, a worried sigh came instead. "Suì-Fēng," Yoruichi called, her voice low. The tone almost startled the captain. It took more than a sudden attack to make her mentor feel uneasy in any shape or form. It was there, though, and that more than earned a rise from the ebony. "If this man is truly that good, which he might, there's a possibility he never went near the Stealth Squad's operations. Or worse, he already tested his method of hiding with them," she said, her gaze hardening at the end of her sentence.
The sudden weight of the situation struck Suì-Fēng, and her eyes actually widened a fraction. Her eyes narrowed then, and the fire in her belly roared. "I understand, Yoruichi-sama."
Suì-Fēng's scowl deepened, a growl emitting from her. The two of them spent days in the office, going through, not just the Second Division's files, but the files of eight other divisions. The only reason it stopped was because of other stealth operations that Suì-Fēng had to adhere to. There hadn't been another second to look at the last four divisions, and they were just getting ready to look at the Immediate Action Detail. If this meeting was about the man Yoruichi told her about, then the captain hoped that there was some development or escalation in the situation. Something to show that evidence was being uncovered or that they were making a move soon. To make all of that digging seem worth it.
The captain closed her eyes as she got closer to the meeting hall, her frown growing. The Immediate Action Detail was a security force in the Ninth Division, assigned as first responders to the sign of impending danger throughout Seireitei. There was nothing wrong with it, they operated almost as well as the Stealth Squad, even with only one commanding officer. Thinking of the unit made her remember a certain brat apart of the division, which in turn, made the captain groan.
She had promised the former captain that she would observe Ayasegawa before making her title of brat permanent. The captain had made the orders herself the next morning, much to Yoruichi's content. So far, there wasn't anything for her men to report. The sixth seat did her job, trained on her own, occasionally aided her vice-captain. What free time she had left mostly went to hanging out with her friends or the class that the five of them were starting next week. That would prove more interesting, but so far, she was a basic new officer who had yet to go out on a patrol.
How will that girl react to stress? The ebony wondered, taking her position in the meeting hall. The other captain's and vice-captains were coming in, save for vice-captains Omaede, Sasakibe, Kuchiki, Abarai, as well as the soutaichou himself. The soutaichou might be meeting Kuchiki and Abarai at the Senkaimon with Sasakibe, she thought, cursing her vice-captain under her breath for dragging his ass. The meeting was supposed to start soon.
Omaede came in just after the remaining four head officials arrived. He staggered for a moment then quickly used shunpo, reappearing behind his captain. Eyes were on the fat man, but nothing was said. After a few moments, Yamamoto spoke. "We shall begin the Head Officials meeting now." Everyone turned forward, facing the old man. "Captain Hitsugaya," he called. Suì-Fēng looked down her row and watched the child prodigy step out of line and face the soutaichou. "Would you inform the others of your mission starting five months prior and the events that occurred following," he said.
"Hai, Soutaichou," Hitsugaya said, bowing slightly before standing straight. "Five months ago, I was stationed in Karakura City. The Twelfth Division picked up high reiatsu readings and abnormal reishi levels for the area. I was assigned to investigate the locations and figure out why these events occurred," he said. Some of the officials murmured, while others turned to each other with concerned looks, but Suì-Fēng remained quiet. She remembered this. The albino left for the mission ten days before the new recruits started working.
The captain-commander grunted. "And your findings?" He asked, claiming the room in silence again.
Hitsugaya sighed. "Nothing. There was no trace of the reiatsu at each of the sights I investigated, just pockets of higher quality reishi. I searched the surrounding areas and tried to find commonalities between each location and couldn't find anything that could explain these events. Furthermore, three weeks before my assignment ended, the events ceased entirely. Whatever had been causing them had stopped, and nothing else occurred that required me to stay longer," he said, not looking away from the head-captain.
Kurotsuchi scoffed. "So, your inadequacy led to a lack of results. How much more did you mess up while you were down there?" He said. Suì-Fēng resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the maniac. She didn't approve of the lack of evidence either, but it wasn't like Kurotsuchi would go into the field and handle the investigation himself. Not that anyone thought that would be a good idea.
Kyouraku lowered his hat. "If you're asking that, we should be asking you the same thing. It was your division that prompted the urgency of the activity down in Karakura. Why wasn't that scanner able to lead Captain Hitsugaya to any actual evidence?" This time Suì-Fēng resisted the urge to smirk, hearing the scientist audibly stiffen from the other end of the row.
Yamamoto tapped his staff on the ground. "That is enough," he said calmly. "Captain Hitsugaya, what did you do prior to your return two months ago?"
The albino's eyes narrowed. "I gave my Soul Phone to Kurosaki Ichigo and told him to call if anything happened."
"And did it?" Hitsugaya nodded. "When?"
"Roughly thirteen hours after I left," he said. "Kurosaki had finished fighting a hollow when he noticed someone nearby, someone surrounded with reishi from the Seireitei." The statement got more than a few people's eyes to widen, but Suì-Fēng's narrowed. It was the exact situation Yoruichi described. "He chased the individual into an alley and discovered seven recently killed humans. Their souls were all nearby. The individual used the shock of the sight to get away before Kurosaki could see where he went."
The soutaichou nodded. "Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya." The albino nodded and stepped back to his spot. "In response to the event, vice-captain Matsumoto was sent to investigate and was ordered to return in forty-eight hours with a report. Vice-captains Abarai and Kuchiki were sent to continue investigating without her." Yamamoto turned to Rukia. "Vice-captain Kuchiki, would you report about the last two months and the progress."
Rukia nodded. "Hai." She then faced the others. "We quickly realized that whoever the individual was must have some knowledge on investigation procedures. As such, we went under Ichigo's idea to look at areas where hollows appeared over three to four months prior to when the seven souls were found, and to investigate all locations Captain Hitsugaya went while in the Land of the Living. Some of the locations had taunting messages directed to the captain and to the Gotai 13, but others held physical evidence. We recovered clothing articles and DNA, whose reishi was too high to have come from the area. Under further investigation, we confirmed the man Kurosaki saw was from the Rukongai."
More talking came after that, much louder than before. Suì-Fēng couldn't blame them then, her eyes had actually widened a bit. Souls from the Rukongai? Someone must have said that out loud, because Rukia turned her head to someone further down the line and said: "Yes." She closed her eyes then. "We believe the reishi deposits came from a makeshift Senkaimon. We also have reason to believe that the soul Ichigo saw didn't come on his own. However, we stopped finding evidence almost two weeks ago. And none of what we found was recent enough to track them down with."
A bit more murmuring came, but you could hear a hum from Ukitake. "If this is the case, Captain Hitsugaya, why did you approve a twenty-four hour return?" He asked the younger albino, more than a bit concerned.
Hitsugaya looked over to him. "Because Abarai and Urahara made a plan to draw them out of hiding. One that wouldn't work unless I approved their return under emergency orders." The captain then looked down at the red-head. "Urahara didn't specify what exactly this plan was, though," he said, a scrutinizing brow sent to the ginger.
Renji blanched for a moment, but quickly recovered and cleared his throat. "Gomenasai, Taichou," he said as everyone turned to stare at him. "It occurred to me that, although these guys all made taunts towards you while you were down there, they never did so visibly. They waited for you to leave and then led Ichigo to those souls to taunt him. We weren't going to find anything if we stayed, but-"
"They may choose to taunt Kurosaki again, now that you left." Captain Kuchiki finished for him. "So, you intend to wait by the Senkaimon all day until Urahara contacts you and catch them upon your return?" The nobleman asked, an air of disapproval around him.
The vice-captain shook his head. "Not quite, Captain. If the individual's allies are as fast as him, I wouldn't expect that kind of luck."
"Then what are you hoping to accomplish?" Yamamoto asked.
Renji turned his head towards the captain-commander. He was slightly nervous, but for the most part, he managed to compose himself. "If they appear, which I assume will occur over twelve hours from now, then Urahara has experimental methods to use in order to track them, should they run or get away. He has tools ready to use, and our return will add pressure onto them. The chances this new foe will make a mistake is bound to increase," he said.
"Assuming that you're actually right about this," Suì-Fēng said, a hand on her hip and her steely gaze on the red-head. "Your plan is based on an assumption. Even if you're right about this, how can you guarantee that they aren't anticipating this?"
The vice-captain of the sixth sighed. "We can't," he said, making the captain of the Second glare harder. "But we're out of options. All other forms of evidence has left little to go on, and other procedures will take months to accumulate results. We need to find these souls and get them out of Karakura."
A growl escaped the captain and Rukia put a hand to her chin. "Actually, Captain Suì-Fēng, Yoruichi wanted me to ask you if you know of anything that occurred in the Rukongai that's similar to what's happening in Karakura."
Suì-Fēng wanted to smile at knowing her teacher thought of her, but she let out a sigh instead. "No. I looked through nine out of thirteen division's files and found nothing in relation. Stealth Squad operations started piling in, so I only got to look at those nine," she admitted, looking at the soutaichou as she did so.
Yamamoto grunted, turning to her. "What divisions did you not get to?" He asked her.
The ebony regained her composure. "Files in the Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh divisions," she said.
The captain-commander nodded. "Very well. Officials of these divisions shall look through their records and finish where you left off," he said. "Captain Hitsugaya."
"Hai, Soutaichou."
"You are hereby alleviated of your duties as commander of operations so you may look through your records. Captain Suì-Fēng shall take over in your place, and return with vice-captains Abarai and Kuchiki when they are called back to the World of the Living. Is that understood?"
"Hai, Soutaichou!" Both captains said in unison.
The old man tapped his staff on the floor, a loud clack echoing in the meeting hall. "Then I hereby bring this head official's meeting to an end," he said. Everyone nodded, and from there, people left their separate ways. Suì-Fēng just realized what she had been assigned, and went on to internally cheer. She was gonna be stationed in the human world and see her teacher. If not for the circumstances, she would have smiled.
"Suì-Fēng," a male voice called. The captain of the Second looked down, noticing the captain of the Tenth standing before her. His gaze was as serious as ever, and his hands were in his pockets. "Something worth considering," he said, making her turn her body full to him. "Whoever these souls are, they're comfortable around whatever threatens them: Shinigami and Hollow alike. Seeing how far they went just to taunt Kurosaki, I wouldn't be surprised if their means are more drastic when faced with an actual opponent," he told her.
The leader of the Stealth Squad wasn't shocked when the albino said it, but his words struck a chord. They stared each other down for a few moments, Hitsugaya exchanging caution while Suì-Fēng returned urgency. The two didn't talk much at all, but when they had to, the conversations ended in mutual understanding. They nodded at each other and left, almost walking side-by-side as they walked out of the meeting hall. When they returned to their divisions, they began mentally preparing for the new danger around the corner. That is, after scolding their vice-captains about the mound of work they had ahead of them.
Yumichika sat in a café in East District 3, in the city near where he lived, wearing a beautiful but casual purple kimono. He was waiting for Ikkaku to show up so they could eat, go hiking and take a jump into the lake. Summer was still alive and well this July Eighteenth, and they were gonna have some fun like they did back in Kusajishi. The summers in those springs were a lot of fun, and they provided a nice break of fighting for money (and for fun). They were never too cold, and they had fun just swimming and splashing water at each other. Now that Yumichika lived in East District 3, they actually brought other things with them for more variety to their days.
At least the life guards are retired, the elder brother thought, thinking back. He remembered the summer he first brought Haruchi out swimming. They didn't live in East District 3, but there was a large lake that all the kids in the village swam in during the summer. She was eight years old then and she hadn't seen what a lake was... Or a stream, or a creek, or any other body of water. The girl had been so isolated before he met her, she barely remembered what a town was.
The elder brother sighed, placing his elbow on the table and his head in his hand. The only reason he was still here was because she wanted him to. Yumichika had the day off, but he could have pushed it for a different day and go to work with his sister, but Haruchi wouldn't let him. "We hang out enough, Yumi-nii," she said that morning. "Besides, Ika would kill you if you just skipped out on him. Go have fun and we'll have dinner together later. Okay?"
Another heavy sigh escaped him as he began rubbing his eyes. She was right, but last night was still playing in his head. Every instinct he had as a brother was to keep his sister as close to him as possible, but every instinct as a decent person told him that wouldn't do any good. Or her, for that matter. He would always be there for Haruchi, but he couldn't force her to come flying into his loving his arms. "It's like when she was a child," he said to himself, his forehead now in his hand and his eyes looking at the table.
"What is?" Yumichika's head popped up and then jolted to his left. Standing beside him was Ikkaku, wearing a green kimono and resting a hand on his hip. He was looking down at the ebony in a mixture of annoyance and concern, a look Yumichika knew all too well at this point.
The fifth seat sighed again, motioning to the seat across from him. Ikkaku sat down and both of them ordered iced tea from the waitress, Yumichika ignoring her advances towards him. When she walked away, Yumichika set his hand on the table and the other one in his lap, letting out a breath. "It's Haruchi," he said, making the look on Ikkaku's face harden. "She went to the South 55 Memorial yesterday."
"Oh fuck," Ikkaku muttered under his breath, putting his hand over his eyes as he rested his elbow on the table. "How bad was she crying when she got home?" He asked after a few minutes, moving his hand so his chin was resting on the back of it.
The waitress came back with their drinks then and they ordered a sushi platter for lunch. When he was sure the girl wouldn't come back to hit on him again, Yumichika leaned over the table, speaking a little quieter than normal volume. "She didn't. Captain Hitsugaya bumped into her there and walked her home."
"You're shitting me."
Yumichika shook his head, his frown growing. "I made a king's feast for when she got back and she seemed really happy when she saw it. If the captain wasn't in the entrance, I would have thought she was fine," he said, folding his hands on the table. Ikkaku took a sip of his drink, watching his friend fiddle his thumbs. He knew better than to talk when he was like this, especially involving Haruchi. They'd get off topic quick and Yumichika would only get more moody.
If took a few minutes, but the ebony did speak again. "He said he was afraid of where her head was and was planning on staying with her until I got home," he finally said, feeling something try to catch in his throat. The fact got a wide-eyed reaction from Ikkaku, real shock coming at full force. No wonder Yumichika was upset. "He didn't leave until he was sure I would keep an eye on her. She told him about Takuya, she cried but she was also trying to push her emotions aside."
"Ah Kami," Ikkaku said, putting his head back in his hand. They were quiet again, only moving when the waitress came back with their food. She slipped a paper to Yumichika in a not-subtle manner. When her back was turned, Yumichika tore the parchment and set it aside to put with whatever napkin he'd use. The two grabbed their chopsticks and began eating. "Captain Hitsugaya say anything else?" Ikkaku asked after eating three pieces.
Yumichika shook his head. "No, he left shortly after he told me all of that," he said, taking a sip of his tea. "Dinner went well. She didn't mention where she went or why Captain Hitsugaya was with her." Ikkaku nodded as the ebony inhaled deeply. "After that, we did some stuff together. Talked about different clothes and makeup. More like I was, I should say. Fifteen minutes in and she was off in her head again." Again, Ikkaku nodded. "When I asked what was wrong, she said that she just couldn't believe Captain Hitsugaya held her hand when he walked her home."
The third seat let out a scoffed laugh, shaking his head. "Wow, she tried to get you off topic that early in the night?" He received a nod from his friend before shaking his heading again, chuckling. "Man, that girl doesn't learn," he said, eating more sushi.
Yumichika began to laugh a bit at that. It was exactly like when she was first brought home. Yumichika encouraged her to come to him if something was bugging her and the seven-year-old tried covering up the fact she was having nightmares about the prior years. It took a lot of coaxing for her to understand she could wake up her brother and tell him about it. Even more for her to accept that she wasn't bothering Yumichika by waking him up, but by making him worry about her. It was a cycle she had gone through a few times growing up.
"What did you say to her?" Ikkaku asked, sipping more of his tea.
The brother sighed. "The usual. That I knew she was lying, and that it was alright to talk to me if something was bugging her. Haruchi was persistent for a little while that things were fine. We ended up yelling at each other and she locked herself up in her room." A groan came from the third seat, and the ebony just ran a hand through his hair. "She knocked on my door around two in the morning, trying to cry quietly."
Well, there was something Ikkaku didn't expect. "She spill her guts?" He asked, holding a piece of sushi up with his chopsticks.
Yumichika hummed to himself, his lips tightening before he let out a breath. "To an extent. Haruchi kept apologizing at first, then she told me about her nightmare. It was the massacre again, only instead of Takuya dying, I did. And the remaining classmates told her that she had to leave me," he said, sighing. "After that, she tried telling me something else that happened that day, something about Takuya. She got way too upset, though. My special girl couldn't stop crying for hours."
The pair both sighed, Yumichika playing with the left over food on the platter, his mind elsewhere. Ikkaku bore the same look he came in with, his concern overshadowing his annoyance with Haruchi. Dammit, kid, Ikkaku thought, why can't you just talk? Yumichika's supposed to be the one worrying like this. "She sleep in your room last night?" Ikkaku asked after about three minutes. Yumichika nodded, eating another piece of sushi. "Well," Ikkaku said, pointing his chopsticks at the ebony, "at least she went to you and tried telling you about it. That's better than her staying in her room all night."
His partner sighed again. "I know, but she kept it to herself for seven years. What other problems has she kept to herself? And for how long?" He said, taking a long sip of his tea.
The third seat sighed. Overprotective-and-worried was a prime combination of what Yumichika was feeling whenever the problem concerned Haruchi. He was the same way before he adopted her. "I can't risk her being sent back to a place like that. A special girl like that has seen enough in her lifetime. She needs a good home, and I'm gonna be the big brother she needs," the fifth seat had said while filling out the adoption forms.
"You know," Ikkaku said as Yumichika put his cup down. "I wouldn't be surprised if there was a shit ton. But Haruchi learned early on that she couldn't always rely on other people with her problems. She has to deal with it on her own. She just hadn't got it through her head that Takuya's death was something she didn't have to face on her own. The fact she tried talking to you about it means she's trying to move on." The last sentence got Yumichika to lift his head a bit, his eyes softening as he thought it over. He wasn't relieved, but some of his concern disappeared. "So, rather than moping about everything Haruchi might have kept from you, be ready to help her through it. She clearly needs it."
This time Yumichika smirked, letting out a chuckle before nodding. "Let's finish before that waitress comes back," he said.
"Don't have to tell me twice."
Haruchi sat in the back room of Ninth Division's East Assembly Hall. It was one of the larger assembly halls in the division, and provided enough room for over 200 people, but considering how much space she needed, it was perfect for the sixty students that signed up for her class. It used to be almost 100 people, but several Shinigami dropped out. It was more like a courtyard than an assembly hall, which she liked. The backroom was a good room to have so most of the course tests could take place in privacy. For now, though, it was just being used to have meetings with her fellow instructors. A meeting they could actually have today since all of their head officials were in a meeting.
The sixth seat sighed, lying on her back as she listened to the sound of wood clanking together. Her fifth seat was training his flanks in the Immediate Action Detail. He knew she was in the back, and gave her and her friends permission to be there so long as their meeting was quiet. That was fine by Haruchi, the sound of the men training was relaxing to her. It honestly reminded her of days Ikkaku visited and would train Yumichika in the backyard after dinner. The sound somehow managed to get the red-streaked-ebony to fall asleep, and her brother would end up carrying her to her room. Haruchi never understood why, she always woke up after her brother pulled the comforter over her. She'd then reach her arms out to him when this happened, telling him that she wanted her bedtime hug.
Thinking about the people training in the assembly hall made Haruchi scowl, her eyes closing as she suppressed a groan. A lot of the Shinigami that left the course did it because of their schedules, but Haruchi bet a limb that some of them changed their minds or were pressured into dropping out because of the rumors about her. It couldn't be avoided, even if what happened with that professor didn't happen. She was the younger sister of a highly regarded officer of the Eleventh Division. The rumors were gonna spread regardless of what happened.
A part of her was still upset by that, but a bigger part of her was relieved that she accepted it. It made her job feel a little less stressful that way, and it allowed her to focus on things that were more important. Her family, her paperwork, the class she was teaching, which was finally gonna happen in a week. "That snowy-haired captain you're dating."
Haruchi's cheeks turned red as she felt her zanpakuto fluttering around her, the insect's giggles making her more flustered. "We're not dating," she told the butterfly as it landed on her chest. "I had to carry him to the restaurant, remember?" She said, lifting up a bit so she could see the creature. The butterfly had a black body with bright red eyes. Its wings were also red and reflected the light in the room, but not like the black exterior, which shined like metal and had points that were actually sharp. The wings also had a design composed of three black lines on each wing. They resembled scratch marks, which started from the body and glided over the crimson coloring. The wingspan of the creature was about three-quarters the length of her mistress's chest.
The zanpakuto giggled again, flapping her wings every so often, but not preparing to leave Haruchi's chest anytime soon. "Oh, I remember, Mistress," she said, her voice coy. "I also remember him walking you home last night, letting go your hand only to wrap it around your waist, then used his free hand to grab yours again. He's rather smooth for being a wielder of ice." She giggled again as her master's blush deepened. "Besides, you two both admitted you weren't just superior and subordinate."
"That doesn't mean we're a couple!" Haruchi angrily whispered to the zanpakuto, glaring at her. She was lucky she remembered the training session going on just outside the room.
The butterfly let out a groan that somehow mixed glee with disbelief. "Oh Mistress, who are you trying to kid? You're more than attracted to the captain."
"I am not!" The sixth seat persisted, still managing to stay quiet. "The captain's a good man, but he's not my type," she said.
"You mean he's not taller than you like every boyfriend before him? Those idiots were just as bad at being romantic as they were at having sex." Haruchi let herself snicker. She wouldn't disagree with her zanpakuto on that last part. "Besides, you've always found his looks captivating, and you feel safe when he's around. Plus, you always thought of him as a man, whereas the others were boys when you met them and boys when you dumped them."
"He's a captain."
"And yet, you opened up to him quite a bit yesterday." Haruchi clamped her jaw shut, looking away from the giggling butterfly. "Mistress, looks are important to you, but I think you find the captain's cold demeanor almost as attractive as his smile. I also think you enjoy interacting with him more than anyone else you know, and that you more than enjoyed him holding you yesterday," she said.
Her mistress's face turned red at that point, flash moments of the day before playing in her head. The butterfly giggled as Haruchi went through them, but eventually the ebony shook her head. "Do you think he talked to Yumi-nii before he left?" She asked the insect.
The zanpakuto's wings flapped up, touching each other as the creature hummed for an answer. "It wouldn't surprise me," she said. "He wasn't there for too long after you went upstairs, so I don't think he told your brother everything." Haruchi sighed, lying back down and folding her hands behind her head. "Mistress, I'm glad you tried to tell your brother what happened that day. If it's still hard, though, you should explain the reason you never said anything about it. Give him some insight why this is so hard for you," she said.
It was quiet then and Haruchi closed her eyes. The tint on her face disappeared, the sound of swords slicing wood calming her mind somewhat. She felt her zanpakuto climb up her chest until she was perched on her nose. Haruchi said nothing for a few moments, feeling air pushed towards her every minute or so as the insect flapped her wings. Then she opened her eyes. "Why do I feel so safe around a man I barely know?" She asked the butterfly, thinking of brunch yesterday. It did feel good to tell the captain what happened, but she couldn't help but feel confused by it. He was right, after all. She didn't have to answer him if she didn't want to. Except, she did want to.
The butterfly sighed, a dreamy air about her. "As they say, Mistress: 'love is a strange thing.'" Haruchi sat straight, her face turning pink as her zanpakuto left her. She would have mentally dropped a thousand curses towards the butterfly, had the outside entrance into the hadn't opened. Haruchi looked up, four sets of eyes sets of eyes staring at her.
The first set, the one belonging to the guy standing in front of the group, were the brown eyes of Asahi Jiro. Pale skinned and actually wearing a regular shihakusho today, the Tenth Seat of the Second Division could actually show off his beautiful black hair, not that he cared about his looks. Jiro only kept up appearances for hygiene's sake and nothing else. He had very little interest in other people. The fact he had enough interest in Haruchi to actually hang out with her these last five years was astonishing.
Behind him was Miyazaki Yusuke, the Ninth Division's new Twelfth Seat. She was a beautiful girl, a few centimeters shorter than Haruchi. Wild cobalt hair down to the waist, gold eyes and tanned skin, Yusuke was more than a bit exotic. She never did anything to make herself stand out, but then again she never had to. As fun as she was at parties and with boys though, it wasn't until she met Haruchi just two years prior that she decided to stick with a particular group.
Then finally there was the couple of the group: Tenth Seat Shinozuka Kimi of the Fifth Division and Eighth Seat Komagata Hiroshige of the Third Division. Kimi had green eyes, short brown hair, and creamy skin. She stood at 160 centimeters and was just as curvy as Haruchi, but she was only slightly less shy than her vice-captain. Although, that was only because of Hiroshige. Messy green hair, grey eyes and a good build on him, the eighth seat was the most energetic of the group and by far the most out going. Haruchi knew them for six and seven years respectively, and they were good to be around.
Hiroshige smirked at her. "Akai Yuri messing with you again, Chi-kun?"
Haruchi gave him a playful glare. "No, Shi-chan, I was blushing because of the dust." The eighth seat laughed and the group made their way inside.
"Shouldn't your zanpakuto be more respectful of you, Haruchi?" Jiro asked in disapproval, sitting with his legs crossed.
The sixth seat shrugged. "Akai Yuri does respect me, Jiro," she said, feeling the butterfly glare at her. "She just likes messing with me." Jiro shook his head in disapproval and Akai Yuri threatened to come flapping into the conversation. I'm sorry, she told the zanpakuto.
"Then stop calling me that!" She bellowed.
"Lighten up, Asahi. Haruchi-sama can more than handle that bug," Yusuke said as she sat next to Haruchi.
The bug was unamused. "Let's just get to the meeting, okay guys?" Haruchi said, sweat forming at sensing her zanpakuto's shift in mood. "We won't be able to meet again until the class starts, so we need to be sure we're organized this time through." Everyone nodded at her and gathered in a circle. "Alright, so I did the investory count. We're all set. Not just for beginner level, but the other three levels of learning. We shouldn't need to worry about the Twelfth Division unless something breaks."
"Thank Kami," Kimi said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "I don't understand why it was so hard to deal with them to begin with."
Haruchi shrugged. "Couldn't tell ya, Kimi." She then turned to the girl's boyfriend. "You got the name plates done?" Hiroshige nodded. "And the placement chart?"
The eighth seat pulled out a folded sheet of paper and revealed its contents to the group. It was a drawing of the assembly hall, with four rows of boxes drawn out, twelve boxes per row. Each box had a name scribbled in it, starting from the back of the row, near the main entrance, to the front near the platform where the instructors would stand. Haruchi took the chart and looked it over for a few minutes before saying: "I want Captain Hitsugaya at the front of row three. Other than that, the placement is perfect." Hiroshige smirked and Haruchi turned to Jiro. "Did the instructor garments come in?"
"Yesterday afternoon," Jiro told her. "The Head Instructor uniform included the arm bands you wanted. I left them in the barracks, though. Didn't want to be late."
"Eh, we'll just go over and grab them once we're done," the red-streaked-ebony said. She turned to Yusuke and Kimi. "And attendance, are we still looking good for next week?" The girls nodded at her with bright smiles. "And the volunteers from the Fourth Division?"
Yusuke smirked. "Five unseated officers and their Seventh Seat. And they agreed to check people in and out for us."
Haruchi's hands clapped together, her face beaming. "Excellent! Now, let's talk about how the first few classes will go. We got a lot to cover with five dozen newbies." The four friends nodded, and their morning consisted of nothing but discussion and actual eagerness to begin teaching. Months of planning and years of training were finally coming together.
I'm starting to get a little nervous, to be honest. Not just because of how quick the story is coming together and the fear of running out of ideas for updates. But, I'm also afraid about my OCs. I'm not making too many, but I just don't want the ones I make to feel pointless. It's happened before, and so far, I've avoided that. But I sense things will start to get more challenging as we go forward. It's actually one of the reasons this update took as long as it did, so... fair warning.
Also, I had a bit of trouble with Suì-Fēng. She's playing a larger role than I first thought she would, so any tips on her character, I'd appreciate it. I am shooting in the dark when it comes to her. What makes her act differently than the composed, cold captain of the Second (aside from Yoruichi)? Anything else you guys think I should know?
~ K. Fang-sama
Tranlations:
- Akai Yuri: (赤いユリ) Red Lilies.