Gin smiled pleasantly at the guards at the Eleventh Division gate. They always did look like they wanted to challenge him, but they never had. Usually one or another of them ran off to fetch whatever senior officer they could locate. It wasn't actually a procedure that was limited to the Eleventh. Most division guards seemed to be pretty sure if he dropped by he must be up to no good. Only the Fifth and the Tenth would wave him through without suspicion. He'd considered trying to explain that if he was really up to something he was hardly likely to walk in the front door, but that seemed likely to cause more problems than it solved.
So he stood in the front courtyard smiling at any Eleventh Division members he happened to notice and waited for Ikkaku to appear.
After a few minutes he heard the rumbling that was Kenpachi approaching. He had heard the man could move silently if he wanted to, but in Gin's experience Kenpachi seemed to charge through the Gotei like an angry rhino. Most people were wise enough to get out of the way, but those who didn't were tossed aside like so much debris.
Gin was not surprised to see Yachiru on the giant's left shoulder or Ikkaku and the ex-Fifth Seat flanking his right. Those four seemed to approach everything like a possible fight or at least like they were hoping for a fight.
Gin smiled pleasantly; it was always best to make it perfectly clear he wasn't looking for a fight. "Hello."
"Ichimaru, what are you doing here?" Kenpachi demanded.
"Rangiku and I heard your Fifth Seat was promoted. We wanted to offer our congratulations," he said, still smiling.
"That sure is nice of you," Kenpachi said, looking suspicious.
"Well, that's Ran for you, always nice. Anyway, it occurred to her that you might be planning a bit of a night out to celebrate, but she wouldn't be able to join you, and, of course, she was terribly disappointed seeing as you're all such good friends. She does so want to welcome Ayasegawa into the lieutenants little family properly," Gin said, then he added, "So I thought, maybe, you might allow us to host."
"What? At the Third?" Ikkaku said in disbelief. "Since when do you host anything?"
"Since tonight if you like the idea," Gin answered. "I've been instructed that I'm to invite all the lieutenants and anyone else Ayasegawa would like and I'm to let you all tell me what food and drinks to buy, so, what do you think?"
Kenpachi laughed out loud. "You lose a bet?" he demanded.
"Yep," Gin agreed.
Kenpachi laughed louder and his officers joined him, but after a minute or two Yachiru turned her strangely sharp gaze to Gin and said, "Fox-face never loses bets."
"You're right," Kenpachi agreed, ceasing his laughter abruptly. "What you up to, Ichimaru?"
"Maybe he wants to give Rangiku-chan a bit of a present," Yumichika suggested.
"Everyone loses a bet occasionally," Gin felt it necessary to point out.
"So," Ikkaku said, ignoring Gin's protest. "That would mean we'd be doing him a favor if we let him host?"
"Oi! How's it a favor to let me spend my savings on your sake?" Gin demanded.
"It does look like you're right," Yumichika agreed. "Not that I mind doing something nice for Rangiku-chan."
"But we ought to get a little something extra out of it, don't you think?" Ikkaku said.
Gin sighed. "What is it you want?"
"I've always wanted to fight you, always wondered if you could really hold your own in a fair fight, without kido or bankai," Ikkaku said, with a huge grin.
Gin's smile was even bigger. "Don't think you could call it a fair fight, a captain against a Third Seat."
"Yeah? Cause I've been thinking, maybe you got where you got through a bunch of dirty tricks and Aizen pulling strings. I'd like to see you prove you earned that title."
Gin's smile didn't flicker in the slightest. It was true; he did have a certain fondness for dirty tricks, but he was more than capable of fighting an opponent head on if necessary. His biggest problem with fighting someone like Ikkaku was the likelihood of bleeding at some point. He really didn't like bleeding, but going for the one hit kill shot clearly wouldn't be appropriate. "I can't guarantee I won't accidentally kill you," he said.
"Wouldn't be any fun if you did," Ikkaku said, hopping down from the porch and drawing his zanpakuto.
"What, now?" Gin said, startled.
"What's wrong with now?" Ikkaku demanded, bringing his zanpakuto hilt to its sheath. "Hozukimaru, grow!" And the simple katana transformed into a naginata.
"Oh, are we doing shikai?" Gin asked. "How nice."
He pulled Shinso as Ikkaku brought the blade crashing down and blocked the blow just above his head with the short-bladed wakizashi. He managed to block a flurry of blows after that, but even if keeping up with Ikkaku didn't require much effort, he hit really hard, and it wasn't much fun to block with a one-handed weapon.
Gin hopped back as quickly as he could. Ikkaku had the advantage of reach over most opponents, but he'd never had to deal with anything like Shinso. Shinso's strikes were more like arrows than a sword's blow, and Ikkaku had to knock each strike aside before it hit.
"Having trouble, Captain?" Ikkaku demanded, when he managed to knock aside every one of Gin's shots and closed the distance between them.
"Just a touch," Gin answered, still smiling. "I'm trying to think where I might aim if I don't want to worry about killing you. I know you said it's fine, but I'd have to fight Ayasegawa and then Zaraki, and I really don't want to spend the rest of the day hiding."
Ikkaku sneered back at him. "I promise you won't have to worry about them. Split!"
Hozukimaru obeyed his command, swinging at the back of Gin's head, and Gin barely managed to dodge in time. The blade of the spear cut a thin line across his forehead.
"Oops, forgot about that," he said sheepishly as blood began to well up from the slice. "That's my bad."
He turned back to Ikkaku, and suddenly the Third Seat found himself blocking desperately as Shinso lashed out again and again. One unexpected strike slashed through his achilles tendon and Ikkaku found himself on one knee when his ankle abruptly gave out.
"The hell!" Ikkaku snarled as Gin stood back, stopping his attacks to watch his opponent, grinning hugely.
"Think that's enough to beat me?" Ikkaku demanded, using Hozukimaru to pull himself back to his feet.
Gin sent another jab at him, just to test, but Ikkaku easily blocked it. "Really?" Gin sighed. "You know you've lost; it's just a matter of time now—and blood—what's the point? I really do have--"
Ikkaku slammed into him before he'd finished speaking and managed slash his blade into Gin's upper left arm before Gin knocked him back, and Ikkaku fell to one knee once more. Shinso struck the joint of his left elbow, cutting another tendon and then his wrist, making doubly sure he lost the use of his left hand. Both strikes were faster than Ikkaku could even see, and he was swearing up a storm the moment his arm gave out.
"I was talking," Gin pointed out. "Don't you know it's rude to interrupt?"
"You're always talking," Ikkaku answered, forcing himself back to his feet.
"I don't suppose I can deny that," Gin admitted as he wiped the blood away from his eyes. It was annoying how badly scalp wounds bled.
He sent a couple more careless strikes at Ikkaku, but the Third Seat managed to block even one-handed. "How about this; I'll admit you're an impressive fighter, and you surrender, and we both go to the Fourth and get patched up?"
Ikkaku slammed into him again, but this time Gin was ready for it, and easily blocked the staff wielded one-handed. "I never surrender!" Ikkaku snarled.
Gin hopped back out of range again, this time sending Shinso at Ikkaku in a series of jabs the Third Seat struggled to block. "Do you have any idea how long it takes to bleed out from those sorts of wounds? I really don't have the patience."
Shinso passed through Ikkaku's thigh, severing an artery. Suddenly blood was pouring down his leg. "You bastard!" Ikkaku groaned, as his strength drained out with his blood and he dropped like a stone.
"Somebody'd better call--" Gin began.
But Ayasegawa interrupted. "Lieutenant Kotetsu's already sent someone. I called when the match started."
Gin grinned. "You are a bright one, aren't you?"
"I know how Ikkaku's fights end," the new acting-lieutenant answered. "Healing was bound to be necessary for at least one of you."
Kenpachi chuckled at that. "Someday you'll have to give me a fight, Ichimaru," he said as he gazed down on his fallen Third Seat.
"No, thank you," Gin answered. "Pretty sure that's what they invented shunpo for."
Kenpachi laughed at that. "I'll have to find a way to keep up with you then."
Gin wiped at the blood that was still running from the slash to his forehead. Then as he looked down he frowned. "Oh, there's blood on my new haori!" he complained, noticing a line of bright red drops that had fallen from his eyebrow. "And look how he cut right through my shihakusho when he got my arm--which does hurt, by the way! Why you people think fighting is so much fun is beyond me."
As the mouse-like Yamada appeared on the scene Gin gestured to the fallen warrior. "Best tend to him first. I'm whinier, but he really might bleed out."
Yumichika had hopped down from the porch, and for a second he watched the healer work over Ikkaku. Then he turned back to Gin. "Don't you ever feel the need to test yourself? Practice bouts and slaying the usual hollows is hardly enough to keep your skills sharp."
Gin raised his head and stared at the pretty boy. He had a point. Working with Aizen had always kept him on top form. The occasional pseudo Arrancar would turn on him or maybe some Adjucas would decide it didn't like seeing shinigami in Hueco Mundo; there was always something nasty that needed killing. After this was over, if he did somehow manage to survive, Ayasegawa was right; he would actually have to find people to fight with or he might get rusty. What an odd idea.
He turned to Kenpachi, knowing it was probably the stupidest idea he'd ever had, and said, "If we both survive Aizen I'll give you your fight. Just so long as you understand I'll use every trick I ever learned and cheat like my life depends on it."
Kenpachi's smile grew so wide it stretched from one ear to the other, and he laughed loudly. "Think I like you after all, Ichimaru. I'll still kill you, but I do like you."
Yachiru grinned down at Gin from her perch. "Don't worry, Fox-face, if you're Ken-chan's friend, he'll try not to kill you so he can beat you lots of times."
Gin smiled his fox smile in return, as he wondered what he'd gotten himself into, and he answered, "Well, that's very nice of him, isn't it?"
Ikkaku sat up abruptly and shoved Hana out of the way. "Ready to go buy some sake, Captain Ichimaru?"
Gin sighed. "I suppose I must."
It was only when Gin was walking with the two officers away from the Eleventh that he realized that for the first time ever Ikkaku had not injected a sarcastic edge to the title 'Captain' when he spoke to Gin. The Eleventh were an odd bunch, but Gin thought he might not mind them as much as he thought he did.