Chapter Twelve
"Yasu! You're back. I pick her." Shunsui pointed to Yasu as she stepped back into the recovery center.
"Saiko, hand me my sword." Renji demanded.
"No,"
"That's a direct order!"
Saiko looked around. "What was that? I couldn't hear you."
"I'll take this one, Yasu." Hanataro offered.
"No Hana, don't worry about it." Yasu walked up to Shunsui. "Looks like you're pretty beat up there, Eighth Captain."
Shunsui smiled and nodded.
"You need me to fix you?"
"Would you please?" Shunsui pulled his hat up so he could see Yasu's face.
"I'll do my job if you do me a favor." Yasu looked into his eyes, determined.
Shunsui stopped smiling. "I see…"
"So, what's it going to be? I can let you suffer or…"
Shunsui sighed and motioned for her to come closer.
"Stay away from him Yasu." Renji warned.
Yasu ignored him and took a small step closer, Shunsui leaned in and whispered something in her ear.
Yasu took a step back. "Really? That's it? I expected something more creative from you…"
"What? What is it?" Renji asked.
Saiko groaned. "That's not fair! Now you're one up on me!"
"Is that all you can think about?"
"It's very important we get those names." Saiko pouted. "You can't have me falling behind, right? So, why don't you just tell me."
"Actually…" Yasu smiled. "I'm two up on you."
"What do you mean 'two up'…?" Renji questioned with a straight face.
"I had a talk with…" Yasu lowered her voice to a whisper. "Your Captain."
"Byakuya gave it up to you!" Shunsui clapped happily. "That's great news!"
"You've got to be kidding me…" Renji shook his head.
"What?" Saiko yelled at Yasu before turning to Renji. "Abarai!" She shook his arm. "You can't let this happen. You have to tell me your second name nooow!"
"No way! Get off me!"
"Oh…" Saiko's cheeks flushed pink. "Sorry…" She slowly let go of his arm."
"I guess I'm just more seductive than you…" Yasu shrugged, trying to hold back a smile.
Matsumoto burst into the room. "It can't be true! You can't have beaten me! I'm the sexiest of all the women; I'm pretty much a succubus!" She wailed. "How did you get both names before I even got one?"
Hanataro opened up a tiny secret door in the wall behind him and slipped inside.
"How did you do it? Did you flash him? Is that acceptable? I would have had those names ages ago if we could do that! Sure, I can't find Hanataro anywhere, but I've bumped into Ikkaku four or five times already today!"
"Hmm, no, I didn't flash anyone." Yasu blushed. "I guess I blackmailed one of them."
Shunsui raised his hand.
"And I guessed the other one."
"You guessed the Captains?" Renji asked in disbelief.
Yasu nodded.
"How did you of all people guess that?"
"Women's intuition." Yasu nodded again.
Saiko slid out of the room and headed toward the women's bathroom. "Hmm, Lieutenant Hisagi? What are you doing here?"
Hisagi turned around. "Huh? Oh. Making sure Captain Kyoraku wasn't around here… You know, after what happened earlier today…"
"He's at the Squad Four barracks." Saiko pointed over her shoulder.
"Oh? That makes my job easier…" Hisagi looked a little disappointed. "What are you doing around here?"
Saiko took a moment to remember Renji snapping at her. "Just getting some air. Going for a walk…"
"You sound like you've had a busy day." Hisagi flashed her a smile. "I could make you some tea, if you'd like to come back to my barracks with me?"
"Tea… would be welcomed." Saiko stretched before continuing her walk. "I'm ready for this day to be over. It's been nothing but—"
Hisagi spotted a hell-butterfly coming towards him. "Hold that thought…" He cut her off.
"Why is everyone telling me to do that lately?" Saiko crossed her arms.
The butterfly landed on Hisagi's outstretched finger.
"Oh…"
"I have to go to an urgent meeting. Would you like to come with? You can wait outside and I'll make you the tea as soon as it's over?" Hisagi offered.
"What's it about?" Saiko asked, pointing to the butterfly as it fluttered away.
"You."
"No, seriously, what's it about?"
"I'm being serious. Maybe not you specifically but I can assure you, you're part of it." Hisagi said.
"If this is because I screamed at Ikkaku and he told on me…"
Hisagi laughed. "I don't think there'd be a meeting of the Thirteen Captains and Lieutenants because you screamed at another Third seat."
"You don't know, I'm very important."
"Yasu, where is Hanataro… he's always with you so you must know." Matsumoto tried to stare Yasu down.
Yasu shook her head. "Sorry, can't help you."
"There's no point in hiding him now, you already beat me." Matsumoto pouted.
Yasu put her hands up. "I'm not hiding anyone… Now could you please excuse me, I have patients to attend to."
"Yasu, I'm in pain, come over here." Shunsui reached out to her.
Yasu flinched.
"I'll put you in more pain if you keep talking like that!" Renji threatened.
"I didn't say anything out of line, Abarai." Shunsui lied back down and put his hat over his eyes.
Matsumoto continued to pout as she moved for the door. "If you see him Yasu, be sure to send him my way."
"Uhm… maybe." Yasu nodded slowly.
Matsumoto stepped outside, sliding the door shut behind her.
Hanataro rolled out from the secret doorway. "Is she gone?"
Yasu nodded. "Where'd you go?"
"My sanctuary," Hanataro thought back to the very tiny broom closet that he goes to awkwardly sleep in and to try and get away from people.
The door blew open and two butterflies came into the room.
"Oh… look at that." Yasu commented.
"I'll get the fly swatter." Hanataro said.
"Hanataro." Renji sighed.
One of the butterflies landed on Hanataro's nose. "Ahh." He yelped, trying to bat it away. The butterfly flew off him and over to Renji.
The second butterfly made its way over to Shunsui and landed on his hand. He sat up and hopped off the table. "Well, I best be going."
"What about your arm?" Renji asked.
Shunsui looked down at his ripped sleeve. "Oh yeah, I'm going to need to take this into the dry cleaners later."
"You were just in pain a moment ago." Yasu pointed out, suspiciously.
Shunsui winked and tipped his hat before walking out the door.
Yasu sighed and frowned.
Renji got up off his table. "I better go too; the Captain will reopen this if I'm late." He pointed to his chest before looking down on Yasu. "Don't get into any more trouble when I'm gone."
Yasu nodded. "I'll do my best, sir."
Renji pushed on her forehead before leaving.
"Well Hana, it's just you and me now." Yasu winked at him.
"Wh-why are you looking at me that way?" Hanataro stammered.
"You know what would make the Tenth Lieutenant really angry?"
"If you killed me, allowing me to take my second name to the grave?" Hanataro backed away nervously.
"Hana! I would never hurt you!" Yasu took a step closer. "You should." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Tell me your other name."
"Wh-what?"
"Then I can wave it over the Tenth Lieutenant! I'll have gotten three names before her!" Yasu smiled evilly.
"B-but… I don't want to tell anyone my second name."
"Come on Hana, it's me, you can tell me anything." Yasu sighed. "Fine Hana, don't tell me." She crossed her arms. "I won't tell you my cup size then!"
Hanataro blushed. "I already know your cup size Yasu… you make me do your laundry."
"Shh Hana! Don't let that information slip!"
Saiko sat outside of the meeting room as Byakuya walked past. "I can assume my Lieutenant is here then?" He said, not looking at her.
"Oh, no sir, I haven't seen him yet. I'm actually waiting for the Ninth Lieutenant."
"I'll never understand yours and Abarai's need to fraternize with people of other squads."
"If I may, sir, you're very hypocritical."
Byakuya turned his gaze on Saiko. "No, you may not." He said before going inside.
Renji walked up to the meeting room. "Hey, when'd you get here?"
"I've been here for a while." Saiko said.
"That's not possible, I just left the Fourth Squad…" Renji frowned.
Saiko blinked at him. "I left almost an hour ago, did you really not notice?" She looked away. "It doesn't matter, I'm not waiting for you anyway, I'm waiting for Lieutenant Hisagi."
"Why? What could you possibly have to do with that guy?"
"He's making me tea. He was worried, I was stressed out. I mean, I have spent my day chasing after my idiot Lieutenant." Saiko looked up at Renji. "You should get inside, Abarai. The Captain's already here and if you're late he's going to reopen your wounds."
Soi Fen walked into the meeting room with Kenpachi and Yachiru behind her.
"You must have cheated! Poisoned him ahead of time or something! There's no way you could have beat my fifth seat!" Kenpachi roared.
"You tell her, Kenny!" Yachiru chanted.
"Maybe I'm just faster, no wait, I am faster than him." Soi Fen said before making her way over to Byakuya. "Your Lieutenant is outside yelling at your Third seat."
"Idiots." Byakuya cursed, walking over to the door and opening it. "Abarai. Inside. Now."
"Having trouble controlling your subordinates, Kuchiki?" The Captain of the First division asked as he walked past. "This is your Third seat?" He looked down at Saiko. "She can join us; I believe she was involved in this situation as well."
Byakuya shot Renji and Saiko a glare. "Now what have you two done?"
The First Captain walked up in front of the crowd of Captains and Lieutenants. "Now, now, children, settle down."
The mass of Shinigami went silent and stared up front.
Saiko shifted uncomfortably, being surrounded by high ranking Shinigami.
Hisagi placed a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down."
"Within a matter of hours we've had one Captain, one Lieutenant and one fifth seat member of Squad Eleven hospitalized outside of war-time regulations. What is going on?" The First Captain questioned.
No one dared say a word.
The First Captain looked around and picked Shunsui out from the crowd. "You, Eighth Captain, what put you in this condition?"
Shunsui yawned. "Just having a little fun."
"Tch, too much fun." Renji dismissed.
"You have something to add, Lieutenant Abarai?" The First Captain shifted his gaze to Renji.
Byakuya shot his Lieutenant a glare.
Renji sighed. "No, sir."
"First Captain, it started with the Woman's Association trying to get information from some of the male members." Unohana spoke up.
Matsumoto tousled her hair. "What a pain, I wouldn't have agreed to it if I'd known it'd come to this."
"Violence is by no means and acceptable way to extract information out of your fellow Soul Reapers. I don't care if you continue with this… information gathering, as long as no blood is drawn, understand?" The First Captain boomed.
"Well, how are we supposed to do it then?" Matusmoto sighed. "All the guys will just say 'no'."
"We could…" Saiko whispered.
"Speak up." Hisagi pushed her forward.
Saiko went wide eyed. "Uh, we could implement some non-harmful way of getting information… Like, if everyone wore bracelets and if someone broke it you have to answer them… Just a thought…" She tried to melt back into the crowd.
"I like that idea." Soi Fen nodded.
"What kind of an idea is that? We're not in school anymore." Renji crossed his arms.
"I'd wear something like that, it sounds fun." Hisagi said.
"But then the guys would have a way to get information out of us! I like it." Matsumoto smiled.
"How childish." Shiro dismissed.
"Then don't wear one. No one wants to play with a jerk." Saiko spat back at Renji.
"I want bracelets!" Yachiru sang.
Kira sighed. "Where are we getting these bracelets?" He flipped the hair out of his eyes.
Nanao adjusted her glasses before pulling out a bag of rubber bracelets.
"I'll wear one; I'll wear a ton of them! And no woman will be able to snap them." Renji declared.
"No woman? You better watch out for Yumichika…" Hisagi teased.
The First Captain walked down from his podium and stepped over to Nanao. "Give me one of those." He took a bracelet and slipped it on, trying to snap it but didn't have much luck. "This will work."
Nanao quickly handed out two bracelets to everyone.
"I want more than that." Renji said.
Nanao handed him two more.
"More!"
"Just take the bag!" Nanao forced the bag into his hands.
Renji put on as many as he could fit. "Hah!" He looked around for Saiko so he could show them off.
Saiko slid up behind him and snapped one. "I won't ask anything of you for that one, I'll let you have a freebee." She smirked.
Renji frowned. "That one was defective!"
"Now be fair children, everyone has to wear at least one." Unohana smiled sadistically.
Saiko shook her head. "Whatever helps you sleep at night." She walked out of the room with Hisagi.
"Here, Captain, I got you a white one and a blue one so they'll match your hair and eyes." Matsumoto held out two bracelets to Shiro.
"I'm not playing." Shiro said.
"Everyone has to play!" She grabbed his arm and shoved the bracelets on." Oh, look at you, you're so stylish!"
"They're very becoming on you, Shiro." Hinamori giggled.
Shiro scowled.
"Be sure to grab some for the rest of your squad members!" Unohana pocketed a handful.
Byakuya eyed the bag sitting on a table near him. "I wonder if they have pink…" He mumbled. "What am I saying?"