Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Spoilers: Manga Chapters 100 and 101, Prelude of the Diverging Stars and 129.

This just officially proved it; the saying money makes the world go round is untrue – it's paperwork that makes the world go round

Maybe not the world, just Soul Society, he thought as he glared ominously at the tall stacks of paper before him. What a waste of good spiritrons.

He sighed – a long exhalation of air that belied his inner frustrations as he picked up a brush and dipped its fine hairs into the ink and set to work. He never liked paperwork. What is the use of all this worthless bureaucracy when everyone's well… dead? He briefly wondered how humans felt when they find out (much too late) that they cannot escape the sufferings of paperwork in the afterlife.

There are many reasons why he does not like paperwork, besides it being a blindingly obvious waste of energy and effort. He could be out there, practicing with Hyourinmaru until he got really hungry, feeling the rush of adrenaline with each blow parried…

But no, he was stuck in here doing paperwork.

He scrutinized the report in front of him. It detailed the report of two apprentice-shinigami in the Academy caught dueling illegally. A loud snort erupted from within him – there was nothing wrong with two hot headed boys letting off some steam by swinging their swords around. It was not as if they are good enough to kill somebody with the zanpaku anyway – unless it was something as stupid as slipping and impaling himself on his own sword or something.

In retrospect, he would not put it past those fools to manage such an astoundingly inane feat.

His brush paused just above the paper, wanting to tell the guy who filed such a useless report and wasted everyone's time to shove off – only less eloquently with more foul words. Then, he remembered that it was Division Five's stack of paperwork and he didn't think Hinamori would appreciate it much if he did that.

So instead of writing what he wanted to write, he wrote: By order of Captain Hitsugaya Toushiro of the 10th division, both wrongdoers are to be sentenced to two months of detention and are to be banned from sword-fighting classes for a week. No record should be made in the Shinigami Logs. No point ruining their futures if they do manage to graduate after all. At the end of the note, he signed his name as neatly as he could and set it onto his left hand side.

Damn Aizen, he muttered. He immediately felt slightly guilty for having such disrespectful thoughts of the late captain. He was really an okay guy, in Hitsugaya's opinion. Just a bit stiff and a weird love for paperwork, judging from the insane amount of things he demanded to be reported directly to him.

Hinamori's voice resounded in his head, a memory from long past. He had caught her struggling with her paperwork then – much like how he was struggling with her paperwork now – and he had sat down beside her and grunted that there were much better things to do than paperwork that day – like practicing with their zanpaku. She must work much harder if she hoped to achieve ban kai.

She had replied, "Captain Aizen likes to know everything that goes on in our division because he thinks it's one of the requirements of being a good leader. Besides, you can find out a lot about the happenings in Soul Society from these reports…"

And then, she had proceeded to a long litany about the virtues of reports and paperwork. He had allowed himself to sit there beside her, sunlight streaming through the window and listen to the sound of her voice.

His hand automatically reached for another report as soon as he finished one, like clockwork. Why was he doing this? Oh yes – he did not want her to be confronted with this monstrosity when she's finally released. It will most likely remind her of her dead leader, and send her into another fit of tears.

Stupid bed-wetter Momo, he thought silently. Why do you cry so much? Don't you know that it makes me sad when you cry?

Stupid Aizen, he thought uncharitably of his late comrade again. Why did you go and get yourself stupidly killed and leave behind so much stupid paperwork for Hina-chan? Why did you go get yourself stupidly killed and make Hina-chan cry for you?

He grunted in frustration and unconsciously applied too much pressure on his brush, thus creating a large blot on the paper. Momentarily frantic, he tugged down the sleeve of his kimono and dabbed on the paper in an attempt to lighten the stain. Hinamori did not like untidiness…

Speaking of her again, he wondered how she was feeling now. Was she hungry? Was she cold? The confinement cells can get quite chilly at night, and the shinigami uniform was really quite thin. He briefly considered going down to visit her.

He looked up from the partly ruined document, only to be cruelly reminded of his volunteer work by the remaining mountain. A loud sigh escaped his lips as he continued his tedious task late into the night.

He really hated paperwork, because it gave him too much time to think.

Especially of her.

Paperwork

A HitsuHina Bleach Drabble

By Nutty Scribbler

For Idiosyn's 20 themes challenge on the Kurosaki Clinic LJ community

Theme: Paperwork

Written: 19 Oct. 2004

Edited: 22 Apr. 2005

Author's Notes:

This is one of my older works. I made some minor editions here and there today. It's probably still shot with grammar mistakes. . Constructive criticism welcomed and encouraged.

Thank you for reading,

Nutty Scribbler