"Captain Ichimaru, if I might have a moment of your time."
Gin smiled as he turned. Shiba Kaien must have been waiting for him. The narrow lane was an almost direct route from the Third to First but it had little else to recommend it as it ran behind an ironworks and a kiln and didn't exactly smell pleasant. Gin mostly took it when he wanted to waste time before meetings catching up on the rumors of the working class of Seireitei. He was impressed Kaien knew to look for him there.
"Having a good day, Shiba-dono?" Gin asked.
Kaien glanced at the men working nearby, but no one showed any interest in either of them. Gin knew that was a front and half the lower classes would know he'd met with the head of the Shiba family on a back street of Seireitei by tomorrow, but as Kaien was probably only concerned about his family hearing about it Gin didn't bother to warn him. "Why wouldn't I be?" Kaien answered Gin's question with a frown.
"No idea," Gin answered, smiling broadly. "It's a very pleasant day, not at all hot for the end of August. Shiro doesn't like it, but I think it's quite nice."
Kaien stepped closer and lowered his voice. "You can't go around threatening the nobility. They won't stand for it."
"Did Hidemitsu tell on me? Wasn't calling Soifon enough? I really may have to go pay him another visit just to explain to him exactly who is bullying who here."
"He called Soifon?" Kaien demanded, looking completely confused. "What does she have to do with anything?"
"Not much, really," was Gin's opinion. "But I'm not welcome on Shihoin property anymore. Does the same go for the Shiba?"
No, of course not," Kaien said. "You only did what Miyako asked, but I would really appreciate it if you would stay away for awhile. To be honest your presence is the opposite of helpful in the arena of Shiba family politics."
"Did you think I was trying to help?" Gin asked in surprise. "I don't mind doing you a favor every once in a while, but at the moment I really am too busy for that. I was hoping to find out where Hidemitsu-kun was getting his information. I suppose you might not have heard, but we have a leak and probably a traitor somewhere right up near the top of the Gotei, more than one, I'd guess. The murdered Ninth Division officer was one of them--according to your Hidemitsu, he was the one feeding the Shiba family Gotei secrets, but the Kuchiki seem to have a different source. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there's at least one officer in every division still loyal to Aizen. It's going to be quite the pain digging them all out, and if they keep killing each other off we may never manage to link them to Aizen."
Kaien stared at Gin in horror. "The Shiba family has been getting Gotei secrets from an agent of Aizen?"
"Wasn't it obvious?" Gin asked. "Who else knows so much about me? I doubt there's another captain working for Aizen, and they're the only ones who were given the details of my crimes, but Aizen could easily fill his agents in on all sorts of details that would upset all the little nobles or shinigami or whoever it is who's supposed to hate me this week.
"It's been quite the experience. I really did think everyone already hated me, but just yesterday Kira had to use bakudo 61 on some poor girl who drew her zanpakuto on me because her brother died with Lieutenant Suzuki. It's too bad because she was reasonably talented, unlike her brother, and I hate to lose her. Maybe you'd take her at the Thirteenth? You wouldn't object to a transfer whose only gotten one bad mark for some minor insubordination, would you?"
"She tried to kill you and you want to transfer her to the Thirteenth?" Kaien said slowly.
"If a kitten bites you can you really accuse it of trying to kill you?"
"Are you sure that's the wisest attitude to take? We have laws for a reason. People can't be allowed to go around trying to kill people, not even if you are the person they want to kill."
"And I'm sure you all at the Thirteenth can explain that to her--oh, and there are three others Kira locked up for trying to incite a bit of a rebellion. I'll send you them as well. I'm sure your Division Thirteen magic will turn them all into useful and cooperative members of the Gotei in no time."
"What Division Thirteen magic?"
"I don't know. You all seem terribly fond of each other over there, friendly and cooperative and all that. I've heard you even have voluntary assignments. I'm not sure if I believe that, but it must require some sort of magic if it's true. The only thing anyone in my division volunteers for is a transfer."
"You really have gone out of your way to make them hate you," Kaien said, looking grudgingly impressed. "You've managed take the Third from a barely functioning dumping ground for the most incompetent shinigami into a division that routinely exceeds expectations on every review, but rather than taking any credit for their achievements you've managed to convince all of your members that they've succeeded despite you. I get that Aizen wanted you to play the villain, but even so, don't you think you may have taken it a little far?"
Gin shrugged. "Being hated was easy; it's what I'm supposed to do next that is giving me trouble," he said, admitting a problem that had been troubling him since he'd left the Fourth. Realizing that it did actually bother him a little to be hated by absolutely everyone had been a bit of a surprise, but while interacting with the division he'd realized he didn't even really enjoy making everyone miserable--the idiots probably deserved it, but even so, without the sense of satisfaction he had once gotten from knowing he was succeeding in his role for Aizen, it wasn't actually a nice feeling, knowing someone was hurting because of him. He didn't like it; this new feeling of empathy and awareness of the people around him as people rather than pawns in his war against Aizen, it wasn't pleasant. Neither were the odd twinges of guilt that had begun to accompany his recollections of the past. His iron grip on his emotions seemed to be slipping now that the reason for that control was gone, and he didn't like it in the least.
"You mean you no longer want to be hated?" Kaien asked in surprise.
Gin stared at him for a moment before he managed to force a smile to his lips. "Don't get your hopes up, Shiba," he said, lightly. Then he added, "Look at the time! I'm going to be late for the captains meeting; can't have that!"
And with that he shunpoed the rest of the way to the First, and for the first time since he made captain, he arrived before the meeting began.