AN: ...I really don't have any excuse for this. I promise to be a better author from now on! Please forgive my absence, I've had a lot of things going on. Also, if you sent me any PMs, I may not have got them so please resend if possible...*hides from tomatoes being thrown*
Oh, and if you've forgotten the story, I beg you to re-read and not desert this fanfic! I'm planning on revising the older chapters later but no major changes will be made, just wording and grammar corrections. Thank you so much~
Instead of answering, the strange Shinigami scrutinized each of us carefully, and when those eyes landed on mine I was sure they belonged to a man. His reiatsu was controlled with amazing preciseness, only a tiny sliver showing through just enough for me to know he was there.
"What are you doing here? What squad do you belong to?" Momo asked with surprising firmness, a kind of fire reflecting in her eyes reminding me of the nature of her Zanpakuto.
The intruder didn't even look at her and stared at Gin, who smiled back curiously. I detected a hint of hostility in his manner and irritation flared in my chest. Without thinking, I took a flash step and recklessly grabbed the man's shoulders.
"Answer Lieutenant Hinamori's question. If you have no business here, leave!"
Gin flashed me a look, opening his eyes for an instant, communicating through our bond as soul binders.
Sayuri!
The man merely turned his gaze towards me and I slowly dropped my hands, feeling foolish.
"Ichimaru Gin, Miura Sayuri, follow me." Not waiting for a response, he turned and disappeared out the door. I narrowed my eyes and turned to Gin, who shrugged.
"Tha' sure was a mysterious visit. Shall we go see what awaits?"
"Don't!"
I blinked at Izuru in surprise, noticing that his fists were clenched. "Why?"
"Are you two idiots? Why are you planning to follow some strange Shinigami when you don't even know if he belongs to the Gotei 13?"
"Aww, Izuru, it's pretty harsh ta call us idiots," Gin complained. I could still feel the masked man nearby, but it wouldn't be long before his reiatsu was too distant to follow.
"I know what you mean, but Gin and I are strong enough to handle that guy. Plus, I don't think he's got bad intentions."
"But—" Rangiku shot him a glance.
"I think it's fine for you to go together, but if you don't return by midnight, I'm deploying my squad to find you," she warned.
I nodded, smiling at concerned faces, and flash stepped out into the cool air. Gin followed and suddenly grabbed me from behind.
"Gin!" Annoyed, I attempted to twist out of his grasp.
"Just givin' you a hug in case anythin' happens, not that it will when I'm around," he whispered into my ear and I tapped on his hand nearest to me with a grin.
He peeked around quizzically as best he could, and realization began to dawn on his face—but it was too late. I flash stepped off with him at top speed, following the reiatsu traces.
Enjoying the wind rushing past and the challenge of using Shunpo with extra weight, I began to push myself faster but was forced to stop when I saw the back of the Shinigami we were following. I stopped and Gin detached himself from me.
He sighed, looking a bit shaken, and glared at me.
I laughed until my stomach hurt.
After a moment, he began to grin and finally chuckled.
"Tha' was a pretty good prank, Sayuri-chan."
I winked at him. "Thanks. Now let's find out where this guy's taking us."
We continued following him, taking many unfamiliar turns at an increasing speed until I could barely see where I was going. Suddenly, he sprang upwards and halted, waiting for us to join him. When we did, we were facing large double doors, vaguely reminding me of Central 46, but there was nothing visible behind nor in front of them.
Was it a special Senkaimon?
The masked man did something strange with his right hand and the doors opened instantly and silently. No blinding light came forth but he stepped through them and disappeared.
Gin and I looked at each other, then casually walked through as well. Immediately I felt a strong pulling sensation and found myself in a very beautiful, large, gated garden, filled with trees and flowering plants.
I finally drew my attention to the building in front of me, as well as my surroundings. Occasionally I felt a hint of reiatsu but it would vanish just as quickly.
"Come in." Startled by the voice—I'd let my guard down—I almost jumped upon seeing in front of us the same man from before.
"Where are we?" I asked, but he merely made the same hand motion as before to open the ornate doors. I sighed audibly and followed.
We passed through a hallway and entered a large room, like Central 46 but with lower ceilings and only one row of seats. However, just one woman was there, leaning against a table.
Then I saw the symbol on her purple, lavish silk haori and something clicked just as she spoke.
"Welcome to Division Zero."
Though I had just figured this out, it still came as a shock. "Division...Zero? The Royal Guard?"
"Correct. You must be wondering why you have been brought here."
"Yes, especially since this masked man you sent refused to speak," I quipped.
She actually smiled. "I'm sorry about that. It was a protective measure; after all, this division is highly secretive and specialized."
"I know it's special an' all but I have no idea what ya guys actually do," Gin said, his face carefully devoid of emotion in a way I knew well.
"The division is doing a good job, then. We, the Royal Squad, are all former captains of the Gotei 13, as you know. We were specially picked and promoted, and answer to no one except the Spirit King himself."
An idea popped up in my head. "So, you mean, you're completely independent? Your services are only dedicated to the Spirit King?"
"Exactly. Our job 'description,' if you will, is to protect him and occasionally slay Menos Grande. Though we have certain rules on what we may interfere with in the World of the Living and with the Gotei 13, this division is in reality much more free than anywhere else is Seireitei. Except, of course, Rukongai districts," she joked.
I tilted my head skeptically. "That sounds nice, but why did you call us here? Our friends are waiting."
"Then I shall be frank. I, the leader of the Royal Squad, am asking you both to join our forces."
I exchanged incredulous looks with Gin. "Er, I'm sorry?"
She merely raised her eyebrows and stood, pacing towards us. Her manner of walking reminded me of that of a wolf's, and she seemed to be waiting for a response.
"Ya do know I'm not a captain, right? And that I'm not allowed ta be one?"
"You were quite a capable captain. Though we generally do not meddle in the affairs of the Gotei 13, we do watch what occurs."
Her words, though friendly, portrayed clearly to me just how powerful she and the rest of the division were. To be so strong that they did not consider Aizen a great enough threat to interfere with...
"Wait. Does that mean I'm alienated from my family? If we join, we have to live here and only serve the Spirit King?"
"No, no. You may go anywhere you like as long as you do your duty and fulfill any missions you are assigned. Of course, you may not disclose any pertinent information regarding this squad and there are requirements as to the amount of time you must reside here per year. The Gotei 13 captains will most likely know about your promotions, but they will not spread this knowledge widely."
My heart still pounding, I turned to Gin.
What do you think?
His clear blue eyes met mine thoughtfully.
Well, there's no Central 46 an' the Head Captain won't be botherin' us. It is a great honor, ya know. Captains rarely get promoted to this level.
True. It's just such a surprise.
Do ya trust her?
I briefly surveyed Miki, who stood inscrutably, waiting.
Honestly, I don't know.
Same here. We don't have ta rush this. We can think about it-
No. I want to decide now, or I'll start having second thoughts. I'll—I'm willing to join.
He nodded. Then so am I.
We turned back to the unnamed leader of the Royal Squad and I spoke for the two of us.
"We're willing to join."
She clapped her hands together. "Wonderful! Let me explain a bit about this squad, then. First, our-"
"I'm sorry ta cut ya off, but what's yer name?"
A few seconds of silence followed, and to my relief, she grinned apologetically.
"Forgive me, I'm afraid my manners have diminished. My name is Ito Miki. Feel free to call me by whatever you like."
"Miki…a pretty name fer a beautiful lady," Gin commented with a smile, and I glared at him until he looked at me with half-open eyes.
Gin!
"Ahem."
I jerked my gaze away and looked at the "beautiful lady" with as inscrutable a face I could make. She was vaguely smiling.
"My apologies, Miki. Please continue." I made a point of ignoring Gin, whose reiatsu I could feel prodding questioningly at my own.
"Our squad is organized into groups depending on the situation and I assign a leader for each one. I command this entire division, but it is not because I am more powerful but merely since the majority believed me to be most capable for such a position in terms of charisma and strategizing."
"I see. Everything seems very well-organized," I commented and she laughed.
"It should be. We've been active for…oh, much longer than you could imagine. Captains Ukitake and Kyouraku were part of the original squad."
At this, Gin's eyebrows lifted but he made no comment and Miki continued.
"In any case, you should both receive your hanko now."
"Hanko?" An image of the stamp we all used in place of signing our names popped into my head.
"It's not the same as a normal one; ours creates a means of communication between members of the squad. It also serves to obscure and limit your reiatsu."
"So that's why everyone here has such controlled reiatsu!"
"Well, yes, but also because they are very proficient at manipulating it."
"It's a bit like the seal thingy all the lieutenants an' captains have got, right?"
"Only at a very basic level. That system the Gotei 13 uses to restrict reiatsu is so…shall I say, primitive compared to ours," she answered with careful distaste.
Now that we had been conversing for a while, I took the opportunity to observe Miki, as Gin had obviously already done. She was rather tall and stood with a measure of authority emanating from her presence, as befit a leader of such a powerful division. The golden yukata she wore was tied with a green sash and exposed an expanse of her tanned skin and cleavage. Her purple silk haori flared out regally at the bottom like those of captains and the sleeves ended at her muscled wrists.
"So how are ya gonna give us this mark?" Gin asked.
"It's quite simple, really. No mad scientist necessary." She reached into a pocket of her haori and pulled out what appeared to be a perfectly normal hanko.
We peered at the object in her palm. "Er, what do we do with it?" I asked.
"Exactly what it looks like. Stamp it anywhere you like on your body; the mark will disappear and you'll only see it when another member of the squad is attempting to contact you. Anyone outside the division will not be able to see it."
I took the stamp from her hand and paused for a moment, then pressed it firmly against the inside of my left forearm. It left a glowing orange mark in the shape of the Royal Guard's kanji insignia, but disappeared quickly. I instantly felt a pressure, not uncomfortable, that seemed to package my reiatsu in a way impossible to explain; it was still under my control, though, like an elastic band. I handed the stamp to Gin, who repeated the process on the inside of his right forearm.
"Great! So if you want to contact one of us, you'll need to know that person's reiatsu pattern. Just visualize it in your head and perform this kido silently…"
After we had both learned how to use the simple spell, Miki had us try it on each other.
"Gin, you first," she ordered and he complied. After a few seconds I suddenly felt a tingling warmth and pulled up my sleeve to see the mark glowing. I pressed my right hand to it and concentrated on the threads of reiatsu that emanated.
Can you hear me?
Loud an' clear.
Somehow the fact this actually works surprises me.
I heard Gin chuckle. Well, it does. So I can contact ya from far distances—I like it.
Just don't bother me all the time, okay?
Sorry, can't promise that, lily.
I snorted and disengaged myself mentally, removing my hand from my arm. The mark faded away.
"Good job. Now, Sayuri-" I cut her off by reciting the kido in my head and concentrating with all my might on the reiatsu pattern I remembered her emitting briefly when we first met.
Her dark green eyes met mine and I was satisfied to note a flash of surprise before she placed a hand on her collarbone, where a similar mark glowed.
Okay, you've got the hang of this. She abruptly cut the connection and said out loud, "I'm done with you two, so off you go. Rintaro should be outside; he'll get you fitted with everything you need. All paid for, of course."
"But—" I began, and she waved a hand.
"It may not look like it, but I'm quite busy. You two are a bit of a special case, you know; normally my second-in-command handles newcomers."
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Most of us are required to live here permanently in order to better protect the Spirit King. The reason you two have so much leeway is because you have already been deeply involved in matters of the Gotei 13; this 'arrangement' can be used as an advantage for us, as you might be able to cut down on the number of problems the Gotei 13 manages to get involved in. Since you will both be reporting anything of actual importance to us, we can focus our attention on more pressing affairs. I really must go. Goodbye!" With that, she disappeared with a whoosh.
Gin tapped my shoulder.
"Sayuri-chan."
"What?" I snapped, still irritated at his behavior from earlier.
"I was gonna ask if you were angry at me, but I guess ya just answered mah question."
I couldn't help smiling a little. "Sorry, Gin, I don't know why I reacted like that. Miki is very beautiful, after all."
"Not as much as you."
"You don't need to flatter me, I know I'm definitely not beautiful. Anyway, let's go get this over with or we'll have Squad 10 out looking for us." We strode out and encountered the same masked man from before.
"Are you Rintaro?" I asked, and he inclined his head shortly.
"Correct. Please follow me." Without further explanation, he flash stepped off and I glared at the dust following his trail.
"That guy has no manners," I complained and followed reluctantly as Gin attempted to stifle his laughter.
When we arrived, it was in front of a large building rather standard in appearance, save for a large sign hanging at the top that proclaimed, "The Store With Everything!"
We entered and Gin ducked to avoid banging his head on the low doorframe. I surveyed the store in surprise; it really did seem to have everything a Shinigami would need, from clothing to explosives and pink sparkly bottles purporting to contain a substance that would "make anyone who drinks it fall in love with you!"
There was a plump and pleasant-looking man sitting at a desk near the left and he looked up smiling as we approached him.
"Hello, Rintaro. Ah, new members I see! My name is Sato Hiroki, and I'll get you both fitted. Follow me, please."
I was about to take a step when Rintaro unexpectedly placed a hand on my shoulder. I reflexively stiffened and in less than a second, two blades were crossed at his neck. We both froze.
The steel caught sunlight and reflected into my eyes. I blinked, confused as to whose Zanpakuto they were, when a shiver ran through my arm. My gaze ran up and met pale fingers wrapped around a familiar light sea-blue hilt. As the information began registering, Shinku no Yuri shivered again—it was reacting to Shinsou's touch for some reason and I quickly lowered and sheathed my blade, completely aghast at myself. In the corner of my mind, I realized that Shinku no Yuri had been on top of Shinsou, which meant Gin had reacted first.
Gin's half-lidded eyes were burning straight at Rintaro's, his expression hard. I looked at him in surprise; I hadn't seen such an expression in a while, at least not ever since the war.
Gin?
His gaze flickered to mine, and he slowly lowered Shinsou but did not sheathe it. Rintaro removed his hand from my shoulder and I could not see his expression.
"What were ya doin'?" Gin asked, his voice ice-cold.
"I apologize. I only meant it as a friendly gesture."
"I'm sorry about that, I suppose we're still a bit on edge," I said quickly and stared at Gin, trying to mentally persuade him to do the same and put away his naked blade.
He got the point and sheathed the wakizashi, but without a word. Rintaro gave a slight nod of the head and turned back to me.
"I'll leave you now." This time he left normally, by walking out the door. Then we heard a whoosh.
During the awkward silence that followed, Hiroki clapped his hands. "Well then, shall we proceed?" He led us to a separate room full of clothing, one wall covered with plain, solid-colored silk haori of all kinds.
"First, pick a color and style you like." He motioned towards the haori and after a minute, I settled on a dark blood red haori with half-sleeves and a flaring bottom. Gin picked out a light turquoise in the same style, but with wide long sleeves.
"Excellent. I assume you already have shitagi, correct?" We nodded simultaneously and he continued, "Next is the kosode. Please take a look at this rack."
After what seemed like an eternity of measurements and decisions, I sighed and flopped down into a wooden chair. Gin did likewise with an exaggerated yawn, and Hiroki looked at us patiently.
"Your outfits shall be completed by tomorrow. Please pick them up during store hours between 7 a.m and 8 p.m."
"Tomorrow? You can finish them so soon?" I asked in surprise.
"I have my special ways, and I learned from the best," he said a bit pompously. He began lecturing us on the secret methods of tailors and many more things I was completely uninterested in.
Gin half-opened his eyes and I could tell he wanted to pop Hiroki's inflated ego. "Ya know, in that case you better take care of yer own outfit, looks like a pig tha' rolled in some…dirt."
Before I could open my mouth to remedy this, Gin had me in his arms and flashed stepped out of the shop. I kicked him and he dropped me unceremoniously, wincing.
"Wha' was that for?"
"For being a mannerless idiot and insulting the owner of a store we'll probably be buying from the rest of our lives!" I glared at him sternly and he sulked.
"Wasn't mah fault. Tha' really hurt, Sayuri-chan." I felt pain flash through our souls' connection; I really had kicked him hard, and he was showing it to me as exaggeratedly as he could.
With great effort, I hooked my arms around his neck, standing on tiptoe, and kissed the corner of his cheek.
"That's for being the mannerless idiot whose soul is bound to me."
His hands encircled my wrists and he leaned down, and suddenly his lips were an inch away from mine, breathing hot air. The setting sun cast warmth on my back and at the look in Gin's blue eyes, I felt myself turn red.
"Excuse me."
I literally jumped away from Gin, my heart still beating. We hadn't even been kissing but I could have died from embarrassment.
"Y-yes?" I answered shakily, not able to meet Rintaro's impassive stare. His demeanor and reishi patterns remained undisturbed, as if he hadn't see a thing.
"I see you are both done with the fitting. There are a few more matters to attend to; follow me and I will show you to your new quarters. But first, I must ask: are you two planning on living together or separately?"
I spluttered for a short time but was saved by Gin, who said "Nah, we'd like ta live separately fer now. Is that okay?"
"Yes. In the future if you change your mind, you may submit an application to Hiroki. He handles those as well."
"Great, tha' guy again..." Gin muttered, but I was still too embarrassed to say anything.
This time Rintaro started off at a slower pace, probably so we could memorize the way. Gin and I avoided eye contact, but our intertwined souls made it impossible to hide such strong emotions.
In a manner of minutes, Rintaro had shown us to our rather lavish new quarters; as a matter of fact, we had an entire house each to ourselves. They were side by side, nearly identical in appearance and size. For the first time he showed a hint of amusement at our combined surprise, but it quickly vanished.
"You are required to finish moving your belongings within one week. After that, you will reside here and no longer be a part of Gotei 13; we will make arrangements with the Head Captain. A list of regulations will be provided in a few days. Do you have any questions?"
I shook my head, and upon receiving a negative from Gin as well, he left without goodbye. As soon as we were sure he was gone, we ran into our new houses excitedly. I flopped down on the clean bamboo floor, and in a few minutes Gin slid the door open loudly, closing it with a clack, and joined me. I couldn't help chiding him.
"Gin, could you please be a bit more careful with my door? I don't want the rice paper to get damaged-"
He cut me off by placing a finger on my lips.
"Shh, enough scolding me, how 'bout we look around without that gloomy-face staring at us?"
I laughed and got up, pulling—or rather dragging—Gin with me. He was surprisingly heavy. "Then we should make it quick. We have to get back soon."
There wasn't that much to look at anyway, since there was only one floor of open space covered with tatami mats, a simple wooden partition and shouji on one side dividing a section of floor—the bedroom—with a closet next to it. I opened it and found a neatly rolled plain futon, in addition to several lone hangers. The kitchen was on the other side, with surprisingly Western-looking appliances like a conventional oven and burners that felt a bit out of place. The wooden cabinets were plain and there were no additional furnishings; Gin's house was no different, the only exception being his bathroom containing a pink toilet. Strangely enough, he seemed pretty happy about it so I didn't ask if he wanted to switch.
After we had finished our brief surveying, we flash stepped together to the main building where we had met Miki. The double doors we had walked through were in the same place, and with a shrug, I threw them open and passed through the invisible portal.
In a second, we were back in the Seireitei and hurried as fast as possible to where we hoped our friends still were. After Gin opened the door, we could only stare.
Toushiro and Rangiku were yelling at each other for a reason I couldn't fathom; their words were lost in a loud whirring noise emanating from a complicated machine being operated by Kurotsuchi Mayuri. Shuuhei, Renji, and Izuru had all disappeared mysteriously, and Jushiro and Shunsui were conversing very seriously together.
"Um, guys? And Rangiku?" I called out.
Instantly all talk stopped and everyone turned to look at me except for Mayuri, who merely muttered under his breath and melted into the walls invisibly with his machine. Nobody noticed his sudden absence.
Rangiku was the first to act, and she threw herself on me. I landed on the floor, the painful thump of my head on wood reminding me of the first time we met.
"SAYURI! Where have you two been? We've all been looking for you, and I even got up my courage to go ask that creepy jerk—I mean, Captain Kurotsuchi, and we got Captains Ukitake and Kyouraku here because suddenly both your reiatsu disappeared, and Toushiro—sorry, Captain Hitsugaya—was yelling at me for waking him up even though I asked nicely, and—"
Gin gently took Rangiku's shoulders and pulled her off me, allowing me to breathe. I took in a few gulps of air and stood up.
"Sorry, Rangiku, that masked guy took us to a special place. We came back as soon as we could…" I trailed off as she glared at me.
"You and Gin make me worry so much! It was enough with just him around, and then you and him together are like…like…trouble-making peas in a pod!"
That made all the tension in the room dissolve, and even Rangiku finally smiled as we all laughed. I turned and addressed everyone.
"I apologize for having worried and inconvenienced you all. It was out of my and Gin's power, and was not intentional." I bowed and elbowed Gin in the stomach, and he followed.
"It's all right. Who was that masked man anyway, and where did he bring you?" Jushiro asked curiously.
"I'm more interested in why he wanted both of you to come with him," Toushiro added.
"I'll answer that shortly, but could someone tell me why we're missing three people?"
Rangiku's smile faded. "Uh-oh. I forgot about that."
I was about to ask her to clarify when the door swung open again, and everyone froze with serious expressions on their faces. Shuuhei, Renji, and Izuru were there, but behind them was Head Captain Yamamoto.
"What is the meaning of this? Answer me," he commanded, and I backed up to let them all in.
I shot Izuru a quick glance, hoping to divine why the Head Captain was here, but he gave a slight shake of the head and mouthed, Rangiku had us notify him.
Gin was already opening his mouth to speak.
"We deeply apologize fer havin' concerned everyone enough to alert ya, but it was a very important affair."
The Head Captain opened his eyes and stared at us, his gaze searching us.
"I am amazed at your ignorance in choosing to follow an unknown Shinigami without precaution! Especially you two, who have both been captains of the Gotei 13-"
To everyone's shock, Gin cut him off. "Excuse me, sir, but we aren't under yer command any more. Unless ya want me to tell everyone here what happened, let's move to a different location an' discuss this privately."
I looked at him but his solid gaze did not waver. My anxiety must been strong enough to affect him through the bond we shared, though, because he pulled me into his arms. A year ago I would have felt ashamed but I now only felt a strong love and pride.
The Head Captain remained silent. Tense seconds ticked by as he and Gin did not look away, and finally he spoke.
"We shall discuss this matter. Captains Kyouraku and Hitsugaya, ensure our meeting is seen by no one. The rest of you, come with me."
Exchanging looks, we followed him accordingly to the 1st Division, where we entered the Head Captain's office. Shunsui, Toushiro, and the 1st Division lieutenant—his name escaped me—immediately hid themselves with Kido, no doubt guarding the doors and erasing all traces of reiatsu left behind.
As soon as we had been seated, a Hell Butterfly began circling Yamamoto's head. He allowed it to silently transmit some message and it flew off in a twinkling of light.
"Miura. Explain where you and Ichimaru Gin went, and what transpired."
I hesitated, and then Gin and I told them what had happened as best we could. I felt our friends' reiatsu patterns jump in surprise upon learning we had been recruited to Division Zero.
The Head Captain merely listened and said, "I see you have both made your decisions already. Proceed however you wish. I trust you will not regret this?"
"I don't think so, but..." I trailed off, unsure of the future.
"Listen to the words of one who has seen the world. Most things—and people—are not as they seem."
Confused, we all looked at him for further explanation but he did not continue. After a period of silence, he said, "To the rest of those gathered here, I entrust this information to you as confidential. I know captains undoubtedly spread such news among themselves-" here he looked pointedly at the closed door, where I felt a hint of Shunsui's reiatsu suddenly reveal itself and flutter indignantly- "but it is my wish this does not become widespread knowledge at the moment. There are still those who do not trust you, Ichimaru Gin, nor you, Miura Sayuri, and rumors can be as deadly as poison. If news that you have both been promoted to such high positions reaches their ears, I do not know what may happen."
"I understand. Does that mean this must remain in secrecy forever?" I asked.
"Most likely in half a century most doubts about both of you shall be dispelled or forgotten, but I cannot say for sure. Time will tell."
There was still something on my mind—one last thing that did not leave me in peace. I knew it could be the most stupid decision of my life, but I blurted out anyway, "The leader of the Royal Squad told us to stay around the Gotei 13 and report anything of importance. So, with that responsibility, how are we supposed to wander around without someone finding out?"
"You pretend you're still in the Gotei 13 and don't get drunk blabbering your secrets to everyone?" Renji supplied, and immediately cowered as the Head Captain turned his gaze on him.
"Captain Abarai's suggestion, while crude, holds some merit. I assume you both have rules on how long you must live in the Royal Squad's barracks?"
"Yes, we do."
"If anyone questions your absences or lack of position, tell them you have been sent on special missions in the World of the Living under my command. When you are in the Gotei 13, wear the Shihakusho you have now. I will have one of you-" here he addressed the rest of the room- "assign some sort of training or minor missions so there will be no suspicion. Understood?"
"Yes sir!"
"Take your leave now. Kira Izuru, Hisagi Shuuhei, I must speak with you."
Looking a bit surprised, the two Shinigami accordingly remained seated and we quietly left the room. Toushiro and Shunsui appeared and Yamamoto's lieutenant stayed guarding the door.
"How was it?" Shunsui was first to ask.
"Come on, I'm sure you were eavesdropping, weren't you?" Jushiro chuckled.
"You know me too well, old friend. Quite an interesting turn of events," he commented and glanced at Gin and me.
"I wish you hadn't been promoted, though," Rangiku said unhappily. "Now I won't get to be annoyed by you two so often, and I won't be able to go drinking with Sayuri any more."
We laughed a bit at this, lightening the mood that had suddenly grown heavier, and Toushiro chided, "It might benefit your work, Rangiku, if you didn't force that poor girl to go drinking with you so often!"
"Besides, Rangiku, I'm sure we'll be visitin' pretty often. There'll always be more times we can go out and get Izuru drunk with us," Gin said in an attempt to cheer her up, and she smiled at him. I could tell she was already plotting.
"Speaking of Izuru, why did the Head Captain want to speak to him an' Shuuhei?" Renji wondered.
"We'll find out when their meeting is finished. More importantly, it's time for me to get back to sleep, so good night!" The air suddenly became a bit chilly as Toushiro flash stepped away.
"I suppose it's time for us to go to bed as well. Let's talk about this tomorrow, shall we? I'll send over a Hell Butterfly to all of you."
"Sounds good, Jushiro. Take care!" Shunsui and Jushiro departed, and I looked at Rangiku.
"How about you?"
She yawned. "I really should get my beauty sleep, I'm working an early morning shift tomorrow doing paperwork until noon. Can you guys let me know what happened to Izuru and Shuu? I'll be in bed."
I nodded and she clapped Gin and me on the shoulders. "Bye then!"
"How come no one's asking me if I wanna go sleep?" Renji complained, and I punched him lightly.
"Because your best friends are in there and we should wait for them. You're not a baby, you know."
"Hah...fine. I'll just take a nice nap here then." He sat on the ground and leaned against the wall. Just as he closed his eyes, the door slid open loudly and he jumped up, eyes wide. I stifled a giggle and was instantly alarmed by their faces.
Renji didn't say anything, but instead looked at them with an expression I had never seen before. I could tell he knew something was amiss.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, and they simultaneously nodded as they shut the door. I felt concern from Gin run through our bond like a current.
"Let's go somewhere else and talk about it," Izuru suggested.
We ended up all going to Rangiku's room, despite Shuuhei's initial protests. It took a pretty long time to get Rangiku to actually open her eyes, but she quickly woke up when she saw us.
"So what happened?" she asked, and something about her motherly attitude made everyone relax a little. She rummaged in her closet and brought out a large box of dried persimmons, which she offered to us. Gin and I eagerly took a handful, but Shuuhei and Renji refused while Izuru just blanched and held his nose.
"I'll start, seeing how Izuru's not feeling so well. The Head Captain told me I passed the captain's test-"
"That's great!"
"-but he told me Muguruma Kensei and the rest of the Vizards are allowed to return to the Soul Society if they wish. Kensei and Otoribashi Rojuro accepted immediately, but the others are still considering. Muguruma used to be the captain of my division and it would be proper to return the position to him. However, since I am the captain at the moment, it's my decision whether I want to or not."
"That's a hard decision to make. Are you really willing to go back to being a lieutenant again?"
He hesitated, and then pointed to the tattooed 69 on his face.
"Do you know why I got this tattoo?"
"Nope, you never told us no matter how much we teased." Shuuhei glared at Renji and cleared his throat.
"When I was a child, Hollows suddenly attacked my district. Kensei saved my life and even tried to cheer me up. He was my idol and I remembered the tattoo so clearly, when I grew up I copied it on my face."
"Aww, how sweet!" Shuuhei blushed and looked down.
"So, no, I wouldn't really mind serving him. But I just passed the captain's test and it's a hard decision to make..."
"Go with whatever yer heart tells ya. If you know he isn't a bad guy and don't mind bein' a lieutenant, it should be okay."
I frowned. "I think Shuuhei deserves to be a captain after all he's been through. You saw how hard he trained. Renji already got promoted, shouldn't it be his turn now?"
Shuuhei elbowed Izuru. "You've been pretty quiet, blondie. What do you think?"
"I think...if you really trust Kensei, being his lieutenant is fine. Sayuri has a point and while I agree with her too, I understand how it feels to respect someone that much." He ducked his head, cheeks turning pink, and looked everywhere but at Gin. We were smiling already but didn't tease him; he was embarrassed enough.
"I guess I'll stay a lieutenant, then. I don't mind and Kensei has a lot more experience, anyway."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry, I won't regret it."
"Tell me that when you get assigned loads of paperwork to be completed by the next day," Renji chuckled.
"Paperwork isn't so bad!"
"Oh yeah? Look at Rangiku, she's so lazy paperwork's like a death sentence for her."
"I'm not lazy!"
"Yes you are, everyone knows it! Right, Shuuhei?"
Before a very awkward Shuuhei could respond, I raised my voice. "All right, enough already. Let's hear what Izuru has to say."
They quieted down a bit reluctantly and Izuru began.
"My dilemma is similar to Shuuhei's. The Head Captain informed me that I was given a majority vote by the captains to be promoted; the problem is the other Vizard who's already returning to the Soul Society is the former captain of Division 3."
"Ugh, what a ridiculous coincidence," Rangiku groaned and took a large bite out of a persimmon. Izuru quickly backed up as far away from the fruit as he could.
"In any case, I was thinking it would be better to just stay lieutenant like Shuuhei decided."
"Why?" Gin asked.
"Because first of all, I wouldn't make a good captain-"
"That's not true!" we chorused.
"-and it doesn't feel right taking someone else's rightful position."
"So who is this Rojuro guy?"
"He was the Vizard with long blond curly hair and a frilled white shirt."
"Oh, that guy. Well, he looked decent enough, but I have to admit your hairstyle tops his." Izuru politely cleared his throat and threw an admonishing look at Rangiku.
"You guys would actually make a pretty good pair, just from appearances, but I don't know anythin' about that Vizard. I don't trust him." With that, Renji folded his arms and lay down with a large yawn.
Shuuhei pensively scratched his 69 tattoo. "Practically, I think it's safe to trust him, especially if the Head Captain is inviting the Vizards back. However, you're really the one who has to decide. You've served under some pretty screwed up people before. No offense to you guys," he said quickly to Gin and me.
"No offense taken. Izuru, no matter how trustworthy tha' Vizard is, I don't care. I think you should become captain. There's a big difference in how much captains an' lieutenants are respected, trust me. Once you become a captain, there's no takin' that away from ya."
"Unless you do something really stupid, that is," I interjected. "And I highly doubt you will. I agree with Shuuhei and Gin; as a captain, your opinions will also be more highly valued than that of a lieutenant's. Your division is completely under your command and you will be, essentially, one of the most powerful Shinigami in the Gotei 13."
"But I'm not so interested in power, either political or physical," he protested. "I just want to do whatever's best for everyone else, and I don't see any good coming out of me becoming a captain. My division's already pretty messed up and their morale is still low. They don't need a wimpy, depressed-looking guy ordering them around."
"Izuru, I only find you wimpy and depressed when you're drunk or talking about girls. So snap out of that self-image!" Rangiku punctuated her words by pulling Izuru closer and stuffing a dried persimmon into his mouth. His eyes went wide and for a moment I was afraid he would faint, but fortunately he only spit the fruit into a trash bin, took a deep breath, and rushed to Rangiku's kitchen. We heard running water and coughing for a few minutes. When he came back, we were still crying from laughter.
"That was NOT funny, Rangiku!" He stood looking down at us disapprovingly with folded arms, shaking his head. "You know I can't handle stuff that sweet. And persimmons—ugh-" he turned pale for a moment.
"Izuru, you'd be a great captain as long as no one found out your secret weakness-"
"Persimmons!" we chimed in, and nearly died again. My stomach was so painful I tried to think of something more serious but did not succeed.
"That's enough, guys. Seriously! Can we get back to my original topic? Please? I would really enjoy some sleep tonight."
When we had mostly calmed down, I attempted to resume my former serious mood.
"So, Izuru, what's your gut feeling? Do you want to stay lieutenant or not?"
He stayed silent for half a minute and finally replied.
"I...I don't really know Rojuro but I'm sure in time we would know each other better. And yet..."
"What?"
He looked at us helplessly. "This is really selfish, but I—I want to be captain. I know I'm not good at commanding respect, or getting people to like me, but there's a lot things I would like to correct in the 3rd division. I think I would know most about that since I've been leading them ever since, you know. There are a lot of jerks and they give a bad name to us, so not many Academy students apply for our division. I think with some time and hard work, we could really come up as something different. Something that could deserve respect. I just don't know if I'm the right person to take a position like that."
We were all wearing broad grins now, and Shuuhei threw an arm over Izuru's shoulder.
"Wow, never knew you had such deep thoughts, 'Zuru-kun! Get your ass over to the 1st tomorrow and accept the promotion."
Renji threw his arm over Izuru's other shoulder. "Agreed. Matter's settled, isn't it, guys?"
Rangiku, Gin, and I emphatically nodded.
"Completely. If you won't go on your own, we'll personally drag you over and accept the promotion for you. Got it?"
"But-" Izuru spluttered.
"No buts. Now, would you lovely people please leave now? I'm exhausted. See you in the morning! Izuru, I expect today to be the last day I hear anyone call you 'lieutenant'. Good night!"
With that, she shoved us out the door and closed it in our faces. The lights went out immediately and I heard loud snoring.
Gin laughed. "Well, now tha's settled, let's meet tomorrow after yer promotion! Got a lot of celebratin' ta do."
Izuru still looked rather bewildered but the corners of his mouth turned up hesitantly. "I suppose. Thank you for your advice, everyone. I really appreciate it."
"Yeah, yeah, save it for later. I'm goin' to bed. See you!"
