Hello and welcome to another chapter! With the new Bleach anime coming out, I have to admit that I've been thinking a bit about this story and wanting to update it… Hence, enjoy this quote before you go onto the new chapter:


"The most important thing in life is to stop saying 'I wish' and start saying 'I will.' Consider nothing impossible, then treat possibilities as probabilities."

Charles Dickens


Chapter 26: With friends like these…

She took a deep breath in. The first taste of Gense was always different. It was like going from winter to summer instantly. Or, like getting out of water and gasping for air. It was an odd feeling. Passing through a door which got you from one world into the other. From death to life. From spirit particles and reiatsu into pure living energy. Gense was so different from anything she'd ever known growing up, that it always caused a bit of anxiety to rise in her.

However, Hinagiku was too tired to be anxious at that point. The bag on her shoulder, packed for a week long mission, felt like it had two tons of lead in it. Briefly, her mind wandered to Ikkaku-style strength training and she shivered.

"Are you alright, Hinagiku-sama?" Nakajima Shin asked from her side in a small voice. Hinagiku looked over to him, finding his face a bit green. It seemed that the switch had affected him, too.

"Perfect," she nodded with a small smile. "Just don't ever take up Ikkaku on his offer of muscle-building." Before the obviously confused young Shinigami could say anything, she walked off, heading down the familiar streets to the shop which they needed to visit in order to legalize their presence in Gense. They could shuffle about in their spirit bodies, however, getting a Gigai was always recommended. Not only would it preserve their reiatsu, but it would make them visible to all living organisms, instead of only cats and those with high spiritual pressure.

The Urahara Shōten wasn't too far away from the spot where the portal had spit them out. It took the duo only five minutes to walk there at a human pace. Hinagiku was being rather lax with their first day in Gense, as she knew that Shin had only had select opportunities to visit it during training at the Academy. She wanted to afford him the chance to experience it a bit, before they got to work. He lived up to her expectations, glancing around curiously, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"This way," Hinagiku pointed, leading him down a smaller street with a smile. Soon enough, they came to the narrow parking lot in front of the shop and walked up to the front door. Before either could knock, the shoji opened, revealing a short young man with flamingly red hair.

"Who're you bastards?" He rudely asked in an off-standish tone.

"Customers," Hinagiku clipped back, shocking her associate. He'd never seen his superior not be formal with people. But, here names didn't matter. Hinagiku had visited the Urahara Shōten before, knowing bits and pieces about the eclectic owner from his time as a Captain of the Gotei 13. While she didn't have all the details, she was aware that he neither cared nor wanted to care about the current goings-on of Seireitei. He rented Gigai for the visiting Shinigami, and that was enough for the both of them. For once, legalities didn't matter much.

"Well, do come in then," the boy's face split into a wide grin and he theatrically moved to the side, motioning for them to enter. They passed through a small hallway and came to a living area with a low coffee table and pillows arranged around it. "You can wait here and Boss will be with you in a moment." Hinagiku nodded, sitting down. Shin settled next to her, curiously eyeing the cat which was giving itself a thorough bath on the dresser across from them.

"They can see us, right?"

"Indeed," Hinagiku nodded. "Cats have always been able to see the unseen. Dogs are selectively capable, but they can tell when we are present. I'm not certain about the other animals, but I've seen horses turn after me on occasion." The young Shinigami gave a small nod.

Silence stretched in the room, the only sounds coming from the cat as it cleaned one leg, stretching it out in an interesting angle to get to all spots. Shin seemed uncomfortable, but still curious, looking around the room. Hinagiku was just glad that she wasn't in Seireitei anymore.

After her mogi, as was expected, letters of proposal started coming. She'd directed them all to her Grandmother, letting the woman pick and choose. Hinagiku knew that no matter who she picked to even meet, her family wouldn't like them. She wasn't interested in getting married off and becoming a housewife. She had just begun to gain some ground in her Shinigami career, and naturally, her Grandmother was always there to put a stop to the things Hinagiku enjoyed. So, she'd decided that she'd let the Judge choose from the possible matches, if only just to stall.

Hinagiku was aware that her Grandmother wouldn't just pick the wealthiest of the offers. As stern and power-obsessed as the woman was, she cared for her granddaughter, despite her stony exterior. She would do thorough research on the matches before choosing a few whom Hinagiku was supposed to meet and then consider. But, the 11th Division's Paper Pusher wasn't planning on playing the game. Instead, she had already decided that she would reject any and all offers which ended up on her desk. The day she agreed to chain herself with a marriage bond was the day she couldn't perform her duties as a Shinigami any longer.

Bleep! Bleep! Bleep!

Shin jumped in his seat, startling the cat, which fell from the dresser, hitting the ground gracefully on all fours and walking off, as if it'd never fallen at all.

"Hinagiku-sama! It's a Hollow!" The recently-made Shinigami needlessly pointed out. But, glancing at his face, she realized that it wasn't needless for him. It was pure excitement. His first Hollow in the world of living.

"Nakajima-dono, you are to remain here and meet with Urahara-dono." Hinagiku's mind was quick to make a solid, safe plan for them to follow. "I will go and exterminate the threat and if I'm not back in time, you are to give Urahara-dono these and acquire us decent Gigai for our mission."

"Yes, ma'am," the boy awkwardly saluted from his seat. With a nod and a small smile at his obedience towards his superior, Hinagiku left the folder on the small coffee table, discarded her bag onto the floor and vanished with a Shunpo.

Her mind was completely blank of anything else other than the beeping gadget in her sleeve. She'd gotten it from Rini just as she was about to leave for Gense.

"Might be more useful than all these flowers and congrats cards," the 9th Seat had grinned widely, helping Hinagiku wade through bouquets at her office. And, indeed it had been. Hinagiku had planned on getting a similar Hollow locator from the 12th Division before her mission, so Rini had simply saved her some time. The gadget directed her to a nearby park, where she spotted the Hollow chasing after a male spirit. Without hesitation, Hinagiku drew her Zanpakuto and sliced the Hollow apart in a mere second.

"Are you alright?" She asked the soul, helping him to his feet.

"Ah, yes," he answered. "I'm fine." His eyes took in the black shihakushō with hesitation. "Are you here to take me away?"

"I'm merely here to help you," Hinagiku smiled comfortingly. She knew how these souls in Gense were. They were lost, unsure of their future and mostly still connected to their time of death in one way or another. That was why they hadn't passed between the two worlds yet.

"I don't know if I'm ready," the soul replied hesitantly. "What's going to happen to my family without me?"

"They will grieve," the Shinigami replied. "It will take them time, but they will find a new way to exist, despite the unimaginable loss. And, once their time has come, they will meet you in the Spirit World." The soul looked up at her, nodding.

"I think I'm ready now." With a soft smile, Hinagiku pressed the hilt of her Zanpakutō to the soul's forehead, sending him on his way. She checked her Hollow locator once more, making certain that there were no other threats nearby, before heading back for the Urahara Shōten.


The apartment Rini's contact had arranged for them wasn't anything special. If anything, it was on the small side. With a single room and a bathroom, it was much like the joint sleeping quarters at the barracks. But, Hinagiku didn't mind it. It was more like that she welcomed the simplicity. After being at the Kobashigawa Estate, all the girl wanted was a small place where she slept next to her comrades, being completely safe. This, the small simplicity, was home for her, not the large lavish room her Grandmother always kept for her.

"Would it be alright if I took this side?" Nakajima Shin asked tentatively, looking as if he wasn't sure where to put either himself or his belongings. After being fitted with Gigai for the both of them, the two had headed out to the small rented apartment which Rini had suggested to Hinagiku.

"Of course," the petite Shinigami replied. "Would you like to use the bathroom first, and then rest? I could take the night shift today?" That caused the fresh recruit to go into a weird state of panic and apologizing, mumbling how he couldn't allow the girl to do so. "It's alright, Nakajima-dono. This will be your first mission in Gense and it will take a while for you to get used to the world. I'll take the first night shift and we can switch in a few days. Be sure to get plenty of rest and don't forget to eat healthily, in order to keep your Gigai sustained." With a bow, Hinagiku placed her bag into the corner of the room tidily, heading out of the apartment.

She'd forgotten how restrictive it was being in a Gigai. It was like wearing heavy winter clothing for long periods of time. Her arms and legs were felt laden with the weight, forcing her to move gingerly, as if not to damage the worldly body. Jumping onto the roof was out of the question. Hence, she took the stairs all the way to the top, settling down on the edge of the apartment building, looking over the brightly lit town.

As she glanced for the tenth time to her Hollow locator, her mind finally drifted to the events of the past week. She was officially eligible for marriage. It was done. She was finally available, so to speak. While the Kobashigawa blood wasn't as pure or as good as Kuchiki or Tsutsui, her Grandmother's reputation was enough to bring her a number of offers. The letters were often suffocating, even when she simply had to forward them to the estate. Among them, were still the letters that she would get from unnamed correspondents which she usually had to read herself. Some of them were poems and others were simply notes telling her of the affection she was receiving. In all honesty, Hinagiku didn't know how to feel about the latter types. These people, these men, who sent their affection so easily in a letter, without even knowing her, put her on edge.

She had thought about talking to Tomoka about them. After all, the noblewoman had had her coming of age party a long time ago. Hinagiku wondered what the appropriate response would be. How does one tell these men, in a polite way, that their unfounded affection affiliated strongly only with her name and status didn't appeal to her a single bit? Yet, there were letters which she welcomed still.

One person kept sending her flowers, the messages encoded cleverly in the small bouquets. And, sometimes, he sent her letters in neat cursive to go with them. She welcomed those. They'd begun about half a year ago and from what she'd learned of the man, she liked him very much. He was not only clever, but cared about her everyday life in a way she hadn't experienced before. They'd had a number of notes exchanged about rather personal topics. She was careful never to specify a name or an event, and so was he, but the comfort she got from his honest opinions always helped. Yes, she rather liked those letters.

Another suitor spoke only in poems. His lines were always carefully thought out and they always rhymed beautifully. He spoke of affection, rather easily, but only of his feelings towards her. There was never anything related to the Kobashigawa name mentioned. At first, Hinagiku had been ready to simply disregard those letters once they'd started coming about a year ago. Yet, nowadays, she wasn't so sure that the man only viewed her as an asset to further his name. He, after all, spoke of the little things she did and the small acts of loyalty and kindness which only someone close to her could notice. Hinagiku rather liked those letters, as well.

But, with the inflow of these new proposals, she was rather overwhelmed. Her mind was always buzzing, constantly considering, calculating. She knew that as soon as her Grandmother found a good suitor, she wouldn't be able to stall for much longer. Or, she could, if she knew exactly how. Indeed, she would need to talk to Tomoka. The young woman would definitely know of some sneaky tactics. After all, she was still unmarried and on the market.

It was odd how the women of the nobility were almost like objects, Hinagiku mused. She was on the market. A thing to be sold into a good family for fame and fortune. She felt like some kind of a prized, golden goose waiting to be inspected by eager buyers. It made her skin crawl. Marriage was a duty, her Grandmother had drilled into her. Love marriages were rare and often ended in disasters. More than often, the partners would lose their affection for one another or simply grow apart and split up. Love marriages were an improbability, as nothing really was an impossibility. But, Hinagiku wasn't in that lucky little percentage of people who were able to marry for love. No, she was a golden goose. A prize on the market.

Her Grandmother spoke of marriage of political value instead. Companionship, she called it. There was nothing more one could want, according to the woman, than a loyal partner for life. Love, like all things in life, passed. Friendship, that was something one could hold close to one's heart. She'd drilled that into Hinagiku, as well. I never loved your esteemed Grandfather in a romantic sense. I loved him dearly as a friend, she'd said. A friend. Hinagiku had few of those. Yet, she knew that one would have to murder her in order to rob her of them. Was it possible, in the end, to have both?

Truth be told, she'd hoped that her life as a Shinigami would've gotten her killed before she'd had her mogi. Then, she'd be free. In death, rather than life, she would have peace. But she wasn't suicidal. She didn't seek out the most dangerous of missions. She didn't look for danger and embrace it, like many in her Division did. Perhaps, she hoped that she could be in that lucky little percent of people who did marry for love. Who experienced joy. Who loved as they lived. But, she wasn't delusional. A possibility wasn't a probability. And yet, in her mind, somewhere deep inside, she held a hope for that improbability. To get both. To not have to choose. To live as she wanted. Companionship and love. Duty and love.


Rini glanced around herself once more, making certain that she wasn't being followed in any manner. She had suppressed her reiatsu to the maximum, making her essentially invisible to anyone who was scouting ahead with their own. Contrary to her usual routine, Rini had another fish to fry that day. Early in the morning, before her rounds and training, the Shinigami had gone into the Daiseireishokairō, a list of codes in her pocket. She felt like a thief in the night, doing this. But, that had been her task.

Ever since Hinagiku had come out and told her about her worries about the growing casualties in missions, targeting specifically the nobility, Rini had known that they had to come up with a plan to confirm those statistics. So, the mission in Gense had been the perfect opportunity. Hinagiku was the absolute bait. Rini didn't feel right about sending her friend into a potentially deadly situation, with only Shin as her protection, who was still kept in the dark, but they'd had to do it. Besides, Hinagiku had been adamant about playing bait. All that was left to do was for Rini to go and check the logs of mission access every few days and catch the culprit red-handed.

The Daiseireishokairō was typically off-limits to someone of her standing. Yet, due to Hinagiku's absence and her own Captain's lack of care, Rini had been allowed to go inside it and update files. Accessing her friend's mission had been nerve-wrecking, but easy. So, Rini did it again. She used the code from the paper in her pocket to log in, the ones their Captain would typically use, and checked the history of views and edits.

Kenpachi Zaraki created…

Kenpachi Zaraki edited…

Kenpachi Zaraki viewed…

Kenpachi Zaraki viewed…

Hitsugaya Tōshirō viewed…

Rini's hand dropped from the illuminated blue screen to her side. The Captain of the 10th Division? Impossible, she shook her head. There had to be a mistake. There was simply no way. Hitsugaya had taken an interest in Hinagiku, sure, but it wasn't a malicious one from Rini had seen. It even seemed like he fancied her, more than anything else. With the rumors going around the Division about their relationship, there was simply no way… or was it all a farce?

Had he gotten close to her simply to execute his plan? Rini quickly logged out, her level of paranoia rising. If it was Hitsugaya who had been eliminating nobles, then Hinagiku was easy prey. She wouldn't think twice about trusting the man. Rini knew her well enough to be able to see that the resident paper pusher was infatuated with the man.

"Shit," the redhead mumbled to herself, quickly leaving the library. She needed to reassign her duties and get a message out to Hinagiku herself. She didn't trust anyone with the information. A Captain had insane reach, beyond Seireitei, after all. If he wanted to, he could intercept a Hell Butterfly easily. She needed to contact Hinagiku urgently. Everything else could wait.


Shin woke up to the smell of bacon. He blearily looked around, his mind going back to memories from a long time ago. The times when his brother would be in the kitchen, making them bacon for breakfast. In disbelief, still feeling like he was dreaming, the man walked into the kitchen, expecting to see Hideki standing there with that usual grin on his face. But, it wasn't the tall form of his brother which greeted him.

Hinagiku stood in the kitchen, working through the breakfast with precision, as if she did it rather often. Shin watched her for a moment, a dull ache in his chest as he observed the petite girl. She was so similar to Hideki in some ways, and so different in others. The nostalgia was too much sometimes.

"Good morning, Nakajima-dono," Hinagiku greeted when she spotted him. "I hope bacon and eggs are alright for breakfast?"

"Ah, yes, of course, thank you so much," Shin fumbled for a second and then rushed to help her with the food. "How was the night shift? Any Hollows?" He asked as they sat down, dividing the food and eating.

"There were no threats last night," the petite girl replied, smiling politely. She didn't seem to mind him speaking through his food, but she took the time to swallow and wipe her mouth before she talked. It made him feel self-conscious.

"I'm ready to take the morning shift," he told her. "I've been training with the Division for so long and I can't wait to test my skills."

"Your skills in battle aren't what worries me," she surprised him by answering. Shin took Hinagiku for a rather silent person, one who didn't reply when it was unnecessary. "It's your inexperience which is the main issue. I recall our fight during the Tournament and remember that it was only real battle instincts which you were missing to become a great fighter."

"Thank you," Shin bowed his head, humbled. She thought of him as great. The woman who could perform slash and sheathe techniques so well thought his swordsmanship was good. It was truly a praise he hadn't thought would ever come. The rest of the breakfast passed in small talk, generally about protocols if a Hollow should appear and minor instructions as to what to avoid when leaving a Gigai behind in case of a threat. Shin offered to help with the washing of dishes, but the young woman declined, and he headed for the roof alone, the Hollow detector in his hand.

Not a half an hour passed before he felt a presence behind him and turned. Hinagiku stood at the door to the roof in a coat and casual sweats, looking rather unofficial. Shin opened his mouth to ask, but she was faster.

"Shed your Gigai and take out your Zankpakutō," his superior instructed. "I will help you complete your fighting style with the necessary experience." Shin barely had the time to swallow a pill that let his Soul leave the artificial body before Hinagiku, the one with a Zanpakutō at her side and in the familiar shihakushō was right in front of him, blade drawn. He grunted as their swords clashed.


"You've had training?" Hinagiku asked, wiping the sweat from her brow. She sat down carefully next to the water bottles they'd taken with them to the roof that day. It was nice and sunny, not scorching, but a pleasant weather for a spar.

"Ah, yes," Shin answered, plopping down and gasping for air. Hinagiku tossed him his water and took another one. She sipped it for a second.

"But, not at the Academy?"

"No, in the mountains near my home," he replied when he finally came up for air through the water.

"I noticed that at the Tournament," she told him. "Your kenjutsu is unconventional. Unique. It gives you an edge over any Shinigami you encounter, but not against Hollows." She took another sip of her water. "If you hone it, you will surely rise in ranks quickly."

"Thank you, Hinagiku-sama," the boy bowed to her, but she could still see the stupid grin on his face. Her praise had made him happy.

"I recommend trying out the training Ikkaku-dono does in the yard," Hinagiku said. "It's a one versus all and it helps create well-functioning teams for the Squad. Also, his style of using the sheathe as well as the blade will be good practice for stronger Hollows."

"The Academy teaches only Shinigami on Shinigami battle styles?" Shin asked.

"Mostly," Hinagiku looked at him, taking in his flushed face and quickly rising and falling chest. "There are plenty of theoretical battle tactics which are taught, but not many are actually put into practice."

"Imagine if we could trap Hollows," Shin said, eyes wide and arms waving. "That would be something, wouldn't it? We could keep them in a yard of sorts for practice battles. Allow for trainees to get used to their different abilities in a controlled environment, no?" Hinagiku smiled. She'd thought about that, as well.

"Unfortunately, that wouldn't be approved," she told him. "Hollows, after all, are souls. If we trap them and keep them, we would be congesting the flow of souls. Keeping some for personal use would have ethical issues. For example, is training a recruit more valuable than a tortured soul inside the Hollow?" Shin looked to his hands in his lap, a frown on his face.

"I think it would be worth it," he finally said. "We wouldn't keep them forever, just delay the cleansing for a certain period of time. Then, we would lower our losses, as well."

"And what of the souls inside? You would approve them being tortured for a period of time? How long is it alright to torture a soul? A day? A week? A month?"

"No longer than a week, for certain."

"And, who would trap these Hollows? How would we transport them? How would we keep them? How would we be certain that they wouldn't kill a recruit in training?"

"I… I might need to think on all of these issues," Shin replied, his shoulders dropping.

"You're on the right track," Hinagiku replied. "But, in the end, that idea is unrealistic, even if we ignore the ethical issues. But, you're on the right track. Keep thinking. If you find a good solution for the issue, I'll help you push it up to the Captain." The look on his face when Shin's head shot up was pure joy. "Alright, back to sparring."

As Hinagiku was getting up, she sensed it. A familiar reiatsu was coming at them, fast.


Reviews:

Books1993:
Thanks so much for the lovely review! I promise that I haven't given up on this story :) I was struggling for a while to get back into the fandom, to be honest. I've been thinking about this story recently, though, and I really wanted to update it :D Hope you'll enjoy the read!

ThatOneFrenchGirl:
Heyyy! What can I say? I'm lazy and slow with updates xD I feel like Daisy has gained quite a bit of following, so I always want to make sure that my chapters are top notch before I push them out, too. It's a bad perfectionist habit I suppose.
No worries about the comments! I'm just glad that you had fun reading the story so far and hope that you'll keep enjoying it :D Hope this chapter made up for the long wait!
Best!

MarvellousFaery:
Eeee nikako da odgovorim na sveee Izviniiii! Drago mi je da ti se i dalje svidja, iskreno, tolko sam se mucila sa ovom pricom ponekad, posto je puno ljudi cita, uvek hocu da bude savrseno, ali nikako da se odlucim dalje da pisem, bas zbog nekih licnih nemogucih ideala i ocekivanja xD
Drago mi je da si dobro i da ti ide u zivotu! Ja sad zavrsavam faks, konacno, evo me u cetvrtoj na Filoloskom. Planiram neki master posle, ali lagano ide… Kako kod tebe? Zadovljna masterom?
Nadam se da ces uzivati u novom poglavlju!

Kflyintodasky:
Thanks so much for the lovely review!
I really enjoyed writing the whole traditional Japanese setting and keeping up the tension between Toshiro and Hina's Grandmother. It was a challenge, but I'm glad everyone enjoyed reading about it :) Hope you will enjoy the new update!

MorningWhispers:
Thanks so much for reviewing! (I'm also a reluctant reviewer, so I really appreciate it xD)
What can I say, I'm the type that obsesses a bit… so, when I get criticism, I obsess xD And, when I don't, I still obsess xD Regardless, I'm so glad that you've had fun with the story and enjoyed the read! I will do my best to keep updating it, especially with the new anime out fueling my old love for Bleach :)
Hope you'll enjoy the read!

Ren:
Thanks so much for the comment!
I'm glad that I managed to surprise with an update :P I'm a slow writer, but I promise that I haven't given up on Daisy. I often think about it, but just never sit down to write all the ideas I have xD It's a fault.
I hope this chapter lives up to the expectations :D Best!


Omake:

Tōshirō wasn't stupid. Nobody had ever called him stupid. Naïve, yes. Inexperienced, yes. Green. New. Lacking. Young. But, never stupid. If there was one thing he'd learned when he'd started working for the Gotei 13 it was that one could never let their guard down. No matter where they were. He had Captain Shiba to thank for that. It had been one of the first lessons that Tōshirō had learned.

His former Captain had taken him on a mission, let him do all the work and then taken him back to the barracks, telling him to think about the last Hollow they'd killed, a creature capable of hiding its reiatsu. What Captain Shiba hadn't told him was that he'd ordered Matsumoto to tail and ambush Tōshirō and to 'teach him a lesson'. Gently, apparently. Tōshirō hadn't noticed the woman following in his shadow. He hadn't noticed her quiet Shunpo. He hadn't picked up on her soft breathing. He hadn't felt her gentle reiatsu. She'd snuck up on him in his quarters, falling from his ceiling and pinning him to the ground. He'd shamefully struggled, yelling, causing a ruckus. The 10th Division officers who's walked into his room, lured by the noise, had laughed and left, muttering about Captain's crazy initiation. That was the day he'd learned to always have eyes on the back of his head. To extend his massive reiatsu softly, unobtrusively, and poke around his surroundings. Always.

Tōshirō sighed and stopped in the middle of the quiet street in the middle of Seireitei. Silence everywhere.

"If you come out now and state why you're following me, there won't be any consequences," he said to the warm breeze, despite the autumn weather. Silence, yet again. He sighed at continued on his way to his barracks. The presence followed. Tōshirō rubbed his brow. This, he could tell, would be a nuisance. In a single Shunpo, he vanished.


That's all folks!