Being held hostage by Ichibantai was an... interesting experience to say the least. Matsumoto had to admit that at least they weren't treating them like prisoners. They were assigned empty rooms in the barracks and the rooms were certainly nicer than the ones at the tenth. Hitsugaya did make it a point not to interfere with the lives of his underlinings but insisted to keep the barracks clean. Matsumoto could only imagine what the barracks at the 11th were like.
Matsumoto frowned. All she could think about was Tōshirō and whether the little guy was okay. She thought about how they had come a long way... even before he entered the Shinō Academy. He was stronger than anyone she knew... and she wasn't talking about physically. He had to work hard to reach a level where an adult saw him as a worthy opponent. His mental strength and resilience was what astounded her, ever since he was a boy. She couldn't imagine what he was going through.
"No! Meeting Matsumoto Rangiku fukutaichō is forbidden!" She heard Maeda's voice from the gates.
"Come on! We're just going to talk!" That was Renji's voice trying to talk his way in.
The two squabbled for a bit, especially after Renji mocked him and called him an otter. Matsumoto rolled her eyes at the male vice captains... always beating their chests at each other like apes. The squabble was ended, it appeared, by Kyōraku-taichō who offered to go in with him.
Now Matsumoto knelt on the porch before Renji and Nanao-chan with Shunsei sitting next to her. "Kusaka?" Rangiku mused to herself as she thought. Her captain never mentioned any names of people he knew outside of work. He only spoke of Hinamori, simply because they were practically siblings and she too is in the goteijūsantai. She knew next to nothing about the boy except that he was a workaholic and had a chain smoking problem. "I don't know him... I've never heard of him."
"Is that so?" Renji sighed
Matsumoto smiled sadly. "How can a vice captain know nothing about the person she's serving?" She mocked herself out of pity and her fellow vice captains frowned.
"To be fair, he did keep things to himself." Renji tried to alleviate her concerns.
"How did you hear that name? How is it relevant?" Ise Fukutaichō asked
"Hmm?" Renji turned to look at her. "Do you know something?"
"No... but Hitsugaya-taichō—I'd like to believe — is a closed character." Nanao said. "Some context on how that name came about would be nice given that it is relevant."
"Apparently, Ichigo overheard Hitsugaya talking to his grandmother." Renji explained
"Grandmother?" Matsumoto echoed
"Ah! She's visiting them for a while to support his sisters." He said.
"What was Hitsugaya doing there?" Nanao asked
"He was injured."
"He was injured?" Matsumoto echoed in shock.
"According to Ichigo, it's pretty bad. Yuzu found him when she went on a run and brought him back to the clinic. Apparently, Karin wasn't home when it all happened... a little convenient but that's not important." He said. "Ichigo woke up in the middle of the night and overheard his grandmother and Tōshirō talking and he heard the name before Tōshirō left."
"He didn't finish healing, did he?" Renji didn't answer. "I don't know whether to be glad that he is alive... or angry that he isn't taking care of himself."
"Man... what does he think he is doing?" Shunsei sighed. "Everyone is worried sick about him."
"Wait... you mentioned he discussed this man with Ichigo's grandmother." Nanao brought it up and Renji nodded. "How is that relevant to his grandmother?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Matsumoto caught their attention. "If he was discussing it with their grandmother... it must have had something to do with Karin-chan."
"The girl with the corrupted zanpakutō." Nanao said. "Are they..."
"He insists they're friends but given the situation, it really isn't relevant," Matsumoto said. "Taichō is someone who cherishes all his loved ones."
"So, assuming that it has to do with Kurosaki-san, does that mean she knows anything?" Nanao asked
"Not at the moment." Renji sighed. "Her memory is still weak... but she did give two interesting leads." They turned to look at him. "Hitsugaya said that Kusaka is the name of a dead man. Karin told us about a friend Hitsugaya-taichō had while they were at the academy who passed before they could graduate."
"Really?" Matsumoto blinked in surprise
"Yes but... she claimed she was never told a name. Just that story." Renji said. "But she brought up that there is someone who must know something. The anklet were found that was linked to him was found outside Jūnrinan which is his home village. Karin thinks he got help taking off the bracelet from a family member."
"But... his grandmother passed and Hinamori is just as clueless as we are." Nanao said
"His grandmother remarried before she died and the man's adopted son is a boy Hitsugaya grew up spinning tops with." Renji said. "Kirishima Eiji, she said but she said she doesn't know for sure."
"Hmm..." Nanao mused. "Well, there are several things we don't know. We have a possible idea to how Hitsugaya-taichō is related to this man but we still don't know who he is or if he is related to this incident..."
"And if so... why?" Kyōraku-taichō added despite being silent the entire time.
"One mystery after the other," Matsumoto sighed
"Then we look into it." Nanao shrugged
"Can you?" Renji asked
"We have two leads and both are worth looking into. We have a name and we know that someone in Hitsugaya-taichō's year group did not make it. While we're used to considering the dead gone, given the circumstances these days with multiple people surviving execution, we can't write it out completely.
"It's impossible to know everything there is to know about a person. It may take some time, but if we don't know, then we'll dig a little deeper. Simple as that." Nanao said. Shunsei hummed in approval, looking at the young girl with pride. "What, taichō?" She asked in annoyance
"Just as expected from Nanao-chan." He teased, putting his straw hat back on. "I'm sure you can do it, right?"
"Huh?" Nanao squeaked in surprise
"Please help us!" Renji bowed. "I will investigate the lead into Kirishima Eiji."
"Thanks a lot, Nanao! I'll pay you back someday!" Rangiku smiled, not giving her a chance.
"You can always thank me with a drink." He lazily smiled.
"You wouldn't mind helping me then?" Nanao asked her captain in accusatory tone, probably knowing he is going to goof off at some point.
"Really? Me?" He gasped mockingly
"Of course!" She demanded and Matsumoto started to giggle at the exchange, causing Renji and Kyōraku-taichō to laugh. Nanao was slightly offended but saw the humor in it and started to laugh as well. Matsumoto was glad that at least, during this dark time, she was able to find some laughter.
Hitsugaya kept having more dreams, ones that he did not wish to have. He remembered the day he found Kusaka in the cave where he frequented to meditate. Kusaka excitedly told him he had discovered his zanpakutō and described to him Hyōrinmaru. Before it was a wonderful coincidence of two friends sharing something sacred turned into a bitter parting... with the knowledge today, it was him discovering the evil byproduct of a splitting process which would change the trajectory of both their lives.
But Hitsugaya continued to walk, in fear of falling asleep and in fear of being caught. He had no idea how long he had walked for or how long he was going to walk for but continued walking regardless.
"Is this the place?" Renji asked Hinamori as they stood outside of a tavern in Jūnrinan. He tried searching on his own but the fact that Seireitei did not keep census information on souls unless they were going to the academy because they were 'just too many' or ' going to die anyways' made it hard to even know where to start. So he enlisted the help of someone who definitely knew... Hinamori Momo.
Momo was worried sick about Tōshirō and Renji tried his best to tell him everything that was going on — while leaving out details like him being severely injured. He asked her of a Kusaka Sōjirō and she shook her head. "He never told me anything. I'd ask him how academy was and he would tell me 'none of your business, cry baby Momo'." She had told him as they walked
"Sounds like a rowdy kid." Renji replied
"He was. But he was also very quiet." Momo said. "He was the cutest thing as a little baby though. He was tiny and had chubby cheeks and always looked like he swallowed something bad."
"Not much has changed, huh?" He tried joking but that didn't work
"So much has changed." Momo sighed sadly. "My worst fear was that he wouldn't be able to adapt to it. Hopefully, my worst fears aren't realised."
Renji left the conversation there. He didn't want to upset her any further. She opened the door and yelled: "I'm home!"
"Oh! Hey Momo is home!" A waiter attending to a table said. "And she brought home a boyfriend!"
"Ew!" Momo crinkled her nose in disgust while Renji turned red in the face as if he was about to choke any minute.
"Well you haven't come home in months!" One of the cooks yelled from the back. "Meanwhile Shirō-chan comes here every other week."
A woman in a yukata waddled over to hug her. "Sweetheart, we missed you."
"I missed you too, obaa-san." She told her aunt. "Renji, this is my aunt, Mei, the waiter is her son, Hiroki, the cook at the back is a family friend, Katsura-san and the other is my older cousin, Tori."
"Nice to meet you all," Renji said
"Nice to meet you too... receding hairline and all." The waiter mocked and Renji glared at him.
"Uh... where's oji-chan and Eiji?" She asked
"They went three districts over to pick up produce." Mei said
"Eh?" Momo sighed. "When did they leave?"
"This morning. They should be back today though." Katsura said
Momo turned to Renji. "Should we come back tomorrow?"
"Eh? You're leaving already?" Mei refused. "You haven't even seen your grandfather!"
"I know, but he isn't here."
"But you never visit." Hiroki said. "You would rather be off playing swords with your little boyfriend."
"Hiroki, do you want to die?" She smiled sweetly at him but hissed those words.
"At least wait... they should be home soon. It's almost evening anyways." Katsura said. "Besides, Sora-chan will be home in a bit too and she probably missed you."
"Then Renji, you can go—"
"Nonsense! You people look skinny! Do they feed you at the barracks?" Mei tsked. "Sit! Sit! Katsura! Make some of your best katsu-don!"
"Your wish is my command." He said as he got busy.
"How is it coming along?" Shunsei asked Nanao as they both searched through the records in the library.
"No Kusaka Sōjirō in the Shinō Academy registry," She noted. "However, there is a discrepancy just as Kurosaki-san mentioned. It was hard to spot since Hitsugaya graduated in a year so it we are assuming this Kusaka must've registered at least four years prior. There is a student who entered the academy four years before who was registered but is nowhere else. This one is from northern Rukongai."
"Anyone named Kusaka from that region?"
"There was." She nodded, giving him the book. "This is the recruitment log."
"So he is dead." Shunsei hummed. "She was correct about that as well."
"Is there an issue?" Nanao asked. "I did hear that she is very intelligent so it makes sense for her to make the connection."
"Indeed... but this was a little too on the nose." Shunsei mused suspiciously. "But never mind that."
"He isn't in the acadeny registry... did they forget to write him in?" Nanao asked
"I doubt... in fact, it's odd that this is hidden news. During graduation, there should have been an honorary mention of sorts but it appears they removed him from everything," He said.
"Do you suspect... that Seireitei was involved?" Nanao asked
Shunsei hummed, feeling tired and in need for some air. "I can't confirm that, now can I?" He stood up. "Nanao-chan, look into the cause of death."
"But... taichō!" She protested but he was already gone.
He stepped outside for a walk and sighed before stretching, but felt a strange presence around him. He started to walk and for a while, he heard footsteps behind him. He realised he was being followed and broke into a run, ducking into a narrow street and waiting for the stalker to make the next move. The next street over, a figure walked out into the light.
"My, my... and who must you be?" Shunsei asked but the figure remained silent. "Your silence is piquing by interest." He taunted.
"Kyōraku Shunsei." He noted. "That frivolous behaviour is a mask for your prudence. You wield your charisma and swagger like a finely honed blade. You did sniff me out from the beginning after all."
"You're flattering me far too much." He chuckled. "But shouldn't you be talking about yourself?"
"That's unnecessary." He said. "Because you'll be slain right here by Hitsugaya Tōshirō." He unsheathed his sword and let out a wave of ice in his direction. Shunsei did not have time to react out of shock and was almost hit. That definitely was not Hitsugaya. He was not that tall or skinny nor did his voice sound like that. The figure charged for him and Shunsei managed to cut his mask off.
"Show me your... so it is you!" But Shunsei did not stand a chance.
"Hey... any reason why the shop is —" An old man complained as he walked into the tavern on a walking stick and paused at the sight of everyone around one of the larger tables, chatting and laughing before his eyes landed on the young girl wearing shinigami uniform with dark hair and a baby blue bun cover. "Momo-chan!" He gasped happily and Momo stood up to go hug him
"Oji-chan!" She buzzed happily. "Long time no see."
"Right? I see Shiro-chan every now and then but not you." He said
"So I've heard. Shirō-chan never tells me anything so how was I supposed to know?" She complained.
"Ah... and that is a work colleague?" He looked at Renji.
"Renji, meet my grandfather, Kirishima Yūsuke-san."
"Nice to make your acquaintance." Renji bowed
"Don't give me those formalities." He waved dismissively before walking over to the table and sitting down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box of cigarettes before lighting one.
"Oji-chan! You're too old." Momo tried
"Don't even bother." Sora laughed. "He won't listen to anyone."
"And the kids watch him. Even Tōshirō and Eiji smoke like chimneys now." Mei complained.
"They're grown men." He grunted. "They can do whatever the hell they like. I'm not going to check them. We raised them well, did we not?"
Just then, the door slid open and a boy with floppy black hair and blue eyes who looked young, handsome and around the age of an older teenager walked in, dusting off his hands. "The vegetables have been put a—" he looked up and blinked. "Hinamori?"
"Ei-chan, are you not happy to see her?" Yusuke asked and he blinked.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, chuckling off his shocked expression.
"I'd like to know when you last saw Shirō-chan." Momo brought up and everyone looked surprised
"You didn't bring that up the whole time you were here." Hiroki said.
"Did something happen?" Tori asked and Renji and Momo went silent. "Oi! Are you hiding shit from us?"
"Tori..." Sora latched onto his arm and shook her head, as if to tell him to calm down.
"Tōshirō has run away from Soul Society. A mission went wrong and he is chasing down the person who stole an important relic." Momo explained. "But... we have reason to believe Eiji was the last person to see him."
Eiji's eyes widened and he immediately turned to run out the door but Renji was quick with shunpō and flash stepped in front of the door. "Look, we just have questions... you aren't in trouble."
Eiji swallowed loudly but nodded in understanding.
