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Here's a small quote which I wanted to share with you for this chapter:

"Removing doubt is like removing a blindfold." – Tim Fargo

Chapter 27: An ever-fixed mark

Getting Kenpachi's approval to go to Gense was always a fairly easy matter. He would say yes to almost any mission if it allowed for his Squad to find a worthy opponent and go all out against them. Rini had, thankfully, been friends with Hinagiku long enough to know exactly how to phrase her request and get approval. Though, this time, it hadn't worked. Kenpachi had told her how he couldn't allow for two Seated members of his Squad to be in the same town for fun. Something or other about the Head Captain talking his ear off about it yet again. So, Rini had done the next best thing. She'd decided to tail Hitsugaya and be on the look out for any odd movements. In retrospect, seeing as she was sitting in front of the fairly vexed young captain in his office, it hadn't been a well thought-through idea at all.

"So, you won't talk?" Hitsugya sighed, his hand going through his hair. Rini politely smiled at him, but said nothing. She could see how Hinagiku had dropped her guard around the man. While he was as intimidating as any captain, he had a boyish charm to him. Coupling that with the fact that Hinagiku had barely any experience with men, it was only natural that she'd succumbed to his charms easily, regardless of the obvious danger.

"Are you trying to start something between our Divisions?" the captain asked again, exasperated. Obviously, he was familiar with the 11th Division's antics.

"Not at all," Rini decided on going with half the truth and half a lie. It was the easiest when it came to weaseling one's way out of a problem.

"Then what?"

"Just wanted to see what all the fuss was about," she shrugged.

"The fuss?" Hitsugaya's eyebrow rose.

"Yeah, you know, genius captain, youngest in history, amazing fighting skills, not to mention handsome…" she saw his face go pale. Rini smirked, knowing she'd hit the mark. "I mean, it couldn't go wrong? Either you'd catch me or attempt to kill me, either works fine for me?"

"A-ah, I-I n-no-" Hitsugaya coughed, instantly releasing the Kido which had been binding her. "On your way! Don't do anything of this sort again!"

"But, Hitsugaya-taicho~" Rini whined from her spot on the floor, not moving.

"Out!" he finally bellowed, snapping. The air in the office dropped a few degrees and Rini felt his reiatsu rise to meet hers in a hostile, but panicked manner.

"Alright, alright," she sighed, getting up and leaving the office with a polite bow. Still, she gave him a suggestive smirk. "'Till next time!"

"There better not be a next time!" his panicked scream, voice a few notches higher than usual, told her she'd been successful. But, that just left her with another issue, Rini mused, leaving the 10th Division barracks. She bit her lip. How was she to keep an eye on the man who was aware of his surroundings in such a manner at all times? She supposed she could keep up her ruse for a while longer. Just until Hinagiku was back home, safe, and could be warned against this snake of a man.

Hinagiku sighed, watching as her Kobashigawa estate attendant knelt in front of her. Shin looked vaguely curious, inspecting the woman over her shoulder.

"How may I help you?" Hinagiku asked politely.

"I'm here to deliver your esteemed Grandmother's decision," the attendant said, extending her hands. There was a sealed letter there, with the familiar Kobashigawa insignia.

"It's been received," Hinagiku took it, "You're free to leave." The attendant nodded and vanished, her reiatsu getting further and further away.

"Was that-?" Shin begun, but Hinagiku interrupted.

"An annoyance," she deadpanned. "Don't mind it." She stuffed the letter inside her shihakushō and took out the beeping cellphone instead. "Hollow up north."

"I'll go, Hinagiku-sama," the new Shinigami told her eagerly.

"Alright," she nodded and he vanished, as well, leaving her with the letter burning in her pocket. There was no way to avoid it now.

Hinagiku went back inside and broke the seal as she walked towards the kitchen for some water. Her Grandmother's usual, impersonal, greeting started the letter, followed by her decision on the marriage ahead. Hinagiku lost her grip on the glass she'd been holding. It shattered around her feet, the shards cutting into her ankles.

Hinagiku jumped a bit, startled at the pain, and placed the letter on the counter to start cleaning up the mess she'd made with shaky fingers. It was a death sentence. That letter. It carried a death sentence. She needed to appeal to her Grandmother. To make her see reason. But, for that, she needed to have a proper suitor at the ready to counter her obviously prestigious offer with. Perhaps she could also gain Kuchiki-dono's approval for her choice of future husband. There was no way she would marry that man. She didn't know a single thing about him. Sure, she'd seen him around Seireitei, but that was all. She wasn't going to marry him. Even if she would get disowned by her family for her defiance.

The rest of the mission seemed to pass in a blink of an eye for Hinagiku. She didn't even enjoy the ice-cream, which she usually adored in Gense. Not even the training with Shin, and the boy was getting much better, could lift her spirits. She was numb. Her Grandmother's cold decision, marriage or alienation from the Kobashigawa name, had been an ultimatum she hadn't expected. It wasn't that Hinagiku wanted her wealth. Or the prestige. It wasn't that she needed any of it. But, her mother? To defect from her clan meant that she would be admitting that she had never been given birth to by her own mother. It meant forgetting her, never taking her name into her mouth and never visiting her grave. She couldn't do that. Everything else, she could do without. Not her mother's memory. Silly, yes. Still, it was the perfect kind of strategic card she should've expected her Grandmother to play.

"Kobashigawa-dono?" Shin called out to her, making her look up from the bag she'd been packing. On the bottom of it lay the cursed letter. The Kobashigawa official seal had never brought any good news with it.

"Yes?"

"You seem far away in your thoughts," the Shinigami noted tenderly. "Is anything the matter?" He was looking at her with curious sadness, almost pity in his eyes. Kobashigawa Hinagiku. She would be Kobashigawa no more. Not Kobashigawa-dono that Shin called her so gingerly and with respect. Not the Kobashigawa which sat on her official appointment to 19th Seat. Not the Kobashigawa who was the infamous Paper Pusher of the 11th. Not the Kobashigawa that Captain Hitsugaya said with that alluring voice. She wouldn't be that Kobashigawa. She would be Hinagiku only. And, that was, if she would be allowed to keep her name. In all likelihood, her Grandmother would strip her of that, as well. She would take everything that Hinagiku cared for, everything left behind by her parents. The legacy of her mother and the delicate daisy flower she'd loved so much. It was an unacceptable ultimatum.

"Everything is just fine, Shin-dono," Hinagiku smiled gently. She hefted her backpack onto her shoulder and waited a moment for him to catch up. Having returned their Gigai, all that was left was to wait for the gate at the agreed-upon location. "Everything is just fine. How did you find the mission?" Successfully, she steered the direction of conversation into a safer area. If she spoke even one word of her problem, she would likely break down in tears. Her hands trembled, they hadn't stopped since she'd gotten that letter, but she could mask that with excuses of Gense sickness and general fatigue. As Shin prattled on about his impressions of the world of the living, they headed for the middle of the park just a few blocks over.

"Is this the gate spot?" Shin finally paused in his rambling to ask, looking around. Hinagiku nodded. In the waning sun, the park didn't seem much like the perfect place for a gate to the Spirit World. However, at the appointed time, in just a few minutes, the tall trees would completely obscure the duo from prying eyes of anyone powerful enough to spot them leaving the Living World. "How precise is the gate summon?" Shin asked again, turning around, stepping closer to Hinagiku.

"Bad experience?" She asked, a grin making its way onto her face. Shin sighed.

"Back at the Academy, someone was telling a story how a gate got summoned right on top of him," he explained. "Nobody really believed it, but…" She giggled.

"Don't worry, Shin-dono," Hinagiku reassured. "I've only read of four such incidents and none of them were the fault of the 12th Division. It was mostly a case of the Shinigami not paying attention to the coordinates given to them and moving directly into the line of the gate summon due to battle conditions." She pointed to a nearby patch of grass. "That is the spot which marks our coordinates. The summon is incredibly accurate and will materialize in the air, before extending. I've heard that it's been accommodated recently to adjust its summon coordinates in case of physical presence, so there's no chance it will hurt you, even if you are standing directly in its path." The Shinigami nodded, but Hinagiku noticed he took a tentative step away from the spot she'd pointed to. The girl, instead, looked to the sky. "In a minute or so, it will be time."

They didn't even have to wait that long. In a matter of seconds, a rip in time and space could be clearly heard before a shoji door materialized at the right coordinates. It opened on its own, showing a dark hallway which would take them to Seireitei. Hinagiku nodded to a wide-eyed Shin and then they stepped forward. As they walked, along the walls of the corridor candles lit up, showing them their way. Shin turned around to see the ones behind them extinguishing on their own, as well. They were about halfway down the path when another light in the distance appeared, yellowish and on the edges of the corridor. Someone was walking towards them. Hinagiku didn't recognize the reiatsu, but it was cool and collected somehow. She nodded to Shin and spoke in a soft voice.

"This will be our substitute for the area," she said. He nodded mutely, following her down the path. Soon enough, they could see the figure of a lone Shinigami approaching. It was a slip of a girl, much like Hinagiku, but a little taller. She was dark-haired and had sharp eyes. Hinagiku offered a small, polite bow. "Kobashigawa Hinagiku, 19th Seat of the 11th Division under the supervision of Kenpachi Zaraki and Nakajima Shin, unseated, same Division, leaving our post at Karakura Town." The Shinigami briefly paused, bowing as well.

"Kuchiki Rukia, 13th Division, taking over regional appointment of Karakura Town," the young woman said. "How is the weather in the area?" She asked, smiling politely. It was a common, polite question, inquiring not only of the actual weather, but of the number and power of Hollows to be expected. While she wasn't as clinical about procedure, she was well-versed in code, Hinagiku had to give her that.

"Mild autumn," she replied. "The wind isn't too strong and there aren't many accidents that require attention. Good luck." Hinagiku offered another bow which Rukia echoed.

"Welcome back to Seireitei," the Shinigami replied as she passed them, heading out on her mission with a grin on her face. Hinagiku couldn't help but feel some of her excitement. She had been in much a similar mood just a week ago, as well. The letter in her backpack felt like dead weight, pulling her down into the abyss.

"Safe travels, Kuchiki-dono," Hinagiku continued, not looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel one bit.

"Wait, what?" Rini asked incredulously, eyebrow rising. Hinagiku nodded, leaning back in her chair, sipping her tea. "You can't be serious!" Her friend sidestepped a pile of paperwork to get to the barely visible desk. "That has to be illegal!" She stopped, then frowned. "It's illegal, isn't it?"

"Not really," Hinagiku sighed. "As the head of the house, my esteemed Grandmother is free to make a match for me. Using tactics such as this isn't uncommon and is frowned upon, but it's not really discussed, either." Rini was fuming.

"There has to be someone who can stand up to her!" Her face brightened then. "What about Captain Kuchiki? He's your support system now, isn't he?" Hinagiku shook her head softly. It wasn't like she hadn't thought about turning to her capping parent. Something didn't sit just right with the thought to complaining to Captain Kuchiki within the first few weeks of their newfound position.

"I wouldn't want to inconvenience him with such trivial matters," the girl said sullenly. Rini huffed. Hinagiku could see that she was getting increasingly more and more frustrated with the situation. Then, the redhead shrugged.

"We could off him."

"What?" Hinagiku almost spilled her tea all over her paperwork. Well, not all of it was hers. Rini shrugged again, her smirk widening. "He's a Captain!"

"Fair game," the toothy grin said everything. The crazy woman was excited at the premise of having a battle with him. Hinagiku quickly switched topics.

"What was the urgent news you said you had for me?" Instantly, Rini's frown was back. On her oddly delicate facial features, it was a curious sight. Rini didn't frown often. She grinned, which was also somehow out of place due to her pouty lips and large eyes, but it was an expression Hinagiku was familiar with. The feel of battle got that grin to appear on almost every single member of their Division. The frown was different.

"Hitsugaya Tōshirō," Rini said in a low tone, checking the door before she continued. "How close are you with him?" She didn't blush. She really didn't.

"N-not particularly," Hinagiku replied. "We take tea together sometimes. Play shogi. I find him a suitable adversary and a pleasant conversation partner." Rini nodded, then bent further down to whisper.

"I don't want to be the one to point fingers, especially at Captains," the woman's eyes narrowed. "But, he was the one to check the log for your mission." Hinagiku's mind was sent whirling. Hitsugaya? Not possible, her brain said immediately. Then, on the other hand, he had gotten close with her. Sought her out for conversations. Offered her guidance. Came to her mogi. Invited her to dinner. She frowned.

"What would be his motive for eliminating noble-blooded Shinigami?" Rini threw her hands up.

"I'm not a criminal mastermind," she replied, walking back to the other desk at the office and jumping onto it. She grabbed her tea and took a gulp. "All I know is that he was the one to check the logs. Also, I've… been stalking him."

"What?" Hinagiku balked, eyes wide.

"Well," the redhead shrugged flippantly. "It was the best thing I could think of." She put her mug down. "The Captain wouldn't let me warn you in Gense and I had to keep an eye out, just in case. So, I kinda… insinuated that I was interested in him and have been following him almost every day." Hinagiku was torn between laughing and being appalled. "The man is dreadfully boring, though. He just does paperwork and trains, nothing too interesting."

"And… um, did he catch you?" She did her best not to laugh.

"Of course he did," Rini deadpanned. "I told him I was interested." Then, she did laugh. And it felt good.

Hinagiku had become an early riser. On one hand, it was because of her work at the Division. Getting up early meant that she could start early. The mountain of paperwork assigned to her Division wasn't really being done by anyone other than her, after all. Not truly. Some members did fill in the blanks. Name of the commanding officer. Details of the mission. Date sometimes. Those were the puzzle pieces she would be given. The rest was up to her. Fill in the blanks. Connect the pieces. A puzzle.

Hinagiku had always loved puzzles. They made her feel alive, exhilarated and calm. It was the logic leap. Take into account everything you know and connect the dots. Occam's razor. The most likely explanation is usually the correct assumption as to the sequence of events. Mission led by Matsushita Koichi. Date, the 7th of November. Details, the fight was good. Matsushita usually led thirteen men teams. He didn't train newbies. Check. Fill in the gaps. The fight was good. There was enough fighting for everyone. At least thirteen Hollows. The fight was good. More than thirteen. He'd had a challenge. Fifteen Hollows, defeated, no sustained injuries. Check. Date, November. Take weather into account. No sustained injuries. Check. Fill in the blanks. Signature at the bottom. Done. Next.

Hinagiku was in her happy place. The reports flowed quickly, going over her desk as she completed them. Her mind made the logical leaps easily, like a machine almost. It was a process she'd been doing for a century, after all. Joint missions were a challenge. Her own Division, she knew perfectly. Others, she usually needed to make an educated guess for. But, they would be double-checked by said Divisions. No errors. She never made errors.

Hitsugaya Tōshirō. Captain of the 10th Division. Noble. Honorable. Caring. Quiet. Awkward. Embarrassed. Alluring eyes. Cute. Hinagiku's hand paused in writing. How had she not seen that logical leap? He was too close. But, was he too close only to devise a plan to kill her? What could he gain from her death? From other nobles dying?

Check, next. It didn't make sense. The puzzle pieces were there, but some were facing down. She couldn't guess. There was no logical leap to be made. It didn't make sense. How was Captain Hitsugaya involved? She didn't know. And, when she didn't know, she asked for more information from the source. Hinagiku finished the report she had been working on and stood. She stretched and took off her glasses. Inquiry is the way to illumination.

The path to the 10th Division barracks was one she knew well. She didn't get lost on the winding paths anymore. She, instead, easily found the familiar door and knocked. No reply. Was it too early? The sun had just barely risen.

"I'm awake!" The voice seemed deeper an octave or two. He had been asleep. Still, Hinagiku pushed the shoji to the side and entered.

"11th Division's 19th Seated officer, Kobashigawa Hinagiku," she greeted politely, stepping in. The room was a mess, as always. Captain Hitsugaya had a problem with efficiency. There was paperwork everywhere. Hinagiku spotted a sake cup and bottles on the table in the middle of the office. Matsumoto had been at it again. At least, this time, she wasn't passed out under said desk. "Good morning, Hitsugaya-taicho." Finally, she looked at the man in question. He seemed relieved to see her at the door, a small smile on his face. His hair was a mess.

"Oh, just you Kobashigawa," he said, sitting back down, or more like slumping back into his chair. "What's up?" He was being informal. Hinagiku stepped around some reports on the floor, heading for his desk. She could see the bags under his eyes as he stretched the best he could in his chair. He had probably been sleeping there. A Captain's job sure was a hassle.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He almost fell out of his chair at the question, then looked at her incredulously.

"What?" He gaped. Those eyes were a distraction. Hinagiku focused onto a spot over his left shoulder. She had to keep her focus. Gage his reaction properly. It would tell her more than his words. "Am I… trying to kill you?"

"Yes." It was a statement. The room was instantly a tad cooler than it had previously been. She shivered, the warm comfort of the closed barracks in the autumn air gone. She looked into his eyes again and all her breath left her. He had narrowed them, pinpointing her. He looked furious.

"Why would I be trying to kill you, Kobashigawa?" His tone was icy, the reiatsu leaking from him further enforcing the weight of the question. One misstep and she was dead, she knew.

"Are you or are you not?"

"No."

"Alright," she said. There was no lie on his face. No defensive posturing. No straying look to the side to invent an excuse. He wasn't lying. "Why did you check the details of my last mission at the Daiseireishokairō?" He frowned slightly.

"A Captain has no need to explain his actions to a subordinate."

"I'm not your subordinate."

"You're out of line, Kobashigawa," he warned. "If you think that because of my feelings you can accuse me of some kind of misconduct or question my authority, you-"

"Humor me, Captain." The air was still too cold for her liking.

"Fine," he sighed, relaxing. The cold vanished and she was comfortably toasty once more. The office was welcoming yet again. A safe space, like before. "I'd been worried due to your previous missions and wanted to make certain I could request to be the one to help you if the need arose." He rummaged through the paperwork on his desk. "If you don't believe me, read for yourself." Hinagiku stepped closer and took the paper from his hands. She skimmed through it. It was an unfiled request for providing reinforcements to her, straight from his Division, at any level.

"I believe you," Hinagiku said, finally relaxing, as well. Her hand trembled as she gave him the paper back. He let it fall to the desk and grabbed her fingers. This time, his alluring eyes captured her and she couldn't move. All her breath left her lungs and she was at his mercy, much more than before.

"What brought this on, Hinagiku?" The question was too tender for her not to believe it genuine. She broke down.

"Have you reported this?" Tōshirō asked, placing the steaming mug of tea in front of her. At first, he had been so lost when she began shivering, crying and crumpled to the floor. But, he'd quickly cleared up the desk in the middle of the office and helped her to the couch, before preparing them both a cup of tea and listening to the whole story.

"I can't," Hinagiku admitted, taking the mug. The warmth felt nice against her cold fingers. "I don't have any substantial evidence, really, just paranoid suspicions."

"If it's got you this worried, it can't be just that," Tōshirō said, sitting down as well. His fingers raked through his hair, like they usually did when he was relaxed. "Tell me what you've got." Hinagiku looked up from the steaming tea into his eyes and was lost, again. He had some kind of power in those eyes which should've been made illegal ages ago. It robbed her of her thoughts and speech alike.

"Well, it all began with the joint mission with your Division all those months ago for me," Hinagiku began her story. "I suspected that the target of it was Kōkichirō Takezoe, the 7th Seat of the 10th, but I later realized through further inspection of mission details that it was likely Kasumiōji Masaru, a member of the 11th Division." Tōshirō frowned.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Hinagiku sipped her tea.

"There were other missions with similar… irregularities," she explained. "The Huge Hollow, which also appeared on mine, which hadn't been registered by censors… That had happened before. I pulled records from all the missions in my own Divisions and then made gentle inquiries, outside of the formal system, to the people I know from other Divisions. Similar fatal situations had been recorded previously across all Divisions, labeled as accidents. There were too many-"

"And when there's enough of them, it's no coincidence," Tōshirō concluded. He sighed, fingers raking through his hair again. "How many?"

"Around forty that I found." He gasped.

"That's enough for a formal inquiry!" Then, his eyes narrowed. "You're worried that whoever is orchestrating these situations is in the Gotei?" Hinagiku nodded. Tōshirō bit his lip, thinking. Hinaigku waited patiently for him to process the situation. "And you didn't come to me or your Captain because?" Then, he huffed. "You thought I was involved?" She winced at the clear disappointment in his tone.

"To be fair, I wasn't certain if I would be seen as paranoid." Tōshirō shook his head.

"Nothing to be done about that now," he said. "And the targets were?"

"From my research it seems that they were all nobles." Tōshirō cursed. However, for once, Hinagiku felt like she wasn't carrying the world on her shoulders. Hitsugaya Tōshirō had to be some kind of a magician.

Thank you very much for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter!

Side note: Did you notice a little Easter Egg in the chapter?

Omake:

"So, the redhead, the officer, she followed me only to keep an eye on me?" Tōshirō asked, eyebrow rising. His face had an obvious, hopeful expression. Hinagiku giggled.

"Yes," she promised. "Rini was looking out for me. She was worried about the mission in Gense, because we'd set me up as bait for whoever was doing this." Tōshirō relaxed visibly with a sigh.

"Thank the Soul King," he said in a low voice, then, looked up at her, panicked. "Not that I don't welcome affection from lower ranked Shinigami, it-it's just that I'm already- er-um I'm already interested in someone," he winced. "Not the redhead."

"Oh, I know," Hinagiku replied with a smirk, enjoying the panic on his face when he met her eye once more.

"Y-you know?"

"It's obvious, really," she said, enjoying the ability to make a Captain squirm.

"I-I thought I was being perfectly polite, forgive me, I-"

"Tomoka is a lovely girl, Hitsugaya-taicho," Hinagiku decided to tease him a bit longer. The way his eyes widened was everything. The pure panic on his face elated her in a way that shouldn't be legal.

"Tsu-Tsutui? No, I-!" Hinagiku burst into giggles, making the Captain frown and glare at her half-heartedly. "That was uncalled for, Hinagiku. Very much uncalled for." She waved her hand in front of her face, doing her best to collect herself.

"Your expression! I couldn't resist!"

"Don't even joke about these things," Tōshirō grumbled. "She led my fanclub at the Academy, don't you remember?" Hinagiku nodded, laughing again.

"Oh, I remember!"

Now, I'm really done. Hope you enjoyed!