Chapter 4

"Rukia… What is this Division 14? I've never heard of it. I thought there were only 13. Gotei 13."

"I don't know. But whatever it is, I have a feeling we'll find out sooner or later."

They slowly walked home, with the sun still above the sky. "Rukia… You know, things have been weird since you came back…"

"Whhaaatttt……" she begin menancingly

"Er ar nooo! 'S'not what I meant! Like, I don't know. You and m-"

"Rukia!" At the sound of her name, she turned around.

"Renji! You finally came back from sleeping eh?"

"What sleeping? I was catching up on things Soul Society and Gotei 13!"

"Yea right, and not to mention….-"

As Ichigo looked at the pair of childhood friends happily bickering, the voices began to fade, and he could only see the two of them. Chattering so easily. He was an idiot. There was no way he could tell her now. He frowned as he took a step up front and whacked Renji's head. "Oi, you should have stayed longer. I can't stand listening to your annoying screeching voice" he said sarcastically, being content with "punishing" him with the painless whack for disturbing their some what romantic mood.

"Lay your hands of me, you idiot! As a matter of fact, I just came back from a very important meeting, so…" at which he stuck his tongue out childishly. Ichigo continued to scowl as he turned around, with Rukia and Renji animatedly chatting at the back.

"Eh? Important? Like what?"

"Eh er oer… Erm… you know, like stuff…. Those bastards, Gin, Aizen and Tousen. Like that." His face looking slightly nervous, Rukia decided to let that matter rest. For now.

"By the way, what did nii-sama say about me going back this time?"

"He didn't say much. Except maybe grunting in annoyance and saying something like "As long as she comes back soon and I don't have to go get her myself"."

Rukia sighed. Maybe one day nii-sama would lighten up a little, she thought to herself. Then she laughed. Like THAT would ever happen. "I'll get him something nice for when I go back… A juice box maybe." She chuckled. Looking up at Ichigo, she constantly wonders why she came back herself. It's the juice box, she firmly tells herself.

And the occasional peeps out of the closet when he was changing. She smirked.

A couple of weeks have passed, and as Hitsugaya looked up at his captain, he frowned again. She hasn't made a single move, except to fool around with Ichigo whenever she see's him. He was beginning to worry that they'll be found out. It's been like that since she told him that she had snuck out without that Yamajii's permission. They stepped back into the court. "Right, Hitsu-kun. We're back for a bit, so go do your stuff. I'll check and see if everything is in order. Plus "borrow" a few necessities we will need later." She mindlessly leaped off, managing to look a little ditzy in the process.

Really, she hardly acts like a captain at all. No one would even FIGURE it out. He squad back to his squad base to se Matsumoto sleeping on the couch were a few empty bottle of sake on the table. On the floor was a completely drunk Kira, and Hinamori, looking slightly better than Kira.

"Ahem."

Snore snore, grunt.

"AHEM!" Slowly, Matsumoto opened her eyes, and she was greeted by a slightly blurry vision of Hitsugaya. She jumped up to her feet as the sight of the young boy staring down at her.

"Ah, ah, ah, Hitsugya-Taicho has already returned! Eh erm, er… Was just taking a break, taicho-san. Ah, erm-"

"Enough, Matsumoto. Get up. Have you done the report and paperwirk for this week?"

"Ahhh! Taicho, I was about to do it this morning when I woke up! I- I'll get to it right away!" she said, not without a slightly drunk slur. As she took a step, she tripped forward, and Hitsugaya just managed to catch her. She held her head with one hand.

"Sorry, Hitsugaya-taicho. I can stand up now." Hitsugaya huffed, and made her sleep on the couch, as he began to sit and read through last weeks event, writing the report. She looked thoughtfully at him, feeling fortunate that she had such a captain, as she drifted back to another drunkard sleep.

A little while later, he put aside the report and stood up. He began walking out, when a small timid voice from behind called him out.

"Shiro-chan."

"Momo-kun. You're awake. It's not like you to drink like that, Momo…"

Her head hanging down, she got up from the floor unto a sitting position. "It's just… I've only been thinking, Shiro-chan. That's all." Looking at her sad face, he knew that she was still troubled over the whole 'Aizen wants to destroy soul society' incident. The hurt and betrayal she potrayed made Hitsugaya so mad, he wanted to pummel that idiot Aizen to a teeny-tiny bite-size piece. He knew it hasn't been too long since the incident, but still…

"Momo…. It's ok. When The bastard Aizen show's his face, I'll be sure to bash him up good."

She just smile appreciatively at him. "Thank you." Their history went way back before being death gods, before Hitsugaya had been "discovered" and climbed up instantaneously up the hierarchy ladder. She was grateful she had such an amazing friend and brother.

He kneeled down, and looked at her. With that, she collapsed into his arms, sobbing.

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"Yamamoto-soutaichou is not in. Fascinating news." She happily strode in like she owned the place, and took up a piece of paper and ink from his table, scribbling some notes.

"Doing fine. Good bye." Was the notes written on the paper. And that was her basic weekly paperwork and report rolled into one.

"Please give this to Yamajii when he gets back" momentarily forgetting to add his title, and bounded out. She made her rounds to her subordinates, namely the captains and vice-captains. Really, sometimes she got bored with this routine. Maybe it was one of the reasons she wanted to go back to the human world as badly as she did.

"Thank goodness some of the captains and vice-captains are really hot." She thought, stopping at the 9th division base. "I wonder why he as that weird 69 on his cheek anyway… I should ask him one day…"

Finally, she was done with her "duties", so to speak, and settled down to muse the recent happenings.

Aizen. Gin. Tousen. Some death god and hollow crossover. Taking over soul society. She didn't get it. Tousen of all people… Justice my ass, she cussed to herself. But that would probably explain the unease she sometimes felt around him. She always thought it was the blindness.

And Aizen. Cheh… The countless hours she pondered over it, and she still couldn't shake off the unease she felt, every time the former 5th division captain gave a serene smile. She couldn't HELP feeling like all her defenses should be up, high and running.

Gin. At the thought of him, she sighed. She knew as much that he was up to no good. Of course, she didn't ponder too much about it because she was too busy keeping herself in check, instead of fawning over him.

The sun was beginning to set. It was time to go back.