Long line of parentheses means swear word I don't even want to know what.

Disclaimer : Do I need to? This site is the biggest disclaimer after all. The OCs are all mine though, so is the bad grammar.

White with Wrath

"Ken-chan said it wasn't necessary, said it would only make battles boring and ending too quickly."

Kusajishi Yachiru

The First Division's vice-captain disappeared immediately after the meeting ended, as usual, leaving the twelve other vice-captains to relax and wait for their captains to collect them. While they usually smuggled sake in during this period, this time they chose to just chat around. They didn't even seem to realize that there were three new faces in that room, a fact that one of them, a considerably short and spiky-haired man, couldn't accept easily.

"Yo, pansies!" He shouted. His voice was inappropriate for his body as it was very loud. And immediately, everyone stopped talking and glared at him.

"Yeah, new guy?" Iba challenged, making good use of his yakuza-like appearance. Yachiru giggled abruptly. Hinamori elbowed her lightly, but was stifling her own laughter. The loud newcomer scowled.

"Y'all are going to give me some respect from now on! I'm the second strongest in the Sixth Division—"

"—There're at least thirteen and more above you", interjected Hinamori irritably. True, Renji did have an attitude, but he was at least nicer and taller. Something about this short man made her despise him before they even knew each other.

The man glared at Hinamori for her interjection. "And who are you to claim that? The Fourth Division's Vice-Captain?" He snarled.

"For your information", piped Isane, "That would be me. Hinamori-san is the Vice-Captain of the Fifth Division."

"Same difference", the man muttered. By now, nearly everyone was glaring at him, except for Nemu who was looking impassively at everything.

"Listen, bud." Iba grabbed his collar and easily lifted him above the ground.

"My name is Sahagin Gaoga! Remember the name of the future taichou!" The midget yelled, unafraid.

"Sahagin-san", finally one of the other newcomers spoke, "We're new here, I don't think—"

"Che, I'm the top of my class! I'll surpass them in no time! Why should I listen to them now?" Sahagin spat, making Iba twitched between throwing him and dropping him to the ground.

"Because they could obliterate you in one second, and because I will take it upon myself to make sure that they do", said a very tired and annoyed voice of Idaten.

As it was customary to announce her presence, several people started and Sahagin cursed loudly. Idaten sighed warily, leaning against the shoji door. At least Sahagin's ruckus had enabled her to stay awake.

"Please drop him, Iba-fukutaichou. I believe he is now Kuchiki-taichou's charge."

Iba obeyed, though he still crossed his arm in alarm at Sahagin. The short man wasn't perturbed; he even glared defiantly at Idaten.

"And who are you to give authorities? Aren't you just someone fresh from the Academy like me? How come someone without any reiatsu like you could order you (he gave the others a nod) around?"

Somewhere around Idaten Kyouraku clicked his tongue impatiently.

"Someone that looks like a Hollow to boot! Oy, knuckleheads, I knew that you were stupid, but I certainly didn't know you were stupid enough to let her become your captain!" Sahagin puffed his chest proudly. Yachiru had stopped giggling long ago, and was now competing with Hinamori as to who gave the deadliest glare. Iba was cracking his knuckles and was ready to throw Sahagin out of the window. Nanao's glasses glinted dangerously, and Rangiku had her first scowl in that day. Idaten just raised both eyebrows.

"Congratulations, you have just asked the week's questions", she responded dryly. "Come, Hinamori."

Hinamori obeyed, glaring at Sahagin who chose that moment to say, "And where do you think you're going, coward?"

They ignored him.

Hitsugaya said vehemently to Byakuya, "You always have a knack for choosing your vice-captain, don't you?"

"I'm not that bad you know", Renji retorted. "At least I know when to stop."

"That's because you're a coward! A real man like me will say his heart out!" Sahagin boldly declared.

"Sahagin-san!" Matsuda uttered horrifically.

Sahagin sneered and was about to say something.

"You will keep your mouth shut." A very cold voice said to him from the behind. Sahagin froze: it was full of murdering intent. "Lest you want me to rip your heart out this instant."

For the first time, Sahagin was petrified without even trying to fight back. Soi Fong had appeared out of thin air and was currently standing behind him, her head leveled with his.

"I think it's Kuchiki's job to decide what to do about him", Hitsugaya droned. "After all, it's his first day."

Sahagin seemed to have just realized his captain was there. "K-Kuchiki-taichou?"

"Hmph. Not so brave now, are you?" Kurotsuchi taunted malevolently. "What a lump of idiocy. Don't just stand there, Nemu! We're late, and it's your entire fault!"

Nemu obediently followed him out as he ranted about his waiting experiment and how the captain's meeting was just a waste. Attentions immediately shifted to Byakuya and Sahagin. Wordlessly, Byakuya just left the scene as though nothing happened. To everyone's surprise, Sahagin followed him mutedly.

Ukitake shook his head. "Yare-yare...how come someone like that gets his easy way to the second highest position in the Sixth Division?"

"Because Kuchiki-taichou is a --------", Renji answered contemptuously.

The other captains agreed unanimously.

---------------------------------

Hinamori grimaced. Her taichou was yet again half-asleep on the desk. She shrugged in exasperation. Idaten was being unreasonably stubborn, something that Hinamori wouldn't have minded if she hadn't had the conscience to say the otherwise.

"Taichou, you do have a bed for a reason", she said loudly, poking her slightly in the ribs. Idaten jerked awake, blinking blearily.

"I just slipped", she persisted, trying to focus on the papers on her desk. Instead, her tired eyes chose to shut her eyelids, while she struggled to open it. Hinamori suppressed a giggle. She could bet that she was the only fukutaichou ever caught their taichou in embarrassingly funny situations and still could get away with laughing at it, not to mention scolding them.

"You shouldn't have stayed up that late last night", she chastised, "You're still new, everyone will understand if you're a bit late for the deadline. You could also have skipped this morning's meeting if you had been too tired for it. Either way, there is absolutely no need to push yourself this hard."

Idaten groaned unintelligibly. Hinamori rolled her eyes. "I'll tell you what; I know just the perfect remedy for you, better than caffeine. But you'll have to promise to train me."

Idaten snapped up, glancing curiously. Hinamori rolled her eyes again. "Honestly, taichou, it's been a week and all you're doing is locking yourself in this room. You need some fresh air."

What Renji and Kira—because they were extremely busy—didn't know was that behind the tough exterior Hinamori was currently wearing, she could never throw away her upbeat personality, at least not completely. It was this fact that made Idaten obeyed.

"We'll see about that. What is this remedy?"

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It turned out to be eating a plate of wasabi. At first Idaten was stunned when Hinamori explained that Nanao had tried it, and Kyouraku had ended up working 24 hours before Nanao forced him to sleep. When Idaten didn't answer, Hinamori quickly shoved the whole plate into her taichou's numb mouth, and she spent the next half an hour pouring water into her flaming mouth.

"That, Hinamori, is classified as an attempt on my life", Idaten said furiously, throwing away an empty bottle.

Hinamori couldn't help but giggle. "At least now you're back to normal."

"Normally I don't breathe fire. Now, a promise is a promise. What do you want me to teach you?"

The short girl's face quickly straightened. "The 92nd Hadou, Santenkago."

Figures. "Why do you choose that one?"

"It's an uncommon spell. Not even A—"She paused, her breath raspy. "A-Aizen used it." Immediately she chastised herself mentally for mentioning the traitor.

Idaten raised an eyebrow. Aizen didn't use it? Surely a powerful and useful kidou like that would be a villain's favorite?

They were interrupted when a special messenger dropped in, the one used for special emergencies only.

"Gobantai-taichou and fukutaichou, I have an urgent order from the Soutaichou."

Idaten nodded, urging him to go on.

"There is a request for backup in Human world, Area 1026 sector 2128, please go there immediately."

The messenger disappeared. Wasting no time, they grabbed their zanpakuto and a jigoku-cho.

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Upon arrival, Hinamori had the utmost sinking feeling of a deja vu. Uncountable Hollows literally filled the scene, not even the air seemed enough to contain them. In the middle of it all was a black mess of a shinigami, alive or dead she didn't know. In fact, her present location was the same as her location back then.

It was exactly like her first encounter with Aizen. A large number of Hollows had suddenly appeared, Shuuhei had asked for backup, and she—with Renji and Kira—had come to his rescue. In fact, it had also been the Fifth Division who rescued them. This place was where her nightmarish link with Aizen began.

In the present, Hollows yet again filled the air, and she rushed to the shinigami's side, defending him. She swiped Tobiume on a Hollow's mask, at the same time casting the 33rd Hadou on another.

"Just stay by him, Hinamori", said her captain nonchalantly, blasting a group of Hollows with a number of spells in quick succession. "Make sure that he's still alive for now."

Hinamori nodded sourly; she didn't need orders for that one. She called Tobiume's name, sent fireballs to some more Hollows and they dissipated as their masks were destroyed. Hinamori frowned while she was still destroying them. These Hollows were too easy to defeat, even though her level of power was definitely higher than most shinigamis, she knew that these Hollows shouldn't be too much trouble. That was her thoughts until she remembered that the man behind her was just an unseated shinigami whose name she didn't even know.

"Well, this is annoying", her captain's deadpan voice brought her out of her reverie. "Get him to safety Hinamori, I'm about to do a clean wipeout."

Hinamori nodded, using shunpo to get out of the presumably area of blast. Her guess was correct, split seconds later red triangular explosion outmatched even the sun.

She squinted. The 92nd Hadou, Santenkago, was famous for being a very powerful spell that required no verbal incantations, just some marks on the ground, even though the marks were proofs of stored energy. Nevertheless, not even Aizen ever mentioned anything about it other than the secrets of that spell—for many captains had tried casting it and failed miserably—were lost approximately 50 years ago.

"You always have so many things to think of. I'm not saying it's bad: just make sure that it won't make you vulnerable."

Hinamori snapped back to reality. The area was now clear of Hollows, and Idaten was now standing in front of the fallen shinigami, examining him. She knitted her brow in confusion, then widened her eyes, and instantly jumped away from him. The next thing Hinamori knew was the shinigami suddenly waved his zanpakuto around madly.

"Hey, what are you doing?" She shouted, jumping back. The shinigami now charged to them with erratic movements. Idaten effortlessly sidestepped and hit him between the shoulder and the neck, a move that supposedly could knock him unconscious. Unfortunately, it seemed to make him even madder, and he cast spells. That was when Hinamori realized something was wrong with the shinigami's face.

His forehead was white and solid looking. Idaten too seemed to think of the same thing, for she used shunpo and caught both of his hands with one hand, and used the other to knock her zanpakuto's hilt on the mask rather forcefully. The mask cracked and crumbled, at the same time the shinigami's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fainted.

Hinamori just stared at Idaten, who didn't say anything but using a jigoku-cho to open the portal to Seireitei. The vice-captain wasn't stupid, she could add two and two to make out four.

And judging from Idaten's slightly paler complexion, she was thinking of the same thing.

Too bad she wasn't aware that a few fragments stuck on her neck.

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Kurotsuchi Mayuri usually didn't accept guests in the middle of work. Of course, when the guest told him about a new experimental object, he all but opened the door to his lab by himself.

"And this is?" He rasped enthusiastically, examining the white fragment in his hand.

Idaten, who brought it to him, was far from being excited. "I found it on one of my subordinate's face, and when I broke it he went unconscious. Before that, he was attacking wildly...like a wounded animal."

"Yes...that's interesting..." Kurotsuchi said distractedly. He pocketed the fragment. "How about you? Want me to study you? You're an interesting case—I'll give you a special treatment."

Idaten glared at him. "I doubt I have the time. Now, excuse me."

"Tch...Always like that...idealistic brat..."

Kurotsuchi slammed the door shut.

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He picked up the fragment and toyed it in his hands. "Man, can't believe this thingies caused our troubles..." He muttered, glancing at the unconscious subordinate in his hand other hand.

"Sahagin." He quickly straightened his posture. "We shall return now."

"Aye, aye, sir", Sahagin mock saluted, knowing full well that Byakuya couldn't see with his back. He looked at the fragment again. A bright idea flashed in his brain.

He carefully threw the fragment so that it landed on Byakuya's kenseikan. To unobservant eyes (who would with that cold of a man?) it would look just like a part of the hair curlers, as Sahagin liked to put it. He sniggered mentally. It was the perfect payback for the morning.

"Sahagin."

"Yes, yes, coming."

The fragment fell from Byakuya's movement and stopped on the back of his neck.

They ignorantly stepped into the gate.

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Whenever Kyouraku was serious, Nanano knew she had to be very, very cautious. It wasn't just because whatever could attract her captain to get into his—well, captain mode—must be something really important, it was also because her own intuition and logic made her believe so.

A subordinate surrounded by Hollows then attacking them after being saved and collapsing after having the formerly-non-existent mask cracked was definitely her top priority right now.

"Shall I bring some of these to the Twelfth Division for research, Taichou?" She inquired briskly after fingering the fragments.

"If it pleases you, Nanao-chan", Kyouraku replied solemnly, hitching the subordinate on his shoulder higher. "I'm more concerned about getting him to the Fourth Division right now."

"Ah...right." Wordlessly, they stepped through the portal.

They didn't notice the tiniest of fragments clinging on Nanao's wrist.

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"Now that's odd...what do you think, Taichou? Vaizards? Arrancars? Weirdo-Hollows?"

Komamura didn't respond, merely crushing the remnants of the odd mask in his fist. Iba took that as a sign to shut up.

"Take him straight to the Fourth Division, don't say any of this to anyone. I'll see what the other captains have about this."

"Yes, sir..."

By nature, the remnants also were left in Komamura's palm.

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Hitsugaya squinted, watching the fragments of mask as though it was about to lunge at them again. A slender and longer hand showed up next to him, about to touch the things. He slapped it away, earning him a little playful scolding.

"Taichou! It's not nice to do that to a lady!" Rangiku said pompously, pouting and rubbing her hand.

Hitsugaya shook his head. "Baka, we don't even know what that thing is...and if he's any indication." He jerked his thumb at their seventh seat. "It means anything but good."

"Then all the more reason to show this to Kurotsuchi-taichou. He'll be more than happy to study this", Rangiku persisted.

"Do what you please." Hitsugaya opened the portal, and dragged the seventh seat to it. Rangiku shoved the fragments onto Haineko's sheath without touching it.

Still, the wind mysteriously blew it to her open chest.

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"Yachiru, quit playing with—whatever it is!"

"Why not, Ren-kun? It's harmless!"

Renji grabbed Yachiru by her collar. "Right, because we can't sense any Hollow-scent from it. Do you also remember that the Eleventh Division has the worse sensing of all?"

"Ken-chan said it wasn't necessary, said it would only make battles boring and ending too quickly." She stopped struggling as she said that, and hopped onto Renji's shoulders instead.

"Well, whatever. I'll just ask the others about it...if they'd answer."

Yachiru didn't respond with her usual childishness, something that Renji had gotten used to over the months.

They, like everyone else, ignored the tiny white substances on both hairs.

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"We have to fill a form to submit an object of study to the Twelfth Division?"

"Yes", Hinamori grated.

Idaten raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's a new concept. I don't think they used to do that—"

"Since when were you accustomed with the 'old concept' to begin with?" The Vice-Captain answered a bit too aggressively, a fact that Idaten noticed.

"Is something wrong, Hinamori?" She asked slowly, trying to avoid an argument war.

"You are, Taichou!" Hinamori blurted furiously. "Always acting like you know how things work here, always refusing my help, always driving yourself crazy, do you even know how a captain usually work?"

To this statement Idaten couldn't answer due to shock and the insensibility of the answer she had in her mind. Somehow, the answer had almost always been 'I just know', which would never satisfy a betrayed girl's mind.

Speaking of whom, was still raging at the moment. "You don't, do you? Just like every other captains, proud—too proud—the only time you'll deflate your heads is when giants like Aizen is about to crush your heads! And then, even then, you still depend on your vice-captains to do all your dirty works! Be it making a ruckus, or even trying to kill each other!"

Hinamori stepped back hastily. "Good night." She slammed the shoji door until the papers were torn on her way out.

Idaten's brows knitted. Hinamori was definitely venting off her frustrations from Aizen and having another captain. The timing, however, was too random and too impulsive...or she was just pretending she knew her vice-captain more than just her name. Idaten sighed, massaging her temples. She could at least try one of the advices, namely getting some sleep.

On an idle thing to note, since when did Hinamori wear white feet cast instead of just socks?

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Nighttime set in Seireitei, leaving nearly all shinigami in deep, peaceful slumber.

Nearly all of them.

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Kurotsuchi was still in his lab, eagerly studying the odd fragments while using Nemu as his test subject. His eyes were widening in glee when she finally showed some signs of aggression.

Something white had also begun covering her face.

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Generally, the servants wouldn't bother any of the Kuchiki when they couldn't sleep. Tonight, they couldn't sleep and found Byakuya couldn't either. They woke Rukia.

Together, they watched as Byakuya tossed and turned in his sleep—an event very rare in and on itself, though none of them were aware of the white solid object covering his back of neck.

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Kyouraku was too drunk to notice it. Nanao was too lofty to tell him about it. She had been on a very bad mood starting the moment they got back from their duty. It was so bad that she even slapped him when he offered to open the door for him. Their centuries of cooperation gave him the sense to leave her while she was at her worst.

He just had to ignore her newest fashion statement : a white wristband.

----------------------------------------

Iba was repeatedly still bashing himself for bringing the thing about Vaizards and Arrancars up, thus possibly setting Komamura into his bad mood. Sure, his taichou was very brooding these days, but even then he didn't even scold his subordinates for the tiniest of mistakes. He also hadn't worn a glove for a long time, something Iba had just noticed. Just what the ---------- is up with that white glove?

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Their relationship usually worked with him scolding her for lazing off instead of her scolding him for continually berating him righteously. As silly as Rangiku could be, Hitsugaya had never encountered her nearly insane side, like this one. He let her retire early, convinced that a night's rest would bring her back to normal.

Little did he know it only served to make her worse as white started to cover her neck like a choker.

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The Eleventh Division were in for some fright. Their top heads were bantering, arguing, and then trying to kill each other without even holding back, all from a simple disagreement about who should cook that night. If it weren't for Ikkaku and Yumichika's effort (it included tying them on their beds respectively) the office could explode any minute. Not that they were scared, they just wanted to avoid jurisdictions.

That was why they left them alone with their extra white mane.

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"Why didn't you take me with you, Yoruichi-sama!"

"Come here, little bee...oh, I forgot...you can't."

"Is that the only thing you can think of! Don't you even notice that you have your own soul to care about?"

"It's...not...just my...duty...it's my right...as a friend...to die...for you..."

"I don't know if you're the same one as I knew...but I'll still protect you, just like you'll always protect me."

"Life, Soi Fong, no matter how cyclic it is, is always worth to keep. You can only remember one cycle of your life, it's like you only live for that cycle. I doubt it's wrong to protect it. I'd trade my life for yours only so that I wouldn't feel the sorrow of losing you, instead so that you could keep on living...if only for that selfish reason...that's how the Thirteenth Division builds our brotherhood...that's how I taught them to."

Soi Fong snapped up, sweating and panting heavily. With that jerk she also automatically whipped Suzumebachi from beside her pillow, though after seeing that she was alone the blade was put away. The bodiless voices still rang clearly in her ears, as though the three speakers were directly beside her, whispering. She just lied down again. It was just a nightmare, a nightmare made from memories that she had and hadn't had for a long time. Whenever she had a nightmare, then something truly bad was going to happen.

The Second Captain was seen leaping from roof to roof under the moonlight minutes later, patrolling for her own comfort.

Seeing how things were going to be in the next hours, it was fortunate she did.