AN: Thanks for all the views for my amateur fanfic. Some more reviews would be nice, although I appreciate the ones who have kept with it the whole time.
Anyway, I take back what I said about the Ancient Arrancar arc. Actually, no, but I'm delaying it. There's some stuff I want to get through before I continue on that. It's probably going to restart… nah, I won't spoil it.
PS: After listening through a lot of music, I randomly decided on a theme that seemed good for Kiyashi. 'Anima Rossa' by Porno Graffiti. What a weird name for a band. Seriously, it's a beautiful song. And yes, I know it's one of the openings for the Bleach anime, but I couldn't help it. The music suited my character, and the lyrics... somewhat.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, or the song 'Anima Rossa' or its band.
Xxx0o0xxX
"That damned Omaeda. What a ridiculous Vice-Captain he is."
I had only recovered for about three days, and already annoying things were happening.
"Does it hurt anymore, Kumo-kun?" Unohana-taichou asked.
"No, not anymore," I said. "But, you didn't need to come all this way just to heal me personally, Captain Unohana."
Unohana smiled. "You shouldn't say that, Kumo-kun. I take pleasure in curing the injuries of others. I am happy to even mend the most minor of them, no matter whom they may be."
"But…" I froze as I suddenly saw a shadow cast over the Captain's face, and her expression looked so calm it was frightening. "Uh… nothing."
"You shouldn't think of yourself as being so insignificant, Kumo-kun. After all, Kira-kun spoke very highly of you."
"Kira-kun? Do you know him?" I asked.
"Hai, Aizen-taichou transferred him to my squad recently. He's very capable, and a kind young man, except a bit too gloomy." Unohana responded.
I lay back on my bed, about to close my eyes. "I see…" As I tried to fall back into sleep, a loud bang echoed through the room as someone opened the door.
Vice-captain Omaeda stepped in, making loud footsteps as he walked. "Oi, Kumo! Recovered yet? You'd better have, because I have… have…" he gulped. "U-Unohana-taichou…"
"Is there something you need from Kumo-kun, Omaeda-fukutaichou? Even so, you shouldn't be so loud. Even if you have authority over him as a superior officer, do not forget that my patients should always be treated as though they were a member of my squad." She said calmly. Even though I could only see the back of her head, the look on Omaeda's face made it obvious she was giving him the evil eye.
"M… my deepest apologies, Unohana-taichou…" His hands, carrying his rice crackers, were shivering. "It w-will never happen again…"
Unohana-taichou picked up her zanpakutō and made her way to leave. "It's alright. The treatment is over today anyway. I leave him in you and your Captain's hands, Omaeda-fukutaichou."
The door closed behind her.
Omaeda swallowed deeply. "Oh, yeah. Kumo, I've got a job for ya. The paperwork in my office is buildin' up again, and I'd do it, but as the extremely important commander of the Patrol Corps-" he did not notice me rolling my eyes at the 'extremely important' part, "-I am needed in the Rukon Districts. So ya need to do my paperwork for me. This is urgent! So, I'll leave it to ya. Ja-na!"
He marched off, taking another bite off his rice crackers.
Needed in the Rukon Districts, my ass, I thought. He's probably just too afraid of Soifon-taichou walking into his office sometime and seeing all this paperwork.
"Seriously… the 'building up' part was the only truth in what he said." The paperwork had been stacking, all over the floor, the cupboards, even the bookshelves and cabinets. "It's like he left all his paperwork here to rot for three years!"
A breeze blew in, something I would have been pleased about, had it not blown away my finished paperwork, mixing it with the rest of the unmarked ones. Just great, I cursed in my head. Just what I needed. More headaches.
I looked out the window. It was difficult seeing clearly ever since my glasses were destroyed by Arturo during the fight. I had fairly decent eyesight even without them, able to make out larger details, but it was uncomfortable suddenly forced to see like this, and looking at multicolored objects hurt my eyes.
Hopefully I can get a new pair made for me. I rubbed my eyes, having just gone through about two hundred sheets of paperwork. Maybe I can get a deal on them in that Silver Tonbo place. The prices are ridiculous, but I hear they sell glasses made for shinigami, so they should be more durable than the pair I had before.
I took a drink of tea, being careful not to pour it over the paperwork. As I put it down, I heard a knock on the door.
"Excuse me… may I come in?" someone outside asked. The voice was familiar.
"Sure. Be careful, though." The door opened, and I saw it was Hinamori who came in, almost slipping over the paper on the floor.
"Whoa! The paperwork is everywhere! The vice-captain of 2nd Division must really be slacking off!" she exclaimed, carefully stepping on the floor where the paperwork isn't.
I sighed. "Tell me about it. That guy's been trying to tread me underfoot for the last three days."
Hinamori, with difficulty, walked over to me. "Tread you underfoot? Why?"
I leaned on my elbow, rubbing my forehead. "He's the vice-captain of 2nd Division, I'm the 3rd Seat, I got promoted after my first mission, Soifon-taichou hates his guts, and what's more, he's from some rich family, while I'm just a ragged kid from Rukongai. Why do you think he's treading me underfoot?"
Hinamori tilted her head slightly. "Why?"
I almost slapped myself. Hinamori could be so slow at times. "He thinks I want to usurp his position, of course. Like that's ever going to happen. I overheard from some other members of this squad. He's from some rich noble family, and they used their power and influence to put a member of their family in vice-captain rank. Apparently, the other members of the Onmitsukidō say he's really just got the skill of a 6th Seat. So, after complaining to the Captain about how I was still a new member didn't work, now he's just trying to pile work onto me to avoid attracting Soifon-taichou's attention."
Hinamori began to start picking up paperwork off the floor. "You can really do that if you come from a strong noble family?"
I took the sheets in her hand. "Thanks. Yeah, apparently that's how it works. They can do that to get people out of Shinigami Academy too. That's how they got Rukia-san out, I think."
Hinamori gasped, and then smiled. "That's right! I've got great news! Abarai-kun found Rukia-san again!"
I looked up from my paperwork. "Really? Where?"
"Uh, he said that she's currently an unseated officer in 13th Division, and has trouble fitting in there."
I sighed. "Still? She was like that in the academy too. Anyway, that can't be the only reason why you're here, is it?"
Hinamori reached inside a bag that she carried. "Ah, that's right. I was asked to pass you this. From your sister, Ayame-san."
I took the cloth-wrapped object. "From nee-san? What is it?" I pulled the cloth, and found a pair of thin silver-rimmed glasses inside, identical to the ones that broke. "Glasses?" I turned it, and etched into a small part near the lenses was a small, perfect carving of a dragonfly. "These came from the Silver Tonbo? But those glasses are so expensive!"
Hinamori nodded. "Apparently, the retired shinigami that owns the store, Shirogane-san, owes your sister a favor for saving a large amount of his stock from Hollows, so he's been providing her with free copies newest designs of glasses ever since when she asks. I haven't told Abarai-kun, or he'll follow Ayame-san around everywhere. He loves the sunglasses they make."
I laughed a bit, and put the glasses on. They felt a lot sturdier than the old pair. "Thanks."
Hinamori shuffled her feet. "There was something else… but since you look so busy with this paperwork… I'll just go now."
I stopped writing. "What is it? It's alright, you can tell me."
"I was planning on going over back to Junrin'an to see Shiro-chan and his grandmother today, and then I remembered Kumo-kun has never met them yet, so…"
I thought for a while, and suddenly had an idea. "Alright, I'll go with you."
Hinamori looked shocked. "What? But you have so much work!"
I pulled a scrap of paper from nearby, and with my pen started scribbling on it.
"What are you doing?" Hinamori asked.
Xxx0o0xxX
Omaeda stared in shock at the piece of paper left behind by the 3rd Seat, Kumo.
"To Omaeda-fukutaichou,
My deepest apologies. I tried to get as much of the paperwork done as possible, but Soifon-taichou caught me and wasn't too happy about the fact I was covering for you. She made me write this note, and said that since you're so busy you don't have time to do your paperwork, she'd decided to give you a break, and let us swap positions for a day. I will take care of the Patrol Corps for today, and you can have all the time you need to finish the work. I'm probably somewhere in Rukongai by now, so don't bother looking for me. And if you're thinking 'what is this insult from this commoner', then remember, Soifon-taichou made me write this. Have fun working.
PS: If you ignore this letter or try to leave, Soifon-taichou said that she would hunt you down and cover you with so many Homonka marks you won't be able to see your skin color.
Signed,
Kiyashi Kumo
Xxx0o0xxX
AN: Heh heh… poor Omaeda. But he was being lazy, so it's his fault. That's what you get for not doing your paperwork for three years.
Next chapter, Kiyashi and Hinamori will go to Junrin'an. Hopefully I'll get off my lazy ass and try to make it more than three thousand words. But I guess I wouldn't be 'LazyStargazer' anymore.
Please R&R!
Kira was a member of Fourth Division some time in his life as a shinigami. I don't know when, so I just made it a short time after joining 5th Division.
